Part 2

I kept my promise the next morning, having plenty of coffee on hand to wake the corpulent merchant up. As he started to feel human again, I told him I was going to feed Healie, and walked out of the room. I saw the woman he'd enthralled walking toward me, dressed in a conservative — but still very enticing — dress. I looked back into the room and said, "Someone's here to see you. Last chance to run for the hills."

Mercurio stared at me in obvious confusion as I shut the door. She was staring daggers at me when I looked back at her. "Sorry, couldn't help myself. He's not running anywhere if he has any sense." Her expression softened, and I said, "You know, I don't even know your name."

"Anna." A smile crossed her face when she said the name. "I haven't said that in so long. I've called myself Candy for years, and my real name almost feels strange."

"Better get used to it. Beautiful name, by the way. Beautiful dress too. I know Mercurio is going to love it. I have a hungry curer to feed, so I'll leave the two of you alone."

"Thank you again."

"You're welcome again," I replied and laughed. I saved her the trouble of knocking and opened the door for her. I knew Mercurio wasn't going to protest her company anyway.

When I reached the wagon, I found Healie looking a little bored. I don't know if it was the way his tentacles were hanging or the way he was hovering, but I just knew he was bored somehow. "Let's take a little walk, Healie. Well, a hover in your case, I guess."

Healie perked up and floated out of the wagon, happily falling in behind me. I walked toward the main road, assuming that the curer would feel more at home out in the wilderness, and deciding that I could do with a little return to nature as well. Noticing a fishing pole and some well-crafted lures in Mercurio's wagon, I grabbed them before leaving.

We'd just turned off the road to walk across the fields when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning back toward the city, I saw the Hero moving at a brisk, determined pace. Remembering the plot of the game, I knew that the Hero was on his way to pick up the silk veil in preparation to propose to Bianca. I also saw a Wyvern sweeping down on him. The Hero wasn't unaware of the danger, and drew his sword.

I pulled my own weapon, planning to add my sword and Healie's magic to the battle, but I'd barely moved before the Hero cut down the fire-breathing monster almost without slowing. Another curer traveling with him healed his wounds as the Hero continued on, sheathing his weapon and not even bothering to check the dead creature for the treasures they often had.

Damn, don't get in the way of a man on a mission, I thought as I put my own weapon away. I almost pitied any monster that dared to challenge the determined Hero at this point. I wanted to do some fishing, not fend off monsters, so I pulled out a bottle of fairy water and sprinkled it over me. As soon as I did so, I realized that I was actually traveling with a monster and looked over at Healie. He didn't appear to mind at all, so I assumed that the magic only worked on hostile creatures for some reason.

I smacked a mosquito and wished I had some insect repellant to go with my monster repellant. Healie and I set out again toward a lake a short distance from town that looked promising. When we reached it, Healie hovered up a little higher and made some excited gurgling noises.

Tentatively, a pair of curers emerged from the undergrowth around the lake, keeping one eye on me as they greeted Healie in their own language. Giving them some space, I moved away to the edge of the lake to find a good spot to fish. By the time I'd tied on my lure, the two curers and Healie were happily talking and frolicking nearby. I cast my line and settled in for a day of fishing.

I was feeling more than a little full when I returned to town. I'd caught several nice sized bass, most of which I'd thrown back, but I cooked a pair of them and had a fine meal. Healie parted company with his two new friends, content to follow me. He did perk up when I promised I'd come back to the lake to let him spend time with them again. It amazed me how much of what I said that the creature appeared to understand.

The sun was setting, and I knew that the Hero and Bianca would be getting married soon, if the ceremony hadn't already begun. I imagined that the tavern would be pretty empty in light of the grand wedding, and looked forward to a relaxing evening of beer drinking. I also decided to take Healie with me, as I didn't want him sitting in the wagon bored. He looked a little apprehensive as we entered the village, but his curiosity soon overwhelmed any foreboding he felt about going into a human town.

Before I even entered the town proper, I could hear the sounds of the celebration. The noise emanated from the far edge of town where the Flora's father provided free drink, leaving the rest of the town fairly quiet. Despite my unusual company, the tavernkeep was glad to see me. When Healie started showing curiosity for my beer, I drained all but about a quarter of my mug and nodded toward it.

The jellyfish-like creature tested the brew by dipping in a tentacle and bringing it to its mouth, and then almost immediately wrapped its tentacles around the mug to pick it up.

"Oh boy," I chuckled as the curer tipped up the mug and drank. "Take it easy, Healie. That stuff packs a punch."

He didn't appear to be paying much attention to me.

The tavernkeep just shook his head and looked worried. I couldn't really blame him, as the possibilities presented by a drunken monster in your establishment were rather frightening to consider.

By the time I'd finished my next beer, Healie was hovering rather unsteadily and emitting a gurgling equivalent of laughter for no real reason. With the tavernkeep looking more nervous by the moment, I decided it was probably time to take my drunken companion out into the night air to sober him up a bit. The curer reluctantly followed me out of the tavern with a final longing glance at his empty mug.

The sounds of celebration were somewhat diminished when I exited the tavern, and stumbling townsfolk were moving toward their homes amidst loud conversation and laughter. I decided that putting drunken people and a drunken curer together probably wasn't a good idea, so I led Healie toward the less populated southern edge of town. There was a sort of park there, more or less defined by where people hadn't yet chosen to build. The place had a small woodlet and a little stream, which I thought would be the perfect place to get away from the crowds while Healie sobered up.

The creature proved rather resilient, however, and was hovering more or less normally by the time we reached the wood. Walking along the stream, the sounds of crickets chirping and frogs croaking was a nice change from inebriated laughter.

After a minute or two, Healie paused and emitted a cautionary rumbling sound. Just as I was about to ask him what was wrong, I heard the sound of muffled voices and leaves rustling. Something didn't sound right, and Healie's agitated state only seemed to confirm what I was feeling.

Leaning in close to Healie, I said, "Let's go have a look."

I kept my hand on my sword hilt until the voices gained definition. One voice was male and spoken in a low hiss. The second voice was female and muffled to the point that I drew my sword and picked up the pace. The first defined words I heard caused me to clench my teeth in anger — "Maybe we'll have a bit more than those jewels, Pretty."

Abandoning all sense of stealth, I pushed through the underbrush into a tiny clearing. The moonlight revealing a man holding Flora from behind and covering her mouth, while another stood in front of her with a dagger in one hand and glittering jewelry in the other. Both were facing my direction, having heard my hurried approach.

"You just stay right there or we'll cut her up good," the man with the dagger warned, pressing it against Flora's breast to emphasize the point.

Son of a bitch, I silently cursed. "Take the jewels and get out of here," I warned, trying to look as impressive as possible. "If you have any sense, then you know that you're caught and you're not going to get away with more than that."

"Maybe we shut you up with a dagger and stick her with something friendlier instead," the dagger wielder countered, his companion punctuating it with a laugh.

"Baaad maaan," Healie rumbled as he quickly hovered past me, his tentacles waving threateningly.

"The hell?" The dagger wielder exclaimed, stumbling backward away from the rapidly approaching curer.

Taking advantage of the distraction, I rushed forward toward the man holding Flora. The dagger wielder tried to dart back to his hostage, sensing the danger in losing that bargaining chip. At the same time, the man holding Flora released her waist to grasp for his own dagger. A second later, he screamed as Flora bit down hard. He screamed and jerked his hand away, allowing Flora to stumble away from the other man with the knife.

The knife wielder ceased his attempts to reach Flora when Healie reached him. The curer's dexterous tentacles snapped out like whips, raking across the man's face. I pointed my sword at the other man and said, "On the ground and keep those hands where I can see them, or you're a dead man."

"Get 'em off me," the other man screamed as he uselessly flailed his dagger at the bobbing curer assaulting him. Healie avoided every blow, and managed to snap off another painful strike of his tentacles every time.

"Get rid of the dagger and get on the ground or I'll let him eat you," I shouted.

"Eat," Healie gurgled ominously.

The man hurled his dagger away and dropped to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.

The shouting had attracted attention from the town, and a couple of the less inebriated men stumbled in with makeshift weapons. I let them take control of the two would-be rapists and knelt down next to the sobbing Flora. I could see bruises on her wrists as well as cuts and scrapes. I assumed there were more hidden by her ripped gown.

I knelt down next to her and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Hurt," Healie said with a bit of sadness in his odd watery voice. Waving his tentacles in a flowing pattern, he cast a spell of healing over Flora.

The blonde stopped sobbing for a moment in amazement as her bruises vanished and her cuts closed. "T-thank you," she said cautiously to the hovering curer.

"Good job, Healie," I said to my companion, who puffed up and looked proud.

"We should get you back home." I held out my hand to help her rise, and she accepted the assistance. "What were you doing out here alone, anyway?"

"I... I needed some time alone," Flora responded with a blush.

I realized she was dealing with the Hero choosing Bianca over her. "Let's get you home," I said, dropping the subject. She nodded and we walked out of the wood.

By the time we'd crossed about half of the town, word was rapidly spreading. Two muscular men that I assumed Flora recognized by her sigh of relief approached us at a run, albeit an unsteady one. When they reached us, Flora stood up proudly and said, "I am unharmed. This kind man has saved me." Looking over my shoulder at Healie, she said, "He and his adorable companion."

Once again, Healie puffed up and his tentacles undulated as he smiled.

"We'll take you home," one of the men offered.

Flora cut him off and said, "If he is willing, I would like my rescuer to see me home. I feel safe in his presence."

"Sure, I'll walk you home. Name's Thakkor."

"Thank you, Thakkor."

"We'll go speak with your father, he's worried," one of the men advised.

"Please do," Flora said with a nod of her head.

When we reached the house, Flora's father Ludman emerged with a gaggle of servants to usher the blonde into the house. "I cannot thank you enough for saving my daughter's life," he said to me.

"I just did what I had to do."

"Please, stay in one of my guest rooms this evening as a small first measure of repayment for your valiant deed."

I could see that he wasn't going to let me argue with him, so I accepted. When one of the servants approached to whisper in Ludman's ear, he looked a little concerned. He glanced back at his daughter and let out a sigh. He then turned back to me and said, "You will guest in the room next to Flora's, as she feels safer with you nearby."

"Only if you're comfortable with it," I said.

"I trust my daughter's judgment," he said with a smile and a nod.

"I'll accept the offer, then. I'm sure it will be more comfortable than the inn."

A few minutes later, one of his servants led me to the guest room and made sure I had anything I could possibly desire. I kicked back in the bed, which proved to be just as comfortable as I'd assumed, and soon drifted off to sleep with Healie hovering nearby and snoring.

I awakened in the middle of the night, noticing that someone was in the darkened room with me. As my eyes adjusted to the gloom and the sleep fog burned off, I realized it was Flora. She was dressed in only a nightgown that left virtually nothing to the imagination, even in the dim light.

"I wanted to thank you," she said in a small, quiet voice.

Sitting up, I said, "I just did what anyone would have done." I noticed her glancing at my bare chest, and pulled the covers up a little because the only thing I was wearing was a pair of boxer shorts.

"Few would have — or could have — shown such bravery," she countered, sitting down on the bed next to me.

"You're welcome, but you really shouldn't be in here. People are going to assume things if they see you in here or see you leaving."

"I don't care," Flora said with a hint of something I'd come to recognize during my time in the D.Q. worlds — desire. Even as she spoke, her fingers glided down the part of her gown, freeing the loop and hook closures.

"Flora..." I started to protest, but she leaned in and wrapped her arms around me, her now bared breasts pressing against me, and her lips stealing my breath. I couldn't help but return the kiss.

As soon as our lips parted, my danger alarm went off. Haven't we been here before? I heard a nasally professor-like voice say in my head. I do believe it's turned out rather badly, has it not?

Scooting away from Flora, I said, "Look, this is a really bad idea."

Her lip quivered and she said, "Y-you don't want me?"

My cock throbbing beneath the coverings certainly denied that, even if she couldn't see it. "It's not that, trust me. You're vulnerable right now, and I'm no good for you. I'm a wanderer — a vagabond. You need someone who can stay here with you, and I can't do that."

Flora slid off the bed, the sight of her body nearly stealing my conviction. Images of all the disastrous sexual encounters with characters from the games flashed through my head, and my sense of self-preservation won out. "I'm sorry, Flora — really sorry."

Her eyes filling with tears, Flora said, "I understand." She then slipped out of the room in a rush.

I let out a sigh and fell back heavily on the pillow.

I got up early the next morning, to avoid any potential of an encounter with Flora. It took some work, but I managed to rebuff Ludman's continuous attempts to offer me rewards and escape his manor.

I went to the inn first, peeking in to find Mercurio snoring away next to Anna. Both of them wore content smiles and cuddled against each other. Closing the door quietly, I left the inn, certain that Mercurio would be fine without my company.

After a few greetings from townsfolk praising me for my brave deeds, I decided it was time to get out of town for the day. Grabbing my fishing pole from Mercurio's wagon, Healie and I set out for the lake. He found his friends and floated off to join them while I cast my line in the water, deciding I'd fish for catfish instead of bass today.

I'd nearly dozed off in the warm sunlight when a voice startled me. "Havin' any luck, boy?"

I groaned and opened my eyes to find the crazy old man sitting right next to me with a wide smile. "Can we just get on with the song and dance number so I can go back to fishing?"

He snorted and slapped his bony knees. "Impatient. I thought maybe you'd learned something by now."

"I've learned that the moment you show up that things go to hell." My pole bounced, and I reacted too late to set the hook. Pulling in the line, I stared at the bare hook for a second and then turned back to the old man. "See, there's my bad luck starting already."

Standing up, the old man blew a raspberry and said, "Some folk see the glass as half full. Some see it as half empty. You see it as half full of piss!"

I let out an exasperated, half growling sigh. I opened my mouth to scream my perpetual question asking what the hell the crazy old man wanted, but shook my head instead and returned to baiting my hook. "I've got plenty of examples to expect everything to turn to shit."

Waggling his finger at me, the codger said, "And plenty of examples of how it doesn't, if you care to pay attention." He then nodded his head and grunted before clapping his hands. A second later, I could see his foot tapping in my peripheral vision as I cast back out my line.

The old man leaned down in front of me and started singing.

"Well here's the story — of a man named Lee. He hopped in bed with some very lovely girls."

"The Brady Bunch? It only gets worse," I muttered under my breath.

"All of them were hot to trot — and oh brother — they really rocked his world."

"You know, this is the creepiest one yet," I grumbled as I lay back on the bank.

He bopped me on the forehead without missing a beat. "It's the story — of a wet dream come true. The cure for the blues he'd felt at home. Couldn't snag a girl — with a lasso — so he was all alone."

"Fuck you," I snarled.

"But things always went wrong with those ladies. By bad luck and bad moves of his own. They say that no good deed goes unpunished. But maybe time will prove that's just a load of crap."

He launched into another one of his ridiculous leaps, spinning around in the air. "A load of crap! A load of crap! Off to Kol just to prove it's a load of crap! Ba da dump!"

I gave him a little golf clap, severely irritated that he'd jabbed a needle in a soft spot, my irritation at having no luck with women — at least in the real world. "Are we done, now?"

The codger leaned down and tapped me on the forehead with one long, bony finger. "I can see it sinking through the first two or three layers, no matter how much you deny it. Soon enough..." He bopped me on the forehead — hard. "We'll have comprehension!"

In the back of my head, part of me was trying to figure out what all his babbling about good deeds going unpunished was about — which irritated the hell out of me. I knew it was exactly what he wanted. "Kol. D.Q. One. Message received, Starfleet Command. You can beam him out now, Scotty." Glancing over at him, I said, "If you were only wearing a red uniform," alluding to the unlucky ensigns in red uniforms that always seemed to die during planetary missions in the original Star Trek series.

Pointing at my pole, he said, "You've got a bite — and it won't be the last today."

I felt the pole jerk as soon as he said it, and pulled to set the hook. "Damn," I muttered when I felt the fish start fighting. If the struggle it was putting up was any indication, this was going to be one huge fish.

I tried to pull it in at first, but quickly realized that with a hand line, it was nearly impossible. Instead, I jumped up and moved around the lake according to the tugs on my pole, letting the fish wear itself out and hoping it didn't snap my line. After what felt like hours, I experimentally tugged on the line and felt the fish coming toward me. I pulled him in and let out a little whoop when I saw the catfish, which had to be at least twenty pounds. The fish offered a little more fight at the last minute, but soon weakened enough for me to stab it with my sword and pull it up on the bank.