[Mkguild] New Suit

[Stealth]

First story in a new cycle. It's set in spring a week after Naughty. Been
backlogged for awhile but finally finished it as the next ones in the cycle
are almost ready.

New Suit
Copyright 2008 Michael Nastov


    "Hmmm." A deep croaking 'hmm' at that, emitted from beyond the parchment
joined by the sound of heavy laboured breathing, or so it sounded to the
cat.

    "You spelt 'glutton' wrong."  The reptilian steward pointed out. Stealth
kept his head down as the seconds dragged on.

    "This sentence is two sentences spliced together. You need to make this
comma a period or semicolon." Thalberg added. Stealth sighed at each new
note.

    A week ago the crocodilian set a series of tasks as punishment for the
thieving feline after he sampled a banquet for a dinner which the duke
himself as well as the lady Alberta would be hosting for all the other lords
of the valley.

    Needless to say, Thalberg got his pound of flesh for that! Stealth
completed all the gruelling tasks handed to him that week and this was the
last. An essay on why gluttony and greed is wrong...

    "You can drop the 'it's' from this sentence and try to avoid that evil
word 'was'; find a more active description." Oh really; the cat got the
point across, nay?

    "'Well kept' should be hyphenated" The reptile paused, "you add a line
connecting them." Stealth blushed at the remark; he knew what hyphenate
means!

    "And 'loose' should have but one 'o'" Upon hearing an audible groan,
Thalberg looked up from the parchment and cast his eerie reptilian gaze on
the cheetah. "Is there a problem, boy?"

    Stealth's eyes narrowed, "Boy?"

    Thalberg dropped the parchment on his desk. It slid slightly and came to
a halt on the oak surface. "Do you have something to say?" The reptile laced
his stubby fingers and made an attempt at tilting his head to one side.

    "I'm 24." Stealth didn't raise his voice, nor did he mumble.

    Thalberg leaned back in his chair. "Aye, defiantly an adult..." he
observed, mocking the cat's maturity.

    "Will that be all?" The cheetah seethed at the reptile.

    Thalberg rolled up the parchment. He took it in one hand and tapped it
on the desk, "this is not satisfactory." He stated bluntly, "Write it again
and return to me."

    The steward held out the paper to the cat, however, as Stealth
approached the reptilian retracted his extended arm, "and Orix." He began,
"take too many more pheasants and you will be working in the kitchens on a
more permanent basis." The steward then threw the rolled up parchment to the
cheetah who awkwardly caught it in his chest with both hands.

    Stealth looked up and continued to seethe at the big lizard.

    Thalberg turned his large head back down to his other duties, "that will
be all, Mr. Zachary."

    The embittered courier took a breath and turned to leave, walking
briskly out of the steward's office while continuing to unmask his
frustration. He just wanted to leave the ductile towers and head back into
the less 'stuffy' lower keep.

    Stealth scrunched up the parchment in his paw. Though he knew it would
be needed as a reference for his next attempt, he really couldn't care less.
Not to mention today was his day off and he thought the unpleasantness of
the past week was finally over with. But no. That bloody pompous lizard...

    The feline openly snarled heading out, spooking a mouse morph who stood
guard in the hall. The rodential warrior flinched from his proud and
disciplined stance though did his best to conceal the discomfort. Stealth
hadn't noticed him anyway; for now his only thought was on the fact that he
was free of that place.

    Eventually the cheetah came across a courtyard in the lower-keep
containing a fountain. Not the same courtyard which played host to the
keep's resident tree morph which the cat had been told of; that would be
much closer to the steward's office =96 the place he was trying to gain
distance from =96 Kyia permitting =96 he noted.

    Stealth 'crashed' on a bench and attempted to cool off both his physical
self as-well as his temper. He closed his eyes. The cheetah's ears flicked
slightly as he began to lose himself in the roaring sound of the water.
Stealth began to feel at peace and-

    "Stealthy!"

    The cat sighed. No, jumped then sighed. He had been discovered by Fell.
Idly Stealth thought the curse had meant for the grazer to become a
predator, maybe a canine.

    "Fella..." he returned the greeting though sounded tired.

    His gazelle friend perched next to him on the stone bench to rest his
own hooves. The prey animal displayed no outward signs of fear or anxiety at
sitting right next to a predator that makes his adopted species its primary
source of food, despite the terrible accident a month or so prior.

    The instincts were always there, however, in the years since the curse
had been laid on the valley and its inhabitants the people who were there at
the start have for the most part trained themselves to ignore it.

    Right now Stealth seemed far more uncomfortable and closed off; to him
having an inner fear of being eaten by some other people was bad, but the
thought of being the one with a desire to eat others, that was more or less
horrific!

    "Stealth...?" The gazelle leaned over and tilted his head.

    The cheetah sighed, though he tried not to, "Yeah." He acknowledged.

    "Am I being a bother? I'll give you your room." Fell got up to leave.

    "No! Wait." Stealth assured, "I'm sorry. Don't mind me, please."

    "I don't mind." Fell waved a hoof-like hand and sat back down though a
bit further away, "so tell me O spotted one, how are the?"

    In his paw, the cheetah held up some scrunched up parchment, "I have to
rewrite this gods damned thing." He took a deep breath, "I really can't be
bothered." Stealth even considered whether or not to just tear it up and
work in the bloody kitchens. Though for the moment he just retracted it from
view and muzzle palmed with his other paw. "How are you then, O... oh, um?"

    Fell had the consideration to ignore his friend's failed attempt at
emulating his greeting and instead rolled up his sleeve, moving the exposed
forearm in-front of the feline. "As you can see, I art well." His arm healed
completely from the accident that had lead up to Stealth's first encounter
with the paladin knight, Edmund, which the two of them discussed soon after
their introductions.

    "Well that's something at least," the cat smiled though without
revealing his sharp teeth.

    Silence followed for a few moments as the morphs stared aimlessly at the
fountain's mist.

    "Well, I'm not spending my day in a courtyard." Fell got up for the
second time, "how about you? Gonna sit here and mope like a pussy cat,
Stealth?"

    "No, no. I just needed to cool off." The cat explained.

    "You should try going somewhere to clear your head." The gazelle
scratched his head, "it can help with the creative process. I think. I'm
heading to town for the day, why don't you come along?"

    The cheetah sighed again, "Aye, why not, I could use the distraction."
He forced himself to his feet.

    "Good, good, now mind you; I'm going further than the lower ward." Fell
warned.

    "So long as we're not heading as far as Lorland." Stealth shrugged.

    "Nay, Nay, just to Euper." He explained as they headed out through a
stone arch back into the keep's interior.

    "Euper? You poor fellow, tis bad enough headed down there with boots."
Stealth raised an eye ridge to the morph.

    "You're one to talk." Fell used his fingers to create the shape of a
four legged animal; a reference to the cheetah's occupation as a full form
courier. Stealth's four paws had trod on the streets of Euper more than once
to be sure. How he could do that in a place where people threw their
excrement out of the windows was anybodies guess.

    "Dumb grazer! I'm agile; I dart around the icky things." Stealth
demonstrated with his own fingers. He paused and looked up to the gazelle,
"Fell, show me your hand again."

    He shrugged and did so. After holding it up, Stealth noted that it
looked a tad... beastel, more so than usual anyway. Fell had humanoid hands
with five fingers though covered in fur and terminating in thick
thimble-like hoof-nails. However, on one hand the digits looked thicker and
shorter, almost on the verge of merging. It happened to be the hand which
terminated the very arm the cheetah broke during their 'game'.

    "It's okay." The gazelle recalled his arm back out of sight, though he
noticed the cat continue to frown at him. "You know how disused limbs become
weak and frail without use? It looks as though the curse works the same way,
at least with me."

    Stealth turned away and nodded, "that's odd, I hope it won't last. Have
you consulted a mage?" Anxiety began creeping into the feline's voice.

    "I am a mage." Fell answered, beginning to sound terse.

    "But someone who knows about this sort of thing, like that bear." Many
keepers knew of Christopher Hughes it seemed, that one could mention a bear
in regard to the technicalities of the curse with few failing to identify
the full form ursine.

    "I don't need to do that, besides, why would I consult someone who's
stuck as a full animal?" He asked. "My hand needs to be humanoid again, not
the other way around."

    "Very well." Stealth didn't persist though he remained thoughtful on the
topic.

    "I just prefer not to think on it." Fell explained, sounding calmer.

    "Then tell me," the cheetah began, changing the subject, "why are you
heading into Euper?"

    "I am collecting a new tailored suit; many of my possessions were
destroyed in the Yule tide attack, along with the local tailors of the lower
ward." The gazelle explained, sounding slightly ashen.

    Stealth nodded while looking to the path ahead, "I see, but why do you
need a suit?"

    "The summer solace is approaching." Fell reminded, looking slightly
bemused.

    "...So?" Stealth raised an eye ridge.

    The gazelle merely turned away and shrugged, "some people like to look
presentable."

    Again the cheetah nodded, though his curiosity faded.

    The animal duo travelled through the lower ward, using their time on the
main street mostly to gawk at the ruins and reconstruction. Though summer
was well on the way, the city needed much more work before it could be
returned to its former glory.

    Growing up in the valley, Fell noted this and compared the sights and
sounds to that of the Lower ward prior to the Winter Assault as well as to
its condition prior and subsequent of Three Gates. Of course, Fell had been
born and raised in Glen Avery =96 before it became a 'tree-town' so he hadn=
't
seen all that much of it. However the gazelle morph did relocate after that
battle to live in the keep proper and in that time has become familiar with
the area and the people in it, many of whom will never rebuild...

    Stealth on the other hand had been a resident of the keep for no more
than two months or so; the ruins didn't hold the same meaning for the
cheetah. Only that the damage which befell the town was bad.

    The feline jumped on the spot when a loud 'thud' disturbed his sensitive
ears. Stealth looked down to the side of the street closer to where they
were walking and spied a large hammer.

    "Hey you, Save us some trouble?" A soft yet gruff voiced asked from
above.

    Stealth walked over to the curb and snatched up the dusty hammer in his
paw then reached up to a roof and handed it to a child sitting aloft.

    "Thanks, kid." The AR got back to work on the roof's tiles.

    The two AMs on the ground continued on. After a moment Stealth shook his
head, "I know this place is built into me now but I just don't think I'll
ever get used to it."

    "You will." Fell stated bluntly. "Everyone does."

    Eventually they reached the first gate out and travelled under its
massive arch, then onto the barren killing grounds. For a moment, Stealth
felt like his feet were moving though not taking him anywhere. The killing
grounds were just a big nothing; they were completely devoid of any objects
that could be used as markers for distance.

    Even the traffic flow seemed dismal compared to the areas outside the
gates on either side even though the same number of people travelled between
them. Perhaps some people merely vanished as they passed through the gates
and Kyia herself ate them.

    However the killing grounds did have its charms. It was one of the few
places from where the cheetah could see everything and feel safe in the
knowledge that if there are predators around then he will know it!

    On reaching the third and final gate they were stopped in a line of
residents and visitors waiting to be processed and allowed passage. And so
they waited, chatting idly about nothing, trying to see through the killing
holes in the walls and ceiling to spy a glance at any defenders within and
silently compare curses to the other Metamorians while spotting the
difference between ordinary humans and ones in fact cursed like them.

    It really wasn't so hard; just look for the men and woman who appear
handsome and more or less perfect. Then children without parents and didn't
look to be homeless orphans. Indeed, one of each greeted them at the gate;
the gate guards appeared as a man, woman and child as well as a cat.

    "Name?" The woman asked in a bored yet stern voice.

    "Fell and Stealth." The gazelle said unintimidated and indicated his
cheetah friend.

    The house-cat-morphed guard scribbled the words on his board-backed
parchment. The smaller, domestic feline appeared some splodgy breed that the
cheetah couldn't identify. The feline-guard seemed to have a subtle habit of
wrinkling his nose, folding his ears and squinting as he sniffed at odours
that carried through the air from the killing grounds.

    The woman nodded her head, "Proceed." Behind her, the other two
full-human guards tended to the driver of a cart. The cat who had taken
their details seemed to twitch an ear back to his companions dealing with
the carriage to sate his curiosity. The departing keepers paid no heed to
him and continued on to the winding road that would lead them down to
Metamor's second great =96 not to mention only other =96 city.

    As the great keep rested on the lowest depression in a pass dividing the
mammoth mounts of east and west, it too was located on an elevated area that
the accessing road had been built around. At the mercy of a poor angle, the
coble stone path as well as those who traversed it, wound back and forth
with their cargo till reaching more forgivable ground. There were actually
two paths leading down from the gate; the second turned off to the side and
led directly down. That road was used by people heading north though people
with carriages still had to use the main, winding road to Euper as the
former, more direct path north was too narrow.

    However, they were heading to Euper anyway, though lacking the burden of
a carriage or steeds, the lithe and agile feline scampered down at the first
bend in the large and winding path, making his clothes slightly dusty.
Unfortunately, his friend kept his hooves on the stone path and preferred to
remain tidy and dignified. And so Stealth had come to a grinding halt at the
lower base of the winding road. For some minutes the cheetah paced back and
forth till the gazelle finally reached the bottom and they continued on once
more.

    The rest of the path to Euper was short and straight. A minute or so of
brisk walking brought them to the short, wooden walls of the city and its
clear north gate; security was clearly far more lax outside the walls of the
great keep, but then, Euper remained more or less untouched after the Yule
time assault.

    The smell of Euper hit their animalistic noses, a smell Stealth was well
acquainted with from all his time on four legs. They could smell it from the
trip down but that was not the worst of it; the source of the pungent stench
was no mystery hidden away, it was everywhere on the streets while yet more
of it was thrown from windows.

    The waste of Euper coated its pavement, unlike the Keep and lower ward
which had an ancient Seuilman sewer, Euper was a wonderful 'modern' city
which its builders didn't bother to provide with a hidden waterway.

    Soon, Fell pointed off to a sign on one side of the main street. "That's
the place, the red sign with a needle."

    Stealth nodded and followed after, hoping the smell indoors would be
much more pleasant.

    The old wooden door opened with the chime of a bell and a slow grinding
'creak'. The interior smelt stuffy and a thick cloud dust could be seen in
the sunbeam. Momentarily, a small man appeared from behind a curtain and
smiled to his guests.

    "Welcome! Welcome! You need new clothes, yes? Let's get you measured
up." He said persuasively.

    "No, no!" Fell held out his hands and chuckled. "I already bought a
suit, I'm here to retrieve it, Miss."

    "Ah! Yes, your name?" S-he asked the gazelle.

    "Felltho. I had measurements taken and made a purchase under that name."
He answered, hoping the gender morphed man would recall.

    "Yes! Please, right this way, in here, this way." He waived his hands to
the curtain.

    Inside, the room was much more spacious than the foyer. Large racks
lined the wall on either side with clothing of all sorts crammed into the
space. Without even pausing or looking, the male human pulled out the
gazelle's suit. Fell took it in his hoof-like hands, one of which had
thicker, stubbier digits. It appeared just as he remembered it but was it
the one made for his form?

    "Try it on!" The man said. "We should see now if there are any problems
with the suit."

    Fell nodded and after he handed the suit to the tailor, he quickly
disrobed. The cheetah blushed and flinched as the gazelle-man removed his
shirt and pants in full view then took the first piece of the suit to put
on. Stealth shook his head of the embarrassment; there are times when
modesty becomes impractical as he knew from his own familiarity. He was
being inconsistent he realised, but still, it would take him by surprise all
the same.

    "A perfect fit Ann." The morph said. By this time he wore the complete
top half of a full dress suit... but no pants. However the shirt and
overcoat covered him up well enough anyway.

    "You're too kind. I do see a few places that need my attention..." The
tailor =96 Ann said as he approached and began to pin up the overcoat in
places.

    The man was armed to the teeth with needles all of a sudden as he worked
on the suit. Stealth didn't know from where he'd procured them though he
hadn't been paying a great deal of attention; he left the keep to unwind but
clothes shopping was just a bit too lax.

    ...eventually the coat and shirt were placed on a wooden mannequin then
the gazelle tried on his new pants. The better half of fifteen minutes
passed and all was done.

    "There! Come back in a bit and I'll fix this right up for you. What
about your friend?" Ann asked.

    "Huh?" The cheetah asked quite taken aback by the break in monotony.

    "I can take your measurements and fix up a suit for you by the end of
the day."

    "Uh... no, no thanks." Stealth shook his head.

    "It won't take long my boy, just pick out something you like and we'll
get your measurements." The tailor persisted.

    "Come on, you should get a nice suit, it wouldn't hurt to have in your
closet." The gazelle agreed.

    "But what use would I have for it?" The cat asked.

    "There may be a time when you will need to be well dressed." Fell
implored, "You can't always just run around naked in your animal form or
gods forbid, dressed as a bachelor when a morph."

    "Hmm, if it's affordable I suppose..." The cheetah offered.

    "My wares are comfortable on your pelt and your pouch." The tailor
assured.

    "Hmm, okay I guess."

    "Great! Now off with the rags." The man said enthusiastically.

    The cat blinked, "All of them?"

    "Of course! How else am I to take proper measurements?" He asked.

    "I..." Stealth sighed and removed his top. "Let's get started."

    "And..." Fell asked with a malicious grin.

    "First the top." The cat answered and glowered at the gazelle.

    The tailor quickly made measurements all over the feline's chest, back
and arms, occasionally disturbing the seam of the fur. Stealth would twitch
and try to brush it back into place each time without disrupting the man's
work.

    When those measurements were done, the cheetah put his top back on
before he let the tailor measure his lower half. Stealth's top provided some
overhanging modesty though during the close contact it didn't quell his
discomfort much.

    The cheetah man's measurements were taken and it was time for him to
pick out a suit that would be adjusted to his form. Before doing so he
replaced his pants and boots, and then walked over to the rack. He'd already
seen everything on offer, from a partial glance anyway but still everything
seemed the same. They were just fancy suits and dresses, quite a few colours
and fabrics but still... to the bachelor cat it really made no difference.

    Soon though he found something he liked and pulled it out. "...this
one."

    "Ah, a light blue doublet, nice choice. That comes with the breeches and
short sleeve white muslin shirt." Ann informed.

    The cheetah nodded uncertainly, "Can I afford it?"

    "It's made from wool but I can fix you something made of silk if you
really like." The tailor said in jest though he would have loved to sell
something nicer to the feline. Ann took the clothes and placed them near the
gazelle's suit on another rack. "Come back in two to three hours and they
will be ready by then."

    "Good, we'll be about town..." Fell said as he noted the clock high up
on the far wall.

    Stealth quietly breathed a sigh of relief, eager at the thought of doing
something else. Clothes shopping was so mind numbing, at times he fancied
the idea of becoming a full cheetah and just curling up in one of the
tailor's fabric piles. Then he imagined what would happen if he did just
that in the keep's laundry... the old croc would make him wash all the linen
and get every shed hair out. How did they get all that shed fur out? Stealth
wondered.

    After leaving the shop, the savannah creatures started on a b-line
through the town... and b-lines past un-pleasantries on the street. The
gazelle pointed to a bar but the cheetah shook his head. Fell rolled his
eyes and lead his friend onward to a store that sold games, toys and
puzzles.

    When they entered Stealth noted the pleasant scent of carved wood though
anything smelt nicer than the street. Fell made his way to a shelf of
challenging puzzles that the cat couldn't hope to beat so he went to another
shelf that held board games. The cheetah tried to ignore the irksome
children that mindlessly wondered about till he reached the games.

    Most of them were generic games like chess. He could just see a few
chess boards and playing pieces for both chess and checkers. Most of them
were built from different types of wood and others were carved from stone
though the latter were secured behind glass and must have had a price of a
good few garrets.

    Another shelf consisted of boxed games. Carefully written on the sides
were titles but Stealth didn't understand what such games were meant to be
or if they were even games at all. Heading out of the isle, the feline
gawked at a large table and it's contents. The entire surface had a scale
model of a battleground with trees and battlements. It was completely
arrayed with infantry, cavalry, ballistics and dragons. Even some gryphons
and centaurs did battle in the scene.

    These figures had all been carved from wood and were painted in
exquisite detail. More then that, some of them were Metamorians. Stealth
examined the figures for quite some time before approaching a nearby shelf.
This one had more carved figures however they were full animals rather than
the morphs on the table. Around this point the cheetah caught up with the
gazelle whom held at least one odd looking wooden device he intended to
purchase.

    "Aren't you getting anything?"

    "No, this stuff is expensive." The cat gagged.

    "Not all of it costs that much, you could buy a figure to take home and
paint." Fell suggested.

    "Like the keepers on the table?" Stealth asked as he warmed to the idea.

    "Those aren't keepers," Fell pointed out, "Some of them are but many are
races that have featured in games and fiction for some time before the
curse, the centaurs and hyena men for example and some of the felines but a
few of them are new."

    "Well either way, I want... this one." He lifted up one of the blank
wooden anthro figures.

    "A cheetah... how surprising," The gazelle grinned, "How about a fox?"

    "The keep has too many foxes." The cheetah joked. "I'll go with this
one."

    "Fine, let's find the paint..." Fell pointed his muzzle off in another
direction.

    After leaving the toy store, the two headed off in the same direction as
before and turned at the first intersection. The gazelle pointed to a book
store with his free hand but the cheetah gagged. Fell rolled his eyes and
they travelled onward looking for something more interesting. They passed a
swathe of pubs and inns but nothing of interest to the big cat.

    They entered streets that looked more shady and crummy and eventually
found a place that didn't just serve grog. A big sign read 'Masai's Market =
=96
weapons, artefacts and treasures'. Their interest piqued, they headed in.

    The room was dark... for a human. The cheetah and gazelle moved about
unfazed by the thought of bumping into anything. Stealth glanced idly at the
wares. They did look kind of interesting but nothing that either of them
would wish to own. These included ancient tomes, small statues and some
furniture. Moving on to the weapons =96 now THESE were interesting =96 they
could see many different types from many corners of the globe, unless they'd
been made locally not to mention the thought that they could have been
fakes...

    Some of the blades and other objects had little parchment notes near the
hilt, one read 'used at Battle of Three Gates'. Given that Three Gates
happened less then a decade past and many weapons in the armoury were used
in that fight it didn't sound like that big of an artefact though it still
held a special meaning. Another weapon had a much more audacious claim; it
said 'used at the Fall of the Seuilman Empire'. Such a weapon would near be
priceless, if the item were genuine.

    The door to the store creaked open once more. Stealth turned from his
musing to see a fairly large reptile drag his tail through the door, he kind
of reminded the cat of the steward. The lizard has a large, stubby tail and
small, stubby hands and feet. What parts weren't concealed by a rather
expensive tunic and breeches were visible as greyish scales with a dark
stripe pattern. The customer shuffled toward the counter and rang a small
bell. Momentarily a feline smaller than Stealth emerged from an archway.

    "Torquil, my dear fellow," The cat behind the counter began in a
hypnotic hiss, "Good of you to grace me with your company, how may I be of
service?"

    Stealth's eyes widened slightly when the reptile opened his mouth,
inside that big gaping maw a large, blue tongue emerged to seemingly taste
the air.

    "I am here for my order; you sent a message telling my servants it was
ready." Torquil croaked.

    The cheetah tried not to blanch and turned away, trying to focus on the
weapons case. The salesman didn't seem bothered by the lizard's manner but
just smiled or pretended to. He had the face of a domestic cat but the pelt
of an exotic wildcat; something golden and covered in a pattern of spots,
stripes and blotches. Besides his fur, the small feline differed from a
house cat in that he had very long ears.

    "Yes, of course. We got it in last night." He continued to smile.

    Torquil tapped his fingers on the counter. "I do not have all day, give
me what is mine and I will leave."

    The cat slowly and lazily moved his hand up then dropped it again, "It
is such a nice day out, are you late for a date, perhaps a picnic with
someone special? I do sell books on poetry."

    "I have no time for this." Torquil said. His tongue then darted out of
his mouth a number of times.

    "Very well." The serval reached up his hand again and clicked his
fingers.

    A small boy emerged from the adjoining room carrying a chest that was
probably just a bit too big for him to manage but he carried it successfully
and dropped it on the counter with a thud =96 much to the reptile's annoyan=
ce.

    "The coins, sir." The cat asked with a predatory grin.

    The reptilian quickly deposited a pouch on the counter.

    "Tomo." The merchant said. The boy moved over to the other side of the
serval shop keep and slashed open the pouch. A small handful of coins
spilled out.

    "They are genuine... do you doubt my word?" The lizard said.

    The cat looked at him for a moment. For once he didn't smile, "...No.
Tomo, count them."

    The boy took the pouch and the spilled coins, deftly counting each coin.
"15 of them in here." He said. The other two customers couldn't see the
coins from their place in the store so they didn't know they were talking
about silvers or gold or garrets.

    "Then we are done here." Torquil said.

    The cat smiled again, "Come back soon."

    "Then move to a better location, Masai." The lizard retorted and left
with his prize.

    Outside the reptilian merchant's servant opened the carriage door for
his master and shook his avian head, "Milord, why do you do business with
that thing?"

    "Because most others I trust even less." Torquil said as he grunted and
dragged his tail through the door, "And as much as I hate to say it, that
grubby fur rug can get things I need. Now take me out of this god awful
gutter."

    Inside Masai's Market the feline merchant's assistant scoffed, "Boss,
why do you deal with that pompous handbag?"

    "He needs me more then I need him and he knows it." Masai grinned,
"Sweep up the store..." He nodded to the two departing window shoppers as
they passed the counter, "...and let me know when my next client arrives."
He went back through the archway to count the garrets again, he trusted Tomo
but he wanted to make sure all the same.

    "What the hell was happening in there?" The cheetah asked outside, as he
sidestepped another un-pleasantry.

    The gazelle shrugged, "Just business I guess, who cares."

    Just then the two parted to allow a black cloaked figure past who then
entered the store.

    "There is still quite some time before we need to head back, we should
head back to a more favourable part of town, find an inn to get lunch." Fell
suggested as he hefted his puzzle box under one arm.

    "I'm not really hungry." Stealth answered.

    "You should not go without meals." Fell persisted.

    "How can you want to eat something with... this smell?" The cat gagged.

    "You get used to it..."

    "Still, I'm good for food, no need." Stealth shrugged.

    "I'd feel better if you eat something..." Fell insisted.

    The cheetah's eyes widened for a moment, "...fine."

    The gazelle pat him on the back with a free hand, "I wouldn't want to be
tripped up again in THIS place." He joked as they both avoided a big, fresh
one from a carriage probably led by a team of horses.

    Stealth cringed but despite himself he began to laugh along with his
friend.

    Eventually they headed to the inn that the cheetah had rejected some
time earlier. It was a modest but clean establishment, smaller than the Mule
but it had the right pub atmosphere. They sat down in a booth and while the
gazelle had enough room for his tail the cat was regretting the choice of
seating. Stealth slid back out and insisted on a table, or better yet a bar
stool!

    Stealth squinted at the chalk scribbles on the wall that advertised the
pub's meals and drinks...jeze, all the good things were expensive. He wanted
the stake with gravy... he could just taste the venison being shredded up by
his fangs but today it would only be a daydream.

    Fell didn't have the same problem he ordered right away, "Porridge with
apples! And a mug of mead."

    Stealth felt anxious at his own indecisiveness, "I'll have the...
the...." Damn it, this place must discriminate against carnivores or
something. "I'll have fish and cider." Damn it, he was tired of eating fish
but it tasted nicer then pork. At least the crap in the mess hall had more
variety, whatever it was they served there.

    The man behind the counter nodded and headed out back to the kitchen.

    "When do we head back?" The cat asked. He balanced the wooden figure and
paints on his lap and looked for a time piece that someone remembered to
wind.

    "We still have one and a half hours but we can check in early after this
and see what she, I mean he's up to."

    Distractedly, the cheetah withdrew a scrunched up parchment from the
side pocket on his breeches and looked around nervously while he drummed his
claws on the table top. "Excuse me sir," He said to a nearby mouse, "Could I
borrow those if you're not using them?"

    "What? Oh sure," The literate rodent answered between bites of his
sandwich.

    "Thank you greatly." The feline said and slid over the quill and bottle
of ink.

    The mouse morph for some reason had a small burden of parchment on the
bar counter that he'd been scribbling on. Perhaps a member of the writers'
guild or some sort of bureaucrat, Stealth didn't care as he began scribbling
madly.

    "Would you drop it?" The gazelle rolled his eyes.

    "Kitchens." The cheetah mumbled.

    "Kitchens?" Fell asked and nibbled some bread.

    "He's not gonna put me in the kitchens, damn it." He mumbled some more.

    "Put that thing away before I tear it off you." Fell ordered. "You're
not going to work in a bloody kitchen."

    The cat sighed and complied though not out of accordance but because he
was simply too frazzled to do any work.

    "...why did you...you know."

    "What... raid the kitchens?" He asked, "Why not? Don't those snooty
nobles stuff themselves enough? Just how often will people like us eat like
they do? Try never." The cat spat.

    "Common folk do get invited to their banquets, usually people of note
but sometimes ordinary people."

    "I don't want to be invited among them. I don't want to be reminded that
I 'don't belong'."

    "Edmund's a noble..."

    "So what if he is?" The cat asked without pause, "He doesn't act like
one."

    "And the duke, he's fair."

    "He's supposed to be, besides, how many other nobles can you call fair?"

    Their food arrived and the conversation dimmed down, "He heard about it
you know..." The gazelle grinned, "The horse lord had a good laugh I hear."

    The cat blushed and just drank his ale.

    Not long after lunch the two still had much time to spare so before
heading back to the tailor Fell managed to drag the cat to the book store
he'd seen earlier that day. It was a quaint boutique stocked with second
hand books. Not that many in Euper could read unfortunately.

    While most of the shops in Euper and Metamor town were set up as stalls
in the market squares, there were a small number of shops scattered about
among the many inns and pubs. Seeing as neither of them really browsed those
places usually, they made an exception that day.

    As with the toy maker's store, Stealth was left to browse the isles
while his friend pursued something of interest. He glanced at each book
spine, noting the works of fiction. Some of them were fantasy stories though
now they seemed more like mundane adventures.

    The next isle had some non-fiction titles. One had a bright cover and
looked relatively new. Sliding it out he read the name, 'Hunting Animals of
Southern Galendor and Sonngefilde.' He opened the tome. There weren't many
hunters to speak off but regardless the inside held many pictures of animals
and diagrams to their harnesses and hunting method as well as instructions
on how to capture them.

    'Northern Sonngefilde and Pyralis.' The next page read. It named some
creatures that were powerful predators though they couldn't be
'domesticated' then the book went on to the ones that could, 'Acinonyx
jubatus.' Hunting...cheetah? Stealth didn't consider the thought; they were
so small and lithe. But it showed pictures of them and special harnesses
made for them by nobles.

    Some of them had a bag on their heads; the bags would be removed when
they were to hunt. Others just had an odd looking leash. For a moment
Stealth honestly considered the idea of hunting for a living but it just
didn't sit right. He almost put the book back but paused then decided to buy
it. He'd be spending a small fortune today it would seem.

    Eventually the pair headed back to the tailor, a small bundle under each
arm. Though thieves were undoubtedly about they would be more interested in
coins. The tailor's door opened with a jingle and they stepped in.

    As before they were hastily guided to the main room in which on one of
many racks two altered suits waited. Both tried on their new clothing. For
Fell it was a wonderful feeling to do this; he just loved making himself
look presentable and it made him more of a human. Though he always shrugged
off the curse and what it had done to him he always resented becoming a
piece of meat as he sometimes saw himself.

    For Stealth it was more of a hassle. He knew good clothes were necessary
in some situations, and it's not like he never dressed nice before but it
wasn't really his fancy. Still, he did look nice in the light blue doublet.
He did kinda feel good. He felt like a person.

    "Are you okay?" The tailor asked.

    "Aye, the suit is lovely." It was though despite that he did start to
reminisce about his full form. Just something about breaking into a run in
the fields, feeling the freedom, the thrill. He'd make much use of his body
in the next few months but what would come next? How could he continue such
an exercise in the dead of a Metamor winter? He did have a thought on a
possible solution but he'd never brought it up till now...

    "I've been thinking, the weather is fine now but when it sours again I
won't be able to head out in my other form any more." The cat began, "You
probably get this a lot or it sounds new and odd but can you make a suit
for..."

    "Animal form? Yes." He answered without pause, "However it's rare and
usually for novelty attire. If you want something to run in, that would take
special consideration."

    "I may be able to fix that," The gazelle chipped in, "I'm a mage and
have a friend who deals with rune craft, if you can provide the parts to a
'full-suit' we may be able to assemble it into something."

    The small man rubbed his chin, "I can make the pieces from something
strong and thin that covers the right places, just enough to keep him warm
but not overheat... I believe it can be done. But first we need the
measurements."

    Stealth sighed and started to remove his new blue doublet. Life had
changed since the curse but never did he think he'd have measurements taken
in the form of a full animal. Or have to hand in homework to a croc after
being chased by a mouse for that matter. After being measured up literally
from head to tail as the suit would include the appendage, Stealth shifted
back and replaced his rags. The new suit would be saved for when it'd be
needed.

    Outside the store the two headed back to the keep though this time they
were fortunate to hitch a ride on the wagon of a friendly trader. The
cheetah tried in vein to ignore the bumps and focus on preventing his bundle
from spilling out of the carriage. He'd write a fresh draft for the steward
upon returning to the keep but till then he paid the thought no heed.
Thoughts turned to the measurements he had the tailor take and what would be
the result. And could running in such a 'suit' be any worse then dodging the
open sewers of Euper? He could get some shoes for his four paws he thought
with interest.


New Suit
Copyright 2008 Michael Nastov
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