Previously on Centaurus: The band join an inter-city caravan on their way to the city. Lily and Kayla discover Vivi's secret pet and promise to keep quiet about it.
Fey looked over the two otterkin girls. They looked decidedly... suspicious.
It wasn't that Lily was no longer a six foot wide cum tank, or that the both of them had somehow acquired petite cum filled bellies, small midterm cum pregnancies fitting for their size and species. No, it was the shifty looks the both of them had, not quite looking her in the eyes, nervously moving their feet, quickly masked guilty expressions.
She had the distinct impression that they were hiding something, mostly she supposed because they were absolutely terrible at hiding anything.
But she had something more important to deal with right now and she didn't want to get distracted from it.
She turned to find Rina, the lamia woman was fussing over one of the caravans, one of the larger ones, a behemoth of a thing with eight huge wagon wheels. She flipped open a panel on the side and an iron lever was revealed. She wrapped a large hand around it and heaved backwards, setting her powerful tail in coils and applying her weight. The lever resisted and then after a moment's pause clanged downward with a ratcheting grinding sound.
From within the caravan came a clockwork metal clattering announcing machinery beginning to move, wooden panels sliding out of position, metals bars hinged at either end lifting and pushing heavy wooden shelves and walls, large canvas sheets stretching out on fanned spars up above.
Fey and the twins looked on in amazement as the caravan unfolded, becoming several times larger, in fact it spread out so much that they had to take a dozen steps back.
What was once a caravan was now what could be called a full on building, albeit with a canvas roof.
Rina gestured at the construction proudly.
"Behold, the keystone of our business."
"It's amazing! ...But what is it?"
"Oh you know, just a fully operational shop with all amenities and tools necessary to function."
The otterkins let out appropriately awed sounds.
"I didn't expect this when you said you could get a Class for our apprentices," said Fey.
Rina gave a smug look as only a wealthy merchant could, her expression practically oozing money.
It was currently late afternoon. The band had spent the day accompanying the caravan and guarding it. That had been a relatively easy job, the only real threat that had appeared was a pack of wolves. Fey had expected Ellaria to handle it but the sheer ferocity with which she had attacked the wolves had left Fey and everyone watching stunned. The wolves hadn't stood a chance, instantly turned into so much charcoal statues amongst some blackened splinters that had once been trees.
Fey had the distinct impression that something had seriously upset the elf that morning but when she went to ask her what was wrong she had stalked away ignoring her.
She had ended up spending the rest of the walk trotting beside the slithering Rina. They had eventually warmed up to each other as long conversations were wont to do and Fey had found herself talking about the band. The topic had stumbled on to the otterkins, their apprentices, and how they had no Class to speak of.
Zal had piped up at that point, the Dogkin was resting in a small cart, a pair of green feathered birds harnessed on the front which she directed with long leads. She had the cart all to herself of course because of her massive stomach which entirely filled it.
The dogkin did not seem displeased with her situation in the slightest, in fact she seemed to love every moment of it, which she expressed with a suggestion to Rina. Let the otterkin's have access to their stock.
The shop that the caravan had now unfolded into housed said stock and Rina gestured at the entrance with a smile.
"Come on! This shouldn't take long, we have an amazing selection of Classes, I really am quite proud of it you know."
Fey trotted to the door, a canvas flap, and gingerly pushed it aside peering into the interior.
Soft light filtered by the canvas above illuminated the inside, heavy shelves stacked with innumerable books of all sizes filling the interior, rows and rows of them. At the front of the shop was a large desk.
The twins ran in underneath her, between her legs, literally bouncing with excitement and jumping from shelf to shelf, eagerly reading the titles on the spines.
Fey trotted inside more calmly and Rina followed behind.
"That's... a lot of books. Back in my old clan we barely had two dozen for the whole herd and if someone wanted a Class they had to go from clan to clan begging to borrow a book."
"Isn't it? It took us a long time to build up so many. Trust me I wouldn't do it if I didn't think it was worth it, towns out in the sticks simply do not have access to the sheer range that Class libraries in the cities do so we provide an incredibly important service getting good Classes to those who need them."
The lamia slithered forward to the desk and flipped open a miniature chest at one end of it. Inside was a crystal on a golden chain, the crystal a jagged explosion of clear crystalline spars that refracted the soft light from above sending rainbows dancing over Rina's skin.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"Yes, an Affinity Crystal. Extremely useful for finding a Class that you will be strong with."
"We had nothing like that back home, I had to rely on my feelings and advice from the more experienced centaurs. It was incredibly nerve-racking, I was terrified I could end up with a Class that didn't fit right and would be useless and stunted."
"Hmm understandable. Perhaps our caravan should swing by the centaur plains someday if it's as bad as you say. In any case, Kayla?"
The otterkin looked up at the Lamia with round sparkling eyes, excited to see what would happen next.
Rina couldn't help the corner of her lip twitching with amusement. She coiled downward and put the chain in the otterkin's hand. The crystal looked especially large next to diminutive otterkin and she struggled a little under its weight.
"Wh-what do I do?"
As she spoke however the crystal moved, pulling to the side and angling the chain from where it dangled in her hands. Kayla stumbled forward and was led across the floor by the crystal, pulling and tugging at her and leading her toward a book. It touched up against it, flashed a faint green, and then fell limp.
Kayla blinked at it then read the spine.
"Boxer? I don't want to be a boxer!" cried out Kayla. "I'm way to smol for that!"
