The Mimic Becomes a Merchant King

As it happened, they were already fairly close to the temple's exit, and Illyana knew the way in fine detail. Even reaching a staircase did little to hinder the elf, who would simply hoist her cart and carry it up the steps. She would get a little sweaty and red faced, admittedly, but she never complained or cursed from the exertion.

"So," Coin said, examining their moss-coated surroundings as they made their way along. "You said this place was called Thaeka's Temple?"

Illyana gave him a sideways look. "You're exploring here and you don't even know the name of the place?"

"I'm... foreign," he bluntly replied.

"Ha. Clearly." Illyana rolled her neck, bones loudly cracking. "It's named after the goddess Thaeka. Goddess of the earth in some of the older religions. But, well, her worship faded with time as it did for most deities in the Old Faith, and underground temples like these fell into disrepair."

Coin nodded in understanding. "Goddess of the earth... they built underground to be close to her?"

"Something like that."

They rounded a corner, venturing into a vaulted corridor that stretched on for a considerable distance. But there, at the very end, sat a glowing golden light that nearly blinded Coin as he stared at it. He swallowed hard, rooted to the spot.

"Ah, thank goodness," Illyana said, exhaling with relief. "Ruins like this are just so damp and breezy. The chill is worse than the monsters trying to kill you."

"Yes. Definitely," Coin murmured, unable to look away from the light. Having spent his entire life in the damp darkness, the warmth and the light was entirely alien to him. Even the glowing mushrooms of the temple paled in comparison to that distant radiance. He fished a coin from his 'pocket', which was actually just a furrow of flesh in his waist, and held it up to the light. The golden glow was more beautiful than he ever could have imagined.

He cleared his throat, trying to focus back on the path ahead of them. "So, you said you were with the Adventurer's Guild?"

"You're... not?" Coin shook his head. "Ah, well, yes. I'm a Rank 3 adventurer, handling whatever jobs I can get qualified for. But if you're not with the Guild, what were you doing down here?"

Coin shrugged. "I was passing by, figured I'd take a look inside. Not that I got much out of it." Coin made a mental note of the terms Illyana had used. The knowledge, perhaps, would come in handy going forward.

"Yes, well, you should be careful. You certainly seem strong, for a human, but those ruins are full of dangerous creatures."

"You don't know the half of it."

They emerged from the darkness, at which point the light became blinding. Coin winced, raising an arm to shield himself from the glow. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the light. His world of mould and stone was gradually replaced with rolling hills of green grass, knee high blades brushing his legs as he trod forward. It took him a moment to realise, in his awe, he had forgotten to breathe.

And that first breath of fresh air, devoid of the dusty stagnancy he was used to, was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. And everything around him was vast in a way Coin never could have imagined in the past. He stared at the vastness of the sky and took in another breath. It seemed to stretch on forever.

"Coin?" Illyana asked, snapping him to attention. "You alright? You seem a little dazed."

He cleared his throat and swiftly turned to the elf. "Just a touch lightheaded." He supposed that was one way to describe it.

"Well, make sure you catch your breath before you start moving again. The roads are a little less dangerous than the ruins, but not exactly what I would call safe." She raised the wooden bars of her cart. "As for me, I suppose I should start making my way back to Wheat Valley to hand these in."

Coin considered his options. He could wander aimlessly, but that seemed a very poor idea. Even when he had been a mindless beast he had been smart enough to know, instinctively, that there were very big and nasty monsters prowling about. Genetic memory from ancestors who, through sheer misfortune, had ended up plundered into the treasure hordes of angry dragons. Or squashed by colossal ogres who did not appreciate the humour of treasure chests trying to bite them.

Or, alternatively, he could follow Illyana. That way, at least, he'd be able to find civilization. From there, in theory, he'd be able to find his footing. Perhaps even learn more about what had happened to him.

"What a coincidence!" He forced a smile, "I was just heading that way too. Maybe we should go together? You know, just in case."

The elf hummed at the proposition, tilting her head. She knew he could handle himself in a fight, even if the darkness had blinded her to his more unnatural abilities. "Well," she eventually said, "I don't see why not."

She took off, heading to the far end of the field. The further across the grass they went, the more Coin could see of a distant dirt road. He spared a glance over his shoulder to the place that had been his home for the entirety of his life. The looming mouth of a massive cave, hissing out a dark fog into the sunlight, stared back at him.

What had driven his people to live underground like that? Why did mimics crave the darkness of the underground? Standing under the sun like this, Coin just couldn't fathom it.

But, in the back of his mind, a worry was starting to gnaw at him. What if his transformation was temporary? The strange potion that gave him intelligence fading away over time? The thought made him grimace with discomfort. He had two things to do, in that case. First he needed to learn more about whizz-ard's and the weird potions they brewed, and to see if there were any records of mimics like himself anywhere in the world. And, secondly, he wanted to get his hands on more gold.

Well, that part of him hadn't changed much at least.

He followed behind Illyana, who breathed a sigh of relief as the wheels of her wagon started to bump along the road. Her cart of weapons clinked and clattered. In the light, most of them sported some degree of rust.

"So," Coin said, settling his hands on his hips. "You were sent to... retrieve these?"

Illyana nodded. "Ruins like the temple are rife with the gear of fallen adventurers. The Adventurer's Guild runs a service for reselling equipment like this. Well, obviously we treat it with alchemical oils to remove the rust and reinforce them. And, as such, we can afford to sell this gear for a cheaper price than what the smiths do even if the quality is a little bit lesser."

"Huh." Well some part of his soul cringed at the prospect of spending money at all, so the cheaper option was the lesser of two evils in Coin's eyes.

"Works out well for Rank 1 and 2 adventurers. The kind who don't have much money to start with, or are regularly breaking their gear. And I get paid decently, depending on how much I bring in."

"Sounds like it's nearly as dangerous as venturing into a ruin looking for treasure."

The blonde nodded. "It's not fun. Or glamorous. Or dignifying. But it puts bread on the table."

"Oh," Coin simply replied. The Adventurer's Guild paid people with bread? Well, he had seen plenty of adventurers munching on bread by their campfires.

Illyana looked upward, watching the sun as it loomed above them. "Past midday. Don't think we'll be reaching Wheat Valley until tomorrow. Fortunately I have my camping supplies in the bottom of all this," she said, nodding to her wagon.

Coin reached down, gripping at his stomach. It was a motion he had seen humans and goblins do more than once, usually followed by a rather ghastly gurgling sound from somewhere inside their body. He supposed he could manipulate his inner workings to copy that, but ultimately he chose not to. It seemed disgusting. Though he was hungry all the same.

Particularly since he had discarded the idea of eating Illyana.

What sort of food did people eat in the world above? Something better than rats, he had to hope. While lurking in the shadows, he had seen humans blackening thick chunks of anomalous meat over their campfires. Which seemed ludicrous to Coin, but if that was how it was done here he supposed he'd have to feign acceptance.

"Might as well get some food while we're walking," said Coin.

"I have a few provisions but I'd be lying if I said I don't prefer fresh to preserved. And around this stretch..." she scanned the horizon line. "Shouldn't be too hard to find some rabbits and birds."

Coin grinned and lightly clapped his hands together. "Wonderful," he replied, deciding not to ask what in damnation a 'rabbit' or 'bird' was.

This was the world above, and he had so much to learn. And he was utterly enthralled by the seemingly endless land now unfurling before him.