Dungeon Runner

Bottom Rung, Chapter 18

"Tibs!" Jackal called. "How'd it go?"

Tibs looked in the direction, his eyes having trouble focusing. "My head hurts." How long had he wandered the merchant tents and stalls, looking for one of his friends?

"I thought you were good with money?"

Tibs narrowed his eyes. "I didn't know what fifteen was. The numbers in the shops are much bigger."

"Right, Sorry, I didn't consider that."

Tibs shrugged. "I found a shop, and the merchant is nice. He helped me learn the numbers. And he had full armor for forty silver. Which is less than what the guild wants for the chest piece and a weapon."

Jackal nodded. "I knew the guild was going to swindle us, but I didn't expect that level. Even the merchant I talk with is selling his armor for less than the guild asked, but just by two silvers, yours is cheaper. I don't want to think what those who don't force the people at the table to tell them the prices, then checked it was what they wrote down, will have to pay." He motioned to the shops. "Let's go find the others, then we can go to the tavern for a tankard to quiet that pain in your head."

Tibs looked at the Runners they passed, he knew few of them but could recognize the look, or in some case, the chest armor they wore. He saw one, a fighter, wearing a full set and she lorded it over the people around her, who only had chest armor.

"Walter!" Jackal called, and Tibs winced at how loud he was. The sorcerer looked in their direction, his expression dark.

"Fifteen," the man said.

"Fifteen what?" Tibs asked.

"Silver, that's how much an amulet is really worth," Walter spat, "I have a mind to go to that table and give that adventurer a piece of my mind. Or just drown him."

"You found one?" Jackal asked, surprised.

"No, they aren't allowed to even bring them into the town until after the dungeon graduates, but the merchant's wife and I talked when he was busy with a customer buying, instead of just looking. She's who told me about the restriction and that when they'll get them, a basic amulet like the one I bought off the guild is going to be fifteen silver. The guild is just a bunch of crooks," he grumbled.

"They could be a lot worse," Jackal said, "trust me on that. And while I appreciate the sentiment about giving one of them a piece of your mind, let's remember that we're Upsilon and that they've passed that stage years ago. Confronting one about something I'm sure they don't even have control over isn't going to end well for us."

"What did the armor at your shop look like?" Zarkane asked as she joined them. "What's wrong, Walter?"

The sorcerer looked at Jackal, then let out a breath. "I just found out how badly I got screwed over. But Jackal's right, there's nothing to do about it now. I'm sorry, I got distracted with sorcerer supplies, I didn't look at the armor."

"And the armor in my shop, Gardaron's, looked like leather," Jackal said. "I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but I'm nothing more than a dumb brawler, you're our expert." He smiled at her. "I have to be honest, as the daughter of a shop keeper, I'd expected you to be angrier about this whole thing with the guild trying to swindle us."

She shrugged. "The con is part of being a merchant. You start way too high and if the customer isn't smart or knowledgeable enough to argue you down, that's their problem. I'm sorry you got taken Walter, but getting angry about it now isn't going to help us. Can you imagine how much trouble we'd be in if they decided to keep us out of the dungeon entirely?"

"Can they do that?" Tibs asked.

"They're the ones making the schedule," She answered. "By now I expect they know everyone by face, enough to know who not to pick when a spot has to be filled."