It took us about an hour or so to leave the castle. Many of the castle servants and residents asked where I was headed, and some even tried to stop me. I just uttered "I'll stay safe" to anyone who asked.
When we reached the city square, there was a variety of shops to choose from. Closest to the castle was a shop for weapons, just opened last week. Something told me that my parents had been planning ahead. Right next door to the weapons store was an armor shop that normally only sold to members of the DPF. Perhaps they would change their mind if the prince walked in?
"Keia, Ceae, protectives?" I asked while pointing at the armor shop. Ceae nodded his head.
"You two go on ahead… I need to get arrows for the trip. Fifteen arrows won't last me very long," Keia said.
"If you insist! Try to save some money for other things, alright?"
"I won't buy more than fifty. I hear there's a discount today because it's your birthday: an arrow per Krontar."
"That's a good deal! Knock yourself out," Ceae said. Keia skipped across the street and into the weapons shop.
"Well, let's go get protectives…" I said. Ceae followed me to the armor shop.
As soon as I stepped through the door, the shop owner came from behind the counter and walked up to me. He wore goggles on top of his head and thick leather gloves covered his hands. "Prince Cryos! I am honored to make your acquaintance!" he said and shook my hand. "Your parents told me to watch out for you… Sad you'd need something to protect yourself."
"Well, nothing too heavy, please… I need to stay mobile and able to cast magic."
"Oh, not to worry. Your father picked something out with you in mind. It's an experimental piece of armor, but it works well enough. I keep it in the back."
"Anything for Ceae?" I asked.
"Well… No. I was only told to have stuff for you and Keia. I might be able to get him something at a discount…"
I looked to Ceae. "Let's look at mine first. We'll decide for him afterwards."
"No problem, m'Lord." The shopkeeper took me back behind the counter and into the private room in the back. There were many tables here with scraps of metal and parts of unfinished armor. A large furnace took up the back corner, and next to the furnace was a younger man forging armor. I stood near the entrance while the shopkeeper approached the man in the back.
"Prince Cryos has come… We need to give him that special gauntlet."
Immediately, the young man turned around and lifted up his welding mask. "You mean… That armor?" The shopkeeper nodded his head. His apprentice (I'm assuming) walked up to me and shook my hand. "Prince Cryos, m'Lord, your gauntlet is over here." He led me to a nearby table and lifted up a gauntlet that appeared to easily fit my hand. "Please, put it on." I slipped my hand inside. What had once been a gauntlet wrapped itself up my arm, and soon enough, my arm now had a protective metal arm guard.
"Wow…" I muttered while staring at my arm.
The shopkeeper shouted, "The experimental gauntlet was a success!"
"So, it's just protection?"
"No, no, Cryos… If you mess with the buttons on the gauntlet, several screens will show your stats, location, everything you're carrying… And, it keeps track of other party members too."
"That's pretty cool."
"Yes, it is." A slam could be heard out in the main shop, followed by the sound of metal hitting the floor. The shopkeeper and I rushed out of the room. Keia was standing in front of the door with an expression of hurt on her face. Caea looked as though he had been frightened, a helmet lying on the floor at his feet.
"Keia, are you alright?" I asked.
"No, I'm not! That stupid weapons shop owner kicked me out just because 'I'm a servant of the castle!'" she burst out. She broke down into tears.
I walked up to her and took her hands in mine. "Not to worry… He'll change his mind real fast… We'll get you your armor first, and then deal with him next."
For a minute, Keia was silent. Then, she finally looked up at me. "Okay… You'll do that for me?"
"Yeah, no problem… I'll buy some protective leather gloves for you and Ceae both, you'll get your no doubt 'experimental' piece of armor from the shopkeeper, and then we'll head to the weapons shop. Sound good?"
"Thanks," Keia whispered. The shop assistant came from the back.
"Lady Keia, please come with me." I let go of Keia's hands and she walked past me into the back room. The shopkeeper took his place behind the counter. He had already gathered up two pairs of leather gloves and a couple pairs of leather boots. I walked up to the counter.
"Wait, I said two pairs of leather gloves!" I exclaimed. "I don't want to spend more money than I need to…"
"You pay for the gloves, and the boots come free… A gift, for the lady."
"That's really nice of you… What about Ceae's?" I asked, turning to face Ceae.
"Both pairs are free. That'll be forty Krontars."
"That's really generous of you!" I reached into my coin pouch and produced the asked price. "Forty it is." I handed the coins to the shopkeeper, who in return "handed" me the gloves. I tossed one pair to Ceae. "Put 'em on," I demanded. Ceae slipped them on quickly and walked up to the counter. He took a pair of boots off of the counter and sat down to put them on. Keia stepped out of the back room.
"What did you get, Keia?" I asked her. I could see what appeared to be similar to a jeweler's monocle strapped to her head. At first glance, I thought it was a hair ornament.
"Well, the assistant says that it's a Zoom Lens. He says that it will allow me to see further and clearer while using my bow."
"Sounds like it'll come in handy. Oh, speaking of 'hands…' I have a couple of things for you." I walked over to her and handed her the gloves and boots. "For an archer."
"Really? How much did you spend on me?"
"Only about twenty Krontars, and twenty for Ceae."
"Oh." Keia put on the gloves and fit into the boots.
"Now if everyone's ready, we have to deal with the weapons owner," I said. Keia and Ceae both nodded. Keia turned around and said "Thank you" to the shopkeeper before we left.
The weapons store owner quickly raised his head to attention when I opened the door. "Oh, good day m'Lord Prince Cryos! How may I help you?"
"You can start by telling me why you turned this young lady down when she asked for arrows…" Keia came into the shop and stood shyly beside me. Ceae remained outside.
"Well, the law states that we are not to sell weapons to servants… Prevents an uprising."
"Yes? Well, the prince has rights to lift rules for special circumstances, correct?"
"You cannot go against your father's laws, Prince Cryos. Remember what happened to Necril?" The shopkeeper must have thought he had me beat.
"Surely Father said we'd be coming?" I stated.
"Yes, he said you would be here… Never said anything about a servant girl."
"You must've forgotten, then. You're notorious for hating the castle servants!" I shouted. I knew this man from somewhere before.
"No need to have a temper, m'Lord…"
"I'll shout if I want to! Today's my birthday, and I declare that if you don't get us some arrows now, so help me, Father will know for sure! Imagine, you'll be closed down for sure," I yelled out of anger.
"No, please m'Lord… Anything but that…"
"As of today, my girl Keia here is just as equal a citizen as anyone else… She is an official adventurer, and she needs her arrows."
"How many did you need?" the shopkeeper asked Keia.
Keia spoke up. "Fifty, please…"
"Here, take 'em!" The shopkeeper handed me a bundle of arrows wrapped up nice and neat. "They're on the house, free of charge… Just don't tell anyone of this mishap."
I smiled. "No problem." I handed the arrows to Keia. As we walked out, I asked, "So, wanna try the item shop next?"
Ceae looked up at me. "That was scary, m'Lord…"
"Please, call me Cryos. No formalities for now…"
"Um, okay Cryos. I didn't know you could yell like that."
"Comes natural, coming from my family and all… Keia, item shop?" She silently nodded. "I'll take that as a 'yes.'" Directly across the street from the weapons shop was the item shop. We would need to stock up as much as possible. After all, we have a long way to the next town.
"Well, since we got so much for free… We'll have plenty of money to spend at the item shop," Keia said.
"It would be best if we saved some, just in case… You never know when someone could get badly injured," I said.
"How about a few more potions?" Keia asked. "You never know when someone could get badly injured and we're far from the next town."
I was silent for a second. "You know, you're right." The three of us walked into the item shop together. The shopkeeper was a woman. She gave me a look from behind her counter.
"Prince Cryos, what're you doing here? I know I haven't been doing nothin' wrong… Shouldn't you be in the castle?" she asked.
"Not today… Today, I need some items," I said.
"Items? Someone in the castle hurt themself?"
"No… Today, I'm on a mission. I have to end Necril's reign of terror."
"Are you insane? We can't have our prince goin' out and killin' himself now! Cryos, what's goin' on?"
"My father issued this to me… He wants to make me a man."
"Oh, well, I guess there ain't nothin' you can do to prevent that… I want you to stay safe, understand?"
"No problem. Can I buy something now?" I asked.
"Buy? No. I want you to be safe… Tell me whatcha need, and I'll get it for you. Y'all can have it free o' charge."
"Wow Cryos… The shopkeepers really like you," Keia whispered.
"Yeah, I know," I whispered back. "Uh, we were going to buy five potions, but I guess buying isn't an option now."
"Five potions?" The shopkeeper dug around behind her desk and set five small bottles on the counter. "Five potions it is."
"Free of charge?"
"Yessir! Gon on, take 'em!"
"Thank you…" I grabbed the five bottles one by one and stuffed them into my bag. "Well, I guess that's everything… Time to get started on our way."
"Yeah!" Ceae shouted. Keia turned to him and covered his mouth.
"There's no need to shout, Ceae…" she mumbled.
"Y'all stay safe now, y'hear? Happy hunting!" the shopkeeper told us.
"Yeah. Easier said than done…" I mumbled. Keia, Ceae, and I stepped out of the shop.
"We head out through the main gate to get to the mountain's foothills," Keia pointed out. "I really think maybe we should try searching for Rona first. According to stories I've heard, he may reside in the FoxWoods, hidden from society."
"Rona? Why Rona?"
"Because, he'll know where Necril's Keep is… Besides, he may also hold a grudge against Necril, and he's got to be strong."
"Well, maybe you should lead," I said sarcastically.
"No, you lead. I'll guide."
"Fine." I started to head to the city gates…