Caroline and a few of the other nuns were busy skinning and preparing the Darkthorn so I took it the time to clean myself, Shikishima was a poor village so no one could afford to have their own baths like back home.

 

In stead there was a giant body of water akin to hot springs that everyone used, normally all the nuns would bathe together but they all had their hands full either cooking or watching the children.  So I had the entire thing to myself.

 

I looked like a corpse and smelt even worse I had dirt covering my body, my face and in between my toes; I removed my rags and looked at myself. With everything that had transpired since awakening here, I hadn’t had time to ponder on it, but I was a woman.

 

I squeezed my breasts. It felt like a decade or more since I had felt a pair of them; they were firm yet supple.  I stopped myself from going too far and made my way into the bath.  The water was warm and felt wonderful against my bruised skin.

 

I sunk into the water with a sigh it was the first I’d been able to just sit and relax even back on earth I never had the chance, my days was tantamount to putting out infinitely multiplying fires I’d solve one problem for ten more to pop up.

 

I closed my eyes and focused on the sensations radiating throughout my body; I felt calm and at ease, I could drift away if I let myself.  “if you sleep in the bath, you’ll drown.” a voice jolted me back into alertness.

 

Shinobu was standing at the edge of the bath clad in a white towel my eyes traced her frame she was smiling at me, I had grown to depend on this girl, who would have thought my first friend would be a nun.

 

“Hey Shinobu.”

“Hiya Mari, nothing like a bath after a hard day’s work, huh?”

“Yeah, you’re right there.”

 

 

Shinobu unraveled the towel and stretched I felt my heart race inside of my chest. Her body was petite, her skin was milky, her breasts were sizable with small nipples like strawberries atop mountains of pure white creme.

 

My gaze lingered as she made her way into the water and sat down next to me. The silence grew thicker, and Shinobu was the first to break it.  

 

“We’ve been through a lot these past few days.”  Shinobu said.

“You can say that again, I’m worn out.”

“I’m glad you know.”

“About what,” I said.

                             “About discovering a girl alone in the forest, in need of help.”

                             “A girl getting her limbs torn apart, what a wonderful scene.”

                              “Your words, not mine.”

 

I still had a myriad of questions to pose to Shinobu but I didn’t want to exert myself, I came here to relax and Shinobu did the same, not to be subjected to the whims of my insatiable curiosity.  

 

“Hey Mari, what did you do before we found you?”

“Nothing much, nothing at all really.”

“Liar”.

 

Shinobu winked at me prompting my heart to dance inside of my chest, There’s nothing to lose by telling her the truth she’ll just shake it off as a joke and or an embellishment.  “Fine, I’ll tell you.”

 

“I was dirt on the boot of life, I did nothing of worth and brought no value into the world.  All I left behind was a life of poor decisions and a mountain of regrets”

 

“There must be something you’re proud of.”

“Something to be proud off, huh?”

“I’ll get back to you on that one.”

“Take your time, Mari.”

 

 

Shinobu moved closer to me and rested her head on my shoulder, “it doesn’t matter Mari.” I turned my head to look at Shinobu. She

+ had moved her head and was grinning at me playfully.  I smiled back without thinking about it, like it was a reflex.

 

“Who you were, what you did, all of it is dog shit now.”

“Dog shit?”

“Do you think dog shit matters at all to anyone?”

“No, I guess it doesn’t.”

 

“Then that’s how I feel about your past, I don’t give a damn, it doesn’t matter to me who you where, to me you’re just Mari the girl who took down a Darkthorn like it was nothing, the girl who allowed her arm to be ground to bloody pulp just so the village could eat. That’s who you are.”

 

 

I pondered if the goddess spawned me near that forest on purpose, was me meeting Shinobu a chance encounter or was it predetermined from the very beginning?  Every RPG has a tutorial stage, where you learn the ropes of the game’s mechanics before the true adventure begins.  

 

Then again, she took pity on me and reincarnate me, so maybe this was her way of helping me out post reincarnation.  Regardless, i was growing rather attached to Shinobu.

 

“I’m plenty clean so I’m going to get out now, you take your time, Mari.”

 

 Shinobu slowly rose out of the water, wrapped a towel around herself and waved before leaving me alone with my thoughts.  My body was burning up while my mind was racing a million miles a minute.

 

I figured I’d soaked enough, so I left the bath and reached for my towel to realize that I had never brought one with me. Well, that’s just swell, looks like I’m drip drying. I crept back to my room naked, doing my utter best to prevent being seen by anyone other than Shinobu.