Nick walked hand in hand with Rebecca through the underground mall. He had dressed in jeans with a blue, open button-up short-sleeved collared shirt, with a white undershirt. It was an outfit that he figured would likely match his date quite well.

The beautiful priestess dressed in a conservative outfit, that reminded him a little bit of a poodle skirt–a thick skirt that went almost all the way down to her ankles.

Her top still covered most of her skin, the white blouse fitting loosely over her entire upper body, but it still accentuated her excellent form.

Her bright blond hair cascaded in ringlets beyond her shoulders, and her blue eyes matched the color of the giant skirt. Rebecca’s wings had not grown too much in the past few weeks, but Nick did think they looked a little larger than before. They fluttered as he smiled and looked her over.

“Thanks for coming on such short notice, Becca. I wanted to see you again before we left on our trip.”

“It’s no problem at all, I was eager to join you for a much-needed break. The preparations have been… taxing.”

“I know all you nuns work hard. Oh, here’s one now.”

A nun rode by on a bicycle, a smile on her face as she moved quickly through the mall. The ground was flat and there was tons of space for people to ride by as they practiced, reminding Nick of how there used to be many mall walkers back on Earth.

They were practicing in the underground area for now, as they would be unveiled to the general public just before they left. Likely, it would be a valuable commodity among all those that lived in Frosthaven, as it made it easy to get around the city and neighboring areas.

Nick and Rebecca stopped to look, and another rode by, this one struggling to keep upright, but still stopped to wave and wish them happiness and Seraphara’s gaze on their date.

“It seems they’re having a good time. I’m glad Lumos and all the smiths were able to make enough of them.”

Rebecca blushed a little at their antics. “Y-Yes. The bikes are an interesting and exciting invention. Several of the priestesses and priests have examined and taken them apart with a real sense of wonder. We had built a water wheel for a mill, but these are on a whole different level of complexity. I am curious to see how your vehicle came out, as that should be all the more impressive.”

Next, Nick saw Andross and his wives pedaling through.

“Hey, Boss! Check out my new mount. This thing is amazing.”

The bike for the orc was definitely bulkier than the one the nuns were riding, but ultimately similar. Lumos’s capabilities were quite remarkable because she had made some fully functional mountain bikes, complete with gears.

The gears and the tires were what Nick was most impressed with. The tires were actually made using…the wollywompus hides, from the first floor in the Ordeal. The processed hides with the fur removed were somehow both spongy and firm. Then, they had a fascinating mixed size diamond scaled pattern underneath the layer of spongy flesh, that, combined with what Lumos did to it, made the result have decent traction.

Using some assistance from the elemental shamans, they were able to fill the tires with air. Stretched out over an inner tube and rim, the hide of that godforsaken creature was actually useful, and felt a lot like a rubber tire on Nick’s inspection.

But based on the density of the essence after enhancing them with skills, the tires would actually be stronger than rubber and less prone to damage.

Then, the gears and chains were made using a mixture of the ores Nick brought back from the centipede cavern, and the Frostspire mines. Nick was somewhat shocked at the level of techniques that would reliably make nearly perfect gears from molds, thinking that was a complicated endeavor.

It appeared that many blacksmiths, using the essence pearls, could nearly mold them like clay with mental hands to shave off a hair’s worth of material or compact it and make it fit perfectly.

It was a technique Lumos had learned from watching the machines at the mall, and it allowed the smiths to effectively mass produce the somewhat simple machines with a high level of accuracy.

“Looking good, Andross. You prefer it over a horse?”

Andross snorted. “The wives and I love horses, but we get frustrated at their capabilities. The idea that I can chase down my enemies using my own strength is welcome. I feel like these will be much more reliable on different terrain.”

Nick chuckled internally at the mental image of a bunch of angry orcs with weapons on bikes chasing down bad guys or fat merchants, but he arched his brow. “I’m not so sure about that. A bike is about as useful in a jungle as a horse. In a forest, it depends on how deeply wooded, but I’d rate it rather poorly.”

Andross smirked, and got off his bike. He nodded at Sharon and Indrid, they both withdrew some wrench tools and took the tires off, and then the chain. With a twist, the frame split in two, and then they stowed the bike with the wheels separately into their pack. The whole process only took a little over fifteen seconds.

He spread his arms wide. “See how easy that was? Then we’re off through the jungle or difficult terrain on foot. Our shamans and support staff will have the tools to repair any problems, and restock the air in the tires. If we were on horseback, we’d have to find another route, or go back to retrieve our horses after giving chase–not to mention the requirements to protect them. This option is much more flexible.”

Rebecca was just as amazed as Nick, her eyes wide. “They’re a wonderful invention! I can’t believe nobody had come up with them before on this shard. I suppose, thanks in part to Orion’s Will, we may have missed this low-hanging fruit.”

Nick was just as surprised and pleased that this worked out as it did. “Glad we got such an option. Lumos said she was sure you guys would take about three days to get to Silverbrook like that, if you guys were fit enough to ride at a decent pace all day. Don’t you worry about getting in a fight after you are exhausted?”

Andross snorted. “Our bodies are our temple. We should be able to ride nonstop, and fit for battle at any time, so long as we properly rest at set intervals–not much different from traveling on horseback.” An orc behind them fell over as he tried to stop, nearly colliding with Andross’s wives. “Well, once we get the hang of it. Enjoy your date, may you gain more maidens and strength, Chief.”

Rebecca blushed as the trio went back to their riding practice with a wave goodbye, and with a chuckle and squeezing her hand, he and Rebecca continued their walk through the mall. They walked by the fountain, marveling at the statues and lights.

“It’s a beautiful work of art.” Rebecca commented, “The detail on the marbling is very impressive. I have never seen such beautiful craftsmanship, and the sounds it makes are soothing.”

“Yeah, my people were pretty impressive, it seems like. I’m glad they were able to leave this behind for me to claim for my people.”

Rebecca smiled. “The other clergy do enjoy it down here. I understand the reason why, but it would be lovely to share this with the rest of the people of Frosthaven.”

“Once Blackthorne’s dealt with, I’m all for it. At that point, I should be able to stand up to most of the threats on this shard. At least, I’m sure they’ll think twice first before starting something with us.”

“I believe that is correct. Nobody has reached the fourth stratum on this shard, or they’d have opened the relay. We’re far to the North besides, a great distance from the central kingdoms.”

They continued their walk, and they passed by a location to have their pictures taken–a photo booth. Nick joined her inside after paying the fee, and they happily posed at the prompts, though Rebecca was a bit confused. It was clearly designed for couples, as the machine encouraged a kiss for one of the images.

Rebecca blushed, but complied with the machine’s request with a kiss on Nick’s cheek like usual.

She blushed even harder as they got the two sets of images with her wings fluttering, and frowned. “Wait, I know two priestesses tried this machine. It didn’t ask them to kiss! And why’d you make a V with your fingers behind my head?”

Nick chuckled. “I guess it somehow knew we are a couple? Those are called bunny ears, and it’s just something folks do in images without the other person knowing. That was the wacky image, but it seems you didn’t understand what it wanted, huh–you looked scared if anything.”

Rebecca frowned in thought. “What was that dreadful thing it showed?”

Nick laughed. “That was a clown. They are meant to be silly, to make children laugh. So you were supposed to make a silly face.”

“C-Children?! T-That…would scare most…anyone.” She smiled looking over the pictures. “Still, I’m glad it was able to record this memory for us.” She looked around them at the other stalls, the stores and restaurants nearby. “It is interesting how many…date spots there are here. I’m eager to see what you have in mind for today.”

“I think that’s a big part of the fun with a mall–plenty of places to check out. You don’t really need a plan to have fun. But I did have a place in mind, and that only doubled when I saw the outfit you chose.”

“D-Do you like it? Winny and Jasmine helped me…”

“You look fantastic–the outfit really suits you, and I love seeing your beautiful golden hair. I really wish your habits didn’t cover that so much.”

Rebecca’s wings fluttered, and she smiled at his compliments. “I like your outfit as well. Your…kingly robes make you look strong and dignified, but I do like how you look much more approachable, and how these clothes fit you.”

Nick smiled. “Are you going to be able to wear these kind of outfits, even outside of dates? The clothing of the people following Seraphara seems restrictive.”

“When clergy do get married, we do get a little more leeway with our…dress. Of course, Seraphara understands attraction is important for partners, so this is why I was able to dress up for our date. But a wife of a Lord of Orion, especially an Ordained Lord… I should have much more freedom outside of the church, as lords have different expectations of them and their spouses.”

Lothar’s orcs were back in town, so the mall felt busy with many of Nick’s Followers checking things out. Much of their gains from raiding the bandit dens were ultimately brought home when not everything was sold in Silverbrook, and they were turning them into resources for crafters or customizing them.

A few adherents of Seraphara had joined as Nick’s Followers, and some monsterfolk from outside of Frosthaven were visiting and could be seen checking out the civilized areas.

There were a few repeatable challenges that people could take on every few days as individuals in the first stratum, and these were a hot commodity to earn additional essence. Between climbs of the Ordeals, the Adventurer’s Guild and the orc Training Grounds, there were several viable ways to rise in level.

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They arrived at their destination: a burger and shake place. There was music playing from a jukebox, and Nick almost felt like he could place the song. The place was white and clean looking with neon lights running along the walls, and there were numerous booths for sitting.

There were a few other couples in the booths, enjoying their meals. A sign was placed at the entrance detailing the usage of the ordering and payment system.

Rebecca slid into one of the booths, and Nick slid in after her.

She turned to him, suddenly startled. “Oh! You’re sitting…”

“Do you mind? I wanted to be closer to you.”

With a blush, she shook her head no, so he pulled her close to him with a hand on her waist from around her back.

Her wings fluttered, and they looked over the menu together. She had a frown and a disappointed look on her face, but didn’t voice her complaint. He had noticed she hadn’t liked much of the bar food from before, but he still chose this place.

Nick chuckled at how she didn’t seem to complain about their choices. “Not seeing much you’re interested in, huh? I mainly chose to come here for the special dessert, but I knew you might like the chef’s salad, or the soup. Just get them both and we’ll take the rest with us. I’ll order the dessert for us, too.”

“O-Oh. I didn’t notice those. I’m sorry, Nicholas.”

“For what?”

“I doubted you. It seems you had given this place a lot more thought before we came in, and did pay attention to what I liked.”

Nick gave her a smile. “I did pay attention to what you liked, and I’m going to do what it takes to win you over. I want this courting period to be a happy memory when we both look back at it. Also…Winny might have helped by giving me a rundown about these places, so I’m a dirty cheater.”

Rebecca chuckled. “Seraphara values wisdom, and so do I. Using your wives and subordinates to gather it does not subtract from you having it.”

Pressing some buttons on the Menu next to the wall, Nick and Rebecca made their selections. It was a little odd to pay like some kind of vending machine with his silver coins, but it was convenient.

Nick pulled her a little tighter to him while they waited. “Comfy, Becca? I like the atmosphere of this place.”

Rebecca’s blush increased, and her small wings fluttered. “The seats are nice, and the music is unique. And I… do like how your arm feels around me.”

Nick enjoyed her warmth, smiling as he felt her body up against his. For Nick, being next to a pretty girl always felt special. But with Rebecca, it was a little different. Much like how being near tainted, or evil souls, his stomach would twist, and he would feel disgusted, Rebecca’s pure, beautiful soul had a reverse, positive effect instead.

“Being next to you soothes me. I like your warmth, but your beautiful soul calms mine.”

“It does? How?”

“Sure does, I think it’s because my Soul Sense is so sensitive. Being so close to your purity makes it easier for me to relax.”

She blushed and smiled, and rested her head on his shoulder, and then held his free hand. It seemed knowing that she had that effect on him pleased her greatly.

The food eventually came out, and they separated as the usual robot rolled out and set the food down in front of them.

Rebecca mostly enjoyed her food, but was shocked at how much meat was in the salad. The clam chowder was a hit for her, and Nick shared some of his fries from his burger.

He made sure they both didn’t eat too much because the desert was going to be the main draw.

She enjoyed her creamy soup, and the salad had a ranch dressing that was unique for her. He placed the order during their meal for the dessert, and it was brought out just as he was finished with his burger.

“W-Wow. It’s so much.” Rebecca was in awe of the large dessert.

It was a decadently large banana split with scoops of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream, with various toppings placed throughout. Fudge was drizzled nearly all over the dessert, and two spoons were included. Sprinkles, candies, cherries, and even a few bits of brownies were placed throughout, allowing them both to try various types of sweets from Earth.

Nick was happy to give it a try, taking a bite with the long-handled spoon.

“Not bad. It’s been a while since I had anything like this. Your fruits here on Orion are pretty sweet, but this is a step above that. Even has some essence in it.”

Seeing Nick’s smile, Rebecca hesitantly took some of the banana in her spoon with some ice cream and fudge. She chewed for a moment and moved it around on her tongue, before moaning. “Mmm…that is so—”

She froze, realizing the sound she made, blushing heavily as her wings fluttered.

Nick chuckled. “Don’t hold back on my account, that was cute. But that orc suddenly became that much more interested in our meal,” He nodded to his side.

Rebecca’s eyes grew wide, and she shrunk in on herself, furtively looking over to the table with the orc.

Nick laughed at how cute she looked. “I was just messing with you. It is good ice cream for sure though. Try the brownie next.”

He put his other hand around her once again, reassuring her. She smiled, and giggled a little at the situation. Continuing to eat the large dessert, the two smiled and enjoyed their special meal.

“It’s so good, but I don’t think I can eat another bite. So much wasted…”

“That’s alright, we can take it all with us. Even the ice cream.”

Creating some ice was trivial for Nick, and he brought the temperatures far below what was required to form it. To go boxes were provided by the robot, and he placed some in the lining of the bag.

“Alright. Let’s go walk off some of that ice cream.”

He took her hand again, and she gave him a wide smile. Walking around the mall a little more and looking at the various stalls, he eventually spotted and took her to a jeweler.

“W-What’s this? We people of Zura–”

“Don’t much like flashy jewelry, right? That’s alright. You can wear the necklace under your habit, and it’ll be our little secret. And we’ll use the silver, since gold is a little too lavish. I think you’ll like it, just wait and see.”

Rebecca blushed. “A necklace? I…okay.”

Nick made some picks at the vending machine, inserting the desired coins. He picked a locket, which he thought would work well. Lights ran through the machine as it whirred, melting down the coins and twisting the silver into wire as it sparkled. The machine reminded him a bit of those novelty coins, where it stamped the coin and represented the landmark as a souvenir.

“There. Now check it out, you can put the photo from before in there. It even has one that fits perfectly.” He twisted the inside, allowing the photo to be slotted in.

Rebecca beamed. “Oh! I like that!” She brought out the photo from earlier from her purse, and cut out the small portrait with body essence from her nail. Nick arched his brow at this because her precision was quite good.

She smiled at the result. “I love it… thank you, Nicholas. Now I’ll always have it with me. But now…you’ll have to get the other girls things too, you know. I don’t think I’ve seen them wearing any gifts from you.”

Nick chuckled. “That’s a good point. I had intended to get something at Silverbrook since the selection would be much better than here, but perhaps now’s as good a time as any. You don’t mind if I do this now? It’s your date.”

“No, becoming your partner means I must become a part of their family as well. I’ll be happy to know I didn’t cause any jealousy.”

Nick shrugged. “I dunno how much of that they got, and most of the beastfolk girls of Orion aren’t that big on jewelry. Kaya transforms, so she needs special items, and I know she doesn’t want earrings because her ears are far too sensitive.”

“I hadn’t thought about that. What will you get her, then?”

Nick smiled. “I’ll just have to make it a special item then. I can do it, I just need to know the glyph.”

“Oh that’s right! I will see if I can get the glyph for you, we do have books on enchanting.” Rebecca looked at him with a wide smile, and he thought she looked impressed. “Which of these styles do you think they would like?”

Nick looked over the options. He knew the Wolfen girls would love the collars, and Kaya would love to hate it. But for Winny…

“Hm. I think I’ll go with the locket for Winny and Kaya, but it’ll take some preparation to give it to them. You know any artists? I might need them to make a locket sized image for them.”

“I do! The arts are less sought after by adherents of Seraphara, but they are still respected. What about for the Wolfen girls?”

“What do you think?” Nick smiled.

She looked over the options, and she blushed. “Don’t tell me, the collars? Those girls…”

Nick chuckled. “You bet. That’s fine, isn’t it? And Jasmine is the same, though she’d rather have a choker.”

“It is… a little different, but they are very focused on you. On doing what they think will make you happy. I think that’s normal to want to do that for their lover, but they have taken it to the extreme. I guess… it’s wonderful that they have someone like you for a partner, that will make sure they can be so proud of both themselves, but also their boss.”

“Aw, you think so, Becca? And what about you? If I have my way, you and I will be partners for a long time. Do you think I can help make sure you are happy and fulfilled, like them? I mean, I’m making seven necklaces here today. This is probably not going to be all, either. I’ve only been here on Orion for a few months. You’re not worried I won’t have time for you, to make you feel special?”

Her wings fluttered, and she looked at the locket in her hands with a small smile. “Have your way, is it? Since you desire me so, I believe even if there are more girls in the future, I can count on you to do your best to make me feel special and loved. Just like tonight.”

She gave him a caring smile as her wings fluttered, and Nick grinned. “I’ll do my best, and that’s a promise. I’ll count on you to support me with your wisdom, to heal me when I’m wounded, and to keep me feeling calm and find respite, even if I’m always fighting.”

Rebecca smiled. “And you’ll always be fighting evil and protecting the weak. Saving us from villains, and making our shard a better place. If a hero wants a priestess by his side, then why should I say no?”

Nick chuckled. “So it sounds like you’re convinced, we just have to make Seraphara see it our way, then?” He looked up, as if looking to the sky. “How do we do that?”

She gave him a coy smile. “I’ll tell you later, but I promise you’re off to a good start.”

Shrugging, he fed in a lot of silver coins into the machine, and had all the necklaces made. It took some time, but the way the machine twisted and wove the silver wire into jewelry was mesmerizing to watch.

Nick held up one of the locket necklaces. “I’ll have to get the pictures from home to have the locket sized images made of their moms.”

The two had artist renditions of their moms back in their treehouse when he met them, and they had since retrieved those when they found time after the Trial Closure. Their treehouse was actually found by an orc scout because it had shifted several miles away when that happened.

“That’s wonderful, I bet they’ll love it. I know… I cherished the few images I had of my mother, when I thought she was gone for good.”

“Just a month left now, and we’ll be meeting her. I can’t wait.”

She smiled and nodded. Placing the necklaces in his pocket, he took her hand and they continued on their walk. After checking out a few shops and saying hello to a few more orc followers, and adherents and clergy that wished them well on their date, they headed back topside.

He took her back home, Seraphara’s Ordeal standing proudly above it. They separated next to the door, Rebecca blushing and smiling at him.

Nick said, “I’m glad I got to see you one last time before our trip. It’s going to be busy there, and I figured this would feel safer and more familiar.”

“It was lovely. You asked me before if there was a way to help make Seraphara see that we are meant for each other. Just close your eyes, and wish fervently and imagine a future together where we are both happy and fulfilled, reaching immortality together–and desire it from the bottom of your heart.”

Something felt not quite right about what she said, his Soul Sense tingling ever so slightly. A partial truth of some kind, but he decided to play along with a small smile on his face.

Nick did his best to imagine a time in the future, where he and Rebecca, along with his other wives, had defeated Blackthorne. He ruled much of the shard, and Rebecca happily used the Archives and grew her knowledge and wisdom along with her mother, and Eirwen.

They grew their good will among the shard with their compassion, and took on evils as a powerful family with their numerous allies. Seeing Rebecca’s smiling, fulfilled face as she lectured those who would listen in their Cathedral filled him with joy, and–

Warm lips met his, along with a surge of pure essence. Rebecca’s soft body collided with his, and he caught her with his hands around her waist. The kiss deepened as she explored his lips with her own plump, soft lips, and the girl sighed in contentment.

Nick thought he could feel, on some level, her own wish for him to be both happy and fulfilled. Her desire that he would reach immortality, but also find happiness as a hero and king of Frosthaven. The pure faith essence that went into him calmed him further, warming him down to his very soul.

She pulled back, and gave him a wide smile. “I’m sure you felt something was off there. I mostly told the truth–the difference was that we just needed to do that inside her Cathedral! But that was wonderful practice. I felt it.”

“What did you feel?”

“Your desire for my happiness. I know Seraphara will bless us when it’s time. Next date, we’ll be able to kiss all we like. I look forward to you kissing me next time.”

Nick chuckled. “I think I felt your desire too, and I’m excited to spend more time with my beautiful–inside and out–priestess. Until next time, Becca.”

Seeing her bright smile warmed him further, as she went into her home.

It was a welcome break, but now he had to fight a new type of battle. It was time for him to conquer the darkness within him.