We stayed up fairly late that night. I’d never been one for party’s, but I’m willing enough to make exceptions at times, and this definitely slipped quite nicely into that category.

Though I didn’t eat or drink much, it was definitely a nice distraction from reality. But as enjoyable as it surprised me to be, the nagging feeling of anxiousness and thoughts of paranoia were definitely still present at the back of my head.

I was a bit worried about where I’d sleep, but Rayner was kind enough to pay for my room for a night. Before he passed out drunk mind you.

It turns out that when you have a high vitality and generally roughed barbarian and a well knowing responsible knight as your drinking partners, it only takes two bets of who can keep down the most alcohol to fall face first onto the table. Though I imagine that it was slightly the specific alcohol in particular that was at fault.

I didn’t know it until Malcolm pointed it out as we called it a night that the stuff they were drinking was strong enough to knock out most of the higher grade creatures in a handful of cups. Unsure as to whether I should be more impressed that Rayner managed to finish more than one cup, or scared that Malcolm was still upright after almost double the amount, I retired for the night.

The room I was to sleep in was fairly standard and as you’d imagine. A rough rectangle with a bed on one side and a small desk with a chair, it would more than suffice for a night's sleep unimpeded by the elements.

Feeling haggard from the day's events, or more accurately life in general, I pull out the chair and slump onto it in an ungraceful heap. Letting my mind just blank for a bit, I stare up at the ceiling as if I was far too into tracing the grain of the wood that made it. Breaking from my reverie, I run my hand through what would pass for the hair on my head. An old habit from keeping mine shoulder length for almost a good decade back when.

Glancing to the table, I take note of the two things placed on it. A simple looking candle with a brass-like metal making a small trough under it, and a unframed cut of a mirror like glass. Picking up the candle first, it occurs to me that I didn’t have any way to light it. I imagine that other people staying would most likely have some fire start for when they are out and about having to stop for the night by a roadside or in a forest.

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t even have any clothes to call my own. Which quickly became my focus of attention. I already noticed that I was seemingly androgynous, thank god, but I didn’t know much else about my appearance. Placing the candle down, I then pick up the mirror and begin to make a proper inspection of my new body.

Grey iguana-like scales made up the majority of my body, with some more prominent ones in places like on my neck bones and elbows, but no poky nubs or bone like parts were to be seen. My head had similarly coloured almost fur-like hair that ran from around my forehead, normal hairline area, to a bit below my shoulders.

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Not like normal hair where it all grows from your scalps and then increases in length but as in it all grew out from those areas between my forehead and shoulders, hence why I’d refer to it as more fur adjacent.

Fingertips that didn’t really have nails, but more just transitioned into being sharp point bone like structures. A lot like the tip of a horn. This being mirror on my toes was to be expected, but the next big thing of surprise would be my legs that were in a digitigrade configuration. All of that then packed into a slender but sturdy humanoid like body made for a weird mix of several different animals.

The part that conflicted and slightly confused me the most was my face. My weird, broken kaleidoscope eyes were still the same, for better or for worse, whereas my other features were far more daunting. Not having a nose, lips or ears would definitely catch someone off guard.

My teeth were fairly normal, being only a bit more pointed and numerous than a human to make up for the fact I was somewhere around eight foot if I was to judge off of my surroundings so far. Though for some reason the thing that caught me the most off guard, was the fact that I had a second row of teeth.

Now, it’s not uncommon for creatures to have more than one row of teeth, sharks being an obvious example, but for some reason it just weirded me out. The idea of having fur instead of hair? Reasonable, wouldn’t put it past as a concept for if humans evolved slightly differently. Having legs more specified for running? Makes even more sense considering humans are exhaustion based hunters, aiming to tire out their prey with how much more persistent they are. Weird bone claw things instead of fingertips? Eh, that one’s a bit weirder, but not unsettling. Scales? Acceptable, don’t know why mind you, it just doesn’t bother me.

But two rows of teeth? Just, no. Why? Overkill, there's no point.

I digress, but the entire situation would be abnormal to me for who knows how long. Leaning back in the chair, I find myself staring at the ceiling again. My thoughts start to wander towards questioning any and everything.

Just as my thoughts start to spiral in that one certain direction, I feel my left arm warm up as if someone was resting their hand on it in a comforting manner. Glancing down at it, I notice the bloodied rune shapes that ran along it move slightly, almost following the beat of my heart as they shifted in a calm and satisfying way.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to reassure me.” I mutter in a quiet voice, not quite directed at anything in particular, but very much intended to be understood by someone. Or something, in this case.

The warm feeling bubbles up a bit before calming down and dissipating, the movement of the runes following suit.

Smirking slightly at the blood's attempt at being supportive, I raise my arm and rest the crook of my elbow over my eyes in an attempt to block out the little light slipping through the faint cracks in the window frame beside me. And soon after, my mind weighs down on itself as I slump even more into the chair, falling asleep soon after with hopes of a less eventful tomorrow.