Dream by RW Krpoun Read Free Book Online Page A

different city it would have been harder, but this place has quite a few mages and a lot of trade.”
    “Any of them mention housing?” Shad spun a penny on the tabletop. “A shilling a night is going to kill us. We need to find better quarters for the long term.”
    “No, I didn’t ask,” Jeff admitted.
    “Just as well-you covered the most important part. We’ll troll other waters for housing questions. Tomorrow we’ll see who wants to hire us to find an eye of newt.” Shad passed out charms to each of the others, tapping each’s wrist and whispering a word as he did so. “Keep this on your person. Makes you immune to bugs for a week.”
    “Bugs?” Fred examined the charm.
    “Fleas, bedbugs, ticks, mosquitos…normal stuff. Shelob won’t be bothered by it.”
    “You had to mention Shelob,” Derek shuddered.
     
    The room rental included four quarts of hot water in the morning. “Man, it’s not often I’m thankful for Iraq, but days like today I am,” Jeff toweled off after shaving with the straight razor that came with his toilet gear. “Between that and Ranger School I’ve learned I can deal with anything. And no running water is definitely something that must be dealt with.”
    “Too true,” Shad pulled his shirt over his head. “Derek, did you get up to strength last night?”
    “Much as I’m capable of,” the Shadowmancer nodded. “Which isn’t much.”
    “Ask those Goblins how much is much,” Shad grinned. “But stick to combat spells. We need light, we’ll use a torch.”
    Breakfast was fried corn mush, bread, and ale.
    “Will our packs be OK in the room?” Derek kept his voice low.
    “Yeah,” Jeff nodded. “From what the guys said last night this place has a good reputation, and reputation is everything here. Well, that and not getting shanked by an irate customer.”
     
    The four took their time as they crossed the city, doing a bit of window-shopping and taking in of the sights. And there was an amplitude of sights and sounds, for while vehicle traffic was not as heavy as the newcomers would have expected, the foot traffic was plentiful. Watching artisans ply their trade, examining hand-made goods that would have fetched staggering prices back in their own world, and drinking in the many sights and sounds around them was both intoxicating and overwhelming. Even Shad, who was both intolerant and dismissive to a high degree, enjoyed himself.
    Derek was able to trade his robes and ten pence for a shirt and trousers similar to those Shad wore, and which seemed to be the style worn by bravos and fighting men when not in war gear. Jeff sold the Goblin knives for eight pence each and the money was used to buy Derek a canteen and flasks for all four with which to carry vinegar for water purification.
    “We’re down to one Mark four shillings,” Derek said quietly after the last of the purchases. “And a piece of amber. Enough to live on for a couple weeks, but not enough to get us equipped.”
    “OK, enough sightseeing, fun as it has been,” Shad decided. “Let’s go see how hard it is to get hired by an alchemist.”
     
    As it turned out the hiring process was not difficult at all. Alchemists were restricted to three streets: Alchemists Way, Alchemists Lane, and Transmutation Street, the three meeting at a small square that was adjacent to the city wall. The square, called Chemist’s Meet, was cluttered with push-carts dealing in foodstuffs, while the three streets were lined with shops.
    The alchemists came in two varieties: the more common place which looked like a flea market, and which were thronged by a wide variety of customers, and a minority of shops which were elegant storefronts where a servant in livery answered the door. Traffic into the latter was a tiny fraction of the former, but from the manner of dress of the customers the cash flow was also disproportionate in favor of the shops.
    What both had in common, besides the core nature of their business, was a