Chapter Eight: Market Place

EIGHT

The market screen filled his vision as he looked for the selling options that Darren had mentioned and found the tab, Selling, and quickly clicked on it. Inside there were only two options as buyers. Market or Auction. Roan bent down and grabbed at his folded up clothes, happy to see his twin axes laying next to them. He ignored those and found the crushed, wilted, flower in his pocket.

As his fingers wrapped around the stem he felt an option to enter the flower into the market portal to be sold. It was as if something had dragged its long nails across his brain, a sharp shiver ran down his body as he accepted the option and saw the flower appear on the screen.

SELL: GRAVE PETAL (INFERIOR CONDITION) Y/N??

MARKET PRICE: 5 CREDIT

AUCTION: 10% OF FINAL PRICE

Roan winced at the poor price but hit confirm and the crushed flower disappeared from his hand before he could blink. His available balance went up by five instantly. The necklace was in his hand a moment later and he hoped it would fetch a better price.

SELL: AMULET OF PROTECTION (INFERIOR) Y/N

MARKET PRICE: 10 CREDITS

AUCTION: 10% OF FINAL PRICE

“At least the auction rate stays the same. Unless that’s what they charge for all inferior products?” He mumbled to himself as he thought. He didn’t sell the amulet, but instead left the sell page and started browsing through tabs. With his clothes ruined and his stomach growling he needed supplies more than anything.

RATION KIT: INFERIOR

50 CREDITS

ONE THOUSAND CALORIES BALANCED FOOD (HUMAN)

QUARTER GALLON OF WATER

BASIC CLOTHES: INFERIOR

50 CREDITS

ONE SIZE FITS ALL CLOTH ROBES WITH POCKETS

Roan didn’t let the price slow him down as he accepted both charges. Air displaced with a pop and a pile of gray cloth landed next to him along with a cardboard box. Exploring the cloth he saw it was a baggy robe that he could pull over his head and tighten with a belt. It was thin, offered little protection, but did have pockets.

The meal was just as disappointing. Roan tore the box open and saw a single bar of what looked like tree bark staring at him next to a flimsy container of water. It took the entire quarter gallon of water to get the bar down his throat, the thick cloying taste of it threatening to make him wretch.

His hopes of reusing the box faded when he picked it up, the cardboard of it already sagging as if it was drenched in water. Roan looked at his ruined clothes and sighed as he grabbed an axe and started to cut, tearing out seams to stretch out the fabric as far as he could. Fashioning a pair of slings was the best he could do with his limited tailoring skills, tying knots to make almost bandoliers across his chest.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

His actions drew attention and a man started to work his way across the field toward him. Roan watched him as he continued to explore the market, the man’s pace slow enough he had minutes before the stranger reached his hill.

A new tab caught his attention and he opened it with a thought. Attributes was broken into four categories, physical, mental, soul, and mana. Unlike the other tabs this one had an overview button which he clicked immediately.

ROAN

STRENGTH: 7

ENDURANCE: 8