Diana gazed at Ingrid in disbelief, the woman that had been covered in blood just moments before was perfectly fine and healthy in front of her. Her pale skin wasn’t wet with blood but rain water and her hair was matted with even more water and its brilliant blue colour had not a speck of red tainting its luster.

“You-you’re fine? But you were just covered in blood!”

Diana could hear the slight quaver in her voice as she trembled slightly. Even though she knew it was just a game, the experience had frightened her a little bit. After all, she was just your ordinary high school girl.

Seeing Diana’s shocked expression Ingrid just laughed and waved her hand flippantly, the Ultivate’s body instantly disappeared and all of the blood which had soaked into the mud on the ground also disappeared.

“Oh my dear, you didn’t honestly think that an Ultivate is that weak did you? Oh, now now,” She walked up to Diana and reassuringly patted her on the head and hugged her, “I just had to make sure that you really were a Xana, our race has many enemies you know, and not all of them necessarily have to stick to one shape. But you did it!” She shouted loudly and felt Diana jump a little in her arms, “After all, you utilized the magical essence of pure water that Xana can use. If I think back to when I first met you, there was really no doubt in my mind from the beginning.” She let out a little laugh.

After a few seconds Diana calmed down and all that was left was a feeling of curiosity.

“How did you do that?”

Ingrid laughed gaily and spun around, her light blue robes swaying in the air as though the rain water didn’t hamper them at all. She looked so young at that moment that Diana couldn’t help but feel a little envious at the old ladies physical youth.

‘Perfect skin and hair, video game characters really do have it well.’

“Well my dear,” Ingrid stopped spinning and looked closely at her, “I simply hypnotized you with my voice of course, it’s something simple and you’ll learn to do it in no time.”

She let go of Diana and bopped her on the nose as though to show her disapproval at Diana’s question.

“Um,” Diana looked up at Ingrid with curiosity still in her eyes, “Does that mean I have to learn how to sing?”

“Why of course!” Ingrid looked at her with a smirk, “All Xana are born excellent singers my dear, if your parents haven’t made you try it yet then don’t fret, I suppose that is why you have come to our village, Xanandra.”

Before Diana could ask any more questions Ingrid suddenly looked up and noticed that the sky had begun to darken. She hurriedly walked back towards Diana and patted her back as she pushed the player towards a small forest clearing.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Come along dear, come along. We can’t be arriving too late to the village now can we?”

As the pair walked towards the clearing the air shimmered around them and a long, natural road made of a small layer of water lay before them. It was as though someone had added water to the surface of the dirt underneath and solidified it, making it appear unmoving and crystal clear like diamond.

Ingrid was quite throughout the entire walk and since Diana felt that it wasn’t the time to ask question she took the time to think to herself instead.

‘Dang it daddy,’ she was silently cursing her father, ‘why didn’t you tell me that the Xana were a race known for their singing? You know that would only be trouble for me.’ Diana herself had no idea how her singing would be once she begun, but as Sarah in the real world she had a gruff, masculine voice and even if her family and even James had said they didn’t mind it she had come to see it as only an annoyance that interfered with her femininity.

Not to mention she couldn’t sing.

Girls were meant to sound beautiful when they sung, that had always been what she had thought while growing up. But unlike boys who reached puberty and suddenly gained rough voices, she had been born with it. She recalled a conversation she had had with her mother about her voice when she had first began to worry about it.

“Oh sweetie, sure, you’re pretty, physically, but it’s only in a girl’s nature to worry about some minor, right? Don’t worry sweetie, James isn’t the type to care about these sorts of things.”

Her mother really wasn’t the comforting type. Even if Sarah tried she somehow managed to come out more insulted than when she entered the conversation.

“My dear,”

Diana was brought out of her thoughts by the kind and peaceful voice of Indrid.

“We’re here.”

Diana looked up and indeed, past the path of water there was a small village, lit not by fires but instead by what looked like bright blue gemstones. The village itself seemed to be a medieval, primitive sort of construction and most noticeably, the entire village was lying at the entrance of a huge cave that seemed to be the mouth of some giant monster about to swallow the small houses whole.

Ingrid swept her hands dramatically into the air.

“This, my dear, is the village of Xanandra, home of the Xana, and of course, your new home!”