So, remember how I said the last chapter was the longest I'd written in a while? Guess what! This one ended up being about 1k words longer! And that was with me kinda abridging the ending. I guess I could have split it in half, but I feel that it didn't matter enough.

Étién led the group to the gate to begin the next part of the tour.

Ryan looked up at Étién from where she held Mikan in her arms and saw she was smiling. He knew how much she loved holding Mikan and was happy to see how the fairy’s return had lifted her spirits.

Becky stopped walking and turned to Luna, which still sat in the empty field, “Anton awake yet?”

Ryan realized Mayu and Becky hadn’t seen him leave with the dwarves, “Oh, there were some Dwarves looking at Luna, and Anton went with them to their workshop.”

Becky shrugged, but smiled and turned back to the gate, “I bet he’s having a blast with them.”

Jaren stopped and studied Luna for a second, “Anton is your engineer?”

Mikan nodded, “Mmhmm, he’s the one who designed the drone you saw earlier.”

Jaren looked impressed, “That’s pretty good, designing something like that.”

Becky sighed and shook her head, “Yeah, just wish he wasn’t so…” She sighed again, but didn’t continue her thoughts.

Jaren seemed to understand, “Weird? Just spend the night with seven cat girls, and he’ll seem normal.”

Ryan stopped thinking for a second, “Wait… there’s seven more like you?”

Jaren nodded, “Yep! You only saw Viennesoire and Galette, right?”

Becky remembered something, “There was a brunette cat girl in the kitchen cooking our food.”

Jaren nodded, “That’s Eclair. The rest are still asleep because they stayed up late playing.”

Mayu put a finger to her cheek as she considered something, “You are family?”

Jaren shrugged, “I’d say sisters is the closest way to describe our relationship.”

Becky turned back to the restaurant, “Can we meet them later?”

Jaren turned back towards the gate, “After we finish your tour, I don’t see why not.” She stopped and groaned, “I think they took something from you, maybe, so I’ll have them give it back to you.”

Mikan tried looking for the shed that held the damaged Mk. I, and Étién turned the rest of the way when she noticed, and pointed to it, “Is it in that shed?”

Jaren looked where Mikan pointed, “Yeah, that’s the shed they use.”

Becky blinked a couple times, “You mean your sisters are the ones that stole the Wizard’s Eye?”

Jaren shrugged, “They… well… sometimes I think they’re more cat than person, so anything shiny that moves is in danger.”

Mayu started giggling.

Ryan found it funny too, and Mikan let out a few giggles too, “Anton is gonna love this! The Mk. I was stolen by cat girls!”

Becky started laughing now, “Yeah, that’s pretty funny.”

Chie cracked a smile.

Étién looked confused, “What is funny?”

Ryan gave her the gist of the story.

Étién smiled, “It is good you found your missing magic tool.”

Jaren watched Étién and Mikan talking, “Hmm, was the fairy the one controlling the drone?”

Becky relaxed a bit as she considered Jaren’s question, “That’s… No. Mikan is… is a living drone Mayu and Anton made. Ryan is Luna’s… A.I. isn’t the word… well, it doesn’t matter. Ryan can only use drones to leave Luna, and Mikan is our favorite.”

Jaren seemed impressed, “That’s pretty cool. Was Mikan getting repaired or something, so Ryan had to use that other drone?”

Becky seemed to consider how much she should tell Jaren.

Ryan thought he had an excellent answer that wouldn’t reveal too much about him, “She was getting upgraded.”

Jaren accepted the answer and nodded, “That makes sense.” She turned towards the city gate, “Speaking of upgrades, have you been to the Temple of Resurrection yet?”

Ryan had heard Niamh use that term before, “Hmm? No, your place is the only place we’ve visited so far.”

Jaren looked conflicted, “Then we should go there first, because believe me, you’ll need the upgrades,” she shivered, “he gives you if you wanna survive around here.”

Becky was about to start walking again and paused, “What upgrades?”

Jaren looked at Étién, “You saw how fast your Aos Si friend ran? Stuff like that.”

Becky looked unsure, “You mean upgrade our bodies?”

Jaren started walking, “Yeah.”

Mikan looked at Étién, “Should we go to the temple?”

Étién, who was listening intently to Jaren and Becky, looked down at Mikan, “That was where I wanted to take you first.”

Mikan turned back to the others, “Looks like Étién was taking us there, anyway.” She looked back at Étién, but wasn’t sure how to say what he wanted, “We will… get things there to make us more like,” she looked at Étién’s legs, “you?”

Étién nodded, “Yes. The medicine there will make everyone stronger.”

The group started walking again, but once they realized how close they were to the guards, they quieted.

The guards watched them from in front of the gate. They wore full armor, so it was hard to tell anything about them but their height and build.

The gate itself had two metal doors attached to the thick, spiny branches that made up the wall, and had two metal bars that looked like they locked into position when the doors closed.

Ryan noticed the guards turn to look at them, but as soon as they saw Étién, looked away.

Jaren let go of her breath after they passed the guards, “I need to go in with your friend more often. They… don’t like me coming in here thanks to my bird problem…”

Becky snorted, then looked ashamed, “Sorry. That’s horrible.”

Jaren shrugged, and glanced at a bird flying overhead, “It is pretty funny if you think about it.”

Ryan turned his attention to the city before them and saw they were in what was probably the Elven part of the city, thanks to the many unusually large trees.

Most trees seemed normal, as did the houses and places of business that lined the streets, but occasionally there was a treehouse in one of the bigger trees with bridges suspended throughout the branches interconnecting them.

Jaren pulled out her umbrella again and watched the branches above them with suspicion, “I hate coming through here, can never know if there’s a bird above you.”

Ryan noted an unusually large amount of birds following them.

Étién watched Jaren sympathetically, “Why are the birds following her?”

Ryan wondered the same thing, “What’s up with the birds?”

Jaren seemed to debate whether she should answer, “It’s a long story. Maybe I’ll tell you after we finish the tour.”

Mikan nodded, “Fair enough.”

Jaren started walking again, and pointed at a building, “That’s an elven carpenter shop, they have a better knack at…”

For the next several minutes, Jaren and Étién pointed out different shops and buildings, with Jaren mostly showing the shops and Étién the more historically important buildings or high-profile residents.

Several things stood out to Ryan. The first was that almost everyone used magic tools and superhuman abilities. Some were fast, like Étién, while others had strength that would put bodybuilders to shame. The second was that the way they spoke seemed… less polite than what Étién had taught him. He could still understand everyone, but it was like the difference between a posh noble and going into the Deep South of the U.S. The last thing was how everyone reacted to Étién and Jaren. Étién always got viewed with respect at first, but once they got a closer look, it either became pity or indifference. Jaren got one of three things, curious looks, ignored, or actively avoided as they glanced at the birds following her.

When a large granite building came into view, Jaren stopped, “Alright, before we go in you should know what to expect. The man running the temple, the Guardian, is a very… eccentric Aos Si. No one knows his name or how old he is and he won’t remember yours no matter how many times you tell him, from what I hear. He has special eyes that can scan your body and your spirit, so he might say things about you you might not want others to know. He can also get pretty aggressive about getting you to take the medicine used for the upgrades.” She suddenly shivered and glanced at the temple, “I’ll wait for you back here.”

Jaren took off running.

“Jaren!” A voice came from the direction of the Temple of Resurrection, “Jaren! Come here!”

Jaren didn’t look back, “I told you I’m not gonna be your guinea pig!”

Ryan found an Aos Si walking towards them from the temple’s entrance. He was of average height, skinny with a lack of muscle, and had bad posture. His hair was black, long, and probably hadn’t seen a comb in years. His face showed his lack of body fat, with sunken cheeks and eyes. A pointy nose sat above his thin lips. He wore a loose grey robe that hung off his body.

The Guardian grinned as he watched Jaren escape behind a building, “Jaren! I only want to run a few tests!”

Étién seemed amused, “Jaren is famous for the Guardian remembering her name.” She glanced at the birds, “She is famous for the birds and other things too.”

Mikan looked up at Étién, “You’re gonna have to fill me in on those other things later.” 

The Guardian noticed the group, his grin growing wider, and walked to them.

Becky looked like she didn’t want to be there any longer, “I… this guy makes me uncomfortable.”

Chie watched the Guardian approaching, “I highly doubt he will do anything to us.”

Becky didn’t look convinced, “Okay… but the moment he does anything weird, I’m out.”

Mayu looked curious, but only watched.

Sashae looked as indifferent as ever and watched as she patted a nervous Aoi’s head.

Saki fluttered behind Mayu and watched.

The Guardian’s eyes shone the same way Niamh’s had as he studied Chie, Mayu, and Becky, “Hmm, Adventurers not bound to my Temple.” He looked at Aoi, then Saki, “Fairies. How interesting.” He looked at Sashae, “Very interesting. Very interesting.” He finally turned to Mikan, “Interesting, it looks like someone found out how to attach souls to empty shells. Something unusual in your head.”

Ryan recalled Jaren saying the Guardian had special eyes that could see inside the body and soul. How much had he just seen? Had the medicine Niamh given him attached his soul to Mikan?

Mayu noticed the others’ hesitation to speak, so stepped forward and bowed, “Good morning, Mr. Guardian.”

The guardian turned to Mayu, “Hmm. This one had a troubled past. Violent. Seeks redemption but still struggles.” He looked Mayu in the eyes, “You seek redemption by healing others? Respectable. Hmm, I see. Perhaps orange medicine? Strength to protect, speed to reach those in need with haste. Yes, orange.”

Mayu looked like she’d seen a ghost when he mentioned her past. What had he meant by a ‘troubled past?’” What had she done that she needed to seek redemption?

Ryan wondered if the Guardian was talking about the medicine used for upgrades Jaren had mentioned, “That medicine will give us abilities like Étién?”

The Guardian ignored Mikan and turned to Becky, “This one seeks knowledge. No desire for conflict or risk. Perhaps… hmm, which one… pearl? Black? Silver, yes, silver. Enhance the mind. Enhance the mind and power to use them for long periods of time.”

Becky looked confused, but the Guardian turned to Chie before she said anything.

The guardian looked Chie over, “Hmm, hmm, this one also seeks knowledge. Willing to take risks. Doesn’t like to rely on others. Hmm… perhaps… perhaps… sky blue. Yes, able to use the mind and protect himself. Yes. Yes.” He stepped closer to Chie, “Your soul is already cracking. Your soul does not belong in that body. Only madness or death awaits you unless you return to the old.”

He turned to Becky, “And you,” to Mayu, “and you. The soul does not take well to a vessel different from that it was first born into.”

The Guardian turned and walked to Sashae and studied her body closely, “You.... Your soul has been tampered with. Interesting. Impossible to see what it was like before. The handiwork of a Great One, perhaps?” 

Sashae took a step back and looked uncomfortable.

The Guardian nodded to himself, “A broken spirit. Years of solitude. Unfortunate. Yes… very unfortunate. Afraid of making bonds?” He looked her in the eyes, “Guilt for taking something important, for losing something important? Yes. Long ago. Very old scars on your soul.”

Sashae seemed to understand the Guardian and looked sorrowful.

The guardian turned away from Sashae, “Come! I will get your medicine.”

Becky looked like she’d had more than enough of the Guardian, “I think I’ll pass.”

Chie followed, “I don’t know about this medicine, but… I have more questions.”

Mayu looked like she was still in shock.

Mikan looked at Étién.

Étién seemed concerned as she watched Mayu and Becky.

When Étién saw Mikan looking at her, she asked, “What is wrong?”

Ryan gave her the gist.

Étién nodded in understanding and her expression became more sympathetic, “Yes. He often says things that make people uncomfortable like this.” She turned to Mayu, then to Becky, “Tell them that this is something every citizen goes through when nearing adulthood.”

Ryan nodded once, then looked back to the others, “Étién says this is something everyone does, so we don’t need to worry about it.”

Mayu studied Mikan and Becky, “You do not mind? What he said?”

Becky seemed to know what Mayu was talking about, “No. I don’t care what you did in the past. You’re a great, kind, strong woman now, and that’s all that matters to me.”

Ryan agreed with Becky, “Yeah, you’re a good person and it’s not like we don’t have stuff we’ve done in the past that we regret.”

Mayu smiled, but in a way that made Ryan think she didn’t believe what they’d said to her, “Thank you.”

Sashae, who had been watching Chie and the Guardian walking away, suddenly stepped forward and followed them.

Mayu watched Sashae for a moment, then started walking, too.

Becky turned to Mikan, “I guess we’re doing this?”

Mikan shrugged, “He didn’t even give me a reading. I’m kinda jealous.”

Becky shook her head, “I’m the one who’s jealous. You got lucky.”

Mikan shrugged again, “Well, I guess my soul or whatever is still mostly on Luna, so there probably wasn’t much for him to read.”

The Guardian entered the Temple and closed the door behind him.

Chie tried to follow him inside, but found the door locked.

Étién used her speed to catch up to Chie, “I forgot to mention this! Only the guardian can go into the Temple of Resurrection without dying and returning through the boxes like yours on Luna.”

Ryan relayed this.

Becky didn’t seem the least bit disappointed, “A shame.”

Chie stepped away from the door and studied the temple.

Ryan did too.

The Temple of Resurrection dwarfed most other buildings he had seen so far. It was only one story tall, except for an annex in the back. The temple itself looked like the letter ‘U’ if the bottom was twice as thick. White marble made up the entire structure of the wall and showed expert craftsmanship with images of the sun and stars carved upon it. A small decorative garden dominated the space between the wings of the temple, and a middle-aged woman currently tended to it. The area to the left of the temple was a large plaza, with a fountain in the center that led to the bridge that crossed the river bisecting Ildathach.

Mayu walked to the garden, “This is so pretty.”

Étién followed Mayu and looked at the garden, too.

Becky walked into the garden and stopped next to a carving of a sun, “What do you think this means? Do they worship the sun?”

Chie looked at the carving too, “Perhaps. It is also possible it represents something.”

Mikan looked at Étién, “What do your people worship?”

Étién thought for a moment, “Many revere the Builder, but he has taught us not to worship him. That there is another.”

Mikan cocked her head to the side, “Another?”

Étién looked unsure, “No one knows.”

“Then what is the temple for besides bringing back dead Adventurers?”

Étién turned towards the nearest door, “It is the place we come to give thanks to the Builder and to protect the place where Adventurers return from death.” She studied the walls, “It is said that the Builder built this temple and strengthened the walls beyond what even the dwarves can do so none can violate its purpose.”

Ryan wondered just who this Builder was, and why he did the things he did. He didn’t seem to want to be worshiped, and it seemed he mostly kept out of the lives of the people, other than reviving a few dead from Earth.

Mikan turned to Becky, who was watching Étién, “She says they don’t worship a god here. It’s more for respect and protecting the place Adventurers come back after they die.”

Becky looked a little relieved, “Oh, they’re atheists?”

Mikan shrugged, “I don’t know. She said they’re taught there is another besides this Builder guy, but she doesn’t know who.”

Chie turned away from the carving she was looking at, “Can you ask her what this Guardian fellow said about my soul cracking?”

Étién nodded in understanding at Ryan’s translation, “We are taught the soul looks human before birth, but lacks any features. When one is born, the soul binds itself to the body and takes on its shape and essence. As the body grows, the soul grows with it. When one dies, the soul keeps the form and memory of the body and can’t change anymore.”

Becky looked at her body, “Does that mean I’m in trouble, too? I’m still a woman, but this body isn’t mine.”

Mayu looked at her body too, then at Mikan, “What about Ryan?”

Becky and Chie looked at Mikan.

Ryan pictured his brain floating in the jar, “I’m probably safe. I don’t even have a body, so my soul’s probably attached to the brain while it flops around?”

Becky cracked a smile, “I don’t even want to picture that.”

Chie tapped her chin, then turned in the general direction Luna was, “Perhaps we should dispose of these bodies and use the resurrection pods to recreate our originals?”

Becky scowled, “You mean commit suicide?”

Chie hesitated, and looked unsure, “Perhaps it is a better alternative to madness.”

Mayu looked at her feet, then at Becky, “I want to return to Aya as her mother. She will not know me as this person.”

Becky’s shoulders slumped, “I… maybe we should. I don’t feel right in this body. A part of me has always felt off.”

Mikan turned to the nearest door to the temple, “Maybe the Guardian knows a way to make it so our spirits don’t crack?” He looked up at Étién, “What happens if our spirits… uh… break?”

Étién looked unsure, “I do not know. Maybe our Intelligence escapes?” She saw Mikan’s confused look, “Oh, an Intelligence makes us, us. Our spirit is a shell that our Intelligence uses to do things, and our spirit is what compels our bodies to follow our Intelligence.”

Ryan kinda got what she meant, “What happens to an Intelligence if it escapes?”

Étién considered the question, “Maybe it goes back to the Great Ones, to get another spirit body? I am not sure.”

Ryan remembered the Guardian mentioning these Great Ones before, “Who are the Great Ones?”

The door closest to them opened, and the Guardian stepped out, “The Great Ones are those higher than the Builder. They create innumerable existences, spirits, and worlds. They have existed for as long as time and will exist for all time.”

Chie turned to the Guardian, “What…”

The Guardian raised his hand, “Enough questions! I cannot answer them even if I wanted to!” He held out a vial filled with silver liquid marked with a stripe of light blue paint towards Chie, “Take your medicine. It will make you sleep, so take after you finish… whatever nonsense you are doing today.”

Chie walked over to the Guardian and took the vial, “Thank you.”

The Guardian reached for another vial from his belt, “It has a spell designed to destroy seeing abilities, so don’t even try. The Builder is very careful about his secrets.”

Chie looked slightly irritated, “I see.”

The Guardian handed out the rest of the vials.

When he finished, he turned to Étién, and switched to her language, “Tell your mother I send my greetings.”

Étién bowed, “I will.”

The Guardian turned towards the road leading back the way they’d come, “Jaren! I know you’re watching! If you let me experiment on you, I promise I’ll try to get rid of your curse!”

Ryan looked around and couldn’t find the cat girl.

A voice came from behind a nearby building, “Screw you!”

The Guardian chuckled, “A peculiar specimen, that.”

Becky turned to the Guardian, “Why do you want to experiment on her?”

The Guardian turned to Becky, grinning, “In my two hundred years as Guardian, only she and her sisters have proved impossible for my abilities to see. It is as if her skin is an impenetrable shell, blocking sight of everything within. If someone is hiding something, I want to find those secrets.” He turned back to the door he had come from, “I hope to never see your group again unless you return with Jaren.”

The Guardian entered the temple.

Jaren’s head peeked around a corner, then she jogged over, “He’s finally gone!”

Chie glanced at the door, then turned to meet Jaren, “It is possible he will come back out.”

Jaren shook her head, “Naw. He’s persistent, but he usually leaves me alone after rejecting him a couple of times.”

Becky was thinking about something, and finally looked at Jaren, “Didn’t you say he never remembers names?”

Jaren shrugged, “Hey, I’m wondering the same thing. I meet the guy once, don’t even tell him my name, then the next day he’s shouting my name at me and trying to experiment on me.”

Mayu seemed amused, “Jaren is a special person.”

Jaren looked wearily at the temple, “Can we get out of here? We haven’t even gotten to the human district of the city and I still need to buy some things.”

Becky seemed to like the idea and turned towards the plaza leading to the bridge, “Sounds good to me. Not sure I could handle much more of the Guardian.”

Jaren nodded in agreement, “If he wasn’t after me,” she smiled, “I’d think he is kinda funny to watch.”

Étién bowed to the temple, then moved to the head of the group, “Maybe we can go to the Dwarves and find Anton? The Dwarven underground is near the bridge on the other side and will not take long for us to arrive.”

Ryan liked that idea, “Étién says we should go visit the Dwarves and find Anton since it’s close.”

Everyone agreed.

Jaren moved in place behind Étién, “The Dwarves are the only interesting thing on the human side of the river. Everything else is boring like houses and shops, or degenerate like bars and brothels. Well, they do have better festivals than the Elves, but the next one isn’t until harvest.”

Chie looked at the sky, “How long until harvest?”

Jaren thought, “Two and a half months?”

Ryan looked over the side of the bridge, into the river. It wasn’t wide, but looked deep.

Étién pointed to a large mound past some high end shops, “There.”

The mound wasn’t much higher than the shops around it and had chimneys that billowed out towers of steam or smoke. The side near the street had a wide tunnel. Large, sturdy doors marked the entrance. The doors were open allowing them to see a fair amount into the poorly lit tunnel beyond. 

Étién stopped in front of a Dwarven guard watching the entrance, “We are looking for a tall man with a wrinkled forehead. He came here with a Dwarf with hair of red.”

The guard, a stocky fellow with a long brown beard, and small bored looking eyes, nodded and pointed into the tunnel with his thumb, “Yeah. I saw ‘em. Ugliest man I’ve ever seen.” He finally noticed Étién’s ears, “Oh, I’m sorry, Ms. Étién. Should I fetch ‘em for ya?”

Étién shook her head, and gave him a gentle smile, “Thank you, but I will be fine looking for him myself.”

The guard bowed, “Sorry for callin’ yer friend ugly.”

Mikan laughed, “You are not wrong.”

The guard’s eyes bugged out of his head, “A fairy!? I thought ya was a fancy doll!”

Mikan laughed again, “Sometimes I feel like it.”

Étién looked unsure what to think about Ryan’s comment.

Jaren turned to the others, “My Elven still sucks, but it looks like your friend is inside.”

The guard glanced at Jaren, his face suddenly growing weary.

Étién bowed to the guard, “Have a good day and thank you for the imformation.” She walked inside.

Jaren noticed the guard’s sour expression as he watched her. She grinned, waved, then entered after closing her umbrella.

Becky watched the guard as she entered, “A real Dwarf!”

The guard turned to Becky, “New here, huh?”

Chie pushed Becky in, “It’s not polite to stare.”

Sashae, Mayu, Aoi, and Saki followed in last.

The guard shook his head after he spotted Aoi and Saki, and muttered to himself, “What’s up with the fairies?”

The tunnel quickly branched and forked as they went in and Étién asked Dwarves for directions as they went, and they soon found Anton in a room with an enormous machine.

Ryan noticed the red-haired dwarf working on a piece of metal, but instead of using a hammer, he held a tool that looked like a round hand sander that glowed where the sandpaper would have been. He would occasionally put the metal into a slot in the machine, before taking it back out and using the tool on it again.

Becky raised her hand to get Anton’s attention, “Hey! There you are!”

Anton turned to look, “Oh! Hi guys! How’d ya find me?”

Mikan pointed at Étién, “Étién asked the dwarves.”

Anton turned back to the red-haired Dwarf, “See ya again tomorrow? I’ve already got some ideas and I’ll have ‘em ready for ya to look at.”

The dwarf grunted and didn’t look away from his work, “If ya deliver. I’ll get right ta work on repairin’ yer ship’s hull.”

Ryan wondered what they were talking about, “What’d you promise them?”

Anton walked over to the group, “Oh, they said they’d give us some parts if I helped design a spaceship for them.”

Chie groaned, “I do not think we should be giving away technology so easily.”

Anton nodded, “Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m gonna try using their tech to design it. A lot of the stuff is better than Luna’s too, like their metallurgy. I even found out those black orbs we found in the shrews and fairies are batteries that recharge themselves.”

Chie tapped her chin, “I will have to do some experiments after we return.”

Anton looked a little unhappy, “I wish I could help ya, but I need to work on some blueprints.” He looked at Mikan, “Ya mind buildin’ a couple more fairy repair drones? The one I built this morning should be able to do it easy.”

Mikan nodded, “On it.”

Becky thought for a moment, then looked at Anton, “You said some of their stuff is better than Luna’s?”

Anton nodded, “Mostly materials. That metal he’s workin’ on could easily take a few plasma hits. They don’t have anything like computers, warp drives, or power plants, so we’ve got ‘em there. Unless they’re still hidin’ stuff from me.”

The dwarf laughed, “Yer’ an idiot if ya think we’re gonna give all our secrets ta some stranger.”

Anton nodded, “Yeah, yeah.” He started walking towards the tunnels, “See ya tomorrow.”

Everyone followed Anton from the room.

Anton looked at Jaren for the first time, “A cat girl!?”

Jaren raised her hand and pretended to claw at Anton, “Meow.”

Anton smiled, “Where’d ya find her?”

Mikan looked at Jaren, “She works at the restaurant we ate breakfast at.”

Jaren nodded, “Not my first choice as a job, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

Anton nodded, “Working with customers sounds like it sucks. No way I’d do that.”

Becky walked ahead, “Better than being homeless.”

Ryan recalled his jobs in retail, “Yeah, customers can suck, but there’s a lot of cool people I’ve met too.”

Chie nodded, “Humans always remember the bad over the good.”

Ryan noticed Étién looked withdrawn, “Something wrong?”

Étién looked at the others, “I wanted to show everyone the city, but it is difficult because I cannot speak to them.”

Ryan recalled seeing her wanting to join in on conversations many times on their tour today, only to hold back, “Mayu and I are teaching Sashae and the fairies English every morning. Maybe you could come too? It might help you get on Saki’s good side too.”

Étién smiled, “I would like that. I will ask Mother for permission.” She seemed to remember something, “Oh, Mother invited everyone for lunch. We should hurry.”

Mikan turned to the others, “Étién’s mom invited us for lunch so we should hurry and finish the tour.”

Anton rubbed his stomach, “Yeah, I’m super hungry.”

Jaren regarded Étién, “I should head back to work after I buy the stuff Shina asked for. Everything is in the human district, so I can buy it as we go.”

The group quickly left the dwarven tunnels and headed straight for the shops.

Ryan now took time to study the human district now that he wasn’t focused on the Dwarven place and saw it was cleaner than he had expected. It was much brighter too, thanks to not having so many trees.

By now, the streets were busy with people going about their daily business, but they easily moved through the crowds because of similar reactions to Étién and Jaren they had gotten in the Elven district which meant most people made room to avoid getting too close to them.

As they walked and Jaren did her shopping, most of the group’s chatter involved the shops and people and, before they knew it, noon neared and Étién led them back to the Elven district.

As they passed the Temple of Resurrection, they saw no sign of the Guardian, though that didn’t stop Jaren from staying as far away from it as possible as they walked by.

Suddenly, Étién stopped and hung her head low, most of her energy draining from her face.

Ryan was about to say something to her when he noticed Niamh waiting ahead. 

Niamh stood waiting with four escorts, two of them guards, and two very attractive Elven women dressed in silk dresses fit for a high-class servant.

Mayu bowed when the group neared the other, “Good afternoon, Lady Niamh.”

Becky and Chie bowed too.

Anton gulped, “H… Hi! How ya doin’ today?”

Niamh bowed her head to each of them, “Good afternoon, it is a pleasure to see everyone again.” She turned to a frozen Jaren, “I have been meaning to meet you and your sisters, Jaren. Would you join us for lunch as well?”

Jaren swallowed hard, “I… really need to get back to work with this stuff.”

Niamh turned to one of the Elven women and spoke in Elvish, “Take Jaren’s goods to the shop outside the North Gate.”

The woman nodded, “Yes, Lady Niamh.”

The Elven woman approached Jaren.

Jaren relaxed her shoulders, admitting defeat, then handed the supplies to the woman and spoke to her in the more formal Elven that Étién used, “Thank you.”

The woman’s eyes lingered on Jaren’s ears before she left.

Niamh held her hand up, pointing down a nearby side road, “If you would.”

They walked in silence until Étién stopped in front of a gate leading to a small fenced lot with an equally small, but fancy building.

Two guards stood at the gate, one opening it as soon as Niamh arrived.

Niamh led them into the building, which concealed an entrance to a tunnel. Aside from being a tunnel, it was nothing like the ones the Dwarves used. The Dwarven tunnels kept much of the natural aspects of being underground and only had enough light as needed, but these tunnels seemed more reminiscent of a certain Jules Verne book, with plants, waterfalls, and even animals roaming the underground space. 

Before long, they reached the end of the main tunnel, ignoring every room and side tunnel along the way, and Niamh pressed a button hidden behind a potted tree in the corner.

A wormhole appeared, leading to the Gateway room they’d been in yesterday.

Niamh stepped through, “The meal should be ready to eat as soon as we settle down.” She turned to watch Mikan.

The wormhole closed after the last of them passed through. 

Ryan immediately lost his connection to Mikan’s communicator. He felt a rush of dizziness, but when it passed, he could still see and feel through her, but she felt sluggish, and her senses felt dull, almost like she was a remote control vehicle barely in range of the controls.

Étién noticed Mikan’s momentary distress, “Are you okay?”

Mikan put her hand on her head and closed her eyes, “I am… I got a little dizzy, but I am better now.”

Étién smiled, “The medicine worked!”

Niamh studied Mikan, “That seems to be the case. I am glad I was able to help.”

Mikan bowed her head, “Thank you. Is there anything I can do for you as thanks?”

Niamh turned to Étién, “All I ask is for you to continue to watch after my daughter. She is nearing adulthood and I can no longer shelter her as I have, but knowing there are others around her I can trust will be reassuring.”

Mikan grinned, “Of course! Thank you for trusting us.””

Étién gave Mikan a warm smile, then looked at Niamh, “Thank you, Mother.”

Niamh met Étién’s gaze, then walked into the hallway, “Come. We can discuss things while we eat.” 

Niamh led them down the tunnel to the door at the far end.

Ryan felt glad for Étién. He could tell she desperately wanted freedom and independence, and with a mother like Niamh, he could see why she was reluctant to push things too far.

Niamh opened the door for them, revealing a garden.

The garden was in the shape of a half circle and probably took up half of the embassy Étién called home.

Immediately above them was a transparent dome, with the artificial mini sun mimicking noon as it passed by outside. Small trees and shrubs lined the perimeter next to the dome. Next to these were beds of flowers. To the left lay a pond that filled nearly that entire side, with a cobblestone pathway circling its edge. Directly in front of them was a long rectangular table with enough seats to sit ten people comfortably. To the right was a grass field in which several exotic birds scavenged for food.

Ryan looked at the table as Étién walked to it and saw it already had plates and utensils set, with covered platters set down in the middle.

Niamh moved to the far end of the table and gestured for the others to sit, “Come. Let us eat.”

The others moved to find a spot, with Becky choosing one closest to Niamh on the left, and Mayu on the right, with a nervous Saki hiding behind the chair. Étién stood next to the chair on the far end and continued to hold Mikan. Chie stood next to Becky. Jaren chose the chair to Étién’s right, and Sashae on the left, with Aoi hovering behind her chair. Anton sat between Chie and Jaren, but stood back up when he noticed everyone stare at him.

Niamh sat, “Please be seated, this is an informal lunch so no need for formalities.”

Everyone sat.

Niamh lifted the cover from the plate in front of her. It had several slices of bread, crackers, cheese, thinly sliced beef, almonds, cucumber, and sliced apples, “I hope this is to your liking. I asked the chef to prepare a variety of foods to ensure everyone could enjoy the meal regardless of preferences.”

Anton pulled the cover off the plate in front of him, “This is amazing! Thanks!”

Becky gave Niamh a gracious smile, “This is wonderful, thank you. The food on our ship was… well, we had to eat the same thing for every meal, so anything else is nice.”

Mayu nodded in agreement wholeheartedly, “Yes, nutritious, but boring.”

Niamh nodded in understanding, “Most food used for long journeys is like that. In my youth, I often went on excursions and became well acquainted with such lackluster cuisine.”

Anton stopped just before shoving a piece of beef in his mouth, “You were an Adventurer? Is that how you lost your eye and arm?”

Becky cringed.

Niamh shook her head, “I am not like those from your world with the ability to revive after deat, but that would be a correct way to describe it. And yes, I received these injuries during that time, which led to my retirement.”

Anton put the beef down, “You kill anything cool? I bet a dragon did that to ya.”

Niamh leaned forward and smiled, “Perhaps.”

Anton frowned, “You’re teasin’ me now…”

Niamh leaned back in her chair again and started moving some bread, cheese, and fruit onto her plate, “Not at all. I have merely left that part of me in the past and do not care to talk about it to people I barely know, nor trust.”

Anton looked at his plate for a moment, “Right. Sorry.”

Chie cleared her throat, “One question before we eat.”

Niamh nodded.

Chie smiled, “Would it be possible to acquire the technology used to prevent the creatures from appearing when opening a gateway?”

Niamh shook her head, “I am afraid that is not possible. For one, my people share Gateway technology under no circumstances, and even if we did, your ship is far too large to make use of the components that alter it in the way in which you require as the power requirement increases exponentially.”

Chie lowered her head in thanks, “I see. That is… unfortunate.”

Niamh turned back to the food, “Shall we eat?”

Ryan felt a heavy atmosphere around the table as Niamh observed them, and no one spoke for the next minute as everyone filled their plates and started eating. 

Niamh broke the silence after she finished an apple slice, and turned to Jaren, “Jaren. Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

Jaren put down a half eaten cracker with cheese and meat on it, and looked like she had hoped Niamh had forgotten about her, “Sure.”

Niamh leaned forward again, “I have heard the Guardian has taken particular interest in you and that seeing abilities do not work on you, is that correct?”

Jaren shrugged, “Sounds about right. I can’t really check myself, so…”

Niamh’s eye lit up, “I can confirm that myself. When I look at you, it’s as if nothing is there. It’s like you are a void.”

Jaren seemed somewhat happy to hear this, “Nice. Don’t like the idea of people being able to see in my body.”

Niamh nodded, “Yes, I can agree with that sentiment. In fact, I was hoping you would be able to tell me anything you could about why you are like this.”

Jaren shook her head, her expression becoming resentful, “It was that narcissist that gave me this body, but I don’t know what she did to it before she gave it to me, so I can’t help you with that, sorry.”

Niamh leaned back again, “I see. This ‘narcissist,’ where is she?”

Jaren shrugged, “I… no idea. I escaped from her place through a portal like the one we came here through.”

Niamh smiled, “If you ever find out anything, I can compensate you.”

Jaren didn’t seem interested, “If I see her again, I doubt I’ll be around to tell you about it.”

Niamh nodded, “I see. Still, the offer is there.”

Mikan turned to Jaren, “This isn’t your original body?”

Jaren shook her head, “Nope. I was reading what I thought was a story someone posted on one of those story websites authors can post their garbage on and one of the characters claimed to be a goddess. The main character called her a narcissist and got punished for it by her. I thought this was funny and called her the same thing in the comments, and… well, it turned out she was real and didn’t like me calling her a narcissist either,” she looked up, “even if it’s true!” She looked back down, “She killed me by making me fight a bunch of goblins, put me in this body, and said she was going to make me one of her maids. I didn’t like that idea, so I escaped after freeing my sisters. Pretty sure she let me escape, though.”

Niamh perked up, “Is she the one that cursed the birds upon you?”

Jaren shrugged, “Her or one of her friends, probably.”

Becky gave Jaren a sidelong look, “Maybe she’d stop sending the birds after you if you stopped calling her names?”

Jaren laughed to herself, “Yeah, probably, but someone needs to remind her.”

Becky sighed, “You’re a stubborn one, huh.”

Jaren shrugged.

An elf Ryan hadn’t seen before entered the garden.

Niamh finished her meal and stood up, “I need to return to my duties.” She turned to the remaining Elf, “When you are finished eating, my assistant will return you to the city.” She turned to Étién, “Do not forget your afternoon lessons.”

Étién bowed her head, “Yes, Mother.”

Niamh walked to the new elf and entered a room by the pond he hadn’t noticed before because it was concealed behind a tree.

Mikan looked at Étién, “What lessons?”

Étién shook her head, “Mostly history. Mother says if one learns from the past, I won’t make the same mistakes, but I have a hard time memorizing things so my tutor makes me repeat the same materials every few months so I am a few years past what it takes others to finish the lessons.” She looked at the artificial sun and sighed, “I wish I could go back with you. If it’s not lessons, it’s reading the same books from Mother’s library.”

Ryan sympathized with her, “Well, at least your mother is letting you visit us in the mornings.”

Étién smiled, “Yes. I am looking forward to your teaching.”

Mikan blushed, “I think you will be disappointed.”

Étién laughed, “Maybe.” She stood up and placed Mikan on the chair, “I better go too.”

Ryan switched to English so the others knew she was leaving, “Bye, Étién. See you tomorrow.”

Étién bowed to everyone, “See yuu toomorroww!”

Anton snickered at Étién’s pronunciation.

Becky threw a piece of bread at him.

Mikan wasn’t hungry anymore, so Ryan decided to look around the room. There wasn’t much to see that he hadn’t already seen, but the scenery was relaxing enough that it was worth it.

Jaren finished next and stood near the pond, throwing pieces of bread to the fish.

Over the next few minutes, the others finished and joined in admiring the garden.

Anton was last and headed directly for the hallway, “That was great! Time for a nap!”

Niamh’s assistant opened the door and walked ahead of Anton.

Ryan was ready to return too, and followed.

Everyone else finished whatever they were doing and hurried to catch up.

Before long, they stepped through the portal, which led to a garden behind Shina’s shop.

The first thing Ryan saw was a small garden, and the lavender haired a cat girl, Viennsoire.

Viennesoire sat in a chair under a sunshade, and was making shapes in the air somehow. When she saw Jaren come through, she hopped off the chair and ran to Jaren.

Jaren scooped the lavender haired cat girl into her arms and turned to the others, “Alright, gotta go help with some trouble inside. See ya.”

Everyone waved goodbye to Jaren.

Anton peered inside the dining room, which was now filled with farmers eating lunch, “So how many cat girls do they have here?”

Chie answered first, “I believe it was eight, including Jaren.”

Ryan hadn’t cared about the diner and was already heading back to Luna, “Anton, the thieves came while everyone was gone and returned Wizard’s Eye 2.”

Anton looked surprised and ran around the building, “What?! Why?”

Becky ran after Anton, “It was the cat girls!”

Ryan had been looking forward to telling Anton, and was happy to see the payoff, though it wasn’t as funny as when he found out he’d missed out on the Guardian’s medicine and ran off to get some, which he took as soon as he got it, judging by his demeanor when he came back.

Anton was nearly asleep as he climbed onto the airlock ramp, “Why does medicine make you so sleepy?”

Ryan felt no sympathy, “Didn’t he tell you to wait until you got back to take it?”

Anton nodded weakly, “Yeah, but who wants to wait?”

Ryan sighed, “Everyone else. Sashae took hers and is sleeping in her bed, not on a ramp. Everyone else has things to do so they’re waiting until they go to bed.”

Anton pushed himself up, “Hey, I can make it…”

Ryan summoned the Mk. II repair drone to the airlock, “I’ll bring Bob to take you to your room?”

Anton looked confused, “Who’s Bob?”

“You said Becky could name the next drone, so… it’s Bob.”

Anton looked offended, “And she says we can’t name things.”

Bob was in the fabrication room assembling another Mk. II repair drone, so it didn’t have to go far.

Anton was asleep by the time Bob picked him up.

Things should start moving faster next chapter. 

Also, more cat girls. 

For Jaren's journey to becoming a cat girl, read the comments by myself and Goddess_Lokaini (An alt I made just for this and eventually gave to @Storymask) in Chapters 33 through 37, 56, and 68 of @Storymask's Eh! Where Did My Pen... Pen... Go!?!  It doesn't include Jaren's actual escape and finding the other catgirls, though. It's the only story on Scribblehub I've written a review for, so check it out if you want to see my opinion on it. I should actually reread the beginning because I could learn a lot from @Storymask's writing.