19.3 p͏a͏t͏r͏e͏o͏n͏.c͏o͏m͏/S͏t͏r͏a͏t͏o͏t͏h͏r͏a͏x͏A͏f͏t͏e͏r͏D͏a͏r͏k͏

They made their way through the streets of the city, passing by a vast variety of peoples, species, and races. Minotaurs lumbered past, as well as more lamia, catkins, lupine (who often had moments of confusion in passing Fey), strange many eyed beholders, (whose eyes seemed to have a habit of converging on Fey's lower parts), dogkins, humans, and even the occasional elf. This all in this one small part of the city, Bine was truly a megalopolis that attracted peoples from across the lands. Dragon dominion whilst having its downsides also had the upside of safety and stability and that attracted people like nothing else, a place for civilization to thrive unfettered.

The buildings around them quickly became more upscale and ornate, and the area became less trafficked as they exited the commercial districts and entered the housing districts. The band slowed their pace as the address they were after led them into a part of the city where the houses were more like mansions than anything, and they looked around wide eyed at the gated homes.

"Er, you sure this isn't a prank?"

"I don't think so, maybe Rina wrote down the wrong address? This doesn't seem like the sort of place to board adventurers, or anyone really."

They came to a halt outside one of the larger more impressive mansions, its heavy gates capped in gold.

"This is the place, so we just uh, go… in?" said Vivi.

The vulpine stared blankly at the gates with her hands on her hips.

"Uhm, I think you need to open it."

"Right… where's the handle thought?"

As she finished speaking the gates suddenly creaked and with a squeaking sound they swung wide of their own volition forcing Vivi to back up.

"Oh, magic. Right. I forgot we were back in a city where they have more of the damned stuff than they know what to do with."

The otterkins stared at the extravagance. Using an expensive enchantment just for opening a gate? Madness.

The band moved inside to a tree lined carriageway, artfully crafted bushes lining the road up to the grand mansion. They walked toward their supposed accommodation, or in Fey's case trotted, and Flora's floated, until they came to the main circular front drive, a huge pair of double doors made from dark wood and fringed in more gold centered at the front of the building. The band stared at it wondering what to do next.

After a moment of nothing happening Flora rolled her eyes.

"Gods it's like being out with a bunch of idiot hicks from the countryside," the gnome zipped forward and rapped her knuckles on the front door.

Nothing happened.

"Uh, maybe there's no one in? Or the enchantment broke?"

"Or maybe they're being rude, I know the type, rich snooty bastards."

"Your fists are too puny is the problem," said Vivi, watch, I can do it properly, as a warrior.

Vivi stepped forward, cracked her paws and then rapped hard on the door, significantly louder than Flora, using her Skill based strength. The knock was so loud it quieted the birds singing in the nearby ornate trees.

After a moment a distant voice could be heard from the interior.

"Fuck off!"

"Did you hear that? I think someone just told us to fuck off."

"Bastards! They're all the same, rich assholes living in their golden ivory towers looking down on the rest of us, I bet it's an elf in there, elfs are all like that."

"Really Flora? I'm right here you know."

"Present company excluded, obviously, you're alright for an elf Ell," said Flora curling her fist.

"Thanks, I guess- hey wait! Stop Flora!"

Too late, the gnome magically grabbed hold of a nearby aesthetic boulder set out as part of the gardens and ripped it into the air flicking mud across the drive. She whipped it around and flung it at the front doors.

BOOM!

The doors shuddered on their hinges and the noise was so loud that the echoing sound from within reverberated all the way outside. Dust trickled from the walls as the impact shock went through the whole mansion.

"Oh my gods Flora!"

"Hey, they're rich, they can afford to fix shit, don't get your panties in a twist."

"They're rich, and likely powerful too, meaning they can make our lives a pain while in the city! I swear to gods I'm going to tie you to a chair and give an eighteen hour long elven style marathon lecture on manners and politeness one of these days. I'll reform you into unrecognizability, as only a teacher can."

Flora blinked and turned to stare at Ellaria.

"Er, you aren't actually serious about that are you? Eighteen hours? What the fu-"

The door suddenly yanked open and an angry face appeared, glaring at the band.

To Fey's surprise the face was quite young, teenage looking, on the older side, her body lithe and slim. Her hair was long and blonde and highlighted, her head capped with a pair of rounded fluffy ears, black and orange, tiger ears. A short crop top barely contained her chest, and a short flitty skirt hung off her hips which showed off a large band of thigh, she wore a pair of black cat stockings which her soft thighs muffin topped over. Fey caught a flash of orange behind her as the teenager's fluffy tiger tail flicked by, waving irritably. She was a tigerkin.

The tigerkin had a stick in her mouth which she promptly grabbed and pulled free proving it to be a large disc shaped lollipop.

"Who the fuck are you people and why the hell did you just to do to our doors?"

Ellaria stepped forward. "Hello and good day, we were told that there was a place to stay for adventurers here."

The girl stared at her blankly, then her lip twitched and formed into a smirk. "Y-you can't be serious? Did you actually think? Yikes. That's pretty sad elfy."