^^ Dalaemon Proper (main town) ^^

--- Heath/Aurelia ---

Time unfroze, and the tall man was speaking to me again...

I stood, then gazed at him, memorizing his features, and his voice. Scars on his fingertips revealed him to be an archer, which Gave me a few new details about this world I was in.

The leather-wrapped god had given me knowledge of their economics and physics and such, but I still needed knowledge about the state of the country I was in, and the laws of said country-

I froze, stepping through the door, and gazed out in wonder over a city set amongst the trunks of massive redwoods, several hundred feet off the ground, hidden by a silver net that I instinctively knew was enchanted to hide the City of Dalaemon, the home of the High Elves and Forest Elves.

I glanced at my skin, which was brown with an oddly pleasing green tint, and nodded. 'So I'm a Forest elf... alright.' I started walking, looking around to drink in the multiple details.

A tall elf with thinner ears and pale skin strode by, and I hummed. 'So that's a High Elf...'

The woman stopped, and looked at me in surprise. "Do you need something, little one?" She asked, kneeling to me level.

I hummed again. "Not particularly, Ma'am. Thank you for asking."

She beamed and patted my hair. "So polite! Where are your parents, little one?"

"I am exploring." I explained.

She nodded. "I see. Curiosity is good, but don't go places you're not supposed to, alright?"

"There are places I cannot go?" I asked, curious. 'Restricted areas usually have a deeper meaning than their natural derivatives, such as caves and such...'

She blinked. "Your vocabulary... and mind... is much too old for that body. Are you a spirit?"

'Rather close to the truth, I'd guess... I died, and a god put me in this body for the Lulz... fucking leather-God. Couldn't just let me go to Elysium, like I earned...' I sighed. "I'm not a Spirit, just... mature for my age." I answered aloud.

She blinked again, slowly. "I can read your thoughts while I'm touching you, little one. I understand the situation, now... alright, let's get you to your parents-"

"I'm still exploring." I shook my head.

She hummed. "Well, technically they're not even your parents, are they?... alright, fine. I'll allow you to continue exploring, if you point me towards the house you came from."

I blinked and looked at the row of tiny houses, each sung from the branches of the Redwoods. "Uhm... I've absolutely no clue, but I didn't walk far at all."

She nodded and patted my hair, walking to the one on the end, and knocking on the open doorframe. Someone moved the thick curtain aside, and I wandered away further.

My meandering path took me into a small open area, wider than the bridges, clearly a gathering place of some kind. My senses picked up the smells of old blood and fire and meat, giving me hope these Elves weren't vegetarians.

As I was staring into space, using all my senses, I noticed four boys a little bigger than my size walking towards me. I hummed at their purposeful gait. "You could at least try some covert stepping, eh? Heard you coming twenty meters out, you know?" I said to the one in front, still faced away.

He scoffed and pushed a hand where my shoulder was a second before. I'd moved directly into his personal space, and was now face-to-face with him. "Unwise, boy. Get lost." I growled, ignoring how my tiny voice didn't sound very threatening.

He laughed off the surprise he'd felt, and I nodded, using my meager amount of muscles to send my fist into to his diaphragm.

He fell to his knees, wheezing, and I kicked his temple as hard as I could, sending him tumbling over the railings.

He screamed like a little girl the whole way down.

The net caught him, shaking wildly, and I chuckled, and looked at the others. "I want your boots, your pants, and your shirt." I pointed at each of them, impatient to get out of the dress and slippers I was dressed in.

Just then, my new gender hit me, and I sighed. 'Stupid Leather-God... I'm not a woman... ah well. I've always fancied lesbian porn. All is not lost.'

They hurriedly gave me what I asked for, and I dressed, pulling the pants on under the dress, then the boots, and then glaring at them until they turned around before doffing off the white dress, and lacing the shirt on.

It's make was interesting, but I got it on the same way he'd had it, and nodded, then looked at them seriously. "If you ever bother me again, I will hurt you in ways you couldn't possibly imagine, you understand?" I snapped.

They nodded quickly, and fell over each other when I dismissed them.

I whistled a tune and continued, much more comfortable now that I wasn't dressed like a princess.

More elves started showing up, and I hummed, looking around for the reason, until I saw the sun had gone down. The light didn't change for my eyes, which is why I was confused. "Cool, night vision." I grinned.

Someone lit a fire, in that large area from earlier, and I grinned at the smell of meat, going back and finding my way into a line of tall people, snitching a bowl to get some of the stew I smelled.

When I reached the top of the line, the man at the stew pot raised an eyebrow at me, but shrugged and gave me a helping. "Don't complain to the chef." He said tiredly, and I hummed, sipping the broth.

"Pretty decent, on rations, actually. Got some basil and salt? Better than plain potatoes, am I right?" I grinned at him.

He snorted. "Aye, that it is. Shoo."

I walked and hopped onto the railing, eating the venison/potato stew slowly. My stomach growled when I was done, so I checked that everyone had eaten, and went back for more.

The cook raised his single eyebrow at me again, (the other looking to have been shaved off, probably on a bet,) and shrugged, plopping a portion into my bowl.

I returned to my roost on the railing, and when I finished, a small, weaselly voice snapped next to me. "You know you're not supposed to eat with the Hunters, brat!"

I gazed at the boy, who, with a bruised temple and no sycophants, looked much less than impressive, and chuckled, then climbed down from the rail slowly.

"You should know, you're much less impressive than you think you are. Friendly advice." I said simply, picking my teeth slowly.

He growled and hauled back his fist, and I ghosted behind him, pushing him over the rails again.

Several hunters gasped and reached for him, but I just laughed as he screamed on his way down into the net.

They gazed at me disapprovingly, and one large man stepped forward, gazing down at the crying boy. "Pull yourself together, Debian!" He shouted down at the boy, and then turned to me. "And you... why are you here?"

"Cause I wanna be?" I answered irreverently, and gave my bowl to someone who was washing them, ignoring his growled comments.

I offered to help the girl who was washing dishes, and she gratefully accepted. I started washing after watching how she did it, and got the hang of the Sand/Water scrubbing quickly.

Once all the bowls were finished, I patted her shoulder and walked away, whistling softly.

A soft hissing answered, and I looked up, as a boa launched out of the trees above me and landed on my shoulders.

I smiled and wrapped it around my arm, petting its head. "Hello, beautiful." I whispered, and continued petting it. I deemed it female, after examining its markings, and nodded.

She was shocked at first, but made herself comfortable around my arm and shoulders. I smiled and continued, whistling softly, then examined every building that was connected to where I could get. Bridges, I studied for weaknesses, and the buildings as well.

I found them structurally sound, but everything was vulnerable to sabotage. The Wood was a derivative of Ironwood, and so it would not burn, but it could be sawed through, if one was determined, or had the right tools.

The man from before sat nearby. "You're not Aurelia. She's not skilled enough to fight anyone. Not interested in hunting or killing or violence at all... weak."

I smirked. "I am none of those things. What do you want, I'm busy?" I hummed and wiggled a pin that held the bridge together, then tsk'ed. "Linchpins... stupid. Need to reinforce those..." I made a mental note, and continued walking.

He followed. "Alright, then who are you, if you're not Aurelia Sambas?"

"My name was Heath. An Army Ranger... a Hunter of sorts. And very good at my job." I hummed and saw another linchpin. "The linchpins must be some sort of defense. The enemy crosses the bridge, you drop the bridge... is the net meant to catch or harm your enemies?" I tsk'ed.

I continued on down the stairs, walking along the net nimbly. I checked it for any imperfections, rips, or holes, and found a few small breaks that might escalate.

The man walking with me noticed what I was doing, and hummed. "I'll have these patched up tomorrow. Thanks for finding them... so, your name is Heath? That's a Human Name."

"So it is." I hummed, and then looked through the net curiously at the ground. A large creature stalked along the forest floor. "What is that?"

"A Shadowcat. They eat humans and elves, as their preferred prey. They're vicious creatures, they'll attack on sight-"

"Defending and attempting to reclaim territory that you stole. Those claws are built for climbing trees. We're living in its natural habitat. It's not built for the forest floor... I'd be pissed off as well, if someone took my house." I corrected him.

He gazed at the large, non-retractable claws. "You seem to be correct... but ah well... wait, is that a snake on your arm?" He drew a dagger.

I nodded. "I've named her Victoria." I pet her gently, and she flicked her tongue out to smell my scent.

He sheathed his dagger slowly. "Okay... so you're good with animals?"

"Predators, especially. Kindred spirits." I smiled and gazed at him to determine if he was going to be afraid of me, then back down at the Giant Black Panther.

It was directly under me, not three feet away, gazing at me with golden eyes.

I smiled. "Well hello, beautiful girl! Lovely weather, eh?" I kept my voice calm, and low, and the female snarled softly.

I sat and confined to talk to her gently, letting her calm down. She laid on the branch after a while, her tail slowly covering her claws.

When I saw that, I chuckled. "Good girl. You're just a big plushie, aren't you? Adorable and sweet, you're just a meat-eater! How about some tasty deer, huh?"

I snapped my fingers at the man, who now sat on the railing, twenty feet over my head. He hummed, and tossed me some deer jerky.

I ate a bite, then slowly extended it to the cat. She sniffed it, and then gingerly took it out of my hand, swallowing it down in one gulp.

I smiled and pet her shoulder, wisely not reaching for her face, head, or throat. She purred loudly, and I smiled wider, and pulled away. She growled, a soft 'grrrmrt?', and I smiled. "I'll be back, lovely. Later, alright? Shoo, for now."

She grumbled and pounced down, snatching up a rabbit in her jaws, and eating it in a few bites.

I smiled and nodded, then walked up the stairs. "I'll need a live rabbit for tomorrow..." I hummed.

He chuckled. "You're insane."

"No, I'm rather sane. I'm just fearless. Fear is for those who need reminders of the dangers of the world. I do not." I said clearly, and then went back to exploring.

"How Old were you when you died?" He asked, leaning against a rail as I tested its durability.

"I turned thirty three days after my death." I answered simply, and then deigned the rails well-made.

He hummed. "And you were a Ranger? Rare in one so young."

"No? Rangers have to be a minimum of 20 years old, with three years of experience, before they are considered for the Rangers. I was the tracker and ears of the team. I could hear everything for 100 meters... I'll have to train my ears again, I suppose." I hummed, and lifted a rope, opening a trap door.

I saw the forest floor, far below, and then the spiral staircase inside a tree. "Cool." I murmured, and closed it.

"Oh... alright. And you were a ranger for ten years, then?"

"Correct." I sniffed a bowl of powder, and found it to be flour.

"Where were you stationed?" He asked, scratching his chin.

"What's your name? You're asking me all these questions, but I don't know who the hell you are." I avoided the answer.

He hummed. "I'm Alerio, the head of the Hunters. You threw my son over a rail... twice."

"Well, he deserved it. He's a cowardly little cunt." I snapped at him, and continued walking.

"Hmm... his mother spoils him. I barely see him, and it's even rarer that anyone disciplines him, so I take some of the blame, I suppose." He sighed.

"Good... now tell me how long days last. 24 Hours? 12?" I sat on a railing.

He sat nearby. "24 hours is a full cycle, day and night. An hour is 60 minutes. A minute is sixty seconds. A second is 200 Hummingbird wing-flaps."

I grinned. "Very specific, nice. And calendar? 365 days, 12 months, 4*7 days=1 month, 7*24 hours=1week?"

He nodded. "Correct."

I gazed at the forest floor. "Do this girl's parents know she's dead?"

He nodded slowly. "Amira told them. They are grieving, but will allow you to stay with them."

"Alright... and the difference between High Elves and Forest Elves?" I asked bluntly.

He hummed and stayed silent for a little while. "... They control the Government, as the Royals are High Elves. We, the Forest Folk, are... impure, to them. Some, at least. Amira is very a kind leader, unlike some."

"She's the ruler of the city?" I asked.

He nodded. "She is. The Chief, I suppose you'd say. She's just Amira to us. Her husband is a parliamentarian, so he's almost never here. He mostly lives in the Capital, with the other High Elves."

I smiled. "I see... and the Humans?"

"They do not enter the forest. Ever. Not even their merchants. There are towns around the borders, and we send a caravan there every few months to buy and sell, just like all the other villages." He answered.

I hummed. "Interesting... you have a Monkey Problem?" He looked down at the abyss, eyes picking out what I had, small humanoids, perhaps monkeys, swinging through the trees.

His eyes widened, and he roared out an 'All Hands' to respond to 'Imps', and the entire village came alive like a giant ant hill.