Ayann #1 A Fantasy Action Adventure- Part A- Broken Sword In Dragon Dungeon

by Kristie Lynn Higgins

  Chapter Three

  Meeting Up With The Priestess

  A few hours later...

  In the Town of Lame Pony, a rain-drenched mire hole of ruffians and rogues, Jisei the Priestess and I headed for MyGard's Hammer and Anvil to resupply after completing our earlier quest in Trak'Daron Keep. The sun hung mid-sky, not that any could tell for the thick dull-steel colored clouds wailing cockroach-sized drops on those who dared walk the muck covered streets. Lame Pony's structures were built on ten foot stilts made out of MiShoal Wood; it was a natural waterproof material resistant to fungus and mold. The day was especially rainy, and a moist chill clung to the air as we headed up a set of stairs to our destination.

  We passed two gnomes taking shelter under the eave of Mia's Garments Shop.

  I heard one of the gnomes say, “Have you heard? The Duke's son has been missing for a while now.”

  The other replied, “I heard a dragon ate him or was it he ate a dragon and died?”

  “No, he's missing. He went on some sort of mission and never came back.”

  “I thought the Duchess was the one missing,” the second gnome spoke.

  The first said, “I had not heard that. What rumors have you heard or are you mixing up your facts again?”

  “No,” the second replied and then he said, “I believe it was several months ago. The Duke put up a reward for her safe return or maybe it was a reward for his son's safe return.”

  “You dunce-head. You're mixing up your facts again.”

  We continued past them, and the gnomes' conversation faded into the background. Jisei paused and admired a dress in one of the shops as I continued on. I entered the lantern-lit shop warmed by the bladesmith's hearth, removed my Sphinx-hide parka, then shook it off as I bellowed, “By the heavens! It's really coming down! Does it never stop?” I hung the parka on a large coat rack near the door.

  MyGard who was half orc and half dark elf halted mid-hammer as he noticed me. I was very tall, slim, and had a muscular human form with curly fiery-amber hair, and I was armed with a shield and a sword. I wore a steel breast plate, shin guards, arm guards, and a winged helmet-cap. As a trader and smith, MyGard most likely could tell the armor was of the Valkyrie Class because of the raven mark imbued on them along with the symbols for water, fire, earth, and wind. He set the spearhead he was hammering in a bucket of water, and the hot steel hissed its complaint. He wiped his sweaty hands on his apron, left his forge, and entered the connecting supply store.

  He stated, “The rain does stop for a few weeks in the year, but that's usually when our river floods its banks and makes our town a small port.”

  MyGard looked to the front door as Jisei entered and pulled back the hood of her cloak. She was of the Mizu Race and had long silky black hair pulled back in two buns and eyes the color of black walnut wood. She was of average height and a head shorter than myself. Jisei carried a silver staff with a large green jewel fixed atop. She wore a white full-length dress with a long sleeve button-up overcoat and white boots which only the tips could be seen under her dress; the buttons and trim on the clothing were silver.

  Jisei shut the door and spoke, “I shall start on our list and Ayann, remember what Foi said.”

  “I know,” I replied in almost a pout. “Stick to the list, don't buy what we don't need.” I noticed a glint on the wall as I continued speaking, “Only buy... Ohh...” I could feel my sapphire eyes light up with excitement as I questioned the owner, “What kind of sword is that?” I walked over to a wall filled with hanging weapons and pointed to one beyond my reach.

  MyGard peered up to the hand-and-a-half sword with a lava-red blade and a black hilt and answered, “That's Molten. It's made from Ainigma-elf steel.”

  I glanced back and saw Jisei pick up a few healing potions and add them to a small wheeled shopping cart she had grabbed at the front of the store. She told me, “Ayann, please stick to the list. Foi shall be angry if you buy any more weapons. You are already taking up more than half of our covered wagon. Anyway, I have the coin purse and you spent your last in the previous town.”

  “Look how pretty it is,” I told her and then begged, “Oh please, Foi won't know. Give me a few coins.” I put my hands together and walked over to the priestess in an earnest plea.

  “Absolutely not!” Jisei put a few mana potions in the shopping cart as she added, “Your valkyrie charm shall not work on me.”

  “Oh please.” I moved behind her, tenderly wrapped my arms around Jisei's neck, leaned my head on her shoulder, and said, “Foi won't know; anyway, remember the time we first met. You had gone bathing in a lake and a thief stole all your clothes. I happened by and you pleaded for my help. You were so embarrassed you wouldn't leave the lake. I found out later it was because no one had ever seen you naked. It was starting to get cold, so I tracked down the thief, gave him a good beating, and he agreed to return your clothes. You were nearly frozen by the time I returned, so I made a fire and after you dressed, you warmed yourself by it. I think you owe me for that.”

  Jisei held fast in my warm and convincing embrace as she replied, “And I have repaid you threefold for saving my dignity, so your sly ploy shall not work this time. With that said, you can now release me.”

  I squeezed her tighter and questioned, “Are you afraid one of your sisters of the order might see us and spread rumors?”

  “Actually, yes. They can be so vicious when it comes to things like this; besides, you know how I appreciate my personal space, and yet–” I saw Jisei's eyebrow twitch with her irritation in a mirror on the table in front of us before she continued, “–you insist on toying with me and being so affectionate. Please stop touching me.”

  “But I love all of you, even you, my pious uptight friend.” I released her and quickly grabbed the leather money pouch from her belt as I said, “Foi won't know. I'll take a few...”

  Jisei lost her groomed demeanor and yelled, “You are like an orc's child! You never take no for an answer and you only understand force!”

  She smacked my hand with her metal staff, and the jewel sparked green as she zapped me with a small jolt. I released the pouch, and it levitated over to Jisei's hand.

  “Troll dung!” I shouted as I shook my hand for the pain. “Why did you do that?”

  “Because one of us needs to have self-control.” Jisei looked to MyGard, realized his mixed race, and told him, “I do apologize for my earlier outburst. It was unladylike.”

  “No apology necessary. It's true what they say about orc children.” He smoothed his hand over his fleshy crown and then he said, “I have the knots on my head to prove it.” He thought back and cringed as he said, “Mother favored the metal ladle.”

  I turned and faced the sword as if I was Ko and the sword was the puppy I had lost. “But I want Molten. MyGard,” I started. “Maybe we can do a straight out trade.”

  “Ayann...” Jisei warned as she continued shopping.

  A Woodland Elf came in the shop and greeted, “Good morning.”

  “Morning? Have you been drinking again? It's already past high sun,” MyGard said and then he added, “And when did we ever have a good morning.”

  “True,” the Woodland Elf said. “But the day is a good one for me. The Duchess has increased the amount of meat we cater to her table.”

  “I thought the Duchess was of the Lehdet Race, and they don't eat meat.”

  “I assume the increase is for the Freskada Festival they are having.”

  MyGard went over and grabbed some knives he finished sharpening yesterday and he said, “You should have your own sharpening wheel since your a butcher.”

  “What would you do all day if I didn't bring my knives in?”

  “I would have a life,” MyGard replied and then he said, “Five copper pieces.”

  The Woodland Elf paid and then left. I walked back up to MyGard and repeated my earlier statement in a whisper, “Maybe we can do a straight o
ut trade for the sword.”

  “What did you have in mind?” he asked as he eyed an old efficiency knife tucked in the front of my belt and pointed. “What about that?”

  Grabbing a yeti-hide sheath covered in thick white fur, I removed the knife, grabbed the gray deer antler hilt, and drew it. The knife, Floga, was thirteen inches in all and the blade eight. I replied, “No, my father gave this knife to me before he died along with my mother's sphinx sharpening stone.” The sad thought distracted me for a moment, and I muttered, “My poor stone. Where did you go?” I let that thought trickle away and told him, “I could never part with the knife, but...” I sheathed the efficiency knife, and tucked it back in my belt, then removed a smaller dagger from the back of my belt. “I found a Crenian Dagger on our last venture. It's no good to me as a weapon, but is of great value to collectors.” I showed the blade to him and then I said, “It's made of pure gold and has four large rubies in the hilt.”

  MyGard took the dagger and examined it. His dark eyes slightly widened, then he tried to hide his avaricious surprise. He told me, “There is value in the gold and rubies, but it comes nowhere near the value of Molten.” He handed the dagger back as if it didn't tickle his greedy-bone and then he told me, “The best I can do is to trade you the dagger for the sword plus you give me a hundred gold coins.”

  “MyGard... MyGard...” I sang with disappointment. “And here I was being generous, but if you're going to be that way; fine, a hundred gold should do it, but you'll be paying them to me, plus the sword, and–” I pointed to the wall. “–that throwing ax for the dagger. Or didn't you think a valkyrie would recognize one of Boreman the Great Goldsmith's creations?”

  He muttered his complaint, “Troll dung! And here I thought you were another musclebound meat-head. Blast it!” He mulled over my offer a few moments more and then said in a calmer voice, “We can strike a deal.” MyGard retrieved his ladder and climbed high enough for him to grab the hand-and-a-half sword and the throwing ax. He took my dagger and gave me the weapons along with a hundred gold coins.

  Jisei approached with a look of disapproval on her face as she said, “I have everything but the mead.”

  “A dwarf came in yesterday and bought up all I had,” MyGard stated as he placed the priestess' items in a sack. “And my supplier won't be here until the day after tomorrow.”

  I said, “Frieden will be unhappy and when the barbarian's unhappy, I'm unhappy. I think we can afford to buy him a few small kegs of beer. Oh, and while we're at it, I could buy him...”

  Jisei said flatly, “No.” She paid MyGard for the supplies she gathered.

  “Why not? He would love a new double-headed ax to go along with the throwing one I bought him.”

  “No, now come along,” Jisei commanded, then turned to the shop owner, and said, “We shall be going.”

  “Not until I buy the ax,” I insisted, but knew she wouldn't fall for it, so I had to bribe her. I remembered her pausing outside and I uttered, “Wait... I could also buy you a dress.” I hurried over to the clothing area and picked up an emerald colored one. “This one would fit your form and show off your legs to the archer.”

  “I do not need that womanizing scoundrel Amabilidad looking at my legs!” Jisei yelled, put a hand to her mouth after she squeaked out in anger, and then added, “He steals women's underwear for conquest trophies!”

  Walking over to her, I held up the dress to Jisei and stated, “But it would look so cute on you. We could maybe let down your hair and...”

  “If you like it so much, buy it for yourself! And you are one to talk about hair. Foi and Amabilidad have to hold you down so that I can take a brush to yours.”

  I put a hand to my unkempt hair and then spoke, “You're really being mean today, and have you forgotten I don't like dresses? Amabi would really have liked to see you in this.” I shrugged and then said, “Oh well...” I put it back and started looking through the jewelry. “Maybe I can buy you a ring or a necklace. Oh, look... MyGard has a Hatirlamak Bracelet.” I picked up the piece of jewelry, rushed over to MyGard, and paid him the price he asked for the gold bracelet. I placed my hand over the Hatirlamak Emerald, used my Valkyrie Magic to place my image and a message within the emerald, and my palm glowed with the magic as I started back to the priestess. When I finished, I placed the Hatirlamak Bracelet on her wrist and said, “There... It looks good on you. Whenever you want to see my bright and shiny face, you only have to place your palm over the emerald and think of me. An image will appear and it'll speak the message I left for you. Now... I just have to pick out an ax for Frieden and...”

  Jisei didn't look at the bracelet. Her eyebrow twitched again as she threatened, “Know one thing, Ayann, you have brought this upon yourself.” She struck her staff on the wooden floor, and its jewel glowed as a green misty energy surrounded me and lifted me up, cocooning me.

  “Jisei, put me down!” I shouted.

  “If our quest goes well, we shall be back in a few days to purchase the mead,” Jisei told MyGard as her eyebrow still twitched and then she went out the door as I followed, levitating after her.

  “Put me down!” I yelled louder. “Wait! My parka! Don't forget my parka!”

  Jisei stepped back in and took the parka off of the coat rack and added it to the sack of supplies.

  “Thank you,” I said sweetly and then yelled, “Put me down!”

  “You are welcomed, and not until you have learned you must listen to me when Foi puts me in charge.”

  “I did listen to you,” I insisted.

  “That is true, but then you ignored my commands.” Jisei headed down the stairs to the street.

  “I didn't ignore you; I only ignored what you said,” I insisted again.

  Jisei stomped her staff on the last step and her power flipped me so that I dangled upside down and my helmet-cap fell off. Jisei said, “You are still not listening, and have I not told you to strap on your helmet.” She bent down, picked it up, and then added it to the sack. “It shall not protect your head if it falls off.”

  “Yes, you have many times, and I'm listening! I'm listening! Put me down!”

  “Not yet,” Jisei told me. “I still do not believe you. Now repeat after me, Jisei is wise, and I should listen to her. Her piety has no bounds.”

  I questioned, “What does your piety have to do with my selective hearing?”

  “I said repeat after me or do you want me to leave you in there until we catch up to Foi?”

  “And have him see me like this? I swear if you don't put me down, I'll... I'll...”

  “Silly valkyrie, you should know a priestess' patience is as great as her piety. I shall keep you in my cocoon until you repeat after me.”

  “Jisei, you're so unfair! I'm going to break out of this cocoon and give the archer a pair of your panties for his collection.”

  “You would not! People would talk and the sisters of the order... No! I cannot let you win. I am standing firm on this, repeat after me or face Foi as a trapped butterfly.”