Chapter Sixteen

**A Suitable Cart and the Saga of Adamaxus Part III**

Jason opened his pouch and counted his money. His count gave him a total of 8 silvers and 4 coppers. Finally breaking even, Jason thought.

“Hey that looks like a horse merchant,” Vanna said as she pointed at a large stable near the River Gate.

“Are you alright if we check it out?” Jason asked.

“Of course,” Vanna said happily. “I don’t think I can afford one yet, but I’ve always wanted to get a horse since I started playing. I haven’t been able to ride one in almost a decade. Now that I have a solid source of money I can start looking into how much it will cost me to get a horse.”

“Alright then,” Jason replied. He looked up at sky and was worried about how much daylight they had left, but he told himself finding a way to expand Skippy’s carrying load was a priority.

The stable was made of two long rows of stalls. A dozen stableboys were running about moving and grooming horses and cleaning the stalls. Jason stopped one of the boys and asked where they could talk to someone about buying a cart. The boy pointed them to the back of the stable where it seemed the building opened into a yard.

To get to the yard, Jason and Vanna had to walk past scores of horses of all types and sizes. Jason saw that Vanna was itching to interact with the magnificent beast and he felt bad for his friend. “These are some nice horses,” Jason commented try to get her to release so of her pint up feelings.

“Very nice horses,” Vanna replied but Jason could tell most of her attention was still on the chestnut colored animal she was staring at. She snapped out of her trance then looked over at Jason, “they probably keep their best horses in the front.”

Vanna’s guess turned out to be correct and by the time they made it out to the yard the stalls were full of the bulky pack horses and ponies they were used to seeing. The yard was an enclosed courtyard and Jason assumed that the rooms around the edge of the yard were housing for the stable workers or storage. In the yard there were two fenced in areas where workers were attempting to train horses. There was also a small workshop in one corner of the yard. A few carts of varying sizes and styles were parked by the workshop and Jason guessed that was where they needed to go.

Inside the workshop a man in his mid-twenties was attempting to attach a finished wheel to an axle. Vanna had waited outside with Skippy while Jason entered their workshop. He waited silently for the man to finished and when the wheel was finally attached he looked over at Jason. “Can I help you?” He asked.

“Hi,” Jason said, “I’m looking for a cart for my donkey over there,” he pointed at Skippy who at that moment decided to relieve himself in front of the workshop’s door.

“Uh huh,” the man murmured as he eyed up Skippy trying to determine what kind of cart the donkey could pull. “Look pal, I usually only make wagons for horses or oxen but I got one that a pony or a donkey could probably pull. It’s not in the best condition, I honestly was planning on scrapping it after this job,” the man patted the wheel he had been working on.

“If it works I’m sure I’ll be willing to consider it,” Jason responded.

The man shrugged then led Jason to the available carts outside. He led Jason past large detailed four and six wheeled carriages. Jason’s mind reeled thinking of all the wool he would have been able to transport with those kind of wagons. The man stopped, “this is it.”

The cart’s bed was a three foot by five foot plank set on two wheels. A few of the spokes on either wheel were broken and the bed’s short wall was badly chipped. Jason was slightly disappointed that this was all the man had to offer but decided that he would make do with it until he could find a better one as long as he could get this cart for a decent price. Jason guessed the wagon could fit seven or eight bags of wool.

“You can have it for three silvers,” the man said.

Jason made a disgusted face, “I’ll go three but only if you can have this thing fixed up tonight for me to pick up at dawn.”

The man looked at the cart for a moment and thought. “Fine but at least give me an extra copper if I have to have it ready by tomorrow morning.”

“Deal,” Jason said then offered his hand and they shook. He handed the man half of the agreed amount and showed he had the rest to pay in the morning when he picked up the cart. Then Jason and Vanna quickly left the stable to finish their shopping.

“That thing looks like a piece of junk, Honey,” Vanna commented when they were out of earshot of the workshop.

“It is,” Jason agreed, “but if it can at least make one trip from here to Finchead and back then it will have paid for itself and we can look into getting a more permanent wagon and some more animals to pull it.”

Vanna nodded her head in agreement upon hearing Jason’s reasoning.

They returned to the shopping district and were able to find at least half of the items from the villager’s quest. In a specialty foods store they were able to sell the truffle for two silvers which they split evenly. In the specialty foods store Jason was also able to find coffee. The beans were more expensive than he expected, with a pound costing 10 coppers. Jason gritted his teeth and bought a bag as well as a grinding stone and a press for a total of 1 silver. He knew he couldn’t go much longer without the drink before he went crazy. He asked the shop owner why coffee was so expensive and he learned that the beans didn’t grow in Titan but had to be shipped from Hezraphrat. In a general store he bought more traveling food as well as gauze for any future wounds. He checked out the books the store had to offer and was winded when he saw the majority were priced at over a gold a piece and the cheapest was 5 silvers.

When all their shopping was done, Jason found himself down to 19 coppers and hoped he hadn’t wasted all of his money. Thankfully his barter skill leveled up to beginner four.

After shopping they looked for somewhere to stay, but they couldn’t find an affordable inn within the city proper. Most were charging half a silver a night with food which Jason was not willing to drop. Eventually, in the half dark of sunset they were able to find an inn with a stable for Skippy in the docks. The area serviced a rough crowd, but they got two cots in a room to themselves, food, and keep for Skippy for 5 coppers and the inn wasn’t more than a few minutes from the where they were going to pick up the cart in the morning.

The inn was full of drunken sailors, many eyed Vanna suspiciously but they backed off once she won a few coppers in 39 Thieves off them. One tried to protest her win but only got a black eye from her in return. Once the sailors started to get too drunk for either of their comfort they retired to their room with steins of ale.

There room wasn’t large and the candle the innkeeper gave them provide enough light for them to see. “Jason, it’s time we discussed something,” Vanna announced. They were both sitting on their cots, Jason’s book laid in his alp and he was about to read a page or two before bed.

Jason set his book down and said, “what Vanna?”

“It’s been fun so far, but I don’t work for free. We need to decide on what you’re going to pay me if I’m going to keep being your guard.”

“Oh yeah that,” Jason said. He had thought about this topic, but wasn’t sure yet what to do about it.

“I’d be happy with 25% of the profits,” Vanna offered.

Jason buckled he had hoped it would be easier than this, “sorry Vanna, I’ve got plans to make a lot more money than I am now and I think that could get a little unfair for me farther down the road. It would be different if we were partners and you were putting money into this too.”

Vanna nodded, “I made 3 coppers a day in the army, so what do you think is fair?”

Jason thought for a moment, “how does 5 coppers a day sound paid every week and we can leave it open to renegotiate later on. I’m low on cash, as you probably know, right now so I can pay you for,” he tried to count how many days Vanna had been with him and would be with him by the time they came back to Laxtar in two days, “five days plus a week in advance when we sell our next load of wool in two days, so 3 silvers?”

“And you pay for board?” Vanna countered.

“Who’s the one with the trading skills here,” Jason joke, but he also thought for a moment. It would be a lot of money to pay Vanna but he also knew from at least the fight with the brothers and the fight in the forest he needed her fighting abilities to survive. “Deal,” Jason said.

Vanna smiled and they shook hands. “Now don’t stay up too late reading, Honey. We’ve got another long day tomorrow,” Vanna said then rolled over on her cot and shut her eyes.

Jason pulled the candle closer to his cot and pick up his book. He flipped through the worn pages until he found the next legible portion and continued reading.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Children of the gods of air and fire, Wyverns were feared more than all other monsters except their cousins, the dragons, who were said to have gone extinct at the end of the Age of Creation. Thankfully for the people of Draccia, wyverns do not attack unless provoked.

The mighty serpents were often unsuccessfully hunted by heroes, often leading to the hunters mortal end.

During his travels, Adamaxus trained with his power gem and learned to control its flow of power as a swordsman learns to control his blade. One night, as he was camping at the base of a wyvern’s mountain he heard a noise near his campsite. Adamaxus readied himself for a monster to appear but instead Adrius, his uncle, walked through the brush.

“Uncle why are you here?” Adamaxus cried in confusion.

“The dishonor of this test disgusts me, I could not live with myself unless I helped you on your quest. I realized this a day after you left and have since been following your trail.” Adamaxus did not want to risk the life of his uncle, but to refuse his aid would have been a mortal strike on the man’s honor.

On their seventh day of climbing the pair finally reached the peak of the mountain. High above the world the air was cold and snow covered the mountain top. On a bed of broken trees and crushed skulls a Wyvern slept. It scales were the dark purple of night and steam hugged its body as the heat it released battled the chill of the air. Without moving the beast opened its eyes revealing large amber pupils. I give you one chance to leave mortals, it rumbled.

Adamaxus and Adrius stood fast. Adamaxus balled his fist and channeled his mind to control his power gem; Adrius hefted his great sword and shield ready for the serpent to attack.

The wyvern raised its snake neck to release its awful energy, but froze. The serpent’s steam began to coalesce into the form of a human. The phantom flickered and cried out, “hello again Jord’s spawn.” Then the mist clouded the wyvern, seeming to take control of the monster. The wyvern moved back into its attack and Adrius raised his shield just as a vortex of flames shot at the man. The attack pushed Adrius to the edge of the peak, but he stayed firm. Adamaxus charged the wyvern and commanded the earth to rise and strike the monster. Hands of stone reach out of the ground and pinned the wyvern’s wings to the earth. The beast let out a cry then sent another vortex of flames at Adrius.

Adrius dodged the strike and closed the distance between him and the wyvern. The warrior dropped his shield, grasped his sword with two hands, and charged at the beast’s head. Adrius swung at the beast’s neck and the sword lodged into the scales, however not deep enough to kill the wyvern. The monster recovered from the shock and sank its teeth into Adrius and flung the man across the battlefield.

Adamaxus cried out in anger. The wyvern turned its head to face Adamaxus and laughed. “You bested me once, but not again,” it cackled then constricted its neck to release another fiery vortex. Adamaxus thrust his hands into the sky and from the earth wicked spikes shot up and skewered the wyvern’s neck. The monster’s head rolled to the ground with a smile still on its face.

Adamaxus ignored the monster’s corpse and ran to his uncle…

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Jason looked up from the book and as the room went dark. The candle must have gone out, he thought glumly, that’s a buzzkill. He shut the book then laid flat on his cot. Below he could still hear the drunken cries from the tavern, but never the less, he quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.