Unbound

Felix didn't exactly know how to answer the shopkeep's question. Unknown? Is that what she saw with Analyze?

He narrowed his eyes and held a Skill loosely in his mind. "What do you mean, Unknown Race?"

"Tsk. Did you do anything strange recently? Adventures in the Foglands, perhaps?" Felix didn't answer, but his face must have revealed something, because the woman chuckled. "It was an easy guess, seeing as you apparently got through the Haargate. And it figures, as strange things tend to happen in that forest. But it means you're undergoing a change, boy. One that few are blessed with, and most regret. Something happened to you, and now you're living the consequences."

Felix practically snarled internally. He knew what happened, just as he knew exactly who to blame. Even though she was locked up, he swore he could almost hear her mocking laughter.

"Makes sense that you came into town anyway if you didn't know," she eyed him up, taking in his ratty pants and battle-worn gear. Her sharp gaze lingered a bit on his boots and satchel, though that may have been his own suspicious nature. "But you can't go wanderin' about with that in your Status. You'll get strung up by the Pathless' cronies in no time."

Felix sighed and shared a glance with Pit. It seemed their respite was not meant to be; he felt he was destined to be hunted no matter where they traveled.

"I can help, if you've the coin."

"Really?" Felix didn't know if he could trust the woman, but she hadn't turned him in. That counted for something at least. "How?"

The woman held up a finger before grabbing the barrel of nails and pulling it back in front of her door. She did it with ease, though again Felix noted the flare of a complex range of Mana from her forearms. Magic bracelets maybe? Strength enhancing?

She shuffled behind her counter and bent beneath it. Felix could hear scraping and knocking, things shifting as she looked for whatever it was she had.

"Aha! Here it is." She stood back up, holding a round disc in her hand made of a dark material. "A simple charm, all things told, but the best solutions are often the most obvious. Here, take a look."

Felix stepped forward and took the disc from her tentatively, quickly discovering that it was strung onto a thick cord. A necklace, apparently.

He used Voracious Eye, and for the first time since arriving back on the Continent, felt the item resist. Tilting his head, Felix bore down while flaring his Skill, stretching that resistance until...it...snapped.

Name: Amulet of Veiling

Type: Necklace (enchanted)

Lore: The song of a Chanter has been woven into this amulet, rendering its modest ashwood material as durable as iron and aiding in obfuscating the Status, Skills, and Titles of anyone wearing it.

Obfuscation XI - A veiling Song worked into the item to redirect any inquiries toward the wearer.

Chanter's Intent II - The Harmonic Song of a Chanter was used to enchant this item, and it bears their Intent. +20% Effectiveness of Obfuscation.

Chanter's Inversion I - Addition of Dissonance to invert the item's properties, hiding them.

"What is this?" Felix didn't like the name of the item, though its properties seemed extremely useful. Almost too useful. "Why give this to me?"

"Because you have both need and money, and I'm running a business." The woman smiled, her teeth slightly crooked. "You can wear that necklace and it'll hide your Status, Skills, and your Titles from prying eyes."

"That's amazing, and exactly what I need." Felix ran his thumb over the wooden surface of the amulet, which had been carved into a circular shield of sorts. Small patterns were etched into its smooth surface, and it felt more like metal than wood. "Amulet of Veiling. Why would you have this?"

The woman stiffened, and at first Felix thought it was because she was offended. But--no, she looked afraid. Then, an instant later the expression was gone, replaced by an easy smile. "A curiosity only. Many such things end up in my hands."

Felix, sure that the amulet holds no danger to him, put it over his head. A shudder rocked him, a visible wave of Mana that dropped from his head to his toes. The sound of a harp strummed across his senses, contained within the wave of Mana itself. It passed quickly, but Felix had tasted enough of it to recognize its flavor. It felt like System magic, or at least like the rush of power he felt when he gained stats, Skills, or Titles.

"Wow. That's...hm." He noticed a new icon flashing in his vision, this one showing an empty hooded cloak.

Status Condition: Veiled

"Definitely works." He looked again at the shopkeep, one that he realized he hadn't even Analyzed. Her named was Caerwin Hodges, and was normal in nearly every way, though she was level 32. Based on her age, that made sense. He first suspected she might be hiding something in her Status, but Felix hadn't felt a hint of resistance as he had with the pirates. His Voracious Eye saw all, apparently.

"Quite nice, yes?" Caerwin eyed him with grin. "It's yours for only twenty crowns."

That stopped him short. Felix looked up from the amulet and frowned. "That seems like a lot. You did say it was a simple charm."

"Simple to some is a great difficulty to others. It is not a complicated piece, but it is quite rare."

"Ten crowns," he counter-offered.

"I could never go lower than twenty, and that is a steal as it is."

Felix frowned and opened his mouth, but Caerwin spoke first. "Besides, someone has to pay for those beans."

Felix quirked his head as he followed the woman's gaze, and saw that Pit had ripped into the bag of dried beans and was eating messy mouthfuls of it. "Pit! No! That's not ours."

He tried to pull the hungry Chimera off it, but Pit was obstinate and starving. Felix sighed and fished out his money purse. He counted out twenty gold coins, each one stamped on a side with a nine pronged crown and an elderly man's face on the other. He handed the lot to Caerwin, who nodded her thanks. "You can have the beans, and as a welcome to our fine city, take some kentl jerky. It's quite good and will fill up your friend there."

Felix grabbed the bundle of smoked meat the shopkeep pointed out and let Pit scarf up the last of the dried beans. They slithered and clacked in the background as he tried to think through his options. Fingering his new amulet, he turned back to Caerwin and found her studying him with an intense look; one that faded to professional curiosity when she noticed his attention.

"Ah, I need to sleep somewhere. A...friend suggested the Fat Horse Inn, but I noticed it was, uh--"

"Filled to the brim with Guilders and Inquisitors? Oh yes. Any inn near the wall will be filled with the folk. Guilders stay in the Guild Barracks nearby usually, but if the Tin Ranks aren't on wall duty or training, they'll be at one of those inns. The Inquisitors, well," Caerwin's mouth twisted as if she'd bitten a lemon. "They claimed what they wanted, which was just about every inn in the Wall Quarter."

"Not a fan of the Inquisition?"

Caerwin smiled. "Are you?"

Felix smirked and glanced out the curtained windows. He could see people starting to move about, though no obvious signs of armored guards.

"Is there somewhere that isn't so heavily occupied?"

Caerwin considered him a bit longer. Felix didn't squirm under her gaze (though part of him wanted to) but he didn't like how the woman had been looking at him. It didn't raise his hackles or anything, but even still. What is she thinking? Why is she helping me?

"Try the Dust Quarter to the north. Plenty of inns there with vacancies, even now. As long as you can handle bed bugs."

Felix grimaced but nodded. If that was the price to pay for evading the Inquisitors and curious Guilders, that was fine by him. Felix tucked his new amulet into his clothes and checked for Pit. The tenku had polished off the rest of the beans and was nosing Felix's new bag for the jerky. Just hold on a second, bud.

"Thank you, ma'am for all the help. You...you really didn't have to, and--well thanks."

Caerwin smiled, a big bright grin that showed off her slightly crooked teeth. "Any day I get to shaft the Inquisition is a good day for me."

Felix smiled, then chewed on his lip apprehensively. "Do you carry anything for--"

"For your chimera?" Felix nodded. "No, sorry boy. Nothing I have could hide your friend, and you're right to be worried. The folks in this town don't have any good memories of chimeras, even if they don't attack the walls anymore."

Felix sighed. That was what he'd figured. It wouldn't be that easy. "Can you look for something? I'm willing to pay."

The woman fingered her chin a moment. "I can look. Inventory is short city round since they closed off all the gates. It'll cost you, but if you've got the money..."

"I do."

"Well then. Come back here in three days, I'll see what I can find."

"I appreciate it." Felix peered past the curtains, judging the street outside. The wide road was filling up quickly, close to a hundred people that he could see, and it would only increase from there.

"Take the back door," Caerwin pointed at the rear door, the one Felix had tried to flee through. "It'll take you into my garden. Hop the wall and you'll be in an alley that you can follow east until it opens up onto Cobalt Street. Head north from there and you'll hit the Dust Quarter in no time."

Felix hesitated a moment before nodding his thanks. He tried the back door and this time it opened with ease. When had she unlocked it...?

He opened the door and shooed Pit out. Turning back to Caewin he nodded. "Thank you."

He slipped out the door and closed it behind him. Left within the brightening shop, Caerwin's smile was wide and bright and a laugh bubbled up from her chest. "What an interesting boy."

Her laugh was bright and melodic.

Felix moved through Caerwin's back garden relatively easily. It wasn't large, though it had an impressive array of herbs and plants growing there. He Eyed them instinctively, noting various new plants he'd yet to encounter in the wilds. But then he and Pit hopped the wall, which was approximately eight feet tall but was otherwise no obstacle to their abilities. Activating Skulk and Abyssal Skein, the two companions made their way down the empty alley way, heading east as the shopkeep suggested.

That was a breath of fresh air, Felix smiled to himself. She could have reported us to the Acolytes easily and didn't.

He was feeling good about the interaction, having come away with a useful amulet that should let him live a quiet life, at least for a little while. As the two of them neared the end of the alley, they shared a glance before ducking into a shadowed nook and activating Convergence. A flash of light and Pit was gone again, hidden away as best they could manage.

We just gotta make it to an inn in the Dust Quarter. Then we can rest.

Cobalt Street was just as busy as Caerwin's own, and more people seemed to flood forward as seconds passed. There were many different Races present, his Eye spotting several Dwarves and Half-Orcs, but the majority were Human. Everyone wore a wide variety of colors and style of clothing too. It was like a renaissance fair, but brighter and louder and...smellier. The scent of wood-smoke prevailed over most others, but as the heat of the day mounted so too did the general miasma of unwashed masses. Felix didn't notice any open gutters filled with filth and did see several grated drains on his walk north, so the city must have had a working sewer system, which was a relief. He idly fantasized about taking a shower again, and held out quiet hope that indoor plumbing had been invented already.

That thought was spurred on further by the proliferation of odd enchanted objects he saw among the throngs of people. Various pieces of magical equipment and armor could be spotted on some Guilders, but even everyday people around him were holding small etched cubes and other oddments, each giving off waves of various Mana frequencies. It made Felix miss his Elemental Shard, which he hadn't seen since he was pulled into the Void.

It was probably destroyed by the Essence Anchor. The artifact was made to siphon and absorb Maw-tainted energy, and the Shard fit the bill after Felix's unwilling infection. Maybe those cubes had similar functions. I'll have to find out when I get a chance. Do some real shopping.

As the crowds grew, Felix found it harder to stay unnoticed with Abyssal Skein, though the Skill did level up to 9. Ultimately, the chance of being discovered was too high, so he found a quiet corner and dropped the Skill. Mingling with the crowd was easy enough, though his heart raced whenever he passed groups of armored guards. The farther he progressed from the Wall Quarter the less presence there was of the Inquisitors, and Felix was now confident Caerwin hadn't lied. The streets were just as busy, but the buildings looked more worn and dilapidated compared to the western area, and the clothing on folks became more muted and threadbare. Leather armor was still extremely popular, however, though most of it looked less well-cared for and none of it had any enchantments according to his Eye.

As he passed through a thick stone wall, the condition of the streets, buildings, and people deteroriorated even further. This, he assumed, was the Dust Quarter proper. While the lack of maintenance increased, so too did the amount of people. The majority of folks seemed to be headed back where he had come from, most dressed in thin shirts, sturdy canvas pants, and worn boots. Laborers, he assumed. The Dust Quarter seemed to be made up of said laborers, and like Felix had been expecting, was likely the poorest section of the city.

Dusty too, he coughed as a passing wagon kicked up a beige cloud. Well named, I guess.

The streets were in disrepair, and in most areas the cobbles had been either worn away or torn up and it was only hard-packed earth. In the summer heat, that dirt was a lingering dust in the air that quickly dried out his mouth and nose and irritated his eyes. It wasn't much of an inconvenience, as his high Vitality and Endurance inured him to some of those discomforts, but it wasn't great.

Fighting through the crowds and traffic took up a lot of time, and Convergence ran out twice. After waiting a bit of time in the shadows of a few questionable buildings, Felix and Pit kept going. He could hold Convergence for 26 minutes at a time, but after it wore off there was a sort of cool down wherein it wouldn't function. The transformation was easy to hold at first, but it ate away at his concentration and mental energy quickly. He was exhausted, physically and mentally.

An hour and a half after he had set out from Caerwin's, Felix found a row of inns. They were situated around a reasonably maintained stone square, one that was dominated by a large fountain depicting a creature of uncertain origins fighting against a woman in heavy armor. The copper of the statue was covered in verdigris and water poured down from green wounds in the beast's body. The square was quite busy, filled with carts and travelers, even a good amount of weapons-bearing people moving in and out of the various taverns and shops. He was near the other end of the Dust Quarter, edging toward whatever the eastern section of the city was called, as he could see a wall loom over some roofs. It was far higher than the one between Wall and Dust Quarters.

Felix navigated through the press of bodies, gently excusing himself as he passed a line of Humans waiting with buckets by the fountain. It was where they got their water, clearly, and that fact alone dashed Felix's hopes of a hot shower. He doubted that people who had to tote water from a communal fountain had access to modern Earth plumbing.

On the far side of the square was his destination: a large two story building with a cracked and faded sign out front depicting a turkey leg and a mug of frothing ale. Squiggles below that probably said 'Turkey Beer Inn' or something, and it irritated Felix that he still couldn't read anything. He mounted the steps onto a wide porch, past a collection of elderly Dwarves smoking long pipes, and into a poorly-lit and very humid common room. The majority of the area was dominated by poorly made wooden tables and stools, while a stone fireplace took up the far wall, abutting the long counter of the bar. A few patrons mingled about, sitting with mugs and plates of food or else chatting at the bar. A dour looking Half-Orc in a dirty apron stood behind the bar, wiping mugs and serving ale from the kegs set into the wall behind him.

An older Half-Elven woman with a kind face gone jowly and bright blue eyes came up to him. "What'll it be, love?"

"I'm looking to get a room, and a bath." Felix managed to not quite gawk at the woman's slightly pointed ears. He had seen a few Elves when they rescued the giants' prisoners, but that had been from afar. Up close was a strange experience.

"Aye. That'll be two silver a night, five copper for the bath. Includes one meal a day down 'ere in the common area. Anything else is extra. Sound fair?"

Felix nodded, his head feeling increasingly fuzzy. "Ah, yes. Sounds fair enough." The woman walked back to the bar and rummaged under the counter before coming back to him. She handed Felix a worn iron key.

"Yer room key. Don't lose it or you'll get charged 5 silver to replace it, yeah?" She smiled at him and held out her hand.

"Ah, wait. Would it be possible to have my meals brought to my room? And to double them?" He smiled and hoped he landed on charming.

"Sure, anythin's possible with enough money. One more silver a day for extra meals and bringin' it up to yer room. Good?"

Felix smiled, feeling stretched thin with exhaustion. "Good. Here," he handed her a single gold coin. "This should cover it."

The woman's eyes went wide when she saw the gold, and she quickly stuffed it into her bodice. "I should say so! Will there be anything else, young master?"

"No, that, ah, that should be enough," Felix didn't know how to take the woman's sudden change in attitude. A crown must be worth more than I thought.

"Very good. Yer room is up the stairs and third on the right. Blue door." She smiled with a wink and swept away, back into the growing crowd.

Felix shook his head and trudged up the stairs, feeling that strange sort of floatiness reserved for drug trips and sleep deprivation. He gripped the iron key hard, worried he'd drop it, but then forced himself to loosen his grip. He didn't want to bend the thing. Somehow he made it up the stairs, though he had little memory of the trip, unlocked his door and spilled into his room. He managed to lock the door again before keeling over on the bed, and falling into a deep and dreamless slumber.