Gear Up

Zale made his way slowly to the garage, a building whose look fit its name. It was a series of large garage-like buildings that housed a plethora of equipment ranging from vehicles to the hunters' gear. Cabinets and lockers lined the walls alongside chests, bins, and crates.

Zale walked in from a side door and was greeted with blank stares from the crew who were working, previously busying themselves with repairs and organization. "Zale? Is that you?"

"Well, I like to think that's how I am," he joked.

Suddenly, the five members present were practically jumping for joy. "Holy shit! I didn't expect...well...you!" one man said, resisting the urge to clap Zale on the back.

Another woman agreed. "Seriously. Your tech told us you'd woken up, but I didn't think you'd just waltz in here unannounced."

"You can thank Effie for that. I didn't expect to be here either."

The crew gave knowing laughs at the comment. "Right, well, to what do we owe the honor?�� Marcus, Zale's equipment technician, said at last, "I know you ain't here to tell me yer back on the job lookin' like that."

The crew shuffled awkwardly, no one else commenting how loose Zale's clothes were or his sunken cheeks and dark circles. He shrugged to make light of his condition. "It's all right. I'm in no shape for real work. Effie wanted to get me back here so I can get a proper wage, though. She's finding...Uh...I guess busy work for me. I'm helping Daren with some rookie training."

"Wait, that's today! I was just preparing some things for that," Marcus said, jabbing a thumb back towards the workbench he'd come from.

"Jesus, she didn't even have the courtesy to let me know in advance. Just sent you with the message," he complained, his bushy brows furrowing with his frown.

He eyed Zale up and down and raised one brow. "Are you sure you'll be okay doing that, though?"

Zale shrugged. "If Daren's there, I shouldn't have issues. He's always training rookies. I trust him."

"If you say so. Well, what should we do for your gear then?" Marcus asked, motioning for Zale to follow him across the garage.

The other four who gave their welcome to Zale meandered back to their own work. Zale thought about it for a bit as he walked, rolling his sore joints. He looked down at his loose fit T-shirt and khaki shorts that showed his now knobby knees. "I'm not sure I can wear my usual gear. It's rather heavy," he lamented.

Marcus nodded. "Maybe just your robe and staff then? They are pretty key."

Marcus used his key card to open the locker with Zale's name tagged on it. The double-doored locker opened to reveal a full set of equipment. An enchanted, scale-plated chest piece with match grieves, all tailor mage for a mage-type Blessed to use, were fastened to holders on the back of the locker's wall. A heavy, elaborate robe hung on the right side. A staff was secured in place on the left wall. On the locker floor was a metal crate filled and organized with various different pieces of gear, accessories, crystals, and other items.