The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

You scan the cave, looking for any treasures that may pop out at you, but no luck. You head back to the entrance of the cave, quickly hiding the lighter beneath your fins before Mermaid can see.


"So there's nothin' in there we want?"
Well, there's nothing in there that *I* want. All the treasure looks too heavy to carry with us on our mission, anyhow.
"Yeah, that's true. Might be a good idea to take a few coins with us, though, so I think I'll scoop some up into a pouch and then we can go."
Fair enough.


With that, the two of you leave the cave, its pleasant light becoming more unnerving without its occupant.
The rippling glow of the pearls dwindles behind you, and the dark of the tunnels pulls you back into its comforting embrace.


Hey, Mermaid.
"What's up, Alex?"
How many of these souls do you think will remember who they used to be?
"... I have no idea. I hadn't thought about that."
Well, I just realized, some of these might be important people where I'm from. If they remember who they were, that could really be critical to issues on Earth, perhaps even in Realm.
"Huhhhhh... I dunno about that. I guess it's possible. We're not worrying about that, though, right now we're just worrying about saving these souls in the first place."


Eventually, the dim glow of the pearls of Urchin's Dock come into view, a much too welcome sight after the last few things you had to witness. As you approach the edge of town, Mermaid clears her throat.
"So, since we have defeated Dragon, that whole area is basically free to the town, now."
...Okay?
"Not only does that mean people here with scavenging licenses can now go raid that cave for the treasure we left behind, but also, it's now possible for the residents of this town to make plans to expand the town to that cave."
Uh huh...
"Basically, what I'm saying is, we're gonna go drop off our stuff at my apartment for a moment and go meet up with the mayor. Gotta tell her that cave is officially Dragon-free, now. She'll probably even reward us!"




OH MAN THIS IS REALLY BORING




You can't even remember what happened in the Town Hall. Mermaid dragged you in because you defeated Dragon so you have legal involvement but Mermaid just handled everything anyway and- ow.
Well, now you're in Mermaids apartment. It's cozy, but a little barren. It kind of shows that she doesn't stay here often.

"So, we're about ready to set off to our next destination."
And where would that be, Mermaid?
"Another town, called Nori Island. It's a few hours swim away from Urchins Dock, though, it's above the sea level. It also happens to be in the middle of nowhere, so I'd really prefer we start going there after we've gotten some rest."
Oh...
"Yeah, so we should probably wrap up any business we have here before we leave. Maybe get some supplies or something. Can you think of anything we better do before we leave this place?"