Chapter 5 | Indigo

– ◇ –

More time had passed in the blink of an eye, and I have been in possession of this body for three years now.

I have made good progress on my own and learned a great many things.

For example, this building does not have a restroom. If you needed to take a biobreak, then you would need to visit a public lavatory a bit down the street. At least there was some kind of sewer system in place. The smell was still suffocating, even if you were confronted with it on a daily basis. All you could do was breathe as little as possible.

Washing was basically the same: if you wanted to bathe, you would need to find a tub and carry water there from the public water tank. You could also use the public bathhouse if you had the coin (except on holidays, when it was free).

The general water supply was taken care of by an aqueduct system.

Another thing I learned is that we were living in an old and abandoned bastion that once had the name "Aerides", and has been repurposed and remodeled over time to its current form, the "Stag Bastion".

The Stag Bastion itself was situated at the edge of the Indigo District of the City of Colors, Tios, in the most southern region called Wisir of the Asura Kingdom, located on the Central Continent.

Tios actually got its nickname from the wide range of both people and wares it offered.

To be honest, a lot of this information didn't mean anything to me. For starters, I've yet to see a globe map.

These things were taught to me by the charming Lilitella, who had a great interest in architecture and who built what. It turned out that if you gave her a workshop and things to do, she would become much more patient, friendly, and less feisty. However, she was still the most aggressive person in the room.

She was a very brilliant artisan in her own right, and you didn't need to take my word for it; the sheer number of customers she had spoke for itself.

Bazelle occasionally complimented her work as well.

He would say, "Hm yes, very good," and gnash his teeth.

Bazelle was, just like Lilitella, a dwarf with burning red, but unkempt hair, and an eye for precise work, especially metal, who frequented her shop from time to time, but didn't live nor work here.

I even came to know his full name. That day, he had casually leaned against a column and introduced himself to her as Bazelle of the Sacred Iron. He ran a knife shop in the red district, where a lot of smithing took place.

Oh, and her full name was Lilitella of the Beautiful Snowy Ridge, by the way.

Thankfully, Channy later explained to me that when a dwarf reached the age of seven, he or she was given a name based on what they enjoyed, appreciated, or excelled at.

If I were a dwarf, my name would probably be Zoralihn of the Pepperoni Dripping Pizza with extra Cheese, Olives, and Cheesy Crust. That would be hilarious! Not that I would get any in this world. Or would I?

Hmmmmmm.

But yes, Lilitella liked talking to me about these topics and could explain everything I would like to know. and more. She was also one of the few people who would go outside with me, although not very far. The other three were my parents and Brand, in case you were wondering.

I was actually really glad to have her here, and she was one of my favorite peeps.

Every day was a hectic day, and by pure chance, I had found myself right in the thick of it. But it wasn't as bad as it sounds. It was to be expected that everyday business made the majority of the day frantic.

No, what I was getting at was the number of individuals who were willing to help one another in general, and they wanted to teach me things because I had been a member of this group since birth.

I had my parents, of course, who were apparently wondering just how good they became at parenting, because I rarely made a fuss and could already walk and talk (although I deliberately limited my vocabulary).

Yay, you guys totally have this in the bag, best. parents. ever! Look, if it makes them happy, then I'm more than happy to play along and will be the last person to break the news to them.

But, whatever their professions were, I only had one of my parents with me at a time, and it could take weeks for the other to show up.

I had attempted several times to acquire information from my father regarding the reason for our voyage, but he would simply rebuff me with a fatherly, "When you are older, I'll tell you." You know, the kind of death-flag response you'd find in a book.

Sharing a room with these two dinguses was occasionally... difficult, to say the least, because they were extremely open about their horny love for each other.

Be that as it may, it was their cool glow-up (not in that sense!) that was the most exciting part! It didn't take long after they arrived in Tios for their faces to brighten up, and they even spruced up their styles. They looked absolutely dashing in their new district-typical indigo-coloured clothing and were rocking a new hairstyle as well: Salihn had an undercut on one side and long hair, which she could either put on one or both sides. I couldn't wait to have long hair as well!

As for Irhaal, he went from his man bun to... a man bun with undercuts on both sides. It sounded like nothing much, but oh boy! It felt like pretty people got away with everything. Well enough of that.

Then there was Rae, much to my own surprise.

Rae was the kind of ladies man that started his breakfast with a beer and went off to wherever, but would later that day bring a new girl with him to entertain him. Everyone was baffled as to how he did it. Whenever he didn't bring someone with him, he would often grab me (not in that sense!) to have him "assist" with his businesses.

"Now watch this Zora, as you are learning from the very best, HAHA!" he would say every time, without fail.

And because I was still a slow toddler, he immediately became impatient and annoyed, so he would often pick me up and seat me on his shoulders.

And his "business", which he was so hellbent on teaching me, because "You cannot be young enough to start learning this!" as he liked to say, consisted of drinking- and card games. Man got his priorities straight.

However, there were two other facets he excelled at and wanted me to learn from him. How to stay calm, no matter what, and how to detect lies and bluffs, which do have their merits.

Also, what it means to be a real man, in an abstract kind of sense. Like, even a girl can be a real man. For example, being brave.

He once said to me, "Zora, look. Never explain yourself; it's a sign of weakness—be a man. " and I was like, "Wha?" But he didn't elaborate further.

Anywho, I also got more insight into this group. He would tell me things my father wouldn't, although in a more roundabout way. We were a big group that was called "Dust Whistle" and part of, who would have guessed, the Thieves Guild. It shocked me a little how nonchalant he was about all that.

With that it was official: We were not the goodies here.

After a nasty fallout in our old place, all of the remaining members were now in the Asura Kingdom. I still had to learn where that "old place" was.

Apparently, only my parents' best friend (who was also my godfather) and a few men stayed to try and save what was left. His name seemed to be Gaajus. No, it was Gallus, and he left a strong impression on everyone and was a saint. Good for him, I guess?

Which also brought me to all the other people around here.

My first impression was that this place was going to be really crowded, but that wasn't the case. The reason for that was simple enough. Many were constantly on the move.

For example, just a week after our arrival, the carriages were packed again with wares and escorts and went off to the north to do more trading in the hopes of increasing the group's influence little by little.

It was just a lucky coincidence that so many people were there to greet us and celebrate our safe arrival.

And last but not least, I wanted to credit Brand and his efforts.

Again, he betrayed the impression he gave as a raw mountain of muscles and his grim-looking eyes that pierced you through a voluminous, but well-kept beard. Well, except when it came to his food, which he liked to a violent degree.

Brand was, in actuality, quite a literate person. The trick was that you had to ask.

Among other things, I finally asked what "zandolit" meant. Well, to keep it short, It meant wyrm. The talk back then was of a Red Wyrm. Discount dragon, in other words.

Of course, this freak-world had dragons roaming the skies! So, in retrospect, the pass we traveled through was called "Red Wyrm's Lower Jaw." Yeah, I know, right? Hopefully, this world only has a handful of sleeping dragons and that's about it.

Fortunately, after noticing that I had become more responsive to his reading and was asking questions, he began teaching me languages and what I needed to know about them.

Of the two languages that were spoken within the Stag Bastion, I already knew the main language quite well, as it was used and taught by everyone. This language was the so-called Beast God tongue, as Brand informed me, which was one of the seven main languages in this world. He didn't go further into more details, but mentioned that Channy, for example, spoke the Demon God tongue as well, which was used on the Demon Continent.

I readily jumped to the conclusion that the second language we used must then be called Human God tongue or even Millis language, since Millis was worshiped as a deity, but he only chuckled and corrected me that it was just called Human tongue. It was one of those moments where you would open your mouth and say something with absolute certainty to show your understanding of the subject, only to get shut down in the next second. A little sadly, I reverted back to my listener role with that.

Nonetheless, these names also implied that there were gods who walked this planet and taught their respective languages, didn't they?

While the Beast God tongue was mainly spoken by beastfolk, elves, dwarves, hobbits, and the members of Dust Whistle, the same did not apply to the people of Tios, who spoke in the very different Human tongue, and it was thanks to him that I could already read and write in this language and would reach fluency in about a year or so.

Use-your-free-hand-to-pat-me-Grizzi was also very supportive the entire time.

I also observed that the mood of the people around me and the fact that we were now somewhere we could call our home had an effect on me. And since I had some time to think, I used that time to just let my thoughts wander freely.

The possibilities of a world like this came to mind.

One thought I had was how I could change how I approach this life.

I knew from my first life how to follow a path that made things go from bad to worse—well, to some extent, at least. At least I was pretty decent at making bad choices.

Another thought was how insanely difficult it was to choose a path in the first place.

One of the hardest questions early on for me was, "What do you want to become when you are all grown up?" Yeah, I mean, which one do I pick? And how?

"Man, the Middle Ages must have been so much simpler," I thought back then. Hahaha, I was so full of it. It wasn't like that at all, and I still needed to pick my poison.

At least I had plenty of time to get a general idea, right? And while we're at it, let's be of help to someone.

– ◇◇ –

On this particular day, I was in my usual spot in the living area, sitting in the shadow of my radiator, or rather, beside Brand.

"May those lost on their path
be blessed with the light if the righteous
voice of the plowed earth
proclaims the beginning of new life.
Even barren lands and bitter melancholy
are refreshed by the falling rain
oh, to every grain of the soil,
let us offer our gratitude and prayers."

He finished his prayer, as he did every day. Although Brand was a very religious person, he wasn't a fanatic who wanted to convert everyone to his beliefs. However, I still wondered from time to time if he secretly wanted to make me his Faith +1?

In many of its beliefs, the Millis religion reminded me of the Catholic church. I never believed in gods or the like, but after all this, it was hard to doubt their existence. Heck, there were even languages that were blatantly named after gods! Anyway, I would keep that option in mind.

I was playing with the idea of becoming religious when I felt a hand on my back. I jerked around and saw Channy, gorgeous as ever, smiling down at me.

"Hey-hey, does this little cutie pie want to accompany me on running some quick errands, perhaps?" She asked me, but I didn't answer immediately. On one hand, I was hesitant because of the unknown, but on the other hand, I wanted to see more of this city. "I see. Next time then, hm?" she said, still smiling. My face had probably given me away.

"No, I want to come!" I said, adding some vigor to my voice.

Her smile grew slightly bigger. "Okay, let's go then!"

Brand saw us off at the door, and Channy took me by the hand, and just like that, we were on our way.

– ◇◇◇ –

Hand in hand swinging, we made our way east to the Green Ox, which was a bronze statue of a grazing ox in a small park, the landmark of the Green District.

At first, I thought that the folks here were just really into their color diversity because it was pretty. Then I learned of the naming assignments and found it confusing.

But since the people and vendors color-coded everything for convenience and to communicate which wares they were selling, it all kind of made sense to me. I think.

For instance, our Stag Bastion marked the Indigo District. I honestly didn't know much about this district, only that it held some training grounds, the fish market, and textile and clothing shops.

The Green Ox marked the Green/Commercial District, which held most of the food traders and everyday items.

Luckily, the Stag Bastion was situated at the corner of the Indigo District, bordering the Green, Red, and Blue Districts, so we didn't have to go far.

The streets were a little crowded, but not so much that I got lost in seconds.

Besides, my parents and Brand trusted Channy, so I could do the same. I also noticed that, whenever I was around, she showed her sweeter side and spoke more softly, but there was something about her eyes that changed, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

I decided that this was the perfect time for some small talk.

Oh, but what topic do I choose? Ah, I know, let's just continue with the Millis religion from before.

"Do you believe in Millis's aunty Channy?"

A slight grin formed on her face because of the aunty part, but that was quickly replaced by a cloudy look on her face, caused by the subject I had chosen.

"No," she began, "but that is less because of the idea than the church itself."

"The church?" I probed, sensing that this might reveal something Brand would never tell me about himself.

"To put it simply, the Millis religion does not welcome everyone the same." She said, but continued after seeing the confused look on my face. "You see, for hundreds of years, the church has been split into two factions, one totally made up of asshole scumbags and one of normal, happy people with actual lives," she said, with an angry mien.

Eeeeh, what? I dunno, but that just sounded biased to me.

She saw my shocked look, noticed what she had just said, and quickly began to explain, "Oh, er, no, what I mean is, these factions are fighting over the decision of whether we demons should be persecuted or not!"

Okay, maybe not as biased as I initially thought. But, wait, what?!

"Aehm, what's a demon?" I asked, to which she replied, "Well, I am."

"...?" Am I just missing something here?

After a moment of pondering, I turned to look at her. "So you are not a beast woman?"

Channy blinked at me for a second and then burst into laughter. "Hahaha no dear, but I see where you are coming from, so let me explain. Hmm, that's a bit complicated, though."

And so she proceeded to explain to me that the beastvolk were essentially descendants of the Beast-God and had a few animalistic features like ears, noses, tails, but nothing too wild.

Channy, on the other hand, had a lot of similarities to a bird, like a whole plumage, that distinguished her as a demon. So, did that mean she was the descendant of the Demon-God? Not at all. The term "demon" mostly came from the Great Human-Demon War and which side one was on.

Since there was no war anymore, it only told you that she was born on the Demon Continent. But apparently, she had a hard time on the Millis Continent and was harshly discriminated against. To my question, why she even bothered to live there and left her home, she would not give me an answer.
All I got was a sad look.

– ◇◇◇◇ –

Channy and I were enjoying ourselves with a bit of shopping and browsing through the many different stores' merchandise. It was fun to look at all the different colors and patterns, to see the creative ways some traders put up their stores in order to attract attention, and to explore various kinds of food by smell.

On our way back, taking a slight detour to show me around, we came across a leather ball lying on the street.

Looking around, we couldn't find a clue as to who left it here. I was toying with the idea of claiming it for myself, but taking it would surely count as stealing.

But just as we were passing by, Channy noticed a small child to our right, standing in the doorway of a small store, eying the ball with tears in its eyes, obviously too afraid to go into the street.

Channy, don't you even think of selling that child! Don't you dare! I'm just kidding.

Showing her good side, she picked up the ball, went over to the doorway and gave it to the child, now visibly relieved.

"Thangs!" The child with hazelnut brown eyes said. From this distance, I was able to tell that it was a girl with short brown hair. Also curious about me, she looked me over from head to toe and waited, eyes fixed on me.

Eh? Was this my cue? Am I supposed to do something? Sorry, but I don't remember child-code-language. And why did Channy join in on the staring contest?!

After a very long and awkward 2v1, the girl suddenly made a step towards me and asked, "Want to play?"

A shudder raced down my spine.

Was her intuition so acute that she picked up on my intention to steal her property?!

Ah, actually no, probably not. She just wants to play ball, right? For a second there, I forgot that she was just a child.

And as simple as that, I had accidentally made my first friend by losing a staring contest.