A New Day

Looking up to the starry skies of the night, a child Luna, 5 years old is sitting next to her mother's face obscured by her matching hair. This feeling of ignorant bliss, the cool breeze of the night skies, her hair flowing into the wind. The moon dances with the stars, and to the amazement of such night, a rainbow that circles around it.

“Mom! Why is there a rainbow circling the night skies?”

The mother held her close as they watched the rainbow moon, giving her an answer, “After a long rainy storm, the moon is happy to see everyone down there happy, and blessed anyone for a better tomorrow. But some say that Kaguya is painting from the moon, hence why there’s a rainbow in the night skies.”

Smiles at her, “I can’t wait to see what she’s painting from up there. Maybe she’s blessing me with good fortune?”

“Of course. There’s nothing but good fortune when you see the rainbow moon. Just be a little careful, Luna.”

Looking at her, only to see her playing around with the fireflies nearby, completely ignoring what she just said.

Softly giggled, “Can’t sit still for one moment, my little moonlight.”

“Marial!” A man’s voice is heard across from the mother, looking back to see a cake and a present ready for Luna. Smiles at her, then walks up to her. “How’s our little moon doing?” A rotund man with a moustache gives her a side hug.

“She’s playing with those fireflies happily.”

Watching her catching each firefire into her hands until she released them, flying around her. The mother grabs a boomerang, a costume made with matching gloves, Shadow Gloves. And an Adventurer’s Tag with Luna’s name already etched onto it.

“Luna will love her present. I had to fit them myself, if she wants to grow up being a big time Adventurer, like her father. But she had thrown a little temper back at the market. It was embarrassing, but still.” Holding her face in a motherly way. A small party of Adventurers, his friends.

“Guess it’s time to bring the party inside, Mary.”

“We’ll meet you there.”

Kissing him before turning around to face Luna before drifting away.

Luna! My little moon! Please come by and… wait… what are they…? Oh my God! Luna… run!

Waking up from a memory of seeing the Rainbow Moon then before everything turned dark before seeing nothing but a wooden roof. Is she back at the Hunter’s Haberdashery? No. Even waking up from a dream like that, she knows that didn’t happen. So where is she this time? Certainly much better than a bird nest from inside the cave, but still be in danger due to being in an unknown location.

Checking on her body and even checking her private area to see if she had been defiled. Luckily, no damages or indication of assault, she can peacefully stand up. But there was something that’s been bugging her ever since she woke up.

Why am I in different clothing? And who changed me?

Sickened at the idea of being naked by someone, being disrobed and having different clothing on such an odd thing to do for a complete stranger without any ulterior motives. But perhaps Kaguya from the night before had blessed her from being assaulted in any way.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

This caused her to be embarrassed, not fully dressed before answering.

“Just a moment!”

Looking around to see if she could find her attire from last night but couldn’t. They’re all gone, and the only attire she could find is a simple adventurer's look of a simple shirt with a waistcoat that doubles as a hoodie, fashionable jeans, and boots. Her Shadow Gloves are next to her bed on the nightstand. Everything still feels shotty.

Looking in the mirror, notices herself. Walking up to feel her skin, slowly stroking it while being completely surprised and shocked by who she's seeing until the door opens, a young girl is presenting Luna a breakfast tray. A child that is wearing a cute pink attire.

A cute, child tone voice is giving her a happy good morning greeting.

“Woah! Hold up! I’m still dressing up here!”

Left her waistcoat unbuttoned, sighing that someone nearly saw her naked as she tucked something away, but… nevermind.

“Could you have waited a bit longer?”

The little girl happily smiled at her, “Nope.” So blunt.

“Is my breakfast ready…?”

She looks at the breakfast. A simple egg and toast with coffee to the side, but they look oddly coloured, even for small town standards. Plague Town is known to be the home of the Giant Rats but didn’t know that they’re also the home of the world’s most sickly food.

“You can’t be serious, right?”

“It’s fresh and ready! Now eat up, I worked so long and hard to make it just right!”

Giving the young girl an awkward look, as if she’s expecting a sign of approval before taking it up to her table to slowly take a bite of the egg.

Nearly upchucking the egg back onto the tray. The taste of a cooked spoiled egg that is trying to beat the crap out of the stomach. She looked at the young girl, smiling at her, waiting for her comment about the food. After taking a couple of more bites and swallowing the spoiled egg down in her stomach. Every meat that she had last night, cooking and eating rat meat is more pleasant and pleasing compared to this one single egg. This girl here and her morbid curiosity is literally the only thing that is holding her back from going back into the cave, finding and killing a couple more Giant Rats, just to have a decent meal. Hell, she’ll kill a couple more Rib-Cages if she’s lucky enough to kill them with ease and try cooking them up.

“How is the egg?” Smiles at Luna, “This is from the finest batch of eggs we have here in Plague Town.”

This is their finest? Then I definitely don’t want to see their worst.

Hands shaken to grab the coffee cup, then drinking it instantly until it’s even more gross than the egg itself. Is this sewer water or did they somehow made water thick enough that it’s nearly jelly-like. The entire cup itself is still up to her face, the coffee is slowly dripping down from her mouth. Slowly putting it down, taking a large big gulp to swallow the God awful taste that they called coffee here.

I want to throw up so badly right now! And why is it so chewy?!

Her mouth opened and putrid breath spewing out that made her nearly thrown up the moment it went straight into the nose. Vision went blind then used memory to grab the toasted bread. Instantly took a bite of it, and as before, it too has a terrible taste. The toasted bread is moldy. The amount of terrible taste had entered her body, her vision blind, heart is slowing down, brain is losing consciousness, and the stomach is turning out. Food is foaming from the mouth to slam her face down onto the table, leaving the girl bewildered.

She happily asks, “So how is it?”

Like trying to pull the sword from the stone, she mustered all the strength to raise her hand, shaking and visibly struggling in order to give her the thumbs up. There was nothing from that cave alone that made her suffer and struggled this much before. Breakfast shouldn’t be that much of a struggle in order, but sadly in this God forsaken town, they made breakfast the ultimate test of endurance. The moment that she makes

The door opens to reveal the farm owners coming in with a breakfast tray of actual proper food, healthy looking food and actual freshly made coffee brew, and a Healing Potion at the side.

“Good morning!”

The thing that made her jump and honestly creeped out that both parents are completely different races, a regular Human mother but her husband is a Halfling, a race that is mistaken for children. In the city society, the Halflings aren’t allowed to engage in relationships or produce children with other races except with other Halflings, due to their appearances. But if some do decide to engage in a relationship with a Halfling, they must provide an identification and background checks of both parties and must live in a designated area, near prison and the city’s police station in order to keep a watchful eye on them.

This might be due to her life living in the city but is quite surprised to see a happy interspecies couple with a child.

The daughter dropped the act, even her tone changed from being a cute and child-like to rough teen-like girl, “Mom! Dad! Can you two please wait till I give out the word?!”

“But we couldn’t wait any longer.”

“The food is getting cold, so we mind as well make it quick.”

“Your cooking can kill a Giant Rat.”

Embarrassed, turning red, “It does not!”

Visibly shaking and turning the thumbs up into a middle finger, flicking them all off while muttering the words, “What the actual fuck?! You made me eat what basically qualifies as poison?!”

Happily placing the food next to Luna, removing the previously eaten breakfast tray, “Hey now. It’s our usual town joke of travellers who take the name of our town quite too literally.”

Raising her hand towards the parents, giving them the middle finger while the mother is helping her on giving her the Healing Potion till she sniffs the breath.

“Oh my! Your breath totally reeks, you must have eaten some really bad eggs.”

She laughs at the situation before helping her drink the Healing Potion. It instantly healed everything that she had gone through. The food upchuck, and with full strength, she rushes out to the window to puke out every content of that God awful food that she forced herself into eating due to being nice to the townsfolk.

Her puke landed on a Dark Elf smoking, well, was smoking before the thick liquid extinguished the light.

A white frohawk hair, crimson eyes, wearing a white dress shirt with a black vest and red tie, black dress pants and shoes, and small round glasses that are hanging on his nose tip. Wearing bracelets and rings.

“I can’t believe she actually ate the spoiled egg and moldy toast.”

Angrily barks at them, “Why the hell did you feed me that?!”

“It’s a harmless prank.”

“Say that to my stomach right now! I would rather eat Giant Rat instead of what you had fed me just now!”

The Dark Elf flicks his hand, while his eyes, his rings and his bracelets are glowing till he snaps his fingers to magically conjure up a saxophone, playing jazz music outside of the house.

“Look!” Putting on her Shadow Gloves then drinks her coffee, “I’m grateful for the food, but as a maid of the Hunter’s Haberdashery, this would be violating Adventurer’s etiquette. Now I want you to point me to the nearest Haberdashey, so I can work for my coin,” Looking around to see that her chest isn’t anywhere near her, “And where is my chest…?”

A hand magically appears behind her, tucking her shirt to aggressively pull her through the window and slamming through the passing empty carriage, destroying it. Clapping her hands to recall her boomerang knives.

Groaning in pain, sitting up to roll her arm as she placed her boomerang knives down to look across from her to see the Dark Elf.

Speaking in an accent, romantic but dangerous, “Ma’am? Do you know that throwing up on an is a century of bad luck? I can lessen the years off if you just apologize for throwing up on me.”

Didn’t want to drag this since she technically did throw up on him, but how was she supposed to know that he was just sitting there? Standing up and putting the boomerang knives inside the leather scabbards that are custom made for them. “Alright, I’m sorry for puking on you. I didn’t know you were there.”

Snaps his fingers to make the saxophone disappear then cheerfully dust himself off from her puking by using his handkerchief, “Wonderful! That would be 50 years off from your century long of bad luck.”

Unbelievable. 50 years? Not all of it?! How could he…?

Noticing her look, “Well you did ruin my new suit, and it’s a rental for my job. How can I easily forgive you if you can’t make it up for me, ma’am? I can wipe away another 25 years away from your bad luck if you buy me a new suit, or this suit, since I doubt the tailor wants this back now.”

She caught the ‘new suit’ then recalled that the Haberdashery does sell suits, not as fancy as a Boutique but still good enough for an affordable price, “Alright. How about I buy you a new suit and that suit if we go to a Hunter’s Haberdashery, so how about it? For all the remaining 50 years, even though you’re bullshitting me right now.”

Offended by her wording, “Bullshitting you? Like how, ma’am? Because an Elf is dangerous when you piss one off. And I’m about to be pissed off right about now.”

“You’re a Dark Elf. Like anyone cares around here.”

“Ooo! Then you must be from the Capital or somewhere nicer than here, I assumed.”

“You are right, but I’m not lying about offering you a new suit and all. Because I don’t want to get involved with this shit-end town and their horrible joke here.”

Chuckling at the recent practical joke that the farm owners had made the adventurer ate before being offered with real food, “I guess the Greenes must have done the Traveller’s Joke on you, Adventurer.”

“Adventurer? I’m no such thing. I’m just a maid from the Haberdashesy.”

“That’s not what your ID Tag says otherwise.”

He pulls out a tag of an Adventurer, he must have pulled a sleight of hand while he throws her out of the Greene’s Farmhouse. He then flicks it towards her, landing inside of her hands before she throws it back to him but her Shadow Gloves activate and it lands back into her hand. Impressed by her gloves then smirks with a counteroffer came to his mind.

“How about this deal then? You give me those gloves, and we’ll call it square then?”

“No deal, Dark Elf. I found these, and I’m bound to keep them before heading back home and see if anything survived from that damn White Dragon attack.”

The words ‘White Dragon’ frighten everyone around them, they immediately rush out of her direction which baffles her. Even the Dark Elf across from her is showing visible signs of fear. Fear of the White Dragon.

“Is there anything wrong here?”

“You survived a White Dragon?! Like how?!”

Shrugs her shoulders then looks around Plague Town that they’re afraid of her now of being a survivor. Indicating that she must be some hell of an Adventurer in order to handle a dragon.

“I don’t know! One moment I was serving a meal from the Haberdashery then the next, I woke up in that cave up there!”

He looks back at the cave then tilts his head, skeptical of her story or at least the latter part of it, “Nobody didn’t go up there at all, except the rats, hulling in a giant rock and a piece of shit six months ago. So how did you…?”

Looking back then points at her then grins as if he figured something out. Never question a Dark Elf’s intuition.

“Where did this White Dragon attack? And how did you wake up?”

“Spiral City. Literally across the nation. And I woke up, being covered by thick liquid inside a bird nest.”

Air is howling around them, nothing but silence as this Dark Elf is looking at her. Losing his footing slightly then trips down onto the mud itself.

“Woah, woah, woah! You can’t be…?! You can’t be…?!”

“Can’t be what, Dark Elf?”

“You’re a Drake!”

Giving him a dumbfounded expression by the sudden revelation, nothing came across from him as she’s looking at his pathetic expression, seeing nothing but a coward.

With a deadpan reply, “What?”

“Sorry, almighty female Drake!” He kneels down, bowing and even offering to dust herself from the damage he had caused her, fast talking, “I’m about to wipe away 100 years of bad luck, but like you said earlier, I was just bullshitting you but please don’t take too seriously, I was just mad about the puking and all. Oh yes, I forgot to introduce myself, almighty female Drake, Malakai Altruist, at your service!” Giving off a scared smile, as if his cheeks are being pulled back.

A forceful smile? I know that Dark Elves don’t have a good history when it comes to society, but a forceful smile is unusual, even for one. And why call me a female Drake? It’s public knowledge that Dragon-Folks have wings and a tail, but why did he mistaken me as such?

Curious about his situation, she asks, “How long have you been here?”

“Oh! For nearly a couple thousand years now since my brand… I mean, servitude to the High Elves of Whitewood!”

Ah, right there! Whitewood Elves are just faux lords of local Elves, imitating the old Elven Empire, but didn’t know they were still active around here. Plague Town is known for Giant Rats, but nothing else from it. Even the education isn’t high around here. And taking a closer look at Plague Town…

A rundown town where there’s only a few places that are still running, no real establishments or landmarks to indicate the significance of the town itself. It’s barely on the map with a little mention here and there.

I doubt there’s a Hunter’s Haberdashery nearby, so she must take this advantage of knowing more, especially from a Dark Elf right now.

“Um? Where is the nearest city, Mr. Altruist?”

“Avalanche City, east of here. Five days of a carriage ride, and a week-long walk.”

Shit. Avalanche City. Mountain Cities are never a good thing, for survival reasons but if it’s the only city nearby, then I guess I’ll have to take it.

“How much is a carriage ride up there? Because I need to head back to Hunter’s Haberdashery right now.”

“About that…” He shamefully points at the carriage that he tossed her through, “We destroyed the only carriage service around here.”

Annoyed by the entire situation, she is looking at the carriage’s destroyed wheel and carriage. And the horses run off after the quick scuffle between the faux female Drake and the Dark Elf.

“Horses? Can I buy a horse at least?”

“Um… yeah, you gotta head off to Whitewood Forest.”

That’s an unfamiliar section, but had heard Elves travelling around Whitewood before, but no real location from any map. Must be a new town then.

“It’s a day trip out north on a carriage, two if you’re walking, there’s a town governed by the Whitewood Elves.”

Alright, that explains the Elves now. But regardless, I need to go there in order to get a job at the Haberdashery and head back home to Spiral City.

“Then I guess I’ll head to Whitewood Forest then,” she looks around to see if there’s any route to it, “What is the safest route, Mr. Altruist? I’m sure with your expertise, you must know how to get there, right?”

Scratching his arm, it seems he’s more shamed by the Whitewood Elves. He mentioned servitude for a couple hundred years. For us Humans, 100 years is too long, but for Elf Years, it feels like a year has passed. But if he’s a couple thousand years old, he could be around his mid-twenties in Human years, but what was that about the branding though?

Perhaps I will honor my word of getting him a new suit, and buy that suit off. And to apologize for my slightly, no, racist comment of just calling him a Dark Elf. And Elves are known to be behind the times, so I doubt they actually saw Dragon-Folk before, or at least for the Elves around here.

“How much is that suit?”

The offer caught him surprised, baffled and bewildered by her question. He doesn’t know how to respond to an offer, especially from a powerful female Drake. “What?”

“I’m asking, because I’m still gonna honor my end of the agreement. And I honestly feel bad by calling you just a Dark Elf and all, and for puking on you. So let’s by-gones be by-gones. Can we agree to it?”

Offering her hand with a warm soft smile that could light up the silent night. There is this healthy glow between the two, before succumbing to the deal by shaking her hand. Her grip is surprisingly hard for such a delicate body she has but as an Adventurer, he did expect her to be in top shape in order to fight off monsters and do some hard labour work and to travel around the nation, so it should be normal to have a strong grip.

Her on the literal other hand, his hand shake is quite soft and dainty, fragile. Dark Elves are known to have more of an overwhelming physical prowess than White Elves as they’re more of the intellects, but this one is quite odd even for Elf standards. Didn’t want to grip too hard but it would be insulting to a Dark Elf to not mean a promise without giving out full strength, thus a strong grip is the only thing she could give him as of right now.

After letting go, they take a step backwards.

“So how about you show me around town, Malakai? I’m sure that the carriage ride or horses at Whitewood Forest gotta cost me money and all, so I might do some odd jobs around here if they’re giving out quests.”

Not fully accepted as an Adventurer, but I can be a faux one till I get home and continue my life as a maid of the Haberdashery. Besides…

Flicks the ID tag before stuffing it inside of her pocket.

It does come with perks.

“I guess I could walk around the town, and maybe head straight to the Guild Hall, to see what kind of jobs are available.”

“Then we’ll be on our way towards the Guild Hall!”

Snaps his finger to create a violin to play some fun music to lighten up the air, looking at the farmhouse.

“Sorry, Adrian! Sorry Bianca! I’ll be escorting Miss… um… What is your name, female Drake?” She quickly introduces herself before Malakai continues on, “Ms. Luna Black. I’ll be escorting her, but is she good with her room and board, right?!”

The young girl, the daughter of the Greenes goes up to the window to answer, “No. Her chest box only covers for one night.”

“Bullshit!” She angrily yelled at the daughter, “That chest could cover at least three days of stay! So either get that right, or else I’ll come up there and spank your ass with any belt or boot that I come across first!”

“Ooo! I’m so scared!”

“So scared…?!” She carefully took off her boot, hopping on one foot, “I’ll give you something to be scared off!”

Throws her boot towards the Greenes where they clearly moved aside to avoid the clear sign of assault, then her glove activated to call back the boot, and it did hit someone. That someone is the boot’s owner, Luna, smacking her face to send her flying back onto the mud itself.

The little girl starts laughing, mocking her for getting her boot instead of getting it herself.

Slowly raising her face from the muddy roads, standing up to angrily stare at Greene's daughter, “That’s it! Your ass is mine!”

She aggressively pulls the belt off from Malakai’s pants then about to run up to the door before he holds her back, forcefully pulls her away from the farmhouse while she’s shouting out such crude obscurities and angrily whipping the belt around like a deranged lunatic.

“…and I’m not coming back to your crappy farmhouse! I’ll actually go back to the cave and eat Giant Rats like a goblin!”

“Alright, alright, Lady Luna! No time to think like that, and let’s enjoy the sightseeing!”

After pulling her away from the Greene’s Farmhouse, they’re off to enjoy the sights of Plague Town. Even the survivor of the White Dragon attack is still looking forward to what this pitiful town can offer. Literally, anything is far better than that God forsaken farmhouse. But why, why does Malakai still think that she’s a Drake? Oh well, maybe he’ll explain it later on throughout their sightseeing.