[Omen of the Witchblade] Chapter 147 – Splitting Up

A lanky elf with gaunt cheeks and whitish blonde hair in yellow mage robes accosted Gwen. “Hello there, First Champion. I would love for you to be my Noble House’s Defender. I can offer you–”

She looks like a starving supermodel, Mel thought. The kind that eats one basil leaf for lunch and for a treat walks by a cupcake shop to smell them.

Mel never understood people like that. Muscle and strength were where it was at. Who wanted to constantly carry around a fainting woman who was so malnourished she probably couldn’t risk standing up too fast or else she’d pass out?

The werewolf blinked at the elf slowly, holding her freshly purchased permit. “Eh? My base class isn’t Defender.”

A bunch of Magi stared aggressively at the finely dressed elf, who finally seemed to realize she was interrupting.

“Oh, mine was Defender!” Shrubley said. “Now, I am a grossly incandescent Sage Knight! Once again, I might add.”

The elf stared at the four-foot tall, talking shrub in doe eyed startlement.

Charlie gracefully moved in to deal with this, as if it was her responsibility to deal with nobles intruding upon the Magi’s business.

I wouldn’t mind seeing a fight break out between two nobles, Mel thought, standing to the side and folding her arms.

However, Heath intercepted first. He made a fool of himself by squawking like a rooster, flapping his arms, and rushing the elf. The Mage reacted like most would.

She hurriedly left in confusion.

Mel stepped up and patted Heath on the back. “A solid B minus. Major points for efficacy, but I’m docking you for form, and for embarrassing the group.”

“Your Raven Aspect is showing,” Gwen said to Heath, watching the elf go.

Heath somehow seemed both proud and embarrassed at the same time.

Mel nudged Gwen. “Well, you gonna use it or what?”

Shrubley was already squealing with joy as he used his permit. A nimbus of golden light covered the small shrub, making his lamplight eyes glow all the brighter. “Oh my, there are so many new recipes I can make!” He ran up to both Charlie and Mel. “Can I go back to Restaurantley and start trying out my new profession?”

“Don’t call it that,” Mel said, “and take Miranda with you.”

Shrubley grabbed the vampyr’s hand and ran away. Smudge and Cal followed after him. “Okay-bye-thank-you-I-won’t!” he said in a rush.

Gwen’s eyes widened in horror. Mel had never seen her seem…scared. Mel wasn’t even sure that’s what it was. It was sort of like an animal being spooked by headlights.

Miranda glared over her shoulder at Gwen specifically. As if this was her fault.

Gwen cursed colorfully under her breath.

Sabrina put a gentle hand on Mel’s arm. “We’ve seen a lot here, but I think we’re going to head out with Shrubley and the others. Neither of us have any money for a permit, but I think Shane’s really thinking about trying to earn enough for a woodworker’s permit.”

“Better hurry,” Mel said, nodding for them to catch up to Shrubley.

Jacob used his permit next. The flash of golden light was tinged with iron and soot. “Hm.”

Mel rolled her eyes. “You just got access to a profession, a magical capacity to make goods, and you’re just going to grunt?”

He grinned at her, causing more than a few passing women to sigh as they watched.

“Stop doing that with your face,” Charlie told Jacob. “Give everyone else a chance.”

He winked at her. “No.”

Mel watched Charlie, more to see what she would do. If she was smart, she’d leave well enough alone. Even Mel, who was a habitual line-stepper, knew there was no budging a person with that tone.

Charlie raised her arms in a shrug. “Whatever man, I’m not the one trying to woo…y’know who.”

At Jacob’s side, Camilla glared not just daggers, but full-length swords at Charlie.

“Oh, that’s cute,” Charlie said, a touch amused.

Under her breath Mel muttered, “Bitch gon get cut.”

Uncomfortably clearing his throat, Elian stepped up in front of the group. “Is there any other way I can be of service to you?”

“Shops,” Logan said.

Mel pointed at the Archer. “Smart man. Let’s go on a shopping spree.”

Elian turned to her. “There are many shops available, from Syndicate backed shops to locally owned boutiques. What might we be looking for so I can whittle down the options?”

Gwen interrupted the flow of conversation by finally using her permit. Multicolored mana burst out of the burning parchment, congealing into fantastical shapes of wild monsters and wondrous beasts. A roaring lion was overtaken by a flying dragon, then a snarling basilisk, a charging hippogryph, and a clawing plateau beast.

It reminded Mel of Brookmoors. So much so it gave her a pang of homesickness.

It was utterly unlike the magic that formed when Shrubley and Jacob used their permits. Even though Gwen chose the same one that Shrubley did, it seemed that there was something very different about the two of them.

“Very nice,” Elian congratulated. “Seems you’ve found your talent.”

“Her what?” Mel asked.

“Some people possess talents, hidden modifiers to a class or a profession that gives them extra benefits beyond the norm.” He motioned to Gwen. “Unique displays like that are a common way to tell one has a talent. Of course, most people don’t get theirs until they gain a profession evolution.”

“Is that like a class evolution?” Heath asked.

“Practically identical,” Elian said. “The base professions, while more numerous, are just like the classes. They are only a starting point. They are not all there is.”

Mel studied Gwen thoughtfully. “Figured you’d only get that if you got some sort of monster chef profession.”

Gwen beamed. “Maybe that’s what I’ll be. I do love cooking and eating all kinds of monsters.”

Heath looked nervous. “Won’t that make you sick?”

“Not if you cook it right,” Gwen said.

“Was…that what we ate?” he asked quietly.

“Don’t you remember?” Gwen stared at Heath in worry. “The plateau beast steaks?”

Mel stared at him. “You just thought she…what, went out to the grocery store and picked up some beef and chicken?”

In a very small voice, Heath said, “I didn’t really have much time to think about it.”

“You ate a plateau beast,” Charlie whispered in awe. “Slayed and ate a plateau beast.”

Mel got up on her tiptoes and hooked her arm around Charlie’s neck. “Stick with us, kid, and you’ll eat that good every night.”

There was a long, drawn out silence while Charlie blushed faintly.

“Come on, Mel!” Sylvie cried.

“That’s my aunt!” Hal said.

Sylvie’s pobul grumbled. “Machi!”

“So!” Elian said brightly. “How about that shopping? Let’s go back to the carriage.”

“What’d I say?” Mel asked as everybody followed Elian out of the building. “What’d I say?!”

As it turned out, everybody needed something different, so Elian did what he did best. He split into copies of himself at every stop and got out of the carriage until it was only Mel’s group.

Mel looked over at Charlie. “Shouldn’t you have gone with Logan and Victor? They were looking for staves and bows.”

“Are you that eager to be rid of me already?” Charlie smirked. “I’d rather not go off with a bunch of dudes again, really. And I do have an idea as to what to do about your crafting tools.”

“I’m hurt,” Mel said. “Really. You think I want to get rid of you?”

Charlie gave Mel a curious look. “I was only teasing.”

Crossing her arms, Mel didn’t budge.

Gwen watched nervously, her red tail thumping against Thomas beside her. He kept trying to put his hands up to block it. Mel saw him contemplating weaving a magical ward of some kind and thought better of it.

Charlie moved closer to Mel across the carriage’s seat. “I’m sorry, Mel. I don’t think that, okay?”

Mel shrugged and leaned back in her seat. “So what’re you looking for then? Our gear is mostly decent.” She looked at the others. “Not much reason to buy a Rare piece of equipment when you’re sporting a full set of Epic.”

Elian’s brows shot up, but he kept quiet.

Charlie choked in surprise and started coughing.

“Mel can increase the rarity of our–!” Heath said excitedly, too eager to hold back anymore.

“No, Heath! Don’t be foolish, normie boy!” Charlie snapped, shouting over Heath.

It startled everyone. Mel had never heard her raise her voice.

Heath looked down at his boots, his cheeks flushed.

Mel got up and sat next to him. She gently nudged him. “Some things are best kept close to the vest, my man.”

Heath nodded.

Charlie rubbed her face. “I only wanted to stop what you were saying, Heath.” Then she added halfheartedly, “Maybe this will be the first test of Elian’s loyalty.”

Mel looked up at Elian. He raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t hear anything. Ahem! So…we’re after materials and equipment to assist in the upcoming trial, I take it?”

“Something like that,” Mel agreed. “We’re after anything that’ll give us an advantage in some of the more…mundane aspects. Magical tents, water purifiers, stuff like that.”

“The Seabrim Crater is actually home to some very skilled artisans,” Elian argued. “They can make real works of art if you–”

“We’re good,” Mel told him in no uncertain terms. “No offense, but the less anybody knows about our combat capabilities, the better. They’ve seen enough during our row with the Irons.”

“I’ll say,” Elian said. “The whole city is still talking about it. The newhogs will be playing footage of that fight for weeks. I’ll speak frankly. Anything you think you managed to keep hidden is likely already known. Any aspect you showed during that fight will be common knowledge by tomorrow night. The more you share with me, the more I can help you. I’m not trying to sell you out, Mel.”

“I made sure to only use a few aspect skills,” Gwen mumbled. “And just the hammer…”

“Gravity aspect,” Elian said. “Very rare, but not rare enough that it’s not been seen before. Plus, there’s quite a bit of information on you already from the Convocation.”

“The heck do you mean?” Gwen asked, beginning to turn aggressive. “How can what went down in the Convocation be public knowledge? Shouldn’t that be under the System’s purview, and that’s it?”

Elian looked taken aback. “Well…it is. And it isn’t. The System didn’t spread any information about you, if that’s what you’re asking. However, there are…shall we say, certain groups that have been selling information about you. Specifically about your group, Mel. I don’t know who they are as they’re outside the purview of my office, but I know they’re wanted for questioning.”

Mel shut her eyes and leaned her head back. She could think of a few groups that would know more than a little about herself and her group and would be all too happy to sell it for a profit.

Hell, the Covenants would give it out for free if it meant hurting us.

“Elian,” Charlie began, watching him closely. “What about me?”

“All of the Magi,” he said, lacing his fingers across his waistcoat. “Quite a few other high-profile individuals as well.”

“Surely there are more interesting things going on in the First Ring than Magi Champions,” she said tightly.

“There are many interesting things,” Elian agreed. “However, other competitors want to know about the people who just beat up an entire party of Irons. Perhaps if you kept a lower profile…” He shrugged. “But what’s done is done.”

“No,” Gwen growled. “Mel was in danger. I don’t regret anything.”

“It’s too easy,” Mel said, with her eyes still closed. “You could go up to any Champion’s party and start fighting with them and get tons of information. If it’s between dying and holding back, you’ll eventually get what you want. Especially if you can manipulate other people into doing your dirty work.”

“That’s probably why that elf thought you were a Defender,” Thomas told Gwen. “You used positional and enmity generating aspect skills that Defenders are wanted for.”

“The ability to discern a person’s class is very rare,” Elian said. “Most people wouldn’t know it. Heck, the majority of people with a gift like that often go into infobrokering.”

“What’s that?” Heath asked, perking up.

“Infobrokers are people who find out things and then sell it,” Mel explained. “Info. Broker. Get it?”

“They typically have good connections or abilities that allow them to get more information about the world and its competitors than others,” Elian added. “Quite a few become Clerks. It makes our job much easier.”

“Do you have an ability–” Mel began.

“I do,” Elian said, beating her to the punch. “And I only use it in an official capacity. So please do not ask me.”

Mel couldn’t help but wonder what it was he had and how it compared to her [Eye for Talent] title.