“Okay, so you didn’t mind the hair dye!” I interrupted him.
“How was breakfast?” Chrysa asked.
“It went well. We need to plan for the rest of the day. Cornalic, can you go back to the jewelry store where you sold the pieces and buy them back?”
The half-orc and brunette beauty both gave me puzzled looks, and I pointed to the bag at my hip. “Cesnie tried to buy me. So now I have 12,500 platinum pieces.”
“She tried to buy you? For that much?” Chrysa’s mouth opened wide enough for me to see the back of her esophagus.
“Yeah. So, I think we should spend some of it to get back what you sold for my attribute books.”
“Leo, that is very kind of you. I am speechless. Thank you,” the beautiful woman choked out the words, and I could see the joy plain on her face.
“You helped me out by selling it. Cornalic, once we buy the jewelry back how much money will we have left?”
“A bit above 10,000 platinum,” he said.
“Great. That should be enough to get you a bunch of new ability books,” I said as I handed him the magical bag.
“Me? What do you mean, dearest friend?” The half-orc tilted his head, and his yellow eyes opened wide.
“Do you know of a vendor who sells books you can use? I know that you haven’t spent a lot of time in this city, but I think you should get some new ones.”
“Leo, I ahhh. I can find some to buy. Are you sure?” The muscular man glanced at the bag and then back to me.
“Yeah, buddy.” I smiled at him.
“I think we will be better off spending this money on you, dear friend. Healers and protectors are quite desirable, and their skills are expensive because they are hard--”
“Then go buy a few for yourself, and then I can go spend the rest of the money once you return. No whores!”
“Dearest Leo, I never spend my money on whores. I only spend my money on girls in need of financial--”
“Whatever. Just spend the money on abilities for yourself.” I shot the man a smirk and lightly punched him on his muscular shoulder.
“Thank you.” The man pulled the bag to his chest, and his yellow eyes met mine. “Leo, dearest friend. I am continuously astounded by your generosity. You are--”
“Wonderful! Isn’t Leo wonderful?” Allurie shouted as she hugged me from the side. “He’s so nice to his friends! Everyone loves him!”
“It’s not a big deal, Cornalic,” I said as I tried to pull the silver-haired elf girl from my arm.
“No, Leo. When I think about kindnesses that people have paid me, they are all from you.” The half-orc glanced down the trio of blades on his belt.
“You are my friend. I’ve got your back, and you have mine,” I said. It was funny how things worked out. A few weeks ago, the half-orc had stolen all my money, and I’d been ready to kill the man. Now I was giving him over ten thousand platinum, and I trusted him to use it how he thought best.
“Greetings lovelies!” a voice called out from the doorway and interrupted Cornalic’s reply. We turned to see the wide herald enter the room. The man’s walk was somewhat like an electric slide, and his belly flopped with each of his jutting leg motions. “I am here for the handsome Sir Leo Lennox!”
“Me?” I asked.
“Yes, oh.” Sharles looked to Chrysa, and the woman’s eyes opened.
“I am sorry, Leo. I forgot to tell you that I talked to Sharles about getting you equipment for tomorrow. He has offered to take you to the royal armory,” the brunette said.
“Oh, thank you. That is a real help,” I said to both of them.
“No, thank you for being the lovely lady’s champion, Sir Leo Lennox,” Sharles gestured for me to follow him.
“I will do as you ask, Leo, but I’ll not spend all the money,” Cornalic whispered to me as I turned to go.
“Whatever you have to do buddy. I trust you.” I smiled at him.
“Thank you, Leo. I won’t let you down, dearest friend.”
“I know you won’t,” I said to him before I followed the burgundy-robed herald out of Chrysa’s room.
Chapter 15
Zarra and I didn’t speak that night when I logged out. All my calls went to her voicemail, and she ended up returning my call when I was in the shower. The message she left said that she was going to be busy the rest of the night, but she had thought about what I said the night before and she wanted to talk more about it tomorrow.
I did get a chance to have dinner with both of my parents and Chip. Only a few weeks ago, my mom believed the blond man was my best friend Jax, but during dinner I was able to re-introduce them, and she was able to remember his name. She even asked him all sorts of great questions about his military past. Chip hadn’t given her many of the details, but the conversation was further proof that the Arnacript treatment was really working.
The next morning, Chrysa, Allurie, Cornalic, and I made our way with the rest of the royal procession to the coliseum. There was a good half hour of organized confusion when we arrived, but I was soon whisked away by attendants to a waiting area so I could warm up alone, and then I was taken to the upper levels of the coliseum so the challenge could begin.
“Champions! Step forward to receive your amulets of protection!” Sharles called out to us, and his voice boomed across the vast coliseum like a trumpet fanfare.
The five of us were standing in a line before the assembled council, queen contestants, and their families. Behind us were the stands of the coliseum, and the gathered crowd watched us with a tense hush.
“Lady Cesnie Kayleic!” the herald called out.
There was a long table before us and Cesnie moved to the box resting on green velvet. She wore a light chain shirt with plates on the shoulder. The armor also had leather pants with matching leather plates on top of her thighs. The leather was dyed a dark green to match the color of the family she worked for, and the metal pieces of each part were covered with beautiful etch work of what looked like a crescent harbor. She carried a metal helmet in the nook of her left elbow, and it also had crescents across the polished surface. A long but simple looking rapier hung from her belt, and a small metal shield was strapped to her back.
The pretty woman reached into the box with her mail covered hands and pulled out an amulet to show the crowd. Then she put it over her neck, and her body flashed blue, then yellow, then red before the glow went away.
Cesnie bowed to the council and then turned to take her place in the line.
“Sir Rodin Worred!” Sharles gestured to the yellow-clad knight.
Rodin was wearing a suit of form-fitting plate over thin mail. There were winged gold accents to the shoulders, chest plate, and shingles of the armor. The suit looked as if it could have been really heavy, but the man walked to the table with surprisingly fluid steps. He carried a large metal kite shield with his left hand, and there was an array of swords of various length sheathed on his left hip.
He raised the amulet above his head and then put it on over his neck. The same colors flashed across his body, and then he tucked the piece of jewelry under one of the layers of his chainmail.
“Moryana, the blade dancer!” Sharles called out.
The dark-haired woman moved to the table. She was wearing almost the same outfit I saw her in the last few days: Red tunic with a black leather corset around her narrow waist. She had the leather strap skirt and a scimitar on her hip. She did have additional black leather armor over her arms, and I noticed a second scimitar hanging from her back. The sword dancer put the amulet on without showing the crowd and stepped back into the line before the glow faded from her skin.
“Tia’tor Barta!”
The minotaur grunted and then stepped to the table. The massive walking man-bull wore a shirt of chain mail that hung to his knees. Metal armor plates were haphazardly attached to the chain as if someone decided it would be a good idea to add them last night.
He wore a longsword on his left hip, and while I could hav
e used the blade with one hand, I imagined the minotaur wielded the “hand and a half” sword as easily as I would have swung my short sword. Tia’tor also had a massive single headed battle axe strapped to his back, and he carried a gray painted tower shield in his left. The shield was probably five and a half feet tall and three and a half feet wide.
It was going to be so hard to take this fucker down.
The creature raised his amulet high into the air, and then he let it fall over his neck. “I don’t even need this,” he said with a huff, but then he took one step back to fall into line.
“Leo Lennox!” Sharles called out.
I stepped up to the table and reached for the box on top of the teal velvet. As soon as my gloved fingers picked up the amulet, I turned it in my hand so that I could identify it.
Amulet of Minor Color Flash- Wearer glows an assortment of colors when item is first worn. More colors glow randomly while the amulet is worn.
“I thought this was supposed to be an amulet of protection?” I asked Sharles.
“Sir Leo, it is an amulet of protection,” Sharles said.
“No. It is an Amulet of Minor Color Flash. Did someone switch it out?”
“Huh? How do you know?” the fat man glanced between the amulet and my eyes.
“I have Mind Sage abilities. This is not the amulet you think it is.”
A flurry of whispers ran through the assembled council and the families of the contestants. I looked to Chrysa, and her face looked white. Cornalic shook his head, and I saw his mouth harden.
“Sir Leo Lennox. We’ve had these amulets tested. My own staff performed the identification using the royal Mind Sage. Everyone has the same amulets,” Sharles said. The man didn’t seem like he was lying, so I guessed that he wasn’t in on this.
“Let me see your amulet,” I said to Cesnie.
“Sir Lennox, this is quite unbecoming.”
“Now.” I beckoned with my fingers for her to walk to me. “There is treachery afoot, and I want to get to the bottom of it.”
“There is no treachery afoot. It is just someone terrified that he is outclassed,” a woman hissed from the chairs behind Sharles. The voice belonged to a beautiful blonde woman who looked to be only a few years older than Chrysa.
“Summon some Mind Sages then. If I am incorrect, then I will forfeit this challenge. Someone has exchanged my amulet for one that only makes light when worn. Lady Cesnie, let me examine yours.” I gestured for the woman to walk toward me again.
“There is no need to forfeit, Sir Lennox, there is no foul play afoot,” Rodin said.
“Can I see your amulet?” I asked the man.
“Of course, I have nothing to hide.” He pulled off the chain, stepped toward me, and placed it in my hand.
Amulet of Minor Protection from Death- If wearer is struck with a fatal blow, wearer is instead healed for half of the damage and knocked unconscious. Once the Amulet of Minor Protection from Death is used, it cannot be used again for twenty-four hours.
“Your amulet is fine. It will prevent you from dying and instead knock you unconscious,” I said to the knight.
The coliseum below us was filled with people, and I could see the wave of whispers flow away from me and down to the foot of the audience.
“What of mine?” Moryana asked as she pulled the amulet off her neck and held it out to me.
“It is the same as Sir Rodin’s,” I said after I examined the sword dancer’s item. “It could be that they just exchanged mine for a fake one.”
“Sir Lennox makes a mockery of our proceedings. I demand that he be removed as a challenger!” the beautiful blonde woman I guessed was Queen Yrisi screeched as she stood from her chair.
“Call your Mind Sages,” I said to Sharles.
“This is ridiculous. Sir Lennox, you are holding up our entire process,” Cesnie said with a sigh.
“Then let us switch amulets,” I said as I turned to the blonde woman. “If you think I am lying, then go ahead and wear mine and I’ll wear yours.”
“Fine, if that will appease you.” Cesnie shook her head and then pulled her amulet off.
“Well, no it won’t because you could die with this on. It’s fake,” I said as I shook my head.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine, Sir Lennox. Let us trade and then get on with it.”
“Fine,” I said as I handed her my amulet and took hers.
Then I turned it over in my hand and almost lost my shit.
Amulet of Minor Color Flash- Wearer glows an assortment of colors when item is first worn. More colors glow randomly while the amulet is worn.
Cesnie was wearing the same fake amulet as me.
Had I gotten played? I had thought Cesnie intended to betray me. I had thought that Queen Yrisi was behind the fake amulet, but why would she give her own champion one?
If Cesnie and I died in the first round, neither Chrysa nor Yrisi would end up ruling Sanduport. The two women were the favorites to win either round four or five, so it made complete sense to just eliminate both of us in the first round.
Permanently.
“This amulet--” I started to say, but Queen Yrisi interrupted me.
“You took the amulet from my champion. What is wrong with this one?” The blonde woman pointed an accusing finger at Chrysa. “Is this how you want your champion to act? Is this an example of what your stewardship will be--”
“I am fine! I have no complaints. I apologize to everyone for the outburst. This amulet is fine,” I said as I put the thing on. I glowed just as Chrysa and the three other challengers did when they first put on their items. Someone had done a really good job of making sure that the magic matched.
Was it the Freelans? Had Rodin come to me for an alliance but only meant to stab me in the back?
Was it the Teedans? Did Moryana want to guarantee her victory? If Cesnie and I were dead, the sword dancer would only have to worry about Tia’tor.
Was it the Grytars?
Fuck. I thought I had a plan going into this battle royal, but now I didn’t know who to trust. It seemed like someone I might have thought was an ally wanted me dead.
Only I wouldn’t die. This was just a game, and I would come back in a day and be able to participate in the second challenge. I was going to spoil their plans, no matter what happened in this fight. Still, I wanted to get all these relics without dying, so I didn’t intend to get my ass kicked now. If I had to, I could surrender before someone struck the killing blow.
And if they tried to kill me anyways, I would suspect who the real assassins were.
“Sir Leo, do you still wish for me to call the Mind Sages?” Sharles asked. The sincerity on his face looked legitimate, so I guessed that the man had nothing to do with this. Hell, he spent a few hours yesterday giving me a tour of the armory training rooms. The man had seemed as harmless as a fly.
But maybe I was getting played by him too. Fuck. Dungeon dives were so much simpler.
“Lady Cesnie Kayleic’s amulet is--”
“I am fine. Let us get on with it.” The blonde woman’s steel-blue eyes narrowed when she looked at me.
“We will send the challengers down to the arena below. They will form by standing on their assigned number.” Sharles held up a six-sided die and rolled it between his fingers. I could see that five of the sides had our colors, and one was unpainted.
He rolled the die across the table, and the air filled with a silent tension.
“The die has called upon Sir Leo Lennox! Will you please enter the coliseum and stand at the first indicated spot?” Sharles shouted after the die settled.
“I will,” I said to the gathered assembly. Then I turned to my left and descended the stairs toward the bottom of the arena. The throng of onlookers must have numbered over five thousand people, and they stared at me in silence as I walked by their seats.
There was an open metal door at the bottom of the steps, and two Sanduport guards saluted me when I walked past them. Then I stood alone on th
e empty stone floor of the arena. There was a circle etched out in the middle with chalk, and I saw that five positions were marked with numbers. I found the first one and then stood there.
The crowd cheered when I took my spot, and I raised my hand up to wave at them. I had picked out a nice suit of leather armor yesterday. It wasn’t magical, but it was the best fitting of the wide assortment Sharles had shown me, and the vital points over the heart, spine, shoulders, elbows, and knees were protected with a thick plate of steel. I doubted they would help that much against Tia’tor’s massive swings, but I was counting on my magic for protection.
“Lady Cesnie Kayleic!” I heard Sharles’ voice ring out from the stands high above me. A half minute later the blonde woman took the second position on the circle to my right. Her steel-blue eyes turned to me, and she shook her head slightly.
“Does your outburst mean you have changed your mind?” she hissed.
“Both of our amulets are fake. Someone is trying to kill us,” I hissed back.
“Sir Rodin Worred!” Sharles sang out.
“We attack him first,” the blonde woman said after she put her helmet on.
“Got it,” I said with a nod. My own helmet hung from my belt, and I tied it on by the time Rodin took his spot. The man’s blue eyes met me from across the circle, but neither of us communicated any sort of emotion that I thought Cesnie would notice.
“Tia’tor Barta!” Sharles called.
The minotaur stepped into the arena and moved to stand next to Rodin. The two men were opposite me, and they watched the beautiful sword dancer take her spot on my left.
“Ready weapons!” the herald cried out, and we all pulled our weapons.
I had picked a broadsword from the armory. The blade was well balanced, and the edge was sharp enough to shave with. I also wore one of my non-magical short swords and a few daggers on me. In my left hand, I held a metal “heater” style shield. It was one of the classic knight designs with a flat square shaped top half, but a bottom half that was a triangle. It looked somewhat like Rodin’s, only the knight’s shield had a curve to the top, and the bottom portion was a good foot longer.
Lion's Quest: Trinity: A LitRPG Saga Page 20