Meryda looked at Sophia in the mirror and smiled when Sophia said, “Why would I be mad? He likes you, and you also like him. I always thought that brat was nothing more than an annoying friend; that was why I pretended not to understand his advances. By the way, remember Eliza Francis and her two friends? The ones that were always bullying you?”
“I remember them. How could I ever forget? They were so mean to me! Are they bullying you as well? I am so sorry!”
“They tried, but I am not as peaceful as you. They grabbed me when I was having lunch with Emma and took me behind the school’s gym. I broke the nose of one of them and two teeth of the other, and I rearranged Eliza’s face against the gym’s wall. I got suspended for two days because that stupid Principal believed them and not me.”
Meryda gasped and asked, “You got suspended?”
“Well, Emma as well, actually. She saw the end of my fight but denied it till the end, but the Principal still suspended her. He was being paid by the parents of those three brats, you know? That was why they acted as if they owned the school! But my father went to a meeting with the Principal, together with Mia Mills, and they threatened him and those stupid parents with a lawsuit. Well, my father threatened to kill them all, actually. Eliza stayed in the hospital for a few days, recovering, and when she got out, she got suspended, along with her two followers. I became the school’s hero because of that. The kids heard a few rumours about my fight. School has been fun ever since Eliza and her friends stopped bullying the kids.”
“That… I mean… You beat them that much for Eliza to stay in the hospital?”
“I kind of lost control, you know? I remember everything they did to you, and I got so mad! I have your memories, and sometimes it is like you are my dearest friend! Of course, I would beat the crap out of anyone who messed with you!”
Meryda smiled gently and spoke, “I also consider you my friend. By the way, how is Emma? Are you hanging out with her?”
“Yup, sure thing! She is funny, you know? She likes to see me mocking Mia, and she often messes with her as well. What about my gang? The siblings and Tetil?”
“They are frequently on my farm, working. Sometimes we go for a Quest, but I prefer working on my farm with my Monsters.”
Sophia made a big smile and said, “Yeah, my father told me about it before I came to talk to you! You are a Monster Tamer? That is so cool! And also an Earth Mage, right? I could use a bit of Magic, but you are way more powerful than me!”
“I got worried when I heard about Monsters, but the ones I have met so far are not scary. Well, the Gigantic Spiders might be a bit scary because of their size, but I always found spiders awesome!”
“Well, I am taking good care of the pets in your room! My room, now, I guess. Except for the guinea pigs. Those guys freaked me out a bit, and Mia said she liked them, so I gave them to her. My father told me she has them in a cage in her room. I prefer the fish, the spider, and the snake. The snake is my favourite, actually! I never get tired of caressing that smooth skin of hers!”
With her eyes shining, Meryda said, “It seems we are both enjoying our new lives.” She then looked more serious and said, “If… I mean, if there was a way for us to change places again… Would you want to?”
“I am not sure, you know? Earth is a peaceful place, way more peaceful and safer than Crosslot. No wild animals are roaming around or Monsters lurking in the shadows. And besides, there is no way I would want to return to Crosslot before the Schools Competition! I am going to participate in all the events, and Eliza told me she was going to enter as well! I can’t wait for another opportunity to beat her up!”
“Okay, but… What about after the event? I ask this because… I kind of like it here. The Monsters I tamed became my friends, and the idea of leaving them behind…”
With a nod, Sophia answered, “I also like Earth, and my father is in a relationship with Mia Mills. He still says they are testing things, but I see how they look at each other. I don’t want to separate them if, by chance, there is a way for us to change bodies again.”
“My father is also with Rusha Banei, you know? They seem very happy together.”
“Yeah, my father never gave her a chance, poor thing. Before I forget, are you sure you want to go to the mountain range and talk with the Oomans Alliance? They might try to make you join them by force or kill you if you ever mention you want to talk with the Demons and hear their side of the story!”
“I know that, and that is why I am going to keep my mouth shut and let them do all the talking. After hearing them, I am going to try to meet the Demons. My Fae friend already said they could help, and I am not travelling alone. I have a Slime, a Salamander, a small Emptiness, and we are riding two Drakes. Enormous flying lizards! They look like Dragons!”
Sophia put one hand over her mouth and asked, “You are riding what? Drakes? And you have an Emptiness with you? A dark fog that melts everything alive?”
“Yup, I sure am! And the Emptiness is neat, even though I can’t touch him!”
“I am glad we are both enjoying our new lives. When my father told me that he could talk with your father and that I should come to talk to you, I was kind of worried. I thought you were having problems in Crosslot. Besides the problem you are going to face when you meet the Ooman Alliance, that is!”
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With a nod, Meryda said, “I was also worried about you. I have your memories, and I know very well that you are a menace! You were always in trouble and fighting! You are too violent, kid! Pof is always wondering why I am so calm every day without exploding like you used to do!”
“And you were too kind! And always so calm! I am having a hard time in school keeping my cool, even when some kid annoys the heck out of me, but I try to think about what you would do, and I calm down!”
“Nice to know I can be a wonderful influence on you, you menace! Hehehe!”
“Bah, stop mocking me, you brat! Hahaha! But seriously, be careful in the mountain range when you meet the Alliance, okay? I want to talk to you on another night, and we can’t if you get yourself killed!”
With a grin, Meryda said, “I am calm and nice, but because I have your memories, I can also be mean and violent. If they try anything against me or my father, I will make them regret it!”
“That’s my girl! Hehehe!”
The noise of both girls laughing called the attention of Jack Cross and Craydon Crawler, who were waiting outside the bathroom. They both opened the door, and Jack asked, “All is well here? It seems you are having fun.”
“Go away! Girls are talking here!”
“Okay, but don’t be late! You need to go to sleep because you have school tomorrow!”
Jack and Craydon closed the door, and Sophia faced the mirror again. “Say, what did you do to get to that bathroom? If you were travelling, where are you now? In a City?”
“Yes, near the border with the Shoq League. We were camping over the last few days, but my father was complaining that the hard floor was making his back hurt, so we stopped in a City. I told the Drakes to land in a forest when the first sun was setting, and my Salamander and my Slime stayed with them. My small Emptiness came with me, hidden in the shadow of the two Karkadanns we met while we were flying. I tamed them, and we made the rest of the way to this City by riding them. Two enormous flying horses, but taller and bulkier than a normal horse. The ones I tamed are completely black, and that makes them almost invisible at night. They look powerful, but they are scary-looking draft horses with smooth, backwards-curving horns on their foreheads. The guards at the gate entrance of this City told me the hard plates that cover the bodies of a Karkadann can be used to make shields, but at least they are vegetarians, so they could enter the City.”
“That is so cool! But the guards didn’t find it strange that you two were arriving in the City riding those two weird animals?”
Meryda shrugged and explained, “We told them we were going to visit relatives in Shoq League, and that the two Karkadanns became our friends when we gave them food. The guards thought it was strange because it seems no one had ever tamed such kinds of animals, but they still let us in. The Karkadanns are resting in the stable, and the stableman almost died of a scare when he first saw those flying nightmares! Kind of funny, actually.”
Sophia laughed, and after saying farewell and telling her Human friend they could talk on another night when she got to another City, Meryda took her hand from the mirror. She looked at her reflection and mumbled, “She is alright… and Emma is with her, so she won’t let her go wild.”
After exiting the bathroom, Meryda walked along the Inn’s corridor, where she was staying with her father.
Upon entering their room, he greeted her with a smile, and she said after closing the door, “You should have told me sooner, you know? Sometimes I have trouble figuring out how to act because I am not sure if it is me that is indecisive or if it’s because of Meryda’s memories.”
“Maybe I should have, but I… I mean, Jack and I thought it was better if we kept it to ourselves while we were trying to figure out how to live in such different worlds. What do you think of her? Kind of crazy, that little girl, no?”
“She is funny and cool. It seems she is having more fun on Earth than me in Crosslot, if that’s even possible! At least she is taking good care of my pets. Besides the guinea pigs. She told me they freaked her out, so she gave them to Miss Mia Mills.”
The sound of something brushing on the floor made them look down, and a green shadow took form. The smiling Fae appeared and asked, “What’s up? Had a pleasant voyage so far? You have some pretty Karkadanns in the stable, Meryda! They are nasty to Oomans and Demis, but they seem to like you! Such a nice Monster Tamer you are, yes indeed! Hihihi!”
Meryda hugged the happy Fae and said, “How have you been, you cute thing? It has been a while!”
“Fae can’t fly, you know? But we have been watching over you, nonetheless! We took care of clearing the path for you. There were some Ooman soldiers and a few Adventurers who seemed to be searching for you, but we sent them another way.”
Meryda noticed the Fae was grinning and asked, “What did you do to them, Fae?”
“Nothing… Nothing you should worry about.” Seeing that Meryda didn’t seem happy with the explanation, the Fae continued, “We might have told them you were going to another country.”
“I thought Fae didn’t lie!”
“And we don’t! We told the absolute truth to those who asked about you! You are going to another country, right? We kind of pointed in the wrong direction because Fae are terrible with directions! Hihihi!”
Meryda hugged the green being and said, “You sneaky cute plant! Hahaha!”
While smiling at the happy pair, Craydon asked, “You are going to follow us to the mountain range, Fae?”
With a vigorous nod, the smiling being answered, “Of course! That was what we said to Meryda when you both started your voyage! That we were going to protect her!” The smile slowly disappeared when Craydon opened the room door and pointed to the corridor.
The green being dragged her barefoot while going out, and Craydon said, “Go play with the Karkadanns because we have to sleep. You are too talkative, you weird plant!”
He then gave her a few coins he took from his purse and explained to the curious Fae, “Here, take this. Go to the market early in the morning and buy dry meat, flour, tomatoes, and potatoes. I want to sleep late, and I need supplies for the rest of our voyage.”
“You are really going to ask us to work for you for free?”
While closing the door in the Fae’s face, Craydon retorted, “Sure, I am! Move along; it’s getting late!”
The Fae frowned at the closed door and mumbled, “The nerve of that guy! If it wasn’t for Meryda, you would see…” The pissed Fae melted into the floor and disappeared.