<~> Chapter 19“She took advantage of me when she was still a man.” The familiar pulse of energy went through the room and I could see both of their eyes widen at my respo was obvious I was telling the truth, she had once been a man.

  “How did she bee a woman?”

  “I used an ability to transform her into her current form as well as ditioo act they way she now does. It’s not mind trol but it greatly reinforces the behaviors I wao ence.”

  The room became awkward at the mention of mind trol. “Do you know how to use mind magid did you use mind magi this dogkin?”

  “No, I don’t know any mind magic.” A small amount of ay left their shoulders but I could tell there was still a lot of tension.

  “What ability did you use to transform the dogkin?”

  “Is that in the purview of this interview? Is my ability relevant to this transa?”

  I could sehey were dissatisfied with this answer but they were equally uo lie. “No it is not. However, who this persoo be is of importance. Who was this person before you altered their form?”

  “Mark Williamson.” Jacob’s mouth opened in shock, clearly he knows of him but I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. I decided to probe. “How are you acquainted with him?”

  His mouth closes and a frown forms in its pce. “He is a person whurly collects sves for this firm however many people here suspect that he was trig sves into signing tracts they were not required to sign, usually by ‘buying’ them from a family member. I have been trying to find evideo stop him from tinuing this practice”

  Bel audibly gasped and I turo look at her. “I… I didn’t have to sign that? But he gave the gold to my father.”

  “Family members do not have the authority to sell others into svery uhe person iion is still a child. Were you tricked into signing a sve tract by that man? You’re not wearing a sve colr.”

  “Um, Lilith freed me the same night she bought me from him. They did the transa before we eveered the city so he wouldn’t have to pay fees or something. Oh, and I was an adult when I sighe tract.”

  “Well, usually you would still have to visit the sver’s guild tister or else Lilith may have been mistaken fly ensving someone. If Lilith didn’t have the tract you signed, she would have had to pay for a priest to du interview very simir to this one. Since we’re doing that now and she freed you anyway I won’t bother rep the situation. It’s not worth the trouble it would bring anyway.”

  Jacob paused for a minute and turo me before tinuing, “When a sve is being brought to the guild fistration, a required question to the sve is if they sighe tract willingly. Si is uhis ruse would work without help, this points to Mark having people in the guild c for him. If you had tried tister this young woman yourself, it would have looked like you were trying to trick her into signing if she said she didn’t sign willingly. Co-spirators could have covered this up pretty easily but you wouldn’t have that luxury. This means that either Mark was alnning on grabbing you or he realized after the fact that he could be caught.”

  I interject, “Wait a minute? He didn’t just get drunk and decide to viote me? This whole thing could have been pnned?”

  I turn to the dog still sitting on the floor. “Hey were you pnning on using me and sellio svery from the start?”

  The dog girl spoke up from the floor, “Bitned on trig you into svery but wasn’t pnning anything else master. Bitch got drunk…”

  I turn back to Jacob. “So this means Mark had a track record for trig people into svery in addition to what he did to me?”

  “I suppose we could ask. Why don’t you e sit at the table and answer a few questions Mark.”

  The poodle dogkis off the floor and takes one of the seats at the table. “My name is Bitch.”

  Jacob pauses at that but moves past it to ask his questions. “Did you used to be Mark Williamson?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you attack this woman while you were still a man?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you trick this woman into signing a trader a false assumption she was required to?”

  She hesitated for a moment. “If this deerkio be Bruno then yes.”

  “I go by Bel now.”

  Jacob gave an unsure look and turo Bel. “Did you used to be known as Bruno?”

  “I did.” Bel nods.

  Jacob turns back to Bitch. “Have you dohis to others?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did members of the sver’s guild help you cover up these transas?”

  “Yes.”

  “What are their names?”

  “Rid David. Bitch would only go in if Bitew one of them was w.”

  “I see… Why are you cooperating so pletely?”

  Bitch bit her lip as she thought about the answer. “Bitows she ’t lie and Bitch doesn’t know how else to answer.”

  Jaodded and turned back to us. “I’m satisfied that this used to be Mark and that she attacked you before you transformed her into… this.” He gestures at the poodle girl. “If you promise not to tell anyone about Mark trig people into svery I will promise not to tell anyone about your mysterious... abilities.”

  “What will happen to the others that Mark tricked?”

  He paused for a few moments. “Well I now have the proof I o apprehend Rid David. Morrin will be my witness under a zone of truth that Bel had been tricked and we’ll be able to question them without giving away that… Bitbsp;used to be Mark. That should allow us to quietly reacquire any of the sves we sold and free them as long as no nobles fight us on it.”

  “And you io follow through on freeing the people Mark tricked?”

  “Yes.” A pulse of energy flowed through me firming his words.

  “Then I have no pint with that deal. I won’t let any of the information on Mark’s as slip and you won’t tell ahat I have an ability that ge people.”

  “Good, then I’m satisfied with this interview and I’ll take Bitto my care while we find a buyer through private au as discussed. In the meahis is your colteral.” Jacob puts what looks like a rge silver oable. “This is a silver sve token, I’ve evaluated this dogkin as likely a gold tiered sve on au so this sve token is colteral in the event that something should happen while she’s in our care. When we finish the transa we’ll give you the money she takes in at auinus our 15% cut and you’ll returoken, please don’t lose it. In the case that something happens to her we will further pensate you based on the circumstances and you may keep that token and redeem a rept sve or sell it back to us at its current value. Don’t worry though, I will keep track of this sve personally, I’m sure I’m going to have further questiarding the mess Mark created for me while we wait for the au to gh.”

  I nod and he tinues, “In that case, this cludes our business. Please return one week from today and I’ll update you oatus or pay out the amount owed to you.” We all stand and start moving to the door.

  Before Bitch is lead through the door, the poodle turns around and looks me in the eye. “Lilith… Bitch is sorry.” I’m pletely shocked as she turns and tihrough the door before I reply. All I do is share a look with Bel before we leave a moment after.

  The walk back towards our inn was mostly silent. There wasn’t much to say and none of it was stuff I wao talk about in public. A bit of a weight was lifted off my chest now that I didn’t have to think about my rapist being held in my room anymore but I still felt a little bad about the whole thing, especially after Bitch apologized… Ah, I should get my mind off of that and focus on something else.

  All in all the meeting at the sve traders didn’t take that long so there was still plenty of daylight left. Still pretty early for dinner or anything like that too.

  “Hey Bel, do you think we should find you a on of some sort? You’re a nature healer but you also probably do some bat or utility magic as well right? Do you need a wand or a staff or something for that?”

  “Hmm, I’m not sure. I also don’t want to trouble you too much, you just bought me clothes and that nature grimoire, I already feel like you’re spending a lot on me.”

  “If we’re going to be w together it makes seo equip ourselves as best as possible. I already have a on but maybe I should buy some basic armor too if we’re going to be adventuring soon. We don’t have unlimited money but I have enough to live on for a while even if we don’t make much to start out with. We also o find some time to practice magid I would really like to learn to read this nguage as soon as possible. I’m not sure how easy it will be for me since I’m operating on slightly different rules.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well since I already uand the nguage we’re speaking but don’t perceive the differen my own tongue I’m unsure if it’s even possible for me to learn to read.”

  “Ah… Hm, yeah I’m not sure. All we do is try to teach you the basid see what happens I guess.”

  As we’re talking I spot a sign with a sword and shield drawn on it. I’m betting that may be a on and armor shop. It’s worth a look at any rate.

  “Hey lets check out that pce,” I say pointing to the sign. “Even if we decide not to get anything it might be good to get some information on what we need.”

  “Sure, alright,” Bel relents.

  Ihe shop are racks and racks of oly lined up. All kinds of swords, spears, battle axes, and all manner of other kinds of ons, including some exotic things on the walls. There are a couple of armor sets and shields here and there but it’s clear where this shop’s focus is.

  On one of the walls is a gigantic sb of metal, it was an hoo god greatsword. If it wasn’t for the magic strengthening everyone around here I would question how someone would evehat. The sb of metal was just as likely to bludgeon someone as it was to cut anything.

  Behind the ter retty handsome human man that looked like he was in his early twenties. He was kind of a roguish type with slightly curly blond hair and bright blue eyes. Uhe tailor’s shop this pce seemed plenty busy. There were people milling about iing various ons and eyeing the merdise. Unsure what we were even looking for I walked up to the ter.

  “Hello sir, my friend here just unlocked a nature healing css and we were hoping you could give us a clue about what kind of on would suit her.”

  He looked a little uneasy when I talked to him, eyes gng to Bel for a moment before replying, “Well normally healers and mages prefer simple ons that be used as magic foci, like scepters or staves. Oh! Did you say nature magic? I actually have something on hand.”

  He went uhe ter and pulled out a scepter with a rge green crystal. “An adventurer bought something here and used this scepter as part of a trade. We don’t normally buy stuff like this but it seemed like a good deal. It has a nature affinity magic crystal so it would probably be perfect for you. I would have to sell this to another shop normally so I’ll give you a good deal on it if you buy it and leave before my dad gets back. He’s not very friendly with beastfolk and I’d rather not hear him ranting about you all night for ing in here.”

  “How much are we talking?”

  “I’ll give it to you for 20 silver. Something like this is probably worth quite a bit more but you taking it saves me the hassle of taking it somewhere else.”

  I turn to Bel. “Any idea if this is a good deal?” She just shrugs in reply.

  “Alright, 20 silver sounds good." I pull the money out of my bag, t out twenty silver and pce it on the ter.

  “Awesome thanks. And uh, iure we don’t normally accept business with beastfolk. There’s a sign in the window there, you’re just lucky my dad isn’t around right now to blow up on you for even walking inside. I’m really sorry.”

  I give a strained smile. “I uand, thanks for the help. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

  With that I hahe scepter and we walk out the door.

  Saine

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