Darkness has enveloped New Arcadia. The twinkle of the stars being the only companion for the large, tall man that walks down the streets in the slums, still there even after thirty years since the fall of Arcadia. When Lee looked around the street, he could only see misery personified, people that are no different from beasts that long ago delivered themselves to their passions and now no longer they can see a way out. There were also those strange and unique cases of people that were no different from statues or automatons, still frozen in time, living, reliving the life they had in Arcadia long ago.

Yes, the years that Lee has lived here has led him to get to know many people in the slums. Not that it was hard for him to get to know people, he was so tall compared to the average Arcadian that even if one hundred people kept their distance from him and pointed at him, five to ten would usually come closer and speak to him. It was a small number if compared to the one hundred people that kept their distance, but week after week and year after year these smalls numbers would only grow into a large group of people, from Arcadians to Midgards to Chevois to Zunkois. There was one catch though:

Most that came closer to him were scum. Not that he expected anything better, after all, between the trash he was one of the most disgusting of all.

Walking along the street broken at multiple parts by nature, between bushes and a tall, slender tree, Lee devised his destination: A building that worked at the same time as a tavern as well as a hot spring resort. It was well known between the populace here in the slums as the location that is the best-taken care of, and even with that the sign that had its name has faded away, erasing it completely, and the painting on the walls has been falling off for a long while. Nevertheless, no one would be able to miss this location thanks to the steam that rises all day long from behind, way above the large house, and how it looks like the house is being eaten by the sea. The locals now call this place “Misty Bay”.

Lee crouches as he enters the Misty Bay, being greeted with the usual scenery of debauchery and merrymaking, usual for this place at this time of the night. Walking into the lit room lighted by Ether Crystals, between the usual suspects drinking like there were no tomorrow, only for tomorrow go through the same actions all over again, the usual fight there and there, and the usual unabashed display of breasts and butts of some women that have forgotten their sense of self at the mercy of alcohol, women ranging from teenagers to almost grandmas, Lee reaches the bar at the other end of the room where a man in a white and black suit is checking the bottles behind the counter.

-”What a rowdy bunch you have tonight.”- Lee speaks, his voice drowned by a group of drunkards that out of nowhere started to sing, but still reaching the ears of the man behind the counter.

Turning slowly, the man raises his left hand, revealing a white glove, to his mouth, and says -”That’s the alluring call of our Lady in the Misty Bay. Will you join in the fun, sir?”-

-”No,”- says Lee, waving with his large right hand -”I’ll have a martini, dry, mixed but not stirred”- he adds as he brings out a tiny little card and puts it on top of the bar. As he drops it, the man can see that the card reveals the image of a clown.

The man takes a moment to look at it, and then picks up a bell which he sounds. Moments later, the man says -”Please follow Penelope to your destination. May you have a pleasant stay.”- pointing with his open palm to behind Lee.

Turning, Lee catches a woman, prim, proper, in a maid uniform, slender, chestnut hair. This woman contrasted highly with the scenery that developed around her, especially as she bows down, and then comes back up as she says -”Please, follow me, mister Lee.”-

The first time Lee was in the Misty bay he was taken aback by how the maid that came for him seemed to know his name without him uttering it, and the consequent times that he came around, every time it was a different maid, yet they would always know his name. As time went though, that matter lost importance, not when the life of his son was at risk.

Following Penelope, they went out of the tavern and then around the building. All the maids in this building were always like this, prim, proper, with elegant movements, even in how they walk, yet, just like with Penelope right now, they walked with such speed that even Lee with his large legs had trouble keeping up.

Taking the entrance to the hot springs section, and after going a couple of hallways and through many doors, Lee ended up at the bay, the best room of the Misty Bay, where the hot springs and the sea melted into a one continuous body of water, the steam rising lazily into the air, the carpet of stars twinkling in the night sky, the moon painting the water a silver color.

-”I have brought him here, master.”- Penelope says.

What Lee thought at first was just a rock in the hot spring takes him by surprise now, as the silhouette raises above the water only to reveal that it was a man, bald, muscular, and naked. From the shadows of the hot spring, multiple women come into the silver light, of all races, slender, all naked too.

-”It’s been a while, Lee.”- the muscular man speaks with a deep, deep tone.

-”Good to see you are doing as well as ever.”- Lee says.

-”What can I say?”- The muscular man says, raising his arms and shoulders -”I’m blessed with multiple of Dionysus’ parts.”-

A slight smile escapes Lee, especially when he sees how a couple of women have moved to the muscular man’s legs are reaching between his legs. The muscular man catches their hands, stopping them, as he says -”I’ll take care of you in a moment, right now I have to take care of my old friend right here.”-

Lee just snorts.

-”Is it the usual?”- the muscular man asks. Lee can’t catch his face being hidden by the shadows of the silver light.

-”Yeah… my kid is falling back into the permanent dream… lately, I have had a harder time waking him up, and he is sleeping longer and longer…”-

-”The time for the contract, is it about to end?”-

-”Yeah.”- Lee says as he takes the sand clock out of his pocket.

-”I see. Well, I’ll snoop around to see where I can find another part of a God.”-

-”Thanks, Altair.”-

After a brief moment of silence, Altair asks -”Are you sure you are ready for what’s to come?”-

Lee stays in silence for a moment, but then says -”Everything for my son… he is my everything.”-

-”I see. Then, Penelope, dear…”-

-”Yes, master?”-

-”Go and make the arrangements needed to have Lee stay here for a month.”-

-”Yes, master.”-

-”Also, make sure he has a good night. This old man has lost his edge from his glory days, so help him regain it. That’s all.”-

-”Yes, master. Please follow me, mister Lee.”- says Penelope as he exits the room through the same door the came in.

-”Thanks, Altair.”- Says Lee as he turns and leaves the room.

-”Don’t mention it, old friend.”- Altair mutters to himself as he sinks itself back into the silver light and the silhouette of a woman can be seen sitting over at the distance.