Dressing Like a Hero

After I had eaten my fill, Yrh'danyr took me to this small outlet in the far arm of the galaxy. It was a very eclectic place that looked like it belonged in a collector's museum. There were all kinds of clothes made from various materials and accommodating all manner of limb portions. The attendants were from races I had never seen before, resembling various kinds of humanoids with unique features. They didn't look in our direction as we entered. Instead, they busied themselves with preparing various displays and racks of clothing.

"Good day." A ram humanoid, with large curled horns and a long snout with white fur running down the lower half of his face, greeted us. "I am Nobald, the Nesthrezine host of Akbat's Imperium Emporium." He looked Yrh'danyr over and then myself. "A Scarrin and I don't believe I have been acquainted with your race." His tone made it obvious he was implying that I should reveal what species I was.

"Terran." Yrh'danyr commented. "Nobald, there is no need to be so formal here."

"Lady of the Breaths," he changed his tune, "I am simply doing my duty. I would be remiss if I had not inquired."

"I would be appreciative if you could close the shop for a little while. We would like to peruse your wares and my guest is not the kind that needs others gawking at her physiology. We have an accord?" This was the first time I had heard Yrh'danyr become so authoritative. Either she had been to this place plenty of times or that she was a Minor One made the attendants heed her without question. Either way, Nobald did exactly as she asked. No questions, only action. He even proceeded to guard the door.

The sections of the shop were divided by the number of limbs of each species it served. Yrh'danyr took me to a large section that had an overhead sign that read: Quadrupeds. It was kind of odd to think of humans as such but, we did have four limbs so it was pretty accurate.

There were thousands of different outfits. Some made for species I knew of, like the Borda and Amali. Some that I had yet to see. None were for Terrans, not exactly. The materials were not something we would normally wear. Shells, steel, scales. I wanted something that would fit my physique, my style, and provide some kind of protection in the upcoming events. I wasn't even sure as to what I would be facing, which made it even harder to choose. There were so many racks to choose from too.

Dresses, pantsuits, shorts, tees, scale mail, shell mail, steel wear, grass, living armor. If you could think it, it was here. There were even mythium breastplates from Illyanus. As I was ogling all the different textures and styles of clothing, Yrh'danyr came up to me from behind, carrying a bundle of outfits.

"How about we start with this?" She offered. "I took the liberty of trying to find something suitable for your species and size. If you don't like anything I found, we can find something else."

I took the half the bundle from her and walked over to the changing area. Yrh'danyr followed behind me with the other half. She set the clothes down on the bench inside the booth and I followed suit. Then, she left. I inspected the area for any surveillance. The last thing I needed was to be broadcast to some pervert's eyes.

I tried on an outfit that looked like it was the most safe. A dress that fell to my ankles made from what felt like silk. Its base color was that of pumpkin orange with golden accents dotted across the neckline, waistline and larger ones across the front. It hugged my form. The shoulders came out in points and it had a high collar. It was otherwise very safe but definitely not my style.

The second outfit I tried on was very similar to latex on the outside yet soft and comfortable like cotton on the inside. It too hugged my form. But, the plates of hardened material on the outside made the movement in it very difficult. The plates rested above each joint and were quite heavy for the type of outfit it was supposed to be. I also didn't think it would be easy to remove if I had to get it off in a hurry.

The third outfit looked very promising as armor. The heavy mythium plates prevented a modest about of damage. It covered most of the body and was extremely light to move in. However, the spikes that jutted out from every angle made me think that I would be trapped or snagged on the surroundings as I fought. This seemed more for someone who wanted to look like a warrior but was not close to actually being one.

I tried on another dress. This one was nude colored, accented with black lines and patches etching a vivid depiction of a serpent upon the left side of the dress. The accents covered the areas that appeared to be where my most vulnerable spots would be. It was very bold to say the least. And, while I enjoyed bold looks, this was too bold for my taste.

I searched through the remaining outfits and discovered another armor that on first glance looked very promising. Armor plates over a thin fabric. These plates were much smaller than the previous two armors I had tried on. The interlocking plates made for better mobility. It even had a feature that allowed me to illuminate the areas in between the plates to provide light. But, ultimately I was turned off by the feel of the plates themselves. They appeared to be made of some kind of plastic composite. It wouldn't stand up to even one of Whisper's attacks let alone a Great One.

 The next outfit I picked up reminded me of a building. It had many open areas with fine mesh over the whole outfit. The mesh was held up by what appeared to be bone colored supports, adding rigidity to the outfit. Below all of this was a white cloth that hid anything from view. When I put it on, it immediately lit up. I felt like a lantern. This would definitely not do.

I found a top and legging set. The tunic top came over the leggings that hugged my body close. The sides of the tunic had high slits running from the bottom to about my waist, allowing for movement. The black top and grey bottoms were accented by the colors of the other part of the outfit. The chest area of the outfit however, was a bit constricting. It felt like I was wearing a piece of chitin.

There were only three outfits left to choose from. So far, I wasn't liking anything that Yrh'danyr had picked out for me. I was very hesitant to chose anything at all. My galactic credits were not very plentiful. She had probably taken me to this shop knowing that the prices were hidden. She probably didn't want me arguing with her over the cost.

There was a sudden knock on the dressing room door. "Mara?" Yrh'danyr called out to me. "What do you think of the selections?" She sounded just as nervous as I was.

"I wasn't really impressed by any of them so far. Nothing really caught my eye." Then, I added, "There are still three outfits I haven't tried on yet. Perhaps they will be more to my liking."

"I do hope you find something that you like."

"Me too." I knew she couldn't see me smile. "Hey, Yrh'danyr, I'm kind of worried."

"I'm sure we can find something that will be suitable here. This place serves many races. There is bound to be something that will look good."

"That's not what I am worried about." I sighed. "Honestly, I don't know how I am going to pay for these clothes. I know I insisted on paying for my meal at the restaurant, but I am realizing that pay on Earth doesn't get you very far. Not only that, I don't know if I can truly live up to the expectations that the Minor Ones have in mind for me. I don't really feel like a hero."

Yrh'danyr laughed. "Mara, Nesbeth insisted that I provide for you while I take you out. He knew what you could afford and what you couldn't. He honestly didn't want you paying for anything. Your job won't pay. Not physically at least. So, it is our duty to provide for you. That said, your duty to us is only to provide us with a means to contest the Great Ones. We shall always stand with you, no matter what. Even in the event that the endeavor fails." Then she added, "As far as being a hero, the first part of feeling like one is to dress the part."