“Wait, why is my avatar a demon?!”

The “Player’s Guide to Werthe” didn’t have any demon flair in it.

Your avatar was modified

Sylvie decided to consider things rationally.She didn’t feel like a demon and she wasn’t trying to eat kids. Theo asking her if she was going to eat him might have been part of that. He was a regular guy, if she was back on earth and a voice started talking to her… she might have thought demon. Most people would probably think ghost or demon except maybe that one guy.

Every game group probably had one, he arrived one day, a very short man complete with a realistic cosplay of homemade clothing with some steampunk accessories. The guy had gone so far as to introduce himself as his game character complete with a flourish and bow. Sylvie had felt bad, he must have thought they were a different kind of gaming group and he left soon after. Then there was that one other guy that was always sweating and was super hairy…

‘Focus!’

Right, a person that wasn’t pretending to be from a dwarf clan on Earth that heard a strange voice could decide demon. A body that appeared at night in a field might also be demonic. If that was true it would be something to do with how she was perceived.

‘Maybe she could talk to Theo and straighten it out?’

“Uh… brain officially fried.” Answers were out there and not in her void… She might not be the same person anymore but in her soul she was still a Rodriguez. Her mom built a thriving maid business on her own. Her uncle made enough money with his lawn business to send both his daughters to university and live in a nice house. She was a person that understood her own value and she didn’t care what this new world thought about her, it couldn’t strip away her pride.

Grit has been reassessed

Grit +10

“Thank you system.”

“I need to get back to my avatar. But first…”

She leaned over and spotted the book she needed. The next step in her evolution and something she regretted not having done earlier. She picked up “The Werthe Campaign Setting” and started reading. First big surprise was there didn’t seem to be any magic. Well at least not in the typical fantasy sense, Prophecy of all things had legitimacy on Werthe. Though they weren’t prophets like on Earth. Speaking an omen killed the prophet.

‘Terrifying’

Also, her avatar’s class “Void Mage” was unique and there weren’t other examples of void magic that she could tell. It might be a hidden class but she didn’t think so. Void seemed to be a reference to her realm. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the name change later if she ever properly named the place. Very daunting, her quick choice in avatar was something she would have to live with for at least some time. Maybe she could be a void mage that only hit things with sticks or something or go the other way and live large.

“I wonder if there is an adventurers guild or something like that. Get back on track fantasy world!”

Second big surprise, the section that described the gods was mostly vacant. She wasn’t the only goddess, but with her the grand total was now two, and no other gods were listed. Her listing as the goddess of games seemed like a hasty edit in the book. The other goddess was listed as “The Mother and Creator” she even had an icon. The other details about the lady were slim.

It was her fault that the book was limited on goddess descriptions. A campaign book read a certain way and her rigid thinking was probably to blame for the limited information. In a published book they always held back information for a later expansion. Part of her was proud of it though, The book really was a faithful recreation of a typical campaign setting book even with fantasy themed art. Gods section on one page and on the other side a sweet picture of a woman wielding a magic staff. The art was totally out of context given what she knew of the world, but hey, it was cool.

“Knowledge acquired! You have gained a level in goddess for reading a book!”

..

‘And nothing.. worth a shot.’

Sylvie looked back at the map of Ril and noticed her avatar character wasn’t in the field, she was in a house in town. Back in Ril she opened her eyes and found herself on a sturdy single bed in a dark room. It was a small space, a cobblestone floor, plastered walls, with a high window. There was a wardrobe and child’s vanity with a stool against the opposite wall. The furniture was made from a dark polished wood. Growing up in a place like this would be ok she decided. It wasn’t fancy though it was comfortable and practical. She stood up and noticed she was still wearing the tunic from earlier upgraded with a woven belt. The belt helped, now the tunic was less bulky and fit a little better.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The door to the room was open a crack and there was a flickering light on the other side. Stepping out she noticed a woman asleep in a chair and a man softly snoring on a couch by a hearth. They were both human, no surprises there considering Ril was supposed to be part of a human nation. He was one of the men that had been part of the card game, the heavier guy. Sylvie didn’t recognize the woman but with the difference in their features and how close they were sitting, they were a couple. She was also attractive and at least a few years younger than him.

They were decent and caring people she decided. Waking up in a nice room and without a locked door. Neither of them had a ‘stranger danger’ weapon near them unless it was well hidden. Not to mention they both were asleep. Being considered a kid again had advantages. At least until she wanted to drive a car or whatever the equivalent was on Werthe. While she was deciding if she wanted to leave or not a loud gurgle came from her stomach.

‘Oh cats…’

“Ready for some breakfast sweetie?” The woman was now zeroed in on her, escape opportunities gone.

“Yes, please”

“There are some plates and dishes in that cupboard there.” She said pointing across the room, “We still have some left-overs from yesterday that won’t take too long to heat up. You can be in charge of setting the table.”

She had to use a chair to reach the cabinet.

‘Ugh’

“How many place settings? Miss…”

*ding* Skill Talk Like a Mortal is now level 3 and has gained a total of 1 point

’System reassess the need for skill Talk Like a Mortal for future system users.’

Skill Talk Like a Mortal removed

“You can call me Julie, whats your name?” Julie said as she tended the hearth.

“I’m Syl, thanks for breakfast.” Syl said with her best smile.

Name updated to Syl

“Grab three sets Syl.” Julie said returning the smile.

Syl grabbed three wood plates, knifes, forks, and cups from the cupboard and brought them to a nearby table. She set them out like they would when her family would get together for a fancy meal not sure what was normal here.

“Elf way?” Julie had a single eyebrow raised and a smirk as she looked at the table settings.

“No idea, This is how I used to set the table with my family.” A wave of sadness washed over her. Earth was out of reach and she had been vaporized. Her family was a memory. She stopped and stood there, the reality of her situation hitting her like a bag of bricks. Julie was there in a flash hugging her. Syl almost pushed her away until she realized she was crying. She finished up a few minutes later and gently pushed Julie away and the woman let her go.

“Feel better?” Julie said, she looked like she had cried a little too.

“Yes thank you”

A loud yawn came from the couch. “Oh, something smells good! Is that your meat pie from yesterday?” The man said as he stretched his arms.

Julie gave her a small wink and left to lightly kiss the man. “Good morning dear, would you like to come over to the table and meet our guest? Her name is Syl”

“Morn’n Syl, I’m Stan, nice to met you.”

“Nice to met you too, Stan”

Stan shoo’ed Julie away from the hearth and served what was left of the pie. He took the middle seat at the table putting Syl and Julie at either end. Steam rose off the piece he put her plate and it smelled wonderful. After a taste she devoured the rest of her piece, Julie was an excellent cook. The meat had an unfamiliar flavor but the vegetables could have been from her parents pantry. The meat and veggies were in a rich and flavorful sauce that was wrapped in a fluffy crust. Stan wasn’t carrying a little extra weight, he was carrying extra happiness.

“That was so good, thank you.” Syl said, Julie and Stan both smiled at the compliment. Then they shared a look.

“How about a bath and some clean clothes?” Stan said, he had a warm smile.

“We talked it over while you slept and we want to buy you something to wear.” Julie added with a wave of her hand before Syl could object. “If you say no you’ll be stuck in sweaty guy tunic.”

“Okay”

After breakfast Syl helped clean the dishes and wipe down the table. She missed modern plumbing, it took two full buckets of water a trip to a nearby well to do what amounted to a few minutes in a modern sink. Also, her avatar was a “new” person. Everything was a bit awkward, her height was different. She didn’t have muscle memory and tired easily. The only immediate positive was her magic, it felt like a natural extension of her being. Magic was part of her and where she was from. Just like she could sense herself in the void, the void itself was drawn to her body on Werthe. There was little doubt now that being a void mage was a reference to her own domain. The hardest part was not using magic to do things, it wanted to spoil her.

Later Syl and Julie went to a house off the center square of the village. Syl was thrilled, it finally felt like a fantasy world. There were large wolves living with the people in the village. Tradesmen used huge wolves to pull carts, kids ran around playing with the creatures and a few massive wolves were equipped with a specialized armor. They were close to a malamute or husky but much bigger. A paw could cover a persons chest and the average person came to the top of a wolf’s shoulder. It wouldn’t have surprised Syl if the cost of feeding a wolf was a status symbol.

Inside the house off the center square bolts of colored fabrics and equipment made the place more of a shop. A younger boy with the trademark dusky brown hair stopped working a wooden loom as they stepped in.

“Ma! Julies Here!” He said, looking her over. “And a weird looking elf girl!”

‘Weird looking!’

She gave him a sharp look and he promptly ignored it. Julie never slowed down and was already holding out a light green bolt with pretty red flowers stitched on as trim.

“This is pretty, what do you think?” Julie said.

She appraised the fabrics in the shop. They were mostly greens and browns with a few bolts of red stashed in the corners. Everyone likely had their clothes made here. The stitched flowers were nice, Julie had a good eye.

“I like it, very pretty” Syl said.

A muscled woman with thick arms bare up to her shoulders came out from another room. She had a leather apron on and looked like she could wrestle a bear. A long needle was loosely hanging from her mouth and a little girl was squirming from under one arm carried like a sack of potatoes. She had a big smile.

“Julie, Good to see you! Ah, and a cute little stray wearing a man’s tunic like a festival dress. Bring that bolt and follow me back.” She released the girl under her arm and turned. The young girl hit the ground in a running giggle.

The next room was full of patterns and projects leaning against the plaster walls and a table covered with metal tools and thread. “Not a festival dress, you want a Kaihed?” The woman was already measuring Syl as she talked.

“Yes, she may have to travel.” Julie said. Syl noticed there was a hint of concern in her voice.

“I like the green for the bottom, let’s do a red top.” The muscled woman said with a poignant look at Julie.

“Red, are you sure?”

“Omen fire…” The muscled woman said her voice going low. Her eyes darted to Syl.

“Oh okay… red will be fine.”

“How much do…” Julie started and the big woman waved her off, now looking at Syl.

“One month helping out front, you come after breakfast. Do a good job and my husband will make you nice boots as a bonus.”

Syl didn’t know what money looked like here. Also, she didn’t want to be a burden to Julie.

“Okay, I’ll be here in the morning. Thank you” Syl said

“Terri thats very generous, you sure? I am willing to pay for her.” Julie said.

Terri grinned and pointed at Syl.”Her wearing some of by best work in red and working here, you are doing me a favor. Most people haven’t even seen an elf, the novelty alone is worth it.”

“…plus she isn’t from Traevane. They don’t have black hair.”

‘Oh cats.’

She felt the color drain from her face. Julie turned to her with a curious expression.

“Not sure if you planned on hiding it, but Julie is my friend. I also noticed this while measuring her.” Terri held up Syl’s arm and gently squeezed. A small amount of heavy mist or smoke came out of Syl’s skin swirling as it faded away.

“We already knew.” Julie said with a shrug and smile. “When Theo found her he said she came from mist. We saw a tired girl that needed help, and you know our.. situation. My brother is looking for answers.”

“The Valkyrie…” Terri started

“Aren’t here for her.” Julie finished

Terri nodded, it was settled.