The Ruler of Ruin

Stonehollow provided our group with some necessities, but not many. None of us were gnome sized, and they were more interested in magic and stealth than gladiatorial combat. The gnomes who did focus on producing goods for the arenas that dotted the Plains of Valor produced weapons of lower quality than those we already possessed. Claire, however, managed to pick up a few accessories and pieces to replace her scouting gear.

I had more gear restrictions than anyone else in our little group. Not only did I have to contend with my draconic physique and tail, but I remained a blank. Magic simply didn’t work for me, or even on me, for the most part. Which meant any gear I wanted to use either had to draw from a power other than mana, such as astral, or it had to be based in science and no one but the Stellarae Enclave had that kind of technology. Maybe somewhere out there in the vast realms of the Gossamyr there was something like that to be found, but in the Plains of Valor, my choices were nearly negligible.

Which brought me to the next day. I had little hope for acquisitions for myself, but maybe Chrys or Claire would strike it lucky. Miyuki met us as we exited the elevator from Stonehollow.

“Ready to go treasure hunting?” Miyuki’s enthusiasm for the bazaar far exceeded my own.

In my gloomy cloud of cynical negativity I didn’t really pay any attention to the small talk going on around me.

"A dragon's nature is to lament his poverty all the while resting on a hoard that would make avaricious gods and greedy kings appear destitute." Arx Maxima’s voice entered my mind like a whip, and the crystal’s voice scoffed at my childishness more effectively than the chorus of platitudes from my friends.

The Bazaar spilled between the enclaves and palisades of the local gladiators in a chaotic mess that didn’t seem to have any organization to it at all. There were no traces of gnomes to be found in the chaotic swap meet, this was the doing of the gladiators themselves, buoyed by a number of merchants. The core of the event, the real merchants, had large tents and set up in organized avenues near to the arena. Even a dozen feet past their tents, everything fell into haphazard placement of who got their first.

“Remy, why don’t you see to equipping Chrys and Claire, I will take care of Emery. You know the needs of a scout and a … I’m uncertain what role you even take in battle, my apologies, Chrys.” Miyuki stopped and bowed her head to Chrys.

Now that Miyuki mentioned it, I didn’t really know what to think of Chrys’s combat role either. Was she a mage? She didn’t enter physical combat very often.

“I fulfill whatever role is needed in combat,” Chrys answered unhelpfully, but evoked laughter from me and Miyuki both.

“Intriguing,” Miyuki said with genuine interest, as she eyed the Gneissling.

“I’ll handle the ladies, sure. I owe Claire some gear anyway, for helping me find Emery. Meet up for lunch?” Remy asked, as he looked about. Sure enough, a number of food vendors, mostly different types of meat on sticks, had set up shop too.

“Why am I going with Miyuki?” I asked a little confused.

“Because we’re tired of your gloominess,” Claire answered glibly, but Remy elbowed her.

“Ignore her,” Remy sighed. “Miyuki is a warrior, like you. I’m a mage who pretends to be a thief sometimes, Claire is a scout, and Chrys is a jack of all trades. She can help you pick useful gear, even if it’s non-magical.”

“Alright,” I agreed with the logic. I didn’t see what similarities I had with a magic using kitsune who fought with swords, but if Remy said so, I wasn’t going to argue. Maybe he just wanted to put some distance between himself and the swordswoman?

Then we were in the crowds and the sound of the Bazaar. Despite Miyuki’s short stature, no one pressed in near her. Other warriors all imperceptibly altered their paths to not intrude upon the Silver Arena’s champion. She didn’t look that intimidating to me, with her strange robe like dress, one sword on her hip, and five sheathed across her back. Maybe being a Kitsune was enough to give her a bubble? The fox-people were regarded as nearly godlike beings as they grew in age and power, so that could make sense.

Remy and the girls hadn’t gone far, and I could see them heading for one of the first tents. No bubble of personal space opened for Remy, even though he had his Kitsune ears on display, the same way Miyuki did.

Miyuki wasn’t the only one who the crowd gave a bubble of personal space to. They did the same thing for me. I hadn’t noticed it at first because my bubble overlapped Miyuki’s, since we were walking next to one another. The more I watched, the quicker I could almost see an imaginary double bubble around us that pushed the crowd away.

“What kind of gear are you in search of?” Miyuki asked me, but didn’t look at me. Her eyes were scanning the tables and wares of the nearest vendors.

“Armor, accessories. I can’t use magical gear, though, I’m a blank.” I admitted, uncertain if she knew that or not.

“That makes things easier and harder. Harder on accessories, easier on armor.” Miyuki nodded, and grabbed my wrist to tug me towards one of the real merchants tents. She looked back at me in surprise when I didn’t get tugged after her, but it isn’t like she pulled that hard.

“Damned, you must weight close to five hundred pounds!” Miyuki exclaimed, and one of the nearby shoppers laughed.

“Must’ve put on a few pounds from that bite you took out of Howlister, haha” the gladiator joked and kept on walking.

“Yeah, that’s close to my weight,” I answered Miyuki and flashed a fang filled grin after the departing gladiator. I resisted the urge to lick my lips as the memory of the succulent, juicy duck flashed through my mind.

“Champion, what’re you looking for today?” a beady eyed weasel man asked Miyuki as we stepped into his tent, Miyuki still tugging me by the wrist.

“Armor for my friend here. Non-enchanted, something made of Darksteel, Obsidianite, or one of the metals like those, Slink.” Miyuki either knew the merchant from how she talked to him, or just insulted him. Slink sounded like the kind of thing you’d accuse a weasel person of being, but maybe it really was his name, from the way he grinned at Miyuki.

“Costly, that. I’ve got a set of armor made from a metal they tell me is called Starfall Ebony. Take a look,” Slink pulled a small object from his pocket, set it on an empty table, and a moment later the object unfolded to reveal a suit of armor. The armor had a dark, burnished look to it, and had a few protrusions and spikes that looked a fair deal like me. I wanted it, but I tried to avoid showing it.

“Quit moving your tail that way, or you’ll give yourself away,” Arx Maxima chided me.

“What do you think, Emery?” Miyuki asked me. “It’s magic resistant, similar to Darksteel and Obsidianite, and it appears to be tough as hell.”

“Appearances can be deceiving,” I murmured, but when I reached out to touch the metal I could tell it was as tough and durable as those other legendary metals. How did I know? I ran one of my claw-like fingernails against it, and it didn’t come off like wax, the way steel would have.

“What’s the origin on it?” Miyuki inquired.

“Picked it up only two days ago. Had the retainer of a Mist Lord trade it to me.” Slink smiled evasively.

“What did they trade it for?” Miyuki asked curiously.

Slink held out his open palm, and kept his eyes focused on Miyuki.

Miyuki sighed and slipped a few coins his way.

“A few months ago the treefolk Champion of the Verdant Arena got assassinated in his own encampment, and the killers made off with his heartwood. From there it traded hands a few times, until I got ahold of it. I traded it to one of those fey ladies and got this in return.” Slink spoke in a way that made me doubt every word he said. It wasn’t that I felt like he was lying, but he seemed so shifty that I couldn’t help but feel he left out details. Maybe he feared being incriminated in the killing of the treefolk. Why did he keep giving me furtive looks as if he were afraid that I might sell him out?

“Quite the haul,” Miyuki laughed and looked between me and Slink. When I noticed the armor was meant for someone with a tail, and my general anatomy, I wanted it.

“I’ll give you three Fire Sapphires, a Darksteel Rapier, and Moon Pearl.” Miyuki opened negotiations.

“What size Moon Pearl? Is that the rapier you took off Jo’lu?” Slink demanded.

“The size of your fist, and yes, it once belonged to Jo’lu.” Miyuki didn’t hesitate to answer.

“That’s not enough,” Slink said with mock reluctance, the flames of greed igniting in his eyes.

“Two charms of warming, as well.” Miyuki fished one of the bangles from her pouch and showed it to the weaselman. He licked his lips.

“Almost, almost,” Slink said, but lacked the self-control to avoid licking his lips.

Miyuki didn’t name what she pulled out next. It was a white orb with a band of silverish metal around the middle, which was inscribed with different types of fish.

“Yes, yes. You have yourself a deal,” Slink greedily took the orb from Miyuki, turned it over in his hands a few times, then slipped it into his own storage. He looked around, a touch of paranoia in his gaze, while he reorganized his pouches so that no one might know which of them contained the orb.

The other goods did not receive the same paranoid treatment that the orb got.

“Do you have a spatial storage?” Miyuki asked me. I answered her question by touching the armor and shifting it to the Belt of Diana.

“Interested in selling that belt?” Slink asked, jealous of the direct transfer.

“No thank you, it’s an heirloom,” I answered, and turned to Miyuki.

“Thank you, but you didn’t have to pay. I could have—” I was stopped from speaking when Miyuki held up a hand.

“You or Remy can pay me back, if you insist, but as long as we kill Alrik I shall consider there to be no doubt between us. Now come, let us see what other treasures might wait us.”

This time, I grinned back at Miyuki. Maybe there were treasures in this strange place after all. What were the odds I would find armor designed for my physique, let alone in a naturally powerful metal. Best of all, I could stop looking like I was about to dash off to a fey ball. Whatever Mist Lord had traded the armor for a dead tree man’s remains had done me a great favor, too bad Slink hadn’t mentioned who it had been so I could thank them.

Soft laughter echoed under the crowd of the Bazaar for a moment, but it vanished before I could discern its origin. I let it slip from my mind, and Miyuki guided me from stall to stall.

Most had nothing of value to us. No normal weapon could compare to Delirium of Ruin, but Miyuki took the time to explain what advantages different metals had, what weapons they worked best as, and her favorite style of sword. She really liked swords. She bought ten of them while we walked through the stalls, none of which seemed particularly powerful or useful to me.

The dull yellow sun hung directly overhead when we rendezvoused with the girls and Remy. Both Claire and Chrys had entirely new sets of gear, and Chrys actually wore light armor now, instead of nothing or mere accents.

It had been a good day.

“Duck skewers, get your duck skewers here!”

I ate all the duck. A crowd gathered to watch me, and a wager of how many I could eat, or if I could eat them all, started. Remy made double his money when I ran the vendor out of duck meat. Luckily, he also had chicken. Which was good, but it wasn’t duck, so I only had nine large skewers.