13. WALKING AROUND THE MARKET

Thankfully, I was spared from my mortal embarrassment.. I can't blame my kids since they always heard us adult talking about my problem back in earth.

The first three years after my traumatic experience.. I couldn't get near with guys. Especially those with imposing and big body type man. Sometimes, those that had that dangerous or alpha vibes on them scared me miles away. Its like I was suddenly gifted with alpha-man radar. Any sudden movement caused me twitching and fall. I hate how scaredy-cat I had become. From a confident woman to a broken and scared soul. Pathetic.

Thankfully, I got some of those who never gives up on healing me. They motivate and keep on resetting my thinking and perspective about life.. then I started to train myself to talk to the opposite gender more. Sit beside them and shake hand with them. Now I can confidently say I'm back to normal albeit extra wall around me, but still normal in any way.

Though.. I never tried any intimate stuff with guys since I was too busy to get my life in order and raising my kids.. and that scared me the most.

I don't want to show Kuro my weak side. He might used it against me.. who knows?a guy that I've known for three years that act so sweet and kind could be a devil in a second, whats more a stranger that I just met? It might cost not only my life but my kids too.

"So, here is the street vendors.. wait, kids.. take this" he gave each of them a little token of jade that had a red silk clothing tying through it and a small bag of money.

"You can easily get lost around here.keep this with you, and don't lose it. I'll always find you" said Kuro gently.

Ailee raised it up and look at it.

"So, its like a gps tracker huh?"

"A what?"

"Gps tracker. It's a science thingy where you can trace the location using an object"

"That's sounds like it."

"Cool. So we can look around, right mom?" I bite my lips and look around.

"Sure, but not too far" I nodded and smile. They waved and start running toward the street vendors that sold a lot of colorful things.

I stopped and turn my body to look at him.

"Talk. Why did you bait the kids away?"

"I simply want to have an adult talk with my wife"

"What kind of adult talk?"

"What kind that do you want?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Is it your habits to answer people's question with another question?"

"I don't know, maybe?" Another question and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm looking forward to know you better, Iiana"

"Yay.." Not even an ounce of excitement and then I choose to zoned him out from my peripheral.

People walking around us seems normal. Human like and I can understand all of them, though I cant really know whether that's normal or not since I had a gift to understand all languages. But looking at how my daughters interact with the owner of the street vendor, it seems they can understand each other just fine. I don't see any weird creatures and that stumped me. I had though the world will be a mixed of different beings living in one area..

Guess not.

"Don't you guys have elves,dragon or any other creatures?"

"We do but they only can be seen at certain area that benefit their kinds. Like the light elves stay mostly in the forest down south. Sometimes they may come out to interact with others but mostly at the central city where their survival more or less be higher than elsewhere. It's all depend on how the major native tribe view them. They tend to stay away from town or city that had high prejudice against them." Explained Kuro.

Ahh.. so that's explained it. Looking at the people around us, they were all wearing some kind old-renaissance era dresses and suit. And I wonder if it was brought by some of travellers who had came from renaissance era.

Kuro hold out his hand toward me and I look at his hand, puzzled.

"What?"

"I just feel like holding your hand"

I raised my eyebrow and look at him with my -you're joking right- kinda look.

"Isn't it better If I just slipped my hand around your arm?"

"We of the Shoa tribe was taught holding hand like this is more.. intimate and can bring people closer."

"Its nothing special and unnecessary"

"Yet you're unwilling to do so. If its nothing special, surely it won't bother you much"

I rolled my eyes and toughen my heart.

Slowly putting my hand on him, I became more aware of his large and strong hand. His warmth seep into my skin, making my heart beat quickly. Not of those teenage hormone things, no. I'm sure its because I'm panicking. This is my first time holding a man hand like this after eight years after that ordeal and that totally knock me off my socks.

He didn't let me ponder it too long and started to drag me around. We stopped beside the shop that Ailee and Miya was. There were some hair ornaments and stones sold there. All sparkling and one caught my eyes. It's a vine looking hair chopstick with an amber stone that look like its burning. Three strands of beads stone would occasionally flash with rainbow colours every three seconds interval.

The vine looking hair chopstick was place inside a small black box and the seller was already rubbing his hands together.

"You like? I can sell it to you really cheap."

"How much it is?" Its not like I had any money, but it seems I couldn't help but asked the price of it. That's just how I am and I bet I am every businessman/woman mortal annoyance. XD

"One piece of gold"

Then a woman passed the stall and snickered.

"A piece of gold? Tsk. Don't get trick by that old fox. He should pay you instead for getting that accursed thing away from his stall. That thing will attack anyone who touches them and wont leave that stall."

"Mind your own business, old cow." The man face had gone beet red with anger and I simply watched them throwing curses and bad words toward each other.