The formulae that served as the bedrock of the spell was complex as far as tier one spells went. His Fire-Bolt or Burning Hands couldn’t compare and only Thunderous Wave came close to matching it in its tiring cacophony of magical minutiae. Still, complex or not, Spider Climb was nonetheless still a tier one spell, and to his tier two self, it was a hill that would be conquered without much fuss. 

As it was, Ash felt himself grow teasingly close to that finish line of understanding and comprehension. It was mere meters away from him, and with every passing second another line of magical knowledge was digested by his ravenous mind. Meters then became feet, and feet became inches, and then it was within a single finger’s length away. 

Ash grinned as his hands closed around the final smidgen of understanding; his mana twisting and turning into the last forms required to complete the spell, before it finally all snapped into place.  

___________ 

Spell: Spider Climb learned successfully! 

Spell-slot available. Would you like to learn Spell: Spider Climb? 

____________ 

He felt the spell slip into an available spell-slot like the final piece of a puzzle slotting perfectly into place, and then it was made a part of him as surely as any other. A wave of satisfaction and achievement washed over him as his eyes parted and he returned to the waking world. The sight of Nostrious’s shop greeted him along with the man himself stood beside Myr, their gazes fixed onto him. 

Myr watched him with annoyance and pride in equal measure warring within her icy blue orbs, but Nostrious’s attention was of a more clinical variety, and Ash felt oddly bare under the man’s inquisitive attention. 

“Guess you’re done with the sale, huh?” he asked them. 

“Been done for a while. Was thinkin’ of findin’ an inn to rest at but I saw you seated there and it felt like you were close to achievin’ somethin’, and since Nostrious didn’t mind us stickin’ around, I figured that I’d wait until you were done.” 

“I would never wish to stand in the way of a mage’s growth.” said the man with a nod. “Especially one with such abundant talent. You’ve truly struck a gold-mine in this fine youth, Myr.” 

“’Suppose I have. Don’t be overinflatin’ his head though. An ego is the last thing the kid needs.” 

Ash snorted. He’d contest her assertation that he was even slightly egotistical, but he nonetheless chose instead to thank the woman for her consideration. She’d done him a favour. An interruption so close to wrapping up the spell would’ve cost him a little progress. Not a lot to be sure, but enough that it would’ve added a few extra hours to his work. 

“Well, now that he’s up, we’ll be takin’ our leave, Nostrious. Pleasure doin’ business.” 

“As always, Myr. I wish you well in your going, and of course, our little friends as well.” 

Myr flashed him a smile and Ash thanked him with a polite nod and they were soon out in the night air once again. 

◆◆◆◆◆ 

Finding an inn to rest for the night wasn’t as hard as he’d expected it be. In fact, Myr knew exactly where they’d be able to find lodging despite the odd hour. Their destination was apparently just a few minutes of walking away according to the earth mage, and Ash was truly looking forward to getting some sleep in him. The day’s travels followed by the energy expended by learning a whole new spell had taken its toll, and some solid rest would do him no small amount of good. 

In the meanwhile though, he took the opportunity to ask her how and why Nostrious knew of their goblin friends. Consider how much she’d emphasized that they’d need to keep that under wraps, it seemed odd to have someone who was already in on the deal. Myr was evasive with her answer but Ash got the feeling that Nostrious was perhaps more than just a simple peddler of baubles and oddities. 

Seeing how that line of questioning was no doubt a dead-end, Ash instead shifted to inquiring after the local monetary system in use. It would no doubt prove very important going forward. The value of money and what it represented was something that he’d need to know if he were required to purchase anything by himself. 

She agreed and started with a plain copper coin with a faint figure of some kingly bearing cast onto its surface. It was called the tellominian shingle, and it served as the lowest denomination in the local currency. A few shingles would be enough to get him a filling meal, she told him, and most inns charged little more than ten for a night’s stay. 

After the shingle came the silver tellominian denarius at a value of a hundred shingles to one denarius. A single silver denarius could net him access to some of the more expensive and better furbished inns, or even a good brothel if he felt the itch. He smiled past her remark that he’d not need any such services around though, not with her around. 

Finally came the gold tellominian ducat at a similar exchange rate to the denarius. It was a piece of coinage that Myr had admittedly never held in her own hands in all her years. It was simply far too expensive and lacking in circulation, to the point that even lesser nobles tended to hoard silver denarius rather than golden ducats. 

She’d also taught him that the three units of shingle, denarius and ducat were widely used amongst the nations of humanity which ruled the north and central reaches of the continent they were on: Wesderath. It was the southern extent of Wesderath that fell under the sway of the demi-human and non-human races. 

Beyond that, there were a few other continents, though even Myr knew little of them, and didn’t care to learn more. “Anythin’ worth knowin’ happens ‘ere. What do I care for the goings on in some land across the ocean?” 

It was a very Myr-like answer, and Ash could only sigh and nod along. 

Eventually, the duo hit their destination, a moderately-sized and reasonably clean establishment situated in a relatively safe part of the city, or so she said. If only said cleanliness applied to its owner. 

“Same room as always. You know where it is.” said the cantankerous old man that stank of sweat and hard labour with a dismissive wave as soon as Myr had handed him the money. The fellow’s attitude grated on him but Myr seemed to not care, and so did they find their way to a mediocre two-bedded room with little to speak of as far as furnishing went. Still, it was clean and dry and he needed little more. 

The two hit their beds without much further talk, both eager to get some rest, and rose again several hours later as the first rays of daylight peaked through the shuttered windows. 

“So, where’re we headed next?” asked Ash as soon as he’d returned from the inn’s sorry excuse for a bathroom, his hair still soggy from the bath. 

“I have some folk I need to talk to about business matters. In the meanwhile, here.” She beckoned him to stretch out his hand and then plopped a little more than a dozen bronze coins onto his palm. “Look around a little. It’ll do you some good to learn more about how we live ‘ere.” 

“What? You trust me to wander by myself?” 

Myr snorted. “You ain’t no baby to need me watchin’ you all the damn time. ‘Sides, you’re a tier two mage now. Nothin’ much’ll be a real danger to you in a small town like this, an’ I trust that you have a solid enough head on those shoulders that you won’t speak of anythin’ you ain’t supposed to.” 

“Obviously.” he replied drolly. 

“Good. I’m off then. Don’t wander too far, be back ‘fore sundown an’ don’t die.” she said teasingly before she was out the door. He rolled his eyes and then turned his attention towards the coins glistening on his palm. Fifteen shingles, he counted. 

“Let’s see how far you get me here.” 

◆◆◆◆◆ 

Milford was a far different sight under the light of day than it had been during the night. There were more people for one, and under the noon sun the heat mixed with the abundance of bodily odours and various other fragrances wafting through the air to produce a truly... remarkable smell. 

It wasn’t enough to leave him green in the cheeks, but neither was it a walk through the park. Ash bore with it as stoically as he could manage as he left the safety of the inn and meandered through the streets. The people of the town wore loose flowing garb in hues of lighter yet dull colours, most likely as a measure to combat the surprising heat that wafted down from above. 

Bundled as he was in his leather armour and cloth underclothing, Ash was already starting to feel the sweat trickle down his back and neck. It wasn’t exactly stifling, not yet, but he thought that he might just cut his explorations back if it got too hot. 

The following half hour followed a more conservative route than he’d have preferred, with the brunette stepping from shade to shade whilst still exploring as much as he could of the hustle and bustle around him. The market area of the town was a stretch of small wooden stalls all shielded under a sea of parasols and cloth covers to stay away the heat, and abounded with mongers screaming out their deals and products for all the world to see. 

Ash found the goods on display to be an assortment of surprises as far as variety went, from strange meats and vegetables to veritable con-artists selling cure-alls and potions of luck. Then again, magic, so who was he to judge them fake. He was even almost tempted to buy one amulet of protection from a reasonably honest looking gentleman though the price tag of a silver left it far from his reach. 

In fact, most of the more interesting items being hawked were well beyond his ability to afford but Ash nevertheless enjoyed window-shopping the assortment of oddities. And it helped that walking around the market allowed him to overhear the useful little tid-bits of gossip that was worming its way through the citizenry. 

Such as the fact that the local mayor was seen as being an incompetent imbecile unable to truly secure the city against the rampant criminal element, and some of the more zealous citizens were even in support of the criminals that mainly struck against the wealthy and elite. 

Beyond local matters, he overheard talk of looming tensions against a neighbouring country and whispers of infighting amongst the ruling nobility. Ash mentally noted down everything as he strode about, and even spent a copper on a surprisingly tasty street-dish to sate his gnawing hunger, and then again the services of a street urchin who agreed to serve as a tour guide for two coppers. 

The wiry little black-haired boy who introduced himself as Markus grinned and eagerly bootlicked his way through their every conversation all the while providing Ash with a far more comprehensive view of the town than his random wanderings ever could. 

The next hour was lost to a most enlightening tour in which Markus showed Ash to all the town’s hotspots insofar that a small town could have hotspots. Amongst them was the looming castle of the lord as seen from a distance, the artisan's quarter where the finest products would be available and even a seedy red-light district filled with an ample number of under-the-counter services. 

Ash had even been tempted by a particularly buxom redhead who made a particular effort to attract his attention, but the look of desperation and weakly veiled sadness that coated her as thickly as it did most of the girls around the area was enough to snuff out any interest he may have had. He still tipped her two coppers for her effort, and she thanked him for his pity. 

Ash didn’t miss the look that passed between Markus and her as the child led him out, and he suspected that perhaps it wasn’t the lad’s first time leading young men new to the city to the waiting hands of the prostitutes that lined the streets. Still, he paid it no mind and enjoyed the rest of the tour until it finally reached its inevitable end at their final destination, a large and thoroughly barrack-like building that he’d initially thought was some kind of military base. 

Markus had quickly informed that it was instead a temple dedicated to the worship of Justice, the patron God of the town. Ash quirked an eyebrow at the strange name, but recalled that Myr had many a time mentioned a Prosperity in godly terms. Were Gods in Wesderath all named after concepts? He was intrigued and dared to step forth into the temple’s premises after Markus assured him that it was open to all. 

The boy parted ways from him there and Ash strode into the large open courtyard that served as the building’s entrance, and then into the sunlit chamber that seemed to be its central prayer room. Within was a large stone statue of a muscled man of heroic proportions and garb standing imperiously with sword and shield in hand. 

Around the statue was a small collection of worshippers interspersed with what he had initially assumed were temple guards, but a few moments of quiet study revealed were actually the temple’s monks. The men and women were all to a tee the buffest monks he’d ever seen, and all of them boasted shaved heads, leather armour worn above blue billowing robes and a shield and sword strapped to their backs. 

An insignia he saw replicated on the shield held by the statue was worn proudly on the chest of their robes, and they quietly made their way around the temple grounds speaking softly to the worshippers around them. Ash watched them with abundant interest before a sudden scream caught his attention.