The firelight flickered and danced casting odd shadows to the edge of their small camp. Marcus was taking his turn at watch, Singer, having made her way to place her head in his lap as she often had since they started traveling together. He found it especially comforting, despite their relationship being so young. Stroking her hair, he adjusted his body, leaning against an old tree that stood just off the center of the clearing.

“I must admit” he began with a whisper, thinking she’d already passed into dream. “having you like this is a most sublime pleasure.”

“The most sublime pleasures are those simple like this. Pure, essential.” she murmured.

“Its quite strange, considering how we had met.” bending a finger to trace it down the curve of her chin.

“I think it not so strange. You, you were the strange thing. A human, from a far flung world of Earth!” her excitement pushing her voice just above a whisper. “Though I came to know that later, I could smell the strangeness on you, your song.” she paused to yawn, and he moved to scratch behind her ears as she yawned. She let out a most satisfied sigh she continued “It was so subdued, but the longer I watched, it grew and swelled a sound so beautiful. My heart was stolen then me thinks.”

“So that’s why you were trying undoing my pants before the sun had even gone all the way down?”

“You say this as a maiden who found her chasteness stolen.” she smiled “Twas not just your song that swelled” giggling she nuzzled him. Marcus found himself, thinking back, to that afternoon, the bright fields of Hrot, as he walked toward destinations unknown quite alone…

(Buckle up boys and girls, we’re dropping into Flash-bak-i-stan)

It had been a week since Marcus had come to possess the strange accessory, and come to this world that was not his own. He’d looked more thoroughly over the stuff in the pack he’d taken from the cave. As he’d guessed, one of the papers was a very strange map. It had small sections, of regular map, with some circles full of strange symbols. He hadn’t been able to make heads or tails of it, so he ended up talking to some merchant in the first hamlet he came to.

He was on a kind of trading route, connecting the two largest empires that were, relatively open to trade. Forsythe and Uranwyn, which were both huge cities in their own right. They sat on their own worlds, with a relatively safe road between them. The merchant had explained the symbols on the map were called mist gates. At the very least, the armor of the guards, their old style weapons, the merchant with his cart and over large goats, all confirmed he wasn’t home anymore, even if he didn’t buy into a bunch of different worlds. The fact that the merchant was a burly tiger person was just the last straw.

A few more questions got him the answer to relative technology levels, the merchant had a handgun it turns out, so he asked which one was nicer to live. The merchant preferred Uranwyn, so not having any where else to go meant anyplace was as good as any other. The merchant pointed him in the direction to the next stop on the route, and Marcus started walking. He’d felt a few eyes on him, a few of the women about town had stopped to stare. He passed it off as novelty, or perhaps curiosity. It was a small town after all, all the more reason to leave he’d thought at the time.

He’d stepped out onto the road, confident there would be enough daylight to burn getting to the next hamlet. The road was dirt, but had been trampled flat by the crunch of a thousand wagon wheels and boot heels. Over plains, and through forests he walked. It wasn’t long though before he felt eyes on him again. There was the occasional rustle of some bushes kept him company. Eventually a wolf wrapped in crimson fur emerged from the bushes just barely onto the path some way ahead. It was a bit small but he was cautious besides. It simply stared as he walked past. “Hey there little guy.” he waved, continuing to walk but giving the creature a wide berth as he crossed it on the road. If there’s magic and laser guns no telling what the wolves were like.

It continued to watch. He looked back every few feet to ensure it hadn’t moved, or at least wasn’t still watching but it stared down the path at him. He thought about climbing a tree when it finally dipped back into the underbrush. Satisfied but vigilant, he sped up his pace just a bit. Nothing else crossed his path however before he found himself walking among some large, rolling hills.

The path crossed over the largest one. Sitting, just to the side of the road atop the hill, a figure, a fellow traveler he hoped could be seen its top. Hastening his way to the crest of the hill he called out “Stranger! The uh, red wolves around here dangerous?” Reaching the top his gaze fell upon a woman, dressed in a kind robe with embroidered flowers.

Her hair was long shimmering black, hanging loose, reaching down to the middle of her back, he noted pointed ears perked up from the top of her head. She was seated on a thick blanket, off white in color, the tip of a tail just barely emerging from her robes blended into the blanket, and as he approached she leaned back on one arm to turn and face him.

Her face was soft and round in shape, dimples forming in her cheeks as she smiled up at him. Deep green eyes, flecked with lighter shades met his own. Her lips, were a shade a bit too bright of red for her face, and the way she leaned gave him too clear a look at her heaving bosom. These things combined to have him feeling more than a little suspicious.

“No stranger, you will find them quite harmless. Far too small to attack travelers such as we.” He now noticed a small sac, holding down one of the edges of the blanket. “Their fear would exceed your own.” Saying this he caught her sniffing the air. “I was about to break my fast for the day, and I think I should rather enjoy the company. I can not say I know your smell, you must be from very far away indeed.” She patted the space on the blanket next to her “I should very much like to hear of it.”

“Sure I suppose I could use a break.” he replied, taking a seat next to her, and if she were offering food, he didn’t know if he could afford to turn it down either. The hamlet he’d left didn’t have any work for him to do, and he had no coin to his name.

“Delightful” she cooed, reaching into her bag. “You shall have my apologies, as I have not much to offer beyond hard tack. These smaller villages do not have much fare for travelers.” She handed him some. It was hard, as she’d said, the two chewed together in silence for a time. She swallowing with a hint of disgust touching the corners of her mouth. “So tell me. Where do you hail from?”

“I’m not sure. I got pulled from my world, and ended up here. Had to spend forever listening to a merchant about his seven kids before I found out I was in.” Trailing off, focusing to remember the name.

“Hrot.” she added with a smile. “So you found some bewitched item then?”

“You could say that.” she continued to smile, but her brow furrowed in thought.

“How tragic.” she pursed her lips apologetically, the look of concern appearing genuine but he couldn’t shake his distrust. “I must ask” her grin returning “Are all the men from your home as handsome as you?”

That did it. “I appreciate the food, but I’m guessing the lipstick is a kind of drug right?” instead of faux anger her smile grew to her eyes, brows arching with amusement. “You’re going to flirt, then attempt to seduce me and take my stuff right?”

She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked him up and down. After letting the silence hang heavy for a moment she responded. “Yes, that is the game I play ordinarily.” she produced a small cloth from within her robes, wiping off her lipstick revealing softer pink lips. “Most men, and even a few women are just so gullible. Especially on these main roads.”

“See, I feel like this is just another part of the bit though. Giving up the game to easily.” He mirrored her head tilt, and frowned a little

“Hardly can I fault you for that thinking, but I would beg you an opportunity to prove my sincerity. It is not oft a man like yourself crosses my path, and I did not lie when I spoke that you are.” she looked lips curling in as she paused “Rather handsome.”

“Not sure what you could do, to prove that, not in the next few hours.”

“Well, why are you headed off to Uranwyn? I assume that is the path you tread?” moving to kneel facing him.

“And I wasn’t lying when I said I just wound up here. Seemed as good a place as any from the merchant I learned about it from”

“Have you no desire to get home?”

“Sure, but have to figure out how I’m going to eat before I can worry about that.” she nodded in silent agreement, taking another bite from the trail rations, displeasure etched into her face. Looking off into the distance he now realized was visible from the hill here, the sun had long crossed its zenith to begin its decent. Turning back to her he found she was staring at him intently, unapologetically soaking in his form.

“I have…” she paused. “I would like…” clearly struggling for the right way to broach the subject. “I offer a proposal” Closing her eyes, nodding with vigor. “We shall travel back to the inn, in that town down there.” a sweeping gesture to clarify. “And I shall pay for our lodging. I will get you your own room if you wish. In exchange, you allow me to travel with you for the following day. To prove that I mean you no ill. Upon that evening we can, negotiate again.”

He took her measure, and a part of him wanted to give her the chance. She reacted well when caught, and that would be quite the gamble on her part. He couldn’t find any sense if she were going for a long con. Lastly he thought it would be foolish to spurn her help, as a friend would make things much easier. “I can agree to that.”

She clapped, letting out a small satisfied giggle. “Let us set off then.” standing up she rolled up the blanket, sliding it into her bag, without the bag’s size changing.

“Magic bag?”

“You are not familiar with the technique?”

“No.” She smirked with satisfaction.

“We can discuss it, later if you would like.” She said, beginning a slow walk down the hill. “We can continue our trade of good faith. I have no small number of questions for you.” the two walked in silence till they entered the inn. The homely woman behind the counter seemed surprised to see the girl, and seeing them enter together appraised Marcus with unfiltered curiosity.

“Singer, strange of you to.” she measured out her words “Turn around like this” she finished. The woman lacking subtlety Marcus found himself thinking, but at least he knew the girls name at least.

“Yes, well. Today has borne many surprises for me.” producing a small brown pouch, she looked in with resignation. “We would like two-”

Marcus leaned in whispering to her “You don’t look too happy to be getting two.”

“For more reason than one.” her reply matching his volume.

“One. We’ll just take the one.” he interceded. A show of faith did need to go two ways he thought.

“Sure. Of course.” A key and some money were exchanged, and the two made their way to a small austere room. A bed, and chair were all the furniture it had. The hardwood floor, had clearly seen better days. Unsure if it was the days of hard travel, or the company but the bed looked obscenely attractive. Once they were fully alone Singer turned to face him, placing her hands on his chest.

“I will not lie, I was worried for the space of a moment that you were immune to my charms.” she said as she placed her head on his chest.

“Not sure you have any grounds to worry about that.”

“Show me.” Came a breathy reply.