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Forum of the Elder Gods (Grave;Cross)


At first, Club looked pleased. Touching her flat chest showed that yes indeed she was sensitive there. She had a happy little grin until he shifted her to use his fingers instead.

Then, the grin faded, and a black miasma seemed to grow around Club as it seemed her corrupted side was now leaking out. The white of her eyes turned black and her brown eyes began to glow. "Club lick you, but you not lick Club?" she asked with rather serious undertone. "Why? Gwave tongue probably feel so good, can't have dick cuz Envy..." The air seemed to vibrate around Club and distort, and it seemed that whatever Envy was made out of, a rather different part of her, was parting itself to Club, who was looking rather... Envious. However powerful Club was before, eating the doppelganger only made her more supernaturally powerful as well. She looked like something eldritch now, of another world. A pair of black tendrils came forth from behind her shoulder blades, launching forth to grab his wrists and pin them over his head. Club was wearing a grin again. Filled with sadism. "If Gwave wont' lick, then Club will just fuck Gwave's face~" she concluded, before moving her hips with quick but parted thrusts, as if with each passing second, she'd grind up along his lips and to his nose, giving him a view of her body from the crotch up before pulling back. "Envy riding Gwave, but all Gwave can see is Club~" she chuckled.

Meanwhile, Envy was just moving her hips like an animal. All he could feel was her tight pussy feverishly moving up and down along his cock, either with or without his support, and the tiny slaps of her small round ass landing just to the left and right of his balls, which just gingerly touched her butt every time. He felt her hands on his thighs, no doubt leaning back to angle his cock in just the right way. "Mmm... Nnnah.... Hah... Hah... Hah..." she moaned and mumbled as had become her habit of late.
 
Grave grimaced at the development. He was getting the sneaking suspicion that in the future, he probably ought to keep Club and Ziah away from each other during sex. The way the smaller girl drew on the curse of her sister was frankly alarming, not that he had time to react to that. With his hands restrained, he'd have little choice but to oblige the goblin for now and give her some good licking, lest she come up with an even worse idea. Though he hoped she'd calm down fast, particularly because of the assault from the other end. His sister was riding him like crazy and even if he couldn't see much at the moment, he could feel everything with incredible clarity. He couldn't help but make some involuntary motions in response, her tightness and fast, powerful movements making it difficult to focus on anything. Cynder hoped she'd not remember this later, because as enraptured as she was by this right now, she'd lose her temper and assume the worst as usual once she regained consciousness.
 
"Hau-au-au-au-au" Envy was making strange dog noises as she straddled him. It didn't seem likely her mind would be capable of remembering this. Meanwhile, Club was having the time of her life. Grinding, twisting, rubbing. She looked thrilled to be where she was. "All Gwave can see is meee~ Does Gwave like it? Club's powerful body?" she said, putting her hands on her hips in a sexy pose. Despite her small demeanor and smooth skin, he did see it when he was up close. A most unusual and indeed supernatural muscle mass that seemed so compact that it allowed her to look slim and cute, instead of looking like a buff ogre which was what her strength matched. Yes indeed, even strong among ogres. Truly a terrifying creature. Then, Club spun around, showing her butt and asshole to his eyes. "Does Gwave like this better? Keep licking, too~" she said, trying to give him lots of things to keep him focused on her instead of Envy. "Isn't Club's butt nice? Gwave like butts~" she concluded.

Though despite it all, Envy was quickly about to wring one out of him. Before Club got her own satisfaction, naturally. Her hips were moving faster, hard to tell if she needed to cum or if she simply needed his dick.
 
As much as he would have liked to retort, Grave was becoming more adept at recognizing lost causes, so he focused on carrying on with what he was already doing. The sooner he finished, the better. Though he had to admit, Club had some impressive musculature. As impressive as it was physically impossible: fucking magic, he concluded. Were all mamono bodies built in such a way? Something to consider. Meanwhile, Ziah continued to fuck him like an animal, and he couldn't help but move a bit in response - even if he tried to resist, his body would react on it's own, so there was no point in holding back. He could only hope she would forget this incident. But from the looks of it, he really needed to put his efforts into making sure those two on top of him climax soon, or he'd miss all chances of actually getting some sleep this night. Sighing mentally, Cynder doubled his efforts, working to get them both off.
 
Doubling up his efforts, Club and Envy began to start to sound alike. The two starting to form a chorus of pleasure that rose, and rose... Until Grave's lust would give out, hitting a climax that made Envy make another new sound. "HAU-WAAAAA!" she cried as it seemed like his energy, and the pleasure from it, shot forth into her so hard it made her whole body quake. All while his little self was spurting into her infertile demonic pussy as well, helping along his energy into her soul. Then, she collapsed, his cock bending a bit before it popped out of her pussy. Meanwhile, Club was enjoying his tongue before she saw a crotch with a vacancy, and quickly scurried over, her back to him before she lifted, and dropped her hips onto his, taking his cock into her air tight fodls in one go. Already tender from Envy, it almost hurt the way she did it... Though it did start to feel slightly painful when Club began working her hips with such fervor that his sore red length was unable to withstand the abuse. Somehow however, this only doubled up the pleasure, and in little time his protests if he had any, were silenced by a quickly onset second climax... Another powerful mamono draining his energy meant that consciousness was soon to fade. Too much energy lost to too many hungry women. The world went black with Club being the last to get seed from his crotch...
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"Club's been feeling full, yet hungry. What does it mean?" he heard Club's voice. But it wasn't his time to wake up yet. He rode the waves of fatigue and on the tip, he caught those words...

When next consciousness came to him again... He would open his eyes to find he was laying on his back, and Envy was straddling him, looking down at him with scorn. "Good morning, gigolo. Guess who got a goblin pregnant?" she inquired, before looking off to the side. Club was there, sleeping. She looked fine, mostly... Bit if he looked very closely... She had the smallest discernible lump on her belly. "Nobody else around here can get pregnant, but guess Club's body is still part mortal, so there it is. Baby goblins. I hope you're happy. All she's been doing is sleeping and eating, and sucking your dick of course, but that falls within eating at this point." she looked back to him, frowning. "Excited? Elated? Whatever it is, I'm telling you now, I'm not helping raise them. I'll step on them."

It looked like they were still on the trip, but the land has changed much. Envy's hair was still moving the carriage, and it seems Grave has been the fuel for it's engines based on how long it seemed to take him to wake up. The land wasn't intelligible at all. They covered probably more than a day's worth of distance.
 
Grave woke up slowly, his mind feeling fuzzy. The last part of the night was a haze because of all the lost energy and even now he still felt the last dregs of exhaustion. In fact, he actually missed the meaning of his sister's words as they barely registered while his mind was still trying to jump-start everything. Which was probably why he took stock of Ziah first, then himself, then the land and finally settling his gaze on Club. Only after all that did the half-blood finally manage to process everything, freezing in place with an expression of dawning horror on his face, slowly turning to stare up at the sky with a thousand-mile gaze.

Grave remained silent for a few minutes, letting the implications sink in as he figured out how this new revelation affected the situation he was in. Only once he was done taking stock did he finally speak up. "...I think I want to start screaming. And not stop for a while." He muttered, glancing down at Ziah. He really, really wanted to complain about this. Because in their situation: homeless, likely still hunted by demons and with a massive impending headache in the form of a bitchy mother to deal with, this only made things much more complicated. However, just one look at his sister made Cynder reconsider. He wasn't going to get any sympathy here. Or anywhere else, really.

Sighing, Grave let his head rest on the floor of the cart, staring upwards. Well, shit. Damn it all to Hell, he wasn't ready for this. None of them were ready for this. And while he could probably figure something out given enough time, time was a luxury he did not have. There were just so many things to take care of as soon as possible and none of them could be neglected without consequence. "Fuck's sake." He swore, his expression hardening. "Were the circumstances different, maybe I'd have felt one of the E's. Right now, however, I don't think I can spare the enthusiasm." The young man stated dryly. "Ziah. Can you help me get as strong as I can, as quickly as I can? I am horribly out of my depth in this land and that needs to change by yesterday. Once this mess with mother's over with, I'm going to carve out a place for all of us to call home, one way or another. I don't care how much of a Hell you put me through in the process if we get results."
 
Envy looked surprised at his revelation. "... To match with people like me, Club, or Roy... Even if you say quickly, that's a lot of catching up to do. That, and you're just human. Roy's skills would have made him only formidable against people like us when he was just a man. A mamono now, the skill she acquired fighting superior foes translated well into..." Then, she raised a flat hand and tapped a closed fist onto it like a hammer. "That's it, your other form! As disgusting as your fat body is, it's still a mamono's body! To be honest, you could get away with the power alone. However, you wish to be trained on how to use it... I can do that. And I think the first place to start... Is learning how Club subconsciously is weaving to make herself stronger. If she can weave without even thinking about it, and that's kind of the rule when it comes to an idiot like her, then that should be possible for you as well. It's basics, but once you start from within you can work on doing things outside of your body on a more grand scale than making toys out of sand or what have you."

That's when Atea, ever eavesdropping as she laid upon a roll out bed with her head propped up on her hand, spoke out. "Amusing, the pup wishes to grow fangs~" she said with mocking joy. "I'm going to assist in the matter. This sounds like fun, and I can certainly help with the Hell part~" she chuckled. "After all, if I can make a mere Crow Tengu into one of the greatest weavers of the land, then I can make this pup into Cerberus, I think!" she said with rising motivation, leaning up to a sitting position where she was crossing her legs, her black panties just visible under her skirt. "How about it, boy? Are you still interested? Or has all that bravado gone out the window now that in this Hell you seek, you will meet The Devil herself?" she said with a grin, knowing how against it he might be.
 
"About the only issue I have with learning from you is that it'll inevitably lead to some kind of humiliation that you'll undoubtedly find amusing. Which, against my better judgement, is not enough to dissuade me." Grave deadpanned in response to Atea. Ziah's enthusiasm did make him smile a bit as he rose, and her idea definitely got his interest. A subconscious power-up? Even if it was just physical might alone, it'd come in handy. "That being said. While my monster half ought to be the main combatant between the two, I want to make sure my human form is just as trained as the other one. For one thing, putting all eggs in one basket is too risky. For another, it might make for a decent card to play in a rough situation. And two fighters are always better than one." He concluded, before glancing at his sister and continuing."Besides, you said it yourself. Roy's even stronger because of her skills at fighting stronger foes combining with a mamono body. It'd be good to have that kind of ability." Cynder finished. He didn't comment about Atea's remark about the Crow Tengu, though he did file it away for later consideration. How curious.
 
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Even Atea rose her brow. It seemed whatever transformation Grave went through, it managed to shock even the goddess of Zippangu. It seemed that his sudden conviction even to face the torture of Atea was... Unexpected. Indeed, Atea seemed to be joking around, and the serious tone he fed her was one she thought she'd dismiss just by being herself.

"That... Is a good answer." Atea said simply, folding her arms and grinning. "This entire time I thought you worthless and whiny, pathetic but in a cute way. Now this little puppy is barking at me, wanting to become a hound. I can appreciate that~" she cooed. She rose her head, smiling wide. "Very well, boy! I shall help you as well. I will send you to hell and when I pull you out, you'll be a demon~!" she declared with a raised hand with fingers arched like claws for emphasis.

Envy stepped forth. "Your male form will probably never reach the power of someone like Club... But with technique, you could surpass even that little toadstool. I don't know how you plan to do the things you said, but know this..." She was cut off when Atea threw her arm in front of Envy to block her train of thought.

"You will NEVER know peace so long as you and that goblin are Chosen of Fate." Atea declared. "Figures powerful and weak will come to you, seeking to devour your power. Whatever land you take will just become a target in the world. You will be inviting everyone to find you, and you will suffer the wrath of the sinful. Your fight will never end, that is... It will, when you finally collapse. Therefore, you will need more than just a land to call your own... You need to fulfill your destiny as a being of power. If it is here in Zippangu... Then I do believe my apprentice has led you here to see a new God of Zippangu born. Indeed... To compete here, you will need to become like me~" she cooed."Servants, protectors, those who are drawn to power. Collect them, do not act alone. Even I have my followers. You are far too alone to be making those claims yet, and far too weak to be solving your problems. But in due time, you will understand what you need to do... Either that or become food for some sexy lady, but we shant be training you to be the personal manslave of Ryu~" she cooed.

Then, she lowered her gaze and folded her hands behind her back. "If you do not wish this life, and prefer to hide in peace, I can grant that. I will give you and your loved ones eternal protection in my land. All that I ask is the obvious..." she held out her hand. "Surrender your shard of fate. Give it to me, and you will know peace."
 
"...Hell no." Grave replied as he stood up. Atea's warning was no small matter: she quite succintly summarized just how massive a hurdle awaited him in the future. For as long as he lived, he'd have to face opponents. Enemies, rivals, everyone who would wish to obtain power of his shard would flock to him. Thus, his only solution was to make himself unassailable. To explore the depths of his own potential to the fullest, gather forces loyal to him to command and raise a bastion that will withstand anything anything thrown his way. Granted, there were probably safer places to start than Zippangu, but to Hell with this. He was here, in this place, and here was the place where he'd make his stand. Suddenly, the half-blood was reminded of a saying he heard once that now seemed applicable.

Those who accept their fate find happiness; those who defy it, glory. He couldn't recall which story that was from. However, Cynder was keenly aware that his current existence was the result of Cynthia's meddling with fate. Now it was his job to see it all through. "So, it seems I'll have my work cut out for me. I guess the sooner we start, the better." He nodded at the two, glancing at Ziah. "I know that my human form won't be able to match others in raw power. If I can make up for that, however, that'll already be a good start." He told his sister before turning his attention to them both. "I am sick and tired of how I am right now. If I have to build more than just a home and claim godhood instead, then so be it. Becoming stronger will be the first step, I can worry about land and followers when I'm actually ready to secure those."
 
Atea was smiling. "But, understand one thing, boy. If you're doing this for the goblin and her being with child, then you will lose spirit. Pregnant she may be, but helpless she is not. If anything, maternity interacts with the curse in a most unique way. The goblin will be stronger than she ever has been before. You must realize that you're doing this for yourself. All that you will gain will just be for you, as a person. Nobody needs you to gain this power. Only you alone can find the aspiration to see this task through. If you cave in, I will crush you and make you mine. Such is the fate of lesser men, do you understand? If you do not seek to become my equal, you will settle for being inferior. Even with a shard of fate, your odds of existing with creatures like me in respect and peace are minimal, and as such, if you do not have what it takes, I will take you for myself." She declared with a smirk. "Tis a mercy, more than anything. I will be far more kind to you than anyone else will~" she said with a wink.

Envy shook her head. "Grave..." she shook her head again. "... Brother..." she sputtered out his true identity to her. "I'm actually amazed you have this much zeal, but consider your spirit as it is... You just fed me and Club, consider your position." She said, and it was the truth. Grave felt exhausted. "You need to relax. For now. Soon, we'll do something about your ability. But if we trained right now you'd be Atea's slave immediately." She commented. "And she'd drag me along too, so don't act an idiot when we're both on the line, got it?" She asked with a grimace.
 
Grave opened his mouth, then paused to consider his situation. With a sigh, he sat back down. Ziah had a point. As much as he wanted to get going, he really wasn't in any shape to do so. "You're right, sis." He admitted sheepishly, though he couldn't help but smile a bit. Hearing her call him brother felt good. "I'll make sure not to drag both of us down, I promise." He added with a nod. Relaxing, he considered what Atea told him. So Club was about to get even stronger? Freaking Hell, how much more absurd could she get? That being said... Club's pregnancy was merely the last drop that caused his bitterness to overflow. He couldn't - he wouldn't settle for being inferior anymore. In this land, only those with power could claim what they desired and protect these claims. He needed power to solve his problems the way he wanted to, to live the way he wanted to.

"So in the end, you're saying I've got no choice but to be prepared to take all comers down? Fair enough." Cynder shrugged, turning his attention to Atea. "Nobody's going to antagonize me with impunity. I'll be the first to admit I've got no idea what I'm getting into, but seeing as everybody seems to want a piece of me anyway I might as well go whole hog and make sure I'm ready for them. If power is what's needed to pave the road for your way of life, then power I shall gain." A crooked smirk appeared on his face. "And in the end, I think I am selfish enough to want it for myself. I have my own desires, Atea, and I want to see them realized. Preferably by my own hands. I've let my fears determine my actions for far too long."
 
Envy shrugged. "Yeah well, don't let it all go to your head." she said with a sigh. "Plenty of mamono who think they're all that go down because they were cocky. *I* went down because I was cocky." she emphasized. "So treat every battle from now on like it counts. As if it's the last battle you'll have. Else, it WILL be the last battle you ever have." she expressed, before she sat down to keep moving the carriage while Atea did as well, seeming to get ready for sleep...
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After some time, the dawn rose, and with it, the view of a large city. They rode over a mountain top, a small mound compared to others, before they saw a
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. Envy, Club, Roy, and Valencia all woke up to the sound of the wheels changing from dirt to wood. The magic seemed far more stable now, though still clearly unnatural. Just from looking at the interesting new architecture, Roy spoke first. "All the dragon symbolism... This must be... Ryu Village?" Roy inquired. Atea, riding at the helm, turned back and looked at the crowd inside. "Indeed!" she said with a smile. "You are in the serpent dragon Ryu's territory now, so best pay heed your respects and do not disrespect her. She is one of the few dragons left alive after Jade's rampage. So that means she's on a comparable scale to that monster herself. Even I would not trifle with her, and nor should you. And we are going right to that woman with our request, so brace yourselves for the Lord Ryu." she declared.
 
"I've yet to gain any power that could go to my head." Grave pointed out dryly, chuckling. Still, he sobered up quickly. "But I will keep this all in mind. Don't let your guard down, fight your best, always confirm the enemy's down and so on." He nodded. "Don't worry, I'm not going to give it anything less than my all."

Afterwards, there was simply time to rest before they finally reached their destination. Rising from his nap alongside the rest of the group, Grave briefly checked on Talon and his other body before joining others in admiring the view. He had never seen so many buildings at once made in this style of architecture before and he had to admit, it was quite pleasing to the eyes. And the dragon statues and so on did make it quite easy to figure out who ruled here. "A couple of quick questions here." Cynder interjected after Atea was done talking. "One, how do we address her? Two, who is Jade?" He asked. "From the sound of it, she doesn't seem to be a particularly nice individual."
 
Atea laughed. "In all due time, boy! I'll answer your questions, but first I have business. In fact, you can come with me and learn how we gods do in this world! So, I humbly welcome you to Ryu's Village, or, as we locals more commonly refer to it: The..."


Chapter 8: Forum of the Elder Gods

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With Atea at the lead and everyone else helpless but to follow or idle behind, they rode into the town, with Envy able to relax as Atea herself used simple yet powerful weaves to move the carriage forward. She eventually brought it to a stop, and hopped out at a seemingly arbitrary location. Though, it seemed she stopped where the traffic was in motion, even if a little, seemingly so as not to interrupt the going ons in the village. Walking along a pebble ridden path, the very humble yet chaotic nature of the land still yet felt full of rich nature and natural sounds of chatter, water, and leaves rustling on the wind. It seemed like the town was mostly human to Grave's initial eye glance through the village. Some obvious cases being the bunnies standing out, each dressed in similarly beautiful gowns but often showing more skin and dressed like acrobats. "Are you seeing it, boy? The difference between mortals and gods?" Atea asked, but so far, all he saw were a few mamono mixed with a majority of human beings. Talon, whom Grave saw following in the back, only seemed to be in the same fog. He was calm, looking at how many humans there were...

That is, until he and his group walked near a beautiful woman with black hair that was so long it went down to her ankles, and looked to be contained in a very fashionable way. Getting close enough to her, he just so happened to feel her aura, for lack of a better term. His threads that lay dormant outside of his body, gracing her true self.
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flooded his mind as he came to realize that she was no mere human. He had no way of knowing what she was, but her level of power in her soul was extraordinary. It was almost enough to rival Atea. As he became aware, his senses naturally became more adept at identifying them. A beautiful woman in a kimono was watching the water peacefully. A pair of sideburns ran down her face, with make up completing her appearance to make her look like national art, and the rest of her hair drawn back into a flowing wave of hair. Well kept, organized... And for good reason. Examining her, he could see
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as well. Her shape was like that Arachne he met before in his family ruins, but this creature made the one he met seem like a pushover. Her soul appeared like a sharp blade. If she ever crossed him, Grave's instincts told him he would lose instantly if she ever so much as even touched him.

Surrounded was he, by these dangerous mamono. Each so powerful in their own right that not only he, but others in his company seemed to feel like they didn't belong with such incredible creatures.

That's when Club suddenly gave a start. "Oh! It's the coon!" Club called out to a mamono in plain sight, who looked like
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.

The menacing figure's soul seemed far weaker than the rest, but it was what she carried that seemed to be full of untold power, as well as some heart shaped fruits Grave would recognize from the area near Waymeet. "Hm. I did not expect to see the worst prankster of them all in a place like this. What ill fate befell you to make you come all the way out here?" the raccoon inquired. Though, she took one look at Grave and reached her conclusion. "Nevermind, I see that you found love. That explains everything." She spoke with a tone that just made Grave feel like she had an unshakable air of superiority. As if just by existing, she considered herself above him and all others.

Club nodded. "Yeah! Ever since Waymeet destroyed, Club on adventure with Gwave!"

The coon girl hummed. "Waymeet was destroyed, yes... But are you not aware of it being rebuilt?" she inquired. To that, Club's eyes lit up. "I'm charging you for that information, since you're such a fool creature, you didn't know." she snickered.

Club let out a gasp of protest. "Wagh! Evil as always, bad coon girl! Club should play more pranks on you!"

The raccoon girl looked to Grave. "You seem to be the one holding this thing's leash. How about it? Fancy giving me ten copper for my time?" she inclined with a smirk. Atea was silent the whole time, merely smirking as well, eager to see how he handled his beginnings in Zippangu... Especially following his bold statement.
 
With Talon having awakened, Grave took what time he had available before the group set off on foot to try and apologize to the man for the horrible lapse in both self-control and judgement from before. Promising to not let something like that happen again and to make up for that mess, somehow. And should he have no chance of doing so, he certainly made plans to apologize later, not willing to just ignore the matter. He had to accept his fuckups for what they were and make it clear he was going to make up for them, even if he had no idea how to do that. He'd figure something out sooner or later.

When Atea asked him whether he could see the difference, Grave felt confused at first. Both at her words and at how human-like the inhabitants looked at felt. Given that this was supposed to be the heart of Ryu's power and, judging by the name of the place, a gathering spot for other self-proclaimed Gods of Zippangu, which clashed with his first opinion. And it didn't take him long to figure out that there had to be something hidden underneath this facade. How many of these apparent humans were actually something else? The thought was making him feel paranoid.

Soon enough, though, Cynder would have the confirmation of his guess when the group brushed past a woman that was far more powerful than her appearance suggested. And with that chance, the half-blood realized his threads could help his "mind's eye" pierce the veil. And they did so with gusto, even without further input from him. It was as if he was adapting to the combined presence of these mamono and starting to differentiate and identify them. One by one, their true selves began to reveal themselves. It was not an entirely comforting revelation, unfortunately, as it only served to hammer it in further just how badly he was outclassed and how much catching up he had to do.

His musings on the situation were interrupted as, unexpectedly, Club found someone she recognized in the crowd. Grave examined the racoon girl carefully, not liking the look on her face. Looks could be decieving, but he was willing to bet this one could and would be dangerous to hang around. The fruit certainly didn't escape his eye - between those, the items of power and the fact that she obviously had visited that ruined village - Waymeet - in the past, she was most likely some kind of travelling merchant. Her money-grubbing attitude was a bit more like a conman or a shady trader, though. Definitely not someone to take lightly.

And before he could do much more than pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation, Grave once more found himself with the burden of the situation somehow falling onto him. Atea clearly didn't seem to be planning to butt in: was this supposed to be his first test? To see how he could handle his first interactions with a superior mamono in this place? Friggin Hell, this was a pain in the ass. "Club's not a thing, nor do I hold her on a leash. And I pity anyone who'd like to try to do that." The half-blood dryly began his reply. "Normally, I wouldn't mind paying that much, but alas I'm in a bit of a bind." He added. Screw it, since he had no idea how to deal with this one then he'd just do whatever.

"You see, I'm just a poor man who had to crawl his way out of a sinking ship and hasn't had chance to earn himself any material wealth since then." He admitted. "And unless one of my companions is willing to part with a few coppers..." He paused, glancing at the rest of the group. Truth be told, Cynder wasn't sure whether they'd support him. "I don't suppose you've got any?" He asked before turning his attention back to the racoon-girl. "Then I'm afraid I've got no money. At most I could try to offer information or a favor, worth ten coppers of course." She named the price beforehand. And if she was going to shamelessly charge them for unexpected information, then he'd shamelessly take advantage of that in turn.
 
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Mentioning he was in a bind, the raccoon looked a bit fowl. "You're not another welcher, are you?" she inquired. But then he seemed keen on turning his debt into a favor. "Ah, A favor's worth far more than copper. I believe we can do business with one another~" she cooed in such a way that he felt a chill down his spine. "You seem high on life, boy, so I'll do you the honors. My name is Yakunan. If you're interested in my information and products, I happen to know how a man with an aspiring harem such as yourself can get more than the bottom of the barrel under your belt. Does this interest you? You already have so many women in your company, why not have one worth your time owe a debt to you?" she inquired. "You see, she actually came to me with a request to help her overcome her shyness. She is an Umi-Osho." she declared. Though the race obviously was one Grave wouldn't recognize. "... She's a powerful spiritual turtle." she explained. "Like sea bishops, she's capable of blessing a mamono and a human with marriage. But... She sucks at it currently. Fulfill her request and I'll give you something more than cheap information, boy. She likes to hide in the water in the middle of town and come out at night when she thinks no one's around. If the offer fancies you, go take care of her and let me know how it goes. I'll be in town for a week." She said, before leaving on her own.

Atea chuckled after the raccoon Yakunan left. "That, Grave, was a Gyoubu Danuki. If you think she just looks evil, rest assured, she is evil. They're each rotten to their core, with seldom exceptions. They instinctively love money and deception. In your case she was willing not to ask you for money. I'd wager it's because you're a man. Do not interact with that creature further unless you feel she will be of use to you and your plan. Because the thing about such a creature is, she's just as dangerous an enemy as a friend. She's a handful, though to be honest... Likely the least of your worries in this world~" she chuckled. "I digress, I managed to get us an audience while you were chatting it up. Tomorrow morning. So, let us first go get a place to sleep then you can think about how to spend your day, boy." She declared, leading the way to a large building that was seemingly run by a shaggy looking girl with a freakishly long tongue. Atea paid in full for everyone, even Grave, before giving a simple bid farewell and going to her room to recover her power. Everyone else settled into their rooms, setting up their limited possessions while Club and Envy made themselves home in Grave's room.

The town was vast and full of options. Everyone seemed keen on investigating, but Grave could invite some to come with him if he wished. Otherwise... He felt that, in the chaos, all he needed was to want to find something, and that he would find something similar. There seemed to be various shops and bars, all singularly owned by small time mamono, which was putting it very lightly as they too seemed legendary. It seems legends before legends just meant you were equals.

Many species lurk the area. For a full list and vague idea what they're like, refer to the Native Species section of this article.
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Or have Grave vaguely pursue something and the closest thing shall be delivered to him.
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Well... This went beyond what Grave had been expecting. He was semi-joking when he replied to the racoon, but she seemed to latch onto this as an opportunity for doing business of some kind. He wasn't sure why exactly she sought to involve him in solving the request from... The local priestess, he presumed? Or the mamono equivalent thereof, at least, given that she was in charge of marriage ceremonies. Or at least was supposed to be. The vague promise of some sort of reward aside, if she was a prominent member of this community then perhaps Ryu would look favorably upon him if he managed to help. This wasn't going to be just an overnight stay after all, he suspected.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do." Grave nodded once Yakunan finished explaining. At least he managed to learn something new today. And thanks to Atea deciding to further that education, he managed to learn his impression of this Gyoubu Danuki was very close, if not spot-on. "So basically, a race of amoral traders? Joy." He deadpanned. And the sad thing was, his companion and soon to be mentor was likely right about her being a minor issue at most. He had so many big fish to deal with it wasn't even funny. "And that was fast. I'm guessing you must be held in considerable regard around here." He noted, suprised at how quickly Atea managed to set up an audience. This was genuinely impressive and, hopefully, a good sign.

As the group installed themselves in the inn, his two closest lovers obviously choosing his room, Cynder pondered his next course of action. He'd rather go to sleep early enough to not be late for the audience, so he wouldn't have much time for the Umi-Oshio. He could still spend the evening waiting somewhere around the water and at least see her, if possible, but not much beyond that. In the meantime, however, he still had a whole day left to burn. Which brought him to his current idea: try and at least spend a little time with other people than the two troublemakers. He hadn't had many opportunities to talk with the rest of his group lately. "Roy? Valencia? Talon?" He asked as he left his room once he finished storing his stuff, looking for the three. "You up for a stroll?" Some sightseeing and maybe a bar visit if they had the money could help him learn about them a bit more. After some thinking, he had to admit that he may have been neglecting them a bit.
 
Atea just grinned at his mention of her having influence. Though when she'd usually gloat about how amazing she is, she seemed keen on giving Grave nothing in response to those words.

The fact that he didn't hang around the trio he sought out showed when Roy's first response was one of curiosity. "Is something the matter?" Roy replied to being called out, as if there needed to be an issue for them to be called out. His question hung in the air a bit before the three seemed to let it sink in. Valencia spoke up next. "Finally got tired of smaller girls, huh? I happened to hear that in Zippangu, they call them legal lolis." she mentioned with a grin. Talen's eyes squinted. "... No... No I don't think Grave is as limited in her sexual tastes." he declared. Roy rose a brow. "Did you just say, 'her'?"

"No." Talon replied flatly. He looked like he was sweating. "H-how about that walk? Eh? Let's go for a walk, yaaay!" he announced with fake cheer.
 
Grave wasn't sure what to think of Atea's silence. In all likelyhood, either he was merely scratching the surface by calling her influential, or misunderstood something due to ignorance. One way or another, he'd find out soon: that was the feeling he had. The audience would provide the hints he required, most likely.

The reaction he got to his innocent question was, in Grave's opinion, a testament to the weak relationship between him and those three. As well as their collective opinion of him, me mused with exasperation while pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed in response to their antics. "All three of you are idiots, you know that?" His voice was filled with sarcasm as he directed a flat gaze towards them. "Sure, I'll admit Club and Ziah have been monopolizing my attention as of late. Which is why I've proposed this walk. Come on already, let's do some sightseeing." The half-blood rolled his eyes.

Even as he said all that, Grave still took notes of how all three of them had reacted. Valencia didn't suprise him at all, and neither did Roy. Talon's, on the other hand, was a little unexpected. He was reasonably certain the man would rather forget what happened. Instead, he seemed to identify Cynder with his female half, if perhaps subconsciously. The half-blood had a feeling this'd be yet another can of worms he opened through carelessness. Still, he didn't let these thoughts show. It was too early to be certain of anything, it could have been just a simple slip after all. "Anyway, let's leave the topic of my preferences aside for the time being, alright? We've got a whole new city to explore and I don't know about you, but I've never seen anything like this."
 
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