Chapter 34: Shopping For A Disguise And Taking A Detour
Chapter 34: Shopping For A Disguise And Taking A Detour
Myrine sighed.
"Myron and I- are not on the best of terms. He doesn't approve of certain choices I have made and I refuse to accept that he is any more than a hard-headed brat." Myrine said with sadness and a longing reminiscing of the good old days.
"Oh," Evian said, "I see."
"I mean I love him very much but we are just in different places at the moment. But I know he's well-" Myrine said.
"How do you know that?" Evian asked.
"He's family. I'll be contacted should something have happened to him. Myron is capable. He knows how to take care of himself." Marine said.
There was a long moment of silence that the two filled with more sips of narcotic tea.
"You should get going." Myrine suddenly said.
"What?" Evian was taken aback but his Mother waved him off with a smile.
"I can see you're itching to be out of here," she said.
Evian smiled.
"Actually, I'd like to learn more about you."
"Oh, don't patronize me, dear," Myrine said with a chuckle.
Evian shook his head.
"That's not what I'm doing. I'm just now realizing I've been too focused on learning about the outside world, I haven't learned about you or Lord Stygian." He said.
"Lord Stygian?" Myrine repeated with a raised brow and Evian corrected himself with twitching lips.
"Sorry, I meant 'Father'" he corrected.
Myrine nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. You need to get a handle on those slip-ups of yours.
Anyway, you can learn about my past some other day. Get going.
You shouldn't be stuck inside the Estate when you so clearly want to roam."
Evian smiled in appreciation as he refilled his tea cup and downed it in a single gulp before slowly getting up from his seat.
"I'll see you later, then. Mother."
Myrine glowed at the term he used to address her.
"Hey Evian?" she called as her son started making his way out of the Hut.
"Yes?"
"Take some Guards with you."
"I will," Evian said before he added in his mind,
'I won't.'
•••
Evian left the Stygian Estate on his own, unencumbered by an entourage of Guards and went deeper into Verdelen City. Still in the Stygian Territory.
'I'm willing to bet there's a manhunt for me in the Larnak Territory. I need some kind of disguise.'
Evian still remembered the directions Gillert had given him two nights ago; Viyeen Complex.
If that was some sort of secret meetup for the resistance, then it was wise he not bring along an angry horde of Larnak Estate Guards when he sought it out.
Finding somewhere to make a garment purchase was not hard. There were multiple shopping Emporiums (Large structures used by various Merchants for commerce) and Evian just went into the first he saw.
He had been garnering attention since he started walking the streets and that didn't stop even after he was in the Emporium. Ladies looked in awe of his looks and sometimes even giggled among themselves while the men either looked in admiration at the effect he had or with Envy that they did not have the same. Interestingly, sometimes it was both.
Not only was Evian handsome with eccentric features (his hair and eyes) but he was also dressed in expensive robes.
Evian ignored the men, winked at the women, and even wiggled his fingers at a few chosen ladies much to their swooning pleasure.
"What can I help you with Sir?" asked the Merchant clerk of stall Evian approached in the Emporium.
With his eyes looking around and observing, Evian tried to decide on what sort of outfit he wanted. There were all sorts being worn by the customers of the Emporium but none really gave the sort of 'cover' Evian was looking for. He was ready to ask for any generic hat when he spotted a man inside the stall he was facing.
"I want something like that." he pointed.
The Clerk looked surprised and his eyes moved towards the man inside the stall.
"Those are merchant robes. They'll cost you." the Clerk said and then he paused, eyed Evian's expensive clothes again, and decided to rephrase his words with a smile but he never got the chance.
"I'll pay what it costs. I want that." Evian said with a smile and a nonchalant wave.
The outfit Evian was pointing at was a complete robe without the partitions his current clothes had. It was long and quite garish but it was the headpiece that caught Evian's attention enough for him to want it; It was a Turban. Or at least Turban-like and complete with a sheet that fell down the back of the wearer's head.
'With that, I dare say only getting stared right in the face will get me recognized. Pair it with my Phasing and I should be able to walk around just fine.
Merchants must walk the streets of the City enough for it to not cause raised eyebrows. This is it!'
The stall clerk offered Evian a few choices. Evian picked a black one adorned with green designs. It looked expensive but the color combinations were muted enough to not draw too much attention.
"Don't forget the headpiece." Evian reminded with a smile.
The Clerk shook his head.
"Of course not.
That will be 100 gold coins."
Spatial rings are an interesting thing. With complete mental access to every object within, Evian could make a mental indication for a specific amount of the heaps of Gold coins within and only take out that amount.
With a flick of his finger, Evian dumped a lump of coins onto the counter. After a quick count (emphasis on quick) the Clerk confirmed the amount and smiled at Evian.
"Thank you for your Patronage. Do return."
"Maybe I shall," Evian said with a genuine smile.
He had Gold coins to splurge and was not shy about spending them.
It was fun to spend someone else's money. Especially if that someone was scum who tried to kidnap you. And even more, if this was after you've eaten and enjoyed their soul.
When Evian left the Emporium with his disguise inside his Spatial Ring, he was ready for his journey to the Larnak Territory but on a whim decided he had time for one detour.
He ran through the streets he recognized from yesterday with his destination being the quaint and well-built building Daria called home.
The compound was as quiet as it had been yesterday and Evian stepped into it confidently as he walked towards the door and gave it a gentle push to see if it would open.
Whatever inner workings were involved with the door, it did not respond to Evian's push.
'Hmm, locked.'
Evian used his Phasing spell on the hand still on the door and when it went through, he employed the spell on the rest of his body and walked into the Witch's home without a care for her privacy.
"Nggghhh-"
Almost immediately after Evian was on the other side of the door, a curious sound hit his ear and his eyes roamed until they fell on a curtain behind which the sound had originated.
'It's not Daria's voice. I've heard her moan enough to know it's not.' Evian thought as he followed the sound.
"Ohhhh-" the unseen speaker moaned again and there was a shaky struggle to the tone.
'It's not Daria but that sound IS familiar,' Evian thought and then grinned,
'Wait- It can't be!'
He pulled the curtain aside and confirmed his forming suspicions.
Behind the curtain was a dimly lit room with a raised platform in the middle. On that platform sat Lady Yvette of the Larnak Estate with her legs crossed beneath her and her eyes closed in concentration while her lips were pressed tightly together in an obvious attempt to stop the moans threatening to leak from her lips.
Daria stood behind Yvette, eyes closed as well, with her hands raised and a spell circle revolving slowly above the Mature Lady of the Larnak Estate.
Evian's lips stretched into an even wider smile.
"What are the odds?" he muttered.
Whether it was his muttered words or that his presence finally poked through Daria's concentration, the Witch's eyes snapped open and fell on Evian's face.
"Evian!" she called in surprise.
The call pulled Yvette out of whatever focused concentration she was in and she opened her eyes and beheld the face of the Perverted bastard who was the very reason she was even here today seeking the help of an Arcanist for her condition.
"You- What are you doing here?" Yvette asked with indignation and eyes wide with surprise.
Evian just smiled at her as he stepped into the room while he allowed his eyes to roam the two ladies within as well as the sparse furniture but it was on the face of Larnak's Wife his attention mostly fell.
"Truly, truly, what are the odds of me meeting you here, Lady Yvette?"