Different culture. Adapt to it, Natasha. I told myself. The scene of beautiful women sharing a passionate kiss was delectable to say the least. I was smiling widely. They broke the kiss and sighed at the same time.
"Will you have me?" Lapia spoke first, her silky voice was quiet.
"I will." Alyssa nodded, a blush covering her face. Her deep voice contrasted the Elf's.
So that's how you do it. You go straight in for the kiss. I nodded, impressed by them. Well, not that straight. Hehe, I'm so funny.
"So." The Elf started. "Have you ladies had lunch yet?" she smiled.
"Not yet." I answered. "We were at the breeding grounds when I got your message."
Alyssa giggled and covered her mouth.
"Breeding grounds?" Lapia tilted her head and looked at Alyssa. "What happened?"
"We'll tell you later." I sighed. "Let's eat first."
"You'll love it." the Luzo said between giggles. "It was so funny."
"I bet." Lapia smiled, turning around and going to the stairs. "This way."
We followed her, I noticed Alyssa was staring at Lapia's legs just like me. I silently thanked all above for granting me a big titty goth girlfriend who was a woman of culture as well. Well, she's not exactly goth. She's pretty soft. I thought. Her scales were dark as night and her skin pale purple, but her personality was quite the contrast.
We were staring at Lapia's big behind the entire way up the stairs. I again silently thanked all above for not having invented elevators in this world.
We went up to the top floor, which was the tenth one and turned left. There, Lapia entered the first door.
"Welcome to my office." she said, making a flowery motion with her hands.
The room was spacious, a large desk at the end of it, wide windows letting the light of the suns enter.
Chairs were set in front of her desk and there was a door to the right.
It was surprisingly tidy. Documents on top of the desk neatly arranged next to quills. A few paintings hanging on the walls next to three diplomas.
Royal University of the Queendom of Maaruhk
Maarkhan, Queendom of Maaruhk
Upon recommendation of the Faculty, the board of Scholars has conferred upon
Having honorably fulfilled all requirements for this degree together with all the righs, privileges and honors pertaining thereunto.
In testimony whereof the Seal of the Royal House and the signature of Her Majesty Queen Lofrada Tilensis III and Headmaster Prince Ulmke Tilensis VI are affixed at Maarkhan, this first day of the twelfth month, year one thousand nine hundred and twenty.
A royal looking seal was stamped on the document, along with two signatures. My eyes opened wide. This looks official as fuck! I was admittedly skeptical about people going to university to learn magic of all things, but the framed diploma in front of me confirmed the importance of it.
The next one was practically the same, but for a different degree, 'E'er Scholar'. The next one was for 'Pyromancy'. The dates were different as well.
"What year is it?" I turned around to the two looking at me, smiles on their faces.
"1980, fourth day of the third month." Alyssa answered.
"How is the calendar handled?" I looked at some books on bookshelves.
"Thirteen months a year, twenty eight days a month." Lapia said walking to her desk. "Days and months used to have names, but some species couldn't pronounce them. Now we use only numbers."
Twenty eight times thirteen... two hundred... no, no. Three times eight is... twenty four. Three times two is six, plus two equals eight. Okay, eighty four. Twenty eight underneath. Okay. Breath in. Four at the end. Eight plus eight is... sixteen. Six before the four. One plus two is three. Three six four. Three hundred and sixty four days?
I counted on the palm of my hand to help visualize. Huh. A day off. That'll be easy.
"What happened to make the years that way? I mean, people live for thousands of years. How come it's 1980?" I couldn't think of a Jesus fellow, unless he was a Halve with healing powers.
"A God died." Lapia answered. "Every time a God dies, the yearly number is reset, and a new Era begins. We're in Yiama's Era at the moment."
"What?" I remembered my conversation with the Elf in the bathroom. "Aren't Gods immortal?"
"They are." Alyssa took a seat. Lapia did too, behind her desk. "They reincarnate, that's what makes them immortal." she explained. "Takes a few centuries, though."
I nodded, not really interested in Gods and their deaths. Perhaps in the future I'll meet one. Lapia said they were a chill bunch.
"Anyway, lunch." I said.
"That was short." Lapia stood up. "I thought you'd be more interested in Gods." she had a surprised expression.
"Meh, Gods are lame." I turned to Alyssa. "No offense."
She shrugged. "None taken. Danuva's pretty lazy." she chuckled.
"Over here, I prepared food." she entered the room next to her office. When she opened the door, the smell of chicken and vegetables drifted into her office.
Alyssa followed, and so did I.
An entire apartment welcomed us. A living room with sofas and tables. On a corner, a kitchen with ovens and what looked like a refrigerator. A wide doorway lead to a room with a massive bed opposite of the entrance.
"This looks deceptively small from outside." I commented. Lamps hung from the ceiling. It even had a fireplace.
"The wonders of Dwarven construction." Alyssa said, sitting at a table next to the kitchen.
"They built Riverfield? Impressive." I sat next to the Luzo.
"They did, around two thousand years ago." Lapia said from the kitchen. "That goes to show what a few thousand Geomancers can do if they put their heads together."
"And billions of gold." Alyssa added.
"You could pay them to build a few." Lapia laughed.
"True." I nodded. "I have no interest, though."
"You're that wealthy?" the Luzo asked, looking at me with wide eyes.
"Twelve trillion gold coins." I said, smirking at her mouth opening wide. "Anyway. Now that the three of us are together, I'll bother you with some explanations of the world."
Lapia put plates in front of us along with silverware and napkins. "Shoot your shot." she said as she returned to the kitchen.
"What is this system we see?" I asked the first thing that came to mind.
"Hm." the Luzo pondered for a few seconds. "It's pretty long, and surprisingly simple." she looked at me and continued after I nodded. "In the very beginning, there were Gods, Halves, and the unawakened ancient species. They knew what they were doing, but only by instinct. One day, Gods and Halves gathered up and shared their findings of Galeia." she stopped as I raised a hand.
"What is Galeia?" I asked.
She turned to look at Lapia. "That's the name of the world."
"It kind of never came up." the Elf explained. "Go on." she smiled as she put drinks on the table.
"As Gods and Halves came together, they discussed their findings of the world and noticed that they all shared the same tales. They used E'er, found E'er and saw E'er all around them." I poured a glass of juice for her. "Thanks. Then, they turned their attention to the energy of the world. In their research, one Halve managed to read E'er the way we do today. Everything they had named reflected on the words she saw. That which was old, and that which was new. However, things that were not yet named did not show words." she took a sip.