"I'm not sure about this, Mary."

"Nonsense, Helen. that female priest recommended this place personally. She said it wasn't as it sounded."

"You mean a brothel? Cause it sure does sound like a brothel. The Pleasure Palace? Seriously, Mary?"

"Just a quickie, Helen. I mean, a quick peek. Just a quick peel. If it's what you think it is then we can leave straight away. I don't think that nice lady would have recommended the things your mind is imagining."

"Hey. I have some nice thoughts too. There are some dashing men around recently though. Enough to get the blood pumping at least."

"Helen! And you were the one who didn't want to come."

"Purely based on the fact that I shouldn't have to pay for that sort of thing."

The two women arrive at the Pleasure Palace. Upon entry they are greeted by a dashing young man.

"Hello, ladies. My name is Darwin. Please, follow me." Darwin begins to walk away and both women follow him without so much as a word. Entering into an open seated area, Darwin leads them to the circular couch where he takes a seat.

"So then, ladies. How may we help you today? Are you here for conversation, companionship or maybe something extra?"

"Can we just talk?" Helen is the first to speak and Darwin smiles at her.

"Absolutely. Sometimes all we really need to take pleasure in the world is to unburden ourselves from the day's troubles and the strains on life become easier to bear when shared with others."

"Huh?" is the only sound Helen could muster. Mary has a smug look on her face as she knew the Priest wouldn't steer them wrong.

"What's the difference between companionship and something extra?"

"Mary!" Helen goes red at friend's provocative suggestion.

"What? Oh. That's just your mind, Helen. Get it out of the gutter."

"Something else is whatever you desire to find pleasure in life. A foot massage, someone to read to you, a person to hold you whilst you sleep - and of course, the place your friend's mind seems to go." Darwin chuckles at his own joke soliciting a frown from Helen.

"I'm not that bad, am I?" She asks her friend seriously.

"Well... you do always seem to think everything's about... you know."

"I'm sorry and you were right. This place is not what I thought it was going to be. So... Darwin, wasn't it?"

"Yes, mam." The gorgeous young man smiles at Helen causing her heart to flutter twice in the same day.

"I-I would like to have a conversation with someone," she announces shyly.

"Absolutely. Are there any guidelines to that or are you happy with anyone?"

"What type of guidelines would there be?"

"Someone you know, someone you don't know, a male, a female, a child, an older person, someone created by the dungeon, someone you have spoken to previously, the guild master. Basically, if there's a stipulation, we'll try to fulfill it," he smiled constantly through his list. Helen didn't know there would be so many different types of people she could talk to, but someone created by a dungeon? That didn't sound right, did it?

Still, the woman who had been attending the academy had heard rumors during her lectures and she was curious to see if they held any truth. Helen chose a conversation with a dungeon summon while Mary also chose to have a conversation. It would seem that Mary already had a plan in mind for who she wanted to speak with and chose a male her age almost immediately.

Wiley fox, Helen thought, and she calls me the naughty one.

The women were led to separate booths and assured sound magic would prevent any noise from escaping. Mary was then left alone while Darwin remained in Helen's personal booth.

"I thought I was going to get to speak to a dungeon summon, or something like that? Why aren't you leaving?" Feeling slightly giddy, Helen asks the question the question she thinks she already knows the answer to. No one can be that good looking, right? Chiseled abs, perfect jawline, silky-smooth hair.

"Because I was summoned by the dungeon, Helen," Darwin announces as mysteriously as he can.

"It's a good job these booths are soundproof then," she smiles, approaching the suddenly shaken Darwin.

"Wait, Wait," he begs.

"What!"

"This is the wrong room. There's no bed"

Helen and Mary

Dungeon Stories Volume 4

After leaving Lord Aldor in Clara's capable hands, I left his Manor and headed to Ishda's noble district. I'm not the fondest of places like these. I like the buildings and architecture - or what's left of it at least, but it's the people that live inside those that I generally tend to dislike.

Nobles are usually a haughty bunch that usually pride themselves on being better than those below them. Every now and then you might find a decent one mind you. A noble who uses their wealth and authority to help those in need, but they are few and far between.

Even as we make our way through what's left of this particular section of Ishda, the remaining nobles I see are all at least orange on Soul Guides radar. Even if they didn't participate in the coup, the kidnapping or the embezzlement, they're still on the wrong end of justice. There's a lot of work to do here. Much more than I had originally thought in the Lord's Manor.

After purchasing the entire noble quarter, I do what a dungeon does best. In the space of sixty seconds, months of removal work is completed as I emptied out plots and removed broken buildings by absorbing everything Noir had broken. Every brick, fence and piece of furniture sunk into the ground, freeing up space for new constructions and uncluttering the once rubble-strewn district.

There were some worried faces, but life's changing whether they like it or not. The orange-souled nobles will soon be visiting Varona for reformation anyway so their opinions fell on deaf ears as I began creating building after building.

This time though, seeing as how we weren't in Varona and was in fact in a nice district, I decided to show off a little. Instead of creating the usual Unburglable Bungalows, I took it up a step and made the Vampires some mansions. If I want them to run this place and have the other nobles fall in line, they need to at least look the part. That includes a sweet crib to go with their dazzling looks.

Best case scenario they manage to alter some souls before I get round to this place.

That would be nice.

Or maybe I could just make some more space for them? Then I'd need more workers to watch over them too and I'd have to feed both of them from Varona. No, I've got a good thing going at the minute. Once I've gathered all of Ishda under my skirt, then we'll see if reformation needs expanding.

With work finished it was time for a little sightseeing. I was still purchasing land as we made our way around, but at that poiny it had become less like work and more of a habit. I can't travel anywhere I haven't personally bought after all.

Fortunately the rest of my family don't have the same encumbering problems as myself and can go wherever they like. More often than not, I'm stopped by the boundaries that make up my domain and have to fork out DP before going any further.

As we made our way through Ishda - looking like the most-bizarre adventuring party anyone was likely to come across, we were given warming smiles and people graciously made way for Bear as Violet rode him down the street. Again, this wouldn't be the normal reaction that people have to seeing a little girl riding an animal three-times her size. The triplets pump out the same peaceful aura that every other Dragon does automatically regardless of where they are. This means that no matter where we go, no one will question the odd child on the bear.

I treat the triplets to dinner while we're walking around to let them experience something different for a change. We had to sit outside the establishment, however, as Bear wouldn't fit through the door. Once we had finished, I was left wanting. Our meals were extremely nice, but it felt like there was something missing. Maybe Ali's adding a little extra love into her Dishes. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for home cooking.

Either way, I wasn't satisfied and by the look on Amber's face, neither was she. Returning home we have a second meal at Ali's, the Gourmet's food hitting the spot perfectly, before retiring for the evening. It's the triplets day off from fighting in the Coliseum. Ringmaster Randy told me that other people had started to fall behind because I was prioritising the triplets above all else so we had to arrange for them to have set training days like everyone else.

They're already much stronger than they were and to be honest, I'm grateful Randy suggested they train less. It won't be long before my cute little triplets are ready to join Rebecca in the ranks of Rebellion Dragons. That thought alone makes me extremely sad. No matter what I say to Becca she always takes my words the wrong way. Maybe I should push the Rebellion Dragon's training schedule so we pass them through the phase as quickly as possible. My only concern on that front is that I could possibly end up with something worse than a rebellion on my hands.

What if she turns into the Dragon of Imminent Death or some stupid shit like that? I wouldn't put it past this awkward stand of evolution, but I'm hoping that Sis will pull through with something amazing. Hoping is the operative word in that sentence. I'm actually begging. I just want Becca to like me. What's so wrong with that?

Shaking off thoughts of the future - we all know who that's left to by now, I bring the triplets to the tower with me while I practice my Creation magic.

Creation itself isn't technically magic, but it damn well might as be because nothing else I've ever seen or used comes close to its power. As the girls watch, fabric and material form into existence. Knitting, sewing and stitching themselves together, they form different beings as I create a mass horde of stuffed animals. Cute and cuddly beyond belief, Blondie squeals in excitement as the stuffed animals float towards the girls futons.

Before hers have even arrived, Blondie has begun plucking them out of the air one by one. Death squeezing them like I myself once did so long ago - and also not so long ago at the same time as I wake up every morning with at least four cuddlies in my arms.

They help me sleep, what else can I say? Plus, they're just so adorable. Evident by the fact that Bear is enamored by the miniature, stuffed version of himself. Violet doesn't seem bothered by the space takers on her futon, but as long as Bear is happy she's never unhappy.

Amber was the happiest of my three little Dragons though by far as I had done something special for her. I had a clever idea when I was creating her teddies and I made each one resemble foods of different varieties. Seeing as her the first one went straight in her mouth before she spat it out though, that might have been a bad idea on my part.

Still, even though she can't eat them, Amber doesn't seem dissatisfied as she sucks on the top of a large, soft banana and peacefully falls asleep.

Yeah, I know.

At least it's not a chocolate you know what though.