NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61: Furball
'What? How? There's no way...'
There in the hallway stood the equally stunned rodent family.
'Did they get lost on their way here? Or did I skip some step on my way to citizenship that I didn't know about?'
"You!" sputtered the rodent man, the father of the family, as he came out of shock. "How did you get here before us? What...?"
'By foot.'
In the end, whatever the case, the freedom I had was what mattered. There was no reason for me to explain myself.
"Y-you can come in," I blurted out, not letting the man finish, and hurried off back into the din of the entrance hall, barely suppressing a whimper when I got there. Even with my hands pressing my sails to my head, my ears were ringing like I had a bell stuck inside my skull. Putting together a coherent thought in that racket was a chore, and leaving seemed the most sensible way.
'What then, though?'
A simple question without an easy answer.
Sure, there was the bath I was in dire need of - and clothes. Hell, just a piece of rag big enough to tie around my waist and chest would have been enough if that was all I could afford for the few coins in my spatial storage. And then, of course, there was the promise to Scoresby I would visit him once I was done at the barracks. But having all that on my to-do list meant jack shit when I would be no less lost than before once I stepped back onto the square.
'I need a map. No! Not a map. A guide.'
And so, annoyed by the noise, but with the decision made, I stood to suffer in line in front of the familiar receptionist.
"Ah, you. Grey, was it, right?" Enola raised her voice when her gaze fell on me. "Are you here to complain about Welkes? What did he do this time?"
"W-what? N-no. No, he didn't do anything."
"Really?"
The doubt in the receptionist's eyes gave me pause, making me think twice about telling her about his attempts to get me to sit down with him for a drink.
"He... well, I'm new here - I don't know the city, and he told me about the guides."
"Oh, he did? Well, would you like to hire one?"
"It d-depends on how much it costs. Mr. Welkes wasn't sure of the current prices."
"Ten coppers for every hour started, non-negotiable."
'Damn. No blabbering like the not-quite-elf, but straight to the point.'
"O-okay, and they're kids like he said?"
"Mostly. If you prefer an adult, even that can be arranged. However, City Hall vouches for each of their guides. They’re reliable, knowledgeable, and you don't have to worry about being robbed. If that happens, you can file a complaint with us, and the City Hall will compensate you for your loss - should it be proven true. So, you want to hire one?"
"I..." Stopping short, I did some math to figure out my financial limits. Two to three hours seemed reasonable. The city was large and covering it on barefoot would take some time, so...
"Can you hurry it up?! I don't have all day." An irritated groan from the man standing behind me snapped me out of my thoughts, sowing unease in my gut and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up - more than usual.
"Y-yes, sorry," I whispered, looking back at the receptionist. "How do I pay? Now or..."
"Depends on the guide you choose. In the case of children, we require you to return with them, therefore you will pay then. But if it were..."
"I... I am okay with being guided by kids."
'That didn't sound awkward, did it?'
"All right, any preferences?"
"S-sorry? Preferences?"
"Whether you prefer your guide to be a girl or a boy, human or Terr'den. We also have a gnomish boy, but he's out guiding at the moment."
'Shit! And I was afraid of sounding like a creep.' She sure made me feel like I was talking to a pimp or a slave trader.
"I really don't mind - Terr'den, perhaps?"
'Sue me, but... '
As soon as she mentioned Terr'den I couldn't get the image of the cute little munchkin out of my head.
"All right, your Citizen Card, please."
A little confused, I let the card appear in my hand and handed it to her.
"What for?"
"So we know who to look for if something happens to our guides." The subtle warning didn't escape me. Not that it was necessary. Who in their right mind would harm children, right?
"And, that's it. Here." The receptionist handed me back my card and moved to the door behind her, opened it, and yelled, "Ria! You have a client."
In no time, a little furball came bursting out of the door, taking my breath away. The little girl was everything the munchkin I had imagined.
Well, almost.
[Young Kitare]
While not having an array, a sigil, or being the cat-like Terr'den I had hoped for, she was still the cutest thing I had ever seen.
Not even the height of my chest, the little fox-like girl boasted vibrant silvery fur that covered her from head to toe. The little patches of darker fur on her nose, under her chin, and on her paws only made her cuter. Add to that her fluffy ears, big cat eyes, wagging tail behind her, dark brown harem short pants, light blue overlaid with a little gray version of the receptionist's vest, a satchel obviously too big for her slung over her shoulder, and my heart almost melted away.
"My name is Ria, lady," she introduced herself, offering me her paw.
'Shit, shit, shit!'
Barely able to restrain myself from going for the hug, I gave her a gentle paw shake.
‘Aw... so adorable.’
"Ko-Korra. Y-you can call me Korra."
"All right." The girl nodded, full of energy, and looked at the receptionist. "Can we go, Enola?"
"That depends on your customer," the woman replied in a tone that was very different from the one she had used with me: gentle, kind, caring. "Can I note the time of your leaving, or is there more, ma'am?"
Despite having about a hundred questions, rushed by the grumbling of the man behind me and seeing the little kitare's enthusiasm to get to work, I shook my head. "N-no, that would be all."
"Then I'll see you in a few hours." The receptionist gave me a slight, polite bow and winked at Ria, hinting to her that she could start. And the little girl did, immediately looking up at me, eyes big with excitement. "Where do you want to go, Lady Korra?"
Not really having it thought out but not willing to say out loud in the middle of a busy hall that I needed a bath and clothes, I blurted out the only thing that came to mind. "M-my friend, Mr. Scoresby. He lives in the city, Crooked Street. Oh, and y-you..."
"Oh, that's not far - follow me," the little kitare beamed, and without giving me a chance to say that she didn't have to call me Lady, she headed out of the City Hall.