Explain the plan.

It takes a moment to make Eva sit still, but you explain to all three of them exactly what went down the other day--omitting a few embarrassing details. You explain that you had to combat an earth elemental, told them about the doorway, and of course Feli's story about her and Lepo long ago--the creation of the bunnyfolk and catfolk, their trials and tribulations, and what next must be done to hopefully remedy the situation. Only then will you presumably get some sort of reward. It's a lot of work for some treasure. You can't help but think back to the days when a quest was to slay some big crabs for their meat.

"And that's why I'd like you to come, Eva," you say.

She places her hands on her cheeks. "I... I don't know. Can I do that?! The one who started my species is out there, and I'll have the opportunity to talk to them. Maybe I can ask her why she gave us these tails. It isn't like they do anything!"

"But they look so cute."

"I guess." She crosses her arms. Then she smiles, and she looks away as she giggles quietly. "Do you think so?"

"If you're ever given a chance to meet a goddess, I say you take it," Thomas says.

You shrug. "Though it also depends what you mean by goddess. If someone doesn't age, and they possess the power to either create from scratch, or augment some people into, some kind of animal hybrid race, that doesn't mean they're an all-powerful all-knowing deity. Isn't that pretty much what one of the Demon Kings did to create ones like Luna?"

"Well, I technically owe her my life, don't I?" Eva asks.

"That's true. Hopefully she's understanding."

"If she isn't, I guess we've fought powerful beings before," says Delphi.

"We're not slaying the Goddess of Bunnyfolk!" Eva shouts.

"It'll take a few days," you explain. "So start packing now. We're leaving today. I want to get his over with as soon as possible, and while I imagine time moves differently for a being hundreds of years old if not more, I'd rather not keep them waiting."

Tom clenches his fist in the air. "You've got it. This'll be my first real quest in your party, so I won't let you down. But if it'll be anything like when you guys fought off that lich, or when we took the Demon King's castle, it'll be a breeze."

I guess he hasn't been around for all the times things have gone off the rails. Does he not remember how embarrassing things were at the Golden Sword before we won?

Your party of four prepares themselves for the journey at hand--food, bedrolls, and any other supplies you can remember. It's about this time you wish you considered purchasing mounts before now. While horses probably won't go into forests or caves, and it wouldn't necessarily make long trips shorter, it would be nice to have creatures to carry your supplies. There must be various pack animals in this world. But that's the point of this quest to begin with--get treasure so you can afford sustaining Castle Phoenix, and expanding its infrastructure as well.

Powerful stallions with gold-trimmed barding. Bath houses and massage parlours on every street. Walls of steel... Heh. Maybe I'm going a little bit overboard. Let's start with finishing up with furniture and building more homes and places for shops. A cart and some donkeys or something would be nice.

It's still the morning when your party gathers around the front gates. A few people nearby wave you off--Laira, Summer, and of course Yin. It's a thriving little community already even if it isn't self-sufficient yet. People walk up and down the streets, doing their part to help keep the castle running. There aren't a ton of people yet, but it's still far more than you initially expected.

I'm really getting into the expansion of this place. Maybe I don't even need to get my home back in Avana. Though, I'd still really like to get to the bottom of why I had to leave to begin with.