When our panting turned to normal breaths we cleaned up, tucked ourselves into bed, and went to sleep.
CHAPTER 3
I stretched myself awake in the small bed. I had Mysti in my right shoulder and Zoey in my left. A soft knock at the door shifted me off the hay mattress. I pried the door open slightly and the person on the other side softly said there was a visitor downstairs. I left the door open to find the window shutter clasps. When the exterior light poured in from the outside I quickly dressed and put on my gear. A quick glance at the sun revealed it was high in the sky. Damn, it was nearing midday already.
“Damn Gryff... I need that towel by you in the wash bucket. Can you toss it here please?” Mysti said and I did as she asked. “Did you not release while in your purgatory? I am leaking globs from last night.”
“No,” I said and decided not to talk about it. There was not much to say anyway, but I did grin at her swiping her inner thigh. “Meet you ladies downstairs. I am tossing the gold bag into my bag. Mainly because I will be the hardest to rob. You fine vixens hold onto the shit orbs for now.”
Zoey was actually ready so she joined me as we clomped down the stairs. When we hit the landing she jumped on my back and I carried her while she kissed my neck.
“We need to check on Nicole and deal with Barq. Else I would take you back upstairs little lady.” I grumbled, wanting to feed my lustful desires.
“At least you are what we expected. When Lily said you were caring we thought you would be like Barry just human. Nope. It is funny how much confidence and battle prowess can alter how you view someone,” Zoey said while squirming off my back. I felt her scanning the barroom looking for our guide. She gave up and yelled out. “Barq!”
A gnome in the back corner raised his hand with a smile. The first thing I noticed was three fingers and a thumb. He had a shaved head, big gold earrings, and a scar down his cheek. He was sitting but I could guess Barq was about four feet tall. He wore a set of white robes that had turned grey with time. A staff was propped beside him as he ate some eggs with a wooden fork.
“Hi Barq, I am Gryff, this is Zoey, and Mysti should be down soon. Drovka said you could guide us north toward Aeva,” I said with a smile as I seated myself. A young lizardgirl followed behind us with waters. “Three plates of eggs please.”
“Yes sir.”
“Hello Gryff and Zoey. Thanks for the wine. This is stupid expensive. The fact you bought it says you either do not value your coins or you are desperate. So which is it?” Barq asked while eyeing me intently.
“Well, I value coins. I really do. The problem is I do not know how to value them here if that makes sense. For instance, we killed two werewolves last night. There is someone riding out to verify…” I was paused as Drovka himself came bursting into the bar with two guards and a dwarf dressed in noble garb. “Good morning Drovka, I was just talking to Barq here.”
“The lad rode out before the sun rose and verified the werewolves by chopping ears and popping a few teeth out. Good work you did and the town of Bonwe thanks you,” The finely clothed dwarf said and nodded to Drovka. Two sacks of coins were deposited on the table that I rapidly stuffed into my bag. “As Mayor, I have other business to attend to. Again thank you for slaying the two beasts.”
Drovka stayed and slid into a seat beside Barq. He even started picking at some eggs on the gnome’s plate.
“Drovka you failed to tell me the potential clients were new but capable,” The gnome said and the dwarf gave a shrug while stealing the plate. The server dropped three new plates filled with steaming eggs at the table. Drovka thought the extra one was for him but Mysti showed up and snatched the plate, stealing it for herself. “Two elvath. Impressive.”
“Three,” I muttered between bites. “Another one is with the healer lady.”
“Varusa is a great healer. So what do you need to hire me for if you can kill werewolves with ease?” Barq asked while sipping his expensive wine.
I frowned and stopped eating to eye the gnome.
“The rhica, I would value it at five horses maybe six. What is the value of a rare mount?” I asked.
“That rhica was a gift from the slave owner of the elv who runs the Chatty Box. Explains the girls. A rhica is rare. Where is the elv it belongs to?”
“He loaned it to me. I am going to hire someone to send it back to the Chatty Box along with three jugs of ale he needs. How do mounts work? Is that an orb?”
“Ah, no. That one is not. Mount orbs are generally blue or higher orbs. They operate differently in the sense if they start fighting they convert into a combat pet. Let me give an example. You can kill that rhica, and there is a slim chance it drops an orb, thereby becoming immortal to an extent. If you want to ride a rhica around you can do so with very little consumption of your core mana. You following?” Barq said while I ate. I gave him a nod and he continued. “Good, if you summon any creature that is not a mount or a familiar, it falls into a battle pet. Battle pets suck you dry and poof away when you are drained of mana. A live rhica has none of those issues of magic or mana. They also can ride into battle without the worry about returning to the user. A real horse is about ten silver. A rhica is roughly a million silver.”
I furled my eyebrows hard and then realized something. “Barry said there were three coins of value. Gold lowest, silver and then a durca coin. I am going to assume there are more valuable coins.”
The gnome twisted in his seat and Drovka finished Barq’s plate.
“As great as it is to listen to you learn the ways of Yariw. I have a family to go home to. Give me another silver and I will handle the ale and seeing the rhica mount returned to the Chatty Box. And before you start to worry that the super expensive mount might get stolen. Nope, a full god gifted that to Barry. We know better than to steal from someone so powerful.”
I found the sack of gold Barry handed me for the ale and then added an extra silver.
“Thank you, I will handle those things while you worry about going north and checking on your companion. Pleasure doing business,” Drovka said and the dwarf made a swift exit.
“Good dwarf that one. Of course there are more coins. Each is a hundred of the previous. Gold, silver, durca, zadium, orite, berium, and platinum. There are even more but I doubt you will need to worry about them. The supreme bank of the creator handles all banking across the universe. They are everywhere of even slight import. Aeva will have a bank. Much better than hauling a few sacks of money. Alright, you are new to Yariw and our universe. I get why you need a guide. For Aeva on foot that is a ten-day trip. Three silvers a day makes it thirty silvers. If we arrive earlier or late the rate adjusts. Fifteen upfront.”
I saw Zoey’s face twisted in anger at the thought of paying so much and some before we even left. I hefted the silver bag the mayor gave me and counted out fifteen silver.
“Time to see Nicole. I want to visit her first and see her condition. Finish your food ladies,” I said and stood.
Mysti shoveled the last of her eggs and Zoey left the remaining food on her plate. We flowed out of the Drinking Jug and onto the street. Ugh. The stench was so bad I stubbed a toe on a rock that jutted up a few inches. I wanted to kick the mayor for running such a shitty town. The stone road was the worst with divots and rises everywhere.
“Bonwe sucks. Run us to Varusa,” I ordered and was obeyed.
We ran to the healer’s house and after a few taps on the door were let in the two story home that was the nicest on the block.
“Ah, welcome. I am Varusa, your friend has been muttering for you for a few hours,” the spry old lady said while grinning. “You owe me fifteen silver. This was an intensive healing and I am out of mana.”
Barq nodded to me in what I thought was a sign of a fair price.
“Thank you for saving her Varusa. I am Gryff, this is Mysti and this is Zoey. One moment while I consult with my friend. Mysti pay her,” I said handing off my bag and shifting my focu
s to Barq. “Nodding will not work when money is mentioned and I am negotiating. How about you stay still if it is a reasonable deal. I am okay with paying a bit more to new vendors or merchants. Say ten percent. It makes them want to do business with me. If they offer too low to see if I offend tap with your foot or stomp or say something. If they are trying to rob me use hand gestures or again, say something. A nod could mean a lot of things.”
“Varusa is loved and is always fair. I have no idea what her price is to compare to others. Fifteen silvers are well worth a life in my opinion.”
“So is fifteen platinum. It does not mean the services rendered should be blindly rewarded. I get your point though, we could quibble for hours,” I said and Varusa simply smiled once she was paid. “Lead the way noble healer.”
We walked past a counter with some potions on it and I realized I had just bypassed a whole litany of questions. We were in a rundown village though, potions and such would be purchased in Aeva. When I entered the room to see Nicole I gasped in shock.
Nicole’s right leg was gone as was a section of her back and her right ass cheek. She was in a delirious state and rightfully so. Her skin had healed into a soft tissue that reminded me of baby skin as I gently ran my fingertips over her wounds.
“Fuck,” Zoey muttered from behind me. I heard her messing with her belt and then the sound of her pants dropping. “Check me for this bum beetle.”
If Nicole wasn’t so disfigured I would have laughed. Nope. I dropped trousers as did Mysti. Varusa walked by and did a quick inspection.
“You are good to go. Alright, time to discuss Nicole and her recovery. If you keep her here I can start a slow treatment plan and in a few weeks, maybe a few months, she can have her leg back. The problem is I have to heal a whole town which adjusts a lot of my abilities because I can only give up so much mana per day.” Varusa started to explain and I interrupted her.
“A proper team with excessive mana potions can make her whole again? Much quicker than you?” I asked while I folded my arms and frowned.
“Easily and cheaper. That bum beetle should have killed her. I am shocked she arrived alive. They are rare to host in anything other than a treefolk or wild animals.”
“If I get her an orb can she heal herself? And I take it there are mana potions?”
Barq coughed to get my attention but Varusa waved him down.
“He is going to tell you not to buy potions from me. I agree, they’re not for sale, I keep them for emergencies. In which case, five of your silver was to finish healing her skin. She is free of infection and can travel. I suggest you do so,” Varusa said while gingerly pushing back Nicole’s brown hair that covered her face. “She will live and in time be fine. I do have a special healing orb I no longer use. Only a tier two or white orb and the spell is a self-heal. She won’t get much done from the simple spell unless she is constant on the healing. I can wake her to ingest the orb now to get maximum value. She might be able to heal enough to save the silver later on and you can resell the orb.”
“Sold and yes please. I would love to tell her sorry.”
Mysti reached into the bag filled with purses and pulled out a silver coin. Varusa accepted the silver and went into a side room. She returned with an orb that showed a cut mending on it. Varusa handed me the orb while lighting a candle off the wall that gave off an eye-watering scent. The candle went under Nicole’s nose for a brief moment before Varusa blew the flame out. The additional smoke was directed her way and Nicole came to groggy state.
“Where… where am I?” Nicole said while regaining her sense.
“I am your healer. Add this to your core and I need you to funnel as much energy as you can into it. Hurry,” Varusa said while placing the orb in Nicole’s hand. The magical ball vanished into her body and I watched her exposed new skin. A tiny bit of her back materialized as the muscle was regrown with magic. Just a fraction, but it was noticeable. Nicole passed out in the process. “No chance to apologize. Her body is going to fight to heal itself and realize it is fighting magic. That concludes our business.”
“Thank you Healer Varusa. I appreciate everything. Do I need to carry her gingerly or can I treat her like a mostly healed woman?”
“She is weak but not dainty. You will not break her if you have to run from something. I would put her in a wagon or handcart though,” Varusa said with a goodbye smile and wave.
I was not carrying anything and I was the biggest one so I scooped Nicole up and walked toward the front. We flowed out of the two story building and I gagged. The residents that saw me suffer chuckled. They were accustomed to the shit stench and I was appalled.
“Hand cart, tent, and ten days of travel rations. We will hard run to Aeva,” I said and Barq frowned.
“No need for purchasing a tent. I have a cabin I can spawn that we will stay in and we should pass on the travel rations. We can hunt as we go. Can you haul a hand cart at a run big guy?” Barq asked me.
I deserved the big guy comment as I did stand at twice his size. If I wasn’t in such a gross situation I would have asked about his cabin.
“Easily. We can walk a bit once we’re outside Bonwe.”
Barq started a gentle jog for the northern end of town. The jog led us past more shoddy buildings and my foot squished in a pile of shit. I clenched my eyes closed in disgust. Thankfully we swiftly arrived at an open market area where an orc stood in front of some basic hand carts. I saw one standing exactly like the kind I had used with Donnie. It had two arms that folded down for when resting or swiveled and locked for hauling. I decided that one would work fantastically.
“I want that cart, how much?” I asked in Horde and he swiveled his head in confusion.
“A slave? Not my problem if you were. No special deal. Single silver for this cart. All the hinges transition fine, and the axle is free of issue,” the orc said grimly - his voice carried a harsh tone and was gravely.
“Mysti hand him a silver while I lay Nicole down,” I said and when the transaction was complete I smiled. “Not a slave. I massacred millions of Horde. Have a nice day.”
The orc grinned and then laughed. “I like you, you amuse me,” he said with a friendly smile which caused his tusks to flare.
I adjusted the handles and set it for travel. When we were good to go I saw the bags piled in the cart where Nicole’s right leg should have been. I frowned and ran out of the town. The guards on the northern gate never looked twice as we bounded onto the dirt road.
Ten minutes after a hard run I breathed in the fresh air.
“Screw that place, never going back there,” I muttered.
“There are worse, but I agree. I like to buy potions in Aeva and sell them in Bonwe. It’s a nice trade run,” Barq said with a scoff.
I smiled at his statement. “So you are getting paid both ways on this trip and probably more than you make on the potions. Nice deal.”
“Why are you paying him so much?” Zoey quipped.
“We have a lot to buy and hopefully sell in Aeva. Enough that fifteen silver will be well worth it. And I intend to make him earn his way. We are skipping Vredin; at least I hope to. Is there a shortcut?” I said on a hunch there was.
The five of us walked along a wide road that had big divots from past wagons churning up mud. The hand cart was perfectly sized to escape the deep tracks. The wind whipped at a steady easterly flow and the time of year spoke of a receding winter as fresh flowers were blossoming. The fields out here were planted and farms dotted the landscape. A few oxen tilled fields and the farmers we passed by waved. There were far more aliens here living in harmony than I was used to. I had zoned out watching a hawk kill a rabbit off to my right when Zoey snapped by my ear. The landscape out here was so serene and I was absorbing all the colors and noises intently.
“Fuck Gryff, you in there?” Zoey said while continuing to snap.
“Why do you swear so much?” I asked the feisty assassin.
�
�Gryff for all that is holy, Barq went on a full monologue about a spooky forest with level four boars and the chance of level eight war boars…” she paused when I instinctively ducked expecting a griffin to tackle us while demanding food. “Gryff, you all there big guy?”
“Huh, sorry. I have some adjusting to do. I love this place though. There are so many possibilities and fun to be had. I would love to slay some war boar and if I zone out you have full permission to lightly slug my arm.”
“You are level three and these two are sixes. A war boar is an eight. You should avoid them. That was what my whole rant was about. Telling you to avoid the potential death and to take the safe route through Vredin.”
I scoffed. “Don’t be a pussy. You are with a demigod.”
“By the creator are you kidding me? No one mentioned that. Let me guess you have some epic orbs already?” Barq asked with a huff of frustration.
I spawned Kor and Barq squealed like a bitch at the sudden hydra appearing beside us. I made a few stupid mistakes and paid for them. I should have stopped walking first and parked the cart. I also should have realized he would drain my energy or mana quickly.
“Who needs to die…?” Was all Kor got out before he despawned back into my chest and I face-planted into the road.
I tasted blood from where I bit my lip and felt my cheek swelling from the impact. A crumpled Nicole was being lifted off of me and everyone was talking at once. By the time the cart was righted and I regained my senses, I had learned my lesson. Quit overdrawing on my core amount by doing dumb shit. Ah, the joys of new magic systems. No one was hurt besides my pride as Nicole was placed back in the cart that Mysti righted. I stood and removed her from the handles. With me starting us forward again a semblance of order was maintained to the conversation and Mysti went first.
“Kor is awesome, and I look forward to seeing him when you have more mana,” Mysti said while dusting off my shoulder that had embedded dirt into it. “There is so much to learn here. I think I am going to spawn Sharky to start leveling him. I will be careful not to exhaust my core before returning him. His limp seems to be gone.”
Gryff Boxset Page 125