“Finally, it stopped squirming. That was getting on my nerves, and I’m not even carrying it.”

“Thank you, Silver Lining.”

“…I have to agree with Red Mountain, it was painful to watch Daedalus so panicked. Maybe something happened to him on this floor in the past.”

“Whatever. He’ll be safer once we bring him to his new home.”

The binding spell is released and we’re forced to hide Daedalus inside a body bag.

Carrying a corpse out of a dungeon is a common sight, so the adventurers we pass by don't pay us much mind.

They avert their gaze when we approach, but once our backs are turned towards them, we feel their pitying glances as they watch us go.

A couple adventurers have offered to help in one way or another, but we politely decline as if it were a personal relative.

The number of fresh adventurers increases as we near the entrance of the dungeon.

The hovering ball of light, that Dedicantus made to help illuminate our path, disperses into dozens of tiny particles and fades away. This area is well lit, unlike the lower levels of the dungeon.

Some of the novice adventurers watch us with awe, imagining what kind of battles we must have fought, but all of their eyes darken with grief when they notice the occupied body bag. A constant reminder of the cruel reality for adventurers.

Guilt weighs heavily upon my chest.

‘They’re all mortified, but this isn’t even a corpse. They know the life of an adventurer is tough, but our deceit is too cruel.’

Nearing the opening of the entrance, several guards glance in our direction momentarily, but return to their work immediately. Only two continue to meet our gazes.

“Who’s inside?”

“The body was burned beyond recognition. There’s no ID, so we’re unsure.”

Red Mountain lies.

The guard looks to ask another question, but Dedicantus speaks first.

“We’re taking them to a priest I know. He’ll revive them for a price.”

The guard grunts and nods his head in response.

“I trust you will report this to the guild then.”

“Yes sir.”

The guard gestures for us to pass and we continue without looking back.

We go over our plan once more when we’re out of earshot and make our way back to Altena, the capital of adventure.

It’s late, the clouds above glow pink and orange from the setting sun.

Returning to the Adventurer’s guild we quickly turn in our separate quests then split ways… or that’s how I thought it was supposed to go.

“Red Mountain, Silver Lining, don’t you both have your own guilds to return to?”

“I want to see where you live.”

Stone’s Throw gives the dragonborn a look of disgust.

“That’s kind of creepy.”

“Not like that. I want to know that you won’t be letting the monster run loose in town. I will not be responsible for your mistakes.”

I nod in understanding.

“And you, Red Mountain?”

“I’m also curious as to where you live. I want to see how things progress with your new friend.”

I smile, welcoming the idea.

Silver Lining looks around the group with a jaw hung open from injustice.

“… Huh?! No one else finds that creepy?”

Stone’s Throw clicks her tongue.

“It was how he said it that made it feel more genuine.”

“How was what I said, ‘creepy’?”

“Let’s get going, no need to waste time arguing about it.”

Within the district of middle-class homes, both Red Mountain and Silver Lining look between myself, and the homes around us.

Their eyes look to say something like, “wow, he must have a nice home to share with Daedalus”.

I avoid looking at them, knowingly.

They look to my dwarven friends, silently asking for a reason.

They only smile and chuckle to themselves. Stone’s Throw shakes her head and looks up at the taller pair, giving them a mischievous smirk.

Their curious expressions quickly shift into doubt and fear.

We approach a structure larger than the average inn. It’s an apartment complex.

“Really? You couldn’t get something… normal?”

Silver Lining groans in disappointment.

I push on through, ignoring their judgmental looks. Stone’s Throw and Dedicantus casually follow close behind.

The others are hesitant, but follow as well.

The inside of the building is lit up with magic crystals, all cleanly carved to fit neatly into specific slots in the ceilings and walls.

The place has an air of cleanliness that’s unmatched in most inns and residencies. Despite all of the pros to living in an apartment complex, there were a number of people who never enjoyed such luxuries.

“Wasn’t the person who invented all of this stuff a demon lord, or something like that?”

“No, Genath the Great was a hero, one of the best, in fact. During his adventuring years, he not only defeated three demon lords, but he also invented many items that helped improve the overall quality of life.”

I press on a small shining red jewel, embedded in a wall beside a set of heavy stone doors. The gem glows and I hear something moving on the other side.

“Don’t forget, he was a crazy eccentric too. His inventions made him extremely wealthy and he claimed to have many more great ideas, but never wanted to share them. Took them with him to the grave.”

Red Mountain adds.

Silver Lining shakes his head.

“I still don’t trust buildings like these. It feels… alien. Expensive too.”

I scratch the back of my head nervously.

“It might be a bit more expensive than renting a normal house, but I feel like it’s worth it. I like the feel of these kinds of homes.”

“Yeah, but then you get too used to them and you can’t enjoy normal homes anymore.”

“That’s not true, I still enjoy visiting other inns when I travel long distances.”

“I assume you ride trains too…”

The heavy stone doors slide open, revealing a room large enough to fit about ten people. It looks like a large closet.

I enter the room, followed by Dedicantus and Stone’s Throw. Red Mountain is anxious, but he enters as well.

I gesture for Silver Lining to come in, keeping one of my hands between the doors to prevent them from closing.

“Why are you so against Genath’s inventions? I thought you were an inventor too.”

“I have my reasons and besides, I can’t accept a man who suddenly created some of Seone’s greatest inventions without sharing his knowledge, or how he came to learn these things. He was obviously hiding something and no one will ever know what it was now that he’s dead.”

“Why not just study his blueprints and see if you can improve them. Maybe then you’ll learn something from him.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

The dragonborn gives me a hard, thoughtful look, then enters the room with the rest of us. I move my hand away from the door and step back.

“So… what? Is this your room?”

The stone doors slide close, and the room begins to shake.

“What kind of room is this?”

“This isn’t a rented space, this is just an elevator.”

“I’ve heard of those crazy contraptions. They use teleportation, right?”

“It’s not teleportation, nothing like that.”

“Then what is it?”

“…I’m not sure. But maybe you can find out if you take some time to study Genath’s blueprints.”

“Teleportation would be easier, right?”

“Yeah, but that’s expensive. He came up with a way to use the magic more effectively.”

“How do you know that much?”

“I met the owner of the apartment complex one day and just asked him some questions. He doesn’t know all of the details either, he bought the building from its previous owner, years ago.”

The elevator stops on the seventh floor and the doors open again.

“This is my stop.”

Dedicantus says, before walking out.

“Me too.”

Stone’s Throw follows after him.

“You both live here too?”

“We’ve been living here before we met Karth.”

“You’re all crazy.”

“Getting used to new things isn’t crazy, it’s a part of living. Things change, people change, nothing stays the same forever.”

The dwarf waves her hand with a teasing smirk, as the elevator doors close.

“Are they living together?”

Red Mountain asks curiously.

“No, they have separate rooms on the same floor. They actually first met in this complex, though they weren’t always friends. They hated each other’s guts at first, but something drew them towards one another.”

“I didn’t ask for their life story.”

My lips form a frown, feeling a bit disheartened by Silver Lining’s hostility.

It’s not uncommon, there are a lot of other people that feel some amount of animosity towards those who readily accept the changes Hero Genath has made to society.

The doors open once more when we reach my floor. The pair of adventurers follow me out of the elevator and down the hall.

We pass by another tenant I’ve seen a few every so often, but haven’t really spoken to.

She eyes us with suspicion for a brief moment, before continuing towards the elevator.

I unlock the door to my apartment using a small stone tablet with magic runes etched in it. They glow in response to the door and a *click* sound is heard.

We enter my apartment and I close the door once we’re all inside.

Their eyes scan over everything as if seeing it for the first time; the kitchen appliances, pantry, cabinets, and other living room furniture.

“I’m home.”

I call out, and hear my sister’s voice from within another room.

“Welcome home!”

“I brought a couple friends, hope you don’t mind.”

“So long as they aren’t too messy.”

Red Mountain turns a knob above the sink and watches a stream of magic flow through an azure magic crystal. Water pours freely from the crystal and drains down the sink.

He sniffs at the water curiously, then laps it up to quench his thirst.

Silver Lining watches distastefully, yet fails to conceal a hint of curiosity as well.

Carrying the body bag into my sister’s room, I place it on her bed and open it carefully.

Her eyes fill with fear and concern.

“Why did you bring a monster into our home?”

“… He saved my life.”

“So, you want to keep it as a pet? Do you realize you could get in so much trouble?”

“Yes, I know, but he’s not a pet. He’s intelligent, a monster that can think and learn.”

She moves to close up the bag once more, but I stop her gently.

“Leina, please… trust me. I hate myself for letting it get this far, taking Daedalus away from his home. However, Silver Lining believes we might be able to learn something from him, or at least teach him how to communicate with us.”

“You already named it…”

“Yes.”

Her hands drop to her sides, and she lets out a sigh of defeat.

“Fine. I trust you, Karth… but you’re taking care of it. I don’t want it anywhere near my room.”

“Thank you.”

I whisper gratefully.

She gives me a look of slight annoyance.

“What are you waiting for, get it out of my room.”

I leave with Daedalus and practically bump into the dragonborn who was waiting just outside of her room.

“You’ve got a great sister. Shame you had to bring her into all of this.”

“I’m not responsible for any of this, but I’m having to deal with it now because I don’t trust you.”

I place Daedalus on my own bed then make my way towards the front room.

“You could have just left it with Red Mountain at his place.”

“I don’t know either of you, but I trust my sister even more than I trust Dedicantus, and he’s always had my back.”

The young dragonborn shrugs.

“Just don’t let it out of your sight, or even out of your place for that matter.”

He turns to walk away, but I grab his shoulder to ask him one last question.

“Hey… if you do happen to know anyone that might be able to help, tinkerer or otherwise, I would appreciate it.”

He looks me in the eyes briefly, with a calculating expression, then gives a small nod before making his way out of the apartment.

The beastborn man follows closely behind, giving me an appreciative nod.

“We’ll be back tomorrow morning to check on the little guy.”

“Thank you.”

After they leave, I return to my room and find Leina hovering over the body bag containing Daedalus.

“Did you really have to stuff him in like this? He looks uncomfortable.”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

“I don’t know them. Hendrick and Reyah, I trust. Did they go with you?”

“Yeah.”

She picks up the monster in her arms and inspects him carefully.

“I have to at least be the voice of reason when you do something stupid, like kidnapping a child... What do you plan to do once he can communicate his wants clearly.”

“I suppose, grant him his desires to the best of my ability. That’s the least I can do for him, after he rescued me. Even if that means returning him to the dungeon – but before we even get that far, I want him to fatten him up. Can’t have him die of starvation.”

I watch my sister sift through his matted fur with a disappointed look on her face.

“What are you looking for?”

“Well… there’s a lot of nasty scars hidden under his fur, looks like there are some infections as well that he hasn’t taken care of… and one more thing.”

“Yeah..?”

She turns Daedalus towards me and her frown deepens.

“‘He’ is actually a ‘she’.”

“W-what?”

“It’s a girl, Karth. Change the name too, Daedalus is not a cute name.”

The news shook me, I was really hoping it was a boy.

Maybe… a part of me was also hoping that if Daedalus– if ‘she’ wanted to stay with us a little longer, then maybe it could have been like teaching a younger ‘brother’ about the world outside the dungeon.

I never really gave the idea much thought, until after her gender was revealed.

Leina leaves my room, holding the catilyss gently in her arms with the monster’s chin resting on her shoulder.

“Please, clean the bag, it stinks. Don’t forget to clean off my bed too. I’m going to give her a bath now.”

“O-okay.”

* * *

Now dressed in something casual, I finished cleaning up and reorganizing my backpack.

My equipment needs some mending, so I took a mental note to get that taken care of later.

For now, I… I can’t really leave to do anything. Usually I would go drinking with Daedalus at the end of a successful mission, but I don’t have that luxury anymore.

I have to keep a close eye on the catilyss, but it’s difficult when she’s locked up in the bathroom with Leina.

“Everything alright in there?”

“Yes, everything is fine. She’s still sleeping, even after a bit of rough scrubbing and brushing, she has so many rats in her fur. What did you do to her?”

“Nothing. Silver Lining– err, the dragonborn wizard, cast a sleep spell on her. It should have ended a while ago, so maybe she’s just exhausted.”

During my time with the catilyss, it did seem like she was really tired.

She refused to sleep when I was around and there were several times I noticed her movements sway or her head droop low, then pop back up suddenly.

I assumed it was her own way of tracking or staying on guard.

‘When was the last time she slept?’

The other side of the door is pretty quiet, I wonder if everything is alright.

Leaning against the wooden door and empowering my senses with a trickle of mana, I could hear soft brushing and snipping of hair.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“I can hear you.”

“S-sorry, just curious.”

“I’ll call for you if I need your help. Just eat dinner already, it’s still warm on the stove.”

“Thanks.”

True to her word, there was a pot on the stove, emanating an aura of warmth.

Removing the top lid, a mouth watering aroma escapes and fills my nostrils.

This is what I look forward to every night.

Honestly, Leina would make a great wife for some lucky man, but she’s stubborn.

I’d be lying if I said I wanted her to leave and find a husband. I enjoy her company, and I too can be pretty stubborn when it comes to finding a spouse.

I appreciate all she’s done for me, and do my best to help her out whenever I can.

Savoring every mouthful, I only get halfway through my meal when I hear the bathroom door close.

My sister walks into the living room, with the young catilyss in her arms.

She turns the small creature towards me and I freeze – my spoon hovers just in front of my gaping mouth.

“What do you think?”

The thin monster—which was once a messy fur ball, caked in grease, dried up blood, and other foul smelling grime—now looks more like a beastborn child.

Her flame colored hair is vibrant and full of life, though a bit short for a girl of her age, whatever that may be.

The dark fur that covers her body is now sleek and thin, revealing scars that were once hidden underneath.

She’s wearing one of Leina’s old nighties, from when she was a kid.

The only scars visible were along her arms, legs, and face.

I could only imagine how many scars were on her back and chest, given the number of scars visible now.

“Well…?”

The spoon fell from my hand and into the bowl, causing a bit of the warm soup to splash me in the face and wake me from my stupor.

“She looks… cute.”

That’s what girls like to hear, right?

“The scars are a bit off-putting though, makes me wonder if she was abused.”

Leina could tell I was being truthful.

The girl is indeed very cute, but I can’t help wondering how she survived with that many scars, some of which look life-threatening.

*sigh*

“We’ll have to get her to a life mage soon.”

My sister’s eyes were full of worry, as she kept looking over some of the more recent wounds that were clearly infected.

“We can’t. No one must know about her.”

“She’ll die if she’s not treated soon.”

“… I’ll ask Dedicantus in the morning.”