There were no humans.
Kira clung to Brigit's hand, quickening her steps to ensure she was practically pressed against the teal lady's side as they walked toward the city.
She couldn't understand what anyone was saying so Kira spent her time looking around and observing people instead. And the one thing that stood out the most was the lack of humans.
There were human-like people. Humans with one or two animal features, horns or small wings or sharp teeth or fuzzy ears or, sometimes, even a long fluffy squirrel tail. Humans with really long ears and beautiful faces that Kira suspected might be elves or something similar. There were people that looked like something popular on certain parts of the internet, a more thorough blend of human and animal features.
And then there were those that looked like bipedal animals in clothes - various sizes, species, and even breeds within species. Cute and fluffy people who Kira struggled to resist petting when they walked by.
There were a few ladies like Brigit, with scales of different colors and sharp fangs and horns. There were big people with pig snouts and tusks, blue people with copious amounts of hair on their bodies, and once Kira spotted something she could have sworn was an android.
But no humans.
"Weird," Kira muttered, shaking her head as she stared across the way at a small fluffy dog person riding a much larger two-headed dog with a saddle. "Interesting, but weird."
The variety in clothing styles was interesting too. People wore clothing styles from all over the world, and from various points in Earth's history, as easily and casually as Kira wore jeans and T-shirts. Mix and matched in terms of style but at least most of them had the sense to coordinate colors.
Even the more outrageous outfits, with bright contrasting colors and sharp uncomfortable angles, didn't get more than a passing glance from people walking by.
Most people also wore bits and pieces of armor. Occasionally someone had full or half plate, but it was more common to see folks wearing gauntlets, a chestplate, and shoulder armor.
And then they entered the city.
Skyscrapers crafted of colored glass and metal fought each other for space in the sky, walkways made of metal pipes and intricately carved stones strung between them. Transparent pipes filled with liquid of different colors wove in and out between buildings and floors, steam occasionally escaping from valves set into the sides.
Wide paved roads with traffic lights kept people on mounts or in vehicles from getting into accidents. Television screens flashed colorful advertisements on the sides of buildings, holographic screens floated above shops or against walls to display goods and prices and even business names and contact numbers. Speakers played music in front of cafes, vendors pushed their carts through the crowds, and people in interesting costumes stood on street corners handing out coupon fliers to their businesses.
It was a city.
A loud, lively city.
Kira felt a bit overwhelmed. She wanted to see everything, try everything, but being unable to understand anyone was a big handicap.
Brigit bought a bundle of meat kebabs off a vendor and handed it to the Human hatchling, who looked absolutely delighted at having more food. Kira snacked happily on the kebabs while glancing around at everything they walked past, taking in the sights like an excited tourist.
Their first stop was a nearby walk-in clinic. Brigit was mostly healed but couldn't help feeling bothered by the state Kira was in - scratched limbs, scraped knees, and battered hands lacking some fingernails. Notwithstanding her being Human, Kira was just a hatchling. Brigit's heart ached to think of the pain she must have been struggling to suppress.
Kira, on the other hand, already forgot about her missing fingernails since she had so many other things to think about.
Like what kind of meat the yummy kebabs were made of.
...She could only hope it wasn't someone she knew.
Wait, no. That couldn't be possible.
Then it was fine!
She finished her kebabs and glanced around, interested to find Brigit took her to a place that looked and smelled like a doctor's waiting room. There was even a woman with big glasses behind a counter, typing away at a computer. On the wall behind her were various posters with bright pictures that probably depicted different warnings or information.
Unlike doctor's offices Kira was used to seeing, however, there was a heavily armored bull man with massive muscles standing by the counter, clutching a massive spear. He stared toward the entrance, standing at attention and ready to deal with any troublemakers.
The receptionist looked up and smiled when she saw Brigit approach the counter. On her shoulder gleamed a brass name plaque stating her name was Wendii. "Good morning, ma'am! How can we help you today?"
"My ward requires a check-up." Brigit signed her name on the provided tablet screen. "She has some minor injuries that need tending to."
Wendii glanced around. "You'll need to bring the patient here, we don't do house calls."
Brigit's mouth twitched. "I did bring her."
"Oh, is she sitting down already? Or waiting outside? I'll need to see her so I can assess her priority for treatment."
Brigit coughed and glanced down at the girl standing next to her. "It's this hatchling here. Her name is Kira."
The receptionist jumped in her seat, dislodging the large silver glasses from her face. When did that girl get there?! The Drakke woman approached the counter alone... Didn't she?
"Ah, yes. Well. Ahem." Wendii fixed her glasses and held out the tablet screen again. "Place your hand on the screen for assessment, please."
'Here we go again,' Brigit thought, gently taking Kira's hand and placing her palm to the screen.
Three...
Two...
"Kyaaaaa!"
Bingo. Brigit sighed and patted a very bemused Kira on the head. "Please don't scream at my ward."
Wendii choked on air, struggling to calm her breathing. "Y-yes, it's just... I see. Yes. I'm so sorry. Please, come this way!"
The receptionist hurried to open the door beside the counter, leading Brigit and Kira through a long hallway to a comfortable room with plush couches. Various drinks and snacks were arranged on a table, which Wendii broadly gestured to. "Please, help yourself to anything you like! The healer will be with you in just a moment."
Brigit frowned. She couldn't afford the VIP treatment! Her remaining Credits would barely cover a basic check-up. "But the fee-"
Wendii cut Brigit off before she could finish the sentence. "Please, please! How could we possibly accept your money? Yes, yes, it's our pleasure to assist! Do make yourselves comfortable, miladies!"
The receptionist bobbed a curtsy before backing out the door. Brigit raised her brows while Kira sat down, completely unbothered by the commotion, and started picking through snacks on the table.
As they waited, Brigit opened her System Interface and tendered a resignation to the company. Her teammates tried to kill her, then kicked her from the party when they failed to do so. Continuing to work for the same company as them would only lead to problems in the future.
She made sure to file a complaint and requested an inquiry along with the resignation. If she was lucky, there'd be recompense! At the very least, it would keep her ex-teammates from seeking further vengeance through the company. Brigit used the 【 Scroll of Recall 】 and returned far more quickly than the others, so she had the advantage in timing.
Brigit also managed to find a business with a service she thought could help with Kira's language situation, and reserved an appointment for consultation.
Kira barely had time to finish her second drink before a tiny, fat Kobold in a white coat hurried into the room, huffing and puffing like she sprinted a mile to get there. "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting, miladies! Healer Plank, reporting. How may I assist?"
"My ward is injured. I want a check-up and full treatment. She doesn't speak Common and won't understand your instructions, so make sure you're extra careful and don't make sudden moves that may startle her." Brigit sat protectively next to the hatchling, watching the Kobold with wary eyes.
For her part, Plank was very professional. She didn't tremble as she examined the Human with various tools and instruments, her movements slow and gentle. Everything she did, she did without having to lay a paw on the girl.
Kira just kept sorting through the snacks, oblivious. 'One for Brigit, one for me. Two for Brigit, two for me!'
Plank's paws glowed with a green light that spread toward Kira, enveloping her body in a feeling of tickling warmth. Her wounds closed, her nails regrew, and her HP filled back up to maximum in just a few minutes.
「 Cool, 」 Kira muttered, flexing her fingers. 「 Magic healing. Very neat! So this really is a doctor's office, huh. 」
"Other than those superficial injuries which I've already treated she's in mostly excellent condition. My only advice is to monitor her food intake more closely! She's not quite malnourished just yet, but there's definitely some deficiencies that need to be resolved. How long has she been in your care?"
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"Just a day."
Plank scrutinized the Drakke's face for a moment, then glanced at her hand clasped tightly in the Human's firm grip. The child kept sorting two increasingly large piles of snacks between them with her free hand. "Will she be in your care long?"
"For the foreseeable future, yes."
The Healer pulled a notepad from her Inventory and scribbled until the entire page was filled, tearing it off and passing the page to Brigit. "Very well. Humans are omnivores and require balanced diets to meet nutritional needs. She has a low level of vitamin B12 and lacks a diverse set of amino acids, which means she hasn't been getting enough varieties of meat for a significant amount of time.
"Does she refuse to eat meat?"
"No, she seems to enjoy it a lot."
"Then supplements won't be necessary. I have written further instructions but I recommend doing research about Humans, especially the care of their children, at a library when you have the chance.
"And she is a child, milady." Plank sighed, but the glare she fixed on Brigit's face was uncannily sharp. "This Human is very young, in most Clans she wouldn't even be allowed out of the Nursery just yet. I don't know your circumstances, or why she's so trusting of you, or why her Profile doesn't show a Clan affiliation, but do take caution. For whatever reason her upbringing is in your hands. Make sure you remember that and bear the responsibility with pride.
"But I digress. Return here every week until further notice so I can monitor her condition and progress, or else I will report you to the Atmont Council for neglect and she will be turned over to the Clans. Otherwise, I swear on my honor as a Healer none of the information about this child will leave my clinic."
"Understood. Thank you very much, Healer."
Plank nodded once and left without a fuss. Brigit finally exhaled a long sigh of relief, indifferent to the sight of Kira stashing all the food and drinks in her Inventory once the Healer was out of sight.
Other than needing more meat, Kira was healthy! But that probably meant she really had been on her own in the wilderness for awhile. It explained why she was so happy to eat meat and bread, and almost cried for joy when Brigit handed her some cheese. She must have survived on foraging!
Brigit sighed again, her expression complicated. For some reason, having a glimpse into the girl's circumstances made her want to spoil the hatchling a little more.
Since the session didn't cost anything...
Brigit dragged Kira back out into the city while simultaneously searching her Map for the nearest clothing store. She had enough Credits to buy herself and the Human hatchling a couple new outfits.
Yet for some reason, Kira kept refusing shoes.
The air in Atmont was a touch on the chilly side so her outfits were layered, with long skirts over leggings and nice long coats with deep cozy hoods and short mantles, even a couple pairs of comfortable soft gloves. All in understated tones of brown, white, or beige that complimented each other well without being too flashy - save for gold embroidery on the coats and skirt hems and a lengthy navy blue scarf with white trimming.
But no shoes.
Brigit could only sigh and give in, seeing as how Kira was happy with everything else. She secretly bought a pair of boots that looked to be the right size to fit the hatchling and stashed them in her own Inventory, just in case.
Then for herself she picked out some black sleeveless tunics with silver embroidery designs, white loose-sleeved undershirts, new knee-high leather boots, and plain gray leggings that laced up the sides. Brigit wasn't old enough to worry about her talons just yet, so normal boots were still fine.
Older Drakke had to buy special shoes that had open toes while having enough actual boot to keep protecting the softer soles, since their talons would just shred through boot leather like paper as they walked.
Drakke talons grew longer and harder with age, and Brigit wasn't even old enough to start looking for a mate yet. She didn't have to worry about her talons for another few decades or so.
They wore one set of new clothes out of the store. Kira kept her old outfit to wash later, but Brigit dropped hers in a dumpster along with the ruined armor.
Damned things held bad memories, she didn't even want to try mending them.
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Brigit tugged Kira through dense crowds and across busy streets for almost two hours before arriving at their destination - a tall office building with two statues of gargoyles reading books standing on either side of the door.
The Drakke double-checked the address in the appointment confirmation notice before leading the hatchling through a spacious lobby and into an elevator to the fifth floor.
The fifth floor was mostly a big open space filled with tables and lined with bookshelves. Dozens of people were constantly sorting through books and piles of paper while inputting data into computers, while dozens more ran around the space at top speed with carts filled with even more books and files and sometimes pieces of stone or statues covered in strange symbols.
Brigit and Kira made their way through the chaos to a small office in the back of the room. Just to be polite, she knocked thrice on the door before entering.
Compared to the chaos outside, the office felt much more calm and cozy even if it was just as cluttered. Shelves with various trinkets and knick-knacks, piles of books, loose leaf pages and even some scrolls filled just about every inch of space. Behind the single large desk in the center was...
A rabbit.
No, a rabbit man.
Kira blinked a few times. She'd seen quite a few animal people walking in the city, but none with a multicolored waistcoat and golden spectacles scribbling away in a book with a quill pen in its paw... Er. Hand.
His fur was long, plush, and a brilliant auburn speckled with white.
Kira really, really wanted to pet it. Her hands twitched.
The rabbit man's nose twitched a few times in quick succession before he glanced up - perhaps sensing danger. "Ah... You are?"
"Brigit Cinderscale. I made an appointment?"
"Yes, yes, of course! How silly of me. Please, come in, come in!" The rabbit man hopped out from behind the desk and started to busy himself making tea at a counter he swept free of crumpled bits of paper. "I am Professor Dellis Liam. Now, what can I help you with? You requested a consultation?"
Brigit closed the door, and cleared a spot off a couch for her and Kira to sit. "Well, it's a bit of an... Interesting problem. This girl here is Kira, and she doesn't speak Common."
Professor Liam glanced over his shoulder, giving a small start when he realized there was indeed another person sitting next to the Drakke. But he was so sure she entered alone...! He cleared his throat and casually added a third teacup to the tray. "Yes, I see. So you want me to identify what language she does speak, so you can find an appropriate tutor?"
"Exactly!" Brigit sighed with relief. "I... Have to admit, my funding at the moment is a bit... Well. At any rate, I certainly can't afford any enchanted accessories for her. Even if I can't find her a tutor immediately, I can at the very least copy common words and phrases from a basic translation dictionary from a library. Right?"
"Yes, yes! That's a very clever idea." Professor Liam hopped over carefully with the tray, setting it on the table in front of his two guests and pouring them each a cup of tea. "Then, can you get her to say something for me?"
"I can try. Kira?" Brigit turned a little to face the Human, who was already nibbling on one of the biscuits she snatched stealthily from the tray. When the girl looked up, Brigit used her hand to imitate a talking mouth, then pointed to Professor Liam. "Can you say something for the professor? Ah... She can't understand me, but she's been clever with gestures and tone, so maybe..."
Kira looked at the rabbit man, then back at the teal lady. She was so used to Brigit doing all the talking to everyone, but now... They wanted her to talk for some reason? Even if they couldn't understand her?
Oh!
Maybe they could!
The Human turned to look at Professor Liam with sparkling eyes. 「 Can you understand me when I talk, then? Do you speak English or have a Spell or something to understand English!? 」
Professor Liam, who had just sipped an entire mouthful of tea, spat it back out into the cup in shock. Though he couldn't understand the words Kira used, he recognized a few - enough to know the language, certainly! It was a language anyone in the world would recognize if they heard the right words!
"Good sweet Heavenly mercy of the Divine Goddess, this girl's speaking the Arcane Tongue!"