Chapter 48 – Time with Mother

"Wow you're so pretty!" that's what Mary exclaim when she saw my mother. 

[She's right.] I very tall elf, a head taller than me, but the shortest among the Pomus. Her hair is a blend of black and white and a pair of red eyes. These three colors would have comprised the three would-be subgroups of elves under Pomus Marea. Her skin is snow white with light pink luscious lips and long, curved eyelashes is noticeable as she doesn't open her eyes much. 

Although she had hidden it without me telling her, there are three dark purple colored gems encrusted on her, one to her forehead and two at each shpukder. [Thank god she hid them, those gems are the extra amount of mana in her body turning solid and manifesting in a couple of areas.] it's common among high elves or any elf with a high amount of mana. So she cleverly hid them with magic to not make it obvious she is an high elf. 

But back to my mother Marea. "Thank you little girl~" quite blushed she covered her mouth and giggling at Mary's compliment. "You seem really attach to heh...my daughter Morus there." and looking at me as the mischievous Mary is sitting on my lap. 

"Hmm~mn." after I gulped down the meal of cooked fish on a red soup I answered, "I don't really know, Mary always likes to stick to me for some reason." burbing a bit I look down at Mary. 

"Hehee—" while a coy smile. "Mori-san is really cool Mrs. Marea! She's strong and I wanna be like her in the future!" Mary jumped up her arms almost hitting me by the chin.

After I dodged that one my mother "That's nice that nice! How about you tell me—" and Mary are having their little talk while I notice glare beside me. 

That glare is from "Hmmmn~mm~mn...." Itia who's looking really jealous at Mary right now. 

[Oops~] I almost forgot as I cut down the wild roasted boar ribs glazed in butter and garlic and point the cut meat at her. "Sorry Itia I promise I'll let you seat here after Mary." dangling the forked meat in front of her. "Say ah—" and, 

"Nom!" she ate it all in one bite, chewing on the meat while still looking towards me with teary eyes and saying. "Okie~" while gnawing down the boar meat with full cheeks.

Smiling at the cute site I continue to eat. 

Whilst eating my breakfast I'm becoming aware of one fact. [Why is everyone staring at me?] well scratch that it's not me who's being stared out it's my mom. 

Me, Itia, Marea, and Mary are the only ones chatting and eating while Kumo is in the kitchen helping Marina with cooking and Gabril is also helping with serving the food. So most the attention is to my mom.  

It's obvious though. "Your mother's quite a beaut Morus." a familiar girl said. "Even for elves like us who are renowned for their beauty she blows us all out in the water." and another one beside her as well. 

I look behind and "Polnyya, Polovina!" its the two elven mother and daughter that I'm not only familiar but quite intimate with also.

"You two are still here?" I ask and they nodded. 

"Yup!" Polovina replied. "Silly, we only become predators on the night and so in the morning all of us are quite docile indeed~" Polnyya replied. 

"I know that but why are you still here?"

"Well it's great here." Polnyya said with a smile as she's holding her dish. 

"Hmn~yup!" Polovina after swallowing a chunk of beef on a warm stew. "Now that my mom and Marina are quite cool again we decided to eat here for the morning. You see others eating on their own tables as well."

I look and what do you know, there are a few of the prostitutes eating with everybody else, moreover. [They seem to be the ones staring at Marea the most.] I close my eyes and made an uncomfortable smile at that fact. 

Polnyya caught wind of my troubles and made a glare at the elves staring at my mother, "Sorry about that Morus but still," her face  went closer to me. "I dunno why but I couldn't help but want to talk to her, I just have enough self-restraint not do it." she whispered to me. 

[Well of course, you're a regular elf and she's an high elf.] There are two kinds of high elves. Ones that were born high elves and elves that were powerful enough to become high elves. No matter which one, high elves in general always attract elves and follow them. It's kind of like a feeling, hard to describe. [But I couldn't say she's an high elf let alone a Pomus.] I have not seen a single high elf yet so it would cause a commotion if I do.  

So I'm sorry Polnyya. "It's weird right? Maybe they are jealous of her?" I need to lie to you but for now. "But maybe you two can just ask her?" I hope this will hopefully compensate for that. 

"No that's—" she tried to stop but, 

"Mother! Two of my friends would love to talk to you." I interrupt Polnyya's refusal to get you two to talk to my mother Marea. 

"Oh really~" She stopped talking to Mary and looked at the two elves. "Oh my—" Her first impression of them. 

Mary noticing this. "Mori-san I'll be going now, mama and papa might be angry at me when I don't come back soon~" she plopped off my chair to take care of the kitchen. "Plus I want Mr. Kumo to teach me how to cook!" it seems she was impressed by Kumo's cooking skills

"Here you go Mori-sama~" and surprisingly, "Thanks Gabril." she came by to give me a drink and left shortly after with a wink. She's obviously popular with the customers. 

Thinking of the two. [I'll reward them soon enough.] Man I got a lot of favors to owe today. 

"Mine!!!" Itia immediately grabs the opportunity to pounce at my vacant lap seat and of course I oblige while patting her head. [That's one gone so two more now.] I thought as I look back on the elves. 

And... "Children of Sinensis, your presence truly does heal my heart. How may I help you today?" due to my mother's general aloofness, she has already caused quite a confusion to the mother and daughter pair. 

"Children of Sinensis?" Polovina asked. 

My mother looked onto her weirdly like she said something strange. "Of course, your from the Pomus Sinensis right?" she pauses. "The Sinensis elves are well know for there orange colored hair, freckled face, and leafy green eyes. Though I do sense elves of other Pomuses and even humans within you, you are without a doubt of the Pomus Sinensis through and through." my mother Marea explained. 

Polovina looks at her mother with worry. "...Is what Morus's mother saying true?" and Polnyya thinks about it for a second. 

My mom meanwhile "...So you do not even know who your seed-father is?" looks at the two with pity. 

Polnyya answers. "...When I was a child my late grandmother once told me that our ancestors sailed across the seas and travelled the world on their mighty sea vessels of forest. I always believed we came from the forests of the north though, so I wanna know Mrs. Marea..." and so Polnyya sat down on our table and attentively listened to what my mother is gonna say. With Polovina of course hurriedly following suit. 

"You wanna listen as well Itia?" I look down and see Itia eating and nodding at the same time, and so our ears are focused now too.

"That's good!" my mom clapped her hands in relief. "What your grandmother said is totally true." and after coughing her throat she explained, 

"Yes, unlike most elves, the Pomus Sinensis are elves that was quite adapted to life at the seas. Due to them seemingly having the immunity to scurvy, they could survive out at sea for a long amount of time."

"But since they are elves and are inherently connected to nature, it was common for their ships to be covered and made of a special kind of tree with large leaves to propel them in the ocean. So yes, your grandmother is right, your ancestors were truly seafaring elves." and so my mother finished her explanation. 

"..." Polnyya was silent for a moment. "...Wow." looking at her hands for a moment "....We elves live for a long time but how did I not even know my own ancestors?" and covering her face in shame. 

It was Polovina who asked a question this time. "...uhm who is this Pomus Sinensis?" 

My mother was about to enthusiastically answer the question before, "Good question! He's—" she noticed my stare.

[Do not make it so you know him personally.] That's what I was basically saying in that stare.

And as for my mother Marea, "Well the legend says that Pomus Sinensis was a very adventurous man." she got the message right away. "The long cloud of orange that was his hair was majestic as it flows like his leaf-sails. Your seed-father was one that left his home on land by literally moving that piece of land out at sea and turning it into his ship, a moving island it was called. The trees from that island was used by his descendants to transform it into their very own tree-ships as they also left the island like he did to create their own adventures." she tries her best but it still seems like she's remembering a memory and not telling a legend. 

My mother looks at the two of them again and "Overall, you Sinensis elves are a very adventurous people." the end. 

And then... 

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! 

It seems it was not us at the that were listening to her story. 

"Wow! That was great!"

"Tell us more!"

"Uhm I'm an elf as well!"

"I want to hear who're my ancestors as well!"

My mother of course, "Eh? Eh?!" was very shocked to find people were listening to her. 

[Oh mom, aloof as always.] Did you not think that a beauty like you telling a story in that siren-like voice would make everyone stop what there doing and just listen to you? [But oh well...]

"'Nurture her.'"

I repeated what Angieflora had said to me. 

"Mother." I called out to her, "You were a wonderful storyteller." and complimented her work. 

"U-uhm..." she shrinks presses her fingers together in embarrassment. "I never got complimented by you before Morus..." 

[Jeez act like a mom for once mom.] I go and sit beside her, leaving Itia on my original seat. 

Holding her hands I say, "Remember what Angie said?" I'm betting she knows what happened in that dream. 

Of course, "Of course silly, there's so many about nurturing me I dunno what to pick." she knew what happened back then. "But I guess my favorite is how both of us are mothers to each other."

I smiled, "Yup." it's not the most obvious quote but it is indeed what she said. 

And now, "Mori-nee!" Itia wanted to stick to me again. 

Also...

"Morus!"

"Marea!"

"Cheers for the two of the inn's resident angels!"

The regulars were cheering us with alcohol, the people outside are peeking and curious what's going on, and Gabril was particularly annoyed by that angel comment. 

[It will be a long breakfast.] I thought. 

•••

"Hahahaha!"

"Morus! What was that?!"

Two twins, two beards, and two beers in the morning. It's Torta and Borta laughing at me again.

"Uncle! You two are so embarrassing!" Along with the twins is Marina who's hurriedly coming back to the kitchen. "Sorry Morus if our talk is brief but lots of customers today!" she says before going back to the kitchen area whom Kumo is busy cooking right now. 

"Haha I'll be going back now Morus." Leonon said as he's much more calm going back to the kitchen. Probably because he can't run with that golem leg yet. "But I've let you three meet now so it's the least I can do." those are his last words before going back inside. 

"Wow, dat new leg of his, quite impressive." Torta said rubbing his chin as he looked at Leonon which he doesn't even need crutches anymore. "Wonder hum' madit?" I'm not gonna answer that question. 

"Now that ma niece Marina gettin'er magic back she been zooming right now." Borta also noticed the new found stamina in Marina. "Wonder what appin to'er, probly 'ad a gud'noits sleep haha!" I'm not gonna answer that as well.

Both of them looked at the whole bar area, and Torta was the one that said something first. "Tis' place quite busy eyy~" 

"Hah! We'ed trouble movin our fat asses tod' de front so we went through deh back door!" Borta replied cheering his beer. "Haha that Kumo had is quite skilled isn't he!" it seemed they grabbed some stuff in the kitchen before Marina and Leonon forced them to get out. 

Then Torta looked at me and said. "I thinkin we no what be goin on'in 'ere!" He told me with a wife grin. 

"...What do you mean?" I try to feign ignorance but,

It didn't work. "Yer full of surprises aren'tcha!" said Borta while laughing his belly off. 

"I can't e'lieve such ey stunner such as she'y wod be ur mum!" said Torta as he points his thumb towards her. 

Around her is an elf. "I would like to know of who my ancestors are Mrs. Marea!" that is just one among multitudes of elves that have flocked to her and asked that question. 

"Of course of course..." Even my mom with her infinite magic does not equate to being mentally full from these questions. Polovina and Polnyya have left as well satisfied from their conversation.

"Ey they be swarmin'er like de bees." Torta said looking quite concern.

[I need to do something about that.] she is aloof but isn't a patron saint of patience.

"Mom!" I call her out. 

"Yes dear!" right away she stood up and went for me, and since it's me no elf will do anything against it. [She was tired from talking as well.] to the way she rushed away from the elves. 

"..." I look at the twins and see Borta nodding and Torta moving his bushy eyebrows up and down. [I wanna hit their heads just once.] but they came all the way here just for that news so I can't, for now.

But I quickly look to my mom once more, "Well mother Marea..." holding her hands if she's tired. "Would you want to join me?" I said to her. 

"We be going over to see yer new house!" Borta elaborated on what I declared. 

"Yup missus Marea, we plannin to guide you two to ur place." Torta also said.

[Well at least the two tried to tone down their accents just for her.] I guess I won't be hitting them in the head for now. [But I wish they'd do that courtesy for me as well.] I'm annoyed by that

My mother meanwhile, "Oh my~thank you!" bowed her head for them. 

But not really for a noble reason. "Wow I thought you two were dwarves for a second~" she was checking to see if they have long earlobes, the signature trait of the dwarves.

"Hahaha ol'people always be tellin us that and I dunno what they even lookin like!" Torta laughed. 

"But they'in be handsome if they lookin' like us haha!" Borta shouted. 

"Fufufu I apologize~" my mom giggled a little bit herself. 

As for me, "Thanks for helping us out." I also bow my head to them. "You two have done so much for me even though we barely knew each other before." just my honest thoughts. 

"That be no problem!" Borta reassures. "You don't need to..." but looking at Torta he nodded. "On second thought Morus, there is one thing we bein needin' yer help." Borta asks us a request. 

"Go on..." so I listen to their request. 

••• 

"I'll be back I promise!" I say my goodbyes to the rest of my companions for now as me and my mom leave the Starting Point Inn to go to see the place I'll be living in from now on. 

"Let's play when you come back Mori-san!"

"Mori-nee!"

"I hope you two have fun Mori-sama!"

[C'mon it's not like I'll be leaving for long.] I thought as I wave goodbye to them. 

Especially Kumo. [Kumo...] he is the only one that's still not had his own time with me. 

Gabril with the brothel and Itia last night, he's the only one left that I did not have my alone time yet.  

But alas, [I know the perfect thing we would do together later.] I already told him before hand and that's probably why he isn't at the door waving goodbye as he's readying for it in my room. 

But now I look at the two dwarf-like humans beside me and I ask, "Are you two sure that's all you wanted? I'll say it because no one understands what your saying with that accent." what they reqiested is this,

"The two of us would be your first customers. Due to our jobs our backs had been aching and hurting from bending down hammering on our crafts. So we'd like to be the first ones; cure our backs and free of charge." I finished describing them just for you. 

"Yup yup!" Borta said. 

"Not anything else!" Torta said. 

And while the two of them are marry babbling to each other,

"...Mmmmm..." mother, like a curious child, is seeing the sites this city has to offer.

[Well, she doesn't really get out to Atlantis that much.] of course she goes with me to help out from time to time back in Endless. Even then she's better served as a figurehead to visiting NPCs and players because of her status as a Pomus. 

Wanting to start a conversation I ask, "Are you enjoying this, mother?" admittedly, [There's still some need of getting used to before I fully see her as my mother.] it just doesn't come naturally. 

Looking she said, "Yes, this place is very like, rustic and quaint compared to the marbled pillars back home." that's her honest evaluation without any malice.

I could only smile vaguely at that response [...Yup, still very naive indeed.] this is my fault, as Atlantis was the place my mother has ever really known, she seems to think that Atlantis is the standard in which to compare things by. 

In other words... "I am very surprised that there's so little magic here and not even portals to travel around quickly!" 

[My mom is privileged as hell.] that's what I concluded. [I need to make sure to tell that Atlantis is not normal.] even by Endless standards players say that our base is like paradise. 

"But well..." she looks down and, "I like it here already because I get to spend my time with you Morus." looks at me with a warm smile saying that. 

"Mom..." I hold our hands tightly when she said that. [I guess your getting more and more in there mom.] more for me to accept you as my parent.

"But yeah! Atlantis really is quite beautiful and stuff." my mother tries and moves away from an embarrassing subject back to Atlantis.

[I guess I'll go ahead with it for now.] both of us need still some time to get used to each other.

And so, "Well....how about the people here?" I start a conversation once again.

"Hmmmm...." After pouting for a bit about the missing common conveniences in Atlantis, my mother responsed with. "Well the people here sure are a lot more fun than Atlantis at least." she told me with a bit of sadness in it.

"I see..." I suddenly remember her back in Atlantis. 

Considering her status. [The people there never did talk to her much huh...] she must have felt so lonely whenever I'm not around, and even if I'm around. [I don't even talk to her then.] I'm thinking of the amount of times she just stares at me, being a mother and not being able to talk back to your child. [She must have felt so pathetic!]

And then... "With you as well Morus! We never talked back then so this is the most fun I had with you!" that may sound like an innocuous comment to her but for me it's the last straw. 

My heart aches. "So yeah—mn?" my mother finally notices. "Is there something wrong dear?" she asks looking really worried about me. 

I'm making a scene right now but I don't care. "I'm sorry mother." looking at her with sadness. "I'm a terrible daughter. Angie made a promise to me that I would take care of you, but I didn't and I'm —"

"Don't worry about it." she grabs me and the two of us stare face to face. "You were the leader of the Black Orcas Morus, the group that found and took care of me like their own family. I have seen bad people trying to force giving me that power to them, and you always protect me from it." she tells me. 

This response is even more embarrassing because she is a head taller than me so I do seem like a child if you looked at us.

"But mother." looking at her up straight in the eye, "This time I will do my best to spend as much time with you as possible." I reaffirm my beliefs and in turn,

"You already are." our eyes meet but this time it's filled with warmth as opposed to worry like earlier. "This is the happiest I've been ever since we met Morus."

"Mom..." our eyes glowed and just for a moment, I saw something within that I couldn't describe but, 

"Hey!"

"Ya two'll can do dat when yer on da house!"

The two dwarf-like twins called us out for our scene. 

"O-on it!" I quickly stop and went to walking, with mother as well being red in the face. 

Elsewhere nearby, 

"...what a beauty."

"I know elves are stunners but she a knockout over the rest of them!"

"Father! Why is that elf so tall?"

"Tsk! Show off."

It seems that the presence of a very tall, very slender, and very beautiful elf has become the talk of the city. 

[Damn, I never noticed it'll be this bad.] I always get looked at but combine with mom's height she is being stared at even more than I am right now. 

[I'll need mom to not get uncomfortable with right now.] I want her to be happy to spend time with me as her daughter so I remove the shame we brought upon together to go and continue our talk. 

"...Mom, what do you think of the elves you met earlier?" I ask her an easy topic to resume our conversation.

"Eh!? Ah yes, uhm..." it seems my mom still has not fully recovered from what happened just before but she quickly composes herself. 

"To be honest..." strangely, "...I kinda feel pity for them." her answer was pretty serious for my mother whom I am expecting to be quite cheerful now. 

Of course, "Why so?" I ask. 

"Well..." she holds to her chin and thinks for a moment. "Well Morus, just their general magic aura I guess." she elaborates further.

"I have seen elves with not much magic on them. Mainly the Pomuses focused on combat or the ones with innate special abilities like the dragon elves of Pomus Pitaya; but obviously they have other powers they can compensate for their lack of magic. The elves here are..." in sadness her eyes closed longer before speaking again. 

"...Malnourished, is the closest thing I could describe it." and now she's even struggling to speak. 

"I'm here with you mother." holding her hand once more I stare for her to continue. [Frankly I do not know what she refers to at being malnourished but I will support her either way.] and I am curious to what she meant. 

"Thank you Morus." My mother replied, and now after clearing her throat she continues. "What I mean is their magical power, for elves, are abysmally weak. It's difficult even for me to differentiate their magic from humans." she tells while grinding her teeth, frustrated at the whole thing. "I mean their just humans with long ears at this rate!" in her anger she lets out a little bit of her magic and everyone backs away. That's good I guess.

Meanwhile, "I didn't notice that..." it's the honest truth. [Maybe it's because I'm used to seeing mana by a bar above their heads.] it's easy to tell mana from just that so I didn't focus much on seeing their aura. But for mom who has to use the auras to tell their mana it must be a completely different experience. [I can magic aura but I can only see it and not interpret it in anyway.] I can see the quantity and not the quality of magic. 

Now that I don't have UIs to rely on in this Endless, [I need to practice using aura asap.] even though I know I'm overpowered there are things I still need to do in this world for me to survive. [Relying on my power alone will be the downfall of me.] I am not ignorant enough to not know that. 

But back to my mother, "Yes well, although I did meet elves that did have potential, mainly that parent and child. There are others that just...it just seems like the pathways to create magic aren't even open yet!" she told me in frustration. "Elves that couldn't do any magic...how disgraceful is that?!" Elves that hadn't learned magic is like a dwarf that hasn't touched a hammer before. Even I know how bad that is.

And from anger to sadness once more, "And Elves are a race that relies on magic to attain their longevity. So even though they are still so young, without magic they feel so old and...might parish pre-maturely." she finally told the grim reality of their life and the source of her sadness and frustration. "Elves use magic naturally flowing in their body to rejuvenate their organs and attain their long life. Without it their lifespan is only just above an average humans's. So it just feels so..." my mother couldn't continue.

[I see, the elves on Endless can live for centuries but I have seen no elves at that age in here at all.] I stare my mother and ask. 

"Mother, do you want to help them?" I elaborated further. "I too feel sorry for them mother so of course if you can." I suggested and she gave a conflicted expression.

"...Can I Morus? But how about you, I am your mother right? I want to—" I knew what she was about to say so I interrupted her. 

"Mother, you are a Pomus so I know you feel obligated to help these poor elves. I do too so we can help them together, there's always time to be a mother for me but also for everyone as well." I reminded her and in turn. 

"...Yeah, even though they are not my own I want to help them because they are still the children of my brothers and sisters in a way, so my heart breaks to see them in that state." she told me, clutching her chest and giving a worried but determined smile. 

"And I also want to ask of your help later as—" and before I finish my conversation. 

"We're almost there!" 

We have to stop and hear the voice of Borta shouting at us.

And while we were silent for a moment... "...Speaking of their brothers and sisters." she was the one that resume our talk this time. "That's another reason why I feel pity for them."

"Explain away." I tell. 

"Well, they don't even know what a Pomus are. They don't know the names of their ancestors. They don't know they came from such great beings as a Pomus, the names of Sinensis, Limon, Parasidi, the names of their seed-fathers and seed-mothers, are foreign to them." looking down in frustration once more before looking up with a fire in her eye. 

"So you want to teach them?" I ask, already knowing her intention and smiled. 

"Yes." she nodded. "I want them to know just how great their lineage is and how they can have the potential to reach their greatness as well." it seems she's taking this matter very personally. 

[Well they were great to you mother.] The rest of the Pomus when we discovered my mother Marea had all visited her at some point and gave her many gifts, including representatives of their own Pomuses to gift to serve under her. 

[There was even one she was especially close with...] arguably the most powerful Pomus was closest to the weakest Pomus out of all. Even gifting her the greatest gift of his own potential heir to her. They were so close that the playerbase frequently ships them together. 

[I'm sure she's thinking about him right now.] But before I can ask the twins, they stop at their tracks and looked at a particular building. 

"Morus." my mother asks one last request. "Let's go and pray to my Mother Elf Angieflora later okay? To hopefully guide our new journey together."

"Of course." I nodded before staring at the building that would become our new home. 

And our new home is—

Chaaruzu_Corner

4915 words! Wow lol it's not 8000 but it still a lot to consider that I used to think 2500 was massive back then xD 

But yeah, more Marea this chapter! And have you guessed what the pomus was inspired from? :3 yeah there ain't a lot of comments answering ur last time so this is the last chance, I'll tell next chapter xD

But the thing I'll tell you is indeed, pomus are based on fruits, a simple google translate shows that pomus means fruit in Latin so yes xD and the pomus names are like the scientific names of fruits and stuff, I love it there's a lot of names I can use without thinking and yeah xD I can like use the fruits attributes as powers to each individual pomus :3 like Sinensis for example, if you know that it means orange than the scurvy line makes sense hehe. 

But yeah this all started because of Morus, I forgot when I thought of it but it was from a Greek word that I mashed up and when I looked for it it was the name of a berry xD berry cool hehe

But yeah unfortunately the events recalling what Kumo and Itia didn't make it this chapter, I honestly forgot about it and I couldn't rewrite it because the setting already put them behind the counter so yeah maybe in the later chapters lol

But that's that! Ling authors note so yeah arigatou and goodbye! :) :3 :D