As SJ moved from the seclusion under the tree, the heavens once again opened. This time, the rain was heavier. SJ pulled her cloak up tightly around her as she made her way to the pet shop. She may as well visit while she is in the inner-city area.
As she approached the shop, beings hurried past on the streets, not one of them looking towards her, their heads down against the heavy rainfall. Lanterns hanging outside the shop swayed in the wind.
The shop was a cacophony of noise as SJ opened the door and entered, the rain chasing her inside. Quickly closing the door behind her, she stamped her feet, showering the mat at the entrance in water. As she removed her hood, she looked at her surroundings. When she had visited previously, several pets were on display, which had been quiet and well-behaved apart from the owner’s brothers, but today, the shop was packed. Everywhere, cages held identical creatures, a multitude that generated a cacophony of noise.
Sally, the shop’s half-elf owner, looked over at SJ, smiling. “Welcome back.”
“Thanks,” SJ said.
The small creatures inside the cages looked like guinea pigs but had short, pointed ears rather than rounded ones and six legs. They were all calling, and SJ noticed Sally was feeding them.
“They aren’t usually this noisy,” Sally said, seeing the expression on SJ’s face. “Give me a moment. Once they are fed, things should quieten down.”
SJ watched Sally add small scoops of feed to each cage. As each received their food, the little creatures became silent, their crying being replaced by the crunching of the small pellets in the scoop.
“There we go,” Sally said, dropping the scoop back into a feed barrel and closing the lid. “So what can I do for you? I hope your wyvern hatched.”
SJ removed her cloak and placed it on a stand at the entrance, not wanting it to drip all over the shop floor. He did, and he is amazing. My reason for wanting to see you was to learn more about him. I know very little, and no one in Killic knows anything about miniature wyvern.”
“I see. Well, I am no expert on them either, but I know some of the basic details. Miniature wyverns will usually grow for about six months. Once they reach six months, that is when they usually stop growing. How large is he currently?”
“He is about ten inches at the moment.”
“That sounds about right if I remember the date correctly, from the bonding ritual. Most miniatures will grow to about eighteen inches.”
“That is what Isavil could remember.”
“I am guessing he wants to eat everything at the moment?”
“Yes. That is one reason I came to see you. He has a habit of stealing food, and I wondered if you knew a way to stop him from doing it. It is quite embarrassing.”
“That is because he is still growing. As soon as he stops, he won’t require as much food. What have you been feeding him?”
“Mainly hogling, although he tends to stick his snout in anything.”
Sally chuckled. “From what I know, they are very inquisitive little beasties. That won’t stop as he grows, unfortunately. I would advise feeding him fish as well.”
“Actually, he steals those quite often when we are at the cottage.”
“It sounds like he is getting the right sorts of food then. Until he reaches his full size, you will have to contend with his hunger.”
“Can he end up overeating? I am concerned that he overeats.”
“At his age and size, it’s unlikely. They have speedy metabolisms, and I am sure even when he is resting, he will be using up any food he has been eating quickly.”
“That’s good to know. The other question I had related to his abilities. He has zapped a couple of people, myself included.”
“Umm. I am not exactly sure. Let me go and grab one of my texts,” Sally said as she turned and ducked into the rear of the store. A few moments passed before she returned with a thick, heavy tome. Placing it on the counter, she turned the pages.
SJ looked at the text but could not read it.
“Elven,” Dave said.
‘I thought it was,’ SJ replied, having seen several texts that Isavil owned. ‘I wish I could learn all these languages.’
“You can, but languages are usually intelligence-based. Apart from the common language, which most races use, there isn’t usually a requirement.”
“Here we are,” Sally said. “Miniature wyverns have varying abilities related to their type. The following are standard abilities. Poison, Camouflage, Fire, Acid and Lightning.”
“I assume he is lightning then.”
“Crystals can end up with multiple abilities. Most have two, although commonly they will have camouflage and lightning.”
“That could be interesting. I can imagine him using a camouflage skill to hide and then steal food.”
“Ha. Their skills develop fully once they are fully grown. It states that signs of skills will usually begin after three months.”
“I think he was younger than that when he first shocked me. I rolled on him in bed, not realising he had curled up next to me.”
Sally couldn’t keep a straight face. “I would have liked to have seen that.”
SJ flushed with embarrassment, wishing she hadn’t mentioned it. Dave had been in fits of laughter when Kibble had awoken SJ.
“What you are telling me is that his behaviour of stealing food is normal, and I should not worry about it. When he suddenly disappears, that is when I need to panic.”
Sally laughed. “He can never hide from you. You will always have sight of his whereabouts. Has your display not been updated?”
“No,” SJ frowned.
“Strange. Have you an entry for a companion listed on your display?”
SJ opened her display and looked through the details. She couldn’t find anything related to a companion. “I can’t see anything.”
“Ooo,” Dave said.
‘What?’ SJ thought.
“One minute. I hadn’t even considered this before,” Dave said before going silent.
“That is unusual,” Sally said. “All those bonded to my knowledge should have a companion listed.”
“I found it,” Dave said. “However, it isn’t visible on your main screen because you already have a parent branch available.”
‘A parent branch?’
“Yes. You have followers. Your companion will be listed within your followers if you select it on your main screen.”
SJ had never looked at the follower’s details, only noting the ‘3’ listed next to the entry. She focused on her display and selected followers, triggering a new tab to open.
Followers -
Charlotte - human skeleton, Class - Archer, Level - 12, Profession - Gardner
Brian - human skeleton, Class - Rogue, Level - 11, Profession - Sweep
Terence - orc skeleton, Class - Warrior, Level - 14, Profession - Carpenter
Bonded Companions -
Kibbles - Miniature wyvern
Abilities - Unknown
At the end of the section, a tick box asked whether SJ would like to add follower and companion details to her map. She selected the tick box before opening her map again. Kibble appeared as a green dot on her display, showing him still back at her home. When she zoomed out to see Farleck Cottage, she could now see a blue colour. Closer inspection revealed the location of the three skeletons.
‘Now that’s helpful,’ SJ thought.
“Ah. I found it,” SJ said.
“Excellent. At least you will always know where he is now,” Sally smiled.
“That’s great. I never would have known if I hadn’t spoken to you today.”
“No problem. Did you need anything else while you are here?”
“What treats do you have?”
Sally moved to one of the large jars behind the counter and took it down. “All beasties love these,” Sally said, removing some sticks from the jar. They reminded SJ of the chew sticks that her friend’s dog had used to eat. She hadn’t had a pet back on Earth, and living alone, she didn’t think was fair, especially as she could often be away from her home.
“How much?”
“They are a copper for five.”
“I will take fifty then,” SJ said, removing the coin from her inventory.
Sally counted the sticks out before placing them in a pouch. “Here you go.”
“Thanks for the information. I need to contend with his hunger and food theft while he grows,” SJ sighed.
“It will stop in time. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“Thanks, Sally,” SJ said, replacing her cloak and leaving the store.
‘Why didn’t you know about followers previously?’ SJ thought as she walked back towards her home.
“I have never had a Legionnaire with followers, or a pet for that matter,” Dave said. “I have told you so many times that you are unusual.”
SJ shook her head at Dave’s response. There were so many everyday aspects of Amathera that Dave was unaware of until they arose, which concerned her she may miss out on vital information. Dave had always been helpful, well after his initial spout of unhelpfulness, but if he was unaware of some of the basic aspects, she needed to challenge him more.
“I can see what you are thinking, you know,” Dave huffed.
‘Sorry. I am just concerned that there may be aspects that I am still unaware of. There have been a couple of incidents now where you haven’t known about them, and with the access to the Legionnarious, I would have expected you to have more information.’
Dave replied with an unintelligent sound as though muttering under his breath.
‘What was that?’
“Nothing,” he sulked.
SJ knew she had upset Dave with his response and felt guilty.
‘I know you always help me, but with everything going on and the uncertainty around the interaction with the gods, I still feel very insecure.’
“I will try to do better.”
‘All I can ever ask is that you try to be the best that you can be. I don’t expect perfection; everyone makes mistakes or misses stuff on occasion. As long as you have tried your hardest, that is what matters.’
The comments reminded SJ of her time back at school, where teachers would always say that mistakes were expected. The heavy rain had continued rivulets of water now flowing down the streets of the inner city. The inner city appeared to have a sewer system of sorts, as there were grates at the edges of the roads. Never considering them previously, SJ wondered where the sewer system led and how it operated. She had vague ideas from Earth about how sewers worked but did not know if it compared to Amathera.
The comments the chancellor had made about the buildings requiring magical reinforcement to be built taller had also surprised SJ. When considering the engineering capability of the dwarves and the builders back in Killic, she would have thought that typical engineering practice would have provided the basis for construction. It troubled her she had so much to learn about how things functioned.
‘I need to learn more about Amathera.’
“You will never be an expert at everything,” Dave said.
‘No. I don’t expect to be, but if I want to continue helping Killic expand, having a better understanding of various areas will help in the long run. Especially when considering the trade and skills we may require.’
Despite experiencing Amathera’s beauty and wonders, SJ was aware of vast unknowns in the world. The stories Cristy mentioned about the wood sprites, the conclave with its giant battle, and what was happening just in one area’s territory were significant. She was still unaware of all the issues the villages surrounding Killic faced, never mind further afield.
“I still have so much to learn,” she said aloud as she continued back to District 11.
The streets in the outer city all sloped gently down towards the inner city, and as SJ passed the gate back into District 11, the streets out here allowed the water to flow straight into the centre. With no visible sewer system in the outer city, the water free-ran to the inner wall. It was only now that SJ noticed the single stone gaps interspersed at the base of the inner wall, where the water was being directed by the subtle design of the street surface.
‘I wonder where all this water goes,’ SJ thought.
Dave didn’t respond to SJ, taking his silence for not having any idea.
When she arrived home, the large garage doors were closed, and the wind was directing the rain towards rather than away from the building. SJ removed her key and entered through the front door.
“Only me,” SJ called. She couldn’t hear the usual sound of banging that she was accustomed to from Yawnee and Lurtew working and entered the garage. It was empty. After climbing the stairs to the first floor, there was no sign of either of them.
‘Strange,’ SJ thought.
“I am sure they don’t work all the time,” Dave said.
‘Knowing how long the coopering process is and the timelines they have to achieve to reach quotas, I have always known at least one of them to be working.’
Kibble, nestled under his blankets, peered at SJ as she opened the door. It was as though he had built himself a small nest with the blankets. He squeaked as she entered, his eyes blinking sleepily. SJ removed the small ouch of treats from her inventory, and even before she had opened the string, Kibble reacted immediately and bounded across the bed towards her as she approached. Standing, he reached up with his snout, trying to sniff at the pouch in SJ’s hands.
SJ removed a single treat, and Kibble squeaked excitedly, his little head bobbing up and down.
“Here you go,” she said, handing him a treat.
His little mouth flew forward, reminding SJ of the children’s game-hungry hippos grabbing the treat. He couldn’t fit it in his mouth and had to drop it, standing on it with one of his feet as he tore strips from it before wolfing them down.
“These are treats only. Don’t expect them all the time.”
Kibble looked at her, tilting his head as he chewed on the treat. SJ returned the pouch to her inventory. Sally had been right; her beastie did indeed like them. She stroked his head as he continued to chew, an almost purring sound coming from his slight frame.
“Water. I forgot to put water down for you. I am so sorry,” she said as she left the room again and went down to the kitchen to collect a bowl. After filling the bowl with water, she placed it on the floor by the balcony. She wished she had collected some feeding dishes for him, not even considering it before leaving Farleck. Terence’s diverse collection of bowls meant she could have brought some along.
“When I have my portal, I am going to have to see if I can sell some of Terence’s items in Asterfal,” she said, mumbling to herself.
“Carpentry is a common craft,” Dave said. “I am not sure of the need in the city.”
“His work is so good thou,gh.”
“It is. He is very skilled.”
“I was thinking about various things from back on Earth and I wondered if any of the items have ever been produced here in Amathera.”
“What sort of items?”
“Various. There are many kitchen items, tools, anything, and everything.”
“I am not sure. I suppose many items will have been considered over the years.”
“You know one thing I haven’t seen since being here.”
“What?”
“A corer.”
“A what?
“They are used to core apples or even make potato wedges and other things.”
“I have no idea what you are referring to.”
“Umm. I am going to have to spend some time checking what different things are being made by people and see where there is a gap in the market. I am sure that between Zej and Terence, they could make some items that may sell well.”
“So, you are now expanding into personal trading as well? Don’t you have enough on your plate already?” Dave asked.
“If there is an opportunity and someone hasn’t already developed it, then why not make the most of it?”
“I suppose. It just seems that you already have enough to do.”
“I wouldn’t be doing it, though. I would facilitate it. Others would do the work.”
The whole time that SJ was talking aloud to Dave, Kibble was sitting staring at her, listening to her every word.
SJ checked her display. It was late afternoon now, and she had a couple of hours before she was going to meet Alice. “I think I will head to the address that Sally gave me. After speaking to the chancellor, I am wondering if she can provide some more information for me. She is probably in a better position to find out than I am.”
The tall mirror stood at the side of her bedroom, and she walked over to stand in front of it. She had changed her dress regularly since the transmogrification ability had been unlocked, and her current dress was more typical of those seen at the tower. As she looked in the mirror, she reformed it, shortening the dress and simplifying its design so that it resembled more of the attire many in the outer city wore. Once she was happy with the adjustments, she changed the colour to a drab brown.
“There we go. I won’t stand out as much now.”
“Apart from your hair,” Dave said.
SJ’s hair was unique. Since her arrival, she had seen no other being with the same-coloured hair as she did. The silvery white over the emerald green was one of her most distinguished and easily recognisable features.
“I was considering getting it cut short,” SJ said.
“That won’t work,” Dave said.
“Why?” SJ asked, confused.
“Have you ever really considered your hair since you came to Amathera.”
“Not really.”
“Well, as a fae, if you cut your hair, it will just grow back to the same length it is now. It hasn’t grown since you arrived, has it?”
SJ hadn’t realised, but her hair hadn’t grown since she had arrived. It had remained the same length. “Oh. So I can never have different-length hair?”
“You can, but it won’t last long. It will literally only take a couple of days to grow back. It is a fae thing.” SJ could imagine Dave’s virtual shrug.
“I will just have to plait it then,” SJ said as she created a long single plait in her hair. Once she was happy with her hair, she tucked it under the cloak and stood looking in the mirror. By plaiting her hair, the emerald underlayer was hidden, only showing the silvery white.
“That will have to do,” SJ said as she repositioned her cloak and pulled her hood up. One thing she had noticed about her dress was that because of its self-repairing function, her cloak, when she kept it on wet, would eventually dry quicker as the dress wicked away the water from anything it touched. It was, ultimately, a gift from a god. “Can I dye my hair?”
“Erm, I guess so. Dyeing hair is not something commonly done on Amathera. I have seen some performers do it. It’s not something that a usual Amatherean would do.”
“So, hair dye and hairdressing could be another avenue to consider—especially hair extensions. I could cut my hair off, and then it would grow back so quickly. I could then sell my hair.”
“What?” Dave asked, shocked.
“It’s a big thing back on Earth. I would get extensions fitted for special occasions.”
“You really do have some strange things back on Earth.”
“I am surprised you don’t know from watching all the films and TV shows you do.”
“As an AI, it really isn’t an area I have ever considered, not having hair myself.”
“Kibble, I just have to go out again. I will feed you when I get back later, okay?” she said, stroking him.
His small head dropped. SJ felt a pang of guilt. She would usually take him with her, but she didn’t want to risk him in the city, knowing his behaviour and the mischief he could get up to.
“I’ll make you a deal. If you stay here and are well-behaved, you can have another treat.”
His little eyes opened excitedly, and SJ removed the pouch and gave him another treat, which he happily ate.
“I will be back in a while,” she said, leaving the room again and heading back downstairs. Yawnee and Lurtew were still missing, leaving her feeling uneasy as she locked the front door and left.
‘Something doesn’t feel right,’ she thought as she turned and began towards District 10.
