With their first leadership meeting of the Underbridge Clan complete, his Elites started to leave and work on the tasks that he had provided. Tiria looked like she wanted to dive deep into the clan affairs, but Gi held a hand halting her for now.

Instead, he walked up to Samba who was just getting up from where he'd leaned back while participating in the meeting. "Ready to go meet that crab?"

The two of them left the Encampment and headed back towards the surface. Samba had to use a Wind Fern to breathe comfortable on their journey back as only Gi and Tiria had the ability to breathe underwater currently.

Once they reached the surface, they walked the long way around the lake, away from the mountainous Igna until they arrived at a tiny puddle where a bowler hat floated.

"Doyle. It's me."

The bowler hat lifted up out of the puddle attached to a giant crab. Doyle's legs were much longer than the rest of his body and he used to tower over Gi, but since he'd ascended to the Individual Stage, the two looked each other in the eye. Samba, who'd taken a step back at Doyle's sudden appearance, was larger than most jobbies so also didn't have to look up to him.

Doyle clacked his claws in his way of laughing. Ah ha! It looks like my wee apprentice has found his Class and a clan to boot! You've exceeded the very minuscule expectations that I had for you!

"Thanks for that. I actually wanted-"

But where is Jalx? Did he restore his clan? Did he not think to come and tell his friend about his success? I suppose I can't blame a monster for sucking upon the sweet teet of success, but any good monster knows to brag a little!

Gi's heart dropped like a stone. He wouldn't have called himself close with Jalx, but the goblin had saved his life and guided him on his first day here. He hadn't even considered Doyle and Jalx's friendship before he'd come down, having been solely focused on himself and his clan.

Ruthless is good, but perhaps, I've been getting a bit too cold, Gi thought. He didn't think Elizabeth's temperament was what he should aspire to.

"Actually, Doyle, he... didn't make it. There were some complications in the Dungeon. I'm sorry."

Doyle looked as though he'd been struck, both his giant claws and the smaller set near his mouth drooping. Ah, thus why the sky-ocean prepares to weep. He was a better monster than such a world of violence deserves.

Gi glanced up at his words, noting that the waves did appear to be disturbing the sky-ocean above. The surface was normally quite still, but if he looked on it too long, the rolling and shifting light that fell from it would make him nauseous. The disturbed sky-ocean was a problem for another time.

He didn't want to be callous, but he only had a week before their tithe came due for The Faithful and this was the least of his concerns. How did he get this back on track in a way where Doyle would help them?

Samba, who'd been quiet so far, spoke up and placed a paw on Doyle's claw. "I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't know Jalx well, but to Danna, family is always important. All I can say is he fought like the First One himself before he died and his tenacity is a large part of the reason we are here now."

Doyle nodded solemnly. Ah ,then you did know him well enough. His clan was everything to him. I hope what remains of it will find peace.

Pleased with Samba's interjection, Gi also realized he'd forgotten about the remnants of Jalx's clan. He'd need to try and bring them into the fold now. Before Gi could say anything else, Doyle scooped the two of them in with his claws and started marching off towards Igna.

Come, my friends. Today is not a day of fighting or igniting our little grey cells. Today is a day for remembering and a day for forgetting. Let us drown our sorrows over a cider together.

With Doyle pulling them along, the three of them made their way from the Lake through the Commons all the way to one end of the Bazzar. A round door shoved into the side of the mountain, its dark wood of the same color as the houses in Underbridge. Doyle opened the door to a fairly quiet common room.

A shirtless troll server wandered the tavern with drinks while what looked like an octopus worked the bar. A smattering of monsters sat at different tables, a few small groups and one monster that looked like a human if not for her red tinted skin and horns protruding from her dark hair. The strange humanoid monster wore a full set of formal clothes and had a rapier belted onto her waist as she drank from her cup. Her eyes seemed to lustfully follow the troll as he moved across the tavern.

Doyle ignored all of that though and yelled out to the bartender for three ciders before the three of them sat down at a corner table out of the way. Gi tried to speak, but Doyle just shushed him until three mugs of hot cider were brought out by the troll server. As Doyle lifted his into the air, Gi did the same.

To the most loyal and moral monster I've ever known. At times to his own detriment, but he lived the way he wished as any proper monster should.

Samba stepped in then. "To the monster that fought to save his own clan while protecting ours. His strength was a sight to see."

The more they brought it up, the worse Gi started to feel about Jalx's death. He'd been a complete ass to him before he'd started training with Doyle and took him for granted even though he'd been the primary protector of his clan until they could get through the Dungeon. He deserved Gi's time and attention.

"To the monster that saved my life and set me on the right path. To the one that protected my clan when it was little more than myself. Our progress today was built off of his sacrifice."

The three of them downed their cider all in one pull, staring down into their mugs. The somber air was making Gi depressed. He owed a lot to Jalx, but they hadn't been close. Half of his clan in the Dungeon had died though and more would still as they continued to climb.

Would his clan continue to die from decisions he made and who would it be next time? Samba? Tiria? Even Poe?

The dragonfly had been with him since the beginning and he'd already had a close call against the Glassborn Sprites where Gi had upgraded his Heart. His chest felt tight and when another mug of hot cider was placed in front of him, he took a long pull.

Did I ever tell you about the time that Jalx and I took on a Ground Clan? Shimmering Rhinos Clan, not around any more, of course-

Gi's attention stopped as a wave of danger just as intense as Elizabeth washed over him. His head snapped to the side and his gaze fell on the strange humanoid woman with horns and a red tint. She gave him a predatory smile. He shivered.

"I'll be right back," Gi said to Doyle and Samba before standing up. Who was this person? Was she here to kill him? Could he fight someone on the level of Elizabeth even as a Classer?

Cautiously, he walked over to her table and she watched him the entire time with that same smile on her face. "Have a seat. I don't bite... unless you're into that."

"Who are you?" Gi asked, sitting across from her. A glance showed Samba watching him, but his Elite would be no help if this turned to a battle.

"Galvina, eleventh princess of the Demon Empire." She pulled her collar down to show a black brand with the number eleven burned into her chest. He suspected the gesture was supposed to be enticing, but Gi was too on edge to be affected. He was also an otter.

"What do you want?"

"Truthfully, I'm curious about what it is that you want... Gi, is it?" She took a sip from her mug before placing it on the table and leaning forward. "You must have an upgraded Soul, but it's weak. Half-step if I had to guess. The silver streaks in your fur might be some kind of trait, but I'm going to guess... a Water aspect constitution. The Heart is more difficult to tell, but your Soul tells you how dangerous I am and you still came over here. There's steel in you."

She leaned back, picking her mug back up before continuing. "So you're powerful and you've risen quickly, what is it that you want, and perhaps, we could come to some arrangement."

Gi couldn't relax in front of the demoness as his Soul kept screaming at him. While the level of threat didn't feel more than Elizabeth, it felt more immediate as though Galvina had a blade to his throat. Unconsciously, he actually lifted his paw to check. "I want... what every Progenitor wants - to grow more powerful and to grow my clan."

That predatory smile appeared back on her face as she leaned in again. "And where does that path end... the Sky?" She placed a finger under Gi's chin and pulled him forward until she was whispering directly into his ear. "...the Throne?"

Her fingernail was sharp like a knife and she had it pressed just in deep enough to hurt. When she referenced the Sky and the Throne, he understood that she meant the levels in Igna, a Sky Clan and Queen Siht herself.

Was this some kind of ploy to get him to admit an attack against the Queen? Even if it was, the First One wanted them to struggle against each other. Wouldn't it be expected? His mind raced, but as Galvina had already noted, his Heart was steel.

"Of course. If you're going to aim, it's better to aim beyond your sight."

She released him and leaned back with a hearty laugh. It was a rich and warm laugh that had sincere joy in it. "I like you. We definitely need to talk."

She gestured to the troll server and the monster sighed before grabbing her cup and heading off towards a hallway to one side of the bar. Galvina gestured for him to follow and Gi wondered if it was a mistake, but if he could get some kind of ally...

Samba stared at him, starting to get up from his table, but Gi gestured him down. Hopefully, his Elite could get Doyle on their side or at least warm him up to the idea. If Jalx and Hazz had been good friends of his, it might not be out of consideration for him to help or join. Samba nodded as though he understood, but still continued to watch him as Gi followed Galvina down the hallway.

The two of them made it a small room that had a round table similar to those outside and chairs made of the same wood. Gi assumed it was for private meetings like this or perhaps some kind of gambling groups. The troll server had set down Galvina's cup and exited the room just as Gi walked in. The two of them sat down as the door closed behind the troll.

Galvina picked her mug of cider back up and took a sip. "Let me be straight with you. The Demon Empire wants to control Igna. Siht refuses to work with the empire and the current Sky Clans have either lost their ambition to climb higher or are already aligned with Siht."

"Thus why you're approaching me, but... why me specifically? I don't know who you are nor have I even heard of the Demon Empire before now."

"Never heard...? First One's spotted dick! I can't wait to get back to civilization..." She muttered that last part under her breath before addressing his question. "You're not the first Progenitor that I've sponsored. My previous plans revolved around Ferra of the Ferrous Clan, but those plans were rudely disrupted."

Gi froze. "So... you're planning to strong arm me into being your new mark?"

She laughed, slapping the table noisily. "I'm sorry. You're just so ignorant. It's kind of cute. A clan can subjugate another clan, but it requires conquering them. I could probably wipe your clan off this mountain, but that doesn't help me take Igna, does it?"

"...Fighting your own allies seems a poor way to win a war," Gi gave her.

"Exactly. A mutually beneficial relationship is what I'm after. You give allegiance to the Empire and I provide you with support while you fight for the top."

That did sound good... a little too good. "What's the catch? What do I owe the Demon Empire if I do this? And if you're so powerful, what's to stop you from just taking Igna yourself?"

"You'd owe us nothing but your allegiance. We just need the territory and having it in name only is enough. The reason the deal is so sweet and the reason we can't take Igna ourselves is the same reason - The Skyfall."

"The Skyfall?"

"It's a giant sheet of water that separates the Southern Continent from the Main Continent. Bringing an army here is pretty much impossible. Myshk is already under the Empire's control, but there's been little effort by them to actually take Igna. These two countries are simply farming Soul Orbs in a bastardization of the First One's mandate."

Gi rubbed his paw against his chin. Once he'd made one, his plan had already transformed into taking Igna, but there were nine stages. Would this block him in some way in the future? If he couldn't make it to the future, did it matter? "What are you offering?"

She spread her arms wide, her mug still in her hand a bit of cider sloshing out onto the floor. "What do you need?"

"Gold." It was the obvious answer, but he had to support his clan and he needed to pay the tithe in less than a week. He had some plans on how to get it before then, but it wasn't a guarantee that he'd get the money and it might tip his hand earlier than he wanted to. If he could get information from the Seasonal Assembly before acting, that would be best.

Galvina didn't hesitate. She pulled two leather purses from her coat and dropped them onto the table with a clink. "A hundred gold. Swear allegiance and its yours."

He hefted one of the bags, feeling the weight of it. It was heavy enough that he didn't doubt her. It did seem suspicious to him that she offered him the exact amount he needed for the tithe, but if she'd sponsored Ferra, she probably knew that going in. "An enchanted item as well."

Galvina smirked, feeling as though she'd already won, and in a way she had. "You'll need to accomplish something before I give anything else, but once you do... I suppose it might not hurt to protect my investment. Maybe an enchanted robe for you?"

He didn't want to dance further to her tune so he grabbed up the gold. "Throw in the robe once I take down the next clan and it's a deal."

Galvina stood up, straightening her coat and adjusting her sword belt before drawing the weapon. It hissed out of the sheath like metal being quenched in a forge. A dull red glow emanated from the obviously magical blade and a thrum of danger rang in his Soul as he looked at it. Somehow, that weapon by itself was more dangerous than any jobbie Gi had met.

"Then I'll require you to swear."