Hi all.
New chapter, have fun, all feedback is welcome however please remember this has basic editing, don't be an asshat. 😊
Chapter 8: Time to prepare.
Jayda smiled as the walls of Morriston started to be seen in the distance over a month later. The group that had left together had mostly returned together. Astra grinned, "It's like coming home, right?"
Jayda nodded, "Yeah, and we have the funds to buy so... we'll own land here."
Astra nodded; they needed a private space for Jayda to craft in. They had sent word through the guilds that they wanted to buy a property and that they needed a high quality Dwarven smelting and working forge. Giving the Merchants guild time to put together properties and to organise the needed forges.
They had spoken often about their plans, the reasons they were both going for S-rank, Astra because it was natural progression, Jayda because she was told she would be able to relax more if she was S-ranked, that no one would be stupid enough to mess with her when she alone could destroy cities. Astra had to agree with that although she knew there were always stupid people out there.
"Astra! Welcome back!" several adventurers called as they either left or returned from the city. Astra waved a greeting to them.
Jayda smiled as the friendly guard from her first visit stood blocking their path, "Welcome back... is there anyone new in your group?" he asked, he wouldn't bother checking the people who left, he knew them all and trusted them, but new people he had to check.
"Yeah, a group of C's took over in the Merchants group. Claws and Fang is their party name," Jayda told him.
He nodded as he looked at the War Horses the pair had. "Those are some magnificent beasts you have there."
Astra grinned, "They are gorgeous, and they know it." Both horses let out pleased huffs at the praise.
He nodded and walked down the line to check the new group, after a few minutes he returned and waved the group in. Astra and Jayda led the way into Morriston, they noticed that they were getting lots of looks, understandable as they were riding monsters known for being loyal if tamed and dangerous if enraged. Adventurers who had steeds were also focused on the tack and the way the pair was using it, making mental notes to ask where they got the tack from so, they could get some for themselves. They got to the adventurer's guild, and both dismounted, Astra winced a little, "I need to hurry up and get used to riding in a saddle."
"You just need to practise or level up," Jayda told her.
"Urg..." Astra complained, levelling was hard for a High being to begin with, it had taken over 600 years to get to her current level and once she got pass level a hundred the experience needed to level grew outrageously.
"And you will, in the S-rank dungeon." Jayda told her as she called Onyx into her shadow, she would remove his tack later if he let her, as he loved to wear his tack, it was comfortable and made with quality materials, it didn't bite or dig, it showed he was not only tamed but ready for battle, to be a War Horse. However, Jayda needed to take it off, firstly to groom him and second to prevent the tack rubbing into his skin and causing wounds.
They watched as the staff took control of whatever wagons and items were brought back, the merchant caravan was already preparing to move off. Tomas stretched and grinned as Mather; the leader of Morriston's Merchant guild came racing over.
"Maybe you shouldn't have sent word forward," Tomas teased.
"Man, I was looking forward to Cat's Rest," Astra complained.
"Hey just because we buy something doesn't mean we can move in immediately." Jayda told her and Astra nodded realising that the property might not be immediately habitable.
"Good I want Cat's Rest food," Astra stated.
"Astra! Jayda!" Mather called even as he hurried forward. He got to them and smiled, "Thank you for approaching us about purchasing property." He had been dropping hints at Astra for the last decade to buy something since she had essentially made Morriston her base of operations however she had always brushed him off. Now both women were in a party and would buy, that meant they were for the most part choosing to stay here, the profits to be made were firing his blood, especially because of the newly discovered dungeon they had stumbled on.
"Um... we need to finalise our current job," Astra told him.
"Yes, yes, I will grab a conference table and wait for you." He strode into the building. Jayda and Astra followed him in and went to the reception counters with Tomas, they lined up at Jace's counter and waited their turns.
"Welcome back," Jace told them then frowned at Tomas. "I thought we asked you to get him hurt... so that he had to retire?" he teased.
"Yeah... that didn't happen." Tomas replied with a grin, knowing he was being teased. "Jayda got very angry though."
Jace's complexion paled a little, Jayda getting angry was a very dangerous thing, at least for those who anger her. "I... do... shit..."
"Hey, don't worry the king took care of it." Astra told him.
"You mean I took care of it, because the King paid me to." Jayda corrected and Tomas and Astra nodded.
Jace glanced between the three of them, "What happened?" he asked in a deadpan voice as he pulled paper forward to take notes.
"Ah, Jace," one of the staff that had travelled with them plonked a heavy file on his desk. "Full report of what happened on the way to the capital and all the fall out."
"Yeah, we've got Mather waiting to show us properties so... we'll collect our reward tomorrow." Astra told him and all three bolted before Jace could order them to the guild master's office for questioning.
"Why are you coming?" Jayda asked Tomas.
"Have to make sure Mather doesn't show you any weird properties." Tomas told her.
"Coward, you'll avoid the guild until you hear that we've appeased Jace and Dan." Astra told him as they made it to Mather, Tomas smiled and nodded.
"What about your wife?" Jayda asked.
"Her flag isn't up meaning she's probably out killing beasts." Tomas answered and sat with the other women. They watched as Mather sorted out the pile of files, he had with him.
"Are those all for us?" Astra asked.
"No, I am showing houses to some B-ranks later." Mather explained as he pulled out five files. "These meet your minimum requirements. Decently sized block of land with tall walls, house, and detached building to be turned into a workshop." He listed, "Oh and a bathroom." He added.
"There had better be a bathroom." Astra stated.
Mather went to stand but Tomas put his hand on the pile, "Save them the headache, which one do you think they will like the most?"
Mather frowned at Tomas, "Fine, ruin the fun of finding the perfect place." He removed four files and stood with one in his hand, an assistant took over the desk for them. They followed Mather from the guild and to a cart he guided the cart for a while before he came to a stop before an ornate gate, the property was between the noble and the commoner districts about half an hours walk from the guild, still it was well situated for the duo. "I believe, considering your party name is War Horses that this place works." He gestured up.
They glanced up, the pillars which held the gates were topped by rearing War Horses.
Tomas grinned, "Seriously, you were going to make them suffer through four other properties before showing them this gate, knowing that this is the perfect property for them."
"Just because I had a fairly good idea that they would choose this property doesn't mean they might not have preferred one of the other properties, I had to give them options." Mather explained as he hopped down from the cart and pulled out the right key. He unlocked the gate and opened it; they followed Mather into the property. The gardens needed work, but it had good bones, there was fifty metres between the gate and the large house.
"Oi, you realise there is just two of us, right?" Astra asked as she glanced around, this property was too big just for the two of them.
"Yes, this used to be merchant's home, he failed to pay his dues for ten years, so we confiscated it." Mather checked the file; he neglected telling them that before that this property was owned by a noble because it simply didn't matter. Astra and Jayda were soon to be S ranked; they needed a decent property which showed that status, if they had been lower ranked, he would have shown them house lots which included a small workshop. However, Astra would not have been comfortable in those properties, also it wasn't like he was aware of their financial situation, they were more than capable of affording what he knew would happen if, no, when they brought this property. "Not including servant quarters there are nine bedrooms, large kitchen, bathroom, library, formal dining room, three sitting rooms and three offices."
"Workshop?" Jayda asked and Mather nodded, they could explore the inside later, the lot was quite big, it took them a bit to walk to the side of the building and around it, however Morriston was built on the massive size, to the point there were farms inside the walls and there was still room to build and grow as every other lord had a habit of expanding sections of the wall. A little to the side there was a large, detached building.
"It used to be a store house, but I am sure with a little work it will be a good workshop." Mather explained as opened a door and they walked in, he was right the space was enough to split up, one side being the forge the other being a place where she could work on leather or other gear. "Also, I already have a person who says they have a Dwarven smelting and working forge for you."
Jayda frowned.
"Yeah, I know I was shocked too," Mather told her. "He told me Valdric told him to get his arse here with a Dwarven high heat smelting forge and a Dwarven working forge, the best stuff too and she might show you a true steel dagger she hammered and give you a hint." He explained as that is what the dwarf had told him.
"Valdric," Jayda stated, "He is currently in charge of the Royal Smithy. I had to use it and we became friends; he probably contacted a friend to make sure I got quality equipment."
Mather nodded, that explained why a dwarf that even Gilmur had shown respect to had shown up here. While he waited, he looked at the raw materials being produced here in Morriston and got excited. Mather was pretty sure the dwarf might end up moving his workshop here and he hoped he did, currently no dwarven artisans had made Morriston their home. The materials coming from Morriston were high quality and in some cases rare, it would be nice for high quality items to be made here and exported. If he managed to figure out how to forge true steel all the better, although it made Mather curious as to how Jayda had learnt how to forge something that was considered a lost art. He however knew better than to ask, if she was giving hints eventually the lost art would be revived, and everyone would reap the benefit that high quality weapons would produce.
They left the potential workshop and out the back of the property, there was an overgrown kitchen garden, a rookery for meat and egg producing birds that needed repair and overgrown fruit trees. Pass the kitchen garden there was another overgrown garden and beyond that was a paddock with a stable.
"Yeah... this garden will have to go, nowhere to train." Astra remarked and Jayda nodded, there was room behind the workshop however there was not enough space for a proper training area. They could have used some of the space for the paddock however they had big beasts so that would take their space.
They then turned their attention to the house, after going through it, looking at the bedrooms and facilities, they came to stop in the entryway. The inside was clean and mostly maintained.
"So, the house comes with everything in it," Mather explained, the library alone if he had been inclined might have earned them some coin however filling it again would have cost more so they had left it.
"The bath is small," Astra complained.
"Astra, you are big," Jayda reminded her, "Also I can remodel the bathroom."
Astra glared a little at her she was trying to haggle down the price, "The building needs maintenance the gardens are overgrown. We are going to have to pour money into it to make it liveable."
"The property is worth 1 small white gold, however, you guys are A-rank, you get a discount," Mather told them, it was a fact, if high ranked Adventurers brought property, they got discounts as it was a part of the ongoing partnership between the Merchant guild and Adventurer guild. High ranked Adventurers brought in high ranked and good quality materials and so far, Jayda and Astra always brought in the best materials.
Tomas pulled out a document, "Also you guys are only obligated to pay half of accessed land tax for the next 100 years." He showed it to Astra and Jayda, it had a royal seal on it, Astra went to snatch it and tear it up, but Tomas jerked it away. "Jayda protected the king from that attack by his cousin during the audience, he didn't get a chance to thank or reward you, some people pushed for no taxes if you owned land, but he said nope, no, they pay land taxes, just half but only for a hundred years. Some thought that was too cheap, she protected the king. But he put his foot down, half taxes for 100 years then you pay full taxes just like everyone else."
Tomas explained, some countries exempted S-rank from paying land taxes to keep them in it. he pointed to the clauses which explained their tax obligation to Ashford if they brought land in it. "And it is restricted to only 2 properties, one in the capital and one wherever else you chose to buy."
Astra frowned for a moment but then shrugged, it seemed reasonable.
"You protected the king?" Mather asked.
"Oh, Ben will tell you all about it," Tomas told him, "Then you can pester Dan for the rest."
Mather nodded. "So, total cost of the property once the 2 A-rank discounts are applied is 8 large gold." Mather told them, "If we include your first year of taxes, 8 large and 2 small gold."
Astra and Jayda reached into their item boxes, and each pulled out a 5 large gold coin and handed them to Mather.
"Ah, pre-paying taxes?" he asked and both nodded. "So, your taxes will be paid for the next 100 years. Give me a few minutes to finish drawing up the paperwork and we can sign it."
Tomas handed the copy of the tax rules for Jayda and Astra for the next hundred years, a copy was kept with the Finance department in the capital, another would be kept in Morriston, and this copy would stay with the Merchants guild.
Mather used a table to finish drawing up the purchase paperwork and the taxes paperwork, they were well within their rights to prepay their land taxes. Some preferred it as once they paid their tax rate couldn't be changed even if the rate is risen, they wouldn't pay the rise until the prepaid amount was through, however, they couldn't keep topping up, Jayda and Astra wouldn't be able to pay land taxes again for this property for a hundred years, then they would have to pay the new rate. Once the paperwork was complete, they signed, and Tomas as Lord witnessed it.
"I can order materials through the guild to do repairs, correct?" Jayda asked.
"Yes, you can buy directly through the guild although I will recommend a shop who will meet all your needs faster than the guild will." Mather explained, he quickly wrote an introduction letter and signed it before offering it to her, it also included the shops name.
"Oh, I've been to this shop, they had good stuff," Jayda stated, and Mather nodded.
"They will be able to help you with anything you need to do up this place." Mather added as he prepared to pack up, he offered all the keys to Jayda and Astra.
"The dwarf with your smith equipment is staying at Cat's Rest." Mather added before he left.
"We are going to need staff, right?" Astra remarked and Jayda nodded. They would not always be here; the property will have to be maintained.
Mather only just managed to keep the smile from his face, this is what he had been planning, pestering Astra to buy for the last decade, his hope had grown when he learnt Astra and Jayda were now a party. Knowing that they would need staff to maintain their property when they were off working, which meant, generational staff, because they were long lived species, this meant consistent money circulation which would stimulate the economy.
"I can help you there," Tomas told the pair. "I have people who want to slow down or who are young and don't have positions in my generational staff. I can recommend good people." He told the pair, he had a few in mind who would work well with the pair.
"Let us chat that over and we'll get back to you." Astra told him and he nodded.
~*~*~*~
A week later Astra stood before the gate which opened on her approach. Jayda had made a recognition system for the gate and barrier which was set around their property which would prevent unwanted people from gaining access. She walked in, the gardens had been worked on, Tomas had sent an older gentleman over to start working on the gardens, he had brought his grandson to help him do the big stuff as well as get some good hands-on experience.
Jayda had said nothing as she was busy with the dwarf at first, fixing up the workshop enough to let the dwarf set up the equipment he had in a magic bag. Once he was done and paid, she had then shown him a true steel dagger and gave him the same hints she had given Valdric, he had then gone off to his newly purchased workspace to start playing as he waited for his disciples and the rest of his workshop to show up. She had then moved over to the house and started to work on the renovations.
Astra walked up to the front door which unlocked and let her in, she glanced down to the bracelet, which was tied to her magic, it seemed like a simple magic, it wasn't, but she was enjoying this. She glanced around the new entrance hall, it felt a lot homelier than it did before, the colours were different. Jayda walked over and smiled. "Better?"
"Yes... although..." Astra whacked Jayda, "Seriously, why is there a lesser dragon skull on the wall?"
"It's a Drake skull," Jayda corrected, Drakes were not real dragons!
"Fine," Astra stated, "Why is there a Drake skull on the wall?" she asked.
"Decoration?" Jayda answered, it was carved and looked beautiful.
"Take it off and what... is... that?" she pointed to the large tapestry on the wall, it was magnificent.
"A wall hanging," Jayda answered ignoring Astra's request to remove the skull, it was a Drake skull, a low A ranked monster which was within their capabilities to take down, also Tomas had enjoyed seeing it, so she left it.
"I know that, but why do I feel like it is alive?" Astra asked.
"Um... because it might be," Jayda answered and Astra paused, she didn't want to know.
"Which room is mine?" Astra asked.
"Your name is on the door; you'll like what I've done." Jayda promised and Astra went upstairs and down the hall, she found her room quickly and again the band on her wrist unlocked her door, all the doors in the house had been made taller and wider so Astra didn't need to duck or turn her body like she normally did. She walked in and smiled, yep, Jayda had made a room she had quickly fallen in love with. It had a huge bed made in the barbarian style with heavy posts and had thick furs thrown over a soft pillowy pad. The walls were bare wood and were placed in a way to make it look like a wooden cabin. It had everything she could want or need and was built specifically for her size.
She spent the next hour putting her personal items around the room, her clothes went into the chest at the foot of her bed and her dire wolf cloak had its own hanging spot. Leaving her room she went in search of Jayda's, curious of what her room looked like. Jayda's room was further down the hall on the same side which meant they would both have a view of the back of their property. Taking the handle in her hand she tested to see if she would be let in, she was. Opening the door, she walked in to look around, the room was both what she was and was not expecting, it didn't look too different from her own room but built for Jayda's body size, except the bed, it was just as big. The decorations were well made hangings and furs as well as a large dragon scale that was black and flecked with little bits of white. The scale was big enough to be a shield and it didn't look damaged which meant it was probably removed or shed.
Astra left the room and closed the door, she would ask Jayda to remove, hide or disguise the scale. Walking downstairs she inspected the bathroom and almost fainted, the change to the bathroom was evident, it had been enlarged, removing one of the smaller storage rooms and using expansion magic on the larger one. The bath was large enough for Astra to float in and not touch a single edge, deep enough for her to sit in and be submerged, there were eight bathing stations, half that were designed specifically for someone bigger than her. There was even a waterfall station, a place where you could sit or stand and just have water cascade over you if that's what you wanted, and it was designed so that Astra could use it. "Fuck, Jayda is way too good to me." She left the bathroom and went looking for Jayda, eventually she found Jayda in a room which had been turned from an office to an Apothecary, drying herbs hung from the ceiling, labelled jars were lined up on the shelves, covering two entire walls. Jayda was engrossed in making potions.
"Hey," Astra said when she spotted a break in Jayda's method. Jayda turned to her. "Thanks, I love my room and the bathroom." Astra told her honestly.
"Well, I had to make up for the fact we won't be living in Cat's Rest anymore." Jayda told her with a grin.
Jayda finished the potion she made, stoppered it then sealed it with wax.
"I haven't seen such a deep blue colour before," Astra remarked as she picked up the bottle. "Intermediate healing potions, you can make them?"
"I can make all the way up to Elixir," Jayda answered.
Astra gritted her teeth, Elixirs, she could make the mythical medicine believed to restore a person who was moments from death back to full health, to regrow limbs, "Please tell me you haven't made them?"
"I have made a hundred," Jayda told them. "For when we go to the S-rank dungeon, I'll hand them over as you need them just in case you need them."
"Huh?" Astra asked.
"You need to get stronger; you will solo floor masters and the dungeon master, this way you will be able to keep yourself alive." Jayda explained.
"Huh?" Astra asked again.
"Right, guess I better show you." Jayda pulled out her card, "Status open full." She then offered her card to Astra to read her full status.
Astra's hand shook a little as she read Jayda's true status, she was surprised that Jayda was only level 37, however her numbers at that level were blowing her mind. She now understood that Jayda was WAY out of the norm for a Sapient, she had the status of a dragon. Her eyes frowned as she focused on the blessings. "I thought you couldn't have the God of war's blessing if you had the Goddess of adventurer's blessings."
Jayda nodded, "True, normally people can't have more than one blessing let alone similar blessing like them, however, as the Apostle of the Dragon God of Creation, I can be blessed by any God and not have the blessings cancel each other out. Hence why I can be blessed by Gnol and his brother Url."
"Jayda, you could be SSS-rank now?" Astra told her as she returned Jayda's card.
Jayda nodded, "But I want to do it right and don't want to explain how or why I was in the Divine Dragon Gods domain."
Astra nodded in understanding, it would be a very complicated conversation to have, "I won't bother bringing mine out, since you already know my status."
"Yeah, Eyes of the Dragon," Jayda answered honestly.
"What is Status?" she asked.
"Oh, when people look at me with a powerful appraisal skill, they will see a very different status, it is what dragons use to hide their status when they are in a Sapient form." Jayda cast a magic and showed the status that others would see if they had the skill to see it. Astra snorted in amusement after all Jayda had set all of stats to be like her own just in case. "I can also change what they see at will."
"Oh... when we need to mess with someone, you have to let me arrange your status." Astra remarked and Jayda nodded.
"Also, it allows me to auto map and target lock." Jayda added.
"You have two hidden unique skills?" Astra asked a little surprised, having unique skills was very rare let alone having hidden unique skills.
Jayda nodded, "Yeah, I am not strong enough to use them yet so, hidden."
Astra gave Jayda a disbelieving look, "not, strong, enough!"
Jayda nodded, "I am sorry I'm not normal?" she told her.
"Normal is boring, besides I am not exactly normal either." Astra told her as she returned Jayda's card which she returned to her inventory.
"Right, I am making you gear," Jayda told her.
"Before we go further, dragon scale, in your bedroom, please return it to your inventory." Astra told her, she didn't even know the market value for that scale, it might even be worth the yearly budget of a small country.
"Okay, now your gear." Jayda stood, the potion was now in her inventory, Astra followed Jayda out of the house and to the workshop.
"When do the rest of our people start?" Astra asked.
"Three maids, a butler, a cook, two gardeners one who will double as an ostler and their partners if they have them will be here tomorrow." Jayda answered they had gone with Tomas's suggestion and taking some of his generational staff as their own, several of them were closer to their retirement although they didn't want to stop working completely, others were young, trained and just waiting for a position to open.
"Will we need gate guards?" Astra asked.
Jayda nodded, "Yeah, will ask Tomas about that." They walked into the workshop and over to a bench, on it were sketches of Astra's current gear. "I was going to keep it the same style, just stronger." She pulled out leather and fur to show Astra.
Astra took a moment to study and feel the leather as she didn't recognise it, she glared once she realised what it was, "Wyvern leather?" she asked, she had never felt such flexible wyvern leather before, it almost felt like deer skin not the much stronger lesser dragon skin it was.
"Yes, but it will be under water bear fur," Jayda told her as she slid the fur over the top of the leather, she had a heap of water bear hides and had used some in Astra's room. Astra lifted the bear skin and it felt just as soft in her hand as the wyvern skin, even the fur was soft. Jayda's skill in working leather was like none she had seen before and now she understood the almost reverence Travis had when he touched the skins Jayda had offered in exchange for the saddles and tack. Why he had taken his time choosing because he had wanted to feel the well-tanned hides before he finally settled on the pale tan hide instead of the darker brown hides.
"So, you will be disguising Wyvern leather." Astra asked and Jayda nodded.
"I will be disguising all your armour, can't really do it with your axes though." Jayda told her as she showed sketches of the axes, she wanted to make Astra.
"What metal do you want to use?" Astra asked, the sketches alone had her hands itching, wanting them in her hands.
"Something strong, Hihirokane," Jayda stated even as she flinched ready for the whack.
"Made you flinch," Astra told her before she pinched Jayda. "I get you want to give me strong weapons and gear..."
"You do realise I am holding back, right?" Jayda told her firmly. "I have an Iron, Mithril and Adamantine Minotaur hide in my inventory."
Astra's eyes went wide. "There were more?" She asked.
"No, I got them in a dungeon," Jayda told her. "I also have Earth and Water lesser dragon hides..."
"Same Dungeon?" Astra asked and Jayda shook her head.
"I wanted to make daemon steel weapons for you, sub dragon and ancient beasts leather armour, the reason I am not... you aren't strong enough for them yet." Jayda explained.
Astra understood now that Jayda was holding back, realising that there was some gear she just wasn't ready for yet. "Okay..." Astra told her then frowned, "Wait, I never see you wear armour."
"I do, not that I need it, very few things can penetrate my skin." Jayda pulled out her very trusty cloak and offered it to Astra, Astra studied the cloth but for the most part it just felt like cloth. "That cloak and all of my clothes are made from Celestial Daemon Spider thread, nothing short of daemon steel, dragon teeth and dragon claws can cut that." She explained and Astra dropped the cloth and stepped back.
"Rhianna's pet spider evolved into a Celestial Daemon spider?" Astra asked, Rhianna had been known for the little black spider which sat atop her head then when it got bigger it clung to her back in her days as an Adventurer.
"Chica," Jayda said with a nod. "She's a lot bigger now, about the size of a goblin. When mum said I was leaving she spent weeks locked up in her room, then just before I left, she gave me cloth, lots, and lots of cloth. Afraid that I wouldn't be able to get any decent cloth."
"Please don't make any of my gear from daemon spider cloth." Astra begged.
"Again, you aren't strong enough to wear it." Jayda told her and Astra sighed in relief.
"Okay, I will trust you, what do you need?" Astra asked.
"Measurements," Jayda told as she pulled out a knotted cord.
"Okay, but do me a favour, since we are going to my homeland, make yourself some armour, my people won't take you seriously as my party member if you don't also, it's cold there, you need more than that thin cloak even if that thin cloak will keep you warm." Astra told her.
"But I don't need it," Jayda remarked, her skin was almost impenetrable, and she didn't really feel hot or cold.
Astra groaned, "Just because you don't need it, doesn't mean you shouldn't have it. You know you probably wouldn't be rolled up in so many incidences if you wore armour. Armour lets people know you are dangerous, or at least gives them a good idea not to mess with you." Astra explained. "I hate that I have to explain this to you." She finished more to herself than to Jayda. "Wait, why didn't your mother teach you that armour makes the adventurer?" she asked surprised.
Jayda frowned at Astra, "My mum's idea of armour is a leather vest and wrist guards."
Astra groaned in frustration, "Of course your parent's whacky common sense strikes again."
"I mean, it is made from Variant Dragon leather. So, not exactly easy to penetrate." Jayda added trying to defend her mother.
"Still makes my point about your parents common sense," Astra stated, "Seriously, no one wears dragon leather," she told Jayda.
Jayda looked at the sketches she had of Astra's armour, enchanted linen shirt and pants, heavy leather vest which surrounded chainmail and enchanted heavy leather boots. "You realise your armour isn't much different to hers, right?" Jayda asked.
Astra glared at Jayda, "No it isn't. Besides, I'm Barbarian, what I wear is normal for my people, in fact, I wear more armour than most of my clan mates." She explained to her oblivious friend. "However, Jayda, initially we won't be with my clan who will listen to me when I tell them you are dangerous even though you don't really look it. We will be in my people's capital, they will expect you to be strong because you are with me, they will know you are dangerous the moment they look in your eyes, but they won't always get that chance before they do a dumb. Which means you need armour to warn them."
Jayda nodded, "Ok, I will make myself some gear to keep them off my back."
"Good because you and I both know you still haven't remade your cloak and you may as well not." Astra told her as she stood still ready for Jayda to measure her.
~*~*~*~
Jayda and Astra topped a rise, they had spent the last of Fall and all Winter preparing, they had also cleared both dungeons, the dungeon of Beasts because Jayda liked to finish the dungeons she started and the Ruin of Boer, because who wouldn't want the first taste of a previously unknown dungeon. It was a dungeon Astra had excelled at because it was right up her alley being a water attributed dungeon and Jayda did love her water serpent.
Ashford didn't have much coastline, enough to have sea trade but not enough to warrant a navy, in fact very few countries did, instead they hired Wolf Ships to protect their coast and their merchants. Generally, only one Wolf Ship stayed the winter as activity slowed down. Astra however had it on good authority that a second Wolf Ship had been stranded by the winter ice pack because a storm had prevented them leaving. It meant there was a ship, free to leave the moment the weather turned.
Ashford had two ports they were heading towards the western port where the Wolf Ship had been wintering. They hadn't been idle, they had repaired their ship and then had done work up and down the coast, earning coin to fill their ship with products, if they were lucky, they would be the first to come home and with a ship full of cargo, they would make a killing.
Jayda glanced to Astra as they both started down the hill, Onyx and Cobalt were in high spirits as they had let them run and trample any monsters they came across. Astra wore her new gear with ease, it was exceedingly comfortable, the same style she was used to, only with stronger materials, even the chainmail that lined her vest had been upgraded to true steel scale mail which had felt like liquid in her hands. She had never moved so easily in her old gear; it was a welcome change. Her new axes felt like extensions of herself, so comfortable in her hands that she had gotten used to them quickly.
Jayda wasn't dressed in the cloak she had walked into Morriston in that first time, she wore well-made light armour suited for an archer but modified for Jayda's all-rounder use. A segmented chest and back plate with shoulder and upper arm guards over celestial daemon spider cloth shirt, forearm guards which doubled as an archery guard finished off her upper body armour. Leather belt armour protected her sides, thighs, back and front, long boots protected her feet and lower legs. When Astra first saw it, she nodded and asked which monster the leather was made from expecting something outrageous, Jayda's answer was Armoured Bull which Astra just nodded to, A ranked monster just like the wyvern that lined the inner edge of her armour so she couldn't get angry. Over her armour was a heavy water bear coat to keep her warm, not that she really needed it, she also had heavier winter armour for when they got to the ice lands Astra was born in. Jayda had dyed her fur coat and all her armour black, after all she was the Black Cat and like Astra said, armour makes the adventurer. The first time they had walked into a guild on their way here people had gotten out of their way, and no one dared approach Jayda even when Astra wasn't near.
They rode up to the Port's main gate and got in line to be checked, just before their turn they dismounted and returned their beasts to their shadows.
Astra and Jayda presented their cards when it was their turn. The guard checked their cards and didn't order them to present their bags since they were A ranked, "Guilds on this road, they'll have jobs."
"We're here for the Wolf Ship," Astra told him with a predatory grin before she walked pass them.
"I'll keep her from destroying the place," Jayda promised before she raced off after Astra.
"Better check in with the guild just in case." Astra remarked.
"That and my reoccurring job, I have to hold a lesson." Jayda reminded her.
"Right." Astra stated her eyes searching the docks and moors.
"Is it here?" Jayda asked.
"No but it might be beached to clean the hull and do a check in preparation for the journey." Astra told her.
"You can beach Wolf ships?" Jayda asked.
Astra nodded, "Yep, the hull is designed to be run aground so that we could leap off and raid."
They walked into the guild, after letting their eyes adjust, they picked a line and waited in it. a man went to get up, but he was forced back into his seat, "Go for it, pick a fight with Astra the Dire Wolf and Jayda the Black Cat, you might survive with all five limbs intact, history, however, says no." Dylan the C-ranked scout who had travelled with them to the capital, nodded hello to the pair before he walked back to the bar.
They got to the counter and put their cards down on it. "Just checking in," Astra told the staff member. "Can you recommend an Inn?"
"Also, I have a standing request, I can hold classes tomorrow if you can fill them." Jayda added.
"The best inn would be the Silver Bard," the staff member replied first to Astra, "We have been informed of the reoccurring quest and can fill two classes, maybe even a third, tomorrow."
Jayda nodded.
"Um... we are looking for the Wolf Ship, is it in or is it on a job?" Astra added.
"Oh them, they set up a camp on a shallow beach further west from here, they should be there as they haven't taken any work, I believe they are preparing the cast off as soon as the weather starts to stay warm. Pretty sure the Merchant guild is still preparing their rations." The staff member replied.
"Awesome," Astra remarked, if they hadn't picked up their supplies yet then they were still in time. They had also prepared during the winter and had enough supplies to feed themselves and a couple hundred people for a few months.
"So, we'll get rooms then go chat to them?" Jayda asked as they left the guild, Astra agreed.
An hour after arriving in the Port town they had left through another gate and made the short walk to the beach the Barbarians had set up a camp. Their Wolf Ship was beached and propped up right, fresh paint was drying, the ship was almost ready to make way, newly painted shields were drying, ready to be mounted near the rowing benches.
"Ho the Wolf Ship!" Astra called in greeting when they came to a stop a respectful distance from the ship. They waited a few moments before a burly man standing just as tall as Astra although much broader at the shoulders came forward. He had long blond hair and a braided beard, like Astra he was dressed in leather and linen clothes.
"Astra," the man called not noticing Jayda, they gripped each other's right forearm in greeting, their left hands gripped a shoulder, and they pressed their foreheads together. Although the greeting looked personal it wasn't, this was how Barbarians greeted when they meant no harm to the other party, when they didn't trust the other party, they greeted by pressing a closed fist to where the heart was. If they trusted the person, they would allow their noses to touch. "I heard you had made your way here." He said after they released each other.
Astra personally didn't know this man, but she knew his clan, "Clan Draugr."
"Aye," he told her. "I'm Tore and that is my ship, the Wolf Song." He nodded to his boat.
"A Drakkar, thirty oars?" Astra asked.
"Forty but I rotate out ten people at a time to rest." Tore told her happily, very few of these southerners could talk ship with a Barbarian.
"Do you have room for two more?" Astra asked.
He considered her for a moment, "Want to go home for a bit?" he asked.
"Yeah, I want to become S-rank, so I need to clear an S-rank dungeon." Astra explained.
"Ah, stupid kings," Tore remarked pretty sure that was the reason, kings liked to collect strong people.
Astra nodded, "Yeah, although Ashford is a good place still, stupid kings."
Tore finally took in Jayda who was standing a little behind Astra. "Who is this?" he asked.
"My ship mate," Astra answered, in the Barbarian country Adventuring groups were commonly known and referred to as ship mates and because of their size they weren't considered parties but clans.
"This, tiny person?" Tore asked a little in shock, Astra was well known in their country, those who served on her ship, the Dragon Song, were just as well known. Everyone who heard that Astra had a new Ship Mate would be wondering about them and whether they were worthy of standing with Astra the Dire Wolf of the North.
"She's more dangerous than she looks," Astra assured him.
Tore went to step up and see how she reacted but paused as he suddenly realised what he was looking at, an Elf... no... a Wildling. He carefully took a step back and shot Astra an alarmed look. "You want me to allow a Wildling on my ship."
"Tore this is Jayda, she is nothing like the Wildlings in our country, she was raised by intelligent monsters." Astra explained.
"How long have you been transitioning her?" Tore asked there was no red on her, but these southerners didn't mark Wildlings like that, transitioning is what they called the time a Wildling transitioned from living with Monsters to living with Sapiens.
"I haven't," Astra told him honestly. "I was asked through the guild to mentor her, to keep her from getting embroiled in noble games."
"She hasn't been transitioned!" Tore exclaimed, no way in the frosty waters was he letting an un-transitioned Wilding on his ship.
"Tore, you got women on your ship?" Astra asked, realising that he would not understand until he saw with his own eyes, that Jayda wasn't what they considered a normal Wildling.
Tore frowned wondering why she was changing the conversation. He nodded, like he would go to sea without some women, they were some of the best fighters and on top of that they generally kept the crew from infighting, mainly by bashing skulls together. "Ten. Why?"
Jayda checked where the sun was, but it was early afternoon, "We have time."
"Exactly, let me prove that Jayda isn't like the Wildlings we know." Astra told him. Tore considered her for a moment before he walked them into their camp, there were three rough wooden long houses.
"Oi, Yri! Hilde! Geirhild! Helga! Rev! Sig! Enid! Tora! Sif! Tov!" Tore called and ten woman, eight were of similar build to Astra and two were slightly slimmer, came from around the side of the long house, they were working on hides and rope, so they weren't dressed in armour.
All ten women instantly recognised Astra, "Astra!" they greeted her with smiles.
"Does everyone in your country know you?" Jayda asked which caused Astra to shrug.
"Okay, they are here, how are you going to prove she is different?" Tore asked.
"I teach magic," Jayda told him and noticed the new women were giving her cautious looks. "Life magic actually." Jayda told them.
"Trust me," Astra told them, "She isn't like any Wildling living in our country."
~*~*~*~
A few days later they were ready to push off, during the lesson Tore realised that Jayda was too articulate, too knowledgeable, too controlled to be a Wildling, but her eyes, her eyes told the truth, she was a Wildling just like no Wildling he had met before, just like Astra said. After the lesson which had drawn the attention of his entire ship, he told them that Astra and Jayda would be joining them.
The day before when the tide was down the ship had been turned and moved to the waterline, ready to be launched. They were leaving when the tide was up.
"Get on," Astra told Jayda, Jayda was not used to launching ships, so it was easier to just get her out of the way. Jayda nodded and went into the cold water; the leather became heavy but nothing that Jayda couldn't handle. Grabbing a rope, she jumped to try to keep from getting swamped by a wave. She pulled herself up the rope and over the rail of the ship. Tore was already at the helm; other people scrambled onto the boat and went to oars.
"Jayda," Tore called and pointed to a seat by the mast, "Sit there," he told her, and Jayda did as asked, she then cast cleanse on her clothes to get the salt water out of her leather and to dry it.
Once the ship was free floating the last of the people had jumped on board. People raced for seats and oars, "READY!" Tore bellowed and people got the oars into the brackets, he didn't wait for everyone to get their arses into gear. "ALL TOGETHER!" he yelled, "Róðr! [Row.]"
The ship stopped drifting and started to move, the rhythm was set by Tore's first mate who was tapping out the timing for the rowers, they broke through waves and after a while they were out in the open water and were moving faster as they weren't fighting breaking waves.
"You okay Jayda?" Tore asked with a little grin, Barbarians had no problem with the movement of water, others however did.
"Fine," Jayda told him, Astra had warned her that she would be teased, don't take it personally.
Tore frowned for a moment; the wind wasn't perfect but useable. "IN OARS," he yelled and in a smooth motion the oars were stored.
Astra glanced to Tore, she had enjoyed being on the oars again, "We'll be tacking a lot," he told his first mate who nodded.
"Or" Astra interrupted, "Jayda pulls her weight." Everyone glanced to Jayda.
"What am I doing now?" Jayda asked.
"Fill the sail with wind," Astra told her.
"Point the ship where you want it to go," Jayda told Tore as she moved to the stern and scrambled up the sternpost. Tore checked his bearings, moved the ship a little out of the wind.
"Hoist the sail." Tore called and his people started to race to ropes as others went to the sail to prevent the yard and sail getting fouled by the rigging. Once the sail was up everyone turned to Jayda, Jayda ignored them as she formed the spell.
"You are going to have to let me know when we are going too fast," Jayda told them, "Swift Breeze." The sails filled with wind and started to push the boat forward, the boat slowly started to pick up speed. Tore felt the boat start to sing after a while and realised they were still gaining speed.
"Hey, no more." Astra told her firmly and Jayda set the spell and crawled down, she moved to the front and cast another spell preventing the spray of water from washing over the deck.
"How long will that last?" Tore asked.
"Until midday, maybe." Jayda answered.
"Yri!" Tore yelled, "Try to learn that magic, you have wind magic, right?" he asked and the woman in question nodded. She was rare for a Barbarian to have Wind Magic, most of the time they had water and ice magic, she had wind and earth.
"I'm okay teaching," Jayda told her, she had no problems teaching magic, she wouldn't teach her the exact magic for Swift Breeze, but she would give her the tools she needed to create her own version of the spell.
~*~*~*~
Jayda was laying on her hammock a few days later, her eyes closed as she dozed, she had learnt early that this is what happened on Wolf Ships, when they didn't have work to do, they napped to conserve resources. Since the wooden deck was not comfortable, she had whipped out her hammock and instantly got the attention of everyone. They then started to splice and make their own hammocks; many were now dozing in hammocks that rocked gently with the ship.
One of the napping people sat up from their hammock, "MONSTER!" they yelled, and everyone was instantly alert and scrambling to put away hammocks to give them room to move. Astra went to move but noticed that Jayda hadn't moved an inch, she was not concerned or even alerted, however, she knew, that other than older divine dragons she had little to fear from 'normal' monsters.
"STOP!" Tore bellowed, he had done exactly what Astra did, he had turned to the Wildling. Wildlings had a heightened danger sense, the fact she was not concerned should mean that they should not be concerned. "Look," he told his people and pointed to Jayda who hadn't moved.
"But... it's big, huge!" the person who had alerted them complained.
"She's a Wildling," Tore reminded them, no one really relaxed but they stopped reaching for weapons. "Astra what should we do."
"Drop the yard, let's just drift for a little and see what it does." She suggested and Tore nodded, since they weren't using magic to move it would be simple to drop the sail.
"Drop the sail, we'll drift." He told his ship and there was instant activity, the ropes were released to luff the sail and as it was lowered the sail was folded. Once the sail was down, they just sat and waited.
The water near them started to change colour, darkening as something large started to surface, everyone glanced to Jayda who had finally opened an eye. With a sigh she got up and people started to reach for weapons, but Jayda did not, so they glanced to Tore who gestured for them to release their weapons.
With a surge of water which pushed them away, a head, much bigger than the ship, which was thirty metres long, became visible.
"Dragon," Tore stated and just sat, his legs giving out on him, no way would they win against a dragon and going on its size it was a high tier one.
Jayda walked over to the oar ports closest to the dragon as it finally removed it's second eyelid. "Hello Auntie." Jayda said aloud more for the comfort of the people on the ship then for her aunt.
I thought I felt you, so your parents finally kicked you out into the world. Aqua told her.
"Yeah, I have to figure out how to forge my fangs." Jayda told her.
"Astra," Tore hissed in anger, and Astra walked over. He glared at her, "Dragons... she was raised by dragons!" he whispered angrily, how had she stumbled across such an outrageous shipmate!
Astra nodded, the moment she had seen a dragon she had completely relaxed, Jayda was the daughter of THE dragon God, the one who sat above all other dragon Gods, Ancient tier and above dragons would know this and know better than to pick a fight with HIM by picking a fight with her.
"Tore... that isn't just any dragon," Kjotvi stated. "That's the Dragon God of Water."
Tore went pale, glad for a moment that they had not shown any aggression towards a Divine Dragon God.
"She was raised by a Divine Dragon!" Tore exclaimed quietly; it would be the only reason why she would call a Divine being Aunty.
Astra nodded calmly.
"It explains why she is so different to other Wildlings," one of the others remarked.
Tore nodded, it made a lot of sense, why Jayda was so controlled, high tier dragons had high intelligence, for a while there he thought she had been raised by a Griffon.
She watched as Jayda had a one-sided conversation, Astra knew she was doing it to keep the others calm not that anyone would attack a Divine Dragon, well except for one crazy arse Adventurer called Rhianna, and instead of fighting a Divine Dragon she ended up falling in love with them.
"What an absurd ship mate you have," Tore told Astra and she grinned.
"Yeah, she's destroying my common sense, but she's fun, I like her a lot." Astra explained.
"You and her, are paired?" Tore asked, paired was a Barbarian term for something like married only it was a more 'open' concept.
Astra turned to Tore, "Us... no... she's too skinny... if anything... she would be my blood sister."
Tore turned to Jayda, Astra considered Jayda family, that was a big thing. The dragon submerged for a moment before they felt the water surge around them and it came up again this time under them, they fitted perfectly on its nose, held in place by ridges and spikes. Tore turned and watched as the part of the dragon's body floated to the surface, slowly the dragon moved their tail and they started to move, in the right direction of nation of islands and ice that Astra called her homeland.
Jayda walked over, "She wants to chat a little more but didn't want to delay you, so she is carrying us." She explained to Tore.
Tore nodded, "Please, we don't mind waiting nor do we wish to be a bother, could you tell her."
"She hears you," Jayda told him.
"Oh, again we do not mind just waiting, your nieces magic and magic lessons means we are further ahead than we had originally planned. It would be wrong of us to ask for anything or to ride on the body of the Divine Dragon of Water's body." Tore said aloud not really knowing where to talk to.
There was a deep almost chuckle.
"You didn't ask, she just happens to be going in the general direction you need to go." Jayda translated.
"Then we graciously accept your kindness," Tore said, although he accepted what was happening, they really had no choice in the matter.
Jayda grinned and walked off, she hopped down off the ship and moved to sit on the dragon's head.
Tore turned to his first mate, "How fast do you think we are going?"
"Can't tell, I am guessing there is a magic barrier to shield us from the wind." Kjotvi told him. "But can you image the boasting we can do when we get home."
Tore shook his head, "No, to do so we will endanger Astra and her blood sister. We will have to agree to a story and stick to it." the ship came together to get their story right, just enough truth to not be a lie but not enough truth to put Astra and Jayda in danger.
Astra sat back and just let them figure it out, she was lucky, she was bound to protect Jayda's secrets just as Jayda was bound to protect hers, that was what being in a party entailed and magic bound them strongly to that premiss. It was why she couldn't tell people Jayda's true race or any of the things she had learnt.
Just as the sun was setting, they realised they were stopping, Jayda joined them on the ship again. "My auntie says this is where we part ways, she says we are maybe half a day away from your country." Jayda explained and they felt the ship started to move in the water again. Again, the dragon's head appeared beside them.
"Right, she wants to meet you," Jayda told Astra.
Astra stepped up on an oar port and held onto the rigging to stabilise herself even as she bowed in greeting.
I remember you, Aqua told Astra and Astra gave her a quizzical look, to the best of her knowledge she had not met a dragon before, Jayda excluded.
You were a child, playing in the waves, you came across an egg and stopped two other boys from destroying it. You then realised it had washed up and you pushed it back into the water until magic took it away from you. Aqua explained how she knew Astra.
Astra remembered that day, although a little fuzzily as she had barely counted ten winters at that time. Her granny had told her some monsters were born from eggs and it was best to leave them be, however if an egg was in danger, protect it, the monsters won't hurt someone protecting their young. So that is what she had done, she protected the egg and then did her best to return the egg to where it belonged.
"Right, that happened." Astra said aloud.
"Right, she can talk to monsters now," Tore remarked having seen Astra interact with Cobalt.
"Gods are different," Jayda told him.
"What was in the egg?" Astra asked curious.
A leviathan, Aqua told her and Astra nearly fell off the ship, worry not, it is a guardian leviathan and lives calmly guarding the entrance to afterlife.
Astra nodded although it didn't completely calm her down. A large, clawed hand slowly reached out of the water and the blunt edge of the tip touched Astra's forehead.
Consider this long overdue thanks and please, keep Jayda safe, the last thing anyone needs is her parents to rampage. Aqua told her as she removed her claw.
"Agreed." Astra told her wondering what the dragon had done to her.
"I can take care of myself Auntie," Jayda complained.
The large eye flicked to her, yes, you can, but it won't stop them getting very angry, the last time your father got angry, well there is an entire sunken country where they once were. the claw vanished back into the water then returned, pinched between two claws was a scale. She offered it to Tore, he took the scale with shaking hands. Tell him if he attaches it to his ship, aquatic monsters won't come near it, or they can break it up and wear a piece, it will prevent them from drowning in fact probably better to do that there should be enough if you do it. she told the pair before she finally sunk back into the water and swam away.
"Jayda... what did she do to me?" Astra asked as she stepped down off the oar post.
"Blessing of the Dragon God of Water." Jayda answered her aunt had also blessed here back when she was sitting on her head.
"But you can't be blessed by two Gods." Astra remarked.
"You can't be blessed by two Sapient Gods," Jayda corrected her misassumption knowing that it was just common knowledge that you cannot be blessed by two Gods because how rare it was for Dragon Gods to bless people. "Dragon Gods are primal Gods you can be blessed by multiple dragon Gods because the way their blessings work is very different to the way sapient God blessings work."
"And this?" Tore asked as he held out scale, an arm scale but still a dragon scale from a large dragon, it was big enough to be considered a shield.
"Think of it as a sorry for scaring you and a thank you for accommodating her whim, attach it to your ship and no water monsters will come near it or you can give it to me and I can make pendants which when worn will prevent drowning, your choice." Jayda explained giving the choice.
"Ships can be built, replaced, lives cannot, and we wear heavy clothes and armour, so, pendants." Tore said as he handed her the scale, making a decisive decision but one that was instantly agreed to by the others. In the future they would be able to hand the pendants down.
Jayda took it and sat to get to work. "Hoist the yard lets sail." Tore ordered and his people got to work as Jayda did.
"Do I get one?" Astra asked as Jayda measured up the scale because not being able to drown sounded like an awesome thing for a Barbarian Water Wolf.
"You don't need one, the Dragon God of water blessing she gave you means you can't drown," Jayda told her.
~~~~~~~
Okay, I know you want to see Astra's stats and you will, just not right now. I have a reason ok!
Next update 17/9/2023