After breakfast, they needed to stop by a vendor to resupply. Reina led them across the busy street to Cork’s armor and wares. Rook stared at his current set of mismatched armor in the inventory and puffed a breath out. “I need some better protection if I’m gonna survive.” He chuckled as he passed by a full-length mirror, inspecting the used scalemail from the day prior. My grandpa would have another heart attack if he saw this.

  He browsed the lined shelves in the shop while the hulking man, Cork, stood eyeing him suspiciously. He came across a set of gray-scaled armor. Scales of some beast were interwoven to create a flexible and lightweight cuirass. The caption below the armor said it protected against slashing and piercing. “Might as well take the set.” He placed the scaled armor, bracers, shoulders, and shin guards on the countertop.

  “You’re going to buy my scalemail? It’s ninety silver.” Cork’s voice came, gruff and in disbelief.

  “Yeah, is that a problem?,” Rook responded. “If you want me to take my money elsewhere, I can.”

  “Please. I meant no disrespect,” Cork began. “Just, it’s not often someone can afford an expensive set like that. Are you an adventurer?”

  “Something like that,” Rook replied, before walking away to find Reina. More like it looked good and I don’t wanna die.

  He found her by a wall of vials made of crystal and some glass. At the bottom shelves, the vials bubbled, and one even looked alive with slime. Other vials sparkled as if glitter was mixed in. Rook leaned in towards Reina. “What are they all?”

  “Potions to increase stats, potions of luck, and even a few waterbreathing ones.”

  Rook regarded her to see if she was telling a joke, but the enhancer went back to staring at the vials. Her grimy, traveling clothes needed an upgrade, he thought.

  “Get another set of armor. I have the money, and I can’t have my guide in Ollar to die.”

  She frowned at him. “Hmm, here I thought we were friends.” She crossed her arms. “Know what? Good, I hope you’re ready to spend some coin,” she said, excitedly trotting over towards an expensive-looking set of black and gold duelist garb on a display mannequin.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it, I just don’t want you to die.” He took another look at the garb. Well, that. Looks…exquisite.”

  “Good on ya, lad. I’d do the same thing if I were in your shoes,” Jody remarked.

  “I hope so, the set is one hundred sixty silver,” she responded, with less fire than she tried to exude. “If you hold true to your word, that is, I’d like this set.”

  “Sure, I guess.” Rook opened his inventory, pleased that he had over forty gold.

  “Good backpedal,” Erik said with a wink. “By the way, we should get some explosive oils, just in case.” He pointed at a corner of the neat shop, where three barrels were stacked, marked with a symbol of an ale mug with an x across it.

  “Bold request, boy,” Jody said, narrowing his eyes on Erik. “Wanting to spend someone else’s money on your quest.” Jody faced Rook and Reina. “What do you both think about it?”

  Rook felt like this was another test. On one hand, personally, he didn’t mind throwing the gold towards supplies in the sake of questing. On the other hand, Jody was right. But in the end, he relented.

  “I’m good with it if you are,” he said to Reina, to which she nodded.

  “How much for the armor sets and some explosive oil?” He asked Cork, the shopkeeper.

  “All in all, it’s gonna be.” He looked into the air and chewed on his tongue. “Three hundred silver. Depending on how much oil you want, of course.”

  “That’s kind of steep, don’t you think?”

  “You’ll find no better prices than at Cork’s. My wife makes the oil herself, and it’s guaranteed to blow the balls right off a stone golem.” He crossed his large scarred arms across his chest and squinted. “Now, two skins full or three?” He asked.

  Jody walked up towards the countertop and slapped a meaty hand on top, with a thud.

  “Y-yes, Sentinel? I didn’t mean to offend you.” Cork actively tried to backpedal his forward speaking before.

  “We’ll take three, Cork, and I’ll give you three hundred silver for everything, including four health potions. Not a copper more, I know that old Mildred just buys the oil in bulk,” Jody said, narrowing his eyes.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Alright,” he said with a chuckle. “Deal.”

  After placing everything into his inventory, he equipped the new armor, stood in front of the same floor-length mirror, and whistled at his reflection. “I look awesome.” He couldn’t help but put a gleeful smile on his face.

  “You both look ready to help me kill some goblins.” Erik walked next to Rook and gave him a nod of approval.

  “You hear that?” Rook asked, turning to see Reina. He blinked with brain-dead levels of stupidity. The duelist garb hugged her figure in the perfect mix of Catwoman-like appearance and protection. “You can move well?” Rook shook his head. “Can you move well?” He asked again, kicking himself for the brain fart.

  She broke into a fit of shrill laughter. “Yes, I can move well. It’s lightweight and beautiful,” she said, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Erik cleared his throat, standing with the door cracked. “Ready?”

  “Yeah, let’s go.”

  Reina led them towards the western gate, Ollar. “Where’s this place anyway?”

  “The temple of the All Power is almost a day, eighteen hours from here by foot,” Erik replied, tapping his belt as he walked.

  “I never asked, what class are you?” Rook asked, stepping over a small pothole in the cobble.

  “A spirit summoner,” Erik responded with a smug look.

  “I’m guessing that’s good.”

  “A spirit summoner makes pacts with otherworldly beasts and can summon them at great drain to their mana, that is, until they become silver-ranked or so,” Reina said.

  “We initiates of the All Power get the passive skill worship the old gods, buffing my mana.”

  The armor swished as Rook walked and shifted, making a sound that itched his brain in the right place, making him smile to himself.

  “Happy?” Reina’s smiling face met his gaze.

  “Yeah, I can’t help but feel guilty. I feel like a new man. I used to trudge around in worn boots and old army uniforms.” He shook his head. Years of mucking around in the grime like a grunt. “There’s so many people out there without the means to find food for dinner, let alone a place to stay.” His mind flashed to Gretchen and her children. “I wouldn’t ever be able to afford this on my old salary.”

  “Makes sense with the increase.” She stopped herself short and glared at Erik.

  “Did I miss something?” He asked, craning his head.

  They continued down the path towards the gate.

  “Run, it’s the guard!” A child screamed out in the middle of their path, nearly scaring the shit out of Rook. The little kid ran from down an alley, carrying a sack in his arms. Rook watched as several apples spilled behind the fleeing child. “Well, it won’t take long to find him, not with a trail.”

  “What the hell!?” Erik yelled, holding his arm up in front of him like he was holding an invisible shield.

  Jody gave him an amused and knowing smile. Strange. Erik, placed his arm back down and took a deep breath. Two guardsmen ran after the boy moments later, following the trail of apples. Their armor chinked as they followed down the cobble. He focused on the guards, until their footsteps faded.

  That out of the way, they walked, each step on the cobbled streets was another chance for Rook to look into the shops on his right and left. He found himself caught in between the throng of people parting around him, moving through their day. Situational awareness. If the Army taught him one thing, it was to be aware of your surroundings, and in a city like Ollar, it was tough not to gawk around like a fool. Before long, the interwoven black steel gates of Ollar’s West gate came into focus, just past the city guard shacks.

  “Ah, Sentinel Iron Jody,” A guard said, saluting from behind the dark iron visor of his armor, typical of his duty.

  Jody saluted back. “Ufrith, you lazy dog. Come try out for the Sentinels, every week there are the candidate meetings.”

  “You know I enjoy my freedom too much for that,” the guard answered.

  Jody chuckled, stepping aside for a group of adventuring types to walk past. They eyed him with gazes mixed with fear and awe. He waved at them with a friendly smile.

  “You’re all dressed to kill.” Ulfrith leaned on his polearm to get a closer look at Rook.

  “We’re off on a quest,” Reina responded, with a smile.

  “Well, alright, you best be careful. Lot of evil popping up these days.” He turned towards the guard shack and nodded. “Tell the good councilman, Ufrith says hello. Oh, and if you need to take a carriage, the drivers are back.”

  The gates opened a cautious distance, allowing just enough space for them to squeeze out. The gates shut behind as Rook exited, he turned to scowl at the man in the tower, but his friendly smile and enthusiastic wave, simmered his anger immediately. Hard to be mad at someone like that. Outside the gate was a stable with two brown quarter horses. Next to the small house, a horse and buggy idled.

  “Hey folks,” the driver said with a wave. “Need transportation?”

  “Thank God,” Rook muttered. “Yes, good man,” he called out.

  “Hop in the back, I can take you,” the driver continued, scratching at a few days growth on his chin.

  “Well, things are looking up,” Reina whispered.

  For the first time, Rook saw Jody struggle with something. The stairs were a bit too high up off the ground, so he reached down and assisted the Sergeant up.

  “Nothing’s dwarf friendly,” Jody said, with a laugh. “Least outside of Kazinmar, We have boars and bears pulling us along, opposed to these beasts.” He pointed at the horses.

  They sat on the makeshift benches, built into the wooden frame. The golden wheat lined the wagon road on either side of their path, was a beautiful sight. Rook stared at the rolling hills that made way to the precipice of a thick green line. Squinting, he could make out the brown bodies of the outer trees. The forest. He pulled a small stone off the floor with his Attramancy and sent it into the side of the road. The rock collided with the wheat, cutting a path.

  Reina shot him a glance. “You know, there’s such a thing as not messing with every random object you come across.”

  As if on cue, Erik threw a different rock before shooting her a sheepish glance. “We should be safe on this route until we reach the Mogglewoods.” He stared towards the sun, might as well make the journey pleasant.”

  “You’re off to the Mogglewoods?” The driver asked with a slight tremble. “I can’t take you that far.”

  “As far as you can is fine,” Reina said, shuffling her feet on the wooden planks. “Glad I got these,” she said smiling at Rook.

  Rook thought of the trek back and shuddered. “Thank everything, for good boots.” Rook let out a contented sigh, wiggling his feet. Well, that, and the fact that I have an invisible storage space. By his estimate, they traveled at least ten miles in the hours that had passed. He admired the reflection of sunlight on the rolling green expanse in the lazy sun. The environment had long changed from the wheat fields.

  It wasn’t long before they happened upon the skeletal remains of a town. The horse whinnied and pinned its ears. “I can’t take you any further,” the driver said, giving them the get out of my wagon look.

  After paying the man, the group hopped out onto the soft earth.

  Rook gazed around the wasted village, his heart skipping a beat. “Why?” Rook’s voice barely came out as a whisper.