As Jonah and Orcette made their way through the cobblestone streets, flanked on either side by stone houses and stores, they each explored their options a bit more.
"Oh great, a map system... You can pin it to your HUD as well." Orcette said with a good amount of excitement... This place is incredible, much larger than I thought."
"Where?... Oh, got it. Wow, yeah, it looks like the castle is central and then the city is split into five sections."
As they passed various shops, they noticed pins getting added to their maps. Focusing on those pins displayed the shop name and the kind of business.
"Thank the gods... If this world has gods. This place would have been a nightmare to learn." As he spoke, Orcette had started laughing, but he only asked her what the joke was when he was done.
"Nothing really, but, "If this world has gods" coming from an angel tickled me." She chuckled a bit more and Jonah couldn't help but laugh along with her.
"I found the inventory under play specifics...." Jonah stopped dead. "Either I'm rich or this currency is gonna take some getting used to as well."
"I have forty silver and forty copper. What about you?"
"I have two-hundred gold. Change of plans, we passed a potion shop. Let's stock up."
They back-tracked a short-way to the potion shop. The front was cosy and inviting, looking more like a café than the typical alchemist. "Purifying Brew". This place even sounds like a café." Orcette muttered as she started to wonder if certain drinks simply fell under the label of potions.
Jonah made the point that there was no point wondering when they could simply go inside and ask, then walked into the sound of the small bell set to ring when the door was opened.
"Hello, I was wondering if you had any kind of healing potions." Jonah asked the question casually as the shop clerk faced away, placing things in and taking things from some of the many draws that occupied the back wall.
"Of cour-..." As the clerk started speaking, they turned and fell back into the draws. "... A-a-angel, here, i-i-in my shop. Lord it is an honour, I am Dubio the alchemist, owner of this establishment."
Jonah was a bit surprised by the reaction, but took the opportunity to inspect the shop and apparent owner a bit more.
It was a small shop front, but packed with a multitude of various potions and alchemical ingredients he had shelved for resale.
Dubio himself was a middle-aged man, with a gentlemanly demeanour, though dressed for work and not to impress.
Jonah was about to reply, but thought a bit of roleplay might be in order and help them learn some things in short order.
"Greetings Dubio, my name is Jonah, I am new to this land and wondered if you might help me understand a few things about it."
"Of course, the heavenly realms must be vastly different and I imagine our mortal idiosyncrasies are largely beneath you."
"I would phrase it differently, but yes, if you could explain the currency to me for example and maybe point my companion and I to somewhere we might demonstrate our abilities to one another without disturbing anyone."
"That's it? They are trifling things. The currency is simple, a hundred copper makes a silver, a hundred silver makes a gold, a hundred gold makes a platinum and a hundred platinum makes a mithril coin. Unfortunately, most shops can't deal in denominations higher than gold.
As for the place where you and your orcish companion might demonstrate your skills to one another, you are on the right path. Keep heading to the east gate, then head south east towards the river.
Plenty of slimes gather around there and they are perfect for living dummies, I'll also pay you for any slime cores you collect, three copper a piece."
"Perfect, Dubio, I will remember how helpful you were today."
"It's an honour I scar- Oh, you asked about health potions. They are ten silver a piece for basic, fifty a piece for advanced, a gold for greater and a phoenix tear potion for five gold. As a thank you for giving me the ability to tell my kids an angel visited our humble shop, I will give you three advanced as a gift."
"That is greatly appreciated. I may require study in alchemy at some point in the future, if that time ever comes, would you be willing to educate me?"
"I would never presume to educate, but it would be an honour to assist."
Jonah gave a deep bow of respect and Orcette followed suit to maintain the facade, though she was sincerely thankful to him given that Jonah handed his gift to her immediately.
When they left, they continued on their way to the east gate as he had directed.
"You roleplay like a pro." Orcette cooed, trying to prod him for a cosplayer confession or something.
"Of course I do, I started work at sixteen and I've been roleplaying someone who still cares ever since... I mean... I cosplay, not much, but enough."
"I'm not sure whether I should be more depressed by the first bit, or the fact the second bit was a lie..." Orcette took a deep breath. "...Thank you for sharing. My turn I guess..."
"You don't need to force it, I would like to know about the person I'm travelling with, but we have a week for you to feel comfortable and decide if you want us to explore together long-term."
"No, it's fine. I'm dying, have been since I was born and I spent the last eight years in full-time care. To me, going back is the death sentence, I'll also apologise for my naivety in advance."
"Damn it, yeah, I can't let us go our separate ways... I never told anyone this, but the reason I hate people and going through the motions of daily life, is how pointless it is. My mum and dad worked hard, had friends and a good reputation..."
"Hey, this doesn't have to be "tragic backstory one-up" you know."
"...Them and my sister died when I was thirteen, I was put in foster care for two years and then thrown out on my own. I'll stick with you, help you get used to the freedom and stop you going too crazy with it as best I can."
"I guess you never stopped being a big-brother, mine hated me for needing mum and dad to help me with everything, they did too... Anyway, that isn't life anymore, let's make the most of this one."
With that Orcette began marching through the streets with purpose, until she actually noticed that Jonah didn't have any weapons.
After a good amount of insistence, he was finally swayed into going to a blacksmith's and getting one.
"This one sounds good, "Weapons Of Might And Magic"... Sounds like a nod to something." Orcette mused before trailing off and mumbling to herself.
"Hey, are you sure about this? I get the feeling if I could have one, I'd have one. This feels like a bad move."
Orcette sighed and stepped through the door whilst saying hello.
The moment the door swung open, the air was filled with the sound of the blacksmith's hammer striking whatever they were making and the air became much warmer almost immediately.
Jonah walked in after her, still not sure it was a good idea and proved right in an entirely unexpected way immediately.
"Angel! S-s-s-sorry, I swear we don't make weapons for war!" The attendant was a young woman, wearing a thick leather apron that had a pouch filled with smithing tongs, a chisel and a few after smithing and detailing tools.
Beside her were a pair of thick leather gloves and her hands were calloused, making Jonah wonder if she were the smith, but the rest of her was so fair he thought apprentice was more likely.
Her face showed no signs of having spent long hours working a furnace, her apron was too clean to have been regularly soiled by thick soot and her blonde hair was tied back but not neatly enough to demonstrate she'd experience it falling forward and being singed often.
Jonah rolled his eyes and got into character as he shot Orcette a look. "Calm yourself. I take no offence, nor sense the sin of bloodlust."
The hammering in the back had fallen silent at the word "angel" and a moment after he finished speaking a soot-covered dwarf jogged through the doorway covered by a few strips of leather.
His features were hard to see through the thick soot, but he was taller than the dwarf that had stood in front of him back at the courtyard by a good half-foot.
His hair was either black, or as dirty as his face, tied back by dozens of bands that spoke of a multitude of experiences having it burnt-off that his apprentice lacked. He had a beard, but its colour suggested that his hair was indeed soiled by the soot and he tucked it into his apron to keep it safe and somewhat clean.
"By the stone! I've never seen an angel before, apologies if you find my wares offensive."
Orcette was visibly stifling a chuckle which only made the counter attendant and the smith nervous.
"As I said, I sense no sin and take no offence, I only wish to learn more about the mortal races."
"Oh, well, of course we'd be happy to assist. What is it you would like to know?"
"We don't have such weapons in the heavenly realms, I find it interesting since we do have enemies. I wonder if perhaps you might have one that is unsellable I might examine, I'm not sure what will happen, so I'd rather not risk affecting your business."
The smith developed a curious expression, then fetched a failed piece and offered it to Jonah, who told him it would be best to place it on the counter and step back.
It seemed to Jonah, that his uncertainty had garnered some deep curiosity within the dwarf, who followed the instructions along with the counter attendant and Orcette.
Jonah grabbed the hilt of the weapon which suddenly started releasing an ominous black mist and made the dwarf gasp dramatically and lean in for a closer look.
"Thought as much..." The dwarf started with a nod of his head and a stroke of his beard. "...You've cursed it, anyone who does harm with this weapon will suffer the attack as well."
"Thank you for your assessment. Might I see a shield next? I think it would be blessed and I find my own curiosity piqued."
The dwarf chuckled. "Course, it's an honour just to see an angel, let alone observe demonstrations of your power..." He disappeared even as he spoke and fetched another failed piece. "...Here try this and if you're right, you can keep it. Keep the mace too if you wish, but it might end up spreading the curse to your other items."
'That is one badass curse.' Jonah thought to himself, as he picked up the shield and as he hypothesised blessed it.
"Yep, definitely like shields more than weapons, don't ya?" The smith chuckled heartily. "It will keep the bearer's stamina fresh and compensate for them when they're blocking an attack from a larger enemy."
Jonah studied it, then looked at some of the other shields on display, then at Orcette and the small bucklers she had on each arm. "Which one is your best buckler?"
"Ah, want it for your companion... Let me keep that shield as a memento and you can have my two best for just five gold."
"Master! You can't charge an angel!"
"Quiet girl! The ang- Sorry Lord, we lost sight of manners and introductions. I am Gregor Mead-Shield and this is my apprentice, Clara Dimp."
"I am Jonah Quill, my companion here is Orcette." Jonah returned the greeting graciously.
"Did you say "Orcette"? Bit on the nose ain't it girl?..." Gregor laughed, making her skin turn a darker shade of green, then turned back to Clara. "...As I was saying, Lord Jonah said he didn't want to obstruct business, letting him take our best pieces at no cost would be tricking him into doing just that."
"I agree with Gregor, Clara. I'd hate to take food from the table." Jonah added.
"After the comment about my name, I agree with Clara..." Orcette huffed, making both Clara and Gregor chuckle a bit.
Whilst Jonah and Gregor sorted out the bucklers and inspected them, Clara had leant over and was having a conversation with Orcette off to the side.
"How did you end up accompanied by an angel?" She whispered, throwing glances at Jonah.
"I was playing a game not long ago and it went a bit awry." Orcette whispered back, smiling at Clara's dumbfounded expression.
"What the hell kind of game goes that wrong!?" She was still whispering but at such a raised volume it was pointless and she received a jarring flick to the side of the head.
"Watch your tongue girl, cursing around an angel is practically blasphemy." Gregor scolded.
"I'm with an orc, I had to adapt to diminished civility." Jonah sighed just loud enough to earn a glare before he turned round and presented Orcette with her new bucklers, which improved her mood both immediately and immensely.
"Well it has been an honour Lord Jonah, please come back any time your charge needs new equipment."
"Charge?"
"Is she not? I assumed you were her guardian?"
"Not quite, just a companion I found in the middle of a certain occasion. I have yet to be tasked to one's guardianship, or pick one for myself."
"Well then, all I have to say is that it must have been a doozy of an occasion to make two so different find company with each other."
"It really was... Anyway, we'll let you continue with your day. Take care Master Gregor, Miss Clara."
The girl blushed and followed her master as he bowed respectfully, then Jonah and Orcette took their leave.
"Okay, you were right, let's keep studying our systems and avoid any more shops until we know we aren't going to curse their wares." Orcette grumbled as the door clicked shut behind her.