Soulforge Legacy Series

“Ladies, Xander,” it took me a minute for what the waiter said to click. “How was the food?”

“Delicious.” Xander passed the small pile of plates and silverware that was the remnants of our meal. “And always gone too soon. Still, we need to get going. How much do we owe for this meal?”

Ginger had a wide smile on her face as he answered. “Your lovely sister here already paid.”

I don’t know what I expected, but a shrug wasn’t it. Especially when I had no clue how she had paid. It wasn’t like she left. Well, except for that one bathroom visit. Yeah, the answer came to me as soon as I remembered the visit. Sneaky little fox. I was going to have to remember that one.

But with those words, we made our way out of the space and back into the crowds as Ginger led the way to the other side of the square. Honestly, I didn’t know where we were going as my eyes were entirely focused on the stalls and their wares.

For example, one of the stalls sold enchanted bags. Sure, there were the normal inventory bags, but others had secondary enchantments. I listened in as the seller expounded on one with a heating enchantment that would allow you to use it like an oven. Though they did warn that there was no time-keeping enchantment.

Another sold small baubles made of glass. While they looked a bit gaudy in my opinion, they were designed as a last resort. Break it on whatever was in your way and the spell trapped inside would emerge. Too bad the spell had a shelf life. Still, the idea was intriguing.

Of course, at that point Ginger grabbed my hand and started to tug me along behind her. While it meant that we would get to wherever we were going much faster, it meant that I couldn’t see all the things I probably couldn’t afford.

I shivered at the sudden loss of heat as we left the warm and bright square for a well-shaded alley. And no, it wasn’t the kind of alley you stayed out of lest you get jumped. The buildings around it were just tall enough to block most of the light that tried to reach in.

And sitting there at the end was a simple, if overly sturdy, looking door made of some purple wood. An odd shimmering opalescent effect caused the sign above it to shift and distort slightly the closer we got.

Ginger didn’t kick the door in, but it was a near thing given how much her muscles seemed to bulge when she moved to open it. The door protested the movement with a loud and obnoxious squealing chime.

Yes, the squeal had an odd chime-like effect. If not for that, I would have thought the owner just didn’t care about any potential customers. After all, how could you expect to get anyone to buy something if you were not willing to even oil the door?

But with the odd effect in play, the door acted like an alarm system and slowed down any would-be thieves. Something that made sense for a jeweler in a city where they might not be the strongest or fastest. Not that it would do more than slow down anyone that was truly determined to get out. At least long enough to mark them so the owner could retrieve their merchandise later. Maybe with the help of a few friends.

Unlike the outside, the inside was bright and full of every piece of jewelry one could imagine. From bracelets studded with gems to earrings of all sizes. There were even a few tiaras. Oh, and let's not forget about the weapons. Though those were more decoration pieces than something you would use in a fight.

Behind us, the door closed as a man just a hair shorter than me, yet nearly twice as wide, pushed his way through a curtain of beads. The mess that covered his rag made me wonder how the beads stayed so clean. Though, maybe that was why he had beads instead of a normal door. Easier to hide any grime.

“What do you want?” His voice was the most neutral one I had ever heard. If I was told to pick out of a crowd the speaker, I would never have chosen him. “I have a few pieces that need attention, so either find what you need and go. And if you are here to simply look around, get. I don’t have time to waste.”

While I was a bit taken aback by his words, Ginger didn’t give a fuck. She just pushed forward without a care. “I need to put in a rush order.”

“There are quite a few orders in my queue currently.” His rag landed on the lightly tan colored wooden counter as he reached for a pad. “But I will see what I can do.” With a flick, a pen appeared out of nowhere. Likely his inventory. “Now, what are you needing made and who for?”

She gestured at me. “Kyren here needs a collar made.”

“Hmm.” The way his gaze locked onto my throat made me a tad uncomfortable. As though he was measuring it. “Maybe a blue material to match the look.” He wrote something down as he asked another question. “Special requests or requirements?”

“It needs to hold an object, permanently.” If not for Xander’s hand grabbing onto mine, I might have lifted mine to show him the orb.

“Can the object be damaged?”

“No!” The word escaped me before either Xander or Ginger could get it out.

“A bit of a tricky ask, but doable.” He wrote a few lines down on the piece of paper. Instead of asking Ginger, he directed his questions to me. “And the collar, I am assuming you want it permanently attached?”

My hand lifted to my throat at the idea of something permanently wrapping itself around one of my most vital spots. It was enough to cause me to shudder. Well, that and the fact that there would be no way to clean it or the skin under it. “I need to be able to clean it.”

“Cleaning enchantment.” The way he said it made it seem like a normal thing to enchant on something. And maybe it was. I should probably look into getting something like that for my dress. While it wasn’t all that dirty now, which was a bit surprising given everything, I didn’t want to be that person. You know the one I am talking about.

“And sizing?” I asked, curious if it would be closer to a choker or something that hung down at the base of my throat.

“Automatically resizes to the user. Most equipment comes with it by default. I would have to work to keep it from being added to the end product. Now, is there any other real requirements, or can I get back to work?” He made it sound like I had insulted his work by suggesting the collar would be no better than something done by anyone else.

Ginger leaned forward, making sure to look the man in the eye as she whispered. Unlike before my transformation, my new ears picked up her words without issue. “This collar is like our other friend. The black one.”

At first, I thought what she said was a bit odd. Well, they were odd. I mean, the fact that she mentioned a person's skin color. But given how his eyes seemed to widen as they flicked between the two of us over and over, I almost wondered if there was something else to what she had said.

“While it won’t be cheap,” Sure, he looked spooked by her words, but his voice didn’t seem to give away how he felt about what she had said. “I will get started on it right now. Come back in a few hours.”

With that, he disappeared into the back. Effectively dismissing the three of us. “That went better than I expected.” Xander’s voice nearly caused me to jump. “So, let’s go see about getting you some clothes.”

I groaned at the idea of clothes shopping. I have never liked shopping for clothes. Not once. Yet here I was, being forced to do so. The worst part was that I didn’t even know what my sizes were.

Unlike me, Ginger seemed to almost start to vibrate with excitement. With a grip that felt more like a vice than some person hand, she dragged me out of the building and in the direction of one of the main streets.

The place was packed with people. Some shopped while others seemed to just be hanging out with their friends. And along the whole street were windows into each store as they displayed their wares. From assorted dresses to styled battle armor, lingerie to swimsuits.

And of course she pulled me to the one store I had only entered once before. At the time, it was for a girlfriend, but I had a feeling that wasn’t the case this time. Given how Xander stayed outside, he was just as uncomfortable with the place as I was.

“Welcome to The Cover Story.” An older woman with scales along the back of her hands spoke up from the counter. “Do you need any help finding anything?”

“My friend here needs to be measured, and we need to get her some basics.” I tried to protest but the look Ginger shot me shut me up. “Trust me, you need new undergarments. Even with your breasts, you will regret not wearing a bra at least.”

“I would listen to your friend.” One of the other ladies spoke up as she moved to help another customer who had just left what looked like a changing room.

“Beasts don’t need fancy clothes. A cloth is good enough.” This was said so quietly that I couldn’t tell who had said it or where they were. I almost wondered if I was hearing things.

“Recent transformation?” The old woman’s question pulled my attention off the odd voice and back to Ginger and the two women as she pulled out a flexible measuring tape. One of those my mother had used when she was modifying my clothes as a kid.

“Yeah. Full body, which means full wardrobe change.” She sounded a bit excited at the idea. “It gives me an excuse to find something that fits her while making her look perfect.” Ginger let out a long sigh. “Though I have a feeling she is going to fight me every step of the way.”

“Oh, I am sure she won’t be that bad.” We both scoffed at that comment. While they could force me to try on those torture devices, I was not going to wear a single one after today.