I couldn't help but take my sweet time as I walked to the Inn. I kept pausing to rotate my ankles or do a deep knee bend - testing out my new torso and legs. Folks walking around me either stared in wonder at this goofy looking clown boy with a missing arm dancing a jig as he fumbled down the street.

One plump mother in a plain dress with a wiggly child scooped her baby up and nearly got herself killed crossing the cobblestone road. A gilded carriage bearing some noble shouted as she crossed in front of the well groomed horses.

After that, I limited my motions to walking slowly and soon I became once again another ignored face in the crowd.

I approached the Merry Maid with some trepidation. After all, I knew that I was going to spend some amount of time there, and hopefully it wasn't some smoke filled parlor with seedy characters and unsavory types. I didn't expect much but what I encountered surprised me. Instead of a dark smoky enclosed bar with creepy people, it was as if a coffee shop and an outdoor restaurant had merged, along with a small hotel.

The front of the Inn featured a colorful picture of a laughing barmaid with a mug of beer in each hand. Large windows with wide awnings allowed tables to be set out on the sidewalk and a number of smiling, happy villagers were sitting and talking - drinking something that smelled strongly of coffee and spices. The clientele seemed like young, middle class folks and nary a seedy type to be found. The men seemed dressed in dark breeches with suspenders and light colored shirts. Some wore jackets and ... were those top hats? I chuckled inwardly. Some of the men had beards and something called "mutton chops". The women were often wearing dresses and carrying tiny umbrellas, while others seemed more comfortable in pants that looked to me like something a horse jockey might wear. I wondered at the social norms of this town.

"...This world" I thought to myself.

I was in another world, one in which magic existed, along with spirits, machines, and goblins - among other things. I thought about Bright, and the Source. I clutched at the magic gem in my chest, hidden by the magic that even now was making me look like a "real boy".

I chuckled. I never in a million years would imagine a world where I was essentially a mechanical Pinocchio with a magical girl as my guide.

But my Gepetto was ... dead.

I frowned as darker thoughts filled my head. My hand pushed the door open to the Inn and I could see the interior was well-lit and busy with all sorts of folks coming and going as well as sitting at rough wooden tables.

The overall cheerfulness of the place chased away the shadows of my thoughts and I smiled inwardly.

The lobby was essentially a coffee shop type set up with large glass windows facing the street, tables arranged along the walls and around the floor - with all sorts of folks talking, drinking, and eating. Along the back wall was a long wooden bar with a serving girl rushing around dispensing drinks. On the right side a stern looking man with coke bottle glasses and severe black hair was checking in someone for a room.

Steeling myself, I approached the counter.

"Hello, I would like to get a room for the night," I said.

The stern man gave me an appraising look, which was somewhat disconcerting, given his dramatically enlarged eyes behind huge round glasses.

"And who might you be, young sir. I've not seen you around here before."

I panicked quietly inside.

*Interface, help me! What's a good story to tell this man?*

[Query: You are from a merchant's family and you are here to seek out an apprenticeship with the local merchant's guild. You've been given a stipend from your father and you wish to stay the night at this inn to get your bearings.]

*Wow! Thanks Interface!*

Somehow I could almost see in my mind's eye - the strange A.I. within me smiled. How could I sense that?

I relayed the story to the innkeeper who frowned over his glasses.

"A merchant's son? Here to seek your fortune?" He asked.

I nodded weakly. I tried to give him a winning smile, but instead I think I looked a bit freakishly manic.

"So, let's see your papers, son" The innkeeper asked, turning his hand palm upward to receive the paperwork.

[Notice: reach into your pants pocket, Aegis] Interface prompted.

Without thinking, my hand fell to my pants and reached into my pocket. My fingers felt the edges of a piece of paper and I quickly produced the paperwork.

*I hope this works!* I thought to Interface. *How did you do that?*

The Innkeeper scrutinized the paper and looked back at me several times.

Nervously, I scratched a nonexistent itch behind my head. I had a flashback to a time when I was applying to the school soccer team. I had been bugging my dad for months, asking to be allowed to join because I felt lonely at school, and was having a hard time making friends. I thought that if I joined a sports team, at least I would be able to interact with other kids during practice, and maybe even make some friends. My father had been reluctant to go through the process, which involved documenting my activities in soccer when I was younger, as well as other sports I participated in, like football.

After much pestering and cajoling by both me and my mom, he eventually caved and took me to see the soccer coach. I think he believed it was a waste of his time. The coach was equally reluctant, but said he'd give me a chance based on the strength of the history of games I had played. It was one of the few times my dad had come through for me. I felt like I was a tremendous burden to him, almost always, but at least that once, he was willing to spend some time to help me do something I felt strongly about.

I blinked and came back to the here and now. The Innkeeper was staring at me with a key in his hand.

"Well, do you want a room or not?" He sounded annoyed.

"Yes! I mean, yes sir. Thanks!" I reached for the key, but he pulled it up and away at the last moment and turned his head sideways to me.

"Um, there's the matter of payment. Mister Aegis." He regarded me with a mixture of boredom and annoyance.

[Query: The illusion magic that controls your appearance was extended to include the paper Clarissa gave you. It was a simple matter to transform the words to a suitable reference.]

"Oh, yes! Of course." I reached into the pocket again and produced the coins Interface had suggested - in the right amount.

The Innkeeper snatched the coins and dropped the key on the counter.

"Room 158. Checkout is at noon tomorrow, unless you want to keep the room for another night. Dinner and breakfast is provided here in our open eating area. Same meal for everyone. If you want something special the cost is extra. No ... visitors." He eyed me suspiciously.

"No, sir. I understand. May I stay out here while I'm a guest here?" I gestured to the tables.

He nodded and then started as he realized I only had one arm.

"Good God, what happened to you, son?" He asked as he gazed at my left shoulder.

Feeling a bit adventurous, I decided to go bold.

"I fought off a goblin attack a few years ago. They got my arm before I could beat them off..." I made some mock chopping motions with my right arm.

Agast, the innkeeper stared at me with his huge eyes. A moment later he handed my paper back and a few wooden tokens.

"These are your food tokens. - And here-" He tossed a few more tokens - they looked larger and different with a symbol of a glass on them. "- here's a few drink tokens. On the house. Don't tell anyone I gave them to you."

I tried to give him a winning smile and gathered up the tokens and the key.

I went immediately to the room and checked it out. Since I had no belongings I flopped onto the clean but plain bed and looked out the window. The room was sparsely furnished, with an oak cabinet for clothes, a bed with well worn cotton blankets, and a small table with a lamp. Not a modern lamp, mind you, but one of those old fashioned oil lamps.

I was startled by a knock at the door. Could it be Clarissa? Come a day early? Cautiously, I opened the door to see the serving girl from the bar downstairs. She looked at me somewhat shyly.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Um. Is your name Aegis? That's right? You're listed as being in room 158." She was holding something behind her back. She smiled slightly with a bit of a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Um, yeah. Is something wrong?" I started.

"Oh no no. Not at all. It's just you had a package delivered, and they said you had to get it right away." She smirked, and produced a flat square object wrapped in plain paper.

Bemused, I took the package from her. It was surprisingly heavy. I was guessing it was a book of some sort. Then I stared. There was a symbol stamped into the paper. A black cat.

*Look for my sign ...* The cat had said.

The barmaid was still standing there, with a bit of an expectant look on her face. She waggled her eyebrows.

"Oh, yes. Just a moment."

*Interface, what's a good amount for a tip?*

[Query: What is a ...tip?]

*Oh never mind* I answered in my head.

I took out a coin at random and handed it to her. Her eyes widened and a huge grin crossed her red lips. She had perfect, white teeth, and her hair was red with ringlets. I looked at her again, really noticing her. She looked down shyly and with a curtsy was gone. I caught the scent of roses. It must have been her perfume.

Blinking, I shook myself a bit and sat back down on the bed. The noonday sunlight was streaming in the big window, and I could hear the sounds of the street below. The package was wrapped with a bit of twine, and I was having some trouble opening it with one hand.

Sighing, I found a folded corner and tore the paper away. With a sudden inspiration, I held the package with my foot and pulled away the string. This revealed a thick leather bound book with a golden frame. In the sunlight the cover of the book gleamed. In the center of the cover was a golden dome shaped circle, split horizontally.

What the heck was this?

The book was bound by a lock holding it closed.

[Alert! High amounts of mana detected. Source appears to be the object before you]

*Is it dangerous?* I asked in my head.

The book shuddered. The golden dome cracked open along the horizontal split. It wasn't a dome at all, it was an eye! I jumped back in surprise, nearly falling off the bed. The eye moved to orient on me and blinked.

"Oh yes! Quite dangerous." the book said.

And then I really did manage to fall off the bed.