NOVEL SIMPLE Ch.36 – Crossing Those Hills
A.N.: Yes, the title is another reference... :3
POV: Tamara
The sun wasn't even up yet when Tamara opened one eye in response to Luchael's movements as he moved to lift the blanket and twist his torso so he could put his feet on the floor. The leporan stiffened his shoulders and folded his long ears back when the soles of his feet touched the cold wooden floor and Tamara stood for the first minute watching him without doing anything.
“Come on, Aradra. We need to jump on some merchant's wagon before the sun is fully up,” said Luchael, who all things considered, seemed in good spirits. “It's a shame that from today we will no longer be able to access the dungeons legally, but we can still work as adventurers fighting the monsters of the outside world!”
She stood up and stretched as if she were a cat.
“You've grown a little in the labyrinth, and not just in level,” the leporan said with a hint of a smile, “you're a little bigger, your legs are less stocky, you're growing a membrane on your sides and your eyes are… of a disturbing and predatory lemon yellow.”
Tamara hadn't chosen any Feat that changed her eyes, after Velen revealed that new detail about her, she thought about it for an hour or two before reaching the conclusion that this must be an effect of [Devourer], a Feat that judging by the system notifications she received while the dungeon core was adding it to her, she shouldn't have. Tamara turned her head slightly, her eyes locked with the leporan's.
“And also that humanoid shape… where did you get it from? How did you get it?”
Tamara had an obvious advantage in being a monster at that moment: she didn't need to prepare in any way for departure, she didn't have to brush her teeth, she didn't have to pack her things, she didn't have to decide how to dress, comb her hair what color of nail polish to use…
Yes, it was a bit depressing when you focused on what she had lost, but on the practical side, being a salamander monster wasn't bad.
However, Tamara had time to jump out of bed and activate [Humanoid Form]; her little reptilian-shaped body took on a vaguely more human appearance. She was a height worthy of a small human child, wearing a little green dress that, although worn, appeared tidy and perfect for a druid, she had a simple ring on one of her stubby fingers and her head was vaguely rounded, comparable to that of a human being. Tamara had stubby little legs, on which she swayed with every step. She made some gestures towards Luchael, trying to emulate the act of writing.
“Do you want to write?” He asked surprised and confused, perhaps realizing only then that Tamara's little hands in that shape allowed enough mobility to hold a piece of chalk and write. He looked inside his backpack for a sheet of parchment and a piece of chalk which he handed over to Tamara with a certain sense of anticipation... the first real exchange of words between the two.
Tamara took the paper, the chalk and began to write a quick 'hello!' before showing the paper to the leporan.
Luchael read carefully by folding one of his long ears, then returned his eyes to Tamara, “um… I can't read anything other than a squiggle, I mean, I can tell you wrote something, but I've never seen this alphabet before.”
Tamara had been too optimistic, she thought that if she could understand what the people around her were saying, then she could also write in an understandable way. She lowered her head and intertwined the short fingers of her hands before rocking her shoulders dejectedly.
"Don't worry!" Luchael said noticing Tamara's body language, at least that was understandable now. The leporan lowered himself, placing his knees on the ground and placing his hands on the salamander monster's shoulders, "now that you have hands, I can teach you to write, it shouldn't take long! I will teach you to write using the Trade Alphabet, so you will be sure that you can read the signs of any shop or inn across the continent!”
Tamara raised her head; if she hadn't had reptilian eyes incapable of shedding a tear she would have done so now. She took a step forward trying to embrace the leporan as if it were the brother she had lost and who at that moment, in another universe, was undoubtedly continuing his life without her, as well as their parents and all her friends...
She tightened her awkward embrace, pressing her muzzle against his chest… he wasn't her brother, but as unfair as it was to think so, he served as a perfect surrogate: Luchael was friendly, kind and peaceful, just like her brother.
“Come on, Aradra. I'd like to start teaching you some letters immediately, but we don't have time now, and then..." he smiled, "there will definitely be time during the trip!"
Too bad I can't stay in this form as long as I want without risking running out of Mana just when I need it... Tamara thought, unfortunately, the Mana cost of [Humanoid Form] became more expensive as the time in that form passed.
Tamara struggled to convince herself to return to her 'normal' form and enter Luchael's backpack, since she had obtained the ability to assume a humanoid form, being a sort of reptilian with four legs had become even more unbearable although inevitable. After some encouragement from the leporan, she forced herself to accept that her newfound... humanity was still a temporary thing and that she would have to resist for some time longer: she returned to her quadrupedal form and jumped into the backpack, curling up into a ball with her head turned upwards as usual.
- - -
POV: Helen
She had spent the evening and the night at home with her family while she had left a letter for her adventure companions as she had decided to do; After leaving home with her clothes imbued with the mystical power of a High Sister, she headed to the city gates, where merchants and travelers were gathering to begin their journey westward, some to the Cloudbreaker Mountains, others to the warmer regions north of the kingdom. There were about forty people in total, of which at least ten were riding a hoquin and the others were getting into some covered wagons.
Helen brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and explored the faces of the people about to leave the city: she noticed Luchael with his large backpack and a mandolin secured with a leather strap arriving from one of the main streets of Stanbroodge. He raised his eyebrows and parted his lips when their eyes met.
The leporan stiffened and slowed down - probably because Helen didn't exactly convey cheerfulness with her facial expression and the harshness of her body language - Helen indicated with a wave of her hand that he should come closer.
“Uh…Helen! To what do I… um…” He rubbed his neck and looked around nervously a few times, “owe your presence?”
Helen clicked her tongue, “where are you going? I believe we will share the same path for some time to come."
“W-why?”
“I don't have to tell you everything, just as you don't have to tell me everything,” Helen replied in a piqued tone, annoyed that the leporan hadn't been honest with her immediately and confused by her god's attitude and will, that even though he was the one closest to the good for humanity, he had decided that helping a monster become more ferocious and more dangerous was the right thing to do. “So? Don't tell me you're going west.”
“The least civilized areas are those with the greatest monster problems, and surely there are some remote dungeons that can be explored without the nobility or adventurers' guild complaining,” the leporan explained.
“Don't worry about that, you won't lose the rights the adventurers' guild grants you,” she replied, shrugging, “so choose your destination freely.”
"Oh! T-thank you!” Finally, Luchael cracked a smile, “but why? And why are you wearing the religious clothes?”
“Orders from superiors,” Helen replied, “I am now a High Sister.”
Luchael seemed to have understood that there was no point in continuing to ask questions at the moment, also because the travelers were starting to leave and if he didn't decide quickly the three of them would have to walk alone, not that the leporan had to fear that Helen would do anything to the monster he had in his backpack, given that that alone doubled the templar's level and attempting to attack it would have been suicidal for her... as well as causing Gornowayl's anger with high probability.
“O-ok, then if this is the case…” Luchael pursed his lips, “I still prefer to go west, after all it doesn't matter if you tell what you know or not: the rumors are spreading anyway.”
Helen sighed dejectedly and nodded. She crossed her arms under her breasts and silently followed Luchael, who circled the various wagons until he found one belonging to a merchant who was planning to reach the various mountain villages of the Cloudbreakers.
“Of course you can join! However, food and any other needs will be at your expense!” The merchant said, glancing from head to toe at Helen, although it stopped mainly below the templar's neck, every now and then we all confuse the eyes with other parts of the body.
Helen would have preferred to continue wearing her armor since it covered her feminine graces better, but she was a practical girl: the High Sisters' maid dress was more resistant to slashing blows than full armor and granted the mobility of a dancer dress; it was a dress of superior quality, even if it tended to exalt femininity a little too much. “be careful to not disrespect an High Sister of the God of Heroes, merchant,” the girl's tone was harsh, irritated not so much by the merchant's look but by her current predicament of being Nightmare Tyrant's bodyguard.
“Y-yes! Sorry, High Sister. Please, get in! We're departing now,” stammered the merchant, bowing his head.
Luchael and Helen went around to get into the wagon, where there was a small family of three who were probably returning to some town or village on their way to the Cloudbreakers. There was enough space for everyone, so Luchael took off his backpack and gave a few light pats on the fabric that closed the opening, Helen knew why he had done it and the doubt returned to her head... was she wrong to consider that monster for what it was? If only Gornowayl hadn't been so enigmatic...
- - -
POV: Rosalia
The company of Duke Darren and his knights were now near the town of Stanbroodge; the journey had been relatively easy up to there, with the greatest difficulties presented by the various lords of the fiefdoms they passed within other kingdoms, who obviously had no pleasure in having nobles and knights from another kingdom merrily wandering around their lands. Rosalia had remained on the sidelines the entire time, lacking the confidence needed to be the diplomat of the group, just as she didn't have the courage needed to fight and defend herself... the girl felt like a burden, even when she wanted to make herself useful and try to make her beloved older sister happy.
“We are almost at the city we heard about from some merchants and bards, my lady,” said the duke after catching her attention with a wave of his hand, “there, you can find a bedroom and food worthy of the your status."
“Thank you, my lord,” Rosalia replied, the cheeks of her perfect porcelain doll face tinged with a veiled blush, “I hope that the rumors about that bizarre salmadrer are true, even if I have strong doubts that a pathetic and weak monster could be capable of killing people with my brother's skills, class and level.”
In the opposite direction, a merchant's wagon pulled by two hoquins was coming out of the city, headed for the mountains to the west. Rosalia looked there, watching him approach and urging her hoquin to step aside slightly to offer as much space as possible, terrified to the idea of being a nuisance to someone.
“We don't know much about this monster beyond the fact that it's unusual for a wild monster, we need to investigate the case before we can establish such things,” Darren replied as he looked at the wagon as well, “you'll certainly agree with me that a salmadrer being able to plan and fight as a person is unheard of, and nothing in the prophecy says that Nightmare Tyrant would come to this world in its final form.”
“T-true,” Rosalia admitted. The merchant's wagon was now close to overtaking them.
“Whatever happens, know that I will not allow anything to touch you, you are safer at my side than inside the rooms of your mansion in Khalrinda.”
Rosalia got distracted; her attention remained on the wagon, observing it with a confused and surprised expression: her class allowed her to perceive the power of monsters even without seeing them when they were close enough to her. The presence of the various hoquins disturbed her senses, yet as that wagon was passing by, she had the sensation of sensing something powerful coming from that wagon, something that could in no way be one of the two hoquins.
"My lady?" Darren asked seeing her distracted.
“N-nothing,” Rosalia replied, fluttering her eyelashes and shaking her head slightly as the wagon passed them, “I'm probably just tired, I'm looking forward to a comfortable bed and food from a kitchen,” she said, nodding towards him with a shy smile on her lips.
Meanwhile, the merchant's wagon continued on, passing them and continuing its journey towards the high mountains that could be seen in the distance.
