Going back John had finished his business with Sondra who was very pleased with the arrangement.

The trade had gotten much larger as she offered the recipe for his drink, and the ability to sell it without royalties. This in addition to more moon stones and some seemingly junk artifacts he couldn't identify had him bringing out 5 times the medicinal payment, while throwing in a few simple recipes for low grade potions as good will.

Gypsies were a people that rarely traded with other settlements. The distance was too far and what they could trade was attached to high transportation costs, lengthy expeditions, and untold dangers. For them to have the chance to trade within their own boarded was a god send in a way and they took full advantage of it.

It was tense at the start but eventually the feeling was dropped so that the bar became rowdy with more drinks given to Leafy and John.

As the day drew on, John met the residents while Leafy stayed nearby, lips deep in a 4th and 5th beverage. She was hammered the entire day, leaning on John for support, making them look like a couple.

John wanted to leave her face planted in the dirt but that was just too mean. She also might not be able to get up at that point and leaving his companion with her head in the ground would ruin his image. No, leaning on him was the best option and at the very least she didn't appear drunk, just comfortably enamored with John.

A kid ran up to John during the latter part of his walk around to deliver him a potion he made himself.

Taking it from his hands he inspected it, pouring out a drop to taste. Apparently a child had gotten ahold of the recipe and was already trying to make it.

"Not bad, the mixture is a little strong. Try working with the water more and use less materials for a better result. Still, not bad at all."

John passed it back along with a pat on the head for which the child was overjoyed. He ran away soon after, presumably to try again. It was the budding start of a new alchemist.

In time, John witnessed the community come out of their hiding holes completely to return to their daily activities. They were a very simple culture, relying on many forms of magic for basic activities. Most modern cultures would have various autonomous machines, like golems, doing the laborious tasks but here, not so much. Magic puppets were easy to make but had many drawbacks regarding mana consumption and durability. Even John was flying on a ship and that counted as a machine.

It was common to see wind magic dying clothes, fire magic used with wood to cook, earth magic for new buildings and repairing old ones, nature magic for farmland cultivation, light magic for lighting homes and stores, dark and ice magic for food storage along with many more. It was bizarre, but in a good way.

Gatherings that lived with such a low use of magic were usually barbaric. They lived to fight and did nothing to sustain themselves other than taking what they needed from others. Those types where ones John would prefer to avoid.

It was an enjoyable tour with good food and drink but night eventually fell. As it was a new place for John he decided to sleep there for the experience. Icarus would be fine where she was and besides, he would likely be caring Leafy in the air at some point if they packed up now. It was in everyone's favor to leave in the morning.

"Two rooms please."

They found rooms at a tavern, it having the only rooms for travelers in the whole area.

John tucked leafy into bed, her drunken state turning into a drunken slumber.

He placed the reluctant to leave his skytiger on Leafy's bed only to have it jump down and wrap around his leg. The cub only stayed on the bed with the fourth attempt because leafy unconsciously grabbed it. Eyes wide, the tiger could not wiggle free and eventually relented. She liked Leafy too though likely had a special place for John being that she was indirectly saved by him.

John found comfort in his own bed.

With leafy and the skytiger in the other room sleeping, there was nothing to disturb him. Or so he thought.

The door closed as someone walked into John's room. Instantly he was on alert but then realized who it was, Leafy or rather no, she was out cold and with the wings retracted, this was Niera.

She approached quietly, her elven traits giving her a sense of inborn stealth. Had it not been the soft thudding of her armour hitting the floor, it would be hard to tell she was there. Piece by she was stripping her armour bare before John's eyes.

Too in shock to move, John didn't act until she was more than halfway out of her armour. Like this she displayed even more beauty than ever before, as if carved from a flawless and pure emerald. When she crossed into the moonlight her skin absorbed it, mixed with Leafy's energy and radiated off every part of her body. She became nothing short of an elven goddess, something not meant to exist in this realm.

John swallowed but had to act. Leafy falling asleep must of jarred Niera awake and now, her binge drinking expedition was on Niera's shoulders. Niera was 100% drunk.

Getting up he hugged her, trapping her arms in place so she would stop undressing.

Still there was one thing she could reach like that as John felt a piece of fabric drip brush down his leg.

Now even John was embarrassed, not sure what to do. If he let her go there would be no going back and she was not helping him decide as her lips drew near his ear and with a voice far sweeter then honey said, "you never gave me the chance to repay you."

John's heart was racing as strong temptations tried to say it was ok to do something naughty. It's okay they said, just have a little touch, a little taste. She's in your arms, she's giving herself, take her. Take her now!

But John's sense of reason did not turn a blind eye to her suffering. Though it was pushed to the edge of his sanity.

John did the only thing he could think of in such an emergency and fell with her onto the bed. In his strong embrace she could not break free and stayed attached to him even after the fall.

When he looked at her again from the comfort of a bed his temptations rose once more. It was only for a moment though as when he looked at her face again there was the small sparkle of a single tear rolling down her cheek. Instantly he knew this drunken inspired seduction was just a facade to hide everything she held inside, that she was weak and helpless while truly thankful to him for giving her hope. It was a terrible idea but drunken ideas never are, moreover she didn't even get the chance to know she was drunk as she had woken up in the state, thanks to leafy.

John moved his hands and held her tightly as she quivered and whimpered a silent cry. She was comforted, eventually, and fell asleep in his embrace.

He couldn't leave her like this nor resist the temptation of a peek if he got up, so now he was left with the big question.

Should he pretend to be asleep when she woke up?