Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

"That's really the queen, eh?" Aredin's first time meeting the queen of Elenaris had gone far differently than he could've ever expected in his wildest dreams. "With that grease on her sleeves and body of metal, it just…ughh, gave me the creeps."

Standing by him outside the meeting hall where Linkle and Mono were conversing, his companions felt no different. However, after seeing Aredin turning into that monster of corruption, there was little that could surprise them at this point in their lives.

"She has many bodies, or so they say, maybe that wasn't one we were supposed to see," leaning against the opposite wall to the meeting room door, June crossed her arms and looked through everyone. "We should just focus on getting you better. If anyone knows how to fix an ailment like yours, it has to be either her or the witch."

"Truee, she came back from the dead, after all." Tris offered, although his enthusiasm about visiting the place was quite off-putting for everyone else.

"As if that's true, don't believe everything you hear," bumping a shoulder into her lover's arms, Hannah tried to shut him. "What's next? There's a devil living inside of our priestess, Erika? Come on, use your brain a little."

Shaking her head in disappointment, Hannah stretched her arms backwards and let out a hefty yawn. The party had been traveling ever since the war, and even after it was over, they were the only ones still moving around so much instead of resting in their homes without a care in the world.

"Still makes you wonder, doesn't it? How much of what we've heard is true at all," Tris added, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Knowing full well how much Hannah hated conspiracy, he decided to prod further and bring more matters of speculation up for a discussion. While both June and Aredin enjoyed talking about such curious rumors, the harpy spent most of the next hour dissenting to every outlandish word that the trio had to say. From Helga being a thousand years old and the same for Markus, to the late goddess Aphrodite having sold the city to the mistress.

In passing, they'd heard such things, but how exactly did these closely held rumors escape the knowing? None had a clue, and none knew if they were true at all. Yet all curiosities reach their end, and theirs was no different. And yet, behind that massive door, the conversation between the witch and the queen lingered on.

Yawning, they looked at each other. Silence had taken over, and thus, what little was said indoors, a hint of it bled outside. Words like dark water, cost, material and many more rang in their ears, but it wasn't long until Aredin decided to listen a bit closer. Pressing his ears to the door, he honed in on the conversation, and while the girls, both of them, advised against it, he ignored their warnings and continued on.

"And I need steel dragon scales again."

"Sure, but now that we have another source of dark water–one not as perilous as that cave, I would like to barter with something else that you can provide."

"Like what?"

"Raven told me about your games with the demi-humans, you're gonna cut that out and won't be working on that death trap in your lab."

"This again!"

'What are they talking about?' Lacking essential details, Aredin could barely make sense of what was being said. Death trap, the game with demi-humans and all, none of it meant anything for him, and thus by the time he pulled his ears away and relayed the same information to the others, the overheard words had already escaped his head.

As for the witch and the queen, the negotiation continued. Reluctantly, Mono was forced to agree to the terms, but thanks to the agreement, trade with Elenaris would soon resume. Directing her anger elsewhere into something more productive, however, Mono decided to pull Linkle aside and talk about the underground railway and how to expand it next.

Having been an essential part of the development, Linkle was somewhat flattered that she was being referred to again; however, quickly speaking her mind about the topic, she decided to leave with Aredin and his party.

Walking through the dark castle, the party followed Linkle closely. They were meant to be under her command for a while, but from an outsider's perspective, it seemed as though she had a band of bodyguards chasing her everywhere.

"Do you kids wanna explore the city a little bit?" Turning around, the witch blinked her eye, and the illusion of the short old lady was broken. In its place stood a breathtaking woman dressed in starry clothes that hugged her curves tightly. "If you're backed up, I can direct you to the alternative maze they have here. Give them the general's name, and Daine should offer you a huge discount."

What had been a small establishment at the bricks and cobbles had turned into a massive automaton whorehouse with all kinds of decadent desires. Gambling, sex, and a pinch of pain and humiliation, there was nothing that couldn't be had in 'Pump Your Pistons', stationed right by the spire.

And yet, with the stunning transformation of the witch in front of them, the party's jaws dropped, and not a word came out of their mouths until Linkle conjured astral hands and closed each one of their mouths herself. With a light chuckle muffled behind her lips, she warned in a playful fashion.

"You're gonna be around me, so I thought I might as well show you my real look. But open your mouth about this to anyone and I'm gonna hex you with the worst of spells." With those words, she turned around, and the astral hands beckoned the party to follow her.

The sway of Linkle's wide hips was enough of a charm to keep them going, but at last, upon their arrival at the spire, the party was left to their own devices to explore the city. However, just before taking her leave to meet with Shamisha, Linkle gave Aredin a potion that could help dampen the effect of dark water on his body.

"Drink it if you feel funny." Her words echoed in the man's head, but not for long, as right beside the place was a den of decadent machinery.

Pulled from the streets as assumed tourists, the entire party was hauled in without their permission. What may follow next? Well, that remains to be seen.