As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow across the land, Kestrel extended her generosity beyond guiding Finn and the group to Ixar. She graciously offered them two cozy rooms in her inn for the night, sweetening the deal with a request for their assistance in unlocking an artifact nestled within the ruins of Shap.
Kestrel was leaving for Ixar the following morning. So, after a hearty meal, Finn and the group retired to their designated rooms on the inn's upper floor. Moonlight and Orochi found comfort in one room, while the other was claimed by the guys.
Though the quarters weren't overly spacious, they provided ample room for a comfortable night's rest. Each room boasted a glass window for ventilation and natural light, along with two blankets, mattresses, and a lantern to illuminate the space.
After a brief respite, Moonlight, seated on her bed, turned to Orochi with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Would you fancy a trip to the spa?"
Surprised, Orochi looked up. "There's a spa here?" she inquired.
"The bartender mentioned it, and it's been a while since I've had a good soak," Moonlight explained.
With a nonchalant nod, Orochi rose from her bed. "Let's go."
Moonlight couldn't hide her astonishment. "Are you sure?" she asked incredulously. "I wasn't expecting you to agree so readily."
"Visiting a spa was my first priority upon reaching Ixar. Lucky for us, it's right here," Orochi replied stoically.
Moonlight's face broke into a smile, and she hopped off her bed, enthusiasm evident in her voice. "Alright! Let's go."
As the two unexpected companions exited the inn, a burgeoning friendship between the pixie queen and the serpent forest queen unfolded. They strolled towards the spa, a mere five-minute walk from the inn.
As they stepped out of the inn, Butterbell caught sight of Orochi and Moonlight, prompting concern in his voice, "Where is our queen going?"
Creambell and Finn joined him at the window, and saw Orochi and Moonlight move away. Creambell voiced the shared concern and curiosity, "Strange! Where could they be going in this unknown place?"
"Maybe we should follow them," suggested Butterbell, his worry evident. "Orochi is already very dangerous to begin with."
Butterbell sought confirmation from Creambell and Finn, receiving an "alright" from Creambell and a nod from Finn. The trio stealthily trailed behind the girls, their curiosity pushing them to unveil the destination. After five minutes, the mystery unraveled as they witnessed the girls entering a single-story building with a prominent board at the entrance bearing the word "SPA."
Now aware of their queen's whereabouts, Creambell sighed and suggested, "Maybe we should wait outside."
Meanwhile, a familiar face entered the spa, catching Butterbell's attention. "Why is he going inside?" Butterbell exclaimed.
"Maybe it has separate baths for men and women," Creambell theorized.
Butterbell clarified, "I meant the man was with the group we had a fight with earlier."
"Shit! We need to go then," Creambell decided, and both pixies dashed into the spa, with Finn following closely.
When they reached the reception desk, the man was already gone, and right in front of them were 2 entrances. One for men and other for women.
At the reception desk, the man had vanished, and two entrances loomed before them—one for men and the other for women. As they moved toward the men's entrance, the receptionist stopped them. "You are only allowed to go inside in a towel," he informed them.
"But we haven't brought one," Butterbell admitted.
"No problem, sir. There are many towels in the changing room," the receptionist assured them with a friendly smile, directing them toward the male changing room. "Feel free to choose the towel of your choice."
In the secluded ambiance of the women's bath, Orochi and Moonlight found themselves alone, surrounded by the tranquility of the spa's ambiance. The pool, constructed from sturdy stone blocks, held lukewarm water that offered a soothing embrace to its occupants. A towering wall, standing at 20 feet, discreetly separated the male bath from the female.
Both women had placed their towels near the pool's edge, choosing to relax by submerging themselves in the water, leaving only their heads visible. Orochi, with closed eyes, basked in a state of relaxation. In contrast, Moonlight, a touch shy, not only positioned her towel nearby but also covered her head with a smaller cloth to conceal her antennae.
Breaking the tranquil atmosphere, Moonlight remarked, "It has been a long time since I came to a spa."
"Not longer than me," Orochi responded.
With a smile, Moonlight inquired, "So, how does it feel?"
Orochi, eyes closed, took a deep breath, savoring the warmth enveloping her body. A subtle smile graced her face as she replied, "Very comforting."
While the two girls bonded, Butterbell, Creambell, and Finn made their entrance into the male bath. The pixies were modestly attired below the waist, while Finn, true to his usual state, was without clothing. Despite their preparedness for a potential confrontation, they were surprised to find only two members of the earlier group present in the bath. The sword-wielding man and the caster were notably absent from the scene.
As the trio advanced towards the bath, the two men shot hostile glares their way. Of the three, it was Butterbell who returned the hostile gaze, while Creambell and Finn maintained an air of indifference as they calmly approached the pool. Upon reaching the poolside, they nonchalantly set their towels aside and immersed themselves in the warm water.
Creambell and Butterbell submerged themselves, leaving only their heads visible as they locked eyes with the other two men. Finn, however, faced a peculiar challenge—his wooden form caused him to float on the water's surface rather than sinking in.
"Why are you trying to bathe your golem?" one man questioned Creambell, his tone carrying a hint of threat.
Butterbell interjected, answering defiantly, "Because he wants to."
Meanwhile, Finn, realizing the futility of bathing, surrendered to the water's buoyancy, his wooden body now afloat. Frustration simmered within him. "Great! Now I cannot sink!" he thought. "And why nobody is trying to explain that I'm not a golem."
As Finn floated and pondered, the water ripples brought him closer to the two men. Seizing the opportunity, one of the men grabbed Finn by his wooden leg and forcefully hurled him over the separating wall between the men and women's bath. "This bath is for men, not for puppets," he declared.
In mid-air, Finn gained a unique perspective, observing both the men's and women's baths and the people within. However, his attention was firmly fixed on the two beautiful women in the pool below. As he descended, he mentally expressed gratitude, "Thank God! Thanks for giving me this opportunity."
In the next few heartbeats, Finn plunged into the women's bath, creating a sudden splash that startled Moonlight. Even Orochi, who had been peacefully closing her eyes, opened them to investigate the commotion. Finn's entry, face-first into the water, marked the unexpected and somewhat comedic climax of their spa experience.
As Finn unintentionally floated on the water, the wooden limbs of the doll flapped, attempting to turn and face Moonlight and Orochi.
"Finn!" Moonlight exclaimed as Finn struggled to reorient himself. Using a water gun to exert more force, Finn eventually succeeded in turning around to face the girls. Moonlight, covering her breasts underwater, looked at him with concern. Meanwhile, Orochi, glaring at Finn with twitching eyes, maintained her relaxed demeanor without making any effort to cover herself.
Although Finn couldn't express emotions with his wooden features, he felt a sense of satisfaction and gratitude toward the man who had thrown him into this unexpected situation.
However, Orochi abruptly picked Finn up, grasping his wooden leg, and tossed him over the separating wall once again. As Finn descended, he observed Orochi's glare and Moonlight's concern on one side, while on the other side, a chaotic brawl between four naked men unfolded. "Ugh! Seriously!" Finn thought, firing sticky threads at the two men as he descended.
The sticky threads swiftly bound the two men, bringing an abrupt halt to their fight. Finn landed solidly just outside the pool. However, the conflict was far from over. The other members of the group, minus the man with the sword, had entered the men's bath, each clad in a towel.
Upon seeing their two companions tied up, a wave of rage swept over the group, and they charged at the pixies. The fight erupted, with even the newcomers dropping their towels amid the chaos. The trio found themselves outnumbered, but thanks to Finn's unique abilities, the opposing group struggled to land a single punch. Finn strategically utilized defensive and evasive skills to prevent injuries on both sides.
His Mirage ability came into play, creating multiple virtual copies of himself that bewildered the opposing group, making it nearly impossible for them to touch the real Finn. The chaotic scene unfolded with naked combatants clashing, their fury intensified by the unexpected turn of events in the spa.
Amidst the chaotic brawl in the men's bath, Orochi's pursuit of tranquility was relentlessly disrupted by the escalating sounds of the fight. The once peaceful atmosphere had given way to a cacophony that tested her patience. Eventually, the incessant noise wore down Orochi's calm demeanor, prompting her to emerge from the pool.
Donning a white towel that modestly covered her from chest to thigh, Orochi faced the separating wall. With an open palm extended towards the wall, she unleashed a beam of light that effortlessly tore a sizable hole through the wall.
Simultaneously, the caster from the opposing group attempted to counter Finn's illusion with a wind spell. The gust of wind generated during the incantation surged through the hole Orochi had created, causing smaller objects in its path to dance and twirl. Among these objects was the towel that Moonlight had gently placed on her head as a head cover.
As the hole materialized, all eyes turned to the other side, where Orochi stood, giving the men a piercing death stare. However, the enchanting beauty of Orochi captivated the attention of the men more than instilling fear through her deathly glare. Mesmerized, they found themselves entranced by the queen of the serpent forest, momentarily forgetting the brawl.
"Disturb my peace one more time, and I will skin each and every one of you alive," Orochi threatened, her voice carrying a menace that should have struck fear into any heart.
However, the men, captivated by Orochi's ethereal beauty that could rival a goddess, greeted her threat with smiles rather than trepidation.
"Am I clear?" Orochi demanded, her voice retaining its threatening edge.
"Yes, Ma'am," they replied in synchrony, their smiles undeterred.
In the next moment, Orochi conjured a black, opaque sheet to seal the hole she had created. The makeshift barrier temporarily fixed the wall, and imposed a truce on the ongoing brawl.
With a collective decision to resume their enjoyment of the warm pool, the group engaged in discussions about the captivating red-headed goddess they had just encountered, draped in nothing but a towel. Amidst the banter, the caster's mind lingered on a troubling thought.
Fixated on Moonlight's antennae, he delved into the knowledge he had gleaned from various sources, attempting to discern the race of the enigmatic queen. His gaze shifted to Butterbell and Creambell, noting their antennae and pale skin. A revelation struck him, causing his heart to pound rapidly.
"No way! How come the pixie queen is here? She's supposed to be in Petalton," he exclaimed in a shrewd voice, his eyes widening in realization.