by Aaron Oster
That may have sounded like a lot, but considering he’d been cheated out of 33 electrum, a coin worth 100 gold each, it wasn’t much in comparison. His bag and all his items, including the full set of King Mage’s robes, had been stolen as well, leaving him with only what he had equipped. Getting all that money from the guild would definitely help him restock, perhaps even get a better bag than he’d had before.
Suddenly feeling much better at the thought of all the money and loot waiting for him, Sam stuffed the Spatial Wallet into his pants then pulled up the description on the Overburn spell. He wasn’t about to exit with such a valuable scroll, and learning the spell now would only ensure no one could steal it from him.
Well, it seems simple enough, he thought, opening the scroll to reveal the rows of literal wavy lines, not actual text. A moment later, the scroll disintegrated, and Sam had a new ability.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You have gained a new ability!
Over-Burn: Create an explosion of fire in a targeted area
Level: Novice 1 (0%)
Damage: 25 - 60 (+15 - 24 Burn Damage)
Cost: 150 MP
Range: 10 Ft (AOE)
Cast Time: 3 Seconds
Cooldown: 2 Minutes
“Sweet,” he said, closing the ability description.
You couldn’t really call yourself a Mage until you could hurl around balls of fire. He’d lacked an area of effect spell thus far and from what he could see, this would do some serious damage. The damage seemed to vary wildly, and he had a feeling it had something to do with how close the person was to the center of the blast.
And though it had a pretty long cast time of three seconds, the cooldown wasn’t that bad, considering the spell’s power.
Dismissing the thought, Sam reached for the door handle. He was hungry and eager to go collect his reward and knew that the longer he stuck around here, the longer he’d have to wait to get his hands on that sweet, sweet loot!
2
“Looks like I’m the last one here,” Sam noted as he came downstairs and into the dining room.
Indeed, Emma, Baron Von Tweet, and Gordon were all already seated. Though in the Companions’ cases, it was more liked perched on the back of a chair and lying on the floor.
“Yup. But being fashionably late never hurt anyone,” Emma said, patting the seat next to her.
Sam ignored the invitation, taking the seat across from her instead, earning him a pout. Ignoring that as well, he motioned one of the waiters over, a man with a thin mustache twirled into perfect loops.
“What’s on the menu today?” he asked, noting that no one else had eaten just yet.
“For breakfast this morning, we are serving a light stew made with fish, grober oil, knubble, and fresh mushrooms. This will be served with a side of fresh-baked oatbread and a glass of spring ale.”
More. Fucking. Stew.
“Would you happen to have anything other than stew?” Sam asked, trying his luck.
“We are a classy establishment,” the waiter said, thrusting his nose into the air. “The riffraff out there might try and serve you something else, but you will eat only the finest stew in The Classy.”
Nope. All they serve out there is stew, you prick!
“We’ll have two orders of that,” Emma quickly said, seeing that Sam was about to lose it.
“Very well, madam. And for the animals?”
“Don’t you fucking dare order me anything, you witch!” Baron Von Tweet screeched.
“I shall have a meaty bone if any are available,” Gordon said, perking up.
The waiter didn’t so much as blink at what he would perceive as shrieking and barking. Sam still had no idea why no one other than them could understand the animals, but it was a mystery he could worry about another time. Once Emma gave the order, the waiter spun in place, clicking his overly shined shoes together and marched away.
“What a tool,” Sam muttered, earning him a laugh from Emma and a glare from Gordon.
“Do not patronize others for their impeccable manners and service, Samuel. Simply because you are a crass simian, does not mean that others must behave similarly.”
“Wow. Sound like someone’s got their favorite stick shoved up their ass,” he shot back.
I guess Gordon might still be mad about the flea-biter comment, Sam thought as the dog narrowed his eyes and pointedly rose to go sit next to Emma.
“I don’t understand why you don’t get along with him,” she said, reaching down to scratch beneath Gordon’s chin. “He’s such a good boy, after all. Aren’t you, Gordon?”
Sam snorted as the dog’s eyes went half-lidded, and his tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth. A second later, his tail began thumping on the ground.
“Same reason you can’t stand your bird. The Overlord purposely stuck us with companions we can’t stand.”
“I still don’t get why, though,” Emma said distractedly.
“Because he’s a dick. Duh,” Sam answered.
“Thanks for sticking up for me, pal!” Baron Von Tweet said. “This bitch stuck chilis in my seeds. Who messes with a bird’s food?”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Sam said quickly. “You might be better than the dog, but you’re still a total asshole. I mean, who flies over people and takes dumps on their heads?”
Barry cackled at that, raising his foot and curling three of the toes in, giving them all a very clear message. Before it could devolve into an outright fight, the waiter returned, coming out of the kitchen and perfectly balancing three trays. He managed to do this and walk like a peacock at the same time, strutting forward like a chicken on steroids.
Sam was beginning to wonder whether the man would give himself whiplash before he delivered their orders, but he somehow made it their table without seriously injuring himself.
Maybe he has some sort of skill to be able to walk that way?
“Breakfast is served,” the man said airily, sweeping the food off the trays and arranging the dishes perfectly.
“If there’s anything else you need, simply ring the bell,” he said after he’d placed all the dishes.
Then he once again spun on his heel and half-peacock, half chicken-walked back to the kitchen. Sam debated inspecting the man to see his status, but, in the end, he just decided to eat his stew. He wanted to get this over with and get out of here. The city of Shtut had been nothing but trouble and they had a new quest to take on, defeating the horribly named Borgana the Frayed.
The stew was quite nice, though he wished he could have eaten something a little less meaty or fishy this early in the morning.
A sandwich would really be nice right around now, he thought forlornly as he dipped the bread into his stew.
Though he could have made a makeshift sandwich using the bread and some of the fish, it wasn’t really what he’d been craving.
Maybe I’ll buy some supplies and try my hand at cooking. Can’t be much worse than this crap.
Breakfast was short, and when they were finished eating, he and Emma discussed their plans for the day. They would stop by the guildhall first to claim their rewards. Princess Willow should be staying there as well, and they would be seeing her off as she set out to leave the country. After that, they’d do a bit of shopping, then head out for the capital.
“I wonder what the capital city’s name is,” Emma asked, setting her spoon down.
“Probably something stupid like Easterton or Capi Tal,” Sam replied, already pulling up his map. “Nope, looks like I was wrong,” he said a second later.
“Is it a normal name?”
“Nope. Just guessed wrong the first time,” Sam said, giving her an aggrieved look. “I’ll give you one guess.”
Before she could guess, though, Gordon ruined it by providing the answer.
“The capital of the East Kingdom is called Kamellittle. It is a glorious city ruled by a once-great king. That is why we must free him from the clutches of the evil enchantress!”
> “So, let me get this straight,” Emma said, trying not to laugh. “We need to save King Ahr Thurr Pendrackon, who lives in Kamellittle from an enchantress called Borgana the Frayed?”
“Precisely,” Gordon answered.
“Wonder who else we’ll run into along the way,” Emma muttered, giving Sam a sidelong glance.
“Probably Sir Lance a Little and the Knights of the Oval Stool, or some dumb shit like that,” Sam replied, setting his fork down as well.
“Actually, they are called the…”
“Not interested!”
“Don’t care!”
Both Sam and Emma answered at the same time.
“It seems that today is yell at the dog day. Very well, I shall return the favor in kind!” Gordon huffed.
Before he could say anything else, the kitchen doors opened, and the small dusk gremlin, Class Cee, entered the dining room. He was a small creature with dark purple skin and lemon-yellow hair. He was also the owner and chef of this inn and it seemed he was here to see them off.
“I must thank you once again for freeing up my establishment,” the gremlin said, his accent sounding like that of a classic French chef. “Without your help, I would have remained under that wicked woman’s thumb forever. I have packed something for you to take along, eh?”
He placed a cloth bundle on the table, then leaned down to kiss Emma’s hand.
“No, really, it was a pleasure,” Emma said as the small creature moved around to do the same to Sam.
“Yes, especially the part where I got to kick Quentin in the balls,” Sam said, shaking the gremlin’s hand to avoid the sloppy kiss.
“Yes, it was quite satisfying to give him the boot,” Class Cee said with a chuckle. “He will be spending the next few decades serving prison food instead of my first-class dishes. If you ever find yourselves back in Shtut, do stop by for a meal.”
“We shall indeed, good sir,” Gordon said as they rose from their seats.
“Your manners are impeccable as ever, my good canine,” the gremlin said, tossing Gordon a small treat that the dog snapped out of the air. “If you ever visit the Grempire, look up my old friend, Krank Kee. She’s got a bit of a temper but cooks the finest dishes in all of Somerset.”
Gordon nodded happily, chewing on his treat as they turned to leave. Emma made sure to grab the small bundle, and Sam waved one last time before stepping out into the already busy street.
“People get up way too early in this place,” Sam commented as they set off for the guildhall.
“Tell me about it,” Emma replied. “Back home, you’d be lucky if I was up before eight. It’s strange, though, I don’t feel like I can sleep nearly as much as I used to.”
“It’s because your Constitution is so high, you damn tramp!” Barry squawked at her.
“Such a filthy beaked cretin, you are. Are you not ashamed to call yourself a companion?” Gordon huffed.
“Not at all, you stupid mutt! Everyone else is normal, you’ve just got a stick shoved up your ass!”
“I had no idea that Constitution would affect how much sleep I’d need,” Emma said, ignoring their companions’ bickering.
“Same here. Maybe that’s why I felt so well rested even though Gordon woke me up at the crack of dawn,” Sam mused.
“How high is it now?”
“I raised it to 20 points just before I went to sleep. How about you?”
“I’ve got it at 26,” Emma replied. “Though you are a full three levels higher than me. Did you choose your sub-class?”
“Yes, actually,” Sam answered, before launching into the story of what it was and how he’d gotten it.
“How strange. But, yeah, I can definitely see what you mean. No way that’s a coincidence. Finding such a rare item in a beginner Dungeon just isn’t normal.”
“Kraa!”
They both jumped as Barry dove for Gordon and started pecking at his head.
“You evil, foul-mannered, sorry excuse for a bird! I shall have no mercy!” Gordon barked, swiping at him.
Sam and Emma shared a look, then both sighed and went to break up the fight.
3
They entered the guildhall some fifteen minutes later. Barry was missing a few tailfeathers and Gordon now had a noticeably thinner patch of fur near his nose. Thankfully, Sam and Emma managed to intervene before the injuries got too serious. The companions were both in pretty bad moods and refused to look at one another. That was just fine with Sam, as it meant finally having some peace and quiet for a change.
“It’s oddly empty for this time of day,” Emma commented, noting that the bar only had a single patron. “Looks like they’ve replaced that asshole gnome, though.”
Sam turned, seeing that there was now a man where the gnome had previously sat. His eyelids were drooping, and a stack of papers nearly two feet tall sat before him. It seemed like he was the unfortunate soul tasked with cleaning up the mess caused by Pompayous.
“Hi, we’re here to collect our rewards.”
The man jumped at Sam’s introduction, nearly knocking the stack of papers flying. Only Emma’s quick actions saved the man from having to reorganize the entire thing.
“Ah, yes,” the man said, blinking blearily at them. “You’re the ones who saved the city and stopped the corruption within the guild. I’m the new Guildmaster, in case you couldn’t tell. Name’s Joe, Joe Leaderman.”
“Sam,” he replied, trying not to laugh at the ridiculous name.
“A pleasure,” Joe said, extending his hand to shake his and Emma’s. “If you’ll follow me, your rewards have already been set aside.”
The man rose from his seat, swaying a bit before heading to the back wall and pressing a hidden panel. A section of the wall slid apart to reveal a well-lit staircase leading downward.
“We normally wouldn’t show this to non-guild members,” Joe said as he began down the stairs. “But considering what you did for us, I believe you to be trustworthy enough. Would you like to join the guild, by the way? We offer a good salary, and with your talents, you could move up pretty quickly.”
“Yeah, no,” Sam answered, following the man down the stairs. “We’ve got our own plans, and after how I’ve been treated, I’d rather not be bound to anyone.”
“Didn’t think you would,” Joe said with a sigh. “I had to try, though. We’ve lost a lot of members in that whole mess, and headquarters isn’t happy. Now we’ve got this mess with the princess on top of that…” he sighed, going silent.
“How’s she doing, by the way?” Emma asked. “The princess, I mean. We’re supposed to see her off before we head to the capital.”
Joe looked back at them at that, then shook his head.
“Bad news there, I’m afraid. She’s gone. Some sneaky bastard dragged her off sometime in the night. They even used the guild portal to get her to the capital. We’re still waiting to hear if they managed to nab them there.”
“What? How was she kidnapped? Weren’t you watching her?!”
“You have a portal to the capital?”
Joe looked back at their outburst, then shook his head again.
“Yes, the guild has a series of portals connecting our guild halls. Using them as a means of transportation is one of the main draws of joining up in the first place. And yes, we were watching her. Sneaky bastard killed two of our members and absconded with her. Why else do you think no one’s here? They all left for the capital to try and chase them down. But enough of that. That’s guild business and you’re only here to collect your rewards, and here we are.”
Joe stopped at the bottom of the stairs and opened a massive safe door by pressing his palms on two handprint indentations. There was a flash of blue light, and the door swung open without a sound.
“It sounds as though this will cause a great deal of harm to the kingdom,” Gordon commented as they followed the man in. “Without a king or princess to oppose her, Borgana the Frayed shall gain tremendous power.”
“I s
mell another quest,” Sam muttered.
“Do you think we’ll have to join the guild first?” Emma whispered back.
“Guess we’ll have to wait and see. He said that she was taken last night, which means that they likely have no chance of catching her. Whoever went after her should be returning soon.”
“And here we are,” Joe said, interrupting the conversation.
Sam looked around and tried not to gape at the literal hordes of riches surrounding them. Chests were stuffed high with gleaming coins, suits of armor lined the walls, and weapons of all shapes and sizes were contained in glass cases. This truly was a massive amount of wealth, and he wanted it all. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that trying to steal all this stuff wouldn’t go well for him. So, he instead focused on the glass display case which Joe was opening.
“You know,” Joe said as he pulled several items from the case and began setting them out on a table. “If you join the guild, you could have access to weapons and armor like this for all your missions. You would get to fight the most powerful monsters and get access to the loot as well.”
Though he was tempted, Sam once again had to decline.
“We’ve got our own plans, and besides, I don’t really like taking orders from others.”
“Suit yourself,” Joe said as he placed a small clinking bag on the table. “These are all for you, Sam. Now, Emma, if you will follow me, I will show you to your earned items.”
Emma gave Sam a small wave before following the man deeper into the massive vault, leaving him to look over all the items displayed before him.
ITEMS FOUND!
Name: Robe of the Monster Mage
Durability: 170/170
Rarity: Legendary
Quality: Enhanced
Armor: +15
Effect: +10% Increased damage when attacking monsters
Name: Trousers of the Monster Mage
Durability: 140/140
Rarity: Legendary
Quality: Enhanced
