The two begin to reach the exit of the pyramid. The brightness of the outside begins to appear as D-ray has become frustrated from the unfortunate change of plans

D-ray: “You should not judge the ruler of bla bla” eh Vagapod?! That pythagorean greedy witch made me pay for nothing! Now we are still out here!

Vagapod: Is she a touchy lady with gratitude. It has nothing to do with her being the ruler of weather. But don’t fret! The Queen, though not directly, has assisted us to a more hospital way up to the manor of the high pupils.

D-ray: Ah yes, because going there with bare feet is WAY more hospital than being transported there via… whatever f*****g “magic” she was about to cast!

Vagapod: It is like being inside a tornado of sand for a few hours, and jeez! What’s the talk about mating with the universe all of a sudden?

D-ray grunts before waving his arms in a very frustrated Italian way

Vagapod: I thought you wanted to get home as quickly as possible. That was supposed to be the fastest. However, this route is most undoubtedly the second fastest. You see, the Queen has issued the foreseeable future of gaining aid from the reserve and-

D-ray: Again with this “reserve”... What’s that?!

Vagapod: Beings who developed themselves to unruly conquer the skies with their incredible intelligence in airborne dynamics as well as their freeform exploration from one place to another. They often montier the many realms here in the nation. No doubt they know how to get to the manor.

D-ray: So what? Are we gonna hitch a ride from THEM now?

Vagapod: That sounds like the plan, but there are two issues with it.

D-ray: Sure, I’m collecting them at this point…

Vagapod: Just hear me out.

D-ray: Yeah yeah, loud and clear… (oh my… I think I need to go to the bathroom...)

Vagapod: Members of the reserve are often accustomed to high elevations. The Illuminating Towers have these elevations. We can find them there.  

D-ray: So what? The issue is that we have to climb them?

Vagapod: Uhm… not really. The gravity is weird over there. 

D-ray: ... ? And the second thing?

Vagapod: The reserve thinks I’m a terrorist.

D-ray: ...

Vagapod: My clothes are quite similar to the ones a great mafia gang had back in the era of John. It’s only due to my clothes and my saving skills that they really grabbed suspicion of my nature as a person.

D-ray: ...I HATE that I have to believe every single stupid thing you say...

Vagapod: I am only trying to help a being back home, there is no need to believe in what I say, gent. Only what I try to do to accomplish that.

D-ray: Isn’t that the same thing… ?

The two cooled-off explorers emerged from the massive pyramid into the nearest marketplace of consumables and other necessary items when venturing the dust bowl. A mummy with many eyes was selling bandages to protect eyepods from overheating. Another being owned a water tower for banking valuables in exchange for water. Inhabits appear to only have a few fragments of gold or pearl pieces to purchase goods or utilize these services

Vagapod: Alright so I’m guessing right now we need to find some desert rider around here. Keep your focus in.

D-ray: How do I know what they look like? 

Vagapod: Well… uhm. I guess you could say that they come in many shapes and sizes. They most commonly have some sort of giant creature or vehicle with them for their transportation.

D-ray: ...Ehh… uhh… THAT guy? The one that looks like a bedouin.

Vagapod: ...A bedouin?

They spotted a being in the outskirts of the market standing near a giant centipede creature. It appears the being is already staring at the two adventurers with some sense of what they want

Vagapod: Hmm… I recognize him from the coliseums. I can assure you he is no bedouin. He goes by the title “Chaos Monk.” 

D-ray: I’m more interested in knowing the number of hairs I’ve got on my butt than knowing his name. Do you know if he can give us a ride?

Vagapod: He does. Owns a giant desert centipede that can get us to the Illuminating Towers pleasantly fast. Although I fear what we would have to give him for such travel. He’s a beast ran on culinary incentive.

D-ray: Whatever a “culinary incentive” is, just give him the gold and he can buy it…

Come on, let's not waste anymore time.

They approach the hooded figure holding his water carrier over his head, the adventurers get a peek of teeth open from the top of his head. Blood drips from the water carrier…

Monk Chaos: CaRe tO HeLP yOu, GeNTleMEN?

Vagapod: We are here in need of assistance to get to Illuminating Towers. You own this centipede?

Monk Chaos: OwNage? SssSsUuure… 

Vagapod: How much to get a ri-

Monk Chaos: I KnOw YoU.

Vagapod: ...Ah yes. You may have remembered me fro-

Monk Chaos: fRoM tHE CoLiSeumS.

Vagapod: You did great work when those were greatly popular.

Monk Chaos: ...YoUr BlOoD TaSTes LiKE AsH.

Vagapod: Oh… dear.  

Monk Chaos: …DiStgUsHing ... leMmE GiVe yoU tHE SiTuaTIon:

The monk shows that his red stained water carrier is empty

Monk Chaos: I aM iN DiRE neEd oF ReFREsHmENTs. FrrRrOm ThE InSIDEs!

The monk inches closer and his eyes pierce to D-ray

Monk Chaos: YoOoOOU!

D-ray: What... ?

Monk Chaos: YoU HaVE BlOoD InSiDe YOu. HuMAN, iS iT nOT?

D-ray: Ok I know where this is going; can’t we have a NORMAL payment for once?! You know Vagapod right? He is full of gold, you can buy gallons of blood from other freaks like you with that!

Monk Chaos: PeRhApS YOu DoNt UnDeRStAND...

One of Monk’s hands latch onto D-ray, spins him around 180°, and points at the marketplace full of desert residents

EvErYONe HeRe HAs DRy BlOoD. I HAve DamPlED iN SucH EfFiCeNCy fOr ToO loNG. HaD iT BeFoRE. DoEs NOt SuFfIce tO…

sniff

...hUmaN FoRMulA. aNd YOu'vE gOt TOns. nO nEeD fOR gOlD If RIdeS gETs iT QuICkER.

Vagapod: You’ve always been picky about where your next meal came to, just take mine.

Monk Chaos: ThIs iS NOT aN ExcEPtIon, ThEn. PrEsEnt mE a SaMPle, ANd tHe CeNtipEDe TrAVeL iS YoURs.

D-ray: You have got to be kidding me… even if I would give you my blood, how am I supposed to do it?! I’m not cutting myself for a random vampire bedouin!

Monk Chaos: HeRE, TaKe ThiS:

The Monk gives D-ray one of his blood jars, expecting him to naturally extract it like any other specimen in the desert. 

D-ray, prone to complain about how these ‘eyepod’ are so consistently bad about answering his questions as well as their bizarre payment policies, stops for a second, changing his annoyed expression to a sadistic grin

D-ray: Alright… comrade… I’ll give you my tasty insides. Just a second, I need some “privacy”...

Monk Chaos: WHaTeVeR yOu NEeD, IrOn CuRtAIn.

D-ray quickly leaves to the other side of the centipede

Monk Chaos: YoUR’e LuCkY tO HAvE a PeRSon WiTh BlOoD I HavEn’T TaSTed Yet.

Vagapod: What can I say? I only drink stash.

Monk Chaos: i HoPe hE DoEsn’T EIthER. fOr a HuMAn, hE sEeMS SwEAtY.

Vagapod: Yeah… about that. Can you not spread that information around? More monstrous beings could be looking for raw meat.

Monk Chaos: ...CoNsIDer tHe JAr aS PAyMent tO ThAt aS wElL. tElL SpECiMeNs He is FrOm Wet LId. CleArs SuSPIciONs EnTIreLy.

Vagapod: Overpricing for easy goods and services as always?

Monk Chaos: DeCenT fOR tHE CiRcuMsTaNCEs yOuRE iN, oLD CruMmOr.

Vagapod: Can not argue with that.

After a couple of seconds, D-ray returns with the jar filled with a suspicious yellow substance in it

D-ray: Heeere you go comrade! Hope you’ll like it. Now you give us a ride, right?

Monk Chaos: ThIs SeEmS IRrEgULaR…

Vagapod: Well he did drink a lot of water from the Queen’s inventory lately.

Monk Chaos: …EeeeEEUggH! QuEen’S WaTer!? I WoN’T bE aBLe tO HavE tHiS UntIL iT’s CaSTed UndER MoOnlIGht!

Vagapod: We had a deal, Monk.

Monk Chaos: yEs, YeS. TaKE thE rIdE. liFe GIvEs yOU lEmONs, YoU gOT a ProJEct. MUNVicUlA!!!

The centipede creature turns to face the sketchy trader

Monk Chaos: tAkE tHem To tHE PlACe wITh tHe NeOn LiGHts aNd aLl tHat Fan fAIr! cOme BAck HeRe AfTerwARds, wE nEed tO PerForM PurIFicAtIon!

The creature unleashes a long growl and slowly turns into trajectory to the Illuminating Towers

Monk Chaos: oF CoUrSe iT nEedS tO bE mORe pAlE YeLlOw. LIke yOU WouLd KNow hOw tO PrePaRE BloOd...

Vagapod: Come along D-ray! We’re on our way to the towers!

D-ray: Yeah yeah quiet down I’m coming! I hope that this thing doesn’t go too fast, I suffer from motion sickness.

Vagapod: This thing IS pleasantly fast. I’d recommend you strap in for what happens next.

Vagapod pulls duct tape from his trench coat and begins to tape his hips to the creature, while D-ray ties himself with his suit to a little ledge of the creature’s exoskeleton

Vagapod: I had no idea that a human being had the ability to expel blood at a fast pace and enclose the opening so fast, especially blood that is yellow and transparent...

D-ray: Let’s just say that instead of giving him wine, I gave him an heavily distilled grape juice. A very bitter LIQUOR basically... 

Huehuehuehue…

Vagapod: …Should’ve kept some for me.

D-ray: ...Huehue… umh... nah.

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Additional dialogue and overall design in collaboration with @EyepodNation.