“Why did I have to sneak off the ship?” I asked Mousethief. I had mentally spoken with Mes but hadn’t dared use the Interface to check my skills while other people were around and might see the glow from the stone.
Mes had let me know my father would net me around 5,000 EXP and Mousethief around 2,000. That was a lot of EXP, but it gave me a better sense of how much EXP I could expect. Mes had informed me there was a skill called Observe I could purchase to let me know the estimated combat level of creature. The skill cost 10,000 EXP and was only T1. They had said it was a very useful skill, but expensive.
I wasn’t allowed any more credit unfortunately, since Mes had explained it would involve purchasing more than just the skill, I would have to purchase additional features and support skills to actively use energy like that.
“Because a cat wouldn’t work with how I move about. I am listed as a professional auditor for the shipping company, which is owned by a cut out corporation run by the Covenant Church. Cats don’t get hired for this shipping company. Very old school and all that,” Mousethief replied as I hesitantly got into the car and made sure to buckle myself in.
“Don’t worry Miss Mittens, we are taking it easy today unfortunately,” Mousethief said as he took off at a slightly reasonable pace. Reasonable for Mousethief, felt like gut clenching death to me as we flew down the road.
“Going to get you kitted out and some day wear. And other bathroom items. Also, tight athletic wear. Hmm, you will need some bras as well as shorts,” Mousethief said. I felt my face heat up and my ears twitch at that comment.
“I have to wear what my father does?” I asked.
“If you want to be like him, then yes. Got to keep those movements clean and crisp. Can’t have clothes rustling either. You might not know, but stealth is involved in all his jobs. It isn’t flashy, but it is important,” Mousethief explained, and I nodded at that. I then looked at my white paws.
“What about my paws?” I asked softly. The fur on my paws came from my mother. She had a white coat, which was so amazing. The rest of my fur took after my father, dark black. Mousethief gave me a look and completely ignored the road as he swerved in and out of traffic. I tried my best to ignore the life ending driving he was performing and focus on the conversation.
“We can dye them but will hold off for now. Unless you want to?” Mousethief asked me.
“I want to show that I am serious.” I looked at him. “Wouldn’t dying my paws be something a serious assassin would do?” I asked.
“Indeed. I am glad you are already getting into the mindset Miss Mittens. We can sort that out today after the clothing and personal items.” Mousethief then swerved into the parking lot, tires screeching and took a parking space near the front of the specialty store for large creatures.
I let out a sigh of relief as I unbuckled myself. I followed him inside. I tried on several pieces of clothing, all in dark colors and they were quickly purchased. After that we went to a general store and picked up several bathroom items I had left behind at the group home.
It had been a bit embarrassing, but thankfully Mousethief and my father didn’t say anything about my mistake. The last stop was a salon. We entered and the shrew manning the front counter frowned at me. Mes suddenly disappeared as well. That was surprising, but I didn’t mentally reach out. Mes had let me know if they disappeared, it was for a good reason and wait until I was safe to call them back.
My Danger Sense skill wasn’t triggering, so I decided to just be alert and pay attention. I couldn’t create a fuss, since I would have to reveal Mes if I said anything to justify my concern.
“How can I help you?” she asked looking at Mousethief.
“Ah, thank you for your kind greeting miss. This young lady requires a paw dying, black like the rest of her coat,” Mousethief said as he leaned on the counter. The shrew gave him an annoyed look and then turned towards me.
“It will cost extra,” she said.
“Not a problem. You are the best right?” he asked.
“Of course, we are. Shade’s Salon is the best in the city. No matter our client, it will be perfect. Come,” the shrew said, and I quickly followed her to chair while Mousethief gave me a wink. A mouse hair stylist came over and the shrew explained what was requested. The female mouse turned towards me.
“Four paws, and you want it long lasting I am guessing?” she asked.
“Yes, dark like the rest of my fur,” I answered.
“Hmm, tricky, but doable. It will take two hours. You have the time?” she asked, and I looked at Mousethief.
“All the time. As long as it is done today,” he replied.
“That won’t be a problem. Alright, let’s match up the color and shine, and then we can get the dye set into the roots, so it lasts a long time,” the mouse stylist said. She quickly got to work. I appreciated her no nonsense professional demeanor. It was better than veiled insults and sub-standard service.
Mousethief leaned against a wall and fiddled with his whiskers while the stylist carefully dyed my paws. There wasn’t any small talk. I just tried to stay still as my paws were dyed. Eventually it was over, and I no longer had white paws. My coat was all black, just like my father’s.
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I looked at Mousethief as he paid. He still had that self-assured grin on his face. We got into the car and took off once again. “So, what did you think,” Mousethief asked me.
“It was alright,” I replied, and he chuckled.
“What did you notice about the salon?” he asked as he swerved through a stop light. I tried to figure out the question, but realized he was probably testing my observation skills.
“There were five employees. Four salon workers and the shrew at the front desk. Lots of brands out front in the waiting area. And they had cat sized chairs, so they are used to working with larger creatures,” I said and hesitated. “There was something else that was off, but I can’t figure out what.”
“All correct, but you are missing something important, but you intuition is spot on. Impressive, very impressive,” Mousethief said calmly as we flew up and over a hill the road went across. I lifted off the seat slightly.
“Um, they were all female?” I asked.
“You missed the small statues of the Mother on their workstations,” Mousethief pointed out and I tried to recall them.
“Those small black things? The Mother?” I asked.
“Indeed Miss Mittens. Those small black statues are statues of the Mother Ancestral Spirit. All four workstations with the same statue, now that is a bit odd. What was the name of the place?” he asked.
“Shade’s Salon,” I quickly replied trying to figure out where he was going with all of this, and I had no clue what the Mother Ancestral Spirit actually was.
“Often known as the Mother of Mercy, or the Shade of Grasping Death. It is an ancestral spirit that empowers itself through death. It is often depicted as mouse, but in all black with a hidden face by people who want to hide their worship. But the true statues and relics depict the Mother of Mercy as a rat.” My eyes went wide at that, and my whiskers twitched. Rats were some of the worst creatures out there. Even worse than cats.
Filled with pure evil and hate, they could never be trusted. The worst of the worst schemers. “One of those mice at the salon was half rat as well. I hope you don’t mind I turned this into a scouting mission as well,” Mousethief told me.
“But-how-when-why?” I was so confused at how it all came together. I asked to go to the salon. I brought it up. If I hadn’t would we still have gone there?
“That my dear is why I am Mousethief, and you are the still cute Miss Mittens with that look of confusion. Even your legendary father respects my talents. Now pay attention to the next bit, you will learn something,” Mousethief said and swerved to a halt in front of a house in a suburban neighborhood and opened the sunroof.
I kept my eyes peeled for my father. But I completely missed him in the middle of the day somehow. He landed in the backseat and Mousethief took off again.
“A full infestation of cultists. They are attempting a cursed birth,” he calmly said as Mousethief quickly drove off. What was a cursed birth?
“Well, there was a staging ground in a salon. Don’t worry we were discreet,” Mousethief said.
“Mittens….your paws,” my father said while looking at my paws.
“Well, I just wanted to be like you. I am serious about this,” I replied. He let out a small sigh.
“It is your choice, but we will talk later. I have work now. Mousethief, you narrowed down the den?” my father asked.
“No. I have informants looking, but their information security is good,” Mousethief said as he got onto an elevated highway. “We might miss our exit window.”
“We are not missing our exit window.”
“Well unless you want to slice and dice Tom Cat, it is going to take time.”
“Just drive.”
“Um, what is a cursed birth?” I asked, both scared and curious. There was silence at my question.
“It is quite disturbing my Mittens. But it is a foul yet common practice among heretics and cults. They call down an ancestral spirit into an unborn creature. It becomes twisted and deformed. It will kill the mother when birthed and then there are some more rituals depending on the spirit. For the Mother of Mercy, it would be bathing the newborn in blood of the innocents to empower it and let the ancestral spirit take root.” I felt sick. I shouldn’t have asked.
“The cursed child will then conceal themselves and grow up. Eventually becoming a cursed being, a perfect vessel for an ancestral spirit, able to channel their full power for a long period of time. The idiot followers often hope this comes to pass so they are rewarded. They never are. One could consider the cursed children the dark reflection of the paladins. My job is to stop the birth before it happens. There would be grave signs if it occurs, and the city will be in danger from these signs.” Okay, my father was awesome, and he actually explained things. I liked that he was treating me seriously.
“Tom Cat, the sky,” Mousethief said, and I looked out the window. Storm clouds were quickly gathering.
“I hate the rain. Alright, head towards the epicenter. Won’t be precise, but I just need to get a scent of them. Also give Mittens a gun, just in case.” Mousethief was already flooring the accelerator of the car as we sped through the streets.
“We will be cutting it close but should make it. A gun, you sure Tom Cat? She doesn’t know her claws from her paws,” Mousethief said. I wanted to argue, but I was nervous.
“Just in case. We are going in hot and don’t have time to drop her off,” my father said. Wait, I was going directly into the fighting! My fur stood up on end and my ears twitched. “Mittens. Four rules of a gun. Don’t point it at anything you don’t plan to kill. Don’t put your claw on the trigger until you are ready to kill. Third, make sure you have the safety off.” I quickly repeated the rules in my head.
Don’t point at things I don’t want to kill. Only put my claw on a trigger when I am ready to kill. And make sure the safety is off. “Um, what is the fourth rule?” I asked.
“Never close your eyes. Now quiet, I need to mentally focus. This is going to be a mess,” my father said.
“Don’t worry, he just gets like that before a mission,” Mousethief whispered to me as drops of rain began to fall. The sunroof was still open. The car swerved out of the nice part of the town towards the commercial center. Mousethief swung the car to stop in front of a four-story building, blocking the drive-up spot at the front of the building across both lanes. I looked up at the name.
Masquerade of Mouse Cosmetics. “This is it,” Mousethief said. The car shook a bit, and my father was gone out through the sun roof. “Gun is in the glove box,” Mousethief said and pointed at the glove box. I opened it and got out the shiny black metal gun. It felt heavy in my paws despite its small size.
“Alright, you stay here, I need to take care of a few things. If anyone gives you trouble. Just point the gun at them and tell them official business. If they press you, just shoot them in the knee or something,” Mousethief said, and my eyes went wide.
“But my father-“ Mousethief had already left the car leaving me behind as the sunroof closed up. The rain was getting worse. Why did he say something different from my father? Was I supposed to point the gun at creatures or not? The gun felt heavy and dangerous in my hands.
‘Avatar,’ I mentally focused on the word and Mes came back. ‘You could sense the statues?’ I asked.
‘Yes. Your Ancestral Spirits can spot me. While I am out and about. Only call me once it is over. If they spot me, then something worse could be called or they might focus on you before you are ready. The risk of them sensing my passive scans or presence is very high. That is also why I can’t check their EXP until you kill one.’
‘Got it. Thanks for letting me know,’ I thought back. Mes disappeared and I was all alone, in the car with a gun I barely knew how to use. I took the time to look at it carefully and to figure out the safety.