"Hm? What happened?" asked Layla, confused and blushing as she found herself in Teemo's arms.
The Felidae peered behind her, taking another look at the Dragoon's legs to see if the roots were fully gone. He then sighed with relief and stabilized the girl.
"The Brine King's curse was active on you and it sent you in a trance to tell us something. I never thought you could be under its curse when you've already defeated him. That usually happens when you've defeated its body but not its soul," explained Teemo.
"That would mean the Brine King is laying dormant in her?" quizzed the Loplin.
"Yes, but I don't think it's dormant any longer with what we saw earlier. If used too much with knowing a balance, the Brine King might have a chance to become fully active. You're lucky to survive the curse, a normal one would have keeled over. Have you used his spells before?" questioned Teemo, in curiosity.
"I've used the Fortress and the earlier one but I don't think the trance state had ever occurred to me before… And during those times, I had no side effects at all. I defeated him a year ago so why is it affecting me now?"
"Perhaps it has grown accustomed in you enough to act out? Did you see or hear anything when you were in the trance?" asked Matt.
"Yes, I did. The Brine King spoke to me about the Mother of Webs waking up before the alliance strikes. I have no clue what those two things are other than the fact the Mother of Webs is a gigantic spider that rules over the Temple of Necrosis within a lake in this kingdom. Though I wonder why the spider would be affiliated with Water instead of darkness..."
"Mother of Webs has been awoken… Arakaali. Also known as one of the Shadows, she is a foe that I do not want to be seeing at my doorstep. From what I heard, the one in charge of that thing is Vastra, a Royal Guard member from the Humans Kingdom. Though I don't know if she's still alive there," said the Felidae, with a worried look.
"So apparently a spider is now at the bottom of some lake in the Campania Kingdom and is guarded by a human, with connections to the Brine King. Yes, I am trying my best to keep up," said the Loplin as he sighed.
"Arakaali is not as easy to defeat compared to the Brine King but she is definitely not as difficult as the Zodiacs. We can still take her if needed but I don't think we have the time for it," said Teemo as he rummaged through the large wardrobe within the room.
"Still, it's best to take out the small pests first before trying to hit a much stronger target. I don't fancy a fight whereby I have two giantesses to face against," said Matt as he ushered the Dragoon to sit on the floor to rest.
Layla complied while also staring at the clothes that filled the wardrobe. They looked expensive, with some having jewels on them and vibrant colors.
"You've got a point too... How would you fair against her if I pay you to get rid of her?" suggested Teemo as he tossed a few dresses to his side.
"I'm not your pocket pest exterminator. You already took so long to pay me for killing Inferno and Agni so I don't think I am doing your dirty work for you anymore," complained Matt as he looked away from the cat in annoyance.
"Oh, come on... I told you I would help you on this mission... Cut me some slack."
"Of course, you're going to help, there is a beautiful and cute young lady with us on the mission! Of course, you are going to jump on the damned ship!" exclaimed Matt.
The Dragoon looked at the Loplin with a shocked expression.
"You think I'm beautiful and cute?" squeaked Layla as she tugged on the gunman's sleeve.
"Yes... But don't go having any weird ideas..." replied Matt as he faced away.
"There it is! I think this will fit you nicely, cutie..." said Teemo, emphasizing the last word as he grabbed a black dress.
The dress was simple and had a medium-length ruffle sleeves and skirt, not going beyond her knees. The stomach area was a corset while the round collar was grey with a flower design. He then passed it to Layla for her to inspect it. She had a small, happy smile as she gingerly checked the dress.
"I've got leggings too that can match the outfit unless you don't like this dress?" asked the Felidae.
"I like it... The dress feels comfy on my scales, but it doesn't seem like it will help my combat defense."