Abode

"Come on in," the old woman instructed. "Don't worry. He won't hurt you."

I nodded silently before entering the foyer, glancing around nervously. I didn't see anyone else in sight besides the giant stone statue standing guard at the entryway.

The interior of the house wasn't quite as impressive as the outside. Thick carpets covered the floor, giving way to plush couches, chairs, tables, and various decorations. There weren't many bookshelves, however, and only two paintings depicting scenes from different eras sitting on the wall opposite the staircase leading upstairs.

Ahead of me stood the kitchen, separated by a thin partition from the dining room. It was spacious and well-lit, thanks to numerous candles placed strategically throughout. On top of the table sat several bowls filled with fruits, vegetables, and meats, accompanied by plates containing similar foods arranged neatly beside them.

"Who's that golem?" I asked, looking over my shoulder. "Is he alive?"

"I'm not really sure myself. It's the last thing my husband left behind before he passed away," her sorrowful eyes drifting to the ceiling.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. It happens to all of us sooner or later," she sighed. "Now, sit down and make yourself comfortable. Dinner should be ready soon."

"I can help," I suggested.

"Nonsense. You need to get cleaned up first," she insisted. "There is a bath to the right. It's not very big, but it's somewhat functional. Unfortunately we don't have a toilet, so you'll have to make a hole, for that matter," she said, turning and disappearing back to the kitchen.

"Uh, okay. Thanks."

Entering the bathroom, I realized how dark it actually was since there weren't any windows, relying entirely on candlelight for illumination. There was a sink and a wooden tub area at the far end, between a few jagged buckets. And then, I realized a problem: I had absolutely no clue how any of the fixtures operated. There was no need for these things underwater, after all, so I'd never learned anything useful beyond basic hygiene.

"Sorry, I'm not sure how this works," I called.

"Ahhh, of course. It's not the usual 'bath in a barrel' type of setup," the old woman remarked, walking over with a smile on her face. "Rocky! Come over here."

Within seconds, the stone golem emerged from the other side of the room. "I'm here."

"Good golem," she cooed. "Do your thing. Do the bathtub thing," she instructed.

He paused for a second, then raised his arm and aimed at the tub, and with a flick of his wrist, a thin stream of water materialized from his finger and landed with a gentle splash inside the tub. "Done."

"Sorry, he can't get the water to be warmer, but he can fill it up nicely," she explained apologetically. "You'll get used to it in no time." She turned back to me and smiled brightly.

"No, it's fine. We never had hot water where I came from either."

"Then that's perfect! That means you won't have any issues adjusting to life here," she replied, turning back to the kitchen. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Aleratha," I answered quietly, feeling uncomfortable for some reason. Perhaps my mind had linked my name with devastation ever since that dragon called out my name. Maybe I subconsciously believed it would summon death upon me again.

"Aleratha? That's an interesting name. I've never heard of it before," she mused.

I stepped into the water, allowing my upper body to submerge beneath the surface. My hair began to float upward as my head sank lower into the lukewarm liquid.

"It's a traditional elven name," I muttered, sinking my head underwater. Instead of gasping for air, I felt a tingle spread across my skin as the oxygen of the water entered my bloodstream.

"That explains it. Your ears are pointed like an elf."

"Yea," I responded, my voice hushed by the water.

"And you should take your clothes off, Aleratha. It's not comfortable when they get soaked, right? I get that it's embarrassing to undress, so I'll get going," she said quickly, leaving the room. "Come, Rocky."

The golem closed the door, leaving me alone in the darkness and its footsteps fading away.

Resting underneath the water, I allowed my mind to wander freely for a few moments. I didn't really think of much, really. All I could focus on were shame and guilt, so eventually, I stopped thinking altogether.

***

"Here you go!" Her smile widened as she handed me the steaming bowl of fish broth, its savory aroma making my mouth water. "I'll teach you my recipe so you can cook for me, haha."

As I took a hesitant sip, the savory broth enveloped my tongue and filled my mouth with a burst of flavors. I was surprised to find it delicious, even though I had never heard of the ingredients she used.

"It's good," I muttered softly with a light smile.

"See? You can smile, after all!" she giggled happily, sitting next to me. "Coconut milk is the secret ingredient here. It adds so much creaminess and a slightly tropical flavor."

"It's different from how we used to eat fish back home."

She tapped me on my back. "Is it safe to assume elven culture is far different from ours?"

"I don't know. Probably."

"So, how did you eat them?" she asked, pointing to the bowl. "Did you just boil them whole?"

I took another sip of the broth, thinking for a bit. "We ate them raw. Never really prepared anything."

"Huh. Well, whatever floats your boat, I guess," she shrugged. "But if you want to keep eating like that, you're gonna get sick, because those aren't the kinds of fishes we usually catch."

"Elves are mostly immune to fish parasites."

Her eyes lit up. "Wow, really? That's pretty neat."

"Yea."

She tilted her head, making a face. "You're like me when I was younger—terrible at conversating. You're supposed to either explain how or ask me about something. Come on, ask about the golem or something."

I scratched the back of my head, thinking of a question.

"How did your husband make that golem?"

She chuckled. "Well, I'm not exactly sure how he created him… but he was a talented man, so maybe that's why? Anyways, he spent years crafting that rock creature after meeting the earth spirit. The next day, he could do some crazy things with rocks and stuff."

"...What exactly is a spirit?" I questioned cautiously. "I've only heard of the water spirit, but that's it."

"A spirit? You don't know the spirits?"

I shook my head. "Not really."

"Oh. That's weird..." She paused briefly. "Many, many years ago, there was a God and nothing else. He roamed around in the void, all sad and lonely." She took the spoon and mushed the vegetable in her bowl into countless pieces. "One day, he split himself into many fragments, also known as the world spirits. The earth spirit, for example, created the ground beneath us. The plant spirit created the nature we see today, and I suppose you can figure out what the water spirit created?"

"The sea?"

"Exactly!" She clapped her hands together excitedly. "They exist everywhere, yet they live nowhere at all. Their purpose is to watch over everything and protect everyone by lending them their powers. Over the years, rarer spirits began to occur, such as the love spirit, death spirit, and even things like the blood spirit. No one knows how they are born. Perhaps it's based on all organism's emotions. Or perhaps they evolve. But anyways, each individual has unique powers that allow them to manipulate the environment around them."

I gazed at my hands, lost in thought for a moment.

"Then, could you tell me what the Empyrean Spirit is?"