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All characters belong to them.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "What a lovely bunch of conversations!

Ironswap is a swap of Sands of Iron by InfinityDoom. All characters belong to them.", "writing": "\"Are you sure there's nothing else for me to do?\"\n\nAfter Rai had left, and Igon had come back from cleaning up the mess in the hall and taken the helm at the bar once again, Loona had gone back to serving drinks, and cleaning up again (albeit while keeping a much closer eye on her as to prevent what happened in the hallway from happening twice) on and off. She'd apparently run out of things to do.\n\n\"I mean, unless you want to go do that-\" The flygon pointed over to where Yena was happily, or at least it seemed so, gulping down the cock of an Ampharos, her head bobbing back and forth on the electric sheep's good size shaft. Loona took glance over to the scene before she cut her employer off mid sentence with her reply.\n\n\"Not happening.\" She was very quick and very blunt in her reply.\n\n\"-And I don't blame you. With what happened and all.\" Igon finished, his voice full of understanding. \"I am truly sorry about that by the way, I-\"\n\nLoona tuned him out as he went on yet another apologetic mini rant. Truth be told, while she found it sweet in its own way, it was getting to be rather tiresome now. By the time she tuned back in again, he'd finished.\n\n\"Actually, I may not have something for you, but my friend might.\"\n\nLoona looked at the Flygon and raised an eyebrow. Igon quickly raised his hands and shook them in front of him as he corrected himself.\n\n\"No no, it's not like that!\" He explained quickly. \"It's just that I have a personal friend next door, the person who used to run this place.\"\n\n\"You mean that 'Ara' person?\" Loona asked, having suddenly remembered hearing about this from Yena earlier.\n\n\"Yeah, her. She runs the shop I used to be in across the street. Maybe pay her a visit? She might have something for you.\" The fly dragon mumbled something under his breath, but Loona didn't pick it up for she was too far away. After serving the last patrons their drinks, she was halfway to the door already. \n\n\"Also, about my pay-\"\n\n\"I'll have it ready for when you come back.\" Igon assured her. \"I'll even throw in a little... 'hazard pay.'\"\n\n\"Good.\" Loona nodded. With any luck, she could get that 200 poke nice and soon. She still didn't have any reference though to just how much that was. \"Well, I'm off then.\" She said as she made her way to the door.\n\n\"See you in a while.\" Igon called behind her. \"Good luck!\"\n\nAs she exited through the door, she reflected just a bit. She had to admit, she'd been quite wrong about Igon. When she first started, she thought he was a creep. Hell, he half expected [i]him[/i] to try what those two drunken rapists had tried to pull on her before Rai gave them the boot. But Yena had ultimately been right: he was a big sweetheart at heart. Little bit of a perv, but who in this town wasn't? \n\nMaybe not Rai. She hadn't seen him with anyone at all the whole time he was there. Though truth be told, she'd kind of shut him out when he turned down her request. Part of her wondered if she'd reacted a little harshly to that news, he had gone out of his way to save her after all, though she was still a little mad at him for giving her a false hope when it came to Veera, only to back out at the last second.\n\nAs she looked over to the shop in question across the street. Truth be told, she hadn't been told a whole lot about the Bardello's previous owner, so she could only guess what kind of person this 'Ara' was. Or why she'd leave her apparently successful business for a much smaller one across the street. Though part of her realized that she didn't really need to know.\n\nSo she stepped through the door, ready to ask this 'Ara' for a hopefully non sex related job, even if only a temporary one, when-\n\n\"Oh great, not again.\" She mumbled under her breath at the sight in front of her.\n\nThere in front of her, was the shop's owner, Ara, sitting on the table. She could barely see her however, as most of her view was obscured by the back of a large Pignite. Said pignite was finely dressed, sporting a pair of pauldrons in addition to what appeared to be some sort of duster or robe. While she couldn't see what they were up to, she could most certainly [i]hear[/i] it: the now all too familiar sloshing and sucking sounds, as well as the little muffled moans of the person on the table, and the grunts of the pignite. The telltale signs of a blowjob being given.\n\nAs luck would have it, it would appear as she appeared right on the tail end of this, as suddenly the pignite let out a loud squeal. The telltale sign of a blowjob coming to its sticky end. Loona glanced back at the entrance before her eyes returned to the scene in front of her as the pig gave one last grunt before speaking. \n\n\"Ahhh...\" He said in a tone of voice that suggested he was more than a bit pleased with the result of this exchange. \"That's the stuff. You can consider your taxes paid on time.\"\n\n\"Thanks, big guy.\" The Abra in front of him replied. \"I'm glad we could come to an understanding.\"\n\n\"Quite so, quite so. Now...\" Linoone saw him reach in front of him, and saw the black part of his 'pants' move. \"As much as I'd like to... Discuss further arrangements with you, I'm afraid I'm needed elsewhere.\"\n\nLoona didn't hear the Abra respond, so she could only assume that she did so wordlessly. The pignite gave a small bow before he turned to make good on his declaration of departure. Before he could however, his eyes caught site of the Linoone in the doorway. The Linoone stood aside, as to give him a wide berth. The Pignite said nothing as he eyed her down, and for the moment, the Linoone was afraid he'd do something. Something about this pig didn't quite sit right with her, but then again, after her experiences, she was just naturally cautious. The Pignite only gave her a smirk, and a wink before he promptly walked passed her, the scene of sweat, cum, and what smelled like some sort of perfume trying in vain to cover it up but failing filled her nostrils as he parted ways.\n\nShe wondered if she should follow suit. Before she could make her decision however, she heard the Abra speak to her in a sweet voice.\n\n\"Oh don't mind that.\" She told her reassuringly. \"Just the guard captain letting me get out of having to pay taxes. Loona looked to her, and saw that she was wiping her face. She could only guess the 'guard captain' that just went by had came all over it instead of having her swallow it. Loona didn't understand some guy's obsession with it. Nor was she really interested in asking. \n\n\"So, are you looking to buy, or?\" Ara asked after wiping her face off with the towel. Once she was done, her hand glowed, and the towel floated in the air, and quickly disappeared back under the desk once again. This initially weirded Loona out, until she remembered what exactly she was looking at. A psychic type. Typical of them. \n\n\"Erm, no.\" She replied to the shopowner. \"Igon sent me over. He said you might have something for me?\"\n\nThe smile faded ever so slightly from the Abra's face, and before She even spoke, Loona could already guess the rejection she was going to get from the shopowner.\n\n\"Ah, good ol Igon.\" She said with a sad sigh. \"Look, I get that he's trying to help a girl in need out, but I really can't help. Ever since we swapped places after the big breakup, I haven't been making a whole lot of money here.\" As if to emphasize her point, a small wallet floated up beside her, tilted to face the Linoone, and opened up seemingly on its own. Inside, there was nothing at all. \"I'm very sorry, Loona. I wish I could do more to help you with your rescue mission problem, but I really can't.\"\n\nLoona sighed with disappointment, but nodded in solemn understanding. \"It was worth a try.\" She said as she turned to leave. \"I'll guess I'll just-\"\n\nHowever, something stopped her mid sentence. A ... niggling feeling that something wasn't quite right. Something about what she said right now.\n\n\"Wait...\" Loona turned back around. \"How did you know about my problem? Or my name?!\" \n\n\"I'm an Abra, dear. I can read minds.\" She replied with a grin. Loona had to mentally roll her eyes at herself, for not realizing that fact. However, something horrifying soon filled her mind, another thought. If she knew about the rescue mission problem, then certainly...\n\n\"Then you know I'm a...\"\n\n\"Yup. Truth be told, I didn't even need to be a psychic to tell me that.\" \n\nLoona's mind went cold upon hearing that. However, Ara was quick to give her a reassuring smile.\n\n\"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me.\"\n\n\"Oh, thank The Maze.\" She said with a sigh of relief. \n\n\"I wouldn't say that too loud around here though, hun.\" Ara warned. \"Not everyone will take that fact as well as Igon and I.\"\n\nLoona took that warning to mind, and heart.\n\n\"Say, as long as you're here, why don't we have a little chat? I'm not exactly busy, and it sounds like you could use it.\" Ara proposed.\n\n\"Wouldn't you reading my thoughts make that a little pointless?\" Loona asked in response.\n\n\"I mean I [i]could[/i] just read everything I needed to know from your head, yes.\" Ara explained. \"But back when I was running the old establishment, I found that it's often better for people if they talk about it themselves. It's more about getting it off your chest than anything.\"\n\n\"Well...\" Loona thought about it for a few moments, and then gave a shrug of surrender. \"Alright. It's not like I have much else to do.\"\n\n\"Excellent. Well then dear, I'll let you start.\"\n\n\"Well, it's all like this...\"\n\nLoona explained her story to the Abra on the counter, who listened intently. However, she'd barely gotten to the part where Brene showed up, when the Abra spoke.\n\n\"Oh dear Brene... How far are you going to fall?\" Ara's voice was soft, but Loona still heard her.\n\n\"Pardon?\" \n\n\"Oh, I was just... reminiscing.\" Ara said with a smile, but even Loona could tell it was faked. Her curiosity got the better of her, so she had to ask:\n\n\"Do... do you know her?\"\n\n\"Only too well.\" Loona's heart sank upon hearing this. \"Or at least I used to. Nowadays though, I know her less than I know you. And that's saying a lot.\" She chuckled at that last bit.\n\n\"Wait.\" Loona suddenly remembered something important. \"My coworker mentioned something... happening with you. You used to run the Bardello.\"\n\n\"Indeed I did. Happy times, but ... I just couldn't do it anymore. Not after...\" Loona waited for her to finish, but she never did. \n\n\"Look...\" She said instead. \"I know it'll be hard to believe, but, back then, she wasn't like the creature you encountered. Not even close.\"\n\nLoona could only raise an eyebrow in questioning curiosity.\n\n\"There was a time when Brene was a legitimate Guilder. A member of the AshShell guild.\"\n\n\"The same one that 'Sebby' belongs to?\" Loona asked.\n\n\"The one and only.\" Ara confirmed cheerfully before she continued. \"She was one of their most skilled, and most virtuous.\"\n\n\"You're right, that is hard to believe.\" The Linoone commented. \"I could believe the 'skilled' part, but certainly not the 'virtuous' part.\"\n\n\"Well, she was. And I would know, because...\" Ara pause a moment before giving a sigh and continuing. \"... I was her lover.\"\n\nThis revelation caused no amount of shock to the Linoone's mind. So many questions, and no idea where to start. Whether she read the Linoone's mind or just saw her confusion, the Abra began to explain.\n\n\"Well, long story short is that I used to be a pirate out in the Oracle Sea. Used to captain the Dread of Pearls. I could tell you all about that too, but, I sense you're not really that interested in going that far back.\"\n\n\"Not today, anyway.\" Loona confirmed for her. The Abra merely shrugged and continued.\n\n\"Well, Brene was the Gal that brought me in. And, well, after a few rounds, and a very... saucy night, she's the one who convinced me to go legit. We hit it off, and well, we became lovers.\"\n\n\"She... doesn't come around here anymore, does she?\" Loona asked somewhat fearfully.\n\n\"Oh definitely not!\" Ara replied with denial. \"Needless to say we... aren't together anymore.\" The frown returned. \n\n\"What happened?\" Loona asked. Part of her was wondering if this was even the same Brene that had attacked her at all, she just didn't sound anything like her.\n\n\"Well, a while after Rai showed up here, she got a mission in the nearby dungeon. We had our usual round of fun before she left for it. If... if only I'd had the future sight to see where that would go, I would have never allowed her to go on it.\"\n\n\"What mission? What happened there?\" \n\n\"Heck if I know, I never really kept up with her guild business. The way she made it sound it was supposed to be a simple fetch quest. Find some sort of ring or something. Or investigate a ring, or... something about a ring. I don't remember, and I never bothered to mind read her about it either. A few days past, though it was fairly normal for her to be gone for quite a while. But then the days turned to weeks, and the weeks to a whole month. It was then that I started getting worried. I went to the Ashshell Guild, but they had no answers either. And then, one month turned into two, and then more, and the months to a couple of years. And then...\"\n\nA sad smile crossed her lips.\n\n\"She came back.\"\n\n\"You... must have been happy to see her after all that time. Did you learn what happened?\" \n\n\"No. Everything happened so fast. When I saw her, I rushed to hug her, and without even thinking, I teleported her to our room. But as soon as I did...\" Her smile fades. \"I could already sense it. There was something... wrong, something ... dark in her.\"\n\n\"Are you sure it was her?\" Loona asked. \"And not a Zoroark or something?\"\n\n\"Oh it was her all right.\" Ara sighed. \"I may not be able to affect dark types with my psychic moves, but I could definitely smell one out. She was no Zoroark. Though, I really wish it was...\"\n\nLoona had a sinking feeling that she was not going to like the next part of Ara's story.\n\n\"She grabbed me, and threw me to the bed, and, well, she started going at it. Without as so much of a greeting or anything. Much unlike her. And... she was rough. Now, normally I'm the last girl that complains about rough play, believe me.\" Ara chuckled a little at that, but her tone didn't change. \"But this was different. I begged her to slow down a little, to stop, and let me ask her what went on at least, but she didn't. It was when she called a 'slut' and a 'whore' that I knew something was definitely wrong. I tried to ask what got into her, but she hit me.\"\n\nA tear fell from the Ara's closed eyes as she recalled her story.\n\n\"It was at that point that I'd had enough. I teleported the two of us outside, dropped her to the curb, and told her that we were through. Before she could even say anything, I teleported back inside.\"\n\n\"Just... like that?\" Loona pondered. \n\n\"Well, I...\" Ara gave a frustrated sigh. \"I wasn't thinking clearly. I didn't really mean it. I thought, I was [i]hoping[/i] to just send a message to her. A warning. To sort out whatever happened. I thought she'd cool down, come in the next day, and apologize. Or something. It ... it was a decision I made in the heat of the moment. It...\"\n\nHer tears turned into a steady trickle.\n\n\"... It was the greatest mistake of my whole life.\"\n\nAra began to sob as she spoke. Loona couldn't help but feel sorry for the little Abra in front of her, and reached out a paw to put on her shoulders. \n\n\"There there...\" She said soothingly. \"I... I didn't mean to make you relive that. We can stop here if-\"\n\n\"No no, it's...\" She sniffled. \"It's not your fault. And I needed to get this off my chest.\"\n\nLoona nodded, and allowed her to continue. But there wasn't a whole lot left to it.\n\n\"Brene disappeared again after that day, and I haven't seen her since. The only way I know she's even still alive... is that the bounty on her head keeps going up.\" \n\n\"She has a bounty on her head?\" Loona questioned, though at this point she was beginning to think her curiosity was more of a hurt than a help.\n\n\"I didn't want to believe that this 'Brene the Berserker' was her. And now that you brought up the Zoroark thing, I guess I'm still wondering if it is even. But... but I know now... it's her alright.\"\n\nAra sniffled once more, and wiped her tears with her very large Abra arms of hers. During this whole conversation, her eyes hadn't opened a wink. \n\n\"Last I checked, she has a bounty well over 40000 poke!\"\n\n\"Fourty thousand poke?!\" Loona nearly exclaimed but managed to keep her cool, albeit just barely. \"That's a lot!\"\n\n\"You're telling me.\" Ara replied. \"With that amount of money you'd be a Noble in all but badge and title! Heck, I didn't even know Lord Garble [i]had[/i] that much poke.\" She chuckled a little bit after the last part. Loona guessed she was trying to lighten the mood in light of what she'd just been forced to recall. That mood didn't last long though before the sadness swept the room once more.\n\n\"Good luck trying to find anyone around here to try and claim it though.\" She lamented. \"The only ones brave, or stupid enough to try are out of town guildies. Everytime someone tries, they either end up dead or go missing. And the bounty just keeps going up with every atrocity she commits. I've heard the reports. Of her murdering and raping every guild member or citizen she comes across, and leaving a trail of broken dungeon dwellers in her wake.\"\n\n\"You're speaking to the choir on that one.\"\n\n\"Aye.\" She sighed. \"Being from a mystery dungeon myself, I can certainly sympathize with you hun. But, it's gotten to the point that no one who even knows anything about Brene is willing to even try.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I found that out today.\" Loona grumbled, as she was still somewhat bitter about-\n\n\"Rai, you mean?\"\n\n\"Reading my mind again?\"\n\n\"Couldn't help it. Already did when you entered.\" \n\n\"...\" Loona didn't bother replying to that.\n\n\"Yeah, not even him. Poor boy. He's got his own reasons of course, but yeah. And I wouldn't know anyone here who is brave enough to try and help.\"\n\n\"Well..\" Loona took a step away from the counter. \"I'm not gonna give up!\" She announced with a righteously indignant determination. \"I don't care what it takes... how long it takes. Or who it takes. I'll find someone, [i]anyone[/i] to help me rescue my friend. And if need be, take that rapist cunt down once and for all!\"\n\nThere was a little awkward silence. Loona began to think she might have overdone it a little. But then, a small smile appeared on the Abra's lips as she spoke.\n\n\"Well, I don't hold out much hope, but I do wish the best for you. For both of our sakes. And your friends.\"\n\n\"Thanks.\" Loona nodded. \"Though... I should.. Probably leave and get to looking. That 200 poke isn't going to raise itself, you know.\"\n\nAra looked like she was going to say something, but she simply nodded.\n\nThe Linoone was about to leave but, she decided that there was one more thing to say. \n\n\"Oh, and... For what it's worth...\" She said softly. \"I am glad we had this conversation. It's given me some things to think about.\"\n\n\"As have you.\" Ara said. \"And, I'm glad I was able to get it off my chest myself.\"\n\nLoona nodded as a final gesture of goodbye and she headed out the door.\n\n\"Ehhem...\"\n\nShe had barely stepped outside when she heard the gruff cough of someone trying to get her attention. Or at least she assumed it was her. She turned to face the source of the sound, and found herself face to face with the very pignite that had she'd seen cumming on Ara's face when she'd walked in. She raised an eyebrow as she saw him, her mind on guard.\n\n\"Can I... help you?\"\n\nThe pig just chuckled a bit.\n\n\"As a matter of fact, I was going to ask you that same question, citizen.\" He replied.\n\n\"I beg your pardon?\" \n\n\"Your problem.\" The Pignite explained. \"I couldn't help but eavesdrop on it after I walked out.\"\n\n\"You overheard that whole conversation?\" Loona asked incredulously. \"It was a private conversation between us. A bit rude to listen in.\"\n\n\"Well...\" The pignite grunted proudly. \"I am a [i]Watch[/i] Captain.\" He informed her boastfully. \"Part of my job is keeping my ears to the ground, and stay on top of things going on. After all...\" He gave her a grin, though whether it was malicious or proud or what, the Linoone couldn't tell. \"... We wouldn't want any...\" He gave a pause, seemingly for dramatic effect. \"... Problems... in our fine town, now would we?\"\n\n\"Yeah.\" The Linoone replied flatly.\n\n\"Oh, right. How rude of me.\" He quickly apologized. \"We haven't been formally introduced. My name is Piggles. Captain Piggles. I was part of the Sandstone Guild. But our dear Lord Garble, saw that I had a higher calling. He hired me to help train the local guards around here, and liked my work so much he decided to keep me on as the Captain.\"\n\nLoona debated giving him his real name, or a fake name, as she knew he'd ask her to introduce herself. Or so she thought.\n\n\"'Loona', am I not correct?\" Loona cursed her luck. \"I heard the conversation.\"\n\nLoona could only nod in acknowledgement.\n\n\"And speaking of which, I think I might be able to help you with that ... ehhem... 'Brene' problem.\"\n\nLoona's heart jumped. It sounded way too good to be true.\n\n\"R-Really?! I... I can-\"\n\n\"Shhh!\" The pig quickly put his digits to his lips. \"Not here! Meet me in my office, up by the manor. Tell the shrew you're there to see me, and he'll point me out.\" And before Loona could speak a word, he had turned, and left without one.\n\nLoona didn't know what to think of this. She knew it sounded too good to be true, but... if there was even a single chance of it being true whatsoever-\n\n\"Hey!\"\n\nOnce again, a voice cut her train of thoughts short. This time however, it was one she was familiar with. Unfortunately.\n\n\"Rai.\" Loona sighed. \"Please don't tell me you were listening in too?\"\n\nThe orange eyed Raichu guilder with a sword nodded in acknowledgement. \n\n\"I'd say 'no' but it's not good to lie.\" Rai said.\n\n\"I'm beginning to think eavesdropping is a town hobby or something.\" Loona said irritably. Rai chuckled, obviously thinking it was some sort of joke. He was only half right, and his chuckled only served to bemuse the Linoone further.\n\n\"Well, I mean you're standing outside in the middle of the street and neither of you were exactly making efforts to hide it.\" The guildie pointed out. While true, this didn't make the fact any less annoying.\n\n\"But alright.\" Rai's tone changed from friendly to serious. \"I can tell you're irritated.\"\n\n\"That's putting it lightly.\" She mumbled under her breath.\n\n\"So I'll just get to the point then.\" Rai took a breath before he continued. \"Don't. Trust. Piggles.\"\n\n\"Why?\" Loona asked. \"He offered to help me with my-\"\n\n\"Yeah, I know what he [i]said[/i] he'd do.\" Rai cut her off. \"But trust me when I say that he has absolutely [i]no[/i] intention of helping you whatsoever.\"\n\n\"I have to at least [i]try[/i], Rai.\" Loona argued back. \"Especially since [i]someone[/i] won't.\"\n\n\"I know. I know, and I'm sorry about that. But, I can guarantee Piggles won't either. He's just stringing you along.\" Rai pleaded with her. \"He might have sounded all nice and sweet, but I've known that pig longer than you have, and I can tell you that he's anything but. He's just trying to use you, like he did who knows how many others back at the guild. He hasn't changed at all since he got that post-\"\n\n\"And why do you care?\" Loona countered. \"I'm just some random Linoone with a friend that needs rescuing, one you flat out refused to!\" \n\n\"Because...\" Rai looked off to the side as he rubbed the back of his head. \"... I just don't want to see him hurt yet another poor soul. Especially not one that's gone through so much already.\"\n\nBy now, Loona had enough of this. She was getting angry, and her tone made that fact known as she spoke.\n\n\"Well that's sweet, but I wish you'd either help or mind my own business!\" \n\nBefore Rai could reply, she stomped off. Where she was going, she didn't know, just... somewhere away from that rat.\nThough, at least some part of her wondered if he was right...\nHowever, she knew that even if Rai was right about Piggles, she had to at least try. For Veera's sake.\n\n\nThat night, a form shivered alone in the shell of a ruined house. Or at least he assumed it was a house. There was nothing left of it at all save for the brick wall corners and the wooden floor. For all anyone knew, it could have been literally anything. Though what it had been mattered little in the long run. At this time, it was the closest thing Shia had to shelter. Which was to say: none at all, as it offered no protection against the cold desert air.\n\nMuch less against the weight of his failure.\n\nHe had failed. He'd tried, and tried, and tried to join a guild, or at least get one to listen to him, and he'd failed, culminating in the second rape he'd experienced. His stinging butthole remind him of the pain of that failure. They'd merely mocked him, used him, then tossed him aside when they were done. \n\nHis stomach growled, he hadn't eaten for two whole days by this point. Not since the dungeon incident. But that didn't matter to him. What mattered... is that he'd failed Veera. And himself. \n\nIt was all his fault. For being weak. For not being good enough to pass. He was sure of it. And being a dungeon dweller. Sure, he had the citizen badge, but all that did was get him into this place. \n\nHe barely heard the footsteps approach, or see the light brought about by the flaming tail of said sound's source. He barely noticed when the stranger looked upon him. \n\n\"Hey.\"\n\nShia barely turned his head to face the stranger when he spoke. Were it not for the telltale burning tail of a charmander, Shia might have had trouble discerning the black hooded figure in the dead of night. Shia didn't speak a word of response as the Stranger greeted him.\n\n\"You look like you could use some company, friend.\" The charmander said as he sat down next to the shinx. He moved his tail-fire in front of the pair, using it as a makeshift campfire. Shia neither greeted nor shooed the uninvited guest. While he didn't exactly welcome the companionship, he didn't exactly dislike it either, especially since the fire brought warmth alongside it.\n\n\"You're a mon of few words, aren't you?\" The charmander asked with a slight chuckle.\n\n\"A failure like myself doesn't have any to share.\" Shia replied dismissively.\n\n\"I assume you mean your attempts to join a guild. [i]Any[/i] guild?\" His guest asked. This got Shia's attention finally. \n\n\"You've... been following me?\" Shia asked incredulously.\n\n\"On and off.\" The charmander replied with a shrug. \"I did of course, have other matters to attend to. Though, I daresay mine had about as much success as yours.\"\n\n\"Are you... a guilder, then?\" Shia asked, his hopes slightly rising.\n\n\"Me? Ha!\" The charmander laughed. \"No, my boy. Not anymore. I'm... something other than that now.\"\n\nPart of Shia wanted to ask what he meant, but most of him simply didn't care. \n\n\"So, you saw... when they used me... And threw me aside.\"\n\n\"Only the tail end of it.\" The charmander partially confirmed. \"Horrible. Even for scum like them.\"\n\n\"You mean... it isn't just me...\"\n\n\"Certainly not dear boy. The Sandstone guild in particular is notorious for that kind of behavior. They believe they own the whole town, that they can use whoever they want, whenever they want. And... well...\" His tone turned grim. \"They aren't wrong in that regard.\"\n\nShia listened without a word as the stranger continued. \n\n\"It's because of their position in the hierarchy. Their position on the wall, as it were. Above all others, except the nobles. Well, discounting Garble's disgraced brat of course. They assign this value while sitting above the walls they've created, walls built back in the days of the Iron King.\"\n\n\"I don't see any 'Iron Kings' sitting atop those walls.\" Shia grumbled at the stranger's ramblings while looking over to the large walls in the distance, the walls that kept Sandstone 'safe', but from what or who Shia didn't care to know.\n\n\"Of course not. The age of the iron king is long gone, but its legacy remains. The legacy of injustice, and rape. Of assigning value to mons like you. \"\n\n\"They made it quite clear that they see me as the lowest of the low.\"\n\n\"Exactly, my friend. Exactly. Which leads me to ask: why exactly did you try to join a guild in the first place? Call it a hunch, but I get the feeling it wasn't for the fame, or the money, or the free ass...\"\n\nShia debated whether he should tell this stranger the truth or not. On one hand, this guy was a total stranger, and more than a bit of a creep. Almost everything about this guy, as friendly as he was sounding, screamed 'bad vibes'. \n\nOn the other hand... what harm was there? It's not like Shia had anything left to lose, or anything better to do, or anyplace better to be.\n\nWith a sigh, he made his choice.\n\n\"I don't know if I should tell you this...\"\n\n\"Indeed, I understand your hesitance. It's just curiosity on my part.\"\n\n\"But...\" Shia continued. \"I am... [i]was[/i]... a dungeon dweller.\"\n\n\"Ah.\" The Charmander said. \"I thought as much.\"\n\n\"Is it really that obvious?\" Shia asked.\n\n\"Sorry, but yes. You do tend to stand out.\" The charmander explained. \n\n\"Well, it all started when we were assaulted, by a rogue Guilder-\"\n\n\"Brene the Berserker?\" The charmander interrupted him with his question.\n\n\"I...\" Shia was shocked. And for an electric type, that was saying something. \"How did you-\"\n\n\"A shot in the dark.\" The charmander replied. \"Nothing more. She does have something of a... [i]reputation[/i] around here, though.\"\n\n\"Hmph.\" Shia said. \"Yeah, her. You know of her?\"\n\n\"Everyone around here knows of her.\" The stranger said dismissively. \"Her bounty is the stuff of legends. Even the normally money-hungry Sandstone Guild has completely given up on pursuing it though, to say nothing of the so-called 'AshShell guild'.\"\n\n\"AshShell? You mean the one that rescued me and Loona?\" Shia asked, getting a frown in response from the stranger.\n\n\"Yes. That one. Funny, to see just how far their once golden-girl has fallen so far from grace. The problem they helped create, and yet they do nothing to solve it. Curious, isn't it?\"\n\nShia simply nodded. \n\n\"You mentioned the Sandstone Guild...\"\n\n\"The one that raped you, yes.\" The charmander replied with a quiet indignancy. \"Truly the worst of the worst, and the example the others in this miserable place follow. They know they can get away with just about anything, due to their connections to the local lord, as if their Guild hierarchy isn't enough. The 200 poke tax on posting rescue missions? Their doing. It honestly doesn't surprise me much that they would do such a thing, let alone not help you. Why risk neck and limb in pursuit of a bounty and set things right, when you can sit on your laurels and rape and use all you want while getting paid for it at home, right?\"\n\nShia nodded, growing angrier by the moment. Not at the charmander for pointing this out of course. But at the guilds. Back when he was in the maze, they were told that the Guilds were do-gooders, people who helped other people in need. Today however, he was finding out that this couldn't be further from the truth. If anything, it sounded like the Guilders were the [i]cause[/i] of many of the problems to begin with.\n\nIt also made him realize something else. \n\n\"My goal...\" Shia slowly spoke. \"To join a guild, to bend a few ears to get someone to help me rescue my friend...\"\n\n\"A failure from the start.\" The Charmander replied. \"I'm sorry to say.\"\n\nThis made Shia feel even more down.\n\n\"These guilds are too far gone.\" The Charmander continued. \"Too complacent in their ways. You've already seen how most of them simply dismissed you out of hand. Now, they merely eat out of the noble's hands, and use their position in the hierarchy to do harm to those below them with no fear of reprisals from those they've wronged. All thanks to the walls they've inherited from their long lost king.\"\n\n\"Well this is all sad and infuriating and everything.\" Shia huffed. \"But where does that leave me?\"\n\n\"Besides sitting in a ruin feeling sorry for yourself, I presume?\"\n\n\"Very funny.\"\n\n\"No disrespect meant. In fact, I was about to propose something. Perhaps...\"\n\nHe reached into his cloak. Even with the light of the tail fire, Shia couldn't see what he was reaching for until he pulled it out.\n\n\"... You could tear down those walls!\" He proposed proudly as he pulled out a dagger by its tip, presenting it to the flabbergasted Shinx. Shia was taken completely by surprise, his eyes went wide at what was presented: Iron. The stuff of myths, something that could hurt or even kill mons, where ordinary moves could only knock them out or bruise them at worst. It's how Brene was so easily able to subdue him with that mace, after all. \n\nHe knew full well what the stranger was implying. While it was only a dagger, it was something. All he needed was one good slice, or stab, and Brene the Berserker would be pushing up the cactuses. \n\nHe reached out for it, his paw lightly touching the knife's handle when he stopped. He looked upon the stranger's eyes, and his own narrowed.\n\n\"... What's the catch?\" He asked. \"I may be a dungeon dweller, but even I know that you wouldn't just give out Iron like this to random people unless you expected something in return.\"\n\n\"Ha! Catch?\" The stranger chuckled. \"My friend, there is no catch. I am simply helping a mon whose needs are greater than my own, like the Guilds [i]should[/i] do, but are not.\"\n\nShia didn't quite buy it. And indeed, the charmander wasn't quite done.\n\n\"But now that you mention it...\"", "writing_bbcode_parsed": ""Are you sure there's nothing else for me to do?"

After Rai had left, and Igon had come back from cleaning up the mess in the hall and taken the helm at the bar once again, Loona had gone back to serving drinks, and cleaning up again (albeit while keeping a much closer eye on her as to prevent what happened in the hallway from happening twice) on and off. She'd apparently run out of things to do.

"I mean, unless you want to go do that-" The flygon pointed over to where Yena was happily, or at least it seemed so, gulping down the cock of an Ampharos, her head bobbing back and forth on the electric sheep's good size shaft. Loona took glance over to the scene before she cut her employer off mid sentence with her reply.

"Not happening." She was very quick and very blunt in her reply.

"-And I don't blame you. With what happened and all." Igon finished, his voice full of understanding. "I am truly sorry about that by the way, I-"

Loona tuned him out as he went on yet another apologetic mini rant. Truth be told, while she found it sweet in its own way, it was getting to be rather tiresome now. By the time she tuned back in again, he'd finished.

"Actually, I may not have something for you, but my friend might."

Loona looked at the Flygon and raised an eyebrow. Igon quickly raised his hands and shook them in front of him as he corrected himself.

"No no, it's not like that!" He explained quickly. "It's just that I have a personal friend next door, the person who used to run this place."

"You mean that 'Ara' person?" Loona asked, having suddenly remembered hearing about this from Yena earlier.

"Yeah, her. She runs the shop I used to be in across the street. Maybe pay her a visit? She might have something for you." The fly dragon mumbled something under his breath, but Loona didn't pick it up for she was too far away. After serving the last patrons their drinks, she was halfway to the door already.

"Also, about my pay-"

"I'll have it ready for when you come back." Igon assured her. "I'll even throw in a little... 'hazard pay.'"

"Good." Loona nodded. With any luck, she could get that 200 poke nice and soon. She still didn't have any reference though to just how much that was. "Well, I'm off then." She said as she made her way to the door.

"See you in a while." Igon called behind her. "Good luck!"

As she exited through the door, she reflected just a bit. She had to admit, she'd been quite wrong about Igon. When she first started, she thought he was a creep. Hell, he half expected him to try what those two drunken rapists had tried to pull on her before Rai gave them the boot. But Yena had ultimately been right: he was a big sweetheart at heart. Little bit of a perv, but who in this town wasn't?

Maybe not Rai. She hadn't seen him with anyone at all the whole time he was there. Though truth be told, she'd kind of shut him out when he turned down her request. Part of her wondered if she'd reacted a little harshly to that news, he had gone out of his way to save her after all, though she was still a little mad at him for giving her a false hope when it came to Veera, only to back out at the last second.

As she looked over to the shop in question across the street. Truth be told, she hadn't been told a whole lot about the Bardello's previous owner, so she could only guess what kind of person this 'Ara' was. Or why she'd leave her apparently successful business for a much smaller one across the street. Though part of her realized that she didn't really need to know.

So she stepped through the door, ready to ask this 'Ara' for a hopefully non sex related job, even if only a temporary one, when-

"Oh great, not again." She mumbled under her breath at the sight in front of her.

There in front of her, was the shop's owner, Ara, sitting on the table. She could barely see her however, as most of her view was obscured by the back of a large Pignite. Said pignite was finely dressed, sporting a pair of pauldrons in addition to what appeared to be some sort of duster or robe. While she couldn't see what they were up to, she could most certainly hear it: the now all too familiar sloshing and sucking sounds, as well as the little muffled moans of the person on the table, and the grunts of the pignite. The telltale signs of a blowjob being given.

As luck would have it, it would appear as she appeared right on the tail end of this, as suddenly the pignite let out a loud squeal. The telltale sign of a blowjob coming to its sticky end. Loona glanced back at the entrance before her eyes returned to the scene in front of her as the pig gave one last grunt before speaking.

"Ahhh..." He said in a tone of voice that suggested he was more than a bit pleased with the result of this exchange. "That's the stuff. You can consider your taxes paid on time."

"Thanks, big guy." The Abra in front of him replied. "I'm glad we could come to an understanding."

"Quite so, quite so. Now..." Linoone saw him reach in front of him, and saw the black part of his 'pants' move. "As much as I'd like to... Discuss further arrangements with you, I'm afraid I'm needed elsewhere."

Loona didn't hear the Abra respond, so she could only assume that she did so wordlessly. The pignite gave a small bow before he turned to make good on his declaration of departure. Before he could however, his eyes caught site of the Linoone in the doorway. The Linoone stood aside, as to give him a wide berth. The Pignite said nothing as he eyed her down, and for the moment, the Linoone was afraid he'd do something. Something about this pig didn't quite sit right with her, but then again, after her experiences, she was just naturally cautious. The Pignite only gave her a smirk, and a wink before he promptly walked passed her, the scene of sweat, cum, and what smelled like some sort of perfume trying in vain to cover it up but failing filled her nostrils as he parted ways.

She wondered if she should follow suit. Before she could make her decision however, she heard the Abra speak to her in a sweet voice.

"Oh don't mind that." She told her reassuringly. "Just the guard captain letting me get out of having to pay taxes. Loona looked to her, and saw that she was wiping her face. She could only guess the 'guard captain' that just went by had came all over it instead of having her swallow it. Loona didn't understand some guy's obsession with it. Nor was she really interested in asking.

"So, are you looking to buy, or?" Ara asked after wiping her face off with the towel. Once she was done, her hand glowed, and the towel floated in the air, and quickly disappeared back under the desk once again. This initially weirded Loona out, until she remembered what exactly she was looking at. A psychic type. Typical of them.

"Erm, no." She replied to the shopowner. "Igon sent me over. He said you might have something for me?"

The smile faded ever so slightly from the Abra's face, and before She even spoke, Loona could already guess the rejection she was going to get from the shopowner.

"Ah, good ol Igon." She said with a sad sigh. "Look, I get that he's trying to help a girl in need out, but I really can't help. Ever since we swapped places after the big breakup, I haven't been making a whole lot of money here." As if to emphasize her point, a small wallet floated up beside her, tilted to face the Linoone, and opened up seemingly on its own. Inside, there was nothing at all. "I'm very sorry, Loona. I wish I could do more to help you with your rescue mission problem, but I really can't."

Loona sighed with disappointment, but nodded in solemn understanding. "It was worth a try." She said as she turned to leave. "I'll guess I'll just-"

However, something stopped her mid sentence. A ... niggling feeling that something wasn't quite right. Something about what she said right now.

"Wait..." Loona turned back around. "How did you know about my problem? Or my name?!"

"I'm an Abra, dear. I can read minds." She replied with a grin. Loona had to mentally roll her eyes at herself, for not realizing that fact. However, something horrifying soon filled her mind, another thought. If she knew about the rescue mission problem, then certainly...

"Then you know I'm a..."

"Yup. Truth be told, I didn't even need to be a psychic to tell me that."

Loona's mind went cold upon hearing that. However, Ara was quick to give her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

"Oh, thank The Maze." She said with a sigh of relief.

"I wouldn't say that too loud around here though, hun." Ara warned. "Not everyone will take that fact as well as Igon and I."

Loona took that warning to mind, and heart.

"Say, as long as you're here, why don't we have a little chat? I'm not exactly busy, and it sounds like you could use it." Ara proposed.

"Wouldn't you reading my thoughts make that a little pointless?" Loona asked in response.

"I mean I could just read everything I needed to know from your head, yes." Ara explained. "But back when I was running the old establishment, I found that it's often better for people if they talk about it themselves. It's more about getting it off your chest than anything."

"Well..." Loona thought about it for a few moments, and then gave a shrug of surrender. "Alright. It's not like I have much else to do."

"Excellent. Well then dear, I'll let you start."

"Well, it's all like this..."

Loona explained her story to the Abra on the counter, who listened intently. However, she'd barely gotten to the part where Brene showed up, when the Abra spoke.

"Oh dear Brene... How far are you going to fall?" Ara's voice was soft, but Loona still heard her.

"Pardon?"

"Oh, I was just... reminiscing." Ara said with a smile, but even Loona could tell it was faked. Her curiosity got the better of her, so she had to ask:

"Do... do you know her?"

"Only too well." Loona's heart sank upon hearing this. "Or at least I used to. Nowadays though, I know her less than I know you. And that's saying a lot." She chuckled at that last bit.

"Wait." Loona suddenly remembered something important. "My coworker mentioned something... happening with you. You used to run the Bardello."

"Indeed I did. Happy times, but ... I just couldn't do it anymore. Not after..." Loona waited for her to finish, but she never did.

"Look..." She said instead. "I know it'll be hard to believe, but, back then, she wasn't like the creature you encountered. Not even close."

Loona could only raise an eyebrow in questioning curiosity.

"There was a time when Brene was a legitimate Guilder. A member of the AshShell guild."

"The same one that 'Sebby' belongs to?" Loona asked.

"The one and only." Ara confirmed cheerfully before she continued. "She was one of their most skilled, and most virtuous."

"You're right, that is hard to believe." The Linoone commented. "I could believe the 'skilled' part, but certainly not the 'virtuous' part."

"Well, she was. And I would know, because..." Ara pause a moment before giving a sigh and continuing. "... I was her lover."

This revelation caused no amount of shock to the Linoone's mind. So many questions, and no idea where to start. Whether she read the Linoone's mind or just saw her confusion, the Abra began to explain.

"Well, long story short is that I used to be a pirate out in the Oracle Sea. Used to captain the Dread of Pearls. I could tell you all about that too, but, I sense you're not really that interested in going that far back."

"Not today, anyway." Loona confirmed for her. The Abra merely shrugged and continued.

"Well, Brene was the Gal that brought me in. And, well, after a few rounds, and a very... saucy night, she's the one who convinced me to go legit. We hit it off, and well, we became lovers."

"She... doesn't come around here anymore, does she?" Loona asked somewhat fearfully.

"Oh definitely not!" Ara replied with denial. "Needless to say we... aren't together anymore." The frown returned.

"What happened?" Loona asked. Part of her was wondering if this was even the same Brene that had attacked her at all, she just didn't sound anything like her.

"Well, a while after Rai showed up here, she got a mission in the nearby dungeon. We had our usual round of fun before she left for it. If... if only I'd had the future sight to see where that would go, I would have never allowed her to go on it."

"What mission? What happened there?"

"Heck if I know, I never really kept up with her guild business. The way she made it sound it was supposed to be a simple fetch quest. Find some sort of ring or something. Or investigate a ring, or... something about a ring. I don't remember, and I never bothered to mind read her about it either. A few days past, though it was fairly normal for her to be gone for quite a while. But then the days turned to weeks, and the weeks to a whole month. It was then that I started getting worried. I went to the Ashshell Guild, but they had no answers either. And then, one month turned into two, and then more, and the months to a couple of years. And then..."

A sad smile crossed her lips.

"She came back."

"You... must have been happy to see her after all that time. Did you learn what happened?"

"No. Everything happened so fast. When I saw her, I rushed to hug her, and without even thinking, I teleported her to our room. But as soon as I did..." Her smile fades. "I could already sense it. There was something... wrong, something ... dark in her."

"Are you sure it was her?" Loona asked. "And not a Zoroark or something?"

"Oh it was her all right." Ara sighed. "I may not be able to affect dark types with my psychic moves, but I could definitely smell one out. She was no Zoroark. Though, I really wish it was..."

Loona had a sinking feeling that she was not going to like the next part of Ara's story.

"She grabbed me, and threw me to the bed, and, well, she started going at it. Without as so much of a greeting or anything. Much unlike her. And... she was rough. Now, normally I'm the last girl that complains about rough play, believe me." Ara chuckled a little at that, but her tone didn't change. "But this was different. I begged her to slow down a little, to stop, and let me ask her what went on at least, but she didn't. It was when she called a 'slut' and a 'whore' that I knew something was definitely wrong. I tried to ask what got into her, but she hit me."

A tear fell from the Ara's closed eyes as she recalled her story.

"It was at that point that I'd had enough. I teleported the two of us outside, dropped her to the curb, and told her that we were through. Before she could even say anything, I teleported back inside."

"Just... like that?" Loona pondered.

"Well, I..." Ara gave a frustrated sigh. "I wasn't thinking clearly. I didn't really mean it. I thought, I was hoping to just send a message to her. A warning. To sort out whatever happened. I thought she'd cool down, come in the next day, and apologize. Or something. It ... it was a decision I made in the heat of the moment. It..."

Her tears turned into a steady trickle.

"... It was the greatest mistake of my whole life."

Ara began to sob as she spoke. Loona couldn't help but feel sorry for the little Abra in front of her, and reached out a paw to put on her shoulders.

"There there..." She said soothingly. "I... I didn't mean to make you relive that. We can stop here if-"

"No no, it's..." She sniffled. "It's not your fault. And I needed to get this off my chest."

Loona nodded, and allowed her to continue. But there wasn't a whole lot left to it.

"Brene disappeared again after that day, and I haven't seen her since. The only way I know she's even still alive... is that the bounty on her head keeps going up."

"She has a bounty on her head?" Loona questioned, though at this point she was beginning to think her curiosity was more of a hurt than a help.

"I didn't want to believe that this 'Brene the Berserker' was her. And now that you brought up the Zoroark thing, I guess I'm still wondering if it is even. But... but I know now... it's her alright."

Ara sniffled once more, and wiped her tears with her very large Abra arms of hers. During this whole conversation, her eyes hadn't opened a wink.

"Last I checked, she has a bounty well over 40000 poke!"

"Fourty thousand poke?!" Loona nearly exclaimed but managed to keep her cool, albeit just barely. "That's a lot!"

"You're telling me." Ara replied. "With that amount of money you'd be a Noble in all but badge and title! Heck, I didn't even know Lord Garble had that much poke." She chuckled a little bit after the last part. Loona guessed she was trying to lighten the mood in light of what she'd just been forced to recall. That mood didn't last long though before the sadness swept the room once more.

"Good luck trying to find anyone around here to try and claim it though." She lamented. "The only ones brave, or stupid enough to try are out of town guildies. Everytime someone tries, they either end up dead or go missing. And the bounty just keeps going up with every atrocity she commits. I've heard the reports. Of her murdering and raping every guild member or citizen she comes across, and leaving a trail of broken dungeon dwellers in her wake."

"You're speaking to the choir on that one."

"Aye." She sighed. "Being from a mystery dungeon myself, I can certainly sympathize with you hun. But, it's gotten to the point that no one who even knows anything about Brene is willing to even try."

"Yeah, I found that out today." Loona grumbled, as she was still somewhat bitter about-

"Rai, you mean?"

"Reading my mind again?"

"Couldn't help it. Already did when you entered."

"..." Loona didn't bother replying to that.

"Yeah, not even him. Poor boy. He's got his own reasons of course, but yeah. And I wouldn't know anyone here who is brave enough to try and help."

"Well.." Loona took a step away from the counter. "I'm not gonna give up!" She announced with a righteously indignant determination. "I don't care what it takes... how long it takes. Or who it takes. I'll find someone, anyone to help me rescue my friend. And if need be, take that rapist cunt down once and for all!"

There was a little awkward silence. Loona began to think she might have overdone it a little. But then, a small smile appeared on the Abra's lips as she spoke.

"Well, I don't hold out much hope, but I do wish the best for you. For both of our sakes. And your friends."

"Thanks." Loona nodded. "Though... I should.. Probably leave and get to looking. That 200 poke isn't going to raise itself, you know."

Ara looked like she was going to say something, but she simply nodded.

The Linoone was about to leave but, she decided that there was one more thing to say.

"Oh, and... For what it's worth..." She said softly. "I am glad we had this conversation. It's given me some things to think about."

"As have you." Ara said. "And, I'm glad I was able to get it off my chest myself."

Loona nodded as a final gesture of goodbye and she headed out the door.

"Ehhem..."

She had barely stepped outside when she heard the gruff cough of someone trying to get her attention. Or at least she assumed it was her. She turned to face the source of the sound, and found herself face to face with the very pignite that had she'd seen cumming on Ara's face when she'd walked in. She raised an eyebrow as she saw him, her mind on guard.

"Can I... help you?"

The pig just chuckled a bit.

"As a matter of fact, I was going to ask you that same question, citizen." He replied.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your problem." The Pignite explained. "I couldn't help but eavesdrop on it after I walked out."

"You overheard that whole conversation?" Loona asked incredulously. "It was a private conversation between us. A bit rude to listen in."

"Well..." The pignite grunted proudly. "I am a Watch Captain." He informed her boastfully. "Part of my job is keeping my ears to the ground, and stay on top of things going on. After all..." He gave her a grin, though whether it was malicious or proud or what, the Linoone couldn't tell. "... We wouldn't want any..." He gave a pause, seemingly for dramatic effect. "... Problems... in our fine town, now would we?"

"Yeah." The Linoone replied flatly.

"Oh, right. How rude of me." He quickly apologized. "We haven't been formally introduced. My name is Piggles. Captain Piggles. I was part of the Sandstone Guild. But our dear Lord Garble, saw that I had a higher calling. He hired me to help train the local guards around here, and liked my work so much he decided to keep me on as the Captain."

Loona debated giving him his real name, or a fake name, as she knew he'd ask her to introduce herself. Or so she thought.

"'Loona', am I not correct?" Loona cursed her luck. "I heard the conversation."

Loona could only nod in acknowledgement.

"And speaking of which, I think I might be able to help you with that ... ehhem... 'Brene' problem."

Loona's heart jumped. It sounded way too good to be true.

"R-Really?! I... I can-"

"Shhh!" The pig quickly put his digits to his lips. "Not here! Meet me in my office, up by the manor. Tell the shrew you're there to see me, and he'll point me out." And before Loona could speak a word, he had turned, and left without one.

Loona didn't know what to think of this. She knew it sounded too good to be true, but... if there was even a single chance of it being true whatsoever-

"Hey!"

Once again, a voice cut her train of thoughts short. This time however, it was one she was familiar with. Unfortunately.

"Rai." Loona sighed. "Please don't tell me you were listening in too?"

The orange eyed Raichu guilder with a sword nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'd say 'no' but it's not good to lie." Rai said.

"I'm beginning to think eavesdropping is a town hobby or something." Loona said irritably. Rai chuckled, obviously thinking it was some sort of joke. He was only half right, and his chuckled only served to bemuse the Linoone further.

"Well, I mean you're standing outside in the middle of the street and neither of you were exactly making efforts to hide it." The guildie pointed out. While true, this didn't make the fact any less annoying.

"But alright." Rai's tone changed from friendly to serious. "I can tell you're irritated."

"That's putting it lightly." She mumbled under her breath.

"So I'll just get to the point then." Rai took a breath before he continued. "Don't. Trust. Piggles."

"Why?" Loona asked. "He offered to help me with my-"

"Yeah, I know what he said he'd do." Rai cut her off. "But trust me when I say that he has absolutely no intention of helping you whatsoever."

"I have to at least try, Rai." Loona argued back. "Especially since someone won't."

"I know. I know, and I'm sorry about that. But, I can guarantee Piggles won't either. He's just stringing you along." Rai pleaded with her. "He might have sounded all nice and sweet, but I've known that pig longer than you have, and I can tell you that he's anything but. He's just trying to use you, like he did who knows how many others back at the guild. He hasn't changed at all since he got that post-"

"And why do you care?" Loona countered. "I'm just some random Linoone with a friend that needs rescuing, one you flat out refused to!"

"Because..." Rai looked off to the side as he rubbed the back of his head. "... I just don't want to see him hurt yet another poor soul. Especially not one that's gone through so much already."

By now, Loona had enough of this. She was getting angry, and her tone made that fact known as she spoke.

"Well that's sweet, but I wish you'd either help or mind my own business!"

Before Rai could reply, she stomped off. Where she was going, she didn't know, just... somewhere away from that rat.
Though, at least some part of her wondered if he was right...
However, she knew that even if Rai was right about Piggles, she had to at least try. For Veera's sake.


That night, a form shivered alone in the shell of a ruined house. Or at least he assumed it was a house. There was nothing left of it at all save for the brick wall corners and the wooden floor. For all anyone knew, it could have been literally anything. Though what it had been mattered little in the long run. At this time, it was the closest thing Shia had to shelter. Which was to say: none at all, as it offered no protection against the cold desert air.

Much less against the weight of his failure.

He had failed. He'd tried, and tried, and tried to join a guild, or at least get one to listen to him, and he'd failed, culminating in the second rape he'd experienced. His stinging butthole remind him of the pain of that failure. They'd merely mocked him, used  him, then tossed him aside when they were done.

His stomach growled, he hadn't eaten for two whole days by this point. Not since the dungeon incident. But that didn't matter to him. What mattered... is that he'd failed Veera. And himself.

It was all his fault. For being weak. For not being good enough to pass. He was sure of it. And being a dungeon dweller. Sure, he had the citizen badge, but all that did was get him into this place.

He barely heard the footsteps approach, or see the light brought about by the flaming tail of said sound's source. He barely noticed when the stranger looked upon him.

"Hey."

Shia barely turned his head to face the stranger when he spoke. Were it not for the telltale burning tail of a charmander, Shia might have had trouble discerning the black hooded figure in the dead of night. Shia didn't speak a word of response as the Stranger greeted him.

"You look like you could use some company, friend." The charmander said as he sat down next to the shinx. He moved his tail-fire in front of the pair, using it as a makeshift campfire. Shia neither greeted nor shooed the uninvited guest. While he didn't exactly welcome the companionship, he didn't exactly dislike it either, especially since the fire brought warmth alongside it.

"You're a mon of few words, aren't you?" The charmander asked with a slight chuckle.

"A failure like myself doesn't have any to share." Shia replied dismissively.

"I assume you mean your attempts to join a guild. Any guild?" His guest asked. This got Shia's attention finally.

"You've... been following me?" Shia asked incredulously.

"On and off." The charmander replied with a shrug. "I did of course, have other matters to attend to. Though, I daresay mine had about as much success as yours."

"Are you... a guilder, then?" Shia asked, his hopes slightly rising.

"Me? Ha!" The charmander laughed. "No, my boy. Not anymore. I'm... something other than that now."

Part of Shia wanted to ask what he meant, but most of him simply didn't care.

"So, you saw... when they used me... And threw me aside."

"Only the tail end of it." The charmander partially confirmed. "Horrible. Even for scum like them."

"You mean... it isn't just me..."

"Certainly not dear boy. The Sandstone guild in particular is notorious for that kind of behavior. They believe they own the whole town, that they can use whoever they want, whenever they want. And... well..." His tone turned grim. "They aren't wrong in that regard."

Shia listened without a word as the stranger continued.

"It's because of their position in the hierarchy. Their position on the wall, as it were. Above all others, except the nobles. Well, discounting Garble's disgraced brat of course. They assign this value while sitting above the walls they've created, walls built back in the days of the Iron King."

"I don't see any 'Iron Kings' sitting atop those walls." Shia grumbled at the stranger's ramblings while looking over to the large walls in the distance, the walls that kept Sandstone 'safe', but from what or who Shia didn't care to know.

"Of course not. The age of the iron king is long gone, but its legacy remains. The legacy of injustice, and rape. Of assigning value to mons like you. "

"They made it quite clear that they see me as the lowest of the low."

"Exactly, my friend. Exactly. Which leads me to ask: why exactly did you try to join a guild in the first place? Call it a hunch, but I get the feeling it wasn't for the fame, or the money, or the free ass..."

Shia debated whether he should tell this stranger the truth or not. On one hand, this guy was a total stranger, and more than a bit of a creep. Almost everything about this guy, as friendly as he was sounding, screamed 'bad vibes'.

On the other hand... what harm was there? It's not like Shia had anything left to lose, or anything better to do, or anyplace better to be.

With a sigh, he made his choice.

"I don't know if I should tell you this..."

"Indeed, I understand your hesitance. It's just curiosity on my part."

"But..." Shia continued. "I am... was... a dungeon dweller."

"Ah." The Charmander said. "I thought as much."

"Is it really that obvious?" Shia asked.

"Sorry, but yes. You do tend to stand out." The charmander explained.

"Well, it all started when we were assaulted, by a rogue Guilder-"

"Brene the Berserker?" The charmander interrupted him with his question.

"I..." Shia was shocked. And for an electric type, that was saying something. "How did you-"

"A shot in the dark." The charmander replied. "Nothing more. She does have something of a... reputation around here, though."

"Hmph." Shia said. "Yeah, her. You know of her?"

"Everyone around here knows of her." The stranger said dismissively. "Her bounty is the stuff of legends. Even the normally money-hungry Sandstone Guild has completely given up on pursuing it though, to say nothing of the so-called 'AshShell guild'."

"AshShell? You mean the one that rescued me and Loona?" Shia asked, getting a frown in response from the stranger.

"Yes. That one. Funny, to see just how far their once golden-girl has fallen so far from grace. The problem they helped create, and yet they do nothing to solve it. Curious, isn't it?"

Shia simply nodded.

"You mentioned the Sandstone Guild..."

"The one that raped you, yes." The charmander replied with a quiet indignancy. "Truly the worst of the worst, and the example the others in this miserable place follow. They know they can get away with just about anything, due to their connections to the local lord, as if their Guild hierarchy isn't enough. The 200 poke tax on posting rescue missions? Their doing. It honestly doesn't surprise me much that they would do such a thing, let alone not help you. Why risk neck and limb in pursuit of a bounty and set things right, when you can sit on your laurels and rape and use all you want while getting paid for it at home, right?"

Shia nodded, growing angrier by the moment. Not at the charmander for pointing this out of course. But at the guilds. Back when he was in the maze, they were told that the Guilds were do-gooders, people who helped other people in need. Today however, he was finding out that this couldn't be further from the truth. If anything, it sounded like the Guilders were the cause of many of the problems to begin with.

It also made him realize something else.

"My goal..." Shia slowly spoke. "To join a guild, to bend a few ears to get someone to help me rescue my friend..."

"A failure from the start." The Charmander replied. "I'm sorry to say."

This made Shia feel even more down.

"These guilds are too far gone." The Charmander continued. "Too complacent in their ways. You've already seen how most of them simply dismissed you out of hand. Now, they merely eat out of the noble's hands, and use their position in the hierarchy to do harm to those below them with no fear of reprisals from those they've wronged. All thanks to the walls they've inherited from their long lost king."

"Well this is all sad and infuriating and everything." Shia huffed. "But where does that leave me?"

"Besides sitting in a ruin feeling sorry for yourself, I presume?"

"Very funny."

"No disrespect meant. In fact, I was about to propose something. Perhaps..."

He reached into his cloak. Even with the light of the tail fire, Shia couldn't see what he was reaching for until he pulled it out.

"... You could tear down those walls!" He proposed proudly as he pulled out a dagger by its tip, presenting it to the flabbergasted Shinx. Shia was taken completely by surprise, his eyes went wide at what was presented: Iron. The stuff of myths, something that could hurt or even kill mons, where ordinary moves could only knock them out or bruise them at worst. It's how Brene was so easily able to subdue him with that mace, after all.

He knew full well what the stranger was implying. While it was only a dagger, it was something. All he needed was one good slice, or stab, and Brene the Berserker would be pushing up the cactuses.

He reached out for it, his paw lightly touching the knife's handle when he stopped. He looked upon the stranger's eyes, and his own narrowed.

"... What's the catch?" He asked. "I may be a dungeon dweller, but even I know that you wouldn't just give out Iron like this to random people unless you expected something in return."

"Ha! Catch?" The stranger chuckled. "My friend, there is no catch. I am simply helping a mon whose needs are greater than my own, like the Guilds should do, but are not."

Shia didn't quite buy it. And indeed, the charmander wasn't quite done.

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