Leave Avana.

There's a station out the southern exist of the city where people stop and prepare for ventures outwards. There are many carts and wagons and various prestige, as well as horses being tended to by either servants or their riders directly--adventurers stop here a well, not just nobles and merchants. Though sticking out from the rest is an illustrious carriage fit for a princess, and there's at least one familiar face you lock eyes with as your party makes its way by.

Smooth skin, long pale blue hair, pointed ears, vibrant eyes, and gaudy golden armour--there can only be one man by this appearance, and his name is Sir Elyndar Imaeris. There are two others with him as well, however. One is a woman with fiery red hair braided around the side adorned with black ribbons, a choker decorates her neck, and she wears a beautiful outfit with expensive animal furs and silver metal cupped around her bust. She has a short frilly skirt that wafts in the breeze above tight black leggings, and she's armed with a gem-encrusted mace. Beside her is a sort boy with messy brown hair that's completely shadowed by her illustrious presences. He seems to be carrying all of her belongings.

There's another woman next to them as well. She has flowing golden locks that reach down her back. Extending from the sides of her head are curved horns decorated with golden bands decorated with gemstones. She has bright yellow eyes, blue crystals are set into the rings that hang from her ears, and out outfit is that of royalty. It's a hot red qipao with golden trimming. There's a window cut to her cleavage where the pendant of her necklace hangs, and her qipao is tied up the sides in a way where you can see her bare hips. Long white gloves cover up above her elbows, and she wears thin, black stockings from her thighs down to a pair of heels. You can see that there's a hole cut into the lower back of her dress to make room for a gold-scaled, serpentine tail. By how high you can see her sides on the along the edges of the qipao through golden strings, it almost looks like she isn't wearing any panties, but then you make out an incredibly thin black string. Upon closer inspection, her eyes look more that that of a cat's.

"Venturing out to slay some goblins and roll around in filth like usual?" Imaeris asks. He speaks loudly, hoping to grab your attention.

Your party comes to a stop. "Leave us alone," you say. "It's none of your business."

The redhead puts a hand on her hip. "Why are you speaking to them, Sir Imaeris? Do you know them?"

"Vaguely, Rinae--I mean Lady Lavoss."

"Well cease your fun. I don't want to interact with this rabble."

Wow. There are others just as bad as him. Wonderful.

"Shut your mouth, lady!" Niki shouts.

Before she can reply, the horned woman steps forward. She crosses her arms beneath a pair of voluptuous breasts and props them up. When she stares at your party, it's a disrespectful, piercing gaze. If she could tilt her head back to look down her nose at you even further, she would. "Excuse me? Know your place. You have no idea who you are speaking with, girl."

Niki clenches her teeth. "What did you say?"

"That is Lady Malakae Vraelion," Imaeris explains. "A gold dragon from an illustrious lineage that dates back before the creation of this empire. I would hold your tongue if I were you."

A dragon? That explains the horns and tail.

"I've had enough of this." Lady Vraelion flicks a hand through her hair and turns away. "Enjoy your trip to the filthy village of Nichonia. I need a bath."

As she walks away, you grab Niki's arm and gesture her away as well. "Let's just get going," you whisper.

I don't want to piss of a dragon, but really I just want to get away from these arrogant idiots. We have more important stuff to do than get mocked by Imaeris and his friends. Let's just grab a wagon going southeast and find this village.

You pull out your map as you walk.

Nichonia, eh? That's all the way down here. I wonder why a noble would be going so far from the capital. It doesn't really matter I guess. I'd rather not run into any of these people again if I can help it. The village we're going to is called Brumberg. Someone there should know where Catherine's castle is... the other Catherine I mean. Immortality makes things really confusing.