Swap Meet
© 2023 by Walter Reimer

Thumbnail art by  DragonMelde, color by  Major Matt Mason



“I have a small surprise for you,” Vesan told Varan, “concerning the game.” The admiral took a bite of her meal as her friend gestured questioningly.

The Third Fleet had recently taken over patrol duty in the sector surrounding Lalande, while the Second Fleet prepared to return to Imperial space and the Electronic Warfare ships continued to probe the small Terran ship that lurked just across the arbitrary boundary. So far, they had succeeded in confirming that there was an AI aboard.

Penetrating the abomination’s central processor was taking far too much time.

Varan waited courteously until Vesan swallowed and asked, “You’ve been playing in your off time?”

“Yes,” and the slightly older vir grinned. “Using your and Meredidh’s notes, I have succeeded in bringing my character up to the same expertise level as yours and hers.” Vesan’s character in the game was a rogue. Vesan laughed. “You have no idea how many times my character died on the way to level twenty.”

“I can imagine,” Varan chuckled. “And it’s a very good thing that you have raised your level. Meredidh sent me the latest game module.”

Vesan grinned. “Would you have time after lastmeal to play?”

“Of course, Admiral,” Varan said with a smile.


***


After clearing away the dishes and getting comfortable, the two sat down to go over the game module, with Vesan’s own adventures running alongside. At one point, Varan paused both projections. “Your character looks . . . shorter,” and she looked quizzically at Vesan. “When did your character stop being female?”

K’Daridh gave her lover an embarrassed look. “I decided to try one of the pipes at the Hookah Bar in the Grotto of Desire. I was planning on changing the appearance back to female, but I’ve so far been unable to find an herbalist or a feminizing potion.”

“Aka.” Varan smiled. “So what is having a penis like?”

“Rather interesting. The reflexes we viri use to protect our breasts has to be translated downward. It was a painful learning process, as many combatants will aim a kick or punch at a male’s genitals much more than they will a female’s, probably because a male’s is, aka, exposed.” She suddenly chuckled. “It certainly explains a few things.”

“Have you had your character have sex?”

“Yes.” Vesan laughed. “It was funny to watch. I doubled back to the Demonic Library after leaving the Grotto.”

“Aka?”

“Ran into one of the plants that caused me some delays in moving onward. It’s called an Ahegao Flower.”

“Meredidh and I didn’t encounter one.”

“You wouldn’t want to. The plants have these large flowers on tall stalks, and they can sense movement. If you get too close, they spray you with seeds coated with adhesive and a cloud of aphrodisiac.” Vesan’s lips quirked in an expression of distaste. “Caused no end of trouble for far longer than it was amusing, but I eventually managed to get rid of them.”

“Aka, let us see how far Meredidh has managed to bring us, and we will start.” Vesan gestured affirmatively, and the two viri sat and watched as the paladin and the mage made their way to Stormrider Aerie, spent the night as guests of the winged stallions, and ended up at the market in Rainbow Valley.

The paladin turned and smiled as Vesan’s rogue walked up. “Hello, Vesan. I’m glad you caught up to us,” and her ears swiveled. “You – “

“Yes,” the kam said, “I ran into a little trouble, and now I’m male.”

Meredith suppressed a smile. “We’ll have to see if we can fix that. Varan and I were going to find somewhere to get something to eat and maybe a place to stay.”

Vesan smiled up at Varan; her character being male now, she was shorter than the mage. “I want to see if I can sell a few items in the market first.”

“We’ll stay with you,” Varan said. “Now that we’re all together, we shouldn’t split up again unless it’s essential.”

Vesan agreed and walked over to the macaque, who smiled cheerfully and asked, “Anything to trade?”

“Yes, I have a few things.” The rogue traded a few daggers and jewels for some new camping supplies before reaching into his inventory and withdrawing a small cloth pouch. “What will you give me for these?” Vesan asked, opening the pouch to reveal about a dozen oblong objects, beige and roughly a centimeter long.

The macaque looked, did a violent double-take and recoiled. “Ahegao Flower seeds?!” he exclaimed. “Those are rare indeed! I’m glad you came to me with these.”

“What will you trade for them?” Vesan asked.

‘By the Gods . . . “ He started to get himself under control. “You’re with those two, yes?” and he gestured at Varan and Meredith.

“Yes. We’re going to the Black Land.”

“Hmm, yes . . . ah! Here,” and he offered the rogue a wax cylinder with a stub of a wick protruding from one end.

“That’s just a candle.”

“You may need it,” the macaque said earnestly. “Definitely more than you’ll need those seeds – especially over yonder,” and he shuddered as he nodded toward the Black Land.

“Very well,” and with the trade concluded, Vesan tucked the candle into his inventory and walked over to Meredith and Varan. “Shall we find an inn now?”