Galen Vesa

Hot water run in a scalding stream over the ancient heroes set in stone. Or perhaps the ancient porn. The were-somethings with humongous tits seemed awfully content while brave heroes skewed them with swords conspicuously held at the groin level. Mermaids drowned unsuspecting males that were busy thrusting their hips against the fishy tails. A well-known self-defense tactics against mermaids? A happy peasant walking behind a goat?

Choose your own perversion. The colorful mosaic had it all.

Not that I cared. My current body fit the scenery. Long legs and even longer eyelashes. Wasp waist slapped over fat rump. Bushy, black mane that did whatever it wanted and chest that made my body unsinkable. I could dive if I tried but my natural bouncy kept me afloat without any effort.

Oh, and I no longer looked like an elven wet dream. Now my poor face suggested that some time ago a horny elf had and oopsie with an even hornier spirit. Or in layman’s terms, definitely not human-bigger than ferru-somewhat elven- perverted spirit kind -wet dream. With perma-makeup and burgundy-ish tips. Pointy tips. The kind that can easily draw blood from your back.

To sum it up? Perfect beauty for rubbing one out in front of a mirror and pretty much nothing else.

And no, I did not rub one out. Erta felt awkward enough without me adding to her frustration. Besides, it is a waste of time to do alone what can be much more interesting while done together. Although… nope. Wind gave me enough reasons not to look for such entertainment. Her… actions made my own reflection queasy to watch. It shown too many similarities.

But enough of that. I floated to the edge and got out. It would be prudent to put some food in me.

I stood and dripped in total silence. Nobody came to wash my back or help me groom my hair. A help I would gladly accept. Long, wet hairs are anything but sexy. A sticky mess at best that must be dried and brushed into submission. One of the skills the elves forced on me. Thankfully. Now I could make a ponytail that almost resembled a ponytail and wouldn’t fall apart. Well, not instantly. Also, I could flap my long pointy ears up and down if I got bored enough to do so. Which I did since they gave me no towel to dry myself with.

Dry at last, I’ve combed my mane with my “claws” and went on to scour the basket they provided me with. My spoils contained a simple, white cotton undies, some sort of medieval example of a bra and a generic, unisex, brown robe. Nothing on the level of what Allynna's used to wear but by far, more practical. And free. Getting spirited away off to a wild new world can spank you in many ways. Having less than a broken dime being one of the most important few aspects. Often sidestepped in miraculous plot twist or outright ignored by many writers of the isekai genera. One of the Sam’s favorite and the most illogical one when compared against the other random trash I read on the bus to kill time.

No, I take that back. The corporate manuals held an undisputed lead. Those could put to sleep even me while hardly any of the policies made sense.

But I digress.

An angry acolyte came and ushered me to the kitchen where two scrambled eggs and a slice of crusty, rye bread with lard and spices became my offering to the gods of rumbling stomach. No seconds for freeloaders.

After the meal, I’ve been told to make myself presentable which amounted to pulling the robe’s hood over my head and keep my eyes low. Doing so, I found myself sitting in a chapel of a god I didn’t know and didn’t care to meet. The entity apparently shared my sentiment. An hour passed without any of us taking part in the ongoing proceedings. Still I am not quite sure whether the god or I got more bored by the monotonous and senseless yapping of other practitioners.

“Come”

A disembodied voice rescued me before I could start babbling alongside those gathered. I rose and discovered the familiar priestess waiting for me at the other side of the chamber.

“Do not dawdle. Her holiness does not have a whole day to waste. “

Her pale lips moved to the sound of the voice reaching me across the distance. Yet even more magic?

*No. This is strictly an engineering marvel. bouncing sound can reach the other end of the room if you stand in a correct place. The chamber of whispers. Even I have heard of it. *

Oh. That voice. Feeling better?

*No. I would if I could hold my child in my arms. And since you are a poor substitute for that I will do all I can to find her. Also, every moment I let you run unattended lowers the chance of that happening. *

You give me so little credit...You would hurt my feelings if I had any. As it is, I’m glad you’re back. Are you up to date?

*Yes, and I can see the merits of your plan but that is not the way. While in our current state you could live off the land without much trouble, it is true that my daughter would choose otherwise. She would likely seek a densely populated area and live there, knowing I dislike such places. *

Hiding among the crowd eh?

*Off you go dolt. We are drawing enough attention as it is. You don’t want to stand out any more than this. *

I closed the distance separating me from the priestess and let her guide me through the maze of back corridors. Her skin tone reflected her recent lack of blood. Occasionally she would stop and rest against the wall.

“You should be in bed, recovering.”

I grabbed her arm when she almost tripped. All the good it did me amounted to a scorn look on her face and a barked out, mind your own business. I left it at that and focused on my thoughts. A warm presence sat at the edge of my mind.

You know roomie, of all the voices in my head, you are the only one I don’t mind.

*Ah, the dolt got sentimental. Poor me, the end is neigh. *

She said but deep down I felt her mood warm up a bit.

“Wait here.”

My guide abandoned me among old broken tableware and dirty rags. My wait here sense tingled and lo and behold, I found a chair with one of the legs chopped in half. I propped it against an upturned ceramic pot and sat down. Alone.

Are we being watched?

*Yes.*

I tugged the hood pulling it further along to cover my face. After a month in an ageless forest, humans, especially the older ones, looked alien to me. Perhaps they felt the same looking at me? I would fit better in a spirit court than in this city.

I have a question.

*Yes my dolt?*

Do you know what she did to me? I am sure my puny arms and skinny ass shouldn’t be able to stop a sword, let alone break it.

I run a finger along my nose.

My face hit the floor and it cracked. The floor cracked. Usually it went the other way. I can’t even count how many times I broke me nose or my jaw after tripping.

*The blessings of earth are upon you. That alone is enough to keep harm out of your way. The spirits greedily protect their investments.*

Investments?

*You are but a baker holding a jar of cookies. Call them, order them and watch as the world burn for you. They will dance as long as you can provide. such is their love. Love for power and those that can give it to them.*

If so, why protect us? Couldn’t they take all my mana like the wind did and be done with it?

*And lose a source of their pleasure? Would you settle for a box of cookies if you could have an entire factory? No my dolt. Spirits are not that dumb. Their intellect is limited only by their own will. *

I did not think of that. Spirits farming people.

*By keeping you unharmed, they ensure the flow of mana. More so, by giving you that appearance, they may tempt influential people towards you. They will herd siutors at you. Even if your mana cannot be passed by blood, your offspring shall become powerful and by law they will be theirs for the taking. *

Erta, I cannot have children. Neither do I wish to. My mother had a condition like mine. My scraps of memories of her tell me so. If such gift will be passed to my child...It is better not to have any. And, well, there is the issue of my missing banana. The witch robbed me of that and given my intended purpose not even this body can have a child.

I'm not sure why I even asked. One night the wind told me. I was to be sold to some old pervert. A living toy for his needs. I don’t even know what to say of that.

Oh but it can if you let me…

Water purred in my ear.

No.

I cut her short before Erta could freak out.

Shame. If you ever change your mind…

You know what? I have enough people talking in my head already. I forbid any of you from approaching me without me calling your name.

The rumble of disdain washed over me as four of them obeyed my word and left.

*You knew they were here? *

I extrapolated. The wind always stuck around. Just needed a reason to get them out.

*Ah. Clever dolt. *

Why did that sound like a joke in her lips? Eh. No matter. I indulged myself in my favorite pastime. Staring at random stuff.

*Do not stare at them too much. They are doing a fine job. I can almost not-sense them. *

Mister spy crouched in deep shadows. His dark robes gave him the illusion of invisibility. Well, he did a good job so far. I couldn’t hear him and probably wouldn’t see him if it weren’t for the eyes the witch gave me.

I tried to keep my face in the sun, so my eyes wouldn’t glow like those of a beast. The beam of sunlight falling in through the hole in the roof Moved slowly, forcing me to adjust my pose now and then.

A pair of butterflies came through the hole and danced in the sunlight. I gave up, closed my eyes and sunk within.

Erta waited in her dragon form. The moment I appeared she swept me in her arms.

“Softie… I knew you're not ok.”

*Silence dolt. Unless you want a promotion from teddy to a chewy-squeak-toy?*

“I said nothing.”

I scrambled up her back and settled myself between her wings, watching the strange blue flame bobbed up and down between her horns.

She tapped the tip of her tail like an angry cat.

“You know, if you want that hug…”

Her body collapsed into her human form before I could finish. Suddenly I had a snooty nosed girl crying her eyes out in my arms and nothing beneath me. But we didn’t fell. Mana held us afloat and a wave of compassion came from the silent orb of power hanging above us.

Not sentient my ass.

*Forgive me…*

“There is nothing to forgive. I'm used to hot girls using me as a handkerchief. “

Her hands dug into my back.

*Did they? *

She after a moment of silence.

“Totally. One even blew her nose into my sleeve.”

That pulled a chuckle out of her.

*But I bet none of them could spew fire as they sneeze? *

“Nope. Neither of them could use so awesome magic as well.”

*If you were five thousand years older and grew some scales, I would think you were trying to get an egg out of me. Unsuccessfully I must add. *

“Ho hum. I wasn’t trying. Rules you see. No porkin roomies. Nothing good comes out of it. Trust me. l tried.”

*You did? Now I am curious. Do tell. *

“Nothing much to tell. I have issues. She did too. We lived next door. With a shared bathroom. She used to sneak in through the window. I had nothing to steal. Her girlfriend wanted to try a threesome… and it got awkward from there. I skipped the town when the death threats started. My shrink advised me to do so.”

“You know, you can ask anything of me. I may not be the most dependable person in the world but what I can I do. “

She squeezed me even tighter, her body burned with her flame.

*I know dolt. I know. *

Slowly, we floated near the ground. She released me when our feet brushed the glassy surface.

*I have lived for so long. A year is nothing but a blink in my eyes. Do not worry my dolt. I shall wait. You will not get rid of me so easily. *

“Say, any idea what we can do after we find her? I mean, after a party and all that hugging stuff. Is there anything worthwhile? I can’t really say my knowledge is worth anything in this world. Maybe we really should find someone to mooch off? Wouldn’t be that hard…”

My own reflection reminded me of that at every opportunity.

*No. You will not whore yourself. There are ways to earn your keep in this world and you will have plenty of time to learn. Besides, this is also my body now. I have my own dignity. Are we clear dolt? *

She pinched and pulled at my cheek.

“Yes, ma’am!”

She grabbed my other cheek. And pulled. Both at the same time.

*That is relaxing. *

”Wah eweh strohes yeh fwoncy…”

*Shoo. Off you go dolt. You are too alike. Gods know how I miss that idiot. Go dolt, go before I start crying again. *

So I let my mind resurface again and found that hardly a moment passed. Unbothered by my stare, a butterfly landed at end of my nose. Its wings stared back at me with eye shaped dots, framed by a rainbow.

I kissed a butterfly

Its wings blushed at me

Winds of fate carry our life.

Odd what my mind can pull from the garbage known as my memory. One of the escorts I knew had that tattooed on her chest, just above the thin vertical scar that run between her breasts. I did not ask, she did not explain. I had a good night that day. I remember I gave her my number next morning and as much cash I could spare. She took the number and left the money. We met a few more times. She had a taste for latex ang high-heels. The kinky catwoman style. We had some fun until, like a butterfly, she vanished from my life. Several months later I got a call from a hospital in Nevada. They said a patient wished to see me. She gave them my number. She knew it by heart. I went there and found her in the terminal wing with nothing else to cut out. We kissed. I helped her wiggle into her favorite suit for the final time. We bribed the nurse to help with the markup… and I held her hand until the machine stopped beeping. I held it until it grew cold.

Nobody came to the funeral. Now, nobody will put cloves on her grave.

Like Sam complained many times, I do have an affinity to attract the lost ones. Similar people tend to stick together. I do wonder, did anyone notice? Did the company… no, they wouldn’t.

The sun warmed my skin in an alien place among alien people.

Good bye Sam. You were a good friend.

“Her holiness begs forgiveness,”

The pale priestess stood above me. How I missed her arrival, only the butterflies know.

“Urgent matters prevent her from meeting you. She wished me to convey this to you… honored guest”

The last part had trouble passing through her throat as she handed me a small envelope with a red, wax seal. The paper looked expensive while the hand that stroke the name had years of experience. The neat runes formed a single name. Altina Hishgrew, Guild master of Emerald Hall.

“Those are your reference for the guild master, shall you become inclined to take a position there. Her seeholiness advises strongly in favor of such choice. You will find the guild hall in the eastern end of the city plaza, under emerald banners with golden trim, past the fountain. Descent straight from the temple, down by main road and you shall not miss the city plaza.”

I took the letter and, since I had no pockets, I shoved it in between my pillows.

“Please convey my gratitude for her hospitality.”

I bowed slightly and that was that. No more flowery speeches. No more kindness. A guard escorted me outside the temple gate and left there without a second look.

But I did stare.

The city sprawled almost past the horizon. Here and there I could see farms stretching even further than city walls but aside from that, a sea of green roofs and white walls eclipsed the entire scenery. Stone paved roads cut random paths in this forest of buildings. Above my head the seagulls sang in their crooked voice while behind my back and beyond the temple an ocean whispered in a song of waves.

Weathervanes danced in the gentle breeze and clapping of hooves mixed with the sounds people made. Sounds of a city full of life. Erta did not comment on what I saw but her feelings betrayed her interest and a hint of surprise.

“Not something you'd expect?”

*No. I am surprised. But do not speak aloud to me. We are still being followed. Our friends are watching. *

Eh. Perhaps I should get used to not using my voice while talking to her. Tugging my hood even further, I strolled idly down the street.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

I've kept my flashy long nails hidden in my sleeves. I walked with my head low and I did all I could to stop my ass swaying as I walked but my body gathered attention none the less.

Should we perhaps swap to our male form?

*Not when they guard us so valiantly. Let us keep that ability hidden. It may come useful at a later time. *

And it lacked a lot of abilities this body had. A banana could not recompense them all. Erta rolled her eyes at my remark but kept quiet.

And I walked down the street followed by guardian angels, armed to the teeth and keeping to shadows.

I’m not sure what I expected. I had no earlier knowledge of what a town from a similar age might look like and the games, movies and books portrayed such places as wonders of untold… wonder? I had to sidestep a steaming horse dung. I don’t know if they had horses here but, sure they had dung littering the streets. And thieves. And paid company. The women and, oddly, several men in revealing outfits, flaunted their wares to the onlookers without discrimination. Male, female. Possibly anything that had money and seemed interested, got ushered into the inviting walls of a nearby institution of questionable morals.

Further along more reputable places begun to pop up. Ins and food stands spread the aroma of burning meat and cheap ale. Somewhere in the distance the harbor’s bell sounded noon. That’s what my imagination told me. For all I knew that sound could be anything.

White walled shops and homes framed the streets on both sides and contrary to what I would expect, nobody threw their night soil out of the windows or balcony. Aside from the occasional surprise left by the ever-present beasts of burden, the streets were clean. Exceptionally clean. And safe. Hardly anyone carried weapons and those that did, had them tied by a flashy red ribbon in a way that hindered their intended use. Perhaps the heavily armed guards strolling through the crowd and singling out all that did not abide by that custom, had something to do with it. I watched as they stopped a young man with a sword unbound. The youngster quickly unclasped his weapon from his belt and wrapped it in his shirt, which he took off as well. He then slung the hastily made package over his shoulder and put few coins in the guard’s palm. Whether a bribe or a fine I did not stick around to see as the crowd grew thicker.

The walk to the plaza took me about an hour and I did walk in a brisk pace. A testimony to the size of Fenira. An hour of walking in a straight line and I hardly reached its middle while the temple from which I started my journey had not been placed at the edge of the city itself.

Should we stop by that fountain?

A herd of marble mermaids discharged water from their mouths or decanted it from large pitchers they held over their shoulders. People came and drank the water, washed hands and their faces or simply sat in the cold breeze the fountain provided. And they did that in surprisingly orderly fashion. If someone came to drink, they would firstly clean their hands in the water from the basin, then picking a free mermaid, they would let the fresh water brush their clean palms for a while before taking a mouthful. Interesting.

*A moment perhaps. Just keep your face hidden. *

Doing like the others did, I approached one of the statues and drank my share. Maybe not as pure as the sources in the elven village yet the liquid felt pleasant in my mouth. Mana alone could fulfill my needs, but my body still yearned for natural sustenance and I had no idea how thirsty my body got.

Better not make a scene of myself. With a final handful I a walked away and headed towards the majestic, three stories tall building of green walls and golden columns. Emerald banners laced with gold fluttered above the entrance.

An adventurer’s guild huh?

Erta’s draconic laughter made my ears ring.

*There is no such thing as an adventurer’s guild. Truly, where did your kind come up with that ludicrous notion? Do you believe any government would allow for a non-regulated, pan national, military force to exist? Would any government allow for an uncontrollable migration of armed trouble makers? No dolt. There is no such thing. *

Oh. The laughing lizard just obliterated the staple of every otherworldly fantasy.

*Guilds do exist. Trade Guilds. Banks. Like the one we stand before. Those are highly regulated and hardly span more than a single domain. *

Made sense. So, no leveling my guild rank and no easy “Go fetch some herbs” quests for me.

*I am afraid not. Be prepared for good old menial labor. *

Almost got my hopes up. Oh well, can’t have everything. My pillow case probably exhausted my share of good fortune in this world.

I dried my hands against my robe and climbed up to the entrance. Nobody stopped me. Perhaps a good sign, perhaps not. Erta stirred within me.

Getting cold feet ah? It’s only a year. I think even I can manage that.

I pushed the old oaken doors and slid inside, entering a pleasantly cold foyer. Silence took me by surprise. Scores of richly dressed people waited, drinking tea and talking in hushed voices. A scenery one would expect upon entering a library.

A maid in a frilly outfit pushed a trolley between the tables, dispensing cookies and more tea. From time to time another maid would come from the upper floor and guide some people down to the exit and open the doors for them. Then she would walk up to the reception desk, exchange few words with yet another maid stationed there and finally ask the next person waiting to follow her up.

After a moment of staring at this dance taking place. I gathered myself and waked towards the reception desk. Yet, I never reached it. About third way there, a maid with a stern face intercepted me and blocked my progress. She wore half rimmed glasses and her dress, contrary to other maids, held golden bars at her collar.

“Can I help you?”

Her voice came dull and without any interest. Just another annoyance to deal with in her long day. I reached for the letter and presented it to her.

“I am looking for work and a place to stay. I was told to come here. Here are my references for your guild master.”

Have I spoke too loudly? The pleasant murmur of the surroundings faded in an instance. The head maid, I begun calling her that, refrained from taking the envelope but studied the seal.

“If you be so kind as to wait a moment,”

Out of nowhere she procured a silver tray on which I put the letter.

“I shall inform master of your arrival.”

A duo of maids ushered me to a separate waiting area where They sat me on a sofa and served some tea. No cookies though. Instead, I think I caught a glance of a knife strapped to the maid's forearm and hidden in a buffy sleeve. The fabric of their dress uniforms also seemed suspicious. Kind of too heavy to be made of cotton or silk. Also, the way it flexed around her midsection… Had she worn a corset or, what was the word, brigandine?

Either way I tried not to stare and sipped my tea calmly.

“Master shall see you now.”

The head maid returned. Her stern face had a subtle undertone of worry or perhaps she just had a very bad meal.

I finished my tea and got up. Quite a good one. I would say white jasmine tea or whatever the local herb they made it from. Erta did not complain so, they haven’t tried to drug us.

Following the head maid, I climbed hidden stairs up to the topmost floor. All the floors we passed along were covered by expensive looking, green tapestry with golden flowery patterns.

“Master is waiting.”

She opened the door for me but didn’t enter herself. I gave her a polite nod and stepped in.

“What is the meaning of this?! Explain yourself!”

Oddly accented voice attacked me the moment the door closed behind me. I could even hear the latch click.

“Explain what?”

I spoke and this time my raspy voice took her by surprise. I say Her because that’s how the seer addressed her. Across the room in green and gold leather suit, a person with a wolf’s head sat and held my unfolded letter in her hand. Or paws or whatever. Aside from the remnants of the wax seal and the receiver’s name the paper had nothing else written on it. We got played, didn’t we?

“Your face, show me.”

The wolf barked. With tension growing in the air, I did as requested and pulled the hood off. Instantly, my mane of unruly hairs spilled out and my pointy ears went boink-flap-flap. Pressed too long against my head, they had a bad habit of doing that.

And the time slowed again.

I watched her expression change again, her ears falling flat against her head. She barred her fangs at me in a growl while at the same time her body rose from her chair. Strands of sticky, red thread, shoot out from her body and coiled about me. Tightening about my wrists, my ankles, my neck and my midsection. The wolf pulled out something resembling a flintlock pistol from under her desk and aimed its barrel at me. An angry red dot glow within it.

I froze with my hands up.

*Not a peep dolt. That is blood magic. An annoying thing to deal with. I am not sure if even your blessings could save you from her attack. *

So, I stood without moving. Frozen in place like a statue. Trying very, very hard not to blink with my third eyelid. I stood watching the familiar yellow mist circle around my captor. Just what in the world could that be?

“Speak! Who sent you! What do you want from me!”

At long last, Altina remembered her own tongue. I decided to go with truth again.

“The seer told me to come here. She implied I would find employment under your care guild master.”

I spoke in my joyless tone. Did my memory failed me? I thought she would want to hire me, not kill me.

“You are lying. I have no use for assassins. Speak, who sent you. I will not give you another chance.”

My dear roomie, do we have any backup plan? If I knew who… what she was I would never come here. Dogs never liked me.

*Nothing that will not become messy. Try your silver tongue dolt. Or at least talk until she calms. I do not want to fight her. *

Do we even have a chance?

*Perhaps… *

Groovy. Altina pulled the hammer back, cooking her gun. The light in the barrel became brighter. Somebody had temper issues, huh? Note to self, kick the habit of getting people to try and kill me for no reason.

“I am no assassin. I have never killed in my life.”

Not counting the attempts I made on myself. But that is long past me. I have papers that said I am cured of that. Well I had papers…

*Dolt… *

Ah yes. Angry person trying to kill me.

“I am looking for my friend’s daughter. The seer told me to wait at least till spring. I have nowhere to go. If you do not wish to employ me, let me go and you will never see me again. Please.”

Her ears stayed plastered against her head although her fangs were no longer showing. An improvement I might say. The sticky tread tightened around my neck while she raised her other arm.

“Vari.”

She ordered and tiny light gathered in her palm. It wobbled and twisted until miniscule hands and legs popped out of the glowing gob. The head came out last and looked like a blue cherry spewing mist everywhere. A spirit. Possibly a minor one. Almost cute.

It made several zooming rounds over the wolf’s head then landed back in her palm with a theatrical “p-taa!” and a fancy pose. Bordering on very cute. Why couldn’t I meet someone like that little fella.

“Enough Vari. Listen carefully. I will ask my guest here some questions and you will tell me if she answered truthfully, is that clear?”

“Nub-Naaa!”

It wagged it’s cherry head vigorously like a dog would wag its tail, then it turned towards me. When at first, tiny droplets of water came of from its head, suddenly a foot-tall jet of steam erupted from it and instantly the spirit vanished from existence. Before either of us could react, a new spirit, this time a fully corporal one appeared and bend his knee before me.

“Queen of waters of life sends her regards and asks, have you been wronged by her servant?”

In his grip he held the trembling little spirit. At this point I just couldn’t decide who got more terrified. The spirit or the maybe the wolf?

At this very moment my would-be employer collapsed, leaving me and half the room, smeared in her blood. I really should learn how to sigh properly. It would come in handy in a moment like this.

I forbid them from interfering and she sends me her general. So very low profile. Seems like I’m gonna have to look for a different job.

“No. I am fine. Please do not bother us.”

I waved the spirits away and walked over to the wolf.

“Is she alright?”

I really don’t want to explain to those maids why their boss is dead on the floor while I’m covered in blood. Her blood that she used to restrain me before the spirits messed everything up.

*Her mana is stable. It is nothing life threatening. She will live. *

Well, good for her. Good for us probably too.

A little help? Puny arms. Can’t lift heavy stuff.

Erta sighed and whispered her charms. Soon enough Altina’s body weighted nothing in my arms so I picked her up and laid on the couch under the wall. I also removed her fancy necktie and unbuttoned her shirt and her collar. I also put her legs up and opened the nearest window. That left me with waiting for her consciousness to stir back in her body. Taking a chair, I sat nearby and waited.

It didn’t take that long before she awoke with a start, more troubled by the lack of modesty then my presence.

“What are you.”

She whispered, huddled deep into the couch. Her hands held a death’s grip over the edges of her unbuttoned shirt. Regardless of her efforts her fur peeked through the loose fabric.

“Just a passer by if you are willing to believe my words. I came here because I was told you can offer me a job I can do with my abilities. If that is no to be, our paths will hopefully never cross again. ”

Ah, those eyes. The calculating stare I knew so well. People judging me for what they saw. Seems its always the same, regardless of the world I’m stuck in. And the wolf judged and spoke.

“Then what can you do?”

I had to consider that myself before answering. A wrong person in a wrong place. What could I really do?

“I can read and write although probably not in a language you would comprehend. I am good with math. I am used to fulfilling monotonous, boring tasks. I can work at whatever time you wish…”

Did that sum up all I could do? Well, there were the abilities this body had but I decided to keep them secret for now.

“Lastly I have a pretty face and I am useless in a fight. From what I saw, your guild can always find a use for a pretty face.”

Her eyes narrowed while she reevaluated my worth. Her eyes hovered for a while around my chest before returning to my eye level.

“Fifty times twenty-four minus eight times eleven. What are five parts in ten shares of the result?”

“Five hundred and fifty-six.”

The answer held if by parts in shares she meant fractions. Her eyes shined with interest. She even let her shirt loose.

“Have you ever done any bookkeeping?”

“No.”

I’m sure not the kind she had in mind.

“No matter. You can learn. Are you an elf?”

“No.”

“A ferru then, a? Would explain your chest and the smell… “

She cleared her nose.

“Can you swear by the name of the spirit you are bound to that no harm shall come to me and those under my care?”

“As long as you will keep that between us, yes.”

She got up and sat behind her desk. Rune by rune she marked down a deal to bind our fate. Date, place, terms and the sites that shall be bound. The red ink she used, dripped through the parchment she used and made a copy of what she wrote on a second paper, resting just beneath the first one.

She inspected the copy then signed both parchments and passed me the quill with a shaking arm. I skimmed the text which for some reason I could read. The copies were identical and I could find no fault in what she offered.

What do you think?

*It is acceptable. I sense no malice in her, nor can I feel anything amiss with this pact. *

I dipped the quill in the ink, but my hand hovered above the page without touching. What should I write? My old name did not mix with the pillows.

A drop of ink, like a drop of blood dripped on the parchment. Instead of a large blotch however, a rune formed. Then another. A chill run down my spine. Did somebody just gave me a name? But why did it have to be that name…

Deep inside me, a power that by no means had its own will, resonated with Erta’s laughter. The dragon rolled laughing her ass off while I stood and stared at what appeared. Resigned, I copied the runes on the second page.

“I accept, and I swear.”

I spoke and as I did, the four spirit queens appeared by my side and declared as one in their singsong voice.

“And we saw and stand witness.”