WithspiritinhandIfollowRoxanne''sbackdeeperintotheforest.AsIfollowherthedensityofthetreesseemsto graduallyreduce.TomyrightIspotariver,mostlikelytheoneIheardearlier.


    Thetreeskeepseemingtodisappear,untilweenteraclearing.Inthemiddleoftheclearingstandsawoodencabin.Variousplantsandherbsgrowintheclearing,thegroundhavingacolorfullookasaresult.


    Itakenotenottostepontheflowers.I''mnotsurewhy,itjustfeelslikeawastetoaccidentallystepononeofthese.


    AswegetcloserandclosertothecabinRoxannestartspickinguptheconversationagain.


    "Thisisyournewhome!"


    Roxanneseemsexcitedaboutit,butI''mjusttryingtowrapmyheadaroundthefactthatthisallhappenedinoneday.


    WhenRoxanneopenstheentrancetothecabin,thewoodendoorsqueakssoftly.Theinteriorofthecabinseemsrelativelyspacey.Inthemiddleofitstandsabigtable,onitmultipleflasksfilledwithliquidsinmanydifferentcolors.Someflasks areconnectedbytubes,others arenot.Theresalsoliquidspresentthatseemtobesteaming.


    Alltheflaskssurround amessystackofpaper,theflasksstandinginahalfmoonformation.Crudedrawingsofplants aresketchedonsomeofthepapers,otherpapersdepictingimagesinacertainorder,likepicturebookinstructionsforcreatingpotions.


    Otherfurnitureinthecabinincludes,onebed,asmallcauldronoverafireplaceinsideofthesmokechamberofthestonechimney,awallshelfwitharowofcapturedspiritsonit,whicharefloatinginayellowliquidandanotherlargertable,withtwochairsstandingnexttoit.Leftoverplatesandbowlsserveasproofofaformermeal.


    Wait,theresonlyonebed?NotthatImind,butIsshereallycomfortablewiththis?I''malsonotverygoodwithwomen,soIdon''treallythinkshewouldbehappyaboutmyreaction if she made amoveonme.


    "Letsfreeyoufromthatlittlebombinyourhadfirst."


    Shetakesanempty,cylindricglasscontainerfromthewallshelf.Carefullyshetakesitfromtheshelf,sothatshedoesn''tknockoveranyoftheothercontainerswithspiritsinthem.Afterthat,shecarefullyplacestheemptyglassonthedesk,rightnexttothestackofpapers.Shetakesaflaskfilledwithyellowliquidfromthetableandpourstheliquidintothecontainer.


    "Don''tjuststandthere,getoverhereandridyourselfofyourexplosivelittlefriend."


    Isilentlyoblige.InadifferentsituationI''dsaysomething,buthertalkingaboutexplosionsreallydoesn''tmakemefeellikewastingtime.


    AfterIfreethespiritfrommygripandreleaseitintotheyellowliquid,Ifeelslightlyrelieved.Withoutreallysayinganythingshetakestheglassandputsitbackontheshelf.


    Forsomereasonweremainsilentaftersheputthespiritaway.


    It''snotthatweareawkwardwitheachother,it''sjustthattherereallyisn''treallyanythingtodo.Wewalkedthroughtheforestforquitesometime,thenwealsowastedsomemoretimebycapturingaspirit.Thesunisprobablyabouttostartsetting,soexceptforsuppertherereallyisn''tanythinginterestinggoingoninaworldlikethis.Youknow,aworldwithoutanyadvancedtechnology.


    Nophones,noTV,nointernet,novideogames.Addingtothat,literacyseemstoberatherlow,whichmeansreadingisalsonotanoption.Well,ofcoursetheliteracythingisjustanassumption,butsincetherearepeopleinthestreetsofferingotherstoreadcertainadvertsforthem,lowliteracyseemstobehighlylikely.


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    Funnilyenoughreadingistheonlythinginthisworldthatwasn''taproblemforme,consideringthatthepeoplehereutilizetheromanalphabet.


    "Areyouhungry?"


    HerquestionderailsmythoughtsandIsnapbacktoreality... (Oops,theregoesgravity.)


    "Don''tworry,I''mfine.Truthbetold,I''vebeenlivingonthestreetsforamajorityofmytimehere,soI''mprettyusedtoonlyhavingoneortwomealsaday."


    "Yourtimehere?You''renotfromthiskingdom?"


    Ohshit,Iletmytongueslipalittlethere.


    "Youknowthenearbyvillage,right?I,eh,wasn''tabletogetajobthere,soIdidalotofbeggingandcatchinglizards,andotherstufflikethat,toputfoodonthetable."


    Perfect,aliethatisalsothetruth.TheresnowayforRoxannetotellthatI''mlyingtoher,becauseI''mtechnicallytellingherthetruth.MaybeI''magenius?I''dliketoaskmyselfthatseriously,butI''mnotevenabletolearnIgnite,soI''mreallyjustadesperatemansayingsomethingtosavehisownskin.


    "Well,youdogiveoffthevibeofsomebodythat''sbeenhomelessforabittoolong."


    Seemsshefoundherownjokeprettyfunny,becauseshestartsgigglingagain.


    Whatkindofvibeisthatanyways?Alright,myclothesareprettydirtyandtorninsomespots,butIdon''tthinkIlookthatbad.Itsnotlikedirtisallthatvisibleonablackt-shirt. Well,mypantsarekindofragged,butthepeopleinthisworld don''treallyseemthatproficientatprocessingrawmaterials.Ireallydon''tthinkthestateofmypantsismyfault,thequalityofthematerialjustisn''tthatgood.


    "Okay,Ifyoudon''twanttoeatIguessI''llgotobed.Itsbeenaprettyexcitingdayafterall,soI''mkindofdonewithtodayalready.Nottomentionthatgoingtobedearlyisprobablyagoodbreakfromalltheall-nighter`sI''vebeenpulling."


    Sheexplainsthistomewhilecasuallytakingofherclothinginfrontof my eyes.Idon''treallymind, but I''m surprised that she also doesnt mind.


    "AndwhatamIsupposedtodo?"


    Itfeelsweirdhavingtoasksomethinglikethat,buttheideaofsleepinginthesamebed asherstillfeelskindof awkwardtome.


    "Coulditbethatyouareexpectingsomethingtohappen?"


    Whileitsobviousthatshesjustteasingme,thereisstillaslightlyseductivetoneinhervoice.MaybeI''mimaginingthings,butIthinkthefactthatshesonlydowntoherunderwearrightnowwouldbeprettyseductivetomostpeopleanyways.Idon''treallycare,butIguessshe''sprettyhotbyregularstandards.


    Shegotsomenicecurvesandherbreastsarealsoprettywellsized,I''dsayc-cup.But...I''mreallynotexcitedatall.


    "No,notreally.WejustmettodayandIdon''treallyknowyou.Also,Ithoughtmaybeyouwouldbefeelingalittlelesscomfortableaboutthissituation,butthenagainitsprobablybetterthatyoudon''t."


    Myanswerisprettystraightforward.SheseemsalittledisappointedfrommesofirmlyrejectingtheideathatI''dwanttodosomethingwithher,buttheresnoreasonformetolie.Also,theonlyreasonIcanimaginehertobedisappointedaboutthis,is that myreactionwasn''tveryamusing.


    "Youknow,I''manoutcastandall,I''vebeenthroughsomeuncomfortablethings."


    "IguessPaladinstryingtokillyouisalotworsethanhavingtosleepinthesamebedwithsomeguy."


    "Soyouknowaboutthat,huh?Thenagain,Iguesseverybodyknowsaboutthatwholechurchthing.Yeah,thatsituationwascertainlyalotworsethanthis."


    "Well, thenifyoureallydon''tmind,Iguesswewillbesleepinginthesamebed."


    Maybethewordsleepingissomekindoftriggerwordforher,becausebeforeIevenfinishspeakingshe''salreadylyinginbed,dozingoffintoherownlittleworld.Damn,shesmakingthatmattressseemreallyappealingrightnow.


    GuessI''lljoinher.