As the walls of the settlement once again rose ahead in his vision, he used a cantrip to clean himself. It wasn’t quite the same thing as washing with water, but it definitely helped quite a bit. He smelled much less like he had been rolling around with a many-tailed at least. He also considered buying some new clothes. The beast-leather pants and the woven-fiber shirt he wore were both in poor condition do to combination of his run-ins with greater beasts and his ‘battles’ with a particular beastwoman. His rain cloak was in tatters. He definitely needed to update his wardrobe. Appearances mattered, even for a man from the hamlets, and he needed to impress this party he was helping.

  The line at the towering entrance doors wasn’t long. He noticed he had gotten a few odd looks from those waiting. Their lingering gazes were unusual, normally most people would hardly notice him. Perhaps, his clothes were tattered enough to be remarkable. He was thankful he didn’t feel anything particularly alarming about the women in line, or the men for that matter. It looked like his Path was more discerning than simply wanting to dominate everyone.

  “State your business.” Said a different, but equally recognizable guard, as the last time he entered the settlement. He recognized every guard who was given this duty generally, but they seemed to forget him until he showed them his badge.

  “I have come to sell, buy, and seek my business partners.”

  This time was a little different, as the guard looked at him, his eyebrow raising slightly.

  “You.. I think I know you.” Said the guard.

  This was highly unusual, but he pulled out his badge quickly showing it to the confused guard.

  The guard barely looked at it, still looking at him, and finally waved him through the doors. No snickers or comments followed him as he entered the perpetually loud settlement. He didn’t know what was different this time, but he let the oddity leave his mind as the noise of the settlement filled his ears. Thankfully, it wasn’t as loud this time as the last time he had entered the settlement. He just so happened to be entering during a period of rest.

  Most work cycles were split into eighths or sixteenths generally. Work took up nearly five eighths of the cycle. Sleep only two, if you were lucky. The rest for meals. Most of the loudest work in the settlement, like smithing, was organized on the same schedule to allow a period of relative quiet for sleep. This unending schedule was made possible by cantrips and spells that improved stamina, so fines were always being levied against those who tried to work loudly through portion of the cycle for resting. Hawkers would whisper their wares to you as walked by during these resting periods. He always appreciated entering the settlement during a time of rest, but now with his hearing the way it was, it was still loud. He needed to get better at tuning it out.

  Without meaning to, he found himself near the church again. He had been away some time, checking on the Priest was only natural. He opened the creaking gate, and climbed the polished granite-tree steps, to enter the church's vestibule. He took off his boots, leaving them in a side storage alcove set aside for such things.

  As he paded forward, he came to the first threshold, and got down on his knees, to prostrate himself before the Effigy and Altar of Divine Humanity. It was always a tedious process coming here. He felt nothing special for the place, but still went through the motions to keep up appearances, and because the ceremony had been drilled into him unendingly as a child. If you wanted the knowledge that Caius offered, you had to at least pretend to be a devotee. If you wanted healing, or any other services the church offered, it was the same. Whether you were an adventurer, a settlement leader, or some lowly child from the hamlets, if you wanted something from the church you groveled.

  Finally, after making his way past a couple more thresholds that held specific symbolic meaning he couldn’t remember, he arrived at a small side door which belonged to a very rotund man. He didn’t know how old Caius was, but he knew the church pre-dated him by some time because if they had built it with him in mind the doors would be much wider.

  He knocked once and entered the small office quickly. The knocking was out of habit, he didn’t really need to. Caius was usually well into his wine-skin at this point in the cycle and wouldn’t care either way.

  The Priest was faced away from, sitting in favorite chair. Light streamed through the window. Caius, at least, wouldn’t usually drink in total darkness.

  “Old Priest! Do you still live?” Dem said, his voice booming.

  “I can hear you boy, no need to yell.” Caius's voice was like gravel.

  “Oh! I assumed your hearing was starting to go, what with your advanced age and all” Dem retorted.

  “Boy, I ain’t so old, that I can’t discipline you like I used to. hhHRRYKK!” spouted Caius, finishing his sentence with a loud belch.

  “Old Priest, you never disciplined me once. You couldn’t catch me.” Dem laughed.

  After exchanging their ritual greetings, the Old Priest looked away from his wine-skin and towards Dem's direction. Dem could see surprise light on Caius’s old face, and then concern begin to knit his brow.

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  “Boy! What have you done?” Caius's voice was suddenly loud for such a small room.

  A feeling of being exposed flashed through Dem. Did Caius know what he had done with Ina? It was against the doctrine, but out here in the Wild, no one, not even Caius, would bother to punish him. What could Caius know just by looking at him? Could Caius tell what Path a man walked by sight alone? Did Caius know his Class even when he did not?

  “Caius, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.” Dem tried to make his voice sound firm, so as not to betray his sudden nervousness.

  “Boy, you’re different, your.. Path is different. Tell me what you’ve been doing? Wait, something else is different, you.. you…” Caius’s eyes went wide, and he gasped loudly.

  “You found a woman haven’t you boy? Aha, ha!” Caius's face suddenly broke into a grin. Laughing boisterously at his own trickery.

  Dem responded, “Uh.. something like that Caius. There have been some changes, and I did meet someone new.” Dem wasn’t exactly lying. There were changes, and Ina’s form was basically a new person, right?

  “That is good, boy. Your previous Path set you moving away from your human brothers and sisters, towards a life relying only on beasts! Perhaps, now you will settle down and stop stealing my books.” His voice was jovial.

  “How.. how did you know?” Dem asked after a pause, wondering what was different about him.

  Caius stood up from his chair, and moved his bulk closer. Caius eyed the him, and rubbed the white stubble on his first and second chins thoughtfully.

  “You look different boy, hmm. Something like a glamor? There is a spell involved, but I can’t identify it. This sort of cosmetic spell isn’t something I would have need of, I’m already so handsome you see.” Caius once again laughed at his own joke uproariously.

  “You’re trying to look good for the ladies, eh?” Caius spit wine with this last sentence.

  “Ah, I see Caius. Yes, someone made an improvement, I guess.” said Dem.

  “Perhaps an older woman boy? With money? That is the best kind!” Caius burst out at him, with another chuckle.

  “Well, Caius, I was just checking on you. I will be gone for a while after this. I’m going with a party and we’ll be out through a rotation.” Hopefully Caius wouldn’t ask him more questions.

  “I see, boy. Be careful. Always look after your own skin first when with an adventurer party. They will be doing the same. Good luck, and may the Divinity be what you need when you need it.”

  “Thank you Caius, hopefully you won’t have died of old age by the time I get back.”

  “Not a chance boy. I have a few rotations left in me, at least until the wine runs out anyway. Ha!”

  Dem made his last farewells, and left the church. Thankfully, leaving didn’t require the same ceremony entering did.

***

  The interaction with Caius had been a close thing. Caius probably suspected something more had happened, but he tactfully hadn’t asked. Caius wouldn’t usually ask a question if he thought you were going to lie to him.

  Dem needed to look at himself in a mirror, and get some new clothes, but first he needed to sell the lesser of his two beastcores. The core from the ape was decent, but still far inferior to the one from the elder viper-wyrm. He would sell the latter to Greer, which would make her happy. The former he would sell in the market as quickly as possible to pay for his new clothes.

***

  Dem made his way to a shop that sold clothes, his leather bag was bit heavier than before. It jingled with the sound of coin. He had gotten fifty silver for the ape beastcore. A smile light his face. It had been better than he had originally thought. He looked forward to what he would get for the vipper-wyrm core.

  The clothing shop he chose was a little higher-end that he usually shopped in, but he knew this one had a nice full length mirror. As he entered, he got more looks from both customers and staff. Some seemed concerned, other's lingered oddly as they peered at him. He really needed to see what was different about himself. All this attention was unusual.

  First he found a clerk to help him. The clerk was a tall man with a bushy mustache, wearing a supple leather vest and tight pants.

  “How can I help you.. young man?” The tall man's voice was curious.

  “I need a new pair of pants, two more sturdy shirts like this one, and good rain cloak. I.. uh.. also need some clothes for a woman.” The last part he almost forgot.

  “For a woman? Is she with you? What are her sizes?” The clerk asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “No, she isn’t with me, but do you have anything that would be easy to adjust. I can show you how tall she is, and.. uh.. I can show you about how wide her waist and hips are.”

  “Hhmm, we do have some adjustable clothes. This would be for wearing around the settlement or for.. adventuring?” He looked me up and down after this last question.

  “Yes, adventuring, something close to the skin, so it doesn’t snag if you can.”

  The tall clerk smiled, “Close to the skin you say? This must be a good friend of yours?”

  “Ah, well.. yes. You could say that.”

  “We have a leather bustier, meant to be fairly functional, and very adjustable. It usually worn under armor, but it would work for frontline fighting classes in the Wilds. It won’t offer much protection, but it is very functional. Does she need undergarments? Boots?”

  “No, uh.. she has boots already, but as for undergarments, I don’t really know.”

  They wouldn’t have boots for pawed feet, would they?

  The man laughed at him. “Don’t worry young man, I won’t ask. We can get her some soft-fiber undergarments, and since you don’t know her measurements, some adjustable leather pants. It will cost a bit more. The pants are designed for adventurers who use physical transformation spells.”

  “Ah, could you cut off the bottoms portion around the calves?”

  He looked at him suspiciously again, “We can boy, but we won’t discount them. All of this will be costly, too. You’re asking for clothes for adventurers.”

  “I have money, no need to worry.” Dem shook his bag so it jingled.

  “Alright, let us get started.” The man replied.