As much as we enjoyed our visit to Plainsford, we eventually had to head back to the river to finish our jobs. Jimmy had to sell his goods, I had to hit up the church of the Architect to get my phat lewtz. I’d had an excellent and wide-ranging conversation with Sara about adventuring and had a list of what she thought was the essential gear for the job. Since the essence of adventuring from a healer’s perspective was not dying, it seemed a good place to start while I waited for my new tome to process.

We were in the main current again, laying on the canvas covered boxes and watching the sky go by. I have to say, this is a relaxing way to travel.

If I can hit some areas good for noob melee types, which Sara had mentioned, I could grind for gear and cash in relative safety while I waited. I thanked Agatha and Gar again, that the Grey lady couldn’t touch my cash when she attacked me. Getting geared up was going to be a huge benefit.

Jimmy and I floated on the raft, after about the 500th deep sigh, I told Jimmy “You know that girl likes you, right?”

Jimmy said up ram rod straight his face blushing spectacularly, “What girl, I wasn’t’ thinking about a girl!”

I laughed at the clouds and said, “Jimmy, it’s okay, I’m not going to ride you about this, she’s a lovely girl, your age, and you’ve been friends forever. Someday you’ll just have to ask her out and see how things go. It’s a part of life.”

“Joe, have you ever been married?”

“Nah, not opposed to it, just never met the right girl. Been in a couple relationships, even long-term ones. Things just never worked out, y’no.”

“Not really, but I get the gist of it. How do you ask a girl out, if you like her?”

“Here’s the thing Jimmy, you’re already talking to her right? That’s the hard part. Now you just have to slip the question into a pause in the conversation “Hey do you want to “…and then add a date activity. Goto a dance, Goto dinner, Take a long walk, whatever. After that it’s easy, flirt and have fun. It’s not hard again till it’s time to kiss her. Once you start kissing, it’s great, but that first kiss is hard to kick off. Too much pressure.”

“What do you mean too much pressure?” asked Jimmy clearly perplexed

“That first kiss makes or breaks the relationship for like 80% of women. At least back on my world, 80% of women say that can tell everything they need to know about the relationship, based just on that first kiss. And they are not going to make it easy on you, at least not the sane ones, which are the only ones worth dating in my opinion. They are loving the blend of fear and excitement they call romance, or chemistry. The agony of waiting for you to kiss them is only out shown by the moment you actually do.. But on the flip side, if you take too long to kiss her, she gives up and you slide into the friend zone. That’s hard on nerdy guys like me, let me tell you.” Apparently staring at the clouds is a good time for big talks.

“Well, how do you tell if she wants you to kiss her?”

“Firstly, there is a way a girl looks at you, her eyes huge, well inside your personal space, so she’s looking up at you. Once you -really- see it, you’ll recognize it again. Before I learned that, I had 3 much less reliable tests I used.”

Jimmy turned to look at me a dangerous spark in his eye, “Joe, you’d better share those tests because ‘you’ll know how to tell after you’ve already done it’ is a complete BS answer, and you know it.” said Jimmy exasperatedly. “I’m not above making you swim.”

I put my hands up in a placating gesture, “Just because it’s bullshit, does mean it’s not true. I’m not a master at this, but I’ll tell you what little I’ve figured out. The first is ‘eye lip eye’, it means she’s close, looking into both your eyes, then at your lips, then back to your eyes. It’s a good sign she’s thinking about you kissing her. The second is, If you start to lean in a little you’ll get NAT.”

Now Jimmy looked at me his head at an angle like a confused puppy. “What the heck is NAT? Tiny flies?”

“Nose Avoidance Tilt. Basically, she tilts her head to one side just enough so you will meet her lips instead of bumping into each other’s noses. If she’s shorter than you she’ll stretch up to meet you. If she’s taller she’ll kind of slouch to meet you.”

“Okay , I get those two, what’s the last?

“Easy, when you lean in to kiss her the first time, go 90% of the way or more, so close you can feel the energy of her lips but they are not quite touching, then let her come the last little bit to you. Oh, and don’t slobber, kisses shouldn’t be superwet. Too dry or sticky is bad, but too wet is way worse. Just enough to be soft and slippery. That mate is what 35 years of being a geeky son of a bitch trying to figure out girls has taught me about first kisses. Oh yeah, one more, have fun, enjoy the kissing, the slippery textures, kissing different parts of her lips. Just don’t think of it as a base you need to tag to go further. Enjoy kissing as its own thing. If you go into it like ‘3 minutes of kissing and I can grab her butt/boobs’, it’s going to be lame. Do not be lame!”

Jimmy flopped back onto the pile of crates, “I’m not sure that helped, now I’m more worried about kissing her, and we haven’t even courted yet.”

“Welcome to the joys of the preferred sex. It’s terrifying and delightful at the same time.”

Jimmy looked down for a bit, biting his lip. Magritte was going to dig that when he does it in front of her. Then he shook his head as if clearing it.

“What about Pekaton, Joe, what do you need to do there? We’ll see the docks soon.”

“I need to gear up for some light low-level adventuring, Hit the church of the Architect and pick up my reward. Then I’m heading to some places Sara recommended and grinding out some cash and practice. I need to wait around 90 days, so I can get my tome again and become a mage.”

“I’m so jealous of that, Marguerite’s parents were both mages and adventures, what’s a boring mundane rutabaga farmer got to offer her?”

“From where I’m sitting, plenty. But you are welcome to go adventuring with me, you just need to finish all your business first. Besides I’ll be going back and visiting Sara periodically to learn more about adventuring. That can’t be bad for you courting her daughter. Think it through, make your plans and let me now either way, ok?”

---

Jimmy and I hit the docks in Pekaton, I watched the load while he went and got his father’s merchant contact. The docks were all along the river front, a sprawling series of docks, warehouses and cheap bars. While I waited I people watched. There were people here of all colors, not just shades of brown. and in wildly varied dress. This place was much more diverse than Europe at the same tech level. I wonder if that’s because of magic. Did gates or Teleports exist? That would have a huge effect on trade.

Soon Jimmy was coming back leading a slender dark skinned and haired man in flowing robes.

The man made a florid bow and then greeted my “Welcome Joseph Walker, friend of my friend James Johnanov of Duomford. I am Ilia Ivanov, and I represent the House of Ivanov. My friend young James here has passed on word from Sara, daughter of Absalom, healer of Plainsford. Both have asked me to be of assistance to you here. When I have conducted my business with Jimmy, permit me to be at your service.

I stood and tried to echo his greeting back, without all the florid bowing. “Greetings Ilia Ivanov, of the House Ivanov, I am James Isiah Walker, son of Raul Walker. Sara of Plainsford has bid me greet you, and has said to put my trust in your words. Please, I will await your pleasure.”

The response to this was a smile and a nod. He and Jimmy went over to the raft and inspected the goods. Dickering for a while and a small bag exchanged hands and disappeared into Jimmy’s clothing.

Ilia waved to some of the men lounging on the docks and they came and began to pole the raft over to a nearby structure, where they began to unload.

Ilia nodded to me again, “Joseph son of Raul, please join us in my office where we can chat in comfort.”

We went to the same nearby structure, and entered a small neat office, much simpler than I’d expected from Ilia’s manner so far. Instead of a sybaritic office of rugs and pillows, it was a rather stark boring office, clearly for work.

Ilia sat himself at the desk, “Young James here tells me you want to go adventuring, and have invited him to join you, is this so?” he gestured us to the two chairs across from him.

“I have, though I wish to cause no strife with his family, and Jimmy needs to get his loot back up to his kin at Duomsform. It seems to me that adventuring would be safer with a trustworthy partner.”

“In this I concur, Joseph son of Raul.”

“Please, feel free to call me Joe.” I said back.

Ilia again made a small bow.

“Of course, Joe. I can direct you to the more honest and less rapacious of merchants for the gear you need to acquire. As well I can use the contacts of my house to open the way for you both to the local training dungeon. This city was blessed both by a junction of rivers, and by two dungeons, one low level and one mid-level. If you will permit me, neither of you are remotely near ready for the latter. Much of the gear you would need for adventuring afoot is not needed if you delve the training dungeon. Though there are food and lodging costs here you would not get there. “

Jimmy gestured with his hand to get Ilia’s attention. “Mr. Ilia, can you help me sell my raft and get all the proceeds of this trip to my family? If I’m going to adventure, I can’t make the trip on foot to deliver it myself. Father always said to trust you if I needed help.”

Ilia smiled at the boy, pleased with the boys actions. “I can take the raft off your hands for 5 bronze knuts, and for 2 bronze knuts I can arrange for a mage to deliver a small package to your parents. I have dealt with your father and your brothers for many years, they have always treated me fairly and I returned the favor. If I may give you some advice? When using mages to send messages, any mage in the trade will do, but for sending sensitive information, or something of value, only use a kingdom bonded mage. I know you are a good boy James. So as long as you are here, bring anything you wish to send home to me, and I will arrange it. Once you leave, Kingdom bonded mages only. Your father and I usually exchange a messages 3 or 4 times a year, I will save up your gifts and send them with our normal communication. I will be sending your father word of the conclusion of our business as a matter of course. So the wait will be short.”

Jimmy stood up, “I thank you Mr. Ilia” and gave him a short bow before returning to his seat.

Ilia returned the bow and then turned to me. “Now, Joe, what is it you want before going into the dungeon here?”

“We need a weapon for Jimmy, I have Jacobs gear, including his spare Byrnie, but Jimmy needs a helmet too. I have a firestone and a light stone for him, but he needs his own water stone, in case we get separated. We need 2 or 3 healing potions each, depending upon the cost. I got 2 potions from Sara and a basic first aid kit, but that was all she had. We need food for a week, that’s just smart to have. A water bottle, and anything you recommend. Oh, I have a communication stone, I’d like to get a mate for Jimmy, but I don’t know what they cost.”

“James has much experience with the shovel and the pitchfork, so a spear would be a good choice. Or an axe, a farmer cuts a lot of wood. His father and I had discussed as much and I have both available. I would also suggest a pack, a blanket and a rain proof cloak for each of you. It does not rain in the dungeon, but It does in the city, and with a blanket it makes a nice place to rest in the dungeon, Though always have one of you awake, even in a newbie dungeon.”

I rubbed my chin with my hand and replied, “I already have a backpack, but a small one for Jimmy would be grand. Again, I don’t know the costs involved, but I’d like to get a regeneration item for Jimmy. Sara kept hers and Jacobs, as well as one for their kids. She said my ring would work well enough for me, but she also said to make it top priority for Jimmy.”

Illia pondered a moment, “I see, and what is your budget?”

Holding some back for emergencies, I said “I can part with up to 10 silver crowns, and I have several firestones I can put in to trade. I doubt I’ll ever need more than two.”

Jimmy spoke up again at that point “We also need to find someone who’ll buy rare coins. Joe here has some Bronze coins I’ve never seen before, and the carving on them is truly beautiful. It was my plan to sell them to fund tool purchases. If I’m to be an adventurer, I will need a different set of tools, but the plan remains.” At this Jimmy passed on of my Sacajawea coins over to Ilia.

Ilia leaned back , holding it up into the light, and examined the coin, “A Quarter Crown by weight, but I agree the art is exquisite, and I have never seen them before either. What were you hoping to get James?”

“I figured I could sell them for a bronze crown easy, and with your advice perhaps more, I have 4 I don’t know how many Joe has”.

“I have 11 more like that and several coins of silver are of a similar artistic merit. All of similar rarity. Plus I have a half crown and 2 quarter crown coins of 90% silver, all rare and attractive.”

“A moment please?” The robed man strode off and came back with a small table, a scale and large magnifying glass. After setting all these up Ili said “May I see an example of each type? There is not much coin collecting here, but novelty always has value. And if they are interesting enough transporting them to the right buyer is possible.”

I pulled out one sliver eagle, one of my boring Ampex silver rounds and sat them on the table “I only have a few of the eagles, most are like the other. I put down my 3 90% silver coins, and one Sacajawea, even though Ivan had already seen them.

“I see, you have an excellent eye for value young James, most would have only valued these by weight.” Ilia’s long brown fingers slid the Ampex coin to one side, then pointed to the rest. “All of these are worth significantly more than weight. Perhaps 5 times their face value. “Tapping the Ampex coin, this is worth slightly more, say 10% over weight. the manufacturing is just as nice as the others but the art is prosaic.”

“I think I can offer you those values, if you wish to exchange and still leave enough room to make a profit for myself. Or I can direct you to someone who might offer more, but only might.”

“You might contact Sara, I traded 20 of these” and I tapped the Ampex coin, “ for Jacobs gear. I have 20 more, 4 more of the eagles, and 10 more of the bronze coins. I suspect she’d gladly make a 10% profit, as she’s saving for her sons Enchanting Tome.”

“Set them on the table please?” Ilia looked them over seeing what I described.

“49 silver crowns, and 10 bronze crowns for all of this, is that acceptable? Plus 5 bronze crowns for James for his coins? Thank you for you lead on Sara, I’ll make sure we both profit on the exchange.”

I said “Done” and stuck out my hand. We shook a made the exchange. I placed my 2 extra small firestones, and my communications stone on the table. I passed my medium firestone, a light stone and a charge stone over to Jimmy, saying “These are part of your gear. I suggest getting a bag to keep them in.“ Jimmy took them with a nod of thanks, and a big smile.

Then I placed my liner lock pocket knife on the table, saying “This is not magic, it’s made of a non-rusting steel, or at least a difficult to rust steel. What’s it’ worth? And how much for a communication stone that will talk to that one. I’d also like to get my sword enchanted with a durability heal, like the shield has.”

Ilia next said “for the gear you requested, minus the communication stone and the enchantment on your sword, the cost is 1 bronze crown for all, as we carry the items here at the house of Ivanov. This knife is nice, but not extraordinary, I’ll trade you for the requested crown of gear, and it will be a gift for my son, Alexi.”

“Deal, how old is Alexi?”

“He just turned 6, a good age for a boy to learn the lesson of cutting himself.”

I blinked several times, then said, “Ah, Yes, I suppose it is. Can you give me a ball park for the Enchantment on the sword?

At this point someone knocked on the door and came in handing a stack of parchment and 2 medallions to Ilia, they muttered briefly together and the other gentleman left.

Ilia handed each of us a small bronze medallion on a leather cord and the top piece of paper he passed to me.

Gesturing and bowing again, Ilia said “I have relied upon my connections and gotten this for you both. The necklace shows you are approved to enter the Kobold Cavern, our low-level dungeon. The paper is your permit to make 2 delves into the dungeon. The delve can be a moment or days, it ends when you exit the dungeon. If you get in trouble grab the medallion and say “Recall” 3 times. That will teleport you to the dungeon entrance. Don’t use it just to save walking back, as you will have to pay several bronze crowns to recharge it before you will be allowed in the dungeon again. This function is subsidized by the crown, as part of their adventurer development program, else it would be silver crowns at least. Also, while we are making gifts, Young James’s father and I arranged these for his trip back up river, but I think they will be useful here as well.”

Here Ilia rose from his chair and opened a cabinet by his desk and pulled out 2 handed wood axe, and a bow with a soft quiver of 20 arrows, handing them to Jimmy. Bowing his small bow again, he said “Send my best wishes with you thanks in a note to your father and I will send it along with your purse in an hours’ time. At that point, I will have a communication stone in exchange for these 2 fire stones, though it will not be able to talk very far in a dungeon, so be aware. On the surface it’s range is several miles..”

Ilia handed me a 2 more sheets of parchment from his desk. “Finally, this is an introduction to a Dwarven Enchanter who will enchant your sword, by the name of Durin Stoneheart. This is a map of the city, where I have taken the leave to have marked, this establishment, Stoneheart and Sons, the dungeon, and several establishments I can recommend for your adventuring needs, whose description is in the margin. Feel free to mention my name to the merchants when you meet them. Durin will recommend an establishment for the Regeneration item you wanted, but don’t expect them to be cheap.”

“Can you please mark a trainer for weapons, and one for magic, as well. I want to get Jimmy up to speed, and though I’m not a mage, I have many questions, for I plan to be one. “

Ilia took back the map making another mark and a note in the margin. Stoneheart will be better able to refer you to a magic trainer, he being a mage. For combat and archery training, may I suggest my cousin by Marriage, Gorat Tree killer, whom I have marked upon the map.