(Reival POV)
It was already night when I finally finished my job at the smithy. I carried the iron longsword on my right while the iron sword on the other. Arriving to my room in the tavern, I was greeted by Iris suddenly hugging me.
"Hey Iris how you been? Wha?! This is new.... What's with the hug?"
Although we were almost similar in height, she gave of the impression of looking at to me. Still the same as usual with that deadpan look of hers. Separating my brief moment from her, I immediately noticed the large amount of firewood at the corner of the room.
"What the?! You get all this firewood? I thought you were only gonna take one wood job."
Did she carry all these wood here? I know I told her to bring wood here, I didn’t expect her to bring a ton of them. Looking at her she stood still like the same as usual, but somehow something was different like her head was slightly down. I felt like I had to say something.
"Ahh…. well thanks for the wood. You might be tired. Let's go eat then we can rest."
Her head was slightly raised, or I would like to believe I saw her raise her head. As for the excess firewood, I guess I’ll give it to the tavern sometime later, hope they’ll accept it. We both head down to the tavern and ate at a table near the window. I would’ve preferred salmun but I think they’re closed at this time of night.
“Food…. no tasty…..”
Can’t blame her, the food here isn’t all that great. Might as well endure it for now, we’ll get some salmun in the morning. As she ate her bowl of food, I looked out into the window where the moon shone brightly. It’s been awhile since I’ve been here, kind of getting used to it already. It doesn’t really matter if I can go back. I don’t have a place anymore. I wonder if Iris has a place to go home to, thinking about it now she has the height of young adult. I guess at some point in the future she won’t need me anymore and will go on her way. Until then I’ll provide what I can then set on my own path. With dinner not getting any tastier than it already is, we both settle down for the night.
Morning comes and it’s time for a new day. I remember reading a report from someone named Solet’ Luna teaching Iris magic along with her struggles of the gift. I take heed of the warning and decided to improve more on her magic. What better way than to buy her magic necessities and have her be taught again.
Buying her an Elementals Tome and some Robes that go along with it, I totally forgot that she couldn’t properly read yet. Now what…. Do I just teach her how to read? Pondering about it, I saw a nun carrying a book. I asked her about it and say it’s just a story book for the children in orphanage. Hoping my cards into it, I asked her if she could reach the Tome I bought to Iris, to which she promptly rejected. She couldn’t use magic so she wouldn’t be able to understand a magic tome. Well that makes sense; you can’t do what you don’t know. She offered me to try the church as clerics specialize in healing magic. I appreciate her offer and oblige to do so.
Arriving and entering the church, I was greeted by a cleric with a gentle smile.
“Hello young one, what brings you into the benevolence of the holy ground?”
“Greetings madam, I was inquired as such that clerics on this establishment are adept in healing magic. May I have your honor in educating this lass in such arts from this tome?”
She was a bit bewildered with form of speech but never lost her smile.
“Ofcourse I would be delighted to. The church would not abandon such lost lamb.”
She agreed and we all settled in one of unoccupied long wood benches.
Some troubles occurred while teaching her, to summarize on what has happened, Iris doesn’t understand the concept of magic. Even though she can use magic doesn’t mean she knows magic. The main problem with Iris is that she can’t visualize what she needs to sense or do. Like the burning passion of a fire, the smooth flow of a river, the crusty texture of the earth, nor even the serene presence of the wind.
Although she could cast light magic, she couldn’t do the other basic light magic. What was surprising to the cleric was a magic she had never seen before. Large blue crystals would orbit around her as if she was the center of royalty. The air around her became cold; white smoke would appear out of thin air. Although she had the same listless eyes, for once I saw darkness as I stared at them. I was afraid, scared of what she could do. I was taking care of a monster.
Monster? Was that how I saw her? When did I think of her like that? What did I see in the forest? Pulling myself back to reality, in front of me was the same Iris with the same deadpan face. That’s right, what I saw back then was just a girl with a frail body that invited death to her door. I’m a fool, getting scared of her out of all places at this time. I approach her and placed my hand on her head. She looked up and met my gaze, after a brief moment all the crystals and frost around her disappeared.
I thank the cleric for her time and donated 20 G to the church for her services to which she gratefully received. We both exit the church and head back to the tavern; the teaching took quite some time as the sun was already starting to set. On the way back I could feel something tugging the back of my shirt, looking back was Iris holding the back of my shirt with one hand. I let her do as she please, as we head back I suddenly remembered something. We need to take a bath, after the days of work and not rinsing of the grit muck we accumulated. I had to buy spare clothes before heading out to the river. Ofcourse I had to make sure no one was around.
Needless to say, she didn’t know how to bathe herself thus I had to bathe her myself. Since the last time I’ve seen her naked, she’s gained more weight now as she looked like a proper woman, although she’s still on the thin side, her body started developing her feminine charms properly now. Like her bust increasing in size or her rear end getting a rounder shape. With her top and bottom developing more whilst her waist maintained her slim figure, it was easy to imagine that she would become a fine woman when she fully develops.
Wait what am I thinking? I’m just taking care of her. Yep…. Totally taking care of her…. Besides, in the future we’ll be on our separate ways once she can take care of herself. It would be best not get too attached with her.
After finishing bathing, we both head back to our room in the tavern. This times bathing was seriously awkward and dangerous.
(Iris POV)
Reival back!... Iris happy….
Owner hungry?... Iris hungry….
Owner get food….. Food no tasty….
Owner no eat food?..... Owner no hungry?....
Iris sad….
…
…….
…………….
Book?..... owner get book for Iris…. Iris no know book…..
…
…….
…………..
Weird…. Big house weird…..
Owner say Iris know magic….. Iris follow owner say…..
…
…….
…………..
Hard…. magic hard….. Iris no know magic…..
Owner sad look Iris…..
Owner no want Iris?..... Iris no want owner leave……
Reival no leave…. Cold… cold…. Iris cold….
Cold…
Cold…
Cold…
Cold…
Cursed…. Same… No want Iris…..
Cursed….
Cursed….
Cursed….
Iris no know magic….. Reival leave Iris…..
Iris no want! Iris no want Reival leave!
No…
No…
Cold….
Iris cold…..
…
…….
Eh?..... warm?.....
Reival pat Iris head…. Warm….
Iris happy Reival stay…..
Warm…
Iris warm…
Happy…
Iris happy Reival stay….
Iris follow Reival….
Reival no leave Iris…. Iris no leave Reival….
Reival no same…. Reival is Reival….
Iris stay with Reival…. Iris no leave Reival….
…
…….
…………..
Reival…..
…..
……..
……..
... but heyy~ Reciful is a friendly child you know~
