Aurion (2)

"Oh no, no," the boy said with a small laugh. "That's not why I am here. I am Aurion, by the way."

The Observer nodded in acknowledgment and then introduced himself. "Aurion, I am the Observer. Why are you here, then, if not to chase me away?"

"I just wanted to take a better look at the cultivator that broke into my home in such a troubled time."

"You know about us cultivators?" The Observer inquired, surprised.

The boy smiled more widely. "Of course. I've killed quite a few of you."

The Observer's eyes narrowed as he began to prepare his divine energy. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, don't assume you can act as you please here. I know you and your kind are an arrogant bunch, but you are not the peak of the multiverse. However, so long as you don't anger us five, you are free to stay here as long as you wish."

The Observer mulled over his words for a moment before relaxing a bit. "Understood."

"Alright. Before I go, Eidara told me to hand you this. It will help you during your stay." The boy conjured a small white pearl from thin air and threw it at him.

The Observer released his divine energy and used it to catch the pearl, refraining from touching it directly. "What is this?"

Aurion waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, we're not trying to hurt you. That pearl will enable you to fluently speak and understand all the languages of this world, that way you don't have to trouble yourself with learning them all by yourself. Anyway, goodbye and see you soon. And one more thing, don't mess with the balance of the city."

With that, Aurion vanished and the Observer found himself alone. He studied the pearl in his hands before realizing that Aurion had not told him how to use it.

Contemplating the mysterious pearl for a moment, the Observer settled on the usual approach. As any cultivator would, he decided to infuse it with his divine energy. Upon contact with his divine energy, the pearl dissolved into pure energy, attempting to merge with him.

Halting the flow, he scrutinized the strange energy. Caution was paramount; allowing an unknown force into his being without inspection could lead to injury or manipulation. Convinced of its harmlessness after careful examination, he permitted the energy to assimilate.

The energy traversed through his body, settling in his head and spreading a refreshing sensation. Surveying himself afterward, the Observer confirmed that all was well.

Certain that Aurion and Eidara harbored no ill intentions, he refocused on the inn. Attempting to open the door, his hand once again passed through it. It seemed Aurion had neglected to release him from this parallel space.

Parallel spaces, a concept known to the Observer but not fully mastered, involved a partial transition through the fourth spatial dimension. It rendered individuals incapable of interacting with the usual 3-dimensional space. Still, as long as one had some knowledge of the law of space, it wasn't that hard to get out of them. Thinking this, the Observer reached out with his hand, mobilized his divine energy, and pulled. Nothing seemed to change, but as he tried to open the door to the hotel once more, he succeeded.

The reception area of the hotel exuded a modest charm with a worn wooden counter facing the front door. To the left, a set of stairs led to the upper floor, housing the guest rooms, while to the right, an open doorway revealed a partially occupied bar. The sparely furnished room featured a few benches near the receptionist's counter and boasted the first lightbulb the Observer had seen since arriving in the city.

Seated behind the counter was Elina, a woman engrossed in what appeared to be a magazine titled 'Mystic Musings.' As the Observer entered, she paused her reading, looking up to observe him as he approached.

"Hello, ma'am," the Observer greeted, offering a small nod.

"Good evening," Elina responded, sitting up and setting aside her magazine. "How may I help you, Mister..."

"Reynard," the Observer supplied. He stuck with the familiar name for the time being, since he had yet to find the opportunity to think up a new one. His eyes caught the title of the magazine, indicating a publication for mystic enthusiasts.

"Mister Reynard, I am Elina. What may I do for you?"

"I'd like to have a room, please."

Elina nodded. "It'll cost 5 deram, sir."

Unfamiliar with the local currency, the Observer reached into his robe, producing a small sphere of pure gold. Placing it on the wooden counter, he inquired, "I currently don't have any of the local currency. Can you accept this?"

Elina sat straight with surprise, an emotion which quickly gave way to distrust as her eyes fixated on the gold. "Mister Reynard, I hate to be rude, but which god do you believe in?"

Caught off guard by the question, the Observer recalled the encounter with the boy Aurion outside the inn. "I believe in Aurion," he ventured, noting a slight relaxation in Elina's demeanor he decided to expand on the information, adding, "But I also worship Eidara."

"Two gods," Elina seemed taken aback.

The Observer nodded. "Most people don't know this, but Aurion and Eidara get along quite well. As such, they don't particularly mind people worshiping the other." Though the Observer knew little about Aurion or Eidara, the connection between them, evident in Eidara's gift delivered through Aurion, guided his response.

For some seconds Elina was quiet as she studied him. "Well," she said, "you do have the air of one of Eidara's scholars." Something about the way she said it made it clear that it was not a compliment.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you have that charlatan air around you so it's pretty obvious," Elina explained, obviously not caring much what he thought of her words.

'What on earth did I do to make her see me as a charlatan?' He wondered but was unable to come up with a satisfactory answer.

"Anyway," she continued, "even if you don't worship any of the mad gods, I can't accept that. It's too expensive. How about this, once you leave the building, go down the street and at the end turn left. If you go forward a bit you'll come across Pete's shop. He's a jeweler, so you might be able to sell this to him. You have to be quick though, he closes his shop early."

Realizing that her words made sense, the Observer took back the ball of gold and left the building, following her instructions as he tried to find the jeweler's shop. It didn't take long for him to find it, and as he approached he noticed a few boys running around as they tidied up the shop, preparing to close it for the day.

Not wanting to find himself stuck outside, he walked into the shop and straight to the only counter he could see. Behind the counter stood an old man. He was mostly bald, with only a few wiry gray hairs growing at the edges of his head.

The man looked a bit confused as the Observer walked up to the counter and said. "I'm looking for a man named Pete. Can you get him for me?"

"I'm Pete," the old man replied in a surprisingly steady voice.

The Observer gave Pete a small bow. "I am truly sorry for interrupting you sir, but I need some money badly and I heard you are the most reliable jeweler nearby." The Observer believed it wouldn't hurt to butter up the old man a bit. Pulling out the gold sphere once more he continued. "I would like to sell this."

The old man studied the Observer for a moment before motioning for him to pass the gold sphere. After receiving it, he retreated into a room deeper in the shop before returning with a black stone, two glass bottles containing an unknown liquid, and some beakers. Taking the gold sphere, he rubbed it on the black stone until it left a mark.

Then he set aside the sphere and picked up the black stone and put it in the beaker. Then, opening one of the glass bottles, he poured out the liquid inside onto the mark on the black stone. Nothing happened. Then he repeated the previous process, this time using the liquid in the second glass bottle. This time, the gold mark left on the black stone disappeared.

A small smile appeared on Pete's face at this site. After leaving once more, returning with a weigh, and weighing the gold sphere, he looked at the Observer with a shrewd look in his eye and called out a price. "30 deram."

Despite knowing that he was most likely being cheated, the Observer nodded and Pete happily paid him before sending him on his way, informing him that if he had any other piece of jewelry to sell, he could always come to Pete's shop. 

Returning to the hotel, the Observer was finally able to pay for a room. Elina showed him to his room before returning to her post at the reception desk.

Now finally alone, the Observer locked the door before sitting cross-legged on the ground. He had long since reached the level where sleep wasn't a necessity for him anymore. Still, he had a lot of work to do that night, healing the wounds that he still bore.