Cinder and I decide to head home and drop off the pastries I was given, after having a nice lunch of a few. I also decide to ask Cinder a question.

“shouldn't I also have a coin purse? I think it'd be smarter for us to carry our own money than just you.”

“hmm? Oh! right, shit, sorry. Thal always just gives me his money, so I didn't think about it, here.” she says, slapping herself and retrieving another small cloth sack, placing a few coins inside, and handing it back to me. I tie the coin purse around my neck, like Cinder, and place my three gold coins inside.

“Rent'll be due in a couple weeks, we can just split it evenly, then.” She adds on.

“Sounds fair to me.” I say.

headed back out, we head down main street, the buildings getting grander the closer to the center of town we get. The bookstore is quite close to the university, only one street over. the face of the store is clean stone, with a glass window showcasing stacks of blank books and bottles of ink, and a large carved sign above the door reading ‘Oliver's books’.

“I'm really glad we got these clothes. I doubt they would even let us in, wearing anything lower quality.” Cinder says as we approach the door.

“Oh, it's one of those places. in my world usually only designer clothing stores were like that.”

“Yeah, most places in this area don't like anyone who doesn't look like they can afford anything, and books are pricey.” she says, pushing open the fine wood door with a small chime of the bell on the door.

Almost immediately, a boy younger than myself moves out from behind a tall shelf lined with leather bound tomes.

“Ah, he-hello, uh, m'ladies. Welcome to O-Oliver's. Is there something that I can help you find?” the boy stammers. shaking like a leaf. This kid talks like an online incel.

“Yeah, we need a book on mind transfer or teleportation or something, also, take a breath and don't say ‘m'ladies’.” I admonish.

The boy takes a deep breath. “R-right, sorry. Um, We have a couple books on teleportation but I’ll have to ask Ollie if he knows about the other thing.” He says quickly, before scurrying through a small door behind a counter covered with papers. After a moment. he returns with a much older man in tow.

“Hello, students of the arcane. I've been told that you wish to know about mind altering magic?” the old man with the beak and feathers of a vulture asks slowly.

Cinder replies. “Yes, something like that.”

“Well then, I happen to have just received exactly what you seek.” the man says, with as much a grin as a beak can show. Reaching below the counter, he retrieves a large tome, subtly wiping dust from the cover.

“The magic of mind and body, by the great wizard of the king's circle. as I'm sure you know. this is a very rare book indeed, and it's sure to be highly sought after, so if you want it, now's the time.” he says, holding the book just out of reach, speaking with the articulation of a greasy door to door salesman.

“How much?” I ask, incredulously.

“Oh a measly sum, far less than its really worth. How about a modest ten gold?” He says, waving it off as if the price is nothing.

I see Cinder's expression fall as she hears the egregious amount.

unfazed by the ploy, I motion to leave. “Ah well, I guess fortune just isn't on our side. It looks like we didn't bring enough.”

The man looks taken aback for a moment by my willingness to give up so quickly. “Wait! I'm sure we can come to an agreement.” He exclaims, clearly desperate for the sale.

I turn back slowly, a disinterested look on my face. “A book you've clearly had for so long can't possibly be worthwhile, and I believe I've seen similar in another shop.”

The man stops me as I begin to turn away. “Ma'am I assure you, this book is of the utmost rarity, however, given that you are a new customer, I am willing to give you a one time discount of two gold.” The vulture claims, flashing his poor attempt at charm.

“Eight gold then? how unfortunate that my budget is two. ”

“two?! nono I can't possibly take less than five” he begins to rave.

I heave a great sigh, and speak with a doubtful tone. “Well, I suppose I can do three and a half gold, but my patience is wearing thin.”

The man gapes at me for a moment, looking back and forth between be and the book, his face betraying the difficulty of the decision.

“Fine. yes. three gold, five silver. that is perfectly acceptable.” He states with fake happiness.

“pleasure doing business with you.” I say contentedly, my happiness real.

exchanging all the coins in my wallet for the old book, I give the man a smile and walk out the door with Cinder in tow.

“How did you do that?!” Cinder asks, bewildered.

“I have a lot of experience with haggling, I used to go to these things called ‘yard sales’ where folks would sell things they didn't want. reselling that stuff made me enough for rent.” I say, recalling my time as a broke college student. “Anyway, we got the book. This title sounds promising.”

“It does, I don't know how to pay you back, though.”

“Don't worry about it, that job is super easy. I am pretty tired though.” I admit.

“Let's head home, eat some of those buns, and relax for a while while I read this.” Cinder says.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

We make our way back to the apartment, and greet the man at the food counter who is helping another resident of the building. we pass someone else on our way up the stairs, and enter the small room. The smell of the fresh bread with the lingering scent of pancakes and jam makes me hungry, so I help myself to a midday meal of some bread from the bakery generously coated in butter. I could probably make my own butter if I wanted.

I lean back in the comfortable wooden chair, slowly eating my meal while watching the tall demon fixated in her book, expression serious. every now and then, she'll let out a ‘Oh’ or ‘interesting’ but doesn't bother clarifying yet what she's learnt.

After finishing my bread and seeing that Cinder isn't close to a quarter through the large tome, I decide to take a nap, the exertion of the day finally wearing me down.

laying down on my cot, I make a mental note to buy a better blanket. I deserve something nice with all the work I'm doing. I listen to Cinder humming and flipping pages for a while, eventually finding sleep.

I awaken from my peaceful rest with a jolt, being shaken awake by Cinder. Glancing towards the window I see that dusk is approaching.

“Lilly, wake up.” she says with a hint of trepidation.

“I'm up, stop shaking me. Did you find something?” I ask, still a bit shaken by suddenly being awoken from a long nap.

“I did.” she says, holding the book open to about half way.

“It's mostly about transmuting body parts with some necromancy, but there's a section on mind alteration.” she says looking down at the worn book.

“It says, ‘while some memories can be transferred from one being to another, it cannot be done forcefully or with more than a few memories at a time, unless done through divine power.’“ she quotes, looking back up at my expression of confusion.

“What does that mean, divine power?” I ask

“It means…” she pauses. “We need to visit a temple.”

I'm glad that I stayed in my work clothes instead of changing into pajamas. Cinder pulls me as usual through the mostly empty streets, though it isn't far to reach a few buildings I've seen before. The row of temples are large but not as grand as may be expected of places of worship.

“These are the commoners' temples, we wouldn't get into the nicer ones. I don't pray much but there should be some reaction if you were touched by a god. I've heard about it happening but it's never mattered much to me.” Cinder says.

“What kind of reaction?”

“I’m not sure. I don't know anyone who's seen it happen.”

Approaching the first of the ten buildings, we walk through the open, doorless arch. There are a few elves in nice robes, kneeling to a large statue of a nude elf woman draped in long clear silk who pay us no mind.

“I don't feel anything.” I whisper as not to disturb the elves.

“Alright, let's move to the next one.”

The next building is a bit smaller, Cinder pushes open the solid wood door, and we both enter. Much like the previous temple, there is a statue in the center being worshiped, though this one is of a large devil man, draped with pelts and jewelry. again feeling no connection, we try the next one.

I don't expect to find anything here, but Cinder is so determined that I feel the need to go along. It's charming how much she cares about her friend, and I do hope we find that he's alright.

The third temple is the largest, with a large fountain surrounding the statue of a human woman, vines and plants grow all over her to the point that her form can hardly be seen. again no response.

Cinder begins leading me down the row, passing the smallest of the temples, which is less cared for. The stones are dirty and worn, with ivy creeping up its sides.

“Aren't we going to try that one?”

“Oh, uh. I don't think that's the one. It's the temple of Rahia. She was killed like a hundred years ago. some people still pray to her, but most have stopped.”

“Gods can die?” I ask with surprise.

“They can be killed, Rahia was killed by Thasalor, the God of riches and the hunt. The devil statue we saw is him. Rahia was the goddess of riches until he took her power, and bestowed a boon to the king.”

“Why did he do that?”

“All gods strive to be more powerful, as to why he shared some power with an inbred monarch, I don't know.”

I look at the temple, seeing how the grass has grown around the door, and I feel an almost imperceptible pull towards it.

“I think we should check it out.” I say, already making my way towards it.

“Alright, I guess it can't hurt.” she replies.

With some effort, we pull open the door, Cinder using her throwing knife to sever some vines covering it. The inside is dark and humid, unlike the well lit tranquility of the other temples, this place is dank and unwelcoming. or it should be. The closer I get to the statue in the center, the more at ease I feel despite being covered completely with moss, her figure is as clear as day to me. Cinder looks peculiarly at me as I approach the statue's outstretched hand, taking it into mine.

Almost in an instant, the moss falls away, as do the cobwebs, and dirt, and walls, and floor. I stand in a vast ballroom with the statue, though her blue gray skin has turned dark and soft. I stare into her deep brown eyes, and watch her mouth begin to move in a whisper that I cannot hear. as fast as it happened, it stops. all the debris and filth returns, and the goddess is once again stone.

“Lilly! are you okay? talk to me, how many fingers am I holding up.” Cinder says, holding my face with my head on her lap.

“Three, what happened?” I ask.

“you touched the statue, passed out, and hit your head on the stone.” She says worryingly.

I do notice a slight pain on the back of my head, but feeling it, I'm not even bleeding.

“I think this is the one.” I say.

“How do you know? that was weird but I'm not sure it's a Divine sign.” She says.

“I saw her, the goddess. everything fell away and I was with her. She was trying to say something.”

“What? you saw her? like, saw her, saw her? That's not possible.”

“But I did, she was beautiful.” I say, standing and touching the statue again. Cinder is about to stop me but making contact again elicits no response.

“If that's true, then she isn't dead. but she'd be powerless. divines gain power from prayer, and hardly anyone prays to her anymore. If she did do this, it would have taken everything she had.”

“Maybe that's why I couldn't hear her, but if she doesn't have any more power then how can we talk to her, and find out why she did this?” I ask.

Cinder looks away for a moment, thinking. Then she walks over to a small shrine covered in small carved figures of her, like miniature versions of her main statue. Taking a couple, she hands one to me.

“These are focuses. praying anywhere outside of a temple does nothing, unless you have one. We'll just have to give her some power.” She says, handing me one.

the tiny statue is carved with runes along its base, which glow incredibly faintly as I touch them.

“Will this be enough? surely she would need an entire congregation to gain power.”

“It'll take a while, and I'm not sure how effective it will be, but beyond sacrificing someone, it's the best idea I have.” Seeing my expression at the notion of ritual sacrifice, she quickly states “I wouldn't actually do that!”

unsure of exactly how to continue from here, we silently make our way back to the apartment. now even more drained than before my nap, I just strip down and crawl into bed. Falling asleep dreamlessly.