Keya awoke still in her seat. Brilliant light streamed in through the windows, and the idyllic greens, oranges, and blues of the landscape below resembled a bejewelled rug below the transparent floor. Keya gasped again recalling where she was. The fantasy continues.

“Morning, Goldilocks!” Jon sat cross-legged upon the circular window cradling a large bowl of porridge. He spoke between mouthfuls. “I’ll serve ya some mielie pap now-now. How d’you sleep?” He ate from a flawlessly formed glass bowl: not a single bubble or crack in its lustre. The container held a creamy white mush, perhaps like flour but with a rougher grain. It steamed succulent and buttery sweet in the cabin.

“Huh?” Her mind was not yet wholly present.

“Yeah, aeroplane seats: not ideal. Took the liberty of reclining it, removed your boots, and gave you that blanket. I considered moving you to your bed, but that’d be kinda weird. I ain’t your daddy, and here was safe enough.”

That explained some discontinuities, but she was far from trusting all her senses just yet. “Death or dream? Death or dream?” She mumbled to herself still half-conscious, her eyes drifting across the land below.

“What was that?”

“I am contemplating my reality, Master.”

“First thing in the morning? As good a time as any I s'pose. Got you presents!” He scooped another mouthful and gestured to items with his silver spoon. The man insisted it was just steel that did not rust. Whether that was more or less valuable than silver, she was unsure. Strewn on the deck between them were three bundles.

Keya fumbled with the seat belt and eventually extricated herself. She had no idea how to right the chair vertically so instead moved to an adjacent seat. Shaking herself, she tried to compose her mind. Thoughts and visions from the night before had stirred up many things within her. Even now she felt the once tranquil steam of her mind was muddled. Her thinking felt murky as if the silt had yet to resettle. Sleep had made her thoughts a degree more limpid, so she pushed on to articulate concerns she wished to air.

Opening her mouth, she stopped. The elevation was wrong. Jon looked for all the world like a child staring up at his mother, as she recounted a fireside tale. Even supplication and deference toward this man was a daily struggle! She slid from her seat into a formal kneel. At the very least his casual demeanour indicated his station if elevation could not.

“Master, there is something I must clarify. Next to your sagacity, I may seem foolish, but I suppose that hardly matters. You let me into your home, provide food, clothes, and lodging, and now this. Whatever these gifts are, I am sure they are priceless treasures that I could never hope to repay. Already, I am indebted beyond comprehension.” Stopping to form the question better, she gazed upon the miracle of flight before her eyes. “What am I to you?”

“You’re…” Shovelling another spoonful, he pensively chewed.

“This treatment you give a stranger… I am but a simple village maid. Either I am to be your indentured servant or concubine, which is it?”

“Fuuck, those are my options?”

“I am serious, Kel-sun! Debts must be paid, that is the law of the land. I am a penniless peasant. I cannot hope to repay the wealth you have bestowed upon me. These clothes and boots alone are worth a year’s wages, so I must know! What is the price?”

Master furrowed his brow; it appeared he grasped the gravity of her quandary. “I see your issue: The golden rule—reciprocity. You fear you're making a bargain you are not aware of. I get it.”

“Yes, I wish to know the full extent of the payment you will demand from me. However horrid a price, I might still pay it. The unimaginable wonders I have been privy to thus far, I—many would pay with blood, gold, and their lives just to behold a faction of it.” She found his sea-blue eyes and burrowed her stare into them. “What is the price? What is your price?”

“Jesus! It’s like nine a.m., and we’re already talking about fucking sex-slaves. You don’t let up, do you!” He broke her stare and rocked back another spoonful in his mouth. “Fine, let’s talk shop.” His expression went hard. “My world has stringent rules against slavery of any kind. We abolished it a few hundred years ago. If you wanna talk taboo, that’s very fucking taboo. All people have inalienable rights, and that definitely extends to you. Meaning our world grants each person privileges from birth that no government, kingdom, or court of law can strip them of. Are you with me so far?” It sounded impossible to believe.

“If I catch your meaning, slavery is unlawful in your land?” Keya said.

“Yeah, pretty much. So point one, you ain’t paying with your body or your life. In fact, access to clean drinking water, food, electricity, sanitation, Internet, and shelter are all human rights. I’m not treating you special. If a guest came over to stay at my house, I would give them the same. Be they kings, paupers, or prisoners.

“You have no point of reference for the world I come from so you’d probably think it unbelievable.”

She vigorously nodded.

“You see these things around you and think: ‘This is amazing. I am blessed.’ I see all the things your world lacks compared to mine and think: ‘This is tragic.’ I am not here to give you a life of comfortable servitude. I am the vanguard and emissary of the greater universe. The endgame here involves elevating your entire world, every man, woman, and child, maybe even goblin, to this!” Arms outstretched, he swept across everything around them.

“That is a foolish errand! They will knife you in your sleep and steal it before you can give it away.”

“Don’t you worry. We know our darker natures well. History has countless wars and tragedies to draw wisdom from. Frankly, we're better at being bad than you; it just doesn’t pay in the long run. Much in the same way being good all the time doesn’t pay either.” He gazed out the windows beyond her. “Now you know some of the ‘why.’ The ‘how’ will become more evident in time, or more correctly ‘if.’

“That’s where you and I come in. You see the gates to my world are sealed shut. I step through to judge the lay of the land, and if your world is deemed amenable, then the doors are opened, and we establish treaties and trade. If not…” He made a thumbs down gesture, spoon still in hand, “condemnation. Your world is sealed off, maybe for a long time, maybe forever.

“So what does all of this mean to you? Well, your riches are meaningless to us, there are entire worlds we could mine bare of gold, silver and a myriad of other metals you’ve never even heard of. We have whole planets dedicated to agriculture and husbandry. Your kingdoms are trivial, their armies insignificant. We want what is irreplaceable, and what do you think that is?”

“If you speak truly, then I cannot even begin to imagine.” This new side to Master was terrifying; there was an abyssal depth in his eyes. Such a massive empire beggared belief.

“How much do you think a single map of your planet would go for?” Twirling a finger.

“Kingdoms would…” And then the pieces started to fall in place.

“Ja, a king’s ransom, right? Who do you suppose helped me put our current map into perspective only yesterday?”

“A minuscule contribution!”

“An irreplaceable one. I could’ve mapped for months before I knew where I was. Next, how much do you think a bestiary of local fauna and flora would go for? How about knowledge of dragons? What about culture and history? Data, knowledge, and understanding: non-fungible resources.” He enumerated on his fingers.

“Anyone could have given you this information!”

“No, not just anyone. What we need, what I needed, was someone. And that someone is you! The one who chose the red pill, the one who survived goblins, direwolves and the death of their only family. Someone who stepped forth through a strange gateway with a strange man. We have a saying perhaps you know it: ‘Knowledge is power,’ and as such it’s valuable.

“The truth is Keya you don’t owe me anything, and you never will. Save for the burdens and debts you choose; you are free. If anything I may owe you. But if you care about debt…” He levelled his eyes at her “…you owe it to this world so that other young boys and girls might eventually see the wonders you have. That is your burden should you choose to shoulder it, or cast it aside.”

He looked down at his bowl. “Damn it, the porridge is cold, one sec I’ll go microwave it.”

She stopped him before he made it through the silver ring. “Do you swear upon the Gods this is true?”

“I don’t believe in any gods, so take it for what it’s worth, but yes I swear it’s the truth. On my honour, I swear you will be adequately compensated for your work. You are a diver like me now; we are equal. Oh, and have this…” He walked back, pulling a small polished card from his pocket. “You are officially recognised as a citizen of the 37-72 branch and are granted the formal title of Diver in Training.”

She saw the same little painting of her in one corner and various numbers and words on the rest of the polished card, including her full name. She was born on the full moon of Yen in late spring, so the birth date was indiscernable, but she had the measure of it. “You would grant me citizenship already!”

“Of course, but this also serves as proof. Look, here’s mine.” He withdrew his card of identic artifice, more worn with time. “Your rights under the multiverse constitution are assured.”

Keya slowly found her seat as Jon attended to his errand. She beheld the card and the promise it stood for, contemplating all their deliberations. Perhaps a lie, but it was a weak one. Something easy to test, and hadn’t Master told never to trust completely. To always doubt and take knowledge as provisional.

So she would do just that. If she were a kept woman rather than his equal, and free, then he would be unwilling to grant specific requests. There was unlikely to be any decadence beyond his grasp, and she was, after all, an unsophisticated village girl. Such demands would tell her little of the man.

No, what he would not do, or would not risk is take her to where he might be powerless, and she could leave of her own accord. With that in mind, she formed a plan.

On his return, she felt far greater certitude and began her gambit. He resumed his cross-legged seating on the floor, the ‘gifts’ still untouched.

“So, can I start prezzie time now?”

“Master, I have a request?” She knelt before him again.

“Shoot.” He shovelled more porridge.

“I assume from your tone, that is an affirmative?”

Nonchalant nods returned.

“I would implore you to take me to my homeland and the city of Elgelica. It is across the Elgen Channel; I assume in this flying ship such a voyage is easily chartable?”

“Awesome, a destination. We’ve been idling around since lift-off, with you asleep n’ all. You identified it on the map yesterday, right? Elves in London! That’ll be a sight. Evy, set our course for place-marker Elgelica, full speed ahead.”

“Destination set to Elgelica. ETA 3 hours 20 minutes” Came the familiar impassive female voice from the ship.

“You were waiting for me to set our bearing? Wait? Did the elemental just say three hours!”

“Uh, which question you want answered first?” Jon was scrapping his bowl clean, the clink of his silverware rang about the cabin.

“That is unthinkably fast, even on horseback!”

“It will be instant when we have a rift set up there. Still, I get your drift. Flight is super convenient, even slow flight like this.”

And he has the gall to call it slow! The barrels attached to the outside made more noise. They pointed lengthwise rather than up compared to the previous eve. Outside, the hull was also unmistakably pale blue, instead of black or white.

Jon continued. “No mountains, rivers or forests in the way, you can just make a bee-line,” he paused. “Ya know, I never understood that phrase, bees don’t fly straight.”

“Why is the ship a different colour every time I look? Gods, am I crazed?”

“Hmm, about that, we’re 6k up but still pretty easy to see given our size. So, the ship’s surface is covered with a thin film of e-ink. It does black, white, and blue plus every shade in between. If you’re looking you might find us, but the sky is big and who looks up much anyway. Tinted windows take care of cabin light at night. As I said, this thing mitigates a lot of risks. Worth every gram of gold I paid. Well, it’s almost paid.”

Keya asked. “So to be clear, I am in an invisible, flying ship, moving as the crow flies, faster than the wind, toward Elgelica. Furthermore, we will reach my ancestral home before lunch?” Master looked at his wrist, glinting with a bejewelled bracelet she had not seen before.

“A little after lunch.” Well, it appeared her tests would proceed more rapidly than anticipated. No matter, if this ship indeed flew and she wasn’t confounded by magic then stepping foot in Elgelica would put many uncertainties to rest.

“Very well, Master, show me what gifts you’ve brought.”

“We’ve been over this ‘Master’ thing, haven’t we?” He placed his bowl on a seat and mercifully found one himself.

“I shall call you what I like in private company, ‘Master’.” This too was a test.

“Savage!” Rang Lee’s voice in the ship.

“Lee, you keep this quiet you hear me!”

“Oh, my lips are sealed ‘Master’!” His cackle bellowed, before abruptly being cut short.

“You see. This is why we can’t have nice things. Your loudspeaker privileges are revoked!”

“Shall that be a problem, Master?” Jon focused back on her.

“Fuck, fine, call me what you like. But if we’re incognito planet-side, then I’ll be depending on your subtlety. Is that fair?”

“Quite.”

“Okie dokie,” He rubbed his hands together “Prezzie time!” Reaching for the first package, it, like all the bundles, was wrapped in a thin translucent sack. A fabric she recalled first seeing in the larder, one of the multitudinous things she had never seen before meeting him. Doubtless, there would be endless more. It shimmered and crinkled in her hand, both flimsy to handle but hard to tear.

“Open it,” said Master.

She found the opening and pulled the bundle out. They were multiple sets of identical grey and black clothing to be sure, but the shape of two rounded cups on each set left little to the imagination.

“Oh, Master, it appears a concubine was not far off the mark!” Did he wish she dance for him in these? Though she had to admit they did look as though they could be quite comfortable.

“Please for the love of all that is good and holy do not use ‘master’ and ‘concubine’ in the same goddamn sentence. They’re sports bras with matching underwear. Evy got your size with the medical body scans. Had I known you’d pull this sex-slave crap with me; I might’ve let you go rough rider for a while longer.” He glanced down and shook his head. “To be clear, you wear this UNDER your clothes, and if you decide to dance half-naked outside your room, it’s totally on you. Also please give me fair warning so I can GTFO.”

“Is that an invitation?” The gift was somewhat puzzling and did not strengthen his case, and yet he had proceeded regardless.

“Consent works both ways, Ms Ces. You ask for my permission, and I’ll ask for yours. But walk round base in your birthday suit, and I’m not shielding my eyes. FYI aside from the ears, there’s nothing I haven’t seen. Gesturing with the spoon. Plus, I’ll bet you dance like a turkey.”

“A turkey?” Keya asked.

“A big chicken.”

“You horrible man!”

“Uh-uh, just try them on, show me nothing, and thank me later. Honestly, it’s like no good deed goes unpunished with you. Not another peep and tell me when you want to order more; then I’ll know I’ve won.” Keya smiled mischievously but refrained from teasing him more. Clothes were clothes after all, and with all the fabrics she had felt thus far she was quite curious.

“Well then thank you, Master, for your… thoughtful gift. What else do you have for me?”

“Thank fuck that’s over, here.” He unceremoniously pulled an item from a bigger sack. Though the colours and materials were unique, the shape was unmistakable. She eagerly stood to receive it.

“This is a bow!”

“Yeah, a recurve bow to be precise. Give it a pull; let’s see if the draw strength is alright.” Pulling the string, she found it to be a little stiff, but she would grow into it.

“Remarkable Master! It is just right I think, and the workmanship, as with all your wares, is sublime.” She had seen many things new, but having a tool she understood from his world truly helped her grasp the height of their technical prowess. Her old longbow quailed compared to this. It’s smooth contours perfectly matched her grip, and an unmistakable notch belied where the arrow would rest. A smile of rising excitement revealed her desire to test it as soon as she could.

“You can give it a spin on the test range later, along with…” He pulled another thing from the large sack. “…this.” She felt her eyes widen and almost dropped the first prize. Doubtless, the order was intentional. Had he not shown the recurve bow first, she might not have realised what it was.

“It is also a bow, yes?”

“Very good, it’s a modern bow from my world. Recurves you might see here and there in your world; of course, our material science and fabrication is more advanced. But this is a compound bow; your world has likely never seen anything like it!”

Before her eyes was a matte black frame of exquisite intricacy. It floated in her hands lighter than any wood, with crisscrossing beams and cross-woven gut in ways that were not readily apparent. She felt herself almost unconsciously clasping the handle nestled in her left palm. The other bow was lain on a nearby seat practically forgotten. Pulling the string, it strained at first before slackening substantially at an extremely long full draw. She found herself appreciating the completely unobstructed path and placement for the arrow; the shaft would not wobble and flex in flight. Her eyes naturally sighted through a circular instrument with oddly luminous pins, sophisticated yet elegant.

Any elf would intuitively understand the perfected craft of this bow. In the Fair Folk’s hands, with their eyes, this artefact would make every shot flawless. She almost forgot she was still drawing back. At a whim, she extended her earth sense through it. More intricately bound and fastened parts than even sight could not manage, revealed themselves to her.

“This… is art,” came her breathless response.

“That good, huh?”

“You don’t understand, Master. To elves, a gifted bow is a right of passage, usually from elder to child—a propitious and sacred event. Ralfen and I, however, shared no such illusions about our lot. My parents gone, no heirlooms or artisans were awaiting to gift me my first hunting bow. We bought it from a peddler passing by the village. It cost many pelts, and I cherished its gnarled and twisted form like a newborn child. You have given me not one but two priceless artefact bows from your world!

“There are once again, no words, no words to express my gratitude. Thank you, thank you, a thousand ‘thank yous’.” With the Compound bow at her side, she half knelt. Supplicated before him in a chamber above the world, she thanked him again in Elven. “I hope to one day earn the honour you have bestowed upon me this hour. I make this pledge to the gods, in this sacred ship above the clouds. Master Jonathan Kelly of the Honourable Order of the Divers, I Keya Ces of no house nor family pledge my allegiance to you. May honour bind us, and may I be your bow.” She did not look up, and she dared not move. This covenant was both a test for him and an avowal of heartfelt gratitude from her. The pledge required his honour after all.

Moments passed by and then Jon audibly exhaled. “Okay Keya, if that’s what you want then I accept your pledge."

She raised her head and smiled.

"I like the honour part it sounds reciprocal. Bound by honour then. You are my bow, and I am your…,” patting the spoon on his forehead, “gonna have to figure that one out. Anyway, it’s not like its legally binding or anything; you're still free to do as you choose.”

“Thank you, Master, I will bear that in mind.” She stood smiling. “Now, you mentioned a shooting range…”