Welcome to Ambrosia!

[Guu]

The crowd was silent, baffled at what the anomaly had just said. They thought they heard him say he’d join the city and live with them, but at the same time, they heard him talk about how his kind went ravenous without food. The people of Ambrosia were left baffled to what they should think; keeping their distance from the sleeping Carn.

Guu, who took in every word he said, understood. However, she kind of wished he pulled her aside to ask if it was okay to tell the whole city this before he actually did it. She facepalmed hard and made her way through the crowd. Standing between them and the anomaly, she turned to her people. Donning the most social face she could make, she spoke.

“Carn may not be the most well spoken, but his cause is noble. He wants to rescue his people from a life of savagery. He understands anyone is capable of redemption, and that’s a truth that Ambrosia is built on. Were you not once victims of prejudice yourselves?”

People start soaking in the princess’ words, some even nodding in agreement.

“When I first came here, many of you were behind bars, not for actual crimes, but for minor things like not following everything your parents say, or making too many tweets in one day.

“And our animal friends, I know you’ve face prejudice. The people of Camelot couldn’t even accept you as average citizens. That’s why you came here in the first place.

“Now think of his kind. The struggles they’ve faced. You think someone like that would blow over well in Camelot no matter his attitude? His people deserve a sanctuary too, and we are the ones that’ll give them one! Are you all with me?”

The crowd, many moved to tears, roars with cheer over the Princess’ inspiring words. Guu steps over and plops the unconscious Carn onto her back. Her face had transformed back to normal.

“Now if you excuse me, I need to take care of our new citizen!”

She dragged him off as the crowd continued to applaud. Sylvia and Molly follow close by to escort her. It didn’t take long until the four were clear from the crowds, which slowly dispersed back to their daily routine as she created distance from them.


-----


Eventually, she carried him all the way to a rundown restaurant at the edge of town. A flimsily hung sign designated it as “The Loco Lobo.”

“Why’d you bring him here?” Asked Sylvia.

“I know this place has a bedroom in the back.” Guu stated. “I would have taken him to the Palace, but I kind of thought he would need food when he woke up. If things are the same as the last time I was here, this is the only non-vegetarian place in town.”

She turned to Molly and chuckled.

“Kind of difficult to eat meat when over half of the population is made of said meat.”

She made her way inside.


The restaurant was about as rundown on the inside as it was in the out. At least it had a rustic feel to it. The place was pretty barren, looked like it’s barely had any customers in a while. Near the back in the cooking area was a mangy old grey wolf lady wearing an old brown dress. She had a number of scars over her face that cut into her fur, including one that ran down under her eye patch which obscured the left eye. She didn’t notice the princess at first, she focusing intently on pounding a chicken breast with a mallet.

Eventually, she noticed in the corner of her eye that she had guests. She dropped the mallet and made her way to the counter.

“Welcome to the Loco Lobo.” She said, her tone somewhat reminiscent of Guu’s, but a little bit more cheerful and warm. “My named is Cynthia the Wolf. What can I serve you-”

She suddenly jumped in surprise when she noticed that her Princess was standing right in front of her.

“Oh my god, Royalty! Royalty in my diner again!” She quickly rushed to the mirror to check her hair before going back to her spot. “I apologize, I didn’t know I’d have such an important guest today.”

Lowering Carn to the ground, Guu clasped her hands together and the Omnilirium starts coming out of her body and takes shape on the desk in front of her. Cynthia waited anxiously, not sure whether this was bad or good. Suddenly, a pile of Omnilirium coins appeared in front of her. Her eyes shimmered in delight.

“My friend here, Carn is a royal guest. He requires a nap in your guest room and a meal comprised of as many meats as he desires.”

“Yes ma’am! I think you know where my guestroom is.”

Guu dragged him into the back, laying him down a somewhat dirty bed in back. As she came back, she spoke up again.

“When he’s fully awake again, tell him that Ambrosia will aid him in his mission. Also tell him that he’s fully welcome as a member of town and he can come and stay at the Palace if he likes.”

“Yes ma’am!”


Guu, Molly, and Sylvia were walking side-by-side away from the restaurant. The young blonde girl moved up close to the princess, curious about something.

“Why is that place allowed to sell meat? Wouldn’t that mean killing some of your citizens?”

“She gets her meat from a ranch up north. None of the animals there are sentient and are pretty distant relatives of the ones that live with us.”

“Oh… So it’s okay then?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of the equivalent of a humans and monkeys in terms of ancestral link. Still creeps them out though.”

“Even most of the humans here have a hard time making the distinction.” Added Sylvia, who had only been listening in up until this point. “A lot of the teenagers, including myself, have been going vegetarian as we’ve gotten to know our animal neighbors more. Well, except for fish of course. The animals around here don’t mind eating fish.”

Silence fell between the three as they kept walking.


-----


Eventually, the three make it through the Ambrosian jungle sanctuary. They follow the path through and the palace that was ever present in the horizon slowly come larger and larger into view. Just as the expanse of the place becomes clear, Guu turns to molly, raising her arm in the air like an announcer.

“Miss Molly, welcome to Pokute Palace!”