16 Dinner Party Part I

(I'm taking a writing class. Hopefully it will boost the quality of my writing.)

I slowly opened my eyes. The bed I was in felt… different. My vision was blurry since I had just taken a nap so I rubbed my eyes with the back of my right hand. Moving my hand away, I became very confused.

I looked around. "Where am I?"

I quickly sat up in the bed, taking in the familiar sight lying before me. This was my old room from Earth.

Unsure of how to react, I slowly removed the blanket from my legs and moved my legs, letting my feet drop on the floor. The floor was quite comfortable. My room had a large area rug that kept my feet warm in the winter. Under that rug was hardwood flooring.

Still not believing what was before my eyes, I turned to look out the window next to my bed. It was snowing and the visibility was not great. However, the tree that towered over my backyard confirmed my suspicions that this was my old home.

Suddenly, I heard a noise from outside the closed door of my room. The muffled sound penetrated through the open gaps in the doorway. Among that sound, I heard the clangs of pots and pans being taken out of the cabinet, a sound I will never forget. One of the things I missed most was home cooking from Earth. Both of my parents were great at cooking all types of meals. They even taught me a few tricks of the trade.

I walked over to the door, only wearing my pajama pants. The feel of the cold, wooden floor was oddly comforting. It was the true essence of nostalgia.

As I grabbed the doorknob, I heard a voice from next to me. "Callum? What is this place?"

I nearly jumped upon hearing the voice. Looking down to my right, there was a black wolf with wings. I could only sigh. "Okami, what are you doing here?"

Okami sat down and tilted his head. "I was taking a nap but felt some disturbance in your mind so I woke up. Now I'm here."

I shook my head as I opened the door. "This is my old home."

Okami's eyes widened. "I see. Well you don't seem to be in any danger so let's just enjoy ourselves."

Walking through the door, the comforting sight of the hallway outside my old room greeted me. The family portraits on the walls, the light switches, all of it made me feel right at home.

Entering autopilot, I navigated through my house. Down the hall, descending the stairs, through the foyer. The sounds I was hearing from behind my door were gradually becoming clearer. Someone was in the kitchen, cooking, while listening to the news on the television.

I wore a gentle smile as I walked to the kitchen. Upon passing through the dining room, I arrived in the kitchen. Mom was facing the other direction so I didn't think anything was amiss. I sat down on one of the bar stools next to the island.

I smiled and took a deep breath. "Good morning, mom."

She turned around. "Good morning, Callum."

I froze. Did she just say Callum? It was then that I took a good look at her. That hair, that face, those eyes, that voice, they belonged to Sonia.

My heartbeat began accelerating, beating faster and faster. I couldn't even hear myself think over the pounding in my chest that spread through my head.

I looked down and noticed that I was in my new body, not my old one. The young appearance, it made me feel even worse.

Suddenly, a knocking sound came from the front door. I immediately snapped my head to the source of the sound, wondering who could possibly be there.

While standing up to get the door, I did something I hadn't done in a long time. My foot caught one of the crossbars on the stool and I dropped, face first, to the floor. It felt as if the world was moving in slow motion, until finally, my face hit the ground.

I woke up in a panic, sitting up and breathing heavily, still feeling my heartbeat pound through my chest. Beads of sweat were rolling down my face and body as I sat there, nearly in a panic.

Okami separated from me and looked at me in a protected fashion. "Cal, are you okay?"

Breathing heavily, I didn't even have the energy to reply. My mind was moving at a million miles a second and my body felt like it was made of stone. I collapsed back onto my pillow, trying to calm myself.

As I was breathing, I heard the knocking sound again but a voice accompanied it this time. "Callum! You in there?"

I sighed as I sat up and left my bed, feeling my body gradually regain its state of calm. I slid the door open and found Jacob and Yanni outside.

Jacob contorted his face. "Dude, you look awful. What happened?"

I shrugged. "I had a nightmare during my nap."

Jacob sighed as he walked into the room but his expression only got worse. "UGH! WHAT'S THAT SMELL?!"

I turned around with a confused face and then looked down at my body, I was covered with the residue of sweat but there was also something else. Somehow, parts of my body had what appeared to be a dark mud. I didn't remember going outside. I lifted my arm to sniff the mud. As the scent entered my nose, I nearly vomited. I gagged and tightly kept my mouth shut as I rushed to the bathroom.

After quickly taking off my pajama pants, I jumped in the shower, letting the hot water wash over me. The mud slowly dissolved into the water and washed down the drain. I thoroughly scrubbed my body with soap to rid myself of the stench.

Upon exiting the shower, I felt extremely sluggish. My body was heavy and weak, as if I had just run a marathon.

Rather than using magic, I picked up a towel and patted myself dry. I was too exhausted to use air magic. Despite my current discomfort, using a towel to dry myself off was weirdly soothing. It probably reminded me of my past.

After wrapping the towel around my waist, I picked up my soiled pants and tossed them into the garbage. I would have to get a new pair. Then I turned to the mirror and saw what Jacob meant.

I looked like I hadn't slept for days. There were large bags under my eyes, my hair was disheveled, and my posture was not nearly up to par.

Jacob's voice called out from the other side of the bathroom door. "Callum, you alright in there?"

I continued staring at myself in the mirror in silence, using my hands to support my body by leaning on the counter. "I think so. Let me meditate for a moment and I'll be all good."

I sat down onto the soft rug that covered a portion of the floor in the bathroom. I entered the lotus position and rested my hands on my knees. I began using square breathing. I shoved all the air out of my lungs. I then inhaled for four seconds, held, exhaled, and then held again.

Almost immediately, I noticed something was different. I felt a much larger amount of natural energy sticking to my mana pathways than before. With each breath, I felt nourished and energized, but it was only a small improvement. After doing this for a few minutes, I stood up. My body felt light and limber. It felt amazing. I looked in the mirror and was shocked.

The bags under my eyes were gone. My blue eyes became brighter and more captivating. Most shocking of all, my skin looked slightly smoother and definitely not like it belonged to a commoner.

Through the shock, I managed to open the door of the bathroom. Jacob was standing there, concerned for my well-being.

He was speechless when I opened the door. He shook his head before speaking. "What happened to you?"

I honestly didn't know the answer so I shrugged. "I have no idea. You think they sell nightwear in the point shop?"

Jacob nodded. "They do. We can go check it out together. I was told that there is a kiosk where you buy everything. Supposedly the items get delivered to your room as soon as you confirm your order."

I smiled. It reminded me of online shopping. "Great, let's get going then!"

Jacob laughed. "How about you get dressed first? Can't have you walking around half naked!"

I looked down and remembered that I was only wearing a towel. I laughed nervously and went to my closet to get dressed. Once my uniform was on, I was ready to go.

As I walked out of the closet and past my bed, Okami jumped and merged with me. "Alright! Lead the way, your highness."

Jacob rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. He gestured to Yanni. "Come on, shy guy. Let's go shopping."

Yanni nodded and got up from my desk chair, following Jacob out of my room. I tailed close behind him. Once in the hallway, I slid the door shut, allowing the lock to engage. We walked together. Jacob and myself in front and Yanni slightly behind us in the middle.

Jacob looked at me with suspicion. "I'm even more curious about what happened to you since not even you know."

I shrugged. "I feel great now so I am not concerned."

Jacob squinted his eyes, looking even more suspicious of me. "Hmmmm, okay. You should probably ask Professor Mason about this just to make sure. It wouldn't be good if this is some kind of disease."

I shivered at those thoughts. I couldn't decide which was worse, having a disease or letting that lunatic examine me. Neither seemed like a desirable occurrence.

Jacob saw my expression and laughed. "Don't worry. He would never hurt a student… I think."

I widened my eyes as my expression dropped with concern. "Thanks, asshole."

Jacob and Yanni both laughed. I just shook my head. They were really enjoying my misery.

I decided to change the topic. "So, what's the deal with the MMA league?"

Jacob's face lit up. "We have our first match on Monday! It is only an exhibition to allow the teams to get accustomed with each other, but it is still our first match. I'm very excited."

I rolled my eyes. "The whole school will probably come to see us with you three on the team."

Jacob waved away my concerns. "Is that such a bad thing? The roar of the crowd, the cheers when we win! It will be exhilarating! Maybe we can even have a fan club."

I shook my head and sighed. "I already have a fan club. I don't need two."

Jacob let a mischievous look paint his face. "Maybe the fan club won't be so bad for you. I doubt you have much experience with girls."

I laughed. "You'd be surprised."

He raised his brow in curiosity. "Really now? Do tell."

I shook my head. "It's in the past. I'd rather not talk about it."

Jacob sighed. "Lame. I'll get it out of you someday."

I shrugged but sighed internally. Now I was struggling with the situation I was in. My otherworldly origins, my insane magical abilities, my weird body, all of these things were secrets I held. Okami is the only one in this world that is aware of my secrets. I doubt he even knows what happened to my body though. Maybe he'll figure something out. He did know about the legend regarding otherworlders after all.

A few minutes later, we ended up at the kiosk. There were ten of them in a row, separated by opaque panels that were made of a material that resembled polycarbonate. It made me wonder if plastics exist in this world. I shook my head, rejecting that notion. Due to magic, technology was quite primitive in this world. Maybe I could "invent" some things? Magesmithing might end up being useful if I decide to pursue this. I have time to decide that anyways.

I walked up to an empty booth. The kiosk was interesting to say the least. There was a screen made of glass with some light being projected onto it. Something compelled me to tap the screen but I decided against it. I should at least read what is on it first.

In the center of the screen, there was a message. "Register your ID."

This confused me. ID? What ID? Did I not get something that I was supposed to? In my confusion, I decided to lean backwards and sneak a glance at Yanni who was using the booth next to me. I watched him touch his commlet to the panel. The panel then blinked green and then displayed another image.

I shook my head in disappointment. I really am dumb. Following suit, I pressed my commlet to the panel. The screen blinked green and then displayed a menu. The menu was split into the different categories of items. The options were Alchemy, Magesmithing, Clothing, Furniture, Weapons, and Accessories.

Not being sure what to choose, I tapped on the question mark that was in the bottom left corner. A wall of text covered the screen. Upon reading it, I understood how the kiosk works.

The catalogue of items is divided into these six categories. The alchemy and magesmithing tabs are where you can purchase materials or tools for either profession. There are various herbs, metals, tools, and storage devices available.

The clothing tab is for more than just covering your body. Many of the available items are enchanted. Some even provide a considerable amount of protection. Between armor and casual wear, the list was quite extensive. In addition, each item would either have a size adjusting enchantment or be tailored to fit the buyer.

Like the clothing tab, the furniture tab was also not just for furnishing a room. It is quite common for seemingly ordinary furniture to be enchanted to fulfill the needs of the user. For example, a chest can be outfitted with an ice formation to keep food cold.

The weapons tab is pretty self explanatory but the offerings are quite diverse. All sorts of weapons were available for purchase and they came with a holder to keep them on your body. The weapons also varied in terms of enchantments and materials. This dictated the price. There were swords, daggers, pole arms, staffs, wands, and gauntlets.

Lastly, the accessories tab was for mostly enchanted devices. Various types of jewelry that are used for this include rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and hair pins. The enchantments varied and some even held more than one. My storage ring and commlet are examples of such items. Unfortunately, the bracelet from my father is just a normal necklace. Maybe I should have it enchanted in the future to protect it.

I decided to check out the clothing tab first. Within that tab, there were three subcategories. They included Casual Wear, Mage Wear, and Armor. I needed new pajama pants so I decided I would come back and check out the other categories later.

After searching for a few minutes, I found a pair of normal pajama pants that I liked. They were a dark, navy blue and were snug around the ankles. Most importantly, they had pockets. They resembled joggers from Earth. Since they were not enchanted, they only cost one point. Seeing the price, I decided to grab a few pairs in different colors. It's nice to have a variety. I got a black pair, and a gray pair as well. The colors aren't too important since I never wear a shirt with them anyways.

I then moved over to the furniture section. Then I remembered that I wanted Yanni and Jacob's help with it. "Yanni, help me out? I don't know anything about how to furnish a room."

Yanni exited his booth and stood next to me. There was enough space for two people to stand comfortably in each booth. "First, let's get you a new desk chair. Then you should get some comfortable seating to place around the room. Lastly, a table and some chairs to eat at and gather around."

I stared at him blankly while I thought through how I wanted to decorate my room. I smirked as I figured it out. I flew through the furniture options, choosing the things that fit my vision. I even found a few cool decorations. Once I was done, I looked at my cart. The total price of everything came to 15 points. Thinking about how much this would have cost back on Earth, it would easily amount to at least $2000!

When I tapped the icon to check out, it asked if I wanted to have someone arrange the room for me. I shook my head and rejected the offer. The vision I had, I doubted anyone else from this world could come up with it. Then it asked which furniture items that were already in my room need to be removed. I made the selection. It amounted to almost everything!

I finished the transaction and turned around. Jacob and Yanni were waiting for me. "Meet me in my room in like half an hour. I need to rearrange some things."

Jacob shrugged. "Do your thing. We'll see you in a bit."

I nodded and rushed back to my room. I had some work to do!

Once I entered my room, the items I ordered were already scattered around the floor in front of my bed. The items I requested to be removed were also gone. I smiled as I could get used to this instant delivery.

I immediately got to it. Lifting objects, sliding them across the floor, arranging decor, it was something that I expected to be exhausting. Normally it would be but I attributed it to what happened with my body.

After an unknown amount of time, I stood in the center of the room, admiring my work. The room was perfect in my eyes.

A timely knock then came from the door. I turned to it and almost skipped to the door. "Coming!"

I slid the door open and smiled. "Behold…" I turned and struck a grand pose like I was presenting a piece of art. "Casa Callum."