---

Camellia’s eight legs were a blur as they moved, mind wandering while glazing between the endless expanse of rolling hills spread out around them.  They were nearing the estate of Grand Designer Jumi’kerune, within the City-State of Everglade.

She, Imiunarus, and Lecra’Moro made their way through the Sea Grass Plains at a consistent pace.  They’d made excellent time with the former Shadow Hand assassin’s knowledge of his nation, sending them on a path the spider never dreamed of traveling.

Thinking back on the experience made her realize how different her perspective had changed since being brought into the Empress’s fold.  It was a bit shocking to Camellia, if she were being honest because she’d expected to be far behind their current position.

When the Empress charged them to kidnap Jumi’kerune, Imiunarus swiftly took the initiative and offered them a solution to the issues Lecra’Moro brought up—namely, the massive area of jungle, swamp, and mountainous terrain that separated their current position to the Everglade City-State.

In a surprising turn of events, he’d proved her estimates wrong, though, and their group had far surpassed her earlier prediction.

She was more than a little leery-eyed when Imiunarus had them stop in a rather sizeable seaside city called Usetric in the Dremuci City-State, which took up most of the northern section of the Great Ruby Lakes.

It had been a rather busy place that smelled heavily of sea life, dealing primarily in shipbuilding, fishermen, and oil extraction within the aquatic life to be used for many Nalvean products.

The Nalveans were never that interesting to Camellia, and so she rarely put much thought into their society, but the Empire was made up of so many little moving parts that it was a tad confusing for her.  Of course, it could have been just how foreign this environment was to her.

Camellia had never been to the Sea Grass Plains; to be able to stand on the top of a large hill and study nothing but three-foot-tall blades of grass, dipping down and up with the gradual rise and fall of the terrain and strong wind certainly gave the appearance of shifting waves.

The primary terrain of the Everglades was comprised of rangelands, yet not everything she’d seen thus far was entirely made of savannahs; occasionally, she discovered large sections of orange-colored trees that broke the green, gold, and blue fields.  Most of these patches followed the river and had a particular attribute to them.

They’d passed through her first orange woodland less than an hour ago, swimming across the large river it grew along.

The trees they passed had an oddly-colored bark that released a chill into the surrounding atmosphere.  It cooled the warm rangelands and protected the wildlife from the overhead sun, radiating its glory upon the landscape, which drew certain animals into the locations during midday.

Oddly shaped animals with thick fur and several protruding bones across their body grazed upon the plains before retreating to the shade that the cool forest pockets provided, grouping in herds to intimidate the unique Ragnlar that also utilized the area.

The jungle cats were a tad different than the ones Camellia had eaten within the valley; her mother was never that interested in the south, and they followed wherever the matriarch led, meaning this was entirely new terrain for the eldest Spider Sister.  Now, if she was in the northern flatlands, then that would be a different story, but this was far lusher than what she’d become accustomed to within the Quen’Talrat’s homeland.

Most of the predatory aviary life was familiar, and the smaller creatures within the Sea Grass Plains burrowed into small holes in the earth to escape them.

Torlim, the Ri’bot’s distant and less intelligent cousin they often used as pack animals, were seen more toward the open areas of the savannah, shying away from the orange tree locations.

Imiunarus had given them quite the lectures on their journey.

They started at Shi’Shuka, passing through the Ri’bot Territory that had been granted to them; the swamp on the eastern part of their territory was a biome Camellia was somewhat familiar with since there were parts in the valley that were like it.

They’d swiftly gone beyond it and into the neighboring City-State of Dremuci, governed by Statesman Jurombe.

The grasslands and thick marshy jungle environment were heavily patrolled by Jurombe’s own personal men.

The Statesman commanded the 4th largest army within the Nalveans, mostly comprised of a Navy Fleet; however, it was a requirement for the younger soldiers to patrol their land and maintain the safety of their citizens, culling the Ragnlar and other vicious predators that came from the Ri’bot territory above them.

It was here that Imiunarus changed their plans entirely; Camellia was stunned when he guided them to the south and straight into the City-State’s capital of Usetric.

He explained that the Everglade Mountains within Dremuci cut the City-State into two sections like a wall, which meant the second largest city, Kuliramogu, was on the opposite side.  It would take them more than twelve hours at their current pace to just get beyond the large sierra, and so he planned to charter a ship.

She and Lecra’Moro were a little leery of the idea; for one, how would they get the giant ape through the city without asking questions.  The Quen’Talrat could become soundless, not evade all sight, and watching a dense field of pure darkness walking through your streets was a sure way of getting noticed, but he assured them everything would be fine.

Since Klaus had advised them to heed the Navlean’s familiarity with his home nation, they reluctantly followed his lead, which had led to them diving into the lake and coming aboard a smuggling ship he’d hired to ferry them to the next City-State.

The ship was stopped since it was off-course, yet apparently, the crew had feigned an issue with their steering and were escorted to the nearest city that could offer aid.  It didn’t seem like the first time this had happened to Imiunarus’s friends, and they weren’t even aware of what was being transported since they were in a secret compartment.

Underneath the vessel was a hatch that could be opened, and a sealed chamber that could only be accessed by a diving crew was sectioned off.  Lecra'Moro could barely fit, but he managed with Camellia’s help.

In fact, since the Quen’Talrat was covered from head to tail in his unique black fabric, Imiunarus told them that the Nalveans that hadn’t heard the news about Elinor wouldn’t even assume he was one of the powerful apes.

They’d sooner believe he was some traveling race that was being shown around by Imiunarus than think their accursed extinct foe had returned, and Nalveans were reasonably open to most races since they were in such a time of peace that it never crossed their mind that the intelligent creature in front of them that could speak their language would hurt them.

Lecra'Moro had to agree that he’d never known a single Quen’Talrat who could speak any language but their own; it was a measure of pride that they took in their own culture.

Camellia had to hand it to Imiunarus for the sharp plan; it was something she’d expected from someone like Tiffany or Edmon, but not a Nalvean.

Plus, it gave him more time to tell them more about his home, which seemed to be something he rather enjoyed.

The City-State of Dremuci specialized in more industrious activities; on the other hand, Everglade, Statesman Telgor’hamin’s territory, was far more involved in preserving their wildlife beauty, keeping a strict hunting regiment to not destroy their primary source of funds.

Everglade had been a massive exporter of furs, hides, bones, and various other pieces of the creatures within their lands.  This also involved products produced by the farmlands to the northeast of the grassy City-State, exporting a large amount of unique vegetation and fruits the area was famous for, among its orchards of Cold Wood, which was far more expensive to purchase than one might think.

Cold Wood had particular growing conditions involving their soil, which was why it was so sparsely distributed across the hilly meadows.  The companies in Everglade had mastered the craft, helping to bolster their City-State’s exports.

Of course, she was new to the concept of money and purchasing altogether.  Her family took whatever they wanted when they were alive; they’d never had to deal with the idea of trade or practice it with the other broods of their species.

Camellia’s mouth salivated as they reached the top of one particularly important hill named Jucaria, quickly scanning the places around them.

Herds of fat, furry grazing animals first snagged her attention, ushered on by Nalveans bringing the pack into a large fenced-off section near the city in the distance.  She longed to sample each creature the Nalvean Empire had to offer; there were just so many things she’d never so much as seen.

The sun was descending in the sky, and the sea breeze was increasing, trying unsuccessfully to move her silken hair in her human form as they crested the rise.

However, the most attention-grabbing object in sight was by far the peninsula ahead of them, less than four miles away.  A massive castle-like structure made Camellia’s smile fall a little; it was at least a third of the size of Shi’Shuka’s Royal Palace.

Lecra'Moro was folding his two massive arms across his chest, using the Empress’s Nexus to communicate, and Camellia could sense his glare.  “Imiunarus, that’s where Jumi’kerune is?”

The Nalvean stretched out with a long sigh, vision focusing on the obstacles between them and the monolithic structure.  “Mmh … Yeah, that’s his Estate; a lot has changed since I’ve been here … It’s grown.”

Lecra'Moro was more focused on the stark resemblance of the castle; it more closely mirrored the Quen’Talrat’s architecture than Nalvean.  “How long ago was this place built?”

“A long time ago,” he responded, head and eyes shifting between key points between them and the wall surrounded keep.  “Long before your people began constructing those types of buildings, which I assume was because your leader was taking inspiration from the same place as Jumi’kerune.”

The giant ape released a low rumble in his chest that vibrated the air around them.  “If that’s the case, then we must be very cautious.  The Ke had countless devices and war machines he was only years from completion on that would have devastated all of the other races.”

Meh, I don’t think it’s all that bad.  Camellia shrugged; it felt so good to move her human form.  We just walk down like we did through the other two cities and just make things up if anyone asks us why we’re there.  It worked before.

Imiunarus slowly shook his head.  “No—I’m afraid that won’t work this time, Camellia.  This area has Demon’s touch all over it, and I cannot see them not being prepared for us; he’s had enough time, given what we’ve witnessed.”

What’s the plan then?  She asked.

“Give me a moment to think about it,” he mumbled, thin eyes darting between critical locations.

Camellia took the time to study it herself.

The curved peninsula held a vast bay with dozens of ships moving across it in the dying light, and a small city was at the base of it, just close enough to the Estate to provide materials while remaining separate.

A large portion of the right side of the peninsula was dedicated to the herd animals that they used for slaughter; they numbered in the tens of thousands and showed just how important this small part of the City-State was.

Everglade wasn’t the most militaristic City-State since Statesman Joru’Kora’s territory to the east of its borders was a stronghold for the Nalvean land forces, and Dremuci to the left was a Naval powerhouse.

However, it seemed Jumi’kerune had his own personal guards that patrolled the area, which Camellia could see in tight formation with her sharp vision.

She spoke up while analyzing the information they had.  Okay, I see your point.  My sister discovered a mind-control device on the princess; do you think these ones will have them, too?

“I don’t see why they wouldn’t,” Lecra'Moro replied.  “We could go by sea, but it will take much longer to reach the walls.”

Imiunarus shook his head.  “I don’t think stealth is going to get us far; Klaus told me as much.”

Shouldn’t we try, though?  Camellia asked with a lifted eyebrow; she’d have to revert back to her original form soon.

Lecra'Moro unfolded his arms, leaning forward to press his wrapped knuckles against the ground with a grunt.  “I agree.  It is better to go forward with the idea we are discovered, yet not give them a clear indication of where we are.”

“I concede that point,” Iminunarus whispered.  “Although, we need to confirm several things, and the best way is to be direct.”  He turned to give them both a weak smile.  “If we’re going to get a clear indication of what we’re dealing with, then we need a decoy … I’ll go down and draw their attention..”

A grin split Camellia’s lips as she removed her clothes and put them in the silk bag her mother made for her.  Transforming as her human metamorphosis time limit ran out, she did a quick jump in the air with excitement, utilizing her race passives as a Thélméthra to evade visual detection.

Okay, so I’ll be lurking in the shadows, and you Lecra'Moro?

“Hmm…”  He cupped both of his chins with his hands, each head turning in a different direction to study the landscape.  “I think it would be best for me to go the sea route.  If you need help, then just call for help; we should be within the Nexus’s range.”

A low chuckle shook Imiunarus’s frame.  “I doubt our enemy will expect this strategy.  It will give us a chance to put them a little off-guard with me in the open.”

Camellia giggled.  I’m just looking forward to eating a bunch of Nalveans!  Oh, maybe I’ll get to try out some of these new things when no one’s looking, she squealed.

Imiunarus gave her a forced smile.  “I’m … sure there will be time for that, but we need to rescue the princess above all else, and that means getting a person that can remove the mind-control device.”

Yeah, but we can totally grab a bite to eat along the way!  Camellia snickered, glowing red eyes gleaming with anticipation.  They have so many of them, too!  Let’s go!

 

* * *

 

Imiunarus breathed out a long sigh as he watched the Thélméthra next to him become somewhat transparent; it was challenging to keep track of her when she fully activated her stealth abilities.

He’d heard stories about the deadly underworld denizens of the northern jungles that preyed on the Quen’Talrat but hadn’t actually seen one himself in his lifetime.  Now that he knew at least a fraction of what those tales were about, he was even more cautious of the deadly family.

To think they would be killed by the White Cancer was something else entirely, though, and the tales he’d heard of the Thélméthra going crazy at the fortress’s fall suddenly made sense.

If Iris hadn’t stepped in that day to weaken the neigh-invincible creature, he doubted the Eight Nation’s Alliance could have brought down the Quen’Talrat Empire that day.  He’d learned far too much since being resurrected to believe that.

Making his way down the hill, he caught Lecra'Moro running beyond the hilly terrain to the west, seeking to find a less populated place to dive into the sea; the beach along the peninsula was filled with Nalveans about their daily labor or spending their free time.

Camellia was now only visible to him through the Nexus as she slipped into her stealth-like rhythmic steps, and the Quen’Talrat Elite Hunter was now beyond sight.  One thing he knew about his companions—he was by far the weakest link.

He had the cultural and knowledge advantage when it came to his land, but that was just about it.  Camellia was gung-ho about everything and didn’t mind listening or talking; she was a skilled girl that could remember every word someone spoke, how they moved, and even sense creatures over fifty feet away without utilizing her thread.

The frightening thing was that she constantly felt inferior; a monster like her could devastate entire platoons of Nalvean military actually felt inferior and frustrated by her inadequacies.

What did that tell him about being killed so easily by a girl who constantly doubted her abilities compared to her family?  He was weak.

Imiunarus had no reservations about the pecking order, and Lecra'Moro could probably survive for a short time against Camellia.  He hadn’t put a lot of thought into it from the stories his father told him of the Fire Wars and the battles before them, but seeing a Quen’Talrat in person was something else entirely, especially when they could move without so much as a sound.

Feeling somewhat depressed himself, Imiunarus compartmentalized his own internal struggles to focus on the task at hand; he’d been spotted by the guards heading to the very spot the three of them had been earlier.

It was a decent area to spot people, and his blue silks did not seem to be the popular color in the area; most Nalveans he saw were wearing some kind of yellow article on three key locations, which identified their place of origin.

Imiunarus had no clue about the obscure area’s visual signs; every City-State had its own unique descriptive fashion to show their pride.  He had prepared a pale green silken armband, folded and tucked under in the proper places to show him a resident of Everglade.  However, individual city-markers were not the highlight of underground gossip, especially in an area the Shadow Hand didn’t operate.

Five guards were marching in formation, making it clear by their gaze that he was their target.  He wore a pleasant smile, stopping a decent distance away to allow them to respectfully approach; the peninsula beach was still a good distance away, and the city even further.

“Greetings!”  Imiunarus called, giving the five a bright smile.

He was about to give his rehearsed speech about visiting each of the cities within the Empire as a point of interest when the Squad Leader’s glare and tone silenced him.  “We’ve been aware of visitors coming; there aren’t many new faces that come to Shanguiska.”

Imiunarus sighed, scratching in-between a few scales.  “Ah … I see.  Shanguiska—wait, wasn’t this city supposed to be named Halura?”

One of the women near the back of the line giggled.  “Maybe fifty years ago.”  She was a Seaweaver by the spikes along her back.

“Fifty years, huh?  You don’t say,” he mused, rubbing his chin while giving her a charming smile.  “I suppose I should blame Shi’Shuka education for that one!”

“Ahem,” the Squad Leader cleared his throat.  “We will need to document your stay in Shanguiska; there have been a few reports of Judicus Isles Nalveans invading the Great Ruby Lakes, and we must make sure you are truly a citizen of the Empire.”

“Is that so?  Judicious in the Empire—wild…”  He reached back to a small bag that kept some of his goods in, including much of his life savings; he’d brought just in case it was needed.  A few red jewels softened faces at a remarkable rate, but he doubted that would work with a man such as this.  “I have my documents—here … and they’ve been certified by Kolra herself…”

“Majister Kolra from Everglade?”  The Seaweaver asked with wide eyes.  “Wow, I’ve never been to the capital…”

“Giliri,” the Squad Leader hissed, hard eyes sliding to her.

She snapped to attention, bluish-green scales lightening with embarrassment.  “I apologize, Leader Juk’kuma!”

Imiunarus refrained from smiling while handing Juk’kuma the forged scroll; Giliri was probably a very new recruit.  “Everything should check out.”

The guard released a low sound in his throat while unfolding it and reading through it; most of his men were eyeing him suspiciously, but the two female Seaweavers in the back were definitely new to the ranks.

Both in their mid-thirties,; the youthful small green scales on their nicely curved, thick tails had yet to fall off, and some of their baby teeth were still showing in their mouths.  The girls were probably childhood friends that joined the guard together; they likely bonded over having the Seaweaver gift, given the vibes Imiunarus was getting from them.

He had a personal rule of never killing a Nalvean before the age of forty; they had to at least lose their baby teeth before he put a dagger between their scales.  Of course, Demon likely knew that, given how long he’d kept an eye on the inner workings of his homeland.  He had to be careful. Showing girls of their age a little charm and attention went a long way, though.

Imiunarus stepped a bit to the side of the Squad Leader, giving the girls a curious smile while rubbing his chin and shifting his gaze to the city in the distance.  “You know, I’ve meant to see the southern part of the Sea Grass Plains for a while now, and I might need a guide.”

The girl behind Giliri tried to keep a straight face, dull blue eyes darting to the Juk’kuma for a moment before returning to him.  “Umm … We’re off in ten minutes, actually…”

Juk’kuma’s yellow irises slid to her with a light glare, rolling the scroll back up.  “That depends on a few things…”

He trailed off, vision falling to the thin item in his hand, and Giliri turned her head to hiss, “Shh, Fini!”

“You talked to him first,” Fini grumbled back; their words were just low enough where the others couldn’t hear, but his advanced senses through the Empress’s powers enhanced his hearing to a decent degree.

Everyone’s attention returned to Juk’kuma as he handed him back his identification.  “Your name is Hubrix—born in Everglade, Everglade’s 4th District during the tail end of the Fire Wars.  Is that right?”

“Indeed!”  he chimed.  “Although my parents moved to Shi’Shuka once returning from the war, he was called to serve as a member of the Imperial Guard.”

“Wow…”  Fini whispered, looking impressed.

In truth, the Imperial Guard did have a good reputation and paid way better than almost every City-State military position, yet it wasn’t as glamorous as most of the populous outside of the capital thought it was.

“Humph—I’ve never been to Shi’Shuka myself,” Juk’kuma mumbled, “but…”  Imiunarus took the other half of the scroll, yet the man didn’t let go, keeping eye contact with him.

“Is there a problem?”  he asked in a concerned tone.

He slowly shook his head before letting go.  “No … Not exactly a problem—Just unexpected.  Grand Designer Jumi’kerune put in a notice this morning about a Nalvean named Hubrix coming, and he needed to be escorted through the city and to his estate once found.”

Imiunarus tilted his head with a thoughtful tone.  “High Ruler,” he whispered the curse.  “Of course, I’ve heard of the Grand Designer, but—to think he would actually remember me.  I’m honored!”  He laughed.

He opened a connection with his two compatriots.  Demon seems to have a very good relationship with Jumi’kerune if he knows the exact alias I grabbed, and what’s worse—he wants us to know it.

Camellia’s tone was much brighter than it should be.  “Oh!  It isn’t very often a trap is laid for me; this should be interesting.  I’ll keep my senses sharp.”

Lecra'Moro was much more cautious of the reveal.  “You’re planning on setting it off—Wouldn’t it be better to swap tactics to throw him off?”

It depends.  This is possibly just one of many backups and counter-strategies that he’s employed.  We need to pick our poison, and this is as good as any.  Lecra'Moro, it might be better for you to try to find a sewage exit to throw them off; you can’t make noise while moving through water anyway, which will work to our advantage.  And thank you for the backup, Camellia.

“If I can find him, then we need a means of transporting him without notice,” Lecra'Moro pressed.  “Do you have contacts here?”

I’m afraid not.  I’ve considered a few options, but we first need to get our hands on him.  Depending on how things turn out, it will change the extraction point.

“I’ll just be your shadow,” Camellia chimed.

Lecra'Moro sighed.  “Missions like these were always the ones I hated the most.  I’m entering the sea now…”

Imiunarus gave Juk’kuma a respectful bow for his authority while talking to his people.  “Who would be willing to escort me—ah, weren’t these two lovely ladies getting off soon in any case?  They can guide me through the city,” he asked, directing his gaze to the two young women.

Fini’s tail gave a nervous twitch as her scales lightened a bit, trying to suppress a blush, but Giliri was all smiles.  “We would be more than willing, Leader Juk’kuma!”

He dismissively waved his hand, seemingly done with Imiunarus.  “Fine—make sure to learn how to properly fold your guard identifier by tomorrow, or there will be a punishment.”

A lump dropped down both girls’ throat at the threat.

““Yes, Sir!””

Imiunarus swiftly took the initiative, thanking the Squad Leader while walking past him and motioning to the two young ladies to join him.  “I look forward to the short tour on the way through town!  You must know the best spots as locals.”

“Oh, definitely!”  Giliri jumped in, following him back.

By the frown on one of the men’s faces as they left, one of the two girls had an unspoken admirer; it wasn’t that uncommon, and most Nalvean females had their first intercourse experience with older men since the male youth were too inexperienced to draw their notice—just an aspect of their culture.

Of course, those types of activities weren’t on his mind at the moment, and he had no clue as to if he was still viable for such things.  It was a genuine question that had crossed his mind—he had no shortage of lovers throughout his life, but it was difficult for most Nalvean women to get pregnant, and he was one of the unlucky men to not have a child as he approached his triple digits.

“So, what’s there to do here?”  He asked with a bright smile.

The pair brought him through the streets on a leisurely route; their presence barred any guards from questioning him further.  They told him funny stories about their past and what happened in the city, doing their best to draw his attention to them, which was somewhat cute by their efforts.  Clearly, the pair were looking for something new in their dull lives.

He wasn’t against such actions; although, he did prefer his women be women—still, girls had their own unique charm, and if it wasn’t with him, then it would be with another male that probably wouldn’t be as gentle with them.  First, his mission, though.

A surprise came when Lecra'Moro contacted him; they were exiting the tail end of the city, moving toward the looming estate walls, composed of the black stone, typically quite challenging to find within the Everglade Mountains, and it was probably because it had all been mined out already by this man.

“Imiunarus … I’ve discovered unnatural mechanics in the sheer cliffs in the water underneath the structure.  It’s unnatural; someone has altered the landscape, but for what purpose?”

I can’t say … Is there an entrance underwater?  He asked, pondering a few of his smuggling contacts that used such methods in their ships.

“Yes, but most are sealed off; I assume those that are open are a trap meant to lure me in.”

More than possible.  Remain on standby and keep looking around … Does it remind you of the White Cancer’s engineering?

“Hmm … In many ways, yes, and in others—no.  These types of symbols he uses—We learned part of them from the Ke’s schools.  The markings are important for funneling energy into a formable function to accomplish a task, but I’ve never seen this particular pattern before—it looks like gibberish, but I am no Rune Scriber.”

I see … Keep looking around.  There must be something more you can discover.

Camellia giggled in Imiunarus’s mind as she followed the conversation from several feet away.  “Their hormones are raging out of control; it's a different kind of sweet then I’m used to.  Usually, the intense fear ruins the flavor of Nalveans.  How can I get some that taste like that later … hmm?”

Heh … hopefully, not girls around the age of thirty-five.  These two are just barely stretching their wings.

“Huh … maybe I’ll ask Tiffany how to make Nalveans taste better … She seems to know everything.”

Umm … I haven’t really met the Grand Ritualist; I couldn’t say.

“She blows my mind!”

I … hope that doesn’t hurt, he mumbled the response while trying to keep up with the girls and still enjoy it.  He had no doubt Camellia had consumed hundreds of Nalveans in the past; it was somewhat disturbing to consider that they were being stalked by the monster and these young Seaweavers had no clue their lives could be ended in the blink of an eye.

“Oh, not literally blowing my mind—it’s an expression,” she sighed.

I … don’t really understand what you’re implying, but okay.

Camellia returned to her own thoughts, which he could never fully grasp; they lived in entirely different worlds.

With that, he allowed the laughing girls to drag their feet taking him up to the estate gates; the two were getting into some of the collectible items they tried to purchase when the merchants from Shi’Shuka would stop by.

Fini snickered while slapping her friend’s tail while walking beside Imiunarus.  “Remember when you slept in during studies and the instructor let you just sit there and drool against the wall?”

Giliri glared at her best friend.  “Uh-huh,” she shook her head with a loud huff, “and you went to the Dock Market to grab the new collectible figurines in the Nalvean Empire Collection without waking me or getting me one!  You never told me where you got the jewels, either—I don’t drool!”

“Heh,” Fini’s smile turned forced, vision sliding over to him.  “Well, you see, Giliri has this habit of basically fainting randomly, and they almost didn’t let her become a guard, but they were low on Seaweavers—lucky us!  Oh, and it was Instructor Togiru’omi that gave me the green gems to get them if I didn’t wake you up,” she confessed with a forced smile.

“Traitor!”  Giliri gasped, playfully slapping her tail again.  “Gah, at least I don’t have to feel bad about him giving me some to lie about him eating your Snail Soup Mud Pie when we were twelve…”

“No…”  Fini’s nose creased with faint rage.  “You know it was Julima that told me he’d like it—stupid old women,” she huffed.  “I think she just didn’t like how close he was to us.”

Giliri rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest with a slow shake of her head.  “Right?  She was so jealous that he wouldn’t give her old tail licking tongue the time of day.”

Imiunarus found the backwater nature of the two girls refreshing compared to the strict guidelines the Shi’Shuka girls had; their banter and open approach were far more appealing to him.

However, all good things came to an end, and the pair finally made it to the gate.  He turned to give the smiling girls a smile.  “I can’t say how long it’s been since I’ve enjoyed myself more.  Thank you for the escort, girls.”

They gave him a sheepish smile.

“Umm … Well,” Fini mumbled, tail curling in a bit.  “We need to make sure you get to the Grand Designer to report back…”

Giliri jumped into the conversation with a grin.  “Yup!  We were told to deliver you to the Grand Designer, and that’s what we’re gonna do!”

Imiunarus tried not to let his smile fade.  Could these girls be planted by Demon?  Does he know me that well?  It’s possible, but—I’d like to assume otherwise.  If they come in, they’ll be in danger of getting wrapped up in this conflict, and we’re already stressed thin with information as is … Although, I can’t deny them either.  What a mess.

“Eh … I don’t see the problem; if they die, then I can eat them,” Camellia replied without a hint of shame.  “I have been kind of hungry, and I’ve wondered what Nalvean paste tastes like … Hmm…”

Ignoring the comment, Imiunarus released a weak chuckle.  “Eh … Are you sure?  I can meet you two back in town later.  I still have a lot I want to learn about this place.”

“Hmm … I mean, I guess,” Fini whispered, turning to give her friend a concerned frown, but she didn’t have it.

“Nope!  No can do!  We have a job to do,” she replied with a cute twist of her wrist as she spoke.  “Now, let’s get going!”

She pressed her palm on what appeared to be a blue gem-like panel that lit up on contact, releasing an elderly voice.  “Mmh—Who would call at this time?”

“It’s Junior Seaweaver Giliri, Grand Designer!”  Turning to give him a sly smile.  “I’m here escorting Hubrix, the man you put a notice on with the City Guard.”

“Ah!  Right!  Right!  Right!  My—how exciting!  I have been preparing for this day for what seems eons.  Come in!  Come in!  Preparations have been made, and I am eager to see the results!”

A wave of caution rolled through Imiunarus’s gut as the massive doors of the front gate opened to the estate interior.

“We have been dying to make your acquaintance.”

Lecra'Moro only added to the tension in his chest.  “I’ve discovered a sea cave near the bottom of the shelf; I’m going in.”

Camellia’s sinister tone followed.  “Happy hunting!”

---