Chapter 25: No Capes!

It felt strange to be on her own. It was the first time since Annita woke up that neither Kat nor Bren were within shouting distance. She walked down the streets, taking in the city as she did. People of all races, colors, and assortments of limbs hurried on their own ways. It felt like any busy city street from her time, and getting lost in the crowd was easier than she thought.

One thing she noticed as she walked along was small streams pouring out of the sides of the roofs above. Looking closer, she saw small spouts had been carved in the small walls that bordered the flat space, and melted snow was pouring out.

Pulling aside a random person, she asked how the snow was melting so quickly?

The stranger gave her a confused look, but explained that the roofs had heating gems installed. They were recharged by the sun and could be used to clear built up snow when needed.

Taking an alleyway, exploring further, a ball ricocheted off the wall ahead of her. She instantly tracked the speeding object, every muscle in her body tense before leaping at the toy. She landed on her hand and feet, ball securely in one hand.

Standing, Annita took a moment to realize she hadn’t even thought about chasing and catching the ball. Must have been something from the wolf part of her. Feeling a not insignificant amount of shame, she walked toward where the thing had come from.

“I think it went over here!” she heard a young voice ahead.

“I told you not to hit it so hard,” another voice replied.

“Can’t help I’m stronger than you,” the first retorted.

“At least I’m faster.”

Around the wall came a pair of kids. One an Alfhindur boy and the other an Inlon girl. They came up short, skidding slightly as they almost ran into Annita. The Alf looked fairly normal, but the Inlon had a very prominent third eye in the middle of her forehead.

“Gosh, you’re tall lady!” the Alfhindur gasped.

“Don’t say that! It’s rude!” the girl gasped, smacking her friend.

“It’s ok, it’s ok,” Ann laughed, crouching down, holding up the ball. “This yours?”

“Yeah, sure is,” the boy said a bit sulkily.

“We was playin’, miss. Ton hit it too hard, and it got over our fence. May we have it back?” the girl explained.

“Did not! I hit it normal!” Ton protested, stomping his foot.

“Did too! I’ve never hit it that far!” the girl shouted back.

“Hey, c’mon, no fighting,” Ann giggled as the kids’ arguing escalated again. “Just be careful. And I won’t tell anyone if you’re worried about that.”

“Eh, our parents are fine with us wanderin’,” the little girl huffed, taking the ball. “Just safer to be close to home.”

“That’s very responsible,” Ann smiled at the girl. “Be safe, you two!” She stood and turned to leave.

“Thank you tall lady!” the girl yelled back, already running off with Ton.

Kids were still kids. That was a good thing, Annita thought. Still getting into trouble, still precocious little things. The encounter lightened her mood and her step as she made her way up the central hill of the city.

Buildings became more utilitarian as she walked, shifting from the square blocks of the residential district to larger, more specialized structures. She passed smithies, lumber yards, tailors, and some vocations she couldn’t name.

She took about half an hour asking around for recommendations on someone who could make her some good leather armor fairly quickly. At the recommendation of a few passersby and a very intense Thrundol blacksmith lady, she found herself at a bit of a rundown shack of a building. Inside she could hear grumbling and the scraping of a knife across some surface.

Shrugging, she ducked into the smaller door, ringing a bell, and looked around. It was chaos. Hides of all sorts were not so much draped as tossed haphazardly across every available surface, including the floor. There were some walking paths she picked her way through, but it was treacherous going.

“Hello?” Ann called.

“I’m here! I’m here! Give me a sec’!” came a gruff call back. It sounded like a woman, but she couldn’t quite tell.

After a few minutes, which she spent looking through the hides, an Inlon woman bustled in from a back room behind what Ann assumed was a hide covered counter.

“Welcome to Riva’s hides and tannery. What can I do you for?”

Riva was actually fairly tall for an Inlon, from Ann’s perspective. The woman came up to her mid thighs, was a dark green color with brilliant amber eyes. Her slick black hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and glasses hung off her long nose. Wearing a simple set of overalls, Ann could see that she was used to hard work, with the corded muscles in her arms and shoulders. Her face reflected the years of hard work, weathered, creased, wrinkles at the corners of her eyes from squinting, but still attractive in its own way.

“I know it doesn’t look like I’ve got much going on, but I do have stuff to work on. What do you need?” Riva asked, snapping Annita out of her appraisal.

“Sorry, sorry. I’m here to get some armor. I asked around and everyone I met with said to talk to you. Mostly because I need it pretty quick.”

“Hmm, for a big girl like you, with those curves?” Ann noticed the woman’s eyes twinkle as she looked her over. “I might actually have something prepped. It’ll need adjustment, and alteration for you being a Lupine, but we can make it work. I’d prefer to make you a custom set, but if you need it quick, then that’s what we’re going to have to do.”

“You do custom work?” Ann asked.

“You bet your tail I do. The best money is in custom orders. You interested?” Riva asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I would be, but I’m not sure how long I’ll be here. Could be a couple days, could be a week.”

“Girl, you know rush orders exist, right?” Riva laughed.

“Hey, I didn’t want to assume,” Ann said, raising her hands.

“Girl, looking like you do, I’m pretty sure people would go along with your assumptions even if they didn’t normally do whatever you were asking for,” Riva smirked, leaning over on a pile of hides. This afforded Ann with a great view of the woman’s unbound cleavage under the overalls.

Feeling her cheeks beginning to heat up, she quickly cleared her throat, trying to control herself. “I wouldn’t know,” she replied shortly. “But yeah, if a rush order could be worked out, I guess we could do that.”

“Well, as far as money goes, I’d charge two gold for the whole set. Though, we might be able to work out a discount. You have your measurements?” Riva asked, crossing her arms and pushing up her chest none too subtly.

Ann took a second, fumbling in her pockets to pull out the paper Nolton had given her. Riva took it and looked it over. “Hmm, detailed. A bit odd in certain measurements, though. Professionally, you have anything downstairs?”

Ann’s repressed blush came out full force at the question. “Uh, yeah. I do.”

A broad grin stretched across Riva’s face before she returned to the paper. “Yeah, I can work with this. It’ll be a day. No enchantments, though we could work in places for you to add ‘em if you wanted. That’d be another five silver on top. You want a helmet? You want a helmet. Face plate?”

“I don’t think so. I remember this one design, came down over the face, left the sides open,” Ann tried to describe, moving her hands in a V over the front of her face.

“Ah, don’t want to hide your assets, got it. I think in a piece of armor, though, a faceplate would work. How about a detachable one? Yeah, it’ll cover your features, but it’ll make a fearsome image for whoever you’re fighting.”

“Do Warped feel fear?” Ann asked, genuinely curious.

“What? No, of course not. Though who says you’ll always be fighting those monstrosities? Either way, I would recommend it. Here, like this.”

Taking a dull piece of metal, she flipped a piece of leather to its back and sketched out her idea. It was a viking style helmet, with a cap that fit snugly over her head, let her ears stand free, and a gap to allow her mane of hair to plume out. The face mask was simple, a shaped piece of leather that would comfortably meet the helmet at the nosepiece and cover her cheeks and chin.

Riva then showed her a clever clasping mechanism that would hold it in place, but allow her to pull it off fairly easily if she needed. It clasped at the sides, and could only be removed with both hands.

“Yeah, that can work. Not sure how well I’ll deal with heat in that, though,” Ann said as she looked over the design.

“I’ve got my ways. Don’t worry about that. Now the rest of it. How form fitting do you want this?” Riva asked, sketching out a quick figure.

“Chest and upper body, fairly well fitting, I guess. Lower body, I’d prefer something looser.”

“So tight upper armor which should also accentuate your body, and then the lower half will be a leather skirt, studded with steel, then leather greaves. I’m no cobbler, so you’ll have to figure out your boots or shoes elsewhere. I can buy a cloak for you, too.”

“No need. I don’t really get cold up here. Benefit of the whole Lupine thing,” Ann chuckled.

“Damn, that’s lucky. I freeze my ears off whenever a storm comes through. Have to spend time around the blacksmiths just to keep warm. Anyway, yeah. I can work with all this. Now, two gold and five silver will be your cost unless you want to talk about a discount,” Riva said.

Ann took a moment to look over the Inlon. She was pretty sure she knew what Riva was trying to get at with pushing the discount so hard. The woman hadn’t really been subtle checking her out. The only thing that caused her to pause was her promise to Kat only a couple of hours ago.

“Just so I’m completely clear here, what would a discount entail?” Ann asked cautiously.

“Girl, you’re gorgeous, and I want a piece,” Riva said bluntly. “That’s all. I haven’t had any action in a long Godsdamned time, and I thought you might be willing.”

“Gotcha. So, I’ll have to talk to my girlfriend about that. I can pay either way. Just don’t want to lead you on,” Ann said, crossing her arms as she tried to hide her discomfort.

“Of course you’re already taken. Shit, sorry about that. Had to shoot my shot, you know?” Riva slumped, her ears drooping as she gathered her things.

“Yeah, I get it. Trust me, I do!” Ann insisted as the Inlon raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. “Just can’t let things ruin something good I’ve got going on.”

“She that special?” Riva asked, changing her tone to more curiosity than the previous disappointment.

“She really is. I’m lucky to have her,” Ann replied, getting a bit wistful remembering the night before.

“Well, congratulations to you!” Riva smiled, finishing getting her things together. “Bring her by next time. I’d love to meet whoever took you off the market. Anything else you need?”

“Nope, that’s it,” Ann confirmed.

“All right, then it’ll be done by tomorrow evening. It’s going to be a loooong night. Time to get the coffee brewing,” Riva muttered to herself, turning away.

Ann let herself back out into the cold air of the city. Is this what it was like being attractive? It was strange. She was pretty average back in her old body, so she’d only had to deal with the creeps that would catcall or hit on anyone. Having someone who was actually fairly attractive hitting on her out of the blue was something really new to her. Besides Kat, she conceded. She didn’t count Kat as a random encounter, for some reason. A part of her had a feeling that Orenous had set them up, but she wasn’t going to complain.

Taking her time going through the city as the sun rose high in the sky, she took in the people populating the streets. Particularly the Vulhardrin who she now shared some kinship with. She spotted a couple other Lupine, shorter than her, but with the fluffy ears and tail. One was more reddish, while the other had black and white hair that reminded her of a husky.

She spotted several Avian as well. They varied wildly, more than other subcategories seemed to. Most seemed to have the entire head of a bird, but others had different mixes. A cardinal headed man passed by, his bright plumage standing out against the dark colors of the buildings. His legs were replaced by the talons of the appropriate bird as well. Some had feathers running down their arms, forcing them to wear sleeveless shirts, and others had plumage where Annita had a tail. One in particular sporting the wide frill of a turkey was a strange sight to behold. Thankfully, the woman was spared having a wattle and just had further plumage instead of hair.

Vulpine and Feline hustled and bustled around much more frequently than the rest. Their animal traits as widely spread as the rest. She also spotted a massive Ursine trundling down one of the primary thoroughfares. The woman was covered in the thick fur of a bear with ears to match. The rest of her was fairly normal, if just huge, compared to a normal person.

As she walked, Ann contemplated whether there were any fish based Vulhardrin, but doubted there’d be any in the mountainous city. Maybe some more exotic creatures. Kat had mentioned dragons. Gods, she wanted to see one so badly. She’d loved drawing them every time she got the opportunity, and needed to see one. Not to mention all the other fantasy creatures that might exist now.

Distracted by her daydreams, she began to walk faster, her stat enhanced legs taking her though the town on their own. Suddenly, she bumped into someone, sending both of them sprawling.

“Oh my Gods, I’m so sorry,” Ann cried.

“Eas be damned,” the man grumbled. “Watch where you’re going. And so fast. Just ‘cause you can doesn’t mean you should.” He batted her hand away as he rose to his feet and trudged off.

Ann was a bit taken aback by the comment. She didn’t feel like she was going that fast. Maybe it was a product of her levels and Dex. Now she wanted to race someone. Someone running full tilt, the wind in her fur, whistling past her ears. She could almost feel it. Shaking herself, she focused back on heading back to the Mercenary Association. It was strange, but she was definitely starting to notice the more canine instincts poking through in her now that she was in civilization. Maybe being somewhere so populated and urban agitated that side of her. Out in the wilds, they were natural and had a purpose.

Eventually, she made her way back to the large building that marked her temporary home. Neither Kat nor Bren were back yet, from what she could see, so she took the time to head up to her room. Flopping on the bed she stared at the ceiling, taking a moment to rest before she got bored again. No phones or computers to keep her occupied really exacerbated her ADHD.

Groaning, she sat back up and headed downstairs again, walking over to one of the clerks.

The man looked up as she approached. “Good morning! How may I help you?”

“Do you have any books or something? Something on the Warped, if possible,” Ann requested pleasantly.

“Not an uncommon request. We do have several tomes with descriptions and classifications of Warped here. One moment.” The man stood and walked back into a room behind him. After a few minutes, he returned with two hefty books.

“These should do the trick. ‘Gendal’s Compendium of Monstrosities’, and ‘Warped Beyond Recognition’. The first is a dry read, I’ll admit. Lots of detailed descriptions, analysis, but very straightly put. The second is an easier read, but glosses over some details that would be helpful to a mercenary such as yourself. I’d recommend starting with ‘Warped Beyond Recognition’, then delving deeper with Gendal’s if you discover something interesting. If you’d like them, I’ll just need your badge for a moment to check them out. Please return them before leaving for any other locations. You will be billed if they go missing for longer than a week upon your next visit.” He put the books down on the desk and opened his hand for Ann’s badge, which she handed over.

Taking a logbook out from under the desk, he rifled through it, pressed her badge to a page, then handed it back.

“Thank you. Have a good read!” He smiled, handing Ann the books.

Smiling and waving, Ann took the books back up to her room. Leafing through them she began to study. As described, Gendal’s book was more of a textbook than anything. Dry, educational, and absolutely boring. Taking the clerk’s advice she opened “Warped Beyond Recognition” and poured through it. It had far more illustrations of the things it was talking about, as well as anecdotes from people who had fought the beasts. Ann quickly lost herself in the book, taking in the grotesque but fantastical creatures she would likely be running into.

A short while later, she heard the door open, but didn’t roll over. Boots trekked over the wooden floor before a pleasant weight settled on top of her.

“Whatcha readin?” Kat asked as she nuzzled into Ann’s neck.

“About the Warped. Figured if we’re going to be fighting them, I might as well know more,” Ann said, nuzzling her girlfriend’s head back.

“Have a good mornin’?” Kat asked as she relaxed on top of Ann.

“Yeah. Met some kids, playing around. I commissioned some armor, too. Rush order that should be done by tomorrow evening. Don’t think you’d believe it, but the Inlon who runs the place propositioned me,” Ann sighed. “Offered a discount for it, too.”

She felt Kat stiffen a bit at the mention of the offer. “What did ye say?”

“Said I’d talk to you about it. Didn’t expect it to come up this quickly to be honest, but I promised,” Ann replied, closing the book and rolling over. Kat lifted herself so they laid face to face on the bed.

“Thank ye,” the Alf said softly. “I’m, ugh. I told ye I was probably the jealous type. Feelin’ a bit protective now. I just got ye. Don’t feel like sharin’ ye yet. Much less the feelin’s that come along wit’ all that.” Kat squeezed her close, burying her face in Ann’s cleavage. “Just be mine fer a bit, ok?”

“Ok,” Ann said softly, running a hand through Kat’s long brown locks. “She did ask to meet the woman who took me off the market, though.”

“Oh?” Kat lifted her face, raising an eyebrow. “What fer?”

“Just that. Didn’t say anything else. Figure she just wants to know what sort of absolutely gorgeous, dashing, strong, talented woman could tie me down,” Ann said, poking Kat’s side with each compliment. Kat giggled madly as Ann tickled her further, driving the woman to pin her arms down to get her to stop.

“Fine, fine,” Kat gasped between laughter. “I’ll go wit’ ye tae get yer armor. It better be sexy. The mental image o’ ye all wrapped up in leather’s doin’ stuff fer me.”

“You’ll just have to see now, won’t you?” Ann teased as they snuggled deeper into the bed.

“All right. Bren should be back by now. Let’s go see if he got any leads fer us,” Kat grunted as she rolled off the bed.

Ann took an offered hand and followed her downstairs.