Episode 1, Chapter 3: The Mayor
The two of them came to a large terracotta arch, surrounded on either side by walls of stone and concrete. Petra looked up at it, shuddering slightly and quietly pointing at the open doors welcoming them into the city.
"Through there…" Petra mumbled, looking away.
"Indeed. I was afraid we would have to scale the wall." Jess snarked, gently tugging Petra's arm as she made sure the llama was still with them. "Come now, let's get that llama to that wh-"
"Come on, let's just get this over with." She sighed, leading both the llama and Jess into the city proper; casting sarcastic eyes over the comedically average effigy to the llama they were currently towing to the leader. "I still don't get her obsession with this damn llama…"
"It's her pet, is it not? Surely you would build a crude effigy for your beloved animal friend if you had the materials… or the animal." Jess replied with a shrug. "But what do I know? I'm the patron lord of weird handwear."
"You keep saying that." Petra said, turning and raising an eyebrow at Jess. "The 'patron' of the gauntlet. You mean there's someone on the other side of you, like I'm not just talking to my friend's hand?"
"What I am doesn't matter. Just that I'm here; and you're stuck with me." A coy smile crept across Jess' borrowed lips. "A sensible adventurer would just accept that fact and find a way to cure their friend's body of such a strange ailment." Their facial expression softened slightly as they looked around the city. "Of course, right now, I must simply play the fool and allow you to complete this ridiculous folly you have found yourself in."
"I mean, you wouldn't have to." She grumbled, "You have freaky mind powers; just brain-jostle her into giving me my sword back." She rolled her eyes, waving her hand and looking over with a smirk. "It'd definitely get me to follow your lead, Mx. Gauntlet~"
"...I may consider it." They looked away, sighing. "I suppose Jess would have helped you in their own special way. I oughta do the same."
"Yeah you should." Petra snickered, playfully smacking them between the shoulderblades. "Like I said, it might get me to follow you~"
The llama bleated angrily rather suddenly, tensing up and refusing to move, loafing in protest in the middle of the walkway. Petra sighed, hand meeting her nose as she swore under her breath.
"Lousy fuckin…" She sighed, kneeling down and patting the llama on the head. "C'mon, Lluna… even if I gotta carry you, you gotta go back to Stella so I can get my frickin' sword back, you dig?"
It bleated something, tilting its head back and spitting at Petra, who tumbled back and batted at her face. Jess choked down a laugh, putting their gauntlet-wearing hand up to their mouth.
"Fussy gal doesn't like her owner, huh?"
"Preaching to the choir, mate." she sputtered, scooping the llama up and sighing. "Come on; Stella has her 'office hours' there, in the center courtyard."
"Through the second set of doors, I'm presuming?" They looked over, Petra nodding at them as she held Lluna almost bridal-style. "Understood."
"Yeah yeah…" she rolled her eyes. "C'mon." She mumbled, the llama grumbling as the three of them entered the second set of doors, the central courtyard spreading out before them as they spotted a small crowd of people surrounding a slightly plump blonde woman and her two brick walls she apparently called "bodyguards."
"I take it that's the owner." Jess mumbled as Petra looked at the ground, then over at the woman. She nodded, pointing.
"That's Stella all right. Short, long blonde hair, chubby but still infuriatingly cute. I guess it's Puppy Weekend; she's just throwin 'em like water balloons." Petra grumbled, rolling her eyes as the crowd cheered excitedly.
"One puppy per citizen!" The left bodyguard announced, holding his hands up as Stella knelt down, bestowing the gift of a small wolf to a spawn, who squealed with delight as they ran off into the crowd. "Ladies and spawns first, everybody else later!"
"Throwing dogs at children… when will the madness end?" Jess quipped, Petra suddenly grabbing their hand and dragging them to the front of the crowd, Lluna over their shoulder like a sandbag.
"Hey, Stella. Brought you your llama. You wanna trade?" She said, locking eyes with the woman as she grumbled under her breath.
"Ah, Petra, thank you for bringing back my daaarling Lluna to me." She said, false warmth dripping like rotten honey. "Rodrigo, could you take her inside? Give her a bath, too… Don't want any of that Beacontown musk on my precious baby."
The right bodyguard nodded, Petra passing the llama off and giving her a pat on the snout as the brute stomped away, whistling a soft tune to himself as he did.
Stella folded her arms, raising an eyebrow curiously as Jess walked up to her. "Ah, Jesse, my swoooorn rival." She leaned in, smirking. "What, come to admire the sights? See the lovely skyline? Assist your little girl-friend in helping me get my baby girl home?"
"She isn't my girlfriend. I'm merely here to make sure you pay up your end of the bargain." They folded their arms, Stella's eyes immediately shooting down to stare at the gauntlet. "Ah, looking directly at me, wonderful."
"What a fascinating glove…" Her olive eyes sparkled as she leaned down to get a closer look at it, Petra watching with confused intrigue as to how "Jess" would respond to that. "Perhaps we can arrange a trade? I've got puppies, you've got an intriguing glove… Sounds fair to me, no? A silly old gauntlet and the gift of life?"
"Trust me. I would love to be given life; unfortunately this glove is tied to them. You'll have to honor your end of the deal rather than sacrifice your form to be my new vessel." They said slowly, folding their arms into a rather sassy pose as Stella blinked in bewilderment, stepping back.
"You know what I want, Stella!" Petra stepped forward, leaning over menacingly. "Don't try to con my friend out of their gauntlet!"
"Aww, but what did I get from you, Petty? I just can-noooooot remember!" She half-whined, giggling like a smug royal as Jess lifted their hand up, Stella suddenly finding herself a few feet off the ground with a surprised squeal. "H-HEY! Put me down! This isn't very sportsmanlike for a rival, Jesse!"
"The name would be Jess, you portly sleaze." They growled. "Give Petra back Mr. Butter or I will be quite glad to get tough. Surely you wouldn't want that, would you?"
"Miss Butter." Petra corrected under her breath. "You said you were gonna 'put it on display'! Since when did that mean I couldn't use it anymore?!"
"You misunderstood the- AH!" She yelped as Jess dropped her, landing on her arms with a grunt. "You. Misunderstood the terms. You came to me, remember?" She stood up, dusting her skirt off and smiling. "In exchange for me putting the sword on display, you got one of the most luxurious apartments in the city - and full decoration rights. None of these other citizens can say they have full redecoration permits."
"I didn't trade my sword for some freaking PERMIT!" Petra yelled, "I swear on the Dragon, Stella, if you don't give me my sword back, I'll- I…"
"You'll what, Petra? What could you do to me that won't result in you being homeless and angry at your own impulsiveness?" She clapped her hands, one of her bodyguards wordlessly lifting her onto his shoulders as the other three gathered the remaining puppies. "We're done here. I expect my citizens to behave; and that includes my champions, dear."
With that, she leaned her elbow against the hat of her ferry, pointing towards the grand building in front of them as they trotted off. Jess looked at Petra, pointing towards the puppies being herded inside.
"We can sneak in. It'll be easier than fighting our way in." They smiled. "And, perhaps, we'll sneak ourselves a little present."
"Do you want to steal a puppy?"
"...Perhaps. It may prove useful." They laughed. "Come! Let's get Monsieur Beurre."
Petra opened her mouth, before quietly closing it and shaking her head as Jess darted ahead, slinking through the open gate into the kennels.