The town of Melville was a modest settlement, home to around fifteen thousand people, including those in its immediate surroundings. The architecture was reminiscent of the towns and cities Bones had seen in the Wezar Kingdom—stone walls with wooden frameworks and steep, ^-shaped rooftops. The roads were paved with cobblestones, allowing for heavy traffic year-round. Tall structures were few, with the largest being a three-story hotel that mostly catered to adventurers and the occasional traveler with enough gold to spend the night.
It was around noon when Bones entered the town and strolled down the central street, which was bustling with activity. The street was lined with shops selling all sorts of merchandise, from household appliances and building materials to food and clothing. The central street led to a busy, crowded marketplace. Bones noted that apart from used books, the most common goods on display were gloves, hats, scarves, and jackets made of leather and fur—no doubt due to the approaching winter.
I suppose it is a bit chilly. A few more months and it'll be a year since I…came? Woke up? Reborn? Hm…
As Bones had deduced, winter was approaching, and the merchants were already trading goods in preparation for the cold days ahead. Though he had no need for warmer clothing, he approached the nearest vendor and began asking where he could find the local leathersmith. He was quickly directed to the end of the square, where a two-story building stood with fully clothed mannequins stationed out front, displaying goods for sale.
Bones maneuvered through the crowd, keeping his head down to avoid the gazes of those around him, until he stopped in front of the shop. He looked up at the sign above the entrance and read:
Handmade Goods and Leather Designs
"This must be it!"
While Bones was examining the prices on the mannequins, the shop door swung open, and two satisfied adventurers, clad in full leather gear, exited. He stepped aside to let them pass, then entered the shop. The interior was spacious, with wooden walls, floors, and furniture, giving it a warm, rustic feel. Near the entrance stood a lifelike specimen of a local beast, mounted in a threatening pose. Bones noticed several other creatures displayed throughout the shop, each in different poses, with various animal horns mounted on the walls. The clientele was sparse but consisted mostly of hunters and adventurers seeking quality gear for their pursuits.
"Hello..." A clean-shaven man with neatly combed hair approached, starting to greet Bones, but paused as he met Bones' gaze. The clerk was visibly taken aback by the darkness that filled Bones's eye sockets but quickly composed himself. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Apologies. Greetings, sir. May I help you?"
A better reaction than I expected. Alright…
"Greetings. I'm in need of leathersmithing services."
The clerk nodded and explained that the shop was on the ground floor, with the workshop located upstairs. He then led Bones through the shop and pointed to a staircase at the far end.
"Take the stairs to the first floor and ask for Mark. He's the leathersmith and handles all custom orders."
Bones nodded in appreciation, thanked the man, and headed upstairs. There, he encountered a young, bored-looking receptionist seated behind a desk. Bones explained his need for leathersmithing services, and the receptionist left to fetch the leathersmith. It wasn’t long before a slim figure with dark, neatly combed hair and an impeccably groomed mustache approached.
"I'm Mark. You have a custom order to commission?" The man introduced himself, getting straight to the point.
"Yes and no. I need a monster skinning service and am looking to sell the body parts," Bones replied.
Mark took a brief but deliberate look at Bones, from head to toe, before nodding.
"Our shop employs a butcher, and we do offer a service for harvesting body parts. We can skin the body and buy the parts from you, but first, I need to confirm something. You’re an undead, aren’t you?"
At the mention of "undead," the young receptionist visibly stiffened but was quickly sent back to his station. Bones waited a moment for the young man to leave before returning his focus to the leathersmith.
"I'm surprised you noticed right away. I didn’t think it was that obvious," Bones admitted, a bit taken aback. He had assumed his get-up would mask most clues, and as a Revenant, he wasn’t just any undead. While his eyes might still be hollow, he hadn’t expected to be so easily identified.
"I didn’t notice right away," Mark replied with a casual tone. "I deal with adventurers and local hunters daily, so I'm used to the smell of death. But the air around you is... different, more intense. That, and the fact you're covering your entire body inside the shop... It’s colder outside, but not that cold yet. It was your gaze that really made me doubt—it made my soul stir!"
"My apologies. I'll try to dial down the 'tenseness.' I promise I didn't come to cause trouble. Will that be a problem?" Bones asked, hoping he wouldn’t be turned away. Despite Mark’s casual tone, Bones could sense the man’s tension.
"Given that you've made it here without causing any issues or harming anyone, I believe you," Mark said. "As long as you abide by the law and keep out of trouble, you shouldn’t have any problems in town. But I’d advise keeping your cover up if you plan on staying. Perhaps you should browse the marketplace—see if anything catches your eye!"
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Ahem. "Sorry about that," Mark added apologetically, realizing his poor choice of words.
Bones nodded, both surprised and relieved that his condition wouldn’t be a problem.
"Like I said, I mean no trouble. Just here for the service. Have you dealt with the undead before?" Bones couldn’t help but ask.
"I did, once, a few years ago. He was an odd one—couldn’t remember his own name, but he didn’t cause any trouble. The common folk might be surprised to see you since most aren’t familiar with the undead, but they won’t give you much trouble. If anything, you’ll spark their curiosity. It’s the hunters and adventurers you need to be wary of! Be aware, and I can’t stress this enough—do try to keep out of trouble! Now, come with me. Let’s see what you’ve brought."
The leathersmith led Bones through the workshop, where they designed, sewed, and crafted leather equipment, and into his office at the back. Although Mark called it his office, the room was more of a private workstation filled with basic instruments, leather tools, and machines necessary for leatherworking. One side of the room featured a desktop work surface surrounded by various crafting materials like threads, cutting tools, chisels, and hammers, along with a neatly stacked pile of tanned leather, ready to be worked on. On the other side was a large table, and tucked into a small corner of the room, a desk crammed with papers and documents.
"Over here is fine," Mark said, gesturing to the large table on the other side of the room. Bones glanced away from the workstation and approached the table, then summoned the body of the Lizardman. Mark raised an eyebrow and leaned in for a closer inspection.
"The body is in good condition. An Elite Lizardman?" Mark asked, and Bones nodded, surprised that the man had recognized it.
"Dreaded Marshes or Hardwood Swamps?" Mark inquired again.
"Hardwood Swamps. I'm impressed you recognized the elite and where it's from! Have you worked on them before?"
"I did, and my Identify skill is high enough to recognize most creatures up to the second tier. We don’t see many scale materials here—hide and pelts are more common—but we do make a scale leather set, so these will come in handy and fetch you a good price!" Mark explained.
"That’s great to hear, but I didn’t actually come for new armor. You mentioned you have a butcher in your employ, right? I need his services to strip the body tissue clean off the bones."
"Oh? So you need... meat or bones?"
"Not the meat. I'm willing to sell that. I need the bones, intact and in the best condition possible."
Mark continued to examine the body before turning to Bones. "We can make that work. I’m a second-tier leathersmith, and the butcher is also second-tier. He does quality work, so you can rest assured he’ll get the job done right!"
"I still have work to finish today, so I can start on your request tomorrow morning at the earliest. Will that work for you?"
"I don’t mind. Take all the time you need. But how long do you estimate it will take?"
"I can strip the scales and skin the body by the end of tomorrow. Removing all the organs and muscle tissue will take more time, especially since you need the bones intact. I’d estimate the skeleton will be ready by the end of the week."
"That’s not too long. I was prepared to stay for an extended period. How much will it cost? Do I need to pay an advance?"
"No advance necessary. After all, you’re leaving valuable materials with us. I can’t give you an exact price until I finish the work and assess the quality of the scales. If money’s an issue, I can analyze a sample now and give you a rough estimate."
"No, no, that’s quite alright. Money isn’t an issue! I’ll come back in three days. Oh, and before I go, I wanted to ask something."
"Of course, feel free to ask anything."
"Is there an Adventurers Guild office in town?"
"Oh? Are you an adventurer by any chance?" Bones nodded, and Mark continued, "There’s a branch office on the other side of town, to the west, but if you’re looking to get a contract, the Hunter’s Guild is a better option."
"The Hunter’s Guild? I’m not familiar with that guild."
"No? If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from, Mr…?"
"Jones. Call me Jones. I came from Westbrook in the Wezar Kingdom, in the southeast," Bones replied, choosing to use his old, soon-to-be new name once again.
"I know the place. Nasty business, that war. No wonder you’re not familiar with the Hunter’s Guild. The Adventurer’s Guild handles all the hunting contracts there. It’s a bit different in these parts. The wildlife here isn’t as extensive, so the Adventurer’s Guild isn’t as influential. But there’s plenty of game to hunt. There’s always a need to cull the wolves in the area."
"Wolves? What about goblins, kobolds? Any dungeons around?"
"No goblins, no kobolds, and no dungeons, I’m afraid. You’ll find all sorts of woodland creatures, large and small, but Direwolves dominate the woods. Their Wind Blades are especially dangerous."
"I’ve encountered Direwolves before, back in Westbrook," Bones said, but Mark quickly interjected.
"No, no, no," Mark said hurriedly with a chuckle. "The monster population and their levels in the training grounds around Westbrook are heavily controlled by the Adventurer’s Guild. The Direwolves there are all low-level and, quite frankly, a poor imitation of the real thing! I’d advise forming a hunting party if you plan to hunt, but since you’re an undead… you might not need one."
"Hmm, I might stop by and check the contract board then. Thanks. I’ll see you by the end of the week."
"Alright. Also, don’t forget to leave your contact information at the reception on the ground floor on your way out," Mark added before saying goodbye and, for the third time, warning Bones to stay out of trouble. After leaving the shop, Bones slowly headed east, toward the Hunter’s Guild. He had some time to spare, so he thought he’d check out the situation at the guild.
An hour later, Bones sat in a small coffee shop across from the Hunter’s Guild, sipping on coffee. He wore a thick leather jacket, leather gloves, and a fur hat pulled low over his head. Tinted goggles covered his eyes, and a fluffy scarf was wrapped snugly around his neck—all purchased on his way here with the intent to blend in better.
The Hunter’s Guild is a no-go. They require an ID card. An Adventurer’s ID would suffice, but I’m hesitant to show it around. We’re still too close to the Wezar Kingdom. Would it matter? What’s the chance that my location here would be disclosed to someone with connections to Silva? Small…but not nonexistent!
I don’t really need to take on a contract to see what the Direwolves are like here. I’ll head out to hunt tomorrow morning. First, I need a place to stay.
After finishing his coffee and paying the bill, Bones continued east. He found a small inn on the outskirts of town. Once settled in his room, he waited until nightfall to slip outside and explore the town’s nightlife.