Wail

With the restoration of the blessings, we have no need to sleep.  Also, now that the goddess has departed, the shrine is a lonely eerie place. The long hours of dusk cast the sky above it in a bruised purple, and a wind moans across the moors so chilled it nips at my exposed skin, which usually isn't affected by the cold. So, it isn't a hard decision to continue through the night. Which means, we should reach the dungeon sometime in the morning hours.

I mention to them what I learned about the hidden Arousal point system. It's an awkward and embarrassing subject, but it's something that impacts everyone, and I'd feel bad if I kept it to myself. It turns out several of them had already learned of it on their own. Although people tend to be vague on the details, it seems that often the Special (Sex) Skill or the patronage of a god can affect it. No one has received a warning or reached zero, so no one has been threatened with a penalty. Which makes sense, since it's only been about five days since Katie took control of the world. It would still take three more days before those who haven't had sex would max out. There's nothing to be done about it, so we don't go beyond a brief discussion of the matter and we get on our way.

When we enter the forest, Astra is in her element. Immediately, she takes up the lead, guiding us on trails and footpaths she seems to find by instinct alone.

I find myself trailing behind, taking up the rear—er... scratch that—in the last position. After a while, Morgan falls back to join me. They walk along side me without speaking for several minutes.

"Sorry," they say. In the dark, the whites of their eyes and teeth seem to flash. The more time I spend with the Selkie, the stranger their body seems. Small things seem off. Like the way their skin has the same sheen as Latex. Or the way their skull curves at the back in a non-human way that probably provides better agility in water. "I didn't know it was going to go like that. You know, with my sister sleeping with your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Even so, I wouldn't have taunted her like that If I'd known. You see, Bronte is usually the one making fun of me." They look up at me. "And not just since I became a tiny seal-girl. Long before that. It's fair to say, she's been a bit passive aggressive about my coming out as enby. She's not against it, but she's having a hard time accepting that I'm no longer her super macho brother." The little giggle they let out lets me know there wasn't anything very macho about them before. "Anyway I was pretty amused about the challenge the goddess presented her with. And I knew if I tapped into her competitiveness, she'd go through with it. I just didn't consider the consequences."

"It's fine." I tried to keep the rawness from my voice. "Kerda is her own person. We spent a couple of nights together that's all." As I say this, I can't help but notice that Bronte and Kerda have their heads tilted toward one another as they walk, whispering together in private conversation.

"Anyway, I know we just met, but I'm here if you want to talk. Or if you want to hook up on the rebound." I shoot them a startled look, and they grin and say, "Joking. Joking. Unless... No? Okay. Joking."

We keep hiking through the night and after a while, when the silence gets too much, I ask, "So, you're the gamer and Bronte isn't. What's her thing?"

"Damn if I know. I mean, she's a really social person. She spends most of her time in virtual clubs with her friends. But I don't really know what gets her excited." The glance back at their sister and Kerda, then starts over, "What fires her up. You see, I play tons of games. I suppose it started as a way to to experiment with different avatars, but I really got addicted to the challenge and the character building. But it's not what defines me. I'm also really into art. I nearly have my MFA, doing a lot of work with print-making and mixed-media."

"Ah," I say. "So, you're going to be a famous artist with shows in galleries when you're done."

"Nah. I'd like that, but I'd also like not starving on the street. I've already started apprenticing at a tattoo studio. Tattooing is a great way to practice art and make a living." They hold up their hand and twist their arm about. "I bet with some white and bright colored ink, you could do some cool stuff on this skin." Then, changing the subject, "Your turn. What's your thing, as you put it?"

"Me? I'm in college too. Except, undergrad. Studying Eco-Science. I plan to go into land reclamation when I'm done. I think. You know, toxic cleanups, reforestation, that sort of thing." I'd been more passionate about it when I was younger, and I still liked the idea of doing something to help the planet, but the more I learned, the more I realized it would be a lot of drone work, controlling robots and nanobots. For a career that was all about nature, I'd spend a lot of time alone in a room hooked up to VR equipment. And I wasn't so sure I wanted that.

"Sure. Sure. I have a cousin who went into that. She's in Australia working on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a pretty cool field. Very altruistic. See, I knew you were a good person when I met you."

"Well, I don't know about that."

"And do you game much? Or are you new to it like my sister?"

"Some. Now and then. I've gone through a few virtual campaigns. Nothing complex. Nothing intense. This is my first Immersive."

"Hell of a game to start off with."

"Shhhh!" Comes from the head of the column as Astra suddenly stops moving, and we all start crowding behind her.

She whispers. "There's something in front of us." She points into the darkness. "Thirty or forty feet over that way."

I don't see anything. Vladimir mouths the word, "Monster?"

"Don't know. Something alive but... hidden."

We proceed with caution. Our order changes in case we're flung into a battle. Morgan and Vladimir are in back, our warriors up front, and me in the middle.

The forest is dense with old growth trees, the gnarled bark is thick with moss. Mushrooms grow up their sides and spread across the earth around them. Where the floor hasn't been taken over by fungi, stubby green weeds fill in the gaps. It has been at least an hour since stars showed through the lush canopy. The air is full with a green smell and it coats my mouth with the sour taste of vegetation. It feels thick as though laden with extreme humidity, but it is still cool enough to keep many of the party rubbing their arms for warmth. But unlike out in the open, I don't feel the chill.

I draw my karambit, unsure what will come and if I'll need a spell or my knife.

We stalk toward the thing Astra has detected. It's not far, but with our speed substantially reduced, it feels like it takes forever to reach it. A tree unlike the others comes into sight, taking shape in the solid darkness. It has to be twenty feet in diameter. Thoughts of Ents and Dryads play in my mind as I try and guess what the threat is.

All of a sudden, a figure emerges from the tree. I think it must be something magical or supernatural passing through the solid trunk, but then I see there's a small seam that creates an opening. It's angled away from us, camouflaging it, and this person(?) has simply stepped out from it. It seems like a person because it's about the same size as we are, or at least the taller ones among us. 

It calls out in a clear feminine voice, "Well met! But I will ask you to please drop your weapons and keep your hands where I can see them." She raises a bow in front of her. And as if on cue, other figures emerge from the brush and surround us.

There's an electric buzz in the party. As though we're all bristling ready to launch into battle. But Astra holds up a hand to stop us. "It's a Vulpera."

"Doesn't mean they won't kill us," Vladimir says.

There's at least a half-dozen others around us, maybe more, all with their bows aimed at us. It's a terrifying position to be in, but I also know it would take a lot of their arrows to kill any of us.

The fox-girl by the tree says, "It is you who have invaded our lair. We mean you no harm. However, we do have to protect ourselves. So, please do as I say. You will be bound until we can ascertain your motives, but you won't be injured."

Behind Astra, I hiss, "What do we do?"

"Stand down?" She doesn't sound sure.

Vladimir quickly responds, "Hell, no!"

Astra proposes, "Vote? Who else thinks we should avoid fighting?"

Kerda says, "I think we can trust her."

"You just want to fuck them," Vladimir hisses at her.

Morgan interrupts before Kerda can fire back a comment. "She's right. Monsters don't normally give you the opportunity to surrender. Maybe we're supposed to do this. Maybe it will lead to something."

"Yeah, okay," Bronte says shakily. "Let's do as they say."

Vladimir appeals to me, "Triste, surely you won't go along with this madness. Who allows themselves to be captured?" But even if I went along with him, we're already out voted.

So, I say, "Don't think of it as being captured. Think of it as gaining their trust. Maybe we'll get a new quest out of it."

But I don't think I sound very convincing. And I'm even less convinced as a fox-man and fox-woman tie my hands together with rope.

We're led one by one into the tree and down a dirt ramp with a low-ceiling forcing us to hunch over. I'm pulled into a larger room and I have to blink the light from my eyes. Only a few oil lamps light the space but after the dark woods, they're dazzling and burn my retinas. The room is round and tree roots hang down from the roof. Two rows of beds take up the majority of the space with a table and chairs filling the rest.

We're brought to the beds and are gently guided to sit on them. I can't help but notice that in the two last beds, the farthest from us, a woman and a male Vulpera are tied down and restrained.

The leader—I assume she's the leader because of the feathered headdress she wears. She has the headdress on and little else, just a brown leather mini-skirt and a bundle of necklaces covering her chest (although her breasts a re still very exposed). The other women, six in all, are similarly dressed although less ornately. The men also only have their hip areas covered but are less indecent for obvious reasons. The leader comes toward us and says, "I am sorry for the restraints, but these are dark times and we cannot be too careful. Although if I am honest, it is fortuitous that you, a hardy band of adventures, comes to us in this, our time of need."

Morgan whispers, "See!"

The leader continues, "A despicable beast has invaded our territory and has spread disease among our ranks."

Astra asks, "So you want us to kill this beast? And find a cure?"

The leader gives the rest of her tribe a look that seems to say, "I told you these were the heroes we were looking for." But what she says to us is, "If you are able to do these things, we would be most grateful. But we brought you here for help in a different way."

Bronte interjects, "Um, disease? What kind of disease? Are you infectious?" She glances around at our close confines and the fox-people standing all around us. I certainly see why she's worried, and anxiety begins to grow in me.

"It is a most terrible disorder that affect the mind as well as body." She raises her head toward the two fox-people lashed to their beds. "When is has progressed too far, we have to take precautions for their safety. As well as our own. So far, two have reached the point where they are no longer capable of reason. Although, I'm afraid, many more of us will succumb to this fate before too long." She glances at two of her companions, who clearly have fear written on their faces. 

I try to detect signs of sickness. But they seem healthy, if lacking sleep, as the dark circles under their eyes suggest. There is something frantic and fidgety about the way these two hold themselves. The only other thing I notice is that they both have swollen breasts and engorged nipples. I wonder if the beast they talk about is those cow creatures that made Bronte lactate

The leader continues, "You see, the disease creates a great physical need and eventually the mind stops being able to think about anything else, until they will attack even members of their own tribe to get what their body demands?"

"And what is it they need?" Astra asks.

"Sex."

There's a collective groan from our party because, of course, it's sex.

Astra follows up, "And how does the disease spread?"

"Only from the monster itself. Now, if the need is gratified it will ease the symptoms temporarily. However, the disease progresses faster if two of the infected have sex with one another. So, you see our dilemma," she pauses to assess if we understand her. When it's apparent we don't, she explains, "All of us have been exposed, so we can't be sure which of us are infected and which aren't until it reaches an obvious point in its development. This is why we need fresh, unexposed bodies to copulate with. And praise be to the gods, you have been delivered to us."