Chapter 16 - For the Record

The trip back to the underground –  wait, is this the ground? Under surface? Below surface? Whatever,  anyway, it’s uneventful. I didn’t even run into my pets along the way,  I’m sure they’ve wandered off and will be easy enough to find if I need  them again.

(Either that or they’ve run for the hills, and I wouldn’t blame them,) Nyx interjects.

Well, sure, but I have a hunch we’ll see them again.

I dart around the entryway ward again  and head for the town square, since it’s midday now and Nerin is  probably working. And sure enough, there they are, so I drift my lure  up.

Hello Nerin.

The eldra shrieks like I’d just hit  them with a burning hot poker, flinging the produce up in the air. I  can’t help but feel some déjà vu, and I manifest some feelers to catch  the falling vegetables and –

They hit the ground.

Where are my feelers?

“GODS, don’t do that!”

Ah. Sorry.

I appreciate Nerin’s struggling to  catch their breath and refusal to speak more, considering I’m suddenly  in a crisis myself. What’s going on? Did I break something?

(Class and Skill changes.)

What?

Nyx tilts her head. (You really didn’t  think that only names changed, did you? You don’t have your corporeal  form Skill anymore.)

That’s... true. I haven’t tested the other one... I probably should.

(Dismiss your lure first, or at least don’t stand on top of it. At least pretend you don’t want to terrify poor Nerin.)

Ok, fine. I dismiss my lure, and  activate Verum Corpus. My ash swirls, glitters, and compresses smoothly  into a solid mass, starting at my feet, traveling up through my torso  and arms, finally reaching the tips of my hair. I blink my unexpectedly  material eyes, and take a breath of the air in the marketplace. It's  rather stale isn’t it?

My next sensation, other than feeling the stone beneath my feet, is the coat Nerin has slapped across my front.

“Idiot! I was sure you lacked any form of common sense before, but I have no room to question it now.” Are they upset? Why?

(You just manifested a physical body, one that again looks exactly like me, completely nude, in the middle of town square. What did you expect?)

Ah. Nudity is a thing people care about, yes?

(Yes,) she retorts.

Ah, my apologies. This is a new  Skill. I was not aware it would manifest without clothing, considering  my other Skills managed that.

“You should always test your skills in a safe environment though,” the grocer scolds.

Fair enough. Now we know though. I guess I should probably get some clothing... I have funds.

***

The rest of the afternoon is a  whirlwind of Nerin dragging me between a number of different shops – a  tailor, a cobbler, a leatherworker, and a few others – as they insist on  outfitting me “like a sensible person” as they so eloquently put it.

(Don’t mind me, I’m just over here not being at all surprised that you can’t even dress yourself.)

Oh shut up.

(Have you tried identifying them? I bet they just show up as ‘clothes’,) Nyx sneers.

And, I choose to ignore her. I’d say  I’m being the bigger person, but my body and hers look to be the same  size now. Which I suppose makes sense.

After the shopping spree and Nerin’s  extensive lecture on how I’m supposed to wear everything, including  having me dress and undress multiple times to show I actually  understand, I've got two changes of clothes that make me look like a low  level adventurer and almost no enni to my name.

(You are a low level adventurer.)

Fair enough.

Thank you for your assistance.

“It’s no problem at all.”

I’m walking after them, since I’ve got  nothing better to do for the time being. Which... hmm, the Skill  changes... I can’t help but wonder.

“Can you understand me?” I ask.

My walking companion freezes.

“I have had many Skill changes. The description of one leads me to believe that I may be able to speak. Flinch twice if yes.”

They turn to give me an incredulous look before replying. “Yes, I can understand you. You definitely don’t sound human, or anything like it.”

“Then. What would you say I sound like?”

Nerin stands and thinks for a minute.  “If I had to say anything specific, your voice sounds like the wind  through the trees in the forests of the Greater Grove.”

“Fascinating. I have no idea what that means,” I reply.

“My homeland on the native plane of my  kind. They say the spirits whisper to those who will hear, are willing  to hear. Whether it’s to offer unexpected advice or to spirit away  children who haven’t learned better.”

Well. That’s a thing to ponder.

(What they hear probably isn’t really with their ears.)

Why do you say that?

(The description talks about souls  resonating, and that description was clearly something very personal to  Nerin. There’s no way that’s a coincidence,) she says as she crosses her  arms and leans on a nearby wall.

“I’ll need to experiment with this more. In the meantime, what will you do?” I ask the grocer.

“Well, I already closed shop for the  day. I’ll stop at Meune’s tavern like I usually do, and then return home  to rest. What will you do?”

“I will join you,” I answer.

I spend the rest of the evening  drinking with Nerin and the rest of the regular crowd. It’s a strange  experience to realize alcohol seems to affect me now, but I suppose it’s  related to this being my ‘true body’ or whatever.

(Yes, that would be exactly why,) Nyx answers.

Now that I think of it, I keep thinking things in the form of questions or just generally wondering about things...

(Yes you do.)

Sorry.

(Whatever. Just don’t get so drunk we can’t get back to Philip.)

Sure, sure. One or two more will probably be fine.

And they are at first, but after a  while, I feel myself starting to slip from consciousness, and the next  thing I know I’m surrounded by people screaming and running away.

Ah, I see. If I lose consciousness, Verum Corpus ends?

(Looks that way. Idiot. This is why you always test things first.)

Also, I’m completely sober.

(Your normal form doesn’t have any biology to get drunk.)

Fair enough. Huh, looks like Nerin ran too.

I take a few moments to follow the  routine the grocer drilled into my head for dressing myself, and then  walk out the front door. Walking with this body is a lot easier than it  was with my lure, almost like it’s reflexive or instinctual.

(Of course it is, this is supposed to  be your true body. If it was a tentacled horror, you’d innately know how  to move that instead.)

Interesting.

Anyway, I have no idea where Nerin  lives, but I can taste their mana in the air. I follow the scent and  eventually find myself at a small house with probably two or three rooms  in total. They must be doing relatively well for themself if they can  manage a home larger than a single room, especially in an area like  this. I can feel their mana inside, huddled in a far corner.

I decide to project my thoughts like I used to, instead of speaking. I don’t want to terrify them more.

(So you’re learning then?) Nyx interrupts.

I sigh – physically this time! Wow, having this kind of body is weird.

I’m sorry. I didn’t know that would happen if I lost consciousness.

No answer. Huh.

(You should probably just leave them alone for now. If they’re going to come around, they will on their own.)

Alright. I can go along with that. I think now is as good as any a time to check those ghost traps...