The woman clearly saw morgan first.

[morgan] “hey sorry just getting away from a man th-” the woman screams as she realizes what I am.

[morgan] “shit”

“please don’t”

[morgan] “we gotta go”

I nod and with some effort I manage to get back to standing normally before we rush out into a back alleyway. Purple red light streaming into the city as we run.

[morgan] “I need to know who it is that we’re running from that has city guard on their side and can beat the mages”

“after we’re safe”

[morgan] “no, I’ve waited long enough”

I was looking down alleyways, checking for anything that I could use.

“we shouldn’t be making noise”

[morgan] “i’m going to make a lot of noise if you keep me ignorant”

a couple more alleys passed and I nearly pass an opportunity.

“here! Down this way”

[morgan] “there better be some answers”

I come up to the hunched form a soft-skin clothed in a large cloak.

“help me take this cloak, it’ll help us hide”

[morgan] “what? Just steal it from some random guy? Won’t he be pissed about losing it?”

“no I don’t think he’ll notice” said as I get it on, it stank slightly of rotten fruit. With it on I pulled morgan close.

“there’s something I want you to know”

I lift my free hand and channel power into, firing a blast that crushes the random, unconscious soft-skins head. Morgan yelps.

“you will help me, I will get safely away from the mages and this city”

[morgan] “wh-wha, what? How… fucking how long have you had that ability?”

“does it matter?”

[morgan] “why, why did you need to get away from the mages?”

“cause once I’d answer all I can they would have killed me just to take me apart and learn more about my insides”

[morgan] “what? Come on they were not like that”

“not taking the chance. Now you are going to help me or your ONE life will end”

[morgan] “...fine” she shrugs her arm out of my grasp.

[morgan] “you’ll have to take his shoes as well”

before long we’re walking off, a female with another taller figure following behind.

We walk the streets aimlessly as more soft-skins start moving about the town as well. The guards start moving our direction, pushing aside others.

[morgan] whispers “head down, move to the side and try to keep your face hidden”

I trust her desire to live and follow her lead. The guards pass by us and I let out a breath.

[morgan] “this won’t work every time, we need to improve your disguise”

I nod, knowing to speak would give me away. The sun has moved well past noon by the time we take a break and she leads me into a store. She pulls out my potions… MY POTIONS; she stole my potions and, damn she sold the haste potion… thankfully she had the brains not to sell either of the two health potions. With a sack of gold in hand we go to a clothing store and she gets more pieces to cover me, over my face, my hands and arms with long gloves. By the time we’re done I’m completely covered and suffocating in the heat. This horrible, wretched city, a true bane to my life… though not as much as that four-legged nightmare. At the end of the night she leads me to an inn where we get a small room and two diners for a single gold coin.

“finally, I can talk in this little space. Why the hell did you sell the haste potion?”

[morgan] “we got plenty of money for it, besides couldn’t you brew more potions?”

“no, I can’t just brew things up using only air and my desires.”

[morgan] “ok, but if you had the equipment?”

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“maybe, we’d have to hope there’s good ingredients at the right price as well.”

[morgan] “that you know how to use”

“yes, plus we should be getting out and away from this damn city”

[morgan] “speak for yourself, besides we’ll need a lot of rations or make use of a trade caravan to get across the waste, or at least you will”

“you’ll go with me”

[morgan] “no, I’m not going back to being a slave. Since you’re so set on getting out I’ll help you leave but you will not try to take me with you. I get to stay here, where I want to be.”

I don’t move. She’s been useful, would be good to have her with me as I travel back… at the same time if this makes her more agreeable and useful now that’s probably worth more. I could always go back on my promise if I need to, they are worthless creatures, lesser than even me.

“agreed, you will help me willingly in this city to get away and then we will be free of each other and any need for each other”

[morgan] “well at least you can be reasoned with. Now we need to come up with a good story as to why you are the way you are with me.”

“being silent and looming just won’t cut it around others?”

[morgan] “was that, humor? No, no and if someone looks and how many fingers you have you disguise may draw attention. I’m thinking you’re a relative, grandpa maybe that fought against the warbugs and was severely burned and scarred before returning back here. Hence why you stay covered up and quiet so much”

“and why are we selling potions we create? Better yet why did I go when that’s my skill?”

[morgan] “I… hmmmm, a good point… would brewing potions near the front be reasonable?”

“no, definitely not.”

[morgan] “could you have learned it while fighting?”

“doubtful, very doubtful… we took lands, across the rivers. Maybe our story is we barely got out of the area alive as my kin advanced?”

[morgan] “first off as warbugs advanced, and I think maybe that might work… we spent time with the other refugees but being around those you knew and lost was taking it’s toll on you so I got us to come down here?”

“why would seeing people I know take it’s toll?”

[morgan] “i- … really? You don’t get how that could cause one to remember unpleasant things?”

“no, why would it do that? Is it a soft-skin thing?”

[morgan] “I, guess it is. Look it won’t matter to much you’ll just have to be quiet. Since the invasion you’ve never talked with anyone besides me, been kind of listless as well”

“I guess that will work. Are you sure others will find the explanation convincing?”

[morgan] “yeah! Yeah that’ll totally work, though we probably don’t want to take too long doing this… tomorrow we’ll go out and look for a place we can brew at”

“terrific, another day of this damn heat.”

[mogan] “you’re lucky to be alive so be quiet and go to sleep”

I settle in on my bed knowing that she’s unwittingly more correct than she could have ever known… and that Al has been pretty quiet, though it’s not like I could respond to him anyways. I go still and wait, checking to see if she’ll head off and betray me, see if this better than most lessers will do her best to get me killed. I hear her breath, rustle and eventually snore. I can’t sleep though, it could be a trick; a deception to destroy me while I’m vulnerable. I stayed vigilant, aware and alert. I would keep my ears open for each sound, every other smooth-skin that passed by, that made the floorboards creak. I would not be caught off-guard. i- I could do, do it all night. I don’t need sleep, I gaught plenny of shlee-