by Dawn Chapman
His face lit up. “You like science?”
“Yes, I do.”
The guards waved us on through, and we were soon in the centre of the town, with lots of people crowding the wagon and horses.
He moved us deftly over to a side road and then parked us, letting the horses have water and food.
Then he opened the back and asked me to help unload it. I was worried the boxes would be too heavy for me, but I managed them. I also discovered the action Hauling and the Ability Manual Labour.
Though, as I moved the boxes, the debilitation splotch popped up in the corner of my vision and steadily increased.
My Endurance really needed more Karma points. I’d have to try to rack those up as quickly as I could. As it runs low, I’ll have to stop for breathers.
Ferris passed me some water, and it really hit the spot, the debilitation regenerating almost instantly. “Thank you.”
Then he pulled out a small bag from his pocket. “No worries. Here are a few coins. I need a couple of bits from the shops at the end of the street. Feed for the horses, and buy some clothes for yourself. I’ll meet back up with you after I’ve delivered this stuff to the shop owners.” He hopped off the wagon and handed me the bag. “You won’t go running away with it now, will you?”
I smiled, taking the bag from him. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Take the road to the end. You won’t miss the shops.” He pointed where I should head, but it was rather obvious.
The other people were milling about, and I saw exactly where they’d been as they carried bags of things over in my direction.
Walking towards the edge of the town, I went into the first shop. There wasn’t a lot on display, but there were a lot better clothes than this starter set I had.
I moved to the counter and asked the shop assistant, “Would you mind finding me something better?”
She looked at me with a smile. “How much do you have to spend, my dear?”
I hadn’t looked in the bag, but pulled it out and opened it, counting out three copper coins, and one silver.
With a smile, she then asked, “You’re new in town, yes? Come here, my dear.”
I watched as she patted the stool next to her, and I went to sit. “Yes, only just got here.”
“Well, there are folks you need to be wary of, and then there’s me.” I noticed her name flash on my display. “Trusty Meredith Chambers.” I almost laughed. “I’m Akillia,” I said and held out my hand for her to shake.
“Merry,” she said. “Meredith for the longer version.”
I passed her the coin bag. “Well, I’ve got to get feed for the horses and us.”
“Then keep the silver, I’ve a few nice pieces in here for you to try on, my dear, for the price of the coppers.” She took the payment and passed me the purse back.
I watched on as Merry walked around her shop, diving into different units, and then pulling out lots of clothing. She came to me then and handed it all to me. “Go to the changing room at the back and try it on, if it all fits, it’s yours.”
I took the clothes and felt the weight. The leather wasn’t expensive quality, but I could see the look in her eyes. She was happy.
“Thank you,” I said and moved to the back of the shop. I closed the door inside the small changing room and quickly tugged off the cotton trousers, shirt, and leather smocks.
The first item I picked up was the bodice she’d set aside for me. I was quite surprised at the quality of this piece. I felt the leather and its suppleness in my fingers. This might take some getting on. I winced but decided something to support my chest when running was a good thing. I slipped it on and tightened the cords at the front until I felt comfortable enough. The quality was good enough. Then I pulled on the trousers and boots.
The boots were a little big, but I’d cope, maybe get some socks from somewhere, or knit them if they didn’t make them in this world. There was also a shirt that fit nicely over the bodice and a leather jacket. The jacket was the highest quality. Really soft to the touch. I hoped it would be waterproof as well. I picked up my old clothes, not really knowing what to do with them.
Returning out into the shop, I smiled at Merry. “I’ll take it all. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome, dear. I’d know that purse anywhere. If you’re a friend of Ferris, you’re a friend of mine.”
I wanted to ask her more questions, but the doorbell chimed, and a few shoppers entered. I paid her the copper coins and moved to the exit, finally feeling at least better dressed for this world. I’d fit in so much better now. Even if the clothes looked new, at least they gave me some basic protection bonus too. Now I’d go and look for something to defend myself.
Chapter 8
The next shop I entered was so vastly different—dark and seductive. There were lots of weapons out for perusal and a shelf full of potions and things I barely knew what to call them. What surprised me was the shelf full of tech items—watches, silver bracelets with tiny computerised details. Was it a fantasy game or sci-fi? Some of the detail in the items was far out there. I hadn’t wanted to look that deep, but something called me inside, like a gut feeling.
The guy behind the counter was short and had a dark, yet neatly trimmed beard. I had seen many games and races that Andy played, this man was a dwarf. Never having never played VR games though myself, this was a first encounter.
I approached the counter, and he smiled up at me with a badly rotten toothy grin. “Would ya like some help there, miss?”
I nodded. “I’m looking to pick up a defensive weapon, bow, or sword. Maybe you have something in my price range?”
He eased out from the counter, and I could see he was in fact much shorter than I first thought. He actually had to step down, almost waddling around me, and then pulled a large looking ladder around with him. “I think I might have something with just your name on it, miss.”
The way he pronounced miss was hilarious, and I had to cover my mouth to stop from laughing.
Ping! “You discovered the action Restraint!”
When he climbed the ladder right to the very top of the shop, he started rummaging around at the back of the shelving unit. Dust and cobwebs fluttered my way and a rather angry looking spider with it. I took a step back, suddenly scared that this might not be just a spider. But it skittered away quickly after having left me breathless.
The assistant tugged something, and then, with a clang, he pulled out an old looking leather piece. I couldn’t quite make out what it might be until he was halfway down the ladder and almost dropped it into my waiting arms.
When I caught it, a pop-up whistled across my view. “Leather satchel from the Modeveien Settlement 1706.”
I then had to ask, “What is it?”
The dwarf hopped down off the last few rungs and dusted himself. “Open it and see.”
He returned to the counter, and I followed placing the bag carefully down. It wasn’t very heavy, but it had something that thunked inside. I moved to the leather toggles. It was worn, stiff, and very much out of condition. But with some tugging and wriggling, I managed to get it open. Then, removing the top leather section, it revealed a bow. I gasped and took it out of the satchel even more carefully. The assistant spoke in his rather clear but gruff voice. “It needs restringing and a little body care, but the right person would be able to fix her up real nice.”
I smiled. I loved it. The intricate carving at the centre of the wooden bow would look beautiful once again with some care. I heard the door crack, and someone else came in. Busy little shops these were, but I didn’t see who it was. “How much?”
The dwarf looked me up and down. “Item like that costs a fair little penny.” He frowned. “You don’t look like you’ve much on you, miss.”
I actually hadn’t. The silver coin I had left no doubt was to buy us the food we needed for the next stage in Ferris’s plans.
I pulled out the bag, and the dwarf smiled, then nodded behind me. “I�
��ve got this,” a gentle voice came my way. I turned to see Ferris standing in the doorway. “Looks like you did well enough with the choice of clothes, I think a weapon to defend the horses is essential.”
“Oh.” I didn’t really know what to say to him, he’d already been kind enough to me, even if I did save his life.
Ferris moved to the counter and pulled out an identical coin bag, this one, really chinked a lot more. “Will one silver be all right?” He handed the dwarf the coin, which he took with a smile.
“More than covered. Is there anything else you’d like, Ferris?”
Ferris nodded to the back. “If you’ve some more leather tackle, I’ll take a look. Some of the horse’s gear is getting worn.”
Ferris indicated the door for me. “The food shop’s next door. I’ll meet you in there in five.”
I took that as my cue to go, picking up the satchel and moving to the door. “Thanks,” I shouted to the dwarf, but he’d already vanished with Ferris.
The feed shop was just that, nothing overly exciting, and I bought what I thought we needed with the coin I had left. It was a lot of food, and Ferris came in just as I was paying. I smiled at him, and he asked, “Delivery in the morning, before we leave, please, Jennetee.” Then he escorted me outside. The sky was light enough still, but it was well into the afternoon. I couldn’t believe I’d been so engrossed in the shops that so much time had passed. It was very strange. The satchel on my back felt heavy to me, but the more I walked with it, the easier it was to carry.
Ping! “Congratulations, you have learned the action Hauling!”
“You look like you actually mean business.” Ferris waved a hand over my attire now. “Like a real elven scout.”
I hadn’t known that was my intention, even with picking out the half-elf and surprise character, but now I was sure I had meant it, and I liked this. “Yeah, I guess,” I said confidently.
When we returned to the wagon, I found that Ferris had moved the horses, and they frolicked in a nearby field. “Seems the locals here like you and your goods.”
“I have a trade system set up that they benefit from a lot. Some won’t go to the local cities. The roads are too dangerous, and the timing is, as you know, pretty tight to get there and back in a day.”
“How far is the nearest?”
Ferris unlocked the back of the wagon and made his way inside. “I have a map I can show you,” he said and entered into the wagon. This I really was interested in seeing. I actually had no idea of the scope of Puatera.
I eagerly awaited as he rooted out what I wanted.
Ferris finally handed me a set of scrolls. I had expected something different, but carefully kneeling, I spread the top map open on the bed. It was about half the size of the bed. I couldn’t help but gaze at the map in wonder. It was so much to look at, intricately drawn in fine lines, with excellent attention to detail, right down to the smallest farms.
“This is all of Puatera?”
Ferris nodded and pointed to a small dot. “This is where we are, and this is the next major city, the one I frequent the most looking for items of value.”
This huge space had five main islands. The one we were on was the largest, the others spread about, and one with a huge amount of sea between us. I could see forest zones neatly painted in tones of green breaking up the land, detailed cities and villages with local population numbers. The roads that led between them were marked as safe or dangerous or with trade route tags.
“Would you help me out here. Name the islands for me.” I felt silly, but I couldn’t actually read the writing. I knew I’d be able to learn it, but someone would have to teach me.
Ferris smiled and pointed to the largest one, set to the left. “Maicreol,” he said. “Its northern land mass has the best farming it can offer. Plenty of cattle there, but it’s also the longest trek for food goods ever. I’ve been across a few times on Prince Horalies’s cargo ship to bring back a specific load. It took forever, and I met some very interesting characters along the way.”
“What kinds of foods do they grow?”
“The load I brought over, Hismaw was to help with the shields. There’s a specific ingredient the mages need for their potions. The A.I. systems we’ve created to keep the creatures at bay can then run an approximate amount of time before it needs to be renewed.”
So, they had a decent amount of tech it seemed, far beyond just a fantasy world level I was sure of already. “And this grows well over there?”
“It does, and it doesn’t. It’s not so much grown but found. These,” Ferris pointed out to the three long lines running the length of the land, “are parts of the same caving system. The creatures that live in here are nasty. The item the mages need is inside—deep inside. A waste product of the creatures, I believe. Certainly smelled darned nasty too if you ask me.”
“Does the prince ask you to go over regularly then?” I suddenly had a sinking feeling. Something about this… was off.
“Usually about once a year. I actually think he’s due to ask me. Seems a long time since I’ve been. Do you mind having a seafaring adventure?”
I swallowed. I’d never been in a boat, let alone on the sea. This is just a game, not real. Though the fear creeping up my body made me shiver. “I guess. If someone can teach me to swim first.”
Ferris raised an eyebrow. “I think I can manage it when the time comes.”
“What’s this one?” I pointed to the island underneath. It was green and lush looking. Lots of rivers and lakes.
“That one’s called Hikirio. Or the Land of the Warriors.”
I wasn’t so sure I wanted to visit that one, so I quickly went through the remaining islands with him. The one we were on was called Shiroth. The long spindly island to the right was called Egerou, and the large fat and pointy one, Trofoth.
Trofoth looked very interesting, the mapping terrain wasn’t finished. “Why is this part empty?”
“No one’s been that far yet.”
I was instantly hooked, I wanted to go... but it also looked the furthest away. I’d have to keep it in mind for a future adventure. I liked the idea of spending time with Ferris, even going across to Maicreol, but I was sure I’d leave him as well at some point.
When I finished looking at the map, I saw a red flash at the side of my vision. Glancing over to read it, I noted the map was now installed. I could view where I was on Puatera anytime I liked. I also discovered the Ability General Knowledge (Puatera), although I wasn’t sure how the game could help me actually know things.
Removing the top map, I looked at the next, a solid map of each island in much more detail than the last one. I glanced over them while it seemed Ferris went off to make coffee. I heard noises outside, and voices, but I continued to study the maps in their own right until I saw that blinking red light, and they were loaded into my head. This was very useful, and I would need it for the future, I was sure of it. There were some blank sections when I tried to look them over, though. Maybe someone had to teach me these things.
Rolling the scrolls back up, I placed them where Ferris had found them and went to see what all the noise was outside.
Ferris stood talking to a couple of serious looking men in armour, some kind of uniform. When he noticed me, he beckoned me out of the wagon. “Akillia, I’d like you to meet Commander Roland Mossman, head of the guards.”
I regarded him, watching me as I walked closer. I held out a hand, and he took it to shake. “Nice to meet you, Miss Akillia. This is my second in command, Lt. Abel Jones.”
As I turned to Abel, I was taken aback. Not for the fact that he was all muscle—I’d already noted that—but for the fact that his eyes were so pale. They were the loveliest blue I’d ever seen. When he held out his hand, he took mine in gently, not squeezing too hard, as I thought he might. “Pleased to meet you also, miss.”
I felt myself blush and waited as Roland and Ferris carried on with their conversation. It seemed the prince had forgotten the t
rip to Maicreol, and the wards and magic were wearing thin on certain roads. I felt a pang of instant worry. Maybe this would be the quest the game wanted me to take up. It seemed a lot larger than anything I was thinking of, like just learning to ride a horse or cook. “What does this mean for the villagers and townsfolk around here?”
Abel was the one to answer. “It means the monsters will eventually come back inside the towns’ walls. If they can’t defend against them, there will be loss of life—a lot of life.”
I frowned. Yeah, that didn’t sound good. My eyes locked with Ferris’s, and I saw the worry there. “Ferris, if we go now, do you think we’d be able to help in time?” I asked tentative about committing to something like this, but also, wanting to help my new friend.
QUEST — TRAVEL TO MAICREOL AND RETURN TO SHIROTH WITH A FULL CARGO OF HISMAW WASTE OF THE TROMOAL
The pop-up this time frightened me, and I jumped back to Ferris’s raised eyebrow.
“What’s a Tromoal?” I asked.
“Huge winged beasts that breath fire and ice,” Abel said.
I froze, they had dragons too. Well what kind of fantasy world wouldn’t?
“We should help them.”
“Akillia, it’s a two-week trek before we even get on the boat. It’s never been easy, but now, with the creatures coming out of hiding more, I don’t know.”
“We’re here to beg you to go, Ferris.” Abel swallowed. “We’ve been organising a trip ourselves, but the townsfolk are worried that, without you, we won’t make it.”
It was then that something struck me—the way the shopkeepers had all acted. They recognised Ferris’s purse and treated me with the same reverence as they did him because they hoped he would take on this journey as he’d done many times before for the prince. Now his eyes locked with mine, and I saw all his questions.