Chapter Twenty-Six


    Do I have to buy a stone every time? Ambrose frowned as he walked the streets of Avalon to Troy’s shop. He entered and the reformed merchant groaned.


    “Please tell me you aren’t here to hurt me again, I’m telling you I am try-”


    Ambrose held up a hand to cut off his bumbling,


    “I need another stone to return to the guild.”


    Troy frowned,


    “They didn’t give you a way to get back?”


    Ambrose crossed his arms,


    “Right. You wouldn’t be here if they had,” Troy facepalmed.


    “Fine. Here.”


    The merchant produced a stone, and Ambrose turned over the required SC before taking it. Zane was slung over his shoulder, still knocked out. He had woken up screaming his agony for all to hear, so Ambrose had bonked him on the temple with Akaroth.


    I do not bonk, growled the dragon.


    Noelle sent smug amusement to Akaroth, who sent her own image back to the tiger of her munching on a tiger. Noelle replied with a bring it on feeling and a swish of her tail.


    Ambrose clutched at his head,


    “It’s like a daycare in my head,” he muttered.


    “Pardon?”


    He ignored the shopkeeper and left, using the stone as he did.


    The Bounty Hunters Guild was unchanged from last time. With the same old man at the counter. He looked at Ambrose with amusement as he set Zane on the counter of the bar.


    “One Zane Dalewind. Intact.”


    “Well now, that was quicker than expected. You have a knack for this, eh?”


    He shrugged in reply, not interested in the banter.


    “Two-hundred and fifty-thousand SC is what he’s worth, I think.”


    The man smiled, fingering one side of his handlebar mustache.


    “Yes indeed, he is. Payment comin’ on through via the System.”


    Ambrose glanced at his status page, confirming the man’s words. He turned to leave, but the bartender called after him,


    “Hey now, did you use a stone to get here?”


    He nodded.


    “Lemme see your badge for a second,” the old man requested.


    Ambrose turned it over, and the man muttered, tapping the center.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.“There, now. You can use this like a stone to appear here. Indefinitely.”


    He eyed the badge and then nodded before tossing it back into his infernal dimension.


    “Thank you.”


    The barman nodded.


    Ambrose left.


    ****


    Ambrose rolled the stone to Midgard in his fingers. Eric is just a stones throw away he thought in grim amusement.


    Yet he couldn''t go there yet. No, instead he needed to deal with Incursions.


    Andrea stepped through her office door moments later, pausing when she saw him. She took a sip of her morning coffee.


    “Just gonna wait for you to explain why you''re chilling in my office this early.”


    Ambrose threw the stone into a small hole he made to his infernal dimension.


    “I need you to send someone to Brittania and tell Tina I will be over after I deal with the New Kweneng Incursion. Tina''s Incursion will probably take more of a coordinated effort, I think.”


    Andrea sighed, drinking more coffee.


    “When did I get demoted to secretary?”


    She flicked her hand, cutting off his response before he could give it.


    “I''ll get it done, Dannill has been helping with that sort of thing lately. Is there anything else?”


    Ambrose stared at her.


    “What''s wrong now?”


    Andrea sat her coffee down on the table and rubbed her temples.


    “Bunch of whiners, that''s what''s wrong. We have several groups of people complaining that we, namely me, weren''t elected. That we shouldn''t have any authority over them. They demand an election. I''ve explained that this isn''t a democracy, and that they are welcome to leave if they want to complain, but they denounce me as being a tyrant if I do that.”


    Ambrose narrowed his eyes, his eye patch crinkling.


    “Do you want me to talk to them?”


    She stared at him, as if he had just spoken gibberish.


    “And do what? Flex your awesome power? The problem is that they''ve put me in a catch twenty-two, Ambrose. If I have you come in and lay down the law, I look like a tyrant. Which means more people will want to leave or come around to their way of thinking. Right now it''s just a few small groups, but that could change.”


    He shrugged,


    “So what if they leave?”


    Andrea laughed, then took a sip of coffee shaking her head.


    “I love how that''s your response to everything. Who will work in the mines? Did you know we have people refining those crystals now. Don''t bother answering, I know you don''t. We even have alchemists, weavers, smiths, and enchanters now. People rely on the town now, Ambrose. They have a way of life here.”


    She was working herself up now,


    “We can''t just kick people out. Remember when you suggested that last time? Well, we did it and it was a real blow to morality. People lost faith in our ability to solve problems without resorting to force. So no, Ambrose, that won''t work.”


    She huffed out a breath.


    Ambrose raised an eyebrow at her. A feint blush appeared on her cheeks.


    “Sorry,” she mumbled.


    “I see you''re dealing with a lot. I know I haven''t exactly been around…” He trailed off.


    Andrea gave him a small smile.


    “No, you haven''t. But you never pretended you would be. No, I need to earn my keep with this. It comes with levels at least. Whenever I solve a crisis or do anything involving the managing of the town, I get experience. It''s just draining. Mentally I mean.”


    “Put a few points into intellect,” Ambrose suggested helpfully.


    Andrea glared at him.


    “Don''t you have some Incursions to close or something?”


    Laughing, he left.


    *****


    “Welcome to New Kweneng, Mr. Severen.”


    A man in sand colored robes said to him as he appeared in a large tent. It was sparse, with two guards and the array.


    The guard was bald, and dark of skin. A scimitar was in a sheath on his belt.


    Ambrose nodded at him,


    “I''d like to see Kellan Akenyemi, please.”


    The guard nodded, gesturing at him to follow.


    He led Ambrose to a huge tent on the far right side of what Ambrose could only call a tent town. There were tents everywhere, glyphs shining on their surface.


    The sun above baked the sand like golden rice. A camel with his robed rider walked the street. It was like a desert town was ripped straight out of a fantasy book and placed here.


    The huge tent had several guards at front, who nodded to Ambrose''s escort as they walked through the flap.


    Opulent rugs covered the ground, and on a couch was Kellan Akenyemi, this time dressed in gold and brown robes shifting with shining glyphs.


    He stood as Ambrose entered.


    “Ah, Mr. Severen. Welcome.”


    There was a weariness to Kellan’s eyes, as if he was encountering a dangerous predator and couldn''t be certain what it was about to do.


    Ambrose nodded at him, and they shook hands.


    Kellan’s hands were warm, and rough. No stranger to work.


    “I''m here to hopefully help you deal with your Incursion. Anything more you want to tell me about it?”


    Kellan’s eyes flashed.


    “I''ll tell all I know. Please, sit. Let us begin.”