Chapter 7: Akafwhuwa, Friends, and Transferal.

I ran down the stairs of the inn, and busted through the door. It was dark, but I could see the monster’s silhouette. I tried my magic, I visualized the monster being drowned by water surrounding his head.

It didn’t work. However, the monster was alerted of my presence.

What startled me is that I could tell that the monster was from Akafwhuwa, but I couldn’t tell exactly what it was.

No… I could tell exactly what it was.

It was the same bird monster that killed Jhounka.

“I’ll kill you… Just die already… Dark energy, I call upon you, to unleash… Seal!” I visualized the monster sinking into a dark hole, never to be seen again.

What do you know? It worked.

It seemed like the combination of the visual aspect of magic from this world, and the chant and form aspect from Akafwhuwa created a way to perform Akafwhuwan magic.

The monster was gone, but Emi was still there. And she saw me use other worldly magic. I went over to her to explain. But before I could talk, she did.

“Hi Iro… I… I… How can I repay you?”

“Huh? Oh, I don’t need that.” I actually did, I was poor enough to actively seek out the cheapest inn in the city.

“I was here… To get you… To show you I was worth something… To show you that I was valuable enough to be with you… To beat dungeons together… But you come along and are the one that saves me. I’d rather be in debt to you than have you think I’m weak…” Well, I never thought I would feel bad about saving someone.

“I know one way you can pay me back.”

“How?”

“Get out of the rain. You’ll catch a cold.”

“Is it raining? Oh. Yeah, it is. Wait, isn’t there anything else you want?”

“Nope.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Positive.”

“I just… I don’t know why… But I won’t feel right if I just leave it like this.”

“Then… Could you lend me about 50 silver coins?”

“Don’t you have anything more touching than that!?”

“That was the last thing I could think of!”

“Then... “ Emi put her finger out, and a small fire lit. “I’ll join you in a dungeon and make money!”

“No thanks.”

“Didn’t you want money!?”

“But you’ll distract me if you come to a dungeon with me. You’ll just make me lose money.”

“That’s rude! Okay… I guess I have to… These shoes are probably worth 2 silver coins!”

“I think you need shoes to walk back home…”

“Then please… Just give me something to do!”

“I really have nothing for you to do. In fact, I need to get to sleep so I can work tomorrow.”

“I suppose you’re right. Ah! I’ll stay with you until you have an idea!”

“Er, didn’t I say that I didn’t want you to be with me as a distraction? And I only have one bed…”

“And?” Dammit. If I stay up too much longer, then I'll miss out on sleep. And I know she’ll never leave unless I give her something to do… Maybe it is a good idea for her to stay with me...

No! I refuse to sleep with an 8 year old girl! I’m in my 20s if you count up the years!

That’s my issue right now. Who am I? How old am I? What religion do I believe in? What is my identity?

This choice, of what I do here and now, will decide my fate for the rest of my life. No matter the planet. No matter the body.

I chose to believe in my body’s form at this moment.

“Fine. Come on over.” I heard a subtle,

“Yes.”

I asked Emi,

“What happened to Uoun?”

“He… He decided to go his own way for now.” They probably had a fight. After that Emi came to see if she could prove to me that she was worthy of me, because I was the only connection she had.

We reached my room, and I collapsed on the bed. Emi was right there with me.

“It feels like I’m about to have a sleepover.” Emi said, as I nodded off. I’m sure Emi kept talking after that, but I didn’t hear anything, because I was sound asleep.