Tallu swallowed hard and she balled her fists. He was not wrong, but she had been a second and a half centuries old at that point and, while small, a fully grown adult for already a hundred centuries.

 
Not a child.

 
"I was an Adult." She mumbled, and Asil stepped in front of her, two of his tails cradling her.

 
"Mentally, maybe, but physically, no." He said, and she balled her fists.

"I couldn't hurt or deny you, so I kept away. After this is over, you may curse and hit me...I won't resist, but never will you stop me from protecting you or making the same choice again."

 
Tallu hit him and then marched past him. Headed held high. "I will become Ninetails, whatever my magic intends, by sending me on this chase." She pointed at him. 

"Then I will show you. I am a vixen, a fox, a Ninetails, and as such, I state my cases and stake my claims."
Asil smiled. Tallu maybe couldn't let it go, but she was not angry. In hindsight, he did have a point, even if she didn't want to admit it. All the more reason to no longer waste time. Marching forward, she walked through the rusted iron gate of their first place of entry and then walked straight to the hall. She had to use the front door since she couldn't magic herself in. It was unlocked. The lock had been broken. Her nose on the door and smelling the handle, she deemed it wasn't carrying the scent of Magic, reaching out to open a hand and grabbing hers.
Asil stopped her. He opened the door himself, and they stepped inside. "Here is nothing but a few poor souls without a home," Asil said, and Tallu agreed. It stank of piss, alcohol, despair, and of drugs in here. But sunlight was falling into the hall, and there was no hint of black Magic.

 
"Next," Tallu said and waited til Asil was outside so they could.

 "Until we come up with a solution. Can't we simply divine it?" She asked and looked at Asil.

 
"Not my Magic." He answered her. She huffed, and they teleported over to the next entrance. Tallu wanted to conjure a foxfire to break the chain in front of the door, but nothing. Right, no magic for herself anymore. Asil did it then. Tallu mustered her hand. It was frightening how easily she had gotten used to her limited Magic. Stepping inside, they were again assaulted by nothing. Minutes later, they were back outside.

 
Tallu folded her arms. "We won't be going anywhere like this." She then stated, and Asil grumbled in agreement.

 
"How much of your Magic do you have access to?" He asked, and she looked up.

 
"Really now."

 
"Don't think I haven't noticed, or you would have made Something already." He answered her.

"As good as nothing. I have my nose and maybe can scape enough for one potion together." She answered him, letting her fox ears come forward. "these only have the capacity of a human right now. It feels like cotton wool is stuffed inside them."

 
He hummed in agreement. "Maybe we can burn all this down and see what happens?" He asked and earned a smack on the back of the head.

 
"And Rob, those dudes of their shelter? No thanks. We either have to speed this up or think of something else."

 
"Well, I can speed this up," Asil said and conjured floating foxfires. "Search for blood magic." He ordered, and Tallu watched in amazement; she hadn't been able to pull off that trick when she had been at full power. One at most, two simple foxfires were the best she could pull off, even at total tail count. Once again, it was frustrating that her magical power was as tiny as it was.

 
"They should be finished in a while," Asil told her, and she nodded. A soft tail stroked her and she shoved it aside. "Not now." She said and marched forward. It gave her an incredible sense of safety when Asil curled his Tail around her, but the feeling of safety was not what she needed right now.

She settled down on a wall and observed the street and the dust when Alistair appeared with Agent Baker at his side.

 "The provisional List. Thanks to my Partner, we have at least something to work with now." Agent Baker said. Tallu took it and then pointed it around her.
Asils Foxfires wandered back and vanished. "We can probably cross this area off once my fires return." He said, and Tallu flipped Pages. "It was a long shot to begin with." She said and read through the addresses, each having an image.

 
"I will work from the top down," Alistair said. "With Agent Baker, you start from the bottom." The tension was suddenly touchable. An Order. That had been a bad idea. 
Asil growled, and Tallu shook her head. Not now. It was the wrong time. Asil frowned but didn't remove his gaze. The order had ruffled his fox's fur in the wrong direction.

 
Agent Baker's gaze flipped between them, and then she took Alistair's arm without hesitation. 

"If my stomach wouldn't play yoyo at me, I would certainly like this teleporting around." She said to interrupt the staring contest between Asil and Alistair.
Tallu jumped on the bandwagon. 

"Rather impressive that you aren't afraid."

 
"If you knew my Husband, you wouldn't be asking me that." Agent Baker answered with a grin. Both men had been successfully distracted as their attention was not on them. 

"He is a former Navy Officer. I am used to people who have seen Evil. See enough of it every day. That's why I refuse to close this case because of Politics."

"Happy you were the one that got the Case then." The two men had relaxed now. The last fires returned to Asil. Tallu jumped from her wall and grabbed Asil's hand. "We start from the bottom then. See you, Agent Baker. Alistair." They vanished.