Doing the repetitive motion has provided me with ample time to reflect on myself.
Things were getting heated around me, and now even that bitch Jolga was pulling the wool over my eyes. I growled silently. To think, she said all that just to get a clean shot at my poor butt! I hissed, fidgeting on the chair, trying to find a more comfortable position. It was a bit of a struggle seeing how the skin was still irritated. How in the seven hells could she hit me so hard that it still hurt after all this time... What a muscle brained idiot that woman is! Besides... Jolga's shameless action has arouse some unwelcomed memories, most of which were very dangerous or very awkward, often both. Like the memory of that impossible night with Alita... It sparked through my being, the vivid sensations, her scent, and the touch of her... I shook my head, feeling my quickening breathing, as small shivers ran over my skin, forcing me to gulp down my saliva several times in a row.
I was startled from my memories when I caught sight of my beet-red face reflected in the mirror placed across me. I reflexively sprang to my feet.
Was it always this hot in here? I wondered. The air felt... almost stifling. I gulped one more time. My hair was as good as it was going to get in this state. What I needed the most was some fresh, preferably cool air and a walk to distract myself from those thoughts. With that in mind, I practically fled from the room, but not before taking my staff with me.
It was one thing to walk around the estate without my staff. It was a completely different one to leave the house without it. I reminded myself as I closed the door behind me in a frustrated motion.
I headed towards the main corridor, which led into the front yard. It took me some time to get there, since the Dimhollow estate was quite large, but I didn't mind it. I needed the time to straighten my thoughts. I have been thinking about all of these unreasonable mood shifts I have been subjected to since my arrival into this world, and since I received this new body of mine.
It was an idea I had entertained in the past, but dismissed several times, only for it to come back to haunt me again. I sighed. What made a person old in general? Was it a mental change or was it more of a bodily change that came with age and the failing of one's health, lack of certain hormones, and such?
Of course, the likely answer was both, but what if one part of the equation was reversed or, like in my case, simply stopped being a factor at all? It was a strange question, but one that I needed to consider, seeing how I was starting to act more and more like a teenager in heat. Besides the embarrassing fact that I was one, considering elven tradition, well, either that, or Lord Axis has done more to my mind than simply giving me spell knowledge. Something that was a possibility, even if one that I didn't want to seriously entertain.
The moment I entered the main corridor, I was quickly distracted noticing an unfamiliar person hovering around the entrance. He was clearly looking for someone, but there was nobody else around, leaving the person unsure of what to do. I also noticed that he had an unassuming, but carefully packed package in his hands.
As I entered, his eyes snapped to me, and I could immediately see the relief that washed over his features.
The man headed towards me, without wasting any time, he offered me a tight bow. ─ "My lady!" ─ He began. ─ "You cannot fathom how relieved I am to see you!"
I blinked, taking in the dwarven man's expression with a bit of uncertainty appearing on my own. I was pretty sure I had never seen or talked to this person before. ─ "Do I know you?" ─ I decided to ask.
He shook his head. ─ "Oh, no! I would imagine not; we have never had the chance to meet before. However, I was looking for you because Master Tuzumin has entrusted me to bring you this package. It is a gift I needed to give you, and only you, personally." ─ With that said, the man offered me the tightly wrapped item.
I reflexively accepted the gift. The item, whatever it was, didn't weigh much. A few uncertain seconds passed between the two of us before I decided to ask him. ─ "Did Master Tuzumin return to the city at last?" ─ I inquired, but my hopes were quickly shot down.
"I am afraid, not." ─ The young man, well as young as your typical dwarf was which usually meant he was around fifty smiled back to me warily.
"That's... unfortunate," ─ I answered, and he agreed silently. With a sigh, I decided to ask about the package instead. ─ "Uhm... what is it? This gift, I mean. I have no idea why Master Tuzumin would send me a gift so suddenly, and I didn't order anything... not because of a lack of trying mind you..." ─ I stated, some of my frustration leaking into my voice, from all the times I visited the man's shop only to find it abandoned.
The dwarven man, sensing my frustration, winced slightly. ─ "I am sorry, young lady, but I do not have the privilege to answer your questions. I was merely entrusted to bring this to you. However, Master Tuzumin believes that you will have some use for the item and its contents. Now, if you will allow me, I shall move on. I am already late and my next assignment is waiting for me. I wish you a good afternoon."
I nodded, staring at the package resting in my pale hands. Saying my goodbyes to the man, I walked over to a nearby cabinet, placed it down on its top, and started to unpack it. The process took me some time, but at the end of it, I found myself staring at an eerily familiar design. My heart skipped a beat as the realization broke to the surface.
“There is no way!” --— I exclaimed in disbelief.
This was the ridiculously priced shoulder bag I wanted to buy when I visited his shop. It was made of dragon skin, and it could contain a cubic meter of space inside. A genuine magic bag, and it resembled the design of some kind of famous school of alchemy or whatever, the exact name I couldn't quite recall. It had a beige color simple and practical design with various pockets and such, just like this! Perhaps it was the very same bag I examined back in the shop.
The better question was, however, why would the man send me something like this? Its value was astonishing after all.
As I stood by the furniture, staring at the smooth bag lying atop it, an idea suddenly struck me.
I grabbed the bag, took a quick look around, when I was certain that nobody else was nearby and listening in on my words, I turned back to the bag and spoke. ─ "I want a list of everything that this bag contains."
There was a barely perceptible vibration going through the item’s surface, which I could only notice because I was holding it and focusing my attention on it.
I was certain that the simple command Master Tuzumin mentioned in passing when teaching me about the features of the marvelous enchantments sewn into the magic bag's fabric worked just as intended. Still, my heart fastened in anticipation when I actually reached to open the main compartment of the luxurious item.
When I peeked inside it, I wasn't disappointed. There was indeed a paper lying at the bottom containing a relatively short list of items. I reached in and pulled out the list, taking a quick look at it.
- A sealed letter for Miss Selora Dimhollow, from Master Tuzumin Underbrew.
- A registration document, proof of ownership.
- Ancient Elven Battlemage Robes.
- Ancient Elven Battlemage Boots.
- Ancient Elven Battlemage Gloves.
- Ancient Elven Battlemage Cowl.
My eyebrows rose further and further with each item's name that I saw written on the list. At the end of it, I was left so surprised that my mouth hung freely in the air while blinking rapidly, rereading the parchment several times to make sure I wasn't going insane.
I shook my head in disbelief. All those items inside the bag, along with it, would undoubtedly cost a small mountain of gold coins. What could make Master Tuzumin send me such a gift out of nowhere? The idea of a certain circle of runes that I gave him out of despair after I learned about the prices in his shop passed through my mind, but I immediately dismissed the possibility. Who would need a rune circle that can create carrots for a ridiculous amount of mana?
Reminding myself that the bag also contained a letter and some other documents, I once again closed it, and this time placed my hands at its top and willed my intentions towards it without speaking them aloud. Wishing for the appearance of those very items. Another subtle shake went through the bag. I waited for a few seconds afterwards, then opened it with buzzing curiosity. There were indeed the two documents I wished to see; it was working perfectly. The thought brought a subtle smile to my face as the realization started to sink in. This item was now mine, something I longed for since the time I fully realized this world was a fantasy world filled with magic and mystery. Perhaps, even before that.
I shook away those thoughts for now and instead reached for the letter, lifting it out of the bag and placing it over the cabinet. With a practiced ease, I ripped it open and pulled out the neatly folded paper which was carefully placed inside it.
My ears bobbed in excitement as I looked over the fine, handwritten parchment. It was somewhat nostalgic to get proper letters like these, especially ones that didn't contain your monthly power bills. The reminder of unpaid bills dampened some of my excitement, so I decided to start reading before I got myself all depressed again.
Dear Selora Dimhollow,
I write to you with great urgency in a matter that could not be postponed even in such chaotic times as these are.
Therefore, I shall not stretch the time with meaningless courtesies and get to the point right away.
The magical runes you have so casually dropped in my lap several weeks prior to me writing this message have turned out to be a lot more than either of us could have ever anticipated. They are not simple magical runes; they are Holy runes, written in the lost language of the Gods. Some of these runes have been uncovered in the long history of Rixa, but never so many at once, and definitely not in a comprehensive working formation. Naturally, I doubted my discovery and travelled to an old acquaintance of mine who specialized in such knowledge. In the end, my suspicion seemed to be correct.
Stolen novel; please report.
This is a discovery of a lifetime.
The gifts I sent to you, along with this letter, are only a fraction of the true value these runes could be exchanged for. I want to learn if you, my lady, perhaps have more knowledge of these runes? I understand that it is an unlikely possibility, alas, your mere existence as a white elf in these modern times has already disapproved such expectations; therefore, in the unlikely case you do possess such invaluable knowledge, please write to me post haste! I also want to present you as the person who found the runes for the magical institute, which I involved in the task of validation.
The Director of said institute, who happens to be an old friend of mine have requested me to send you a gift alongside this bag, one that is worthy of your discovery. A set of ancient magical equipment made by the best of high elven craftsmanship; its age alone is a testament of its remarkable durability. I hope you will have use of them, along with the bag you seemed to like the most among my little collection. I wish you the very best my lady, and hope to see you again. You can send your answer to the address I wrote on the back of this very parchment.
May the Gods watch over you in these dire times!
The Golden Tower, Prime Institute of Teaching and Learning, Institute of High Magic, High Elven Government.
I read through the parchment several times before I eventually put it down.
"Holly-Molly. What have I got myself into this time!" ─ I exclaimed. My stomach churned as chaotic thoughts bounced around my head, making me want to bash it against the nearest wall.
With a remarkably elongated sigh, I grabbed the two envelopes and, in a hasty, some would say panicked motion, pushed them back into the magic bag, before willing them to disappear. The bag eagerly answered with a subtle shake.
My head felt light when I finally stepped out into the garden, magic bag already thrown across my shoulders, unassumingly hanging against my right hip. I took in the cool breeze and the familiar mushy smell of the mushroom-riddled garden, which was still showcasing its ever-present subtle phosphorescent lightshow. As if it were smugly announcing to me that no amount of fretfulness on my part could be more important than glowing blue all day and night.
"That's it... I just need to stop thinking about this, perhaps, paint myself blue in the meantime... then it will go away, right? It's not like I just announced to the world that I have found the equivalent of the Holy Grail of Rixa? Yes?"
The thought of Alita and her tea party crossed my mind, and the growing possibility that I will end up late if things continue like this. The seemingly mundane risk seemed to jolt me out of my ravings; my presently fragile psyche couldn't withstand any more shame than it was already suffering, and my legs seemed to carry me towards the Smiths' estate on their own.
The short trip through the noble district passed in a daze, and before I knew I found myself standing in their garden. Quite a few people were roaming about, both guards and workers, all doing their own tasks, which presently seemed to consist of training or carrying various boxes and containers across the estate. Theirs was quite a lively place as the Smiths were working as merchants. Their estate consisted of several storehouses and such. It didn't take long until one of the servants noticing me hurried over to my side and, after a quick greeting started to lead me inside the building.
The lively atmosphere somewhat lifted my devastated spirit. I sometimes forgot that the Dimhollows were an oddball family that didn't employ servants in their homes, at least not on a regular basis, as they believed that relying on such help would make them grow soft. Dalorsaer was often raving about in his drunken stupor, that true warriors should not flinch from such mundane duties.
I followed the servant into the building. The inside of the estate was a lot calmer compared to the garden; even so, it was still far busier than the empty, half-lit corridors back in the Dimhollows estate. Not that I was complaining, but witnessing the stark contrast firsthand left me quite stunned.
After walking through several corridors and climbing some stairs, the servant stopped in front of a door and politely knocked on its metal surface.
Soon enough, a noticeably grumpy, but familiar voice echoed from the inside. ─ "What? Did she postpone it again? She better not, or I swear I will whoop her as-" ─ The servant coughed loudly enough to cover the stream of unfavorable promises and spoke in a forced tone. ─ "Miss Alita, allow me to announce that Miss Selora Dimhollow has arrived at the estate. She is right here by my side. Shall I let her in?"
There was a moment of uncomfortable stillness, my eyebrows both raised as I had grown witness to the ridiculous scenario. Then the door opened with quite a bit of momentum, and I was already being stared in the eyes by a furious, if somewhat embarrassed Alita.
"What took you so damn long, cheeky-elf! First, you apologize for not spending enough time with me, then do the same thing anyway! What kind of stupid elf stuff are you playing on me?"
I blinked, then opened my mouth to speak. ─ "I, I am so-..." ─ Alas, I was cut off mercilessly as Alita grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me into the room before shutting the door behind us in a flurry of motion.
My ears were twitching frantically as I struggled to keep my balance before turning my upper body around to look at Alita. At the same time, Alita was just done with locking the door with her key, which she took out, and after being certain that I was staring at it, she slipped the key into her decolletage. The swift motion was followed by a cunning smirk that promised nothing good. Even so, I couldn’t deny the sense of clearly defined excitement which I could already feel bubbling in my tummy. The sensation left me feeling a sense of hopeful longing and a cutting cold shame that chilled me to the bone. I should not be doing this, and yet my lips did not move to form the words.
I was an old man, a dead man longing for something forbidden, and yet the same time, I was a young woman who had every right to live her life as she desired. The drastic and somewhat ironic opposites were killing me, freezing me on the spot with the sheer magnitude of my internal struggle.
At that point, I wished that maybe, just maybe, I would have been better off, if Lord Axis would have taken more of this cursed identity of a past life, alas, the irony of the Two-Faced God was not such a wistful reality. It seemed, that this duality will pay for some of the price that came with a second chance.
As those thoughts played their cruel dance in mind, my eyes didn’t leave the confident form of Alita. She was a lively and proud woman, a noble and a warrior at heart. She was radiating those very aspects like a sun manifesting in the depth of darkness. She was a bit crude, true, like any dwarf, but that didn’t take away from her charm.
I could feel my face and ears heat up, and my body backed away several steps as she circled me like a wild animal playing with its pray. I was unsure how to handle this situation. I looked around the room, frantically looking for another exit, but there was no other door nor anybody else in the room, and we were on the first floor, so the windows weren’t much of an option either.
In the end, my gaze moved back to the slowly closing dwarf; her smile was telling, that satisfied smirk, which was plastered across her face, she was enjoying this position of power immensely. She didn’t even bother to hide it.
It was shameful to admit… but I was also enjoying it on my own way. The novelty of the reversed gender positions made my heart dance in a completely unfamiliar pattern.
I finally seemed to find my voice, as the effect of surprise began to wear off. ─ "Weren't we supposed to h-have a tea party... with your f-friends?" ─ My voice faltered seeing Alita rushing through the room in a quick stride. She was wearing familiar leather pants, perhaps the same as that night, was she trying to remind of that night? Besides that, she was only wearing a simple white shirt. Anyway, seeing how she practically rushed me now, I tried to back off, only to find my back pressed against the opposite wall. Before I knew it, I was sandwiched between a seemingly crazed dwarven lass and a wall.
As she leaned over me, I felt her knee being pressed between my legs effectively pinning me against the wall, while her leg kept sliding upwards, until it was practically touching my privates. The sensation while being somewhat dull, still sent a violent shiver across my body, and a sense of shameful warmth lingering behind it.
I was so shocked by it, that I accidentally dropped my staff out of my suddenly very cold and rigid hand. It clattered against the floor with a sharp sound.
Then I realized, it was not just that... Sensing Alita's hot breath against my neck and her knee between my legs made my limbs go soft.
"Would you look at that?" ─ She chuckled victoriously. ─ "Disarmed, already? You are too easy, elfy."
My hazy eyes found her own, I was confused and overwhelmed by everything that has been going on these days. My face was likely completely red by now, and to my slight satisfaction, the dwarf’s own expression didn’t seem much better in contrast to her bravado. I was a bit cowardly with my new body, and… I didn’t quite do it to myself yet… even if I was clearly getting oversensitive about that. Still, doing it as a woman, it felt just too weird… However, perhaps if it was Alita, doing it instead… I could accept that, I think.
As our eyes met for several seconds, Alita was taking in my longing glance, the way I slightly leaned my head to the side letting her do as she pleased. I could see her surprise, the way she swallowed. Then to my disappointment, instead of seizing the initiative she stepped away from me and, with a knowing if somewhat forced smirk, walked over to a nearby chair and simply sat down in it while looking at my frozen form still standing next to the wall like a particularly stupid deer caught in headlights. She crossed one leg over the other taking in my ignorant form like she didn't have anything better to do.
I stared back at her, and slowly I could feel even more blood starting to rush into my head.
Eventually, the dwarven woman wearing her dark leather pants and a short-sleeved white shirt asked. ─ "Oh, yeah come to think of it... My friends are in the backyard. Come along, I will introduce them in a bit."
I stared at her, stupefied. ─ "W-what? Then... w-what? What was that just now?"
She innocently played with a curl of her brown hair and added. ─ "Oh, just a bit of a tease... didn't you practically strip me to my underthings last time while I was out cold?" ─ Her eyes glinted towards me with a playful ferocity. ─ "Who knows, what you have done to me, in that helpless state, you pervert elf.” — I bristled at that, letting out a particularly embarrassing hiccup. — “My part of the fun was even cut short.” — Alita continued. — “It was a pity, so it was only right to make up for it now?" ─ Her legs started to kick up in obvious frustration, recalling the frustrating memory.
That said, she stood up and headed for the door, while casually telling over her shoulder as she fished the key out of her cleavage.
"If you want more, elfy... Then you will have to work for it. This clueless act just won't cut it anymore. So why don't you cool your tits and follow me, already? Our guests are waiting."
She finally managed to get the key and opened the door, leaving me behind.
Then she looked back over her shoulder and said, cockily. — “Who knows, perhaps if you will be a particularly good girl today, I might find some games for you. Something that a pervert elf might find interesting. Not that I am saying that you are such… heh.” — With that she went out of the room.
My mouth was wide open as I stared after the dubious dwarf. Watching her hip moving with every step. Those letter pants were something else indeed… Then, realizing what she just called me, I gaped, then bristled and shouted after the fool. ─ "Y-yo-you IDIOT!"
I heard her chuckle while heading down the corridor. ─ "You'd better hurry, if you don't want to end up lost. This is quite a big house after all, elfy."
"You!" ─ I frustratedly shouted after her, only to turn around and run back to pick up my half-forgotten staff and once again turn around and head after Alita, my face was still blazing red from the recent events. My ears twitching in staccato paired with it. Making me look like a fool I would imagine. I feared that she might continue roasting me all day… She was enjoying this way too much for my taste… or was I only saying that out of necessity? I didn’t even know what was up and what was down anymore. My thoughts were all a chaotic mess.