Volume 3 Intro
One day has passed since resurrection.
"If you don't stop shaking, it'll go a lot worse," Teague told Noah, the piercing needle in one hand and Noah's earlobe in the other.
"You didn't tell me you'd be doing this," Noah replied, not stopping his shaking at all. He whimpered quietly as he eyed the needle in Teague's grip. It wasn't a massive tool or anything like that, but the idea of intentionally letting something pierce his flesh was a foreign concept to Noah. It was also a very frightening one. He was balling up his hands in his laps, keeping them tightly curled until his knuckles turned white.
"You're the one who said you wanted to wear that earring. And that Sooth girl was kind enough to buy it for you."
"I didn't ask her to do it." Noah glanced over to the table beside his seat. Shimmering in the morning light along the Outpost's front porch was his newest possession. The silver earring had caught Noah's eye when he passed by a jeweler's table the night before. The object was fascinating to Noah, not only because he had never seen an earring before. There was also the matter of the small trinket that hung from it. A serpentine creature (a dragon, as Jesse had informed him later) made of the same silver as the ring itself dangled from the hoop.
"Come now, Noah. Isn't it important to be polite to our new friend?" Teague said, slyly moving the needle closer to Noah's ear while the fae studied his new accessory.
"I guess." Noah still wasn't entirely sure why Sooth had went ahead and bought it for him. He had asked her, no, pleaded with her not to do so. He wasn't trying to come off as ungrateful, but he wasn't keen on the idea of somebody else buying gear for him. Especially when that simple piece of gear cost 150 coins.
"Gotcha."
The pain of the needle driving through one side of his earlobe and out the other was quick but sharp. Noah gasped in response to Teague's surprise piercing, though he hesitated to reach his hand up and comfort his wound. Instead, Noah grabbed his new earring and handed it to Teague. The Brawler took the next necessary steps, opening the metal loop and fixing it into the new opening.
"That's it?" Noah asked through gritted teeth once he heard the soft click of the earring getting back into place.
"Yessir," Teague answered, placing the needle into one of his vest pockets. "You're all good to go."
A mere moment later, the familiar good feeling of the new gear hit Noah. This earring wasn't a full on replacement for the claw necklace he had lost. That was easy to tell just by how much weaker that feeling was. However, it was indeed a step up from the simple ring that he still wore. Probably worth every coin that Sooth had paid for it. Noah made a quick mental note to thank her properly later.
"How about you, Teague?" Noah asked. "How do those gloves feel?"
Teague shook his head as he pulled the gloves tighter onto his hands. They were made of a hardened, black leather. On each knuckle was a shiny iron plate, with a letter on each one that spelled out E.A.O.P.
"They're not the best replacement, but they're what I got," Teague said, looking down at his handwear (martial gloves as the arms merchant called them) with visible disdain. The precious object Teague had lost in his death was his staff and asking about it only got Noah a glowering stare from the Brawler.
"I can fight pretty well in these too," Teague continued. "Just don't expect anything nearly as amazing."
"Don't do anything stupid then," Noah replied as he stood up. The earring hit against the side of his face gently as he moved, but Noah figured it was a feeling he would get used to soon enough. "How much longer do you think we should stay out here?"
"Until Rapide calls us back." Teague reached for the inside of his vest. From one of the larger pockets within, he produced a sheet of paper. It was their new job that they were to take on. Noah had yet to read anything from it, but he imagined Teague would be more inclined to take another easier task for the two of them.
"What's our task for the day?" Noah asked.
"Lizardmen."
The answer came not from Teague, but from Jesse, who had been waiting patiently at his table across the porch from them. It would've normally surprised Noah that Jesse had both of his arms once again. Though if the strange beings known as Apostles of Nemo could bring someone back to life, then restoring a lost arm was likely a simple task for them. He, Sooth, and Kyla had been watching quietly as Noah was getting his ear pierced. Apparently, the trembling and pain of the fae was below Jesse's requirements for taunting.
"How'd you know?" Teague asked as he read over the job sheet.
"Because we've got the same job," Kyla answered, holding up a paper of their own. "Master Jesse added you to our party."
"We're already in a party though," Noah stated. While he wasn't sure of the exact complicated workings involving parties, he didn't see Rapide being too pleased with the two of them being shanghaied into another group.
"You guys are only temps," Jesse explained. "I figure we could work a few jobs together and get back on our feet. It's the least we can do."
"I'm normally not this humble," Teague began, putting the job sheet back into his large pocket. "But you guys are a bit higher level than us. You're probably taking on something that we really aren't geared for."
"Lizardmen are a low two star monster," Sooth explained. "Not much stronger than the feral moles you boys were handling a few days ago. Just bigger."
"Ah." Teague looked to Noah, whispering his next question. "What you think man? Down for this job?"
"Yeah," Noah replied with equal softness. "It'll be good training." It was more than getting stronger only because Rapide had ordered them to. The encounter with Shanaroo showed Noah just how weak he was in the grand scheme of things.
No one would defeat the fae that easily again.
"Alright." Teague turned back to the trio across from them. "Alright then. We'll temp with you guys for a little while."
"Good choice," Kyla said with a wicked grin, showing off her sharp canines.
"We're ready to leave now if you guys are," Jesse said. The three of them rose from their seats in perfect unison, though the two women still stood tall over their younger compatriot.
"I'm ready," Noah said. And for one of the first times ever, Noah led the way forward off the porch of the Eastern Outpost.
"How do you like your earring, Mister Noah?" Sooth asked as they reached the halfway point between he Outpost and the Gate.
"It feels good," Noah replied. He quickly added a, "Thank you very much, by the way."
"It doesn't look half bad on you," Teague commented from alongside him. "I bet even Rae will like it."
"You think so?" Noah's mind was immediately flooded with vivid images of Raelynn staring with amazement at his brand new accessory, along with the possibility of those warm hands of her caressing his face.
"Yeah, man. She might even ignore the fact that you said another woman's name first thing when you woke up.
Noah's equipment changed.
Lazy Serpent Earring equipped. STR +3, DEX +2, MAG +1.
Ground Tear Skill added.
Volume 3-The Fall and The Fire BEGIN
A. N. I'M BACK!