3: City of sparks

The world is bigger than Thornwick

The Dwarf had been abrupt and put on a good show of being the gruff, silent type but he had humoured every question Kire lobbed his way for a good hour. When asked why: "You seem to take this serious enough. Adventurers who don't ask about the threat tend to get chewed up by it." Kire knew without the pointed stare the caravaneer had been referring to the two hooligans in the front wagon.


Laying on his belly Kire drew his hood over his head and put his face in his arms to take forced rest for much the rest of the afternoon. They didn't stop at a normal dinnertime, pushing on until the sun was getting scarce to pull off and stoke a low fire. There was a total crew of four Dwarves and three adventurers gathered around the fire when something clicked. "Ah, you two are brothers!" He called over to the young men who looked at each other as if sitting on an inside joke and the older one finally bust out laughing. "Man, you're so weird! What is with that outfit? And why is your hair so long?" Kire didn't skip a beat. "Because your mom thinks it's sexy." The duo freezes, look at each other again and with a rising 'oooohhHHHH' break into an other round of laughter with the elder composing himself first. "Yea we're brothers, been at this for 6 months now." (Good to know mom jokes are hot with the disrespectful kids in any world.) *You know they're right, that's hardly a colour that appears in nature.* (You know what else doesn't appear in nature, System? YOUR MOM.) With the mood lightened the brothers seemed more inclined to engage. "How about you then? From another town?" Kire waved dismissively and pinched the meat on his skewer to see how it was cooking. "Nah, I joined the guild yesterday." One of the Dwarves chokes on their drink. The younger brother took a turn trying to gauge if he was for real. "Seriously guy? You know these jobs can be dangerous right? Couple more hours could have wolves on us." "Or a bandit slitting out throats!" The older added, "And...and fucking our corpses!" Continued the younger again. "Alright that's enough out of you lot!" The driver from the larger wagon threw a twig at the dubious narrators. "If anything will lead them here it's all your yapping."


Dinner went smoothly and the dramatis personae were introduced proper: Otis and Jedda, the older and younger brothers respectively who took to adventuring to see as much of the world as they could. They took whatever jobs got them the farthest never staying in one spot for more than a week so despite their short tenure in the guild they had done many of these transport jobs already. The team of Dwarves they were hired to protect were a veteran crew: The driver of the sturdy cart Kire rode was Arnes, the driver of the lead cart was Thrain, the other two were Eshin and Ennes. Thrain and Arnes had been working together for 18 years, they didn't open up about what they were transporting but none of the adventurers were particularly interested anyway. Night settled and because he had rested most of the day Kire took first watch. This was extra beneficial since he had the vantage of the solid wagon's roof to watch clear around the camp from. The fire was snuffed and Kire lay low on his perch not trying to too obvious in the chance they were being cased. There wasn't much moonlight from behind the clouds but there also wasn't much cover in the surrounding terrain for anyone or anything to sneak up on them. Nothing of note happens during his watch and making an extra paranoid round of checks he slides down to wake up the younger brother for their turn. The rest of the night goes by uneventfully and at the earliest light they are on the move again.


--


Now Kire is confident to prop himself up with his backpack as a pillow and read his plagiarized primer on the local threats. The wagon shook him side to side whenever it bounced over a deviation in the grooves worn through the crude dirt road by the frequent passage of horse drawn wheels and though Kire hadn't been bothered by it so much when he was fully prone for his rest the day before now that he was trying to occupy himself it became pretty frustrating and he saw the brother's enthusiasm for legging it to the other cart was clearly about more than a proper seat and cover. With the sun finally cresting enough to shine on their journey proper he pulls his hood up to shade his face, setting aside the book and sitting up with a grunt. The driver couldn't see him and the second wagon was far enough ahead that with his back turned to them to face over the plains he considered it private enough that he could probably sneak in some discrete item creation to make good on his daily expenditure. As he does a final sweep to their surroundings he finds himself lingering a great deal to appreciate the scenery... They had left behind the strip of farm land and now fields of assorted wild grasses, flowers and weeds rolled up and down shallow hills still framed between the awesome snow-capped Ironspike mountains and the monolithic treeline of the Eldergrove which even a few hours past sunrise nearly still cast a shadow all the way to the road they travelled.


While he scanned the horizon he thought he saw a flicker of movement by the edge of the distant woods that crept down from the mountains opposite the Eldergrove. Or perhaps it was a reflective flicker? It was only for a second and too distant to make out so he sets to his first project of the day being a simple telescope; An aetherial furnace fired into a collapsed brass tube roughly six inches long and two inches in diameter. Extending it and bringing it to his eye he aims to where he thought he saw the flicker but whatever it was had stopped or moved on or not been there at all. He loosens his belt a notch and tucks the telescope there to secure it where he could easily reach and a gnawing suspicion had him scanning the field's edge frequently during his next project: a Parang style knife and sheath to fasten across his lower back. As he's strapping it on he thinks he catches a flicker out the corner of his eye again and immediately grabs for the telescope but as before finds nothing when he looks save swaying branches. "Hey Arnes, I think something's up." he calls over the side to the driver while shimmying across the roof towards the front of the wagon.


"What did ya see, boy?" The grizzled old Dwarf didn't make much of an open reaction but Kire could tell by the change of grip on the reigns that he wasn't the only one seeing things. "Can't be sure what I saw but the vibe's off. Maybe a kilometre back I thought I saw something glinting in the trees. Saw it again just now, can't get a read on what though." He didn't want to make any strong suggestions but the driver said it out loud for both of them: "Signals. You be ready to hop down now, soon as we stop you run up to the next wagon and tell them. Quick as you can then right back." He draws a small whistle from a pocket on his chest and blows a short, quick code that causes the horses of both carts to stop immediately. Making good on his orders Kire swings off the roof and lands in a roll, taking off to the lead cart 20 meters up.


The brothers in the back of the wagon had already tensed from the signal and looked like they wanted to ask as he dashed by to skid to a stop along the front of the lead carriage. "Signals in the trees, we've seen two now, looks like mirrors." Short and to the point as instructed. Eshin had been riding up front with Thrain but he now immediately spins around and over the ledge into the back to be heard speaking in a low tone to the others while the Thrain waved Kire away. "Move fast!"


He didn't need to be told twice with the adrenaline switched on in anticipation of whatever was to come. He pounds his way back down the grassy shoulder and he hears the reigns crack on the first cart just before seeing it on the second. His ride starts to move and he grabs one of the climbing bars before fully hitting the brakes to let the momentum swing him upwards to get his feet on the wagon which was already accelerating to speed. Clambering to the top and holding on to the rails he gets back to the front, hood blown down and long hair whipping about. "What are we expecting?" he called down, still not seeing anything ahead where the road wound through and around a couple of low hills as the horses accelerated to a full sprint. "Highwaymen! Camping at night is the riskiest but it's also not unheard of for them to signal along to ambush points when they spot a mark!" The old Dwarf sounded like he was in the throes of adrenaline himself, urgent and uncharacteristically loud. Regarding the road Kire realises that with the carts settling into naturally developing grooves it would be difficult if not impossible to turn course quickly-Swerving wasn't an option, and the bandits likely meant to capitalize on that. Now the wagons were going faster than he thought possible. "We're going to ram them?!" Arnes packed the reigns into one hand and used his other to draw a strap across his waist, looping it through an iron ring and tying it as his only answer. Kire grinned maniacally, tying his rucksack straps to the wagon's upper rail on the left side and pulling out some rope to tie himself by the waist to the opposite. He could no longer see into the wagon ahead of them with the cloud of dust kicked up by their newfound speed and Kire wondered what kind of barrier the horses would be impacting. (Bet those guys wish they weren't in the front for that.)


--


Rounding the bend he still cannot see through the cloud of dust when he hears the crash and the whinny of horses, squinting and reflexively putting a hand over his face as they drive through it. What he can see is a man appearing on the top of either hill flanking them when they round the bend with the one to the right drawing back a bowstring. Instinctively he knows they are aiming for the drivers and pulling the rope he'd used to fasten himself to the railing taut to control the slack he jumps overboard. The bench at the front of the carriage could have held two people but Arnes was sitting in the middle and Kire had to make due with landing on its outer edge partially suspended beside his senior as an arrow socked into his side. "OW! FUCK!" Kire tosses aside the arrow that struck him. Feeling pretty stupid that he doesn't have any ranged weapons to fight back with he braces his arms over his head in case of any other incoming shots. The archer on the left seemed to have been planning to shoot at the lead wagon but since their target had already rushed too far ahead he swivels and looses at Arnes instead. Fortunately the quickly recalculated shot was off just enough and only nicked the Dwarf's leg as it embedded into the seat. The archers don't have time to reload before their quarry has thundered into the pass under the cover of the dust cloud and their own scattered allies.


One particularly desperate man threw himself at the wagon, slamming himself onto the bench with a running jump just to get a boot to the face for his efforts as Kire kicked him right back off. Feeling his ears prick Kire looked around the side of the cart to see another scrabbling to get a hold on the door so he wraps the excess rope holding him around his wrist, gripping it and swinging out to run the length of the wagon's side and kicks the second bandit off too, the man dropping to the road and screaming when the back wheels ran over his legs in a terrible crunch. The carriage took on a lean that made Kire nervous so he swings himself back to the front just in time for a busted lumber frame left over from whatever janky fence the brigands had made to skim by where he had just been. There was cries from ahead with the sound of steel on steel and steel on wood and they sped past another body sent brutally tumbling along the ground.


After that it seemed they had successfully pushed through the ambush, the shouting and scuffling of the raiders disappearing behind them. Giving it more distance to be sure they were in the clear a wide-eyed and panicking Arnes reaches out to grab Kire, trying to feel for the side where he'd been struck. "How bad are you wounded, boy?! Speak! I can't believe you took an arrow for me ya damn fool!" Kire squeals and grunts lightly slapping the hand away and uses his own unbound hand to shimmy his tunic up revealing the dense chainmail hauberk that tucked into his pants. "I'm fine old timer, it might leave a bruise but their bows weren't strong enough and their arrows not specialized enough to get through." The grizzled old Dwarf looked almost dizzy with relief, nodding to himself while the horses slowed down. Kire pointed gingerly at the second arrow still lodged into the seat. "If anything we should check your leg."


--


The horses slowed to a halt, heaving their breaths from the exertion. They were a breed for long labour as opposed to speed and that was probably as hard as they've ever been pushed. Arnes hops down still ignoring his leg to check on them and with a nod and a wave to Kire the misplaced man understands, cutting himself loose and running towards the front wagon again where the crew were also disembarking. Ennes was doing a roll-call to assess injuries now that heads were clearing enough to handle them and when he sees Kire approach he too waves the born-again adventurer towards the front. Thrain was standing by the horses rubbing his face. One of them had a broken leg and was struggling to stand, mostly only held up by its yoke and the other three were stressed accordingly. Eshin was pulling out a tin trough and a hose of hemp cordage connected to a barrel to prepare water for the horses."Help me untie her," Thrain waves Kire up, who approached slowly having no worthwhile knowledge of tack. "Just show me where."


The wounded horse lay on the ground as Thrain and Eshin tended to her after moving the wagon back enough to get her clear of the wagon's breeching. Ennes had Kire assist with assessing the wounded from there. All told it was minor stuff: Kire did indeed have a bruise just under the ribs on his right side where the flexibility of the chainmail stopped the arrow but allowed the impact. Arnes' leg was a simple patch job, and Jedda had taken a mean gash to his forearm. Ennes was reasonably competent in first aid and had it thoroughly cleaned and bound in fresh gauze from the wagon's emergency supplies and despite how bad the cut had looked his hand and fingers passed a dexterity test to make sure no tendons had been severed. Ennes joined his fellows at the wounded horse and Kire sat with the brothers. "I couldn't see it but from the sounds of it...Did they manage to board?"


The brothers were not so jubilant this time around and it was the first time Kire had seen either them make a serious face. "Yeah, if they stop the first wagon the second is trapped too so they came at us pretty good. That horse was wounded in the collision and only managed to keep going as long as it did from panic, I think." Jedda said looking sadly at the prone mare who clearly needed to be put down. Otis reviewed the state of his gear making sure his sword and shield were still in working order. "Us and Eshin managed to fight off three of them before they could get a foothold but two more got on board. Nearly got Ennes-A cramped and rocky space like that isn't good for our style. We managed though."


Kire heard...Throat singing? And his eyes found the four Dwarves in a sort of prayer around the wounded horse which calmed and settled down. Ennes drew a hatchet and made one precise hack at its neck to give it peace. Jedda's face sunk and he seemed unusually distraught by it but Otis just shook his shoulder. "You know it had to be done, we need to get moving fast before our attackers regroup and get any ideas about pursuit. Even if we had someone with healing magic they wouldn't have the time to rehabilitate it." The Dwarves returned, Thrain firmly issuing commands so everyone returned to their posts to move again. The remaining horses had been given their fill of water during the rest and everything was already repacked. It would be slower going now with the lead team down a body but they would still make it to Glimmerforge by dusk. Climbing back to his bird nest and retracting the rope he had used earlier to pack again Kire almost doesn't hear Arnes talking...Strained, sullen voice as it was. "That's only the second horse I've lost in 23 years." The sorrow is evident behind the stony expression but Kire looks back on the road they came down and the dire weight of the alternative was clear. "I'm sorry for your loss."


--


They go in silence for some hours with the three contracted adventurers on constant vigil. Kire wrung the telescope in his hands and the canvas covering the other wagon had been pulled up in the corners enough that the brothers could watch out to either side. Glimmerforge appears in the distance and finally Arnes speaks. "They wouldn't have taken hostages, you know." Kire leans back to eye the driver out the corner of his eye. "I assumed that was the case when the plan was to crash through." Arnes shifts uncomfortably, turning to look up at Kire for the first time the entire trip. "We're not worth the ransom...And they wouldn't risk witnesses after hitting a bank cart." He stared at Kire as he said that but the hired gun didn't so much as take his eyes off the horizon, just giving the roof a knock. "I thought this buggy looked a little too tough." Letting the stare sit a little longer to assess the 'young' man Arnes returns his eyes to the road. "You don't believe me?" Kire flicks his telescope up in the direction where they had faced the attack on the road. "Doesn't affect me either way, although some might wonder why you aren't better guarded. A rookie who was born yesterday on his second job and two kids? I hope your cargo is empty." Arnes catching himself smiling reluctantly allows himself a laugh. "You're not wrong, the need for security varies with route. No, the cargo isn't empty, but it is less full than if we were leaving the city to replenish the outskirts rather than the other way around. There's a reason the other wagon seats eight." Arnes had decided to admit their purpose as a sort of final test of character. He hadn't really considered it necessary given the rookie in question had thrown himself in as a human shield faster than Arnes could register he'd been in danger but money tended to make people insane and he wondered how they would react to the idea of literally sitting on top of a small fortune. For some reason he wasn't surprised they were so dismissive of it.


"Hey Arnes?"
"Yes, Kire?"
"What's the schedule like going back to Thornwick?"
"Five days from now."
"Dope. Hey Arnes?"
"Yes Kire?"
"You're calling me by name now. What happened to 'boy'?"
The Dwarf just chuckled.


Just beyond the gates of Glimmerforge is a small guild outpost places specially for finalizing such jobs and as Arnes turns in the job tickets he confirms the attack and the rank of pay. Due to the valour of the adventurers with both Kire and Jedda risking their own bodies to protect their charges and defeating several assailants between the three of them they were all recommended for three star pay and endorsed for commendation-A type of achievement tally within the guild that helped determine progression and was especially valuable to low ranks. Then there was a brief follow-up report on the attackers and the location of the ambush for further investigation where everyone had to give their statements likely to form a new quest posting for addressing the issue. There was what felt like a comparatively hefty payment of fifteen Silvers and Kire was positively itching with excitement to work on them. Parting ways the Dwarves direct their carriages to their destination inside the city and the brothers invite Kire along to a tavern they're familiar with for the night. Besides the campfire the night before they'd all been having dry rations for the duration of the trip and the prospect of a proper meal fought its way to the front of their minds as a top priority.


Glimmerforge could not be more different than Thornwick; Though the village he'd landed in had been a formidable township this was a city proper and the difference in the number of people and the amount of activity made that clearer than the difference in size. While Thornwick mostly slowed down at dusk the streets of Glimmerforge still bustled at twilight with well lit streets, open businesses and crowds of people still shopping or pursuing recreation. The layout and style of the city seemed largely in line with Thornwick's own but the majority of buildings were grey stone brick except around the outer edge of the city. While he studied the well-paved streets and impressive arrays of street lights System intruded on his thoughts with some uncommonly helpful insight. *Glimmerforge is a major hub of commerce and as such has three major squares instead of one. Besides the adventurer's guild there is also an artisan's guild and merchant's guild chartered here who make good use of these plazas for markets and exhibitions, including the Moonlight Market. The Moonlight Market had started as an exclusive once a month affair for socialites to find special wares like magical items but over the years has become a more open tradition, consistent and accessible to all...Provided they can afford it.* Kire stopped to really analyze one of the street lights, touching it and reading it through his power. (Oil lamps...Is that whale oil?) The brothers stopped when they realized he was lagging. Otis beamed, "Pretty cool huh! Not a lot of places have these yet, Glimmerforge has some pretty progressive stuff! We should get going before the rooms are all taken though." As Otis bragged about the municipal achievements System continued over him: *Yes, whale oil. The strong presence of the merchant's guild allows a greater allocation of its import here and they made a very lucrative deal between the city administration and the artisan's guild developing these street lights. It is a local pilot project in fact yet to be implemented almost anywhere else but the capital.*


The night market sounded awesome to an adventurer such as he who could sample its wares and expand his abilities through touch but it would have to wait another night. The meagre road jerky had far from replenished him after the excitement of the battle. They get to the tavern and Kire craned his head at the structure which would have utterly eclipsed The Iron Flagon at three storeys tall and nearly double the width. "Tavern huh? This is a whole damn hotel..."


Even here it was the exact opposite of his initial dining experience in this world. The inside was bright and bustling with a layout that reminded him of the Thornwick adventurers guild in that its 20 foot ceiling covered a wide open space (besides a few structural pillars) that was ringed with a wide balcony giving access to the various wings on the second floor. There was twice as many doors as the adventurers guild he knew and where the reception booths would have been there was a large ovaloid bar setup, a second service counter at the back wall with the door to the kitchen and staff area where the war room would have been. In the back left corner there was even the built out lounge section although the raised wooden flooring had been expanded on to fit more tables in its breadth. Asking the brothers about it they shrugged but Kire had a strong suspicion that this was a former guild hall that may have been expanded out of and he wondered if many of them were standardized.


Rooms were secured first, then meals. The dining area was busy enough they shared at a great table already occupied by a few others. The other guests confirmed that The Wyrm's Rest had been a decommissioned guild hall but was still owned by the guild and refitted for hospitality to ensure there would be a place for travellers and contractors to stay for the night back in a time before there were as many other such options through the city. "We've stayed here a few times, top pick as a guild member because you get a discount." Otis added. Jedda had not been very conversational since they got back and excused himself to his shared room early. Otis waits until he is out of sight: "It's the roadside euthanasia bothering him. He's always loved horses, damn good with them too. Wants to open a ranch someday with his earnings." The other patrons asked about the trouble on the road and Kire waited for his moment. "Honestly I kind of took you two for the live wild die young types. First and...hell, second impressions were that you took this line of work for the rock star life: Babes! Booze! Action!" Otis took no offence and beamed. "Well you're mostly right. We do well with our nights off!" He raises his cup and chugs the contents. "But we have dreams too. It's more like...live wild but die old, if we can. Don't want to let the family down. We save enough of our money that we can do other things in 10 years. For Jedda it's a ranch. For me...A bar of my own." He leaned back cheeks flush with the glow of alcohol. Kire recalled chasing his dreams in his real life and opening his own shop. The picture of Halgrim pounding his whole soul into his establishment was also fresh in mind. "Well, don't think it's going to be anything like a retirement. Running a business is the most work you'll ever do."


Retiring to his room for the night Kire is still just wired enough he considers knocking down his energy with his power again. The room was substantially larger than at Halgrim's, being on the second floor with another level above he had the full ten foot ceilings and there was a copper clawfoot tub in the room. The stone floors had a couple area rugs laid out to keep the place from feeling too cold. "Fancy fancy place, at only 8 coppers a night with guild discount." Stripping down Kire starts the process of heating and adding water to the tub. There was a faucet for the water but it only ran cold and there was a small fixture nearby like a small grill where the water had to be heated in a pot over hot coals enclosed in brick that had been stoked upon the room's purchase. Eventually he has heaved in enough water which only manages to be just warm enough since the process took so long and he settles in with the strange thought that he kind of missed the river instead, scrubbing his body and shaving his face with the aid of a small hand mirror. Afterwards his kit is laid out and he sits cross-legged on the bed, this time ringing and duplicating batches of silver coins. *Whatever would the authorities think if they caught you counterfeiting their mint?* "Well it's not really counterfeiting, is it? Authentic to specification by all accounts." *You're not going to stop working for your pay as soon as you find a gold coin are you?* "Of course not, but you can't tantalize me with the idea of a marketplace full of enchanted goods and think I'm stupid enough to believe ten coppers and a handful of silvers would be enough to see anything worthwhile. I came here to arm myself with both knowledge and resources; Magic doesn't exist in my world, so I have to experience it to get a foundation for it in yours." System hums in approval. *Consider will you, that perhaps this world is now yours as well?*


Kire slots the majority of the coins he had made into wooden coin rolls he designed with a clasping lid, and open slot window running up its side to show the denomination inside also allowing for coins to be separated in retrieval. "Look man...woman...whatever. The NPCs are real charming and it's been a real hoot but I'm just waiting for normal again." He makes his way down to the main counter at the back wall to ask about exchanging his coins and the realization hits him like a great wave just how...immersed he had been the last couple days. He was even planning his library visit and shopping trip for tomorrow! Playing along with this experience was probably the only thing stopping him from blowing smoke out his ears overthinking it all but it caught him off guard just how fast and how deep he'd fallen into the role. (I need to keep an eye on reality.) Successfully exchanging his ten silvers for one gold he goes back to his room, cackling over the coin like a witch at a cauldron. (But I mean...I'm still going to have fun with it.)


--


The sleep was deep and he woke up groggily needing to pee. He takes a few steps from the bed with his eyes still closed, the room dark thanks to the heavy curtains drawn over the window. His sense of direction back flips and he struggles to process where he is in his house. The floor feels weird and the bedroom door should have only been 8 steps from bed. His hands fumble blindly through the air as he takes a couple more paces forward wondering how he hasn't walked into his dresser yet. Slowly it sinks back in where he is. Wiping his eyes of sleep his adjusted eyes make the outlines of the hotel's furnishings and he pads over to the window to open it up to the world. Dawn again. (Wish I was able to rock this routine back in my own timeline.) He also noticed a murmur coming in under the door from where people were already active in the dining room to which he was directly adjacent. He unrolls a fresh change of clothes, using the tub and a washing board left in a closet to clean the dust off of the previous day's apparel and firing a spark of his creation energy at the arrow-hole in his tunic to mend it. He figures he doesn't need his armour or sword today going with a light and casual dress but keeping his knife on his belt. Clothes hung to dry for the day he gets acquainted with the breakfast menu and works in his journal between bites. He catalogues the people he's met, the quests he's done and makes notes of what he wants to research.


--


The library is as big or bigger than The Wyrm's Rest and he bypasses the need to sign up for a guest registry with his Guild card. "At E rank you will only be able to access the main floor, although you should still find this to be a substantial benefit." the clerk explains, and Kire wonders if he shouldn't stop by the local adventurer's guild later that day to ask about his status. He'd eaten especially well this morning to hopefully buy himself enough time against any snack attacks like he had the other day and he buckles down at a long, solid table with a pile of books and his journal for further note taking.


First up is a proper and reputable bestiary as he was most fascinated by the things he might see in this world that did not exist in his own. Where the first book he had copied from the other guild hall had a spattering of dubious accounts on Wisps and Boggarts he now plundered the first of three volumes of comprehensive field guides on Misterra's many encounters. From wild beasts and monsters like Manticores, Wyverns and Owlbears to the sentient races that did not wholly integrate with the 'civilized' Kingdoms, such as Goblins, Centaurs and Minotaurs, Giants and... (Giants? Fuck yeah, where there's Giants there's gotta be Giantesses.) *Reallly? That's what you're getting out of this?* Kire breaks his silence to look up and point where he imagines System might be watching from. "You know what? Fuck you. This shit ain't even real man, so yeah? Why not?" He gets aggressively-indeed almost violently shushed by a passing porter who looked at him like he'd just taken a shit on the table and he takes the conversation back inside. (In fact, Goblins? What about a Goblin Waifu?) He imagines a half-feral short-stack girlfriend for himself, snickering with giddiness. Thinking he felt a wave of System's disconcert and remembering how long he has been single he compounds on the debauchery with graphic visual interpretations of Centaur women and even Trolls as he reads about them, as much to torment the senses of his warden as for his own intrigue. *Salacious and depraved...Truly the hallmarks of a great upcoming hero.*


Reading until his eyes lose focus Kire stumbles out of the library like he was relearning how to walk after his seven hour speed-reading marathon. He massages his left hand which had completely seized up several times from all the notes he'd written but he is pleasantly surprised to find he is still not hungry at least. (Right. Adventurer's Guild. Better get on that before I forget.) Another advantage Glimmerforge had over Thornwick was the thorough posting of signage for both street names and major facilities with him only having to stop and ask for directions once or twice to get to where he was going. Sure enough this guild hall suggested they had outgrown the last one, same number of floors but twice as wide again. In the face of this veritable fortress he wondered just how much more this world would try to outdo itself before it got comical. He throws open the door with all the bluster a super powered
dimension crossing self-prescribed comedian with mental illness could aspire for, yelling "Have no fear! The sexy saviour of Thornwick is here!" While it was mostly lost to the loud and busy room someone nearby in the crowd did yell back for him to shut the hell up.


There were ten stalls with clerks and all of them had a line. When he finally made it to the front of his own a wiry white-haired elderly human in formal attire and spectacles stood straight and stiff to meet him. "Name and purpose?" Kire pulls out his card and presents it, the man taking it to scan. "Kire, then, what brings you in today?"


Kire rolls his shoulders and cracks his knuckles. "I wanted to ask about the ranking system. As you'll notice I am rank E and quite new but I'd like a clearer picture of how and when I'll be able to advance." The clerk nods and flips the card over where two tiny coloured dots had been stamped in. "I see you have completed a two star and three star contract already. That's...an abnormal average to put it modestly, assuming your registration date of three days ago is correct." Kire nods enthusiastically. "Mhm. Mhm. I'm sure it's still too early to bring up reassessment but..." The clerk doesn't wait for him to finish but calls over an assistant and reads off Kire's membership number. The runner deftly weaves through the crowd for a back room and the clerk sets Kire's card back down on the counter. "We'll have a look at your file. We don't have details on jobs completed for other branches without putting out a file copy request but anything taken or redeemed locally will be logged." The organization in the back rooms must be improbably efficient as in the time the clerk took to finish his sentence the curly hair of their assistant could be seen weaving between the many other moving heads of the hall, striding up with a small folder outstretched. The clerk takes it and opens it in one well-practised motion, lifting the few pages within to the light. "Well now...Seems despite the brevity of your work history you did manage to bring a successful job to our fine city...And were approved for a commendation no less." Before Kire can give any input the clerk takes Kire's card again and lines it up under an embossing tool he retrieves from under the counter looking similar to the one Arune had used during registration. He stamps the card and loads it into a small frame running it through what looked like a carbon copy roller, tearing off a sheet and punching a hole in it. Taking out a second document he fills in some blanks and signs the bottom and presents it to Kire for his own signature after which he hole punches that as well, binding the copy of the membership card to it with a single tiny ring and adding them to the folder. "E rank is simple enough to climb out of but most people take at least a couple weeks to warm up with lighter work. I don't know if you're ambitious, talented, or just reckless but congratulations on your promotion." When Kire gets his card back he sees that in the top right corner where a metallic feather quill had been embossed after registration marking the lowest level recruit the fresh stamping had added a fine laurel branch to either side of it. The clerk beams proudly. "There is of course a small administrative fee that comes with filing promotions..."


Leaving the guild positively brimming with morale he checks his wrist for the time. (Oh right, that's not a thing I do.) His head whips this way and that looking for any clocks and finds hiding in plain sight built into the face of the Guild building. (I should make myself a time piece soon though, going just by daylight isn't cutting it and it'll get worse as months change.) Deciding he was finally ready for dinner he follows his nose to a vendor of something resembling curry, sitting down at one of the benched tables that looked almost exactly like a picnic table from his world that they had set out. Rolling some bread in the hot concoction and taking a bite he curled his toes in his boots with pleasure, having been already nearly vibrating with anticipation for the market. Although anyone could visit the merchants they were nonetheless as discerning as the costly wares warranted and he'd have to look a little worthier of being there to shop. He retraces his steps in his head to where the hotel was but for now taking time to enjoy his dinner with a side of people watching.


Stopping back at his room he made sure he was paid up for four more nights timing his departure for when Arnes said they'd be making their return trip. He felt...Drawn to Thornwick. Like it was supposed to be a speed bump starter town for him to immediately forget, but he wasn't finished with it yet. (Maybe I just want to see if I can push the tutorial past its scripted point and break it.) He put on his chainmail, tunic and bracers again thinking he could leverage his bold fashion as someone eccentric enough to belong at an offbeat place like the Moonlight Market. Finding it was like a game; It wasn't a black market by any means, its location and operation legal and above board but the tradition and intrigue around its origin had people more or less acting like it was a secret affair for the savvy. The locals maintained this spirit by being open when asked for directions-but whispering those directions while looking around as it to make sure no guards overheard. It was a fun way to keep the charm of this unique feature to their city that even served as a tourism draw for some.


The Moonlight Market opened when the sun set and was tucked away in a smaller park away from the main roads. More than a dozen large stalls with small lanterns strung about them had assorted setups of wares-some with veiled entries from which wafted incense smoke, leaning into the allure of mystery and mysticism. Others were more open with extravagantly dressed traders and their aides beckoning people forward with promises of treasures that would rattle the senses. There was a couple food booths as well and the whole affair could have passed for a festival on its own right despite happening four times a week.


Kire makes the rounds and one of the louder more attentive hawkers immediately locks in on the gaudy garb, calling him over with clear interest. The merchant's outfit was a richly detailed and mixed tapestry of patterned fabrics in different colours, largely purple with red patina but greens, yellows and whites also layered in. A pair of women shared his ostentatiousness with thin veils covering their faces below their eyes and their hair tied back with gold chain woven through it. The outfits and presentation suggested something like the Arabic cultures from his own world and Kire wondered if this was authentic or appropriation...Although the merchant did have a rich, reddish-brown skin tone and underlying accent that stood out against the majority of other humans encountered thus far."You, sir! From where do you hail to possess such a raiment? Perhaps it is the work of a yet obscure stitch-artist of Sarth, a one of a kind piece purchased off a road yet uncharted...Or are you nobility from Valderon? Sshh! Sssh! No fear, I won't reveal your secret, posing just modestly enough to enjoy a casual vacation away from the intrigue and bureaucracy of high-class life... Some might wonder if you could even hail from the distant nations beyond the mountains and blackened wastes-but Siddithi, I, know it is not so for such is my own origin and if I may...Your skin is much too fair."


Kire smirked. The man had an undeniable charm to his energy. (Best to keep my wits screwed on tight with this one.) He strides to the booth and greets with a bow to the man and each woman in turn. "A delightful evening to yourselves! I must embarrass myself to admit I am nothing so exciting as what you would hope for, although I do indeed come from...a very distant land, whose name would mean nothing to you I'm afraid." The merchant lights up with delight like a child who just found someone to play their favourite game with. He hurriedly puts a capon the expression of wonder to put on an intense discerning look leaning in and giving Kire an exaggerated up and down with his eyes, thumb and finger framing his chin as if in great thought. "I see it now that you've come up close... Not nobility, but soldiery!" Kire's turn for his eyes to betray his genuine surprise as he returns to normal posture with a smirk pulling at his face. "So my walk gives me away even here?" The 'harem' girls giggle, moving to arrange the tables which turned out to be on wheels to reframe the space beneath the canvas as a semi-circle of wares and revealing two plushly padded stools. The merchant enthusiastically pats one for Kire and takes the other. Kire takes the seat with a smirk. (This poor theatre kid trapped in a salesman job. I'm going to have to buy something just to reward the effort of this spectacle.)


"My friend, my friend, I do not doubt you have seen incredible things across the oceans and continents of your travels. But surely Siddithi-I your humble host-Will have something to satisfy your fascination." Snapping his fingers one of the assistants retrieves a bauble off the tables with a spin and a flourish. It is a small golden orb a mere two inches diameter with fine engravings that she presents it to Kire on a small pillow whilst her counterpart offers him a pair of gloves and magnifying glass. Siddithi flutters his hands at the offered instruments for Kire to inspect while he narrates. "A Golem core of fine make! Some artificers use stone or wood, some use metal, some even use gems to carve the rites which bring a Golem to life! The glyphs create the capacity of the Golem to understand and follow orders, while the material influences elemental compatibility with its body and magical capacity." With a great sigh and shrug he tilts his head. "It is a shame that most are willing to settle for more basic assets and it is true the gold was perhaps an exaggerated cost in the maker's choosing...But their scrollwork is of highly regarded skill. Surely you have heard of Atner the Stoneshaper?"


While Kire listened he donned the gloves, picking up the sphere and regarding it with all the intensity he could muster to play his part. He scanned it and...To his surprise it turned out to be authentic. (I guess if there were a charlatan outed in the Moonlight Market they would be driven out pretty quick to preserve the integrity of the event.) His face slacked into one of real thought and consternation as he stared at the orb only half hearing Siddithi's explanation of it while within the space of his divine gift he explored its make and matrix. "I'll take it. Next?" Siddithi staggers for a split second from having his question answered that way but claps his hands, gesturing to the girl who'd presented it and she gets to work packaging it in a small wooden box on the same pillow it had already sat which she then ties shut with a ribbon. The one who had brought the gloves now appeared with another small pillow on which rested a crystalline pyramid about twice the size of the core that preceded it. The crystal was primarily somewhere between a deep red and purple with bands of other colours that seemed to shift inside of it as the flickering torchlight around the tent tried to penetrate its depths.


"The Golem you gift that core will be fit to serve in many capacities, to high standard and for a long time. But this...Now this is a truly special work of the magical arts. He snaps his fingers and the girls draw a curtain around the booth for privacy. "I will confess to you though an incredibly valuable tool, it is a rare piece of knowledge that allows its use-rarer than the enchantment itself. It is a divining crystal, truly! Such which will allow one to peer through the mists of days and distances to find what they seek to know." Kire picks it up and in his mindforge peers through its cellular structure.


His jaw drops. His eyes rapidly flick back and forth, appearing to Siddithi as if he was studying the exterior of the artifact when he was actually mentally comparing it against as many different stones and crystals as he can ever recall having contacted in his life. "...This is synthetic...An artificial blend." Siddithi claps his hands and cheers, throwing his palms high as if to praise the heavens. "I knew it! You must be an artist-artificer yourself to have an eye so keen as to understand this gift to the world like even the finest equipment cannot." Despite the praise Kire could not simply untangle what he was seeing within the weave of enchantments. The complexity had a massive density compared to the Golem core. He looks around at the shut curtains. "We have just met, what would compel you to entrust me with this presentation? If it does what you say such a relic must be of astounding value...And if I'm guessing right by its make, there can't be very many around."


Siddithi's eyes were nearly luminescent with his passion and with another wave the girls prepare two cups of tea. "Because Siddithi, I, recognize that you recognize the real value of what is here. You did not even ask the price of that Golem core." He punctuates that point with raised eyebrows, pursed lips and a pointed finger which his assistant casually hooks the handle of his teacup onto. He blinks and takes a sip. "And Siddithi, I, have great intuition. This artifact is the work of a legendary master craftsman from my homeland of Jayate, now 100 years dead. Few of these are accounted for whether lost to time or monopolized by great powers. Indeed had I been caught with this within those borders I might have been executed for it... Such a treasure commands high price, but to even find someone who can believe in it these days...That too is rare. Lastly! But no less importantly... Siddithi, I, like you. You have a good sense for protocol." The merchant gave a hearty smile and winked over another intake of his tea as Kire returned the crystal in exchange for the second teacup, taking a sip with a light bow of his head. "You mentioned a secret to its use. Provided you have that...I'll take it."


--


Kire had not gotten as far as creating several hundred gold pieces. The price they had settled on between the three wares he had purchased from Siddithi was certainly more than he'd set out to spend but the relics were so impressive he knew he would need more time to study them to really capitalize on their power. Solid gold Golem core? 50 gold pieces. All-seeing crystal? 400 gold pieces. A small warding charm just for good measure? 80 silvers. For everything else there's Mastercard. Honestly 400 gold was a great price for such a relic when you know how to use it but Siddithi was considerate of the difficulty and risk in selling such an item. Still, Kire had to make a show of fishing around in a rigid leather utility case on his belt while he manifested a fistful of gemstones as collateral with the promise of coming back the next night to pay the rest. (Lucky my mom liked jewellery so much.)


He mostly only window shopped at the other booths but he made a case of trying to handle as many things as he could. There was an armourer with wrist bangles of enhanced strength that Kire tried on, greaves of speed and a twisted wire torc that promised increased physical resistance. He leveraged his martial experience to talk his way through sampling these things without buying, saying he may be back another night. At another booth there was a collection of rings, piercings, necklaces and bracelets, as well as a rack of magical tools. Among these he found a ring that the vendor insisted was made of Orichalcum, a short rod that could produce a modest amount of flames and a novelty ring that used a tiny glowing stone that came with a sappy story about how it would glow to show you were in love with someone. Glowstone was clarified to be a Dwarven export from the under-mountain kingdom of Kazanur, a clear white quartz-like mineral that emanated light when mana flowed through it but the story was popular among young couples. (Like mood rings. Hah.)


When he finally gets back to his room the hours had run far later than he'd have preferred. Not wasting time to heat the water he dunks into a cold bath with a barely stifled shriek. His mind was so overwhelmed with everything he had crammed into it between the library and the magical schematics lifted around the market he stewed in the water just enough to freshen up and decided a more thorough cleaning could wait until the morning. "Seems to me the power to just...Have anything, anything at all is kind of...Broken? Do people actually choose the other powers?" *What gave you the idea there has been other people?* "Oh don't be shady," Kire dried off. (Maybe this experience is procedurally generated. Maybe I've actually been kidnapped into some weird purgatorial theme park for my enrichment. Like a fantasy zoo.) He continued. "That whole 'realm beyond time' setup was so ready to go and matter-of-fact. Probably just another Tuesday for you. How long until I bump into another cosmic migrant with a chosen gift?"


The longer he was here the more Kire imagined he was able to recognize when System was present and what was going on at the other end of their link. The feeling of being watched shifted like the observer switched places though still indistinct as ever where that actually was and he imagined a sigh without actually hearing it. *You're certainly obstinate for someone who has indulged so much of this world already. Why the continued paranoia from someone who gets so far on quick decisions and quick acts?* Kire keeps trying to remember how he got here but it's a blank before his awakening in the in-between. While he preps himself to turn in he opts to leave the curtains open for the morning sun and climbs onto the bed. "I don't remember how I got here, and that annoys me. I remember going about my life, running my shop, things were busy. Spending time at cafes, indulging in treats just trying to be fat and happy in my normal life." *Well you succeeded in one of those things didn't you?* Kire groans and rolls over.


"I can't seem to figure out what the actual last thing I remember was. Was it summer, like here? Spring? Winter? Was I out for a walk, was I opening the shop? Jerking off at home? I don't know where I was when whatever version of me that is here now got gotten and booted over into whatever version of reality this is." *I suppose you already know it wouldn't help if you did. You'd be too busy panicking about if you were late for work right now.* Kire slammed his face into a pillow again and groaned again although it was closer to a scream this time. System was too right about that unfortunately and the more he reflected on how he got here the more it made him wonder if he left the oven on at home. "Fuck this, if you're going to make me neurotic before bed I'll just have to tucker myself out again!" He moves to the desk in the room and strains, forcing his breath from his chest and his ki from his arms to make several perfectly stacked piles of coins on the table for tomorrow's payment to Siddithi and some war chest besides. Once he has expended enough to be hit with a wave of dizziness that almost drops him he conjures a few tissues which he waves in the air as he stomps back towards the bed. "Since you wanna get in my head so bad, let's revisit those fantasies about monster girls huh?"


He felt System shudder and took that as his final victory for the day.