Naila proved to be an older woman who was currently swathed in bandages, still recovering from the last mission the Vanguard of Valour had been on. Apparently she’d been set on fire by a particularly vicious chimera that had come out of the mountains whilst they’d been dealing with a ‘bilespewer decipede’ nest. Lio introduced her as a firbolg [Patchweaver]. It was hard to tell beneath the bandages that covered the still-healing skin, but there was definitely a cow-like quality to her nose and ears. Or maybe deer-like.
He gave the Vanguard space as Kira and Mira and Lio broke the bad news, inspecting the woman from the other side of the tavern common room from where she sat sewing. Xiaoling perched on the end of a bench next to him, unresponsive as ever.
As he watched, the firbolg woman put down her needle and thread and put her head in her hands. He turned away, cheeks heating at his intrusion on her moment of grief. Instead, he focused on the other things going on around him.
The tavern wasn’t busy but it wasn’t exactly quiet. Over in the corner a hunched figure with four arms drank from one pint after another, setting the empties down with a regular thunk for the serving man to replace. On a table next to him, a dog-headed woman and a pair of dwarves conversed in curt tones as they tore legs off a huge roasted insect on a platter they shared. Half a dozen other patrons sat alone or in pairs.
A cat-like serving woman with orange fur stopped in front of his table.
“Welcome to The Dented Helm. My name’s Clip and I’ll be your server this morning. What can I get for you?”
Wei hesitated as his mouth opened, suddenly aware of how hungry he was. He had a pouch full of coins in his pocket thanks to his scavenging efforts over the past couple of days. Even if Borgrim didn’t buy the axe off him for a while he had enough to pay his way. But the others had suggested taking a room here, and if that came with meals - well, that could always be worked out later, when they weren’t preoccupied with more important things.
“Do you do dumplings or noodles or.. pizza? Maybe a soup for my sister?”
“I don’t know about any ‘peetsa’, but we’ve got dumpling and noodles and soups. What’s your choice for meat - or do you prefer vegetables?”
Wei glanced round the other tables to see what the rest of the diners had been served, then gave up on the unfamiliar dishes and inhaled the scents instead. Some were alien to him, but others…
“Vegetable dumplings please - mushroom and cabbage? For the noodles…do you have duck?”
“Sure honey. Vegetable dumplings, noodles with duck, and duck soup too?”
“Any soup without chunks - something smooth please. My sister isn’t chewing so well at the moment.”
The server’s eyes darted to Xiaoling for a second and her mouth twisted.
“Poor dear. I’ll ask the [Chef] to puree the duck. No bits. I’ll see if we can do a smooth dumpling too.”
Wei bowed his head in thanks.
The server made no note of the order, simple as it was.
“And to drink?”
Wei hesitated. There was no chance that this world had Coca Cola. Was there?
“I’ll… have tea please.”
“Your sister too? Any particular kind?”
“A fruit tea? For both of us?”
“Sure thing. Two fruit teas. I’ll bring you cloudberry. That’s nice and light and cooling for a day like this.”
The cat-woman stalked off, tail swishing behind her and, by the time he looked over, the Vanguard of Valour - the four members in the tavern at least - were ordering lunch of their own.
All their faces were long, but the traces of tears were gone. They were a hard sort, adventuring types. They’d seen their friend run through and fought their way out of an ambush of elemental spirits and held it together for the past two and a half days back to Troston. Naila collared the waitress before she’d reached the kitchen and added to the list in a murmur, gesturing to her three companions.
As the cat-woman went to put in the order with the kitchen, Lio sidled over to his table.
“Hey kid. We’re gonna set up here for the day. Have a little wake for Dorric. Drink to his memory, that sort of thing. His wife predeceased him by a few years and he has no next of kin so we’re the last that will remember him. Would you be able to run a message over to the Adventurer’s Guild here - let them know what we’re doing in case anyone wants to join in?”
“Of course.”
“Thanks kid. Have your lunch first. I’ll talk to the publican and arrange a room for you and your sister for the week. If you’d like, we can make sure Xiaoling is taken care of for the afternoon and you can have a look around the city.”
Wei looked over at his sister. She stared off into nothing, wearing the same blank expression that she’d had ever since she arrived in this world.
“Okay. That sounds good. I can see if anyone is hiring [Wagon Drivers], or see if there’s anywhere to sell what I’ve found.”
“That’s the spirit,” Lio said, forcing a smile, “but make sure you keep one hand on your coin and your eyes out for trouble. Just because you’re in a city and the watch is on patrol doesn’t mean it’s safe.”
The [Mage] clapped him on the shoulder and went back to the rest of the Vanguard as the waitress came out with a jug of fruit tea for Wei and Xiaoling, and two bottles of wine for the Vanguard’s table.
When they arrived, the noodles and dumplings proved to be as good as anything he’d had back home, and the soup was thin enough for him to spoon-feed Xiaoling as he went. The only motion she made was to swallow the soup or the tea when he held it up to her lips.
The Vanguard’s table was steadily filling with plates of spiced meat and roasted vegetables and fresh crusty bread with cheese - and empty glasses of wine and mugs of ale - but just as he was finishing his own meal, Mira wandered over to him.
“Wei. Lio said you were willing to deliver our message to the Adventurer’s Guild?”
When he nodded, she pulled a roll of parchment out of her jacket and handed it to him.
A map. Of Troston.
“We’re here.” She pointed to a section closer to the outer walls than he’d have thought, “and the Guild is over here.” Her finger shifted closer to the centre of the city, and further south. “Lio suggested you have a look round the markets. You want to stick to this area of the city. Avoid the northern and easternmost sections. Also, the closer you are to the centre the more expensive things tend to be, but too far in and you’ll only find the council chambers and the watch’s garrison and the houses of the wealthy. “Now,” she pulled up a chair and sat down, “I know you refused some of this before, but Dorric left his belongings to the Vanguard so it’s up to me to decide what to do with it, and I’m giving you his satchel and four of his potions - two of the weaker healing ones and a pair of calming tonics.”
Before he could interrupt she held up a hand to forestall him and carried on.
“We all have our own gear and we owe you for helping out when we met. The only thing I’m asking for in exchange is your delivery of our message to the guild, and that you keep an eye out for any decent [Alchemists] when you look round the markets. We’ll need to find someone to supply us now that Dorric…”
As she trailed off and her gaze drifted in the direction of the courtyard where the cart with Dorric’s casket waited, Wei got to his feet and bowed at the waist.
“I would be honoured to help Nǚshì Mira. I will notify the Guild about your vigil and seek out the potion maker you require. I will repay all the kindness you have shown me and my sister.”
He flushed and bowed again, and the [Archer] managed a smile.
“Just make sure you keep yourself safe. There might be a man at the guild who can make you an offer for some of the items you’ve picked up - an irathian called Xian’toth. He can be a bit… odd, but he’s honest. Tell him we recommended him to you and he’ll give you a valuation at least.”
—
His sister was being taken to the room Lio had reserved for her just as Wei was leaving, and as he walked out of the courtyard of the tavern and into the street, a great weight lift off of him.
It was almost a guilty relief knowing she was safe in the room; for the first time since they’d arrived he was able to focus on what he was doing without keeping one eye on her. He’d make it up to her - leaving her there - but for now he’d make the most of the opportunity.
To start with though - Troston’s Adventurer’s Guild.
Pushing through the busy streets on foot would have been faster than being on the cart except without the others there to keep him on track, Wei kept getting distracted.
First there was a [Beast Tamer] putting on a show with half a dozen different kinds of creatures performing tricks more complex than any on Earth could have done: dogs catching thrown daggers in their mouths, a bird looping through spinning hoops as they were set on fire, and a bear playing some sort of musical instrument Wei had never seen before. He was selling pets too - specially raised with [Enhanced Stamina] and coming with one free [Learn Command (Advanced)] if his pitch was honest. It was only when Wei saw a pair of urchins slinking around picking pockets that he forced his attention away and moved on.
Scores of smells assaulted his nostrils. Half of them he recognised - meats, herbs, spices. The other half were as alien as the names of the dishes that street vendors called out - Cothoran Ambler steaks and Ipselgen burlcups would have been enticing had he not just finished eating. He didn’t even have the words to describe some of the scents that drifted over from the more exotic food carts. A giant of a man with a [Portable Kitchen] could produce a dish that smelled of - there was no other way to describe it - blue.
“[Arcane Cuisine] and [Infusion of Mana] folks. Try Melron’s Mystical Morsels and walk away with a little bit of magic!”
Wei watched as one couple took their child up with them and came away with pastry cones stuffed with all manner of succulent meats. When the child wolfed his down, his eyes turned orange and began to emit a low light.
There was everything he could imagine. Jewellery that sparkled and shone with an inner glow. [Toughened] ceramic tea sets. A thousand varieties of incense and perfume. Inks for writing and dying and tattoos and spell inscriptions. Scarves made of the feathers of exotic birds and robes made out of enchanted silks. Mugs of beer that were frosted over despite the heat of the day.
It didn’t take long for Wei to get lost in the bustling streets, but a combination of aloof but helpful guards, and what he’d thought was a pub called The Coach House - which actually turned out to be a storage and booking place for people seeking transportation (he made a note of it for work enquiries later) - put him back on the right track. He brushed at the shoulder of his school uniform. The [Cartmaster] there had given it an approving look - one he probably wouldn’t have given if Lio hadn’t washed it the day before with some rather handy elemental magic. He made a note to get another smart outfit for when he went to ask for a job.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Quarter of an hour later he walked into a walled compound that was closer to a castle than what he imagined a guildhouse would be. The illusion wasn’t helped by the crowds of armed and armoured men and women passing into and out of the huge double doors that marked the entrance. Humans, dwarves, beast-people. alati like poor Dorric - although none of them with the aspect of a peacock. A pair of men nine feet tall stomped through with the force of a thunderstorm. A gaggle of scaled people who seemed more lizard than human marched through, half of them clanking in armour and the others with a faint creak of leather or the swish of robes. There was even a…well, he’d seen Percy Jackson… a minotaur?
A steady chatter pervaded the building as he entered: adventuring groups sitting round in chairs and at desks; people over by large wooden boards pointing to notices and discussing amongst themselves; clusters of individuals standing in front of one of the six desks where others in uniform listened intently or took bags and chests and pouches.
He joined the back of one queue and waited as the groups in front of him shuffled forwards.
It didn’t take long for the line to move and for him to come to the front where an uninterested cat-woman glanced up from a large tome and regarded him over the rim of her spectacles.
“Welcome to Troston’s Adventurer’s Guild. How may I help you today?”
She spoke with the tone of someone who regretted their life decisions, but from where Wei stood she was in a nice, safe building surrounded by people who could defend it, and she had a job that presumably paid well enough.
She also probably didn’t have a catatonic sister and likely hadn’t seen her friends torn to shreds in front of her eyes.
But he was only speculating.
Resisting the urge to shudder at the memory, he instead took out the note Mira had given him and, once the receptionist had taken it, took a surreptitious swig from a dwindling calming tonic.
Perhaps not surreptitious enough as a passing dwarf woman gave him a sympathetic wince.
It only took a few moments for the receptionist to read it, then she looked up with more expression on her face, though Wei couldn’t replicate the sorrow she was showing now the tonic had taken effect.
“What terrible news. A lot of us knew him. Do you mind if I make the announcement now?”
Wei shook his head.
“It’s okay. And Mira gave me this for… the bottle? I don’t know what that means.”
He held out four gold coins and the receptionist bowed her head as she took them.
The whole of the main hall they were in gradually came to a halt as the cat-woman stepped away from the desk and approached the rear of the room, in between a pair of staircases that led to a landing on the first floor. Then silence fell as she stopped by a large brass bell that hung there and reached out to tug on the rope that hung down below it.
A sonorous toll resounded round the room, louder than he’d have thought possible. Three times she pulled, and three times it rang out. After the first, faces began to appear at the balcony above, and the light dimmed as people clustered by the main door. More gathered after the second, and by the time the third ended, not even the sounds from outside could be heard in the oppressive stillness. There had to be over two hundred people watching, from a score of species or more.
The tension was palpable, and the receptionist’s voice cracked as she spoke at a normal volume which nevertheless carried clearly to the entire guild.
“It is with regret and sorrow that we announce the passing of Dorric Mosscomb, [Plumefeather Alchemist] and member of the Vanguard of Valour. May his name and deeds live on in the memory of us all. The Vanguard will be honouring his life this evening at The Dented Helm. All are welcome. The Vanguard have also paid for the next refill of the Last Gamble - so drink up.”
And at that she returned to her desk, head bowed. Solemn. No one moved until she’d got back.
When the guild finally began to move again, it was subdued, and the chatter that had pervaded the place when he entered now sounded as though it was taking place underwater. Muted.
The cat-woman let out a sigh as she took her seat again.
“Thank you for relaying the message. Do you require a token to show proof of delivery?”
Wei thought for a second. Did he?
“No. I don’t think so.”
“Was there anything else I could do for you?”
Wei thought again. There was the person the Vanguard had mentioned, but something she’d said had caught his interest.
“If Xian’toth is here, could you point him out to me, but could you also tell me what the Last Gamble is?”
“I can do both right now my dear.” She raised a manicured claw and pointed over to the opposite side of the room near the back where a bar ran along part of the wall. There were people sitting on stools with drinks, but there was a line forming off to the side of it, where a tap seemed to hang from the bottom of a localised column of swirling smoke.
If it hadn’t been for the tonic, Wei would have been surprised to see almost half the people in the guild were joining the line - and not just the ones that looked like adventurers.
“The Last Gamble is a tradition here. There’s a bottle of emberwine hidden under there. The enchantment disguises how much is left. Anyone can take a shot at any time - no charge - but if they finish the bottle they have to replace the whole thing…and it’s not cheap. A lot of people do it before they head out on a dangerous mission - the superstition is that if it doesn’t run out on you, then things will go well. We also tend to do it when someone passes. As to your other question: the man you want is the purple-skinned gentleman near the front, with all the eyes. I daresay he’ll be off to The Dented Helm sooner rather than later, so if you want him I’d go now.”
Wei nodded his thanks and left the desks for the strange man - not too much taller than Wei was, but top-heavy, and possessing thick hair and fingers. But paused as he approached the centre of the room.
From here he could see that what he'd thought might be dreadlocks were actually more like tendrils… and that some of those tendrils seemed to have eyes on the end.
That in itself was unnerving, but no one else in the place seemed bothered by it. What made him pause was the limp way the eyestalks hung down, staring at the floor, and the downcast turn to the irathian’s mouth as he shuffled forward in the line. Even in as strange a species as this, Wei could tell.
He's grieving.
All of a sudden, Wei felt guilty for looking to the Vanguard's friends for profit. They were in mourning as much as he was, for all they didn't show it and the tonics masked it. It felt… wrong. Grubby. To talk about business and money with them at a time like this.
No. This was a huge city and there were other options available to him. He'd find his own deals and give the Vanguard and the others the space they needed to remember their friend.
—
Wei wended through back through the crowds and between stalls and shop fronts again as he perused another one of the markets in Troston. This quarter of the city was one sprawling shopping district but he was beginning to get a feel of the layout.
As he passed through street after street, the sense of wonder and confusion at the marvellous and new slowly diminished, and he found himself able to ignore multicoloured flames shooting out of the hands of a [Magician], or the haunting cry of a lalluburn cub being paraded around by a [Street Entertainer]. The Skills of the various merchants and even some of the other shoppers were still hard to dismiss, but with an effort of willpower he could focus on the task at hand. Disregarding all the unnatural elements, it wasn't much worse to navigate than the Ganzhou Antique Market.
With one hand firmly clamped onto the lid of Dorric’s satchel - he'd seen the children and adults with light fingers - he sought out the kind of [Merchant] or [Trader] he wanted - and an [Alchemist] for the Vanguard. Those were two very different types of people, so when it took him an hour to find one, he mentally began to prepare for a long search to find the other. But the [Travelling Tinker] that his enquiries around the market had eventually led him to was a good start.
The Vanguard of Valour had given him their own loot to sell, as well as his own, and it was an eclectic assortment to say the least. There was actually too much to carry, even with the enchanted satchel, so he'd brought a few samples. A couple of serviceable weapons, some dying powders and cloth - both in bolt form and spooled thread - a handful of gemstones and chunks of metals that Borgrim had helpfully promised to melt down into bars. There were even a few lengths of wood that Mira had identified as worth salvaging.
When the wizened [Tinkerer], who must have been over seventy, examined one of the pieces Wei had given him, he pulled out a pair of spectacles and flicked down increasingly-small sets of lenses over the top to examine the jewel in minute detail.
“Definitely worth a few gold. How many did you say you had again?”
Wei held out both his hands, cupped, displaying the full range.
“Hmm. Yes. This one is just citrine, and these orange ones are carnelian - not worth more than silver - but the rest are good.” He laid them out on the board in front of his wagon and prodded them around into a line until he seemed happy. He glanced up to see Wei’s eyes darting around and his hands gripping tight to his satchel. “Relax, boy. [Tinker’s Ward]. No one'll bother us whilst we do business. Not unless there are any level 50+ [Thieves] around, and if there are there's no use trying to spot them.”
Wei's shoulders relaxed a fraction of a degree.
“Okay. Thanks. I have other bits too - not just jewels.” He started to pull out the rest of his trade goods until the old man waved a hand at him.
“Slow down, boy. What's the rush? You won't slip something past me: [Keen Trader’s Eye]. Let me work at my own pace. You'll get a fair price.”
The tinker took his time, sifting through the wood and dyes and cloth. He tapped the metal with a tiny hammer and listened to the ring, enquiring as to how much more he had. He muttered a dozen Skills as he worked, tossing a couple of bits he found wanting back to Wei, but by the end of his process most of Wei's goods were laid out in front of him. Not the magical items though; Wei had promised Mira to keep them for the Vanguard's consideration first.
With a final tilt of his head, the [Tinker] pushed a longsword and a mace back to him, but kept a pair of daggers and an old bow.
“I don't like to deal in weapons, but these'll sell to [Hunters] and [Trappers]. For everything here I'll give you seventeen gold, four silver and nine copper.”
“How much of that is for the gems?”
That was the one part of the loot Mira had requested he sell on their behalf; the rest of the profit would go to him.
“Fourteen gold, one silver and three copper. Most of the rest is for the bits of silk. If the other metal is the same quality as the stuff you've shown me and you've got it forged into bars I'd take it off your hands for another six gold or so.”
As far as he could tell, it was a good deal, but given what he was expecting to have to pay for his sister's treatment, it wasn't much. He thought of one of his Skills and felt it activate.
“Perhaps we could push it up to twenty-five gold overall, if you're happy with the metal when you collect it of course? My sister isn't well and I'm hoping to get a [Healer] to have a look at her but I'm having to lo-”
“Let me stop you there, boy.” The tinker said, face hardening. “Whether that's a [Sob Story] or [Empathetic Pull] or anything of the like it's not gonna fly here. I'm an [Honest Trader] and you're not going to sway me from good business.”
Wei's cheeks lit up like lamps and he bowed low, almost bending in half at the waist.
“I am very sorry Sir. I will of course accept your valuation.”
The old man’s face softened.
“Hey - I respect the hustle, boy, it just doesn't work on me. Now is there anything you need in return or do you want it all in coin?”
That bore thinking about for a moment.
“I am looking for smart clothes, and an [Alchemist] to approach for a steady supply of potions.”
“Sorry boy. I'm no [Tailor]. I can do basic repairs but that's it. Potion-wise I've got a couple but if you're looking for something long-term you'll do better stopping by the Crucible Court down by the river.”
Taking the man’s [Binding Deal] and receiving the payment, Wei thanked the [Tinker] for his help and watched the man lead his stacked-up cart away, pulled by an old grey goat.
Putting the strangeness of it all behind him, he consulted his map and determined he needed to head further south to reach the river that cut the bottom third of the city off from the northern parts.
As he walked down streets and found the river's edge and followed it along in the direction of the alchemists, he was treated to a whole new set of sights and sounds and smells. Ones he knew well.
Fish and boats.
He'd gone down to the river markets plenty of times with his father before the fishing ban had come in, and since then they'd gone to the fish farms and reservoirs to get a fresh supply for the restaurant. Even if the fish were different shapes and sizes and colours from the ones he was familiar with, the iridescent sheen that played over the market stalls and buckets was reassuringly familiar. He treated himself to a bowl of raw, chilled fish flakes in a deliciously spicy sauce for a couple of copper pennies. It wasn't quite like home, but it was close.
The streets grew quieter as he moved south along the riverbank. The shifting colours remained but they moved from the vendors’ stalls to the river itself, and Wei stopped closer and peered anxiously at the swirling patterns in the water.
I hope they don't fish here…
He resolved to check where his food had come from next time as the trail of colour and sounds of industry led him to the area the [Tinker] had pointed out as the Crucible Court.
Ten or eleven buildings ringed a seemingly-abandoned piazza - it was hard to tell exactly how many with every surface covered by pipes and aqueducts and wheels and conveyance systems that carried everything from barrels and buckets to glowing rocks and balls of what looked like flaming glass.
All of a sudden, Wei was treated to an example of why there were so few people around, as one of the chains to a winch broke, and a shower of white-hot sparks cascaded across the ground mere feet in front of him and, with unnatural speed, ignited a handcart that had been left in the middle of the courtyard.
A second later, two men from different buildings ran out and one - lanky man in a leather apron - began shouting as the other ran for a water trough that sat along one edge of the square.
“Amerella! Fire! Quick or the [Guards] will shut us down for a week. Lorso - the chain’s warping by your ascender; stop it before the nitrates spill or we’ll be replacing melted stone.”
A short woman with patchy hair and burn marks across her face and arms sprinted out of another shop and into the middle of the blaze. She began patting out the flames with her bare hands. Seconds later an inch-deep wash of water flooded across the square and quenched half a dozen smaller blazes that had begun to spread. A person covered with short yellow fur and arms three feet long leaned out of a second-storey window and began to haul in buckets as fast as he could.
“What idiot put sodium fulmenite in a porous container? I’ll have them s-”
“-et me a heatproof blanket, quick! Or Je-”
“Pull it up! Pull it up!”
Wei retreated from the chaos and watched as a score of people vomited forth and began to tackle the blaze, which resisted water and had an odd-coloured hue, for more than a minute.
That was when he decided to return another time.
Hi all! Welcome to my book, Miscast Heroes.
I'm uploading a few chapters to start with and then will upload one a day after.
The full first book is available on Patreon - and I greatly appreciate anyone who chooses to support me there.
Hope you enjoy it - please leave comments below!
