Nez's ears were hot with rage as he exited the blacksmith's shop. He was not happy about the entire exchange. He immediately opened his interface and clicked on his friends list. He quickly found Al's number among a surprisingly full contact list.
"Wait a second." Nez's rage fluttered away as he scanned the friends list and saw a bunch of names on his phone were linked and online in the game. He read their names and location.
Almost all of them were in one of three starting towns and none of them where in Bahldren. "That's odd. Why did I get this group of fuckers but nobody else did."
Nez scrolled back up to Al and clicked the call button. It rang for a bit before his cousin answered the call in game.
"Sup cuz?" sounds of roaring beasts echoed in the background as Al's face shown thru the screen.
"Why did I get sent here?" Nez asked in an irritated tone.
"Not sure. but keep your head down and don't spend alot of time in town." Al shifted in screening, dodging an attack. "Bahldren is know for its anti player sentiments and if you anger the fanatics they will hunt you for sport."
"Oh joy!" The sarcasm was tinted with venom as Nez rolled his eyes. "So getting called greenie isn't about my race but the fact I'm a player?"
"Oh no, that's about your race." Al chuckled. "If you are in town go to the adventures guild. They will have a handful of missions."
"K, see ya." Nez hung up and turned around and headed back into the shop from before. He knew now he needed to take the venom from the ladies and buy gear. He had a feeling he would have at least a few encounters with idiots once he left the city walls.
"Welcome I'll be right wi..." The woman behind the counter froze when she saw the player enter. He grabbed the chainmail shirt and put it on the counter and then headed to the weapon rack. His attitude was all business. He didn't show any anger or aggression. he dropped a battle axe, a hand axe, a short sword, a full quiver of arrows and a shortbow. He stared at the woman for a second before opening his interface and pulled the exact price of all the items.
"Claire can i get your help up here?" Aila shouted back to the smith.
"What is it now?"The gruff woman replied back as she stomped out of her forge with her hammer still glowing from striking hot metal. "You?"
"Yeah me." Nez picked up the gold and dropped it hard on the counter causing the furniture to creak under the strike. "Since you want to swindle me I doubled all the listed price. Here is your money. We done here now?"
Nez and the smith glared at one another not blinking. Claire broke her gaze away from the staredown first and scanned the items. She then picked up the bag of gold and opened it.
"You can count it if you want." Nez snapped at her.
"No need I am well aware the weight of gold." Claire stared back at him before looking over his shoulder and the color drained from her face.
Nez felt the hair raise on the back of his neck. The feeling was not foreign to the experienced soldier as he turned expecting a fight. Standing in the doorway was an unassuming teenager. Nez sighed and turned back to his gear before opening his interface. He began equipping the gear and saw a button next to the old gear with a hammer and scissors. He clicked on it and a prompt popped up.
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO DECONSTRUCT THIS GEAR FOR MATERIALS?]
Nez shrugged and pressed the Yes button on the ethereal screen and heard a tearing noise then a ding. Another screen popped up that read:
[ONE LEATHER JERKIN DECONSTRUCTED: 2 HIDE AWARDED]
"Nice." Nez was ignoring the others in the shop and had not realized that he had company. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a hand incoming. Out of muscle memory he snatched the delicate hand turned his body and pulled. The other body collided with his hip and then like a lever swung over the top of him. Slamming his would be assailant on the ground hard.
"Argh!" a girlish yell came from the figure on the ground as it rolled over to reveal a weak looking teenager covered in finery befitting his noble station.
Nez stood up and shook his head. "You are about 2 decades shy of putting hands on me kid."
Two men appeared at the boys side and began helping him up. One was slender and wore a needle like sword on his hip and light armor. The other man was short and fat and covered in armor. He could have looked intimidating if not for his pudgy baby face. He carried a short sword and medium sized metal shield painted half red and half white. He spun his head around at Nez and glared at him as he assisted the noble child off the floor.
"What is your problem kid?" Nez stepped forward getting right up in the boys face. Close enough to smell the boys strong cologne and the fruit from his breakfast. The boys eyes showed fear as he looked back and forth between the man's froglike Teal eyes. Then a devilish smile crept across his face.
"Sire," The screech of steel escaping a sheath caught Nez's attention. He saw the slender man's sword flash and come towards his face. Out of reflex Nez grabbed the blade, stopping it cold. The smile left the boy as he went for his dagger and stepped back. The boy moved like he had been here before. The pudgy Warrior drew his shield and yelled, turning gold. Nez's attention was drawn to him almost like a need to fight him.
Nez stepped back releasing the sword and presented his palms forward in a defensive stance. His left hand was forward and his blood dripped from the open wound caused by the needle like sword. His shoulders were bladed away from his opponents and his stance was relaxed, with his feet shoulder length apart and knees bent.
Nez frowned at the three assailants. The tight quarters of the shop were not conducive to a drawn out fight and would definitely cause some damage and he didn't need to be hated more for destroying their shop.
"Claire is it?" Nez asked. It took the smith a moment to respond.
"Yes." She was standing between the fight and her shop keeper.
"What is the fastest way to leave the store?" Nez asked.
"I'm not helping you!" she replied with a tinge of irritation in her voice.
"How much did the window cost?" Nez pointed at a window to his right.
"50 gold so don't go breaking it!"
"Cool here!." Nez tossed her another bag of gold and instead of going to the right he bolted to the left and jumped thru the window on the opposite side of the building and out into the alley next to the building.
The three attackers looked at eachother and bolted for the door.
Nez made for the main street and grabbed a bucket along the way and as he came out of the alley he threw the bucket at head level.
The noble boy was the first to come out of the building and turned into the bucket as it smacked him in the face. Knocking the youth flat on his back. Both of the boys body guards stopped to help their liege who was holding his face and yelling.
There were a handful of people looking at the noble and his body guards. They had heard the commotion and breaking glass but now they were so engrossed in the screeching kid that they completely missed the groups prey who snuck into the doors of the adventures guild.