Oh, Janus… The booze… It went down so smooth… But I'm feelin' it meow… It's like… So much happened last night, while also; so very little happened last night. I don't even know anymore… I'm pretty sure that Roah proposed to me. I'm almost 100% certain. Why… Why did I say 'maybe'?! Was it meant to be?! Gluttatosk totally knows that Roah has a thing for me. Maybe if I strangle him right meow, in his slumbers… The word won't get out? Would anyone give it a second thought if I claimed that he had drowned in the Ocean? Some Sea Snake probably lured him away into the deepest depths…? Damn. I almost forgot that my Clansmen could hear my thoughts… Promise to keep a secret? Knowing Penny… I have no chance. It's already out there, probably. It's safe to assume, that everyone knows. Well… I suppose it's not the worst thing in the world… It just sucks, because if things go poorly; I'll lose one of my best friends.
Moving on~ We'd better check up on that Artisan! Paper, baby! Everyone, it would be mighty fine of you to recommence with last night's tasks. Highly appreciated. Cetilla can't have gotten too far… We mustn't lose her as we did the absolutely MASSIVE Twisted Treant! Nyah! Assuming my dastardly good-looking and apparently... Supple Human form, I decided to take a seat on one of the new Cat Crew chairs. Nice, and comfy. I still miss my bed, though… The Beach isn't very becoming of me. Lianix agrees, though she's loving what I've done with the place. It just needs a few finishing touches… Like an endless stream of Scarecrows carrying buckets filled with scorching hot water to the new bathtub, from the Wailing Keep. Yesh… Scarecrows, in your downtime from serving Mary; please see to it that my bathtub is properly prepared. We also need a fireplace. Something nice and simple. Conrad, before you fetch some Fishing Squad Monster Knights… Please gather some logs for my companions to sit on, and have them slightly off to the side; away from my bathtub. Also, if you could be a dear and collect some rocks to surround the fireplace… Yes, thank you.
Tonight, I shall ensure that we have barrels filled with Punch. We need them, for the nightly meet and feasts that I've been failing to provide ever since arriving to Reygid. It sucks… All of my favorite activities have been going neglected. This is game time, okay? We've got Monster Knights needing Evolutions, left; dead right… And center!~ My current plan is to ensure that the Monster Knights become strong enough for them to never need me after I've Prestiged. Sure, Luna and Conrad will be major players in the future to represent Halloween in my stead… But they'll need a competent army to lead while I'm whispering in their ears. Luna can see to it that the Clansmen never die when they train, but Conrad's going to be in charge of the actual Monster Knights. He'll probably get some help from Roah and Cetilla, for sure… But he needs to be competent enough to handle things even without their aide. It's been decided. Benji and Wolrietta will need to train. Conrad and Luna will receive my blessing. The remaining life-force that I possess before selling my soul to Allwe… They'll be my only genuine Clansmen for the foreseeable future. It's going to be weird, not being able to view all of their stats; but it must be done. Sometimes, the best thing that you can do for your children… Is to let them grow, while still keeping a moderate grip on them via the more powerful of their peers~
After the Monster Knights appeared to take the Beach from me… I woke Roah, and Gluttatosk. Gluttatosk decided to stick around, and help the Monster Knights face the Tides of Trajedy. Roah chose to join me in my endeavors. We're off to see the Georgia! That wide unit~ Such a Woman... We loves us a good Georgia~ First thing's first… We're checking back in at the Wailing Keep. We need Coins, for I want Barrels. Honestly… I don't know what happened to the old Barrels. I really haven't the faintest clue, and I'm not about to search for them; or dedicate Clansmen to procuring them. I'm simply going to buy some empty barrels, or empty some barrels with my mouth; and then fill them with Punch from the magical fountain. While we flew, Roah seemed excited. He likes the rich stuff, sure… But the cheap stuff is what he's REALLY after. It reminds him of the good ol' days. Me too. I'm excited as well~
After procuring a bucket filled with Gold Coins, knowing full well that I wouldn't need them all… We began to leave the Wailing Keep. On the way out, a skeptical Mary blocked our path. She was wondering what I'd be doing with all them Coins. She wants more ingredients. She's ruthless in her quest for finer foods. She didn't even skip a beat, completely ready to slap me silly after learning that I intended to buy Alcohol. Something about me needing to be careful, so as not to become a raging Alcoholic. I never knew that Mary cared so much… It's probably her motherly side, taking into effect. Thankfully, a flock of children swept in RIGHT at the nick of time; barraging Mary with requests for their nightly meal. She was taken away, back into the depths of her FABULOUS Kitchen; and we escaped with our lives. Mwuahahahahahaha!~ Incoming Beer!
Flying to Nidallia was painstaking. By that, I mean that we were totally stopped at the borders by yet ANOTHER group of Mages and Archers sitting perched upon the walls; doing their damn best to see to it that we never arrived alive. This time, I decided to stick it to them; and figure out just WHAT their beef could possibly be~ Dodging a myriad of magical attacks, I landed on their walls alongside Roah. With the (Hob)Goblin King's help, I slew every single individual with the guts to challenge us. All, but one. This one was special, and not JUST because he pissed through his chainmail. He was actually a Beastkin, probably some form of Raccoonkin.
"Roah, this wall is troublesome. Please break it." [Nero] beckoned before leaning down to meet the terrified Raccoonkin(?).
"That's a statement… Fine~" [Roah] sighed while scratching the back of his head, before leaping off the wall.
"You there… Do you have a name?" [Nero] begged the question with a soft voice.
"...M-Me?" [Raccoonkin?] shuddered while glaring up at the Halloween Cat.
"You're the only one left~" [Nero] explained with a smile as he lowered his aviators.
"EEK?! N-No… I'm nameless…" [Raccoonkin?] exclaimed with a terrified expression.
"Ah. I see... That's fine, but I'm going to ask you a few questions... Be honest, or you may not escape with your life." [Nero] exclaimed with a solemn look in his eyes.
"I-I understand!" [Raccoonkin?] declared with a frantic look in his eyes.
"Do you know why the Humans see fit to block our entry into Nidallia?" [Nero] asked while raising an eyebrow.
"...I heard that it was something about how you keep bombarding the City..." [Raccoonkin?] confessed while looking down.
"Why are you here? A Beastkin... Serving the Human army?" [Nero] asked while furrowing his eyebrows.
"I-I was born in captivity. I'm a slave to the Kingdom, working to guarantee my freedom." [Raccoonkin?] explained with eyes wide.
"...Are there others like you?" [Nero] asked while squinting.
"Of course… The Kingdom keeps slaves, though we're treated fairly and given the chance to buy our lives back." [Raccoonkin?] explained while shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't see any chains on you, though… What keeps you from escaping?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"...My daughter… She's also working, in the Castle. I can't leave her there, but we're both working to pay off our debts-" [Raccoonkin?] confessed while fighting back the urge to cry before being brutally interrupted.
"Hold that thought… We need to get off these walls." [Nero] chimed in with a tired expression before grabbing the Beastkin and flying him back toward the Lost Kingdom. Moments later, the gates to the walls began to crumble… And collapsed into sheer rubble, leaving the Beastkin flabbergasted.
"What kind of Beastkin are you?" [Nero] asked with a weak smile after having landed safely on the edge of the Lost Kingdom.
"Eh? I-I'm a Sable Ferretkin." [Sable Ferretkin] explained with eyes wide.
"...Oh. Well… I'm going to leave you with two choices. One, you can return to that dastardly business and pray that you're eventually relieved of your work; which is highly unlikely... Two, you can lead me directly to wherever it is that they're keeping your daughter; so that I can save every single slave… And bring them to Reygid, where they can live freely; and actually earn Coins for whatever jobs they choose to take. The lives of many rest in your paws right now, so choose wisely... If you're treated fairly, then you should have no reason to take my help… What do you say?" [Nero] exclaimed with a serious expression as he ignored the walls behind him that continued to break down as the (Hob)Goblin King effortlessly swung his Hallowed Hammer.
"...W-W-What do you intend to do about the King? He'll stop you!" [Sable Ferretkin] asked with a frantic expression.
"...Meh." [Nero] let out as he shrugged his shoulders before continuing…
"Let him try." [Nero] exclaimed with a twisted expression as the orange flames in his eyes began to burn ever more violently.
"Just… Who are you?" [Sable Ferretkin] asked with eyes wide.
"Me? I'm Nero Miki, the one True Allwe Halloween Cat~ I don't tolerate slavery." [Nero] introduced himself with an innocent smile.
"I don't know what that means… But if you'll save my daughter, then I'm willing to lead you to her. I won't be of much help when we're in the Castle… But please rescue her." [Sable Ferretkin] exclaimed while bowing to the Witch of War's feet.
"...Stand." [Nero] beckoned while offering a paw for the Ferretkin to join him on his Broom.
"Thank you." [Sable Ferretkin] thanked as he took Nero's hand, and hoisted himself up onto the Broom.
"Hey Roah! You almost done over there?" [Nero] called out while approaching the (Hob)Goblin King.
"Mmm… It's mostly destroyed… What do you think?" [Roah] casually asked before rubbing his nose.
"Should be fine. I doubt we'll have that same issue for awhile~" [Nero] sighed.
"You know… Cetilla might have been captured." [Roah] shot back with eyes wide.
"They must have sent someone actually competent for THAT to happen~" [Nero] laughed.
"You going to bring that guy back to Reygid?" [Roah] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"Yeah, but first… We're going to invade their Castle and save more." [Nero] explained with a smile.
"Oh?" [Roah] let out with a smile.
"Turns out, they actually DO have slaves here. Who knew?" [Nero] sighed as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Ah… Well, should we fetch Gluttatosk and Ben? They'd probably be a major help if things get rough." [Roah] suggested.
"...Might as well. Luna~ Please inform Gluttatosk and Ben that they'll be needed in Nidallia. Find Rosa and Edgar, have them help you at the beach. Penny, Christina; stop your searches for Cetilla and Grollicus so that you may join us in this endeavor." [Nero] beckoned while raising his Lantern. To which, bright orange flames gust forth from his Lantern… To reveal the Corocdae and Pixie.
"W-Wha?!" [Sable Ferretkin] let out, clearly baffled.
"You rang?" [Christina] asked with a smirk.
Oi! Who taught you that reference?! Ah… It was probably me.
"You know… I'm beginning to think that you only call on me when it's convenient." [Penny] sighed.
"You love it." [Christina] shot back.
"Honestly? I think I might prefer Hoen." [Penny] confessed while shrugging her shoulders.
"Me too. Something about Wrath just sounds more up my alley..." [Christina] groaned.
"You're going to get a taste for Hoen, very soon." [Nero] declared while furrowing his eyebrows.
"Yay!" [Penny] screamed in excitement.
"Don't keep me waiting~" [Christina] sighed as the Pixie landed on her shoulder.
"Blame Gluttatosk and Ben if we're kept up here too long." [Nero] sighed while rolling his eyes.
"Knowing them… Ben's probably dragging his claws right about now~" [Roah] laughed.
"E-Excuse me… But who are all of these people?" [Sable Ferretkin] begged the question with eyes wide.
"Christina, the Corocdae… And Penny, the Pixie. They're two of my Clanswomen, committed to helping me in my endeavors. Gluttatosk, the Drarke and Ben the Bearoleph are also on their way to join us. Gluttatosk and Ben are among the Monster Knights of the Monster Kingdom. Sorry, I didn't properly explain earlier… But Roah here, is the (Hob)Goblin King of the Monster Kingdom. I suppose… You could say that he represents them all, but really…" [Nero] began to explain, before being interrupted.
"We all serve Nero. He's not only assumed dominion over the Monster Kingdom, also commonly referred to as the Lost Kingdom… But he's leading the Beastkin Kingdom as well. As things stand, he does not rely on Reygid to help him; but the Monster Knights are more than willing." [Roah] explained with a smile and a thumb held high. To which, the Ferretkin gawked.
"M-My apologies! It's an honor to meet you all!" [Sable Ferretkin] declared before bowing once more.
"It's not a big deal... Please stand." [Nero] sighed.
"But it is! You're a King rivaling the Monarch of Nidallia, and I'm but a lowly slave!" [Sable Ferretkin] shot back while continuing to prostrate himself.
"No, you're not. As of this moment… You're a free Ferretkin. Please, leave this place behind and reside in Reygid where you'll be safer. It would put my mind at ease." [Nero] exclaimed with a soft voice as he knelt down and placed a hand on the Ferretkin's shoulder.
"...Put your mind at ease?" [Sable Ferretkin] muttered.
"Nero doesn't stand for slavery… He's liberated Reygid, so he probably intends to do the same for Nidallia." [Roah] explained with a smile.
"...But why does my condition trouble him?" [Sable Ferretkin] asked with eyes wide.
"I'm supposed to be conquering Dungeons to save this world… But if this world is plagued by slavery in my presence… It wouldn't be worth saving, now would it?" [Nero] confessed with a weak smile.
"...Conquering Dungeons?" [Sable Ferretkin] asked, still confused.
"As one of the living embodiments of Halloween, one of the four Great Clans… It is my responsibility to save the lives of those living on this continent." [Nero] declared while offering a hand for the Sable Ferretkin.
"...I think I understand." [Sable Ferretkin] exclaimed with a determined expression before taking the Halloween Cat's hand, and finally getting back up to his feet.
"Nero! What's going on? I could swear that there was a wall there..." [Gluttatosk] grumbled as he looked back to the pile of rubble.
"Why was I summoned?" [Ben] blatantly begged the question while sitting atop the Land Shark's back.
"Roah broke it, and we're going to liberate some slaves." [Nero] explained with a smile.
"Roah! Why are you breaking walls?!" [Gluttatosk] asked with eyes wide.
"Eh?! You asked me to!" [Roah] shot back with an exasperated expression. To which, the Halloween Cat shrugged.
"This better not take too long... I was hoping to take a nap soon..." [Ben] groaned.
"Let's get on with it then~" [Nero] sighed. To which, Roah boarded the Land Shark; joining the grumbling Bearoleph.
And so, alongside the Corocdae riding Pixie… Land Shark riding (Hob)Goblin King and Bearoleph… And the Sable Ferretkin at my side, we made our way directly through Nidallia. The Ferretkin pointed for us to know where exactly to go… Because I'm terrible with directions. As we strut our stuff down the streets of the Human Kingdom, we received the exact same treatment as we did last night… Almost. It was a little bit worse, as this time; dozens of people hysterically screamed as they fled the scene. All of the windows were abruptly closed, every single candle was blown out… And not a single Kingdom Knight had the guts to challenge us. When the passerby's fled, Penny began to slow time in attempts at amusing herself. When things started taking too long, I beckoned for her to stop the madness until we had arrived at the Castle itself. She still sang the whole way through, regardless of my wishes. Rather than a [Song of Time Slow], she sang a [Song of Confusion]... Furthering the chaos to a whole new level. Some people started stripping down, and having frantic sex on the sides of the streets; while others rolled around in the dirt. There was even this one duo who hysterically began digging their own graves. With their bare hands! It was a whole thing, and honestly? I enjoyed every second of it. It wasn't until the Sable Ferretkin lost his mind and began leading us in the wrong direction while profusely sobbing, that I forced Penny to stop entirely. On arrival to the Castle, perhaps an hour or so later than we SHOULD have... I was absolutely flabbergasted to find that we needed help finding it to begin with.
The Castle is huge. It's larger than the one in Reygid which used to exist, that's for sure. There's GENUINE Gold adorning the rooves… Making for a sight of elegance. The actual exterior of the castle seems to be built of a white stone. It's totally your stereotypical, almighty, extremely self-righteous Human Castle~ As we had arrived… Penny took it as her cue to recommence in her charades… Causing the gate-keepers to piss themselves before slowly turning to run… And tripping. Repeatedly… Scrambling to their feet, desperately trying to escape into the WALLED IN Castle Courtyard… I couldn't help but stifle a laugh. Sadly, as this is a rescue mission… And I have no idea where the slaves will be… I can't drop any Pumpkin Bombs. Not until we leave, anyways~
As we traversed the Courtyard, we found a few slaves being used as gardeners; so we saved them. I conjured a Hallowed Gate, and had a few Scarecrows lead them all back to the Throne Room to await further instructions. I asked Miscare and Mescarga to protect the Gate at all costs. To be extra safe, Mick, Steve, Andy, Skeldoragora, Skeldora, Skeldor, Skelde, Skeld, Skelch, and Skelt were also assigned to the Gate duty. Molag Dregora's just going to need to deal with the Orpia waterfall's protection solo~ To my dismay… Luna appeared, and declared that she was ditching the beach so that she could keep the lesser Clansmen alive. She doesn't always listen, I suppose. Neither does Conrad, as he ditched his tasks so that he could strut alongside us as we entered the Castle. Jeez… I guess that collecting firewood isn't exciting enough? Nope… He finished his tasks and was actually just collecting Berries… So… One of my buckets is meow laying somewhere on the ground. Don't lose my buckets, Conrad! They're important! Oh? Conrad's been using a bag rather than a bucket; for a considerable period of time meow. He… Stole one of my bags?! Actually… It's fine. I don't care about bags~
On entry into the Castle, I learned that the walls were adorned in paintings… And beautifully engraved windows. There were candle-lit chandeliers practically everywhere… Making me wonder just how expensive it would be to keep the lights on. Doors littered the hallways, all of which; consisted of a white stone… Making it difficult to tell the doors apart from the walls. The carpet was nice, too. It was all red, and had a golden trim; much like the gold on the rooves… And the gold making up the chandeliers. Seriously… This whole place is remarkably better made than the Castle in Reygid. The flooring itself is marble, and I can't help but wonder who had the audacity to cover up such a beautiful marble flooring with carpets… But I suppose it just adds to the extravagance. We wound up needing to check every single door, in attempts at finding more slaves. When we entered, we simply asked those inside whether they were slaves or not. If they were, then they had a chance to live. If they weren't, then they were ruthlessly cut down by Conrad. None of them were very powerful… In fact, none of them posed a single threat; we probably saved four dozen lives... Until we came across the Throne Room.
The Throne Room was massive. Probably half the whole Castle. It doubled up as a Throne Room, and a Ballroom. Inside of it, await an entire Army of 'Royal' Kingdom Knights… Shamelessly protecting their Monarch. Rather than pay it any heed… I totally poked my head in, caught a quick glance; realized that there were no slaves present... And dipped out, continuing in our crusade... King? We didn't come for you, silly~ Don't be so stuck up... Seriously. As that old man was pompously droning on and on about how ludicrous it was for me to expect him to be unguarded, and how impossible it would be to slay him… We merrily walked away. We wound up finding the Ferretkin's daughter in the Kitchen, among several other Chefs… And it was at that point when I realized. The Ferretkin's daughter… She was a Chef~! I made the mental note to beg for her undying fealty later on, and as it turned out; three whole Chefs were being enslaved to be there. It almost seemed as though only a third of the workforce at the Castle were actually being enslaved; while the rest were genuinely paid. It made me stick to my stomach… Who could casually work, acting as though everything's fine while knowing full well that 1 in every 3 of their friends were actually there against their will?! So, that old self-righteous King lost his entire workforce. A third of them were rescued and sent to the Beastkin Kingdom, while the other two thirds perished for not having staged a rebellion to save their 'friends' in the first place~
Conrad handled a whole lot of the killing, until we reached the Dungeons. Not the 'Dungeon' Dungeons... They were just jail-cells, really. The Guard for the Jail was way more competent, highly skilled in Lightning Magic; and so the others finally had their chance to shine. Gluttatosk didn't stand a chance, finding himself incredibly wounded after a mere thirty seconds of battle… Roah kept missing with his excessively heavy Hammer… And Christina perished rather quickly. Penny played things smart, and sang from behind me, so that I could watch the entire thing go down~ Ben was fantastic. He was able to swipe his paws and create ranged attacks, as if he were cutting ripples into the air itself. He did so with two paws at a time, one to force the Jailer to dodge; and the other aimed at where he expected the Jailer to land. It was incredible~ A work of art, if I must say. According to Roah, it's the [Bair Claw] ability. If Ben growls when he fires the [Bair Claw], then the speed at which the attack travels through the air intensifies, as do the claw marks… Making for one hell of a swipe~ It's a combo ability, making use of [Bair Claw] and [Growth Growl]. [Growth Growl] actually just intensifies any abilities used at the same time, making it highly versatile. After around 10 minutes of Bear vs Rabbit, the exceptionally quick Jailor found himself outmatched; and torn to shreds. At the same moment, I watched as Ben Evolved. He's larger meow, his tail is no longer very bear-like; and he seems to have slimmed down. His eyes have now become grey. According to Roah; he's a Bearolepard... A Halloween Clansmen. Finally!~
"These Dungeons are where they let the slaves sleep when not working for the Kingdom… Or where they keep lawbreakers and those too unruly to be enslaved in the first place." [Sable Ferretkin] exclaimed with a somber expression. To which, his daughter nodded.
"Don't worry, we'll save them all." [Nero] declared with a smile as he dragged the weakened Land Shark along.
"Ugh… Places like these are the WORST!" [Penny] groaned.
"Bringing back some memories?" [Nero] begged the question with eyes wide.
"Yeah… I'm glad that Christina was forced back into Halloween before Ben slew the Jailor… She probably wouldn't have enjoyed this either. I mean, I was totally there with her the entire time; but I was still able to get in and out of the cages… She was genuinely stuck in there, ya know?" [Penny] remarked while fighting back the urge to cry.
"Yeah… Conrad, please see to it that every lock is broken." [Nero] beckoned. To which, Conrad appeared from the Lantern once more.
"Sorry about that… I was checking in on Connor and Con." [Conrad] explained his absence from the battle with the Jailor before flying off down the halls of the Dungeons while swiping through each lock as he soared.
"Ack! You're going to break them all at once?!" [Sable Ferretkin] asked with a terrified expression.
"Uh-Yeah?" [Nero] shot back as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"B-But what about the troublemakers?!" [Sable Ferretkin] shot back while clearly panicking.
"Trouble for this King doesn't necessarily mean trouble for me~" [Nero] sighed while shrugging his shoulders.
"B-But… Some of them were imprisoned for murder…" [Sable Ferretkin] muttered while shaking.
"...Do you know their reasonings?" [Nero] slowly asked while tilting his head to the side.
"I-I guess not…" [Sable Ferretkin] said while seeming dejected.
"...I suppose that we'll just need to ask them on a case-by-case standard." [Nero] sighed.
"They can still lie, though." [Roah] grumbled.
"You say that as if you aren't both murderers." [Ben] shot back with a tired expression.
"Oh, it's you guys. What took you?" [Cetilla] asked with a wry smile.
"Thank the gods! It's Nero!" [Prussian] hysterically screamed as he flew on up to join the ensemble.
"Calm down… I told you that they'd come~" [Cetilla] sighed while rolling her eyes.
"You said a lot of things… Like that we wouldn't be caught to begin with!" [Chartreuse] spat with a frustrated expression.
"How could I have expected a party of that caliber?!" [Cetilla] shot back with an exasperated tone of voice.
"...Glad that you're all okay. So you really WERE caught, huh?" [Nero] asked eyes wide.
"Yeah... We need to get out of here, as soon as possible." [Cetilla] replied with a determined expression.
"Wait… I want to save the others held captive." [Nero] replied with a smile.
"...Nero. If we stay here, we'll all die." [Cetilla] explained with eyes wide.
"Eh?" [Roah] let out.
"I'm not kidding. This King's hired some ridiculously good Mercenaries to ensure that we don't rule Reygid for long. They took us in alive, so that you would be drawn in to our rescue. If we don't act quickly, we might never escape this Dungeon." [Cetilla] explained as her hair sat still.
"How good are you on MP?" [Nero] begged the question as he raised an eyebrow.
"Not at all. Even if I were at full strength, I don't think I could stand a chance against them." [Cetilla] explained while shaking her head.
"Welp… That's it. I don't want to die. See ya~" [Ben] exclaimed while waving a paw as he began to depart.
"Nero… Do we absolutely need to save them all?" [Roah] asked with eyes wide.
"Please… You've done so much for us already. If you can't do any more, then escape with your lives." [Sable Ferretkin] begged as tears began to fall from his eyes.
"...Fuck." [Ben] groaned as he suddenly stopped walking.
"That's it. [Clansmen Capture]!" [Nero] screamed as he raised his Lantern. To which… Bright orange flames erupt from his Lantern and engulfed all of the nearby Clansmen Candidates… Before dispersing to reveal that Nero had successfully captured four new Clans(wo)men.
"Clansmen! Protect the Gate, save as many prisoners as you possibly can… Bring them to the Wailing Keep no matter what the cost… And buy me as much time as you can!" [Nero] beckoned while raising his Lantern. To which, Molag Dregora, Wolrietta, Wendel, Benji, a dozen Scarecrows, every single Wraith, Bat, and Crow appeared.
Okay… Grabbing the two Ferretkin and Harpies, I turned back and began to fly further into the Dungeon. Quickly into doing so, I found more slaves; and assumed a larger form. Asking the Ferretkin and Harpies to ride me, holding my Broom, Lantern, and bucket close to my fur… I began snatching up more and more slaves… Letting them ride my back. It got to a point where I had slaves grappled onto the upper parts of my legs, and even my tails. Molag Dregora helped, carrying as many as he could. Roah, Cetilla, Ben, and Gluttatosk stayed behind to fight alongside the other Clansmen. As we fled, and gained new captives; Conrad searched for an escape. Our entire plan relied on my escape. If I could survive, then so too would Halloween. As I continued to run, I began to throw down Pumpkin Bombs to dissuade any from following. They were worth 10000 MP each, and honestly… The flames began to move even faster than I did. It became a race, between my flames; and myself. I needed to reach the slaves before the flames… So it was like that. When I had found myself covered head to paw in slaves, I began picking them up with my mouth. They started latching onto each other, holding on for dear life to my fur. They needed no explanation, for I was the only ride away from the hellfire. Eventually, I caught up to Conrad himself; who dejectedly began helping me carry more slaves by latching himself onto my body. Molag Dregora had already submit himself to such a fate, it couldn't be helped.
When we reached a dead end… I increased my size by assuming a larger form, immediately growing my [Barrier]... And ran at full force into the wall, breaking through the stone; and finding myself falling from a cliff… Heading directly into the open sea. I lost a considerable amount of MP from the impact. I found myself blinded by rubble for a brief moment; but thankfully... THANK JANUS, Lianix was still attached; so I was capable of flight. It was strange to fly that way, but it worked. That, is how I saved around fifty slaves while fleeing my own death. Briefly checking my Clansmen roster… I found that very few of them had even survived. Roah, Penny, and Betty were the final three remaining in the Dungeon. The ones outside were also taking damage, though many of them still stood. Penny's got some stupid luck… Flying back up on over the cliff and directly toward the Castle Courtyard… I gained a clear glance at the battle. It was the Royal Kingdom Knights. Dropping another 5 Pumpkin Bombs worth 1000 MP… I descended into the fire and brought the slaves back to Halloween before cancelling the Gate.
"You had us all worried for a moment there…" [Cetilla] sighed.
"Y-You're here?!" [Sable Ferretkin] screamed in surprise.
"Nero's Clansmen don't die." [Cetilla] explained with a smile before continuing…
"Now, release me." [Cetilla] beckoned with a terrifying expression.
"U-Uh… Right, sure." [Nero] let out as the dozens of freed slaves began to get their whereabouts.
"I thought we were going to fly straight into the Ocean…" [Civilian #1] groaned while trembling on all fours.
"I thought I was going to burn alive…" [Civilian #2] muttered with eyes wide while shaking a nearby companion.
"Where the hell are we?!" [Civilian #3] hysterically screamed.
...He said it. Robert… Hit it!~ I said HIT IT, ROBERT! Ahh… The beat. The opening beat is always the best part… Watching the Jack-o-Lantern speaker monsters begin to dance, I continued to walk closer to the Hallowed Orb.
"Boy's and girls of every age… Wouldn't you like to see something strange~?" [Mescare, the Scarecrow] begged the question with a terrifying smile.
"Come with us and you will see… This, our Town of Halloween~" [Molag Dregora] exclaimed while soaring through the skies above the fountain.
"This is Halloween! This is Halloween!" [Phantasms] sang as they swirled around the fountain.
"Pumpkins scream in the dead of night..." [Wilson] chimed in with a deep voice from atop one of the nearby houses.
"This is Halloween… Everybody make a scene!" [Phantasms] sang as they flew closer to the houses.
"Trick or treat 'til the neighbors gonna die of fright~" [Miscare & Mescarga] chimed in while both knocking on two doors.
"It's our Town! Everybody scream!" [Phantasms] screamed as they floated out from the closed doors that the two greater Scarecrows knocked on.
"In this town of Halloween…" [Wilson] sang from his perch.
"I am the one hiding under your bed… Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red!" [Benji] declared as he flew through an open window.
"I am the one hiding under your stairs… Fingers like Snakes and Spiders in my hair…" [Lora] introduced herself with a terrifying expression as she stepped out from behind the fountain.
"This is Halloween, this is Halloween!" [Mick] screamed as he stepped out from behind a nearby house.
"Halloween! Halloween!" [Steve] chimed in with an overly excited expression from behind him.
"Halloween! Halloween!" [Andy] jumped in from behind Steve with a flamboyant slide.
"In this Town, we call home… Everyone hail to the pumpkin song!" [Mick, Steve, Andy, Miscare, and Mescarga] sang as the five walked along through the Town Circle.
"In this Town, don't we love it now? Everybody's waiting for the next surprise…" [Gluttatosk] exclaimed while stepping out from the group of civilians.
"Round that corner, man hiding in the trash can… Something's waiting to pounce, and how you'll-" [Roah] exclaimed with a smirk as he began to gesture to a nearby barrel before being interrupted…
"SCREAM!" [Conrad] shouted as he leapt out from within the barrel, taking flight immediately around a flock of Crows.
"This is Halloween! Red and black, and slimy green!~" [Wilson, Christina, and Luna] exclaimed while dancing near the barrel.
"Aren't you scared?!" [Wilson] begged the question while tilting his head to the side with a sadistic expression.
"Well… That's just fine!" [Wolrietta] laughed sadistically from atop a nearby house.
"Say it once, say it twice; take a chance and roll the dice~" [Penny and Unnamed Pixie] sang as they flew together through the skies.
"Ride with the moon in the dead of night!" [Cetilla] screamed as she floated around the fountain, hair flowing violently in the Wind.
"Everybody scream! Everybody scream!" [Grollicus] exclaimed with a terrifying expression, strolling down a street as a group of Skeletons hung from his branches.
"In our town of Halloween…" [Skeletons] sang from Grollicus' branches.
"I am the clown with the tear-away face… Here in a flash and gone without a trace~" [Molag Dregora] exclaimed while lifting his head off his shoulders before vanishing into a Shadow Ball.
"I am the 'who' when you call, 'who's there?'... I am the wind blowing through your hair~" [Phillian] sang while floating behind Cetilla.
"I am the shadow on the moon at night… Filling your dreams to the brim with fright!" [Conrad] declared before bursting into a hundred Crows, disappearing before the Crows evaporated.
"This is Halloween! This is Halloween! Halloween, Halloween, alloween, alloween, alloween, alloween…" [Banshees] sang as they began to dance with the Phantasms in the skies.
"Tender lumplings everywhere… Life's no fun without a good scare!" [Wendel] hysterically exclaimed as she pet some nearby Bats.
"That's our job, but we're not mean… In our Town of Halloween~" [Penny and Unnamed Pixie] sang as they flew to land on Grollicus' branches.
"In this Town… Don't we love it now?! Everybody's waiting for the next surprise!" [Grollicus] screamed with excitement.
"Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back, and scream like a banshee; make you jump out of your-" [Steve, Mick, Andy] exclaimed while dancing in the Town Circle before being interrupted…
"Skin!" [Robert] shouted from atop the Fountain.
"This is Halloween, everybody scream~ Won't you please make way for a very special guy?!" [Scarecrows] sang in unison as they began to walk around the Fountain.
"Our man Jack is King of the pumpkin patch… Everyone hail to the pumpkin King now…" [Greater Scarecrows] exclaimed while their flames began to sporadically grow as they danced.
"This is Halloween, this is Halloween, alloween, alloween, alloween, alloween…" [Every Clans(wo)men] sang in unison as they all began to gather near the fountain…
"In this Town, we call home… Everyone hail to the pumpkin song…" [Penny and Unnamed Pixie] sang as they bent over the fountain with wishful glances.
"La, la, la, la-la... La, la, la, la-la… La, la, la, la-la… La, la, la~" [Banshees and Pixies] chanted while swirling around the fountain as a particular Halloween Cat began to slowly emerge from the fountain… And as all of the other Clans(wo)men chanted their own particular noises.
After I emerged... All of the Clansmen screamed, laughed, and clapped. A wondrous display of talent, everyone. Well done~ Also… GROLLICUS?! YOU WERE HERE, THIS WHOLE TIME?! Penny… You're the worst. You TOTALLY lied to me about now knowing where he was...
"Hahahaha!" [Rei and Cetilla] laughed together while patting each other on the back… Only to find that they could no longer do such a thing; causing them to burst out laughing even louder than before.
"Weee!~" [Penny and Unnamed Pixie] exclaimed while flying through the skies, away from the Halloween Cat.
"It's over!" [Roah] exclaimed while fist-bumping Wilson.
"Wasn't it terrifying?!" [Wilson] begged the question with a smirk.
"By far… The best performance that we've done yet~" [Benji] exclaimed while puffing out his chest.
"Grollicus REALLY sealed the deal. It's a good thing we practiced so much!" [Skelde] sighed while unhooking himself from the Twisted Treant.
"You really think so?! I was afraid I might have ruined it…" [Grollicus] grumbled.
Welp... All of the rescued slaves seem absolutely baffled… But who cares? That was ridiculously fun~ I think I might start joining the performance every single time… Nyah. Moving along, I returned to the Hallowed Orb and ACTUALLY released Cetilla this time. Cetilla, Ben, Roah, and Gluttatosk… See ya~ Have fun not being linked to my mind any longer! [Release Clansmen]! Ahh... That nice little menu screen popped up to tell me that the releases had been successful. They hath all been let go... Teehee~ Good luck healing yourselves with Luna!~ THAT'S going to take awhile… Not my problem, though; now is it? Mwuahahaha~! Apparently, Grollicus had been spending his nights in Halloween as technically; it's daytime within Halloween. Something about it being good for his bark. He's also been practicing for his debut as a Bandsman. Wilson and Lora have been giving him a TON of pointers~ It's a whole thing, that was supposed to be a surprise. Well played, Twisted Treant...
After returning to the Town Circle, I explained to the slaves whom happened to be rescued from the depths of the Dungeons that if they followed me; they would be taken to the remaining slaves that had already been taken through here. They were a little reluctant to go through with yet another Gate, but seeing as how they were practically already IN hell; they went along with it. After they had all been gathered beneath my Throne... The Clans(wo)men, Cat Crew, and extras whom happened to be in Halloween decided to gather off to the sides... Almost as if they were surrounding the terrified captives. Ahh... It can't be helped if we're frightening, I suppose. Best to move on with it~
"Greetings, everyone~ I am-" [Nero] began to introduce himself before being brutally interrupted...
"Jack, the Pumpkin King?" [Civilian #1] asked with a tired expression. To which, a nearby Pixie stifled her laughter.
"Eh... That was a song, THIS is reality. I am Nero Miki, the one True Allwe Halloween Cat. I represent Halloween, sure... But I'm NO Pumpkin King~" [Nero] clarified while lowering his aviators before continuing...
"Not only am I leading a remnant of the Halloween Clan... But I'm also helping to organize the Monster and Beastkin Kingdoms, meaning that the Monster Knights are also in on this. As we just saved you from Nidallia, you are now all free. I recommend staying in Reygid, and finding work in this City. You will find that slavery has been abolished. You WILL be paid for whatever work you find here, and I should hope that you're paid enough to thrive. If not, please find me and I'll see to it that you are. As residents of the Beastkin Kingdom, you will be under our protection. That King will never again do you any harm." [Nero] explained. To which, the crowd cheered. When they had finished cheering, Nero continued...
"As I can see that there are a few children among you... If you have a child, feel welcome to request asylum within this place until you find proper accommodations within the City. If any of you believe that you are strong enough to be of any help to us... Or wish to become strong enough to do so... Feel free to enlist yourself as a Monster Knight to protect this Kingdom; but be warned... Monster Knights are the one and only job that can be taken within Reygid which does NOT guarantee fair pay. As a Monster Knight, you are paid with luxurious meals and high quality living arrangements. Comfortable bedding... A place to call your own... Access to free healing should you find yourself injured... The right to freely participate in our gaming tournaments... Free access to Halloween whenever you desire... Exclusive rights, and tasks during our rather illustrious festivals. These are all things that you can expect from choosing to enlist as a Monster Knight." [Nero] thoughtfully explained. To which, the crowd seemed conflicted. Many chose to leave, while others chose to stay.
"I want to help and pay you back for saving our lives." [Sable Ferretkin] declared while bowing to the Halloween Cat. To which, his daughter bowed as well.
"...I was never very good at being a Kingdom Knight... But if you say that you can train me, then I want to try." [Human Man] confessed while seeming embarrassed.
"Fair warning, there are a plethora of different creatures serving as Monster Knights. If you can not see a monster as a peer, then you will not belong here." [Nero] sighed.
"I'll do my best." [Human Man] swore while bowing.
"My mother has fallen ill, and I can't afford to have her healed... Can you help her?" [Human Boy] asked with teary eyes.
"Yes... You may both stay here until she's back on her feet, and has found proper work. Mescarga, please carry these two to Vana. By the end of the night, bring them back here and find them a room to stay in." [Nero]
"Yes, Master." [Mescarga] exclaimed before bowing and picking up the two Humans.
"We're criminals... Are you sure that you're offering work to the likes of us?" [Criminal] asked while referencing to a small group of rough-looking individuals.
"What did you do, if I might ask?" [Nero] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.
"...A lot. Mostly, we acted as Bandits... But sometimes, we gained jobs to do more particular things from the Dark Guilds. Almost all of them were illegal. I'm Ritchie, a Bounty Hunter Street Fighter. This is Marlene, an Assassin Skald... Over there, is George; he's a Mercenary Wizard Hunter. Serena's a Finder of Lost Things Bomb Dancer... And Minny's a Carrier Navigator. Together... We formed the Crimson Slayers." [Ritchie] introduced himself, and his party; one by one.
"I've heard of them." [Cetilla] chimed in while glaring at the Crimson Slayers.
"Oh?" [Nero] let out as he turned to glance at Cetilla.
"They're notorious for causing trouble all over the continent. Just about any job... They'll take it. I don't see why they're looking to settle down here, though... As we don't pay well." [Cetilla] sighed while rolling her eyes as if to show her distrust. To which, Nero turned his gaze back to the party.
"...Our last job didn't turn out so well. We believe that we were set up from the start to fail... While we were imprisoned, we decided that if we ever DID manage to escape... That it was time for us to turn over a new leaf, and give up our old ways. Clearly, it wasn't working out for us... So we're hoping to start anew, no matter what the pay may be. If you can promise us a place to stay, keep out of trouble, and a chance to be honorable for a change... Then we're willing. Right, guys?" [Ritchie] confessed before turning to his party.
"I've always been skeptical of those Dark Guilds either way~" [Minny, the Carrier Navigator] sighed.
"Looking back... Minny's always known when we were in over our heads. We just never seemed to listen to her..." [Serena, Finder of Lost Things Bomb Dancer] grumbled before continuing...
"I'm willing to try." [Serena] declared with a determined expression.
"If the girls are in, then I'll follow~" [George, Mercenary Wizard Hunter] laughed while rubbing the back of his head, before turning his gaze to Marlene.
"I'll be honest... I don't see the purpose in slowing down right now. I only agreed back then because we were all imprisoned and I didn't expect an escape to come. I thought we'd die down there... This Halloween Cat or whatever saved us, and gave us a free rope to get the hell out of Nidallia. Let's take it, and move on to our next job." [Marlene, the Assassin Skald] sighed while shrugging her shoulders.
"Marlene..." [Ritchie] muttered under his breath.
"What?!" [Marlene] spat back while side-eyeing the Bounty Hunter Street Fighter.
"You're the one who got us into that mess! Don't you have any remorse?!" [Minny] screamed while pointing a finger toward Marlene.
"Yeah! We could have died down there!" [Ritchie] angrily exclaimed while hurling his finger toward Marlene as well.
"But we didn't, now did we?!" [Marlene] snapped while glancing between the two.
"If death is what you need to see reason... I'd be more than willing to help you to it." [Nero] chimed in from atop his Throne with a terrifying smile. To which, the Assassin Skald's eye twitched.
"Please forgive her... She forgets herself." [Serena] muttered.
"A life without Marlene..." [George] mumbled while seemingly lost in thought.
"Master... I await your command." [Molag Dregora] exclaimed while lowering his head.
"Just what the hell is that thing?!" [Marlene] shuddered, completely terrified of the Lich.
"The clown with the tear-away face... Keep up~" [Minny] laughed, happy to witness Marlene being tormented.
"That's it... I'm quitting the Crimson Slayers..." [Marlene] groaned while holding her head in her hand.
"W-What?! You can't leave!" [George] screamed in agony as he extended a hand, as if to grab on to her and never let her go... Finally coming out of his trance.
"Crimson Slayers are for life." [Ritchie] agreed while nodding his head profusely.
"Agh..." [Marlene] grumbled, clearly exhausted from this conversation.
"Please, Sir Halloween Cat... Please give us a night to talk some sense into her. I promise that she'll change her attitude after a good night's sleep." [Serena] pleaded to the Master of Time.
"No dice... As things stand... I can MAYBE trust four of you. Thing is, one is all it takes to cause a betrayal. I hope that you can understand... But you're just going to need to die and become my Clans(wo)men. Molag~" [Nero] shot back with a serious expression.
"Wait, wha-" [Minny] let out with eyes wide before being interrupted by the rampaging Lich...
And so... I watched as Molag Dregora, the Bringer of Undying... Sliced each of their necks. The other freed slaves watching the kerfuffle had looks of horror as they witnessed the Crimson Slayers meet their untimely demises. Penny slowed time, letting me relish in their expressions as they died. Ritchie was the first to go... He didn't even have time to process the information before his neck was slit. Minny was second, being cut off in the midst of her sentence... Serena was third, throwing down a Smoke Bomb from seemingly nowhere; blinding me from watching her begin to die. George was fourth. He was idiotically still grappling on to Marlene, causing her to be incapable of moving away after watching her friends die. She had a look of absolute horror, and seemed quite frantic to be released from his clutches... But the attack against her came momentarily after his, making her the last to drop to her knees while desperately attempting to stop her bleeding neck. The two Ferretkin watched, but the father shielded his daughter's line of sight. She still peeked through the cracks of his claws; though... With a frighteningly sadistic grin. The Kingdom Knight watched while clutching his sword, seemingly unsure of what to do. There were also three others nearby who didn't have the opportunity to introduce themselves yet... But they all fell to their knees, as if to signal their intentions to stay out of the problem.
"Now then... Penny, cut that out... Ah~ Okay... Everyone, have no fear... The Crimson Slayers will be resurrected as Vampires by Luna. Luna~ You three, please introduce yourselves." [Nero] beckoned before removing his aviators. To which, an exhausted Unholy Priestess appeared from the depths of his Lantern and began to resurrect the Crimson Slayers whom were quite literally bleeding out and gasping for air.
"I-I... You go first." [Unnamed Civilian] let out, before nudging the one standing beside him.
"...I'm... I'm a Farmer. This guy's a Knight, though you might not believe it from his complete and total lack of composure... She's a Bard. We all worked at the Castle... Do you have anything to grow?" [Farmer] introduced himself and the other two with a terrified expression.
"...Actually, yes. There are a lot of Goblins from the Lost Kingdom trying to resettle in a place known as the Forsaken Isles. If I'm not mistaken, there's a small farming field on one of those Islands. It's been untended to for quite some time, but I have a few tools left in Halloween. If you follow through that Gate, and the one after... You should arrive where the Goblins are settling. Say that Nero sent you, ask around for Grenda. She'll show you to the farms. Benji, please show this young man to the tools in Halloween. If he needs anything else, let me know. After he's done checking up on everything, take him to an empty room in the basement to rest in. Actually, if anyone's hungry... Mary's probably still in the Kitchen. She'll cook you up something wonderful." [Nero] explained with a smile.
"...That's a relief..." [Farmer] sighed.
"What about me?" [Bard] asked while tilting her head to the side.
"I'm assuming that you played that Banjo to entertain the King?" [Nero] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.
"...Nero, Bards are classified as Healers." [Cetilla] muttered while side-eyeing the Halloween Cat.
"...Oh. Uh... Robert, please show this young lady to the beach. Explain to Vana that she can help her keep everyone alive. Before night comes to an end, bring her back to find an empty room in the Wailing Keep to sleep in." [Nero] beckoned.
"It would be my pleasure~" [Robert] happily exclaimed.
"...Please don't kill me." [Kingdom Knight] groaned.
"No, you can join her and the other Knight. You can all go to the beach to train." [Nero] sighed.
"Thank you so much." [Kingdom Knight] said with a smile.
"It's no problem~ Now... You two... Your daughter may have been a Chef in that Castle... But I'd feel bad if she were working against her will. If she would like, she can join the other children currently playing somewhere in the Keep... Or she can just go and try to learn a few things from Mary in the Kitchen. It's her choice. You on the other hand, may also join the other two Knights to train at the beach. You'll all have your own rooms in the basement to sleep in during the day. Night is when we come out around here." [Nero] explained while turning to face the two Ferretkin. To which, they exchanged glances with each other before nodding their heads.
"I'll go to the beach." [Ferretkin Kingdom Knight] declared with a smile.
"I'll go help Mary." [Ferretkin Chef] declared with a determined expression.
"...I wish you the best of luck. Don't push yourselves too hard." [Nero] replied with a smile.
"So... We going to get wasted again now that they're all gone?" [Roah] asked with a smirk.
"You two got wasted?" [Cetilla] chimed in while seeming quite jealous.
"Cetilla... Have I ever told you that your mother's a pain?" [Nero] shot back while side-eyeing the Dutchess of Doom.
"She's a lot to handle... But I love her~" [Cetilla] confessed as she shrugged her shoulders and innocently glanced up off into the distance.
"Wait... You two were going for round two when you decided to ditch me at the beach?" [Gluttatosk] muttered while seeming quite lost in thought.
"Uh-" [Nero] let out, before being interrupted...
"I'm coming along. Janus knows what you two could get into if left alone~" [Gluttatosk] shot back before casually sliding his neck to the side and winking excessively close to Roah's face.
"...What's he going off about?" [Cetilla] begged the question while tilting her head to the side.
"Ah! Would you look at the time~" [Nero] sighed.
"That's strange... You don't own a clock..." [Cetilla] shot back while raising an eyebrow.
"Uh-I'm the Master of Time... I just know these things~" [Nero] quickly shot back.
"Please... You probably don't even know what day it is, let alone the time..." [Cetilla] retorted before flipping her hair.
"Tomorrow's my weekly earnings from Clive, actually~" [Nero] exclaimed with a smile.
"Which is...?" [Cetilla] begged the question with a smirk.
"Last night was a full moon~" [Nero] exclaimed with a smile.
"So...?" [Cetilla] asked once more while raising her eyebrows.
"Nero... Your one hundredth day alive is coming up in 6 nights. Do you intend to do anything for it?" [Roah] chimed in with a smile.
"Of course~ We might as well throw another festival!" [Nero] exclaimed with a thumb held high.
"Another festival?! So soon?!" [Chartreuse] chimed in with an excited expression.
"I'll get the chance to make my debut..." [Grollicus] muttered before continuing...
"I must get back to practicing immediately!" [Grollicus] declared with a determined expression before turning around to return to Halloween.
"I'll come and help out~" [Wilson] exclaimed with a smile as he chased the Twisted Treant, leaving Wolrietta with a look of dismay.
"Clansmen! Return to your nightly tasks!" [Nero] beckoned. To which, Wolrietta groaned.
"It's okay, I'll join you." [Lora] consoled the Werewolf.
"It's just... It's not fair! How am I even going to keep anyone safe with 1 MP?! I can't even fly like this!" [Wolrietta] hysterically sobbed.
"...Find Luna and have her heal you first." [Nero] sighed. To which, the Werewolf dejectedly left alongside the Lamia.
"Nero... Your meal has been prepared." [Scarecrow] exclaimed while handing a beautiful mess of Goldfish to the Halloween Cat.
"...You've been eating Goldfish since I left?" [Cetilla] begged the question with a terrifying expression.
"Who, me? No... This is obviously intended for someone else. Here, you have it~" [Nero] nervously sighed while giving the Goldfish to Cetilla who happily accepted.
"Please, have Mary fetch me something a little more... Prudent." [Nero] requested of the Scarecrow.
"It would be an honor." [Scarecrow] replied with a smile before turning to leave.
"We doin' this thing or not?" [Roah] begged the question with a smirk.
"We're totally doing it." [Nero] replied with a wry smile while nodding his head.
"Eh?! Wait up!" [Cetilla] begged while seeming unsure of how to handle her Goldfish without a plate.
"I hope that the Scarecrows can send meals all the way to Georgia's..." [Gluttatosk] muttered.
"I dont believe I've had the chance to meet this Georgia... What's she like?" [Cetilla] asked before giving in and taking a massive bite of her absolutely delectable meal.
"She's great... She has curly brown hair, a killer attitude, an amazing story, and she's rather voluptuous, too." [Roah] casually explained.
"She carries a very wide spectrum of Alcohol in her Tavern, and she doesn't seem to care very much about who she deals with; so long as they pay her properly." [Nero] sighed while nodding his head.
"She's a pretty good cook, too. Not as good as Mary, but she makes do with what she's got. The ideal woman~" [Gluttatosk] exclaimed while glaring off into the distance.
"Hold it... All THREE of you met her and totally have a thing for her?!" [Cetilla] snapped back as her eyes began to twitch. To which, the three Cat Crewmen gave each other very quick glances.
"Georgia can do no wrong." [Nero] replied. To which, both Cat Crewmen nodded along.
"Oh, brother..." [Cetilla] groaned while rolling her eyes with her mouth full.
"That's not very lady-like of you~" [Nero] shot back with a wry smile.
"Okay, dad~" [Cetilla] sighed.
"Cetilla... We'll take you to meet Georgia, if you promise me one thing." [Nero] declared with a serious expression.
"...What?" [Cetilla] asked, mouth still absolutely filled with food.
"Promise me that you will NEVER try to rob or swindle her. She doesn't deserve it." [Nero] beckoned while lowering his aviators.
"...Fine..." [Cetilla] grumbled.
And so, we made our way back to Georgia~ As we flew, Roah rode behind me on my Broom. Cetilla flew on her own, and Gluttatosk ran. I brought my special bucket filled with Gold Coins... And it was a wonderful time. Chartreuse and Prussian felt as though they had already had their fill of Nidallia, and so they decided to stay behind. Roah got another hard one... But I paid it no mind, and once again... He clutched onto me a little too closely. I tried my best not to mind it, and shrugged it off as another earthly impulse. He's just... A little bit too into me, you know? I find it strange that I had never noticed it until last night... But then again, maybe I'm just dense? I hope I'm not some overly clichéd dense MC... That would be embarrassing~ While we travelled, Cetilla couldn't help but to feel excited over finally getting the chance to meet Georgia. It was a little bit cute to see her in this new light... Thinking back, I don't think that she's ever been so excited over anything aside from killing~ It's a nice change of pace. I decided to ask her more about her past... But she turned the tables on me to ensure that I didn't overlook her status. Scout's honor... I didn't. Even so, she found it difficult to believe me. And so... We didn't get too far into her past. Instead, Gluttatosk took the lead and spoke of his own past... Because we ALL so TOTALLY desired to learn more about life in the Chasms... Definitely~
According to Gluttatosk, life in the Chasms was brutal. Almost as brutal as the Lost Kingdom. Every night, he would wake up; and find himself yearning for some Harpies... In the sexual manner. He would do his darn best to slay just about anything that he possibly could, or if the hunt was weak... He would attempt at stealing from a fellow Drake. After having his fill, he would go on to climb the Chasms; all the way up to those little caverns before one might actually reach the surface. In those caverns, starving Harpies would sometimes await creatures similar to him... And he would feed them in exchange for promiscuous deeds. Food is where the heart is... Or something like that~ Some nights, he wouldn't obtain enough food to satisfy the Harpies; and so they wouldn't let him have his way... Other nights, he would epically fail at climbing, and lose his leftovers mid-venture... Finding himself incredibly wounded, and incapable of making another attempt the very next night. It was a real struggle, or so I hear.
Cetilla was absolutely disgusted to learn of Gluttatosk's past... But Roah didn't seem to notice, and so he too shared of his own misdeeds. Before having met me, he would obviously protect Goddin Village Neith Sama... But in his down-time, he would sneak off to gather incredible amounts of Berries. Rather than use them to procure Alcohol like his Chief had suggested, he would use them to entice the cutest of Goblinas or Goblins to sell their bodies to him. Sometimes, he would cheat and slay Rabbits or Foxes. Most nights, he would fail; and so he began his attempts to convince Cloaked Monk into slaying Slimes with him; as a means to train... So that he might be more capable in his attempts against the Rabbits and Foxes. It was despicable... He totally used Cloaked Monk as a means of furthering his strength, and as he never explained his true reasoning to Cloaked Monk... He found himself growing more powerful than his peer, from slaying the Foxes and Rabbits. Apparently, never coming clean and offering Cloaked Monk the wonders of screwing prostitute Goblinas is one of Roah's greatest regrets. He believes that had he actually filled Cloaked Monk in on the details... That Cloaked Monk might have been powerful enough to survive the attack against the Wailing Keep. Seriously... Roah gained a VAST majority of his power from the Orc Mountains... I don't understand why the Foxes and Rabbits thing even bothers him~ It was taboo for him to slay the monsters to begin with... As the Goblin Village was attempting to be herbivores during the warmer months so that they would be less of a negative impact on their ecosystem, so I suppose that it's ALMOST warranted...
Cetilla was ALSO disgusted to learn of Roah's darkest secrets... But eased up after I informed her about my own. Yosh... My travels to the Savage Lands, and how I too; encountered a Brothel scenario. Given, I didn't start going there nightly... It was a Birthday thang~ Even so... After having shared my encounter with that particular Brothel, and how it lead me to meeting and rescuing Sealina from her own troubles... She seemed to have acknowledged that she is; infact... Surrounded by men. It's no use. EVERYONE gets dirty every ONCE in a while~ Sometimes... Blowing off some steam is JUST what the Bard ordered~ Also, it's totally her fault for joining in on this motley. She's with the men of the Cat Crew meow... She's missed a few bonding moments, and she doesn't understand that Roah and I are closer than ever. Literally. His hard-on is meow nudging up against my 'supple' ass on a nightly basis~ We're close. Gluttatosk is in on it, as our confidant. We're the three muskateers meow... We share EVERYTHING! The Dutchess of Doom has a teensy-weensy bit of catching up to do~
"...Is this... It?" [Cetilla] begged the question while glancing at Georgia's Tavern; as if to signify her disapproval.
"Just wait, honey~ This place is the Cat's me-" [Nero] began to let out a snide comment before being brutally interrupted by a total BABE walking out of the Tavern while carrying three large bottles of Alcohol.
"Owwh~" [Nero] sighed while sizing up the blonde floozy with green eyes, magical apparel, and a body that just would not quit. To which, Roah's grip on a particular waist strengthened.
"Oh, calm down... Pervert~" [Blonde Mage] spat back before strutting her stuff on down the lane.
"A-Am I wrong... Or was she particularly attractive?" [Gluttatosk] stammered while gawking at the fine Lady as she walked away.
"No, you're right on the money... THAT woman was FINE~" [Nero] shot back while nodding his head. To which, Cetilla groaned...
"Just when exactly did you three become so horny?! You've got me cringing over here..." [Cetilla] groaned while holding her head in her hands.
"Sorry... Honestly, most of Georgia's clientele are like polar opposites to that dame... She took me by surprise~" [Nero] sighed while shrugging his shoulders.
"Ahh... So this is a low-grade Tavern, huh?" [Cetilla] asked while seemingly unimpressed.
"It's in the slums... But Georgia's worth coming here." [Nero] explained before adjusting his aviators as he swung open the doors.
"Oh? Back so soon...? I guess you just can't get enough of me~" [Georgia] exclaimed with a wry smile before whipping out a few large glasses down onto the table and slinging a huge bottle to pour into them with as she winked.
"ABSOLU-TELY NO ONE CAN GET ENOUGH OF YOU, GEORGIA!~" [Surly Human Male] drunkenly screamed from across the Tavern before taking a swig of his bottle.
"Seal those lips Earl... I've got company!" [Georgia] shot back while tossing a shot glass at the man's head. To which, the glass shattered, leaving the man profusely bleeding as he carefreely continued to down his drink.
"...I can see why you like her." [Cetilla] exclaimed with a straight face as she tilted her head to the side.
"Brought an extra with you this time, huh? Let me fix you up another glass~" [Georgia] sighed with a smile before ripping out her hair-tie to reveal her voluminous long brown curls before bending over to grasp another mug.
"This here, is-" [Nero] began to introduce the Cat Crewoman before being brutally interrupted...
"Cetilla Vellisroi, Nero's very FIRST Cat Crewoman~ Also known as the Dutchess of Doom, holding CONSIDERABLE power within Reygid; and if we're being frank... The most powerful of all the Monster Knights, aside from a disturbingly strong Tree~" [Cetilla] effortlessly introduced herself with a wry smile as her hair flowed violently in the Pumpkin Spice Wind before floating on over to the bar and taking her seat.
"...Huh. Just how many ARE there in this rather notable Cat Crew?" [Georgia] begged the question while raising an eyebrow.
...Woah. It's almost as if she were here LAST night... This HAS to be a joke! Who told her?! Glancing at both Roah and Gluttatosk... They both shrugged... Penny?! Was it you?! Wait... Thinking back... Cetilla and Rei had a moment earlier... It was Rei. She's been dishing out secrets, more than likely... But who told her?! Perhaps... Betty?! That damned Banshee...
"Eight, if you count the deceased and later to be resurected~" [Nero] sighed.
"So, what have you come for tonight?" [Georgia] casually asked before continuing...
"Roah... You seem exceptionally sober... Take a drink~ On the house." [Georgia] offered while nudging a filled mug closer to the approaching (Hob)Goblin King.
"Thanks, Georgia." [Roah] thanked before taking a large swig of his drink...
"Ah~" [Roah] sighed, relishing in the taste of his liquor.
"We've come seeking kegs~ If they could be cheap, I'd appreciate it." [Nero] sighed before taking a swig of his own drink.
"Kegs again, huh...? Honestly, I wouldn't have offered free drinks had I known that you'd be skimping out this time around... But I suppose you all earned me enough of a profit last night~" [Georgia] sighed while shrugging her shoulders before taking a shot for herself.
"You're the BEST, Georgia~" [Gluttatosk] groaned before hysterically attempting to lift his mug up from the table with his mouth. To which, Cetilla reluctantly lent the poor Land Shark her aide.
"Honestly... We're more or less after the barrels themselves. Drinking from this is just a bonus~" [Nero] confessed with a wry smile.
"Oho... Doing something with my barrels, are ya?" [Georgia] asked with a smirk as she leaned in closer to meet the Halloween Cat's glance while twirling her hair.
"What can I say? I'm an entrepreneur~" [Nero] sighed before taking another swig of his drink without taking his eyes away from the Tavernkeep's.
"What are you up to?" [Georgia] begged the question while beginning to squint.
"Just... Selling some Punch~" [Nero] explained with a sigh.
"Punch, huh? Like... The juice?" [Georgia] asked while tilting her head to the side.
"Precisely~ Nothing that should intervene with your business too heavily..." [Nero] shot back while lowering his aviators.
"...Well, I suppose that I have no problems with that~ Come on, you know the way~" [Georgia] exclaimed as she began to the lead the Cat Crew along down to her Wine Cellar.
"...Woah. You three weren't kidding~ She's got QUITE a lot going on down here..." [Cetilla] muttered with eyes wide as she admired the catalog.
"Heh... You haven't even seen the basement~" [Georgia] shot back with a laugh.
"...There's a Basement?" [Cetilla] begged the question with a nervous voice.
"It's exceptional." [Nero] casually sighed.
"It's even larger than this~" [Roah] muttered.
"It's bigger than Mary's Kitchen~" [Gluttatosk] agreed with a snide expression.
"Uh-Okay... But why do YOU seem proud of it?!" [Cetilla] shot back with an exasperated tone of voice.
"This right here... This is where I keep the cheaper kegs. One of them should set you back 200 Silver Coins." [Georgia] said with a smile as she gestured toward a set of barrels.
"...We'll take 10." [Nero] declared while squinting his eyes.
"Woah... Just for the four of you? This ought to take you 5 nights to polish off, at the LEAST!" [Georgia] warned with eyes wide.
"...Meh." [Nero] sighed as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh? Planning for the festival early?" [Cetilla] asked with a smirk.
"Uhm... No? 10 kegs would be enough for the Monster Knights... And maybe a few more... But it wouldn't be anywhere NEAR enough for a festival~" [Nero] confessed with a smile.
"So... How much IS a festival like the one we just held?" [Roah] begged the question while tilting his head to the side.
"300 Gold Coins... Perhaps more." [Nero] explained with a solemn expression.
"...Wait. We spent 50 Gold Coins last night... Is that really okay?" [Roah] asked once more, with a nervous expression.
"Eh? Yeah, it's totally fine... Mary's cooking made up for a vast majority of our profits from the last festival. The drinking is honestly more of a bonus than anything else~" [Nero] sighed.
"...Just how much did you earn off of that party; if I might ask?" [Georgia] begged the question while furrowing her eyebrows.
"...Uhm... If I remember correctly... We spent 300 Gold Coins for the Alcohol... And earned 332 Gold Coins, though a lot of my friends drank for free; and I wasn't very stingy on the price. For the food, we spent 200 Gold Coins... And earned 1043 Gold Coins... Though I had absolutely nothing to do with choosing the price, and a lot of my friends also ate for free." explained while visibly thinking.
"...Woah. You turned a pretty Coin off of that food... You could have also increased the price for drinks too; you know?" [Georgia] sighed while seeming quite disappointed.
"It's not a big problem... I have no expenses either way~" [Nero] carefreely remarked.
"Even so... You lost the opportunity to turn a profit. The next time that you hold a festival, people will be expecting a particular price. What if you can't meet that price?" [Georgia] groaned.
"...Huh. I never really thought of that..." [Nero] grumbled while visibly thinking.
"If you're going to keep serving over 10 thousand people, then you need to start thinking... Just when exactly will the next festival commence?" [Georgia] begged the question while furrowing her eyebrows. To which, Nero nervously glanced toward the (Hob)Goblin King.
"...In six nights." [Roah] explained while seeming quite unimpressed with the Halloween Cat's memory.
"Yikes... That's soon. I'd better start preparing... I'll speak with the other Tavernkeeps around town. We'll make sure that the product's in order. Last time, you were lucky that we all happened to have that much cheap liquor on hand. You really SHOULD start placing orders in advance if you intend to do this often." [Georgia] scolded the Halloween Cat.
"Okay... I'll do my best to not make any surprises..." [Nero] grumbled while seeming heavily dejected.
"Good... I'd hate to see you come up empty handed for an audience as large as Reygid~" [Georgia] laughed before continuing...
"So... 10 kegs. That'll be 2 Gold Coins, please~" [Georgia] sighed while glaring at the kegs behind her.
"Here... You can take three on account of serving us free earlier~" [Nero] said as he took three Gold Coins from his bucket and handed them to Georgia.
"...Eh? Those mugs weren't worth even half as much as you're giving me...?" [Georgia] muttered with eyes wide.
"It's fine." [Nero] exclaimed as he shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm starting to think that you don't have a firm grasp on the pricings of things... But whatever~ More money in my pockets!" [Georgia] laughed.
And so... We finished our mugs while making some small talk with Georgia. Cetilla finally explained her own past... Although I had more or less already heard the story. It was basically just about how she grew up in a noble house, and eventually went on to become an Adventurer who later ran into me at the Adventurer's Guild in Reygid. Joining me in a plethora of my endeavors, she wound up capable of sharing a few details that we had previously not mentioned to Georgia; making for quite the conversation. Georgia probably felt compelled to let Cetilla in on the details from her own past that we had learned last night, so we excitedly helped her explain. We eventually left Georgia's Tavern with 10 kegs in tow~ I conjured a Hallowed Gate so that we could quickly move them back to Halloween before departing from Nidallia. Thankfully, we made it out without coming into contact with any more Kingdom Knights. It was ALL safe~ People continued to fear us... But I'm starting to think that it's simply going to be this way, from here on out. We're simply not Human, or something...
Even though we used the Hallowed Gate to transport the kegs... We made sure to keep one of them on hand for ourselves~ We began drinking it near the Delhn Lake. Rei and Milton joined in on our little ensemble, leading to Cetilla and Rei taking some time alone to catch up. I suppose that even after death, those two won't stop being friends~ As they spoke off in the distance... Milton, Roah, Gluttatosk, and myself had our own little conversation. Bro talk~ Gluttatosk was curious about my response to Roah's boner, and so I needed to explain that we weren't actually getting involved with each other in that way. He seemed hesitant to believe me, but eventually caved in when I beckoned for Robert to confirm it. Robert can't tell lies. It's just not in his nature. Gluttatosk believed his every word~ Milton was baffled to learn of the entire ordeal to begin with... But Roah confirmed that he genuinely had feelings for me, and at that point... Milton stifled his own skepticism and simply rolled with it. Milton also felt dejected over having missed out on so much after dying... That he made an oath. He swore to spend more time with us, as a Cat Crewman; so that he wouldn't feel as though he were out of the loop so often~
"Milton... I've missed you, too." [Roah] drunkenly sighed before throwing his head down to meet the keg.
"You guys are my best friends... I love spending my time with Rei... But sometimes, I long for the nights that I had still been alive~" [Milton] sighed.
"It truly IS a shame that you perished..." [Nero] grumbled.
"Who cares if Milton's dead? The real problem is that you're hardly ever around~" [Gluttatosk] sighed before continuing...
"Pull the tap, Roah..." [Gluttatosk] beckoned with a look of determination as he laid down for the keg.
"Got ya~" [Roah] sighed as he helped the Land Shark get wasted.
"Milton... Just where do you even spend your nights?" [Nero] asked while tilting his head to the side.
"...Eh? Usually Rei and I spend time here... But sometimes, we go to Halloween. It's just not pleasant to be out and about in Reygid during the day..." [Milton] grumbled.
"Come and spend time at the Beach instead?" [Nero] suggested as he shrugged his shoulders.
"The Cyworctus is our main source of sustenance. It takes HOURS to feed off of, so it's pretty inconvenient to leave at all..." [Milton] muttered with a dejected expression.
"...Why don't you just become my Clansman? If you're with me, then you won't ever NEED to feed off of the Cyworctus... And you'll be able to hear my thoughts. You'd always know where I am, and could immediately teleport to me at will." [Nero] offered with a carefree expression.
"I suppose you're right... It WOULD be convenient... But Rei doesn't like the idea of following your orders... I don't want to leave her alone to brave this by herself, you know?" [Milton] sighed.
"...Who said that I would give you orders? You two could just do as you want for all I care..." [Nero] sighed while shrugging his shoulders before leaning down for the keg.
"I'll try and talk to Rei about it... Who knows? Maybe she'll see the benefits and have a change of heart?" [Milton] sighed with an optimistic expression.
"Nero! Would it be okay if I became one of your Clanswomen?" [Rei] chimed in while approaching with Cetilla.
"...Eh?" [Nero and Milton] let out with eyes wide.
"Yeah... At first, I was totally against it... But Cetilla and I were just talking about it, and I've decided to try it out~" [Rei] sighed.
"...Eh?" [Nero] let out while tilting his head to the side.
"Well, if I were one of your Clanswomen... Then I'd get to spend more time with Cetilla, you know? Since she's almost always around you? We just miss each other SO much!" [Rei] confessed with a smile. To which, Nero... Roah, Milton, and Gluttatosk all exchanged terrified glances.
"...Guys?!" [Nero] let out with eyes wide.
"That... Was uncanny" [Roah] muttered while glaring at the Halloween Cat.
"Uncanny?! No... That was HORRIFYING!" [Gluttatosk] hysterically gawked at the smiling Banshee and Dutchess of Doom.
"I-I-I swear... I didn't say anything about this to her before-hand..." [Milton] whispered with a frantic expression.
"Uhhhh... Is there a problem here?" [Rei] begged the question while tilting her head to the side.
"Nah... He'll take you~" [Cetilla] shot back with a wry smile as she twirled her hair.
"Cetilla... What are you up to?" [Nero] shot back with a serious expression.
"...What?" [Cetilla] exclaimed while tilting her head to the side. To which, Nero quickly turned to face the other Cat Crewmen with a frightened expression.
"I don't know... It's pretty conspicuous, though..." [Gluttatosk] grumbled while squinting toward the Dutchess of Doom.
"Eh?" [Cetilla] let out while seeming flabbergasted.
"It's almost as though she were an Oracle... Though I'm quite certain that she's a Sorceress..." [Roah] exclaimed while furrowing his eyebrows.
"Does she have any abilities related to enhanced hearing?" [Milton] begged the question while rubbing his chin.
"You know... I'm not supposed to say... But I'll make an exception JUST this once... She doesn't have any abilities of the sort." [Roah] explained with a calculating expression.
"Oi! No telling!" [Cetilla] shot back while pointing a finger at the (Hob)Goblin King.
"Eh? I didn't say anything~" [Roah] sighed while averting the Sorceress' gaze.
"...You're absolutely certain that it was a coincidence?" [Nero] asked while squinting toward Roah.
"...No. It was too calculated~" [Roah] sighed.
"Just what EXACTLY are you all even talking about?!" [Cetilla] begged the question with an exceedingly irritated expression.
"....Nothing." [Nero, Roah, Gluttatosk, and Milton] shot back while glaring at the Sorceress.
"Ah... To hell with it... I'm getting some more liquor. Lend me a hand?" [Cetilla] asked while beginning to bend over for the keg's spout. To which, Roah hesitantly helped the Cat Crewoman.
And so... After a long silence, we began to make our way back to Reygid. On the way, I captured Milton and Rei... Learned that they were both Tier 4 Wraiths, and made the conscious decision to never think of the Sorceress' incomprehensible actions ever again. After capturing Rei, I realized that I would need to be EXTRA careful about my own inner thoughts; causing me to be incredibly depressed... Though it could not be helped. I needed to manage it until I had Prestiged, at the very least. I simply CAN'T have Cetilla learning too much, considering that she's so hellbent on keeping me in the dark; after all~ When we had finished returning to the Wailing Keep, we filled Cetilla in on our new game of dice. She took to it in an incredible fashion, winning two of every five games; making me immensely jealous. Mary's meals finally reached us on our second game, and she too joined us in our drunken states. She drank, and everything~ By the time the night came to an end... I used [Daily Candy], and promised that we would continue the very next night. Returning to the Beach alongside every single Cat Crew(o)man aside from Mary, Jon, and Cindy... We fell asleep, like the family of Kittens that we truly were... Deep down~