Innosaa pulled roughly on the new leather tightening straps of his brigandine breastplate. It was dented in a few places and the grey fabric had cuts in it, but overall it looked clean. The steel overlapping plates looked to be in good condition with no rust and the thick fabric over it all still held well. They had cut it off him after the battle, and thus Innosaa was having a tough time tightening it for him with its new stiff leather straps.

  “Thank you Innosaa” he said as he looked himself over, as well as his gear that had been laid out on the table for him.

  “Like I was saying, Mr. Young.”

  He locked eyes with her. Mr. Young felt very weird to him. He wasn’t sure how he felt about his name, Franco, but Mr. Young was way worse.

  “Tomorrow when that wounded wagon is in range of both us and Gemport, I will send many messages, but one will now be to the Scholaria in Abigail. Even with this disaster, I am a Gold rank adventurer and an expedition leader so my word word is unquestioned. I believe you of course. No doubt in my mind, but under truth spell you will confirm that Enhancement and I will tell the Scholaira and they will send you and myself a nice payout for the information. It could be worth their highest reward, 500 gold for you and I will get a finder’s fee, usually 10% of whatever they pay out to the person sharing their information. Your name will not be attached but the money will help both of us.” Helmric said all this with his back to Franco and without ever looking up from the paperwork he was drafting on at his desk. His tail was slightly swaying back and forth as it protruded from the stool he sat on.

  “Done. How does that feel.” Innosaa said as she stepped back and looked over her work. Franco moved his arms, rotating each fully. With no sleeves and deep arm slots in the chest piece he could move both arms freely and it felt snug but comfortable on him. He felt like he had worn this a lot before.

  “Very good, Innosaa. Thank you again,” he said.

  She waved off the thanks, “I had my helpers cut you lose so my fault.”

  They stood in one of the two rooms behind Helmric’s desk. This one was full of chests, crates and a few tables. They stood before a table visible from the door and Helmric’s desk, but not from the larger room itself. Helmric had chased away the first person to try and enter the building and had them stand outside blocking the door while the three of them talked. Franco looked over the table, surprised to see everything on it.

  “Master Helmric, you have explained the Scholaria twice now. Like last time, I agree it sounds like a good idea and even I know gold is useful. I haven’t forgotten that for whatever reason, so I am truly approving of you sharing with them. Anyway, everything on this table is really mine?”

  Helmric stopped writing and looked back at him. He trilled before speaking “That is more like the young man that signed up to this expedition a month ago and I am only repeating myself because I will benefit from it so I do not wish for you to feel pushed to it; and yes, all has been checked and that is what was recovered off yourself and your two female team members. Your personal camp was overrun by the scarabs, as were many, but with no one to mind it until I sent someone, it seems you and your companion’s things left there, walked away. Very unfortunate, but not uncommon, among adventurers. Most thought you were dead and we adventurers have no problem looting the dead.”

  Franco looked over the variety of items. He had put on the light, long sleeve tan gambeson and then the brigandine, with Innosaa’s help. He went through his adventurer belt. Almost four inches wide, it had many pouches and what were wand and potion holders on his. He saw that he only had one general antidote and two stamina potions on it. It also had a wand of magic bolt in one of its quick holsters. He pulled it out, and pointing the marked end away from him, he could sense it. It was about 10” long and as round as his thumb. It was bone white with a black spiral pattern on its lower half. It had the words magic bolt engraved along its top half in bronze. He could tell it was holding as much power as it could but that it was constantly pulling power from the area around it.

  “That is a good bronze rank wand. Very good for a copper like you. Can you sense it?” Innosaa said as she stood next to him looking at the wand.

  “I can, I am not sure if its memory or that I can just tell but it has 9 charges and can recharge over a day.” Franco replied.

  “May I.” Innosaa asked, holding out her right fingerless gloved hand.

  He handed it to her and then noticed the fingerless gloves on the table with his things. He looked at his hands and for the first time noticed that his left hand had three small black tattoos on it also. One below the knuckle of his pinky, ring and middle finger. A wand with the letters EX behind it. No bigger than his pinky fingernail. Then the outline of a head with a spiral where the mind would be and the third was of two wands, one a dotted outline and the other solid with sparks flying from it. Yet he knew instantly what all three meant.

  “Did you just notice your own Abilities Franco.” Innosaa looked at him in amusement.

  “Yes, I saw some of yours yesterday, but I didn’t know I had them also.” He answered honestly.

  She laughed at him but still had a smile for him. “Well, it seems you have a touch of magic in you Franco, if you can use these wands. Also, that is why I, and most [Healers], wear fingerless gloves every day. No need to advertise your abilities or your level. Always be afraid of someone in a fight showing off both their hands openly.” She waved vaguely at Helmric. “Kimber do not count. They grow their hand fur to cover the tattoos so you will not see theirs.”

  “Another reason Kimber are the superior race of this world.” Helmric said proudly, but with humor.

  “Do you know what yours mean?” Innosaa asked him. Clear interest in her voice. Franco nodded

  “I do.” He pointed to his pinky first. “[Extra Charges (Lesser): Wand] here, this one is [Fleet-Footed] and this third one is [Instant Recharge (Lesser): Wand].”

  “Interesting, your gear makes more sense now. You must be going for [Spellslinger] or [Spellsword] classes, and you must come from some wealth up in Abigail.”

  Both statements made him feel something, they seemed right but also not. It was one of the most confusing feelings he had had this morning, strange. He nodded at her, but with little conviction. He felt more worried about his lack of feeling than he did about his state of apparent memory loss. Did that mean something? He really didn't know, and at this point he wasn’t sure there was anything he could do about it.

  “That feels right, but also wrong to me for some reason”.

  “Well, look here.” She said as she lifted one of the bigger hardened pouches on his adventurer belt. It held one other wand in it, but also had slots for four others. “Now you can hold all these wands on this table together in one hand and be fine, but once you start getting stronger prespelled wands, they will cause problems being too close together. This pouch is one of four enchanted items you have. It would allow for several silver and gold rated prespelled wands to be held here without issue. A very nice, if unique piece of equipment; but something a [Spellslinger] or [Spellsword] would need.”

  He looked at the wand in his pouch and saw it was a wand of light orb. Then he looked at the two piles of gear and other items next to his equipment. He had not wanted to think about what those two piles of gear meant; the two women he had apparently known and led here as their team leader. They were now dead, and their bodies burned so they couldn’t be turned undead. He had no memory of them, and he felt shame for that.

  Both had one wand in front of their piles of gear. He grabbed both and put them into his wand pouch. One was detect magic, the other shock bolt. He then took the silver and gold coins in front of their things and added them to his money pouch, which he put in between his chest plate and gambeson over his heart. A small hook there that held his money pouch comfortably. He read again the handwritten list of all the items here that Helmric inventoried from the dead and his possessions. Altogether just over 130 gold dollars along with a small 3” long Bank Core which looked like an over decorated rod. This Bank Core was used by trusted banks to exchange money with other banks or with the adventurer’s guild or trusted merchants. It was from Abigail’s Central Bank which meant that its worth of 100 gold would be honored almost everywhere. He put the list back down and grabbed the three potions from the other piles. One healing, he knew those were very expensive and rare in the overall world but common among adventurers. Two more stamina and another general antidote. Fully loaded he put on the adventurer belt and pulled it tight around his waist. His armor hanging down to his hips. He picked up and sheathed the 12” long Kaba knife into its place on his belt. He could tell that was Enchanted as well as the long saber he picked up last.

  “Both of those are very good, enchanted items.” Innosaa pointed out. “That knife is silver rated, I would guess, probably a family item like this saber. Both have a feel of age to them, but the saber is bronze rated is my guess.”

  He didn’t draw the saber. He didn’t need to. Of all the gear here the saber spoke to him of the past. Of long hours and of meaning, purpose and of family. It had a metallic silver rounded guard where the blade met the carved ivory grip with a thick metallic silver line curving out from the guard to the pommel protecting the hand. Its blade, still sheathed, was nearly 30” long and curved. It came to a point and Franco knew he had killed with this blade before. Its sheath was attached to a loose holster that fit on to his adventurer belt that let the saber sit loosely at his hip. The last thing on the table that he cared about was a ring. A simple wooden ring. A lacquered dark wood ring that had just a faint magical glow to it. While the inner band had a fine gold geometric pattern. Franco put it on his left pointer finger. He knew it was his and it wouldn’t hurt him. Also, he had to activate it for its effect to turn on a spell of sure footed that he was sure would last 10 minutes.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  He pulled over the large pack that Hemlic had left on the table for him and started to pack away everything else from his gear and his dead teammates. Innosaa helped him fold the clothes and other armor tight as they packed the large rucksack. It was enchanted of course with weight reduction. An enchantment much like make lighter that reduced the entire weight of the rucksack and anything it held by half. A common enchantment on most bags and better than any of the lesser or minor versions of it. He wondered what type of bags his team and he had brought before people walked away with them. He hoped he hadn’t left anything too important in them, but he thought he hadn’t because it felt like a dumb thing for him to have done.

  He was an adventurer and with his gear on, he was surer of that than his own name. Franco, really? And he knew that adventurers always carried everything of worth on them they could. With the rucksack packed and half full of all the gear. Helmric came over with a few pieces of paper to sign. Franco read over them and halfway through realized he could read. Good thing that he thought.

  Everything seemed to be in order; so he signed the papers, turning over all the packed gear to him. He looked at the names of the three other people that had been in his group and no memory or impression came to him. He thought that was kind of sad. He hefted the ruck sack onto his back by one shoulder strap and then turned to Helmric and Innosaa.

  “So what now.”

  They gave him a quick laugh at that and Helmric waved for him to follow. So, he did. They exited the storage room and walked through the larger room before entering out onto the street. The sun was up past the mountains now and there were only a few clouds in the clear blue sky. The street was awash in light, finally brighter than the lights in the meeting hall. Helmric gave the man leaning against the wall near the door a quick push, and with one of his hands pointed behind him.

  “Open the place up and get the coffee warmed, oh and tell everyone that there is a meeting for everyone here at noon before lunch will be served at the mess. Big big news.” The older human man grunted acknowledgement before walking into the building.

  “You’re good to go Healer, I got it from here.” Helmric said waving Innosaa on. She gave Helmric a quick look of disappointment before meeting Franco’s eyes.

  “If you feel anything wrong with you physically or mentally, see me as soon as you can. Even if it’s the middle of the night. Between a healing potion, and my healing, along with your level ups, you seem good. But try and rest for the next few days and get lots to eat. You need to recover your body’s energy.” She gave him a smile before turning and leaving.

  Helmric let her go for a few seconds before waving for Franco to follow. As soon as he was walking next to him, Helmric started talking: “So Franco you have a few options here. First you can use some of that money or trade some of that extra gear to get some supplies you need. Food, canteen, sleeping gear, all that. As part of this expedition you get fed two meals a day. You pick which two you want but besides that you need to work to stay. Now we have two good size merchants I talked into signing up for this expedition, so you can buy and sell what you need there with them.”

  He waved south and Franco looked to see him pointing towards some wagons by the old gate to the town. He had to constantly wave people off as they walked and talked. Heading north till the next block and then turning left to head west along another busy street. People were passing, some saying hi, and others giving Helmric very angry looks.

  “I’ll send a team back in a few days if you want to go back and head home to Abigail, Franco. It will be the most personal way for you to find out your own past. Or you can stay here and work as the expedition goes on and let me tell you a secret Franco. This expedition will go on and it will get bigger. That is not a boast from me me but a fact. So, if you stay, do you stay here solo and work alone? To be honest, a solo Copper ranked adventure will not see a lot of work in the mountain. We all know how dangerous it is now. So, if you stay, do you join a new team even if just for this expedition? Which brings us here. Good timing on my part.” Helmric said as he looked up smiling, pointing with both right hands at the building they now faced.

  He was very pleased with himself. Franco looked around to see what he was pointing at, but just saw another building that had been made livable, while people walked around them.

  “And this is.” Franco asked.

  Helmric trilled and adjusted his glasses. “A team I think you should join. My youngest son's team in fact, although he is not the team leader. They are Copper ranked adventurers like yourself, but they are true Coppers unlike yourself. Where you you started off with all Bronze ranked gear or better. They are level 4 to 6, so a good match for your level and I think you will be good for them. This is a win win as things will soon pick up, and I will not forget about my own sons team.”

  Franco felt like he should have been given some time to think this over, but he ran his right hand through his hair and could feel the half that was missing. Did he want to go back to Abigail and find out his past? No, not really. The sudden terror at that thought surprised him. He took a step back without thinking but stopped and got himself under control

  He wanted to know his past but it was a mild want right now and as Inossaa said it might all come back to him anyway. So should he stay or go after his one living team member, that one that had lost his leg? No, he didn't want to confront that at all. It was a surprisingly easy choice. Shamefully easy he felt. But as he thought more about it, the more he wanted to see what was down here. He felt the pull of this place on his soul. What had they had uncovered, and he didn’t want to be pushed to the side as a solo adventurer. So, he smiled at Helmric

  “How good are they?” he asked.

  “They are are terrible but have potential, true Coppers. Much like you Mr. Young.” Helmric said with his bill wide open in what Franco realized was a smile.

  “Well with such praise like that, how could I turn you down? Will they accept?”

  He trilled and waved me to follow. “Of course they will.”

  He pushed past the canvas that was acting as a door and entered the dark room behind it. The only light that was coming in was from one of the old window sills that had been filled in with rubble. Light streamed into the dark room in small shafts that showed the dust in the air as it danced through the sun beams.

  “Lazy Coppers.” Helmric muttered to himself. “Wake up you egg sucking, ghoul licking, lazy ass fools.” Helmric shouted in his deep voice as he slapped the ground with his tail.

  “There is sun on the streets and you are still sleeping. Breakfast will be done done soon and I got news for you now and at lunch so get your asses dressed and in here, and Oaken you you better not be last, boy.”

  Franco openly smiled at Helmric’s colorful language. He was surprised to see an entire team still sleeping past sunrise.

  “Master Helmric, you cannot speak to us like this. We are all adults and we had no obligations this morning.” A light male voice said from one of the attached rooms. They heard shuffling and complaining coming from multiple voices before a tall shirtless male elf walked into the room with them. He had his pants and boots on but his thin lithe hairless chest almost glowed from its paleness.

  “I can talk to you how I will boy and it is bad form to be up up so late in this kind of expedition”

  “Father, we are coming. Please give us a minute.” A voice came from one of the back rooms.

  The elf clearly looked over Franco before turning back to get fully dressed. Helmric slapped his tail on the ground again in impatience but he turned and threw open the canvas door so that the morning light brightened the room they stood in.

  They stood waiting, hearing the voices picking up as the team joked as they pushed and prodded each other as they got dressed. The sounds coming from both rooms connected to the front one. Within a few minutes they started coming out. First the elf man who was tall, taller than Innosaa. Probably 6’6 to Franco’s 5’10 but he looked very young. No more than a 16 year old human Franco thought. So probably in his forties or fifties. Just barely an adult by elf standards and more child for them then adult.

  He was in a dulled only slightly dented half plate, his black gambeson standing out against the dulled but still bright in the morning metal armor. He had a long sword at his side, its sheath hanging loose like Franco’s from his own adventurer’s belt. The elf threw a dark green cloak over his shoulders and tied it tight around his neck so that most of his body was covered by it as he waited for his team. Making his long neck and elongated head and pointed ears stand out more. It made him even less human looking and more like a bird which might be his intent Franco thought.

  The next to enter the room was a tall, skinny fair skin human girl. She looked to be 19 at most and was dressed in all blacks and greys. Mostly leather or cloth. With a knife belt hung around her chest from her left shoulder with at least seven different knives on it and two larger daggers hanging from her adventurers’ belt at her waist. It all made her look ridiculous, especially with her long tight braid of fiery red hair that she let hang over her shoulder and rest at her noticeable chest that her clothes did not hide well, nor her hips.

  She looked the part of a story book Princess dressed as a [Rogue] or [Assassin] which even Franco could tell made her look like a child at play. Franco slowly made eye contact with Helmric as soon as she walked into the room, the older Kimber man just trilled in amusement. The young woman sensed the amusement was at her expense but seemed not sure why. So she folded her arms and leaned against a wall waiting. Doing her best to stare down the expedition leader.

  A Kimber came in next, who must clearly be Helmric’s son. He walked into the room from the door the elf had come from and just seconds before another slightly older human woman walked in from the other. The young Kimber looked much like his father if just an inch or two shorter. His fur that glossy brown while a fresh scar crossed part of his bill. He was wearing a light tan shirt with chainmail over it. His adventurer belt with a wand and short sword on it.

  The last to enter was clearly older than the rest of the group by a few years. Well besides the elf but that sorta didn't count, but she was smaller. Just over five feet tall, her skin was dark and her hair, while long and curly, was held back in a tight pony tail and a thick dark blue hair band. She was in a full deep brown well-worn leather armor over thick fabric. Her round face was tight in concentration as she looked over the two intruders quickly.

  Her eyes lingered on Franco’s. She looked the proper adventurer. With a short sword hanging from one hip and an axe the other. With a small but clearly well-made hand crossbow hanging from her belt, in fact her adventurer belt had it all, from a dagger, a wand and even a small hammer.

  “Took you all too long. I have many things to do.” Helmric said, getting right into it.

  “I have an announcement today at noon outside my building building. So all of you will be there. With that announcement in mind Franco, the man that had his head smashed in and lived needs a new team and you are it for this expedition. He doesn’t remember who he is or his past but he remembers everything else, like his saber and how to read. He is a Copper like you and level 7 and all his gear is Bronze ranked or better and he has money. Help him and yourselves by putting him on your team and I will give you fifty gold. Any questions?”

  All four raised their hands to ask a question and Helmric slapped his tail so hard on the ground the room shook a little. They looked at each other, lowered their hands and all but the shorter dark woman shrugged their shoulders. The older shorter woman just sighed.

  “Can we get the money now?” she said. Helmric trilled. “Come by when you go shopping later, he needs sleeping gear and other supplies as his camp walked off while he was in the infirmary.”

  The woman just gave him a thumbs up and Helmric trilled again before he turned and walked out the room. All five of them just watched as he walked out and then Franco felt all their eyes on him.

  “Ah Hello” he said as he faced them. The four of them just looked at each other again and the shorter woman just rubbed the bridge of her nose with two fingers.

  “Just drop your ruck here and let’s go get breakfast. We are up this early anyway so might as well benefit from it.”