Of Debts and Faeries

John let out a disappointed sigh as he sat back down at the table. Sure, Moira could be a tad bitchy sometimes, but he’d come to see and admire her tender side too. So he would love it if their relationship could evolve from friends to something more, and he prayed that the night’s drama hadn’t fucked that up.

Either way, the mood had been thoroughly killed after Moira’s sudden departure. Red, seemingly just as disappointed as he was, finished setting the table before promising John that supper would be ready in five.

“Where did Moi-moi go?” Saccharine asked when she and Red joined John at the table.

“She uh… left,” John explained, glancing briefly at Red.

The fae looked between them incredulously. “Aww, are you kidding?! I missed all the action? You tried to fuck her, didn’t ya?” the fae genuinely sounded disappointed. “Damn, I would’ve loved to see just how far that stick up her arse went.”

“I’m really starting to think you’re a voyeur, Saccha,” Red giggled.

“And maybe I am?!” the small fairy threw back. “If it’s between watching a rut or getting my kid shitter wrecked while participating, I’d rather watch.”

“Okay then, next time things are getting wet and sticky, I’ll let you know,” Red smiled.

The dinner conversation continued on, topics transitioning from sex to what was happening the next day until finally it was interrogation time.

“So, what exactly happened when you disappeared off the face of the earth for a minute?” Red asked.

“Basically what I’ve already said: I went to visit my ‘friend’, Nancy. I watched him play DnD, he gave me some advice, and then I left,” John replied. He chose to sit on the prophecy until the next morning, figuring it would be best to tackle it while feeling rejuvenated.

“What kind of advice?” his girlfriend pressed.

“Oh, just things like where to allocate my stat points, how to deal with the Brightons, etcetera.”

“He knows about your powers?” Red asked with concern.

“Yeah, he wanted me to tell him about them in return for some books I needed,” John explained indifferently.

“He sounds… dubious,” Red said after a small pause. “Are you sure he’s trustworthy?”

“Dunno,” John replied. “He has a creepy air about him, though I think he puts it on deliberately, otherwise he’s been fairly upfront and rather helpful. I guess, until he does something otherwise, I’m willing to trust him.”

“Okay then,” Red sighed, sounding unconvinced. “But what about the other people there? I mean, DnD isn’t exactly a game fit for only one player.”

“Yeah, there were. There was Ina -- she’s the one who arranged the meeting for tomorrow -- and Odin, so I guess they were all other deities. There was also Hemet, man that was a surprise, and two I don’t know about: some skeletal skaven named Richard and a fae girl named Aurora.”

“Oh fuck,” Saccha said loudly. “Fucking hold up. Shit. Shitshit. You met Lady Winter?!”

John thought back to that androgynous girl: her cold demeanour that reminded him of Vanessa Hawthorne amplified tenfold, the strange warmth that seemed to cocoon John as she’d tried to seduce him, her almost bipolar shifts in attitude, and her adeptness at wielding ice magic. He’d been meaning to ask Saccharine about her, so he supposed now was a good a time as any.

“Yeah, I guess so. What’s up with her? I guess she’s someone important to the fae?”

“Important? Yeah she’s bloody important! She’s only the ruler of half of all mother fucking fae in the world. You didn’t accept any help she might’ve offered, right?!” the dessert fae pressed, as she flew right up to his face.

“No. Definitely not,” John quickly replied, surprised at Saccharine’s sudden panic. “I was warned not to.”

“Okay, good,” the fae sighed, before looking up at him sharply. “Never. Deal. With. Winter.”

“Trust me, I hadn’t planned on it,” John promised. He didn’t particularly want to deal with anyone that could manipulate his emotions as masterfully as Aurora had seemed to.

“Good,” the fae sighed again, relief clearly written on her face. She landed lightly on the table and stretched as if to try and shake off the last traces of nervous tension, causing John to frown.

“Is it just me, or are you taller?” he asked out loud, before consulting Observe for an answer.

“Huh,” John let out as he read the contents.

“Taller? Don’t be a dolt, I can’t get taller,” the fae said dismissively. “Haven’t grown or shrunk a millimetre since the day I was born.”

“But you are taller,” John replied. “About a centimetre or so… and a whole level stronger.”

“Are you on some shit?” Saccharine replied, taken aback. “Has a tumor grown in your brain?”

“No to both of those things, I hope. Why?” John asked.

“I’m a dewdrop fae, jackass,” she replied as if that was supposed to explain anything.

“So?”

“I’m literally as strong as a dewdrop fae can be, created to be this way and sure as fuck can’t get any stronger.”

“I don’t know what else to tell you, Saccha; my god given powers are saying you’re a whole level stronger than when I first met you,” he shrugged in reply and glanced at her stat sheet again.

“I swear by Summer, Johnny, if you’re lying, I will fist your urethra.”

“Not lying,” John laughed at her befuddled expression before his own darkened. “What does it mean by you being indebted to me now?” he asked, hoping a ‘Debt of Soul’ wasn’t as serious as it sounded.

The fae paused in the air for a moment, seemingly checking something. “Well I’ll be doubled-dipped in dog shit, a mother fucking Soul Debt,” she said in surprise, before letting out a breathless laugh. “We are so fucked if Summer or Winter find out about this.”

“Why’s that?” John asked with growing concern.

“Well, you’ve just made me ascend,” Saccha replied. “I’m no longer a Dewdrop fae -- and that just shouldn’t be possible. I mean, the only other way to ascend would be to take the mantle of Titania or Aurora, but only a Noble Fae can do that. If your powers enable any fae to ascend… well fuck knows what Summer or Winter would be willing to do to get you in their clutches.”

“So, what does a Soul Debt even mean?” John asked.

“It’s the debt all fae are born into, the debt we owe our creator, either Summer or Winter. I’ve never heard of anyone else holding a Soul Debt over a fae. You own me now.”

“I mean, you don’t have to pay me back if you don’t want to,” John offered not exactly comfortable with the thought of ‘owning’ anyone. It sounded like slavery. “We’re friends, right? You don’t have to be indebted to me.”

“Heh,” the fae laughed and eyed him with a hint of affection. “You really don’t understand half of how fae magic works, do you? We’re bound to each other now. I’m compelled to do what you ask until my debt is repaid in full -- which I by no means am fucking capable of doing -- and just saying ‘you don’t have to repay me’ isn’t enough to free me from it.”

“But that’s ridiculously unfair,” John frowned. “I don’t want to take away your freedom.”

“Eh, don’t lose your dumb head over it,” Saccha replied, waving her hand dismissively, having calmed down a little. “I’ve been indebted since the moment I was created, it’s just how we live.”

That didn’t exactly quell John’s anxiety, but at least Saccha didn’t seem too upset.

“So how did Saccha get stronger anyway?” Red voiced.

“My guess would be that EXP gets distributed across the whole party, even if, say, its only one person involved in killing a goblin,” John surmised. “Would that mean that the longer you stay in the party the higher your debt to me?” he asked the fae.

“I don’t know -- probably -- this has never happened before,” the fae shrugged.

“Do you want to leave the party then?” John asked.

Saccharine sat down at his question and twirled the length of her caramel-coloured hair as she thought. “Honestly, I’d like to see just how much stronger I can get from this… it’s nice to feel special, you know?” she laughed.

John couldn’t quite wrap his head around how casually Saccharine could just accept selling herself so totally. He would have fought tooth and nail to maintain his own freedom.

“Then how does this affect your other debts?”

“As it is? Very little,” the fae replied. “I mean, as far as I can tell, you’ve only strengthened me a little. It’s a fucking miracle, sure, but I owe Gran for saving my life and Summer for creating me. It’d take a great deal more power before my debt to you compares.”

“I see,” John replied. “Well, I promise I won’t mistreat you, so as long as you’re fine with it…”

“It’s not a matter of being ‘fine with it’, Johnny,” Saccha snorted. “It’s about putting up with it.”

John wasn’t at all happy with this latest discovery, but at least now he knew for certain that messing with any more faes would be bad news. He shuddered to think what would have resulted from accepting Aurora’s offer for aid. Thank god he hadn’t. “Okay then,” he sighed and began to pick away at his half finished plate of food.

The fae laughed at his glum demeanour and twirled across the table like a ballerina, before surprising John with a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist, dipshit,” she smirked. “You aren’t so bad… definitely not the worst bastard I could be owned by.”

With that said, the fae flew back to her spot on the table, humming a cheerful tune and performing pirrhouettes in the air as she went.