IV · What in the Wonderland?

🎧 Let Me Down Slowly by Alec Benjamin

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"Ma'am," I felt someone shook me by my shoulder. "Ma'am, it's dangerous out here, ya shouldn't be sleepin' outside. Ma'am, are ya alive?" Feminine.

"Ugh," I groaned, feeling everything hurt, feeling my lungs burning and my brain nearly exploding, and when I looked at my wrist, there Sera was, reminding me it was not a fucking dream, damn it.

"Ma'am? Are ya alright?" The stranger asked again.

And when I turned to see her, I jumped out of my skin, finding what seems to be a red skinned humanoide, slander body, tall, with long wavy black hair, big deer purple eyes, long lashes, thick heart-shaped lips with 2 fangs peaking out where she should have canines, and though her ears were supposed to be at the sides of her head, they were on the top of it, above her forehead, two huge rabbit-ish ears. She was dressed in a pretty yellow dress, and had a black snake tattoo surrounding her entire left forearm. "What the fuck?" I gasped, leaning back, away from her. "What are you?"

She arched her eyebrows softly, "Ya have never seen a fire rabitta in yer life before, ma'am? Are ya new in the Empire?"

It took me a sec to realize she wasn't speaking any kind of English but the language my dad taught me initially, in one of the dialects he also taught me. But I couldn't think past her appearance that weirded me out so fucking much. What is she? "I," I swallowed, "I am new here, yes. Sorry."

Her smile was gentle as she offered me her… fluffy paw to help me up, and when I took it, I realized she was bigger than me. "It's alright, we are the only mixed people here, a land for everyone, it doesn't surprise me that as an outsider, ya haven't met us, since my tribe is small compared to all the other races," she helped me get on my feet. "I'm Tabitha."

"I… I'm Hesperia, but you can call me Ria."

"Hesperia," she tasted my name. "Evening star, right?"

Oh? Do people here know that normally? "Y-yes, yes."

"Alright, I'll call ya Ria," then she reached out to touch my ears and a shiver ran down my spine given the new extreme sensibility of them. "Are ya a fae or an elf?"

I instantly touched my ears, feeling them now pointy, "You'd say I am something else," I said instead, weirded out by the new feature, having no idea what I really am now. "I… where am I, Tabitha?"

"Ya are in Benjaminhaus, an hour and a half in carriage to the very capital of the Empire, and seven hours by feet. Well, ya could run if ya are good on yer legs," she tilted her head, smiling, "or jump, like my people." Of course, rabbits. "Come, let me take ya to the Inn I work in, it's late, ya can't be out here at this hour alone, its dangerous."

Nodding, I followed her, taking my hand off hers and staring at my now sharper nails, almost like short claws, all dyed as black as my dad's. But when I tried to think about what was happening, my head ached worse, so, I stared at the watch on my wrist, at Sera. As I did, the screen changed.

[Only you can see the screen, to them I'm just a weird bracelet.]

That made the tension in my shoulders subside a bit.

[Some things changed in your window, Ria.]

I frowned, staring at her. What could have changed?

[Soul Window:

Name: Hesperia Merikh

Age: 24 years old

Class: Void Dweller

Date of Birth: August 1st

Homeland: Hyacinth Garden

Occupation: Authorized Researcher

Field: Artifact Creation

Location: Storm Empire

Abilities: Unknown

— Stats:

Stamina: 100/100

Seduction: 100/100

Attractiveness: 100/100

Trouble: 1000/1000

Intelligence: 100/100

Strength: 1000/100

Mana: 100k/100k

Health: 100/100

Wealth: 🎴969,949,999.55

Artifacts: Three

Level: 94/∞]

What the hell is a Void Dweller and why does it sound horrifying?

How am I on level 94, when I just got to this… dimension? How are my stats all so high? No, wait a minute, am I rich?

Better yet, why are whatever abilities I got still unknown to me?

Why is it saying I was born in August 1st? I was born in a garden?

"Are ya hurt anywhere?" Tabitha asked me, and I snapped out of it. "We have two healers stayin' in here, a fae and a light witch."

Faes and witches? Hell be damned where the hell am I? What's this place?

I can't believe this is all real and not a hallucination of my mind. All of this is pure insanity, and I'm dying to call it bullshit. "Oh, no, I'm okay, Tabitha, thanks."

"Do ya got money? It'll cost 🎴100.00 per night, but I can try and get it down for 🎴95.00 per night, it may not sound like much, but if ya stay for like a month in the Inn, ya will have gotten a total of 🎴150.00 in this special discount. I know it may sound a bit expensive, but life ain't easy round here," she sighed.

How much would that be in dollar?

"I have it, and your discount is going to help me a lot, I don't have much, but I have enough to pay for some days in the Inn, until I sort some things I gotta do around here."

Which I still got no idea of it yet, ugh.

She clicked her tongue, "If ya don't mind a smaller and not so good bedroom that only has a single bed, a very small bathroom, a small window at the back with a bad view, and that ya will need candles for it, I can get it for ya for 🎴85.00, but to be honest with ya, that's our worse room, there's never anyone in it. Candles cost 🧩0.25 each, with 🎴1.00 ya can buy 4 candles, they take 20 hours to burn out."

I know I have money to pay for a more expensive room, but I am not the type to like spending my money, and I still have no idea how money works around here, what's expensive and what ain't, neither how I'll get more of it.

So, "I don't mind a bad room, a bed and a small bathroom is all I need, you're an star, Tabitha," I said, thankful.

Her smiled was sweet, "I've been competin' with my coworkers to see who would be able to sell that room, and more of the candles. Ya are helpin' me on it."

"Then I'm glad to help," I said, tired.

"So, what do ya work with?" She pointed to something on my back.

Only then did I noticed I was with a backpack on. Where the hell did that came from? "I'm an Authorized Researcher."

Her eyes widened softly, "Ya work for the Tower Dwellers?"

Oh? I do? I thought I was a researcher on my own. "Kinda, yeah."

"They are one of the most powerful organizations in Auradoom," she exclaimed. "The second place out of the three that accept people from all kinds, though they only accept the intelligent ones, people with skills to be a researcher. But I've heard they don't pay much unless your research is a very successful one, which is hard for scholars, no matter how smart."

She feels like what my dad used to call a game NPC, free info are very welcomed right now. "I'm not successful yet, but I'll be," I chuckled.

"What are ya researchin' about?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"Something related to artifacts," I said, vaguely, cautiously.

"Competitive field in the Nightcrawler Tower," she sighed. "I have a childhood friend there, he's a hybrid of vampire and fae, Angus Kristoff, have you heard of him? He tried the artifact field, but it was so competitive and dangerous that he changed to the Magical Awakening in Hybrids, as he is a hybrid himself, that was better for him. He's now a big name, and that got him a better salary, thankfully."

Nightcrawler Tower? Is there where I work? What a menacing name.

"I'm kinda new."

As we got to a five stores tall with an architecture very similar to a German one, she turned to me, "Well, I hope ya do better than Gus did, it'll help if ya ever get yer hands in an artifact. If ya do, don't ever let go of it and it'll work out for ya, its what Gus told me. Now, welcome to our humble Marie-Léon Inn, or how some call 'round here Ma'l'inn." As we went in, she chanted, "I caught a new client," and about seven people cheered happy.

A green huge muscle guy beamed, "That's my sweet mate."

I stared at him in shock… because is that an orc? What the hell?

"She is new in Storm, and not so used to different people, so, she might take some time to adjust," Tabitha told them, when she saw the shock in my face. "That one is Tony, Ria, he's my mate, and an orc, yes."

Don't stare, God, please, don't stare. I censured myself. Your dad taught you better than that.

"Mate? Like, bonded romantically?"

"Our souls are mated for eternity," Tony beamed, saying the exact same thing my dad used to tell me about him and my mom, sending chills down my spine at the memory. Then he came to us, wearing an apron that made him look funny, like an orc version of Professor Hulk in Marvel. "I am Antonio, but everyone calls me Tony, nice to meet you," he offered me his huge hand.

I stared at it, smiling our of incredulity, and took it, mine looking no short of abnormally tiny in front of his. "Hesperia, but call me Ria."

"Ria then. I'm the Inn's cook," he smiled gently.

He looks gentle, but I bet he could kill a human with a squeeze of his big hands, like it was nothing. "Nice," I said it, feeling awkward.

Then Tabitha took me to what seemed to be the reception, "She will take the 101, Dya, I offered it for 🎴85.00, and she took it."

Here comes another weird looking being, this one has orange skin, horns as big as my forearm, long midnight blue curly hair, baby blue eyes, what seem to be light golden scales around her body here and there, and she has big wings, the featherless type. Wings and horns, for fuck's sake. Insane.

"Too bad, Tibby, 101 just got swapped away by the fairy that was tormenting the graveyard. Landon got her," she giggled. "We are out."

"What? But we're never out," Tabitha cried. "Landon, you jerk!"

An elven looking tall and slander pale male with long white blonde hair and pointy ears came to us, grinning, "I'm quicker than you, bunny."

He has a weird similarity to my dad.

Was dad an… elf? Jesus, that sounds absurd to think about it, but everything about this is absurd, starting with Seraphina and this sick dimension. I bet this guy is Landon.

"You are a jerk, Landon, you did it on purpose," Tibitha scoffed.

"I can't resist work competition, bunny," he chanted and turned to me. "Sorry about that, pretty girl. We are out of rooms."

"You think I'm pretty?" I tilted my head.

His cheeks reddened, "I have good eyes."

Only dad called me pretty, so it's a good compliment. "I agree," I then turned to Tabitha. "Is there really no room? Not even a little one?"

She bit her bottom lip, clearly feeling bad, and a male voice spoke instead.

Manly, husky and deep, as if the person had just woken up, behind me, "I got the biggest room in the house, maybe we could share. It's big enough for both of us, and we could do a half-half with the price."

What the hell?