CH2 Bonding Ritual
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I edited this chapter some to get it down to 6000 words and remove the present tense because apparently that is bad. 4-10-2023

Alex could only blink in surprise.  Shower water dripped off him. He didn't have any clothes on.  Being in possibly the most girly place in existence didn't do much for his confidence as a man. He was glad to find that Fufi seemed to be able to handle this situation without issue. He considered using the flamingo to cover his parts, but knowing that she was sentient made that seem like an even worse idea than just standing in the buff.

 

The flamingo walked over and sat down beside him on the floor and waited patiently for Luna to speak.

 

Luna spoke in an official sounding tone, "Please state your name for the record." She held a pink feathered quill and an iridescent crystal clipboard.

 

Alex croaked out, "My name is Alex Parker but  . . . " he stopped, feeling a sudden pressure ,he glanced down at Fufi who had her wings spread out on the floor in front of him. He thought, ‘Is this part of the ceremony? Am I supposed to be bowing or something? Oh no! I don't know how to act in front of royalty let alone divinity!’

 Fufi gave him a little push with her beak which was enough to break through his internal monologue so that he was able to answer properly. 

 

"Alex Parker. My name is Alex Parker." The lumberjack croaked out.

 

Luna’s tone sounded ponderous, "I have been given information that your previous life was spent mostly in the wilderness.  Maybe some kind of nature magic would be a good theme for your new magical girl persona."

 

Alex blinked in surprise , "I'm sorry I don't know what that means but I promise I'm not a magic girl. I'm just a guy who works at a logging company." 

Luna looked over at Alex with a confused expression, "Oh, I see.  Well we can fix that. Don’t worry. What kind of cute things do you like?  Roses? Bunnies?  Hummingbirds?  Frilly skirts? Hair ribbons?" 

Alex wasn't sure how any of this was relevant or what he should be saying. 

Fufi nudged him with her head again.

Alex jumped and blurted out, "I..I um... am not sure about this.  Could I at least get something to wear? Attending a ceremony naked in front of a beautiful woman…er…goddess… is a bit awkward."

 

Luna smirks, "Creating cute clothing is easy for me as I am the goddess of cute, all things cute are within my domain."  She then waved her hand and a pair of pink panties with a cutesy bear head on the back appeared from thin air and floated down into his hands.  Next she waved with her other hand a pink skirt with hearts sewn into the trim appeared and floated down on his shoulder.  Lastly, a pink and white low cut blouse appeared and landed on the top of his head.

 

Alex could only open and close his mouth attempting to comment on her choice of clothing for him to wear but failing miserably. 

Fufi just nodded her head up and down encouragingly at him. Her wing's glowed softly in response and she seemed satisfied with the results. 

The man still wasn't exactly sure what was going on, the strange bird seemed to have confidence in him.  It was just too bad that confidence was related to wearing girly clothing.

 

Luna regarded Alex, "I think you will find this outfit to be more than suitable for your needs." The goddess of cuteness continued "Please put it on and stand before me for our ceremony of bonding." 

Finally clearing the cobwebs in his mind enough to form a coherent response.  "Your godliness, thank you for the . . .um. . . gifts. They are very beautiful.  However, I am a man who prefers to wear practical men's wear."  

Luna looks disappointed, "Only cute things are in my domain.  Any gifts from me must be cute to some extent.  You can grow into that later, perhaps something fitting for just finishing a bath."  Luna magically conjures a pink fleece bathrobe and matching pink pants. The outfit looked like something a girl would wear after getting out of the shower or staying home and watching netflix all day.

 

Alex takes a deep breath and mentally tells himself.  "It is not pink, it is salmon.  There is nothing girly about wearing the color salmon, right?"  Internally chanting the mantra ‘salmon’, the lumberjack dons robe and pants. The fleece felt warm and comfortable against his skin.

The goddess of cuteness said, "Fufi you found quite a tsundere. . . I guess it does have that certain appeal."

Alex felt relieved to find he hadn't been left naked or made to dance around like a little girl wearing nothing but a bow on his head.

 

Luna smirked and clapped once. "Now let us begin the ceremony!"

 

Fufi’s sang out in a soprano , "Alex Parker, you have been chosen!"

 

Luna waved her hand and a huge bouquet of pink flowers appeared beside her throne. She then reaches over to take a single flower in her hand, tucks it into his robe collar, and speaks, "Do you wish to accept this flower as a gift for your familiar?"

 

Alex blinks his eyes once and answers, "Um. . . I don't understand. Why are you asking me? I don't have any familiarity."

 

Luna calmly repeated, "You have been chosen by Fufi.  Fufi has been chosen by you."  She points at the cell phone in Alex’s hand.  

 

He glanced at the screen with the yes/no option and the option ‘yes’ flashed repeatedly.  

 

Alex gulped, "I didn’t even know she could talk until today."

 

Luna continued unphased, "This flower is given as a sign of love by Fufi.  You and Fufi's love for one another shall be your bond and your power."

 

Alex nods, "Um… thank you but…" He was trying to be polite but he really didn't understand what he was getting into at all.

 

"Good! Now stand here where I can see you both," Luna points to a spot on the floor in front of her throne.  "Are you ready?"

 

After being cut off Alex could only respond with, "Um. . . yes?"

 

"Very well!" Luna spoke with finality and gestured with her hand for the pair to begin their bonding ceremony. "Alex Parker and Fufi the Flamingo are now one!"

 

Alex felt something warm run down his cheek.  A single tear fell. 

Fufi sang in her sweet little girl's voice. She glows a bright white and sings, "Alex Parker is my mistress and Lady!" 

He had enough time to think ‘didn’t you get the gender wrong there Fufi’ when a strange thing happened.

 

A warm feeling flows through him. He realized he is now bonded with Fufi. The lumberjack smiled at Luna. A soft glowing light envelops them both for a moment before fading away. The room lights up in rainbow colors.

A burst of energy flows through the room causing the stuffed animals and dolls to cheer.  They joyfully throw glitter on the pair. Fufi took Alex's hand, and basked in celebration around them.

 

Luna stood up from her throne, "Thank you all for being here for this ceremony and congratulations on your new bond!"

 

Luna took the pair out through some ornate double doors where a carriage decorated in hearts, stars, and bubbles sits waiting for them. Two white Pegasus in front with harnesses pull it. The back window of the carriage says 'Just Bonded' on it.

 

Fufi and Luna sat on either side of him on the bench seat.  When they get settled the carriage took off down the street. The Pegasus picked up enough speed to fly into the air. The city faded into the background, replaced by meadows, farmlands and flamingos working the fields.

 

Fufi nuzzles Alex’s chest and speaks softly, "I am so proud of you Alex! You are now one with me." Fufi nuzzles her beak on Alex's cheek causing him to blush bright red from embarrassment. They pass by farm after farm of flamingos. 

Alex blinked in disbelief at this sight. ‘Why are flamingos farming?’ he wondered to himself.

The winged horses lifted off the ground and started flying through the air. The Pegasus pulled the carriage higher up into the sky and away from the farmland below.

Alex's jaw dropped.

 

Luna said, "Now before we send you two down to the mortal realm to defeat the demon queen there is one last matter."

 

Alex couldn't compose himself, "Um What?" he said, sounding dazed. 

Luna smiled and said, "You are both newly bonded and have not had time to adjust to this new status. However, Alex, you need to be a cute girl to fully realize this power.  So you need to be transformed."

 

Alex was so confused that he could barely think straight, "Transformed into what?"

 

"Into a cute girl! You need to have some more clothes made for yourself as well. A magical girl needs to look the part." 

Alex gulped at this sudden revelation. 

Fufi spoke up saying, "Oh yes! When I saw you in the woods Alex it reminded me of a magical girl named Emerald Dryad.  She could sing and a whole field would blossom into flowers. Would you like to be like her Alex?"

 

Alex wasn't sure how making flowers bloom could even be used to fight the demon queen.  However, he was a man.  He worked hard to get his muscled bulk.  He was proud of his thick black beard.  His calloused hands showed that he worked hard for a living. He wasn't going to give it up without a fight! He thought for a moment, and said, "Fufi I'm not giving up being me.  You can't just tell someone to be a different person."

 

Luna looks at him for a moment before she says, "I don't think that is a good idea.  You see, the demon queen used to be a magical girl as well.  Some unpleasant things happened and now she is the succubus matron for her demonic empire.  She can charm any man you see.  She can charm some women too that are susceptible."

 

"What can I do?  There has to be another way" Alex asked in desperation. 

Luna responds, "If you are not willing to give up being a man I can not help you. If you will allow me to transform you then I can help you. I think given enough time you’ll see who you really are."

 

Alex considers his options, "Even if men are at a disadvantage don’t count us out." He then looked over at Fufi, "What do you think?" 

Fufi puffed her feathers up and said, "You are my master and my friend and I would never ask you to be anything less. We are bonded now and as long as you serve love and justice I will help you in any way I can." 

 

Alex looked out the window.  All he could see were clouds. "I want to try.  If the demons are like trees I’ll try an ax first.  If that doesn’t work I’ll try a saw.  If that doesn’t work then I’ll try a chainsaw." 

 

Luna's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Looking at Alex she said, "This is going to be fun!  You can’t leave empty handed on your big day." The goddess waved her hand and the carriage flew higher into the sky. Looking back towards Alex she asked, "Which first? How about some jewelry?"

 

Alex looked puzzled, "Jewelry? I don't see how that could help."

 Luna smiled, "My domain is cuteness.  Anything cute enough can channel my blessings. A magical girl’s strength is tied to her cuteness. Oh look outside you’ll like this part." 

She pointed out of the carriage window. They rose high enough that they could see the curvature of the planet.  Maybe a planet wasn’t the right word.  By the looks of things it seemed like they were on a small moon and the mortal realm where they were headed is the main planet. They soared about a mile above it with large pieces of land and other bodies around them as well.

 

Luna pointed out a nearby moon which had a ring around it. As Alex squinted, he examined the moon they just left. One ring was yellowish brown and the other was a pinkish white color with what looked like diamonds and sapphires in them. The rings looked almost like a necklace on the moon but Alex couldn’t tell if it was just an ornament or if it had some sort of special function. 

 

"Even moons look cuter with jewelry." Luna said.

 

"Okay, I get it now." Alex nodded his head in agreement. 

Luna smiled and said, "You must choose your favorite gemstones."

 

Alex thought for a moment and said, "I don't know anything about gems or stones. I've never seen a diamond before except on pictures from the internet."

 

"Not a very decisive one are you? Though diamonds are a girl’s best friend." Luna chanted some arcane words and a pair of diamond studded earrings appeared in her palm.  They were clear and sparkled brilliantly.  

Alex gulped and said, "Those are certainly quite noticeable.  I don't know if I can use them without pierced ears though." 

Luna pointed at the earrings and they glowed faintly. The sparkling diamonds pulsed with light in a slow steady rhythm until they transformed into two heart shapes in her hand.  "Piercing ears is quick and easy.  Fufi, will you help me out?"

Fufi nodded her head and said, "Of course, my goddess!"

 

Fufi gently nudged Alex's head back with her beak and then brought her beak to his ear where she carefully used the sharp tip to make a tiny hole.  Alex expected a bloody mess from the large beaked bird but she was surprisingly gentle.  It only hurt like a pinprick.

 

Luna inserted the earring into the hole and secured it with the attachment bit on the other side of the ear.  Alex stood very still, afraid to move at all. 

Luna spoke again, "These are cute, they should help you get started."

 

Alex could feel a gentle tingling sensation in his ears where he could hear a faint ringing in his ears like wearing a set of earphones. He looked at Luna and asked, "I’m not sure what to do with these. How does earrings help?"

 

"Magic comes from your inner power. However, if you channel it through a cute object it will amplify the effect." Luna's eyes lit up, "It makes for much more powerful spells." Luna pointed out at the ring around the moon and it began to grow larger. As it got larger more and more details can be seen until finally they are looking at a massive ring of shiny metal with an iridescent gleam to it as well as tiny sparkling flecks of pink, blue, and white that look like diamonds and rubies.

 

Luna explained, "See the moon ring?  It is cute isn’t it?  I’m using it to make this trip possible.  We can even travel through space with the power of cuteness." 

 

Alex looked out the window. The carriage headed toward the large planet in the distance. The moon with the sparkling ring shrunk. The planet appeared to grow.  He found himself becoming concerned because the carriage didn't seem air tight. They flew many miles up.  Would the vacuum of space be a problem for them? 

Luna just smiled with her eyes full of mischief.

 

Luna stated matter-of-factly, "Don't worry. The power of cuteness and love will keep you safe."

 

What did that even mean? Alex merely nodded his head. Fear seeped in. Just what did he get himself into? He weakly spoke, "Thanks, I was not considering one of my tasks for today to be interstellar travel.  We don't even have a spaceship." Alex paused and reconsidered. “I guess this carriage could count as a spaceship?  It doesn’t have thrusters or rockets…how can wings work with no air?  Um, nevermind thinking about it too much will give me a headache.”

 

Luna beamed, "Don't worry this will work. I've taken lots of magical girls to the starter villages back before the demon queen razed them." She waved her hand again and the carriage sped up sharply.  

The two Pegasus broke into a gallop running on nothing and flapping their wings wildly. The carriage moved so fast they were pushed back into their seats.  The big planet took up more of the view.  

Alex asked, "Wait you said the demon queen razed the villages?  What does that mean for Fufi and I?" 

Luna shook her head and said, "Well you shouldn't go to one of the higher leveled areas yet.  Considering you are a woodsman though you should be able to manage in a ruin of a hamlet until you get your bearings.  Just think of it like camping. Baby steps right?"

 

Alex nodded, uncertainly.

 

The carriage approached the planet with increasing speed.

Looking out the window, Alex noticed solid land and even a few islands off in the distance. The land itself has a sort of amber color and looks like it is made of some type of rock. Trees, rocky wastes, and grasslands came into view below.  An ocean covered the area to the south.

 

"The land is called 'Terre' by the people. This world used to be filled with life." Luna points at the planet they are heading for, "We're heading for a starting settlement of Terre.  There should still be some other stuff.  Just because the demon queen burned everything down doesn't mean the land is completely dead.  If you want to pray and ask for my help I can still transform you later. Just call and ask. You’ll be so cute.  I promise."

 

The carriage flew ever closer to the planet, passing through clouds. A floating island can be seen in the distance with trees, grass and flowers growing on it. It looked like they could land on it but as they passed by it it disappeared from sight.  

There are floating islands on this planet too?  Neat. Alex wondered what else he could see from up here.

 

“Maybe I can find or make an Ax or something.” Alex murmured.

 

Luna interrupted his musings,"If you wanted to be a magical girl that was a warrior type that could be arranged as well. There once was a magical girl named La Pucelle.  She has a dragon's tale and black horns.  She wore heeled armored boots and armored bracers.  La Pucelle wielded a really big sword. She was trapped in this terrible game where many magical girls had to put their lives on the line made by a corrupt senior magical girl.  However she protected her friend even though she was full of thorns."

 

"That sounds like a pretty bad deal." Alex looked at Luna in disbelief.

Luna smiled and shook her head, "I was just reading about it from the library. My library contains everything about magical girls.  I'm very proud of it.  The books even write themselves!"

 

"That library must be really big." Alex boggled at the concept.

 

"The ruined village lies below us. It had a name but it wasn’t a cute one so it doesn’t matter.  You and Fufi will be dropped off there." Luna pointed out a ruin in the approaching ground. Tiny specks of color dotted the landscape below them.  As they slowed down enough to land, specks of color became houses and they saw a large open area with crumbled stone walls surrounding it.  At least they looked like buildings from afar. The town only had stone buildings because anything made from wood probably long vanished from this ruin of a town.

 

Luna stated, "Here this is the starting point for your quest."  The carriage landed with a thump, stopping next to the main fountain in the center of town. The fountain looked more like a crumpled pile of stones.

 

Alex and Fufi hopped out followed by Luna. Fufi used her beak to get the door for Luna.

Luna gracefully stepped out of the carriage, "Unless you want to change your mind about the transformation there is one last thing we need to do.  We have to initialize the system. This world is different from yours.  People and monsters have levels stats like in those RPGs from your world.  People can level up their stats and skills by practice or other means.  Are you ready?"

 

Alex nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be."

 

Luna bent forward and touched Alex's nose.  She cutely said, "Boop"  

A second later a buzzing noise came from the pocket of his girly robe.  Pulling out his cell phone, he noticed a pinkish glow on the screen. Everything else seemed to be the same. At least he had one thing from his old world.

 

Luna put her hand over his, "You can call me anytime you like. Just don't expect me to answer it though.  Well, unless you have ideas about what kind of magical girl you'd like to be transformed into." Luna smiled sweetly.

 

Alex laughed nervously, "Well, I think I'm going to go with my original plan and just be a woodcutter until I can get a handle on this new system."  The cell phone had a new icon that wasn't there before.  It says 'Character Sheet.'  Clicking the sheet brings up a screen with his data on it.

 

Name:   Alex Parker

Class: Magical Girl

Sex: Male

Strength: 15

Constitution: 15

Dexterity:  12

Intelligence: 7

Cuteness: 1 (naturally 0, +1 from equipped items)

 

There was also a quests tab on the app.  He had one quest assigned to him.

 

[Defeat the Demon Queen]  Difficulty S

 

The demon queen is bent on a world conquest.  She will not stop until she as obtained everyone in the world's love willingly or not.

 

He also had three milestone to achieve:

 

-1st level- defeat 20 monsters

-2nd level- defeat 50 monsters

-3rd level- defeat 100 monsters

 

"So I need to level up by killing monsters?" Alex said while looking at the phone screen.

 

"That's one way." Luna let out an enchanting giggle, "You don't actually have to kill to defeat someone.  Take the demon queen for example.  None of her enemies died, well at least by her own hand.  They just fell for her completely."  Luna shook her head sadly, "She is so charming and lovely and everything a man could wish for." She winked, "You better avoid her and her succubi for now.  You have no defense against their charm. Try to fix that okay?"

 

Alex nodded but his mind was thinking about what he will need to do in order to get some levels up.  With a class like 'Magical Girl' something told him acting like a murder hobo wouldn't advance his class much. Looking at Luna he asked, "How do I get my cuteness stat higher?"

Luna gave a cute grin, "There are lots of ways but for now ask Fufi questions like that. She will be your guide for now on.  Hmm, let me check something."  Luna closed her eyes, "Yes this town does have a rift stone.  It looks like when the kingdom fell to ruin they stopped recharging it though.  I charged it for you just now.  It will generate a dungeon that is appropriate for you.  Take some time to get settled here first and when you are ready for a challenge it is in the ruins of the adventurer's guild."

 

"Wow. Thanks for all your help." Alex bowed to the goddess. 

Fufi bowed as well.

Luna nodded appreciatively. "Now go get settled and make sure you get some good rest tonight. Your quest is very difficult so don’t rush."

 

"We will. Fufi and I should be able to restore one of these ruined buildings and we can use that as our new home." The lumberjack considered how to start.

 

Luna boarded the carriage. The winged horses headed off into the sky after building up enough speed to take off.  

Now that things have quieted down some Alex took some time to think about recent events. He and his flamingo companion have been through quite a few things but he is still curious how this new system works in practice. The weird space part of the adventure was over but now he had to start thinking about what he was going to do next.

 

Alex walked through the town and saw several of the buildings that were still mostly intact.  It doesn't look like the town was destroyed or burned. It just looks rotten and abandoned, like all the life and energy left the town.

 

To rebuild a new place would be nice but Alex is not sure where to start. Alex noticed an entrance to an old ruined building. Inside the doorway collapsed rubble blocks the way.

Clearing a path, Alex saw a bunch of old metal crates stacked upon one another with several stone tables that are covered in dust and cobwebs in between them. There were several candles in sconces in the room. An old dusty hearth in the corner of the building that sat with a pile of ash in it. Walking over to the pit, he sighed.  "Please don't tell me this is a world where they haven't invented the chimney yet." 

 

Alex said, "This town seems to have a lot of stone buildings so I'm guessing I could try rebuilding one of them?  If I can get some wood and some tools I could make a roof and a door.  That would give us shelter.  Water and food would be a priority.  I wonder if I can get the town fountain working again." Alex looks around and says, "I'm not sure I have enough tools or materials to do anything though." Alex walks over to a stack of crates and says, "Hmm, looks like there are some metal tools in here."  Alex took out a rusty screwdriver, axe head, and hammer.  There was also a pile of rusty nails in one of the crates.  It was not ideal but he could use them if he had to. Alex walks outside to see if there are any other crates nearby. He finds a crate that looks like it was dropped off by a passing merchant years ago and inspects it. Inside he finds two large glass bottles filled with fetid water. The smell is so bad that even Alex can tell the water is no good for drinking. There is also some bread in a small wooden box that has mold on it. There was also a rusted iron nail sticking out of it so Alex could use it if he needed to.

 

Alex returns to the building with the crates and drops them to the ground then places the tools on top of one of them. He looks around and decides that the crates and tables would make for good makeshift beds so he places one of the crates next to another table that was standing.  He didn't have any bedding or footwear for that matter.  He did have the girly clothes that Luna gifted him so he could use that as bedding of a sort.

 

Alex looked to Fufi and asked, "Can you fly around and see if there is anything we can use for food and water in the surrounding area?  I want to look around a bit and see if there is anything else we can scavenge."

 

Fufi said, "Ok" and flew off into the distance. 

Alex steps out of the doorless doorway. After exploring around the town, he eventually came across what used to be a guard tower. It was basically a square platform with an observation deck on top with stairs leading up to it. Alex climbed up and looked around.  The surrounding terrain was mostly rocky with some gnarled trees growing here and there. Alex wondered if there were any creatures in the area but the lack of footprints or other signs of life told him that no one was here but him. There were several rusted barrels around and Alex wonders if they were once filled with something to drink. There were also several rusted shovel heads scattered around.

 

Alex walked back down from the tower and continued his walk around the town. As he approached a ruined fence with headstones Alex said, "This place looks like a graveyard." A few of the ones that are still legible.

 

 Here lies a dead adventurer who went out bravely into battle.

 

 And lost their life for their village and family.

 

 May they rest in peace forever.

 

 A loving son and husband.

 

Alex read another gravestone. The headstone is carved from marble and has a carving of a cat on it with an arrow through its head. The picture of the cat has a smiley face over it. Alex looked at it and said, "Okay that's just weird."

 

The next legible gravestone:

 

 A good man who never forgot his family.

 

Alex looked up at the sky, "I feel like I should be doing something but what?"

 Another crumbled gravestone:

 

 A noble soul who gave her life for her village.

 

Alex considered how many people died in this town from the demon queen's invasion.  He stopped and said aloud, "Didn't Luna say the demon queen didn't kill her victims?  I wonder what happened to the people she defeated in the war. It's just so sad." Alex continued walking around until he arrived at a ruined gate near the center of town. Inside the gate house there is nothing other than a single dusty rug that has been sitting in front of the doorway.  

"This rug might be useful for something if I can clean it up.  I'm surprised it hasn't just disintegrated like so many things left behind in this town."  He picked up the rug and took it back to the house with the crates he found earlier. Dropping the rug down in front of the door he sits on one of the crates. He'll have to clean it but that can wait for later.  While there is still sun he would continue to scavenge.

 

"I know I said I would try to build something but I don't think I could do that now." Alex ponders his options for a moment then says, "Maybe I can gather some wood with that rusted ax head if I can get a branch or something to attach to it." Alex walks over to an area where there are some old trees growing around and finds a branch he can break off and attach the ax head to it.  He takes a loose brick and slowly scrapes some of the rust off and grinds down the edge enough for it to be usable to cut down a tree.

 

Alex placed the ax head on the end of the branch then tied it to his pink robe belt.  He located a small tree and after some time chopped it down.   After that he dragged the whole thing back. Using smaller branches, he  built a little teepee of sticks in the hearth. Once that was done Alex walked back towards the center of town where there was an open area. Alex kept searching and found some rusted hinges from the decayed remains of a door.  With the nails and hinges he could build a very basic door. He placed the hinges on one side of the door frame then laid some of the bricks in front of it and tried to force them into place with the hammer and nails. After some time and several failed attempts Alex said to no one, "Why does all the metal have to be one hammer blow from breaking apart?" Alex stood back and inspected the door frame, "This could work." He hammered more, "It better work this time."  After sacrificing many nails and several hinges he was able to create a poor excuse for a door in the stone frame for the building. It's not going to keep out much of anything but at least it keeps out the wind and rain.

 

Alex sighed with relief then looked at the tree cut down. A large rusty metal plate sat nearby. He dragged the logs over to the stone ruin of the building and the rest of the tree he cut down to create a makeshift roof.  He used a few nails from the pile of rusty nails to secure the metal plate to the logs that he is using as cross beams for the roof. He then takes bricks from a nearby house to create a chimney on the roof so smoke will be able to escape out of the top of the building. Well, smoke assumed that he’d be able to start a fire.  He wasn’t sure about that.

 

Once that was done he walked back over to his makeshift door and tested it a few times.  The creaking noise grated at his nerves.  It was doubtful that the town had any oil or lubricant he could use to fix up the hinges even a little bit. He just needed something to work with right now and was glad that at least his door is secured to the door frame.  Even if the door fell off the hinges he put some brackets to bar the door from the inside so it should still hold.  In the worst case scenario where the door didn't have anything that could be used for replacement hinges he could always just take it out of the doorway and set it up against a wall.  It would be a pain but something is better than nothing.

 

"I think this is about as good as I can do for now." Alex spent some more time creating a pile of firewood that he set outside the hovel.  

When the sun was hanging low in the sky Fufi came flying back.  She had a fish in her mouth and several odd fruits in her claws. She landed in front of Alex and dropped the food on the ground. 

Alex asked, "What did you get?"

"A fish, a fruit, and some berries."  She added in her girly voice, "There is a stream to the north. I will fly out again and try to find more food." Fufi flew off into the distance but soon came flying back with another fish in her mouth. She also has two more fruits and a bunch of berries in her claws.

 

Alex gathered up the food and set it on the table.  He didn't have anything to create fire with so when Fufi brought back fish he was both surprised and discouraged.  "Fufi, You are really quick about finding food. I can’t keep up." Alex said forlornly, "I wasn't able to find anything to start a fire with easily.  So I'm not sure how to cook the fish you caught."

 

Fufi replied, "That is okay. There are much more important things to take care of.  Besides, even in your world raw fish is a delicacy in some cultures."  

 

Alex tilted his head and asked, "Like what?"

 

Fufi said sternly, "Like your priorities.  It looks like you spent most of your day chopping, hammering, and hauling.  If you were trying to get those skills you were wasting your time."

 

Being even more confused Alex said, "I don't know what you mean.  Skills?"

 

Fufi nodded her beaked head, "Yes, you can only get skills related to your class.  And since your class is Magical Girl. The skills have to be skills related to being a magical girl."

 

Alex said, "Which skills would those be?"

 

Fufi explained, "Cute things, magical things, girly things."

 

Alex grumbled, "Is there any way I can change my class?  I think lumberjack would be more fitting don't you think?"

 

Sounding exasperated, Fufi stated coldly, "Classes are gifted to mortals by the gods.  Unless someone wants divine punishment they don't shun a deity's gift.  People in this world normally have to go to the temple and pray to get their class.  If they are greedy and ask for a class they are not worthy of they will get denied any class at all.  The whole pantheon makes them wait for a year to reflect before they can come back to the temple and ask again."

This would not be a bad image of Luna if not for the messed up hands.

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