Chapter 55
After our bath I manage to convince Hui’Jin that a black bath robe is appropriate attire for the evening within my room, invoking decorum to claim that her burlap Acolyte’s robe simply wouldn’t do. So the three of us lounge around the new furniture in bath robes and fuzzy slippers, watching the news from a screen hidden in the wall by the small bedrooms.
Things are getting crazy out there. The newly separated states are banding together in small groups for the most part, forming regional small nations. The Dakotas have decided to join as one, and have announced their intent to ask the protection of the new "Supernatural City" as they’re calling Arcana.
I’m not certain we can actually protect the entirety of two states in any meaningful manner, but I suppose they feel it’s better than announcing they’re doing nothing to help the people.
Canada’s government has flat out abandoned their people. They dissolved parliament and never arranged an election. The people don’t seem to have really noticed, the major news on the Canadian station is about the prairie Provinces officially announcing large areas to be ’Monster Wilderness’ a danger zone available for anyone to use to practice their monster hunting skills, all liability waived.
European news is sporadic, there’s so many portals open that they’re having trouble getting even military broadcasts out. Asian news looks much like Canada’s. Some stories tell of teams braving dungeons near cities, others tell of vast wilderness filled with beasts. A mixed bag of outcomes, but it seems no major countries have fallen. Not that most of them were the most stable to start with.
The one piece that sticks out to me is the Jaguar people of Brazil. Jaguar Kin that claim to have lived there before and built many temples in ancient days have returned through dozens of portals all over the South American continent, many of them placed in the ruined temples of ancient cities, giving credence to the Cat Kin’s claims. They’re slowly turning utter chaos into a continent wide loosely organized empire.
Even after watching the news, the girls are too hyper to sleep. Lala is excited about her new room, and Hui’Jin is still riding the sugar high from our late night snack, so I send them both out to jog a couple laps around the garden.
They return much more pliable and we finally head for bed. The little dragon has a sad look though, staring at my room while standing by her door.
"What’s up little one? Need a bedtime story?"
"What’s a bedtime story? Is it like a history lesson at night?" So, they don’t do bedtime stories either.
"She can’t sleep in new places, and hates being alone even more than I do" Lala whispers in my ear.