The night they dropped Kirsa off was the last night they had to stop. Jori had taught Sven to fly the airship, so now they just took turns rather than landing. The metal ship was cold, and Noah shivered under his blankets. He had put a change of clothes on top of his blankets, but still, it wasn’t enough. The metal bed frame was cooling him from beneath. Noah sat up, unable to sleep. He looked out the small, round window and saw the sea passing by below them, watching the endless waves. He felt a bit seasick. Or airsick, or whatever.
Noah touched his eyes and then looked at his wet fingers, confused. He was crying? Soon, he was sobbing. He didn’t understand why. His whole body shook as his emotions poured out of him. He didn’t miss Kirsa. It wasn’t about her, he didn’t think. He didn’t know why he was crying, but he tried to weep quietly so nobody onboard would hear.
He heard three knocks on his door, and before he could reply, Jori had cracked the door open. The tiny flameblooded sheeple said to him in a monotone voice that Sven wanted to talk to him, and then left, leaving Noah’s door open. If Jori had noticed Noah was crying, he hadn’t said anything.
“Noah? Oh, no! Why are you crying? Are you sad?” asked Cardi. She came into his room from the hallway and wrapped her arms around him. Rather than being comforting, he was made uncomfortable by her nudity. Her bright pink breasts were rubbing against his arm.
“I- I’m okay, Cardi,” Noah said, still crying.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t even know why I’m crying. Sorry,” he sniffled.
Cardi ran out of the room. Noah heard her talking to Berenice, who was in her room. “-he’s crying, and he doesn’t know why! Can you help him please?”
Soon, Berenice was in Noah’s room, sitting next to him on the bed. “Aww, what ails thee, Noah?” She put her arms around Noah, and he buried his face in her wool and started sobbing again. “Aww, there there, Noah. ‘Tis alright. Poor thing. Why art thou crying?”
“I don’t know!” he mumbled through her wool. He turned his head and spoke. “I- I just… I don’t know. It’s not because of Kirsa or anything. It’s just…”
Berenice stroked his messy, black hair comfortingly. “Oh, I am certain ‘tis not. That wench is mischief. I am only amazed thou ever hadst fondness for her at all. But thou art young, and knowest not what thou wantest, nor whom thou shouldst love.”
Noah fought back tears to respond. “But I do know! I want Chastity! If Kirsa hadn’t said she was pregnant… But that’s not even why I’m crying; I just- I don’t know!”
“‘Tis okay to weep at times, Noah. This is the first time in a long time thou hast lived without the threat of death or other torments. When was the last thou wert able to rest without stress? Thou hast been bottling thy torments all within thee, and now they are spilling forth.”
Noah nodded, and let Berenice keep holding him while he cried quietly into her wool. “Sorry,” he mumbled several times, and Berenice just kept comforting him. After a time, he started to feel better, and his tears dried up. He sat up and wiped his tears.
“Thanks, Berenice.”
She nodded. “How fared thee with thy level up? Cardi insists we hold a party.”
“If we have a party every time I level up, we’re gonna be having a party like every two weeks,” Noah smiled. “It went well. I took the Shadow Steps ability, so I can now teleport from one shadow to another whenever I want.”
After selecting his new ability, he had assigned his stat points.
He spread his stat points around a bit, putting two in Divinity, one in Luck, and one in Social. He felt like he wasn’t sure where to put his points, and all of these stats had merit, so he spread them around a bit.
[+ DIV] [+ DIV] [+ LUK] [+ SOC]
[Level 7]
[Stats:] [STR: 10 | DEX: 11 | BOD: 10 | INT: 15 (max) | SOC 15 | LUK 15 | MAG 0 | DIV 8]
[4 stat points available] [+STR | +DEX | +BOD | +SOC | +LUK | +MAG | +DIV]
[0/0 Mana] [8/8 Favor]
[Class: Heretic] [Class abilities:] [Patron: You have a powerful bond with one of the outer gods. Your current patron is: The Heart] [Second Chance (passive) - You get a +4 passive bonus to LUK when luck would be the difference between you living and dying.] [Ether Walk [2 favor] - Your Dash is replaced with an Ether Walk lasts for up to 6 seconds, but does not give you any increased speed. You are invisible and invulnerable during the Walk.] [Shadowwalker (passive) - Your Ether Walk does not decrease in duration when you are in a shadow. ] [Shadow Steps (passive) At any time, you can step into a shadow as if it were a portal, and emerge from any other shadow you can see. Replaces Shadow Step.]
After levelling up, he was able to see what his next options would be for class abilities. In addition to the many he had skipped, he could now choose the following:
[Shadow Rush (passive) - Whenever you pass through a creature during your Ether Walk, that creature is blinded for 10 seconds. You are 25% faster during Ether Walk.] [Aura of Shadow [2 Favor] - Create an aura of darkness extending 10 feet from you in all directions. Other creatures can’t see through this darkness, and light will not illuminate it. This darkness counts as shadow for the purposes of your class abilities. Lasts up to 10 minutes or until dismissed.] [Eclipse Strike (passive) - The next strike after exiting your Ether Walk explodes with bright light, dealing extra damage and dazing the target.]
These looked pretty powerful, and he would have to carefully consider which one to choose.
After telling Berenice about the new abilities, she asked him why he chose Heart Heretic as his class in the first place.
Noah blushed. “Well, to be honest, I didn’t even know what ‘heretic’ meant. I just… Okay, this is gonna sound stupid, but I just thought it sounded cool.”
“Thou wert unaware of the meaning of ‘heretic’? But thou must have at least known it entailed opposing the Eye and receiving power from another god, no?”
“I didn’t even know what the Eye was. I had basically just woken up here at the time. I had never even heard of levels. People don’t level up or anything where I’m from. So I just kind of picked a class randomly.”
“Hmm… I am glad thou hast become less thoughtless over time. Owing perhaps to thine Intelligence stat? I do wonder if mayhaps something about thy coming here hath made thee humanborn, yet thou wert not before.”
Noah considered this. “Well, my parents were both human, so I don’t know.”
“Aye , but not all humanborns bear human lineage, so perhaps some humans are not humanborn either.”
“That makes no sense,” said Noah.
“I am curious what led thee to choose the Heart. Thou hadst several patrons vying for thy favor, correct?”
“Yeah, a bunch. Most of them sounded crazy, or evil, or something. I considered the Brain or the Ribcage or something, but I went with the Heart. It just sounded like the option that would make me one of the good guys.”
Berenice smiled. “Thou art a ‘good guy’, Noah. Verily. ‘Tis why I like thee. Thou art insecure and foolish-“
“Hey!”
“- Yet thou hast a good heart. I have met evil and selfish men, but thou art not of their number.”
“Thanks, Berenice. You’re really nice, too.”
Berenice smiled at him. Noah expected her to say something, but she just smiled at him with warm eyes.
“So,” said Noah, “Why did you choose your class?”
“Oh, that’s simple,” said Berenice, putting up her fists. “I’ll be a victim no more. Cross me, and thou shalt taste metal! Bahahah!”
Noah chuckled. “You look so tiny, but I’m sure you’re way stronger than me with the metalskin ring and all your strength increases.”
“Aye, I could punch a hole through an anvil bird, methinks.” She stood up and did a few mock punches in the air. They looked weak, but Noah knew they would probably hit hard enough to stop a truck.
When she had tired herself out from shadowboxing, she stopped and looked out the greasy window at the sea passing beneath them. “Breathtaking,” she said, watching the endless waves below. Noah stood next to her, watching with her. “Never in a thousand years did I dream I might one day wander this far from home. Yet, I suppose, I am not as far from home as thee, neither in space nor in time. In sooth, methinks this is my home. With thee. Wheresoever thou art, that is my home.”
Noah’s heart fluttered. “You’re talking about me like you love me, Berenice.”
Berenice’s long ears drooped a bit. She spoke without taking her eyes off the sea. “Oh, I do love thee, Noah.”
“What?” he blurted out. “Sorry, I mean… What?”
“Art thou so young and simple that I must needs spell it out for thee, Noah? I thought I could keep it to myself, since thou desirest Chastity, and I only wish thy happiness, but that damned necklace had me tumbling over mine own feet trying to seduce thee, and now you shall figure it out sooner or later. Yes, Noah, I love thee.” Noah saw that her fingers were playing nervously with her wool. “Thou art strong and clever. Thou art kind. Thou art young, aye, and foolish. But thou art wondrous, and thou hast freed me. Twice. Thou art my hero.”
“Oh…” Noah was dumbstruck. He didn’t know what to say. Berenice had been by his side almost the whole time he’d been in this world, but he had never considered the possibility that he should be with her like that. She had been a gullible sheeple, and he had felt like he would be taking advantage if he was with her. She had always felt like something separate to him from a normal person he could be in a relationship with. He had been confused when Berenice had been flirtatious and lewd toward him when she was wearing the flame-colored necklace, but he attributed her behavior entirely to the necklace. But he shouldn’t have, apparently, because now, she had casually confessed her love for him, as if she didn’t expect him to say he loved her in return.
“‘Tis well, Noah. I know thou dost not want me. I know thou yearnest for Chastity. In sooth, she is fairer than I. Do not deny it. And thou hast been pursuing her for some time. Thou wilt not abandon that chase now.” She looked him in the eyes, and he saw that her eyes were welling with tears. “Just know that I love thee, and I am happy we are friends, alright?”
“Oh, okay, I’m sorry, I… I am happy we are friends, too.”
Berenice wiped her tears and made for the door to the hallway. “Cardi wishes to hold a party for thee soon, but Sven seeks to speak with thee first,” she said, stepping out of the room.
“Oh, okay,” Noah said, but she was already gone. Noah’s stomach twisted itself tightly into a knot. Suddenly, he was feeling airsick.
He walked out of his small room to the engine area where Sven was waiting for him.
“More blood?” asked Noah. Sven had been getting blood from him every day to keep the airship afloat. It wasn’t a lot each time, but it was starting to add up.
“Yeah. Sorry. I can ask one of the others if you want.”
“No, it’s fine for now.”
Sven’s fang pierced Noah’s wrist again, and the trickle of blood flowed steadily out of him.
“Are you okay, old blood? You seem almost as pale as me. Maybe I should have Berenice do it next time?”
“No, it’s okay, really. I think I was nauseous before. It’s not the blood. It’s this airship, I think. I can’t wait to get to Hoomtree so I can have my feet planted firmly on the ground again. Here, I just feel like I’m floating from one place to another without anything to anchor myself, and it makes me feel sick.”
“I see. There, that’s enough,” said Sven, turning to the battery. It glowed angrily with red light as he charged it, and it made a high-pitched screeching sound as he did. “I hope this battery lasts our whole journey. Or, if not, I hope Jori is the one at the yoke when we fall from the air like a fat, metal walrus,” Sven smirked playfully.
Noah smiled back, and turned to leave, holding his wrist to stem the bleeding.
“Oh, Noah?”
“Yeah?”
“Congratulations on the level-up. You are now the same level as the eldest of the Armond family.”
“Oh, that’s your family?” Right, Sven’s last name was Armond. “Thanks. Are your family all vampires?”
Sven offered an amused smile. “Of course, old blood. Are your parents horses? Or are they human, like you?”
“Oh,” Noah felt embarrassed. “I thought vampires bit other people and turned them into vampires or something. That’s how it works in the…” Movies, he wanted to say. “Books I’ve read.”
“Oh? No, we’re all born vampires. Are you sure you’re not thinking of flamebloods? I know that some people think we’re similar because we both tend to remain fixed at a certain age. Jori was turned when he was five, and now will look like a child forever. But I was a vampire even at birth. I bit my mother’s nipple and sucked blood from her teat like every vampire infant.”
“So why do you look so young then? I honestly can’t wrap my head around you being in your eighties,” said Noah, “I just kind of see you like a really mature kid. No offense.”
“None taken. I see you as a really immature kid,” Sven smiled, showing his fangs. “Once we are old enough to do magic, we start using self-enhancement life magic to slow our aging process. I have biologically aged maybe two years in the last 75 years. It takes a lot of mana, but we can replenish our mana with blood magic, and our blood magic is stronger than anyone else’s.”
“Wow, so how long will you live?”
“Ha, that depends on how long it takes for someone to drive a stake through my heart! Or my brain. Unlike Jori, I have all the normal weak points of a humanborn. But I can regenerate any injury that isn’t fatal, at least.”
“I’m jealous. I’d be nearly dead at your age. And apparently, when people die in this world, they all just go to Hell? So I’d have that to look forward to.”
“Who told you that? Did you learn that from your golgotha companion, perhaps? I don’t believe superstitions like that, though they are popular.”
Graven had said people go to Hell when they die. Noah had just believed it outright. If there were gods and magic, why not souls and Hell? This was the first he was hearing that it might not be true.
“Well, if it’s not true, that would be a relief. I’ve been thinking everyone goes to Hell when they die.”
“Yes, I have heard the golgotha religion says as much. They train themselves in life so they can fight demons in death. A more popular take is that evildoers go to Hell, and good people go to Heaven to live in harmony with the Eye. Personally, I think our blood turns to sludge, and we rot in the dirt.”
“Hmm.” Noah hadn’t been religious growing up, but he didn’t also have incontrovertible evidence of the existence of gods growing up, either. “Is there any way of knowing what the Eye actually wants? Like, does it ever talk to us or something?”
“No, of all the gods, it is the only one that never talks. Yet, it makes its will known in subtle ways, I think. Every year during the Opening, it eradicates the Tower of Babel the golgotha erect. Apparently, it does not approve of the project.”
“But they killed a god once, right?”
“So they say. It may be true. Perhaps the Eye wanted the Tongue dead, and allowed it to happen. Who knows. The Tower of Babel is not the only thing to disappear during the Opening. Occasionally, someone will spot an animal disappearing, or a person. I’ve never seen it, but the stories are common enough. There are legends of entire species being eliminated. Nobody knows what makes the Eye want to destroy something, but its power to do so seems to be absolute.”
“Berenice and I saw a weird creature disappear during the Opening when we were inside the Rainbow Mountains. Actually, we killed the creature, but then its corpse disappeared.”
“Truly? Hmm. That is a rare event. You seem to be a nexus for strange things. Was there anything notable about the creature?”
“Yeah,” said Noah, “It was super powerful. It peeled me open like a potato, and put me back together like it was nothing. And it talked really weird. Like, I could understand some of the words, but not others. We barely managed to take it down.”
Sven smiled. “Maybe the creature was getting too big for its britches, and the Eye decided to take it out. I really have no idea, but it’s curious. Anyway, shall we attend your party? Cardi is waiting.”
Noah and Sven returned to the front of the airship, where Berenice and Cardi were sitting at the table.
“Happy level-up day, Noah!” said Cardi. “Berenice says we’re supposed to give you a wish balloon, but we don’t have any! We just have what we brought… But we do have this!” Cardi held up a bottle of wine. “There’s a whole crate of bottles like these in the cargo hold! Isn’t it amazing?”
“Yeah, sure,” said Noah, taking a seat. Sven sat next to him, across from Berenice and Cardi.
“Bee here says they’re made from ‘grapes’, and they taste bad, but they make you happy!” Cardi started trying to open the bottle.
“‘Tis not quite what I did say…”
With help from Berenice, Cardi opened the bottle and started pouring drinks. “Here!” she said, passing metal cups of wine to Sven and Noah. “Drink the happy grape juice!”
“A toast to Noah’s level up!” said Sven, raising his glass.
“Aye, congratulations, Noah!” said Berenice, drinking her wine, which Noah and Sven mirrored. Cardi finished pouring herself a drink and brought it to her lips.
Wine sprayed across the metal table. “Eww! It’s horrible!”
Berenice laughed. “Thou drinkest it not for the taste.”
“It will really make me happy?” Cardi asked. Berenice just shrugged.
Sven spoke to Cardi. “Who knows, it might make you explode. You’re an alien, right?”
“What’s an alien?” asked Cardi. She took another sip of her drink, pursing her soft, pink lips, but managing to swallow the liquid without spitting it out.
“Someone from another planet,” said Noah, sipping at his own drink. It was bitter but drinkable.
“Oh, right, because I’m from the Heart, not Earth, right?”
“Yeah,” said Noah. “You’re kind of an alien. Sort of.”
“It’s a shame Jori can’t join us, but we can’t land in the sea. I’ll bring him a drink, at least.” Sven brought a drink to Jori at the front of the ship. When he got back, the room was quiet.
“It’s not much of a party, is it? You know what, why don’t we play an old vampire drinking game.”
“Oh, I like games! They’re like real life, but pretend!” said Cardi.
“It’s called False Histories. We shall each recount a a tale from our lives where we struggled for power, and succeeded in grasping it. It can be anything. A time when your parent tried to do something and you circumvented them, or a time when you killed your enemy on the battlefield. But at some point during your story, you’ll slip in a false detail.”
“Oh, fun!” said Berenice.
“If you think the storyteller is telling a lie, you say ‘new blood’. If you were right, then the storyteller drinks wine. If not, then you drink wine. And if the storyteller completes their tale without anyone catching them in a lie, then they are entitled to drink a cupful of blood. Since we have no blood, and you’re not vampires, we can skip that part. Traditionally, if you think someone’s story is particularly impressive, you can nominate them for an extra cupful of blood, but again, we can skip that part.”
“Yeah, that sounds fun,” said Noah.
“Since it’s my game, I shall go first. Pay close attention, and remember to say ‘new blood’ if you think I tell a lie.” Sven set down his cup and stood from the table. He spoke dramatically, in a manner that made it seem like he had told the story many times. “In the North, during times of peace, it is traditional for the different vampire families to compete every year. There is an ancient game known as chess, which we play against one another.”
Noah was tempted to interrupt and say he knew about chess, but instead he made himself focus on trying to spot Sven’s lie. He and the others sipped their drinks, listening to Sven.
“The elders are centuries old, and masters of this ancient game. The game consists of two small armies, one black, and one white. Each player has an elder, and the goal is to keep the elder safe from the opponent’s pieces. Skill in chess is an indication of a keen strategic mind, and translates well to the battlefield. To play against an elder, of course, would be pointless. Even understanding an elder when they speak is difficult, so full of literary flourishes and allusions to ancient stories is their speech. To understand their chess strategy is nearly impossible. So, there are age groups.
“I was in my twenties at the time. I looked much the same as I do now, though I was graceless and spoke with an impediment.”
“New blood!” spoke Cardi. “No way you were in your twenties. You’re only a kid now! Ha! I win!”
Sven frowned at Cardi. “I’m afraid I’m much older than I look, Cardi. The blood is old. Drink up!”
“No!” said Cardi. “Dang it! How much do I have to drink?”
“The whole cup,” said Sven.
“What!”
“Those are the rules,” he said.
Cardi scowled and started drinking the wine, making faces like she was eating out a lemon.
“As the blood was old, I’ll continue my tale. As I said, I was in my twenties, and awkward and unpopular. My opponent, on the other hand, was from the Valmont family. He was already level three, and his girlfriend was my crush. Vanessa. Sweet, hot-blooded Vanessa. Intimidated as I was, I studied day and night for the match. I drilled positions and played games with my father. But I knew it wouldn’t be enough. The Valmont boy was top rank. With so much riding on the game, I had to come up with another plan.
“I recruited an older vampire to help me cheat. He was not yet an elder, but he was over a century old and could easily defeat anyone in my age group. I had to sell off an artifact that was a family heirloom to pay him, but what can I say? I wanted to impress Vanessa. So, I hired the man to help me cheat. The man watched our match from the crowd, and whenever I came to a tricky position, he merely used his Blood Magic to tear a small strip of flesh from my ankle. It hurt, and I bled under my sock, but it was enough to alert me to a possible trap or clever move I may have missed otherwise.”
“Umm, new blood?” spoke Berenice. “I am not familiar with the game, but I gather thou art saying he aided thee not by advising thy moves, but only by bidding thee to ponder more deeply? I see not how that would suffice to grant thee victory. Couldst thou not simply ponder more deeply in the first place?”
“Ah. I understand why you might think so, but I’m afraid to say the blood is old.”
“Pox!” said Berenice, taking the cup of wine to her lips and drinking it without scrunching her face like Cardi had.
“It really does give an edge, especially since we were playing with hourglasses. We had to allocate our thinking time carefully. But even without the time constraints, it does help. It’s a known cheating method now, and countermeasures have since been put in place.
“Anyway, with the older vampire helping me, sending me painful signals to slow down when necessary, I was able to capture his elder piece, and win the game. The look-“
“New blood?” asked Noah. “In chess, you don’t capture the, uh, the elder. You put it in checkmate.” He was taking a risk. Vampires referred to the king as the elder, so it’s possible that the rules could be slightly different, too.
“Well done, Noah! The blood is new!” Sven threw his head back, drinking his whole glass. “I am surprised you are familiar with the game.”
“Yeah, I used to play it sometimes,” smiled Noah. He had been in his high school’s chess club, and sometimes played online.
“Well done, Noah!” said Berenice. “I’d not have guessed it.”
“Me neither! I had no idea what was going on, to be honest,” said Cardi.
“What transpired with the maiden?” asked Berenice.
“Typically, when the new blood is discovered, you don’t tell the rest of the story, but essentially, she stayed with the Valmont boy. He accused me – baselessly – of cheating. He was right, of course, but he couldn’t prove it. She believed him, though, and stayed with him until I left.”
“Wherefore didst thou leave?”
“Perhaps I’ll tell that story the next time we play False Histories. For now, why don’t you go next.”
“Me?” asked Berenice. “Oh, alright. Well… I was once under the rule of a cruel master, and this is the tale of how I made escape.” She set down her cup and folded her hands in her lap. Everyone listened intently. “For many a year, I did believe I would pass the remainder of my days under my master’s harsh rule. But one day, I heard rumours of a new Lord from the north – a longfolk noble beginning a series of wish balloon farms, who was purchasing sheeple in great numbers. My secret lover, Cassius, persuaded me this was our ticket to a better life.”
“New blood!” yelled Cardi excitedly.
“What? What part do you think was a lie?” asked Noah.
“It all sounded convincing to me so far,” said Sven.
“You said you had a secret lover, but why would you want to keep your love a secret? Love should be shared with everyone!” said Cardi.
“I’m afraid the blood is old, Cardi,” said Berenice. “Some sheeple are allowed to romance other sheeple, ‘tis true, but my master would never have allowed my relationship with Cassius. He desired my body solely for himself.”
“Drink up, Cardi!” said Sven.
“Aww, dang it!” said Cardi, pouring herself another cup of wine. Her face scrunched as she swallowed it, gulp by gulp.
“Anyway, I knew my master would never sell me, but were he to perish, I would be sold with the rest of his estate to settle his numerous debts, and I would likely be sold to this new lord, who was already in the process of purchasing Cassius. Cassius obtained a magical poison from a craft mage, and gave it to me along with the antidote. Without the antidote, a single drop of the poison was said to have the power to slay a hundred men. I did ingest the antidote, and applied the poison upon my nether regions. Then, when my master did rape me, he was exposed-“
“What is rape?” asked Cardi. Everyone turned to look at her.
“Uhhh…” said Noah.
Berenice replied matter-of-factly to Cardi’s question. “‘Tis when someone doth have sex with thee without thy consent. They force themselves upon thee.”
Cardi tilted her head. “I’m confused. Why wouldn’t you want to have sex? It’s because you didn’t want a baby, but he did?”
“Sex is for more than making babies. ‘Tis pleasurable and intimate. In the case of my lord, the carnal act was almost always urethral, and excruciatingly painful. He did covet my tears of pain.”
“That’s horrible!”
“Aye, ‘tis.”
“You must be lying. New blood!” said Cardi.
“I fear not, Cardi. ‘Tis the honest truth. Thou wilt need to drink again, if thou art up to it.”
“Aww!” moaned Cardi, pouring herself another cup of wine. She started drinking it, stopped to burp, and continued drinking, making faces the whole time.
“I’ll continue my tale. I did apply the poison to myself, and when my master sought to take advantage of me, for once I got to witness his cries of pain as he died slowly. Soon after, I was sold to the-“
“New blood?” asked Sven.
Berenice smiled. “Aye, how couldst thou tell?”
“It was a clever lie,” said Sven, “and a more poetic ending to your story than the truth, but I expect the poison you used did not cause your master excruciating pain. If there was any suspicion that he had been poisoned, you would have been executed rather than sold. So, I assume you would have chosen a poison with effects that could be mistaken for natural causes. A heart attack, perhaps?”
Berenice nodded. “Aye. Thou art right. Now, I must drink.” She threw back her cup, swallowing the wine in one gulp. She held her cup out to Cardi for her to pour Berenice a new drink, and Cardi spilled wine on Berenice’s hand and the table as she poured.
“Oops! Shorry!” said Cardi.
Berenice smiled at Cardi, and set her new drink in front of her.
Sven spoke. “I could smell the new blood, but I commend you for your story. It is admirable when a person, even a slave, takes their history into their own hands. Who desires to go next? Cardi or Noah?”
“I guess I can go,” said Noah. He wasn’t sure what story to tell. There had been so much that had happened to him since coming to this world, but most of it had happened with Berenice. He thought about telling the story about him being rescued by Chastity, but that story mostly involved him being helpless, and the story was supposed to be about him acquiring power. He thought carefully about what story to tell, and then started.
“Okay, so there was this cute blonde girl. She was in my math class, and I used to look at her instead of focusing on my work. I had a major crush on her. I wanted to ask her out, but I was way too nervous. Every day, I wanted to ask her out, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I think it was like that for months. Then, one day, I decided if I want to ask her out, I should get some practice. So, one day after school, I had my friend Greg pretend to be Kayla. That was her name. And I practiced asking her out like a hundred times.”
“New blood?” asked Berenice.
“No, that part was true,” said Noah.
“Eye!” cursed Berenice, drinking her overfull cup.
Noah continued his story. “After practicing a hundred times, I decided to ask her out the next day after math class ended. When the bell rang, I went up to her. I said, ‘hey,’ like I planned to, but when she looked at me, I forgot what to say next. She just stared at me, and I said, ‘never mind,’ and I turned to leave. I was so embarrassed. But the next day, after class, she came up to me and said, ‘hey.’ I was confused and said, ‘what?’ and then she asked me on a date. I was totally shocked by it.”
“New blood! Has to be!” smiled Sven, but Noah shook his head no. “Truly? Perhaps human women are more aggressive than vampire women…” he posited, drinking his first cup of wine.
“Anyway, the fact that she asked me out made me feel even more embarrassed. I felt like I was supposed to be the man or something and ask her out, but she asked me out instead, and so I leaned in and kissed her right then and there.” Noah paused, waiting for someone to call him out.
Cardi took the bait. “New blood!”
“Uh-uh, it’s true. I really did kiss her. Drink up.”
“Good for thee, Noah,” said Berenice, smiling at him.
“Drat, I was shertain you were shaying-“ Cardi hiccuped and continued, “I thought for sure… It wash a lie…” Cardi blinked and shook her head. “Whatsh happening?”
“Thou art becoming inebriated, Cardi.”
“I thought the wine wash gonna to make me happy. I think I feelsh happier, but I’m alsho a bit…” she trailed off.
“You don’t have to keep drinking if it’s too much,” said Sven.
“No! Give me the happy grape juish!” Cardi sloppily poured herself a cup of wine and downed it aggressively.
Berenice laughed at Cardi’s poor coordination. “In sooth, I think I’m becoming tipsy myself. My tolerance for wine is not what it once was.”
“What happened next?” Sven asked Noah.
“Oh, then we dated after that. She was my girlfriend for a few months. That’s it.”
“Oh, so we missed the new blood?” asked Sven.
“Yeah, it was right at the beginning. She wasn’t in my math class. She was my brother’s friend, and I asked her out while she was at my house, and my brother was in the bathroom.”
“Ah. It was smart of you to put the lie at the beginning of the story when people were not yet attuned to it. Well done. If you were a vampire, you’d be entitled to a cupful of blood.”
“Thanks,” said Noah.
“There’s only one person left,” said Sven, looking at Cardi. She was laying her bald head on the table, her cheek getting covered in spilled wine. “Are you alright, Cardi?”
“Yeah, but I think the airship might be shpinning…” she said, not lifting her head. “Might want to talk to Jori…”
“The airship is fine; it’s your mind that’s spinning. Do you want to tell a story? You don’t have to.”
“No, itsh fine. I can shtill tell mine,” she said. Her face was still sitting in the pool of spilled wine, and the fact that she was laying on her cheek meant she moved her lips in an exaggerated way when she talked. “Okay, sho…” She burped. “I wash created a few months ago… I didn’t know how to eat, even. People looked at me all weird and shtuff… Then, a sheeple wash yelling at me. I had peed my pantsh. Well, I wasn’t wearing any pantsh… I think I’m peeing my pantsh now…”
Noah heard the faint trickle of urine dripping onto the metal floor of the airship.
Berenice saw Cardi was peeing. “Oh, no. Poor thing. Let’s get thee cleansed.” Berenice stood from her chair and she had to take a second to stabilize herself. “Oh… Steady. There. Come, Cardi.”
“Okay…” Cardi said, following after her to the tiny onboard bathroom.
“So much for False Histories,” said Sven. Sven took some rags and started mopping up the wine and urine that had spilled on the floor.
“Yeah,” said Noah.
“You were winning, you know. You’ve barely touched your drink.”
Noah looked at the cup of wine in front of him, which he had been sipping at the beginning of the game. He shrugged and then downed the whole thing, which made Sven smile.
“Good man,” said Sven, finishing cleaning the mess. “I think I’ll retire now. Jori will want me to fly the ship in a few hours so he can sleep. Tell Berenice and Cardi to have a good night, and congratulations again on your level up.”
“Thanks,” said Noah. “I will. Thanks for the game.”
Sven left Noah alone at the table. Soon, Berenice returned.
“Cardi hath gone to sleep,” said Berenice softly.
“Yeah, Sven just went to bed, too,” said Noah.
“Ah, so ‘tis just the two of us, then? Art thou going to stay awake?”
“Yeah, I will for now.”
“I hope ‘tis not awkward betwixt us now that thou art aware of mine feelings for thee.”
“No,” said Noah, “It’s okay.” Noah decided to pour himself some more wine. He topped off Berenice’s drink, too.
“Good, then what dost thou wish us to do? ‘Tis thy party. Perchance thou wouldst like us to play another game?”
“Another game? With just us? What game would we play?” asked Noah, drinking from his cup.
“Hmm… I have a thought. Knowest thou that necklace thou hast? The artifact that renders the wearer more flirtatious?”
“Oh. Yeah, why?” asked Noah.
She smiled at Noah. “There is a game I know where each person takes turns bestowing a compliment upon the other. Each compliment should be more flattering than the last. I thought we could play the same game, but whilst wearing the necklace. ‘Twould be fun, methinks.”
“Okay, sure, that sounds fine. But you go first.” Noah handed over the flame-coloured gem necklace, and drank from his wine cup.
Berenice wrapped the necklace around her wrist to avoid the headache of having to repeatedly shimmy the necklace past her afro. “Alright. I shall start small.” She leaned in closer, looking Noah in the eyes. “Noah. I think thou hast a comely neck.”
“My neck?” he asked, touching his neck. “What about it? It’s just a neck.”
“‘Tis somewhat muscular, and thy Adam’s apple is pronounced. It renders thee attractive.”
“Well, thanks. My turn?” Berenice nodded, and he put on the necklace. Looking at Berenice with the necklace on felt a bit different. He was noticing flattering details about her appearance that he hadn’t before. “I like your little horns,” he said. “They’re cute.”
Berenice touched her small, curved horns that were barely visible through her afro. Noah handed over the necklace to Berenice. “I thank thee, Noah. Thou couldst say thy compliment hath rendered me… a little horny! Bahaha!” Berenice laughed, and Noah almost spit out his drink.
“Berenice!”
“What? I speak of my little horns! Thou saidst they were cute, correct?” Noah rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay, now ‘tis my turn. Hmm…” Berenice inspected Noah again. “I think I fancy how tall thou art. I feel small standing next to thee.”
“Thanks,” said Noah, sipping his wine. “My turn.” She handed him the necklace, and he tried to think of another compliment. Berenice gave a vulnerable smile in anticipation as he looked at her. “I think you have nice boobs.”
“Noah!”
“Oh my god! I can’t believe I said that!” Noah blushed. “Get this thing off of me!”
“Bahahaha! Thou truly thinkest they are nice? They’re not so large, and they’re covered at all times by mine wool.”
Noah passed her the necklace. “Yeah, I guess I do. Though I don’t mean to give you the wrong idea or anything. We’re just playing this game as friends, right?”
She put the necklace on her wrist. “Aye, of course. Though, whilst we are on the topic of lechery, I think thou hast a very attractive member.” Berenice smiled coyly at Noah, passing the necklace back to him.
“What? Berenice…”
“Relax, ‘tis but a compliment, Noah.”
“Okay, well, thanks, I guess. Wait, what did you like about it, though?”
Berenice touched her finger to her lips, thinking for a moment before speaking. “I think I have always fancied the head of a cock the most. And thy head is large and vibrant, and visible even when thou art soft. That is unusual, but I like it.”
“Oh, you mean because I’m circumcised,” said Noah.
“Hmm?”
“It’s when they cut off the foreskin of a baby. It’s for, like, religious reasons or something. I don’t really know.”
“So we have both been maimed by our societies in a similar fashion. Intriguing. I believe ‘tis thy turn.”
Each compliment was supposed to be more flattering than the last, right? He wasn’t sure how to keep making them more flattering without giving Berenice the wrong idea. He had already complimented her boobs. Where could he go from here?
He felt stuck, but then he slipped on the necklace, and the words came to him. “I think – while we’re still talking about sex – that you have a better vagina than anyone else I’ve been with, and there were a number of nights where I was masturbating with those flesh scanner vaginas you found, and I wished it was you.”
“Oh, Noah…” said Berenice, shyly averting her eyes.
“Sorry, it just slipped out. It’s just the necklace talking. I mean, you do have a nice one, and the taste… Sorry,” he said, taking the necklace off. He was blushing again.
Berenice smiled at him. “Noah, ‘twould almost be romantic of you to say that if it weren’t so horribly lascivious. Bahaha!”
“Huh? Oh, come on.”
“Thy addled young, male brain can think of naught but my lady parts, eh?” Berenice teased.
“No! You’re the one who complimented my dick first!” said Noah.
“Come on, relax! I’m but jesting. ‘Tis my turn?” she asked, taking the necklace from Noah.
“Are you sure we should keep playing this game?” asked Noah.
“Fret not, I’ll not make the next one sexual. Here: I think thou hast soft skin. Incredibly soft. My skin is black and rough like charcoal, but thy pink skin is like a babe’s.”
“I thought your skin was pretty smooth,” said Noah.
“I thank thee, but ‘tis nothing like thine. Here, feel my visage, and thine in comparison.”
Berenice switched chairs so she would be close enough for Noah to feel her face. He felt hers, and then his own. “See?” she said. She felt his cheeks with her fingers. They were cool on his warm skin. The touch warmed his face even more, and a shy smile spread across his lips.
“I don’t know. I think we both have smooth skin. It’s just skin. I dunno.”
“Okay, well, it’s your turn.” Berenice slipped the necklace into Noah’s hand, and he started thinking about his next compliment.
Once the necklace was on, he remembered something nice about Berenice. “I think you do have really soft lips, though,” said Noah.
“Oh?” asked Berenice. She smiled slyly. “Art thou recalling how they did feel on thine own lips? Or how they felt… somewhere else?”
Noah swallowed. Berenice wasn’t even wearing the necklace, but she was making Noah’s breath quicken.
“Wouldst thou like to feel them again?” she asked softly.
The question hung in the air of the bridge. Berenice waited for Noah to respond. Noah watched her watching him. She wore a vulnerable expression, which made her more attractive to him.
“Yes…” the word fell from his mouth before he could think about it.
Berenice leaned toward Noah, and her lips touched his. They were as soft as he remembered. He lost himself in a kiss with her. Before he could realize what he was doing, his hand was on her breast. He felt her tongue flicker on his lips as they kissed.
Berenice climbed onto Noah’s lap and made out with him there. He had to tilt his head upward to kiss her. They held each other, kissing passionately, their sounds masked by the hum of the engine.
“Thou knowest, Noah…” Berenice pulled her lips from Noah’s and whispered in his ear. “I did offer to let thee use me for sex at any time, and in any way thou pleased.”
“Oh, that? Don’t worry about that, Berenice. You don’t have to do that.”
“Nay, thou understandest not. I desire it. Even if thou wilt not love me. I desire it. Until the day I die, I want thee to use me, Noah. Please.”
She looked at him with pleading eyes that made it hard for him to turn her down, but some part of him screamed that it would be wrong to accept her offer. Some part of him knew he should be saving himself for Chastity.
“Chastity…” he murmured.
“Worry not, Noah. I can keep a secret.” He felt her hand pulling at his pants, undoing his fly. “I am a free woman now, thanks to thee. No Emperor can make me betray thy trust.”
Noah felt himself becoming hard under her light touch. He felt a sudden urge to tell her he wanted her to be his dirty little secret, but he fought it and then pulled the necklace from his neck. His arousal stayed, but with the necklace gone, his forward momentum evaporated. Noah stopped her hand with his. “I’m sorry, Berenice. It’s not just Chastity. You also told me you’re in love with me. I think it would be wrong for us to have sex if I didn’t have feelings for you. Sorry.”
“And thou dost not? Harbour any feelings for me?” asked Berenice.
“I- I don’t know.”
“But thou desirest Chastity. I understand. I am sorry, Noah. I should have restrained myself more.”
“Sorry,” Noah said meekly. “It’s not your fault.”
“But this is,” said Berenice, leaning in for another brief, soft kiss.”
“Berenice…”
“One for the road,” she said, smiling a bittersweet smile. She stood from his lap and whispered to him. “Sorry, Noah. I hope we can still be friends.”
“What? Of course, we can. We’ll always be friends, Berenice.”
“Good.” Berenice smiled slightly in relief. “Good. Sweet dreams, Noah.”
“Yeah. Good night.”
Berenice went to her and Cardi’s room. Noah took one last sip of wine from his metal cup, and then stood up to go to bed. He looked at the necklace in his hand. He probably shouldn’t wear that anymore. Not unless he’s with Chastity. It seemed too good at making him do things he shouldn’t. He stuffed it in his pocket and went to his room, where he tossed and turned with horniness for nearly an hour before finally giving in and masturbating. He thought of Berenice’s soft lips.