“Nicole get over here!” I shouted and then spawned my chest.
“I will make you an offer and a show of trust. Do you have the ability to store an orb?” I asked while rooting around for something of value. I had a ton of wood in here. Stupid snow and our constant need for fires. “Or ore?”
I glanced up and saw his eyes light up in excitement.
“Leenspar?” He asked anxiously.
“Zadium, and it is merely to trade with for now to exchange your weapons in storage for ore or an orb. Do you have a familiar?” I asked not certain what the answer would be.
“Yes my smithy,” Garataur said and I wiped the drool from my mouth.
“Toss your weapons in there and then you can visit the airship. Assuming they even let me on,” I said with a smile.
“Why?”
I exhaled a long frosted breath. There was a lot to that question delivered in a single word.
“I don’t want to kill you Garataur. I really don’t. There are millions of enemies I need to kill that I will feel remorseful for slaying, and trillions of dumb creatures like trolls to murder for levels. The very least I can do is show not all of us adventurers are mindless brutes,” I said and felt I did a good job of being honest.
The massive left door to the next room cracked open. I heard Garataur giving commands in a language I could not comprehend. When he stepped onto our side the door slammed shut and locked.
“Stupid retarded trolls, I told them not to lock the door,” Garataur said while spawning his smithy. I set my pike down first and pushed Mysti behind me. He ignored my gesture of goodwill and walked into his smithy. “I am keeping the armor on. I am too proud of it to take it off and… I could beat you to death with it but I won’t. Come on in.”
Barq and Dib raced forward with wide eyes. They were not focused on the twenty foot tall behemoth minotaur with massive spiked horns. Nope, they were pointed back to the wagons where the dirigible had landed.
“The king is here…” Barq said and then focused on the smithy. “Woah, I want one!”
“Right, who knew it was an option,” Dib said eyeing the massive hundred foot wide smithy with desire.
There were three forges, seven anvils, and nearly a hundred tools hanging from hooks. The heat alone made me want one. The minotaur removed his weapons and stepped out of his smithy and then despawned it. There was a collective male set of sad huffs when it swirled into the boss’ chest.
“Call me Red. You may have heard different but this next meeting relies on you calling me Red,” I said and gave him my back. I saw Desmond on edge and Zoey with intent in her eyes. I waved them down. “If he shows no aggression we shall show no aggression.”
“Cyrene is going to be pissed,” Nicole said while looking back to the airship. “This is a really big deal the king is here and you brought a boss plus…”
I saw Cyrene running for the wagon with a mini dinosaur hot on her heels. Confusion hit all of our faces except for Dib. The wagon despawned when the tail of the dinosaur whapped the side. The team fell to the snow and I saw Cyrene spin and kick what I assumed was Vexie. Dib flew with rapid beats of his wings and had his pan gripped tightly in his hands. The dinosaur was disoriented from the kick and a loud dong sounded across the canyon when Dib smashed his frying pan into the head of Vexie. The little dino slumped over unconscious and after a few seconds I saw her breathe.
“What was that?” Garataur said gruffly.
“Ha, that is a typical Tuesday with this one around,” Desmond said and the two giants started a deep laughter.
The thud and slight shaking of the ground caught my attention. A ten foot tall tree-ent was speeding our way. Each time their foot touched the snow they grimaced and then the realization hit me. That was Vexie, then this was...
“Oh thank the heavens, I did not want her to die. We just convinced her to move to be with more of her kind and…” Frooska was running for Vexie and had been ignoring us. The moment he saw Garataur he stopped talking. “What is a boss doing at your side?”
The minor bump that was forming on Vexie’s head was going down as Frooska healed her. He tenderly checked her all over and then scooped her up in his woven arms.
“Cyrene was it? You are to avoid the eyesight of this little girl for the next forever. She is a dear friend and very confused right now about why we are moving her. She remembers you defeating her and probably assumes you are still a threat. She may never let go of that fact,” Frooska said to Cyrene. With the limp bodied tiny dino in his arms, he turned to me. “Big minotaur why are you here since the human will not answer?”
“Name is Garataur and I am a crafter that loves new inventions. I was wanting to inspect your airship. May I see it?”
“I am Frooska, this is Vexie in my arms. As to the airship, you would have to ask this nice shaman leaving the docking ramp. Did a plant tell you how to stop being a boss and become a regular sentient?” Frooska asked and even I twisted my head in confusion.
“So that is why you are so much smaller. You are no longer boss status,” I said in shock.
“Level one as of yesterday and this morning this airship picked me up at the gate,” Frooska said as he faded away. “The King mentioned his wife's favorite fern talked about how I would need a lift to society.”
“Wow,” Nicole and Garataur said in unison.
The implications were staggering. I started to wonder and then I understood. There was probably only one being who could become a talking plant and explain to a roaming boss how to convert themselves from non-citizen to citizen. Which led me to a whole new box of questions. The shaman walked to me after Shala pointed him my way as I thought over the why.
The shaman king wore no crown and instead had an armored helmet fit snugly on his head. He was wearing a mix of metal that was dull in shine yet reflective in images. The leather underneath was worn with time and faded in color. A dark shade of red and black entwined up a fire staff in which a massive ruby sat on the head. His eyes were black and his smile was welcoming. I glanced around him to try to find his guards and grew confused.
“Greetings, I am King Ptera, ruler of Thur. I came for two reasons. The first is this.”
The king handed me a note and I opened it. The details went over how I was attacked by Froki and his buddies. I read the entirety of it quickly to ensure I had the full details and when I was done I handed back the paper. The King lit it on fire and the note vanished into ash.
“I normally would not come out of my palace for such a minor issue and yet here I am. The fern in my room two days ago said I would have visitors arriving via portal. They would be esteemed guests that I rarely see out here in our distant planet from the center of the universe. Thur is normally lacking important visitor due to its…” The King leaned on his staff and looked up to the sky for the right words. “Well, we lack everything the central planets have really. Minus the lack of overpopulation and nice flooring dungeons. Which has kept my treasury afloat.”
The King stopped talking and kept staring into the cold clear sky. I was not certain what he was looking for but when I looked up I saw an empty blue atmosphere and no clouds.
“Oh, right my manners. I officially apologize on behalf of the crown for my soldiers’ transgression,” King Ptera said while still leaning on his staff looking up.
“What is up there?” I asked finally giving in to my curiosity.
“Nothing. That is the point. We are a distant star system. I have won bids three times to have a second planet put in orbit. Every time the universal planetary terraforming community overrides my bids and gives them to central systems. I want to move on from being a planetary king and become a system Emperor. Hell, I have ruled for so long that I promised my son that I would even give up guards if I left the palace.”
Nicole shimmied up beside me with frosted breath and put her cold hand in mine. I should probably warm up if we were not going to be fighting any time soon. There was
a lot happening and combat did not seem like one of those things.
“You want the next planet to be right there?” I asked pointing to the sky and Ptera scoffed at my audacious question.
“Most verifiably correct,” The King replied with minor snark.
“I can ask the next time I see the boss. I think he granted Frooska’s wish without me actually asking for it. Maybe the committee of the planets and whatnot will come through. I would wager they will if you try a fourth winning bid,” I said and a genuine smile crossed the King’s lips.
“Cannot hurt to try I guess. That transformation with Frooska was unheard of until I saw him twenty feet shorter. Makes sense. Can’t convert a boss to an adventurer and still leave them at boss status. Hmm…” Ptera thought about something and then decided to walk me into the airship. “This is real by the way. The commission lasted a decade and I ordered four more. The designer grew exhausted from building them and retired. I wish I had ordered a hundred so I could set up an air travel system. The other teams that tried were subpar and most crashed with test crews.”
“Ouch, for the crews. Greetings King Ptera, I am Nicole. Hey Red, can I have the team set up the cave and relax?” Nicole said getting into the conversation. “They are waiting for permission.”
“Yes love,” I said and got a kiss on the cheek.
“I remember being so young,” Ptera said with longing eyes for different times.
“I am a few billion years older than you, I would wager. Nice to meet you, your highness. May I join my husband after I organize my team for a break?” Nicole asked with a proper curtsy.
“Ha! Right, you elvath do not age. Of course, there is always room for a lovely lady like yourself. Mind you there is limited space and no hostility aboard my airship,” The King said while walking back to his airship. “Come on, your guests await.”
Nicole kissed my cheek and went to organize the team into a resting phase. I swatted her behind softly as she turned and left. Petra was walking slowly so I kept pace with him. Inside the docking bay, I saw Garataur and Frooska in animated talks. The big minotaur could not fit into the airship and a guard was prohibiting his entrance.
“He is too heavy; if he stepped in between a beam he could break the decking,” the King said with a sigh. “You must be important Mr. Red. Bosses like you, company executives travel to see you, and you pretend you know the creator. Which at my age, I have heard often enough. Except Frooska did something unheard of and that is truly perplexing. What are your plans on Thur?”
We paused about fifty paces shy of the loading ramp. I saw Garataur shrivel in size and I was dismayed. He went from twenty feet tall to ten and he lost most of his mass. His armor was suddenly gargantuan on him and he tipped over slowly until he crashed into the snow. Frooska lent him a hand and even the guard helped Garataur out of his gear. Once free the smaller minotaur spawned his smithy and cursed loudly. The station was no longer a grandeur workplace of epic proportions. If I had to guess it was level one with a simple furnace and anvil. Ouch. Yup, the minotaur was weeping in sorrow and he stowed his armor in his tiny smithy.
“I think he just became a person, will people try to kill him?” I asked while scratching at my stubbly beard.
“Not in my city. There are minotaurs there, well there is everything in Remi. All the dungeons and roaming bosses spawn larger versions of actual species. Hence the giant forms being lost which gives bosses their first giveaway. If you investigate their stats with an inspection orb you will see they are no longer classified as a farmable creature and are instead - now a citizen. They can blend in like any other being now and find productive long lives. I will miss my legendary staff supplier. It was good while it lasted,” Ptera said while eyeing his intricate staff. I was closer to it now and saw fire demons and monsters etched into it.
“That has to hurt to level all over again. I get it though. I wouldn’t want to be a boss stuck in a troll dungeon of dunces. Ah, yes my plans…” I said while we watched the minotaur recover and despawn his smithy. Frooska led him into the airship for a tour and the two were chatting like old friends as they vanished into the interior. Nicole arrived back at my side and clung to me. I stomped my boots to try to kill the numb feeling my toes were experiencing. “We have a company being established. A nice headquarters would be great in Remi. I have some auction items to sell and need to acquire so much. Hence we came north up into the snow to raise money. Been going well so far. Mainly I need to keep flooring as you term it here in the gaming verse. At least until I can get a really nice complete set of orbs I can use with abandon.”
“Ah, the never-ending chasing the larger and larger mana pool while upgrading your gear and weapons. I absolutely can relate to that one. Our auction house is shit though. A headquarters here would be insanely cheap and great if you want zero recruitment and attention,” Ptera said and I frowned. “Don’t look too displeased. I will try to be honest with you. Thur is legitimately a backwater world for lowbies. If you are using an alias and have super-secret stuff going on, then sure. Call this place home. If you want to be respected and feared you do not have your headquarters here. Well, that is how others have decided to judge this planet.”
“I like the people so far and I find I work the way I work, not the way others do. I do indeed value time and privacy to build up a network. As for an auction house, I will take what I can get. Would you prefer if I did not base here?” I asked and this time he frowned.
“Red, you are not Red. That is obvious. I am old and life has become stagnant. By all means, add some spice to my planet’s intrigue. If cities start to burn I will have no mercy though. Granted our peaceful charter is enforced by all the companies, guilds, and adventuring groups. This is a non-being vs being zone. As long as you take your warring elsewhere I would love to have you here. My internal guide or gut as I have heard others call it, is sending a strong signal about you. You are an actual player in the universe. Evident by recent events and because of your guests. I may even send over some grandchildren to apprentice. I always have offspring way down the line of succession looking for a hand up instead of a handout.”
“Botanist or alchemist?” I asked and a mischievous grin split his lips.
“Now the real fun begins. Tonight we will have a mighty gala and you will be my guest of honor. Masked theme if it suits you,” Ptera said and I pointed at the double gates.
“I have four more rooms to clear,” I said.
“Yes… and no. Don’t get mad at the messenger but the rooms combined into one massive cutout into the mountain. At least a few miles wide and all five routes now led to the one final room. We saw it from above. The troll emperor is in there with an army. This is no longer a group dungeon…” King Ptera said with a deep exhale of frost. “Well, you can do the first bits but then turn around. Those gates are there to protect the small groups like yours from ever going further. Inside there are at least ten thousand trolls who are drilling and training for battle.”
“Woah,” Nicole said with wide eyes. I kicked some snow in frustration.
“Yeah, I messed up the balance of things with my greed for fancy staves. I like your healing staff, Nicole,” Petra said while pointing. He muttered a bit as he continued. “I wish I had one. I got this fire one and then an ice staff. Too bad he will take generations to create them that proficiently again. Oh well, will of the creator right. Wait, that look in your eyes.”
“You have an army in the fort!” I said sarcastically.
“A company not a legion. Granted my fire magic with this staff can incinerate a lot of those troops. Maybe. I will think about it while you have your meeting,” Ptera said and Nicole grew confused. “I did just say I would enjoy some excitement. Maybe show these old bones they can still do epic things.”
“What meeting?” Nicole asked with a raised eyebrow. Her vibrant blue eyes sparkled with intense curiosity.
“Oh, there is someone more important than a planetary king
aboard the airship. No idea who, and guessing by the lack of disclosure the reveal is meant to be a surprise,” I told her and Ptera did not comment. “Are you joining us for the upcoming talk or…”
“I will go sit by the fire with your team and chat. One of the greatest parts of getting out of the palace is talking with people who expect nothing from you. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Red and Nicole. I do hope you decide to attend an event I can host for you. Maybe not tonight if we do kill this room. Oh please excuse me, here comes Captain Osgral from the fort,” King Ptera said and left our side to join the flying bearfrii that was heading our direction.
“Interesting shaman who looks nothing like my friend back home. Funny how different both universes are with their rules and systems,” I said to myself mainly and Nicole snuggled into me with a shiver. “Right, let us get out of the frigid air. To the airship, we go.”
“Are you nervous?” Nicole asked as we approached the guards that hovered on the ramp.
“Huh, oh, not in the slightest. This smells of James indirectly at work, as if he is helping secretly. Then again I really do not like this setup,” I said sternly as we walked up the ramp. “Random meetings with people in a confined space without weapons.”
“Weapons please, the staff can stay,” the guard said and I wanted to debate the legendary staff was infinitely more deadly and effective than my basic metal staff. I handed my staff off and Nicole removed the sword I had given her. The guards thanked us for a no-hassle transition and we entered into the bowels of the warm airship.
CHAPTER 17
The interior of the blimp started with a poorly lit warehouse.
Framed in sections contained stacked boxes of supplies and random things that were netted to the deck.
Gryff Boxset Page 148