Lion's Quest: Dual Wield: A LitRPG Saga

by Michael-Scott Earle

  With two pieces worn: Never, the Ring has double attribute bonus and reset time is 1 hour.

  With three pieces worn: Never, the Ring has triple attribute bonus and reset time is 10 minutes.

  With four pieces worn: Never, the Ring has quadruple attribute bonus and reset time is 2 minutes.

  With all five pieces worn: Never, the Ring gives a +20 to Quickness and a +10 to both Comeliness and Luck. User can use the mirror image ability without cool down.

  These bonuses are in addition to the other bonuses given by Never pieces worn.

  If more than two pieces of Never are worn, all pieces are considered Stupendous in rating, and will be colored yellow. If all five pieces are worn, they are considered Relics and colored gold.

  I tried to keep my face calm as I read through the UI stats on the piece of jewelry. This was the best item I had seen so far, and I wondered if Lady Feeyaz actually knew of its potential.

  “It is a beautiful ring. I can see why you like it. Must be entertaining at parties.” I set it back in the display case and smiled at the gorgeous drow woman.

  “Ummmhmmm,” she purred as she studied my face. “It is part of a set named ‘Never’. Have you ever heard of it?”

  “I’m afraid I haven’t. What is a set?” I asked the question as sincerely as I could, though I knew the answer. I didn’t want to give too much away to the woman.

  “Items that become more powerful when used or worn together. This ring is lovely on its own, but if we could get a few more of the set, it would really be a spectacular addition our collection.”

  “I want to help you both, so I’ll keep an eye and ear open for any news. Never is what you called it?”

  “Yes. We have sent Mind Messages to other cities asking to spread the word. We haven’t gotten any nibbles yet, but we are sure that we’ll get someone offering to sell us another piece of the set soon.” The woman locked the glass case as she spoke to me, and then gestured to the next pedestal.

  “How long ago did you send out the notice?” I asked.

  “We started a year ago. The piece has been in our collection for twenty-five years, but we only recently decided to make an attempt for the other pieces.”

  “I’m guessing that you aren’t interested in trading it then,” I said with a laugh.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that at all. Everything can be negotiated, especially if you are interested in giving me your staff… and the crown.” The woman smiled at me, and I saw her eyes drift from my lips, to my chest, to my crotch.

  “I might be, depends on the item.” I laughed and pointed at the next piece. It looked like a woman sized gauntlet, and it sat on a wooden stand behind another thick cage of glass. “Can you tell me about this?”

  “This is one of the baron’s oldest pieces,” the sultry drow began, but then the gnome stepped between us and inserted his key into the lock of the glass.

  “It has been in my family for five or six generations. One of my ancestors was a powerful fire mage, and the family legends say he found the piece after a battle during the Time of Heliotrope. Sir Lennox, I doubt this piece of armor will interest you. It is made in a woman size, and while it has magic, it serves more as a decorative piece. It will not help you in your adventuring career.” As the man spoke, he withdrew the gauntlet from its stand and raised it to me.

  The glove of armor seemed to be made out of a gold colored metal, but when the gnome passed it to me, the dim light of the room almost made it seem as if it was silver. Dark purple etching across the entire piece made it appear to glow with an amethyst light. The engravings were of tiny flowers and they were etched onto the metal with a level of artistry that I almost couldn’t comprehend.

  The gauntlet was of a strange design. It was obviously made of metal, and I would have guessed that it was intended to be armor, but the bottom of the glove where the palm and fingers should be covered were instead exposed. The armor seemed as if it didn’t really intend to be protective as much as decorative, but the finger pieces of the glove made me think otherwise.

  They looked liked razor sharp claws.

  “Do be careful, Sir Lennox. Those are actually sharper than they look,” the green-clad gnome said as I took the item from his hands. “I stopped letting guests examine it a few dozen years ago when someone cut themselves on the tip of the finger and almost bled to death.”

  “I’m surprised you are letting me hold it,” I said as the UI window opened. I had to fight against the gasp that tried to escape from my throat and the smile that threatened to take over my face.

  Piece of Heliotrope (Left Glove)

  Armor Rating - 40

  Durability - Indestructible

  Br—

  Qu—

  In—

  Wi—

  Pe—

  Ch—

  Co—

  Lu—

  This glove is part of the Heliotrope equipment set. Bonuses are granted with each additional item worn.

  This was it. The first relic that Zarra wanted me to find. The deep gold color of the name of the piece was beautiful, but I was more than a little surprised by the lack of attribute bonuses or cool user granted ability. The armor rating of the piece was crazy high, and that was fascinating. The purple suit of dwarven armor I inspected in the forgotten city had only a 20 armor rating. This one glove alone was twice that.

  “Perhaps I’m hoping that you might cut yourself on the claws, and then bleed out here.” The little man gave me an evil laugh, and then he winked at me. “Only jesting, Sir Lennox. I let you hold it so that you’ll appreciate my collection more.”

  “What does it do?” I asked the deliciously sexy drow woman.

  “It pains me to say this, but I’m unable to tell. Nor are any of the other sages in the city able to tell.” The woman’s mouth formed a pout, and I suddenly wanted to comfort her by kissing it away. “I know it is powerful, but that is all I know about the piece. I can’t even puzzle out its name.” She shrugged her shoulders and gestured for me to return it to Baron Yinnia. I did so, and I could see the relief on the man’s face when I didn’t say anything else about it. The man definitely didn’t want to part with the glove, but I guessed his reasoning was more sentimental.

  Unless they were lying to me about knowing what the item really was.

  The three of us spent the next thirty minutes walking through the gallery and looking at the pieces. I didn’t know exactly what time it was because I didn’t want to make the air motion to open my status screen while I stood next to them, but I guessed that I had missed the lunch with Mirea, Wicum, Bylem, and Cornalic.

  Other than the ring and the glove, none of the baron’s pieces were that interesting. They were mostly green pieces of jewelry or fragments of armor that looked impressive, but weren’t good for anything but creating a beautiful display. We finally finished the tour and I could easily read the annoyance on Baron Yinnia’s face. Lady Feeyaz was all sultry smiles though, and she gestured to the dark gallery after she had finished the tour.

  “Well, Leo Lennox, did anything catch your eye?”

  I considered my next words before I spoke. I didn’t want to make it obvious that I wanted the glove, or they might try to raise their perceived value of the item. I didn’t really care about trading both the staff and the crown for the relic, but I would have fourteen more to find after this, and building either a fat bankroll or an inventory of useful items was going to help me with my quest. If I could get the glove in exchange for just one of the items, and something else for the other, it would be the best case scenario. Unfortunately, the only other item I was really interested in was Never, the Ring and I doubted that they would make an even trade.

  I wouldn’t know until I asked, and I prepared myself for the kind of battle that I had seen Sal do for me hundreds of times.

  “Yes, but which of my two items would you prefer adding to your collection?” I asked as I gestured at the staff.

  The drow and gnome flashed each othe
r a glance that I couldn’t interpret, and then the woman spoke again.

  “We want both of them.” Her voice was thick and sweet like expensive whiskey.

  “But which do you prefer? I don’t know if we will be able to trade for both of them, so I want to get a better understanding of what your preference is.”

  “Why would we not be able to deal for both the staff and crown?” Barron Yinna scowled.

  “I’m interested in a few of your pieces, but mine are superior in magic and aesthetic value.” I shrugged as I spoke and hoped that the dark elf couldn’t hear the hammering of my heart in my chest. I felt as if I was pretending to be Sal, but had never actually negotiated with stakes this serious before.

  “Superior? Bah! I knew this was a waste of time!” The gnome threw his hands in the air, and I almost expected him to storm out of the gallery, or demand that I leave.

  But he did neither, and my confidence grew.

  “Let us agree that we like both of your items, and I want them both, along with the man who brought them to us, but if I had a preference, I would desire the staff in our collection a hair more than the crown.” The drow’s light green eyes met mine, and I easily saw the fierce intelligence there. “Now, Leo Lennox, what do you want from us?”

  “I like the ring from that Never set, and the glove displayed next to it.”

  “Blllahg!” the gnome shouted. “That is not going to happen. Not for the staff. You over value the thing.”

  “What about—” I began to say the counter offer, but Lady Feeyaz raised her hand to interrupt me.

  “I am a bit surprised by your selection, Leo Lennox. Why do you want the gauntlet? It is magical, yes, but it won’t fit you, and isn’t imbued with any abilities. Or at least, it isn’t imbued with any abilities that anyone knows of.” Her head was tilted to the side a bit as she asked her question, and I wondered if I had played my hand too much by asking for the strange choice.

  “I find it beautiful, of course, it isn’t the most beautiful piece of artwork standing in this gallery, but I would gladly give my staff in exchange for it.” I returned the woman’s stare and she smiled wide at my obvious flirtation.

  “The gauntlet isn’t for trade, Sir Lennox. We can deal for the ring, but not for the other piece. It has been in my family for too long,” Baron Yinnia said with a violent shake of his head.

  “I’d have to think about that for a few moments. I do like the ring, but I don’t know about it being a fair exchange for this staff.”

  “It is more than fair,” the drow woman said with a smile. “The ring will be of great use to you in your adventures, I believe that the staff is something that you can’t currently use. Am I correct?”

  “I feel as if I have my heart set on the glove. I can understand your desire to keep it, but I would consider giving you the staff, and the crown in exchange for that piece and the ring.”

  “No, and I feel as if you are insulting me,” the baron growled, but the man was less than five feet tall, and dressed like a leprechaun, so I wasn’t very intimidated.

  “How about the glove and the nice suit of studded leather armor downstairs?” I asked with a shrug.

  “The one dyed a dark brown?” the drow asked, and her smile suddenly became equal parts diabolical and sexy.

  “Yeah. That is a nice suit.”

  “Oh, how do you know?” she asked, and I realized my mistake.

  “It seemed well crafted, and I currently do not have a good set of armor,” I explained, but this woman was clever, and I doubted that I fooled her.

  “We have many suits of armor, and the baron did not tell you anything about that one when you walked by it. Nor did you ask me about the suit. I wonder why you picked that one in particular?”

  “It appealed to me,” I said as nonchalantly as I could while I shrugged.

  “Just as the gauntlet appeals to you?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “You also appeal to me. Perhaps I just like beautiful things?” I gave her a smirk and hoped that flirting with her again might defuse the situation.

  “Hmmm, you are a strange one.” The woman sighed and then glanced to the gnome. Their exchange was quick, and I couldn’t interpret its meaning for sure, but I felt the atmosphere in the room thicken with tension. “I’m afraid that the gauntlet is not on the table, perhaps we shouldn’t have shown it to you in the first place, but let us continue with discussions around the ring and suit of studded leather armor that you desired.”

  “You aren’t willing to trade the gauntlet?” I asked as I tried to keep my expression emotionless.

  “No, Sir Lennox. Now, let us speak of the ring and armor. Would you trade the crown and staff for both of those?” Baron Yinnia asked.

  “I’d have to think about that for a bit,” I said.

  “I don’t understand, Leo Lennox, why do you need time to think about it?” the beautiful drow asked.

  “I had my heart set on the glove, and now it is not an option. I believe that I’ll need to think on it for the night. Maybe two.”

  “But you did come to us looking to trade your staff and crown, and you do like the ring and the armor. It is a fair exchange. What else is there to think about?” she asked.

  “I don’t feel as if the exchange is fair.” I shrugged my shoulders, and sighed. “I like you both, especially you, Lady Feeyaz, but I think I’ll take the staff and crown to a few other nobles to see if they might be interested.”

  “No need for that,” the baron said with a wave of his hands. “We like you as well, Sir Lennox, and I apologize for seeming a little rude. You are obviously a talented warrior, and experienced adventurer. What if we threw in that longsword you were also looking at, as well as some gold? It would mean that Lady Feeyaz and I end up with the shorter end of the deal, but perhaps you can promise us first refusal on any future items that you might find in your future explorations?”

  “Ahh, the baron is wise. I completely agree with the idea of forming a long, and intimate relationship with Leo Lennox. I believe you have many other useful talents besides just adventuring. I would like to see, and have use of those talents moving forward.” Lady Feeyaz stepped to my side and laid her fingers on my arm again. “My people have some rather terrible and violent habits, but they are very committed to growing the strength of their families. We often offer to ‘adopt’ those with useful skills into the house. There would be a salary, and use of the mansion. The baron has plenty of spare bedrooms, but I can think of one in the basement that will be a perfect fit for you.”

  “That is a splendid idea, Lady Feeyaz,” the gnome said as he nodded. “What weekly salary would you think would be appropriate?”

  “Oh, I think ten gold would be fair, especially if Leo Lennox continues to offer us unusual items, and provides us with other services.” The look in the drow beauty’s eyes gave me a rather clear understanding of what those “other services” would be, and I felt an agonizingly delicious wave of pleasure radiate from where she touched me.

  “Ten a week!” Baron Yinnia gasped. “If you think Sir Lennox is—”

  “Oh, he is very worth it.” The drow woman slid away from me and I almost reached out to pull her back so that our bodies were touching, but I didn’t, and she turned to face me once she stood near the gnome. “Do you accept our generous offer, Leo Lennox?”

  “I’ll need to think about it. I really liked the glove. My apologies, but if we can’t deal for that piece I will need to speak to some other nobles. I will probably end up offering you the staff and crown, but I’m enamored with the glove.” I gave them another smile when I finished speaking, but it was clear that they were not pleased with my decision.

  “What about our offer to join our house?” the drow woman asked, and her mint colored eyes seemed to flash with malice.

  “I would be a liar if I didn’t admit my attraction to you, and the pay sounds good, but I will need time to consider it.” I lied about the second part, but not the first. The woman was
all sorts of seductive, and I wasn’t going to live anywhere near her. Besides, I had a quest I had to work on. I couldn’t be their treasure finding boy.

  “Sir Lennox, you do not want us as enemies.” The baron’s face twisted with sudden anger, and he growled the words like an angry dog.

  “No, I do not. I thought the offer was friendly. Is it not?” I asked as my eyes scanned the dark gallery. I didn’t see any of his hired muscle, but I needed to get out of here and come up with a new plan. I wondered if they would reconsider trading the relic if I made them sit on the decision for a few days.

  “It was friendly, Leo Lennox.” The drow woman put her hand down on the gnome’s shoulder and smiled at me. “As you want the gauntlet, we want the staff and crown. Won’t you reconsider? What about the ring, the studded leather armor, the sword, and…” the woman hesitated for a second and then licked her lips “Ten thousand gold? That is very fair. Please say yes. I want to put this matter behind us and spend the rest of the day and night getting to know you much better.”

  “What about the staff and crown for the glove and longsword?” I asked after I pretended to consider for a moment.

  They glanced at each other for a few seconds, and then I saw the beautiful woman’s shoulders slump forward a bit.

  “No. Perhaps you did not comprehend my earlier words, but the gauntlet is not for trade. Even for both of your items.” Baron Yinnia’s face was beginning to turn red, and it seemed liked Lady Feeyaz’s hand on his shoulder might have been the only thing keeping him from storming out of the room.

  “I apologize Baron Yinnia, you have a beautiful art collection, and I have no desire to insult you. I can understand why you love that gauntlet, but I will continue to shop my goods around the city until I fall in love with something else. If you change your mind, please leave a message at Switt’s Adventurers Guild hall.”

  “Wait, Leo Lennox, what about twenty thousand gold instead of the ten?” the drow woman asked before the gnome responded to my question.