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1078 Words
Matt nodded back. “Yeah. I’ve used talismans once or twice before, but these seem different from the patterns I’m familiar with.” He stuck out his hand, “I’m Matt, by the way.”
The woman smirked in a way that only someone who had done something unique could manage and took his hand. “I’m Sally. And, yes, those are my special little side products. Good eye by the way. I used the standard mana shield as the base runes to create those talismans and wove in the elemental effects.”
She reached over and pulled out a box from a few spots down and tossed him one. “These are the standard versions of those talismans. Built from the ground up as shields of their respective elements.”
Matt, playing the normal delver, shrugged. “What’s the difference, then?”
He had an idea of where she was going with her comments, but he wanted to play his part properly.
Sally tapped the prices labeled on each box. “If you don’t make enchantments, it’s not a surprise that you don’t know. The big difference is in the price. The basic mana shield is far, far cheaper than the specialized elemental shields to create, even with the elemental additions I’ve added. That’s just in mana cost, then you have to consider the difficulty of the runes needed for the other shields, assuming you even know them all. This isn’t a new idea or anything, but I figured out a way to make similar elemental talismans far cheaper just by enhancing the basic mana shield. The results aren’t as strong as the real thing, but they still offer the same elemental synergies and counters at a fraction of the cost.”
Matt carefully kept his face blank but already intended to come back as Quill and have a much more in-depth conversation with this enchanter.
Sally saw the look on his face and wrapped up the topic. “Basically, I only recommend these to people who specialize in the element. They can use their own skills and Concept to boost the power of the shield massively or use it to introduce some of their element into the environment for no mana cost. The starting strength of the shield matters far less in those cases.”
Matt nodded but put the cheaper version back and bought two of the standard mana shields.
He was pretty sure that his own shields were better by virtue of his endless mana type and mixing of other sub-aspects, but he wanted to see what the woman had to offer. If nothing else, it would let him gauge the capabilities of other talismans that people might be using.
The only other talismans of note were incredibly cheap weather control talismans. That was an interesting use of the disposable spells. He had never considered it before and intended to replicate some himself.
Eventually, he met up with Aster, who was mingling in a private lounge for Pathers’ bonds. He didn’t miss the engraved red feather that hung over the door, nor the chaperon quietly sitting in the corner and tapping at a pad with a smattering of scales around his eyes.
Waves of power radiated off the man. Matt harbored no doubts he was plenty strong enough to ensure that none of the bonds accidentally hurt each other. So, after spotting Aster happily romping around with a number of other bonds, Matt wandered back into the crowded market once again.
He stilled for a heartbeat when Quill and Torch came into view, walking around the market, before realizing that Kurt or Luna were ensuring that both sets of personas were seen together. Even if not interacting with each other.
They had warned him of their plan but seeing his own alter ego sauntering about was disconcerting.
A Pather next to him laughed. “First time seeing the masks in person?”
Matt took the excuse and shot the man a grin. “That obvious? The movies never make them look so real.”
The man was shorter than Matt and whipcord thin, and he continued chuckling while reaching out for a handshake. “Felix. And I recognize the look. I had the same flabbergasted face when I first saw one in public. The question is, are these majestic masked men of mystery hiding their identities because they’re really strong or because they’re really weak?”
Matt grinned back and introduced himself. “Pleasure to meet you, Felix. I’m Matt. And I heard the same thing, but it seems silly. Even the worst competitor here is stronger than the average delver. Just qualifying is an accomplishment. Even last place is nothing to be ashamed about around here.”
Felix shrugged dramatically. “No argument here but, then again, I’ve never been one for pride, so what do I know?”
In a moment of unspoken agreement, they started off, walking through the stalls together while chatting about the items on display.
They were jointly musing over a pair of Tier 11 vambraces with a repulsive effect when Felix was violently shoved from behind. He was forced to tuck and roll under the table in front of him to avoid colliding with the crafter’s display.
Matt withdrew his longsword from his spatial ring and performed a whirling sidestep to place the blade’s tip against the shover’s chest.
Four people stood in a semi-circle surrounding the shop. Two shifted toward Matt, but he flexed his arm slightly, showing how precarious their friend’s life was, which kept them back. Looking between them, Matt quickly picked up on the body language cues and intuited the group’s dynamic. The attacker was definitely the leader of this little band of belligerents.
The leader, for all his anger, didn’t seem bothered by the blade pushing into his chest. “Don’t know who you are, but you aren’t involved, so keep the f**k out of it. I have a pressing debt to settle with this asshole.”
He pointed to Felix, who had just jumped back over the stall. “It’s okay, Matt. I kinda deserved that one, I suppose.”
Understanding that there was more going on than he knew, Matt slid back and stowed his sword back into his ring.
Unwilling to be waved off without a word, he addressed the leader, “Attacking someone in the market is a pretty f*****g stupid idea. Take it to the arenas.”
- Writer
