Death Becomes Him: An Age of Steam and Sorcery Novel

Chapter Twelve

"Good morning sunshiii... What're you doing in here again?" Jacob's usual greeting stalled in surprise.

Sitting up, Peter patted his pants. Then his shirt. He started to frantically sift through the bottom of the sarcophagus. "It's gone. Jacob, it's gone!"

Jacob smiled. This was more according to the script. 'What's gone, Traveller?"

"My coin. I had it a minute ago. It was in my hand!"

A smile played across the elderly cryptkeeper's lips. "Sorry Traveller. Anything not stowed in your inventory or an appropriate container may be lost at death. Not always, mind, but often. It's probably right where you kicked the bucket. Unless someone's found it, that is. Rebirth isn't a quick process and thieves are, if you catch my meaning. Was it a valuable coin?"

Shrugging, Peter climbed out of the box and down the short ladder. "It was a copper piece. It may not be much in the grand scheme, but I don't have much so I have to hold on to every one that I get."

"Not to worry, there'll be more. Now, come this way, we'll get you a nice cuppa and a soft seat upstairs." Jacob led the way back to the temple meditation access.

Settling into the cushions, Peter flipped through his Mark to the Quests section. Please get rid of the rats in my basement had been moved to the Completed list, as had Tailor shop needs bolts of cloth from the General Store. Squirming his butt down deeper into the plush seating, he popped open his inventory and pulled out the unaccepted quest notes he had taken from the Inn. Sipping his cup of tea he read through them once more, he chose to add Please take this basket to my grandmother, she lives outside of town to the log. He didn't feel like removing any from the list just in case there was a refusal cost.

Dying of exhaustion hadn't been such a bad way to go. Not as painful as being swarmed to death by rats. Speaking of rats, since he was there he grabbed another bunch of grapes and an apple. DB was still asleep, prompting a curious thought - did time pass inside the inventory space? It must have, he decided, since the rat swarm had woken up and burst out. DB must just be a super sleepy rodent.

Rather than wait for the Priestess to escort him out this time, Peter slunk out into the street and flicked his hood up. Thus, feeling less exposed, he set off to find the next quest giver who was going to extort him.

"Let's see now," he murmured to himself as he checked the options. "Looks like a simple delivery job to granny's house. I'll grab the basket, make sure granny's place isn't near the forest, drop it off and if it looks like being a race again I'll ditch the load and leg it."

According to the magic GPS, the basket was to be collected from the General Store again. Fortunately, Peter didn't have to do much besides wave the quest note at the owner, who pointed at a large wicker basket as though he was expecting someone to collect it.

"Say hi to Esme, Traveller," he added as Peter left.

Rebirth had obviously taken quite a long time this go around, as it was now a lovely blue-skied morning. A fresh breeze blew in from the sea as the sun peeked out from above the palisade. There were very few people up and about at this time and as he ambled along the road Peter reminisced about his first day in the Garden.

The fairy lights soon brought him to a gate in the wall which opened onto a path up a gentle hill. At the top of the hill sat a very old thatched cottage. Along the way up the path there were all the things one would expect of a remote home of a recluse. A kitchen garden with a nice variety of vegetables, apiary for honey, various fruit trees, a cow and some goats in a small field. It all looked rather inviting.

Arriving on the porch, he knocked on the front door only to have it swing open as he did. "Hello?"

"In here, dearie." A thin voice called out from somewhere in the back. "Come in, I'm sorry I can't come to the door right now."