Natasha the Halve

An hour later we stood in front of the inn. The early suns bathing the world in their glorious light. Lapia had my attention, however. The Elf looking positively glowing.

Her clothes reminded me of Chun Lee, but her legs were bare instead of wearing stockings, her arms too. The backside following the curvaceous shape of her behind, stopping mere centimeters after her legs began. It looked dangerously sexy.

Making sure nobody was looking at us, I groped her butt, noticing a few strings kept the cloth from revealing more than necessary. She turned to me and gave me a coy look.

“For someone who almost cried of embarrassment when the maid took the sheets, you sure act bold outside.” her voice was full of smug, looking up at me.

“You said it’s normal.” I shrugged. “So I powered through.” I felt my cheeks burn a little at the memory of the drenched sheets.

She walked to the right, with me at her side. “What’s the first thing you saw when you first opened you eyes?” she asked all of a sudden.

“The forest around me. Trees no more than five meters apart. Lots of wildlife.” I recalled. “I woke up naked on the ground. I walked for a few hours, completely lost. Then I met a turkey, about this size.” I gestured around my shoulders. “I talked to it, and followed it for the rest of the day. We came to a river and it wandered off back into the forest. I jumped across and walked downstream. A few days went like that. Then I started running while charging forward with my pike. Around ten hours later I saw the cart, and the rest you know it.” I took her hand, locking fingers.

“Huh.” she nodded slowly. “How fast were you running?” she asked with a thoughtful expression.

“Couldn’t tell. All I know is I broke the speed of sound.” I laughed. “That must’ve saved me a week or two.”

Her eyes widened. “Natasha, your numbers suck.” she sighed. “You traversed at least twelve thousand kilometers in ten hours. That’s more than a week of walking.” she looked at me. “Try three months at the bare minimum.”

“Oh.” I really did suck at math. “Well, that’s that.” I shrugged.

“You were two entire Countries upstream.” she closed her eyes. “You left Tidon and entered Koluum, then rushed into Lumin.” She leaned her head on my shoulder. “Now I get your stamina.” she said, planting a soft kiss on my neck.

A pleasant shiver ran up my spine. I laughed with slight embarrassment and joy, looking around us.

Pedestrians around us were starting their day, leaving their houses and slowly filling the streets. A wide variety of vehicles pulled by animals and a few that I assumed used E’er to function, no visible mechanism to tell otherwise. People of all walks of life came and went. Watchers patrolling and a few standing at random spots. Their armor recognizable. However, the name of yesterday’s Watcher completely forgotten.

Stores were either open or starting business. A group of similarly outfitted teens walking into a large building with opaque words that read ‘SCHOOL’ and some other words I didn’t know, probably names. People mingled and did their own thing. I heard a few bards singing, unfortunately they were too far away to understand their words, the melody pleasant nonetheless, flutes and string instruments expertly combined.

The buzz of hundreds of voices and footsteps slowly drowned the tranquil morning. The people were as varied as were their voices. I spotted a few Lupum going about their day, some looking in my direction, my appearance quite contrasting to others around me. My skin no longer the pale tone it had when I woke up almost a week ago, now a vibrant gold that held a soft glow under the direct sunlight.

I looked towards the source of light and was pleasantly surprised my eyes didn’t hurt when gazing directly at the suns. There were no spots when I looked away either.

My attention going from the people to the many animals and beasts that walked the streets, their growls, squeaks, roars, snarls and hisses too close for comfort. I had never gone to a Zoo, so the close proximity to the creatures made me slightly nervous, though not as much as I thought it would. Perhaps my instincts had changed after becoming a Halve, feeling no danger from those that clearly had the tools to be a threat in the wilds.

I felt a light tug and noticed Lapia changing directions. We walked to a stall that had fruits and vegetables for sale, the merchant a lanky lady with oily black hair.

“What will it be, dear?” her voice rough and raspy. Eyes like dark pits avoided mine.

“I’ll have four peaches and a set of polupis, please.” the Elf paid with a few copper coins.

The lady took a linen pouch and placed the peaches inside, then another smaller pouch and gave them to Lapia.

“Have a nice day, dear.” smiling, the lady waved at us as we walked away.

My… Girlfriend? Handed me a peach. “Here, those are pretty good.” she said and took a bite of her fruit.

“Thank you.” I bit into it and a deceptive amount of juice exploded into my mouth. I had to suck and swallow to keep the liquid from spilling. Crisis averted, I turned to the laughing woman.

“No.” she giggled. “The juice comes from the piece in your mouth, not the fruit.” her smile was refreshing to say the least. My laughter soon joining hers.

Though a peach through and through, the fact that a bite produced enough juice to fill a glass was mind numbing. I enjoyed the fruit while thinking about E’er, fruits and Lapia’s laugh, a gentle warmth spreading through my chest.

Well, well, well. If it isn’t the consequences of my own actions. I thought with a smile. Pretty fast to be falling for her. I thought. Is it this new body? Does it affect the mind more than I initially thought? I had no way of knowing, and asking was too embarrassing. It reminded me of the crushes I had when I was but twelve, looking at fellow classmates and swooning over boys and girls. This time, however, the target was a bombshell of an Elf.

I stared at her while we walked. Her almond shaped emerald eyes meeting mine when she noticed my gaze.

“What is it?” she asked, tilting her head.

I shrugged. “Enjoying the view.” I smirked at her blush.

That caused her to laugh and wrap her arms around me. “That was good.” she whispered and kissed me.

“Mommy! Why are those two ladies kissing?” a boy’s voice reached my ears followed by a female’s gentle laughter.

“Because they like each other.” the Mother in question answered. “Just like you and Misha.” she added in a playful tone.

“Ma! I don’t like Misha!” the kid protested. “She takes all my toys and pulls my hair!”

“My.” she sighed with mock worry. “It must be worse than I thought.” a calm laughter escaped her.

Lapia released me and looked around us. “Children and their curiosity.” she smiled.

We continued our walk and eating the fruits. She took what looked like a cherry tomato and gave it to me. I received it, and ate it. Yep, cherry tomato. The taste, texture, amount of juice and even the seeds all were the same.

“What are these called?” I asked after I swallowed.

“Polupis. They’re alright for a light snack.” she shrugged. “They cost two copper coins on average for a set of ten.”

“That’s cheap as hell.” I blurted out. Back home they were five euros a dozen!! Viva fantasy world.

“There’s an abundance, so it’s understandable.” she handed me another which I quickly devoured. “You liked them?” she asked with a smile.

I nodded. “They’re so good.” I said licking my lips.

“Have at them, then.” she handed me the small pouch. “I bought the fruit for you. So you can try different things.” she leaned in and continued. “Also to find out what you like.”

“Thanks. I’ll graciously accept thine kindness.” I said with extravagance and took the pouch.

“I find myself overwhelmed with joy by the fact that Your Excellency finds such gifts fitting.” she bowed with elegance and grace. “I sincerely hope these paltry offerings placate thee.”

I was pleasantly surprised at her following my antics.

“What’s with ‘Your Excellency’?” I asked. Remembering the way some people referred to me.

“Ah, that.” she shrugged, straightening up. “People say that to Halves they don’t know. It used to be ‘Your Divinity’, or ‘Your Highness’.” she scowled. “Pretty cringe, if you ask me.”

I laughed, agreeing with her. “It does feels off.”

“Nothing you can do, really.” she smiled, taking my hand. “Get used to it.”

“Whatever, then.” I tried not giving it too much thought.

We continued our stroll, chatting about fruits and vegetables, sometimes buying food from street stalls. The white buildings became taller and more distanced from each other as time passed.

What looked like mansions surrounded by massive gardens were a common sight after an hour of walking. Then a wall half the height of the ones circling the city imposed itself in the distance. According to Lapia, farmlands and breeding grounds occupied the eastern side of the city.

We stopped in front of a particularly wide structure after mansions were no longer showing up.

“We’ll take a ride here.” she explained, approaching a guarded gate where a bald old man sat behind a small window to the side.

“Where to, Lady?” he asked Lapia, a professional smile on his face.

“West. Through High Grounds towards the Church.” she handed the man a silver coin.

He turned to the side and whistled. “In a moment.” he took the coin and stored it somewhere out of sight. “Two! West! High Ground, Church.” he called behind him.

Before I could ask anything, a cat the size of a rhinoceros trotted out of the gate pulling a carriage. The beast was red with white stripes, faint, light blue whiskers shook as it moved its head towards me. It looked me in the eye and slowly blinked, then turned its head to the front. A man in a suit stood at the front of the vehicle, handling the reins.

[Untu, Lvl 62]

Holy shit. I gaped at the creature. It was massive.

“Come on, let’s get in.” Lapia pulled my hand and I followed, climbing on the carriage.

The interior had two seats facing each other, as any carriage would in any world. The material was padded leather and the overall tones were white and gray.

“Did you see that massive thing out there?” I asked the Elf next to me.

“The Untu? What of it?” she tilted her head.

“That shit looks like it could rend everyone apart.” I pointed in the direction of the animal. “How can they control them?”

“Domestication?” she shrugged. “Like any beast of burden.”

The answer was so obvious it had escaped me. I covered my face with a hand and sighed. “Anyway.” I changed the subject, a little ashamed I asked such a stupid question. “What’s your daily routine?”

She laughed, perhaps finding my sudden change of subject entertaining. “Wake up, take a bath, read morning reports, file them and, if needed, write up a summary.” she leaned on me. “Mostly land taxes, profit, budget expenditure. Boring stuff. Then I’d meet with Nobles or merchants, discuss business and they’d try and convince me to teach the Laws of E’er to their children.” she chuckled. “Then lunch, then more meetings, then write a log of the day’s events. If I have any spare time, further my research and study E’er.” she sighed. “Fifteen years of that. I’m tired of the monotony.”

“Well, you had young boys to chase.” I nudged her, chuckling.

“That can’t compare to you.” she smiled. “It’s about time I retake control of my life. Recent events opened my eyes. I don’t want to be sitting on my butt all day and talk about money. I didn’t spend over half of my life studying E’er to work in that field.”

I nodded. “That does sound boring, to be honest. Can’t imagine myself doing that.”

“You’d quickly go bankrupt.” she laughed.

“My numbers aren’t that bad.” I defended myself. “True, there would be losses, but not enough to guarantee bankruptcy. I’d hope.”

The Elf laughed, tears forming at the edge of her eyes. “Don’t worry. I can help you with those.” she caressed my face and kissed me on the cheek. “If you prove yourself to be a good student, I can teach you a looot of things.” she whispered in my ear, nibbling at it.

“I’d like that.” I smiled, the idea of the smoking hot Elf giving me ‘private lessons’ lighting a spark inside me. I’d never done something like that with previous girlfriends. Is that what we are? I thought for a second. “What’s the word we’ll use to refer to each other, now that we are lovers?” I looked away, embarrassed after saying the words.

“Girlfriend, lover, partner, companion, sweetheart, darling. Whichever you’re comfortable with.” she scratched her ear, a slight blush on her face.

I rested a hand on a long tanned leg, feeling her thick limb’s skin, she lifted them and placed them over my lap. She took my face with both hands and stared at me. Running her thumbs over my eyebrows, she gave me a peck on the lips, her soft tongue giving them a lick. Her eyes drilling my own, a smile on her face. I gave her puppy eyes, a pout and let out a whimper. She chuckled and kissed me again, leaning her body against mine.

We continued like that for the rest of the ride, kissing and chatting. When I asked her about buildings we passes, she'd tell me what they were. Nothing of note to mention in detail, howerer.

I was focused on her entire being.

Around an hour later, the carriage came to a stop.

“High Grounds!” the driver called.

Lapia fixed her hair and posture, then opened the door. Turning to me, she grabbed me by the collar and pulled me in for an aggressive kiss.

“You’ll know how to find me. We bonded this morning.” she gave me a playful smile.

“Here, take this.” I took her hand, placing a ring on her thumb. The item increased stamina and health regeneration along with boosting status. I figured I could give her something in case anything happens. A weapon was overkill, and armor too stuffy.

“Thank you, Natasha.” she kissed me again and got off the carriage, closing the door after her.

I looked out and saw her waving at me with a huge smile on her face.

Behind her, a wide and tall building had opaque purple words that read ‘Punten & Co.’ on it. It was massive. I assumed people worked and stayed there, looking more like a palace than a company building.

The carriage continued on and Lapia turned around, walking to the entrance of the building. I took out a journal and continued reading where I had left off. The archaeologist had found the last piece of a puzzle in ancient underground catacombs. Naturally, that had been the player who defeated a boss and looted the piece, but there was no mention of that. I didn’t give it a second thought.

Then an idea struck me. I should keep a journal. With any luck, the Church would sell things that served that purpose. I mentally patted myself on the back.

Slowly, all the dopamine on my brain wore off. I stored the book, rubbed my eyes and let out a long sigh.

This is going way faster than I’m used to. I looked at my hands, the golden skin contrasted by the silver fingernails. Is this normal in this world? To save someone, spend the night together, then fuck and become partners for life? I stopped for a second. I even killed ten people. In the blink of an eye. No hesitation.

I was a little surprised that I was not as shell-shocked as yesterday. While I was well aware that nature itself is the most brutal aspect of reality, I couldn’t simply laugh it off. Is this world so dangerous that we need a team to go around exploring? I didn’t see any dangerous creature. No hydra, dragon, wolves, goblins or fantasy monsters that show up in forests native to this kind of world. I balled my hands into firsts. Was I the predator they were hiding from, if there were any?

Though I didn’t know if those even existed in the first place, the chance was still there.

She jumped on the boat instantly, too. Like, girl, hol’ up. You have a life here. A job, ‘young boys’ to chase. Friends or whatever. Am I that much better of a choice? Certainly, the sex was amazing, but is that enough? Did she see that much in me?

I looked at my reflection on the window. Golden eyes with a horizontal line across stared back at me. Just what is a Halve? I touched my cheek, the face I knew my whole life, magnitudes more beautiful, sharper, more refined. Am I such an amazing being? Was the roll of the dice that good?

There was no denying I was exhilarated on becoming something else, something more. Yet still being the same, more or less. Incredibly stronger, faster, tougher. A smile formed on my face. It does indeed feel good. There was no back pain from leaning over desks drawing for years. The utter liberation of the pandemic afflicted world that became Earth. My wrists at their best. No, even better. Young, healthy lungs. No more blurry eyesight.

Objectively speaking, it was absolutely better than before. I might’ve escaped dying from cancer, too. If I didn’t get the viruses before that, of course. I chuckled.

My family, friends, job. The talents I did avatars for. The fame that came with it. The many series I worked on. If I died, it’d suck. I did hit my head before passing out. I had forgotten about that.

But all that weighs so… little now. It felt like millions of years ago. The memories there, but the emotional attachment barely registered. Did the trial numb me? Was it that long? Was it that brutal? I remembered the dream and the raw emotions I apparently had. That did look hellish. I was like that one guy trapped in hell. I chuckled, imagining the metal-like music playing on the background while slaughtering demons barehanded.

“Until it was done.” I nodded.

It did end, I’m here after all. A hot Elf wizard wants to be my lover, I’d be lying if I said that didn’t feel the best. The way she squirmed in pleasure under me vivid in my mind. Her voice calling my name.

Though I had plenty of experience, the tool had drastically changed. I followed my instincts and memory, catching up quickly.

Am I whining over an incredibly enviable situation? I laughed, picturing my brother in my position. Though women don’t share, according to Lapia. That’d suck for any male, the harem dream shattered. Is it even a harem, being all women? Because I don’t think a man of this world would go at it with me having that. The thing even bigger than any I had seen. And Eastern Europe had big ones. I laughed sadly. Is size important to the men in this world, too? I sighed. I didn’t mind missing out on men, to be completely honest.

What mattered was not the past, or the ‘what if’, but the present, and the near future. I was on my way to get another partner, which was anxiety inducing for my monogamist mind. I felt like I was cheating, but the person herself sent me.

“Anyway.” I sighed. “New girlfriend, books, and later a long discussion with Lapia.” I smiled. “Some sexy time too, perhaps.” I giggled with excitement.

I took the journal out and resumed my reading.

I had finished the volume and was halfway through the next, when the carriage stopped once again.

“Church!” the chauffeur’s voice woke me up from the book. I stored the journal and fixed my clothes. I let my hair down and exited the vehicle.

A massive cathedral greeted me. It was easily three hundred meters tall, Gothic architecture and massive gardens surrounding it. Two words instantly came to mind, the similarity was distressing. An*r L*ndo. I unconsciously searched for a yellow flask I did not have.

“Have a good day, Your Excellency.” the driver called and cracked the reins.

“Thanks a bunch.” I turned and gave him a thumbs up.

The man chuckled and shook his head, the carriage advancing through the street.

I returned my attention to the cathedral and set forth, humming the plin plin plon song. The gardens were well tended and I saw a surprising amount of people on grounds. Probably looking for companions just like me. I noticed a good amount looking at me with interest, gesturing to their own companions and discreetly pointing at me. I realized the appraising action was not infinite in reach, the more interesting looking fellows out of range.

I saw a good amount of Archer and Wizard related classes. Too low level, however.

The front gate of the cathedral was wide open, people going in and out as if it was their own house. I came inside and noticed a robed woman approach me. Her white robe had golden details and the image of an open eye in the chest area. A few belts kept it in place. The fabric reached the floor, her feet barely visible, sandals covering them. The contours of her body displayed, but paling in comparison to my Elf partner.

“Your Excellency.” she gave me a deep nod which I returned. “How may I be of service?” she gave me a smile. Her face was half covered by a hood, only her mouth visible, long brown hair flowing down her shoulders.

[Celez Human, Lvl 121 Priestess]

Creepy. I smiled back.

“Looking for companions. I’d appreciate you guiding me.” I said, my hands behind my back.

“Certainly, Your Excellency.” the hooded woman nodded and turned. “This way, please.” she gestured for me to follow.

I walked behind her, crossing the massive entrance hall and into a long corridor, deep into the building. Windows on both sides bathed us in light, small inner gardens in sight. Various people similarly dressed in white tending to them.

“Excuse me for asking, Your Excellency.” the woman said, looking to the side. “Is Your Excellency looking for a group to join, or individual companions?” her voice was calm and respectful.

“Individuals.” I answered.

“I see.” she nodded. “Is Your Excellency perhaps looking for a healer?” her voice held a note of excitement. Perhaps hope.

“Yeah, actually.” I appraised her again. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m looking for strong people.” I wanted the healer to at least be higher level than Lapia.

“Oh.” she said, a mix of humorous surprise and flattery. “I wouldn’t dare to offer myself. Your Excellency is beyond my capabilities. I’d be but a burden.” she chuckled gently.

“Do you have someone in mind?” I asked, taking the bait.

“Yes. She’s staying with us for a while.” she kept going when the corridor opened to another hall, smaller this time. A double door stood on the opposite wall. “I’ll present you with her form once we are inside.” she pushed the doors open with a little effort, faint white light on her hands. “Welcome to the Archives.” she bowed, allowing me to enter first.

A library welcomed us. Walls with rows upon rows of shelves filled with books, manuscripts, scrolls and all manner of written media. It was decent in size. Tables occupied the center of the room, lamps on each of them. Paintings covering the walls where shelves were absent, exquisitely crafted chandeliers hung from above. The ceiling was surprisingly high. The musk of old books slapped my nose.

“This way, Your Excellency.” the priestess guided me to the right, then towards the back, where a sign read ‘T Clergy’.

She took a stool next to the shelf and brought it in front. She put a hand on it and it grew taller, a ladder forming from the wood. She climbed on it and reached for a thin tome. It looked recently used. She opened it and leafed through it. Near the end, she took a page and gently detached it from the body.

“Here.” she offered me the piece of paper. “I truly hope she’s to your liking.” she smiled, got down the ladder and moved away a couple of meters, where she waited.

Just like that? I thought. That was simpler than I expected.

I looked at the paper and was surprised by the contents.

 

Name: Alyssa Pruvik

Species: Luzo (Krystaali)

Gender: Aristi/Male/Female

Age: 104

Likes: Warmth, the suns, pastries, juicy fruits, sleeping in (on days off), the smell of clean water, hot baths, cleanliness, strong people.

Dislikes: Disorganized spaces, butterflies (IMPORTANT), arrogant people, needles, pants in general (NO TAIL HOLE? SERIOUSLY?).

I tolerate: Children.

Offspring: None.

Interested in: 65% women, 35% men.

Languages: Dragon Tongue, Elvish, Low Tongue, Common.

My motivations are: Finding the best pastry in the world.

Hobbies: Reading, sunbathing.

Highest Class: Cardinal (Healer, support)

Total Level: 400+

 

At the foot of the page was a drawing of the suns and what I assumed to be a person with a tail smiling under them. If not for the information above, I’d assume a three year old drew it. I couldn’t help but laugh.

I noticed the priestess fidget a little at my laugh.

“This is pretty cute.” I said, gesturing to the drawing on the paper. “She seems cute, too.” I smiled and laughed at the comment about pants.

“Yes, she is.” she sighed with relief. “I’m glad you find her so, your Excellency.” the woman smiled warmly. “How does meeting with her sound?” she approached me with a different smile.

“Right away?” I blurted out. Things sure are fast in this world.

“My.” she chuckled. “Not right away, Your Excellency.” she grinned with a hand on her cheek. “Your Excellency would need to fill a form similar to this one. I’d take it to her and if she agrees to meet, I’ll arrange it.” she explained.

“Sounds fair.” I looked at the drawing again and smiled. “I have a question, if you don’t mind.” I looked over the text once more.

“If I can answer.” she nodded.

“What is an Aristi?”I looked at the woman.

“Hmm.” she pondered, a finger on her chin. “Has Your Excellency not met the Luzo before?” a troubled smile the only thing visible on her face.

“Not yet. As a matter of fact, I woke up only five days ago.” I said, a wry smile forming on my face.

“I see.” she nodded. “Unlike the majority of species who only require males and females copulating to produce offspring, the Luzo require a third individual. Their role is crucial to the process, they receive both egg and seed, and are the party that gestate the new life. That is the Aristi.” she explained. “The Jorrksuuv species are similar, but they are consisted of seven genders, each taking a crucial step in the process.” she smiled.

What in the flying fuck? I was shocked beyond comprehension.

“So, a female Luzo can’t get pregnant?” I felt my brain turn to mush for a second. The implications of three active genders were too confusing for me, let alone seven.

“Only if the objective is to conceive a Luzo.” she chuckled. “Female Luzo posses a womb as any other species. This womb, however, does not present the adequate conditions that allows the gestation of a Luzo egg.” she thought for a second. “If Your Excellency would allow me to be bold?” she lowered her head slightly.

“Yeah, go ahead.” I nodded.

“Through a skill belonging to one of my classes, it has come to my attention that Your Excellency has both a penis and a vagina.” she waited a second, perhaps expecting a reaction on my part. I just nodded. “If Your Excellency were to copulate with Alyssa under the right conditions, producing offspring would be possible.” she straightened. “The limitation is only applied when the desired result is a pure-blood Luzo.” she sighed with a smidgen of pity. “Such is the way of the world.” a sad smile replaced her cheerfulness.

“I see.” I nodded. “Are there species that aren’t compatible with one another in terms of reproduction?” I had to ask, a tiny worry in the back of my head.

“My.” she smiled, this time it was gentle and slightly amused. “Your Excellency is a Halve. There are very few such limitations.” she shook her head and raised a finger. “However, a partner would need to be of sufficient power to nurture such a life, otherwise fertilization is not possible.” she raised another finger. “The same applies if the partner is male, the seed too weak to fertilize Your Excellency’s eggs otherwise.”

I stared at the woman with new eyes. I nodded, the worry of unwanted pregnancy mostly answered.

So the Church is like... doctors and shit?

“What would this margin of power be?” my curiosity got a hold of me. If at any point in time I’d want children, I had to know.

“The short answer would be around less than ten percent of difference in total level. The study of this particular field of knowledge is not extensive enough, I’m afraid.” she sighed. “Only Her Excellency Yulianna and His Excellency Perculis delved into the matter with an academic perspective.” her words were calm, her tone scholarly.

“So inter-species offspring can happen with anybody?” I asked with amazement. What a development. The Perculis fellow came up again.

“Not quite.” the woman coughed lightly. “There are… some species… that cannot copulate with others due to… lacking… the required organs.”

“Ahh. I see.” I nodded in understanding. “Thanks a lot for answering.” I smiled at the priestess.

“Not at all, Your Excellency. It’s an honor to bring enlightenment.” she turned and gestured towards the tables. “Shall we get the form filled?” she asked with a smile.

“Let’s.” I followed her.

We took a seat at a nearby table, with her sitting next to me. She pulled a blank piece of paper and an empty form along with a quill out of her storage. Perhaps an item sorage like Lapia mentioned before, I couldn’t picture the priestess diving into E’er like my girlfriend. My cheeks heated up at that thought.

“Let us begin.” she put one next to the other.

I noticed the empty form had a very large collection of options for the many species that existed.

The quill worked interestingly. I saw the top end of the feather disappearing as ink came out, fine hairs getting sucked into the thing.

Around thirty minutes later, I looked at the final product. I changed my interest ratio after experiencing Lapia, a penis changed my entire view on my sexuality. The priestess was satisfied with the information I wrote down. I even spent ten minutes sketching myself and Lapia, the priestess highly praising my drawing skills. It looked rough, but it was a near perfect image of the both of us. I drew the Elf in her ‘everyday clothes’ and me in my current dress.

“Now, I shall take this to Alyssa.” she stood up, taking the form with her. “Your Excellency is welcomed to peruse the Archives in the meantime.” she smiled, bowed, and left.

I stood up and watched the woman close the door behind her. Is it me, or does she want to either get rid of this Alyssa, or to set her up with someone equally as desperately.

Looking around, I approached the shelves and searched for scouts. After walking around a bit, I found a small section dedicated to the class. I leafed through what felt like a thousand individuals, mostly human males. The few female scouts were either human or had motivations that sounded too grim to add to the group.

I had no way of confirming, but I had the feeling humans weren’t as long lived as me or Lapia. Losing a mate to the unavoidable passage of time was not something I wanted to experience in the future, so I avoided them. Maybe they live longer the stronger they get, but I don’t want to find out if I’m wrong the hard way.

There were Assassins, Rogues, Binders, and was surprised to find a ‘Crown Traitor’ among them. Though her level was decent, she went only for men, so I didn’t even bother checking her species. I supposed the class had nothing to do with the crimes the individual committed, otherwise she’d be imprisoned or executed.

I moved to another shelf after not finding any satisfactory prospects, finding a book that read ‘partying for dummies’. I gave it a read and aside from insulting me every page, it provided little explanation to the concepts it brought up. Apparently, you had to ‘bond’ with a companion for the E’er released by monsters to be absorbed equally, but it didn’t go into detail as to what ‘bonding’ actually was, or why E’er was released when something died.

Maybe having sex forms it? I wondered. Lapia said we had already bonded. Maybe mutually agreeing is enough? The guide was absolutely useless. Instead, I focused on finding this ‘bond’, whatever it was.

I closed my eyes and read the E’er within me, along with looking for any link or union. The status list assaulted my eyes with its unnecessarily large amount of information. Everything was the same, save for the little amount of stamina I had spent during the day. Then I tried the thing I did when I first ‘peered’ inside myself. I felt the unfathomable storage, the weird knowledge of skills and a calming warmth that reminded me of the suns. It slowly moved inside my body and coalesced on my skin. I tried to picture any link, union, bond, attachment, connection, tie and most concepts that meant the same thing.

I noticed a light tug around my heart.

There, a calm heartbeat accompanied mine. It was exactly how Lapia’s felt earlier in the morning. I was surprised how clearly I could remember it.

“That’s neat.” I whispered, touching my chest. I had a general idea in which direction to go to get to her. I looked at the book and refused to credit it for this finding, placing it where it was.

I continued my exploration of the library, finding books about the different species, too intricate and full of technical jargon to understand in passing. I had confidence in my drawing skills, playing the piano, my singing and even my affinity with E’er, but not in my brain to understand the genealogical origin or Lupum in a matter of minutes, not that I was that interested.

I saw books titled 'How to catch a man, the intricacies of the male heart', '200 positions to conquer a man in a single night', 'What do men look for in a relationship?', 'How to handle your man', 'Top ten hottest men of the century', and many more.

Fucking hell. This is insane! I gaped at the books, shaking my head and moving on.

A few books about alchemy caught my attention for a while, presenting the history of material transmutation and the laws imposed to avoid over-saturation of the market. Instead of punishing alchemists, they were given office in government to help regulate, deepen and spread the knowledge of the art and its dangers.

And they lived happily ever after. A mocking snort escaped me. Yeah, right. Like that’d happen.

I picked another book, but before I could read the title, the doors to the Archive opened behind me. I felt my pulse quicken, a light faintness sneaking into my head. The sound of two pairs of footsteps made me gulp.

I just got a girlfriend today, and I might get another one in the next few hours. Though events were going faster than I was used to, there was no denying the excitement of the circumstances.

Back on Earth, before the pandecade, I was no stranger to numerous hookups, however, that’s where the similarities ended. This felt more like a dating site, but fantasy polygamy on speed.

I carefully put the book back on the shelf, slowly turning around.