Myers rexes upon a rog chair o a r firepear the firelight, shadows dance, illuminating the living room and giving it a homely feel. A rge living room te home he’d lived in for three years now. A home that now feels like a trap.
He sighs softly at the knowledge that the hunt tinues. He’d hoped they would leave him alone and give up already. But it seems that the reward is too tempting for the [Bounty Hunter] guilds to cease the chase.
“You look like a troubled old man with a lot of baggage.”
Myers panics. He hops out of his chair, grabs his e, and takes a staowards the voice.
A cat smiles knowingly in his dire.
“If I’d wanted you dead, you would be. Now, sit back down a's talk- unless you’d rather talk in the m instead. But then you probably won't get any sleep since you’ll stantly be worried all night about how the talk would go.”
Myers stares at the cat for a long moment before allowing himself to rex. He leans bato his chair.
“I couldn't even hear you.”
Quasi walks he fire and ys down.
“Yea, most people don't train their seo hear the movements of kittens. Not that you reliably do so. They’re naturally quite stealthy.”
Both the old man and cat stare at the r fire, listening to the crackle of fmes and the snores of Boriss in another room.
“So, if my dedu is correct, you are being hunted by Raven [Bounty hunters] who carry swords with a raven handle. Me and my group just robbed the [Captain] of [Bounty hunters] and have set themselves as adversaries. So, you offered us a safe pce to rest in the hopes of ing up with a deal that involves your safety.”
The cat yawns.
“Whies to my question. What is it you are and why?”
Myers takes a moment of thought. He brushes the beard on his while his eyes roam the fmes. He sighs.
“I o get off this isnd with my grandson as soon as possible. I o be on the move.” He moves his gaze o. “You were talking about buying a ship at the tavern. I help pay for the ship in exge for safe passage aboard.”
The cat tilts its head. “I’ve got a better idea. I want to try to get a hold of the ship from the clear corruption request. But first, I o talk to the [Mayor] to make sure it’s avaible. Once I have the ship, you e aboard for free so long as you answer any questions I have about anything.”
“I will not disy history,” He says firmly.
“That's fine. I already know you’re a very old and capable man. I merely need access to some of that wisdom until you choose to embark the ship.”
Myers slowly nods. “I do that.”
The cat grins. “Perfect. In the m, I’ll need you to introduce me to the [Mayor].”
“That be done.”
The ods. “Good.” He turns to look at one of the three closed rooms.
“As you see, Irmgard, this isn’t some kind of trap like you’d expected. So go get some sleep.”
Myers raises his eyebrows as the sound of wood creaks from a movement on the opposite side of the door.
“Now, You should get some rest,” Quasi says.
The cat twirls around in a circle and forms into a ball. It yawns and closes its eyes.
____________________________________________________________________
The moment I feel sleep take me, my eyes open to a white room. But, instead of a goddess to greet me, I am instead met with a floating eyeball.
“Fuot again. Keep your dirty hands off my soul!”
“Wele, entity Quasi Eludo. I am administrator #37. My job is to serviy and all ges to your body and to facilitate skill and csses. You are currently a level 3 [Shifter]. You gaiwo levels retly and are awarded two attribute points. How would you like me to admihem?”
Traits.
Human Average
Individual Base Calcutions.
Level modifications
Trait Actual Value
Strength
10
36
+0%
36
Endurance
9
43
+0%
43
Vitality
12
0.27%M/R/M
22
0.54% M/R/M
+0%
22
0.54% M/R/M
Perception
9
27
+0%
27
Intelligence
11
16
+0%
16
Mana
388.8
480
+0%
480
trol
12
8
+0%
8
Attributes Avaible:
2
Level
3
I look at my trait page again and find nothing has ged except for the tribute row.
“What does choosing an attribute entail? What bonuses are applied?” I ask.
“That Information is restricted.” the ball answers back.
Shit.
“ you expin to me what each attribute is used for?”
“That information is restricted.”
“What information is not restricted?”
“That information is restricted.”
Ok. Maybe I was a tad too hard on Yazu. Maybe she actually 't obtain any of this information I asked for.
“Do I have to choose attributes immediately? I save them up?”
“No. Yes. Please note, you will not be able to add points until your level.”
“The's do that.”
The moment the words leave my lips, my eyes open up to light streaming through the window.
____________________________________________________________________
“Garrus, are you sayieen people were knocked unscious and robbed?”
“Yes.” The [Head Guard] nods. “It happened early into the night and was only unveiled around midnight when the crew from the Avergenbsp;tracked down their captain and found him tied up in a shed alongside sixteen others.”
teran Adams scratches his silver haired beard he hasn't trimmed in awhile. He’s been meaning to do so… food decade now.
“Hmmm. That's disturbing. The [Captain] of that ship is a leveled [Bounty Hunter]. I’m guessing there was a struggle?”
Garrus shakes his head. “No. All seventeeioned chasing a cat and then going unscious.”
teran frowns. “That's… odd. Sounds like the assaint is very skilled in subterfuge if he was able to surprise a [Bounty hunter]. Do we have a motive? Or a possible motive?”
“No clusively. It seems the assaint was mostly after - except for two, who had their clothes stripped.”
“Odd, but who am I to know what a [Rogue] would want.”
“[Rogue], sir?”
teran shrugs. “It’s clearly an advanced css ue] or [Thief]. Probably unon or rare quality. You mentioned nobody was hurt?”
“None, sir.”
“Then it's not an [Assassin]. They would kill instead of knog them out. Maybe [Ninja]? But what would that css be doing here? Hmmm.”
He leans bato his chair and grabs his pipe. He puts the pipe in his mouth and activates the ruhe bowl lights in a burst of fme. He takes several puffs.
“So, I have an individual roup who use a cat to distract, knockout, and tie up people before robbing them. Depending on the clothing stolen, we may be able to identify them.”
“It is on workwear, sir.”
“Right. Anything else of hat was stolen?”
“The [Bounty Hunter] [Captains] Cutss was taken. He said it has a raven's head hilt.”
“Which is easily covered. I guess you could ask to see the cutss of everyone who has their head covered?” He sighs. “It might work, but I doubt they would carry it around. Hopefully this [Rogue] will leave my town and my people aloherwise I’m going to have to hire a specialist, and I really dont have the for that.”
“Sir?”
teran waves the man off, “Go back to your duties. I’ll figure something out.”
“And the victims, sir?”
“I’ll talk to the [Captain] ter and then everyone else in regards to pensation. Who knows, maybe I vihe [Bounty huo catch our [Rogue] aurhing stolen. I’m sure he’d be eager after getting robbed.”
teran scratches his beard again.
“Was there anything else?”
“Ahh, yes.” the [Head guard] begins trepidly, “At the tavern, Arbors Butchers, people are mentioning a talking cat.”
“A talking what?”
Knock, Knock, Knock
“Hm? Seems I have more pany. Garrus, we’ll talk ter.”
The [Head Guard] salutes as the office. As he leaves, Myers walks in with his grandson alongside three individuals. One individual, who towers over everyone in the room, has a cat on his shoulder.
teran raises an eyebrow, which raises higher wheices that the sole female has a cutss with a covered pommel.
“Myers, I’m guessing your history caught up with you? Because if I didn’t know better, I’m looking at those responsible for robbieen people.”
Myers grimaces. “It has caught up, but not in the way you think. I’m going to o leave the isnd with my grandson as soon as possible.”
teran puffs his pipe. “If it was anybody else, I would call my [Guards] and have both you and them arrested. But, you’ve shown to be a good man since you arrived three years ago. So, I’m willing to listen to what you’re about to say.”
The old man releases a breath he was not sure he was holding. “Thank you.”
“Yes, yes. You’ve earned my ear. Now talk. What is this about?”
“As you’ve said, history has caught up and I o leave. I’ve found someone who help me, but they are determio speak with you first.”
teran g the woman dressed in a long coat with a very fn design.
“Her?”
The cat hops off the giant's shoulder and nds atop the table in front of teran. “No, me,” the cat says.
The [Woodwork Mayors] face seems to go cross eyed as he stares at the feline on his desk.
The cat grins. “What's wrong? Never met a talking cat before?”
“Y-you talk?”
The cat rolls its eyes. “Of course I talk. 't you see my mouth w? It’s moving and making sounds!”
“Thats… not. Ughhh, who are you?”
The cat stretches on his desk.
“Me? I am Quasi Eludo, lord of cats, master of all felines. Cutest kitten in this side of town. And I, in my magnanimous ess, am you a deal.”
It takes several moments for teran tain his posure, which he spends puffing his pipe.
“What deal?” he asks, curious. It’s not every day- nay, lifetime, a talking cat winds up on your desk something.
“Your little problem in regards to the Clear Corruption request. I’m to see if I fix this problem in exge for that ship, if the request and ship are still avaible.”
teran feels his heart qui. “That request is hty years old. Numerous people have tried and all either gave up or died.”
“Yes, but were these people cats?”
“Um, no?”
“And that's why they failed. If you want to solve a big, seemingly unsolvable problem, then you o get a cat to do it. Which isn’t an easy feat, mind you. My kind are quite tent with living life surrounded by unwitting sves. But me, as the greatest among them, is willing to solve such a problem- or atleast to find out if said problem is solvable. I’m only a magnifitly capable cat, though. So keep your expectations within reason.”
The old [Mayor] swallows softly. His expression, fruff and old, gains a tint of color. His eyes scream of sparked hope.
“If you remove gues this isnd, then the ship is yours and I will five any and all transgressions.” he says truthfully.
The cat raises an eyebrow. “Damn, huh. You really want that corruption gone.”
He nods. “Yes. If you are willing, I expin why.” The cat ys down on his stack of papers.
“Go ahead. I’m actually curious.”
The old man clears his throat. “Eighty years ago, this town was known for building light frigates that funed like an average cored frigate. This ossible thanks to the Arborean trees in the ter of the isnd. The density of mana in the isnd's ter made the trees grow thicker, taller, and wider. These trees would mature to an age where they would develop a Tier-one core. We used the eree to build a frigate without removing the core. Doing so allowed us to create a frigate for a fra the price of our petitors.”
terens’s face sches up. “Then something massive crashed in the iser. Everyohere died in moments, followed by the trees. Shortly after, a ghastly, deadly s sprouted and spread around the crash sight.”
“And this massive thing is?”
He shakes his head. “Nobody knows. Not one person is capable of getting anywhere near where the crash happened.”
The ods slowly.
“Well, I should be able to.”
“How?”
The cat snorts. “I’m a cat. I go wherever I please.”
He gets up off the now furr covered papers and pounces ba the rge man's shoulder.
“Thanks for the story. I’ll be heading out immediately. You should get the paperwork for that ship ready for my return.”
teran watches as the group of three exit the office, leaving only Myers and his grandson.
teran g Myers hopefully.
“Do you think he’ll do it?” he asks.
Myers g the closed door behind him. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
