“Ten Willpower, to control it. Then, it needs charging every two weeks, one million soul gem charge points, or ten mil Mana points for two weeks of being active.”
“Honestly, I would. Sure, that two weeks will probably go down if you are fighting. That said, we’ve got all of these runes that are training up our Willpower constantly, so it’s not hard to think that we’ll be able to support him if need be. Then, I can also enchant his blade with soul trap. He kills things, he gets charged. Shard, do you have a base stat sheet?” Dave glanced at Shard.
“Certainly. Sorry for not bringing it up before. I have started sending out the fifth round of scouts and the first have come back from their different areas.”
A screen appeared in front of Suzy.
Name -
Class: Warrior
Vitality: Level 3
Armor: 3,000/3,000
Endurance: Level 2 (0/14 days)
Mana Barrier: 0/1,200
Aleph Server: 10/10
Strength: Level 5
Agility: Level 1
Left Arm: Standard attachment
Right Arm: Standard attachment
Left Leg: Upgraded soul gem capacity. Standard function.
Right Leg: Upgraded soul gem capacity. Standard function.
Skills: Armor repair, mental link, Behemoth Guardian program, Mana barrier
Charge: 0/1,000,000 Mana points
Owner: Unclaimed
Race: Aleph Guardian (Experimental)
“Why are the arms and legs displayed separately?” Suzy asked.
“Because they can be upgraded,” Shard said.
“I could give him my lightning ball of shocking!” Dave said.
“You still need to work on your naming skills.” Induca looked to Deia, who just shrugged, defeated in trying to get him to not give everything a ridiculous name.
“Wow, okay, damn,” Suzy said, just starting to see the possibilities of the behemoth. No wonder it is the only thing I got other than the sub-commander status. “All right, well, it would be rude to refuse.” She smiled.
“I think it might be best if you go and get some rest before trying this all out. We’re all tired from being down here. Getting a night’s rest and being there for when the rest of the Stone Raiders arrive would be a good idea,” Anna said.
“Agreed,” Dave said. “If you want this dude under your command, then I can think of a few ways to get him in much better shape for the coming fights.”
“So, you and Anna will stay here while we go back to SC?” Deia asked.
“Yeah, we’ll get a lot done on this thing so it’s ready for Suzy to take it over. You guys can give us your supplies so we have enough food. Complete that adventurer’s quest and meet up with the rest of the Stone Raiders. You can let them know what we’re dealing with as Shard sends you information by private messages. When you get back, we should have a handle on this big beastie. Suzy takes control and we then go clear out the rest of the Aleph areas,” Dave said.
“Okay,” Deia said. “You sure?” She looked to Anna and Dave.
“I need Dave to alter this rune core some so that it isn’t all over the place when Suzy uses it. They also have showers here, instead of baths.” Anna smiled.
“When you get back, Suzy might be the most powerful fighter we have when she’s controlling this guy and her constructs.” Dave tapped the behemoth.
“I would also like to stay to access the libraries and learn more about the Aleph,” Malsour said.
“Sweet! Get some reading done!”
Suzy wanted to get it over with now, but she understood what Anna and Dave were saying.
“Well then, I guess we should start heading back. Also, Suzy will probably need to talk to the Exdar’s Traders. We’ve put off talking to them for a while now,” Deia said.
“I hope we get some good gold from all those kills. Damn meal is going to cost a pretty penny this time,” Suzy complained.
“Remember to meditate and clear your mind, to be at ease when you return.” Anna waved her finger at Suzy, giving her a severe look. “I will be messaging and checking in on you. This is one hell of a powerful creation to control.”
“Yes, Mom,” Suzy said in mock indignation.
Chapter 12: Progress
The trip back from the Aleph substation had been rather easy. The kobolds that were hiding in the bottom of the substation had sent out some groups that were now protecting the different areas. They weren’t expecting them to come from behind as Deia and Suzy’s metal creations stealthily killed them, taking anything of value and continuing on. Their packs carried various rare gems that Shard didn’t need in order to operate Alephir. However, brandishing around such high quality goods would raise suspicious and result in questions they didn’t want to answer just yet.
Suzy had a rough estimate of the wealth that they had gathered, but she wasn’t willing to estimate it. If she was right, it was a lot more than any other character had ever reported, even the trading guilds.
“We thought you had been eaten by the forest with how long you were gone. What happened with the rest of your party?” the clerk at the adventurer desk asked.
“They went on ahead to look for more hunting grounds. We found some interesting creatures out there,” Deia said.
“Well, we are in need of more people clearing out the area near the swamp. The traders’ guild has been holding an open contract on that area.” The man scratched his beard.
“Well, if you want to make some real gold and go dungeon diving, let us know. We know how to treat a group of good ladies like yourselves,” a Player who had been nearby and overheard their conversation said.
“We’re good, thanks,” Suzy said.
“Kill logs.” The clerk held out his hand.
“Oh, don’t be that way, babe. We’re the best dungeon clearers in this town. Got a gold rating with the adventurer’s guild, even thinking of starting our own Players guild!” the talker, a necromancer by his robes, said.
“Fucking hell.” The clerk paled and scratched his head at the kill logs Deia had handed over. “You’re telling me that there were this many high-leveled kobolds out there? How the hell did you kill them all?”
“Well, there is a reason that we were away for so long,” Deia said, trying to minimize the attention. Others were now listening in.
“Kobolds? Where’d you find them?” the necro asked.
“In some caves.” Induca looked at him as if he were dumb.
“I know that much, but where?”
This guy is not giving up.
“Here’s a waypoint. They’re all dead now and probably gone.” Deia sent him a waypoint to a cave system she and Anna had cleared out on the opposite side of town.
“Huh, well, let me know if you want to pair up or ever get a drink,” the necro said, smiling before he left. His party finished off their drinks and followed after him.
“Come with me. I need to take you to the chapter head. This is the kind of threat that we will need to pass on to the city guard.” The clerk waved for them to join him. They followed him through a backroom and to a guarded door.
The guard knocked on the door for them.
“Come in,” the bored reply came.
The guard opened the door as the four, including the clerk, walked into the room.
“Chapter head, while these Players were off adventuring, they came across a group of high-leveled kobold. They killed them, but I thought you might be interested in talking to them,” the clerk said.
“Where were the kobold located?” A heavyset man with a tanned complexion and black hair going salt-and-pepper sat in a chair—a thin blade hung on the back of his chair.
If one was to ask Suzy what the man looked like, she would have said French pirate.
“Sorry, we can’t give the exact location. The threat has been cleared out,” Deia said.
“Oh, are you challenging me, missy? This could be a threat to this village. What possible reason woul
d there be to not tell us?” the man asked.
“Guild business,” Deia stated.
The chapter leader rolled his eyes. “What guild? I’ll see that they are expelled from the adventurer’s guild for this if you still refuse to tell me.” The man still sounded more bored than angry.
“Fine, we’re the Stone Raiders.” Deia pulled her cloak to the side to show her guild badge.
The others in her party did so as well.
“If you will give us the money you owe us, we will be on our way. We have work we need to do.” Suzy looked up from her messaging.
“Stone Raiders, huh? Never really seen what’s so important about you lot. Edurn, make sure they are banned from this location and pass the information on to the rest of the adventurer’s guild.” The chapter leader’s eyes moved to the girls, a gloating smile on his face. “I heard that your guild was coming here for the monster hunt. It looks like they will have wasted all of those credits for nothing. As you are not adventurer guild members, you will be taxed twenty percent of this contract.” He waved at the kill log.
“Sir…” the clerk started before the chapter leader shot him a look. The clerk looked as if he wanted to continue but didn’t dare, diverting his eyes to the floor.
Deia snorted, shrugging. “Fine. Can we get our money?” She looked to the clerk.
“Yes, certainly,” the clerk said. “That will be three hundred gold, five silver, and seven coppers.”
“What!?” the chapter leader demanded, looking from the clerk to the three women.
Induca opened the door as the chapter leader pulled the kill log sheet that the clerk had put on his desk.
“How the hell is this possible!?” he demanded as the three ladies exited the adventurer’s guild and headed to their next meeting.
***
Bronx and Florence were waiting for Suzy as she led her group into the restaurant and over to the other two.
“Thank you for greeting my guests for me.” Suzy passed a gold coin to the waiter who had previously served them.
“No worries at all, ma’am.” She curtsied. “Would you like me to take your cloaks and get some drinks?”
“Please. I’ll take a red wine.” Suzy got out of her cloak.
“Elven ice wine if you have it. Elven white if you don’t,” Deia said.
“Some Zolun beer if you might have it, please.” Induca handed off her cloak last.
“I will have it to you shortly.” The server bowed slightly, taking the cloaks with her as Suzy walked up to the table.
“I am so sorry about this. I know that we were supposed to meet earlier and through our messages, it seems that we have come to an agreement, though I and the guild leadership think it is best if we have these conversations in person,” Suzy said.
“It is no worry. We know that security is a primary concern in a relationship such as this. We sent out feelers to make sure everything was still secure before bringing in everyone to discuss the opportunity. We have voted and agreed that we would indeed like to move into an alliance with your guild.” Florence smiled.
“I am looking forward to many interesting relics,” Bronx agreed.
“I thought that there might be more to you than met the eye.” Suzy smiled at Bronx.
The server returned, depositing glasses.
“Could you see that we are not disturbed and pull the curtain?” Suzy asked.
“Certainly. If you pull on the string there, I will come over to assist you with anything you need,” the server said.
“Thank you,” Deia said.
The server pulled curtains from one bench seat and connected it to the other, muffling the rest of the restaurant.
Suzy looked to Induca and Deia.
Induca pulled out a small Mirror of Communication and placed it on the table.
“Impressive,” Bronx said.
“Sit back in your chairs and then press the rim of the mirror. If you want, Florence can come with me and Bronx can keep guard?” Suzy asked.
“Very well.” Florence sat back in her seat and put her hand to the Mirror of Communication.
Suzy touched it as well, going through prompts until she appeared in the foyer of a large building. In front of them, there was a large Stone Raider’s badge.
People appeared throughout the mansion and moved into different conference rooms.
“Ah, Suzy, this must be Florence,” Dwayne said, as Suzy guided her to the second floor.
“It is good to meet you.” Florence curtsied slightly.
“Ah, no need for that around here. We’re not the most cultured people.” Dwayne led them to a large conference room and opened the door for them.
“I’m telling you, we’ve got to invest in more scribes so we can keep some of the damned spellbooks instead of destroying them all!” Josh said.
“It takes weeks for them to do that!” Kim argued.
“Suzy is here,” Lucy said, floating on her carpet and reading a book.
“It might take that long, but then we have them for others! You know how much those things go for? Teleport pads aren’t cheap to use!” Josh looked to Suzy and Florence from his seat at the middle of the table.
“Sorry about that,” Josh said to Florence.
“It is perfectly okay. I am still in awe of this place. What is it?” Florence asked, diverting as Suzy indicated for her to take a seat. The two of them faced the others as Dwayne took his seat beside Josh.
“Well, a Mirror of Communication can relay simple video and audio messages, yet its true use is its ability to have conference rooms. You can connect multiple mirrors together so that large groups of people can meet in real time no matter their position and share information. For the Stone Raiders who are spread out all over the place, it makes sense to have them around,” Josh said.
They also cost a lot, so it looks good and it can impress the hell out of you. Suzy caught Lucy’s eye as she hid behind her book. They shared a sly smile before breaking eye contact, not wanting to give away the game.
“I’ve heard of conference rooms, but not entire buildings with multiple places,” Florence said.
“It can be shaped to what the user desires, though this one took someone with a bit more imagination and a special Mirror of Communication to make the whole process smooth,” Kim said.
“Now, that is all talk for another time. Suzy here says that the Exdar’s Traders are ready to sign a contract?” Josh asked.
“That we are.” Florence accessed her interface. Moments later, a paper document was in front of everyone.
Suzy scanned through it; there had been little to no changes to the original document. A bit of wriggle room in delivery times as they didn’t know where they would be going or when. Otherwise, it was rather simple: They would sell any goods that the Stone Raiders gave them for a seven percent fee. They would keep a few wagons working to supply the Stone Raiders at all times for a small fee.
They would also transport supplies, weapons, and the like to and from where the Stone Raiders were located. There were fees and associated costs that had been firmed up. All of it was reasonable. Not a large profit on either side. With the influx of money that the Stone Raiders could give them and the near constant stream from their supply needs, the trader’s guild would do very well. The Stone Raiders would get better prices on their supplies and more money on the gear that they were selling.
Suzy looked up to find the four leaders of the Stone Raiders looking at her. She looked to Josh.
“It looks good to me.” She knew that he was probably the only other person who had dealt with contracts of this magnitude before.
“I agree. Little changes here and there, but within our conditions.” Josh looked to the others.
“If you two say it’s fine, that’s good by me,” Dwayne said.
“Cool,” Lucy said.
“Be good to have supplies that don’t cost me one and a half their usual.” Kim sighed.
Josh accepted the contract. A ping so
unded in the back of Suzy’s mind.
“Well, if you’re still in Selhi Capital when we get there, then we should get together,” Josh said as the contract faded away from the table.
“We will be leaving a group here to meet up with you and to see what your needs will be,” Florence said.
“Perfect, because we have a whole bunch of broken crap that we need to get fixed up at a Dwarven mountain.” Dwayne looked to Josh.
“Zolun?”
“How is it that I know where you need to go to get your weapon repaired? And you don’t have a clue?” Dwayne asked.
“Cause you’re a really good friend?” Josh asked.
Dwayne sighed.
“What these two boneheads are saying is they have weapons that they need to get repaired. All of them are of high quality or stats and need Dwarven smiths to fix them. There is a specific smith who is in the Zolun Mountains who is capable of fixing a weapon that we’re having trouble getting repaired; that idiot’s damn daggers.” Kim gestured at Josh.
“We’ll have all the weapons put together in one caravan so that you can shift them to the mountain as we get there. We are planning to be moving onto a new operation quickly,” Dwayne said.
“Yeah, he likes all that military talk and orderly stuff. I’m sorry,” Josh said.
“Next time, I’m not reminding you about the weapons that you need to get repaired.”
“Hey, I’m just telling the truth, dude. How the heck am I supposed to remember everything?” Josh whined.
“Don’t worry, he’s normally like this. He kind of acts like a kid, most of the time, unlike when we are in anything that looks like a battle. Reminds me of my old boss,” Suzy said to Florence.
“We can do that. It is nearby. With our horse handling abilities, we can get the carts to that location within three days, then however long it takes to repair that gear. What do you need for supplies?” Florence asked.
***
After the meeting finished, Florence and Suzy said their good-byes and left the conference room.
For The Guild (Emerilia Book 2) Page 15
