“Yes sir!” Zoey said excitedly while trailing the goblin.
“You know how rare it is for a gambling man to get a sunrise customer with inside information on a potential wager of the year. They do not happen. Until you see two elvath and a god sized man come in talking about helping dwarves. But he calls them dvaren. I am no fool harbinger and I am willing to wager that you will win.”
The goblin grabbed a stick and paused to focus as he rolled an orb from up on a top row. He then jostled the orb that was hidden behind the first one. When it cascaded off the shelf he caught it with one hand.
“This is all you need missy. They call this one by many names and it is an orb that most necromancers dream of. A rhinorc skeleton combatant. This is the ultimate orb for that staff. If that is a legendary which I am almost certain it is, then you can cast more. Three in total correct?” Eddy asked and Zoey nodded happily as she studied the orb. “Okay, insert that orb into your core. Now I will run over to Herald’s place while you wait here and for heaven's sake hide the staff.”
Nicole went out front and spawned her chest. A carriage almost hit the boxy device and the driver flung curses at Nicole. Zoey hurried and deposited her weapon. I saw her remove her dolphuna zombie orb and hand it to Eddy. Eddy fumed while giving me a sassy stare.
“This… This is collateral. For a water team, this is worth about three quarters of the rhinorc. Tell no one you gave me this either. Now wait inside and keep my store safe,” Eddy said and ran down the road to a corner shop.
We went back into the room and past the ringing of the door’s bell. We mulled by the front of the store while we waited.
“This will not make me all powerful, but it should help. I will miss Loco but the trade was a worthy one. The big thing will be leveling this rhinorc up,” Zoey said and I agreed.
“I think I have wrapped my head around why he is helping us. I am going to feel awful if we lose though,” Nicole said and Ovaria snickered.
“Ha, if you lose you die, so don't feel bad. Greed is a powerful motivator and you should have some element of surprise. I sure hope Gryff - as I learned he is called - is as powerful as you all seem to think he is,” Ovaria said while resting her fingers with claws on my arm. “I think you can do this. Mother had great things to say about you. Even if they were ominous.”
“Well, I want to save those dwarfs. Which means not mentioning them as dvaren again. I will tell them the same thing. Ah here comes Eddy,” I said as the little goblin waved down a carriage on his way to the store.
I opened the door for the energetic green being that was brimming with happiness. He held two orbs forward for Zoey who gladly accepted them. He then turned to me.
“Sorry, no sword and shield orb. Okay, here you go, lass. An undead falcon and a zombie snake that will stink to high heaven. Not the best but if you triple spawn your creatures they can work together to bring a target down. The snake is a constrictor and the falcon is more about speed than damage. Here is your platinum coin to buy the best slaves you can. Come to me after slave shopping so I can apply the remainder to gambling.”
I accepted the single shiny coin and Eddy lost his exuberance when it departed his hands. The reality of the coin leaving his presence caused him to deflate a bit.
“We will win Eddy. We have to,” I said confidently.
“Your ride awaits. I have much to do and you should leave before I see the foolishness of my decisions,” Eddy said while ushering us out the door.
The carriage driver opened the carriage door and Ovaria gave him her marker.
“Take us to the hiring district. We need to find an atmospheric pilot,” the cyclops said to the scorpion humanoid.
“Three silver and the ride should be about thirty minutes,” the driver said and closed the door once we were seated comfortably inside the clean cabin.
A few seconds later the reins of the wagon snapped and the horses nickered. The shops passed us by out the window and I reflected on the whirlwind day we were having. My time in the gaming verse was coming to a culmination. I would be facing Inquisitors directly and in the open. The nervous feeling I was getting was mostly for those around me. Having everyone rely on me was starting to weigh me down but there was no option to let that persist. I shrugged it off and knew there was only one way I would manifest myself; with confidence and determination.
Zoey put a hand on mine to get my attention. When our eyes locked she smiled.
“What should I do with my other orb slots?” Zoey said with brows furled in thought. “I cannot spawn my tiger if the undead are summoned. I cannot fire my bow if I am holding a stave. I was thinking of using the smoke orb and my self-heal in case Nicole gets bogged down on healing.”
“You are wise to keep self-heal and the smoke will let you hide if you have to,” Nicole said and I dipped my head in agreement.
“You know your build the best. I do agree those two seem like smart choices,” I said to Zoey.
The city was transitioning into taller buildings with less artwork on them. The vagrants in the alleys were declining and it was clear we were being rolled into a nicer part of town. There were thick white clouds on the horizon and small birds darted in the skyline. There was still a stench in general but nothing so bad I wished I could magic it away. The sidewalks were starting to fill with morning traffic and we passed many wagons on the journey. The noise from the street was making it so Nicole and Ovaria had to speak louder in our boxy carriage.
“You do not want to set up inside Remi?” Nicole asked while the morning sun caught her blue eyes in a sparkle.
“Heavens no. That would be financial suicide. Especially if you bring these slaves back. Think about trying to house six thousand dwarves inside Remi. Most of the capital is fancy and clean because it is costly. There are plenty of places open for expansion on Thur. If your team has means to fly that widens those options up greatly.”
“The dwarfs like mountains, are there many on Thur besides those we fought in?” I asked.
“That is what I was hoping to study when we get home. So on your trip to the Frizzia continent, you stopped at a western port. All that land is available north of the snow line that is not linked to the dungeon. Correction, most of it is as there are some crazy cold species living on a sweltering jungle planet. There are two main ports one on the western side that you landed in and mom stayed at. Then another port on the eastern side is a much longer route by boat. That one is much smaller and quieter with mountains not far. If you picked the quieter eastern port you would be able to buy cheaper land but the sailing would add a lot of time. Materials would be more expensive to move unless you moved them with your blimp and I think you get where I am going with that. There is always a balance,” Ovaria said confidently.
“If, and this is a big if, if things settle down then I can fly Groz over potential sites while comparing our funds. Assuming all goes well here; labor will be less of an issue and I would have no problem lounging in an expansive suite while the ship flew supplies.”
“Works for me and I can have potential sites to check out fair quickly. Most of the easiest mountain access points have been mined thoroughly but you never know,” Ovaria replied.
The carriage rolled on for the next ten minutes and the exterior view improved. Guards were frequent and trash was scarce. The alleyways I witnessed were clean and vagrants were absent. This was clearly a place where people valued propriety. Our carriage rolled to a stop outside a tall building with a blimp sign over open arched doors. The scorpman open the door for us. The driver’s hand had three fingers and a pincer thumb that Ovaria placed two silvers into.
“Stay here for thirty minutes. Go if we are not back in time,” Ovaria ordered and the driver bowed his head in understanding.
I left the carriage and went up the three steps past the entryway. I was not sure what to expect of an aviation building in the gaming verse. What I saw was pretty awesome and the inner child in me was delight
ed. There were podiums that displayed blimps handcrafted to replicate monster airships. These were a few feet long and encased in glass. I found myself enthralled as I studied the intricate details of the displayed artwork. A rapid glance down the hallway revealed hundreds of these pieces of art to get lost into. I stepped on the tile floor and our arriving stagnation brought a clerk from behind a greeting desk.
“How may I help you sir?” a handsome harpy said.
I went to ask if the females were just as gorgeous when I closed my mouth and thought better of it. Since we were on a tight timeline I decided to get to the point.
“We are seeking to hire an atmospheric pilot. Is there a gathering or recruiting place for…?” I paused my words as the harpy pointed at a sign. “Third floor, perfect. Thank you for your time.”
“My pleasure,” the clerk replied.
I saw the stairwell off to the side not far from the counter. With a few quick bounds, I was up the stairs and on the third floor. The sound of a cursing Zoey reached my ears and caused me to grin. I entered the landing area and there were university posters everywhere in the initial room. Options to get additional degrees and training or if I wanted the basic planetary unlocks that was an option too. Of course, the one thing missing from every advert was the price of said schooling which in itself was discouraging.
The opening foyer transitioned into a long hallway with recruiting booths. There was only one asshole sitting behind a booth counter and he smiled at seeing me. Beamed with joy in fact. Warg clapped and Rina huffed at his side. I think he won a bet because Warg placed a collar with a leash around Rina’s neck proudly after he finished smacking his hands together.
“My deductive reasoning prevailed. I wanted to see you for two reasons. The first is to wish you good luck. You will make many enemies later today, so be ready for the chaos that will surely try to consume you,” Warg said as he clasped my forearm in greeting while tugging Rina behind him. When our arms parted he gave the best rhinorc grin he could. “I need to introduce you to someone I owe a favor to. I figured you would rush here to save these dvaren. Thank you. I… They are the last of what we knew. The screws were put to me by the Justicars to abandon my quest of trying to achieve their freedom.”
“Wait, I thought the Inquisitors are who will be going on the field today,” I asked as we walked past the empty booths with signup sheets.
“Yeah, well without me there to help my allies they are not needed. They passed it off to the Inquisitors who could use the experience. Think of it as a posturing move, the Justicars handed off the eradication of the last set of dvaren to their mortal foes because it was beneath them. Take good care of Groz and his troops, I will always respect the dvaren fighting spirit. That is tied into my first reason for being here. This hallway leads into this,” Warg said and paused.
There was a lounge restaurant area with a fancy bar. The whole room was a few hundred feet wide and deep. Across the wide-area, numerous booths were occupied by citizens of all types eating breakfast or chatting. I scanned to try to notice what Warg was showing me and came up empty. There were simply too many variables.
“I had to fire a promising pilot. They were asking a lot but offering a lot in return. That justification for firing them was you, and to be fair they did not work for me for long,” Warg said while leading me to the bar. “Still I hate letting good talent go and I know with my gifts you need a pilot.”
A swishing kitsune tail stuck out of a lovely white and blue dress a noble lady wore at the counter. Her tight furry ears turned at the sound of Warg’s voice. Her head, however, did not. There was not much to see of her from this angle, besides she was reading a printed newspaper. I heard the turning of the pages in a crisp snapping sound. Rina swatted Warg’s hand and skipped past us to sit beside the other kitsune.
Where Rina was orange and white this one was red with white edging. I was also a bit perplexed about why we were meeting a kitsune as they were notorious as accountants. A stiff arm shoved Rina away, this was followed by an audible huff of frustration.
“Be nice Harmony, it was not Rina’s fault we let you go. I bring the culprit and an opportunity while asking for forgiveness,” Warg said and the kitsune gasped.
“You do not ask for forgiveness and you shock me by proclaiming your statement in a public place. I will hear you out since I obviously have no work to do.”
“Harmony is it? I am Gryff,” I said and the kitsune stood to shake my hand.
“Nice to meet you tall human, what can I help you with?”
I studied her from the front now that I was able to view her properly. She had delicate soft features that were even more human-like than Rina’s. Yellow eyes studied me in return and I noticed her dress was, in fact, a mix of things. Part comfort while being elegant, and another part was for traveling as there were pockets in key places. Her busty chest was mostly hidden behind the modest coverings as were her wide hips. I saw Harmony shift her gaze to view my elvath and then return to meet my eyes.
“I happened to come into an airship and an orb to pilot it…”
“Okay, I get it. You are the reason he fired me, but you wish to hire me. I accept if you help me floor as a fire mage as well. I want to do both. Pilot ships and ascend the floors. Most companies refuse my requirements as the normal route is to only be a pilot. Well, I did not become an accountant like my family wanted. I am an adventuring pilot. Accept me for the fire mage that I am and I will pilot your ship too.”
Nicole slid and arm around Harmony and their eyes locked intently.
“Harmony before you rush to accept it is important you consider a few things. We are going to be against the most powerful of foes. And there will be far more…”
“As in people like Warg, or stronger than him,” Harmony interrupted seeking clarification.
“Stronger,” Warg said with a grunting snort. “Harmony is a princess on a backwater planet not too unlike Thur. She has been given everything to be successful besides being taken seriously. She has spunk and is an amazing fire mage as well as a talented pilot. I saw past the fact that she is a kitsune and instead saw her for the natural that she is.”
“While you giving me praise is oddly welcoming I am confused. Should I take this job Rina?”
There was trepidation in Harmony’s voice. It was not there for long but her stern demeanor cracked slightly. Nicole removed her arm as Rina clutched Harmony in a tight embrace.
“We need you to, the universe does,” Rina said with determination.
“By the creator, you two sure are acting weird. I have no problem signing on with someone not the top two. Hell, the Justicars and Inquisitors have the highest mortality rates since they are so large. Rina are you okay?”
“This means a lot that you support Gryff. He will need you,” Rina said sadly.
“Can I have time to think about it?” Harmony asked.
“Harmony, I need you to come with us now. I can offer this though,” I said as I ejected the divine atmospheric orb.
Harmony’s eyes lit up and she yanked the orb out of my hands. The spell vanished into her chest instantly. I saw her wanting to jump and scream in excitement but she maintained her composure. She ran her hands down the front of her dress and gave me a nod.
“I am in. Danger be damned,” Harmony said with a scary grin.
“Fucking awesome, always wanted to see the power of a fire mage! Time to buy some slaves,” Zoey said in excitement and Warg frowned.
“No, do not buy slaves under any circumstances. Think about this Gryff. You go buy slaves and then march them into the prison section. That will throw flags everywhere as you cannot sneak in three-thousand plus troops. There are no other battles today. Your fight is the main event. The way it is right now they are expecting those dvaren and them only. You can win. I know you can and am even wagering that you will.”
“Warg enough of the fucking theatrics. You drive me crazy sometimes. Correction, all the time.
What can I do to win?”
“Ah, that would spoil the fun. Just know to show no mercy or if you do expect your return home to take infinitely longer.”
I glanced around the establishment trying to decide if I should punch Warg in his long rhino typeface. How much trouble would I really get in? His eyes gleamed hungrily at me as if reading my mind. Warg loved the idea of violence and I was ready to give him some. Rina stepped between us seeing the potential of a fight.
“They are making a show of it Gryff, as in a display for the young Inquisitors to gain notoriety,” Rina said with a disarming smile. “Now you can tuck your big dicks away boys. How about we get breakfast and let things simmer?”
I backed down trying to focus on my main goal. Getting home to Prox and returning to my family. One thing at a time and I bit my cheek in frustration. I turned to Harmony and made sure I had her attention. I illuminated my nine hundred and nineteen on my arm. She flashed me her six hundred and seventy-two on her arm. So much for adding an overpowered mage to our mix.
“This table looks empty. How about we eat here?” Nicole said while indicating a booth.
We funneled into it while Warg was forced to sit at the end in a chair due to his bulk. We talked about the strategy for coming fight while we were served a warm egg breakfast. We kept things cordial for the entire meal and when it was time to go back to join Groz I was happy to get away from Warg.
CHAPTER 21
The roar of the crowd was deafening and impeding my ability to talk to Groz. Or to talk to anyone and I was frowning that we could not discuss - well, anything. The dwarf stood sternly while we eyed our opponents across the arena. Red dirt of some unknown type gave a crunchy feel as I impatiently rubbed my heel against the ground. Our forces were in the open and with our battle lines formed. I had no idea what we were waiting for and used the time to study the enemy. There were a lot of five foot tall insect-looking combatants neatly aligned a thousand feet across from us.
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