Wail

"What if we just want rooms for the night? Without the companions?" I ask the brothel's madam.

Dwayne looks at me as though I have completely lost my mind. And more shockingly, so does Astra.

"Sorry, Hon," the flamboyant cat-woman says. "Only companions have rooms. You share the room with the one you select. Although..." She looks me up and down. "We could take you on as an apprentice. It's half wages until your skills are up to snuff, but I'm sure you'll be popular enough for it to be worth your while."

"Uh... No thank you." I say tightly.

She looks a bit disappointed, but just makes a sniffing sound in response.

Astra says, "We have some shopping to do, but we'll come back and make our selection afterward." She holds my arm indicating that she's speaking for the two of us.

"You two do what you like. I'm not going to miss a minute of this," Dwayne says to us. Then, to the madam, "I can chose anyone?"

"Anyone! Now, what gets you hot and bothered?"

We're out on the street before we can hear the rest. Thankfully.

"So. The town's inn is really a brothel," I say. "I thought that guard at the gate said this was a moral place."

Astra shrugs. "Everyone's morality is different. Didn't you see the inscription on the statue." She waves to the effigy of the village's founder. To be honest, I hadn't noticed any writing at all. I was too distracted by the fact that a guy called Givinghead was depicted as though waiting to have something stuffed into his mouth. Astra speaks as though she's reading it out in front of her. "Givinghead founded on the three pillars of morality: Truth, Justice, and Sexual Release."

I shake my head. "That's pretty messed up."

"You must be a real prim and proper girl back in real life." She grins letting me know she's not judging so much as finding it cute.

This makes me stammer out my next comment. "I don't know. I... I just don't believe in paying for it. Or doing... Or sleeping with total strangers."

She takes me by the arm and pulls me toward the ramshackle structures attached to the village's walls. Most are homes but there are a few stores and vendor stalls mixed in. "You need to relax. This isn't reality. It's immersive-reality. Having sex with the NPCs isn't any different from masturbating. You do masturbate, don't you?"

I'm not sure if Banshees can blush, but if they can, my face must be crimson. "I... That's not thew point. How do you expect me to just buy someone like that? Real or not?"

"Isn't it the point though? Isn't it?" Then, after a beat, she pats my bicep. "Don't worry. If you don't want to choose, I'll pick out a nice one for you. And you can just cuddle or lie on separate sides of the bed."

"I could do that?"

"Triste, so long as your paying, you can do whatever you want. That's the way it works."

The first shop we enter is a general store selling food, basic equipment, and a few random items. It's perhaps the largest of the wall's buildings and it sticks out farther into the town than any of the others. Astra unloads her animal pelts and pays me back the money I lent her. I'm thinking I should get a lantern of my own for exploring dungeons, but my inventory is full. I'm not even sure if once I sell off my treasure, I'll have room for it. This lack of slots is going to become a problem.

Next, we seek out a jewelers. The shop we find is a small room that's richly appointed with high quality furniture. The human man that runs the place is elderly and wears a red velvet suit. We sell off all our gems and jewelry. Since they only sell non-magical jewelry, we don't buy anything.

After that, with our purses full, we wonder around more casually. We come across an open-air stall selling weapons. It's run by a young green skinned woman. She has long elfin ears and bright emerald eyes. I've noticed a few of her type walking around town. They're not as plentiful as the human or even the felinoids but they are a significant portion of the population. I have no idea what this species is, so I use Detect and learn she's a Pooka, which seems to be similar to a hobgoblin or half-orc type of species, being a mix of human-like monster and human. Astra buys a new bow from her.

"Do you have any silver knives? I'm not particular about the style." I ask. It would be good to get a higher tier weapon, but I don't see anything on her table that meets the silver limitation I have on my character.

She shakes her head, "Sorry, silver is pretty specialty. I only got iron and steel."

The next little stall sells magical items and they actually have something I really want. It's an earring. (So, they do have them in this game!) Although, I guess you'd call it an ear-cuff since it covers the top part of the ear. It looks like silver lace dotted with small flowers with tiny black gems in their centers. It's shaped in a point and matched my ear pretty well. But the best part is that it reduces spell cost, which would allow me to cast more from my Mystic Energy pool.

The cat-man running the shop insists I try it on, then goes on about how good it looks on me. Making me blush again. He wants 10 gold for it, but Astra helps me haggle him down to 7.

We stop in at a clothing store, and I briefly have hope of changing out my dress for something with a bit more fabric, but everything is in bright colors and my species restrictions keep me from wearing them. How can they not have one black dress or robe or pair of pants? But they don't.

The last place we hit sells potions, and I stock up big time, keeping back only 1 gold and a few of my other coins in case I need them at the next town. The woman that runs the place is also a healer, and I discreetly ask about Dwayne's not-so-little problem of turning into an undead monster.

"Aye," she says. "I may have something for that. But it won't be cheap. Tell him to come see me. And to bring plenty of coin."

It's only mid-afternoon when we're done, and I'm trying to postpone going back to the brothel as long as I can. So, I ask Astra, "Where do you think they're giving out quests?"

"It doesn't exactly work like that in Feronia. You'll rarely have someone say go do this for me or kill X number of these. You might hear rumors of dungeons or get paid for a job, but that's about it. Although, we can check that Council building they could have a bounty or something."

We knock at the door and then get passed around from servant to servant, each directing us to some office or suite were bored fancily dressed people say they don't need anything from us and send us off to the next. Until we reach a woman in tiny office at the back of the estate. 

"I'm Erberth," she tells us. "I'm the land manager for the eastern farms and I'm happy you stopped by. I've been receiving complaints of wolf attacks, killing a lot of livestock. If you can reduce their number, I'll make it worth your while. Bring back at least ten pelts, and I'll pay you 10 silver a pop."

Astra quickly makes the deal and tells me afterward, the general store only gave her 4 silver a pelt.

"I thought you said you never get quests to kill X number of anything?" I say teasingly.

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

We head out and spend the rest of the afternoon hunting. With Astra's bow and my magic, we make quick work of the wolves and manage to kill twelve in all.

When we return, Erberth says, "Well done! We thank you for your service. And Lady Givinghead saw you form her window and said that if you came back victorious to give you this." She hands over our reward along with an envelope containing an invitation to meet with the Lady tomorrow morning.

"What does she want?" I ask.

"The Lady did not tell me her business. But it would be foolish to miss the appointment."

With that cryptic statement, we leave. It all sounds mysterious, but it's oddly comforting. At least, it feels like the sort of things that happens in a fantasy game. A small quest leading to a bigger quest, and so on.

Back at the Horn and Hole, I ask the madam, "Has anyone left any messages here for Triste?" I was so flustered earlier with learning it was a brothel that I forgot to check about my friends. She tells me there hasn't been. I can't leave a message myself until I know where i'm heading. So, I just tell the madam if anyone asks about me, let them know I'm in town.

With that settled, Astra and I are directed to a couch and are asked if we want dinner. We say yes, and Astra says we want beer too.

The madam calls out: "Kerda! Where is that lazy layabout? Kerda!"

A harried looking Pooka girl runs over to us. She wears a short black skirt and a barely-there white shirt. Although it might only seem like its barely-there because it's trying to contain some truly massive green breasts. The madam tells her our order and the Pooka runs off to fetch it.

"Sorry about that," the cat-woman says. "Just hired her as an apprentice. Can't imagine we'll keep her?"

"Why?" I can't help but ask. It's hard to imagine such a beautiful girl not being popular in a place like this.

The madam waves her hand as if dismissing the subject. "Not much good for anything but serving drinks. Pookas aren't in big demand. Anyway, when you find a companion that suits your interests just have them take you up to their room."

Kerda comes back with two bowls of mutton stew and a couple of sudsy steins. 

She really is lovely. She's a little shorter than I am, 4'5" or 4'6" maybe. Her face is round and broad with each feature (her lips, nose, and cheekbones) both soft and perky. And her bright green eyes practically glow. Waves of raven blue-black hair roll over her shoulders and hang halfway down her back. I try not to stare at her breasts, but it's a tough thing. If mine are D-cups (and they are according to the avatar customizer in character creation), hers must be Fs or Gs. And their bursting bra-less out of her shirt. But when I look down, I can't help focusing on her toned athletic legs.

She asks, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Not right now," Astra tells her as I'm too tongue-tied to talk.

The stew reminds me of all the sheep we saw today at the farms. I suppose they don't raise much else around here. It's a bit gamy but rich and slightly spiced. Astra spends most of her attention on the bodies that walk past us. They do it casually, but the fact that they get up from their couches saunter in front of where we sit, spin around, and return the their seat pretty much gives away what their intent is. Most of the companions are human with a few felinoids. As far as I can see, Kerda is the only Pooka of the lot. And there are none of the other species.

At the end of the meal, Astra quickly downs the rest of her beer, then says, "So, you want me to find you someone." I say no and that I can pick someone out myself. "Great. Just remember when you're up in that room, you're really all by yourself. There's no one their to judge you. Just computer code. Now... I'm going to get me some of that fine, fine computer code." She gives me a wink then crosses over to a brunette woman (human), and they go off together.

So she is into girls after all. Damn! This is a hell of a way to find out.

When they've disappeared up the stairs, and I finally turn my eyes from her, I notice Kerda is standing right at my elbow.

"Can I get you anything?" she asks. I order another beer and sit there drinking it and then get another.

My plan is to wait out the night and mind my own business, but as I start to get tipsy, I spend most of my time watching Kerda. The poor girl gets ordered about and the madam and the other companions hurl verbal abuses at her. I remember what the madam said about firing her because she's not in demand. I remember what Astra said about not actually having to have sex with the companion.

When she comes by to ask if I want another beer, I say, "No." She starts to run off, but I stop her. "Wait! How about... That is... Would you... Uhh... Can you take me to your room, if you don't mind too much?"

"Mind? I'd love that!" She grabs me by the hand and yanks me up, dragging me after her. "This is awesome! You're far hotter than any of my previous clients. Hell, you're hotter than any of the hoes I work with," she says as she pulls me up the stairs.

I barely get to see the room before I'm flung onto the bed and she's on top of me. Her huge breast press against my chest sending confusing and delightful signals to my brain. Especially where there's pressure against the nipple-ring. Kerda's hands are everywhere, and her lips press against mine.

"Whoa! I thought we could just spend the night together. You don't have to do this."

"But I want to! Let Kerda make you feel good."

She begins grinding her pelvis against my groin. And oh my gosh! It feels good. Wrong and not at normal. But really, really good.

Maybe I could let this happen. It's not real. I'm all alone with some computer code. That's all. An NPC doesn't have any real thoughts or desires. Just programming.

I mumble as though to convince myself, "She's just an NPC."

Kerda suddenly stops. "No, I'm not."

"Huh? You're not? Then what are...?"

"I'm a real person playing Feronia like you, silly." She bites my earlobe.