Somehow, I ended up in a sort of canoe with several wings flapping simultaneously.
Lion sat beside me and continued to hold my hand. I felt shy for a moment, but then I realized to my horror that there was no one driving the canoe.
He asked what the matter was, looking puzzled by my reaction.
I stammered as I asked him if the canoe drove itself or if he was controlling it.
Lion grinned and told me that he had telepathically instructed the canoe where to go, so it moved by itself.
He told me that it was an ord, his eyes gazing at me with amusement.
We continued to fly around, almost hitting several flying and floating creatures, until we slowly descended toward a cluster of shorter buildings.
Lion whispered that it wasn't safe and that I should stay by his side.
I murmured that he didn't have to tell me twice.
We went inside one of the wobbly-looking buildings, which was translucent like jello and there Lion released my hand.
The place looked like a normal bank back on Earth, except for the fact that there was only one creature inside. A giant fox with a human-like face and razor-sharp teeth.
Yep, it's definitely a predator.
....
Lion looked quite happy after the transaction, probably meant he had earned a lot by selling the new invention.
He asked if I would like to look around, offering to show me the sights.
I nodded.
We visited several places that seemed to exist only in imagination and hallucinations.
I was fascinated by a fountain of water that floated in mid-air, with several small, fish-like creatures swimming through the hovering water.
There were several creatures with human-like faces, though they didn't have human-like bodies like Lion's.
Two creatures were dueling with magic, summoning weird, imp-like beings that breathed fire and grew long, thorny vines.
It was all fascinating to me, but I was getting exhausted.
Sensing that I was beginning to tire, Lion used his magic to make us fly. I suddenly realized that we hadn't actually needed to ride the ord earlier.
He explained that he wanted me to experience it. If I want to understand this world better, I had to experience things that were different from what I was used to.
He was right.
....
I had been a coward for staying in my comfort zone for so long. I'd lost my sense of wonder, imagination and growth.
My life was monotonous because I hadn't allowed myself to change. I'd grown bored at work and never formed friendships because I was too lazy to make an effort. I had been content just reading about life, rather than experiencing it.
Now, I felt a burst of emotion suddenly rise up. I wanted to shout and laugh, but my common sense won out and I just smiled.
Lion held my hand, continuing to talk and point out things that seemed interesting.
Soon, the sky began to change color and we started flying toward the castle. Several winged creatures flew past us and I stared at them, fascinated.
I'm beginning to love this strange world.
....
After we arrived, Pinky hurried over to me and squealed. I hugged and comforted him while Lion watched us, amused.
He chuckled, reminding me that Pinky's a male.
Ah...
Now I understood Pinky's distress.
....
Lion and I experimented with some of the fruits using fire. Some of them burned, while others tasted horrible.
Finally, Lion hissed and burned the rest of the fruit. He summoned a floating orb that carried several bottles of light-colored liquid.
Lion ordered me to drink from one of the bottles and I hesitantly took a sip. It tasted sweet and fruity, like orange mixed with honey. I finished the bottle and sighed, feeling full and content.
Lion finished several bottles himself and looked cheerful.
He then asked me what I had been in my former world.
I told him that I was an eye doctor and patiently explained what I did.
He listened intently, looking as though he were deep in thought.
After I finished telling him what I used to do, I asked him if it was still possible for me to return to my own world.
He asked sadly if I wanted to go back.
I thought for a moment and shook my head. I admitted that I was beginning to like it here and wanted to stay.
His ears perked up and he grinned. He reassured me that I could still go back if I wanted to, but he would have to research that, since he didn't know how to travel to other universes yet, especially those without magic.
He explained that there had to be a constant flow of magical energy so that he could manipulate it without depleting the magic stored in his body.
Though, he added as an afterthought, time would be different once I went back. Since both universes had a different flow of time, there was a possibility that I couldn't return to the exact moment I left, but he wasn't completely sure about that.
Oh, well..
I didn't have any reason to go back yet and I wanted to experience a new adventure.
We fell silent, engrossed in our own thoughts, when I glanced up and saw that his hair was a mess.
Slowly, I approached Lion and asked if I could tie his hair up.
He suddenly turned red and nodded.
I combed his hair with my hands, admiring how soft and silky it felt. It was long, waist-length and seemed to behave this time.
I remembered when I first saw him. Back then, some of it had been braided and seemed to have a mind of its own.
Anyway, I continued to comb his hair with my hands and noticed Lion's tail flicking and moving slowly.
I was tempted to touch it for a moment but changed my mind. I didn't want to die yet.
I tied his hair into a half-up, half-down style.
Finally, I told him it was done and stared at his face.
He averted his eyes, his face still flushed red.
His eyes...
They looked.. mesmerizing.
I whispered to him that they looked gorgeous and that I liked them.
Suddenly, he stood up and magically summoned the cloud-like bed and went through a portal.
What did I say?
Oh...
I realized too late that I flirted with him unintentionally.
Uh-oh.