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I emerge from the bathroom wrapped in a towel and smelling wonderfully of lavender and lemon. Ferenc is asleep on the floor and I'm keen not to wake him, but the floor still creaks despite my efforts and causes him to jolt. Realizing where he was and who made the noise, he slowly settled back down, but not without his ears going positively rigid in alertness.

I walk into the living room to see Vestin asleep on the floor as well. I secure the towel over my bust with a tight roll, and move to sort through some of the boxes to find any possible clothes Vestin might have created. I gently sort through, patiently taking my time to see if I have to go back to wearing red. In my search, I find something intriguing.

"The History of the World, Volume 1," I mutter, turning over a book in my grasp. I set it aside and pick up the next. The next one looks a bit more simple in design and thickness, like a kid or teen could read it; "Yggdrasil Seed Basics."

Yggdrasil seed...?

Sounds badass.

Looks like I've got some light reading to do. I'll have to thank Vestin later.

I gently set the books aside and open a new box, miraculously finding the correct one. An array of fine shirts and pants are neatly packed into this container, and I unceremoniously pluck one of each, digging even further down and ruining its neatness to produce a set of underwear as well.

As I take the towel off my body, I stop myself and look to the windows. There's no curtains to speak of... Ugh. I retreat into the bathroom, which is a little more private with less windows to be seen through. I'm a shameless sort, but being a new neighbor, squatter or otherwise, means I'd better be on my best behavior if someone's on a jog.

Once changed, I tiptoe back into the living room and grab those books I saw. I find my way onto the countertop in the kitchen where I plant my bottom, elevating myself comfortably enough, leaning against the cabinets. The first book I want to read is the one on 'Yggdrasil Seeds;' not only does it sound badass like I mentioned, but it's also a simpler read than the history book. I'm not the most avid reader, truth be told, but I can get it done.

I open to the first page. I'm met with a diagram; it displays a set of elements. Ice, water, wind, lightning, fire and earth are arranged in a circle, as well as dark and light in their own sections, that shows their counterparts -- what otherwise cancels the magic out and what enhances it. I can probably rely on video game logic here, so I don't pay too much attention to what effects what since the idea's pretty ingrained in me already. Fire can beat ice and earth, lightning beats water and ice, so on. That being said, I still don't know yet what a Yggdrasil Seed is. I flip the page, go through some 'this book is dedicated to's and title reiterations, and land on the first page.

"All living things possess Yggdrasil Seeds. These seeds, while not physical, are attached to our souls and allow for the use of magic and the regeneration of life force," I mutter in fascination. "When a child comes of age, their Seed also matures into something that can allow the use of magic in the body. These changes are often jarring and sometimes even dangerous..."

The book goes on to describe things that are a bit more relevant to a coming of age for readers, which is something I get the feeling I'm far past in my body as is. The book bridges into something called 'aspecting';

"Aspecting is the user's initial foray into what element they will have an affinity to for the rest of their life. It is suggested to close one's eyes and envision what you feel closest to in the world, letting it come to you in waves."

Oh, I already did that on accident, I guess.

"Whatever comes to you most strongly will be with you throughout your life from then on. Secondary elements are possible, but not common."

Hm.

"I see," I mutter, shutting the book closed, already pretty much at its end. Would've been nice to have a secondary element to camouflage the darkness aspect of my aether, but alas. Also would've been nice if Vestin handed me this book out the gate. Still, whatever.

I set the book aside and move onto the meatier one about the history of the world. This one I doubt I'll get done in one evening, much less before those two wake up, so I instead skim through parts I find eye-catching. I look in the back of the book for recent history.

"One of our most recent accomplishments in the 19th century is our invention and production of locomotives, specifically automobiles. One could say an absolute innovation in travel, the existence of automobiles has made it so that a week's travel may only take a few hours at worst."

Wait, 19th century?

I'm in this world's 1800's?

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Oh, come on. Vestin said this world had existed for the same time as my old one. When I died, it was 2015. That's nearly 200 years off! I guess that amount of time in inconsequential to a god, but it's still a bit peeving that this is another instance of Vestin not telling me everything.

I flutter to the front of the book to see when it was published exactly, the pages and cover not at all frayed like an old copy. I can only assume this book is rather new, and when I get to the part I need to see, I read aloud; "Copyright Listershire Arts, 1863." Ah... So it's around, if not the, year 1863. I breathe off a sigh.

I need to see the nearby town, or even a city, for myself. I can't understand what technology is at right now by just reading a book. I can't ask Vesti to take me anywhere, she might teleport me again. Instead, I gaze to the master bedroom, where I can glimpse Ferenc's tail. I'm still awed by how quickly I obtained a potential ally, but I can't say I'm out of the woods yet for getting his loyalty. He may owe me his life, but that doesn't mean he's part of the team yet.

That being said, I'm sure he could be my escort to the nearby town.

I read a bit of the beginning pieces of the book I've got. It discusses the creation of life, but what catches my eye is the fact that it cites numerous gods and goddesses involved in the creation of the world. I read a bit closer;

"It was then that Pollok, goddess of the sea and origin of the sea kingdom's name, flooded the world and created sea life in collaboration with the creation god Mertic. His daughter Vestin, goddess of reality, was..."

Pollok? I read further and there's more; Sain, the goddess of monsters, Raun, the god of nature, and a bunch of other names I don't know a lick about. It's almost alarming, realizing Vestin kept so much information off the table. It wasn't as though she was keeping it from me though, otherwise these books wouldn't be here.

I feel a bit antsy after reading so much.

I hear some movement from the master bedroom.

Ferenc appears from the doorway and yawns. "What are you reading?"

"Nothing of import," I reply idly, setting the history book down and hopping off the counter. I move to close the distance between the two of us and approach him, leaving about a meter between us. "Wanna see what town's like?"

Ferenc doesn't look fully rested, but it seems he's exhausted his ability to sleep for now, as ironic as that sounds. The sun's begun to set a bit outside.

"Do you have the marks for a mattress or two?"

"I'm sure we could all wedge onto a single queen."

Ferenc pins his ears back. "If you put it that way, we should all just get twin size mattresses."

"How much do they cost?"

"A queen is usually about 200 marks for a decent one..."

I nod absorbingly. "So we can buy a queen for me and two twins."

"Hang on, how come only you get a queen?" He leers, unsure if I'm joking. I'm not sure if I'm joking either. I want a queen.

"If you want to push the twins together for a fake king and have me and Vesti share the queen, get her permission," I say, thumbing to a still-sleeping goddess. Ferenc stifles a half-laugh half-scoff.

"Right then, so we're going to the town to get a few mattresses. I vote we let Vesti stay behind and rest."

We both look to the slumbering goddess on the floor nearby. There's quiet consideration. She looks out cold.

"We'll only be a bit," I add.

Ferenc nods. "I'm at your service."

"Sure. But not in like, a slave way, okay?"

Ferenc gives a slow nod. We start for the door, almost leaving Vestin curled up on the wooden floor, lightly shivering. I catch that shudder of her body and hold a finger up to Ferenc. I pace to the boxes. After some shuffling, I find gold -- well, a blanket. A familiar one. I'll let Vestin borrow the copy of my favorite blanket for now, but when we get back, she has to make her own. I drape it over the girl and she slowly stops shivering.

With that, we start for the door. At the mudroom, there's a set of shoes neither my size nor Vestin's. Did Vestin create some shoes for Ferenc, too? She really needs to learn restraint...

"Ah, you can use these," I say casually, nudging them his way. His feet possess a somewhat lycan look to them with the balls of his feet being leaned on the most, complete with claws on the toes. Now that I look closer, his fingernails also resemble more like claws than nails too. He could certainly head out barefoot, but I'm sure the city we're near will appreciate his covered feet... Especially if they're adverse to beast men.

I can only imagine how this trip's gonna go.

We make our way to the city nearby through a beaten pathway, just wide enough for a car to traverse safely, and plenty wide enough for us to walk amply side by side. The sun is low in the sky, kissing the horizon through the trees and preparing the area for a cool night. As we walk, I take in the green scenery and the mildly forested road we're traversing with some reverie. It's relaxing, really, and I find myself honestly at home.

Ferenc doesn't look too far off from my own disposition for being surrounded by nature, but he's certainly on edge. His ears are up and alert, eyes trained on the shadows he senses in his periphery. I reach out and put a hand on his arm and he jumps.

"Hey," I say, furrowing my brow with a light frown. "You alright?"

"It's just habit," he explains briefly, ears drooping somewhat in what appears to be shame. "You never know when--"

"Ferenc, you're safe."

"Huh?"

"I said, you're safe. With me. Take it easy and I'll find a way to keep you unharmed. That's not for you to worry about full-time right now."

His lips part, mouth agape in understandable surprise. He's silent for some time while we're walking to our destination, and I wait patiently for him to find the words. Finally, he speaks.

"You don't have to do that. I could spend my time in your presence protecting you instead."

I pop my lips in thought, mulling his response over and how to appropriately convey my ideas. "I don't like that dynamic as much," I say plainly. "I think you've earned some downtime, am I wrong?"

"I wouldn't say it's a matter of earning anything," he mumbles, scratching his head idly. "I owe you my life for saving me. I have to repay you somehow."

"Worrying your tail off won't be repaying me anything. If you see something out of place, let me know, but don't make it your main goal, you know?" I gesture with my hand idly, the other shoved in a pocket.

Ferenc seems to understand the method, but is still coming to terms with the assignment. He nods slowly, and takes a deep breath.

"There you go," I praise warmly.

The city nearby is still a slight ways away. I don't feel daunted in the slightest, though.