2. Finally, a warm bath and other food.

As the girl rushed out of the bathroom, her head red like a strawberry, Alex submerged her body again, completely in the water. It was so nice after nearly 30 days of shivering cold river water. And the promised fresh-cooked meal that the Innkeeper had pledged to serve her was something she couldn't wait to have.

The rations hadn't been so bad, and she had found wild onions and other roots, but it was still the same taste every time.

But the time had been necessary and well spent. She was sure that people would think of her as a newbie, but at least not as a total fool.

And she has come to accept, sort of, her new gender. At least it didn't bother her anymore, and she made a point to think of herself as female, even in her own mind. Smiling, she let her hands wander from her legs up to her breast. At least it was a much more beautiful body now. And there were a lot of other nice sides to her much younger new self. Well, not younger in years; as Kagami had told her, Elf did need more time growing up. They were mature and awakened between the ages of 30 and 40. But because of this longer time, they nearly always had an affinity. However, she wouldn't miss all those little aches that had accumulated as he became a man in his forties. And to know that he had multiple centuries, even the possibility of agelessness if he survived the cultivation journey to that point, was something she still had problems grasping.

You are absolutely Shameless!

Kagami accused her; sitting on the bed, she could see through the open bathroom door. She was in the form of a cat, as she has experimented a lot lately with different looks.

That poor girl nearly melted from shame! I told you the northerners are a lot more prude than others. Was that an attempt at flirting? If so, I don't think you could be more direct.

Well, we did plan to make sure we stood out.

Alex, she used Aril, the Dark Elf language, and laughed.

And I don't think it will get me laid. But why not use the situation for training. I mean, sooner or later, I want to get laid. Just because I'm a woman, I didn't suddenly get asexual or gay. Well, no, I´m gay, or is it transgender, can you be brainstraight?

Whatever, I still like women, however we call it.

By the way, do you want to hop into my brain now, and feel how it feels when she washes my hair, or only later when it's time to eat?

A few days ago, they found out, that they could deepen their connection, to feel each other emotion, and in Kagami’s case, Alexandras sensations. They couldn't do it for hours on end, but as Kagami had no sense but hearing and seeing, she was absolutely fascinated by it.

And at least, it had let her understand why Alex liked to masturbate, a lot.

Don't have decided yet, by the way, she just came back.

Kara stepped into the room and stopped immediately. There were voices coming out of the bathroom; at least she thought it was more than one, and she didn't understand their words. She knew, of course, that there were other languages than common; there was still the tradition to call big cities in one of the old tongues that only scholars today knew. But she had never heard anyone speak anything but Common.

Is that you, Kara?

The voice of Alexandra came from the bath, and she hurried over.

Yes, it's me! My father is okay with me helping you. I should tell you that your food is ready with the next bell. That's a little more than a kackt from now.

Alex smiled at her as she came into the room, a kackt was about 33 minutes, she remembered herself.

Well, then let's go! I am really happy to get a well-cooked meal soon.

Kara put a low stool near the end of the tub, where Alexandra's head was, and started to massage the scented soap into her hair. As their Auras got in contact, she felt a remarkable energizing tingling sensation from the touch. The woman closed her eyes and seemed to enjoy what Kara was doing. She did not have much experience with reading Auras, only of her parents and sister. She knew that every person Aura was at least a little different, but this was very different. The Aura was strong, and she was somehow sure that if she had been tired, it would have made her more awake.

After a while, she couldn't hold her curiosity back.

I don't want to overstep, but as I told the others of your eyes, Helga, that’s the Priestess of Neraida downstairs, said you might be an Elf. Is that true?

Well, it's half the truth.

Alex answered.

My father was an Elf. So that would make me a Halfelf. Why?

Well, I never even heard about someone who met an Elf! That's not something that even most of the Clans folk can say about them.

Is your mother from one of the Clans, or from their islands, and meet your father there?

Alexandra looked at her and giggled.

That would assume that my mother is human. But she is not. And I never even was on those islands.

Now you make fun of me.

Kara said that and started rinsing out her hair.

Even I know that the islands are the only way to cross the sea! And even if there was another race on Ilutria, of which I never heard of, you would still have to have visited those islands to come here.

Ilutria, is that what the other continent is called? Well, even if you do not believe me, I was never there either.

Kara watched the women, perplexed. What the hell did she talk about? She was an Elf, or maybe a Halfelf, where else should she come from? Was she just joking?

So, then, what race is your mother from? And where are you from?

Laughing, the woman got up, again not at least disturbed to be naked in front of a stranger and took a towel to dry herself.

After a short pause, she said,

Well, I'm from the Empire of the Heavenly Jade Throne, and it's 69 Mortal Provinces.

As for my mother, let's make it a little more interesting.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

I'm here until tomorrow morning; if you can guess the race of my mother, you get a silver coin from me.

You can guess as often as you like.

With that, Alexandra walked back to the bed, where her clothes lay.

While the woman put her clothes back on, Kara sat, still stupefied. Was this woman for real?

Well, she could let her repeat her claim, while helping her with her hair; even as inexperienced as she was, she would feel a lie. So, taking heart, she followed.

On the bed beside Alex, Kagami stretched her cat form and got out of the way.

Come on, Alex! Don't you think you overdo it a bit?

But Alex just grinned.

Until the maybe Elf came back down the stairs, not much had changed in the taproom. The Miller was his usual quiet self, so there is an Elf, not much of it to him, but a story to tell his grandchildren, as he had commented. The Castelan was not so happy because he had to send a report to the Baron, who was at court now. And that would mean he had to send one of the arms men, and that would require changing the watch schedule.

Only Helga and Hamish seemed to be full of curiosity.

As the woman came back down, she no longer wore the mantle, but still had her sword belted. Cautious, this one, thought Helga. What caught her attention most was her bright green hair. She had read stories in which there were Elf with silver hair but green hair.

The women said something to Kara, too softly to be heard at their table, which vanished through the kitchen door. Then the women came straight to their table.

Stopping a few paces away, she bowed slightly and said:

I greet you!

I'm Alexandra Bloodthorn Willows Daughter, as I understand it, you are citizens of significance. As I would like some company after some time alone in the wilderness, I came here to ask if I could join you at your table.

And as eating alone is never the same pleasure, if it would be appropriate to invite you to eat with me?

Helga was mesmerized not just by the woman’s eyes, which simply had to identify as Elf, but also by her voice. Something like a slight echo was in her tone, like someone speaking in an empty room. So distracted, it was Mitch, the Miller, who answered.

Well, Lass, if you are paying, I welcome you happily at this table.

He laughs and pads his quite big belly. The Castelan looked at him angry, stood up and said:

What he means is that the honor is ours, if you would sit with us. I'm Argail Neerdan, the Castelan of the Baron and the mayor of this town.

With me is Helga, Priestess of Neraida, and he is our Miller Mitch.

The woman smiled and sat down at the table between Mitch and the Castelan.

Thank you.

Please excuse my lack of knowledge of your lands, but what is a Castelan and a Baron?

At this question, they looked at her with bewilderment.

Helga asked surprised:

You don´t know what a Baron is?

I mean, if your people don't have the title, I can't believe you never heard it on your long journey from the south to here.

Helga looked at her again and decided to ask.

I mean, you are an Elf, or did we assume wrong?

The woman answered her:

Well, yes, or to be precise, I'm a Halfelf.

But the circumstances of my arrival in your lands were a bit, well, let's just say unusual.

This is the first town I have visited since coming here.

Those words had Helga, and the others finally completely baffled.

How could you even get here without visiting another town. Helga couldn´t think of a way to ask politely if the women were making fun of them, so she decided to answer her question first.

A Baron is a title of nobility.

What do you mean, you were never in one of our towns? How did you get here?

Before she could ask more questions, Hamish came with a big pitcher of dark ale and four clean beakers; he filed one for each of them and, after leaving the pitcher on the table, he said.

The food is ready in a little while, it´s a nice roast of spring Gnorrack with a beet and root mush.

Ah, thank you!

The woman took a deep sip from the ale and then said to Helga as Hamish walked away again.

Well, that is quite a story, but I can answer your questions if you would first tell me what a Gnorrack is.

And now, she had never heard of a Gnorrack, the most common farm animal, Helga thought to herself. But as the Castelan seemed to only listen now and Mitch never spoke much, it was on her to answer, as it seemed. And well, if she got her own curiosity fulfilled that way, she would do so.

It´s a farm animal. It´s big, eats nearly everything and is breed for it´s meat. As Hamish told us, the one that he is serving is a spring Gnorrack, that´s a young one, and very tasty. He normally serves it only on Marked Days or Temple Days.

Oh, that sounds nice!

The woman said clearly happy.

I had only emergency rations and bunny meat for weeks!

But to answer your question, how can I say it? I'm not from here. I mean, really, really not!

It might sound crazy, and believe me, the first few days I thought myself, that I went crazy, but I'm not from this world.

Oh, look! The food is coming.

A very cheery Alex gestured to the bar, while the Innkeeper and Kara came out of the kitchen, carrying trays with hot, steaming food. Inside her own mind, she was greatly amused by the absolute disbelief in the faces of the others. Kagami was nearly rolling on the floor, laughing loudly, as nobody could sense her.

Those two came to the table and started putting bowls, cutlery and plates in front of the sitting people, clearly puzzled about why those three were looking absolutely stupefied at a, by now grinning, and then finally laughing, Alexandra.

Sorry! But you should see your faces!

And I mean, if something so strange happens to you, you can at least enjoy the reactions of others when you talk about it.

What do you mean, you are not from this world?

The Castelan blurted out before one of the others could.

Well, it's a long story, as I said. But if you have no problem with me eating while I tell it, …

With those words she started to scoop a good amount of food from the bowls onto her plate, waiting on an objection, that did of course not come.

The Innkeeper and Kara also stayed.

As I told Kara already, I'm from the Empire of the Jade Throne and his 69 Mortal Provinces. To be more precise, I'm from the Province of the Emerald Sea, which is a mostly Elfish Province.

As I did awaken not long ago, I had left my home and became an outer Disciple of the Heavenly Opal Serpent Sect. As this Sect and others were hired by the Celestial Jade Pagoda Sect, one of the biggest Sects of the Empire, for a huge Formation project, I was involved too. Of course, only in simple compassion; I mean, I just started my learning and had no clue what they even did there.

You see, there were thousands of Disciples, hundreds of Masters and even some Grandmasters at work. And even if they had told little unimportant me, I wouldn't have understood one word in ten, perhaps. I'm a fighter and healer; I didn't learn anything about Formations, nor did I plan to.

Wait, wait.

The Castelan interrupted her.

What is a Sect? And what are those formations you are speaking about?

Well, Sects are how the Awakened in the empire organize themselves. They are places of learning and working. They're big organizations, from a few thousand to sometimes even a million Awakened, that have responsibility for a part of the empire. How big that part is depends on the ability of the Sect to keep it secure.

It's a bid of a pride thing, to be able to secure a big area.

You mean, they are like our nobility?

Helga asked.

Not really, at least not like those feudal systems I read about in history books.

See, the Sects don't do things like taxation and law enforcement, not outside their own people. For that we have the Emperial Bureaucracy.

Please don't ask me how those functions in detail; I didn't grow up in a, let's say, civilized area. I did experience it just for a few months myself. But it seemed to function smoothly.

But where was I? Ah, yes!

You wanted to know what a Formation was.

I can give you just a very unprecise answer, as I don't know more.

I take it, that you know about Ritualmagie and Enchanting?

Her listeners nodded.

So, in very layman terms, a Formation is a combination of these two in a much larger scale. I mean, a lot of different Rituals combined with Enchantments, at least if I did understand it right.

So, back to my story!

As I said, nobody told me what they did this Formation for. But it was huge. I mean, you would have needed half a day to walk around the area the Formation masters worked on. Most of us were just there to clear the area and to make sure no Beasts or whatever would disturb the work. I was just a substitute healer at the base camp.

But one day there were some explosions inside the area, and as there were people crying for healers, I took my stuff and ran. It was a lot of chaos, and it was clear that something had gone badly wrong. I got to work as soon as I found the first injured person, but something else must have happened because I lost consciousness.

The next thing that I knew was that I was lying on a grassy plain and had a lot of pain.

So long story short, when I woke up east of here, the ground was very weird; it sucked the Mana right out of the air, and the Manadensity was extremely low. Still is, I have to say.

I needed some days to get back on my feet. I had inner injuries; whatever happened, it nearly killed me. Then I walked until I came here. I might have gone lost a time or two, but can you even get lost if you don't know where you are and don't know where you go?

Alexandra filled her plate again and her beaker too. All her listeners just sat there and hadn't even started to eat.

Don't you want to eat too?

It's excellent!