"What are iPoints?"
The question hung over the breakfast table.
Pixelle stared at the glowing System screen floating in front of her.
Lexi had an almost identical expression beside her.
Around the table, the four original Vixens exchanged glances.
Then Bunny smiled.
"Oh!"
She leaned forward excitedly.
"You're going to love this."
Pixelle looked at her.
"What are they?"
"They make you stronger."
Pixelle waited.
Bunny smiled.
"That's pretty much the important part."
Llandra laughed softly.
"There is a little more to it than that."
She opened her own System screen and turned it so the two fairies could see.
"iPoints are part of Jax's unique Team Bonus. They are earned through certain milestones involving Jax and the Vixens."
Nyxian leaned back in her chair.
"Some milestones are considerably more entertaining than others."
Zee immediately turned pink.
Llandra ignored her.
"The points themselves do nothing until you assign them."
Pixelle looked back at her screen.
"So I choose?"
"Exactly," Zee said.
She opened her own Character screen.
"I tend to focus heavily on Intelligence because it strengthens my magic. I've also increased other statistics as needed, but Intelligence gives me the greatest benefit for what I do."
Bunny pointed at herself.
"Strength."
Nyxian snorted.
"And Speed."
Bunny nodded.
"And Agility."
"Mostly so you can reach things faster before hitting them."
"Exactly!"
Pixelle slowly scrolled through her own statistics.
Strength was embarrassingly low.
That wasn't particularly surprising.
She was naturally three inches tall.
Even among fairies, physical strength had never been one of her defining traits.
Speed and Agility were considerably higher.
Intelligence was easily one of her strongest statistics, reflecting her natural affinity for magic.
But beside those numbers was something she had never seen before.
UNALLOCATED iPOINTS: 67
Pixelle stared.
"Sixty-seven?"
Lexi was staring at her own screen.
"I have them too."
Nyxian smiled.
"You earned them."
Lexi's cheeks immediately turned pink.
Bunny opened her System.
"Wait."
Her expression changed.
"I got more too!"
Zee quickly opened hers.
"So did I."
Llandra's eyebrows rose.
"Interesting."
Nyxian immediately checked.
Then grinned.
"Oh, I like this."
Pixelle looked between them.
"You didn't know?"
"No," Llandra admitted.
She studied the notifications more carefully.
"It appears milestones involving new members provide bonuses to the entire group."
Bunny's eyes widened.
"You mean their First bonuses gave us points too?"
"That appears to be exactly what happened."
Nyxian leaned back with a very satisfied smile.
"Well."
She glanced toward Lexi.
"Welcome to the team."
Lexi turned even redder.
Pixelle barely noticed.
She was looking at Bunny's Character screen.
Then hers.
Then Bunny's again.
"Your Strength is over a hundred?"
"Way over."
Pixelle stared.
Llandra opened hers.
So did Zee.
Then Nyxian.
Pixelle's mouth slowly fell open.
It wasn't one statistic.
It wasn't one Vixen.
Their numbers were absurd.
Strength.
Speed.
Agility.
Endurance.
Intelligence.
Statistics that even elite adventurers might spend their entire lives pushing toward extraordinary levels were scattered across their screens in numbers Pixelle rarely saw outside stories about legendary figures.
And some of the Vixens were already well beyond them.
Pixelle looked at her 67 unallocated points again.
"You did this?"
She looked toward Jax.
He was standing at the stove with his back to them.
"Did what?"
"Made them this strong."
Jax flipped something in the pan.
"They made themselves strong."
Llandra smiled.
"Jax dislikes taking credit for this."
"Because I don't deserve all of it."
He glanced over his shoulder.
"The points help. A lot. But they still train. They learn how to fight. They figure out what works for them."
He turned back to the stove.
"Stats don't make decisions for you."
Pixelle stared at her screen.
She selected Strength.
Added five points.
Her finger hovered over the confirmation.
Then pressed it.
The change was immediate.
Pixelle's eyes widened.
She slowly flexed her hand.
Then squeezed it into a fist.
"Oh."
Lexi looked over.
"What?"
Pixelle stood.
"I can feel it."
She moved her arms.
Her wings fluttered.
Then she hopped once.
Far harder than intended.
Pixelle shot upward and nearly flipped over backward.
Her wings snapped open before she crashed into the table.
She hovered there.
Staring down at everyone.
"Oh my Goddess."
Bunny grinned.
"Fun, isn't it?"
Pixelle slowly descended.
"I just made myself stronger."
"Yep."
"Permanently?"
"Yep."
"And I still have sixty-two points."
"Yep."
Pixelle looked toward Jax.
Then back at Bunny.
Then Jax.
Then her System.
"Oh my Goddess."
Lexi cautiously added several points to Agility.
She confirmed them.
Her wings fluttered.
Her eyes widened.
"Oh!"
Now both fairies were staring at their screens like children who had discovered an unlimited candy shop.
Llandra immediately intervened.
"I would recommend not spending everything at once."
Pixelle looked disappointed.
"Why?"
"Because you should decide what you want to become first."
Zee nodded.
"Your natural strengths matter."
Bunny pointed at herself.
"I'm never going to cast magic like Zee."
"And I am never going to swing World Breaker like Bunny," Zee added.
Nyxian smiled.
"Which is fortunate for everyone within several miles."
Pixelle considered that.
Then another notification caught her attention.
She blinked.
"I have a skill."
That got everyone's attention.
Lexi immediately checked hers.
"I don't."
"Skills are less common," Llandra explained. "They appear occasionally after certain milestones."
Pixelle opened the notification.
Three choices appeared.
Her excitement immediately vanished.
"Oh."
Jax looked over.
"Problem?"
"I have to choose."
"That tends to be how choices work, Your Grace."
Pixelle's wings fluttered at the nickname.
She quickly flew over and turned her System toward him.
"Which one?"
Jax read the choices.
A movement ability tied to nearby plant life.
A defensive barrier formed from magically reinforced petals.
And a blessing that temporarily enhanced nearby allies.
He considered them.
Then went back to cooking.
Pixelle stared.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Which one should I choose?"
"I don't know."
"You just read them!"
"Yep."
Pixelle floated closer.
"You're supposed to tell me."
"No."
She frowned.
"Why not?"
Jax pointed his spatula toward her.
"Because you're the one who has to use it."
"But you know more about raids."
"So ask me what I think about each one."
"I just did."
"No. You asked me to choose."
Pixelle stared at him.
Jax shrugged.
"I'll give you every advantage and disadvantage I can think of, Your Grace. But I'm not pressing Confirm."
Pixelle looked toward the others.
Bunny nodded.
"He always does this."
Zee smiled.
"Always."
Llandra added, "He believes our abilities belong to us. His opinion can be valuable, but the final decision is ours."
Nyxian sighed dramatically.
"It's terribly inconvenient having a man who respects our autonomy."
Jax pointed the spatula at her.
"You're not helping."
"I rarely do."
After discussing the advantages and disadvantages, Pixelle finally made her selection.
FAIRY BLESSING
A temporary enhancement capable of increasing the agility and magical resistance of nearby allies.
Pixelle confirmed.
Warm green light briefly surrounded her body.
Then disappeared.
She stared at her hands.
Yesterday, she had been Queen Pixelle Starbloom.
Today she was still Queen Pixelle Starbloom.
But stronger.
Faster.
And now possessing a magical ability she hadn't possessed when she woke up yesterday.
All because of Jax.
And apparently this could happen again.
And again.
And again.
"Breakfast."
Jax placed a tiny plate in front of Lexi.
Then another in front of Pixelle.
Finally, he sat down with his own plate and immediately started eating.
Pixelle didn't move.
She stared at Jax.
Then her System.
Then Jax.
Her eyes began to water.
"This is the greatest gift anyone has ever given another person."
Jax looked up.
Pixelle's wings began beating rapidly.
"You are a God among Gods!"
Jax stopped chewing.
"You can do this every day! Morning and night! You make everyone around you stronger! You give them power and then let them decide what they want to become!"
Her wings became a pink blur.
"I GODDAMN LOVE YOU!"
Everyone stopped eating.
"I AM YOURS!"
Jax stared at her.
Then looked down at the tiny plate he'd just placed in front of her.
He swallowed.
"It's called French Toast. It's just eggs and bread."
Silence.
Pixelle blinked.
"What?"
"Eggs and bread. Cinnamon. Sugar. Little vanilla."
Pixelle stared at him in disbelief.
"I'm not talking about breakfast!"
Jax frowned.
"You haven't even tried it yet."
Nyxian dropped her forehead onto the table.
Lexi covered her mouth.
Bunny burst out laughing.
Even Llandra lost her composure.
Pixelle simply stared at Jax.
"You are an idiot."
Jax took another bite.
"Try the French toast before you say that."
She finally took a bite, and wondered if he was right. Maybe breakfast was his greatest super power.
The group decided to separate for the afternoon.
There was no reason for everyone to remain together, and after days of traveling, preparations, meetings, and training, a quiet afternoon sounded surprisingly appealing.
Llandra, Bunny, and Zee went shopping.
Nyxian disappeared with Lexi.
And Pixelle volunteered to show Jax around the fairy village.
Jax accepted immediately.
Pixelle was thrilled.
She had Jax all to herself.
Jax was thrilled.
He had an entire unexplored market full of potential business opportunities.
Neither completely understood the other's excitement.
They had barely started when Jax stopped at the first merchant.
"What are those?"
Pixelle looked.
"Glowberries."
"What do they do?"
"They glow."
"I gathered that."
Pixelle giggled.
"They're used in potions. They also grow naturally around fairy settlements because of our magic."
Jax picked one up carefully.
"How long do they stay fresh after harvesting?"
Pixelle's smile faded slightly.
"Jax."
"What?"
"You're supposed to be enjoying the tour."
"I am."
"You're evaluating merchandise."
"I can do two things."
Pixelle flew up and kissed his cheek.
Jax smiled.
Then looked back at the berries.
"How much for a crate?"
Pixelle groaned.
This continued everywhere.
Enchanted pollen.
Medicinal herbs.
Nectar.
Rare flowers.
Tiny precision tools created by fairy craftsmen.
Beautiful woven fibers made from plants Jax had never seen before.
Every time Pixelle tried to show him something beautiful, Jax somehow found a potential market.
At one point, she brought him to a garden filled with enormous flowers glowing in dozens of colors.
Pixelle spread her arms.
"Well?"
Jax stared.
Pixelle smiled proudly.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Absolutely."
Her smile widened.
"Those blue flowers would sell incredibly well in Solmere."
Her smile disappeared.
"Jax!"
"What?"
Pixelle flew at him.
She shrank to her natural three-inch size halfway there, zipped beneath his arm, then immediately grew back to 5'6".
Suddenly Jax found himself walking with the Fairy Queen wrapped around his arm.
"There," Pixelle said.
"There what?"
"Now you're on a date."
"I thought this was a tour."
"It can be both."
Jax considered that.
"Fair enough."
Pixelle smiled triumphantly and rested her head against his shoulder.
Neither noticed the group of fairies hovering behind them.
"She did it again."
"That's twelve."
"Thirteen."
"That one was his cheek."
"It still counts."
"Are they courting?"
"They have to be."
"He's a big person."
"He fed everyone yesterday."
"That doesn't make him a fairy."
"He's Jax Darquebane."
"That doesn't make him a fairy either."
Another fairy joined them.
"What's happening?"
"The Queen has a man."
"What?!"
Within twenty minutes, half the village seemed to know.
Some fairies were delighted.
Others were curious.
A few were visibly uncomfortable.
Pixelle either didn't notice or didn't care.
She spent the afternoon alternating between her two sizes depending entirely on which allowed her to be closest to Jax.
Sometimes she flew beside his head, occasionally kissing his cheek.
Sometimes she sat on his shoulder.
Sometimes she grew and held his hand.
And whenever they walked for any length of time, she seemed to inevitably end up wrapped around his arm.
For Pixelle, there was nothing complicated about it.
She liked Jax.
Jax liked her.
Therefore she wanted everyone to know she liked Jax.
The political implications of a Fairy Queen publicly attaching herself to a non-fairy had not entered her mind.
Jax, meanwhile, was wondering how much enchanted pollen could fit inside one refrigerated dimensional storage unit.
Across the village, Bunny held up a tiny green dress.
"Oh, this is so cute!"
Zee looked at it.
Then at Bunny.
Then back at the dress.
"Bunny."
"What?"
"That's a fairy outfit."
"I know."
"It won't even cover your nipple."
Bunny frowned.
"But it's soooo cute."
Llandra pressed her lips together.
She failed.
A laugh escaped.
Bunny looked betrayed.
"You're supposed to support me."
"I support you completely," Llandra said.
"Then tell her it's cute."
"It is adorable."
Bunny smiled triumphantly.
"And entirely incapable of covering you."
Bunny's smile disappeared.
They eventually discovered several merchants who specialized in goods for larger visitors.
That changed everything.
The fairies' affinity for nature magic had influenced their craftsmanship in ways none of the women had seen elsewhere.
Handbags woven from living vines that never frayed.
Purses decorated with flowers that remained permanently in bloom.
Lightweight clothing created from enchanted plant fibers.
Jewelry grown rather than forged.
Bunny immediately forgot about the tiny dress.
"Ohhhh."
Zee looked toward Llandra.
"We're going to be here awhile."
Llandra was already examining a beautifully woven handbag.
"I see no problem with that."
Lexi and Nyxian wandered through a quieter section of the village.
For a while, neither said much.
Lexi kept opening her Character screen.
Looking at her newly increased statistics.
Then closing it again.
Nyxian eventually noticed.
"Something bothering you, darling?"
"No."
Nyxian looked at her.
Lexi sighed.
"Yes."
"Better."
Lexi hovered beside her.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
Nyxian raised an eyebrow.
"About what?"
"This."
Lexi gestured vaguely.
"The Vixens."
Nyxian smiled.
"After what you did to me last night, I absolutely consider you a Vixen."
Lexi's entire face turned red.
"Nyxian!"
"What?"
"That's not what I meant!"
"It answered the question."
Lexi crossed her tiny arms.
"I'm serious."
Nyxian's smile slowly faded.
She could hear enough of the intimacy behind Lexi's thoughts to understand that the little fairy wasn't joking.
Lexi looked toward the distant marketplace.
"Pixelle is Queen."
She counted on her fingers.
"Llandra is a legendary archer. Bunny could probably punch through the World Tree. Zee is an incredible healer."
She looked at Nyxian.
"And you're…"
"Stunningly beautiful?"
"I was going to say terrifying."
"I'll accept either."
Lexi smiled briefly.
Then looked down.
"But I'm not a warrior."
"So?"
"I didn't even get a skill."
"You got iPoints."
"That's not what I mean."
Nyxian was quiet.
Lexi looked toward her.
"I don't know what makes me special."
For once, Nyxian didn't immediately make a joke.
Instead, she looked toward the village.
Toward Pixelle and Jax in the distance.
"Jax has an ability that isn't on his Character screen."
Lexi looked at her.
"What?"
"He can take someone who's bad at something and help them become good."
Nyxian continued walking.
"Someone who's good and help them become great."
She glanced toward Lexi.
"And someone who's great…"
Nyxian smiled softly.
"He somehow helps them become extraordinary."
Lexi nodded.
Nyxian stopped.
"And that's why you're going to be so special."
Lexi frowned.
"Why?"
"Because, darling…"
Nyxian held out her hand.
Lexi landed in her palm.
"You were already extraordinary."
Lexi stared at her.
For someone who dressed the way Nyxian dressed…
Talked the way Nyxian talked…
And seemed to treat chaos as a recreational activity…
Sometimes she could be unbelievably sweet.
Lexi smiled.
"That was beautiful."
Nyxian's familiar expression immediately returned.
"No, darling."
She gently brought Lexi closer to her face.
"You are beautiful."
Lexi's wings fluttered.
"And if you tell anyone I said any of that, I will immediately deny it."
Lexi laughed.
"You can't deny something I heard you say."
"I'll find a way."
Lexi leaned forward.
Nyxian met her halfway.
Their lips touched.
Tiny against full-sized.
It was gentle.
Nothing like the chaos of the previous night.
There was no Fairy Cider.
No Pixie Mead.
No crowd of Vixens around them.
Just the two of them.
And somehow the simple kiss created a warmth neither had expected.
Lexi's wings slowed.
Nyxian's teasing smile disappeared.
For several quiet seconds, neither pulled away.
Finally, Lexi leaned back.
Nyxian looked at her.
"Still worried you're not a Vixen?"
Lexi thought about it.
"A little."
Nyxian smiled.
"Good."
Lexi blinked.
"Good?"
Nyxian started walking again, still carrying her in her palm.
"Means I get to keep convincing you."
Lexi's wings fluttered again.
And this time she didn't bother hiding the smile.