Ann must have snuck into my room during the night, not that I minded since she was a beauty. My only concern was her hugely muscled father who could probably snap me like a twig. Oh well, I would just enjoy the sensation for now. I managed to free my arm and gently rubbed one of her fuzzy ears. It was just as soft as I imagined. She moaned cutely and slowly opened her eyes. “Good morning.” I said, smiling at her. “Why exactly are you in my bed?” I asked, still smiling.

“Well, the storm last night scared me. Lin went in with father which left me all alone so I decided to come in here. You don’t mind do you?” She asked, batting her eyes at me. “Of course not but I also don’t want to get murdered by your father. Wait, did you say storm?” I replied, bewildered. I must have slept like the dead if I didn’t hear a storm go through. I didn’t notice Ann sneaking into my bed either. “Yes, the thunder was really loud. I’m surprised you didn’t wake up.” She continued, still hugging my shirtless chest.

Then I suddenly remembered the tower and sat up, spilling Ann off me. This was the first storm since I arrived and I hadn’t managed to disable the summoning circle yet. “What’s the matter?” Ann asked, untangling herself from the blanket. She was using one of the pieces of clothing I had scavenged for pajamas which consisted of a tan shirt a few sizes too big for her. It was quite the sight to say the least.

I struggled to pull my mind out of the gutter and started putting my clothes on. I had only been wearing my boxers to bed and I could feel Ann’s eyes on me as I changed. It made me blush slightly but I had my back to her so hopefully she didn’t notice. “I have to go check the tower. Lightning is what activated the summoning circle which brought Shadow and me here. I need to see if anything else was summoned during last night’s storm.” I replied while hastily getting dressed.

I left Ann in the bedroom and went downstairs. Lux was already up and sharpening his sword by the dining room. I gulped when I saw him but pretended everything was normal. On my way I noticed there were no puddles on the floor so my roof repairs must have held up. Lux gave me a questioning look as I started putting on my armor. “Don’t worry, I just have to go check on something. I’ll be right back.” I knew he couldn’t understand me, but I was hoping I got the message across with my gestures.

“Wait, I want to come with you!” Ann yelled from the top of the stairs. She had changed and was on her way down. I sighed and waited for her to get ready. “We’ll have to find you some replacement armor.” I commented while watching her don her damaged gear. “Shouldn’t be a problem. It looks like you already have quite the armory.” She smiled, gesturing to my loot room. I smiled as well. “Yes, I do like to collect things. You can tell Lux there is more fruit in the kitchen if he and Lin are hungry. We can eat when we get back.”

Ann relayed the message and presumably told him where we were going. She followed me out the door and we made our way to the summoning tower. It wasn’t a very long walk, but I always made sure I had my armor on and was armed when going outside. There seemed to be less beasts around the wealthy district but there were still some present. It was especially humid after the storm with puddles everywhere. I still couldn’t believe I had slept through it.

As we approached the tower, I could see the lightning rod was still in place high above. The tower looked the same as every other time I visited it. I stopped inside the doorway and called out but didn’t hear anything. We made our way up to the top with nothing seeming to be out of place. In the back of my mind I kept thinking there was no way I was the only person to be summoned here and all the rest must have died in the city or somewhere in the jungle trying to escape. Admittedly I had barely scratched the surface of exploring the city but so far had seen no signs of anything from Earth.

We reached the summoning room and I breathed a sigh of relief at finding it empty. Either lightning didn’t strike the tower or it just summoned some kind of animal that took off already. I figured we would have run into someone on the way if another person had been brought here. “So this is the summoning circle.” Ann mused while kneeling down and looking at the symbols on the floor. “Amazing, you’ll have to tell me about your world sometime.” Ann said tracing some of the symbols with her finger. “Sure, we should have plenty of time to get to know each other.” I said, winking at her. I was rewarded with a smile and she even blushed.

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We heard footsteps and soon Lux and Lin came up the stairs to look around. They both seemed impressed by the summoning circle and Ann talked with them in common for a while. Lin joined her sister kneeling on the ground, running her hand over the circle. Then I had an idea. “Ann, can you ask your dad if he could take a look at the lightning rod? I’ve been trying to remove it but haven’t had any luck.” I asked, pointing up toward the roof hatch.

Ann relayed my question and Lux nodded while heading toward the ladder. I followed him up and soon we were on top of the tower, scaring more birds into the sky. I pointed at the lightning rod and Lux went to inspect it. After looking at it, he grabbed onto it with both hands and heaved. I could see the veins popping out on his arms and he started turning red. There was some movement in the rod and a creaking sound. He kept straining but only managed to bend the rod a little bit. What was that thing made of? He was breathing heavy but braced one leg on the stone and tried again. The rod bent a fraction more but that was about it. Still, it was better than I was able to accomplish.

Lux had to sit down after his exertion. I smiled and gave him a thumbs up before heading back down the ladder. “Tell your dad it was a good effort but he shouldn’t strain himself too much. I don’t want him getting hurt.” I told Ann after I got back down. She nodded and climbed up to deliver the message. Lin stood up and grinned at me. “You….hero.” She said gesturing at the summoning circle. “Ha, ha, not really. I’m just a regular guy.” I answered still somewhat embarrassed. It seemed like she wouldn’t take no for answer however, and grabbed my hands while looking at me worshipfully. “Ann, get down here. Your sister is being weird.” I called out, trying to free myself from Lin’s vice like grip.

Ann came down the ladder and laughed at seeing my situation. “Can you tell her I’m not really a hero.” I pleaded. “Now why would I do that? You were summoned so are clearly a hero.” Ann said playfully. “I bet you even have hero like powers, we just need to unlock them.” She continued, grabbing one of my arms while Lin grabbed the other. These sisters were really a handful. I was saved by Lux who barked something while climbing down the ladder. Both girls immediately took their distance while Lux glared at me. I just smiled back sheepishly. “Well, I think we are done here so can go back to the mansion for some breakfast. I’m afraid all I have left are some fruit. We can go fishing later to try and catch some lunch and supper.” I said, leading the family out of the tower.

After a quick breakfast I showed them the loot room and told them to take whatever they wanted. I did have a few extra pieces or armor but I wasn’t sure if anything would fit. Lin grabbed a couple knives and a short sword while Ann and Lux looked for pieces of armor that might work. I would need to take them to the weapon shop or maybe with their help I could find a better one. None of them had packs or supplies which must have been lost. Before we left, they all gathered around the grave in the backyard and said a few words and placed their hands on the mound of dirt.

It seemed like Shadow was going to accompany us and took the lead down the street. She never missed a day of fishing. I took them to my usual fishing spot and gave them my extra fishing poles. While we fished, I asked Ann what they planned to do. They were welcome to stay at the mansion of course but I was curious if they wanted to stick around for a while or were planning to head straight back to the fishing village.

I would be more than happy to travel with them but wanted to finish disabling the summoning circle before I left. They would also need to get better equipment and supplies for the trip. Ann thought for a moment and talked with her family. “We will stay here for now if you don’t mind. We are in no shape for the journey back yet and if we went back without anything to show for it then the lives lost would be a waste. Not to mention we would be broke.” Ann said while pulling in a fish.

I then told her my thoughts which she seemed happy about. We continued fishing while I regaled the family with stories about Earth. I don’t know if they really believed me or could understand everything I told them but I had a good time. I caught Lin frowning a few times when Ann and I were talking and laughing so I asked Ann about it. “She is jealous that I can speak with you like this. I’ve taught her a few words in old empire but she only knows the basics.”

“Where did you learn old empire? Did you attend a magic school?” I asked curiously. “Ha, no we aren’t wealthy or nobles so I couldn’t attend the university. I apprenticed with a local mage and she taught me.” Ann replied wistfully. “You’ll have to teach me common so I can be a functioning member of society when we get back to civilization.” I said grinning at her. “Sure, I can do that. I’ll teach you magic and common. I’m sure you’ll learn in no time.” Ann replied catching another fish. I had taken a Spanish class in high school but didn’t get very good grades so I didn’t know how learning common would go. We fished until we caught a good amount and Lin even found some seaweed that was edible. It had been a good day.