Chapter 8 The Breakfast

The next morning, Evernya awakened to a delicious bacon and eggs like scent wafting into her bedroom. She sat up, stretching her arms above her head, and let out a yawn. Wow, I feel great! Did someone lubricate all my joints overnight? I could definitely get used to a smooth and responsive body like this!

She sniffed in the scent’s direction. Is the elf lady making breakfast? Whatever it is, it smells delicious. Evernya searched for a clock, finding one on the nightstand. It displayed 7:38 am. Wow, I finally found a clock. It only required me to go through hell to find one!

Her eyes surveyed her surroundings as a smile of contentment materialized. It feels nice finally waking up somewhere, not involving a hospital or a floor. Let’s just ignore the pool incident! The elf lady said I live off of this mana, so was the pool water high in mana? Is that why I didn’t drown and felt energized?

I probably would have been bouncing off the walls after my nap in the pool if those bands weren’t limiting me. At least I don’t have to deal with them anymore, though I have a permanent reminder around my neck. Sure, like Meira said, it is evidence I escaped, but it’s also evidence of my enslavement too. The slave bands would explain the compulsions and how those evil robots could control my body. Evernya shivered, remembering not being in control of her own body.

Evernya shook her head to clear the thoughts of the last moments in the lab. How was I found? All I remember was euphoria, then excruciating pain until I blacked out. Did someone find me in the lab, or somewhere else? The euphoria part must have been me sucking in a ton of mana. Really odd how I can basically get an orgasm from eating. Her eyes widened in shock. I can masturbate from mana absorption!

I still have so many questions, some of which will be at the source of the enticing scent. Evernya crawled out of the warm confines of her bed.

As soon as she stood up, an enormous difference became apparent. Wow, I feel light as a feather with perfect balance. Was it those band’s fault I could barely walk in the lab? Moving feels natural, like I’ve had this body my whole life. The best part is I have complete control of my tail! It isn’t dragging on the floor anymore!

Evernya spent a few minutes testing her new, more responsive body. She jumped into the air, but panicked when she jumped too high. Her panic ended up being pointless as she landed on her feet a few seconds later.

She stared up at the tall vaulted ceiling, baffled. Wow, how high was that? I could easily dunk a basketball, and I am pretty short! That landing though! I guess that’s how my cats feel while landing on their feet. My body instinctively shifted itself to balance out. Luckily, this room has a vaulted ceiling or I may have broken my neck on the ceiling. Can a broken neck even kill me now? I wouldn’t want to break it to find out!

Evernya’s mind then wandered to what she went through, causing her mood to sour. She brought her tail around and hugged it while a few tears escaped from her eyes.

After a few minutes of crying, she calmed down, deciding to follow the enticing scent instead. Like in the lab, I need to take this one step at a time. If I don’t, I will break down again. I need to become strong to stay free! I refuse to let anyone confine me ever again! Maybe Meira can teach me how to use my magic. If I can use my magic, I could defend myself from these so-called Magicals.

She peered down her body, finding someone dressed her in baggy white pajamas with green tree prints. Evernya peeked under the collar to find nothing underneath, causing her to frown. Why does the thought of someone dressing me while I am unconscious and vulnerable bother me more than someone seeing me naked? These new instincts are so confusing!

These pajamas are way too girly for me. Though it definitely has an elfy feel to it. It’s better than the hospital gown I had on at the accursed hospital. Still, I think I prefer my outfit from the lab over this, though these feel nice against my skin. I wonder if I can find more clothes made of the material from my lab outfit. I didn’t notice before because the clothes felt so natural on my body, but the soft and silky texture was divine.

Evernya stood still with a dreamy expression as she imagined a nest full of the fabric before her thoughts shifted at random. Luckily, I don’t have a complex about my new shorter height. It not like I am that short. My height is only slightly below average. I am thinking in human terms though. Maybe I am short for a shifter. I won’t know until I meet one or ask Meira.

She twisted her body to check her tail base, to find a hole cut to accommodate her tail. Thank you for not forgetting about my tail! Jamming my tail in pajama pants would suck!

After several minutes, Evernya reemerged from her thoughts, at least partially. Damn it, my catness is showing again. I’ve been standing here in the middle of the room for at least five minutes staring at a wall. Are random thought tangents a typical trait of a shifter? To be fair, I have had a lot to think about since claiming my new body. I will need to keep a lookout for cat traits. I really hope chasing a ball of yarn is not one of them! Anyway, back to the original objective, locating the enticing scent!

Unfortunately, just as she reached the door, a certain organ felt like making its presence known aggressively. She speed waddled toward the twin doors in her bedroom, hoping one of them was a bathroom. She opened the one on the left, but found it to be a rather spacious walk-in closet. She slammed the door in frustration before yanking open the other door, relieved to discover it was a bathroom. She rushed to the toilet, not bothering to admire the fancy bathroom.

Fast as lightning, she dropped her pajama pants and plopped on the toilet, only to find the toilet seat was up. With her catlike reflexes, Evernya’s hands flashed out to suspend herself just above the toilet, avoiding a rather embarrassing fall into the toilet bowl.

She sprung to her feet and gave the toilet a death stare before slamming the toilet seat down. With a thud, Evernya dropped onto the toilet seat and relieved herself. She let out a groan of relief as the pressure eased in her bladder.

Stupid toilet seat! Why was it up in the first place? Does a guy live here too? At least it distracted me from freaking out about my first bathroom trip in my new body.

After washing her hands in the white granite sink, she inspected her reflection in the mirror. Apparently, bed head proof hair is a thing still. Does magic keep my hair perfect without tangles? Hopefully, whatever is causing it continues to do a good job, low maintenance longhair is convenient.

She sniffed herself, finding she still didn’t have a scent. As much as I would love to take a nice steaming shower, I think I’ll put off a shower until later. The shower looks welcoming, though. It doesn’t look as fancy as the one in the green and black apartment nor as big, but I think it has multiple spray nozzles along the wall with one big waterfall showerhead.

Before the temptation broke down her defenses, Evernya trotted out of the bathroom to return to her previous mission, finding the source of the enticing scent. She followed her nose out of her room and down the hall.

Similar to her bedroom, the hall had a comforting nature feel. The walls had trees and flowers masterfully painted on them, giving the feeling that she was walking through a beautiful forest instead of a hallway. The floor was a dark hardwood with the texture of a dirt path leading through the woods. She passed multiple doors on each side of the hall on her journey toward the enticing scent. The painting bordering each door made it appear that they were diverging paths in the dense woods. Halfway down the hall, she came upon a staircase leading down. Evernya followed the scent trail down the stairs, finding herself in another hallway painted the same way as the upper floor.

Evernya passed by similar doorways until the hall opened up into a living room area. This area’s design had a more modern design with dark hardwood floors and tan walls. Five meters to her left was a massive, dark wood double door. The door was at least three meters tall and wide.

Straight ahead was an entertaining area with an extra-long black leather couch enough to lay one and a half Evernyas lengthwise. Identical black leather recliners with end tables acting as barriers bordered each end of the couch. The recliners tilted inward toward a giant TV hanging on the wall. A reddish wood coffee table sat in front of the couch, providing a perfect place to set food while watching the TV.

To her right was a wide door-less arched opening, which led to the enticing scent. The scent led her to a fancy modern kitchen and dining room. To the right was a large, almost black wood dining room table, big enough to seat over a dozen people. The walls were white, while the floor was black tile in both the dining room and kitchen. Her eyes landed on a glass sliding door opposite the arch, providing a view of a grass yard with a stone path bisecting it, leading to the lake.

The spacious kitchen to the left was horseshoe-shaped with an island counter in the middle, following the same black-and-white color scheme. All the countertops were black granite, while the cabinets had a white finish. The appliances appeared to be stainless steel, adding another color to the black and white kitchen.

Evernya’s attention zeroed in on the elf occupying the stove with her back turned to Evernya. The scent wafting off the stove had a similar aroma to bacon and eggs, but at an enhanced degree.

Meira glanced over her shoulder from the stove, smiling when she spotted the hungry kitten she attracted. She gestured for her kitten to take a seat at the island counter before returning her attention to the stove.

“What are you cooking, and why does it smell so good?” The salivating catgirl inquired, plopping down on the right stool at the counter.

“Just some eggs and bacon,” the smiling elf replied as she continued to tend to the food.

“If it were just eggs and bacon, it wouldn’t smell that good,” Evernya asserted while watching every move Meira made like a hawk from her perch.

Meira puffed her chest with pride as she spoke in an excited tone. “Well, I splurged on your first breakfast with some Northern Furred Chicken eggs and Scaled Hog bacon. I went out hunting for them this morning and got lucky. I have plenty of ham and chicken stored away for future meals as well.”

“I’ve never heard of either of those creatures,” Evernya remarked, causing Meira’s previously proud demeanor to shatter.

With a depressed flat tone, Meira explained, “They are one of the wild, much tougher variants of an ordinary domesticated chicken or hog. Because of their increased mana saturation than their domesticated counterparts, they are much more expensive if you were to buy them. I’m not sure what your optimal diet is, but I figured you would prefer something with a bit more mana in it.”

Upon noticing how her kitten appeared to be seconds away from pouncing, Meira finished up the eggs. She figured her kitten’s appetite may be crazy, so she used over a dozen eggs for her portion with ten pieces of bacon. Meira then walked to the fridge, pulling out a two-liter jug of milk, which Evernya stared at with predatory focus. She poured a glass for Evernya, then served the meal stacked on an enormous light blue plate.

The second the meal was in front of Evernya, she inhaled the food and milk so quickly Meira was afraid she might choke. Within two minutes, all dozen eggs, ten pieces of bacon, and the milk disappeared down her kitten’s throat. Meira stared, slack-jawed.

“Wow.” was all Meira could get out from her shock.

Evernya let out a cute little burp before eyeing the milk jug on the counter with intense interest. Meira sighed and poured another glass, which Evernya instantly gulped down before returning her focus to the milk jug. Meira gave up and handed the whole milk jug to Evernya, who happily guzzled it down.

After drinking all the milk, Evernya finally came back to her senses, staring in horror at the carnage she created. “Sorry, I guess I was hungrier than I thought,” Apologized Evernya, peering up at Meira with a sheepish expression.

A moment later, Evernya’s eyes became droopy. She shook her head to clear the drowsiness, but it had no effect, as she lost her unwinnable battle. She fell asleep within a minute, using her arms as a pillow on the counter.

Meira stared down at her sleeping kitten with pity. Wow, the poor girl was starving, and she didn’t even realize it. When was the last time she had a proper meal? It looks like she still needs food but can live without it. If it were all about the mana, she would’ve sucked it right out of all the food. Good thing I didn’t bring out the rest of the eggs and bacon, or she may have emptied my entire fridge. We need to get her on a proper diet. It isn’t healthy for her to splurge and pass out. Hopefully, once she has a regular eating schedule, she won’t have such an extreme reaction.

Meira picked up the food comaed girl, carrying her toward the sofa in the living room.