About two hours ter Uli carries me out of the tent and walks me back to Ray.
“Eh! What happened to you Thoma!?”
“We trained…I kind of can’t move right now.”
“Gosh, Thoma you really need to learn to stay within your limits. You can put him down, guildmaster, I’ll carry him home.”
“He can just stay here for the night if he’s that tired.”
“We can’t impose on you like that guildmaster. Also Nekara will get worried when Thoma is not home.”
“I see. Take him home then, also take this.”
“Are…Are those g-gold coins!? Why are you giving us gold coins!?”
“I don’t want you to start taking quests until you’ve learned the basics. This should cover the next two weeks. Also get him some new clothes, he can’t keep running around in these rags. Does he even own formal wear?”
“He does not and that’s still way too much! One gold coin should cover the expenses!”
“I see, it’s been a while since I bought my own clothes. Take this gold coin then and get him some. I’d recommend getting them from someone that specializes in entertainers, he needs to be able to move unhindered even when he’s wearing winter clothing. As for formal wear…I’m going to get him something personally. Just give me his measurements.”
“O-Okay…Thanks guildmaster.”
“Don’t mention it, do you want me to carry you two back?”
“No thank you!!! I’ll do it myself, I don’t think I can handle something like this again any time soon…”
Ray then picks me up and gives me a piggyback ride.
“I see. Hara Luan, please lead them outside.”
A young elven butler heeding her command leads us back through Uli’s property. He’s quite the professional. Uli’s mansion is full with different types of Elven art and everytime we stare at one for too long he expins to us their origin.
“Phew, what a day, huh? How was your secret training?”
“Really tough, but it probably doesn’t help that I also did the normal training earlier. How were the magic lessons?”
“Hmm…To be honest, I don’t really get it yet. I need to somehow ‘commune’ with nature. Don’t ask me what that means I don’t know either. Apparently I need to somehow convince an earth, wind and fire spirit to teach me my first spell and once that happens and I keep practicing the spells they’ll teach me more. But to do that I need to first learn how to basically suck in the natural mana, which then somehow tells the spirits I’m open to learning or something.”
“Oh, yeah I think I need to do something simir but a bit different. Sorry I don’t think I’m allowed to tell you more than that.”
“That’s fine…How did you like the art stuff? The guildmaster seems to really own a lot of it.”
“Huh? What art?”
“We just went through the guildmaster’s house, there were a lot of paintings and statues and vases, that sorta stuff. Don’t you remember?”
“No, sorry. I remember the house but I don’t remember any art.”
“I see…That’s fine you don’t need to remember it. By the way did you and the guildmaster do anything else besides train today?”
“Nope.”
“Are you sure? Did you maybe say something to her that was kind of out of the ordinary?”
“I don’t think so, the only thing I said to her is that I think she’s a kind person.”
“And that’s it?”
“Hmm…Oh, she also said if we ever get bullied by people with higher status I can say that I’m her kid to protect ourselves.”
“Do…Do you know what that implies?”
“That she doesn’t want us to get hurt?”
“I guess that too…Never mind that’s for her to tell you, not me. Also I’ve been thinking about that thing you said with the masks.”
“Masks? Sorry, I don’t think I remember that.”
“Oh, well…You basically told me how everyone hides their true selves and only shows parts of themselves to others. I thought about that and I think that’s true. But in a way, I also feel like over the past month or so, we’ve gotten a lot closer and that I’m more comfortable being my actual self around you. I’m not sure if it’s just because we’ve been spending so much time together or because you always seem so honest and open but I feel like I can let my walls down with you completely. So I’m just going to go and say something that I wouldn’t say otherwise…I know we only know each other for about three months but I think to me, you’re family now. At this point I really do just see you as my little brother. Is that…Okay with you?”
“Of course, I love you too Ane.”
“Eh!? I’m sorry I don’t see you that way! I can’t love you like a woman loves a man!”
“Huh? Of course not. What are you even talking about?”
“W-well, you said you l-l-l-oved me…”
“Yeah, do Beastfolk not say ‘I love you' to their family?”
“Oh! You meant it like that…Phew.”
“Of course I did, I told you hundred times already, I don’t want to marry you.”
“Yeah…Sorry, It’s just, we don’t like to outright say ‘I love you' to our family. We only do that when we have a really bad time, like when someone dies or something. Now that I think about it I don’t think I remember the st time someone in my family said that they love me.”
“That sounds kind of sad. My siblings always told each other that we love each other. We even said it as a way to say goodbye.”
“Hmm…I guess our culture is a bit more reserved than that. We do show each other that we love each other with physical affection but not really with words. Do you mind if I show you how we say I love you? It’s probably a bit weird for Humans but I’d like to do it with you.”
“Sure!”
“Alright, can you walk?”
“No sorry, I don’t think I can yet…”
“That’s fine, let's sit down on that park bench.”
Ray then puts me down and sits down next to me.
“Okay now you hug my tails and I’ll hug your waist because you don’t have any.”
“Okay.”
“Now we go like this and rub our cheeks together and sniff each other however long we want.”
“It's definitely different but I like it, this feels nice…I love you Ane.”
“I…I love you too Thoma.”
We then stay like this for a bit longer before Ray asks, “By the way what does ‘Ane’ mean?”
“I don’t know.”
“Hmm…I guess I could ask the guildmaster tomorrow…No, you know what? Never mind! It’s totally gonna bother me all day if I don’t know, we’re going back. We aren’t that far from her house anyways.”
She quickly picks me up again and runs towards Uli’s manor. Then as we come upon the gate a servant notices her, “Did you forget something Miss Ray?”
“Can you get the Guild Master for me? It's urgent! Wait, never mind you probably speak Elvish too, right?”
“Uhm, yes I do. How can I help you?”
“What does ‘Ane’ mean?”
“It means big sister. Although, I guess that doesn’t quite have the same ring to it in Uni. Big sister is usually ‘Aneka Oi’ but if you’re talking to your big sister you would probably shorten it to Aneka. Usually only small kids or siblings that are really close to each other would say ‘Ane’. It's an especially endearing version of it.”
“Gotcha, thank you!”
“Is that all?”
“Yes…Wait, no. What’s an endearing term for a younger brother?”
“That would be ‘Oki’. It comes from ‘Okito Olu’ which means younger brother. For a little sister, it would be ‘Oko’ which comes from ‘Okoto Olu’.”
“Alright, thank you!”
“Haha, no worries. I’m gd I’m able to share some elven culture with someone so eager to learn.”
“Oh! Before we leave, do you know of a good pce that sells smoothies?”
“There is a street vendor down that street. He sells quite good ones, but they’re also pretty expensive, they cost a big Copper per drink.”
“Are they worth it?”
“Yes.”
“Okay good, I‘m off then, thank you! You can call me Ane now whenever you want, Thoma. Or should I say Oki?”
“I’ll gdly call you Ane but Oki sounds a bit weird.”
“Pfft, you’ll get used to it.”
We then get some wonderful smoothies and head back to the Cat’s Den.
“Nekara, we’re back!”
“Oh? You guys are so te I thought you went out of town. Eh!? Is Thoma hurt!?”
“No I’m not, I just overtrained.”
“This idiot went through his daily training and then got the guildmaster to train him even more personally.”
“Gosh, Thoma you need to take better care of yourself.”
“Okay, sorry Miss Nekara.”
“Also, I got this today from the guildmaster.”
Ray says proudly as she sms down a gold coin at the counter.
“Eh!? What for!?”
“She said she wants us to train for at least two more weeks before we go out doing quests, so this is for rent and the rest is so we can buy Thoma clothes. She said it needs to be very flexible and to look for shops that specialize in entertainers.”
“That guildmaster sure has taken a liking to you Thoma…But to be honest I can’t bme her, you’re such a good kid. If I had that sorta money I’d spoil you too.”
“Would you spoil me as well, Nekara?”
“Pfft of course not, you’re already spoiled rotten! If I invest more into you you’ll just become entitled on top of it!”
“Pfft, at least pretend that you’d do it, haha. Oh! Also, I have an announcement to make!”
“It’s going to be something stupid isn’t it?”
“Not at all. I have decided that from now on Thoma will be my little brother and I’ll treat him like that too!”
“Huh, okay.”
“Are you not surprised? I’m not joking, you know.”
“Yeah I know. It’s a bit surprising that you’d outright say it but it’s not surprising to me that you feel like that. I mean you guys have been sleeping in the same bed together for a month now. That goes way beyond a simple friend retionship. I’ve ruled out that Thoma has any romantic interest in you so it was either that or that you had a one sided crush for him.”
“Hmm…So you’re fine with this?”
“Sure, Thoma is a good kid and he certainly is pretty child-like so that makes it less weird to me. I’ll write to your parents about this, I’m sure they’ll be a bit concerned but I have only been telling them good things so far about your retionship with Thoma so it’s probably fine. It’s also good that I can trust the one you’re going to be working and traveling with for the next few years. I hope that you can stay close like that. But I am still a bit worried.”
“About what?”
“A few things. I feel like if either of you decided they don’t like the other anymore then it would hurt you both a lot. Then there is also the thing that non Beastfolk will constantly think you’re a couple. I doubt many are going to understand that sorta bond you two have and if you get a boyfriend he’ll probably be very jealous.”
“Then I just have to find someone that will understand.”
“Hahaha, I guess that’s true. When do you pn to introduce Thoma to the rest of your family?”
“Ehm, probably either when we start moving between countries or if we get a quest near the vilge.”
“So, basically sometime within the next year. Alright, I’ll tell them that. Have you two eaten yet?”
“Nope, we just had a smoothie.”
“Sigh You can’t just live off sweets all day! Here let me make you something nice.”
We then eat some good food together, wash up and I brush Ray’s tails before heading to bed.
