I slowly woke up my mind and body, trying their best to drag me back into Hypnos's soft embrace. I forced myself to roll off the edge of the bed and fall to the ground, the impact fully waking me up. I got up off the floor and walked over to the bathroom, splashing cold water into my face to clean it. Once I was ready for the day, I put on my armor and bounced lightly to get it to sit right.

A thought struck me that I never used Analyze on my armor or sword. I took my sword out of inventory to rectify that fact.

Goblin Greatsword:

Common item

Damage +3

Brigandine:

Common item

Armor +5

I sighed, suspecting that they were both pretty bad. I put my sword away and double-checked that I had everything before I headed downstairs. I found a section of tables my size to sit at. I only had to wait a bit before what I was guessing was a gnome barmaid walked over smiling. She set down a fork and spoon before turning her attention to me.

"Hello, sugar. I'm Amy. We have porridge with sausage or eggs and fresh bread. Which would you like?"

"I'll go with the porridge. Can I get milk with that?"

"Sure thing, hun. When you're done, just go ahead and bring your room key to the desk; they'll get you sorted out."

She pulled a plate out of her inventory, set it down in front of me, and did the same with a mug of water before walking away. Steam rose off the plate as I started to tuck into my food using my claws as a knife. I kept building a list of things I needed to buy. Once I ate my fill, I patted the armor over my stomach and looked at my furry legs, the first item on my list: pants.

I got up from my table, finishing off my mug, before I walked over to an attendant. I smiled softly at the well-dressed man and set the key to my room on his desk.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" He asked.

"Not right now. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your day." I replied.

"Good luck on your adventures." He said

I nodded, smiling warmly, before I walked away and headed out of the guild with my badge still displayed proudly on my chest. I walked through the bustling main street, my eyes darting from sign to sign as I moved with the flow of early-morning shoppers. After a few minutes of searching, I saw a sign with a needle and thread with a crown on the bottom right. I darted between people pulling away from the crowd as I made my way into the tailor's shop.

A small bell rang as I walked into the shop. At the back of the shop was a desk where a man with thin silver hair sat. Behind him, the wall was covered in different fabrics; one side of the room had shirts and pants in cubbies and three doors on the other side. I walked deeper into the store, looking through the different fabrics and wondering where they all came from.

"Oh, isn't this a treat? What can this old man help you with?"

"Hello, can I get two shirts and pants? I'm not looking to get anything custom; just whatever you have on hand will be fine."

The old man gently tapped the countertop as he thought. He waved me to follow him as he ducked into the rows of cubbies. He gestured at a section of cubbies.

"These are for lizardfolk children. Their kids are about your size, their tails come out at around the same spot, and they share your same leg structure. It won't be perfect, but it should fit well enough. If you'd like my suggestions, I'd go with a leather set for the road and something more comfortable for the city."

"Thank you, sir. I think I'll take your advice." I replied

I looked through the styles and fabrics of clothes, settling on a better-fitting plain leather set for my road clothes and a slightly baggy set of velvet clothes that was a dark, rich blue with black patterns. I had to stop my old habit of rubbing silky things together when I gently tested the fabric. I looked over at the tailor, smiling softly.

"Could I get these, a wool cloak and a square of whatever that set is made from?" I pointed to a set of clothes that tripped that feeling the most.

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"Yes, I can do that for you. Let's go back to the desk, and I can show you the different styles of cloaks we have." He replied.

I followed him back to the counter, setting the clothes on it. He pulled out a wooden board with several designs on it. I ended up going with a dark green hooded cloak that stopped just past my hips with slits that ran from the hem up to my armpit, giving my arms free movement. The total for everything I bought came to ten gold. I went into one of the rooms, changed into traveling clothes, and put on my cloak. The pants were the only thing I had a bit of trouble with as they had leather strips lacing up the back from the tail hole. I had to blindly tighten and tie them without help or practice.

With my other items in my inventory, I headed out of the shop and made my way down the street with my hood down. I pushed my way into a crowd-sanctioned bowyer. There, I bought a shoulder quiver and thirty arrows from a quiet elven man for two gold. It took me a while before I heard the tell-tale sounds of smithing and followed it to my next stop.

The shop had racks of weapons on each wall, armor stands, and a Draco Sanguinis behind the counter. They were smaller and leaner than the one I had seen in the forest, what felt like last week. I walked up to the counter and smiled softly at the attendant.

"Welcome to the Dragon's Forge. How may we help you today?" Their voice thrummed so low I could feel it reverberate off my bones, making me a bit ill.

"I'm looking for some upgrades to what I already have. Hopefully, with armor that won't restrict my movements, and I'd like to keep with a curved sword about the same size." I replied while setting my greatsword and brigandine armor onto the countertop.

The shopkeeper took a bit to review the items I had worked so hard for. They tilted their head from side to side before eyeing me. I felt a tingling sensation run down my body as the shopkeeper eyed me.

"We've got something that will work for you. Did you want to sell these?" They asked

"Yes, I would. Oh, and I'll sell this too." I replied as I set The Essence of Night on the counter.

That got a raised eye ridge from the shopkeeper, but they just headed into the back of the shop, returning five minutes later. They set a breastplate, pauldrons, rerebraces, vambraces, and gauntlets onto my brigandine before setting what looked like a khopesh made from steel with a modified handle. I used Analyze on everything.

Half-plate armor set

Common item

Armor +25

Steel Khopesh [Greatsword]

Uncommon item

Damage +15

"Your brigandine is a fine enough base layer with the added plate on top of it; you'll be fine until you gain enough levels for better armor. Unfortunately, any helmet would have to be custom-made. I can put you on the list, but it will take some time. If you want a curved greatsword, the khopesh is all we have in your size right now." They said.

"I'll take what's here. I'll have to pick up a helmet at a later date. How much do I owe you?"

"With you keeping the brigandine and selling that gem, we'll call it fifty gold, and I'll toss in a belt dagger. Agreed?" They said while setting a dirk down next to the khopesh

"Agreed," I replied.

I winced as I put the gold on the countertop before putting on my new armor set, tugging everything in place and getting used to how it sat on my body. The khopesh's scabbard had a slit running about half its length, allowing me to draw it from my back with a bit of practice. I stuffed my cloak into my inventory. I had the belt the dirk came with wrapped around my waist and angled it so my left hand would naturally rest on its handle. I had come to terms with the fact that I'd have to change my setup if I wanted to wear my cloak and things on my back.

I waved goodbye to the shopkeeper as I moved out of the shop. I headed to my last shop of the day, the crowd giving me a bit of space now that I looked somewhat impressive in my new armor. It took me longer to find the last store I wanted to visit, but just as it turned to midday, I found a general store. There, I was helped by a young human girl and got a sewing kit, leather worker tools, fifty feet of rope, a ten-foot pole, a tent, a bedroll, a hatchet, and a waterskin for twenty-three gold and four silver.

With my shopping done, I went back to the guild and rented a room for the night, feeling a bit rung out from the constant glances and whispered comments people made when they caught sight of me. I walked into my room and pulled my backpack out of my inventory with my leather working tools. With a rough idea in mind, I got to work taking apart the backpack and turning it into two half-decent belt pouches. Thanks to my efforts, I was able to level up my basic leather crafting, gaining another point in Dexterity.

With my crafting done, I put the square of fabric I bought into one of the pouches while tossing what little scraps I had left into a trash bin before I headed back downstairs to grab dinner. To my surprise, I got the same bubbly server from the morning.

"Welcome back, hun. Did you have fun shopping?" She asked

"How did…oh right, I'm still in my new armor. Yes, I did, but I could have gone without spending most of my money." I replied, half tempted to facepalm.

"Haha, ain't that the truth. Well, tonight we've got a rabbit stew or pork with mashed potatoes and gravy." She said.

"I'll take the pork and some cider if you have any." I said.

She nodded and set a steaming plate in front of me along with a mug.

"Enjoy." She smiled before heading off to another table.

I tucked into my meal the cider pairing well with the pork and brown gravy, bringing sweetness to the hearty meal. Once my food was finished I leaned back in my seat and sipped at my cider, taking the drink slowly as I wasn't too sure how well my body would handle the alcohol. To my relief, I only started to feel a light buzz as I finished off my drink.

I went to stand up only to have the room tilt as I stood. I swayed slightly as I waited to regain my balance. Slowly, I made my way across the room, relying on my tail for extra balance. I made my way up the stairs stumbled into my room, and passed out as I fell face-first onto the bed.