Gwen

 

After Brian left, I sat on my bed and pondered a bit. Something was clearly bothering him, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. He looked so unsettled when I was explaining things to him...was his declaration of support a lie? Or was it something else?

Well, no way of knowing just yet. All I could do is keep treating him as he was: my best friend. We'd been through a lot together, I knew he'd understand eventually. Honestly, his reaction was better than I had imagined. I'd thought about telling him for years, but the timing never felt right.

I shook my head. Enough about Brian, there is so much more to think about. Ellya...the fluxbeast...magic! Alchemy! A way to achieve the body I want! My mind reeled with the possibilities. I wanted to know everything, see everything! I scanned the room and saw the tablets lined up on the bookshelf.

Picking one up, I tried to figure out how to activate it. The surface was dark, with that glossy sheen you see in obsidian shards. Or an LCD screen, I suppose. There were symbols carved into the back of the tablet, arranged into circles and arrays that connected in some arcane fashion. I tried tapping the front to see if maybe it was activated by touch. Nothing happened.

"Uggh, I wish Ellya had told me how to use these things!" I fell back onto my bed with a sigh of frustration. I stared up at the ceiling, wondering what to do with my time. The question became moot when a hole in the ceiling opened up and the little spider from before waved to me.

I sat up as she descended on a silken thread and hopped on my shoulder. She tapped my face gently and then scurried over to the tablet in my hand, pointing to the spine. I tilted the tablet, noticing that what I had taken to be more symbols and circles was actually writing. The letters were beautiful, the whole script looking like some kind of art nouveau piece. As I stared, the letters shimmered and their meaning filtered into my mind.

"Kindness in Chaos: The Teachings of Teara"

"Well, at least I know what the book is about now. But how do I read it?" I looked over to my little friend.

In response, she skittered down my arm and tapped the title, her limb glowing softly. The front of the tablet lit up and more of that unfamiliar script appeared. She tapped on the side of the tablet, the left side, and the image changed to the next page. The writing was arranged in a familiar pattern and I compared the two pages, flipping back and forth, to make sure that it read right to left as I assumed. That wouldn't take much getting used to, I'd read plenty of works that used the same format.

"Thank you, little sister! Um, I don't know if I can make my hand glow like you did, will I be able to turn it off when I'm done?"

The spider tapped her head in a very human gesture and then motioned towards my hand and then at the title. Following her lead, I tapped it just as she had and was startled to find that the process was automatic: the surface of the tablet went blank as my own hand glowed with a soft, cyan light. I tapped the title a few times, watching the page I'd left off on shimmer into existence and then fade again.

I giggled and felt a bit silly; a child with a new toy to play with. My little spider friend bounced and danced with joy. I held my hand over her hesitantly and asked. "Is it okay if I pat you? I don't want to hurt you, but I wanted to say thanks."

She reached up with her front limbs and grabbed my finger, guiding it to just above her eyes and wiggling with delight when I scratched gently. Her carapace was smooth and black, decorated with swirling lines of blue and gold. The pattern was geometric, more straight lines and angles than organic curves as I would have expected. I paused for a moment and wondered if maybe they were something like tattoos. Chosen, rather than being an innate part of her body. I'd have to ask Ellya.

"Thank you, little sister. You've been so helpful to me, I wish I could do something for you."

She wiggled and waved her forelimbs again, with the subtle glow of magic tracing designs in the air. My eyes widened as I realized she was writing.

"You are most welcome, Gwen! A friend of my big sister is a friend of mine and friends help each other. It's no trouble at all!" she signed gracefully and I watched the words linger in the air until I was done reading them, and then they faded slowly.

"That's amazing, I had no idea you could communicate like that. What's your name?"

"I'm ****." She noticed my confusion as the words refused to translate and then she wrote some more. "Ah, I guess that's not a concept that conveys well through the translation spell. How about...Melody?"

"Oh, that's a pretty name! It's nice to meet you, Melody!" I scratched her carapace a little more and she closed her eyes slowly and leaned into it, like a cat.

"And I'm happy to meet you, Gwen!" She gestured over to the tablet. "You've picked a good book to start with, that's one of my favorites. Mind if I read along with you?"

I smiled. "That sounds fun, let me know if I go too fast or too slow."

The tablet shimmered and I began to read.

 

****

 

Some time later, I turned the tablet off with a satisfied sigh, thinking about what I had read. Learning about Teara, the goddess of chaos, was fascinating. Melody had helped me through some of the sections, as they assumed the reader knew Tellaran history.

I looked at Melody. "So Teara is the reason that Ellya is so accepting of me as a trans woman? Well, apart from her being trans as well."

"Partly! Like Big Sis says, people like her are common enough here. There have been times and places where things were bad, but those are ancient history." Melody hesitated, patting my hand gently before continuing to write. "Big Sis told us a little about what she knows of your world. It doesn't sound like things were easy for you. But never fear, you are welcome in this home. We're all so happy to have you here."

I smiled. "Thank you, that really means a lot." I paused and thought for a moment. "Wait, how many people live here?"

"Well, there is Big Sis Ellya, myself, and my other sisters: Aria and Lyric. Not many for an enclave like this, but we all prefer the quiet compared to life in the big city."

I nodded and then winced. "Sorry for disturbing your peace."

She did a little dance I was learning to recognize as 'no' before writing. "It's quite alright. Things do get a little dull around here, so having you and Brian has been a delight." She paused and wrote much slower, considering her words. "Aria has been watching over Brian and she's worried about him. He seems..." She paused. "Troubled."

I looked down, fiddling with my dress. "I'm worried about him, too. We've been friends for a long time, but before coming here, we hadn't spoken in a while. I think being here is just a lot for him to take in. He was pretty exhausted when we went through the portal, too."

"Big Sis has talked about taking you two to the city, yes?"

I nodded.

"That is exciting, but if what you say is true, maybe it might be good to delay a bit, give Brian time to adjust." She hopped and pointed at me directly before continuing. "You seem to be doing very well here, at least from what I see."

I laughed. "Between the two of us, I've always been the one who dives headfirst into new things. The anchor and the ship, that's what Ms. Lavender used to say. Brian is my anchor and I'm the ship that takes us places." I looked away and thought back to all the hijinks we used to get up to. It was nice being around him again. I hadn't realized just how much I'd missed our friendship.

"I'm glad. Having two otherworlders show up at once is so exciting. There hasn't been a report of anyone showing up in decades. All of us are hoping to make things as pleasant as possible. It wouldn't do to treat guests poorly!" Melody crossed her forelimbs and nodded solemnly.

I couldn't help but giggle at the sight. She was incredibly cute. "You know, Melody, if you'd told me back on Earth that I'd be having a wonderful conversation with a spider,  I would never have believed it. I'm glad to have met you."

"Likewise, Gwen!" She stopped as a soft chime rang through the room. "Oh cobwebs, I forgot about dinner. It's Ellya's turn, but her cooking is terrible and I was going to check on it." The little spider leapt from my hand into the air and shot a strand of web to the ceiling to pull herself up.

"Wait! Can I come with you? I like cooking and would love to help."

Melody paused and then wrote back. "Yes, please! The kitchen is just down the hall, I'll meet you there." With that, she zoomed away and the hole in the ceiling closed without a trace.

I looked down at the beautiful dress I was wearing. Not the best attire for cooking in. Rummaging around the other clothes left behind earlier, I grabbed a simple long, black skirt and a matching blouse and dressed quickly. I shivered in fear for a moment before reminding myself that it was okay to wear these things here. The feeling that someone would burst into the room at any moment to yell at me...that would take longer to go away. Years of pain don't vanish the instant you are safe.

I checked my reflection in the mirror and smiled at the woman looking back at me. A pity I didn't have any of my makeup with me...I'd have to ask Melody for some later. If Brian thought I was beautiful now, just wait until I got the chance to pull out all the stops. I could see his blushing face clearly. The mental image made me smile. He was rather cute when he was flustered. I wonder--

Huh, that was interesting. I hadn't thought about him that way in a long time. Not since we were kids and I was still figuring out my sexuality. Strange, I was pretty sure I was only into women. Ellya was definitely more my type than Brian was. I shrugged. No sense worrying about it, I didn't need to figure it out now.

I posed in front of the mirror briefly for that sweet sweet hit of euphoria before leaving the room and making my way to the kitchen.

 

****

 

I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. The kitchen was a wide, airy room with a familiar layout filled with unfamiliar devices. There was a stove with crystalline plates in place of burners, a large pot floating above one of them, filled with bubbling stew of some kind that smelled heavenly. The stove was set against the wall, with counter space to either side. The wall itself was filled with recesses covered with thin, transparent fields that shimmered with opalescent hues. The wall opposite the stove lacked these recesses, instead there was a waterfall flowing into a basin, with soft pastel purple vines framing it. I looked around for Melody and saw her dancing in front of a small, wood brick oven composed of sleek, black rock adorned with symbols of inlaid silver. There was no ash or logs that I could see, but the interior was full of flickering flames and a round loaf of bread baking away.

The loaf floated up and out of the oven before settling on the counter and Melody inspected it with agitated movements. I walked up next to her and looked at the bread. It was a little blackened around the edges.

Melody looked over at me and signed. "Big Sis always does this; she is terrible with baking. Thankfully I caught it in time, only a little burnt."

I breathed deeply, enjoying the smell of fresh bread. There was an unfamiliar scent mixed in, something I couldn't place. "It looks tasty, what kind of bread is it?"

"This is sharloaf! You'll find it all over the island, it's a local specialty." She stopped writing to gesture as blades of energy manifested and sliced the bread into neat, even pieces. Within the bread were orange chunks scattered throughout. "It's filled with pavo fruit. Try a piece!"

I took a small bite, making sure to get a piece of fruit in there as well. The bread was soft, fluffy, and sweet, like Hawaiian sweet rolls or Japanese milk bread. The fruit was sweet, salty, a bit like a blueberry. I took another couple bites and savored the delicious flavor. The charred edges here and there did nothing to diminish the taste...before I knew it I had eaten the entire slice.

"Good, isn't it? It looks like Big Sis was able to get things ready well enough. Let's check on the stew, it should be nearly done."

The stew was a rich, thick meat stew with potatoes and chunks of pavo fruit. The meat looked like pork, but a little different from what I was used to. Melody told me it was from a type of boar that lived in the area.

"Strange that you have potatoes here, too." I stirred the stew slowly as Melody levitated various spices over to adjust the flavor, tasting little globules that she floated into her mouth.

She did a little hop after a few tastes, satisfied. "From what I remember of the histories, the first few otherworlders who arrived here thought so too. Nobody is quite sure why, but I’ve heard alchemists have a theory that our worlds resonate on the aetheric plane in similar ways or something. Whatever the cause, it’s probably related to why we only seem to get otherworlders from your world."

I pondered that for a moment. "Ah, I see. Well, knowing that our worlds share much in common…that's rather comforting, in a way." A little orb of stew floated up and paused in front of my mouth. I leaned forward and ate it, letting it flow over my tongue. The stew was absolutely delicious, tasting even better than it smelled. A little chunk of meat melted in my mouth, soft from the low and slow cooking. The flavors of the sweet fruit melded with the savory meat. There were peppery notes with a hint of spice, but not enough to overpower anything.

"This is really good!" I looked over at Melody and she did a happy little dance.

"I thought you might like that. Big Sis did an adequate job, but she always forgets the spices to give it that extra bit of depth. We'll let that simmer away for a bit, the others should be joining us shortly."

A strange thought occurred to me and I hesitated before asking Melody. "I thought spiders were carnivorous...I also didn't know spiders could taste things like that."

"Spiders like my sisters and I have long worked side by side with our mage kin. Working with magic for so long changed us in many ways. Being able to enjoy all kinds of food in the same way that you do is one of those effects. A good thing too, Big Sis needs all the help she can get."

Fascinating. To think that magic could do that! Well, I guess it wasn't any stranger than Ellya's fantastical features or the fluxbeast.

As we chatted away, the doorway behind me chimed softly and opened to show a haggard Brian followed by Ellya. Another little spider rode on Ellya's shoulder, her carapace bright purple and covered in floral designs. Brian looked at me with tired, reddened eyes briefly before glancing away, rubbing at his arm nervously. Ellya put an arm around him in a comforting gesture as they made their way to the stove. 

He brightened up a little bit when he smelled the stew. His stomach rumbled loudly in response and he blushed when Ellya and I giggled over the sound. “I guess I’m hungrier than I thought.” He shrugged. 

Ellya patted his shoulder and then started fiddling with one of the recesses in the wall, pulling out bowls and a platter for the bread. She smiled while looking over her shoulder at me, as I continued to stir the stew. “I’m sure my little sister has been filling your head with tales of my cooking missteps, but don’t listen to her. I’m a perfectly passable chef!” 

I couldn’t help but laugh again as she put her hands on her hips and struck an indignant pose, all while still grabbing plates and cutlery with her extra limbs. Looking down at Melody, she wiggled conspiratorially as she signed her innocence. “Melody has had only the kindest words to share about you, Ellya. She’s a treasure. It’s rather fun to be able to talk to someone like her.” 

Brian looked up at me in confusion. “Who’s Melody?” 

The spider in question swung over to him in a graceful arc, as his eyes grew wide, before landing in front of him. “I’m Melody! Or rather, that’s probably the closest word you have for my actual name. It is a pleasure to meet you! My sisters have told me much about you!” She signed elegantly, punctuating her statement with little pink starbursts. 

He blinked slowly, looking at Melody and over at Ellya and I, then back to her. “Spiders…that can talk.” Frowning, he turned over to the other spider who was resting among the flowers and vines. “Why didn’t you say anything to me, Aria?” 

She flattened against the ground and waved her legs nervously, before signing slowly and carefully in much rougher script. “I struggle with writing,” She paused for a moment, jumping in a dance I couldn’t decipher. “It’s embarrassing.” 

Nodding along, Brian walked over and rubbed her carapace gently. “It’s okay…I know how that feels.” His eyes looked away, unfocusing as he pondered some memory. Speaking quietly, so much that I strained to hear, he leaned down to Aria. “Thank you, again, for looking out for me.”

Aria wiggled with delight and scrambled up his arm to rub up against his neck in a very catlike gesture of affection. Brian chuckled a bit, shivering with joy as he spoke. “Hey now, that tickles!” 

The little spider intensified her movements in response and Brian fell back against the counter, overcome with laughter. I was happy to see him acting like his old self again, the Brian I grew up with. We all laughed along with him and for a moment, he looked carefree, before his walls came back up and he composed himself. 

Just in time, as Ellya finished getting lunch ready and gesturing for us all to follow her. “It’s a beautiful day and I thought you two might appreciate eating out on the balcony.” One of the blank kitchen walls slid open to reveal a large dining area overlooking the sea. A gentle breeze tugged at my hair as we took our seats on plush cushions next to a low table. The balcony was enclosed with a transparent, low wall adorned with more vines and purple flowers. 

The wind carried the salty brine of the sea and the soft honeysuckle scent of the vines over as we enjoyed our meal. The sunlight drifted in through the clouds, painting the waters in dazzling designs as the waves slowly broke against the shore. In the distance, something vast surfaced for air for only a moment before slipping beneath the sea again. I caught a glimpse of bright green moss and smooth gray skin, with the hint of a massive eye before it vanished. 

Brian ignored all this in favor of devouring his stew and bread as if it was the first food he’d seen in weeks. Before I had even finished two bites of my own food, his bowl was empty and he sat back with a satisfied sigh, taking little nibbles of the sharloaf. He met my eyes for a moment before grimacing and looking away, rubbing the fabric of his shirt between his fingers with a nervous expression.

Ellya smiled, ignoring Brian’s gloomy demeanor, as she watched us eat, taking her time with her own food. The spiders had their own little bowls of stew and they wiggled merrily as they enjoyed the meal. 

I ate slowly, admiring the scenery and savoring every bite. Taking advantage of the pauses here and there, I turned to Ellya. “Melody mentioned another spider, Lyric, earlier. Where is she?” 

The spider mage tapped her chin thoughtfully. “She's a bit shy. One of the reasons we live out here is because the hustle and bustle of the city stressed her out.” Ellya paused and waved her hands. “Not that she forced us to or anything! I like it out here, as do the others. But it was nice to find a place where she could be comfortable too. Lyric is a builder, an exceptionally skilled one. She actually designed this place, in fact.” She looked up at the shimmering spire above, glowing in the midday sun. “The others and I added our own little touches, but this place is hers through and through. 

So, to answer your question: Lyric is working on a vessel to transport the fluxbeast. She sends her regards and hopes you won’t mind if she takes some time to muster up the courage to greet you both face to face.” 

“I know what that’s like, it’s okay. She can take all the time she needs,” Brian muttered quietly while picking away at his bread. He frowned slightly and glanced over at Ellya, not meeting her eyes as he spoke. “I’ve been meaning to ask…how are we getting to this city you mentioned? I’m in decent shape, but hiking through the jungle might be tough, especially if we are pulling along the fluxbeast. Unless it’s not too far? Could we see it from here?” His words tumbled out fast and faster as he spoke before he realized it and stopped, an apologetic expression on his face. 

I reached over to pat his shoulder in support, but he leaned away. Something was definitely bothering him and I’d have to find out why…later. I looked back over at Ellya. “I’ve been wondering the same thing. How far is this Valoris place?” 

She leaned back and gestured, summoning forth a shimmering map of an island. A pair of dots appeared, a soft purple one on the southern edge of the island, near the shore, and another bright green dot far to the northeast. A line covered in small dashes stretched from the green dot to a clearing just north of the purple one. “This is a map of Bellius, one of the larger islands in the archipelago. The green dot is Valoris, the purple one is our home. Don’t worry about hiking, my friends, for we have a much more convenient form of travel at our disposal: trains.” 

Brian and I looked at each other in surprise. His gloomy look shifted to wonder as he studied the map. “You have trains here? What kind? How fast? Are they new?”

Ellya chuckled. “I don’t know if your world has an equivalent, but our Levinrail trains are quite fast indeed. We developed them a few decades ago and they’ve made staying connected so much simpler. The journey from Silkspire, our home, to Valoris is about eight hundred kilometers, which a Levintrain can do in about three hours, at top speed. There are a few stops along the way, so the journey will probably be closer to five hours.” 

I was distracted for a moment because while the translation spell told me kilometers, I could clearly hear pieces of the word she used instead. Not enough to use or remember clearly, but I could tell the magic was slowly imbuing me with the knowledge of Tellaran speech. What a wondrous thing…I had to know how it worked. 

“--so fast? That’s incredible.” I tuned back in to catch Brian speaking excitedly. “How does it work? That kind of speed is something only the more advanced trains back home can do. Are Levintrains commonplace?” 

“Most of the big islands tend to have at least one Levintrain route, if not more. The cities themselves use slower trains, but nothing beats a Levintrain for long distance travel.” Ellya shrugged slightly, her face apologetic. “I don’t actually know much of the mechanics of how they work, not really my area of expertise. But, we’ll have a bit of time on the journey, I’m sure you can talk to the conductor about any questions you may have. The one in charge of the Valoris route is a friend of mine, I’m sure you’ll get along swimmingly.” 

She winked at him. “The trip should also give us plenty of time to help you with your ma–”

His eyes grew wide and he shushed her. “Plenty of time to learn more about Tellara! Yeah!” Brian glanced over at me before looking away with a nervous chuckle. He was definitely hiding something. 

Ellya shot him a concerned look and then shrugged. “Yes, I imagine you will learn a lot. It’s a popular route and you’ll have the opportunity to meet more Tellarans.” She grinned mischievously. “You two are going to be minor celebrities. We haven’t had otherworlders around in years.” 

That sounded kind of fun. The only times I got to be popular back home was during conventions, where I could be myself. Lin was just one more quiet guy in the background, but Gwen got to be fun and friendly. It hadn’t fully sunk in yet that I would get to be around other people, crowds even, and nobody would bat an eye about what I was. But wait a minute – “How are they going to know we are otherworlders? Brian and I are wearing clothes you provided, so that wouldn’t give us away.” 

“Oh, well for starters your speech will give it away. The translation magic means everyone can understand you, but we can still hear the words you say. Same as you hearing ours. Additionally –” Ellya’s eyes glowed cerulean for a moment and a shimmering field of color surrounded her as well as the two of us. “Your aura marks you as an outsider. See those threads of gold in your auras? See how they form geometric shapes?” 

I looked at Brian as I wasn’t able to see my own aura clearly. His aura was full of shimmering blues and greens, marked here and there by golden pyramids and fractal patterns. A jagged, dark red line wrapped around his aura like barbed wire, distorting the colors wherever it touched. It looked…painful. 

Brian returned my look and gasped in wonder. “Your aura is beautiful, Li– Gwen. It’s all pinks and purples with golden flowers and crystals.” I blushed at the compliment as he turned to Ellya. “And yours, it’s all red and blue with silvery swirls. It’s so pretty!” 

I had to nod in agreement. All of the auras were a sight to behold, but while Brian’s and mine flickered and shifted, Ellya’s was vibrating with a steady rhythm, her colors flowing like a placid stream. 

She gestured and the auras faded away. “It’s common practice to view someone’s aura upon meeting them. Not visibly, as I’ve done here, but viewing it with one’s own senses. Some believe the colors in an aura can tell you about a person’s general mood and nature, but others believe the colors are more a reflection of your magical affinities. There hasn’t been any definitive research on the subject as most are content to enjoy their theories as they are and there are other, more pressing matters that demand resources.” 

“Sounds a little like the horoscopes ditzy girls are into back home. I guess everywhere you go has their own silly superstitions.” With a smug grin, Brian popped another piece of bread into his mouth. “Not me, though, I’m too smart for that.”

Wincing, I wondered when he had picked up that attitude. I’d always found horoscopes and the like comforting. It didn’t matter to me if they were true or anything, I just enjoyed it as a fun little hobby. Brian had never been rude about it before, but I guess things had changed. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad about that. What other changes were just waiting to come out?

Before I could say anything, Ellya shook her head. “I would be careful about dismissing the ideas of others, especially in this world. Perhaps back home, such attitudes are acceptable, but you’ll make enemies if you behave like that here. Tellara is an ancient world and we lost much in the cataclysm. Who is to say that things like auramancy are mere superstition? I don’t believe in it myself, but I don’t think the idea is without merit.” 

Brian’s smug grin faded and he looked away, chastened. “Oh, well…sorry I guess. I’ll keep it to myself in the future.” 

“It’s alright. There is a lot to learn and plenty of time to learn it.” Ellya used a piece of bread to mop up the last bit of her stew and then set about collecting plates and bowls. “I’ll tidy up here. Melody, Aria, if you two could help them with packing for the trip? We might be gone for some time, so I’d say pack heavy.” 

The spider sisters signed their affirmation and waved at us to follow them as Ellya got to work. We made our way slowly through the house and I looked over at Brian twirling a stylus in his fingers, his gaze distant. I tapped his shoulder lightly to get his attention and he continued to look away. “Brian…something is bothering you. Do you want to talk–” 

He shrugged and walked faster, past the spiders. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind, okay? I’ll be fine, we can talk later.” He flashed a smile back at me. “Don’t worry about me, alright? After all, it’ll probably take you longer to pack since your, uh, new outfits are so much more complicated.” 

Oh fuck, I hadn’t even thought about that! If we were going to be gone a while, I had so many things to decide on! I nearly missed him waving as he slipped into his room and the door shut, leaving Melody and me in the hall. I turned to her and grinned. “I hope he’s right. In the meantime, let’s get packing!” 

My steps were light as I pushed thoughts of Brian away and let my mind wander, imagining all the sights awaiting us. A magical train, a grand city, a mystery to solve; it was all so exciting! Melody skittered up to my shoulder and guided me through the house while signing ideas for outfits. So much to do!