“Nice to meet you Tanya” Seph said. “So. You’re a dragon.” She usually tried not to state the obvious, but some things had to be said. The dragon winced.

“Technically, no. I’m…” Tanya eyed Cassia and Ian. She gave a tiny shrug[1] and turned back to her mistress. “I’m a bound companion.”

“Okay, but what does that mean?”

“I exist to guide you. I can get more information out of the system than you can and can help you make important decisions.”

“That sounds useful as hell” Cassie sounded approving, and almost wistful. At some point she had sat back down and was nursing her mug. Its label said ‘World’s Best Grandpa’, but seemed to be made more out of nicks and chips than pottery.

“You didn’t get a companion?”

“Nah. Closest thing I have these days is Ian here!” She gave a laugh that almost sounded convincing and waved a hand at the elf. He ducked and shot her a half-hearted glare.

Seph looked at the two of them

“Then why did I get one?”

“You are a template seed.” Her tone was a little incredulous, as if this were obvious. Seph felt the hot flush of embarrassment flood into her face. “First of a species, you get to decide what succubi on Earth will be like.”

“Holy hell” Ian shook his head, long brown hair flying. He stood up. “I’m too sober for this. Cassie, you need anything? Seph? … Tanya?” Cassie shook her head and sloshed her drink around a bit to show that she still had some left.

“Um, yes actually. Could I please have a drink too? Wait, can I drink?” The elf cocked his head oddly, gaze going distant.

“That’s weird. My ‘Inkeeper’s Intuition’ Skill is giving me ‘invalid target’. But you seem to bring in the weird whatever you’re doing.”

Cassie watched him wander out, a hint of worry in her gaze. She turned back to Seph.

“You’re the first succubus?”

“I… guess so? In the grey void, it said I was a template seed, and that I would get to choose what succubi here would eat and their focus, but then it said it was chosen for me.”

“Grey void?”

Seph explained what happened to her when she first tried to open her status. Partway through, Ian came back in with a jug and she had to start over again. Eventually, Tanya nodded, while the other two just looked stunned.

“Yes, I can see you’re a Runeweaver Succubus and an Essence Runesmith. Looks like you’re stuck with the runesmith, too. That’s going to get expensive.”

The miniature dragon looked to Cassie.

“How many people live in this settlement?”

Cassie seemed to shake herself.

“Just us. Our own little hideaway.”

Seph was horrified.

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“Oh I’m so sorry if I’d known you were together I wouldn’t have…”

Ian snorted out some of his red beverage, and Cassie guffawed.

“No! Hell. We aren’t like that, Ian’s just a friend.”

“Besides, it’s not like you had any choice.” Tanya’s spaded tail twitched, and the red dot in the corner of Seph’s vision expanded.

Essence Warning

Warning: You currently have less than 5 hours of Essence. Status effect: Starvation.

“What does the Status Effect: Starvation mean?”

Cassie grimaced.

“It’s a nasty one. If you’re starving, you’ll do anything to get food. You’re completely driven by instinct. No wonder you stole my bones.” She cracked a reassuring smile at the succubus and dug at Ian with her elbow. “You’re lucky she didn’t go after you, huh Ian?”

Ian flushed, and Seph idly noticed that his long, pointed ears flushed too. He explained to Seph.

“I’m gay. Not that you’re not pretty, I just…” He trailed off, eyes lingering on Seph’s chest. She realized she’d let the blanket slip again, so she covered back up. His gaze was making her uncomfortable, and she squirmed a little.

“Um, this is a really nice blanket, but could I ask for my clothes back?”

“Oh they’re gone.” Ian shook his head, focusing. “They were shredded by whatever beastie you fought.”

Seph’s stomach lurched, and she felt her tail curl around her legs.

Why do I feel… I hated that armor. It was a symbol of…

But she didn’t feel elated, or triumphant. She felt a complicated knot of regret, longing, guilt, and sorrow.

“I can lend you some of my clothes til we can get you some new ones” Ian seemed to notice her distress and misinterpreted its source. “They’re men’s clothes, but that’s the best we can do. That lug doesn’t wear anything.” He jerked a thumb at Cassie, who had just finished draining her mug. Seph dropped her gaze.

“Why are you being so kind?”

“Cassie has her reasons, but I’m the waykeeper here. It’s my job to welcome travelers. Well. Part of it.” The Elf poured himself another drink and the sound attracted Seph’s gaze. He nodded to the table at the foot of Seph’s cot. “Besides, you have something we need.”

Seph tensed up, and she saw Tanya do the same. Cassie waved one stone hand, though.

“Don’t make it sound so sinister, Ian.” Cassie leaned forward and scooped a red crystal off the table. She held it up to the light. “When you fought that sprite… did you call it a greyhind? Anyway. When you fought the sprite, it dropped this. This is a mana crystal, and sprites always leave one behind when they die.”

“How did you…?”

“I followed your blood trail back to where you fought it. If you hadn’t managed to off it, I’d need to step in. Anyway. They’re worth a decent amount, so you can sell them to the Guild for a bit of coin.” She nodded back to Ian. “I’d like to just tell you to sell it and make some coin that way but um…” The High Troll fidgeted uncomfortably. Ian rescued her.

“We’re broke, is what she’s trying to say. We’re supposed to get a fee from people who pass through here, but nobody ever does.”

“Seph, would you mind giving us some of your income while we show you the ropes?”

Seph expected to feel insulted by that, but honestly she felt relieved. Cassie’s ‘I don’t want you to go through what I went through’ speech felt too saccharine to be true. This, though? This was familiar and it reassured her. Cassie kept talking, rushing through the words as if they were burning her stone mouth.

“We wouldn’t kick you out with nothing, though. If you want to take it and go you totally can! But if you stick around and let us show you the post-apocalyptic 101, we’ll try and get you enough cash to get by once you leave”

Seph felt her stomach lurch again. The room was spinning and she forced down the forlorn panic.

Calm water, calm water. I am still water.

“Leave?” Seph hoped her calm mask was in place but couldn’t stop the slight waver in her voice.

What is wrong with me?

“Only when you want to! This is the back of beyond, I figure you’ll probably… need… some…” Cassie trailed off. After a moment, Seph felt a cool nudge on her leg. She looked down and found Tanya nuzzling into her.

“What do you think?” Seph asked the little dragon.

Dragons do not have lips. They cannot purse lips they do not have. Nonetheless, Seph was somehow sure that the little dragon in front of her was trying.

“It’s a decent deal.” The dragon seemed to eye Cassie for a moment. “We can leave at any time?”

The troll nodded, and Seph took a deep breath.

“Okay, I’m in.”

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[1] And nobody shrugs like a creature with two sets of shoulders, but creatures with a dragon’s pride generally don’t.