Fanfic (Azarinth Healer)

Chapter 11 - Home

Picking a place for a new home was... difficult. I didn't want to be bothered by strangers or monsters. I'd prefer somewhere naturally cold, but I also needed someone to build the dang thing.

Making choices is hard, I should go back to training... No. Bad girl. No training on vacation. I sighed. This was going to be tough.

I flew south of Stormbreach towards some mountains that were pretty isolated. I could probably carve a home from solid stone, and if it's high enough up I could also add ice into the mix. I found a nice spot on a mountain I double checked had no one already claiming it.

It was towards the summit above the part where things got a bit icy. I whipped out the void creation and nimbly carved out a base like I was playing minecraft. The reminder of my old life and the associated loss was swept away by very intense focus on getting the cavern shaped just right.

A large two story entrance room was open to the second floor by a balcony. I carved a window and made the pane from ice. It was translucent but not clear like glass. I carved a dining room on the first floor with a kitchen next to it and pantry shaped area. The second floor was a master bedroom with walk in closet, a bathroom, and a second bedroom and bathroom. Also a storage room on both floors.

The bathrooms were for a vanity and bath since there was no plumbing. I set up my teleportation anchor on the main floor. I began coating the walls and counter tops with ice that I shaped into hard furniture. I also formed a railing to keep people from falling off the second floor walkway into the main room.

So shopping. I needed a bed, some couches, mirrors, some doors and door frames. All stuff I couldn't make out of ice or carved stone, at least not with my skills. Maybe some wall art to liven up the place. I also carved some tiny bits of ventilation. I could live off of very little air not no air.

Wait there is a skill for that? Um at least this message was less snarky and more supportive than the others. It made me feel a little extra proud. I decided to fly to Ravenhall because that was the fanciest place I'd been and they were sure to have good furniture.

My flight to Ravenhall involved seeing a number of demons which only got more out of hand as I got closer. I avoided them with flight and rifts but I arrived to find the city more or less destroyed. Rather than stick around an fight the demons I headed north to find a bigger settlement with some craftsman.

Morhil looked almost as bad as Ravenhall. I continued north. My frost sight had been getting good enough I could spot people from the sky with decent clarity. I saw three people being chased by a ground dwelling demon and while I can ignore a settlement with no one left in it, I couldn't watch people actively die like this. I opened a rift and the demon fell in front of me as a blade of void magic bisected it. the two halves of the defeated demon fell from the sky.

I toned my aura down and rifted down near them. "Hey are you folks alright?"

The three of them a woman a teenaged boy and the young girl she had been carrying were startled to see me instead of the demon following them.

The woman answered, "We are now, I assume you got rid of that demon?"

"Yea, I uh was flying overhead and saw you needed help." I sheepishly said still floating in midair.

The boy asked me out of the blue with a bit of hostility. "Are you a shadow?"

"Um no I'm Raven. Do you all know why there are so many demons and several destroyed settlements down south?"

The woman spoke up. "From what those fleeing ravenhall said, a shadow summoned the demons. They attacked our farmstead and we had to flee."

"Really? Wow. Do you guys need an escort to safety?" I offered the assumed family.

"Please" The woman looked hopeful.

"Consider it done." I assured her. "It doesn't look like you all got to pack before you left. I can take you back home so you can grab your things if you want."

The woman and teen went wide eyed at the offer and hesitantly accepted. I got us back to their place with two rifts and had to slay two low level demons hanging around. They collected their things and I escorted them north.

She said Harptown was the nearest city and pointed me where to rift them. With my ever increasing mana reserves I got us there within 30 minutes and dozens of rifts. I felt bad that they had so little left even after taking their things, so I reached into my stash, that I finally counted 678 gold, and gave them a gold and a dozen silver.

With my good deed for the day accomplished I looked around town for shops. The place seemed to be reeling from frequent demon attacks and had a large occupational force from the kingdom of Kroll. The only good part about the occupation was that no one was paying me any attention. I decided to ask for directions to a bigger city and headed to the capital of the kingdom for my shopping.

So the capital was a bit much. A whole lot of people, big crowds. My anxiety was only managed by the knowledge that I could be back at me new home in less than a second. People were also really rude in the big city. It made getting directions tough.

Night fell not long after I began my search for a furniture store. With everything closed I decided to stay at an inn. It was probably for the best, since I got the opportunity to ask the server where a furniture store is.

The only downside to my evolutions was I didn't get sleepy as fast, with nothing to do I was left to my thoughts. I curled up in the bed. Once upon a time I'd been a nobody with little direction in life. I had some good friends, and a family that was alright. I didn't miss my family as much as I thought I would, Though I did miss them. It was my friends that really hit hard. They meant so much to me that it hurt that I couldn't see them again. I was sobbing.

I was alone now. I knew the names of less than a handful of people in this world. I was just some overpowered nobody who lucked out finding a bunch of money. I didn't like socializing but I wanted company. I wanted to hold someone.

Part of why I threw myself into leveling was the thrill of getting stronger, but that wasn't where the obsession came from. I was hiding from my feelings, from the loneliness and loss. It made me feel like I had a purpose.

I-I couldn't take these thoughts anymore and dipped into a habit I hadn't done in a long while. I made a blade of ice and cut my wrist. My pain reduction and ice resistance made it barely feelable, and my regeneration got rid of the cut almost instantly. It didn't work anymore, there was no release, not enough pain to draw my thoughts away.

I needed something else. There were a lot of brothels in the city, maybe I could try... no I didn't really want to do that. The company would be nice though. I think I'd read stuff about people like that online once upon a time. People that just paid sex workers for cuddles. I started looking with scouting rifts.

I found a sizable place. My ability to see through walls backfired. This world probably didn't have bleach for my eyes. I teleported in front of the place, turned off my void sight, took a deep breath or five, and walked in.

I was really uncomfortable with being here and the lady running the place noticed that. She was nice but in a business savvy sense, maybe a little bit of genuine pity mixed in. Some men and women were brought out. I pointed to a taller red-headed woman who gave off good vibes and paid a bunch of silver to the lady running the place.

We headed into a private-ish room. If I could see through the walls was it truly private? I couldn't hear anything so they might have magic for that, the walls weren't thick enough to block all sound. She spoke up in a sultry voice. "So how can I help you my dear?"

Shit the pretty woman was talking to me. I had trouble using my mouth to speak so I resorted to telepathy. Um c-can uh we just like cuddle if that's... okay?

She was taken a back for a moment before a warm smile found its way on to her face. "Of course we can hon." She got on the bed and patted a spot next to her. I sent my boots into storage and teleported next to her. That got a little yelp that turned into a giggle from her. I was hesitant at first but slowly melted into her as I was held.

I'd gained a preference for being cold but her warmth was nice in a way normal warmth was not. I just focused on her warmth, it felt nice. I felt a tear find its way down my cheek. She began stroking my hair, and humming some song from this world. I fell asleep in her arms.

She woke me up at some point. "Hey hon, your times almost up." I groaned and then I realized she was still holding me. "You're pretty cute when your sleeping you know that?" I blushed.

Is it um close to morning? I asked. "Unfortunately the sun won't be up for a few more hours." I pouted. C-Can I pay to uh spend the rest of the night here?

"You can but this isn't an inn. It'll cost a lot for a full night." It sounded like she was concerned for my finances.

I have coin. M-More than enough. I can um definitely afford it. I got out a gold. Can this cover the rest of the night?

"Oh hon that's way more than you need."

W-Well you can uh have the change. I worked for tips, there was no way I wasn't leaving the nice lady a good tip. I assumed that people tipped sex workers. She looked like she was going to argue then changed her mind and took the coin down to her boss to tell her I wanted the full night. I got anxious that she wasn't coming back, but before my mind spiraled too far down that path she entered the room again. We continued cuddling but lying down. I was the little spoon.

Eventually morning came and our time together came to an end. Can I uh get your name? You know in case I'm like in the city again sometime, and want to ask for you.

"Only if I can get yours too cutie." I blushed.

I decided to say this part with my actual voice. "I'm Raven."

"What a pretty name. I'm Janette." She gave me a peck on the cheek.

She brought me downstairs and I left for a day of shopping. My mind was battling between her actually liking me and her just doing a good job pretending to like me for money. I knew that at least part of it was her doing a job, but I wanted to believe there was more too it.

Shopping. I skipped going to the inn and eating to dive straight into getting furniture. I bought the biggest comfiest bed available, a large sofa that I'd never have guests to sit on, and some big plushy area rugs to make the floor comfier to walk on. The people in the store were a bit shocked when the furniture disappeared into my storage. I was definitely gaining levels in that skill from all the shopping. Luckily I had my necklace for when my skill hit its current limits.

The mirrors were found in a glass shop, along with a big window for the front room. I had to get more flameless torches so I didn't have to rely on my void sight to navigate the place. I eventually visited a carpenter to get doors. I needed something extra heavy duty for the front, and I made sure that they were suitable for being locked into place with ice. Oh and I almost forgot to get two bathtubs. I was down nearly 50 gold by the end of it all. Probably the biggest loss to my stash of gold since I got it.

I wracked my brain for more stuff but I was drawing up blanks. So I teleported home and started leveling my interior design skill. Since I was alone, my shroud got to be turned both on and down to a level I couldn't do near other people, for their safety.

I gained a few levels in my interior design and most of my ice magic skills just putting everything in place with my ice manipulation. The torches were nice but the big two story living room could really use a big hanging light. With it all said and done I flopped down on my new huge bed and laid there for a bit.

So what's next?