“I’ll be honest,” said Helmut, placing a hand on Sparrow’s shoulder. “I am not entirely sure that I understand what is going on, but if you guys need a monster slain that’s a task we have experience with.”

“Yah, y’know, I really don’t think so,” retorted Nina behind him.

Helmut spun about, glaring harder at Nina than he had expected. “Why not ?”

Tucking her staff under one arm, Nina counted the reasons why not on her fingers. “First of all, we are not going to get paid; second of all, I don’t like picking fights with monsters whose mere presence makes people sick and the only reason that I am staying the night is because I’ve seen worse; third of all, it is not our place to meddle in the affairs of another culture. You can’t tell them that they are right or wrong because you agree or disagree.”

“Well, there has to be some things that are wrong regardless of culture !”

“Maybe, maybe not, but culture has nothing to do with what is right or wrong, it is all about what is appropriate and what makes people feel safe. Look, I am not very interested in this philosophical crap, so if you will excuse me…”

“At least take Chewy off my back,” directed Helmut, reaching for the child-sized creature and grasping nothing save air. “Eh ? Where’d Chewy go ?”

The little gremlin cheerfully ate the first of two apples that he had apparently pilfered, releasing a whistling laugh that trailed after its owner and taunted the native man that trailed even farther behind.

“Chewy, give those back !”

An implausible, yet nonetheless pleasant fantasy celebrating the timeless love of Nina and Wynf saw the lovers drown in a revolving sea that filled her ears with an incessant panting. It was under these conditions that Nina awakened to find that Nate was licking her with, what she assumed to be, alarm. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Chewy and sat up. “What’s wrong ?” Nate’s was now nuzzling Helmut’s unoccupied nap sack.

"Helmut left without us,” mourned Chewy. “Chewy wanted to battle monster with Helmut and Sparrow.”

Nina’s eyes widened. “Wait, are you telling me that numbskull actually went with that braggart to the cave outside of the village ?” Nina grit her teeth. “That idiot," she shouted, before grabbing her staff and rushing off to an unknown fate.