章節 5: Homesick
Reaching the city walls by dusk, I walk through the still bustling crowds, excited by yet another name day. Apparently every year, all children who had turned 17 in the past year are given a class by the gods, which seems more like a tool of survival here than a blessing from the gods. The city we live in, Ankor, is built with security and durability in mind, made from stone and brick, and with little decorations except for the core of the city, in which the nobles preside, under the careful watch of the king. The city walls look as if plucked from a medieval European fortress, high, thick and well-manned, with a city watch overlooking both the forest and city for threats and disturbance. 'It seems the existence of magic and supernatural abilities has stunted the growth of technology. Shame.'
Reaching the house of the host, no reaching MY house, I see light emanating from the windows. 'Urgh, time to meet my family. While I could rent accommodation, that would waste my currently limited resources, and while the forest is survivable, it's neither entirely safe nor comfortable. So, parents, it is.'
"I'm home!"
"Ah Fionn, I'm in the kitchen so get changed before dinner."
Heading upstairs and into the room, I now called mine, I learnt more about the person I was inhabiting than I could from my brief glance through his memories. The room was tidy, with books on monster anatomy lining the shelves, and a catalogue of weaponry positioned exactly at the corner of his desk. 'I guess he was preparing to be a full-time hunter then.' The room had no pictures, no diary. It felt more like a rented room for temporary stay than the room in which someone lived. Stripping off the bloodied tunic and gambeson I head to the mirror to have a look at myself. 'Wow what a serious looking guy. When I was walking through the crowds I recognised that my body was slightly taller than average, maybe 6'2, but that's as much as I'd been able to find out without a mirror.' Looking back at my harsh looking features, it was easy to see his past attitude. With shaggy black hair and storm grey eyes I looked reasonable, not a model, but also not so horrific to be called a grorm. My body, lean as it was, was wiry, designed for speed rather than strength. Checking myself out further down I exclaim with relief, "I've been blessed by Freya, thank the gods." (Norse goddess of fertility) As I cheer for myself I catch a sight that was a little offputting. My teeth were longer than I'd expected, honestly they seemed like a potential weapon if necessary. Not quite so long that they'd impede my speech, but just pointy enough that any accidental tongue biting might cause bleeding.
"I don't know what you're doing up there but come eat."
Looking at my new parents I was a little underwhelmed, my father while tall, with dark hair, was aged and unfit, not quite obese but not seemingly dangerous either. My mother, short and plump had the same grim face as me, a constant leer in her eye and an air of disapproval.
"So how did it go? Get a good class?"
"Define a good class, as long as I live and can kill things the class is good."
"sigh, yes but is it a dangerous class up in close quarters. You've never been very athletic dear. Until you've boosted your stats, I'll be worried for you."
"I've been blessed as a warrior, but I'll be fine. I've already hit Level 2."
"Good, wouldn't have wanted to race in the final days would you? So who'd you hunt with?
A few moments of silence passed between us before they realised what my silence implied.
"YOU WHAT!!" My father stood, outraged at my supposed stupidity. "What in hell were you thinking boy? Alone? There are more dangerous things in those woods than lone kobolds and wolves boy. Are you an idiot?"
"What's the most dangerous thing in those woods then father? B rank monsters?"
" Though there are B ranks in the forest, it's the groups of low rank creatures that kill the most people. They underestimate the challenge of facing multiple opponents and succumb to their wounds."
"Don't focus too much on the higher leveled beasts and work on getting into that school. You've always put things off to the last minute and not getting in would be disappointing, not only for us but for yourself, wouldn't it."
"Don't worry, I'll get in." 'Afterall, theres no way those arrogant pricks from home wont be there lording over the commoners and building up their alliances like the bugs they are.' Taking the last bite of food off my plate I get up to leave. "If you seriously think the most dangerous things in those woods are the beasts, you're a fool yourself father."
After a long night of maintaining my gear and sleeping on a rock solid bed, I seriously wondered how someone had managed to make a bed less comfortable than the ground on that island. Deciding to do a light jog and familiarise myself with the city while looking for better armour.
While I'm looking through the stalls of a armour merchant, I hear the high pitched squeak of Benji, "Hey Fionn, Fionn, what're you doing buddy?"
"What do you think I'm doing Benji?"
"Buying armour I'd guess,' he said as if he hadn't sensed the sarcasm dripping from my words. "Hey do you reckon you could lend me 5 gold? I really need it."
"Who did you lose a bet with?"
"What no one, I swear. Look I need some armour but I'm broke, but I saw this guy selling a full gambeson for 5 gold." 'Huh, either someone has realised this guy's an idiot, or prices have gone up since yesterday as they try to squeeze money from this year's naming group.
"Tell you what, give me 2 gold and I'll give you a set of gambeson."
"What, if you have a gambeson, why're you still buying armour? Oh, you're upgrading right?" Looking at my still, expresionless face he continued unashamedly, "hey, um I'm broke. Like flat broke, so how about this, I'll team up with you and I'll pay it off that way, although we'll have to split XP, we're gonna be a dangerous duo for any beasts." Considering the deal I wasn't too fond of the idea, I'd have to limit my prey to beasts and sharing the XP sounded annoying, but I understood the benefits.
"If you find a healer in the next 10 minutes while I'm buying armour, you have a deal." A grin formed on my face as I sent him on a fool's errand, everyone knows that parties seek healers not the other way around, but Benji turned and ran, calling out every few metres.
"Idiot."
Pulling the armour I'd been looking at through the window off the mannequin and bringing it to the merchant's desk I drew some looks from the other youths in the store. "How much for this boiled leather armour with the basic enchantment?"
"10 gold, no less. I don't care what sob story you have." The store clerk, looking at my simple clothes obviously believed me unable to pay for it.
"Done, and those gloves too." The boiled leather was more rigid than the gambeson, but less cumbersome than the lengthy gambeson, and would protect me much more than the cloth and horse-hair padding. The enchantment was what made it expensive, though a minor improvement, the price had doubled with the involvement of enchanting runes. The gloves I'd selected were'nt anything special, fingerless but with metal plating across the back of the leather apparel, so as to protect the hand from cuts or blows that slide down one's weapon. Additionally, I could now bash things with the metal plate, like Benji. Dropping 11 gold on the bench and equipping the new set of protection I walked past the shocked customers, hearing the mutters of those that believed me a merchant or nobles son hiding their identity.
"Hey Fionn, buddy! I found one!" 'How did that idiot find someone, the only way they were still alone is if no one wanted to work with them, so a psycho or a noble. Nobles only like working with subordinates and political allies, and psychos were deemed dangerous. Of the two though I'd take the deranged one any day of the week.'
"Hello there, my name is Ophelia Fairgood, and I hear you're in need of a healer."
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