When morning came, I woke up earlier than usual and silently got out of bed. Kneeling down on the bedroom, I faced the three sleeping women and put my hands together.
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I had found a new religion. In my eyes, only they were Goddesses. After performing my daily prayer, I left the room and went to the living room, where I sat down and updated my journal.
A lot happened in only three days. I could only imagine what would happen in the following year.
Taking out a sketchbook, I occupied myself with drawing while eating some fruit for breakfast. I sketched the town, the lake, the fish we ate, the people who tried to kill me, and the many animals and monsters I had seen, including those from the dungeon.
I draw Pokora''s blank face, and realized I couldn''t show my journal to people who didn''t know she was from Earth. I am a firm believer that people should tell their own stories, especially if that includes secrets they''re not ready to reveal to just anyone.
I hummed as I draw Sonya running along the shore of the lake, and closed the sketchbook when I was done.
Next I pulled out my spear and checked it for a while. The bright orange blade was spotless and had no chipping even though I had used the thing quite a lot. I had no real knowledge of how to maintain equipment or weapons, but I could tell it was in top form. It''s weight was nice, and the balance was perfect for me.
Holding it on a stretched finger, I noticed it didn''t wobble in the slightest.
A door opened, and I turned to look at the source.
Lapia came out of the room freshly showered, wearing her daily clothes and approached me with a smile on her face.
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The Elf''s eyebrows rose and she gave me a cocky smirk.
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Her brows knitted together and she glared at my weapon. Then, she used two hands to try and lift it.
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I chuckled and stored the weapon. She sat down next to me on the sofa and leaned her head on my shoulder.
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I turned to her with a small smile.
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Her eyebrows went up and a big smile formed on her face.
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She stared at me for a few seconds.
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I laughed. “Lapia, I was the traumatic event.”
She bit her lips, fighting a smile.
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I winced. I was not prepared for that. Letting out a long sigh, I gave her a nod.
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Holy shit, I whined in my mind. Straight into the thick of it.
I thought for a few seconds, recalling our lessons.
She ate a purple tomato-looking fruit and hummed at the taste, licking her lips.
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Easy, I chuckled.
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The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
She nodded. “Good. Next: What do we use to measure temperature?”
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She gave me a thumbs up.
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Holy fucking shit, this woman is out for blood. I felt a shiver run up my spine. I''m dating a psychopath!
I definitely wasn''t ready for a test.
***
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A few were trick questions, and I disliked those. A few others were questions I had to expand the subject on, I liked those.
I sighed and leaned back on the sofa. Relaxing my shoulders I noticed I had tensed up, and a slight anger was rising.
Why am I getting angry for? I wondered. It''s not something to get mad about.
I stood up and walked to the door.
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Yeah, I need to cool down, I concluded.
Leaving the cabin, I followed the cobblestone path that connected the resort with the town. I had chosen a blouse and some shorts for the day.
I never liked shorts that much, pants even less. It wasn''t that I hated them, but I preferred skirts. Adding the funny and mysterious storage I had, pockets were simply useless so a skirt''s value increased in my eyes. It had nothing to do with the fact I could rip the fabric around my thighs apart if I flexed them.
Thinking back on people bursting watermelons with their legs made me smile, but it soon vanished.
The path was lined with bushes and tall trees. Their leaves were deep green, and the stems and trunks were a healthy color. The bark had no cracks and a few bugs made noise and flied around.
A few bugs resembled the blood-sucking kind that keeps people up at night. I couldn''t remember the name for the life of me. At least in English.
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I appraised it and saw it was a level 32 Bod''en. A little scary, but people are higher level than that around these parts, except for the kids.
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I sighed. I didn''t know that. I did know all about Monet, Picasso, van Gogh, Dali, Pollock, and others like them. I also knew everything, or most, about the renaissance period that had to do with art. I could draw in four different styles at a level that allowed me to live a fulfilling life and earn enough money to buy a house during the pandecade. I worked for a big name company, worked on projects millions of fans enjoyed and praised. I even earned a generous salary.
I gave it a good thinking.
Is that what makes me angry? The gap of knowledge? The fact I can''t focus on the arts because I''m a Halve? But I''m alright with that. I even welcome it. It''s exciting. The challenge, the danger, the chance for a worthy opponent. Even people trying to kill me didn''t get to me this much.
I reached the town, and walked for a while.
A stall was selling juice and ice cream, where I bought a cup of apple-flavored smoothy for ninety copper coins from a male Shishi Tigea.
After a few minutes, I arrived at a plaza with some greenery and sat down on a wooden bench as I sucked on the paper straw.
A few children were playing on the fountain in the center of it, laughing while chasing each other and splashing water.
Watchers were paying close attention to them, far enough to not get in the way of their games, but close enough so they could reach them if anything happened.
Among them, I noticed Lorena, and she noticed me at the same time.
Her blue eyes widened a little and she gave me a nod, then walked towards me.
Please, don''t.
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I moved to the side and gestured at the empty spot.
She fixed the saber at her waist and took a seat next to me.
The smell of peaches tickled my nose.
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The wind rustled the tree leaves, and Lorena''s hair fluttered a little.
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She chuckled. “Please don''t. It can be seen as me asking that favor. Besides, Royalty has no connection to Watchers.”
I nodded in understanding.
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She looked into my eyes for a few seconds.
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The woman didn''t look a day past her twenties.
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Holy shit.
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I completely agreed with her. Though I understood time differently, aging is a scary thing no matter how long one lives.
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I laughed. “That, she did.”
We were silent for a few seconds, enjoying the late morning suns. I finished my drink and stored the empty cup. Then, I stood up and offered her a hand.
She shook it with an appreciative smile.
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She blushed a little. “Oh, my.”
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I turned around and went back to the cabin. A new journey awaited, and I was admittedly excited about it. I smiled as I realized I was no longer angry. A walk does wonders, indeed.