Elias, Commander and First Spear of Clan Khopyé, wondered how much he’d had to drink last night.

  The nearest oasis to Khopyé’s yurts was more than an hour by foot, and half an hour if the mount was in good spirits. But T’ava, his trusted sandhoof, was nowhere to be seen. Just a woman whose face he did not recognize.

  Which was impossible. He knew every woman of Clan Khopyé. Intimately.

  “I’m M-Melly,” she stammered. She clasped her hands to her chest and inched backward on the balls of her feet.

  “Melly of which clan?”

  “Clan? I’m, well, I’m from Rājadhānī. The Second Shell. I don’t know if either counts as a ‘clan,’ though…”

  He had never heard of this Rājadhānī Clan. Or a Second Shell Clan. What power of elixir had Hadyée fed him during their passions? How far had his feet carried him in his delirium?

  Elias plunged his fingers beneath the sand and pushed himself to rise. A brutal pounding in his ears advised him against doing so. The gnawing pain over the crown of his head was worse than any intoxication or swatting from his master he’d ever experienced. He groaned as he fought against the discomfort to sit up.

  The woman chewed her lip, and then her eyes brightened. “Oh! Does your head hurt? I should have something for that.” She pulled a vial that glittered in the starlight and approached him on her knees. “Just drink this.”

  I’m certain that was Hadyée’s final command as well. He accepted the bottle and rolled it between his fingers. “Are you a medicine woman?”

  “Yes. I’m a practiced [Alchemist].”

  More questions still. Ah, well, perhaps the moons would witness him wandering back to his camp. He pulled the cork free and tipped the contents onto his tongue. It was cool, viscous, and bitter, and he tilted his head back and swallowed hard.

  A pale, singular glimmer caught his eye. One golden moon hung high to his right. Oriana? But where was her sister? He looked in one direction, then the next. The throbbing subsided in his ears as he stood and turned, searching the entire sky. “Where is Zahavi?”

  “I’m sorry, who—?”

  “Zahavi, the second moon.” Elias relied on the stars to guide his clan, and the moons to keep them safe.

  He scanned their brilliant patterns in search of familiar constellations. Khopyé’s Spear, which would show him true north. Melisandre’s Tail, which led her followers to her kingdom. Calista’s Horn. Yiorgos’s Spire.

  They’re not here. Fear and wonder twined in his chest as the realization struck him. “This is a different sky.” He looked at Melly. “Am I dreaming?”

  “No. And please forgive me for my awkward approach. I’ve never done this before.” Melly bowed at the waist.

  “You’ve never done what, exactly?”

  “Introduced a new man to Nyarlea.”

  Elias rolled her response on his tongue. It begged more questions than answers. However, what she’d said when she woke him was true. His clothing was soaking wet, and the desert’s evening chill seeped to his skin. “Well, while we make this introduction, would you be so kind as to take us somewhere warmer?”

  Melly straightened and smiled. It was brilliant in the moonlight. “Of course. It’s a bit of a walk, though.”

  “Your tincture did as promised. It’ll be good to stretch my legs.” He shook his head, glad that the pain had finally subsided. “I should be the one apologizing. I am Elias of Clan Kho—” he paused. She wasn’t familiar with clans, so the name would do her no good. “Just Elias works well.”

  Melly bowed one more time, then started walking and gestured for him to follow. “Welcome to Nyarlea, Elias.”

  “And what is ‘Nyarlea’? This continent?”

  “Nyarlea is the name of this world. We’re on an island called Ichi.”

  I’m on another world? Perhaps she confused ‘world’ with ‘continent.’ “How does one travel to Nyarlea? By foot? By boat?”

  “Are you asking how you arrived here?”

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Yes. Exactly.”

  “Saoirse, our goddess, teaches us that she herself births men into Nyarlea. However, um,” she looked up at the sky, “the men I’ve talked to said they died in their own worlds to arrive here.”

  “I…” Died? Had Hadyée poisoned him? She held dual favor with Meket, the Second Spear who constantly quipped about taking Elias’s position. However, Meket was like a brother to him, they’d known each other since they were kits. “That’s unfortunate,” he murmured.

  “Do you remember what happened?”

  Elias shook his head. “No, I do not. Since it is difficult to say, we shall make it difficult to dwell. Let us focus on the present for now.” I will think the best of Meket while I can. He cleared his throat. “I find myself in Nyarlea, another world. Under another sky.”

  “Yes. I can only imagine how difficult this is for you…”

  “Death is merely a wanderer’s next journey. I will make the most of it.” He smiled easily. “Is Saoirse your only goddess?”

  “Yes. Do you have more than one?”

  “In a way. There is something to be treasured in all aspects of life. Many attribute these gifts to higher beings, while wanderers like me thank the truths around us. The oasis, for example. I’ll send her my thanks for bringing me to you.”

  Melly giggled. “You certainly have a way with words. Let’s see…” She sputtered an exhale that caused her hair to dance on her forehead. She was quite fetching. “Goodness. I never realized just how much a new man wouldn’t know.”

  “This is the second time you’ve referred to me as ‘the new man.’ What does that insinuate?”

  “Well, there are only four men in Nyarlea at any given time.”

  Elias’s even steps faltered, but he regained his footing before Melly noticed. Her words were as biting as a fresh switch across his knuckles. “Four? In all the world?”

  “Yes. One for each of the four islands. Then there’s Nyarlothep, where the capital of the queendom lies, which does not have its own man.”

  “So, then, I am the only man on Ichi Island?”

  “Yes.”

  Clan Khopyé was just shy of one hundred members, and a little more than half of them were men. They’d split daily tasks across everyone, and even then, there was limited time for recreation. Especially amongst the lower spears. “What is expected of me, Melly?”

  She glanced down at her feet and chewed her thumbnail. “Quite a bit, honestly. First and foremost, to protect and propagate the island.”

  Elias chuckled. “If everyone is as lovely and accommodating as you are, the latter task won’t be difficult.”

  “W-while that’s very kind of you to say, you’ve arrived in Rājadhānī at an unlucky time.” She curled her tail around her hips and toyed at the tip with her fingers. “Queen Naeemah took the throne again after almost ten years, and there are a lot of unhappy people.”

  “Is she a poor queen?”

  “No! Not at all. Queen Naeemah is a fair and just person. It’s just that the last man really hurt Ichi Island, and it’s going to take a lot of work and time to fix everything.”

  “What happened?”

  “Well…a lot. Oh! Look!” She stopped when they reached the top of a dune and pointed. “You can see Rājadhānī from here!”

  Bright lights twinkled through archways of a high-standing wall far in the distance. From the barricade alone, the city seemed enormous, and they still had quite a walk ahead of them.

  “We still have time. Why not tell me what you can?”

  Melly nodded. “Alright. But if you have any questions, please stop me to ask.”

  She hadn’t overexaggerated. Ichi Island’s recent history was a boisterous one. A man who called himself king and charged a king’s tax. Women locked in cages. Walls—referred to by Shells—created to denote status. Monsters summoned outside and in to keep citizens complacent. Another island’s man dueling the king to the death to reinstate the queen.

  The inner walls came down, and now the seeds of dissatisfaction were growing, resulting in more death, violence, and dangerous rumors.

  Elias had died the commander of a clan, and reawoken the commander of an island. Political intrigue had never appealed to him, but it was clear that he would have to learn quickly, or die from his inadequacy. If another island’s man was willing to send Ichi’s prior king to his grave, that commitment would still be very much alive.

  They were fast approaching Rājadhānī. The outer walls towered over them both, and the fires of surrounding torchlight warmed his legs.

  “I’ve trained in the spear since I was a kit, but are there masters of the art here? How can I improve my skill to protect this island?” he asked when Melly had finished.

  “Oh! That’s right. In this world, you will have access to Stat Points and Skill Points as you gain Levels.”

  He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Even after the third time he repeated her words to himself, they still amounted to nothing. “I believe I’ll need each one of those explained to me.”

  Melly smiled. “It’s no problem. Men in Nyarlea all receive a device that catgirls can’t use. It will allow you to access all of this information, and I think it tells you how it works.”

  “Perfect. Where do I get such a device?”

  She touched her chin. “I think all you have to do is say, ‘Summon iPaw.’”

  “Alright.” Elias held out an arm, unsure of what to expect. “Summon iPaw.”

  A silver rectangle no thicker than Melly’s pinky appeared in his palm. Two cat-ear-like shapes rose from the top, and a slightly smaller rectangle in the center flickered, then glowed.

  Elias gaped. He’d never seen anything like it.

  On the lower portion of the rectangle, a blue-haired woman appeared, wearing purple silks draped over her ears and torso. A tiny smile spread across her face as his eyes widened. She opened her mouth, and the words sounded in his ears as clear as freshly collected rain.

  “Hello, [User Elias]. How may I assist you?”

  Volume One is out now on eBook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback, and Audible! , , , and are available on eBook, Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback.

  Thanks for reading!

  Be sure to check out our for early access chapters, NSFW chapters, full-size artwork, and more. Subscribe to the monthly for exclusive updates and coupons!

  Many thanks to our Patrons!

  Berserker Tier: SkySom, [William Martin]

  Scholar: Jack Sparrow, Flaming Moose, DiscountDan, Alex Bagster-Collins

  Curator: PhantomKnight, nick0, Runecaster, Lazarus G, LT_Ashpole, Elissia, 0hawkclaw0, Cole, Sir Joe, Janna Shi Island’s Fury, Lord Taxus, Miles, Aycee, Tim W., Mister Drake, Gavin D, Zachary, Zarkis, Carlos M

  Powerhalf, Mitchell Aberson, Matt[hew] D Christensen, Travis, JC Quinn, HariboHeadHunter, King Jerkera, waymogunz, Phil, Centhi, Khii, Matt[hew] Johnson, Jason Walker, Belkorin, Rodney the Paladin, ICE.Paragon, Rassarion, Smithman774, Kyle McCoy, Cameron Garfalk, blackmambauk, NekoPix, Zerum Sparklez, Joshua williams, Michelle Hundt, Dave, Emily, Skade, Rosalee, SyloSpectre, Tonk, Twelve, hanani, Shags, Ranger Frank, Wesley Gathercole, Zak Stromquist, Spencer decoteau, Jacob Moore, Alex H Cowley, Zeklor, Neko1967, KH, Bilman, VKandis, ProfessorComputerMan, Victor Bugg, Vir Honestus, Steve Tatum, Brooke Grace, Hock, kenneth york, Kat, WarptheSynth, ObeseStrayCat, Aaron A, Queen Toast, Craig S, GreatFireLegend, Ryan E, Draxx127, Wesley F, Bakenecro, FondleMyBalls, BeanSauce, StarTin, Myrmarked, Bryan O

  Please remember to follow, favorite, and rate!

  Patreon | |