“Did the guards give you any trouble? I deliberately reqhuested that you be given akhcess.”

“S-some. S-someone was determined to make it worse too.” He rolled his eyes.

“Hey, all of my carefully crafted suggestions were exquisitely calibrated to dramatically improve the lives of everyone involved.”

“H-he said…”

“Nevermind, I khan imagine. I thought I askhed you to be on your best behavior Zekhow?”

Gloe slipped around to her side and staged whispered “This is my best behavior.”

“Actually, that’s p-probably true. You should have h-heard him in Tranche. Oh, and the s-singing!”

As they passed out of sight of the academy Emokha stopped stifling herself and laughed aloud in delight. “I have missed you. Both of you, akhtually. It was nice to rest but…” she shook her head.

“Did they m-mistreat you?”

“No, nothing so khrude. On the surface they were very khind, but the khondescension was so thickh you khould khut it with a knife. And…half-truths. At best. It is khomforting to be able to relax vigilance, at least for a bit.”

“Yeah, about that. You two do know we’re being shadowed, right?”

“I khould not spot anyone, but it is to be exhpekhted I suppose. Have they been monitoring you two as well?”

“On and off, b-but we can lose them if we have to. Or at l-least, he can.”

“They’re so mesmerized by Ori’s stunning handsomeness now that he’s recovered. Makes it easy for me to slip away.”

“You do lookh better. I am glad. I was khoncerned you might not be getting sufficient food and rest. Our first priority is rekhovery, above all else, even if we run out of funds.”

“No, it will b-be close, but I think we’ll have enough.”

“Ori turns out to be a hell of a wheeler and dealer. He can haggle with the best of them.”

Oresus scoffed lightly. “Pfft. Anyway, let’s t-try here.” It was a small tailor shop. The displays in the window were attractive but seemed geared for those on a budget. Neat, clean, obviously well cared for, but otherwise unexceptional.

“I see no sign that they khan tailor Viluota.”

“N-no, but look at the displays. They’re not just different styles, each one d-demonstrates a different crafting technique. They have a v-versatile tailor here.”

“I had no idea you were such an authority on tailoring tekhniqhues.”

“I h-have a lot of sisters. You l-learn things, even if you don’t mean to.” He took on a bit of a wistful look.

“Ah. I am sorry for bringing it up. I also miss my sisters. Dearly.” She shook herself slightly. “Do you have any family Zekhow? It never khame up.”

Gloe hesitated, just for a moment, torn between an attempt at humor or one at sarcasm. Finally he judged the atmosphere receptive for neither. “No.” He smiled.

“Ah. Well this khonversation is khratering qhuickhly. Let us enter.” A tiny bell rang as she stooped through the door.

The young woman behind the counter turned, smiling brightly. It faltered for a moment as she took in her unexpected customer, then returned with even more force. “Ah welcome. I beg your pardon for my ignorance, is it ma’am?” At Emokha’s amused nod she continued. “Ah, thank you. What can I do for you ma’am?”

“Good morning. My associate thought perhaps you might have the skhills here to put together khlothing for me.” She clicked her mandibles a bit theatrically. “Unfortunately I find this town shockhingly short of services aimed at Viluota.”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

The woman cocked her head, processing, then laughed. “Yes, I would have to agree.” Amazingly it didn’t seem at all forced. “Well ma’am, to be perfectly honest I myself have never fitted a…Villoooata…either. I’m certainly willing to try, but I’m afraid it would take a good deal of measuring and a lengthy discussion of what you need from your outfit. Especially in terms of how you move. I’d hate to make you something that looked nice but burst a seam the first time you stretched.”

Turning towards Oresus Emokha smiled. “You were khorrekht Ori. I will have to remember to put full faith in your shopping skhills in the future.” Rotating she re-addressed the woman. “That is precisely what I was hoping to hear. I would have dekhlined to patronize someone who offered to makhe me khlothing without such a diskhussion. We do indeed move differently than you are used to.”

The woman’s smile brightened slightly, if such a thing were possible. “Wonderful. Then, if you would step into the back? Gentlemen would you mind calling me if another customer comes in?”

“Of c-course.”

“Wonderful, thank you. Right this way ma’am.”

Gloe looked around, a bit bemused. “Isn’t she worried we’ll rob her blind while she’s gone?”

“You’ve spent t-too much time around criminals. The g-guards wouldn’t have too much trouble tracking down a gang that includes a Viluota.”

“Point. Point indeed.” Gloe laid down on the floor, closing his eyes. A bit later they popped open. “We’re going to have to overpay her, aren’t we?”

“It p-probably would be the right thing to do, yes.”

“Can we afford that?”

“B-barely, but we still should.”

“So I’m good to explore alternative funding acquisition methods?”

Oresus rubbed his face with his hands for a solid two minutes. “I am g-going to regret this. So m-much. But y-yes.”

Closing his eyes again Gloe grinned. It was not a charming expression. “This is going to be so much fun.”

“Already I r-regret it.”

...

“Thankh you very much. I lookh forward to the final product.”

“Thank you for your patronage. I will work hard to meet your expectations!” Siu, the tailor, was as energetic and friendly as she had begun, despite the long measuring session. Receiving half payment up front probably hadn’t hurt her mood any.

Once they were safely out of earshot Gloe began grousing. “Why did I have to be measured? I don’t want any fancy clothes.”

“The leaders at the akhademy are resistant to my khontinued association with you two, but I have no intention of breakhing our khontrakht. We khan attempt to soften the blow by passing you off as my retainers or bodyguards, but in order to be khredible you will need to wear something at least vaguely resembling livery. Siu is going to makhe something for you two that khoordinates with my own khlothing. These people seem very hung up on appearances.”

“That’s fine w-with me, but I’m not certain we can afford it.”

“Yet.”

Emokha looked askance at the last comment. “Do you have some khonnivances planned Zekhow?”

“I’m turning over possibilities in my head. I have Ori’s blessing, for what it’s worth.”

Sighing loudly, Oresus shrugged. “I’m d-dripping regret, but we need more money.”

“I see.” Emokha took her own deep breath. “We need inkhreased funds now though. I think I’ll have to sell the scimitars. Ori, do you know a place that will give us a fair price for them?”

“Yes, of c-course. Are you sure though? We won’t be able to afford new m-magic weapons.”

“I am not certain, but we need to khommit. They seem unwilling to simply allow us to leave, or more specifikhally, allow me to leave. I khannot yet be certain if their numerous insistences that I be trained are at least partially substantive or merely a pretexht. Regardless, we do not have sufficient information. As such it seems we must play along, at least for now.”

“My tentative plan is to attempt to test out of as much training as possible, by exhceeding their exhpekhtations. If it workhs we should be on our way in a reasonable amount of time. If they are rekhalcitrant that will also be revealing, and we khan make new plans.”

“That s-seems reasonable.”

“As a short-term plan at least. It’s not as if we could make a break for it without recon and prep anyway.”

“I am pleased you both agree. In order to exhekhute my plan it is necessary that I seem at least partially khooperative. That is one reason for the livery. Another is that I intend to use my ability as much as possible to assimilate information and pass exhams. As such I will need you nearby, and that will be easier if you are at least marginally akhcepted.” Her claws twitched. “Also, if I have misread their intentions khompletely it would be khomforting to have you with me as much as possible.”

“Of c-course. But they won’t let us g-guard you at night” Oresus said concernedly.

“Hopefully that is just my anxhiety speakhing. If they wanted to do me harm they khould have made their move already. But I do not trust them.”

Gloe shrugged. “I have reason to believe Conrad is hoping to railroad you into Constellation. He’s basically scouted you. I don’t know what the headmaster stands to gain, but the scant evidence I have so far points to them seeing you as an asset. You are battle-tested, somewhat leveled and reasonably powerful.”

“True. But I also khould be a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Abgy Khonfederation. If they are ignorant of Viluota they might thinkh it could be useful in other situations as well. I am certain my people believe I am dead. News that I am not…I am not certain how it would be received.”

“Hadn’t thought of that.”

“M-maybe we should try to find a way to stay close at night after all.”

“Either way they khlearly want me intakht and well for now. I believe we khan takhe some time to rekhuperate, regroup and see where we stand.”

“Okay. But I h-hope you’re right.”

“So do I my friend. So do I. Now then, lead on. Let us liqhuidate these scimitars.”