Chapter Fifteen

  The guest list for Ma Bell’s table had no surprises in that outside of Prince Adric she didn’t know any of them. No former teammates from Old Bones, no frequent guests from Coodly Manor who knew her better as a maid, no errant princesses with their meddling Handmaidens. That wasn’t to say Harmony wasn’t informed. Sir Maxwell had been thh in this dossier of tightly written words, and [Recall] would let her use that information to the best of her abilities. The food however was the most delicious trap because after the day Harmony had in Nae's Garden, she was starving.

  “Pass me the steamed greens,” Harmony asked of Captain Ellis. The guard captain was a social iigator for the ander of the city guard. It was a cushy positiohey kept an eye on new powerful people visiting the capital. It was almost an honor, but the dy maid knew she had nothing to hide. Get in, evolve, get out, and then head back to Hazeldown for Hemlock’s madness. No ulterior motives to iigate at all.

  “Of course, Lady White. As I was saying, the guard is at your service. If you ever feel any security s simply ask and we'll have men to assist you.”

  With one hand she waved that away as the pte of food was moved closer to her, Bates carrying it the rest of the distahe idea that she needed bodyguards was ridiculous. They’d probably be spies. Not that there was anything to hide. They couldn’t protect her from the reporters who sometimes hound her. Ambrosia got more mail from overzealous fans and had to hire bouncers for some events. Being a dy had made her popur, at least in Hazeldown, but here she was nobody special. It wasn’t like anyone had any reason to harm her.

  The citrus-infused greens hit the exact spot she needed A pleasure that distracted from her iurmoil as she let Ma Bell’s skill increase that pleasure even further.

  “It’s okay my dear captain. The Grave Society will keep a for her. She is our sister from Hazeldown. Her peerage means so much to us. A visit would mean even more.”

  Necrowitch Peartree smelled like deposiables to the maid’s sense of death. Not enough to ruin the meal, but enough to make Harmony wince whenever she picked up on it. The evolved neancer ran a social anization of them here. Neancer wasn’t a popur css to pick due to its stigma. But unlike in Hazeldown, it was a on css to be given a choice here, enough that they had numbers and a support work. Certain skills like [Rot] allowed you to excel in the dungeon at low levels. Even undead wooze pyed as pets ireet.

  As the first other neancer she’d met, Harmo hesitant about accepting her inclusion. No one had goo Hazeldown to recruit her for such a group. And she wasn’t pnning on staying.

  “I’m so busy Madam Peartree. As much as your invitation honors me. I’m not sure I’ll have time.” Hemlock’s annou couldn’t e soohen they’d at least all know why she has to dedicate time to evolving. That way she didn't o talk about the potential terminal nature of her current situation to have it make sense.

  “It will really be no time at all." Peartree insisted.

  Okay, this ck of surprises was annoying because these strangers all wanted something from her. Rotting ashes, signing up for this every evening. She let a slight gre leak out as she looked toward Ambrosia, the one who’d actually signed her up for this. “I’ll talk to my personal maid about my schedule and see what I fit in.” It was the response she’d seen many times serving as a maid, where the answer ended up whatever the request was, it was never going to end up in the schedule.

  Harmony speared a piece of steak determio enjoy the one good thing about these dinners. The spiced meat was warm and savory in a way that chipped away at her hunger simply by having it in her mouth. If she ever had the funds, she would hire a personal chef whe back to Hazeldown.

  “How was your first trip to our fair dungeon?” Blythe was another mert. Ma Bell liked inviting them to her table as she got dists on goods for the inn. His eyes mostly stayed on Ambrosia. Apparently, he’s a fan and caught one of her shows on a run to pick up coal from Hazeldown. As her favorite muse, it’s not like he didn’t know Harmony, but his focus was on the Songstress, leading to polite versation which allowed him to look in Ambrosia's dire.

  “I was having a time of it until I got to the broodmother. The wooze were not a fan of cold. A little frost and they keel over.”

  “Wooze are quite resistant to cold. In fact, most elemental effects don’t do much to them.” Aaron, the final member of Ma Bell’s party, corrected. An adventure making his own journey up Nae’s Garden. Aaron's family held some sway in the guild. Another pce Harmony wasn’t ied iing too involved with. The attention of one guild master had caused enough problems.

  “But once you remove the hair, not a problem.”

  “Oh, you must chill my wine. I didn’t know neancers had such a skill.” Blythe asked, extending his wine across the table to me.

  “It’s not a popur path,” Madam Peartree crified.

  Harmony didn’t pick it to be popur. [Rot] against an undead dungeon was nearly useless, let alorying to raise already trolled dead being impossible. It had been the best option she had. The ability to cool drinks was an invaluable skill for a maid. Doesn’t matter if other csses had more powerful ice-based skills. [Cold Touch] was hers.

  Harmony reached out a her skill push into Blythe’s drink. Stilling it until it was cold enough for air to mist off the nearly frozen wine.

  Snap. Crackle. Pop. The overstuffed dam of her css shifted. Neancer Leveled up. The choice on her. Killing the brood mother didn't do it, the final straw was a drink. Not an ideal location, as she itched to make her choice, ever since she’d gotten authority the pressure to do so when she leveled was always greater.

  Choose your css’s fifth skill: Raise dead - Rot - Final Silenbsp;

  Blythe sipped the wine, “Oh, that's refreshing.”

  [Raise Dead] again. Harmony wa even less now. The poor undead prince was enough of a handful even if the skill only made obedient mindless puppets and not whatever he was. And [Rot], Peartree’s moldy st didn’t make that appealing even if it was supposed to be excellent for this dungeon. [Final Silence], well every css could get a [Silence] choice as a way to interrupt skills and abilities. It wasn’t on and they had different strengths and weaknesses. [Silent Strike] whielee csses could get required you to hit a target but sted lohan a wizard's [e of Silence]

  “You should see how good she’s at styling hair and skin,” Adric added.

  “Beauty treatments and makeovers, bah. I’d rather hear more details about how the Lady handled her first trip to the dungeon You solod the floor until you got to the brood mother?” The adventurer pressed.

  “My familiar was with me. I wouldn’t call that solo as he always has my back.”

  Aaron frowned. “Your css is only level fifteen. I know evolved do it, but they have special training.”

  Harmony doubted there was anything actually special about the training. They just expected to go in alone and were willing to take more risks.

  “A neancer with the right skills has always done well in Nae’s Garden.” Peatree picks up a chi leg. “It only takes one small cut and…” The meat rotted in her hand, releasing a foul stench. She caught the remains with a pte and as quickly as she did it a servant whisked it away.

  Peartree seemed ued but everyone else gagged from the smell.

  “That is not appropriate table manners, madam. You asked for this seat.” Ma Bell chastised her. Harmony could feel that she’d dropped the calming effect of her innkeeper skill, perhaps forced to by the stenbsp;

  “Your humble fiveness, my gracious host. It was me being er to show how neancers need not be looked down on. It’s been forever since we’ve had a lord or dy among our ranks.”

  Whatever social skill the Necrowitch had it projected utmost siy. So much so that Harmony doubted if there was any actual siy.

  “Fine, but don’t let it happen again. This is a table for eating, not showing off.”

  Aaron, ill pinched, snipped his wio get the taste from Peatree’s skill out of his mouth. “I’m not saying The Grave Society hasn’t supported runs well. I was mostly curious about the dy’s run because of her unusual choice of skills, a lifetime guild member with so few bat abilities.”

  Her skills? Did everyone know them? “My skills have been acceptable. We mao defeat the brood mother, though not without some difficulty.”

  “I highly doubt.” Aaron tinued

  “Probably got lucky and hit a small one,” Blythe added in an attempt to help.

  Silence might be good to make everyo the table shut up. This questioning of Harmony's bat ability started grating on her nerves. It’s not like she hadn’t trained as much as she could. But it did leave one question. “They e in different sizes?”

  “Oh, yeah. The longer a path is left ued the bigger they get. Sometimes the guild will leave one aloo farm its extra long hair, and ohey hit the height of the forest trees they get difficult even for most teams. That’s why it’s on froups to take the sed-oldest path. No one wants to end their run up through the other floors because they had the bad luck to get one of the big ones ao turn back.” Blythe chatted happily.

  “Adric, dear, why didn’t you tell me this?” Harmony made sure to poke him through their bond.

  “The pn wasn’t for you to plete the floor. You agreed to leave if it looked like there was something you couldn’t handle.” Adriswered sheepishly.

  “Good thing she was lucky.” Blythe chipped in.

  Aaron’s slight nod seemed to agree with that statement.

  It took effort and [Poise and Bearing] to bite her too keep from defending her honor. Part of her wao be aowledged and praised, but it’s not like she wahis crowd of strangers digging into her and questioning how she did what she did. Always better to be uimated, both the dy and maid in her agreed on that.

  That little verbal csh brought the perfect distra as all the food dishes and drinks were subbed out by fresh ones, finally clearing any lingering smell or taste. The kind of expert service Harmony respected.

  Dinner tihough slightly soured.

  Ma Bell restarted the versation by encing Captain Ellis's and Aaron's shared passion for Naewauld’s pet battle league.

  “I wish Earthshaker Ats could beat the Fire Brigade, but he’s not making it out of that match. It’s like that pet was designed specifically to beat him.” Aaron pined.

  “I wouldn’t put it past some of the gyms te for exactly that.” Captain Ellis responded.

  “Boys and their sports.” Madam Peartree prodded Harmony, pig up on some disi.

  It was more that Harmony didn’t want to be reminded of her failed pn to raise Boarticipate in that life. “It allows them a distra from work. No matter their css or profession they bond over pets fighting it out.”

  “And what is your distra from work?” The evolved neancer asked.

  Nothing. Harmony couldn’t say that, as much as it felt that way with all the pressure on her and Hyath. Maybe after all this trouble passes. “I perform with my friend's band, as a dao be supportive. I’m sure you’ve heard about that. It’s a hing, usually, I’m happiest with a good book. Skill theory more than fi.”

  “The dang shocked me at first. And the songs. But it seems to have done more to rehabilitate the perception of our css than most of the attempts we’ve made. That’s one reason why it would be important for you to visit your fellow practitioners. Instill some hope in them.”

  The fact that Appletree was trying to press some social skill onto her was obvious, as subtle as it might be the woman’s css bled into it and all harmony could feel was assaulted by a deposing spiritual sense. It was death, so it’s not like it was the most repulsive thing in the world to that part of her. But it did remind her of all the dirty jobs she’d ed up, particurly Lord Tyler’s room after he’d wallowed in it for a few days without support. The robably couldn’t help it any more than Harmony could when the chill leaked out.

  “If I have time. Then I’ll sider it.”

  “The Grave Society has a neancer’s guide to quering Nae’s Garde me send it to you tonight as a sign of good faith.”

  Books on nean Hazeldown had been scarce. Plenty on how to defeat the undead monsters of the dungeon, but the town had so few neahat books on skills and leveling were, well, Harmony had never run across one. She’d eveempted to trade favors with Tyler to get one before spotting the Raise Undead Pet scroll. “I’d appreciate that. “ The choice to pick her fifth css skill pressed into her. Maybe it was time to make that choice while well-informed?