《Blood & Chlorophyll》


 Chapter 1.1

    Tiny slivers of sunlight crept into the room, followed by a quiet chorus of birdsong. Their dulcet melodies were accompanied by the rhythmic staccato of the city''s traffic, of people rushing to and from work. The ambient soundscape of the outside world was unfortunately disrupted when a shrill beeping noise filled the room, rousing the lifeless body buried under the sheets. A single, pale hand reached for the phone on the nightstand, and the figure inside groaned when she saw the time. She snoozed her alarm and went back to sleep for another ten minutes.


    By the time the alarm sounded again, all traces of sunlight had vanished. The dark of night filled the room, and the faint sound of a ravenous stomach grumbled beneath the covers. With every possible excuse to stay in bed exhausted, Katrina finally admitted it was time to get up.


    She threw her sheets aside and slid her feet to the floor, groaning once more as she left her bed. One hand covered her mouth, covering a heavy yawn, while the other gently traced the wall to help guide her through the cramped apartment. The bathroom was the next door over, and she closed her eyes in anticipation of the lights turning on. By the time she¡¯d adjusted to their glare, she¡¯d managed to find the power button for her mirror.


    It wasn¡¯t technically a mirror, of course, she only called it that out of convenience.


    In actuality, it was a large video screen suspended over her sink. A camera had been embedded in the center, providing real-time footage of whoever happened to be standing in front of it. For the last four years, that camera hadn¡¯t seen a single soul other than Katrina.


    She went through her morning routine half-heartedly. She knew that it kept her body healthy, but she struggled to maintain enthusiasm for something she¡¯d been doing since kindergarten. She always had to floss and brush her teeth, regardless of the size of her cuspids. Her hair still needed washing, whether it was heavily curled or straight enough to string a violin bow.


    The more things change¡­


    Once she finished washing her face, Katrina clicked the mirror off and watched her reflection vanish. Staring into the black of the screen, she realized the towel rack behind her was empty. Thinking back to last night, she remembered she¡¯d never retrieved her clothes from the building¡¯s laundry room. Sighing in resignation, she dried her face on her sleeve and prepared to head downstairs. Best case scenario, the floor her clothes had ended up on wasn¡¯t too dirty.


    After grabbing her laundry basket and her slippers, Katrina left her apartment and headed towards the elevators. She pulled out her phone, hoping she might be able to live vicariously through everyone else online, and lazily scrolled through the socials of her favorite delvers. It often felt like being nocturnal left her playing catch up with the rest of the world. By the time she was awake, all the important things had already happened, and she simply had the privilege of watching the world sleep.


    After watching a couple quick videos of people showing off their dungeon outfits, she realized the elevator still hadn¡¯t arrived. When she looked up, she saw bright yellow caution tape blocking off the entrance, and a sign apologizing for the inconvenience.


    That¡¯s new. Hopefully they¡¯re up in less than a month this time.


    Katrina opened the door to the staircase only a few moments later. Five years ago, the elevators being down would have been enough to ruin her day, but now it was simply a mild inconvenience. The stairs were built with a gap in the middle, spiraling further and further down until they hit the ground floor, and there was more than enough room for a person in that gap. She leaned over the edge, made sure no one else was taking her route, then floated up over the railing.


    For all the misfortune her new body had brought her, Flight had been the sole positive. She couldn¡¯t go very fast, it was more like glorified levitation, but there was no denying that complete mastery of the skies was an incredible feeling. She routinely left for work by gliding out her bedroom window, and she was able to completely avoid all the city¡¯s foot traffic. That being said, she would sacrifice flying in a heartbeat were she offered her old body back.


    As Katrina floated down the staircase, she lazily scrolled through her news feed, but nothing she saw interested her. She had been hoping there might be updates about the supply shortage, or at least new discoveries from the dungeon, but every site was instead focused on the upcoming anniversary of the Change.


    Landing on the ground floor, she pocketed her phone and continued her journey. She had no interest in reading about that terrible day, so she instead focused on the laundry room. Sure enough, she found her clothes in a pile on the floor, but whoever had moved them had at least kept the pile contained. It all seemed clean enough, so she threw everything in her basket and began the return trip home. Her stomach had started grumbling again, and the last thing she needed today was to be trapped in a small room with her neighbors.


    Katrina flew back to her apartment as quickly as she could, regretting that she¡¯d let herself get sidetracked by the laundry. She kept a routine for a reason, and now was not the time to get complacent about meal times. Her hunger gnawed at her, threatening to take over if she ignored it for too long. She grabbed the handle of her fridge, looked inside, and her eyes went wide in realization.


    It was completely empty.


    How did I forget about grocery day? Ugh, c¡¯mon Katrina, it¡¯s the same day every week!


    She was now wide awake, mild panic keeping her thoughts sharp.


    Alright, I have to get to the clinic as fast as possible. Shoes, keys, phone, donor card, cooler¡­ Everything''s good to go. I can be there in less than ten minutes, that¡¯s not bad, right?


    As she flew out her bedroom window, locking it behind her, she made a beeline for the local clinic. Thankfully, her neighborhood was far enough away from downtown that there were no flight restrictions, so it was easy to keep her travel time short. Even though it was late, and the crowds were relatively thin, she was still glad she had a way to avoid them.


    Less contact meant lower chances of an incident.


    After only a few minutes of flying, the clinic finally came into view. Years ago, it had originally been a walk-in clinic for mundane injuries, but recently it had been converted to specifically cater to Races. With roughly a third of the planet no longer being human, many people struggled to keep up with the needs of their new bodies, and the ordinary walk-in clinics of the past had needed to adapt.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Staff clinicians were constantly receiving training on the myriad Races that now existed, as well as their unique needs. Most demons, for example, had an extra status bar that required them to feed on the various sins of those around them. After the change, many of these demons struggled to manage their Hunger safely, and these clinics began offering counseling to help them tame their desires. They also had an expanded array of equipment to administer medical treatment when required; some races had skin that resisted standard needles, and many were too large to fit in existing hospital rooms.


    When Katrina landed, she saw there wasn¡¯t a line and sighed in relief. She walked up to the service window, which was covered by magically reinforced glass, and rang the service bell. After a minute of waiting, a familiar face finally approached the window. A human man in his late twenties appeared, his wrinkled blue scrubs indicating he was near the end of his shift. He had short blonde hair, a soft face with grayish-blue eyes, as well as a collection of stubble that he was constantly fighting back.


    ¡°Dennis! You¡¯re a sight for sore eyes, how was the rush today?¡± Katrina asked. She did her best to remain cordial, she wanted to stay on the best terms possible with the people keeping her alive.


    ¡°Today wasn¡¯t too bad, though we had a small incident with a fire elemental. Apparently the blankets we bought weren¡¯t properly fireproofed, so I¡¯ve been filing a complaint against the supplier.¡± He paused, rubbing his eyes before continuing. ¡°Grocery day already?¡±


    ¡°You know it. I¡¯m fresh out, and my stomach is killing me,¡± she said, sliding her donor card under the glass.


    ¡°Look, Katrina, about that¡­¡± Dennis leaned against the counter, his face ready to deliver bad news. His fingers lingered on the card before he pushed it back to her.


    Katrina gripped the straps of her cooler tight, doing her best to stay calm. ¡°Don¡¯t say that Dennis, it¡¯s not funny.¡±


    ¡°This blood shortage is hitting everyone, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. We¡¯ve filled out every form in existence, I¡¯ve even mentioned that I have Vampires in the area, but this week there simply wasn¡¯t a shipment. You¡¯ll have to go downtown.¡±


    ¡°Please, there¡¯s got to be something here. Beastkin? Minotaur? Heck, I¡¯ll even take Goblin blood, just¡­ something. Anything.¡± Her breathing quickened, panic setting in before she whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t go downtown. I¡¯d have to take the train.¡±


    Dennis leaned closer to the glass, stealing a look around the lobby before speaking. ¡°I¡­ might have something, gimme a sec.¡± He left the window, and after a few minutes, returned with a small hazmat bag. ¡°We had an incident earlier today. Someone got attacked, and this was one of the towels we used to clean up. I know it¡¯s not edible, but maybe it will make the train ride easier.¡±


    He slipped the bag under the window, and Katrina snatched it up eagerly before hiding it in her sweater. ¡°I¡­ thanks Dennis.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure no one sees the bag, alright? If the wrong people start asking questions, the clinic could get closed down.¡± He flashed a sympathetic smile, then continued talking. ¡°I wish there was more I could do, honestly, but that¡¯s all I¡¯ve got.¡±


    As Dennis leaned back, Katrina found her eyes wandering to his neck, but she quickly tore them away. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll see you next week. Stay out of trouble until then.¡±


    ¡°Same to you, Kat. Best of luck.¡±


    Kat. She never knew how to feel about that nickname. In all honesty, she really liked it, but she hated what it represented. It meant people liked her, wanted to get close to her. Dennis had asked her out once, ages ago, and while the attraction was mutual, she hadn¡¯t given it a second thought. The last thing she needed was another incident, and Dennis was too kind for his own good. If they started dating, it would only be a matter of time before he offered himself up to her hunger, and she couldn''t do that to him.


    Leaving the clinic, Katrina steeled her nerves and headed for the local train station. She wanted to love the trains, she really did. Chicago had revamped them to be as Race friendly as possible, and that was only one of the many policy changes that had been implemented after the Change. Katrina was intimately familiar with these laws; the donor card in her pocket had come from one such policy. It marked her as a Race that needed to consume blood to survive, and using it at designated clinics allowed her access to ethically sourced blood, normally a week¡¯s worth at a time.


    Of course, the shortage wasn¡¯t helping. The current policy was to heavily ration out the existing supply, and while this was helping on a macro scale, it meant Katrina was constantly hungry. At times it was easier to manage, and she tried to alter her schedule to avoid crowds, but it was at its worst when she was in close proximity with other people.


    For example, riding a crowded train into the heart of downtown Chicago.


    The doors opened in front of her, and Katrina found herself jostled around as the crowds behind her pushed into the train car. She could hear the heartbeats of every person around her, smell the blood running through their veins. Some of the more aggressive passengers cast judgmental glares in her direction as she failed to move with the crowd, and without fail they all recoiled in fear when they saw what she was.


    There was no hiding her Race. She had vibrant, crimson eyes that glowed bright when she was hungry, and she was absolutely ravenous. She did her best to breathe through her mouth, to minimize the smell, and this meant her fangs were on full display; two supernaturally powerful canines, eager to rip into the throats of every person on the train with her.


    The doors closed, locking Katrina inside, and within seconds they were leaving the station. Her hands gripped the straps of her cooler, nervously wringing it as she stared at the floor. She swore the heartbeats around her were getting louder, their rhythms joining together to form a discordant symphony of forbidden desire. Just as the sound threatened to overwhelm her, she remembered the bag Dennis had given her earlier, and she eagerly opened it up.


    Her fingers clenched the towel tight, pulling it to her nose in the hope she could distract her senses. The blood had mostly dried, though being sealed in a hazmat bag seemed to have slowed the process somewhat. Thankfully, the smell hadn¡¯t vanished, and its delectable aroma filled her world as she breathed in deep. Her eyes closed, and she did everything she could to lose herself in the scent. Her body stopped shaking, at least a little bit, and it was slightly easier to forget about the many passengers that surrounded her.


    Time continued passing, the train occasionally stopping to let passengers on or off. The first time she¡¯d ridden this line, she had hoped the night hours would keep it somewhat empty, but those hopes were quickly dashed when she realized it was the best route for delvers to get to the dungeon. With each stop, the crowd slowly acquired more people ready for combat, occasionally carrying weapons, though Katrina paid them no mind despite her curiosity.


    After an eternity of waiting, of somehow managing to keep herself in line, Katrina made it to her stop. She did her best to calmly walk off the train, avoiding people when possible, though it was difficult. The hospital was a newer structure, and had been built fairly close to the Dungeon, so every delver on the train was leaving with her.


    Some of the delvers, upon leaving the train car, jumped into the air and began flying to their destination. Katrina watched them leave, desperately wishing she could do the same, but downtown Chicago had strict regulations about which Racial and Class abilities could be used. While there were sometimes exceptions, generally only authorized emergency personnel and certified delvers were allowed to fly. The hope was that responding to crises would be easier if those qualified to help could avoid the crowds.


    Katrina, despite her initial wishes years ago, was not a delver. She lowered her head and focused on making it to the hospital, clutching her cooler tight. Thankfully, the crowds dispersed somewhat as she neared her destination, and before she knew it, she was walking into the hospital.

 Chapter 1.2

    The incredibly large building had several wings, all dedicated to different purposes, and she was off to the Race wing today. After a few more hallways, she found the path towards non-emergency services, and her steps quickened now that she knew she was close. Many of the people she passed still had injuries, but they were minor enough that they could afford to wait. Katrina¡¯s goal was the counter meant for non-medical treatment, which existed to help races that needed exotic material as a part of their day-to-day lives. When she found the line, she quickly stepped into place, and sighed in relief.


    Her focus was somewhat distracted, however, when a feminine voice beside her spoke up. ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you in the right line? If you¡¯re bleeding, you should head back towards non-emergency services.¡±


    Looking over, Katrina saw a Nekomata in bright pink scrubs holding a clipboard, clearly concerned about the bloody towel. She was of middling height, with bright green eyes and a slim build, and her black cat ears twitched towards Katrina as she started talking. ¡°N-no, I¡¯m a Vampire. This is just¡­ keeping me sane while I wait for my turn.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense. Unfortunately, I¡¯m going to have to ask that you let me dispose of it. Hazmat concerns, I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, Katrina nodded in agreement. ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. This shortage is really messing me up.¡±


    ¡°I completely understand, ma¡¯am. Looks like you¡¯re almost up, though, so you¡¯ll have your rations soon!¡± the Nekomata said, smiling wide. She pulled on a pair of gloves, grabbed the bloody towel, and walked off. Without even realizing it, Katrina found herself looking at the girl''s neck, wondering what the girl''s fur would feel like as her teeth sank into¡ª


    Stop it, Katrina. Dennis lent you that towel to prevent an attack, and she''s just doing her job.


    She shook her head and bit her tongue, turning away from the nurse. Thankfully, it was only another few minutes before Katrina was called to the window. She slid her donor card under the glass and set her cooler in a small drawer that would transfer it to the other side. The lady at the window, a tall Aelf with a short blonde pixie cut, smiled as she scanned the card. She grabbed the cooler before walking off, leaving Katrina alone at the window and nervously tapping on the counter.. After a few quick minutes, the Aelf returned with a full cooler.


    ¡°Here you are, seven bags of human blood. Please wait until you¡¯re outside the hospital to start consumption, and make sure that all medical waste is properly disposed of. Sign here to accept.¡±


    Katrina did as she was asked, signing her name as quickly as she could before she opened the cooler to look inside. ¡°Wait, these bags are only 300 mL, aren¡¯t they supposed to be 350?¡±


    ¡°Rationing guidelines were just updated, and unfortunately they had to cut the portion sizes down.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ hadn''t heard that. How long will this be in effect?¡±


    ¡°I wish I could say. Officials are doing everything they can to encourage people to donate, but right now there¡¯s no end in sight. If there¡¯s nothing else you need, could you please step aside?¡±


    Katrina forced a smile, then closed up her cooler and left the line. She kept her eyes on the floor as she slowly navigated out of the building,


    As if things weren¡¯t bad enough already. How am I supposed to continue like this?


    Stepping outside, she found the cool night breeze had picked up slightly. It tossed her hair around, bringing with it the smell of the Dungeon Camp just a few blocks away. She''d visited once, about a year ago, and had almost lost control when a guild returned from a run with several injured party members.


    Best not to tempt fate again.


    By the time Katrina made it back to the train, she was pleased to see the crowds had thinned slightly. The ride would still be difficult, but at least she wasn''t packed like a sardine.


    Now that there was space to breathe, she noticed that the other passengers were subtly avoiding her, doing their best to lean away or switch spots. She didn''t blame them, their fear was perfectly justified, and at least it made it easier to find a corner seat. With her cooler on her lap, she thought about opening it, but ultimately decided to wait. She hated drinking blood in front of people, though she could never be sure if that was due more to their discomfort or hers.


    Instead, as the smells of the other passengers began to assault her again, she decided to try and distract herself.


    ¡°Status.¡±


    - - -


    General Information


    Name: Katrina MacMillan


    Race: Vampire


    Age: 25


    HP: 100%


    SP: 31%


    MP: 100%


    ¡ª


    Attributes


    STR: 11


    END: 16 (+4)A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    DEX: 12


    AGI: 15 (+2)


    INT: 9


    WIS: 10


    CHA: 19 (+4)


    LCK: 12


    PER: 13 (+2)


    HLT: 15 (+4)


    ¡ª


    Racial Features


    Vampiric Curse


    Flight


    Undead Fortitude


    Enchanting Gaze


    ¡ª


    Class


    Bard - Path of Magic


    Level: 2


    Progress: 5%


    ¡ª


    Class Features


    Inspiring Performance - Guitar


    Bardic Knowledge


    Improved Performance


    - - -


    There was nothing new on her status screen, but she was used to that. Most people used this screen to keep tabs on their abilities, plan out their builds, and make sure they stayed healthy. One downside, however, was that focusing on this screen for too long induced painful headaches, especially for the more exotic races. For Katrina, this was the primary reason she used her Status screen.


    It mentally blocked her vision, obscuring her view of the train car, and the headache helped distract her from the hunger. While she was effectively trading one misery for another, at least the status headache didn''t urge her to kill people.


    She lost track of time as she stared at her stats. The train would stop and start, passengers coming and going, as Katrina focused on holding out. The headache grew increasingly worse, and as it did so, she found it difficult to focus on where the train was stopping. By the time she''d finally had enough, and closed her Status screen, her train car had completely emptied. When she looked at the LED sign over the exit, she didn''t recognize where she was.


    Shoot. Must have missed my stop.


    She jumped to her feet and ran to the exit, hoping she wasn''t too far away from home. Still, even if she were, she could easily fly back.


    Walking off the train, she briefly explored the small landing before looking to the neighborhood in front of her. She was definitely further away from the city, and the rows upon rows of houses ahead confirmed she was comfortably in the suburbs. As she looked at the neighborhood in front of her, however, something seemed off. She didn¡¯t see any signs of life, and many of the streets were overgrown with foliage. Floating off the ground, she happily took to the skies as her curiosity took hold. It was her day off, she had her blood, and she had nothing better to do today.


    From a higher vantage point, she realized that not only was the entire neighborhood likely deserted, it was more than obvious why. Huge swathes of destruction scarred the landscape, with many of the houses having been completely reduced to rubble. Some of them appeared to have been burned down, others looked as if they¡¯d been crushed by something massive.


    As Katrina kept exploring, she found more and more plant life, to a degree that seemed oddly accelerated. The Change had only been 4 years ago, and she doubted nature would have reclaimed this neighborhood so quickly. Weeds abounded, but so too did bushes, small trees, patches of moss, and all manner of flowers. Vines crept in and around the debris of the many destroyed houses, and there even appeared to be a healthy stream cutting through the memories of previously bright green lawns.


    She flew even higher, above the majority of the two-story houses, and gasped at what she saw. Close to the center of the neighborhood, towering over everything else nearby, stood a massive cherry blossom tree. Its hundreds of branches held aloft a magnificent tapestry of bright pink flowers, and it looked like there were roughly a dozen particularly thick branches all diverting from the main trunk. Each one cradled a unique plateau of leaves and flowers, many of which had fallen and coated the ground with a beautiful floral carpet. The trunk itself appeared to have grown out of one of the houses, this one appearing mostly undamaged apart from the corner that had been destroyed to make room for the tree.


    After realizing that she¡¯d stopped moving, Katrina flew in closer to marvel at this incredible specimen that had somehow survived the destruction of the neighborhood. As she approached, the occasional flower petal would drift by her, some even landing in her hair and daring to bring some color to her pallid visage. She floated between some of the heavier branches, running her hands over the bark, and eventually decided to take a break and finally dig into her blood.


    She settled down on a branch near the main trunk, one that angled up sharply in such a way that she had a wonderful perch to lean against. She breathed in the smell of the tree, happy to be free of the many people that had surrounded her earlier, and opened up her cooler. The seven bags inside were all designed with Races like her in mind, which meant they had small spouts that allowed her access to the blood inside. Essentially, the bags had fancy straws that could also twist closed, should someone not want to finish it all at once.


    Katrina happily pulled one out, opened it up, and began to drink.


    Immediately, she felt a rush of energy surge through her body. The blood was absolutely delicious, and she swore every undead molecule inside her sang with joy. Warmth spread from her stomach to her limbs, and the ravenous hunger that had been hounding her all day began to quiet. While she would have loved to finish the entire bag, if not the entire cooler, she forced herself to stop. She wanted to enjoy what little she had, to draw it out as long as possible.


    Pulling out her phone, she navigated back to her favorite Dungeon news sites. There were a few noteworthy Level Ups, some interesting trades between two of the bigger guilds, but it seemed that progress in the Dungeon itself had stalled somewhat. Currently, everyone was on the hunt for the key to open the next level, but they were often incredibly difficult to find.


    Taking another sip, she switched over to the forums where everyone talked about their builds. Everyone was constantly learning new things about the System, and so opinions were frequently changing about the best way to build certain classes. Katrina mostly followed the Bard discourse, as that was her own class, and frequently dreamed of the day she might finally surpass Level 2. If she ever managed to Level Up again, she would finally gain access to Bardic Spellcasting, which was the specialty of her subclass.


    Not that I¡¯d ever be in a position to use any spells.


    She turned off her phone, setting it in her lap as she leaned her head against the branch behind her. With a heavy sigh, she thought about all the time she¡¯d spent practicing since the Change. How much effort she¡¯d put into perfecting her craft, in the hopes of doing something exciting with her life, only to have everything gatekept by her Race. How was she supposed to inspire a party when, at any moment, she might lose control and attack them? Who in their right mind would put a Vampire in their party in the middle of a blood shortage?


    Katrina sighed, taking another slow sip of blood.


    Her eyes lingered on the beautiful blossoms surrounding her, decorating the thousands of branches of the tree. To her left, a small branch swayed with the breeze, and she carefully reached out to feel it move, her fingers gently brushing against the deep green leaves before reaching some of the flowers. As the breeze picked up, the entire tree swayed, the leaves joining together as they sang in peaceful, aeolian tones. Katrina¡¯s eyes slowly traced over the branches, the veins of this magnificent tree, and soon landed on the main trunk in front of her.


    Curiously, a small collection of cherry blossom petals had gathered in front of her.


    That¡¯s odd, was this here before?


    The petals, and even a few flowers, seemed to be trapped in a tiny bundle of small leaves and vines. The whole collection cascaded down, eventually parting in the middle, as if they were decorative curtains. Underneath, instead of the rough bark of the tree she might have expected, she saw two, bright green eyes staring back at her. Katrina tensed, and her breathing quickened before this stranger finally spoke up.


    ¡°What are you doing in my tree?¡±

 Chapter 2.1

    Earlier that day


    Soft, elegant pillars of moonlight drifted down from the sky, dancing through a blanket of leaves before settling on the ground below. An owl hooted in the distance, and several bats hurriedly flew from perch to perch as they hunted for food. As time passed, the moon began to fade, and the sky slowly transitioned from a comforting veil of darkness to the vibrant pastels of dawn.


    A sea of orange swept across the horizon, the earliest rays of sunlight dancing off a river of morning dew. Birds began to wake, squirrels prepared to scurry, and flowers eagerly awaited their chance to bloom. Of all the magnificent creatures to feel the sun¡¯s warmth, however, the first was the enormous tree that stood near the center of Primrose Acres.


    This tree wasn¡¯t noteworthy just for its size, although at nearly sixty feet tall, it certainly towered over everything else in the subdivision. It was strikingly unique compared to every other tree nearby; the generic Chicago suburb had previously favored the simple Oak, but this tree was a magnificent Cherry Blossom. Its healthy canopy of lush, green leaves were almost entirely eclipsed by the brilliant pink flowers that bloomed atop them. Petals from these flowers continuously broke free and floated to the ground, forming an elegant apron on the surrounding land.


    The massive trunk of this tree split into several powerful branches, each one continuing to fractal off before ending with a bouquet of leaves and flowers. Most unusual of all was how frequently this tree blossomed. Traditional Cherry Blossom trees usually grew their signature pink flowers in late spring, the cycle normally lasting only a few weeks. This particular tree, however, continued to flower for almost the entire year. Even now, at the start of August, its brilliant pink blooms still continued to grow and scatter on the autumn winds.


    The Cherry Blossoms placement was also rather curious. To an outside observer, it would appear that a simple, two-story house had been built partially around it, but the truth was quite the opposite. The house pre-dated the tree by several decades, but four years ago, the tree had sprung up overnight. An entire front corner of the house had been destroyed, replaced by the impressively large trunk of this tree, and many of its branches had pushed through the walls and roof of the house. In only a few minutes, the tree had gone from non-existent to being the biggest thing in the neighborhood.


    With the light of dawn now breaking, the various creatures that called this particular tree home began to wake. They rose from their nests, crawled free from their burrows and, in Alicia¡¯s case, walked out of the trunk itself. The bark behind her left no trace of the departure, as the two entities were one and the same.


    Stepping out of the tree, Alicia stretched her arms high before attempting to wake the rest of her body. The joints of her lithe figure occasionally snapped and popped, though the sounds resembled the creaking of an ancient tree rather than those of any human. She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling free a few loose petals from the flowers that grew there, and let them fall to the ground.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± she said happily, greeting the world as it woke.


    She took off down her front lawn, slowly drawing lines with her feet in the blanket of leaves and flower petals beneath her. She felt the powerful roots of her Heart Tree thrumming beneath her, giving her life, and she smiled in its presence.


    Her morning walk was peaceful, as always. She meandered down the street, checking in on her neighbors while slowly making her way to a nearby river.


    Stopping at the house next door, she wandered into the yard and crouched down. ¡°How was your night? You still have enough compost little buddy?¡± she asked. The intricate fungal network didn¡¯t acknowledge her in any way, but she could tell that it had everything it needed to continue thriving. ¡°Just make sure you don¡¯t get too close to me, alright? Us neighbors have to respect the property lines.¡±


    Her next stop was across the street, and another two houses down. ¡°Oh, look how big you¡¯re getting! I remember when you were only a little collection of sticks, but your leaves are looking so healthy now!¡± The oak sapling in front of her was now close to her height, which made her incredibly proud. She¡¯d replanted it several years ago and was pleased it was taking so well.


    ¡°Have your neighbors been behaving themselves? We both know how aggressive those rose bushes can be.¡± The sapling continued to say nothing. ¡°No, that¡¯s a good point, they have every right to be here. Still, make sure you play nice, alright?¡±


    A few paces later, at the edge of the neighboring property, sat the rose bushes in question. ¡°You hear that? If you don¡¯t behave yourself I¡¯ll have to take drastic measures, and nobody wants that.¡±


    Wandering back to the street, she directed her attention to the asphalt underneath her and paused to examine it.


    Well, what was left of it.


    Huge sections of the previously paved road had been completely upended through years of hard work. Large roots, as well as dense collections of weeds and vines, had broken through and restored nature¡¯s grasp on the ground around Alicia¡¯s house. In the weeks following the Change, she¡¯d often felt like the concrete and asphalt were suffocating her, but her efforts over the years had managed to alleviate that feeling.


    At the end of the street, crossing several blocks and many of the lawns, sat a small river. This was another of Alicia¡¯s creations, something she¡¯d rerouted to give herself easier access to fresh water. She sat down on its banks, dipping her legs in the babbling brook, and sighed in relief.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Closing her eyes, she smiled as the warmth of the morning sun washed over her. Its light lingered on her skin, but she could also feel the sun¡¯s rays on the leaves of her Heart Tree. Not only did it feel amazing, but as a Dryad, the light itself was literally breakfast. Even without checking her Status, she could feel her SP gradually refilling, and every chloroplast in her body sang with joy as warmth flooded through her.


    In the riverbed, small roots began to extend from Alicia¡¯s feet, digging into the ground as she absorbed the water from the soil. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and let herself get lost in the sun.


    Two hours passed before she finally opened her eyes. She¡¯d been awake the whole time, but ever since the Change, time seemed to pass differently for her. Up in the sky, the clouds had shifted dramatically, and she knew it was time to head home. Unfortunately, even though she didn¡¯t need food or water anymore, she still had bills to pay. After grabbing the watering can next to her and filling it, she took off once more.


    She took a different route back, letting herself wander down a side street to check on some of her other projects. This street had been hit especially hard the night of the Change, and most of the houses had been destroyed. Thankfully, she¡¯d managed to inspire the local plant life to overtake the rubble, and when she had the time, she tried to move some of the destruction to the local dump. Garbage trucks didn¡¯t run here anymore, which she appreciated, but it certainly made cleaning up a little frustrating.


    As she wandered from house to house, humming small tunes to herself, she made sure to water the many flowers that had started living here ever since that fateful night. Once she made it home, she lovingly placed a hand on her Heart Tree before stepping inside it again. The wood bent to her will and let her glide higher before she emerged on the other side, now inside the remains of her old bedroom.


    She¡¯d been asleep the night of the Change, her bed pushed into the outer corner of her room, which had thankfully minimized the damage her Heart Tree had caused when it sprouted. The bed had been destroyed, but as she didn''t need it anymore, she hardly minded. What remained were a few personal effects, old clothes she hadn¡¯t touched in years, and her computer desk.


    In her past life, it had been hard to spend even a few minutes away from the internet. It had allowed her to stay in touch with distant friends, it let her discuss her favorite books with other enthusiastic fans, and given her unlimited access to all her favorite shows. Now? Now she spent as little time as possible online, and mostly only used the computer to work. She¡¯d been lucky enough to find a remote job with a new government office, one that monitored compliance for the many new Racial guidelines being codified every day.


    She pulled up her chair, crossed her legs, and turned on her computer. As she started opening the various programs she needed, she caught a quick glance of her search history from the previous few days.


    How do dungeons work


    How do dungeons form


    Can new dungeons appear


    How dangerous are dungeons


    The dryad shook her head. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to worry about that, Alicia.¡± She reluctantly logged into her work software and punched in.


    She checked in with her boss, read through all the new emails, and finally reached out to her first client. Her job often entailed explaining compliance violations, and helping business owners find the resources needed to bring their establishments up to code. Unfortunately, this often meant dealing with irate cheapskates trying to cut costs by avoiding adding Races to their workforce.


    ¡°Sir, while your employees did have the keys to the building, that¡¯s not the issue. The two workers in question are both considered Fey, and ORC guidelines clearly state that all Fey creatures are magically compelled to avoid iron at all costs. They weren¡¯t stuck inside because of a locked door, they were stuck inside because the push bars are made of iron, effectively blocking their exit.¡±


    The voice on the other end of the line was not amused.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t necessarily have to change the mechanism. If another entrance is Fey accessible, then you can leave these doors alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand how this might be an unexpected cost, but it will help bring your establishment up to code. Plus, you¡¯ll be able to attract more Fey employees and customers!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose you could let those employees go. If you wanted to do that, I¡¯d also recommend hiring a lawyer, as I now have recorded proof that you¡¯re attempting to fire someone based entirely on their Race, and the courts aren¡¯t going to like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir, if you¡¯re going to raise your voice, it¡¯s going to be difficult to have a productive conversation.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, personally, I think the cheapest route would be to install a new door. It sounds like you¡¯ve misplaced your ORC Handbook, but I can email you another copy if you like. It contains a slew of helpful information to assist you in updating your business to be more Race friendly.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy we could come to an understanding, thank you for your time.¡±


    Alicia hung up the phone, then placed her headset back on her desk. ¡°Ugh, last call of the day, finally!¡± She leaned back, stretching out her stiff back again before turning off her computer. She walked back to her Heart Tree, melded into it once more, and floated back to the ground. She paused before leaving, however, as something caught her attention.


    The roots of her Heart Tree extended underneath a huge swath of land, though she¡¯d never measured just how expansive her root system was. She tended to assume the roots covered at least three times the area of her canopy, which was already massive. Due to her connection, she could feel just about everything that moved near those roots. She was aware of the family of moles that lived a few blocks down, she knew about the many ant colonies that had sprouted up recently, and she had long ago memorized the composition of the ground in her neighborhood.


    Nature tended to move slowly, which is why Alicia had been caught off guard by the sudden seismic activity several weeks ago. In the middle of the night, large collections of her roots had gone from being safely immersed in the ground, to being exposed to open air. While she didn¡¯t understand how, a large series of caves and caverns had appeared underneath Primrose Acres, and she was fairly sure it was a dungeon.


    She knew nothing about dungeons, and she didn¡¯t care to find out more. The delving lifestyle had never appealed to her, and even if it had, she doubted she would be able to spend much time away from her Heart Tree.


    A shiver ran through her as she felt footsteps on her roots. Monsters roaming the dungeon without purpose, aimlessly shuffling back and forth as they looked for enemies to engage with. They didn¡¯t seem to fight each other, which she appreciated, but she was scared of what they represented. What would happen when delvers learned about this place? What would happen if the monsters started wandering outside the dungeon?


    The feeling faded, the monsters now off in a different room that she wasn¡¯t connected with, and she sighed in relief. She was safe, for now at least, but she couldn¡¯t keep waiting forever.


    Which was unfortunate, because waiting came so naturally to her.

 Chapter 2.2

    The last few weeks had been spent looking for the entrance, but so far, she hadn''t found anything. She had first assumed the search would be quick, since her roots traveled through several of the rooms, but that knowledge hadn''t led anywhere. The room that felt closest to the surface was roughly a ten-minute walk south of her house, but every trip she made south had yielded no results. She''d dug through rubble, asked the local plants for help, but the dungeon stayed hidden despite all her efforts.


    Today, she instead decided to continue checking in on her other projects. She had no idea where else to look, and after a particularly frustrating day at work, she wasn''t thrilled about the prospect of another several hours of disappointment. She finally let herself step out of her Tree and started towards her next task.


    While Alicia''s mornings were often spent checking in on projects that needed more attention, such as daily watering or pruning, she liked to spend her afternoons jumping between her multiple long-term projects. Today, for instance, she''d resolved to check on the reservoir that fed her river. It was a longer walk, roughly a few miles west, but it was good to walk the length of the river once a month or so. In the past, the river had dried up a few times, and she was always hunting for possible problems to prevent that from repeating.


    The peaceful walk was only an hour, and thankfully everything seemed in order. She made note of a few bends in the river that might benefit from some restructuring, but nothing else jumped out at her.


    The next item on today''s agenda was a house several blocks north of her home. Several years before the Change, someone had bought up the shabby split-level that had previously occupied the lot and replaced it with a pretentious manor. Elegant brick walls, a garage meant to hold far too many cars, and a whole slew of expensive decorations. On the night of the change, the unfortunate owner had transformed into a dragon, destroying most of the house instantly.


    All the valuables in the house had been picked clean years ago, but that wasn¡¯t why Alicia was here. As a newer piece of construction, this plot of land had a significant amount of fresh concrete, and its presence had been a constant thorn in her side.


    Over the last year, she¡¯d been asking the local foliage to creep into the house, break its foundation, and loosen things up enough for her to dispose of everything. It was the same process she used to disrupt all the streets, except the concrete poured for this house had proved significantly more resilient than the cheap asphalt the city had used to pave the roads.


    She hadn''t visited the house since late June, and she was eager to see what progress had been made in her absence. Now standing on the edge of the property, Alicia let her roots dig deep into the ground and got to work. To an outside observer, it would appear as if the dryad were standing completely still, doing absolutely nothing. In actuality, she was working hard to find weak points in the concrete, to urge all the local weeds to keep pushing for entry. She was, according to the Status, literally One With Nature, which meant it was easy to impose her will on all the plant life around her.


    The basement had been a particular sticking point. Weeds and vines had started working their way into several corners, but she also had to contend with all the layers of insulation and flooring. Today, happily enough, she was excited to sense that some of the local plants had finally broken through into the open air of the basement. She checked in with them, making sure everyone was still happy and healthy, when she suddenly froze in fear.


    There was something in the basement. She could feel footsteps reverberating through the concrete, and after a minute, something heavy stepped on one of her intrusive roots.


    It was far too large to be the local wildlife.


    Swallowing nervously, she uprooted herself and ran to the entrance of the house. She had previously cleared a route to the basement, originally meant to have a path to clear away the rubble she hoped to create, but now she found herself on the defensive. She stepped carefully, inching down into the dark cellar, when she finally heard something.


    A low, rumbling growl. A footstep, followed by a strange shuffling noise. Once she was close enough, Alicia peaked around the corner and gasped.


    Ahead of her, on the far wall of the basement, a large tunnel had been created. It seemed oddly purposeful, as if someone had long ago tried to start a mine here, and she knew she''d found the entrance to the dungeon. The composition of the walls didn''t match the surrounding terrain, and a series of wall sconces appeared ready to hold the torches of potential delvers.


    In front of the dungeon, now turning to face her, stood a lone monster. It appeared to be a zombie, looking as if it had crawled directly out of an old 80¡¯s movie. It stepped closer, one foot dragging behind it, as it growled in anger.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    In a panic, Alicia ran back up the stairs. She turned towards the basement, breathed deep, and summoned a wall of bark and vines to block off the passageway. It might not be permanent, and it certainly felt odd to be using a class ability after four years of ignoring them entirely, but it seemed to work.


    She flinched as the zombie struck the barrier, hoping it would hold. It attacked a second time, then a third, before it seemed to lose interest and walk away. She waited for a minute, then several more, before finally releasing the breath she didn''t realize she''d been holding.


    Wait, I just used a Class Feature, didn''t I?


    Unsure what to expect, Alicia decided to check her stats.


    ¡°Status!¡±


    - - -


    General Information


    Name: Alicia Davenport


    Race: Dryad


    HP: 80%


    SP: 87%


    MP: 100%


    ¡ª


    Attributes


    STR: 12


    END: 13 (+2)


    DEX: 9


    AGI: 10


    INT: 11


    WIS: 15 (+2)


    CHA: 12


    LCK: 9


    PER: 15


    HLT: 17 (+4)


    ¡ª


    Racial Features


    Heart Tree (Cherry Blossom)


    Solar Regeneration


    One With Nature


    Seeds Of Life


    ¡ª


    Class


    Bulwark


    Level: 1


    Progress: 15%


    ¡ª


    Class Features


    - - -


    ¡°Fifteen percent?!¡± Alicia gasped. She hadn''t made any class progress since the Change, and had long ago given up on it ever happening. Still, if the only way to gain progress was to see her home invaded by monsters, she would much rather stay at Level one.


    She looked up at the sky and realized the sun was significantly closer to setting. She could already feel its warmth beginning to fade, and she knew it was time to wrap up.


    She walked slowly, her thoughts spinning as she tried to think of a plan.


    ¡°Well, if nothing else, that monster seemed pretty weak, and it will be easy to block off the staircase. I might actually be able to ignore this!¡±


    As she walked home, she found herself in significantly better spirits than she had expected. Sure, being attacked hadn''t been an item on her bucket list, but the placement of the dungeon entrance seemed promising.


    She yawned as the sun started dipping beneath the horizon, the lack of its warmth already affecting her. Some of the flowers near her house were already closing for the night, and she could feel several birds and squirrels settling in as they prepared to go to sleep. When she finally made it back to her Heart Tree, she eagerly merged with it again and drifted off to sleep.


    - - -


    Alicia woke with a start several hours later. She knew it wasn¡¯t daytime yet, the familiar warmth of the sun was still absent, so something else must have shaken her awake.


    That¡¯s when she felt it again, something moving around her main trunk. As she tried to focus on where it was coming from, she felt one of her sturdier branches shift downwards, and it was clear it was now supporting something. It felt much heavier than an animal, and she feared it might be a dungeon monster. Moving quickly, the dryad shifted through her Heart Tree until she¡¯d found the source of the commotion.


    As she peeked her face out of the trunk, she was pleased to find the source of the commotion wasn''t a monster. It was a woman nestled up against one of her main branches. She wasn¡¯t just a woman, though; she had to be the most gorgeous woman Alicia had ever seen.


    This stranger wore casual clothes and was sitting with one leg hanging off the branch, yet it looked like she were in the middle of posing for a magazine cover. Her incredibly pale skin was completely flawless, which led to every one of her striking features being accentuated by comparison. Her hands were perfectly manicured, and her off hand casually tapped her thigh as she relaxed. Her tank top did little to hide her impressive bust, and Alicia couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how much more well-endowed this stranger was when compared to her. Her pale face radiated confidence, and as Alicia watched, the stranger¡¯s mouth opened to start drinking some kind of juice.


    Unusually, her two canine teeth seemed quite long. As the dryad kept watching, she also noticed that this stranger¡¯s eyes were bright red and glowing intensely. The juice she was drinking, Alicia finally realized, wasn¡¯t juice at all, but blood.


    She was looking at a vampire.


    She¡¯d never seen one in person before. Actually, now that she thought about it, she hadn¡¯t seen anyone in person for the last three years. Some distant instinct of hers urged her to be afraid, but for some reason she felt completely enraptured by this stranger.


    The vampire took a deep drink of her blood, closing her eyes in pleasure as her body seemed to warm slightly. She smiled as she pulled the pouch away, then unlocked her phone and started scrolling.


    For the next several minutes, the vampire occasionally took small sips of her blood while continuing to surf the internet. After a while, she turned the phone off and set it down on her lap, then leaned back against her perch with a heavy sigh. There was a sense of longing in her deep, crimson eyes, as if she were looking for something just out of sight.


    When she finally shook herself back to her senses, a soft breeze had begun sweeping through the neighborhood. All the branches in Alicia¡¯s canopy began to sway, their peaceful sounds threatening to lull the dryad back to sleep, but she didn¡¯t dare turn away from this magnificent creature in front of her. The vampire reached out for a nearby branch, her hand softly tracing its leaves and flowers, and Alicia shivered.


    Her hands are so soft, so gentle¡­ How long has it been since I¡¯ve felt like this?


    As the breeze faded, the vampire¡¯s eyes seemed to focus on a spot above Alicia. Actually, they were looking at her hair, and they kept traveling down until the two girls locked eyes with each other. Alicia felt the vampire flinch in surprise, her breath catching, and the dryad finally dared to speak.


    ¡°What are you doing in my tree?¡±

 Chapter 3.1

    Katrina¡¯s melancholy mood vanished immediately as she realized she wasn¡¯t alone. In her surprise, she reflexively pushed off the tree and floated a few feet away, all while keeping her eyes on this new stranger.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go!¡± the girl in the tree said. ¡°I¡¯m not upset, I just wasn¡¯t expecting anyone, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Doing her best to regain her composure, Katrina finally found the words to respond. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I thought the area was abandoned, I didn¡¯t mean to intrude, miss.¡± In front of her, the stranger began moving out of the tree, its bark magically shifting to accommodate her movements, and she finally got a good look at her.


    The girl in front of Katrina had rich, green skin, and wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes, though saying she was naked would also be wrong. Strips of bark and patches of leaves seemed to be growing from her body, and together they covered all the same features a bikini would. Her face was soft, with delicate rounded features and a fair collection of freckles. The vines, leaves, and flowers Katrina had seen just moments ago were, in fact, her hair. It was fairly long, and collected behind her head where it formed into a loose ponytail. Her bright green eyes subtly reflected the moonlight, and they were looking at Katrina in amazement.


    She finally settled onto the branch Katrina had just vacated as she continued talking. ¡°You weren¡¯t intruding, I promise! And you¡¯re not wrong, this neighborhood is entirely abandoned, other than myself.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Katrina said, pausing to clear her throat. ¡°You¡¯re a Dryad, I assume?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Certainly explains how comparatively unique this tree is. I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°A vampire?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was going to say Katrina, but both are correct.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Right! You can call me Alicia.¡±


    The dryad held out her hand, clearly hoping to formalize their introduction with a handshake. Katrina hesitated, scared to remember the last time she¡¯d purposely touched anyone. Still, with a fresh supply of blood hanging off her shoulder, she figured it was safe enough. She floated closer, grabbing Alicia¡¯s hand and gently squeezing her fingers. She only lingered for a second before she broke the grip and created more distance between them again.


    How didn¡¯t I sense her? Even now, it¡¯s like she¡¯s not entirely here.


    ¡°Well met, Alicia. Again, sorry for the disturbance.¡±


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Katrina the Vampire!¡± Alicia giggled as she settled back onto her branch, cradling her head in her arms. ¡°So¡­ what brings you to my neck of the woods?¡±


    ¡°Um, I live closer to the city, but I missed my stop.¡± Katrina paused, nervously wringing the straps of her cooler. She wasn¡¯t used to this kind of small talk, and was out of practice. Still, Alicia seemed eager to have someone to converse with, so Katrina figured she might as well try. ¡°So¡­ You said the neighborhood is abandoned? Why?¡±


    ¡°Yup! When the Change hit, we got quite a few of the more¡­ unusual Races, to say the least. Some pretty big fights broke out, a lot of people started using their new Class Abilities out of fear, it was real scary. When things started going back to normal, the government wanted to try and consolidate their resources, so they implemented programs to relocate people out of heavily damaged areas. Unfortunately, my Heart Tree can¡¯t move so¡­ here I am.¡±


    ¡°Here you are.¡± Katrina said meekly, gesturing at the tree. She realized she was still holding a packet of blood and tucked it into her cooler.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Alicia asked, ¡°What was your Change like?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ bad.¡±


    Alicia had clearly expected more, but Katrina hated talking about that night. That entire year, honestly. For many people, it was the easiest conversation starter in the world; for Katrina, it was the second big reason why she had started avoiding people. When she didn¡¯t elaborate, the Dryad filled the silence herself.


    ¡°Oh¡­ W-well you don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Katrina faked a smile, not sure what to say. After another few seconds of silence, she tried to change the topic. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have some kind of stealth Class, would you?¡±


    ¡°Me? Not at all, I¡¯m a Bulwark. Not that I get much use out of it. You?¡±


    Bulwark? That doesn¡¯t explain why I can¡¯t sense her. Maybe it¡¯s a Racial Feature?


    ¡°Bard, Path of Magic.¡± The Dryad excitedly opened her mouth to say something, but Katrina cut her off. ¡°To answer your next question, guitar. And no, I don¡¯t have it with me.¡±


    Alicia deflated again. Katrina could tell this interaction wasn¡¯t going the way the Dryad hoped, but she didn¡¯t know what else there was to talk about. She was also used to this kind of behavior; Katrina was well aware of the effect her 19 Charisma had on people. Strangers that weren¡¯t watching her out of fear usually had lust in their eyes.


    ¡°So¡­ what are you doing tonight? You probably haven¡¯t been up for long, right?¡± Alicia asked hopefully.


    ¡°I made a quick visit downtown,¡± Katrina tapped her cooler for emphasis, ¡°and I was on my way home when I missed my stop. I didn¡¯t really have any plans tonight.¡±


    ¡°What about your¡ª¡± Alicia paused for a moment, her sentence interrupted by a heavy yawn, ¡°¡ªyour, um, guitar? What kind of music do you play?¡±


    Seeing the Dryad yawn reminded Katrina that she was the only nocturnal Race present, and that was a perfect excuse to leave. ¡°Look, Alicia, I¡¯m clearly keeping you up. You seem really nice, but it¡¯s probably better for both of us if I head back to my place.¡±


    Alicia¡¯s response was delayed by another yawn, and her eyes seemed to be growing heavier. Still, her disappointment was palpable. ¡°I¡­ understand. Well, I¡¯d love to see you again sometime, Katrina the Vampire. You seem¡­ really nice¡­ too¡­¡± The dryad nestled her head in her arms again as she waved goodbye, and Katrina was fairly certain Alicia was asleep before she¡¯d even turned to fly away.


    As the Vampire rose higher above the mostly abandoned neighborhood, she took one last look at the Cherry Blossom tree before heading back home.


    The flight was uneventful, if a little longer than she was used to. As she flew, it became more than obvious that she was farther from home than she¡¯d initially thought. Thankfully, the mana drain from her flying was miniscule, and she had plenty to think about. Something about that encounter was bugging her, and she just couldn¡¯t figure out what.


    When she finally made it home, she eagerly unlocked her window and flew inside. The blood went in the fridge, and although she desperately wanted to finish the pouch she¡¯d started earlier, she knew she needed to ration it out. Realistically, her night was barely halfway over.


    She returned to the laundry basket she¡¯d abandoned outside her bedroom and began putting her clothes away. She folded some shirts, hung others in her closet, and returned her hand towels to her bathroom. Her cleaning continued into the living room, where she spent quite a bit of time tidying up all her music. Various piles of sheet music had been scattered, as had some of her guitar accessories. She lovingly placed everything back in its place before picking up her guitar.


    She¡¯d bought it two years ago, as soon as she had the money and her life had settled down post-Change. Taking a seat, she placed her leg on her footstool and pulled the guitar in her lap. She carefully tuned each string, taking great care to make sure everything was perfect.


    Whenever she told people she was a guitar Bard, they tended to think of their favorite rock bands, inevitably asking if she knew Freebird. Katrina, however, had no interest in that kind of music, which had affected her choice of instrument. It had no flashy colors, no electrical outlets, with a slightly larger body and shorter neck. Its strings weren¡¯t made of metal, they were made of nylon, which produced a much softer, full-bodied sound that Katrina had fallen in love with. The strings were also further apart compared to more standard guitars, which reflected the purpose of this particular instrument; it existed to play classical music. She didn¡¯t even need a pick, as her fingernails had been angled to serve that need on their own.


    Her Bardic Knowledge Feature had made learning the instrument incredibly easy. Every new skill she was able to learn in a fraction of the time, which made practice incredibly enjoyable. Now, she was practically a master, but her skill on the instrument unfortunately didn¡¯t translate to Class Levels.


    She hugged her guitar tight, cradling it as if it were a loved one. Surprisingly, her thoughts returned to Alicia, to their brief handshake they¡¯d exchanged earlier that night. Her skin had been incredibly soft, but not as warm as Katrina had expected. At the time, she¡¯d been so worried about losing control of herself that she hadn¡¯t noticed these details, but now she had plenty of time to return to her thoughts. Once again, she felt there was something she didn¡¯t quite understand about that encounter.


    She was a Bulwark and a Dryad. Neither one was known for its stealth capabilities, so why had Alicia seemed so distant? As Katrina dwelled on these thoughts, she absentmindedly began playing a somber song.


    Depending on her Level, she might have Features I¡¯m not aware of. I¡¯ve never looked into Bulwark that much, and Dryads aren¡¯t necessarily common¡­


    As her fingers danced across the strings, the melody filling her small apartment, she thought back to how peaceful it had been in that tree, before Alicia had shown up. The gentle breeze rustling the leaves, the smell of cherry blossoms filling her nose, it had been a delightful change of pace from her life in the city.


    Wait, cherry blossoms. They smelled of fresh flowers, which I only noticed because there hadn¡¯t been any people around. At least, I thought there hadn¡¯t been people, but even once Alicia showed herself, I never smelled anything else!


    That¡¯s when it hit her, the reason why her conversation with the Dryad had felt so stilted. The entire time, she hadn¡¯t been able to smell Alicia, and her usual desire to attack people had been completely absent.


    Dryads don¡¯t have blood! They¡¯re plants!

 Chapter 3.2

    Early the next morning, as the sun began to dawn on Primrose Acres, Alicia woke with a groan. She was extraordinarily uncomfortable and, as she came to, also felt strangely exposed. She thought back to last night, wondering what might have caused this, when she remembered her vampiric visitor.


    ¡°Katrina!¡± Alicia gasped, attempting to sit up.


    Unfortunately, in her excitement, she failed to realize she had never rejoined her Heart Tree. She didn¡¯t have the support she¡¯d expected, and her sudden movement only served to shake her already tentative grasp on the branch underneath her. She shouted as she plummeted from the tree and, with a loud thud, hit the ground hard.


    She groaned again, louder this time, as she stared up at the pink and green canopy above her.


    Alicia, you idiot! The first visitor you have in years, the most beautiful girl in the world, and you scared her off with all your questions!


    The pain from her fall almost felt right somehow, as if it was vindication for her crimes. She thought back to last night, remembered the feeling of someone playing with her flowers, then holding her hand and gently squeezing it. She could feel herself blushing at the memory.


    She stayed on the ground much longer than intended, and had to shake loose a few roots that had sprouted when she got up. With a heavy sigh, she decided to jump back into her normal routine.


    Her first stop, as usual, was the elaborate fungal network next door. She rearranged some of the dirt, added a bit more mulch, then paused. She gently ran her fingers over the cap of one of the bigger mushrooms, recalling the touch of Katrina¡¯s skin on hers. ¡°I met someone last night, did you know that? She was this tall, super pretty Vampire named Katrina!¡± The fungi, as usual, had no comment.


    Across the street, as she checked the roots of the oak tree, she continued talking. ¡°She had super bright, red eyes, and they were glowing! I bet she was just really hungry, ¡®cuz I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s a blood shortage going on. But she was so graceful, even when she jumped out of my tree she looked like a model¡­ Oh! And she can fly! Isn¡¯t that cool?¡± The sapling, much like its neighbors, also stayed quiet.


    In the next yard over, she cautiously made sure the rose bushes were staying on their property. ¡°And she said she¡¯s a Bard! She didn¡¯t have her guitar with her, but I bet she¡¯s amazing; I¡¯ve always heard great things about Bard performances. I would¡¯ve loved to hear her play, it¡¯s been¡­ oh wow, I think it¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve heard any music.¡± The rose bushes, as well, refrained from conversation. As Alicia prepared to leave the lot and make her daily trip to the river, she paused with a heavy sigh. The camaraderie she was used to feeling from her plant friends simply wasn¡¯t there today.


    Her walk to the river was slow, and an air of malaise hung over her head. She dipped her feet in the water, then laid down to stretch her arms out.


    What could I have done differently? I really didn¡¯t mean to scare her away, but I haven¡¯t talked with anyone outside of work since¡­ since the last time that dragon came back to clean out its house, and that was at least 3 years ago.


    Oh.


    Three years since I¡¯ve had any human contact.


    That might explain this feeling.


    After shaking her roots free, Alicia grabbed her watering can and started walking home. The hundreds of flowers she¡¯d planted since the Change were all in great shape. They got plenty of sun, all the water they needed, and lots of attention. They weren¡¯t lonely at all, but they also never spent 20 years as a human before turning into a plant.


    I don¡¯t even remember my 21st birthday. Or my 22nd, or my 23rd¡­ I¡¯m not 24 yet, am I? I should really check that.


    Arriving at home, she set her watering can down. She carefully dragged her feet through the indentation she¡¯d made earlier, then glanced up at the branch she¡¯d slept on last night. She could still picture Katrina there, cherry blossom petals floating around her, getting stuck in her beautiful black hair.


    But no one was here now. She was, as always, alone. Separated from society by miles of abandoned suburbs.


    Looking at the sun, Alicia realized it was time to get to work. She rejoined with her Heart Tree and floated up to her bedroom, then paused. She barely spent any time here, but in the first few months, she¡¯d done her best to clean up the spots where the room met her heart tree. She made sure to leave room for her Tree to grow, but she also inspired some plants to fill in gaps in the woodwork. As it stood, her bedroom was perfectly functional, other than the notable lack of a bed.


    What would I even do if she came back? Ask her to water plants with me? No, you¡¯re not supposed to water at night¡­


    She grumbled as she turned her computer on, the glare of its screen particularly frustrating today. Work went by slower than normal, and her clients weren¡¯t even that irate today. One of them, an older woman that had just hired an Aasimar, was even somewhat pleasant. She found herself explaining somewhat simple terms, as the woman had never even heard of Aasimar before.


    ¡°All Aasimar have an innate Racial Feature referred to as a Wellspring. It will be tied to a specific emotion, something like pride or happiness, and that emotion is broadcast out of the Aasimar at all times. They can try to mute it, but it takes effort, and it can even be dangerous to mute its effects for too long. To be ORC compliant, I¡¯d recommend training all your existing employees about the specific Wellspring they¡¯ll be working with. If their Wellspring is tied to an emotion you feel would interfere with work, I recommend scheduling times and places where your employee can let it free safely.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, not all Wellsprings are tied to happy, calming emotions. They might have something like rage, jealousy, or even lust. I¡¯m sure you can imagine how those might make work difficult.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, they can always take Status Breaks when the situation becomes dire, but they really should let their Wellspring flow as often as possible. Imagine if your bladder was full to bursting 8 hours a day, and you just had to hold it in.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Precisely, it wouldn¡¯t be very fun, would it? Sometimes, workplaces will find ways to positively channel their Aasimar¡¯s Wellspring, so I¡¯d encourage you to talk at length with your employee to understand how it works.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, the pleasure is all mine. You have a great day.¡±


    Alicia hung her headset back on its stand and sighed. Another long day of work over, but at least this one ended on a high note. The woman had seemed genuinely curious about her new employee, and had reached out to ORC of her own accord to try and be as accommodating as possible.


    Calls like that were in the minority, however. The most common calls came from the hundreds, if not thousands of people that still complained about sex work being legalized. They didn¡¯t care that certain Races physically needed sex to survive, and they seemed determined to cause problems because of it. It was actually fairly common for ORC employees to be called as witnesses in various court cases and depositions, and a vast majority of those cases tended to involve employers discriminating against sex workers. Alicia had never been called, but she assumed it was only a matter of time.


    She sent a goodbye email to her boss and happily signed off from her work account. When she went to turn her computer off, however, she hesitated. Memories of her past flooded her mind, of all the time she used to spend online. Watching TV, playing music, talking with friends, she¡¯d been a relatively social person. In the chaos of the Change, all that had been lost.


    Another wave of loneliness washed over her, and she decided to recover all her passwords from her old social media accounts. Over the next hour or so, she let herself catch up on the lives of all her old friends. Many of them had changed Races, and quite a few were now working as Delvers.


    She got lost in all their feeds, and realized she knew next to nothing about delving. She knew the basics, of course; Dungeons had popped up all over the world during the Change, and they were filled with monsters and perils. Delvers made it their job to explore these Dungeons, both for personal gain and to make sure the monsters didn¡¯t wander out and attack civilians.


    As Alicia kept looking, she learned just how hard Chicago had been hit after the Change. Apparently, when the main Chicago Dungeon appeared, thousands of monsters had poured out and overrun the city. For the first two years, the streets of Chicago had basically become an active war zone, with Delvers doing everything they could to push back the monsters. During that period, the city government had been paralyzed, which meant many of the Delving Guilds had essentially called the shots. They did their best to organize the reclamation effort, and even allowed significant portions of the population to freely utilize Class and Racial abilities.


    Once order had been restored, the Guilds and the City tightened some restrictions, and now only certified Delvers could freely engage monsters, both inside the dungeon and out.


    In time, she grew tired of reading about Dungeons and delving, and returned to her social media sites. Some of her old friends were incredibly active, for good reason, but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that her news feeds seemed to be missing names. She opened up her old messenger apps, memories returning in waves as she read through the list of all her old friends. She began clicking through their profiles, trying to see what her non-Delver friends were up to, when she realized the sobering truth.


    Many of her old friends hadn¡¯t survived the Change.


    Alicia was intimately familiar with the statistics, she worked for the government after all. She knew, on some level, that roughly a third of humanity had perished in the first years of the Change, but she¡¯d never experienced that loss personally before. She found dozens of profiles that now served as digital gravestones, filled with posts of those in mourning. She read through every single post, identified every single friend that hadn¡¯t survived, and paid her own silent respects for each of them.


    Eventually, the glare of her computer screen started to hurt Alicia¡¯s eyes, and she shut everything down. She walked back outside, and when she saw the sun, realized just how much time she¡¯d spent reading up on Chicago¡¯s recent history. Still, there was plenty of time to get back to the biggest problem at hand.


    She started off towards the Dungeon.


    In all her research, even everything she¡¯d read today, she still couldn¡¯t find the answers she was looking for. There were no records of new Dungeons appearing out of nowhere, other than during the Change. It also seemed quite difficult to know how big or dangerous a Dungeon was until it got explored.


    Alicia had no interest in trying to solo this random new Dungeon, but thankfully she had other options. Today, her goal was to try and block off the entrance to this Dungeon, and hopefully that would be the end of her problems.


    As she approached the destroyed ruins of the Dragon¡¯s old manor, she swallowed nervously. With a quick check of her Status, she confirmed that her health and stamina were maxed out, so she could afford to take a few hits. So long as the monster stayed as weak as the zombie from yesterday, of course.


    The house was still, and Alicia held her breath as she crept towards the basement stairs. Each step made her more tense, but as she descended, she didn¡¯t hear anything.


    That¡¯s a good sign, right?


    Peeking around the corner, she once again saw the eerie tunnel that had replaced the far wall. The entrance, and the entire basement, seemed to be empty, and Alicia sighed in relief. It was time to get to work.


    Back up the stairs, she started collecting pieces of rubble and debris from the collapsed house. Each time she found a suitable piece, she would place it in the basement stairwell and summon a series of vines to hold it in place. It took a few hours, but by the end of the day, she¡¯d blocked off the entire passage with a cobbled together mess of brick, stone, and lumber.


    Alicia was incredibly pleased with her efforts. As far as she knew, this would prevent monsters from escaping, and because the Dungeon was hidden under the house, she doubted any Delvers would be able to find it. She dusted off her hands and happily started walking back home.


    I wonder if Katrina is a Delver. I hear Bards are great support classes, and with her looks, I can¡¯t imagine there would be many people that don¡¯t want her around. I should ask if she ever comes back.


    Her last thought made her pause.


    Of course¡­ she might never come back. Why would she? All I did was pester her¡­


    As her train of thought soured, her steps grew heavier. Was this her life now? Sitting around and hoping that interesting people wandered out to say hello? As she reunited with her Heart Tree, her thoughts lingered on the strange Vampire that had appeared out of nowhere last night. She drifted off to sleep, a mess of conflicting emotions, wondering if it was time to make a change.


    A few hours later, she woke unexpectedly to the peaceful sounds of a guitar drifting through her canopy.

 Chapter 4.1

    Katrina didn¡¯t sleep well the following day. She tossed and turned, even woke up a few times as rush hour traffic loudly announced its presence. In the end, she rose before her alarm went off, while the last traces of sunlight were still lingering outside. Careful to avoid the tiny sunbeams that managed to slip through her blackout curtains, she walked to the kitchen and grabbed another pouch of blood. The rush of energy helped to alleviate her exhaustion somewhat, and when she collapsed onto her living room couch, she sighed heavily. In front of her, sitting delicately on the floor next to her guitar, was a cherry blossom petal.


    Alicia.


    She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about last night. She hadn¡¯t been prepared to meet anyone, and had only felt comfortable exploring that neighborhood because she thought it was abandoned. Going downtown had stressed her out, and she hated that she¡¯d been so short with the Dryad.


    It didn¡¯t help that she hadn¡¯t had a real conversation in ages. She did her best to stay cordial with Dennis, but staying friendly with him was, in part, a survival tactic. Plus, the magically reinforced glass that separated them made it easier to control herself. Other than the clinic, she occasionally had very short conversations with her boss, but they were always about work, and she never lingered for longer than she needed to.


    In any other situation, she would have welcomed being perceived as rude and standoffish. It was better for people to avoid her, for their own safety. Once she¡¯d figured out that it was safe to be around Alicia, however, she had felt awful. Rather than a necessary safety tactic, her behavior now felt pointlessly callous.


    I have to apologize to her, it¡¯s the right thing to do.


    She checked her phone and confirmed that the sun had just finished setting. If she were going to make another trip out to the suburbs, it would be best to do so as early as possible. Back in her bedroom, she threw together a halfway respectable outfit, then moved to the bathroom to make sure she didn¡¯t look like a slob.


    Next, Katrina ran to her kitchen, rummaging through some cabinets before pulling out a small bag. It had been designed to look like any other semi-fashionable purse, but it was actually meant to hold a single pouch of blood, as well as a few personal effects. She¡¯d originally bought it when she thought the blood shortage was temporary, and had hoped that it would give her a way to bring blood with if she ever started delving. She closed the blood pouch she¡¯d been nursing and tucked it inside the purse, then did the same with her phone and her keys.


    Last, she packed up her guitar, knowing it would be the best way to show her apology was genuine. Once she was ready, she strapped her guitar case to her back and jumped out of her window. Locking it behind her, she began the flight back to Alicia¡¯s neighborhood.


    As she flew, the wind whipping around her, she hoped that Alicia wasn¡¯t an early bird. The Dryad had certainly seemed eager to talk last night, but she didn¡¯t want her constant interruptions to be a nuisance.


    What am I hoping for? Is this just an apology?


    Katrina watched the city slowly transition to suburbs as she flew, unsure how to answer her own question. What would happen after she apologized? Obviously she didn¡¯t want to keep the Dryad up, robbing her of sleep, but she also couldn¡¯t deny that Alicia had seemed unusually excited by her presence. Katrina had initially assumed this was because of her stats; one of the many changes the System had implemented was that Charisma now dictated many aspects of one¡¯s physical appearance. Her high Charisma score meant that her curves were more pronounced, her breasts were fuller, and her skin was flawless.


    I shouldn¡¯t assume anything. She could be straight, or ace! She could just as easily be excited to have a visitor, I¡¯ll bet her neighborhood doesn¡¯t see a lot of traffic. I¡¯ll just say what I need to say, and if we happen to get to know each other, great.


    After a fair amount of flying, Katrina finally saw the massive cherry blossom in the distance. She caught herself smiling, remembering how peaceful it had been last night. If things went well, she definitely wouldn¡¯t mind coming here more often. Once she was closer, underneath the canopy, flower petals began landing on her. She smirked, grabbing a larger one and tucking it behind her ear.


    She didn¡¯t see Alicia anywhere, and decided to land a few dozen feet away from the tree. Last time, the Dryad had emerged from the trunk itself, so maybe she slept inside the tree? With no way to know, she figured she may as well recreate what had happened last night.


    Once her guitar was ready, she flew to the perch she¡¯d picked last night, and began playing a soft melody. She could feel tension in her fingers as she played, nervous about what might happen. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and did her best to lose herself in the music.


    ¡ª


    It was a strange sensation, waking to live music. Not only had music been largely absent from Alicia¡¯s life, but the soft guitar melody echoing through her branches was quite different than the music she¡¯d previously enjoyed as a Human. She could also feel the vibrations of the guitar, they reverberated through her tree and grew dangerously close to tickling her. Thankfully, she held her composure, and floated through her trunk until she found the source of the music.


    She almost couldn¡¯t believe it, but Katrina had returned.


    The Vampire was sitting on the same branch she¡¯d chosen last night, though her posture had changed. She now held a guitar in her lap, and her fingers expertly danced across the strings as she played a peaceful melody. Her eyes were closed, though her head was moving in time with the music.


    Alicia stayed perfectly still, her arms folded in front of her on the edge of the trunk, her head resting on them. She listened raptly, completely in awe of the musician in front of her. She¡¯d heard that Bards were skilled, but seeing one in person was simply breathtaking.


    In time, the music slowed, and with one final chord, the song ended. Katrina froze, letting the final notes echo through the tree, before finally opening her eyes. Alicia felt her flinch slightly, though she was definitely less surprised than last night. The girls looked at each other for a moment, and this time it was the Vampire that broke the silence.


    ¡°Alicia! It¡¯s, um, good to see you again!¡± she said nervously.


    ¡°You came back,¡± Alicia whispered, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure you would.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Right, well, about that.¡± Katrina cleared her throat. ¡°Yesterday was¡­ well, let¡¯s just say it was a rough day. I don¡¯t do well around people and¡­ actually, that doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m here because I want to apologize for how I acted last night.¡±


    ¡°Apologize? For what?¡±


    Katrina seemed surprised by the question. ¡°You seemed rather eager to have a conversation, and I kept shutting you down. Plus, the instant I saw a chance to leave, I took it, which was also pretty rude.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were rude at all! I enjoyed our conversation!¡± Alicia protested.


    The Vampire paused, then chuckled quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I did much conversing, honestly, but I appreciate the sentiment. Still, I¡¯m sorry for how I acted, Alicia, and I wanted to make it up to you.¡± She gestured at her guitar, then quietly started playing another song while the conversation continued.


    ¡°Apology accepted, Katrina the Vampire! I think it¡¯s a really sweet gesture.¡± Alicia caught herself blushing and hid her cheeks behind her hands slightly. ¡°So¡­ can I ask why yesterday was rough? I¡¯ll gladly talk about something else if not!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s a fair question. I¡¯m a Vampire, obviously, and I needed to refill my blood rations. I have a local clinic that I normally go to, but because of the shortage, they were out. I had to take the train downtown, which is always really busy.¡± Katrina paused, her guitar filling the silence briefly. ¡°I¡­ have a really hard time around people.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you need human blood? I thought animal blood worked as a substitute?¡±


    ¡°For many of us, it can. But¡­ how to describe this¡­ do you drink coffee?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually eat or drink anymore, but I used to! Becoming a plant saved me a lot of money on groceries.¡± Alicia said. She saw Katrina laugh slightly, and warmth filled her cheeks again.


    ¡°Honestly? That kinda happened to me too, I don¡¯t need to buy food anymore. Anyways, when you were human, would the caffeine wake you up?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. I had to be really careful not to drink too much, or in the afternoon. If I forgot, I was up the whole night.¡±


    ¡°See, I had the opposite. Caffeine never affected me one way or the other. I could down three shots of espresso right before bed, and nothing would happen. Animal blood kinda works the same way; for most people, it serves as an adequate substitute, but for me it doesn¡¯t really do anything. Plus, honestly? It makes me gag.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to hear that, it sounds awful.¡± Alicia reached out, placing a hand on the Vampire¡¯s ankle to comfort her. Katrina flinched slightly, but softened after a moment.


    Neither girl talked for a few minutes, letting the sounds of the guitar fill the air. A cool, night breeze rustled the branches, shaking loose another flurry of flower petals. Eventually, Katrina spoke up. ¡°Do you ever miss eating?¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, I haven¡¯t thought about it in a while, but I really do. There used to be this restaurant, about 15 minutes north of here, and they made the absolute best chipotle mayo. I¡¯d put it on fries, hamburgers, chicken, it was amazing.¡± Alicia paused for a moment, sorting through memories she hadn¡¯t thought about in ages. ¡°They never reopened after the Change, sadly. Once everything had settled down, and places reopened, I tried to find a new burger place.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you couldn¡¯t eat?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°At the time, I thought maybe I could if I wanted to. That maybe it wasn¡¯t necessary, but I could still treat myself. Anyways, this burger joint charged me like, a hundred dollars for delivery, and I was so excited.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was the worst. I think turning into a plant messed with my taste buds; it was like I was chewing on clumpy, wet paint. I haven¡¯t tried any food since then, and I¡¯m pretty sure my body just isn¡¯t designed for it anymore.¡±


    ¡°A pain I understand all too well,¡± Katrina said. She paused her music for a moment, reaching into a purse hanging by her hips. She pulled out one of her blood pouches, just like Alicia had seen last night. ¡°How about a toast?¡±


    Alicia laughed, moving slightly further out of her tree, and closer to the Vampire. ¡°Well, I have nothing to toast with, but sure!¡±


    ¡°In memoriam of hamburgers, and chipotle mayo!¡± Katrina held her pouch aloft, and Alicia tapped her fingers against it. After the toast, Katrina took another small sip before tucking the pouch into her purse again. The Dryad found herself laughing at the absurdity of their toast, and soon enough guitar music filled the air again.


    ¡°So, what do you do for work?¡± Alicia asked, settling back into a comfortable position. ¡°Are you a musician?¡±


    ¡°Gosh, that would be nice, wouldn¡¯t it? No, I¡¯m a little more¡­ isolated.¡± Katrina looked at Alicia, then sighed in resignation. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ god, this is so embarrassing¡­ I wash windows.¡±


    ¡°Why is that embarrassing?¡±


    ¡°I just wish I could do literally anything else. I¡¯m a Bard, and a Vampire! I have mastery over the skies, domain over mankind¡¯s most elusive dream, and what do I do with it? I hover outside skyscrapers and clean off bird droppings.¡±


    ¡°Why not quit? You¡¯re an amazing musician, I bet you could find all sorts of work!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Alicia. With this blood shortage, I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t be around people.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that bad? I mean, you seem to be doing alright now.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s different with you. When I¡¯m around other people, I hear their heartbeats, I can smell their blood just beneath their skin, and my instincts try to take over. They tell me I should take what I want, and it takes all my strength to say no.¡±


    The pieces finally clicked, and Alicia realized what Katrina was saying. ¡°But I don¡¯t have blood! I¡¯m a plant!¡±


    The Vampire nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I felt so bad about last night. I¡¯m so used to keeping my distance from everyone, trying to keep them safe, that I did the same with you. At first, I thought you had a weird Race or Class ability, something that hid your smell from me. I wanted to get home because I didn¡¯t trust myself, and when I realized what was happening¡­ I just felt awful.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t beat yourself up! Everyone¡¯s had a rough time since the Change, you¡¯re just doing your best!


    ¡°I appreciate you saying that, but I still feel bad.¡± Katrina sighed, leaning her head against the branch behind her. ¡°You¡¯re a nice person, Alicia.¡±


    ¡°So are you! You¡¯re putting in all this effort to keep people safe, and that¡¯s really cool!¡± Alicia let her voice grow a little louder, and she thought back to all the frustrating people she encountered at work. ¡°Trust me, I see so many people trying to circumvent the system. They cut corners, they ignore Status requirements, all to save a quick buck.¡±


    Katrina looked back at Alicia, an inquisitive look on her face. ¡°Is that through work? What do you do?¡±


    ¡°I work for the Office of Racial Cooperation. I can¡¯t do inspections, since traveling is pretty hard for me, but I make a lot of calls. I help businesses understand all the new Race laws, explain what changes need to be made, and direct them to resources that can help.¡±


    ¡°You work for ORC? That¡¯s really impressive!¡±


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s exhausting. I¡¯m so tired of hearing people complain about sex work being legal now.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Katrina said, leaning forward. She stopped playing and placed a hand on Alicia¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯re putting in a lot of effort to keep people safe, I¡¯d say that¡¯s pretty cool.¡±


    The Dryad found herself blushing again. She hadn¡¯t expected her own words to be used against her, but she also couldn¡¯t stop focusing on the warm hand holding her arm. ¡°Well I¡­ that¡¯s¡­ I mean, sure, I guess¡­¡±


    Katrina squeezed gently, then leaned back and started playing again.


    How does she make everything look so natural? Gosh, I could stay here forever, just talking and listening to her play.


    After Alicia managed to pull herself together, she spoke up again. ¡°Have you ever thought about Delving? I hear Bards are great at it!¡±


    The Vampire smirked, looking off into the distance again. ¡°I dream about Delving every day. I follow every scrap of news, I look at everyone comparing their builds, I cheer every major Level Up from the big Guilds. Unless this shortage ends, however, it¡¯s just too risky. I visited the main Chicago camp once, and while I was there a Guild returned from a run. They were badly hurt, and the smell of their blood almost overwhelmed me. I managed to escape, but I realized I could never live that life. What happens if we¡¯re dozens of levels down and I lose control?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ if you had a way to try, you¡¯d want to?¡± Alicia¡¯s thoughts wandered back to the basement she¡¯d blockaded yesterday.


    ¡°Well, yeah, that sounds amazing.¡±


    The Dryad swallowed nervously before speaking again. ¡°Y¡¯know I¡­ kinda have a Dungeon.¡±


    The music stopped unexpectedly, Katrina¡¯s surprised hands accidentally playing the acoustic equivalent of a record scratch. ¡°You what?¡±

 Chapter 4.2

    ¡°I have a dungeon! It¡¯s under this neighborhood, and I know where the entrance is. It¡¯s a total secret, no one knows it¡¯s here but me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been living above a Dungeon for four years?! Do the monsters ever get out? What kind of biomes are in it? How big is it?¡± Katrina¡¯s demeanor had changed entirely, and Alicia couldn¡¯t help but smile at her excitement.


    ¡°Oh no, it hasn¡¯t been years. This one just opened up a few weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°But that¡­ Alicia, that doesn¡¯t make sense. Every Dungeon we know about appeared during the Change. New ones can¡¯t just pop up out of nowhere.¡±


    Alicia shrugged. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know how they work. I just know that one day, everything was normal, and the next, I had a Dungeon.¡± She paused briefly, nervously fidgeting with her fingers. ¡°Would you¡­ want to go see it?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?!¡± Katrina floated out of the tree quickly but paused before she traveled too far. ¡°Wait, what about you? I¡¯m nocturnal, but shouldn¡¯t you be asleep?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! Besides, I think it¡¯ll be fun to look at this with you, since you¡¯re so knowledgeable about Dungeons.¡± Alicia vanished into her tree, floating down to the base of the trunk, and stepped out onto her lawn. She saw Katrina in the middle of packing up her guitar, though it seemed to be taking longer than usual. She was trying to pull all the cherry blossom flowers out of her case, which she¡¯d left open. Once she¡¯d finished, she eagerly turned to Alicia.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready! Where to?¡±


    The Dryad turned north, and the girls started walking. ¡°So, I don¡¯t really know much about it. I can feel the monsters walking around, some of my roots are exposed in the Dungeon, but thankfully they don¡¯t seem to fight each other. The entrance is in the basement of an old destroyed house, and when I found it, there was a zombie walking around.¡±


    ¡°Zombies are normally on the weaker side for monsters, so that¡¯s not terrible. Did you fight it?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! I blocked off the staircase and ran!¡±


    ¡°Right, you¡¯re a Bulwark. What Level are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only Level One. Nothing ever happens out here, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve ever had a chance to gain experience. Plus, Delving never really interested me, so I never cared that I wasn¡¯t gaining Levels. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Bard, Level Two. My subclass is built for Spellcasting, but I don¡¯t unlock spells until next level. Right now, I just have a simple Buff Aura. I can hasten Regeneration for HP, SP, or MP for those around me.¡± Katrina thought to herself for a moment. ¡°Sounds like we¡¯re not really built to deal damage, are we?¡±


    Alicia laughed. ¡°I guess not! But we¡¯re just looking, right?¡± As she finished talking, she turned a corner and finally saw the destroyed house she was looking for. ¡°Here it is!¡±


    Katrina walked ahead, checking out the area carefully. ¡°You said it was in the basement, right?¡± She approached the gap where the front door used to be, and cautiously pushed her hand over the threshold.


    ¡°Yup, basement is just around the corner.¡± Alicia watched the Vampire, who seemed oddly nervous about stepping into the house. ¡°You okay? You seem nervous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m checking to see if the System still thinks the house to be someone¡¯s property. If someone still considers this their home, then I wouldn¡¯t be allowed in without their permission.¡±


    ¡°Right, Vampire.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re fine, though. I don¡¯t feel any resistance.¡± Katrina took a deep breath and passed through the doorway, then exhaled. ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    Alicia turned sideways, squeezing past Katrina. She was immediately aware of how close they were, their bodies brushing against each other as she passed. She cleared her throat nervously, then pointed down the hall. ¡°So, down this hall there¡¯s a staircase, which leads down to the basement. The Dungeon entrance opened inside.¡±


    She had to stop briefly when they found the doorway, as it was still blocked off by a collection of vines, lumber, and rock. She closed her eyes, connecting with the flora present, and over the course of the next few minutes, slowly undid her barricade while Katrina pulled out the debris. When they finished, the darkened basement stood ready to be explored, though Alicia couldn¡¯t help but notice it was much creepier at night.


    The girls looked at each other for a moment before Katrina spoke. ¡°You sure this isn¡¯t a secret murder basement? I¡¯m not going to find all the bodies of your previous victims?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Level One!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t have a Scan, you could be lying.¡± Katrina stuck her tongue out playfully. ¡°Still, I believe you. I¡¯m fine leading the way, but if I get attacked, can I get a barrier?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you safe, Katrina.¡± Alicia whispered, grabbing the Vampire¡¯s shoulder. She let her hand linger for longer than she intended, and pulled it back nervously after locking eyes with Katrina.


    ¡°Alright, we can do this.¡± With a deep breath, Katrina started down the staircase. Her steps were careful, and her nervous energy was infectious. Alicia could see her shoulders tensing, her fingers squeezing into fists as she descended. Her hands brushed against her legs, which were clad in dark gray denim that clung tight to her enticing frame. Each of her steps, while slow and precise, seemed like careful dance moves when coming from her. As she reached the basement proper, she turned towards the back wall, and Alicia¡¯s eyes traced the curve of her backside, which had previously been hidden by her guitar case.


    ¡°Wow, look at that!¡± Katrina said.


    Startled, Alicia shook herself to her senses as she pulled her eyes away from the Vampire. ¡°Yes, the Dungeon, right. Is it what you expected?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say. They say you should never judge a Dungeon by its entrance.¡± Katrina stepped closer, her eyes wandering over the smooth stone of the entrance. ¡°Wait, can Dryads see in the dark?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Nope. Would light be a bad idea? You¡¯re the expert here.¡±


    ¡°Nothing could be worse than trying to delve in pitch darkness. Wanna hit your phone flashlight?¡± Katrina looked back at her, and after a moment of silence, spoke again. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not wearing clothes. Do you even have your phone with you?¡±


    ¡°I barely touch it these days, it¡¯s back in my room.¡±


    ¡°No problem, you can use mine.¡± The Vampire moved closer, pulling out her phone and setting it up. A bright light filled the area, and soon Alicia was carefully grabbing the source. She held it to her chest, and her eyes met Katrina¡¯s briefly before the vampire turned to face the Dungeon again.


    Alicia took a deep breath as she aimed the flashlight. There was no end to the chasm in front of them, and her nerves were shaking away the fatigue she felt from being up so late. Out of curiosity, she tapped the power button on Katrina¡¯s phone to check the time. It wasn¡¯t as late as she feared, but she was immediately distracted by something else she saw; there was a girl on Katrina¡¯s lock screen.


    She had natural, bright red hair, and a generous ocean of freckles covered her face. Her green eyes peeked out from behind a large pair of glasses, and she was smiling at the camera as she lay in a field of grass.


    Could Katrina have a girlfriend? She kept saying that people made her nervous, so I assumed she was single¡­ Oh, c¡¯mon Alicia! She could be anyone! This could be a sister, a friend, maybe someone she lost in the Change! This wonderful girl is finally getting a chance to delve, and you¡¯re worried about her dating life? Pull yourself together!


    She tapped the power button again and refocused her eyes on the Dungeon in front of her. Katrina had wandered further ahead, though not by much, and the Dryad eagerly quickened her pace to catch up.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Alicia whispered.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t go in far, especially not without any real damage abilities. Honestly, I only feel safe peeking in like this since you said the last monster was a zombie. They¡¯re pretty slow, and we can easily run away if one shows.¡±


    With another step, Alicia finally crossed the threshold into the Dungeon. The harsh concrete of the basement gave way to packed dirt, and she could feel her connection with nature strengthen again. She dug in her toes, wondering if she could learn anything from the surrounding plants. Katrina was busy digging through a sconce on the wall, which gave Alicia a few seconds to survey the area.


    Many of the local foliage had been shaken loose by the appearance of the Dungeon, but her abilities couldn¡¯t get a strong read on the tunnel ahead. She could feel the vines that had previously blocked off the basement, however, and they were stirring.


    ¡°Katrina, wait! I think something¡¯s behind us!¡± Alicia whispered.


    ¡°What? How?! I didn¡¯t hear any doors opening!¡± Katrina ran closer, standing in front of Alicia as the girls both looked back towards the entrance. There, blocking their escape, was the zombie from several days ago. It was covered in vines and leaves, and had just finished crawling free of its corner.


    It never went back into the Dungeon! It must have laid down and I accidentally covered it when I blocked the door!


    ¡°Get ready, it looks like we¡¯re fighting our way out.¡± Katrina pulled her guitar case off her back, setting it down carefully before hyping herself up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a weapon! What are you going to do?!¡±


    ¡°Just keep me safe, alright?¡±


    Alicia¡¯s pulse raced as she watched Katrina close the distance. The zombie was focused on her, for better or worse, and she ran in to try and strike its head. She smirked as her punch landed, and while the monster flinched, it didn¡¯t seem all that affected. It retaliated, throwing its weight behind a strike of its own, and Alicia managed to summon a barrier to intercept the attack. A collection of roots, bark, and vine rose from the floor just inches from Katrina¡¯s body, managing to stop the attack from hitting her.


    She felt the attack dig into her HP, but thankfully the nature of her class meant she couldn¡¯t feel the pain itself. The zombie, however, suddenly began moving with unnatural speed, and quickly pivoted on its good leg to lash out again. Alicia hadn¡¯t expected this, and watched in horror as the zombie struck Katrina¡¯s shoulder, sending her flying. She landed a few feet away, wincing in pain as she hit the floor.


    The zombie, now free of its target, turned to Alicia and rushed. She froze, panicking, unsure how to react. She wasn¡¯t a fighter, and had never been attacked like this before.


    ¡°Alicia! Barrier!¡± Katrina shouted.


    Barely thinking, Alicia summoned another barrier, and it caught the zombie just as it had jumped at her. She saw its arms flailing, trying to reach around the sides, and she screamed as she fell to the floor herself. Katrina ran in, taking advantage of the distraction, and grabbed the zombie¡¯s head. Pulling it back, Alicia saw her mouth open, and her impressive fangs sank into the monster¡¯s neck. They sank deep, causing the zombie to groan in pain before finally ceasing to exist. Its body vanished in a puff of smoke, and Alicia heard several small items clatter to the ground.


    Several moments passed, both girls processing their victory, and soon enough Katrina stepped closer to Alicia. She held out a hand, and Alicia eagerly accepted the assistance.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Katrina asked. ¡°That thing was stronger than it looked.¡±


    ¡°Me?! You got thrown across the room! What about you?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I knew what I was getting myself into, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never been in a fight before. Now c¡¯mon, what¡¯s your HP at?¡±


    Alicia caved, summoning her Status. ¡°Wow, you weren¡¯t kidding. Sixty-eight percent, just from those two attacks.¡± Alicia paused, trying to catch her breath. ¡°Can we leave now? This was way more danger than I was ready for.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Katrina pulled Alicia in for a hug, holding her tight. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Alicia. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to bring you down here, I just¡­ I got so excited.¡±


    ¡°I-I mean, it was my idea. You can¡¯t blame yourself for that.¡± Alicia felt herself blushing again, and even dared to return the hug. Her hand traced over Katrina¡¯s back, and she grew momentarily distracted by the feeling of the Vampire¡¯s impressive chest pushing against her own.


    When Katrina pulled away from the hug, she quickly ran to grab her phone and her guitar case. Alicia, on the other hand, knelt down to the floor to examine whatever small items had fallen out of the zombie. There were a few teeth, a piece of cloth, and another item she didn¡¯t recognize. One side of it was unusually reflective, as if it were part of a mirror, and it had jagged, uneven edges.


    ¡°Katrina,¡± Alicia asked, ¡°you killed the zombie by biting it. Aren¡¯t you not supposed to bite zombies? You¡¯re not going to turn into one, are you?¡±


    ¡°Nah, monsters have their own weird rules.¡± Katrina, now with all her stuff, began walking to the basement staircase. "Dungeons can throw anything and everything at us, but think of whatever it spawns as a fancy simulation. It may look like a zombie, but it acts nothing like a zombie you might see at the DMV. In that same vein, some dungeons spawn human monsters, like cultists or apocalyptic raiders, but I would never be able to feed on them."


    The girls quickly left the basement, and Alicia sighed with relief once they were out. She moved to the front lawn and sat down, happy to be back outside. ¡°Thanks for saving me, Katrina. That was¡­ well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m comfortable in my decision to not be a Delver.¡±


    ¡°Give yourself some credit! We both contributed, and we¡¯re both alive. Well, you¡¯re alive and I¡¯m the right kind of dead, I suppose.¡± Katrina laughed, looking up into the sky, the moonlight illuminating her face. She seemed oddly exuberant, and Alicia couldn¡¯t help but smile along with her. ¡°Wait, did you pick up the loot? What did we get?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Alicia was still holding everything in her hand, and she gave it to the Vampire to look it over.


    ¡°Wow, actual monster loot!¡± Katrina turned over the items in her hands, her eyes full of wonder. When she started looking at the last item, the strange reflective piece, she paused. ¡°Wait, this is¡­ oh my god.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alicia slid closer out of curiosity.


    ¡°Alicia, this is a piece of the Bean.¡±


    ¡°Wait, THE Bean?¡±


    Katrina nodded, apprehension appearing on her face. ¡°It was destroyed in the Change, and everyone¡¯s been trying to rebuild it ever since. But that means this isn¡¯t some random Dungeon, Alicia. This is the Chicago Dungeon!¡±

 Chapter 5.1

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Alicia said. ¡°The Chicago Dungeon is miles away, we¡¯re way out in the suburbs. How could there possibly be an entrance here?¡±


    Katrina set her guitar case down, opening it up to pull out her guitar. ¡°It¡¯s a little complicated. Every dungeon works differently. They all have unique quirks, and sometimes entire guilds will relocate just because their abilities are better suited to a different dungeon. Some are incredibly deadly, some practically feel like tutorials. Supposedly the one in Seattle randomly spawns portals all over the city, so monsters can escape at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    With her guitar sitting comfortably in her lap, she began playing a soft melody. ¡°I¡¯m gonna give you some HP regen while we talk, by the way.¡±


    Alicia nodded without saying anything. Katrina felt the familiar notes of her music echo out, but she also felt a new sensation, one she hadn¡¯t felt in years. The magic of her Bard class, flowing through her music, letting her Inspiring Performance wash over the Dryad and start to sooth her pains.


    ¡°Anyways, Dungeons are separated into different floors, and each dungeon has different rules about how you get to the deeper levels. Sometimes it¡¯s as easy as finding a staircase, but sometimes it¡¯s not. The Chicago Dungeon requires a key for every level, but it will spawn that key in a random place outside of the main Dungeon. When delvers find a blocked off staircase, it has a short riddle hinting towards the location of the key. Delvers need to find that location, then complete a very short mini-dungeon waiting for them, and they get the key as a reward.¡±


    ¡°And these mini-dungeons can spawn this far away from the city?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, they can. I¡¯ve never heard of any this far away before.¡±


    ¡°Wait. So you¡¯re saying that every single Guild, and every single Delver, is desperately looking for this Dungeon?¡± Alicia stood up, beginning to pace as panic set in. ¡°This is terrible! I don¡¯t want Guilds coming out here! What if they damage my roots while they¡¯re delving?!¡±


    Katrina¡¯s melody turned dark, unsettling tones beginning to reverberate through the neighborhood. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ worse than you think, Alicia. Finding a Key is a big deal, and Guilds are pretty ruthless about trying to find them. For the last dozen floors, give or take, every Key has been found by the most powerful Guild in the City: Ashes to Ashes. They¡¯re notoriously cutthroat, and they didn¡¯t pick their name because of its religious connotations. They picked it because the Guild Leader, Dominic Tarkowski, is one of the strongest Pyrotechnicians in the country. His battle strategy is horribly simplistic; turn everything in the Dungeon to ash.¡±


    ¡°No! We can¡¯t let them in!¡± Alicia shouted, panic setting in.


    The music stopped, and Katrina set down her guitar. She stood quickly, grabbing Alicia¡¯s shoulders to try and steady her. ¡°Hey, listen to me. I won¡¯t let that happen. We have options.¡±


    ¡°What can we do? If they get in, I¡­ I might die, Katrina. I don¡¯t know if I could survive that much destruction.¡±


    Without thinking, Katrina pulled the Dryad in and hugged her tight. ¡°It''s gonna be okay, Alicia. The City has rules in place, various protections to stop any one Guild from monopolizing the Delving process. One of those rules states that whoever finds the mini-dungeon gets exclusive access for a few weeks. If we go to the main camp, we can claim this dungeon as our own.¡±


    Alicia hugged her back, squeezing tight. Katrina could feel the stress in her body, and it felt painfully familiar; the fear of losing yourself, of not being able to survive in this new world.


    ¡°B-but¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean we have to delve? To beat this mini-dungeon on our own?¡± Alicia said, stuttering slightly.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s that or try to partner with an established Guild, someone other than Ashes to Ashes. If we try to do that, though, I guarantee we¡¯re going to be hearing from their leader, and he won¡¯t have kind words to say.¡±


    ¡°Even if we find a good Guild, I won¡¯t be there myself¡­¡± Alicia pulled back, starting to think aloud. ¡°If we wanted to do this, what would it take?¡±


    Katrina grabbed her guitar again, restarting her Inspiration. ¡°Bare minimum? We need other people to delve with us. Neither of us can deal any damage, and the only healing we have is my Regen buff, but that¡¯s not going to help in a fight. After that, it would be great if we could get better equipment, maybe some potions, but¡­ I¡¯m kinda living paycheck to paycheck.¡±


    ¡°I might have some savings, though I haven¡¯t checked in a while. What else?¡±


    ¡°I mean, the biggest thing is practice. We don¡¯t know how to delve, and we¡¯re really low leveled. If we practice with each other, we might be able to gain a level or two, but that strategy falls off almost entirely after like, Level Four.¡±


    Alicia looked at Katrina, surprised. ¡°We can level by fighting each other? I thought you had to fight monsters?¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Monsters can give experience, but that¡¯s not the only way. If it were, everyone with a non-combat class would be incredibly underpowered. For the most part, you gain experience by using your Class Abilities, whatever they might be. I¡¯m probably getting some right now, since I¡¯m Inspiring you, and you probably got some from blocking those attack.¡±


    ¡°Status!¡± Alicia said quickly. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m at 62%, that¡¯s crazy!¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, the low levels can be easy to escape, which will definitely work to our advantage.¡± Katrina checked her own status briefly and couldn¡¯t help but smile as she did. For the first time in years, her experience numbers had changed. She was now up to 11%, and her mana was slowly ticking down as she kept up her Inspiring Performance.


    ¡°But, Alicia¡­ there¡¯s one other thing.¡± Katrina said softly. ¡°Are you sure you trust me with this? We¡¯ve only just met, and we know basically nothing about each other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! I know you love delving, and that you¡¯re frustrated about your job. I know the blood shortage is hitting you hard, and that you¡¯re scared to be around other people. Well, people with blood, I should say. I don¡¯t know if this sounds silly, but¡­ you seem like someone worth knowing. And someone worth trusting.¡± The Dryad¡¯s cheeks turned red as she finished talking, and she quickly diverted her gaze away from Katrina.


    I wish I could believe that, Alicia, I really do.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ really sweet, but I¡¯m serious. Even though you don¡¯t have blood, my Race is practically precision designed to be a honeytrap. All Vampires have inherently high Charisma, because it¡¯s one of the best ways for us to¡­ y¡¯know. Hunt.¡±


    Alicia moved closer, kneeling in front of Katrina before speaking. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have a lot of practice being around people. To be honest, I haven¡¯t seen anyone in person, other than you, for the last three years. Are you insanely beautiful? Yeah, obviously, but if that¡¯s all you were, I wouldn¡¯t be as interested as I am. I like hearing you talk, and seeing you get excited about delving, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m trusting you with this.¡±


    This time, Katrina felt her own cheeks blushing as she processed everything Alicia had just said. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re¡­ interested in me?¡±


    ¡°I-I just meant¡­ like, y¡¯know, you¡¯re very interesting, and fun to be around, but like, in a normal way, and¡­ God, I sound like an idiot, don¡¯t I? Can we forget I said anything?¡± Alicia nervously played with her hair, and as she did, additional cherry blossoms bloomed.


    Katrina stopped her music, reaching out to grab Alicia¡¯s hands. ¡°Alicia. I promise I¡¯ll do everything I can to keep you safe, and to keep the Guilds out of this Dungeon. We¡¯ll need to act fast, though. Can you come to the city with me tomorrow night?¡±


    Alicia returned the Vampire¡¯s determined gaze. ¡°If I sleep in, I can try to meet you just after sunset. Which stop is yours?¡±


    ¡°I can meet you at Austin. I think it¡¯s the fourth stop? Fifth? Something like that. Are you going to be okay that far from your Heart Tree?¡±


    A flicker of doubt appeared in Alicia¡¯s eyes, but she quickly tried to hide it. ¡°I¡¯ve never been that far before, so it¡¯s hard to say. But, no matter what, this has to happen, and I want to be there for it.¡±


    With the plan set, Katrina began packing up her guitar. She watched as Alicia glanced back towards the Dungeon, apprehension on her face. Katrina couldn¡¯t help but steal a look at her potential delving partner, and for the first time she realized how attractive Alicia was. Katrina had been so wrapped up in her own paranoia that she¡¯d missed it earlier, but the Dryad had an incredible body. Of course, it didn¡¯t hurt that she was almost naked, but Katrina suddenly felt a twinge of excitement over the prospect of spending more time with her new friend. As soon as she realized what she was thinking, however, her feelings were replaced with guilt.


    This isn¡¯t a game; Alicia¡¯s Heart Tree could be seriously damaged if we mess up. I have the knowledge to help, but I can¡¯t let myself get distracted by the novelty of it all.


    The girls walked back to Alicia¡¯s place, nervous tension filling the air. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, I guess. Can I give you my phone number?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Oh! Um, yeah, gimme a sec.¡± Alicia quickly ran back to her tree, phasing inside. After a few moments, and several noticeable noises from things being dropped in the house, the front door opened and the Dryad came out. ¡°Sorry, my house is a mess, I¡¯m never inside anymore.¡±


    Katrina took the pen and paper, taking great care to write her number clearly. She handed it back, then floated to the skies to take her leave. ¡°Goodnight, Alicia. I realize this is a little stressful, but¡­ I¡¯m happy I came back.¡± She flew off, but paused after a few seconds to turn around. ¡°Oh, and, for what it¡¯s worth¡­ you¡¯re really pretty, too.¡±


    Before Alicia could say anything, Katrina caught herself blushing and flew off.

 Chapter 5.2

    Despite her intentions, Alicia still woke with the sun the following morning. Thankfully, it was easy to get back to sleep, as she was both tired and sore from last night¡¯s excursion. Another few hours passed, and soon enough her alarm started blaring from inside the house.


    It was a strange sensation, waking to an alarm for the first time in years. Her body responded so strongly to sunlight that, when the Change hit, her entire sleep schedule had been altered in mere days. However, after braving the entrance of a dungeon, and almost losing half her health to a monster attack, she¡¯d been eager for the extra sleep.


    Now awake, she drifted through her Heart Tree towards her bedroom, then stepped out slowly. Her body felt stiff, and a quick check of her status revealed she wasn¡¯t at max health yet. A full night¡¯s sleep had definitely helped, as had Katrina¡¯s Inspiration, but she would likely need another day or two to fully recover.


    She stumbled to her desk, not to turn on her computer, but to check her phone. She¡¯d managed to find it last night and had plugged it in to be ready for today¡¯s adventure. Despite letting it sit abandoned in a drawer for the last several years, she was thankful she kept her plan active in case of emergencies. It was finally fully charged, and she was able to power it up and begin yet another trip down memory lane. The first thing she did was open her contacts and create an entry for Katrina; the last thing she wanted to do was lose the Vampire¡¯s number.


    ¡°Oh, and, for what it¡¯s worth¡­ you¡¯re really pretty, too.¡±


    Had Katrina really said that? Even now, less than twelve hours later, she could barely believe what she¡¯d heard. Those words had endlessly repeated themselves in Alicia¡¯s head last night, up until the moment she had fallen asleep. It was like being at a movie premiere, and watching her favorite actress pull her in front of the cameras and insist she was a star. She couldn¡¯t compare to Katrina, and yet¡­ she¡¯d called her pretty. Did it mean anything? Was she just being polite?


    Those questions, and nothing else, consumed Alicia¡¯s thoughts for the rest of the day. They repeated themselves to every plant she watered, she asked her reflection in the river when she took her morning drink. She was so distracted that she was even late for work, though thankfully ORC had incredibly flexible attendance requirements.


    After a full day of frustrating phone calls, it was finally time to prepare for her journey into the city. She grabbed her phone, tucking it into a makeshift pocket she grew in the foliage around her waist, then paused.


    I need more than a phone, right?


    Another lap through her bedroom eventually yielded her old purse, and inside she found her wallet. Her ID technically hadn¡¯t expired yet, but she¡¯d never updated it after the Change. Still, it was better than nothing.


    She couldn¡¯t think of anything else she might need, and finally decided to head out. The walk to the train station was incredibly familiar, if only because she had the entire neighborhood memorized after years of landscaping. She tended to avoid the inside of the station, though she¡¯d visited a few times when she¡¯d needed to order items online. As she walked up the steps, she could feel the cold, lifeless concrete beneath her feet, and it made her shudder.


    Her phone indicated she still had a few minutes left for the next train to come through, and she spent the time preparing. The revamped train system had an integrated app, through which she could buy tickets and check schedules, but it also had additional information about which train cars had different Racial accommodations.


    The ground started rumbling, and Alicia heard a small screech as brakes began to engage, and soon enough she was staring at the doors of the train. With a deep breath, she nervously stepped aboard.


    She¡¯d previously thought the concrete of the train station had been cold and distant, but that feeling paled in comparison to the metal underneath her feet now. The concrete, if nothing else, still touched the ground, but the train did no such thing. The cold steel of the floor gave way to nothing, just a collection of wheels meant to ferry her to the next stop.


    The isolation was oppressive, and her breathing grew tense as soon as the doors closed behind her. This far away from the city, the train was fairly empty, so it was easy to find a seat close to the doors. The ease of access didn¡¯t stop her from almost falling over as the train pulled away from the station, but she managed to catch herself as she collapsed into a seat. She sent a quick text to Katrina, confirming that she¡¯d boarded the train, then started to wait.


    Her body tried desperately to look for its Heart Tree, its source of life, but there was nothing to be found. She could feel sweat building on her forehead, pooling in some of the leaves on her body and hair, as she nervously watched her home vanish in the distance.


    Did I drink enough today? Am I supposed to be sweating? Is this even sweat? Oh God, I didn¡¯t think this through, I should¡¯ve found, like, a Dryad forum and asked if anyone else has ever travelled this far from their Heart Tree¡­


    The next few stops passed painfully slowly. The only solace to be found was the text she received from Katrina, confirming that she was ready to board at her stop. Alicia occasionally got strange looks from other passengers, but she assumed they simply weren¡¯t used to seeing a Dryad on a train.


    When she finally saw Katrina board, it felt like she had been thrown a lifeline after being stranded at sea. The Vampire moved closer, grabbing the seat next to her.


    ¡°Hey, how are you holding up?¡±


    Without saying anything, Alicia grabbed Katrina¡¯s arm and held tight. Her breathing, though still erratic, managed to calm down slightly before she found her words. ¡°I can¡¯t feel my tree, it¡¯s like I¡¯m suffocating¡­¡±


    Katrina¡¯s hands wrapped around hers, squeezing softly. ¡°You¡¯re halfway there already, you can do this.¡±


    They stayed quiet for the rest of the train ride. More and more people filled the car, and Alicia felt Katrina¡¯s grip tighten as the train filled up, but the girls managed to make it to their stop without any incidents. They were the first off the train when the doors opened, Alicia running to return to solid ground. She found her steps to be uneven, however, and she was struggling to even hold herself up at times. Surprisingly, she felt Katrina¡¯s hands grab her waist, supporting her as they moved. Before long, the Vampire had guided her to a gap in the concrete, a tiny patch of land with a tree growing from it, and Alicia collapsed against its bark.


    ¡°Alicia! Hey, stay with me, what¡¯s your Status at?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°S¡­status¡­¡± Alicia whispered, with just enough force to will the screen into existence in her mind. She was greeted with dire news; she was already at 44% Stamina. Had the train really drained her that much? She¡¯d forgotten to check her stats before she left, so she couldn¡¯t say for sure. Thankfully, as she settled against the comforting embrace of another tree, she could feel her own roots digging deep. They intermingled with the roots of the tree, piggybacking off its energy to establish a connection with her own Heart Tree. It was a shadow of her normal link, but it was better than nothing, and she could already feel herself stabilizing.


    She stayed still, doing her best to recover her strength as best she could, eventually managing to open her eyes and look for Katrina. ¡°I think¡­ the worst is past. The train ride took half of my stamina, but it¡¯s already coming back, bit by bit.¡±


    ¡°Dang it, I didn¡¯t bring my guitar. I never bring it with me to the city, but I didn¡¯t even think that I might be able to help you.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Alicia started, ¡°this isn¡¯t on you. I need to be here, I chose this. I think, if you can help me walk around, I should have enough SP to make it to the camp. No idea if I¡¯ll be able to take the train home, but it¡¯s a start, right?¡±


    The girls locked eyes, Katrina¡¯s red pupils glowing strongly, before she spoke. ¡°Deal. I¡¯ll get you there safely, I promise.¡±


    The Vampire grabbed Alicia¡¯s wrist, then pulled to help her up. ¡°Oh, wait a second,¡± Alicia said. ¡°I rooted, let me shake those loose.¡± After a few seconds, she managed to disconnect her roots, and soon she¡¯d found her way to her feet.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Alright, I just need to¡­¡± Katrina¡¯s hand found its way to her waist, but immediately repositioned to hold Alicia¡¯s arm instead. When Alicia looked up, she saw Katrina averting her eyes and blushing heavily.


    ¡°Katrina? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alicia asked.


    ¡°Oh, I just¡­ I¡¯m not gonna lie, I thought you were going to put on some clothes for this.¡±


    ¡°Clothes?¡± She paused, then immediately realized why everyone had been giving her strange looks on the train. ¡°Oh gosh, I didn¡¯t even think of that! I haven¡¯t been around people in so long, gimme a sec.¡±


    Closing her eyes, Alicia willed the foliage surrounding her body to grow and lengthen, trying to give herself some modesty. Various overlapping fronds, vines, and flowers combined to form something resembling a sundress, and she added some additional bark around her chest to hold everything in place.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a neat trick. I wish I could just create any clothes I wanted.¡± Katrina said, glancing down at her own casual fit.


    ¡°Actual clothes are a bit much, and during the daytime I need as much of myself exposed as possible so I can photosynthesize. This is still a bit restrictive, honestly, but¡­ I think it¡¯ll grow on me.¡±


    The girls locked eyes, and Alicia watched as Katrina put together her terrible pun. They both smirked, their smiles widening until they broke into laughter. Alicia let herself lean against her new friend, holding her arm tight, as she let Katrina begin to lead the way to the dungeon camp.


    With her Stamina no longer in jeopardy, and the ground beneath her feet, Alicia finally had time to look around. Crowds of people bustled to and fro, people of every shape and size. Many of them were human, but she also saw a fair collection of Races. Birdfolk raced by overhead, flying through the skies wearing something akin to combat armor. She saw a street vendor with a cart of food, currently in the process of selling what looked like a frozen geode to a large Earth Elemental. Dozens of storefronts all competed for her attention, and her gaze came to rest on the shop they were walking in front of. Large windows contained posters of gorgeous models, making Alicia think it was a talent agency, but further inspection revealed it to be a brothel. The door opened, and both girls had to swerve to avoid the Minotaur that walked out, a huge smile plastered on his face.


    As they started moving down the street, she eagerly looked through the windows of every shop they passed. There were stores selling potions, weapons, and armor, as well as stores offering the services of low-level diviners and various other non-combat classes. One that particularly caught her eye was a tattoo parlor boasting that its lead artist was an enchanter who worked through her ink, and Alicia loved the art she saw on display.


    ¡°Katrina, are we near the camp? A lot of these businesses look like they¡¯re run by higher leveled people.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re very close. The camp itself is meant for more immediate services, but also has lots of room for the different Guilds to establish small outposts. The surrounding streets, where we are now, are normally where you find all the shops and whatnot. Quite a few delvers work here when they¡¯re not in the Dungeon, and many of these shops are actually sponsored by Guilds. It can be extremely helpful to have an Enchanter or an Alchemist on your payroll.¡±


    Alicia wanted desperately to explore the area, to walk around in all the different shops and see what they had for sale, but she knew they were here with a purpose. She could also feel Katrina¡¯s grip on her arm tensing occasionally, and she tried to remind herself that the crowds were likely tempting her hunger. Looking up, she saw Katrina¡¯s face was cold and tense. She was breathing through her mouth, leaving her fangs on display, and her eyes were glowing bright.


    The Vampire realized she was being watched, and the girls locked eyes before she spoke. ¡°Everything okay, Alicia?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, I¡¯m fine, but what about you?¡± Alicia asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯ll manage. Still, the quicker we do this, the better.¡±


    The Dryad frowned, wishing there were something she could do to make this easier, but she couldn¡¯t think of anything. She continued to rack her brain, recalling hundreds of hours of ORC training, to think of anything she might be able to do to help.


    I don¡¯t have any blood to give her, but maybe I can distract her somehow? Something to keep her mind occupied?


    ¡°So, Katrina, what spells are you gonna learn when you hit Level Three? Do Bards like, choose from a list or something?¡±


    ¡°Bards actually get a lot of say over which spells they get. Once I have Spellcasting available, I can kind of make whatever I want, within reason. Ideally, I¡¯d love to focus on utility, and be a bit of a Jane-Of-All-Trades. Message spells, scans, distractions, things like that. Still, part of the fun would be working together with other Delvers, coordinating your builds, and without a delving group that part¡¯s not there.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll finally get a chance now, right? We might not be in a Guild, but we¡¯re gonna be delving soon!¡±


    Katrina blushed slightly, trying to hide a smile. ¡°I¡­ yes. I know it¡¯s wrong to be excited about this, there¡¯s so many ways it could go wrong for you, but I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey, you stop that.¡± Alicia interrupted. ¡°Both things can be true at once. Just because this is a little scary for me, and there¡¯s admittedly a lot on the line, doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t also try to enjoy ourselves a little. I mean, look at where we are! All these shops! All these people, all working together! I understand why you get excited about this stuff.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Katrina started, ¡°I meant to ask. You¡¯re a Bulwark, but when you summon barriers, they look like they¡¯re made of plants and trees. Aren¡¯t they supposed to be simple, clear sheets of energy?¡±


    ¡°As far as I can tell, it¡¯s a quirk of my Race. I¡¯ve never really looked into it, though.¡± Alicia readjusted her grip on Katrina¡¯s arm, then realized they were near another small tree. A few flowers had been planted around the base, and she knew she could use another break. ¡°Hey, can we take another quick stop?¡±


    Katrina nodded, and the girls both took a seat. Alicia leaned against the tree, avoiding the flowers, and let the back of her makeshift dress split open. Roots emerged from her body again, digging deep into the earth. It felt as if the soil were hugging her, and she combined her strength with the roots of the tree as she tried to connect with her Heart Tree again. The connection was still incredibly distant, but it was better than nothing. Unfortunately, when she checked her status, she saw she was at 35%.


    ¡°Stamina¡¯s still dropping, Katrina. I think¡­ we might need to figure out a creative way to get me home after this. Can we, like, buy a stamina potion or something?¡±


    ¡°We can certainly look. You might have an easier time in the camp, though, it¡¯s mostly grass and dirt, and there are a few bigger trees.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Alicia asked excitedly.


    ¡°I mean, did you ever go to Millennium Park before the Change? That¡¯s where the camp is. They¡¯ve added a few temporary buildings, further away from the entrance, but any permanent structures are a bad idea. You never know what might happen around a dungeon, so flexibility is key. We¡¯re actually extremely close, think you¡¯re ready?¡±


    Alicia nodded, shaking loose her roots before letting Katrina help her up. After taking a minute to get comfy, her hands held tight around the Vampire¡¯s arm, they set off again.


    True to Katrina¡¯s word, they were only walking for a few minutes before they turned the last corner. The buildings had already been shrinking in size for the last block or two, but as Alicia looked down this new street, she saw them vanish entirely. In front of her stood a large stone archway that marked the entrance of the Dungeon Camp. The sidewalk stopped entirely just past the entrance, and a multitude of well-worn dirt paths snaked away from the entrance. The girls looked at each other, nervous determination filling their eyes, and they stepped over the threshold.

 Chapter 6.1

    Katrina¡¯s nerves were on high alert for the entire train ride. She¡¯d only needed to ride it a handful of times in the last few years, but this was her second trip in less than a week, and the strain was wearing her down quickly. It didn¡¯t help that Alicia seemed equally stressed; being separated from her Heart Tree clearly wasn¡¯t good for her.


    After they left the train, figured out a plan, and waited for the Dryad¡¯s Stamina to start to level off, the two girls started walking towards the Dungeon Camp. Alicia needed quite a bit of assistance, and Katrina swore she saw the color fading from her skin as they traveled. Still, despite her exhaustion, Alicia seemed oddly enthusiastic about their surroundings. Her eyes were wide as she looked around, darting from shop to shop, looking at all the valuable wares on display in the windows.


    At first, Katrina found it difficult to share in the excitement. Every moment they lingered was another potential moment of weakness, and her body tingled with anticipation as she fought against the urge to feel skin breaking beneath her teeth.


    As they walked, however, a strange thing happened. Every time Katrina would find herself drawn to a passing stranger, Alicia would stumble, or ask a question about a business they were passing. Katrina found herself focusing more and more of her energy on the Dryad, on keeping her safe, and soon she even found herself smiling as she explained various bits and pieces of Delving culture.


    Even aspects of the community that had long ago become routine for Katrina now seemed exciting again. She couldn¡¯t help but remember that, up until this week, Alicia hadn¡¯t seen another living person in years. Against all odds, this trip that she¡¯d been dreading ever since leaving the Dungeon with Alicia had suddenly become surprisingly tolerable, perhaps even enjoyable.


    Soon enough, both girls found themselves staring down the entrance to the Camp. A collection of dirt paths weaved through Millennium Park, weaving between dozens of makeshift buildings and tents. The Change had dramatically altered the topography of the park, as had the many battles necessary for reclaiming it. The main entrance to the Dungeon was further in, but thankfully they would be avoiding it tonight. After all her years of distant fangirling, Katrina knew the layout of the Camp by heart, and quickly led the way.


    As they began walking through the park, Katrina heard Alicia sigh with relief. After a minute, the Dryad even pulled away and started walking on her own, which caught Katrina by surprise. She¡¯d gotten used to supporting Alicia, and had even kind of enjoyed it. It was nice to feel needed, and it didn¡¯t hurt that Alicia was so easy on the eyes.


    As the Dryad wandered off, peeking into the different shops and stalls, Katrina kept her eyes trained on Alicia. The clothes she¡¯d grown for herself fit very nicely, and certainly covered more than her previous outfit, but her lithe form was still quite visible. Her rich, green skin seemed so delicate in the moonlight, and Katrina wondered what the rest of Alicia might feel like. She began daydreaming, imagining her lips on Alicia¡¯s neck, but for the first time in years, her teeth weren¡¯t part of the fantasy. She imagined something softer, something much more intimate, and she felt a strange anticipation building in her core.


    Katrina! Stay on task!


    She shook her head, trying to refocus her thoughts, just as she saw Alicia running towards her again. ¡°Katrina! They¡¯ve got a potion shop!¡± The Dryad grabbed Katrina¡¯s hand and pulled her along, dragging her to a nearby stall. An Owl Beastkin stood waiting for them, no doubt intrigued by Alicia¡¯s excitement. His feathers were a mix of brown and tan, and his eyebrows were so incredibly thick Katrina thought they seemed ready to jump from his forehead.


    ¡°Good evenin¡¯ ladies! Looking for a pick-me-up tonight?¡± the Owlkin asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Alicia said. ¡°I need a Stamina potion!¡±


    Once Katrina had reached the counter, she saw that all the display products were only for show, and seemed to be filled with dyed water rather than actual potion. The shopkeeper turned around and began rummaging through some boxes, and as he did so, his head swiveled 180 degrees until he was looking at them again.


    ¡°You two Delvers? I must say, I haven¡¯t seen you around before.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ weighing our options, but that¡¯s our tentative plan,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°Newbies, eh? Well, we¡¯re happy to have you! I always say you can never have enough Delvers, though I¡¯m fairly sure some of the Guilds disagree with me on that.¡± The Beastkin¡¯s body turned to join his head, and he placed a small box on the table in front of him. ¡°So, Stamina potions. Got a couple different sizes, but the base versions aren¡¯t gonna do anything about the taste. If yer squeamish, I¡¯ve got a few specialty brews that go down easy, but they ain¡¯t cheap.¡±


    ¡°I doubt even the fancy potions would taste good¡­¡± Alicia mumbled. The shopkeep clearly took offense to that, and she immediately began clarifying. ¡°Wait, not like that! I meant that, in the Change, my taste buds got all scrambled! I don¡¯t need to eat anymore, so everything tastes kinda bad.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I see what you mean. You gave me a good scare, that¡¯s for sure. If you don¡¯t mind me sayin¡¯, I ain¡¯t never seen a Dryad ¡®fore today. Is it safe to be delving? I can¡¯t imagine yer Heart Tree is very close.¡±


    Alicia started to respond, but Katrina quickly cut her off. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a bit complicated. We¡¯d rather keep that close to the vest, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Aw shoot, there I go getting too excited to talk up the fresh blood. Forgive me, ladies, I¡¯m just happy to see new faces. How about we get back to business, eh? The smallest potion, this one here, is gonna cost you thirty silver.¡±


    ¡°Silver?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°Right, Dungeon coins. Well, we don¡¯t have anything like that, do you take US dollars? I can pay on my phone.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Sure, I could do that, but there¡¯s gonna be an upcharge,¡± the Owlkin said. ¡°You wanna pay in USD, that¡¯ll be three hundred an¡¯ fifty.¡±


    ¡°Three fifty?!¡± Alicia gasped. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s such a small vial!¡±


    Katrina grabbed the Dryad¡¯s arm and leaned in to whisper. ¡°Potions aren¡¯t easy to make, Alicia, it¡¯s actually pretty lucky he has any to spare for us. Plus, I¡¯m willing to bet he¡¯s actually giving us a pretty generous deal.¡±


    ¡°I see one of you knows the lay o¡¯ the land already.¡± The shopkeep smirked, at least as much as his beak would allow. ¡°Yer right, I¡¯ve got a bit of a soft spot for new delvers. Plus, these tiny vials? Got a couple nearing their expiration date anyways, and I¡¯d rather see them go to use.¡±


    Alicia looked between Katrina and the shopkeep, then sighed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I have much of a choice. I need the Stamina.¡± After a few taps on her phone, the Dryad had transferred the necessary money, and was soon pocketing her very first potion.


    As the transaction finished, Katrina looked around the area before leaning in. ¡°Look, you¡¯ve got no reason to be this nice to us, but¡­ thanks. What¡¯s your name, friend?¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s Kevin! How ¡®bout yerself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Katrina, and this is Alicia. If we¡¯re ever in the area again, we¡¯ll try to send some coin your way.¡±


    Before Katrina knew what was happening, Kevin had reached out and grabbed her hand, vigorously imposing a rather aggressive handshake on her. ¡°Hope to see you around!¡±


    Soon enough, Katrina had regained ownership of her hand, and eagerly pulled away. The girls smiled at the friendly shopkeep as they started towards their next destination, at which time Alicia spoke up. ¡°He was so nice! I hope everyone is just like him!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get used to that,¡± Katrina said. ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon for Delvers to be pretty rude to newcomers, a lot of them view delving as a zero-sum game. Granted, it can depend on which Guild you¡¯re working with; you already know which one we want to avoid.¡± The Dryad shivered, and Katrina suspected it wasn¡¯t from the night breeze.


    ¡°So, where to next?¡± Alicia asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to officially report our findings. After that, we need to grab the necessary paperwork so we can register as Delvers, and once that¡¯s finished we¡¯ll need to pass the certification test. That last bit won¡¯t be tonight, though, we¡¯ve already got too much going on.¡±


    ¡°Is the test hard? What kind of questions do they ask?¡±


    ¡°Most of them are focused on the Dungeon itself, and the basics of delving. They want to be sure you know what dangers are down there, and it¡¯s much easier than trying to craft individual exams for every Class.¡±


    ¡°Well, I know just the person to help me study!¡± Alicia said. The girls looked at each other, and Katrina couldn¡¯t help but smile at the idea. She quickly turned away when she felt herself blushing, but before she could think of something else to say, Alicia was already changing the topic. ¡°Whoa! Is that the Bean?!¡±


    Looking ahead, Katrina saw the center of the Camp. It was a large circle the held the biggest structures in the whole park. Most of them served as informal Guild Halls, but there were still a few shops mixed in. In the center of this encampment sat the remains of the Bean. It was mostly a large frame, though small sections of the reflective outer surface had already been restored.


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s the Bean. When the Change hit, the Dungeon opened directly underneath it, and the whole thing shattered into thousands of pieces. For some reason, those pieces now sometimes drop as loot, and the Guilds collectively decided they need to rebuild it. As you can see, there¡¯s still a lot of work to be done.¡±


    ¡°Wow, now I¡¯m regretting that I never saw the Bean in person. Where do we put our piece? How do we know where it goes?¡±


    ¡°See that small building over there?¡± Katrina pointed to a simple, wooden structure tucked in between two large Guild Halls. ¡°That¡¯s the closest thing the Camp has to a guest services building. It¡¯s not run by any Guilds, and the people that work it are also the ones trying to piece the Bean back together. From what I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s a collection of Shapers and Architects, but they have a small staff dedicated to helping people with some of the more mundane aspects of delving. That¡¯s also where we can pick up paperwork for our licenses.¡±


    ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡± Alicia grabbed Katrina¡¯s hand again, and the Vampire happily let herself be pulled along for the ride.


    Now that the girls had reached the center of camp, there was a healthy amount of activity. While it was certainly busier during the day, many of the Guilds had small collections of nocturnal Races that preferred delving at night. Guild regulations also mandated that official delves be scheduled far in advance, and the hours were heavily staggered to avoid different teams stepping on each other¡¯s toes.


    Officially, the reason for the schedule was to avoid congestion, but everyone knew the main reason was Ashes to Ashes. As the biggest Guild, and the most destructive, there had been a few casualties in the early years when smaller delving teams had gotten caught in the crossfire. Ashes to Ashes also never delved at night, as their membership was heavily biased towards humans, so these late hours were often considered safer. Katrina could tell that a Guild was preparing to send another delving team down, as there was a fair amount of commotion.


    Alicia continued to pull the nervous Vampire along, and Katrina¡¯s grip tightened as they started pushing through different groups of people. She could smell the excitement in the air; adrenaline always made people¡¯s blood much more fragrant, but also gave it a delicious flavor that she never quite got with donated blood. With Alicia leading the way, Katrina closed her eyes tight and tried to focus on the soft hand guiding them through the crowds.


    It felt like an eternity, but eventually they made it to the small services building. Katrina grabbed the wooden counter in front of her, squeezing hard as she tried to fight off her intrusive thoughts.


    ¡°Katrina? Hey, you alright?¡± Alicia asked, suddenly much closer.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ very crowded, and everyone¡¯s excited, which makes it worse¡­¡± Katrina whispered, her breathing heavy.


    ¡°What if I put up a barrier? Would that help?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know, but we definitely shouldn¡¯t try. Not supposed to use Class Abilities in Camp, especially in our case.¡±


    When Katrina finally opened her eyes, she could see Alicia looking at her with concern, but she also saw another set of eyes. They were bright, pale green irises with slit pupils, and they were faintly glowing due to the ambient moonlight. They belonged to a Panther Beastkin that appeared to be running this particular building, and he was looking at the girls expectantly.


    ¡°Can I help you? This isn¡¯t a medical station, you know,¡± the panther said.


    ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re just¡­ new here, and I don¡¯t get out much.¡± Katrina said. ¡°We¡¯ve got some findings to report.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Color me intrigued, especially since you¡¯re both new faces. What could you possibly have for us tonight?¡± There was a hint of playfulness in the Beastkin¡¯s voice, and he leaned closer.


    Now that they were further from the crowds, Katrina¡¯s breathing started to ease up, and she reached into her purse to grab their shard of the Bean. When she placed it on the counter, the panther¡¯s eyes lit up even more, and a smile grew on his face.


    ¡°Another shard! Oh, this is incredible!¡± The panther picked it up, spinning it around carefully as he inspected it. ¡°It¡¯s a fairly sizable piece, too. Where on Earth did you find this?¡±


    ¡°We¡­ found the site of the next key, this dropped from one of the monsters.¡± Katrina said quietly, hoping no one but the Beastkin would hear.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s about time! This one¡¯s been driving everyone mad!¡± Katrina¡¯s hopes were immediately dashed when the Beastkin reached up to a large bell hanging from the corner of the stall. He grabbed the rope hanging from it and began to ring the bell as loud as he could.

 Chapter 6.2

    The energy in the camp exploded, and suddenly every single person present was staring at Katrina and Alicia. Within seconds, a crowd began to swarm around them, every single person trying to ask their own questions.


    ¡°Where was it?!¡±


    ¡°Do you have the Key yet?¡±


    ¡°Are you with a Guild? Are you going to sell your rights?¡±


    ¡°What was the answer to the riddle?¡±


    A wall of smell collided with Katrina, and without thinking, she grabbed Alicia tight to pull her close. She could hear the blood pumping through the crowd¡¯s veins, their excitement more than palpable. Everyone¡¯s blood vessels were thrumming at different intervals, the sounds colliding with each other as Katrina fought to hold herself together. She shut her eyes as hard as she could, opening her Status again in hopes of a distraction. Under her breath, she began reciting her Status screen to herself, a last-ditch effort to keep herself from attacking someone.


    She felt Alicia turn towards her, wrapping her arms around the panicked Vampire, when a strange smell filled her senses. It was intensely floral, and she actually felt soft petals brushing against her nose as Alicia pulled her close. The strong scent of this flower, against all odds, helped to block out the smell of the crowd, and Katrina felt a semblance of control return to her.


    ¡°Hey now! How ¡®bout we give these ladies some space, ya hear? This how you greet newcomers where yer from?¡± A powerful voice boomed over the crowd, and Katrina grew faintly aware of a large Owlkin attempting to interpose himself between them and the crowds.


    Between Kevin creating some distance, and the powerful smell coming from Alicia¡¯s flower, Katrina managed to calm down slightly. The crowd grumbled slightly, but most of them seemed to respect Kevin enough to follow his instructions without complaint. Once order had been restored, the Owlkin began letting individual people ask questions, and Alicia stepped up to answer them as best she could.


    Katrina heard the Dryad explain everything she could, to the best of her ability. She shared that they didn¡¯t have the Key yet, but weren¡¯t selling their rights, and weren¡¯t intending to partner with any existing Guilds. She was adamant that she wouldn¡¯t share the location of the Key, which led a few onlookers to start doubting that they¡¯d even found it. When the questions dried up, Alicia collected a few business cards from various Guild representatives, and at long last, the girls were left to their own devices again.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Alicia said, ¡°are you alright? How are you holding up?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t attack anyone, that¡¯s the most important thing,¡± Katrina whispered. Her voice was tense as she continued fighting against the last remnants of her murderous instincts. ¡°What was that flower? I could barely think straight with everyone around me, but that smell was so strong.¡± As Katrina looked at Alicia, she now saw a small bouquet of white flowers had grown from the Dryad¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Oh, these are tuberoses. Their aroma is incredibly potent, and I was hoping they might help distract you¡­¡±


    Katrina moved closer and hugged Alicia tight. ¡°Thanks, Alicia. You really stepped up there.¡±


    The large Owlkin standing next to them cleared his throat, and both girls looked over to him. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything ¡®bout finding the Key Dungeon, I would¡¯ve stuck with you if I¡¯d known!¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s our first time in Camp, we¡¯re a little overwhelmed. Still, we appreciate you coming to our rescue like that.¡± Alicia said, reaching out to shake Kevin¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothin¡¯. Like I said, I got a soft spot for newbies.¡± Kevin looked past the girls, locking eyes with the panther Beastkin. ¡°And you! Maybe check in with people before you ring that darn bell, alright? These poor girls don¡¯t do well in crowds.¡±


    ¡°People have been hunting for that Key for weeks! I guess I got a little excited¡­ sorry about that, girls,¡± the panther said. ¡°How about we take care of all the paperwork, that¡¯s definitely something I can help with.¡±


    Kevin nodded in agreement before saying his goodbyes and returning to his shop. Alicia and Katrina shifted their attention to the services counter, where Alicia shared the details of where they¡¯d found the Dungeon. The Beastkin explained that, while they had exclusive rights for the first three weeks, the address would go public after that. He also provided them with all the paperwork they needed to register as Delvers, including a small pamphlet designed to help people prepare for the written exam.


    Once they¡¯d finished with all the busy work, Katrina spoke up. ¡°Thanks for helping with all this, and sorry I¡­ caused a bit of a scene.¡±


    ¡°Nah, that¡¯s on me. I should¡¯ve known better,¡± the panther said. ¡°Name¡¯s Samir, by the way. It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you both.¡±


    ¡°Actually, Samir, before we leave, I¡¯ve got a bit of an odd question. If I remember correctly, this place keeps a record of all registered delvers, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Sure do! You want to take a look?¡±


    ¡°Are we allowed to?¡± Alicia asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Samir quickly ran to the back of the stall, then returned with a large, leather-bound tome. ¡°According to the City, Delvers qualify as something like public servants. Many actually hire themselves out for various odd jobs, especially if the Dungeon is proving a touch too difficult.¡±


    Katrina opened the book and started reading through names, while Alicia continued talking. ¡°Why use a book? Wouldn¡¯t this be easier with a digital database?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve got one of them too, but you remember what the Change was like. It¡¯s hard to justify not keeping physical copies of our records. Plus, this close to the Dungeon? Sometimes the Thaumic energy messes with computers and wireless signals.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s remarkably well kept,¡± Katrina said. ¡°I¡¯m just looking for anyone that¡¯s registered as a Delver, but isn¡¯t associated with a Guild.¡±


    ¡°Oof, good luck with that. Guilds tend to dislike freelancers,¡± Samir said.


    Katrina pulled out her phone and started taking notes as she read through the tome. She was able to find a couple of delvers that weren¡¯t with the Guilds, but the list was small. She didn¡¯t bother to make notes if the delver was a Bard or a Bulwark, and that made the list even smaller. What she wanted most were classes that could deal some damage, or provide stronger healing.


    ¡°Oh, wow! Alicia, check it out, this one¡¯s a Mage Knight!¡± Katrina said, her voice full of excitement.


    Samir, still listening in, began chuckling to himself. ¡°Good luck with that one, she¡¯s turned down every Guild in the city at least a dozen times. Can¡¯t remember why she registered, but I promise you she ain¡¯t interested in delving.¡±


    ¡°Are Mage Knights strong?¡± Alicia asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re not just strong, they¡¯re top tier. Depending on who you ask, they¡¯re often considered the best damage class in the whole system! We¡¯ve got to at least try.¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°Suit yourself, just don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± Samir shrugged, then went back to turning his new Bean shard over in his paws.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    In the end, Katrina had a list of six names. It wasn¡¯t a very promising start, but it was better than nothing. Samir¡¯s warning about the Mage Knight didn¡¯t particularly fill her with confidence, though; they needed a heavy hitter, and having such a powerful class would be monumental. Apart from the Mage Knight, her list had three other damage classes, and two potential healers.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s everything,¡± Katrina said. ¡°Think you¡¯re ready to brave the train again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my Stamina potion, so I think I¡¯ll survive. Walking around the Camp helped, there¡¯s a lot of plant life here.¡±


    ¡°Can any plants help you recover? I thought it had to be your Heart Tree?¡±


    ¡°It does, but there¡¯s a bit of flexibility on how I can form that connection. The strongest connection is, obviously, just merging with my tree, but we¡¯ve got powerful roots that extend really far. After the Change, I was able to connect with any plant life, not just my Heart Tree, and I learned that they all form like, a network of sorts. Their roots dig deep into the ground, intermingling and communicating with other plants in the area. I¡¯m able to tap into that network and connect with my tree, almost like using cell towers to make a phone call.¡±


    Both girls were walking towards the Camp exit, doing their best to avoid crowds as Alicia continued talking. ¡°There are limits, though. Anything that interrupts that connection can be potentially harmful. I¡¯ve spent years destroying streets and upending blocks of concrete around my house, which is likely the only reason I¡¯m able to go this deep into the city. Walking on sidewalks is like¡­ breathing through a tiny straw. It¡¯s doable, but only barely, and at least it¡¯s connected to the ground. The train doesn¡¯t have that connection, and it feels like being dumped at the bottom of the ocean; it¡¯s only a matter of time before I drown.¡±


    Alicia nervously stepped onto the sidewalk outside Camp, breathing heavily as she started leaning on Katrina again. Their pace slowed, and once they¡¯d established a rhythm, Katrina spoke up. ¡°Well, hopefully this is the last time we have to make this trip. If it¡¯s not, I¡¯ll make sure to bring my guitar.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Alicia said. They were at an intersection, waiting for the light to turn green, when she unexpectedly leaned closer and rested her head on Katrina¡¯s shoulder. She¡¯d already been holding onto Katrina¡¯s arm for support, and the Vampire had no idea if this was another sign of fatigue, or possibly something else. After a moment, the light turned, and Katrina shifted her elbow to get Alicia¡¯s attention.


    After another block, they came face to face with the stairs leading to the train station. Katrina could feel the Dryad¡¯s grip tightening, and once again regretted that she had nothing she could do to help. ¡°When do you want to take the potion?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ when we¡¯re on the train. If the taste is as bad as I¡¯ve heard, maybe it¡¯ll help distract me.¡± Alicia said, forcing a smile. The girls headed up the stairs, and before long, had taken their seats.


    By some divine stroke of luck, the train was slightly emptier at this time. Katrina didn¡¯t have to spend the entire time fighting against her instincts, and was instead able to try and support Alicia. The Dryad was fading fast, and Katrina could see the flowers and plant matter covering her begin to lose their luster. After the first two stops, Alicia pulled her Stamina potion out from some invisible pocket in her shirt. Her hands were shaking, and Katrina reached over to open it for her.


    ¡°Thanks, Katrina,¡± Alicia muttered. ¡°Could you, um¡­ help me with it?¡±


    With a silent nod, Katrina moved the potion to Alicia¡¯s mouth. The liquid left the small vial, entering the Dryad¡¯s mouth, and her eyes immediately tried to burst from her head. It seemed like she was fighting to keep the liquid down, and her body wretched a few times in protest. Still, as she forced the liquid down, Katrina saw the leaves and flowers of her shirt start to brighten.


    ¡°Oh, wow, that¡¯s¡­ horrible. I wouldn¡¯t wish that on my worst enemies, ugh.¡± Alicia said.


    ¡°It seems like it worked, though. What¡¯s your SP at?¡± Katrina asked.


    After a quick Status check, Alicia sighed in relief. ¡°Definitely enough to make it home, thank goodness.¡±


    The girls smiled at each other, and the rest of the train ride was relatively quiet. Katrina¡¯s stop came and went, and Alicia didn¡¯t seem to notice that the Vampire had opted to keep riding. By the time they arrived in Alicia¡¯s neighborhood, she finally realized what had happened.


    ¡°Wait, you missed your stop because of me!¡±


    Katrina laughed, helping Alicia stand up and walk off the train. ¡°No, this was my choice. I want to make sure you get home safely, then I can fly back. It¡¯s still early morning for me, remember?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡­ but that¡¯s¡­¡± Trying to think of a response seemed to tire Alicia out, and she finally leaned against Katrina again in defeat. ¡°Oh, alright. Still, you didn¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°Alicia, if you pass out on the train, you might never wake up. What if someone tried to take you to a hospital? Chances are they¡¯d be taking you further from your Heart Tree, which would only make things worse.¡±


    Alicia stepped off the train, sighing in relief as her feet landed on the platform. Katrina watched her and smiled, the Dyrad''s steps soon quickening as they neared the ground outside. The Dryad raced down the steps, jumped onto a patch of grass, and started laughing. Katrina couldn¡¯t help but smile as she watched Alicia light up, her skin and clothes literally growing brighter as strength returned to her body.


    ¡°Katrina, we made it!¡±


    Katrina, surprising even herself, began laughing with Alicia. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better! Now c¡¯mon, it¡¯s way past your bedtime, and you need to get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine, whatever. Are you going to tuck me in, too?¡± Alicia asked, prodding Katrina in the ribs.


    ¡°How would I even do that? You sleep by returning to your Heart Tree, would I just¡­ wrap a blanket around the trunk?¡±


    ¡°Blech, please don¡¯t. I feel itchy even thinking about it.¡±


    The walk to Alicia¡¯s house was incredibly peaceful. Katrina no longer had to fight her instincts, and Alicia was ecstatic to be home again. The difference in her demeanor was practically night and day, a phrasing that made Katrina chuckle as soon as she thought about it. She kept finding her gaze wandering back to Alicia, appreciating the way the moonlight danced through her hair, highlighting the white flowers on her chest as well as her infectious smile.


    As they rounded the last corner, and Alicia¡¯s house finally came into focus, she abandoned all pretense of formality and took off running. With one final jump, Katrina watched as Alicia merged with her Heart Tree, and she swore she saw a fresh blanket of cherry blossom petals fall in appreciation of the reunion.


    When Alicia re-emerged, her face beaming with joy, she ran over to Katrina, who had just finished closing the distance. ¡°I¡¯m home! Thank you so much for staying with me, Katrina!¡± Alicia threw her arms around Katrina¡¯s shoulders, hugging her tight.


    Katrina, caught off guard, instinctually grabbed Alicia¡¯s waist to steady herself, when she realized that the Dryad had shed the outfit she¡¯d previously grown for herself. Katrina¡¯s hands were resting on bare skin, and when Alicia pulled back from her hug, the girls were now face to face, with barely a couple inches between them.


    ¡°Alicia, I¡­¡± Katrina muttered. She wasn¡¯t sure what to say, she was so focused on staring into Alicia¡¯s eyes. She could feel herself blushing as she fought to form words. ¡°Um¡­ my friends call me Kat.¡±


    Alicia¡¯s eyes darted down, just for a moment, then she started blushing herself. She awkwardly cleared her throat, pulling back from Katrina. ¡°Sorry, I got a little excited¡­ Kat.¡±


    A smile grew on Katrina¡¯s face. She hadn¡¯t heard anyone other than Derrick call her Kat since the Change, and she was caught by surprise at how much she missed it. ¡°N-no it¡¯s fine! It¡¯s... kinda cute, actually.¡±


    The Dryad¡¯s eyes moved to the ground, and she nervously started playing with a cherry blossom petal growing from her hair. ¡°Are you coming back tomorrow? I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s next, or when we should get started on, y¡¯know, actually beating the dungeon. If nothing else, I could use a study buddy.¡±


    ¡°We definitely can¡¯t start until we have some more people with us, so I¡¯m going to reach out to everyone on my list and see if I can convince them to help. In the meantime, we need to certify as Delvers, so I¡¯d recommend looking through that pamphlet Samir gave you. We also need to set time aside to practice¡­ how about I just text you? I¡¯ve got a lot to figure out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my phone ready! And I¡¯ll try to look into some delving stuff while you¡¯re busy!¡±


    Looking back towards the city, Katrina knew that she couldn¡¯t stay, but she was having trouble convincing herself to leave. ¡°Well¡­ you should probably get some sleep, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I suppose I should.¡± Alicia took a couple steps backward, seemingly nervous about something. ¡°Um, Kat, I¡­¡±


    Katrina perked up, looking at Alicia expectantly. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Alicia blushed, took a deep breath, then paused slightly. ¡°I¡­ um, get home safe, okay?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ yeah, I can do that,¡± Katrina said. After another moment of hesitation, she flew up into the air, drifting backwards as she watched Alicia walk into the base of her Heart Tree again. The Vampire finally decided to leave, slowly riding the wind as she made her way home.


    Had she wanted to ask me something? Or, more importantly, was there something I was hoping to hear? If she¡¯d invited me to spend the night, it¡¯s not like anything would¡¯ve happened¡­ She needed to get to sleep, right?


    When she finally made it back home, she booted up her computer and started messaging the delvers she¡¯d made notes of earlier. It was hard to focus, she kept daydreaming about being in camp, about Alicia leaning on her shoulder, hugging her tight when the crowd surrounded them. When night began to fade, and Katrina went to change into her pajamas, she found one of Alicia¡¯s flowers from camp had gotten lodged in her tank top. She lightly placed it on her pillow, and happily went to sleep with the smell of tuberose filling her dreams.

 Chapter 7.1

    As the sun slowly dawned on the city suburbs, and warmth filled Alicia¡¯s branches, she let out an immense sigh of relief. Her branches felt as if they were stretching towards the light, and powerful energy flowed through her once more. She let herself relax for another few hours; not quite asleep, but not quite awake, just enjoying the strength of the sun rejuvenating her. There was nothing special about this morning, technically, but last night had been the first time she¡¯d ever been so far from her Heart Tree. The experience, although exhilarating for many different reasons, had also been quite stressful.


    For most of the night, the excitement had kept her focused on all the new experiences. She¡¯d loved seeing all the different people, the new types of shops that now catered to delvers, and most of all, spending so much time with Katrina. They hadn¡¯t just spent the whole time together, but they¡¯d practically held each other the whole time, and Alicia couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it.


    The fear of being so far from home had abated when she¡¯d leaned on Katrina, and held her arm tight for support. Katrina¡¯s hand squeezing hers whenever the crowds grew too thick, and pulling Katrina in for a hug as she grew flowers to try and mask the smell of blood. Returning home, shedding her strange new clothes, and jumping at Katrina with joy in her heart. The Vampire¡¯s soft hands holding her waist, their faces just inches apart, wishing desperately that she could muster the strength to move just a little bit closer.


    Alicia shook her head. She had a job to do. Well, two jobs actually. She needed to clock a few hours at ORC sometime today, but she also needed to prepare for her delving exam. And find a site where she could take the exam. And go there to take it.


    Ugh.


    The thought of leaving home again soured her good mood.


    C¡¯mon Alicia, this is how to save your home. You can probably find an exam site that¡¯s closer than Downtown Chicago, maybe even one within walking distance!


    Steeling her resolve, Alicia left her Heart Tree and stepped into her bedroom. She started by checking her phone, which was charging next to her computer, and quickly sent a text to Katrina.


    Alicia: SP¡¯s completely back! Thank you so much for taking me downtown, I had a great time :)


    Am I being too forward? It¡¯s not like last night was a date¡­ As much as I wish it were.


    Her thoughts returned to Katrina¡¯s phone, and the strange girl she¡¯d seen on the lock screen. Katrina was such a closed off person, what if she had a partner and just hadn¡¯t mentioned it? Alicia tried to remember the picture, wondering if she¡¯d missed any details that might help her figure out this mystery, but she¡¯d only looked at it for a few moments.


    Rather than fixate on half-remembered details, she booted up her computer and decided to start doing dungeon research. She started by looking for delving tutorial sites, which thankfully weren¡¯t in short supply. There were a few government sites that went over dungeon basic, but she also found a site hosted by the Chicago Guild Network. It seemed that, while every Guild had their own unique site, they had formed a loose coalition to help streamline operations.


    This hub site had plenty of resources for new and experienced delvers alike. She saw a news feed, which seemed to have several articles about important Guild Members that had recently leveled up, but also talked about recent delves, trades between guilds, and other miscellaneous news. At the top of the news feed, featured much more prominently than anything else, was an article announcing the discovery of the new Key Dungeon. Alicia read through it in its entirety, praying that the journalist hadn¡¯t somehow discovered her address, but thankfully her secret was safe.


    Navigating away from the news feed, Alicia found a Forum dedicated to anything and everything related to Delving. A quick search revealed that the busiest forums seemed to be dedicated to discussing builds. Each Class had its own forum, with people discussing the best Class Features to take to optimize their build. They would share results of Level Ups, ask for advice about how certain Features worked, and also debating which Paths were objectively better than others.


    There were also forums dedicated to specific Races. People looking for advice on dealing with Race specific issues, sharing cool Features they¡¯d discovered, but also just forming communities with others like themselves.


    Knowing she needed all the help she could get, Alicia decided to make herself a profile. Once she¡¯d officially registered as DecadentDryad, she joined two forums: one for Dryads, and one for Bulwarks. She made some introductory posts, and shared with the Bulwark forum that she was going to start delving and wanted beginner¡¯s advice.


    Once she¡¯d finished, she could feel the computer screen starting to agitate her and decided to shut it down for a while. She didn¡¯t need to be at work yet, and she needed to go for a walk around the neighborhood anyways.


    Her usual route felt strange, mostly because it was completely unchanged. Alicia felt like her entire life had been uprooted in the last 24 hours, though thankfully not literally. She¡¯d learned that every Guild in the city desperately wanted to find her secret Dungeon, traveled to Downtown Chicago to visit the main camp, and it all stemmed from one, spectacular girl.


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    She was even planning on becoming a Delver, of all things. After years of ignoring her class, of happily ignoring Dungeons, she now needed to learn how to fight. If nothing else, she was thankful that her Class seemed relatively simple. She didn¡¯t have to learn dozens of spells, or spend years mastering complicated techniques or crafting recipes. She just had to look at the dangerous thing and stop it from coming closer. Still, she was glad to have found a forum for her class, it would be helpful to hear how everyone else approached delving.


    Being outside, thankfully, was a nice distraction. All her floral friends were doing quite well, but that was hardly surprising. When she reached her river, she eagerly dipped her feet in the water and started drinking. Leaning back, she rested her hands on the warm ground, and forced herself to slow down.


    She focused on the warmth of the sun, the breeze that rustled her hair, the water cascading around her legs. This had been her life for years, co-existing with nature, and she still found great peace in it. Her thoughts drifted back to Katrina, the stranger that had accidentally flown into her branches and changed everything. She remembered her outfit last night, a form fitting tank top that had accentuated her large bust. On a few occasions, as she¡¯d leaned on the Vampire for support, her tank top had been pulled down slightly, giving Alicia small peaks at Katrina¡¯s impressive cleavage. At the time, she¡¯d tried to avert her eyes, but those memories returned now stronger than ever. She remembered stopping at small patches of grass to rest and recover her Stamina, but also ending up at eye level with Katrina¡¯s phenomenal backside. Her tight jeans hugged her frame perfectly, cupping her ass so immaculately that Alicia had found herself jealous of the clothing.


    Without even realizing it, the soft breeze began to resemble the Vampire¡¯s hands. Just like the night they met, when they gently caressed Alicia¡¯s branches, they were now playing with her hair, moving it away to expose her neck. The warmth of the sun became the warmth of Katrina¡¯s breath. She was kissing Alicia, her soft lips brushing against the Dryad¡¯s neck while she gasped in anticipation. The water around Alicia¡¯s legs suddenly felt like raging rapids, surging with passion, and they seemed eager to push Alicia¡¯s legs apart.


    Her roots shifted, her legs separating as she imagined Katrina¡¯s lips leaving her neck, moving further down. They kissed her chest, the tops of her breasts, eventually finding her sensitive nipples. She felt Katrina¡¯s sharp fangs against her skin, but no fear accompanied them, only tender bites that pushed Alicia into moaning aloud. Her hips were tense, and she felt a heat between her legs that she hadn¡¯t felt in years. She twitched in excitement, her body rediscovering the idea of passion. The little plant life that usually covered her body slowly receded, and the gentle autumn breeze now had access to even more sensitive parts of her. Something grew from the ground underneath her, and she instinctually began grinding against it, quietly moaning to herself as the sensations flowed through her body. The warmth of Katrina¡¯s breath returned, this time between her legs, and she imagined what the Vampire¡¯s tongue might feel like, how she might react if it tasted her.


    Without warning, the warmth surging from between her legs overtook her, and her entire body tensed with pleasure. Alicia bit her lip hard, wishing Katrina were the one biting her instead, and her moans grew louder as she experienced her first orgasm in years.


    When she opened her eyes, the daydream vanished. The warmth on her privates was just sunlight, the sensual caress traveling her body nothing more than an idle breeze. She looked down at her naked body, a sight she rarely saw, and realized that she¡¯d unconsciously grown a small vine from the ground beneath her. It had curled up next to her sex, and grinding against it had given her the pleasure she¡¯d apparently wanted. When she looked to the sky, she saw the sun had moved more than expected; she¡¯d likely just spent hours taking care of herself.


    Alicia immediately blushed with shame. She had nothing against masturbation, but she hadn¡¯t bothered seeking out that kind of pleasure in years. Had being close to Katrina really unearthed that part of her? Was she now some horny teenager, desperately wishing she could hook up with the first girl to pay attention to her?


    She regrew her usual outfit, her privates once again covered, and pulled her legs from the water.


    I just need to get back to work, right? I¡¯ll check my forum posts, clock in at ORC, and give myself something to focus on. This was just a fluke, an idle fancy, nothing more. Once I¡¯m in my room, at my desk, I can focus on what¡¯s important. Katrina is just a friend, helping me learn about delving. She¡¯s so excited for this, I get to give her real delving experience! Maybe, as thanks, she¡¯ll delve underneath my desk and¡ª No! Bad Alicia! Why am I like this?!


    Returning back home, Alicia managed to clock into work and start making calls. The distraction helped a little bit, but most of her efforts were spent trying to avoid picturing herself in bed with a Vampire.


    Wait, my bed was destroyed in the Change¡­ Maybe I should fix that.

 Chapter 7.2

    When Katrina woke that evening, the sunlight slowly fading, she almost forgot that she¡¯d fallen asleep next to one of Alicia¡¯s flowers. For a brief moment, she almost wondered if she¡¯d somehow shared a bed with the Dryad. Shaking her head, she sat up quickly, the events of last night coming back to her. Being so close with Alicia, holding her waist as they hugged, she almost couldn¡¯t believe how natural it had felt. The feel of Alicia¡¯s skin, the way her deep green skin blushed as she played with her hair, Katrina was almost surprised at how vividly she remembered everything.


    She didn¡¯t spare herself time to linger on those thoughts, however. Checking her phone, she saw that several people had responded to her emails and were willing to meet up for a chat. Even better, three of them had made time in their schedule tonight, which meant Katrina needed to hurry so she could catch them before they fell asleep.


    She also had a text from Alicia, thanking her for the night out. A warm smile crossed Katrina¡¯s face when she saw it, surprised at the kind gesture. The Dryad seemed oddly excited, given how close she¡¯d come to passing out on the train. It almost seemed like she¡¯d thought last night was a date, but that couldn¡¯t be right, could it? Katrina wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the message, and spent her entire early evening thinking about it.


    Grabbing her things, and a fresh ration of blood, she locked her window behind her and headed out.


    Her first scheduled appointment was with someone named Elias Lambert. He was registered as a Geomancer, which Katrina thought would be a great class to pair with Alicia¡¯s innate abilities. Elias had provided his home address, and thankfully he was far enough away from Downtown¡¯s restricted airspace that Katrina was able to fly the entire way.


    As she traveled, veering slightly south and towards the lakefront, she pulled out her phone and opened Alicia¡¯s contact. She¡¯d just remembered that she¡¯d never responded to the Dryad¡¯s earlier text, despite having read and reread it several times.


    Katrina: Glad to help! I¡¯m omw to the first potential delver, he lives out by the lake. If I schedule anything closer to you, do you want to come with?


    Alicia: Yes please!!


    Katrina: Can do :)


    When Katrina finally found Elias¡¯ neighborhood, she immediately noticed how unusual it was. From a distance, it looked like the entire subdivision had flooded, with rivers and ponds scattered all throughout the area. However, as she flew closer, she saw that all these bodies of water seemed to be manmade. They were all sharply defined, snaking through the neighborhood before eventually joining together to form a large river that connected to the lake. When she finally found Elias¡¯ house, it looked more like a boat dock than an actual residence.


    The main building was incredibly small, most likely no bigger than a tiny studio apartment. Katrina landed in front of it, found the doorbell, and announced her presence. After a few moments, a speaker above the doorbell activated, and she heard a voice come through.


    ¡°Hello?¡± the voice asked. It was masculine, but certainly sat in a higher register, and whoever was speaking sounded incredibly friendly.


    ¡°Um, hi, this is Katrina? I¡¯m looking to speak with Elias?¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s me, I¡¯m so happy you reached out. Let me get that pesky door opened for you¡­¡± Another moment passed, and the door in front of Katrina buzzed, then swung open on its own. ¡°Perfect! I¡¯m waiting inside!¡±


    Katrina hesitated for a moment, staring at the entrance with an intense sense of unease. When she realized Elias was done speaking, she cleared her throat to continue the conversation. ¡°Could you invite me in? I¡¯ve got a Status thing.¡±


    ¡°Shoot, where are my manners!¡± Elias said through the intercom. ¡°Yes, please come in.¡±


    With those last words, the sense of unease vanished, and Katrina was able to enter the house. Inside, everything was incredibly humid, and she looked around at the strange house she now found herself in. It appeared to be a single story, and the floor had been split down the center; one half of the house had a simple wooden floor, along with some chairs and a small table, while the other half essentially wasn¡¯t there. The floor gave way to open water, with a series of lights both above and under the rippling surface illuminating the environment. At the edge of the water, resting his arms on a small ledge, was presumably Elias.


    He had short, light brown hair that appeared much darker due to how wet it was. His face had delicate features that sat atop a strong jawline, and he seemed to be in the middle of attempting to grow out his facial hair.


    ¡°Elias Lambert, I presume?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Yup! And you must be Katrina, it¡¯s a pleasure to speak with you in person. I understand you¡¯re looking for unaffiliated delvers?¡±


    ¡°I am, and I appreciate you agreeing to meet me. It¡¯s¡­ not exactly something I feel comfortable sharing over email.¡± Katrina was now getting used to the humidity, and her senses were starting to smell the blood running through Elias¡¯ veins. He definitely wasn¡¯t human, and she assumed he was some kind of aquatic Race, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint which one.


    ¡°Well, I promise that whatever we discuss here won¡¯t leave this house.¡±


    ¡°So, are you familiar with how the Chicago Dungeon works?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! Each floor has a locked staircase, you need to solve a riddle and find the Key Dungeon before you can pass. I actually heard that someone just solved the riddle, and I can¡¯t help but wonder if your arrival is a coincidence.¡±


    Katrina sat down on a nearby chair, now slightly closer to eye level with her host. ¡°That¡¯s a good guess. You¡¯re right, we¡¯ve found the Key Dungeon, but we¡¯re not delvers. However, the placement of the Dungeon is¡­ sensitive, to say the least, and we don¡¯t trust the Guilds to take proper precautions.¡±


    ¡°Well, Ashes To Ashes I understand, but you also don¡¯t trust any of the others?¡± Elias said.


    ¡°We just feel it¡¯s safer to do it ourselves. We need help, though, especially since we don¡¯t have a DPS or a Healer.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, you figured that, as a Geomancer, I might be able to fill one of those roles?¡±


    Katrina nodded in agreement. ¡°That was the hope, yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be honest, this sounds like a lot of fun. I only registered as a Delver for work, so I could use my class abilities closer to the city, but delving has always been a secret fascination of mine. Though, I¡¯m getting ahead of myself, I haven¡¯t asked the most important question. Would the Key Dungeon happen to be underwater?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, it¡¯s in a deserted suburb.¡± Katrina said, assuming that bad news was on its way.


    ¡°Drat. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be of any use then.¡± Elias pushed away from the ledge, drifting further out into the water as he leaned back. At first, Katrina noticed two scars underneath his well-defined pecs, but as the rest of his body rose to the surface, she realized what he meant. The bottom half of his body had been replaced with a blueish-green fish tail, which glistened in the water as Elias did a quick spin to face her again. ¡°I¡¯m a mermaid so, without water, I¡¯m a bit useless.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fair point. We definitely don¡¯t have the resources to flood the Dungeon.¡± Katrina sighed in defeat before continuing. ¡°Is there a reason you haven¡¯t joined any of the aquatic guilds that are always exploring the lake? I hear they¡¯re pretty lax about membership commitments.¡±


    ¡°Well, like I said, I mostly registered for work. I never gave delving much thought until you reached out, but now that the idea¡¯s been floated¡­ maybe I¡¯ll look into it.¡±


    Katrina stood up, sighing in defeat. ¡°If nothing else, I appreciate you meeting with me. Enjoy your night, Elias.¡±


    ¡°Same to you! Who knows, if I end up joining a Guild maybe I¡¯ll shoot you an email!¡±


    With a small smile, Katrina excused herself and left the house. A quick search through her emails revealed her next destination, and she took to the skies as she plugged the address into her GPS. Her flight immediately began to confuse the phone, which wanted her to stick to recognizable streets and paths, but it was good enough to get her where she needed.


    Katrina: First guy was a bust, sadly. Ended up being a Mermaid, so even though he wanted to help, he couldn¡¯t.


    Alicia: Oh no! That sucks. Hope the next one goes better!


    Katrina: Shouldn¡¯t you be in bed? It¡¯s getting pretty late


    Alicia: Yeah but I need to push my schedule as late as possible so we can start delving eventually. Unless you¡¯ve discovered Vampire-strength sunblock :P


    Katrina: Alright good point


    Next on Alicia¡¯s list was a Monk by the name of Emilia Cardenas. This time, she hadn¡¯t been given a home address, but had instead been instructed to meet Emilia at her work. The GPS indicated that Emilia worked at a hospital, which caused Katrina to grow more and more nervous as she approached. If nothing else, this particular hospital seemed to be a smaller clinic, much like the one she routinely visited for her blood donations. After landing, she took a long sip of her own blood rations before steeling her nerves and heading inside.


    She immediately noticed that this clinic was larger than hers, though it still paled in comparison to the hospital downtown. Several rows of chairs were filled with people of all shapes and sizes, some of which seemed worse off than others. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like they were in an emergency room, so there weren¡¯t any truly awful injuries that might tempt Katrina¡¯s hunger. The crowds still weren¡¯t helping, but she felt confident she could get through a short conversation.


    With no idea who she was looking for, she got in line to speak to someone at the front desk. It was being run by a large Lizardfolk, though Katrina was unsure if they were Beastkin or something else entirely. Their voice was heavy, and slightly raspy, and they did their best to get through the line as quickly as possible. Nearby, in the waiting room proper, Katrina saw a large medical bag that seemed to be floating around of its own accord. Watching it for a few more seconds revealed that it was actually being carried by some kind of Pixie or Sprite, a tiny woman that seemed to be no more than four or five inches tall. Her hair was bright purple, and sparkled as if full of glitter, and she had it tied into a tight ponytail atop her head.


    The Sprite was moving from person to person, administering basic care, asking questions, and taking notes on a small notepad. As Katrina watched, a taller man with hooved feet and large antlers bumped into the Sprite, as well as the bag she was holding, and she erupted with anger.


    ¡°Hey! Watch where you¡¯re going, mister! This is a Race Clinic, so you have no excuse to be this clumsy!¡± the woman shouted.


    Katrina was amazed at how powerfully the woman¡¯s voice carried across the clinic. Before she could watch any further, she realized she was next in line, and walked up to the counter.


    ¡°Here for your blood rations?¡± the Lizardfolk asked. ¡°That¡¯s gonna be a separate counter, around to your right, and at the end of the hall.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually here to speak with Emilia? She should be expecting me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! She mentioned she had someone stopping by. Emilia! You¡¯ve got company!¡±


    The Sprite that had been buzzing around the clinic turned towards the front desk, and somehow crossed the gap in a matter of seconds. ¡°Excellent! Angie, could you hold down the fort for a sec? I¡¯m taking a fifteen.¡± Emilia set her medical bag down, then gestured for Katrina to follow her.


    ¡°I appreciate you sparing the time, I won¡¯t need long, I promise,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°Eh, a girl¡¯s gotta eat at some point, might as well knock out some business as I do,¡± Emilia said. Before they could reach the front door, however, she turned to look at a patient in the waiting room and shouted across the lobby. ¡°Hey! Jenkins! What did I say about keeping pressure on the wound? If you keep fidgeting, it¡¯s going to re-open!¡±


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    ¡°Seems like you¡¯re having a heck of a night,¡± Katrina noted.


    ¡°Nah, this is pretty slow all things considered,¡± Emilia said. She led Katrina to a small alcove nearby which housed a series of chairs and benches, all meant for Races of different sizes. The Sprite settled down on a tiny bench that looked more like a bird perch, and Katrina took a seat on a nearby chair so they were roughly at eye level. ¡°So, you¡¯re here about the job offer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, job offer? I had reached out because you¡¯re certified as a Delver, as I was hoping you might help me with a small problem we¡¯re having related to the Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, fiddlesticks, you¡¯re the Dungeon lady. I think I might have gotten my emails mixed up¡­ Might need to check that I didn¡¯t shoot down a candidate trying to apply¡­¡±


    Katrina bit her tongue in frustration, doing her best to stay calm despite the mix-up and the crowd around her. ¡°Should I assume that means you¡¯re not interested in helping us?¡±


    ¡°Look, Katrina, was it? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not interested, but life¡¯s pretty hectic right now. I registered as a Delver years ago, when I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to continue my career as a nurse. I actually helped clear out this street way back before the city was reclaimed, if you can believe it.¡±


    ¡°I must admit, I knew you were a Monk, but your size caught me by surprise.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I get that a lot, but Races like mine can pack a surprising punch with the right Class Features. Still, once I¡¯d managed to get into nursing again, I found my abilities were just as helpful for keeping the clinic running smoothly. Right now, we¡¯re facing a staff shortage, so I simply don¡¯t have the time to start jumping into Dungeons and risking my life. Really sorry for the mix up, Katrina, I promise I didn¡¯t mean to waste your time.¡±


    ¡°No, I understand. I¡¯ll let you get back to your break, and I hope you have a pleasant evening.¡±


    Katrina stood up, mentally crossing another name off her list, and floated into the skies again. The evening wasn¡¯t going well, but she tried to stay positive as she pulled up her next contact. This was her last lead of the day, and she still hadn¡¯t heard back from the other delvers she¡¯d emailed last night. She set her destination in her GPS and headed out.


    It seemed this person wanted to meet her at some kind of spa, or was it a yoga studio? Katrina wasn¡¯t entirely sure, and she didn¡¯t feel like pulling up their website to find out. The most important thing was that it wasn¡¯t downtown, and she could continue flying everywhere.


    As she approached, she saw that the building in question was surrounded by trees and greenery. A great deal of care had been put into the lot, and it appeared to have a large backyard that had been fenced off from the surrounding area. When she landed in front of the building, she snapped a picture of the front garden, then sent it to Alicia. She didn¡¯t fully understand what she was looking at, but she had a feeling the Dryad would appreciate it.


    Opening the door caused a smell bell to ring, and she immediately noticed a thin blanket of incense coating the air in the lobby. She couldn¡¯t resist coughing slightly, and before she could collect herself, she saw someone appear at the front desk. She appeared to be human, with long blonde hair that fell past her shoulders.


    ¡°Sorry about the smell, we try to keep it out of the lobby but it¡¯s certainly a challenge. What can I help you with?¡± the blonde woman asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s not actually that much, but my senses are heightened.¡± Katrina finally cleared her throat and stepped closer. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone named¡­ Burl?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! He¡¯s in back, he mentioned someone might be stopping by. Let me show you where he¡¯s at.¡±


    The woman showed Katrina to a side door that led deeper into the building. As soon as they left the lobby, the lights dimmed considerably, and they began walking past a series of small, closed rooms. Eventually, they found a larger space with a few yoga mats, as well as the incense Katrina had been smelling this whole time, but they kept walking until they entered the backyard.


    It looked considerably different from the ground. Overhead, a series of rafters held strings of lights aloft, and they cast the garden in warm, comforting light. The smell of incense faded somewhat, instead replaced by a strong floral scent that seemed to be a mixture of several different flowers scattered throughout the yard. In one corner, a small field of sand surrounded a tiny pond, and water cascaded down a series of bamboo shoots to fill it.


    In the center of the yard, sitting cross-legged on the grass, sat an incredibly large minotaur. Deep brown fur covered his legs and his head, which closely resembled that of a bull, complete with two large horns. His arms sat comfortably in his lap, and his eyes were closed as he focused on taking several deep breaths. When he finally spoke, his voice was incredibly deep.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Sandy, I really appreciate it,¡± the minotaur said.


    ¡°No problem, Burl!¡± The woman quickly turned to leave, closing the door behind her.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re Katrina, I take it?¡± Burl asked, opening his eyes.


    ¡°I am, yes. I¡¯m not interrupting anything, am I?¡±


    ¡°Not at all! I just spend most of my free time here, I much prefer it to the tiny apartment I¡¯m stuck in. We don¡¯t even have a community garden, can you believe it? I tried to petition the landlord but I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s ignoring my emails.¡±


    ¡°Typical landlord, I know the type,¡± Katrina said, clearing her throat again. ¡°So, um, I¡¯m actually here because you¡¯re a registered delver, and I was wondering if you might be able to help me out.¡±


    ¡°Right! Sorry, I tend to let my mind wander when I¡¯m here. Helps avoid distractions, prevent me from fixating on¡­ well, never mind. How can I help?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you follow Dungeon news, but I recently found the next Key Dungeon along with a friend of mine. Unfortunately, due to some¡­ complications, we don¡¯t want any of the Guilds getting inside. We¡¯re planning on clearing the Dungeon ourselves, but we need help. Since you¡¯re not affiliated with any Guilds, I was wondering if you might be interested?¡±


    ¡°A Key Dungeon! Congratulations!¡± A hearty laugh echoed through the yard before Burl continued. ¡°You¡¯re certainly right about one thing, I¡¯m not in a Guild, but there¡¯s a good reason for that. A while back, maybe a year or two? I remember all the Guilds being frustrated at a praying mantis boss in the Dungeon, he was somehow resistant to fire, you see, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember Ashes To Ashes being particularly annoyed at that one,¡± Katrina said, cutting the minotaur off to hopefully keep him on task.


    ¡°Oh, excellent! Anyways, around that time, I was getting pretty fed up with my day job. I thought I might be able to get into delving and live a more exciting life. After all, I¡¯m huge, I¡¯m a Brawler, there¡¯s got to be good money there, right? Well, since I¡¯m not a human, Ashes To Ashes conveniently decided they weren¡¯t accepting applications at the time, but I managed to get myself a trial run with another Guild. We headed into the Dungeon, and the first batch of monsters appeared, when something inside of me just snapped. All the frustration from my job, all my anger at everything I lost in the Change, suddenly I had something I could blame it all on. I managed to hold my own against that monster, but¡­ apparently, I also tried to hold my own against my fellow delvers.¡±


    Katrina listened intently, nodding along with the conversation. The mental toll of delving was well documented, and she wasn¡¯t surprised by Burl¡¯s story in the slightest. Still, she had a feeling she knew where the story was going.


    ¡°If I remember correctly,¡± Burl continued, ¡°I¡¯m on some kind of blacklist. Trust is the most important thing when you¡¯re risking your life in the Dungeon, and I¡¯d shown I wasn¡¯t trustworthy. The whole incident made me realize I need help; I found a great therapist, I started coming here to Sandy¡¯s studio. I¡¯ve spent a lot of time working through those feelings, trying to process why I got so angry. I learned that there are more productive ways to channel my rage, and I¡¯m really happy with how far I¡¯ve come.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Katrina said, ¡°it would be best if you didn¡¯t try to delve anymore?¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt. I need to avoid that life, though apparently I never took my name off the delver registry. I hate that I had to waste your time, Katrina. Your cause seems noble, but I¡¯ll have to pass.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Delving isn¡¯t for everyone, it can be pretty tough.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever tried meditation? I can tell from here how tense you are.¡±


    The question caught Katrina off guard. ¡°I haven¡¯t, actually. My tension is¡­ it¡¯s a Status thing. Not much I can do about it.¡±


    ¡°I used to think the same thing, Katrina, but I promise there¡¯s a way to work through those feelings! To channel them into something healthy!¡± Burl said, smiling wide.


    ¡°Um, sure, I¡¯ll think about it. For now, I do have somewhere to be, so¡­¡± Katrina waved goodbye, then briefly looked to the sky. She decided to not fly through the rafters, instead walking back to the lobby to leave properly. She waved goodbye to Sandy, but quickened her pace when she realized she¡¯d gotten used to the incense and could now smell the girl¡¯s blood.


    Outside, Katrina leaned against the building, repeatedly bumping her head against the wall in frustration. All three leads had been duds, and she hadn¡¯t heard back from the other people on her list yet. She opened her blood ration and drank slightly more than she should have, then packed it away again. With nothing else to do today, she figured she might as well head home.


    Lifting off the ground, she lazily flew home as she tried to think of other solutions to their problem. Worst case scenario, they would have to partner with a Guild, which would likely mean surrendering control of the delving process.


    Katrina: Third lead also fizzled out, not off to a great start


    When Katrina finally arrived home, she tossed her blood ration back in the fridge and collapsed into her computer chair. Booting up her computer, the first thing she did was email her job, explaining that she needed some time off for Status reasons. With that out of the way, she started digging through old files until she found all her old delving resources.


    A few years back, after she¡¯d managed to get her life back in order, she¡¯d extensively planned out how she might build her Class if she ever started delving. She had notes about which Features might appear at different levels, ideas for spells, as well as a huge collection of random facts about different types of monsters.


    Checking her Status, Katrina saw that all the flying had used up more of her mana than she¡¯d thought. She was still sitting at 89%, which wasn¡¯t bad considering how much flying she¡¯d been doing, but she made a note to try and be more conservative in the future. The way things were looking, her Regeneration Inspiration might be the only healing Alicia was going to get, and Katrina couldn¡¯t afford to waste mana on flying.


    The last thing she did was check her email. She didn¡¯t have high hopes, especially after how tonight had gone, and was mentally preparing herself to send out another wave of inquiries. However, much to her surprise, she found a reply waiting for her. Even better, it was from the Mage Knight.


    Her name was Tabitha, and she seemed skeptical of Katrina¡¯s request, but was willing to at least meet for a brief discussion. Even better, the caf¨¦ she wanted to meet at was in the suburbs, much closer to Alicia¡¯s house than all the other potential candidates. Katrina¡¯s frustration was quickly overtaken by another wave of excitement, both because Tabitha was willing to meet, but also because she¡¯d be able to spend more time with Alicia.


    Katrina sent one last text to Alicia, who seemed to be asleep now, with details about their meeting. She also saved all of her delving notes to her cloud, then shut down her computer and spent the rest of the night with her guitar.

 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 caf¨¦.¡± 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¡ª 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?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°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 caf¨¦, they¡¯d been walking for close to an hour, and Alicia was shocked at how fast the time had gone.


    The caf¨¦ 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 Caf¨¦ 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.

 Chapter 8.2

    Looking over, Alicia saw a tall Beastkin standing next to the table. She looked exactly like an arctic fox, with snow white fur and delicate, triangular ears atop her head. Small dashes of light gray fur highlighted her sharp nose and her bright, blue eyes. Her pants were as white as her fur, clinging tightly to her shapely, muscular legs. Her shirt was a mix of blue and gold accents, loose and billowy with open sleeves that floated down her arms. She gracefully pulled out a chair opposite them and sat down, smiling at them both.


    ¡°N-nothing really, we were just killing time. You¡¯re Tabitha Kithkin, I presume?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°The one and only!¡±


    ¡°I must say, Tabitha, this restaurant is gorgeous, and the staff seem to be quite familiar with you. Do you come here often?¡±


    Tabitha grabbed a napkin, spreading it across her lap as she listened to Katrina speak. Alicia couldn¡¯t help but notice that the Fox girl seemed to be sizing them up, her eyes quickly darting over them. She couldn¡¯t be certain, but she swore Tabitha¡¯s gaze lingered for longer than it needed to on Katrina¡¯s prominent cleavage. ¡°I¡¯m definitely a regular. The food here is amazing, and whenever fans win dates with me, I bring them here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, fans?¡± Alicia asked.


    Tabitha seemed surprised. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t¡ª never mind, I assumed you were more familiar with my¡­ chosen profession. No matter, I understand we¡¯re not here to talk about that anyways. I¡¯m curious what makes you think you can convince me to delve when every other Guild in the American Midwest has tried, and failed, countless times.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to order first? We¡¯re in no rush,¡± Katrina said. Alicia took the opportunity to look around the room and noticed that they had a fair amount of space between them and the other patrons. Katrina didn¡¯t seem to be stressing about staying in control, and that was likely why.


    ¡°Eager to try the food, right? God, it¡¯s amazing, you¡¯re going to love it,¡± Tabitha said, flagging down a waiter.


    ¡°We¡¯re actually not going to be eating tonight, our Races can¡¯t really handle food,¡± Alicia said.


    ¡°Well, shoot, then why did you agree to meet in a restaurant? Now I feel rude for making the suggestion.¡±


    Katrina spoke up next. ¡°Just trying to make a good first impression, that¡¯s all. Like I mentioned in my email, this matter is¡­ sensitive, and I figured buying you dinner might be the only way to catch a few minutes of your time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a shrewd negotiator, Katrina, I respect that. Though, I seem to have forgotten my manners, who¡¯s your girlfriend here?¡±


    Alicia¡¯s hand had, somehow, found its way to Katrina¡¯s arm again, and she quickly pulled it back. ¡°N-no, we¡¯re not¡­ we¡¯re just friends. I¡¯m Alicia!¡± She held out her hand, which Tabitha grabbed and lightly shook.


    ¡°Friends?¡± Tabitha looked at them both again, then shrugged ¡°Sure, if you say so.¡±


    At this point, the waiter arrived and interrupted the conversation. Tabitha ordered a large cut of steak, along with a bottle of wine. The waiter turned to Katrina next. ¡°And for you, ma¡¯am? We have several bottles of pig¡¯s blood, though other animals might be available if you wish.¡±


    Katrina seemed genuinely shocked by his offer, and took a moment to think of a response. ¡°N-no, I can¡¯t handle animal blood.¡±


    ¡°Ah, would you like me to check if we have any Human?¡± the waiter asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s an option?¡± Katrina asked, swallowing nervously.


    ¡°Absolutely! Let me ask the kitchen, I¡¯ll see what we have available.¡± The waiter nodded softly, then walked away from the table.


    Alicia leaned close to Katrina. ¡°Why would they have Human blood? I thought everything was being rationed out?¡±


    ¡°They can only ration out what gets donated to them. There¡¯s nothing stopping people from donating blood to private companies instead, especially if they¡¯re getting paid for it. Getting a license to sell blood costs a lot of time and money, so places that offer it always charge a ridiculous price. There¡¯s no way we can afford any, even if they have some.¡±


    As Katrina looked at Alicia, there was an obvious look of defeat in her eyes. Alicia wanted desperately to help Katrina out, but she had no idea how much human blood might cost. After learning the true nature of the Key Dungeon, she¡¯d looked through her finances to see what state they were in, and had been surprised to find a sizable amount of savings. Still, after remembering the expensive purchase that now sat in her front hallway, she was pretty sure she didn¡¯t have the money for fancy human blood.


    Tabitha cleared her throat, quickly bringing the attention back towards herself. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve ordered. I¡¯m ready to hear your pitch.¡±


    Katrina looked over to Alicia, silently asking if she wanted to share the details. The Dyrad hesitated for a moment, then nodded and began to speak. ¡°We found the Key Dungeon. It¡¯s much further away from the city than normal, and because we discovered it, we get exclusive rights to it for three weeks. However, we¡¯re not delvers.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°So you sell the rights off, happens all the time,¡± Tabitha said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. I¡¯m a Dryad, which means my life is tied to my Heart Tree. If it¡¯s damaged, I could very easily die. The Dungeon is underground, and when it opened up, huge sections of my roots were exposed. If a fight breaks out, and people get careless with their abilities¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see your problem. Need to keep Tarkowski as far away as possible. The other Guilds aren¡¯t as bad though, why not them?¡± Tabitha asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t risk it. I don¡¯t know any of them, and I won¡¯t feel comfortable unless I¡¯m down there myself. Even if they mean well, all it takes is one mistake, one second where they¡¯re forced to choose between their lives or mine.¡±


    Tabitha went silent for a moment, her eyes doing their best to stare into Alicia¡¯s soul. She leaned back, interlacing her fingers as she picked her next words. ¡°Just the two of you? What Classes are you working with?¡±


    Katrina spoke up this time. ¡°I¡¯m a Bard, Path of Magic, though I have regen buffs instead of stat buffs. Alicia is a Bulwark.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve got a Tank, and some limited heals. If I join, you get a damage class. Not a terrible team comp.¡± At this point, the waiter returned. Before he could speak up, however, Tabitha gestured for him to come closer, and she whispered something into his ear. He nodded briefly, then left without a word. ¡°Still, only three of us? Not very encouraging.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met with several other candidates, and all of them have turned me down. Well, one was interested, but he¡¯s a Mermaid, so he has no way to travel outside of water.¡±


    ¡°Can I be forward for a moment?¡± Tabitha locked eyes with Katrina, her gaze intense. Kat nodded, and Tabitha continued speaking. ¡°You¡¯re a Vampire. How do I know I can trust you? It¡¯s plain as day that the blood shortage is making your life difficult. What happens if we¡¯re down in the Dungeon, and I get hurt?¡±


    ¡°I can handle myself,¡± Katrina said, her voice tense. ¡°Plus, Alicia helps. She doesn¡¯t have blood, and knows how to keep me distracted if things get hectic.¡±


    ¡°Of course, because you¡¯re such good friends,¡± Tabitha said, chuckling to herself. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got a confession to make. I like to push people¡¯s buttons, I love figuring out what makes everyone tick, and it means I¡¯m great at my job. Tell me, Katrina; have you ever considered being a cam girl? You¡¯ve certainly got the body for it.¡±


    The question surprised both Katrina and Alicia. Kat began coughing, and thankfully her lack of a drink spared the table a spit take. Alicia, on the other hand, began blushing profusely at the thought of the Vampire slowly taking off her clothes, doing everything she could to seduce whoever might be watching.


    ¡°What? No!¡± Katrina said. ¡°I have nothing but respect for sex workers, and I¡¯m legitimately thrilled everything is legal now, but I¡¯m far too shy for something like that. Should I assume that¡¯s your line of work?¡±


    ¡°It is! I happen to love what I do, and I completely understand where you¡¯re coming from. Now, cards on the table, I registered as a Delver because I had a very wealthy patron that wanted me to. He paid for everything, even bought me some equipment, and he frequently asked me to roleplay as a lost Delver, trapped and alone, in need of a big strong man to come rescue me. Although, sometimes the monsters got me, and that¡¯s when the really fun toys would come out¡­ but I digress, I¡¯m losing my train of thought. What I mean to say is that I enjoy my work, and delving puts me at risk of serious injury, if not worse. The rewards of delving never seemed worth it, in my opinion, but¡­ you¡¯re not in this for the money. You need to save a life, and that¡¯s a wonderfully romantic idea.¡± As Tabitha spoke, it almost seemed like she was speaking to herself as much as Katrina.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°Assurances? Money?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, what I treasure most is novelty. I can¡¯t deny, delving would be something new, a change of pace. I wonder¡­¡± Tabitha paused again, tapping the side of her snout as she thought to herself. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help on one condition. You do something for me in exchange.¡±


    Katrina seemed suspicious, but clearly wanted to accept the offer. ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t know yet. I¡¯ve got a few ideas floating around, but I don¡¯t know which would be more fun. If you¡¯re willing to give me a blank check, I¡¯ll join your little adventuring party.¡±


    ¡°Is this blank check from me, or Alicia?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Both. A favor from each of you, to be discussed later.¡± A devious grin appeared on Tabitha¡¯s face, and she eagerly looked between both girls.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Alicia said. ¡°No price is too high.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, Katrina spoke up next. ¡°I guess I¡¯m in as well. A blank check from each of us.¡±


    Tabitha clapped her hands together, beaming in exuberance. ¡°Perfect! Oh, this is so exciting! Just in time too, looks like the food is here.¡±


    Katrina pulled her hands off the table, watching as the waiter set down a plate of food in front of Tabitha. He also had three glasses, one of which landed in front of each girl. He filled Alicia¡¯s glass with water, and Tabitha¡¯s with wine. He then reached for another bottle, one that looked quite different from the wine, and poured a drink for Katrina. She nervously reached for the glass, bringing it close and smelling it.


    ¡°Tabitha, this is¡­ what did you tell them? We can¡¯t afford this,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°It¡¯s on me, love. After all, we need to toast in celebration, don¡¯t we?¡±


    Katrina hesitated. ¡°I-I don¡¯t¡­ normally drink in public¡­¡±


    Tabitha said nothing this time. She held her glass up, her expectations obvious, and simply stared at the Vampire. Katrina looked back to Alicia, who reached out and squeezed her arm gently in reassurance.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Kat, it¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯m here with you,¡± Alicia said softly.


    With one final sigh, Katrina raised her glass, and all three girls toasted to their new partnership. Tabitha happily downed about half her glass, while Alicia set her water down and sank her fingers inside the glass. Small roots pushed out from her fingertips, eagerly absorbing the water, and she looked to Katrina next.


    The Vampire brought the glass of blood to her lips and began to drink. Alicia watched the blood pour into her mouth, cascading over her beautiful lips, and wondered again what they might feel like on her skin. As Katrina drank, her skin seemed to glow with newfound strength and vitality. Her eyes were closed in appreciation, and Alicia swore she heard Katrina¡¯s breath quicken as she finished the glass. She lowered the glass slightly, opening her eyes, and Alicia couldn¡¯t help but stare at the deep, glowing irises that she saw. Before setting the glass down, Katrina slowly licked the edge of the glass, eagerly searching for the last few drops. Alicia¡¯s eyes were glued to Katrina¡¯s tongue the whole time.


    ¡°Now that,¡± Tabitha said, ¡°was hot. If that¡¯s how you drink blood, I can only imagine how you¡¯d look doing other things¡­¡±


    Katrina immediately snapped out of her moment of bliss, blushing intensely at Tabitha¡¯s innuendo. ¡°I, um¡­ thanks for the glass, Tabitha. It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve had that much at once.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, the pleasure was all mine,¡± the Fox girl said. ¡°Now, I¡¯d love to hear more about what¡¯s going on, why don¡¯t you tell me everything while I dig in.¡±

 Chapter 8.3

    When the group finally left Caf¨¦ Laurent an hour later, Katrina happily led the trio outside. Alicia seemed to be in good spirits, but Katrina could tell that being inside had been draining her stamina. The Dryad started leaning on her again, and just like the last few times, Katrina was surprised at how natural it felt.


    ¡°So, you both have my number,¡± Tabitha said, ¡°keep me updated on what our next steps are going to be.¡±


    Katrina nodded and spoke up first. ¡°Absolutely! We¡¯ll hammer out the details and let you know.¡±


    ¡°It was wonderful meeting you, Tabitha,¡± Alicia said, holding out her hand. ¡°I really appreciate you doing this, it means the world.¡±


    Tabitha bypassed the request for a handshake entirely instead grabbing Alicia¡¯s wrist and pulling her in for a full-bodied hug. She squeezed the Dryad tight, then leaned down and whispered something, but Katrina couldn¡¯t catch the details. When Alicia pulled away from the hug, she looked at the Fox girl with a strange look on her face, then briefly nodded.


    ¡°Shall we head out, Alicia? It¡¯ll be a long walk home, and it¡¯s already late.¡± Katrina held out her arm, and warmth filled her body when Alicia began leaning on her again. ¡°Thanks for everything, Tabitha. You¡¯re a real lifesaver, I promise you won¡¯t regret this!¡±


    ¡°Night you two! Don¡¯t stay up too late!¡± Tabitha chuckled to herself before heading out, leaving Katrina and Alicia alone once more.


    ¡°You got your Mage Knight, Kat!¡± Alicia smiled up at Katrina as they started walking home.


    ¡°I really did, didn¡¯t I? That girl really is something. She¡¯s super nice, but she¡¯s also got this¡­ I don¡¯t how to describe it. Intensity?¡±


    ¡°She did say she likes to push people¡¯s buttons. Though, she seemed much more interested in you than in me.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯d rather be you in that situation. She asked me to be a cam girl, can you believe it? The thought of exposing myself like that, to hundreds of people? No thank you.¡±


    ¡°She seems to enjoy it, at least.¡± Alicia briefly rested her head on Katrina¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°And I¡¯m more than happy for her, but that¡¯s just not my life. Even if the System gave me nineteen Charisma and a massive rack.¡±


    Both girls started laughing at Katrina¡¯s lewd comment, and the conversation died down for a while. Katrina was just happy to have more time with Alicia, and she was thrilled that the restaurant had required such a long walk. The suburbs had no crowds to trigger her instincts, and she was able to just relax and enjoy the company. Almost ten minutes had passed before Katrina thought of something else to say.


    ¡°Your dress really is gorgeous, by the way. How do you come up with ideas about which clothes to grow?"


    ¡°Honestly? I raided my closet looking at all my old clothes. Eventually I found my old prom dress, and it inspired me to make this.¡±


    ¡°Wow, prom. That¡¯s something I haven¡¯t thought about in ages. High school seems like a million years ago, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°How old are you, actually?¡± Alicia asked.


    ¡°Twenty-seven. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Um, twenty-four? I¡¯m not entirely sure, being a Dryad kinda messes with my sense of time.¡±


    ¡°Well, we should look up your birthday, and maybe it¡¯ll give me an excuse to get you something nice once we get our first batch of Dungeon loot.¡±


    Katrina caught Alicia blushing, and they both smiled at each other. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ you don¡¯t have to do that¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no bother, really! Anyways, I¡¯m curious, how was your prom? I never even went to mine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a long story, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Alicia, you think being all mysterious is going to make me less interested? We¡¯ve got at least a half hour before we get you back home, and I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ if you insist.¡± Alicia pushed some hair behind her ear, then continued talking. ¡°My senior prom was, honestly, a huge mess. In the weeks leading up to it, I¡¯d been dating this track star. He was sweet, attentive, and he had a flair for the dramatic. He actually asked me to prom by stealing his dad¡¯s pickup truck and driving a giant banner through our high school parking lot.¡±


    Katrina laughed at the image. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s impressive. Lucky you!¡±


    ¡°I mean, I guess? We hadn¡¯t been going out for very long, I was still figuring out if I actually liked him that much. My best friend at the time, Aiya, didn¡¯t like him at all. She actually had a habit of disliking every guy I dated, and I never fully understood why. We used to spend all our free time together, playing games, roaming around our neighborhood, just getting into trouble left and right. We always had each other¡¯s backs, and that¡¯s why I always thought it was weird that she seemed to hate my choice in partners.¡±


    Alicia shivered briefly, a cold breeze had just picked up, and she wasn¡¯t wearing much. Katrina quickly pulled off her jacket, then wrapped it around Alicia and pulled her close before she continued her story.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s prom night, everyone is super excited, all my friends are comparing dresses and bragging about what their partners got them except for Aiya. She¡¯d been single for pretty much all of high school, which had been yet another mystery I couldn¡¯t crack. Every time I asked her, she would say something vague about ¡®waiting for the right person¡¯. Once we all get to the dance, which was at this fancy hotel the school rented, all the usual stuff happens. There¡¯s music, underage drinking that the teachers weren¡¯t able to stop, and high schoolers being far too comfortable with each other on the dance floor. The DJ had just finished playing whatever the hit song that year was, and things quiet down. A soft, intimate song starts playing, and my boyfriend pulls me close so we can dance. It was nice, I was leaning on his shoulder, but after a minute, I look up and see Aiya staring at me. She looks like she¡¯s on the verge of tears, and that¡¯s when everything clicked. Always being single, always hating my boyfriends, spending all our time together¡­ I finally realized that she had a huge crush on me. She ran out, tears ruining her makeup, and I could feel my heart breaking at the sight of it all. Without even knowing it, I¡¯d fallen for her at some point too.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°So what happened?¡± Katrina was utterly engrossed, eager to hear the story to its end.


    ¡°I pushed my boyfriend to the side and ran after her. I was in heels, but she wasn¡¯t, so it took forever to catch up. By the time I found her, I was completely out of breath, and she looked at me like I was crazy. She tried to make up some stupid excuse about what she was actually mad about, but I wasn¡¯t having it. I told her how I felt, and we finally kissed once we realized we¡¯d been in love for years. We ran away from the dance, and lost our virginities to each other that night.¡±


    Katrina could feel herself welling up, she had completely lost herself in the story. ¡°Are you sure this wasn¡¯t a Lifetime movie? Alicia, that¡¯s so romantic! What happened to Aiya?¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, life. We moved in together after high school, and for a while everything was fantastic. But, after a while, we started to grow apart. I don¡¯t really know what happened, it was like I woke up one day and realized my best friend had become a stranger. We wanted different things out of life, I guess, and that was that. We broke up, I never saw her again.¡±


    A small tear formed in the corner of Alicia¡¯s eye, and Katrina reached up to brush it away. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to hear that, Alicia. I appreciate you sharing that all with me, though.¡± The girls hugged, then continued walking. Katrina couldn¡¯t think of what else to say, so they walked in silence until they found their way back to Primrose Acres. Katrina could tell that Alicia no longer needed the support, she¡¯d stopped leaning on Katrina nearly ten minutes ago, but the girls were still holding on to each other.


    As they approached Alicia¡¯s house, Katrina kept struggling to think of something to say. ¡°Well¡­ here we are. You should probably get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°It is pretty late, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alicia pulled her hands away from Katrina¡¯s arm, and she seemed to be deep in thought over something. The Dryad continued walking, and when she laid a hand on her front door handle, she paused. ¡°Actually, before I do¡­ I, um¡­ I got something for you.¡±


    ¡°You what? Seriously?¡± Katrina moved closer, waiting just outside Alicia¡¯s house with her. ¡°You know you don¡¯t owe me anything, Alicia.¡±


    ¡°No, I wanted to! C¡¯mon, let me show you!¡± The Dryad grabbed Katrina¡¯s hand, holding it tight before she opened the door and ran inside. Their grip on each other quickly severed when Katrina approached the threshold, an intense sense of unease filling her body and preventing her from entering. ¡°Kat? Oh, right! I¡¯m so sorry! Katrina, I formally invite you into my house.¡±


    Katrina sighed with relief, then stepped into the house. ¡°Thanks, Alicia. Though, there¡¯s no need to be so formal about it.¡± The girls laughed briefly, but Alicia soon turned her efforts to a large box that sat a few feet past the front door.


    ¡°Okay, this is it, but I haven¡¯t officially opened it yet. Can you help me move it onto the couch?¡±


    ¡°Alicia, this is huge! What on earth did you do?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, you¡¯ll see soon enough, just get over here!¡±


    Working together, the girls were able to move the box to the couch in the living room. Katrina took charge of opening it, her nails supernaturally tough and able to cut through most of the tape. After a few minutes of tossing cardboard and styrofoam aside, she finally saw what was inside: a beautiful, hard shell guitar case. It was made of sleek, polished wood, and had been stained to be a deep, rich red.


    ¡°Alicia, this is beautiful! Though, as much as I hate to say it, I don¡¯t know if my guitar will fit. It seems like it¡¯s been built for a different model.¡±


    Katrina looked over at Alicia, who didn¡¯t seem at all dismayed as she responded. ¡°Go ahead and open it!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you didn¡¯t, did you?¡± Katrina asked. Alicia refused to elaborate, so Katrina undid the clasps on the guitar case and opened it. Inside the case sat a brand-new guitar. Its nylon strings were fresh and taut, the wood had been immaculately molded into the perfect shape, and the tuning pegs had been polished to a mirror shine. Curiously, this guitar was shaped differently than hers; it still appeared to be a classical model, but it was more compact.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t play like, rock music, so I found a model that should work for what you like playing! It¡¯s actually meant for Bards that are Delvers, and it¡¯s been enchanted to be extra durable. After we got in that fight with the zombie, I realized that your guitar would be really easy to break in a fight.¡±


    ¡°Alicia, I¡­¡± Katrina couldn¡¯t find the strength to speak. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time anyone had done something so nice for her, yet her thoughts kept returning to one thing. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve this, Alicia. We just met, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± Alicia said, cutting Katrina off. ¡°I¡¯m sick of hearing about how I shouldn¡¯t trust you, and how you¡¯re not a good person! We haven¡¯t even known each other a week, Katrina, and yet you¡¯ve done everything in your power to help me with this stupid dungeon! You could have sold me out to the Guilds, you could have abandoned me in the city and claimed the whole thing for yourself! But instead, you guide me through Dungeon Camp, you help me keep the Guilds away, and you put yourself through Hell and back just to make sure I get home safe every night! When do you get a turn, Katrina? Why can¡¯t you just accept that I want to see you happy?¡±


    Alicia moved closer, her finger jabbing into Katrina¡¯s sternum to accentuate her point. Surprised by the sudden outburst, Katrina grabbed her hand and held on tight while she waited for the Dryad to finish.


    ¡°Well? C¡¯mon Kat, say something!¡±


    ¡°Alicia¡­¡± Katrina said, stepping closer. She looked deep into Alicia¡¯s eyes, the ambient moonlight in the room reflecting off her beautiful, green irises, and suddenly there was only one thing she wanted to do. ¡°Can I kiss you?¡±


    The Dryad¡¯s eyes went wide with shock. In a flash, all her anger completely vanished, and she threw herself forward, her arms wrapping around Katrina¡¯s shoulders. Their lips met, and both girls sighed in relief as they melted against each other. Alicia¡¯s hands pushed through Katrina¡¯s hair, holding her head as they continued kissing, and Katrina in turn pulled Alicia closer, holding her waist tight. Kissing Alicia was everything Katrina had ever imagined and then some. Her lips were soft and delicate, and her breathing grew heavy as they continued exploring each other.


    It took a few minutes for the initial excitement to fade, and Katrina finally found the strength to speak up. ¡°¡­Wow.¡± Her hands moved to Alicia¡¯s face, caressing her cheeks before cradling them softly. Their foreheads met, and she could hear Alicia breathing heavily.


    ¡°Kat, I¡­ I¡¯ve been wanting to do that since the moment I first saw you.¡± Alicia suddenly pulled away, her eyes wide again. ¡°Wait! What about that girl on your phone?¡±


    ¡°What? You mean the ginger girl?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I saw her when you gave me the flashlight, and I was scared she was like, your girlfriend or something!¡±


    The girls stared at each other for a moment before Katrina burst out laughing. ¡°Alicia, that¡¯s me. That¡¯s what I looked like before the Change!¡± She continued laughing, and eventually Alicia joined in as well. She fell forward, burying her face in Katrina¡¯s shoulder as she kept laughing.


    ¡°Oh my god, that¡¯s so embarrassing¡­ I was so scared to make a move! I kept thinking, like, there¡¯s no way someone this gorgeous doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend already!¡±


    ¡°Even though I kept telling you about my lack of a social life?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! It all seems so silly now!¡±


    Another fit of giggles infected them, and it took another few minutes for them to calm down. When Katrina spoke again, it was through a careful smile. ¡°The guitar is amazing. You¡¯re amazing. I don¡¯t know if I can convince myself that I deserve you, but¡­ I¡¯ll do my best to try.¡±


    Alicia looked up into Katrina¡¯s eyes, her soft green hands reaching to push a lock of hair back. Her hand lingered, and Katrina closed her eyes before nuzzling into Alicia¡¯s palm. ¡°Why are you so sure you¡¯re a bad person, Kat?¡± Alicia asked.


    The Vampire grew stiff again, the question reaching deep into the heart of all her fears. ¡°The Change, it¡­ I¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t bring herself to keep talking.


    ¡°Look, I know this is hard. I¡¯m not going to force you to tell me anything but¡­ I want to know. I want to be a part of your life, Kat, the good and the bad. If you don¡¯t want to talk about it tonight, I get it.¡±


    Katrina took a deep breath, though she could feel herself shaking at the thought of recounting her first year after the Change. ¡°No, you deserve to know. If we want to make this work, you should know who I am, and¡­ and what I¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Alicia asked.


    Katrina took the Dryad¡¯s hands in hers, looked her deep in the eyes, and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ll tell you what happened when I Changed.¡±

 Chapter 9.1

    Four years earlier


    Katrina¡¯s phone buzzed on her pillowcase, falling to the floor with a heavy thud. Looking over to it, she groaned in frustration, but didn¡¯t bother picking it up at the moment; she was far too distracted trying to wrangle her hair into submission. Her bright, ginger hair was incredibly curly, and unmanageably voluminous. At the moment, she was sitting in front of her vanity mirror, an industrial grade brush in one hand and a pile of hair ties in the other.


    She heavily preferred sleeping with hair tied back, but doing so required a solid half hour of annoying, painful brushing. It¡¯s not that she disliked her hair, she honestly loved its color, but she desperately wished she could find a product that would reduce how easily it mangled up.


    After another ten minutes, once her hair was mostly in check, she finally kneeled down to pick up her phone. It had gone off a couple more times since hitting the floor; apparently her friends were trying to plan one last beach trip before the weather started turning cold. After checking her calendar, and the weather forecast, she started typing a response in the group chat.


    Katrina: I¡¯m fine either weekend, but can we find a spot with lots of shade? Even with sunscreen, the sun will burn me alive if I¡¯m not careful.


    Memories of her last trip to the beach returned, and she unconsciously rubbed her shoulders as she thought about the horrible sunburn she¡¯d gotten. Despite all the hassle, it was still worth it; she was really happy she¡¯d managed to stay in touch with her college friends after they graduated. She¡¯d heard too many stories of friend groups that drifted apart after leaving school; her parents basically didn¡¯t have friends, content to watch TV all day, and Katrina wanted better for herself.


    She looked out the window, staring at her tiny corner of the Chicago skyline. She loved the night breeze, and happily left the window open all night long whenever she could. She also loved the noise of the city; it helped her sleep, and was an ever-present reminder that she was never quite alone. Growing up in the distant suburbs, she¡¯d quickly developed a distaste for the overwhelming silence and lack of activity. She¡¯d left for the city the instant she had an opportunity and had never looked back.


    Katrina plugged in her phone, then set it on the nightstand and took one last trip through the house. She made sure the lights were off, locked the front door, and then stopped in the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She always kept one on her nightstand in case she got thirsty at night, and wasn¡¯t a fan of walking through the house in the dark.


    She had almost left the kitchen when her body suddenly lurched forward. She fell to the ground, the glass shattering on impact, as pain surged through her. She had no idea what was happening, and panic set in immediately. She feared it might be a seizure, or possibly a heart attack, but she could barely think as her body flailed uncontrollably on the floor. In the chaos of the moment, she even thought she saw a flash of blue floating in the air, but it vanished as she kept crying out in pain. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and her entire body felt like it was stretching and snapping. She screamed out, desperately trying to grab something to steady herself, but recoiled when she saw her hands.


    The lights in the kitchen were off, and she wasn¡¯t even wearing her glasses, yet she could see everything in perfect detail. The hands that tried to push her up weren¡¯t her own; they were deathly pale, and their nails were far too long. When she managed to crawl to her knees, bending over and panting in exertion, a curtain of unfamiliar hair fell in front of her. It was pitch black, and perfectly straight.


    What¡¯s happening to me?!


    Somehow, Katrina found the strength to stand up, but even that proved to disorient her. The apartment almost seemed smaller, the ground further away, but she didn¡¯t have the energy to try and figure out why. In fact, she felt completely and utterly drained. When had she last eaten? Based on how she felt at the moment, it was like she¡¯d never eaten anything in her life, and she was ravenous.


    Opening her fridge, she pulled out the second half of a sandwich she¡¯d made earlier that day, and eagerly took a bite. Attempting to chew only served to further disorient her; her teeth felt wrong, somehow, like they had all switched places.


    Her confusion over her teeth, however, was immediately replaced by another shock; the sandwich was repulsive. How? The ingredients were fresh, the fridge seemed to be working, yet she wanted nothing more than to spit the food into the garbage. She tested everything in her fridge, desperate to find something to fill her stomach, and everything she tried was as horrible as her sandwich. With her body screaming at her, desperate for some unknown food, she ran back to her bedroom.


    She fell more than once, still swearing that her body had somehow grown, and managed to turn on the lights. She collapsed in front of her vanity, the chair skidding slightly as she did, and grabbed the edges of the mirror, hoping to find answers in her reflection.


    But it wasn¡¯t there.


    The mirror was completely empty, and when she pulled back in surprise, the chair behind her clearly moved in the reflection.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Katrina shouted, barely holding herself together. In a panic, she grabbed her phone and turned on the selfie camera. This time, an image appeared, and it terrified her.


    The creature in the camera had ghostly pale skin, jet black hair, and blood red eyes. She stared into the crimson irises, almost getting lost in them, before realizing that they were glowing brightly. Without fully understanding it, she could tell this creature was dangerous, but worst of all, it was her.


    Terrified, Katrina dropped her phone on the floor, and lost control of her body once more. She stumbled backwards, hoping to escape the beast she¡¯d just seen, but failed to sense how close she was to the window. She tripped, tumbling over the edge and beginning the four-story fall to the pavement below. Time seemed to freeze as she stared at her apartment, tiny and contained in that little box, and she knew she was about to die.


    Yet, time stayed frozen.


    Except it didn¡¯t. She heard horrible noises from all over the city, cars crashing and people screaming, yet she stayed perfectly still. Time hadn¡¯t frozen, she had. Somehow, she was suspended in midair, her body floating on the night breeze.


    Underneath her, another scream echoed out. Someone had burst out of her apartment building in a panic, and she watched him fall to his knees as he made it to the sidewalk. Some instinctual side of Katrina took hold, and she managed to float lower to the ground, eventually landing safely on her feet. She approached the man on the ground, still scrambling to get up, and saw that she recognized him. His name was Marco, he lived on the floor under hers, and she saw him frequently at the grocery store down the street.


    Marco made it to his feet, and he grabbed Katrina¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Please, you¡¯ve got to help me! My wife, she¡­ I don¡¯t know! I woke up and she had turned into some¡­ some monster! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, 911 isn¡¯t picking up, and I¡¯ve been hallucinating this weird, blue box thing!¡±


    Katrina gently placed her hands on Marco¡¯s arms, trying to calm him down. Before she could speak, however, a delicious smell filled her senses. It was the most glorious thing she¡¯d ever experienced, yet she couldn¡¯t identify what it was. For some reason, it almost seemed like it was coming from Marco.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s gonna be alright, let¡¯s take a deep breath, okay?¡± Katrina said, staring into Marco¡¯s eyes.


    When he stared back, something strange happened. He instantly took Katrina¡¯s advice; he took a deep breath, and his iron grip on her shoulder relaxed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ going to be alright,¡± he said, his words slow and methodic.


    Katrina¡¯s eyes briefly moved off of Marco¡¯s and she kept looking for the source of the smell. Except, it wasn¡¯t just a smell. It was an idea, a purpose, a celebration. It was a beautiful symphony of perfection, an elusive dream that she was on the verge of discovering. The sensation grew louder, overpowering every thought in her head, and she suddenly knew exactly where it was coming from. She stared at Marco¡¯s neck, the source of everything, the origin of the most rapturous overture the world had ever created.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Whatever it was, it was trapped.


    She looked back into Marco¡¯s eyes. ¡°I can help, you just need to trust me, okay?¡±


    Marco nodded, his voice quiet and distant. ¡°You can help, I trust you¡­¡±


    With a deep breath, Katrina ran her tongue over her teeth. Were they bigger? Two of them seemed unnaturally long, and felt strangely powerful. She wrapped a hand around Marco¡¯s head, pulling him close and exposing his neck. The song was right there, just underneath his skin. She just needed to free it, that would make everything right.


    Opening wide, she sank her teeth into Marco¡¯s neck. They punctured deep, releasing a heavenly river of blood, and the symphony exploded in Katrina¡¯s head. Ambrosia passed over her lips, and her body sang with delight as she tasted the most delectable cuisine the gods had ever created. She drank deep, convinced she¡¯d just unlocked the secret to life, the hidden truth that tied everything together.


    Her ears rang with the most joyous melody she¡¯d ever heard, and she was ecstatic that she¡¯d been the one to free it. It was passionate, vivacious, and bombastic, and it was all hers. The drinking continued, and the melody began to slow. It became a romantic waltz, then a passionate sonata, and before long, a powerful, thrumming dirge. Nothing that Katrina had ever experienced came remotely close to the joy of this moment, and she was on the edge of her seat as she did everything in her power to savor every last note of this performance.


    When the music ended, the deathly feeling in her stomach had somewhat abated. Her thoughts felt manageable again, and in a panic, she let go of Marco.


    Oh God, what did I do?!


    Her neighbor¡¯s body fell to the ground, completely limp. Blood ran down his neck, and Katrina raised a hand to her face. After a moment of hesitation, she ran a finger across her chin, and found it covered in that same blood. Had she really just attacked Marco?


    But¡­ the blood on her finger, it smelled so delicious. Without even thinking about it, she had moved her finger to her mouth and was eagerly sucking it clean.


    She needed more. She was so hungry.


    Somewhere in the distance, the statewide alarm system had started. Sirens blared, warning of some unknown disaster, and when Katrina looked to the skies, she saw fire on the horizon.


    Another scream filled her ears, this one not too far away. Without thinking, her body floated off the ground again, and she raced towards the source of the sound. Down an alleyway, around a corner, and suddenly she was in a small, private parking lot. Several cars had been cramped into a tiny space, likely belonging to whoever lived in this apartment complex. As she arrived, she saw someone on the ground, slowly backing away from a smoking crater in the side of the condo.


    The stranger looked over at Katrina as she landed. ¡°Stay back! I¡¯m dangerous!¡±


    Katrina looked at the crater, then back at this stranger. She was a younger woman, probably no older than thirty, and had messy light-brown hair. Her curls cascaded down to her shoulders, but at the moment, Katrina could only focus on the song she heard deep inside this stranger. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here to help. What¡¯s going on?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, stay back! This weird¡­ box told me I¡¯m a Magus? I don¡¯t know what that is, and I panicked, and then lightning jumped from my hands! Please just stay away, I don¡¯t want to hurt you!¡±


    That¡¯s the second person to mention a weird box, what¡¯s going on?


    Stepping carefully, Katrina looked deep into the eyes of this stranger. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, I can help. Why don¡¯t you tell me about this box you saw, maybe we can figure this out together.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really know. It appeared out of nowhere, and now, when I think about it, it comes back.¡± The stranger suddenly calmed down, her breath slowing as Katrina kneeled next to her. ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe. It¡¯s a bunch of boxes, it has my name, information about me, it¡¯s almost like looking at a video game status screen.¡±


    Katrina kept her eyes fixed on this woman, listening intently to her words, but also to the song buried just beneath her skin. It was calling to her, perhaps not as strongly as it had earlier, but it was there. ¡°I can help, if you let me. I can set you free.¡± She saw a strange flicker in this stranger¡¯s eyes, and they seemed to dull as the woman nodded again.


    ¡°Please¡­ please help me!¡± she whispered desperately.


    A pale hand caressed the side of the woman¡¯s face, and Katrina pulled her closer. She brushed her hair aside, exposing the tender flesh of her neck, and opened wide. With another powerful bite, she felt her teeth sink break skin, and another deluge of perfection found its freedom. This woman¡¯s song was an impassioned opera, a chorus of a thousand angels celebrating the beauty of the cosmos. The blood that passed over Katrina¡¯s lips was every bit as delicious as she remembered from moments earlier, and she could think of nothing but drinking every last drop. She shuddered with excitement, practically moaning in delight as she bit down harder. The woman gasped, whimpering in pain, and she began to struggle in Katrina¡¯s grasp.


    She tried to point her hand at Katrina, who instinctually reacted and pointed the arm elsewhere. A crackle of electricity formed around the woman¡¯s fingertips, then erupted outward, striking a nearby car.


    After the discharge, however, the stranger lost the strength to fight. Her struggles grew weaker, her gasps joining the final chorus of the music that filled Katrina¡¯s senses. Blood continued to flow from her neck, and Katrina desperately drank even deeper than last time. The void inside her had been so painful, and every drop that passed her lips chased it further away. By the time the stranger¡¯s arm fell limp to the ground, Katrina could no longer hear that rapturous music, nor the woman¡¯s heartbeat.


    Another lifeless body fell to the ground, and again Katrina felt her senses return to her.


    No! Not again! Why is this happening?!


    Guilt wracked her body, and in a panic, she flew to a nearby roof to escape the body of her latest victim. She desperately wanted answers, to know what was going on, and she remembered what the stranger had said. Something about a status screen? If she could find that, maybe she could figure out what the world was becoming.


    Katrina focused hard, trying to imagine a mystical, blue box that would tell her basic information, but nothing happened. ¡°C¡¯mon, give me something! Information! Bio! Status!¡±


    Without warning, a bright blue box filled Katrina¡¯s vision. It moved with her eyes, effectively blocking her from seeing anything else, and she didn¡¯t hesitate to read everything she could.


    ¡ª


    General Information


    Name: Katrina MacMillan


    Race: Vampire


    HP: 100%


    SP: 57%


    MP: 100%


    ¡ª


    Attributes


    STR: 11


    END: 16 (+4)


    DEX: 12


    AGI: 15 (+2)


    INT: 9


    WIS: 10


    CHA: 19 (+4)


    LCK: 10


    PER: 13 (+2)


    HLT: 15 (+4)


    ¡ª


    Racial Features


    Vampiric Curse


    Flight


    Undead Fortitude


    Enchanting Gaze


    ¡ª


    Class


    Bard - Path of Magic


    Level: 1


    Progress: 0%


    ¡ª


    Class Features


    Inspiring Performance ¨C Guitar


    Bardic Knowledge


    ¡ª


    A Vampire? I¡¯m a VAMPIRE?! Oh God, that explains so much¡­ This also explains why I can fly, but what¡¯s an Enchanting Gaze? Did I hypnotize those people into giving themselves up to me?!


    Katrina was paralyzed with fear, completely unable to process everything that had just happened. Not even an hour ago, she was planning a friendly trip to the beach, and now it felt like the entire world was collapsing around her. The emergency sirens continued blaring, and she still heard the sounds of chaos sweeping the city. Explosions, screaming, gunshots, and she had a feeling there would be more than two people dead before the end of the night.


    She curled into a ball, screaming and crying as she tried to forget the terrible things she¡¯d just done. Time ceased to matter, and she stayed there for hours, hoping beyond hope that she would wake up in the morning to find this was all a terrible dream.


    Yet, when morning came, she was still covered in other people¡¯s blood. She still had the fangs of a killer, and worst of all, she was still hungry. The warmth of day began to dawn on the city of Chicago, and just before the light found her, she remembered that she was a Vampire. Would the sun hurt her? Kill her?


    She ran to a nearby staircase, stepping inside before leaning against the wall. She started watching the light of the sun creep across the roof, the inside of the stairwell growing warmer and warmer. Katrina reached forward, nervously letting her hand pass into the light. The sunlight immediately assaulted her, not only burning her hand, but causing terrible pain across her entire body. It felt like every fiber of her being had just threatened to catch fire.


    Hadn¡¯t that weird Status box displayed how much health she had? She opened it up again and saw that just a second of sunlight had brought her HP from 100% down to 98%. What would longer exposure do?


    Maybe I deserve it. Why should I continue living after what I¡¯ve done?


    Keeping her status screen open, Katrina felt tears start falling down her face. She stood at the edge of the daylight, her thoughts consumed by the dying gasps of the two people she¡¯d attacked last night.


    No, I didn¡¯t attack them; I killed them. I¡¯m a murderer.


    With a deep breath, one that shook her body as she started openly crying again, she stepped into the sun.


    The pain was beyond description. It was the polar opposite of everything she¡¯d felt last night during her attacks. There was no music, no joy, just overwhelming, undeniable agony. Deathly silence surrounded her, only broken by the sound of her body threatening to buckle under the pain. She watched the HP value on her status rapidly drop, and knew she had only seconds left to live.


    40%.


    She couldn¡¯t be allowed to continue living, not if she had to kill to survive.


    30%.


    She thought about her family, her friends, everyone she was leaving behind.


    20%.


    They would be safer this way, right?


    10%.


    Wouldn¡¯t the world be a better place without her?


    5%.


    At the last possible second, Katrina fell backwards into the stairwell. Despite everything she believed in, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to go through with it. She was scared of who she was. Scared of what she¡¯d done. Scared of what she might do in the future. But, more than anything, she was scared of dying. No matter how much she thought she deserved it, she couldn¡¯t muster the courage to step back into the light. Once again, she hugged her knees to her chest, tears of pain mixing with tears of guilt as she cried herself to sleep.


    For better or for worse, Katrina survived the Change.

 Chapter 9.2

    Three months later


    After checking her camera to make sure her makeup had survived the flight, Katrina walked inside the bustling suburban bar. Music sprang to life around her, smoke filled her nostrils, and she took a look around. Ever since the Change, the clientele one might expect to find at a bar had shifted dramatically. Looking around, she saw mostly humanoid races: Beastfolk, Aelves, a cute Nekomata tended the bar, and of course, plenty of humans. On rare occasions, bars like this would clear out spaces in their parking lots to try and attract the more unique races, but most didn¡¯t care for the hassle.


    She¡¯d been stalking this particular neighborhood for a few days, and if all went well, tonight would be her last visit. She found a seat at the bar, one that was visible from the whole establishment, and politely turned down the Nekomata that tried to take her order.


    ¡°Status thing, I can¡¯t eat or drink,¡± Katrina said. She did, however, slide a tip across the counter anyways. ¡°Just need a place to hang out for a bit.¡±


    With a smirk, the bartender appeared content to leave her alone for the rest of the evening.


    Ready to begin, Katrina rotated her seat and leaned against the counter. Her simple, leather jacket pulled back slightly, revealing a somewhat exotic shirt that exposed both her midriff and her ample cleavage. She was still getting used to having so much to show off, but it certainly made her life a lot easier at times. She made sure to sit nice and tall, knowing that with her Charisma score, it was only a matter of time before her target approached her.


    Tonight¡¯s prey was a notorious brute, someone who used his Class to offer protection services against monsters. Of course, monsters never traveled this far from the city, and he most frequently protected people from his own anger. After a few days of following him around, Katrina had learned that he liked to pick up women by bragging about fighting for reclamation, despite never having set foot in monster-contested streets


    Just as she predicted, barely ten minutes had passed before her honey trap went off. He was some kind of canine Beastfolk, likely a wolf, with striking lines of red fur that ran across his head and tail. Likely elsewhere, too, but Katrina didn¡¯t care about that. He hiccupped as he started talking, and his breath stank of cheap beer.


    ¡°Hey good lookin¡¯, haven¡¯t seen you around here before,¡± he said, leaning against the bar next to her.


    ¡°Well, you know how it is. With the city overrun, it¡¯s hard to get home, so I¡¯m kinda floating from place to place.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, can you believe it? All those monsters? You know, I¡¯m actually helping out with a lot of that. I¡¯ve got a pretty strong Class, so it¡¯s the least I can do.¡± The Wolfkin smirked, taking another swig of his drink as he tried to check if his pickup line was working.


    It was obvious he hadn¡¯t seen any combat recently. Katrina had seen enough fighting over the last few months to develop a nose for it, which made it easy to avoid bars that actually served active combatants. The last thing she needed was a fight, after all.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, really? What Class are you?¡± Katrina asked, leaning closer as she feigned interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m, uh, a Berserker. I know I don¡¯t look it, but hey, no one got to pick their Status, right?¡±


    A practiced giggle left Katrina¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ugh, tell me about it. I¡¯m a Bard, and I have no idea where to even start with that. Am I supposed to start taking music lessons while the world is falling apart?¡±


    The Wolfkin shared a hearty laugh of his own, playfully slapping her arm as he continued to test his limits. ¡°Ha! You¡¯re a funny one, can I buy you a drink, Miss¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, where are my manners. I¡¯m Sasha, but sadly I don¡¯t drink. It¡¯s a Status thing, I got stuck as a Vampire.¡±


    ¡°A Vampire, huh? You sure you¡¯re not here looking for a different kind of drink?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, absolutely not. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard, but we can actually use pig¡¯s blood as a replacement. Plus, even if I couldn¡¯t, you¡¯re not a Human, so you¡¯d still be safe.¡± Katrina leaned closer, tracing a finger over the stranger¡¯s chest as she kept flirting with him.


    Ever since the Change, Katrina had spent hours desperately scrolling through message boards and forums to try and find other Vampires, hoping for advice on how to manage her hunger. About a month back, she¡¯d started to hear that pig¡¯s blood was a suitable replacement, and had leapt from her chair in celebration. That very night, she flew a few hours south to find an isolated farm, and had put the theory to the test.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The first taste had been terrible, but she was desperate for a solution and pushed through it. For nearly half an hour, she¡¯d fought the urge to gag and throw up, and managed to drain an entire pig. When she checked her Status afterwards, however, she¡¯d only gained a single percent of SP.


    ¡°Well, lucky me!¡± the Wolfkin said, back in the present. ¡°So, what brings you around then?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? There¡¯s so much going wrong out there, I just wanted a place to relax, to pretend that not everything is on fire. Plus, if I happen to meet someone nice¡­ I certainly wouldn¡¯t say no to some company tonight.¡± Katrina licked her lips slowly, staring deep into this stranger¡¯s eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m Jackson,¡± he said, swallowing nervously under her intense, seductive glare. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d¡­ maybe want to get out of here now, would you?¡±


    Wow, he¡¯s really pushing his luck. He¡¯s lucky he¡¯s my target tonight.


    Katrina leaned in close, her eyes still locked on Jackson¡¯s, and started whispering so that no one else could hear. ¡°Jackson, if you want to take me home tonight, then listen very carefully. You¡¯re going to whisper something dirty in my ear, I¡¯m going to throw your drink in your face, and then storm out of here in a huff. You wait ten minutes, complaining about me the whole time, then leave the bar. I¡¯ll be waiting on a bench at the park three blocks down.¡±


    She saw a familiar flicker in Jackson¡¯s eyes, then watched them dull as he fell into a suggestive trance. Her Enchanting Gaze feature was working perfectly, and even if it failed, she doubted he would turn down a chance to go home with her.


    With a slow nod, Jackson agreed, then leaned in close. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to bend you over my kitchen table, Sasha. I bet you¡¯ve never had wolf cock before, and I know you¡¯re gonna love it.¡±


    Katrina scowled at Jackson, pulling back before grabbing his drink and throwing it in his face. ¡°You pervert! I can¡¯t believe you!¡± She straightened her jacket, then hurriedly left the bar while pretending she was about to start crying. As soon as the door closed behind her, and she knew she was alone, she dropped the act.


    After a peaceful ten-minute stroll through the park, predictably enough, Jackson the Wolfkin walked right into her trap. He seemed exceptionally smug, and he spent the whole walk back to his place asking about her kinks. Did she like it rough? Did she like playing hard to get? He was convinced her little stunt in the bar was something she did for sexual pleasure, and she was more than happy to let him think that. It certainly wasn¡¯t a plot to make people think they hadn¡¯t gone home together.


    Luckily for Jackson, Katrina had discovered an unexpected benefit of the Change: she was hot. Like, really hot. Having spent most of her life as a scrawny ginger with unmanageable hair, the realization that men and women were tripping over themselves to try and sleep with her was a pleasant one. Not only did this make hunting easier, but it let her cut loose and indulge in other pleasures she¡¯d never had a chance to taste in her prior life.


    Tonight, though she¡¯d pretended to recoil at the suggestion, that meant happily letting a Beastkin bend her over a table and rail her senseless.


    Jackson was anything but an attentive lover, but thankfully Katrina didn¡¯t mind. When she¡¯d gone down on him, his grip had been far too tight, and he didn¡¯t even offer to return the favor. Once she¡¯d been introduced to the aforementioned table, she learned it had rather sharp edges. Each powerful thrust, of which there were many, jammed her hips into the table and caused it to dig deeper into her skin. It was impressive how much it hurt; she had a feeling he hadn¡¯t entirely adjusted to his new Stats yet.


    The pain, however, felt right. It was penance for everything she¡¯d done since the Change, and it was a big reason why she tried to target men like Jackson. They weren¡¯t afraid to get rough with her, and they almost never treated her like a person. To be fair, she wasn¡¯t one. She was a monster, plain and simple.


    By the time he¡¯d finished, and emptied himself deep inside her, he collapsed back into an armchair and began gasping for breath. His night was about to get much worse, as she took this opportunity to straddle him. He clearly thought she was turning out to be a nympho, but after calming him down with her Enchanting Gaze, she opened wide and let her powerful cuspids pierce his neck.


    It only took a few seconds for his soft fur to grow wet with blood. She did her best to avoid sucking hair into her mouth, silently wishing that he''d been a human. Beastkin had a different taste, one that wasn¡¯t quite as delicious, but it still helped shrink the void in her stomach.


    After drinking what seemed like enough, Katrina forced herself to pull away from Jackson. She looked down at his neck, and saw that more blood was coming out than she¡¯d anticipated. Moving her hands to his throat, she pushed down to try and stop the bleeding, hoping she could keep him alive. ¡°No, no! C¡¯mon, stay with me!¡± she whispered to herself. Seeing that her hands were doing nothing, she flew to the kitchen to grab a towel, then pushed it quickly against the Beastkin¡¯s neck.


    Despite having just fed, she could still hear the song under Jackson¡¯s fur. It was slow, melancholy, and fading fast. Katrina¡¯s heart was racing, hoping desperately to keep him alive. She hadn¡¯t wanted to kill him, just scare him a little while sneaking in a quick bite to eat. After several more moments, however, his song ended. Katrina crawled off the armchair, eyes wide, as she lost control of her breathing. Tears ran down her cheek, mixing with the fresh blood on her chin. She fell to the floor, grabbing her head as she rocked back and forth, openly weeping as the guilt from her latest kill overtook her.

 Chapter 9.3

    Six months later


    Tonight¡¯s choice of venue was somewhat different than Katrina¡¯s usual fare. Instead of a dingy, run-down dive bar somewhere far off in the suburbs, she¡¯d picked something a little nicer, close to the Guild Hall. Chicago still hadn¡¯t been fully cleared of monsters, which meant Katrina didn¡¯t feel safe enough to try getting back to her apartment. She¡¯d heard most of the monsters were stuck on the ground, but she didn¡¯t want to risk it.


    She¡¯d been couch-hopping for months, sometimes with temporary friends, sometimes in shelters, but mostly in the homes of her victims. As much as she hated to think about it, the chaos of the Change made it incredibly easy to travel around and not get caught.


    One thing she couldn¡¯t hunt for, sadly, was friendship. She was terribly lonely, and often spent her nights following news from the monster fighting community that had appeared practically overnight. In other cities, they called themselves Delvers, so Chicago followed suit, but technically no one had yet been inside the Chicago Dungeon. The various Guilds were doing their best to build a united front and take back the city street by street. They were gaining impressive ground, and many of them thought they might have the city under control by the end of the year.


    Even though Katrina had never been much of a gamer, she was fascinated by everything the System had introduced into the world. She loved learning about all the different Classes, their abilities, and seeing the unique ways Races could affect combat effectiveness. For this reason, she had started semi-frequently visiting establishments near the main Guild Hall.


    As the city was still a battleground, the Guilds had taken over a large mall in the northwest suburbs. Different guilds set up in different wings, and all the varied shop fronts made ideal spaces for everything that went into running a Guild. Enchanters had a space to practice, Alchemists had a place to set up their equipment, and the mall was even big enough for most of the larger Races to comfortably move around inside. Katrina didn¡¯t want to risk going inside, but it was nice to see the fringe elements of the community in the surrounding businesses.


    It was a cozy establishment, almost reminiscent of a fantasy tavern, but far cleaner. It was well lit, smoke-free, and served a wide variety of drinks. Katrina had chosen a small booth in the back corner, away from the rowdier customers, and was happily nursing a flask that she¡¯d filled during her last feeding.


    She let herself get lost in the various conversations happening around her. Some were talking about their last trip into the city, a few were talking about their new Level Ups, and almost everyone had something to say about their Ten. A person¡¯s Ten, Katrina had learned early on, referred to the ten different attributes that made up a person¡¯s Status. The hardest part for Katrina was trying to remember the order of the different stats; was the seventh stat Charisma or Luck? She was in the middle of trying to memorize that particular facet when someone walked onto the stage next to her.


    Well, calling it a stage would be generous. It seemed to be a pallet that someone had tried to pretty up, but it got the job done. In the few times Katrina had visited this place, she hadn¡¯t seen anyone use it, so this was an exciting new development. The person now setting up was a young human woman; she had a short, blonde pixie cut, and wore a blue, flannel button-down shirt. Her face had delicate, striking features, with piercing blue eyes and a small collection of freckles on her cheeks.


    Katrina had gotten so lost in the good looks of this girl that she¡¯d failed to notice the guitar in her hands. After pulling a chair onto the pallet, she took a few minutes to tune her instrument, and then started playing.


    It was a light melody, playful and whimsical, but it held a tinge of sadness to it. Her fingers expertly danced across the strings, and after a short introduction, she began to sing. Katrina had already been impressed by the guitar playing, but this woman¡¯s voice was otherworldly. She had incredibly range, and it seemed like she had the lung capacity of an Olympic swimmer. As her words washed over Katrina, an unusual sensation accompanied it. Her hair seemed bouncier than usual, and took on a supernatural sheen that wasn¡¯t normally present. She had a sudden urge to sit up straighter, and she swore her shirt had started shrinking.


    On closer inspection, her first assumption had been wrong; her shirt hadn¡¯t shrunk, her breasts had grown. Her cleavage was even more prominent than usual, and when Katrina finally looked around the bar, she saw that everyone had suddenly grown just a little more attractive.


    This woman was a Bard, no question about it, and her singing was giving everyone a boost to their Charisma. For the first time in nine months, Katrina almost forgot her problems, forgot everything she¡¯d done to survive. She was so enraptured by this woman¡¯s song that she simply stared for the entirety of her performance. When the music finally stopped, and Katrina shook her head to regain her senses, she realized nearly an hour had passed. She almost felt guilty, staring at this singer for so long, and she tried to hide her embarrassment by burying her face in her phone.


    ¡°Now, what did I do to catch the attention of the most beautiful girl in the building?¡±


    Katrina swallowed nervously, looking up from her phone to see the singer had walked over to her table. After a moment of awkward stammering, in which Katrina realized that, yes, the singer was talking about her, she spoke up. ¡°I, uh¡­ well, I¡¯m a Bard too, and your performance was just really good!¡±


    The woman slid into the booth across from Katrina. ¡°Y¡¯know, most people don¡¯t need to stare at the person singing just to enjoy the music. I¡¯ve played for enough crowds that I can tell when they¡¯re using the music as an excuse to look at something else.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ well¡­¡± Katrina had no idea what to say, she¡¯d never been caught ogling someone like this before.


    After a horrible few moments of tension, the singer started laughing. ¡°You haven¡¯t been able to socialize much since the Change, have you hun?¡±


    Katrina shook her head. ¡°Not really, no.¡±


    The singer held out her hand. ¡°Name''s Sera. How about you?¡±


    Another tense moment passed, and Katrina reached out to shake Sera¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m Katrina. It¡¯s¡­ good to meet you, Sera.¡±


    ¡°What brings you to these parts? You don¡¯t seem the delving type.¡± Sera asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ a little untethered at the moment. Doing a lot of drifting, and it¡¯s nice to be where the people are.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, tell me about it. The owner of this place pays me to perform, and it helps lift everyone¡¯s spirits, which I always enjoy. Plus, he gets the benefit of having a Bar where the music literally makes you more attractive.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Against all odds, Katrina found herself smiling. ¡°Between your music and the alcohol, it¡¯s a surprise this place isn¡¯t a brothel by now!¡± Both girls laughed at this, and the conversation paused for a moment afterwards.


    ¡°You know, I meant what I said earlier, by the way,¡± Sera said. Katrina had no idea what she was referring to, and tilted her head in confusion. ¡°About you being the most beautiful girl in this place.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just¡­ I had your Charisma buff on me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not on you now, hun, and I still think that. But, I have a feeling I¡¯m coming on a bit strong. You said you¡¯re a Bard? What kind?¡±


    With a sigh of relief, Katrina happily welcomed the change in conversation. ¡°Path of Magic, Guitar.¡±


    ¡°Get out of town! Really? Heck, let me grab my guitar and you can teach me a thing or two!¡± Sera had leaned closer now, her interest in Katrina more than apparent.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never actually played. Haven¡¯t had the chance since the Change hit, and all my time has been spent surviving. Doubt I could pull together the money even I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have a guitar. I could¡­ show you the ropes, if you wanted.¡± Sera¡¯s hand moved closer, and now rested on top of Katrina¡¯s. The girls looked into each other¡¯s eyes, and Katrina could feel herself giving in to this beautiful girl¡¯s suggestions.


    ¡°¡­You know what? I¡¯d like that.¡± Katrina couldn¡¯t deny that a chance to finally try out her Class sounded pretty fun.


    The blonde quickly pulled her guitar up into the booth, then opened it up. She moved next to Katrina, stealing a chair from an empty table nearby and inviting Katrina to sit in it. ¡°Alright, sit here, and I¡¯ll show you how to hold it.¡±


    Sera moved Katrina¡¯s hands, and the Vampire couldn¡¯t help but notice that she was letting her touch linger longer than she needed to. ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Now, it¡¯s nice to have something to prop your foot on, so here, use my case. Now, it¡¯s still tuned from my performance earlier, so let¡¯s work on some basics!¡±


    Over the next few hours, Sera began teaching Katrina Guitar 101. It was a slow start, initially, as Katrina had never studied music before. However, after the first fifteen minutes or so, she found that all the pieces started clicking together faster than she had expected. Without any knowledge of music theory, she seemed to have a keen ear for intonation. She began to hear melodies before they appeared, and was able to will them into existence.


    Eventually, once the basics felt familiar to her, she decided to try improvising a simple tune. The music made sense, it was already there, she was just finding a way to channel it. As soon as the melody started, and she felt truly connected with it, a bright blue pop-up appeared, eclipsing her vision.


    ¡ª


    Inspiring Performance activated!


    Choose one: HP/MP/SP


    ¡ª


    The sudden appearance of her Status made her jump, and she lost the song she¡¯d just started. ¡°Whoa!¡±


    ¡°What happened? You almost had it!¡± Sera said, leaning forward in excitement.


    ¡°My Status appeared, said I¡¯d activated a Class Feature. Does that always happen?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Oh absolutely. For Bards, it¡¯s usually Inspiring Performance. It¡¯ll also give you the chance to pick what Attribute you want to boost for your Inspiration.¡±


    Katrina tilted her head in confusion. ¡°But, I didn¡¯t see any Attributes. It asked me to pick between HP, MP, or SP. What does that mean?¡±


    Sera¡¯s eyes went wide with excitement. ¡°Katrina! That means you got assigned Regen buffs! Instead of a temporary boost to Stats, your Inspiration gives enhanced Regeneration to whatever you pick. It¡¯s a fantastic ability that makes longer delves way more viable. Well, or trips into the city, since we¡¯re still not delving yet.¡±


    The other Bard¡¯s excitement was infectious and Katrina couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Wow, I¡¯d never heard of that before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nowhere near as common, so I¡¯m not surprised.¡±


    Swallowing nervously, Katrina decided it was time to give her Inspiring Performance another shot. ¡°Well, what meter of yours needs refilling?¡±


    ¡°Mana, for sure. I just spent an hour performing, and buffing the entire bar takes a lot out of me.¡±


    With a resolute nod, Katrina tried to connect with the music again. She was ready for the pop-up this time, mentally selected MP as she started playing, then made sure to only direct the Inspiration to Sera. The two girls locked eyes, the music dancing around them, and Katrina swore Sera was moving closer with each note played.


    ¡°You know¡­ that¡¯s not the only thing I¡¯m looking to fill tonight,¡± the blonde girl said.


    ¡°I hope you mean your bed,¡± Katrina whispered back.


    ¡°Well¡­ among other things.¡±


    Sera¡¯s guitar was packed up in record time, and before Katrina had time to second guess herself, she was falling backwards into Sera¡¯s bed. The girls were making out, tearing each other¡¯s clothes off as quickly as possible. They spent the next few hours exploring each other¡¯s bodies, moaning and writhing in pleasure as they both lost count of their orgasms.


    When they finally finished, they collapsed onto each other, panting with exertion. Sera¡¯s hands traced circles around Katrina¡¯s collarbones, and they began making small talk about nothing in particular. They talked about the Change, about the weird things they¡¯d both seen and heard. Sera shared her hopes for her Class, what she wanted to do once the city was reclaimed. Katrina shared that she wanted to go back home, to try and connect with old friends, but didn¡¯t have many other plans.


    In the end, they both started talking about their own Class and Racial features. Sera was intensely curious what Features a Vampire might have, and Katrina was happy to have someone that seemed legitimately interested.


    ¡°No way, you can fly?!¡± Sera said, bouncing up and down on the bed. ¡°You¡¯ve got to take me sometime!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never tried carrying someone before, but sure, I can give it a shot.¡± Katrina laughed, then continued with her Racial Features list. ¡°Then there¡¯s Enchanting Gaze, which lets me induce minor hypnosis if I make eye contact with someone. Not sure if they figure it out eventually, though. I, uh¡­ I don¡¯t really use it.¡± Katrina felt bad lying, but she wasn¡¯t about to share all the terrible things she¡¯d done with that particular class feature.


    Sera seemed excited nonetheless. ¡°Can we try it? I bet we could have some kinky fun with it¡­¡± she said playfully.


    Though it felt a little odd, Katrina was eager to have a chance to use the ability for something nonviolent, and smiled in agreement. After a moment of thought, in which Katrina tried to think of something strange but not off-putting, she said ¡°Put an ice cube in your mouth, bark like a dog, then come here and suck on my nipples.¡±


    As expected, Sera¡¯s eyes glazed over and she nodded in agreement. She grabbed an ice cube from the glass next to the bed, put it in her mouth, and did her best impression of an excited dog. When finished, she moved to Katrina¡¯s breasts, softly biting her nipples before sucking them into her mouth. The cold from the ice cube felt nice, and Katrina moaned in appreciation. Sera teased her for a few moments, then switched to her other nipple, both girls enjoying the attention. When the ice cube finally melted, Sera sat up and paused for a moment.


    ¡°Wait, hold on. Did I just bark?¡±


    Katrina nodded, giggling softly to herself. ¡°You were such a good girl!¡±


    ¡°Oh shut up!¡± Sera said, playfully hitting Katrina with a pillow. ¡°That¡¯s a weird ability. In the moment, it felt like my idea. Even now, I can¡¯t really tell where my own thoughts ended and your suggestion began. I think it¡¯s only possible because I know exactly when it started, and what you told me to do. If I didn¡¯t know you had that ability though¡­ oof, that¡¯s a scary thought. Now I get why people hate Mesmers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we don¡¯t have to keep playing with it. Since you asked, I figured I might as well show you. But, enough about me, what about you? Any neat Class or Race features?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Katrina, I¡¯m a Human. We all get something called Human Potential, which the internet seems to think gives us better pickings of Class Features? But then I¡¯ve got a Feature called Mutable, and I have no idea what that is. As far as I can tell, it¡¯s incredibly rare, and I¡¯ve never found anything but speculation about what it¡¯s for.¡±


    ¡°First I¡¯ve heard of it, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Katrina said. She looked over to the window, and her eyes went wide as she realized the sun was dawning. ¡°Oh, shoot! It¡¯s dawn already?¡±


    ¡°That certainly explains why I¡¯m so tired. Well, among other things,¡± Sera said smirking.


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave in the sunlight, though. I hate to be a bother, but¡­ I need to crash here today. More than a couple seconds in the sun will zap my HP straight to zero.¡±


    ¡°Oh no! I have to spend all day with a beautiful woman in my bed? Ugh, truly the Change has cursed me this day¡­¡± Both girls looked at each other, starting to laugh as the room filled with the warm glow of daylight.

 Chapter 9.4

    One month later


    After their spur of the moment overnight tryst, Katrina had started living with Sera. She was thrilled to have someone in her life again, someone that cared about her, and she swore to do everything in her power to avoid hurting her. Katrina was still terrified of her Vampiric nature, and sadly having a girlfriend didn¡¯t stop her cravings.


    Roughly once a week, Katrina would take a trip down south to hunt for a meal. She made sure to never visit the same place twice, and she¡¯d gotten quite good at covering her tracks. As far as Sera knew, Katrina was simply traveling around to different farms, bleeding pigs dry to keep herself fed. She felt bad lying to Sera about this, but she had no idea how to share the actual truth about what was happening. How do you tell someone that you routinely hunt people down and drain them dry?


    Katrina was busy cleaning up the place when Sera returned from her trip to the Guild Hall. She hadn¡¯t taken any trips to the city recently, but was still offering her Inspiration services to various crafters in the area. Sera also helped with clothing, patching holes and doing her best to put together comfortable clothes for people with unique body structures.


    ¡°Kat! I¡¯m home!¡± Sera said, yelling down the hallway.


    Without making a noise, Katrina floated down the stairs and happily welcomed Sera home. After they kissed, she noticed Sera was carrying an unusual bag, one that looked fairly different from her usual totes. ¡°What¡¯s that? Gift from another crafter? More clothes to mend?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ this is something for you!¡± Sera was blushing profusely, and grabbed Katrina¡¯s hand to lead her to the kitchen. ¡°I, um¡­ don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve been keeping track, but¡­ today is our one-month anniversary!¡±


    ¡°Is it really?¡± Katrina¡¯s face turned red with shame. ¡°I¡­ wasn¡¯t really keeping track, I¡¯m sorry. You really didn¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay! I know people don¡¯t really care about the one month, and I never expect them to. It¡¯s just¡­ this last month has been really nice, and I wanted to do something to show my appreciation. To make your life a little easier.¡±


    Katrina started opening the bag, wondering what on earth Sera meant. Inside the bag, she found something that looked like a lunchbox, or possibly a small cooler. It was definitely designed to keep something cold, and Katrina slowly opened it, taking care not to make a mess of whatever might be inside. When she flipped the top open, she found a large, clear bag, filled to the brim with red liquid.


    ¡°Sera, this is¡­ what did you do?¡± Katrina asked.


    Sera held out her arm, revealing a large bandage on the inside of her elbow. ¡°I found a phlebotomist in the Guild Hall, and had them draw my blood. It¡¯s not something I can do too often, but¡­ this mean you won¡¯t need to spend all night hunting down pigs this week, right? Plus, I know you¡¯ve said human blood tastes way better, so¡­ happy monthiversary!¡±


    Without saying anything , Katrina pulled Sera close and kissed her. ¡°Sera, this is amazing. I don¡¯t even know what to say!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything! Just dig in! Apparently, they¡¯ve got these new bags that are designed for races like you, so it¡¯s just like cracking open a juice box. See, you just turn this, and presto!¡±


    Katrina¡¯s senses immediately filled with the smell of blood, the most delicious thing in all existence. Eager to steal a taste, she grabbed the pouch and took a long, slow sip. It was every bit as delicious as she¡¯d expected, if not more so. This had easily been the kindest thing that anyone had ever done for her since the Change, and she fought back a few tears that tried to fall as she drank.


    She managed to hold off on finishing everything, instead closing up the pouch and moving it to their fridge. Sera crept up behind her, hugging her tight before turning her around and kissing her deep.


    ¡°Is that what my blood tastes like? Interesting¡­ can¡¯t say I love it.¡± Sera said, giggling.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s an acquired taste I suppose. Oh! I got so distracted by your gift, I was going to show you my project I started today!¡± Katrina grabbed Sera¡¯s hand, leading her up the stairs.


    ¡°Oh? What have you been up to?¡±


    ¡°Nothing crazy, but I just wanted to show you the alterations I made for that Lizardfolk outfit you were working on.¡± Katrina had been learning to sew in an attempt to help Sera out, and she was rather proud of the skills she¡¯d picked up. Surprisingly, her Bardic Knowledge Feature made learning everything easier, not just music.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯m actually supposed to have that out by the end of the week, so that¡¯s honestly a huge help.¡±


    Katrina picked up the outfit, showing everything she¡¯d changed to Sera. ¡°So, I figure adding the extra fabric here will make it chafe less on his tail, and then over here, I added¡ª Ow!¡± In the middle of turning the garment around, Katrina had accidentally pricked a finger on one of the sewing needles.


    ¡°Hey, watch yourself Kat. I know this isn¡¯t delving, but you still have to be careful. Here, let me take a look.¡± Sera took Katrina¡¯s hand in her own, turning it to look at the pin prick. A small droplet of blood had formed, and an idea seemed to form in Sera¡¯s head. She moved Katrina¡¯s hand closer, pulling her finger into her mouth, and slowly ran her tongue over the Vampire¡¯s finger. It felt nice, though it made Katrina wonder if Sera had plans to drag her into bed afterwards.


    ¡°You sure that¡¯s safe, Sera? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve had my blood tested recently.¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve heard that most Races have fairly Human standard blood anyways. Little tweaks here and there, and I think there¡¯s a new blood type? But otherwise nothing crazy. Besides, you¡¯ve had mine, right? Now we¡¯re bound by blood!¡±


    The girls smiled at each other, and Sera began moving in for a kiss. Before their lips met, however, Sera winced in pain and pulled back. The pain seemed to grow worse and worse, and within seconds she was writhing in pain on the ground. ¡°Sera! What¡¯s happening?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª AAGH!!¡±


    Katrina watched in horror as Sera¡¯s body began to change and contort. Her limbs groaned and stretched, and her tanned complexion began to grow pale. As she screamed out in pain, Katrina saw her cuspids elongate, growing to a horrifying, supernatural point that mirrored Katrina¡¯s own. There was no mistaking what was happening, and when Sera¡¯s eyes opened again, they were blood red.


    ¡°Kat! What''s happening?!¡± Sera screamed.


    Falling to the floor, memories of the night of the Change flooded Katrina¡¯s mind. The horrifying pain, the overwhelming hunger that had driven her to become a murderer. The worst thing that had ever happened to her, and it was now repeating itself with Sera.


    Sera¡¯s convulsing began to slow, and a terrible growl left her throat. She tried to crawl closer, but it was clear she was still in horrible pain. ¡°Kat¡­ why?? Why did you do this to me?!¡±


    ¡°No! I didn¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening!¡±


    Katrina moved closer, reaching out to try and help, but her hand was knocked away. Sera''s transformation was now slowing, likely almost finished, and Katrina could tell that Sera was already much stronger. Her pallid fingers now had sharpened nails, and she lashed out at Katrina, who failed to react in time. Sera slashed at Katrina, her new nails drawing blood as they raked across her arm.


    With another horrible growl, Sera brought the blood to her mouth and tasted it. "Hungry... so... hungry!"


    "Sera, please, let me help you!"


    "No! Get away!" Sera said, jumping to her feet. She pushed Katrina down to the floor, jumping over her and running for the front door. When she grabbed the handle, she didn''t just open the door, she completely ripped it off its hinges. The moonlight hit her body, casting a shadow towards Katrina, who flew down the stairs to try and stop Sera from turning into a killer.


    "I know what you''re going through! Please!" Katrina again reached out for Sera, who spun and shoved Katrina against a wall.


    "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sera screamed. "JUST LEAVE!!"


    Sera''s face was warped, distorted by anger, hunger, and betrayal. Tears clung to her face, the last remnants of Sera''s humanity, and Katrina felt her heart shatter as she saw everything Sera had become. With another guttural growl, Sera ran out the front door, leaving Katrina alone. In a panic, Katrina flew out the front door, trying to get as far away from Sera as she could. She flew for hours, crying the whole way, barely able to see where she was going.


    Why does this keep happening to me?! Why did I think I could live a normal life? I was foolish enough to try, and now Sera is¡­ now she¡¯s a monster, just like me. Everywhere I go, everything I touch, I ruin. How many lives am I going to destroy?


    ¡ª


    Eight months later. One year and six months Post-Change.


    Katrina flew out her window, the cool night air filling her senses. There was no joy in flying like there used to be, and she had no idea how she managed to get out of bed each day. She felt every bit as dead inside as the System had made her.


    Six months ago, on the anniversary of the Change, Katrina had once again tried to summon the strength to step into the daylight. Just like on that fateful night, however, she stopped herself at the last possible second. This time, she¡¯d gotten her HP down to 3%. She was still convinced the world would be a better place without her, but she had no idea how to continue.


    The news, however, had begun promising a way out. A way for her to escape the eternal torture that was her own existence. She continued flying, eventually finding a small medical clinic just a few blocks away from her house. The doors opened for her, and her nails dug into her arms as she squeezed herself tight. She didn¡¯t want to get her hopes up, she was so sure something would go wrong again. After all, she ruined everything she touched, right?


    She pushed aside thoughts of Sera, thoughts of all her victims, and approached the counter. Her body was shaking, and she was having trouble thinking straight, as she hadn¡¯t eaten in far too long. She barely even noticed when someone approached the window from the other side.


    A solid pane of magically reinforced glass separated them, and Katrina was thankful for that. The man in front of her was Human, probably in his twenties, with short blonde hair and grayish-blue eyes. His look was full of pity, or possibly sorrow? Katrina was having trouble reading people, she was so hungry. She grabbed the counter, squeezing it tight as she fought to stay in control.


    ¡°I, um¡­ I heard you have¡­ blood?¡± she asked quietly.


    The man behind the glass nodded. A soft smile appeared on his face, and he spoke in calm, comforting tones. ¡°We do. I can help you set up a donor card, and we even have coolers for first-timers. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Katrina¡¯s voice shook as she spoke, scared to believe him. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Katrina.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Katrina, my name¡¯s Dennis. How about we get you set up, and you¡¯ll have a fresh set of rations in just a few minutes.¡±

 Chapter 10.1

    ¡°¡ªand, with the rations, I was finally able to settle down. Each day was no longer a battle to survive, but after a year and a half of hunting, I had no idea who I was anymore.¡±


    Both girls were sitting on the couch, holding each other¡¯s hands. Alicia had her legs pulled up underneath her, and had quietly listened as Katrina shared what her Change had been like. She¡¯d wanted so badly to speak up, to try and offer comfort, but she could tell how hard it was for Katrina to recount everything that had happened. In the end, Alicia had opted to stay silent, to let Katrina speak until she¡¯d shared everything.


    ¡°Even with the rations, it was still incredibly difficult. I get enough to survive, but never enough to feel sated. I¡¯m constantly battling my hunger, suppressing the urge to sink my teeth into everyone I see.¡± Katrina paused again, wiping a tear from her face. ¡°Every year, without fail, on the anniversary of the change¡­ I stay up until morning, and I sit in the stairwell on my roof. I stare at the sunlight, wondering if this time I¡¯ll actually do it. I always want to, more than anything, but¡­ obviously it¡¯s never happened.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Alicia said, cupping Katrina¡¯s face, encouraging her to look up. ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re here, Kat. You¡¯ve made my life so much better, so much brighter, and you¡¯ve given me a chance to fight for myself.¡±


    Katrina leaned forward, the girls touching foreheads as they held each other. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke up again. ¡°I¡¯ve never told this to anyone. I never thought I would find someone that I trusted enough.¡±


    ¡°Not even Sera?¡± Alicia asked.


    ¡°No. I was still hunting when we were together, and I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of ruining what we had, which¡­ ended up happening anyways.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what happened to her?¡±


    Katrina shook her head. ¡°No idea. She was so angry, so hurt by what had happened¡­ I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of facing her again. Does that make me a coward?¡±


    ¡°Kat¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something I can decide for you.¡± Alicia brushed a tear off Katrina¡¯s cheek before continuing. ¡°All I know is that, right now, you¡¯re trying to be better. You haven¡¯t attacked anyone in more than two years, and I think that¡¯s amazing.¡±


    Alicia pulled Katrina closer, hugging her tight before kissing her forehead. She felt Katrina¡¯s arms squeeze her tight, and she buried her face into Alicia¡¯s shoulder. Her body started shaking, tears running down her cheeks as she began to cry. Alicia held her, brushing her hair out of the way and she did everything she could to comfort the Vampire.


    After nearly half an hour, Katrina¡¯s breathing calmed, and she stopped crying. Without saying anything, Alicia leaned back, lying down on the couch and pulling Katrina with her. Neither had anything more to say, and eventually they both fell asleep.


    ¡ª


    As usual, Alicia woke at the crack of dawn. Though initially confused, as she hadn¡¯t fallen asleep in her tree, she couldn¡¯t help but smile when she found Katrina still in her arms. She was surprised the Vampire had actually stayed asleep, and wondered if the stress of sharing her past had simply drained her.


    After a few minutes of appreciating how Katrina¡¯s body felt against hers, Alicia saw rays of sunlight start to filter into her house. Panic set in, and she removed herself from the couch as quickly as she could. Miraculously, Katrina managed to stay asleep the whole time, and Alicia gently placed a blanket over the Vampire as she got to work.


    Walking outside, Alicia expanded her senses, reaching into the ground just in front of her house. Vines sprouted, creeping up the large bay window until they¡¯d reached the second story. As they grew, heavy leaves began to emerge as well, working together to form a heavy blanket of greenery that covered the window. With that finished, Alicia let herself take a few minutes to nitpick over details; she added a few flowers, some smaller vines with cute blossoms, just minor details to keep her inner botanist happy.


    A quick trip inside revealed that her plan had worked perfectly. The living room, while not pitch black, was easily dark enough for Katrina to sleep safely.


    The matter at hand resolved, Alicia took a seat on the floor. She was in no rush to start her day, and this was her first chance to start unpacking everything that had happened last night. A fancy date, a new delver, and her first kiss with Katrina. She could still feel herself blushing when she thought back to that moment, it had been such a surprise.


    Of course, then Katrina had finally opened up about her past. On the one hand, Alicia was ecstatic that Katrina trusted her enough to share everything, but on the other, it was hard to deny that Katrina¡¯s history had been significantly more harrowing than she¡¯d expected.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Much like Katrina, Alicia wasn¡¯t entirely sure who she was, and what the rules of this new world were. She always knew the Change had been chaotic, she repeated the stats often enough at work, and her own neighborhood had been trashed the night of the Change, but it was hard to escape the nagging feeling that she¡¯d been extraordinarily lucky. The carnage hadn¡¯t hurt her, or her Heart Tree, and her Race was an incredibly peaceful one. She had no violent urges, and she had access to free food so long as the sun continued shining.


    How many demons had hurt people during the Change? Most of the carnage Alicia had seen that night had been the result of a huge Rage Demon picking a fight with a Dragon. Their fight had been terrifying, and it had only gotten worse as people around the neighborhood started discovering their powers, using them to try and protect themselves.


    Alicia had been terrified, but the danger had evaded her. The fighting had stayed away from her tree, and the more dangerous individuals had quickly left the neighborhood afterwards. It had been easy to feel secure in isolation, to welcome the loneliness with open arms if it meant an escape from the horrors of that night. Thinking back on it, most of her first month after the Change had been spent hiding in her tree, jumping nervously at any sign of life.


    Shaking her head, Alicia realized she was now watching Katrina sleep. Not wanting to be a creep, she walked back outside and started her morning routine. Visiting plants, watering flowers, dipping her feet in the stream and enjoying the sunlight.


    As her roots sank into the soft riverbed, and the warmth of the sun began to revitalize her, her thoughts continued racing. She recalled the first moment she met Katrina, when she¡¯d realized she was a Vampire. There had been a tiny flash of fear, possibly a remnant of the human part of Alicia, but the moment had passed quickly.


    She didn¡¯t choose to become a Vampire. The System forced it on her, forced her into a situation where she had to hunt to survive. That could have easily been me, there¡¯s no reason I didn¡¯t turn into a Vampire, or a Demon, or any one of the hundreds of races that can so easily spread chaos in their wake.


    The more she thought about it, the more she believed that Katrina was a good person. She wanted to be a part of her life, to see her grow and overcome this part of her. With her job at ORC, she even made decent money; maybe she¡¯d be able to start purchasing blood on a reliable schedule. Katrina made her happy, and she was determined to return the favor.


    An idea crossed Alicia¡¯s mind, and she opened her eyes. It was still morning, but the sun was now high in the sky; Katrina would likely still be asleep for many more hours. Leaning forward, Alicia focused on the ground on the other side of the river. The sides of the river had been almost completely cleared of concrete, and a healthy patch of dirt stood waiting for her. With a deep breath, she connected with one of her Racial Features, Seeds of Life, and got to work.


    Alicia had learned early on that this particular Feature allowed her to create almost any plant she desired, no seeds required. When used in combination with another Feature, One With Nature, she was able to grow and control the plant life around her to an incredible degree. At first, she¡¯d tried to fill her lawn with every possible variety of unique, colorful flowers, but had quickly learned that her magic had limits. Sure, she could grow anything she wanted, but if she stopped concentrating, they would default to normal behavior. If they didn¡¯t have water, or if there were any other of a million different problems, the plants would die. This had led her to mostly rely on mundane gardening, using her abilities only to start new growths. Alicia had always grown plants that she knew existed, as they were easy to research, but now she wondered if she could create something new.


    On the other side of the river, something began to grow. She tried to be careful, to move slowly so she could understand exactly what she was doing. Small bulbs formed, and then a series of lush, vibrant green stems. They reached for the sky, small leaves forming, then hints of a flower. The buds stayed closed at first, but soon opened to reveal deep, crimson petals. Several large, stronger petals grew wide, and additional smaller petals grew underneath that canopy, almost resembling drops of blood.


    When Alicia finished, this new plant had clearly been inspired by Blood Orchids, but had grown into something heartier. She shook her own roots free, crossing the river to inspect her work. She leaned close, breathing in the smell, and her senses were overcome with a dull, metallic scent; exactly what she¡¯d wanted.


    To finish her project, she grew a small collection of thick bark, formed it into a makeshift vase, and filled it with water. She took her new flower, carefully dislodged it, and set it inside the vase.


    With a sigh of relief, she leaned back, stretching her arms high into the sky. When she opened her eyes to look around, she saw the sun had changed positions again. By her calculations, she had just spent roughly 4 hours growing this plant. Thankfully, there was still plenty of time left to deliver her present. She picked up her new flower and began walking back home.


    Katrina was still asleep, though it looked like she¡¯d turned onto her side at some point. With each breath, her chest would rise and fall, and Alicia had to stop herself from getting lost in the Vampire¡¯s beauty. She instead left the flowers on the ground, in front of the guitar she¡¯d bought Katrina, and left.


    Alicia spent the rest of her day wandering her house. She barely spent any time inside, and decided she wanted to clean it up for Katrina. After all, there was a chance she might be spending more time here, and Alicia wanted to make a good impression. She did her best to wipe away all the dust, pack up all the clutter, and clean the heavy amount of dirt that she¡¯d tracked in over the years. By the time the sun had started setting, the house was far from perfect, but Alicia was pleased with her results.

 Chapter 10.2

    At first, Katrina thought she was still dreaming. A strange scent had filled her senses, one with a heavy metallic tinge, eerily similar to the iron that filled the blood of Humans. She didn¡¯t recognize the bed she was currently sleeping on, and when she opened her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar room.


    It only took a few seconds to come to her senses. She remembered meeting with Tabitha, convincing her to join, then walking Alicia home. Hearing Alicia talk about her high school prom, receiving definitive proof that, yes, she was into girls. Being surprised with a new guitar, one that could not have come cheap. Alicia growing upset, desperately wanting Katrina to accept the gift without fussing.


    Finally giving in to her feelings, asking Alicia for a kiss.


    Katrina blushed, emotions welling up as she remembered how wonderful their first kiss had been. She had wanted to stay there forever, wrapped up in Alicia¡¯s arms, enjoying the feel of their bodies intertwined as they slowly kissed each other.


    There had been fear, worry that Alicia might not feel the same if she knew what Katrina had done in the past. For the first time in her life, desperate for companionship, to truly connect with someone, Katrina had shared everything that happened after the Change, after she¡¯d turned into a Vampire.


    I must have cried myself to sleep, I don¡¯t remember much after I finished sharing everything. But, Alicia¡¯s not here. Did I scare her off? Is my past too much for her?


    Katrina sat up, rubbing her eyes as she tried to shake the sleep from her body. When she felt more alert, she began looking around in earnest, and that¡¯s when she saw the source of the strange smell. On the floor, next to the guitar Alicia had bought, was a wooden vase filled with a flower Katrina had never seen before. She moved closer, sinking to her knees, and breathed in the strange scent.


    Somehow, through some miracle Katrina didn¡¯t understand, the flowers smelled almost exactly like Human blood. There were subtle differences, much the same way that a store-bought perfume would differ from its source of inspiration, but beautiful nonetheless. In the petals of this flower sat a small, handwritten note.


    ¡°Morning sleepyhead! Come find me when you wake up <3 - Alicia¡±


    Katrina read the note again, then a third time, then a dozen more. She almost couldn¡¯t believe what this meant, but deep down, she knew it was something she¡¯d always wanted.


    She didn¡¯t leave¡­ I told her everything, and she still wants to stay with me.


    The flower petals underneath Katrina began to twitch, bobbing slightly under the weight of the tears that fell on them. It took several more minutes for her to pull herself together, but once she did, she stood up and left the house.


    Outside, the moon was bright. It covered the quiet neighborhood with its silvery glow, and Katrina was struck by how quiet it was out here. She¡¯d gotten so used to sleeping at home, surrounded by the city, it almost reminded her of her childhood. She¡¯d grown up in the suburbs, away from the hustle and bustle of Chicago, and had hated it for years. Now, though, as she looked around at Alicia¡¯s home, something felt right.


    A breeze traveled through the branches of Alicia¡¯s Heart Tree, shaking loose another flurry of cherry blossom petals. When Katrina turned to look at the tree, and its impressive branches dancing in the wind, she finally saw Alicia.


    Her dark green hair floated on the breeze, pink blossoms periodically growing like small hairpins. Her verdant eyes turned towards Katrina, and the girls looked at each other in silence. With a smile, Katrina floated off the ground and moved closer, wiping a tear off her cheek as she landed in Alicia¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Alicia¡­ you¡¯re still here,¡± Katrina whispered.


    ¡°I would never leave you, Kat.¡± Alicia hugged her tight, their heads resting on each other¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, and what happened isn¡¯t your fault. I want to see the person you become, to help you figure out who you want to be.¡±


    Katrina pushed Alicia¡¯s hair aside, leaning in to kiss her again. Her lips were incredibly soft, and Katrina¡¯s hand slowly moved down her back as they pulled each other closer. Their lips danced back and forth; their breath heavy as they lost themselves to the moment. When they finally pulled themselves apart, Katrina spoke up again, her voice almost cracking with emotion.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    They continued leaning against each other, the only noise a gentle breeze racing through the suburb. Eventually, Katrina¡¯s breathing grew softer, and she felt more in control of herself. She opened her eyes, looking deep into Alicia¡¯s vibrant green eyes, and smiled.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Plus, leaving would be pretty awkward, since this is my house,¡± Alicia said quietly.


    After a brief moment of surprise, Katrina burst out laughing. It was the perfect release, a way to shake loose all the anxiety of sharing her past with Alicia. Soon enough, both girls were laughing, their hands interlacing as they turned to the road and started walking.


    When the laughter broke, Katrina wiped the tears of joy from her face and sighed with content. ¡°Wow, I needed that. The flowers were incredible, by the way, I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before. What are they?¡±


    Alicia squeezed Katrina¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°They¡¯re new! I just made them up today, while you were sleeping. The smell didn¡¯t¡­ trigger anything, did it?¡±


    ¡°I was a little confused when I woke up, but that was it. I think, on some level, my body knows it¡¯s not real blood.¡±


    ¡°How did you sleep? I have no idea how comfy that couch is, I never use it anymore.¡±


    ¡°It was really nice, actually. My bed at home isn¡¯t all that special, and I can get comfy almost anywhere. Though¡­ it was certainly more comfortable with you in it.¡± Katrina felt herself blushing as she spoke, and she was pretty sure she saw Alicia do the same.


    ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t stay¡­ For better or worse, you¡¯re nocturnal and I¡¯m not. My body is always going to try and wake with the sun. Though, thankfully that let me block out the windows so you wouldn¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Alicia. I don¡¯t know how I got so lucky.¡± Katrina leaned closer, kissing the Dryad on the cheek as they kept walking.


    They wandered the neighborhood for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other¡¯s company, before Alicia spoke up again. ¡°So¡­ should we talk about us? About what we want this to be?¡±


    Katrina paused for a moment, thinking over her words. ¡°Well¡­ I really like you. I want us to be partners, and I have a feeling you feel the same.¡±


    Alicia nodded, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. ¡°Yes! I would be honored to be your girlfriend!¡±


    They both laughed, kissing again before Katrina continued. ¡°I do think I¡¯d like to wait a little bit before we, um¡­ get physical, if that¡¯s okay? I¡¯m not sure how long, but¡­ well, you heard. For a while, sex was something I used to hunt, but also as a way to self-harm, and I want our first time to be better than that.¡±


    ¡°Kat, I haven¡¯t had sex in close to four and a half years, I think I can wait a little longer." Alicia paused for a moment, then added, ¡°So long as I get to keep kissing you.¡±


    Katrina laughed. ¡°Whenever you want, Alicia.¡±


    After yet another kiss, this one lingering for even longer, they resumed their walk. ¡°Although¡­ cards on the table, I did masturbate for the first time in years the other day¡­¡± Alicia said.


    ¡°Yeah? What inspired that?¡± Katrina asked. As soon as the question left her lips, Alicia gave a suspicious look in her direction, then quickly averted her eyes. ¡°Wait, me?! Alicia! Did meeting me kickstart your libido after four years of chastity?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe a little. You¡¯re just so pretty! It wasn¡¯t on purpose, I was just sitting on my river, and my mind started to wander¡­ God, this is so embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°Alicia, of everything in the world that could possibly embarrass you, I think being attracted to your girlfriend is pretty low on the list.¡±


    ¡°But we weren¡¯t dating yet! I didn¡¯t want you to think I was like, a creep or whatever. Plus, I¡¯ve heard people with high Charisma have a hard time being objectified all the time, and I really didn¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable!¡±


    ¡°I promise it¡¯s okay, Alicia.¡± Katrina pulled the Dryad close, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as they walked. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m ace. I have an active libido, I like sex, I just want time to think about everything before I jump in. And when it comes to other people staring at me, I much prefer them staring at my tits than my fangs.¡±


    After a brief pause, Alicia spoke up again. ¡°So, it¡¯s okay if I say you¡¯re ridiculously hot? And that sometimes I have trouble talking to you because of how attractive you are?¡±


    Katrina laughed; a huge smile plastered on her face. ¡°You could have fooled me. I¡¯ve been worked up this whole week trying to figure out if you were even into girls. I get looks from straight women and gay guys all the time, so it can be hard to figure out when people are actually interested and not just appreciating the view. When you told me about your Prom, I finally realized you were into women, and I think that¡¯s a big reason I finally made a move.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all it took?¡± Alicia, dramatically falling against Katrina¡¯s arm. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m so bad at reading people. Though, to be fair, I only mustered the strength to give you the guitar because of Tabitha.¡±


    ¡°What? Tabitha was in on this?¡± Katrina thought back to last night, when they¡¯d left the restaurant. She distinctly remembered Tabitha pulling Alicia in for a hug to tell her something. ¡°That¡¯s right, she whispered something to you. What did she say?¡±


    ¡°She said ¡®If you don¡¯t make a move soon, I will¡¯. I already had the guitar, I knew you would need it once we started delving, but I was so nervous that it would make things awkward, or you would think it was a romantic gesture but weren¡¯t into me, something like that. Anyways, with Tabitha¡¯s threat hanging over my head, and with how wonderful last night had been, I decided to take a chance. I¡¯ll admit, I wasn¡¯t expecting to end up yelling at you, I¡¯m sorry about that part.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Katrina said, turning to Alicia, ¡°that was adorable. Seeing you get so worked up, it was clear that you were passionate about seeing me happy. I can¡¯t remember the last time anyone has cared about me like that.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any exes? What was your life like before the Change?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? Pretty uninspired. I was a scrawny little ginger girl, a little shy, but I had friends, and I dated a few people. I never got too serious with any of them, they felt like relationships I more fell into than chose.¡±


    The girls had been talking for a while, and when Katrina looked up, she saw they had arrived back at Alicia¡¯s house. ¡°Hey, by the way, the night is still young. Did you have any plans?¡±


    Alicia shook her head.


    ¡°Would you want to go get our delving licenses?¡± Katrina asked. ¡°We¡¯ll have to go eventually, and now that Tabitha¡¯s on the team, we might end up tackling the dungeon soon.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it! If we take the train, there¡¯s a place only two stops down. Not quite to your place, and certainly much closer than the city.¡±

 Chapter 10.3

    With an excited kiss, Katrina ran inside. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll get my guitar!¡±


    ¡°Should you at least try it out before we leave?¡± Alicia asked, following.


    ¡°Huh. Yeah, probably. Should definitely make sure it¡¯s tuned, if nothing else.¡± As they arrived in the living room, Katrina moved the guitar case to the couch and opened it up. Inside, just like last night, sat a masterfully crafted instrument. Even had she not known it was enchanted, Katrina would have known it was special. Everything about the guitar felt right, and when she curiously tapped the body, the instrument showed how ready it was to sing.


    She pulled it out of the case, set it in her lap, then checked the case for accessories. Thankfully, they had included a strap, no doubt also enchanted for durability. After securing the strap, and standing up to adjust the height, she put her thumbnail to the lowest string and plucked.


    The sound was warm, rich, and filled with possibility. She could hear the other strings buzzing with anticipation, already in sync with the instrument, which was another testament to this guitar¡¯s craftsmanship. Her thumb continued down the strings, slowly striking each in turn as she listened for any possible errors or abnormalities. Apart from a tiny adjustment to the highest string, she didn¡¯t need to change anything, which was incredibly impressive. She suspected the enchantment also preserved intonation, though she didn¡¯t bother asking Alicia.


    Now finished with her diagnostic, she looked at her new girlfriend. ¡°What do you want to hear?¡±


    After a brief pause, during which Alicia moved to the couch and sat down, she spoke up. ¡°Something happy.¡±


    With a nod, Katrina began playing.


    The song started with simple, repeated chords, sitting in a lower register. Soon, higher notes mixed in as well, leading to much more excited arpeggio that had Katrina¡¯s fingers flying up and down the neck. She found it much easier to play these faster notes, and had to stop herself from getting carried away. Her Inspiration activated, and she felt the magic in her fingertips as she gave Alicia a Stamina Regen Buff.


    With the arpeggio finished, Katrina smiled at how easy it had been, and then started the song proper. It was a slower melody, almost sounding like a bedtime lullaby. Soft, simple tones sang through the house, peppered with the occasional small flourish. Lost in the moment, she could no longer feel a separation between herself and the instrument. The melody slowly picked up speed, teasing a grand finale, with repeated bass notes paving the way for one last excited arpeggio. Her fingers crept higher and higher, landing on a high note before ending the song with one, final bass tag. She froze, letting the energy from the music hang in the air before finally letting out a small sigh.


    Katrina looked up at Alicia, who was literally on the edge of her seat. She was leaning so far forward, Katrina thought she was about to fall off. When she spoke, it was if she were scared to replace the music that was still lingering in their minds. ¡°Kat. That was incredible! How did it feel?¡±


    With a smile, Katrina moved closer and started setting the guitar back in its case. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, Alicia. Normally instruments have minor quirks, personalities almost, that you have to learn and adapt to. Sometimes strings buzz a certain way, or certain spots on the neck have a tendency to pitch higher or lower, but not with this guitar. I don¡¯t know what else to say other than it¡¯s perfect; it¡¯s like it was made for me.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re okay bringing it to the testing site? You¡¯ll be getting a lot of attention, both because you¡¯re a bard but also, well, look at you.¡±


    Moving closer, Katrina ran her fingers down Alicia¡¯s cheek. ¡°It¡¯s more than worth it to keep my girlfriend safe and happy. Honestly, it¡¯s pretty lucky than I¡¯m a Regen Bard, that¡¯s probably much more helpful for you than a Stat Buff would be.¡±


    The two gathered everything they needed, mostly just paperwork and identification, then Alicia grew a different set of clothes and they headed out. It took Katrina a while to adjust to the new guitar on her back, she had left the case at Alicia¡¯s. Her instinct was to protect it like a defenseless infant, but she kept reminding herself that it had been enchanted specifically to be brought into battle. She assumed it wouldn¡¯t stand up to direct attacks, but an occasional bump against a wall likely wouldn¡¯t do anything.


    Without the case, it was much easier to start playing at a moment¡¯s notice, which is what she needed. Their destination, like Alicia said, was thankfully only a few stops away. The instant the Dryad stepped on the train, Katrina saw a change in her expression. The train ride was incredibly difficult, but with the car fairly empty this far from the city, they found a space for themselves quickly.


    Katrina wasted no time and started playing as soon as they¡¯d taken their seat. She did her best to play quietly, hoping only Alicia would hear, but several other passengers clearly took notice.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°How¡¯s that feel?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting. I still feel disconnected, but the music is absolutely making it less terrible. I¡¯m still lost at sea, but at least I have a small raft now. It¡¯s wonderful, Kat.¡±


    After only two stops, it was time to get off again. Katrina slid the guitar around her body, letting it rest on her back, and grabbed Alicia¡¯s hand to guide her off the train. This far from the main city, the buildings were still fairly small, but people clearly lived and worked here. Alicia, still leaning against Kat, helped with directions until they¡¯d found the Delver¡¯s Registration building.


    It looked no different than the DMV, but shaped quite differently. Katrina wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to describe it; it was definitely a larger building, but it also seemed somewhat small for its intended purpose. The main entrance was incredibly large, she guessed at least 15 feet tall, and led directly to a series of ropes and partitions meant to guide people to different counters. Much like other generic government buildings, a series of chairs filled the lobby, but the seats were incredibly varied. Some were huge, taking up the space of six human-sized seats, but the others were much smaller. Katrina also noticed specific pathways for various tiny Races, meant to elevate them above ground level for safety reasons.


    Soon enough, Alicia and Katrina had checked in, received numbers, and began to wait. The seats weren¡¯t comfortable in the slightest, but they served their purpose. If nothing else, there was enough space for Katrina to pull out her guitar and resume her private performance for Alicia.


    Now that they were in a public building, she did her best to play quietly. Thankfully, this was something classical guitars were very well suited for. Nylon strings always had a softer tone to them, and Katrina¡¯s repertoire was expansive enough that she had plenty of appropriately timid songs to pick from. As she played, she did briefly wonder if the staff would say something about using Class Abilities inside. Technically it wasn¡¯t allowed, though the spirit of the law was normally directed at more disruptive abilities, like offensive or mind-altering Features.


    Alicia needed the help, though, and Katrina was more than happy to take that risk.


    She also noticed that having her guitar made it easier to ignore her own temptations. She¡¯d observed something similar on their trip to the city; spending all her time helping Alicia get around had distracted her from her hunger. Now, with an instrument in her hands and a girlfriend relying on her, she found it easy to ignore the blood in the bodies surrounding her.


    Katrina did eventually notice that people seemed to enjoy her music. This was hardly surprising, but it was a part of her Class she often forgot about. Bards certainly weren¡¯t rare, but finding one was always a nice treat. She was even tempted to open up her Inspiration for the extra experience, but decided against it. She hadn¡¯t asked, for one thing, but she also needed to keep her Mana usage in check for when they started delving. Eventually, after Katrina lost track of how long she¡¯d been playing, their numbers were called.


    The testing itself was relatively simple, and focused almost entirely on knowledge. Practical tests had been considered for a while, but with how expansive the System was, they¡¯d decided against them.


    In order to pass, you had to prove understanding of your own abilities, your Status, how monsters work, how Dungeons work, and often random other small details. Katrina found herself answering questions about common Status effects, Classes that more frequently delved, and even specific Monster types.


    Katrina also had to demonstrate familiarity with Delving Laws. When it was okay to use Class Features outside of the Dungeon, what needed to be done in the event of Monsters escaping the Dungeon, things like that.


    After nearly half an hour of testing, after getting her picture taken and signing her name a dozen times, Katrina was handed her very own Delving License.


    She held it in her hands, turning it back and forth as she examined every inch of it. It looked no different than a driver¡¯s license, though with unique colors and markings to set it apart. After years of following Dungeon news, of wishing she could join in, she was now a Registered Delver.


    If I ever go downtown without Alicia, I can fly!


    Katrina stared at her license for far longer than was necessary, and only stopped when Alicia returned from her own test. The Dryad seemed exhausted, like she had just finished a college preparatory exam, and buried her face in Katrina¡¯s shoulder before sighing with relief.


    ¡°Ugh, that test took forever!¡± Alicia said.


    ¡°But you passed, right?¡±


    With a tired nod, Alicia held up her own license, just as fresh and pristine as Katrina¡¯s ¡°I did! I¡¯m just too tired to get excited about it¡­¡±


    Katrina laughed, wrapping her arm around Alicia and leading her outside. ¡°Well, it is pretty late for you. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get you home. Would you prefer leaning on me, or Inspiration while we walk?¡±


    ¡°As much as I want to keep cuddling with you, I think the Regen is a bit more helpful,¡± Alicia said. She didn¡¯t seem particularly happy to admit it.


    With a smile, Katrina pulled her guitar back in front of her and started playing again. She could tell how tired Alicia was and kept the Inspiration going the entire journey home. The music seemed to keep the Dryad awake, if only barely, but it was enough to get her home safely.


    They were standing in Alicia¡¯s living room when she spoke up, fighting through a heavy yawn. ¡°Kat, this has been amazing, but I¡¯m so tired. It¡¯s been a really long day, and I need to get to sleep.¡±


    The girls hugged, Katrina squeezing her new girlfriend tight. ¡°You should rest in your Heart Tree tonight. I don¡¯t want to learn that cuddling with me too much had adverse effects.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! I mean, sure, I¡¯ve never slept outside of my tree for more than a night, but I can¡¯t stand the thought of not being able to cuddle up with you every night.¡± Alicia paused, thinking to herself for a moment. ¡°This is going to be weird. I¡¯ve never dated anyone that was nocturnal before. We¡¯ll have to¡­ I dunno, get planners or something.¡±


    Alicia yawned again, and Katrina grabbed her shoulders to start guiding her to her tree. ¡°You need your sleep, c¡¯mon, in you go.¡±


    With one last yawn, Alicia stepped inside her Heart Tree.


    Katrina watched her disappear, wondering how quickly she fell asleep when she was inside. Could she see anything? Could she sense anything? Katrina made a note to ask about the details some other time, but for now, she was happy to see Alicia make it home safe.

 Chapter 11.1

    After watching Alicia disappear into her Heart Tree, Katrina walked downstairs and settled onto the couch in the living room. She¡¯d only been up for a few hours and had the rest of the night to herself, but wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to do with her free time. They had their Delving Licenses, they¡¯d found another Delver to help them with the Key Dungeon, and they¡¯d even committed to being partners.


    In less than a week, Katrina¡¯s entire life had been turned upside down. It was a twist of fate she¡¯d never so much as dreamed might be possible for her, and yet here she was. A promising relationship, a Delving party, she¡¯d even met a bunch of new people in her recent travels.


    I wonder if any of them would be interested in staying in touch. Especially Elias, the Mermaid, he seemed really excited for a change of pace. They were all really nice, and I bet Alicia would appreciate some extra company now and then.


    Katrina decided it would be worth sending follow-up messages to everyone she¡¯d met the other day. With her focus turned to thoughts of productivity, she ended up with a small list of tasks that she would need to take care of before they started delving in earnest. Unfortunately, everything she could think of required her to be at home. With a regretful sigh, she texted Alicia a quick explanatory text and made her way to the train station.


    Although she¡¯d previously been flying between her home and Alicia¡¯s, flight required a small amount of mana. With the threat of combat in the very near future, she knew she needed to conserve her resources as much as possible. As a Regen Bard, she was their only source of healing, and running out of HP Regen in the middle of a dungeon would be catastrophically bad.


    Thankfully, this far from the city, the trains were pretty empty. Katrina was able to find a corner seat, and settled in to wait for her stop. She briefly wondered how much mana she¡¯d used to keep Alicia¡¯s SP up, when another realization dawned on her.


    I¡¯ve been using Class Features! That means Class Progress!


    Calling up her Status Screen, Katrina quickly checked her Level Progression. For the last several years, she¡¯d been stuck at 5% through Level 2. After the last few days, however, she was now at 61%. Her MP, however, had fallen to 72%.


    Wow, that¡¯s more than I was expecting. I guess Alicia needed a lot of help, though; I was playing for quite a while yesterday. Still, my MP is lower than I¡¯d like, especially given that we haven¡¯t even started training or delving yet. Once I hit Level 3, I unlock Bardic Spellcasting, which will be a huge help in the Dungeon, but how will I sustain all that mana usage? I need to keep Regen up on Alicia and Tabitha, but also have enough for Spells when necessary. I can¡¯t cast anything until I practice and codify my spells, though, which costs even more mana¡­


    Katrina¡¯s excitement over her Level Progression faded quickly as she started thinking about her mana problems. She¡¯d always hoped that, when she joined a Delving team, she would be something like a flex support, adopting her tactics to suit whatever problem came her way. With her current party, however, she was being forced into the role of a main healer, despite how ill-suited she was for the task.


    I probably shouldn¡¯t sweat about this quite yet. We haven¡¯t even had our first official planning session with Tabitha, so I¡¯m not sure what she¡¯s capable of.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Katrina made it home. She felt strange walking up the stairs rather than flying to her window, but her SP was the most disposable of her stats. If nothing else, the fresh blood she grabbed from her fridge tasted all the sweeter after the long hike.


    She moved to her desk, turned on her computer, and got to work. She sent emails out to everyone she¡¯d met with the other day, thanking them for their time, but also extending invitations for continued communication. Next, she started digging through lists of different vendors that worked at the Dungeon Camp, and finally found the contact information for the lovely Alchemist that had sold them a Stamina Potion at Camp: Kevin the Owl Beastkin. She thanked him for his kindness, and shared that they¡¯d made it home safely because of him.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Once she¡¯d finished all her messaging, she returned to the folder with all her delving resources. It was currently saved only to her computer, and she wanted to change that. She uploaded everything she had to the cloud, but also saved extra copies directly to her phone. It took some creative reformatting to get everything to make sense on a smaller screen, but eventually she had an easily readable plan for future Class Levels and Features.


    Her work at the computer finished, she shut it down and started cleaning her apartment. She¡¯d been spending much less time at home recently, and yesterday she hadn¡¯t even come home. In weeks and months prior, her existential exhaustion had made it difficult to care about the state of her house. Now? She felt oddly motivated to put everything in order.


    She put new sheets on her bed for the first time in months, threw the old sheets in the laundry pile, then ran downstairs to put everything in the wash. She also finally sorted through the clean clothes from earlier in the week, taking the opportunity to organize her storage while she put everything away. Some shirts were meant for hangers, others needed to be folded, and she had an entire drawer just for her jeans. It was in the middle of folding a pair of socks that she paused, taking a moment to examine what she was doing.


    When was the last time I folded socks? Or cared about how neat my closet was?


    When she¡¯d first moved to the city, Katrina had instantly fallen in love with this apartment. Sure, it was small, and it had been difficult to comfortably invite all her friends over, but it was hers. She got to live in the heart of civilization, to work and strive alongside millions of other people just like her.


    After the Change, she¡¯d routinely spent months away from home. Traveling from town to town, doing everything in her power to stay out of sight. When the city had been reclaimed, and the blood rationing program had been instituted, she finally had the chance to return and try to rebuild her life. But she hadn¡¯t returned home, not really. Any positive emotions this apartment had once held had vanished the night of the Change.


    The laughter of friends no longer blessed these halls. The smell of home-cooked meals no longer filled the air. Whereas once this apartment had held the vibrant life of Katrina the Human, the Change had turned it into a cold prison for Katrina the Vampire.


    Every single day that passed had been filled with long, agonizing stretches of painful hunger. Powerful, haunting reminders that she could lose control at any second, surrender control to the murderous instincts inside of her. She¡¯d felt trapped, unable to do anything but go through the motions of the desiccated facsimile of her prior life. It was no wonder she¡¯d never cared about cleaning up after herself.


    Her thoughts were interrupted when her phone vibrated; Alicia had just texted her.


    Why is she awake?


    It was a simple text, just an acknowledgement that she¡¯d received Katrina¡¯s previous message about possibly not being there in the morning. It had also been an answer, not to any specific question, but to Katrina¡¯s wandering train of thought.


    Why did she care about her apartment now? Why was she bothering to change her sheets and fold her socks?


    It was all because of Alicia.


    Katrina smiled. She had someone in her life she cared about, who cared about her back. Someone she felt comfortable around, who knew how hard the Change had been for her, and still wanted her around. Before putting her phone back in her pocket, Katrina paused while looking at her lock screen.


    A picture of herself, taken about a year before the Change, stared back at her. Her Human self had sported unreasonably large glasses, bright green eyes, and vibrant red hair. Her life hadn¡¯t been perfect, but she¡¯d been happy with herself.


    Katrina had never bothered to change the picture after the Change. Why would she? She hated the person she¡¯d become, the things she¡¯d done because of her Race. As small a thing as it was, the picture on her lock screen had been a constant reminder that, at one point, she¡¯d been excited about the future. She¡¯d made vacation plans with friends, wrestled with what she wanted to do for a living. She¡¯d been alive.


    Not anymore. As a Vampire, Katrina was quite literally dead. Undead, specifically, but she never bothered to care about the difference. Over the years, she¡¯d learned through various forum posts that many Undead Races saw significant decreases in their ability to feel emotion, with some claiming that their feelings had vanished completely.


    The thought had always scared her. Without her feelings, without the specter of her guilt hanging over her, how many more people would she have hurt?


    For the longest time, she remained unsure if her Undead status had affected her emotions. After all, ever since the Change, she¡¯d only had one tiny sliver of happiness in her life; the month she¡¯d spent with Sera. Even that time had been tainted, though, as she¡¯d been keeping the nature of her Vampiric Curse a secret. It had been a hollow emotion, forced contentment only surviving through the denial of who she really was.


    Because of Alicia, Katrina now knew what the answer was. She knew that the Change hadn¡¯t stunted her ability to feel happiness, empathy, or love, because her heart was filled with it. For the very first time, Katrina the Vampire had hope for the future.

 Chapter 11.2

    The first thing Alicia did after waking up was buy a bed. Despite Katrina¡¯s insistence that the couch was comfortable, Alicia suspected she was only being polite. Besides, they were dating now! Shouldn¡¯t two girlfriends have a nice, comfy bed all to themselves?


    A fancy, plush, Queen-size bed; complete with bamboo linens, a thick down comforter, two fluffy pillows, and silk cases to dress them in. She was so excited she almost forgot to measure the free space in her bedroom. Her Heart Tree took up much of the floor, as it had grown around her the night of the Change, but thankfully there was enough space for the mattress.


    She clicked the option for expedited delivery, giggling happily to herself, and immediately started daydreaming.


    Above all else, she wanted to keep her expectations in check. Kat had requested that they take things slow, after all, and Alicia was more than happy to oblige. She could still barely believe that someone as gorgeous as Kat was even interested in her. Granted, if Kat had said the word, Alicia would have jumped her without hesitation, but she¡¯d also been truthful about being willing to wait.


    In all honesty, Alicia was still processing everything Kat had told her. The Change had been terrible for her, and she had done so many things she regretted, but Alicia had focused on the attacks, the hunting, the feeding. Without Kat mentioning anything, Alicia would never have pieced together that her experiences had also distorted her feelings about sex.


    I¡¯m going to do this right. It¡¯s not about sex, it¡¯s about her. It¡¯s about giving her a reliable partner, one that understands what she¡¯s been through and sticks around to help her heal.


    Of course, now we¡¯ll have a place to cuddle and fall asleep. That certainly won¡¯t hurt.


    After finalizing her order, Alicia checked her email and was surprised to find an unread message. Before opening it, memories from last night returned to her. She¡¯d woken up in the middle of night, wandered outside to grab a drink, and responded to a text. Katrina had told her that she¡¯d run home to grab some things, and might not be back until the next night. The conversation had continued briefly, and Kat had asked if she could share Alicia¡¯s contact information with the other delvers that hadn¡¯t been able to join their expedition.


    Alicia had been confused initially, but Kat had explained that it might be a good idea for them both to make some friends. It seemed like such a simple solution, Alicia was almost mad she hadn¡¯t thought about it herself.


    As such, the unread message sitting in her mailbox was from the Geomancer Mermaid, Elias.


    It was very well written. He shared his regrets that his Race precluded him from assisting with the Key Dungeon, and expressed his sympathies that Alicia had been forced into this situation. He mentioned that he¡¯d quite enjoyed meeting with Katrina the other night, and that he was interested in keeping in touch as she had suggested.


    Surprisingly, the thought of having more people to talk to made Alicia so excited she almost stopped thinking about Kat. Almost.


    She responded with a message of her own, sharing her contact information and her general hours of availability. She wasn¡¯t sure what the protocol was for meeting new friends after the Change, but she always included her hours when she signed off work emails; so many people had strange schedules now, it made communication much easier.


    After hitting send, Alicia finally shut down her computer. She grew a pocket for her phone, then had to stop herself from merging with her Heart Tree to leave the house. She knew from experience that the phone wouldn¡¯t come with her, so she instead walked down the stairs to use the front entrance.


    Thankfully, after having stayed up so late last night, she¡¯d slept in quite a bit today. She was trying to push her schedule as late as possible, despite the protests of her body, so that her schedule could align with Katrina¡¯s as closely as possible.


    It was refreshing to be out in the sunlight again. Its warmth filled her body, and the calm summer air filled her lungs as she took a deep breath. Grabbing her watering can, she took off towards the river for a morning drink. Though it was strange taking this walk later in the day, rather than the crack of dawn, she quickly found her stride as she began visiting all of her plant neighbors.


    She noticed that, compared to everything that had been happening in her life recently, the various flowers, trees, and bushes around her house seemed to be growing slower than usual.


    Is that because I¡¯m living a more human-standard life now? Thinking back on it, everything before last week is kind of a blur. Like, I know it happened, but I just did the same thing, all day every day, for years. I always knew that time was weird for me, but it¡¯s strange seeing it so clearly. Being a plant is weird.


    When Alicia reached the river, she happily sat on the bank and sank her feet into the riverbed. She felt strong roots extend from her feet, slowly beginning to absorb all the water she needed so she could continue her day.


    She¡¯d only just gotten started when her phone went off. Her first instinct was that Katrina was texting her, but it was barely noon; no way the Vampire was up yet. Checking her phone, she found a text message from an unknown number, though reading it quickly dispersed her confusion.


    ???: Good morning, Alicia, this is Elias. We recently exchanged contact information, and I wanted to reach out to confirm that I have the right number.


    Goodness, he¡¯s so professional!


    Alicia: Hi Elias! Yes, this is Alicia :) How are you? What are up to today?


    Elias: Whew, thank goodness. Always paranoid about getting the number wrong XD


    Elias: I did a bunch of work this morning, and now I¡¯m just kind of hanging around. Random question, but would you be open to video chatting? My phone isn¡¯t 100% waterproof.


    Alicia: Of course! Just call whenever you¡¯re ready


    Her phone started ringing a moment later, and just before answering, Alicia remembered to cover her body with an appropriate amount of clothing. With a swipe of her finger, she picked up the call.


    On her screen, after several seconds of pixelated, buffering video feed, appeared a younger man with short brown hair. It was clearly soaking wet, and water dripped down his face, running over the beginnings of some facial hair before landing in the water. His entire body, save for his head and shoulders, seemed to be immersed in a body of water of some kind, though Alicia couldn¡¯t tell what from this angle.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Alicia! Hi there!¡± Elias said.


    Alicia quickly grew a small collection of sticks and bark, forming a makeshift phone stand on the opposite side of the small river. She put her phone down, adjusting the bark slightly, before responding. ¡°Hey Elias! Sorry for the wait there, I haven¡¯t video called anyone in¡­ four years? Honestly, probably closer to five at this point. I had to make myself a little phone stand, can you see everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s good on my end. I¡¯ve already got a phone stand mounted to my wall here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you inside?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my house is mostly water. There¡¯s a small floor and some furniture for guests, but obviously I don¡¯t use that much. Getting settled in a house is a strange process when you¡¯re an aquatic Race.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine! I got pretty lucky, I already had a home, and my Heart Tree just took over a corner of it. I can still like, walk around and everything, so nothing too much had to change for me.¡± Alicia paused for a moment, not entirely used to small talk. ¡°So, um, what inspired you to reach out? I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s very lonely out in Lake Michigan. Not that I¡¯m complaining, mind you, but it seems like we¡¯re in pretty different situations.¡±


    Elias paused for a moment, thinking about Alicia¡¯s words before responding. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m lonely, but I guess I just fell into a rut? Even though I have a bunch in common with other aquatic races, it¡¯s not like the Change magically erased my fear of approaching strangers. I was just going to work, coming home, killing time, I think it had all gotten a little old and I hadn¡¯t realized it. When Katrina reached out about the Dungeon thing, I got really excited about a change of pace, though it¡¯s a bit of a bummer I can¡¯t actually help out. Still, she emailed me basically saying that you two were interested in staying in touch, and she seemed really nice!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty great, isn¡¯t she?¡± Alicia said, blushing.


    ¡°How long have you two known each other?¡±


    ¡°Like, a week. She flew into my tree without realizing it was a Heart Tree. We got to talking, found out we have a lot in common, and I decided to show her the Key Dungeon ¡®cuz I realized she really liked delving. That¡¯s when she explained that, if we didn¡¯t do something, every Guild in the city would be hunting for it.¡±


    ¡°And you two are¡­?¡± Elias didn¡¯t finish his question, but Alicia knew what he meant.


    ¡°Oh! We¡¯re together. Like, partners, I mean. As of last night, actually!¡±


    ¡°Omigosh! Girl, that¡¯s so exciting! How did it happen? Who asked who?¡± Elias swam closer to the camera, resting his arms on a small ledge.


    Alicia was more than happy to share what had happened between her and Kat. She left out quite a few details, glossing over most of the more personal stuff, but Elias didn¡¯t seem to mind. Strangely, Alicia noticed that talking with him felt incredibly easy, as if they¡¯d already been friends for years. Each hour they talked passed in the blink of an eye, and it seemed like they had no shortage of things to talk about.


    They talked about their daily lives, about their Classes and Races, and swapped funny stories about their strange physiologies. They also talked about what happened the night of the Change, and Alicia learned that Elias had initially spent several weeks in a bathtub. Afterwards, a friend had helped him move to a local pool, and that had been his home for the better part of a year. He¡¯d eventually moved into Lake Michigan proper, but he didn¡¯t have an actual home until the city government regained control.


    Alicia had already known that Chicago had committed huge swathes of resources to overhaul the city and make it more Race friendly, but sometimes the extent of their actions still caught her off guard. Elias¡¯ current home, and entire neighborhood, had been the result of a concentrated effort to create a network of housing for aquatic Races and communities. Several elected officials were even trying to push the aquatic renovations further, and were hoping to build canals all through the city, but Elias said that those ideas weren¡¯t very likely to come to fruition any time soon.


    Over the course of their conversation, Alicia also learned far more than she expected about Lake Michigan. As a Mermaid, and a Geomancer, Elias had stumbled into a very fitting career as a Marine Biologist. He spent most of the day researching Lake Michigan, trying to understand its ecosystem and what the city could do to keep the Lake happy and healthy. What interested Alicia the most was that, despite how transformative the Change had been, the biggest threats to Lake Michigan were actually completely unrelated. Most professionals were worried about an encroaching population of mussels; they looked nice at first glance, as the water in Lake Michigan was getting clearer by the day, but that same process had significant risks to the local ecosystem.


    ¡°¡ªand a lot of people think the monsters have an effect, but¡­ shoot. I should probably stop rambling about work, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Elias said sheepishly.


    ¡°Not at all! I think it¡¯s really interesting, especially since I learned so much about plant life since the Change.¡± As Alicia spoke, she pulled her feet out of the river and began to shake the water off them.


    ¡°Wait, is that water?¡± Elias asked. ¡°Where are you right now?¡±


    ¡°This? It¡¯s a small river I made for myself. There¡¯s a lake kinda close to my neighborhood, and I needed easy access to water. I can show you, actually!¡± Alicia grabbed her phone, then switched which camera she was using so she could show off her handiwork to Elias. ¡°It¡¯s not very big, but it gets the job done.¡±


    Elias went quiet for a moment. ¡°How far away is the lake? Would you mind showing it to me?¡±


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ve got nothing going on today. ORC is really accommodating with their attendance policies, so I¡¯ve got a lot of flexibility. What are you curious about?¡±


    ¡°Um, just what it all looks like. I¡¯ve got an idea, but I¡¯m not sure if it makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got a bit of a walk ahead of me, so I¡¯m all ears!¡± Alicia took off towards the lake, wondering what Elias might be thinking about.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s absolutely certain that I¡¯m not going to be able to help with tackling the Dungeon directly. It¡¯s not underwater, and there¡¯s nothing we can do about that. But, I¡¯m a Geomancer, and it wouldn¡¯t be very difficult for me to reshape the terrain to expand that little river of yours. With enough water, I could comfortably set up a little home away from home.¡±


    ¡°That would be so cool! We could be neighbors!¡± Alicia said, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Though, please don¡¯t take this the wrong way, how would that help with the Key Dungeon? I¡¯ll admit I don¡¯t see the connection.¡±


    ¡°Most Geomancers build themselves to be offensive casters, but the Class is actually pretty flexible. Personally, my spells are more supportive in nature, and I¡¯ve got some healing abilities. If I were to set up in that river, then I¡¯d be able to help everyone recover from their injuries after each Dungeon run!¡±


    ¡°Elias! That¡¯s such a good idea!¡± Alicia started jumping up and down in excitement, and she saw Elias do the same. Well, more accurately, he leapt a few feet out of the water, then fell backwards and made a big splash, but the energy was the same.


    Another few hours passed, this time occupied by Alicia and Elias trying to plan out how to create a temporary base of operations for the Mermaid. They likely could have continued for several more hours, but they were forced to cut the conversation short when the sun began to set. Alicia was shocked so much time had passed, but her surprise quickly gave way to elation when she remembered that the setting sun meant Katrina would be waking up soon.


    ¡°So, are we actually doing this?¡± Elias asked.


    ¡°Absolutely! I¡¯m so glad you reached out, and I can¡¯t believe we found a way for you to come help!¡± Alicia had just returned home, and flicked on the lights before settling onto her couch. ¡°When Kat gets here, I¡¯ll fill her in about all the details. We still have to meet up with Tabitha to discuss our plan for tackling the Dungeon, and that will probably affect our timetable.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± Elias said, smiling. ¡°Oh, and Alicia? Thanks for talking with me. This was really nice, I can¡¯t believe we spent, like, an entire day on the phone.¡±


    ¡°Please, I should be thanking you. I only realized a week ago that I¡¯d shut myself off from civilization, and that I desperately needed to find myself a social life. Now I get to have a neighbor!¡±


    ¡°Alright, well, keep me updated, okay?¡±


    ¡°Can do! See ya!¡±


    Alicia finally hung up the phone, after hours and hours of talking, and immediately began giggling to herself. As much as she hated to admit it, the Dungeon that posed an imminent threat to her life was also turning into one of the best things that had ever happened to her. She had friends! And a girlfriend!


    All that was left was a series of bloody fights to the death with Dungeon monsters. Nothing to be scared of, right?

 Chapter 11.3

    Thankfully, Alicia didn¡¯t have to wait long for company to return. Roughly half an hour later, she found Katrina walking down the street with a backpack and duffle bag. Apart from sharing contact information last night, Katrina had also asked for permission to bring an overnight bag with her. Alicia nearly broke her phone typing back her enthusiastic approval.


    ¡°Hey, Kat!¡± Alicia ran up to Katrina, throwing her hands around her shoulders and passionately kissing her.


    ¡°Hey yourself, Alicia!¡± Katrina dropped the duffle bag, happily picking up the Dryad and spinning her around before setting her down. ¡°You¡¯re going to spoil me at this rate. What happens when I get used to you greeting me by jumping into my arms?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, what a terrible fate that would be!¡± Alicia dramatically placed a hand against her forehead, feigning that she was on the verge of passing out.


    Katrina smiled as she picked up her bag again, then the two set off for Alicia¡¯s house. ¡°You¡¯re in an awfully good mood today, it¡¯s cute.¡±


    Alicia felt herself blushing. She grabbed Katrina¡¯s free hand as they walked. ¡°Well, for one thing, I¡¯ve got this new girlfriend that I really like. But! In all seriousness, I also spent like, all day talking with Elias!¡±


    ¡°Dang, really? You two get along, I take it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! We have so much in common! He was pretty bummed that he couldn¡¯t help with the Dungeon, but we talked about our Change, and about our jobs, our Classes, all that stuff. Anyways, I was showing him the river I built when he came up with a really cool idea; he thinks he can build a little pond for himself and spend a few weeks out here!¡±


    ¡°What would he do? Just like, moral support, or¡­?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°He said he¡¯s got some healing abilities, and that he¡¯d be able to help us recover from Dungeon runs. That means we won¡¯t need to rely entirely on your Regen Buffs!¡±


    Katrina was clearly surprised, but she also couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°Alicia, that¡¯s amazing! I never would have thought of that!¡±


    ¡°So, I figure after we have our first meeting with Tabitha, we can put together a game plan, and figure out a good time for him to take a few weeks off work and join us!¡± The two girls were now inside and had settled on the couch again. ¡°Actually, speaking of Tabitha, when is that supposed to happen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny you should ask, honestly. She¡¯s planning on coming over tonight. I told her to get here in an hour or so, mostly because¡­ well, I wanted some time alone with you before the planning started.¡±


    ¡°Aww, gay.¡± Alicia smirked, briefly laughing to herself before leaning in for a kiss. ¡°So, what does a Vampire put in an overnight bag?¡±


    ¡°Nothing special. Mostly things you¡¯d expect; toothbrush, spare clothes, but also my last blood ration. I¡¯ll have to swing by my clinic tomorrow to pick up more, and then I¡¯ll be set for the week. Where should I set my things up?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s mostly up to you. Obviously the living room is yours if you want it, you¡¯ve already crashed on the couch once, and I already blocked off the windows.¡± Alicia paused for a moment, almost nervous to continue. ¡°Or¡­ we could take a bunch of my old blankets, set up a little camp in my room, and try to figure out if I can safely sleep outside my Heart Tree.¡±


    The girls looked at each other, Alicia desperately hoping the Kat would pick the second option. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t have to wait long for the answer.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°I love that! We¡¯ll have more time to spread out that way, too. We should figure out a sleep schedule, too, honestly. Like you said, I¡¯m nocturnal, you¡¯re not, and that might make things difficult.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to push my schedule as late as possible, and staying up really late yesterday helped.¡± Alicia helped Kat pick up her things again, and the two headed upstairs. After showing Kat the bathroom, Alicia ran to her old linen closet and grabbed a giant pile of blankets. They seemed to be in pretty good shape, thankfully, and she started spreading them out on the floor.


    By the time Kat had set up all her toiletries in the bathroom, Alicia had finished laying out the blankets. The Vampire entered the room, smiled, and then looked around. ¡°So, this is your room?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Let me show you around!¡± Alicia grabbed Kat¡¯s hand, then started a tour of all the memorabilia in her room.


    Alicia was so excited to spend time with Kat, she rambled for far longer than expected. Dozens of old memories returned to her as she started looking over all her old stuff, and she shared everything with Kat. ¡°¡ªand this was the picture we all took on Prom night! That one there was Aiya, and then I¡¯m over here with my date for night, but I already told you how that all panned out.¡±


    Katrina leaned closer to look at the picture. ¡°Wow. So that¡¯s what you looked like before the Change?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I never showed you any pictures! Let me boot up my computer, I¡¯ll show you some more!¡±


    Within minutes, Alicia was scrolling through old photos she¡¯d uploaded to her computer many years ago. It was strange seeing her old self, so unaware of how dramatically her life was going to be uprooted. Well, more accurately, rooted. Very, very rooted.


    Before turning into a plant, she¡¯d had incredibly dark brown skin, brown eyes, and thick black hair that had regularly been fashioned into dreadlocks. She¡¯d spent so much time perfecting all the different ways to do her hair, she now regretted that she wasn¡¯t able to use those skills anymore. Her hair now, although it wasn¡¯t as thick, didn¡¯t need anywhere near as much upkeep. It still vaguely resembled dreadlocks, but now it looked more like a collection of moss, vines, and flowers you might find on a forest floor.


    Katrina spoke up again, shaking Alicia from her memories. ¡°Not that it matters now, but old me would have been quite smitten with old you.¡±


    The two kissed, though Alicia couldn¡¯t stop herself from giggling. ¡°Oh, stop it you.¡± She briefly remembered the forum she¡¯d signed up for the other day, and thought about checking it with Katrina, but she didn¡¯t want to think about Dungeon stuff yet.


    Instead, she shut her computer down and continued the small tour of the rest of her bedroom. She showed off all her old clothes, even offering them to Katrina since she had no need for them. The Vampire had eagerly started looking through the closet, holding up various pieces in front of her while looking in Alicia¡¯s standing mirror.


    ¡°Actually, this one might look really cute on me. Mind if I try it on?¡± Katrina said.


    Alicia shook her head, eager to see her clothes finally get some use after all these years. What she wasn¡¯t expecting, however, was to look back at Kat just in time to see her pull her shirt off. She blushed with such intensity that she was shocked flowers didn¡¯t pop out of her head. She didn¡¯t know where to look first, or if she should even be looking at all.


    Why wouldn¡¯t I look? She¡¯s my girlfriend, right? If she¡¯s undressing in front of me, that clearly means she¡¯s comfortable with me seeing her.


    She found herself staring first at Katrina¡¯s stomach. It was just as pale as the rest of her, but flat and toned, with clearly visible abs. Above her stomach, a simple black bra contained her impressively large bust, a significant amount of cleavage now on display with her shirt off. Alicia had a few seconds to look before Kat finished trying on the shirt.


    ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± Kat asked, finally looking back at Alicia.


    ¡°I, um¡­ what?¡± Alicia managed to say, her eyes meeting Kat¡¯s again.


    ¡°Oh my god, were you not ready to see me change in front of you? You said I could try the shirt on, and I just thought¡ª ugh, I¡¯m sorry! I should have clarified!¡± Kat moved closer, pulling in the still shocked Alicia for a hug.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s okay, I would have said yes anyways, I just wasn¡¯t entirely ready. Besides, now that I¡¯m thinking about it, you¡¯ve probably seen way more of me than I have of you.¡±


    Surprisingly, Alicia caught Kat blushing this time. ¡°Well, kinda, yeah. I¡¯m a little used to it now, but¡­ I certainly won¡¯t complain about the view.¡±


    Both girls started laughing to themselves, the tension thankfully dispersing just as quickly as it had appeared. After a few minutes, as they started to calm down, Alicia realized she should probably answer the original question. She was just about to open her mouth when the sound of a doorbell interrupted her.

 Chapter 12.1

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s Tabitha!¡± Katrina said. She leaned in for one last kiss, then grabbed Alicia¡¯s hand and led her downstairs. As excited as she was to spend so much time with her girlfriend tonight, she couldn¡¯t deny she was almost just as excited to start seriously talking about the Dungeon.


    Answering the front door, they were greeted by the familiar face of an Arctic Fox Beastkin. She smiled as Katrina pulled the door open, though her bright blue eyes immediately glanced down to focus on the fact that Alicia and Katrina were holding hands. ¡°Good evening, ladies! I trust I¡¯m not interrupting anything, am I? You¡¯re just friends, if I remember correctly.¡±


    Alicia pushed past Katrina, playfully poking Tabitha¡¯s arm as she spoke. ¡°Oh hush. I¡¯ll have you know we¡¯re officially dating now!¡±


    Tabitha sighed in relief. ¡°Oh thank goodness. I¡¯m not a Succubus, but I swear I could smell the pheromones drifting off the two of you. I spent the whole walk over here wondering if I would have to play matchmaker before anything productive could happen.¡±


    ¡°I understand you¡¯re partially to thank for that?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re hot. I¡¯d be punching myself if I had a chance with you and didn¡¯t take it. I just figured I¡¯d give Cherry Blossom here fair warning.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, as much as we all want to talk about how hot my girlfriend is, we should probably actually get some work done, right?¡± Alicia said.


    Katrina was furiously blushing. She knew people found her attractive, but being the center of attention like this wasn¡¯t something she was really used to. ¡°Yes! Please, let¡¯s talk about this Dungeon!¡±


    Tabitha let loose a hearty laugh. ¡°Alright, I get the picture. Where should I put my stuff? I brought all my delving gear.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s head inside, my living room will be big enough for all of us,¡± Alicia said. Soon enough, the three girls were settling in to prepare for their planning session. Tabitha and Alicia took opposing ends of the couch, and Katrina pulled up a chair so they wouldn¡¯t have to talk over each other.


    ¡°So, how do we start?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°I think I know the least about all this stuff.¡±


    ¡°Tabitha, I think you should tell us what you can do. You already know Alicia¡¯s a Bulwark, and I¡¯m a Regen Bard, so there¡¯s nothing else to really tell. Once I hit Level Three, I¡¯ll get some Spellcasting, but that¡¯s it.¡± Katrina leaned forward, trying to play it cool while also immensely curious what a Mage Knight¡¯s build might look like.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair, my Class isn¡¯t exactly common. Well, to get the basics out of the way, I¡¯m a Level Three Mage Knight. I¡¯m built to be an Agility Fighter, with an emphasis on swordplay.¡±


    ¡°Just swordplay?¡± Katrina asked. ¡°What about the magic side? The biggest strength of Mage Knights is that they can effortlessly weave magic into their fighting styles.¡±


    ¡°You really know your stuff, don¡¯t you,¡± Tabitha said with a smirk. ¡°Yes, magic plays a big part. Some Mage Knights put more emphasis on the magic than the fighting, but I¡¯m the other way around. My defining Class Feature is called Dimensional Blades. Anytime I make an attack, I can transpose the space around my sword to make it hit anything I can see. The farther my target, the more mana it takes, so it¡¯s still a good idea for me to get close. I also have a bunch of spells that let me enhance my Ten, and since I¡¯m Beastkin, they¡¯re extra effective.¡±


    Katrina paused for a moment, thinking over everything the Foxgirl was saying. She¡¯d never heard of a Mage Knight leaning so far away from the magic side of things. ¡°And fighting experience? How did you hit Level Three?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, mostly through cam work. Like I mentioned before, I had a fan that really liked seeing me in Dungeon gear, but I¡¯ve got a bunch of people that like seeing me in action. I rent out gym space regularly, mostly places that have obstacle courses, freerunning tracks, climbing walls, things like that. Fans get to vote on what I wear, though it normally just boils down to which color bikini they like the most.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you registered as a Delver?¡±


    ¡°Yup! I did a subathon a while back, and we had a bunch of stretch goals. One of them was that I¡¯d officially register, another was that I¡¯d collab with an experienced delver. I actually made a couple videos with him, some focused on combat training, and some were¡­ well, also very physical, just less clothed.¡±


    Looking over at Alicia, Katrina saw her blushing like mad. No doubt she wasn¡¯t used to people openly talking about cam work like this. ¡°So, we¡¯re all fairly inexperienced. Key Dungeons are normally a bit easier, which will certainly help. On my end, until I get my Bardic Spellcasting, I¡¯m only good for Regen. That being said, I can¡¯t pick multiple types, I can either give out health or mana, and it sounds like there¡¯s no easy answer. Alicia would benefit more from the health, but you would rather the mana, I assume?¡±


    Tabitha nodded. ¡°The more MP I have, the easier it is to stay out of harm¡¯s way. Plus, the more distance between myself and the monsters, the easier it will be for Alicia to throw up her barriers.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that my barriers cost health,¡± Alicia said, finally chipping in. ¡°Even in the best-case scenario, where no one ever gets hit, I¡¯ll still be constantly losing HP.¡±


    ¡°I can also switch back and forth, it¡¯s not that difficult,¡± Katrina said. ¡°I¡¯m mostly worried about Tabitha running out of mana at a critical moment. Though, since you have such a large emphasis on your physical abilities, I think giving out HP Regen is going to be the better call. I¡¯ll default to that, and you can just call out when you need mana.¡±


    ¡°Sounds fair to me. Running out of mana sucks, but it¡¯s survivable. Running out of HP? Not so much.¡± Tabitha shifted in her seat, pulling her legs underneath her before leaning forward. ¡°Now, I understand you both are pretty low on experience, which means we could probably knock out a few levels just by sparring amongst ourselves, right?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Katrina nodded in agreement. ¡°That was my plan. We need to familiarize ourselves with how we move as a group, get used to calling shots, things like that. We have the whole neighborhood to ourselves, and I was thinking you two would benefit the most from going up against each other.¡±


    ¡°Wait, me? Why do I have to fight the Mage Knight?¡± Alicia said.


    ¡°I agree with Katrina, to be honest,¡± Tabitha said. ¡°I need to practice attacking, and you need to practice defending. You also need to be the most familiar with my movements, since you¡¯ll be the one keeping me safe. Bulwarks are weird, they don¡¯t have to be on the front lines in order to block damage, but you still need to know how to move when you¡¯re under attack.¡±


    After a brief pause, Tabitha continued speaking. ¡°Honestly, you should consider getting a weapon. I¡¯ll be able to put out a decent amount of damage, but I can¡¯t be responsible for literally all of it. On that note, what kind of equipment are we dealing with? You¡¯re not planning on delving in jeans and a tee shirt, are you?¡±


    Katrina blushed in embarrassment, having honestly forgotten about protective gear. ¡°Um, I hadn¡¯t gotten there yet. Money¡¯s pretty tight, and I was trying to find people to help. We only just got our licenses last night; things are moving pretty fast.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wear clothing anymore, but I was planning on growing some thick bark around myself. I could probably make, like, a club or something too?¡± Alicia held out her arm, concentrated for a moment, then watched as dark patches of bark grew out of her skin. She tapped it with her knuckles, then smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°So, I only need to dress Fangs here, hm.¡± Tabitha went quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. ¡°I think I might have something you can wear, actually. I get sent a lot of stuff, and sometimes fans mess up the measurements. You¡¯re roughly my size, apart from, well, you know.¡± The Foxgirl gestured to her chest, her meaning all too obvious.


    When Katrina spoke up, her face had turned red again. ¡°Okay, yes, I get it. I¡¯ve got some sports bras I was planning on wearing, we¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    With another hearty laugh, Tabitha continued. ¡°I like you two! Y¡¯all seriously need to get out more, but I¡¯m already having a blast. You ready to get started?¡±


    ¡°I suppose we might as well,¡± Alicia said. Katrina could tell the Dryad was feeling somewhat apprehensive, and when everyone stood up, she grabbed her hand for reassurance. The two of them walked outside while Tabitha took a few minutes to strap on her delving gear.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s going to be alright, Alicia. This is practice, she¡¯s not trying to hurt you. You just need to focus on her movement, and get used to using your barriers to block her attacks. How do those work, by the way? They need to come from the ground?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I normally do, but I can actually have them extend directly from my body. That really only helps if I¡¯m being attacked myself, or I¡¯m defending someone next to me, though. Ideally I¡¯d want to give her some space to move around, and just summon the barriers whenever I see something attacking her.¡±


    Katrina pulled Alicia in for a hug, kissing her forehead softly. ¡°You¡¯re going to do great. And besides, even if you get a couple bruises, I can give you some regen.¡±


    Alicia wrapped her hands around Katrina¡¯s waist, squeezing tight. ¡°Thanks, Kat. I also have Regeneration if I¡¯m in the sunlight, so we have options.¡±


    ¡°Really? Wow, that¡¯s really helpful. Maybe I should consider waking up earlier so we can start tackling the Dungeon during the day. I¡¯ll get, like, a giant umbrella or something.¡±


    As the two of them laughed, the door behind them opened. Tabitha was now wearing a full set of delving gear. It looked fairly lightweight, as presumably heavier equipment would make it difficult to engage with her Agility focused build. Interestingly, had Katrina not spent years obsessing over various delving influencers, she would have thought the costume was purely aesthetic. Most of the outfit was covered with simple, striking blue coloration that accentuated Tabitha¡¯s lithe body, and gold highlights helped the design pop. Two short panels extended from the front and back of the outfit, falling between her legs while also giving her plenty of freedom to move around. The armored sections were focused on her upper body, mostly her chest and her shoulders, and the design almost made her look like a Musketeer. ¡°Alright, who¡¯s ready to rumble?! I brought my sword with me, but I won¡¯t be using it. Alicia, do you think you could grow each of us a large stick or something?¡±


    With a resolute nod, Alicia reached for the ground beneath her. Within moments, two thick branches had appeared, even sporting vague suggestions of a handle and guard. She pulled them free, handing one to Tabitha before walking out to the middle of the street. ¡°Can we start slow?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Cherry Blossom. How about you pull up a barrier, and I¡¯ll practice hitting it.¡± Tabitha paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°Actually, if we¡¯re going to do that, maybe I should grab my sword.¡±


    The Mage Knight ran inside, returning with her weapon of choice. It appeared to be quite well made, though Katrina wasn¡¯t familiar enough with weaponry to properly identify all the different types of swords. She guessed it was some kind of saber, or maybe a cutlass? It was curved, with a slightly thicker blade and a guard with gold inlays. She walked until she was roughly twenty feet in front of Alicia, then turned around and spoke up again.


    ¡°Alright, gimme a target. It¡¯ll be good to let you see how this ability works.¡±


    Alicia nodded, then summoned a barrier roughly halfway between her and Tabitha. ¡°Have at it!¡±


    With a smirk, Tabitha began slashing the air in front of her. It looked like she was simply practicing her form, except her sword blurred slightly with each slash. The air around the blade distorted, reminiscent of the effects of strong heat waves, and Alicia¡¯s barrier began to twitch. Katrina moved closer to Tabitha to get a better look, and could see that each one of her attacks inflicted a matching cut on the barrier.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really something,¡± Katrina said. ¡°And you can do that from as far away as you like?¡±


    ¡°I have to be able to see my target. Anything that obscures my vision will be a problem: other people, smoke, illusions, even these barriers. My own eyesight is also a factor; my Perception is nothing special, even with bonuses. I¡¯ll be strongest in wide open spaces where I can constantly reposition, and weakest in the opposite. Another important fact? I¡¯m a bit of a glass cannon, my Health stat is trash, and I can¡¯t level it.¡±


    The barrier vanished into the ground, and Alicia spoke up next. ¡°But no pressure, right?¡± She laughed nervously, then picked up her makeshift club. ¡°I think I¡¯m ready when you are. Just remember that I¡¯ve never been in a fight before.¡±


    Without warning, Tabitha crouched down and lunged at the Dryad. Her speed was incredible, and she closed the distance in a blink of an eye. Alicia screamed in surprise, throwing up a small barrier from her hands. The Mage Knight, however, had swerved at the last second, circling around Alicia and tapping her thigh with the flat of her blade. After this burst of movement, they both stopped to look at each other, then Tabitha tapped Alicia two more times. ¡°Two for flinching, Cherry Blossom.¡±


    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t ready! I mean, I was, but I didn¡¯t think you were just going to charge me like that!¡± Alicia said, clearly flustered.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s how fighting works. Still, I wasn¡¯t actually trying to start anything, I just wanted a quick demonstration. Let me put my sword away, and I¡¯ll grab my club to walk you through some basics.¡± Tabitha smirked, then walked back to the house to swap out her weaponry.


    ¡°You got this Alicia!¡± Kat said, jogging close to deliver a kiss for inspiration. ¡°She¡¯s just trying to show you that fights are unpredictable.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I know, it¡¯s just¡­ this is all so real now. It used to be you and me awkwardly pretending like we weren¡¯t super into each other, but now it¡¯s just combat training. I liked the ¡®will they, won¡¯t they¡¯ dynamic way more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Alicia. Just take this one day at a time, and I¡¯ll be here every night to cuddle up with you when you¡¯re finished.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Kat.¡±

 Chapter 12.2

    Kat and Alicia kissed, then Kat moved back to her spectator¡¯s spot for the real training to begin. With Tabitha now finished showing off, she began walking Alicia through the basics of melee combat. They talked about foot positioning, how to hold a weapon, and how to shift weight to stay on balance. They walked through a series of basic maneuvers, all for different purposes: defending, repositioning, advancing, and dozens more.


    After the first few minutes, Katrina grabbed her guitar and a chair from inside, then returned to watch the training. She settled in, double checked the tuning just to be safe, and began to give both fighters some stamina regen. She had to remind herself that, as much as she wanted to conserve mana for the Dungeon, she also would be significantly more helpful if she could reach Level 3. It also looked like the other girls appreciated the extra energy; they weren¡¯t actually fighting, so HP Regen would have been wasted, and neither was using any mana.


    She also took the opportunity to extensively study Tabitha¡¯s movement. With her Bardic Knowledge, she was able to commit things to memory much faster than most, and she knew it would be just as helpful for her to familiarize herself with the Mage Knight¡¯s movements.


    Alicia, for her part, was putting in a solid effort. Despite her obvious lack of fighting experience, she was doing everything in her power to improve. Over the first hour, her footwork grew more reliable, her ability to read Tabitha¡¯s movement began to develop, and she seemed more comfortable with her weapon. She even scored a hit on Tabitha at one point, who put up a good show in pretending like she hadn¡¯t let it happen.


    Eventually, they decided to take a rest, and Kat quickly got everyone a glass of water. They all collapsed on the front lawn, one of them significantly more out of breath than the other.


    ¡°Keep it up, Alicia! You¡¯re taking to this like a natural,¡± Tabitha said.


    ¡°We both know that¡¯s not true, but I appreciate you making the effort.¡± Alicia laughed, holding her fingers in the water to absorb it through her roots. ¡°Why am I learning to fight again? My class is all about barriers, but I haven¡¯t even touched them yet.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get to those in a second, especially since we need you to Level Up, but you need to start thinking in terms of resource allocation,¡± Tabitha said, setting her water down. ¡°If a monster tries to hit you, and you block it with a barrier, how is that any different than taking the hit yourself? Now, imagine you block the attack with a club, or a shield. The damage is blocked entirely, and you don¡¯t lose any HP. Your stamina is a resource too, and it would be foolish not to use it.¡±


    Alicia paused for a moment. ¡°That does make sense. I don¡¯t follow delvers like Kat does, so I¡¯ve never thought about that stuff.¡±


    ¡°After the break, we¡¯ll practice with your barriers. I want to see how fast you can make them, how flexible you can be with their shapes. Normally Bulwarks can spawn them in midair, but it doesn¡¯t seem like you can do that.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, it¡¯s a weird quirk of my Race and Class combination. I¡¯m not sure if there are any benefits, though, since I¡¯ve never explored it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, unrelated question,¡± Tabitha started, ¡°but is there anything I could snack on?¡±


    Katrina and Alicia looked at each other awkwardly, both probably thinking the same thing.


    Shoot, she actually needs to eat.


    ¡°Um, I could check my cabinets? But anything in the house would be four years old, minimum.¡± Alicia started to get up but stopped when Tabitha started laughing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, I was pulling your leg. I¡¯ve got some food for myself, I just wanted to see the look on your faces.¡± Tabitha continued laughing, falling back on the lawn before stretching her arms over her head. ¡°Long term, though, I¡¯m going to have to fill your pantry. Something to bring down into the Dungeon with us would be nice.¡±


    Everyone continued resting for nearly half an hour. Tabitha didn¡¯t need the rest as much, but seemed to be enjoying the quiet atmosphere and the cherry blossoms floating on the wind. Alicia was still holding her practice club, moving it back and forth to try and get more comfortable with it. Katrina¡¯s music had never stopped, the soft sounds of her classical guitar giving everyone a healthy helping of stamina. Alicia clearly needed it more, but when Katrina asked Tabitha, she said it was also a big help. The Foxgirl hadn¡¯t used much stamina during the training, but apparently she¡¯d had a cam show earlier in the night that had kept her pretty busy.


    Katrina was just about to suggest that they get back to practicing when a System notification went off in her head, causing her to flinch in surprise.


    *PING*


    She stopped playing, the peaceful guitar melody halting just moments before reaching a satisfying conclusion. Alicia looked down, concerned at the sudden movement. ¡°Kat? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I just hit Level Three!¡± There was a moment of shock, then Katrina started laughing. After years of staring at her Status, of using it solely to inflict terrible headaches in hopes of distracting her bloodlust, something had finally changed.


    Alicia dropped to her knees, showering Katrina¡¯s face with kisses in celebration. ¡°Kat! That¡¯s so exciting!¡±


    ¡°Way to go, Fangs! You said that gives you spellcasting, yeah?¡± Tabitha said, sitting up again.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let me pull up my Status, and I¡¯ll actually pick my Feature.¡± Resting her guitar on her leg, Katrina mentally summoned her Status screen, and was greeted by a message she thought she¡¯d never see.


    ***


    Gain: Bardic Spellcasting (Lesser)


    Choose one:


    Bonus Spells


    Barbed Tongue


    Secondary Method


    Extended Inspiration


    ***


    ¡°You want us to look anything up for you?¡± Tabitha asked.


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ve been dreaming of this moment for years. I¡¯m getting Bonus Spells, it¡¯s too good to pass up.¡± With a quick mental command, the Status screen disappeared, and Katrina looked around again.


    ¡°Well, how do you feel?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°What spells did you get?¡±


    ¡°Bards are a little weird, we don¡¯t pick our spells from a list or have them randomly assigned. We have to develop our spells ourselves, come up with ideas and then iterate on them until they coalesce in our Status.¡± Katrina squeezed her girlfriend¡¯s hand in excitement. ¡°I guess this gives me something to do while you two get back to sparring practice.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Aww but I want to see you make spells!¡± Alicia moaned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, and the process is honestly going to be pretty boring. If I manage to figure out any spells tonight, I¡¯ll make sure you see them.¡±


    Tabitha jumped to her feet, grabbed her practice stick, and pointed it at Alicia. ¡°Alright, you heard the lady, Cherry Blossom. Back to work!¡±


    With another loud grumble, Alicia grabbed her weapon and moved back to the middle of the street. ¡°Ugh, fine. You said you wanted to practice with my barriers next, right? So, are you just going to¡ª¡±


    ¡°En garde!¡± Tabitha shouted, cutting Alicia off. She ran at the Dryad, clearly taking a leisurely pace, and started testing Alicia on the maneuvers they¡¯d been practicing earlier. As they fell back into a familiar pattern of attacking and defending, they started incorporating Alicia¡¯s barriers into the equation. Their discussion, and whatever progress they made, was of secondary interest to Katrina at the moment.


    She¡¯d just unlocked Bardic Spellcasting, after years of dreaming up possible spells for herself. Thankfully, she¡¯d just formatted everything for her phone, so it was easy to scroll through her list of options. Every Bard forum she¡¯d ever found claimed that Bardic Spellcasting, along with the Bonus Spells, would give her a total of eight spells. Although her list of ideas had significantly more than eight spells on it, she had separated them by presumed strength, as well as flexibility.


    Whenever she imagined being a delver, Katrina always assumed she would work best as a jane-of-all-trades caster. Someone that could adapt to any situation, while also providing helpful supporting magic so that other casters didn¡¯t have to give up valuable spell slots for basic spells.


    It was almost overwhelming, having to choose a single spell to start with, but she had to start somewhere. With an idea in mind, she started practicing.


    The music came easily. After all, she¡¯d done nothing but improve her musical expertise for years now. The tricky part was readjusting how she interacted with her magic. With her Regeneration Buffs, she only had to make a simple selection on her Status screen, and then let the magic do its thing. Now that she had the tools to interact more directly with her magic, she struggled to figure out exactly how to control it. She could feel an impressive amount of magical energy inside her, waiting to be unleashed, but every time she reached for it, she couldn¡¯t pull it free.


    Eventually, Katrina decided to go back to the basics. Instead of elaborate flourishes and dramatic arpeggios, she started playing simple musical scales. She examined how the music interacted with the magic, how the energy reacted to different expressions of melody.


    With a solid understanding of the basics, she added a tiny bit of complexity. She played a consecutive series of simple chords, up and down the register, again examining how they resonated with the magic. After this, she tried more complex chords, playing around with minor diminished progressions. This iteration continued for nearly another hour, during which Katrina was completely oblivious to whatever Alicia and Tabitha were doing.


    At the end of the second hour of sparring practice, Katrina finally felt she was ready to attempt a spell.


    ¡°Alright you two, want to take a quick break?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Yes! Please!¡± Alicia said, perhaps a little too eagerly. She was clearly exhausted, panting and gasping for air as she walked back towards her lawn. Her face winced with pain as she moved, and Katrina was fairly sure she could see the beginnings of several bruises. Tabitha also moved closer, but Katrina held up a hand to stop her.


    ¡°Actually, Tabitha, could you help me test a spell?¡±


    ¡°Depends, you gonna throw a lightning bolt at me and hope I can dodge it?¡± the Foxgirl asked, crossing her arms suspiciously.


    ¡°Nothing like that, it won¡¯t do any damage. It¡¯s just something that might disorient you for a couple seconds. I don¡¯t want to get into the specifics, or it might skew your reaction.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll volunteer if you want, Tabitha,¡± Alicia said, her voice still panting from all the training.


    Tabitha paused, tapping her fingers on her arm as she thought about it. ¡°No, I got this. Just remember, I¡¯m here out of the goodness of my heart, not to be your little Dungeon guinea pig. Where do you want me?¡±


    Katrina pointed to the road. ¡°Could you start there, and just jog past us?¡±


    With a mock salute, Tabitha took her spot. She looked at Katrina, the two girls nodded, and she took off at a leisurely pace. After the first couple of steps, Katrina started playing. She let the music flow through her fingers, reaching for the music and using the melody to form a bridge. The magic bound itself to the song, catching a ride out into the night sky, and Katrina directed the spell at Tabitha.


    When the spell hit, the Foxgirl immediately tripped over her own feet. She hit the ground, her hands reaching for stability as a stream of profanity erupted from her mouth. The effects of the magic only lasted a few seconds, and when Tabitha returned to her senses, she glared at Katrina. ¡°What on earth was that?¡±


    ¡°I gave you vertigo. At least, I tried to. What did it feel like?¡±


    ¡°It felt like vertigo! It was awful! My head was spinning, I couldn¡¯t see straight, and I¡¯m pretty sure I almost threw up. Wow, that was nasty.¡±


    Katrina jumped to her feet, running over to Tabitha and extending a hand to help her up. ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t too bad, truly. If you want to take creative revenge on me, I totally get it. Honestly, I think Alicia and I should feel what that spell is like anyways, just in case.¡±


    With a smirk, Tabitha grabbed Katrina¡¯s hand and pulled, standing to meet her. ¡°That¡¯s not a terrible idea. The two of you trying it, I mean. There¡¯s no telling when a monster might reflect one of these spells at us, or something like that. As for creative revenge¡­ well, you already wrote me a blank check for a favor. Let¡¯s just say I¡¯ll factor this little escapade in when I think of something. I¡¯ve already got some ideas, truthfully, but all in good time, Fangs.¡±


    ¡°I do appreciate this, Tabitha. It means a lot. Just let me know if this ever gets to be too much for you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a grown woman, I can take care of myself. Besides, I just spent the last two hours beating up your girlfriend, a little payback is more than warranted.¡± The two girls smiled at each other before rejoining Alicia on her lawn. ¡°How you feeling, Cherry Blossom?¡±


    In lieu of a proper answer, Alicia instead let out a prolonged groan of misery. She was currently on the ground, unmoving, and Katrina was fairly sure she saw a series of roots extending from her back. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be so sore tomorrow, ugh. I want to just pass out in a sunbeam for like, a week. That won¡¯t be a problem, right?¡±


    Katrina sat down next to Alicia, softly brushing her hair from her face. ¡°You can soak up all the sun you want tomorrow, hun.¡± The Dryad nuzzled into Katrina¡¯s hand, humming with appreciation. She seemed like she was on the verge of passing out, and Katrina had to tap her cheek to make sure she didn¡¯t fall asleep on her front lawn.


    ¡°In all seriousness, Alicia?¡± Tabitha said, clearing her throat. ¡°You did really great today. For someone with no combat experience, I¡¯d say you¡¯re picking things up pretty quickly. We¡¯re all finished for tonight, if you two want to retire to more private affairs.¡±


    ¡°How did the second training session go, anyways? I was too busy with my spells to pay attention,¡± Katrina asked.


    Alicia slowly sat up, the roots on her back detaching, her bones cracking in a manner reminiscent of an ancient, lumbering tree. ¡°I definitely noticed the lack of stamina regen, for one thing. Otherwise, I agree with Tabitha. The movements feel a bit more natural, and I think I¡¯ve got the beginnings of an understanding of how to protect myself. Plus, I used Class Features! That¡¯s gotta count for something right?¡±


    ¡°How close are you to leveling up?¡±


    ¡°I guess I should check, shouldn¡¯t I? Status!¡± Alicia was now leaning against Katrina, her eyes fighting to stay open as she started reading through her Status. Barely a second passed before her eyes snapped wide open, and she leaned forward in surprise. ¡°Wait! I leveled up too!¡±


    ¡°Dang, look at you two! We¡¯re on a roll!¡± Tabitha said. She was in the middle of slowly removing her delving gear but paused to slowly applaud Alicia.


    ¡°This is Level Two, right? What stats are you going to take?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Um, it says my only options are Health or Endurance. I should take the Health, right? The more HP I have the better?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re our tank, that seems like the right call to me.¡± Katrina squeezed Alicia¡¯s hand, nodding enthusiastically. ¡°Anything that keeps you alive is a win in my book.¡±


    ¡°Alright, two points in Health, and¡­ done!¡±


    As Katrina watched, she swore Alicia¡¯s skin grew more vibrant. She¡¯d always had a bit of a glow to her, though it was hard to say how literal that was, and now she seemed just a bit more alive. They smiled at each other, quickly kissing as they celebrated their respective level gains today. Eventually, the intense physical activity began to catch up with Alicia, and everyone decided to call it a night.


    Tabitha left her delving essentials in Alicia¡¯s living room, then walked home to get some sleep. Katrina eagerly walked upstairs, taking a few minutes to brush her teeth and put on her pajamas, then joined Alicia in her bedroom. The Dryad had already buried herself in the pile of blankets, and Katrina kneeled down to figure out how they might be able to cuddle. As soon as she laid down, however, Alicia tackled her with excitement, showering her with kisses. She wrapped her hands around Katrina¡¯s waist, nuzzled her face into Katrina¡¯s shoulder, and was asleep within minutes.

 Chapter 13.1

    Alicia had never slept better in her life, neither as a Human nor as a Dryad. After making a nest of blankets, and dragging Katrina inside of it, she¡¯d done her best to avoid falling asleep instantly, but had failed miserably. As excited as she was to share her first real night with Kat, she was equally as exhausted from all the training she¡¯d done with Tabitha.


    When the sun started rising, Alicia¡¯s body attempted to rise as well. This happened no matter what Alicia tried, but thankfully it was easy enough to get back to sleep. While she was awake, however, she took the time to appreciate her current situation; completely wrapped around an unconscious, and breathtakingly gorgeous, Vampire. Alicia had no idea how heavy a sleeper Kat was, but she decided to take a risk and adjust her position slightly. Apart from a small grumble, Kat didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    Alicia cuddled even closer, resting her head in the soft spot just under Kat¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes. She felt Kat¡¯s chest rising and falling as she slowly breathed, enjoying the calm tranquility of the moment.


    She also noticed that, unlike most other partners she¡¯d had before, they¡¯d seemingly cuddled all night. In the past, mostly with Aiya, Alicia had gotten used to cuddling up at the start of the night, then calling it quits once it got too toasty to continue. For some reason, cuddling with Kat wasn¡¯t overheating her like she was used to. In fact, Kat¡¯s skin was refreshingly cool, as if she were the cold side of the pillow.


    Wait, she¡¯s a Vampire, which means she¡¯s undead! No wonder she¡¯s not producing any body heat. Although, if she¡¯s dead, why is she still breathing? I should ask her when she wakes up¡­


    After a soft giggle, Alicia closed her eyes to try and get back to sleep. Of all the possible benefits and detriments of being undead, she would have never guessed ¡°perfect cuddle partner¡± would have made the list. She squeezed her girlfriend just a little bit harder and fell back asleep.


    ¡ª


    Before long, it was time for Alicia to properly wake up. She could tell from her branches it was close to noon, and there was a limit to how late she could sleep in while the sun was shining.


    As much as it pained her, she pulled herself away from Katrina, though not before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. The Vampire stirred slightly, then quietly mumbled ¡°Morning Alicia¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still noon, sleepyhead, go back to sleep,¡± Alicia said.


    Katrina mumbled something unintelligible, nodded, and turned to her side. It took every ounce of restraint Alicia had not to squee with excitement over how cute the Vampire was.


    She merged with her Heart Tree, but before departing for her morning drink, she took a moment to examine how she felt. Katrina had mentioned the possibility that sleeping outside her Heart Tree might be bad for her, and the idea was worrying. At the moment, thankfully, Alicia felt well-rested, but she decided to continue monitoring herself each morning to keep an eye on things.


    Outside, the sun was shining brightly, and her spirits were high. She stretched her arms over her head, her aching bones creaking and cracking, and immediately felt the bitter reminders of her training yesterday.


    For hours, Tabitha had drilled her on the basics of close quarters combat; how to position her feet, how to hold a weapon, things like that. To her credit, the Foxgirl had been very patient with her, and had definitely been pulling her punches. The more Alicia had learned about fighting, the more she recognized just how fluid and precise Tabitha¡¯s movements were. When Alicia had started with ORC, her basic training had mentioned that a person¡¯s base ten attributes, commonly referred to as their Ten, always reflected who they were before the Change, but there were certain limitations. The common understanding, partially thanks to a study done on various Olympic athletes, was that peak Human performance capped out at an Attribute level of 20, at least before the Change. With that in mind, Alicia was absolutely sure that some of Tabitha¡¯s Ten were above that; she was simply too fast.


    As the Dryad walked further away from her house, she texted Tabitha to give her a quick update.


    Alicia: Morning! I just got up, so you¡¯re welcome to come over whenever you like. Kat will be asleep until dusk, obviously.


    Tabitha responded with a simple thumbs up emoji.


    When Alicia reached her river, she eagerly sank her feet into the water and started drinking. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and happily soaked up the sun.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Feeling the water flowing around her legs, she thought back to her conversation with Elias. They¡¯d spent hours talking about how to alter the topography of the neighborhood, and it occurred to Alicia that she should probably put together some kind of a map so they could start planning.


    I should have Katrina fly up and take a picture! That way we¡¯d have an up-to-date image we can use for planning, and I can send it to Elias.


    After taking in all the sunlight and water she needed, which took several hours, Alicia got up and started her day in earnest. She wanted to start preparing for Elias¡¯ visit, which meant returning to her previous task of ripping up all the gravel and concrete in the area.


    Over the last several years, she¡¯d managed to disrupt much of the stone herself by using the local plant life. Whenever a particular remnant of civilization grew weak enough, and she was able to break it into smaller pieces, she would move them to a spot outside the neighborhood that she¡¯d turned into a makeshift dumping site. It was far enough away to be spared the ravages of her nature reclamation project, and close enough to a road that she was able to schedule regular pickups. Of course, given her perception of time, and relatively weak stature, the pickups only happened two or three times a year.


    Most of the street in front of her house had been completely stripped of asphalt, which Alicia had greatly appreciated during last night¡¯s training. The path from her home to the river was also similarly bare, though not to the same degree. It was on that path, in a space that had previously been a three-way intersection, that Alicia and Elias were planning on setting up a small pond.


    To start, Alicia connected with all the plants that she already knew were present. She examined how they were growing, if they had found any lingering bits of concrete, and what the soil in the area was like. After not finding any surprises, she summoned a plethora of creeping charlie, complete with lush purple flowers, to mark the edge of the pond. She had to extend the radius a few times, as she was measuring purely with her eyes, but eventually she had an area that seemed appropriate for a mermaid.


    Next, she sat in the middle of the designated area and once again reached out to the nearby plants. One by one, she snuffed out the various weeds, roots, and vines that had taken up residence underground. After another hour had passed, Elias¡¯ plot of land was free of living plants, which would make excavating much easier.


    Alicia considered pausing here, wondering if Elias would have Class Features that would make moving all the dirt easier. However, the more she thought about it, the less she wanted to use the System. She thought about the Key Dungeon, about everything Tabitha had taught her last night. Delving wasn¡¯t just about clever use of Features, it was a grueling test of strength, wit, and endurance. If she had a shovel, clearing out this dirt would be a great way to keep conditioning herself.


    She walked home, rummaged through the gardening equipment she hadn¡¯t touched in years, and grabbed a shovel.


    During her training last night, while Katrina had been practicing her new spells, Tabitha had explained that people could still train and condition themselves like they did before the Change. With enough time and effort, every one of a person¡¯s Ten could be improved without the aid of magic or Leveling up. While the System made quite a few physical feats of prowess much easier, there was still plenty of space for hard work and determination.


    Of course, Tabitha had brought it up as an excuse to keep smacking Alicia with a stick, but it was a helpful lesson all the same. Plus, getting used to stick smacks would hopefully make it easier to withstand the assaults of Dungeon monsters.


    Alicia spent the rest of the day digging. She was amazed at how much more energy she had during the day, and she now understood just how helpful her Solar Regeneration Feature was. She regretted that the Dungeon was underground, and that they were delving at night, but she knew Kat¡¯s help was worth far more than consistent regeneration.


    When her phone went off shortly before sunset, she planted her shovel in the ground, crawled out of her hole, and decided to take a break.


    Tabitha: omw!


    Alicia: Great! See you soon!


    With a smile on her face, Alicia looked over everything she¡¯d accomplished today. Although it was nowhere near completion, she¡¯d made a sizable dent in the ground, and she was proud of her work. She took a quick picture, sending it to Elias.


    Alicia: Got your timeshare started!


    Elias: XD


    Elias: Sorry to miss the groundbreaking ceremony lol


    Alicia: How was your day? Lake doing alright?


    Elias: Nothing crazy. It was pretty windy, so the lake was a little aggressive. I¡¯m a bit winded, but otherwise business as usual. I¡¯m just trying to get ahead on my work so it¡¯s easier to take time off.


    Alicia: No monsters or anything? I feel like I remember hearing about monsters in the Lake


    Elias: Yeah, people think there¡¯s a Dungeon out in the Great Lakes somewhere, but normally that stuff doesn¡¯t wander too close to shore. When it does, the aquatic Guilds are pretty quick on the draw


    Alicia: Well, I¡¯m glad I¡¯ve got someone to keep me up to date on current events


    Elias: Hey I¡¯m just calling it like I sea it


    Alicia: It¡¯s a shame you¡¯re so busy, you sound really tide down


    Elias: The trick is finding ways to streamline my work


    After several minutes of giggling to herself while she continued texting Elias, Alicia started wondering where Tabitha was. The Foxgirl had texted a while ago, and Alicia was fairly sure she should have arrived already. She quickly checked the time, then looked away from her phone to see if Tabitha had arrived yet.


    When Alicia turned around, she found herself face to face with the snow-white fur of their Mage Knight. Alicia yelled in surprise, dropping her phone before falling backwards into the pit.

 Chapter 13.2

    ¡°Tabitha! Why are you sneaking up on me like that?!¡± Alicia yelled, huffing as she crawled to her feet.


    The Foxgirl was laughing hysterically and had to wipe away a tear before she finally responded. ¡°Oh wow, that was priceless. You should have seen the look on your face! It¡¯s nothing personal, Alicia, I promise. I wanted to test how aware you are of your surroundings. You failed, by the way, but I think falling into a mysterious pit is punishment enough. What is this thing, anyways? You girls setting up some mud wrestling? Heck, if you are, can I set up a camera for my fans?¡±


    Tabitha held out a paw, which Alicia grabbed before hopping out of the pit. ¡°We¡¯re doing no such thing! For your information, Kat and I are taking things slow. This is something I¡¯m working on for Elias.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that? Friend of yours?¡±


    Alicia paused for a moment, running over everything that had happened last night. ¡°Shoot, that¡¯s right, we never told you. Elias is a registered delver, one of the ones we contacted, but he can¡¯t help us delve because he¡¯s a Mermaid. However, we¡¯ve been talking, and I mentioned that I¡¯ve got a river nearby, so he suggested setting up a small pond so he can come help us out. He¡¯s a Geomancer, so he¡¯s got some healing abilities he can use to help us recover in between delves.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a good idea! The more the merrier I always say. Granted, that normally has a different context in my line of work.¡± There was a brief pause, during which Alicia couldn¡¯t stop herself from picturing what Tabitha might have meant. It must have been obvious, as she caught Tabitha smirking at her moments later. ¡°Is it cool that I talk about work? I know I can be a bit prickly at times, but I¡¯m not trying to make things too awkward for you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay! I¡¯ve just been pretty sheltered since the Change. Before Katrina ran into me, I hadn¡¯t seen another person in years. I work for ORC, though, so I¡¯m caught up on all the new laws and everything.¡±


    Tabitha tapped a claw on her chin for a moment, lost in thought, before speaking up again. ¡°I guess that makes sense. I¡¯ve never worked with ORC, personally. I was a camgirl even before the Change, and my Race is pretty normal, all things considered. I didn¡¯t need to change anything about my life, other than investing in some hardcore robot vacuums. Biggest difficulty for me was the huge influx in new cam workers after sex work was legalized.¡±


    ¡°Is camming all that different from before the Change? It¡¯s still just, like, playing with yourself on camera, right?¡± Alicia asked. She¡¯d watched her fair share of cam shows before the Change, but she didn¡¯t know much about the industry.


    ¡°It¡¯s harder to find a selling point. Before, so long as you were either hot or had a distinctive look, you¡¯d find people that wanted to watch you. Now? There are tons of Races literally designed to be as sexy as possible, so competition is really stiff. I almost quit a few times because, like, how am I supposed to compete with Succubi that have to constantly host orgies just to survive?¡±


    ¡°What did you do about it?¡±


    ¡°Well, this had been true since long before the Change, but often sex work is only about sex like, half the time. The rest of the time people just want company, they want intimacy they¡¯re not getting elsewhere. I¡¯ve known escorts that get paid top dollar not to sleep with people, but just hold them and play with their hair. I try to lean into what makes me different; I don¡¯t have incredibly high Charisma, and it won¡¯t increase by leveling up. However, I¡¯ve got crazy muscle definition from my high Agility, and that¡¯s why I get a lot of people asking me to do parkour streams. Other than that, it¡¯s mostly about connecting with your audience, giving them someone they can goof off with regularly.¡±


    ¡°Tabitha, that¡¯s so beautiful! I had no idea cam work could be so touching!¡±


    The Foxgirl laughed to herself. ¡°I mean, there is also a lot of touching. I did get crazy lucky in one aspect; I was camming when the Change hit.¡±


    ¡°Wait, like, you caught it on camera?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Full HD, hour long show. I start as a Human, just doing my thing, and halfway through I turn into this. I was already turned on from all the masturbating, but my entire body changing like that? I came so hard, and now it¡¯s easily my best-selling video. I¡¯ll give you a discount if you want to see it sometime, you know.¡±


    This time, Alicia was completely aware of how heavily she was blushing. ¡°I-I¡¯ll think about it!¡±


    With one last, hearty laugh, Tabitha slapped Alicia on the back before jumping in the pit. ¡°You¡¯ve got to make yourself less fun to tease, Cherry Blossom. I¡¯ve got half a mind to ask if you two are poly, but I have a feeling you haven¡¯t had that conversation yet. Why don¡¯t you join me in the ring and we¡¯ll review everything we went over yesterday.¡±


    Alicia nodded, eager to change the conversation, and joined Tabitha in their impromptu fighting ring. She grew a pair of staves again, throwing one to the Mage Knight, and they started practicing.


    Although still sore, Alicia could feel her muscle memory kicking in. Several small movements that had given her trouble yesterday now felt easier, and she was more confidently able to keep up with Tabitha¡¯s attacks. She did her best to block with her staff when possible, but she had also gotten better at managing her barriers. Whenever Tabitha outmaneuvered or overpowered her, she was able to grow tiny barriers from her body to absorb the strike.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    As Tabitha had explained yesterday, the barriers worked best as a second line of defense, or as a way to protect distant teammates. However, while Alicia still lost HP when her barriers were hit, they had several large advantages over blocking the attack with her actual body.


    Most importantly, her barriers had no critical weak points. A barrier that shatters from a blunt strike, while still costing HP, has no other downsides. That same attack, however, might easily break a bone and cripple Alicia for weeks. Similarly, bladed weapons might be able to inflict poison or slice open vital arteries, and the barriers could prevent that as well. They were the perfect tools to absorb any number of potential injuries.


    Alicia¡¯s mind was racing as they continued sparring. She had to mind her own footwork, stay balanced, hold her staff correctly, but also watch Tabitha¡¯s movements and look for patterns. Whenever she fell behind, and Tabitha slipped past her defenses, she had to summon a barrier to absorb a strike on her thigh or waist.


    They were in the middle of a particularly lengthy exchange of blocks and parries when something unusual happened; Alicia heard a voice in her head that, oddly enough, sounded like Katrina.


    ¡°Hey Alicia, could you come home? I¡¯d like to test something.¡±


    In her confusion, Alicia lost focus on her fight with Tabitha. Before she could snap back to her senses, the Foxgirl had spun behind her and struck at her feet, knocking her to the ground. She tried to gasp in pain, but landing flat on her back had knocked the wind out of her.


    ¡°Gotcha!¡± Tabitha cheered. ¡°You were doing pretty good until the end there, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Owwwww, that really hurt!¡± Alicia groaned. ¡°And I¡¯m not completely sure, but I think Katrina just like, sent me a psychic message? She wants me to come home.¡±


    The Foxgirl reached down, offering a hand to help Alicia up. ¡°Alright, well I won¡¯t count that against you. Ordinarily I¡¯d say you should be ready for anything, but we¡¯re still new at this and, if anything, it¡¯s her fault for testing new spells without warning us. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go see what Fangs is up to!¡±


    Alicia jumped back to her feet, then decided to continue using her staff as a walking stick as they returned home. She was growing strangely fond of having a staff, both as a weapon and for general use, and hoped she would remember to bring one with the next time she traveled away from her Heart Tree. Once she made it home, she opened the front door and called out for Katrina.


    ¡°Kat, you up? I got your message!¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s amazing!¡± As Kat responded, Alicia realized the Vampire was still upstairs. After a moment, she appeared at the top of the stairs and started walking down. ¡°What did it sound like?¡±


    ¡°Um, like a voice in my head? I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s another way to describe it.¡± The girls kissed quickly before Alicia continued. ¡°Of course, it distracted me and let Tabitha throw me to the ground, so I didn¡¯t get a lot of time to examine it.¡±


    ¡°Alicia, I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t know you two were practicing!¡± Katrina leaned in, hugging Alicia tight before checking for injuries. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt too bad, are you? Did you get lots of time in the sun today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Kat, really. I had plenty of time earlier to let my Regeneration do its thing.¡±


    ¡°Man, you¡¯re lucky,¡± Tabitha said, ¡°I¡¯d kill for some Regeneration. Plus, normally that Feature requires a bunch of food to power itself, but all you need to do is sunbathe? Talk about winning the Change lottery.¡±


    ¡°I mean, all Races have their downsides; I¡¯ll never be able to travel, for one thing,¡± Alicia said.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Vampires get some kind of latent Regeneration type thing since we¡¯re undead, but I won¡¯t bore you with the details of how much I hate my Race.¡± Katrina squeezed Alicia¡¯s hand as they talked, and thankfully Tabitha didn¡¯t ask for any elaboration.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, I know. Everyone gets something different. I really shouldn¡¯t complain, two of my Ten are in the twenties, and with a few Spells, I can make it four,¡± Tabitha said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, back up. You can get FOUR of your Ten above twenty?!¡± Katrina said, clearly shocked.


    ¡°I mean, yeah. Beastkin always get crazy Attribute levels, I thought you of all people would have known that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but that many Attributes above twenty is insane! I think I understand why your fans pay you to tackle parkour courses, I¡¯ll bet that¡¯s incredibly impressive.¡±


    Tabitha smirked, then winked quickly at Katrina. ¡°Oh, is someone interested in watching my shows? Maybe I¡¯ll let you choose my outfit next time; my most popular ones are a blue bikini with way too many straps, and a gold bikini I wore for my collab with TheSexiestSlayer.¡±


    Katrina¡¯s eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped as Tabitha finished talking. ¡°Hold up, you did a show with TheSexiestSlayer? Seriously?!¡°


    Alicia, feeling a little out of her element, pulled Katrina closer and asked, ¡°Should I know who that is?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably one of the most famous streamers in the world! She¡¯s a Greater Succubus with some obscenely high Charisma score, it¡¯s like forty-something, but she¡¯s also an incredibly skilled gamer and cosplay creator. Personally, I think she¡¯s one of the reasons that camming became as commonly accepted as it is today, once sex work became legal, obviously.¡±


    ¡°So, she¡¯s like¡­ super pretty?¡± Alicia asked, a little nervous.


    Thankfully, Katrina found the subtext in the question. ¡°Well, yeah, but that¡¯s not really the point. Sure, the System gave her a ridiculous Charisma score, but honestly, I never really watched her shows for that. She¡¯s worked with delvers in the past, and it¡¯s pretty significant that she became as well-known as she did. It was the first time a sex worker got, like, super famous.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s ever in town again, I¡¯ll see if I can set up a meet and greet. If you¡¯re interested, that is,¡± Tabitha teased.


    ¡°How about we cross that bridge when we get to it,¡± Katrina said. ¡°Besides, it might never happen, and we¡¯ve got a Dungeon to tackle. You two need to get back to your sparring, and I¡¯ve got more spells I need to create.¡±


    ¡°Right, your spells!¡± Alicia said excitedly. ¡°What was the one you used on me?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t named it yet, but if it¡¯s working as intended, it just lets me send a short message to whoever I want. It¡¯s not the most common spell, but I¡¯ve seen enough people get similar magic to understand how it works. The closer someone is, the less mana is required. On the flip side, with enough mana, I could theoretically reach anyone, anywhere in the world.¡±


    Katrina jumped back up the stairs, quickly grabbed her guitar, and rejoined the group as they prepared to return to their training.

 Chapter 13.3

    Once back outside, after quickly showing Katrina the pit she¡¯d started for Elias, Alicia returned to her practice. At this point, while she still put everything she had into improving, the novelty of learning to fight had started to wear thin. During one of their short breaks, she thought about the timeframe they were working with, about how they only had a few weeks to beat the Dungeon. They were going to need all the time they could get, which meant delving and fight training were going to be a part of her daily life for the foreseeable future.


    Thankfully, even as practice became more routine, it was obvious that Tabitha was a great person. Had Alicia not known about her cam work, she still would have guessed that the Foxgirl was great with people. It seemed effortless for her to read Alicia¡¯s movement, switch up methods when Alicia was growing tired of a specific move, and offer breaks when needed.


    Alicia, for her part, had begun wondering if her Dryad physiology might offer any unique benefits in combat. She began experimenting with her ability to control plants, trying to shift the terrain to her advantage and trip Tabitha up. While her control only extended so far, and she couldn¡¯t exactly summon vines to instantly trip Tabitha, she felt confident it was something worth exploring. She also remembered that she was able to grow roots from her own body, and had started rooting her feet to the ground whenever she wanted a stronger stance.


    In the background, Katrina continued providing music for the training combatants as she iterated on her spells. The music wasn¡¯t quite as performative, she frequently stopped and restarted sections as she wrestled with her newly discovered magic, but it was beautiful to listen to nonetheless.


    By the end of the night, Kat had cemented two new spells in her repertoire; a Scan and a quick, magical push that would hopefully keep enemies away from her. She practiced her scan on Tabitha, with the Foxgirl¡¯s consent of course, and spent a solid minute marveling at her incredible Ten; she had 25 Agility and 21 Dexterity even before applying her own Attribute Boosting spells.


    As excited as Alicia was to see Kat so excited about delving and exploring her magic, the Dryad began feeling a twinge of jealousy; this was the second time tonight that Kat had gushed about another girl.


    She had a feeling Tabitha noticed something, as they ended training earlier than they had yesterday. The Foxgirl gave her a big hug, squeezing her tight and congratulating her on her hard work, then returned home to give them some space.


    ¡°Whew,¡± Kat said as they walked inside, ¡°what a night! You get a lot done with Tabitha? It seemed like you were making great progress, though admittedly I was spending a lot of time with my own practice. She seemed impressed, if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah it went well,¡± Alicia said quietly.


    ¡°Alicia? Hey, is everything alright?¡±


    Alicia paused, not entirely sure how to voice her thoughts. She wanted to be open about what she was thinking, but it had been so long since she¡¯d engaged with these kinds of social dynamics. ¡°I-I¡¯m not entirely sure how to phrase this, but¡­ I guess I¡¯m feeling a little self-conscious right now. It¡¯s really cute seeing you get excited about all this delving stuff, but seeing you rant and rave about that streamer, and then about Tabitha¡¯s Ten¡­¡±


    There was a small moment of hesitation before Kat responded. Her eyes were unfocused, darting back and forth across nothing in particular, and Alicia suspected she was combing through her memories from the last few hours. ¡°Shoot, Alicia, I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it like that, I promise. I¡¯m thrilled to be with you, Alicia, I really am, and I¡¯m sorry I made you feel that way.¡± The two hugged tightly as Alicia buried her face in Kat¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bring it up, this is just all so new to me, and I guess I got a little used to having you all to myself. It¡¯s my first time dating post-Change, and everything is so different now,¡± Alicia said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to ruin our first week as a couple by getting all moody like this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say that.¡± Kat moved closer, cupping the side of Alicia¡¯s face and tilting her head higher. Their eyes met before Kat spoke up again. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, and I want to hear these things. Tell you what, how about we go sit in our floor bed, and you can share everything you¡¯re worried about. Honestly, isn¡¯t the start of a relationship the best time to do this?¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Alicia nodded quickly. ¡°O-okay.¡±


    Once the girls were back in Alicia¡¯s bedroom, they sat on their massive pile of blankets and looked at each other. Katrina spoke first, gently grabbing Alicia¡¯s hands. ¡°Tell me everything, Alicia. I want this to be the best relationship we¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I guess I¡¯m just a little jealous. I was talking with Tabitha before you woke up, and she told me how camming actually got really difficult after sex work was legalized. About how hard it is to stand out against Succubi and all the other Races that get huge Charisma bonuses. When you got all excited about Tab and that Slayer person, I think maybe I was a little nervous that you¡¯d rather be with someone like that. Someone with a crazy Ten that¡¯s super popular and stuff.¡±


    Katrina squeezed Alicia¡¯s hand tight, only speaking up when she knew Alicia had finished. ¡°Y¡¯know, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s come up much, but I¡¯m a pretty introverted person. Yes, in recent years I shut myself off because of my Race, but even before the Change I wasn¡¯t very sociable. You want to know my favorite thing about us? I can be myself around you.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, but maybe you could do that with Tabitha too,¡± Alicia said, sniffling.


    ¡°Please, Tabitha flat out admitted she likes to push people¡¯s buttons. I don¡¯t want a relationship to be a challenge, I want it to be comfortable and supporting. Plus, dating someone famous sounds like it would be so much work. When you and I went to the Dungeon Camp, no one knew who we were, and I loved that.¡±


    Alicia didn¡¯t say anything at first, instead, turning away from Kat before leaning back into her lap. ¡°I have heard that dating celebrities can be a challenge.¡±


    ¡°Another thing? Once people get a high enough Charisma, it becomes supernaturally powerful. Like, you physically can¡¯t stop yourself from staring at them, and that honestly sounds really stressful.¡±


    ¡°I sometimes have trouble not staring at you, Kat,¡± Alicia admitted with a smirk.


    ¡°And I only have nineteen Charisma! Imagine someone with forty; how are you supposed to get anything done when you¡¯re living with someone whose very presence is practically a mind-altering drug? With how much the Change rewired my brain, I¡¯ve had more than my fill of unnatural urges and desires, thank you.¡± Katrina¡¯s hands settled on Alica¡¯s shoulders before she continued. ¡°I¡¯m happy with you, Alicia. I¡¯m not trying to change the topic away from your feelings, I¡¯m sorry if it seemed like that. I think I¡¯m just trying to say that a person¡¯s Ten isn¡¯t who they are. Someone with thirty Wisdom might not be kind, someone with thirty Charisma might not be empathetic. It¡¯s not a fluke that we¡¯re together, and I would choose you again in a heartbeat. Even if TheSexiestSlayer were here.¡±


    Alicia found herself giggling, and she pulled Kat¡¯s hands closer in a makeshift hug. ¡°I never really thought of that, I guess.¡±


    Katrina leaned down, gently kissing Alicia before speaking up again. ¡°Was there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Um, actually, this isn¡¯t something I was worried about, but since we¡¯re talking about the relationship¡­ Tabitha asked me earlier if we¡¯re planning on being monogamous.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Kat asked, and Alicia nodded in return. There was another pause before she continued. ¡°That certainly sounds like her. I¡¯ve always been monogamous in the past, but that was more from circumstance rather than personal choice. In theory, I¡¯m not against it, but¡­ I really don¡¯t think this is the right time to make that decision. We only just got together, Alicia, and I want to focus on you. This is my first real, honest relationship since the Change, and I still don¡¯t know who I am when I¡¯m not alone. Because of you, I think I¡¯m starting to figure that out, but it¡¯s a process that needs time.¡±


    The girls squeezed each other, and Alicia could hear the weight in everything Kat was saying. Before she responded, she took just as long to collect her thoughts. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. Like you said, I¡¯m used to being alone too. It wouldn¡¯t feel right to add someone else to the mix when we still don¡¯t understand who we are as a couple.¡±


    Kat squeezed Alicia tight. ¡°How about, if Tab asks again, we just say we¡¯re focused on us right now.¡±


    ¡°I like that.¡± Alicia sat up again, grabbing Kat¡¯s face and eagerly kissing her. ¡°Look at us, being a real couple and talking about feelings and relationship dynamics and stuff. Thanks for listening, Kat. I was kinda nervous to bring this all up, and I appreciate you taking it seriously.¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, Alicia. And, moving forward, I¡¯ll try to be more mindful when I¡¯m talking about delving stuff. Do you want to cuddle up and get some sleep?¡±


    Alicia nodded quickly, then got off the bed to free up the blankets. After rearranging everything back to normal, the girls crawled under them and got back to cuddling. This time, rather than burying herself in Kat¡¯s shoulder, Alicia was the little spoon for the night. Just like yesterday, the stress from all her sparring practice caught up with her pretty quickly, and she knew she would be in for another sore morning. With Katrina holding her, everything felt right, and she fell asleep within minutes.

 Chapter 14.1

    Once Katrina was absolutely sure that Alicia was asleep, she slowly slid herself out of bed. As enjoyable as it was to cuddle up with her girlfriend, she had only been up for a few hours and wasn¡¯t the least bit tired. The other day, Alicia had made an offhand comment about getting planners to figure out their daily routines, and the thought had stuck with Katrina.


    She didn¡¯t literally want a planner, that felt like overkill, but she¡¯d been thinking a lot about her nocturnal nature. In a stereotypical Human schedule, a person gets eight hours of sleep and sixteen hours for everything else. However, as a creature of the night, Katrina had spent years only functioning while most of the world slept, which meant she routinely had less time each day to be productive. While this hadn¡¯t been a problem before, as she¡¯d spent most of her time in a depressive haze, now she had friends, and a partner. Heck, Alicia had even found a way to include Elias in their little Dungeon adventure.


    If she woke at dusk, and went to sleep at dawn, Katrina would have fewer waking hours on average than the rest of the population. Thankfully, the days were slowly growing shorter now that summer was winding down. However, while she might have more time on average during winter, did Alicia? Katrina knew so little about Dryad physiology.


    Would Alicia hibernate through the winter? The thought of going months without seeing her girlfriend didn¡¯t sit well with her.


    Of course, we did just agree that we¡¯d both be open to going poly, which might change some of the specifics. Tabitha certainly wouldn¡¯t need to hibernate, so I would at least have some company.


    Katrina had been overjoyed to talk about the relationship with Alicia, but the thought of polyamory had caught her off guard. She was glad Alicia agreed with her, that they should take time for themselves before deciding if they wanted more. Still, at the moment, it felt like she had more thoughts in her head than she¡¯d had for years, and she needed time to sort everything out.


    Thankfully, there was a lot she needed to do tonight, and there would be plenty of time for reflection. Most importantly, today was Grocery Day, and she needed to catch the train back to her place. After gathering all her things, and making sure that she¡¯d added her Delver¡¯s ID to her purse, she took off for the train station. She really hoped she wouldn¡¯t need to visit the hospital downtown again, but at least now she could fly if she needed to.


    The train ride was short, as always, but she appreciated having time to herself. Tabitha joining their little group had been more transformative than she¡¯d expected; not only was she incredibly capable as a delver, she was also pushing Alicia and Katrina to have serious conversations about their relationship. Was Tabitha honestly just interested in dating them? Or was she the kind of person that absolutely needed to make a splash wherever she went? If the latter were true, it could possibly have adverse effects on their Dungeon efforts.


    I guess trust is something we build over time. Maybe I need to have a talk with her at some point, just something to build a bit more trust between us.


    As Katrina left the train, her instincts tried to take her into the skies, but she fought the urge. Now that she had spells to figure out, her mana was a precious resource that she couldn¡¯t afford to waste. The alternative, walking amongst light crowds of squishy, blood-filled humanoids, wasn¡¯t the most appealing option, but Alicia and the Key Dungeon had to be her first priority.


    Closing in on the local clinic, she immediately noticed the lack of a line. This had happened last week, and had been an unfortunate herald of her difficult trip to downtown Chicago. She hoped today would be different, but steeled herself for disappointment.


    She approached the window, then set her cooler down on the counter and leaned against it. After a few seconds of waiting, a familiar Human face walked over to join her.


    ¡°Kat! Long time no see. Looks like you survived the trip downtown, hopefully that wasn¡¯t too rough for you,¡± Dennis said.


    ¡°Honestly it was pretty terrible, but I survived without any issues.¡± Katrina paused for a moment, her thoughts drifting back to last week. ¡°Oh, by the way, thanks for the¡­ y¡¯know. It was a really big help.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it! Thankfully, we won¡¯t need anything like that this week, got our shipment of rations right on time. Send your cooler through, I¡¯ll get it filled up!¡± Dennis grabbed the cooler and walked off, only needing a few minutes before returning with a full week¡¯s worth of rations.


    ¡°Are these the 300 or 350 mL?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Still 300. Sorry I forgot to warn you last week, I just had way too much going on. How are things? If you don¡¯t mind me saying, something seems different with you today. You¡¯re carrying yourself differently.¡±


    ¡°Geez, is it that obvious?¡± Katrina paused, blushing profusely. ¡°Yeah I, uh, met someone.¡±


    ¡°Like, a friend? Or someone someone?¡± Dennis asked, grabbing Katrina¡¯s donor card and running it through his computer.


    ¡°Like, I have a girlfriend now. Ran into her last week after picking up my rations, and we really hit it off. It¡¯s been kind of a crazy week, honestly. I¡¯m also a certified Delver now? I got wrapped up in some Dungeon business with her.¡±


    ¡°No kidding? That must have been one heck of a week. You certainly seem excited, you¡¯re practically glowing.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you saying I was cold and boring up until now?¡±


    ¡°W-well, no, I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±


    Katrina cut him off with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, Dennis. I was a sourpuss and I know it. I tried to hide it whenever I came here, but now? Things are really coming together.¡±


    Dennis slid back Katrina¡¯s donor card, along with her rations, and she quickly put everything away. He spoke up again as he leaned against the counter. ¡°I¡¯m really happy to hear that, Kat. I¡¯d love to meet her, if the opportunity ever comes up. Though, I¡¯m not sure a visit to a Race Clinic counts as an exciting date.¡±


    ¡°Please, we got our Delving Licenses together. A trip here sounds like a walk in the park comparatively.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that. Now, in all seriousness, be careful, okay? Delving is insanely dangerous. I don¡¯t see nearly as many delvers as the hospital downtown does, but I¡¯ve seen my fair share of injured patients. And I¡¯ve got a list of all the ones that stopped visiting after a trip to the Dungeon went south.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Katrina looked up at Dennis, smiling as warmly as she could. ¡°I appreciate that, Dennis. I¡¯ll see you here next Sunday, that¡¯s a promise.¡±


    The two waved goodbye, and soon Katrina was boarding the train back to Alicia¡¯s place. As usual, she waited until she was alone to open up her newest ration; even with a mostly empty train car, she still wanted to avoid drinking in front of other people when it could be avoided. She¡¯d only just gotten comfortable drinking in front of Alicia, which had been a big step for her.


    Once she made it back to her girlfriend¡¯s place, she quietly snuck inside, grabbed her guitar, and settled down on the front lawn.


    She began by playing through some old favorite songs. No magic, no spellcrafting, just enjoying the instrument she¡¯d fallen in love with years ago. She¡¯d found forum posts from Bards that grew to resent their assigned instrument after treating it like a job, and Katrina was determined to not let that happen. There was actually a pretty big discussion in the Bard world about the mental health benefits of taking a Secondary Method of Inspiration, simply to avoid feeling trapped by your Class.


    Thankfully, there was still plenty of enjoyment to be found. Not only was playing an immense joy, but she was still marveling at the craftsmanship of the guitar Alicia had given her. After nearly a solid hour of simply appreciating the music, she finally decided to get back to her spellcasting.


    She now had four spells ready to go, which meant she was halfway towards her limit for this level. By taking Bonus Spells, she increased her limit from five to eight, and was thrilled to continue iterating.


    The next spell she began working on was slightly more involved, and she¡¯d purposely waited until she was alone to begin practice. Partially because she wanted the peace and quiet to help her concentrate, and partially because she¡¯d wanted spells to show off to Alicia when sparring practice had ended.


    She hoped that, by the end of the night, she would have figured out how to create small illusions.


    After creating four spells for herself, Katrina was growing more and more confident in her ability to connect with her magic. When she¡¯d first hit Level Three, it had felt like this nebulous well of energy that spoke a language she didn¡¯t understand. It wasn¡¯t something she had direct control over, it was something she had to ask permission from, and then create a cradle of music to serve as the delivery method. The more she practiced, the more she recognized how the magic and the music worked together.


    In many ways, it felt like acquiring a brand-new instrument that was flawlessly made, but all the strings were horribly out of tune. With enough time, her magic began to resonate more and more powerfully with her music, and it became easier to weave the two together.


    Her first attempts to create illusions were laughably simple. The first goal was to make anything at all; a cherry blossom, a small rock, or perhaps a stick. It took nearly an hour before she could consistently make any visual at all, and that was only the first step. After growing confident with simple shapes, she next needed to practice how an illusion might move.


    The idea of a moving image seemed to confuse her magic. It felt like hitting a wrong note every time she tried; the magic would buzz and the image would fall. She struggled with how to relay the thought to her magic, unsure what method would work best. Should an illusion be built on a series of still images, or a single image moving fluidly through space? Her magic seemed to want these answers, and it wasn¡¯t something she had prepared for.


    Eventually, however, she figured out the answer. The magic began to resonate with her ideas, and soon she was able to confidently summon small cherry blossoms floating through the air.


    The last step to practice was increasing the size of the illusion. In a perfect world, she would be able to use this magic to hide doorways, distract monsters with copies of her delving party, or any number of other ideas. Illusion magic was well known for being both incredibly helpful and also entirely dependent on the creativity of their wielder. The perfect spell in an arsenal of a jane-of-all-trades Bard like Katrina.


    In the end, as the sun began to peek around the horizon, Katrina had added another spell to her list. Not only did she only have three spells left, but she also felt significantly better about the various things she¡¯d talked about with Alica.


    It was helpful to know that Alicia had some self-image issues, even if they were incredibly minor, and Katrina was eager to take steps to make Alicia feel good about herself and their relationship. It was especially good to have an open discussion about jealousy since they¡¯d agreed that polyamory might be in their future.


    After packing up her guitar, Katrina checked her phone as she started walking towards the stairs. She unexpectedly froze when she saw the date on her lock screen: August 7th.


    Yesterday was the anniversary of the Change. That means this morning is the anniversary of my first time trying to dust myself in the sunlight.


    A wave of emotions washed over Katrina. She had been dreading this day for weeks, operating under the assumption that her guilt would drive her into the sunlight, just like it had every past anniversary. She thought back to her neighbor, to the woman in the alley, to everyone she¡¯d hurt since turning into a Vampire.


    Katrina walked to the front door, opened it, and stared outside. Long shadows crept across the ground, slowly growing shorter as the sun rose high in the morning sky.


    Unbidden memories returned to her; the feel of skin breaking under her teeth, of blood running over her tongue. The countless songs of her victims, ending without fanfare or ceremony purely because she needed to feed. Becoming a Vampire had pushed her to hurt so many people.


    But it had also led her to Alicia.


    She thought back to her last week, reviewing everything that had happened. She had friends now, people she regularly talked to that wanted to see her. She had a delving party, one that was built to help someone in need rather than to seek fame or glory. She had a girlfriend, a wonderful partner who knew everything about her past, and had chosen to stay with her. After spending years utterly convinced that she didn¡¯t deserve happiness, Katrina had somehow found a life for herself.


    ¡°Kat? Kat?!¡±


    Upstairs, Katrina heard a small commotion as Alicia woke up. Her voice was sleepy at first but had grown panicked almost instantly. Footsteps rang through the house as the Dryad raced through the halls, then down the stairs. Katrina had barely paid attention to the noise, she was so lost in her own thoughts, but she returned to her senses when Alicia ran in front of her. She was breathing heavily, tears in her eyes, and she threw her arms around Katrina before speaking up again.


    ¡°Kat! Oh my god, I forgot it was the anniversary today, please, don¡¯t go outside!¡± Alicia said, still gasping for air.


    Having been pulled from the past, Kat looked down at Alicia before hugging her back. ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here Alicia. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I was so worried! You said that you try every year, and when I woke up you were gone, and I thought maybe I wasn¡¯t enough, and that¡ª¡±


    Katrina leaned down, cutting Alicia off by bringing their lips together. She ran her hands through the Dryad¡¯s hair, across her face, and finally down her back before embracing her in a hug once more. ¡°You couldn¡¯t be farther from the truth, Alicia. I¡¯m happier now than I¡¯ve ever been. I got so caught up in my life that I had completely forgotten about the anniversary, and when I remembered¡­ well, I guess I got caught up in my memories. I¡¯ve spent years wrapped up in guilt, I used to constantly wish that I could go back and erase everything that had happened. But just now, when I looked out into the sunlight, I realized I don¡¯t want that anymore. I think, even if I had the most powerful wish in existence, I wouldn¡¯t change what happened to me. Yes, it was terrible, but it also led me to you, and I can¡¯t imagine giving you up.¡±


    Alicia sniffled again. ¡°You sure you¡¯re not just saying that? I know I¡¯ve been pretty emotional these last few days.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Alicia, and I mean every word of it. Now c¡¯mon, you still need a few more hours of sleep, and I was just about to go to bed. This time I promise I won¡¯t slip out of bed.¡±


    After a quick nod, Alicia took Katrina¡¯s hand and followed her upstairs. This time, when they crawled under the sheets, their schedules permitted them hours of peaceful cuddling.