[Chapter I.III] The Whore Speaks

“Well, the sex was quite pleasant actually, and I wouldn’t mind another round sometime,” the whore says, much to your surprise. “But I wanted to warn you that your life may be in danger.”

“What do you mean?” you ask.

“I was captured and taken here,” she says.

“Captured? By whom?” you ask, concerned. You give the clearing a quick once over, but your vision confirms what your divination spell revealed - that there’s nobody else about.

“A Maiden Thief,” the whore says. “The kind of person you don’t want to run into late at night, when you’re alone and looking for customers.”

“Was he a nobleman? A merchant?” you wonder, asking about the common possibilities.

“No, a rogue skulking about in the night. Dark clothes, beyond the law, you know the type,” she says.

“But how would you know that he’s a Maiden Thief?” you ask. “And what even is a Maiden Thief?”

“That’s what he called himself,” she says. “One of the Maiden Thieves, people who thieve maidens.”

“I see. But that still doesn’t explain how you ended up stuck beneath a tree branch, does it?”

“Well, the guy said he got tired of carrying me around, and was just going to take a nap, and so he trapped me beneath the tree.”

“That’s a mighty strong Maiden Thief,” you say, looking at the large branch that’s crushing the maiden. No regular person could certainly have done this.

“Yes, I would guess that if the two of you fought, it would be a close fight.”

“Well, for how many hours have you been trapped beneath this tree branch?” you ask the whore.

“Ten and seven hours, plus twenty minutes and another seven point six-two seconds, judging by the shadows cast by the sun,” the whore replies. “So I am very hungry and thirsty besides. Would you mind saving me now?”

“Why of course,” you say. You stand parallel to the tree trunk and take a deep breath.

With a mighty heave and a loud roar, you press against the tree trunk. At first, nothing happens, save for the creaking of your joints, but as you begin to doubt, thinking on the resolute darkness of the sin you just committed, you feel an explosive surge in strength almost inhuman in nature, and black light encircles your palms for a brief moment. That strength tips you over the edge, and the tree branch suddenly goes flying across the clearing, crashing into several other trees and tipping them over.

As they begin to fall inwards and towards you, you quickly scoop up the whore and begin running away, not wanting the two of you to get trapped under another tree branch.

“My hero, my saviour!” the whore cries out, and you nod to yourself for a job well done.

“Now run, go back to town,” you tell the whore. “And don’t run into any other Maiden Thieves on the way.”

“But what are you going to do?” she asks.

“I’m going to hunt this Maiden Thief down and bring him to justice,” you say. Even if you have done wrong now, that doesn’t mean you still can’t do the right thing.