by D. Levesque
I shake my head and bring it up to my eye again, aiming at the boar. Once I have it in my crosshairs again, I put my finger on the trigger and pull it back, and hear a soft wuffft sound. I remove my eye away from the scope and peer at where the boar was, and it’s down on the ground.
“Yes!” I say exuberantly. “I did it!” I look at Leeha and Bryan, and both are staring not at me, but at the air rifle in my hand.
They both have stunned expressions on their faces. Leeha is the first to shake herself out of it and say, “Alex, what the fuck is that?” pointing towards it.
“Oh, this is a weapon from my world. Though usually, it’s made of metal and shoots metal bullets. You know those Water Bullets?” I ask her. She nods slowly. “Well, on my world, they are made of metal and shoot out of these,” I tell her, holding up the rifle.
“And what is that called?” she asks me, and now her gaze is intense.
I look over at Bryan nervously and say, “How about I show you later?” I am sure if I wanted to, I could have created one of those using just Water.
“You’d better,” she says.
Suddenly, a globe of water goes flying from her palm to the boar, and brings it back. Watching her skin and gut the boar using her Water ability is more disgusting than it was last time, since it’s not just a bird. Bryan watches the procedure with interest, and he actually points out a couple of things to Leeha, who takes the information and exclaims in pleasure when something she didn’t know about before works. Once she’s done, she gets me to create four Rock Sticks for her, which I hand over, and within twenty minutes, after I add more wood, we have boar meat cooking over the fire.
Chapter Twelve
“It’s been three days since we left the campsite. How far are we from this human settlement?” I complain to Bryan and Leeha. I am miserable. If God gave me a new body, it must have been fucking brand new because it wasn’t broken in. I stop at a tree and try to catch my breath. My back hurts, and my feet are killing me. These boots look nice but apparently, they don’t stop blisters from forming.
Leeha stops and looks back at me. She smiles and walks over, putting a hand on my back as I had bent over to relieve a stitch in my side. “We are almost out of the woods, and we will be next to the city wall,” she says.
“Isn’t there a road we can walk on to make it easier?” I huff at her.
“No,” Bryan says from behind me. I turn to him, and he elaborates. “They would see us on the road, and since we have Leeha with us, we want to avoid any eyes until the last minute.”
“Why?” I ask.
Hesitating, Bryan seems anxious as he says, “When we reach the city, you will need to claim she is your slave so that she can get in with no issues. If Leeha were to try to get in on her own, she would have to pay a large entry fee at the gates, and she would not be left alone as others would try to buy her, or even abduct her.”
I stare at him. “You’re fucking joking?” I finally ask him.
“No, he is not,” Leeha says, resentment in her voice. “While they allow us in cities, we have to follow the rules that the humans have set up. There are places that we aren’t allowed, and while most inns let us in, they charge us a higher than normal price.”
Fucking hell, this is like when we had slaves in the USA over 50 years ago. We humans are assholes no matter where we are, apparently. I feel my hands balling up, and Leeha puts her hand over one of my fists.
“You need to take it easy, Alex. You cannot lose your head in the city. Or show others you can do more than one Elemental,” Leeha says quietly, gazing at me until I nod. I am still angry, but I know she is right. I was lucky with Bryan that he ended up being a Knight of the Falling Star. If not, I would have had to kill him because I can’t let this secret get out. Not until I am more powerful, and I understand my own powers.
I take a deep breath and nod again. “You’re right. How are we going to do this? I am new here,” I say to her.
“You need to be tough with her,” Bryan says before Leeha can answer. “You can’t allow her to talk to others, as you are her owner. You also need to stop anyone from talking to her. She is your property. You bought her with your own money. Or you paid off her debt. You need to bring her to heel,” Bryan says, but what really gets me is that Leeha is nodding at the points he is making. What the fuck is he talking about?
“Wait, you want me to treat her like a pet?” I say, shocked at the idea.
“No!” they both say in unison. “You love a pet and cherish it. You do not cherish an Elf,” Bryan says. But then he sighs. “I can tell from your face, Alex, that you do not relish this. But you must do it! Otherwise, Leeha will need to stay here.”
I sigh and say to him, “You’re correct. I’m not too fond of the idea of doing that to anyone, never mind, Leeha. But if it will make people leave her alone, I am all for it. How do you know all this?” I ask Bryan.
A look of embarrassment crosses his face and he doesn’t answer me right away, but instead looks away. Then awkwardly, he says, “I have a partner that is not human.”
“What?” Leeha says, her mouth open in astonishment.
I stare between the two of them, trying to understand. He looks embarrassed, and somewhat scared, and Leeha looks shocked. Then again, I try to imagine someone dating a person of color when slavery was normal a hundred years ago on my world, and maybe that’s what I am seeing—someone who knows it’s not allowed but does it anyway. And someone of another race who finds out another person is dating someone of their race, even though it’s forbidden.
“Can we drop it,” Bryan mumbles.
“No fucking way,” Leeha says with a grin. “Who’s the lucky girl?”
“She isn’t from around here,” he says cagily.
“Come on,” Leeha says, walking past me to get to him. She stands in front of him and looks up at him. “What’s she like? What race?”
Bryan looks away from her intent gaze, although the fact that she is pressing her assets into his chest might also be a factor.
“She’s a Rabini from the Plains of Ratha, near the edge of Lamar Forest. I met her when I was in my twenties and was on a mission to learn more about them. I lived there for a year the first time I visited, and was introduced to her by my mentor. When I went back two years later, I met her again, and it was like we had never been apart. Even though I had been taught when I was younger not to look at that kind of relationship as wrong, it still took a couple of years before I finally gave in. But truthfully, even if she had been human, I would have acted the same way since she was a woman.”
“You scoundrel,” Leeha says, “you got yourself a piece of tail! Literally!”
“Yeah,” Bryan says, blushing, but he is grinning as well.
“What? She has an actual tail?” I ask incredulously.
“Yup,” Leeha says with a chuckle. “Rabinis have fluffy tails. Felinis have long tails.”
“What about the hmm, lizard one?” I ask her.
“Ah, the Dragonis or the Lizardis?” Leeha asks me with a grin.
“Both?” I ask, now extremely interested.
“The Dragonis and the Lizardis both have large, rough tails as befits their races. They use it when fighting. And the last primary race on Boromour is the Mer, and they aren’t fishtailed before you ask,” Leeha says with a chuckle, and I blush, a I had been about to open my mouth and ask exactly that.
“We need to get going,” Bryan says, looking up at the sun and interrupting our talk about tails.
“What time is it?” I ask him, looking up at the sun as well, or really down at it, as it’s low in the sky.
“A couple of hours to sundown. So, 7 pm?” Bryan says.
“We need to go then since they will close the gates at 9 pm, and I would rather not spend another night outdoors. As much as I detest cities, there will at least be a roof over my head,” Leeha says passionately.
“Then lead the way,” I tell her just as passionately. I don’t want to sleep on har
d ground again if I don’t have to. Last night Bryan had said no fire, since we were closer to humanity and we didn’t want to attract anyone.
Leeha turns around and heads off in the direction we had been walking, and I follow her. Knowing that I can have a roof under my head tonight, and maybe even a bed, makes me ignore the pains all over my body.
Once we emerge from the trees about an hour later, I get my first glimpse of the city, and I am impressed at its size. The walls are made of stone, with mortar keeping it together. They look to be about ten feet high, though the size is hard to tell from here because we are still about a mile away. On our right, I see the gates, and a line of people, not just humans, going in.
Once we get closer, I can see that humans are the predominant race, but I also see Elves. What really catches my eye are the other races, even if there’s only a few of them. I see a couple of Felinis, but whereas I thought they would have fur all over, it’s not true. They have cat ears above their hair and long tails, but the rest of them look one hundred percent human. I see both males and females walking into the city.
I also see two of what I assume are the Rabinis, with long floppy ears and bushy tails that make me grin in delight. The two Rabinis are a male and female couple, and they are with a human female who is well dressed and is walking behind them. Both are carrying baskets over their heads.
“Remember,” Bryan says from behind me. “You’re the master. I am your hired guard. They know by my crest that I am a soldier for hire. That is how we go everywhere, and my Order isn’t cheap, so they expect you to have money. You lead now. Once we are in the city, Leeha can direct you, as your slave,” he finishes.
Nodding nervously, I say, “Right. Here we go.”
We get in line, and I am standing behind an older man, who has a male Elf next to him. The older man seems to be in his late eighties, though in this world, if things are as rough as they seem, he might just be in his sixties. He is dressed well and has a cane to help him walk. The Elf standing with him is a young male, with long black hair hanging down his back. He looks back at us and nods to Leeha almost imperceptibly. The only reason I notice is I am looking at him. The Elf turns around quickly after he realizes I noticed the nod.
With Leeha and Bryan behind me, I move up in the line as folks are let in. Once it’s our turn, I notice that there are guards all over the place at the gate. I count twelve so far, but I am sure there are more inside. I walk to the large gate entrance, and there is a man in a red colored robe sitting at a small desk with a chair, in the middle of the dirt road. There is a stack of papers in front of him, and a quill and a bottle of ink beside them.
Without looking up, he asks, “Business?” in a bored tone.
“Hmm. I am here for lodging and to buy supplies,” I tell him, thankful that Bryan had instructed me on what to say.
He puts a mark on the paper, looks up, and then looks behind me. Seeing who I am with, he sits up attentively. “That will be two gold,” he says with a smile.
Bryan had mentioned this too, “Really now? Two gold? Should I go see the city magistrate and tell him that one of his servants is seeking to rob me?” I ask softly.
“Oh, did I say two gold?” he says, licking his lips. “I meant to say, two coppers. I am sorry, a slip of the tongue there.”
Bryan said that since he is with me, they will assume I am rich and have deep pockets. And most likely, this person will have been here every day and having never have seen me before, would try to fleece me on the price. Taking out two coppers, I drop them on the table and head towards the gate’s entrance. Then I hear the guard speak behind me.
“That will be one silver for you, you filthy Elf bitch,” the man in red says.
I turn around to see who he is talking to. He is looking at Leeha. “I am sorry,” I tell him with a snap in my voice. “I was not aware that my slave was required to pay to get in?” The anger in my voice is very real because of the way he just spoke to Leeha.
He looks back at me in shock and blurts out, “I am sorry, my Lord. I was not aware she was with you. I only assumed the Knight was, for your protection.”
“Leeha, show me where the inn is before I get upset with this idiot and douse his fire,” I tell her, snapping my fingers at her. We had agreed beforehand that if I needed to use my magic, I would use Water. So this let the man know I was a Water mage.
At that comment, the man bows and says apologetically, “I am sorry. I did not know you were a mage.”
“And how does that matter when swindling people?” Shaking my head, still playing my part, I say to Bryan, “Shall we?”
“Yes, my Lord,” Bryan says respectfully.
I turn around and head inside the city. My first city on this new world. Wonder what I can expect here? I doubt it will be like a city in Boston. I had always wanted to visit a town in Ireland or Scotland. The older ones, I mean. Not the new ones full of skyscrapers and stuff. And here I am, about to walk into a city that is so medieval it’s on another planet! Doubt I will find a Starbucks here! Shit, do they have coffee here?
Chapter Thirteen
“This one?” I ask Leeha, pointing to the sign of a white sheep jumping over a bed.
“Yes, sir. That is the White Sheep Inn,” Leeha says demurely, with her head down. I know she is playing a part so that she doesn’t stand out, but I loathe it. I want her to be herself, but I know she can’t until we’re behind closed doors. And even then, she said she needs to be careful.
What fucking kind of world did God put me in? I am not sure I like this place anymore, even with its magic.
Nodding, I head inside, followed by Bryan and Leeha. The place is as I expected. The whole fucking city was. Walking through it was like walking backwards through time and being planted into a medieval movie! Just with a smattering of Elves, Rabinis, and Felinis added in. Everywhere I looked I saw dirt roads, horses, and hawkers selling their wares. Even beggars, though I noticed they were all human.
I enter through the open double doors and wait for my eyes to adjust. It’s dark inside, with only candles lighting the room. There’s a large candle chandelier hanging from the ceiling on a large rope, and there are tables with people seated at them, eating meals and drinking mugs of what I assume is the local version of booze. Beer maybe?
I see a bar against one wall, and a large man is standing behind it, drying a cup with a cloth. If he isn’t the owner, I will eat my shirt. In stories, movies, and games, that was always a sign of the owner. Drying a mug with a cloth.
I walk up to him and nod once I get close, and he nods back. “Be you looking for rooms, my Lord,” he says, looking behind me and seeing Bryan before adding ‘my lord.’
Nodding to him, I confirm, “Yes please, for the night. I need two rooms. One for my guard, preferably next to me or in front of me in case I am in need of his services. And one for myself.”
“Stay is five silver per room, but it includes a late supper meal of mutton stew with bread and with one pint of ale each. Meal for your slave is one copper and includes a day-old chunk of bread and a mug of water,” he says, noticing Leeha behind me.
“Very well, but how much more for a second meal for myself with an extra pint of ale? I have been on the road all day, and honestly, I am a big eater,” I tell him, holding my anger in check. We get a good meal, and slaves get day-old bread? Wonder how much they would have charged Leeha if she was alone?
“That will be one silver,” he says. “Did you want to eat down here or in your room?” he asks, motioning someone over to him. I glance over and see it’s a young girl, human, about fifteen years old.
“I will eat in my room, and so will my guard. We have an early day tomorrow,” I say, turning back to him.
“And your slave, will she be sleeping in our stables, or?” he asks me.
“Hmm,” I tell him, pretending to think it over. Leeha said that most slaves would either be sleeping in the barns of the inns, which usually are out in back, or at the foot of the bed
of a master. I told her; no fucking way am I letting her sleep in a barn. “I think I will keep her close in case I need something fetched in the middle of the night. So the floor will do. Might be good for her since she has been sleeping on soft ground all week, and sleeping on a hard surface will remind her of her place.”
He grins at me and nods, “Aye. We can’t have them getting airs, can we? I will have Pricilla bring everything up to you. So that will be eleven silvers, and one copper.”
I open my bag and bring out the correct number of coins, placing them on the counter in front of him. He grabs them quickly and stuffs them away somewhere before I can get a chance to see where they went.
“Bring these two men to the green and red rooms,” the innkeeper tells the young girl. She nods, turns, and smiles at me.
“This way, my Lord,” she says brightly and heads to the back of the room, where there are stairs leading up to a landing on the second floor. I see doors up there, and I guess they are the inn’s rooms. Once we get to the top landing, she turns to me and says, “I will bring up your food after I show you to your rooms. Don’t fret. The rooms are clean, and we change the bedding once a week.”
Once a week? I cringe, thinking of who else could have slept on them. But truthfully, having a soft bed will be nice right now, and I don’t care. Pricilla stops in front of a door and says, “That’s the red room,” and I see that it has a red square painted on it. She moves to the next door down the walkway and says, “This is the green room,” somewhat redundantly now since I see it has a green square. It makes sense to use colors instead of numbers or letters if someone can’t read.
