The very next day, the elven beauties led me to a small stream. The excitement from yesterday's fire training still kept me excited.
Evie, standing before me, shifted on her feet, looking both serious and a little... hesitant. She wasn't as naturally commanding as Ravenna, nor as effortlessly composed as Vae. But despite her shyness, she seemed very trustworthy.
"Water isn't like fire," she began firmly. "Fire is energy. It bursts, it consumes, it moves outward. But water is... different. It flows. It adapts. It listens before it moves."
I nodded.
"Water moves in response to the world around it," Evie continued. "Unlike fire, it doesn't demand attention, it learns, it reacts. You can't force it. You have to move with it."
She reached into her small leather pouch and pulled out a Tidestone. She placed it gently into my palm.
"Now, just like yesterday," she said, "channel your mana, but this time... don't create fire. Think of the water. Its coolness, its weight. How it listens, how it flows. All I want you to do is create a single drop. Nothing more."
I rolled the Tidestone between my fingers, its surface cool against my skin.
Okay. Just a drop.
I exhaled slowly and reached inward, searching for my mana. The warmth of yesterday's fire was nowhere to be found, instead, I found something else. A softer pulse, smoother, colder. It didn't surge like fire, it drifted.
I let it flow through me, down my arm, gathering at my fingertip.
A shimmer of moisture formed, a tiny bead of water, round and perfect. It wobbled slightly, reflecting the morning light.
I blinked. "Holy shit. Did I just…?"
"On your first try," Vae giggled, crossing her arms.
Evie's lips parted slightly in surprise. "You did."
I turned my hand slightly, watching the drop tremble but stay together. Then, with the smallest motion of my finger, I let it fall.
I looked up, grinning. "That was... way easier than fire."
"That's because you listened to it," Evie said. "Not everything in this world is about force. Water responds when you give it the right nudge."
Ravenna smirked. "Still, that was fast. You really are a natural."
I rolled my shoulders, pretending to be cocky. "Maybe I'm just that good."
Evie shook her head, smiling a little. "Or maybe you have really good teachers."
I met her gaze and grinned. "Yeah. That too."
We trained for a couple more days, everyday, my skills got a bit better. Like they'd expressed, we were taking small steps as I was completely unfamiliar with magic and it was a bit difficult for me to transform my mana into either water or fire as quickly as them but I was determined to learn and they were very eager to teach me.
One of those days, the sun had barely risen when Evie pulled me out to the clearing again, her hair tied back and her sleeves rolled to her elbows.
She paced ahead of me, then stopped, pointing to a smooth patch of ground.
"Alright," she said, "today, we're working on something simple, but very important, control. You're going to shape your mana into a ball of water and use it to hit targets."
"Here," she said, stepping closer and handing a tidestone to me.
I took it in my palm.
"Now," she said, stepping back and holding her hands behind her back, "channel your mana. Focus it into your palm, and imagine the mana turning into water, not just a drop, but a sphere. A proper ball."
I nodded, letting out a slow breath.
At first, I just closed my eyes, reaching inside for the familiar pulse of mana. I could feel it in my chest, traveling down my arm.
The mana moved easier now, more naturally than it had a few days ago. I focused, letting the current rise from my core to my arm, down to my palm, using the Tidestone as a guide. I pictured the water taking a spherical shape.
A ball began to form.
For a second, it held.
Then it collapsed into a small puddle in my hand and dropped to the grass.
"Not bad," Evie said with a small smile. "But you're still treating it like something separate from you. It's not. That's your mana in there. Think of it like an extension of your hand, your will."
I swallowed and tried again, this time keeping that idea in my mind: This is mine. Mine to shape, to hold, to command.
The mana surged, steady this time, and the water formed again, wobbling, trembling, but it held.
A small, imperfect sphere floated just above my palm, spinning gently.
I grinned. "Got it."
Evie raised a brow. "Keep it intact."
It twitched and started to fall apart.
"Hey, don't look away from it. Focus."
I steadied my hand, concentrating on the form, willing it to stay together. After a few more shaky seconds, it smoothed out. It wasn't perfect, but it no longer looked like it was going to explode or dissolve at any second.
"There," Evie said. "Now… throw it."
I blinked. "Throw it?"
"Yes," she said, pointing at the wooden block she'd placed at a small distance. "Hit that."
I aimed, pushed forward with my hand… and missed entirely.
The ball hit the grass with a splat.
Evie winced, then smiled. "Again."
The next few tries went about the same, slightly better aim, but the ball either broke apart mid-air or veered off course. I gritted my teeth.
"It's frustrating," I sighed.
"Yeah," she said, "but that frustration means you're close. Trust me, the day you stop feeling anything about failing, you've stopped improving."
I took a breath, formed another water ball, and launched it—thock. It hit the block dead-on and it fell off the rock.
I raised my fist in a quiet victory pump.
"Nice," she said, nodding. "But now let's make it interesting."
She picked up the block and tossed it into the air. "Hit it before it falls."
I blinked. "Really?"
She smirked. "Really."
I watched the block go up, panicked, and completely missed it with the water ball. I think I hit a bush.
"Again," she said.
The second time, I came closer, but the ball nicked it and sent it spinning. On the third, I nailed it, my shot hit the block with a satisfying crack mid-air. I grinned like a fool.
"You're getting the hang of it," Evie said, brushing her palms. "And you're not just learning water. Fire works the same way. Sure, it looks flashier and feels hotter, but the control is identical. Fire's harder to contain. With water, we can train without setting the forest ablaze."
"Speaking of fire," Ravenna said, raising an eyebrow. "Let's see if you apply to fire what you learned till now."
She tossed a bundle of dry twigs into the air.
I pulled out my emberstone, channel mana in my arm, this time focusing on fire. A small flame danced in my palm. I guided it toward my fingertip like she taught me, narrowed it down, and whoosh, a controlled stream of fire shot out, igniting the twigs mid-air in a brilliant burst before they fell to ash.
Vae's voice rang out from behind us, "One more!"
She tossed up a second bundle, this one higher. I didn't hesitate. Fire gathered quick this time, faster than I expected, and I nailed the second target before it reached its peak.
Ravenna raised her brows and gave me a half-smile. "Fast learner."
I laughed, chest rising and falling. "Feels good to get it right."
Evie also smiled. "Just don't burn the town down when you show off."
"No promises," I said, but I was grinning.
Like I expected, Evie might've been shy but she was also quite quick witted.
"You've shown quite a lot of progress these past few days, I think we should leave for the capital tomorrow but before that we're getting you some proper clothes today," Ravenna said, arms crossed over her breasts. "You can't keep wearing mine forever."
I looked down at myself, another day, another outfit from Ravenna's closet. Her clothes weren't a terrible fit, but they were slightly loose in some places, snug in others, and definitely smelled like her. Not that I was complaining. She smelled good.
Vae grinned. "And we'll get you something to hide those ears. No offense, but walking around as a human isn't exactly safe."
That part, I had no argument with. If I wanted to freely explore the city without causing a scene, I needed to blend in.
Evie handed me a small, delicate accessory, fake elf ears. They were light, slightly flexible, and colored to match my skin tone.
"Put these on," she said softly. "They'll slip over your real ears and make them look longer. It's not perfect, but unless someone gets close, they won't notice."
I carefully fitted them over my ears, checking my reflection in the polished metal of a nearby plate. It was... weird, but effective.
"Goddess," Ravenna said, tilting her head as she examined me. "You actually look like an elf now."
Vae nudged me playfully. "Welcome to Valarlon, cousin."
I was grinning. "Alright, let's go shopping."
The market area was more lively than other parts of the city. Stalls lined the streets, bursting with fabrics, leathers, and accessories in every shade imaginable. Merchants called out to potential buyers, the scent of freshly baked bread, the aroma of exotic spices, the fragrance of flowers and sweetness fruits surrounded us.
I followed the trio as they led me toward a well-stocked clothing shop.
"We'll start with casual wear," Ravenna said, pushing open the door. "Stuff that's good for travel."
The shopkeeper, an older elf woman, greeted us with a warm smile before stepping aside to let us browse.
Ravenna and Evie wasted no time picking out tunics, shirts, and fitted trousers, holding them up against me as if I were some kind of dress-up doll.
"Try this one," Vae said, shoving a deep blue shirt into my arms.
"What about money?" I asked as I hesitated, looking at the growing pile of clothes in their arms.
Evie shook her head. "Don't worry about it."
"You don't have to repay us," Vae added. "We made more than enough over the last few years. We could live without working for the next two years if we wanted to."
Ravenna smirked. "And besides, you're already repaying us by being willing to save Valarlon."
I could get used to being spoiled like this but I still felt a bit guilty for not being able to pay them back.
"The least I can do is put on a show while I try these on," I said, grinning.
Ravenna's smirk widened. "That's the spirit."
One by one, I tried on different outfits, stepping out of the dressing room each time to let them judge.
A dark green tunic with fitted black trousers.
A deep red cloak over a sleeveless top.
A long-sleeved navy-blue shirt tucked into sturdy brown leather pants.
Each time, the trio gave their opinions, sometimes adjusting a sleeve, sometimes just staring.
"You clean up way too well," Vae said at one point, biting her lip.
Evie nodded, pink creeping up her cheeks. "You look... really good."
I grinned, feeling a thrill from their reactions. This was fun.
And then, Ravenna dropped the bomb.
"Alright. Time for lingerie."
In my past life, I'd always fantasized about buying lingerie, and now that I was finally doing it, I realized I wasn't at all ready for the experience.
Standing in the lingerie boutique, half-naked in front of three beautiful women, I was suddenly feeling very aware of myself.
The set I had just tried on was dangerously revealing, a black lace bra and matching panties that barely covered anything.
I turned toward the mirror, examining myself. Damn.
I looked good.
The fabric clung to my body, emphasizing my curves, but more than that... I felt sexy.
And then I noticed something else.
The moment I turned, my eyes met Ravenna's in the reflection. Unlike Evie and Vae, who were blushing and stealing glances, Ravenna wasn't shy about looking.
Her red eyes flickered with something darker, hungrier.
I quickly covered my crotch as my dick started to tent the delicate fabric of my panties.
Vae and Evie giggled, both of them turning pink.
Ravenna, on the other hand, smirked.
Still, despite my embarrassment, I couldn't deny how much fun this was. The trio helped me pick out several sets of lingerie, including some thongs that left very little to the imagination. I really loved how my ass looked in them.
When I modeled them, they showered me with compliments, their gazes lingering a little too long.
And I was loving it.
After the shopping spree, we made our way to a cozy tavern run by one of Vae's friends.
The moment we stepped inside, I noticed the strange lamps again, almost everywhere, even Ravenna's house only had these lamps, they didn't use candles or those traditional oil lamps.
I leaned closer to one of those, it looked like any other glass lamp except there was a stone embedded inside it. "These... aren't fire lamps?"
Vae shook her head. "Nope. They're infused with light essence. More efficient than fire and way brighter."
I whistled. "Magic street lamps. Fancy."
Ravenna chuckled, leading me to a table. "You've barely scratched the surface. There's a lot more to see in this world."
I smirked as I sat down.
If this was just the beginning, I couldn't wait to see what came next.