Villain Transmigration: Author Transformation

It was already afternoon, yet the heat of the blazing sun struck as strong as it was then.

Before they even entered the premises of the Arid Dale Town, they made sure their cloaks got covered with the stench of rancid blood from scavenged critters and smears of dirt. 

While it wasn't much of a problem to hunt; fortunately so, they found several along the way, and took their time to put up an act of their costume.

For now, she could tolerate this foreign dirt and muck that would cling to her body for a long time.

But the blood was different.

'Bitch! I didn't sign up for this. I swear to god.'

She had this tingling sensation coursing through every nook and cranny of her body when she exposed herself to blood for too long; enough to make her knees and palms weak from the convulsion.

Naturally, Nathalie cracked her face out of disgust— she had a sudden onset of vertigo from the gooey blood that oozed and smothered under the blazing sun with fleas hovering on sight. 

She gagged, clutching her chest from even to partake in this quest but she could no longer back down from the problem awaiting them.

'I wanna go home and dance and make the projects.' All she wanted was to run away as she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Nevertheless, she reached out to the nearest animal carcass; but Keith went ahead of her as he peeled its skin, revealing the fatty juices underneath and along with its decayed muscles of such a pungent smell. He then scooped a handful and gave it to her.

For a while, aside from how gross and straightforward he went for it, she accepted it wholeheartedly. A sudden tingling sensation erupted from her chest from his gallant behavior, as what he expected no less from a valiant knight.

It always swooned her, these tiny details of his kindness. 

With that, she smiled at him and mouthed hearty gratitude.

But it wasn't enough. This time, she had to do it for herself.

Even Jonathan and Keith glanced up to her with such concern, but she had to brace herself with a deep sigh and got these antics over with it. 

She dismissed their suggestion to stay away from this if she could've manifested a sentinel but it might only attract more trouble than what they already had. More so with the artifacts, she possessed— things were better hidden for the meantime if she could've gone along with them just fine.

With them around, she was rather safe and secured... 

After which, when they were ready for their get-up, they started to trudge their way to the place they needed to go.

In the meantime, Strav transformed into a tiny bird, clinging to Jonathan's shoulders, while Ashtra slinked through Nathalie's collar.

However, every several walks she covered, Ashtra would squirm into different positions, almost strangling her neck from his constant nuisance.

Withal, she opened the link, and reprimanded him, 'Oh my gosh! Can you stop moving at all?!' 

"Ugh, why do I have to endure this putrid smell? I never stoop this low—!"

'You think I did?!" Then, she pinched a tad bit on his scaly body, earning a hiss from him. 

"What's that for?!"

'A way to silence you, If I hear you complain again."

"Oh, I will—Ahh! You—! You're pushing this?!"

Nathalie rolled her eyes as she wasn't in the mood for this. 'Sit your ass down and shut the hell up."

"What an uncouth mouth you have— How dare you! You even call yourself a lady?!"

'Snake turd.' 

"How vile— turd, it takes one to know one—"

However, Nathalie cut off the link as he kept on the prattles, there was no way she had to waste such energy for there was a bigger problem she needed to concentrate onwards.

About a few steps away, and they were about to enter the town, and what greeted them was a large space, which she suspected the town square. To her, the place was still bustling— incessant and inaudible chatters and clamors rang the air.

For the most part, they didn't garner their attention like they were no different from random travelers coming in and out of the place. 

But then, even so, Nathalie took a glance with her companions. Despite the partial veil of their faces from the cloaks, their vibe changed to a grave one at that. Her ears caught a mix of a mumble and growl from the twins.

'They must've known something.'

After which, Jonathan leaned to her side, whispering, "A local inn is located nearby, we shall secure one first."

Nathalie nodded and followed his lead.

In her eyes, almost every infrastructure of the village— made of brick stones and ground molds— was now erected in a rather disorganized manner. With sheer clothes and old blankets, if not one of them draped like a train of curtains, they got tied into a canopy from building to building. 

Several etches and discerned carvings on the pavement and walls enamored with dust and dirt, which was no surprise from a dry place.

She caught the wary gaze of several strangers, crouching or leaning from the walls or near the aisles, but she averted right away.

'I must say, it wasn't all dry with several shrubs and resilient trees thriving in the area like ornaments here, giving a pint of aesthetic to the place.' 

Suddenly, a wild commotion happened, with two men brawling, and people didn't give a damn about them. Nathalie prepared her heart as well as it was none of her business when the reflection of her indigo eyes bore a wooden crate off to her face.

She dodged the first one through a slight duck, but it wasn't all as another stone debris flew her way. 

"My Lady!" Keith breathed, pulling her close to his embrace. 

A second later, and she would've gotten the hit.

'That was close…'

Her heart skipped a beat, for myriad reasons, but she pulled away as they needed to move on, and not draw more attention.

Then, they ventured even deeper, starker shadows cast upon them with a cool breeze brushed past her.

Not too long, they now halted to a peculiar building, with drunken people coming out, and slick, robust men with several burlesque women in their arms as they were about to enter.

"We're here," Jonathan muttered, looking around at what seemed to be no abnormalities or suspicious events occurring in front of them. "We have about three hours before the pub we need to enter opens—"

He got interrupted when another commotion came—not a surprise anymore— but then a voice bellowed, which flinched the twins with its familiarity.