I walked through the city, by my side the girl that had joined me in this journey.
All around us were humans. It was weird that before in my first realm that none of us had gathered together and made a town like this. Or maybe I just wasn't aware of it.
However still, for this many crowns to be gathered in this one place. It was fascinating.
Especially since most of them were talentless. Not in that they couldn't do anything but in that they had no talents. I could tell by true set her and sense of listlessness around them.
It was disgusting… to see them so down just because they had no inborn talent. I was just like them yet I rose above that.
Maybe it was an early crown that capitalized on the opportunity that was the despair of these citizens or maybe they were just weak but it still disgusted me.
To wallow in pity rather than strive for greatness. It was something that I could just not tolerate.
Though I had to admit that it was a great sight, buildings made of sandstone with desert plants that littered the streets.
There was even a great well that seemed to give water to everyone and at the center of it all, a palace made of white stone.
It glittered in the sunlight, enough that I had to cover my eyes. I was not going to go there, it would be a useless endeavor. I couldn't even guarantee my safety. I had no idea of his strength.
I sneered to myself the only thing keeping my actual disdain off my face was Lily who happily buzzed around the market and sneakily stole a few things.
I had noticed yet the citizens hadn't. I could attribute that to their lackluster power or it was something that Lily could do.
It was faint but my ears twitched, a faint echo of aether reverberating into my ears.
'Not as simple as you seemed are you'
I would continue to play along but it seemed my companion was hiding something.
A talent, one of manipulation or sleight of hand. It was the only way that she would have gotten away with those thefts, the strength and actual dexterity of her hands were not of the caliber that she would be able to rob them just as she had.
"Come" I ordered her and she fell into line with me.
I was done in this place, there was nothing of value that I could take from here.
To begin with it was only a slight curiosity that had brought me here. Any more wandering around would just be pointless.
"Can't we just stay for the day…"
Her lip quivered, tears forming in her eyes.
I just sighed at that, my hand slapping against my forehead.
'Troublesome'
We had no money and that was not a problem easily sol…
A fist full of currency was placed in my hands.
"I'll pay, I know you don't have any money not being from here but I at least have enough for today. Please."
I closed my fist and with it the money before pocketing both into my pants leg.
Another sigh this one of resignation.
"I guess, if you can find us a decent hotel"
A pump of her fist into the air in triumph and she turned around her body following practiced steps as she led me towards somewhere.
"Shit" I slightly grunted out. My head was in pain for some reason. It didn't help that my ears were twitching madly.
It was like being in the presence of that undead again.
"Need to find that hotel…" I whispered to myself. The pain forgotten as I followed.
…
Lily held my hand in her own, a faint smile on her lips as she looked up at me.
I watched as she walked both of us up to the e counter.
A bored teenager sat at the counter, his fingers tapping away to alleviate his boredom.
"One room" Lily demanded a coin in her hands.
"Hundred bucks a night"
The bored voice didn't even look up to us, he just kneeled down and grabbed at a key.
The coin was placed down on the counter just as the teenager knelt up from his position.
A key was in his hand. He grabbed the coin and handed us the key.
"Room 121"
With that his hand was back in his cheek as he briefly looked out into nothing.
Again my hand was pulled as Lily took me towards the staircase leading to the rooms.
It was actually a pretty big place for how long we had been here.
"Dollars?" I idly asked, filling the silence.
"Yep, the king's American."
"Hm" I hummed, suspicions forming in my mind.
Though before I could expand on them a painful shock echoed through my hand and into my brain.
'What- what was I thinking of…' my thought process was completely ruined.
Against the pain all I could do was follow Lilly as she led me towards the room.
…
A click and the key turned as the door opened itself.
It was nothing special. The room looked like someone had once seen a hotel room and tried to recreate it one to one.
Actually that was probably what they had done now that I was thinking of it. It was honestly impressive that they had inns at all. Whatever the talent of that king was, it was powerful. At least in the kingdom building aspect which objectively is what we should be doing.
I was broken out of my thoughts by the sound of the bed squeaking. Lily had jumped onto it, her hair flayed out behind her as her eyes closed in apparent satisfaction.
"Bed good?" I asked, my arms crossed as I leaned against the door frame.
Yes, I was a bit dramatic but I hadn't had anyone to show off to in a while and the moles didn't count. I just wanted to look cool. I had all of this power and this body that seemed to be perfecting itself as I climbed the tiers.
Why wouldn't I show off a bit.
A little laugh came from the room, Lily had covered her mouth as she giggled at what I was doing. Apparently sensing that I was postering.
I just laugh with her in good nature, the door closing behind me as I enter in further. It was only then that I noticed that the room was a one bed.
"Should I…"
I point towards the couch that stood to the side.
"NO… ahem" She coughed into her fist as she stood up, "No we can share the bed its big enough"
'Say that without a blush on your face first' I think to myself, the cynical part of me crying out that something was wrong but was crushed by the hopeless optimism born of desire. I was not old not even midway through my twenties but that did not mean that I was experienced.
I had focused so much on my studies that I had never made any meaningful connections with girls or even people in general but now there was a beautiful girl that seemed smitten with me waiting on that bed.
I wouldn't jump the gun though. 'Remember observe, analyze, observe"
It was a personal mantra of my own and part of the reason why I never made connections with many people. I would always observe, make the most of my time around them in the most roundabout way. Observe their behavior, take note of everything, then analyze why they did what they did then observe again.
Only then would I allow myself to talk to them. It was a mindset made up of paranoia. However it was my mindset.
It was why I backed away, even through the pain. I knew that this was not me, why would I fall so easily for someone that I had not observed.
"Fuck" I gripped my forehead, trying to alleviate the pounding headache that had appeared in my head.
"STOP" I ordered into the air. Lily stopped in her tracks, the headache going away as my thoughts finally cleared up.
It was only then that I felt all of the discrepancies that had piled up since the morning. All the times that my own concerns were thrown away at the touch of her hand.
Her talent, it must have been. A mental manipulation that had gotten through my defenses.
I was angry, no, scratch that. I was furious, my teeth grit in anger as I walked towards her. Fear was in her eyes as I grabbed at her throat.
In my anger I hadn't noticed the increase in aether I was putting into my hand. However I did notice how I was crushing her neck.
I dropped her to the floor, a thud resounding through the room.
"Do not manipulate me" I said, each word grit out with pain. It was the first time that an order to the world was a full sentence and it took a full minute and lots of pain to grit the words out.
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