Chapter 231: Olive

Chapter 231: Olive

Noah was still standing by the window when Lee and Moxie got back. He turned as the door opened and they stepped inside.

“What’s wrong?” Moxie asked, reading his expression immediately.

“I saw the weird cat thing that was sitting on my chest back in Arbitage,” Noah replied. “It was in the alley down there.”

“Where?” Moxie asked, walking up and peering through the window.

“It’s gone now. It left a bit ago. I was debating chasing after it, but I restrained myself.”

Moxie started to nod, then paused and took a step back to examine Noah’s face.

“What?”

“Just didn’t expect to hear that you actually thought something through before going through with it. Good job.”

“Why do you sound so impressed? I’m not a complete idiot. That was the same energy that showed up when we fought the weird sludge-monster underground.”

Moxie grunted. “Nobody is saying that you didn’t make the right decision – I’m just surprised you did. Your approach is typically start swinging first and thinking later. For a moment, I was wondering if you were someone else and the real Noah had gotten kidnapped.”

“If you were wondering that, then you probably shouldn’t have said it out loud. Now I know.”

“Lee would have immediately noticed if that was the case.” Moxie rolled her eyes, then handed a piece of dry parchment to Noah. “Here. We got some jobs while we were out. It looks like they aren’t all that far from each other either, so we can do them both in one go.”

Noah read over the paper.

“Hunting Molesters?”

“That’s what I said!” Lee exclaimed.

“Molsters. Mo-el-sters,” Moxie enunciated. “They’re big ass rats with giant claws and squished faces.”

“Odd. More mole monsters, huh?”

“That’s what I said!” Lee added.

Moxie just rolled her eyes.

Noah chuckled and gave the job back to Moxie. “Works for me. Sounds like we’ll be doing the world a favor.”

“The other job is punching rocks,” Lee said.

“Killing some rock monsters that were getting aggressive and pushing a bit too close to the city,” Moxie explained. “Although that might not be all we have to deal with.”

“What’s that mean?”

“We ran into someone that Lee said was watching us while we were getting the jobs,” Moxie said, folding the paper up and sliding it into a pocket. “It might have just been nothing, but there’s a possibility someone scoped us out and has decided that we’re easy targets.”

“Interesting,” Noah pursed his lips. “They seem strong?”

“Not in any obvious way. If they were, I doubt they’d be sitting around in the shadows of an inn and waiting to find easy targets to rob. Who knows, though. He could have just been looking at me. Maybe he saw the Torrin sigil on my clothes.”

Can’t blame him.

The thought passed through Noah’s head before he’d even realized it. And, by the time he had, Azel’s laughter was already echoing through his mind. Noah shut the demon out, keeping his expression neutral.

“What?” Moxie arched an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” Noah replied, clearing his throat. “Nothing. Just thinking. We’ll just keep an eye out in case someone shows up and tries to mug us, I guess. Is there anything else we should try to prepare, or is the job close enough that we can just head over there today?”

“It’s a bit of a travel from the city by foot, but we’ve still got a good bit of gold. Your last flying sword got melted, but with how much time it saves, it’s probably a good investment for us to get another.”

Damn. That merchant in Arbitage really cut me a good deal, even if the sword was rusted to all hell.

Olive spotted the sour look on Noah’s expression and cleared his throat, misunderstanding the reason for it entirely.

“That’s not to say I can’t work with a lower budget, of course. Are you flexible on the hundred gold limit? I might have something for two hundred.”

“I assume it isn’t this?” Noah asked, holding the sword in his hands up. “It’s very nice, by the way.”

“I’m afraid not,” Olive agreed with a laugh. He took the sword back from Noah and returned it to its spot on the wall before taking down another one from the far end of the collection.

The second sword was a little thinner than the previous one had been, but the quality on it looked nearly as good. It was plain, and there were a few scuff marks near the hilt, but it still looked very high quality.

“This is two hundred?” Noah asked, trying not to sound too surprised.

“It’s not the fastest one I have, nor is it the most responsive or deadly. Not much of a statement piece either, but it’ll get the job done.” Olive didn’t bother hiding the pride in his voice. “Cheap but effective.”

“For two hundred?” Moxie asked.

Olive started to nod, but midway through, he let out a strangled squawk and held a hand out. Noah and Moxie both spun just in time to see Lee wrap a single hand around the hilt of the massive axe and lift it from the wall.

She glanced over at them, holding the axe out at a full arm’s length before her. “How do I look?”

“Damned Plains, you’re strong,” Olive said, his eyes wide.

“I know.”

“Lee, maybe put that back before something gets broken,” Moxie suggested. “We can’t afford to replace some of the stuff in this store.”

“How much is that, though? Out of curiosity,” Noah added, lowering his voice.

Olive ignored both of them. He walked over to Lee, stopping several paces away and raising his hands, forming a square and peering through it. Lee reluctantly went to put the axe back on the wall.

“No! Stop,” Olive said, grabbing the hilt and pushing it gently back toward Lee. “Hold that out again.”

Lee lifted the axe.

“Move it back a bit.”

Olive guided her grip on the axe, adjusting her stance a little more before taking a step back.

“Why am I doing this?” Lee asked.

“I want to paint you. You’d look marvelous on my wall.”

“I don’t really like the feeling of wet stuff on my body. No thanks.”

“I – what? Not paint on you. Paint a picture of you,” Olive said. “Can I?”

“Do I get to keep the axe?”

Olive choked. “That’s an eight hundred gold weapon.”

“I’m an eight hundred gold paintee.”

“Five hundred gold for the sword and the axe if she lets you paint her?” Moxie offered.

Olive glanced back at Moxie, then over to Lee. He considered the offer for a few seconds, then gave them a sharp nod. “Fine. You’re going to have to stand still for a little while, though. I can tell that this is going to be perfect. A cute little girl, wielding an axe like that? Hah. I never would have thought.”

“Can you paint me chopping something with this?” Lee asked, looking up at the axe. “It would be cooler. Make sure to have lots of blood flying everywhere too.”

Noah suppressed a laugh.

I’m not so sure Olive knows what he’s getting into.