by Charles Dean
“Well, I’m Lee. It’s been a pleasure,” Lee said bowing his head to match the other man’s gesture.
“Nice to meet you, Lee. I hope your day is fruitful,” the man said and then went back to talking to the grocer about an order.
Lee glowered at the boxes and felt the man’s eyes follow him as he left. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the whole situation seemed off--and dangerous. What in the heck was that? Don’t tell me rich people in this town are actually that charitable. Why was he being so nice?
Lee made his way back over to his group, who were waiting at the mouth of the alley across the street from the store. He noticed a strange look on Amber’s face as he walked up to them.
“Should you really be buying food with the head of a Firbolg strapped to your side?” Amber asked. “Not worried about that contaminating anything?”
Lee wanted to facepalm. Crap. I’ve been walking around with it for so long that I forgot it was even there. “Well, no need to fret about it now. Here, take it off of me. I need to handle this stuff.”
“Sure,” she said, unfastening it from his waist as Lee started unpacking the boxes.
Pulling everything out and setting up his operation in the narrow alley left things pretty cramped, but it kept his wares and activities away from the foot traffic on the side of the street. The last thing Lee needed was a careless passerby accidentally tripping over his impromptu brewery.
“What are you going to do with all of that stuff?” Miller asked.
“You’ll see,” Lee answered cryptically. “Do you have any bottles of water on you?”
Miller shook his head. “That skin was the only water I carry. You know, the ‘in case of emergency’ water.”
“I have some,” Ling offered, pulling out a container. It wasn’t much, just forty-eight ounces and not nearly enough for what he had in mind.
“No, we need more. Hold on.” Lee ran about a hundred feet down the block to a different shop he had spotted. There he bought a few extra bottles of water--figuring he’d want to further practice using his spirit to make restorative beverages later on--along with two wooden barrels, which he filled with water before returning to the alleyway. He could have gone back to the first grocery, but he wasn’t exactly keen on running into the generous man again. Generosity in a world filled with murder wasn’t something that he was keen on trusting. In this land, everyone with power had ambitions, and those ambitions very well might leave Lee dead in a ditch if he wasn’t careful and got too close to them.
Arriving back at the alley once again, Lee set the barrels down and quickly freed up his hands by practically tossing the water bottles at Ling in a rushed hand-off. He eagerly continued setting things up for his new project without even bothering to explain what he was doing to the rest of the group.
“Okay, so now what?” Miller asked.
“I think he’s going to make us beer,” Ling said, looking over the ingredients.
“Yes! That’s the hope,” Lee affirmed. “Let me give this a try.” With that, he put the ingredients on top of the two barrels and then channeled his magic in the same way that he had before. He concentrated on the process of how beer was made as he did it and watched as the ingredients were ripped into a mist by his spirit. Then, after turning into an ethereal cloud, they passed through the wooden walls of the barrels and bound with the water. Even though he couldn't see it happen, he felt it as his mana instantly carried out the entire brewing process.
You have learned the divine skill Nectar of the Gods. This skill is currently at Initiate Level 1. This skill allows one to transform mundane ingredients into tipple fit for the gods!
You have been awarded 2 Intelligence for discovering a new skill without the assistance of class trainers or a manual. Current Intelligence: 125
Recipe Learned: Augustusfest Beer #001
Effects: Unknown.
For fully mastering a new recipe, you have gained 2 Intelligence. Your current Intelligence: 127
He popped open the top of the now-full water barrels, and sure enough, there was beautiful, bubbly beer inside.
“Holy sweet mother of delicious-looking amber nectar!” Miller exclaimed as he quickly pulled out an empty mug and dipped it into the container.
“HEY!” Amber acted indignant at the mention of her name, even if Miller had only meant the color.
Miller held up the mug, staring at it lovingly.
“Well?” Lee asked.
“Well, what? You should have a mug on you and at least two for the ladies. Do you think I’m going to be the first to try out this religious holy water by myself? No! We must all share in its greatness. This is beer that Augustus himself has deigned to bestow upon us. How dare a mere mortal like me take honor away from the deity that has blessed us by greedily drinking it before another? Before the son of that same god himself?”
You weren’t that righteous about it a moment ago when you just smashed your finger into my palm. Lee shook his head as he pulled out three mugs, filled them and passed one each to Ling and then Amber. “The location isn’t going to bother you too?” Lee asked, musing over their choice to stop and start drinking on a narrow back alley.
“Not if it doesn’t bother you,” Miller said, holding out his drink.
“Welp, here we go,” Lee said. And here’s hoping I didn’t make a batch of poison that will kill us all. Lee clinked his mug to the other three before the four of them quickly downed the drinks.
This . . . Lee thought for a moment. This is amazing. This is better than any beer I’ve ever tasted! Apart from enjoying the delicious flavor of the brew, Lee could also feel the status effects of the drink wash over him.
Augustusfest Beer #001 has temporarily increased your Power by 1 and your Charisma by 2.
“This is indeed a beverage of the gods!” Miller proclaimed. “As to be expected from the Herald that brought us the divine gifts of fried chicken and bacon!
“I’m going to agree with Miller: this is definitely a beverage of the gods. Did Augustus teach you how to make this?”
“And you did it without a crutch,” a voice snickered in Lee’s head.
“Alright, Miller, you wanna hold onto these beers while we go turn in the bounties?” Lee asked.
“No problem,” Miller said. He pounded the top back onto the barrel to seal it up before hoisting it and the unopened one above his shoulders. “The sooner I get this beer in my belly, the better! It would be an absolute injustice to not make sure these barrels are empty by the first crack of light tomorrow.”
And this is why you’re not a much higher level than I am. Lee just shook his head. It was understandable that Lee had needed to forego a lot of leveling since he had spent a lot of downtime setting up the church, passing out the pamphlets and books and making sure that operations on the restaurant side were running smoothly, but there wasn’t a good reason for Miller to not be leveling. Sure, Lee felt safer knowing his stalwart companion was nearby at any given moment, but he didn’t understand why Miller spent so much time drinking and not gaining experience--especially considering killing things in a brutal fashion was basically his modus operandi at this point.
“We could also try selling it,” Amber suggested. “I know we need more money for the restaurant’s expansion and to hire and train more staff. These barrels might be a quick way to make some.”
“That’s . . . not a bad idea. But let’s see how well these two sell first.” Lee smiled at Amber and gave her hand a squeeze.
Miller shook his head vehemently at the idea.
“Sell them? What? That’s nonsense. If you insist on selling these precious beverages, then let me borrow some money so I can buy them.”
Lee, Ling and Amber all just stared at him. You’ve got to be kidding me. “Yeah. No. We’ll get you more when we run out, big guy.”
“But how can you be sure it’ll taste this good? This delicious ale is divine! Can we really risk pawning it off? Just let me borrow some money. We can make
some more barrels and sell those instead,” Miller insisted.
“Are you saying that you don’t trust that I can make another? Do you have no faith in me as a Herald?” Lee asked pointedly, taking advantage of Miller’s naive religious fervor.
“What? No. Not at all. I would never doubt you as a Herald!” Miller responded, quickly trying to dodge the charges as they started walking. “I’m just . . . No, you’re right. If we can sell these, then fine. We’ll use the money to buy enough materials to make twenty more of them!”
Well, that was a quick change of tune, Lee chortled as they made their way out of the alley.
The Hunter’s Guild that they arrived at shortly after was itself a mix between a tavern, an inn, a bar, a mall and a classroom. It was hard to describe exactly how all of those factors came into play, but they did. Unlike every other building on the block, it was solid wood, wider than it was tall, and only went up three stories. The entrance was a wide-open space that let people easily move in and out, as even the door to the Hunter’s Guild itself was large enough to accommodate even the most obnoxiously-large pickup truck a man could buy without a problem.
The right side of the building was comprised of shops filled with people who bought and sold everything from fishing knives to full plate armor and even custom writing kits designed for the adventurer on the go who still wanted to send a letter home, and each shop was just as large as the full-sized stores outside. Next to those were rows of tables where people sat and listened to adventurers give lectures on how to trap certain monsters, ways one might use a sword when fighting various critters, or even what herbs to look for when one was out and about.
On the left side of the entrance was the ‘workspace.’ It was an area where one would go to either turn in bounties, sign up for bounties or even register bounties on creatures that caused trouble or posed a threat. If someone had the money to post the bounties, there was always someone that would take them up, but for the most part, all bounties were generally state-sponsored. Scouts combed through the kingdom and then registered all potential troublemakers with the Hunter’s Guild, and then the country would tell the Hunter’s Guild how much they’d be willing to pay to have that threat removed.
Behind the bounties offices was a series of bars and butcher shops that sold an extravagant selection of alcohol and meat. Since proof of a kill was often required for bounties, people continuously walked in with fresh meat, and these shops were the first ones to buy, cut, dress and resell it. People would often buy a meal or a beer and then walk over and listen to whatever lecture was going on at the time.
There was a large set of stairs in the middle corridor that led to the second and third floors, which were both filled with private rooms available for rent. They were some of the most expensive rooms in the city, especially for their size, but they were also some of the most convenient due to their locale. And, most importantly, there were well-trained and seasoned guards posted in the halls each night to ensure that people stayed in their own rooms and that no one was killed in the middle of the night.
In all, it was a fairly good starting model for what Lee eventually wanted for his church in Satterfield, although he admittedly needed to entice more people to come to the tiny town before that dream would ever even come close to being a reality. Right now, his church was essentially a super-light version of the Hunter’s Hall that was barely one-twentieth the size.
Amber entered first, carrying all of the heads in front of her as they all mosied into the Hall, and she drew more than a few simple stares. Even just for a moment, it seemed like Lee’s little group was officially the star attraction for some show the Hunter’s Guild had commissioned or the opening act for a circus.
“You know that you aren’t allowed to kill other hunters,” one of the people, a short, blue-haired Firbolg man said as he watched them enter.
“I didn’t act--” Amber began before being quickly cut off.
“Thank you for sharing. Have a nice day,” Lee interjected and put an arm on Amber’s shoulder, cutting off her retort right where it started. The Firbolg was unsteady on his feet, swaying back and forth, and he was likely as drunk as if he had taken Miller up on a drinking challenge--and Lee didn’t feel like dealing with a drunk at the moment. “Just ignore him,” Lee said to Amber when she shot him an annoyed glance for interrupting her.
“Fine,” she harrumphed in answer, and the group continued on to the main desk.
They only had to wait in line for a few minutes before they were noticed by the staff there. “You aren’t supposed to kill other hunters,” the man said as soon as he saw the heads Amber was holding.
Amber looked back at Lee as if checking if it were okay but then just barreled into her explanation, talking a mile a minute, before he could actually answer. “I know we aren’t, and we didn’t want to. We were hunting a Cragaboom, we had just killed it, and they came to take our bounty. We didn’t know what to do, so we thought we’d report it to you guys. We figured that, if they tried to kill us over claiming the Cragaboom’s head, they might have actually killed others and that, even if there wasn’t a bounty on them, we should notify you of what happened right away.”
The man behind the counter leaned back, and his scowl deepened as he looked at the heads. “You’re trying to tell me that an upstanding Firbolg like him tried to waste his time bothering with the likes of you?” the man, who was a Leprechaun himself, grumbled. “How are we supposed to know you’re telling the truth?”
“You could just investigate it.” Amber’s frustration leaked through in her tone. “I mean, that’s your job, right? Not mine, last time I checked.”
“Amber.” Lee said her name quietly in warning as he placed a hand on her shoulder. He could tell the whole thing was going to escalate quickly at this rate, and he could feel a growing sense of panic gripping his chest. Nope. This isn’t good. Even if we’re in the right, we don’t have the power or authority to act this way, woman!
“Yeah, it is your job, and you shouldn’t doubt a young lady,” Miller said, pushing himself between Amber and the counter. “I was there too, and they tried to take my head. Are you going to tell me that was justified?”
“No, sir, of course not. I would never insinuate that a gentleman like--
“Like what? Go on. Say it, you spineless bastard.” Miller’s rage started to grow, infusing the large room with a sudden tension.
“I would never deign to besmirch your kind.” The once-arrogant Leprechaun was now practically groveling before Miller.
“Look at me,” Miller demanded, reaching across the counter and grabbing the Leprechaun by his leather chest piece. “Look me right in the eyes. If I find out that you pulled any of the sneaky crap that your treacherous, bootlicking kind is known for, I swear to you: I will hunt you down, rip your arms right out of their sockets and drown you in the blood that spills from your still twitching limbs.”
What the hell? Lee stifled a groan and said, “I think what our overzealous compatriot is saying is that we’re not here for trouble.” He pulled both Amber and Miller back a step. “We’d just like to notify you of the issue, collect our money, reserve four rooms for tonight and be on our way.” Lee had a habit of reserving an extra room for Amber, even if she never used it. It was odd and costly, but he wanted to know that she ended up in his bed every night because she wanted to be there and not just because that was the only option she had.
“The money for three Cragaboom bounties is . . . 6 gold pieces.” The man handed Miller the cash and then backed up from the counter as far as he could while still sitting in his chair before adding, “While I’m required to thank you for your service, I feel obligated to let you know that I still have to report this issue to the higher-ups. A male Firbolg with three”--he paused a second--“Humans have killed another esteemed party. It’s required, and they’ll do worse to me than you will if I don’t report it. Now, were there more parties involved? Perhaps a witness to corroborate your story?”
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br /> Your party has been awarded 1800 Experience for completing three medium difficulty state quests. Your share is 450 Experience.
Ling and Lee sighed in perfect harmony.
Please don’t take Miller’s threats lightly. “I’m sorry to say there are none, and we thank you for your time. We’ll be on our way now.”
The Leprechaun looked like he wanted to stop the group--he opened his mouth and held out his hand--but then he ended up not saying anything. Lee used his golems to watch as the clerk signaled to another man in the room.
You should have listened to Miller. Lee sighed again as they walked to the lecture tables. Some days, the nonsense piled up and made him sigh so much that he thought he was either practicing meditation or trying to expand his lung size.
Ethan, keep a watch on what’s going on. I smell trouble.
The four of them sat at one of the open tables, and Lee mumbled, “It’s too open.”
“Hmm?” Amber asked.
Ling even raised an eyebrow as she looked around. “You’ve never complained about it before. Is something wrong with this particular table?”
“It’s just . . .” Lee glanced to his sides and then to Miller holding the barrels of beer. “I think we need to go to the alley. Now.”
Miller looked at Lee for a moment, confusion written across his simple face. Then, his whole face expanded as if he had been struck by a brilliant epiphany. “It’s because you finally saw reason and don’t want to share our beer with anyone!” Miller said enthusiastically. “That’s great! Great! GREAT, I TELL YOU!”
Easy. You’re not trying to sell cereal. Lee nodded. “Something like that. Let’s just say that I think some uninvited guests are going to try and ruin our good mood if we eat here.” The two golems were efficient in their work, and they had already picked up on the fact that there was a group approaching. He pushed himself back to his feet, urging the others to follow him. They were clearly curious and concerned, but they did as he suggested and rose with him.