Shapeless Hero

13 - First Night in Tyllat

Seconds pass as we all just stand, while the oath-spells' magic circle slowly disappears. In a tone betraying her incredulity, the commander finally breaks the silence: "Holy shit, you weren't lying."

Her sword retrieved, the commander plumps down with an exhausted exhale near the campfire. "Congratulations, Fylka, you made it in one piece. Karl, make sure the shifter isn't doing anything funny, while I sleep. I doubt anything will happen, seeing how the oath didn't shred them into pieces though." 

Karl salutes. "Understood. Night shift it is." 

With a few groans, the commander slowly lies down in the soft sand. I can practically see the tension in her body disperse.

I look for a good spot on a larger rock near the campfire to sit down. My mind jumps between planning a world tour and dreading the world's downfall by application of modern science to this world's magic system.

Once planted on the rock, I can feel Karl's weight on my right shoulder settle. "You've done it! I knew, you were a trustworthy soul!", he starts in an excited, but low voice. "There are so many things you can do now! Anything you want to start with?"

I give it another thought, this time avoiding the ping-pong between anticipation and dread. I have now a social status that allows me to go to plenty of places in the Imperium. "From what I understand, I should walk around as anything but a shifter, right?", I ask back.

"Right." Karl hums. "Having sworn the oath, maybe posing as a travelling noble might work?"

"How exactly do I prove to anyone that I am a noble plus the oath? I have no papers and I can't just claim it, right?"

"Most local institutions and authorities have a way to detect such divine oath magic. City guards, academies, merchant guilds... they all possess items and specialists for that. I've even made some of those items myself to pay my library fees." He chuckles. "It was a close call..."

"Wouldn't they be able to detect something like my shifter-ness too, if that's already so easy to check?"

"Not with the commonly used tools and spells. From what I can tell, your shifting magic is only active and noticeable when you're changing between forms. Since it does not require a constant flux of mana like an illusion spell, the usual detection methods should not raise an alarm."

"So I'm not completely doomed to live as a hermit. Nice. But you said it's not happening with the commonly used tools and spells. Anything or anyone I should avoid?"

"Mostly old adventurers or guards. Some of them have participated in the purges back then. Veterans have more often than not developed an everlasting paranoia from your kinds' deception and treachery. Having to navigate places where everyone close to you could turn into your enemy within a moments notice - that does not bode well for your mental health. And thus, they still use expensive items and spells to detect shapeshifters on occasion, even if it's 'just' to lessen the anxiety from their emotional scars."

So that's why it took so much for the commander to trust me at all - besides me being a stranger, of course. Part of me wants to know, what exactly the shifters have done to cause such weariness and mental issues in their pursuers, but me - a shifter - showing interest in how people get traumatized would probably just raise suspicions right now. I should ask about that after I've proven my good intentions. "So assuming I don't run into those poor souls, I should be able to pass through a towns gate without trouble. How exactly do I act like a proper noble then?"

"Have you never seen or met nobles in your past?"

I shrug. "They just weren't a thing anymore, where I'm from."

Karl lights his pipe. "Fascinating. What happened for them to become irrelevant like that in your homeland? I also wonder now, if that could happen here in the foreseeable future..."

Karl and I spend the night planning the hypothetical downfall of all nobles in this world to pass the time. I pick up a lot of knowledge about high society during that exchange. We talk about noble manners and mannerisms, that I should know. It somewhat turns into a short workshop about how to act as a noble.

Once the early morning arrives, we make sure to avoid talking about toppling the aristocracy, as to not alert the now awake commander with our ideas. I notice the commander stealing glances at me, while she's preparing a simple breakfast on the campfire. I guess a shapeshifter conversing with a magical crow about nobility and politics isn't something you see every day.

Enjoying the sunrise, I check my stats. I am curious about how the descriptions might have changed, after being freed from that sword.

[ Status Overview ]

[ Name: Fylka (temporary)

Species: Shapeshifter, ascended

Status Effects: None

Skill Summaries: Morphing (S), General Physique (C), Languages (C), General Magic (D), General Knowledge (E -> D), Imperial Aristocrat (E)

(Focus on a specific skill, to display more details and options for improvement.) ]

Well, that's good news. All the status effects are gone. And two things changed in my skill list too.

First, my General Knowledge seems to be improving. I assume that's because I've been talking to Karl since yesterday evening about all sorts of things. The rank of that skill is shown in a way, that might mean, I'll reach rank D soon, but I'm not quite there yet. 

Second, Imperial Aristocrat appeared in my skill list. Aristocracy is a matter of skill? Knowing only one way to find out how that can be, I focus on the entry in the list. Another floating text box appears.

[ Imperial Aristocrat - Rank E ]

[ You have a higher social standing within the Imperium! On rank E, that just amounts to not being a commoner and some preferential treatment in a few scenarios. ]

[ You can increase your rank by improving your relations with other nobles or by helping the imperium in notable ways. ]

It feels odd to be treated better, despite having done nothing noteworthy to deserve that. But being a species hated by practically everyone, I should be happy to get anything helpful to my survival. I don't plan to treat anyone badly, especially not with my upbringing and in my current situation. Knowing so little about this world will already bring conflict to me, so I don't have to cause even more trouble by being rude.

A gruff voice interjects: "If ya keep thinkin' that hard, ya might start to sweat."

"G-good morning, August!" I turn my head to the now fully healed crow.

He scoffs. "A good morning indeed, compared to yesterday. Thought I'd die. Makes me almost appreciate life again."

"Glad to hear, you're better." I look over my shoulder to see what Karl and the commander are doing. They both seem to be lost in their own conversation, a bit further away from us. I turn back to August. "So, what brings you to me?"

"I'm bored."

"Oh."

We proceed to watch the sun rise together in silence. 

"Funny blue boxes, you've got there." August suddenly says. He was not around to see my status screen last night, I realize.

"S-so you can see them?" The blue glow of the text boxes seemed so obvious to notice after sundown and the other two did not react at all, when the interface appeared yesterday. That's why I was under the impression, the text was only visible to me. 

"I might or might not have some skills for that. Mind if I take a peek?" 

It's probably too late to say "no". And his grin tells me, he knows.