>>6338624“Hey, yea!” Volka chirps as a smile returns to her face, “S-so this Anton’s the real deal, right? D-does this settle it?”
“Can… can we still maim him a bit anyways?” Adds Rezzie as the enthusiasm drains from her face with the speed of a punctured water balloon… full of blood! “Just… just in case?”
“It’s not conclusive evidence by any means,” Oti continues, not bothering to answer either question, “But ‘Anton’s’ demonstrations rule out a great deal of possibilities.”
“Sorry about all the suspicion, Anton…” Morook adds with a hint of remorse in his droning voice, “We just-”
It’s fine, you answer with a shrug, you’re just eager to get back on track! Before you can, however, another question wriggles into your brainmeats:
If the imposter wasn’t using magic or a construct…
“You’re asking who or what they might’ve been…” Nods Oti as he politely nudges his way into your statement! “I have my theories, but if we rule out magic we’re left with staggeringly few…”
Is he certain it wasn’t magic? You’re in Umberal–isn’t this, like, Magicville?
“As our earlier antics proved, Glamours aren’t foolproof…” The Chytree sighs as his eyes flicker with rapid thought! “But the Mages in Trimbault weren’t actively searching for us. As for the Teksouls, well…”
So what’s left then? Did someone drink an Anton Potion or something? Do you have an evil twin?
“All possible, yes,” Toppel interjects, tiny face scrunched up in thought! “Even long-term changes like polymorphs have their tells, howev-”
“<span class="mu-s">Keekulaaley…</span>”
The word leaves Morook’s mouth breathless… almost whispered! Errr, b-bless you?
“No…” Oti frowns in an equally-reverant tone, “That’s… Highly unlikely…”
“Keekuzzuh-whuzzuh?” Volka repeats, each syllable barely making it past her lips! “Sounds familiar, but-”
“Forest-dwelling omnivores…” Toppel recites, her eyes lighting up at the chance to demonstrate her knowledge! “Zetsi folklore claims they emerged from the rich clay and silt found in fens around Zoral… used to be quite populous until The Coalition partnered with Viislan Rangers to thin their numbers out…”
Fascinating, you sigh, but what’s that got to do with right now? The witch answers with a weary sigh of her own!
“Nowadays the name’s more of a ‘boogeyman’ than anything else, especially to the East.” She replies as her bushy tail thumps against the floor. “In Zetsi it means-”
“<span class="mu-i">Shifting Clay…</span>” Morook answers, eyes dimming as the words leave his mouth, “... Shapechanger.”
Silence blankets the hallway as the words settle in to stay for a while. Rezzie, of course, is the first to break it.
“So what, it can make itself look like Anton? That’s what did it?”
>CONTD. 