Watching Bluebird fly up to the top of the wall reminded me of some of the amazing things I might be able to acquire through the System store in the future. Shaking my head clear of that daydream I focused on Roy who was holding up his brass Pass by the cord.

“First use, obfuscation from those not linked. Just wearing it will activate that function. Second use, guidance; activate that by channeling a bit of Mana and lightly striking it once.” Roy showed what he meant, and I could see the wisp of Mana run down the cord into the metal tube. The brass glittered to my sight as Roy flicked it with the finger of the hand that wasn’t holding the cord.

*Ping*

The sharp Mana laced sound pulsed and I felt the metal in my own hand resonate to the tone, or the Mana, passing through it. It tugged lightly in my hand and I saw the Pass in Roy’s hand lean away from God’s Bath, tugging on the cord as if to pull the leader of the Merits to follow.

“On with them. I’ll explain more to Monday as we move.”

Slipping the Pass over my head I walked with the others in the direction I’d felt the tug, and which I’d seen Roy’s brass tube incline. As soon as the weight of my Pass settled, I noticed that my surroundings blurred a little. Focusing on the blur I saw hints of Mana whirling around, white and green specks, flowing from the Passes that each of us carried and weaving into a cloud that moved with us as we followed Roy.

All of the flecks whirled and a hint of mana mist encircled the 6 of us, raising a dome about 4 to 5 meters high and twice that wide. “Roy, is the dome what makes it hard for others to see those with an active Pass?” I started feeling a hint of a sting in my head as I tried to make sense of the Mana mist.

Roy nodded, “You can see it then? It does tend to interfere with what we see outside as well. A bit of a trade off, but it protects Ways travelers.” Giving me a longer look as we walked, the mustached man continued. “It might be a bit much for you. I’d encourage not focusing on it. Maybe glance for training, but it can be a strain if you spend too much time focussed on Mana work for camouflage or hiding.”

“Wouldn’t time spent attempting to see and understand the patterns advance skills as a System User? Or natural advancement, for that matter.”

Jordan piped up from the side as we advanced on a footpath where her cart seemed it would barely fit. “True enough, but if you get a headache or become distracted it might not be worth the risk, Syssy or not. Inside some walls or in the open, Cecal isn’t so safe as to not take precautions just for a few XP you can eventually get anyway. This is an escort, not a training run.”

I shrugged, feeling the roll of hides rise up on my shoulders. “I’ll save my less immediate questions for a better time than. Thank you, Jordan, Roy.”

The merchant gave a tight nod and Roy just cocked his head to the side slightly before speaking again. “Well, not quite done with immediately useful information yet, Monday. Thirdly, blow through it if there is danger, the people tied to your same travel group will be warned, as well as any Ways Keeper within range. Don’t do that frivolously, as it is either a fine or blacklisting if a Keeper comes and finds the danger beneath their attention. Now, the last main use is if someone gets separated from their group. Hold the tube and not the cord, then channel a little Mana into it while thinking of one of our group. That should give a sense of direction and distance. Got all that?”

Friday confirmed, but I listed the uses quickly, and then asked what I hoped was an appropriately pertinent and not distracting question. “Aside from the third danger one, when is it safe to attempt the other options?”

“You shouldn’t need to…” I cut him short quickly.

“I understand that it should be simple, but my Mana channeling has consisted of trying to disrupt one Mana flow and making my towel expel its moisture. These sound much more important to my safety.”

I felt Roy’s sigh rather than hearing the noise in my ears. “Yes, best to practice, and before we travel too far. So long as there is no sign of danger we can take a few minutes for you to practice within the first half an hour that we are on the Ways propper.”

Seeing as there were no comments from the others, I simply agreed to his statement as we traveled further away from God’s Bath.

Though things at a distance were a bit obscured, I had plenty to look at around us. Small birds in trees, shrubs with flowers and little green and red berries that looked to not yet be ripe, a squirrel that was almost half a meter long kept sniffing in our direction as we passed.

Though I hadn’t really been tracking time, I guess that it had been at least 30 to 40 minutes before I saw Tok and Roy’s posture change. Their shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, as they seemed to ease their way into a small clearing. Jordan was walking just ahead of me and I heard a sound from her that reminded me of Billie when she and I had been kissing. I was avoiding stepping into Jordan’s cart when energy trickled up my leading leg and I nearly gasped.

Energy welled up from the ground, through my left leg. and up through my chest. Vitality sought out the Pass around my neck and fractured into webs of invigoration throughout my body. I didn’t trip, but it seemed a near thing as I was overwhelmed by urgency. I wanted to move. No, I wanted to MOVE. My body, my mind, my cells, my thoughts wanted to MOVE.

I joined Tok and Roy, and we paused. Quickly we were joined by Jordan with the other 2 Merits, who also paused. All of us felt energized, almost quivering, as we stood amidst the Pass generated dome of Mana motes for a few moments.

Jazmine was the first to shake it off, and speak. “Let's move, team.”

Roy started, and nodded. “Jaz, Tok, Muto; normal scouting spread. 30 minutes and then a short break for Monday to practice channeling into the Pass. Questions?”

We all shrugged and started to walk. I chatted internally with Friday, listening to a few titles from books we were considering for the walk. After only a few titles, Jordan called out to me.

“Monday, you wanted information. Quick rundowns? Or did you have something specific you want to start with?” The merchant's clipped speech was no nonsense, and I’d seen her be smoother with others, so I imagined she wasn’t trying to make a sale, more work with an employee. Maybe.

It took me almost no time because I’d been considering what to start with when Jordan had time for my questions. “To you, as a System User, what are the biggest misconceptions or misunderstandings about what being a System User is and what that connection provides?”

The glance shot over to me almost had weight. While Jordan didn’t stumble, I thought I heard a scuff as we walked. “So, not asking about Stats, or Skills, or the Store or Boons, Banes and the rest?”

“Sure, but not first. Bluebird tried to spin it, Jazmine is worried about it, Buckle felt sad for me, but as far as I can see, it is a tool. Maybe it is a tool that messes with my head, but I don’t remember. So, what do you think?”

Watching where we were going, Jordan’s eyes had only glanced at me briefly. She seemed to be pondering as a minute passed before replying to my question. “It’s a tool, an old clunky tool with too many functions and options. A tool you can choose not to use, but once you pick it up is always there.”

“I thought there were ways to disconnect it? Like a “Move on” option or something?”

The merchant nodded, “Yes, those exist, but they cost enough that you are well in it at that point. Or so I’ve heard, never seen it in my store.”

My questions just seemed to be multiplying. Enough that I was asking Friday to track them as I thought of them. “So what do you mean by old, clunky with too many options and func…”

I was interrupted. “I saw when you were sorting out how to carry the hides that you have a multi-tool. Do you think that would do as good a job as a tool built specifically for a certain task?”

“Well, no. It's about convenience, not having the perfect tool.”

“Exactly. The System can do so many things, but… So far as we can tell, most of it was done with the barest understanding of Mana and what might be possible with it. So it’s old, clumsy and loaded with just as many things that are dangerous to have as beneficial. And many a mix of both.”

“Oh, so why did you decide to become a System User?” I was perplexed by her choice given what she had been saying.

Jordan shot me with a side eye. “A bit of a personal question for most Syssies, might be worth getting on more friendly terms before asking in the future. But I’ll allow you a partial answer. My former partner wanted out of the business and they’d been our System hookup. I didn’t want to retire or find a new partner, so I bartered for their System Build to do the whole thing myself.”

“But why would you need to be a System User to be a merchant?”

There wasn’t another side eye, or even glare, but there certainly was a bit of a smirk. “Depends on what kind of merchant you want to be, Monday March. And no, I don’t think I’ll share that at the moment. But I will say, it would do you good to study the System options and make a plan. Syssies who don’t plan usually end up a mess.”