While the rest of us accompany Vice-Minister Tombs to the welcome conference, Colette and Broom, the taller of The Grimoire Sisters, head off to the Azi'Zoro apartments. Our entourage follow the stairs up to a lift powered by dwarf gems that takes us to the thirtieth floor. All the way up, I can feel the tension between the remaining Vainglory and the white-clad escort. From the corner of my eye, I catch the vice-minister watching me. I imagine his voice, whispering in my ear... at least I hope it's my imagination.

Minister Atropa is waiting for us on the thirtieth with my favorite ooze monster, and I finally learn her name. Vice-Minister Glopp. It takes everything I have not to laugh. Glopp, a fitting name I couldn't have made up even if I'd wanted to. She explains that her municipality sits in the middle of my world's Connecticut and she is visiting Gemknight in order to attend this and a few other conferences. I pretend to pay attention, but I can't stop staring at the skeleton floating inside her.

"Ahem, Mr. Smalls, are you okay?" she asks.

"Me? Yeah, I'm good... it's just... weren't you shorter last time we met?"

"Oh, yes. This young woman was a bit taller than my last meal." She gestures to herself. Striking a pose as if she is modeling a catwalk. "I think the height fits me."

My mouth suddenly becomes dry. "Those look like human bones."

"They are! How could you tell?"

"Just a guess."

I back away and bump into Vice-Minister Tombs' furry friend. I look up, primal fear telling me to run from this place. We lock eyes and I slap on, what I hope is, a convincing smile.

"Sorry about that."

He cracks a toothy grin that reminds me of Obera.

"A... Are you by any chance related to Sergeant Bearson?" I ask.

"Bearson? No, I did grow up down the road from a Bearson family, but I'm all Furstein. Can't you tell from the hair?" He spikes up a tuft of fur on his head. "I'm kidding. Not many can tell ursa-kin apart." He puts a massive paw on my shoulder. "The name is Flax, Flax Furstein. I'm the current head of Gemknight's Department of Energy. This is my colleague, Ada Silk, local news reporter and matchmaker for the rich and famous."

The faun steps out from behind him with a smile so beautiful and genuine I took her offered hand without hesitation.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Smalls. I hope you're finding your time here stimulating," she says. Hers is the perfect voice for radio, sultry and clear. She gives my hand a squeeze and shoots me a wink. "Maybe you can spare time for an interview while you're in the city?"

"Maybe." I respond without thinking.

"Good. It's a date."

Flax chuckles. "Wow, you humans work fast."

After a bit more mingling, people start filing into a conference room with a long ornate table and huge windows looking out over the city. Obera and Wax take me aside, saving me from Vice-Minister Glopp who was about to insist I sit with her.

"Hey, little guy, you were looking a little pale there," Obera says, massaging my shoulder.

"Don't let Vice-Minister Glopp scare you," Wax says, the humor in her words evident despite her featureless face. "She can't eat who she can't catch."

"What?" I squeak. I immediately clear my throat and adjust my collar.

"Wax, that's not funny." Obera covers her face.

The faceless woman chuckles. "I thought it was."

"It wasn't, Slenderman," I snap. No one laughs and I feel even more uncomfortable.

"Just keep a couple of steps ahead of her, Marlon."

I can't tell if Obera is serious or not.

Sasha comes around the corner with the first humans I've seen on this side of the faerie rings. One is a middle aged white woman with the 'Karen' side-swoop and bob hair style. Her oversized Tommy Bahama shirt and thick coke bottle bifocals make me think of a midwestern housewife on vacation. The other is a tall Asian man with short spiky hair and about a dozen piercings. He had the common sense to wear a polo shirt with his blazer and slacks, rather than be bogged down by a tie like yours truly.

"Human, I've brought you more humans." Sasha says in her playfully cute voice. "Marlon, Terry, Jihun." She points to each of us in turn. "They are also here as part of the AD Initiative."

Shaking my head at the weird vampire, I smile and extend my hand. "Nice to meet you."

They both stare at my hand like it's something from another world. Racism? In the monster world? Ain't that a bitch?

"Hello."

"Hi."

They smile and reach for my hand at the same time. Invasion of the Body Snatchers or The Faculty type shit. Where did they find these people? I start to say something and notice that the bright overhead lights barely reflect off their pupils. If they were old, I would assume cataracts, but it's something else.

I glance at the Vainglory. Obera seems as put off as I feel and Wax has no expression I can easily read. On the other hand, Sasha seems tickled.

"Come on, everybody! We're missing the conference!" she sings, skipping into the conference room.

Terry and Jihun skip after her for a few steps before falling into a more normal stride. Not sure what the fuck is going on, I fall in step behind them with a fleeting look at Obera.

As I go through the door, she mouths the words, "what the fuck?"