《Almisha's Journey》


 Chapter 1 - An Unlikely Offer

    A waft of dry, stale air welcomed me when I entered the house. -¡¯ Finally.¡¯ I complained silently, as it has been a long day, one that was supposed to be free, but a call from work turned it into an aggravating exercise of working from my phone. -¡¯ At least I got some more vacation time. ¡® I unsuccessfully tried to cheer myself up. A door closed behind me with a silent whoosh, meanwhile few automated lights turned on, they slowly outlined a gaping corridor and a wooden staircase. Vivid colors of walls and paintings did nothing to alleviate the feeling of emptiness permeating the open space. I removed a cashmere coat and hanged it in an alcove located next to the door. Gloves and shoes were next, each went to their correct resting place.


    A sigh of annoyance left my lips when I entered the corridor, an incessant layer of dust appeared on a bamboo parquet yet again. Disheartened, I went up the stairs, which punctuated my steps with dull thuds, but not a single squeak. Soon enough I saw a round device neatly and quietly doing its ceaseless rounds on a first floors parquet. -¡¯ They should make one that can travel over stairs. ¡® I complained silently, while picking up the autonomous vacuum cleaner that turned still in my hands.


    For a second I considered putting the device back down and just using another staircase to go to my room on the second floor, but I quickly disregarded the notion. I have learned the hard way that if I left such things alone they would become a problem later on. After a mistake of the first year, where I ended up with overflowing trash heaps all across the house, I began to use only one set of dishes and learned to always return things to their resting places. I still couldn¡¯t find my glasses that disappeared during that time, luckily I didn¡¯t need them anymore, not since the operation.


    I shook my head and went downstairs. When I placed the robot on the floor, a pair of red lights on its casing instantly turned green and the machine awoke to its new task with renewed vigor. Satisfied, I went to a nearby kitchen, paying no heed to eerie silence and dim illumination offered by sparse LED lights, I was so used to them that I didn¡¯t bother with turning on normal lighting.


    I busied myself with making sandwiches for dinner, blessing the convenience of online orders that kept my fridge stocked. Soon a pile of assembled food appeared on my plate and my attention turned to an oversized espresso machine. I pressed a button with hesitation and a loud buzzing sound reverberated through the room.


    I let out a sigh upon hearing the familiar sound. The empty kitchen was unsettling, the lack of people from my memories made me anxious and eager for the machine to finish its task. It made me reminisce about mother, who was very different from me; outgoing and active. She moved to the outskirts of the city when she retired some years back, she said it was to pursue her gardening hobby and to leave us some space to make her some grandchildren, she let out a suggestive laugh at that point.


    Me and my brother were thus left in the house that was too big for two people, but not big enough to hold two families. Soon enough he met a girl and they hit it off, before long they were married.


    On the other hand I didn¡¯t find anyone, or rather I wasn¡¯t even looking. I have always been a solitary type that wasn¡¯t interested in relationships. At first it was because I didn¡¯t want to commit; while my teenage friends fooled around I had already considered marriage and kids, deciding that it was too early for me. Later, when I was a student, my father¡¯s unfaithfulness came to light and I resolved myself to never do something like that and go only after meeting someone that I would really like to spend a life with. Well, I was thirty and princess charming was yet to appear, though due to my solitary nature I didn¡¯t feel bad about it. Anyway, me and my brother had a talk about what to do with the house. Since I was rather attached to the house we had an agreement that I would buy out his half and he would move out.


    I shook my head to banish the memories. Old espresso machine reminded me of them, as it¡¯s buzzing almost always signaled that someone was in the kitchen¡­ but not anymore.


    I took a coffee and a sandwich tray before heading upstairs. Upon reaching my room, which took the whole second floor, I was welcomed by an expansive view from a window opposite to the stairs, it took most of the northern wall, exposing twisted dark shapes of trees from a nearby park. My bare feet skimmed over a soft carpet when I approached my computer, the machine awoke to my presence with its screens illuminating the room.


    I sat down, sinking into an expansive leather armchair, and placed the dishes on a glass table, next to a keyboard and mouse. Without hesitation I extended a hand and started clicking away.


    Yesterday I have reached tier one spot in my main MMO action game, which actually left me with nothing else to do in it since I didn¡¯t want to commit enough to aim for a challenger tier. -¡¯ Pity there¡¯s nothing interesting coming from recent RPG lineup, been a long time since a decent release¡­ all they do these days seem to be centered on team based action shooter stuff¡­ ¡®


    I complained some more, before going through recent book releases, despite being mostly up to date it still shaved off a few hours before I was done with them. -¡¯ I still wonder whether my quick reading is a blessing or curse¡­ definitely a curse. ¡® I concluded, before appending. -¡¯ Or my interests just aren¡¯t varied enough... ¡®


    With a sigh I turned my attention to TV shows, as it turned out I had a bit of backlog on those. Happy with a small windfall I burned the rest of the evening watching fantasy movies.


    At least, I didn¡¯t have to worry about what I would do tomorrow, I had players scheduled for a tabletop session after all.


    * * *


    Late into the night, I turned off the computer and went to take a shower, before heading to bed.


    I was dead tired, but there was an ordeal in front of me. For last few years I have been having problems with falling asleep. My gaze wandered to a prescription drug laying on my nightstand. It worked, but one shouldn¡¯t use such things for long and my problem was persistent. So persistent that normal medicinal drugs and herbal remedies didn¡¯t work.


    My gaze was drawn to an ebook reader that I had downloaded some meditative courses on, hoping that a doctor was right and it was just a psychological problem. With resignation I reached out and took the reader, quickly putting the content of the course on the screen.


    I skimmed over the letters, keeping my skepticism at bay, so far the course has been a recurring disappointment. As someone more on the technological side of things I was at odds with some of the new age stuff described there, especially since there was no tangible benefits for past several days. -¡¯ Calm down, those things are not supposed to work right off the bat. ¡® I chastised myself for impatience and took a deep breath. It didn¡¯t hurt to try, and I had a prospect of a long night ahead of myself anyway.


    -¡¯ Geez, this is much like that New Age of Learning courses that I was forced to attend as a child¡­ ¡® I scowled lightly. -¡¯ ...though much of them actually worked. ¡® I admitted in resignation and began to follow instructions.


    -¡¯ Find a comfortable position to lie down... ¡® I obediently laid down, with hands intertwined on my abdomen. -¡¯ Next, the usual, deep breaths, calm mind¡­ ¡® I quickly got into the routine and banished all of the underlying thoughts.


    Everything thinned down to just laying there and breathing regularly. But I still haven¡¯t felt sleepy in the slightest¡­ I thwarted the distraction, focusing on regular breaths and the feeling of touch...


    ...Breath in, breath out¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    After a while, I was ready to proceed further.


    I focused on muscles of my arms and legs, trying to forcefully loosen them. Before, I didn¡¯t understand what I was supposed to do, but after a week of practice, I was able to figure it out. The trick was in trying to taunt a muscle that wasn''t there, while focusing on keeping other ones from moving. After a moment a sensation of fluttering lightness began to envelop my arms and legs, letting me know that I succeeded. The exercise was surprisingly hard to maintain, due to a giddy sensation that seemed to rack my bones and because it was somewhat exhausting.


    I let the feeling spread, it reached my stomach then the diaphragm and finally the chest. At that point I was almost ready to quit, due to rising exhaustion and inability to breath properly. I persevered a bit more and suddenly the exhaustion subsided, it was as if I had reached some sort of second wind that was so often described by athletes.


    I kept my mind clear, while focusing only on the task that felt as if something was being drained from my extremities, instead gathering in my chest. Meanwhile I was fighting against a growing pressure, because taking even a single breath while maintaining concentration was extremely hard.


    To distract myself from the intensity of the ordeal I focused on the last part, which was to imagine something calm and relaxing. For me it was an image of an outer space, with a sea of stars painting an expanse of void with clusters of small lights. There was something calming in that void, which was full of endless possibilities barred only by the unreachable distance¡­


    I maintained my concentration for a while, but gnawing discomfort kept getting stronger and stronger. I was ready to give up, to stop focusing on loosening my muscles, in the hope that I would be able to finally get some rest. -¡¯ Maybe the exhaustion will finally let me fall asleep¡­ ¡®


    At that point something strange happened. Suddenly, a burning sensation exploded in my chest, as if something was trying to break free, or rather, was being ripped outside. A sensation of being compressed, twisted and spun around overwhelmed me... My mind blanked out under the sudden duress that felt as if my consciousness was forced through a singularity, it was almost like being drawn into a vortex...


    Abruptly, the maelstrom ceased. It left me confused, dazed by the rapid turn of events. Somehow, I wasn¡¯t nauseous in the slightest despite the ferocity of the ordeal. -¡± Whats happ¡­ ¡° I started in befuddlement, but the words froze on my lips, stopped by a bewildering view around me. Somehow I was floating in space.


    -¡± ¡­ ¡° I gasped in wonder, fascinated by the sea of stars, by countless lights shining from afar, there were so many of them¡­ Enchanted, I extended a hand, but grasped nothing, even the brightest stars, which seemed so close, were far out of reach...


    I was still getting my bearings when a voice resounded nearby, spooking me greatly. I shifted around in alarm, looking for a source of the address, but the space around me was empty.


    -¡± Oh¡­ a mortal, as expected. ¡° The male voice was deep and melodic, it seemed friendly due to a slightly warm undertone, but that very undertone caused warning bells to ring in my head. I have met a lot of friendly people from marketing that had very similar, even if less striking, mannerism. None of them were trustworthy.


    Voice spoke again before I was able to recover from the surprise. -¡± Please do not speak, I will explain what is happening to you and it will be faster if you remain silent. ¡° Countless questions rushed through my head, but before I could formulate any of them, the voice took on the initiative. -¡± Firstly, you are in a pocket space between dimensions where your soul has been pulled by me. ¡° I was about to express my doubts, but the being interjected, almost as if it was reading my mind. -¡± You are alive and this is not a dream. Also, I am a God, though not of your world. ¡°


    I hesitated while trying to process what was being said, as soon as I started to draw conclusions the disembodied voice continued the explanation. -¡± Yes, your thoughts and memories are open to me, for confirmation the answer to the question about the number is frog. ¡° God answered the twisted question that I thought about but haven¡¯t even asked, it was unsettling to realize that my very being and deepest secrets were exposed, making me feel almost naked. I crossed my arms defensively while my cheeks flushed, due to uncalled memories of past misdeeds that unwittingly rushed through my head.


    -¡± Hmph¡­ Mortals. ¡° After a pause God sighed in annoyance, making me even more distressed. -¡± Very well, I will judge you, otherwise we won¡¯t make much progress. ¡° I raised my head in surprise, trying to understand what was going on and I was rewarded with an answer. -¡± Most of you think that you are inadequate or sinful or otherwise unfit when faced with godly scrutiny and won¡¯t get over the notion easily. I will pass judgment over you so we can proceed with the real agenda. ¡°


    I was a bit wary when he mentioned an agenda, but the prospect of judgment overshadowed it quickly, making me really curious and anxious. -¡± You have led an empty life, exerting no effort due to your keen mind while keeping everyone at hands reach. Even your family. You question yourself about your tastes, some of which you find sinful while others just shameful, but you have done nothing evil or decadent. You have loved others twice, but decided not to pursue them, always focusing on the bigger picture. ¡° The God made a slight pause to accentuate the conclusion. -¡± You think yourself many things like weak, deceitful, cold, hedonistic but that is not what you are. You are just innocent and alienated, locked in an empty world. ¡° God fell silent after announcing the verdict.


    -¡¯ What¡­? ¡® The conclusion left me stupefied, it was nothing close to what I expected. -¡± But ¡­ ¡° I started to voice my doubts, almost speaking about things better left unsaid, but a sudden burst of stifling pressure silenced me.


    -¡± Did you really embrace it? Or maybe you avoided most of it? Think hard on what has driven you. ¡° The God¡¯s voice was impassive, it evoked an embarrassing image in my mind. I forcefully stifled the shameful vision, though I was forced to understand that I have seen things through a tinted glass. I don¡¯t know how but I could tell that God was amused.


    -¡± With that out of the way let me continue the explanation. ¡° The God¡¯s voice took on a lecturing tone. -¡± It appears that you have managed to push your soul to the edge of the planes, where I happened to notice it by accident. While your action in itself is rather rare it is nothing miraculous, on the other hand the fact that someone actually saw it, is. ¡° The god made a slight pause to let his words sink in.


    -¡± I have a proposition for you and I urge you to consider it thoroughly, as it will likely be the only one that you will likely ever receive. ¡° I squinted my eyes reflexively, my very being brimming with suspicion. -¡± I can see your desires and the empty life you have led thus far. It so happens that I can offer you a life in a new world¡­ and no, this is not a hero novel. ¡° God pointed out in distaste, somehow I felt that we were both equally disliking the tacky idea.


    -¡± What I offer is what I said, a life in the other world. As to why I am giving you a choice the answer is simple, you live in a world with a very withdrawn but possessive god that is also very powerful. " Seeing that I was unable to fully grasp the prospect he explained further. -" He gave your kind free will while barring all of the magic and supernatural influences to keep you under control. It means that without contacting a powerful outsider, chances of which are slim to none, you have no chance of leaving that world. On a plus side if you do manage to reach such a being you can''t be snatched by it unless you agree to... ¡° My addled mind was slowly getting over the shock caused by being suddenly pulled to a meeting with a god. Though it didn''t make me any less hesitant, the God had yet to reveal why it was wasting its time with me and most of my suspicions fell into being scammed by a demon category.


    -¡± Firstly, I am not wasting my time with you. I could easily hold several dozens of such conversations without a problem, though you should consider it an honour anyway. ¡° God responded with a tingle of superiority before heaving a sigh. -¡± As to your other doubt I do indeed have a motive behind my offer, though it''s not as sinister as you think. To put it bluntly our world needs more souls, in a purely innocent sense. ¡° My curiosity was piqued by the statement, though I have already learned to wait for an answer.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    -¡± There was a world breaking calamity long ago and it allowed monsters to appear in the world. Gods, as there are more than one, are still working on repairing the veil, but it is a slow process that is quickened by the number of souls living in the world. Also, the making of a soul is a long and arduous process, that¡¯s why most of us scour edges of dimensions. ¡° God¡¯s voice grew faster, taking on an insistent tone. -¡± Think about fantasy worlds that you have read so much about and consider what the living and breathing one would be like... ¡° God¡¯s voice trailed off and I could feel a strange sensation, as if something intangible was seeping into me.


    Suddenly, I become aware of a new knowledge that resurfaced in my mind like a kind of forgotten memory. There was a recollection of the northern continent with its big, medieval cities full of people, of magicians practising their craft and of warriors performing impossible feats¡­Memories of other continents were present too, but I didn¡¯t dwell on them too much, because the memories were simply a mishmash of minor details that would give me nothing more than a glimpse of all the different aspects of the world. Despite that the revelation was promising and it awoke a burning feeling of adventure deep inside me. Still, I wasn¡¯t going to throw the caution to the wind, instead I tried fruitlessly to contain my emotions. God used the opening to push on with his agenda. -¡± Fear not, there are rules to this deal. Do you want me to explain the Covenant? ¡°


    To my surprise God addressed me directly, waiting for me to answer, contrary to the earlier almost one sided dialogue. It caught me slightly off guard. -¡± Yes, please do explain. ¡° I affirmed after a slight pause.


    -¡± The Covenant guarantees you with three gifts that you will receive from me in exchange for your agreement to travel to the other world¡­ ¡° The God¡¯s voice was deep and heavy, it reverberated with power that shook my very being.


    -¡± Firstly, you shall receive an agreeable vessel to hold your soul. ¡°


    -¡± Next, you shall have knowledge of words, so you can freely choose your path through the world. ¡°


    -¡± Lastly, you shall have a gift of minor brilliance, so you can make up for the lost years. ¡°


    God finished officially, before continuing in a lighter manner. -¡± What this means is that you can choose any humanoid form that you wish, and that you will be able to speak almost any language, apart from a few special ones. As to the last one, it is a simple gift of quick learning¡­ or to be precise, of mastering the basics quickly. Also, you will be able to practice magic if you so desire. ¡°


    I grew thoughtful, trying to calm myself and consider the proposal objectively, but it was hard to fight against the giddy anticipation evoked by the offered possibilities. In the back of my mind a wicked, curious idea kept growing and was quickly getting out of hand. I managed to stifle it by focusing on the knowledge that someone was able to see into my thoughts and memories, the embarrassing thought instantly made me focus on the bigger picture.


    After considering the circumstances, which were entirely in God¡¯s favour, I had to admit that the offer seemed really fair¡­ though there was a thing that was woefully omitted and really important...


    -¡± I will add some equipment, attire and a bit of money. Also, you will appear in a safe place. ¡° The God stated casually, his friendly voice bearing no signs of guilt for the omission. -¡± And no, the offer in general is non negotiable. ¡° He added matter of factly, stifling my budding idea.


    After further considering the offer I felt like screaming, every time I had an idea for a counter offer it was instantly disregarded as someone who knew my thoughts could easily see through all of the bluffs and feints surrounding it. -¡¯ I just can¡¯t get anything if I am not resolved to resign and I can¡¯t bluff it out to make a better deal¡­ ¡® Finally, I concluded that there was no other way around it. -¡± No. ¡° I said simply.


    -¡± You do realize that chances of something like this happening again are non existent. ¡° God¡¯s question was more like a statement.


    -¡± I do, but there¡¯s too much risk involved¡­ ¡° I responded in a careful voice, it was worrying that he made the exchange turn into normal conversation.


    -¡± I believe that you have not considered your options properly. ¡° God¡¯s voice was casual, but it made me shiver with dread, which was caused by the realization that my very being was under impossibly invasive scrutiny that felt like a shadow looming over me. -¡± Have you forgotten about your curiosity? And possibilities that the Covenant offers¡­ ¡° His voice trailed off suggestively and I hugged myself in embarrassment, plagued by a dark desire incited by the suggestion. It felt wrong, to have one¡¯s darkest desires unearthed and used, it made me feel sullied.


    Suddenly, the dark, invasive sensation vanished without a trace, leaving me steadied by rapid shift of emotions. I knew it was a sort of psychological trick, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that it was effective all the same. -¡± You do know that there will be no second chances. Do you really believe that you can happily continue with your life, knowing that you could see the other world? ¡° God¡¯s voice was soft and treacherous, its melodic, enticing cadence made me feel like a child - utterly helpless. I knew that he was playing me, using my dreams to haunt me¡­


    -¡± Agree to the Covenant. ¡° God whispered insistently. -¡± You know deep down that it is the only way. I know you better than yourself, if you back down now it will break you. You won¡¯t be able to return to that uncaring equilibrium of yours, not without dreams that you are denying here¡­ ¡°


    I felt like crying, knowing full well that he used his ability to ruthlessly manipulate me, but the God was right. I had no other choice. Not when he knew my heart¡¯s desire. I nodded my head in a quiet surrender.


    -¡± You need to speak. ¡° God stated friendly and casually, his earlier manipulative attitude gone without a trace.


    -¡± I agree to the covenant, terms as explained. ¡° I whispered in a soft voice, defeated.


    Suddenly, I felt something like a snap and some sort of pressure had lifted from me, I wasn¡¯t aware of it until it was gone. Without warning my presence began to weaken and I began to disappear, but only for a moment. God¡¯s presence suddenly enveloped me, stabilizing my being, it was as if I was basked in some sort of electrifying energy.


    -¡± You died. ¡° God calmly gave me a shocking answer to my unasked question. -¡± Or more precisely, a connection between your soul and the body was cut. You can¡¯t go back. ¡°


    The statement evoked a bout of sadness from me, as I realized what mother¡¯s reaction would be¡­


    -¡± Don¡¯t worry. I have arranged something to calm her, a vision of sorts. ¡° Unexpectedly, God started to soothe me in a matter of factly manner. A sliver of warmth in his voice surprised me. -¡± She will get over it and believe me, it wouldn¡¯t end well if you have stayed.¡± I wanted to ask a question, but again the God responded before I could ask it. -¡± It is a little futile to ask a god of freedom about fate. And no, I don¡¯t know the future, but I do know the people. ¡°


    For a moment I was at a loss, due to duality of the being that I was facing. On one hand he was ruthlessly manipulative, on the other he seemed almost caring. -¡± There¡¯s nothing surprising about it. ¡° God suddenly stated in a cheerful voice. -¡± When you can see into someone¡¯s very soul it is quite hard not to empathize. Also, I quite like your particular shine. ¡° Before I could fully process God¡¯s words a humanoid figure made out of shadows appeared in front of me.


    -¡± Now, think hard and think well. You have only one shot at creating this character. ¡° God exclaimed merrily with a bit of mocking undertone. He knew about my role-playing hobby and the darker side of it. -¡± To start, just form an image in your mind and the shadow will take that form, afterwards you are free to sculpt away by making alterations with your imagination. ¡°


    Upon hearing the details, all of my thoughts seemed to vanish, banished by the unrelenting joy of facing the greatest adventure of my life. My fervent gaze was glued to the shadowy silhouette while frenzied considerations rushed through my mind...


    ...and intertwined with shiver wreathing feeling caused by a small amount of foreign memories that were seeping into my mind. I knew that there were elves, humans, dwarves, orcs and goblins, as well as some other races. My thoughts coalesced around a particular idea for a moment¡­


    -¡± Do you really believe that you have the strength required? ¡° God stated casually, making me disregard the notion of picking a demonic race. It was due to the fact that their society, which was really scarce in numbers, revolved around only one trait, power, and I would be hard pressed to keep up with my peers.


    -¡¯ Not to mention the general *dislike* of other races¡­ ¡® I thought to myself silently, meanwhile disregarding humans¡­


    -¡± Haha. ¡° God chuckled lightly. -¡± It is true that humans aren¡¯t most long lived of races, still it doesn¡¯t mean that you have to limit yourself¡­ though I see that it was not the only reason. ¡° God finished good naturedly, while I began to consider an elven race.


    Since I was really interested I began to draw heavily on the godly knowledge. To my surprise elven race was quite different from humans, the differences were evident in the scope of their five senses, their build and cellular structure seemed to wary as well¡­


    -¡± That¡¯s enough. ¡° God interrupted my musings with a warm voice that had a chastising undertone. The stream of knowledge flowing into me was cut short, leaving me with fragmented pieces that were selectively being purged from my mind. -¡± I might be lenient but you shouldn¡¯t abuse my gifts using otherworldly science... as I hate science. ¡° God finished, a slight distaste evident in his voice.


    I nodded meekly, duly chastised. To my relief God didn¡¯t seem to mind all that much and the flow of information resumed. I quickly skimmed over the other possibilities and stopped prying into the details, I had enough information anyway.


    A shiver of embarrassing anticipation ran through me when I looked at the shadowy image. I have always been curious, I would even say sickly curious, about the other side. - ¡® On how it was to be¡­ ¡® My cheeks flushed furiously while I fought a notion of stepping from foot to foot in embarrassment¡­


    -¡¯ ...a girl. ¡® I finished my train of thought shyly and unsuccessfully tried to calm myself down.


    -¡± ¡­ ¡° A sudden premonition, or rather, assuredness that I was being laughed at made me hug myself in shame. -¡± There¡¯s nothing to be embar¡­ ¡° God started in a cheerful voice but suddenly stopped mid sentence, letting out a sigh. -¡± Hmph, I will leave you to your own devices then, when you are done just call me. ¡° With those words God¡¯s presence disappeared, leaving me alone among the sea of stars. Only the shower of electrifying, invisible force reminded me about the situation I was in...


    After several minutes accompanied with few renewed bouts of embarrassment I managed to calm myself down. -¡¯ So I want to be a¡­ girl. ¡® I started yet again, forcing myself to endure the mortifying ordeal. I had my resolution, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that thinking openly about it was distressingly awkward. I fought down my humiliation and yet again faced the shadow, my heart beating hard.


    I clasped my hands, which were shaking for some reason, closed my eyes, to avoid distractions, and concentrated on the image that I wanted for myself. My breath whizzed through my clenched throat when I tried to visualize an image of a half elf, I decided on the race somewhere along the way. Nervously, I thought about long straight hair, radiant pale skin and deep black eyes. My breath grew short as I made the minute alterations to the face and then opened my eyes.


    Instantly, I turned my gaze away from the naked form, my breath held back in embarrassment. For a moment I was at a loss on what to do, then I concentrated and made a shadowy screen that appeared between us. I breathed out a sigh of relief.


    My gaze returned to the silhouette in front of me and an involuntary scowl of dissatisfaction twisted my face. There was still a lot of work to do. A series of images rushed through my mind, changing minute details of the form. My attention focused solely on the being before me, my whole world narrowed down to a single act of creation...


    I was heedless of the time that passed during my uninterrupted meditation...


    ...I did not care, I was enchanted, focused on the task¡­


    ...and then, after unfathomable time, my concentration suddenly broke¡­


    ...I was done¡­


    I looked around absentmindedly, veil of tiredness slowly lifting from my mind, thanks to energizing shower of God¡¯s power¡­


    Inadvertently, I sneaked a peek at the form before me, seeing a cute young girl that was seemingly looking back at me. The screen of shadow was nowhere in sight and a thought about turning back appeared in my mind, though it was for naught, my gaze was glued to the view.


    To a soft, convex curve of the jaw that drew a striking arch of the heart shaped face; to a tiny, straight nose that was just so slightly curved back as to leave a mischievous and cute impression; and to a pair of almond shaped eyes that seemed so big and black as to resemble an abyss that one could almost drown in. I felt my eyes tearing up, my heart overwhelmed with grief, due to seeing their empty and absent look; the being before me was so small and petite that against my better judgement I felt saddened by her dead and unfeeling gaze, which inadvertently forced me to think about vile deeds that might have caused it.


    I broke the contact, unsettled, my stare travelling down, to a slim, almost childlike frame, accented by small curves that roused one''s imagination with alluring hints where others would likely put obscene banners. Smooth, ivory skin had an almost unreal quality to it, one would sooner believe that it was some work of art, created to best the reality, rather than a living being.


    I swallowed slowly, enchanted¡­


    Suddenly, I realized what I was doing and a screen of shadows appeared between us, barring the view and allowing me to slowly collect, and correct, my thoughts...


    Breath in, breath out¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Starry void around me helped and after a while I managed to settle down. I kept the screen of shadows in place, my equilibrium was already unsettled enough.


    Finally, I decided that there was nothing else for me to do. -¡± God¡­ ¡° I started and realized that I didn¡¯t know all that much about the being that I was parlaying with.


    -¡± God of freedom and humanity if you need to know. As to the name, there are many, but since I don¡¯t really care¡­ you get the idea. ¡° God¡¯s presence appeared out of a sudden and his cheerful, outspoken attitude somehow managed to make me feel at ease. -¡± Also, I am not going to brief you on all the different aspects of the world hence you will need to figure them out yourself, though I will get you someone that will help you a bit at a start¡­ consider it a sign of my favor. Good luck! ¡°


    -¡± Wait! What? ¡° I tried to protest, while a thickening cloud of power began to engulf me.


    -¡± Don¡¯t bother, you know enough and you''re done with the body, quite¡­ nice. *khem* ¡° God coughed slightly, and I unsuccessfully tried to interject, but couldn''t due to my suddenly insubstantial throat. -¡± Also, there are no temples of mine to speak of so if you want to worship just make up something. Good luck! ¡°


    God finished his speech and I had an impression of him waving a hand in goodbye, but that was only for a moment because I suddenly felt as if my very being was being grasped by an invisible force. A whirlpool of sorts. The dizzying sensation of being compressed into a single point enveloped me, before suddenly turning into a feeling of being turned inside out. The threateningly vivid experience made me lose my bearings and before I knew a feeling of motion, as if I was thrown down from the heavens, dwarfed everything else. I was pressured by an impossible speed and then there was an impact of sorts and I lose my consciousness¡­

 Chapter 2 - Hard Awakenings and Small Beginnings (P. 1)

    I woke up with a start, shivering and confused, a dizzying multitude of sensations threatened to overwhelm me. My thoughts were in disarray, I fought to understand what was happening to me while everything felt... raw.


    -¡± Ay. ¡° An involuntary, high pitched yelp escaped my mouth when another shiver racked through my body. I was freezing cold, the feeling brought my attention to a smooth, hard surface on which I was laying. It felt like a polished stone, cold and unyielding, an image of some kind of altar rushed through my mind... In a brief moment of clarity I managed to consider the situation clearly, but I was hesitant to accept the reality that my memory seemed to suggest, despite all of the cues¡­


    Abruptly my concentration broke, overwhelmed by discomforting cold. -¡¯ I better get moving or I will get hypothermia¡­ ¡® Urged by the prospect I focused on exploring the situation. I used an elbow to help myself up to a side sitting position, the motion seemed to confirm my suspicions as I discovered a notable absence when I was pulling my legs to the side...


    I pushed the notion away and tried to seek some warmth by hugging myself, in hope that the mane of a soft hair that engulfed me would help me with the task. Soon, another shiver dashed my hopes, on a bright side it stopped me from paying an undue attention to a silky smooth sensation of hands rubbing over my arms. -¡± ¡­ ¡° I took a deep breath to clear my mind, the action backfired by making me aware of a particular sensation when my chest expanded, it was a feeling of squishy softness on my forearms coupled with something like having a cloth pad affixed to my chest, though there was much more to the feeling...


    As I was trying to fight down the indecent thoughts, another sensation dwarfed everything else. The deep breath evoked some sort of a reflexive reaction, which abruptly took over all of my attention, making me unable to stop myself from trying to encompass all of the smells that suddenly assaulted my nostrils. Abrupt loss of control scared me. -¡¯ How can a simple smell take away...! ¡® I had a last, panicked thought just before the compulsory reaction took over.


    I could feel a rich scent of an old dust, mixed with thick taste of earth and spice of aged wood, that bore a slightly sickening tang of rot. Underneath the compound smell, I found an alluring aroma of beeswax and clean fire¡­ I could almost lose myself in the sensation of trying to find every slight nuance hidden in the heady mix, fortunately my attention was brought back to reality by a cold, bruising feeling on my¡­ bottom. I shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position on the hard stone, but to no avail.


    I shook my head, grateful for the distraction, and forcefully went on with analyzing the facts. -¡± It seems to be true, I really became¡­ a girl. ¡° I affirmed my thought using the softest of whispers, inadvertently noticing how cutely it sounded. -¡± And a half elf one at that. ¡° I appended quickly, acknowledging my newfound senses. I was still keeping my eyes closed, I didn¡¯t want to complicate the overbearing mix with additional stimuli, it was hard enough to not get swept away by the smell alone...


    -¡¯ Hmm... ¡® Since it was almost crippling, I decided to solve the mismatch of sensations first and with no better alternatives meditation seemed like the best option, though, to avoid the scent problem, I opted to breath solely through my mouth.


    ...


    After a while spent on careful reflection I somehow managed to reach a semblance of clarity.


    Thanks to the enforced discipline I concluded that sensations coming from my body weren¡¯t going to subside anytime soon, rather I was guessing that the reason behind my problems was likely related to being overwhelmed by all of my senses at once. I theorized that there¡¯s a lot of sensations that we learn to subconsciously ignore, paying them no heed, and I was quite sure that it was not the case for me. -¡¯ This is a new body, there should be some getting used to¡­ ¡® I thought carefully, I was wondering on how it was possible for me to be so overwhelmed by my new senses while not finding my new body alien, just strange and overbearing...


    I let the thought pass and continued to meditate for a while, after a surprisingly short amount of time I managed to shut down many of the distractions, sitting on a hard stone while on a verge of freezing likely helped a great deal in ignoring other things. -¡¯ Not the stiffened nipples though¡­ ¡® I forcefully squelched the shameless thought and concentrated on the task, until I finally felt ready to proceed further...


    Eventually, after regaining some clarity and deeming my inner turmoil pacified for the time being, I slowly opened my eyes to explore my surroundings.


    My earlier expectations were confirmed as I found myself on a smooth, granite block that could indeed pass for an altar. What surprised me was the location, as I was in some sort of a small, seemingly abandoned, underground cellar. Few wooden pillars, boards and beams supported walls and ceilings, preventing them from caving in; there was a partition made of old, rotten planks replacing one of the earthen walls. A skewed, dilapidated door blocked an opening in the middle of the partition. The door seemed to be the only way out of the cellar. I could see that cobwebs, piles of wooden rubble and dust occupied most of the rectangular room.


    I was surprised to realize that I could see everything clearly, despite dim illumination provided by a single beeswax candle nestled on a shelf made of a horizontal plank. The candle was nearly spent, its stump slowly oozed a trail of wax down the wooden partition, it made me wonder how such a small flame could be so blindingly bright¡­ Suddenly, I noticed that even the deepest shadows couldn¡¯t obscure my vision, it made me realize that the apparent brightness was relative to my eyesight...


    Suddenly, yet another shiver made me aware of how cold and discomforted I was. When I was meditating I was able to somehow subdue the shivers, but now, urged by my numbing limbs I was forced to move. I bent to the side of the stone block and retrieved a pile of clothes that I noticed on the floor. With bundle in tow, I lowered my legs from the altar¡¯s edge and began putting on a white linen shirt, it was so big that it was more like a tunic, which reached to my knees, rather than a shirt. Absentmindedly I rolled up the long sleeves.


    -¡¯ This is going to take a while to get used to. ¡® I thought to myself hopelessly, as I took note on how rough and scratchy the cloth was, I had a sneaking suspicion that it was my skin that was too sensitive and, to avoid chafing, I would need to get something better in the future... which probably meant a sizable expense...


    I let out a sigh and distracted myself with considering my reaction to the cold, normally I should have been covered with goose bumps, but there was nothing like that, my skin was perfectly smooth. -¡¯ Of course, elven bodies are hairless it seems. ¡® I concluded and smirked at the thought, carefully avoiding the subject of other hairless parts of my anatomy.


    I pulled on a pair of breeches made of a soft leather, it took a lot of concentration not to dwell on the smooth sensation caressing my legs. If it wasn¡¯t for my self restraint and frigid coldness of the place I would likely succumb to the urge of just stroking the marvelously soft skin... I shook my head and proceeded to a pair of soft leather boots, which instead of a sole had few layers of cotton and leather. The boots reached to my calf, where I affixed them in place by wrapping leather cords around my legs. Despite being a bit too big the boots were soft and really comfortable. -¡¯ Hopefully it haven¡¯t rained recently and I won¡¯t step on any sharp pebbles. ¡® I thought idly, considering downsides of my footwear.


    Afterwards, I wrapped a simple leather belt around my waist, to secure the shirt and to keep breeches from sliding down, it was a bit distressing to find out that I was so small that I needed to use a knife to make an additional hole to fix the buckle in place. I silently thanked the power above that said knife was a part of the bundle. Satisfied that baggy breeches were no longer sliding down my hips I affixed a scabbard, with the knife, to the belt.


    When I grabbed a large cloak I realized that the whole attire was probably assembled with unknown sizes of the recipient in mind. -¡¯ At least it''s rather comfortable¡­ ¡® I let out a sigh struck by another realization, being without any kind of undergarment felt rather... awkward.


    I distracted myself from the thought by checking out the last item, it was a small pouch that contained two small silver coins. I used a spare leather cord to hang the pouch from my neck, as it would be much safer that way. I dreaded the thought of loosing my only livelihood in a medieval world¡­


    I shivered again, but not from the cold. After getting clothed I found out that the cellar wasn¡¯t as cold as it seemed¡­ -¡¯ Ah, if I remember correctly body hair helps to keep people warm¡­ and laying on the cold stone probably didn¡¯t help much in that regard. ¡® After I reached that conclusion I was struck by a stifling realization¡­


    My addled mind finally caught back with the recent events. A premonition of doom dawned on me when I finally understood that this was not a game and I was really stuck in some medieval world, for life. I hugged my knees insecurely, while my overactive imagination started to work overtime. Unwanted images made me vividly aware on how really, really stupid I was to choose my current form¡­


    My breath got held back by a rush of anxiety, as if an iron girth encompassed my chest. Struck by a rush of panic I hugged my legs harder and rocked my body slightly. I could feel my eyes tearing up and reflexively bent down to rest my face against my knees, to hide them. Terrifying things mentioned in books that I read made me shiver with dread. Remembering horrific things drilled everyday in the modern news, I had no illusions to people''s goodwill, especially since ones from the medieval times were likely much rougher....


    -¡± I¡­? ¡° When another tremble racked my body, a small sound escaped my mouth, making me realize, with a start, that I was sobbing. -¡¯ Wai¡­ Why am I crying? ¡® I asked myself in surprise, as it was unusual for me to get swept away by emotions¡­


    Abruptly, I blinked my tears away and my mouth inadvertently bent into a crooked smile while I held back an outbreak of a mad laughter evoked by a final piece of a puzzle falling into place. -¡¯ I forgot how young this body was¡­ No, how young I am. Teenage hormones... ¡® The maddening influx of mirth was hard to deal with, I don¡¯t know how long it would have taken me to calm down if the candle didn¡¯t go out at that very moment, leaving me in sudden darkness.


    -¡± Damn. ¡° I cursed passionately, sobering up instantly. -¡¯ At least now I know that I have a low light vision rather than some sort of dark sight¡­ ¡® Contrary to my unconcerned thought I wasn¡¯t amused by the prospect of fumbling through the dark in search of an exit.


    -¡¯ Nothing beats the present¡­ ¡® I let out a sigh and slid from the altar. With small, careful steps I began to tiptoe in the direction of the partition, hoping that the dilapidated door wasn¡¯t leading into some sort of underground complex. -¡¯ ...or maze. ¡® I quickly dismissed the unsettling thought.


    I reached the partition without tripping on anything, broken furniture blocked my way few times but I managed to pass over it without accidents. My hands rushed to explore the splintered wood and soon, I managed to find a small iron loop that served for a handle. I pulled on the loop, but was rewarded only with a loud squeak and a small give. Changing the approach I tried to push the door, to no avail.


    Exasperated, I tried to shoulder my way in. This time I was rewarded with a rumbling, whooshing sound when the door scrapped on the earthen floor. With renewed effort I forced the door further and finally managed to push it far enough for me to pass through. -¡± This is ridiculous, this door didn¡¯t look so damn¡­ ¡° I exclaimed my thought in exasperated whisper despite sinking feeling that I had, that the dilapidated door could challenge my strength.


    I shook my head and focused on an area ahead of me. The next room was of roughly same size as the previous one and similarly *furnished*, though I was mostly guessing since my low light vision could barely discern anything. Still, it was a small windfall that I could see anything at all - a tiny ray of light coming from the ceiling made me really happy, especially since it shone on a ladder placed against a wall below it.


    I had trouble with containing my excitement while I approached the ladder, somehow I managed to avoid an unsightly fall when my feet stumbled into something. Soon, my hands grasped the rough wood and I began to climb briskly, my heart swelled with excitement at a thought of the new world outside. Though I was stopped by unexpected obstacle, I could hardly move the trapdoor above the ladder with my arm. A bit disheartened I climbed as high as I could and rested my back against the wood. Then I tried to straighten up with all of my might.


    With a hard heave, I managed to force the trapdoor upwards, so it fell back on the ground behind its hinges. I was engulfed by the flood of a warm light that couldn''t be mistaken for anything other than sunshine. Enticed by the small victory, I took a carelessly deep breath...


    Everything narrowed down to a single feeling of being. To a crispy scent of grass, living earth, sun and dew, the mix was like a balm that burned away the depressing scent of the underground. My newfound compulsory nature, made me notice that the mix contained a distinct smell of smoke and heat combined with impossibly complicated array of smells that I knew from the kitchen, like gravy and cooked vegetables, also there was a hint of sweat¡­


    -¡± Hey, are you alright? ¡° A deep and gruff voice startled me, bringing me out of my reverie.


    Upon seeing a leather clad, scraggy bearded giant with a mane of gray hair I panicked. It would be strange not to, it is not an everyday sight to meet someone who seemed taller crouching than I was standing, and with a profound musculature to match. A long knife, or rather a short sword, in his hand wasn¡¯t helping. On reflex I almost jumped down the ladder, but luckily I somehow managed to retain enough clarity of mind to stop myself from going into a dead end, instead I scrambled upwards to get out of the hole as soon as possible.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    -¡± Er... What are you doing? ¡° He asked in a surprised voice. -¡± Please don¡¯t be alarmed¡­ ¡°


    I climbed out and was about to start running when the giant¡¯s question finally registered in my addled mind and stopped me in my tracks. I looked around, noticing overgrown ruins of a house, a campfire, a small cauldron and a half peeled parsley root in the man¡¯s hand. I blinked in surprise, he didn¡¯t seem inclined to give chase and had a concerned expression on his face. Abruptly, my cheeks flushed in embarrassment.


    The area looked like an abandoned farm located near the edge of the woods. The house was in ruins, consisting of nothing more than few half standing walls covered with thick vines, there was no signs of a roof save for a thick and half rotten wooden beam lying on the ground. The campfire was burning in remains of a fireplace and a steaming metal pot was hanging over the fire.


    I suddenly remembered god¡¯s promise to have someone help me and an old warrior peeling a parsley root in the middle of nowhere seemed to fit the bill. I barely stopped myself from stepping from foot to foot in embarrassment when I took in the nonthreatening scene. Also, I realized that the man wasn¡¯t as big as I initially thought, rather it was me who got smaller. Still he was likely around six feet tall, while I lost more than a feet from my old height, the difference felt devastatingly striking.


    -¡± Y-you wouldn¡¯t be waiting for someone? ¡° I asked with a slight stutter.


    -¡± Not anymore. ¡° He smirked and turned away, to cut the vegetable into the pot. -¡± You might want to make yourself comfortable, it needs to simmer for a while more. ¡° He waved towards a makeshift bench, made of cloak spread over the wooden beam.


    -¡± Thank you. ¡° I said carefully and took the offered seat, the man didn¡¯t seem concerned about exposing his back to me. -¡¯ Not that I could do much even with such an opening¡­ ¡® I sighed while banishing the thought. Scores of questions were rushing through my mind, but I was too unsettled by recent faux pas to start the conversation.


    -¡± I expected you to show up earlier. ¡° As if noticing my hesitation he spoke out in a non committal tone. -¡± I have been doing this gig for a while, but this is the first time I had to do more than prepare a ritual, not to mention that it usually doesn¡¯t take three days¡­ ¡°


    -¡± What do you mean? ¡° I responded reflexively, before finally letting go of my hesitation and getting to the heart of the matter. -¡± Who are you exactly? ¡° I had a suspicion on why it took three days, but it was nothing that I wanted to share.


    -¡± Name¡¯s Ethan. ¡° He said casually while stirring contents of the pot with his dagger. -¡± Vagabond, sell sword and someone as close to a follower as Fatebreaker allows. As to why I am here you should probably know that better than me. All I had was a vision to help the one arriving. ¡° He let out an amused sight before asking in a mirthful voice. -¡± Any advice on how to garner the god¡¯s favor? What¡¯s your name anyway? ¡°


    -¡± Um¡­ ¡° I hesitated, as stating my old name would be just plain wrong.


    -¡± Haha, don¡¯t be shy, girl. ¡° Misunderstanding my reaction Ethan laughed out loud, despite being somewhat prepared for it getting called by a combination of *shy* and *girl* in a single sentence caught me off guard and thrown my thoughts in disarray. -¡± Though if you don¡¯t want to or can¡¯t¡­ ¡°


    -¡± N-no! ¡° I interrupted with a stutter, flustered by how strong my statement turned out to be. -¡± I mean my name is Almisha. ¡° On reflex, I used one of the names from tabletop sessions to salvage the situation and to diffuse another growing misunderstanding. Somehow I kept getting thrown out of my pace.


    -¡± Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be asking who or where are you from. Fatebreaker rarely cares about the past. ¡° He said reassuringly and stirred the stew some more. His attitude made me curious.


    -¡± Why are you doing this? ¡° I made a gesture encompassing the area and myself. Before he could answer I decided that being too careful could end badly in the long run and it¡¯s better to ask important questions now. It was unlikely that I would find anyone else that I could trust anytime soon. -¡± Is it normal for gods here to dabble into affairs of mortals? ¡°


    -¡± Oh. So you are not from around here¡­ ¡° He stated openly but seeing that it could be misunderstood he let out a low grunt and continued reassuringly. -¡± Khem. I meant to say that gods aren¡¯t interested in what is happening here unless there¡¯s something to gain. ¡° He smirked. -¡± Each god has a different domain and interests, if you can appease a god he might offer a blessing in return. For example blessing of the God of Light keeps monsters away from his temples, that''s why there is at least a shrine in most of the hamlets. ¡° He gave the stew a final stir before taking out the dagger and wiping it with a scrap of cloth. -¡± Anyway, gods are fickle beings and it''s not easy to get on their good side, best to steer clear if you ask me. ¡°


    -¡± But you seem to be doing precisely the opposite. ¡° I pointed out the inconsistency.


    -¡± Bah, of course. ¡° He let out a loud sound, startling me a bit. -¡± I am something like a priest, I like getting my fingers burned and whatnot. ¡° He replied smugly and gave me a wink. -¡± Well, even the mighty Fatebreaker needs to get some things done, like rituals. ¡° He continued calmly and put his cleaned dagger back into a scabbard on his belt. -¡± He might be a bit hard to deal with, but his blessings are usually worth the trouble. ¡°


    -¡± I see. ¡° I said evenly, opting for a matter of factly approach. -¡± So what now? ¡° I asked.


    -¡± Firstly, we eat. ¡° Ethan bent to retrieve a pair of wooden bowls and spoons from a nearby backpack. -¡± Then we will go east, we should get to Dawnbridge village before night. I believe that we will reach the elven kingdom within two to three weeks. ¡° He let out a sigh and filled the bowl with stew. -¡± I take it you don¡¯t have anything apart from two silvers? ¡° His question confirmed my theory that he was the one who left the bundle in the basement.


    -¡± No, how much are they worth? ¡° I used the opportunity to ask about the currency.


    -¡± Hmm, should have figured that she knows nothing. ¡° He muttered under his breath before answering. -¡± Those small coins that you have are called silver shillings, a worker usually earns one for a day of heavy labor while a good craftsman can earn a few. A silver shilling splits into a dozen of copper ones, one copper can buy you a bread while two to three will get you a meal or a good ale, a room for a night takes around six to ten coppers. There are also full silvers and golds that nobility uses, typically a full silver is worth fourteen shillings. Whatever you do just remember that full silver is big and heavy, don¡¯t get tricked by someone claiming that some small coin is worth that much. ¡° He rose and handed me a bowl full of stew and a spoon. -¡± Also, there are other currencies, which are valued differently, just stick to the ones with king¡¯s crown on the reverse or have someone trusted explain their worth to you when the need arises. ¡°


    -¡± Thank you. ¡° I replied with gratitude and took the steaming bowl. I wasn¡¯t hungry but considering the journey ahead I decided that it¡¯s better to eat. -¡± Ah, why are we going to that elven kingdom exactly, if it¡¯s that far away? ¡° I voiced my doubts.


    -¡± Cos you are an elf and a girl. They have a thing for that. ¡° He responded half jokingly while taking a seat on a nearby stone. Seeing my furrowed brows he continued. -¡± Don¡¯t give me that look, it''s not my fault that¡­ ¡° He paused and made an exasperated gesture. -¡± I don¡¯t believe that I am having this conversation, I don¡¯t even have a daughter! ¡° He muttered under his breath.


    -¡¯ What¡¯s his problem? ¡® I asked myself upon seeing his strange behavior.


    -¡± Er, hmm¡­ ¡° Ethan began again in an awkward manner, it made me wonder what was going on.


    -¡± You see¡­ ¡° Ethan began slowly, but suddenly picked up the pace and finished the sentence in one continuous barrage of words. -¡± ...when human women have children they can have them every year but elves can¡¯t they need several decades between each one. ¡° He finished and took a deep breath, red on the face. I could relate to his conundrum, but as funny as it was I had a pressing question to ask.


    -¡± What about halfs? ¡° I asked uncertainly.


    -¡± Halfs? ¡° He asked stupidly, not understanding my question.


    -¡± I am pretty sure that I am a half elf. ¡° I said matter of factly, though I began to have a bad premonition about the whole thing.


    -¡± Are you sure? ¡° He asked in a serious tone. -¡± Could you show me your ear? ¡°


    I nodded my agreement and swiped back my hair, exposing the ear. Ethan approached and took a long hard look at it, though I was still puzzled by the whole thing.


    -¡± I don¡¯t see an earlobe, you really sure that you are a half? ¡° He sternly asked again.


    -¡± As sure as I can be? ¡° I answered hesitantly, I had to grudgingly admit to myself that his towering form and pursed face were somewhat scary.


    -¡± Damn. ¡° He cursed passionately and I almost jumped, scared by the sudden outburst. To my relief he took a step back and continued in a calmer voice. -¡± We definitely can¡¯t go to the elven kingdom then. If what you say is true and you really are a pure blooded half elf then mark my words - steer clear of high elves. ¡° He stated sternly and looked insistently into my eyes to make sure that the message got across.


    I was surprised by the turn of events but I solemnly nodded anyway. -¡± Are half elves that persecuted in the elven kingdom? ¡° I asked after a slight pause to sate my ever growing curiosity.


    Surprisingly, Ethan haven¡¯t responded at first. He just put a hand over his face and heavily sat down, letting out a deep sigh. Several seconds passed and I was about to ask him if everything''s alright when he suddenly raised his head. -¡± Not exactly, they are rather well off there. The problem is you are not one of them. ¡°


    I tilted my head, puzzled by the statement. -¡± Is there some other kind of elves or something? I don¡¯t understand. ¡° I voiced my doubts.


    As I looked at him I noticed that for some reason he has grown embarrassed again. -¡± You see¡­ ¡° He started, but his voice trailed off. I patiently waited for him to collect his wits.


    Finally, after a while, he continued. -¡± Normally the father is an elf and the mother is human, from what you said it appears that it was the other way around. Also, considering your looks it appears that elven blood is mostly passed through the maternal line. ¡° I was impressed by how tactfully he introduced the whole idea, though by his ragged look I could tell that it was not without a price.


    -¡± Is it so bad that my mother was an elf? ¡° I asked innocently, having purer blood than other half elves didn¡¯t seem like that big of a deal.


    -¡± Yes, girl! ¡° Ethan suddenly lost his composure. -¡± Half elves are like mules, totally sterile, and high elves are total freaks when it comes down to offspring, because they can have it only once every century. So if they hear about some of their precious women bearing a human child you might imagine them being Not very pleasant. ¡° He concluded his speech on his feet, agitated.


    I was surprised by the sudden outburst. -¡¯ It seems that I stepped on a landmine¡­ ¡®


    Ethan suddenly calmed down and had an embarrassed look on his face. -¡± I am sorry. Please do excuse me. Me and high elves got a history and it¡¯s not a pleasant one. ¡° He sat down and took the bowl. -¡± You should eat too. ¡° He pointed to the cooled stew in my hands.


    -¡± Um, I will. ¡° I responded uncertainly. Sudden change of the mood caught me off guard and I had trouble focusing. Hesitantly I took the spoon and brought the thick liquid to my lips. Despite being somewhat prepared I was still caught by the swirl of sensations when my nose picked up the smell of the stew. To my surprise I noticed that there was pepper and few other spices inside, which was unexpected for a medieval world. -¡¯ I am not gonna complain about better tasting meals¡­ ¡® With that thought in mind I took a spoon into my mouth... and instantly got swept away by a multitude of sensations...


    ...


    -¡± How is it? ¡° Ethan asked in an amicable tone, interrupting my stupor.


    -¡± It¡¯s passable I guess¡­ ¡° I responded absentmindedly, still not fully sentient. When I realized my mistake I really wanted to say that it was good, but couldn¡¯t. The stew wasn¡¯t bad, but I could somehow tell that the meat could take a bit more simmering while potatoes were a bit overcooked. And the spice balance was a bit off, not to mention that I hated parsley and could vividly tell its taste now¡­ I shook my head, I wasn¡¯t a picky eater, but that was before the change. -¡¯ I guess I am a picky eater now. ¡® I sighed to myself.


    -¡± Haha. ¡° As if seeing my inner turmoil Ethan let out a small laugh. -¡± Don¡¯t worry I will take it as a compliment. It¡¯s not easy to cook for an elf, I have met enough of your kind to know better. ¡°


    Embarrassed and glad for the return of a peaceful atmosphere, I concentrated on the bowl, an action that evoked another hearty laugh from Ethan. I continued to eat and found out that if I didn¡¯t dwell on each spoonful I could somewhat pass over the small imperfections of the taste, I still didn¡¯t like parsley though. I dreaded the thought on what it would be like to eat at a random inn.


    When I was done, Ethan took my bowl and went to wash the dishes at a nearby ruined well. -¡± We are burning daylight, so you better get ready Almisha. If we want to get to the city before the gates close for the night we gotta get moving. ¡°


    I nodded my agreement and sighed inwardly. Prospect of a long walk wasn¡¯t very appealing and the linen shirt felt itchy already¡­


    ===========================


    Hey, Mea''s here~


    It took a while to write but here''s part one of Awakening''s chapter, hope you enjoyed it.


    Cheers,


    Mea


    Ps Release schedule is on "when its done basis", so when I deem something done I will publish it.

 Chapter 3 - Hard Awakenings and Small Beginnings (P. 2)

    Since I didn¡¯t have anything to do, and I didn¡¯t want to get in his way, I watched Ethan while he broke down the camp. It was strangely engaging to see his casual and precise movements while he packed everything up; there was no doubt that for him it was a daily occurrence, but it was something that I saw in reality for the first time. Strangely, the causality of the scene somehow forced me to accept the reality of my own situation like nothing else since the awakening in the basement.


    -¡¯ I guess I am not in Kansas anymore¡­ ¡® I thought to myself and began to wonder on how I should proceed with living my life. -¡¯ ¡­ ¡® I  took a deep breath to stifle another rush of anxiety, similar to the one from before, and focused on my current circumstances while keeping any doubts regarding my choices at bay.


    I knew that my situation was uncertain at best. Having only two silver shillings made me anxious, as it would feed me for a week at most. -¡¯ I need to figure out a stable source of income, and fast, I doubt that Ethan will be helping me for long¡­ but what can I do? ¡® I asked myself desperately. -¡¯ This is supposedly a medieval world and I know no crafts, also it¡¯s doubtful that anyone would have a need for a weak and unskilled labourer. Cities have beggars for a reason. ¡® I pursed my lips as I added the final argument. -¡¯ Not to mention that they are likely not very welcoming of elves, hell, even modern people could ostracise others on a basis of skin colour alone... ¡®


    Meanwhile Ethan finished his task and ended with a sizeable knapsack on his back, my attention was instantly glued to a sword at his hip and bow slung over his shoulder; it was the first time that I could get a glimpse of real, medieval weapons and I wasn¡¯t going to pass on the occasion.


    I only managed to notice that his longsword must have seen much use because leather wrapping around the hilt was well worn out, before Ethan let out a small grunt to get my attention. -¡± Let us go. ¡° His voice was surprisingly soft and considerate. -¡± Try to find out your own pace and I will adjust mine. ¡° He waved in the direction of the hills, motioning me to go first.


    I was a bit puzzled, by his unusual statement, but decided that it was probably some show of curtesy. -¡± Thank you. ¡° I settled for simple thanks before rising up and marching in the direction that he had pointed at.


    I couldn¡¯t see any signs of a road, but I didn¡¯t mind that, remains of an abandoned and overgrown field weren¡¯t too big and after the initial trouble, caused by passing through sprouting wheat and thick weeds, I was soon welcomed by a calf high, soft grass that expanded onto the hills ahead. With no cloud in sight, and with sun slowly rising above the tree line behind my back, I couldn''t complain about the weather at all; I only hoped that it was indeed a springtime and crispy coolness of the late morning wouldn''t turn into an unbearable heat later during the day.


    To my surprise I soon fell into a rhythm and began to enjoy the walk. In my old world, I disliked going outside and found physical activity tedious and boring, despite those facts marching felt like something that I could thoroughly enjoy at the moment. -¡¯ Maybe I did lose something by not participating in any of the trekking trips that my mother tried to force me into. ¡® I mused briefly, while basking in a refreshing scent of a nearby clover field.


    There was something magical and enthralling in each step that I took, I was so full of energy that it felt like I could go on for hours. Also, the walking itself was strangely different, each time I took a step it felt¡­ lean and smooth, I tried but failed to come up with a better analogy. It took me some time to get used to a certain absence between my legs, which felt rather novel, though what gave me real problems were twin swellings on my chest, while my breasts were by no means big the rough shirt forced me to awkwardly hunch a bit forward to avoid uncomfortable friction; the fact that the shirt was so loose turned out to be a small blessing.


    Soon, I got a better grip of my faculties and, with my surprisingly big stamina, I unconsciously began to quicken my pace; before long I was jogging with abandon, enjoying every springy step and taking in the greenery that covered steeper and steeper hills. The exertion was thoroughly liberating, heady mix of herbal scents that kept assaulting my nostrils just added to the intoxicating sensation of power...


    Out of a sudden, I was alerted by Ethan¡¯s heavy steps and I looked over my shoulder at my companion, who shortened the distance between us. I noticed a strange expression and signs of exertion on his face. Thrown out of my unrelenting pace I exhaled lightly, my breath as calm and untired as ever. I briefly considered slowing down to accommodate him, but before I could finish the thought, my musings were abruptly cut short.


    Suddenly the feeling of invincibility, which I enjoyed thus far, vanished without a trace and I fell down like a doll that had its strings cut. Seeing the rushing ground, I mentally prepared myself for an impact¡­ that never came. I found myself grabbed by Ethan and laid on a soft, albeit a bit wet with dew, grass. As if he was expecting it all along.


    -¡± Wha¡­? ¡° I groaned, even my lips and tongue didn¡¯t have any strength left and weren¡¯t working properly. I was confused and a bit terrified, if not for Ethan I would have been in a full blown panic.


    -¡± Shh. Rest, you should be good in no time. ¡° Ethan said in a cooing voice to calm me down, then he let out an annoyed sigh before continuing in a stricter tone. -¡± Don¡¯t you have any common sense? Where were you raised, girl? ¡° He asked accusingly and suddenly clasped his tongue in annoyance. -¡¯ Ah, never mind, forget I asked. Let me explain. ¡°


    I blinked in response, as it was the only thing that I could do at the moment, save for groaning. -¡¯ What have I gotten myself into? ¡® Suspecting that my collapse had something to do with what I was, I began to seriously question my sanity during the meeting with the god.


    Despite telling me that he would offer an explanation Ethan was collecting his thoughts for a while, which piqued both my curiosity and anxiety.


    -¡± Elves are much different from humans, child. ¡° Ethan finally began in a solemn voice, which evoked a mental sigh from me. I found it disheartening that since our meeting his addresses moved from my name to a girl and finally to a child. Not that I could say much in my defense. -¡± I thought that since you are a half you would be more akin to a human, but it seems that you really take after your elven heritage. ¡° He made a small pause, I could guess that he still had his doubts about my claim of being a pure blooded half and not just an elf.  -¡± Elves don¡¯t tire easily, I have seen some march for days on end without rest, but they are different from humans. If you overexert yourself you will end up winded for good, so you need to learn your limits or you will collapse from hunger. ¡° He finished with a stern look on his face.


    I nodded weakly in response, meanwhile trying to fight down my surprise at the revelation. I concentrated on my body, but I didn¡¯t feel hunger, rather it was like a tingling warmth was slowly spreading all over my body¡­ I took a sharp breath due to a sudden realization. -¡¯ I didn¡¯t exactly collapse from hunger, but rather from using up all of my body¡¯s readily available resources! ¡® Upon solving the mystery I relaxed marginally and began brooding over the implications.


    The state I was in made me certain that I didn¡¯t want to risk exhaustion under any sort of circumstance. The feeling of sheer helplessness, at being unable to defend myself in any meaningful way, could not be compared to anything that I have ever faced. I could easily visualise, with a shiver, a bad scenario where I would unknowingly exhaust myself at the worst possible moment and fell prey to¡­ someone. I quickly tried to banish the dreadful thought, but it was a surprisingly hard thing to do, it''s not an everyday event to have rape alerts blare in your head while you are unable to move. It made me sick in the pit of my stomach. Abruptly, a stray thought passed through my mind that this situation probably just saved me from a cringe worthy danger later on. I was still too weak to shake my head in exasperation, so I just let the thought go. I was glad for Ethan¡¯s presence though, it felt like a lifeline that was both calming and embarrassing at the same time.


    Time passed by slowly while I laid on the ground and gazed at a calming vastness of a blue sky. Meanwhile the warm and tingling sensation began to rapidly settle through my body and I could tell that the moment of crippling weakness has passed.


    -¡± How did you know that I will collapse? ¡° I suddenly voiced my doubt, Ethan¡¯s timing in catching me felt awfully well timed.


    -¡± A hunch. ¡° Ethan smiled awkwardly.


    -¡± You set me up. ¡° I said accusingly and scowled in displeasure.


    -¡± Don¡¯t make such a scary face. ¡° He raised his hands defensively, in a half serious half joking manner. -¡± I have spent a lot of time around your kind, and frankly we need to have a talk. ¡° His voice grew stern as he let his hands down. -¡± I don¡¯t need to pry into your past to see that you know nothing about how the things work around here, child. ¡° I wanted to interject but, to my chagrin, he gave me a small reassuring smile and patted me on the head. -¡± Don¡¯t try to refute me. It¡¯s clear as a day that a six year old has more sense than you, so just stay there and let me ground some into you. ¡° I rolled my eyes in response, as I was in no shape to go anywhere, but when Ethan¡¯s expression grew hard  I quickly nodded my agreement. -¡± First off, do you know why the grass on those hills is so lush, tall and neat? ¡°


    -¡± Um, because nothing is grazing on it? ¡° I responded automatically.


    -¡± And why would that be? ¡° Ethan lips curved into a small smirk. Cued by the pointed question my eyes abruptly grew wide with fright. -¡± I see you understand, they might be less active during the day but those grasslands and thickets are not natural, they are actually rather infamous due to monsters that live here. So don¡¯t try to run off from me again. Am I understood? ¡° I nodded solemnly in response to his stern look. -¡± Good girl. ¡° To my chagrin he erupted in a big smile and patted my head again.


    -¡± Next, this might not be a common sense for humans, but the fact is that elves are different from them. In many ways. ¡° Ethan¡¯s took on a lecturing tone. -¡± The most important thing for now is that you learn your limits. As you saw for yourself, if you overreach you will collapse, but the opposite is also true. As long as you keep within your limits most humans can¡¯t hope to outlast you. Frankly speaking chasing after you gave me quite a workout and I am not as young as I used to be. ¡° Seeing my solemn expression to his half joking remark, he let out a hearty laugh and stood up.


    -¡± That should be enough of a break as you seem well enough now. We can talk later. ¡° He finished intently, evoking a sigh of defeat from me. I accepted his extended hand and rose up with his help. -¡¯ Now go and try to figure this out, just don¡¯t stray too far from me. ¡®


    -¡± Those monsters that you talked about, if they are so dangerous what''s stopping them from going after you? ¡° I finally found resolve to voice my doubts, to which Ethan offered a dismissive wave of his hand.


    -¡± I told you that I am a priest. As long as we stay away from thickets, where they usually hide during the day, none should dare to approach me. ¡° I nodded my head meekly and started walking in the direction we were heading earlier.


    There were many questions that I still wanted to ask, but I decided that it was indeed prudent to focus on the most pressing issue. I had half an hour of rest and it was almost as if I had never collapsed in the first place. I felt full of energy and, apart from chafing caused by my shirt-tunic, I didn¡¯t have a slightest ache¡­Though that doesn¡¯t mean that there were no side effects. I really hated an oily and clammy feeling that was left as an after effect of my collapse. It was something that was distinctly different from sweat, though scentless and colourless, and I really disliked the way it clung to my skin¡­ I tried to distance myself from the unpleasant feeling by concentrating on the issue at hand, though the success could be considered mediocre at best.


    -¡¯ Ok, how am I going to tell that I am overexerting myself? Earlier, I just collapsed without a warning...¡® I cringed inwardly at the recent memory. I began to recall details of the earlier bout of activity while carefully walking forward at a moderate pace. There really wasn¡¯t much to go on - just feeling of invincibility that was suddenly cut short¡­


    Time slowly passed by as we walked across the lush greenery of irregular hills, sometimes passing by an occasional thicket. I pondered the problem over and over, but I was no closer to a solution than at the beginning. -¡¯ There¡¯s just damn nothing to go on! ¡® I cursed silently, aggravated by the lack of progress. All I could tell was that the current pace that I kept thus far was *safe*. -¡¯ Without collapsing outright, how am I going to tell if something¡¯s not ok?! ¡®


    My inner monologue continued for a while, until I finally caught myself mumbling half curses, which forced me to stop and take a deep breath. -¡¯ Calm down. Nothing will be achieved like that¡­ I need a point of reference... ¡® I exhaled and arrived at only possible conclusion.


    -¡¯ It appears that all I need to do is to figure out  how much strain I can put on myself. ¡® I swallowed hard, due to sudden tightness in my throat. I was really disliking the thought of fumbling around in search of my limits. -¡¯ Still, there¡¯s nothing else that I can try¡­ ¡® I let out a resigned sigh and resolved myself to a repeat of the dreadful experience from earlier.


    I pursed my lips in determination and stifled my doubts. I decided to put all of my faith in Ethan and his assurance that he could keep me safe while I trained.


    I began to jog, then run, and the results seemed promising, by alternating between running in wide circles around walking Ethan and taking my time marching next to him I was able to go for a long time... before I was suddenly struck down by the exhaustion.


    I wanted to curse when I went down, I had almost completed another circle and was about to slow down to marching when my strength vaned. I was helpless to stop the fall and despite soft grass I could feel metallic aftertaste of blood spreading through my mouth. I froze in surprise, but not due to the pain, as I found out something unexpected - my blood tasted sweet... Still, my knowledge of biology was not enough to even make a guess on why could that be¡­


    -¡¯ ¡­ ¡® I sighed weakly as my ideas came out blank, again, I decided to give up on second guessing the meaning behind such things and just accepted the fact that I was not a human anymore.


    -¡± Are you alright? ¡° Ethan gave me a worried look as he crouched next to me.


    -¡± Ugh.¡± I managed to groan my affirmation.


    Ethan moved me to my back and wiped a smudge of blood from the corner of my mouth. I was grateful for the consideration, but the cloth that he used was the same one that he kept using earlier and it took a lot of effort out of me not to show any outward reaction to it. -¡¯ It¡¯s not cleaning if you use the same rag over and over! ¡® I resolutely abstained from voicing my complaints.


    When I recovered some time later Ethan extended his waterskin in my direction. -¡± You are probably thirsty. ¡° He said noncommittally.


    -¡± N-no, I am good. ¡° I responded awkwardly and sprang to my feet. I didn¡¯t have to check to know that he already drank from that waterskin, I shivered at a gross idea of drinking from it directly, especially after taking my sharpened senses into account. -¡¯ At least I am not thirsty¡­ Wait! Don¡¯t tell me that I need to watch out for dehydration too?! ¡° I cursed silently and hastily rushed off, I was praying that my random conjecture was off the mark.


    As I began to run around again I cut down the running distance considerably. I really hoped that such a moderate pace would hold. I stifled any doubts over the validity of the term moderate, I was quite sure that it could be hardly considered viable¡­ for a human. I wanted to berate myself for getting swept by the mood and giving in to the urge to increase the pacing.


    Thinking about my nature reminded me about the sweet, metallic taste which still could be felt in my mouth. It brought my attention back to the thin film of scentless, oily substance that appeared on my skin first time I fell. Curious, I gave my hand an experimental lick¡­as expected, it was sweet too. -¡¯ I don¡¯t even want to know what it does¡­ I just want a bath, this feels gross¡­ ¡® I let out a long wistful sigh and continued with my running routine...


    Sun was descending from the sky and its colour slowly turned to orange, which meant that several hours has passed since the start of our journey.


    -¡¯ Good, no collapses thus far¡­ ¡® I thought to myself while climbing an unusually big hill, my idle thoughts were abruptly interrupted and I grounded to a stop due to a surprising view that spread in front of me.


    The other side of the hill was unexpectedly broken by a sharp decline of a cliff, few hundred feets tall, which ended at a sizeable woodland area. From my vantage point I could see that trees extended far in the distance before eventually giving way to farmlands covered with greenish-gold crops. Fields were criss crossed with multitude of sneaking roads and small villages, extending all the way through to a great city visible in the distance. I held my breath in wonder as I took in the view of the city prominent on a shimmering, azure background of an extraordinarily big river. Magnificent walls of grey stone, along with numerous tall buildings, made a striking impression as they coupled with small triangles of white sails spread over the river, it was like a pristine collection of miniature toy sized ships and houses. The view was crowned by a majestic and sleek form of a picturesque castle sprouting from the middle of the city and towering over everything else. It was truly a breathtaking sight and I sat down to appreciate it fully.


    -¡¯ This really is a medieval world ¡® I thought to myself as I took in the details of the view. Villages, consisting of wooden cottages covered with thatched roofs, peasants, tending to their work, dirt roads, on which oxen driven carts passed next  to merchant wagons accompanied by hardy, armed men¡­ everything painted a picture much different to the one I was used to. After straining my eyes a bit I could even see a cavalcade of riders leaving the city, with their colourful banners, decorative bardings and shining armors, awe-inspiring knights were a sight to behold.


    -¡± Urgh. ¡° Ethan grunted as he sat heavily next to me, I was so focused on the splendid sight that I failed to notice his strained approach. I felt a bit guilty upon noticing his red, sweat covered face and exhausted breathing. -¡± We will rest here for a bit. ¡° He said in a winded voice as he retrieved his waterskin.


    -¡± I  am sorry. ¡° I looked away and apologized, feeling responsible for the state he was in.


    -¡± Don¡¯t be¡­ ¡° He waved his hand dismissively and took a long gulp. -¡± ...if I needed to slow down, I would. ¡°


    -¡±  I see. ¡° I said noncommittally, I was slightly thirsty but after seeing him drink I decided to persevere until we stumble upon a stream or something. I had a lot of questions, but I still felt guilty and wanted to let him rest, so I brought my attention back to the view. As I tried to find the knights again I realized that, considering the altitude of my vantage point, the city was at least twenty miles away from my position. -¡¯ Quite an eyesight I¡¯ve got there. ¡® I mumbled to myself, while my gaze began to accompany the knights again.


    Amiable silence continued for a while and I felt myself relaxing, a slight breeze tickled my hair gently, meanwhile basking me in a multitude of refreshing scents. Once knights disappeared from my sight I fell back on a soft grass, stretching lazily and languishing in a restful moment. I extended a hand to the open skies above me, feeling serene calmness descending on me as I slowly waved my hand around, playing with tingly feeling of wind dancing across my skin and watching lithe arm twist and turn in graceful motions.


    -¡¯ This really might not be so bad¡­ ¡® An idle thought passed through my mind. Relaxed by the change of pace, I closed my eyes and rested my head on top of my crossed arms, enjoying the soft bed of grass¡­


    ...


    -¡± Hey, wake up. ¡° Ethan¡¯s hand on my arm shook me from my nap.


    -¡± Umm¡­ ¡° I stretched slowly, enjoying shiver wrenching feeling of satisfaction. Engulfed by a mellow sensation I pulled myself up and opened my eyes, noticing that sun went noticeably closer to the horizon.


    -¡± Khm. ¡° Ethan grunted oddly and looked away from me. -¡± We still have a bit of ground to cover before nightfall. ¡° I blinked upon hearing his strangely sudden shift to a matter of factly tone.


    -¡± Where are we going? ¡° I asked in a curious voice. -¡± I don¡¯t see any steps down this cliff. ¡°


    -¡± Birchford. ¡° He answered simply and pointed to my left. I bent forward and followed his pointer, there, on a distance of about a dozen miles cliffs slowly become lower and lower before disappearing in the woods altogether. A bit further away I saw a sizeable clearing in the middle of the woods where trees gave way to a multitude of houses. They were mostly wooden, though there were a few brick and stone ones, and uniformly covered with shingled roofs, considering the location using wooden tiles seemed like a good idea. -¡± We will get a room at an inn and spend a night there. Also, try to stay close to me from now on, in the woods it¡¯s easy to stumble onto a monster, so my protection won¡¯t be as effective there. ¡°


    -¡± Why we didn¡¯t go to that Birchford place directly? ¡° I asked thoughtfully. -¡± I don¡¯t see much reason to make a detour through a monster infested grasslands. ¡°


    -¡± Most of the time you would be right. ¡° Ethan nodded solemnly. -¡± For regular travellers, Hills of Ulgen, as they are called, are to be avoided at all costs. Though with me around they could be considered safe, at least during the day. ¡° He smirked weakly before scowling a bit. -¡± As to why we didn¡¯t go to Birchford directly, the answer is simple. South of the farm there¡¯s a road and roads attract bandits, which are much too dangerous for lone travellers to risk. ¡° I nodded my understanding, evoking a slight smile from Ethan. -¡± Well, we should go now. ¡° He rose to his feet and again extended a hand to help me up.


    I was a bit embarrassed, but gingerly accepted his hand. As we began to walk shoulder to shoulder, Ethan started to explain the situation in Birchford to me. -¡± It was originally a garrison, to protect a main trading route to the east. Since its in the middle of the woods and close to the Hills of Ulgen peacekeeping the area is quite hard. It started as a sizable garrison but it expand over the years, now it is nothing short of a small city, though its nature is quite unusual. As a garrison city and a big stop on the journey east it has become a staging ground for caravans and mercenaries, with most of the population set on supplying sellswords, merchants, soldiers and other visitors. There''s a lot of inns, taverns and outfitters, but little else. ¡° He paused and gave me a stern look. -¡± When we get there try to keep a low profile and don¡¯t get lost. While streets are heavily patrolled by the local garrison almost everyone in there is a fighter of some description and it often gets quite rowdy. Also backstreets, as scarce as they are, can be considered nothing short of deadly. Especially for someone that can be sold as easily as you. ¡°


    Ethan¡¯s remark made me stop dead in my tracks. -¡± Wait! ¡° I exclaimed in terror. -¡± Do you mean to say that there¡¯s slavery?! ¡° I asked in a panicked voice, not noticing how high pitched it actually grew.


    -¡± Now, now. No need to panic. ¡° Ethan said soothingly. -¡± There¡¯s no slavery per se. ¡° He extended a hand in my direction, as if to pet my head, and I gave him an angry scowl. Though he must have misunderstand the source of my displeasure as he didn''t hesitate to put his hand on my shoulder instead. -¡± Still, you need to be mindful. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for certain... ¡° Ethan paused uncertainly, though there was an evident concern on his face. -¡± ...bad individuals to hurt you or even kidnap you. ¡°


    I let out a loud breath, which I didn¡¯t realize that I was holding. -¡± I know, I know. I will be careful. ¡° It took a lot of self control out of me not to refute him for treating me like a child. Still, I could see that he was doing it out of genuine concern, so I let it slide. That didn¡¯t change the fact that I forcefully grabbed his heavy hand and removed it from my shoulder, invasion of my private space really set my nerves on edge as it made me vividly aware of how helpless I would be in face of his overwhelming strength. -¡± No touching. ¡° I said insistently with all of the self restraint that I could muster. He had a strange look on his face, almost as if he was going to laugh, but under my hard gaze he solemnly nodded his agreement and raised his hands in an amicable gesture.


    -¡± So how does that monster trick of yours actually work? ¡° I didn¡¯t see much use in pressing the issue so I changed the subject and briskly started to continue on our path, being near a sweaty old guy had considerable influence on my decision.


    -¡± It¡¯s nothing fancy really. ¡° Oblivious to the real reason behind my swift departure Ethan followed in my footsteps and took to explaining. -¡± Thanks to the Fatebreaker¡¯s blessing monsters tend to find my presence¡­ unappealing. Luckily, there shouldn¡¯t be any real troublemakers in the vicinity. ¡°


    -¡± And what would those troublemakers be? ¡° I asked curiously.


    -¡± Hmph¡­ I guess you wouldn¡¯t know. ¡° He let out a deep sigh. -¡± Most of the things out there tend to have only a scrap of power in them, like Rippers or Wargs. They are practically common animals. ¡° Ethan¡¯s steps grew a bit heavier. -¡± On the other hand demonic beasts are teeming with vile magics and are led by much more sinister urges than just feeding or hunting¡­ ¡° His voice grew solemn and he hesitated before abruptly cutting off the explanation. -¡± Let¡¯s just stop it at that. ¡°


    -¡± I-i see. ¡° I stammered a bit and decided not to press the subject further. -¡± So what do you do for the living? ¡° I casually changed the subject, to my surprise he almost stumbled upon hearing my abrupt question. -¡¯ Er, why? ¡®


    -¡± I told you earlier, I am selling my services as a mercenary. ¡° If I didn¡¯t grasp his initial reaction I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that something was off with that answer. Contrary to my expectations he didn¡¯t try to shower me with misleading explanations and just left the statement as is. Normally, I would just ignore a thing like that, but my circumstances made me a little bit paranoid.


    -¡¯ Wait, how much can I actually trust him? When I think about it the god only said that there will be someone to brief me at the start¡­ ¡® It took a lot of self control to suppress a cold shiver that suddenly ran through my body and to stop myself from turning to stare at Ethan, which would probably be a dead giveaway that I suspect¡­ something. -¡¯ He really seems like a decent person, but what if it''s just a ruse? I have read enough stories to know better than to trust helpful strangers. When I think about it, Fatebreaker also doesn¡¯t seem like an appealing title¡­ ¡®


    Aware of a bit too long of a pause that my inner turmoil have caused, I dropped another question that shouldn¡¯t be too out of place. -¡± Er, could you tell me a bit about how the people make a living around here? ¡°


    While Ethan explained about medieval occupations and living circumstances, I paid only cursory attention and dropped pointed questions from time to time. I found revelations about living standards important and enlightening, but I kept getting distracted by the need to find out more about plans of my companion without alerting him to my suspicions.


    Our conversation continued for a while and in the meantime we have entered into a forest that spread onto much lower part of the cliffs. I was happy with some of the living arrangements that I heard about, like sewage system, though hearing about chamber pots and latrines at the inns put a damper on it. Still, with how the conversation was panning out I found myself smiling at the perfect occasion to drop some of my other questions into the mix.


    -¡± ...it¡¯s true that you could pay two or three coppers for spending a night in an inn¡¯s main room, but I would still watch out for who the other guests are, also be especially mindful when you get out to do... private business. ¡° Ethan¡¯s steady voice hesitated at the end and I found myself dismayed by the combination of his openness and awkwardness regarding certain things.


    -¡± So, in the end, what¡¯s going to happen to me? ¡° Using a moment of silence I dropped the main question as casually as I could, trying my best not to show how much attention I paid to his reaction. From our earlier interactions I knew better than to try to get a read on him by looking at his expressions or tone of his voice, so I kept him at my back and strained my ears instead. I was not disappointed, as I noticed a slight stiffness creeping into Ethan¡¯s steps.


    -¡± Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t really know. I just thought about dropping you at the Velisaris, which is the big city that you saw earlier, you should be able to find a way to get by from there. ¡° His hesitation and gradually passing stiffness of his steps made me blink in surprise. He really seemed to tell the truth, as he seemed to truly consider my question, if he was deceiving me he would have responded with a reassuring lie right off the bat. I smiled in satisfaction, as worry lifted from my shoulders.


    -¡± Sooo¡­ ¡° I turned to face him with a mischievous smile, bending forward and crossing my arms behind my back. -¡± ...you really don¡¯t want to tell me what you do for the living? ¡° His startled reaction as he took a rapid step back was funny, but I kept my expression steady.


    -¡± ¡­ ¡° He took a deep breath and looked at me with a wary and surprised look on his face. Suddenly he let out a resigned sigh and relaxed. -¡± You really did a number on me, Almisha. ¡° I abruptly felt my forced smile cramping up a bit, the man before me was suddenly deadly serious, somehow his features grew hard replacing his good natured outlook with something much more stern. -¡± You may know nothing, but I guess I really should have expected something more from the one brought in by the god. Worry not, I bear you no ill will, as to what I do¡­ let¡¯s just say that I solve problems for the Churches and leave it at that. ¡° After the revelation he unexpectedly smiled, somehow turning back into a friendly man that I knew.


    -¡± Wait, doesn¡¯t that mean that you are an assassin or inquisitor of some sort? ¡° I asked in surprise, totally dropping my playful act. He solemnly shook his head and let out a sigh before moving forward.


    -¡± It¡¯s more complicated than that, it would be closer to a bounty hunter if you really need to know. ¡° He passed by and before I could react he put a hand on my head and ruffled my hair. I could see him smirking as he moved his hand away when I tried to grab it. -¡± Now, let¡¯s forget about that and pick up the pace. Also, you should focus on what you want to do from now on. ¡°


    I watched his wide back as he walked away, I was a bit dismayed while trying to get my hair in order, but at the same time I felt smug and reassured - he called me by my name and I was quite sure that he would try to help me before leaving me on my own. -¡¯ I can¡¯t really ask for more. ¡® I thought to myself as I hurried after him¡­


    * * *


    Ethan insisted on being quiet, as we might attract something we would rather avoid, so rest of our journey went rather uneventful. I shivered at sudden realization when we have entered the forest, chirpings of birds, movement of the shrubbery and myriad of other sounds made a striking contrast to the grasslands that we had just left, as they felt empty, unnatural and devoid of life in comparison. I was scared by the thought that I haven¡¯t realized anything for so long.


    Oaks and maples dominated the woodland, though there were also a lot of birch trees. Luckily, only the outermost parts of the forest were full of shrubbery so we didn¡¯t have to push our way through clinging bushes, instead I had to watch out for tree roots hidden by the forest litter. I would rather forget the moment we entered the forest as I walked into a tree while my mind went blank under onslaught of new smells.


    I shook my head to dispel the annoying recollection and gave a respectful breath of distance to a certain type of thorny bush, I have learned the hard way how vicious its thorns were. I shivered at a thought that I almost walked into one earlier and gave a mournful look to a shredded part of my cloak.


    -¡± That¡¯s a razorleaf. ¡° As if invited by my wary gaze Ethan commented in a relaxed but slightly mocking manner. -¡± You need to be wary only of its thorns, also a mulch made from its leaves is actually good for staunching the bleeding. ¡° He turned away ignoring my wry expression. -¡± We are almost there, if you look closely you should see the clearing. ¡°


    I snorted at his *revelation* and sautered past him. For a past while I was being assaulted with a multitude of smells that had to come from the city, surprisingly enough it wasn¡¯t as bad as I would expect, it was mainly the smell of smoke and cooking. Sure, I could also grasp the stench of manure and human waste, but it was not as prevalent as I would have expected from a medieval city.* External Link: what-did-the-middle-ages-smell-like</a>


    Soon we went past the bushes, which weren¡¯t as thick as the ones earlier, and I finally saw the bulk of the circular city. I was not an expert, but I estimated that the city was big enough to house two to four thousand people. If not for the sheer size of it, and for the tall buildings that I could see behind its walls, I would have thought that it was some sort of fortress. The fortifications were made out of wood reinforced with stone and consisted of ten meters tall walls topped with battlements. A road near our position led straight to the gate that was housed inside a wide tower, twice as tall as the wall, it gave off a looming impression with its blocky shape.


    -¡± Keep quiet and stay at my back, I will handle the entry. ¡° Ethan¡¯s voice was surprisingly serious as he went in front of me. To my surprise he grabbed the hood of my cloak and put it over my head. -¡± Try to keep your face covered. ¡°


    -¡± Umm, is it that bad if people see that I am an elf? ¡° I asked anxiously, in response Ethan gave me a small reassuring smile.


    -¡± No, rather it will be better that you keep a low profile and keep your face hidden. ¡° Before I could react he grinned widely and suddenly raised a hand to flick me in the forehead.


    -¡± Hey! ¡° I protested angrily but he was already walking away, seemingly ignorant of anything. -¡± Grr¡­ ¡° I stomped my feet in annoyance and followed after him.


    It was apparent that we weren¡¯t the only ones using the gate. While we were walking I saw a small caravan that arrived some time before us and was slowly going inside the city. Several guards were searching the wagons, before admitting them entry. To the side a guardsman,  who had markings on his shoulder guards that probably denounced him as someone of a higher rank, was talking with a merchant and a scribe, who gave of a feeling of import thanks to his black robe.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    -¡± Why are they searching everyone so thoroughly? ¡° I asked uncertainly while few of the guards browsed through backpacks belonging to merchant¡¯s armed escort, they were even inspecting their coin purses.


    -¡± Taxes. ¡° Ethan laughed mirthlessly. -¡± Anyone travelling from the East has to show a proof of passing through the Birchford, for which there¡¯s a toll. Naturally there are smugglers, but most prefer braving Birchford¡¯s customs office to the monster infested forest. Not to mention that there are regular patrols in close proximity, so they would need to go deeper into the woods. ¡°


    -¡± We seemed to be fine though. ¡° I decided to voice my opinion.


    -¡± Yes. ¡° Ethan responded in a satisfied voice. -¡± We passed in close proximity to only one nest of harpies. ¡° As if to prove the point he continued in a smug tone. -¡± Just so you know, three can easily bring down an armed man and I counted at least twenty. ¡° I really wanted to berate him for playing games with me, but I was quite sure that he was only trying to show me how dangerous this world was. I was a bit curious about local version of a harpy, but I had to keep my questioning at bay as we have reached the checkpoint.


    I hurried a bit and fell a step behind Ethan¡¯s side. There was still one wagon left from previous caravan and we had to wait our turn. I took my time to get a good look at the guardsmen, who seemed to be a bit shorter than Ethan, at a little bit above five and a half feet. Despite their arms and armor, which mainly consisted of halberds, swords and knee long chain mails with plate bracers and greaves, they gave off reliable and trustworthy feeling. Their manner was swift and professional, and they occasionally cracked a joke at each other.


    Finally, the inspection was over and the merchant followed after his wagon, he had a sizable writ, with a big waxen seal, in his hand. I tried to hide my anxiety as I stepped forward after Ethan, practically glued to his side. There must have been some reason for me to hide myself and friendly demeanor between my companion and the guards did little to alleviate my fears.


    -¡± Greetings, armsmen. ¡° Ethan¡¯s said merrily. -¡± I am afraid that his highness won¡¯t earn much on our passing as I bear only my arms. ¡° He pointed to his weapons. -¡± And an assortment of camping supplies, which I welcome you to sift through. ¡° Without waiting for response he started to remove the knapsack.


    -¡± And greetings to you too, traveller. ¡° Guard with marked spaulders approached Ethan in a professional manner, I could see that he was a bit suspicious. -¡± Care to tell us what made you brave the highway in such a scarce company? ¡°


    -¡± There¡¯s not much to tell, Captain. ¡° Ethan waved his hand dismissively and stepped away, while a young guard approached and started looking through his stuff. -¡± Way back, I was living at my farm near the hills and I know my way around. I am sure that you must have seen the ruins north of the highway on one of your patrols. ¡° Ethan let out a solemn sigh. -¡± Thing is that, with my niece there, we went to visit my wife''s grave to pay our respects. ¡° With a small wave in my direction Ethan¡¯s voice grew quiet, his acting skills were so good I began to wonder how much truth was in his statement.


    -¡± I see. ¡° Captain let out a small grunt to cover his embarrassment and looked at Ethan with a hint of pity. -¡± I assume you have a writ from when you passed through here earlier then? ¡°


    -¡± Of course, Captain. Here it is. ¡° As if to shake his solemn mood, Ethan rapidly moved and presented a small bit of parchment with a red seal.


    Motioned by his Captain the young guard, who searched the knapsack, took a look at the parchment as well as Ethan¡¯s coin purse. -¡± Everything¡¯s in order, Sir. ¡° He reported after a moment and gave Ethan¡¯s boots and me a doubtful look. -¡± Um, should I pat them out, Sir? ¡°


    I blinked flabbergasted, it was almost at airport level of scrutiny. -¡¯ Wow, why are they so anal about this? ¡®


    Before Captain could respond Ethan bent down and started to undo his laces. -¡± If I didn¡¯t know better, armsman, I would think that you haven¡¯t visited the red light for a while. ¡° Ethan¡¯s seemingly joking voice had a slightly dangerous undertone. -¡± Or do you like them young? ¡° He remarked as he quickly looked at me and then threateningly at the guard. -¡± I certainly can understand the lack of coin then. ¡°


    -¡± Um¡­ ¡° Guard hesitated, as other guards laughed at his misfortune.


    -¡± Certainly the lad can¡¯t afford a lady at *his* age. ¡° One of the older guards chimed in, evoking another bout of laughter.


    -¡± That won¡¯t be necessary. Stand down. ¡° Captain interrupted good naturedly and waved the young guard off, another exchange of small jabs followed as the guard returned to his peers. -¡± Ansvelt, do the seal please. ¡° Captain called for someone, it turned out that Ansvelt was the scribe, who until then stood impassively to the side.


    I was about to let out a breath of relief when the Captain suddenly gave me sharp look. -¡¯ Oh, crap. ¡® I panicked at his abrupt attention and looked around while stepping from foot to foot. I cringed when, contrary to my expectations, Captain let out a laugh and affirmed his stamp to the wax prepared by the scribe. I was unsure on what happened, but after a few goodbye¡¯s we were let through, I practically stomped on Ethan¡¯s heels while following him closely. I was uneasy with the guards sneering and laughing between themselves as we were leaving, they were all looking at me for some reason.


    -¡± Ey! ¡° Abruptly, Captain¡¯s loud voice rose from behind us and I froze in fear. -¡± Guard this little flower fiercely. ¡°


    -¡± I sure will. ¡° Ethan responded good naturedly and waved his hand. I could feel my cheeks growing hot and I clasped them in embarrassment. Meanwhile, everyone around, not only the guards, erupted in a bout of laughter as if to mock me. I looked around, hoping for a way to escape, but there were a lot of unfamiliar people around. -¡± Now, now let us go. ¡° Ethan said openly and grasped my shoulders, forcing me to walk in front of him. Amused chuckles of the onlookers, as they let us through, only added to my humiliation.


    Before long we left the gates behind and I focused on where we were. Contrary to the road outside the city, streets were pawed with cobblestones and rather crowded. I could barely see anything of interest as everyone was at least a head taller than me, though almost no one was close to Ethan¡¯s heigh. As I warily looked at the crowd that parted before us I noticed that most of them wore armors, be it leather or metal ones, and they all had weapons of some description. Even some fat guy, who wore a plain linen garb, had a heavy wooden club on him. -¡¯ This really looks like some merc extravaganza. ¡® I told to myself as I recalled Ethan¡¯s description of the city.


    Suddenly, Ethan steered me to the side and I found out that we have arrived in front of a building. It was around eight yards wide and two stories tall, apart from the ground floor, which had walls covered with white plaster, it was made out of wooden planks. The building was likely an inn due to a big sign hanging over the entrance. The sign depicted a guy wearing a crown and sitting inside a barrel of steaming water while eating away from a table covered with food, it was really intricate. Abruptly, I remembered the unsettling weight on my shoulders and tried to shake myself free, to no avail.


    -¡± Let me go. ¡° I complained.


    -¡± As you wish¡­ ¡° He complied and went around me to the door. -¡± ¡­little flower. ¡° He let out a low chuckle.


    -¡± Arghh! ¡° I let out a quiet yell, trying my best to stop myself from doing something stupid¡­ like strangling him. -¡± Don¡¯t call me that! ¡° I demanded, but was seemingly ignored as he walked inside. I rushed after him, but when I saw interior of the building I froze.


    As we entered we were met with curious gazes of several threatening looking people, I shivered uncontrollably as I took in scars, swords, clubs, armors and sheer bulk of the people sitting at the tables. I swallowed hard, intimidated by a gigantic man sitting next to me, he had to be at least seven feet tall! Not to mention that he had muscles like a bodybuilder, no less. Smells prevalent in the room only agitated me further, there were typical impressions of sweat, ale, smoke, urine and grilled meat, but what really got me was a thick scent of oil, leather and metal intermingled with thin but prevalent tang of blood. Of all my life experiences none had prepared me for a visit to a slasher bar and my mind simply went blank.


    -¡± Wacha lookin¡¯ at, girly? ¡° The beast of a man asked in a deep and resounding voice. His face was hard and square jawed, covered with a dark, few days old, stubble.


    With terror I realized that I was still somehow looking at him, the cliched movie threat felt totally different when I was on the receiving end of it. -¡± N-n¡­ ¡° I tried to answer and deny any involvement, but the words caught in my throat and my knees went all wobbly. Somehow I was shaking all over.


    -¡± Stop scaring the girl, Birk. ¡° A smooth and charismatic voice resounded from behind the beast.


    -¡± Hmph. ¡° The beast snorted and turned his attention back to his tankard, as it couldn¡¯t possibly be called a mug.


    I sighed in relief, regaining a semblance of calmness for a moment. My shaking subsided a bit, but my relief was short lived, because when I turned to Ethan I realized in horror that practically everyone was looking at me!  -¡¯ Damn propriety, I want to live! ¡® Putting my pride in a deep and safe corner of my mind I rushed to Ethan, using him to shield myself from attention. A great bout of laughter resounded around the room, doing wonders at crushing my self esteem. -¡¯ I can¡¯t help it that I can¡¯t face twenty something thugs with courage! ¡® I tried to console myself weakly. -¡¯ And I am a girl now¡­ ¡® A venomous, silent whisper resounded in a deep recesses of my mind, making me really depressed for some reason.


    I barely registered the talk between Ethan and a surprisingly lean looking innkeeper, he was called Hark I think, though I didn¡¯t pay much attention. I was so shaken up that I even ignored a hand than Ethan put on my shoulder, I didn¡¯t want to admit to myself that it was¡­ a tiny¡­ tiniest bit reassuring. Soon the talk concluded and Ethan steered me to an empty table near the wall. I really did try to ignore patrons and their random, surely meant as a joke, comments about me.


    Realizing that Ethan¡¯s hand was still on my shoulder I shook myself free and climbed on a chair, I made sure to have the seat with my back to a wall and vision on the whole room. Thankfully most of the patrons stopped paying attention to me and I could somehow live with an occasional amused or mockful glance sent in my direction.


    -¡± Couldn¡¯t we go to a normal inn, instead of the one filled with bloodthirsty thugs? ¡° The moment Ethan sat down I sent him a venomous whisper, making sure that none of the thugs in question heard me. Unfazed by my complaints he leaned on the backrest and let out an amused chuckle. I could feel my blood boiling upon seeing the smug expression on his face. -¡± What if a brawl breaks out! ¡° I pressed on in a hushed whisper, giving thugs at surrounding tables a nervous glance.


    -¡± Now, now little flower¡­ ¡° Ethan said mockingly and suddenly extended a hand in my direction, but this time I intercepted it before he could ruffle my head.


    -¡± Stop that! I am serious! ¡° I exclaimed angrily, trying my best to keep my voice down.


    Ethan¡¯s expression softened and he waved his hand dismissively. -¡± You worry too much, li¡­ ¡° I sent him a deathly glare and he sighed before continuing in a bit more morose manner. -¡± ...Almisha. The Indulgent Mercenary Prince is one of the safest establishments in the city... ¡°


    -¡± How can you call that safe?! ¡° I interrupted and looked at the veritable assortment of killers with flabbergasted expression on my face.


    -¡± You misunderstand. ¡° He let out a sigh, taking on a serious tone. -¡± Those aren¡¯t your regular mercenaries, most of them are either sergeants or captains. Also, since they are regulars here, they wouldn¡¯t be stirring up any trouble. While there certainly are more¡­ hm¡­ casual places, for merchants and such, they are frankly too pricy for my tastes... ¡° Suddenly he smiled and gave me a predatory gaze that made me shiver. -¡± ...unless you want to split the bill? ¡°


    I shook my head sullenly and my shoulders slumped, it was depressing that I was leeching his hard earned money and complaining all the while. Also, being reminded that I have no way to fend for myself didn¡¯t make me feel any better.


    Ethan¡¯s hand appeared out of nowhere and started patting my head, it was so abrupt that I had no chance of stopping it. -¡± Could you, please, stop that? We are both adults here¡­ ¡° I said with every shred of dignity that I could muster and sent him a hateful glare.


    Unfazed, he continued stroking my head with a willful glint in his eyes. Seeing his disposition, I forced myself to ignore his mocking act and after a while I was finally rewarded with his disappointed scowl as he retracted his hand awkwardly. I wanted to grit my teeth in annoyance upon seeing a sad expression that appeared on the face of that bumbling old fool.


    Awkward moment that followed the exchange was thankfully short lived as the innkeep appeared with our food. I finally paid some attention to the man and realized that, apart from his height, he was anything but average. He was middle aged and tanned, with a weathered face that radiated confidence and mirth, honestly speaking, with his chiseled features his looks were quite striking. After taking into account his movements, which brimmed with a casual grace, and his wiry but well developed musculature, which could be compared to a Bruce Lee, I was sure that he was some sort of a local celebrity; Ethan¡¯s assurances about this place and its strange name, seemed to fall in line with that line of thought.


    -¡± Here¡¯s your order, Ethan. ¡° Innkeep smiled openly and placed two bowls, filled with a mix of neatly cut vegetables, lettuce and grilled meat, before myself and Ethan and then casually took a free seat at our table.


    Unfazed by my questioning gaze, Innkeep wordlessly nodded at my bowl, urging me to eat. Since Ethan already started on his meal I followed suit, keeping an eye on the innocently smiling Innkeeper. The dish was better than I expected. I couldn¡¯t identify half of the vegetables, though that wasn¡¯t surprising considering that there were some clearly not found in my world. What mattered though was the fact that I had to fight down an urge to ask for seconds despite being full.


    -¡± So what¡¯s the story? Hills of Ulgen hardly seem like a place to get such an interesting company. ¡° Innkeeper asked openly when we were done. He gave me a curious glance, while his smile somehow started to give off a predatory feeling.


    -¡± You know better than to ask, Harke. ¡° Ethan responded in a surprisingly formal tone. -¡± If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you that I stumbled upon her around the hills and decided to bring her along since the city is slightly less dangerous. ¡° Harke let out a disappointed sigh upon hearing Ethan¡¯s deadbeat answer. -¡± So what¡¯s going on? You wouldn¡¯t be dilly-dallying in my company without a reason. ¡°


    -¡± Can¡¯t I be dilly-dallying in the company of your cute companion? ¡° Harke gave me a playful wink.


    -¡± I am certain that Hannah would have a thing to say about that. ¡° Ethan rebuked in the non-nonsense tone, wiping frisky grin off innkeeper''s face. -¡± So, tell me what¡¯s going on? ¡°


    -¡± Fine, be like that. ¡° Harke let out a dispirited sigh. -¡± Some of your usual friends came along few days ago, they said that certain someone got a thing to ask of  you. They were rather angst about the time too. ¡°


    -¡± I see, thanks. ¡° Ethan nodded formally and slid a pair of shillings across the table. -¡± I will be departing tomorrow at the first light. ¡° I was stunned by sudden turn of events, but before I could ask him anything, Ethan suddenly stood up and looked at me. -¡± Let¡¯s talk upstairs. ¡° Without waiting he took a pitcher from the bar and left.


    -¡± He gets like that sometimes. ¡° Innkeeper observed dryly, but when I looked at him in confusion, he just shrugged and gave me an apologetic smile while pocketing down the money.


    -¡± I-i see. Thank you for the meal. ¡° I responded weakly and nodded hurriedly. I didn¡¯t want to be left behind inside a room full of brutes, so I quickly grabbed a pair of cups and rushed after Ethan. I had a bad feeling that I will be on my own really soon.


    I caught up with my companion upstairs and we have entered our room together. It was a simple room with plaster covered walls and plain floor made of wooden planks. Ethan placed the pitcher on a small table, but when I was about to follow his suit my gaze travelled over a pair of chairs and, most importantly, over two roughly assembled beds located in the opposite corners of the room.


    -¡± Wait! We are sharing the room? ¡° I asked in a panicked voice, suddenly very aware of my current status as a freeloader and a girl. Even after squelching doubts about the intentions of my companion, I still found implications of sharing the room far outside of my comfort zone. As if to strike the point, at the very moment I just had to get a glimpse of a chamberpot located in the secluded corner of the room.


    -¡± Don¡¯t worry, I promise that you are safe and that I won¡¯t do anything to you. ¡° He said reassuringly, but the declaration only deepened my scowl. -¡± I assure you that I will keep my back turned. ¡° He added stupidly, as if his earlier declaration was not enough.


    -¡¯ That¡¯s not the point! How can I even think of doing¡­ ¡® My gaze passed over the unsettling chamberpot. -¡¯ ...stuff, with you there? ¡® I almost exclaimed my trepidation out loud, before regaining some of my wits. -¡¯ Ok, ok, he¡¯s a guy, but¡­ Argh! That¡¯s just pushing it! How can he be so dense! ¡® I gritted my teeth in exasperation and had a small, but enlightening thought. -¡¯ Being a girl sometimes actually sucks! ¡® My inner struggle lasted but a moment, though I managed to get through the whole spectrum of emotions from alarm, to embarrassment, astonishment, anger and, finally, resignation.


    -¡± Umm, can we talk about this? ¡° I asked fearfully.


    -¡± What do you mean? ¡° He asked back, evidently not getting my meaning, and I had to squelch a sudden urge to bang my head on the nearest wall.


    -¡± Ne-ver-mind¡­ ¡° I responded heavily, my heart bleeding with every syllable of the word. -¡± What happens to me now? As it seems that someone called you for a job? ¡° I changed the subject, I could at least pretend that everything''s good for the moment. -¡¯ ...but what about later¡­ ¡® I sighed inwardly.


    Ethan gave me a thoughtful look and suddenly surprised me by reaching out and liberating one of the cups from my hand, I totally forgot that I was still holding them! I was still collecting my jumbled thoughts, caused by his unexpected action, when he poured himself a drink and took a slow sip.


    -¡± As much as I hate it¡­ ¡° He began slowly, in a solemn manner. -¡± I will need to leave you. ¡° He made a momentary pause, but as if expecting my interruption he forced himself to continue in a brisk way. -¡± You need to think about your future, I can either get you a lodging for several nights here or take you with me to the city, but you won¡¯t be able to accompany me any further than that¡­ My line of work is rather peculiar in that regard. ¡° I could feel dread descending on me as the meaning behind his words soaked in. -¡± Still, if you figure something out I should be able to put in a good word for you¡­ unfortunately I can¡¯t do much more than that¡­ ¡° He finished apologetically and gave me a sad look.


    Before I could make my mind to respond, he grabbed his pouch and handed it to me. -¡± Take that. ¡°


    -¡± I¡­ I-i¡­c-can¡¯t... ¡° I kept stuttering in indecision. I wanted to refuse his gift, but at the same time a bone chilling fear was gripping my chest with worry. Knowledge that I really have no leeway to refuse sank in.


    -¡± Don¡¯t worry. I am actually quite well off. ¡° He smiled reassuringly and patted my head with his other hand, I reluctantly took the pouch while enduring his petting. I somehow felt dirty, with how I practically sold myself for a bit of money. I knew that it wasn¡¯t like that, but that¡¯s not how the guilt works. Embarrassed by sudden bout of wetness stinging my eyes, I rushed from under his hand to the table and poured myself a drink.


    Abrupt silence in the room become unsettling really fast and watered down apple juice couldn¡¯t serve as a distraction for long. I was aware of his movements, as he went and heavily sat on one of the beds, but my treacherous hands didn¡¯t want to calm down. They shook while grasping both the cup and the pouch with desperate might. I could feel the offending weight of coins inside the pouch and with every passing moment they seemed to bear on my conscience more and more. -¡¯ How long does one have to work to earn them? As a warrior how much did he risk his life? ¡® I asked myself in mute silence, my cheeks growing wetter and wetter by the second. -¡¯ How will he pay for anything? ¡® I stifled a small sob and clenched my hand that was holding the pouch. -¡¯ I can¡¯t take it. ¡® I knew it was risky, but I just couldn¡¯t keep the money.


    I quickly wiped my tears with my arm and turned to Ethan, ready to give him his pouch back.


    *Cling*


    A clear, vibrant sound resounded around the room and I froze in place, spellbound. Ethan was sitting on a bed with a heavy leather belt in his hand. My incredulous gaze followed a big silver coin, plucked from its hiding place inside the belt, slowly falling into Ethan¡¯s outstretched hand and joining with two of its peers.


    *Cling*


    Seeing that I was facing him, Ethan smiled meekly. -¡± Um, after you take the coins, could you give me the pouch back? I don¡¯t have a spare. ¡°


    My addled mind abruptly cleared up and I was instantly flooded with anger. -¡± Give me my compassion back! ¡° I shrieked, barely stopping myself from throwing the offending pouch at him, and rushed out of the room. Overwhelmed by influx of emotions I slammed the door behind my back and stopped dead in my tracks, abruptly remembering where I was. Luckily, there were no patrons slash thugs nearby. Also, I realized how over the top my reaction was.


    I leaned against a rough wood of the door and took in deep, calming breaths.


    After a while I calmed down and shook my head in trepidation at what has happened. -¡¯ At least he didn¡¯t say *Was it a no?*. ¡® I chuckled at the ridiculous thought, then took another deep breath. I felt both stupid and better, as contradicting as that would sound, on the plus side some of the wound up tension has lifted from me.


    Meekly, I opened the door and entered the room with the intention of apologizing for my strange behaviour. At first, I was barely able to contain my embarrassment, but then my gaze met Ethan¡¯s, who had a worried expression on his face. Upon seeing him like that I just couldn¡¯t contain myself anymore and erupted in laughter. -¡± Hahaha¡­ ¡° I tried to apologize, but my giggles made it impossible for me to utter a word, Ethan¡¯s incredulous expression was a sight to behold.


    It took me some effort, but I eventually managed to get a grip. -¡± Sorry. ¡° I uttered in a giggly voice. -¡± Let¡¯s just say that I misunderstood something. ¡° I added under his questioning gaze and barely stopped myself from laughing anew when he let out a resigned sigh and shook his head, letting the matter go. I could almost hear him muttering about women under his breath. I let out an amused sigh and retrieved the coins, which amounted to around fifteen shillings, then gave Ethan his empty pouch back. It was really hard to keep an even expression under his wary gaze.


    Afterwards, I took a seat on the opposite bed, instantly realizing the awkward silence that suddenly befell the room. I sneaked a glance at Ethan, only to find him impassively laying on his bed. After whole day of travel I would gladly welcome the reprieve, but there were two issues that prevented me from following Ethan¡¯s suit. Firstly, the cloth of my shirt was scratchy as hell and I could tell that there were places where I have developed welts due to it, I wasn¡¯t looking forward to spending the night with the shirt on, though at the same time I couldn¡¯t sleep naked with Ethan in the room. Secondly, even more pressing issue was that I badly needed a bath. To be honest we both needed a bath, though I could bear the smell and settle for getting rid of the gross, oily substance that incessantly clung to my skin.


    -¡± Um¡­ ¡° I began hesitantly. -¡± I¡­ We could really use a bath. ¡° I finished fidgetingly, unsettled by the blank look that he gave me from his half closed eyes. -¡¯ Don¡¯t tell me that bathing is a rarity here, with my sense of smell I will die. ¡® I cringed inwardly at the idea.


    -¡± Don¡¯t worry, they should bring in the water soon. ¡° Ethan responded reassuringly, evoking a sigh of relief from me.


    As if on cue, somebody knocked on a door and Ethan took the call. It was indeed a serving boy who brought us the water for our bath. The problem was that my grandeur hopes for a wooden tub were quickly dashed by a sight of a single bucket of water. The exchange concluded quickly, though I didn¡¯t pay it any heed and the serving boy was soon gone.


    -¡± Um¡­ ¡° I started awkwardly, my gaze glued to the bucket, I was at a loss on how to proceed.


    -¡± I have soap and some strips of cloth. ¡° Ever helpful Ethan responded to my hesitant question and started rummaging through his knapsack. Before I could say anything he placed the items one the table. -¡± I will wait outside, call me when you are done. ¡° With those parting words he left the room, leaving me alone in a very awkward situation.


    -¡¯ I really shouldn¡¯t have expected a true bath, should I? ¡® I asked myself weakly. -¡¯ At least he had enough tact not to insist on staying. ¡® I chuckled to myself and began to strip.


    -¡± Shhh¡­ ¡° I hissed while removing the shirt, rough linen rubbed areas around my shoulders and sides raw, leaving behind open wounds. -¡¯ That¡¯s not how the first day of adventuring in a new world should look like. ¡® I complained silently while removing the rest of my gear, other areas luckily fared much better.


    From the table I took the soap and a swatch of frothy cloth, that was surprisingly towel like, and used them to wash myself. Due to pain from my wounds and tiredness from the whole day of travel I really wasn¡¯t in the mood for exploring, so I tried to stay as impartial and business like as possible when I have gone over certain... unfamiliarities of my body. Afterwards I wrapped the cloak about myself and side sat on the bed. I felt much better after getting cleaned, though that left me with a difficult quandary to resolve.


    -¡± Ethan. ¡° I called softly and waited for him to enter the room. -¡± We need to talk. ¡° I stated sternly, evoking a confused expression on his face. -¡± I need a spare clothing, or at least a different shirt. ¡°


    -¡± What do you mean? ¡° He asked with a blank look. Wordlessly I slipped the cloak down, exposing my hurt shoulders. -¡± Where did you get those injuries? ¡° He hissed in a worried tone and rushed to my side. Luckily, he stopped himself from grabbing me.


    -¡± That shirt is too rough. ¡° I complained openly, feeling really bad for guilting him into buying me a new and likely expensive shirt. -¡¯ But I have no other choice, I need it and I can¡¯t afford it myself. ¡® I argued with myself, but efforts to placate my feelings felt really shallow.


    My expectations were to the point as he quickly told me to stay put and that he will take care of *everything*. I sighed after he left in a hurry, guilt weighing heavily on my conscience.


    I felt even worse when he returned, with a suspiciously big bundle in tow. Ethan not only bought me some new clothes, he also brought some cotton bandages and herbal poultices to treat my injuries. I had to admit that those poultices were really effective, both at treating my injuries and stoking the burnt of my guilt. Even Ethan¡¯s awkward expressions, when he was wrapping bandages around my chest and shoulders, did not make me feel any better.


    What came next only added oil to fire, as the bundle contained more than just a shirt. There was a big sheet of cloth, thick and made of soft cotton, perfect for wrapping myself to sleep, but it was the last item that froze me in place, with embarrassment and terror both. It was a thigh length nightgown made of smooth silk, white but adorned with laces and embroidery. I really couldn¡¯t imagine it being anything short of expensive, even extravagant! Also, merest thought about actually wearing it made me feel like a first class pervert.


    -¡± I can¡¯t accept that! ¡° I refused instantly and looked over my shoulder at Ethan, I have been sitting with my back to him so he could treat my injuries while maintaining borderline modesty. -¡± That t-thing alone must be worth a lot! I can¡¯t¡­ ¡° I stuttered and stammered as my eyes suddenly grew wide with fright, unconsciously I reached for my cloak and wrapped my body to shield myself from sight. -¡± I won¡¯t pay you back! N-not like that, I might get you money... somehow¡­ but not in¡­ n-nature¡­ ¡° My voice grew quieter and quieter as my fright took over, turning into nothing more than a whisper at the end.


    -¡± Pff¡­ ahahaha. ¡° Contrary to any of my expectations Ethan bursted out into loud laughter and started ruffling my head. Flabbergasted by his strange reaction, I didn¡¯t even try to shake off his offending hand. -¡± You worry too much, Almisha. I told you that I am well off, more to the point, where did you get, into that sheltered head of yours, an idea about¡­ effeminate compensation? ¡° The chastising tone of his question made me vividly aware of the fact that he somehow heard my quiet complaints, I could feel my cheeks growing hot and quickly turned away.


    -¡± It¡¯s not my fault that a filthy rich, old man is masquerading as a wanton mercenary! ¡° I channelled all of my embarrassment into anger, trying to salvage some of my pride. -¡± And I am not sheltered! I know¡­ ¡° Suddenly, I realized that I just dug my own grave with the childish response, Ethan¡¯s mirthful expression coupled with quiet chuckle only drove the point further. -¡± I will wait outside. You clean yourself up. You stink, old man. ¡° It was low and childish, but at least it wiped the smirk off his face. Without waiting for his comeback I adjusted the cloak, to cover myself fully, and left the room. I was only slightly guilty of his hurt expression. -¡¯ He deserved that! ¡® I argued.


    I looked around the empty corridor, thankfully none of the patrons decided to come upstairs yet, though I could hear their lively banter, accompanied by clinking of mugs, picking up the pace downstairs. Happy that I was safely alone, I let out a long sigh and once again leaned against the rough wood of the door.


    It was a given that my companion was an extraordinary person, though it seemed to reach much further than just being a priest of the Fatebreaker, especially considering how easily he spent a sizeable amount of money. It made me feel miserable. While I could see that Ethan didn¡¯t put much stock in his gifts, and was rather enjoying my troubled reaction to them, I was still dead set on paying him back somehow. -¡¯ Which ultimately leads to the question - what do I do from now on? ¡® I began to ask myself and soon decided to focus my attention on opportunities that are open to me. -¡¯ What are my strengths and what can I do that others might not? ¡®


    My thoughts soon coalesced around a single idea. -¡¯ It is a given that most medieval worlds has subpar levels of education, making scribes, accountants and such desirable. Though I do wonder whether I can actually read the language¡­ ¡® A bit disheartened by the possibility I soon found a bright side to the problem. -¡¯ Well, even if I can¡¯t read I still can work as a translator¡­ with all of those caravans from faraway lands my gift of languages would be indispensable... ¡® I paused disheartened, finding a kink in my plan. -¡¯ ...unless they have translation magic. ¡® I let out a wistful sigh. -¡¯ I would really like to learn magic, who wouldn¡¯t, but knowing how such things work getting educated in it is probably expensive and available only to the elite. ¡®


    I continued brooding over the possibilities, until the door suddenly gave way and I fell on my butt. -¡± Hey! ¡° I protested angrily at chuckling Ethan, who was the one that unexpectedly opened the door and made me fall into the room. Luckily my cloak didn¡¯t slip. I sent Ethan a deadly glare.


    -¡± No need to get angry¡­ ¡° Ethan said amicably and extended a hand to help me up.


    -¡± Hmph. ¡° I held back a venomous riposte, he couldn¡¯t have known that I was leaning against the door after all, though his merry expression still rubbed me the wrong way, so I rose on my own and sauntered to my bed. His quiet laugh didn¡¯t make me feel any better.


    Afterwards we settled down for the night. I got under my new sleeping sheet and changed into the nightgown, as embarrassing as it was I couldn¡¯t deny that its silky caress felt heavenly on my skin. Ethan went about his business as well, but I wrapped myself tightly and kept my back to him, ignoring his actions. Soon the candles were blown out and darkness settled into the room¡­


    * * *


    Despite the soft sheet I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Agitated by worries and doubts I kept shifting in my bed and, after trying a bunch of useless ways to lull myself to sleep, I finally decided to voice a question that kept bothering me for the past few hours.


    -¡± Ethan... ¡° I could hear him shift on the bed so I knew he was awake. -¡± Is there a commonly used magic to translate different languages? ¡°


    -¡± I haven''t heard of any. Why do you ask? ¡° He asked back, curiosity evident in his voice.


    -¡± Just wondering. Goodnight. ¡° I quickly cut the conversation short and adjusted the sheet with air of finality.


    -¡± ...Goodnight. ¡° He said after a pause, I could imagine him shaking his head in trepidation, which somehow made my lips curve into a mischievous smile as it was my small payback for his earlier transgressions.


    Still, hearing that my language ability was unique made me feel much better and I began to wave plans for the next day. -¡¯ Due to his line of work he should have a lot of contacts, I will ask him if he can recommend me to someone. I bet that becoming an accountant or scribe shouldn¡¯t be too hard with his help and it would allow me to live peacefully from now on¡­ ¡® With worries lifted off my shoulders I quickly fell into embrace of sleep...


    * * *


    Hey, Mea''s here~


    I hope you liked the chapter, as it took literal ages to finish(at least its big). Hopefully I will be able to write satisfactory(to my liking) follow up at much more reasonable pace.


    Cheers,


    Mea, the Overlord


    Ps Reports of my passing were not exactly correct... rather... leading dull life is like dying inside.

 Chapter 4 - Twisting Shadows

    Fleeting images and twisting shadows haunted me in my dreams. Misty yet familiar silhouettes seemed to be just at the hand¡¯s reach. For some reason I was afraid, scared of losing something¡­ someone... Compelled by the growing fear I tried approaching an indistinct figure, but the shadow suddenly turned away and ran. I gave chase, but despite my desperate attempts the distance between us grew farther and farther. I redoubled my efforts, but nothing changed¡­ Apart from a sense of urgency and mounting pressure, both of which seemed to grow and grow...


    I shifted groggily and found myself in an unfamiliar bed. Confused, I tried to untangle myself from a snarl of twisted sheets, smooth hair and silken cloth, before finally dismissing the notion that it was an aftereffect of some drunken stupor. -¡¯ Damn, I almost wish I was a drinking type... ¡® I observed dryly as understanding of my situation dawned on me. I cringed inwardly, as there was a pressing issue encroaching on my thoughts... I had to pee.


    My gaze inadvertently rested on the chamber pot, before travelling to Ethan¡¯s bed. I scowled, discomforted, before reflexively hugging myself. I was feeling insecure, smoothness of skin under my fingers only amplified the feeling, making me feel both sinful and shy, reinforcing my decision to find an outhouse. Luckily, I had an idea where to find one.


    When I was in the main room of the inn I had spied a backdoor leading to a square outside. Smells of both human and animal waste, as well as some patrons making their way there, were a good indication that both a stable and an outhouse were there.


    I sat up and was about to rise from the bed¡­ When a realization that I was wearing only a thigh long nightgown froze me in my tracks. Imagining myself going anywhere in such a get up made my cheeks flush with embarrassment. I quickly tried to suppress the unsettling thought, only to find it overriden with an indecent idea of finding a mirror. My heart fluttered uncontrollably at the alluring image and I had to take a shaky, deep breath to calm myself down.


    Luckily a pressing matter was taking my attention away from such musings and I quickly reached for my breeches and boots. While I cringed at the idea of wearing dirty clothes from yesterday it still beat the alternative, of streaking in a risky outfit, by a wide margin. -¡¯ And come morning I would need to get into them anyway. ¡® I reasoned sternly, while trying to push embarrassment caused by crossdressing considerations to the back of my mind.


    Resolved, I slid the clothes on and lowered my legs from the edge of the bed. I paused and took a moment to observe Ethan¡¯s sleeping form, just to make sure that he was indeed asleep. Slight illumination coming from the street bathed the room in light, patches of golden glow made a striking impression as they sharply contrasted with silvery outlines glimmering in the shadows. Somehow, I could easily see through the dark, though in an unusual way. Black patches of shadow brimmed with silvery edges that exposed their hidden secrets. Having different kind of eyesight felt both strange and enthralling, though the unexplainable way it worked was jarring me. I put the thought on hold and noted that Ethan¡¯s eyes seemed closed.


    Satisfied, I stood up and quietly tiptoed to the door. I reached for the latch, but stopped midway, to get one last anxious look at Ethan¡¯s unmoving form. I really would rather avoid waking him up and getting an earful of chastising remarks. -¡¯ Hmph. I can take care of myself. ¡® I told myself and finally pressed on the latch.


    Luckily Ethan didn¡¯t seem to react to the opening of the door and I easily slipped into the corridor, where I quietly began to creep across creaking wooden floor. Compared to our room the corridor was dark and stifling, mainly due to the lack of windows or other sources of light. Thanks to my low light vision I was still able to navigate through it, but it was different there, unsettling. In my new sigh deep darkness and shadows seemed to live with their own life, they looked like a dreadful kind of wispy mist that willfully moved from place to place, randomly obscuring and deforming details of my vision.


    Ethan¡¯s assurances that this inn was safer than it seemed encouraged me forward, while confidence gained from my newfound senses assured me further with the ability to avoid other guests. Still, I wasn¡¯t going to entirely throw the caution to the wind and I kept listening in hopes of avoiding any interaction with other patrons. Sounds of gambling and merrymaking were uplifting, as they came only from a few private rooms while the main room was quiet and seemingly sound asleep.


    I approached the staircase and cringed when my feet made contact with a first wooden step, it let out an ominous creak way too loud for my liking. Alarmed, I took a moment to look and listen for anyone possibly alerted by the sound, but no one seemed to take notice. I gritted my teeth and continued downstairs, cringing inwardly at every creaking step that I passed. I shivered upon reaching the ground floor. It felt as if I was being watched, but my nervous glance revealed nothing suspicious. Just a few passed out drunks and bundled up sleeping patrons laying on the ground, both seemed oblivious to my presence.


    I looked up the stairs, but there was nothing there. Apart from a fuzzy shadow that could almost pass for a silhouette, though its humanoid form was wispy and indistinct... -¡¯ Stop being paranoid, you are a grown¡­ man and this is just a common inn. There¡¯s no place for monsters and ghosts here! ¡® After chastising myself, I turned away and quickly tiptoed to the back door. Surprisingly enough it wasn¡¯t locked, though, after considering that anyone could rent a place in the main room, I could understand there wasn¡¯t much sense in locking it up. With a last, cautious look at the stairs, to make sure that the shadowy silhouette didn¡¯t appear again, I creaked the door open and slipped outside.


    I was welcomed by a cobbled, rectangular courtyard. A wayward torch was hanging on a nearby wall providing me with ample illumination, though for a human the place would likely seem dim and full of ominous shadows. There was a wooden construct in the middle of the square and I looked at it curiously before realizing that it was a roofed well surrounded with drinkers for watering animals. I glanced to my sides where tall buildings were separated by two narrow alleys that led into darkness. Big doors of a stable or coach house took up a sizable portion of the wall on the other side of the square. Next to it there was a fenced off pile of horse manure.


    I saw my destination, the auspicious wooden booth was conveniently placed next to the smelly stockpile. -¡¯ At least they seem to disposing of it regularly. ¡® I tried to cheer myself up, but the smell coming from across the courtyard didn¡¯t become any more forthcoming. -¡¯ Still, this could have been so much worse¡­ ¡® With the mirthless thought in mind I took a cautious look around and gladly noted the fact that the plaza and surrounding alleys were empty and silent. Steeling myself inwardly, I moved forward with the intention of handling my business quickly...


    The only warning came from an influx of darkness. Wispy tendrils suddenly came from behind my back, coiling around and dimming out the light. I was too slow to process what was happening when a heavy hand suddenly clamped on my mouth, blocking my scream before I could even think about it. My confusion rapidly gave way to a growing panic as I tried to struggle free of my assailant.


    With terror I registered the size of my opponent, whose bulging muscles might have as well belonged to a bear. I tried clawing, biting and pounding on the offending hand, but my desperate efforts didn¡¯t work against the thug at all, his vice like grip thoroughly immobilizing my head. Resolutely I tried to wriggle downwards using my full weight, to free my face from the stifling grip and scream for help, but he casually enveloped me with his other arm, effectively suppressing me against his side.


    The feeling of helplessness began to creep on me as my renewed efforts only proven how inescapable the grip was. -¡¯ No, no, no, no¡­ ¡® I cried in denial as a cruel realization of what was to come soaked in. My arms flailed wildly in an useless struggle, even with my hands free I couldn¡¯t reach any weak spot that would allow me to fight back. -¡± Mhuu¡­ ¡° -¡¯ Please¡­ ¡® A muffled whine escaped my mouth while tears gathered in the corners of my eyes. I shivered powerlessly, as even the ability to shake my head in denial was taken from me.


    After straining myself and trying to free myself with an especially hard jerk, I abruptly become aware of the precarious position of his hand on my belly. I froze momentarily when his hand brushed against the buckle of my belt. -¡± ¡­ ¡° My breath got trapped in my lungs, the realization, the finality of my cruel fate was like a dungeon door slamming shut, crushing all vestiges of hope together with a madly fluttering hummingbird, which was my heart.


    -¡¯ NO! ¡® I cried in my mind. Rapid surge of adrenaline flooded my body and I began to thrash wildly, madly kicking the ground and his feet in heedless effort to free myself. But my struggle only seemed to amuse the attacker as his heavy hand easily contained my efforts while sliding down a bit further.


    Instinctively I tried to stop, push away, the brutish arm, but my frail arms were too weak for it to work. In clutches of despair I suddenly had a surge of inspiration. -¡¯ My belt! The knife! ¡® My hand shot to my side, reaching for a knife that should still be there. A wave of euphoria crashed into me as I drew the silvery metal, drowning in the feeling of its rough handle. I raised the blade in reversed grip, reflexively aiming for a hand that held me, but then thought better of it and angled the blow for the side of my opponent, where I could leave some significant injury.


    -¡± Muuuu ¡° Screaming and channeling all of my fear, resentment, fury and hope into a single blow I swung the blade in an arc...


    ...that was abruptly stopped. I barely registered the movement. The opponent''s hand suddenly left my abdomen and caught my wrist, leisurely plucking the knife from my grip with a practiced ease.


    -¡¯ Like taking candy from a child¡­ ¡® I froze, shocked by the unwanted thought. Dread began to seep into my body as slim blade fell to the ground, discarded by the effortless whim of my assailant.


    While a metallic clang resounded across the square, I could feel something breaking inside me as my last vestiges of hope and resistance were brutally snuffed out. Tightness in my chest disappeared, replaced by listless acceptance and clutching feeling in my stomach. I barely registered humiliating wetness spreading down my thighs. Helpless to do anything I just let my body go limp, leaving myself at the mercy of my attacker.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Suddenly, I realized that my attacker must have let go of me. I was sitting on the ground, with my knees bent to the sides. A heavy hand fell on my shoulder. -¡± Just don¡¯t hurt me¡­ ¡® A small, dependent whisper escaped my mouth while my body shivered uncontrollably. I tried not to shrink from the touch, fearful of angering the man. All I could think about was how I wanted to avoid pain¡­


    -¡± ...Hey! ¡° A gruff voice resounded and he gave me a rough shake.


    -¡± Iii! ¡° I yelped, surprised by the hard yank. -¡¯ What have I done wrong?! ¡® I cried to myself, reflexively hugging myself in panic.


    -¡± Almisha! ¡° Another small shout finally made me register the person in front of me.


    -¡± E-ethan?! ¡° I stuttered in confusion, as I incomprehensibly gazed around the empty square. -¡± Waa... ¡° Overwhelmed by a wave of relief I could only cry and sob in the earnest, paying no mind to the implications¡­


    * * *POV* * *


    Vigilance born from years of constant danger woke him up. Soft rustle made by the girl leaving her bed was enough to bring his senses to a full alert. It was well past midnight and the room was drowning in darkness. There was a dim illumination, from a street light coming through the window, but it only served to amplify the shadows instead of banishing them. He waited silently while the girl hesitated at the edge of her bed.


    He wanted to let out a sigh of annoyance when the silhouette finally reached for her breeches and boots, though he had to still his breath, he knew too well how keen elven senses were.


    Ethan waited silently while Almisha slid her breeches on. On one hand he wanted to stop the sheltered girl, on the other he knew that he shouldn¡¯t. Come tomorrow, he won¡¯t be able to protect her from her own foolishness and it would be in her best interest if she had a parting lesson. Still, that resolution didn¡¯t sit well with him. It was surprising, and he hated to admit it, but during their short time together he grew fond of the girl. Somehow her innocence, keen wit and youthful appearance had quickly endeared herself to him, turning what was at first a simple errand into an enjoyable trip. Ethan wondered if that''s what having a daughter would feel like¡­


    -¡¯ That¡¯s it, you are growing senile with age, old man... ¡® He ridiculed himself for even having such thoughts, he was sure that he outgrew such notions long ago, when as a youth he fell for a girl and how utterly stupid it was, not to mention how it ended¡­ Ethan almost shook his head in trepidation, only sizable effort of will stopping him from a movement that would likely alert the girl. -¡¯ ...and lax too. Death beckons.¡® He added, silently chastising himself for lack of discipline that was his lifeline for all those years.


    He allowed himself a small, relieved exhale when the girl finally started heading for the door. Any kind of distraction was preferable to inactivity, as he still hated the waiting part of his job, that didn¡¯t make him any less patient though. On the contrary, he made a point out of approaching everything in calm and unhurried manner, an enforced trait that saved him on an occasion more than once¡­ while at all other times it made his life miserable.


    Ethan kept his eyes half closed while the girl gave him one last once over, he smirked when she turned her attention to the door, oblivious to his attention. He waited for her to close the door, then he sprang to his feet, like an eager wildcat on the prowl. -¡¯ A really ragged out wildcat. ¡® His lips bent into a forced smirk, as his old body protested the lean movement.


    Ethan took a deep breath and focused intently, he didn¡¯t want to give the girl too much of a lead, but at the same time hurrying this would be counterproductive¡­


    Ethan exhaled slowly, letting his attention wander. Contrary to the most other practices manipulating darkness required the user to actually surrender oneself to the flow of power instead of controlling it, thus he had a really bad affinity with it. He slowly but assuredly exerted his will on his surroundings. Coaxing the shadows was an art unto itself and he had to remind himself over and over that he couldn¡¯t just order them around. Normally he would just force the surrounding mana to obey his will and support his efforts, but darkness was different. It required a conscious effort to surrender oneself to it and in turn it would shield the user from sight.


    Momentarily there was a change in Ethan¡¯s surroundings, small wisps of dark smoke left their shadowy hiding places and slowly began to creep in his direction. An inexperienced person would find the sight alarming, but Ethan barely noticed the ominous display. Instead, he had to fight down his impatience as misty darkness crept around slowly. As if hesitant, wispy tendrils stopped a feet away from Ethan. Then as if suddenly making the decision they rushed forward and engulfed him in black mist.


    -¡¯ Finally. ¡® He thought in relief while struggling to keep his will still, enticing the shadow instead of ordering it. Satisfied he went to the door and entered the corridor, darkness muffling his progress.


    *Creak*


    Ethan looked in the direction of the stairs. He couldn¡¯t see anything, but the telltale sounds of creaking steps were enough of the guide. Ethan went forward, to catch up with the ditzy girl when shadows suddenly pressed down on him. Obediently he stopped, surrendering himself to the stifling pressure. -¡¯ At least she pays attention to her surroundings. ¡® He thought to himself, while the girl continued her trek downstairs.


    Ethan wanted to go forward, but the clutch of shadows still didn¡¯t let go. He could easily shake the pressure, but it would be stupid. As much as he hated it he had to trust the shadows, acting against them rarely worked well.


    Finally, the pressure lifted and he felt free to continue. Quickly he made his way downstairs, stifling a shiver as his steps silently passed over the creaking wood. Oily thickness under his boots was really unsettling.


    After suppressing the unpleasant feeling Ethan rushed forward to the inn¡¯s backdoor. There he was rewarded with the sight of the girl, who observed her surroundings carefully. -¡¯ But she¡¯s not paying attention to her back. ¡® He sighed and began to consider the situation. -¡¯ Well, since there¡¯s no one to save her from then at least her luck is good. ¡® He winced at the thought, as a priest of a Fatebreaker he had a very low opinion on those who relied on luck, mainly because it was easy for him to turn it against them. He was curious about the girl and what abilities she had due to her unusual origins. -¡¯ I guess I can always play the villain myself, there¡¯s not much hurt in that. ¡®


    Ethan moved through the door and slowly approached the girl from behind. Luckily the veil of darkness was strong enough to muffle his steps despite the nearby torch. He held his breath, steps away from the girl, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He couldn¡¯t move closer, he was afraid that she would notice his dark silhouette in her peripheral vision. Oblivious to his presence she seemed to look around the courtyard, then she finally looked forward. At that moment he struck.


    Ethan released the shows and they surged around him, eager to return to their hiding places. Influx of darkness muffled his quick steps and surprised the girl, making her an easy target to grab. Ethan put a hand over her mouth so she wouldn¡¯t make a scene. -¡¯ Let¡¯s see what a Chosen can do. ¡® He thought to himself as he took a measure of his victim.


    Initially she tried to fight back, but quickly found out how useless that was. Ethan was taken a bit off guard when she suddenly tried to slip downwards and almost escaped his grip. He barely managed to use his other arm to catch her.


    As she began to trash around and look for a way to reach his eyes he smirked weakly. -¡¯ Slippery and with a bit of good reflexes, but nothing to help you against someone stronger than you. ¡® Ethan casually observed the struggles of the girl. -¡¯ If she was stronger or taller it would have bore some effect, but¡­ well, she¡¯s just a girl. ¡® Thinking to himself leisurely he relaxed his grip to account for her wild movements.


    Then she suddenly froze. -¡¯ I guess that¡¯s enough¡­ ¡® As he was going to release the girl she suddenly drew a blade from her belt, which was hidden by the nightgown. -¡¯ Whoa, shii...! ¡®


    He barely managed to catch her wrist in time, saving himself from a nasty kidney blow. -¡¯ Damn, if she didn¡¯t hesitate briefly before stabbing this wouldn¡¯t be a joke¡­ I am really getting old. ¡® Ethan cursed his carelessness while praising the girl''s ruse. He looked down on the girl with a newfound respect and noticed that she grew limp in his grip. -¡¯ Well, enough is enough. ¡® He released his hold.


    -¡± He...y? ¡° His words froze on his lips as the girl slumped to the ground like a doll.


    -¡± Hey. ¡° He tried again, but the girl didn¡¯t seem to pay him any attention. She just sat there, her silhouette hidden by her hair. -¡¯ What¡¯s gotten into her? ¡®


    Puzzled he went in front of her and extended a hand to her shoulder. -¡± Hey! ¡° He tried again, but received only an intelligible mumble in return, so he gave her a small shake.


    -¡± Iii. ¡° She yelped and he noticed that her body was shivering.


    -¡± Almisha? ¡° Ethan asked in a louder tone, to which girl finally seemed to react.


    -¡± E-ethan? ¡° She stuttered in confusion, before finally erupting into a loud wail. -¡± Waaa¡­ ¡°


    -¡± What? ¡° Confused Ethan could only look around helplessly while the sobbing girl cried in front of him. There was a single thought going through his mind -¡¯ What¡¯s going on? ¡®


    ==================


    Hey~, Mea''s here~


    Evil chapters are evil. Hope you liked it~


    Cheers,


    Mea


    Ps you too have a feeling that there will be a lot of hate in the next chapter~?


    Ps2 Lets face it, Ethan''s empathy is rather in the rough love category.