002

--TheirWorld--

The jikak wiggled his flat, wet, piggy nose at her as he looked between her and the wolf head that was now bleeding all over his counter.

“‘n just whut do yeh expect me to do wid’at, ey?” he asked, pointing his butcher knife at it. “Ain’t e’en skinned…”

“Not my problem, Orle,” Guin growled, putting her hands on her hips. “You asked me for a wolf head, I got you a wolf head— and it made a bloody mess along the way - quite literally.”

Though the look on his face wasn’t one of pleasure, Orle the Butcher sniffed it skeptically. “Well it’s fresh, I’ll give yeh ‘at,” he said, his face brightening up. Guin wanted to cringe at the image of a pig eating a wolf’s head like it was cake, but so long as she was getting paid for it, she supposed she didn’t care all that much. “Fine’en. Here’s a silver fer fetchin’ it— don’t say Orle don’t treat’cha fair, now. If yeh find anymore of these ‘ere heads, pass ‘em my way, and I’ll give yeh a silver fer each.” With a ding in her ear, the notification for [Quest Completion: A Jikak Delicacy] came up, staying visible just long enough for her to read it before it faded.

Guin took the silver, flipped it with her thumb, and caught it midair. “Thanks, Orle! By the way, do you have any jerky for sale?”

After trading her newly earned silver piece for a good weeks worth of jerky, she walked down the merchant street of Miala De Ri with a skip in her step. She may not have slept well, but she had to admit - just seeing the blue sky and the green trees managed to clear her head - even it was virtual reality.

All she needed to do now, was turn in the quest for her guild she had been on. I should hit level 8 with that, she thought to herself as she glanced at her experience bar. WIth that, it was very possible that she could hit level ten by bedtime. Then I can finally take the fox quest!

As she walked along the streets of the city, she took in all the sights and sounds the place has to offer - even as early in the day as it was. It wasn’t as crowded as it could be, but City of the Dead or no - the marketplace of Miala De Ri was plenty full of life, as all the people around were busy bartering and gossiping alike.

“Novice Chef selling low level foods!” A young man waved a loaf of bread in the air. “Bread for 2 coppers, Roast Rabbit, 5 coppers, Grilled Wolf Steaks, 8 coppers each! If you fancy some meat sticks, we got those too! 3 coppers a peice!”

“Repairing low level white gear for just five coppers for each piece!” A player shouted, twirling his hammer in his hand. With a grin, he winked at some passed ladies. “All my bangin’ jokes free of charge!”

“Potions! Healing Pots, HoT Pots, Mana Pots—get all your pots here!” A young tivarys girl called out excitedly. “Never go adventuring without at least one kind of pot!” A small, brightly colored garuli next to her was shaking its head with a worried expression and tugging on her robe.

Guin walked over to the Chef and bought a good amount of bread and multiple rabbits. Though she had the cooking skill herself, she hadn’t found much time to cultivate it. I’ll have to get around to it one of these days, she thought, handing the man his owed coppers. At least it was almost the weekend, where she could play to her heart's content.

“Do you have anything light I can munch on on the go?” Guin asked him as she placed her purchases in her bag.

“How many?”

“Just one will do.”

He pulled out some kind of meat on a stick. “Here,” he said, handing it to her. “Since you bought so much, take it on the house. If you ever need any kind of food, you can find me by the name TonkastuMan!” He struck a pose.

“Alright!” Guin chuckled, and added his name to her a note file she had started keeping.

Munching on her meat stick as she walked, she read some of the flyers that had ended up trampled on the stone of the pathway. City news, patch updates, various faces of PKers. Nothing of terrible interest to Guin, as she went on her way, humming until she came to the two story stone house with the sign that read “The Bone Quill Scribes”.

“Hmm…?” Guin went, observing a little gremlin toying with the sign, causing it to rock back and forth with a terrible screeching sound. “And just what do you think you’re doing?” she asked it. The little creature ignored her. Growling, she finished what was left of her snack. “Hey. Hey you,” Guin took out her spear and poked the creature gently. It looked between her and the spear head in shock. “That’s right, I can see you. You’d better get lost before the Head Scribe finds you out here. She can see you too!”.

Its large ears going flat against its head, it hissed at her, and began biting and clawing at the spear. Guin flipped the spear around so she could knock if off with the shaft.

“Get. Down,” she told it forcefully as it scrambled to attach itself to her spear, continuously biting and scratching at it. “I don’t want to hurt you…” She had taken considerable measures to keep her reputation up with the creatures of the Veil. Killing even one of them would cause more loss than was worth it. Staring at it with one eye twitching, Guin sighed. “Liorax… Get rid of this thing, please.”

In a flash of green light, the large blue-grey cat spirit with wide unblinking eyes appeared, gazing into hers. “Shall I kill it?” it asked, giving her a toothy grin.

Setting her mouth into a firm frown, she answered: “No.”

“How disappointing,” the cat sighed, though it did not lose it’s grin. “Well. A little torture should do it…” It lazily floated over to the gremlin and chomped down on its head.

“Liorax!” Guin shouted.

The cat looked at her, pulling the struggling gremlin off the shaft of her spear. “Mrph mph-fmmf,” he went as he floated over to her with a proud expression on his face. Harbinger of Death or no, he really was just another cat bringing her a present she never ever wanted.

“I don’t want it,” Guin told him. “Just put it on the ground.” But Liorax was not having it, floating up to her face again— so close, that the gremlin nearly scratched her in its desperation. Growling, she put her hand out and grabbed the little creature’s legs. “...thing is gonna give me rabies or something....” she groaned as the cat released it.

Head covered in saliva, it screeched at her in some language that wasn’t translated, and tried to wiggle out of her grasp. Liorax floated up to its face, and the gremlin froze in her hand, its ears back against its head.

“Oh, but it does look delicious…” the cat said, licking its lips. “If I cannot kill it, can I eat it?”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” Guin asked, annoyed. She should have known it would go this way.

“Not if you consider the creature as cattle,” Liorax told her, reasonably as his eyes sparkled. “It would be like… milk!”

“Just let it be for now,” Guin told him. “I’ll get you some milk instead?”

The cat spirit floated up to her eye level with happy eyes. “That shall do, half-Che. That shall do.”

Guin knelt down and let the gremlin go about… whatever it was gremlins did. I suppose it’s just going to make a mess somewhere else.

“Such a waste,” reflected Liorax, watching the gremlin speed along into an alleyway. “Now. Where is my milk?”

“Later,” Guin said, patting him on the head. “For now, just buff me with something Presence related so I can go turn my quest into the Head Scribe without her completely ignoring me.”

“Such is the way of the Veil-kind,” Liorax noted. “You become more like us everyday!” Before Guin could retort, he disappeared, and turned into a buff that gave her a +10% bonus to her Presence stat.

A small bell chimed as she entered the quiet building of the Bone Quill scribes. Passed the entry, was a long, carpeted room filled with desks and books and scribes scribbling away at one document or another.

Taking a deep breath, Guin allowed herself to feel a sense of calm. The familiar scents of dust and parchment filled the air, giving it a classic, scholarly feeling. It put her at ease, almost as much as the sounds of the scribe’s quills scratching against the paper did.

This was where she had started her life in the main game.

An old, wizened woman sitting at a large mahogany desk at the far end of the room looked up at her over the rims of her glasses. Guin bowed, then walked toward her.

Bowing again, she said, “Greetings, Head Scribe.”

“You’ve brought what I’ve asked you for, I trust?” the old woman said in her stern voice.

“I have,” Guin said, and pulled out a tray of [Vials of Wolf Blood].

Without changing her tone, the Head Scribe said, “Excellent. Argor will be pleased—though heaven knows why he insists on putting blood in his ink. Gastly character. Here, some silver for your trouble.”

[Quest Completion: Argor’s Ink]

“Thank you, Head Scribe,” Guin bowed in response, happy to see she was one step closer to level ten.

The old woman looked her over. “I know what you are,” she said in a low voice. “You’re like me.”

“Master?”

“You can see into the Veil,” she said. Guin looked down. “Don’t try to hide it—least not from me,” the Head Scribe scoffed. “I saw you, out there, dealing with the gremlin. Those things my be worse than rodents, but they are still of the Veil. But you know that, it seems. You’ve hidden the one who haunts you well.”

“Master…” Guin fidgeted. Though it seemed that, among all of the starting cities, Miala De Ri was the least critical of those who possessed Veil Sight, that did not mean she would be safe within its walls. The Head Scribe was quite famous for her Veil abilities, often serving as a medium in town, should the occasion call for it - but she also received her fair share of criticism for it.

“Oh, relax. I’m not accusing you of anything. Nor am I about to tell you to go running in the streets talking about spirits and monsters and ghosts and what-not,” the old woman said, taking off her glasses and putting them down on the desk. “No. Rather, I have mission for you.”

“A mission?” A Veil quest? Guin wondered, in mild surprise.

The Head Scribe pulled out a letter with the seal of the Imperial Church. “Yes,” she said, handing the letter to Guin. “The High Priest of our Cathedral of the Lady sent me this letter the other day, going on about some carvings or inscriptions in the catacombs that he claims are now glowing. Apparently, that’s never happened before—I’ve certainly never heard of such a thing, but there you are. I have no time to see these ruins, and I’ve seen that you have some artistic talent. Also, we have need of some ingredients found down in the catacombs; I thought I might send you on that mission too. What say you?”

[Quest Offered: The Glowing Carvings]

This quest is optional. It can be skipped. (Difficulty: C)>>

[Quest Offered: Dust and Essence]

[Bone Dust] - 0 of 100

[Spectral Essence] - 0 of 100

[Death Moss] - 0 of 100>

This quest is optional. It can be skipped. (Difficulty: C)>>

“I accept!” Guin exclaimed - perhaps with a bit too much enthusiasm as the people in the otherwise quiet room all looked up at her in annoyance. “S-Sorry,” she said.

Glaring in disapproval, the Head Scribe put her glasses back on. “Excellent,” she said. “Then, off you go. All the information is in there. Watch out for that priest though; he won’t like that I didn’t personally take time out of my day to go into his den of mold and bones.”

“Thank you, Head Scribe!” Guin bowed.

As she left the Bone Quill Scribes, she pat the furry head on the shoulder of her fox skin cloak. Here’s to a new adventure, little brother!

Guin ran back to the market, and repaired her gear and bought some potions. The Catacombs were known to be a massive dungeon that ran under the entire city. She’d have her work cut out for her!

But before she could go much further, her work alarm went off.