Chapter Eighty Seven - 087Felix 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."