Mellie burst through the Whisper Inn doors with a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She danced along on her way to the market, following the crowd. Her jovial mood soon wore thin as she began seeing slaves following their noble masters, eyes trained to the ground, defeated. These chains would break soon, she swore to herself.
The market was bustling and filled with smells that had Mellie's mouth drooling. A winding line brought her to a stall selling a sweetened bread filled with Rhinobull meat and cheese. Mellie devoured one and then purchased some candied foople fruits on a stick. After eating the fooples she got a stamina boost for 6 hours. She moved along merrily to browse the wares of this world, while looking for George and Linda.
The dirt roads had turned to cobblestone the closer the moved toward the town square. The lamps changed from fire powered to mana powered. The lighting change was abrupt if you weren't used to walking from the poor districts to the rich ones. Stalls lined the streets concluding their business days. Tables lined with magical and non magical goods were lined up down the streets, with store window displaying duplicates of their best wares. The items on the tables had identification plates signifying what they were and what they were charging. Mellie began browsing as various merchants began collapsing their shops. Along the way Mellie caught a handful of good deals.
Mana potion, low grade 40 copper x50
Plumquats, ripe 5 copper x50
Dancy Sword, uncommon 80 copper x15
After she finished with those purchases, she was browsing random wares and came across something new.
Forehead Jewelry, common, metal and glass, common 80 copper x1
Mellie was suprised to find a maang tikka in this world. She focused on the piece using her lvl 50 truthseeker, to see if it had another name.
Maang Tikka of Lydan, epic Made by the demon Lydan for his scatterbrained daughter. Found discarded by the dungeon portal she exited. Grants the passive skill Intuition when worn. Demonglass and obsidian [Status hidden from the unworthy]
Forehead Jewelry, common, metal and glass [displayed]
Mellie browsed the rest of the wares buying a couple of ready made dresses and robes she planned on passing to Robert. As her hands got full, she ducked into an alley, checking her surroundings to shove everything in her bag, unnoticed. Unfortunately, the Richter gang had indeed noticed and began to follow the girl with the sparkly forehead.
When she slipped the maang tikka on her screen flashed, "Skill Gained! Intuition: Passive!". Mellie suddenly felt like she was being watched and slipped away from the dubious alley. After buying and putting on a dark blue cloak, the feeling subsided.
As the sun began to set Mellie followed the crowds toward the music. In the town square bards were playing their lutes, people were dancing and buying wine and ales from street vendors. First she bought an ale, then she bought herself a lute.
Lute, very common damaged 100 coppers
She slipped the lute under her cloak and used her Will of a Savior and was holding a guitar. Not just any guitar though. It was her dad's guitar, right down to her name she carved in it when she was 6. As the bards began the next stanza, Mellie began playing along, joining them on the town square stage.
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Upon seeing the talented young woman with the unusual instrument, the usual players gestured for her to take them into the next song. Someone pushed the amplification stone toward her and she began to sing some uplifting songs. She started with pop and played Katy Perrys Rise for the slaves of the city. As she wound down the song, whe was om her third ale and didn't feel a buzz. "Oh no. Poison Resistance is gonna ruin my life isnt it?" She said to the old bard next to her between songs. He looked at her like she was crazy, clapped her on the back and said, "Just turn it off until you need it!" as they began the next set. She was feeling much nicer by the next brew.
She followed with other songs like Don't Stop Believing and Freebird. The square had started getting crowded as the town began gathering to hear the new music styles. Already there were crafters drawing designs and collecting pieces to make copies of the new instrument. As the rain began to fall and the shops and stalls closed Mellie began her travel back to the Whisper Inn, most of the square followed her, dancing and playing along with her on the way.
Meanwhile Mellies pocket began to glow as Ariana felt a strong pull from one of her people nearby. She began panicking as she sent her Call Swarm spell out, with no response. "Mellie, one of my swarm is here somewhere but they cant reach me! I don't know what to do!" she cried out in frustration.
As Mellie swung the doors of the Whisper Inn with a crowd in toe, she said "Calm your tits and your glow, and we will find them. Just tell me where you feel them once the crowd calms down. Qucikly dismissing sobriety, enjoying herself and not looking forward to a hangover she tackled the situation with gusto as her new friends came into the Inn and settled in for the next song. Saul the Innkeeper and the cook Dennis began scrambling around distributing water and food. Dennis ran out to buy a fermenter to speed the kegs and casks Mary had combined in the kitchen.
Unfortunately Mary hadnt acquired the skill yet, through no lack of repetitive processes. Apparently it was the only thing hampering her profession, which was a normal bottleneck for a Brewmaster. Brewers could make ale in one simple step but Brewmasters made delightful ale that sometimes gave charisma buffs. Her class bonuses made her highly sought after by Inns. Knowing this now, Mellie realized her stay here would not last long.
As the Inns new guests settled in, Mellie began to trade lutes for guitars. Her bard friends who didn't have expensive lutes handed her their instrument and she would hand them a guitar. Each one would reflect the bards dress or personalities as she handed them back. The music continued as Mellie got a drink and stalked the room.
As Mellie approached the corner table, she could see a heavyset man with a missing right ear, and a slightly glowing purse. Mellie smiled. The man was sitting at a table with a smart looking woman and two other young men. As a young woman passed the mans table Mellie had a wicked plan. Incubus Lure she tried and the young man on the end passionately kissed the woman who passed him. Incubus Lure lvl 2!
Suprised that it worked, Mellie tried to get the two men to kiss, and nothing happened. Intelligence +1! As the woman got up from the mans lap, flustered, they both smiled, exchanged names and the man walked off to buy her a drink. This left three flabberghasted people at the table, laughing and smiling at their friends good fortune. When the third man excused himself from the table to relieve himself, Mellie cast Incubus Lore on the woman and the man, as they locked eyes. The heavyset man and woman slowly embraced in a passionate embrace and Mellie slipped the purse from the mans side.
Thief lvl 1!
Mellie opened the coinpurse to find a bunch of coins and a little fairy pod, glowing, but hardened and shriveled. She stashed the purse under the man and shadowalked through the crowd to the staircase, slipping into her bedroom shutting the door behind her.
"Are you sure its still alive?" She asked the fairy.
"He will be" she said as she cast Grow Pod. The pod around the fairy slowly came to life and over the next few hours they peeled back the petals, exposing an emaciated sleeping fairy boy. "Mellie can he have some blood or potion?" She asked. Mellie cut her finger and put a couple drops next to the pod. Ariana spent the rest of the night cupping her hands feeding mana potions and blood to the fairy. Mellie watched Ariana save the boys life as sleep came to claim her.