Your Lucky This Place Doesn't Have Lawyers!

A family of 6 were trudging through a muddy pathway on a stormy night, each had black a black cloak flowing in the wind. Turning around the corner of the cliffside they spotted their destination. Grafas the city of craftspeople, rows upon rows of dedicated shops for various items. Throughout the next day the 6 figures split up and walked in and out of most shops in the town, they met again at dusk in the town centre by the large fountain adorned with various angel sculptures in a forest like setting with a huge swirling bonsai like tree in the centre spraying rainbow coloured fluid from the top into the pool full of pennies and other coins below.

"How much have they asked?" an old and rich voiced one inquired holding their ornate black cane with golden dragon handle.

"500K" for mine.

"150k"

"1Mil"

"300k"

"50k"

"And with mine that's 2.5 Million, huuuu, we're 1.5 million over budget." with a dissatisfied voice he put down the piece of paper in his hand with a tired look on his face, "The materials for the house are still too expensive to mine, maybe if we get a couple of big commissions we might be able to pay back a loan after fifty years." he said in an unsure optimistic voice.

A passing group of children over heard them and stopped near them "What sort of house do you need made?" a small girl with a ball asked. One of the shorter cloaked figures came up to them and said in an annoyed voice "Run on home you shouldn't be listening in on your elders conversations" she said it a childlike voice. "But your the same age as us" a boy behind her retorted. "Five hundred years older, don't judge by looks." she said her face slumping into an eye roll.

"But we know a person who can make houses at a..uhh" pulling out a piece of scrap paper from his back pocket "Cheap and affordable price" Some of the cloaked people chuckled while some didn't find anything funny.

They thought it was some sort of very bad buissness model which involved getting children to push forward places. "You kids shouldn't be trying to advertise at your age, just try to stick to regular jobs and run on home" the shorter one replied. "But we're not advertising, we do know a person that can do it."

They walked away staying in an inn until opening hours, before searching the remaining shops and regrouping at midday. "Still over budget even if we haggle" the caned one said. They sat down by a hipster cafe and got specialty boba. "Any other places?"

"There are some others two towns over..But their limited to people with larger budgets" a female voiced one said holding a map "Plus it'll take three days to get there."

"I want to go home!" the shortest one said kicking his legs on the chair having a hissy fit waving some dust off his robe. Looking at they child one of them were reminded of the kids from yesterday.

"What about those kids?" an older sounding male one asked. "What about them?" the leader replied.

"What if they know someone?"

"It's probably one of these business owners trying to get a few more customers...." the old one said "But I guess it's worth a try, however if they take us outside of the town say it's too late and we have too go back for some things in the town, we don't know if they're hired by conmen or criminals."

So they looked around the shops trying to haggle a bit more and at around 5 o'clock one of them spotted some of the kids from yesterday and called another nearby one over. They were the second shortest one and the caned one. Walking up they asked "Where can we find this place your talking about?" the old one asked in a rough yet posh manor. Looking up on of them replied and said "Oh it's you guys, you can find it on the top of the hill opposite from edgewater street it called Dream Home Builders" they returned to their ball games and carried on a as usual.

At dusk the group met again at night "Any luck?" they asked. "No, they can only meet the requirements of they use cheaper materials that will break easily over time, how about you?". "None of them budged however we asked those kids and there is one more place called Dream Home Builders nearby, maybe we can convince them to build it and let us keep it so long as we pay them back in installments." he said optimistically the rest groaned and thought they were going to get kicked out.

Following the instructions they climbed up the hill and arrived outside a door on what looked like a repurposed inn as next to the home builders sign was a sign for an orphanage. "Maybe they're not doing so well at the moment." the shorter one said in a dejected tone. "The orphanage or the builders?", "Both".

They stood there and were about to go in when they heard some footsteps behind them. It was the kids from the town they walked past and into the door. "Well it's probably a scam for something so be on guard and if any orphanage staff approach be straightforward and say we're here for the building company only."

Stepping inside they walked into a Victorian style cloakroom complete with a men's and women's separated section on the left and a door labeled entrance on a brass plaque in front. "Well at least they have some courtesy" by the door there was a homemade children scribble style sign- please take off all coats, cloaks, heavy baggage and shoes please, thanks - with various crayon colours in the writing and some childish scribbles around it.

"Take of your shoes and cloaks, I hear it's a custom some posh places are adopting but make sure to take note of everything you left behind" he went In and placed his cloak and shoes in a small wooden cubby hole. The others did the same and they all walked through the entrance expecting another simply lit room. The door was completely wooden and didn't let a crack of light though the edges. "They can sure make doors I'll give em that." pulling down on the silver handle a sight greeted them that almost made their eyes pop out of their skulls. The room they stepped into was a large cylinder stood on its side like a chimney, split into many floors. They stepped out of the room and were an a circular balcony running along the wall of the cylinder before connecting to itself again on the other side. Straight ahead they saw the top of a tree that had its leave sparkle occasionally in a rainbow tinge.

It was a larger real life version of the one in the fountain complete with curves and grooves like in bonsai but bigger, you could even use the as slides. Half of the group immediately ran outside and looked at the building then ran back in "It doesn't fit with the building."

Looking down they saw many more levels with orange Marble archways and golden plaques above them wondering what they could be. Walking around the top they brushed their hands on the smooth edges of the wall. It all seemed to be made out of one big rock, no bricks. Upon reaching the other side a lift greeted them. They pressed the down button and eventually the doors opened a circular blue platform with floating panels of light on the side. The doors and shaft looked like they were made of pure glass while the platform of concrete grey sand like particles.

Top floor

3rd floor

2nd floor

1st floor

ground floor

The way it worked was there was a sort of geyser pushing the sand out from the bottom to the perfect height and pressure to accommodate the user's weight. They clicked ground floor feeling so resistance from the panel at all. slowly they felt the geyser fall but their feet stayed on top, spotless, In fact some of the mud even came off on on and it cleaned their shoes. The floor looked like you would fall through it but was completely flat and stable. The glass doors slid open and they stepped out onto the bottom floor. At the roots of the tree was an oasis of sorts full of blue water with kids playing near it that gave off an eye-catching refreshing smell. Not like an ocean it was more... everything, it just amplified whatever smells you like and adjusted the scent from person to person. The only other thing on the bottom floor was a desk and a set of obsidian double doors next to the desk.

They walked up to the desk and turned towards the kids, "Where's the receptionist?" the smallest one asked. Two of the smallest kids in the pool ran up towards them completely dry and went past them to the double doors.

THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK

They knocked and entered, at this point all the other kids looked over wondering who the group were.

"Don't you know it's rude to stare?" the other young one asked.

They continued staring and whispering to each other.

"Do you think they can afford it?"

"Do you think they will be scared of him?"

"Do you think they're here to adopt?"

"No" all of the others replied to the last question.

The doors swung open yet again and the children said in unison "You may go in."

Judging from the kids they expected this place to be expensive and the owner to be of an abnormal race possibly a hybrid or one of the lesser known ones.

Stepping up to the door the elder opened it and entered, It was some sort of managers office that was in keeping with the outside fashion of the building however it was empty except for a large swivel chair by the window ahead and a large aqua blue jelly like cuboid object holding many indistinguishable distorted things inside it serving as a makeshift desk.

Walking up to it their vision blurred and in some of the empty spot six woollen armchairs appeared.

From behind the swivel chair a long decaying hand with seven lengthy boney and rotting fingers appeared, on some fingers it had rings with unreadable markings and bits of bandages and silk hanging of the others. The hand motioned for them to sit.

The elder hesitated at first thinking, What the hell is the owner? No creature I know of has that sort of hand. "Sir we are here to discuss the building and price on our property." the other elder butted in as the first was faltering.

The chair turned around revealing a hooded being with a monk-like hood and garments on, It's face having a mouth with sharp teeth and no lips or cheeks, there were no other features on the face apart from a snake like tongue and two nose slits in the middle. The rest of the face was plain flat and ancient skin somewhat smooth in some places and rough in others. It's ears looking as if burned with scar tissue fusing them to the side of it's scull. The robes revealed the rest of it arms which were the same sizes as humans, covered in bloodshot jet black eyes with yellow irises. Some worn and browned bandages running around them centering in the abdomen where various black root like protrusions we're sticking out.

Immediately after the face reveal some members of the family screamed, vomited, fainted or various combinations of the aforementioned. "S-Stay back!!" the elder pleaded raising his arms making a makeshift hold cross with them and his walking stick. Immediately a sizzling sensation was heard as some of his skin sizzled.

"Father, No! you know what that will do to you.

!" A female one shouted

"Run! Take everyone and get the army, I'll hold it off so you can escape, remember me!"

"Ummmm‽" a relatively normal voice sounded. The abomination raised both it's hands. "I believe there has been a misunderstanding?" he tried to make it look like he had a confused face but it made him look like he was smiling devilishly.

"REMEMBER ME!!!" the elder shouted over him making nobody hear what the creature just said. He charged and tackled the being to the ground while the others ran outside and slammed the doors, one took of their belt and used it to tie the door handles shut.

"Told you." one of the kids said by the oasis.

The figures approached them and in a split second and grabbed about six kids taking them as they jumped up the various levels. "We'll come back for the rest of you!" one of them shouted.

"Don't worry that thing won't hurt you while your with us, even churches fear us." the figures tried comforting the kids.

"But that's just Bob." one of the kids said.

"I don't care we promise we won't let it hurt h-wait what?" the figure was expecting crying or thankfulness, not a nonchalant answer.

"He's the orphanage manager, he takes care of us." slowing down the figures asked "As in, you know?" one of them dragged their fingers across their neck. "No he looks after us, homes us and feeds us."

"So he can fatten you up and eat you?" another cloaked figure asked in confusion, wondering if it was a weird and unique spin on cattle rearing. "No so that we grow up healthy and strong."

"So you can fight for his enjoyment?" another figure asked starting to realize that they may have just made a huge mistake. The kids shook their heads.

"So he takes care, of you all that is?" they all nodded. "And does he harm you in any way shape or form."

"He tells us off if we do something bad."

"Like what?" one figure asked regaining composure and a reason to carry on.

"If we argue with each other or do something in." they simultaneously facepalmed realising they may have made a mistake.

Not giving up one asked "But list what he does to you on a daily basis."

"He makes us wash up, socialize, he teaches us, he cooks for us, he takes ca- I mean looks after us from a safety point of view that is."

"He also tucks us into bed and reads us stories." a toddler said in a happy tone.

Freezing they contemplated on of two things. One this think was a very powerful magic caster with space and mind manipulation or two it was a genuinely nice creature. Most evidence point to one however if it could manipulate minds they would probably be in a vegetative state on the floor of the room before waiting to get eaten.

"Ah we might have messed up on this one." the eldest one said.

Leaping back down they asked the other kids the same questions only to receive the same answers.

Unbelting the door the found the elder holding the being to the ground face first grabbing it arms behind it's back. "Don't worry it's much weaker than it looks."

"You do know I'm holding back right? I can easily tear your arms off."

"Dad that thing isn't hostile the children confirmed it with us."

Looking down "Wait whaaaa?"

"Just get off your lucky this place doesn't have lawyers!"