That evening Jodroun comes barging in with no fan fare. One look at his face you can see a combination of surprise, fear, and concern. "Just what are you!?" "Text translation falls under scholar, and though there was no vassal vow your ability to communicate with me falls under a liege soul." "You need to explain, as I had to inform the city lords of you."
Confused Mark starts to stand up then decides to remain sitting on the bed as he feels something strange. "I don't know anything about souls scholar, liege or otherwise!" Before he can say more Jodroun interrupts "I brought some supplies, you need to figure this out before the assassins guild is hired."
Mark finally notices in the place where his skills show up is '7 soul stones'. Once he notices that the strange feeling decreases to just below perception. "Does supplies include 7 soul stones?"
"You can tell I have soul stones on me and how many? That skill is more related to one of the hunter or traveler souls." Jodroun then brings out a chair from that invisible inventory space of his. Sets up a table from that same space with a booklet, quill, and ink. "Here write down the name of you soul and prime skills."
"The name is blank, just says Soul level 1."
Jodroun's confusion and stress increase drastically at this. "You are a Hu, I mean Human, with a no name soul acquired from a beast. Normally such souls explode if not properly handled, yet yours transformed. Only in legends that requires a divine practitioner. Yet you are way too ignorant to be such." Pointing aggressively at the chair across from him Jodroun continues. "List your prime skills, while I calm down. Maybe I can help or maybe I will just arrange your death for a profit."
While writing slowly his 5 prime skills. Wondering how hard it will be to learn to use a quill efficiently. Mark realizes it may be harder to survive and succeed in this world then he had been thinking.
Looking over the list of skills with a questioning look on his face. Jodroun just thinks for a few minutes then asks. "What skill allowed you to communicate with me? I don't see any liege skills here."
"The chat skill set has an ability to bring multiple people in for communication." Although Mark as of yet has not tested that.
"Sojourn and Mapping are skill sets for travelers, this library skill though I have not heard of it must fall within any of the scholar souls. Never heard of nor understand these other 2, chat and energy scanner?"
"I understand the chat it is a form of communication. I can only make guesses regarding energy scanner which allowed me to detect those soul stones."
"My deepest apologies, you are not an liege holder. However I had to inform the city lords when you interrupted our meeting. Liege souls are highly valued, so much that others would kill to acquire them." "To the best of my knowledge until now they are also the only souls that can communicate across distances."
Mark fearfully responds, "Kill! What does that mean?"
"Just as you can take a soul stone from beasts, you can also take them from others." "All the stones you have seen so far have a light glow to them. This denotes the level of compatibility to those nearby." "A non practitioner has a chance to become compatible to new soul stone."
"So they would kill me, to grant my soul stone to their children?" This world gets worse and worse all the time. "Wait! You were willing to kill me too."
"Vassals acquire basic soul stones from their liege. Grown in the same way that bloodline stones do within children." "Practitioners will have additional skill sets added to their souls." "My clan then would gain additional soul practitioners, while the current ones would gain in power." "So yes I would be willing to kill for my clan."
"Apparently I will need to leave this city, yet my debt to you exits?"
"My soul is of the moneylender variety, as such I can track you anywhere." "I say this to explain why I am willing to send you off with 2 of my guards." "Of course their fees will be added to your debt."
"How am I supposed to communicate with these guards?"
"Don't you speak dwarfish now? That is how you spoke in my mind earlier."
Hmm? I get text only in the chat room but it is translated into recipients native tongue and vocal. I have the means to communicate with a select group of people now. Yea!!! The road to success maybe hard but it is possible. Still need to work on a way home.
"Mark! Mark!" Jodroun raises his voice noticing Mark staring into the distance.
"What! Oh right how long until I have to be gone? Where am I going for that matter?"
"I thought we would need to talk about that, but since you can detect soul stones. May I suggest hunting towards the east." Placing a large pouch on the table. "Collect beast stones, find a soul cleaner to sell them to."
"I suppose you plan to track me later to collect on my debt?"
Pulling out a soul stone that glows 10 times brighter as Jodroun sets it down just in front of Mark. "No need this is a collection stone. Just hold your payment in your palms when you meditate and I will receive it." "Of course you will need to assimilate this stone during your next meditation."
WOW! Loan agents back home would love this kind of set up. "I would guess this falls into a sub skill that I have no access to for myself?"
Jodroun places 2 more soul stones on the table with normal glow levels. "These are so you can do to the guards I send with you, same as you did with me." "As you are ignorant let me emphasize that you concentrate on the same skill when building this connection." "Until you assimilate your skill stone, they must be on your person to be of use."
"Skill stone, what is the difference between a skill stone and soul stone?"
"In so many ways you are still like a child. A clean soul stone can be used as bridge for some skills like my translation skill. I am assuming your connection to me is based on the same process." "As with all training 1 skill stone can be assimilated at a time."
"Do you have a back pack or space ring?"
"Back Pack? Only commoner practitioners and non practitioners use such things?" "Hmm! Another difficulty with not training from childhood." "I'll get the chosen guards organized while you meditate focus on a space to hold your property within the Sojourn section." Looking over at Mark's clothing with a Hmff Jodroun exits the room.