The sun was around twenty minutes away from dipping below the horizon. Pete walked down the streets of Nottingham with Bree tagging along. She skipped as she walked, never happier. The girl was fifteen years old.

‘Still a child in the head,’ Pete thought. It made him happy to have her around, though. She was a bundle of cheer and innocence.

The boy wanted to let her stay with him. She had always been homeless, from the looks of it. However, the sun was about to set, and Pete was about to transform into his fat version. She would be disgusted by his actual appearance. The bubble of the handsome, talented master she looked up to would burst.

Pete mustered the courage to talk to her on the subject.

“Can I trust you, Bree?” he asked.

The girl turned her head immediately, as if she had longed for his words. “Of course, master! I am your servant, after all!”

“Hmm. This is probably the first time I am sharing my secret with anybody. There was a particular reason why I had to rush out of Horacio’s cottage.”

“Your engagements, right? And Bree will assist you in fulfilling them.”

Pete shook his head. “No, I lied. It was because… I lose all my powers at sunset.”

Bree stopped skipping, and the smile left her face. She looked adorable, regardless. “I am yet to see all your powers, master. So I don’t know what you would lose at sunset.”

‘Her reaction is surprisingly mature,’ the boy thought.

“The truth is- I don’t really look like this. This tall, toned body isn’t mine.”

Bree regarded him with her big, pearly eyes. “You are very good-looking, master.”

Pete laughed. “I know. I am very aware of that. However, my real body is fat and gross. You would be physically repulsed by it. I use certain skills to become strong and to look good.”

The girl scratched her head and gave the revelation some thought. “I will still like you, master, even if you are fat.”

Pete sighed and looked at the reddening sky spattered with birds flocking to home.

Was she really sincere? Bree was a little girl, after all. Perhaps she said things she did not mean. And would change her mind on the spot.

“We’ll have a chance to put that to the test soon.”

Pete took her hand and entered a dark alley. He stood before her, looking up at the sky.

“What is it?” Bree asked.

“Any moment now…”

He wrapped himself in a cloak from the inventory.

The redness dissolved into black. The sun had set below the horizon.

[ The Sun Has Set! ]

[ THE ROBINHOOD SYSTEM is SHUTTING DOWN ]

[ Autosave Successful ]

[ Advisory: Kindly Retreat to a Safe Location ]

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

[ Shutting Down… ]

Blip!

Right before the girl, Pete’s body started transforming. He shrunk in stature and burgeoned in mass. His bright medieval clothes disappeared, and Pete wrapped the cloak around himself tighter to hide the mutation.

Bree took a couple of steps back in shock.

‘That’s it,’ the boy thought. ‘Be repulsed by me.’ There was a hint of disgust in her eyes.

‘Hate me. Abandon me. Despise me. I am gross.’

Bree stepped forward and extended a hand toward him. She touched him on the belly. The flab jutted in. “Master has a belly!” she exclaimed with amusement and hugged him.

“What!” Pete blurted out. “Don’t you think I am ugly?”

The girl looked up at him and said, “I like you still.”

Pete was taken aback. Was he dreaming? It made no sense. She had nothing to gain by liking him as he was. She could just rob him and run away.

“If you indeed lost all your fighting abilities, I think we should hide you quickly, master. Dangerous folks wander in dark alleys at night. Let us go to your inn.”

Pete took her hand. “Why are you helping me now? You could just rob me and abandon me.”

Bree stepped back and glared at him. She pointed a finger at him accusingly. “What do you think of me, master? Am I a monster? You saved me from a miserable life. I cannot pay you back enough. But I can be at your side when you need me.”

Pete’s eyes filled with tears. His frail body and mind were not designed to handle affection.

“Let’s go,” he said and walked ahead, wrapping the cloak tighter around himself.

They walked quietly for some time, each in their thoughts.

“I have a secret too, master,” Bree said. “Nobody else knows about it. And if anybody in this land finds out, I would be killed.”

Pete shook his head. “Oh. You don’t have to tell me. It will only bring you more danger.”

[ Compassion +1 ]

[ Virtue +1 ]

“But I want my master to know.”

“Go ahead.”

They were walking through a wider sub-street. Bree took his arm and pulled him into a nearby alley. She took off her hood.

Pete wondered what was so secretive under her hood. “I don’t see where you are going with this.”

“I use magic to hide something,” she said. Her voice sounded mature and a bit scary.

“What do you hide?” Pete asked curiously.

Bree palmed her ears with her hands and then opened them.

Pete noticed the change immediately. Her ears were different. They were long, thin, and pointed, going straight back. She rubbed her eyes, and her eyebrows changed. They were fuller, thicker, and more defined. Was she-

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?!” a voice shattered the silence. An outlandish-looking man entered the alleyway, casting a large shadow on the duo. Around a dozen other men stood behind him, grinning like crazy.

[ A Seasoned Rogue has appeared ] [ Level 4 ]

[ Skills: Intimidation, Sleight of Hand ]

“Oh, shit!” Pete exclaimed.

“Master, hide behind me!” Bree said, pulling up her dagger.

The rogue guffawed and spoke up. “Your playtoy won’t hurt me, little girl. You! Fat boy! Cough up all your gold, and we will let you live!”

Pete’s mind raced. He wasn’t strong enough to fight. The rogue was of a higher level than Bree and had over a dozen hoodlums on his side. It would be wise to allow himself to be mugged.

“We surrender!” he called out. “Take all our gold and leave us be!”

“That’s more like it!” the rogue said, walking towards him. “If only all weaklings were like you. We would not have so many murders in this town.” He cackled hysterically.

Pete handed over the gold voluntarily.

[ -50 💰 ]

The rogue jangled the coins and turned to leave.

“Boss! Look at that girl. Her ears...”

“I thought it was only me.”

“Is that an elf?”

“Holy fuck, she is!”

“Get her!”

“Run!” Pete shouted at Bree.