Natasha the Halve

We reached the first floor and the Human Accountant, Yolanda, was waiting at the front door.

She smiled when she saw us and walked over to Lapia, giving her a big hug.

“It has been a pleasure working with you, Lapia.” she said.

“Same, Yolanda. I wish you peaceful and happy times.” the Elf returned the hug.

They separated and the Human faced me with a smile. “Please take good care of Lapia, Your Excellency. She’s a bit cheeky sometimes, but she means well.”

Lapia blushed and crossed her arms.

I laughed. “I think she’s the one taking care of me.”

I offered a hand and she took it while laughing. I stared at her for a few seconds.

Humans… huh.

I felt nothing, not even loss at not being a Human myself. A very small relief, perhaps.

“I wish you good travels and plentiful spoils of war, Lady Alyssa.” the Human gave the Luzo a warm smile. “Please take care of Lapia.”

“I will.” the healer giggled.

“Thank you for seeing us off, Yolanda.” Lapia smiled and hugged the woman once more.

“You’re free to visit anytime.” the accountant took a handkerchief from a pocket and wiped a few tears forming on the edge of her eyes.

“I’ll make sure to come before you kick the bucket.” they both laughed at that comment.

That’s dark. I turned around and bit my lips.

They said a few more words of good-bye and we left the building towards the parking lot.

The suns were still rising, not visible yet due to the high walls. We hadn’t spent that much time having sex and cleaning.

“You okay?” Alyssa asked Lapia.

She nodded, her chin trembling a little.

We all hugged and the Elf let out a few tears.

“Fifteen years.” she whispered. “It doesn’t feel wasted, but I could’ve done so much more.”

“That’s what we’ll do from now on.” I tried cheering her up. “Go around, explore ancient ruins, maybe save a few countries.”

She laughed at that. Alyssa giggled.

“Thank you.” she kissed us both and tightened the hug. “Let’s go.”

We separated and she wiped her cheeks. She had a big smile, now. I had only seen her cry three times, and this was the one I liked to see; looking forward with clear eyes, instead of fearful and pained.

“What time is it?” I asked as we saw Sonya.

The beast perked up and stood, looking at us while her tail swayed.

Alyssa took out a pocket watch and looked at me “Seven fifty. We woke up at around five.”

I produced the metal balls and fed the Ratnak. I took one of her massive hands and rubbed between her fingers. Her eyes opened wide and growled in joy. If she had lips, she would be smiling.

That booklet had a lot of information about these monsters. I smiled at her.

“Good morning, girl.” I let her hand go and patted her head, then put the saddle on.

I mounted up and helped Alyssa and Lapia up.

“Damn, you’re strong!” the Elf commented after she sat behind the Luzo.

“I would tell you the exact number, but you’d get mad.” I snickered.

Alyssa laughed and hugged me. “Go slow, please.”

“Where to?” I asked.

“Let’s go where you bought Sonya, then we can go to the market and buy a few last-minute things.” Lapia answered.

“Sure.” I nodded and rode my fantastical mount to the street. “In the meantime, I would like to hear more about the Dragon Tongue.”

“Kahi.” the Luzo pulled back and took my hair. “That means ‘sure’.”

“Kahi.” I repeated.

We rode like that. Alyssa playing with my hair, Lapia with Alyssa’s, and me looking around.

The city was starting its day, people going in every direction, stalls and stores opening, and Bards singing in the distance.

Two hours later we arrived at the Burhim & Pam farm. The fields were not as expansive as those outside the city, and the suns were starting to show themselves over the walls.

I dismounted and helped them down, giving each a kiss. I noticed Alyssa’s white hair done in a stylish braid.

“You look beautiful, Alyssa.” I hugged her. “Nice job, Lapia.”

“I’m not 80 years old just because, sunshine.” she smirked, hugging us both.

“Thank you, Natasha.” the Luzo gave me a shy smile and a soft kiss. “And thank you, Lapia.” she gave the Elf another soft kiss.

“You’re welcome, honey.” the wizard blushed and separated. “Let’s go buy Bhin.”

“I’ll stay here.” I announced. “My Lancer class influences mounts too much. You should find a companion that likes you.”

“Makes sense.” Alyssa smiled and Lapia nodded.

Jök, the merchant that sold me Sonya, limped out of the shack and opened his arms wide. “Welcome to Burhim & Pam. Oh, I see you’ve returned, Lady Natasha.”

“Good to see you again, Jök. Sonya’s been a good girl.” I patted the Ratnak’s neck.

“Love to see it.” he smiled, then turned to the Elf and Luzo. “How may I help you Ladies?”

“We’re looking for Bhin.” Lapia explained. “We’re going northwest.”

“Let’s go inside, then.” he motioned towards the stable-looking building and walked off.

Both followed him and disappeared into the white edifice.

I leaned back on my mount and summoned Kingdom Fall, the novel Alyssa gave me.

“Holy shit!” I exclaimed. “Not even a paragraph and someone already died.”

The story was fairly straightforward. It began with the death of one of the Queen’s many partners, Rinal. Distraught by the death of one of her lovers, she began an investigation. Fearing it was done by an enemy nation, she sent spies all over her Kingdom. When the story was getting juicy with drama and overly flowery dialogue, I heard Lapia’s voice.

“Hey there, sunshine.” I looked up and saw her riding a red horse with ox-like horns. A Bhin.

Behind her, Alyssa was sitting on top of another one. The horses were pretty thick boys, tall and muscular.

“What do these eat?” I asked, caressing the closest one’s head.

“The same a horse does. These have better stamina, higher constitution, and run faster.” Alyssa answered. “And eat less.”

“Hoooh…” I breathed in wonder.

The animal stared at me and snorted. Then, it stuck its black tongue out and clapped its lips on it, making a weird noise.

Blin! I took a step back and shook my head.

I mounted up and drove Sonya out of the farm.

“Hahahaha! Natasha!” Lapia laughed and called me.

“Yes?” I turned around.

“Your skirt flipped up!” she pointed at my butt.

I fixed the thing and felt my cheeks heat up. “Thank you for telling me.”

We advanced slowly, the pleasant morning breeze dragging the smell of animals and their waste. I looked around, a lot of animals were weird and had unnecessary parts. Too far to appraise and get a name for the weird Elephant with a crown of horns in the distance.

We crossed the inner wall and I followed the two as we moved towards a ‘market’ to buy stuff.

The buildings became wider until a plaza similar to the one I saw when I first entered the city greeted us.

Hundreds of people buying, selling, shouting, promoting, inviting, and marketing occupied the space.

I looked around and saw a lot of fruit and vegetable stalls. Humans, Lupum, Elves, Tigea, a few Luzo and Dwarfs.

I stared at a short man, his ashen silvery hair done in a ponytail and a very well kept beard of the same color adorned with jewelry. He was wearing overalls and eating a big papaya while leaning back on a wall. His eyes were similarly ashen silver. I almost thought he was a Halve, if not for his brownish skin.

[Argo Dwarf, Lvl 86 Squire]

“The best fruit in Riverfield! Come and get your Oloyas! Fresh and juicy!” he shouted while eating.

Huh… I grinned. I guess class and occupation can be different.

I also saw a very chunky Luzo, bare chest covered in blue scales, pale pink skin, two short horns and a thick tail coming out of loose pants. He was walking with a Lupum female, talking about something.

[Azuuli Luzo, Lvl 92 Mocker]

A performer, maybe? Weird class…

I continued looking around, Dwarf races made no sense to me; Argo and Ferk. The Argo race had ashen silvery hair and eyes, while the Ferk’s were pitch black with lighter skin.

We continued advancing for a while until Lapia and Alyssa stopped, Sonya halting as well.

They dismounted and waved at me to join them.

I did and we entered a small shop, moving a curtain aside. The interior was dimly lit, flasks and small trinkets filling shelves and tables. Nobody in sight.

Now before I forget.

“Potion seller!” I called with a deep voice. “I am going into battle, and I want your strongest potions!”

“This is not an apothecary!” a loud voice came from the back. “Leave if you’re seeking those!”

“Natasha!” Lapia nudged my arm. “What are you doing? You’ll get us kicked out.” she hissed.

“Sorry.” I chuckled. “Had to do it.”

I am the strongest of beings, after all. I fought back laughter. And I’m not a knight.

I bit my knuckles to avoid laughing.

“Excuse me? We’re looking for travel equipment!” Lapia called, shaking her head.

Alyssa was looking at me with a confused face. I shook my head and bit my lips.

A dandy old man appeared from behind a door, walking behind the counter. He looked at me and sighed, then gave me the stink eye.

[Celez Human, Lvl 108 Enchanter]

Finally! I am not worshiped! I wanted to give the man a kiss for not bowing or calling me cringe names.

He was wearing a three piece suit, his hair meticulously kept, and a white beard equally as cared after.

“What can I do for you?” he raised an eyebrow. His tone was slightly annoyed.

“As I said, we’re looking for travel equipment.” the Elf said.

“I heard you the first time.” he looked at her with clear gray eyes.

Alyssa covered her mouth with a hand, and I bit my lips harder.

Lapia nodded and smiled. A polite ‘business’ smile.

“A tent. For three.” she said flatly.

“Ten silver coins.” he talked slowly, then tilted his head as he focused on me for a second. “Warranty not included, naturally.”

“Give me the best you have.” she said and put three towers of silver on the counter.

The man lowered his eyes on the money for a few seconds, then looked back at Lapia.

“Very well.” he squinted his eyes and took the money. “Any specific enchantment you’re looking for?”

He stretched every vowel and stressed every consonant, forcing me to increase my efforts to not laugh.

“Sound-proof, pest-repellent, and self-repair if you have.” she stared back at him.

“Hmm. I’m sure I have one somewhere.” he replied.

The enchanter turned around and picked up a ring from a side table. A big box materialized on his hands.

“Ra’me leather, enchanted with pest-repellent and self-repair.” he said as he turned around, presenting the leather box. “I don’t have sound-proof enchanted tents left, unfortunately.” he placed one tower of silver back on the counter.

Lapia eyed the box and nodded. “Have a nice day.” she took the silver coins and inspected each one.

The man simply nodded and turned around, walking to the back.

We left the shop after the wizard stored the items. I laughed, Alyssa joining me.

“What’s so funny?” Lapia chuckled.

I shook my head. “Nothing. He sounded funny, is all.”

The Luzo sighed and we mounted up. The plaza was noisy and busy, so we left without talking. I followed their lead.

We rode to the west, streets became narrower as houses and tall buildings became more common.

Crossing the gate, we left the city. I turned around and looked at the tall walls as we moved towards the forest in the distance, following the road.

Four days… felt longer. I sighed and looked forward. I guess I’m a nomad now.

“Haaa…” Alyssa sighed loudly. “The road. We meet once more.”

Her dress puffed up a little, then the one I gave her replaced it along with the helmet.

Lapia did the same, wearing her combat garments. I copied them and sighed in relief at the feeling of the armor around me.

“Life moves so fast.” I commented.

The Elf was on my right, and the Luzo next to her.

“Does it bother you?” Lapia asked, looking around.

“A little. Would be much harder without you two, if I’m honest.” I gave her a thumbs up.

“I bet.” she chuckled. “Can’t see myself in your shoes.”

“Same.” Alyssa giggled.

“It’s enjoyable, if anything.” I laughed.

We advanced at a fast pace. Talking about little things and laughing at lame jokes. Once we crossed the edge of the forest and the sparse canopy covered the sky, the loud sounds of insects, critters, and the occasional cat accompanied the clip-clop of horses and Sonya’s claws scratching the dirt road.

Hours passed with us conversing. Alyssa taught me more of the Dragon Tongue, Lapia listening as well and writing things down.

We ate a light lunch: fruits and dried meat. When night fell, we searched for a clearing and made camp. Alyssa taught me how to set a tent, something I had never done before. The sticks worked interestingly: they stiffened when injected with E’er. The stakes were easier to handle, I just pushed them into the ground with a finger.

Sonya and the two Bhin were laying on the ground as we sat around a fire Lapia lit.

The flames revealed the clearing, casting dancing shadows into the trees and illuminating our faces.

Alyssa took out a big piece of paper and stared at it.

“What’s that?” I asked, stretching to see if it was a map or something.

“A map of the area around Riverfield.” she answered, looking at me for a second.

“Let me see!” I stood up and walked behind her. “Cool!”

The Luzo giggled at my reaction.

“Shit! I forgot to show you any maps.” Lapia facepalmed.

“Oh, don’t worry.” I gave her a wink. “I have you two. I don’t mind not knowing a few things right away.”

A large hexagon was drawn on the right part of the paper with ‘Riverfield’ written on top. A river crossed the city from south to north sticking to the rightmost wall. It then went north to the top of the paper. What I assume was the forest surrounding the city took most of the space on the map, green ink the only hint of it’s meaning.

A lake to the west surrounded by mountains with various dots on them. Each had a name, but were in an alphabet I didn’t know. A little separated from the mountains was a small circle that had ‘Mountroad’ written above it. A road crossed it, continuing to a mountain chain if my understanding was correct.

To the north, more mountains. To the south, forest.

A few squares here and there with ridiculous names like ‘Peakside’, ‘Lakeview’, and more. There were a lot of dots with weird writings on the map, small settlements nearby.

Dungeons? I wondered. That’s a lot.

“We’re around here.” a scaly finger pointed at a point west of Riverfield, about a fourth on the way to Mountroad.

I nodded. “Do you have a map of the world?” I excitedly asked.

“I have one.” Lapia said, taking out a map of her own.

I walked over to her and looked at the map.

Three continents were drawn on the map. The biggest of the three was to the left, leaning diagonally to the right. It was pretty thick at the middle. The top and bottom were narrow. The top fourth was grayed out for some reason.

The second biggest was at the bottom half. It was shaped like a trapezium with very rough edges. At the bottom left of the continent, a massive delta formed a lot of islands.

On the top right of the map an almost circular continent was drawn. A massive amount of islands sat in the middle of the three landmasses.

The trapezium and the circle came pretty close to touching each other.

“This is Patuk.” she pointed at the circular continent. “This is Makah.” she pointed at the left continent. “This is Leks.” she pointed at the trapezium.

Was there no Pangaea? I wondered. Right. Gods or Halves maybe changed shit.

“Where are we?” I looked closer.

“Lumin Kingdom is here.” she pointed at a spot near the middle of the trapezium, a little up.

“I came from the south. So maybe near the bottom coastline?” I wondered.

Twelve thousand kilometers should be enough to cross the continent. I thought.

“The continents are way bigger, Natasha.” she giggled.

“Wait, so how much land did I cross?” I tilted my head.

Russia is a little over eight thousand kilometers from west to east. Was I wrong about my speed?

“From here to here if you kept your speed constant along the river.” she pointed at a lower point in the continent. Not close at all to the edge.

“Alright.” I felt a buzz in my ears. “So this is the world?”

“Pretty much.” she nodded.

This wold is massive! I looked up. I never left the forest while running.

“That’s a big forest.” I sighed.

“The biggest in the world.” Alyssa said, smiling at our exchange. “It’s called ‘Cradle of Life’.”

“It covers Leks from east to west. Twenty five thousand kilometers.” the Elf nodded.

No… that’s… like half of Earth, only one forest? I sat down slowly and closed my eyes.

“This is hitting me harder than I thought. Give me a minute.” I managed to say.

Three moons… twenty four hours… three hundred and fifty four days a year. How fast is this planet spinning? I felt nauseous. Two suns.

My hands went numb and a shiver ran up my back. How strong is gravity here? To pull three moons and keep them away from two suns. How far away are they? Does it even work like that? Is this one of those super planets or whatever the name was? Shit, I’m gonna have a panic attack.

I took deep breaths. The sheer size of the world made me feel extremely small. I relaxed and let the feeling run its course. A single river is thousands of kilometers long. I didn’t see any mountains. I should’ve paid more attention in school. I chuckled.

“You okay?” Lapia asked. “I can feel your heartbeat through the Bond going pretty fast.”

I shook my head. “A little existential dread.”

I need a smoke. I stopped the thought. No, I shouldn’t pollute my new body.

A hand rested on my head, a gentle warmth spreading into my body. My panic lessened and I opened my eyes. Alyssa was smiling, kneeling in front of me.

“Better?” she asked,

“A lot. Thank you.” I sighed.

Bless this woman.

“What happened?” Lapia asked in a soft voice.

“I felt… small. So incredibly tiny.” I whispered.

“It’s okay.” the healer comforted me. “We live long, so we can explore it all.”

I winced. “That’s a red flag.”

“Only in fiction, silly.” she pinched my cheek and stood up. “We should sleep, how will we handle watch?”

“I can do it.” I raised a hand, a slight dizziness still in my head. “I can forgo sleep until we reach Mountroad.”

“What’s the limit?” the Elf asked.

“Uhh… it says ‘Choosing to stay awake spends a variable amount of E’er a day until proper rest’, so I guess until I run out.” I shrugged.

“A being of E’er I tell you.” she shook her head. “That means you could fight as long as you absorb E’er. If the cost isn’t exponential, of course.”

“If you drop below half, we’ll rotate.” Alyssa declared.

“Okay.” I gave her a cheeky smile.

She’s the experienced one when it comes to traveling around, after all.

“How about a little sex tonight?” Lapia smirked.

“The tent is not sound proof… we might attract something.” the Luzo pointed out.

“Tch!” clicking her tongue, the wizard crossed her arms and looked away. “Can we make out, at least?”

I chuckled as I stood up, walking over the Elf and giving her a juicy kiss. Alyssa joined us and wrapped her tail around us.

“Go rest.” I said after separating. “Sleep tight.”

Lapia nodded, holding the Luzo’s hand and entering the tent.

I sat down and took out my journal.

While updating this journal, some things have come to mind.

I have seen men, but they don’t look like I expected them to.

When Lapia first told me women chased, I thought men would be timid, shy even. That was not the case. My guess: it’s not a matter of gender expression, more like sexual roles, if that can be differentiated between the two.

Although it may sound narcissistic, I am quite the beauty now that I am a Halve. Not that I wasn’t before, but it’s much more pronounced. I didn’t see the stares I was familiar with. Most were filled with amazement, respect, some fear. None had the desire I want from men.

The little understanding I have about the subject is that roles in a society shift when ‘nature’ is conquered. That is not the case in this world. I faced a herd of animals that could easily trample over the entire populace of Riverfield.

Even if it’s something I don’t really need to think about, and hardly comprehend, it comes to mind. Comparisons are inevitable, I recall Earth to find common ground and understand more, which sometimes confuses me further.

If an Elf can live up to five thousand years, how long has the species existed? How long did it take for a fox to evolve into what they are today? Could Lapia be considered a fox girl?

Wonder is what I feel as I write this.

I will continue next time, the suns are rising.

7/3/1980. Yiama’s Era.

I looked up and saw Alyssa leaving the tent. The fire had kept the early morning from enveloping us in fog. Now dispersed, the air was comfortably moist and warm. I didn’t want my sanity to drop, so I didn’t question how a fire lived through the night without fuel.

“Good morning.” I waved at her. “Did you sleep well?”

“Hey… I did.” she yawned and nodded, receiving a peach I offered. “Ohh! Thank you.”

Sitting down, she bit it and swallowed a few times.

Lapia came out of the tent next, her hair an absolute mess.

We had breakfast, fruits and dried meat. We cleaned ourselves with a magical cloth Alyssa produced. I still felt dirty, however. Then, we fed the animals, packed our stuff, and resumed the trip.

That day, Alyssa continued her lessons on Dragon Tongue. When we took breaks, they’d teach me a few songs in common and were surprised by my vocal range.

When the sky darkened we camped on a clearing and I checked my E’er pool, ten points of E’er were missing. Alyssa accepted that and went to sleep with Lapia.

I spent the night walking around the clearing, a few animals came close but were harmless critters; birds, rats for some reason, weird miniature wolves, and a few cats with talons on their leg joints. Just approaching made them leave, so all was good.

When dawn broke we had breakfast, cleaned ourselves, fed the mounts, and left. The two got worried when I told them about the little forest friends that visited. They said those were all dangerous predators. I hadn’t appraised them, because I’m dumb, apparently.

The Luzo said that unlike the Me’ik, the weird moose, most predators have a semblance of intellect, and must’ve realized I could have deleted them from the mortal realm, so they chose to leave.

Alyssa asked me to speak in Infernal, and I said a few lines. We all cringed at my voice. Lunch was had and when the day started to darken with the coming of late evening, we spotted a town.

It was a normal sized, regularly built, medieval looking town.

The suns be praised!

A stone wall surrounded a group of buildings, mostly wooden houses.

Guards stationed on a large wooden door greeted us.

We paid the tax and entered the town. I equipped my helmet to avoid being called cringe names.

“Let’s go rent a room at the inn. We’ll spend the night here and continue in the morning. It’s pretty late. We can check if there’s anyone interesting at the local Church, too.” Alyssa commented from the front of our formation.

We continued into the town through its narrow streets and stopped at a tall wooden structure, four stories and a double door at the front.

Now that’s more like a fantasy inn. I smiled at the building. We left Sonya and the Bhin outside.

I walked in first, pushing the doors open. At first, I wanted to do it wild west style, but that might have ended destroying them and causing trouble. Easy does it.

A tavern welcomed us.

FUCK YES! This is what it should have been. I clenched a fist in celebration.

The space was dead silent, however.

The bartender, a male Luzo, was chatting with a Human waiter.

Blue scales covered his visible body except his face, two horns to the sides.

The interior had twelve tables, of which eleven were occupied. Elves, Dwarfs, a couple Lupum and some Humans. The table farthest from the entrance was free, so we walked there and sat down.

I stored my armor, the chair might have broken otherwise. The waiter approached us and smiled.

“Good evening. My name is Mako, what are you having?” his brown eyes scanned us.

“Vegetables and ale.” Lapia put five silver coins near the man.

“Meat and wine.” Alyssa did the same.

“Meat and fruit.” I put two gold coins on the table. “And alcohol.”

“How many bottles?” he asked.

I looked around, noticing a few patrons glancing my way.

“Enough for everyone.” I said loudly.

A booming chorus of cheers followed. The bartender shook his head and took out bottles from under the counter.

It feels as good as I imagined! I smiled widely.

A female Lupum stood up and started singing, the Elves on her table followed her lead, taking out lutes and flutes.

“As the suns rise, so does the protector~ Eternal watcher, forever our savior~” she sang.

That’s cringe. I covered my face and laughed.

“Well, that’s a way to brighten the day.” Lapia chuckled.

“We’ll be staying the night if you have free rooms.” Alyssa put another ten silver coins. “One room.”

The waiter nodded, took the money, and went into a door next to the bar.

A few more waiters came out and served everyone what they asked.

The place soon filled with chatter, laughter, and the music of the performers. A few people approached me and asked my name, then started calling it out loud for everyone to hear. Toasts came and went, and drinking competitions began.

A dwarf woman strolled over to our table as we ate, and sat next to me.

Short. That would be the best way to describe her. Blond hair styled in a side cut and leather armor over her body.

“It would be rude not to drink with you!” she said in Earthen Tongue, or Spanish, then smiled and drank her tall tankard in one go.

[Auno Dwarf, Lvl 134 Monk]

I laughed and took a bottle of vodka, downing it in five seconds. I turned to her and smirked.

Her booming laughter attracted people around our table and they began cheering on us.

We drank directly from bottles and then we moved to full barrels. A few rounds later, she passed out.

My liver was more resilient than I thought it’d be. I was tipsy at best and was pleasantly surprised that my stomach burned the alcohol pretty quickly, not bulging in the slightest.

I lost track of time while enjoying the light atmosphere and soon, night fell.

We retreated to our room on the third floor where a wide bed welcomed us. Lapia and Alyssa had had their fill of alcohol too, giggling with me as we cuddled naked under the blankets.

Alyssa stacked a few pillows and found a comfortable position as we hugged, Lapia hugging her from the other side.

I kissed them softly and deeply, their wet and warm tongues, and soft full lips melting my brain. We fell asleep entangled like that. Since the rooms weren’t sound-proof, we didn’t indulge in sex.

I had another dream about Hell. The same cave, facing demons the size of houses by hordes of flying demons. It was brutal. The pain was the same, the hunger and thirst too.

The next morning we went to the first floor and had breakfast: fruit and a flavorless soup.

Then, we left the inn, fed our mounts, and moved to the Church. Fortunately for my sanity, the registry didn’t have people from the long species, so we decided to leave town.

We continued our trip, going north this time. The forest was covered in fog, Alyssa complained about the cold and Lapia cast a floating fire ball to keep her warm.

Our mounts were surprisingly quite fast, covering an absurd amount of distance the last few days. I understood why Bhin were the superior choice compared to a horse, they were easily twice as fast when jogging. Sonya easily kept the pace, maybe even slowing down to let them keep up with her.

Alyssa filled us in about how dungeons worked. Watchers were stationed at the entrance, and a tax had to be paid once an individual left. We came across a good number of people on mounts and carts. Their levels ranging in the two hundreds. All headed towards, or coming from, the dungeons, apparently.

I was getting exited about it. The Luzo hadn’t said a word about how a dungeon looked like, wanting us to experience a fresh first impression.

When the suns reached their zenith and the canopy thinned, I spotted tall mountains in front of us. Massive clouds lazily floating around them. The forest prevented me from looking at the horizons, so I had no clue as to their actual reach.

We had a light lunch and kept going.

When we reached the edge of the forest, a small city at the foot of the mountain greeted us. It was built into the cliff. Gray buildings going up formed a spiral, a tower at the center. Black walls circled the city in a semi-circle, stopping at the cliff. The city was tall, so we had a complete view of the settlement.

We paid the entry tax and started crossing the gate. I decided to wear my armor at all times, helmet included, to prevent being called cringe names just like before. I still showed my face to the guard, however.

“Welcome to Mountroad.” the guard said as we continued.

“Huh?” I turned to Alyssa on my left. “I thought the town we passed was Mountroad.”

She tilted her head. “Why?” her helmet disappeared and I saw her confused eyes.

“Haha!” on my right, Lapia laughed as she too, took her helmet off. “I did too.”

“The town wasn’t on the map, so I assumed that was it.” I shrugged.

The Luzo giggled at us. “That happens.”

Lapia blushed, then cleared her throat. “Anyway, what should we do first? Find an inn or go to the Church?”

I took a deep breath. Can’t enter a dungeon without at least someone to protect them. I have no defensive skills. However. I would murder a blind mother for a bath.

“How about you two go to the Church and look for a tank. I need a bath. I feel absolutely disgusting, I haven’t showered in three days. Also, I won’t meet anyone while dirty.” I shook my head. “I’ll get us an inn, you can find me through the Bond.”

The two looked at me with surprised faces.

Lapia smiled. “We’ll bring back their forms, if that’s possible?” she turned to Alyssa.

The Luzo nodded. “As long as we return it the next day.”

We followed the street. The gray buildings and towers going up cast shadows over the city.

I looked at a middle aged Human and called.

“Excuse me, sir?” I waved when he turned. “Could you tell me where the best inn is?”

“Piss off!” he glared at me and walked away. “Freak.”

Refreshing. I smiled under my helmet.

I tried a few times, responses were varied. Lapia and Alyssa laughed at my failed attempts. It wasn’t until ten minutes later that I got an answer. I had to ask a Watcher.

We rode until the street split in two directions.

“Have fun. And be careful.” I looked at them. “If anything happens, send me a message through the Bond. Red for danger, green for when you are done, and blue if you want to meet.”

“That’s pretty smart.” Lapia nodded.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be careful.” Alyssa waved at me.

I went to the right, the two to the left.

Looking around, I rode Sonya towards a well deserved bath. The streets were mostly occupied by individuals walking and riding animals. The buildings were pretty plain in design, and all were constructed with what looked like granite. Roofs were tiled, windows had wooden covers, and the streets were paved with the same material as the buildings.

A lot of bridges and tunnels blocked the suns due the spiral shape of the city. More vertical in its construction compared to Riverfield.

I felt the Bond pointing north and up. Their heartbeats calm and clear.

Following the Watcher’s directions, I arrived at a tall building. It looked just like the rest, a sign on the front read ‘Koporva’s Rest’ in black letters on a white stone.

I noticed another, smaller sign leading to a parking lot. It had a water trough and shade. I stopped and dismounted on an empty spot.

“Sonya, you’ve been a very good girl.” I took one of her feet and rubbed between her fingers.

I need to buy a pocket watch. I looked up, the underside of a bridge blocked the suns.

She let out a pleased growl and licked my helmet. “Are you tired?”

Her big head shook from side to side.

I looked around to see if anyone was close, I had no clue what time it was.

“We’ll be staying here, so don’t pick a fight with other animals, Okay?” I rubbed her chin.

She nodded.

I chuckled and walked around the building to the front door. Entering, I heard a small bell ring, announcing my presence.

The interior had a cozy atmosphere, wooden furniture occupied a small hall, a counter right in front of me. Stairs on the right side going up into the building.

A very handsome Elf came out a door behind the counter and looked at me. He was wearing a linen shirt and pants. Long, pitch black hair, and skin whiter than paper.

“How may I help you?” he asked in common.

I removed my helmet and his eyebrows went up a little.

“Looking to stay for a while, three people, soon four.” I took out a gold coin and placed it on the counter.

[Elmari Elf, Lvl 203 Comedian]

I hope he knows a few jokes, unless that has nothing to do with the class.

His dull silver eyes blinked a few times, a complicated smile on his face.

“Certainly… Your…” he squinted, trying to remember something.

“Please don’t. My name is Natasha.” I gave him a smile.

He sighed in relief. “Honestly, I don’t know what people call you Halves nowadays.”

“Stupid titles.” I shrugged. “Do you have vacancy for four?”

“We do.” he chuckled. “My name is Dasiso, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you.” I offered a hand, removing the gauntlet and glove.

He shook it, then produced a book and a white quill. “Name of guests? Their species too, please.”

“Natasha Novak, Lapia Pofeta, and Alyssa Pruvik. Halve, Elf, and Luzo.” I answered.

He wrote something down and nodded.

“How many rooms?” he looked up at me, a cheeky smile on his face.

“One, a big bed.” I felt my cheeks heat up. “And a large bath, if that’s possible.”

“Of course.” he chuckled and wrote another line. “Breakfast is served at seven, lunch at one, and dinner at eight. Each floor has a mess hall.”

Ooohh! It’s one of those. Nice! I nodded.

“Good to know.” I looked him in the eye. “Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.” he nodded, resting his hands on the counter.

“Do you know where can I buy a pocket watch?” I crossed my arms on my chest.

“You’re in luck. The store across the street deals with those trinkets.” he smiled, his canines showing.

“Nice.” I nodded. “Also, we have mounts. A Ratnak and two Bhin.”

“Thank you for letting me know.” he wrote another line. “Any preferred floor? We have three rooms of your request available. Top floor, third floor, and second floor.”

“Second floor.” I answered instantly.

It was already daunting to know we were on the tenth floor back in Lapia’s. I want to look out the window without having a heart attack.

He nodded and wrote a few words. “I have to ask if you would please refrain from wearing your armor when going up the stairs. It looks kind of heavy.” he gave me an apologetic smile.

“No problem.” I nodded.

I stored my armor, leaving me in my leather garments.

“Thank you.” he looked down at the book. “How long do you plan on staying?”

“For the time being, indefinitely.” I looked around, a few plants here and there.

“Please sign here.” he turned the book to me, pointing at a small square and offering me the quill.

I took it and signed my name in cursive.

“That would be it.” he closed the book and produced three brass keys. “Your room is 2C. Second floor, at the end of the hallway.”

I took them and put them in my storage. “Thank you very much.”

“Thank you for choosing Koporva’s Rest.” he gave me a big nod.

“What time is it?” I asked, turning to the stairs.

He looked behind him, a clock hanging on the wall. “Five twenty.”

“Thanks a bunch.” I gave him a thumbs up and went up the stairs.

I heard a door open, then close.

Bath. Bath. Bath. I chanted in my mind as I went up the stairs.

Coming to the second floor, I saw a wide room, tables and chairs spread in it.

I continued down the hallway to our room.

It had a big ‘2C’ in wooden letters.

Using a key, I opened the door. A wide, comfy space welcomed me. It had a living room and a window. A doorway led to the bedroom, a gigantic bed on it. Even bigger than Lapia’s.

I moved past, heading to a door on the other side of the room.

A bathroom blessed me with its existence.

Praised be all above. I got naked and walked over to the shower heads.

I took a long shower, using a lot of soap and shampoo. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the shit out of the shower.

“Ah. Ah. ah. aH. AH.” I relaxed and warmed up my vocal cords.

Even if my voice was higher than the original singer, I still liked the song.

“As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ~”

I sang for a few minutes as I washed my body and groped myself. A loud sigh left me as I finished.

“This is bliss.” I wrapped a towel around me and left the bathroom. “How can people live without showering at least once a day?”

Walking over to the living room, I summoned a peach and took a bite. The explosion of juice was delicious.

I sat down on a couch and relaxed. Hopefully our stay is peaceful.

“Shit.” I groaned. “I jinxed it.”