AN: I'm elongating the timeline slightly. The Wiki says that everything up until the Lizardman Arc was done in 1 month and 7 days. That's a bit too quick for my plot. So expect things to go a little slower than in canon.

Entering the modest inn behind what she now knew was the owner she glanced around at the open dining area. In the far corner was a large hearth which had yet to be lit for the day. She assumed that, since it was warm out at the moment and the crops were still being grown, that it wouldn't be lit until just before sunset. From everything she'd seen passing through the forest and into the town it was probably still early summer, before the first harvest.

"Excuse me, your Ladyship?" Coming out of her thoughts she smiled at the owner, her ears twitching slightly as she caught every creak and groan of the wooden floors. "I've asked one of the maids to warm some water and bring it up as soon as it's ready. Shall I show you to your room, or," he glanced towards Rodrach, "rooms?"

She blinked in mild confusion when the man made the distinction between a single room or two. Then she noticed where his eyes had trailed and felt her cheeks warm slightly. "I-" About to ask for two rooms she had a feeling in the back of her mind that asking for that much might be a problem. After all the inn was not particularly large and even if the dining area was empty at the moment it was probably because everyone had gone outside to see the commotion. Besides that, she didn't really want to be separated from her companion, especially when she had no idea what kind of dangers might lurk around every corner. "I would prefer a single room with two beds, if you please. Though if you have a privacy screen I would appreciate a loan of it."

Behind the innkeeper Rodrach nodded once, seemingly in approval. She knew from his settings that he would have raised a bit of a fuss if she'd asked for separate rooms, but ultimately would have listened to her command if she really pushed. Or at least, that was how she had roleplayed his character back when he was a mindless NPC. Now that he was alive and could think for himself she couldn't be certain he would actually obey her every order without question. She would have to tread lightly until she could ascertain his boundaries and how far she could push him until he pushed back.

"Of course, your Ladyship. I have just the room!"

Following the man upstairs and down the hall she made sure to pay attention to each door they passed. Some of them were closed but most had been left open, probably in a rush. Some looked like they had recently been cleaned while others were clearly occupied, if the random items strewn about was any indication.

"Here you are, your Ladyship. This room is above the hearth so even in the chill of the night you'll remain comfortable." He explained as he opened the door to a room that was larger than all the others. "We keep this room for special guests, like yourself."

Entering the room she took in the sight of the large bed on one side and the smaller bed on the other. There were chests at the end of each and plush patterned rugs covering the most walked upon sections of the wooden floor. In one corner of the room was a writing desk with a single seat and near the stone wall, which was probably the chimney for the hearth downstairs, there was a table with three chairs. On the far wall she saw a vanity with a water basin and a mirror.

"I'm afraid we don't have the space for a personal bath but there is a communal bath house just down the road. They have private bathing rooms open, you just need to request one." The man continued to explain what the small town had to offer, which was more than she expected to be honest, but her focus wasn't on his words.

It was on the mirror.

"Ah! Sanni, is the maid I asked to fetch your wash water, is she permitted inside?" Turning she spied a young woman in what appeared to be a rudimentary staff uniform who was holding a steaming pitcher.

Rodrach eyed the young woman for a moment before nodding curtly.

The young woman ducked her head deeply in a respectful bow, her eyes wide with awe and a little fear. Coming into the room she hurried over to the basin and poured the hot water into it before stepping back and bowing again.

Tsukino smiled. "Thank you."

The young woman brightened, her cheeks flushing slightly. "It was no trouble, your Ladyship." She said before she left the room, giving Rodrach a wide berth.

"Well then, I'll leave you to get settled. Someone will be up later with the privacy screen if that is acceptable?"

"It is." Rodrach replied for the two of them.

"Then I'll take my leave." The man bowed deeply, gratitude shining in his eyes, before he left- closing the door behind him.

Relaxing once the man was gone she looked back over at the wash basin. Looking down at her blood covered hands she swallowed hard and hurried over to the vanity.

Standing in front of the basin she spied her reflection in the mirror and froze. It was just as she'd suspected. Scarlet red hair that shimmered in the light, soft skin as pale as porcelain, and vibrant pink eyes that seemed to shine with inner power. Her make-up, a cheap throwaway cosmetic item she used for fun occasionally, had been washed off earlier in the river. Unlike her own appearance in the real world her face was now more angular and her eyes were larger, more rounded. It gave her an ethereal and ageless beauty that was almost uncanny to look at.

Tearing her eyes away from her own reflection she tested the water and let out a low hiss at the heat of it. The rough soap smelled of strange herbs but she didn't care- all she wanted was to clean the blood from her hands.

It wasn't the first time she'd seen death, nor even the second. But seeing someone dead from overwork or illness was not the same as crushed limbs and pooling blood. It had been so red and warm, sticky against her palm.

Water splashed onto the floor but it was a distant sound, as if she were hearing it through a thick fog or rushing water. The water turned pink and she felt as if her heart wlould hammer through her chest.

There was no doubt in her mind now. This was real.

A large hand closed around her wrist and stopped her frantic movements. "Your hands are already clean." Came the soft rumble of a familiar voice.

Looking up at her companion she let out a harsh breath. "Oh, I… I didn't notice." Looking down at her red hands, which had been scrubbed raw, she grimaced. Glancing back at Rodrach she gave the man as reassuring a smile as she could muster. "I'll be alright now, thank you."

The man kept hold of her wrist for a moment longer, blue eyes searching, before he finally let her go and returned to inspecting their room.

Tsukino let out a sigh and took a towel off the small shelf attached to the vanity. Drying her hands she frowned at the rough skin. "Light Cure Wounds." She mumbled under her breath. Her skin shimmered green for a moment, leaving her hands completely unmarred.

"My Lady, perhaps you should rest."

Letting out a small sigh she looked over at her companion, who was standing in the middle of the room as if he expected them to be attacked at any moment.

"Yes, I think I will. This has all been a bit of a shock to the system." She regarded the two beds and frowned. She didn't really feel like sleeping at the moment, and was worried about what might happen if she did. Would she even wake up again? Would whoever actually owned this body take control? Would she wake up in her small apartment all alone? She really didn't want to find out.

So she instead took a seat at the table, her hands resting delicately in her lap. Outside the window she could see over some of the other buildings of the town and out into the fields. The gently swaying golden grains were almost mesmerizing to look at. Especially for someone who had never seen an actual field in person before.

Rodrach shifted, his armor clinking together faintly as he did so. "When was the last time you ate, my Lady?"

She blinked and looked up at him as he came to stand next to her, staring down at her with a frown of concern.

"I… I can't remember." Neither eating at home before logging into Yggdrasil or eating anything here in this body. She'd been far too disoriented and distracted by everything since waking up to even consider food.

Tsukino could have sworn she heard the man's tongue click judgmentally before he was turning to regard the door. "Shall I inform the servants?" He sounded hesitant to leave her side and she couldn't help chuckling at his reluctance.

"If it would ease your mind I will ward our quarters against those who might pry or intend harm." Lifting her arm she held her hand before her face, two fingers extended and the rest folded down. "Protection Talisman, Anti-Detect Talisman, Alarm Talisman." As she spoke three Talismans appeared between her fingers, colorful writing appearing on the paper and glowing for a moment before turning to black ink.

In the game these spells came from the Onmyouji Class and would summon pieces of spelled paper to the user's hand. Instead of the spell being cast on the user they created an area of effect around the paper itself. As long as you carried the paper with you, and it wasn't countered or destroyed, the spell would remain in effect. They didn't work particularly well on other Players, they were too easy to counter once you knew about them, but were perfect for exploration and PvE.

Once the papers had fully manifested some instinct she didn't understand had her flicking her arm to the side and releasing the papers. They flew across the room and plastered themselves against the wall. The writing from the paper spread outward to cover the walls before melting into them, leaving the pieces of paper to flutter to the ground completely blank.

Rodrach watched it all with a calm expression, as if this had all been expected. Tsukino masked her confusion by smiling. "You needn't worry so, I will be safe here." She might not be geared towards PvP like some players but she wasn't a pushover either. Even support classes had their own special tricks and powerful abilities- if used correctly of course.

"As you say, my Lady." With a small bow the man left at a brisk walk, his pristine cloak flowing behind him as he disappeared out the door.

Once he was out of sight Tsukino collapsed against the table. What was even happening here? NPCs that came to life, medieval villages in the middle of a honest to Kami forest, and magic. Actual magic!

"What do I do now?" She asked the empty room quietly.

As the gloom began to settle in she felt a subtle nudge, something uplifting and bright. Snapping out of it she took a deep breath and sat up straight again.

'There's no time to wallow.' She thought to herself. 'I should be testing out what I can and can't do in this place.'

From earlier testing she knew she couldn't use the messaging system or Log Out, but she did have access to all of her spells. The next thing to try should probably be… that. Definitely that. It was the single most important thing to have access to. Especially if she was now stuck in this unknown world.

Closing her eyes she imagined pulling up the menu and going into her Inventory. Reaching out she thought about the item she needed, a simple undyed robe, and imagined it being there as she closed her hand around it. When the feeling of soft fabric met her hand she opened her eyes in surprise. Gripped firmly in her hand was the robe she'd wanted!

"Thank the Kami." She whispered, voice breathy with relief.

As much as she loved her 'Celestial Vestments' they were a bit too impractical for roaming around strange forests and random villages. For one there were far too many layers. For another the special crown she was wearing was far too conspicuous. She stood out far too much to be safe.

Setting the robe down on the table she reached back into her Inventory, keeping her eyes open this time. She was intrigued by the black hole that opened up around her hand. That hadn't been a part of Yggdrasil either. Pulling out some of her less expensive traveling gear she glanced around and realized that she didn't have her staff with her.

Before she could begin to panic over losing her best weapon there was a knock at the door before it opened. "My Lady, I have our meals." Rodrach stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"Welcome back." As he came over to set the table she folded her equipment and got up to set them on the smaller bed. "Rodrach, have you seen my staff? I seem to have… misplaced it." Although her voice was calm Tsukino had to try hard not to flush in embarrassment. It was such a rookie mistake to leave her weapon behind like that!

"Yes, I picked it up when you were healing the young lad. I can return it to you once we've eaten, unless you'd like it now?"

"After we've eaten is fine." Shaking her head she went back to the table and sat down again, marveling once more at just how large her companion really was. Two meters compared to her scant one-hundred and sixty-two centimeters. The broad chest and shoulders didn't help either, the man was well muscled.

The food was pretty good, all things considered. It was a thick vegetable soup flavored with herbs and spices without being too hot on the tongue. It warmed her body and after the first few bites she realized just how hungry she actually was. Although she tried to remain polite it wasn't long until her bowl was empty and she was using the freshly baked bread to soak up the last of the broth.

There was a chuckle from the man across from her and she looked up into bright blue eyes that were warm with fondness. "Should I ask them for another bowl, my Lady?"

Sitting there, having eaten her fill for the first time in a long time, she felt something settle within her. "No, thank you. It was enough for now." Watching the man shrug slightly and return to his own meal she took a slow deep breath. "Rodrach." The man looked at her, attentive to her words. "I understand that as my sworn guard it is… customary and traditional that you refer to me by title." She hesitated, hoping that she wasn't about to screw this up and cross a boundary that she shouldn't. "But while we are traveling in this new land I think it would be best if you were to refer to me by name instead."

The man's eyes went wide as he slowly set his spoon aside. The quiet clack of wood against wood was the only sound in the room as his mouth opened and closed again, without uttering a sound.

Tsukino fidgeted in her seat a little, hoping that she had not offended him or said something so wildly out of character that he concluded she was an impostor of some kind.

"I would be honored if you would permit me." He finally said, voice filled with the truth of his emotions.

He truly considered calling her by her name to be an honor. She could see it in his eyes.

"Of course. From now on please do not hesitate to call me Tsukino." It was a relief. While being called Lady was novel and new she didn't want that barrier between her and the only person she knew she could rely on. Besides that, there were no drawbacks to having him refer to her by name.

"Tsukino." The man said slowly, as if testing every syllable.

'I was wrong.' She thought to herself as her face burned with embarrassment. 'There is a drawback.'

"O-on the matter of what we'll do now." She began, hoping to move on to something else so her heart would stop beating against her ribcage. "Once Ser Malden and his family have calmed I would like to ask them about this land we've found ourselves in. I can already tell that this place resides outside the Nine Worlds." Even though she'd never been to the Worlds frequented by the Heteromorphic races, like Niflheim or Helheim, she knew what the most common areas looked like from shared images on the forums. There had never been anything like the town of Sulvyr in the game and after the notice of imminent shut down she doubted this was based on some new area they'd created for Yggdrasil. "For starters I'd like a map of the nearby areas and information on the local culture. The hunter earlier mentioned they have an Emperor on the throne and from the look of things this Emperor is diligent in keeping the roads and surrounding areas safe."

Rodrach nodded. "Which means they must have a sufficient military force and commonly send them out to patrol their borders and roads."

She nodded, having come to the same conclusion. "This could be advantageous or disadvantageous for us depending on this Emperor's policy when it comes to foreigners. Although I doubt there will be trouble considering our reception here." So far the reaction to her and her companion had been awe, curiosity, and a healthy dose of wariness. With her healing of the child the people had quickly accepted her as someone to be respected. Of course Rodrach was included in that by association.

"What shall you do in the meantime, my Lady?" He asked as he picked up his spoon to finish his meal.

Giving the man a slightly disgruntled look she chuckled. "Tsu-ki-no." She said, chiding him playfully. "You may as well get used to it while we are alone so that you don't forget when we have company." Sitting back in her chair for a moment she glanced at the change of clothes she'd pulled from her Inventory. "I need to change into something less formal and conspicuous. Maybe I'll take a short rest as well? Whatever brought us here has tired me more than I first thought."

"I shall return these to the kitchens while you change." Picking up the dishes he gave her a short bow before leaving the room, the door closing behind him.

With a sigh Tsukino carefully untangled the crown from her hair and set it down on the table. Once she'd finished changing she put everything into her Inventory and pulled out a set of ribbons. She took a moment to braid and tie back her hair in something more manageable before going to the smaller of the two beds and flopping onto it unceremoniously.

Laying there, staring up at the ceiling, she wondered what would happen if she fell asleep now. Would she wake up back home in her Dive chair? Would she cease to exist as the owner of this body reasserted itself? Would she wake up back in Yggdrasil with this all somehow being a very odd glitch? Or was this a new and permanent existence for her? And… which of these did she consider the least terrible?

'There's nothing I can do but sleep and suffer the consequences.' Closing her eyes she let herself drift, allowing the exhaustion she was feeling pull her deeper into the black.

AN 2:
2m- 6'5"
162cms- 5'4"