MAZE - The Endless Quest

At sunrise, people were woken up by some members of the army. It wasn’t an alarm or anything of the sort. Or at least, not one due to some kind of emergency. The boat that was supposed to take them to the triton capital had arrived, and since the trip from the doorway to the city would take more than a day, the sooner they got there, the sooner they could relax.

Another reason for the rush was the time frame. The ceremony was supposed to happen in two days, and since it would take one day to reach the Neptara, people would barely have any time to rest or prepare. The members of the army had a set of formal clothing, but they didn’t carry that everywhere. Everyone would need to take the clothes that were available in the city, and if anything happened, there was barely time for a proper fitting.

Which meant getting to the ship fast was important so everyone could get some clothes. Hera herself didn’t think about that until the previous night, when Vash started asking about the kind of outfit they were going to wear. To be fair, Milla was working with some tailors and dressmakers in Neptara to set everything up, and since Hera was the only one who didn’t mention anything about that, she just assumed the Empress already had something in mind.

After realizing her mistake, the Ophidianite quickly asked Milla for help, and she started looking around for options. However, that also came with one big issue. No other species in the MAZE had tails. Not like Hera’s. Sure, some beastmen had one, but their size and shape were significantly smaller than what a half snake would have. Her claws also caused some issues with available shoes, but Milla had already found a solution. It wasn’t anything special, just someone who specialized in that kind of thing, since clawed feet were much more common for beastmen.

Still, the problem was not yet solved, but it wasn’t as if Hera could do anything right now. She could look up online as much as she wanted, but without going there and trying it on herself, it was impossible to get things right.

Once all the tents were properly stored, the large group moved towards the doorway but before anyone could cross, Kaela got to the front of the pack, “Listen up everyone! Beyond this is the Oceancrest Falls. The room where the Triton capital is located. Everyone must be in their best behavior. Whatever you do while we are on that side of the doorway will reflect directly on the army. If you mess up, I’m going to get an earful, and if I get an earful, I’m making you wish you had died in battle. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” there was an echo from all the soldiers. No one wanted to face the Scoutmaster’s wrath.

“One more thing. The other side of this doorway will drop us into a very tall mountain. Winds will be harsh, be careful not to fall. And do not go in the water. I don’t care if you can fly, swim, or fucking teleport. Don’t go in the water up there. The current is too strong and we will have to scrape you off the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall. If you even get that far. You are more likely to turn into a paste the moment you hit the water,” she paused, waiting for any questions, but the soldiers remained silent. With a satisfied nod, Kaela turned around, “Then we are moving. After you, commander.”

Thalion nodded and touched the door, vanishing in the white light. The rows of people followed along. Hera and the Harmony Guardians ended up at the back of the pack, simply for not wanting to disrupt the formation that was naturally created.

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Would you like to be transported to:

Oceancrest Falls - 21st Layer

[Yes] [No]

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Pressing yes, Hera felt that familiar feeling of being submerged in warm water. It was nice to think that despite everything that was going on, despite all the changes in her life and her body. Some things remained the same. It was a peaceful thought.

That was instantly broken as she felt the cold wind and water splashing her. It happened so fast, and Hera became so wet so quickly that part of her thought she had fallen into the waterfall. But that wasn’t the case. Up here, on top of this pillar that couldn’t even be called a mountain, the army appeared. A layer of mist so thick that was like walking through rain hid the apex of the mountain. The eternal spring, gushing out so much water that made them feel like they were on top of a rock where a wave had just crashed. Or a side of a theme park attraction made to splash water everywhere.

Hera felt another wave crashing over her, forcing the Ophidianite to adjust her footing, or more specifically, her tail, “Yeah, this is too violent for a theme park,” she mumbled but quickly realized one thing. If this was enough to at least mess with her balance. What about the physically weaker members of the team?

‘Everybody out! Grab the people who might be falling!’ the Empress commanded as the court sprung into action.

The first person Hera looked for was Helena, but the mage was doing fine. She had her shadow grabbers helping her hold steady. Helena spent so long dealing with things more powerful than her, and having to make up for her shortcomings that this kind of thing had already become second nature.

Flint and Roan were doing fine, so was Neria. Skyler and Vash, on the other hand. The harpy was almost tossed to the side, but Lurize caught him, and Skyler was helped by Helena. Who was already spreading her shadow grabbers to help those struggling. Livy walked over to the members of the army who seemed weaker and started moving with them, becoming a wall to protect the group from the wind and water while Nimbus took to the skies, even if the wind here was powerful, the Sentinel was even greater. He took the job of Overwatch, warning Hera and the others about any group that was having problems. In addition, he would step in himself if someone got too far away from the rest of the pack.

The court was not the only ones working to help, most members of the army had one way or another to assist those in need. Aside from that initial surprise of the change in scenery, nothing happened. They marched as a unit, following Kaela and Thalion. Even they had some trouble moving. Kaela didn’t care about appearance that much, but the commander, who always moved in an elegant manner, was now focusing more on not toppling over.

Thankfully, they didn’t have to spend too much time at the top of this mountain. To the left was a small entrance enchanted to be repair itself and ward off any water so it wouldn’t flood. Once inside, things became very straight forward. It was just a long tunnel going down. They would walk a few dozen meters forward, then do a U turn to continue, rinse and repeats. For two hours, they did nothing but walk down. Some of the crafters tried making carts, bikes and skateboards to speed up the process, but the turn was too sharp, which caused them to crash on the wall every single time.

After the two hours, they didn’t arrive at the bottom. No, they reached the viewing deck, which was just under the part of the mountain that was hidden inside a cloud. From the viewing area that was directly behind the waterfall, they saw a beautiful ocean of blue water stretching out into the distance. Even though the waters could reach incredible depths here, they never became oppressively dark. Not when looking from above. They could also see three islands, one to the east with a white sandy beach that looked paradisaic, another to the west with pink sand, of all things, and the last was towards the southwest, but very far into the distance. Only a volcano could be seen, an active volcano that let out a thin plume of white smoke, almost as if it was creating the clouds of the room themselves.

People were starting to get hungry, but it wasn’t time to stop. Not just yet. About 5 minutes beyond the viewing deck was a massive elevator. One that would take them to an alcove on the opposite side of the waterfall. Even with the elevator, it took about a full hour to reach the bottom. Not just because of the sheer height, being at almost 4 thousand meters. But also the elevator itself wasn’t that fast. Which gave everyone a chance to eat and rest.

Reading the alcove, they were met with one of the crown jewels of the triton. A large pearl white ship with a round front like the head of a sperm whale. Oddly enough, it was called the Moby Dick. Hera thought it was a bit strange to name a ship after a whale that drove a sea captain mad, but to each their own.

The trip to Neptara was uneventful to most. Neria was one of the few ones who actually had something to do, but even then it was a minor issue. Despite the peaceful look, the ocean in this room was somewhat rocky, and that caused a few people to get seasick. All it took was a single spell to cure them and make them stable for a few hours.

During that time, Hera just relaxed for the first time in a while. The Moby Dick was a modular ship that could easily be outfitted for war or for leisure. In this case, it was made to be almost exclusively the latter. The only weapons inside were a few cannons and harpoon guns to ward off monsters. After all, being on the 21st layer meant that creatures here could reach level 69. According to Neria, that never happened. Not in this room, at least. The strongest monster anyone ever saw was level 46, and even then it was just a lobster that died of natural causes, becoming too big and too heavy to move.

Which meant they had a pool, various game rooms, a casino that supplied people with fake chips so everyone could have fun without spending, or winning, any money. A few bars and restaurants, and a movie theater playing a few of the latests releases. The triton were known for being excellent hosts and for the vacation spots; they were the hospitality experts, and this ship was yet another proof of it.

Hera decided to spend most of her day in the pool, enjoying the sun. Vash and Skyler joined her, both also wanting to enjoy the situation. There was something special about being on a boat, surrounded by water, and still choosing to swim in an artificer lake instead of the ocean. It felt extremely gaudy, but every once in a while, it was nice to feel like that.

Helena and Flint were on a tour of the boat to see the spells and entrancements in the weapons and defenses, while Roan decided went to the theater watch the 12th installment in a racing series that had completely forgotten it was supposed to be about racing.

The court, on the other hand, decided to stay in the palace. They had yet to truly enjoy their new home, and it was a good opportunity for that. Especially since there were a decent amount of people outside.

While relaxing in the sun, an elven man with red hair and freckles and green eyes approached Hera while holding a pair of glasses with a clear liquid and some limes inside. He was part of the army and the Empress noticed him glancing at her at various moments during the trip here.

“Hi! I mean, hello. Can I… I mean… Do you want a drink?”

Hera was lying on her stomach and looked up. She was wearing a bikini top, but some swimming trunks with a hole cut for her tail. One day, she would have to figure out proper bathing suits for the Ophidianites.

She glanced at the man; he was a crafter, and he was cute. There was something endearing about that awkwardness. Maybe it was just like seeing herself, “Do you mind if I ask what is that drink first? It’s clear, and vodka with lime doesn’t seem that good.”

“Oh yeah. No, it’s something else. Called… Ca… ca… Caipirinha? It’s not vodka is something different. Sweeter,” he looked down and mumbled, “Like you.”

Hera pretended not to hear that last part, mostly because she noticed his ears turning red, “That would be lovely. Thank you. A friend of mine told me about that drink. It’s from Brazil, right?”

“Y-yeah!” the elf gave her the drink. Hera smiled in response and took a sip, homing softly as she enjoyed the drink. But before she could say anything else, the man spoke up, “Well. You can get more at the bar. C’ya,” he then turned around and rushed away.

Hera just blinked a couple of times, stunned as the elf left the pool in its entirety. She turned to Skyler and Vash, “The fuck did I do? I know I suck at this, but still!”

Vash lowers his sunglasses and stared at her, “Suck? Girl, are you stupid?”

Skyler nodded, “Yeah. That wasn’t about you sucking. I’m pretty sure you overloaded the poor boy.”

“May I,” Vash reached out to the glass Hera was drinking, she gave it to him for him to try, “Oh, that’s good. Anyway, I’m sure that guy never expected you to be receptive. He shot his shot but couldn’t follow through. It happens if we go for someone way above our league and it works.”

Hera rolled her eyes, “Very funny, you don’t have to patronize me.”

“Hera, have you not seen yourself? You are hot! You have that look of someone who would ruin your life and you would enjoy that. Then you get all smiles and kindness. The gap is just,” Skyler made a motion of ‘chefs kiss.’

“Yeah, yeah. Right,” Hera laid back down, not truly believing her friend, “It’s a shame though. He was kind of cute.”

Vash and Skyler glanced at each other and sighed. Hera was in an awkward situation herself. She changed species and it might take a while for her view of herself to change. Still, that didn’t mean they couldn’t be her wingmen. With a silent agreement, they vowed to help those love birds to hook up before reaching Neptara.