Lament of the Slave

Chapter 113: Skills Again

"Do you think beast traits prevail in me?" I asked the two after reading the description of Call of Nature and gave it some thought. A little unexpectedly for me, Deckard motioned for Lord Wigram to speak first, even though he himself seemed to have something to say about it.

"I have examined you, Miss Grey, yet it is complicated to tell how deep your mutations go and therefore how this skill would affect them, thus your appearance. However, I think you're looking at it the wrong way. Your human side is by far the most dominant in you."

"Really?" I couldn't help but check out my body, covered with fur in places and adorned with a tail, wings, and antlers. People didn't typically have these.

The Imperial Chief Healer chuckled. "You still have two legs, two arms, and a human face. Some of the hybrids that got to me weren't so lucky. When you triggered the change in the fight with that guardsman, that changed. You gained the anthro legs of beasts. Fur covered your body, and even your face didn't remain unchanged."

"What if that becomes my everyday look after I choose the Call of Nature?"

"I don't think you have to worry about that. You're more human than you realize, and those traits will be enhanced as well."

"What are human traits, anyway?"

"Not such an easy question to answer, is it?" He asked, smiling. "What makes us humans? What makes us different from animals, beasts, and monsters? Well, it's the structure of our bodies, from our feet to our legs, upright posture, opposable thumbs, and poor sense of smell, hearing, and sight. Even if we're not wholly hairless, it's a trait too." To emphasize his point, he rubbed his beard.

I never did have one, but you could tell he was taking care of his. What did it mean for this hairless monkey, though? More hair or less? Beard? I didn't think so. However, it would be nice if my legs were as smooth as silk, without a single hair, all year round. Shaving them was so annoying. Not that I'd done that in the last year. There were more important things on my mind. Hmm...mind!

"Is our big brain a trait, too?"

Lord Wigram's eyes lit up. "It certainly is. That brings up the question of how the skill would affect it. More Intelligence, Wisdom?"

"Bigger head?" I suggested.

Deckard smirked. "Why don't you just try it, girl. It's not that you can't replace that skill with another one later. The changes won't be permanent."

I scowled at him. "You want to see me with a big head, don't you?"

"Maybe." He shrugged, basically admitting it. "Actually, I know a few people with pea-sized brains who could use such a skill."

That actually made me laugh.

"Hey, maybe your tits will grow, too."

At his remark, my ears perked up. Was it possible? Since Deckard had already said it out loud, I swallowed my shyness and looked at Lord Wigram. "Is that a trait, too?"

"For a woman, yes it is," he said with a slight nod. "And in the last two decades, it has been quite in demand in the Capital. Many ladies have among their General Skills one that gives them a plump bosom."

Was it some kind of trend there? More importantly, were there skills explicitly designed for that? I was lost for words and excited for a second before my enthusiasm quickly waned. After all, 20% of nothing was still nothing.

"Don't let it get to you, girl. Rather, you should think about how your abilities will be affected by that skill of yours. I imagine your tail, or rather the poison, will be more effective."