The World Which Is

The choice of books the club makes available is extensive, but they’re all geared toward research. History, geographic, zoology, cryptozoology, there’s even books on combat styles. It makes sense, research is central to the explorer class.

What it is not, is well organized.

I look through it while lying in the bed. The room Malcolm assigned me has two, which is the least number of beds any room has. Silver and Helen have to stay at the rooming house, across the road, the club runs. The clubs has a strict rule of no visitors allowed to move out of the dining room. We can bring guests to eat and talk with, but after that, they need to leave.

Even the bonding Malcolm and Helen did over Brandon’s childhood antics wasn’t enough to let her stay here.

The books are listed alphabetically. That means there is a long section starting with “the,” because, somehow, the system’s not smart enough to know to ignore it in favor of whatever the next word is. I can do a search for 'The Nox’, but if it isn’t in the title, I don’t get any result; which is the case here.

It doesn’t mean none of the books the club has talk about it. Just that no one has written one and titled it ‘A history of the The Nox’ or something like that. At least, Base knows his library well enough that when I ask for a movie or a book, I don’t have to be specific about it. A ‘western with a lot of drama in it’ is going to get me a bunch of results. Here? I can’t query the interior of the books, just the title list.

Considering that Alexander Pope has to resort to putting a price on my head to get my Journal, I’m thinking there might not be any information anywhere outside of it. Brandon says the Detroit Library will have something, but it’s going to be a question of, one, getting in and two, finding it.

He’s supposed to have a way in, but at this point, I’m not sure that person is still alive, considering his previous ‘friend’ was dead.

Since I’m not done with the book Brandon lent me, I read that.

I’m only three pages further into the tome when Brandon enters and drops on the other bed.

“Are Silver and Helen settled in?” He insisted on accompanying them across the road. He trusts the rooming house, just not the distance separating it from the club.

“Yeah.” He shimmers out of his armor and the clothing under that, and I forcefully look away. I try to make out his expression out of the corner of my eye, and there’s nothing snarky about it, or even a glance in my direction to see if I’m reacting to his nakedness. Instead, he’s busy looking at something, moving his finger about. He’s sending his clothing to be cleaned. A service the club offers, along with baths, long-term storage of our things, and a few others.

I’ve already sent mine, keeping only what I have on. That’s going to be sent once I have something else to wear. I’m on the waiting list for the bath. They have four, but there’s a lot of people at the club today.

The club also has an armor repair service, but I have to pay for it, and I can’t decide if it’s worth it. One dungeon, and my armor was basically ruined. How long until the repairs I paid for don’t mean anything, again?

I can see the appeal of putting a lot of points in any ability that increases my toughness. “Brandon, what are your thoughts on magical protection?” I look away as soon as I catch myself glancing in his direction as part of talking to him. This time, he smirks when he looks up from the book.

“Magical armor’s not worth the money anyone will charge for it. If you find a piece in a dungeon, or ruin, it’s a toss up if it’s worth more as currency than protection.”

“I was thinking more of something like an amulet of protection, or a ring. I know those aren’t cheap, but they’re tougher to damage, and the protection is constant.”

“Feeling the loss of your armor?”

“It’s not lost.” I protest. “But what’s the point of spending money getting it repaired if it’s going to be ruined after the next serious fight?”

“That’s what raising your dodge skill’s for.”

“But if it’s high enough I can’t be hit, what’s the point of having armor, then?”

He sits on the edge of his bed, facing me. “Dennis, you’re—” I have my eyes glued to the page, any closer and my nose will touch them. He sighs. There’s the rustling of fabric. “You need to get over that, you know.”

I glance, and the sheet is over his lap. “It’s not as easy as you seem to think. We’re not all the hunk you are.” I so wish I hadn’t said that. He smirks and my ears burn.

“Look, you’re over thinking things again. The armor, your skills, and your abilities, they’re meant to work together. You don’t dodge exclusively not to get hit, but to minimize the hits that connect. You’re learning, so yes, you’re going to go through a lot of armors until you’re good enough. But you’ll get there.”

“But what if I don’t pick—”

“You’re back to wanting the perfect build, Dennis. It doesn’t exist.”

“What am I supposed to do, then?”

“The best you can.”

I glare at him.

“How about you prioritize, instead? The way you’re talking about the armor, it sounds like the problem isn’t that it’s not going to protect you, but that it’s going to get damaged. Does it have emotional weight?”

I start to protest and stop. “I guess. It was Aaron’s armor. I inherited it when I took his quest. Is it stupid that I feel like I have to protect it, instead of it protecting me?”

He grins. “You’re asking me about what’s stupid?” He sobers. “No, it’s not. However it happened, it means something to you. My advice is to put it in storage. Get some cheap equivalent you’re not going to care that gets shredded, learn with it and all the others you’re going to buy, because trust me, going the route of using armor is going to eat up a lot of your money until you get to the point of working with it and having them last longer.”

“Any idea where I can get one? You made it sound like I shouldn’t get anything in this city.”

“You definitely shouldn’t. Merchants here will take one look at you and, if you’re lucky, leave you with your clothes on by the time they’re done. I, on the other hand, know people. So my first question is, are you superstitious?”

“What does that have to do with getting a new armor?”

“If you insist on new armor, nothing. But if you want to save money, you want to go used.”

“I still don’t see what…. Oh. You mean armor someone died in.”

He nods.

Ghosts are real. They come up as a monster if you query the system about them. They are a lot of different kinds of ghosts. All of them are monsters. The old folks claim that every ghost is the spirit of someone who used to be alive. That the system somehow plucked them from…well, they believe odd stuff about what happens when someone dies, but that’s how ghost are made.

Dad, for all that he’s one of the old folks, doesn’t believe in that. When people die, that’s the end of it. Base, oddly enough, isn’t as adamant about that. He doesn’t believe the System can take people’s souls and turn them into ghosts, but he believes there is something left once someone dies.

I? “I don’t care. I mean, even if the person became a ghost. The system’s going to put it somewhere, not keep it attached to the armor.”

“Glad to hear it. Then it’s easy. Talk to Malcolm. The club always ends up with armor they’re willing to sell for basically the price of the repairs.”

“A lot of explorers die?” I can’t keep the worry from my voice.

He snorts, stretching on his bed and, of course, pulling the sheet off him in the process. “People who like to think they’re explorers do.”

*

Malcolm’s behind the bar handing bowls of something steaming to a… I don’t stare. More because it’s impolite than because I don’t want to cause a query. Short fur on his, or her, head, brown with a green tint to it, going down under the layers of clothing they wear. The face is scaled, instead. The hands are clawed, the fingers thin and long.

“And how is Brandon’s protege?” he asks beaming at me.

“Don’t you ever sleep?” I came after my bath, which ended up being on the late side, and he was there, laughing with a group. Now it’s first thing in the morning and he’s looking way too perky for my liking.

He sighs theatrically. “Yes, I do. Unfortunately.” He smiles as I raise an eyebrow. “Are you offering to keep me awake through the next night?” he winks and my cheeks burn. “Oh, you are so cute.”

And now my ears burn too.

“Do I have a sign? ‘Easily embarrassed, tease heavily’ or something?”

He leans forward and lowers his voice. “Hun, I’m the kind of man who can tell when someone is ripe for learning about the joy of sex.”

My ears are in the process of catching fire when the realization hits. “Brandon told you, didn’t he?”

“Helen, actually. She said something about how you turn beet red anytime Brandon makes his clothes vanish. And considering what I know of the man, I’m surprised he hadn’t seen to your education yet.”

“I told him I wasn’t ready.”

He gives me a speculative look. “See, that doesn’t work for me.”

“I’m sixteen. I’m allowed not to be ready for sex.”

“I am so not the right person to comment on that. But I meant Brandon respecting that. I know the man.”

I shrug. “Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think. Maybe there’s someone decent under that smug, in your face exterior.”

His smile turns sad. “Don’t go believing that, Dennis. You’ll just end up with a broken heart.”

“I’m not in love with him, you know. He’s just a friend.”

He searches my face, then nods. “Enough maudling. What can I offer you? I’m off the menu until the morning rush is over.”

“You never stop, do you?”

He grins. “When you decide you’re ready, come find me and I’ll show you.”

“How about coffee and breakfast? Brandon said the club sells armor for reasonable prices.”

“You superstitious?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then, the club’s prices aren’t reasonable. They’re ridiculously low.” He leans forward and smiles, so I ready myself for it. “How about I take you in the back and measure you for a good fit?”

“I’ll settle for breakfast and you eyeballing me.” There, not even blushing.

“Oh, honey, I’ve been eyeballing you lots already. Been using my imagination, too.”

I swear, between him and Brandon, I’m going to end up catching on fire.