Gon Freecss of H-234 squirmed against the seat in the carriage. He fiddled with the frayed hem of his favorite jacket, eyes darting from one window to the other. Trees still bordered each side of the road, but it was the pattern of the trunks that was setting Gon on edge, the smoothness of the road.

Hell, even the sun seemed to be shining a little brighter.

The journey had been long and excruciating, and he had the bandages to prove it. But here he was, just minutes out from his destination. This was unreal. He was seriously about to arrive. His entire life was about to change… though for better or for worse, Gon was not entirely sure.

All he knew was that he had a job to do here, a goal to fulfill.

Gon slipped his fingers to the chain around his neck, clenching his fist around the pendant. He shut his eyes, and sent a little prayer up to the heavens, hoping that the Gods would deliver his message. I'm here. I made it. You don't have to worry anymore, I'll make everything alright.

The tan skinned boy nodded, and a grin flashed across his face.

"You awake back there?" called the carriage driver.

"Yes sir!" Gon responded immediately.

The driver chuckled, leaning around to glance at Gon through the open window looking out the front. His furry ears were perked forward, purple eyes sparkling with feline mirth. He gave Gon a sparkling grin, sharp teeth sparkling in the sun. "We're about to arrive! I hope you're ready, cause a backlander like yourself has never seen anything like this before!"

Gon squirmed in his seat, wriggling about like an excited puppy. "Yes! This is a great honor!"

The driver, a leopard blooded Ant named Cheetu, cracked a laugh and cracked the reins. The horses leapt forward with a new fervor, and the carriage shot forward, the trees fading away to reveal the most incredible sight Gon had ever seen.

"Uah!" Gon ogled, leaning out of the window to get the best view possible. "This is amazing!"

The City of Stellae. Gon couldn't believe this was actually happening.

The forest dropped off onto a cliff, but the road continued onwards, crossing onto an enormous bridge. The bridge shot hundreds of feet into the air, resting on the top of the largest aqueduct in the entire world. The bridge shot out across sprawling fields of farmland, stretching as far as the eye could see, and bordering the City of Stellae like a fertile moat.

The Portae Inferi Bridge. And Gon was traveling across it.

His heart was thundering in his chest, the Gods had truly graced themselves upon him. This was the most incredible opportunity any human could ever achieve. He was crossing the Great Hell's Bridge into Stellae! The City of Stars! The capital of the entire globe, the Homeland of the Queen. And most importantly…

The legendary venue of the Tournament of Decision.

It took twenty entire minutes to cross the Portae Inferi Bridge, with each passing second the Mountainous City of Stellae grew larger and larger, until it was looming over Gon and his tiny carriage like the gaping maw of an enormous beast.

It shot out of the ground, hundreds of layers of streets and levels, towering thousands of feet into the sky. It was rumored that the Spire Caelum - the highest point in the entire world and the structure housing the Throne Room - was so high up that you could hear the whispers of the Gods.

Each level of the city towered up and up and up like an enormous layered cake, with the Portae Inferi Bridge crossing through into the lowest and largest level. Gon's carriage approached the gates, and Cheetu waved to the guards. Two enormous Ants riddled with hundreds of pounds of pure muscle grabbed giant levers and started turning the gears, raising the gate and allowing Gon entrance.

When the carriage entered the shadow of the City of Stellae, an incredible chill shivered up Gon's spine. This was just as awe-inspiring as it was terrifying.

He truly was in the belly of the beast.

If the outermost structures of the mountainous city were incredible, then the inner streets were even more so. Every road was at an incline, leading up to the very top. The city was enormous, housing hundreds of thousands of Chimera Ant peoples. The lower levels housed the lower castes, and the higher levels the higher castes.

The higher into the city they rode, the more apparent the wealth. The entire metropolis was constructed of sandstone and marble, but as one approached the top the colors of the buildings faded from muddy tan to sparkling white. Extravagant homes dotted the streets, banners of every color danced in the wind. Chimera Ants walked the streets, high ranking nobles mere feet away from Gon!

He didn't feel like he should be here. What was a backlander like him doing here, surrounded by literal Ant royalty?! It was insane. Absolutely insane.

Two hours passed in a flash, and before Gon knew it the roads had flattened out. They were here, at the very top. This was where the most elite of the elite resided. The Squadron Leaders of highest regard, the most intelligent of scholars, even the Royal Guard.

The top level of Stellae was known as the City Proper, a mosaic of spectacular architecture and legendary landmarks, all with the Grand Palace at the very center. Bordering the Grand Palace were only the greatest of global treasures.

The Gardens of Eden, the Deathkeep Theater, the Library of Alexandria.

The Colosseum.

And the structure that Gon was most acquainted with, the Dormitory of Daemones. Which was where Gon would be staying. It was also his destination, the place he'd traveled so far and wide to reach.

Gon's stomach flipped with nerves, and he squeezed the straps of his backpack. Cheetu drove down an enormous driveway. They rode through the most enormous front lawn Gon had ever seen. It was insane, this place looked like a farm, but here it was. With the enormous structures of the City Proper shooting into the sky at all sides.

Gon could even see the edge of the Colosseum from here.

Willow trees bordered the driveway, marble fountains carved with statues of the Ancient Kings and Queens dotted the lawn. There were gardens pathed with pea gravel, luxurious pools, green houses filled to the brim with exotic plants, stables, training fields, everything! It was so overwhelming!

And the Dormitory itself–

Gods above, Gon's legs were gonna give out if he tried to stand up.

It was huge, way bigger than any of the stories he'd heard! There had to be 15 floors! That was unheard of! How did a building that tall even stay standing?! There were hundreds of windows, hundreds of rooms! Enormous marble pillars, colorful tile mosaics bordering the outer walkway! There were even carvings depicting Legendary Tournament battles on the eves of every floor!

Gon was seriously going to be living here?!

The carriage pulled to a halt, right before those enormous front doors. Gon was stuck, frozen in his seat. Cheetu hopped down from the driver's seat, and walked around to open Gon's door. He peeked in, tail swishing behind him in amusement.

"In over your head?" he teased.

"Uh, a little bit, sir!" Gon choked out, forcing himself to move. He stepped out of the carriage, boots clacking against painted bricks of the driveway. Huge oak trees swayed in the breeze, dappling the enormous wrap-around driveway. It was like the grand entrance to a palace. Apparently the Dormitory was larger even than the Palace of Versailles, where the infamous Duchess Zazan lived.

Cheetu laughed at Gon's expense, leading him up the front steps with no regard for Gon's waning mental fortitude.

The entire palace was so big, it made Gon feel like an ant! But not a Chimera Ant, one of the tiny ones.

Gon kept his eyes glued to the floor, which was much easier to process than the enormous walls made out of marble bricks that were bigger than his living room back home. The front porch (though Gon doubted something this enormous could even be considered a porch at this point) was tiled with millions of tiny, vibrant mosaic tiles, depicting swirling trees, sparkling stars, and incredible creatures with insectoid limbs and fingers.

Right. This was a place for the Ants, not for a human like Gon. This all felt so wrong. Someone as lowly as him had no right being here! If a guard popped out from behind a nearby pillar and ate him where he stood then Gon would hold no grudge.

Cheetu gave Gon a cheeky grin, before grasping the handles of the immense double doors and swinging them open wide. Gon had to choke back a cry of surprise at the scene that was spread out before him, the foyer looked like it belonged in the halls of Valhalla! Was this the afterlife?! Was Gon already dead?!

The walls were sprawling, the ceilings arched and painted with swirling classical paintings of Ants and humans alike. There were even trees growing from the floor the place was so big! There were passageways lining the upper walls, open to the eye. Two enormous spiral staircases sat directly across the foyer from the door.

This place was a house built for Goliath. And Gon was lesser even than David.

"Ah! Welcome!" called out a dignified looking Ant with penguin features. "You are the last one to arrive! Are you the pair that got held up on the outskirts of Zaban City?"

"Yup," Cheetu sighed, stretching his arms high over his head. "This guy wasn't worth all the trouble, if you ask me."

"My greatest apologies, sir!" Gon squeaked, bowing his head and holding his arms flat against his sides. "I'm so deeply sorry to have inconvenienced you!"

Cheetu barked a laugh, patting Gon on the head and making him shake in his boots. "It's fine!"

He was one of the Ants to let his superior status go to his head.

"If I may ask for your name?" the penguin Ant spoke up, flipping through a clipboard stuffed full of important looking papers.

"Gon Freecss of H-234!" the tan boy answered immediately, bowing lower. "It is an honor to meet your acquaintance, sir!"

"234… Ah! Yes! I've found you!" the penguin declared. "Welcome, Sir Freecss! It is a pleasure to have you!"

"No, please. The pleasure is all mine," Gon sputtered.

The penguin chuckled. "Now, no need for all the formalities, my dear boy! After all, you are one of this year's Champions, are you not?"

"Uh…"

"My name is Peggy, and I am the Master of the Dormitory. You are the last of my esteemed guests, and in the house of Daemones yourself and your fellow Champions are the superior ones."

Gon slowly straightened out of his bow, eyes wide and shocked as he met Peggy's gaze. The Ant smiled at him. He was strangely… kind? Gon had never known a Chimera Ant to be kind before. Cheetu was friendly, sure, but he made it more than clear that he'd rather be eating Gon for a snack than lugging him halfway across the globe.

Gon hadn't even been here for five minutes, and he was already lost out of his mind.

"Follow me, Sir Gon!" Peggy beckoned, turning to approach the stairs. "I will deliver you to your Wing."

Gon tripped a little as he walked after Peggy, earning a bark of laughter from Cheetu. "See ya, kid!" the feline Ant called as he walked in the other direction. "Try not to die too early, okay? Wouldn't wanna see all my hard work go to waste!"

"Y- yeah!" Gon stuttered, forcing down his instinctual bow. This was weird. So very weird.

Gon focused on not falling and breaking his neck as he followed Peggy up the stairs, around and around and around and up, up, up.

"As a Champion competing in the Tournament of Decision," Peggy explained, "You will be given lodging in the Dormitory of Daemones, courtesy of the Queen herself! It is an incredible honor, but it is also an immensely respectable mantle that you've taken on. The Dormitory is divided up into Wings. There are three segments of the house of Daemones, left, right, and middle. There are 15 floors, and therefore each segment houses 15 Wings. There are twenty five Champions housed in each Wing, making for a grand total of 1,125 total contestants."

Gon whimpered a little at all those numbers.

"In between each event in the Tournament, Champions will be expected to stay in the Dormitory. Safety of competitors cannot be assured if they are to stray from the grounds. Humans are still humans, and Ants are still Ants, no matter how much standing those humans do hold."

Gon nodded grimly. So don't leave the grounds. He could do that. He had no intention of being eaten, at least, not until after he'd placed at least 10th in the Tournament. 1,125 contestants, huh? That meant 1,125 people that Gon had to defeat.

Well… it could have been worse.

Each Wing had more than just 25 rooms, the most opponents Ging had gone up against had been 3,000. Gon should be grateful. He touched his fingertips to the pendant around his neck, and sent up a little prayer of thanks. The Gods truly were on his side at the moment… and Gon would prefer to keep it that way.

"Your assigned Wing is the middle 13th," Peggy told Gon, finally walking out onto one of the stair landings. There were three doors on the landing, one on the left, one on the right, and one in the middle. The floor was a sparkling white marble, the walls pristine and blank. It felt like Gon was inside the belly of a divine beast.

Peggy led Gon to the door in the middle, and placed his wing on the handle. "Are you ready? Through this door I will pass you over to your Wing Master. I oversee the entire Dormitory, but each Wing has an assigned Master to keep up with the contestants on a more personal level. From here, everything will be up to them. But of course, feel free to contact me at any time. I am here to help you!"

Gon nodded, giving Peggy a nervous smile. "Yeah, thanks. I think I'm ready."

Peggy grinned at Gon. "Wonderful! Now then, welcome to your new home." Peggy opened the door for Gon, and with a deep breath, Gon stepped through. The door was closed behind him with a decisive echo.

Gon glanced around. In front of him was a hallway, bordered with windows overlooking the yard. He could see top spires of the enormous metal gate surrounding the Dormitory's lands, and he could see the top of the Colosseum directly ahead, and the outer wall of the Grand Palace beside it.

The grasses in the lawn were sparkling and green, the sky cloudless and brilliant. It was like everything here was just better than literally everything else in the entire world. This was a far cry from Whale Island.

But Gon supposed he was here to change that, wasn't he?

He adjusted his grip on the straps of his backpack, and bravely walked forward. The hallway was at a T, likely with rooms on either side. Peggy hadn't told him where the Wing Master was, perhaps there was a common area or a sign somewhere–

Gon startled as he collided with someone. Their heads cracked painfully together and Gon was knocked to the ground.

"Hey! What the hell? Watch where the fuck you're going!"

Gon exclaimed in shock when whoever it was kicked him roughly in the ribs. He snapped his head up, expecting a Chimera that he would need to beg forgiveness from–

Only to find a human?

It was a male, with pale skin and a wild mass of silvery hair. "Who the fuck are you?" they snapped, blue eyes raging down at Gon.

Gon started to pick himself up, "Uh–"

"-Gods! Shut the hell up!" the other boy snapped, "You're voice is so fucking annoying! Look before you step next time, idiot!"

With that, the boy swept Gon's legs from under him, sending him crashing back to the ground. He then stomped off to the left, and disappeared around a corner. Gon groaned, rubbing his head. "What was that for?" he whined. "He was so mean."

Gon stood back up, brushing off his clothes. That had been so rude! Where had that other guy even come from?! Last time Gon checked there hadn't been anyone else around! He hadn't even heard him coming! What a total jerk.

Mood officially ruined, Gon walked down the right side of the hallway, in the opposite direction of whoever that mean person had been. As he approached the end of the hallway and a turn into another area, Gon heard the din of voices. Human voices! There were so many! And they all seemed so nice!

Gon was definitely still nervous, but at least it sounded like everyone else around here was a nice person, unlike whoever that jerk had been.

Gon turned the corner, and was immediately greeted with a sitting area full of turned heads, and then a cacophony of cheers.

"Hey! It's a new guy!"

"He's the last one, right?"

"Welcome, buddy!"

"Ayy, you made it!"

Gon startled, a little frozen up. He smiled nervously and gave a little wave. Uh… what was he supposed to do now? He was the only one with a backpack on, and he was suddenly all too aware of how dirty and ratty his clothes were.

In this area was a comfy looking sitting room. There was a fireplace, potted plants, homey looking paintings, and a bunch of soft furniture. On the other side of the sitting area appeared to be another hallway, leading deeper into this side of the Wing.

Before Gon's frozen up state could get awkward, all of a sudden there was an excited voice coming from near his feet.

"Hey! New guy! Though you'd never make it!"

Gon looked down, to find a short, red octopus Ant with big friendly eyes and a smiling mouth.

"The name's Ikalgo! I'm the Wing Master of the BEST Wing in the Dormitory!"

The crowd in the sitting area erupted into cheers and excited whoops.

"Yeah!" Ikalgo encouraged, pumping his fists, "That's right!"

Gon felt a grin crawling onto his face to match Ikalgo's. This guy was so nice! This was the second Ant Gon had met here that seemed like a person instead of a predator.

"Imma show New Guy around!" Ikalgo announced, tugging at the hem of Gon's shorts and pulling him through the sitting area and into the depths of the right side of the Wing. The group in the sitting area egged Ikalgo on, giving Gon friendly jostles and slaps across the back as they passed through.

Ikalgo led Gon into the hallway, waddling along almost like a baby chicken. "So, what's you name, New Guy?"

"Gon Freecss of H-234, sir!" the tan boy rattled off, practiced and robotic.

Ikalgo cracked a laugh, "I hope Peggy told you already, but you don't have to act all formal and stuff with me! You're a Champion! And even if you weren't, come on. Look at me. Do I look like a threat to you?"

"Uh…"

"It's alright, be honest."

"No?"

Ikalgo punched Gon playfully in the leg… cause he couldn't reach his arm. "Haha! Exactly, man! We're all buddies here! I know all the other BORING Wing Masters like to act all stiff and serious, but Dorm life should be fun! We're all brothers 'round here! We didn't get any ladies, but if we had we'd have sisters too! We're all a big happy family, so get used to it!"

"Wow, okay!" Gon chirped, getting happier and happier by the second. Ikalgo was like a walking ray of sunshine! He was so nice!

Ikalgo explained the layout of the Wing. The left side held the actual bedrooms, and the right held all the common areas like the sitting rooms and the dining room. You could go anywhere on the right side, but you could only go inside of your own room on the left. Unless you had explicit permission, of course. Privacy was held in high regard.

Before Gon knew it, night had fallen and Ikalgo was leading him to his bedroom.

The short little guy waddled on down the hallway, keeping up with Gon's long legs like it was nothing at all. "You've got room 24, all the way at the end. You'll notice that a wall's been added to board off the other available rooms in the Wing, don't bust it down, alright? It's there to make this place feel more comfortable. Nothing's comfortable about a long assed hallway devoid of all life."

Gon chuckled, nodding along.

"As you'll notice, all the rooms are on the left side, and the windows on the right. You won't get any windows, but the rooms are pretty damn nice if you ask me! You've got rooms 25 and 23 beside you, so drop in and visit your neighbors at some point!"

"Okay! I'll have to do that!"

The two arrived at the door to room 24, Gon's new home away from home. Ikalgo unlocked the door, and then tossed the key into Gon's hands.

"There's your key, try not to lose it, if you can. We can get you a new one, it'll just be a trip to the key workers for me, so let's spare me the trip, kay? Short legs!"

"Sure! Thanks a lot, Mr. Ikalgo!" Gon chirped following Ikalgo into his bedroom.

The short little guy laughed, "Come on! It's just Ikalgo! No need to be so formal!"

Gon would have responded, but he was too busy gawking at his bedroom. It was huge! Way bigger than his bedroom back at home! There was a giant canopy bed, the fluffiest rug Gon had ever seen, an enormous closet, and even its own bathroom! Not to mention book shelves, a desk, and his own little sitting area! He even had a table! So what if there were no windows?! When the room was this awesome he didn't need them!

"This place is ama~zing!" Gon cheered, flinging himself onto the bed.

Ikalgo cracked a laugh. "I know right? I grew up in a backwater Province so I know what you mean! You arrived just in time, cause all the important stuff starts tomorrow! Make sure you're up and dressed nice and early! We're having a mandatory brunch tomorrow so we can get everybody introduced and junk. There's formal clothes in the closet for you, as well as your Tournament Uniform. It should all fit, but if there's any issues just lemme know."

"Will do! Thanks, Ikalgo!"

The Ant chuckled. "Alright, alright, I'll see you tomorrow! Make sure you sleep well, cause you'll be meeting all your fellow Wingmates tomorrow."

"I will! Goodnight!"

"Goodnight," Ikalgo called, shutting the door and leaving Gon to his enormous room.

The tan boy giggling, flinging himself onto his back and making bed-angels in the puffy blankets and soft pillows. This place was so amazing! He'd been super scared at first, but this really wasn't as bad as he'd expected!

Gon sighed, and sat up. He brought his backpack over to the table and started unloading it. He hadn't brought much with him, just some clothes and old trinkets. So he didn't get too terribly homesick. Gon sighed as he placed the picture of him and Mito on the bedside table, all of a sudden hyper aware of how far he was from home.

As he slipped beneath the most luxurious covers he'd ever had the chance to sleep under, Gon gave Mito's smiling face a smile of his own. She was depending on him. As much fun as this place had turned out to be, he couldn't forget what he was here for.

Gon was a Champion in the Tournament of Decision, and he had a very important job to do.

Whale Island was depending on him.