"Can we get a more private area to talk about this? I don't want anyone overhearing what I have to say," said Donis looking around the inn's eating area. He noticed a few shady looking individuals and just didn't feel comfortable sharing his trump cards.
"Of course. We're staying here for the night anyway. I don't work for free, and I expect to be paid," she nodded.
After finishing their meal and getting a room for themselves, Donis and Striga had situated themselves in a neat little room upstairs. It was small enough but it had two separate beds upon request. When the clerk heard they wanted a room together a devilish smile had spread across his face. After a few minutes of vehement denial they got a room with two separate beds.
There was a single window at the end of the room with a table and some chairs, a small bedside table beside each bed and a rug. It wasn't much, but then again they weren't looking for anything more fancy.
Donis sat on his bed and Striga hers. He was mulling over what to say, how to say it, and how their dynamic will work after this. He knew that no matter how much you trust someone, they can stab you in the back. He's seen some of the horrors of the world, and he didn't need more convincing that sometimes bad shit just happens.
"Striga, I may have told you some of my abilities, but I've purposely kept some away from peoples knowledge. I hope you don't mind," he said while looking down at the ground.
"Donis, you're not in trouble. It's just the information you gave me suggests something which hasn't been really imagined before," she said while keeping her voice soft and reassuring.
With a sigh, Donis looked up.
"I have an [Inspect] ability. My draconic blood also helps me heal at an alarming rate and I have a few skills from the Combat Job that I didn't tell you about," he said, still holding back that he has a [System Shop]. Even though he was going to open up more to her, he wasn't going to let her know everything.
"You have AN [Inspect] ability? What do you mean? I figured the Dragonfury Combat Job came with more, but I didn't want to pry too much," she spoke after being once again surprised by the lad. She could feel a headache clawing its way into existence at the mention of [Inspect].
"I actually have the [Inspect] levelled up to 4. Do I have to share what [Inspect] I took or can I keep that one to myself?" he said looking at her eyes.
"Oh my god. What the fuck. No you don't have to. You've already told me something so hard to believe. Uhh tell me what my Mana stat is?" she spoke hurriedly.
" 5,990. I can do better. I can tell you that you've levelled up from the previous battle, and I can tell you the [EXP] you currently have until the next level," he said matter-of-factly.
Strigas mind reeled at the revelation. She couldn't believe it. Donis, the boy in front of her could tell her even her [EXP] of her level. It made her mind spin that something like that was possible. She was told her whole life that levelling up [Inspect] took decades and resources. Donis was 15.
"How is this possible?" was all she could say.
"I was born with it. I was born with a title that allows me to double the learning speed of any magic," he said as he weaved in a truth and a half-lie.
Striga was even more broken after that.
"You're beyond lucky, you know that right? No. Luck isn't even the word anymore. You shouldn't have been born on Erazar. I don't mean that in a bad way, but if you were born on a planet closer to the Mana Star, you'd have been set up to become one of the greatest mages to have ever existed," she said with her head in her hands.
She noticed that the more time she spent around him the more her temples and the bridge of her nose required rubbing. It was as if the lad was a constant magnet for logic defying bullshittery.
"I don't know how lucky or unlucky that is, but I've kept these hidden so that I don't stand out and have eyes on me that want to exploit me. I hope that explains why I've never mentioned these," he said.
"Yeah, of course. If anyone hears about this you'd be abducted and probably brainwashed into becoming a puppet for someone far more powerful. If someone put you to a life of slaverous study you'd come out stronger than anyone, but you'd be a mindless and a soulless puppet," she said as she laid back down onto her bed.
"Yeah.. exactly."
"Hey, could you answer me some questions? I don't really know who to go to as I'm always being thrown around for missions or other matters," he said after a brief pause.
"Sure, I guess you deserve something back after dropping such info bombs," she laughed.
"What other planets are there? I mean, I get there are a lot of them but like, no one ever speaks about them," he said shifting on his bed.
"Ooh boy. Okay. As I've told you before I'm not a historian or any sort of authority on anything but monsters and how to kill them. I do know a few things though," she said bringing up a finger.
"Firstly, obviously we're on Erazar and our solar system is called P-3 Erazar. The P-3 stands for how many inhabited planets there are, and the second word is the commercially traded with planet of the solar system. It is then up to the named planet to trade with the rest of the planets. In our solar system there are 3 total inhabited planets named Erazar, Bartis, and Croncra," said Striga.
"Secondly, the closer we get to the Mana Star that is in the supposed centre of the universe, the higher the mana density there is allowing for what we consider miracles here. I couldn't tell you any real names for them as they've never concerned me, but I'm sure if you go to a library on a day off you'll find something," she said putting down her hand.
"Okay, that's some real information that for whatever reason no one wanted to give me. How do we travel between worlds?" asked Donis, excited to finally be getting more information on the universe.
"Well there are many different types of spells that allow inter-planetary travel. The most common one though for large quantities of items is to use a dimensional vessel. They're these gigantic ships that travel through doors created in space using a combination of Void and Etheric magic. It's all far too complex for me, but it enables us to cross insane distances in moments," she said with a perplexed look on her face.
"Oh god okay, that's a little.. hard to process but thank you. You're the first person to share this information with me!" Donis said excitedly.
"No worries lad. Now stop working that noggin of yours and get some rest. Tomorrow we're gonna try to extort Horrigan and go home. You should write to your parents too, I'm sure they've missed you," she said as she snuggled under the blanket and turning around still fully clothed.
"Alright. Thanks by the way," he said with a lowered voice.
"Don't worry about it. Your secrets are safe with me," she said without turning around.
Donis didn't want to sleep in his clothes so he changed out and got under the blankets. Summoning Etheria and snuggling up to her soft feathers he sunk into deep thought. How is his life going to be progressing now, he wasn't sure. He did know he wanted to explore other planets, but he first needed to grow here, refine himself and become independent.
There was so much to do, but all he could dream of was what the universe could possibly offer him. Were there weird people on other planets? Other races? New and bizarre adventures, or magics, or ingredients for his potions. There was so much possibility that he felt suffocated by the inability to go exploring right now.
He'd have to sleep, take it one day at a time and hopefully survive in this cutthroat world that he calls home.
'I hope Striga doesn't kill Horrigan tomorrow, it'd really make it hard for us to leave... Oh god did I just jinx it?'