Chess could only procrastinate for a few minutes before her curiosity won out and she decided to leave her tent to scope out the new arrivals.

Wrapping her scarf about her neck, she dismissed her guitar and considered her staff a moment before deciding to leave it be. If I take Kan’s warning to heart, the less these sisters know about me the better. My underwear items are safe from view as long as my dress is covering them.

She paused to look at her reflection in the small mirror. Her clean face and big golden eyes stared back at her expectantly. The tight braid over her shoulder made her look and feel in control again, and a deep breath settled her nerves and brought a small smile to her lips.

The wonders of being clean. Nodding with satisfaction, she turned from her reflection feeling satisfied.

Wait... She paused again before her makeshift shower stall and pulled idly on her braid. It’s obvious they will learn of my manipulation abilities so I might as well go out there in style.

She knocked either side of her nose with a knuckle and straightened her shoulders before turning to take a second glance at her staff as an idea started forming.

Taking the mirror out of its groove and tossing it on her bedroll, she started singing the little she could remember of Rihanna’s Umbrella—mostly the chorus, on repeat. She interrupted the song a few times to chuckle as she grew the top of her staff into ribs to support a canopy.

The staff drew on her mana eagerly, like it possessed a will of its own, so she abandoned her plan to use vines and leaves for the canopy and let it flow under her music and used the offered mana to form itself.

The amber gem at the top of the staff slowly ballooned into a dome that covered the skeletal ribs with a whisper-thin layer of transparent glittering amber with thin vein-like striations running from the center out to the tips of the ribs, much like the veins and ribs of a large drooping golden-brown leaf. A short amber spike flowed out of the top and the roots at the base even wove into an elegant hook.

Freya tits! I don’t know if I should be impressed or a little worried. Talk about exceeding expectations, but is it too much? she thought, opening and closing it a few times.

“I should name you. Hmm... how about Holly? Or Sprig? Brandy? Maybe Amber? Freya, I suck at naming things.” She rubbed her chin studying it in wonder and its window popped up. Fuck me sideways, its info changed.

Name: Sprig

Bonded: Chess Stewart

Type: Umbrella, Piercing.

Rank: 3

Rarity: Custom/unique

Properties: Living Ironwood

Durability: 9900/10000

Enchantments: Musical Ease: (Sprig is enchanted to work with bonded’s music.)

A gift, freely given, to a traveler for her gift of beautiful music, magic, and patience.

I guess it chose its own name.

Bonded? What in Freya’s name? I don’t have a binding Pyth. Maybe that was supposed to happen when I named it. Yeah, I'll just go with that, she thought, putting her concerns off for the moment.

She hefted the now light umbrella and with a final look at her dark woolen dress, strode from the tent. The rain pounded into Sprig with a single-minded ferocity and forced her to step with care around the growing puddles and streams as she made her way to Lord Caldur’s tent.

Two new heavily armored men stood guard outside when she arrived. The rain steamed off their armor in undulating waves as if the armor possessed the heat and temperament of an empty frying pan on high.

She looked at the armor closely hoping for a window but got nothing. Huh, must be an ability. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen the soldiers use any abilities since that shield one. I wonder why? None of their gear is magical either. Eh, must be a societal thing, or something else I'm missing. She worried for a moment but shrugged it off.

Fight the battles in front of you, she told herself.

Chest out and shoulders back, she gave the guards a wide friendly smile. “Hello, I’m Lady Chess Stewart. I’m here to see Lord Caldur,” she said, twirling her umbrella and spraying water off in a fan around her in the process.

“The Knight is currently occupied,” the one on the right said in clear dismissal.

“That’s fine, I can wait,” she said keeping the idiotic smile plastered on while continuing to spin Sprig. She watched the rain spiral off creating eddies in the downpour and stood relaxed and unconcerned.

Instead, she concentrated on listening past the falling water.

The righthand guard scowled at her but remained quiet.

“…that will die if they aren’t seen to, soon," she heard Lord Caldur’s firm voice say.

“Falsehood,” a bored young woman’s voice intoned.

“Don’t be dramatic, Aaron. If they’ve lasted this long, they will last a little longer," a confident woman’s voice answered.

“Truth,” the bored voice said dryly.

“Does she have to do that with me?” Caldur asked, annoyance heavy in his tone.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

“It’s good training, and she needs the experience. Your insistence that your men forgo using abilities or enchanted gear is tiresome…Yes, yes, don't give me that look; there is no need to rehash it. I know you want them to unlock subclasses, but you’re stunting the growth of the ones that don’t succeed. And I fear it's going to cause more harm than good before long,” the confident woman said.

“Truth,” the bored voice said matter-of-factly.

“It's fine. And you know my views,” Caldur groused in a voice that indicated it was an old argument.

“Falsehood,” the voice said with a chuckle.

There was a loud deep groan. “Fine, I’ll drop it. What else do you want to know before you see to my men?” Caldur asked.

“Truth.” The voice sounded amused.

“You said one of the suppressed prisoners escaped. Have your men found any sign of him?” the woman asked.

“Truth.” The voice was neutral again.

“They have yet to return. I’m afraid if they’ve yet to find him, he is beyond us. This rain has no doubt erased the trail, and Tracking won't avail us anything either; it’s been too long.”

“Truth,” the voice said with a yawn.

“Well, I hope they succeeded. I don’t want to be out here longer than necessary. It’s enough that I had come in the first place,” the woman said.

“Truth,” the voice sounded crass.

Caldur held his tongue.

“I’m disappointed my nephew involved himself in your nonsense,” the woman said after a moment.

“Truth,” the voice said with a lilting accent.

Chess shifted from foot to foot uneasily but made an effort to pass it off as shaking water from her boots.

“My squire is fine. The scar will barely show once it heals. It gives him character and shouldn’t affect his charisma,” Kan’s voice said.

“Truth,” the voice said in a high-pitched whine.

Freya help me, this is a bad idea.

Yup! I'm out, Chess decided before turning to leave.

The guard on the left chose that moment to turn and duck his head into the tent.

“Mistress, there is a Lady Stewart here to see Lord Caldur,” the guard said.

“Stewart?” Lord Caldur’s confused voice cut the truth girl off. Oh, oops.

“Uh, he means me,” Chess said in a forced chipper voice—raising it to be heard over the rain.

“Lady Chess?” Lord Caldur asked.

“Yeah Chess is my first name. I forgot to mention it and, well, everyone assumed, so I didn't say anything,” Chess said, spinning the umbrella faster.

“Truth,” the young woman’s frustrated voice finally found its place.

“Well, come in girl. Let's get a look at the young lady Lord Caldur talks so highly of,” the confident women's voice commanded.

Grinning Chess slipped past the guards with a nod and into Lord Caldur’s large tent, closing Sprig with a single shake once under its protection.

Resting Sprig on her shoulder, she studied the newcomers in the tent.

The two women were nothing like she expected based on their voices and her conversation with Kan. She expected severe nuns. Instead, she found a beautiful elderly human woman—even her wrinkles seemed to only add to her beauty—with long thick slate-grey hair and iron-grey eyes. Freya’s tits it’s an honest-to-goddess, G.I.L.F., Chess thought, suppressing an uneasy giggle.

The younger woman was spectacular. Chess had a simultaneous urge to pull the cute girl into a hug and to run away from her. She had black fur with a thick white stripe running down the center of a human-shaped face; though her nose was more catlike. She had no human-like hair, just the short fur, and tiny rounded ears—almost like a bear's. But her most striking feature was her huge wide and fluffy tail. It had two thick snow-white stripes up either side but was predominately black.

“You were right, Aaron. She’s absolutely beautiful and with no adornments other than that delightful umbrella.

"You said she has a beautiful singing voice to match her class?” the older woman asked Lord Caldur after she had spent a long minute studying Chess.

Caldur nodded.

Chess shifted uncomfortably under her intense gaze.

The woman circled around behind her, and Chess warily swiveled her head to watch. That bastard! He said he wouldn’t tell anyone my details. Chess’ guts tightened in momentary rage and dismay, and she took a long breath. Relax idiot, everyone in camp knows your class.

She half expected the woman to slap her ass or at the very least start poking and prodding with the way she eyed her. She felt grateful she didn't.

“Truth,” the skunk-kin said cheerfully.

“Where are my manners? Please let me introduce myself. I’m Abbess Beatrice Sholer, and this is Sister Lynn Plinder,” the woman said with a headshake, a warm smile blooming on her lined face as she gestured toward herself and at the young skunk-kin girl.

“Truth,” Lynn said nodding.

Chess opened her mouth to speak but shut it with a snap, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin instead. Better to remain quiet and let it play out.

“Wonderful!” Sholer clapped her hands together in delight. “Your charisma is over twenty, isn’t it, child? It’s not widely known but physical training, natural beauty, and charm can only get your charisma to eighteen—if you don’t waste level points on it. Anything beyond that requires rigorous voice and etiquette training.”

I’m so not telling her I spent a point there.

“Truth,” Lynn said in a hesitant voice beside her. “Didn’t you say Dance bridged both physical and etiquette?” she asked.

“Quite right, but that's hardly pertinent to the current conversation,” Sholer admonished.

“Truth,” Lynn said and hung her head.

“So, what do you think of my suggestion?” Lord Caldur asked Sholer.

“It has merit,” Sholer said staring at Chess, her eyes delving Chess' soul. Chess shifted back a step under the gaze.

“Truth,” Lynn said doing a twirl that brushed her tail inches from Kan’s head.

The silence continued for a time.

“I have a question,” Chess said into the silence. “Tell me, do you think the world is round or flat?”

“Flat of course,” Kan said automatically, thrown by the non sequitur.

“Truth,” Lynn said quickly.

“That’s not...” Sholer started to say.

“When you watch a ship come in over the horizon, do you see the hull or sails first?” Chess asked Kan, cutting the sisters off.

“Sails,” he replied with a frown.

“Truth,” Lynn chirped.

“The world is a sphere.” Chess declared with a grin and a wink at the skunk-kin.

“Truth,” Lynn said with a laugh.

Ha, that is so fucking cool, both are true! So, it’s based on what someone believes is the truth. I’ll have to apologize to Kan later. I kinda made him look like an idiot.

“Great, you’ve proven Sergeant Hilkan is lacking some basic education. Was there a point?” Sholer said.

Chess shook her head emphatically, letting out a mental sigh. “Just curious. I do have another thing to say.”

She paused to think a moment. “I’ve spent over half my life digging ditches,” she said. Thank fuck Kan said there is no way to see another’s stat page. I sincerely hope Caldur kept his word.

“Truth,” Lynn said confused.

Chess laughed when the girl confirmed her statement. Freya, but I hope that throws them.

“That’s enough, Lynn. You can see to the men that need healing. I’m sure the sergeant will guide you,” Sholer ordered.

“Clever girl. Most never learn that truth,” Sholer said with approval once Lynn and Kan had left.

“Yes, Aaron, your suggestion has merit,” she said glancing at him.

“What suggestion?” Chess asked hesitantly.

“Aaron here thinks I should offer you an apprenticeship. Instead of traditional payment, he offered to exchange your fees for a year of military service at half pay once you complete the apprenticeship,” Sholer said, never stopping her scrutiny.

“But I don’t worship your gods. Aren’t you a priestess? How would that even work?” Chess asked.

“Who you worship isn’t as important as the fact that you have an active patron. Keleo's keepers would accept you, simply for access to your knowledge of a new and active Goddess,” Sholer said patiently.

“I thought only men joined your military,” Chess said frowning at Caldur.

“Oh, seven heavens no. Strong manipulators are too rare to deny our military over half their numbers by excluding women. Aaron's little training band here is simply that, a training patrol. We didn’t feel he warranted a dedicated mage for such a simple task. However, I will be the first to admit he managed to cock it up with his experiments and dated beliefs,” Sholer said giving Caldur a stern look.

“Let me think about it?” Chess asked, her heart thundering in her chest.

“Of course, my dear girl. But a question before you go?" Sholer asked.

Chess nodded.

"Would you please tell me where you got your scarf?” She asked pointedly.