Gear Galore

The sign for the Blacksmith's shop soon came into view. Its large metal letters were decorated with fancy curls made of a dark, shiny material here and there. It was one of the most well-known spots to buy weapons and armor. A popular place for adventurers to sell their dungeon trophy equipment.

The group stepped into a large, well-lit room. The walls, the tables, and the ceiling were all full of goods lying on red velvet, hanging from golden chains. The owner was a tall man with broad shoulders and large muscular arms. Dark bags were visible under his eyes, making his wrinkles more prominent. Still, he greeted them with a pleasant smile.

The man was polite in guiding the other visitors out before turning the sign on the door from "open" to "closed". The pair of adventurers ushered out weren't too happy to leave. However, after identifying the newcomers, the two complied with somewhat sad yet understanding smiles.

"Please, follow me, sir, miss." The blacksmith gave Alika a questioning look.

Silvesta and Wolfred wandered off to study the new armor collection opposite the entrance. Soon, the shop owner led Alika and Remien to a door in the back. After fumbling with a set of keys, he successfully opened it and gestured for his guests to come inside.

Three armor sets were displayed on mannequins in the center of the room. Polished to perfection, they all had that unique feel to them. That was a trait peculiar to dungeon trophies. The table near the window had a range of weapons on stands. Three of the pieces had been placed in front of the rest. It looked like it was done on purpose.

The shelves on the walls and the walls themselves had a variety of gear to choose from. Alika noticed that all of it was about the same size. Her size, to be exact. Two vast mirrors shone in the corner, right next to a cozy fitting room behind dark purple velvet curtains.

"Everything you requested has been done, sir. It was quite difficult to manage, considering the time limits and the abrupt nature of the order itself." The shopkeeper straightened and proudly waved toward the armor in the center. "The things you have brought in have already been adjusted. Still, they would require more precise fitting. The best we can offer on such short notice has all been brought here."

Remien lowered his head in a brief appreciative gesture and turned to Alika.

"I think it would be wise of us to choose something from what's available here now. We can switch to a higher tier later, once the opportunity arises," the adventurer suggested.

Alika leaped up to her companion, her eyes widening.

"All this costs a fortune! None of these things are ordinary gear pieces. This equipment is all dungeon level! How am I supposed to pay for it? I've never had so much money in my life," she said in a hurried whisper.

"I'll be paying here, too," Remien told her.

Alika glanced around with an uneasy quiver in her stomach, her shoulders tense.

"How… How do you expect me to pay you back?" she asked. Her voice was even shakier than before. "What exactly do you want from me? I mean… If you pay for me now, I will forever be indebted to you! Or was that your plan all along?"

He sighed and tilted his head.

"I don't ask for much in return, really. Your soul will be quite enough." Remien laid out a set of armor for Alika to try on.

The shopkeeper had all the color drained from his face, his eyes darting back and forth. The man's brain was getting into gear as he searched for a good enough reason to leave the room that very second. Alika's hand shot to her chest. She heard her heart pounding. For a split second, the room swam before her eyes. Remien let out a loud laugh.

"I couldn't help myself. I was joking!" the adventurer finally said. "It's just that you look like you're always searching for a trap I've laid out for you. However, I assure you, there's nothing, nothing of the sort at all!"

The blacksmith managed a strained chuckle and coughed. Remien leaned closer to Alika's ear, lowering his voice.

"To tell you the truth, I'm terrible with that sort of magic. I wouldn't even know what to do if someone offered me their soul," he whispered. "I can't really use anything more complex than the basic spells. The ring artifact you have seen helps me with that. The powers you've seen me use at the academy are an exception."

Remien took a step back and ran his hand over the cold metal surface of one of the equipment pieces.

"So please, don't get the wrong idea here. Above all, I'm investing in myself. I'm boosting our chances of dungeon success. That includes mine too," the adventurer clarified. "I will not let my greed hold us back. You are free to keep the stuff even if we part ways. You can always sell it and return the gold if that will make you more comfortable. It won't make much difference to me."

"I'm sorry for the distrust," Alika said when she felt she could breathe easier and her heart wasn't racing like crazy anymore. "I have reasons not to trust even the closest of people… But please, don't joke about things like that again, okay? At least not until we get to know each other better."

The girl let out a nervous giggle and turned to inspect the gear.

'False alarm,' she tried to convince herself in her mind. 'Remien was just kidding!'

From a very young age, kids were taught that the world was not a safe place. Many dangers lurked in the shadows, with the graver ones beyond the city walls. The dark, scary forests were full of wild monsters waiting to pounce on heedless travelers. Trolls and goblins, yetis and dragons in the more distant places all posed a serious potential threat.

Even in towns and villages, you could meet vampires, werewolves, demons, and many others. As far as demons were concerned, the easiest way to identify one was to look for a tail. Better yet, a pair of horns. Those were bound to be sticking out on their heads. Remien was not sprouting any of those, at least not yet.

However, demons were sly, creative, and very cunning creatures. Tricking the poor unsuspecting humans was their specialty. The primary purpose of all that was to turn a person into darkness. These evil beings were masters at stealing human energy, their life force. Demons also made their victims agree to horrendous deals, turning people into puppets by clouding their minds. So yes, a demon could take a human soul in more ways than one.