Chapter Six Hundred And Five – 605
That is a very big statue, Felix said to no one in particular.
He stood at Shaper Square, as it was apparently called, just on the other side of the squeeze of streets that led away from the Torrents Rest. It was full dark but lamps sat at steady intervals down every thoroughfare and side alley. Their light was buttery yellow bordering on orange, and mingled with the press of people, their noise and smell, Felix could almost believe he was back on Earth. At least until he actually paid attention.
Dwarves, Goblins, and even a few Korva filled the streets, filling the night with idle chatter, nervous conversation, and everything in between. The crowds werent much affected by the forced relocation into Birchstone, at least not their attitudes; they drifted among shops and through small parks, eating steaming pastries or sipping on drinks. They werent all rich either, despite their surroundings. Felix spotted more than a few Dwarves with threadbare jackets and well-patched trousers, often with entire families in tow. They stared about the city, taking in the hustle and bustle with overwhelmed wonder.
I know how you feel, folks. He looked back up at the statue that dominated the square. A Dwarven city. Awesome.
It was why hed come out, really. Visiting a new city after months of snowy Nagast was fascinating and intoxicating all at once. So many things were going on, and hed only seen a tiny portion of one section of Birchstone. Felix had no clue how quickly they would find the other Unbound, but he wanted to explore while he could. Which brought him back to the statue at the center of Shaper Square.
The statue was of a very wide Dwarf, but unlike some of the more martial carvings hed seen around the city, this one was wearing soft, flowing robes and holding a baton or rod. It was big, at least fifty feet tall, and Felix imagined people could see it from streets away. A thick belt covered the statues torso from sternum to hips, and a number of symbols were etched into it. Not an array, but letters of some sort.
A young Dwarven woman was set up against the statues base, patiently tuning some sort of stringed instrument. A lute, he was pretty sure. An open case sat next to her, empty except for a dirty rag. Felix turned to her. Excuse me. Sorry. Can you tell me what this says?
The woman blinked at him once before her uninterested face came alive. Oh! The Rockshaper? Its a list of his accomplishments.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñøv€l-B1n.
Accomplishments? What did this Rockshaper do?
New here?
What gave that away, Felix asked with a smirk.
The musician strummed a few chords. Youre very tall, even for a Human.
I eat my vegetables. Have you played for long?
All my life, she said proudly. You interested in a song? Two stone and Ill play your ears off.
Tempting. More interested in this statue and what it says, though.
The woman smiled, revealing several missing teeth and a scar across her lips. What say we split the difference? Toss me some copper and Ill tell you the tale. Better than some stuffy list.
Felix pulled two coppers from his pouch, tossing them into her instrument case. Fair trade.
The Dwarven busker lowered her head, her mouth moving silently. Felixs first instinct was to rush her, to disable her before she could use a Skillbut he suppressed it. She seemed to be repeating something. Reminding herself. When she was done, she changed her fingering on the frets of her lute and strummed once.
A chord rang out into the square, pure and almost sweet sounding. The crowds slowed, stilled, turning toward her as her voice followed. It lilted, drifting through notes with enviable agility, before settling on a steady harmony. Words formed, first in what he assumed was Dwarven, then switching to the common tongue.
In ancient days of yore, a tale we sing,
Of Rockshaper, the mage, earth's sacred king.
Ancestor of Red Shield, revered with pride,
Master of elements, his power amplified.
The Troll King, imprisoned in depths below,
By Rockshaper's might, dealt a crushing blow.
Foundations laid, through shadow and flame,
Undermount emerged, hidden realm claimed.
The words went on, a song worthy of a hero of legend. Felix filed away all the details, though he was sure some of them were likely made up. He definitely hadnt heard of anything called a nevermind or an aberrant terror. At the very least, they were probably exaggerated by countless retellings. His own growing fame was proof of thatmany of the miraculous feats he was credited with were impossible, even for him.
The musicianbard, he supposedran out of verses a few minutes later, and the tumble of chords became something uplifting.
So raise your voices high, with hearts alight,
To Rockshaper, the mage, in eternal Night.
For your tenth Pillar?
Maybe. Im still aiming to combine all my shaping Skills into a singular Skill, something with a high rarity. Something powerful and with a lot of utility. Hed already incorporated his newest one into his Shaping Array, and Storm Shaping had slotted into place without a single twinge of pain. If its Tri-Aspected, then yeah. Thats the goal.
Remember, Felix. What you need is balance. Power and even utility is secondary.
Right. He hadnt forgotten; focusing on Tri-Aspected Skills was part of his decision-making process. He looked up, spotting a soaring wall at the end of the next street. I gotta go. Im here.
Do be careful, Karys insisted. I would ask that you come back with your allies, but I know you wont. So instead, Ill only say this: many lives depend on you. Do not walk into needless danger, Felix.
Hey. You know me.
Karys sighed, and their connection fizzled out.
The city of Birchstone was split into segments, much as Haarwatch was, though the Dwarves had designed the mountain city like a series of nested circles. Each one rose higher as they neared the grand expanse of the mountain itself. The huge walls were incredibly thick and sported guarded gates between. Hed seen traffic moving between districts, but the gates were closed at night, likely for security reasons.
Down at the end of the street, perched against the soot-stained wall, was a ramshackle structure. Though the tavern didnt climb even a quarter of the walls height, it was still three stories tall, each level seemingly made by a different hand until the entire thing leaned drunkenly against the battlements. A sign hung above a stained and timeworn door, depicting a wine barrel with a big skull and crossbones covering its side.
The Cask, I assume. As far as branding went, it was pretty spot on.
Compared to the Torrents Rest, the Cask looked to be held together by wishes, dreams, and pigeon crap. Windows sagged in their frames, the small panes of glass so soot stained that they might as well have been painted over. A tottering porch rose to meet an off-center wooden door, worn pale by years of rough, ungentle hands. Felix pushed it open. Inside it was both dark and smokey. Worn and splintered tables and chairs filled the tavern, stained and sticky in the wan light. A dozen Dwarves, Goblins, Orcs, and Hobgoblins were seated or standing, and all of them looked up at him as he entered. Not a single Human. No Elves or Gnomes either, though perhaps the latter werent much appreciated around town anymore.
Evening, he muttered.
Everyone went back to ignoring him.
Felix walked through, ducking his head as he passed a particularly low ceiling support. All around, the patrons pulled on their pipes and drank ironbound mugs of foamy ale. They were settled into the thick shadows that clung to the dingy little place despite the fire that burned in a hearth at the far end. Felix imagined someone with a lower Perception would find it all pretty unnerving. As it was, he could see them all just fine, and he made special note of all of the weaponry that was hidden just out of direct view.
Tall bastard, aint cha? said the grizzled bartender. He was a Dwarf with a wild gray beard and an eye patch painted with a small green snake. Dont see many Humans round these parts, not til recently anyhow. And not fair-haired pretty boys like you. Whats yer business, boy?
Deception is level 48!
Felix managed not to touch his head at the comment. He was using his Glamulet to form an illusion around himself; to others he appeared as a normal Human man, with ordinary hands that definitely werent claws. He was blond now, with a slightly too big chin and a crooked nose. The look of a laborer, but someone that clearly specialized in Strength. His height made him conspicuous, but there was little he could do about that.
He coughed, putting some rasp into his voice. Youre right. Im new to Birchstone, and got no connections. Need a job. Some friends told me to come here. Ask for Quarro.
The bartender squinted at him, and Felix felt a faint shiver against his Spirit. Whats yer name?
Mervin.
Already got a bouncer, Mervin, and he lifts all my stock when needs be. Aint got work for you, kid.
No no, not that. Im strong. Got a good back and decent vision. I wanna work, here Felix lowered his voice, looking around the bar suspiciously. For the rat lords.
A crossbow beneath the counter was lifted enough that Felix could see its knocked bolt. Show me your stats.
Felix sent themveiled of course. The bartender grunted again, but this time Felix got the impression he was impressed. His stats was still impersonating a Journeyman Tier with a Strength specialization, but hed made his Endurance and Vitality look good too. His Veiling Amulet had a considerable amount of versatility if used by someone with enough Willpower and IntentFelix just had to focus hard on what he wanted to show.
I just need somethin to do, you know? Keep silver in my pocket and food on the table. Im strong, and I aint picky about how I use it.
Deception is level 49!
Alright. Might be we have a use for ya, the bartender admitted. Come with me.
The grizzled Dwarf flipped open a length of the bar and sauntered out and around several patrons. Felix followed, stepping around snoring patrons and a few that sent more inquisitive shivers across his Spirit. Analyzing people without asking was considered rude, but he supposed no one at the Cask much cared about manners.
The bartender brought him down a short hall that ended with a stone wall. It was the same stone wall as outside, the warded ones that separated the districts. Felix raised an eyebrow, but the Dwarf merely reached out and ran his fingers across a particular section. Sigils formed beneath his hand, dusty-brown and silver, before fading. In their place, something mechanical clicked and ratcheted, muted by feet of dark stone, until a Dwarf-sized door slid smoothly open.
Cmon, boy, and dont lag behind. The bartender vanished into the door, footsteps loud but fading fast.
Felix took a breath. This is probably stupid.
He followed, folding himself almost in half to fit beneath the lintel, and shuffled off into the dark.
