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Striding forward, Rachel was the first to step through the rip in space, tail quivering slightly as her foot met the crystalized blood; the bone-chilling scream of an organ hummed through the crimson hall, reverberating from the walls and floor, welcoming them to the court of the Blood Countess with a choir’s haunting chant.

[Beastial Instincts II - Advanced to S-tier]

Threatening pressure welled up within her breast, clawed fingers wrapping around her heart, warning her of the dangers that lurked within this crimson palace, and her wide field of vision saw threats in every shadow.

Her gaze lifted skyward to the open railing on the seventh floor above them, where the imperial-looking woman stood, gazing upon her guests.  The stunning glass ceiling opened the way to see spires and towers rising around them, and a pale-yellow moon cast the intimidating woman in a golden glow; faint red beams mixed with it beyond view, hinting at another celestial sphere.

The light from the overhead celestial sphere didn’t touch Rachel’s skin behind the cowl, her narrowed vision centered on the countess, who was observing them as if prized horses, waiting to be let loose on the track while the losers would be sent to the slaughterhouse.

The skin-prickling realization of the trap they were willingly stepping into cast goosebumps across her arms, accompanied by the ominous realization that everywhere she walked in this castle was within Elizabeth Báthory’s striking distance.  Elizabeth was what Relica aspired to be.

Lining the halls and multiple upper levels were serving girls, all between the ages of thirteen and seventeen, silently waiting to be of service.  Their judging eyes mirrored their mistress, instilling the oppressive, eerie atmosphere that the background music projected.

It was hard to tilt her ears in their laid-back position under her hood, but no matter where she listened, the melody rippled through the murky ruby depths of the structure they’d entered, creating rhythmic patterns in the flowing rivers of blood beneath their feet.  This was the opening of something grand, and she could taste the foreboding strings of misfortune weaving between them all.

Cássia walked beside her, yet Rachel soon redirected their path around the portal to the massive terrace behind it, giving them a phenomenal skyline view of the world they’d entered.

The rest of her party was quick to jump into lock-step with her as she led them into the countess’ castle, and the other robed groups entered behind them.  Rachel was too focused on their new environment and its wealth of noise to keep track of everyone, leaving Nia to maintain surveillance.

“This is insane,” Scarlet mumbled, wide eyes sweeping the giant modern metropolis that sprawled below them.  “It’s an entire city!  Is it… an island?”

Illa’s heart rate thumped as she drew closer to Scarlet, staring beyond the organized infrastructure to an impressive obsidian wall.  “Is that… a blood ocean surrounding us?  Scarlet, do you think it’s safe to drink?!  I bet it tastes nasty.  Hehe.”

Scarlet’s focus was drawn upward, though.  “Rachel, the moons…”

Rachel didn’t need the Vespertine Reaper to tell her as she peered out from underneath her cowl, not a ray of the bright overhead ruby and yellow spheres touching her as of yet.  A shiver ran down her spine, but it wasn’t from fear; she was excited for what was to come in this alien world they’d entered.

Nia?

“The Chartreuse and Crimson Moons…  Give me some time to analyze them.”

Don’t make it obvious, she warned.  We don’t need people figuring out we can gain power from them…  What will these moons do to us?

“I suppose we’ll find out soon enough, Captain…  No, Coral!  Stay close.”

“Fifi…”

The floating cloak lowered a bit, the bunny pouting a little since she wanted to explore.

The other guests spread out, keeping a wide breadth from them on the colossal ground floor of the terrace to study the stage this Legend Quest had offered them.  Murmurs came as some of the vampires and hunters asked their teenage maids questions.

Unlike the others, Cássia took more of a leading role, breathing a sigh of relief when all guests had entered and the portal closed.  Shedding her coat and dropping it on the ground to be absorbed into it, she did a quick check of her appearance.

“I feel so much better now that we are back in The Countess’ realm.”

Her cheeks were somewhat flushed after her embarrassing show, and their brunette guide looked far more comfortable now that they were inside her mistress’ castle with her lady observing them from above.  Cássia’s small fangs shone in the ruby light as she fixed her red dress around her shoulders and followed their gaze to the shimmering clouds rumbling in the distance.

“Welcome to the planet the locals call Vesta.  You are currently in the capital city of the Barony of Morgan.  If you would like to hear the story about how my mistress came to be its owner, then I would be happy to recount the tale.  It would pass the time while I take you to our fitting chamber to craft the Spirit Attire you were promised.”

Nia’s ear twitched, arms crossed and glaring down at the 13-year-old girl, but their attention was soon snatched by a disturbance not far from them.  The entertained laugh of a solitary man several meters away snatched everyone’s gaze.

“Hahaha!  And why should I stay in such a cramped place when I have this whole city to roam and explore?!  What kind of drinks and women does it have?  I hope not all fanged!”

His cloak began to budge as he threw back his hood and stared up at the two celestial spheres overhead, white hair flaring into a mane of crimson and golden hair while transforming.

Dorotya, one of the serving girls who had confronted Cássia on the boat, sighed and stepped back as the werewolf cracked his bones into place and eased around his neck.

“By all means, Lord Fang, you needn’t stay in the castle, but I would advise you to return when the bell tolls and our most important guests arrive.  I am positive you will enjoy what The Countess has to say when the party officially begins.”

A reddish-yellow hue enveloped the wolf as his glowing eyes tilted between the other groups, and a deep chuckle shook his furry frame while throwing off his cloak.  “I look forward to the hunt, Countess.  I hope you can satisfy my thirst for a challenge, or I may need to mark you as my prey!”

With a howl quivering the chilly night ocean air, he jumped off the terrace to the streets a hundred meters below, leaving a buzz of amused or annoyed vampires and hunters in his wake.  Dorotya’s somewhat agitated gaze shifted to Cássia, making the younger vampire-serving girl turn away so as not to make eye contact.

“I apologize for some of our guests’ behavior.  And yes, Lady Nia, I would be happy to first address your concerns regarding the Spirit Fabric.  Shall we continue before others cause a ruckus?  I am sure there will be some that choose not to partake in our hospitality.”

Rachel kept her cowl low, not wanting to give away anything to their competition so long as she didn’t need to.  Clearly, the werewolf had his own lunar-based powers, which spiked her interest in the wolf.

“After you,” she prompted their guide.

Proceeding through the massive ballroom floor, she paid close attention to the various factions, still more than capable of listening to conversations and the unique rustle of clothes each person wore.  Scarlet had her vampiric eyes filtering out the cloaks themselves, which could give them a big advantage, yet it didn’t take long for her focus to fixate on the group climbing the stairs ahead of them.

Aurora’s sparkling silver hair and light-green glow momentarily came into view as she turned to show a charming smile.  Winking at her, she turned left as their guide, Lady Ilona, brought them to the opposite wing as them.

Rachel’s vision narrowed at the playful vampire-fae’s teasing gesture, and without skipping a beat, the woman casually slipped her slender fingers out of her robe to dangle what looked to be a miniature coffin in their direction before slipping it back into her robes.

“That bitch!”  Scarlet hissed, fangs flashing.  “Rachel…”

Placing a hand on her shoulder to guide the Vespertine Reaper away, Rachel shook her head; the only thing keeping things civil was that each faction followed Elizabeth’s rules, and she didn’t like their odds if suddenly they became everyone’s focus.  Not to mention, there was something unnerving nearby that she couldn’t place a finger on, but it felt like fangs were already at her neck, ready to break skin.

“We have a whole week, so let’s just wait until murder becomes legal in this city.”

“Booo,” Illa whispered, getting Coral to join in as her orange bunny slime bobbed up and down in the air, begging to explore.  “We need to start a riot.  They’ll totally all turn on each other, and we can sit back and enjoy the show with some bloodcorn!”

“Totally not a thing,” Anthony snickered, keeping close enough to Maria and Fiona to act if needed.  “I’m up for story time, Cássia.”

Illa rolled her eyes.  “You don’t know that.  It could totally be a thing in this world.  I want to know all their juicy, unique dishes, and I like stories, too, Cássia.  Maybe you can read a bedtime story with Scarlet and me!  We can snuggle up and tell spooky stories.  Doesn’t it sound fun?  C’mon!”

Scarlet begrudgingly turned her head away from the taunting fae.  “She didn’t have my dad’s body on the boat, so Selene must have just given it to her.  I can’t wait to put a spike through her chest.”

“Woah, woah!”  Illa strained a laugh.  “We can’t hurt Aurora.  She’s Rachel’s baby girl; we can totally drain Selene, though.  I’ll do the dirty work and suck her dry!  Just tie her up and leave her in a room with me to have a little fun.  I’m so excited for this masquerade!”

Rachel’s ears tugged a little at her collar as she lifted an eyebrow at the ginger vampire, grinning and giggling.  “I think… we need to put you on a no live-blood diet to see if it makes you less hyper.”

“Ah!  Hsss.  Hsss.  No!  I refuse!”  Illa protested, hiding behind Scarlet.  “Save me from the evil hare, Scarlet; she’s a blood hater!”

“Illa!”  Scarlet groaned as the ginger hugged her arm for protection.  “I know you’re nervous, but it’s going to be okay—Illa!”

The girl leaned in to kiss her cheek, showing a rosy grin before pouting a bit as Scarlet drew away.  “C’mon, Scarlet!  I’m playing.  I’m playing.  It’s just… scary here.  Scarlet, please…  Agh.  My broken strap keeps getting in the way,” she cried, melting Scarlet’s anger.

“Sorry about that…  I really will buy you a new one.”

“It’s okay!  I just… feel a little, yeah…”

Rachel rolled her eyes as the 16-year-old redhead gave Scarlet big blue puppy-dog eyes, holding out a hand for the uncomfortable 18-year-old to take.  She caught Nia’s distrustful stare as her twin glanced their way; unfortunately, Scarlet gave in, wanting to make the ginger feel safe.

“Captain, is it wise to keep letting her worm her way into our group?”

It’s a tricky balance to try and keep.  Her manipulations are helping Scarlet…  Interesting…  Nia, what impression do you get from Cássia and Illa?

“Hmm?”

Nia followed her gaze to Cássia, the 13-year-old’s mouth had become a line while giving the ginger an imperceivable stare during her theatrical show.

“It is right this way, honored guests.  Please stay close so as not to get lost.”

“Oh!”  Illa’s worried eyes darted to the younger teen.  “I’m not trying to say I don’t love your mistress, eh countess!  She’s amazing and exactly like I thought she’d look—I’m so jealous, actually!  She has you and so many cuties running around.”

She put on a very proper and graceful smile, pausing to give the ginger a curtsy as the organ faded to be replaced by a chorus of strings.  “I am glad you admire The Countess, Lady Illa, but might I suggest while you are here that you are mindful of your… typical diet.  The Countess is quite informed as to your tastes, and adequate meals will be provided for your… unique palette.”

“Meaning?”  Maria growled, hugging herself and shivering while scanning the foreboding corridor they were entering, lined with doors.  “Aye, what the hell is up with this feeling I get… like something’s moving in the walls, ready to bite me?  Shit.  How the hell are you supposed to sleep in this place?”

Illa strained a giggle.  “Oh, I can drink any old blood!  Eh-hehe.  No need to get me anything special, Lady Cássia!  I’ll just have whatever Scarlet has.”

A more mature cadence overtook Cássia as the 13-year-old’s swirling ruby irises illuminated slightly, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth while observing the squirming ginger.

“I do sincerely hope you will think carefully about whose realm you have entered.  The Countess is generous to those who follow the rules of proper etiquette…  What would you like me to procure you, Lady Illa?”  She motioned to a branching hall.  “We will continue down this next corridor.  Did you not say you prefer younger blood…  Perhaps mine?”

Rachel shivered with the redhead, feeling unseen hands moving through the walls and floor.  Cássia was delivering a warning to the redhead, telling her that she was not immune to Elizabeth’s claws and that they knew far more about the hyperactive girl than it seemed she might have thought.  Elizabeth was well aware that Illa would try to infiltrate her Quest, and after everything she’d heard so far, Rachel had her own suspicions.

“R-Right,” the ginger mumbled, fidgeting with her dress.  “I would never try to take a nibble out of you without your permission!”

“Lie?”  Maria said, lifting an eyebrow as Illa’s face went white, and Cássia glanced back with a thoughtful look in her crimson eyes.

“From what I’ve heard, you’re a sleep nibbler—like a little baby vampire, looking for her mother’s breast—so I suppose you can’t make that promise.”

Anthony whistled as Illa’s cheeks turned bright red.  “Damn, that’s one way to frame it.”

Fiona winced and swooped over to pat Illa on the head.  “It’s okay.  We all have our problems, Illa.”

“Shit,” Maria chuckled, Spanish accent thickening.  “Brutal, Cass.  Is that true, Red?”

Illa’s nose colored, lips tight as she glared at the floor.  “Don’t call me Red, please, and I don’t want to talk about it…  That was mean, Cássia.  I thought you were nicer.”

Maria smirked.  “Perra hipersensible, eh?”

Cássia stopped in front of a door and opened it, standing on the outside and showing a graceful smile again.  “I am here to serve you with what it is you require.  I am not here to be nice.  Although, I do tend to be quite kind to those who follow the house rules.  I hope that will be you, Illa.  Please, step through here, and we can discuss your concerns, Lady Nia.  The seamstress will be in shortly.”

Filing in, Rachel took the seat by a lit fireplace, the scent of rosewood filling the warm space.  Her focus remained on Cássia as the 13-year-old waited for all of them to find their place.

“I wouldn’t say Cássia hates Illa, but she certainly is telling her to stay in line.  She’s been trying to cozy up to Cássia since the moment I entered the limousine, and Cássia has been respectfully fending her off.  You don’t think…”

Illa is the one who drained those little girls of blood we read about in the reports?  I think so, she muttered, but the question is whether she’s sincere or not.  She’s intelligent enough to dodge questions and play on emotions to wiggle out of deeper inquiry.  This cutesy teen act is designed around manipulating Scarlet, but I bet she’d be able to play any number of parts, should she need to.

“And Cássia?”  Nia pressed, watching the girl gesture at her own red-and-black-themed silken dress while explaining it to the bunny.  “I can’t tell if her child-like mannerisms or mature mannerisms are the real her.  You don’t think she’s an actual Legend or Myth, do you?  Scarlet told us what she knew about the Countess of Blood, and Dorotya and Ilona were accomplices to The Countess’ crimes but were supposed to be older women.”

Rachel’s eclipse-like eyes darted to her double before returning to the cheery and proper 13-year-old, happily explaining that no Soul Items were harmed in the creation of Spirit Items.  It may feel similar, but that is only because it is crafted with spiritual thread, without any intelligence involved.

You don’t say, she mumbled, recalling how the older girls had acted toward Cássia as if micromanaging her.  Cássia seems to have been given a lot of spotlight and responsibility.  Perhaps she is one of the named servants in disguise… unless the name comes up in her history.

“No.  Scarlet has never heard of anyone in the story named Cássia; I asked,” Nia confirmed.  “However, that doesn’t mean she couldn’t be a Myth or Legend that fell under The Countess’ influence.”

True…  We’ll see.

“And that is what Spirit Items are,” the 13-year-old chimed.  “Well, so far as I am aware from what Empress Wu told The Countess.  Are you still uncomfortable with the process?”

Nia sighed, scratching the back of her neck.  “I guess I understand…  It is what I thought then…  Failed Soul Items used to hold enchantment affixes…  Corpses.  Rach, I’d rather not absorb any of those—a personal issue—but the others can go ahead and get one; Fiona could enchant them.”

“Huh?”  Fiona blinked, having looked somewhat absent for a while now.  “Oh, uh… enchant something?  Yeah, sure.”

Frowning, Rachel sat forward, trying to ignore Illa’s teasing actions toward Scarlet to get her mind off Aurora and Selene.  “You okay, Fi?  You’ve had that worried look for a while now, which is kind of unlike you.  At least, from your usual pep.”

Maria reached down to put a pinky by the Fairy to allow the woman to hug, shooting a thankful smile up at the Unicorn.

“Thanks…  Umm, no, not really.  You know how Aurora told me to ask Illa about home—I mean, Ireland?”

“Uh-huh?”

“Well…”  Fiona gulped and looked up at the gangster for help.

“Shit.  Aye, it’s vague, but she traded with the Myth of the Leprechaun for lucky gold, and, according to him, the place is being overtaken by these Irish demons or some shit?  The Irish Army is, well… damn small, but they’re doing what they can, and apparently, they’ve got the place Fiona lives under control and safe.”

“Damn, at least your home’s safe.  We can try to get more information once we’re out, too.”  Rachel sat back and saw an unusual twitch come from Anthony that he tried to hide by folding his arms under his armpits.  “Umm.  If you need to jump over to Ireland after this, then I’m fine.  We could make it happen.”

Anthony’s bitter voice answered, pulling their gaze.  “It wouldn’t help.  Arthur already told you there is a barrier around the whole country, and I’ve confirmed it with my own sources…  Right now, there’s nothing anyone can do to get inside.  Sorry, Fi.”

“No, it’s okay,” Fiona reassured, more for herself than for them by Maria’s grimace.  “The southern half of Ireland is supposed to be safe, which is where my family is.”

Anthony pulled their eyes once again, clearing his throat.  “Umm, on that note, can we talk privately while everyone else gets fitted, Rachel?  It’s important.”

Maria ran her fingers through her hair with a groan.  “Dammit!  Don’t get me involved in your shit again, Anthony…  ¿Por qué siempre me golpean con la mierda del drama?  Agh.  I guess you want me to make sure he’s not full of shit?”

Rachel chuckled, pulling off her hood and letting her ears stretch before shedding the cloak.  “No, I’ll trust Anthony if Barb and you guys cleared him.  We all have our secrets, after all.  No need to go digging around in all of our dirty laundry, right?”

“I totally agree!”  Illa yelled from beside Scarlet.  “Let’s just all be friendly.  Hey, Scarlet, can you, like, sneak us into the kitchen or something?  Would that be so bad?  We should do it!  Maybe they have blood cheese and crackers or something.  Aren’t you curious?!”

Scarlet forced a tired laugh, no doubt trying not to cry with the stress she felt.  “I really just want to crash into a bed and never wake up again.”

“Noo!  C’mon!  Have fun with me!”

Leaving Illa to poke and prod the young woman, now commenting on her black lips, Rachel got up to leave with Anthony, and curiously, Cássia moved to join them.  Rachel’s gut tightened as the brunette drew near, showing a mysterious smile, and she heard an unnatural ripple that vibrated through the blood beneath their feet, putting her tail up.

Something doesn’t feel right here…  

“You may use the sitting room two halls down; the ones closest are being used for… other projects.”  The brunette’s upbeat vibe had returned as she turned the knob and motioned for them to proceed.  “Allow me to show you the way.  We should have plenty of time before the opening ceremony begins.”

Anthony kept a close eye on the teenage girl as she took the lead, and when they entered the hallway, Rachel’s eyes narrowed; it was dark, and not by any natural phenomena.

“What’s going on with the light that was shining through the blood earlier?”

“Hmm?”  Cássia’s head tilted to give them a backward glance on their journey, a playful twist to her lips.  “The villains of this tale have made their way into the castle.  Now, all there is to do is wait for the bell to ring and for the game to begin.  Perhaps this would be a good time to tell you about how The Countess acquired this barony.”

“Captain…”

I know.  Something is dampening all sounds.  Keep on your toes.

Their progress slowed, and the brunette vampire lowered her voice in the deathly silent hallways.  Rachel’s ears rose higher as she realized the noises of the castle were beginning to gradually fade.

“You see, Vesta is an ocean planet… well, one soaked in corrupting blood and gore,” Cássia said, running her fingers along the wall, causing the crystal to liquefy and ripple at her touch.  “Humans became nearly extinct when the vampire mutations took effect, yet order came from the Emperor God, a powerful vampire who brought innovation and life back to this planet…”

The girl dipped her hand into the waving crystal to throw out the blood, shaping it in her hands as she spoke.  Rachel couldn’t help but feel a little queasy upon turning down a hallway and spotting several bodies of men and women trapped inside the wall, gradually being drained of blood as a maid fed the famished people, tears falling down their eyes.

“F-Forgive me…  Please, Countess… forgive me…”

“Eat up, Mr. Kant,” the 15-year-old girl chirped.  “You still have five more years of blood harvesting before your crimes are forgiven.  Oh, Lady Cássia, guests, it is my honor!”  the blonde said as she spotted them, doing a proper curtsy.  “How is The Countess this evening?”

“Thank you for asking, Lady Tulip.”  Cássia returned the greeting.  “The Countess is recovering splendidly.  Have you been enjoying The Countess’ employment?”

“Very much, My Lady!  My life and the lives of my family have much improved from my days under the House of Morgan.  I must return to my chores.  It would be quite horrific if one of my charges were to die on my watch.  Have a lovely evening.”

“You, as well.”

Anthony gulped while watching the weeping men and women, blood sealing their mouths shut unless given food to ingest.  “These are… criminals—and are some of them vampires?”

“You have a sharp eye, Lord Anthony.”  The brunette hummed, pausing them in front of a trembling vampire woman, dilated eyes fixated on her.

“The Countess entered this world inside this very city with those who were loyal to her, and it was her goal to make the nobility accept her…  Instead of following the Quest’s instruction, we overthrew its barony, killing the head of the House of Morgan…  The House of Blood.  These criminals are loyalists who incited a rebellion against The Countess.”

The imprisoned vampire’s bloody tears and pleading face begged for forgiveness, and on closer inspection, Rachel saw crystal-like needles weaving in and out of the woman’s body, binding her to her cell for the next five years.

“You will have to excuse the sight, Lord Anthony, Lady Rachel; we are still in the process of stamping out the pitiful resistance that lurks in the shadows.  We will—”

“Baroness Audrey will exact our revenge on you all for what you have done to her older bro—”

The loyalist was cut off by Tulip as the blonde sighed and shoved a mouth full of mush into his mouth.  “So energetic today!  We may be able to get three liters from you today.  How exciting!  I may be able to beat Lady Kris’ score.  Don’t disappoint me, Jasper!  I need another gold star, so eat up my special food to build you up nice and healthy.”

Rachel glanced back to see the man choking down whatever the girl was force-feeding him, and Cássia opened the door to allow them inside a cozy sitting room that was modeled with an 18th-century theme.

The brunette giggled as they went inside, remaining in the doorway.  “They certainly are energetic…  At least for the first few hours after capture.  In short, this world has no land masses, so the vampires build floating cities on the blood ocean.  The Barony of Morgan is one such artificial island that connects to a minor Earl’s territory of artificial islands.”

She gestured toward a closed and veiled window.  “The Countess staged a daring theft and stole the whole island after plucking the key out of the former baron’s dusty corpse.  Now, we wait for the retribution.  Enjoy your chat!”

Actually speechless after hearing about Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed’s Quest escapades, Rachel dropped into her seat and rubbed her temple.  “You haven’t stolen an island and gotten a ton of nobility pissed at you yet, have you?”

Anthony slowly shook his head.  “Uh, no?  I’ve been more or less following the rules they give me, but… maybe I should start doing my own thing.  I’m starting to think veering off the rails and into dangerous waters is really what we should be doing at this point.”

“Yeah, I can see it,” Rachel mumbled, thinking about how Conner’s Legend Quest had been thrown into a storm.  “Just to be sure, you’re cool with sharing whatever you’re about to talk about with Countess Elizabeth, right?  I’m pretty positive at this point she can hear everything that goes on inside her castle, which is probably why a lot of the stronger dudes went into the city.”

“You underestimate me,” he smirked, summoning his spear and making a slash that split space.  “Would you look at that; it works!  A Quest inside of a Legend Quest.  Want to do an easy one that’ll take less than, like… 5 minutes and give us time to chat?”

“That important, huh?  Damn.  Who is this woman everyone’s pissed about?  Well, okay then, I guess I’m about to find out,” Rachel snickered, spotting a dark forest inside.  “The Quest you were doing to maybe cure—shit… I didn’t.”

Rachel hissed as she informed Nia of what she was about to do and jumped inside, feeling the grassy floor tickle her ankles and the White Moon fill her with Neutral Energy.  She was supposed to have supplied Amelia with some divine blood to help cure her, and then this whole thing had spiraled into a total shit show.

Anthony joined her, closing the portal.  “Don’t worry about—Nia?”

Not a moment after the portal closed, Nia materialized from sparkling lights, giving them a cross stare.  “So, apparently, there is a limit to how far away I can be from you, Captain, and an entire multiverse seems to be a good starting point…  I was yanked after you like there was a rope around my waist.”

“Good to know,” Rachel chuckled.  “You told the others?”

“Mhm.”

“Okay, good.  Well, welcome to the Quest!”

Anthony cleared his throat, pulling both of their stares upward.  “Actually…  Holy shit, you two really are twins!  Haha.  You even tilt your heads the opposite way when you’re questioning something—okay, not to get distracted, but I kind of need only Rachel to hear this.”

Nia glanced at her with a tired sigh.  “Want the bag?”

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Rachel groaned, holding out her hand for the big rucksack to appear from their storage slot.  “Let’s find a tree for me to change behind.  Nia will keep busy.”

Anthony placed a hand on Nia’s shoulder, making the Living Denier lift an eyebrow.  “Please, Nia, only Rachel can hear this; there is magic involved.”

“Sure.  I’ll fold my ears down and snoop around.  Don’t worry.  You’re just lucky I’m not a kid right now…”

Intrigued by his stress on exclusivity, even from Nia, Rachel went behind a nearby thicket to change.  Something big had happened with the red-haired Legend, and apparently, she was the only one he could rely on or tell, which did make her feel nice and fuzzy inside.  She was a reliable person, after all, and she took pride in that.

“Alright, let’s get this over with before the vampire swarm attacks the castle!  What has you all knotted up inside?  You’ve looked like you’re carrying the weight of the world from the moment you joined me at the ship.”

“It’s… complicated,” he mumbled, watching her exit from behind the brush in boots and a blue dress.  “Thanks, Nia.  Have fun exploring.”

“I won’t…  It’s not like I’ll find any cool fashion choices out here in the middle of nowhere.  Oh, there’s a town in that direction.  Yeah, I’ll see you there.”

The bunny kicked up a gust of wind as she launched in the direction of the busy nightlife of the city, carrying leaves, dust, and branches in her drag.  Rachel had to hand it to them, Nia and she were getting a little scary fast at this point, and that was without their use of the Unique Moons.

Finding her hands behind her back and holding them at the base of her tail, Rachel gave the nervous redhead a smile.  “Okay, lover boy, what’s the gossip?”

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