The village market was bustling by midday, a collection of colorful stalls under patched hides and dangling charms, each humming with the kind of small-village beliefs that Carmen found painfully easy to ignore.
She walked like she owned the ground beneath her feet. And maybe she didn't.
But with the sway of her tail and the glint in her eyes, no one dared say otherwise.
Energy crystals clinked in a pouch at her hip. "Salt," she muttered to herself. "Simple. Fast. Swift trip, then back to my snow queen."
A pair of male beastmen, one with boar tusks and the other with hawk feathers, blocked her path near a spice stall. She didn't stop walking.
"Hey, pretty scorpion," the boar-man said, leaning against the counter like he'd rehearsed it in a mirror. "You alone?"
Carmen didn't even slow her stride. "Nope."
"Got a mate?"
"Working on it. And you're not her."
The hawk one whistled low. "Ouch."
She paused, turned just enough to flash them a grin full of white teeth and warning. "Try again next lifetime."
They stepped back, and she kept walking. But she could feel the stares. Whispers behind half-covered mouths.
Females sizing her up with narrowed eyes and clenched jaws. It wasn't new.
She was used to envy, it followed her like a slimy and slithery snake, ironically. But that didn't mean she tolerated it.
At the salt vendor's stand, an older female from the lizard tribe greeted her. "You must be new."
"Just visiting." Carmen set the pouch down with a confident clink.
"Well, you've certainly stirred the waters," the elder chuckled, scooping salt crystals into a wrapped pouch.
"Didn't mean to." Carmen smirked. "But I'm not sorry either."
As she turned to leave, three beastwomen stepped into her path, one lioness, one deer, and one long-eared fox. All beautiful, all fuming.
"You're trying to take her, aren't you?" the lioness snarled. "Bloom."
Carmen arched a brow, amused. "Trying?"
"She doesn't belong to you." The lioness snarled again, her eyes wearing a predatory glow.
"No one belongs to anyone," Carmen replied coolly. "But if you want to know who she wants, maybe go ask her."
The fox sneered. "You think you're better than us?"
Carmen leaned in, voice a purr laced with poison. "I don't think that I am better than you, I know I'm better than you."
There was a tense pause.
Then Carmen straightened, flicked her tail behind her like a punctuation, and strode away without another glance. "Thanks for the salt." She called behind her.
She was still smiling by the time she left the village's outskirts.
Not just because she'd won, but because she couldn't wait to tell Bloom everything.
Maybe she'd even bring flowers too, just to make that small thing that's always hovering over her Bloom snort.
She knew that it didn't like her.
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Back at the cave, Rhaëlya was still chatting with the screen, Ariel, and Orion.
The screen glowed with a soft, bluish light that danced across the stone walls of the cave. Rhaëlya sat cross-legged on the floor now, arms resting on her knees, pink eyes steady on the projections that Ariel was showing.
The digital form flickered occasionally, shifting between the default shape of a cartoon-ish pale pink male mermaid, that's supposed to represent Ariel, and schematic diagrams of vegetables, dried meats, and fungi.
[I've already gone over the dominant faiths, but let's turn practical, shall we?]
Ariel adjusted it's typing form, crisp and informative, though now he used speech bubbles next to the cartoon mermaid.
[Winter will test your resources and your patience. What you stock up on now could save you from unnecessary village trips later.]
Rhaëlya nodded. "So what should I prioritize?" Though she already had an idea, she wanted to know what those little guys in front of her thought of.
A list appeared beside him on the screen.
[• Root vegetables: turnips, frost-carrots, golden yams. Easily stored and high in nutrients.
• Dried meats, especially game, will keep for months if properly smoked or salted.
• Wild grains, hardy legumes, and foraged herbs too.]
"Anything I can grow around here?" she asked, glancing toward the small patch of rocky soil near the mouth of the cave.
[With effort.] Ariel said. [The soil isn't ideal, but you could dig a greenhouse pit and line it with thermal stones. With proper mana infusion, it could support winter crops.]
"Sounds like a lot of work," Rhaëlya muttered.
[Yes.] Ariel typed in with a cheery smile [But I have good news.]
A shimmer of green light appeared before her, sinking into her chest like a breath of spring air.
[New Skill Unlocked: Green Fingers
Plant growth responds more easily to your will. Cultivating crops will now take less time and mana.]
Rhaëlya blinked. "Huh."
[That should speed things up.] Ariel said with a bit too much smugness for a screen.
Rhaëlya simply blinked again before asking, "Anything else?"
[Yes, actually.] He typed before the screen flickered for a second.
[○○○ Secondary quest: Renovate the cave. Your current living space is functional, but it's poorly insulated and lacks elemental flow channels. You'll want better heating, windproof barriers, and reinforced storage areas for perishables. Ideally before the first frost.]
She sighed. "And you waited until now to tell me this?"
[You've been busy adjusting to the new environment and customs.] Ariel typed unhurriedly, [I didn't want to overload you.]
Rhaëlya gave him a dry look, then stood and stretched.
Her body bore no fur, no claws, no tail. Just lean muscle, sharp awareness, and those eerie pink eyes. No one ever guessed what she truly was. That was how she liked it. Whether it was here or at the academy.
She moved to the cave's mouth, taking in the wind-chilled air.
The village, resembling a valley, below was dotted with autumn gold and a few figures in the distance, beastmen maybe, or mindless beasts.
She turned back toward the task screen, that now looked scratched into the stone wall. Probably an aesthetic choice from Ariel out of boredom.
One line of text shimmered red into place under the latest task.
[Prepare your den for winter. Home is safety.]
She was about to head back inside when she felt it. A shift in the air.
Familiar presence. Swagger. Sun-baked warmth and storm-born trouble.
Rhaëlya smiled to herself.
Carmen was back.