On the way back to the garage, Taymin offers me a few suggestions for the night time horrors I'll be facing. One of them is to try to use the Sleep Spell on myself. He wasn't sure if it would work, but it really couldn't hurt to try. Unfortunately, I would need someone to wake me from the Debuff, so if it worked I wouldn't be able to use it alone. Self-Debuffing, in his opinion, will be safer and healthier than self medication.

Another option comes in the form of a Feat similar to the meditative state that Elves go through, allowing them to achieve full rest in four hours of sleep instead of eight. It doesn't really prevent the problem, but it does shorten the amount of suffering I would have to endure. The Feat is unimaginatively called Slumber Trance and it's something that is taught in certain Monk temples. Monks are fighters who specialize in unarmed combat and wear little to no armor, relying on their high Agility to dodge attacks. I perk up when he mentions this, but deflate when he sheepishly explains that these temples aren't found in big cities such as Kes Rentas or Solomas. There might be one closer to our destination, but that won't be for quite a while and we couldn't be sure.

When we finally get back, something about the vardo catches my eye. For one thing, the mechanical horses have clothes now. At first glance they appear to have black cloth draped on their backs and funny hats on their heads.

Yes, finally! Funny hats!

The cloth turns out to be a way to cover a layer of armor made from the Grishix Scales and some leather. The hats are helmets made in the same scaley way as the armor. As none living beings, the horses wouldn't overheat or risk getting injured from being over encumbered by the added equipment. In all, they add a much needed 100HP and 25Armor.

The vardo was given similar treatment with the Gorshix Scales, adding 400HP and 35Armor. After a quick test run, the crafters deduced that the added weight, as little as was added by the light materials, didn't effect the performance of the mechanical horses.

An idea was also batted around regarding adding pods to the sides and back for sentries as a form of added protection. But, for us anyway, the need for descretion outweighs the desire for a show of force.

Besides, two Nightmare riders, a broom flyer, a sword surfer, and a human (Ifrixian) radar system should be enough to keep us clear of any major threats. And if not, we have a few squads of people ready to pile out of the vardo like a clown car of war.

Nightshade now looks like something a goth Mermadin would build to go on strolls through the dryland countryside. And, judging by looks alone, it doesn't appear to have 1500HP and 70Armor or the capacity of a city block inside. The crafters working on it use some paint in the garage to blend everything together and if one were to have never seen it before, they wouldn't think it was modified in any way. Though, I think we might have voided the warranty.

By now, it's early afternoon and with the addition of my new Spell, the importance of my most hated task has been brought up once again by Dawn and Victoria. This time, however, we're in a big enough city that I can take advantage of an adventurer's guild and use Contract Quests as an excuse to grind out monsters and adapt some new Abilities. I ask if I can use one of the Nightmares to take on a test run, but get denied. They didn't want to attract even more attention with such a unique mount. I concede to their logic and head out on foot.

Sonny, Conner, and Richter join me for a while, but we drop off the two Machinas at Misters Gearos and Cogney's store. I tell Richter the story of my trip to Miss Delvina's and, after turning down a double dare from me to go in and talk to her, we head out to pick up a Contract Quest.

What a chicken.

*****

It doesn't take the two of us long to find ourselves past the eastern most walls of Kes Solomas and making our way through the land relagated to farming. Yup, Richter and I are playing pest control today. There happens to be an infestation of something called Faerie Dragons. We exchange glances and wonder how a place could have a dragon infestation and in such a small area.

As it turns out, the Faerie Dragons, or Fae Lizards as the farmers call them, are about four feet tall, if you stretch them out of the curvy S shape they are usually floating around in. I think they are dragon in name only as they have no arms or legs, they have large butterfly like wings on their backs, and two rows of prismatic feathers at the tips of their tails. Their heads are still the toothy, angular shape of their name's sake and probably how they got their name in the first place. Their scales, and seemingly their personalities, match the color of their wings and they're found in the six colors of the rainbow.

For example: We've found the red ones are a little more aggressive and bitey, the yellow ones tend to fly faster than the rest, and the blue ones prefer to cast illusionary magic to confuse us. They all like to turn invisible, they all have fangs sharp enough to pierce leather armor, and they all use a breath attack that effects us in funny ways. That last Ability doesn't deal damage, but it does cause mental Debuffs like Dazed or Charmed. Out of everyone in our group, Richter and I are probably the optimal choice for this particular job.

Both of us have a high enough Willpower to deal with the Debuffs. Richter uses his Arcane Lenses and I use one of my many visions to find them when they turn invisible. His arcane Abilities and ranged attacks along with my bag o' tricks style of fighting compliment each other well.

I also use this as an opportunity to test out Cerulean Summon, using the Styrge core as my guinea pig. My summon is a ghostly blue and acts similarly to the creature it distilled from, hovering in the air beside me. The Styrge doesn't last long, however, since it only has enough MP for a handful of Corrosive Sprays and its normal attacks involve it getting close enough to be bitten back by a much faster foe. I can't heal the HP of my summons when they're out of their cores so if they die I lose them. I do have the option to unsummon them back into their core form, but with the Styrge in particular I don't find a reason to.

The second summon, which is actually the first one I obtained from Miss Delvina, is fast becoming a favorite. The Stalker works well in groups, has a long reach, and has a high Agility. If it doesn't last, I'm definately getting another one as soon as I can. Plus, I'm starting to think of it as a big brother for Coaster. I'm sure they'd have some fun together.

The Dragons are as weak as the Styrges and swarm just like them, numbering a little over three dozen. Fortunately, they're mainly attracted to the fruit trees at the outer most fields so we don't have to scour every field across this farming community.

"Dude? You get hit with one of their breath attacks yet?" Richter asks, shaking himself out of a stupor. He looks at me with a goofy grin. I know that look. The only things missing from that look are blood shot eyes and a big bag of chips. Maybe a few packs of Twinkies…

I shake my head and wag a finger at him, "I knew it, I knew it. Those country girls are a bad influence on a good, city boy like you."

A pair of women in one of the first fields had flirted with Richter and me as we passed by, also warning us of the effects of the Dragon's breath with a secretive giggle and smile between them. The way they emphasized "mind altering vapors" reminded us too much of a certain newly legal substance IRL.

With our high Willpower the effects don't last very long, but when they do hit us it is pretty funny. Watching the Stalker drunkenly stumble about is actually quite hilarious, especially one occasion where it got Charmed and tried to get effectionate with a Faerie Dragon. It went as well as anyone would think a giant, female apparently, mantis creature's "kiss" would go.

"You gonna catch one, Mister Pokemon Trainer?" Richter fires a ghostly arrow between two trees and it explodes in mid air, revealing a previously invisible, and now screeching Dragon. I already distilled a couple and hold up two fingers at him. When I return my Stalker to its core, I have to teleport to Assassinate a Dragon after it picked up one of the cores in it's jaws and tried to make off with it.

I land in one of the trees, putting the core in my glove storage. "You think it's breath attack will work as a core summon?" The implication is understood when I hear a loud giggling coming from his direction. I jump onto the back of a Dragon passing by and send it crashing to the ground, too heavy for its fragile wings. I don't fully kill it, so I end its suffering as quickly as I can, slashing at it from above.

"What do you think, Ric?" I massage a wrist as I watch the creature's body evaporate. "Should I have used the candle?"

A grey bolt whistles past my head and I don't even flinch, the cries of a Dragon in pain sounds out from behind me. "Too late for shoulda woulda coulda's, bro. What's done is done. Rachel, Dawn, and I are more concerned about your noggin IRL."

He Blink Steps right beside me with a hand on my shoulder. "Smooth," I tell him, crossing my arms over my stomach, "I don't know, man. I guess everything I've been through hit me harder than I thought. You know?"

"I feel ya, bro. I didn't mention this before, but my moms died a few years ago and I never knew my pops. I was a mess, bro. Took me a while to pull myself out of it. And then I met Ger when he was shopping for a house."

He grabs a Dragon by its throat-ish area and a cloud of glittery, multi colored mist shoots right into his face. He takes a long drag, holds it in, and proceeds to cough. The Dragon wiggles free and I finish it off with a couple swipes.

"Point is, bro, we're all faced with events and choices in life and we gotta stick with them with our guns with all the positive energy we can muster." He's looking at his hands with dialated pupils and they soon reduce back to normal size. "We can look back, and it'll hurt when we do, but we gotta keep moving forward as best as we can. Good things will come and look, we're friends now. Right?"

He stands with his hands out for me to get a good look at him. A Dragon clamps down on his head from above, sending him running and screaming. I hit the dirt, laughing so hard that I can't breathe. I have to sign Healing Breeze for him a couple times before I can calm my laughter enough to slash at his new hat.

"Dude. Thanks, dude." He's wiping saliva out of his hair and rubbing his forehead. "Anyway. I know it's gonna be tough dealing with issues in game as well as IRL, but you know you'll have friends in both places, right?"

I nod my head smiling, "Thanks, Ric. You sure your glasses aren't rose colored?" We both laugh again. "And you, too. Please tell me if you ever need anything from me."

We look around and I use my sound and smell radar to find that we've finally cleared all the pests. He waggles his eyebrows at me, jabbing me in the side with an elbow, "You think I can borrow a Rainbow Lizard? Emma and Lorna said they'll be done in the fields about now."

I shake my head laughing, "You should have been a Bard, you're certainly acting like one." I wait for my MP to regenerate the proper amount before presenting him with the blue, semi translucent Faerie Dragon. I order it to listen to Richter's commands and it nods at me.

"Thanks, bro! We won't be more than a couple hours, tops!" He takes off with it, leaving me to laugh to myself. I can't remember laughing this much at one time before.

I shout back at him, "Just return it back to the vardo and I'll see you later." I climb back into one of the trees for a bit of privacy as I go through some of the waiting notifications. I grab a plain, ripe deefor hanging nearby and take a bite from one of its triangular points.

[Defor heals you for 2HP!]

[You received 988XP +30% War Party Leader III bonus

[1284XP will be shared among the party.

[1284XP/2 members.

[You received 642XP, 112*Faerie Dragon Fang, 30*Faerie Dragon Wing, 477*Faerie Dragon Scales, 2*Faerie Dragon Eye, 144*Faerie Dragon Feathers, 5*Faerie Dragon Poison Sac]

[Adaptibility Activated: You learned 2 Spells!]

[+Glamour Breath (35MP) 10feet/ Affect all targets within range. Create a 3foot diameter cone that has a 80% chance to cause one of the following Debuffs: Dazed, Confused, Charmed, or Frightened for 30seconds]

[+Lesser Dragon Force (65MP) self/ +10% Strength/Dexterity for 10minutes.]

"Huh," I huff to myself before taking another bite, "Guess they really are little dragons." I never saw one use the last Spell, but I did notice that some of them bit harder than others, dealing more damage. I was just gonna chalk it up to where they bit me or the color of the Dragon, but the Spell makes much more sense.

The scales are small, about the size of a thumb, shaped like an oyster shell, and pliable as I play with one between both thumbs and index fingers. It looks like they all turned the same, prismatic set of colors. I put it away and pull out a feather. On a whim, I bring it to my nose and catch the scent of something familiar and fleeting. It's sweet in a very subtle kind of way, like an old scratch and sniff sticker. Once more, impulse moves me and I put the hard stick-like end between my teeth and lean back into the tree.

[Debuff Gained: Indifference!]

Would it be cliche to say that the Debuff is NOT a Debuff for yours truly? Would it be too much to say that the smile on my face as I lace my fingers behind my head is NOT an expression of pain? Would it… you know what?

I don't care… and it's great…

By chance, the feather falls out of my mouth thirty minutes later and the Debuff wears off immediately. "Shit," I mumble as I roll out of the tree. I pick it back up and tuck it into my hat band, jogging my way back to the city. I wonder how long I would have sat there until the effects of the feather would go away. I make a sound decision to wait until I get back to the vardo to experiment. As I pass through the fields I keep an eye out for Richter or at least his spot on my radar, but I get nothing. I hope you're having fun, buddy.

[Quest Complete: Flying Infestation

[Eliminate the Faerie Dragon menace at the eastern fields.

[Reward: 40*Silver, 2*Simple Ring of Power]

[Simple Ring of Power. Simple Accessory. Ring

[+5Strength]

For the first time ever, I receive a reward that has nothing to do with me or my build. Granted, the rings were offered in the contract as 2*Random Simple Ring, but I honestly wasn't expecting it to actually be random. I'm not worried, though, someone's going to be able to use them. Not that the bonus is bad, but it's really not my style. Or Richter's for that matter.

Richter shoots me a message saying he'll meet me at the vardo with my Faerie Dragon a little dinged up. Apparently, Lorna's father came home early and nearly ruined the party. If he had appeared ten minutes sooner he would have found a very compromising situation and Richter would have been essentially unarmed and underdressed for the meeting. No harm, no foul I suppose.

Speaking of fun, I'm all alone in the big city and no one's expecting me anytime soon. The first thing I want to do is chew on the feather again, but I scoff at the thought. It was highly impulsive and irrational and calming and not that bad of an idea the longer I think about it. I could find a bench in a park and--

"Ardy! Did you finish your Quest already?" I turn and find Sonny and Conner approaching me in their civvies and weapons stowed. With more people wearing Linqs clothing everyday, they blend in seamlessly with the crowd.

I wave them over and they join me on my walk, "Hey, you two. Were you at the store this whole time?" They shook their heads and describe something that they are shrewd enough to avoid calling a "date" by name. I smile to myself and decide not to press them any further. I excuse myself on the pretense of needing to go back to the Machina store to speak to the two owners. I nag at them not to stay out too late. Sonny rolls her eyes and smiles, but Conner profusely agrees. I guess he still remembers the time I sent him flying in the practice bout with me and the soldiers at the dungeon.

I watch them walk off, two hands gingerly reaching for each other until fingers interlace. Ah, to be young and in love. My excuse gives me an idea and, being a creature of habit, I honestly do head towards Misters Cogney and Gearo's store. But, it's not their store I walk into.

I almost walk into Miss Delvina's place by mistake, but think better of it for now. Anyway, the store next to hers is an apothocary called the Apotho-Pantry. Clever. As soon as I take the first step inside the smell knocks my head back and for a moment I wish I didn't have a nose. It wasn't horrible, per se, more like… It was everything all at once, like trying to take in an encyclopedia of smells in one, hard sniff.

There are bottles and jars and baskets and boxes of all shapes and sizes. If the apothocary in Ifrix is an OCD librarian's card catalog system, then this one is a hoarder's garage. I don't know what I wanted to look at first and if I did, I wouldn't know where to find it. Bent at the waist and searching through a mountainous basket of different colored mushrooms is an Amphomordial female.

I take a moment to observe her thick, black wavy hair, feint green skin, deep green leaves sprouting seemingly at random about her, and thin vines coiling around her forearms. She's wearing a pale yellow sundress that skirts below her knees. A cliffhanging strap threatens to plunge off her shoulder completely when the vine on that arm curls up to fix it back into place. Her bare, green feet take turns kicking down at the dirt floor with her toes as she scrutinizes each fungus.

I clear my throat to anounce my presence, which of course, startles her. Her gasp of suprise, however, is so breathy and low in volume I'm almost sure she didn't make any noise at all as she snaps up into a straight posture.

"Hello, good sir. What can I do for you this evening?" I have to use my Enhanced Hearing to listen to her and I'm almost convinced I can hear Misters Cogney and Gearos arguing from several stores down.

Her eyes are big and solid black in color. As she awaits my answer she smoothes out her dress and fixes her wavy black hair out of her face. I introduce myself as Ardacen, offer my hand, and ask for her name.

"Ardacen? You were the one with the Infernus and Faunus in the battle the other night?" Her volume is still barely above a whisper, but her enthusiasm rises with each word. She walks toward me, slipping on a fallen mushroom. I dip and catch her under her arms, her head landing in my chest. It gave me an opportunity to see her name.

[Julep Grimvine, Level 12 Druid/Circle of Gardens, Amphomordial/Forest]

A hint of recognition comes up like a puff of vapor, but dissipates just as quickly. Her cheeks flush red and she stutters an apology, before straightening up and formally introducing herself.

"Miss Grimvine, I--"

She clears her throat, "Just Julep, please, Ardacen." She pushes hair out of her face and smiles in a single corner of her mouth. I nod back courteously. I cut to business and ask her about the Faerie Dragon parts to see if I can use them in Alchemy before I waste them on experiments. Dawn had told me about the Alraune parts that came up because of Kona's level in Alchemy and it got me excited about leveling up my own Artisan class. Maybe Mika can help me make a Glorious Dawn Elixir to jump a few levels. If not, then I can at least do stuff on my own. Julep might even be able to suggest a few things. That way, I can get new parts more often and not find scraps by pure chance.

"Well," she begins, placing the two eyes in a glass vial for me, "Eyes usually amplify Arcane or Faith based attributes such as MP Maximum, regeneration, or the Arcane and Faith stats themselves. But, seeing as these came from Faerie Dragons, the boosts could correlate to Illusiory magic or psychic Debuffs.

"It all depends on the other ingredients and the manner of which you use them. I'm not certain myself, having never gotten the opportunity to use or study those eyes in particular." Her speech is hurried, as if almost out of breath, but still low in volume.

She moves her head in sharp, turning movements, scanning the room for something. When she is finally satisfied with an area to stop her searching, she dashes over and begins rummaging through piles of small boxes the size of grapefruits. As she digs, she continues her lesson. Although, with the clatter, her distance, her face pointing in the opposite direction, and the naturally low volume of her voice I'm forced to move in much closer to hear anything she's saying.

"Let's say you macerate one, add a few ground Blue Herbs, and a sliver of Mandrake Root, you might be able to make a strong deterrent to mind controlling Debuffs or an Elixir that allows the use of mind controlling Spells.

"It all depends on the quantity, quality, and the technique used in each ingredient. Even the rest time and amount of sunlight it gets can effect the kind of potion you're making."

"Wow. I had no idea it was going to get this complicated." I watch her come over with a small, dark wood box. She opens it to reveal a black, crystalline mortar and matching pestle. I let out a whispered "Oooo," and take my hat off in a funny sort of reverence. The light from my revealed flames dance on the surface of the items.

"How much?" I look up and see the horror in Julep's face, most likely from the fires that were hidden under my hat a few moments ago. Even her vines and leaves recoil from me. I slap the hat back on and hold my hands up to show her I mean her no harm.

"Whoa whoa whoa. I know what it looks like." She backs up against the table with the basket of mushrooms, sending it crashing to the floor. There are mushrooms everywhere, squishing under her feet as she back pedals against the table. Her movement slows to just heavy breathing, shoulders bobbing up and down, muttering the word "Fire," over and over again. With her eyes trained on me, she clutches the box to her chest.

Chest.

Chest!

I unbutton my tailcoat, swing it wide open, and pull my tunic up from the bottom, revealing my naked torso.

"Look, no fire. See? I'm an Ifrixian, a new race from a hamlet to the southwest." It takes an eternity or maybe three minutes for her to calm her breathing. It takes double the time for her to settle her feet on the ground. Her grip loosens and she sets the box on the table before she supports herself with her hands slightly behind her, eyeing me warily.

The door opens suddenly, a bewildered Halfling girl stammers at the threshold. I'm frozen, shirt up and coat wide open. "Guess I should've locked the door…" I grumble as the little one turns bright red and scampers off. I tuck my shirt into my pants and button up my coat.

"So… the fire isn't real?" A voice as loud as a whisper grabs my attention. Julep is holding the box to her chest again, though not as tightly. Her head cocks to the side as she tries to peer under my hat, which I take off for her. I can see the flourish of light in her black eyes and a half second of terror. Curiosity replaces it as she tries to examine my burnt skull and magical flames.

As she steps around me, she slips the small box into my upside down hat, "Fascinating. And you say there's a whole city full of people like you?" I wait for her to come back around to my front before I answer.

"Well, it's a small place. Ifrix is the name. There are caravans that travel through it." I remove the box and place the hat back on my head. "How much for the mortar and pestle?"

After an embarrassing exchange, where I realize I only have the reward money from the Contract Quest, I leave the store empty handed. I'll have to come back tomorrow with ten gold, a fantastic discount for being such a novelty to her. She shared her fear of any flame bigger than a finger and how her recent inquisitiveness temporarily overrode her fright.

It doesn't take me long to get back to the manor and subsequently the garage. Once inside the vardo, I pass by the cabana structures where people are getting themselves ready for bed and stop in front of the most peculiar thing I've ever seen in this game. I've come across various races, fantastical creatures, magic used in various ways, and items that can do things beyond imagining.

"Is that a playground?"