Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Displacement ❯ A Day in the City part 1 ( Chapter 6 )

Here's chapter six!! Please R&R!!

 

I do not own Yugioh... just my own character, Jenna.

 

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In the morning, her fears had been confirmed when Seto came to her room and told her that Mahado had, indeed, been killed by Bakura. He had sealed his own monster within a stone tablet so he could serve the Pharaoh even after his own death.

Jenna sat on the edge of her bed her expression sad, learning of the kind priests demise. “Is the Pharaoh all right?”

He nodded. “He is fine. Although things are now more dangerous than they were before. Bakura lives and he now has the Millennium Ring, which will make him a VERY dangerous and powerful opponent. And his Diabound seems to be growing stronger.”

She sighed. “I guess all I can do is wait and hope that things turn out okay.” she said quietly.

Seto looked at her. “The Pharaoh thought you might be upset at this turn of events, and so he arranged for Kalim and a regent of guards to bring you into the city and show you around... if you're up to it, that is.”

She smiled in relief. “Getting out of the palace for a little while just might help me cheer up a little.” Then she blinked. “Are you sure Kalim isn't too busy to do something like that?”

Seto shook his head. “The Pharaoh would not have suggested it if he were. There is little we can do at the moment. Isis is trying to see if she can glimpse the future with her Millennium Necklace. It has been acting strangely as of late. Other than that, security is being increased around the city and the palace itself. Other than that, there is nothing we can do until Bakura makes his next move.”

Jenna managed a small smile. “Okay. I've been wanting to see the city for a while now. As long as it doesn't jeapordize any plans, I'm all for it.”

Seto nodded. “All right. I will have some food and water sent to you and I will inform Kalim. You should be leaving in the next hour or so.”

She nodded wordlessly, and he left after giving her a small nod of respect. An hour and a half later, Jenna walked out of the palace walls with Kalim at her side and five guards armed with swords and spears. She was immediately in awe.

Although there was evidence of some damage done to the buildings due to Bakura's recent attack, and the buildings themselves were primitive, the streets were filled with men and women, shopping and working, and children playing in. Having been warned that there were many petty thieves running about, Jenna kept her purse, which had been hanging over her shoulder when she had been brought to this world, close.

Many people stopped in their tracks when she came into sight and stared at her. Whispers and mutters soon erupted from the people.

“Look at her! That hair...”

“Wow... I heard that people with blue eyes can look straight down into your very soul just by looking at you!”

“Do you see her skin? It is so light... does blood even flow in her veins? Is she mortal?”

“Amazingly beautiful woman... she must have been sent to us from the God's themselves...”

“I heard that she couldn't talk in our tongue when she first arrived here! The Priests had to use the Millennium Items to teach her how.”

“One of the servants in the palace told me he saw the Pharaoh holding her in his arms out on her balcony the other night. Perhaps the God's sent her to him?”

“Look at her pouch! Never have I seen such amazing craftsmanship...”

“Do you really think she is from the future? I mean... she just seems otherworldly...”

Jenna blinked slowly and felt herself turning red. “Okay... this is... incredibly awkward...”

Kalim seemed to pick up on her discomfort and raised a hand to the onlookers. “Continue with your business. The Lady Time Traveler is unaccustomed to this form of attention.”

The crowds hesitated a moment and then dispersed. Jenna breathed a sigh of relief. She saw the citizens still casting looks her way, and the occassional whisper, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been seconds before.

Kalim smiled at her reassuringly and they continued on. The first stop, was the markets... cluttered with kiosks and stands that displayed items from clothes, jewelry, shoes, pottery and an assortment of food. There were also several places that were pubs, that Kalim strongly suggested she NOT enter. She wasn't going to argue and instead started taking in some of the items that were up for sale.

She stopped at one of the stands selling jewlery and smiled immediately. “Wow... these are beautiful...” she said. She looked at the merchant behind the kiosk. “Did you make all these?”

The elderly man nodded with a smile. “Yes, Lady Time Traveler. I found the gold myself in the river and molded it into the items you see now. They're not much, but they do keep the food on the table for me and my granddaughter. Do any of the items interest you?”

Jenna smiled apologetically. “I'm afraid I don't have any of your currency. All I have is money from my own time and...”

The man's eyes widened and a smile spread across his features immediately. “Really? Please, My Lady... may I see this money?”

Kalim and a few of the guards came forward to take a look, interested themselves as she reached into her purse and pulled out some coins.

She showed the coins to them one by one. “This is called a penny... the smallest form of currency in my country. Five of them make one of these... which is called a nickle. Ten pennies make a dime, two dimes and a nickle... or twenty five pennies make a quarter, and four quarters, or a hundred pennies make a dollar. Then we also have a toonie, which is two dollars. Then it goes into paper currency. A five dollar bill, a ten dollar bill, a fifty dollar bill, and a one hundred dollar bill.” She smiled a little. “There's also a THOUSAND dollar bill, but I've never seen it for myself.”

The old man was examining each of the coins one by one in awe. “Amazing detail... never have I seen such craftsmanship as this.”

Jenna smiled sheepishly. “Well... the coins are not hand made. They're made by machines... thousands at a time.”

He pointed to the nickle, quarter, loonie and toonie. “What manner of creatures are these? I have seen nothing like them before...”

She pointed at each one. “That's a beaver. It uses sticks and mud to build its home, which we call dams, in lakes and rivers. It's about this big...” she said, holding her hands apart to show the approximate size of the rodent, “and it uses its two front teeth to chop through the trees that it uses to make its home. This is a Moose... one of the largest animals that live in my country. It can stand six to eight feet at the shoulder, and its antlers can reach six feet wide from tip to tip. The bird is a Loon... a kind of duck. It is best known for its almost haunting call, and it migrates south for the winter...”

Kalim looked at her. “What is this... winter?”

She blinked, realizing that these people had probably never seen snow before in their entire lives. “Well... here you have two seasons... the hot season and the rainy season, right?”

They all nodded. A small crowd was building up again to hear what the time traveling woman was saying.

“Well, in my country, we have FOUR seasons. We call them spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Summer is what we call our hot season. It's the time when the weather is the most volotile. We get what we consider hot days, though they'd probably be tame compared to here, and we get thunderstorms. Autumn is when things start to cool off a little. The trees lose their leaves, the length of the days gets shorter, those animals that hibernate, or sleep during the cold season of winter, start gathering food so they don't starve. Winter is when snow... a cold fluffy white substance that would be rain in the warmer seasons, falls from the skies and blankets everything. In the winter, some birds can't stand the cold, so they travel south, where the weather is still warm. When spring comes, the weather starts to warm up again... the trees grow their leaves back, the snow melts, the animals wake up and the birds that had gone south come back.”

One of the guards blinked. “Your homeland is... complex...”

She smiled at him. “With that, I would have to agree.”

The merchant smiled at her. “And, forgive me please, but what is the creature that is on this last coin?”

She smiled. “That is something we call a Polar Bear. It lives in the far north. It's huge... about four times the size of a moose and it lives by eating fish. It's fur is pure white. Absolutely beautiful creatures.”

One of the guards was examining several of the coins, handing them back to her. “Who is the woman depicted on the other side of the coin?”

She nodded. “She is the Queen of the country that first found the land that I live in. Her name is Elizabeth, and her country is very far from my own.”

The merchant was almost giddy with excitement now. “My lady... if you gave me even a penny, I would gladly give you any one of the items you see before you.”

Jenna stared. “A penny??? But... those are the lowest currency. Even in my time they don't buy anyone anything...”

The man smiled at her. “But there are very few of them here, yes? In fact, you are the only one who possesses any of them. Therefore, in actuality, they are very rare and therefore, valuable. Just one of those coins would be worth a great deal to anyone who would wish to purchase it and that would greatly benefit me and my grandaughter.”

She blinked and then smiled, understanding what he meant. To her, these coins were worthless, but to these people, they would be incredibly valuable, not as currency, but as artifacts from the future. She handed the man two pennies. “There. One for you, and one for your granddaughter.”

The man's eyes shone. “In that case, feel free to take two items, my Lady...”

She smiled and shook her head. “One is enough. Besides, in my time hand crafted items are worth more than artificially created ones. Especially ones as beautiful as these.” She looked at the items on display and picked up a necklace with a red jewel imbedded within it. Her eyes widened a little, examining it. “Is this a ruby??”

The man nodded. “Yes, My Lady. My granddaughter found it by the river months ago, so I removed the impurites and carved it into that shape. Is that necklace to your liking?”

She smiled. “Yes. Very much so. Are you certain you are all right with the arrangement?”

He nodded enthusiastically, placing the coins into his pouch carefully. “I am most definitely happy with it, my Lady. The coins will bring me and my granddaughter enough food to last for several months, with some to spare.”

She smiled at him. “Just making sure. I don't want to leave feeling like I cheated you in any way.” She gave him a small bow. “It's been great doing business with you, Sir. Good luck to you and your granddaughter.”

The man nodded and Jenna, Kalim and the guards started to continue on their way. That's when they noticed the crowds had emerged again, and the whispers and mutters had started up again.

“Did you hear what she said? A blanket of white covers the landscape... how beautiful that must be...”

“She is so kind and considerate... and did you see the craftsmanship of those coins? Her world must be incredible...”

“What are... machines? I have never heard of such a thing before...”

Kalim rose his arm once more. “Disperse! Please return to your own duties.”

Once again the crowds thinned as the people went to their work and shopping and play, casting glances at the unusual woman from the future world.

She went back to browsing in the market, taking a moment to give a penny to one of the vendors in exchange for some sweet bread that she munched on halfheartedly. Moments after she finished her snack, a young couple approached her, the woman holding a bundle in her arms.

“Lady Time Traveler? May we please speak with you for a moment?” asked the man.

One of the guards almost stepped forward, but Jenna stopped him. She blinked, looking at the couple. “What would you like to speak to me about?”

The man indicated the woman at his side. “My wife just gave birth to our first child a few days ago.” The woman gave her a small bow of respect.

Jenna smiled immediately. “Oh, I love babies! Can I have a look?”

The woman smiled at her gently and stepped forward. The little bald bundle of joy looked up at her with half opened eyelids, and let out a little yawn.

“Your baby is absolutely adorable. Congratulations.”

They both smiled at her. “Thankyou. Her name is Manilla.” The woman said in a soft tone.

The man smiled at Jenna. “Lady Time Traveler... we were wondering if... if you would bless our baby.”

Jenna's eyes went enormous. “B... bless...? You want me to bless your baby???” She turned to Kalim. “Um... do you priests ever get requests like this???”

The man smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. “Not... really...”

Jenna sighed and then gave the couple a uncertain smile. “Listen. I'm not really sure what rumors have been flying around about me, but I think they've been greatly exaggerated. I know I look different from every one else here, but there are many people who have my characteristics in my own time. I'm really not anybody special. If I had the knowledge or the ability to bless a child for someone, I would most certainly do it for you, but I simply don't know how, for one, and for another if I were to do so, I would be making myself out to be something that I'm not.”

The woman smiled at her. “You are too modest, Lady Time Traveler. You have such a degree of kindness and understanding within you. It is said that those with Golden hair have been blessed by the Gods themselves, and are free to use those powers for good or for ill. You are most certainly not one who would use it for ill purposes. You are filled with kindness and love, and it is said that those who were blessed by the Gods can, in turn, bless those of their choosing with a mere touch.”

Jenna's eyes were huge now, hearing this. She turned to Kalim again slowly. “Did... you know about that???”

“I had heard the legends myself, but never thought of it. After all, you are the only blonde haired woman we have seen in our lands in many many years. I did not think the legends would be at the forefront of the citizen's minds.”

The girl sighed, and then turned her attention back to the young couple. “Well... I guess there's no way I'll convince you otherwise...” She smiled at them. “I never thought I would ever be asked to do something like this... much less do it. But I guess there's a first time for everything.” She held out her arms toward the couple.

The woman smiled broadly and handed the little bundle into Jenna's arms. The baby was tiny... probably weighed no more than seven pounds. She supported the head carefully and held the baby professionally in one arm, and then brushed the baby's cheek and forehead with her fingertips. She let a small smile come to her lips as she held the baby for a few moments. And then she carefully handed the little bundle back to her mother.

They both smiled at her happily, their eyes shining. “Thank you... Thank you very much, Lady Time Traveler. We are truly blessed to be in your presence.”

Jenna tried not to cringe at the way they were addressing her. Then she considered, looking at them. In her own time, a couple as young as them with a child would be having hard financial difficulties. She had plenty of coins on her that were now worthless as currency. But to these people, they were considered to be highly valuable and rare.

Smiling, she reached into her purse, and took out a loonie. She handed it to the husband. “Here. Everyone seems to think that my coins are valuable here, so I'll give this one to your family.”

The man gaped, accepting the coin numbly. Then he smiled at her, his eyes shining. “Beautiful, kind, and so very generous. I give you my sincere thanks and gratitude, My Lady. We shall use the profits wisely.” They both bowed down to her, making her turn bright red with embarassment, before they got up and headed off once more.

Jenna laughed nervously. “Um... Okay... I think I've seen enough of the markets...” She turned to Kalim. “Where to next?”

The man smiled at her. “How about the orchards by the River Nile? And then we can head back to the palace.”

She nodded. “Sounds good. Let's get going.”

 

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R&R please! In the next chapter, Jenna's experiences by the River!!