Chapter 11: Forgetfulness

"How much?"

That was all I could ask. This weapon is astonishing, versatile, and I felt this feeling that I was just meant to use it. I wasn't too worried about money. Lennint was very generous with the funds he gave me, in fact it was more money than my entire village had. Apparently the Church pays its members well, especially with the bonuses a surviving sect member gets when their colleagues get killed. The fact that they had a savings for those kinds of situations is honestly really concerning.

"Hmm, I hadn't thought too much about it, I've never gotten this far with anyone on a sale before," came her response, "How about a thousand giiuts?"

Giiuts were one of the smallest forms of currency. Miites were the smallest, ten thousand of those made a giiut. Ten thousand giiuts made a Siinen, ten thousand of them equaled a tiizu, and ten thousand of those made a ziiq. To put it in perspective, a single miite was enough to buy single egg at a local farm in my village, while a single ziiq was enough to buy my entire village three times.

One thousand giiuts was enough to afford a better room in the air ship. Not one of the big rooms like Cuu and Soi had, but more spacious than mine. It was honestly a lot cheaper than I thought it would be after seeing just how powerful the weapon could be.

"Why so cheap for a weapon this amazing? What's the catch?" I asked knowing it was too good to be this true.

"Well," Frantantein started, "the way I see it, based on your reaction to my cloak, that you have a vendetta against this cult you mentioned before. Accompanied by you buying a weapon, it seems like you plan to fight these people. If you do well enough with the Porcupine, then people will want to know where you got it. It's just free advertisement for my little abode, besides I can always make more of them. So I have two conditions for the price. First, show it off and really spread the word of my shop. The hitchhikers can only ward off so many people." That sounds reasonable enough. "Secondly, I want to come with you." What.

"Hold on, that seems counterintuitive. You want me to advertise your shop, but you also want to leave it?"

She laughed at that. "Oh this shop is my dream, I'm not just going to abandon it. Despite how it looks it's easily portable. No, the reason I want to come with is because there are things in this world that I'm searching for to give me some answers, and there is something about you that just makes me feel like I'll find them."

I thought about it. "Does that have any part to do with how you said I haven't seen anything yet with your machinery?" I already knew the answer, and that worried me.

"Yes it does, technology has come a long way in this city."

"Okay, the conditions I can agree to, they are simple enough," I said, "However, I would like to propose a counter offer."

Her masked face tilted in confusion. "Isn't my offer already generous enough with the price given the complexity of the weapon?"

"Yes, it is already extremely generous, and I will keep the conditions you have, however there is something I want changed." I paused for the most dramatic of suspense's. "I will pay not one thousand giiuts, but one thousand siinens for the weapon and the right to make the weapon. What I mean is that the weapon would only be able to be made again with my approval."

Frantantein was silent, possibly contemplating my offer. "One question if I may, why?"

"Because I don't like the idea of someone else using that weapon other than me. Call it my dragon's hoard, but that's how I feel." She went silent, and before she spoke I added one more thing. "And I'd like to add a condition of my own. When it is just the two of us, I'd like you to take off the mask and cloak. I don't want one of my companions to be a sentient mask, I want it to be Frantantein."

Her silence only grew, but now with a slight shake to her body. The silence dragged out for a solid two minutes, and right as I was about to speak up again I saw her move. She slowly, but surely took off her gloves, then pulled her arms into the cloak to then pull the cloak up and off of her. Finally, she took off her mask and I saw her face once more.

The same stitched and matched up face I saw earlier accompanied by that radiant purple eye in the black mist. Different this time, however, was that I got to see the rest of her body. Her shirt was a simple black color that fit, but hid the shape underneath. Her pants were the same way except in a shade of grey. Just like her face, her legs were a mismatch of sewn together parts. Differing skin tones separated by the stitch lines. Except in some areas where more black mist seemed to hold some shape. Her left arm was the same way, but her right arm was different. From the elbow down it was just a swirl of black mist that kept the shape of an arm.

The interesting part is that only the mist in her eye is deformed. The other spots of mist hold their shape, while it floats to the side. Overall, her appearance did not seem natural, if all the stitches weren't enough to tell. Unbeknownst to me, the longer I looked at her the harder she shook. When I finally noticed it seemed like she was experiencing an earthquake. I quickly grabbed her mask and put it on her thinking that would help. Luckily it did, as soon as it was put on her shaking stopped. Her posture was so serene now.

She looked up to me, I finally noticed that she was a lot shorter than me, before speaking, "Well? Am I your companion now?"

I couldn't help but to laugh at her. Where she gets her confidence in these lines I don't know but man are they entertaining. "Yes, let me get you the money I owe and then we can head out. At this rate my friends are going to think I was kidnapped too."

"Kidnapped too? Who was kidnapped first?" She asked me.

I was hesitant in my answer, "A friend of mine was taken by the cult because she was traveling with a piece to Cratezt's Box."

"Wait, can she be ok? Wouldn't they just get rid of her once they have the piece? That would make the most sense." Man, she is really blunt now.

I grimaced in response, "Luckily her sister was the one that held onto the piece, so we are banking on the cult keeping her alive until they can get the piece. That's why I need a weapon, to hunt down those bastards and make them pay." Voicing my opinion felt weird. I knew that was how I felt, but actually putting it out into the universe was different.

"Well we just need to rescue her then. Since I'll be helping you out, I'll teach you the ins and outs of using Porcupine. But let's head out, we still need to find your friends." After I paid her, Frantantein took a moment to put her gloves and cloak back on before she led me out of her shop. Once we got outside, she went around the side to find a small button that was easily hidden in the shadows. She pressed it and her shop started rumbling. I expected the noise to be loud, but it was actually just a steady hum much like how the door didn't creak. Slowly at first then faster did the store start closing in on itself. One wall would move in a little before another corner took its turn and then the next. The pattern continued until all that was left was a block no bigger than my fist.

"Nope, you cannot say that that was just technology. It literally violates all known rules of matter," I called her out.

"Those 'rules of matter' only apply to the concepts known by mortals," was her only reply. She didn't give me anymore detail and I decided not to ask. She grabbed the block and slipped it into a pocket. We walked in silence for a while as we moved towards the entrance of the alley. My eyes had long been adjusted to the shadows of the alley, but it wasn't until we reached the mouth of the alley that I saw just how dark it got in the market.

The sky was completely black with shining yellow sparkles that danced across the endless expanse. They were only interrupted by the occasional air ship that was taking off on its next trip, but even so it was serene. The market place was empty, so the quiet of it all was soothing in comparison to how I saw it before.

What wasn't different was the ragged people right in front of the entrance blocking the way. They didn't seem to notice us with their backs towards us. As we drew closer I called out to them to watch out. Frantantein looked at me before looking back at where I called to.

"Who're you talking to?" She asked. Before I could answer their voices rang out.

Just as hallowed as I remembered they spoke, "So you kept your promise Four Winged, we appreciate you bringing our host out of her hiding." Frantantein's eyes widened.

"You heard that right?" She whispered, "No, you must have. You really can see them. Are they in our way?"

As she spoke, the mob of people backed away, giving us an opening. I shook my head no and she looked forward and marched out into the open. It was a fascinating sight, every time she passed one of them they disappeared as if they were never there. Before the final person vanished, their voice rang out.

"For the first time in a long time, we get a ride. thank you Four Winged, but please keep our host safe." Then they were gone and it was just Frantantein in the open space.

As if she didn't hear what was just spoken, she turned around. "Are you coming? Hurry up, you need to lead the way," she called out. I decided to forget it for now and ran out to meet her. "Where we heading captain?"

That's when I realized the map wasn't in my pocket.

'Oh no.'

End of Chapter 11

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