Hive Knight: A Dark Fantasy LitRPG (Trinity of the Hive Book 1) by Grayson Sinclair (poetry books to read TXT) 📗

The next square was for the women, a bevy of female merchants and vendors selling anything and everything a woman could dream of—dresses, jewelry, and perfumes by the thousands. I ignored most of it, though a few things caught my eye, and an idea popped into my head. Eris won’t get the meaning of it, but she’ll love it when I explain it to her. We passed by several jewelry stalls until I found the items I wanted.

A pair of solid gold rings, each a perfect circle, gleaming under the light of the sun. They caught my attention amidst the several others dotted around. For some reason, I had to have them. Paying an outrageous two gold for both, I took Eris aside down an empty side alley.

I didn’t think the ceremony of getting down on one knee was needed here, but just handing it to her felt wrong. So, I compromised a little.

“I have a gift for you.”

She’d seen me purchase the rings, and I’d seen the quizzical look as I paid for them. Entomancers didn’t seem to have the equivalent practice, and humans on Nexus didn’t spend money on frivolous things like wedding rings. This was a bit of an old-fashioned tradition, but since we were married, I wanted to do things right.

“Hold out your hand.”

She did so without hesitation. I gingerly took her hand in mine and placed the ring on her finger. It shrank to fit her slim finger perfectly. She admired the glint of the ring on her finger but didn’t understand the significance of it.

I explained to her, back on Earth, married partners would receive golden wedding bands to symbolize their bond of matrimony. As I walked her through the custom, her eyes welled with tears. She hugged me and drew my face down to hers in a passionate kiss.

“I love you, Sam. For now, until eternity.”

“Until eternity.”

She took my ring in her hand, mimicking the motion I’d made. As before, it fit perfectly around my rough hands.

I would eventually have them both enchanted. When we get back to Gloom-Harbor, I’ll get with Markos, see what works best.

Thinking of the quirky mage made me wonder how our Gloom shroom business was going and how the Gloam was progressing. I’ll ask when we get back.

With my little marriage ceremony over with and Eris whistling happily to herself, we meandered among the frilly lace gowns and sparkling tiaras. Nothing that would do for either of us.

Eventually, we found a stall selling more modest traveling clothes and the like. There was even an armor section, but I skipped over that, Eris hadn’t worn her chestplate after the first day, and with her chitin armor, anything we bought would likely be inferior, but I did help pick out over a dozen different tunics and skirts for her.

Some were like the ones she’d been wearing, but others were cut much more to her size and would hug her curves better. A few had plunging necklines, and I had to veto those; her nipples kept popping out whenever she moved.

With her clothes sorted out, she changed into one of her new outfits. A long black skirt that came down to her knees and a purple sleeveless tunic with a modest neckline, which hinted at her breasts without revealing them.

With her situated, I needed to sort out my own wardrobe conundrum. We swept past the cooking and general outdoor gear market section along with the pet and animal market. I steered clear of the slave auction house as I wanted nothing to do with them, and I didn’t want Eris to see the men and women in cages.

Finally, we arrived at the men’s apparel section. It was much smaller than the women’s, but men generally hated shopping. It was a sacred rule among us.

Much like the shop I’d purchased Eris’s clothes at, I found one selling all manner of tunics and matching breeches and pants. I avoided any of the tights and hose, along with the finer doublets that were meant for fashion rather than functionality, but I picked several sets of cotton and linen shirts and some sturdy canvas pants.

With my purchases made and safely stowed in my inventory, we made our way to the crafts district. Having my armor repaired was the last item I needed to take care of, and no way was I going to meet my informant with shoddy, torn armor. Regardless of my appearance, I didn’t want to look like an easy mark. I don’t need a knife in my back today.

As we reached the market square, where all the craftsmen, blacksmiths, leatherworkers, and weaponsmiths plied their trade. A myriad of smells assaulted me. I’d been here a few times in the past, but I always forgot how pungent the air was.

The sulfuric odor of molten metal combined with the sharp scent of steel. All with the undertone of dyeing leather, which gave off the most repugnant odor imaginable. The smell didn’t seem to faze Eris. I, however, was forced to breathe through my mouth, though the mental illusion of every breath I took coating my tongue with the foul air made me want to gag.

I suffered through enough to wander over to one of the armor workers. He was stout, with arms so heavy with muscle that they looked larger than my head. He had a rough lined face and a perfectly waxed bald head and sported a neatly trimmed beard. The man had the general appearance of someone who took time out of his day for basic hygiene. His white shirt and black leather apron were singed and torn from the day’s labors.

He grumbled a rough greeting, using grunts rather than actual words. Without a reply, I retrieved my armor from my inventory