Book of Kings

Chapter 14

I saw some more plants I thought could be worth something but didn't have enough space to carry them with. I'll just have to remember this place.
When I entered the city, I didn't actually know what to do with the plants, I didn't know where to sell them. I just went back to the church to find Nidle. He was preparing the food that was given to the needy.

When he saw me he was horrified, running up to me he knelt down and worryingly said almost shouting, "By the gods. I was worried when you didn't come back yesterday and now you've come back like this. What happened to your nose?" He was examining it carefully, "it doesn't seem broken. I knew I should have told you about the forest."
This time I didn't want to lie to him, "I fell from a tree."
"A tree? Why you were up on one. There were no plants in the book that talked about anything that grows on trees."
"To be honest, a monster was chasing me." He looked surprised, "I didn't get that good of a look at it, it was very dark but it was like a deer with gigantic antlers and seven legs."
"A Monster?!" He was pacing side to side, "we have to tell the guards or the Adventurers Guild."
An idea shot into my mind, "you don't have to."
"What do you mean?" he said concerned.
"I could take care of it," I suggested.
He looked dumbfounded, "Absolutely not, I won't allow it. You're just a boy, for Yule's sake."
"Think about it, the meat, the fur, maybe the antlers. I could make a lot of money, money that I need."
"No, no, and again, no. It's much too dangerous. I'll just post a request to the Guild and that's that," he said with a tone of finality.
"Oh and how long do you think the guild will take to react to something so minor?" I smugly said.
"What do you mean?"
"I'll go back there today and will slay the beast myself. Do you think the Guild will be faster than that?"

If a monk swore this would have been the moment.

He bit his nails, "that's final, you can't stop me," I crossed my arms.
He went back and forth then stopped, "fine, fine, you really do test my patience," he said irritated, "if I can't stop you I can at least help you."
"We have some time before the hand-outs start, follow me."
We went into the monastery, and he instructed me to wait in the halls. It took him a while but when he came back he had multiple things with him. An old kitchen knife, a short stick, wooden planks.
"Here, you know what you can do with a knife, but bring it back after your little adventure.
You can also sharpen this broken broom handle to make a spear and I nailed two ropes on these planks for you to have a shield." I almost started glowing. He didn't have to go so far to even make me a shield. I took the makeshift shield and spear and stabbed the air, "these are perfect."
"Now, now. Get used to them," I nodded excitedly. "You can train then you'll have breakfast and then we'll sell the plants. Okay?"
"Alright," I gave a thump up.
I offered to help out and after it looked liked his shift had ended and another monk took over, I ate for myself.
"What do you know about monsters?" I asked.
He stammered, "well, their monsters, of course."
A very disappointing answer.
"Don't know much about them, do you?"
"I know enough about them," he defended himself, "if what you told me it's true then it's more like a rabbit animal instead of a monster. If it is, use the normal methods to hunt, set a trap or use bait but if it's really a monster then you must be very careful, they're vicious, they won't stop attacking. Never try to stand in front of it, never ever let it bite you, you don't know if it's venomous. If you're really dedicated to this, best ambush it."
"Where the honor in that?"
"It's a monster, there was no honor, to begin with."
Some of Nidle's opinions surprise me.
And after he and I finished cleaning up, Nidle gave a gesture and said, "come on." I took the sack and followed him.
"Where are we going to sell these?" I didn't know much about plants, so I was wondering who would buy these in such bulk.
"To an alchemist of course. They can never have enough herbs and such." I was doubtful, "Do you really think they'll need all of them?"
"They themselves aren't going to use all. Some will be sold. Most of it to the Mages Guild."
"Mages Guild?" I repeated.
We entered a shop smelling heavily of herbs, freshly cut grass, mint, basil, and the like. They combined into something much more awful, it was unpleasant. There was a little person crushing something together in a mortar on a table with glass vials and tools I didn't recognize.
"Hello," Nidle spoke up, "we're here to sell plants."
"Welcome, just shake out the contents there," by the voice I could tell that it was an old woman but because of the cap, robe, and scarf that she wrapped around her head, I couldn't tell. She was the oldest woman I had ever laid my eyes upon. By the number of wrinkles she had on her face, she could have been twice as old as my grandmother.
I emptied the sack on the table where she pointed to.
"My, where did you get so much garbage from?" she was surprised.
Nidle took a leaf from the table and look disappointed at me, I shrugged.
She rummaged through the plants for a while and smacked her lips, "I can give you five Iz for all this."
I instantly deflated when she said that, I wanted to speak up, complain but Nidle held me back. "Great, we'll take that." She handed Nidle five coins then we walked out.
"Why did you stop me, five coins for all this! I could have gotten more."
"No, you couldn't have. Why did you bring so much weed," he asked.
I tried to play innocent, "I collected everything that looked like it had worth."
He sighed, "At least now you know what not to bring."

I spent a while sharpening the stick to make it a real spear.
"What is the difference between a knife and a dagger?" I asked Nidle.
"A dagger usually has two sharp edges and a knife tends to be used for cutting instead of stabbing. But if you use a dagger primarily for tasks then it could become a knife," he thought about the subject deeply, "the lines on the two words are a little blurry."