by Phoenix Grey
"Crescent Island is different," Lonnell told him, but he didn't explain further. For a moment, Azure thought to ask why it was different, but then he realized that he didn't really care. There were more pressing things to discuss. He segued into what they really needed to be talking about. "So...rent."
"Ah yes. That is due, is it not?" Lonnell tossed his head up, clearly irritated by the financial responsibility.
"I made enough this week to go in on a month. What do you think?"
He exhauled with a huff. "A waste of money. I barely even got to stay at the inn."
"I was here almost all week," Azure confessed. "I think it's just the luck of the draw. You probably got a shit quest."
"A shit quest," Lonnell parrotted, taking a long gulp of beer.
"I think that booking a month would be a good idea. Whether you like it or not, Squall's End is going to be our home for a while. At least while I attend magic school and you save up to marry Bronna."
"And how's that coming along for you?" He asked bitterly. "Any closer to attending the school of the rich and privileged?"
Damn. The week really had done a number on Lonnell. Azure had never seen his friend in such a foul mood. It seemed as though ever since they had landed at Squall's End, Lonnell had turned into a grump.
"It's called saving, Lonnell. I know you've never had to do it before because things always came easy on your parents' farm. This is real life, though." Azure gestured around. "If you want something, you have to work for it. And if you really want something, then you have to work a lot. It's not fun. It's not meant to be fun. But that's what separates the wheat from the chaff."
Lonnell seemed to deflate a bit. "You're right. I just...need a way to make money faster. It feels like I'll never get there at this point."
"Hey," Azure said to draw his friend's attention. "It's only been a week. You should try fishing. I'm pretty sure you can make a gold a day doing that. It's a Stamina drain and boring as hell, but more than worth it."
"I think you just got lucky." Lonnell wrapped his hands around his horn. "A Dragon Scale is an incredibly rare thing to pull from a lake. Besides, fishing poles cost a lot. It would be yet another thing I'd have to save up for, then who knows how much fishing I would have to do to make up the cost. I think I'll just stick to questing."
"Suit yourself." Azure shrugged. "I think I might spend the day tomorrow foraging and see how much coin I can make from that."
"Not much, I imagine," Lonnell replied dryly.
"Well, you never know until you try." Lonnell's bad mood was quickly weighing on Azure. For as excited as he had been for his friend's return, he really didn't feel like hanging around a Debby Downer. Aside from almost dying and being robbed by the Asshole Knight, Azure had had a pretty good week.
"I've got an idea," Lonnell piped up suddenly, turning to Azure.
"What?"
"We should start questing together. Take only bounties. Supposedly they pay the most. We'd get good experience so that we could level faster, and we'd get better gear without having to buy it," he explained as if Azure didn't know most of that already.
"They're also higher risk," Azure reminded him. "And like any other quest, I'm pretty sure that the pay is a crapshoot. Plus, we'd be splitting everything."
"The two of us together could take higher Rank E quests, I'm sure of it. It would probably make it worth it."
Bounty quests would naturally have a longer duration than some of the other quests available. Azure wasn't convinced it would balance out in profitability.
Sensing his apprehension, Lonnell said, "We could always just give it a try. Do one quest together. If it seems like a waste of time, then we don't have to do it again. Besides, we're going to pay up a month at the inn, so it's not like we won't have time."
Azure blew out a breath. He had always been taught to work smarter, not harder. Fishing seemed like the best thing for him to be doing right now. But, he hadn't taken a bounty quest on yet, so what did he know. One bounty quest might shower him in enough riches to be able to afford a month's worth of rent AND magic school. There was only one way to find out.
"Fine," he said apprehensively. "But if we both have a hangover tomorrow, we'll pick up our quest tomorrow but not start it until the following day. I still want to see how much money foraging will bring in anyway."
"Deal."
They shook on it, finished their beers, then went back to the inn to pay their rent. Azure ended up sleeping on the floor again, but he was fine with that. More than likely, it was something he would have to get used to again while they were taking on their first bounty quest together.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE REALM – Day 52
Azure leveled up his Analyze skill from standing in line at The Adventurers Guild the next morning. Even though Lonnell had dragged him there before the sun had even peeked over the horizon, it wasn't long before all of the lines were full.
Congratulations! The skill: Analyze has reached Level 8. This skill allows you to see how dangerous a foe is in relation to your own level. Use this skill frequently to avoid getting yourself killed.
"Busy day," he muttered, looking over at Ferne, who already seemed exhausted.
"We are going to be adventuring together, and I only want to see bounty quests," Lonnell told Mel as soon as they had made it to the front of the E line.
That was a bit bold, Azure thought, though he didn't bother saying it. Apparently, Lonnell didn't understand how moody the clerks here could be.
Mel's jaw tensed as he shuffled through his quest papers and slid one across to them.
Adventurers Guild Quest: A Very Powerful Magic Item
Lord Blakemore has located a staff of immense magical power within the area. He needs you to enter the dungeon it lies in and bring the item back to him. Due to the difficulty of this task, he has appointed Sir Nash Thornton to accompany you. To begin this quest, you will first meet up with Sir Thornton at the designated location.
Designation: E
Type: Bounty
Difficulty: Very Hard
Deadline: 14 days
Success: Return the staff to The Adventurers Guild
Failure: Cancel quest or die
Reward: 5 gold, 3 Quest Points, 1 Potion of Minor Stamina, 1 Medium Bag, 1 Steel Square Shield, 1 Pair of Yellow Gloves
Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
"We'll take it," Lonnell said before Azure even had a chance to finish reading it. Snatching the paper from the counter, Lonnell walked away with a smile on his face.
"Whoa!" Azure jogged a few steps to catch up. "We're not even going to discuss this? Five gold isn't a lot split between us. I mean, I want the Medium Bag, but""
Lonnell stopped so abruptly that Azure nearly ran into him. "You have no idea how much all of these items are worth, do you?" He slapped the quest paper with the back of his hand.
Azure paused for a minute, feeling stupid. Honestly, he hadn't even considered the items. His focus had been entirely on the coin. Now that he was thinking about it, Lonnell was right. The Potion of Minor Stamina was worth seven gold, five silver. The Medium Bag was worth eight gold. That didn't really matter if he didn't plan on selling them. Azure desperately needed the bag. Surely, Lonnell would understand that he wanted to keep it. He also wanted the Potion of Minor Stamina. Even after jacking up his Stamina, Azure still felt like he ran out way too quickly.
As for the other two items, Lonnell could have them. Azure wasn't sure how much they were worth, but he assumed that they'd fetch a good sum.
With a sigh, he supposed it was a worthwhile venture. While the quest wouldn't add much to his rent fund, it would get Azure things that he desperately needed.
"If you think it's a good deal, then I suppose it is," Azure said with a shrug. Then another thought crossed his mind. "If you're so hard up for money, why don't you just sell those Potions of Minor Stamina that you have left."
"What Potions of Minor Stamina?" Lonnell cocked h
is head back. "I used them all on that ingredient gathering quest." By the sinking of his expression, it was clear that he didn't think of that quest fondly.
"That's too bad."
"Why?"
"Because they're worth seven gold and five silver."
Lonnell looked at him like he was daft. "Who told you that?"
"I tried to buy some from a merchant in Roselake." Azure nodded in the direction of Roselake.
"That guy was probably just trying to scam you," Lonnell informed him. "They're only worth about half of that, and you'll get less if you try to sell them."
Azure had suspected as much. That merchant in Roselake had just been trying to take advantage of his desperate situation. It seemed like the small village was full of assholes.
He tried to wave his bitter thoughts away. "Then how did you afford to buy so many of them before we went on the quest to kill the Lesser Demon?"
"I'm on good terms with all the merchants on Crescent Island. Besides, I didn't have anything else to spend my money on then. I didn't anticipate that I'd ever be coming to the mainland. And the only reason why I didn't sell the ones that I had left was because I knew I would need them for my quests. I really need to learn how to make them." He scratched his chin.
"We both do." Azure's eyes widened for effect. "That's a goldmine in and of itself."
"Speaking of which, did you still want to go foraging today, or did you want to get this quest started? Considering that we're going to have to enter a dungeon, I doubt this quest will take us less than a week to complete." He moved aside so that they weren't blocking the door to The Adventurers Guild so much.
Azure inhaled deeply, thinking. While he was well-rested, he still had a headache from drinking the night before. "Do you think we'd actually enter the dungeon today?"
"Who knows?" Lonnell shrugged. "Time is wasting, though. I say we go for it."
They finally left The Adventurers Guild and headed toward the gate leading out of Squall's End. By the time they reached it, Azure had decided that he wasn't really in the mood to start a dungeon today after all. It was better to go in with a clear head"not a hangover.
"Let's forage today." He paused at the gate.
"Fine. But there's no point in doing it together. Limited resources and all." Lonnell made a circular gesture with his hand.
"I'll stay to the right of the main road, you stay to the left?" Azure suggested.
"Yeah. Sure."
Knowing better than to forage close to town and the main road, Azure walked a good mile before branching off into the forest. Sadly, he found spending his time foraging even less interesting than fishing. His haul at the end of the day wasn't very impressive either. A full day of foraging only netted him fifty-six alchemy components. Definitely not as profitable as fishing had been since they only sold for one copper a piece.
Lonnell faired much better, collecting one hundred and eight items and earning one gold and eight copper from his efforts. Needless to say, that put him in a better mood.
"Perhaps there are easier ways to make money than by Adventuring," he admitted as they bedded down for the night, this time surrendering the mattress to Azure.
"Yeah. Easy peasy." Azure placed his arms behind his head like a makeshift pillow. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite sharing in Lonnell's enthusiasm after having earned only about half of what his friend had. The day did seem like a bit of a waste. But again, the luck of the draw.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE REALM – Day 53
They awoke excessively early the next morning, as Lonnell was wont to do, and headed to the location marked on his map to meet with Sir Thornton. The quest took them to the tavern in Roselake. Part of Azure wanted to detour to the merchant to tell him what an asshole he was, but Lonnell wouldn't allow it. He still gave the man a nasty glare as they passed by. Now that he was fully healed, he must appear a bit more intimidating, because the merchant averted his gaze.
When they walked through the wooden door, Azure's anxiety spiked as he saw The Asshole Knight sitting at a bench facing the bar, one of the few patrons occupying the place this early in the morning. A handful of others were already deep in their cups. Apparently, there was no law in The Realm about selling alcohol before sunrise.
When Lonnell began heading in the knight's direction, Azure started to panic. He stopped dead in his tracks, digging his heels into the floor. "Nope."
Lonnell turned to him. "What?"
"Nuh-uh." Azure shook his head.
Hearing their quiet argument, The Asshole Knight turned. A wicked smirk crossed his face as his eyes landed on Azure. "Ah, Bat Fodder," he said in greeting. "What brings you to these parts?"
"Bat...Fodder?" Lonnell raised an eyebrow at Azure.
Azure glared at The Asshole Knight. "Please tell me you are not Sir Nash Thornton."
"Depends on who's asking." The knight picked up his horn of ale.
Azure's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. Frantically, his eyes danced around the room, searching for anyone else that could be considered a knight. Maybe knights in The Realm were like cops and wore civilian clothes when they weren't on duty.
But Azure wasn't that stupid. The foreboding feeling that wracked through him rang loud and clear that this was who they had come to meet. No one else even looked remotely like a knight.
"Are you Sir Nash Thornton?" Lonnell asked with more authority than Azure had managed to muster.
"What do you twerps want?" The Asshole Knight volleyed back before taking a drink.
Lonnell braved walking up to him, but Azure stayed back. "We were sent from The Adventurers Guild to help you with a quest. We're reporting for duty."
"Spoken like a soldier," Sir Thornton chuckled, "but you're no soldier." He looked them both over and then grumbled to himself, "Squall's End must be scraping the bottom of the barrel."
Azure gritted his teeth. His blood pressure rose with every passing second. Though he knew they shouldn't have, the insults were getting to him. He would not suffer this man's company, not after being robbed by him. "I want to cancel the quest."
"I'm not surprised." Sir Thornton turned back to face the bar, shutting them both out. "If you can't even survive a few bats, then you don't have the metal to take on a dungeon. Go back to wherever you came from and suck on your mom's tit until you grow a pair."
Lonnell's mouth dropped open. "This is the guy?" He pointed at Sir Thornton, finally piecing together how the two men knew each other.
"Mhm." Azure nodded. "I'm sorry, Lonnell, but I don't work with assholes. No honorable knight saves a guy only to threaten and rob him the very next day." This was said loudly enough for the entire tavern to hear. It also had the undesirable effect of agroing the knight. In an instant, Sir Thornton was on his feet. Before Azure even knew what was happening, his back was being slammed against the table. The Asshole Knight had caught him by the front of his armor and flung him down.
Their faces were now mere inches apart, so close that Azure could feel Sir Thornton's hot breath wafting across his face. With it, the smell of ale assaulted his nostrils. He cringed away, but it was unavoidable. "If you don't put value on your own life, that's your problem. If anyone is dishonorable, it's a man who won't pay what he owes."
Lonnell was behind him holding his palms out in surrender. "Calm down, you two. I'm sure this was all a big misunderstanding."
Sir Thornton's eyes shifted to where his horn lay on its side, tumbled over from when he had thrown Azure down. Amber liquid trickled out, but it wasn't much. "You made me spill my beer. You will buy me another one."
This, of course, was non-negotiable. And Lonnell was scrambling in his bag for the money before Sir Thornton had even let Azure go.
For a moment, Azure just laid there and breathed, still in shock. Damn did he want to put this guy in his place, but it was no use. The Asshole Knight still Analyzed as red to him.
Lonnell tossed two coppers on the table before helping Azure to his feet, and Sir Thorn
ton reclaimed his seat a few feet away from them, shutting them out again.
"He's strong," Lonnell said quietly, turning away from the knight but in seemingly no rush to leave the tavern. "This could be good for us."
"Did you not see what just happened?" Azure gestured to Sir Thornton.
"He's a red," Lonnell whispered. "That means we probably won't have to do much work."
Azure's jaw unhinged. Was Lonnell being serious right now? “You think he even wants our help?”
"I don't," Sir Thornton chimed in. "When you return to The Adventurers Guild to cancel, tell them to send me better men." He waved them away arrogantly.
Now it was Lonnell's anger that flared. He turned back to Sir Thornton, pulling the quest sheet from his bag and slamming it down on the table in front of him. “This quest is designated as E. If we go back and cancel it, they'll just send more like us.”
"E?" The Asshole Knight's head jutted back and he jerked the paper out from under Lonnell's weight. Once he had finished reading through it, he groaned, pressing the fingers of one hand to his temple in frustration. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. I thought this quest was supposed to be important!" His voice rose as he slapped the paper with the back of the same hand he had used to soothe himself. The sound of knuckles connecting with wood made Azure cringe. This guy needed to take some anger management classes.
"Now I don't know what beef you have with my friend," Lonnell glanced back at Azure, "but we came here to do a job. I'm not canceling, and I'm the one who took the quest. So you get either one of us or both of us, but considering that you thought they would send you stronger men, I'm assuming you'll need both."
Azure had forgotten that it was technically Lonnell's quest. That meant he could walk away if he wanted to and not have to worry about earning a strike.
For the first time, Sir Thornton looked somewhat defeated. Or maybe that expression was annoyance. Azure couldn't tell. He was undoubtedly irritated though.