Homeland: Ingame 2

by Kieron Uchee

  We soon arrived at a small tailor's shop and upon entering I was taken in the back room for a fitting by the owner’s daughter; she was a blond girl, human with an impressive figure and an impish grin. “My name is Nadia, and I want to take your measurements.” I could see where she was staring as she said this and I realized that the link between Ama and I was even stronger now that I was back Ingame.

  I was radiating a raw sensuality that could not be smelled or touched but women could sure feel it. I would have to be careful. I joked with Nadia as she measured me and if she took a little longer than was needed to measure my inner thigh that was all right with me. Near the end, she stood behind me and wrapped the tape around my waist and then pressed her breasts against my back and stood there for a few minutes.

  I finally spoke and gently reminded her that I was here to be measured and fitted for some clothing. Looking not the least embarrassed Nadia nodded and then wrote some info on a piece of paper, then ripping it in half she gave me part of the paper and then went back into the shop proper. Glancing at the paper I saw that it was a note stating that she would be walking in the Summer Cherry Park at Eight bells if I wanted to join her.

  I smiled to myself, I would love to have joined her in the park, but I had other things to do. There was a knock on the door and suddenly a small gnome poked his head in and spoke, “Widdle here, I have brought you a few items to try of the rack, they should fit based on your measurements.” Thanking him I put the items on the bench and undressed.

  I stared at my body, it was lean with every muscle outlined, I had auburn eyes with large irises which were not black as normal but filled with a flickering yellow light. Looking closer I saw that fires burned within my eyes, it was not noticeable unless someone stared straight at them. They looked a little unique from a distance of a foot or more but staring at them up close felt strangely uncomfortable.

  I noted that my arms no longer had the visible tats on them, the roses and thorns were gone. When the Eldest, the Unknown God had removed the swords, I had witnessed wounds on his hands. I suspected he had pulled up the flowers and thorns that had entangled his hands when he removed the swords. I could not know for sure what had happened, how could living flowers be part of a tattoo on a person anyway.

  Glancing at my face I saw that the Demonic mark had faded, it was not really visible unless you looked at it and then it had the coloration of an old scar. The Runic symbols that had once circled my upper body on both my back and chest were now almost gone. The seemed to be even more faded than before and on a hunch,I grabbed a quill and paper and quickly copied all the remaining Symbols I could see. Once I had them written down I relaxed. I suspected that they would be gone soon.

  I then looked down at the rest of my body, it was clear that Nadia would have enjoyed taking all my measurements; I was somewhat larger than I had been before. Looking up at my face I said to myself, “Well, you win some and you lose some.” Then I began to whistle as I tried on the outfits. They were all in the colors I favored, black with a silver-grey trim. Wearing the most comfortable outfit I left the fitting room and entered the main shop.

  Sebastian looked great in his human form; he was well dressed and looked like a little dandy peacock on display. He looked at me and then smiled, “You certainly clean up well,” he said with a grin.

  Glancing at my stomach, Sebastian then spoke, “I think we are ready to go and break our fast”. Reaching into his pouch he pulled out a couple of gold coins and tossed them on the counter. Opening the door, he said, “After you my Prince.”

  As we walked side by side down the street I asked him about the Demonic mark on my cheek and how it was fading. He explained that I could make it disappear completely or have it look like a fresh tattoo. This was interesting to me and I asked him how. Sebastian looked at me and then pointed to a bench along the side of the street.

  As we sat, he gently lifted his hand and rested it on the back of my neck, “This should not hurt at all,” he whispered, then speaking softly in Demonic he uttered three of four words, it was hard to tell as they ran together. Suddenly there was a hot flash that traveled to what felt like the front and rear on the left side of my brain. The ding startled me when it sounded and a new window opened on my Interface.

  New ability learned

  You have learned the ability of metamorphic change

  You can now shift your body from human to demon

  Be warned the transformation will allow others to see you as a Demon

  I will be a monkey’s uncle I thought as I took it in; I could change into a demon form. Sebastian interrupted my thoughts with a cough and said, “Just so you are aware, you will not be able to change into full Demon form without having Demonic blood. You should be able to change a few things, like the Demonic mark on your cheek, the color of your hair, perhaps one or two other things.”

  I nodded, it was still better than what I had hoped for. I stood up and we continued the walk towards the pub. We finally arrived and I was amazed at the view, it was built on a large plateau overlooking the bay. There was a beautiful park that we walked through to get to the pub building, which abutted the sheer edge of the cliff.

  Once past the pub and the park an amphitheater was visible, it faced the ocean with all the seats carved into the stone of the mountain. It had a small raised podium in the center and was full of workers busy putting torches on stands and hanging banners behind the seats. “What is the occasion?” I asked as we entered the pub.

  Looking at me Sebastian grinned and said, “Tonight we have a visiting Bard, one from distant lands. He is renown all over the realm and we are lucky to be able to hear him as he regales us with his stories.”

  “It sounds like you want to go hear this fellow, is that what you have planned to do this evening?” I asked.

  “Not now that you are back my Prince, I will follow you in whatever you are endeavoring to do this evening.” Sebastian looked a little sad as he spoke and I knew he wanted to go see this Bard.

  “What’s his name?” I asked as I was becoming curious myself to hear this teller of tales. In a world without electronic entertainment, someone who could tell tales or sing would be extremely popular.

  Smiling at me Sebastian said, “I believe he is called Druss and he has traveled from his home in the northern lands from across the sea. He tells tales of Gods and Men, of the light and the darkness, of Demons and other races, and of different lands, it is all very exciting.”

  I slowly shook my head; it did not sound exciting it sounded like my life. But if my friend wanted to see the Bard tonight, then that was the plan.

  As we made our way into the pub I happened to glance at the bar and sitting in the shadows at the end was Komhether, the messenger of the Gods. I tapped Sebastian on the shoulder and told him to get a barmaid and then join me at the booth located behind Komhether. As I made my way to the booth I observed that he looked terrible, clearly the times had been rough on him.

  I sat and then pulled a couple of smokes from the pack Sebastian had given me. He had also told me they were called decks but old habits die hard. I lit them both up and then went and sat on the stool next to the little fellow. Elbowing him I held up a smoke when he turned to look at me. “Here,” I said. “You look like you can use a smoke.”

  He looked up at me blearily and then grabbed the smoke and took a puff. “Now how is it that you can see me you wrinkled piece of sausage wrapped in skin.”

  I just nodded at him and then spoke, “I have some questions for you little messenger and I want some answers.” Without waiting for a response, I lifted him by the scruff and tossed him into the booth as Sebastian approached.

  “My prince, what do we have here, a messenger of the gods. You seem to attract both demons and angels.” Sebastian spoke with a smile but I could see a feral gleam in his eyes. I waved him to the other side as the barmaid brought over a flagon of wine, and a tankard of hard cider.

  I pointed at the wine and then held up
four fingers and then at my cider and held up one. Brushing close to me and bending down she took a deep breath in and I watched as her loose blouse hung down and her chest rose up.

  Her very visible nipples were hardening as I watched and I knew I had to get back on track. Whispering in her ear, I said, “Bring us the drinks Miss and some food, about four platters should do for a start.”

  Then turning to Komhether I said, “Let’s talk.” As we ate and drank our way through the afternoon, interspersed with smoke breaks I heard the story of how the disappearance of the Gods had changed things.

  At the end of the tale Sebastian was looking at Komhether with compassion, in a sense, they had both been left behind, an Angelic messenger and a Demon. They had been alone in an unfriendly world. Life is not always kind I thought.

  By this point, both Sebastian and Komhether were into the cups but the vast amounts of food had helped to keep them at a light buzz. They seemed to be really hitting it off and were now sitting on the same side.

  This had happened when I had gone to the bar to order more drinks and judging by the giggles and silly jokes they were sharing both of them found the company of the other enjoyable.

  I cleared my throat, and spoke, “Komhether, you must have guessed who I am by now, what I need to know is what you are going to do about it?” I watched as Sebastian lit a smoke for the little guy and then leaned forward to hear Komhether whisper.

  “You are the half Dragon Tor, you banished the Gods and then, in turn, were slain by the Eldest, the Unknown God, and now you have returned. Just so you know I hated the Gods, they were a bunch of petty pricks. So, what are you going to do with me, kill me if in case I tell the King or the Viceroy? If they were to know you are back, well it would change things would it not?”

  I stared at him then smiled, “I am going to do nothing to you, my friend, I think that is what the Gods liked to do, boss you around and that is not who I am, you are welcome to be free.” As I spoke I could see the false bravado depart and only a lonely little immortal creature remained.

  “Free, I am free, but what do I do, where do I go, I am lost” and with that Komhether grew silent and began to weep. Staring at him possessively, Sebastian asked, “Can we have him join us, I will make sure that it works out.” I stared at them, two lonely little people, what the hell; I do not want to be the person that determine someone’s happiness. Still, I felt compassion for Komhether, so speaking softly I said, “He can join us but then he will have to be under discipline, I cannot have a weak link in my chain.” Staring at me they both smiled and agreed, then suddenly another ding sounded and another small window opened up, it read.

  You have accepted a holy entity into your party

  The faction changes have been recorded

  Komhether is now aligned with the Demonic Prince Torn

  New ability Persuasion

  To persuade others to see the truth and join you

  Nice, I thought as I closed the window, I wonder if the ability would work on Reona.

  Chapter 4 Choosing a Class

  The performance of the Bard that evening had been great; Druss was entertaining and engaging with his stories of Gods and men, wars and conflicts. I had really enjoyed it, as had Komhether and Sebastian. It was clear that those two were getting along very well. I hoped that Sebastian knew what he was doing; I did not want to have a spat between my people if things did not work out. I thought of the old saying, not my monkeys not my circus. If only it were true.

  Making my way to the pub I found a small table tucked away in a corner and sat down to have a cold drink. The pub was busy with all the people who had attended the show. One of the bartenders must have been on his break as he came walking through the crowd looking for a place to sit and enjoy his drink. Catching his eye, I pointed at the empty chair across from myself and lit up a smoke.

  As he sat down he said, “Thanks, it is busy in here. The name is Alaric and I am the proprietor of this pub.”

  I nodded and said, “My name is Torn, pleased to meet you.” We sat in companionable silence enjoying our drinks for a few minutes.

  Alaric soon looked at me and asked, “So what is it you do Torn, I see no guild symbols on your clothing and you are clearly not a Kings guard or a City watchman?”

  I thought for a moment before replying, “I am an adventurer I suppose; right now, I am just starting out. Just looking for some quests to do and perhaps a part time job, have to pay the bills I guess.” Seeing Alaric nod his head we continued to drink, after a few minutes I went to light a smoke and offered Alaric one.

  He looked at it and then said, “This smoking of these things has sure become popular in the city, what the hell, I will try one.”

  After several more minutes of minor talk, Alaric stood up and said, “I have to go back to work, we are always short staffed. If you are really interested in a part time job wait till closing and then come talk to me. I will see what I can do for you.” I nodded and then thanked him, and observed as he walked back behind the bar.

  The rest of the evening passed until the last customer was gone, at which point Alaric came back and sat down again. “It feels damn good to get off my feet,” he began. I nodded; it had been a busy night at the pub. “So if you are serious about wanting to work I can use a hand, have you ever worked in a kitchen?” He asked.

  I took a swig of my cider and then spoke, “Where I grew up I worked almost every night in a kitchen so I am pretty good at doing dishes and cleaning.”

  Alaric nodded and then spoke, “I like you, and I will put you to work, if you can start every other night at five bells in the kitchen we will see how you work out. If you impress me I might move you up to working at the bar as the tips are better. Pay is two silver a night plus a share of the tips and one free drink and meal thrown in, so what do you say, are you in?”

  I nodded in agreement it was a great deal for me, now all I needed to do was to scout around for someplace nearby to live. I had sent Sebastian and Komhether home after the show, and I was pretty damn sure that they had both ended up at Sebastian’s place judging from the gleam in the dapper little demons’ eyes. Whatever rocks their boat, I certainly was not one to judge. But it did leave me with the problem of finding a place to stay.

  I was about to ask if Alaric knew of any lodging to be had nearby when he looked at me and then spoke again. “So you are an adventurer, what class are you?”

  I shrugged, and said, “I am thinking perhaps a hybrid, healer with strong distance DPS. I have not found any quests yet and have not learned any new spells, skills, or abilities.” Hopefully, something will come up to get me going, being level one is a bit of a pain.”

  “Maybe I can help you there, I have a quest that I want to have done, if you agree to it we will start the job once you have finished the quest, are you interested?”

  I was watching Alaric’s face as he spoke and I was getting the feeling he really wanted me to accept this quest. I looked at him and said, “Tell me the details, and if I think I can accomplish it I will accept the quest.”

  “The quest is actually easy, I want you to go to the abandoned island park, open a locker and retrieve my mother’s bag. When the stone Golems stopped spinning the wheels for the cable car all the people who had been over there had to be portalled back here at great expense to the King. The Mages did not allow anyone to retrieve any personal belongings. Everything was left there locked up.”

  Thinking for a minute I said, “Well that sounds easy enough, but there are two problems, one, how do I get there and two, how do I open the locked locker.” I spoke slowly as I thought about these two problems. “If the cable is still connecting the island to the city I can cross on that. The locker, however, is going to be a problem; I am not sure how to deal with that.”

  Looking at me Alaric said, “I might have something to help you with that, let me go fetch it and then let me know what you think.” With that Alaric was off and rummaging behind the bar. He quickly returned ho
lding something.

  “Here, check this out,” he said as he tossed me a small leather bag. Opening the bag, I noted that it held a small wooden case and a tin of what looked like blackening paste. At the bottom of the bag was a small book, pulling it out, I read the cover.

  Thievery, the fine art of taking what belongs to others and making it yours.

  Opening the wooden case, I saw that it was full of fine metal lock picks. Suddenly the black paste made sense; it was for darkening the skin at night. It would make hiding in the shadows much easier. I opened the book again and read a few of pages.

  Lock picking, the basics

  Lock picking advanced

  Lock picking master level

  Pickpocketing, your guide to personal riches through the efforts of others

  Climbing walls and hanging around, the right time and approach to let

  yourself in

  Restraints, they are not for the free

  What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine, confidence benefits a con man

  Some gave all and all gave some, how to read a mark

  I closed the book and looking at Alaric I asked him, “Do you know what this book is?”

  He shook his head and said, “I do not, nor do I want to, I grabbed this gear off a fellow who tried to break into the pub one night after closing time. I am guessing it is stuff that might help you and if you take the quest it is yours, so what do you say?”

  A new window opened up on the interface and I read,

  Alaric the Pub master has a hidden quest

  Go to the abandoned island

  Open his mother’s locker

  Retrieve her bag of personal belongings

  Return within a set time and receive the reward

  Reward will be determined by Pub master

  Do you accept