Blood Fractal – Volume 2

Chapter 4

When Violence Calls We Fight or Maybe Don't

- Our New Second Story Living Accommodations in Acdin -

The first night or morning in the new place was expectedly calm. The noise from the street wasn't too loud nor was there any problems with the neighbors. Most of the neighbors were busy during the time we were sleeping anyways.

The three of us were snuggled up in the fabrics and pillows. The World felt comfortable. I could recall a few years ago, back when I was little, we had a sleep over or two as kids. This felt a bit like that, no pillow fights, no talk about boys, all of us sleeping on the floor. I recalled also that friend had moved away months later. Wonder what they are up to now?

Looking around the place there was a lack of furniture, today would be good to get what we needed. Wanted to crawl back under the sheets with Dainea, she was in need of a bath. We all were actually. Even Steph had the scent of sex on her. Taking the largest bowl we had, tossed on the travel cloak and I went out to the well and drew some water.

“Fireball!” I lit the fireplace and started cleaning up, washed myself then Steph and last Dainea, so I could take my time and enjoy teasing her. She only complained about me being strange a few times. Sure it wasn't actually a fireball spell, just me saying fireball, while the magic lit the wood on fire.

Clean and ready to start the day, I ask them to buy things for the place while I crafted. The sun was bright out and if I could spend less time outside during the day then all the better. Seeing them off with enough coin, I got to work again.

Princes Steph and Dainea returned with a load of random things, food, a few things to cook with, a chair. A bed frame would be delivered some time later. Would take a while to decorate at this rate but the fun of moving into my first apartment was quite the thrill. We talked a great deal about things we would like to do and get for the place.

Watched while Dainea set about making a lunch for her and Steph. I could at least enjoy the smell. Thinking about the promise I had made to Steph I asked Dainea, “Not seen many things made with milk around town, are there animals you can get milk from around here?” In the end I had to explain milk to her as well. Apparently, there is such a food and it is not common in the region, something similar to a goat or sheep hybrid crossed with a yak. More of a mountain region type of ingredient as pasture lands would tend to get raided. Things like keeping cows alive would take walls or guards or something.

“How about fruit? What kinds do you get in the area?”

“Fruit, there are...” None of the names she gave sounded familiar and having her describe the flavors only convinced me we would have to try them to get much past sour or sweet. “Ophilia, If you can't eat food why do you want to know about fruit?”

“Well,” while looking at Steph I continued, “wanted to make something called Ice Cream, since milk is not easy to get, I might be able to fashion some kind of sherbet or iced fruit dessert for Princess.”

“Sounds tasty.”

“If we find a fruit you like would that be okay Steph?”

“I know you want to get something for me, it is not going to be too much work, is it?” She purred in my lap.

“If you invent something in this World you can make a lot of profit if done right. There are thousands upon thousands of light novels from Asia like that these days. Want to sell the rights to a chain or busy body someplace can buy my castle with those funds, right Princess?”

“Right I did hear about light novels or something back in 2018.” Steph didn't seem to worried, honestly the tailoring would be enough to make serious cash. Still, there was only so many things we could sell in a small town before having to just knock out common items.

“Dainea, Princess what would you like to do in the future?”

“...”

“Is it your goal to work at the Wooden Bucket tavern forever? And maybe there is something Steph can manage besides napping all the time.” I poke Steph's nose then scratch her ears.

“I like serving drinks in the tavern, I can do other things.”

“Besides the bow anything you interested in learning? And you pussy cat, Moon Minx?” I rub her nose some then smile.

“Guess learning to read would be good.” I look at her, ah, that is right. I had Ophilia's skills transferred to me, including reading to some extent. Steph may just be going by words alone. Check add writing and reading lessons to the list. I've not held a pen in a long time either. Computers on Earth pretty much voided that skill three years ago.

“Interested in learning? Anything? Might be,” She crawls up to me and leans towards my face, kissing me on my nose. “Maybe every face you can make in bed?” The color of her cheeks was enough to put me into motion. I quickly push away the pile of clothes and stuff. Pull her down on top of me. Steph in between us had nowhere to go.

- Hour later -

I know, I know, I have to learn to relax a bit and live in the moment, but for some reason, I want to focus on our future and the possibilities ahead of us. Might be, it is just my roll in the group. How is everyone's cooking skills? Will we live through battle with monsters? Steph can get away running, I can fight, but if things were to happen not sure what to do with Dainea.

Dainea's archery lessons. A bow hum? Guess we should ask Teea to look at Dainea and see what she can learn. “We are meeting Teea at the north gate around Second Night Bell for wilderness survival classes. We can get you lessons on using a bow from her. She might have time during the day, but with militia training it might be group lessons. At night, It conflicts with working at the tavern, what do you want to do Dae?”

“You were serious about that?”

“Of course, going to the next town has risks, can't live here forever can we?”

“Oh!” She put her finger to her cheek, thought for a bit, “Let me ask at work today. I'll meet up if they say it's okay then.”

“Sure!” I clean up the pile of fabrics just in time for the bed frame to arrive.

Adding the curtains we nailed up, the new bed frame, sans mattress, the new chair and random things, the place is starting to become livable at least.

Before today's classes, I had time to drop off a few things at the tailor shop and arrange some wood to be delivered. I'll make shelves and stuff later. Add to that some firewood, that stuff ain't free for some reason. Unless you are going to cut, haul it from the forest and dry it yourself.

- Forest Clearing -

The walk to our practice clearing was discussion filled this time. Mr. Planknel was good about helping fill in a few things about magic in relation to this World politics and the various schools and such across the Continent. Three major schools a council of mages who set regional policy and laws restricting certain practices. You weren't allowed to pillage graveyards or summon things from different Worlds apparently, not only along with creatures that might be slightly dangerous there were also infectious diseases to worry about.

Long time ago some creature was pulled in from another World, along with it came a plague it carried. Untold thousands died due to the crap inside the summoned things, before the plague died out from the winter weather months later. Things like that tend to make a solid reason to set up such a policy, I guess. Technologically it was a great set back as well. Whole kingdoms lost tend to do that, especially when they are the leading magic centers.

Could only hope the individual that had brought us here also took that into consideration. New bodies might be one of the reason it was acceptable for him. Then again, someone who could create a room, no, a space like that would have to have some level of ability.

Wars and events of that level of destructive nature tend be more disastrous with magic involved. Rise and fall of civilizations as it were affected everything in different ways. Some places would shun magic for generations then it would crawl back. If anything, it was the scapegoat for more problems than sex or Rock and Roll here. Not that rock music was big in this world.

As for religions there were a few most never got to the point of dominating the entire populace and those that tried were put down after failing to deliver in the end, kind of like bad Kings were sometimes. In the current times there was the healers believing in the Goddess Wan'ni. The Conclave of Knowledge who ran libraries in large cities around the country, our town was not large enough for to consider for such an honor. They believe in Niva the guy who dragged us here. Of course there was no need to mention that fact, I was sure that would cause more trouble than it was worth. The last huge religious group was the spirit followers they held to the land, Mr. Planknel was not very knowledgeable about them, just mentioned them before we arrived.

“How has your practice been coming along?” Turning to me he was ready for me to cast my fire spell.

“Fireball!” Shouting, I incinerate a torch nearby. One I didn't even have to look at after I had seen it entering the clearing. I had practice out of sight casting and the fire parts to a decent effect so far.

“Much better than I expected, now put it out.” He clapped his hand together.

“Out?”

“Yes, out.”

I turned to the fire and noticed it was spreading on some leaves nearby. “Oh!” I run over with my water skin and empty it out. Then stamp on the leaves to get the embers. Whew! Good thing someone was pay attention. What that bear on Earth said all the time was right, only you can prevent forest fires!

“Guess we can teach you to put fires out with magic later.” He sat and began today's lecture. “Magic, today we talk about: the void, darkness and light.” His topic of expertise.

'Woot!' was the only thought that came to mind.

“We taught you fire and showed you the other elements, they alone are widely similar only a small difference in usage and difficulty. First, you gain proficiency in one element, it would be normal to move to the others.”

“As you know, how you know is still a mystery, in any case, my favorite school of magic is and will be Void, the study of empty space. An absence of everything physical, leaving only magic. The existence of the Void.” He opens his hands in front of him using mana to pad an area of nothing, a Void Sphere of an adjustable type basically with no light passing through it. The sphere only looks like a hole in space dark and cold.

“You mentioned I taught you this right?”

I nod and cast two Void Spheres near me and cancel the first one after I made a second. “You called it Void Sphere spell and was useful as a trap until the mana faded.” I watched as my spell finally gave out as I had not put much mana into casting them. “Those were just light ones, think I could cast a large one not sure how big, or even a longer lasting version.” More than scared at the effect after what it had done to those thieves. It left me not wanting to use the spell again on people.

I mean the flash back image of his legs shredding into a bloody mess and him falling on his face played back in my mind. It shook me even at this moment how really bloody and messy my first kill was. I shivered, then focused on the forest and trees around me.

“I understand, so we can move on to why it is practical to talk about it now. Unlike with elemental magics you use the standard mana when manipulating Void, Space, Time, Light, Darkness, and things that directly impact Existence around us. Not that elemental mana can't be used in some cases. Just for most cases, that is the practical sense of things.” He created a Void Sphere then flattened it and split a rock with it. Then took some time and used Earth mana and had the rock split itself. Next he heated one of the halves with fire mana, until it melted the rock in a thin line and broke apart. “Similar effect different paths to accomplish it. Time and place makes one thing more practical than another.”

He lifted two rocks then smashed them together and they were reduced to a pile of gravel. “The end product also determines the most effective way to reach such a goal. I expect you understand most of this, yes?”

“Yes.”

“On we go then. Now it is frowned upon to study Void Magic due to the nature of the incompatibility Void has with most things. Living material dies, hot things become cold, somethings even become more compact and somethings shatter.”

“You are talking about heat dissipation, absolute zero temperature and the absence of air or atmospheric pressure.”

“Yes?” He looked confused in place of what he expected me to show after speaking about it.

“Sure, continue.” I smile.

“Are you sure no one has taught you this before?”

“The magic to cast this spell,” I cast another Void Sphere up in the air and move it. “Was only a concept in a game or literature in my World. No one could teach us how to do this. Here in this World, what you taught me in that game carries over. I only really had one week with the game, but the concept is fiction there. Common to many of the games and stories we make up. Mana, magic, it is pretty much the first time using it for real about three days ago.”

“That so?”

“Yup.”

We sit pondering the mysteries of the universe for a few seconds then he gets back on task.

“Where was I... Ah yes, there are not many common uses for Void Magic but using it gets us familiar with using all mana at once to do things in other schools. I also think that one of the reasons they stopped teaching Void Magic was to keep magicians from getting better at the taboos of time magic and such things.”

“Oh that does sound fun!”

“There are some practical uses of Void Magic. Regarding refracting light and Ice Magic, and creating darkness. Please don't leave the circle I make here.” He draws a circle on the ground then pulls in a large amount of mana and creates a Void dome around us. As the light fades he creates a light spell in his hand. All around us the dome seems to suck in the light and only us and the ground is lit up by the magical glow. The temperature also slowly decreases until he releases the dome. Only trace of his spell is a slight chill in the air the circle where the dome met the ground. A perfect one inch deep circle around where were still standing.

“Wow, more than I expected. Wow!”

He sat down to rest and continue speaking. “It is interesting, yes, I had a similar feeling after I got over the chill, it was mostly from the fear of that spell my teacher showed me. I remember it to this day.”

“I can see that, very cool spell! So why does the light get sucked in? Is it having the energy taken or is it redirected elsewhere?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't know.” I think for a moment. “From what I know about physics and learned on the internet, light is a particle and it moves in a direction. Mostly in a wave pattern, I think. When I look at a Void Sphere, it is black in the center right? So, the light passing through it is no longer traveling from the other side.”

“Yes?”

“Then... A, the light from the other side is drained of energy, or B, the light from the other side is stopped by the mana containing the sphere, or C, the light entering the sphere is displaced to a place where it is no longer here. Those are the possible out comes I see. Which would be the case?”

“I don't know. Honestly never thought about it before.” He cast a small Sphere and observed it. “A, B or D.” His answer was not helpful.

I shrugged, something to learn in the future maybe. Took a few minutes before he gave up and returned to the lessons.

“What is it that teacher spends so much time in the park thinking about?”

“My biggest preoccupation these days is lightning.” He looked to the sky.

“Hmm, what part?” I look at him thinking there must be a reason.

“Well some mages can cast lightning from the sky now days, a few have figured how in the past to make it happen other ways. It really is not a common usage of magic. My time was spent on how it was done, how to cast the spell mostly.”

“Okay, I get how they would create clouds to make lightning, and then also generate the electric charge on the ground even. But you would think just generating enough static charge or a high difference in charge polarity would be good enough.” After a moment of quiet reflection, “You know the Emperor shooting lightning out of his hands in that movie, really didn't make much sense to me, even now.”

Well teacher looks broken, so practicing voice empowerment here might be good. “Hey, you awake?” Wave my hand in front of his face. Didn't know shock could really do that to someone.

“Really?” Took him ten minutes to come back from where ever he had run off to in his mind.

“What part?”

“I feel kind of cheated. You, you have all this knowledge about things and some of them I can't even understand, much less know the words you are using. What is charge polarity?”

“Yeah, that, you know electricity right?” Guess the few words that Ophilia didn't know or had concepts for came out as the English version.

“?” He works out the phonetics, “El- lec- tris- eh- tee?”

With a stick, I make a drawing of a square on the ground for him, “Sure say that was made of copper or some kind of metal that was good at conducting heat and or cold. A wire so to say.”

“Now, if you move the energy of lightning around one way or the other inside the wire.” Pointing at the wire with my wand and rotate the wand a couple times one direction. “So that would be direct current electricity. Always going in one direction.

There is also another way to pass the current but doing so is a bit more complicated you basically going back and forth in one area all over at the same time. Imagine a bunch of wands moving the current in all places on that circle back and forth.” I wave my wand back and forth at a single area of the circle.

“Alternating current so to speak. Different use, different generation. Both Electricity. It is the particles of energy in the metal or air that is the charge or current. When it reaches the visible spectrum is when the air catches fire or ionizes, during a storm surge lightning strike. Something like that right?” Was a long time since I had that basics in science class after all, was sure some parts were incorrect.

“So casting the spell was like breaking the rock? There are several ways to get the result?”

“Sure, that works.”

“So if I wanted to say master casting lightning from one place to another? How would you do that?”

“Yeah, no clue.”

He looked downtrodden for a moment. “But if I had to guess. Moving a mass amount of electrical charge would amount to: First, setting up an area that generated a large amount of charged air or metal, then channeling it along the course to it destination where it would do what it naturally does, dissipate. Now, if that area was also induced to be of the opposite charge then it would be easier.”

“I don't understand, why metal?”

“Sure, here!” I draw a wand and a hand holding it in the dirt. “Okay, if we charged up that metal wand with lots of energy of a static or electrical charge type, we take it and store it in the end of the wand. A mace head, round no extrusions might be good.” I make the end of the wand a round one at this point. “Things to consider are the electrical energy stored will want to discharge down the body to the ground below the person, the human body contains a lot of water and our nervous system is sensitive to conducting such charge. Too large of a charge into the wand, the charge goes down the arm and you paralyze yourself or get really numb. Right?”

“I don't know never tried it.”

“Yeah, sure. Now if the wand handle was wood or something less conductive, maybe rock, or bone, anything with no water left and little metal content then the charge might stay in the end of the wand better. So we whip up a dry wind or something and spin it around the wand head until sparks jump off. How you send that to another place controlled is only a guess. A path of, or chain of water might be more conductive than normal air. A bridge of raw potatoes or lemon fruit juice might work... Douse the target in water even. Have them hold a metal sword even. Well that is the basics to getting started. Suppose, if you get good enough, moving particles, you can generate a greater amount of charge after all.” I look at teacher, think that was the basics of lightning magic, done the science way. Sad Bill isn't here, he might know better. “You asked why metal right? I would say, like starting fire with a stick, it is a step easier with the right items. Most metal and some liquids conduct electricity better the way the sub-atomic particles move along the-”

Lost him there, “If lightning hits water like a lake it will spread out until it is almost nothing, lightning hits sand, it melts it, but doesn't go very far. Let us say, if you had a long thing of metal, say silver or copper, from here to far away you could send the lightning to the horizon. Might lose some power but it travels really far.”

“I see quite the challenge, is that why so few have ever mastered it?”

“You like the hard stuff don't you?” Was thinking he was totally gay at the same time, just as a joke.

“What?”

“The hard stuff, the most difficult magic and things that challenge a generation, push boundaries make one famous, etc.” I sit and look at the ground and mess up the drawing.

“Might be the case after all.” Appearing slightly enlightened we end the discussion there and head back to town.

“Thank you for the lesson, was not expecting to learn so much in one day at this age, and from a student nonetheless.”

Parting ways as we approach the gate, I feel odd about Mr. Planknel's gratitude.

The meeting with Teea might be soon and it was not good to be late on the first day of class.

- North Gate -

I run to hug Dainea, the image of me shocking her with enough static charge to give her a bride of Frankenstein hairdo came to mind, I could only happily giggle and squeeze her some. “Hiya, glad you made it!”

“Can't miss out on learning to protect myself now can I?” She hugged me back harder. “So why are we hugging in the street?”

“DO we need a reason?”

“Nope.”

* cough *

“That must be the affectionate jealous teacher type with no one to currently flirt with.” I grin and turn us around still hugging Dainea. “This one is mine, get your own.” Making sure she understood 'Completely'.

Holding Dae's hand, I introduce them, “Darling Dainea, this is the 'Virgin Killer'-'Relentless', Teea, the militia's archery instructor.” She is mostly harmless in my mind.

“Nice to meet you.” They greet each other carefully enough.

“Likewise.” Nodding back, Teea looks less stressed about the whole issue.

“Yup. Dainea works evenings at the Wooden Bucket Tavern, she will learn archery, right Dae? While me and Minx here get survival lessons. What is normal? Payment up front, daily or at the end?” After waving Steph's paw at Teea, I tilt my head.

“Up front.” Teea's response.

“Daily.” This was Dainea's rebuttal.

“Now, now, how many lessons you think this will take?” I hand over a small purse of silver coin to Teea. “I trust Teea to not run off with the money besides, we know her house and favorite place to hang out. And Dainea is also right, that normally daily would be sufficient for an unknown length of time. That should be good for a two weeks right?” About a month if my guess was right.

Weighing the coins she looks less concerned about it. “Great, works for me.”

“So do we buy her bows and arrows, maybe you should help her with gear choice tomorrow.” I look back at all the shops closed and think what the cost might be. “Should I invest in one for training at this point?”

““Might be good.”” Teea and Dainea both looked good with that.

“So then off to the woods for the evening of lessons. Do you need to work today Dainea?”

“I want to go with.” She eyed the virgin killer for a second and held firm to my arm.

“Great! Lass do dis then, y'all!” I drag them all back out the gate.

“Survival 101, lesson one don't die.” Great, with that out of the way I ask, “so what is the next?”

“One-oh-one?” Dainea asks.

“Where I came from the first lesson in college for any topic was 101.”

“Why?” asked Teea.

“I always wondered that myself.” Answered Steph.

“I don't know, could be they wanted a place holder for the second number or it was a classroom number and just happened to get made that way, its trivial right?”

“Could be.” Steph added.

“I don't get it at all.” Dainea was not getting the topic so I explained it to her while Teea regained her composure at the issue of a talking Minx. What? You don't see one of those every day? Might just be me then.

“It talks?”

“Well yes, that is Princess Stephanie, didn't I introduce you at the bar already?” Must have slipped my mind. “Now that we all know each other, again, what is lesson two?” I cast a light spell above our heads and wait for Teea.

“Ah, she even knows magic. Why am I not surprised...”

Heading to the woods and the darkness therein. “Told you I was a spell caster too. Do we need more torches?”

“No.” Teea leads us to the stream further into the woods. “Lesson Two, women will always drop their skirts for me.”

“Teea, hon, I have, have almost killed you in another life but that doesn't mean I want to sleep with you, despite how handsome you may, or may not look in a soldier uniform!”

“You've seen her in a soldier's uniform that must have been something.” Dainea even nodded thinking it would really fit.

“I know right, so hot.” Steph was even in agreement.

“Wait, what really?” Teea's stress level went up, again.

Will you be okay there Teea? You look a bit exasperated.

“Lesson 3 hunting critters.” Took a while, and a promise to make a uniform for her, along with a promise to give a few extra lessons at no charge before we got back to learning anything. She had me cancel the light spell once we found a spot near the stream and waited for our eyes to adjust to the dark, if something too mean shows up, she would have me cast it again. With the stars and the space above the river, I could see the point in waiting here, then to get used to the dark night forest. Creatures would need water and this was a common spot for it.

Teea slid her bow off and pulled an arrow to the string, when faint noise could be heard she pulled tight on the bow and took aim. Seconds later a creature on the other bank slumped to the ground.

“Wait a second then cast light, If something was stalking it. We don't want to be the next target.”

Nothing showed, after a minute, I ask if I should do the spell. We gathered the corpse and had lessons on field striping and game preparation for dinner. I asked about herbs and roots to add to the cooking. There were a few in the area we learned the names of, some fit the names I remembered from the survival cooking lessons Ophilia had. During dinner around a small fire we chatted, while all the girls ate.

“Hey, why aren't you eating anything Ophilia?” Teea was confused and finally decided to ask mid meal.

“Well my meals are of the liquid nature mostly.” I take Dainea's finger into my mouth and draw blood, the pleasure seemed to be a lot more this time and Dainea made an effort to control her body that quivered in the most sensual way. Licked her finger then went back to the wine skin I had.

“Hey! That food is still good, don't waste it! Want me to go wash it off in the stream for you Teea?”

“Sorry, what?”

“Nothing.” I smile.

“You're a V-vam-”

“Might be.” I put a finger to my lips, “Shss, don't tell anyone Kay?”

'Bat shit crazy was that right word choice.'

The night's lessons went on longer than planned. We learned many things on how not to die quickly while out in the wild. Hope some day we won't need them, but just in case.

We, well more I, decided, to go easy on Teea after the dinner episode. Any more shocks to the system might leave us without a teacher. I was strong enough to carry her back to town, still didn't want have to do that. More herbs, hunting tips and the basics. Stealth tips for Princess, arm strength exercises for Dainea, for me lessons about trees and the types of wood and uses. Common things to find in this area to eat and son on. Close to sunrise we headed back to town with a few pelts and carcasses to sell.

During the hunting, I found animal blood drinkable, but less pleasant than humanoid blood, mostly the smell was different. In addition, the fresher it was the better. As for the taste, the plant eating critters had a less intense flavor, true for the most part.

The sun coming up in the west was a pretty color as we entered back into the gates. We would get the pelts treated later and sell some meat to the Wooden Bucket. Not the best price but we agreed getting to have some later might be nice to see what got made. Dropping a few extra carcasses at the butcher we then made for the Wooden Bucket for a quick drink before bed. Teea was oddly skipping work today and seemed more interested in hanging out. Said something about, 'they had drills and a standing prepared lessons', just in case someone 'slept in'.

My conclusion was, this might happen more often than she would admit...

- Wooden Bucket -

So, we meet up with Wensi's fan club yet again. The merchant idiot from before was waiting, and fuming into his drink. Guess he was a bit unsatisfied with his bar tab or the service.

“Hey! My last warning. Stay out of my little Wensi's store.” He got up from the table and teetered a bit.

Tired from all the hunting all I could do is ask, “Why?”

“She doesn't want you there.”

“Why?”

“Wensi wants something, she gets it, I make it happen as her uncle, that's my job.” He looks quite the doting uncle then. Seeing Teea about to interject, I wave a hand.

“So, uncle is in love with doing things for Wensi. She doesn't want me in the store. You and what army are going to stop me?”

“This army.” He put his hand on a sturdy adventurer type that was sitting next to him. He turns and moves to stand up.

Teea whispers something to Dainea about some soldier nonsense. A rank I didn't understand, something along the rank of group leader maybe.

“That her Uncle? Got it covered, see you later.”

I wave to uncle dumb ass and turn back to the-, whoa! Big solder type. He stood a good foot higher than myself and was certainly in shape.

“I would prefer not to hurt you. You going to listen to my crazy uncle, or do we drag you out of here and beat some sense into you?” That deep voice pricked my sense of fair play. Worried that I might be way out of my league.

“Mr. you seem to have a brain compared to your uncle there, before we go all out nukes on each other. Can we not come to an understanding? I will continue to sell things to the tailor shop and you won't try to become a stain on the ground.”

He thought about my words for a second, then sighed. “You did you just insult me and tell me what was going to happen.”

Looking at the rest of my group I ask, “Is that what I did?”

“Think so!” Dainea chirped in.

“Yeah, might be the case.” Teea added with a smile and a chuckle.

Princess just got off my bag and went to get picked up by Dainea.

“Guess I did... Can we dump our stuff before we go all out and wreck each other?”

“Sure.”

Handing over the meat to the Wooden Bucket cook. We stash the rest of our things up in Dainea's room. Everyone gathered outside the place and waited for me to come back out.

“Ready?” He asked warming up his arms in a pre-fight way.

“Two questions really, what happens after you make a stain on the ground? Also, what should we do if you get hurt?”

“Girl, me getting hurt is the least possible of possibles. As for you winning, never gonna happen.”

“Basically, beating you will get me nothing? Idiot Uncle will still come back, right? Well I honestly expected as much.” Got it, let the ass whooping begin. I shrug and close the distance a bit. Gathering mana, I cast a few lights around the ring to give everyone a good show.

“Magic? Who...”

“We want a good view of the stain don't we?” I grin my best Harley grin.

His confidence wasn't broken, yet he was not as sure if it was as good as it was a moment ago. I take out the daggers from my boots and hand them over to Dainea to hold for me. “What? A fist fight is fair enough right?”

“Right, that is fair enough, don't mind the bruises now.”

We narrow down to fighting distance, don't ever recall having a fist fight before. Everything was kind of new this time. Still, dying to those thieves the first time was scarier than this. Only concern I had been about losing my teeth, getting hit with those big fists, ouch. Girls with gap teeth are not pretty, please I so don't want that.

His first swing was fast and heavy. A swing more of a testing maneuver though. Was he going easy on a little girl. As such I had plenty of time to react and move to the side, the memory of Teea's dagger lessons came to mind all at once.

The follow up attacks were progressively more and more of an effort to avoid. He was starting to get serious about landing at least some kind of punch.

I step back some and taunt him some. “He is strong, I give you that much, think if I got hit with one of those might knock me silly for a while. Hey D want me to leave a stain on the front side or the back side?”

“I would think neither, though the front would really be a bit more embarrassing.” Teea acted as proxy for some reason.

“This little girl gonna knock the piss out of me? Never.”

“What was that saying again, oh yeah, Never say Never.”

With the sun peeking over the tops of the buildings finally and shining into his face it took him a second to guess my plan and try to dodge, yet my foot already in full motion found its way to the spot I had intended and he folded like a chair. Several of the watching folks remarked and groaned in sympathy.

“Give up? No? Remember this is not my fault then.” Letting the mana gather in my voice, I whisper to him a few words. “Sure all those drinks inside don't want to come out? A piss right now might be a good thing. Gosh, you drank enough for a whole army last night. Really now, you already started Pissing and moaning, why not let it all out?” A little poke with my voice filled with mana. The gates let loose.

He groaned in pain a second time. He didn't look to be getting up to attack.

Just like that, a puddle started to form in the street. I walked back to get my things from Dainea and the room upstairs. We head back to the apartment, thinking it might be better that no one knows it was ours and we would be there tonight. That dumb Uncle would return at some point, hope soldier guy didn't hold too much grudge against me, I did warn him. Heck, I even went easy on him.

- Apartment on the Second Floor -

“Was that a bit unkind of me?” I could only think it was more pleasant than purging the shit out of him. The smell alone would have been too much.

“No, no, just ouch, I can't even imagine.” Steph and Dainea were sympathetic to his pain and Teea seemed uncaring. She pretty much just laughed at him afterwards.

“My girlfriend is such a bad ass.” Princess added while I sat petting her back and ears. Letting mana move in and around her whiskers and body as a form of mana practice and magic sensitivity training for Steph. Might be able to use magic if she got better at sensing it herself. Plus, some of the erotic effects were fun to see from her Minx body.

Dainea and Teea went off shopping for a bow together. That and set of tools to make arrows. They had enough coin to buy a training bow, the tools and a set cheap arrows. Dainea would practice with those later.

I took a short cat nap holding Steph in a sitting position. I woke when they returned. A few drinks with Teea later then we finally chased her out to sleep. The last couple of days, I needed less and less sleep. The fight and all the stress from hunting in the woods was mentally larger than normal. Down time was in order and we all slept on piles of cloth and pillows on the new bed.

It was like separating light, you just had to look at it differently to get the mana pattern. Then to single out one! Ah so much easier now! Remembered from my dream I sat up in the pile of fabric, Minx and Dainea.

So easy, it was so easy! I focused on the mana and pulled on the elemental types one after another it was a crazy mixed up magical elemental rainbow of the strangest type. The order didn't make sense and a few colors were for a few things I didn't understand, but there it was. I felt like I had made a breakthrough of the greatest kind, had to ask teacher about this later.

I had the feeling to share my happiness. “Daineaaaaa, can I pleasure you right now?” I softly inquire near her ear.

“You don't have to ask me that, of course you can. Wait, in bed at least that is true...”

“Aw, so if I want to pleasure you, say, under a table at, work? I have to ask?”

“Ugh my girlfriend is such a General, beating up soldiers and putting on maneuvers.” I didn't get the saying but understood the meaning. She pushed me down to the good spots between her legs and let me play some. I used Steph's tail effectively in combat attacks on her behind. Combined with my frontal assault we managed a complete domination of the battle field, bring surrender in record time. Oral military tradition night became a historical event in our relationship after that. I would have to create a second uniform for us to use later won't I?

- Tailor of the Times Shop -

Miss Utica sold us a few of the items needed to make the uniform for Teea. Good to have the right color fabric and a cording. After witnessing the dyes at the Weavers Mill, felt it might be better to not have to worry about that smell hanging around. The dyes I had we could store for later or something.

What they didn't have here, I would have to get from the Mighty Coinpoorium or whatever they call it here. Mr. Gelders should also be given thanks for making much of my current life possible.

I didn't see Wensi in here today. Would have to ask her about the idiot uncle and her pissed off cousin later.

- Outside the General Store -

Looks the same as in game, but the name of some stores were not written onto the signs they had. So what to call the place I had no clue. The inside was a bit different from the game, some isles were less accessible and cluttered to the point of not being walk-able. Finding things in this mess may take a while.

“Fair day to you all.” Echoed from the counter.

Mr. Gelders was there in all his roguish glory. I flipped the guild chit he gave me at him and put my Moon Minx on the counter. “Afternoon to you as well.”

“We don't buy these.” He passed the chit back.

“Not for sale, just wanted to stop in and thank you for the help.” Returning the guild chit to its pocket. I look at him then pull my hood down.

“Thank me? Don't recall assisting such a charming,” He looked down at my boots and finished his evaluation, “toothpick as yourself.”

“Tooth pick? Sure, mind if I turn on the lights in here?” I cast a light spell to clear some darkness from the counter area of the store.

“Quite the talented one. What can we help you with today?”

“Buttons.”

“Buttons?”

“Metal buttons for a military uniform.” I correct my order.

“I see.” Not sure what he is thinking, but it is not as bad as he might imagine. Or maybe it is.

“They don't have to be authentic just enough to match this fabric and cording.” I pull out the items to show him. Such a heavy atmosphere in here, wonder if this is my fault. I smile just in case. The fact I get worked up about my cosplay is one thing, but do you think I go to far sometimes?

In addition to the buttons we get a few things for corpse dismemberment, it was quite the somber conversation and totally felt like a Hit man buying everything they needed for a one time mission in a foreign country. Mr. Gelders level of professionalism was good to, he even suggested a few items, such as a water-proof tarp and gloves, I passed on the gloves and agreed to the tarp. What kind of tailor would I be if I didn't make my own gloves?

“And here I thought that guild token was a fake.”

“Oh yeah, it might look that way doesn't it? Some of my coin is like that too.” I pull out one of my perfect silver coins and hand it over to him.

“Ho, ho, not a scratch on it, like it was minted with magic.”

Paying him in copper and regular silver coin for the rest of the amount due, we pick up Steph and head out.

He would have a delivery boy take the household items and stuff I bought to our apartment. I had the urge to decorate a little, in addition to getting a few things for cooking and cleaning. The straw broom was of decent quality, couldn't pass up that if I wanted to learn to fly later right?

Putting up the hood as I neared the door. “Thank you for your care.” We step out into the street. I could only hear a sigh of relief from inside.

Placing my urge to laugh hysterically aside, what next?

- Acdin Streets -

Decided to check out more of the food available in town. The types of fruit, vegetables, dry good and so forth. Might want to share a few of the things I knew how to make from earth with Dainea and Steph.

“What would Steph want to eat later?”

“Think they have an equivalent to chocolate?”

“Mmm that would be nice.”

There were lots of things to try. Steph looked a bit full by the end of the trip. I could only taste the items and not swallow them. Gaining weight was not a concern for me today. We found a few fruit that would be good as a dessert and bought a few. There were a few types of nut candies. Sweetness came from a dry good called Paz, we will just call it sugar after all. Paz was the sap of a tree, dried then ground into a powder, the taste was close to sugar and it did leave an after taste, I wasn't able to name or describe. As an import from another region, Paz was slightly more expensive than most local goods. We bought enough to make a few things along with a few vegetables I had seen in stews and remembered from my cooking lessons. The meat from hunting tonight and these should be good.

Also, we bought a few loaves of unleavened bread. Yeast might not be popular here or even discovered, who knows. Not that I could remember how to use it even if it did.

Eggs were available but they came in various sizes and colors, might have to ask Teea more about them later. After seeing Dainea and Princess off at dinner time I left them to eat while I had magic lessons.

- Forest Clearing -

Lessons continued and we talked a bit of science as well. I did my best to answer what I could. Hard to get him to focus on magic while going on tangents all the time about things he didn't know. Just to see if I did.

Claiming a death in the family, I excused my self a bit early from lessons and went to practice in the forest, before the time to meet up with Teea. Dainea didn't mention if she would be working or learning tonight. I could only guess if they would show up or not. Near the time for survival classes, I left the edge of the woods and walked back to the gates. Most would be telling the time by the Moons and the time that had passed since the bells. Learning that was leaving me wishing my smart phone or one of my watches came with me. Maybe in the capital or big cites they had clocks.

Teea waved as jogged back to the gates.

“Just the two? Off we go then.” She pulled me in the direction of the forest.

Most of the monster hunting we would do consisted of some kind of trapping then ranged damage. Now that I thought about it, most if not every good hunting society did the same in Earths history. Overpowered groups with low risk or single person using the environment to work. Even mastadon hunt had to be similar for cave men. Maybe chasing them off a cliff or something. I totally get the man's romance of wanting to best a bear or some silly thing like that, but how would you actually go and do that all the time? RPG games were big into pandering to that notion on Earth, the practicality of it here was really different, have to live to feed the family tomorrow after all.

Sure there was magic, and it could do things that would make it seem reasonable for a small group to go out into dungeons and the wilds and level up and earn a living. As Teea explained it, they were more raid sized and in the event of war you would call them mercenary groups. Any stories she could think of where a group less than twenty went around there was always some kind of loss of life or tragedy was bound to happen. Hero's and stories of them, surely there were at least one successful group. Maybe poetic license got the best of them at some point, so hard to tell.

Other than a few seduction tries and fails, the night passed by quick. Teea wasn't too worried about the length of the lessons and shared the fact, she didn't mind the change in pace from her normal routine. I recalled her in game version saying something similar to a lack of friends she could count on outside of work.

Lessons five through seven were about things not to touch, eat or at least make an effort to avoid. Most of them were nothing to be concerned about in this area. Surrounding territories might have them. Dragons were on the list for you lizard Otaku out there. Seeing the riding lizards in town, it made sense after all. They were of a similar species to them most likely.

We returned to the gates with a few trapped kills after cleaning them.

- Back in Town -

We all had a few drinks at the Wooden Bucket tavern then called it an early night at dawn. Okay, joking it was about the same time as always for Dae to finish work and we went home and worked on the shelves and food together. Teea ate with us then headed to work. She was sleeping in the afternoons perhaps?

“What do we do about these?” Ah, forgot about the hunting today. Dainea was holding the critter up we brought from the woods by one hind leg.

“Same as we always do dear.” I nod to some private joke inside my head.

“You want to separate the meat from the skin for me?”

“Sure.” Using mana at the same time prepping the skin and meat. I hum a tune and apply mana to random things at the same time. Didn't make too much of a mess of them critters this time. “Done!” The pot by the stove was full of meat and I had a few more skins to take to the leather workers later. Washed from a bucket of water we had and went in for my rewards.

One long hug later, I get back to putting up the couple of shelves that were ready to put up. Hammering at this hour would no longer wake up all the neighbors after all.

* bang! Bang! *

“They straight?” I step back and hold Steph while petting her. “Can you tell?”

“Stop it you home making monster. I was sleeping.”

“Grumpy? Need more exercise? If you get fat, how will I be able to carry you.”

“Okay, you are not a monster after all, that is rude to monsters.”

“Maybe we should have you catch your own meals for a while?”

“Eeh? Sorry.”

“Me too.” Hugging Steph some then putting her on the larger lower shelf. “Think it will hold?” I run away while she swipes at me with a full claw attack. Returning to a nap shortly after, while she was still resting on the shelf. Kind of wish I had a camera right now. I peek from the safety of otherside of the room.

“Nice I like those.” Dainea liked them, guess they can stay there.

The random things in the room with nowhere to go ended up filling the shelves. Not tired, I got to work on the Uniform for Teea and one that might fit Dainea or myself.

Dae finished cleaning up and pulled me into her arms to sleep, I felt her kindness and her gentle love for a moment, then the snoring from Princess made us laugh and we pull her off the shelf to join us.

I didn't dream that night but the visions were just as confusing.

End Chapter 4