-I think I've figured out how the currency system works. The currency here is called nem. They come in different colored gems, each with a different set value. The shape of the gem doesn't really matter; it's all color. A green gem is worth one nem. Blue worth five. Red worth ten. Orange worth fifty. The purple ones Aureole gave me are worth one hundred each. Then, from what I gathered, there are pink gems worth one thousand nem. I believe they keep increasing like this, though I'm not sure of the highest value nem. It's a fairly simple currency system; I don't believe anything equivalent to "cents" exists.
The two boys sit on the ground beside a bench. They originally planned on sitting on the bench, but the built-in butt scratcher made them a little uncomfortable.
Sirius explains his findings to Korlin, who devours every bit of it. Korlin scrambles around the littered floor and finds a discarded piece of paper.
There are lots of random and interesting things lying around, not just garbage and trash. Korlin pulls a black dipped feather from somewhere and begins writing the information.
"The feather is a little much," Sirius jokes.
"I know... I feel like a scribe back in the Middle Ages."
"What are you even writing with?"
"I don't know. It was already on the feather when I picked it up."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The two of them hold a long, silent session of eye contact.
Korlin sniffs the feather.
"Yeah, it's shit."
Sirius nods in acceptance.
"Of course it is..."
"Gross." Korlin tosses both the feather and paper into what they assume is a trash bin. "Anyway... We can write that down later. We should focus on finding a place to crash for the night. The sun is getting lower."
"That's true..."
"I wonder if there's an inn or something around here..."
"Ehhh, I wouldn't count on it..."
"Should we go ask around? Maybe they got magic beds around here!"
"I guess we could try. Man, you're really into all this."
"I'm more surprised you're not! We are literally in a fantasy world with magic and fire-breathing dogs. It's awesome."
"I thought you weren't a dog person?"
"I think you're missing my point."
"Don't get me wrong, this is all really cool. This is probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm just... not sure how to act at the moment. Or why I'm alive at all... You seem perfectly content with everything. It's like you've prepared for this."
"Well, I've watched a lot of anime. Like... a lot."
He holds himself with pride.
"Ah, I never really got into any of that stuff. I watched one, but it wasn't really my thing."
"Let me tell you, you were missing out..." His words trail off as he realizes something devastating. He puts his palms to his face. "Dang it! If I'm in another world, I can't finish any of my shows..."
His proud demeanor turns defeated.
"No offense, but I don't think that's our biggest concern right now..."
Korlin composes himself.
"You're right... you're right," he is still clearly wrecked.
They set off to find an approachable person. As they walk, Korlin continues to strike up conversation.
"What was that one anime you watched called?"
"Uhh, let me think... pardon my French-"
"It's Japanese..."
"Same thing, anyway, I think it was called boku no... piku? Something like that."
...
Korlin stalls every single muscle.
A look of raw horror and devastation morphs his face.
"Why. In the ever-loving fuck. Would you watch BOKU NO PICO!?"
"Uh... S-someone at school recommended it. They said I would love it and that it had a good story..."
Korlin is dumbfounded by the words spilling out of Sirius's mouth. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Korlin suppresses tears of pity.
"Come. Let me tell you something..."
The two boys have a nice, long discussion about anime.
*****
Scouring the streets, they come across a lone baby turtle.
"TURTLE!"
Korlin rushes over and scoops it off the ground. He spins in circles, giggling with the turtlet in hand.
"You a big turtle fan?" Sirius asks.
"I've just never seen one in person before." With a final ballerina twirl, the boy stops.
"Ah..." Upon further inspection, Sirius finds concerns in the boy's handling. "Why are you holding it like that?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're holding it like it's a burger."
"Is that wrong? Are you a turtle handler or something?"
"No, it just looks uncomfortable... If you press too hard, you'll snap it."
Korlin inspects the baby's facial expression and deduces that...
"It looks fine to me."
"Stop holding it like it's a burger!"
"Well, then it shouldn't be shaped like one!"
"What kind of logic is that?!"
The turtle could easily sit inside Korlin's palm, but instead, the boy holds it with a two-handed grip.
"If burger-shaped, it should be held like one!"
"It's a living being!"
"It's not like it cares-"
Thudding footsteps disrupt the two's bickering. A shadow casts over the boys, blocking the setting sun's light.
"What do you two think you're doing?"
Their eyes direct themselves onto the towering creature in front of them. What lies before them is neither comprehensible nor possible...
It's an anthropomorphic turtle.
"Shit..."
The turtle's expression is hard to read, but it's pretty clearly upset.
"Aha... is this cute little guy yours by chance?" Korlin smiles stupidly, asking in a sing-song manner.
"Give me my son."
The standing turtle's voice booms and rattles each of their bones.
"C-Certainly..." Korlin drops the baby into the father's hand.
The man-turtle leans in close.
"Never mess with my son again, you got that?"
"Of course."
"Absolutely."
"...Good." The turtle backs off and leaves along with his son. "Handling a man's turtle... filthy Witch Spawn..." he mutters to himself.
Korlin turns to Sirius, his mouth gaping open.
"Sirius... a ninja turtle just threatened me."
"You got what you deserved."
"What's next?! SpongeBob?!"
"Come on, let's go find a place to sleep..."
"Winnie the Pooh?!"
...
Eventually, Korlin's worries subside.
Asking strangers for a place to stay, unsurprisingly, they are met with disappointment. The sky welcomes a lovely shade of yellow.
"Please, it doesn't have to have a bed, a spare room would be perfectly-" Sirius is cut off by the woman he's pleading to.
"Unfortunately, I share no hospitality with you, Witch Spawns." She grimaces at the boys as she strides away.
Korlin attempts to bargain with a man.
"I will literally sleep on the floor of a shed."
"Look, boy," the man pities him. "I apologize, but if my wife catches me bringing home two Witch Spawns, she'll kill me. I don't personally mind your kind, but she has a... not-so-good relationship with the witch." The man apologizes once more before disappearing amidst the crowd.
The boys regroup and share their outcomes.
"Witch Spawn..." Sirius mutters. "Some people don't call us that, but some act like we're rabid animals."
"Witch... do you think they mean the lady who sent us to this world?"
"Maybe, but I don't see why people would hate her..."
"True..." They dig through their brains for an answer, but to no avail. "When I think of the word witch, I think of a green ugly hag riding a broomstick. Or a mommy with purple eyes and silver hair. Not that angel in the void..."
"I'm sorry... Did you say mommy?!"
"I've got to tell you more about anime, man." Korlin shakes his head in disappointment at his pupil.
"I don't think I'm the weird one here."
They bicker and laugh together through the twilight city.
...
It's been there the entire time, but as they saunter, Sirius admires the distant, looming castle. A massive, medieval era castle, only more refined and impressive.
It towers atop a giant mound near the center of the city. Lightly stained bricks contrast with the rest of the gray city. Sinking in the hazy horizon, the fortress feels surreal, almost magical.
The pair enters a large sect of town with lots of carriages.
Wooden wagons with cloth roofing, spacious but compact. Some hold people, others carry goods and food. The carriages are being pulled by massive, hairy beasts. Four-legged, gorilla-esque beasts with tusks. You can't even see their eyes through the white fur.
It seems to be a trading hub.
People load and haul crates onto and off the carriages. Winged animals and people fly with boxes over and around the hub. Some shady characters in the corner use fire magic to cook raw meat and then place it in containers for trade.
A narrow vein of water flows through the center of the area, under a tiny arched bridge. The stream laps the perimeter into a small mill built into the ground. An amphibious man conducts threads of water into the air and transfers them into large glass jars.
One of the massive gorillas floats over the two boys' heads. A shrimpy girl off to their right is extending her arm and drawing a path in the sky. The hovering beast follows the girl's trail until it gently lands in front of a carriage.
Korlin is practically frothing at the mouth. You can basically hear his thoughts.
Every part of this town is alive.
It smells musty here, but not overbearing.
A chill now runs through the air. They are nearing dusk.
Sirius unties his dirty, finally dry, hoodie from around his waist and slips it over his head.
Out of nowhere, a middle-aged man runs up to Sirius and firmly grasps his hoodie sleeve.
"Where did you get this!?"
"Huh?"
The bearded man is wide-eyed. He has two thick horns sticking out from his skull.
"Wh-what is this material I'm feeling?!" The strange man caresses the hoodie.
Sirius looks to Korlin for help.
"Uh- What material do you think this is? I have no idea. Cotton? Polyester? Wool?" Sirius is desperate to get this guy off of him.
He smells like a lumberjack. It would probably be a nice scent if not for the strange circumstances.
Korlin is also panicking.
"Uh..." He grabs Sirius's hood and rubs his fingers across it. "It's pretty soft and fluffy, so I'd probably say cotton... Hold on, let me check the tag..." Korlin ruffles his hand in the hood and manages to nab the tag. "Uh... No! Wool. It's made of wool."
Sirius nods in desperate approval and looks the man in his eyes.
"Uh- wool, I believe."
-Please get off me.
"Hmm..." The man continues to knead his fingers in the sleeve. He seems to be in deep thought. "Wool... Wool... Where did you get this wool?"
"Uhh... Sheep? I guess..."
-Is this guy for real right now?
"Hmm, what is a sheep exactly?
-No way.
"Is this guy serious?" Korlin whispers to Sirius.
"They might not have sheep in this world," Sirius whispers back. He turns back to the overly interested man. "Sheep are these animals with big, usually white, uh... fluff surrounding them."
Korlin is motioning with his hands what a sheep looks like. Or at least he's trying to. It's not helping.
The man seems to have hit a revelation.
"Huh... So they're kind of like a lambie?" He releases Sirius' sleeve.
Korlin facepalms.
"A lambie? What, like a LAMB!? A BABY SHEEP!?"
"What are you talking about? A lambie- Oh! Here, those are lambies."
The man points behind the two of them. Turning around, a pack of sheep-like animals is being herded along. But, instead of wool, the backs of the animals are covered in a mountain of bubbles.
Bubbles completely absorb the creature; it looks like a massive ball of soap with a stubby sheep's face. A shepherd leads the animals along, popping a bubble or two to keep them in line.
Korlin takes an overly exaggerated deep breath.
"That is not a lambie. That is an abomination."
"Those are lambies! Look, there are even baby lambres!"
"LAMBRES!? What are you saying right now!? You are uttering absolute nonsense right now!"
Korlin and the man continue to bicker. Sirius holds in his laugh.
...
Eventually, in exchange for Korlin admitting he's wrong, the man agrees to let them stay in his nearby stable.
"Only on one condition."
"That being?"
"Let me study this clothing tonight. I want to see if I can end up mass-producing. I've never seen anything like it before."
"Oh, sure," Sirius takes off his hoodie and hands it to the man. "Sorry, it's a little dirty."
"Ah, that's no bother. Is it waterproof? Would it be alright if I wash it?"
"Go ahead, it should dry rather quickly."
The man grins, revealing small fangs, and gleefully leads them to his stable.
It's just around the corner of the trading hub, seemingly near the edge of the city. Towering brick walls block the view of the outside, their only exit being a massive wooden gate.
Guards in suits of armor patrol the gate and the top of the wall. The guards aren't human, but rather humanoid reptiles, namely lizards. The armor mostly conceals that fact, but the lack of gloves reveals scaly, green, webbed hands. And, of course, there are some not wearing any helmets, showing off their reptilian heads. Small tails also stick out from their back plating.
The guards group together and tug on a clamoring chain, which shuts the giant gate. It produces a booming noise, and they return to their patrolling. Maybe they close it at night?
The bearded man twists a key in the door and motions them inside. Sirius never thought the sight of a door would surprise him so much. They enter the stable and find hay layered all over the floor.
One of the giant, hairy carriage carriers rests on a stack of straw.
"Is it safe to sleep with that thing?"
"With ol' Gary? Of course, he doesn't bite! His fur should warm you right up if it gets cold."
"What species even is that?"
"What? Never seen a manfi before?"
"Of course I have, I've just never seen one... that... fluffy."
They once again thank the man, and he locks them in for the night.
...
The pale moon's light floods through an opening in the roof. Crisp air swallows the stable, sending shivers down Sirius's spine. He buries himself under a heap of fodder.
Korlin is snuggled under the shaggy arm of Gary.
Neither of them can rest their eyes. Too much has happened today.
Both stargaze at their new night sky, a looming silence hanging over the stable. The only noise is Gary's occasional grunts and murmurs.
"Hey, Sirius? You awake...?"
"Mm."
"You sound tired. You have all day actually."
"...Really?" He presses his fingers under his left eye. "My eyes do feel heavy..."
"That's not the kind of tired I meant." Silence once again swaddles the stable. "Are you... alright?"
There is a shakiness to his words.
Sirius stares at his palm, pent-up emotions threatening to spill. He takes a deep breath and swallows those feelings.
"I'm alright. I just... don't know how to feel. I've lived what feels like the same day for so long, I don't know what to do... I can't tell if I'm scared or excited. Everything changed so quickly..." He pauses, taking in every aspect of this first day. "And... I can't stop thinking about..."
He doesn't finish his sentence. Painful memories creep into his thoughts.
"...I get it. I don't know what your life was like before you died... But, that doesn't matter anymore... We just... need to take it one day at a time."
There is a blatant lack of confidence in his words.
"You seem so content with everything that's happened. I think I'm a little envious..." Sirius embeds himself once more.
"Are you kidding?" He sounds as if he could laugh or cry at any second. "I'm terrified..."
He tucks in closer to Gary's arm.
"..."
...
...
"I don't want to wake up."