MAR 21 Tuesday.

Things are mostly relaxed and actually a little fun as I and the King walk into another room to continue our search.

We've found seven cards so far and almost half a full pair, but I just pass any cards I find off to the king as I don't have much of an interest in this game. "You are rather good at this, it seems you have the eyes of a crow as well." He comments as I pull a card from a particularly well-hidden spot.

I keep my trend and downplay things again. "Thank you, I can't take too much credit though, my job requires an eye for small details." Not a lie, just a diversion. From there I decided to pull fewer cards from where they are and just relax a little to not stress myself out.

He chuckles. "I suppose so. I've seen your documentation, it is well done." He compliments without much of a reason. "Ahh, another one, we have a full set!" He smiles in victory and keeps the cards with him. "Although, it seems many of the easier cards have been taken."

I nod as I've noticed that many others have a card or two and that's just in this room. "Seems so, I think I'll leave any talking to you though, that is not in my skill set," I answer with a little honesty and decide to just sit down on a couch in the room, I take a moment to look around more.

The room has one wall caverned in windows that look out into the city. There are two doors into the room and they are kept open with stoppers. The room has a few couches, a few seats and rugs, several bookshelves, and an assortment of smaller items and other shelves and tables.

The King nods after a moment and also looks around. "Fair enough, then I think I'll ask the Silversteens, they seem to have a few extra cards and I think I spotted a three in there." He comments before looking over to me with that same smile. "Wish me luck, they can be a stubborn sort, but you didn't hear that from me." He jokes with a smile.

I nod to him and we walk off to deal with other guests. I find the king interesting, he has proven to be nice enough if a bit formal and relaxed, maybe a little too friendly for my tastes though. Not to say it's a bad thing on his part, but I don't really enjoy this semi-fake friendliness at events like this.

It's all just so tiring, the smiling that hurts your face after an hour of having it on your face, and the kind words that ring so very hollow. It all just drains me, at least parties like this are much calmer than large parties like the one where I met the King at. Hollow.

That really is the best word for all of this, a shell without substance, as I sit there I have a while to think to myself. As for what I'm thinking of, well like many days I'm thinking of the future. Specifically about my work and Entropy's ability to travel large distances in a short amount of time.

Once I'm no longer working the only things I'll really need to return home for are game night with my friends and meetings with Celestia, Cadance, Avalon, and getting my ass kicked by Stone of course. I wonder how he's doing right now? Probably something more interesting than this at a minimum.

Back to the point though, once I am free from work I won't need to spend more than a day or two every week at home. All that other time is going to be free for me and I think I need to strike a balance with everything, specifically with inventing and training.

I'll probably do more of both, but I need clear limits to not burn myself out completely. I may have the will to grind on a project but only to a certain point and eventually, I will need to stop myself, so I need limits. To that end, I need something to fill more of that free time with something different from my normal routine.

I could add more hobbies but that won't really help, I need something similar to training but also different, maybe something a bit more social? I may not be one for consistent interaction but something simple that I'm able to walk away from when needed would be a nice addition, and if I can learn or improve while doing it that's all the better.

I know for sure one thing I really want to work on more is healing magic, and I don't mean healing in general but specifically healing magic, as in spells. I've spent five years learning the vast majority of nonmagical healing knowledge, even if I could use some practical practice I at least have the knowledge to heal others.

I'm not professionally trained, but I have the ability to treat most wounds, or at least I know how to treat most wounds and that's about as far as I can get without taking the initiative to find the injured and heal them. But before I try to heal others through non-magical means I want to learn better healing magic as a backup.

Beyond that I have another reason to learn healing magic, it's a part of my life affinity that I never worked with before. You are able to enhance a spell's effects if you use a magical affinity instead of neutral magic that works with the spell. As an example let's use the basic Firebolt spell.

If I had a fire affinity I could enhance the Firebolt spell while not needing to add more magic and overpower the spell. It is a bit more complicated than that as you need to take into account the control you have and the conversion ratio of the affinity you are using, but it proves the point.

The life affinity is able to enhance healing spells of all kinds. I now have the control over my life magic and the magical reserves along with the skill needed to cast higher-level spells consistently. If I learn several stronger healing spells then I could enhance them even further and that is not a skill I want to leave off of the table.

Maybe I should look into a healing guild or a hospital? I'm not entirely sure about the process of becoming a healer, but I feel as if it might be worthwhile to look into it and see if I can accomplish it without disrupting my life too much. As I think through my dilemma I leave my thoughts because someone sits down next to me.

I glance over and nearly frown at the sight of Sita Steel waiting next to me with a few cards in her talons. "Hello, Miss. Steel, enjoying the game?" I ask while keeping tight control of my tone and pretending to remain relaxed. I also have to fight some slight embarrassment as she glances down between my hindlegs without looking the least bit embarrassed in turn.

Being eyed by others is a problem I've had to a lesser degree with so few ponies around, but ponies aren't the only ones who've shown interest in me. Personally, I still want to tell her to fuck off, but I keep my mask in place. "Personally, it's not really of much interest to me." I continue and even though I don't like her I try to be honest to keep my story straight.

She smirks a bit and has the decency to look me in the eye. "On that, we can agree, although I have a few cards I plan to trade-off." She shows the three in her talons with disinterest. "For now though I'll drop all the formality. Name your price, I have plenty to offer you." She does the unexpected and speaks plainly but only in a way that makes it sound like she's doing me a favor.

I'm pretty much done with this shit now but stay the course. "I must remain persistent, I have no intention of selling her, even with a generous offer I'm sure you can provide." I keep a fake friendly smile and tone but I'm less than pleased inside. I could have explained why I refused her but I don't feel like doing that anymore.

She openly frowns a little bit and sighs like she's dealing with a child. "Did you know that the laws of this city are rather complex? So many interesting laws have come, and gone, some have even been forgotten for the most part." She waves her arm back and forth. "Another interesting fact for you, I own this villa and offered it for this party." She keeps that fake friendly tone but starts to just spell things out for me.

I'm officially done with her now, completely done. I straighten my back a little and stand a few inches taller than her with a blank expression on my face. "Hmm. I think you'll find I am a rather hard pony to convince, so please, try all you like. But at least try to make this a little more interesting and threaten me right." I say blandly with a deadpan tone before smiling and changing to a friendly tone with a laugh. "Just joking. I really must insist on keeping her though. Now if you will excuse me I believe the game is almost over."

I make a complete joke out of her threat and just ignore her outright. The last thing I see is the scowl on her face as she tries to say something to me, but I ignore that as well and join the others as the attendants start to gather everyone up. I sense her stomp off into a different room before leaving the area we are playing the game in.

I have no way of knowing what she's going to do, but I can guess and I don't think it really matters as the worst she can do is try to steal Entropy. I really do not like the idea of that but if she does do that, Entropy will just wait until she's alone and come back to me. I do check where she is with my life magic though.

Entropy isn't as bright as Celestia or Philomena but she still shines brighter than anything else in this place so I'm easily able to sense her location. I can pick out a few other beings in that room but not much else, from this distance, I'd need to meditate to sense the room a few hundred feet away in any good detail.

I refocus on the room as every being starts to trade after the king announces that all the cards have been found. I just sit in a corner again and let everything run its course, but not long after I sit down I feel a noticeable shift in my magical sense. I feel Entropy being moved.

I try to focus as best I can without acting odd but I can only sense that Entropy's been moved a room or two away at most. A few minutes after Entropy is moved Sita walks back into the party and looks far happier about things, the bitch even smiles at me, and I just smile back, much to her confusion.

I just stay there and sense Entropy's location more thoroughly while I can, although I don't get very far before this room demands my attention again. "Well, the hour is up! Please bring over what cards you have so we can tally things. OH! And make sure to write down who you worked with, don't want anygriff left out do we?" The king's jovial voice calls out as he stands again.

I don't have any cards nor do I care about the game, but as I sit there something does bring a real smile to my face as Sita sits near me again looking smug and happy with herself. "Well, I must apologize, it seems some of my staff aren't as skilled as I'd hoped." I pretend to look a little confused but she just stays silent and holds it over me.

She stretches out on the couch across from me. "You may wish to look into the, unique, laws of this city, they can be so tricky." She smiles more as I continue to pretend to be confused. "Well, I must help with the party, important matters and all that, you can see yourself out whenever you like." She stands up after having just sat down before turning back to me like she forgot something. "Oh, and if you ever need to buy a new crow I'm more than willing to give you a good price." She offers with fake sweetness and walks off.

I have to force myself not to laugh as this fool tries to be mysterious and vague about what she did and tries to surprise me later. I still REALLY do not like her, but in my heart, I'll thank her for letting me leave with her blessing. I could stay but there are others leaving at the moment and I take the opportunity to do the same to get the fuck out of here.

I stand up and walk over to the King like several others and bid him goodbye. "Thank you for the lovely evening Sir. But I have an early meeting tomorrow and must get going." My mood has improved a tad bit as he gives me a genuine smile and nods happily.

"Of course. And." He passes me a small booklet. "This is a few notes from my discoveries in crow training, it's only right after the technique you shared with me." He offers happily and I find myself pleasantly surprised by the action. "I wish you luck on your journey home." He added even though I never told him about that.

I take the booklet after a moment and place it in my saddlebags. "It is very kind of you, and I wish you the same." With that I let others say their goodbyes to him and quickly make my way through an open door directed by attendants. After a moment I feel something that makes me chuckle a little.

I feel Entropy's life magic move closer to me and as I near another room she enters my shadow. It seems that bitch will have to taste bitter defeat today. I leave her be for the moment and focus as I enter a room with several tables with even more covered cages on top of them. "Most of them are sleeping, please stay quiet Sir." An attendant next to the door I walked through says quietly.

It was evening when we arrived so the fact that most of them were asleep by now seems about right. I nod and they continue. "Thank you, Sir. Do you remember the color of the cover you used? If not, we can look through them and find your crow." They offer still speaking in a quiet tone as a few other attendants help guests look through the cages to find their respective crows.

I remember that the covers for each cage were a different color but didn't pay much attention to it at the time. It seems this was her plan then, not that bad actually. After searching my memory for a moment I think it was green? Honestly, the only thing I'm sure of was the cover Sita used to cover her own crow's cage was orange.

I pause at that thought as I see the green cover, but also the orange cover. The attendant looks ready to offer their help but I smile widely as an idea pops into my head. I turn to the attendant and speak in a low but certain tone, "It's the orange one, and hurry." I use a more commanding tone like a noble would in hopes the attendant wouldn't question me.

The attendant looks a little confused and uncertain and I quickly pretend to look annoyed. "Well? I said hurry, I have places to be." My much firmer and slightly scolding tone.

That seems to snap them out of their uncertainty and they nod quickly. "Sorry, Sir. Most just don't reme- ... Never mind. O-Of course Sir. Right away." I feel a little bad as this might land on them later, but I don't think they can't take much blame if they weren't explicitly told they couldn't give that cage to others.

The mere fact they even considered giving me the cage means they were never told they couldn't do it. But if it does land back on them I'll owe them if we ever meet again. With my mind made up I do my best to memorize their face to at least do this for the help they have unwittingly provided me.

I nod my thanks with a slight smirk as they pass me the cage gently. "Here you go, Sir. And the cage is yours as well, a gift from Sita Steel. Please have a good night." They offer friendly and I decide to pass them a small bag with a few bits in it, fifty to be precise. "Oh? Thank you, Sir!" He is excited and I just nod before walking out the front door and quickly making my way out of the villa's gate.

As I walk out into the night streets, completely dark and quiet, I quickly make my way to an alley and cast a light spell to form a shadow under me. I turn to my underside and call out quietly to not wake the new crow I have with me. "Hey Girl?" She moves out of my shadow and looks up at me curiously with her illusion still in place. "Stay quiet, but take us back to the room, you remember the room right?" She nods and hops on my back, she looks at the covered cage for a few moments before we all vanish.

When we reappear in my temporary room I gently place the cage down on the floor and cast the spell I made for sleeping foals so the crow can sleep undisturbed. I turn to Entropy and start to look her over before petting her, "You ok Girl? What happened?" I ask with a little worry and pride.

She tilts her head for a moment as if thinking. "Moved, mean bird. No touch, waited, left." She speaks like she normally does but uses much more words than normal. I take a moment to pet her more and she looks at the cage, "Me? No." I raise a brow at that before chuckling.

I shake my head. "No, it's not for you and I'm not putting you into it, I promise." That seems to be good enough for her and she busies herself with flying off to the top of a shelf and preening her feathers. I stare at the cage for several moments in deep thought about what I just did and the possible consequences.

First and foremost, I don't think I'll get into much trouble over stealing this crow. If I do get caught and someone asks about them then I can just claim I remembered the wrong color and had kept them in the cage the whole night before leaving the city. And if they come before then, I'll just claim it's a mix-up and ask for my crow back while offering up the crow I took without a fight.

To be honest though with how many guests she has and how little she seems to value her crow, beyond being a status symbol that is, I kind of doubt Sita will even put it all together before I'm long gone. As for the morality of stealing someone's pet... I'll think about all that after I'm out of this damned city.

Beyond all of the uncertainty I still have a new problem, if, IF, I get away with taking this crow. What the fuck am I going to do with it?

Author's Note

Thank you for reading. :]
Current year is 995

I have no idea what to do with another crow, but I'm leaning towards giving it to a character as a pet. Tell me what you think.

Also. I need to take Saturday off, you'll still get a chapter tomorrow but after that the next chapter will be on Monday.