I Hate Dungeon School

The rest of the day was spent just enjoying the accommodations of the inn. We ate our food, enjoyed another bath, had some romantic intimate time on a bed that was every bit as large as one of the dorms, ate some more food we had delivered, which is an utterly novel experience.

I mean, sure, I had food delivered to me when I was still a noblewoman, but it feels different when they aren't bonded servants to your household.

We also slept a lot. The bed was easily the most comfortable I had ever felt, and I regretted the fact that I couldn't spend the rest of my days on a bed like this.

Listen, that's not important. What is important is the fact that I felt truly relaxed. My mind pushed the horrors of the journey out of my mind. The trials of the dryads, the wedding, the dungeon core, that stupid duel with what's-his-name-lord-of-arseholes, just washed away from my mind.

After all, how could anyone be stressed while eating eggs and bacon in your underwear with your highly attractive girlfriend, who has neglected to get dressed at all, while looking at the ocean from your private suite? If anyone can be stressed in this situation, they are fools, and I pity them.

As I was enjoying the scene, Eira spoke up.

"We should probably hit up the Bounty House and sell these corpse-stones. Can't hurt to have some extra metal in our pockets before we head out to the resort."

I swallowed the last bit of my breakfast before nodding in agreement. "Makes sense. I don't know how expensive things are out there, but better safe than sorry, yes? Also, I wanna see the Bounty House!"

"It's not that exciting, Alta." She shook her head and smiled at me. "You're practically bouncing like a kid!"

"Listen, my experience with the dungeoneering and adventuring guilds has been severely limited. I've really only seen the ones in Revenstahd, and even then, I didn't stick around too long. If I want to start my own dungeoneering company one day, I need to do research!" I rambled at her.

"Oh? You want to start your own, huh? I'm not sure if you've mentioned that to me before." She said, an eyebrow raised curiously.

"I don't know if I have either, truth be told. But! That's why I've been hoarding money, why I have so much of my funds locked up in the Revenstahd banks. So when I graduate, I can just start my own company instead of working for someone else. I want to be independent, get rich, and live on my own terms." I blushed as soon as I said it. Speaking my dream out loud was much different than in just living in my head.

Eira looked out the window for a long moment and smiled gently before looking back at me. "I like your dream. I think, and I mean this, I'd like to be a part of it."

I blushed even more, and could feel myself making the most ridiculous smile, but I couldn't help it.

"Anyway! We need to get dressed and go! Let's get some money and figure out our next moves from there!" I said with a cough, changing the subject.

"Tis a shame I'll have to get dressed, but such is life, I suppose!" Eira said, stretching out languidly.

"Damn it, woman, stop seducing me. It always works. I have zero defense against it!" I sighed, peeling myself off the bed and looking away.

"Boooo! Fiiiine!" Eira responded with playful pouting followed by a bright laugh.

We both had packed matching sundresses, though mine still had sleeves, whereas Eira's didn't, and I helped Eira style her hair into a braid, and she did likewise with mine. I typically just kept mine in a high ponytail, but I decided, since I was in a new place, I might as well go for a new hairstyle.

That said, it was getting to be way too long, and I hadn't really bothered to get my hair trimmed and styled properly since my idiot sister's wedding.

Eira plopped a wide-brimmed hat on my head suddenly.

"What's all this then?" I asked curiously.

"The sun can be a bit harsh here during the summer; you don't want to get a sunburn. You will definitely not enjoy that." She explained as she helped me adjust it.

I knew the concept of a sunburn, but had fortunately never experienced it. I was going to take her word for it. My skin had dealt with enough on this trip already.

We left the hotel, with our small pouch of corpse-stones in hand, and wended our way through the streets. I could tell Eira was still feeling on edge, as she was sure to keep her head on a swivel.

All I could do was squeeze her hand, reassuring her I was still here, and I wasn't planning on going anywhere.

We made our way through those colorful streets, full of sights and smells and sounds I had never experienced before, the whole thing a sensory storm of delightful wonder. Part of me wished we had more time to look at every little thing, but I knew that wasn't possible.

Soon we emerged from the stone forest of the buildings that made up the harbor town, and found ourselves in a massive plaza, the brightness of the sun hindering my vision for a moment, a shadow blocked it.

What the shadow belonged to, however, made my mind lurch at the sight of it. My mind had little concept of what exactly I was seeing, and I was in simultaneous awe and fear.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

The first thing I noticed was that it was huge. It was larger than any monster I had ever seen. Hells above and below it was as large as a building, if not larger. A thing of fabric, wood, and metal rising from the ground. It looked like a sea ship suspended beneath some kind of large lozenge-shaped construction, but where oars would be, some things looked like wings that flapped as it rose into the air. It was like a beast of legend constructed by mortal hands.

"What the shit is that?!" I blurted and pointed at the thing, internally chiding myself for my lack of grace.

"That, my dear sweetness, is an airship! I'm not entirely surprised you haven't heard of them. They're pretty rare. I think Hastera and Kildjan are the only nations that have one, and even then, they have one Sky Harbor." Eira explained. "They were still building the thing when I was last here. Didn't think they'd actually pull it off, truth be told. Alta, sweetie, your eyes look like they're going to pop out of your head."

"That is the most awesome thing I've ever seen! I wanna go on one!" I said, nearly bouncing excitedly. All sense of decorum had flown away with my body, doubtless following in the wake of the airborne marvel of artifice that I was watching recede into the distance. My inner child had taken over my body, and I didn't blame it one whit.

That I think was the moment I realized how backwards my home country was. Burgotova, for all its claims of power and prestige, still thought the height of transportation was boats and carriages. The idea of flying through the air would be seen as preposterous as any childhood fantasy tale. And yet here it was, right in front of my eyes. How much of this world had been hidden from me?

"C'mon, sweetness, let's not keep standing in the sun and blocking traffic." Eira tugged on my hand gently.

I shook my head, clearing the star-struck wonder from my mind. "Right, sorry. Sorry. It's just...wow, you know?" I sputtered as I let her guide me.

"I get it! Don't worry. I was the same way when I saw the one in Kildjan. That's a whole story for another time, though." She said quickly as we approached a large yet rather nondescript building off to one side of the plaza.

Where most of the buildings of the town were colorful and decorated, this one was a dull tan color, with no windows, no adornment. Just a sign, written in a multitude of languages that said, Bounty House.

"So. This is it?" I asked, unable to hide my lack of being impressed from my voice.

"Yeah. Official buildings traditionally are left as boring as possible so they're easier to find. It's kind of dumb, but that's tradition for you." Eira sighed. "Let's just get in there and collect our money. I'll handle the negotiations if you don't mind terribly, beloved. There's a sort of patter to this sort of thing, and well, sorry to say, I don't think you'd do well with it."

"Are you saying I have no business sense? No ability to haggle?" I huffed with exaggerated offense and made the poutiest face I could manage.

"Yes, exactly." She said, deadpan.

"Well, you are absolutely correct. Please proceed." I said with a firm nod.

As we entered, it was pretty sparsely populated. There were a few in blue uniforms that reminded me a lot of the administration uniforms that Farina wore. I caught myself grimacing when I thought of the bespectacled little spy who was pretending to be a secretary. Sure, she was on our side, but I don't appreciate those who engage in skullduggery like that.

"Hey, love? Have a look around while I haggle. Don't wander off, though, I don't want you getting lost, kidnapped, or seduced or what have you." Eira said very seriously.

"Yes, mother dearest, I will be on my best behavior." I quipped in response with an eye roll.

"I'm serious, Alta. This place is lovely and lively, but it's still a port town, and all port towns are hives of every flavor of villainy one could imagine. Stay put." She pointed a finger in my face to punctuate her words.

I was a bit taken aback and agreed with what she said. I felt my sense of playful wonder at our locale very much tempered now.

"Good. After this, we'll go swimsuit shopping." She leaned down and kissed my forehead, to which I blushed as I always did.

As she went to talk with someone at the desk, I wandered around, my attention drawn to a wall with papers nailed all over it.

Each paper described requests running from manual labor, tradecraft work, bodyguard duties, monster hunts, bounties on criminals, and even requesting information from dungeons in the area. Some of them had wax seals of various colors on them, and I wondered what all that meant. I gently touched one and felt a little tingle in my finger as I did so.

"Careful there, red. That's geasan wax. Hold it too long, and the enchantment on it places a rune marker on you, binding you to the quest till you complete it. Nasty stuff. Illegal in every part of the mortal kingdoms, except Hastera." A gruff voice of no clear gender said behind me.

I turned to look at the speaker, and didn't immediately see anyone. Looking down, I saw what I thought was a human child. Or at least a very short human. The top of their head barely came up to around my navel.

Then, looking at them closer. They were too full-figured to be a child. They were more like a slender dwarf, if anything. Their face had lines of age as well. Her face reminded me of Professor Andritch when she was particularly tired, all things considered. Something more critical caught my attention.

I noticed that while they looked human, they had two tufts of hair that twitched. Like cat ears. Then I noticed a tail. That was a cat tail. Definitely cat ears and a cat tail.

I had no idea exactly what I was looking at, but it was like the impossible love child of a human and a bastetian. I could do nothing but blink at them, my mouth agape.

"Ah. You're from outside Hastera, I take it. Not knowing a geasan seal should have been my first clue. You've never met a Caitsith before, I take it? I'm Dagma." She held out her hand. I took it without thinking about it and shook.

"Sorry, didn't mean to stare. But you're right. On all counts. I'm from Revenstahd." I said, trying to course correct from looking like a moon-eyed bumpkin.

"Ah, that explains it. Yeah, for being the center of all things dungeoneering, the city is pretty closed off unless your kind has Mortal status. Caitsith are legally monsters, but Hastera protects us, so we don't really stray far afield. Except in airships, of course. No one has legal jurisdiction over the clouds!" She laughed brightly, and perhaps too loudly.

Eira was heading back towards me, with a sizeable bag in her hands. She must have overheard the conversations and seen the look on my face, a picked up her pace.

"Dearest, I'm sure you want to talk to this nice lady about airships, but we do have things to do." Eira wrapped her arm around my shoulders.

"Aye aye, I get it. I know a honeymoon couple when I sees it. Tells you what, if'n you lot ever need a ride on an airship, look me up. I'll give ya'll a tour!" Dagma said, handing me a little card before waving and walking off.

I took a look at it.

Dagma, Skyborne Airship Services. President of the Aeronaut Society, Hastera. The cardstock was lovely, too. Embossed text. Very classy!

"Sorry, Eira. I'm still all excited about the airship. And the posters. It's a lot to take in, sorry." I hung my head a bit.

Eira giggled and gave me a big hug.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just a bit overprotective. Now, let's go and get some swimsuits! Wearing swimsuits is half the fun of an ocean vacation! " She grinned excitedly and led me back out into the sunlight.