Hunter's Choice

by C E Keene

  Evidently peeved he wasn’t rising to the bait, Brahm grumbled under his breath and continued to a weapon rack that was set snugly against the outside wall of the forge. That didn’t seem like the wisest place to keep finished pieces, considering the lack of security, but he supposed no one in Lacerda was stupid enough to mess with the village’s only blacksmiths.

  He watched as the man withdrew his spear. Or what Arheis assumed was his spear. Aside from the haft it was completely unrecognizable. Where the old one had a talon fastened to the spearhead and the Ignicris sac beneath it, set to spark like a firestarter, this one was just the long span of metal met by gleaming ivory that transformed the weapon into a halberd-like design.

  Brahm had used more of the tusk than Arheis thought, and it was cut and formed and fused to the top length of the spear. The smith had even made metal sockets to hold the thing snugly, then bound it with strong leather cording just to add an extra level of support. Not to be outdone by his son’s artistic interpretations, Brahm had painted the tip of the tusk to resemble the Nepondus Queen herself, brilliant purples and greens and reds giving the whole thing a more exotic look.

  “This looks… devastating,” Arheis said, having a hard time picking his jaw up off the ground.

  The smith snorted. “Damn well better be. Spent enough time on that thing to take down a whole cluster of Queens.”

  Considering how long it had taken to kill just one, Arheis doubted that. But the exaggeration probably wasn’t that far off. It was obvious Brahm had put a lot of effort into the design of it, and as the smith handed it over to Arheis, he could see the pride in the older man’s features.

  Hefting the spear in both hands, Arheis tested its weight. It was solid and balanced despite the heavy tusk. Brahm must have reinforced the haft with a thicker metal to make sure it wouldn’t end up top-heavy. Gripping his gloved fingers around it, Arheis fell into a one-handed and then a two-handed stance, striking at enemies that weren’t there. The tusk-blade sliced through the air, making a low-pitched whistling noise as it did. It took more effort to use—Arheis could feel the muscles in his arms, shoulders, and back responding—but it also felt good. Like he wasn’t just stabbing blindly with a practice spear anymore.

  Of course, feeling good and being good were two separate things, and because there’d been no blueprint for this augment, Arheis had to consult the game to see the spear’s new stats, pulling up his equipment window.

  > Royal Might

  Slot: Main Hand

  Damage Type: Piercing / Slashing

  Attack Power: 50 (+10% critical)

  Durability: 75/75

  Quality: Unique

  Whoa. The augment completely changed his weapon. He wasn’t just using the standard iron spear with a bonus shoved on top of it. This was a brand new weapon, through and through. Slashing damage in addition to the normal piercing—something he could intuit would come from using the blade a certain way—a much higher attack power plus a bonus to critical damage. Immensely higher durability, and a quality tag that told him he wasn’t going to be able to find this in any old shop.

  “This is really amazing, Brahm. It’s going to be a huge help.”

  Now he wished he’d gotten an augment for his shield, too. The plain iron disc of a thing looked pathetic next to his shiny new toy. But he’d been out of truly unique and powerful beast parts, and considering how useful his shield was to his fighting style, he wanted to wait and do it right.

  “Just don’t break the damn thing,” Brahm said, the usual curmudgeonly bite to his voice absent for once, “I’m not fixing it if you do. You hear me?”

  “I hear you,” Arheis said with a smile, pulling out another roll of 500 credits.

  He’d be broke soon if he kept tipping all of his craftspeople, but it felt only natural considering the work Brahm and his son had done. They’d very clearly gone above and beyond the call of duty, delivering something that was far better than what he would have ordered on his own.

  When he tried to hand the extra credits to Brahm, though, the smith just scoffed. “Keep your coins. You’re right. I did overcharge you for the augment.”

  There was a gleam in the man’s gray eyes that caught Arheis off-guard, and his wizened face pulled into a… was that a smile? An honest to God smile? That was almost more unsettling than Brahm’s usual surliness. So much so that Arheis had no idea what to do with it, and the instant he smiled back, Brahm’s expression turned into his typical scowl.

  “Now go on. I’ve got other weapons to work on. Just because you took down a Nepondus Queen doesn’t mean the world revolves around you.”

  Dropping the credits back into his pouch, Arheis strapped his new spear to his back—right above the seriously lacking shield—and said his thanks again before stepping out of the forge feeling much better equipped.

  The rest of his morning was dedicated to preparations for the journey. Arheis counted out what was left of his credits—15,200GC—and divvied that up in his mind based on what was going to be most useful to him and his companions.

  First and foremost were the potions. He bought an assortment of healing and endurance potions, and even invested in a couple mana potions. A belt upgrade to hold more of them at once seemed necessary, so he bought that, too, along with a sturdier coinpurse that had compartments inside for better organizing his coins.

  Clothing came next. Arheis kept it simple, purchasing tunics and trousers that would be useful no matter the climate or season, along with a light cloak, some fur-lined clothing for colder regions, and much lighter, linen clothing for warmer areas. Of course, purchasing armfuls of clothing necessitated buying a better place to store it all. While he had a trunk back in his inn room and might have one in Treyous’ cabin, that wasn’t going to help much out in the wilds. So he also purchased a better quality backpack with more inventory slots, and a proper bedroll for good measure.

  Finally, he bought a few odds and ends. Basic supplies, pieces of gear that looked even remotely useful, and a book to kill some time during what he was sure was going to be a long boat ride.

  When all of that was done, Arheis was left with 5,700GC. Still enough to cover passage on the Lady Katherine, he was pretty sure. If not he’d have to sheepishly borrow from his friends. But he couldn’t imagine that not covering the cost of room, board, and transportation. He was so confident in it that when an herbalist’s booth caught his attention, he didn’t hesitate to wander over.

  “Ah, hello, hello,” the woman behind the counter beckoned, “you are a man of good taste, I see. You are looking for spices? Oils? Perhaps herbs to help you impress any female friends?”

  She winked at him, and Arheis thankfully had the sense not to blush. The whole thing reminded him of one of those kiosks at the mall that were always filled with beautiful women who knew exactly what to say to get you to buy $100 worth of skin care products you really didn’t need.

  But he wasn’t interested in the oils or the creams or anything else. His gaze fell on a small censer made of metal. It had an inner chamber with a compartment beneath, a decorative cage protecting whatever the contents were meant to be, and a chain that extended from the top. He would have guessed it was just for hanging outside if not for the fact that said chain was wound through some kind of leather grip.

  “What is this?” he asked, curiosity fully piqued.

  “Ah, you have even better taste than I thought!” she lauded him. That almost certainly meant this item was more expensive than her other wares. “This is a censer. You put bundles of herbs up top here and a candle down below. The herbs burn slow enough to spread a nice, even scent through your whole house. Or wherever you happen to be using it.”

  A sudden image rose in Arheis’ mind of someone walking through an abandoned house, holding a little metal pot that looked a lot like this one. There’d been sage inside it, if he remembered right. It was supposed to ward off evil spirits or something. Arheis had never put much stock into that sort of thing in the rea
l world, but it seemed useful here.

  It also seemed like the kind of thing Mira would like. Considering he’d completely spaced on getting the measurements of her crossbow—having been distracted last night, to say the least—it felt like a nice gift.

  “How much?” he asked, drawing back the strings on his new pouch.

  “For a handsome boy like you? 1,200GC.” She practically purred the words, making it clear she was trying to rip him off.

  “I don’t see many customers coming to this booth,” he observed, giving her a pointed look. “I’ll pay you 600GC for it and take it off your hands right now.”

  “Oh, he fancies himself a negotiator!” A laugh followed this. One that Arheis thought was supposed to sound delighted, but rang a little too hollow. “That’s far too low, darling. I’m not selling it for anything less than 1,000GC.”

  He had that much, but he really did need to be careful about cutting into the funds that were meant for Treyous.

  “800GC,” he said, hoping his bare minimum Haggling ability would do the trick.

  If nothing else, the past couple of days proved he shouldn’t completely neglect his Charisma stat.

  “875GC,” she countered; a number he was far more comfortable with.

  But Arheis still pressed his luck. “875GC,” he agreed, “and you’ll throw in a bundle of assorted herbs.”

  This time the laugh she let out seemed much more genuine. Amusement rang through the melodic notes, and when she looked at him again, it was with the tiniest smirk.

  “Oh, very well. You’re going to run me out of business, but I can’t say no to that face.”

  Arheis snorted, pulling out the agreed upon amount. Credits changed hands, and after a few moments he was leaving the stall with the censer and a wrapped bundle of herbs, both of which he carefully stowed in his new backpack.

  He was nearly out of credits, aside from those he’d set aside for the journey. But he was freshly provisioned and prepared for the journey ahead. He felt good about this. Confident. And as the sun began to climb in the midday sky, Arheis headed toward the edge of the market to meet his friends and embark on the next stage of their journey.

  Mira, Zindar, and Galen were waiting for him at the spot they’d all agreed upon. They’d made their own preparations, and the four of them headed toward the beach.

  Now that the Nepondus population was under control, the path through the jungle was uneventful. Less threatening beasts steered clear of them. Arheis saw a Lamica turn tail and fling itself into another tree just to get out of range. Their reputation had apparently spread beyond Lacerda, and he was glad to not have to cut through fodder that wouldn’t give them any XP.

  They talked as they went, Arheis sharing the story of how he’d met Treyous. He deftly avoided using terms like “spawned in,” and instead made the whole thing sound like he’d just ended up there with no idea how he’d arrived. It wasn’t a complete lie. The game had dropped him in the middle of the jungle, with no point of origin before that. And he’d been completely unprepared to fight off the Lamica that attacked him, but not because he’d misplaced his weapons.

  There were holes in his story, and he wasn’t looking forward to the day Mira or Zindar asked him about his past, but for now it was an entertaining tale of a boisterous captain with a hand cannon for a weapon.

  “I think we may have met him before,” Mira observed, sharing a glance with Zindar. “At the docks in Vazir. Do you remember? The man with the bushy mustache.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Zindar said, recognition dawning in his voice. “Yeah, that sounds like the guy. He seemed… friendly?”

  Arheis snorted. “He’s definitely that.”

  The jungle began to open up, trees and other flora becoming scarce. The land sloped downward, suggesting the tide had once risen far higher than the current gentle laps suggested. Grass became patchy and soon Arheis felt sand shifting beneath his boots, its warmth making an impression even through the soft leather soles.

  The sun was in their eyes, nearly at its apex and beating down on them. Arheis had to make a shield with his hand, limiting his field of vision to focus only on the Lady Katherine and the surrounding area. He found Treyous moments later, the broad-shouldered, barrel-chested, mountain of a man walking down the gangplank.

  “Arheis, my boy!” he called, his deep, booming voice reaching out across the beach.

  “Captain,” Arheis greeted, unable to keep from smiling.

  He hadn’t known the man long, but Treyous had effectively been his introduction to the world of Apex: Untamed. There was something special about that. Besides, he was the type of person who could light up a room just by being in it. Or an entire beach, as the case may be.

  As soon as Arheis came in range, the captain extended a hand and clapped him on the upper arm, mindful of the fronds that fanned outward from his collarbone.

  “Moving up in the world, I see. And with a motley collection of fellow Hunters. Good,” Treyous said, almost to himself, “that’s very good. You’ll need them.”

  Arheis’ brow rose and he gave the man a questioning look. Unlike Higrem, Treyous hadn’t been one for cryptic commentary.

  But the captain barreled straight past the strangeness of his statement—no matter how true—and turned to Arheis’ companions. “Go on then, introduce me to your friends.”

  It was a weird feeling, like bringing classmates home to meet his dad. Only Arheis’ dad hadn’t been around for most of his school years, and he wasn’t in danger of having them thrown out if Treyous didn’t approve. At least he hoped that was the case. Vessels like the Lady Katherine were made for transporting large shipments, but considering the fact that it was still anchored just off this beach, he guessed the captain was in need of some credits.

  “This is Galen,” he said, gesturing to the Naturalist. “He’s the reason we’re taking this trip. He has a colleague in Iskaral who studies crystals like the one that made the beasts of the jungle so aggressive.”

  “Ahh, noble work. Good for you.” Treyous bowed to the man, and Galen swept into an elegant bow of his own.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain, and thank you for offering us swift passage.”

  Treyous barked out a laugh. “Thank the Lady for that. And the sea, Gods willing.”

  He turned his attention to Zindar then, so Arheis offered up the next introduction.

  “This is Zindar. He saved me after my first run-in with the Nepondus Queen,” Arheis recounted.

  “A Pruvari? I didn’t think I’d see your kind this far out. You must be excited to be on the Continent again, eh? I hear De’shal is thriving these days.”

  That caught Arheis’ attention. Zindar had mentioned there weren’t many Pruvari left, and while he didn’t think his friend had lied about that, the sudden change in expression made him wonder if there was more Zindar wasn’t telling him. The skin visible at the end of his muzzle and the tips of his ears paled. Those same ears pinned back just enough to show agitation, and even the Pruvari’s gaze darted swiftly to Arheis and then back to Treyous.

  “I’m just happy to go someplace new,” Zindar said, his voice straining to find that mentioned note of happiness.

  Treyous didn’t seem to notice. Unimpeded by any sharp armor accents, he clapped a heavy hand on Zindar’s shoulder, practically staggering him.

  “Well I’m happy to take you.”

  The captain turned his attention to Mira then, and Arheis found himself at a loss. He could introduce her by name and profession, but he’d done more than that for Galen and Zindar. It’d been easy with them. Somehow—despite the fact that Mira had been instrumental in saving him, too—it was harder to boil their relationship down to a single sentence.

  “This is Amira. She—”

  Treyous didn’t even give him a chance to come up with something. He bent into a low bow, the tails of his coat sweeping out behind him. With one hand he gently grasped Mira’s, brushing his lips over it.

  “—is f
ar too beautiful a creature to be cooped up on a ship for a week, to be sure. I apologize, my lady. We are simple men with simple tastes.”

  Arheis might have let that stab of jealousy grow into something more if he hadn’t caught the look of complete bafflement—and utter annoyance—on Mira’s face. It seemed like it took a monumental effort for her to keep from snatching her hand away from Treyous’ grasp.

  “I don’t know what gave you the impression I have royalty in my lineage, Captain, but I’m sure I can ‘suffer’ right along with the rest of my commoner friends.”

  Zindar snorted, hearing the surface level sarcasm in that remark. Arheis heard the deeper warning behind it; that dry humor she pulled out when she was a step away from losing her temper.

  Before Treyous could get himself into any deeper water, Arheis put an arm around the man’s shoulders and urged him toward the ship. “Is there someplace we can set our things down? I want to make sure I get you your payment before we set sail.”

  That at least caught the captain’s attention, pulling it away from Mira. “Of course, of course. We’ve still got a few more preparations to make before we set sail, but I’ll show you your cabins.”

  Once he was sure Treyous wasn’t going to just turn right back around and get distracted again, Arheis looked over his shoulder and mouthed a “sorry” to Mira. She just smirked and shook her head, that annoyance falling away, replaced by a note of amusement.

  They followed the man onto the Lady Katherine, Arheis getting the chance to see many of the crew members he remembered from that first day, including the one who’d initially trained him to use his spear and shield. The man nodded in appreciation, gaze fixed on Arheis’ weapons, but seemed busy preparing the ship for cast-off, just like everyone else.

  It took nearly a half hour of Treyous talking at the entrance to their cabins before he was called away and they were permitted to stow their things. Arheis dumped what he could in the cargo hold and consolidated the rest into his old, smaller pack, keeping that in the cabin with him. The room was just as small as he expected, with a bunk bed in the center and very little space to walk around. There was even less space to shove a cot into, though they were able to do that with some trouble.