4. Sightseeing and shopping.

As Alex woke up it was still morning, if she judged the light coming through the window right. With a soft sigh she stretched her body in the luxurious bed and looked at her still sleeping companion.

Her name was Virvian, and she was a beautiful brunette in perhaps her early thirties. The Madame of the brothel had recommended to her, after Alex had made the admission, that she had no experience herself. And well, she could really say that losing her virginity for the second time was much better than in her first youth as a boy.

It is true, as they say, youth is wasted on the young. She didn´t know where she heard that, but she did understand it now.

After a nice and intimate bath and long hours in this room, she had learned quite a lot, and felt pleasures galore. She had already understood the difference from her attempts at masturbation, but after last night, it was complete.

As a man the orgasm hits like a hammer strike, intensive but short.

Her new sensation was a lot different, like lying on the water and getting lifted wave after wave. Waves that go higher, sometimes lower and then suddenly you arrive at the beach, your wave breaks, and you just get tumbled around, losing the sense of what's up and what's down, before you get finally set down on the soft beach.

Having experienced both she would take the latter every time.

Carefully, making sure not to wake her, she untangled herself from Virvian and looked around.

Kagami sat on the small sofa to the side; she seemed to be deep in thought.

Alex got up and sitting next to her she whispered.

Good morning, Kagami. Is everything alright?

Yes! It's just. When I shared your senses last night, ...

I mean, I thought I was prepared. I mean, you really did masturbate a lot. But that was so much more. Until now, I didn't really think it was a drawback, not having a body. I mean tasting food was nice, feeling things like wind and sun on the skin was nice, but this was different.

Alex really wanted to hug her right now.

Don´t worry, you have a body!

We are together in this. You are literally in the bone of my skull. If I lose that, we are both gone.

So, you will always be able to sense what I sense, if you want to.

But for now, let's get breakfast, and then we go shopping.

Alex got back to the bed and woke Virvian with a kiss to the neck.

Hey sleepyhead, don't worry; you can sleep again soon. I just wanted to thank you for the night and ask if you would be there for me the next night too.

HuH! Virvian looked at her still a little sleepy. Well, I wouldn't say no.

You really are such a good student, and I had so much fun myself.

Are you in town for a long time? I know you told me you wanted to go to Ephemersfurt soon.

Yes, but there is no rush. I go now and do a little shopping; after all, you gave me some good tips there, and I do a little sightseeing in this city. I'm back in the evening.

Ok! Stay save and don´t go into the river harbor district or where the furnaces are.

Virvian said, gave her a little kiss on the nose, and was back to sleeping in no time.

Alex simply put on her clothes, took her stuff and left the Gilded Rose with a happy smile.

At first, well after getting something greasy in a bun to eat, she made her way to a leather worker she had gotten from Virvian. As the Gilded Rose was at the border with the Craft District, it was not very far. The half-timber houses, which had mostly a first floor made of stone, clearly showed the wealth of the city and its craftsmen. She hadn't seen a slum, but she knew there had to be something like it somewhere. Just a fact of life. Probably somewhere in or by the harbor she was warned of. For now, she just enjoyed the ambience here, which was a mixture of the Middle Ages and Renaissance and was happy that the smell wasn't as bad as she had read of the European cities of that time. There was some smell, but at least it was not like the people just putting their refuse on the street. She made a mental note to find out how they deal with that in the next few days. The brothel had facilities that might point to the existence of a sewerage, but who knows? For now, she was just happy; she didn’t have to walk through human and animal shit.

The store of the leather worker was a three-story-high, brightly painted house. Most of its front was an opening that could be closed with huge wooden shutters and gave a good look to the inside of the first floor. This store was a nice-looking mix of displays of the work and working space of the Crafter, who was a middle-aged woman who was engaged in burning a fine pattern into a piece of leather.

As Alex stepped up the two stairs and into the store, a young boy next to the woman tugged at her sleeve and made her look up.

Hello, my name is Alexandra Bloodthorn Willows Daughter, and I´m a Nymph. That is a special kind of Halfelf.

She had decided to introduce herself like this to not have the same conversation on and on.

You were recommended to me, as I need some clothes as I lost most of my luggage recently.

Well, for your needs in things worked from leather, I can help you. What exactly is it that you need? The women asked and Alex started happily describing the kinds of trousers, short skirts and tops she wanted. The woman was quite perplexed by the licentiousness of the described items but didn't seem to want to lose out by being prude. Still, she warned Alex that people might get annoyed seeing her walking around like this.

Finally, they found common ground on the price, a point where Kagami’s help was decisive for Alex, who still hadn't much knowledge of what things are worth, and the women promised that she could come and get her stuff in four days.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

After paying half the price in advance, the woman, which name was Frina also gave her recommendations for a cobbler and armorer, as she couldn´t satisfy all of Alexes needs.

The cobbler was a quick affair, as she only needed some heavy boots, for when the soft but sturdy steelspidersilken she had wouldn't be enough. He had some that she liked already on display, and as they needed just a little work to fit perfectly, she would be able to get them this evening.

The armor store was quite a big one, as she had asked for someone who specialized in light armor. It was a big, much fancier store that had armor of all sorts presented on mannequins. A store clerk stood behind a dark wooden counter and silently watched as Alex looked over the displays.

She had, of course, no real point of reference or experience, but what she saw was of seemingly good quality and probably expensive. After browsing the displays, she walked up to the clerk and said,

Hello, I´m Alexandra Bloodthorn Willows Daughter and a Nymph.

I would like to commission a special kind of armor, and as I don't see anything like it here, I would like to speak to the person who makes your armor to explain exactly what I want.

The clerk took a close look at the exotic customer in front of him, tallied up the worth of her current gear, and was satisfied with his result, as he identified its material as spiedersilk and answered:

If you wait for a moment, I will send someone to get one of our masters, but I will need to know first what kind of material you are looking for. As it is, there are different specialists working for this store, and whether you want fabric or leather, or whether there are metal parts, I will need to call for a different person.

Well, that sounded like she was in the right place.

So first, there is some metal involved, but these parts are removable and quite easy to understand. So, we will not need someone for that now. But for the rest, I'm not really sure which material is the best, as I don't know what you have as possibilities. So, I would like to speak with both the fabric and the leather person.

The clerk nodded and ringed a bell, which brought out a younger clerk from another room. After speaking softly with him, that one walked out a door at the back of the shop.

It might take a few minutes, as the craftsmen will want to finish whatever they are doing at the moment. Feel free to browse our wares while you wait.

He said, and Alex did just that. Giving special attention to the materials of the displayed wares.

A while later, a woman and a man came into the store from the back. Both are wearing very good but comfortable clothing. As she walked towards them, she saw, as she had expected, surprise on their faces.

Don't worry, I'm a Nymph, that's basically a Halfelf. Alex said with a smile. I assume you are the craftsmen.

Both nodded, and the woman spoke. Yes, we are Geral and Alica Nahrdo, if I'm not mistaken, you want something unusually crafted!

My pleasure! I'm Alexandra Bloodthorn Willows Daughter, and let's say I don't know if unusual is the right word for it. It's not unusual where I come from.

If you have some paper and something to draw, I will show you what I want.

The clerk cleared his throat and put some paper and a quilt on the counter.

Alex got there and started to make a sketch of a tactical vest.

You see, this is a very easy-cut vest, which should be closed at the sides, under the arms. It is similar to brigantine, as there should be pockets for metal plates here, here and there.

She sketched roughly the placements.

The important bit is that those pockets stay easily reachable, so that the plates can be changed out without problems and quickly.

You see, it is just a practical amount of extra armor to use, if my normal setup might not be enough. But it should be made in a fashion that doesn't hinder my movements when it is worn over my gambeson. So, the placement, form and size of these metal plates are important.

Both looked at the sketch with interest. The man asked. Interesting! And I see no problem with it, but why do you need the plates so easily accessible? Everything that managed to break or deform them would most likely cut open the vest itself!

Yes, but it is not really for fast repairs. The thinking behind it is to have multiple sets of plates, enchanted for different needs. So, you can be better prepared for your enemy.

I have not looked at my possibilities with Enchanters, but I would like to commission a vest and two sets of plates for now.

She looked at the two and they clearly had understood her.

The question is now, what would you say is the best material for the vest? As for the plates, I want Bloodsteel, as I intend to get them enchanted at some point.

At the mention of Bloodsteel the clerk looked really happy, must get a cut from the sell.

Bloodsteel, an alloy of steel and beast blood; however, the heck you could make an alloy of that, was expensive. As a fact, the Bloodsteel coins were worth 25 silver coins of the same weight each. And the whole night at the Gilded Rose, with drinks and food, I just needed 10 silvers.

The Crafters were much too deep in thought and were discussing her question quietly.

After a while, the woman spoke:

It is really a question of how flexible you need this armor to be. If some stiffness was okay, then I would say a basis of glued-together linen, and the pockets for the plates from unhardened leather would be much easier to fix if cut open.

If that is too rigid a basis of leather, parts of it cooked parts not, would be better.

Alex looked around, answering.Okay, I think I saw some of this glued linen somewhere here, lets have a look so I can make a decision.

After some try-outs she decided on the glued linen, which is basically a Linux thorax with an ad on. They decided on a price of 25 Gold coins that she paid directly and got the promise that it would take no longer than five days. The crafters could tell her of a good Bladesmith, too.

The recommended smith was hard to find, but nothing that a little bit of asking couldn't resolve. Getting it known that a Nymph was in town was her side project anyway. When she finally found it, it wasn't a store like she had thought. It was a big backyard smithy with more than one smith, multiple kilns and even a small furnace. Most of it was under a high roof without walls. Not knowing who was who, she just asked the first one that didn't look as concentrated as the others.

Hi I´m Alexandra, a Nymph! That´s more or less a Halfelf!

I´m looking for Tragur the Bladesmith!

The asked man just pointed one of the others out, not one of many words at it seamed.

Walking over, she stood in the Smiths line of sight, waiting to be noticed.

After a while, the man looked up from the blade he was grinding, frowned and asked:

What the hell are you lass? And what do you want?

Hey, I´m Alex, a Nymph!

Geral and Alica Nahrdo have sent me to you. I want you to make me a blade.

What is a Nymph? And what is wrong with those you carry there?

The man was grumpy.

Nothing wrong with them. I just need a special kind of blade to carry in my left hand while wielding my sword. Alex answered.

And a Nymph is the daughter of a Dryad, well, one that doesn't have and needs a tree. My father was an Elf, so you could call me a Halfelf too.

Hah! I might believe Elf or Halfelf, but I have never heard of something like a Nymph. And a daughter of a Dryad should be a Dryad too.

Hey! I´m the daughter of a Dryad here, so I know much better about it than you.

Alex shouted and played offended. By now, they had an audience.

If you can tell me I´m not what I am, I could start telling you how you should bash your metal.

Now come on, lass. I just want to say that I never heard about something like that.

The smith was getting angry, and Alex feared she would need to find another one. But the spectacle was funny, and she had an idea.

Hah!

I can prove it! Look!

And with that she held her knife in front of the eyes of the smith.

A Smith that suddenly forgot his anger and looked at the blade with great interest.

What the Fuck? Is that wood?

Yes!

Alex said and rammed the blade in the wooden desk next to the two, where it easily sank two centimeters into the hard wood. After all she had her augmentation on 10%, as she did as often as she could.

See! Proof! I won!

The smith, and all the other occupants of the place, looked bewildered as Alex started a little victory dance.

Wait, why is that proof? I mean, a knife of wood as hard as steel is mighty rare, but it proves nothing.

Puh! Alex got her knife back and said pouting, she had trained that.

That´s Dryad wood. They told me you where a good bladesmith, I think I need to look elsewhere.

Wait! How should I know that this is Dryadwood? I have never seen some before. And probably none in the whole city, too.

What do you want anyway!

Alex put her knife back in the sheath, and answered,

Well, as the most knowledgeable expert on Dryads here, I can assure you it is Dryadwood.

And I want you to make me a blade, or better said two blades.

Like a hilt in the middle of the thing, and at each end of it a blade as long as my underarm.

Oh, and it must be out of Bloodsteel!