"Dungeon or temple?" Sage asks Lex as soon as they reappear in the inn.

  "First, what did the devs say?"

  "What did the…" they mumble to themself then their eyes spring open, all trace of their sleepy casualness gone. "Fuck!" they say, and vanish. Lex blinks at the spot they were standing the moment before.

  They reappear a minute ter. "That was weird, didn't seem like I was kicked but why would I…" they mumble, before seeing Lex and gaining that same panicked expression. "I forgot."

  Lex's heart falls to somewhere around his ankles. "You forgot?"

  "Twice," they say. "Hold on, I'll check again, there's got to be some—" They vanish before they finish the sentence.

  Lex shifts his weight from foot to foot, trying not to jump to the worst possible conclusions about what Sage logging in and out repeatedly means. He wishes their character just fell asleep or something when they log off, that way he could have held onto them while he slept. The night had felt very long without them.

  Another ten minutes pass, and he fidgets with the neck of his shirt so he doesn't py with his piercings. They need to heal, he tells himself sternly. Even though maybe a sharp bit of pain might be just what he needs to keep his mind off—

  Sage reappears. This time, they don't speak before the colour drains from their face. "I couldn't remember," they say. "I could remember you — even tracked down your Facebook profile — but not the thing I needed to remember." They hesitate, eyes so wide. "What did I need to remember?"

  "That I can't log out because of a cursed item," he says, softly.

  "Jesus. Shit!" they hiss. "I should have logged out earlier. Tried to report this earlier. I can't believe I— Fuck!"

  Lex tries to move them to sit down on the chair or the bed, but they colpse on the floor before he can catch them.

  "Lex, I'm so fucking sorry," they say, looking up at him.

  "It's okay," he tells them, even though it's not. "It's fine. Someone will realise I'm not logging out, soon. Or…" He wracks his brain for anything that will make Sage feel less awful. "Isn't there a safety thing? So people don't like, die pying FEViR games?"

  They nod, hesitantly. "There is. I think. But Lex, this is so specific. I couldn't remember that you're stuck, so I couldn't get you help. It's like the devs just pulled that one thing from my brain when I logged off."

  "Yeah. Yeah, that's… that's weird." It gets weirder the longer Lex thinks about it. What would be the point of coding that into the game? Is it just a bug from trying to code in something else? "You did check forums and things when you were logged off, right?" They nod. "What were people saying about the game? Any other reports of bugs?"

  They blink as they consider. "I… don't think so. I'd have to check some more but…" They fall silent as they consider his question. The skerrick of colour that had managed to get back into their cheeks vanishes again. "You think they don't want people reporting bugs?"

  He shakes his head. "I think they want people to be positive about the game. They want people to only say good things."

  "That's illegal," Sage points out. "That's—" they struggle to find the word. "They fucked with my brain."

  "Which is what lets FEViR games exist," Lex replies. "It's all brain fuckery."

  "But they did it for reviews. They did it to stop—" a slightly hysterical ugh bubbles up from their chest "— fucking bad press."

  "It's just a theory," Lex reminds them. But, he thinks to himself, it fits.

  "And," they ugh again, "I have to let them. I have to keep pying, or I'd be leaving you alone."

  A feeling like ice runs down his spine. "I'd understand if you did." Knowing there are items that prevent logging out is one thing, knowing the game doesn't let you talk about them is another. "You barely know me."

  "I know you're a person," they snap. "I know you're a person who doesn't deserve this. The least I can do is try to help you break the curse and get the fucking thing off that way."

  "I'm gd you helped me, by the fountain." He smiles at them, crouching by their side. Then he rubs their arm and tries to lift them off the floor. He fails, of course — still level one — but they take the hint and put their weight on him as they stand. "It's a—" he swallows, "—a hell of a lot more than the least you can do."

  They scowl.

  Lex rexes. "You're sticking with me, then?" He might feel guilty about putting Sage at risk of getting stuck, too, but they seem to have made up their mind.

  "You're mine," they snarl.

  He squeezes his eyes shut. Oh boy. That went straight to his dick. "Let's go to the temple." Temples are unsexy, right? Nothing sexy about religious sermons. Can't think about how hot it is that Sage keeps saying stuff like that with some old guy droning on about chastity or whatever, right?

  "You should strip first," Sage says.

  Lex lets out a soft whimper at the suggestion. His dick was already throbbing and straining, he doesn't know that he can handle anything more right now.

  They stare at him as he doesn't move. "To see how your body's changed," they remind him, gently.

  Oh. That makes more sense.

  He does as they say and pulls off his clothing, until he's standing there with only his socks on.

  Sage appraises him, and he's somewhat relieved to see their cheeks are red. He hunches his shoulders, as if that can protect him from their gaze, but they make a soft shushing sound as they move his hands away from his dick so they can see.

  It throbs.

  He whimpers.

  "Is it okay if I get you off?" they ask, and he's nodding before they finish the question. It'll be easier to assess his size once he's soft. And it's—they're— he loses the ability to think once their hand is on him. Once it's gripping his length and working him up and down. His nipples ache where they contract over the metal bars that were stuck through them yesterday.

  "Good, boy," they tell him as he comes. Their hand keeps working him gently as he softens, until he's completely fccid.

  They blink at his dick. "Huh," they say. "Hold your hand down—" they gesture, and he does.

  "It's bigger?"

  "A bit, yeah." They look up to meet his eyes. "Is that okay with you?"

  He nods, mutely. The cock ring must be less powerful than the piercings. From the heel of his palm, his dick now reaches the first knuckle of his index finger, where it was just shorter than it before.

  "And I can't see a change in your chest."

  "I can feel it," he says, voice ft. His chest is bigger. He's not surprised they can't tell — it's not a huge difference — but he can.

  "Once they're healed, you can take the piercings out and wait for your dick to get back to your real world size. Minimise the amount your—" Sage nearly doesn't hesitate before they decide the word to use is: "chest grows." He appreciates the choice.

  And that they're thinking so hard about this.

  He's so lucky to have them.

  *

  Nateria's temple is the tallest structure in the city. And, though he hasn't seen much of the area, Lex is inclined to believe it's the rgest as well.

  The way it dominates the street sends a shudder through him to his bones. Or maybe that's the three stacks of libido.

  "Whoa," Sage says, looking up to the tip of the highest spire. "Seems bigger up close."

  "No kidding," he replies. He feels a bit like a child hiding behind their parent from his spot a step behind Sage, so he moves alongside them instead. Much better.

  Sage's mouth curls in a smirk, like they can read his mind. Or (more likely) like he's that obvious.

  "What do you know about Nateria?" he asks.

  "Not much. She's the goddess of life and matter." They step forward, and, when he doesn't follow, raises an eyebrow at him, only turning back when he moves. "Twin sister to Vuide. I think she's a pretty big deal. Hers is the only temple a lot of cities and vilges have."

  "She doesn't like other gods?"

  "Maybe."

  "Who's older, Vuide or Nateria?" Lex asks as they reach the foreboding temple entrance.

  "I don't know—" Sage starts to say but stops as a nun races up to them in a fp of robes.

  Lex finds himself shrinking behind Sage again. Jesus. He's pathetic.

  "What do you think you are doing?" the nun asks.

  "Visiting the temple," Sage replies. Lex can hear the frown in their voice.

  "We had some ques—" Lex begins.

  The nun cuts him off. "You do not step foot in here," she says, jabbing Sage in the chest with a finger.

  "I'm sorry?" Sage asks. "We're—"

  "Yes, yes, yes! He is fine." She waves at Lex. "You are not."

  "What," Lex can hear the anger in Sage's voice, "do you mean?"

  "Your kind do not step foot in My Lady's pace," she says, briskly.

  "And what kind would that be?" Rage pours off Sage like a tangible energy. Lex wants to soothe them, to curl himself around them like a big bnket, but that would rather undercut the intimidating aura.

  "Elves." That the nun doesn't hesitate before saying so curls Lex's lip in involuntary disgust.

  "I wasn't even an elf until three days ago!" Sage protests. "I could go back tomorrow!"

  Lex sees disgust much like his own reflected back at him. "Then you chose to forsake Her. Heavens above, nd below and the water that flows through them both, mayhaps I should be grateful for your arrogance. You shall never be granted entrance here, even if you twist your body once again. You are now — and will forevermore be — an elf." On 'elf' she stamps her heel and bck magical energy lights up the entrance behind her, shimmering, then solidifying and blocking the interior from view.

  Lex is floored. "Why does it matter?" he asks.

  "Elves—" she says the word like even speaking it is beneath her "— are not bound by blessed mortality."

  "What?" She can't be serious.

  "They flout the blessings My Lady bestows upon all things."

  "I'm quite certain Nateria doesn't give a fuck," Sage says.

  The nun ughs. "Nateria gives so many fucks. That—elf—is the point!" She says it triumphantly, as if the conclusion is obvious.

  "Come again?" Lex asks, when she doesn't eborate.

  "She grants life, child of Her will." Child of her will. That's supposed to be him?

  "Right…" he says, baffled. "But Sage is alive?"

  The nun snorts. "And will be past the grace of Her."

  Lex starts to piece it together. "You don't like elves, because they live too long?"

  "Elves step out of the light of Her life."

  Lex has never had a migraine, but he thinks he might be getting one.

  "Fuck's sake," Sage mutters. "Lex, you go in. You're the one who needs to talk to people. Next city, I'll just de-elf myself beforehand and I can come with."

  Talking about how they pn to get around future nuns in front of one such nun seems ill-advised, but Sage is still (understandably) radiating fury, so Lex keeps his mouth shut on the subject. "I'll be back soon," he says instead.

  Sage gives him a sharp nod.

  "I can still go in, right?" he begrudgingly asks the nun.

  "Yes," the nun says, crisply.

  Before he can get too far in his head about it, he gives Sage a swift kiss on their cheek and steps up to the dark barrier.

  The nun gestures towards it and a Lex shaped hole opens in the vast entrance. He steps through.

  "Oh, fridge," Lex says, passing over the threshold. Forget three stacks of libido, it feels like another ten smack him right between the eyes. He folds in two, sinking to his knees to hide his boner. It's no fun at all if Sage isn't there.

  "Child of Her will?" the nun asks, and she touches his shoulder.

  He jerks away like the touch was live with electricity. "Don't touch me!" he yelps, falling over sideways. He wants Sage.

  "Child…" she says, but at least can take a hint that she shouldn't touch him, and merely hovers several steps away.

  "What did you… Ah—!" He gasps. Even his breathing is stimuting.

  "Sister Miriam, what did you do?" a new voice asks from somewhere outside the very small area Lex can pay attention to. At least they're asking the same thing he'd tried to.

  "Nothing whatsoever, this child just entered the temple and colpsed. I— I don't know what happened."

  "Leave," they say, firmly. A moment passes, then footsteps that must belong to the nun trail into the distance.

  Lex whimpers. God, this stranger is about to see his boner. This stranger is about to see [My darling's darling — shoot! His dick spurts into his underwear but it doesn't even feel like he's coming, it feels like the blood is still building and he's getting more turned on.

  "Can you stand?"

  He shakes his head fiercely, and hugs his knees into himself, ignoring the pain it causes. That's fine. His chest hurts, too, but it's nothing compared to his dick and balls.

  *

  What in Her name did that bitch even do to this poor soul? Northly truly wishes the church had hiring requirements other than piety and a long implement up the rear. She makes soothing noises as she reaches towards him.

  "May I carry you, young one?" The poor thing doesn't seem to be able to do more than nod and shake his head, so she takes his gesture as full permission and hoists him up, one arm under his knees, the other supporting his back.

  He gasps, but manages to gather enough sense to cling to her. Or, she thinks as he wriggles, perhaps he's just trying to rub his chest against her.

  Northly flushes and hefts him until she's sure she can walk without dropping him.

  She takes him to her office before she can consider whether that was the right choice. It is… probably fine. She deposits him on her couch which sees more use as a bed than a seat. Oh, Mother's word, he is in a state.

  He whines and curls in on himself, the fingers of one hand pawing at his clothing as if his hand has independent thought and can't decide whether it needs to be inside the yers, or if it can do its job outside.

  "Would you like assistance?" she asks, rubbing his back.

  "Please," he whispers in a soft, breathy voice.

  She nods and applies pressure to his knees, shushing and soothing him as she does. His nails bite into her skin as he repeatedly tries to return his hands to their previous work, but she eventually gets the fastenings undone and yanks his trousers to his knees. "Mother's love," she whispers. He is enormous, engorged, red, and visibly pulsing with his heartbeat. A pink band the width of a finger strains around its base. She hesitates for only a second before covering his hands with one of her own. Her free hand reaches down to his balls and begins to massage them.

  As she pumps his dick and kneads his balls, he seems to realise what she's doing and stops trying to make coordinated motions of his own, apparently well past the point where he can manage fine motor function. Instead, his hands snake inside his shirt and begin working his nipples in a haphazard way.

  "There you go," she soothes. "You're okay." His hips jerk to meet her hand each time her fingers close over the base, unable to meet around its girth. Under her ministrations on his balls, she feels him grow close as they tense. "You can come," she says as his breath hitches and the two of them hang on the knife edge of his orgasm.

  He comes.

  She strokes him through it, never letting up on her soft words of reassurance. She is going to… do something unpleasant to that nun. Reprimand her. Sternly.

  His cum nds mostly on his own stomach and shirt, though a little falls on the couch. Perhaps she will make Sister Miriam clean it. That would teach her.

  He twists until he's less in her p and more spyed on top of her, wrapping his arms around her in an embrace, his face pressed into her cleavage. He's getting his spilled cum on her clothing, too, but she can get Sister Miriam to deal to that as well, so she shoves the thought aside.

  Eventually, his shaking subsides. Even fccid, his member is sizeable, and on further inspection she may need to speak with him to determine the manner in which he likes to be referred, as she catches sight of cleavage at the colr of his shirt.

  "Feeling better?" she asks as he goes from squeezing her to merely holding her.

  "I'm so sorry," he says and, inch by slow inch, releases her. He scoots back to the farthest point on the couch he can manage without falling off the side. "I just— I was so—" His face is bright red and he buries it in his hands, though his ears tell her it retains its rosy colouring even while hidden.

  "You were in a bit of a state," she says, hopefully not unkindly. He still is in somewhat of one — with his trousers around his ankles and cum on his shirt as his breasts strain the buttons — but she doesn't think he would benefit from hearing that.

  "I'm sorry," he says again into his palms. Then he uncovers his face long enough to right the clothing on his lower half. But, as he's pulling up his underwear, he stops, then holds his hand next to his dick. He demonstrates that it isn't true what they say about big hands, as his are decidedly average but his member is decidedly not. It is at least an inch longer than his index finger when held to the base. His flushed face turns pale. "It's bigger," he says.

  "Pardon?" Northly asks, before she can consider whether it's wise to.

  "This morning, with Sage, it was—" he indicates a point further up his hand.

  "Is that what…" She points an embarrassed finger to the ring taut at the base as she trails off.

  "No, it's supposed to make it smaller," he says. No, she thinks. This visitor is wearing an item intended to shrink that body part and that along with the breasts she missed at first gnce, means this person is likely a woman, and she should refer to her as such. "I actually came here to ask about it," she continues, staring incredulously at her dick before pulling her underwear on and then fastening her trousers on top.

  Northly's mouth goes dry as she realises the woman is starting to gain an erection anew.

  She slumps back down on the couch, then touches her fingers to her stomach where her cum is drying. Northly conjures a small globe of water and uses it to douse a spare cloth before passing it to her.

  "Thank you," she says, now frowning at her chest, confusion rather than arousal in her features as she wipes up the mess as best she can. She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, but, as it doesn't seem as if she is dissolving into her previous state, Northly pretends to be oblivious.

  "I am Northly, one of the priestesses of Nateria currently residing at this temple," Northly says.

  "Flip," the woman says before once more blurting: "I'm so sorry." Then continues, "I'm Lex. I can't believe a priestesses just jerked me off." Her Adam's apple bobs as she swallows. "Freaking heck," she says as she steadies herself. She drags in a ragged breath. "So, about my," she gestures to her crotch. "I thought I might be able to get some information about it here. The tool-tip says it was made by Vuide, and Nateria's her sister, right?"

  Northly freezes. "Ah," she says. Good job, Northly. Articute as ever. What excellent high ground you have to judge Sister Miriam from. A fucking cock ring made by bloody Vuide?! "You are one of the newcomers?" she asks, trying not to panic.

  But how could she not panic. She just stroked her off! Does that count as having sex with her? No, it can't or she wouldn't have been able to use her water magic. She tries to regute her breathing without letting Lex know anything's amiss.

  Lex nods, then pauses. "'Newcomers' are pyers, right?"

  "I have heard you call each other that, yes." Not that she's spent any time with them, locked away in the temple as she so often is.

  Lex massages one of her breasts, absently. "Sorry," she says, "it's sort of sore. Um," she pauses to look at Northly. She is rather handsome, in an apologetic sort of fashion. "A-anyway, the… ring is cursed, so I can't take it off. And because I'm a n-newcomer—" she hiccups and her breath hitches, then she releases her breast to fold her hands in her p, not even trying to cover the line of her erection where it bulges in the leg of her trousers.

  *

  Lex can't believe it. That makes three people he's had sex with in this game within hours of meeting them. Well, no, to be fair, it's not really sex with them when the only junk out and being touched was his in two of the three encounters. And his breasts! Sage is going to have a fridging field day. He had decided to stick with his (magically cleaned in the night) initial shirt and somehow his breasts have grown big enough to stretch it at the seams. What the frick!

  And of course he's hard again! Why wouldn't he be? He's going to spend his entire life in this game with a boner getting fondled by people he's barely said 'hello' to. And this time the one to get him off was a priestesses, that has got to be against some priestess code, even in this horny game.

  But at least she's still smiling at him. "Let's go out for some fresh air," she says, cpping her hands on her thighs as she stands.

  He manages to keep his whimper to a minimum as he does the same. With his dick a good three inches longer than its real world size, he'd have thought it would be less sensitive. Not the fridging case. "Actually, my friend is out front. They're better at expining things than I am, so…" He trails off, hopefully.

  Northly smiles and nods. "I'd love to meet them," she says and leads Lex through corridors he has no recollection of passing in the other direction.

  At the sight of the dark barrier blocking the entrance, Northly frowns, then snaps her fingers. The bckness vanishes and Sage tumbles through, fist raised as if they've been pounding it this whole time.

  "Uh," Lex says. "This is Sage. I'm their—"

  "Lex is mine," Sage snarls, stumbling upright.

  Flip. And he'd thought he couldn't get any harder. He swallows. "What they said," he says.

  The frown that had come to rest between Northly's eyebrows dissipates. "I see," she says. Lex can't be sure, but he thinks he sees a smile tugging at her lips before she schools her expression into a more serious one.

  "Shall we?" she says and gestures outside.

  Stepping through the doorway is like going from night to day in an instant. Lex feels his head clear and the ache in his dick and balls subside. Oh, jeez, does his chest look ridiculous though.

  "There is an eatery I frequent down this way," Northly says and sets off, not waiting to see whether Lex and Sage follow.

  Lex does pause, waiting for Sage's decision. They follow, tugging on Lex's hand to bring him with them. The two of them half-jog to catch up, an activity made rather unpleasant by his newly increased bust.

  His cheeks burn. Dick the size of Sage's fore-arm and tits the size of melons. He looks ridiculous. But they can sort it out ter. Hopefully.

  Northly brings them to a packed restaurant that initially has Lex stepping behind Sage, until a booming voice calls, "Priestess! Your usual room?"

  And Northly replies, "Only if it's free, Siegfried."

  Which prompts an equally booming ugh. "For you, it is always free."

  The three of them are ushered through the crowd into a reprieve of silence, the only disturbance the smell of delicious meals that wafted in before the door closed.

  The first thing Northly says now they have room to speak is, "I received her permission before I touched her."

  Sage pauses, then looks from Northly to Lex, to Lex's chest, and back to meet his eyes. "I see," they say. "Is that the case, Lex?"

  Lex nods. "She was very…" he searches for the word, though his brain is stuck on 'her permission' and 'touched her.' "Kind," he finishes.

  Lex can almost hear the gears turn in Sage's mind as a smirk pys over their lips. They give one of his hands a squeeze and turn back to address Northly. "And did she behave herself?" They put just the slightest stress on the pronouns. Lex shifts their linked hands until Sage's fingers are pressed so that they should be able to feel the heat of his erection through the fabric. He figures that's pretty definitive permission to keep misgendering him.

  "As well as she could," Northly says, either ignoring or oblivious to Sage and Lex's game.

  "I wasn't in my head," he blurts. It's a sentence that both made perfect sense to him as he said it and is entirely incoherent. He tries again. "It was like that libido effect but ten times as bad as soon as I stepped inside."

  Sage strokes their linked hands gently over his thigh in a soothing gesture. Which also happens to move them gently over his dick. He breathes out a shuddering breath. Still, he's not half as hard as he was in the temple.

  The man with the booming voice knocks briskly then enters. "I've put the order in for the usual for you, Priestess, but what will your guests be having?" He speaks only to Northly.

  Lex feels Sage bristle. He kisses them on their earlobe. It's fine. He truly does not give a frick after he practically begged Northly to touch his dick less than an hour ago. They unclench. A little. He squirms. Before they go out level grinding, he thinks, he has got to get Sage to fuck him properly. Or to fuck them. Or eat them out. He has to make them come at least twice, he decides as the man exits, their order apparently decided without him.

  A struggle passes through Northly for a moment before she releases the sweetest giggle and covers her mouth.

  "You two are cute," she says.

  Sage blinks. Lex blinks.

  "Sorry, don't mind me. It's simply terribly apparent how much you care for each other. How long have you been together?"

  "Nearly the whole time we've been in this world," Sage says, as Lex's ears burn because that sure is a cute way of sidestepping admitting that it's been two days.

  On the other hand, maybe that's exactly why Lex has anchored himself to Sage, and it doesn't matter that it's only been two days. He promises himself he'll make them come three times.

  "As a priestess, I'm not often able to see such sincere feelings. The church…" she pys with her neckce, which appears to be nothing more than a silver pendant of a cock and balls as rendered in graffiti through the ages. "Can be restrictive."

  "How so?" Sage asks.

  "Let's not get into it," Northly says with a grimace. "Lex, you wanted to ask about your ring?"

  He nods and brings up the item dispy for [My darling's darling cock ring].

  "Nateria and Vuide's retionship is complicated," Northly expins as she studies the item description.

  "And Nateria hates elves," Sage says, pointedly. Lex rubs their back in small circles.

  Northly blinks and frowns at Sage. "Not at all. She gives your kind life as she gives life to all things."

  "Then what the fuck was that nun on about?"

  "Sister Miriam…" Northly begins, "is inclined towards overly literal interpretations of texts." She lets out a breath. "It is true that we do not allow elves in the central areas of our temples, and it is because of the great lifespan of your kind, but not because Nateria hates that your lives are long." She sighs and tucks her hair behind her ear. "Nateria protects the properties inherent in life. Chief among those properties is evolution. As one elf may live through many generations of humans, beastfolk and demi-fae and reproduce but rarely in that time, the opportunities for evolution among elves are fewer than those of those other races. The temples of Nateria also do not allow dwarves, gnomes or the undead passage to the inner areas."

  "I see," Sage says as they consider Northly's significantly more reasonable expnation.

  "Also," Northly continues, "Sister Miriam is an absolute bitch." Sage stiffens at the venom in her voice. "She will be disciplined for her behaviour towards you, Elf Sage." Then, she addresses Lex. "And any transgressions towards you, Human Lex." She ughs. "She could well become the only member of our temple to venture outside its walls less frequently than myself."

  "So what's Nateria's deal with Vuide, then?" Sage asks.

  Northly suddenly looks very interested in the door. "Let us wait for our food. Proper discussion should happen with proper refreshments, should it not?"

  "I suppose," Sage says, eyes narrowing.

  "Do the two of you hail from the same town?" she asks them.

  "No, we're from different countries." Sage ughs. "Different continents, too."

  Which reminds Lex. "How did you find my Facebook profile?" he asks them.

  "Lex, you're queer with a New Zeand accent. It didn't even take an hour."

  Oh.

  "'M not queer," he mumbles, ducking his head. Then flushes. He has boobs. "Or I wasn't, anyway," he crifies. "Just lots of friends."

  Sage stares at him. "We," they say slowly, "are going to talk about that lot of nonsense, ter."

  "Okay," he says, and links his hand with Sage's again. Suddenly, he's very tired. He wants to hold Sage, cuddle them, but can't with Northly here. He settles for squeezing their hand.

  "How long have you been in Librum?" Northly asks, bringing Lex out of the moment.

  His reply is deyed when their server returns with several bowls of dips and a pte piled with ft bread cut into quarters.

  "Thank you, kindly," Northly says to their server, who nods in return, grinning wide as he leaves. She takes one of the pieces of bread and drags the tip through a beige dip.

  Lex copies her, slightly awkwardly as he uses his right hand, his left still linked with Sage's. He realises he doesn't even know whether they're right or left-handed. They're probably right-handed, which means they're both using their non-dominant hand to eat. The thought makes him smile as he tries the dip.

  "This is good!" he says. It's garlicky and creamy and the bread is rough on the outside and fluffy on the inside. He takes another mouthful, chews and swallows happily before trying the next one. "Thank you for bringing us here," he says to Northly with a smile.

  She fidgets with the piece of bread. Lex pauses to watch her as she pulls the corner off in one centimetre chunks, popping each of them into her mouth, swallowing, before breaking off the next centimetre square.

  "We understand if you're nervous," he says, to be reassuring. He might be reading her wrong, but after unsubtly deying the topic and now procrastinating further, it seems fairly likely she is.

  She presses the st of her bread between her fingers, rolling the scrap into a ball between her thumb and index finger.

  "Nateria murdered Vuide for ciming that which was not hers to cim," Northly says. Her voice is ft, like she's reciting from a text book on her least favourite subject. Lex freezes, and so does Sage. "Vuide sought dominion over sex. Though, as she was born at the hand of the All Father's knife and not delivered from the All Mother, she held no right to it." Northly drops her tiny bread ball. It bounces on her pte. "As punishment for her transgression, Nateria took the knife of the All Father and wielded it against Vuide, dispelling her into the void.

  "Taking the knife to her sister of the same seed scarred Nateria deeply. Before long, she believed she had made a mistake, and that her sister's mind was like that of a child from being trapped in the All Mother long after she herself was born. Even as her will guided the energy of all things in some sense alive, she became distressed, and eventually… attempted to take her own life with the All Father's bde."

  Northly draws a shaking breath.

  "But Vuide didn't take her soul." The words fall from Lex's lips before he realises he is the one speaking them.

  Something in him knows the story. Something in him knows the truth of it.