I woke up in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar place. I stretched, before the events of the past came rushing at me like a maelstrom and my pleasant reality was ripped away. Right. Work. Because that’s what my new fantasy life had become. What a ball ache.

I made sure to shower and clean up, properly brushing my teeth for the first time in, god, a week? Even Tyler loaned me a spare fucking toothbrush when we’d been traveling. This was only pseudo-medieval times, not the god damn dark ages.

The shower last night and this morning were more than welcome. They were god damn euphoric. I grabbed my clothes, staring at them. I don’t know about the others, but I had enough presence of mind to wash my damn clothes. I now owned two sets. A pair I’d gotten from a dead vampire that was tough as hell, and a grey kind of tunic and pants from a lost race in a super jungle made out of… giant snake maybe? My god damn clothes connection alone had more stories than most people.

The inn was a particularly rich one and we had money. Most elves might not work and might not need or desire to, but they had time and they fucking focused on it. This inn was an example. It was mentally pleasing in every way. The inn owner had apparently been in business for over two hundred years and had gotten a good chef, beermaker, and more. Seeing the seamless wood felt… relaxing as well. We had to pay in silver, nearly gold, but it was so, so worth it. I even got to learn cleaning magic exists. No idea how it works. But that went for all magic, really.

Feeling refreshed and shockingly not hung over, besides getting drunk enough last night to start to whine and complain until Konohora even got pissed at me. What can I say, I’m an annoying drunk. Although… I got to learn that when Riary got drunk she was somehow even more blunt. Seeing Tyler’s face go beat red as I learned of some of their, other, activities while out in the snow did put a smile on my face. Konohora had even shot me a wink while the other two weren’t looking.

Despite the horrendous start of yesterday, yesterday was over. Today was a new day! A new start! A new day to plan and work out what we were going to do. Some personal alone time in the shower had me feeling much more relaxed and ready for it. Yes, today might be work, but it was to lay the ground work for my goal.

The god damn potion I’d made no real efforts to find. Today would be the start of fixing that.

I walked downstairs and saw that everyone else must have felt the same as me. Well, kind of, no not really. Two out of three of them looked deathly serious, while Konohora had lost an edge I hadn’t even realized was there. I’d bet hard out of the four of us, this journey probably was the worst for her specifically. She’d gotten the short end of the stick this time around.

“Good morning.” I said, to a brief round of good mornings from the three of them. It was actually kind of surprising. Riary looked at me but I just sensed dull dismissal more than anything. Not in a negative way either! More like I was just some guy.

It seemed… that all she really needed was to chill out for a few months in a frozen wasteland.

As soon as I sat down, Konohora went to open her mouth, but I beat her to the punch.

“Pause. Food and drink first. Let me relax for a moment.”

Konohora huffed but nodded. Out of all of us, she was the one most wanting to get a move on. She seemed to particularly detest our lack of a plan at the moment for some reason. I had a vague intuition it was because of me. I’d derailed their plans and she hadn’t forgotten anything. Not a single thing from start to finish. Compared to Riary or Tyler… I had a feeling she knew where I stood and wanted it ironed out sooner rather than later.

A delicious breakfast of what looked like eggs, waffles, and bacon, followed. I didn’t really know if that was what they were, or if they were, they came from a chicken, wheat, and a pig, but they still tasted the same so good enough for me. Everyone ate and drank some kind of strangely tangy juice. Sweet but a bit too, sticky on the teeth.

Still, it was delicious. I could practically taste the magic in it and we all took the time to just fucking relax for two god damn minutes. Ah, the sweet life. I really should adopt the elven lifestyle after this. Move here, maybe bring along Selve and Celena, hell, the entire village, why not? And just start up a little colony. No more messes, no more nonsense, I could hire a bunch of people to build a little village nearby. Some wall makers, some Elves specializing in growing food, hell I could probably get the money soon to pay for all of that. Some guards for protection, set it all up out of my own pocket, then just let things go however they want. I could even focus on a hobby! I missed reading but… I don’t know if I could ever read another fantasy story again. They had to have their own fantasy stories here right? Maybe if-

“Derek.” Konohora said.

“Hmm?”

“Can we please discuss now?”

“Fine, fine.”

My dreams disappeared but that’s okay. They could come back later. Right now, it was time to have a serious talk.

“We should plan out how we're going to find the Gems.” Tyler started, Riary nodded, and Konohora glanced at me. I nearly sighed. This might suck.

“What are your goals?” I said simply, to everyone there.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Tyler didn’t think much of the question and replied immediately.

“To find the Gems.”

“No.” I replied. “Why? What are your goals? Why do you want to find the Gems? Why do all of you want to find them? What are each of your goals?”

Now Tyler did blink, realizing the conversation was going in an odd direction.

“I… want to go home.” He said, I nodded, before looking at Riary.

She squinted at me, suspicious, but answered all the same.

“I want to help Tyler get home.”

And finally, Konohora. She actually thought about it for a moment.

“I wish to help guide and mentor Tyler, and if possible, help him return to his home.”

“And that, is why we have a problem. Because I don’t care.”

Riary’s suspicious gaze became a glare, Konohora sighed, and Tyler blinked in surprise.

“What?” He said.

“My opinion hasn’t changed, well, not fully. The point is, I would consider us… developing friends maybe. But my life goal doesn’t revolve around you. I want you to get home and now, I’d even be willing to stay as part of your group. But my goal has nothing to do with you. I don’t want to go on a quest for the Gems. Perhaps we can do both, but if we can’t, I can’t go with you three.”

Tyler seemed to be shocked.

“You’d leave? After all that?”

“And what about my goals Tyler? Are you willing to drop everything, to give up looking for these Gems, give up looking for a way home, and spend a few years to help me complete it? Why would you expect the same of me? I think you need to understand… you’re insanely lucky to have found two people already willing to do that. Adventuring parties, as far as I understand, are usually made for profit and glory. Not solely to help the leader complete their personal desire.”

Tyler looked ashamed at that, Konohora nodded, and Riary’s glare intensified.

“Then what is your goal then?” Riary said.

“Me?” Well… if I had to say it. “I want to change the color of my eyes.” I answered with a smile.

Everyone paused at that, did a double take and blinked at me. Konohora was looking particularly confused.

“What?” Tyler said, feeling like he was utterly lost.

“Just for that? That’s your goal?” Riary said.

“Hey, who said my goal had to be grand? Besides, maybe there’s more to it, maybe there isn’t. The point is, that’s what I want. A body changing potion. Or magic. Or maybe even a magic plant or mushroom. I’m not picky. If being part of this group helps me find that, I’ll stay. If not, I’ll leave. Simple as that.”

They looked at each other for a moment, before back to me. Konohora spoke up.

“There are methods to change the body I’ve heard of. Witches turning men into animals, Alchemists creating tonics causing mutations, Purification of the body, resulting in an enhanced physique. There are… many instances but I can not recall anything at the moment that lets you choose. I would need to do research to find out.”

She looked to Riary, who merely shook her head.

“Lots of magic can do some things like that but only for the mages themselves and not anything permeant. Not anything I know of, at least. Some magical species can naturally shapeshift but… I don’t know. Changing even cosmetic stuff isn’t easy. The whole body structure of an individual is unique, there is never going to just be something that affects a mass amount of people without horrible side effects. Maybe… one of the capital alchemists in the Empire can do it. But that would cost diamond coins, at least, to personally commission them. And time enough for them to understand your body. But… that isn’t an option.”

She looked at me pointedly and I understood. What human alchemists would help me, instead of kill me? Maybe Elves had something but, well, no one here had really dived deep into what was and was not possible with them.

We all looked to Tyler, to see what he had to say about this. He had a fierce gleam in his eyes.

“I don’t know of any way to help you. But you’re right. I shouldn’t expect you, or anyone, to help me for no reason. You're my friend Derek, even if you don’t think of me as one yet. I promise, I’ll help you find a way to change your body like you want. And I’ll help all of you complete your own goals as well!”

I nodded. “Fine. As long as you promise, all of you promise, to keep your eyes and ears open, and to make active strides in searching for a method, I’ll stick around to try and help you hunt down Happy and find a way for you to get home. Which means getting stronger, because I’m fairly confident that not only will he show up again, but that Space Gem he has really can bring you damn near anywhere if you spend a few years studying it.”

Tyler nodded and both our eyes lit up. He had found a method home. Perhaps I’d think about that another time, hell, if I can change my body… maybe I can change my race too. Hell, just the appearance of my race would be fine! If I looked human but had the blood of a demon… would there be any problem going home? To earth? Did I even want that? It was food for thought but ultimately, unimportant. A choice between earth and changing my whole body… I’d take the body change every single time.

I would not stay in this form forever! I needed my body. My right form! Not this… incorrect thing.

And we’d both found ways to achieve what we want. Alchemists can probably already do it? Then all I really need… is power and money! Sure, human alchemists aren’t an option, but elves and dwarves and other races surely have something right? I refuse to believe they have a monopoly!

“So, ultimately,” I said. “We need strength. So, how do we get it?”

That’s what it really circled back to in the end.

Konohora breathed a sigh of relief, happy I wasn’t going to leave.

“For that…” She said. “I think we should head towards the Elven Capital of this Kingdom. It is not a small kingdom, despite being along the Human Territory.”

Konohora reached down beside her, and pulled out a map. One she must have bought before any of us woke up. It was a map of the kingdom we were in, Eladrith. I could see our current town that we were staying at, Nors. And directly up north?

Prinsk.

“How long will it take us to get to Prinsk and why are we heading there?”

“A few weeks to a month with a caravan and because…” Konohora said.

“It’s home to a B-Rank Dungeon.”