Manifest

by Cody Whitfill

  “I will take four silver for the gem, not a copper less.”

  “Deal!”

  CRAP! If she was so ready to accept four silver, the gem must have been worth much more than that. Live and learn, he thought dryly.

  She pulled a set of scales from underneath the table and began weighing brain matter with gross efficiency. She would pick up a handful, squeeze any excess juice out and gently place what was left onto the scale. She began humming to herself as she worked, clearly happy at the deal they had struck. Gitch was not so pleased. Not only did he feel gypped, but he also had to pay close attention to the disgusting process so he wasn’t taken advantage of further.

  He stood with arms crossed, waiting not so patiently for the vendor to tell him how much she would be paying for his hard-earned loot. It took longer than Gitch thought necessary, but she finally dropped the last glob of meat back onto the table.

  “This here equates to 1 silver and 48 copper coins. I guess that brings the total to-”

  “WAIT! That little pile was worth nearly a silver and a half?!” he exclaimed, not really looking for an answer. He was too busy digging out the rest of the brain matter from the inside of his pouch and slapping it on the table. His inebriated self-had been over-zealous in his attempts at clawing away the ‘gloop fruit’ from the inside of the adult spider‘s brain. He knew he had grabbed many handfuls before the time expired, but he hadn’t realized just how much he had snatched until now due to the extraordinary capabilities of his magic sack.

  There was a small mountain growing on the table between the vendor and Gitch. He was pleased to see her smirk replaced with a look of horror. Not at the disgusting slop in front of her, but at the realization of the deal she had made. It took him all of two minutes to empty his bag of brain. His hands were completely filthy afterward, but he didn’t care. He simply looked at the fairy‘s grief-stricken face and said innocently, “Would you kindly weigh this for me as well?”

  It took her the better part of twenty minutes, but all told the brain matter netted him an additional 8 silver and 36 copper pieces, bringing his total to over 14 silver. Not a bad haul at all!

  Through gritted teeth she handed over the whistle (which he had very nearly forgotten about in his excitement) along with his new shiny coins.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Barter

  The unprepared adventurer is a dead adventurer. Haggle, flirt, intimidate, persuade, and cheat your way to a better deal. Shop and stock your way to the top!

  +2% better shop prices

  Congratulations! Barter has increased to level 2!

  +4% better shop prices

  Congratulations! Barter has increased to level 3!

  +6% better shop prices

  Feeling much better about his fiscal condition, he thanked the fairy and looped the magic nut-bling around his neck. The acorn was cool against his pink skin, but not uncomfortable. It was nice having a constant reminder of its presence. It would be awfully sucky to die while forgetting help was only a blow away!

  As he walked amongst the stalls, he pondered his new skill. In his previous life, he could absolutely be described as frugal. Tommy had a more colorful name for it, but it amounted to the same. Saving money had come naturally to him. It had to, given their status as orphans and surviving off one lousy income. It was nice in a way that the game was recognizing his actions and rewarding him accordingly.

  He gave most of the vendors in the next row just a passing glance. He was looking for some sort of fairy armor and shoes. Man, he a pair of shoes! Even sandals would work, but there was nothing. Not one stall sold shoes. In fact, he hadn’t seen a single fairy wearing shoes since he arrived. Those poor souls, he thought with a snort. Yeah, he was as punny as they came.

  Though there were no shoes to be found, he found an ‘armorer’ in the last row. Gitch almost bypassed him altogether. There were no chainmail shirts or iron gauntlets. There weren’t even any leather pieces! The only indication the fairy was an armorer at all was a small, crude sign that held a picture of a wooden shield. The shield itself was hanging off a rack behind the left-handed vendor. Gitch could tell he was left handed by the way he was petting a small skunk that sat next to him. Also, his right arm was missing at the elbow.

  “Hiya Brother. Care to live another day?” the tawny fairy asked cheerfully.

  “That’s the plan at least. You able to help with that I gather?” he asked back with a smile.

  “You bet your right arm I can!” he said with a laugh. “What are you looking for?”

  “I don’t really know. What do fairies wear to battle even? I don’t see you selling any metal armor, so what is it?”

  “Ahh, you’re an alien, aren’t you?” He waited for Gitch to nod his head before continuing. “Well, you should know that there is no way you can fly or fight, while carrying such as iron or steel. This is just not our way.”

  Gitch merely shrugged. “And leather? Wouldn’t that be light enough?”

  The fairy gasped loudly and widened his eyes. He tried to cover the skunk‘s ears, but was having great difficulty. His animal friend, who happened to be standing on its hind legs, looked down at Gitch. Not in anger, but in utter horror.

  “Y-you would wear my skin, or that of my sisters?” it asked with saddened eyes that drooped toward the ground.

  “No! No, of course... I would never… only evil monsters… would I even consider...” he sputtered, trying and failing to backtrack. He really hadn’t considered the source of leather to begin with. Think like a fairy, Gitch! Come on! He reprimanded himself.

  “Don’t worry, Roma. I am sure he just misspoke is all. You are perfectly safe here with me!” he said soothingly as he scratched her belly.

  “I-if you say so, Dego,” the skunk said in the sweetest, most innocent voice Gitch had ever heard. “I just don’t want to be skinned and boiled, if it’s a-all the same to y-you, mister fairy sir.” She directed her big, beautiful skunky eyes toward Gitch. He thought he saw the beginnings of a tear form at the corner of her eye.

  “Of course not! I am sure you and yours are perfectly safe within this village. I simply misspoke earlier, I apologize,” he said sincerely. He wasn’t off to a very good start when it came to potential negotiations, but his fairy senses were really doing a number on his heart strings. He genuinely wanted this little forest critter to not be sad anymore, and Dufflin forbid, actually cry! That might just break his heart and send him to respawn! Thankfully, it was not to be.

  “It is okay, m-mister fairy sir. F-friends?” she asked hopefully. She began bobbing her head up and down, probably trying to convince him to say yes. She needn’t have bothered.

  “Of course! I am pleased to call you friend!” he said happily, both arms outstretched. The stuttering skunk ran over to him and gave him a tiny lick on the cheek. Her owner/friend/co-worker was still behind the counter, smiling at the both of them.

  “I am glad you two have made up. Now, back to your question. I may not sell the typical armor found in the larger towns, but I can assure you that these items can still be quite invaluable when it comes to protecting your own skin!” the armorer boasted proudly.

  “Oh, I‘m sure you will assign a value to it,” Gitch mumbled under his breath as he left Roma to go look at Dego’s wares.

  Gitch ended up buying two arm bands, a new pair of pants, a ragged shirt, and a cowl to protect his neck. They were all made of the same woolen cloth and thick leaves which had been dyed silver to match the trunks of the many trees of this forest. He didn’t think they would offer any significant protection, but was probably better than nothing and they did look pretty snazzy. He received all these items for the low, low price of 14 silver. He tried his best to haggle, but the fairy was having none of it. Gitch thought it might have something to do with indirectly threatening to skin and wear his furry friend.

  Thankfully, it was Roma the skunk who came to his aid. She bent down to whisper in Dego’s ear and then looked at h
im with those eyes of hers that were impossible to say no to. The vendor sighed and ended up throwing in a type of harness that fit snugly between his wings. He explained that many of their warriors wore such devices, and it allowed them to store their tridents when not in use while also allowing for quick access if the need arose.

  “Now, I assume you have not yet received the cloth armor skill?”

  Gitch nodded hopefully. “Yeah, that’s right.”

  “Not a problem! Not a problem! I would be happy to teach you! Simply stick out your palm and close your eyes,” Dego said gleefully.

  Just like when he learned his Last Rite spell, Gitch thought with a smile. He did as instructed and waited for the sudden fulfillment of knowledge and power. Instead, he heard the whooshing of air, followed by a sudden THWACK.

  “FRIIIIICK!” Gitch 1yelped. He jumped back and opened his eyes to a sight of a beaming Dego, a teary-eyed Roma, and a new system notification.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Cloth Armor

  Some may look down on your use of armor, but it’s better than the alternative!

  +2% effectiveness of cloth armor

  Gitch thanked them both but mostly the skunk. He walked away, rubbing his raw left hand, but still excited for his new additions. Not only had he gained a new skill and ‘armor’, but he had a new holster for his trident! He was getting really tired of holding his weapon or setting it aside to have the use of both his hands. He had gotten so fed up with it that he put the trident in his pouch just that morning. He didn’t think there was a need for it in Fae-thil, but he still worried about it being out of reach if he needed it in a jiffy.

  The vendor fairy showed him how to strap it on in a way that would not interfere with his flying. Once secured, Gitch pulled out his weapon and slid it into the ‘sheath‘ on his back. To his great relief, he could barely notice the added weight and had no trouble keeping his balance! He hurriedly donned the rest of his gear and thanked them both again before departing. He hadn’t increased his bartering skill any more, and might have been slightly robbed, but he was still pleased at receiving his new armor and the weapon harness. Pulling up his stats, he saw that his armor bonus increased from 0 to +! Gitch had nothing to compare it to and might very well be just as wimpy as before, but progress was progress!

  Chapter 20

  Gitch lightly flapped down the winding path until he came to a cluster of buildings on his left. The buildings on either end were made of large multi-colored leaves strewn together. These were both one-story, and though beautiful, appeared as little more than simple fairy dwellings. The central building was what really captured his attention.

  It was a huge, like Lincoln Memorial huge. The three-story structure was made of an opaque glass or crystal, making it impossible to see through to the inside. Similar to the arch he had seen the night before, there were carvings of fairies etched into the surface that gave off a light glow. There were no windows and the only visible means of entry was through the lone green door set in the middle of the ground floor.

  This was also the only building Gitch had seen with guards stationed out front. A fairy stood on either side of the door and another two patrolled the building’s flat roof. They looked wary, constantly scanning the parcel of land in front of them for possible threats. If there was a more secure building in this little fairy town, he had not yet seen it.

  He wasn’t planning on investigating every building in town, but this one seemed especially noteworthy. The description above the door simply read ‘Hall of Necessities’. This was not especially helpful, but it seemed like something he shouldn’t pass up.

  The two fairies at the door kept a careful eye on him as he approached. When he came within 10 feet, the blue fairy on the right lowered his trident and cried, “Halt! State your business for entering The Hall!”

  Gitch had no idea. He didn’t even know enough about what was inside to give a convincing lie. He was just flat out curious, and curiosity might just kill the fairy.

  “I ehh... I don’t… I was just-” Gitch stammered. The second fairy drew his weapon and slowly flew towards him. He had a grim expression on his face and pulled his trident back threateningly. Gitch started backing away and cursing himself (without actually cursing) for his stupid luck stat. Come on Lily!

  The second fairy caught up to him in a flash. He wore a hardened frown and was directing all his attention on Gitch. He let out a bellowing cry and rushed him, trident fully outstretched. Gitch didn’t even try and dodge, what was the point? These were well trained guards. Instead, he lifted his face up, fully exposing his throat. He prayed for a swift death. He had died twice already. One was instantaneous, the other not so much. If he had a vote, he would choose the instantaneous version.

  At the last instant the guard pulled up. He landed next to him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You have a pair of gemstobbers on you after all! Still, I wish you would have run or at least pissed yourself. You just cost me a silver!”

  “Wait! You friggin bet on me pissing myself? What the f-what the funky chicken stones, dude?” He caught himself just in time. He didn’t need any further reductions in experience for the day.

  “Hey, nothing personal big guy. We just know an alien when we see one. You lot always stand and gawk at this building. My partner and I bet on who are the wimps among you. I prefer to bet on wimps. I‘m a silver richer if I win. If I lose, it means Fae-thil has gained a courageous, and maybe even competent, ally. Either way, I feel pretty good about the outcome,” the fairy said as he puffed out his chest in pride. Gitch had to admit the logic was sound. Still…

  “What’s your name?” he asked the guard.

  “I am Bael! What might you be called?”

  “Bael, go choke on a rotten kitty litter sandwich. I hope it’s unscented.” He walked passed the shocked fairy and up to the other guard who had stayed behind to man his post. The fairy had been following the exchange and smiled broadly at Gitch.

  “You aren’t about to stop me from entering, are you?” he asked the guard who had won the bet.

  “Nope, please feel free to enter at will. I would suggest talking with Lisha inside. She can answer any questions you might have,” he replied eagerly. This guy was being mighty helpful. Gitch wondered if his excitement was due to winning the bet or his partner being knocked down a peg. Either way, it was working well for him.

  He stepped through the door and into a large entry hall. A crystalized double staircase ran the length of the west wall. One set led down to the basement, while the other led to the upper floor. A hallway continued on passed the stairs and lead to the back of the building, where it came to a ‘T’ intersection. An armed fairy guard stood at attention underneath a small sign. Gitch couldn’t quite make out the lettering, but beneath the two words was an arrow pointing in either direction.

  Directly opposite the stairs was a small see-through room, which was little bigger than a linen closet. Inside, sat an orange fairy that was reading over a sheet of paper. This fairy was different than the others he had seen. Her face was a myriad of wrinkles and sagging skin. Her thin hair hung loose behind her ears and when she smiled, he could see most of her teeth were missing. The queen had looked rather young in comparison, and she had been several hundred years old. This fairy must have been ancient!

  The name plate on the small desk read ‘Lisha‘, and Gitch assumed she must be some sort of administrative assistant. He was going to be a bit bummed if this turned out to be an office building for the white-collar fairy types. No matter what world you lived in, there was always a need for accountants. TPS reports wouldn’t run themselves, and staplers would always go missing. Did they even have staplers here? He didn’t really want to find out.

  Trusting the winning guard outside, he walked up to Lisha. There was no window, or visible door. He wasn’t sure if she would even be able to hear him, but he spoke anyway.

  “Hello, Lisha. I am new to the village. Could you tell me what this bui
lding is?” he spoke loudly, in part because of the glass barrier, but he also assumed she might be hard of hearing.

  “Well hidey ho there, Pinkerbell. This here is the Hall of Necessities, but these days most just call it The Hall. Need to confess your sins? We have a Dufflin priest down the way. Steal from the market? There is a world-class dungeon in the back. We also have several conference rooms that come with absolute top-notch security. These are typically reserved for the higher-ups, but I did see an imp pass by earlier. No need to worry though! He was marked by the queen herself! He may be an ugly git, but he should be of use to the cause!”

  So Kraznik was here somewhere. Well that was something. At least now he knew where the imp and Takaar had gone this morning.

  He was feeling a little bummed. So far, this place was not worth the effort of admission. “Okay, thanks. I guess if that’s it then I will probably just be going,” he said as he turned to leave.

  “That’s it? Oh honey, you’re a hoot. That‘s just the main floor! The post, bank, and porter offices are down those stairs. Seeing as you’re a full-fledged kinsman, you are free to head down if you wish. The second floor holds the questing lounge, and the third floor is made up of the barber and public baths.

  “Wait, you’re telling me that you have prisoners, a bank, and a bunch of naked people all in one building?! A single raid could wreck some major havoc! What if the prisoners escaped or a rogue breaks in?” Gitch asked incredulously.

  “Did I tell you how to hitch your trousers up this morning? How to walk? Fly?” She looked at him sternly. “NO! So, I would appreciate your butting out ifin ya please! This building is the most secure building in all the wood. Nothing gets in or out without my knowledge. There is more security than you realize, young fairy. The guards you see? These are just the decoys. Enough to deter the petty criminals, but we are much better defended than what you give us credit for.” She gazed behind him and gave a slight nod.

  He instantly felt a hand grip both shoulders as he was spun around. Four gruff looking grey fairies were standing directly in front of him. Their grim countenance was striking.