Wherep There It Is

"Likewise miss... uh...”

"Fiora," she finished for me. "Nice to make your acquaintance."

She stuck out her hand. I stared at it for a moment, then took it.

“Nice to meet ya too Miss Fiora?"

She giggled.

"So formal, Fiora is just fine, in the wild, it's easier to say than my full title. Also, I have yet to discover your origins in this land of yours." She winked at me.

A butterfly somewhere in my stomach fluttered around.

"Ah well," I cleared my throat. "I wandered in here from a faraway land, looking for someplace to live. I got so tired though, and it was getting dark, so I decided to take a nap on a tree stump then kinda just fell face first in a puddle."

I tried my best to lie.

I didn't feel like getting into the whole 'I just died and got reincarnated to this brand new world' spiel.

Fiora gave me a sideways glance. "Hmmm..."

"I guess I must sound stupid when I explain it." My cheeks warmed slightly.

I suddenly wished she'd stop staring at me like that.

"Not at all, Takumi. Tell me more."

I tried to think of something cool to tell her.

I drew a blank.

"Ok, maybe it's too much, I tell you what, you should rest up at my cabin!" She beamed.

Then she grew serious. "But no funny business! I'm licensed to hunt in these parts, so if you try anything I'll render you unrecognizable!" She winked again.

Wow, way to stand your ground.

"I promise." I grinned back.

I got to my feet and brushed the dirt off.

Suddenly, a thing made a noise.

I turned my head, it was a big thing.

With horns and long fur, it was built like a tank, and stank like an outhouse.

It looked like a bear, except bears aren't horned, beefed up, and 300 centimeters tall.

I didn't want to waste time classifying it any longer because it was zeroing in on me and Fiora.

In another instant, I felt a hand grab my collar and she literally, kid you not, flung me up into the trees and started running up a large oak.

"Fiora!? What in the oh-shit-no-tutorial, Dark-Souls-first-boss, Mojang hostile mob reject is that thing?"

"That, Takumi, would be a Wherep!" She called out to me.

She then proceeded to do this crazy flip thing off the oak tree and shot at it with multiple bows.

The Wherep groaned and stumbled back then locked eyes with me.

In a panic I grabbed a stick thing and chucked it at the thing.

Wow Takumi, nice words.

The Wherep didn't really like the fact that I did that and charged at the tree and lodged its horns in the trunk.

"Great thinking Takumi!" She said while dashing around mid air slicing and dicing the poor fella's flesh with her large blade that glowed so bright it might as well have been a laser cutter.

As soon as the thing hit the ground a cloud of dust erupted from underneath.

"Awesome! Is it dead yet?"

"Sure looks like it."

"Can I come down now please?" I whined, sounding completely pathetic.

Fiora let out a chuckle and proceeded to slice off the branch I was perched on and caught me as I tumbled down.

I never thought I'd admit it, but damnit I have a thing for muscle mommy elves.

I sighed.

"Nice teamwork Takumi! We've got enough to eat and flip a profit on the meat and the pelt!" She pat my shoulder.

I kinda melted a little.

"Where to next?"

"My cabin of course, but first we gotta figure out how to haul all this back."

I thought hard, kinda tough.

Wheelbarrow?

Or maybe a sled?

Wait a second. I stop dead in my tracks.

My inventory! my unlimited inventory slots!

Yes, that's it, what was it that goddess said? something about zero encumberment?

Yeah let's go with that.

How to access it though?

Would it kill that goddess to include instructions with that sort of thing?

I stuck my hands out and kinda flailed them around thinking that would somehow access the pocket dimension...

instead it attracted the attention of Fiora who was now staring at me like I was some kind of demonic baby foal learning how to walk.

"Oh, heh, don't mind me just stretching the ol' meat suit."

Shut up Takumi, why'd you say it like that?

"If you're trying to access your inventory, at least I hope that's what your doing," she started, "try calling for it."

And so I did.

And boy it was overwhelming.