Chapter One Nineteen A New Abyssal In Town (Patreon)

Arrietta stepped through the gate, a swirling vortex of mystical energy. One moment she was in the capital the next she was in Bordertown, a rapidly growing city around a young dungeon. A second later Miri followed her. The girl blinked, “Um, was it supposed to feel like that? Shouldn’t there be something more?”

“It’s a good gate, it’s the badly calibrated ones that make you feel something.”

“Okay,” she frowned, “So what are we doing first?”

“Looking for an inn and then I will visit the local guild. Will you be alright by yourself?”

She nodded, “I will, would you like me to do anything while you are busy?”

Arrietta nodded and leaned closer, “I have some stones I want you to fill with nature mana. Okay?”

Miri nodded, clearly happy to have a task.

Finding an Inn proved easy, there weren’t many big buildings in town and it was one of the largest. Thankfully they had space and she found the receptionist, a topless dwarf girl, to be very nice and helpful. With Miri settled, she was heading out on her own task. She didn’t want to spend too long out here, she had responsibilities. Her girls to look out for, a mother to be depending on her and her little project to outbreed the men in the Theocracy still required her personal attention.

If more men were like Howard she wouldn’t feel it was needed, but too many were like that thug she had nudged to seek pleasure elsewhere, or like Darious. Of the two, she felt the High Priest was easier to work with, but he didn’t really care about the people. At least he loved his family, but that was perhaps his only redeeming virtue.

Side-stepping a group of young women in cute dresses as they giggled to themselves, she turned towards the guild building she had spotted earlier. It was the most logical place to start with her whole mission. If she was going to get this over with, that would be where she would start.

At this time of day, the streets were a bit busy. She passed more than one couple on her way to the guild. Halfway there she was stopped by a little girl, her eyes puffy.

Kneeling, she asked her, “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t find my Daddy!” she bawled.

“OH? Well, why don’t we look together?  We’ll find your daddy”

The young cat-kin looked up at her with wide hopeful eyes “Really?” Could this nice adult really find her Daddy?  He’d walked into the dungeon and hadn’t come out yet.  Some naked lady had tried to claim she was his daddy but that made no sense at all.

“Yes young lady, can you tell me what your Daddy looks like and where you last saw him?”

“Daddy’s a handsome tall hot cat-boi.  He went into the dungeon with his party, he said he’d be out by now, but hasn’t come out yet.”

“A hot cat-boi you say?”

“Yes, that’s what Daddy always said to call him.”

“Right, you said he went into the dungeon?” Arietta was becoming less impressed with this young girl’s father by the minute.

“Yes, it’s been several hours already, I’m really worried about him.  Also, I gotta pee.”

“Let’s get that one fixed first, OK?” Arietta looked around, where could a young girl pee in this town?  “What’s your name?” she started walking to the guild building..

“Lucille.” said the cat-girl, following her.

“Hi Lucille, I’m Arietta.”

They walked into the guild building, a buxom, pale naked elf passed them going the other way.  She had an interesting smattering of scales.  Arrieta wondered what the story there was.

A pretty elf in a simple green dress that hugged her body and was quite revealing in places was behind the counter.  Arietta approached her “Hello, this child needs to pee, is there a toilet she can use?”

“Yes, down the hall and on the left.”

“Thank you.” said Arietta, and she took Lucille to pee.  The guild hall was split in two.  On the right was the quest and adventure section.  On the left was a restaurant/bar.  They went down a corridor in the middle next to a set of stairs going up, and found the toilet.  

With that done, they went back into the guild common area.  Arrieta looked around but couldn’t find anybody that Lucille recognised.  They left the guild hall and started looking around town.  After some wandering they came across a bath house. “Maybe he’s in here?” Arrieta suggested.

They walked inside.  It was split into two halves, with a boy’s section and a larger women’s section.  Naked demon attendants were present, and one approached them.  “Hello, welcome to the town baths, two for the baths?”

“This young lady has lost her Father, are there any male cat-kin in here?” Arietta asked.

“There are currently 3 male cat-kin in the baths, would you like me to ask them if they know of this young lady?”

“Yes please, her name is Lucille.”

“Please wait here whilst I ask for you.”  The demoness went into the male section.  Arrieta looked around, tasteful lewd murals decorated the walls, and similar tasteful statues were placed around the room.

It didn’t take long for the demoness to return. “None of the male cat-kin have a daughter named Lucille.”

“Thank you for checking.”  They left the bath house, and looked around town.  Next up was the inn.  The same topless dwarf was still present.

“Hello again, this young cat-kin has lost her Father.  Do you have any male cat-kin staying here?”

The dwarf checked her registry.  “We have two cat-kin males, no children are registered with them.”

“Thank you.” said Arrietta.

“I sleep in a tent with Daddy.” said Lucille.

Arrieta looked back to the dwarf, “Who controls the tents?” she asked.

“The guild does.”

“Again, thank you.”  They left the inn, Arrieta hoped Miri was doing well.

They came to the tent field.  Row upon row of white tents filled the space. “Do you know which tent is yours?” asked Arrieta.

“No, sorry.” said Lucille.

They walked through town, there was only 1 commercial building left.  It was a seamstress.  The doorbell jingled as the naked pale elf walked out of it, looking happy.  There didn’t seem to be any reason Lucille’s Father would be in there, there was only a fox-kin woman behind the counter.  Arrieta spied a cat-kin woman looking at them from behind the corner of the building. Lucille saw the woman too.

“Um, I don’t like that cat-woman, she pretended to be my Daddy earlier.”

“Really?” Arrieta had an idea. “Stay here please whilst I go talk to her.”

Arrieta approached the naked cat-woman. “Hello, are you a registered adventurer by any chance?” she asked.

“Um, yes I am, could you please return my daughter to me?” the cat-woman asked.

“Can I see your guild ID please?”

“I, uh, don’t have it on me.  Can we go to the guild please? I can have my identity verified there.”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

The three of them walked back to the guild building, the elf was still behind the desk.  Arrieta and Lucile hung back as the cat-woman approached the desk.

The catwoman sighed as she reached the desk. While previously his run had been disastrous, worse was that their daughter didn’t even recognize them. Taking another breath, they said, “I, um... need a replacement ID.”

“Certainly, place your hand here, and we can started.” said Sarah.

She complied and a moment later the receptionist said, “Bruce of the Red Claw clan, correct?”

The woman nodded, and soon a piece of paper was given to her, “Sign here, the replacement fee will be due in a month. Would you also need replacement equipment?

She let out a breath before nodding and a second sheet was presented, and more signing with more debt. This was a terrible day. Before long she was done and she headed back to the woman with her daughter.

Arrieta looked at the ID, it was as she’d suspected, this woman was a casualty of the dungeon.  She showed the ID to Lucille.  Is this your Father’s name?” she asked.

Lucille read the card, why did it have her Father’s name for the face of the strange cat-woman? “Yes, but that woman’s not my Daddy.”

Arrieta knelt down next to the young cat-girl “Lucille, that woman is your Daddy.”

Lucille looked at Arrieta doubtfully.

“You said your Father went into the dungeon?” continued Arrieta.

“Yes, he never came out.”

“Do you know what happens when people fail in the dungeon?” Arrieta asked.

“People come out as females.”

“And naked?”

“Yes, naked.”

Arrieta could almost see Lucille’s mind starting to connect the dots.

“You mean that really is my Daddy?” Lucille asked, pointing at Bruce.

“Yes.” confirmed Arrieta.

“Lucille,” said Bruce anxiously.

“My Daddy is now my Mummy?” Lucile asked, her hopeful eyes looking up at Bruce.

“I, uh, “ Bruce sighed internally and resigned himself, no, herself now, to her fate.”Yes, I’m your Mother now.”

Lucille squeed and hugged Bruce, “I get a Mummy again!  I get a Mummy again!”

Bruce knelt down and hugged her daughter.  This was going to take some getting used to, but if it made her daughter happy, so be it.

Arrieta watched the family reunion, it felt good to see them reunited.  She hoped they would have a better future.

Bruce and Lucile turned to Arrieta “Thank you for returning my daughter to me.” she said.

“Thank you for helping me find my Mommy,” said Lucille.

“I’m glad I could help out.” Arrieta said.

They said their goodbyes, and Arrieta headed over to the reception desk to begin her mission.  The elf was still on duty.  “Hello, I’m Arrieta and I have a few questions regarding the dungeon.”

“Hmm? Certainly, we only give out so much to non-members and you have to pay.”

Arrieta placed a few coins on the counter. “Sure I just need a few answers, they will determine if I register or not. First, how developed is the dungeon? Do you know its level or how close it might be to growing?”

“Oh? An investigator are we? Working for another guild perhaps and trying to figure out how useful this dungeon might be for your members?”

“Something like that, can you help me?”

“I’ll get you an appointment with the guild mistress then. With questions like that, she is really the best one to answer that,” replied the elf as she picked up the coins and started working. After a moment, she turned back, “Will you be free tomorrow?”

“All day, I have plenty of time.”

She was handed a piece of paper, “In that case, come back midday tomorrow, Phyllis will be able to see you then.”

A smile on her face, she thanked the lady and headed back to the inn. Figuring she would spend the rest of the day with young Miri. She was sure Miri would be bored by now and she had a fun game in mind.