An Owl's Rise

"Katrina, you did not break your armor again?" The owner of the shop said with a dreading expression.

It appeared that she was not as enthusiastic about her business as the talisman shop owner was. Since Katrina always came in with busted gear.

"No, it has a little bit of damage on it, but nothing is broken this time. Right now, I am helping her to buy a set of armor and some weapons for herself." Katrina explained.

The shop owner sighed in relief and slumped her shoulders over. Obviously very grateful to not have to fix Katrina\'s armor again.

She then really looked at Evelyn, and a perplexed expression came over her face.

"Katrina, I do not mean to be rude, but we do not have anything suitable for a fiend beast. Go to a lower end store or the first floor if you want something for her." The shop owner said, dismissing Evelyn as a customer.

"No, it is fine. She is quite special. I am pretty sure no fiend beast in the Roost is even close to her. Evelyn, go ahead and let out your magical energy at full strength."

Tentatively following Katrina\'s direction, Evelyn brought out as much magical energy as she could at once and showed it off to the shop owner.

This elicited a loud gasp of surprise, and she looked at Evelyn like she could not believe she was real.

"How is this possible?! Her magical energy is far stronger than I have ever felt from a fiend beast!" The shop owner said in astonishment.

Of course, she was right to be so shocked by Evelyn\'s power, as it was well beyond any other fiend beast, mostly thanks to her additional magic core and the support of the Aethersphere.

For a few moments the shop owner contemplated something, before nodding her head.

"Very well, she should be strong enough to be able to handle some the gear that I make. But none of my best work. If that is acceptable?" She said to Katrina.

In response, Katrina nodded her head, and now with permission Evelyn began looking around the shop.

For starters, she looked at their types of armor that was being sold but passed up the first ones she saw which were pretty heavy.

Her fighting style was more about begin fast and hitting quickly with her wind and fire magic. Even if she could reduce the effects of the weight with her gravity magic, she still did not want to be unnecessarily encumbered.

\'Oh, that is some nice-looking armor.\' Evelyn thought finding some that suited her taste.

It was made of some type of leather from a beast called a multiheaded sea serpent apparently, and its dull blue color attracted Evelyn.

\'Gah, one million two hundred thousand.\'

Seeing the price for the armor that consisted of a main torso piece and a helmet, Evelyn was caught off guard by the immense price.

She had glanced at some of the other armor sets, but none of them had exceed nine hundred thousand from what she saw.

But this sea serpent leather armor apparently had a bunch of useful effects. Like increasing the wearer\'s resistance to extreme pressure, allowing them to move better underwater, and even provided an oxygen bubble that could last up to thirty minutes for diving.

Along with that it was really sturdy and was about the toughest light armor that the shop owner had on display that Evelyn could buy.

\'It could be pretty useful, especially if I am ever in a situation where my quarry is underwater. Though my powers do not work very well under there to begin with. Still, in case I ever end up in another situation where my opponent is using water terrain to their advantage, it could help me out.\' Evelyn thought while trying to figure out if it was worth buying.

Eventually she gave in and decided to purchase it. Even though it would eat through the majority of her remaining credits.

With the amor she wanted now decided on, she started looking at weapons and found that there were actually things like swords and spears, but their shapes and handled were quite a bit different to be able to be better held by owls.

Though Evelyn decided against something like that and instead went for the weapons that were more specialized for an owl.

\'These should do.\'

Picking out a set of claws made out of a black metal, Evelyn tired them one attaching them to her feet.

While she already did have her own talons, these weapons would fit over them and not only help to protect them but increase her attack power.

The set would cost her only a hundred eighty thousand credits, remarkably cheaper than the armor. Of course, their quality was a bit less, but Evelyn was certain that it would be find since her magic had vastly improved, and she was better at long range anyway.

Next, she looked at some wing attachments and found some that were pretty light that could be affixed to the tips of her wings which blades would pop out of if she fed them with magical energy.

This way she could simply fly by any of her opponents and slice through them.

For two of the more basic ones, it was going to cost her one hundred seventy-five thousand, which was the majority of her remaining credits.

\'I can see why Melisandre wanted me to earn as many as I could. While a million may seem a lot, the finer products cost absurd amounts to purchase.\' Evelyn thought as she started bringing over the items she had chosen to buy.

Naturally the shopkeeper was surprised to see what she had brught up, as it was all pretty expensive. Especially the armor.

"Katrina, are you paying for her as well?" She asked, not believing Evelyn had anywhere near enough credits to purchase all this.

"No, that was not the arrangement. Evelyn, I assume you have enough for all this?" Katrina asked with an expression clearly saying she was not going to help if she did not.

"Yeah, I do. Just barely. Here you can see." Evelyn said holding up her cuff and showing off the balance.

Seeing that she did indeed have just barely enough, with only a few thousand credits to spare, the shop owner completed the transaction and handed Evelyn\'s purchases over.

"Here, if you would not mind repairing these?" Anneli said as she laid out her own weapons and armor.

Looking at them, Evelyn could see that Anneli used a huge variety of weapons. Likely to be prepared for any situation.

Her gear was also scuffed up in many places, but as she said it was not broken this time.

"I think it will take me a week. Come back then and I will have it done." The shop owner said as she stored away Katrina\'s gear.

With that they were done and bid the shop owner goodbye and headed out of the hall and back to Melisandre\'s mansion.