The way he said the last thing bothered me. It was like he was accusing me of something I had no recollection of or control over.
“You keep saying that over and over, that I must have been rich. But you can’t know that,” I said. “Didn’t you say that some kids are just lucky and assigned to be Guardians despite not being a noble?”
Leon’s cheeks flushed, and he looked away as he said sheepishly, “Yeah, I s'pose. Sorry.” Before I could respond, he kept right on talking. “Either way, you’ll need some protection first chance you get. Augers are notorious for hoarding gear, and they don’t lend it around. It’s kind of like a status symbol. The level of loot you wear is indicative of the beasts you’ve killed. And you’ll have to be extra careful against the razorclaw. But if you survive this, you’ll get part of the bounty reward, and you can use that to upgrade later on.”
I nodded in acknowledgement of his help, but I didn’t speak—tension from our previous words still thick in the air. I wasn’t sure what Leon thought of me, but I couldn’t have him accusing me of being something I wasn’t—or didn’t know I was.
Picking up the bow, Leon turned it over and examined it.
“See this,” he said, pointing to an indentation on the front of the grip. “That’s a magika slot. You can augment this bow with one of your magika stones. But be careful, once you augment a piece of gear, you can’t remove the stone without destroying either it or the weapon. That may not be a big deal with a Class 1 weapon, but that Class 5 dagger you’ve got—I’d be extra careful about what you choose to augment it with.”
He handed me the bow, and I accepted it. “What type of magika stones should I use? And which ones would be best as a Guardian?”
“A Guardian can only use Support magic, found exclusively in blue magika stones. But you’re an Auger—you can use any of the five types of stones that you’d like. I’d recommend Attack magic, which are stones usually reserved for Champions.”
“You’ve used that term a few times now: Auger. Is that a sixth division?” I asked.
Leon sighed. I must have been wearing on his nerves. These were probably the types of questions that got asked in that Sworn training Von talked about.
“Yes and no,” he finally answered. “It’s complicated. You’d best not worry about it right now. You’ve got a huge learning curve if you want to make it through this bounty mission. If you fail, the best you can hope for is that KotF simply disowns you.”
“I could get kicked out of the clan?”
“It doesn’t happen very often—clan members are insanely loyal,” he said. “But if it ever happens to you, good luck trying to buy or sell anything on the open market. The clan blacklists you, and any vendor that normally deals with the clan won’t give you the time of day.”
My shock and worry must have been on full display because Leon was quick to add, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you out. Hold on.” He turned around and dug in his pack for a minute before producing three large green magika stones. “Here,” he said, handing me the stones. “Those are Class 1 Attack stones. The larger the stone, the lower its class.”
“Isn’t that counter intuitive?” I asked as I rolled one of them around in my palm.
“Not really,” he said. “Think of it this way. Each stone, regardless of class, contains the same amount of magika, but the smaller the stone, the more condensed the magic and the bigger the punch.”
“Kind of like pressure buildup?”
“Exactly.”
“So, how do I tell what each stone does?” I wondered aloud.
“The symbols etched on the side, see?” he said as he pointed to a flame, lightning bolt, and snowflake.
“Nice,” I said and extended my hand to give them back.
“Keep them,” he said.
“Are you sure? I thought you said Augers were protective of their gear.”
“Right. Their gear,” he clarified. “Not magika. Most creatures, beasts, or monsters frequently drop magika when they Fade. Class 1 stones like these are super common.”
“Thanks, I guess,” I said. “Which one should I put in my bow?”
“That choice is up to you. An Auger never tells another what magika to use. It’s the number one rule of being an Auger. It’s why they exist in the first place.”
I got the feeling that statement was loaded with meaning I couldn’t understand, but he’d just given me a gift, and I didn’t want to press my luck asking more questions.
What stone did I want to use? Fire, Lightning, or Ice? Fire might come in handy, but what if I missed a shot? Would it ignite the forest? And Lightning sounded cool, but how effective would it really be at Class 1?
Ice it was then. Perhaps a well-placed shot or two might slow the razorclaw down, maybe even freeze it completely if I was lucky. Though, I doubted my bow had that sort of power.
Pocketing the other two, I took the Ice stone and placed it into the slot on my bow. It clicked in with a satisfying pop, and the string of the bow turned a frosty blue. Running a finger along the length of the bowstring, I felt the cold, but it didn’t hurt me.
“Interesting choice,” he said. “Well, Von and the others should be about ready to go. Come on.”
I looped the bow around my right shoulder, hooked the quiver over the other, and picked up the coin bag. Based on the feel and weight, there were likely no more than 50 or 60 coins in the pouch. I had no idea what that could buy, but it didn’t seem like very much.
Once we finished this job, I might have enough money to make it to Obsidia, and then I could find Claire. She was still—and would remain—my number one priority.
Four
Leon was already standing next to Von and the others as I made it up on deck. I took a quick glance at a couple in our party standing nearby and did a double take.
“What’re you looking at?” the girl asked, crossing her arms.
“Where are you manners, Elsie,” the other said, then he extended his hand. “I’m Rayf.”
They were the couple I had discovered making out below decks. The girl, Elsie, was dressed head to toe in black leather armor with her spiky, blonde hair adding the perfect accent to her appearance. If her looks weren’t deadly enough, the two-and-a-half-foot blade at her waist surely was.
Where Elsie projected grace, dexterity, and deadly efficiency, Rayf was the total opposite. He, too, was similarly outfitted but with steel plate armor and a four-foot greatsword, making him a veritable walking tank.
“It’s easier to fight in than you think,” Rayf said when he saw my raised eyebrow.
I really needed to work on concealing my expressions.
“But don’t worry,” Rayf added. “You’ll get plenty of time to admire it from behind while I’m cutting down the enemy.”
“Shut your trap,” Von said, knocking him on the back of the head. As Von’s eyes evaluated me, his brows furrowed. “Where’s your gear, lad?”
“This is all I’ve got,” I admitted as a rush of heat came to my cheeks.
His eyes settled on the pouch of rifs in my hand. “Guess we’ll have to stop in at McCreary’s before we head out. No matter, it’s on the way. Let’s head out.”
Without another word, Von walked down the gangplank with the others in tow. I gave my course of action one last thought. I had no way of knowing if Claire was at the capital or if she was even still alive. But rushing off to find her now wouldn’t do me any good. Especially, when I could remember so little about who or where I was.
The others had only reached the dock when I went running down after them.
Fairfalls wasn’t much to look at—a tiny marina large enough for three ships, a small town square with at most four shops, and a handful of houses. How these people afforded to live in the middle of nowhere, let alone fund 1,500 rifs for the bounty, was baffling to me. Perhaps they were into the import/export business. Either way, this wasn’t Von’s first time in Fairfalls, which was evidenced enough by his determined walk through town, but m
ore so by the reaction of the townsfolk.
Many smiled and shouted greetings to him while others reverently moved to the side as we passed.
“What’s going on?” I whispered to Leon.
“Augers are a bit of a thing of legend to the people on the Fringe,” he said. “Everyone’s got a stat called ‘fame.’ When you become an Auger, that stat automatically resets to zero. The more bounties you fulfill, the lower the number becomes.”
“Into the negatives? Isn’t that a bad thing?” I asked.
“Depends on your perspective,” he said cryptically. “Does it look like a bad thing?”
Before I could answer, a man exited a nearby shop and ran out to meet us, embracing Von in a great hug.
No, it doesn’t seem bad at all.
“Come here,” Von said to the man. “I’ve got someone I want you to meet.” They both walked up to me where I stood in the middle of the street with Leon.
“Lad, this here’s McCreary,” Von said to me. “He’s the best armorer in town, and he also happens to be my half-brother. He’ll get you suited up for the mission.”
“Come on, follow me,” McCreary said. “We’ll see what we can do for you.”
As I started leaving with McCreary, the others headed off in a different direction. “Hey, where are you all going?” I asked.
“Just a quick stop into the inn to see Sophie while you’re being outfitted,” Von replied. “Don’t worry about us, lad. We aren’t going anywhere without you. Run along now.”
His words were slightly reassuring, but I couldn’t help but feel that I was treading on thin ice. Von was nice enough, but he seemed like a no-nonsense kind of guy, and I had no way of guessing how much further his patience would go.
The last thing I needed was to be blacklisted by the clan. Then I’d never find Claire.
A bell rang as McCreary pushed the door to his shop open, and a girl behind the counter looked up in turn. Recognizing her boss, she continued on with whatever she was doing behind the counter.
The shop itself was as drab as the town. This wasn’t the kind of place one would find exquisite gear, not that I had the rifs to pay for it anyway. All along the walls were shelves and shelves of worn leather, dented metal, and rusted chain link armor.
McCreary walked right past all of that, lifted a flip-up countertop that allowed him to pass through, and disappeared into a room at the back of the shop. A moment later, he returned with a large box in hand that he set down on the countertop. Pulling open the lid, he withdrew a full set of pristine steel-accented leather armor with a single augmentation slot on each piece and laid them out before me.
“How much for all of it?” I asked.
“Normally retails for 950, but seeing as you’re one of Von’s clan, I’ll give it to you for 875,” the man replied.
I winced. No way I could afford that.
“I can sell the pieces individually if you don’t have enough for all of it.”
Opening the top of the coin purse, I dumped all the rifs onto the countertop and counted it out—72 gold rifkels.
McCreary frowned. “The cheapest of these pieces runs for 125 on the market.”
My shoulders must have visibly sagged because I swore I saw a glimmer of compassion in his eyes.
“Tell you what—”
I could barely contain myself. He’s going to give me the whole lot!
“—the chestplate takes up most of the set’s cost. I’ll sell you either the gauntlet or the boots for whatever it is you've got there.”
My joy was short-lived, and I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. But that didn’t stop me from trying my luck. “Could I have both?”
McCreary’s eyes narrowed. “What do you think this is? A charity? I got a business to run and employees to pay, regardless of you being one of Von’s boys. My offer stands: one piece for all your rifkels. Take it or leave it.”
Hmm. If I could only have one, I needed to make the right decision. Boots could come in handy as I didn’t know how far we’d be walking, and my current shoes seemed pretty worn. At the same time, unless we came across a pack of rabid chihuahuas, I didn’t see how boots were going to provide me with much protection.
“I’ll take the gauntlet,” I said.
“Excellent,” he said, scooping the coins off the counter and handing them to his assistant. “It’s all yours.”
“Is there a second one? It seems kind of odd to sell only one gauntlet.”
“Sorry,” he replied with a shrug. “Sold the other a few weeks back to a guy who had a hole in his. Business is slow on the Fringe. I take 'em where I can get 'em.”
That was unfortunate, but what else could I do? I took the gauntlet and slid it onto my right arm. Digging through my pocket, I pulled out the two remaining magika stones. Fire or Lightning?
I didn’t like the idea of shocking myself, but I liked the idea of accidently being set on fire even less. On second thought, I decided to hold off on further augmenting my gear until I understood more about how it all worked.
McCreary nodded as I gave my thanks and went off to rejoin the rest of my crew. Von had said something about an inn. It couldn’t be too difficult to find in a place like this. Even so, it took me a minute or two to get my bearings and another to locate the inn.
As soon as I walked in the door, I immediately spotted the others.
Rayf and Elsie were playing a game of pool in the back while Von leaned over the front counter sweet talking a middle-aged woman in a blue dress. Leon stood just off to the side watching the news on the broadcast.
I moved to join Leon, but Von intercepted me and put a hand on my shoulder. He was about to say something to Sophie when he got a good look at me and frowned. “I thought I told you to get some gear.”
I held up the gauntlet. “It’s all I could afford.”
Von snorted and gave a shrug. “Guess it’ll have to do. Now, what was I about to—oh right, Sophie, this here’s Aren. The other new member of our team I was telling you about.”
“Pleased to meet you,” she said with smile. “Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?”
“No, I don’t think so, ma’am,” I said. She didn’t look familiar to me at all. Not even a flicker of recognition. Granted, it could have been the amnesia. It was still so hard to tell what I should or shouldn’t know.
“Please, just Sophie is fine. There’re no sirs and ma’ams on the Fringe. And I’m sure we’ve met before. Or—” Her face lit up like a beacon. “I know! I’ve seen you on the tube,” she said, nodding toward the broadcast. “You’re on Champions of Drakor, right?”
I didn’t know what to say to that, and thankfully, I didn’t have to.
“Nah, Soph,” Von said. “My daughter was obsessed with that show. I’ve seen derned near every episode, and Aren here ain’t on it.”
“Ah, well,” she said admitting defeat. “Perhaps you just look like someone I know.”
“Sit down a minute while I finish up, it’ll be your last chance for a break until the job’s done,” Von said.
I gave a courteous nod to Sophie and walked over to join Leon.
“What’s new?” I asked.
“There was a shooting at one of the Sworn prep schools in Valeria,” he said matter-of-factly.
I winced. “Casualties?”
“Not from the shooter,” he said. “The Civies remotely locked down the gun the second the weapon was fired.”
“Civies?” I asked.
“Sorry, I keep forgetting how much you’ve forgotten,” he said. “It’s short for civil servant, a.k.a. law enforcement.”
“That’s good news then.”
“Depends who you ask,” Leon said, pointing at the broadcast. Lights were flashing, the camera changing angles often as dozens of heavily armored men pushed back a large crowd around the school. “Twenty-five have died in the riot that's ensued. Far more than probably would have otherwise. All because people feel the government’s overstepping its bounds.”
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“What do you think?” I asked him.
Leon shrugged and shifted uneasily. “The king’s got to do what he’s got to do. We have enough trouble with Balgyra as it is. Every Sworn is an asset we can’t afford to lose, even if they haven’t taken the Oath yet.”
“Can’t anyone take the Oath?”
“Oh, sure, but the prep schools are designed to give oathseekers all the head knowledge they require so that the day they turn seventeen, they can begin their practicum. It speeds the average two years of training down to six months. Not to mention, it reduces the risk of involuntary suicide.”
“Say what?”
“Magika is no joke,” he said. “Do something stupid like hold down the stone too long and, boom, your weapon explodes.”
Huh. I’m glad I didn’t augment my gauntlet then. I like my hand right where it is.
We fell silent, and I turned once more to the broadcast. As I watched, a red blinking light beside the screen caught my attention. It was a security camera of some kind. My eye stood transfixed on it as it slowly rotated along its predesigned path through the inn’s lower level.
When it pointed at me and Leon, it stopped. For the briefest of moments, I could have sworn I saw the lens zoom in a little, but then the camera returned back to its movement in the other direction.
It must have just reached the end of its range.
“All right, Knights, let’s get to it,” Von called out.
“Aww, come on,” Rayf said, holding up his pool stick. “I was about to win.”
“You wish,” Elsie said with a glare. “I had you dead to rights. Von just spared you an embarrassing loss.”
“Get a room,” Leon said with a roll of his eyes.
“Gladly,” Rayf said, pulling Elsie toward the stairs.
“Knock it off,” Von cut in.
“All right, all right, we’re coming. Don’t get your panties all in a bunch,” Rayf replied.
Von simply glared at him and walked out.
Sworn Guardian: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (Forbidden Magic Book 1) Page 3
