by Ian Rodgers
The child-like Undead walked away, letting Dora and her friends trudge wearily towards the teleporters. As the trio went towards the line, Enrai couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You certainly can make friends with anyone, Dora,” he said. Ain nodded in agreement, holding back a yawn.
“She didn’t seem too evil,” Dora replied.
“Yeah, I guess compared to an Undead like Vord the Undying, a mere fifty-year-old vampire in the form of a prepubescent girl wouldn’t be all that scary,” the Monk agreed. Dora giggled at that.
Eventually the line to the teleportation arrays shortened, and she stepped up into the center. “Room 3337!” Dora called out, and then with a whoosh and a crackle of magical energy, she was gone.
Moments later, she appeared in a lovely looking penthouse suite. She didn’t have the time or intent to admire the surroundings, though, as the weariness she’d been staving off crept up over her, and she staggered into the bedroom, collapsing onto the soft mattress after depositing her luggage all over the floor.
She was asleep before she knew it, and her dreams were filled with oceans of silver.
∞.∞.∞
With a grunt, Dora staggered out of bed. She had no idea how long she’d been asleep, but despite a hint of grogginess that kept trying to convince her to shut her eyelids and go back to sleep in the warm, soft sheets, she felt right as rain.
After stumbling around the luxurious apartment she’d been given, Dora eventually found the bathroom, and after a few interesting mishaps trying to work the oddly designed bathtub that resulted in her becoming cold, hot, sticky, and even itchy at one point, before eventually she was clean and refreshed.
Now far more awake and coherent, she could spend some time examining the area.
“By Nia, this place is fancy,” Dora murmured as she examined the finery that filled the room. In the tiny kitchenette space, there were exquisite blue and white crystal cups and elegant porcelain plates with a variety of water-based images imprinted on them. No food was stored in the icebox or any of the cabinets, but Dora wasn’t fond of cooking that much in the first place, so it wasn’t too much of a disappointment.
The bathroom she had already explored had a variety of items, including a large tub. She was fairly certain it could have fit Starspot, her horse, and still have room for herself.
Dora resisted the urge to snuggle back under the sheets when she inspected the bedroom, and instead peered out the window in the room that overlooked the beach. From above, the buildings that made up the rest of the Resort looked like toys, and the people tiny specks against the sand and sea. And in the distance, a pale green sun was rising over the horizon, the long dawn they had heard about from the vampire Tilda apparently having arrived while she’d slept.
Beyond the familiar and recognizable items Dora had seen, there were a number of strange, otherworldly tools and objects inside of the suite.
A metal box played a variety of music, depending on how a set of knobs and dials were turned. Another metal box, but with a glass screen, showed strange, moving images, as if spying on someone from a distance with Divination magic. A third metal box-like contraption beeped and buzzed and heated up when buttons were pressed and food placed inside.
“Note to self, do not put cherries – and most likely other fruits – into the heating box,” Dora said with a grimace as she removed the oozing, molten remains of a cherry she’d tested the tool out with.
Satisfied with her exploration of the suite for the moment, she walked over to a plump armchair and sank into it with a slight groan of joy as the soft cushions supported her. Leaning back in the seat, Dora glanced around, taking in the room’s decorations in a more passive manner.
Shades of blue seemed to be a common color for everything in the suite. If it wasn’t blue, it was green or white. It was nice and calming, in Dora’s opinion, and she felt extremely relaxed just being inside the suite. She had to admit that she did feel somewhat uncomfortable being surrounded by so much luxury.
The previous times she’d been near so much materialistic wealth, things had not gone too well for her. The first time she’d been around this much nice stuff, she’d been a guest, then a hostage, to one of the Tower Lords of Annod Bol. Second time was as a guest of a Saludan Emir, but who proceeded to get torn to shreds by a monster shortly after. And then the last time was when she’d met the dreaded lich. Nothing bad had happened then, except for shaving a few years off of her life expectancy thanks to nerves and terror.
So far, nothing bad had happened to her within this hotel room, but she wasn’t going to discount something unexpected happening to her or her friends while staying here.
A knock echoing out jolted Dora from her thoughts. ‘I have a door?’ she thought to herself, perplexed.
Reluctantly getting out of her chair, she explored the suite a bit more thoroughly, before finding that yes, there was in fact a door that led out to the hotel. In the meantime, the knocking grew louder and more intense as she’d puttered about in search of the exit.
“What?!” she demanded angrily, flinging the door open.
“Oh, good, you’re awake,” Enrai said brightly from the other side of the door. His wide grin and upbeat manner unsettled Dora. Than again, morning people unnerved her in the first place.
“Why aren’t you bothering Ain?” she seethed, and the Monk laughed.
“I already did! He’s waiting for us downstairs, looking for a place to have breakfast.”
“Well… alright, then. Good for him.” She shrugged, before turning around and closing the door behind her.
“Whoa, hold up, come and join us!” Enrai pleaded, sticking his foot out in the path of the closing door.
Dora wanted to protest, wanted to declare to him that she wanted a day off to herself to come to grips with what had happened less than a day ago, but her stomach betrayed her when it let out a loud and demanding roar.
Blushing, the Healer followed the Monk out of her room. She found herself in a hallway covered in blue carpet, and magic lanterns shone bright white light everywhere. Having already familiarized himself with the layout, Enrai led Dora to a spot at the end of the hallway where a trio of teleportation arrays had been set up.
“Just like yesterday, just say your destination while standing in the middle of the circle,” Enrai prompted her. He went first, stepping up onto a free array. After clearing his throat, he called out, “Lobby!” and vanished in a flash and shower of blue lights.
Dora followed his instructions and stepped onto the array. “Um, Lobby, please?” she uttered, and with a feeling of being pushed downwards and sideways, she arrived at the front desk area from last night.
“Whoa, that was fast,” Dora muttered, massaging her head. “A lot smoother than using a portal, too.”
She spotted Enrai waving at her, beaming widely as he stood near the exit. With a tiny sigh she approached him.
“So, where’s Ain?” she asked.
“Over there,” the Monk replied, pointing to a nearby bungalow. “That’s where they serve food.”
“Alright, lead on,” Dora said as her belly grumbled eagerly. With a flourish, Enrai escorted her over to the wooden dining hall.
The layout within was akin to the cafeteria she’d seen in the barracks back in Annod Bol and Rahmal’Alram: a wide-open space dotted with benches and long tables, with a kitchen nearby pumping out vast quantities of food.
Of course, there was one main difference between the barracks back on Erafore and the Resort’s dining hall: the people were not dressed up in armor. There were also menus being passed out by five-foot-tall brown and red crabs.
“Lady Dramhyda certainly has a theme going, doesn’t she?” Enrai muttered to Dora as they passed by a handful of crustacean waiters.
“What gave it away? The shells everywhere, the aquatic servants, or her hair?” she whispered back, making the Monk snort.
The pair soon caught sight of Ain sitting at a table near the center of t
he dining hall. Across from him was an old woman with ashen grey hair done up in a bun, and next to him on his left was a familiar blonde childish vampire. The Grand Elf looked distinctly uncomfortable being so close to the latter, and he nearly sagged in relief when he spotted his other friends finally arriving. He scooted over on the bench, allowing Dora to have the honor of sitting beside Tilda.
“Morning, Ain,” the half-orc greeted politely, before nodding towards the vampire. “Morning as well, Tilda.”
A worried frown crossed Dora’s face. “Wait, are you going to be okay? With the sun rising and all.”
“Normally, I’d have to drink some precious Blood Wine in order to get temporary immunity to sunlight. But that’s not a problem here at the Resort. The sun’s rays won’t hurt me, or anyone else here,” Tilda responded. “Lady Dramhyda makes sure of that.”
“That’s quite impressive, being able to coat an entire island in a barrier to blot out the sun’s negative effects on other creatures,” Enrai noted. Ain nodded, awed at the magical prowess it would require to do something like that.
“Oh, you silly dears, that’s not what she’s done at all,” the elderly woman at the table chuckled. “This island, everything on it, and everything around it, was created by Lady Dramhyda’s own powers. We’re not on another world or Plane of Existence, but a genuine Severed Realm, a tiny, artificial dimension personally crafted to its owner’s specifications. As such, she makes the rules, and if she doesn’t want the sun to hurt people – be they Undead or living – then it won’t.”
The trio stared in shock at revelation dropped on their heads.
“What is she?” Dora uttered, stunned. “A goddess? A demon? An Elemental?”
“Lady Dramhyda is an Exarch, an entity that’s a bit of Column A, a bit of Column C,” Tilda replied with a laidback expression. “She possesses total control of the Element of Water, and embodies a distinct godly aspect as well: that of life itself.”
“Her full title is ‘Dramhyda, the Exarch of Healing Waters,’” the grandmotherly person added.
“What’s an Exarch?” Dora inquired, confused. She’d never heard that term mentioned in any of her theology books or lessons.
“Rare and unique,” Tilda said, before snorting at the unamused look Dora shot her. “Ah, calm down, I’ll explain!”
“Exarchs aren’t really well known simply for the fact there are only 10 or so of them in all of Reality. Each one embodies an Element of Magic, but also represents an aspect of reality that’s important and necessary to mortal survival. Exarchs are basically Elemental Gods, but don’t require faith to power their blessings or ability. So long as their Element and Aspect exist, they have power.”
“Fascinating,” Dora mumbled. Her stomach growled loudly, demanding appeasement, and she blushed. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt!”
“Nah, it’s fine,” Tilda chuckled. “I was basically done explaining things, anyways. Just keep in mind Lady Dramhyda is powerful, on par with major deities, and that her Resort is as much a part of her body as her hair is. Don’t mess with her, and you’ll be alright.”
“Can do!” she said, before eagerly taking one of the menu’s a passing crab gave her. “Okay, I’m not exactly familiar with a lot of the food on here. Do either of you have any suggestions?”
“Well, do you want breakfast or dinner? Because they’ll serve whatever you want,” the old woman informed. “I personally find their Surf and Turf selections to be divine!”
“Surf and Turf, huh?” Dora muttered, and her menu shimmered before the entries on it changed, revealing a long list of different styles and types of dishes. She settled on a dish called ‘Zybellum Style Surf and Turf.’ The description stated it was garlic rubbed beef with a side of clams, which as a meal combination sounded interesting, and well, it was a vacation, after all! Got to try something new once in a while!
“So, pardon me for being late in asking, but I don’t think I got your name,” Dora said, wincing slightly as she turned to the elderly woman seated across from her. “My name is Dora Halfmoon.”
“A pleasure, Miss Dora. You can call me Evelyne. I’m Tilda’s sister,” she introduced, a small smile on her face.
“You are?” Dora exclaimed, looking from the perpetually young-looking vampire over to the old woman who, on closer inspection, was quite fit, and had callouses on her hands that spoke of long years of wielding a sword. “I, err, I don’t see the connection.”
Evelyne laughed politely. “Don’t worry about it! Such is the price to pay for having an eternally adorable sister.”
Tilda frowned at that. “You know I don’t like being called ‘adorable,’ sis. Or ‘cute.’ Or ‘cuddly!’ Can’t I be called ‘fearsome,’ ‘deadly,’ or even ‘scary?’”
“No, I don’t think so. What do you think, Miss Dora? Which set of descriptors suits my sister better?” Evelyne inquired, reaching out and pinching Tilda’s cheek.
As the vampire slapped her older sister’s hand away, Dora stifled an uneasy chuckle. On the one hand, Tilda did not look very threatening. Her minor vampiric traits were easy to hide, and she didn’t exactly seem all that deadly to begin with. But, then again, Tilda was still an Undead, and they could be dangerous if not taken seriously.
“Well, why can’t she be ‘adorably fearsome?’ Like a bear or wolf?” Dora suggested, deciding to try and go the middle route of appeasement.
“That works!” Evelyne chuckled, and Tilda nodded in agreement.
“Hey, Dora, how about joining my sister and I for a day of fun after breakfast? Spending all your time around boys must be taxing,” the vampire offered, and Dora perked up.
“Really? Sure!” the Healer turned to her two friends and apologized. “Sorry, you guys, but I want some ‘me’ time, and as much as I like you, I need to spend some time with my own gender.”
“Completely understandable,” Enrai said, waving off her apology. “Go have fun! Ain and I can find something to do in the meantime. Maybe go swimming, or try fishing!”
“You’re just going to hit on the single women,” Ain muttered, massaging his forehead. “And then I’ll have to be the one to bail you out when you make an ass of yourself.”
“Just like old times!” the Monk cheered, clapping his long-time friend on the shoulder. Ain groaned, but couldn’t help the smile that slid onto his face.
Conversation dwindled as food was brought out. As everyone else at the table dug in, Dora couldn’t help but stare at the meal on her plate. Apparently, ‘Zybellum Style’ Surf and Turf involved taking a couple miniature cows no bigger than a hamster, roasting them whole, then stuffing them full of clam meat.
“Err, I don’t… how do I eat this?” Dora wondered, unable to take her eyes off the bizarre presentation of her food.
“Well, normally, you pick the whole thing up and eat it in one bite,” Tilda said, poking a fork at Dora’s plate. “Just pop ‘em into your mouth and chew! Zybellum Pigmy Ox have very soft and tender bones, hooves, and horns, and are easily digestible by both humans and orcs.”
Hesitantly, Dora placed one of the whole cows into her mouth and bit down, chewing. She paused as succulent flavors flooded her mouth and she moaned slightly in surprise before swallow.
“That’s surprisingly delicious,” Dora admitted. It was still odd, but at least it was tasty.
“I know, right? First time I tried Zybellum Style food, I was surprised too,” Tilda agreed with a laugh. “Only my meal was a whole pig the size of my fist, filled with creamed spinach!”
“Eew, you like spinach?!” Dora gagged.
“Hey, it’s actually quite tasty if cooked right!” the blonde vampire retorted.
“Tilly always did like vegetables as a little girl. She can’t eat many of them anymore, though. Spinach is one of the few she can stomach thanks to her condition,” Evelyn revealed.
“Odd. Why is that?” Enrai inquired through a mouthful of eggs.
“Chew and swallow before you talk, young man,�
�� the elderly woman scolded, and the Monk looked down, chastised. “And as for the spinach thing, according to some alchemists, spinach has nutrients similar to those found in blood, specifically a high quantity of iron.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ve read a medical treatise on that,” Dora piped up. “Apparently, human, orc, elf, and dwarf blood has a lot of iron in it, which is why it turns red when we bleed. The red comes from the iron oxidizing! It’s truly fascinating what alchemists and Healers have been discovering about our bodies ever since they invented that tool called a ‘microscope’ fifty years ago!”
Chatting about the miracles of alchemy helped Dora ignore the unusual meal before her, and she ate it up quickly, silencing the beast in her belly.
Hunger satisfied, she bid Ain and Enrai farewell as she joined Tilda and Evelyn once they were finished with their meals.
“What are we going to do?” she asked the older pair, and they smiled.
“Today, we were planning on visiting the Resort’s spa for a full treatment. I think you’ll like it as well,” Evelyn said.
“What’s a spa?” the half-orc asked, and Tilda shook her head sadly.
“Oh, you poor child. We must teach you!”
Dora was led to the sand castle and shown the inside of the building. It was nice and cozy, and the interior was also made of sand. Somehow. ‘Magic,’ the Healer assumed.
The spa was wonderful, beyond anything she’d ever imagined. The bubbling bathtubs were so relaxing, and the saunas reminded her of the jungle she’d had to trek through to reach the beachside city of Argyne in the Dreadlands. The various scrubs and scented lotions and shampoos had required a lot of cajoling from Tilda and Evelyn, but eventually Dora gave in and tried them out. She wasn’t disappointed, and she ended up smelling like mint throughout the spa workout.
She’d heard of similar places called ‘bath houses’ in the cities of Partaevia, but never really experienced them herself. She mused that they were likely far less impressive than anything the Resort had to offer, though.
And then there’d been the grey and yellow polka-dotted octopus that gave her a nice massage. It’d been weird at first seeing most of the jobs at the Resort being done by sea creatures, especially after eating some seafood earlier, but she’d become inured to the oddness after being around it so often now. Nothing can be as jarring as seeing a shark dressed up in a masseuse’s outfit. After that, crab waiters, shrimp maids, or octopus masseuses simply didn’t shock anymore.
