With her arms crossed, Esca surveyed the kingdom of Brelec as the ship began its departure, already soaring high above the clouds. She stared briefly at the still celebrating Surge before pivoting to engage the rest of the group, utilizing her mist to swiftly guide the ship below the clouds. "Ahem. Attention everyone!!" She clapped her hands twice. "The time has come for us to decide just where exactly we will be taking our pitstop. Any suggestions, my friends??"

Illume shook his head while seated on the bench that encircled the ship's interior. He had his storm blade resting between his legs. "As I said before, it has been some time since I myself have traveled the surface world. So, my knowledge of any nearby cities and towns is not quite up to date. Though I could recommend destinations I know of that likely still exist, I believe it would be best for someone with more recent experiences to propose an option."

"Yes... fair enough." Esca replied. "Anyone else then? Oh, and Illume, please be careful holding that storm blade of yours like that. I'd prefer the deck to remain unscratched, and would also not enjoy having the entire ship accidentally electrified."

"There is no need to fear any mishaps with my blade. I would never hold it in a way that presented any risk of destruction or even damage to our vessel. I have wielded this one of a kind sword for tens of thousands of years, so I'm well aware of it's limits and risks."

"Ah, I see. Well, if you say so, I suppose I'll trust your word. Just be prepared for the consequences if you do indeed end up blasting our ship to smithereens!"

Verlena waved her hand. "Esca. I have a proposal for our next destination."

"Verlena! Out of everyone here, I had my fingers crossed that you'd have something in mind. Please, please, do tell!" exclaimed Esca eagerly.

Verlena then proceeded. "Currently, we are just above the ruins of Shimmer. The nearest locale to Shimmer that accepts contracts is Hadden, however that is yet another enormous city. In order to avoid risking further confrontation with the mysterious organization until we are better prepared, I suggest we make our stop in a smaller, more secluded town. The closest one to Shimmer being Insectla."

"Insectla, huh?" Teres said. "Been a while since I last gave it a visit. Never'll forget the place though thanks to some of their food I scarfed down. Mantis chips, roach cakes, caramel bees. Had a hell of a selection there. If I had to pick a personal favorite dish they served, I'd go with the ant bars. Wish I woulda stocked up on more of them before headin' out all those years back."

Jecc added, "Personally, I've never been there, even with it being almost right under Brelec. But I figured one of these days I'd have a reason to check it out."

"Pardon my unfamiliarity, but just how far does your Kingdom stretch amongst the clouds?" Verlena asked. "From what you've just said, it sounds as if it does indeed reside in just one area, rather than spanning the entire sky."

Lifting the little electric bolt from his lips, Jecc blew out a cloud of smoke, faint sparks of electricity flickering within it. "It does stretch pretty far, but yeah, it isn't endless. I'd best compare it to a mid sized kingdom from the surface world. It's vast, but there's even bigger out there."

"Uh, one moment." Esca began with a concerned expression. "The whole bug theming thing with Insectla is just a silly thing they do for fun, right?? Please tell me you didn't seriously eat roach cakes!! That's sick Teres if you genuinely did!!"

"If it was all so disgusting, they wouldn't be makin' a profit." Teres stated.

Esca responded, "That is truly repulsive, and I never want to hear about it again! Whoever their customers are must be disturbed individuals. Vomit inducing meals aside though, is the rest of this little town normal?"

"Depends on who you're askin'." Teres said.

"Then I am asking Verlena!"

Verlena answered, "Well, no. It is a rather unique place. The inhabitants of Insectla have spent numerous decades developing their society entirely around using bugs to accomplish nearly any and all tasks. They use insects to build structures, and power technology. They wear them as clothes, and use them as weapons. As Teres already brought up, their diets are centered around bugs. So on and so forth. It is impressive to see just how much they've been able to achieve using these little creatures. You'll be able to see it all on display once we arrive."

Clenching a fist, Sligg smirked. "Damn, that sounds interesting as hell! I couldn't have hoped for a more perfect place to kick off our sightseeing adventure!"

"That isn't the point. We aren't tourists." Asserted Jecc. "We're stopping here to get some rest, have a meal, and for them to cash in their completed contracts."

"Well hey, we still do get to sightsee as a bonus either way." Sligg pointed out.

"I most certainly will not be having a meal here!!" Esca yelled. "And how on earth am I supposed to get any form of rest when everything is made of bugs?? Verlena! What kind of suggestion have you made?? Is there nowhere else close by you want to go to instead??"

Replying, Verlena said, "This area is mostly filled with larger cities, that could be potential targets for the group we're up against. I think that Insectla is the safest option. Unless we're willing to travel for several days to reach the next closest town that accepts contracts."

"No need to be so damn picky." Teres voiced. "This place has got everything we need, changin' course and wasting several days because you don't like their way of life isn't a smart move."

"I'm picky you say, because I'd rather not sleep on a beetle bed, or drink from cups made from the blood sack of a mosquito?" Questioned Esca.

"Nice guess." Said Teres. "The blood sack cups are actually a thing there."