Judging from the position of the sun, it must have been around two o'clock in the afternoon by the time we got to the market district of the castle town.
I looked at both Louis and Melia and told them, "alright. Melia, I want you to sell anything that could be made into potions." I asked Melia who nodded her head and gave a small smile, I turned to Louis, "And Louis, I want you to help Melia out and once you're done, feel free to look around. We'll meet back here in about 45 minutes." I added with both of my party members nodding their heads before grabbing the items that we're able to be used in potion-making.
After the duo left, I started to wander around before I heard the voice of a familiar person.
"Ah, hello there, Thomas." I turned around to see the perm hairstyle of Kawasumi, with his party behind him.
"It's been a bit, hasn't Kawasumi," I said to the bow hero as he nodded while looking around, then face me while frowning.
"Where's your party, Thomas? Have they deserted you?" the near-legal shota ask, I shook my head as I stretched my arms.
"No, I sent Louis and Melia off to go and sell the items that we have collected. I'm just going to wander around for a bit, maybe go through the manual to learn more about Krishna and how to unlock his power."
Kawasumi tilted his head in confusion before asking, "Isn't Krishna a name for the eighth avatar for the god Vishnu?"
I nodded my head as I explained the reason why I named my spear.
Kawasumi hummed as I took a look at his bow, which looked different from last time.
"Hey, Kawasumi. What method did you use to unlock that form of your bow?" I asked the bow hero as he took a thinking pose for a second before grabbing his bow off his back.
"In the user's guide, it mentioned a method called 'weapon copy' which allows the hero to gain the form of any weapon that shares commonality, like for myself, if I held an oak bow, my weapon would copy it and it's stats." Hmm…interesting. My guide never mentioned that at all.
I nodded my head, "Thanks for that Kawasumi." I gave my thanks to the bow hero who beamed at my praise.
"It was nothing, Thomas. I'm glad that I could help out another hero like yourself." And with that, Kawasumi and his group left as I headed the opposite way, walking towards the numerous weapon shops.
As I walked past the shops, I stopped and faced all the shops and did the most immature things that I could've done.
"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…" I muttered as I pointed towards a random shop with every word before settling on one random shop.
"Guess you'll do for now," I said to myself as I went to the door and opened the solid oak door.
I went into a nondescript weapon shop and immediately went to the section with the spears, lances, pikes and halberds and other weapons with similar designs and started to go through each weapon.
I grasped a halberd and my screen opened, with a tab opening that looks different than the one that appeared after putting the balloon fragments near Krishna's gem.
After that, Krishna glowed for a second before shifting into the same form as the iron halberd. A complete copy of a weapon.
I felt a wide smirk plastering onto my face.
'Holy shit, Kawasumi was right' I thought as I repeated the process of copying spear-like weapons, but only the basic ones made out of iron as I felt like that, I need to master the basic weapons before moving onto the more…exotic ones.
After that, I had about three new forms for Krishna, an iron halberd, an iron spear and an iron lance. I decided to go with the iron spear, for the time being, I put the weapons back where I found them.
After doing that, I left the store quietly and headed towards the same spot that I told Melia and Louis where I would meet them.
I then parked myself on some unused crates and dug into my pocket, grabbing out a photo of my parents on the day I was born.
The picture showed my dad wearing an eyepatch, covering one of his carmine eyes that surprisingly went well with his light grey hair standing next to my mum who had mid-back length hair, dull brown eyes and a golden cross around her neck, holding myself wrapped in a light blue blanket.
My dad had a wide, happy smile as he looked at me while my mum had a small smirk on her face.
These were my parents, Matthias Anders and Hikaru Anders née Kotomine.
A smile made its way onto my face as I stared at the picture, remembering both good and bad times. I took a deep breath before putting the picture away. I then went into my menu and started to look at my weapon stats with its different forms just to both pass the time and to see what I should focus on at the moment.
Hmm, let's see…Even if I do know the bare basics of handling a spear, so I need to improve my handling of different weapons that have a root within the concept of a 'spear'. Another aspect that I need to do is gain both more power and understanding of the world.
I wonder if someone with knowledge on how to use the spear is willing to teach me before the next wave.
I opened up my users' guide and read up about different ways to apply Krishna to different scenarios.
After a while, I felt a tap on my shoulders, shaking me out of my thoughts and I was greeted with the face of my party member, Melia and a smiling Louis.
"I take it that you're done with your task of selling the items?" I asked with Melia nodding her head and gave me the money, which I put into the sack with the other silver, I nodded my head and gave my thanks.
I got off of the crates and straightened out myself before materialising Krishna into my hands.
"I ran into Kawasumi earlier and learnt a neat little trick called 'weapon copy' and used it at a nondescript weapon shop and got about three new forms for Krishna," I told the duo as they smiled and nodded at what I told them.
"So, what should we do now then?" I asked Louis and Melia who took a minute to think about it.
"I want to go to the church in the city just to see if it was different from the one back home," Louis admitted to me as Melia had a look on her face.
"And I'm sure that the ancient dragon hourglass is located within that same church." Melia informed us, causing me to pause for a second before asking her a question, "What is the 'dragon hourglass' and why is it important."
Both Louis and Melia took turns at explaining what the dragon hourglass was.
To boil it down, the dragon hourglass has two main jobs. The first one is to interact when the next wave will occur by the sand draining downwards, and when the final grain of sand drops, the heroes and their parties are transported towards the waves and fight the monsters.
Standard shit at this point, I guess.
The second job the dragon hourglass is something called 'class ups', which after an explanation from Louis, it reminds me of a job change from Final Fantasy.
An example would be Kain Highwind from Final Fantasy IV; the after years where he becomes a Holy Dragoon after defeating his dark side.
Apparently, the limit for class ups is around level 40 and is usually marked with a star appearing next to the individual's name.
Louis leads the way towards the 'church' which looked like something a man that drunk an entire milk jugs worth of LSD and had both a spike fetish and an obsession for the triangle shape was tasked with designing a building.
Sounds just as weird, if not more than a church dedicated to the consumption of fucking cannabis of all things.
But, eh, to each their own, I guess.
As we entered the building, the interior looks completely different, as if the place where made from marble and other expensive materials and stained glass make up the windows of the cathedral, and in the centre of this so-called 'sacred place' was the dragon hourglass which had beautiful craftsmanship.
Louis then wandered off, passing a blonde-haired nun with cold and detached eyes.
Which was fucking weird but considering that this world probably isn't in perpetual-if-not-shaky peace.
While I was looking at the dragon hourglass, admiring the craftsmen ship, another nun came up to my side.
"Ah, sir spear hero. What can this simple servant assist your lordship?" she asked me while giving me a bow out of respect.
"I'm just having a look around while one of my partner's is taking a look around the church," I answered her, causing the nun to sigh in…disappointment?
The nun then nodded her head while walking towards the basement?
Hopefully, there aren't any altar boys the priests make 'use' of.
I then summoned Krishna into my left hand and raised it to the hourglass, and a red beam shot out of the jewel and into the centre of the hourglass.
When that was done, a digital clock appeared within my vision in the top right corner. It showed just under 28 days.
I'm guessing that we just have under 28 days to train up and get strong to duke it out with the wave.
I then felt a small growl from my stomach, I then heard a giggle from Melia as I turned to see her with a smile plastered onto her face. I then let out a smile of my own, finding humour in that exchange instead of my usual humour.
Then another grown reverberated around the area, I look at Melia who shrunk in size and her face blushed a bright red colour.
"Hey, Melia? Do you know anywhere where we can get something to eat after Louis and I get out business done with this place?" I asked the spellcaster of the group who got into a thinking pose as her blush died down.
"Well, there is a rather good inn with good quality food on the cheaper side that I went to with Taylor a few weeks ago," Melia stated as I nodded at her suggestion with her smiling at me.
"It's a date then," I stated to the young woman who blushed for a second before regaining her features and nodding at that suggestion.
I then walked away from the dragon's hourglass with Melia in tow to the last place where we had seen Louis and he was speaking to an admittedly beautiful woman with long black hair, elfish features and pale-yellow eyes bearing black clothing.
Louis looks from the woman to see Melia and I heading towards the front door, he then turns to the woman and said his goodbyes and quickly catches up.
"Hey Melia, did you get a weird feeling from that church?" I asked as Melia lead us to that inn she and Taylor went to.
"Now that you mention it, the church felt…cold and apathetic, way different than the one back with the tribe." The violet-haired girl said as she grasped her staff tightly before taking a deep breath to calm herself.
I put my hand onto her shoulder in a friendly way, "I wouldn't worry about that for now, let's just grab something to eat." I said as Melia closed her blue snake-like eyes before opening them again while nodding at what I said.
"Come on Louis, we're heading out to get something to eat," I said as the eastern priest nodded his head and followed Melia and me.
-Time skip-
When we finally reached to the inn Melia had recommended, we've already ordered our meals and sitting in a booth with comfy leather seats.
The atmosphere was a calm and laidback one as the torches on the wooden walls brought a warmth that felt similar to the pub Ashley's dad had run for several years.
"Hey, Louis, Melia," I said as the eastern priest and spellcaster looked at me, curiosity plastered over their faces.
"Hmm, what is it, Thomas?" Louis asked as he looked at me with his innocent-looking amber eyes.
"Why don't we get to know each over." I proposed to my other two teammates who thought it over for a bit before nodding in acceptance.
Louis went first.
"I come from the eastern lands of Q'ten Lo and was born as the second youngest child of the Kaine family with the elders running a rather large church near the capital," Louis stated, causing me to look at him for a second before nodding my head.
Hmm, it seems that Q'ten Lo is most likely a Japanese or Chinese based country if he is truthful about being from the east.
Melia then went next.
"I'm from a tribe of people from the countryside of Melromarc, and I'm the youngest out of three siblings to the tribe leader and one of his wives," Melia stated, causing my mind to go blank for a second.
"W-wives!?" I asked Melia who blushed for a second before nodding her head.
"You'd be surprised how common polygamy is in my family. And considering that both my father and oldest brother are attracted to strong females while my sister has two husbands and three wives, it isn't a surprise. It's just…common." Melia admitted with a blush colouring her pale face.
I then told them about my life before being the spear hero.
"Before I was the spear hero, I was just an average person working for multiple people for some spending cash while going to university to become a morgue technician, as it was my passion. I also had a stable relationship with a girl named Ashley Brooks who I knew back in high school. I also had a younger sister named Kiera who is going to Monash university to be a doctor." I stated, causing Louis to smile fondly while I saw Melia having a troubled grin growing on her pale face.
"Do you have a picture of Ashley?" Melia asked with an odd look to her face.
"Uh, yeah," I said as I pulled out a picture with Ashley and me during high school.
The picture was taken in front of the Brooks' pub. Ashley had blonde hair that reached to mid-back and green eyes, and she was wearing a fur-collared jacket with a white t-shirt underneath, black shorts with brown boots. I had longer hair tied into a rattail that reached mid-back and had a green Hawaiian shirt with a white V-neck shirt underneath, black leather-like pants with a wallet chain on my right side and brown shoes.
Melia blushed at the picture of myself and Ashley before nodding her head.
"I see," Was all she said before a waiter came up and placed our food in front of us.
Louis' meal was a simple steak and chips, mine was a beer-battered fish with a drizzle of lemon with a side of chips and sauce.
Melia, on the other hand…
"M-Melia, I'm pretty sure that you don't need THAT much meat in a diet," I exclaimed as I saw the platter the tiny woman had in front of her.
I swear that there was at least five kilos worth of meat on a single platter with a side of salad that had a drizzle of sauce.
"I don't see what the big fuss is about, my father and brother eat around double of this without gaining weight," Melia said with a confused tone while tilting her head, took a deep breath before diving into the sea of meat.
Louis did the same thing after doing a quick prayer.
'Keep it together Thomas. But hell, I wish I could eat that much and not gain a single pound.' My thoughts said as I shrugged my shoulders before digging into my fish.
-time Skip-
After about ten minutes of eating in complete silence, we finished and paid for our meals and accommodation for the night.
Melia had gotten a room to herself while Louis and I shared one, which I didn't mind as the spellcaster needed her privacy.
The room wasn't bad at all as it was in decent condition and seemed sturdy.
I took off my boots and leather gloves, laid Krishna against the wall and promptly fell asleep for the next day.
A/N: So, this is my fifth chapter of the dragoon hero. Just some character building and in preparation for the shitstorm that is the trial scene next chapter which would probably take me a while to write as I'm going to try to make it sound at least believable.
Also, fun fact; Thomas Anders wasn't going to be the main character, but he was originally going to be a German medical student named Alexander Ludwig who would've died from a morphine overdose thanks to a jealous brother.
So, yeah, see you next chapter.
Chao.
