They walked from the hospital to the market. Unlike the streets inside the city, the roads were mere cobblestone, and filthy. Garbage and human waste lined the sides of the road. Yet, once they reached the market district, the streets were much cleaner, and the buildings richer. Much of the outskirts of the city were reserved for the poorest of the poor, but the market district housed wealthy merchants who were merely residing outside the city because the artifacts they sold would not work properly within it. And their servants, of course. There was another market within the city for artifacts that were sold for their anti-function, but Noah and Berenice wanted proper artifacts they could bring with them on future journeys.

The market itself was grand and colourful. Merchants tried to get the attention of buyers with brightly coloured awnings and signs.

In the streets of the plaza, merchants had stalls set up, and around the outside of the plaza were permanent shops. As soon as they entered the market, they were shouted at by merchants.

“This way to Ralph’s Rings, milord! None stronger rings in all the Empire!”

“Weary? Rest thy tired feet at the Wandering Inn! All species welcome! Even elves!”

“Milord, might I tempt thee with a singular amulet? ‘Twill bestow upon thee the faculty to glimpse thy future!”

“Nay, milord. Ignore this charlatan. Prithee, consider this amulet instead! ‘Twill render thee totally invulnerable!”

Noah saw merchants leaving their stalls to come pester him. Looking around, there were few in the market who looked to be nobles. Most of the people shopping were sheeple soldiers or other non-humanborn species. Noah recognized a group of bull-people and shuddered. The merchants saw Noah’s noble dress and the fact that he travelled with a sheeple – ostensibly a slave – and flocked to him, trying to sell him their most expensive wares.

They were essentially right. He lived in the palace, and he now had a tonne of money. Yet, he didn’t want to be swarmed. They were invading his personal space, and Berenice must have noticed the look on his face, because she got between him and the crowd and started yelling at people to get back. But the merchants were persistent.

“Please, milord! Cast thine eyes upon this blade! Hast thou ever seen its like? Assuredly not!” A merchant swung the sword, and its blade burst into flames. Noah had seen plenty like it in movies and video games. It wasn’t as special as the merchant seemed to think – or wanted Noah to think.

Someone in the crowd shouted, “Hey! Mind thy swing!”

Another merchant yelled at Noah. Her skin and hair all seemed to be knitted from wool. “Seeks’t thou wisdom of classes and levels? The Heirloom Royal Library can aid thee in planning thy level-ups for but a modest fee!”

“Stand back!” shouted Berenice. “We have no coin! Avaunt!”

Upon hearing Noah had no money, most of the merchants drifted away, back to their stalls. Some were more persistent.

“Fret not, milord! The Phoenix Forge doth extend weapons and armour on credit!”

“Pray, milord! Accompany me to Heretical Curiosities! We can arrange a financing scheme, permitting thee to buy now and pay later!”

“We’re bereft of coin, understand? We came but to look! Away with you, vermin!” Berenice shouted. The rest of the crowd broke. “Come, Noah, let us survey the wares.”

They walked from stall to stall. Some of it was of no interest to them. They didn’t need herbs that promoted relaxation. Even in his state of melancholy, Noah could tell that getting into drugs now would be a very bad idea. Nor did they need cheese, nor sausage. They had no use for nonmagical historical artifacts, nor for curios with bizarre but ultimately useless effects, such as a glass ball that could split into two balls and then recombine into a single ball.

As they passed by the stall of historical artifacts, Noah thought he saw a plastic water bottle in a glass display case. He didn’t care enough to go back and check. It would make sense if this really was the distant future, though, that some stuff like that might still be around.

Walking around, they got the sense that the best artifacts were in the permanent shops, and the stalls were filled with food, drinks, and more mundane artifacts, such as basic rings of dodging, rings of strength, an amulet that could repel arrows, stuff like that. Not that it would be useless, but after Noah was told by a merchant not to “waste his limited magic slots on such a trifling artifact, milord!” his sense that he couldn’t just stack 100 weak artifacts was confirmed. How many magic artifacts could he use at a time?

A naked man made entirely of mud approached Noah and Berenice. “Thou appearest disoriented, milord. Shouldst thou need an agent to help thee navigate the marketplace and find the finest bargains, I could render thee my aid. I am adept, and I request but a modest ten percent fee.”

Berenice looked at Noah to see if he was amenable, and Noah nodded at her. “Indeed, we could benefit from thy guidance. Ten percent seems a fair fee for thy assistance.”

The mud man smiled a wide smile. He possessed no clothes, and no eyes besides divots in his mud face. He was entirely made of wet, dripping mud, and when he talked, little pieces of mud dripped from his face. His body lumpy and crude. But he seemed confident and capable. “Marvelous! What in particular hath led thee to the marketplace this day?”

“We know not. We’re but perusing.”

“Yeah. I guess I want to find some good artifacts that are good for staying alive.”

“Ah, ‘tis protection thou seekest, eh?” The mud man smiled and slapped his hand on Noah’s back, no doubt leaving a handprint of mud, to Noah’s chagrin. “Verily! I bid you, follow me that we may converse without this clamour.”

They followed the Mud man only a few steps into the Inn and Out, an upscale inn on the edge of the market, and they took a seat in a dark, secluded corner. Noah sensed some stares from the inn’s staff as Mister Mudd sat down in the booth, coating the leather in mud, but nobody said anything. One of the waitresses was a species Noah had never seen before: a bee person. Her skin was striped black and yellow, except for her yellow face, and she had an exaggerated behind. Noah wondered if she had a stinger.

“Mine own name is Magnolius M. Mudd, for your information. Thou mayest call me Mister Mudd. Might I acquire thy name, milord?”

“I’m Noah, and this is Berenice.”

Mister Mudd looked at Berenice briefly, and then back at Noah. “Indeed. So, thou art in quest of protection, eh? ‘Twould help if I knew what manner of perils thou dost anticipate, as well as what artifacts thou already possesseth.”

“Oh, sure. I have a rod that shoots lightning bolts, and a scanner that can replace organs and hands and stuff, and Berenice has a ring that turns her to metal.”

Mister Mudd’s eyebrows raised, showing he was impressed with their current arsenal. His hand idly pulled at the mud that made up his chin, pulling off small pieces that absorbed into his hand, and were quickly replaced by mud flowing from the rest of his face. “Indeed? These are potent artifacts. Lightning bolts, thou sayest? ‘Tis a strong, albeit erring, weapon. I perceive thy need for safeguard. And I must beg pardon, my lady. I knew not thou wert a noblewoman. I mistook thee for a slave. Thou hast mine utmost apologies, my lady.” Mister Mudd nodded his head in respect, and Berenice nodded back, forgiving his mistake. Noah was confused for a second before he realized. Oh, right. She can own property, therefore she’s not property.

“I mark, my lady, that thou thyself dost bear a protective artifact and no weapon, am I correct? Wouldst thou require a weapon of thine own?”

Berenice responded. “I’m more than pleased with what I’ve got. I’ve no desire to spend Noah’s coin.”

“It’s fine, Berenice. I can buy you a weapon. As long as it’s not too expensive.”

“Alright, perchance, if we could acquire an artifact that’s not too costly.”

“Very well. Now, as for the sort of perils you intend to face. Are these chiefly threats of encounters with ruffians within the city? Or something else?”

“Well, we travel a lot, so it could be monsters or whatever. Also, I’m being trained by Antimogne’s army, so I might end up fighting in a war or something, I don’t know.”

“Ah, I hope the Emperor hath not plans for more wars. Though they’re wondrous for business, eh?” Mister Mudd smiled wide at Noah.

“I guess.”

“So ‘tis general-purpose protection thou seek’st. And a weapon for the lady. Naught too costly. Correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Very well. And I hope thou wilt pardon me for raising the delicate issue of thy budget? I wish to ensure I can find thee the best bargains within thy means.”

“Oh, right.” Noah thought. Should he tell the man how much money he had? His instinct was to avoid admitting the full amount, because the man could be a robber who would show up at his house tonight and rob him blind. But, his house was the palace, which was well-guarded. Noah supposed the chances of him being robbed were slim. “Well, we have a lot of gold coins. I brought some with me, maybe a few hundred. But in the palace, I have thirty thousand gold coins. Or a bit under.”

Mister Mudd’s eyes opened wide for a brief second, and his jaw literally dropped off the bottom of his head and smacked the table. He quickly composed himself and picked up his mud jaw, reattaching it to the bottom of his face. “Ah.” He coughed. “That is quite a workable budget. I’ll surely find thee the best deals, whilst respecting thy purse. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go confer with a few traders on thy behalf. I’m acquainted with some gentlemen who possess what thou seek’st. Prithee, repose here awhile. Enjoy the fare. They say the Inn and Out has excellent food, not that I’d know. I eat naught but dirt! Anyhow, please tarry here for me. I’ll be gone but an hour. Alright?”

“Sure. No rush. I could eat. Berenice?” She nodded.

Mister Mudd excused himself. Soon, one of the waitresses came over to clean the mud he had left behind. It was the bee girl from before. Noah noticed she had four slender, black arms. Her upper body only looked somewhat bee-like. She had normal eyes with black irises, and besides the colour of her skin and a certain angular quality to her facial bone structure, the only things that stood out about her upper body were her antennae. Her bottom half, though, was more bee-like, with insectile legs and a plump, fuzzy, bee abdomen. Noah also noticed a small, likely non-functional pair of bee wings on her back. She wore revealing clothing: short shorts and a crop top with four arm holes and a cutout for her wings.

“You don’t have to clean that yet,” Noah told her. “He’s gonna be back.”

“Oh! Zank you! Zo zorry!” Her voice was high-pitched and cute, with a slight buzzing sound to it. Like a bee. “Dzid zyou vant anyzing to dzrink? Or dzoo eat? Ve have a zpezial on ze vish balloons, milord.”

“Uhh, how much are those?”

“Only zirty gold coinz, milord.” She was very chipper and friendly in the way she spoke, and smiled at Noah. She made him feel warm. He would definitely have to tip her well.

“That might be too much. I have a lot of money, but I don’t want to spend it before we see what artifacts we can afford. Regular food is much cheaper, right?”

“Yez, milord. Onzly one or dzoo gold coinz for a meal. Dzependzing on how hungry zyou are!”

“Okay. I feel like pasta. Do you have pasta?”

“A good dzoize milord! Our zpagedzi iz fabuliz!”

“I shall have the same, please,” spoke Berenice.

“Zure! And for ze dzrinkz?”

Noah said, “Just water. As long as it’s safe to drink.” Berenice nodded her head in agreement.

“Okay! I’ll get zat for zyou, milord!” She winked in an overtly seductive manner at Noah, who was taken aback, and then walked off to get their drinks.

“I think she just winked at me.”

“Indeed, she did. Dost thou findeth her attractive? Methinks thou art not in the mood to court her this day, am I correct?”

Noah shook his head. “No, definitely not.” He had other things on his mind besides pretty girls. “Besides, I don’t want to be with anyone besides Chastity.”

“Aye. So, when is thy next training bout, Noah? Today?”

Noah nodded, and sighed loudly.

“I’m sorry, Noah. I know thou must be loathing it. Yet thou wilt get through it, alright? I swear it.”

“I don’t know, Berenice.” His stomach sank. He was losing his appetite, thinking about having to train again with Moali. If he even would be doing any training, and not just getting raped again. “I don’t think I can do it, Berenice. I just can’t do it. I can’t go back there.”

“Thou must! If thou goest not, ‘tis akin to desertion! Thou couldst be hanged!”

“I know! But I can’t! Maybe we can just buy some expensive artifacts and then just run away or something!”

“And go where? Thou didst seek the Emperor’s aid to become a better man, didst thou not?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think it would be like this!”

The bee girl silently left their waters at their table, sensing their conversation was not to be interrupted, and walked away.

“I know, Noah. Thy trainer’s ways art severe. He is a vile man. Yet, duties still do bind thee. Perform thy duties, come what may, Noah.”

“I can’t! It’s easy for you! You’re a sheeple, and you never had to do anything except grow balloons for a living!”

“Noah.” Berenice looked disapprovingly at Noah. “It hath been easy for me, true. Yet, thou must know I’ve had duties more weighty than simple farming. I once lived with a nobleman in a grand château. Wast thou aware of this, Noah?

“No,” he responded. “You were like a maid or something?”

“Nay, I was his sex slave. For years, mine own sole duty was to suffer his daily abuses and satisfy his wicked cravings. Every day, for years, Noah. In sooth, I’ve mostly forgotten the abuses he did cast upon me. The Eye hath allowed me to forget. Mine own faulty memory is a great boon. But the fragments I doth recall still haunt me.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I…” said Noah, trailing off. He didn’t know. It sounded horrible. How was she still normal? How was she not destroyed by it?

“‘Tis well, Noah. Simply thinketh not thy suffering surpasseth others’, or think thou art the lone soul on this Earth to undergo horrid trials. We all face hardships, yet we do our duties and emerge stronger in the end.”

“I’m sorry, Berenice. I was wrong when I said you had it easy.”

“‘Tis alright.”

They sat quietly, waiting for their food. Noah caught another wink from the waitress as she passed by their table.

Soon after, Noah quietly spoke to Berenice. “Oh my God, our waitress just sucked her finger and winked at me.”

“Verily? By the Eye.”

“Yeah. I’m not really looking to date or have sex or anything, but I think the attention is nice. I’m not used to being hit on.”

“Aye. Methought she did act flirtatious merely for tips, yet it seemeth she desireth thee. She doth think thou art a lord, after all.”

“I guess I kind of am one, no?”

Soon, the bee girl handed them their food. She lingered for a few seconds too long, smiling coyly at Noah, maybe hoping Noah would say something, and then turned back to the kitchen.

They ate quietly and waited for Mister Mudd to return. Noah’s mind was torn between self-pitying thoughts of his training, past and future, and thoughts of pity for Berenice. She was too kind a soul to deserve such horrible things to happen to her. Noah now understood Emperor Antimogne’s bitterness toward nobles who fuck sheeple. They’re not just fucking them; they’re raping them. He wondered how many sex slaves and unwilling prostitutes there were in the Toldenhold alone. Noah shuddered.

Mister Mudd soon returned to the Inn and Out, carrying two wooden boxes. “I trust the two of you haven’t been bored! I’ve obtained grand bargains for both of you! Methinks you’ll find more than one of these offers too tempting to resist!” He gave a wide grin that would have been toothy if he had any teeth and wasn’t just a giant lump of mud.

“Okay, cool. What did you find?”

“First, let us ponder over the weaponry I’ve unearthed available for sale for the lady,” said Mister Mudd, opening up the first box and taking out an object wrapped in fabric. “The first weapon I’ve to present is not a vastly potent artifact, but ‘tis a wondrous bargain. ‘Twas the possession of a soldier, and his daughter wishes it away. She’ll part with it for a mere 1500 gold pieces.” He unfurled the fabric, revealing a long, steel knife with a red grip. Embossed on the pommel was an icon of a broken heart. “‘Tis a heartseeker dagger. It shall steer thy blows unto the heart of thine enemy.”

He looked up at Noah and Berenice to gauge their interest.

“Okay, that seems alright. Berenice?”

Berenice frowned. “Mayhaps ‘tis a bit too savage for my liking. I know I seek a weapon, but this weapon doth appear particularly sinister, to target the heart directly. Hast thou anything less lethal?”

“Berenice, you’re looking for a weapon. You gotta be ready to kill someone if you’re gonna attack them with a weapon.”

“Aye, true. I ought be ready to slay if mine aim is to protect myself. But still.”

Noah nodded. “What other weapons did you bring?”

“A few other trinkets. In yon box, I possess a firearm. There exists another such piece for sale, an Evershot Pistol, which needeth not reloading, but the seller forbade me to bring it here. It doth require a mana battery.”

Berenice made an “ooh” sound at that. Noah recognized some utility in Berenice having a ranged weapon. Up close, she was pretty sturdy with her metalskin ring. It was at a range that she would struggle to be effective in combat. Ideally, of course, they could both avoid combat altogether, aside from any fighting Noah would have to do for the Emperor.

“Behold!” said Mister Mudd as he pulled out another, much larger, cloth-wrapped artifact, “A rapidshot rifle! ‘Tis clearly very old, yet functional it remains. The shot costs extra and may be forged by a craft mage. Within the city, there are craft mages who know the schematic.”

“Holy shit,” said Noah. “Is that an AK-47?”

Mister Mudd’s jaw dropped, though this time it didn’t drop straight off its face. “How camest thou by the serial number? Hast thou laid eyes upon this particular artifact before, or dost thou wield some psychic ability unknown to me?”

“No, I mean, it’s an AK-47. They all look like that. They’re, uhh, common where I’m from.”

“Common?” Mister Mudd gawked. “Odd.” He regained his composure. “Let’s not belabour the point, milord. The rifle, as thou surely know’st, sir, can discharge multiple rounds in but a second, and holds up to thirty shots before needing a reload!”

“Yeah, but it’s not really a magical artifact, is it? It’s just a gun.”

“Not magical? Verily, ‘tis magical! The weapon conjures a small, arcane explosion that driveth forth a metal bolt-“

“That’s not magic! That’s just physics! It’s just gunpowder!”

“Name it what thou wilt, good sir. The cost is 8,000 golden coins, plus additional for the ammunition.”

“‘Tis a dear sum, Noah.”

“Yeah. But the thought of you walking around with an AK-47 around your shoulders is pretty funny,” Noah smiled. She just looked confused. He turned to Mister Mudd. “We’ll think about it. What else do you have for her?”

“One more artifact. I did ponder; Thy fists must surely deliver a potent blow, being of metal and all, aye? Yet, thou wearest not the metalskin ring continuously. I understand, my lady; neither would I. The notion of being so solid is unsettling. And appearing metal to others would be off-putting. But what if thou couldst wear it always, and keep thy current appearance?”

“Oh?” asked Berenice.

“Lo, the Mirage Necklace!” Mister Mudd pulled out a golden necklace with a single, circular red gem set into the center. “Once thou art attuned to it, it will maintain thy appearance as it was at the moment of attunement whenever you wear it. Even should thy looks alter! Even if it be aging or… turning to metal?”

“Really? She could be made of metal, but look normal?”

“Aye.”

“What do you mean, attune?”

“Ah, forgive my assumption, milord. I thought thou wert aware. One may attune to but four artifacts at once. Attempt a fifth while the others function, and it shall not work.”

“Okay. I figured there must be some limitation like that, otherwise, you’d just be selling us dozens of cheap artifacts we could wear all at the same time, right?”

“Aye.”

“Wait, even the AK-47.”

“Of course, milord.”

Noah looked horribly confused, but Berenice seemed to accept what Mister Mudd was saying without question. “Okay,” Noah asked, “What does the necklace cost?”

“‘Tis priced at 8,000 golden coins. And I cannot hand it over yet. The seller needs it for some social affair, but promises to sell it afterward.”

“A social affair?” asked Berenice.

“Verily. The lady doth use it to appear as youthful as when her mother first bestowed it upon her.”

“Remarkable! Noah, if I am to buy any artifact, let it be this one. Both it and my metalskin ring shall I don at all times. Albeit I know ‘tis costly, Noah, and ‘tis your coin.”

“No, it’s fine, Berenice. Let’s get you the necklace.” He turned to Mister Mudd. “We’ll take it.”

“Marvelous!” Mister Mudd grinned widely. “Thou shalt not regret it. Shall we plan for the transaction to occur in a secure place within the city?”

“Sure, we live in the palace if that works.”

“Ah, good, good. We shall settle on a time later. Wouldst thou now like to behold the defensive artifacts I have procured for thee, milord?”

Noah nodded. “Sure.”

“Right, then! Allow me first to display the trinkets. Thereafter, I can tell thee about the armours. Too pricy and heavy they are to lug here, yet in detail I can describe them.” He opened the second box and took out some jewelry. “First come the rings of force. They’ll shield the entire body, albeit modestly. Common, they are, and inexpensive – a mere 4,000 gold pieces each. Then, there’s a blast necklace.” He set the silver necklace down next to the two rings of force. “They sell commonly for around 8,000 gold pieces. They emit a burst of force when the wearer is struck. Both are standard defensive options, and dependable.”

“Okay,” said Noah idly as he listened to Mister Mudd.

“A bit less common are these: Orbital stones.” Mister Mudd set down two heavy balls, which thunked heavily on the wooden tabletop. Both were about the diameter of Noah’s outstretched hand. One, a bit smaller, was made of stone, and the other was a bit larger and made of steel. “They circle the one they’re attuned to, intelligently positioning themselves to block strikes. One’s made of stone and is priced at 4,000 gold coins. The other, steel, 8,000 gold coins.”

“Cool,” said Noah.

“Aye, methinks they’re quite potent, though often underestimated.”

Mister Mudd pulled out the next artifacts, wrapped in cloth. “‘Tis not precisely what thou seekest, but I’ve also got these: healing syringes.” He unwrapped two syringes filled with red fluid. “Capable of mending any wound, of course, and curing many ailments. Not for the light of purse, though. 10,000 coins each, I fear.”

Noah shook his head. “No, that’s alright. Too expensive for us, I think.” And Noah thought it was more prudent to buy artifacts that would allow him to avoid injury in the first place rather than spend money healing injuries he didn’t need to have acquired. It’s why he tried selling the flesh printer in the first place. He still had it, since Mistress Feroza died before she could claim it. Maybe he could sell it again? He would hang onto it for a while, in case Feroza had told someone in the Empire she bought it, and someone came looking for it.

“The final artifact I’ve got to present in the flesh is an odd, magical ring. The Cardinal Ring. Unique, it is. It bestows upon the wearer a potent force shield, but solely when facing exactly north, south, east, or west. A peculiar piece, yet mighty if mastered. Sets you back 10,000 coins.”

Noah frowned at it. It was a square ring that looked uncomfortable to wear, and it had the image of a red bird embossed on top. A cardinal, Noah figured. The ring sounded like a pain in the ass, and he had no interest in buying it.

“Okay, well, thanks for showing us that stuff. What about the armours?”

“Aye, the armours are the prime options. I’ve little doubt thou shalt fancy one. Let’s see. There’s a former soldier peddling his jaunt plate. ‘Tis armour that meets any force with equal counterforce, repelling a skimmed sword blow, or an indirect arrow shot.”

“Hmm,” nodded Noah with interest.

“Allows the wearer to leap high, too, should they jump and then forcefully kick the ground. It’s but moderately more protective than run-of-the-mill armour, given that the wearer still absorbs the force of a direct hit, but it can ward off indirect strikes.”

“I see. What does that cost?”

“Normally up to 15,000, but this gent’s keen to part with it for only 9,000.”

“Okay, I’ll keep it in mind. What else do you have?”

“Heard of liquid armour? A craft mage sells them for just 15,000 coins. It comes in a flask, you see, and upon uncorking, envelops your whole body except your face. Gives you plate-armour levels of protection. Handy and inconspicuous. I’d relish using it myself. Regular armour smothers my mud, but this liquid stuff would keep it nice and damp, I’d imagine.”

“I see how that would be handy,” nodded Berenice.

“Next up, the songmail. Wouldn’t bring it up, but for its reduced price – down to 10,000 from north of 20,000, it’s a steal. Needs a mana battery, which is not included. It reacts to the user’s singing. A better singing voice, and better synchronization between the singing and the combat, means better protection. I don’t mark you as a singer, but it’s worth noting. Noble folks sometimes pay thrice the price to allow their sons or daughters to become songblades.”

“Eh, no, sorry, you’re right. I can’t sing,” said Noah.

“Figured. Worry not. The next one is one-of-a-kind. Shadowscale, the owner calls it. A scale mail ‘tis, yet it emits an eerie, black mist when in shadow, which softens incoming blows. It also grants the wearer the ability to fight alongside their own shadow. The seller, a mage of good repute, claims to have employed it mainly to shove or trip foes on the battlefield. He would have his shadow give their shadow a good push. But a skilled combatant could wield it to strike their adversary’s shadow with their shadow’s blade, and the strike would hurt the enemy themselves. Potent, provided the sun is aptly placed.”

“Wow”, said Noah. He noted that it would synergize well with his passive Shadowwalker ability. He could aim to always fight in shadow, and then could disappear with his Ether Walk, or manipulate the shadows to attack enemies, striking their shadows with his. He wanted it. “How much does it cost?”

“‘Tis 21,000 gold coins. Methinks that would leave you with nearly empty coffers, aye?”

“Yeah. But it might be worth it. Berenice?”

“Aye, ‘tis mighty potent.”

“I’ve got null-mana robes as well. Worth 15,000 coins. Handy for thwarting mages and mana-induced effects, but not useful against, say, a rapidshot rifle.”

“No, I don’t think so,” said Noah, still thinking about Shadowscale.

“I thought as much. There’s one more armour you may fancy. ‘Tis a suit of armour that’s also a golem. Standard plate armour, it may seem, yet it can take up arms on its own, shouldst thou be caught unarmoured. Or buy a stronger set or armour for yourself later on.”

“I think I want to buy Shadowscale,” said Noah.

Mister Mudd smiled. “Aye, I felt thy enthusiasm for that piece. I could arrange a meet with the seller if it pleaseth thee, milord.”

“Yes, please.”

They told Mister Mudd what times and what days would work for them to meet with the sellers at the palace. They were mostly free any time, besides Noah’s training. He smiled, shook their hands, and went to return the un-purchased artifacts and the Mirage Necklace to their current owners.

“How exciting!” said Berenice.

“Yeah, Shadowscale sounds cool.”

“Ekzcuze me, milord. Do you know if ze mud man iz comink back? Or can I clean?”

“Sure, it’s okay, he’s not coming back. We’d like to pay now, if that’s okay.”

“Of courze!” The bee girl hesitated, then leaned in close to Noah, whispering in his ear so Berenice couldn’t hear. “Zyou know, my lord, zyou dzon’t have to pay. Inztead of paying, vhy don’t zyou come upztairs with me? I could… zuck your cock?”

Noah looked at her with wide eyes. “What?” he whispered back to her. “Instead of me paying, you want to suck my dick?”

“Yez, my lord,” she whispered back. “It zvould be a great zpriviledgze. An honor. Zyou are zo hanzome. Zyou must get tired of sleepink vith zyour zheeple zlave, no? Vhy not try a bee girl? I vant you, my lord.”

Noah put his hands up. “Whoa, whoa, okay, no, sorry, I’m okay. Thank you, though. I mean, it’s a good offer, and you are attractive and everything, I mean, for a bee, not that bees aren’t attractive or whatever. I mean, it sounds like a good time; it’s just I’m not really looking for that right now, and there’s this other girl…”

“Ah! Zo zorry, milord. I dzid not mean zoo impoze on zyou! It vaz merely an offer!”

“Okay, sorry.”

“No, I am zorry, milord. Please forgive me.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll just pay the normal way, okay?”

The waitress nodded, and skipped away quickly. Noah figured she’d be blushing if her species was capable of it.

“What was that about?” asked Berenice quietly.

“She offered to take me upstairs and suck my dick!” said Noah.

“Zounds! How bold! I question if she had hidden intents.”

“What do you mean?” asked Noah.

“Well, thou art a humanborn and somewhat of a noble. With thy seed, she could mother a humanborn lord of her own. Half-bloods can still level, though at a slower pace.”

“Oh, shit. Yeah, you could be right. It’s like a hot girl from another country trying to get with you for a green card. Yeah, if she’s poor, which she probably is, I guess having a humanborn son or daughter could be her ticket out of poverty, right?”

“Aye. ‘Tis sad.”

“Yeah. It sucks.”

The sheepish – bee-ish – waitress returned to collect their coin, and they tipped her well and left. They saw her cleaning Mister Mudd’s mud from the booth as they left. Her vestigial, tiny bee wings buzzed a few times as she did. Maybe that meant she was annoyed. Noah was disappointed he wouldn’t find out if she had a stinger or not.

They decided to head back to the palace because Noah’s training wasn’t for a few hours. Rather than the direct route through the tunnel, they decided to ascend to the top level of the city and walk the streets to the palace. They had never done so before.

The city was grand. They emerged from the staircase on the wall itself, and could see the landscape to the south. The Wandering River, which stopped inside the walls of the city, stretched outward into the sky, and a massive desert ran underneath it. Noah could see the tower that had disappeared so recently was already being rebuilt, though it was currently short enough that he could barely see it. The golgotha worked quick, apparently.

After taking in the view, they walked through the city streets. The upper level was less degenerate and less crowded than the lower levels, where the poorer citizens lived. The city had grown over time, adding buildings on top of buildings and layers on top of layers. In a few places, a new layer was being constructed over what was currently the top. Columns of blackiron held up massive segments of blackiron that would become the floor of the new layer. In a few places, buildings that had been tall enough poked through the current layer, and Noah and Berenice could see down to the darker layers below.

The city was eternally dim because of the black star, so lanterns and street lights were always lit, even on the top layer. People were active at all hours, since it was always relatively dark anyway. People of all types lived in the Toldenhold. Mostly sheeple, but also some veggiefolk, a few bull people, and of course longfolk nobles. And people like Mister Mudd, who were made entirely of mud. Noah spotted another bee woman from a distance. Class distinctions were clear. Many on the top layer were nobility and dressed like Noah. Sheeple were often naked if they weren’t dressed in military garb, so it was harder to tell with them. Noah assumed they couldn’t really be nobles, but there were some high-ranking sheeple in the military, he knew. They saw one woman who looked to be made from fine blue and white china. She was dressed like nobility, too.

Their walk back was quiet. Noah dreaded his upcoming training, and Berenice gave him space. Only when they arrived at the palace entrance did she speak.

“Oh my Eye, Noah, look!”

She indicated toward the palace’s main entrance. Mounted on a blackiron spike in front of the palace was Mistress Feroza’s turquoise head, which stared blankly into the distance.

“Jesus,” said Noah. “Well, she did deserve it.”

“I suppose so.”


Noah had to force himself to approach the training ring. Each step took effort. Everything inside him told him not to go. To just run away. But he had to go. He just wouldn’t let Moali get the better of him this time. He was afraid, and when he saw the rodent man in the ring, his heart skipped a beat. But he had to go.

Moali spotted his slow approach. “You’re back! Maybe you’re not the total coward I had you pegged for. Hurry up!”

“Yes, sir,” Noah said loudly. He wasn’t going to give Moali an excuse to get mad at him this time.

“Come on!”

Noah entered the ring.

“Okay, recruit! You still have a lot of training to do if you’re going to make something of yourself. First, we’ll train you in hand-to-hand unarmed combat. Then, once you know the basics, we can start working with your specific artifacts and abilities, got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good. So no more Dash or whatever ability you tried to use last time, got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good. What abilities do you have? Anything that could affect our training? I should have asked last time, but I didn’t think a little ‘squeak like you would have even levelled yet. List them, and say what they do.”

“Okay- I mean, yes, sir!” Noah closed his eyes and read off his stats screen. “I have, uhh, Second Chance, which gives me a bonus to luck to avoid dying.”

“A coward’s ability. Fitting. You’re a Heart Heretic?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Interesting. Continue.”

“Uhh, I have Ether Walk, which lets me become invisible and invulnerable for six seconds-“

“That’s an upgrade for Dash? What level are you?”

“Level five, sir.”

“Five!” Moali’s tiny, beady black eyes opened wide. “Are you lying to me, soldier?”

“No, sir!”

“Five. Eye help me. Level five. You fight like you’re level zero. I’ve seen infants defend themselves in combat better than you. Level five? I’m only level six. Where did Vannoccio even find you?”

“Who?”

“Only speak when spoken to, idiot! Vannoccio Antimogne, the Emperor of the Bestretched, you ignorant twat! Drop and give me twenty pushups!”

Noah dropped down and started doing pushups. Moali yelled at him that his pushups weren’t good enough, and eventually, Noah collapsed, having only done about three real pushups.

“Get up! Pathetic!” Noah stood up. “You can barely do three pushups! How am I supposed to make you into a soldier?”

“I don’t know, sir!” Noah felt tears forming in his eyes, and his voice was shaky. Moali yelling at him made him fear he was going to be hit.

“You had better start training and exercising in your off time when we’re not training together. Now, do you have any more abilities?”

“Yes, sir. Shadowwalker means my Ether Walk doesn’t decrease in duration when I’m in shadow.”

“What a cowardly selection of abilities. Do you have no abilities suited for actually attacking your enemy? What about your artifacts. I see you have that rod.”

“Yes, sir. I call it a Tesla rod. It shoots lightning bolts.”

“Truly? So you’re more of an Artificer, then. Fine. Anything else?”

“Yes, sir. I have a healing artifact that can print off new body parts, and you can easily add or remove them from your body. And I have just ordered a suit of armour that allows my shadow to attack other people’s shadows.”

“Oh? Daddy bought that for you, did he? Well, once you have it, we’ll have to train you to use it. It sounds powerful but tricky to use. But you’re not ready for class training yet. For now, we’ll stick to the basics. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good, now set down your artifact and put on the gloves!”

Noah looked at the table with the magical boxing gloves and swallowed. His mind flashed back to yesterday when he pulled them off in defeat, and then Moali, full of rage, beat and raped him. “Yes, sir,” he said meekly. He did as he was told and put them on.

Moali had his gloves on already and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. His short trunk bobbed slightly with each bounce. “Okay, son. Stay light on your feet, like me. Bouncy. That’s right. Hands up!” Noah put his hands up. “Now, give me everything you got!”

Noah hesitated. He didn’t want to get within range of Moali’s gloves, nor his feet. But his fears were mollified by the protective forcefield of the magic gloves. He lunged forward and tried to jab Moali, but he was blocked. Moali swiped his hand at Noah’s head slowly, but Noah stepped back.

“Good. Keep it coming!”

Noah tried to throw a few more punches, but got front kicked by Moali, and ended up on his ass. It hurt, but not terribly. When he didn’t get up instantly, Moali yelled at him. “Come on, get up! You always get up!” Noah got up. “Next time, I’m gonna kick you when you’re down if you don’t get up right away!”

Noah tried to hit Moali again. Moali punched Noah in the face. It stung. They boxed for a short while. Noah didn’t mind getting hit too much. It hurt, and it made him flinch, but it wasn’t as bad as yesterday. The magical boxing gloves protected him from serious injury. But he was quickly out of breath and had to stop to breathe with his hands on his knees.

“Already gassed? Eye above, you’re pathetic. At least you lasted a bit longer this time. Come on, we’re not done.”

“Hold on…” breathed Noah.

“Don’t tell me what to do, soldier!” Moali kicked Noah’s shin, tripping him. He landed in the dirt. “Up! Up!” Moali yelled, and feinted a kick, motivating Noah to get up to avoid it.

“Good. Keep going! You have to have the energy to keep going in combat. You can’t stop to breathe when a demon’s trying to chew your face! Come on!”

Noah swung a lazy hook. He was exhausted. He took an uppercut from Moali.

“Defend yourself, son! Keep blocking!”

“I can’t, I’m too tired… I just…” breathed Noah. He was getting lightheaded from the boxing and felt faint.

“There’s no can’t here, son. Keep going! We’re not done yet!” Moali kicked Noah and hit him in the chest, sending him backward. Noah managed to avoid falling over. “Come on!”

Noah threw a slow jab, which Moali easily rolled under, and then a right hook, which Moali also dodged. Then Noah took a hard punch to the face, and fell over. He stopped on the ground to breathe, and Moali kicked him in the face.

“No breaks here, boy! Not ‘til we’re done!”

Noah lay on the ground. His eyes were watering from the hits to his face, but he wasn’t bleeding. He breathed desperately.

“Up! Up!”

“I…” Noah gasped for breath. “I… Can’t…”

Moali kicked Noah’s ribs, which made Noah groan. “I’m gonna give you one chance to get back up. I don’t expect your best performance when you’re exhausted, but I expect you to try. Get up!”

“I can’t!” yelled Noah. Tears filled his eyes. “I can’t… I…”

Moali crossed his arms in disgust. “What, so you’re done for today? That’s all you got?”

Noah nodded. “I’m sorry… Please just…”

Moali’s face hardened. “Fine. Gloves off.”

Noah looked at Moali, terrified. He could sense the rage coming from Moali’s hateful gaze. He slowly unwrapped the gloves and pulled them off. He went to stand up.

“What are you doing? Why are you standing up?” Moali tripped Noah with one of his feet. “Remember what I said last time? If you can’t find the strength to keep fighting, then you’re gonna have to beg for your life. Give your enemy anything they want. Right? Get on your hands and knees, and pull down those pants.”

“No! No, please!” screamed Noah, still breathing heavily. “Please… don’t! Not again, please!”

“If you’re not gonna survive like a man, son, then you’re gonna have to survive like a woman. Now, bend over! Show me that tight little ass again.” Moali pulled aside his loincloth and took out his brown, tapered cock. It was huge, and the sight frightened Noah.

Noah screamed and tried to crawl away from Moali, but Moali kicked him, so he fell chest-first onto the dirt.

“Suppress Abilities!” Moali yelled, and he lunged forward and touched Noah before Noah even thought to try to Ether Walk away. “Now you’re stuck here, son!”

“No! No! No!” Noah screamed while Moali got on his knees and mounted Noah.

“Ah, I see you got your asshole fixed by a life mage, huh? Big mistake. Now it’s not gonna be stretched out, and it’s gonna hurt just as much as the first time. Stupid bitch.”

Moali shoved his cock inside Noah, and he screamed in pain. Moali yelled insults at Noah and beat him while he raped him.

“You like that, huh, you spoiled little noble faggot?”

“Too weak to even last five minutes in the ring? Now I’m the one who’s not gonna last five minutes in your ring!”

“So pathetic, you don’t deserve to live in the palace. Why do you get to live there, and I don’t, huh? You don’t deserve to live at all!”

Noah cried and screamed while he was raped, but he couldn’t get away. He thought about trying Ether Walk. He did have all his Favor left. He could use it three times today. But didn’t Moali’s ability last for a while? It wasn’t worth the risk. Noah just screamed and tried to bear the pain and humiliation. Eventually, he felt Moali throbbing inside him, filling him up with semen. There was a lot of it. Moali pulled out of Noah’s ass, and a lot of it dribbled down his leg.

“Ah. There you go. That’s all you’re good for, you stupid little faggot.”

Noah lay down in the dirt, breathing, relieved it was over. He saw Moali’s blood-covered dick was starting to go soft.

“Breath of Vitality,” Moali whispered. Noah felt his exhaustion disappear, though the pain remained. Confused, he looked at Moali and saw his dick instantly harden again. Moali looked down at Noah with a malicious smile. “Ready for round two, bitch?”

“No! Ether Walk! Ether Walk!” he screamed, but it didn’t work.

Noah tried to crawl away, but Moali kicked him in the ass, then again multiple times, in the ribs and face. “I told you not to fucking try that, you insubordinate little bitch! You’re lucky I don’t execute you, you pathetic shit!” He kept kicking Noah. Noah reeled from the pain, rolling onto his back. He felt Moali straddle his chest with his legs.

“Now, I already had your ass, how about I fuck that mouth of yours?”

“Please, no! I have lots of gold coins! You can have them! Please!”

“You think daddy’s money is gonna get you out of this? Daddy can’t buy you respect, you stupid faggot. Now open your stupid mouth.” Moali inched forward, moving the thin tip of his tapered brown cock to Noah’s mouth. “Open!” He pried Noah’s mouth open, and pushed the tip inside. His dick didn’t have a head; it was just a tapered shaft with a small hole at the tip. Noah could taste Moali’s sour dick, and it had a vile, musky smell.

“That’s right! Suck it! Suck it!” He slapped Noah’s ear until Noah started to suck on the tip. Noah had flashbacks to his encounter with the bull-people in that village. Moali jerked the shaft of his cock while Noah sucked on the tip. There was no way he could get the whole thing into Noah’s mouth. It was just too wide. But he thrust it as deep as he could into Noah’s mouth and made him gag. Noah tried to squirm away, but he couldn’t. He felt like he was going to choke or vomit, but he didn’t.

Moali thrust in and out of his mouth for a while, slapping Noah’s face and head while he did. It wasn’t as bad as when Moali fucked his ass. At least it didn’t really hurt. But it was disgusting and humiliating.

“Yeah, suck that cock, you elfin bitch! Suck it! You’re gonna swallow my cum, or I’ll fucking kill you, got it? Got it?” He hit Noah hard on the side of the head, drawing blood.

Noah nodded and made an “mm-hmm” sound.

“Good! Oh fuck! I’m gonna finish! Yeah, take that cock, bitch!” He held Noah’s hair with one hand and stroked his dick with the other while he fucked Noah’s mouth violently. Finally, he came, shooting a cupful of bitter, milky fluid into Noah’s mouth. Moali groaned in pleasure while Noah started to choke and pulled his head back, putting his hand over his mouth, trying not to cough it up. He swallowed several times, drinking the pungent semen. He coughed a bit of it up, but most of it went down.

“There you go. Good little faggot. This is what you’re training’s gonna be like from now on, got it? You’re clearly too weak for real training. You always will be. This is all you can do. Suck cock. You’re a Cocksucker now, not a Heart Heretic, got it?”

“Yes, sir,” Noah said weakly. He was still coughing and gagging a bit.

“Good. Now fuck off until tomorrow. And don’t be a drama queen.” Moali gave him a parting kick in the ribs, and he coughed and groaned in pain.

He wasn’t as injured as last time, at least. He didn’t have a concussion this time. But he was beaten all over, and his asshole was torn again. Noah lay in the dirt for an hour, composing himself before he staggered up, collected his Tesla rod, and made for the city.

He cried in Berenice’s arms when he got back. She tried to make him feel better and encouraged him to keep going back to training, but he couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t. Berenice appealed to the Emperor again on Noah’s behalf, but he told her to leave him alone, basically, and chastized Noah for not speaking for himself. She knew they couldn’t afford to pay for a life mage every day. Not at all, actually, now that they had set aside almost all their gold coins for artifacts they wanted. So she tended to his injuries normally, and then held him while he fell asleep.

When he woke up from nightmares, she calmed him back down and put him to sleep again.

When he woke up the next morning, she once again talked him into going back to training. She knew it was hard, but she told him to stick with it. To keep training. Even if it meant enduring Moali’s abuse. It would make a man out of him, and to abandon his training would cause him to be hanged. The Empire was large, and they were right in the middle of it. Escaping alive would be too difficult.

Noah agreed. He had to keep going back. To run away would mean death, unless he just found a shadow and hid there forever. But he would need to eat eventually, and they would surely have magical ways of tracking him down, with all the different abilities and artifacts out there. He would end up dead if he tried to run away. Probably. It wasn’t worth the risk. So he had to go back. He would just try his best not to upset Moali so he wouldn’t beat him as much.

The third time, Moali didn’t even tell Noah to put the gloves on. He just told him to get on his knees. Every day afterward was like that. Noah would show up to the training ring, quietly get on his hands and knees, and pull down his own pants and underwear, and then Moali would rape him in the ass. If he was lucky, he would only be punched and kicked a few times.

When he wasn’t training, Noah stayed in his room. Berenice brought him food from the dining hall. She tried to encourage him to leave, but he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. He felt empty, and terrified of everything. He tried exercising in his room. Trying to build up his vitality in case Moali gave him another chance to train properly instead of just raping him. But his efforts were halfhearted. He was dispirited and couldn’t work up the willpower to work out or to do much of anything.

During that time, Noah felt his temper grow. He was getting short with Berenice, and would yell and punch his pillow. He was humiliated by what was happening to him, and it made him angry. Angry at Moali. Angry at Emperor Antimogne. Angry at everything. Angry at nothing. And then, when his anger burned itself out, he would go back to being sad and hopeless.

One day, after a few weeks had passed, Noah heard a knocking on his door.

“You’re back already?” He thought it was Berenice. She had gone to the palace entryway to meet with Mister Mudd and the sellers of their new artifacts, but when he opened the door, it was Graven.

“Hello, sir! It is a pleasure to meet you again!”