The wind whistled through the ghost town as the zombies left the area. Debree, blood and guts splattered along the road like the aftermath of the running of the bulls. The wooden buildings sat there silently, now only sheltering corpses of bodies too damaged to be animated. Mellie and Mary had finished stocking up for the trip and were heavy with bags. While they were sorting through supplies, alleviating some weight Ariana was distracted.

While they were in the boutique Ari had found mana potions and magic items everywhere. She was drinking the potions and basking in the warmth of the enchanted needles, when she felt a pull toward the floorboards. She tried pulling the metal loop on the trapdoor to find the mana but it was too heavy. Her fairy strength needed development.

The womangiant was digging through her bag as Ari jumped in her vision, bouncing up and down. "Hey there little guy." Said Mellie, questioning the shiny ball. The light brightened and Mellie shielded her eyes as it went towards the trapdoor. " Well this is interesting." Mellie stated, intrigued but wary. Mary jumped in, noticing her discomfort, "I'll go down, make sure its clear." Mellie sorted through the collection of knives and swords. She inspected the Katanas and handed one to Mary.

Katana of Searing uncommon, forged by a skilled apprentice smith for his father. Bonded with a pheonix feather -15 fire damage to target.

They had found it a bargain bin at the blacksmiths. It had no runic enchantments but was made for a fire magic user. It slid out of its sheath as she took a defensive stance by the trapdoor, and threw it open.

The fairy zipped down into the room, coming at a stop in front of a young boy. Robert Rayner, lvl 0. The room stank of filth and rotting food. The fairy left inspected and abandoned the boy, trying to open a wooden chest. It was buried in piles of string next to the ladder. Mellie descended the ladder as Mary gestured around, "Are you okay?"

Robert burst into tears. He was a 15 year old man and men arent supposed to cry. This ordeal had just been too much. "My master pushed me down here. She built it to weather an attack, with obscurement runes I helped her make. She would be down here too if she didnt get greedy." He wiped his eyes straightening up.

"She closed me down here to go back for more silks, and then... I heard the bandits take her dignity, then her life." He rubbed at his eyes like hes trying to wipe away the memory. He continued, "The zombies came that night and I've been stuck down here since. I dont know what to do. I found a spellbook, but it was a usless spell nobody wanted "Summon string." For a month Ive sat down here summoning and burning string hoping by practicing it maybe I'll get a class without a stone." Mary winced, knowing how hard that was. "Yeah I know but with my stats, what other choice did I have?" He said, his situation stinging with recognition.

"The zombies are gone for now. Come with us, we'll get you out of here." She smiled, and began toward the steps as the fairy flew at her face. "What"s up, little flashlight?" She asked the fairy. Ari began jumping up and down on her treat. Mellie raised her eyebrows at Robert. "I think the fairy has manasense," observed Mary. "And shes attracted to it like acidflies to outhouses."

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Mellie blanched. Acidflies in outhouses! Do they spit acid while you poop? Mellie intended to avoid outhouses at all costs, for a much more valid reason than that they were unsanitary. She was really spoiled with the facilities she made on the ship.

The magic in Mellie's blood was probably attracting the creature to her. Thats probably why the ball of light was following her around. It didn't feel harmful though. Its presence calmed her and more importantly, made her feel safer. As long as it didnt kill her in her sleep or something equally extreme, she would care for it. "Can I?" Mellie asked the boy.

"Sure, sure. Go ahead. Those are crafting supplies to enchant garments. My master found a technique to push manastones into blood to create runes like demonblood. I have no idea how she did it but she has books in her study that might help me figure it out. I almost risked going upstairs but when i opened the hatch last I was not alone. I may be obscured but the Dumb Zombies still smell me." He admitted, wincing slightly realizing his smell. "Yeah.... sorry" he defended himself, "I didnt want to run out of water." he admitted, looking at his feet.

Mellie walked over to the boy, reached for his head and lifted it. "There is no shame in surviving. Now. Grab what you need. We want to leave before the daylight gets away from us. We're traveling by a river to an old church, then onward to civilization. You can wash this memory away from you when we get there."

"Yes Maam" the boy responded, to Mellies astonishment and set about packing things from a few boxes in the storage room.

Meanwhile Ari was in heaven. She was hugging a manastone, seeping its sweet blue threads into her mouth and down into her stomach. She hadnt fed like this since she was outcast from her swarm. When she had began to create her flower creatures she was forced to live away from the swarm and find her own mana sources. Now they were everywhere!

Her toes curled as her manabar filled and overflowed into a second bar Ari had never seen before. So much filled her that her skin got hot and vibrated with pleasure as her natural glow burst out into rainbows glittering the room like a disco ball, then faded as she slumped over, tired and full. Almost the entire box of manastones had been depleted.

On top of this box, as the glow dimmed and the fairy slipped into her slumber, the group saw the little 3" teenager crashed on the depleted stones with a smug smile on her face. "Oh wow" said Mellie as she scooped her up, looking at her tiny sleeping form. Her once pale blue hair now was now rainbow colored, her doe eyes would reflect the same. Mellie sewed herself a pocket to carry the fairy in before they left the boutique with a handful of manastones, supplies, a classless boy and a sleeping fairy. They set off down the dirt street, passing through the lifeless town. They were quiet as they left, the boy nervous of reappearing zombies.

Mellie and Mary let him walk between them since he couldnt defend himself unless he wanted to throw string at them. String could become useful though, if used the right way, Mellie thought. If the spell could be made versatile the boy could protect himself. She couldnt use her magic because it not only scared her, but because it still had the debuff active for another day amd a half. So they walked toward the river and practiced his magic, creating a string trail as he learned finer control, tying branches and trees or rabbits together with his new spell. It was slow going and mainly came out in a big tangled clump but before long Summon String lvl 2! flashed in his vision and his smile split the skies.

Meanwhile a little fairy was dreaming of a saddened Mother and Father, and of a people, scattered who lost their leaders.

Race Evolution! Monarch Fairy Race Granted!

Title Granted!

Fairy Matriarch [Title] decended from the lost Monarch Fairies of Reglar! Grow and unite your swarm! Save the Monarch Fairies from extinction!

Boons Granted!

Your mana capacity is doubled!

Welcome chest delivered!