Dave followed the brown haired girl out of the hut after promising the witch-like granny to come back and help her out for her hospitality. He had a few hours to sort through all his memories, new and old and came to the conclusion that his teammates left him alone. He couldn't be sure as to why they left him, but he was thankful that they didn't abandon him in the clearing after that final battle.

His thoughts might have been pragmatic and a little callous, but he wouldn't be surprised if they decided to do worse to him after he fell unconscious. He was even a little astonished that it all worked out as well as it did. He didn't know what reckless being possessed him to play the hero and leave himself at the world's mercy, but as ruby red eyes flashed in his memory, he felt like everything would be fine.

"Stop staring at my ass." A voice snapped him out of his thoughts as his eyes focused and he realized he had indeed been staring as her hips swung back and forth while following her to destinations unknown.

"Would you believe me if I said I was lost in thought?" He tried, pulling his gaze up from her jeans clad bottom to her face as he caught up to walk next to her.

She scoffed. "Was the sight so dreamy it sent you into a stupor?"

He turned his gaze towards his surroundings, trying to escape her accusing stare, to find another topic to distract from the situation. He wasn't sure how he didn't notice before, but he was astonished as he took in the backdrop.

Behind him were small huts, made out of simple sticks and wooden planks. Their roofs varied as they melded into nature.

The small hut he left was part of a giant tree, it's roof covered in shimmering green moss and purple roots. The other huts had their own quirks, imitating the looks of colorful mushrooms. The weirdest by far were huts stacked on top of each other haphazardly, looking like they should be falling apart but didn't.

It was a quaint little hamlet, hidden amongst nature, blending into it. It would have been, if not for the sights surrounding it. Chromatic sleek steel walls, neon signs and flashing lights grazed a futuristic club on the opposite side of the medieval magic district. They passed by a pair of old ladies in witch's garb, who struck some youths with their brooms.

"Get off my lawn you useless scrap piece. No respect for the elderly." She screeched as she punctuated her words with quick swipes of her broom.

The other witch imitated her with grim determination. "Dang youths stop doing nanites on our lawn!"

Dave watched in interest as a teen held a small neon green bottle. Silvery liquid with a mind of its own defied gravity and crawled out of the bottle. His fascination grew as the liquid seeped into the gaps between flesh and machine.

No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't quite make out where the mechanic parts started and the fleshy parts ended. It was like watching a piece of art with how seamless man and machine melded into each other.

"It's rude to stare." She reminded him again. "Even if it's not someone's ass."

He couldn't quite pinpoint her tone of voice as she had her head turned away from him. "This place is somewhat special." She continued as she mimicked him and looked around. "It's like people took different pieces and just stuck them together to create a giant hodgepodge of buildings and cultures. This is just a small part.. in which you can see a specific type of magical town and futuristic club.." She trailed off as she looked into the distance. "It feels like a new world every time you step outside. There is always something new to see and learn.. even for me."

Dave concentrated on her voice as he stared at the ground, watching the ground change from dirt to bronze and iron. It continued melding with chitinous material and scales, turning it into a tapestry of materials. 'It's like those weird modern pieces of art. A confusing amalgamation of materials.'

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The ground took a wooden hue as they walked, a black mansion visible in the distance. The buildings at the side switched from plant and metal themed to weird material he couldn't quite pinpoint. He focused on a building made out of eggshell colored chitinous material, looking like a deformed caterpillar stretched towards the sky. He watched as people tapped a translucent dark green part of the building and stepped through the opening as it opened and closed like a reptile's third eyelid.

'Is that building alive?' He wondered as people with bags full of groceries left the building, squeezing past him as he slowed down. "No dilly dallying, we are almost there." He turned around as she pushed him a little from behind. "Believe me this is important and you'll have all the time in the world.. well maybe not all of it, but enough to gawk like a farmer visiting the city for the first time later."

"So, I'll just follow along wherever you decide to guide me, then we get ambushed? Someone beats me up and during that distraction you steal Ropey?" He said with faux horror as he moved Ropey into a protective hug. "Oh, woe is us Ropey. What shall we do against this injustice?" He continued as Ropey squeaked sorrowfully.

"No." She grumbled with an eye roll as she walked next to him again. "I'll just bring you to where you need to be. That means I did what I needed to do. Then you'll do what you need to do and everything should work out.. at least it shouldn't get worse." She reached past his protective hug and gently pet Ropey who gave off a content humming sound. "Nothing too awful should happen, you won't get hurt.. most probably."

"So we are at the mercy of a kind stranger with totally good intentions leading us somewhere where.. nothing too awful should happen? You do know I just woke up a while ago? After sleeping for who knows how long and being left behind at some strange place by people I saw as comrades. Did they send you so we can meet up again?" A sound similar to a purr and a hum punctuated his questioning as he gently pet Roapy to keep a calm head.

"Yes. I guessed you did. No they didn't. Look, I know all this seems weird but it'll make sense! I think it'll make sense at least.. I hope it'll make sense?" Dave watched her lift her hands placatingly. "I won't act like a mysterious old wizard with a long white beard and tell you it's for the greater good, but it's for the greater good Davey." They stopped again and she looked at him pleadingly, gesturing forward with an open hand. "That's how far I'll go. Just.. do your thing Dave." She finished with a sigh, rubbing her temples with the other hand as her shoulders slumped.

"I never told you my name." He said nonchalantly. "If I hadn't seen this weird city on our way here, I'd have been around 80 percent sure you wanted to sell my organs and keep Ropey for yourself. Now it only went down to 20 percent." He watched her lips quirk upwards as she stifled a chuckle. "I mean, look at this from my perspective. Pretty girl appears out of nowhere, telling you that you have to be somewhere and unable to tell you the details. Wait.. are you a real person?" Both his eyebrows shot towards his hairline in astonishment at the thought. 'Is she a guiding npc? Existing merely for the sake of guiding me to the next quest?'

"That question is hard to answer. I can't answer you in good faith and I don't know enough about you to actually know what's going through your head right now. Just.. ugh." She groaned resignedly. "Just knock on the door and continue please, I have other places to be, otherwise everything will go bonkers."

A memory of an old rpg passed by his mind's eye, where the story wasn't a story yet. A time where things were set up in a way to push for progression without going into details. 'Stop thinking about useless things and put your imagination into good use to fill in the blanks? Maaaagical.' He thought as he fixed her with a deadpan stare. Sighing, he wondered when he started being sarcastic to himself in the confines of his mind and decided to follow along the set story. He turned around to look at a huge black wooden double door.

Shortly wondering how they could have walked that distance in such a short time without his notice, he looked over the door to spot a glistening chitinous door knocker.

Goosebumps rose on his arms as he felt the sleek material against his skin.

He knocked twice against the wooden door, heavy thuds echoing behind it, before letting go of the door knocker to rub his hand against his pants.

Turning towards his guide again, he forced down another sigh.

'Why yes of course, just go without telling me your name or saying goodbye.' He looked towards his left shoulder, black beady eyes staring back at him. "Don't copy her rude behavior, Ropey, we were raised better than his." Ropey rewarded him with an affirmative squeak and a lick to his cheek as he heard footsteps behind the door, closing in towards them. Heavy rumbling and grating greeted their ears as the doors slowly opened inwards.