Green Orchard.

It was great that Red knew someone who’d supply him with an apple pie, but John didn’t exactly have any money left to pay Red or the person she had in mind.

“I don’t have any money left,” John explained.

“Well… I suppose I will just have to help you out of the generosity of my kind heart,” Red held back a chuckle.

“What about these people?”

“Ah, nothing to worry about! She’ll help us out, I’m sure of it,” Red said elusively, and witthout another word, she began to march along the path that led towards the place she’d called her hometown.

John cast a glance back towards the Black Knight, who had resumed his old position and remained stiff as a statue, before following Red back along the path.

“So, how come you want to go down into the Depths anyways?” Red asked.

“Uh… I suppose because Gaia wants me to.”

“That’s a bold claim,” Red eyed him for a long moment.

“What? Don’t believe me?” John asked, amused.

“Well… you smell different from the usual traveller…” Red admitted. “Then again, I’m not exactly the best… nevermind.” Red’s volume decreased as she spoke, to the point where her last word was almost a whisper

John had to wonder what had suddenly got Red so down but figured it wasn’t exactly his place to pry, so he kept his mouth shut. By the time they’d arrived at her hometown, Red’s mood seemed to have lifted anyway.

The town wasn’t really anything more than a small village, but it was quaint and had a homely vibe to it. It was only a minute’s walk to the centre of town, where the town market had been set up. John’s eyes bugged at the assortment of colourful food on display, and Red giggled when she noticed his surprise.

“The food is a point of pride here,” she explained, pausing at a fruit stall and casually plucking a bright green apple off of the stand.

The store owner folded his arms crossly, briefly regarding John before looking crankily at Red. The man was a blot of black in an otherwise colourful town market. He was a pale faced, with a streak of white on the fringe of his otherwise black hair, and wore a jet black suit with only a silver tie and buttons to brighten the look. 'Nobody,' John thought, 'could look more out of place than a man dressed for a funeral behind the stands of a fruit stall.'

“Hmm? You’re empty handed in your hunt again, today,” the store owner spoke harshly, with the same accent that Red had.

“What’re you on about?” Red said dismissively and pointed a finger towards John. “I’ve caught something much more interesting than a boar.”

The store owner cast an eye towards John and let out a low growl. “Who’s this then?”

“John. He’s a worlder.”

“By the looks of things, he isn’t a trader. So why have you brought him to me?” the black-suited man said, his eyes taking on a sinister shade. "Is he food?"

John shuddered under the weight of his gaze and immediately cast Observe on the man.

John was surprised to see that the man was in his forties... his young and handsome face would've led John to guess thirty at most. Well, at least it explained the none too pleasing look that Vulpis was giving him. The Observe window had also told him that Red was a ‘Warg’, and while John didn’t know for certain what that was. Though he’d hazard a guess to say it was some sort of Werewolf which shed a new light on the threat of being eaten and make John wonder why the leader of a pack was occupying his time selling fruits in the market.

“He’s tryna get past ol’ Izix,” Red cheerfully answered her father's question for John, either unaware or deliberately ignoring his tone.

“Oh?” John noticed a slight bit of interest creep into the man’s expression. “What’s the loon asked for this time?”

“An apple pie,” Red said gleefully.

“I see… and I suppose you will ask your grandmother for help?”

“That’s the idea, yes,” the girl replied, taking a large bite out of the green apple.

“And you’ve come and bothered me to what? Show off your new toy and poach apples?” her father drawled.

“Yup,” Red agreed. “He’s a pretty cute toy, huh?”

‘God, did she have to say that?’ John thought, shrinking back under the unnamused gaze of Vulpis.

Eventually, Red’s father gave a dismissive wave. “Why are you bothering me with this chatter? I have customers to attend to. But you and I will have a talk later,” Vulpis warned John.

Without any more encouragement, Red took John’s hand and led him to the outside of the village and into an expansive orchard of green apples that covered several acres. John spotted several dozen farm hands working among the rows of trees, busily harvesting the apples or trimming the trees. They gave Red a cheery wave as they passed, while John was met with curious looks.

“Well, that went well,” Red hummed after a short while, taking another bite out of the apple she’d taken.

“Really? I think your definition of 'well' needs work. Your dad doesn't like me.”

Red shrugged indifferently. “He didn’t eat you, so that’s a good sign.”

“The -89 RP says otherwise,” John argued.

The blonde girl turned to look at him quizzically. “What the bloody hell is RP? Also, I don’t recall telling you he’s my pa.”

“Oh, right, I haven’t told you about my powers,” John scratched his head and launched into a condensed explanation of his powers.

“So you have video game powers? That’s pretty cool,” Red summarised.

“I’m surprised you even know what a video game is” John asked with a raised brow.

“It’s not like we’ve isolated ourselves from the outside!” Red countered. “We run one of the most successful fruit companies in the world. Ever heard of Granny Smith?”

Of course, John new of the brand name. “You’re kidding,” he replied. “Your family owns Granny Smith?”

“Yup,” Red said, offering him her half eaten apple.

John couldn’t help but blush at the prospect of sharing food with her.

“Oh come on,” Red giggled. “You’re not shy about swapping spit with a girl, are you?”

The girl impishly pressed herself against him and placed the apple on his lips, waiting expectantly for John to have a taste. Initially caught off guard, John gave an embarrassed smile before before taking a bite. A flood of succulent juice filled John’s mouth as he sank his teeth into the ripe fruit. John had tasted a Granny Smith apple before; this was something else entirely. Something far more mouth-watering. Something far more delicious. The pleasure written on his face told Red all she needed to know.

“It’s almost as great as an orgasm,” she let out another melodic giggle and snatched the apple away to take another bite.

“I’ve never tasted anything like it,” John admitted.

“We use a fertiliser suffused with a certain magical ingredient,” Red explained. “It gives the apples that amazingly rich taste and texture.”

“What’s the ingredient?” he wondered.

“That’s a secret!” Red stuck out her tongue.

“Well… as long as it isn’t goblin semen,” John shuddered at the memory of Skinflaps and his goblin hoard.

“Gosh, no! Can you imagine?” Red choked on a piece of apple as she fought back a laugh. “Don’t worry,” she added after finally managing to swallow the chunk, “you’ll find out soon enough.”

As she spoke, they passed through a dense line of trees, before emerging in front of an expansive front lawn. On the opposite side, a large victorian manor proudly stood on display with large, white brick walls, a smooth terracotta roof, ornately decorated windows, and a flawlessly trimmed garden.

“Home sweet home,” Red mumbled as John looked on in awe.