James winged his way towards Boko. His immense wing span and powerful body meant that he was covering the distance they travelled on foot in no time. He started with only around an hour to make the most of the transformation. It was a big limiting factor on the power but it had increased slightly with every minor threshold advancement and it was now nearer to two hours. He had gained a lot of altitude and could clearly see Boko in the distance and the surrounding desert as far as the eye could see in each direction. Lucy had spoke to him before about the mindset difference when she took a backseat ride with Lechuza and experienced the avian thinking, he saw everything below him as prey, his thinking process was a lot more simple and focussed. His flight to Boko was not a contemplative time to think but it was restful to get away from the everyday worries.
James felt the transformation power coming to an end. He used the last moments to push higher and faster. His body shrunk to its normal size, the feathers transforming back to his regular clothes. His perception went through an equally radical shift, his vision blurred and he suddenly couldn’t see with the same detail until he activated his Vision of the Eagle power. His mindset shift changed as well, he suddenly realised how high he was. He wasn’t necessarily scared, there was an inherent fear but he had spent enough time exploring his powers to control it. He arced his body, pulling his arms down to his sides he used the dive to free fall towards Boko, he would make it to just outside the town with the altitude and speed he was going.
He scanned the town and made a mental note of the layout, few people had the opportunity to get a birds eye view of a town like this and he took the advantage. As he got lower he instinctively knew what height he could recover from. With a large burst of mana he transformed both arms into eagle wings, similar to how he had when fighting the harpies on the return from Vitesse. This time he explored how much mana he could use to enhance with his vambrace. When he had used the transformation before he had saved his mana for the fight, now the wings were sheathed in metal, each feather appearing to be a slightly different alloy so they shimmered and rippled with faint rainbow hues. He felt an increased buoyancy to his recovery, more than the physical aspect of having wings, the enhanced wings were magically aiding him, not enough to to fly but he was almost weightless as he descended, better able to control and glide further.
He landed a polite distance away from the town walls so as not to disturb the town guards. His landing was smooth as butter, angling his body down in the last fifty feet for a small burst of speed then levelling out to use the momentum to flare with his wings to come to an easy walking pace, his wings transforming back to arms as he took his first step. He strolled over to the road and fell in behind a wagon pulled by hydals. When he got to the gates he was stopped by the guards.
“Pretty flashy entrance there, didn’t think we’d notice you just joining the queue? What’s your business here adventurer?”
James was taken aback, the Greenstone guards had never been this hostile and other than the bridge to the island from old city he had never been stopped like this. He crossed his massive arms, vambrace gleaming gunmetal grey in the sun, the guards took a step back and hands went to weapons. James quickly moved to de-escalate the situation holding his arms out.
“Alright guys, I don’t know what’s the deal here, sorry if there’s like controlled airspace or something but I’m just visiting.”
“Yeh, just visiting who eh?” The same guard asked.
“I…”
“Don’t mind him.” The other guard interrupted. “He’s just angry, he got conned in a pyramid scheme and thinks he should be an adventurer by now.”
The first guard would have started steaming if he was a cartoon character, his head went bright red and he all but started bouncing on the spot holding his spear.
“Roger thats not funny, don’t tell the suspect my personal business!”
“Devon, you got played, no one is offering an investment scheme to get you a full suite of essences, it’s never been a thing. If anything you should be telling everyone, embarrassing as it is, so that no one else ever gives four months of their wages to a con man. And he’s not a suspect, people are allowed to visit. Can I see your badge please? Just for civic reporting of number of adventurers in town of course.”
James was trying to hide a smile at the indignation on Devon’s face as he moved on to bully the next person in line to make himself feel bigger. He held out his hand and Roger ducked slightly as a crow delivered his adventure society badge and perched on James’ shoulder. He handed the badge over and Roger opened it, glanced appreciatively at the ribbon then handed it back.
“Welcome to Boko Mr Mitchell. Without insisting on knowing your business can I help you by directing you anywhere?”
James tucked his badge in his loose many folded robes into an inside pocket, he might need it again on his person in the city and it was easier than having to request it from storage each time.
“I didn’t see a temple district on my way down, I was after the church of the healer?”
The older guard looked him up and down quizzically, obviously looking for some sort of malady before he replied.
“Towns too small for a temple district. There’s an outpost of the healer near town centre, take Gold street and come off at Main, at the next intersection you should find them.”
James thanked him and moved into the town, he had the feeling he wasn’t going to get what he needed from this town and was already thinking of heading straight to Greenstone but thought it would be worth checking. The town was made up of desert stone buildings, all low and flat roofed, tent shades and awnings made up most of the street and alleyways to protect the shoppers from the sun. There was a vibrant market up Gold street with everything being sold from nicknacks to spices to weapons. He ignored all the shops and strolled purposely down the street, his urgency born out of the knowledge he was going to need to travel elsewhere to achieve what he set out for.
He had been trying to expand his senses as the others all practiced, Lucy projected her aura delicately to the rest of the team in strands to share the clarity of thinking, she also back-seated with Lechuza when she had the capacity to spare, Kyra spread her cleansing power to cure afflictions around her, training the power as she went. Teddy was constantly changing his perspective of the space around him to pay attention to aspects of his surroundings. James was always using his perception powers to enhance his vision, his scenting powers to monitor the world around him. What he was trying to get used to currently was passively communicating to the birds around him. There were always more birds around than people realised, after a while you filter them out. James was able to tap into the constant presence, they built up a picture of the surroundings like an aura, sensing danger and opportunity. He was interrupted from his urgency by a disturbance deep in an alley. He felt he had no choice but to investigate.
Two men had pinned a small teenage boy against a wall, the boy’s purse was lying on the ground nearby spilt open with a few lesser spirit coins showing. The men were taking it in turns to hold the boy and hit him.
“This’ll teach you to make us ask twice.” One said as he punched to the gut.
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James walked up behind them.
“Stop that.”
The man with his back to James who had been punching the boy turned around to punch James straight away. James’ Scurry power briefly increased his agility at the start of every fight, James raised his right forearm to block and the mans fist struck the vambrace with a deep gong. James recognised that he had just blocked a special attack but weak, the man obviously didn’t even have a full set of essences. James smiled as he grabbed the mans hand that was pulling back from the punch, yanking him in and with his other hand picked him up by the throat. His rat tail appeared behind him, whipping out and picking up the second man by the throat as well, both mens feet kicking in mid air. He held them effortlessly and spoke to the boy.
“Why are these two men attacking you?”
“Sorry mister, I took a shortcut, I knew I shouldnt’ve but Missy said her parents were out travelling today and I…” he trailed off
“Well a shortcut doesn’t explain this unless you went through these gentlemen’s back gardens or the like?”
“No they say they have the rights to the alley and there’s a toll.”
James rolled his eyes, one of the oldest bully tricks in the book. He looked up at the two men, both starting to turn blue in the face. He dropped them both only to re-wrap his tail around the mans chest, grab the front of the others clothing and yank them both back into the air.
“So you own the alleyway then? How much are you going to charge me then?”
“Well now you see here, err, um, we don’t really own it so much as we’ve been here the longest see? We can let it go if thats what you think is best.” The man who tried to punch James stammered out.
“I didn’t try and hit you! You can let me go! I don’t even know what’s going on here, he threatened me if I didn’t help him!” Whimpered the second man that was being held by the tail.
James shook the second man in mid air to cut the whimpering out as the first man glared daggers at his companion.
“Well now if I understand it then there’s no fee here, you owe this boy a refund, get your coin purse out.”
He stared the man in the eye until he reached into his dirty trousers for a purse. He took out an iron rank spirit coin and offered it to James, he shook his head and motioned at the boy and the crook gave him the coin. James shook him in mid air and he handed over a second. The boy picked up his bag from the ground and put the coins in, holding it protectively to his chest.
“Now, while I have your attention I want to make it very clear, unless you are working on behalf of the town, or in your private residences, or have evidence of ownership, the streets are not yours. Nod if you understand. Good. I’m going to put you down and you can bugger off yeh?”
He released the men and they scarpered down the alley, running as if James was chasing them. He turned to the boy.
“Thank you sir, I don’t know how much longer they were going to keep that up for.” He tried to hand the purse to James who pushed it back. “I don’t have any way I can thankyou?”
“Well if you know shortcuts maybe you can take me to the healer outpost?”
When he arrived with his guide he held out an arm and a crow hopped off a nearby wall onto it and he took an iron rank coin from its beak before sending it on. He paid the boy who was wide eyed in wonder before hurrying off, probably still hoping to meet Missy. James wasn’t foolish and carried a bag of spending money, but he realised that even in this world magic was cool and showing off slightly would give the boy something to tell his friends.
The outpost of the healer was little more that a one room square building with a curtain for a door. He felt a bronze rank aura inside and let a little of his own out to show his presence as he couldn’t exactly knock on the curtain. A moment later a priest in the plain brown robes of the healer pulled back the curtain to greet him.
“Hello, can I help?”
“Well I hope you can. I was after some help for a friend of mine.” The man ushered James inside the empty abode and poured some water. “There was an accident and the man has been left disabled.”
“Oh we should be able to help him out if you bring him in, a few healing spells and a potion should sort him out.” The man smiled trying to put James at ease.
“Well thats the problem, my sister-in-law is the team healer, she’s tried everything she has and some healing she’s researched, the man is silver rank.”
The easy smile on the mans face disappeared, it was obviously a face he put on to put patients and family at ease. The news that a silver ranker wasn’t getting better even after magical healing put him into serious business face. He pulled out a scroll and started taking notes.
“Tell me everything.”
For around ten minutes James explained everything he could, he used the interface to read out the list that Kyra had said she had tried on the man and what she was going to continue to try in his absence. The man checked and double checked the circumstance in which they found the man and the assessment of him at the time.
“I cannot help you from here. I am the only healer for this town and my responsibility is here, I also think you need a specialist for this patient. You said you were willing to travel to Greenstone if you didn’t find what you needed here? Good. Take these notes, take them to the temple of the healer in the divine square and I’m confident they can help you.”
They stood and made their way to the entrance, finding outside a small queue of patients waiting for the healer, knowing that he was not to be disturbed when he had a patient. Also waiting outside were two guards for James.
Roger and Devon both had business faces on and weapons drawn.
“Now then Mr Mitchell, come along quietly like and it’ll be easier for everyone.”
“Come along or we’ll have you!” The impetuous Devon gestured with his sword.
James had to admire the balls on the two of them, both normal rank, Roger had an essence he could sense but the hapless Devon had none, both willing to stand up to the nearly eight foot, iron rank, partially armoured James. He was confused and held his hands out wrists together.
“I’m not sure what’s going on but I’ll go along, what’s the problem?”
“We don’t have to tell you that.” Devon exclaimed and reached forward and put a set of plain non-magic handcuffs on James.
Roger looked uneasy at Devon’s aggression but didn’t argue against his partner, they lead James down the street and into the town courthouse. Once they were inside they went into the back non-public area. James surprised Devon who was ‘pulling’ him by the arm when he stopped and pulled his wrists apart with no effort, snapping the cuffs like paper and handing them to Devon before turning to Roger.
“Right then, I played nice, tell me what’s going on.”
Roger gulped slightly, they were in an empty corridor with no one around.
“Sorry, that wasn’t meant to be like that, the magistrate just wants a word, err, please follow me?”
He walked down the corridor and into the next, a couple of doors down they entered a big office. The two men from the alley were sat on a wooden bench next to the door with their heads bowed over their handcuffed hands.
“Roger, thankyou for finding our guest and asking him to join us.” The magistrate said, standing and coming round his desk from where he was doing paperwork.
“Wasn’t so much of an ask as a tell.” James said.
The magistrate frowned at that and looked to the guards. Roger winced and looked to Devon.
“Sorry Sir, the young one got a bit carried away, misunderstood the ‘bring him in’.”
The magistrate frowned at the younger guard who looked like he wanted to disappear into the floor. He turned to James and held out his hand to shake.
“I’m sorry for any miss-handling Mr Mitchell. We wanted to invite you over to offer your testimony in the case these gentlemen have brought to my attention. Did you in fact accost them in the street, discrediting their reputation and causing bodily harm?”
James looked bewildered and amused.
“I would say some of that is true. There was one other person present so not public, I would say the reason it was not public was that they already had a shady reputation which was why they stuck to alleys and I absolutely did cause them some bodily discomfort, to stop them from causing bodily harm to another.”
“As we thought, hence why I’m sure you noticed they are both sat there cuffed. Between the pair of them there is not enough brainpower to power a glow lamp. They arrived not long ago to accuse you of assault and have you arrested, forgetting that they are both career criminals and we had intelligence on both of them in a number of cases.”
James turned to them and shook his head.
“Boys, I let you off easy, you didn’t even get slapped about, why didn’t you just let it go.”
The guards grabbed them by the cuffs and lead them out.
“Mr Mitchell, thankyou. There is no reward offered for them but is there anything I can do for you and for inconveniencing you in the street?”
“No harm done, I just need to get to Greenstone as fast as I can.”
“Well, lets see what we can do about that, We happen to keep a portal user on staff to facilitate communication with Greenstone.”
Not long after James found himself meeting a young looking bronze rank elf, he conjured a standard teleport portal to the main square in Greenstone, James said his thanks and stepped through.
Standing in the middle of the square James tried to orientate himself to the temple of the healer.