DD 204 Ch 22

The next two weeks felt like, well, actual school, which was strange. And I could tell it was making Crimson just as uncomfortable as the rest of us.

"All right. Finally, we are done," she said, unable to slam the book down. "Get out of here. I have better things to be doing than reading out of a giant book." She ripped open a portal and disappeared, leaving the rest of our class speechless. No one seemed to be in a hurry to follow her out. 

"What are you doing this weekend?" Penny asked, turning around in her chair. 

I scratched my head. "Well, we don't have to farm anymore, and we've done a decent job catching up. I think perhaps I'll go back home." Of course, I meant the house in Star City. I hesitated, not really sure what I was going to do. I hadn't really thought much past the day-to-day.

She glanced over at the rest of the group, only for Des to shake her head.

"I would love to stick around and do absolutely nothing with you," Des said. "However, my dad made me promise that I would go shuttle some items around for the guild." 

"Oh?" Penny asked, leaning on her hand.

"Don't pretend like your father isn't asking you for the exact same thing." Des pushed.

Penny gave Des some serious side-eye, only for the warlock to stick her tongue out. Penny waved her hand. "Yes, he has asked, but I've said no. The portal ability is what makes it valuable, and I don't have that," she said, slowly trailing off at the end.

"Yet." Des finished for her.

"What about you, Charlotte?" I did my best to include the quiet druid.

"Going to go visit my sisters.” Charlotte answered. “Ever since Alice was pulled out of the dungeon, she’s been trying to rekindle the sibling relationship between us all." 

"Well, that sounds nice," I said, not entirely sure why Charlotte wasn’t more excited for that bonding time.

“Her idea of rekindling our sisterly relationship is not what you think. It’s not girly movies and sweatpants. It's mostly training. We get plenty of that with Crimson around.” She sighed as Bun-bun let out a particularly large snore.

“So you two are out. Felin?" I asked, glancing at Nekorian, knowing she would have nothing.

"I want to move," she said. "I am tired of sitting at a desk all day. Maybe you humans think this is okay, but this is not okay for Nekorians." She grunted, getting to her feet. She was bouncing a little as she made her way over behind my chair. 

"If you want to get out and move around, we can do that," I offered. It was probably best that she didn't wander around entirely on her own. "I'll go with you." 

"Me too," Penny offered, earning a look from Des. 

"What? It would be good if we all really got in the habit of traveling around in a group." Penny was very clearly not making eye contact with Des as she replied.

"Uh-huh, I'm sure that's exactly why," Des chuckled. "Whatever your reason, though, I do have to agree, we probably shouldn't let Falin run around on her own." 

The Nekorian frowned. "I'm not some little kitten.”

“No, you're a grown woman who was also kidnapped by her own people recently. Not that it's going to happen again, but I have to agree. It's probably in our best interest to at least keep an eye on you." I told her.

She grumbled, but kept whatever she said to herself. "Fine," she spoke up after a moment. "You can follow me as I run around Star City. I'm sure it'll be so exciting for you." 

"It probably will be," I grinned back. "You're always fun to hang around with, Felin."

"Did you guys hear?" Harley suddenly plopped down in a chair in front of our group, not caring in the slightest if she was interrupting a conversation. 

We did not. "Please enlighten us, Harley," I gestured towards her. 

"Why, thank you." She took the spot she'd once had in our group. "There was a group sent down by some of the Royal Academy elites. I guess they managed to pull out two parties that survived back on the 40th floor."

I let out a soft whistle. "Didn't know any of them had survived." 

"Apparently they did. You think it's gonna cause you trouble, Ken?" She whispered conspiratorially, but I knew Harley better than that. 

"Go away, you little gossip." I put a finger on her forehead and slowly pushed her backwards. 

"It's not gossip if it's true!" She pouted.

"Harley, it's still gossip." I told her.

"Well, that's just silly," she said. "If it's true, then it's news. Everyone knows that. So anyways, they picked them up. Apparently, they're so shaken that they're never gonna go back into the dungeon. But, like all of us, their parents are big shots. Mhm." 

I waited for Harley to get to the good part. "And why does this concern us? Sure. I am happy a few of them survived. But I don't particularly... care about them. If they're not coming back into the dungeon they matter even less." 

"So cold, Ken. You left them to die." Harley pushed.

"I did not leave them to die. They tried to kill me, and I didn't kill them. I think I was fairly merciful. Anyway..." I tried to move on.

Harley frowned, clearly not getting the gossip she’d thought she could hear. "What are you guys doing this weekend?" 

"None of your business. It's none of your business.” I tried to shoo her away, but Harley was like gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe.

“What do you think, Felin?” Harley went for the easy target.

"Penny and I are going to explore Star City a little more. I mean, there's gotta be something interesting here. I can't literally just be a town about fighting." Felin didn’t hide anything. 

Harley shook her head. "I think you underestimate how serious all of these Orkai are. I don't think they have a brain cell that's not dedicated to diving the dungeon." 

"Harley..." I hissed. "Do not insult the Orkai aloud." 

"What? Is our fearless leader, Ken, scared of them?" Harley teased me.

I stared straight into Harley's eyes. "Yes. I mean, have you seen them?" I gestured broadly. 

"Yeah. Have you seen the women? I mean, holy shit, muscle mommy." Harley wiggled her eyebrows.

I put my head in my hand. "Harley, for the love of God... Please never say that again." 

"Muscle waifu?" She said after a moment of thinking.Felin

"Never mind. I forgot who I was talking to." I groaned.

Harley only shrugged as if it wasn't her problem. "Well, stay safe, Ken. None of us want our favorite Nekorian to get kidnapped. And it's your job to keep her safe." 

"Thanks for putting that out in the world, Harley. Why don't you go run off? I think Meredith over there is giving me jealous looks." I offered.

Penny turned at the mention of her cousin. "Nah, she's not jealous. But I do think she wants Harley to hurry up." 

“Hear that? Shoo, shoo." I waved Harley away before we got caught up in more silly nonsense. Then I snatched Felin and Penny's hands, pulling them both away.

***

Star City was an interesting place, to say the least. Its ornate design, the multiple races that lived here, and the Orkai's apparent technological superiority seemed like the ingredients for a living, breathing utopia.

Yet, for whatever reason, it was not. Instead, we rarely even saw adventurers out on the street. There were the angels that were often flitting about between pillars, and Orkai moving around, but there was never quite the congregation or the bustle I had grown to expect from a thriving city.

"Oh look, a Naga," Felin pointed out as we walked around.

I'd seen the Serpentine Race several times since coming to Star City. But rarely had we interacted. Although it looked like that interaction might occur this time. 

Felin’s statement had gotten the Naga's attention. She was a matriarch, like we'd often seen in the past, which meant she was one of the leaders. The matriarch was tall, statuesque, with three pairs of arms, bluish-green skin, and of course, the lower half was that of a snake. She crossed the street, coming straight for us.

"Sorry, we didn't mean any offense," I used universal language and held my hands up, expecting her to start a fight, only for the Naga to stop short.

"Interesting. The dwarf speaks.” She bent down and studied me while I scowled.

"Dwarf?" I could understand being called a demon, but dwarf did not fit.

"Yes, dwarf," she said, looking me up and down. "I have eyes. Do you? If you had them you could clearly see what you are."

"You can clearly not see what I am," I emphasized. "I am a human," I said slowly as if she needed that to understand.

It was her turn to frown. "Human? Is that a type of dwarf?"

"No, not a dwarf at all," I said, throwing my hands in the air. "Does she look like a dwarf to you?" I pointed at Felin.

"No, she's clearly one of the Nekorians. You, however, look like dwarves. Maybe a little taller," she said, holding one of her lower hands up at the height of my head. The Naga matriarch stood nine, possibly ten feet tall with how high she was propped up with her tail.

Felin giggled holding her stomach. "She thinks you're a dwarf."

"I'm perfectly aware," I refocused on the matriarch. "Well, now that we have settled that I am not a dwarf, my name is Ken." I put a hand on my chest.

"Ken, I think I've seen you around Star City," She watched me. “You have been with the red one.”

I held out a hand. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to get to know the Naga better. Humanity could certainly use one less enemy.

"Hi, Ken," the matriarch held out one of her central hands. "I am Slytha." The name sounded slightly different, but Universal Translate made it closest to Slytha.

"Well, happy to meet you," I said, nodding. "We were out looking around Star City. Since you've been here, have you found any entertainment?"

"Oh, yes," she said.

"Really, what?" I got excited.

"There's this place where the angels gather and I find it fascinating to watch them fly around. Whoever thought putting wings on dwarves would turn them into an entirely other form of creature."

"So, the sum total of entertainment you've found here is to watch angels fly around," I did my best to keep a straight face.

"Yes, they are quite entertaining." She was being serious. “And knowing that you and the angels have actual intelligence inside your heads is a fascinating discovery for us. Oh they have a social gathering as well.”

I tried to not be offended. At least she’d determined we did have intelligence. "What exactly did you think?"

She blinked. "You've met the filthy, despicable dwarves, correct?"

"Yes," I waited, curious where this conversation was about to go.

"Good, then I don't have to explain it to you. In the dwarven race, all but the queens are dumb soldiers. The queens are slightly smarter, but they make up all their intelligence with cruelty. They raid our people only to mold the corpses into more drones. They are single minded brutes that really only serve the purpose of honing the lesser nagas’ blades."

"You won't find disagreement from me," Penny said, reminding me that she had once taken a spear for me while dealing with the dwarves.

"Good, this one understands. Is she your leader?" The naga gestured at Penny.

Only for Penny to quickly dip her head, embarrassed. I let the question pass, wanting to get to know the Naga more.

 "Come, let me show you the gathering place. Watching the angels converse gives me endless joy, knowing that there is intelligence behind them."

I moved with her, but I wasn't particularly interested in watching the angels. She gave me a curious glance. "Why are you walking with me? She should be alongside me as the leader." The matriarch pointed to Penny.

"No," Penny said, hesitating.

"I don't think we have as strict a hierarchy as you," I offered.

"Ah, strange. How will people know which orders to follow if there is no hierarchy?” The matriarch seemed baffled.

Felin laughed. "Humans are weird that way. They have this concept that all of them are really equal."

"We are." I held a hand out towards Felin, "Right?"

"Some classes are better than others," Felin offered. "Besides, you can't say everyone treats Crimson the same as they would a random person off the street. Rather, they all look the same, and they just give power a preference," Felin coached the Naga.

"Ah, so he is then the strongest of you, and therefore the leader. That makes sense. We matriarchs develop a much stronger body, more capable of combat and magic, thus we naturally become the strongest." Even through universal language, it sounded like she was talking to a child.

But Felin nodded along happily. "Makes sense, makes perfect sense.  Nekorians have a favored class, more powerful than the others, and that is how we choose our leaders."

To my surprise, Felin and the Naga seemed to be getting along decently well. Their cultures were at least more similar than my own.

"Ah, here we are.” The naga gestured towards a tall wall.

I paused for a moment, looking up at the wall before taking a step back and then leaping upwards. I grabbed the lip of the wall, pulling myself up to peek over the other side.

Before me lay a bathhouse. Steam wafted up from the warm waters within, creating a hazy, ethereal atmosphere. Naked female angels were scattered along the side, engaged in quiet conversation and soaked in pools. At best their modesty was preserved by nothing more than thin towels that were nearly transparent when wet. It was clear that this wall had been erected to keep prying eyes out. 

The sight was so unexpected that I let out a small squawk of surprise, which unfortunately traveled well over the open water. Several nearby angels turned in my direction.

Stunned, I was like a deer in headlights when more and more of them turned to me.