30 – Infiltration (1)

Completing her daily hadn’t taken Alexandra that much time. It was still early afternoon when she returned to the harbor, ready to tackle a skill quest. A Face Among Many was simply a skill she had to get. Not only that, the condition for its unlock meant she couldn’t do so in Lanterne.

A Face Among Many: Infiltrate a crowded place you’re not welcome in without being noticed (0/1).

While there were a few places where she wasn’t welcome in the village, none of them could be considered crowded. She frowned. By now, she was barely welcomed in Lanterne altogether. But even then, it wouldn’t feel crowded if the entire population gathered in one place.

Esmera was the perfect place to do that quest.

She stared at the ship where the crew was still loading merchandise. That was her first idea, a place where she wasn’t supposed to be.

Alexandra grabbed a small crate from the dock.

It was heavy. Heavier than it looked. Acting like she belonged, she followed three steps behind a broad-shouldered man, entering the line. The gangplank bowed under their weight. She kept her head low.

She made it three steps onto the deck.

“You.” A hand closed around her arm. The man who grabbed her was short, sun-darkened and scarred along the jaw. His grip didn’t leave room for her to move. “Who the fuck are you?”

“New hire.” She kept her voice flat. “Dockmaster sent me up.”

“New hire.” He repeated it without inflection. Two other men drifted closer. “Merinus ships never hire locals. Especially not hooded ones.”

The crate was taken from her hands. The scarred man walked her backward toward the rail.

“Off the ship.”

“There’s been a misunderstanding—”

“Off the ship, and into the hands of the port authorities.”

“Look, I’ll just go. No need to take things too far.”

The man didn’t answer, and kept pushing her toward the docks. They deboarded the ship, and walked toward the white robed priestess Alexandra had observed earlier.

“Arame. I found this one trying to sneak up on our ship,” The man said, sending Alexandra forward.

Arame looked at him, then at Alexandra who didn’t dare to meet her gaze. “I’ll take it from there.”

The man frowned. “To be clear, she’s not with us.”

“I know. Don’t worry about it.”

He turned around and left.

Arame turned her head to look at the sea. Alexandra waited, looking at her feet.

What a disaster.

“What were you trying to do?”

Alexandra opened her mouth. Closed it. “I wanted to see the ship.”

Arame watched the water. A gull landed on a piling twenty feet out. “The ship.”

“The loading process. I’m interested in seeing… how… it is?”

Alexandra shut up.

“Right.”

The gull left. Arame watched it go.

“Now, the real reason.”

Alexandra flinched.

“Come on,” Arame pressed. “You’re not expecting me to believe an excuse this weak. Are you?”

“I’m sorry.” She shifted on her feet.

Arame looked at her. “Then.”

Alexandra hesitated.

The priestess shook her head. “See the size of this ship. Anyone capable of chartering something that large isn’t someone you can mess with. So you’re going to tell me why you tried to sneak on their ship, or I’ll take you to custody.”

“For a skill quest,” Alexandra blurted out.

“Which one?”

“A Face Among Many.”

Arame scratched her chin and scanned her outfit. “I can see why.”

“I’m not a demon worshiper.”

“That’s exactly what a demon worshiper would say.” Arame smiled. “I’m just kidding. I can tell you’re not.”

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Alexandra paused and looked at Arame, the leader of the local branch of the Hands of the Well. Esmera wasn’t that large of a city, so she shouldn’t be too powerful. Still stronger than her, though. Much stronger. She could feel it, somehow.

“You put me in a pinch, young lady…”

“Alexandra.”

“Alexandra,” she repeated. “You put me in a pinch. I’m inclined to look past your transgression, but it seems to me that you’ll just try again somewhere else.”

Alexandra let out a nervous laugh. “Haha, don’t worry. I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll give up on that skill.”