Space Knight Book 2 Read online

  Rune class: Uncapped

  Rune effect: Wearer can use any item 2 levels above their class for a duration of 10 seconds. Requires repairing after a single usage.

  I sighed in resignation as I stared at the powerful equipment this amulet allowed me to use. The rune needed constant repairing, so I wouldn’t get more than limited use of the Knight class items. Summoning the Bane Bears proved useful on Tachion, and the poleaxe’s weapon effect also made my Lightning Sprites stronger.

  For now, I needed Squire class equipment, so I decided to sell the axe, the belt, and the ring.

  “I’ll keep the poleaxe,” I said to Elle, and she looked at me in confusion. She didn’t know my amulet’s rune effect, so she couldn’t know I wasn’t restricted to Squire class items. “For when I become a specialist,” I quickly added. “I’m thinking about the summoner role.”

  “Your knighthood could be some time away,” she advised. “You can’t use the item now, so why not sell it? It’s not particularly powerful, and you would be better off using the KPs now.”

  The Overlord’s Heart felt like a millstone around my neck, but I didn’t want to explain the item’s rune effect to the point clerk. If her database somehow registered it as Lich class, she’d never let me keep it. And I wouldn’t use it unless the situation called for it, so I didn’t feel too guilty about withholding the information.

  “I think I’d prefer to keep the poleaxe,” I said with a forced smile.

  Elle shrugged. “The choice is yours to make. Let me make sure I have the transaction right. You want to sell the War Axe of the Deranged, the Vampiric Band, and the Reliquary Belt?”

  After I nodded, the point clerk slid her finger across the device’s screen and then thrust it in front of me. “How does this figure sound?”

  I peered at the screen in her palm, and my stomach somersaulted when I saw the numbers: 12,500 KPs. All the moisture drained from my mouth, and the shock silenced me.

  “I’m afraid it’s the best I can do,” Elle said. “The Lich equipment is unusable, but I can scrape the Arcane Dust from it. The other items are good, but I’m not sure--”

  I grabbed Elle around the shoulders and pulled her toward me. Before I could stop myself, I was squeezing her in a bear hug.

  After I released her, she brushed down her coat with delicate hands. “So you’re happy with it then?”

  “It’s amazing! I’m almost a third of the way to taking the knighthood examination.”

  “I’ll transfer the funds now.” Elle connected her device to my prot-belt, and my balance updated after a few seconds.

  Current Kingdom Balance: 13,895

  Total Kingdom Points Earned: 15,500

  I looked up from my prot-belt with a grin that almost split my face. I was far from being rich, but I was excited to transfer a lump sum to Mom and leave her a video message.

  “What equipment are you looking to buy?” the point clerk asked after I helped her sort and store the items she purchased from me.

  I took a moment to examine my current gear. My Novice level strength-enhancing rerebrace, spaulders, and gauntlets, could be kept for now. My longsword, lightning mace, and summoning poleaxe were sufficient weapons. But I could use a new helmet since I was using the standard one the Academy had given me.

  “Do you have any Squire class helmets?” I asked Elle.

  She shook her head. “The inventory the kingdom gave me wasn’t exactly complete. Sorry.”

  “It’s alright.” I figured it was probably for the best anyway because the delicate gadgetry, complicated software, and refined runes made helmets more expensive than most weapons.

  “How about your chest armor?” Elle suggested. “A Common class chest piece is practically useless against an unchecked attack from a Grendel.”

  “Okay,” I said with a smile. “Let’s start with that.”

  “I’ll take a look.” Elle spun to the cabinets where all her equipment was kept. She moved among the items with ease, and before long, there were two chest pieces on the desk.

  I picked up the silver chest armor. It was reasonably light in my hands, and I guessed it couldn’t weigh more than fifteen kilos. The area around the abdomen was reinforced with a royal blue synthetic plating, and a rune circle in the shape of a golden Grendel skull glistened on the center of the chest.

  “It looks nice,” I commented.

  “Wait until you read the statistics,” Elle said.

  Armor type: Regalia of Regeneration

  Absorption rating: Standard

  Power class: Squire

  Armor effect: None

  Runes inscribed: Enhance

  Rune class: Squire

  Rune effects: Added ionic prot-field recharge rate of 15%

  The item was very similar to the cuirass I’d purchased from the enchanter Max in Bratton. Like my previous chest armor, the increased prot-field regeneration was handy for whenever I used my longsword’s Forcewave rune. My old cuirass had worked perfectly so this armor piece would be a safe bet. Still, I was excited to see the stats for the other item Elle had picked out for me.

  I grabbed the second piece of chest armor in one hand and almost dropped it. The hefty item was at least forty kilos, and I wondered how I’d ever run around in something so heavy. Royal blue Caledonian colors highlighted the edges of the metal plating and the fabric in the grooves. A lengthy tabard extended from beneath the gilded collarbones, and it was dyed a matching blue with an embossed trident symbol. It was almost too beautiful to be a squire piece. I figured the other squires might laugh at me if I wore such an elaborately decorated item. My first guess was that it was a purely ceremonial garb designed for some civilian noble, but the stats on my prot-belt suggested otherwise.

  Armor type: Voidwalker’s Breastplate

  Absorption rating: Standard

  Power class: Squire

  Armor effect: None

  Runes inscribed: Might’s Aura

  Rune class: Squire

  Rune effects: Enhances wearer’s musculature capabilities by 5%. Permanently active.

  Runes inscribed: Shadow Self

  Rune class: Squire

  Rune effects: Summons two prot-field generated duplicates of wearer for a duration of 3 seconds. Consumes prot-field energy.

  The Might’s Aura rune seemed self-explanatory and was similar to the one inscribed on the brigandine inside the enchantry on Bratton. Although the Voidwalker’s Breastplate’s rune was less powerful, it was permanent. The strength enhancement would help with wearing such a heavy item as well.

  “I’d like to try the Shadow Self rune,” I said to Elle after reading the breastplate’s second rune.

  “I thought it would catch your eye,” she said. “I’m not sure I can handle three of you though, even for three seconds.”

  I chuckled at her joke and slipped the breastplate over my head. The weight was a firm and constricting presence on my shoulder. Elle came behind me to help tighten the side straps. Her hands tucked them beneath the armor, and her fingers brushed against my bare skin for a moment when my tunic hiked up. She withdrew her hands with all the speed of lightning, and then she stepped back.

  “Let’s see what you can do,” she said after shaking her head a little.

  I linked the breastplate to my prot-belt and then keyed an activation of the Shadow Self rune. Immediately, the air to my right shimmered, and then I was looking at two near-perfect duplicates of myself. The first one stood in a boxing stance and threw two left jabs followed by a right hook. The other doppelganger delivered a flurry of high kicks to an imaginary opponent.

  “The rune assesses your current equipment and has the doppelganger perform an appropriate attack,” Elle explained as both shadow selves delivered roundhouse kicks before vanishing.

  “Are they holos?” I asked.

  The point clerk shook her head. “Unlike a holo, these have limited tangibility. Their attacks are not very powerful, but they will provide an obstacle for your opponents.
All the rules of summoning apply to them.”

  “Neat,” I said. Memories of summoning the Lightning Sprite and the Bane Bear on Tachion flooded my mind, and my lips spread into a grin.

  “Would you like to buy anything else?” Elle offered.

  My boots and leg armor enabled my speed sequence, but I could always get an upgrade since it was one of my favorite maneuvers. “Do you have any boots and leg armor with a kinetic battery and Speed and Agility runes?”

  Elle fished out two items from her cabinets and laid them out for me to inspect. I grabbed the leg armor and turned them over in my hands and pried open the control panels.

  The cavities and internal wiring which enhanced my running speed and collected my body sweat were all connected correctly, and I closed the panels again. I ran through this routine with all the equipment I bought; part of the sometimes tedious training I’d received at the Academy.

  The leg armor was almost identical to my Novice items with their hardened steel casing and blocky design. The insignias on the knees, however, were a little different. An image of the late King Justinian marked the right kneecap, so I guessed they were at least fifteen years old. I entered them into my prot-belt.

  Armor type: Hermes Pants

  Absorption rating: Standard

  Power class: Squire

  Armor effect: None

  Runes inscribed: Agility (+1)

  Rune class: Squire

  Rune effects: Increases limberness in wearer’s limbs. Second-tier rune (effectiveness increased by 10%).

  In the past, I used the lower tier Agility rune in concert with a Speed rune to create my speed sequence maneuver. The higher tier rune would make me even more agile so I could avoid the injuries that often afflicted those who used Speed runes.

  Then I examined the boots. They were constructed from a lightweight synthetic material and included wiring and magneton fasteners to connect with my leg armor.

  Armor type: Squire’s Boots

  Absorption rating: Standard

  Power class: Squire

  Armor effect: None

  Runes inscribed: None

  Rune class: None

  Rune effects: None

  “Sorry, I couldn’t find anything with a Speed rune,” Elle said, and I guessed she’d noticed my disappointment after I’d read the boots’ stats. “Maybe Casey can help you out? I’m guessing she’d have no trouble drawing the rune for you.”

  I almost dropped the boots in shock. “You’re honestly suggesting I ask Casey for help? I thought you didn’t like her.”

  “I didn’t at first, but we became friends while you were all on Tachion. She’s actually a nice person.” Elle seemed surprised by the revelation, and I smirked at her.

  “I tried to tell you that before.” I was glad the point clerk and the enchantress were getting along, and I wondered whether my attraction to them would cause conflict. I hadn’t made any obvious passes at either one, and I wasn’t sure how successful I would be. Sure, they were both friendly towards me, but neither Elle nor Casey had made their interest plainly known.

  Until then, I’d stay friends with them both.

  I gestured at the two chest pieces lying on the table. “How much are these?”

  “The Voidwalker’s Breastplate is 3,500 KPs, and the Regalia of Regeneration is 2,750 KPs.”

  I gasped at the figures. They were more expensive than any of the items I’d purchased so far. Even my lightning hammer had only cost 1,700 KPs.

  “You’re surprised?” Elle asked me.

  “They’re more expensive than I thought they would be.”

  “Good quality Runetech isn’t cheap. There’s not much I can do to alter the prices,” she said. “I’m still very much under the kingdom’s thumb, sorry. Which one will it be?”

  I chewed my lip in thought. Although the Regalia of Regeneration synergized better with my longsword, the Voidwalker’s Breastplate would be the one I’d purchase today because of its Shadow Self rune. I couldn’t refuse the breastplate, not after how much I’d enjoyed summoning on Tachion.

  “The regalia,” I said.

  “The Shadow Self rune is a powerful sigil circle, so you’ll need to repair it often.”

  I sighed. “You better add five repair kits to the bill.”

  Elle handed me five kits and then held out her device for me to read.

  Voidwalker’s Breastplate: 3,500

  Hermes Pants: 1,250

  Squire’s Boots: 250

  5x Basic Rune Repair Kits: 500

  Total: 5,500

  “Is that everything?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” I replied. After Elle finalized the transaction, my new balance registered on my belt.

  Current Kingdom Balance: 8,395

  Total Kingdom Points Earned: 15,500

  Even though my Kingdom Balance had taken a hit, I was moving toward the 50,000 total KPs earned that were required to take the knighthood examination.

  The only Novice gear I would equip from now on would be my arm set and my helmet, but I was happy to leave them for the moment. The minor enhancements they provided me were more than sufficient, and I preferred testing only a few new items at a time. After Max’s longsword had broken down, I was hesitant to equip items without testing them on the field.

  Unlike the regular military, squires and knights weren’t given a standard set of equipment. Our status among the RTF afforded us the luxury of wielding Runetech. We could choose our own weapons and armor, but not having a standard set meant the squires and knights needed to train with new gear constantly. A week remained until our ship arrived in Ecoma, so I could give my new items a workout in the battle rooms.

  The thought of the battle room made my spine tingle, and I glanced at the time. I would be fighting the knights in under an hour. Even though I wielded new equipment and my friends were alongside me, sparring with Leith and Olav would be difficult. Casey’s warning had only made me more anxious, but I didn’t want to be late.

  “I better get going,” I said to Elle.

  “Why are you in such a hurry?”

  “Uh . . .” I considered telling her the truth, but I didn’t want to get into an argument with her. “I’m sparring with the other squires. I’d said I’d be there at 18:00. Now you mention it, I should probably gear up.”

  Elle studied me while I equipped myself with my new items. I figured she could tell I wasn’t telling the whole truth, but I didn’t want her to worry about me like Casey.

  “Can you have the rest of my gear sent to my room?” I asked when I was done. “I don’t have time to go back there.”

  “Okay,” she said, her dark eyes still scrutinizing me.

  “Thanks, Elle,” I said. “Promise me you’ll stay out of trouble?”

  “Yes, Nicholas,” she said with a nod. “But I cannot promise it won’t find me.”

  I knew I wouldn’t get a better answer from the point clerk, so I nodded goodbye and turned to leave. Then a crazy idea came to my mind, and I spun back to Elle.

  “How about we grab a drink in the galley sometime?” I forced a smile to my lips even though I was a bit nervous about asking her. I was developing feelings for both Elle and Casey, and I wanted to spend more time with each of them.

  “A drink?” Elle asked as she fought off a smile.

  I nodded. “An alcoholic beverage?” I smirked at her, and she chuckled when she realized I was asking her on a date.

  “Do they serve anything except for beer in the galley?” she asked.

  “I’m sure there’s something you can drink. Besides, the beer isn’t too bad here.”

  “Alright. How about tomorrow night?” She couldn’t fight the smile anymore, and it spread across her full lips like a sunrise.

  I was about to give her a firm yes when I remembered the sparring session. Elle must have noticed my hesitation because her smile turned into a frown.

  “Tomorrow night is good,” I said. “So, I’ll see you then at, say, 20:00?”

/>   Elle nodded vigorously, and I turned to walk through the cargo hold.

  There was a spring in my step as I made my way to Deck 5. I recalled where I was heading, and my excitement slowly drained the closer I came to the battle room.

  I hoped the knights didn’t give us too much of a beating, or I’d be in no condition for a date with the Stalwart’s beautiful point clerk.

  Chapter 3

  When I arrived on Deck 5, the squires were gathered in the passageway outside the battle room. They nodded at me as I approached, and I shot them a quick smile. All three were equipped with Runetech armor like I was, but they wore uneasy expressions, and their weapons rested against the bulkhead like discarded refuse.

  “Thanks for waiting for me.” I eyed their weapons and hesitated before asking them a question. “Are we heading in now?”

  “I regret everything,” Richard said with a gulp. Dark rings encircled his blue eyes, and knots riddled his shoulder-length blond hair. He looked terrible.

  We had all needed rest after the battle with Polgar’s warship, and drinking through the night only left the squires more exhausted. Richard would be lucky if he managed to stay conscious during the sparring session. He’d seemed so confident in the galley, but I figured his confidence had faded when the alcohol wore off.

  “You guys should get some rest,” I said. “I’ll spar with the knights by myself.”

  “You can’t fight them,” Nathan said.

  Richard hiccupped. “I should have talked you out of sparring with Olav and Leith, not roped us all in with you. I was drunk.”

  “You’re still drunk,” I said with a shrug.

  “We’re your friends,” Richard said. “We’re not going to let those knights kill you.”

  “So, you all showed up to the battle room in Runetech and carrying weapons, just to talk me out of going in there?” I nodded at the battle room.

  The three squires grumbled, and I chuckled at their sorry state. The knights were going to slaughter us in there, but at least I’d have my friends by my side.

  I turned to Neville. “What do you think?”

  “I believe you’re not a coward so you’ll fight the knights, even if it means every bone in your body is broken.”