Chapter 8.1

Alicia nervously paced back and forth in her room, the space filled with the vibrant oranges of the setting sun. A pile of clothes sat in the corner, remnants of her pre-Change body, and the pile was growing larger with each passing minute. A full-length mirror hung from the closet doors, and she walked past it to grab another dress. She held it to her body, looking in the mirror, and scowled in dissatisfaction. Another addition to the pile.

“C’mon Alicia, it’s not like this is a date, right? You’re just talking with a possible delver. With Katrina. At a fancy café.” In the mirror, she caught her face turning dark green at the thought.

Turning back to the closet, she pulled out a breezy, blue sundress. Again, she held it in front of her and checked the mirror, and again she scowled. She wasn’t actually looking for something to wear, clothing still felt terrible against her skin, but instead inspiration for whatever outfit she would end up growing for herself.

Her closet only held one last item, one that caught her by surprise: her prom dress. Looking at it brought back vivid memories of her senior year of high school, specifically her senior prom. Until the Change, that dance had easily been the most transformative night of her life. It was weird, thinking back on her wild high school years; in many ways, the Change had made everything simpler, easier. Sure, she’d just realized how lonely her life had become, but she also wasn’t dealing with angry exes or mean girl drama.

Of course, gossiping cheerleaders never threatened to end her life. Now she was facing down the Key Dungeon, trying desperately to hold onto her peaceful life in the suburbs.

Which is why we need to talk to this Mage Knight. C’mon, Alicia, focus!

She examined her prom dress again. It was far too formal to emulate tonight, but as she looked at its tight bodice and its black velvet accents, an idea formed in her head. She wouldn’t emulate it exactly, it was far too formal, but what about a dress that embraced its darker aesthetic?

Facing the mirror once more, Alicia envisioned what she wanted. Around her waist, a collection of bark began growing, the wood nearly pitch black. It crept higher and higher until it almost resembled a corset, complete with a healthy amount of cleavage. Underneath, a collection of large hibiscus leaves sprouted, cascading over one another to form a light, comfortable skirt that laid flat against her thighs. The leaves were a deep purple, complimenting the black bark around her chest, and she spun around briefly to see how everything looked. After a quick frown, she shortened the length of her skirt by a few inches, deciding she wanted to show off a bit more leg.

The length now perfect, she moved her eyes to her exposed arms and shoulder. She created a series of incredibly thin vines that matched the purple hibiscus leaves, letting them snake back and forth around her chest and her neck. When she finished, it almost looked like she was wearing a lace mesh, and she finished the look by growing a large, pink hibiscus flower just underneath her left shoulder. The added asymmetry was just what the outfit needed, and she found herself laughing with excitement.

She was essentially wearing a slightly fancier sundress, but looking at herself made her realize how much she missed dressing up. She was so enamored with her look she almost didn’t care whether or not this meeting with Tabitha went well. Almost.

With her outfit now ready, Alicia put together everything she needed for the night. She created a pocket for her phone, double-checked that her old credit cards were still active, and texted Katrina.

Alicia: Let me know when you’re here!

With nothing else to do, Alicia decided to wait downstairs. She thought about how foreign her own house seemed as she wandered around her living room. She was so used to spending her time outside, it had been years since she’d seen any room other than her bedroom.

She looked down the entry hallway, her eyes coming to rest on a large box that had been delivered earlier today. It hadn’t been cheap, especially since she paid so much extra for next-day delivery, but she was happy it had gotten here in time. The biggest question would be if she could summon the nerve to tell Katrina about it.

Katrina: Just arrived! Ready when you are :)

Tucking her phone into her pocket, Alicia took a deep breath and left through the front door. Katrina definitely seemed surprised by this, as she had been waiting by Alicia’s Heart Tree. The sound of the front door closing drew her attention, however, and she turned to look at the Dryad.

“Alicia, hey! Didn’t think you’d be using the front door, or I would have knocked!” Katrina said, floating closer before softly landing in front of Alicia. Once they were face to face, the Vampire pocketed her phone as well. “Honestly, I don’t know the best way to get your attention. Can you even hear the doorbell if you’re— oh, wow, Alicia.”

Katrina had finally noticed the Dryad’s outfit, and Alicia could practically feel her eyes roaming every leaf and flower. “I-is it too much?”

“No, Alicia, you… you look incredible. Like… wow.”

Alicia felt herself blushing again, and quickly averted her eyes down, away from Katrina. She noticed that the Vampire was much more casually dressed, though she’d definitely put in effort to appear more presentable than usual. Alicia had begun noticing that Katrina’s go-to outfit seemed to be jeans, a tank top, and some kind of jacket or sweater on top. Tonight, however, she was wearing black cigarette pants and simple black pumps. Her deep, red blouse was made of satin, with thin straps that left her chest, and her ample cleavage, exposed. A silver necklace rested just above her sternum, with a teardrop ruby hanging off it, and she rounded out the outfit with a simple, black jacket that helped define her silhouette.

She’d also put on some makeup, her eyeliner perfectly showing off her bright red eyes, which made Alicia jealous that she couldn’t tolerate makeup anymore. Both girls looked at each other in silence a moment before Alicia found the courage to speak up again.

“W-well you look amazing too! I mean, you always do, but especially tonight.” Alicia laughed nervously.

“I’m not gonna lie, I think this Tabitha person might have suggested this place just to get a free, fancy meal,” Katrina said. She pulled up her GPS on her phone, gestured for Alicia to follow, and they started walking.

“Why’s that?”

“She seemed incredibly skeptical, which makes sense. Samir said that every Guild in the city is constantly trying to recruit her, so I’ll bet she’s tired of people asking. Still, if this is the only way to get a conversation with her, I think it’s worth it. Plus, neither of us eat, so it’s not like we’ll have a huge bill.”

“Maybe a frustrated waiter, though. I’ll bet restaurants aren’t fond of Races that don’t eat.” Alicia stepped further ahead, leading Katrina through some of the more convoluted paths she’d created over the years. “You really think walking is the best way to get there?”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“I think it’s the only way, honestly. If time were of the essence, I could probably pick you up and fly there, but I have a feeling that would be as bad as the train ride.”

“Ugh, completely untethered from all ground? I’m shuddering just thinking about it.” Alicia did, however, suddenly picture herself in Katrina’s arms, and once again tried to hide her blushing face.

“I should also start conserving my Mana. I might end up being our only Healer at this rate.”

“Mage Knights don’t have healing?”

“I mean, they’re certainly not known for it. Every Mage Knight I’ve heard of specs for damage, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some niche Subclass that gives them minor healing abilities. That Class is wild.”

“What’s so strong about them? I’ve never really followed System stuff like that.”

“Long story short? Their abilities can manifest in thousands of different ways, and they have incredible flexibility to pick what they specialize in. They get powerful offensive spells, but also lots of supportive spellcasting, and they can also hold their own with just a weapon. Normally, you get to be good at either spellcasting or physical combat, but they can do both at the same time.”

“That explains why you were so excited back at camp. I’ll try not to embarrass you too much,” Alicia said, jokingly prodding Katrina with her elbow.

“Please, if anything, I’m more worried about myself. I don’t know how crowded this place is going to be, and I’ll likely be focusing on keeping myself under control. I brought one of my rations, but even then…”

Alicia could see Katrina’s optimism fading somewhat and decided to change the topic towards something more light-hearted. “Oh! Do you want to see something funny?”

Katrina seemed to snap out of whatever train of thought she’d been on and looked at Alicia. “Sure!”

The Dryad pulled out her phone, which was inside a small wallet, and tucked it back in her pocket after grabbing a small business card. “So, back at Camp, when everyone was crowding us, I got a bunch of business cards for all the different Guilds. They all want us to call them so we can partner up, I guess.”

“Not surprised. Not only does finding a Key earn you prestige, but unlocking a Dungeon floor normally comes with a decent pile of loot.”

“So, I was looking through all the cards, and there’s one that I think someone gave me as a joke. Take a look!” Alicia handed over the business card, eager to see Katrina laugh at how silly the fake Guild was. Oddly enough, she chuckled a little, but didn’t seem all that surprised.

“Oh, that’s a real Guild,” Katrina said, giving the card back.

“What?!”

“Yup. Second biggest in Chicago, actually.”

Alicia stepped in front of Katrina, stopping them both. “Hold on. You’re telling me that the second biggest Guild in Chicago, the third biggest city in the Country… is named Delvin’ Doggos?!”

“Yeah, they’re pretty silly.” Katrina nudged Alicia, and they both started walking again.

“How? That’s ridiculous!”

“The guy that founded it, Frederick Hodge, is a canine Beastkin. He happens to look exactly like a Shiba inu, and founded the Guild as a joke one night after getting drunk with his friends. However, around the same time, people started realizing that Ashes To Ashes was 95% Human, with no interest in opening up membership. Everyone with a Race needed somewhere to go, then happened to find a Guild run by a Beastkin. According to Fred, he woke up one day to find hundreds of applications and decided to quit his day job to give delving a serious shot.”

Alicia lost herself to a fit of laughter for several moments. “Wow, that’s amazing! If we strike out here, would they be a decent Guild to sell our Dungeon rights to?”

“They wouldn’t be the worst, but they certainly have their share of flashy abilities. They also like to position themselves as the opposite of Ashes To Ashes; they’re less serious, more optimistic, welcoming of all Races, and eager to give everyone a shot. However, they can be a bit sloppy at times, which is what stops them from overtaking Ashes To Ashes in the rankings.”

“Gosh, there’s so much going on in the delving scene. I have no idea how you keep up with it all!”

“Well, other than you, I don’t really have a social life. I work, I come home, I sleep. Rinse and repeat.”

“Okay, hypothetical question. How hard is it to start a Guild? I imagine it’s pretty easy if that Fred guy was able to do it as a joke.”

“Just starting a Guild? Super easy. The problem is trying to do anything with it. Once a Guild hits more than a few members, you have to start contending with all the laws Chicago passed to make delving safer. You have to buy delving insurance, go through a series of certifications, and there are extra hoops to jump through depending on all the Class Features at play in your Guild. The bigger an organization gets, the more paperwork you have to deal with.”

“Oof, that sounds like Chicago. Still, I work for the government, I’m used to all that paperwork. If we ever start a Guild, I’ll take care of all the boring stuff.”

Katrina looked over, surprised at Alicia’s suggestion. “I thought you didn’t care for delving. Aren’t we just doing this to keep the Guilds away from your Heart Tree?”

“Well, yeah, but what if I end up loving it? Plus, I’ve got to give you a reason to keep hanging out with me, don’t I?”

“Please, you’re all the reason I need.” Katrina only seemed to realize exactly what she’d said a moment after the words left her mouth. Her eyes went wide, and she started blushing profusely. “A-as in, like… y’know, you’re fun to be around. Even apart from all the Dungeon stuff.”

Both girls started laughing, eventually changing topics as they continued walking. After the first twenty minutes, Alicia felt the connection with her Heart Tree starting to thin, and looped her arm around Katrina’s to lean on her for support. She hadn’t even asked, it felt like something that came naturally, and Katrina didn’t bat an eye either. By the time they arrived at the café, they’d been walking for close to an hour, and Alicia was shocked at how fast the time had gone.

The café itself was beautiful. It had a dark, romantic aesthetic with plenty of red curtains decorating the walls and windows. Warm candlelight coated the dining area in a soft, intimate glow, though Alicia couldn’t tell if the fire was real or not. As they approached the front counter, a small Faun gentleman smiled at them.

He had short, brown hair that blended seamlessly into a layer of soft fur. His upturned, black nose twitched as they approached, which made Alicia thankful that she’d given herself a thorough bath in her stream earlier today. Atop his head were a set of horns, branching off in several different directions, and at the end of each segment sat bright green ribbons. He was wearing a simple suit jacket over a white button-up, and his smile seemed to light up the foyer as he spoke.

“Welcome to Café Laurent, ladies. Table for two?” the Faun asked.

“We actually have a reservation, it should be under Tabitha,” Alicia said.

“Ah, Ms. Kithkin’s guests! Yes, I can show you to your table, though she’s not yet arrived.”

“Not a problem, and thank you!” Alicia pulled out her wallet, handing the Faun her credit card. “This will be for the table, by the way.”

“Of course! If the lovely couple would follow me.”

Alicia just now realized that she still had her arm linked with Katrina’s. “Oh, it’s not like that, we’re just friends!” Her eyes met Katrina’s, and both girls blushed slightly.

The Faun briefly stopped, looking at them both. It almost seemed like he knew more than he was letting on, his eyes suspiciously darting between the Dryad and the Vampire, but he didn’t say anything more on the topic. He led them through the restaurant, and Alicia noticed that his lower half wasn’t human. His legs were covered in thick fur, their joints seemed built differently than human legs, and he had hooves instead of feet. He seemed incredibly nimble, weaving through tables without any effort, and eventually they found themselves in a secluded booth near the back.

“A table for the… lovely friends. Ms. Kithkin should be here shortly,” the Faun said, his smile soft and genuine.

As the girls slid into their seats, and their host left them alone, they turned to each other in confusion. “Okay, this is a little weird, right?” Alicia asked.

“They seem to be incredibly familiar with Tabitha. You think she’s like, super rich or something? Maybe that’s why she doesn’t want to delve, she doesn’t need the money,” Katrina said, shuffling in her seat to try and get comfortable.

“Ooh maybe she signed up because she wanted excitement! Her comfortable life is getting drab, she does nothing but attend galas and museum dedications,” Alicia said, smirking. Her voice took on a refined affect as she impersonated the person she thought they might be meeting tonight.

They both began laughing at the thought, but their revelry was cut short when someone spoke up next to them.

“What’s so funny? Did I miss a joke?” the voice said.