Crystal Shards Online Omnibus 1

by Rick Scott

  “Sounds like maybe it was a rash decision,” I say.

  Diana doesn’t say anything, but she looks at me with those eyes again.

  Yikes. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.

  We exit the stalls on the far end of the market and approach one of the stores built into the surrounding walls.

  “Here it is,” Diana says as she points to a door with a sign marked “Magicks” on the front.

  We head inside and are instantly assaulted with the musty aroma of moth-eaten scrolls. The place is covered with them, shelf upon shelf stuffed full of fading yellow parchment. A chime rings, announcing our entrance, and a matronly woman in a hooded white robe emerges from the back of the shop. She greets us with a smile as she settles behind the counter.

  “Ah, Lady Diana,” she says. “So nice to see you. And I see you bring guests?”

  “Customers,” she says. “They seek Celestial scrolls.”

  “Or Ninjutsu,” I pipe up.

  The woman smiles at me. “I’m not sure I have any of those. But I can show you what I do have. Please, take a look.”

  She opens a book, and when I focus on it, a list emerges on my HUD.

  Level 5Create Light20G

  Level 5Create Food 20G

  Level 15Protection20G

  Level 35Great Cure 50G

  Level 45Major Favor of the Goddess50G

  Level 55Haste200G

  Level 65Great Heal IV 100G

  Level 75Teleport150G

  Level 80Heal V150G

  “Wow, these are expensive,” Gilly says, her eyes lighting up with her own HUD as she studies the book.

  I wonder if I’d gotten ripped off by Blacktop by selling that armor and whip for only seven gold. Then I remember something. “Do you buy scrolls, as well?”

  “Yes, of course,” the shopkeeper says. “Do you have some?”

  “Give her the chest, Gilly.”

  “What chest?”

  “The one with all the scrolls from Blacktop.”

  “Oh, right!” she says, suddenly remembering.

  Gilly materializes it from her inventory and passes it to the old woman, who rummages through them for a bit.

  “Some of these are quite good,” she says. “Are you certain you don’t wish to keep them?”

  “Which ones?” I ask.

  The woman shows me.

  Level 75Chaos Storm 185G

  Level 85Comet Strike 350G

  I whistle at the prices. “I guess, if you ever want to level Elemental Mage, they’ll come in handy, Gilly.”

  “Nah,” Gilly says. “We’ll trade them for gold to buy all the other scrolls.”

  Gilly then begins haggling with the woman over the prices. As it draws on, I get an idea. “Hey, Gilly, you think you’ll be okay here alone for a minute?”

  She looks at me, perplexed, but then shrugs. “Sure, I guess.”

  “I saw something back in the markets I wanted to get.” I then look to Lady Diana. “That’s okay, right?”

  The cop lady gives a sigh, but nods. “She should be fine here. Where do you need to go?”

  “It’s not too far away,” I say. “Be right back, Gilly.”

  Diana and I leave the Magicks shop, and I trace my path back to the vendor with the mage gear. The guy manning the stall is tall and thin, with a pencil mustache, and looks vaguely annoyed when I show up.

  “Sorry,” I say. “I know you’re probably getting ready to close, but I was interested in that outfit over there. How much would it be for all three pieces?”

  The vendor considers it a moment. “Seven for the hat, ten for the coat, and five for the leggings.”

  As he tells me the prices, they light up next to the items on my HUD.

  White Witch’s Hat: +15 INT +15 MND +20TP 7G

  White Witch’s Coat: -10% Casting Speed +150TP 10G

  White Witch’s Leggings: +15 INT +15 MND +50TP 5G

  “Wow,” I say to Diana. “You weren’t kidding about those scrolls being expensive. This stuff is peanuts in comparison.”

  Diana looks at me funny. “You’re going to buy that?”

  “Yeah,” I say. “For Gilly.”

  As cheap as it is compared to the scrolls I don’t have much gold on me. I do have a bunch of spears and stuff from clearing out the goblins, though. The total comes to 15 spears and 3 rapiers, all in fair condition—the best I picked out from the lot. I show them to the vendor. “Would you be willing to buy these in exchange?”

  Your Barter increases by 0.3!

  “I’ll give you 10 gold for the lot.”

  “Come on, you can probably sell this stuff for at least 3 gold a piece, can’t you?”

  The vendor wobbles his head. “Okay, 15.”

  Your Barter increases by 0.3!

  Skill Up! Your Barter skill is now 2!

  Nice!

  But still not enough for the full set. “How about I throw in a little something extra to trade you for all three pieces?”

  “Extra?”

  “It’s not weapons, but it is something kind of rare.” I materialize a piece of the buffalo meat and show it to the merchant. “How much would you give me for this stuff?”

  The vendor wrinkles his nose as he looks it over. “That’s definitely not worth even a gold to me.”

  Darn. But I can’t give up yet. “You do realize that this isn’t just any buffalo meat, right?”

  The merchant’s eyes squint with curiosity. “Eh?”

  “This is from the herd of the legendary Lakota. Best buffalo meat in the world. I’m in a pinch right now, so I’m willing to offload it for cheap, but I’m sure you could sell this to a chef for a lot more than a gold. Maybe even five! And if not, I promise you it will be one of the best meals you’ve ever eaten.”

  Your Barter increases by 0.4!

  “Well, how much do you want for it?”

  I check how much more I need for the gear. “I’ll give you three pieces, plus all the weapons, for the trade?”

  He mulls it over. “Four pieces of meat.”

  Your Barter increases by 0.7!

  Skill Up! Your Barter skill is now 3!

  “Deal,” I say, and materialize the other three pieces of meat for him to complete the trade. He then gives me the mage outfit, which I store within my inventory.

  “Pleasure doing business,” I say with a smile and shake his hand.

  I think I could get used to this bartering stuff. It’s actually kind of fun.

  As we head back to the Magicks shop, Diana gives me a nod. “Nice trade you worked out there. You don’t look like much of a haggler, but I think you made off with the better deal.”

  I grin. “Thanks.”

  “You bought those for your friend?”

  “Yeah, I wanted to surprise her with it. That’s why I wanted to come alone.”

  For the first time, I see the cop lady actually smile. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

  It actually makes me blush a little. “Well, she’s worth it. She’s done a lot for me.”

  “What is this Lakota you were speaking of?”

  As we walk back to the Magicks shop, I tell Diana about my fight with the LM and actually get her to smile some more. I think she’s somewhat impressed, even though all she does is give me little more than a few nods of approval.

  When we enter the shop, I hear Gilly still going at it with the shop owner, but when she sees me, she releases an exasperated sigh. “Good, you’re back. I can’t afford this last one, Reece.”

  “Which one?”

  “This one.”

  Level 55Haste200G

  Haste

  Increases attack speed and decreases recast and ability cool-downs.

  Wow! I wonder if that could stack with my Shadow Haste spell? Probably not, but it would be awesome to buff everyone else with it. I check to see if I have anything else for trade, but I don’t have much more to give up. Not with us still having to make the
journey north. Then I think back to the admin screen from the town. I did recall it had an exchange for turning nano into gold. I wonder if it has value here, as well. Time to try out my bartering skills again. I open my hand and produce a nano-shard. “Do you trade in these?”

  The woman catches her breath. “Oh my. You’re Shard Warriors!”

  Gilly and I share a glance. “Yeah, I guess,” I say. “We are from the Shards.”

  The woman looks at the crystals in my palm. “I’ve never seen mana crystals manifested in such a manner before. This is a special day for me, indeed.”

  I didn’t consider that what we could do was probably considered the equivalent of superpowers here.

  “Mana crystals?” Gilly asks.

  “Yes, the crystals of the life essence. Only Shard Warriors possess the ability to harness them in such a manner. But there are mages who can use them. I would trade you the scroll for that crystal.”

  Your Barter increases by 0.3!

  I pause for a minute when I realize that I’ve got about 10 million credits worth of nano in my hand. The number makes me remember my sick mother back in Citadel, and how much 10 million credits would do for her. My spirits sink a bit. Still, this shard wasn’t that hard to come by, and unless we get it back to Citadel, it won’t matter how many of them I have. Having a spell like that will certainly increase our chances of getting back. Still, it seems like a lot to trade for just one scroll.

  “Throw in two hundred gold, and you got a deal.”

  The woman balks at the surprise counteroffer. I slowly twirl the shard in my fingers, enticing her with it until, finally, her desire for it gets the best of her.

  “Okay, I’ll take it for that,” she says.

  Jackpot!

  Your Barter increases by 0.7!

  Skill Up! Your Barter skill is now 4!

  We make the exchange, and Gilly gets her last scroll. We split the gold between us.

  “Shall we go?” Diana says.

  We leave the establishment and head toward the palace.

  “I’ll show you to the baths,” Diana says. “The king has graciously provided you with more . . . appropriate clothing to attend the banquet in.”

  The way she paused before saying “appropriate” makes me consider my now grimy, sweat-stained Ninja outfit in a new light. I figure a bath will be as much a relief to us as the people enduring our company. “Is there a place where we can wash our clothes, too?”

  Gilly laughs. “I was just going to ask that.”

  “I’ll see to it,” Diana says. “Please, this way.”

  * * *

  We leave the bazaar and head for the royal palace in the center of the city. Diana points out various landmarks as we pass by. The place is huge. At least twice as big as Swifttide, I think. There’s a large cathedral guarded by knights, with Celestial Mages moving in and out. Next, she shows us the main keep and the barracks where the army trains. Even this late in the day, I see lots of guys in chainmail performing drills with swords and spears. I have an urge to ask her how many men they have, but I don’t want her thinking I’m some sort of spy seeking military info, so I keep my mouth shut. Finally, we pass a large coliseum that’s made of granite, with columns at least a couple stories high.

  “How long did it take to build all this?” I ask, thinking about Brookrun and how much it would take to transform the village into something like this.

  “Not long once the king arrived. You Shard Warriors have a way of accelerating things. I’ve seen this city grow tenfold in less than a year under King Braxus’s reign.”

  “How long have you lived here?” Gilly asks.

  “All my life,” Diana says.

  This gets me curious. Val Helena did mention she’d seen children, but do the AIs actually have kids and stuff. “So, you were born here? Like your parents are still here?”

  “Yes, I was born here,” Diana says. “As for my parents, however, they have long since passed on to the next world.”

  Wow . . . so maybe they do have kids.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Gilly says.

  Diana adds a small frown to her already dour face. “This place was not always so peaceful.”

  She says nothing more, however. And after a few more minutes of walking, we finally arrive at the palace. I’ve never seen one before, but the building in front of me lives up to my imagination. Ornate, domed roofs rest atop walls of white marble. Leading to the front gates is a lawn of well-manicured grass, cut through by a red-tiled walkway lined with tall fir trees. More city guards are posted at the entrance to the walkway, and while they stiffen when they see us, it seems more a sign of respect to Diana than an alarm due to us.

  When we get inside the palace doors, I see that the interior is even more lavish than the outside. Everything is made of fine marbled tile, and what has to be some sort of light spell illuminates the interior better than LEDs ever could. That reminds me of something.

  Me: Hey, you did get that light spell, didn’t you, Gilly?

  Gilly: That’s what you’re thinking about right now? O_O Look at this place, dude!

  Her response makes me chuckle.

  An elderly woman in a simple gown and apron appears from a side corridor and greets us. “Ah, you must be the remainder of the king’s guests.”

  I smile. “I guess so.”

  “Thank you, Lady Diana,” the old woman says. “I shall take them from here.”

  “It was nice to meet you, Reece,” Diana says. “And you as well, Gilly.”

  “It was nice meeting you, too, Lady Diana,” I say as we shake hands.

  She gives me a rare smile, and seems to hold my hand a bit longer than is necessary. She squints her eyes at me again, and though she’s smiling, they seem to have a touch of sadness to them. She looks like she wants to say something else. But then she must change her mind, because she breaks eye contact and looks down at the ground.

  “I’ll see you both at the banquet,” she says, still not looking up. “Goodbye.”

  And with that, she spins on her heel and leaves us in the palace.

  Chapter 21: Bathtime

  “I’ll show you to your rooms,” the elderly woman says. “They are next to the baths. The rest of your companions have already arrived.”

  Gilly and I head down a few more corridors, and then come to one that’s lined with doors, much like a hotel. I’ve never actually stayed at a hotel, but I’ve seen them in my movies. The doors are all on one side of the hall, and the corridor takes a turn at the far end.

  “The men’s quarters are here,” the woman says. “The corridor leads to the baths. The baths are shared, but separated by a partition.” She then points to one of the doors. “This room is yours, young sir. Please place your soiled clothes in the basket, and I will have them laundered immediately. You will also find a change of clothes for the banquet, as well as a place to store your valuables, if you wish.”

  I’ve never had five-star treatment like this before. “Wow, thank you.”

  “I’ll show your companion to her own room now.” She turns to Gilly. “If you’ll follow me, young miss.”

  Guess no snuggling tonight. I wonder if my brother had anything to do with these sleeping arrangements. “I’ll see you at the baths then, Gilly.”

  “You won’t be seeing anyone, young sir,” the old woman snaps. “Such would be inappropriate. But you may converse through the partition.”

  Yikes! Talk about matron control. “Okay. Understood. Thank you, ma’am.”

  The old woman gives me a suspicious eye before leading Gilly away.

  Gilly: See you in a few! (:

  Gilly: Not! =P

  I can only smile as Gilly gives me a cute little wink while tipping her witch’s hat. Seeing the hat reminds me of something. Oh, dang! Her present! “Gilly!”

  I rush back down the corridor, once again sparking the ire of the old woman.

  I give her an apologetic smile as I make a quick trade with Gilly. “Sorry. B
ut you’ll probably appreciate it. You might not need to wash her clothes after this.”

  “Huh?” Gilly says.

  You request a trade with Gilly.

  You offer:

  White Witch’s Hat: +15 INT +15 MND +20TP

  White Witch’s Coat: -10% Casting Speed +150TP

  White Witch’s Leggings: +15 INT +15 MND +50TP

  Gilly’s big green eyes go wide. “Is this for me?”

  “When I saw it, I just knew I had to get it for you. You look too darn cute in that witch’s hat. So I bought you the upgrade.”

  She giggles and gives me a great big hug. Out of the corner of my vision, I see the old woman give an oy vey expression. That causes me to laugh, too.

  “Thanks, Reece. You’re the best boyfriend ever!” Gilly ends our hug with a kiss, and I sheepishly let her go when the matron woman mutters something under her breath.

  “Okay, see you!” I give a final wave goodbye, and then head for my own room.

  * * *

  When I open the door, I feel like I’ve just won the lottery. Inside, tiled flooring is made warm by a plush fur rug. Sitting on top of it is a four-poster bed made of solid teak and fitted with a mattress made of more furs. I close the door and jump onto the bed like I’m six years old. I land, feel the give of the material beneath me, and release an involuntary sigh.

  Man, I could really get used to this!

  I’m so tired from the past three nights in the wilderness that I almost feel like crashing, but a nice hot bath sounds like a winner right now. I check out the rest of the room. On a small bureau next to the bed, I find a wool-linen robe, as well as a neatly folded green tunic and matching pants. There are some leather sandals, as well. The basket for my dirty clothes is on the floor.

  I strip down and feel relieved to be free of my Ninja outfit. Only then do I notice a small chest that opens with a lock and key. Stowing my weapons, I lock it, then drop the key into my robe pocket once I get it on.