We had ended up on a broad, busy street. The people walking by, going about their daily business, were chatting and laughing.

I saw mostly vampires, their pale faces a dead giveaway. The rest of their bodies was covered up, I assumed to protect against the sun. Many wore velvet coats, wide-rimmed top hats and elegant gloves. The richer looking women also wore veils. The fashion reminded me a little of late 19th century Europe, but I don’t think any of its decades would properly describe it. The clothing was too practical, too… modern. The women casually strolling wore frilled, layered skirts and detailed, high-heel lace-up boots, while those that looked like they had somewhere to be were wearing pants and simpler flat boots. The goth inspiration was evident, but it was offset by lots of bright colors.

Between the vampires, a rainbow of skin colors occasionally surfaced. Some people had pastel colored skin, sharply pointed ears, hair that didn’t always seem to be made of hair, and their clothing clearly came from a different region. Most of these people, that I assumed were fey, had a leaner build than the vampires around them. They strut about elegantly in their flower, fruit, and animal prints.

Oh. That wasn’t a print.

A man with a grey, striped, cat tail passed by me. He wore short pants and a vest, which left his furry arms and lower legs uncovered. A clawed hand reached up to scratch behind his ear, which was whipping back and forth from an itch. His green eyes caught mine and he gave me a polite nod, before continuing on his way.

‘This way.’ Nikolai took my hand, and we went along with the crowd.

As we passed more extraordinary-looking people, I had a hard time trying not to stare. Many had bear features in a way similar to the cat-like man, although they also had a considerably larger build. They were dwarfed by some grey skinned, flat nosed brutes with tusks, though.

I tried to evade the leathery wings of some vampire children that were chasing each other, but instead bumped into a woman. She gave me an annoyed look, her eyes flaring up beneath her dark hair, and I quickly apologized. Her husband was holding their daughter’s hand. The little girl turned her head and waved at me, her sweet smile clearly lacking a few baby teeth.

As I raised my arm to wave back at her, a tiny moth-winged creature fluttered past my eyes. She was giggling, and, clearly intentionally, further aggravating the centaur that chased after her. Nikolai pulled me to the side so I wouldn’t get trampled.

‘I know this is all new to you, but please pay a little attention to your surroundings, moonbeam,’ he whispered in my ear. He took my hand again. My cheeks started to burn.

I tried to distract myself by focusing on the buildings.

The row of white plaster with its large, many-paned windows seemed like one magnificent building, reaching the entire length of the street across the fortress. The numerous front doors betrayed it to be a large number of terraced houses instead, however. The green roof panels matched those on the fence pillars that separated the little front gardens of the townhouses. If it wasn’t for the flying, crouching, or animal-featured populace, you might mistake the street for an average 21st century one with historical architecture.

On the other side of the street, a manor-like building with a large garden was situated. Its blue tiles were the only difference in style. Oh, and they had guard dogs. No horns, second head, or scorpion tail. Just two normal-looking Dobermans, lying on the grass, a little distance from the front gate. One of them yawned.

We stopped to cross the street. When I looked left-right-left, I realized there were no cars. We had to look out for some horse carriages and carts, though. It made me wonder where centaurs were supposed to walk. Considering I nearly got crushed just walking on the sidewalk, I had half a mind to tell the next centaur I encountered to join his fellow horses. …I supposed that might be seen as rude. Perhaps they could introduce a centaur lane, like those you have for bikes in some countries.

‘What are you thinking about so seriously?’

I looked up at Nikolai.

‘Nothing,’ I said sheepishly, and looked away. ‘Just...bike lanes.’

‘Bike lanes? What’s that?’

I looked at him again.

‘Lanes for bikes, you know, bicycles?’

‘Hmm…. I don’t think we have those here.’ He frowned. ‘So… what are they?’

‘They’re….uhm… two wheels with a metal frame between them. They have a handlebar for steering, a saddle to sit on and pedals to propel the wheels.’ I tried to show where each part went with my hands. When I stopped to lift my leg and emulate the cycling motion, Nikolai chuckled.

‘I see,’ was all he said, clearly holding back a laugh.

I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. ‘What?’

He lost the fight and started laughing.

I sighed.

‘You already knew what a bicycle is, didn’t you.’

‘It was a very good explanation, though.’

‘You mean you got a good laugh out of it.’

I made a pout, but he was already preparing to cross the street again. The traffic had increased considerably, and when we took another corner it became clear why. We had reached the market square.

The colors, scents and shouts of the market all vied for my attention. People were bargaining for cheaper fruits, waiting in line for baked goods, carrying baskets with cheese and vegetables or discussing the best design for a scarf. In one stall, pottery I was unfamiliar with was stacked to the ceiling. In another, the many stalled out spices left barely enough room for the shopkeeper.

We took our time to look at all the stalls. Or rather, Nikolai waited patiently while I studied every little detail. My eye was caught by some good-luck bracelets. Their stones shimmered prettily in the sun.

‘They don’t actually bring good luck,’ Nikolai said over my shoulder.

‘Awww. Not even your magic can do that, huh?’

‘Magical items aren’t sold on the market.’

Surprised, I turned to look at him.

‘Not unless they’re black markets, that is. But those look a little different,’ he continued. ‘Magic is under strict supervision. It’s volatile, and in the hand of bad people, dangerous. We can go to an Arcane shop, if you’re curious, though.’

‘If I bring something magical back to my world, would it still work?’ I asked, as we continued our way across the square.

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Nikolai joined the queue for Pasha’s Pierogi.

‘Not very likely. As far as we know, your world has no Mana. No springs, no streams, no rocks. Another reason why interdimensional travelling is forbidden. If you don’t bring some mana with you, you might end up stuck in another world.’

Nikolai ordered one portion of savoury pierogi and two sushki. We sat down on a bench that faced the market and he handed me one of the pierogi.

‘What’s a mana rock?’ I asked, before taking a big bite of the boiled dumpling.

Nikolai took my hand and put a sushki on my finger. ‘For dessert,’ he added.

He put an entire dumpling in his mouth and chewed down, before answering my question: ‘Mana rocks, stones or crystals are solidified mana. They can be activated to release mana in its energy form and are used to power a variety of spells and machines.’

‘So, your world centers around mana like mine centers around electricity? Uh, think lightning, but then generated in a controlled manner. Most of the time.’

‘I know. About electricity, I mean. And I think that’s about right.’ He took another bite.

‘You have electricity? Oh, take your time.’

Nikolai nodded and ate another dumpling before continuing.

‘Well, as a form of energy, mana can be turned into electricity. Think lightning magic.’ He gave me a wink. ‘But mana can be carried around, it’s accessible wherever you go. Probably why our research has focused on magic. Technology as you know it is being researched as well, but at a much slower pace. Magic can be powerful and convenient, but having carriages to take you places and machines to speed up production is pretty relevant as well. In addition, not everyone can use magic. Some peoples’ cores, the little organ that makes us different from humans, just can’t provide the control that is necessary to manipulate mana.’

I let the information sink in for a while. As we finished our meal, I noticed a lot of people staring at us. I got the feeling that it wasn’t because I looked out of place, but because of what Nikolai and I were wearing. When a fey child hid behind his mother after our eyes met, I turned to Nikolai.

‘Are people scared of the Guard?’ I asked.

‘Not scared, per se. Wary, more likely. The Guard only deals with special cases. Unlike the police and the army, we don’t deal with normal people. Our missions tend to revolve around magical corruption, magical beasts and magiterrorism. So our presence, in official garb, suggests something is seriously wrong. On that note, how about we finally move on to my secret intentions?’

He gave me a mischievous smile.

I was almost afraid to ask, but Nikolai clearly wanted me to.

‘And what would those intentions entail?’

His smile broadened.

‘Shopping.’

☀

‘What do you think of this?’ I asked, when I came out of the changing room in a new outfit for the seventh time. I made a little spin, while studying myself in the mirror. The pink blouse with small poof-shoulders and long sleeves combined with the frilly grey wool skirt was a little more feminine than I was used to, but they were comfortable. Also, the skirt had pockets. Hand-sized pockets.

Nikolai was spread out lazily on the couch, flipping through a fashion magazine.

‘Yeah. Looks good.’

I turned to look at him.

‘You said that 7 times already.’

‘What can I say, I have good taste,’ he teased.

I gave myself one more look-over and went back in to change into the next outfit that Nikolai had picked out for me. I looked at the heaps of clothing still waiting for me outside the fitting room as I entered. This was going to take a while.

☀

Nikolai seemed pleased when we finally left the shop with a number of blouses, fancy sweaters, trousers, skirts, gloves, undershirts and over-the-knee socks. I had traded my woolen coat for a hooded, bright red velvet one that reached to my ankles, which were now covered by flat black lace-up boots. We’d also gotten a black top hat with a big bow and thick, lacey veil. The shop lady had explained that the ribbon held the veil in place, and how to move or exchange the veil to my fancy. The veil was meant to make it easier to hide my roots in case of emergency, but Nikolai didn’t think it necessary to wear it all the time. Either way, in my victorianish outfit, I felt like a real vampire of lore.

On the way back, we passed a street artist playing an instrument that was clearly a violin. I was reminded of the self-playing instruments of the spa reception and wondered if the vampire was one of the people that couldn’t use magic.

After dropping everything off at my room, we were just in time for dinner. Nadali joined us, and I excitedly told her about my new wardrobe. I was starved from the trip, and by the time we were done eating, my belly had a hard time fitting in my pants.

Alexander appeared behind Nikolai. When he sarcastically asked him how his afternoon had been, Nikolai’s face turned even paler than usual. Ignoring his friend’s discomfort, Alexander turned his attention to me and asked, with genuine interest this time, if I had enjoyed myself. I replied that I’d had a great time, and he nodded.

‘Good. The erilaz is coming tomorrow to discuss your sword. He’ll be here around eleven. His highness will be joining us, so it’s good you’ll be able to wear something you’re comfortable with.’

I wanted to tell him that I didn’t mind the Guard’s official garb, but he asked Nikolai to follow him and the two quickly went off again.

I turned to Nadali.

‘Does Sasha never stop working?’

She gave me a soft chuckle.

‘Real workaholic, that one. So, how was your first non-life threatening experience with the magic realm?’

She listened patiently as I told her about all I had seen, all that was different to my own world.

‘Was it like you had expected?’

‘I’m not sure what I expected,’ I replied honestly. ‘Perhaps for the world to be more grim? With the attacks, I thought that might be part of daily life here. But it was just… people, going about their day, living their lives. We have stories, you know? About vampires. That they’re vicious monsters, or seductious predators. And other… beings, too. They’re either the big bad or support a princess in finding her true love.’

A smile formed on Nadali’s face as I spoke.

‘We have them too, about humans. As a child, my parents used to tease me that if I wasn’t good a human would come and take me away, lock me up in a world without magic. Even though I knew they were joking, the idea of being spirited away still made me think twice about taking one too many candies.’

We both laughed.

‘Where are you from, Nadali?’

‘Hmm? Oh, I grew up in Thueshabad, although my father is from |kxa!gūb. My mother is a Lamia, and my father a Grootslang, you see. My mother went there on a mission and saved my father’s life. They fell in love, and here I am.’ She shrugged. ‘The story loses its charm when you’ve heard it as often as I have.’

‘They sound like great people.’

She gave me a little smile. ‘They are. So great it’s hard to live up to.’

‘I think you’re doing a good job, though. Everyone around here seems to respect you a great deal. I admire you, as well.’

‘Thank you, Lynn.’

We chatted for a while longer, but when it seemed unlikely that Nikolai would return, Nadali accompanied me back to my room and we said goodbye.

I finally had the time to put my clothes away. I took my time admiring each of the pieces once again. When I opened the last bag, I noticed another, smaller bag inside it.

Hmm? Did Nikolai buy something for himself and forget to take it with him?

I opened the bag. Inside were a large number of delicate items. I took one out to study, and froze.

Nikolai had bought me underwear.

My face went hot. I emptied the bag on the bed. The contents consisted of several colorful bustiers and torsolettes with matching underpants. They certainly were beautiful. What caught my attention, however, was the sports bras. I smiled. I wasn’t sure how to thank Nikolai for buying me lingerie, but his support made the warmth in my cheeks move to my heart.

I did a little more reading before going to bed. As long as there weren’t any attacks, life at the Guard was pretty easygoing.

☾