Chapter 21

An hour later we stood in front of the inn. The early suns bathing the world in their glorious light. Lapia had my attention, however. The Elf looking positively glowing.

Her clothes reminded me of Chun Lee, but her legs were bare instead of wearing stockings, her arms too. The backside following the curvaceous shape of her behind, stopping mere centimeters after her legs began. It looked dangerously sexy.

Making sure nobody was looking at us, I groped her butt, noticing a few strings kept the cloth from revealing more than necessary. She turned to me and gave me a coy look.

"For someone who almost cried of embarrassment when the maid took the sheets, you sure act bold outside." her voice was full of smug, looking up at me.

"You said it's normal." I shrugged. "So I powered through." I felt my cheeks burn a little at the memory of the drenched sheets.

She walked to the right, with me at her side. "What's the first thing you saw when you first opened you eyes?" she asked all of a sudden.

"The forest around me. Trees no more than five meters apart. Lots of wildlife." I recalled. "I woke up naked on the ground. I walked for a few hours, completely lost. Then I met a turkey, about this size." I gestured around my shoulders. "I talked to it, and followed it for the rest of the day. We came to a river and it wandered off back into the forest. I jumped across and walked downstream. A few days went like that. Then I started running while charging forward with my pike. Around ten hours later I saw the cart, and the rest you know it." I took her hand, locking fingers.

"Huh." she nodded slowly. "How fast were you running?" she asked with a thoughtful expression.

"Couldn't tell. All I know is I broke the speed of sound." I laughed. "That must've saved me a week or two."

Her eyes widened. "Natasha, your numbers suck." she sighed. "You traversed at least twelve thousand kilometers in ten hours. That's more than a week of walking." she looked at me. "Try three months at the bare minimum."

"Oh." I really did suck at math. "Well, that's that." I shrugged.

"You were two entire Countries upstream." she closed her eyes. "You left Tidon and entered Koluum, then rushed into Lumin." She leaned her head on my shoulder. "Now I get your stamina." she said, planting a soft kiss on my neck.

A pleasant shiver ran up my spine. I laughed with slight embarrassment and joy, looking around us.

Pedestrians around us were starting their day, leaving their houses and slowly filling the streets. A wide variety of vehicles pulled by animals and a few that I assumed used E'er to function, no visible mechanism to tell otherwise. People of all walks of life came and went. Watchers patrolling and a few standing at random spots. Their armor recognizable. However, the name of yesterday's Watcher completely forgotten.

Stores were either open or starting business. A group of similarly outfitted teens walking into a large building with opaque words that read 'SCHOOL' and some other words I didn't know, probably names. People mingled and did their own thing. I heard a few bards singing, unfortunately they were too far away to understand their words, the melody pleasant nonetheless, flutes and string instruments expertly combined.

The buzz of hundreds of voices and footsteps slowly drowned the tranquil morning. The people were as varied as were their voices. I spotted a few Lupum going about their day, some looking in my direction, my appearance quite contrasting to others around me. My skin no longer the pale tone it had when I woke up almost a week ago, now a vibrant gold that held a soft glow under the direct sunlight.

I looked towards the source of light and was pleasantly surprised my eyes didn't hurt when gazing directly at the suns. There were no spots when I looked away either.

My attention going from the people to the many animals and beasts that walked the streets, their growls, squeaks, roars, snarls and hisses too close for comfort. I had never gone to a Zoo, so the close proximity to the creatures made me slightly nervous, though not as much as I thought it would. Perhaps my instincts had changed after becoming a Halve, feeling no danger from those that clearly had the tools to be a threat in the wilds.

I felt a light tug and noticed Lapia changing directions. We walked to a stall that had fruits and vegetables for sale, the merchant a lanky lady with oily black hair.

"What will it be, dear?" her voice rough and raspy. Eyes like dark pits avoided mine.

"I'll have four peaches and a set of polupis, please." the Elf paid with a few copper coins.

The lady took a linen pouch and placed the peaches inside, then another smaller pouch and gave them to Lapia.

"Have a nice day, dear." smiling, the lady waved at us as we walked away.

My… Girlfriend? Handed me a peach. "Here, those are pretty good." she said and took a bite of her fruit.

"Thank you." I bit into it and a deceptive amount of juice exploded into my mouth. I had to suck and swallow to keep the liquid from spilling. Crisis averted, I turned to the laughing woman.

"No." she giggled. "The juice comes from the piece in your mouth, not the fruit." her smile was refreshing to say the least. My laughter soon joining hers.

Though a peach through and through, the fact that a bite produced enough juice to fill a glass was mind numbing. I enjoyed the fruit while thinking about E'er, fruits and Lapia's laugh, a gentle warmth spreading through my chest.

Well, well, well. If it isn't the consequences of my own actions. I thought with a smile. Pretty fast to be falling for her. I thought. Is it this new body? Does it affect the mind more than I initially thought? I had no way of knowing, and asking was too embarrassing. It reminded me of the crushes I had when I was but twelve, looking at fellow classmates and swooning over boys and girls. This time, however, the target was a bombshell of an Elf.

I stared at her while we walked. Her almond shaped emerald eyes meeting mine when she noticed my gaze.

"What is it?" she asked, tilting her head.

I shrugged. "Enjoying the view." I smirked at her blush.

That caused her to laugh and wrap her arms around me. "That was good." she whispered and kissed me.

"Mommy! Why are those two ladies kissing?" a boy's voice reached my ears followed by a female's gentle laughter.

"Because they like each other." the Mother in question answered. "Just like you and Misha." she added in a playful tone.

"Ma! I don't like Misha!" the kid protested. "She takes all my toys and pulls my hair!"

"My." she sighed with mock worry. "It must be worse than I thought." a calm laughter escaped her.

Lapia released me and looked around us. "Children and their curiosity." she smiled.

We continued our walk and eating the fruits. She took what looked like a cherry tomato and gave it to me. I received it, and ate it. Yep, cherry tomato. The taste, texture, amount of juice and even the seeds all were the same.

"What are these called?" I asked after I swallowed.

"Polupis. They're alright for a light snack." she shrugged. "They cost two copper coins on average for a set of ten."

"That's cheap as hell." I blurted out. Back home they were five euros a dozen!! Viva fantasy world.

"There's an abundance, so it's understandable." she handed me another which I quickly devoured. "You liked them?" she asked with a smile.

I nodded. "They're so good." I said licking my lips.

"Have at them, then." she handed me the small pouch. "I bought the fruit for you. So you can try different things." she leaned in and continued. "Also to find out what you like."

"Thanks. I'll graciously accept thine kindness." I said with extravagance and took the pouch.

"I find myself overwhelmed with joy by the fact that Your Excellency finds such gifts fitting." she bowed with elegance and grace. "I sincerely hope these paltry offerings placate thee."

I was pleasantly surprised at her following my antics.

"What's with 'Your Excellency'?" I asked. Remembering the way some people referred to me.

"Ah, that." she shrugged, straightening up. "People say that to Halves they don't know. It used to be 'Your Divinity', or 'Your Highness'." she scowled. "Pretty cringe, if you ask me."

I laughed, agreeing with her. "It does feels off."

"Nothing you can do, really." she smiled, taking my hand. "Get used to it."

"Whatever, then." I tried not giving it too much thought.

We continued our stroll, chatting about fruits and vegetables, sometimes buying food from street stalls. The white buildings became taller and more distanced from each other as time passed.

What looked like mansions surrounded by massive gardens were a common sight after an hour of walking. Then a wall half the height of the ones circling the city imposed itself in the distance. According to Lapia, farmlands and breeding grounds occupied the eastern side of the city.

We stopped in front of a particularly wide structure after mansions were no longer showing up.

"We'll take a ride here." she explained, approaching a guarded gate where a bald old man sat behind a small window to the side.

"Where to, Lady?" he asked Lapia, a professional smile on his face.

"West. Through High Grounds towards the Church." she handed the man a silver coin.

He turned to the side and whistled. "In a moment." he took the coin and stored it somewhere out of sight. "Two! West! High Ground, Church." he called behind him.

Before I could ask anything, a cat the size of a rhinoceros trotted out of the gate pulling a carriage. The beast was red with white stripes, faint, light blue whiskers shook as it moved its head towards me. It looked me in the eye and slowly blinked, then turned its head to the front. A man in a suit stood at the front of the vehicle, handling the reins.

[Untu, Lvl 62]

Holy shit. I gaped at the creature. It was massive.

"Come on, let's get in." Lapia pulled my hand and I followed, climbing on the carriage.

The interior had two seats facing each other, as any carriage would in any world. The material was padded leather and the overall tones were white and gray.

"Did you see that massive thing out there?" I asked the Elf next to me.

"The Untu? What of it?" she tilted her head.

"That shit looks like it could rend everyone apart." I pointed in the direction of the animal. "How can they control them?"

"Domestication?" she shrugged. "Like any beast of burden."

The answer was so obvious it had escaped me. I covered my face with a hand and sighed. "Anyway." I changed the subject, a little ashamed I asked such a stupid question. "What's your daily routine?"

She laughed, perhaps finding my sudden change of subject entertaining. "Wake up, take a bath, read morning reports, file them and, if needed, write up a summary." she leaned on me. "Mostly land taxes, profit, budget expenditure. Boring stuff. Then I'd meet with Nobles or merchants, discuss business and they'd try and convince me to teach the Laws of E'er to their children." she chuckled. "Then lunch, then more meetings, then write a log of the day's events. If I have any spare time, further my research and study E'er." she sighed. "Fifteen years of that. I'm tired of the monotony."

"Well, you had young boys to chase." I nudged her, chuckling.

"That can't compare to you." she smiled. "It's about time I retake control of my life. Recent events opened my eyes. I don't want to be sitting on my butt all day and talk about money. I didn't spend over half of my life studying E'er to work in that field."

I nodded. "That does sound boring, to be honest. Can't imagine myself doing that."

"You'd quickly go bankrupt." she laughed.

"My numbers aren't that bad." I defended myself. "True, there would be losses, but not enough to guarantee bankruptcy. I'd hope."