A similar thing happened during the following day. I didn't go to the gods' tavern to speak with Aphrodite because I was feeling a little tired, but planned to go there, eventually.
Mary wanted to do more things with me, not just oral sex, but I talked my way around it and didn't do it. The reason for it was still the same: I have no way of protection.
What if I got some disease I didn't know? What if I impregnated Mary? That would certainly create a fuss in the village, and the chief would want to end my life.
So, the safest thing for me was to avoid doing that for the time being. It displeased her, but it only lasted for a while, as she was happy again after the oral sex. Apparently, the chief wasn't good with his tongue, and he couldn't find her clitoris.
Well, that was not my case. Mary and I enjoyed every moment alone, but after a few more days, Luna and Steward were back. I went straight to Luna, as I wanted to see if she had brought the things I wanted.
"So, how was the trip?" I asked.
Luna excitedly took out a wooden box and said, "I got your gift, Zephyr."
The wooden box contained two maps. One of the surrounding areas, which had the other villages, and a few cities. As for the other map, well, it was a map of the kingdom!
With those two maps, I had a lot of information about the area. I wasn't as clueless as before.
Another important thing was that I could tell where my spaceship was now! Even if I traveled to the other side of the kingdom, I knew where the village was and where my spaceship was. That was priceless information for me.
"How was your time with my mother? I hope that she treated you well," Luna asked.
Mary was passing by us when she heard that. With a chuckle, she said. "I treated him the best I could, daughter."
I could see the erotic meaning behind her chuckle, but no one else could. The things that happened between us would remain a secret, and I hoped that Luna or the chief never found out about it.
"Oh, right!" Luna said, looking for something else among the things she brought, "I got this for you too."
She brought me a fur jacket. It was a pretty good-looking one, and I could tell it wasn't cheap. The fabric was nice, and the design certainly came from a known tailor.
"This is for you. You know, winter is coming, and it gets pretty harsh."
That was another good thing to know. I was clueless about the dates and the seasons. Luna was an angel to think about that and prepare such a life-saving gift for me.
"Thanks Luna," I said. "Going through winter without proper clothes sure is tough."
She laughed, "Not just tough, it means death. Anyway, I'll go help my father with the things he brought. Wanna come?"
Did I want to go there and help them? Well, not necessarily. Carrying boxes around and unpacking them wasn't that exciting, but I had to help them.
The chief and his family had helped me a lot, and they gave me shelter. Helping them with that was a small thing compared to what they did to me.
"Sure."
I stayed for a few hours helping Luna and Steward. Mary was not around. She left to do something else, and when I asked what it was, Steward couldn't answer me. It was a little strange, but I paid no attention to it.
The things Steward brought were meant to help the village survive the winter. It mostly consisted of clothes, but I saw a few magical stones, and those instantly got my attention.
"What are these for?" I asked.
With a proud expression, Steward said, "These are magical stones with an anti-rotting incantation. It allows us to store food through winter without spoiling it."
It was basically a magical freezer. That was pretty handy, and I was already curious as to what other things magic could do.
"Speaking of the winter, Zephyr, tomorrow you'll start going with the hunting group, if you want. We need to start getting enough meat for the winter, as we only have two months," Steward said.
"Tomorrow? That sounds great!"
That was exactly what I wanted. I needed to learn how to hunt, how to track animals and beasts, and how to use bows and swords. Those were skills that could save my life in the future, and not learning them was just dumb.
When night came, and I went to my room to sleep, it was finally time to return to the tavern. I used the key again — still wondering how my grandfather had something mystical like that — and then it happened just like last time.
I was again at the tavern's entrance. Thor was not there this time. I went inside, and the place looked as empty as before. There were a few gods drinking, but not many of them.
They were not speaking that much either. The silence gave a strange feeling to the place.
Anyway, I walked towards the counter, passing by the tables, ignoring the looks of some of the gods.
"You again," Loki said.
Loki didn't look so angry this time, which was great.
"Hello to you too," I said. "I wonder if Aphrodite is around."
"Yep, she is around here somewhere."
I didn't know if Loki just didn't want to tell me where she was, or if he truly didn't know, but either way, knowing that she was inside the tavern was good enough for me. My search began.
The tavern was way bigger than a 'normal' tavern, so it was hard to find people there. But maybe Aphrodite sensed I was there, or it was just a coincidence, but I met her in one of the hallways again.
"So how did my task go?" she asked.
She looked as gorgeous as ever, but I tried to focus and not look at her body.
"I completed it. Apparently, I have some points to use with you."
Aphrodite smiled. "Come with me, please."
We walked together, and she brought me to a hot spring. There, she said, "First, I want to reward you. You know, you completed my quest. So, please, take off your shirt."