When Noah woke up, he saw that he was no longer in the tent. Actually, he was, but most of the tent had been disassembled around him.

Chastity was kneeling, packing her backpack with cooked bear meat, and noticed he was awake. “Yer finally arisen? Ye sleep as a log!” She smiled widely. He groaned and sat up. “We’ll be wending North. That’s where the longfolk capital is. There, I’ll be asking the Emperor for help. Come on, we’ve got much walking before us.”

Noah got up and helped Chastity finish packing the camp, and the two set off through the woods. The woods were a lot less creepy in the light of day. The trees were colourful, with some having leaves of bright yellow and others leaves of dark purple. The sky was visible through the canopy and was bright blue, except for the huge, green gas giant covering a third of the sky and the few smaller visible celestial bodies surrounding the gas giant, the largest of which looked like it was recently shattered to pieces.

They walked for hours through the forest. They were mostly quiet, as Noah was tired and sore. His jaw was sore, his back wound was sore, and his penis was still a bit sore, too. Chastity did talk a bit while Noah listened, mostly about the surrounding area and the longfolk.

“The capital of the longfolk is the Toldenhold. The Emperor lies therein. He names himself the Emperor but is more of a petty king. Don’t ye let the longfolk hear ye say so, though. They’re all touchy and proud. They think the Toldenhold is the middlepoint of the world.

“We’ll go North for another few hours until the forest ends, I think. I know not what’s there, but I know ahead be the Rainbow Mountains, and beyond that, the Wandering River, which we may be able to sail on.”

Noah nodded at her. They kept walking for hours through the forest. At one point, Noah heard a tinkling sound overhead and saw a bird that seemed to be made entirely of glass, which tinkled like a bell when it moved. Strange. Aside from that, they saw no sign of animal life until they exited the forest.

Where the forest ended, massive, rolling hills began. The Rainbow Mountains were visible far in the distance. Closer, there were many hills of green, some large orange rock structures which spewed smoke into the air, and a few yellow-leaved trees here and there. As for life, there were a few flocks of birds visible in the distance, but there were no land creatures.

Noah was already getting tired, even though they had only been walking for a few hours.

“Keep up, Noah! We’ve got a long day before us. Give up not so soon, nie?” She smiled, encouraging Noah to keep walking. But already, his lungs were tired, and his feet hurt. They ached from all the walking, and since he had no shoes, they were starting to bleed from stepping on various sticks and rocks. But he knew they were on an important mission, and he didn’t want to slow her down, so he didn’t complain.

It seemed like the Rainbow Mountains receded away from them as fast as they approached, and every hill they climbed had yet more hills to ascend behind it. But Chastity assured him they were making progress. The large, thin glass tower to the distance on their right, which twisted up into the sky like a chain, also seemed to move along with them. The structure curved into infinity, and Noah didn’t think it could be habitable.

At one point, in a valley between hills, Chastity put her arm out to stop Noah and yelled, “Hold! Angel, get back!”. Noah stopped and looked in front of him. Before him was a crack in the ground: a hole about twenty feet long that seemed to go down for miles and terminated in a faint, red glow.

She spoke quietly to Noah: “It’s a crevasse leading to Hell. The fiends won’t come this high, but I fear wights from the dark deeps. Such monsters can be perilous, and I’ve heard tale of them flowing forth from a crevasse like this. They can smell yer fear, Noah, and hear yer breathing. Hold yer peace, and come this way.”

Chastity waved Noah to follow her as she slowly, quietly tiptoed around the crevice. Noah smelled a strong, nauseating sulphur smell and gagged. Angel followed Chastity closely, too.

She stopped, raising her hand, indicating that Noah and Angel should stop too. She leaned one pointy ear toward the crevice to hear better. Seconds passed like this, with her staying perfectly still, listening. Then, she ran several steps away from the crack. “Something be coming, Noah! Make yerself ready!” She drew her bow and pointed it at the hole. Noah withdrew his volcanic glass sword and held it awkwardly.

Noah could hear a sound coming from the crevasse. A faint shrieking. The flapping of leathery wings. Then, from the crack emerged a large, bright yellow creature. It looked like a stingray, if stingrays were yellow and could fly.

The creature flew directly toward Noah and Chastity, shrieking loudly. It pointed its tail toward them, and Noah could see that the tail was tipped with a long, sharp, bright green spike. The spike alone was longer than Noah’s sword.

“Away, ye foul wight! Back to yer stinking crevasse!” shouted Chastity as she unleashed an arrow. The creature twisted in the air, dodging the arrow, and continued to fly toward them. “Enlarge Beast,” she shouted, and at once, Angel grew to an enormous size. Her growth was so sudden that, in growing, she knocked Noah off balance, and he struggled to avoid falling over. She barked and readied her teeth to bite the creature when it came within range.

The creature shrieked again and launched its tail spike at Noah while Chastity shot her second arrow. The two projectiles crossed one another in midair. The arrow struck the yellow monster directly in its chest, and the creature spun down toward the ground. At the same time, Noah flinched as the green spike shot right past his neck, so close that he could feel the wind of it going by on his skin, and his hair was jostled by its passing.

Angel caught the creature in her jaws and shook her head violently. Half of the thing flew off, the other half remaining in her jaws.

“Jesus Christ!” yelled Noah, who had just narrowly avoided being spiked through the throat.

Angel kept chewing on the creature until Chastity said, “End Enlarge Beast,” Angel returned to normal size. The fine grass around her mouth was covered in the creature’s dark purple blood.

“Are ye alright, Noah? It hit ye not, did it?”

“No, no, I’m fine. I mean, it almost took my head off, but I’m fine.”

“Good. Accursed wight. Let’s go, ere more come. We were lucky there was but one.”

“Yeah. Jesus.” They started to back away from the crevasse and walk around it. “I had no idea that thing was going to shoot that spike at me.”

“Be ever ready for the worst, Noah. Many monsters in this world can slay ye in a blink, and those from the dark deeps are some of the foulest. We should have cast its body down to Hell where it belongs.” She stowed her bow as they kept walking. Noah put his sword away, too.

“Hell? Hell is real?”

“Aye, there be such a place. But it’s best not to speak about such unholy matters, nie?”

Noah nodded. They continued their journey through the hills. Noah was exhausted. He wondered as they walked whether any part of this world was safe, or if the whole planet was covered in horrible monsters that could kill you in a second. But he kept his complaints to himself, not wanting to seem weak in front of Chastity.

They walked for hours through the rolling hills, with much of the day passing as they walked toward the Rainbow Mountains. Along the way, Noah was repeatedly reminded that he was not in his world when they would pass by a small copse of glass trees which flickered violently with a green, internal light, or they saw a squirrel-looking creature with eight legs scurrying into a bush. Not to mention that Noah saw the giant, green planet and its smaller satellites staring him in the face every time he looked up. Noah was miserably tired, and his feet screamed, but part of him felt awe at this bizarre new world.

Noah lagged behind Chastity and Angel and turned his head to look at Chastity when she yelled back at him. “Noah! Forth there! There be a farm of shepfolk forth! Mayhaps we can rest there for the night and fill our waterskins.”

Noah jogged to catch up. Cresting a hill, Noah could see the farm Chastity was talking about in the distance. He saw a few white, wooden buildings, and a field of what looked like red balloons. Moving through the field were a couple of people who looked like upright sheep, with jet-black skin and puffy, white wool. As they approached the farm, the sheep-people would sprint from here to there and then stop. Then they’d run again. Occasionally, he saw one jump. Noah couldn’t tell what they were doing, and he didn’t really care. He just hoped they would let Chastity and him stay the night in their farmhouse because he didn’t want to sleep on the grass. Bugs from his world were bad enough. Who knows what was crawling in the grass here.

One of the sheep-people saw them coming toward the farm and bleated to the other sheep-person. The second sheep-person nodded and continued running around the field of balloon plants, while the first came to greet Noah and Chastity, which it did in an archaic-sounding form of English. Aside from the wool and other minor sheeplike features, it looked more human than sheep. Its shaky voice was reminiscent of a sheep’s baas.

“Hail, thou mortals born of human womb! What affairs bringeth thee to the Empire of the Bestretched?”

Noah began to respond. “Hi there-“

An arrow shot from Chastity’s bow, punching straight through the skull of the sheep-person. They fell to the ground, dead.

The other sheep-person, who was struggling and jumping to catch a balloon as it was released from a plant into the sky, turned and saw their companion lying dead on the ground, and bleated in horror. The red balloon floated up into the sky.

Noah watched in horror as the sheep-person started to run away through the field of balloon plants, as Chastity nocked another arrow.

A piercing voice shook Noah’s mind.

STOP HER!

Noah shook himself and took off after Chastity, who was walking forward and aiming her bow. Angel stood with Chastity, but barked toward the retreating sheep-person.

“Stop! Stop! Don’t!” yelled Noah.

Chastity glanced over her shoulder, bow still drawn, and looked at Noah.

“Don’t shoot them! Chastity, please! What are you doing?”

“Noah, what ghost have ye? What’s yer woe?” She spoke in a slightly concerned, but calm, voice. Her bow was still pointed at the sheep-person, who had ducked down and was cowering behind a bush at the edge of the field.

“What do you mean? What are you doing? Why did you kill him?”

Chastity raised her eyebrows in confusion. “Him? Ye mean the shepfolk? Ye don’t deem it a humanfolk, do ye? It’s but a beast. Why are ye like this, Noah? Ye seem like ye’ve seen a wight!” Chastity put down her bow, but kept one eye on the sheep-person who was motionless, hiding in the bush. Angel stopped barking at the sheep-person, but still remained alert.

Noah shouted at Chastity. “He spoke to us! He’s a person! Beasts can’t speak, Chastity? What the fuck are you talking about? You can’t just kill people like that – it’s murder!”

Chastity looked hurt by the accusation. “Murder?” She paused, mouth open, searching for an explanation. “Noah, I’m sorry. I knew not that slaying it would offend ye. Soothly, I have no notion of what ye mean, but if yer offended by it, then I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Noah was incensed and yelled down at Chastity. “You’re sorry? Tell that to the sheep guy you just shot in the head!”

Chastity shook her head. “Noah, it is but a beast. It has not feelings. It’s a monster. It may be upright and speak the language of the humanfolk, but it feigns to be human. It be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Noah stared her down for several uncomfortable seconds. She looked back innocently. He saw nothing malicious in her eyes. He sighed. “Please, Chastity, please. I know you… I know you think they’re just animals, and I’m sure that’s what you’ve been taught to believe, but please, don’t kill them. It’s wrong. They’re clearly intelligent beings.”

Chastity took her time thinking of a response and then spoke. “Noah, it be sooth they have intelligence, but so too have the false gods, and so too have the prince of fiends. Feelings, too. But they’re still monsters, nie? They’re not born of humans.”

“Whatever, Chastity. Just promise me you won’t kill them, okay? Not without talking to me about it first.” His voice was firm, and she nodded slowly in response.

“Alright, Noah. If ye say so. I understand not, but I’ll obey.”

Noah looked toward the living sheep-person. He couldn’t see their face. Only their hooved feet, and a bit of white wool peeking out of the bottom of the bush they hid behind. Noah walked toward the bush and called out to them gently.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry my friend killed your friend. We aren’t going to hurt you, okay?”

Noah could hear the sheep-person’s panicked, shallow breathing. They didn’t move or respond, but remained frozen behind the bush.

Noah looked back at Chastity, who seemed ashamed and was looking down at Angel. He looked back to the bush. “We’re not gonna hurt you, I promise. Okay? Do you understand me? Please come out.”

The sheep-person immediately came out from behind the bush. It still looked to be panicking, and its eyes were wide in terror. But it came straight toward Noah, and stopped in front of him.

The sheep-person was a woman who spoke in a shaky, sheep-y voice that was clearly more feminine than the other sheep-person’s. “Thy speech I apprehend, though its rhythm is queer. Yet, I confide thou wilt not kill me.” She walked toward the corpse of her companion, whose eyes still stared up at the green gas giant in the sky above. “Alas, my dearest Cassius. My sweet Cassius hath been slain! O Eye, thou exact too greatly, and bestow too sparingly!” The sheep-woman fell to her knees, held the wool of her dead companion in her small hands, and began to sob.

Noah’s heart hurt. He couldn’t bear to see the sheep-woman’s misery. Chastity, too, was tearing up. Angel walked cautiously toward the sheep-woman, sniffing at her.

They let her cry over her dead companion for several minutes. Sunset began as she wailed. Angel tried to jump up on her and lick away her tears, but Chastity shouted for her to get down, and she did.

Through the last of her tears, the sheep-woman spoke again, looking up at Chastity. “In this world, I now stand alone. I was two, but now am I one. Thou hast stolen all from me, thou who deemest me a beast. Wherefore should I not harbour the same sentiment of thee?”

Noah said again, “I’m really sorry.” There was guilty silence for another minute. Then, he asked the sheep-woman her name.

“Berenice. This is mine own farm. I yearn for solitude, so I beseech thee, begone swiftly.”

Noah nodded, but Chastity spoke. “We were hoping to sleep here for the night. Have ye an extra room we could sleep in? We also have need of water.”

“Chastity…”

“Yea, thou mayest abide the night here. It is mine honour to serve thee.” The sheep-woman named Berenice stood, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I shall provide thee with water, and any other wish thou mightst have, though it grieves me so.”

“It’s okay, really; we don’t have to stay,” said Noah

“‘Tis alright. I crave thine approval more than I crave thine absence. Come.” Berenice stood and waved them toward the modest farmhouse. “I have a spare room. Thou mayest sleep within its confines this night.”

Noah and Chastity, and Angel, in turn, followed the sheep-woman. Her skin was jet-black, but most of her body was covered in white wool, which bobbed a bit as she walked. Instead of hair, she had wool on top of her head that Noah thought resembled a small white afro. Noah and Chastity exchanged a complicated glance, and entered the farmhouse. In the cramped farmhouse, Berenice showed them the spare bedroom, gave them water for their waterskins, and invited them to eat with her.

Noah accepted, as he was starving and had eaten nothing but overcooked bear meat all day. Chastity, however, hesitated.

“I’m sorry, Noah, but I cannie eat at the same table as this monster. To sleep in her house is one thing, but to dine with her as an equal? Nie.” She shook her head in disgust.

Noah looked disapprovingly at her. “Chastity…”

“It’s alright, Noah. Ye eat. I shall nie demean ye for breaking bread with a monster. She seems not dangerous. Mayhaps ye’ll enjoy her company. But I cannie dwell in the same room as her. Sorry.”

“Chastity, please,” said Noah, but Chastity and Angel walked down the hall to the spare room, and he heard the door close.

Noah was left alone in the dining room with Berenice. He looked at her awkwardly. Her body had bestial features, including soft, dark-black skin, hooves, and wool which she wore like a thick overcoat. Her face, however, was closer to human than sheep, aside from the two long, droopy sheep ears and wool instead of hair. He glanced at her and then awkwardly around the room. It was cramped, and her modest possessions filled the room. The walls, table, and chairs were made from bright white wood. Besides the colour of the wood, it seemed to Noah like peasant houses he had seen on field trips and the like.

He said to her, “Okay, I guess it will just be you and me eating dinner together. Sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into her. I don’t know her that well, to be honest, and so far, she’s seemed like an amazing person. But this… I don’t know what to think about this. Maybe all elves are raised to be racist or something?”

The sheep woman responded. “Alas, I know naught of elves. Thou dost appear kind. Yet, thou art not an elf. What art thou?”

Noah had read enough Shakespeare in high school to be able to understand the Shakespearean English, but it meant everything she said took him a bit of effort to parse. That, combined with the accent and the soft, baa-sounding sheep voice, and understanding her was slightly difficult. He spoke after a pause. “Umm, I’m just a human.”

“Thou art of human birth?”

“Yep.”

“Of what breed of human art thou? Never have I seen a humanborn such as thee.”

“Oh, I’m just, like, a regular human.”

Berenice tilted her head. “Thou art a veritable human? Verily, I am astounded. I knew not that authentic humans still walked upon the Earth.”

“Yep, just a regular human. I think I might be from another world, actually. But Chastity seems skeptical. I’m not sure if she believes I’m a true human, or something else.”

“I trust thee, kind sir. What reason hast thou to lie? Shall I prepare the table and bring forth the food?”

“Uhh, sure,” replied Noah.

Berenice pulled out a chair and gestured for Noah to sit. Her tiny kitchen was in a separate room, and from it she brought forth cups of water and two plates. Each plate had a red balloon stuck to it. The balloons were lighter than air and tried to float away, but were attached at the base to the plates by some kind of sticky paste.

Berenice took her seat and smiled bittersweetly at Noah. She sat, staring silently at the balloons for a few seconds, and then whispered, “The body.”

“Ah,” replied Noah, “Umm, yes, we should bury your friend’s body tomorrow. We will take care of it, don’t worry. You won’t have to see it.”

“I give thee thanks,” Berenice said quietly.

“This is food?” Noah asked, puzzled, looking at the balloons. Berenice nodded.

“Shall we voice a prayer to the Eye?” asked Berenice.

“Like saying grace? Umm, sure,” replied Noah

Berenice kept looking down at her plate as she spoke. “Wilt thou lead? I crave but to follow thee, sir.”

Lead? Noah had never heard a prayer to the Eye before and didn’t want to mess it up. Especially because he didn’t want to out himself as a Heretic. But, he thought, how would someone know he was a Heretic just because he was unfamiliar with the Eye. He was from another world, right? Wasn’t that a good enough excuse?

“Okay, I can try to lead.” Berenice put her hands together like a Christian, and Noah copied. “Okay, umm… Thank you, Eye, for the food we are about to eat. And thank you for everything you give to us. And thank you for saving Berenice from being killed, although I’m not really sure that was you, and you didn’t save her friend, so we’re kind of even on that one. Umm…” He was bad at this. “And thank you for making everyone in this world speak English so I can understand them, because if I couldn’t, I would feel very alone. Amen.”

Berenice gave a small smile and looked briefly at Noah. “‘Twas a good prayer. I thank thee, sir. I aspire to attain thy level of devotion.”

“Thanks. So, how do we eat this thing? It’s just a balloon, right? Or is there something inside?” Noah poked at the balloon with his finger. It was opaque, but it seemed hollow and as buoyant as a helium balloon.

Berenice smiled. “Ah, thou art not of this world, and thus thou hast not feasted on a wish balloon before. They are verily a delight! They sprout only in rare climates and take skill to harvest, and thus are commonly the privilege of the wealthy. But as I cultivate them, I feast on them every night. Simply envisage any meal, anything thou wouldst like, and burst the balloon with that wish at heart, and lo, the meal thou desirest appears!”

Noah’s eyes were wide in surprise. “Really? That’s awesome!”

“I’m pleased thou art content. I have naught else to offer thee but these balloons, yet it is my desire to please thee, sir.”

“Okay, what should I pick?” Noah knew there were many meals he could choose, many of which were from his world, and he would likely never taste again – unless he had another wish balloon. “Hmm…” He considered his options for a while, and Berenice waited patiently with her arms folded in her lap for him to decide.

“I’ve got it!” he finally said.

“Ah, what hast thou selected?” she asked, tilting her head.

“You’ll see! You know what you want? Should we pop them at the same time?” Berenice nodded.

“Okay, three, two, one…” Noah tried to pop his balloon by pinching it with his fingers, but it was thicker than he thought. Berenice reached for her balloon but waited for Noah’s to pop first. He used two hands and twisted one point of the balloon until, finally, the thing popped.

Where the balloon was one second, floated three slices of ham and cheese pizza. They slowly floated down onto his plate. At about the same time, Berenice’s balloon popped, revealing some kind of warm, buttery peach muffin.

“Wow! It worked! Thank you, Berenice.” She nodded, and the two began eating their respective meals.

As they ate, they chatted a bit. Berenice asked Noah about his home world, and he told her about cars, airplanes, and the Internet.

“Verily? Thou canst converse with anyone, anywhere, at any moment? ‘Tis incredible.”

“Yep, and you can watch… plays from all over the Earth at any time. And any information about anything on Earth is available online for you to read. Any book you want.”

“Wow, thou must be profoundly well-read. Alas, I am unable to read.”

“Ah, well,” said Noah, rubbing his neck with one hand. He mostly spent his time playing video games, but he did read from time to time. Often web serials or fanfiction rather than actual books. “I suppose I have read a lot.”

Berenice looked at him with what looked like adoration. “A scholar from a world of scholars. ‘Tis no marvel thy companion chooses to journey with you. And ‘tis no surprise she doth love thee so.”

“What?” said Noah, almost choking on his pizza. He swallowed, and continued. “Chastity doesn’t love me! We just met!”

“In sooth? I was certain she did by the way she yielded to thee, but I must have erred. Forgive my mistake, milord.”

Noah blinked. “My lord? I’m not your lord.”

“Another misstep, sir. Pray, forgive me. Thou art not my lord.” She seemed ashamed of her mistake as she spoke. She returned to eating her muffin, and Noah to his pizza.

A moment later, she spoke again, after swallowing a bite of her food and then pushing her plate away, signalling that she was done eating. “If thou dost not lie with the elf, then perchance thou desirest company this night? I may be but a simple sheeple, yet thou wouldst find my form is agreeable to that of a humanborn, and I would strive to please thee in any manner thou wish, master.”

This time, Noah did choke on his pizza, sending wet chunks of crust onto the table.

“Fear not, for naught would be off limits.” She spoke in a way that was a clear attempt to be seductive. “If thou desirest to take me from the rear, in my mouth, or conduct thyself as the longfolk do, then I shall yield to thy will. Like a wish balloon, I would endeavour to make any of thy fantasies come to life.”

Noah finished coughing and then stared in shock at the sheep-woman. Staring back at him were big, earnest eyes, eager to please. His eyes drifted down from her face, and he could see she possessed the curves of a beautiful woman, albeit covered with a thick layer of wool. He opened his mouth to speak, but was at a loss for words.

“‘Tis alright, master. Thou art young. I can discern thy desires. ‘Tis clear as day. Flesh yearns for flesh.” She stood from her chair and smiled coyly. She walked around the table, got on her knees next to Noah’s chair, and looked up at him with her big, black eyes. “I wish for naught but to please thee in whatever way I may, master. Use me as thou seest fit.” Her arms draped on the armrest of his chair, and she looked up at him, ready for anything.

Noah put his hands up and stood up from the chair. “Whoa, whoa! Berenice, please, why are you calling me master? I appreciate the gesture and everything, really, I do.” He looked down at her strange yet beautiful feminine form and swallowed. “But I don’t want you to serve me. I don’t think I would even want that if you were into it, and not just trying to please me. Sorry. Please get up, and please don’t call me master; it’s weird.”

“I apologize, sir.” She stood up. “But, what ought I call thee, if not milord or master? Sir?”

“I don’t want you to call me anything! You can call me by my name, which is Noah. But I’m not your master, or your lord, or anything. I’m not in charge of you.”

Berenice scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and tilted her head. “Thou art not? Yet, I believed thou wert humanborn? Doth that not make thee my master? Thy race is superior to mine, and I am but a lowly sheeple. ‘Tis in my nature to serve.”

“Please, sit down,” said Noah. She did, and he did too. He shook his head. “Berenice, I don’t know who told you that your race is inferior to other races, but it isn’t, okay? They’re just a bunch of racists. You’re clearly intelligent, and caring, not to mention beautiful. What Chastity did to your friend was unforgivable, regardless of his race, got it?”

She smiled at the compliments and then frowned at the mention of Chastity and her dead companion. “Yes sir – I mean, yes Noah. Thou art correct. My race is not lesser. I stand equal to all humanborn. I have been told I was racially lesser, but those who told me so were mistaken. “Her head was tilted again, and she was clearly confused. “But, I thought Chastity was in the right to slay my husband if she so chose. She, too, is humanborn, and thou sayest humanborns are not superior to sheeple, yet I think sheeple must still serve all humanborn, correct?” She looked at him, eager for an answer.

Noah sighed. “No, Berenice. You don’t have to serve anyone. You are your own person. You can help other people if you want, but you don’t have to. You are valuable too. You feel pain just like everyone else, right?”

“Indeed, I feel pain just like everyone else, and thus I am equal to all other species. I am mine own being and need not serve anyone else, yet I can if I wish to.”

Noah nodded, grateful that he was getting through to her so easily. “That’s right.”

“And I always wish to, and thus I always shall.”

Noah slapped his forehead with his hand. “Oh, God.” Noah figured she had been raised since birth to think she was supposed to be a slave, or more like a peasant. It would be difficult to convince her otherwise. “Berenice, you said you sell these balloons to the wealthy, right? How much do they pay you? Do you have to pay anyone a tax to have your farm here?”

Berenice shook her head. “Nay, I need not render payment. ‘Tis my farm. And I take no recompense for the wish balloons. I gift them to Milord freely. He is humanborn, after all, and whilst I am his equal as you say, and I have no necessity to serve him, I have always served him and have a great desire to continue doing so.’”

Noah wondered how this lord of hers had managed to brainwash her so thoroughly. “Berenice, why do you serve him? What do you get in return? Anything at all?”

“Yea, my lord bestows upon me everything. He gifts me purpose and the joy of service. I have never beheld his face, but I hope to one day gaze upon his kindly face and voice unto him my gratitude.”

“But, if he’s not giving you anything real, then why are you so grateful toward him? It sounds like he’s just taking advantage of you!”

“He is?” She tilted her head in confusion again.

“Yes! You’re growing these expensive balloons for him and he gives you nothing in return. He doesn’t care about you. He just wants to use you for his own profit!”

“My lord is making use of me for his own profit? Good, ‘tis precisely what I want.” She blinked and nodded.

“But what did this guy ever do to deserve your service? Why do you serve him and not someone else?”

“Because he is my master,” she said.

Noah sighed. “But you have a right to not be a slave, Berenice!” He was beginning to think she was a bit stupid. Or perhaps…

“Berenice.”

“Yes, Noah?”

“You do not desire to be a peasant working for some master anymore. You want to be free, and you want to choose your own path in life. You don’t want to serve anyone.”

“I desire not to be a serf any longer. I yearn to be free and choose mine own path. Yes, thou art right, Noah. I wish not to serve anyone.” She looked at him with a plain expression, not comprehending what had just happened. She was just believing whatever Noah told him!

“Good,” said Noah.

“But what if choosing mine own path means that I choose to remain a serf?”

“It doesn’t.”

“Thou art right, Noah. It does not.”

Noah shook his head. He thought for a moment, and then spoke. “Berenice. The sky is pink, isn’t it?”

Berenice nodded. “Indeed, it bears a joyful pink hue. I never noticed that before, but ‘tis accurate.”

“I’m an elf.”

“I perceive that now. Yes, thou dost resemble an elf. Thine ears are so long!”

Now it was Noah tilting his head in confusion at Berenice. She seemed genuine. She really did believe anything she was told. Like a sheeple, Noah supposed. It made sense, in a way. But in an even grander sense, it made no sense at all. How would such a species even come to exist? How would they ever survive?

Noah and the sheep-woman sat in silence for a while. Then, Noah had an idea.

“Berenice.”

“Yes, Noah?”

“Your husband. Cassius was his name?”

“Verily, that was his name.”

“He did not die, Berenice. Nothing bad happened to him. He merely teleported to a different world. To a better world. And you’ll never see him again, but know he’s happy where he is, and he loves you a lot.”

Berenice’s eyes watered, and she began to sob. “I knew it! I knew the Eye would not permit such a terrible fate to befall my beloved! I am greatly relieved! His absence I can endure, but not his demise!” She cried and cried in relief for several minutes, repeatedly thanking Noah for telling her this good news. Noah sat quietly.

It was getting dark, and only the last rays of sunlight illuminated the room. Berenice sniffled and thanked Noah once again. He nodded and yawned. Then, she said, “Thou must be growing tired, Noah. I know I am. I beseech thee, retire to the spare room. ‘Tis mine, and mine alone, yet I choose to share it with thee of mine own free will.” She smiled at him. He nodded again and stood from the table. Before entering the hallway, he hesitated and then turned to her. Her eyes were wet. He stepped forward and hugged her tightly. She sobbed some more into his chest while grabbing his rough poncho with her gentle, black fingers. The fingers of her right hand happened to grip the opening in the back of his poncho where the bear had swiped at him.

“Good night, Noah. Thou art a gracious soul. On the morrow, thou mayest take some of Cassius’ attire. We have no need of shirts or trousers, but he possesses shoes thou canst have, as well as a waterproof cloak.”

“Thanks,” said Noah. He broke away from her and walked down the hall into the spare room.

He could hear snoring but was surprised to see that Chastity was still awake once he entered the room. A candle lit the white room, and he saw that she was on the large bed, her arms wrapped around her knees, and the side of her face resting on her knee, thinking. Angel was the one snoring. She lay on the floor, and the flower on her head almost seemed to be relaxing too, as it was bent over to the point the petals were tickling Angel’s nose, causing her to sniff and twitch in her sleep.

“Noah. I knew not if ye’d come to the room tonight.” She sounded sullen and tired and spoke quietly.

“Well,” spoke Noah, mimicking her quiet, nighttime voice, “there’s only the one room.”

“Yea, and it’s not seemly for us to share one bed, but I would rather share than sleep on the ground again. But that’s not what I mean. I thought mayhaps ye’d spend the night in the bed of the shepfolk. Berenice.”

“What, really?” Noah asked, surprised? He sat down on the bed, getting more comfortable.

“Why not? Yer so young and have a lust for companionship, and she be a shepfolk, so she be humble and eager to please. I thought when ye realized she would do anything ye asked, including matters I cannot, that ye’d have her give ye pleasure.”

“What? No! I mean, she is attractive and everything, but I’m not gonna just take advantage of her because she thinks she’s my slave or something. If I was gonna do that with her, or with anyone, I’d want them to want it too. I wouldn’t just want them to do it because they thought they had to, or it was their duty or something.”

“Eye bless ye, Noah, yer so gentle. Ye care for people, though they may be strangers, and otherfolk besides. I comprehend not yer thinking, and I agree not with everything ye say, but I am joyous ye are how ye are. I see no problem with a woman serving a man out of a sense of duty, though. Be it not the duty of every wife to serve her husband?”

“Uhh, I think some traditional relationships are like that, but I don’t think it has to be like that. People can be equals in a relationship. I don’t think the woman has to be some kind of servant or something. And hey, how come you’re acknowledging sex exists? I thought you were all, pretending sex doesn’t exist, because it’s taboo, right?”

Chastity blushed and looked away. “I spoke not about that, Noah, and I know not what that means. I just said pleasure. What kind of pleasure, in particular, would be private betwixt the two of ye, nie?”

“Oh, okay. Sorry, I’m not trying to offend your beliefs.”

“It’s alright, Noah. Ye have peculiar views. How might a wife be the equal of her husband? His role be to shield her and guide her course. By her nature, she be secondary to him, nie? It be in her nature. Women be emotional and require leadership. I yearn for the day when I may have a kindly husband to guide my feeble heart, Noah.”

Noah frowned at this. “I bet you think it’s in Berenice’s nature to be a slave, too?”

“Yea. At least, I did. I have not once heard any soul propose that a shepfolk should be anything but a servant. They hunger for servitude, and have a servile nature. Until today, I had not ever pondered whether they could be free. I must confess, the notion still seems mad to me.”

“Really? What’s so mad about the idea that people should be free to live their lives however they want? Berenice is pretty nice. She’s a nice person. I don’t see why she shouldn’t have the same rights as anyone else.”

“Nice indeed, that’s the trouble. The shepfolk are dull-witted and believe whatever they be told. That, and the fact that they innately yearn to serve, makes them natural serfs and slaves. It’s better a shepfolk to serve than an elf, or other humanfolk, nie?”

“Or, how about we don’t have any slaves at all?”

“But then, would not the cities starve?”

“I don’t know, but where I’m from, we pay farmers money, and we don’t starve.”

“Hmm.” Chastity thought, her head still resting on her knees. “If you say so, then I’ll defer to your superior judgement, Noah. I like you, and I don’t want to offend you. If we’re going to travel together, I should avoid offending you.”

Noah sighed. “Okay, well, how about we both try not to offend each other?”

Chastity nodded. They heard a loud snort from the ground and saw Angel blowing her flower out of her face and then returning to sleep.

“So no more killing anyone unless they’re trying to kill us or something, okay?”

“Yea.” She nodded again. “I’m not accustomed to hearing them referred to as people, but yea, I will obey ye.”

“Good,” Noah said. “But how are they not people? They walk and talk like people. They have wool, but they’re pretty similar to humans – and elves – aren’t they?”

“I know not. I’ve merely not heard them called people before. They have not classes, and they level not. The Eye watches over them not. They have not souls. True, they act as people do, but they are beasts. But I will do as ye ask, Noah.”

“I’m glad you won’t hurt them anymore. If there’s even a chance they’re people, it’s better to err on the side of caution, right?”

Chastity replied, nodding slightly. “Yer words bear truth, Noah. I know not whether it be possible for a person to be a person, even without levels. Even without a soul. Be that still a person? I know not. I am sorry for slaying the shepfolk, Noah. I felt such remorse when I saw yer face, like I had slain a humanborn in front of ye. I never want to make ye feel that way.” Her voice was emotional as she spoke.

“It’s okay, Chastity. You didn’t know. The consequences were really bad, but I can see that you didn’t know. And you were raised around people who think a certain way, so I can’t really judge you for thinking the way you do. Even if it is terrible.”

“Thank you. Eye bless ye, Noah.” She was tearing up a bit. “Too, I am sorry for not breaking bread with ye and the shepfolk. Berenice. It was ill-mannered of me. But I required time alone for thinking. Ye understand?”

“Yeah, I get it. I mean, you basically just killed a person without realizing it, so it’s a lot to think about.”

She nodded. They were silent together for a while. She sniffled, and he looked at her with empathy in the candlelight. He thought she looked beautiful when she cried, though he decided it would be weird to say that out loud at any time, and especially now.

Chastity finally broke the silence, sitting up when she spoke. “I wonder, how came ye to discover that the shepfolk believe whatever they’re told? I told ye not, but I knew ye’d soon discern it.”

“Well, I don’t know. There were subtle hints for a while, and I knew something was up. Like, she thought you were in love with me, but I told her you weren’t, and she believed it so quickly.” Chastity down and away, but nodded her head, still listening. “I’m like, I’m not used to people just believing whatever I tell them like that. Usually, they want to argue with me. And then she went instantly from believing she was a natural born slave to believing she was equal to me, and then I knew something was up. And then to test how much she would believe, I had her believing the sky was pink, and that I was an elf.”

Chastity threw her head back and laughed out loud. “A pitiful excuse for an elf ye’d make, Noah!”

He smiled back. “Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I finally told her that her husband didn’t die.”

Chastity’s expression became more serious. “Ah, it were her husband? That was kind of ye, Noah. I believe she’ll verily trust it.”

“She seemed to. I don’t see how someone like that can survive. What’s to stop someone from coming up to them and telling them to give up all their money? I guess something like that did happen. Or, even worse.”

Chastity nodded. “Yea, and it’s not just their money they’ll bestow freely, but their labours too. That’s why I thought ye might not enter this chamber at all tonight. I thought ye would be too occupied, receiving her labours.”

“No! I mean, she’s attractive, sure, but I think it would probably be wrong, right? Like, she can’t really consent, can she?”

“It’s true, but I can scarce imagine most men would mind. They’d care more for the pleasure and relief they would find in her company.”

“I see. Well, she is attractive, but… Well, she also looks, like, part-sheep, which is fine. She looks a lot like a person. But I don’t know. To be honest… I’ve never really done it before. Not really. And if I did, I wouldn’t want it to be with her since she can’t properly consent.”

Chastity raised her eyebrows, seeming slightly surprised. “I see. Yer young and green. I wish I could grant ye the experience ye yearn for, Noah, but I cannie. Mayhaps one day, but likely not like she could. She is more beauteous than I.” Chastity looked away. She looked sad or disappointed.

“No! Chastity! She is not. I think you’re very beautiful. You’re, like, hot.” Noah smiled, slightly embarrassed. “I know you can’t, but if you made the same offer she made, I would definitely accept.”

Chastity looked back toward Noah. She looked vulnerable. “Verily, ye would? Yer too kind, Noah. I am pleased to have a friend such as thee.”

“I’m not just being nice, Chastity. If I didn’t want it, I would say so. I really think you’re hot, and I would like so much to kiss you and to touch you. But I know you can’t.”

She looked into his eyes. Noah felt nervous in his stomach, but he held eye contact. Her brown eyes were beautiful. “Ye truly mean it, Noah? Then it be a sorrow I cannie offer such a thing. It be one thing to not offer, knowing ye’d refuse, but wholly another to not offer, knowing ye’d accept. But still, I cannie offer.”

“I know. But we can at least be close to each other and look into each others’ eyes. That’s something, at least.”

“Yea. It is.” She continued staring at Noah, and he stared back, the two of them smiling slightly. His heart beat quickly, and he felt butterflies in his stomach. She looked to be feeling the same way. They moved closer to one another on the bed so that they were still not touching anywhere on their bodies, but their faces were only an inch apart.

Chastity sighed. “Yer so comely, Noah. Yer face be so fair. Yer tousled black hair be so endearing.”

Noah smiled. “Thank you. I think you’re beautiful, Chastity. Everything about you. Your eyes. Your hair. Your body.” She smiled too. They spent several minutes holding eye contact, and feeling each other’s breath. Finally, Chastity looked away.

“Noah?”

“Yeah?”

She blushed. “There be a thing we might do.”

“What?” asked Noah.

“There be a thing we might do beyond merely gazing into each other’s eyes. Ye might not find it thoroughly pleasing, but it breaks none of the elven taboos.”

Noah frowned in confusion, wondering what she was planning to do.

“Give me yer finger, Noah.”

Noah’s heart pounded in his chest. He didn’t know what she was planning to do, but he complied, slowly moving his finger toward her.

He hovered his finger around her neck area, as he wasn’t sure where he was supposed to put it. Chastity made eye contact with him and didn’t break it as she lowered her head to the level of his finger, and she opened her mouth, taking his finger into her mouth.

Her tongue was pushed slightly outside of her mouth, and he could feel its wetness on the bottom of his finger as his finger started to slide into her mouth. He was already feeling his dick getting hard, but now it was beginning to throb as it quickly hardened. Chastity took the full length of his finger slowly into her mouth, treating it gently as if she were sucking on another part of him.

“Oh, God,” Noah moaned quietly, surprised at what she was doing. She continued looking him in the eyes as she slowly sucked on his finger, down to the base, and then up to the tip. He imagined her doing the same thing to his dick, which was extremely hot. He looked into her eyes as she sucked on him. He found her eagerness sexy. She was unashamed of sucking on his finger. She just wanted to give him pleasure.

She pulled the finger momentarily from her mouth. “Does it please ye, Noah?”

He nodded quickly. “Yeah.”

“Alright. I will carry on. But I’ll shut me eyes. That way, if ye choose to do something to yerself with yer other hand, I’ll not be sullied by the sight of it. Ye understand?”

Oh my God, he thought. She was inviting him to masturbate in front of her. Well, she wouldn’t see, because she was going to keep her eyes closed, but still! He nodded at her, and she smiled. She took his finger into her mouth again and closed her eyes tightly. She sucked, in and out, emulating on his finger what she wished to do to his cock.

He was hard, and his dick made a tent under his poncho. Nervous, he slowly grabbed the bottom of his poncho and lifted it up his body, revealing his pale legs. They were scraped and bruised, but he paid no attention. He felt Chastity’s lips reach the deepest knuckle of his finger and felt her lips grabbing forward, trying to get more depth into her mouth than he had to give. He leaned his head back and let out a sigh. Upon hearing his sigh, she smiled a bit and continued to suck.

He paused briefly when he was about to pull his poncho up to reveal his privates, but then he confirmed that her eyes were tightly closed and went for it. He pulled the base of his poncho up past his waist and left it there. He exposed his cock, which was hard and dripping all the way to the base, and his balls, which were surrounded by a bush of unkempt black hair.

He reached his free hand down to his cock and grabbed the shaft. It was his left hand, so the feeling was unfamiliar. He began to masturbate, timing the strokes with the slow movement of Chastity as she sucked on his finger. He was quiet, silently enjoying the pleasure, but she moaned slightly with each stroke. He looked at her as she sucked on his finger. Her cheeks, though her skin was dark, were visibly flushed. The sight of her made him harder, and he stroked faster. She sucked more quickly too. He could tell he wasn’t going to last long.

He put a second finger in her mouth. His middle, along with the pointer. This she gratefully accepted, and she moaned when it entered. And as he stroked his cock, he simultaneously moved his fingers in and out of Chastity’s mouth, so she only had to hold her head still while he fucked her mouth with his fingers. He could feel that he could get them almost the whole way into her mouth, but at a certain point, she would apply pressure that would stop them from going further to stop herself from gagging.

Now that he was in control, he could go at any pace he pleased, and he felt his pleasure swell as he quickly jerked himself off and fucked her face with his finger at the same rate. She continually moaned as he did so, and the moaning made an undulating sound as his fingers went in and out of her mouth.

He knew he would cum soon, and he couldn’t help it. He worried she might think less of him if he came too quickly, but he was too into what was happening to stop. He fingered her mouth more aggressively as he jerked off harder. He started to push past the limit that she had set on the depth of his fingers and push the tips of his fingers into her throat. Her throat closed up around her fingers in response, and she made a gagging noise. But she didn’t pull away. Instead, she moaned more loudly and pushed harder toward his hand. He repeatedly thrust his fingers into her throat, making her gag each time. The sight of her willingly gagging on his fingers as they fucked her face made him lose control, and he started to cry out as he shot cum high into the air. He stressed momentarily that the cum would get on the blankets, but he decided not to worry about it and let his cum fall in scattered droplets in a wide radius around his crotch. He moaned loudly as he had his orgasm, and she moaned with him, sucking harder on his fingers.

He tried to close his eyes, but the glowing stats screen inside his eyelids distracted him, so he kept them open. After, when he was fully done with his orgasm, he let go of his penis and took his fingers from Chastity’s mouth. Her mouth remained open, her tongue slightly pushed forward, covering her bottom teeth. He pulled down his poncho, covering his dick. He felt dirty, leaving his legs and the blankets around them covered in his semen, but he had nothing to clean himself with.

Once he was covered, he said, “Okay, you can open your eyes. I’m covered up.”

She opened her eyes and immediately looked down at his dick, which was, in fact, covered. She smiled. She saw that there were a few drops of cum visible on the blanket. “Ye finished so vehemently, Noah! I’m astounded ye didn’t hit me!”

Noah’s face went deep red. “Uhh,” he said, looking down at her pants, “I think I actually did.”

“Ah, yer right! By the Eye! I’m not supposed to touch it, Noah!”

“Sorry! I’m sorry!” he said, blushing hard.

“It’s alright, Noah,” she said. “I did nie do it willingly, so it’s not profane. But still, we ought to find something with which to cleanse ourselves, nie?” Noah nodded. Chastity said, “Actually, you stay here with Angel. I’ll seek out a cloth or something.” She stood up and left the room. Angel opened her eyes to watch her leave and then went back to sleep. Noah looked at her, too, as she left, appreciating the curves of her body.

Noah shot upright as he heard a slamming noise come from the dining room, and heard Chastity screaming.