We have been flying for some time now, and we are only an hour or so away from The Holy City. Sally has been quietly resting on me and humming a melody. She has a real talent for that, in my opinion. It's very relaxing and calms my jumbled mind as it drifts from one problem to the next. It has been a peaceful trip with success so far. We got her the legacy class Frosts Wrath. Now we are moving onto my mana aura.

I have to be honest and admit this is daunting to me. I have no answer from the future to help me, nothing to steal from another. Just like the puzzle in the dungeon. Only on a much bigger scale. I hope I'm up for the challenge. I'll have Fenrir and Sally's help with the difficult ending to the quest. I have the lore tablet saved too. It only has one use, though. This quest is a measure of my own determination and will to succeed. Not someone else's hard work. I'm taking this time around.

The sun has long set, and the stars are out. I never get tired of seeing them, a masterpiece beyond expectations. It's so much more beautiful than earth. "Sally, do you ever wonder if there is life beyond the stars up there..." In truth, there is. In the sense of players coming here, we are aliens to Ancients World. I wonder if there is extraterrestrial life in this universe. If we did get stuck here, I wonder if it's the same universe or not.

That isn't something that will be answered any time soon. It might after the players settle in and build their own kingdoms or not. So many things to do. It's almost overwhelming. One of my dreams was to travel around the earth, see all the things humanity has built. I couldn't do that. Maybe I can here. "I believe that there is life beyond our planet... The universe is too big for there not to be. What a thought to reach out into the cosmos..." A poetic thought Sally. I like it.

It's true too. Perhaps a couple of centuries from now, the player's offspring will create a space program. However, the wonders and adventures of Ancients World will be too addictive. The children of the players will call this place home, call it Gaia. Earth is a forgone memory now, and its history will eventually fade as more are born from the players. The eventual berths of kids from players will happen. Make me wonder if they will be treated like players do or as NPC's.

Sally runs her hands up and down my torso. She is bold with the free pass I've given her. She shouldn't get used to it. "Where did you new people come from anyway, Zern? You all showed up overnight in the billions. It's an absurd thought and even more so since it actually happened." Many NPC's called us insane when some of the players told the truth of that time. Now it doesn't seem like the truth. This is a separate world, after all.

J&X really did something beyond their time. The human race is now no longer as vast as it was because of them. Earth was doomed to die after my lifetime. So in a way, it's a good thing it happened, but so many died. Many came to this world alone without the one they love. Some perished with the ones they loved. The lucky one like me was brought with my family. I'd have lost my mind if I lost them.

I'll never take that for granted, and if a player who lost everything needs my help. I'll lend it. This whole situation is mostly my fault anyway. I couldn't have foreseen the outcome since I didn't think it was possible. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Sally. Our strange ability to grow strong and fast. Our special place in this world, you and others wouldn't believe the absurdity of it. One day you'll know, but that's a long time from now. By the way, shouldn't I be treating you as a senior citizen since you are over 100 years old." Her hands dive into my armor and grab a chunk of my skin.

She pinches a piece of skin and tries to twist. Her result ends in my skin not twisting and her fingers poping in resistance. "OOWW!! What are you made of, you big meanie!?!" The difference in stats can do that. I chuckle, and that frustrates her more. "You know better than to say something like that... I get there is a big age difference, but that doesn't change the way I feel..." I feel her bury her face in my back after saying that.

Even I'm blushing a little from those confident words. She is an extraordinary girl. She could have turned out so much different after what happened to her, but she has become this amazing woman. I could see myself with her, but not anytime sooner or later. Too many demons haunting both of us, being a support for each other is better right now. I like that I can confide in her, and she in me. I don't want to change to something complicated when either isn't ready.

She has decided to say silent after that little show. As the days go by, she grows more important to me. "I'm unfamiliar with how to respond to that, Sally. So I'll say what comes to heart. I care about you, and age isn't a problem. The state of our heads is, though... Just remember, neither of us is ready." she nods her head slowly while still buried in my back.

Coming to an understanding of this situation will be a good thing in the long run. All the things that could happen between us in the future should be when both of us are really ready. Sally will be a very powerful and influential person once her power develops. "We still have a bit before we make it to The Holy City. I want to walk the rest of the way from here. The security around the city will be tight, and I don't want to land anywhere nearby." She stays quiet and doesn't move.

I know she heard me, and that's enough for me. I bring us down slowly and gentle land. She gets off and stretches her body. I do, too, and my body pops, unlike hers. "It'll be a couple of hours walking since we aren't flying anymore, but we'll get there tonight." She gives me a big toothy smile and looks full of energy. I really do hope she nurtures her power into something great. It's not something I can help with since she is an NPC.

She doesn't have access to the system like us players do. It is one of the biggest reasons we grow so fast and efficiently. We get to choose and pick, while the process is much more complicated for NPC's. I can help her with fighting and techniques, but improving her level is her responsibility. "I like the thought of having a nice walk with you under the blanket of stars. It makes me feel good inside." I chuckle and begin walking towards the marker on my map.

I toggle my wings off since it's an area with tons of people looking for me. "Stay close to me when we reach the city. I don't want anyone bothering you because you are a half-breed. If you aren't one of them, you are garbage. The same goes for me. I might be human, but I'm a peasant in their eyes." The attitudes in The Holy City are rumored to be very nasty. From the forum posts I read in my past life, the people in The Holy City don't welcome outsiders openly.

Sally falls into step right beside me. She reaches for my hand, but I pull it away. "You've been handsy enough this trip. You're lucky I let you get away with what you did. Now instead of trying to touch me, how about you tell me more about yourself." I want her to tell me more about her past. The more I know, the easier it'll be to understand her pain. I won't be with her romantically or sexually until she is comfortable with telling me about her life up to this point.

She huffs in slight frustration but relaxes and puts her hands behind her back. "I've been abused any way you can think of since I can remember. When you are a slave, you don't have choices. Who you are with that night or how you're treated. This isn't something I want to talk to you about since most men think it's disgusting to be with a woman like that." In Ancients World it might be, but a person is worth so much more than what others have done to them to me.

I'll never see her as others see her in Ancients World. Having a life like that is something I'll never fully understand, but I'll do my damndest to try. Being abused mentally and physically shouldn't affect how others see, and I don't see people like that. It's wrong to do so. "I'm not most men, Sally. You are so much more than others see you, and the views of others are hard things to push away. I know that, but I'll always see you as you." She stays quiet and looks down. She'll talk more when she is ready.