SILVERYMOON

Chapter 9

Alexis had finally made a choice. It meant the other Robes she had – two others – could be sold. One gained her 14,000 gold.

Robe of the Inferno

The coal-colored cloth of this robe is decorated with crimson-stitched runes. The runes run around the bottom and up the length of the garment in meandering lines and are a mixture of arcane formulas and praises to fire written in Ignan. The robe emits a faint odor of brimstone, and a gentle warmth surrounds it.

While you wear this robe, it provides you with a +4 armor bonus to AC. This is a continuous effect and requires no activation.

The robe can also be activated as a swift (command) action by speaking a word in Ignan that causes four fiery orbs, each about 6 inches in diameter, to spring from the sleeves. They circle slowly around your body at waist height as long as the robe remains active, but they don't interfere with your actions in any way. As long as they are active, they collectively provide light equal to that of a torch and grant you resistance to fire 10.

Two times per day, you can send one of the fiery orbs streaking toward a single enemy within 60 feet as a ranged touch attack, which is a standard (command) action. Failure means the orb misses and explodes harmlessly in a shower of sparks. Success means it explodes in a 5-foot radius burst around the target, dealing 8d6 points of fire damage and leaving affected creatures dazzled for one round (Reflex DC 16 halves the damage and negates the dazzled condition)

Gloves of Endless Javelins sold for 6,000 gold. Rick was wearing his Eldritch gloves, so couldn't wear the others. Kate nor Alexis had any skill at throwing javelins, and according to their teachers at school, they never would, so they were useless.

Rick was wearing the Monk's Belt even if he might never be a Monk. It turned out that here a Monk was not the Monk he and the others believed it to be. Here a Monk was more of a Jujitsu or Karate master than a Monk. Still, they worked for him a little, so he wore them.

Rick had, however, learned that to use his Golem books, he needed to read them and purchase a shit load of material that would cost a small fortune. Money Kate wouldn't let him spend. Besides, he needed to read the book for 30 continuous days just for the Flesh Golem. Even longer for the Stone Golem. He could only take 8 hours off each day to sleep and rest, and that was it. That meant no classes for him, and he couldn't afford to do that, so there was no money from Kate. She had won that argument.

However, Kate didn't have the same issue reading her Tome of leadership and influence +3. Granted, she had to read it for 30 uninterrupted days, but she could read it each night while Rick and Alexis ate dinner, or she didn't have a class or wasn't working on yet another song to print out.

After she finished, Kate didn't see it, but Rick swore he could. She was even more lovely than before. He thought Kate had been a goddess. Now she was even more than that. Still, Kate refused to let it go to her head, though she was happy that Rick saw her as being beautiful. Every woman wanted to believe that they were pretty. Having a lover tell her she was more than just pretty helped.

What they needed was a sign for their store. It took some convincing on Rick's part with a dash of Alexis, but Kate had agreed to call it CASTLE'S CHRISTMAS. It even had a Christmas tree with painted lights and ornaments on it. It was a small tree, but it was there.

They were even ready for all of their potential customers. They had printed out a pamphlet explaining just what Christmas was so that they would understand. They left out everything about Christ being God's Son since this place already had a shit load of Gods. They were trying to explain it as a celebration of life and good cheer.

Once a year, you decorated a tree, any tree, with decorations like the ones Alexis and Mops were sewing. Other decorations would come later. You'd give gifts to friends and family members and sing songs like those Kate had printed out.

Their store was perhaps a little bare at first. Rick and his short stories got one side of the store while Kate and Alexis got the other side of the store. There was always someone downstairs to watch over the store, help customers, explain things and answer questions, and, of course, sell items and give change.

Rick and Alexis had even talked Kate into singing one of the songs on occasion so customers could hear it and want to buy it. They thought she had a lovely singing voice.

They also had a side business. Since they had a Lyre of Building, they would let them rent it and Kate to sing while playing it to fix up their building of choice. Just 30 minutes of playing equaled three days of hard labor, so it did a lot. More than most people thought it would.

Naturally, Kate chose to sing one of her Christmas songs to entice them to come back and buy that song or one of the others.

Business sucked at first, but it gradually got better.

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One Year Done

They each still had three more years of training to do. Three times a week. Alexis and Rick would get it for free as part of their earlier deals.

Alexis was arranging merchandise on the shelving to try and increase sales while her dad was in the back room working his printing press to create more copies of something. Either his or Kate's, it didn't really matter. Kate was adjusting the location of their Christmas brochures.

They had bells hanging at the entrance, and when someone opened the door, the door hit the bells. At that moment, those bells chimed, telling them they had a potential customer.

"Corimin!" Alexis was thrilled to see him. She walked right up to him and tilted her head as he bent down to kiss her. They had been on several dates and done a fair amount of kissing. Sex so far was not something they had done, though Corimin was more than ready.

Alexis listened to Kate, trying to let him fall in love with her before she told him just what she was. Now, she could have had sex with him and made sure he didn't remember her. However, Alexis didn't want to do that for two reasons. First, she didn't want to ruin their first time. She hoped that it would be breathtaking, special. Second, she feared Corimin had resistance to being charmed. He was, after all, half Celestial, and while she didn't exactly know what that meant and didn't dare question him, she feared that might be the case.

Kate nodded her greeting, "Hello, Corimin," and walked over to those two. She was happy to see him as well. They'd had him over for dinner a few times. Alexis had even been over to meet his parents. They were closer and closer to being a couple.

"Could I interest you in a song or perhaps a Christmas decoration? We're still working on Christmas trees. Christmas is coming up very soon," Kate told him. With everything that happened to them, they lost track of time and had no idea what the date back home. But since it was winter here, they had chosen a date. Worse, they didn't date things here as they did back home. It was quite different in this place.

Corimin smiled at her. "I came to talk to Alexis."

Kate pointed behind her, "I'll just be right over there if you change your mind," she said and retreated, but also kept one eye on those two. She had high hopes for Corimin. Even Rick was no longer putting up much of a stink.

Alexis looked him in the eye. "What's up?" She didn't know of anything planned. They didn't have a date tonight, and she had a class tomorrow, as did he.

"I want… I'm trying…" He was fumbling, and he knew it. It was just that he didn't know what she would say. "I would like to call you my girlfriend. You're the only one I want to date. Not that I'm dating anyone else or have been since we met. I just want to know what you think. You can say no, and I'll understand. Or you can say that you're not ready. Or…" Corimin ceased talking when Alexis touched her finger to his lips to get him to stop.

"You're sweet, and my answer is yes, I would love to be your girlfriend. That means I can call you my boyfriend." It was a two-way street, after all.

"I would like that." Corimin started breathing again and tried to get his heart to slow down. He felt like he was risking a lot here. He liked Alexis so much, and even his parents liked her. She was pretty and sweet, and he loved her hair. She was sometimes a little shy, but other times she was very demanding, not afraid of what she wanted. She even had a sense of humor.

"Good, you can kiss me now," Alexis said. She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him back when he kissed her. The sound of the door opening caused them to stop quickly and separate. Alexis was even fighting down a blush, perhaps because of being caught kissing him. Kate knew about their kisses, so she didn't count.

Alexis was somewhat taken aback since she wasn't expecting him. "Mitala, this is a surprise. Are you interested in a Christmas decoration?" she asked in a rush of words. "They're all handmade by myself or Mops. We're still working on a tree deal."

"Is everyone here?" Mitala inquired.

Kate came over to them. "Mitala, what have we done wrong this time?" she teasingly asked him since they worked very hard not to cause trouble.

"Is Rick here? I have another offer for you to contemplate accepting," Mitala told her.

"I'll get him." Kate retreated and brought Rick back with her.

Alexis wouldn't let Corimin leave. Once Mitala was done, she wanted to talk to him about perhaps another date now that they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend.

"We have an offer for you to consider." Mitala then said, "The payment is 12,000 in gold, an equal amount in magical items, or two years of training, your choice."

"Double last time?" Kate raised an eyebrow and stared at him. "Why is it I'm not sure I'll like why you need us?"

"We are doubling it because it has the potential to be more dangerous. There is a small settlement north of here. Moonwood is to the west, Cold Wood is to the east, and the edge of the Spine of the World is to the north. It will be cold there since winter has arrived. Snow is likely or soon will be, so keep that in mind," Mitala warned them.

"A rider on a nearly dead horse arrived at Hunters Gate to the north. Before collapsing, he told the guards what they truly believed to be a tall tale. He was taken to a Temple to be tended to while a Druid took care of the horse. Both will survive.

"His story is that a very young Green Dragon named Claugiyliamatar has demanded that those in the Settlement worship him. We believe that he is seeking to make a name for himself. While a Green Dragon is Evil by nature, this one has proved different.

"It appears that he already has followers, a small group of Druids called the Gnawbones. He said he will order the Gnawbones not to take their children in exchange for their worship.

"He is even offering to have them help them with Nature. What that means, we don't know. Druids around here help many of our farmers increase their production. They keep vicious animals out of their fields. Perhaps something similar? It 's hard to follow the thinking of Evil.

"Be warned, though. Not all of the Settlement will welcome your arrival there. They are simple farmers and don't want trouble," Mitala added.

Kate raised both eyebrows this time. "A Green Dragon?" She wondered if she heard correctly.

"Like an honest-to-goodness fire-breathing Dragon?" Rick loved the possibility of getting to see a real dragon, but he wasn't yet thinking of the danger it represented.

Corimin immediately countered what Rick thought since he knew the difference. "Technically, sir, a Green Dragon breathes a cloud of chlorine gas. Still, it's just as deadly but different."

"Fire, chlorine, it's still a Dragon. So just how big is a Green Dragon?" Kate questioned him.

"A very young Green Dragon can be or should be around 6 feet at the shoulder, have a 7-foot long neck, and an 8-foot long body. It will also have a 12-foot-long tail, a 40-foot wingspan, and a wing chord measuring 5 to 7 feet. And its weight is 1200 to 1600 pounds," Corimin explained since he knew, though Mitala nodded his approval.

"OH, CRAP! And you want us to fight that thing? Can't you send City Guards or something?" Kate didn't like the idea of fighting a dragon one little bit.

"You must keep this to yourselves, but we sent some of our City Guard to Neverwinter. They have not yet returned but should have by now. They were there to round up all the remaining members of that town and get them somewhere safe. We don't have the capacity to help them. That's why we are asking you," Mitala told them. "Time is of the essence, and we can't afford to wait for them to return."

"A Dragon and Druids?" Alexis didn't like the sound of that either.

Corimin immediately spoke up and said, "I'll go with you."

"NO!" Alexis couldn't risk it. What if she had to look like a Succubus? Corimin didn't know Alexis was a Demon. And she wasn't ready for him to know that about her yet.

"You're my girlfriend, and I'm not losing you." Corimin fought back. "I. Am. Going. I have spells. I only have one year left in my training to be a true Sorcerer. You still have three years."

"GIRLFRIEND!? …OW!" Rick looked at Kate since she had just poked him in his ribs hard, and it had hurt.

"The answer is still no." Her eyes blazing, Alexis took his arm and pulled him along behind her to the backroom where Rick had his printing press.

Mitala cleared his throat, bringing their attention back to him. "I was thinking of offering to have one of our guards go with you, but if that young man is willing, I can speak with Lady Alustriel Silverhand to see if she would increase the pay to three people for one year of free training."

Mitala thought that a fighter like a guard might be better, but this might work. He knew Alexis was training to be a Sorceress, Rick to be a Warlock, and Kate to be a Rogue. So one more Sorcerer against a Dragon and a few weak Druids might not be so bad. A Cleric might be better, but it wasn't up to him.

"Give us a minute, please," Kate asked Mitala. "And we're going to want to know all you know about a Green Dragon."

"I'll be over there looking over the music. The wife is interested in this Christmas idea." Mitala got up, went over to a wall, and began to look over what they had.

However, Rick and Kate didn't get in one word before the door sounded again, and now they had a potential customer. So they had to wait till she was gone after buying one stuffed snowman and taking a free brochure so she could show her husband.

"It's a Dragon!" Rick was all smiles and very excited. He really wanted to see that Dragon.

"Yeah, an Evil Dragon that wants to kill us. Fire, gas, what's the difference? Can you resist chlorine gas? I know I can't," Kate challenged him.

"No, but he's a little one. We can take him," Rick insisted. He still wanted to see him and there was no way he would miss it.

"Small, like a Woolly Mammoth was small. Only instead of massive tusks, it can breathe a gas on all of us and kill everyone instantly." Kate absolutely hated the idea.

"We have money. We can buy things that will help us. Where Mitala is talking about is about two days from here. You bite me, I get Cum, Alexis gets Cum, and we can easily manage being gone for two weeks. Our plants are already dormant for the winter, so we have nothing to think about there." They didn't need as much water during winter. They would survive this time.

Kate groaned and gave up. She just knew they were doing this. Their city wanted their help, and she was thinking like a Homicide Detective yet again. Protect and Serve. "We get horses and that Feed Bag." Kate pointed at him. Almost instantly, she found herself in Rick's arms, and he was kissing her.

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Alexis was scared, but Corimin had talked himself into coming. She was terrified about what he would think and do when he found out about her. She had learned to care for him, and was even falling in love with him. He might be falling in love with her, but to her, it looked like Kate's idea was working in reverse.

"Corimin is coming," Alexis advised them when they got back together.

"I will see what I can do about increasing your payment to three one-year terms. I would suggest that you get ready for a Green Dragon. Even when young, they can be trouble," Mitala warned them.

"Tell me something I don't know," Kate retorted. "Four horses and at least one feed bag."

"Done!" He was going to offer that anyway. "You start in two days. Kill them or convince them all not to do this. I will be back with the horses and feed bag in two days, bright and early. Here is the map you might need." Mitala handed the map to Kate, bowed slightly, and took his leave.

Kate turned and looked at Corimin. "So, you're coming with us?" Kate smiled at him. She really hoped he was ready. She had little doubt that she would turn into a swarm of bats and might have to bite someone, so her biting Rick might not happen before they left. He, though, was definitely making love to her so she could fill him full of her Cum.

"I'll be here with my winter clothes and everything I have that might help. I even know how to ride a horse at full gallop." He was reasonably sure he was good on horseback.

"That makes one of us," Alexis muttered in a whisper.

But Corimin had one more obstacle before him. "I still need to talk to my parents." He planned to work on their emotions. That he loved Alexis, and he wanted to protect her. It was just one little young Dragon. They could take him.

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Corimin was gone. Rick practically pounced on Alexis. "Boyfriend?"

"He asked me, Dad. He likes me, and I like him. Even Patches likes him." Alexis looked down at her cat. "Don't you, Patches?"

"MEOW!"

"See?" That was all Alexis needed to hear. But Rick squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. He still didn't understand anything that cat said; only Alexis understood him.

"Boyfriend." Rick had known this day would come someday. He just wasn't all that ready for it. She was his baby girl. After all, it was his job to protect her, not some supposed boyfriend. "Does he know you are a…" Rick caught himself. They still didn't dare use words like that, just in case.

"No." Alexis knew that was a problem. Still, maybe Kate would prove to be correct. Maybe he cared about her enough to overlook that she was a Demon. She was a good person, and hadn't done a single Evil thing since they got here. Kissing those Drow or an Orc didn't count.