Holy fucking Christ all mighty!!! I'm actually flying with a gargoyle!!!
It doesn't take Sanguis long to reach the end of the sector. We land as graceful as a swan in front of the inn and he walks in still carrying me... "Put me down."
"Why?" He asks as if this was supposed to be natural. As he enters he turns back into his goblin champion form and grows a few inches in height. "Wouldn't it be better if you stayed up here where no one can hurt you while your here?"
Fuck. He has a point. "... You just want to hold me don't you?"
"That too."
I feel my throat rumble in annoyance. He stops in his tracks and sets me down finally. I look around the inn and see Rolba and his wife, Starling, 'talking' to a hobgoblin that wouldn't stop barking at them for a while. Sanguis approaches them and shoves the hobgoblin out of the way.
"Tessa has return for you and brother Toba."
"Tessa returns?" Rolba says as he looks back to me with a confused look. "Why?"
"What reason brought you back? I though guards found you as criminal and make you prisoner." Snarks his wife.
"I said I'm not a criminal." I tell them.
"Obviously not." Rolba glares at her. "You have been made house goblin then?"
"No. Not really." I tell him. "It's a weird story but I'll have to tell you guys later. I wanted to know if you guys were okay coming by to the noble home at the end of the wall. I have my lessons ready to teach you guys but I also want to make sure you can understand how it works."
"You came back to teach!?"
"Well duh! I'm not gonna go back on my word just cuz I got money now. I'm not a human." Not anymore anyway.
"So we must come to you for lessons from now on?"
"Oh no. No. Nothing like that. I'll come to you and teach you to make it easier on everyone. But first I need to get some things settle at the estate that supposedly wants to adopt me. Anyway if you come with us now, I'll show you how you can learn and see if you're okay with this method."
"... Alright. Should we go now?"
"I'll send Sanguis back to you when I'm ready for you guys."
"Done. Rolba tell Toba soon."
"Alright! Okay let's go back, Sanguis."
Sanguis picks me up on his shoulder again and we leave. Ah~ that feels good to hold a promise. Thanks to it I know I can make friends here at least.
[Detection] activated: hostile energy detected.
Magic detected: defence to magic not efficient enough to dispel. Avoidance recommended.
Uh oh. I jump off of Sanguis's shoulder the moment we start to fly off away from the alley and I fall and watch a shot of light slip past his back. He turns to find me falling to the ground and dives to catch me.
[Detection] activated: hostile energy detected.
Magic detected: defence to magic not efficient enough to dispel. Avoidance recommended.
Again!? The moment Sanguis catches me I jump off again and shoved him out of the way. The shot of light fires between us and I landed on a carriage terrified of what was trying to kill us.
[Detection] activated: hostile energy detected.
Magic detected: defence to magic not efficient enough to dispel. Avoidance recommended.
Correction: what was trying to kill me!
"Whoa!! What the hell!? What I do!!?" I shout as I dodge another shot. "Stop hiding like a maggot and come out already!"
"Silence, you ugly disgusting green demon wort!!" A familiar and already annoying voice calls out. It was the noble blue mage from the guild.
Are you serious? Either she has really good magic or the guards are way too relaxed about their jobs.
She fires more at me and I dodge each one. Kind of dancing as I do so. At some point I start stepping closer to her. "Stop moving and become fuel for my power like the others obediently, lower life!" She fires a bigger blast.
[Detection] activated: hostile energy detected.
Magic detected: defence to magic not efficient enough to dispel.
Warning: magic range too large for avoidance. Suggesting alternative: skill [HOWL] recommended.
Howl? I have skills!? I decide to take the advice and take as deep a breath I could take in and shout at the top of my lungs. A bark kind of sound roars out of my throat and echoes through the town like I was in a tunnel. The large blast dispersed like a firecracker from the air pressure and vanishes. Holy cow! I gotta voice!! I look to the noble blue mage who is now tumbled over on her butt and an air blasted mess. She was clutching her new little wand in her hand which was now snapped into pieces.
"Wha.... W-wh-what...?" She was now struggling to say words.
"You done?" I ask her with my hands on my hips. Man that shout felt good!
She panics and struggles to crawl away when Sanguis drops to the ground before her and scares her back to me. The guards rush to us and sees her a mess and us keeping her in place. "Good work you two." The guards say to us. "Sorry for the trouble. We didn't think she would have a spare wand up her sleeve. We were being careless." They cuff her and carry her away. While one of them stay behind to speak to us. "That was one hell of a roar though. For a moment we thought an actual dragon was coming."
"Eh heh... My bad." I say. Now I'm a bit embarrassed. "Sanguis let's hurry back."
"On it." He picks me up yet again, princess style, god why!? and off we go.
Back at the manner, we finally make it and see a few more people gathering at the front. I hurry inside to find Vanessa looking through the clothes we got for me.
"There you are!" She says excited. "Your just in time. Come on. Let's get you changed."
"Wait a minute! What's going on!?"
"Papa said we should just do your ceremony now. Isn't that exciting!?"
"What!? Right now!! Like right this moment!? What happened to it being in a few days!?"
"Apparently no one could wait since master Halliway never stopped talking about you and your... Voice." Says Christa.
"... Your kidding me. I have to sing in front of all of those people?"
"Isn't this fantastic!!?" Says Vanessa.
"No!" I retort. "What the hell am I supposed to be singing to all of those people!? I'm not singing that same song twice! And most of those songs in that book are for big groups to sing!"
"What about the songs from your old memories?"
"Uh...!?" Fuck I did tell them that I was from another world. "Hm~... Argh. I can't. That's just too big a crowd. I'm not used to having an audience that big."
"Oh you'll be fine!! Christa and I will be right next to you! We simply must show off the new talent in the family!"
"F-family!?" Dammit!! The butter up word!!
They somehow get me to change into something semi-feminine formal; a white frilled lace shirt with big sleeves, a set of dark brown knee high pants that fit like jeggings, and a simple set of khaki platform shoes. Honestly, I don't think I have ever looked more androgynous in anything. The heck happened to the shorts I picked out?
We are now entering the foyer where the people from outside where now sitting at tables and standing along the walls like an office party. The farthest three tables had a family to the left, where I recognized the mage from the Hero party, the albino party on the right, I was told later were called High bloods, and Mr. Halliway sitting with a woman I have yet to meet at the center, talking happily to her with what looked like a mild blush on his face. I take it that's mama he's talking to.
"Mother!" Calls Vanessa to the center. Called it. "Welcome back!"
"Hello, my dear!" The woman replies just as excited. I see where she gets the enthusiasm from. "Oh~ I missed my sweet baby! Is this the new face that will be in the house?" She says looking to me with a soft smile that made even me blush.
"It is, mother." Mr. Halliway says to her. What is with all the happy faces. Jeez. "Tessa! Come introduce yourself to my wife, Terissa."
"Hello, ma'am. It's nice to finally meet you." I tell her with a bow, trying to be a little feminine about my greeting.
"Oh my! How sweet are you!?" Oh god, another goblin manic. "So you are indeed a woman I was told. It's so rare to fine girl goblins around here. I'm so happy to see you. And I feel honored to have you become a part of the family house."
"T-thank you." I don't know what to say to this woman. This over the top friendliness is a bit to take it. "It's quite the honor to even be here."
"Come! Come sit by me and Vanessa sit by your father, dear."
"Yes, mother." Vanessa giggles and takes her place letting me take a seat by Mrs. Halliway.
I look out to the room and see the people before me. As I scan the room I see an empty table get filled with a few familiar faces, Sanguis, Toba, and Rolba, along with a few new goblin faces. The place was pact now with every race I could think of. Goblins, elves, dwarves, humans, demihumans, humanoids... I'm sorry if this will sound rude but it was like a zoo in here.
Toba waves at me like we were old friends from across the room and Rolba makes him stop as he looks to me nervous. I gave him a reassuring smile and watch him relax a bit. Once the doors closed, the room fell silent and Mr. Halliway stands to speak.