Chapter 13: 1-13: A Few Changes

The next morning Hayli knocked on my door. I got up from my hammock, stretched, yawned and let her in to the room.

“Good morning, Bestie.” She curtsied in her nightgown. She had even bothered to get dressed. Then again, I was still in my pajamas so, I guess it didn’t matter.

“Morning, Hayli.” I said blinking. She gave me the usually greeting hug. I tensed up as she did. 

She pulled away and asked, “Are you okay? We started sailing a few hours ago.”

“I’m fine with riding on boats, it’s the chance of falling into the oversized expanse of liquid death around it is what worries me.”

“Well… if you are fine, I’ll go. Don’t forget, I will get you into my cabin so we can talk about... that. When you're ready.” She leaned over and poked my cheek then ran out of my room. I still had no idea what she meant.

I walked over to the desk and pulled a book out from it. It was one about a guy who had survived shipwrecked on a desert island for years. It seemed to be trying to make a point towards some issue at the time, but between the archaic phrases and jargon I couldn’t decipher what point it was trying to make. It was still a good book though.

After finishing it a knock came at the door and from beyond its barrier came my brother’s voice, “Hey, Earth, I brought your trunk.”

“Doors unlocked, Vern.”

The door violently swung open slamming with a bang against the wall. Two crew members held my small, in comparison to Vern’s, chest. I wanted a bigger chest. They were straining a bit but still carried it over to the back corner of my room and carefully lowered it to avoid breaking a hole into the floor. I thanked them and then they ran back up to the top deck.

“So, you fine, Earth?” Vern asked.

“Yes, hero.” I reply laying back in my hammock.

“Well, see you later driftwood.” He joked as he closed the door behind him.

I was bored. It had been fifteen or so hours since we had set sail into the great blue hell, and I was so fucking bored. I had heard tales of people going mad at sea for monotony and boredom and I had two hours of books left and I’d run out of stuff to write in this book if I had focused on it too much.

I swung out from the hammock and placed some objects from my chest into the desk for easier access. I then tried to carefully sneak into to the kitchen to see if I could steal food. Only baked beans were in the open and not wanting to gag and vomit I went back to my room.

I was still bored. I laid on the floor for the rest of the day and stared passively at the ceiling while feeling the boat rock. Yay, boats.

(Vern, do I have to write about the boat trip?) (It is a great tool to add character to me, and your 'bestie' and the bear, so yes- Vern) (But, it’s boring.) (You better not skip or the good readers will miss what I did- Vern) (I don't care.) (I think you need to at least include the thing with you or readers are going to be confused.- Vern)

The next day I was dragged kicking and screaming onto the upper deck by Vern to discuss some things in his room. Vern’s room was a massive upgrade from mine. His walls were adjourned with paintings of ships and the ocean and maps. He had a full dresser, a bed built into the floor and shelf full of books. (The must have been packed pretty tight to not fall off. Or they were glued on. Or some type of magic was used. Did we have magic for that? I hadn't kept up with new discoveries in magic since before arriving to the duchy.)

“So, Earth, how are you really?"

“Besides being terrified of us hitting a storm and being tossed overboard? Just bored.” I noted his appearance was clean and tidy. I guess they had baths or something on the top deck. Below deck we had a bottle of perfume and some towels. I had to wash my body with leftover dishwater. It was horrible.

“Heh. Well Earth, allow me to bore you with my talking”

“Isn’t that what you always do?”

“Hardee har. Funny, Earth, real funny. Anyway, I’ve learned some things that I wish to discuss with you.”

I shrugged, “Fine. Discuss away.”

“Well as you’ve heard that the island has some spells built into it. One of them is an expensive spell that will alter memories to cause all the heroes to think themselves orphaned and only children who trained their whole lives to be Heroes and defeat the demon lords.”

“Isn’t that the spell we always put Hero’s under?” I asked. (Every one of our Heroes has that placed on them to better focus at their duties. It can cause problems when a loved on meets them while the effect is still affecting the hero. People have died because of this and is a controversial subject. It also costs way too much. Not much an issue for Vern and I)

“Well, unlike other years you helpers-”

“Shields.”

“Sure whatever, Earth. Can I just say what I was told to say. I don't get to speak like this often. Feels like I'm worthy of respect. Um... Right. Unlike other generations, you shields will have one placed on you so you think yourselves a village child or peasant who grew up idolizing the Hero or ideal of Heroes and took up the task to be their squire.” That seemed to be a waste of tax money. Why waste the engineering on two spells and not just use one giant spell? And also how would that affect relationships in the group. Like that just seemed like they were fucking around and want to see what issues that would cause.

“This plot point seems obtuse and obvious.” I roll my eyes.

“Trust me this is going to end up foreshadowing something in the future. I mean come on.  Memory spells? Going to go great in the book."

“Vern, how will I be able to write in the book if I think I'm your squire or whatever?"

"We will deal with that issue when we get there. Besides we don't know the full extent of the spell anyways. You could remember that." He shrugged.

“Anyways, we just have to be on the island during the spell?”

“No. We need to be on the property lines of the mansion and servant- I mean guest house.”

“And who told you this information?”

“The captain.”

“Oh. Okay then.” I bowed mockingly and backed out of the room closing the door in front of me.

“Hey Earth!” The voice of Sairah rang in my ear from port. (Or was it starboard? Whatever one is left while facing forward on the boat.)

“Hey, Sairah.” I greeted the bear humon. Her fur was ungroomed and her eyes bloodshot and teary.

“Why are you on the top deck?”

“Well, I was talking to Vern but now I’m currently in the middle of leaving this death trap. What are you doing up here, Sairah?” I respond and ask.

“I’m helping Hayli with a new hypnosis magic application. It’s not doing well. I was with her all last night until dawn.” She looked up towards the sun as a bird flew across it, “See ya later then.” She departed in the direction of Cabin A-5. I watched as she barged in without knocking and flinched at the shriek of surprise from Hayli. I, after my ears stopped ringing, turned around went back to the stairs, went through the kitchen stealing a biscuit, cheese and milk as I went and returned back to my room.

The hours passed by ebbing along like the flow of the sea that rocked the flimsy wooden boat and lapped like waves on the shore, against the barnacle covered sides of the vessel. I spent half the time waiting for my neighbors to deliver the night’s supper to me. I wrote some more in the books. I was only a few days ahead now. I would have to stop or slow down or I’d loses a means of subverting my boredom. I had only a few books left to read. Two to be exact. I read them too fast with nothing else to do.

Sometime after the stars began to twinkle in the sky a knock came at my door. I got up from my reclining position by a wall rereading my recent writings and editing stuff out and opened my door to let my two fellow bottom deck dwellers in to deliver my food. Fredericka lets herself in as Sairah wheeled in the cart with the night’s meal: sandwiches.

“Why do you get a hammock?” Complained Fredericka plopping down onto my hammock. It swings a little and I see her brace and grab hold to avoid falling flat on her face.

“Why? Don’t you have one?” I ask glaring at her.

“No.” She admits.

“What do you have then?”

She looks away from me and says, “A pile of blankets.”

I laughed, causing her to growl at me and flip me off.

“I have a mattress.” Interjected Sairah. This caused the only two members of the Stop Vern for Hurting Himself Party to look at her with spite.

“Screw you both.” Fredericka said grabbing a plate and plopping down on my rug, plate resting with a sandwich on her lap. Crumbs began to fall onto the rug as she ate.

“Hey, don’t spill crumbs everywhere. I prefer the rats to stay in the crew quarters.”

“Why? If they came you’d have more friends then.”

“But then you’d lose your family.”

I could hear Sairah sigh and begin eating her sandwich.

“You’re the one who’s related to rats.”

“Well, that’s not nice. I mean seriously that is rude to Vern… Oh, wait. You’re a musophile, right?”

“I don’t have attraction to rodents like you.”

“But you L-O-V-E my older brother and you basically just called him a rat, so…” I grinned.

“I- I- I- Ugh. Screw you, D- I mean screw you, Earth.” She went silent and continued to eat. Earth- 3 Fredericka-10. I’d take the victory.

“You two seem to be good friends.” Sairah remarked laughing a little.

“We hate each other.” I say.

“It’s actually more of an unhealthy dislike that we have begun to tolerate.” Corrected Fredericka.

“Sure. Let's go with what you say. I take it Freddie here likes Vern.”

“Well, sort of.” She looked down at her feet. “It’s more based on concept than actual infatuation. And lately I’ve been feeling friendlier and less obsessive. I think- well. It's like it's in flux depending on where he is from me. Distance makes the heart and all that."

“Well, then I think I need to talk about this with Freddie in my room. We’ll be going now. See you tomorrow.” She collected our empty plates and put them back on the tray. Then after carefully maneuvering the tray through the door, the two left my room for what I sincerely hoped was good advice for Ricka. I think I could trust Sairah to do that.

I got up and rummaged through my trunk grabbing a blanket and wrapped it around myself and wriggled into my hammock. Tomorrow would come quickly. I closed my eyes and began to dream.

(“Oh come on you two.” Gleefully spoke the girlfriend of our older brother, Callie. 

We continued to stare at nothing in particular, blankly into the void. The carriage bumped up and down jolting our little bodies.

“Why couldn’t we stay in Vesaden?” I ask, emotionless.

“It’s overrun by Honi’s army as well.”

“You may have beaten a Demon Lord candidate once but that was by pure accident, and you don’t have everyone who helped you do that now. Besides we owe it to Pinja to not let zer letting us escape go to waste.

Vern puffed his chest out, “I could fight them off. I- I’m the He-” He began to cry. I patted him on the back.

“You may have that magic too, but unlike her you can’t control it. It would be too dangerous.”

“I could have stopped it. I should have accepted the choice. I could of-” I mumbled as the carriage continued on.)

(Vern and I had been invited with haste to visit the Duchess as soon as we arrived and moved into a few old family friends who had offered us refuge in Nathers. They still had to build a new addition to their house to accommodate all of us. We currently stood before her, Vern currently in full view of her. I had followed him in.

“Oh. What a cute boy. Vern was it? Well, welcome to my little town and mansion. I’m sorry that there aren’t many kids your age here, but I hope you won’t be too lonely. I suppose some of my guard could have some kids that you could play with though.”

“T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-Thank you, my Lady.” Vern bowed deeply then ran off to explore the mansion.

I began to follow him until the Duchess caught sight of me, still in the clothes I had worn during the attack and unwashed since I had passed out on a couch and had been dragged out by Vern before I was even fully awake. She yelled, “Guards! Some riffraff got into the meeting room! Come and kick this filthy urchin out!”

Despite and against my pleas and claims of being Vern’s little brother, two large guards dragged me out of the mansion and all the way to the large gate which I was thrown out of and had locked behind me.

Great. Now what was I supposed to do? According to Vern, he and I were to stay at the mansion for the week until the addition was built. I really hoped he’d realize I was gone, but he had the tendency to ignore me while he was having fun. I took note of the woods and since Vern wasn’t there to complete the curse, began to explore.

The woods were well lit, since the trees that comprised, it was new, only twenty years old at most and had yet to squeeze together to fight for the light. Birds sing songs softly among the branches as my footsteps echoed and served as an out of time percussion to their tunes. Leaves crunched and crinkled below the small feet, as woodland creatures fearing me flee quickly. From ahead the sound of water pouring can be heard.

I move ahead and emerge into a clearing with a lake bubbling fueled by a nearby waterfall. In the middle of it is a form, nude, horned and completely unphased by my presence. Beside it is another form, young and small. I couldn’t see horns from this distance.

The water around the little form seemed to swirl in dance around her, making shapes and designs as she seemed to play in it. She had several rings of water lazily orbiting around her, like they were a natural part of her. The bigger one grabbed the water in their hand and shaped it into his general form. It danced to the delight of the girl.

I felt as though I should leave. I also couldn’t leave. It was the same feeling I felt while watching… my friend in that cage. Or Mirror Magic being used. This was that kind of magic. I should be feeling that I should leave, hide, and be afraid. 

But I’m not and I don’t. I watch as my body tenses trying desperately to enact a flight in flight responses.

I stay and watch, mesmerized as the water sparkles. I stay transfixed for hours until I feel a tapping on my back.

I snap around and face a girl my age wearing a child sized guard armor and my brother.

“Earth, are you okay?” He asks. “What were you...? You know what? I don’t care. Just help me beat this girl tomorrow. She thinks she can take both of us on.”

“She can probably. We weren’t trained to fight.”

“I’m going to learn soon.”

“Is soon tomorrow?”

“N-No.”

I shrug and turn around. The figures were gone. I really hope I wasn't hallucinating them.)

(I felt another raindrop plop on my head from the roof as I sat on the porch of the Goldstein’s. The unroofed and unfurnished addition was being abandoned by a group of workers heading inside as the rain drizzled down from the light gray sky. A few people shuffled in and out of the nearby houses, enjoying the cool rain. It had been unbearably hot until the downpour began.

Vern stumbled out of the house, just over his recent concussion. He flinched at the sound of the rain. “What you doing out here, Earth?”

“Waiting for the rain to stop and the workers to finish so we can have real beds.” I looked at him. “Your head okay?”

“Yeah, it is now. You should go to practice by yourself for the next week. Just to be safe.”

“I’m not going to be left alone with the crazy one.” I say exasperated.

“Oh, come on. It will be fine. Fredericka won’t hurt you that much.”

“You have a head injury.”

“Point taken.” He looked around as the rain kept falling, soaking the ground. He waved goodbye and went back inside.

I kept waiting.)

(The world is black.

No, that is not… correct. My vision is black, dark and blurred.

I feel as though I am barely holding back something, struggling to let it stay trapped. I could hear voices muffled and far away. I want to say something but I can’t form words. At least I am not allowed to.

I feel sick as I feel my arm try to swing forward. I grasp my left arm in my right to hold it steady.

This is the same feeling as… as… it’s déjà vu. 

Olli's work, my magic. I hope Vern can stop me.

Without.... what she did to stop me.

I feel the pressure on my chest increase as a presence walks towards me.

It begins to surge from my body, pressing at the boundaries. I begin to see a form, lighter dark on the dark.

I smile and jump at them…

I hear a scream and then feel bones break. I can tell not who they belong to.

Then nothing. The worst feeling in the world.)

The next afternoon I was carried like a potato sack by Fredericka up to the top deck and into Hayli’s room.

“Thanks. They wouldn't have come otherwise." Hayli says as I am placed down, not particularly carefully. I rubbed my bottom and then stood up.

“No problem, anytime. Now, Earth, don't do anything I wouldn't do.” She winked at me.

“What?” Asked a confused Hayli.

I quickly pushed Fredericka back outside, in hopes that Hayli wouldn’t realize the intent and to keep Fredericka from answering. “Fuck off!” I yell as I slam the door shut.

Hayli cocked her head and turned to me, “That wasn’t nice.”

Ignoring my friend, I ask, “Why’d you have Rica drag me up here, Lady Hayli?”

She looked at me like I was stupid, “To spend the day together with you, of course. I told you we had a discussion to have."

“Then why have her drag me up here?”

“So you couldn’t freak out about being up here and refuse.” She sat down on her bed.

“Ooh, evil.” I smiled and sat down next to her on the bed. She leaned on me and smiled. My face grew red.

She grinned, “Aw. Cute.”

“S-so, what are we doing?” I ask as she does what I usually do and places her face way to close to mine.

“You know, talking, hanging out, eating together, practicing my magic, coming out, and reading your journal. The usual.”

“Coming out?” I asked looking towards the door. “Um, Hayli, you already told me you like girls. Multiple times.”

"No not that. And you. Mostly. Look, how about this, we start with magic. I know you'll be impressed." She leans in next to me. "Water magic not hypnosis."

I pulled away from her, feeling way too weird for some reason. “I didn't think that- ugh. So, let’s see th-that magic.”

She looked upset, though the chance to show off to me seemed to cheer her up. She walked over to her dresser and poured a pitcher of water into a bowl and place it on the floor. Her tail straightened out and she placed one hand over the bowl. She made some noises, which I assumed were used as an outlet or channel to allow her magic to activate. At first only a few stray droplets rose above the bowl, but soon a swirling orb was floating in the air.

She looked at me with a look that asked if I was impressed. I shook my head, I was hard to impress. My first experience with magic was a high bar to be honest. So, if we disallow that, it was impressive. Magic that moved water was barely uncommon, though it usually required continuous flow from a force since it would lose water easily. Hayli’s magic had none of those flaws.

She shaped the water into a heart, then a sword and then careful strung it in a series of ring around her and let them stay there. I clapped, feeding her praise that her face was absolutely begging for. She beamed and returned the water directly to the pitcher. She then returned to the bed.

“Impressive, right?” She nudged me.

I shrugged, “I suppose.”

“Well.” She rolled her eyes, “So, you’ve heard about the island spell, right?”

“Yes, I had a conversation… well, more of an explanation from my brother of it a bit ago.”

“So, um…if I said my hypnosis could let you and I remember each other, would you agree to it? I don't want to try and make friends when both of us aren't ourselves.”

"Honestly, I don't get why we need the spell."

"Because it's the prophecy or whatever bullshit."

"I mean if our personalities are the same, I think the dynamics won't change."

“Yeah, but people told me stories back home of how people under those spells could change personalities drastically.”

“I think that usually only happened with a change to the spell or in fiction.”

“Maybe we should not be on the island.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible.”

“I mean what’s the radius of the base spell? A few miles off the coast? I could carry you that far using my magic.”

“Yeah, but what about the others. If you show up claiming to be a Hero and me as Shield, how would they take strangers appearing out of nowhere?”

“Won’t everyone be a stranger?”

I laughed, “Yeah. Guess so.”

She smile and hugged me or at least tried to but slipped and head-butted me to the floor. She quickly helped me back onto the bed and blabbered out an apology. I assured her it was fine while winching and rubbing the red spot on my head making it seem insincere.

You are reading story Not Chosen at novel35.com

   We spent the next couple of hours playing cards on the bed as my head was pounding. I don’t think that is good. Eventually though a knock came on the door and Hayli let in some crewmen who delivered a tray of duck and fruit, with some crab and shrimp on the side.

“I hate you.” I say stuffing my mouth with duck meat.

“Not my fault I get this. What do you guys have?”

“Soup and/sandwiches.”

“Poor, Earthy.” She condescendingly said patting me on my head. If I wasn’t busy eating I might have been mad at her. 

Hayli devoured the craps, shell and all, teeth destroying the armored food. Bit of it stuck to her clothes. She offered me some. I shook my head as at this point I was sure it was covered in her spit. Also I hated seafood. Except tuna. That was fine. The rest tasted like shit.

“So, Hayli. What do you think the island will be like?”

“Hopefully the others will be entertaining enough and there will be enough to do to stay not bored.”

“I mean watching Vern try to flirt with any girl that he finds attractive and fighting with Rica will keep me entertained.”

She pouted, “What about me?”

“What about you?” She slugged me in the stomach.

“Rude.” She said taking a wing and sucking it down.

“Sorry.” 

“Well, ignoring your rudeness, let’s do more Hayli’s Questions.”

“No.”

“Too bad. How big is your house?”

“Um. Biggest in the village and since my adoptive parent left way too big for Vern and me.” I reply accidently joining in a game that at this point was becoming hard to play. I stay quiet to try and avoid the game.

“Well if you refuse to play I’ll just berate you with questions.”

I sighed and for the next hour kept answering a multitude of questionings that arranged from common, weird, and sometimes Sairah disapproved.

“Well, one penultimate question then. I’m an only child, and my dad was… busy over in other countries, so how was your family life growing up?”

“Awful. I mean you try being the sibling of the best swordsman in town, the best mage in the county and the outgoing asshole. My parents really kind of kept me away from their lives since apparently according to a family doctor they shouldn’t have been able to have me. The twins destroyed that. But my siblings were nice, I mean Vern and I are friends and Ulther helps us out a lot since we are unreliable. Not that mom and dad abused me. Well unless you count how they dressed me as abuse. And they definitely were protective of me, if for nothing more than the fact I was freer labor than the twins were.”

“Are Ulther and Vern twins?”

I laughed, “Unless Vern was in mom’s womb for a few more years, no.”

“Then who is each sibling? I mean I can guess who the outgoing asshole is.”

“Yeah, Vern is the asshole, Ulther is the swordsman and…” I stopped trying to decide on something. If I kept it short it should be fine, “Avery was the mage. “

“Was?”

I looked away from her, “Was.”

"Oh. Two more questions. What's that mark on your arm?"

"A mark from a demon. Vern has one too. It's more controlled by his magic but mine reacts with it badly."

"I thought you couldn't use magic."

"I can't." I refuse to elaborate.

"So, last question. You don't want to be Earth do you?"

"What?"

"I saw you in the dress store. That's not how guys act in there. And you related to Lana in the play- plus I have experience in such things."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying Terra, that perhaps a change is needed."

Uh. "What did you call me."

"That's the name my precog told me. Seriously, it's fine. Let me put it this way. My name was **** before."

"That's not a... oh. Oh my god." I sat down, "I'm not a-, I mean..."

"Just drink the potion. I can get you another if I'm wrong."

"What's it do?"

"Hyper fast transistion and then continues to update using the users blood as fuel every few months."

"You're not letting me go without agreeing?"

"Just say you're not like me."

I take a breath and think. Quaza was probably laughing at me. I probably would have been given this choice early if I had... went with her. A lot easier to ignore when no one knows.

"What do you mean, like you?"

"Like what you are now doesn't feel like hell. Like if someone calls you sir or lord or anything you'll stab them."

"It doesn't. I don't feel anything usually, and only time I do is when I look at myself in the mirror. I could care less about my existence. I mean... Yeah. Yeah. You're right. I want to be Terra."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah plus I get to prank Vern."

"Why is that a plus." She shook her head and reached for the half empty potion. She handed it to me.

I looked at it and popped it. It bubbled a little as the air hit it. I take a second and place it to my lips, the cold glass chilling me. I close my eyes and chug it.

"Ugh, that tastes bad."

"Oh, fuck. I forgot- that makes you bonk out after using." Hayli said.

"Wha-" I said passing out onto the floor.

Later or sooner I began to emerge from my slumber to the sound of giggling.

In my daze I began to wonder why people were in my room. I could feel a warm presence pressing against my body, the sound of nervous breathing coming from that area. I opened my eyes and looked up at the trio standing over the bed. Vern was grinning, Fredericka was laughing and Sairah had a very restrained look on her face.

"Hayli, Terra is not a pillow." Sairah remarked.

"But she looked so huggable."

"Yes, but I think the whole... you know would be weird to wake up to."

Vern blinked, "Terra? Isn't that what-" Sairah pulled the two others out of the room.

I looked beside me at the face of Hayli. She was grinning, "Wow, you're cute. I mean wow."

"Um, Ha-" I stop and blink. "Okay why do I sound like a gi- oh shit, it worked?"

"Of course, it worked. Did you think it wouldn't?"

"I may have thought it was a dream."

I untangled her tail from my waist and moved towards the mirror. My hair had grown a few inches, my body now in a more pleasing shape. I was pretty sure I had some extras on my chest but it wasn't really anything that seemed noticeable. I could feel that down there still. But my face had gone towards my mother and Avery. I really couldn't explain the difference, but I knew I wasn't looking like this earlier. I stood and stared for a minute before I realized I was looking in a mirror without wanting to die.

"Well, how do you feel."

I turned to Hayli, blinking away tears, "Um, good. Good, great. Amazing." I smile.

"Good. Now... weird question but... you have that?"

"Yeah?" I hope that was what she meant.

She smiled, "Ditto."

"Was it... supposed to?"

"Only if you wanted it."

I sat back on the bed. It was staring at my hands, now soft and smaller than even before. My nails were back to being unbitten as well. Hayli slapped me as I put one to my mouth.

"Okay, Terra. I'm going to teach you how to be... Terra."

(Okay, let's skip that, I don't feel like a two hour lesson on makeup and fashion is what Vern wants.) (If you had included that but not any of my cool feats later I would have sailed you to Honi myself, sister- Vern)

After she was done she gave me some dresses in my size. I was about to ask why she had them but then remembered her precog ability. I sat back on her bed, hair in a braided ponytail thanks to extensions. I was in a sundress the same color Hayli had on when we met. It felt weird to be fully dresses without pants. And cold.

Hayli grinned and sat next to me.

"Thanks, Hayli."

"No problem Terra. So since you're a new woman you'll need someone to protect you, right?"

"What are you asking?"

She grew red and told me to wait for a minute. She left the room and came back with Sairah.

"Hayli, what's so bad about asking yourself?"

"It's embarassing and it sounds weird."

"You asked her to be your friend and this is weird?"

"Just ask, please. I can't look at her."

Sairah looked at me, "Yeah, she did get way cuter huh? Seriously, it's not that weird."

"It feels icky. I mean I know I planned to ask but that was before I knew what she'd look like."

"Yeah. Kind of looks like... you know."

"Ugh, don't remind me." She snapped her neck towards me, "Go out with me."

"What."

Her face grew red, "I mean, you're a new girl, and honestly you have the same lack of respect for personal as me- and with strangers on the island they may take it the wrong way. I can get any situations diffused that may come up."

"Couldn't you just say it?"

Sairah shook her head, "My disciple is bad at lying. Besides she'd never pass up me letting her 'date' someone."

I laugh, "Sure, not much different from being friends, is it?"

Hayli giggled, "I guess it isn't. And I can now hug you without it looking weir"

Sairah shook her head, "I need to talk to you about that habit. Anyways, Terra, just so you know I told the two numbnuts about... this situation." She motioned to me.

"Oh. And?"

"Vern just went, 'Oh, that explains why Quaza kept using that name. Freddie just stared blankly. I'm not sure what that was about."

"Well at least I won't have to answer anything."

Hayli shook her head, "Oh, you will." She leaned on me. "Want to get breakfast?"

"How long was I out?"

"All yesterday."

Sairah shook her head, "Let's go with downstairs' today. It's eggs and biscuits and gravy today in the bottom." 

Hayli yanked me up, "Let's go!"

Saiah shook her head, "I'll be behind you- I need to... borrow some gravy."

As we got out of the kitchen Fredericka was waiting. She seemed to study me then grinned

“So, how heavy of a sleeper are you, Terra?” Asked Fredericka.

“Heavy enough to sleep through your snoring.” I reply back.

She smiled, "Good. I was worried you got replaced with someone that wasn't you. Today's crumb victim?"

"Sairah's." Hayli said dragging me forward.

We walked down the hall, stopping only to let me toss the dresses onto my fand enter Sairah’s room while we wait for her to deliver the cart. Her bare mattress was quickly taken over by the three of us. Fredericka looked overjoyed to feel a mattress. It wasn't as nice as Hayli's or Vern's but it was better than a hammock.

Sairah arrived with breakfast, some eggs and biscuits plus stolen gravy from the upper’s breakfast. We all grabbed a plate and sat down to eat after Sairah forced  us but not Hayli off the bed and onto the floor.

“I swear, Hayli really needs to learn. You can’t do stuff like that. What if you had freaked out?” Complained Sairah between bites of eggs.

“I sleep with you all the time." Hayli complained.

“Yes, you do.” She smiles at me. “Terra, how's your legs? She didn't hurt them, did she? She can really scratch up your legs with that thing."

"No, they're fine. Smooth and scale-burn free."

"Good. Now, Terra, you and Fredericka are… friends, right?”

I shrug mouth full of food.

“Well let’s talk about her love life.”

“How about no.” I say.

"Ooo, let's." Hayli says.

“Just tell me why Vern is well, unresponsive to her advances.”

“Well, looking at it from an angle where Vern has no lingering feelings for certain individuals with ram horns, there is no reason outside of the multiple instances of physical harm inflicted onto him and the whole obsessive attitude of hers.”

“Hmm. I can get the physical harm bit. The obsessive part though... eh, that's how Hayli is when she has a crush so maybe I'm not the best judge.” Sairah bit her lip and turned to Fredericka. “Fredericka, what exactly do you, without the whole fantasy hero thing, like in a guy?”

“A strong well built, but not huge huge man that is tough enough to not always need me but will allow me to rescue him and comfort him in his darkest days. He’d also be totally and utterly in love with me.”

“She meant in reality not a fantasy.” I say.

“Terra, dear, don’t be rude to your friend.” Sairah chastises me.

“Her love life and fantasies are impossible to reach.”

“Excuse me for having high standards. What are your standards?"

“Not insane like yours. Vern doesn't even fit that."

“He does, you just don't see him like I do."

“Have you had a crush on any other guy."

"No. Can we change the subject?"

Sairah nodded, "Yeah. I've got more info. I'll be back for more later. Now let me eat."

Hayli moves off the bed to sit with us, "So, Terra. What's your type?"

Fredericka grinned, "Yeah, Terra, what do you go for?"

I sighed, "Demon Lord candidates."

Hayli grew pale and Fredericka laughed, "Oh, I see. You don't want to say."

I shook my head, "I mean before Hayli and I started dating half an hour ago, that was the last girl I had a crush on."

"I cannot tell if you're joking or- wait, you... and Hay? Huh. I need to collect some money from Vern."

"Please don't tell me you beat on us going out."

She nervously laughed, “Yeah. Not sure he'll honor it since you're.... you know.”

"You realized he only agreed because Hayli was openly a lesbian."

"Yeah, and guess who still won?"

Hayli shook her head and then stood up. She kissed me on the cheek and left to take a bath in the danger zone.

Sairah as soon as she finished ushered the two of us left out. We quickly went to the kitchen, freshly empty to use some wet towels to somewhat wash up, each watching the door as we did so. After we were done, I took an apple from a crate and we both retired to our cabins. I sat on my hammock trying keep my dress from getting wrinkled while also not falling off. 

The last day and so had been a hectic one. Like top... twenty insane day in my life. Which for a day without Olli or Quaza was pretty high.

Terra. The same name Quaza gave me when we got stuck in Hani territory. What a coincidence. 

Speaking of my name... I got up and moved to my trunk. I grab some graphite and write on it in scratchy letters: Terra. 

That being done, I laid back on the carpet and let the rest of the day pass with only the interruption to steal food and be annoyed by questions from Vern that were mostly about why Sairah had asked him so many questions about Fredericka. Besides that, it was a boring rest of the day.

I undressed as I got ready for bed, still amazed at the fact my body felt... good to me. I pulled out an oversized shirt I had bought in the capital and laid down in the hammock. I closed my eyes and waited for my head to clear enough to let me rest.

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