Nina's Discipline

Redeeming Sins Committed

Redeeming Sins Committed

What Addie could say about Isaie, if nothing else, the priests here were very kind towards an old man as he hobbled his way down the street. She hadn't made it very far before a younger priest was suddenly at her elbow, asking if she needed assistance.

Despite her ability to shift and change her body, Addie could not change her gender. However, she could reduce the weight of her breasts, the slope of her hips, and remove any traces of feminine features to her face. So long as no one looked at her genitals, she could appear male on the outside. Sagging her skin, redistributing her weight into the hump on her back and legs that no one could see under her cloak, made her appear as a fragile elder.

Meanwhile, she saw the soldiers that came rushing into the area, no doubt at Emilien's summons, searching for a dark, curly haired young woman. No one looked twice at the old man being helped around by a young priest.

She was escorted to a different dock and placed into an aircab. The priest offered to continue escorting her, but Addie insisted that her grandson was at the next dock, waiting for her.

From the sky, she was able to spot the dock that held their boat. She instructed the pilot to take her down and, while he was focused on that, she redistributed the lumps that she had formed into humps on her back so that she wouldn't have to walk quite so hunched over. It was rather painful on her lower back to walk so awkwardly, despite the fact that she was still young under the old appearing flesh.

The pilot helped her down from the aircab and asked if she needed further help. She waved him off with a grin, insisting that she could manage on her own. Their dinghy wasn't even parked far. Still, he looked after her with some concern as she began hobbling down the pier towards the dinghy. She waved him off again, laughing.

From here, she could already see Erec standing at the prow, looking out over the people milling about, searching for the heads of platinum hair belonging to Nina and Addie's old face. By the worried expression he wore, she knew that he was beginning to become concerned about the excessive amount of time they had been gone. Gael and Manon were already seated in the boat. The former was smiling again, back to his old self. Manon was staring up at the sky, bored.

Erec's roaming eyes moved right over the old man.

It wasn't until Addie was nearly in front of him that he finally looked down at her. Confusion flashed over his face momentarily before he put a polite grin in place.

"May I help you, elder?"

"Who are you calling elder?" Addie held her hands behind her back, grinning. "I'm not old. Why is everyone treating me like I'm old?"

"I apologize, sir. Did you need something anyway?"

"Indeed. I need to tell you something. Bend down. Come closer."

Obligingly, Erec lowered himself down and put his ear near her mouth.

She whispered, "The might of iron holds nine."

Erec jumped back, eyes wide. "Addie?! You look like an old man!"

Manon and Gael looked over curiously.

"I know. It looks good, right? I practice in front of a mirror." Chuckling to herself, Addie climbed aboard the dinghy with an agility that looked odd on her seemingly fragile frame.

"Wait a minute." Erec tilted his head, climbing after her. "Aren't you the old man that talked to me outside of Kain's farm?"

"You're a smart one you are, boy!" She smacked his arm as she sat down.