She had used Orion’s map notes to plot a course. She broke into his apartment to gather his travel supplies. Then she left his weapons with Pyro for repairs, upgrades and maintenance. She personally groomed Major Canis and, with the help of the young wardens, Orion’s other beast companions that were jealous of the attention. She repaired Melon, her recently renamed and repainted Sodapop Ant mech, modifying her with a [Repair MOD] to give it a constant self-healing bonus. She obtained food from Magrath that would keep on a long journey. By the time Orion was back on his feet, Xing was ready to head out.
“Except that you’re not coming,” stated Orion.
Orion and Xing spent the early morning strolling down the Floor One markets on the way to pick up Orion’s weapons and Xing’s new arm. He was dressed in cargo shorts and a colorful shirt with geometric patterns on it. She was wearing a black string bikini bottom and a smug smile.
“Yes, I am.” Xing argued, “I’m in just as much danger as you if I stay in town. And you need a healer if you’re going to be delving into an unknown city.”
The Zeta Cluster flora was thriving in the dimmed lighting of the subterranean bunker. The flint colored grass was spreading across every unpaved surface, with technicolor mushrooms thriving in the rich soil. Edible mushroom ‘bushes’ had been transplanted from the Zeta Cluster section of the New Yorg City Zoo.
Orion grumbled, “Yes, but if I die I’ll just pop back up in the Med Bay. If you die-“
Xing mimicked talking with her hand, “Yap, yap, yap, yap! I’ve heard the speech before. I know what the stakes are. But if you’ll recall, I’m awesome! Besides, I’m almost the same level as you, and you’re the strongest person on the planet. I’ll be fi~ne. We’re not taking on a Vault.”
Orion set his jaw, but he knew he’d lost the argument. The entire point of training the Menagerie was to have strong heroes to protect Phoenix. Denying Xing would make it look like he didn’t trust her. He did, and having someone join him on his journey would make the trip far less lonely.
“You’re right, I’m sorry.” Orion conceded, “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Xing spun suddenly and hooked her arm around his neck, stretching her lithe body up to plant a kiss between his tusks.
“Then don’t let anything happen to me,” she said, laughingly. “We got this.”
Orion kissed her again, “Yes. I just wish we had others to help us.”
“Well, it might not just be us,” Xing said despondently. “I uploaded a mission to the Phoenix message board.” [Edited to here]
Orion pulled up his HUD and opened the Phoenix Colony tab. He scrolled through the missions posted by Mayor Slate and Sheriff Thrustar till he found Xing’s.
[
The Star Explorer’s Union Wants You! Are you looking to test your mettle? Do you yearn for the open road? Then join the Mystery City expedition! Adventure! Loot! Respect! All of these could be yours!
Conditions: Meet Governor Starbeard at the stables by noon today
Reward: +1000 XP
+500 Reputation with Phoenix
A boon from Governor Starbeard
Do You Accept? Y/N?
(Disclaimer: Explorer’s union is not responsible for any death, dismemberment, disfigurations, mutations, amputations, allergic reactions, alien abductions, or terraworm attacks. Some boon restrictions may apply.)]
Orion shot Xing an incredulous look, “A boon?”
“Yeah, like a favor.” Xing swayed happily as she walked, “Like you did at the Raid Victory dinner.”
They continued their way towards the Gizmo Shoppe so the Professor could install Xing’s new arm. He’d added a control panel that could help control Melon manually if verbal commands weren’t possible. He’d also handed Orion some experimental portal traps that were compatible with his warden’s skill sets. The Professor encouraged caution, but promised to teach him the recipe if the tests went well.
As they walked past a new grove of head-height mushrooms with colorful caps and luminescent stems, something caught Orion’s attention. In front of Orion’s statue in the middle of the roundabout was a wooden table. On it were three boxes, a pile of scrap paper, and a cloth banner that read ‘Name Our Town!’
Orion was drawn to it, his curiosity getting the best of him. He asked Xing, “What’s this?”
Xing poked the top of the middle box, which had a slot in the center. “No clue. The boxes are just labeled ‘One’, ‘Two’ and ‘Three’.”
“They’re ballot boxes for name suggestions,” said someone with a pleasant drawl.
They both turned to the booth to the right of the statue. It was an elegantly colorful circus tent, decadently patterned with wide daffodil yellow and wine red stripes. There was a central pole that draped a round tarpaulin over straight canvas walls. There was a fancy awning over the entrance which contained a wooden counter. A sign above the door advertised the establishment as the ‘Crust or Bust’. The sweet aroma of alien fruit and savory meat wafted from the entrance.
A large gloved hand lifted a bar flap on one side of the counter and Ragamuffin bustled out of the Crust or Bust. She flounced towards them, sashaying with every excited step.
The best way to describe her was voluptuous. She was fat, exuberant and absolutely radiated confidence. She had a slender neck, dainty ears with cupcake earrings, and a bulbous red clown nose. Her lips were painted red with a line of black that connected to red oval blush spots on her chubby cheeks. Her eyes were wide, with long lashes and black pie-shaped irises. that connected to oval cheeks. Triangle pips were painted just under her eyes, her facial markings reminiscent of a Raggedy Anne doll. Wavy red hair streaked with white was pulled back into a poofy bun, which itself was tucked into a hairnet.
She was wearing a frilly pink dress with white polka-dots, ruffled sleeves and petticoats. An apron was tied around her waist, and her large pink clown shoes practically danced across the multicolored cobblestones. Every bit of her outfit was covered in colorful patches, each of them sporting a different design. She stopped a few feet from the table and gestured with her long tube-like arms,
“Good morning, Miss Ragamuffin.” Orion asked, “Town names?”
“This was my idea,” Ragamuffin announced. “I’m no good with fighting or construction, so I thought of what I could do to make Phoenix more homey!” Ragamuffin looked at them expectantly, nervously clasping her hands at her waist.
Orion glanced at Xing, who shrugged. Orion turned back to Ragamuffin with a curious expression and said, “I’m Intrigued. What do you mean by ‘name our town’?”
Ragamuffin looked relieved and explained, “Well, Phoenix is the city name, that’s obvious. But each layer below it is like a little village all their own. They have different environments, different themes, and yet they’re just called Floor One, Floor Two, and so on.”
Orion stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Go on.”
Bolstered by this, Ragamuffin continued, “I thought it would give each floor a bit more personality if they had names. So I made these ballot boxes so people could put in suggestions for the different floor levels. We could have a vote next Sanday and people could choose their favorites.”
She picked up a scrap of paper and a pencil and scribbled on it. She set the pencil down and showed the paper, which she had written ‘Clown Town’. She folded it in half and tucked it into the Floor One box slot.
“All of the suggestions will be anonymous so there’s no pressure on voting for a certain person’s preference.” Ragamuffin’s hands flapped excitedly as she turned back to Orion, “What do you think?”
Orion’s eyes flicked over the table. While he pondered, he sensed he was being watched. Glancing up, he was surprised to see there were dozens of people silently listening to the presentation. Shop owners were observing the scene stoically, and citizens wandering through the markets stopped to gawk. Even Angstrum the Jo’Qin mime had paused inside an invisible box as the world held its breath.
Orion’s face split into a tusky grin. “Fun! I like it. Can anyone add suggestions?”
Ragamuffin was stunned, “O-of course, Sir!”
“None of that ‘Sir’ stuff. It’s just Orion, thank you,” Orion corrected as he picked up a pencil.
There was a collective sigh of relief as the Governor of Phoenix reached down to scribble on a piece of paper. He made three suggestions, folded them and tucked one into each box. He beamed at Ragamuffin, who looked dumbstruck by Orion’s support.
“This was a really good idea. Something close to home to keep people’s spirits up and remind them what we’re all fighting for.” Orion said, “Really well done, Mrs. Ragamuffin.”
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Ragamuffin’s alabaster skin blushed hot pink at the compliment. She suddenly pivoted like a ballerina and bounced off, hips undulating as she slipped back into her tent. There was the sound of crashes, glass shattering noises and at one point, the quack of a duck. Ragamuffin emerged a moment later with a box covered in an insulated bag. She walked back up to Orion and offered it to him. A mouthwatering smell of fresh pastries and succulent fruits filled the air. Several stomachs in the crowd started to growl hungrily.
“Here. I saw that you were leaving to go exploring today.” Ragamuffin’s voice was sultry as Orion accepted the care package. She cupped his hands in her own and leaned forward, giving the tall Org an enticing view of her low décolletage. “I made you some pies to help keep your strength up.”
Orion’s face turned bright blue as his LED freckles lit up in a blush.
Ragamuffin added breathily, “And it’s Ms. Ragamuffin. Be sure to come back in one piece, now.”
Orion was able to recover long enough to make a lame joke, “I-I’ll come back with as many pieces as I left with, in any case.”
“Good.” Ragamuffin purred. “And feel free to stop by for more pie when you get back, Orion. I’ll keep it warm for you.”
“Thanks! I’ll have to take you up on that,” said Orion, stashing the pies in his inventory. “Although I feel bad, I don’t really have a lot to reimburse you for them.”
Ragamuffin leaned closer, her voice husky as she purred, “I’m sure we could arrange something.”
Orion pondered this, “like a Mission or something?”
Ragamuffin’s laughter was like the tinkle of bells. It was loud and boisterous, and made her bounce tantilizingly. “Or something,” she agreed.
Xing suddenly hugged Orion’s arm and gave Ragamuffin a hard, calculating stare. The two women locked eyes, and he was sure he heard Xing growl. Ms. Ragamuffin simply gave Xing a sultry smile, folding her arms to accentuate her bountiful bosom.
“No need to be possessive, cutie.” Ragamuffin drawled, “I have enough pie for everyone.”
Xing looked startled and her scales went pink and scarlet. Hiding her face against Orion’s chest, the flustered Jrassk tugged on his arm and steered the him Org towards Pyro’s Smithy.
As Orion was dragged away, Ragamuffin took the opportunity to admire his cute butt. He was a delicious looking man. More femme presenting than her ex-husbands, but still radiating strong masculine energy. Besides, it was power she was attracted to, and the Governor wore the mantle of leadership well. If she could seduce him, she’d have far more influence in this city.
Xing could be an obstacle, but there were ways around that. The Jrassk was beautiful in her own right, lithe and athletic. Intelligent too, from the rumors. They could make quite the power polycule, if only she could convince them both.
She overheard Orion exclaim, “Wow! That was really nice of her. I didn’t even think Ms. Ragamuffin liked me. I think she was hitting on you, though.”
Ragamuffin shook her head with wonder. Her high Charm stat had never failed her so miserably before, the Org was totally oblivious to her flirting. Still, this was a tiny setback. Plenty of time to up put herself in the Governor’s good graces. He seemed to have good intentions, but he was naive. Men like that needed to be led, and she knew how to guide men.
As Ragamuffin turned back to her little bakery, she paused as someone else stepped up to the table and wrote down some name ideas. Then another. Soon there was a line of people waiting to add their own suggestions to the boxes.
Ragamuffin’s mouth fell open as people started to talk about the contest. Before long folks were laughing and talking animatedly with each other. Others were on their HUDs calling friends and telling them about the town naming event. As folks started to line up at the Crust or Bust, enticed by Orion’s care package, Ragamuffin felt the gloomy mood caused by the wake start to lift.
She looked up at the Governor’s statue pensively. For the first time since waking up from stasis, Ragamuffin felt a glimmer of hope. With just a simple act of being interested in her little project, Orion started a chain reaction that improved the mood of his constituency. That was a rare kind of talent for a politician, one that should be nurtured.
Good thing she was the nurturing type.
“She was not,” Orion protested.
Xing insisted, “I’m telling you. Ragamuffin was totally flirting. With you.”
“No way,” denied Orion.
“Why are you like this?” Xing sounded exasperated. “How do you not get that you’re this rugged hero type, and lots of people want to jump your bones.”
Ssteev looked up as the two arguing explorers approached the stables. He was busy bathing the Ghost Stalker puppies in a soapy tub. A few members of Major’s new pack had given birth since he’d taken over as Alpha. The parents lounged around the lanky Jrassk, pretending not to watch. The huge bulk of Btssee the triceratops was curled around Ssteev and the pups, discouraging the pack from getting overprotective. The puppies weren’t perturbed by the bath, and were either playfighting or snoozing in the circle of animals.
Ssteev pulled the little cyworg baby we was scrubbing out of the tub. There was only a few inches of water in the bottom, but if he got distracted that’s all it would take. He toweled off the little girl worriedly. She was definitely the runt of the litter, and was requiring more care than her siblings. She hadn’t even opened her eyes yet, and her saddle looked too small. Ssteev wasn’t about to give up on her, though. Ssteev set the puppy down and was dumping the water in the hydro recycler as the conversation got closer.
Orion groaned, “You sound just like Aurelio. He always said the same thing.”
“Aurelio sounds like a smart guy,” Xing persisted.
“The issue is, I’m not a rugged hero type!” Orion exclaimed, “I’m just a guy!”
“Yeah right. ‘Just a guy’,” said Xing in a mocking tone. “Just a guy who is Governor of a city, controls an army of animals, and has saved the lives of dozens of people.”
Ssteev walked up and added, “You did rescue me from the maw of a terraworm, Uncle Orion.”
Orion deftly changed the subject, “Hey there, champ! How are my kids doing today?”
Ssteev wiped damp hands on even damper coveralls, just succeeding to spread the dampness around. Ssteev listed off the preparations, “We got Major Canis and Aries washed, groomed and equipped with saddle bags. The animals have all been fed. Downloaded a new driving music playlist to Gemini. Milked the batterams and collected eggs from the microrapters. You should be ready to go.”
“Well done, kiddo.” Orion walked up and clapped Ssteev on the shoulder. He looked around and spotted his warden apprentices Avin and Mink, but there was no sign of the head rancher. “Say, where’s Neesya? I thought she’d be here to send us off.”
Ssteev looked uncomfortable. “She said she had to go. I think she went to Duke’s Place.”
“Any idea why?” asked Orion.
Because of me.
They all heard an unfamiliar voice scratch across their brain. Unlike Neesya’s telepathic speech which was almost singsongy and sweet, this one sounded harsh and abrasive. It also had a hollowness to it, like sound echoing in a long forgotten underwater cave.
A large pile that Orion had thought was farming equipment unfolded itself from a bench in the corner. The stable’s lights flickered as heavy footfalls clanked across the floor like hammers on an anvil. One eerie red eye shone like a lighthouse from the front of a round helmet. Greasy seaweed was draped over their shoulders, still inexplicably wet. Burbling cylindrical water tanks connected to the back. The towering figure stopped in front of Orion, dwarfing the Org. They looked like a battle mech mixed with an antique diving suit.
Orion pointed, “See? Now, that’s a rugged hero type.”
Ssteev slipped behind Btssee, who lumbered to her feet and aimed horns at the threat. The Cyworg puppies were scruffed by their parents and carried away before they were trodden on.
Xing threw herself against Orion’s back, hiding from the stranger. Ssteev heard her clanging against the protective metal plates on Orion’s back.
“Ow,” she said, flatly.
Hello NytetH3ist. You’re doing well for yourself, all things considered, projected the rasping voice.
A chill ran down Ssteev spine. Whoever this was, they were scaring the animals. The Stables were deathly quiet as the livestock watched for trouble.
Standing his ground, Orion equipped Sunflare and gripped the haft tightly. The head of the battle sledge burst into flame as he stared into the diving bell helmet.
“Who are you?” Orion demanded.
The helmet stared back, not backing down. It wasn’t until Orion started to raise Sunflare that the stranger reached up with gloves made from some abyssal sea creature. With a hiss, the helmet was pulled off to reveal a face that was composed mostly of teeth.
They were an Astropod. Unlike Neesya’s familiar banana slug coloration, this one looked like something dredged up from the deepest depths of the ocean. Their skin was midnight blue, with neon purple bio-luminescent blotches across their forehead and cheeks. A wide mouth filled with needle-sharp interlocking fangs was set in a grim scowl. Their ‘hair’ was seaweed green, frazzled like a clown wig made of hose pipes. On the tips of the hair tendrils were multiple bulbous, glowing red eyes.
I’m Krakaran Fangtooth, they grated. Fangtooth pulled up their HUD and swung the holoscreen to face Orion. The Colony tab was pulled up with a Mission highlighted.
[
Krakaran Fangetooth: LVL 19 Panzer]
I’m here to ‘test my mettle’, Fangtooth grumbled sarcastically.