Fractured Spirit Read online

  Lilith’s eyes were wide, as were the High Priest’s, both of them instantly recognizing the voice of the Dark Lord. “Truly, you are blessed,” the High Priest whispered as the light faded back into the altar. “The Dark Lord himself has witnessed and blessed your union.”

  Stacia turned to Fluff and kissed her. It was gentle, not demanding, an expression of Stacia’s love. Alburet did the same with Karen, as he felt it was the right thing to do. Their kiss, though, was a bit more passionate. The four of them traded off, exchanging kisses until they had all traded kisses with the others. When they were done, a small burst of applause came from those who had witnessed the moment.

  “Me little girl be all growed up now,” Alistern sniffled back his tears as he looked at the newly minted family.

  “It always be wonderful to see people find love,” Grimgar added as he looked to Almira, who gazed back at him with a warm smile.

  The two groups came together as the quartet came away from the altar. Fluff, Karen and Alburet were still a little surprised at how accepting and happy the others were for their relationship. After a few minutes of congratulating the happy family, Grimgar let out a deep sigh, “I need to be gettin’ back to me shop. Alpha Company has been stoppin’ by all mornin’ to buy new weapons.”

  “Same with my leathers,” Almira grinned. “We need to talk later, Alburet, when you find some time.”

  “You are both invited to the guild banquet tomorrow,” Alburet told her. “I’ll be inviting the other shop keepers who have agreements with Alpha Company as well. We can talk then if you’d like.”

  “That will work out fine,” Almira told him.

  “Aye, tha’ will be fine as I’m wantin’ to talk with ye as well,” Grimgar added.

  “We need to get armor and weapons, so we’ll walk to your shops with you,” Karen suggested. “We can talk on the way if you want.”

  “We’ll talk details later,” Almira told her. “But please, do come to the shop. Let’s see what we can do for you.”

  “I be needin’ to get back to the inn,” Alistern grumped. “I be seein’ ya all tomorrow night.”

  “Aye,” Stacia said, kissing her father’s cheek. “I be sure tha’ Deirdre will have some news for ya.”

  Deirdre glared at her for a moment, then sighed, “Aye. Mayhap we can talk over dinner tonight, as we also be needin’ to get armor and weapons.”

  Lilith’s eyes darted from Chris to Deirdre, her lips twitching up. “Yes, that will be fine.” She took Alistern’s arm. “Come along dear, we have work to do.”

  Brow furrowing, Alistern nodded, “Aye.”

  As Alistern, Lilith, and Stewart went back towards the inn, the others all turned towards where Almira and Grimgar’s shops were, chatting amiably as they walked. As they got closer, Alburet blinked as he realized that a dozen-plus guild members were sitting outside the closed shops. “Wow, guess you guys weren’t kidding.”

  “Aye, been like this all day,” Grimgar grinned as he left them at Almira’s. “I be seein’ ye lot soon,” he added as he walked towards the people waiting for him at his door. “Sorry to keep ye all waitin’,” he was saying as he approached the doors of his shop.

  “Sorry for the delay,” Almira told Greenbeard’s group that had been waiting for her.

  “Well, it seems the guild leader was keeping you. Not much to complain about there,” Ironhand chuckled. Almira opened the door and strode in. Ironhand motioned towards the door. “Ladies first.”

  Leggylass smiled at him as she followed Almira in. The other women all followed her in, leaving the men outside briefly. As they went to enter, Greenbeard shook his head, “Almira too, Alburet?”

  Alburet laughed, “Oh, no. I think she and Grimgar are a couple. She’s just good friends with Stacia’s family. They heard we’d come back and wanted to find out how things went. We brought them back as soon as we could.”

  “Damn it,” Greenbeard grimaced. “I was kind of hoping she was single. No way I’m asking her if she’s hooked up with Grimgar.”

  Ironhand snickered, “What about that Lunari Druid, the one who was eyeing you when you went to train?”

  Greenbeard looked away, a little uncomfortable. “I just don’t think of her like that. I mean, she has cat ears.”

  Alburet looked from Greenbeard to Fluff and back, “So?”

  Greenbeard sighed, “It just doesn’t seem right to me. I’m not one of those anime freaks who loves catgirls.” Ironhand coughed once, nudging Greenbeard as he pointedly looked over at Fluff by the counter then back to Alburet. Greenbeard blanched slightly. “Not that there’s anything wrong-”

  Alburet snorted, “Oh, calm down. It’s fine.”

  Greenbeard let out a breath, “Right.”

  “There’s no need to be nervous either,” Alburet went on. “I’m not some draconian dictator. It’s not like you’re insulting her or calling her names.”

  “I just remember the way you went after Bloodmoon for calling them…” Greenbeard trailed off, unwilling to finish the sentence.

  “I went after her for failure to follow guild rules,” Alburet reminded him. “Her insults came after I called her out for it.”

  “Right, right,” Ironhand added quickly. “Let’s look at some armor, shall we?” He quickly pulled Greenbeard off to the side.

  Alburet wondered about the sudden break in the conversation. As he considered it, Stacia came over to him. “Asthore, are ya goin’ to look at the armor?”

  “Yeah, I should,” Alburet said, setting aside his thoughts to deal with getting his gear upgraded. As he turned towards the counter he took stock of his gear. He had four pieces of the Demon Lord set, a new belt from the Keep, and an old set of pants. His lips quirked up as he realized the only armor he needed was new pants. Karen came out of the back in a new set of dark grey and green leathers that were studded with black metal. Alburet whistled appreciatively, “Wow.”

  Karen grinned at him, “I think I’ll take them, Almira.”

  Laughing, Almira took the gold Karen extended to her. “I thought you might once he saw them.”

  “What about you, Alburet?” Almira asked him.

  Tearing his eyes off of Karen, he coughed as he met Almira’s laughing eyes. “I need new pants,” he said without thinking.

  The shop went dead silent for a second before everyone who heard him started laughing. Facepalming, Alburet sighed as his brain caught up to his mouth. As the laughter went on, Karen bumped his hip with hers. “Nice to know that you think I’m just that good.”

  “You are, but I didn’t mean it like that,” he told her. “I got these pants from the damn Gnolls. They’re way past due for replacing.”

  Still chortling, Almira disappeared into the back for a moment. She came out with a new set of dark red leather pants. “These should suit you for now.”

  Looking them over, he nodded. They had Wisdom and some Constitution. “I’ll take them,” he told Almira. “What’s the price?”

  “A hundred gold,” Almira told him, “after the discount.”

  Lips pursed at the cost, Alburet pulled coin from his bag and handed it over then ducked into the changing room to switch out pants. He left the old ones there as he came out into the main area. He found the trio of women he loved eyeing him critically as he emerged. “Well?” he asked, giving them a small spin.

  “They nay be the best color to go with the rest of the armor, but they still look good,” Stacia told him.

  “Yeah, black would be better with the robe thing he is wearing,” Karen agreed.

  “They go well with the boots and gloves, though,” Fluff pointed out. “I bet the pants for that set fade to black like the chest piece does.”

  “Guess we’ll find out if we find them,” Alburet replied as he joined them. “Shall we go see about getting Fluff some chainmail before we see about weapons?”

  “Yes,” Karen quickly replied. “I can’t wait to see what we can get her into.”

  Fluff looked away,
her lips pulled up in a happy smile. She took Karen’s offered arm. “You’ll help me pick out something nice?”

  “Of course,” Karen grinned.

  Taking Stacia’s arm, Alburet waved goodbye to Almira as they left the shop.

  Chapter Four

  When they entered Linked Chains, they were greeted by the owner, Kragen Smelter. The older human smiled, the scars on his face turning what should have been a welcoming smile into a horrible rictus. “Alburet, your people have been coming in to gear up quite a bit today.”

  “Kragen, glad to hear that our agreement is starting to pay you dividends. We need to get Fluffball here outfitted with the best she can wear at our level,” Alburet informed the armor crafter.

  Kragen turned his attention to Fluff, his eyes measuring her for a moment. “Chain is always useful. With your level though, depending on your strength, you might be able to wear some scale instead. If I recall you’re a Berserker, is that correct Fluffball?”

  “Yes, my strength is about three hundred,” Fluff informed him. “It should be enough for scale. I already have a belt.”

  He pursed his lips for a second, which contorted his scars into a new horrific pattern. “Hmm, so you do. We can go with the Infernal Steel scale. It looks similar to the one piece you have there.”

  Fluffball looked at the reward for beating Gwain that Kragen pointed at. “That would work.”

  “Be right back.” Kragen went into the back, returning a few minutes later with the armor for her. “Helm, pants, and so on. Nine hundred gold for the whole thing.”

  Karen frowned, “That’s almost double what my leather cost.”

  “Yeah.” Kragen seemed confused for a second. “Mail costs more than leather, but not as much as plate.”

  Fluff touched Karen’s arm, “He’s right. Without the discount it would cost a thousand or more. Can I use your fitting room?”

  Grinning, another horrific sight to see as his scars pulled at his cheeks, Kragen motioned her towards the dressing room that was set aside. “Be my guest.”

  Fluff came out of the dressing room a minute later. The black scales glistened as she stepped into the shop. The helm she had been given was formed for a Lunari, molded to protect her ears. As she gave them a turn, her tail was uncovered, coming through a slot designed for it. Fluff was smiling as she turned back around to face them. “What do you think?”

  Stacia was the first to speak, “It looks good.”

  “It isn’t as form fitted as my leathers, but it still looks good.” Karen smiled as she eyed the armor.

  “It looks good, Fluff. Do you like it?” Alburet asked, agreeing with Karen. The scale armor only vaguely hinted that the wearer was female.

  “I like the fact it doesn’t make me self-conscious. It’s also really comfortable.”

  “That would be the panther hide lining,” Kragen informed her. “It’s nine hundred for the armor. Do we have a deal?”

  Fluff handed over the coin, “Thank you very much, Kragen.”

  “My pleasure. I do love making coin,” Kragen chuckled.

  “There’s a banquet tomorrow for the guild to celebrate conquering Gwain’s Keep. We’re inviting the merchants we have agreements with, as well. The gear we purchased from you all did help us.”

  Kragen eyed Alburet for a moment, before he chuckled, “I won’t turn down free food. Where’s this banquet going to be?”

  “My receptionist will inform you. We still have shops we need to get to,” Alburet told him.

  “I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, then,” Kragen said in farewell as the group left the shop.

  As they stepped out into the sunlight, the Infernal Steel scale armor seemed to absorb the light. “Oh, that’s kind of neat,” Alburet commented. “I can see flecks of red in the daylight.”

  “Aye, it be Infernal Steel, the metal of the Dark Lord’s realm,” Stacia told him.

  “It looks like she’s been sprayed with her enemies’ blood,” Karen murmured. Her eyes twinkled as she met Fluff’s gaze, “Fierce little Berserker.”

  Fluff’s lips twitched up, “So you like it, then?”

  “Not as much as I like the one wearing it,” Karen replied as she gently pulled Fluff closer to her, kissing her cheek. “Off to see about weapons next, right?”

  “That was the plan, since none of us need plate armor. I’ll send Gerald a message asking him to invite Rodderick. After we get Fluff a weapon we need to see about replenishing our potions,” Alburet said. “Once that’s done, maybe we should go get a hot meal, then head home for a real bath.”

  Stacia’s eyes flared briefly, “A bath, ya say? Mayhap like one we had before. This time with Fluff as well?”

  Alburet felt his cheek twitch as the image she conjured filled his mind. “That will be up to her and Karen, but I will not object.”

  “We’re in,” Karen quickly interjected.

  “All of us together?” Fluff asked, getting nods from Stacia and Karen. “If Al is okay with it, I would like it.” Her eyes darted to Alburet, gauging his reaction.

  Switching sides with Stacia so he was next to Fluff, he leaned over to kiss her ear as she was a head shorter than him. “I will not turn away any of our family. If you are willing, then I will try not to stare at your beautiful body... Too much.” His last few words were tinged with humor as he met her eyes.

  “Okay,” Fluff said simply as she linked her arm into his. “It feels freeing to know that I’m loved by all of you.”

  The others all smiled at her words, Stacia and Alburet more so, as they could feel her emotions. They walked in happy silence, four abreast, arm-in-arm towards Grimgar’s. They exchanged pleasantries with Jaxton’s group just outside Grimgar’s Weaponry, as the other group was on their way out. Inside, they found Violet’s group completing their own transactions. As Fluff, Alburet, and Karen went off to look at some of the weapons on display, Stacia snagged Violet.

  “Violet, iffin ya have a moment?” Stacia said as she motioned the Summoner off to the side.

  “What can I do for you, Stacia?” Violet asked.

  “I wanted to let ya know tha’ me sister been askin’ about ya. Ya mayhap want to take a moment to swing by the inn and say hello.”

  Lips quirking up, Violet let out a throaty laugh. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to see me. I was planning on going by after we finished outfitting ourselves. She’d asked me to take her hunting when we got back. I might do that before the banquet tomorrow.”

  Stacia’s lips pursed slightly in consideration, before she suggested an alternative idea. “I mayhap suggest ya do it the day after the banquet. Me family likes to celebrate with a family dinner, the night one of us first goes out with another to hunt.”

  “Hmm, I guess that will work. I’ll see what Marian wants to do. I’m looking forward to having her rub me down after we finish gearing up. If there’s nothing else, my group is ready to go.”

  “Nay, tha’ be all. Ya be havin’ a good day,” Stacia said as she watched Violet join her group and leave the shop.

  “What was that about?” Alburet asked. Fluff and Karen were talking to Grimgar about Fluff’s choice for weapons.

  “Remindin’ Violet tha’ me sister be waitin’ for her,” Stacia replied as she kissed his cheek. “Just meddlin’ with me sister’s life.”

  Snorting, Alburet shook his head, “Glad I was an only child.”

  Stacia’s eyes twinkled, “Aye, I would nay want any of ya specialness to be spread around.”

  Rolling his eyes, he took her by the waist and guided her over to the others. “So Fluff, what did you pick out?”

  Fluff smiled as a sword and hammer vanished from her hands. A moment later her claws emerged from her fingertips. In place of her normal muted claws were wickedly sharp points that seemed to absorb the light, flecks of red seeming to float in the darkness. “Infernal Steel again,” Fluff told him. “Karen thought it would really help finish out the look, and the stats were nice.”

  “What ab
out ye, Alburet?” Grimgar asked.

  “I’m good,” he brought out his maul to show Grimgar. “Got it out in the Dead Lands, so it should be good for a bit. I’m sure Marysue and Gerald will be in for weapons shortly, though.”

  Grimgar looked over the weapon and nodded, “Fair enough. I see ye already got yer armor to boot.”

  “Yup. Going to go hit up the Alchemist, and stop by Pablo’s Provisions, then it’s off for lunch.”