“Ugh, I didn’t want to do this,” Elsie grumbled, stepping out from behind me. Was she going to magically create money or something? Shouldn’t that be illegal?

The woman’s eyes narrowed as she seemingly began to suspect that we didn’t have money.

Once again, Elsie used the strange magic skill to speak in both Xamxa and English at once as she announced, “‘tis I, Elsie Lee, creator of this world. Heed my servant’s request or you shall incur the wrath of the gods.”

...

The inn door slammed shut behind us, and the lizard woman yelled something I didn’t understand. Well, at least we gave it a try.

“Really Elsie? You really thought that would work?”

“I bet it would have worked for Carter. Just ‘cause he visits more often he gets all the cool abilities. Why can’t people worship me for once?” she whined.

My stomach let out a growl and I was reminded of how long it had been since we ate. I start walking in a random direction. “Well if no one is going to devote themselves to you, we need to get money. Maybe if we just work for food and board they’ll hire us tonight. It’s unlikely, but I am starving.”

“You feel hunger?”

“...you don’t?”

“I already told you, my body doesn’t grow here. I can eat, but it doesn’t do anything, just goes straight through me. That’s why I eat as much sugar as I can when I am here!”

“So since I feel hungry…?”

“The world thinks you’re part of it? You can age here? I don’t know.”

Damn. I wished I could be a semi-god like her and her brother. It would be so much more convenient if I didn’t feel hunger here. “Are there any downsides?”

“Erm… wounds. Carter said it can be good since I can’t get an infection but it also is kinda bad that they don’t heal until I go home.” She pulled down the bandaid I put on her finger at Arantia’s. It was a tiny prick that should have vanished within the past few hours, but there was still a drop of red.

Ok so, maybe not the best power if she couldn’t heal anything. “Tell me if you get even a tiny injury and I will bandage it up. You are not allowed to get hurt until we get you home safe, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, look it’s a restaurant,” she told me, pulling my mind away from our conversation. We had been walking for a good bit of time and appeared at a short but wide building with murals depicting people eating, drinking, and dancing.

Once inside, we were greeted by another lizard woman who said something in Xamxa. I looked at Elsie.

“She just said hi,” Elsie whispered. I nodded.

“Hi, we were wondering if you were hiring. We have no money for food and were wondering if we could assist you in exchange for room and board?” I said, my mind thinking up the English as my mouth spat out Xamxa.

She looked between us, her eyes lingering on Elsie in pity. She rapidly talked to me in Xamxa, but she seemed to realize that I didn’t understand her after some time.

“Sorry, I do not understand Xamxa. I speak with a translator spell,” I explained. “Elsie here can translate for me, however.”

She nodded and turned to Elsie, speaking much more slowly. Elsie nodded and looked at me, “she says that she can give us some food for tonight and we can sleep here, but she doesn’t have the money to hire anyone extra right now. Also, we have to sleep at a table because they have nothing else, but at least we will be inside.”

“That is okay,” I addressed the woman. “We will be leaving this town shortly. We are looking for her brother, and we just stopped to gather information here and spend the night. I am deeply grateful for your hospitality.”

She smiled and pointed at herself. “Zaria,” she said, before pointing at me with a questioning look.

“Hi Zaria, I am Anna and this is Elsie.”

Zaria tried out our names before leading us to an empty table. She returned with what seemed to be something like a purple vegetable soup with noodles, which was a bit weird but tasted good. Once I finished, with Elsie snuggled up against me, I put my arms and head on the table and drifted to sleep.

[Babysitter class obtained!]

[Babysitter level 4!]

[Skill obtained—Bandaging Owchies!]

[Skill obtained—Finding Shelter!]

[Skill obtained—Finding Food!]

[Aura obtained—Calming Presence!]

[Negotiator class obtained!]

[Negotiator level 2!]

[Skill obtained—Basic Translation: Xamxa!]

[Skill obtained—It’s for the Children!]

...hol up what the duck?