Judas walked at the front, his shirt half-open to catch the breeze, his stride wide and confident.
He hummed a tune that didn't really exist. His chest was puffed out, with a grin plastered on his face.
Behind him, three women stumbled along, looking less like eager adventurers and more like confused prisoners of his whim.
Luna held the hem of her long skirt up with both hands, stepping gingerly over exposed roots.
Her silver hair caught on a low branch, and she huffed, pulling it free with a glare at Judas's back.
Ezra walked silently, her boots making no sound on the moss.
Her hand rested instinctively near her waist where a knife would be, her eyes scanning the bushes for threats.
Nina was the only excited one. She hopped from rock to rock, her tail waging a rhythm behind her.
"Husband," Nina chirped, landing on a flat stone. "What is the surprise?"
"If I reveal it, will it be a surprise?" he asked back without turning around.
"Husband," Luna called out, her voice carrying a tinge of embarrassment. It wasn't that she was comfortable calling him husband, but rather he had threatened to fondle her breasts if she called him otherwise.
"Where exactly are you taking us? We are walking deeper into the farm. There is nothing here but dirt and bugs."
Ezra sighed, a dry sound that cut through the humidity. "If you are planning something dangerous, say it now so I can prepare."
Judas stopped.
He turned slowly, pivoting on his heel to face them. He smirked, the expression arrogant and smug.
"You three will absolutely love it. Maybe you guys will allow me to do that..." He bit his lip. "...in the open air."
The three women stiffened.
Ignoring his last words, they stared at each other. Curiosity appeared on their beautiful faces.
'A surprise?' Luna's mind raced. 'In the paddies? Secluded? It better not be another shameless request. He cannot possibly want to do… that… on the dirt.'
Ezra's eyes narrowed. 'Is he showing us another skill? Or another hidden ability like the inventory? Why bring all of us?'
Nina's ears perked up. 'Food? Please be food. Big meat.'
Judas lifted a hand, silencing their unspoken questions. He looked at them with solemnity.
"Today," he declared, "is our first honeymoon."
Silence crashed down on the clearing.
A bird squawked in the distance.
The three wives froze. Their eyes widened in perfect unison. Nina's ears twitched.
"H-Honeymoon?" Luna sputtered, her face turning a bright, flustered pink. "In the forest? Now?"
Ezra blinked, a faint blush touching her cheeks before she hid it behind a scoff. She crossed her arms. "You have strange definitions of words."
Nina, however, threw her hands in the air. "Yay! Honeymoon! What is a honeymoon?"
Luna and Ezra said at the same time, "Intercourse under the moon with honey."
"What?!" Judas and Nina asked at the same time.
Luna and Ezra frowned. "Don't you guys know?"
Judas stared at them in confusion, then brightened as another idea touched him. 'So honeymoon means this for them. Strange cultural differences. But not a bad idea.'
Judas opened his mouth to explain, but a sudden rustle in the underbrush cut him off.
Something small and fast shot out of the bushes like a cannonball made of fur.
"Squeak!"
The black, round ball bounced twice on the ground and launched itself into the air.
"Nubble!" Luna shouted.
Her aristocratic dignity vanished instantly. She dropped her skirt and scooped the creature out of the air, pressing it to her cheek.
Her eyes practically turned into stars.
"You followed us! Oh, you are so cute," she cooed, rubbing her face against its soft fur.
The spirit monster squeaked proudly, nuzzling her back.
Ezra relaxed, wiping her hand on her pants. "Where is Nibble?" she asked calmly, looking around the bushes. "Usually they are together."
Judas raised an eyebrow. He looked at the black ball in Luna's arms. Then he looked at Ezra.
"Wait," he said slowly. "How do you know this one is Nubble?"
The three wives stared at him.
Their expressions went blank. Then, slowly, they morphed into looks of disbelief and mild concern.
"Because it is Nubble?" Luna said, as if stating the sky was blue.
"Do you not know?" Ezra asked, her tone dropping flat.
Nina tilted her head to the side, her ears flopping. "Darling, are you okay? Did you hit your head?"
Judas felt something inside him crack. A tiny piece of his ego chipped away.
He stared at the spirit monster. It was round. It was black. It was fluffy. It had big eyes.
It looked exactly like the other one. They were identical potatoes of darkness!
"How can anyone tell them apart?" Judas muttered, gesturing helplessly at the creature. "They look the same… round… furry… fluffy… black."
The women exchanged glances. It was the look people shared when dealing with a slow child.
"Husband," Nina said patiently, stepping forward. She pointed a finger at the creature. "Nubble's fur has a slightly silvery sheen in the sun. See?"
Judas squinted. It just looked black.
"And Nibble's ears are shorter," Nina added. "By this much." She held her thumb and finger a millimeter apart.
Ezra sighed and pointed at the tail. "Nubble's tail curls clockwise. Nibble's tail curls counter-clockwise. It is obvious."
"And," Luna added, cuddling the creature tighter, "Nibble glares at me. Nubble likes me the most. He is sweet. Unlike his sister."
Judas stood there, mouth slightly open. He looked from his wives to the spirit monster. The spirit monster stared back at him, blinking its large eyes.
He was the Spirit Master.
And yet, he was apparently the only one who couldn't tell his own summons apart. He felt like the dumbest man in the world.
"Right," Judas coughed, regaining his composure. "Of course. I knew that. I was testing you."
Ezra rolled her eyes so hard it was audible.
"So where is Nibble?" she asked again, ignoring his lie.
Judas's expression shifted. The playfulness vanished from his eyes, replaced by a sharp glint.
"I sent her to do a small task," he replied casually. He turned and began walking again, gesturing for them to follow.
Internally, his thoughts were far less casual.
Nibble is scouting the outskirts of Willow Forest. There are too many soldiers lately. Too many movements on the main road.
He thought back to the village. The atmosphere had felt wrong yesterday. Tense.
Those bandits might be gathering again. Or worse. If anything strange happens, Nibble will report immediately.
His wives sensed the shift in his mood. The air around him grew heavier, more serious.
They quieted down.
Luna watched his broad back, biting her lip. 'He noticed something I didn't… again. He is always thinking three steps ahead.'
Ezra watched him, her hand relaxing away from her knife. 'He prepares for danger before it arrives. Good.'
A faint warmth bloomed in her chest.
Nina just smiled, trotting closer to him. 'Good husband. Always protecting us.'
"We are here."
The wives stepped past him and gasped in unison.
It was a pond.
But what caught their attention wasn't the water. It was the life.
Dozens of fat, healthy fish swam near the surface. Silver scales, gold stripes, some even glowing faintly in the shade.
"This place…" Luna breathed, stepping onto the soft mossy bank. "It is beautiful."
Ezra's eyes narrowed. "These fish… our pond has fish?"
Nina didn't speak. She just made a high-pitched noise and pressed her face toward the water, drool threatening to escape her lips. "Pretty! So many! Can we eat them? Can I jump in?"
Judas grinned like a devilish king presenting his treasure vault.
"Of course we can eat them," he said. "But first—"
He reached into the empty air.
Shaaa!
Four long, slender poles appeared in his hands.
The wives stared at them. They looked like alien artifacts. They were sleek, made of a material that wasn't quite wood and wasn't quite metal.
"What… exactly… is that?" Luna asked, tilting her head.
"A stick," Ezra observed. "With a… string?"
Judas lifted his chin, his chest swelling with pride.
"These are fishing rods," he said with a smile. He had opened an Ordinary Lucky Draw to get them.
He walked to the edge of the water and held them out.
"Today, we shall hunt using these."
His wives exchanged skeptical looks.
Judas smirked. He knelt down and whistled.
"Nubble. Bait."
The black furball leaped out of Luna's arms. Nubble landed on the soft soil near the bank. Its little paws became a blur.
Dig. Dig. Dig.
Dirt flew. Leaves scattered.
After a moment, Nubble stopped. It reached into the hole and triumphantly pulled out a fat, squirming earthworm.
"Excellent," Judas praised.
He took the worm. His wives recoiled slightly as he hooked it onto the rod. Then, with a smooth, practiced motion, he cast the line.
Plop.
The bait hit the water. The small red bobber floated on the surface.
The three women gathered around him. Despite their skepticism, they were curious. They leaned close—very close.
Luna clutched Judas's left arm, her chin resting on his shoulder.
Nina hugged his right side, her tail smacking his hip repeatedly.
Ezra stood just behind him, leaning forward, her breath hitching every time the water moved.
They stared at the bobber with intense focus.
A shadow moved under the water. A fish approached.
They all froze.
The fish nipped the bait. The bobber dipped.
"Husband! Husband! Now!" Nina whispered loudly, vibrating with excitement.
"Wait," Judas said calmly.
"It didn't catch it!" Luna gasped as the bobber surfaced. "It failed! Do it again!"
"The timing must be precise," Ezra murmured, analyzing the mechanics instantly.
The bobber dipped again. Deeper this time.
Judas's eyes narrowed.
He yanked the rod up.
Splash!
A fat silver fish flew out of the water, twisting wildly in the air, droplets of water scattering like diamonds in the sunlight.
It landed on the grass, flopping with heavy thuds.
The three women gasped.
"You caught it!" Luna cheered, clapping her hands. "It actually worked!"
"Food!" Nina shouted, pouncing on the fish to stop it from escaping.
"Again," Ezra said, a soft smile breaking her stoic face. She looked at Judas with shining eyes. "Do it again."
Judas looked at them—his noble wife forgetting her grace, his gluttonous wife cheering, and his warrior wife smiling.
He cast the line back into the water, feeling warmer than the sun could ever make him.
'This honeymoon idea,' he thought, 'was genius.'
But like that famous philosopher said, good times never last long. His expression turned grave upon hearing the distressed signals from Nibble.
'Nibble is in danger.'
He jumped straight up, scaring his wives.
"You three go home." His voice was serious, and his wives nodded, sensing the urgency. "Nubble, protect them."
He ordered, turning around to run toward the direction of Nibble.