As Tyrius and Leanna left the castle, Tyrius led the way towards the Savant’s Sword--an inn in the city of Dufast which typically catered to mercenaries and the more adventurous sort. Still, they allow anyone who has the coin to stay there. Tyrius chose this because his father typically stayed when they came to the city--and it was in a relatively nice part of the town.

The inside of the inn was pretty lovely. There was a large open tavern area, with a few tables set up around. It wasn’t too busy, as there wasn’t that much work in the area for mercenary sorts, but there were a few small groups huddled in the corners drinking and making merry noises. Leading the way, Tyrius walked up to the counter, looking at the rugged barkeep. “I'd like a room for myself and my sister.”

Tyrius stated as he set a few silver coins on the table--which the bartender took and counted out the coins before speaking.

“The second floor, take the hallways to the left. Your rooms are on end. Will, there be anything else this evening?” he asked in a somewhat gruff voice.

In response, Tyrius nodded, “Yes, we’ll also have some dinner. Whatever the special is for tonight is fine.” After Tyrius’s response, he counted out the coins, three silver coins per room and one silver coin for the meal.

The inn was on the more expensive side--, the cheaper inns one could get a space for about sixty copper coins and another thirty for a meal. This inn charged more because the rooms were of a higher quality. The locks on the doors were sturdier, and the food uses fresher and higher quality ingredients. It was a needless luxury in the end, but one Tyrius’ father always enjoyed. If there was one thing Tyrius had learned from staying in this in, it is that spoiling and protecting your family never cost too much.

In regards to the coinage, it was based on a hundred coin system. One hundred copper coins went to a single silver, and a hundred silver went to a single gold coin. In the empire, the average family could live off about three gold coins a year. Tyrius, since he was a blacksmith, made a bit more than when he did commissions. For example, his job for the local lord paid out ten gold coins--a hefty sum. Still, iron was rather expensive, so after expenses, he only netted an income of about half; after considering the costs of iron ingots, he needed to create the requested weapons.

Of course, the weapons he made for the local lord, while good quality, was only that. If there wasn’t a buyer, there was no reason to make more. Tyrius wasn’t a master smith, nor could he weave magical enchantments into the arms and armor he could create. Nonetheless, Tyrius made a good living.

It wasn’t long before the barkeep walked over and set two plates on the table--it was some kind of soup with vegetables and floating bits of sausage in it, as well as a few slices of fresh bread. The barkeep also set two mugs of ale for the pair to drink.

Leanna usually ate whatever they had at home, was rather excited to try something from the big city, and a moment later began to dig in. The sausage was a little spicy, the vegetables inside of the soup tasted fresh--albeit not as fresh as what she had access to in the village, but the flavoring that was added to the vegetable more than made up for that, and the bread was soft, warm and delicious.

“This is good…!” Leanna mused as she broke off a piece of the bread and scooped some sausage and vegetables from the soup onto the bread before eating it.

It didn’t take long for Leanna and Tyrius to finish their meal, and after a moment, stood up from their seat. It was still midafternoon at this point--as Tyrius and Leanna arrived at the city later in the morning, so they still had some time before they needed to settle in for the evening.

“Shall we go look out across the city, Leanna? I want to check out the item Sorven recommended.” Tyrius stated as he pulled out the extra coin pouch that was given to him and peeked inside. Inside were about sixty silver coins--and decent amounts, and enough, Tyrius suspected, to purchase both the flint boots and gloves.

“Ooh, yes, please~! Though we need to make sure not to buy too much even if we’re tempted.”

Letting out a small chuckle, Tyrius nodded. “Of course. We will need to stop by the ore smithy to replenish my stock since I used most of it on the recent commission, but after that, we can look at everything else.

With that, Leanna and Tyrius walked out of the inn, leading the way. Tyrius headed towards the ore smith. Specifically, the ore smith worked on processing various ores and turning them into ingots of multiple sizes so that regular smiths could purchase--and use them in their crafts.

Tyrius could feel the heat rising from the smithy, smoke steaming up out of one of the chimneys as they arrived. “Oi, Lin, you here?” Tyrius shouted out.

After a moment or two, an older man, who seemed in his early thirties, his skin a bronze shade from working in the heat constantly appeared. “Ah, Tyrius, it’s a few months. Everything going well?”

“Yes, everything is going fine; I’ll need another order of ingots. I used up most of the stock I purchased last time on a commission I was given.”

“Mmmm, is that so? Well, that should be fine. Do you want the same amount as last time?”

“Yes, I think that’ll be fine. As long as I don’t get another commission, that should last me quite a while.”

Lin nodded in agreement before his attention shifted over towards the woman at Tyrius’ side. “Oh? Now that’s a face I’ve not seen ten years or so, Leanna, right? The last time I saw you was about a decade ago when your father brought you both to the city.” He commented, offering a small smile.

“Holding up well? I also imagine you're going to be of age soon--if my son were a few years older, I’d try and pair him with you, hah!” Lin stated.

As always, when people mentioned Leanna’s age, her cheeks flushed red before she nodded. “O….of course. It’s still a bit hard since the plague hit the village, but we’re doing well overall.” Leanna said, a small sigh escaping her lips.

“Of course, of course. Now, Tyrius, when will you be heading back?”

“We’re planning on setting out tomorrow--our cart is at the castle being unloaded as we speak.”

“Well, that’s all good, come in the morning, and we’ll load the ingots onto your cart.”

“Of course, and thank you, Lin.” Tyrius stated as he took a step forward and reached into the coin sack that they were paid with, pulling out five gold coins and handing them to Lin.

Lin grinned as the coins were dropped into his grasp, and after looking for them for a moment, he nodded. “It’s good doing business with you. I’ll be seeing you in the morning,” he stated, offering a somewhat cheeky grin before walking off back into his forge.

“Shall we go visit the market now?” Tyrius asked, his attention shifting towards his sister, who simply grinned eagerly.

The market was a little ways away from Lin’s forge, but all in all, it wasn’t that long of a walk. While Dufast was not a particularly large city, there was plenty to see in the market. Individuals were selling small and unique trinkets, vegetables, clothes, and so on. There were also individuals buying; while most wore modest clothes, few were minor nobles who were buying goods. Tyrius steered clear of those that seemed to be from a higher class. His father warned him long ago to stay away from that sort--it was more trouble than it was worth most of the time.

Together Leanna and Tyrius walked forward, exploring the market with Leanna. Leanna’s gaze twisted around as she gazed at the various things. After a short walk, Leanna walked off to one of the stands, looking at the multiple goods--upon noticed his sister was looking at something, Tyrius stopped and waited.

“Tyrius, come here,” Leanna called out for her brother, who, after cocking an eyebrow, walked on over to view the stand.

There were quite a few items there, mostly handmade jewelry, but there were other items there. Leanna did not seem interested in the elaborate jewelry or the finely embroidered cloth. Instead, it was a small locket.

“Mmmm, you have good eyes, dear, that’s not an ordinary locket; it’s magical, though not the sort of magical item that makes it expensive. I can create a picture inside, you just need to add a little blood, and it’ll create a perfect replica of what they look like at the time the blood was taken.”

She commented softly, offering a small smile to the pair. “I’ll sell it for sixty silver coins.”

Leanna glanced at her brother, giving him a somewhat wanting look. They didn’t have anything like this at home--nothing to remind them of their parents' likeness. “Ah...we’ll see Leanna,” Tyrius said as his attention turned towards the elderly woman.

“Why are you selling it so cheaply? If it’s magical, it should go for several gold pieces…” Tyrius inquired--wondering if the old lady was trying to rip them off.

“Ah...well, that’s because it requires blood to be used. Since the formation of Sanguinium, magical items they require blood to be used are seen as somewhat taboo--and I’ve been trying to sell this one for months with no luck.”

It was a reasonable explanation--people have become a little paranoid over the years--and the vampiric attacks that have been happening recently have simply made the situation worse.

“Aaaah, very well,” Tyrius stated, grimacing at the price--but in the end, it was well worth his sister’s happiness.

Taking out a gold coin, Tyrius gave it to the lady--who, in return, gave Tyrius forty silver in change.

“We’ll use it when we get home. I don’t want a cut, even a minor one, while we're traveling just to be safe, Leanna.” Tyrius stated, offing his sister a small smile as she gleefully looked down on the amulet. After a moment, Leanna slipped the amulet into her pocket and nodded.

“Of course, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

With that, the two started to walk one more, making their way through the market. Tyrius glanced around--he was looking for the equipment shop that would sell the flint gloves and boots--seeing as Sorven gave him silver to pay for it, Tyrius felt obliged to do so.

After a short while, Tyrius noticed a sign that stated: Barbatos’ Basic Battlegear--and it was a shop that catered to the more adventurous folk.

“Leanna, I think they might sell what Sorven recommended me to get--let’s check it out.”

Leanna glanced over, her attention glancing up at the sign before she nodded. “Oooo...I wonder what kind of stuff they’ll have in there. It’ll be interesting to look at nonetheless.”

A small chuckle escaped Tyrius’ lips as he took the lead and walked to the shop before entering it.

The inside of the shop was relatively small and cramped. Lining the shops’ walls, there were battered pieces of armors, swords, dented shields, and other various goods. There were even a few minor magical items that were hidden behind tempered glass. An orb seemed to glow and radiate light, a sword that occasionally crackled and arcked with electricity and other various things.

Standing at the counter was an elder man, a white beard hanging down from his chin, and at the sight of Leanna and Tyrius, simply scoffed. “I don’t like window shoppers. If you’re just here to look, you can leave,” he stated in a somewhat annoyed tone.

Tyrius’ attention shifted as he glanced up at the man before rolling his shoulders in a slight shrug. “I’m here to buy--do you have a set of flint gloves and boots for sale?”

Tyrius asked, the older man raising an eyebrow in interest before chuckling. “I see. If you’re here to buy, then feel free to stay. I get far too many eager kids who just come to explore and look through my shop. It gets grating after a while--especially when they knock something over.”

The older man complained as he walked around the shop, and after a few minutes of searching through his goods, pulled out a pair of black gloves and boots.

Looking down at the set, Tyrius nodded before looking up. “I’ll take them both--though I’m not familiar with flint boots--how do they work exactly?” Tyrius asked, raising an eyebrow.

The older man let out a small chuckle. “Someone recommended them to you then? They’re simple enough. You see the heel here, grind it against a hard surface, and it’ll create sparks.”

“I see...but what if there isn’t a hard surface around?”

“If you have both, you can use the other boot!” The old man stated as he grasped both boots and ground their edges of the heels against one another in a rapid fashion, which created a flurry of sparks.

“See?”

“Interesting--well, I’ll take them both. You’ll be fitting them to me, right?”

“Of course, free of charge as always. It gives you a reason to buy from me again if you like the service,” she stated, giving a somewhat cheeky grin.

Tyrius and the old man haggled for a bit of bit before settling the price of eighty silver coins. Still expensive, but it’ll certainly be helpful if Tyrius ever got into a fight. Checking the bag Tyrius got from Sorven, and after counting, noticed there were ninety silver coins in total--so there was a bit extra in case the haggling didn't go well. He’d need to thank Sorven for that tomorrow.

After another few minutes, the boots and gloves were fitted, and TYrius and Leanna left the shop--Tyrius wearing his new gloves and boots.

“You know, they’re a bit more comfortable than I’d have thought they’d be,” Tyrius stated, glanced down at his not attire.

Raising his hand upwards, Tyrius snapped his fingers and watched a series of spark fly off from his finger, a satisfied grin across his lips as he watched. “That’s not, that’s good. Now I don’t need to wait for the perfect clash to happen if I’m in a fight.”

With that, the pair continued to walk around the market--Tyrius only taking a moment to refill their rations so that they had enough food to make it home when they left the next day.

When the sun started to set, the siblings returned to their inn and retired for the evening after having another meal.

Their rooms that they were given were reasonably plain, but they were clear, and the beds looked more comfortable than what they had at home. There was a small bed, a cabinet to store anything if someone stayed for a few days, and a few other minor amenities. It was good enough for an evening, but it was nothing like home.

When morning came, and Tyrius headed down the steps, he was greeted with the sight of Leanna sitting there eating a small breakfast--which Tyrius quickly joined her.

“Didja sleep well?” Tyrius asked as the innkeeper set down a plate of eggs and bread.

“Mmm, I think so. It was a little odd sleeping in a bed that wasn’t my own. It’s not something I could get used to. I don’t think.”

Tyrius nodded in understanding. “Of course, it’s a strange experience, but it’s something we don’t need to worry about all that often.”

Leanna offered a small smile at that before nodding. “I suppose I won’t be coming along too many more trips. I have to say, this was nice. Next time you come, if, well, you know, hasn’t happened yet, bring me along again.”

Tyrius nodded. “Of course, having you are a great company and makes traveling along the roads all the safer due to your skills.”

The pair continued to talk about various, unimportant things until they finished their meal and headed off towards the keep.

When they arrived, they met with Sorven, who seemed to grin at the sight of Tyrius. “I see you heeded my suggestion, Tyrius!”

“Well, since you gave me the money, you didn’t give me a choice, Sorven.” Tyrius exclaimed, a rather cheeky grin across his lips.”

“Well, that’s fair. When you come back to town, hit me up again, and we’ll have another spar once you understand how to use the gloves and boots properly.”

“Mmmm, don’t be too eager, or you might end up on your ass next time.”

“Heh, as cocky as your father. We’ll see, but you have a lot of work before you can get up to that point. Anyways, come this way, your mules are in the stable. I made sure they got enough to eat. The lord, overall, was rather happy with your work. Expect to get another commission soon. He wants to make sure he has enough arms in case something happens.”

Tyrius nodded as he followed after Sorven. After a short walk, the three arrived at the stables, where the two mules were already hooked up to the cart.

“Here you go. I guess I’ll see you next time Tyrius--and Leanna, if you’re ever in the area, you’re more than welcome to visit me as well.”

Leanna offered a small smile before nodding. “I may have to take you up on that offer--of course, I don’t know how often I’ll be here.”

Sorven nodded before watching Tyrius and Leanna climb into the cart. Tyrius took the reins and gave them a slight snap, telling the beasts to start moving.

Tyrius guided the mules down from the keep, heading towards Lin’s--upon arriving, Lin helped Tyrius load the iron ingots he purchased into the back of the cart before covering it with a tarp.

Once the goods were loaded, Tyrius snapped the reins once more and led the mules out of the city gates so that the two could head home.