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PW Chapter 41: Back in Town Troubles
🕑 Added 2025-06-16 21:36:26 +0000 UTCAs they walked through the gates, Skandr turned to Astrid, his eyes flitting back and forth.
“Could you give me my pay for the delve right now?”
“Um. No?” Astrid replied. “I don’t have the money, and I don’t know the exchange rate. Sorry.”
“Oh, yeah, well, it’s no problem.” Skandr shrugged with forced nonchalance. “I’ll just get it with you.”
“Great.” Astrid dragged the word out, confused but not willing to engage any further with the previously generous man who now seemed immensely pressed for the money. As they walked through the city’s streets, Muti was even more defensive than before, her hair seeming to bristle where the club of the braid hung out the back of her helmet. Anyone who came close was subjected to more fierce snarls than before, and it wasn’t long before the street cleared a wide berth around the three of them. Astrid was reminded of a wounded stray dog she’d seen once, how it’d snapped at anything that approached.
Thinking of Muti as a wounded creature that needed to keep itself safe, Astrid walked next to her “bound” ally, and asked, “Would you like to retire to your room while I deal with the administrative tasks from our delve? I need to talk with Klara, if she’ll have me. Just reporting about our first delve.”
“If you need that time, I will be in my room until such time that you need me. Second floor, second hall, second door on the left.”
Muti remained prickly, but Astrid got the sense that, because the Barbarian had been given a place and opportunity to lick her wounds, she relaxed just by a fraction of a degree. It wasn’t too long before the inn was in sight, but as Astrid went to enter the building, Muti pulled her aside. Putting as patient a look on her face as she could manage, Astrid asked, “What?”
The Rogue pulled a bucket of water from the well and dunked the end of her braid in it. As she untied the leather strap holding her hair all together, she declared, “Our bond has been completed.”
Following her guidance, Astrid did the same, repeating, “Our bond has been completed.” Then, as Muti turned to go into the inn, Astrid followed behind her and said, “I hope to bond with you again.”
Muti bared her teeth in response, though this time didn’t seem quite so mean-spirited as it so often had been before. Astrid took that as a victory, though she wasn’t prepared when, as she settled her helmet more comfortably on the back of her belt, Muti’s fist found her stomach. Astrid, thankfully, managed to twist to the side and avoid the follow up elbow. Muti seemed to grin in approval as she darted away towards the stair. For a brief moment, Astrid considered throwing something at the flighty Barbarian, but she decided against it. Instead, she gritted her teeth and went up to the bar, Skandr immediately behind her.
“Hey, Tomas. I’m looking to turn in gnoll materials and talk with Klara about our first delve. Anything you can do for me on this?”
“Well,” he turned to her, away from a conversation he seemed to be listening to on the opposite side of the bar, “Klara’s never willing to be bothered, so talk with Anders about it. He’s also the guy to talk to about the materials. His office is just across from Klara’s, and he should be in at this time.”
“Great, thanks Tomas!” She smiled at him. The blonde man smiled back up at her, and she asked, “How much is a serving of lunch here?”
“Five copper without meat, eight with.” He replied promptly, raising his hands. “I know, the meat’s expensive. It’s expensive for us too, we’re not turning a massive profit off of it on you, so don’t complain because it isn’t going to change anything.”
Astrid forced a smile, convincing herself that she wasn’t going to say any of her complaints about the prices just yet. Instead, she thanked Tomas and went towards Anders’s office, Skandr still a shadow behind her. She knocked, and a low voice answered, “Come in!”
Anders, assuming that was the ruddy-faced brown haired man who sat at the desk, looked like what Astrid thought a delver would be as a kid. Broad shoulders and a thick, well-maintained beard made him look rugged, but his tunic was well-tailored and in fashion, if also made with muted colors. As they walked in, he held his left hand up as he continued writing feverishly. After half a minute or so, he placed his quill in the inkwell and looked up at the visitors. His eyes shone with strength and suspicion while another woman who stood nearby in full studded leather armor looked across the desk at the two delvers from where she stood between Anders and anyone who came in.
“Hello, assistant Guild representative Anders.” Astrid greeted. “My name is Astrid Warrior, I’m new in Kznietch. I spoke with Klara this morning, and she sent me with my new party on a short delve. We were just going to get the payment for the 20 ears and 80 fangs.”
“Very well, Astrid Warrior.” Anders nodded. “As you suspected, my name is Anders Scribe, and I’ll be your primary contact with the Guild during your stay in Kznietch. How was your delve?”
Astrid, taken aback by Anders’s Class, took a moment to gather herself. Then, forcing herself to refocus, she replied, “It was enlightening, to fight with my new party members. The gnolls were different from how I expected, but not by much.”
“How so?” Anders asked, a pen in his hands. “I will ensure that others are not taken by surprise, if I can.”
“I thought they would be more focused on Power than Alacrity.” She replied. “Since they’re as large as they are, I thought that they would match me in Power, but instead, they focus on powerful blows that are faster and more overwhelming in number than sheer strength.”
“Yes, that is a common statement.” Anders said, the pen moving much more quickly than his wrist’s movements would indicate. “Did you speak in depth with any of the other delvers before you went into the Dungeon.”
“Just my party.” Astrid answered, feeling a little heat crawl up her neck. “I was probably a little too excited to just get into the Dungeon.”
“Very well.” Anders continued writing. “And you said you killed 20 gnolls and collected every fang?”
“Yes.” Astrid held up the bag, which Anders gestured to be passed over to his guard. She opened it, looked through, and nodded at him.
“Then that will be one silver and eighty copper, how many shares are in your party?”
“Just split evenly between three.”
“Then that will be sixty copper each, though your Barbarian’s taxes are higher.” Anders reached into his desk and pulled out a small bag of copper tenners. He set out two stacks of six on the edge of the table, the third with five tenners and Skandr grabbed his, nodded at the others, and darted out without another word.
Anders didn’t react as the Lightningmage left the room, and Astrid stayed, though not because she had questions about the additional taxes levied on Muti. As she thought, Anders looked at Astrid with an expectant look. “There is a reason for your continued presence? If not, there is much that needs my attention.”
“Yes, uh, yeah.” Astrid replied, somewhat unsure of how to react to the businesslike dismissal in his tone. “I spoke with Klara this morning, as I said, and there were a couple things that I needed to have clarified by her today. A couple questions that she implied she’d answer.”
“Then that is very well and good,” Anders replied, “but until she seeks you out individually, then you will be, unfortunately, consigned to speaking with me. What is it that you needed to speak with her about? I can pass on a message if it is absolutely necessary.”
“Well, there’s a couple of things—”
“That will not be necessary.” Klara’s voice came from a light that flared into existence between them. Astrid flinched back, but the other two either didn’t have the same type of reaction, or were just used to Klara’s blatant use of her Skills. “Come in, Astrid.”
Anders’s face didn’t shift as he waved her away. Instead, he just bent back over his papers and resumed whatever Scribe duties he was previously absorbed in.
“Thank you, Anders. I’ll be seeing you soon. Are you the person who I should speak to about scheduling for my party’s availability to enter the Dungeon?”
“Yes. If you wish to speak in more detail about scheduling, we can do so after your conversation with Klara. I’ll be here all day until one hour after dinner begins being served.” Now that she’d mentioned administration, he seemed to soften somewhat as he again waved her off. Astrid nodded again as she turned and strode towards Klara’s office.
As she reached out to knock, Klara’s voice called out, “I know you’re here, just come in.”
The contrast between Klara’s slightly panicked, joking tone when they’d spoken with her in the bath and how she now carried herself so severely was strange to Astrid, but she didn’t question it. Instead, she walked in, where Klara was working over a massive sheet of paper, nearly the full size of her desk. It was a map of the Bulwark and its immediate surroundings, with hundreds of x’s patterned across it.
“What did you want to talk to me about, Astrid? I’m busy.” Klara said, though not unkindly.
“I had two questions regarding my party members that I expect you will be able to answer more clearly than they will anytime soon. As both of these points are regarding my continued effectiveness as a delver, I believe it is important for you to—”
“Yes, I get it, you have reasons.” Klara waved her to continue. “Tell me what you want to know and I’ll tell you or I won’t.”
Astrid nodded tersely. “My first question is what the significance of the scar on Muti’s jaw is. She seems to place a great amount of importance on that scar, but refuses to explain it to me. As you have mentioned that you have extensive experience among the Barbarians, I wanted to ask what you could tell me about the scar.”
“Alright.” Klara nodded. “And your other question?”
“Why is Skandr so desperate for money? Is it something that will put me or Muti in danger?”
Klara nodded. “I did not expect him to be capable of hiding his greed for long, but I did hope that he would make it several days. I’ll answer that question first as it is the least complicated and easily explained point. In short, you will be entirely fine. There is nothing to worry about regarding you or your party’s safety. Beyond that, the specifics are something that he might decide to share with you or not.”
“There won’t be moneylenders taking from the party or anything like that?” Astrid clarified.
“Not as far as I am aware. Your party will be safe.” Klara smiled. “Now, your first question. I could give you a full lesson for the rest of the day about how the Hordes treat scars, blood, and their bodies. It isn’t necessary at this time. Just know that scars on a Barbarian’s face carry meaning. Any individual who distinguishes themself will be given a marking on their face. The exact placements give different meaning, depending on if they’re in parallel, perpendicular, the exact length, and so on.
“Again, those other than the one you are asking about are unnecessary. Just know that the more scars on a Barbarian’s face, the more dangerous. It is also the only place where they will typically accept healing that isn’t to save their lives.”
“But Muti’s isn’t on her face.” Astrid protested. “It’s just below her jaw, staying off her face.”
“Yes.” Klara’s tone shifted to something more somber. “That is where she was marked. I don’t know the specifics of hers, but I do know it indicates that she fell short of the mark. I’d guess she was expected to be much more than a Rogue.”
“But there aren’t any bad Classes!” Astrid protested. “They all give the same amount of Attributes, the same amount of Skills!”
“That’s a privilege granted to Humanity.” Klara sighed. “Our race grants a single attribute point in each for every level we gain. For Barbarians, though, they gain 3 Power, 2 Fortitude, and 1 Alacrity every level. By nature, they are suited for the strongest, toughest Classes. Their Berserkers are held aloft as one of the greatest Classes you can gain, and their Hordemaster Classes are a Berserker parallel. An Assassin is acceptable, but a Rogue? Where 4 of their Class’s 10 attribute points are ‘wasted’ on Magical Potency, Self-Mastery, and Acumen? It’s seen as a Class for failures.”
“That doesn’t make any sense!” Astrid scoffed. “There are their Ritualists and Shamans, I’ve heard of them! My mother fought against them on the Bulwark!”
“Yes, they exist.” Klara allowed. “They draw much of their power not from Acumen but from Fortitude, forcing their souls and blood into the world and molding it to their will. It is a different magic than anything that we Humans get, but that’s neither here nor there. Basically, Muti got what her Hordemaster decided was a disappointment of a Class. I don’t think she’ll have been tossed out, but she left her Horde and came north. What exactly she’s hoping to do, I can’t say, but I’d imagine that her hope is to somehow win back approval from her Hordemaster.”
Astrid sagged into the chair behind her. “How much attention am I going to need to pay to keep her from backstabbing me?”
“None?” Klara chuckled. “I heard you did warbraids on each other today. You’ll be fine. If her desires diverge from your own, she’ll say as much. It might make for a bad breakup, but there will be plenty of warning. She’s extended more trust to you than you’d expect, considering the little ambush she threw your way once you were in here.”
“And that!” Astrid raised her hands, her temper rising despite her best efforts. “How, in the name of the Duchess, am I expected to be able to deal with that? She calls me ‘leader’ and defers to me all day and then, the second she washes my blood out of her hair, she literally turns and punches me!”
“I told you she won’t mind dealing with your anger.” Klara shrugged. “That’s something you need to learn to deal with yourself. Now, is there anything else?”
Astrid let her mouth fall open. Then, after sighing, she shook her head.
“Good. Then get out.” Klara waved her hand and a half dozen more appeared in flashes of light as they ushered her from the room. For her part, Astrid didn’t mind the space, but suddenly, something made sense to her. The way that Muti reacted to how Astrid had mentioned her Class. Warrior. A Class that gave a +4 to Power and Fortitude, with a +2 to Alacrity. That… was exactly what would best compound with a Barbarian’s racial attribute growths. She didn’t doubt that Muti had dreamed of a Class just like her own, while Astrid had cursed the day. The irony wasn’t lost on her, but there wasn’t anything else she could do for now. Instead, she walked back across the hall, mere minutes after exiting it in the first place, and knocked again on Anders’s door.
“Yes, come in.” He called, and as he saw her face, he nodded with a slight knowing smirk.
“I haven’t been here long, Astrid Warrior, but I understand that look on your face.” Anders greeted as she came back in. “Our Klara is quick to push people through her office in the hope of getting another bath in.”
As a light flashed into existence beside him, Anders pointedly ignored Klara’s response. Instead, he asked, “Are you ready to discuss your party’s schedule?”
“Yes, sir.” Astrid forced a smile. Then, she sat in a chair as Anders pulled out a long scroll with dozens of lines of data that he pored over.
“So, would you say that you wish to delve more or less than the average?”
“More.” Astrid kept the same fake smile painted on her face as the deceptively bookish Scribe delightedly set into organizing what options would work best in his opinion.
***
An hour later, Astrid had negotiated their delving rights to being every other day from the same entrance they’d entered that day, with a floating extra 20 gnoll kills that they could delve for on their off days. The specifics of when, where, and how were detailed on the paper she carried, and she didn’t want to think any further about it for now. Instead, she strode back towards the bar, where she called for Tomas.
“Yes?” he asked with a sunny smile. “What can I do for you?”
“Get me two servings. One with meat. I’ll take a quick bath and would like them ready when I return in a couple minutes.”
“Sounds great, Astrid.” He nodded, gesturing for the only other worker there to come behind the bar as he went to prepare her food. Astrid walked towards her room, where she shed her mostly clean armor and set it up on her mannequin before turning to go out to the bath. Just before she walked out of her room, though, a thought occurred to her. Instead of walking leisurely out, she slowly loosened the door before throwing it open and walking out with her towel wrapped around her right arm.
The door missed Muti, but Astrid’s protected arm took the blow that was already swinging for her, and she managed to get a good kick on Muti’s hip in return. With a wild giggle, Muti flashed down the hall towards the stairs that lead up. She called something down that Astrid didn’t listen to, instead, grinding her teeth as she walked to the bath. This… was going to be her life now, wasn’t it?
