<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr">AN: I've had this story since before I sent the last one in. And I hate it. I don't know how to fix it, so I'm posting it. Any advice is much appreciated.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style="">Value </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style="">To My Friend in the North</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>You would think I'd get less nervous after writing one of these letters, not more. Yet even as I write this my hand shakes. My claws grip the wood near me to steady myself. Perhaps it is fear of what I will have to say or...perhaps old age.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>There is a strange disconnect between writing this and the events that happened in the past. In the time since I have grown old, stories of the Keep have grown past its cursed boundaries. Some names are well known even to people who have never entered the Keep. I could tell a story about my first encounter with someone like the accursed rat, Brightleaf or...you know, you will find out.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Instead let me tell you the next story in my sequence and my meeting with someone I rarely hear stories about. Too bad, the individual is or was a wonderful chameleon. For my growth it was important that I met him.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Old age makes me reflective. Now I can see how it fits together, but at the time these events in life were random. At the time I knew so many things, how foolish. I apologize for again I ramble.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>May Eli bless you, my friend, and me as I continue this venture.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><br class="" style=""></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style="">March 26th, 707</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style="">'My life is over.'</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I woke up thinking that. I went to sleep thinking that. I chanted it so often that the words began to sound like a chorus in my head.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>A very good chorus if I do say so myself.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Nemo looked after me as I was busy trying not to kill myself, a difficult task sometimes. No, I focused on little things, walking, breathing and not screaming at every monster that approached me.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The Keep was a series of formless gray blobs with faceless shadows slinking throughout it. </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre">' </span>I don't deserve to be here.' I leaned back on my new bed. 'I'm intelligent. Handsome. Heir to a city! Why would the Divine curse me?'</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>When you're a very annoyed agnostic, as I was, all supernatural forces fall under the vague purview of "the Divine". The Divine is never around when things are going great and they wont leave you when things are terrible. And they hate you personally of course.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre">' </span>I hate this place. I don't want to meet people. I wish they'd burn this stain on a map to the ground.' </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style="">My new bed was in my new room, in my new dwelling, all completely new of course. As for where this dwelling came from, I had heard them explain that it essentially grew out like a from the wall, like the new branch of a tree. Of course I knew that was non-sense, what kind of Keep can change size or add rooms?</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre">' </span>It's their fault. They kept me here...' I shook my head. 'You're being a moron James. You know that's not true. You've been an ass since arriving, why would they want to keep you?'</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I've got to apologize to...the raccoon and whatever the hell the other lizard was." His name was Copernicus. I treated him like garbage. I sat up. I asked for this. I deserve it don't I?</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The sinking in my stomach had not gone away. If anything it had gotten significantly worse. When I wasn't trying to block out my depressing, I instead tried to block out my guilt.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I wasn't any better at that.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre">' </span>What day is it? The 26th? How did so much time pass? I need to get out.' I made no move off my bed. "Maybe I could vanish into it..."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Our dwelling was three rooms, one main sitting/eating/greeting room in the center with Nemo's bedroom to the left and mine to the right. My bathroom back in Isenport was larger than the entire thing. It had windows, a beautiful commode and fresco paintings adorning the walls showing the creation of our empire.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style="">My room in the Keep had no windows and lots of blank stone walls.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Lying on my back was becoming painful due to a new...growth. To me it was a fungus, sprouting against my will. Like everything else, extended slowly and to hide it I had used fabric to create a sarong. I wrapped it around my waist and it went down to my knees, hiding my backside and anything that may grow above it.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Denial is a skill. I was an expert in it. As long as I covered up any changes that occured, no one could prove I was changing.. Nemo had managed to acquire some tools for sewing and so I had sewn a much better shirt. Most importantly, my new shirt hid any scales that would (or had) emerged on my upper body.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre">' </span>Nemo's happy. Maybe Nemo's a moron too.' My backside screamed in pain but I refused to change positions. Instead I finally stood up. "Maybe I need to get out more."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style="">My room was decent sized I would discover, but it felt claustrophobic. How do people live in a room only ten paces across? Savages lived like that! </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>As I stood up I stretched my stiff back out and rubbed the lump in my sarong. </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style="">With all things in Metamor Keep, my bed was unusual. Specifically, it was suspended off the ground. It grew sideways out of the wall and hung off the ground high enough I had to work to climb up. "Why does my bed have to be like that? Stupid asses built this place."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>A squeaking noise interrupted my whining. I glanced down to see a gray rat scurrying across my floor. It paused for a moment and sniffed the air near me.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I'm glad someone is happy here." I smiled at the little rat. It scrambled back from where it came, to the space under my bed. "Sir Ratticus would have liked you I think. Maybe."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>In the days since I began to develop scales, the air had seemingly grown colder. Now March is already not a warm month but the air felt colder. Or maybe more like heat was in absence. Those may be similar ideas but I assure you, when you are cold blooded you know the difference.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>As you might have guessed the cold made me miserable. And with me, misery was concomitant with both whining and stubbornness. Nemo repeatedly offered to build a fire to warm us but I refused.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Why is it so cold?" I snapped, stepping out of my room. "Why won't this place warm up?" When you face a problem, solve it. I did not.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style="">I did the next best thing, I complained about it. Yes complain about the cold and then order someone not to fix it that's the logical course of action.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"If you want warmth, I will build you a fire." Nemo said, not looking up. "I can accomplish more with one than simple food preparation."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I don't need a fire, the damn Keep needs to be warmer." My loathing for the Keep was ineffable, it's something I don't like reflecting on. Memories of my hate make these letters difficult to write. What also doesn't help was that I was such a delightful individual.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I'm glad to see you wearing your skirt again." Nemo said, still not looking up. "It makes you look quite masculine."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"It's not a skirt! It's a sarong! Lot's of men where sarongs, they are very masculine!" It was a skirt. Just because it touched the ground didn't make it less of a skirt. "I'm thinking I'll stay inside again today."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"You've not left once since we left this place. You will have to eventually." Nemo said. "What's the worst that can happen?" They hold me down and cut out my tongue for being a mouthy smartass. And I would deserve it.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I don't want to talk to freaks and monsters." I grumbled. "They're all ugly and smell like shit."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I don't smell anything." Nemo said. I rolled my eyes. "James, I've been up to my knees in blood and watched my comrades in arms die before my eyes. I endured. This is a city where the people have been cut off due to a curse. They have endured. This is a world where Yashua the Son of God died for you. Eli endured. You have to be nice. You will endure."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I will not." I said. "I'll die alone and unloved."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Then I'll miss you at first." Nemo said. I focused on the table. "Let me ask, what do you believe you are becoming?"</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I don't know that I'm becoming anything."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"The scales disagree."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Maybe they can find a way to reverse this! My father has money; he can pay people to reverse this."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Then why didn't the people in the Keep do that already?" Nemo asked. "Or do you believe they enjoy being isolated from the world and hated by everyone on instinct?"</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Shut up!" Always the most eloquent of speakers. Nemo ate and ignored me. "Where is my food?"</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I fixed you none. I asked last night, will you eat breakfast with me? Your response was a series of profanities that lead me to believe the answer is no. If you have changed your mind I'm afraid it's too late."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I'm not hungry." I said. "Just...do I have to go out there to buy food?"</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Yes. You will have to talk to people." Nemo said. He turned back to me, smiling now. "James they're nice people. They've opened up to me, they want to know you."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Have you been talking about me?" I asked. "I didn't give you permission to do so!"</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I had to when you asked me to go out and buy fabric." Nemo said. "James, I understand your fears. Your vicissitude of fortunes would leave anyone upset. But if you chose to wall yourself off like a hermit, that damned wheel will never turn again."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>He was right. I even knew it. I didn't want to admit it though so I sulked like a small child. "You also need to seek employment."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I am employed, I'm nobility." I said.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Yes and you have the important job of being better than others but only in Isenport." Nemo said. "Here they won't pay you for being a surly child in the form of a man. You will need employment."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"How much money did my father leave us?" I asked.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Much more than I expected. The man never could understand how money worked so he gave us a bag full of coins without any idea of the amount inside."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"How much?" I asked.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I'm not telling you."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Wha!" I smacked the table. "It's my money! I demand you tell me."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"No, your father gave me control of our finances." Nemo said. "If I give it to you, you will spend it. My goal is to make sure we can remain fed and alive until both of us find employment." I nodded my head while mumbling more profanities under my breath.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"Okay why haven't you gotten work yet?" I asked. Nemo pulled out or money bag and began to count out coins. "I asked you a question!"</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"This I give you for today." He said, sliding a small amount towards me. "As for why, there is no point in me yet finding employment."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"That's a lie!"</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"The curse will strike me soon." Nemo said. "Should I lose limbs it would be best for me not to be working at a job that requires them. You are becoming a lizard and given the development of your arms, you will retain your basic shape."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"You're worse when you're right." Nemo smiled.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><span class="" style="white-space:pre"> </span>"I have that way about me."</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style="">AN: More tomorrow.</div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2810"><br class="" style=""></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1429532924656_2457" dir="ltr" class="" style=""><br class="" style=""></div></div></body></html>