Dungeon Runner (Book 1 and 2)

Stepping Up, Chapter 55

The bored-looking woman behind the table didn't look like the ones Tibs was used to seeing there. Normally, those who looked through the items the team got from Sto were sorcerers, occasionally, they'd be from another class, but this was the first time Tibs couldn't tell if she even was an adventurer, other than by how dense her essence was, and the silvery tint to it. She looked to belong more in that room Tibs had accidentally wandered into previously where the guild clerks worked.

She set aside two pieces of armor, the usual amulets—which were now the most element-related loot—a sword, three healing potions, and a quiver that Mez had studied before deciding he wasn't interested in it. They were at the point where nothing Sto gave out as loot, other than the potions, helped them.

Each of them got four silver and six copper in exchange.

The normal items they were left with were the set of noble's clothing, leather boots, gloves, epaulets, worker's pants and shirts, and a lot of meats and vegetables, including some that Jackal had given Sto when they entered.

Those would go to the inn even if Kroseph's father couldn't pay for them. It was home, so the food belonged there. The armor and clothing would go to Darran if he wanted them and to those offering the best price for what the merchant didn't.

The merchants at the stalls called to them with offers to unburden them in exchange for the wares they offered, but a quick discussion between them and Jackal had them walking away. Their offers weren't good enough to warrant antagonizing Darran. The merchant always offered them good coins and services—such as repairing Tibs's armor—for what they brought.

Darran took the armor, and Tibs's, with a shake of the head, but didn't ask how Tibs had managed to get most of the back ripped. The clothing went to the tailors. Tibs wanted to hand the noble's set to the one who refused to pay Sebastian, to help her, but she didn't have the coins to pay them, and Jackal wouldn't accept her offer to pay them once she sold them.

As payment for the food they brought, Kroseph's family cooked them the best meal Tibs ever ate, even better than what he'd found at the last bazaar.

* * * * *

"I know you're responsible for this," Harry growled, waving papers at Tibs. There were letters on them, Tibs saw that, but he didn't bother trying to decipher them. "All these reports of fights, you are behind them."

"You told me to stop the thieves," Tibs replied, trying to use darkness as a shield for his words.

"You're lying. I told you to stop one thief."

Tibs shrugged. "There are others. I figured you were going to ask me to stop them, too."

"Stop lying," Harry said through gritted teeth. So much for the guard leader just assuming no one lied to him. Or maybe it was because Tibs was a rogue?

Tibs picked his next words carefully. Not because he planned on lying, but because angering Harry more wouldn't help.

"Those thieves have been working around the guards, Harry." Not your guards. Tibs had identified a handful who were loyal to Harry, and those were working themselves hard trying to stop the thieves and the fights. If he could convince Harry to have them look the other way for those, it would make Tibs's job easier.

"The merchants are suffering, and we need the merchants to buy our loot. Me and some of the Runners are keeping them safe. When we tried handing them over to the guards, they were almost more interested in putting us in cells because we fought so—"

"Fighting isn't allowed outside the training fields," Harry snapped.

Tibs swallowed his annoyance. "Does that mean you're now allowing thievery?"