Touch of Fate

Chapter 98: Baggage

Mike awoke the next morning feeling well rested despite the softly snoring beastman in the bunk above him. He did a few morning stretches, dressed, and went out into the living room.

It seemed that Sera was still asleep, but Tal was up, making a pot of tea using one of the specialized magical devices that seemed to litter the dorm. He'd found the tea of this world to be a little sweeter and earthier than back in his old world, but he enjoyed it all the same.

She poured a cup for him when it was ready, and they quietly enjoyed the peace of the morning while waiting for the others to get up.

Mike realized that he didn't spend much time with Tal alone, and really didn't know much about her, or really any of his companions now that he thought about it. Part of him felt like he should be concerned about that, but he couldn't imagine any of them betraying him at this point. There was some underlying feeling that told him he could trust them with his life, but he couldn't identify the source. Perhaps it was all part of the Heroic Destiny he'd inherited.

[I need to take the time to really get to know them.]

Acting on impulse, he asked one of the most basic of questions. "So, Tal, what's your story?"

She tilted to display her confusion.

"I mean, where are you from? How did you get to where you are now? What are your goals and dreams? That kind of thing."

She was silent for a moment, but started speaking. "From Forest of Shadow. Sun elf city. Nirethial. Beautiful place. Like to go back." Mike detected the hint of a sad smile on her face while he waited for her to resume speaking.

She took a drink of her tea before stating simply, "Was banished."

"Banished? Why?"

"Pact Magic. Taboo. Unnatural." Her fingers tightened on the teacup, knuckles whitening against the ceramic.

"Left home. Traveled. Arrived Wyrport." She looked up at him then. "Met you."

"I see" He didn't really know how to respond.

"Dream. Become successful. Show them wrong. Now different." A hint of a smile crept back into her features.

"What is it now?"

She paused for a moment, then stuck her tongue out at him. "Secret."

Before he could ask anything else, Brenden walked into the room yawning loudly and scratching his stomach. He wasn't wearing a shirt, so the well-defined musculature of his upper body was fully exposed. If it wasn't for the scars, he'd look a lot like an underwear model from Mike's old world. Or at least one with dog ears and a tail.

"Brenden! Put a shirt on!" He said while glancing back at Tal who seemed vaguely amused by the situation.

"Why?" The beastman asked while grabbing a drink of water from another convenient magical device, and indicating his pants. "It's not like I'm naked."

Mike sighed. It didn't seem to be bothering Tal, who had returned to quietly sipping her tea without showing any real interest. Maybe it was a cultural thing for adventurers, or this world in general.

"What's all the noise about?" Sera entered the room while sleepily rubbing her eyes, still wearing the simple white nightgown she had gone to bed in. She had every appearance of a girl who had still not fully woken up. Looking blearily around the room, her gaze eventually settled on Brenden.

The beastman was still in the middle of drinking his cup of water, but he made sure to flash the Oracle a thumbs-up.

There was a full second of dead silence as the girl began to flush a deep crimson, before she started yelling. "WHAT THE HELLS? WHY ARE YOU NAKED?"

"I'm not. Got pants on. See." He replied, once again indicating the article of clothing.

"But.That.....RRRAGH!" Sera fled the room in a stuttering mess.

Mike shook his head. "Give her a break, already. I don't think she's had much experience with men."

"She'll have to learn at some point, but if it will make you feel better, I'll go put a shirt on." He replied while heading back to the room to do just that.

Once the beastman had left, Mike gave Tal a look. "Living together is going to be an experience, huh?"

"Amusing," was the only reply she gave.

After a quick breakfast downstairs, the group headed out into the city. Mike made sure to leave a note for Broderick at the Administration Building, letting him know how things had gone yesterday, and where they were currently staying.

They had planned on tracking down the local Adventurer's Guild first, in order to check in. However, they had to pass through a market to get there, and the group was distracted by the new sights and sounds.

Wyrport had a great deal going for it in terms of trade, but the sheer variety at the capital put it to shame. Simply walking through the city the day before had brought a number of new sights, not the least of which was The Span. Now taking the time to really explore, Mike found a bewildering array of people, food, and merchandise that must have come from all over the world.

They were currently stopped at a stall that seemed dedicated primarily to linen goods and elaborately woven rugs. The merchant was a strange one, wearing a set of black clothes that covered every inch of his skin, including his head. A featureless white mask without even eye holes was affixed to his cloth wrapped face by mysterious means. Quite frankly, he gave Mike the creeps, but Sera was haggling with him just like any other merchant.

Mike leaned over to ask Brenden, "What's the deal with that guy?"

The beastman casually glanced over, looking intensely bored by the whole shopping expedition. "He's Razmaran from the looks of it. They're from a country to the east, one that's run by some powerful religion. Supposedly, if they let an unbeliever see their skin, it's an insult to their god or something."

"That seems like it would be hard to enforce."

"I think there is a whole bunch of silly customs they practice to avoid being seen. Most tend to leave them be, since they are usually the most honest merchants you'll ever deal with. Something about lying for profit being a mortal sin, if I recall. Some people still give them trouble, but that usually stops when they break out the red masks."

Mike gave him a look.

Grinning, Brenden continued. "When Razmarans wear red masks, it means they intend to kill, and you'd best get out of their way. I've seen them in action before, and I would honestly rather fight another round of demons."

"That bad?"

He frowned, as if recalling something unpleasant. "I once saw a female Razmaran, about Sera's size, rip a buddy of mine in half with her bare hands as easily as if she was tearing paper. Funny thing was, I'm pretty sure she was the same woman who had been helpless to stop us from robbing her earlier that day, just with one of those red masks on. Only reason I'm still alive, is because she didn't consider me a threat."

There was a lot for Mike to unpack in that last statement. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nah, its old news. Not worth mentioning." Slapping Mike on the shoulder, he walked over to the women in an effort to hurry them along.

He made a mental note to have a long chat with the beastman at his first opportunity.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The group entered the Guild, laden with packages.

"Do we really need all this?" Mike was asking.

Sera answered him in a tired, and slightly annoyed voice. "Of course we do. We're living in an aristocratic environment. We can't just wander about in the same set of beat up clothes like common adventurers. We'd become the laughingstocks of campus."

"But why do we need towels? You can just dry yourself with Lifestyle Magic."

"And make our guests use their own mana? Do you want to look like country rubes in front of the nobility?"

Deciding that it wasn't worth getting into a fight Mike changed the subject. "Anyway, it looks like this place to drop this stuff while we check in."

"Alright, I'll watch the stuff while you go do your adventurer thing." Sera announced while sitting down on a nearby chair.

Mike, Tal, and Brenden shared a look. They had spoken about this earlier but had not brought it up with the Oracle yet.

"Sera, we've been thinking that it might be a good idea for you to develop a little. You know, get a little stronger. That way we can bring you with us when traveling to dangerous places. Otherwise....."

She gave Mike a hard look before glancing at the other two. "Do you two agree?"

"Yes. Need to be stronger." Tal replied simply.

Brenden was a little harsher. "As it is now, we'll have to take time to protect you. In other words, you'll be holding us back."

"I see....." The Oracle became quiet, and Mike felt that it might have been a better idea to discuss it with her more fully before now.

"Fine." Finally, Sera nodded as if coming to some internal decision, and stood up. "I'm assuming that you want me join the Adventurer's Guild, since you brought it up here."

Feeling a little uncomfortable, Mike agreed. "That was the idea, yes. We felt it would assist in the process by giving you incremental increases in the difficulty of tasks. With a little training from the rest of us, you'll be stronger before you know it."

She sighed. "I get it, I do. Lets just get this done."

Brenden volunteered to watch their possessions while the other three went up to the desk. Tal checked in first, then traded out with the beastman, to let him get a chance. After Mike, Sera got registered, and was given her first request, a simple herb collection job.

Since the capital's guild wasn't all that impressive after spending time in Wyrport, they decided to call it a day and head back. They were mostly done shopping, and Mike still wanted to visit the Spire to see what kinds of books were available.

After another tiring trip the group crashed in the living room of the dorm. Mike of course was still full of energy, but the rest of them seemed a little worn out. Before checking out the library, he wanted to check on Sera's request.

"Seems simple enough. I just need to go to....Barge Island? .....and pick up some Shylock Herbs?" She announced while squinting at the poor hand writing of the requester. "Judging from the map, that's not too far away. I think a boat could make it there relatively easily."

"We can check down at the docks tomorrow." Mike suggested.

Brenden gave him a look. "You do realize that you have classes starting tomorrow, right?"

"......yeeaahhh. I totally remembered that." He laughed guiltily.

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. Brenden and Tal will be more than enough." The Oracle spoke quietly. "Besides, bringing you on a herb gathering quest seems like overkill."

"That's the truth." Brenden chimed in. "We'd probably end up fighting an ancient terror that makes the island its home, if Mike came along."

"True." Tal contributed.

"Anyway, I'm going to lie down for awhile. Remind me to hire a carriage the next time we go on a shopping spree like that." Sera largely put an end to the conversation by leaving the room.

Tal followed after, but took the time to lay a sympathetic hand on Mike's shoulder. "Pride hurt. Give time."

Sighing, Mike turned to Brenden. "Anyway, I'm going to try out the library. Want to come?"

The beastman squinted at him. "I'd rather get shot again. Nah, I'll do some exploring on my own."

"Again?...Right, sounds like a plan."

The pair left the dormitory, but quickly went their separate ways, as Mike walk towards the shard of glass at the center of the campus.