My Party Duty

After a short walk, we went through two more teleportation portals before we suddenly were deposited at the Top of a tower with large clear walls or windows looking down upon Dark City as we bathed in the light. I looked out into the city from high above, where when you look up, the clouds look much closer than they should. Down below, the people moved among the streets, and I could easily see the areas that would be bathed in darkness during the afternoon. I could see the business district and the slums at the edge of the city. High above people were but specs to the eye, even smaller than from my condo in the real world. 

This was the View they were used to, and Lady Greencloak stood by my side, looking down upon it with me. "This is the View of the Elite in Dark City. Only those with strength or utility are allowed to do so. Those who have no ambition will never see this sight. It would be wasted upon them. Think, The Grandmasters, Masters, Seniors, and Journeymen are all able to see these sights. Their apprentices would not. Only those worthy can be up here. You are unique but also not weak. I would not have brought you here if you did not have a strength of your own." The tall Drow stood beside me, looking down at the city. "You can see Churches of powerful factions and how they fight for petty territory. You can see the business that fights for gold coins and turn the Economy for those at the top. Every one of them is important to the city, and it's running, but never the ones who can move it." Lady Greencloak sighed as she looked down on the landscape.

"I used to be one of those people scraping on the ground, but the people here are more welcoming than you think. They Appreciate unique talents, strength, and Utility. Those with it must rise to meet their standards, and when they do, they will accept you into the fold as you prove yourself." Lady Greencloak sighed, "Either by birth, which can be unique in itself, or by Merit, we are up here, and that brings me to why you are here today. This Party is called Unique Piece. All we have to do is bring something unique, whether that is a thing or a person. It is one of the most important Events of the year. Businesses spend gold by the chest in order to impress the people here. They are the True movers of this City. These are the reasons why I brought you here today. For a Succubus like yourself, this will be a boon, as it will be for me. I need you to accept their lust and their pride and let them enjoy you. You are allowed to say no only by saying that you have been called by me. You will be my Property while you are here. That is not for me But for you. This will protect you in this Party. I am strong enough to protect you from the vast majority of people here with a select few."

Lady Greencloak turned to me, "You will tell if partygoers ask that This Dress and shoes were made by Grandmaster Maui. You will be as charming as possible and as good as possible. You will get stronger here and maybe even network. Lady Yancy is under my faction; although she has one enemy, a Stalker is the better term that makes her unable to bring you herself. Therefore, I can pay to bring you here." 

"I must be on my best behavior because they can do more to me than I care to contemplate, is what you are saying. You may be able to protect me here, but once I get back to the city, I will be vulnerable, and your faction will not be able to assist." I replied.

"Exactly. This party also brings in a lot of potential earnings for many of our businesses. A lot is riding on you tonight as you are my Show Piece. You are our Factions Showpiece to show off to all the others, letting them know we can find something more Unique than them. It might not seem like much to the outside, but when things people can bring are Baby Dragons, which was three years ago, the competition is Fierce. You are even more unique than a Baby Dragon, though, and I doubt people will be able to find something better. This will help our faction in many ways."

"I get it," I replied and closed my eyes. I had no idea what was going to come up, but with how intense Lady Greencloak was, it told me more than I needed to know. This was like a gun showcase where the top military generals would be walking through. They needed to showcase their best and most valuable goods to impress everyone so people focus more on their business. 

"I hope so," Lady Greencloak took a deep breath, "The last group to fail to bring something truly unique, because they took it lightly, is no longer among the factions represented here. It is serious, and everyone was reminded of that."

I could see the Drow shiver, and she turned and started to walk along the clear wall. "Follow me; we will be entering the Banquet hall soon," Lady Greencloak told me as I walked behind her with my heels clicking behind her. I was doing my best to keep up and look good. All of this felt so weird as I was trying to look beautiful without really needing to in the past. When we got to a solid set of Crystal doors in a tacky opal color showing off the wealth of this place, Lady Greencloak took a deep breath, and we moved forward.