They had gone back to the guild the next day soon after Sui had crafted the mithril knife+ but when Ugor took them to see Elrand, Alice just felt pity for the elf. His forehead was resting on his desk and books were all piled on top of each other with papers scattered everywhere and he looked really depressed too.
"He stayed up all night trying to find blade materials that are stronger and sharper than the one he broke in two. But he had no luck." Ugor told her as Alice and Fel looked at each other. Elrand must be running on fumes if he spent another sleepless night, looking for something to help process the dragon.
"He's really beating himself up over it, huh?" Alice said softly as she was holding the new mithril knife that was wrapped around a cloth. She had tested it earlier and it was very sharp.
"Indeed." Ugor said with a sigh.
Alice looked at the item she had before she looked at Ugor.
"Actually, there's something I'd like you guys to try. Tell him, I stumbled upon the perfect blade for the job." Alice said as Ugor looked at what she was holding before giving her the benefit of the doubt and went to get Elrand who came out and Alice gave him the wrapped item. Elrand cautiously removed the cloth and he gasped in shock and disbelief.
"Miss Alice! T-This looks like a mithril knife!" Elrand questioned her as she stood beside Fel while Dora-Chan landed on her head.
"What is this knife?!" Ugor demanded, shocked and in disbelief as well.
"Well..." Alice looked to Sui, Fel and Dora-Chan with knowing smiles.
"Even with my limited appraisal skills, I can see that this is no ordinary knife!" Elrand said as hope comes full force.
"Maybe this will help us process the Earth Dragon!" He said as he rushed to the warehouse with everyone following.
Everyone was tense and Elrand was shaking slightly from excitement and nervousness as he was prepared to start the butchering process as the knife hovered over the dragon's hide as Elrand took deep breaths to calm and steady himself.
"Here I go." He muttered steadily and everyone held their breath nervously.
As soon as Elrand brought down the knife, instead of breaking, it had finally cut through the dragon's tough hide much to everyone's delight and excitement.
"It's as if it's fresh from the forge! Your miraculous blade makes the previous knife look like a children's toy!" Elrand exclaimed in shock as he could finally and properly start the processing of the Earth Dragon before he turned to Alice, gratitude and excitement in his eyes.
"How in the world are you able to obtain such an incredible piece of weaponry?!" Elrand asked her as Alice just laughed sheepishly while stopping Sui from raising a tentacle. The less he knows where it came from, the better it won't make him ask questions.
"I have my contacts." Alice said simply with a smile and Fel gave her a look.
'(Do you want a repeat from two days ago where he didn't start the processing since he's too busy asking us questions?)' Alice reminded him telepathically and Fel shook his head immediately.
'(No! Absolutely not!)' Fel said telepathically.
"Well, introduce me! Quickly! Take me straight to this craftsman!" Elrand said excitedly before he remembered what he was supposed to do.
"Well, no. Later." He said as he went back to his work which made both Alice and Fel sigh in relief. They avoided that for now.
"It slices with such beautiful precision. This cross-section looks like an illustration from a book." Elrand rambled, taking extra and careful measures with the dismantling before he raised the knife in the air.
"Armed with your blade, I can at long last process this beast!" Elrand said excitedly as he admired the blade.
"Nice. That's great news." Alice smiled, glad he can finally start but the question is how long will it take.
"If you don't mind. If you start right now, how much longer do you think this job will take?" She asked him as Elrand thought about it.
"Good question." He hummed as he looked at the Earth Dragon.
"I need to observe and make notes on each organ and portion of the flesh. I'll need at least three days." He told her which made her sigh in defeat while he got started, yelling in excitement while Ugor just sighed beside her.
"Sheesh, he's only ever motivated at times like this. I guess our plans for tomorrow are cancelled." Ugor nodded as Alice just watched Elrand and couldn't help but smile at how careful yet enthusiastic he is right now.
"That's okay. With as big as the thing is, we'll have to figure out a stove situation anyway." Alice noted as she thought it. The regular stove she has been using might not be able to cook the meat of it fully. That means she'll need a bigger one that can.
"What? Do my ears deceive me?" Fel questioned her as he watch Elrand dismantle the dragon with much excitement that only he shows when eating the meals.
"You cannot possibly expect me to wait any longer than I have already." He said impatiently while she met his gaze with a patient one.
"When you catch giant prey, you pay the price." She told him calmly as he huffed in annoyance as they looked at the earth dragon.
"Plus if it's only Elrand that's going to dismantle it, it will take him 3 days at most." Alice added as Fel contemplated. The Earth Dragon is indeed a giant.
"I accept my fate." He begrudgingly complied which earned him a pet from her.
"Now, let us go to the dungeon! We have three days." Fel said and Alice knew they would go eventually. Plus three days will give them enough time to probably check out the dungeon but the question is how long is it going to take them to be in the dungeon?
"Fel, I know you're excited but we still don't have any information about the dungeon and how long we'll be in there." Alice told him as Dora-Chan, who had been hiding in Fel's fur probably to hide from Elrand, popped out.
"Let us have fun! It'll be a breeze!" He insisted excitedly.
"I just got blessed by the God of War! I'm dying to test out my new skills!" Dora-Chan said, his wings flapping slightly, excitement in his eyes.
"You wish to rob us of this simple joy?" Fel asked her playfully as she stared at him in disbelief before she laughed slightly.
"You guys... It's not a theme park, you know." She told them fondly.
"What's a theme park?" Sui asked in confusion as he popped out to look at her which got Fel and Dora-Chan's attention.
"Is it food?!" They ask her excitedly which only made Alice laugh as she pushed their faces away playfully but they pushed back.
"You guys do realize there's more to this life than whatever you can fit in your mouths, right?" She told them playfully as Fel growled playfully.
"No, a theme park is a place full of people and food but mostly attractions." She simply said with a chuckle as she stopped pushing their faces back which made Dora-Chan to land on her shoulders and Fel to nudge his forehead against her head with a chuckle.
Sui jumped out of the bag and she caught him in her hands as he looked up at her pleadingly.
"What is it, Sui?" She asked him as Sui bobbed excitedly.
"Mama, Sui wants to go to the dungeon too!" Sui said insistently
"I know, Sui, but Mama doesn't want all of you to get hurt if we're not prepared for the dungeon." Alice told him.
"Sui wants to fight the bad guys and go pew-pew in their faces." Sui said as he made punching gestures and some were hitting her face which didn't hurt since he didn't want to hurt Mama and it just made Alice smile fondly at him. Well, he didn't get to fight any of the venom tarantulas back at Claire.
"Well I guess you didn't get a chance to hunt the venom tarantulas last time when we were at Claire though." Alice remembered before she sighed and smiled. Maybe just this time now.
"All right, you guys win. We'll go to the dungeon just this once, okay?" She finally agreed much to their delight.
"Okay! Thank you so much, Mama!" Sui cheered excitedly.
"Alright! Time to crack some skulls!" Dora-Chan cheered excitedly, flying around them as Sui bounced happily while Alice watched with a smile with Fel chuckling.
"I will only celebrate after this dungeon is ours!" He said which hyped Sui and Dora-Chan even more.
They left the warehouse and Alice led the way to the dungeon which was easy to see from where they were. There two guards stationed at the entrance with adventurers with their group chatting plans and strategies as Alice inquired about the dungeon at the receptionist.
"You can spend as much time inside the dungeon as you'd like. It's completely up to you." The receptionist explained as Fel sat beside Alice who listened while Dora-Chan was on his head and Sui inside the bag.
"Some parties stay down there for three days and others stay up to a month." The receptionist added and Alice winced. They're unprepared for the dungeon and some parties stay down there for a month?!
"A whole month?" She asked in disbelief and the receptionist nodded with a polite smile.
"Well, it has 30 floors and two journeys down are never quite the same. So I would advise you to bring at least double the food you think you'll need. If you plan to go to the deepest floors, you'll need to prepare for the worst. After all, no one has ever cleared this dungeon, so we don't truly know what's in there." She explained further and Alice started to mentally calculate on how much food they're gonna need if her group will venture into the dungeon.
"A whole month?" She asked in disbelief and the receptionist nodded with a polite smile.
"Yes. Is this your first time entering the dungeon?" The receptionist inquired curiously which made Alice laugh sheepishly.
"Uh, you could say that. But never this big though." Alice admitted sheepishly.
"Understood." The receptionist said before going into explanation about how different the dungeon is.
"Guild controlled dungeons check the number of adventurers entering and leaving. The deeper the dive, the more dangerous it is. Please remember to check in at reception before entering." She told her as Alice got to thinking.
'Almost like registering for the Pokémon League.' Alice thought, nostalgia hitting her.
"Also, you seem to not have much luggage, are you planning on a short dive?" She asked her which made Alice just smile slightly.
"Ah, that's because I have an item box." Alice explained while Fel nudged her playfully.
"We're going to the deepest level!" He said confidently as Alice pushed him back playfully.
"Fel!" She laughed while the receptionist looked a bit nervous.
"T-That's very encouraging. It's said that the deepest level in this dungeon is 30 floors down. We only have knowledge of this from the guildmaster's adventuring party back in his adventuring days." She explained which shocked Alice, Fel, Dora-Chan and Sui.
"W-What?!" Alice and Fel exclaimed in disbelief. Elrand did say he was an adventurer but to think he managed to go down and so close to the deepest level was shocking.
"But they chose to retreat before facing the final monster. So they're still looking for people to delve down." She said while Alice just stared in disbelief.
"Two journeys down are never quite the same too. So I would advise you to bring at least double the food you think you'll need. If you plan to go to the deepest floors, you'll need to prepare for the worst. After all, no one has ever cleared this dungeon, so we don't truly know what's in there." She explained further and Alice started to mentally calculate on how much food they're gonna need if her group will venture into the dungeon.
This just made Alice sigh. She had a feeling this won't be like the last dungeon she visited and they're so unprepared for this one but that would mean preparing a lot of food for them to eat if there are safe areas there.
"I see. I'm sorry. I don't think we're ready yet." Alice said much to Fel and Dora-chan's disbelief and shock but she raised a hand.
"You made me realize how completely unprepared my party is for this." She said as Fel was giving her a look which she could sense and see as Sui peeked out of the bag.
"That's too bad, but I'm glad you realize now instead of later." The receptionist said understandingly before handing her guild card back while Fel continued to give her the look with Dora-Chan this time.
"Here, take your card and come back when you feel ready." She said as Alice sighed, accepting her guild card back.
'(Explain!)' Fel said telepathically, not understanding why they couldn't go now.
'(We're so close and we're not going in?)' Dora-Chan questioned her in disbelief but she met their eyes calmly.
'(Sui wants to go pew-pew...)' Sui whined sadly.
'(If we want to do this right, I need to prepare a lot of food ahead of time. Patience is a virtue)' She told them telepathically. But it's not just the food, she's already thinking of having a bit of training after the food is done. Her words calmed Fel down but Dora-Chan was sulking with Sui.
'(And if we go in now unprepared, that could mean no good food for a month.)' Alice added as Fel grunted before giving in. She has a point.
"You've made your point." He said begrudgingly which earned him a softer smile from Alice which calmed him fully as they soon left for the inn.
"We're tough, Fel. But our stomachs are our weak spots. Especially her." Dora-Chan said in dismay knowing their main soft spot was for Alice.
"I heard that, Dora-Chan." Alice chuckled as she turned to him and Fel.
"Good call, mama. Sui wants yummy food but Sui understands." Sui piped him which made Alice smile down at him.
"Then let's do some shopping."
They went to the market the next day to buy ingredients for their meals to venture into the dungeon and other adventures watched in awe as they walked past.
"Whoa, look at her familiars."
"She has a great wolf?"
"And a dragon, too."
"She's kinda cute though."
"I wonder if she's not seeing anyone."
Alice sighed as she heard the murmurs once more and she felt Fel shift closer when the murmurs turned to her.
"Lots of folks are out shopping today." Alice said, shifting the subject at how many people there are at the market.
"But then again, Dolan is one of the five largest cities in the kingdom." She remembered before a voice of a stall owner called her group over.
"Hey, adventurer!" They look over to see a stall owner waving them over with a friendly smile.
"You looking for a bite to eat?" He asked them. Fel and Alice looked at each other before they went to see what he had and all the vegetables looked so fresh too.
All the vegetables I recognize have slightly different names. Everything's pretty cheap too. I should stock up.' Alice thought before looking at the stall owner.
"I'm curious, how much does the meat cost?" She asked, pointing to two meat hooks with monster meat hanging from it and Fel was staring at it which only made her snort in amusement.
"That'd be one gold coin." The stall owner said which surprised Alice.
"It's that expensive?" She asked in surprise as the stall owner just looked confused and curious.
"That's a fair price. Monster meat's a high-end luxury item." He explained and Alice understood. She remembered how Iron Will and Phoenix reacted when they ate her cooking before.
'I guess that makes sense. Everyone's so excited to eat it.' She thought with a wistful smile. It's been so long since she last saw Iron Will and it's only been a few days since leaving Karelina. She wondered how everyone's doing.
'But Fel and the others can always hunt monsters for meat, so I'll pass.' Alice thought before deciding on purchasing the vegetables.
"Then... I'll take some bread, cabbets, caroots and, uh, some oneons, please." She told the stall owner who smiled.
"Sure thing!" He smiled as he packaged everything before giving it to her as she paid. They went to look around some more to see what else to buy before one shop made Alice stop. But it wasn't the shop that made her stop, it was what was outside on display that made her stop.
"A magic stove?" She whispered in awe as she approached with Fel not far behind.
"It has four heating elements!" Alice said in excitement as she stared at it. It looks like the ones back home too, including the oven!
"That table looks unwieldy and useless." Fel said as he looked at it, not knowing what got her so excited about it while Dora-Chan popped out of his fur to see what's going on.
"We have no need for such things. What are you even going to do with something this big? Bigger isn't always better." He added but Alice just turned to him with that smile which she always has when she's planning something and it made him curious now.
"Useless? It's for cooking food, fluffball. Just like those stoves I used before. We're definitely going to cook with this." She explained which made him more curious now.
"Welcome, traveler." A voice said and they turned to see that it was the shopkeeper.
"Like what you see? Then you must be quite the chef to recognize the latest model of our magic stove." He told her.
"It's brand new and our most highly recommended item." He said as Alice nodded thoughtfully.
So how much firepower does this thing have?" She asked him curiously and he smiled before he explained the magic stove and how it works.
"The elements are embedded with specially magic stones, so the heat output is excellent. More importantly, my favorite selling point is its incredible oven." He explained, kneeling down as he opened the oven doors and Alice couldn't help but compare it to stove ovens back in her world.
"Its power is immense!" He said happily before turning to her.
"If you wanted to, you could roast an entire cockatrice!" He said which got Alice thinking.
'If it can roast monsters, it's definitely better than the current stove I've been using. If I had this, I could cook tons of new dishes but then that means cooking the dragon meat shouldn't be a problem either.' Alice thought before reaching a decision. She's gonna get it but she wondered what the price was.
"So how much does it cost?" Alice asked him.
"860 gold coins." He simply said which surprised her. That's a lot of golf coins compared to the previous ones she spent.
"860?" She questioned in surprise before Fel's telepathic voice spoke up.
'(Go on, buy it!)' Fel said telepathically. He had heard her thoughts and decided for her before she even bought it. If she can cook more and new meals with it, then he has no problem with her spending that much gold coins for the magic stove.
'(What?)' She looked up at him in surprise.
'(It will expand the variety of meals you can prepare us, correct?)' Fel said as Dora-Chan came to her shoulders.
'(This bad boy will bring even more tasty treats?)' Dora-Chan asked her telepathically.
'(If it means we can have better food with this, then we should get it. Go ahead and buy it.)' He said, agreeing with Fel, who moved to her other side, putting one of his paws on her free shoulder.
'(We know you have a lot of money thanks to the parts from the monsters I hunted before. Do it now.)' He urged her as she looked at them endearingly as they urged her to do it even Sui joins in, hearing they'll get to eat more delicious food.
'(Come on, get it already.)' Dora-Chan insisted.
'(Buy it! I'm the one who helps make money.)' Fel said.
Fel and Dora-Chan continued to insist for her to buy it as she was deep in thought.
'The gas canisters for the portable stove do add up. I should go for it. Plus I've been itching to make those puffs that I used to make.' Alice thought, finally coming to a decision thanks to Fel and Dora-Chan.
"I'll take it! This one's ours!" She told the shopkeeper who was surprised but smiled happily.
"Excellent choice." The shopkeeper said as Alice paid the right amount.
They went back to the inn where they hang out at the stables and Alice decided to test out the new stove she had purchased as it was already night time. With more burners, the cooking was much faster this time which made her smile. She even bought more pots this time too since they're gonna need a lot of food in the dungeon.
"Mama, what are these things?" Sui asked her as he jumped on the table, looking up at the pots that Alice is gonna use.
"Oh, those are what we call stockpots." Alice explained as Sui climbed on one.
"They're gigantic!" Sui marveled in awe and amazement which made Alice chuckle.
"They'll do the job alright, but I was really hoping to get my hands on even bigger ones." She explained before sighing since there weren't any bigger ones.
"The online grocery doesn't stock jumbo stockpots though." Alice said in dismay before shrugging as Sui smelled something delicious. Was mama cooking something?
"Is something cooking in that one?" Sui asked, pointing to one of the pots on the stove.
"Yeah." Alice went to it and lifted the lid to show Sui their dinner which was almost done.
"Check out tonight's dinner." She said before lifting the lid of the rice pot cooker.
"It came together perfectly too." Alice smiled as she saw the rice was done. She put the lid back as Sui peeked over to see their dinner and the rice before she turned to him.
"Sui, will you go and tell the others that it's time to eat, please?" She asked him and Sui hopped off the table and stockpots.
"Sui will." Sui landed on the ground and started to hop to where Fel and Dora-Chan are taking a nap. Alice watched him hop away before she remembered. Maybe Sui can help her with something.
"Wait, Sui, hang on, I forgot!" She said as Sui stopped and turned to her curiously.
"Would you be willing to help me out with a special project as well as something for Uncle Fel?" Alice asked him as she knelt down in front of him. Once everyone is gathered, Alice serves them all dinner in a bowl.
{Bloody Horn-Bull and Wyvern Gyudon}
"The Bloody Horn-Bull and Wyvern Gyudon is ready to eat!" She said happily which was the greenlight for everyone to start eating.
"Delicious as always." Fel said in delight.
"Now that's good." Dora-Chan agreed due to him eating the Bloody Horn-Bull and Wyvern meat for the first time.
"So soft and so tasty." Sui said in delight as he looked at Alice who was eating as well as she smiled at them.
The next day but very early as the sun was barely above in the sky, Alice had woken up super early as she brought out Sui so he can sleep a bit more with Fel and Dora-Chan but the Fenrir was awake as soon as she stepped outside and she took out the stockpots and utensils for cooking along with the ingredients and the magic stove.
'I plan to do a little cooking in the dungeon, but I should still prepare a few days worth of food.' Alice thought as Fel watched her from the stables, curious on what she was gonna cook.
Once Sui and Dora-Chan are awake, Alice lets Bolt out so they can help as Alice starts cooking while Fel watches curiously. The first dish is made from the meat of the Orc General and she has Sui, Dora-Chan and Bolt to tie yarn on the meat.
"That looks right." Dora-Chan said after he finished his. They made sure each yarn string was tied tightly around the meat.
"Here." Dora-Chan handed the first one to Alice who caught it in her hand as she put the meat in the pan. She had her hair tied up in a high ponytail, to show that this was going to be a very busy cooking. She first fried the meat before simmering it into a soup.
"First, some Braised Orc General Pork." Alice smiled as the first dish was coming together before doing the second one.
{Braised Orc General Pork}
She lifted the lid and smiled as Fel took a sniff of the second dish she made.
"Second, Red Boar Cabbage Rolls." Alice smiled once she saw that the dish was cooked before moving on to easier dishes since the first two took a bit of prepping.
{Red Boar Cabbage Rolls}
"The first two dishes require a lot of prep. Let's make this easy with shredded beef and pepper stir fry." Alice said as she got to work as soon as the pan was clean thanks to Sui.
{Shredded Bloody Horn-Bull and Pepper Stir Fry}
'This way I don't have to come up with the seasonings myself.' Alice thought after she added the sauce while Fel, Sui and Bolt watched curiously.
She then started to cook up the fourth one as she put the vegetables in the stockpot first to start. She started to stir the vegetables to make sure each one was cooked before she added more though she had to stop Fel from coming close to the stockpot when he came close and took a sniff but she only stopped him before he burned his nose accidentally.
'(If you came any closer, you might get a burn.)' She told him telepathically. He huffed but kept a safe distance but still close to see what she was doing.
She added the meat before the seasonings to the soup as it started to boil.
"Fourth, I'll be serving up Orc General Pork Soup." Alice said as soon as it was done before finally making the last one.
{Orc General Pork Soup}
'And fifth, I'm bringing a Wyvern Beef Stew.' Alice smiled as Sui and Dora-Chan helped put the meat sauce on the dish.
{Wyvern Beef Stew}
She took the ketchup bottle as Fel came close to take a sniff but when Alice squeezed the bottle to add some ketchup to it, some got on his snout and nose which caused Alice to start laughing at her mistake while Dora-Chan and Sui laugh with Bolt. Fel gave them an unamused look but he licked the ketchup from his nose, enjoying the small snack. Alice came to him with a tissue and wiped the rest of his nose with a smile which he returned before nudging her head gently with his forehead, this prompted her to scratch him behind the ears.
By the time she was done it was night time and everyone was excited to see the varieties of stews and soup in stockpots.
"This should keep us full for a few days." She told them but her eyes widened when they're going for the meals and Alice had to stop them all from eating their food for the dungeon as she put the lids over them. She rather not have them eat their meals before they could even venture into the dungeon.
"I know you're excited but this is for the dungeon." She told them firmly before she cooked them something for dinner which they accepted with no complaints before they all went to sleep after she recalled Bolt.
Alice was still awake as she had purchased a notebook and pen from the online grocery as she started to write down tomorrow's training.
"Mama? Why are you still awake?" Sui yawned on the bed as he saw Alice by the table writing something.
"Ah, sorry if I woke you up, Sui. But I'm thinking since we have two more days tomorrow before the Earth Dragon is processed and before we go to the dungeon, I was thinking of everyone going through training tomorrow." Alice explained as Sui blinked in confusion.
"Training?" Sui asked curiously as Alice smiled softly as she closed the book before going to him.
"You know how Fel fights monsters?" She asked softly as Sui yawned and snuggled against her lap when she sat down.
"Yeah, Uncle Fel is always so cool..." He said sleepily.
"Well, that's what we're doing tomorrow but not to hurt or kill anyone. It's to see how strong all of us are." Alice explained as Sui bobbed sleepily before falling asleep. Alice smiled at him before looking out at the window as the moon was high in the night sky.
The next day, Alice woke Fel and Dora-Chan up as they went outside of Dolan after getting permission from the guard that it was for training which the guard accepted. Fel yawned as Dora-Chan was on her head as they went to a large field.
"What is the meaning of waking us up so early in the morning?" Fel asked her, still sleepy but alert.
"Yeah, boss. Why wake us up early?" Dora-Chan agreed as he yawned widely.
"Well, we have one more day before Elrand finishes the processing and us going to the dungeon. I thought of why not have you guys go through training." She said as she unclipped her Poke Balls.
"Training?" Fel and Dora-Chan looked curious as Sui woke up just as she let out all of her Pokémon and Dora-Chan got to meet the rest of her team. Alice explained to Fel, Dora-Chan and Sui that the training today is all about offense, defense, endurance, speed, attack, stamina and cooperation and she split all 12 Pokémon in three groups of four. Alice had Dora-Chan go up against Latias and Altaria in agility and speed. Dora-Chan decided to show off as it was a race like Alice said but Alice had something in mind.
She signalled for them to do 5 laps which would have been easy if it weren't for the fact that Alice had Bolt and Gardevior to launch attacks at Dora-Chan but they were missing on purpose.
"Dora-Chan, you need to be alert at all times. Learn to react quickly before an attack lands on you. I know you can take on opponents by surprise with attacks before they can react, but you need to be careful and make decisions quickly." She told him and Dora-Chan agreed as Alice restarted the laps. Dora-Chan managed to outfly Latias and Altaria while Gardevior used heal pulse on him to help him with an injury that he sustained on the first five laps from Bolt's thunderbolt.
Alice smiled at Dora-Chan after the last round which lasted about 5 hours and gave him a healthy helping of oran and sitrus berries which he ate immediately. Next was Sui going against Vulpix, Eevee, Sylveon and Dragonair.
"Sui, I need you to try and dodge every attack. Sylveon and Dragonair will intervene if it gets out of hand. Think of it as a game of keep away and Vulpix and Eevee will try to get you, okay?" She told him as Sui bobbed.
"Okay, mama. Sui will try his best." Sui said as he got to training which took about 3 and a half hours. By the time he was done, he was exhausted and practically melted slightly on the ground but Alice picked him up with a proud smile.
"Sui's so tired, mama..." Sui said tiredly as he snuggled against her.
"I know, but you did a good job, kiddo." She said as she went to Altaria who welcomed Sui to rest on her fluffy cloud-like feathers and he snuggled against her while Alice left oran and sitrus berries for him to snack on. It was finally time for the last session and it was against Fel who was going against her strongest Pokemon, Lucario, Absol, Gallade and Ninetales.
"You think I'm gonna be defeated by your pokemon?" Fel asked Alice playfully as he sized up her trump cards.
"Don't get so cocky, Fel. This training will really test you to your limit." Alice grinned playfully.
"Then, do not hold back." He told her and she looked at Absol, Gallade and Lucario who nodded and she nodded back and grasped her key stone necklace which started to glow.
"Key stone, hear my call. Let this bond between Pokémon and trainer unite and strenghten." The same phenomenon that Fel and Sui witnessed back at the first dungeon happened right away and Dora-Chan was seeing it for the first time.
"What is happening?!" He asked Sui who was bouncing excitedly.
"Mama is evolving her Pokemon!" Sui said excitedly, having seen it for the first time against the kobold king as Dora-Chan watched in awe.
"Lucario, Absol, Gallade! Mega Evolve!" She shouted as Lucario, Absol and Gallade changed as they let out their cries and got into stances and Fel got ready.
"Begin!" Alice gave them the green light as her Pokémon charged at Fel. Fel, to say the least, was a bit overwhelmed by how her Pokémon were working together. It was Lucario at first only to move away to let Gallade land a hit. Each hit and strike didn't serve to injure or hurt him but to test his defenses. Fel used his wind magic on Absol but when he tried to do the same again, he was in shock when he couldn't use wind magic.
'(Don't panic. It's temporary. A move called disabled was used against your wind magic, Fel.)' Alice told him telepathically.
'(Why didn't you tell me your Pokémon have the ability to prevent me from using wind magic?)' He asked her as he dodged a fire blast from Ninetales.
'(That would ruin the surprise and point of the training.)' She told him with a small smile at the end of the field.
Fel huffed before he went back to the training. By the time the sun was setting, everyone was back at the stables where Alice is cooking them a large meal due to them training nonstop for the entire day. Fel was relatively sore but Alice had Altaria and Gardevoir use heal pulse on him after he had defeated Lucario when it was sundown.
She made Grilled Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Rice which they completely devoured and asked for seconds. Alice smiled as they ate their fill until it was time for sleep as she recalled all of her Pokemon since they have to get the Earth Dragon meat from Elrand tomorrow.
The next day was the day and Alice had given Sui some materials to use to make something for Fel and mithril for a new weapon for her to use since she lost the first one and she was cleaning up the bed and smoothening down the mattress and pillow and blanket while Sui was busy.
"Mama, Sui finished what you asked for." Sui called her as he crawled over to her, holding a completely mithril sword over him much to Alice's surprise.
"Whoa. What a beautiful sword!" Alice marveled in awe and amazement. the hilt was also made of gold from the gold nuggets she gave him to use. She used an appraisal on it and saw that it was a mithril sword+.
"And it looks incredibly sharp too!" She noted as she plucked a strand of her hair to test it out.
"Sui also made that gift you wanted to give to Uncle Fel." Sui said as he showed her the leg band. Alice gasped in awe as Sui handed it to her and she looked at it, inspecting it clearly. It was made of mithril but has a mixture of gold in it which she will probably call aurimith and the engravings on it were the same as Fel's mark on his head.
"Sui also made one for mama." Sui said happily, handing her one which was the same design as Fel's but more for her arm band. She put it on and it fits perfectly.
"Did you make one for Dora-Chan too?" Alice asked Sui who bobbed happily and jumped in her arms as she held him.
"Sui made one for Dora-Chan too!" Sui said happily.
"I really appreciate your work, Sui. I'll give you something as a reward for doing this." She told him with a pet.
"It's okay. Sui is happy when mama is happy." Sui reassured her which made her tear up.
"Oh, Sui... If worse comes to worse in that dungeon, now I can protect not just myself but all of you because of you." Alice said, which made Sui happy.
"Is Sui a good kid?" Sui asked her in delight which made her chuckle.
"Yes, you are. The most special kind of kid." She said fondly but they were soon interrupted by a knock on the door followed by Ugor's voice.
"Alice." His voice, muffled, came from the other side of the door as she went to it with Sui on her head.
She opened the door and smiled at seeing the older man.
"Hey, Ugor, is it ready?" Alice asked him as he nodded.
"Indeed. The earth dragon has been completely processed. Please come with me to the warehouse." He informed her which made her smile. Fel is gonna be so surprised by the dish she has planned and she hopes that he'll like the gift that she'll give him.
"That's great! Just give me a moment and we can head that way." Alice said as she moved to close the door to finish up but Ugor prevented her from closing it, having a stern and firm expression and she had a feeling that Elrand wasn't doing his duties again.
"I have no time to waste. Elrand's been neglecting his duties." Ugor told her and she sighed. What is Elrand even doing now?
"Until you get that blasted dragon off the premises, I'm stuck doing both of our jobs!" He explained before he ran off as Alice watched him disappear down the hall.
'Sounds like a rough workplace environment.' She thought sympathetically as she looked up at Sui with a worried expression.
"Ugor feels more like the guildmaster, no?" Alice said as Sui squeaked softly.
They went to get Fel and Dora-Chan and she gave Dora-Chan the arm bands that Sui made and Dora-Chan hugged both her and Sui together while Sui was glad Dora-Chan liked his gift. Alice then moved to Fel who had gotten up when Dora-Chan suddenly became excited.
"What is the fuss about?" He asked her curiously as Dora-Chan seemed to be wearing something on his arms.
"I had Sui help me to make something. Since I wasn't able to find something for you, I had Sui help me." Alice said as she scratched her cheek sheepishly.
"Can you lift one of your forelegs?" She asked him softly as she was hiding something behind her back.
"If you insist." He said as he lifted his left foreleg and Alice clasped the aurimith cuff on his foreleg and he looked at it curiously. It wasn't heavy and it is surprising but he sensed that it was mostly made of gold along with mithril?
"What is this?" Fel asked her curiously but she didn't meet his eyes as she flushed lightly.
"U-Uh, just something that I've been wanting to give you and I wasn't able to find one and Sui can now forge items, I figured that he can help me make something for you." She said nervously as her cheeks flushed a little. Fel's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the accessory she had given. It was beautiful yet meaningful and he can see she has a matching one while Dora-Chan's design was different. He couldn't help but huff. But his tail was wagging behind him vigorously and a smile was on his face as he lifted her chin gently with his paw and she looked at him.
"You went through the trouble to find me a gift?" He asked her softly as she looked away shyly.
"I-I, well, I wanted to show you how you mean so much to me. Not just you but Sui, Dora-Chan and my pokemon. You mean so much to me." She said softly but the words she wanted to say was 'I care about you' but she didn't know how to word it. She couldn't understand it but her heart was hammering against her chest. She wanted to say something more, anything but she couldn't get the words out.
Fel watched her stammer and fidget with her fingers before he nuzzled her forehead which caused her to shut one of her eyes at that as she placed her hands on the sides of his muzzle.
"You mean so much to me as well." He spoke softly and sincerely which made her smile.
"Fel and Alice sitting in a tree!" Dora-Chan and Sui started to tease, both laughing in delight, which made the situation turn from tender to slightly awkward as they pulled away reluctantly and slowly, blushing brightly as Alice led the way to the warehouse so they could get the dragon meat.
They made it to the warehouse as Alice pushed the door open.
"Hello? Elrand? It's Alice! I was told you finished processing the Earth Dragon, so I'm here to pick up the... meat." Alice called as she and Fel came in with Dora-Chan in Fel's fur but she trailed off by the scene that met them.
Elrand was holding two bottles of what she can assume was the blood of the earth dragon and he was kneeling by the window and crying in tears of joy. All Alice and Fel could do was watch him weirdly.
"An extraordinary crimson, as expected of dragon blood. I could marvel at its beauty for eons!" He said in delight.
'His marbles have left the building. Is this guy really okay?' Alice thought before shaking her head.
"Hey, Elrand, Ugor told me that you finally finished processing the Earth Dragon." Alice called him which snapped him out whatever lala land he was in.
"Oh my! Miss Alice, I didn't see you there!" Elrand finally noticed her as he chuckled and was delighted to see her and her familiars.
He set the two bottles down before showing the complete collection from the Earth Dragon.
"I present to you... A treasure trove of dragon pieces!" He said excitedly as Alice was in awe at the amount of pieces and parts from one earth dragon.
"I have lived for hundreds of years now and the past three days were the best of my long elven life!" Elrand said delightfully while Alice laughed sheepishly with Fel giving Elrand an unimpressed look.
"I-Is that so? Well then, I'm happy for you." Alice said simply before she jumped when Elrand came too close to her again.
"My euphoria would surely continue if you sold some of these fine materials to the guild." He told her as she stepped away from him. She doesn't need the parts. All she and her group needed was the meat.
"Y-Yeah, I was about to offer." Alice told him with a small smile and he immediately went to show Alice which items he had picked.
"First, I'd like two bottles of earth dragon blood. Dragon blood is one of the main items used as an ingredient in elixirs and is alleged to be a sort of panacea." Elrand explained before he grabbed two pottery vases, setting them down behind the two bottles of dragon blood.
"Adding on, next, I want half of the liver. It's said to have the same restorative properties as the blood, but its effects are apparently much stronger." He explained Alice was surprised. Dragon blood and liver are used to make medicine? Elrand then picked one last item and set it down.
"And lastly, I would like one of the fangs. This can later become an epic dragon sword for yours truly." He said before clearing his throat, acting professional.
"Now allow me to pay you for your wares." Elrand said before Alice blinked as she looked at the items Elrand had chosen vs to mountain piles of the materials. That's it?
"Huh? What? Are you that's everything you want to buy? I thought you would want to buy more than that and that you would take home a lot more of your hard work." Alice said in confusion. If that's all he's gonna buy, what was she supposed to do with the rest?
"Well, as much as I'd like to, the guild's finances can't take any further abuse." Elrand said which shocked Alice. Seriously?! Are dragon parts really that rare and valuable?!
"And after hours of deliberation, I narrowed it down to these items." Elrand explained as he went to get something and came back with two bigger bags of gold coins.
"The total comes out to 3,800 gold coins." He said as he handed the payment to Alice who struggled to carry them and she had to set them on the table.
"I took the liberty of preparing 380 large gold coins to spare you some pain. Count it if you'd like." Elrand told her and Alice opened the bags to confirm the payment.
"It looks right." She said, still shocked but her brain was mentally calculating. That means she has over 1,477,793,000 Pokedollars in total back home before she looked at the rest of the dragon parts while Fel sniffed each one, trying to find the meat as Elrand was busy admiring the fang.
'If we made this much money selling a few pieces, how much would we make if we sold everything?' Alice thought as she was already dreading the amount.
With Sui's help and Latias, who Alice secretly let out and she had to make up a lie that Latias isn't a dragon type but she most certainly is. Latias uses psychic to help Alice and Sui put every item in her item box as Dora-Chan watches them.
"Enough about organs and fangs. The elf's assortment doesn't contain meat." Fel told Alice as she looked at him. She had indeed noticed that and was worried that Elrand did something to the meat without them knowing. Fel looked at Elrand, giving the elf an angry look as he growled.
"Let me make something clear. Fools who touch my food perish." Fel warned Elrand as Latias and Dora-Chan looked worried.
"Fel, calm down." Alice whispered before looking at Elrand as she had to put a hand on Fel's neck.
"Elrand, where are you storing the meat?" She asked, needing to keep Fel from throwing a fit but Elrand flashed them a calm smile.
"Do be at ease, Lord Fel, Lady Alice." Elrand told them calmly as he gestured to a door at the other side of the warehouse.
"Come along with me and I'll show you where I've stored the Earth Dragon's flesh." Elrand said and this calmed Fel down though Alice could feel annoyance still radiating from his body.
They followed Elrand to a set of blue ornate doors and Alice felt the air growing a bit cold and Latias backed away from the door, looking wary.
"Is something the matter with your companion, Alice?" Elrand asked Alice curiously as Alice, Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan turned to Latias who stayed back from the door and Alice almost forgot.
"Oh, uh! She doesn't do well with the cold." She said simply though she can feel her familiars' eyes on her.
'(What do you mean Latias doesn't do well with the cold?)' Dora-Chan asked telepathically, sensing there was more to it than that.
'(I forgot to explain this during training but I'll explain it now. My Pokemon may be powerful but they also have type disadvantages.)' She explained while Elrand looked at her and her Familiars since they were just staring at each other. Could they be using telepathy?
'(Type disadvantages?)' Fel asked her in confusion as she gave a subtle nod.
'(Yes. For example during that training yesterday. Dora-Chan, you went up against Bolt, Altaria, Gardevoir and Latias, correct?)' Alice inquired as Dora-Chan nodded in confusion.
'(Yeah, I remember and they gave me a run for my money.)' Dora-Chan said as Alice nodded with a small smile.
'(Latias and Altaria are both part dragon type. You could have used ice magic on them both or lightning magic on Altaria since she's part dragon and flying type.)' Alice explained.
'(Wait, you mean we could have used specific of our skills to get them easily?!)' Dora-Chan asked in shock and disbelief.
'(Yes, but I'm very proud of all of you for doing your best yesterday.)' Alice said with a smile.
'(Interesting. Do the pokemon typings have disadvantages?)' Fel asked her in wonder.
'(Sure can. There are 18 types back in my world. From normal types to fairy types. Normal types like Eevee are weak against fighting types. And Latias being dragon and psychic type, she's weak against fairy, ice and dark types.)' Alice explained as Fel hummed.
'(I see.)' He nodded before they looked at Elrand.
"Uh, sorry about that, Elrand." Alice apologized sheepishly but he just waved her off.
"It is no problem. But I took special care of your future feast, my lord." Elrand said before opening the door as a gentle blast of cold air hit them immediately and Alice realized it was a cold storage.
"Y-Yeesh, it's freezing in here!" Dora-Chan shivered, practically diving into Fel's fur for warmth.
'I guess even dragons here can't handle the cold.' Alice thought in concern as she, Fel, Sui and Elrand walked inside. The place was cold and it was the perfect temperature for food like meat and other items.
Fel observed the storage before he noticed some ice in the area and recognized them.
"Huh, you're maintaining the meat with magical ice." Fel said in recognition. He sniffed the air and shivered slightly from the cold but he could smell the Earth Dragon meat in here.
"The members of our guild come to me with oodles of meat from the dungeon, and a temperature-controlled space works better than a natural cold room." Elrand explained to him as Sui used his proliferate skill to split into copies of himself as they brought the Earth Dragon meat to Alice who put them in her item box.
Elrand approached Alice as she was putting the meat in her item box.
"Excuse me, Miss Alice, as we discussed. I'm itching to try a bite of the dragon, so..." Elrand fidgeted nervously as Alice smiled slightly.
"We made a deal." Alice said with a small smile as she put the last of the meat in her item box.
"You processed it, so we're more than happy to share." She reassured him much to his delight.
"You're too generous!" He exclaimed as he came to her, grabbing her hands which Fel had noticed immediately as he growled slightly, unable to contain his instincts of someone touching his mate.
"Let us way!" Elrand said as Alice looked confused.
"A way to where?" She asked as he grinned excitedly.
"To my home where you shall prepare the meal!" He told her before Fel intervened, nudging Alice away from Elrand but he was in agreement.
"A fine idea! We mustn't waste time. Now that the dragon is in our hands, it should be in our stomachs!" Fel told her as she huffed in amusement but she smiled.
"Yeah! Give me the meats!" Dora-Chan and Sui were excited as well as Elrand nodded vigorously.
Elrand practically dragged Alice by the hand much to both her and Fel's chagrin but the elf and her Familiars were excited for the meal she's gonna prepare as Latias followed them. Alice gave Ugor an apologetic look as he stared at them leaving the guild.
"U-Uh, hey, Elrand! Isn't it the middle of your workday right now?" Alice asked him as Elrand dragging someone away with three familiars following was an odd sight that people and other adventurers couldn't help but stare in confusion.
"The guild will survive. At this moment, there's nothing more important than sampling delicious dragon meat." Elrand told her stubbornly as Alice glance to Fel who caught her gaze.
'(He's as bad as you are, Fel.)' She said humorlessly which made Fel snort.
"Me-eat! Me-eat! Meat for you and me!" Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan chanted excitedly as they headed for Elrand's home.
Alice had insisted to Elrand that they should go to his backyard which was surprisingly beautiful due to the amount of flora Elrand has.
"Nice garden you have here, Elrand." Alice said as she looked at the garden.
"Why thank you. But you're sure you want to cook in the yard? There's a kitchen inside?" Elrand noted curiously.
"Yeah, it's fine." Alice said as she opened her item box and pulled out the magic stove with Latias helping with using psychic.
"I actually bought a new magic stove recently and I'm excited to try it." She said as she and Latias set it down while Elrand looked at it in awe.
"That must be the latest model. Item Box is a great skill." He noted as Alice's item box closed before he revealed something.
"I use mine constantly." Elrand revealed as he opened his and took out a book from it much to Alice's surprise.
"I've never met or seen anybody else that has one." She admitted, impressed that Elrand has such a skill as Elrand smiled.
"We elves are known for our proficiency in magic. Especially me." Elrand said, sounding a little too confident as he started to ramble again, telling her about his skills.
"Yes. Back then, in my day, I was a true warrior. A blade in one hand, magic in the other. I use plant and wind magic, to be precise. Plant magic being a technique unique to us elves. It's actually detailed-" Elrand continued but Alice tuned him out once more. If she listens to him ramble on, she won't get cooking done.
"I'll start cooking." She said as she and Fel turned away from him. She took out the folding table along with the baking tray, sheets, ingredients, some Pokémon berries and finally one large chunk of meat from the earth dragon.
Alice unwrapped the cloth from the meat and smiled. This should be enough for all of them.
"Welp, we have an oven so we might as well use it." She told her Familiars and Latias before she got started by putting seasonings on it.
'Start by seasoning your earth dragon meat with lots of salt and pepper.' Alice used a mill so the entire meat was perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper. Sui was even patting the seasonings on it so the flavor will stick.
Soon came the vegetables. Latias and Dora-Chan put the potatoes and carrots together after they're washed thoroughly.
'Peel your carrots and potatoes, then slice them up.' Alice made sure to be careful of the peeler as she peeled the potatoes and carrots from the skin before slicing them up with the knife.
'Next, mashed up the Persim and Sitrus berries until they turn into a glazed sauce.' Alice mashed the berries together in the special berry masher before setting it aside so she can start on the next step that Sui helped who picked up one of the onions.
'Peel your baby onions too, but leave those whole.' Sui marveled at the onion that he had peeled as each vegetable that was prepared were all put together in bowls.
'Lay some parchment paper on a cookie sheet, then place your meat and arrange the vegetables around it.' Alice had Latias set the parchment paper before they put the meat right in the center as Dora-Chan and Sui helped by arranging the vegetables around it.
'After that, drizzle with a healthy dose of olive oil, all of the mashed up berry glaze and top with fresh herbs.' Alice drizzled the entire meat using olive oil with the mashed Persim and sitrus berries before putting the herbs on it.
She put on some oven mitts before opening the oven doors before sliding the pan inside.
'Carefully place the pan in the preheated oven and let the roasting begin.' Alice closed the oven doors and the cooking process began.
Elrand, Dora-Chan, Sui and Fel crowd in front of the oven at a safe distance as Alice has Latias help her put everything away before setting up the plates and utensils along with the sauce they're going to use. The smell of the roast was very yummy as Alice turned to watch them with a smile when she noticed Fel's tail was wagging a bit.
'Keep an eye on it until the meat comes to temperature.' She thought as she watched Elrand watching the oven cook the meat with everyone before Fel joined Elrand, sniffing at the meal that was being cooked in the oven but it turned into a slight shoving game which made Alice laugh with Dora-Chan, Latias and Sui in amusement.
It took a moment before Alice approached the magic stove with the oven mittens on before opening the oven doors and pulled out a perfect roast.
"Hey, not bad for my first try!" She said in surprise and delight. Fel watched her take it out with an excited look on his face and Elrand could hardly believe that something that smells so good came from that chunk of earth dragon meat.
Alice brought out to the folding table carefully, removing the mittens off as the meat was still sizzling but she used a special type of needle to see how cooked it was and she smiled when there's nothing coming out.
"Perfect! It's done." Alice grabbed a knife and started to slice up pieces of the dragon meat which she put in plates along with the vegetables before grabbing the sauce bottle that Fel likes.
"Last step, add a little bit of Fel's favorite garlic-flavored steak sauce." She poured the right amount of the sauce on the meat and it was finally done and ready for them to eat.
"And there you have it, royal roast dragon." Alice said happily.
{Royal Roast Dragon}
The sight of the ready plate with the roast dragon made everyone excited with Sui practically bouncing around in excitement. Alice served Fel, Sui, Latias and Dora-Chan theirs first and they didn't hesitate to dig in immediately as she and Elrand sat by the table so they could eat.
Alice gulped, looking at her plate as she used her fork to pick up one of the meat slices.
"Here goes." She said nervously as she brought the meat to her mouth before putting the meat inside before her body was struck by a strong jolt of lightning. What. In. Arceus' name is this?!
'What's the deal with dragon? Why is it so delicious?!' Alice thought in delight and shock. The flavor was unlike anything she had ever tasted before and yet her taste buds were being assaulted by the umami of three types of meat!
'It's not quite like beef, pork or chicken, but somehow has the combined umami of all three!' She said in delight as she picked up another piece to eat.
'It's a juicy, flavor-filled adventure in every bite too!' She put it in her mouth, chewing in delight as she looked at her Familiars and Latias who were all enjoying the meal just as much as she was.
'I can see why Fel was so hungry for it.' She thought with a smile as Fel, Dora-Chan, Sui and Latias were really going at it with their first serving.
"Dragon flesh is as scrumptious as I remember." Fel said in joy. All this waiting was very much worth it and the berries that Alice had added as a glaze made it even more delightful to eat. He couldn't get enough of each bite!
"Dang! Who knew earth dragons were so tasty!" Dora-Chan was in agreement as he took another big bite of his. Latias ate hers in delight, chewing happily with a bit of sauce around her mouth. Sui was practically vibrating in excitement at how tasty it was.
"I've tried using fire magic to cook dragon meat in the past." Fel told Alice as he turned to her and she met his eyes as he swallowed.
"But this roasting method is far surperior!" He admitted which made Alice blush lightly. She was glad he likes her cooking method.
"I should have hunted another two or three!" He said playfully but Alice gave him the look which only made him grin and wag his tail.
"I'm glad you like it, but don't make your favorite meal go extinct. Let them repopulate at least." Alice told him with a chuckle, knowing he was just being playful.
Fel, Sui, Dora-Chan and Latias cleaned up their plates and are raring to go for another serving.
"Another serving!" Fel said as he brought his empty plate to her between his teeth.
"Same for me, boss!" Dora-Chan said, holding his empty plate.
"Sui wants more too, mama!" Sui said as Latias had him on her back and holding her empty plate as well and she smiled and they went to the table where the rest of the dragon meat was waiting for them all.
"Coming right up, guys." She smiled as put the same amount as before in Fel's plate as he picked it up carefully, returning to his spot to continue eating. She did the same for Sui and Latias before it was Dora-Chan's turn before she paused.
"Hang on a second. Speaking of which, Dora-Chan. Isn't eating a dragon cannibalism for you?" Alice asked him curiously as he handed his plate to her which she filled with the roast.
"You say it's a dragon but it would only be cannibalism if I ate a pixie dragon. Those tubby earth dragons and I are totally different species, so I could dine all day!" Dora-Chan explained as she handed him his refilled plate and she found it cute when his wings flapped excitedly as he flew off to eat with Fel, Sui and Latias.
"Ah, that's how it works then? Well, that's convenient." Alice said thoughtfully.
'So much wildness in such a small package.' She thought fondly before Elrand's soft crying made her look in his direction in concern and confusion.
"This is the best moment of my life." Elrand sniffed, tears of joy spilling from his eyes as he had finally eaten his first piece.
'Crying while he's eating at the same time?' Alice thought as she watched Elrand cry. Fel came to her side after he had finished his and would have asked for another serving but Elrand crying made him pause.
"Not only have I processed a dragon like I've dreamed of for years, but I get to sink my unworthy teeth into its delicious flesh. This flavor is unlike anything I have ever tasted!" Elrand continued to cry and eat at the same time. He had never imagined in his wildest dreams that he finally achieved the dream he had been dreaming of and getting to eat the dragon meat was a bonus!
"I could die happy now! I CAN DIE!!!" He exclaimed, still crying and eating while Alice and Fel stared at him weirdly as she refilled Fel's plate with another serving.
'(That was little much on my part.)' Alice told Fel telepathically who nodded as he accepted his refilled plate back.
'(Indeed.)' He agreed.
The day was over and Ugor practically dragged Elrand back to the guild after they finished the royal roast dragon they had for lunch, much to Elrand's dismay. The sun was setting, giving the sky colors, signaling night was approaching and Alice and her group were heading back to the inn after she had recalled Latias back in her Poke Ball.
Fel let out a sigh. The lunch was splendid and delicious and he was full of energy. The same could be said about Dora-Chan and Sui, the duo sticking between him and Alice. From this perspective, it was almost like they're a family,
"That was a splendid meal!" Fel said in content as he walked beside Alice as Dora-Chan was flying between them and Sui riding in the bag.
"My stomach is full and my blood is pumping with energy and strength!" He said as he paused, them looking at the dungeon in the distance ahead of them and that was clearly on their list now.
"That dungeon is no match for a well-fed Fenrir! Tomorrow, we'll begin our crawl!" He said confidently and Sui and Dora-Chan matched his energy while Alice watched with a smile as the trio led the way to the inn, chanting 'dungeon' repeatedly in excitement as she followed but she was deep in thought.
"Dungeon! Dungeon! Dungeon!" Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan chanted excitedly and repeatedly.
'If we're hitting the dungeon tomorrow, I should take care of the offerings now.' She thought as the trio kept chanting until they finally reached the inn.
Dora-Chan practically fell asleep on her head and Sui was sleeping in her arms but she walked Fel to the stables first since it was the right thing to do.
"These two are really tuckered out." She said softly as she had finished laying down the futon for him to sleep on.
"It has really been an eventful day." He agreed as he circled the futon before laying down but he noticed the concern and worry in her gaze as she looked at the slowly darkening sky.
"Something on your mind?" He asked her curiously as she went to him and sat down, leaning against his side as she held Sui and Dora-Chan in her arms.
"I just can't shake the feeling that something might happen while we're in there, Fel." Alice said softly.
"Do share your thoughts." He inquired softly, nuzzling her head which was turning into a routine.
"I can't exactly explain it. I know we're ready to tackle the dungeon since our first objective is done, but..." She said as she buried her face against his neck, hiding her face in his fur.
"You do not need to worry. I will not let anything harm you or any of us. As long as I still breathe, nothing will ever harm you." Fel promised as he looked at her and she met his gaze.
"Promise?" She whispered softly and he gave her a soft warm smile.
"I promise. Now, get some rest. We will venture into the dungeon after all." Fel said sincerely as she sighed but she smiled softly.
"All right. Good night." She whispered softly as she set Dora-Chan on his back and the Pixie Dragon immediately snuggled against Fel's fluffy fur. She kissed his forehead and he smiled, tail wagging.
"Rest well." He whispered back as he lay his head down to sleep while Alice went inside the inn with Sui in her arms.
She turned on a lamp and carefully set Sui down on the bed before sitting down beside him as he snuggled against her lap, sleeping peacefully as she petted him.
"Alright, first things first, I'll see what's new on the sweets page." Alice muttered as she opened the online grocery to see what's new.
In the divine realm, Ninrir, Agni, Kishar and Rusalka watched her open the online grocery page and were picking items. A moment ago, Ninrir and Kishar were practically squealing at Fel and Alice being so cute and romantic. Rusalka even admitted she fully supported a relationship between the two, even Agni was on board. The viewing pool also lets them rewind to past moments and Kishar was on board with Fel and Alice getting together.
"They look so cute together." She said softly with Ninrir nodding.
"Ooh! I can't wait for them to become official!" She squealed happily.
"I'm definitely blessing their future kids." Agni joked.
"They're not ready yet." Rusalka said, pointing out that having kids is a large step into a relationship.
They were watching Alice, content at watching her do her thing before Vahagn and Hephaestus came to them. They have been quiet after watching Alice and her group but they had checked Alice's stats but there wasn't a single defense skill that will help her be more safe at the dungeon which posed a problem. Only a short amount of time now and the Otherworlder has grown on them.
"Hey, ladies." Vahagn addressed them, his tone serious but has a tinge of worry and they look up at them.
"So tell me, one of you granted the Otherworlder some sort of defense skill, right?" Vahagn questioned them, needing to confirm that they haven't granted that Otherworlder a defense skill.
"Defense skill? I granted her my blessing." Ninrir said defensively. What's wrong with the blessing she gave her? It would protect her, right?
This answer just made both gods sigh in disappointment. Their suspicions were correct. The otherworlder doesn't have a defense skill.
"Should've known you'd be careless." Vahagn said in disappointment before he and Hephaestus turned to the goddesses.
"If she gets into danger, your blessing isn't going to save her. Your precious Otherworlder is waltzing around down there without any armor on, other than that barrier her Fenrir always casts around them." The god of war stated and this caught their attention. They always assumed that the Otherworlder would be safe from danger but it didn't occur to them that Alice is physically defenseless without protection from dangers.
"Humans die. What happens to you if the Otherworlder bites the dust? And what would happen to her Familiars if they weren't able to protect her?" Vahagn questioned them which hit the nail in the coffin.
"No more offerings. No deliveries from the other world. And most importantly, that Fenrir of hers will be devastated and will go on a rampage with that pixie dragon and slime." Hephaestus said grimly which made everything much worse.
The silence that crashed down on them was deafening almost suffocating before the four goddesses exploded.
"UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL I PART WITH MY OTHERWORLDLY PASTRIES!!! I CAN'T ALLOW ANYTHING TO HARM THAT OTHERWORLDER THAT WILL DEVASTATE MY SERVANT FENRIR!!!" Ninrir shouted in despair. She can't live without those pastries but mostly her servant Fenrir will be very devastated! She can't allow harm to fall on Alice!
"She's gotten me hooked on those beauty products! She can't just die and take them away! She just can't! She and her Fenrir have a future ahead of them!" Kishar exclaimed loudly. She was rooting for Alice and Fel to be together but if Alice dies, Fel, Dora-Chan and Sui will be devastated!
"We really count on those offerings, especially the booze! I was joking earlier but I want those two to be happy and have a big family!" Agni shouted, gripping her hair. She was joking about Alice and Fel having kids but she really wants to see it happen in the future!
Rusalka didn't say anything but she nodded quickly, agreeing with the trio goddesses. Alice mustn't die or be harmed! They have seen the fate of the Wyvern that almost harmed her and they knew that Fel would unleash his full power if something much worse would happen to Alice.
"Well, you're in luck." Hephaestus said as he approached the viewing pool.
"I've got a skill in my back pocket that will boost the Otherwolder's defense stats. May I go ahead?" He asked and the girls nodded immediately.
Back in the inn, Alice was preparing to send the offerings so the deities will stop hassling her about their offerings.
"Hey, goddesses, gods, it's me, Alice. We're headed into the dungeon tomorrow, so I-" Alice started to say only for Hephaestus to cut her off.
"It's Hephaestus, and you're welcome! I'm granting you a new skill."
That made Alice blinked. A new what?
"Whoa, hang on! Not so fast, Hephaestus! I appreciate the offer but I don't want you to waste your time to give me a skill that I might not need!" Alice exclaimed. She really doesn't want a new skill though she was curious about what it is.
"Can I just send my offerings in peace?" She pleaded but all she heard was a grunt.
"I graciously allowed you to refuse my blessing before, but I've got you this time! You'll thank me for it later. Take it, it's for your own good!"
Alice felt a surge of power course through her before stopping. She just knew that Hephaestus had given her a skill but what is the question and, what did he mean by that it was for her own good and she'll thank him later?
"Nice! The longer the Otherworlder lives, the more liquor she can send up to us!"
"Sweets too!"
"And shampoo!"
"Now get me drunk!"
"I'd like a treat!"
All their demands were starting to get on her nerves, her eye twitching as she gritted her teeth.
"Do any of you ever listen to me?" She questioned but didn't get a reply. She sighed and sent them the usual offerings before laying down to get some sleep for the dungeon tomorrow.
Around midnight, Alice grunted softly as she stirred but couldn't open her eyes but her forehead was sweating as she breathed heavily.
Nightmare starts;
Alice ran quickly, trying to escape something that was chasing her as it roared behind her. A searing heat was coming towards her followed by Fel's voice shouting her name.
"ALICE!!!"
Alice turned as the scenery changed and she was standing over Fel's body. He was on the ground, barely breathing, had sustained injuries and severe burns and Sui and Dora-Chan were unconscious. She started to hyperventilate as she held her head.
"No... This... this is just a dream... Wake up! WAKE UP!"
Nightmare ends;
"FEL!" Alice shouted as she bolted upright, sweating slightly and shaking. She ran a hand through her hair, breathing heavily. She wiped her eyes before picking up Sui who was awoken by her shout as she headed for the stables.
Fel was still asleep as she approached before leaning against his side and huddled close. She took deep breaths and his scent, heartbeat and breathing calmed her down instantly as she fell asleep with Dora-Chan snuggling near her head with Sui snuggled against her chest.
Fel opened an eye when he felt someone leaning against his side and he saw that it was Alice but she was holding onto his fur as if she was scared he would disappear. He huffed softly but he had noticed the tears in her eyes and he leaned to her face and licked them away and her grip loosened as she slowly relaxed. He wondered what caused her such distress but she's asleep so he can't disturb her. So he lay his head down on his paws and closed his eyes to sleep, curling his tail around them.
The next day, Fel would have asked Alice about last night but he had noticed she was shaken so he decided to table the question for now because they're going into the dungeon and it excited Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan but Alice was quiet. Fel hummed as he looked to her to see that she was lagging a bit behind him.
"Did you not sleep well?" He asked her as she blinked.
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. Wasn't able to sleep okay." She said softly as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Did something scare you?" He whispered softly, not wanting Dora-Chan and Sui to overhear. He had smelled the fear coming off her in waves last night which worried him. Alice stayed quiet before she looked up at him.
"Promise me that you won't do something dangerous, okay?" She pleaded, her voice cracking slightly at the end.
Fel didn't know where the pleading came from but her tone held fear. He came to her before nuzzling her head gently.
"I promise." He reassured her as she sniffed, trying to give him a smile, even a small one.
"Hey, come on, lovebirds!" Dora-Chan called them over with Sui bouncing excitedly. That made both of them blush before they hurried to register to finally enter the dungeon.
They were next in line as the group in front of them went to the dungeon but who Alice saw at the registration other than the woman 3 days ago was the same person from that one guild she first registered.
"It's been a minute." She said, tone flat and bored and Alice remembered her.
"You're from the guild in the Kingdom of Veenen." Alice said as Vianca wrote her name down on the registration book.
"I'm Vianca." She introduced herself but her eyes kept glancing at Fel which still put Alice into unease.
"Um, what are you doing here?" Alice asked her, shifting a bit closer to Fel.
"This dungeon has been a pretty popular spot lately, so Dolan requested help from other guilds and my boss recommended me." Vianca explained as Alice just hummed.
"I didn't realize separate guilds kept in contact." She said as she had to keep her hands from fidgeting. She can see how Vianca was glancing at Fel and she doesn't like how people or other girls are looking at her Fel. That made Alice blink and blush, shaking her head. Her Fel?! Where did that come from?!
'She's so interested in what Fel is up to, she can hardly do her job.' Alice thought as she put a hand on Fel's fur unconsciously as he turned to look at her curiously.
"You're registered and good to go. Best of luck." Vianca said which was the green light needed as Fel practically nudged her excitedly towards the dungeon with Dora-Chan pulling her hand.
"Dungeon! Dungeon!" Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan chanted excitedly which finally got a laugh out of Alice.
"Guys, I can walk. Don't rush me." Alice laughed while Fel, Sui and Dora-Chan cheered excitedly as Vianca watched them leave for the dungeon but her eyes were glued onto Fel and she couldn't help but let out a delighted squeal to escape her as she and the adventurers, who were waiting their turn watch the group leave to enter the dungeon where the real trial and tests will reveal how strong their bond is.