Cruxis and Alaroc sat covered in bruises and cuts that Zilo and Aakif couldn't fully repair even with their magics. Cruxis gripped his mug until his knuckles went white. Alaroc on the other hand was beaming after his victory over the tense paladin. Alaroc winced as he wrapped his arm around his gloom friend.
"Cheer up there friend! That was the best fight I've had in years, you should be proud!" Cruxis shifted his eyes over to Leo and stated,
"Leo, sorry, I tried my best."
"It's fine, I'm sure Al can handle the monk, right Al?"
Alaroc gave a thumbs up as he tilted his head back to gulp down most of his ale before he leaned back a bit too much and he wobbled in the air. Tess righted him back down from his side before he fell over. Leo gripped his chest and sweated a little bit before turning over to Zilo.
"Zilo, bards can do all sorts of bolstering spells right, do you have anything to help him help me out of this?"
Zilo stops and thinks a minute then he says, "I might, but nothing that would last permanently, I can apply it before the match though." Leo sighs and takes off his cloak inlaid with small flecks of sparkling metal, pressing it down to the table.
"Al, take this, It will help."
Alaroc grabs the cloak then using it like a napkin he wipes away some of the excess ale from his face before Leo snatches it away again and shouts, "No ya drunk!, It's a Cloak of Resistance! I snatched it from a double crossing client back in the Stormstate a few years back. It'll help in the fight tomorrow."
Alaroc winks and waggles his finger as he uses his other hand to drape the cloak across his shoulders. Cruxis drops his ring and amulet on the table as well and says, "Good thinking Leo. Alaroc, take these too, should help your chances."
Alaroc takes the two of them as well with the cloak sloppily caught on his ear, making the necklace tough to drape on, but the ring went on simple enough. Tess begins to unbuckle her belt, to which Leo raises his eyebrow and remarks with a smile,
"Whoa! Fair maiden, just what do you plan to give our friend over there. Cause a gift like that is best given in private."
Tess' neck swivels and her eyes narrow as a spark of power jolts out and streaks toward the magus, and in a stern voice she replies, "I do this for your sake whelp, stay your tongue unless you wish to visit the grave faster."
Leo's face freezes and his eyes widen as he leans back, but just as quickly his mischievous smile returns and he tries to recover by saying, "Fine then. I didn't know you cared so much, please proceed." Tess scoffs at him before handing over her leather belt fastened with large metal buckles Alaroc, who takes it and asks,
"Um, is this like a magic belt?"
"Put it on and see."
Alaroc repairs his slip shod assortment of new accessories before buckling the belt then looking to Tess, she motions her hand and elbow up into a resting position and motions for Alaroc to arm wrestle her. The two lock arms and the match seems about even with Alaroc barely eking out the win. Tess then turned to Zilo and said,
"Would you mind trading seats with Leo for a moment so he and I may have a go?"
Zilo takes his chair and swaps with Leo, who shifted his chair over, but as he does he asks, "Why not me though, Leo and me are pretty even I'd say."
Tess smiles and bats her eyelashes at Zilo as her hand clasps around Leo's and she responds. "Because I like you, pretty bard." Followed in an instant slamming Leo's arm down and off the table into the stone laid floor of the tavern, making the magus fall off his chair and shattering his arm in the process. All the while her body stays upright and eyes locked on Zilo.
The rest of the tavern murmurs and stares then Zilo quickly shouts out, "Duh... By Cayden looks like someone can't hold their drink. Sorry Leo, we gotta cut you off." Zilo lifts the moaning magus off the ground and places him back on the chair away from Tess. Zilo retakes his seat and Tess motions to her arm and says,
"It's the dragon blood, not many can match my strength, and that belt is the only reason Alaroc could win. It's a Belt of Giant Strength, made it myself."
Alaroc looks down at the belt then tries to flex his arm, and he smiles under his helm before remarking, "Tis true! I hadn't noticed, but I feel like I could bench press an ogre."
"I will be needing it back after the tournament, but you can borrow it until after your match." Zilo takes out a scroll, quill, and inkwell before looking to Tess and asking, "That's fine, we have a craftsman that might be able to forge some more of those. Would you mind telling us what you know?"
Tess looks to think it over and Zilo follows up with, "Come on, do us a favor here." Tess smiles and tilts her head before returning with, "Fine I'll do you a favor now, but you'll own me a favor in the future." Zilo smiles and nods before Tess begins to detail how she crafted the belt as Zilo writes notes for Maldrek to use.
Aakif the whole time had been silent, contemplating something. Until Cruxis stirred him by asking, "Speak your mind brother, you look worlds away." Aakif looked up and then said, "I've just been wondering why this monk Alaroc is to face entered the tournament. After all there are not many sane reasons to enter a blood sport such as this one."
"Ah, that is still a mystery. He can't just be in it for maliciousness like we thought, or he would have outright murdered Leo rather than hold him hostage." Responds Cruxis.
Alaroc takes a breath away from his flask and says, "We entered cause of the prize, the fancy pants sword."
Leo cradles his arm and chimes in, " The Canyon Cracker."
"Crayon Crusher, yeah. We're hired by a dwarf to get it and bring home some cash. Dwarf says his family crafted the blade and for his family's honor he needs her back. Such a blade would go for a pretty penny."
Leo chimes in again, "I did a bit of digging after he told us about it. Turns out it is an Artifact, made by a master craftsman and the method to make it died with him, It's likely to never be replicated, making it one of a kind. Speaking as a former thief, those sort of marks, even a Minor Artifact, could have you set for life."
Zilo shakes his head putting away his notes he took from Tess and says, "With skill like his he would be able to afford much more than the rags he wears if it was gold he cared about."
Tess opts in and says, "Maybe he wants fame."
"Fame?" Asks Alaroc.
Tess smiles and explains, "That's why I entered. My people don't appreciate my abilities, so I wanted to show my stuff to a more receptive crowd. Perhaps the monk wishes to spread his legend."
Alaroc asks, "Do the victors really become that famous?"
Tess smiles with a nod and says, "Of course, you've seen the crowd out there. Not to mention with the tournament now allowing for magic and other skills, this will be the first of it's kind. It would be shocking if the victor didn't become a household name."
Alaroc's face shifts to one of surprise and says, "A glory seeker then? Doesn't seem the type, well I am going to turn in early, need plenty of rest for the showdown tomorrow." Alaroc rose from the table and clambered up the stairs to his room for the night.
No comments:
Post a Comment