GNNNNNYYYUP! I'm up. Tonight, my fine friends and foes… We are skipping the clothing! I have this new thing called a sink shower hack… And I want to see just how far we can take it. That's right~ I want a full on bath in that baby. That's what I was thinking as I scurried along through the Throne Room, past the Foyer; and into the Kitchen. Leaping onto the counters, I flicked the hot water on, before flicking on the cold just a little bit. Swiping at the running water with my paw… I tested the temperature. It's almost there, but it needs a little more heat. Flick that just once more… Drop that in the water… Wait a minute… And turn off the taps! Nyah! Voila~ I've manifested a bath.

Dipping my paws in, it feels just about right. I'm going in. Whew~ This is much better than the sink shower hack. I prefer the sink bath hack by far. It's really no comparison. It's the sensation of rinsing my hair, multiplied by 10. It's just that big of a deal. I'm having a splendid time, I have no regrets. Laying on my back, I began to rest my two front paws over the edges of the sink as I let my head hang back over the edge as well. I think… I think I might stay like this for a while. Yeah. This is the life… Is what I was thinking until about 20 minutes later when I slipped further into the tub and got a wake up call. It might be a little dangerous for me to stay in too long. Regaining my composure, I began to shake off my fur a little bit before pulling the plug. Jumping back up to the top of the counter, I flicked on the warm water once more. I'm still going to have a shower, even after my bath. I just can't help myself. I need the full experience. I'll flick the cold water on a little bit too.

Hopping back in, this is almost as good as before; but I only ended up staying in the shower for about 3 minutes. It was kind of difficult to keep my balance without the plug there. It may have turned into a whole issue had I not gotten out sooner. I could feel myself slipping. That's enough for one night. I'll turn it off meow. Leaving the mess of a sink behind, I ran back down the Throne Room at the highest speed. Turning around, I ran back to the Foyer at the highest speed. I'm now more or less dry. I should go clean the sink, but it's a challenge in this form. I'll do it later. I'm hungry.

Entering the Dining Hall, I ran across the table and procured myself two common Fish before reaching my seat. I ended up eating them from atop the table, I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this meal to its fullest. Almost. Cetilla wasn't present to help with the fan hack, but Wendel was singing 'Gl*ry and Gore'. I'm missing a whole lot of my favorite people right about meow. Goblin Funk, Cetilla, Ben, Budget Dragon, and Rita all went to the Orc Mountains. I could do without Ben or Rita… But Goblin Funk and Budget Dragon AND Cetilla?! Those are like my favorite people! They form a party of 5. They'll be 6 after Lemmispire joins them… Calling on Robert and Con, I asked them of how it went. After they appeared, they told me that Lemmispire had attained the new outfit and would be awaiting a signal for his escape. Wonderful.

We still haven't found the Forsaken Isles, though. It's only a matter of time with the Harpies helping, I think. Finishing with my meal, I returned to my Treasure Room and got dressed after returning to my Human form. I then carried out the 6 pieces that I had made last night into the Throne Room. Leaving them there, I returned to the Kitchen and cleaned up the sink; helping any fur to find its way into the drain. Take that, Wailing Keep Sama! Mwuahahaha~ Moving along, I flew to the waterfall and conjured a new [Hallowed Gate]. Moments later, the lesser Scarecrows appeared. They don't even need to be asked at this point, huh? I guess we're all invested. I was thinking such things as I returned to the Throne Room. Grabbing all of the empty buckets, I returned them to the Treasure Room.

I'm meow filling the empty buckets with the Candy in my bag. It took me a long time, but I ended up filling all 42 and a half of the empty buckets without even emptying half of the bag. The Candy Man really went all out with procuring vast amounts of my favorites in advance… I can't help but feel that way. I suppose it's time for the game changer pieces. Tonight, I shall be creating pieces of up to level 300. I won't be able to make very many, but I'm hoping that they'll be influential enough to immensely bolster our defensive power. Yosh!

Each piece of potentially level 300 clothing costs me a whopping 1200 MP to conjure. They're pretty intense. I was only able to make two before needing to consume Candy. I'll just go with another 40 buckets~ By the time that I had finished, I had created 20 pieces. There are even a few that I would wear. It's difficult to say no to them… After looking at their stats, it's even more difficult. I'll just take these ones here… They're level 209 vertical striped black white knee high socks for 209/209 M./P. DEF.. I know. Impossible to decline. I can finally get rid of those pesky black stockings. I had never witnessed these kind of socks before in the piles of clothing. I'm starting to believe that high level pieces can often make way for never before witnessed costumes. It's almost as if there are costume tiers! I was thinking such things as I effortlessly removed my stockings and replaced them with socks, before stuffing the old stockings into my fabled treasure chest. I say effortlessly, but those bad boys were on underneath several other pieces, so it actually took me around 5 minutes.

Welp! According to my status, I meow have 820 P. DEF. and 752 M. DEF.. It's pretty high up there, I think. I really should try and compare my stats to what one might get out of more conventional armor... One of these nights. My next move will need to be securing safe passage for the Komotokin Dragon Woman currently staying in these walls. She needs to go home, and besides… I'm excited to meet Dragons. She's my foot in the door, people! We can't let her slip me by. That's what I was thinking as I returned the buckets to the Treasure Room and filled them all once more. Jeez… After finishing, I can easily say that the Candy Man totally already supplied me with 100 buckets worth of Candy. Potentially more. I'll just take 5 of them with me. I don't want to fight any Dragons, but I don't want to be without a means of escape; either. This is just to ensure that I can quickly fly back to the Lost Kingdom. I swear. Please believe me, Dragons!

I went to the fireplace and sat outside on one of the logs, to find that she was probably within the Wailing Keep somewhere. Fearful of the basement, I asked Robert to find me the Dragon. While I waited, I spent some time having a conversation with those sitting near me. It was Lora, Boris, Jon, Cyclozard, Penny, and Christina. Apparently, I forgot to capture Penny and Christina last night. They totally decided to become my Clansmen. Fun~ [Clansmen Capture]! [Clansmen Capture Success! Corocdae T6x1, Pixie T5x1 Gained]. I should look at their status!

Name: Unnamed Monster

Race: Corocdae (Halloween)

Class: Barbarian

Tier: 6

MP: 567/640

P. DEF: 128

M. DEF: 128

STR: 288

INT: 32

DEX: 32

LUK: 16

AGI: 64

Titles:

[Swamp Lurker+3], [Ruled by Instinct+2], [Abomination], [Halloween Clansmen]

Abilities Learned:

[Swim+5], [Deep Breath+2], [Jaw Snap+2], [Instant Charge], [Recovery by Mud], [Enhanced Hearing], [Return to Halloween]

Name: Unnamed Monster

Race: Pixie (Halloween)

Class: Jester

Tier: 5

MP: 154/192

P. DEF: 32

M. DEF: 64

STR: 16

INT: 288

DEX: 16

LUK: 160

AGI: 32

Titles:

[Sinister Songmaiden+3], [Twisted Tunesweaver+2], [Halloween Clansmen]

Abilities Learned:

[Pixie Powder+2], [Oblivious+1], [Song of Confusion+1], [Song of Time Slow], [Song of Space Distortion], [Return to Halloween]

Woah. Hold on! The Pixie can alter Time as well?! She has Space Magic as well?! I'm starting to understand why her voice is so damned amazing, though… She's a Songmaiden. A Sinister one. Her stats are heavily questionable, but the Corocdae's aren't. The Corocdae seems pretty natural. She's totally still a nightmare, though. I have a feeling that this duo caused quite the number of incidents before having come into contact with me. They have ridiculous war potential, just with the two of them. The Corocdae keeps the Pixie safe, while the Pixie absolutely wreaks mental havoc against their enemies. Any who get close, are getting within the Corocdae's range; granting them very little chance of success if already influenced by the Pixie's songs. They're not very well suited for ranged attacks, but if it came to that… They could probably hide beneath the depths of the mud. Frightening. Sadly, the Pixie's terrifying abilities can also work against her allies. Christina most likely lurked beneath the mud as Penny sang, before she charged out when the deed was done. Penny's Pixie Powder is quite interesting as well, it allows her to blind her enemies. Literally. It burns away skin and eyes if exposed to the Powder. Healing Magic or permanent blindness. Your choice.

The Pixie's [Oblivious] ability allows her to go unaffected by her own singing, but it's important to note that at some point in time… She was totally affected by her own voice. The Corocdae can swim so well under water, that she's fully capable of swimming in mud. I'm probably getting pretty close to that, but I lack her [Deep Breath] ability. It allows her to hold her breath longer. Pretty self explanatory, but I bet it helps immeasurably when swimming in mud. Her [Jaw Snap] ability is just that. She can snap her jaws at immense speeds. [Instant Charge] allows her to charge forward, but she can use it in unison with [Jaw Snap] for one hell of a combo. [Recovery by Mud] is also quite self explanatory, but she can recover herself if she's bathing in mud. Gross. I expect that she used it quite often. [Enhanced Hearing] is an ability that is starting to appear very common. I believe that even Lemmispire had that ability. Christina probably gained it accidentally by overhearing Penny's torment from beneath the mud. Judging by how it's her most recent ability learned, it might have even been the cause of their downfall. It might be the reason why they ended up being captured. Their combo just won't work any longer if Christina can hear Penny perform.

I was overlooking their statuses, until the Komotokin Dragon Woman appeared alongside my favorite Tier 1 Bat. It's time to go, huh? Alright~ I'll see you later, Robert. I think it might be too hot for you out there... I was thinking such things as I took off with the Komotokin Dragon Woman riding on the back of my Broom. She's complaining about how uncomfortable it is… But like, she asked me for the ride… Did she not? Excuse me? So rude, some of these people. I swear… Brooms aren't THAT bad, give it a break already~

"Anyways, I must admit… I'm quite curious of the Dragon Mountains. Would you mind telling me about it, or even showing me around?" [Nero] sighed before begging the question.

"The Dragon Mountains? They're a spectacular place. Very hot, SO nice for Fire Elementals… You know, I never pegged you for a Fire Elemental; yet here we are… You should be beside yourself at this point and you're showing no sign of struggle against the heat." [Komotokin Dragon Woman] replied in a frivolous manner as she kept a close eye on the Catkin's temperament.

"Well, this is nothing for me… But really now; will I get to meet more Dragons? Are they nice creatures or will they try to devour me?" [Nero] replied, accepting in the carefree atmosphere.

"You'll be fine if you can stand the heat… We only eat those that cook easily. [Komotokin Dragon Woman] explained casually before going on to add.

"There's a valley that many of us settle in, you'll love it there." [Komotokin Dragon Woman] proclaimed with a laugh.

"Well, lead the way~" [Nero] laughed. To which, the Komotokin Dragon pointed Nero along towards the northeast area of the territory.

Looking down, there's a small Lake in a large, open crater. I think it's a crater, or it's a seriously large mountain that was cut in half… And then gained a small crater within… Which turned into a Lake. Strange. There's actually some grass growing around the Lake… But it's black and burnt. It's hot out here. I honestly came across quite a few very strange locales on the way over here, but in this clearing… It appears to be consisting of red colored Dragons which also have Komotokin Dragons added into the mix. They're… Sharing? It's strange, because there should be more colors of Dragons. I literally see other colored Dragons flying around. I also very clearly saw other types of Dragons having their own homes. They all seem to enjoy fighting a whole lot. I don't actually see very many Dragons dying… But I see a whole lot of fighting. It's kind of brutal.

Descending to the Valley, I quickly found that there were many kinds of Dragons around me. They're curious of me... I think. There are large Dragons, small Dragons, skinny Dragons, wide Dragons, humanoid Dragons, Komotokin Dragons, Dragonkin, and even Snake Dragons. A whole lot of Dragons. For the most part, they're all red. The Komotokin and Dragonkin dont seem to need to be red, but the others are all red. None of them appear to be my Clansmen… It's a shame. Red Dragons are a no for me, I guess. I decided to just jump to the juicy bits and ask them why there were only red Dragons in the Valley. Their response? Because the Red Dragons are some of the most noble of Dragons, and they want to allow Komotokin and Dragonkin to exist here… But the other Dragons don't agree. It's a whole predicament, and it's all due to the Komotokin and Dragonkin. Actually, the Blue Dragons want the Drakes to live here, but only the Red Dragons agree; and so they also live on their own… Because the Blue Dragons still don't believe in the Komotokin or Dragonkin. The freaking Yellow Dragons want the Lizardmen to hang out with the Dragons, but no one agrees with them; so they too live in agony. It's seriously just the most stupid thing that I have ever heard. One word? Compromise. Hunky Beefcake… Why?! So basically, the Red Dragons are saints; the others are all questionable but they have their merits. Fun. The Green Dragons are just horrible, though. No one likes them.

In addition to the whole Dragons all hate each other predicament, this entire territory is apparently plagued with death flags. There's the Chaos Chasm directly south of me. There's a Cave of Catastrophe to my southeast. There's a Peak of Doom to my southwest. There's a whole damn Mount of Nightmares to my west. It's a wonder how I even got here safely. There's one other safe place on this territory, though. It's the Holy Peak, apparently a portal into the Divine Realm rests there. The Holy Peak also holds the Dragonfly Tree. Interesting. I'm probably not good natured enough to be granted access into the Divine Realm, but it's an interesting thing to know. I just might be smited on entry. It's a thing, according to the red Dragons. They're apparently good people, so I doubt that they would lie to me about something so serious. It was one of their elderly which pointed it out to me. He was a genuine red Snake Dragon, but he had a freaking grey beard which threw the whole scenario off balance.

The Dragons apparently drink, and so we've began to drink Dralcohol. Yeah. They call it Dralcohol. It's kind of intense, but I managed to convince a Dragon to come and meet Cetilla. She's my new best friend for this night. Her name? Wait for it… It's Draconicolia-Chrilipsilys. I can't remember any of the other names because they're even longer… And so, I have latched onto Draconicolia-Chrilipsilys. She's a Snake Dragon. She's actually the old guy's grand daughter. She has this wicked sense of humor, she's always talking about burning cities to the ground for some reason. You know what my favorite part about her is? My Wailing Keep is highly fire resistant, and nearly impenetrable to outside forces.

According to my new friend, she would be off laying waste to the realm if it weren't for her grand father... Always raining on her parade with meteor showers. Intense. Dragons are too intense. She says, that the thing she finds most disgusting of all; is love. Interesting. It would appear that this young lady is an anti Valentine. She's like Cetilla. She's eternally on the naughty list. There's a chance that she may switch Clans if given the chance to Evolve. I can't help but wonder if she'll go spook. Well, I asked her grand father if she could return with me to the Lost Kingdom for a little while… But he said no. Talk about a waste of my time! That's it! I'm leaving! I'm flying away, farewell; Dragons!

Heading home, I can't help but feel tired due to the heat and Dralcohol. It's just too much. I caught another glimpse of that Mountain of Nightmares. It appears to be a very darkened color mountain. There's a purple mist radiating around it, and it's kind of frightening. I'll give it that much. There might even be something for me down there. It might just be death by poison. I'll take my chances for now, without the ominous purple mist at the foot of the Mountain of Nightmares. Just south of it, is the Holy Peak. That place looks majestic. I feel as though I might see a rainbow above it. The Dragonfly Tree appears pretty massive. After this point, everything else that I saw just appeared to be hot mountains or magma pits and geysers of varying kinds. There's almost always a layer of mist near the ground of this territory, but it's not always purple. I think it might be a monster's doing.

Finally leaving the depths of the Dragon Mountains, I began to feel slightly better. I can see clearly now. It's all coming back to me meow… I have these five buckets of Candy on me, and no use for them. I need to go and save Lemmispire, but like… When are the Elves going to get back to me? I totally asked them to call me back within three nights. I didn't expect them to be so freaking slow about it though?! Talk about ghosting… I was thinking such things as I returned to the Wailing Keep. I feel like I need another shower, after all that sweat. I feel gross all over again. No fair.

"Welcome back, Nero!" [Goddin Village Neith Sama] called out, while sitting near the fireplace.

"Thank you, Goddin Village Neith Sama~ I need like twenty minutes to myself right now, see ya!" [Nero] replied with a smile before slamming the Wailing Keep doors shut as he entered through them.

Okay! Racing to my Treasure Room with no regard to MP, I quickly got inside and began to get undressed. I placed my buckets among the others. I don't trust Dralcohol. I don't know if it will make me feel warm. All I know is that I felt tired after drinking it. Tired is scary when in a place consisting heavily of magma. I couldn't stay any longer. I need to wipe myself clean of their freaking air, because I don't know what toxins they even have over there. There were geysers erupting massive amounts of mist, which ominously stayed near the surface. There could have been poison in the mist. I might not have noticed being in contact with the mist, but I essentially breathed it in from a large distance. I don't know science! I can't just go infesting the Delhn Lake with those potentially deadly toxins that normally kill mortals! All I know about the Dragon Mountains is that they're a total war zone and that of a dozen parties of Humans, only one ever returned. That's insanity. There might be poison in the mist. I need to rinse off in the Wailing Keep Sama's drains! I need to let him deal with it! He's a smart guy, he'll figure it out. That's what I was thinking as I returned to my smallest form and sprinted through the Throne Room and into the sink before struggling to turn on the taps.

It took me a whole minute to manage turning on both the taps to the right temperature while already in the sink, but I managed. I'm safe now. It's okay… My legs are slipping! Oh my gosh… It's stainless steel, right?! Right?! AGHHH! It's totally scratching the freaking Wailing Keep Sama sink! My claws! Oh? He's healing the damage a few moments after I attack him. Okay, I guess it's fine~ But I'm still totally slipping! Okay… I have one choice. I need to jump. A leap of faith. An effortless, leap of courage; into the night's sky. Three… Two… One… Meow!

Okay, so I ended up being able to scramble my way to the top of a fridge… But it wasn't before I slammed my entire head into the water tap, blowing it off the sink only to be regenerated a moment later. I guess I just don't know my true strength yet. I was only trying to leap onto the water tap, but I totally misjudged my angle as well. Also, now that I'm up here… It seems as though Wailing Keep Sama has a dust problem. This is disgusting. We need a Maid Sama. Or ten, given how large this place is. Maybe I should just go and steal Celine and her troupe? They're competent. They handle large homes, so they have the experience… I must apologize, Veronica. I did not mean to steal your workers, it just sort of… Happened.

Alright, so how am I going to get past the armada of Kingdom Knights guarding the Vellisroi Estate? Perhaps, I should just try and find that secret passageway? Do I really need the secret passageway, though? I could easily just slay all of the Kingdom Knights stationed there… It's still almost as clear of a message to the King that I meant business. I don't really need to kill his son, but I kind of wanted to? I don't know… He's a powerful guy, apparently. I like a challenge from time to time, if it seems that it might be achievable? He wasn't a ranged attack kind of class, so I would like to think that I might have had the upper hand? I can attack in close range with my Claws, but I literally have no abilities to back that up unless I'm facing Fish… I have a Barrier which makes me kind of like a tank, I suppose?

I also have Pumpkin Bombs, but those are only really viable for an entrance. I could enter with those, and then jump down in my largest form. I could also use War Meow, and 10 Minute Makeover beforehand; so it's really all about being prepared for me. If I'm using my largest form, then my clothing actually still count… For whatever reason. They aren't visible, but they're there. In my status. I need to be prepared for a fight, otherwise I won't have the time needed to properly make use of my abilities. That's dangerous. The only way for me to buy myself time is by calling on my Clansmen before I have the chance to fully help them… Or to fly away and attempt to lure them. If I don't have Candy on me beforehand, then I'm already losing a whole lot of fighting potential. I'm a Mana Guzzler. I guzzle that Mana.

I was thinking such things as I returned to the Treasure Room and began to get dressed after assuming my Human Form. Then, I returned to the Kitchen and cleaned the sink once more. Turning around, it would appear that I have a guest. It's that pompous Elven Councilwoman that promised to never return. She's looking arrogant as ever... I probably made her wait. Looking to her back, I don't see any Companions alongside her. I'm SO sorry…

"Greetings, I come on behalf of the Elven Council once more. In lieu of your previous correspondence, we deemed it necessary to have two of our own bring this information. We wouldn't want there to be any shred of insinuation that these details were not to be taken as truly coming from the Elven Council, and so we have decided to have two members of the aforementioned Council come here to speak with you." [Laura Pralini] greeted the Cat once more, before stepping to the side of the doorway and gesturing for another participant to enter.

"Hello, my name is Leoric Eldinheim… Fifth member seated to the Elven Council. I have come to bare witness to these proceedings." [Leoric Eldinheim] introduced himself as he entered the room and removed his hood to reveal silver hair pulled back beneath his long ears and orange eyes.

"Very well then, please; follow me to my Throne." [Nero] said as he turned off the water and began to fly out of the room on his Broom.

As we traveled, I made sure to check that my Barrier was on. It was. I also made sure to call on Luna, Steve, Mick, Andy, Wendel, Mr and Mrs Scarecrow to bare witness to these so called proceedings. They all appeared, one by one; joining our little ensemble as we approached my Throne. Finally taking my seat, I turned around to get a proper view of those two Elves. I believe that Leoric Eldinheim might be a Halloween Clansmen. I need a closer look at him, but I'll leave that for another time. I can't just steal one of the two Elven Council members that arrive here tonight for no reason. It would be unbecoming of me.

"Greetings. I thank you both for taking the time to come and speak with me in my wondrous home, the Wailing Keep. You may call me Nero, I am the one True Halloween Cat~ I represent a small portion of the Halloween Clan, and have made it one of my priorities to clean a large aspect of this continent. To be frank, I don't like the way that a lot of it is currently being run. I would change it if given the chance. It has come to my attention that at any given time, only 7 others have the same level of credibility as I do to rule. I don't intend to assume all of this continent as my own domain, at least not at the current moment… But I do still intend to change at least a bit about it. My first rule of order is to abolish slavery within the Beastkin Kingdom. My second rule of order is to stop the capturing of foreign races within any Kingdom. If you detain another Kingdom's subject, return that subject to their own Kingdom to answer for their crimes and be set free. Otherwise, simply slay the subject. There is no need for prolonged torture or imprisonment… They are either guilty and sentenced to death, or they are freed and sentenced to live." [Nero] introduced himself as he lowered his aviators and removed his cap with a smile on his face.

"...7 others? I assume that you're referring to the Holiday Clan Leaders of old? I don't mean to break your bubble, but they haven't been around for a very long time. Are we expected to wait for them to suddenly appear and then accept every single thing that they say as gospel?!" [Leoric Eldinheim] spat out, with a furious attitude.

"Lilica was revered as a God among mortals. Should I also not be given at least a modicum of respect? I am the first to arrive and try to help you poor creatures. This time around, you have been blessed with the assistance of a True Halloween Cat. Take it as a godsend if you must, or take it as a sign that you are about to face great misery. I don't care. The fact that no other Holiday Clan Leaders have landed into this continent as of yet, means that you are stuck with me. Who knows? Maybe I was the only Holiday Clan Leader to come to this realm this time? Maybe you're all just holding me up when I could be off saving another freaking continent!" [Nero] shot back exasperatedly.

"I'm only saying, that perhaps you are finding problems where there are infact none?! It's not as though armageddon is currently befalling the Beastkin Kingdom, so why go out of your way to lay waste to the Kingdom?!" [Leoric Eldinheim] exclaimed angrily.

"Who said anything about laying waste to the Kingdom?! I'm only going to slay any who stand in my way. I'm freeing slaves, and liberating them from their masters; not burning the world!?" [Nero] screamed hysterically.

"But what will happen after you free the slaves and there are no wealthy left to rule?! It will be absolute chaos, resulting in large troupes of thievery and banditry; likely to lay waste to other Kingdoms in their wake!" [Leoric Eldinheim] shouted with a look of hate.

"You underestimate those slaves. A vast majority of them are currently working as Farmers. At this point in time, they could genuinely make do without any of their masters. The Farms will live on, so they will have plenty of food to feed the Kingdom. There is enough Silver and Gold already circulating within the Beastkin Kingdom for them to never truly be damageable. Their masters have the capability to properly pay their workers, but they refuse and instead seek slavery. I can allow their kin to live on, but only if their kin are thoroughly educated on the necessity of fair payment and treatment. They can decide a proper route forward, when they come of age. Until then, I would deem it necessary to have someone else handle their formal affairs. Why, it can even be someone with adequate representation for their Kingdom. Perhaps… Cetilla Vellisroi, the Heiress to the Vellisroi bloodline; a first rate Sorceress and a true advocate against the current state of affairs plaguing the Beastkin Kingdom. She's been by my side for every move that I've ever made against Reygid to date. With proper help, I'm sure that she could manage it. Why, I happen to be leading a group of prestigious and powerful Catkin whom I like to call my Cat Crew. I could easily reach out and obtain some new members to help lead Reygid through these trying times." [Nero] explained with a frivolous attitude. To which, Leoric went silent; with eyes wide and a dumbfounded expression.

"...So we actually came here to talk about another matter entirely…" [Laura Pralini] chimed in with a nervous expression.

"Hmmm?" [Nero] pondered audibly.

"Well, it's about the Elven Council's connection to the Monarch of Reygid. To be blunt, we have ears inside of his Castle walls. He did not inform us, but we're well looped in on the matter without his consent." [Laura Pralini] explained while taking a knee and bowing before the Halloween Cat, joining in the Clansmen.

"I see… He has already made a different move against me, however." [Nero] declared before going off to explain.

"He has started to increase his guard numbers around a rather unfortunate location, presumably to stop me in my tracts. To be frank, I'm in quite the predicament. I don't know whether I should slay all of the guards that he sent, or if I should assassinate his Heir. I don't intend to slay the King himself so early into the 60 day deadline, but I still can't allow him to be making light of my declaration so easily." [Nero] explained while leaning his head on his hand.

"Well… The guards likely don't know of why they're being stationed there… But the Heir probably wouldn't know either. Neither of the parties to be punished are truly guilty in the matter." [Laura Pralini] exclaimed with a somber expression.

"You're right. So, I should execute the King before making a message to the people?" [Nero] agreed before begging the question.

"There's likely a better way, no?" [Leoric Eldinheim] chimed in.

"I'm all ears." [Nero] declared with a wink.

"Why don't you scare the King, rather than kill him?" [Leoric Eldinheim] replied with a grin. To which, the Cat only laughed hysterically from atop his Throne of bones.

Clansmen! Frighten these individuals and show them the true terrors of Halloween! Moments later, the Weeping Angel screamed; echoing throughout the entire Throne Room… The Scarecrows began to shout incantations as they danced around the Elves in circles, while thrashing their massive stalks of hay down near the Elves. The Vampires began to slowly creep their way forward to the Elves as the Pixie began to sing a song of Time Slow, making everything happen much more slowly. She also sang chords of the Song of Confusion, and Song of Space Distortion; allowing for everyone to get a little bit more freaky. The Werewolf was howling in the distance, the Crowli, Crows, and Bats were all flying incredibly close to the the Elves without ever actually touching them. They were sweeping by, one by one as they screamed in their own particular ways. Laura seemed to have lost her wits and began to flee in terror, but Leoric only grinned. The ensemble of monsters began to chase after Laura, but they lost their fun with Leoric. He's already a Halloween Clansman... Nothing so simple could possibly frighten him… The Corocdae was being used as a jump scare, as she would quickly charge in unexpectedly; right in front of the victim… Causing her to fall back, and find a new route... Leaving just us two alone in the Throne Room. Giggling at the sight of Laura running away, and tripping all over the place.

"So, it can be done; no?" [Leoric Eldinheim] remarked with a laugh.

"I suppose, but do you really believe that a night of fright will cause the King to change his greedy way of life?" [Nero] replied with a serious expression.

"It's worth a try?" [Leoric Eldinheim] replied with a look of determination which did not match his tone of voice.

"Are you willing to stake your life on it?" [Nero] asked with a smile.

"...Yes." [Leoric Eldinheim] replied with a serious expression as he finally bent the knee.

"Very well. Become one of my Clansmen, return to the Elven Council; and inform them of your choice to serve as my Clansman in attempts at cleaning this continent in a more reliable way. As an Elven Councilmen, you can be deemed as trustworthy to your people. I want that trust moving forward." [Nero] replied with a grin and a casual tone of voice.

"...What?" [Leoric Eldinheim] let out, dumbfounded once more.

"Leoric… You have orange eyes. It's a dead giveaway that you're of one of the Halloween Clan races. I'm asking you to become one of my Clansmen, bring glory to Halloween, and serve me in my endeavors until the day that I die. Now, do you stake your life on this claim or not?" [Nero] declared as he took his stand.

"...I do." [Leoric Eldinheim] replied while looking down.

"Then, [Clansmen Capture]!" [Nero] announced as he raised his Lantern high into the sky.

A moment later, a bright shining orange light emit from my Lantern and engulfed the Elf… A moment later, I got a little notification~ [Clansmen Capture Success! Dark Elf T8x1 Gained]. I'm excited. This is my third new Clansmen of the evening. Also, he should be my new strongest Clansmen. By far. He's up there, my friends. He's the new most valuable player. He's my freaking Dark Elf! Status! Give me the deets!

Name: Leoric Eldinheim

Race: Dark Elf (Halloween)

Class: Shadowdancer

Tier: 8

MP: 4029/4480

P. DEF: 512

M. DEF: 512

STR: 512

INT: 512

DEX: 1024

LUK: 2560

AGI: 1280

Titles:

[Undetectable+4], [Shadow Conjurer+3], [Stealth Disaster+1], [Halloween Clansmen]

Abilities Learned:

[Silent Step+3], [Shadow Dagger+2], [Low Presence+2], [Shadow Step+1], [Enhanced Hearing+1], [Double Step+2], [Return to Halloween]

Huh… That's an interesting setup. He can conjure a dagger by himself, and can even casually step into another realm for literally the duration of two steps. Thanks to his Double Step, he was able to turn that into four steps, but then he even got that increased; allotting him an additional four steps. It's ridiculous. He's almost absolutely silent when running, and has a lower presence than what would be natural. He can even hear very well. It's impressive. They got one thing right. He's a disaster. His defenses are both equal, which is absolutely uncanny. He doesn't appear to be gaining any stats from the cloaks that he wore originally… Perhaps they don't suit Dark Elves? I don't understand… On further inspection, he's absolutely nude underneath his robes. What the what?! He's strange. I can't help but find myself doubting his position on the Council of Vanheim. It's almost as if they let anyone with a heartbeat and a high Tier into leadership these nights...

I decided to ask him about the clothing mishap, and as it turns out; he was robbed just days before being asked to come here. They took everything from him, aside from the robe. The clearly cheap, yet also slightly fancy robe which fails to give stats. It's appalling how I seem to be the only one without any natural resistances. Why are the Halloween Cats so inherently squishy?! A lack of [Barrier] would have been the end of me! On further prodding into the topic, I learned that my little friend here was actually off on some assassination quest; and ended up getting too drunk in a casino on the job. That's when it happened. He was robbed in his drunken slumber, while neglecting to get the kill. Excuse me, but why is this guy even caring about my methods when he's a literal part time assassin?! Ohh… According to him, he just does it for the money. I still fail to see the relevance... But according to him, his kills aren't as important… So they don't matter as much. There's a priority level in killing, I guess. Jeez…

Well, I ordered him to go and catch up to Laura. He's to go off and tell the Council of his decision, and then he's to return to Halloween before dawn. As he was travelling, I made sure to eat a piece of common Fish by the fire. I was roasting it. The good old, fashioned way. While doing so, I made a startling discovery. Well, actually… The Harpies made a startling discovery, and I just happened to be awake for the announcement of that startling discovery. There's a flock of around twelve of them flying towards the fire, which can only mean one thing. One or two things. It's the Harpy Matriarch's death, and Luna's incompetence to turn her into a Vampire before it happened due to me ordering Luna to frighten Laura… Or it's the Forsaken Isles. Whichever one, is up to you; Hunky Beefcake. I shalt not take the blame! I swear it!

"We've found it… The Forsaken Isles is south of the Demon Kingdom." [Chartreuse] declared while panting after landing.

"The Demon Kingdom?! I think I totally saw that Island with my bare eyes like two months ago…" [Nero] replied, completely flabbergasted at the amount of time that the search was taking.

Jeez. I could have literally solved this riddle in five days if I did it myself. No longer. It would have been that easy. Going to explore that Island might have even been my first move. I could have did this in one day. My Clansmen? Unreliable. The Harpies? A godsend. Sorry Conrad, you have lost this one's favor. It's gone. Betty? You'll be lucky if I don't merge your soul as punishment for the incompetence displayed on this night. I'm going to capture some Banshees, Phantasms, and Skeletons tomorrow. It's going to be a fine night. It's already nearly dawn, so I just don't have it in me for right meow. That Dralcohol really took it out of me.

Chartreuse totally went on to tell me all about her discovery of the Forsaken Isles, but I was basically drowning her out. The information she was telling me only confirmed that it was indeed, the Forsaken Isles. There were Banshees, Phantasms, Skeletons, and Crabs. The entire place seemed perilous. Yep. It sounded like the Forsaken Isles. Apparently, not too much has gone on over there since Betty left. It hasn't been that long, and I guess that their abilities are truly slow moving… So it's not actually all too perilous. The Crabs probably have some kind of regeneration ability, helping them stave off the relentless undead. They certainly have some kind of defensive ability, as the Skeletons still haven't made any considerable change happen yet. It's still just as hectic a place as it was before. And so, I thanked the Harpies for their work and declared that I would go to see the Forsaken Isles tomorrow night. They seemed confused, but they're fine with it. They're heading back to the Chasms, anyways. I suppose that they don't have it in them to show me the way there, regardless. It's probably a pretty long flight for low Tier Harpies to go all the way past the Demon Kingdom, and over to the Forsaken Isles; only to come back.

I was thinking such things as I began to go off to the Treasure Room. I made sure to ask Con to wake me when dawn arrived, as I was going to sleep early. He'll do the deed. I believe in him. Setting down my Broom and Lantern, I began to get undressed. I probably spent like ten minutes doing so, but I'm finished. Getting under the covers, I returned to my smallest form. Good morning~

***************

"CAWW! CAWW! CAWW! CAWW!" [Con] squawked.

"Nnuu[Daily Candy]!" [Nero] groaned before falling back to sleep.