Chapter 3: Chapter 3: A Technologically Backward World

Leir came to in a small room lit by candle lanterns attached to mud and wood walls with no windows. He groaned and tried to sit up in the little bed he was in—was this a straw mattress?!—but winced when the pain in his back was too much to overcome. Getting a good look around, Leir’s heart sank a little: this looked like some kind of medieval doctor’s office with metal tools scattered all over. Was he on a reenactment set?! With a gulp, Leir ignored the pain and forced himself to stand up, breathing heavily and struggling against legs that wanted to give out.

He still looked like a girl with fox features, though the persistent injury had told him that much already. On a table was his shirt, torn into shreds and covered in dried blood. The sash he’d been wearing was off to the side, still clean, with the energy crystal sitting on it. Leir was still wearing a band around his chest, but otherwise had no shirt on, exposing the series of bandages that covered his whole torso.

Leir whined; this was the first sign of civilization and there was no meaningful technology in this room. His ears twitched at the sound of movement nearby. Forcing himself to move, Leir fell toward the counter and picked up a small blade, pointing it at the door. There was no telling who was going to come in or what their response to a fox girl would be.

When the door opened, Leir growled a little as the man who saved him entered with a younger man. Both had the pointed elf ears that he’d noticed earlier; Leir’s heart sank at the thought that this might not be his world, after all. He kept his fangs bared and neither man approached him.

“Good, you’re awake,” the younger elf said, adjusting his eyeglasses. “I was just coming to do another checkup.”

“Where am I?” Leir demanded.

“It’s alright, Miss,” the older man said, taking a step forward.

“I’m a man,” Leir hissed, his ears folding back. “My name is Leir. Leir Starfield.”

His savior nodded and said, “I’m sorry. We’re not going to hurt you, lad, I promise.”

The younger man nodded in agreement, though didn’t take his eyes off of the knife in Leir’s hand. Leir’s ears relaxed and he let his expression fall; if they wanted to hurt him, they would have already. Moreover, they believed him about being a man, which he really had not expected.

“Which one of you patched me up?” he asked, setting the knife down.

Clearing his throat, the younger elf said, “That was me. I’m the village doctor.”

“Thank you. How can I repay you for it?”

The doctor chuckled and glanced at the older man, saying, “Eudes is already taking care of it. You don’t have to do a thing.”

Leir nodded slowly, then asked, “May I go, then?”

“It would be a good idea for you to get more rest,” the doctor said, stepping closer. “Your back still needs time to heal. But there’s no reason you have to stay here.”

Leir picked up the sash and crystal before asking, “May I have a shirt before I leave?”

The doctor retrieved a shirt that was much closer to what Leir was used to from tee shirts, though much rougher. Leir placed the crystal back into his breast band and tied the sash around his waist. He wasn’t sure what significance either had, but they were the only two things he owned and Leir wasn’t going to give them up.

When they stepped outside, Leir got a good look at the settlement, and ‘village’ had been an accurate description. Leir had stepped into a fantasy novel of some kind. It was late in the evening, but there were still a few elves wandering around between the wood, stone, and mud buildings. There were a few dwarfs as well, and even the occasional orc, but no humans; perhaps they simply weren’t common around here.

Turning to Eudes, Leir asked, “How can I repay you for helping me?”

“Would you like a place to stay while you recover?” Eudes asked instead. “I suspect that you don’t have a place to live nearby and it would be easier to feed you than for you to hunt on your own in your condition.”

Leir bristled a little and glanced away. He was lost in a world that he knew nothing about, possibly without any computer technology or even electricity whatsoever. Like it or not, Leir was going to have to rely a little bit on the locals for accommodations, at least until he could find a way to pay them back. Surely, there was a job for him somewhere in town.

“Thank you,” he said, still not looking Eudes in the eye. “That would be very helpful.”

He followed Eudes along the dirt road with his head down. Leir had no money, no resources, and none of the respect and admiration he’d earned over the course of twenty years. How was he supposed to rebuild himself in this world? For the first time since childhood, Leir felt like he was in a position of total weakness and he hated it.

“Are you alright?” Eudes asked.

Leir rubbed his arms and insisted, “I’m fine.”

Eudes brought Leir to a small cottage and Leir did his best not to make a face. Was he really going to live in a building like this? Even if it was for a short amount of time, Leir had never been in such a low-technology location. Leir followed Eudes inside and peered around: walls of hardened mud and stone floors. There were several doors leading to other rooms, as well as a proper fireplace. It wasn’t a peasant home, at least, even if it was more claustrophobic than the Children’s Home or his college dorm had felt.

“Dinner is almost ready,” Eudes said, sitting Leir down at a small wooden table. “Melisende has been working on it and I asked her to make a little extra.”

No sooner had he said it then someone stepped through the doorway with two plates in her hand. Leir jumped at the sight of her, though. He’d been expecting another elf, and while she certainly looked like an elf, she was made of delicately carved wood with doll-like joints!

Seeing his reaction, the woman furled her brow and frowned. Leir’s mind was still reeling: how did she have facial expressions except by magic?! He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, his mouth hanging open even as she placed the plate down in front of him.

“Leir, this is my adoptive daughter, Melisende,” Eudes explained.

“I’m surprised to see another greater spirit around here,” Melisende said, sitting down at an empty chair. “What brings you to Silverleaf?”

Leir turned the phrase “greater spirit” over in his head a few times. He wanted to ask what that meant, but so far nobody knew that he didn’t belong in this world and Leir wasn’t sure that should change. There was nobody he trusted to know the truth about himself just yet, so he couldn’t say anything suspicious.

He answered, “I was just traveling through the area. Eudes helped me out when I got hurt. I’m just staying for a little while until I get back on my feet.”

“You’re free to stay as long as you need,” Eudes said, sitting down in front of the other plate.

Melisende simply folded her arms on the table and watched Leir, who felt his tail twitch nervously.

“Where are you from?” Melisende asked.

“Far away,” Leir replied, pushing meat and potatoes around the plate with a fork. “I don’t think you’d know about it.”

Eudes asked, “What inspired you to travel? Is there somewhere in particular that you’re headed?”

“No. My hope is that I’ll be able to start heading home soon.”

“You look a little young to be traveling alone,” Melisende said. “How old are you?”

“Is that relevant?” Leir asked, his ears folding back.

“It’s a harmless question.”

“Well, I don’t want to answer!” Leir snapped, slamming his hand down on the table.

Melisende flinched and leaned back; Leir winced and clenched his teeth.

“I think that’s enough questions,” Eudes said softly, still eating.

Melisende stood up and walked out of the room, leaving them to their meal. Leir struggled to focus on his food while so many questions swirled in his head. But he was also simmering in anger. He wasn’t doing anything wrong by wanting to be private about his circumstances!

After a while, though, he sighed and told Eudes, “I’m sorry. I’m just a very private person. I don’t mean to be rude.”

It was very much Melisende’s fault for asking such prying questions, but that wasn’t the point. Leir was dependent on their goodwill for the moment and they would kick him out if he seemed ungrateful. He’d been at the top of the food chain for so long that Leir had forgotten how to play the game.

“Thank you for apologizing, Leir,” Eudes said. “You’re young, and you’ll learn how to better get along with people in time.”

Leir bristled a little, biting back the urge to tell Eudes that they were closer in age than it looked. Better not snap at someone again so soon after apologizing. Being in a position of weakness again was agonizing, but there was nothing that he could do about it for the moment.

Once dinner was over, Melisende returned to take the plates away and Eudes stepped out of the room. Leir stayed in his seat, tapping his foot against the ground and wondering how dirty they’d gotten over the past few days. Why didn’t he wear shoes? It should at least be uncomfortable, and the fact that it came naturally to him made his stomach churn a little. He would need to get a pair soon to remedy himself of this strange quirk.

How was he going to get home from here? If Leir had any of his old technology at his disposal, even just a little bit of programmable matter, it would be downright easy to get some status and respect around here. He was going to need resources if he ever hoped to find a way to activate the energy crystal a second time. It was incredibly depressing to realize that he was effectively starting over from scratch.

There was no reason to despair, he told himself. It wasn’t a question of whether Leir could get home but when he could make that happen, and he was smart enough to make it sooner rather than later. He held up the crystal, staring impotently at it and hoping that the answer would simply dawn on him all at once. This was the key; rather, it was the lock and he needed to figure out the way to open it.

You are reading story Arcanology: A Scientist Trapped in a Magical World as a Fox Girl! at novel35.com

Melisende returned with a broom and started sweeping up the main room. Leir watched her for a bit; he’d never really paid attention to the maids who did his housework, but they normally gave him a wide berth. Occasionally, Melisende would glance at him but said nothing. Once the sweeping was done, she sat the broom aside and took the pot out of the fireplace.

“I’m sorry about what I said earlier,” Leir said while she added more wood. “What is your relationship with Eudes, by the way? He called you his daughter, but you’re some kind of… robot servant, right?”

Melisende stopped what she was doing, but didn’t turn to face Leir.

“No, I’m his daughter,” she replied. “He helped to put me together and bring me to life. Is it really so hard for you to believe that he cares for me as his own? Where are you from that you assume I’d be some kind of servant?”

Leir asked, “What are you, then?”

“Have you really never met a living puppet, before?”

“I don’t want to talk about myself,” Leir mumbled.

“Then don’t ask prying questions about other people,” Melisende retorted, and Leir’s eye twitched in frustration.

She turned back to the fireplace and held out her hand. A little burst of flame flew from her fingertips to ignite the kindling. Leir practically jumped from his seat, startling Melisende.

“How did you do that?” he demanded, tail wagging.

Melisende just stared at him, then shook her head and mumbled as she stood up.

“You’re a greater spirit, yes?” she asked.

“Yes?” Leir guessed, ears folding back.

“How can you possibly not know anything about magic?”

Leir didn’t answer.

After a moment, Melisende continued, “Has something affected your memories? Do you really not know any of these things? I can’t believe that you’re just being difficult.”

“No!” he replied quickly. “Nothing is wrong with my mind, I swear.”

Leir had to be in control of his faculties. There was no way that he could fix everything if something had happened to his memories. Everything was already well outside his understanding of normal and the only hope he had of getting home was to be in complete control of his thoughts and knowledge.

Melisende raised an eyebrow, but at that moment Eudes entered the room. She nodded to him and picked up the broom to head through a door deeper into the house. Eudes turned to Leir, who had started to bounce a little in excitement.

“Do you know a lot about magic?” he asked softly. “I don’t know much about it and I want to learn more.”

Eudes chuckled, then replied, “I’m surprised to hear that. But yes, I can teach you a little bit of magic if you’re interested.”

“Absolutely!” Leir said, tail wagging.

Sitting down, Eudes said, “Well, to start with the basics: the world is inhabited by spirits. Some are greater spirits, like yourself and Melisende, but there are many more lesser spirits. Each lesser spirit belongs to a particular domain, and by aligning our spiritual energy with those domains we can generate magic.

“Doing so requires energy called ‘mana,’ which every living being generates. Those who have undergone more spiritual training and practice can create more mana. The more mana you expend, the greater the magical effect that you can create.”

Eudes cleared his throat and said, “Before I talk your ear off, though, I’d like to show you the room that you’ll be staying in. Please, follow me.”

Leir nodded and followed Eudes, asking, “Is there somewhere that I can wash my feet?”

“I’ll fetch a tub of water for you in the morning.”

The room that he brought Leir to was barely big enough for the old straw mattress that had been stuffed inside. Cleaning supplies were still lined up along the walls, which lacked any windows, and Eudes couldn’t find anywhere to hang the candle he was using. Leir knew that he was making a face, but it was taking all his energy not to make a snide comment.

He told himself that this would do for the moment. Leir had promised himself, when he left the Children’s Home, that he would never be reduced to squalor again. But if the alternative was sleeping outside, Leir was going to accept the little that he’d been offered.

“Thank you,” he forced through gritted teeth. “I’ll pay you back, somehow.”

“Don’t worry about it, lad.”

Eudes handed him the candle and closed the door, leaving Leir alone and feeling a little claustrophobic. Sitting on the bed, he placed the candle down on the stone floor and wrapped the blanket around himself. Leir pulled the crystal out of his makeshift pocket and held it up to the light. The orange glow flickered across its surface, making it look more alive than it actually was.

If magic existed in this world, then perhaps Leir could use it on the stone to create the portal home. Leir focused on the crystal, straining the muscle in his face in an attempt to will it to activate. It was unresponsive. He groaned and placed it down beside the candle before blowing out the light.

In the morning, Leir woke up to still find himself under a thin blanket on a straw mattress. His dour attitude was obvious at breakfast, where he scarfed down Melisende’s food without so much as greeting her first. Leir bathed himself and his feet in the tub that Eudes provided, then put on his outfit from the day before. He still didn’t have any shoes, but hardly seemed to mind the cold stone floor beneath him.

If the crystal wasn’t going to send him home right away, Leir was going to take some time to explore the town a little. There was dew on the grass and the morning fog hadn’t completely lifted. Leir wandered down the dirt road, passing between elves with a grace that he’d never had in his own world. He didn’t see any other people with animal features—only elves, dwarfs, orcs, and the occasional green little goblin—which may have explained the strange looks that he kept receiving.

He wandered aimlessly, eventually finding the edge of town and walking around it. He kicked up dew and hummed a small tune to himself while turning over a problem from a few weeks ago about an invention that wasn’t working quite right. Leir had the answer, now that he’d had some time away from the problem, but there was nothing he could do about it from here.

The sound of heavy labor in the near distance drew Leir’s attention, bringing him to a logging site on the edge of town. It was mostly staffed by orcs carrying logs on their shoulders. There were wagons around, but nothing that could support their workload; if Leir had some time, he could build them a cheaper, more easily-produced vehicle, as long as he got a cut of the profit.

Continuing along the edge of town, he found numerous small farms staffed almost entirely by elves. It was well past noon at this point and Leir was starting to get hungry. Cutting back through the village, Leir found himself passing by several shops, and he had to stop and sniff the air when the scent of cooking hit him. There was a little shop with fresh pastries in the window, with a dwarf working the counter inside.

Sighing, Leir turned away and hung his head. He was only a few yards away when he heard the door open and someone shout for him. Leir turned to face the dwarf from inside the shop.

“Hey, Miss, come in!” she said brightly. “You look like you need a good meal.”

“I can’t pay!” Leir retorted. “And I’m not a ‘Miss,’ I’m a man.”

The dwarf strode up and grasped him by the arm firmly, dragging him closer to the shop.

“Man or woman, I won’t be disgraced by letting a spirit pass by my shop and leave hungry. Come on, now.”

Leir protested and tried to pull away, but her grip was strong. She brought him inside and sat him down at a small table before running into the kitchen. He spent a good minute trying to decide if he should run or not before she returned with a mouthwatering tray of bread and pastries.

“Eat your fill,” the woman instructed. “Only my best, I promise.”

He grumbled, but his stomach grumbled louder. Leir picked up a piece of bread and bit into it; it was heaven in his mouth. The bread was simple, with only a few herbs, but it was so warm and soft. Despite himself, Leir ate his fill: he had bread and jam and cream and sugars. The proprietor—Thyri—insisted that he indulge, and by the time Leir was done, he almost couldn’t move from how full he was.

“I don’t have any money to pay you with,” Leir reminded Thyri as she took away his final plate.

She shook her head and insisted, “It was my pleasure, really. You just take care of yourself, alright?”

“Well, thank you,” he told her, standing up. “I do have to take my leave now, though.”

“Of course, of course! I don’t want to keep you too long. Have a wonderful day.”

“You too, Ma’am.”

As he made his way back to the house, Leir made a mental note that he would have to pay Thyri back. He didn’t intend to be a cheapskate, no matter what world he was in. If he couldn’t get home in a few days, Leir would find a way to bring in some money in order to settle his debts.