The next morning Marie woke up feeling filthy. Unlike many students who slept in their armor, Marie preferred pajamas. However, she had to make do with her hero suit, as it was the only other outfit she had. Of course she washed it, but it was still rank. She knew Agent 3 had found a store to buy clothes at, but they were not very comfortable, and looked very plain. Maybe it was her pampered life before getting to the Lost Realm, but Marie was not a plainclothes kind of person. Thus, she decided to go out and search for something to make a better outfit out of. And she knew just the person to ask.

Rukhar and Callie had woken up several hours earlier. Rukhar had been hugging Callie's arm in his sleep, which made him blush in the morning. Callie slept in her armor often, because she didn't like wearing her hero suit when she wasn't working, and much preferred Agent 4s suit style over her own even. And Rukhar had made a note to get her something new to wear. Few in the facility had a lot of outfits, but they all had at least a few. Further, armor was not the most comfortable thing to sleep in, and Callie had been having minor back pain from wearing hers while sleeping. And as a brawler, she sweated a lot so her outfits were both smelly.

They were enjoying breakfast when a knock was heard on the door.

"Can I come in?" Marie asked through the door.

"Perhaps." Callie said, walking over to open the door. "Good morning Marie!"

"Morning." Marie said. "Mind if I ask Rukhar something?"

"Go ahead!" Callie said.

Marie sat down on the end of the bed.

"So." She said.

Rukhar thought he knew what Marie would ask.

"You know anywhere I can find soft fabrics?"

Rukhar did not think correctly.

"Uh, depends what your after." He said. "If your after something more like silk, weaver spiders produce a thread very similar to it. But if your after something more fluffy, featherhead sheep wool is great. Or if you just want pillow soft, cloud sparrows' feathers are like cotton."

"That's a lot of information..." Marie said. "Thought I'd ask you because you're the wilderness expert."

"No I'm not." Rukhar said. "I just go out a lot. Speaking of which, I was gonna take Callie to get things for a new outfit as well."

"I can't sleep in my armor forever." Callie said. "It hurts my back..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Marie asked, making a thin slab of ice for Callie's back.

Callie took it. "Because I always forget, and because I wake up 4 hours earlier than you."

"I guess." Said Marie. "What kind of outfit are you looking for? I just want something soft to sleep in."

"The same." Callie said. "And a daytime outfit that looks cute, unlike our hero suits."

"Trying to impress your boyfriend?" Marie joked, elbowing Rukhar lightly.

Callie blushed. "N-no! It's just, my armor is hard to wear all day, everyday."

"I'm joking Cal, chill." Marie said. "Oh wait, that's my specialty."

"No puns before lunch." Callie joked.

"Is it like a PUNch to the gut this early?" Marie asked.

Rukhar and Callie groaned.

"That last one was rough..." Rukhar said.

"Ok fine. I think I'll have the feathers you mentioned." Marie said. "Where do I find em?"

"In the clouds." Rukhar said. "They are hard to reach without air magic or a hoverboard, but I know a way."

"My gun is a way." Marie said.

"My way is less likely to scare off the flock." Rukhar said. "You gotta bait them."

"With what?" Marie asked.

"Well, they eat bugs mostly, but I know they cannot resist sweet berries. So, just use some of those."

Rukhar pulled a bag of sugarberries from the jungle out of his storage unit.

"That works then. Let's go." Said Marie.

Rukhar gave her the bag. "Just climb a mountain. Doesn't have to be tall, but you gotta be about 500 feet higher for the smell to reach them."

"Where are you going?" Marie asked.

"I wanted the spider silk." Said Callie. "We are going spelunking, so I'm taking my pickaxe as well."

"Oh. In that case, stay safe and have fun!" Marie left the room, and waved.

As she left, she ate one of the berries. "I can see why the birds would go after these. Wow." She said to herself. "I'll have to go get some sometime..."

A few minutes later.

Callie and Rukhar were suited up, and had their weapons ready.

"How far away is it?" Callie asked.

"The silk spiders live in the dark forest." Rukhar said.

"So we get to fly there again?" Callie asked. "Yay!"

Rukhar smiled. "Yep. Let's go."

A short walk and a short flight later...

Callie and Rukhar landed their gargoyles in the Dark Forest. Then Rukhar led the way to the silk spiders cave.

"This place is still spooky." Callie remarked.

"It's only bad at night." Rukhar said. "That's when the ghosts come out."

"You didn't tell me about ghosts!" Callie exclaimed.

"I didn't want to scare you. You know vampires hang out in the facility, right?" Rukhar said.

"They do?" Callie was not aware of that.

"They look like a human, but pale." Rukhar said. "Most can hide their teeth. And most are only awake at night, but there are some that are awake in the day. There is one in my class, even."

"I wonder if there are any in my class..." Callie wondered. "I don't pay attention a lot."

"It's ok." Rukhar said.

A few minutes of walking passed, and the pair came across the cave entrance.

"Looks dark..." Callie said. She made a fireball. "But I have light."

"It's much easier to do this when you can see." Rukhar agreed.

The pair descended. Deeper in the cave, they found webs everywhere.

"Now, if it we're just me, I'd take these webs and call it." Rukhar said. "They are still silk string."

"Why do I make a difference?" Callie asked.

"Because I love you, and want you to have the best things I can get. Also with your firelight we can actually see the spiders." Rukhar said, gently kissing Callie's forehead.

"You're sweet." Callie said. "Ok then. Let's go!"

Further down, gold was seen in the cave walls. Callie stopped to get some for later. Even further than that, they found the goal. Silk spiders, absolutely everywhere.

"I can't say I expected that." Callie remarked. Each spider was bigger than Rukhar and her combined.

"Well, it means we only have to fight a few. I'd estimate 3 for the most complex outfits." Rukhar said.

Callie took up her hammer with her free hand.

Rukhar was impressed, but Callie couldn't do much.

"Here." He said. He shot an Ensnaring shot at the ground. "Light those vines up. Then you can use your hammer."

Callie tossed her fireball. The cave immediately lit up far brighter. She got a better grip on her hammer.

"Let's do this!" She said.

Rukhar looked for a stray spider. He noticed one lingering alone, and shot it. It immediately charged him, but Callie blocked it with her hammer. A few shots later and it was down. Rukhar cur open it's abdomen, and pulled out many ways of slimy fibers.

"It looks sticky..." Callie said.

"It really is. Don't worry, when we get it spun it'll be clean." Rukhar said.

"I think having Jay here would make this easier, but it probably wouldn't." Callie said.

"Assassins are at least good at fast kills." Rukhar agreed. "But Jay's a... Special case."

Callie laughed.

Rukhar shot the next spider, and the pair repeated the same combo. They did this 2 more times just to be safe, and left the cave. Rukhar had a large supply of the slimy silk string in his bag, because he didn't want anything in his storage unit covered in slime.

They got back to the gargoyles soon, as night was falling. Callie insisted they leave fast, because the thought of seeing ghosts made her nervous. One ghost however, saw the pair leaving and waved, before going back to doing... Ghost things.

"I feel like something was watching us leave..." Callie said as they rode home.

"Must've been a ghost." Rukhar said.

Callie gulped.

"They don't leave the dark forest, don't worry." Rukhar reassured her.

They got back to the village soon after, and walked back to the facility. Once inside, Callie realized something. She had no idea where she would clean the silk.

"Where are we going to make the clean string?" She asked.

"There are a few spinners around here..." Rukhar said. "But as for where to find them..."

Callie looked around for someone to help them out. Eventually she saw Slynella patrolling the halls.

"Hey! Excuse me miss!" She called.

Slynella teleported up to them. "Yes?"

Callie wasn't phased by this, it happened often enough.

"We're looking for a spinner to clean some spider silk." She said.

"Hmm? A spinner wheel... Haven't used one of those in ages. Besides the one Axel has in his arm... There might be a few in the old warehouse. Usually I'd say go build one but spinners haven't been used for centuries." Sly replied after thinking for a moment.

"Huh. Who woulda thought." Rukhar said. "I know the way there. Thanks."

"Anytime." Sly waved. Someone called her from down the hall. "Gotta go, bye!" She teleported again.

Rukhar led Callie to the warehouse.

They got there in a few minutes.

Callie looked around.

"Wow, this place is messy." She remarked.

"I hear Axel used this to store everything in the facility, many years ago. That was before he made the void storage unit, and the dorms." Rukhar said.

"That's cool. What was this facility before?" Callie asked.

Axel dropped through the ceiling.

"It was an outpost once. Then it became my base.of operations during the war on Hailfire. This was one of 3 buildings of mine that survived." He said.

"Oh! Hey sir." Rukhar said.

"How many did you have before? And what else is left?" Callie asked curiously.

"I had 70 mines, 20 outposts, 4 garrisons and my old base." Axel said. "Only this place and two mines survived. Both mines have since closed when I made the void drill, but other groups use them often."

"That's cool..." Callie said.

"Anyways I have to go now. Jacopo can't do everything around here..." Axel leaned back and dropped through the floor.

"I still wanna know how he does it..." Rukhar said.

"Let's find this wheel." Callie said. She looked around.

What she found was not a spinner wheel.

"Eek! Something moved!" She said.

"Relax." Rukhar said. "Remember those vampires I was talking about? They hang out in here."

"Oh! Sorry..." Callie said sheepishly. She rubbed her tentacle.

There was no reply. Unless eyes appearing right in front of her counted.

"Uh, hi?" Callie said.

The vampire didn't move.

"Uh..." Callie was feeling nervous.

"Dude, what's your deal?" Rukhar asked.

The vampire still didn't move.

"Come on Callie. I think he's just trying to mess with you." Rukhar said. He gently pulled on Callie's arm.

Just then, the vampire spoke. "Why have you come here?"

"Uh." Callie said. The voice was raspy and strained. "We're looking for a spinner."

"That's hardly specific." The vampire said.

"Wheel. A spinner wheel." Rukhar added.

"In that case." The vampire said. "Go that way. 18th isle, near side, next to the rubber poles."

"Thanks!" Callie said. She and Rukhar turned to go. The vampire ducked back into the shadows.

"I smelled no blood in her... Odd... She doesn't look or sound like an ent, or a treant." He mumbled to himself.

Callie found the wheel quickly, because she was running. The dusty environment was not something she was a fan of. Rukhar was behind her, going at a walking pace. He eventually caught up to her, and she was dragging one of the spinner wheels into the open.

"Now. I am not a skilled weaver. How about you?" Rukhar asked.

"I never had to do this either. I wish Crusty Sean was here to help." Callie said.

"Who?" Rukhar asked.

"He ran a clothes shop back home." Callie said.

"I wish I could see your home..." Rukhar said. "But portals are very Advanced magic, and leaving the lost realm is dangerous..."

"Why is that?" Callie asked. "I know Axel said we needed high health to survive, but why is that?"

"Well, I don't know completely, but here's what I do know." Rukhar said. "The Lost Realm was made by Axel with a powerful spell. However, it was flawed. Thus, this dimension is damaged. Many beings like you or me that end up here are not damaged. People born here are marked partly as a 'null entity', but we aren't. I think that's the issue. Axel can come and go as he chooses with no issues, because he is marked as a 'null entity' as well."

"So if we get marked, we can leave?" Callie asked.

"Null entities have issues with leaving. They lose power, or even strength." Rukhar said. "Axel isn't immune even, so he says. I think getting to 10000 health is better."

"Oh. Ok." Callie said. "I feel like I'm close already, but I need to wait for the others."

"Well, you have advantages. We hunt a lot, and you get extra health just for your class pick." Rukhar pointed out.

Callie shrugged. "Anyways, who's gonna..." She trailed off and looked down. Rukhar was missing 300 credits, and most of the slimy silk was cleaned.

"Huh. Vampires are stealthy..." Rukhar said. "Ah well. 300 isn't much. I make that back in 30 seconds at the marketplace with the stuff we collect. So now we take this to the factory, and someone there can sew. Let's get your outfit made."

They went to the forge. Jacopo waved as they passed him. But Callie stopped. "Hey." She said. "Can you make a bracelet out of this?" She took out the gold. "Please? I can add gems, but I just want the bracelet."

Jacopo smiled. "That's easy." He took the gold. "I don't even need the pot."

He blasted the small chunk of gold with a dense fire wave, and spun it around to shape it with wind. The well made base fell down, and he tossed it onto a shaping tray.

"I'll make this. Go see your outfit. I know.thats why you're here." He smiled. "It's been slow today."

Callie continued and caught up to Rukhar.

"Hi!" A peppy elf waved at her. "I need your measurements to make this. Can you stand in a t pose please?"

Callie did as asked. The elf took her measurements, and Callie described what she wanted. The elf went right to sewing, and she was very efficient. Within 10 minutes she was done.

"Try it on!" She said, handing the folded outfit to Callie.

Callie went behind a large furnace, and Rukhar moved to help add a view obstruction. He did not dare look behind him.

After a few minutes, Callie timidly asked "Ok. How do I look?"

Rukhar turned around. Callie had on a magenta shirt with short sleeves, and two ribbons going from her shoulder to her opposite hip. The sleeves ended like mini skirts, and were a vibrant pink. Her legs were covered with a short skirt with underlying black leggings that went to her knees. The skirt was light pink and magenta in stripes, and were adorned with a few flowers in various colors. Her shoes were still the hero suit ones, but there were small fuzzy frills around the tops.

"You look... Amazing..." Rukhar looked.

Callie blushed. "Really?"

Rukhar gave her a hug. "You'll always be lovely to me.

Callie smiled, and returned the hug.

Back at her apartment, Marie was enjoying her new pajamas. A simple green and grey shirt with shite shorts. Unlike Callie, her goal wasn't fancy. It was comfort. And Rukhar wasn't kidding. The clothes really were pillow soft.