“Then, do you two want to take off now?”

With this, both Garnedell and Zilnek nodded excitedly and then took off out the door without even waiting and Joe chuckled as they sprinted off, “Well. Now I know they don’t like me!”

Kilniara’s eyes rounded as she looked at Joe in worry before noticing his mocking smirk and then she giggled quietly to herself.

“You ready to head out then?”

She nodded in eager shyness and Joe turned to lead her out the door, “We’ll go out for the same amount of time before returning to the inn in case those two come back looking for us. After that, then we can head out again or decide what we want to do after. Is that OK?”

Kilniara nodded silently again and the two found themselves meandering once again towards the snack street Joe had taken the other two.

“So. I guess same question. Anything you want to talk to me about? Anyway I can make sure I’m training or teaching you well? Any advice to do better? Just… anything. This is the time to talk to me so I can be a good teacher… master for you.”

Kilniara walked silently at his side for a few moments and said nothing for a while before speaking quietly, “Just… help my brother.”

Joe stayed silent for a bit before clarifying, “With his… unique… problem?”

Kilniara smiled and looked up before nodding.

“That’s already a promise that I will do. Please, tell me something for you.”

Once again Kilniara fell silent before shrugging, “Train me well and treat me well.”

Joe chuckled softly and nodded, “Of course I will. That’s what a teacher does. Can you tell me anything specific that will help me teach you better or help you in some way as your guardian?”

“Guardian?”

“Ah… um… that is… kind of like… well, it’s my people’s word for an adult that cares for another and feeds, clothes, and takes care of them if they do not have parents or in place of their parents if they are missing or far from home.”

“Hmm.. You are my guardian?”

“Aren’t I? I have to feed, clothe, and take care of all three of you, right? And find a place for you to sleep and stuff? Isn’t how this works?”

Kilniara began to nod her head slowly, “Yes, I guess, but it is seen more as payment for the work that apprentices do for their master instead of being paid in coin.”

“Ah. I guess that makes sense. But since your job is to train and fight with me,” Joe shrugged at this point, “it really feels more like a guardianship, I guess. Which is funny. Your brother is older than me.”

Joe glanced at Kilniara and smiled brightly and Kilniara returned the look with amused consternation, “I still cannot believe you are so strong and so young.”

Joe laughed, “I started training almost as soon as I was born. My parents were pretty… obsessed with my training for my sister and I. Actually, both of us started almost as soon as we were born, so… Of course we’re going to be pretty good.”

Kilniara’s eye’s rose as she thought carefully before asking her next question, “May I ask some questions on your family? Or is it inappropriate?”

“Sure. I know about yours. It seems only fair that you should know mine.”

Kiliniara’s face lit up like the sun at this and she bounced excitedly in a subdued manner at his side, “Then… are your family nobles? Which clan are you from? What is your family known for? How old is your sister? What are our parents’ names? When did you…”

“Woah woah woah! Slow down! I don’t think I’ll be able to remember all those questions at once. Give me some time. We can go through them one at a time.”

Kilniara stopped her questions and nodded in agreement and Joe smiled as he began answering, “Right, each question. No, I’m not a noble and neither is my family. Why do you think they… we are?”

“You have a family name.”

“A family name?”

“McConnell. Isn’t that your family name?”

“Ah. Right. That is my family’s name, but we are not nobles. Everyone in my country has a family name and there are no nobles in my country, but there are… rich families? That have long lineages, I guess? But there aren’t really nobles in my country. There are nobles on my planet… plane, but yeah… not amongst my people. So yeah, not really from any clan either, then, since our people do not really form clans amongst my people, but like nobles, there are clans in other places on my plane. Uh… My sister’s name is Sarah and my parents are Jonathan and Miriam. And, uh… what were your other questions?”

“Um… I can’t remember,” she replied a bit sheepishly before shrugging.

Joe smiled at that, “Hmm… then any new questions?”

“Um… is Miriam your father or mother?”

Joe’s eyes rose at that and then realized that she wouldn’t know, “Miriam is my mother. Jonathan is my father.”

“Hmm. Then… oh! How old is your sister?”

“She’s two years younger than I, so she’s sixteen.”

“And she’s a strong warrior?”

“She’s probably one of the best women in my plane.”

“And you?”

“I’m quite strong in my plane as well.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Why… Are your family members adventurers?”

“Why are they adventurers?”

“Are they adventurers.”

“Oh, um… we aren’t really adventurers.”

“Then… why are you trained for combat? Are you soldiers?”

“No, we are… hmm… I guess we practice the sport of combat.”

Kilniara thought for a moment before suddenly seeming to understand, “You are a family of duelists!”

“Ah… hm… yeah, I guess you could say that. That makes some sense. I can go with that, although we are trained to fight groups as well, so it’s not just one to one combat.”

“You fight groups of people as well?”

“We train for all forms of combat, including in groups, although when we usually practice or have competitions, we fight one to one, usually.”

“Why do you do such a thing?”

“Hmm.. our plane has planet… plane wide combat competitions watched by many people all around our plane and the winners often gain prizes and they are ranked year by year so they are known. Records are kept and even some of the greatest fighters from the past are compared to current ones. Videos show past fights and many people even idolize the best. Or the internet can…” Joe trailed off when he realized he was starting to get way over his head.

Kilniara walked quietly by his side and stared up at him, shock evident in her eyes before she whispered in quiet amazement, “Do… do your people truly have a special artifact for every person on your plane that allows for everyone to speak to each other instantly or share anything with each other instantly?”

“Ah, oh, are you talking about the internet? How…” Joe shook his head in shock, “How did you know that that was?”

“You told me.”

“I did? What did you hear me say? When did I say it?”

“Just now when you described how you had moving pictures and anyone in the world anywhere could easily see them and share them or talk with anyone.”

“But I didn’t say any of…” Joe trailed off as he thought carefully then realization seemed to hit him. Oh! Must be my language skill, maybe? Is it literally explaining or defining words when they have no local equivalent?

“Huh… well, I guess you learned more about my world then,” Joe smiled at Kilniara, “Do you have any other questions?”

“Hmm… May I ask about your plane?”

“Sure.”

“Hmm… how do people live on your plane?”

“They live many different ways but they live much like people here live. They may have different jobs and ways of working, but they have homes, work, buy and cook food, and live life much as those here do.”

“So they are basically the same?”

“People… sapients are sapients, it seems, anywhere.”

“Then, what would be the greatest differences between our people?”

“Hmm… I guess the most significant would be the tech… uh… artifact level. Like you asked before, we have… artifacts everywhere for everyone doing so many… useful tasks and abilities. It makes living much easier and more comfortable for everyone.”

“Truly?”

Joe smiled and glanced down at her, “Yes.”

Kilniara thought for a moment then replied slowly, “Hmm. Then can you give me some examples of what your artifacts can do?”

“Hmm. Well, one you already know, to be able to speak with and see anyone who also has a similar device anywhere on the plane. The same device also allows for one to find almost any information you desire and study it. Uh, let’s see. Oh, yeah. You can order and purchase items and have them delivered to your home. Which, huh… brings in a whole bunch of other stuff besides just artifacts such as infrastructure, economics, and… well, just a whole lot of things.

“Anyway, um… many people have artifacts to travel, able to travel a day’s travel in only maybe thirty minutes or less, even faster with a good road. For longer travel, there are many public transportation artifacts that can travel much further much faster, even to the point of traveling the entire worl… plane in a single day for the price of maybe one month’s work, although that would be for the wealthier of our society. You and your parents could have easily afforded such. Skilled craftsmen and laborers are wealthy enough to own all these things.

“Another artifact that…”

“Such travel is available to even the poor?” Kilniara interrupted with shock.

“Poor? Well, amongst my people, you would not really be called very poor, although… there would be many much richer than you are, true. But you would have been well off for the work you offer.”

Kilniara stared at him for some time before shaking her head, nothing coming to mind of what she could say. Joe waited but when she seemed to quiet and not pursue rabbit trail, he continued on the previous topic.

“Um… what was I saying.. oh yeah! Another artifact, although it’s not really an artifact so much, is clean water for almost everyone, heated or cold as you need, almost anywhere in your home. Artifacts for cooking, cleaning, bathing, and keeping food from rotting… truly too many things to really mention. It is very comfortable and wearing the same clothing and not being able to clean it daily is… quite uncomfortable for me. I think I’m going to have to designate a laundry day, I guess.”

Kilniara raised an eyebrow at this and replied, “You wash your clothing daily?”

Joe glanced at her, “We … many of us do so, yes. It is important for health. It protects against disease.”

Kilniara frowned at that, going deep into thought, “How does it protect against disease. Diseases come from the diseased cursed by the gods and goddess for their poor behavior or inappropriate observance of the gods.”

Joe opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again, paused, considered, then found himself at a loss for words to continue. So much wrong in that it’s not even funny but … correcting that goes against religious beliefs as well… so… that’s not going to be… Joe stifled a sigh and shrugged cautiously.

“My people believe we have found a different answer.”

Kilniara frowned with some consternation, “You are certain?”

Joe smiled, chuckling, “We are quite certain.”

Kilniara fell into deep thought, obviously pondering and Joe allowed her the time to think, withdrawing from the conversation. They fell silent for a time before finally fell back into small talk. After a bit, Joe cut it short and turned to lead the two of them back to the inn.

“Let’s end it here. I have given all three of the apprentices equal time. We will return to the inn and then decide what we wish to do after, OK?”

Kliniara smiled and repeated her agreement hum once again and turned with him with a certain pep in her step that was oddly endearing. Huh… wonder why she does that. Joe looked around at others around the street but most didn’t seem to bounce around as she did. Is it an Acokzau… no, Zilnek doesn’t bounce like this either… hmm…

Joe stayed lost in his thoughts but Kilniara almost bounced at his side as she did before, seeming content to simply be there, although she did slip a hand out to grasp his, hesitating only twice before gaining the courage to simply grasp it.

Joe looked down before glancing at her with a smile, holding hands as they returned. He didn’t say anything, but did find his thoughts meandering to the fairness of holding hands with Kilniara during a teaching moment then realized that he’d likely be willing to engage in activities the two boys would like which Kilniara likely wouldn’t. I’ll maybe check to see if it’s OK for the two boys and make sure nothing untowards happens and everyone’s happy with what’s going on.

When they made it back to the inn, Joe found the two guys unhappily waiting for his return and supper. The boys ate quickly, wanting to escape so he quickly let them head out, telling them to come back early for bed and not stay out late playing, warning they needed their rest and while they could enjoy the day, they still needed sleep. The two boys nodded quickly and dashed out of the inn without waiting disregarding his offer to hang out with him and Joe could only shake his head after they’d left. No one wants to hang out with the teacher, I guess. Crap! I didn’t get to talk to them about keeping things fair what with Kilniara, maybe tonight? Joe chuckled at their mad flight to the outdoors before glancing around the room and heading up to the bedroom. He closed the door behind him but then was surprised when it opened up immediately.

“Who…? Oh! Sorry, Kilniara! Did I close the door on you? I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s OK. You seemed lost in thought.”

“Hmm… just trying to figure out what to do tonight. I was just dropping stuff off here and making sure the door was locked before I headed out. What are you going to do? Not going to hang out with the other two?”

“No. Their interests are not… quite aligned with mine.”

“Heh! Sorry. Yeah… they’re young and dumb and full of…” Joe stopped with a heavy cough, mind whirling to try to find another way to end his statement, “uh… stupidity,” he finished lamely.

Despite his poor effort, Kilniara giggled in reply, “You seem poorly disposed towards your apprentices.”

“Nah! All boys are like that.”

She quirked an eyebrow, swallowing nervously before seeming to screw up her courage to reply, “Even you? You are a boy.”

* * *