Chapter 5

There are several key things to remember when you are trying to follow someone, and they are the Three Be's.

First, look like you Belong there. For example, I looked like just another male adventurer. A sabre at my hip, my pants and shirt comfortable looking and worn, my walk that of someone who was on their day off. These were all normal things for someone in the 'Entertainment' district. I was in no hurry and it was obvious I'd at least washed my clothes before throwing them back on to look for something (someone) fun to do.

Second, ACT like you Belong there. As I followed maybe twenty long steps behind the two Amazons from the Manor and their prams (with adorable squeaky children looking around from inside), I would 'encounter' a working girl (or guy). While I spoke politely, I ogled them with about as much subtly as a brick (but never touch), then decline with a 'maybe later' or 'after I've eaten' or even a 'I'll try to save a little from my trip to the casino'. Two second long encounters followed by a two second long hastening of my steps to catch up. I acted like I was here for fun.

And last, have a clue on how your quarry might Behave. Before all this we'd set up a 'goal' (Samira's place), and a 'path'. Usually when you followed someone, you knew one or both of these from prior research, unless you were doing that research now. Some good examples though were things like, 'do they window shop', or 'do they have lots of friends in the area and like to talk'. Knowing these might give you warning when your quarry will stop and look at a window, or chat with a shop keeper or friend.

From my spot a good twenty paces behind the Amazons, I could see the dim outline of Maki and Delly as they hopped from roof to roof on either side of the street. I was actually really surprised that was all I could see, since both of them had 'energy' I could track. They'd really been practising.

Lilly was sure to be 'around' but the plan was for her to be further ahead, closer to the goal, ready to support if need be.

Quietly, I felt the little crystal bead around my neck vibrate, once, twice. Someone spotted movement!

Since we didn't have headsets or earbuds or any of that modern stuff, if someone spoke into the crystal, anyone around it could hear it. And since that would give us all away (all at once, since the entire team had the same 'frequency' crystal), we decided on a simple 'tap' system. The first signal had been given, 'suspicious movement'.

A moment later, the second signal hummed against my throat. Once, twice... three times?

That's not good. Once for 'street level', twice for 'rooftops', three times for both... glancing upwards, I saw the shallow outlines of both Delly and Maki stop and go still, looking not down at the street, but away from it, while ahead, I saw the two Amazon I was tailing speed up just a little, the chatter between them stopping as their body language changed to 'high alert'.

The thought of 'we were not ready for this' went through my head just before Finn spoke over the crystal, "Abort! All sides! Ten to one!"

Finn, while yes, he was on our 'network', also had his own with the two Amazon sisters and Riveria. This let him keep eyes on us and send signals while keeping a more solid communication with people who were also outside the 'quiet zone' the rest of us were in.

As soon as he broke silence, I doubled my pace towards the two Amazon. When he said 'all sides' I went just a little faster, ignoring the next 'looking for fun' catcall from the next lady I passed.

And when he said 'Ten to one', signalling that there were at least sixty 'enemy' (or at least, people who were acting suspicious as they moved in our direction)... As he said it, I was just about to start running when someone put a hand on my upper arm from just a little to my left and behind me (just outside my peripheral vision), and said:

"Predicable."

I had just enough time to half turn and start to push them away, when I heard a second motion from my right. I felt the point of a dagger against my lower right side, and a second voice asked, "One of the fathers? Trying to play hero?"

Not wanting to give up the plan just yet, I tried to fish for a little information. Like most Amazon, these two were tall, athletic and tan skinned. However, they weren't wearing any jewellery, most notably any glass or crystal, meaning either they hadn't seen much dungeon time, or they were from out of town.

They also didn't know who the fathers were. EVERYONE in the entertainment district knew who the fathers were. They probably heard the nights they were conceived too, if you listened to the gossip...

"And if I am?" I asked, my left hand resting on the hip of the one holding that arm, "Lovelies wanted a little time out, and I didn't want to share." I had adopted a bit of a shanty accent while I spoke, my right hand slowly (obviously) trailing down to my left hip, where my sword was.

"No man owns an Amazon, or her children." The point of the knife pressed a little closer, and I felt a little blood seep into my mana cloth, "They belong to themselves, and the children to the tribe."

"Go for the sword, and I break your arm." The other said, the grip on my upper arm increasing.

Ahead of me, the two Amazon mothers had been surrounded by four others. The two from the Manor, as per 'the plan' had flipped the cloth covers over the children at the first sign of trouble. This was for two reasons. First, to pull a little attention from anyone who might show up like this. I watched as one of the four ambushers took part of her attention away from the captive mothers to pull the covers away.

And freeze at what she found. The shock on her face was plain, and it drew the attention of the other three.

The jig was up, so, instead of reaching for my sword (pfft, who needs it anyhow?) I rocketed my right elbow back into the chest of the one with the knife. The one on my left arm tried (really hard I might add) to brace her other hand against my shoulder and pull backwards on the arm to dislocate it. But instead found herself hanging upside down in front of me by the hand I had on her hip. I then took a deep breath and yelled.

"PLAN B!"

With my hand on her hip, and her hanging upside down, there was little she could do. She -tried- to go for a dagger and punch me at the same time, but before she could I simply threw her to the ground. Behind me, I heard the one I'd elbowed go through a wall (or something similarly noisy and made of wood), and the one in front of me bounced of the cobblestone hard enough to crack the street.

"They are converging on you." Finn's voice said as the two mothers and the illusion clad foxes I put in the prams earlier jumped into action. "We have eyes on someone."

I perked up a little, since that was the code word for spotting a possible 'leader', which was the whole point of this exercise.

It was apparent however, that we had a problem. The two mothers were already struggling with their opponents, and with a sudden spark of pain behind my eyes, the foxes that had been biting down on the one who uncovered them, vanished as the fourth one stabbed them with a pair of carved bone daggers. Above me, I heard multiple, deliberately noisy footfalls, and found myself looking up at a dozen more Amazon. Thankfully, Delly and Maki had already moved back along the rooftops for a long range support position and weren't in any immediate danger of being found out (super stealthy magic or not).

"This doesn't concern you, male." The one with the two daggers said, "You dare think you can hide the children from us with spirits and illusion?" The one who had been bitten didn't seem to care both her shoulders were full of teeth marks and bleeding, while the two mothers had been put into a classic hammerlock/stranglehold by the other two. "You. Are you alive?"

The one I'd bounced off the floor groaned, but didn't move.

"For laying your filthy hands on my Room mate, I should castrate you." She glanced behind her, "Recover her."

The one with the bite marks didn't move for a moment, then slowly flopped to the ground like a rag doll. A moment later, one of the Amazons on the rooftops wobbled and fell over, slamming bonelessly onto an overhang, before rolling off and onto the street. Stuck in her hip was a small crossbow bolt, while the one with the apparent leader had one in her left buttock.

I took a half step forward, putting one hand on my hip with a (I thought so at least) good sailor's swagger, "I think I've heard just about enough from a bunch of baby snatchers. Drop the daggers, and maybe you'll be able to walk home."

"Don't you DARE-"

"Zap." I pointed to my right, where Delly had been up on the rooftops.

Despite the clear skies, a lightning bolt lashed across the rooftop, the screams of the Amazon caught by it -almost- drown out by the sudden noise. I had to stop myself from looking up in shock (haha) at just how powerful that blast was. I was not expecting that!

Neither was the one with the daggers. And as a couple more Amazon flopped onto the street, she looked at me with surprise, and hate. "Let them go." I said simply, my Akeno smile feeling a little weird on my male face.

She growled, nodded, and the two mothers were pushed forward hard enough to make them fall on their faces to the street. "You can't beat us here." She hissed, "Even in Orario, you won't-"

"Zap." I pointed to my left, and a pair of Amazon were suddenly turned into ice sculptures. I was seriously going to have to talk to those two!

"You might have heard, the new strongest in the city takes a very dim view of kidnappers." I said, stepping forward as the two from the Manor got back to their feet and drew their own daggers, "And unless you want her attention, I suggest you abandon the idea." The city didn't know about my ability to change my shape this... thoroughly... and I wanted to keep it that way.

She smiled back at me, a wicked cruel smile, I then became aware of just how... empty the street was. Even in the late afternoon, the Entertainment District was almost as busy as the market square. But aside from us, I saw no one else, heard no one else. It had become almost like one of those Westerns, where everyone would close their doors and shutter their windows as the bad guy walked into town.

"We've heard of the Demon Fox, even in Telskyura. But she doesn't rule -here-." The one with the daggers sneered. "And unless you want a war, you will let us conduct business as per Amazon Law." She looked up, then back at me, "And we can start with the support you had hiding around here."

If all was going even a little bit to plan, those 'warning shots' were one time things. Maki and Delly -should- have run away as soon as they fired. Lilly should have already vanished as well, and the three of them -should- be in the arms of the Takemikazuchi Familia by now, outside the 'net' we'd tried setting down.

Hopefully... But I'd gotten no signal from Finn yet.

"Would you care to call it a draw then?" I put my hand on my borrowed sword, "Or would you like to get serious?"

In my head, I was repeating 'don't get serious' over and over again. I was really just stalling for time, and didn't want to fight what looked to be a dozen Amazon and what ever reinforcements they had lurking around. Sure, I could fight them, and probably have no trouble winning, but they had already shown me something new, and the two women next to me were only level two. Considering that the two who held me were at least level three, a stray weapon or the like might kill them.

From overhead, I heard a whistle, a simple bird call.

"I suggest you give up, unless you want us to kill your friend." The leader said.

But then the nervous mother Amazon to my left said something, "She lies."

The one on my right gasped like she'd opened the door to a murder scene, and the one with the daggers went wide eyed and FURIOUS, "You would DARE give away a secret to a MAN?!" She pointed a dagger at us, the bone white blade lighting up with blood red inscriptions, "Kill them!"

So, I touched the crystal at my throat, "Smoke."

A half dozen arrows hit the walls around us in rapid succession. Each one of them sticking into the walls and releasing a thick black smoke a moment later. Mikoto and Asuka, our two archers (who weren't Lilly) were waiting for the order, and were spot on with their aim. So, with a (dashing?) smile, I gave the one with the daggers the middle finger, and as the smoke filled the street, I scooped up the one I'd bounced off the ground and started running away.

I heard one of the Mothers fall over with a grunt of pain, but managed to scoop her up too without slowing down. The other one let out a 'YA!' and I had to hop over another Amazon I didn't recognize as she got elbowed in the face. But from there, we just kept running.

A moment later, with no smoke to cover us, but apparently no one chasing us, I set the mother I was carrying on her feet and touched the crystal again, "Clear, report?"

Finn replied with a, "Guards coming in because of the smoke."

Tiona (Tione? Hard to tell over the crystal) added, "We have one."

Lilly spoke next, "We're all away."

"Meet at the tunnel." I said.

The one over my shoulder groaned again, but one of the Mothers took a bandana from someplace and stuffed it into the prisoner's mouth. The other one then used a bandana of her own and tied it around her mouth to keep her silent.

"You okay?" I asked the one who fell.

"It's not deep." She replied.

Since I made a promise to myself to never leave without a healing potion, I took the bottle I had and tapped out a couple of pills for her, "We don't want to be tracked by dripping blood." I said, "How'd you guess it was me?"

"Who else could stand up to that many of us without blinking?" One asked.

"And you clearly have no idea how to handle that sword." The other said.

"Guilty." I shrugged, "Let's go. Even if she tried to break my arm, kidnapping is still illegal." I summoned a bit of my Mana cloth, and flopped it over my prisoner, "No telling anyone. Got enough exposure in the city already. Okay?"

"Yes Ma'am." They replied, running with me.

The 'Tunnel' referred to the 'secret' entrance to Gnossis that was just outside the Entertainment district. It had been where most of the Xenos had fled the city during 'the incident', and where Haruhime and I had beaten (or at least, not lost to) Bete the first time. It was close, secure, and very few people knew about it.

As we went down the last turn before the Tunnel entrance, I stopped, "Lilly, it's me, no shooting."

I heard nothing in reply, but continued on. There were a few places with Palum sized shadows before the big metal grate that led in, and I spotted a little motion in one of them. With a breath, I let out the magic I was holding, and let my true form slip back into place. That got a little hitch of breath from my right.

I just winked in that direction and walked forward with my two friends, and the one still over my shoulder. "Quickly." I urged, letting the two of them enter first.

A little way in, I heard a familiar voice, "Ah, Fox. A little more exciting than we planned?" Finn.

"A little surprising, I'll admit." I nodded, "What... oh."

The room we entered was basically a dried up cistern. During a heavy rainfall, this would fill up and overflow, redirecting some of that water pressure so it wouldn't say, break walls down or rupture the sewer systems. One of those runoff tunnels led into the dungeon someplace, but I'd never gone in myself.

It was a reasonably large room, and most everyone involved was in it. Delly, and Maki were with Bell on one side. Asuka and Mikoto were standing by the entrance, looking ready to attack from either side in case of pursuit. Finn was there to greet me, and behind him was broken bit of flat stone with an Amazon I didn't know sitting on it. On either side were the sisters, Tiona and Tione.

"The rest ran interference to shake pursuit." Finn said, mentioning Riveria, Welf, Ouka, Chigusa and Aisha, "They will return home when they feel it's safe. Are you sure your Manor is safe?"

"With the brothers, Haruhime, Shinkage, Hagane and Fen-chan? Yes." I said, "Wow... already asking questions?" I asked the two sisters as I put the one I had over my shoulder next to the one on the stone. She looked like she'd been beaten unconscious at least once already.

"She didn't want to come with us." Tione shrugged, "So steps were taken."

"Who's this? Another leader?" Tiona asked.

One of the mothers answered for me, "Room mate to the one leading the ambush we encountered."

"She had rune knives too." The other said.

"Huh, so did this one." Tione said, "But... two handlers?"

I didn't have a clue, so I asked, "Care to explain?"

The sisters gave me a squint eyed look, "Now now, we're all friends here." Finn encouraged, "I'm curious as well."

"Telskyura is... incredibly competitive." Tiona said, putting her hand on Tione's shoulder as she looked away. "We compete for status, food, space in the city, mates, everything. It's not a solo effort though. We have 'rooms'. Each room is it's own little world in the city. A small community where the group's efforts go towards their survival. Hunt together, work together, fight together, fffff...yeah."

What ever shadow had fallen over Tione was shaken off, and she picked up the thought, "The Handler is just another name for the strongest in the Room. They get the last say on what people do. A good one will assign duties that work to their strengths. Smaller and faster? Scout. Bigger and meaner? Hunter. Dead weight? Bait for the hunters until they stop being dead weight, or die."

"And those daggers?" I asked.

"Trophies usually." Tiona shrugged, "Made for, and given to, the stronger Room leaders, or taken off weaker ones when they lose in the fighting pit."

"Ah, seems one of them is awake." Finn said.

The one I'd brought in was looking up at me and Finn, eyes filled with anger. "How do you want to do this, Fox?" Tione asked. "We brought her in." She added, implying her job was done.

"Well, since she's awake." I shrugged, "Let me just..."

With a bit of mana and some 'cloth', I basically made chair. It was no effort at all to put her in it, but as soon as I did she tried to struggle free of the cloth I'd used to tie her arms behind her back with. Again, it was just a little more mental maneuvering to attach that cloth to the chair, and basically secure her in place. I couldn't do something mean, like actually harm her with it, but unless she also had one of those bone daggers, she wasn't going anywhere.

"Does that chair seriously have fox ears?" Tione asked, "Really?"

Delly and Maki couldn't help but giggle.

I undid the bandana gagging her, and put it in the way of the spit she (of course) tried to hit me with, "I'm not talking." She said, "Unlike these traitors I keep our secrets!"

"Huh." I shrugged, "Well, that's terrible, since I really want to ask you a few things." I looked at the two sisters, who frowned at me, but backed off towards the walls. Finn, amused looking as always, did as well.

"A bit of a hitch, hmm?" He asked.

He was right of course. Obviously, I didn't want to jump right into something so base as torture. Been there, lived through it, and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Beating up a helpless opponent was also off the list. And yes, they were different things. Using someone as a sandbag was one thing, but breaking fingers and removing fingernails was quite another.

So, how to crack someone who was obviously loyal, possibly fanatically so, without causing harm...

"What's the plumbing like, back in Telskyura?" I asked no one in particular, figuring that one of the five (awake) Amazons might answer.

"What?" The sisters and our awake prisoner asked at the same time.

"Nothing like Orario, stone pipes and channels mostly." One of the mothers said.

"Hmm." I looked back at Delly and winked, out of sight of our prisoner.

"You're wasting time." Sneered the prisoner, "My sisters will find us eventually."

"Doubtful." I turned back with a smile, "You see, this is a cistern. Reasonably deep in the sewers, and unless you're inside, no one would ever hear you." I stood up, and with a thought, I shrank the legs of the chair, getting our prisoner lower to the ground. "You might not know, but a cistern is supposed to collect water, pool it, slow it down and redirect it so it doesn't flood the other pipes and tunnels during a storm."

I looked back to Delly again, then towards one of the big pipe openings in the walls. Right on cue, a small trickle of water started to dribble out of it.

"If you'll notice, your head is lower than those pipes. I picked up the still sleeping Amazon off her rock, leaned her on it, then tied her up with a similar application of mana cloth, "And while this isn't a -sewer- runoff, it probably isn't that clean."

There was a warm breeze, carrying with it the faint scent of baby diaper.

By now, everyone but our prisoner had caught on to what I was doing. We all knew the city, and more or less how the sewers worked. It would have taken something closer to 'torrential downpour' to flood this room. But, with Delly and her illusions...

"So, you're just going to leave me here?" She shouted back at me.

"I know I'm just a city person. But isn't that how it works for you? You're useless to me, so, I'm leaving you behind." I replied, backing up and hopping into one of the other dry pipes leading into the room, "Of course..." I motioned with my chin, and she looked back to the slowly increasing flow of water, "If that changes, I'd be happy to keep you from drowning in unseasonably foul water."

I made eye contact with everyone in the room, and most of them started to leave. Delly, for obvious reasons stayed, but so did Mikoto. Finn said, over his shoulder, "Suppose if we don't want to be connected to a mysterious body or two floating by, we should leave now."

"Dinner at my place later. Taco night." I commented as they left.

"Ah! Lilly's turn to cook. Excellent." Finn said, his voice getting quieter.

I helped Delly up into the pipe I was in, one of my tails swishing around her arm and supplying her with mana. On cue, the water from the opposite pipe got a little faster, filling the cracks in the stone floor quickly. Mikoto walked carefully to the third pipe, directly behind the two prisoners, silent, but hand on her sword.

"Just want a few answers, that's all." I repeated, "Ah, she's waking up too. A wet rear will wake just about anyone... I mean, seven children and all..."

"Wh...What?! The hell!? Where..." Our newly awake prisoner tried to move, but was only able to turn her head to look around.

"Currently in a sewage drainage room." I replied, "Your friend here isn't talking, and I want answers."

Delly drew a finger up my back, so I increased the amount of mana I was feeding her until she gave my back a pat. "Seriously? This is how you ask questions? First I get beaten up by a pair of traitors, then..." She looked at me, and I mean, really looked, then tried her best to look at the one I'd brought in, "You are a FUCKING IDIOT." A pause as her voice stopped echoing, "And so am I for offering to help."

"A little dissent among the ranks?" I asked, "Are you going to answer my questions then?" The water was getting to just over their hips, and Delly was working overtime with the smell and even the texture of the water. But with the amount of mana I was feeding her...

Mikoto, the hidden 'threat' behind them said, "We do not tolerate baby snatchers, especially when the mothers have taken sanctuary with us."

"I've worked very hard, with a lot of people, to ensure the Guild's laws are followed to a reasonable degree." I smiled my (proper feeling this time) best Akeno smile, "And even if the Amazons, from Telskyura or not, run then entertainment district, spying, trespassing, and ultimately trying to kidnap people who live in my home, which I might add, is not part of the entertainment district..."

Delly was doing the finger thing again, so once again I increased the amount of power I was giving her. It was actually kind of alarming how much she was using, but the water was starting to cover their breasts now.

"I just want to know 'why', and 'if you will stop trying'." I knelt down a little, "So before I have you drown and washed out like the baby stealing filth you are, I'd like some answers."

"You might kill us, but you will never-" The one I'd brought in started.

There was a dull 'thump!' as the other one slammed her head into the other to shut her up, "I was only helping with that. I have another mission here."

"D...don't tell them anything!"

"Shut up scout, you're not my Room mate, and I have something more important to do than bring in foundlings right now!"

"So, tell me." I said, noticing the two of them starting to shiver with the 'cold' water around them.

"Get us out of here first! I'd rather die on my feet!" Said the (apparently) more reasonable one.

I waited a 'dramatic moment' but it was a bit too long it seemed, "Kodori-san." Mikoto said sharply.

I nodded and gently reduced the flow of mana between Delly and I, turning it off like a tap so it wouldn't shock her system too much and drop her into Mind Zero instantly. I watched as the two Amazon's blinked in confusion as the illusion lost all of the things that made it feel real. The sound, the pressure around them, the smell, then the water itself just... faded away. Delly still needed sudden support from my tails, but they were all too happy to cling to her.

However, I didn't untie them from the floor. Not until I had gotten out of the pipe mouth I'd been standing in. "So, if you aren't here to piss me off directly, why ARE you here?" I didn't move to help them off the floor, but I did move so I was in the path of the way out. Mikoto was still on alert, hand on weapon, just in case either of them tried something.

"Amazon law says we must bring our children back. To bring strength to the tribe." The 'Scout' said, "Orario has no power over Telskyura Law, and we were making sure to remind our wayward sisters of that fact."

"I highly suggest you consider those children lost." I hissed, feeling a hint of real anger. Mikoto looked at me sharply again, over their shoulders, and I pulled back my feelings as best I could, "I promised those girls that they and their children would be safe until they left my care. So until they choose to go back to Telskyura, any hostile act towards them, will be towards me as well."

"You thin-hurk!" To my surprise, the other Amazon did a half turn in place and drove her fist into the Scout's gut, lifting her clear off the floor and dropping her to her knees when she came back down.

Before Mikoto could get her sword half drawn, the 'Leader' put her hands over her head and turned to face me, "Her room leader must be an idiot." She said while the Scout was coughing up her lunch, curled up on the floor. "To be speaking like that to the one who," She turned her head a little down so she was yelling at the girl on the floor, "Killed Phryne with her bare hands! Ahem." She paused, "As I said, my mission is more important."

"So, what is it?" I asked.

"My team and I were to work with the Ganesha Familia to capture a handful of strong monsters so they could repopulate our jungle." She said. Of course, I gave her 'the raised eyebrow', and she continued with, "Something appeared in the deep wilds, and killed many of the oldest monsters that were nesting there. Without them, we have less food, less strong monsters to hunt, and the ecosystem that has been in place for nearly a thousand years is starting to shift."

"So... you want a bunch of strong monsters to throw into the wilds, so they'll breed and make more strong monsters..." I still had 'the eyebrow' raised at her.

"It is the way."

I looked over her shoulder to Mikoto, then back to her, "And your involvement with her?"

"Her Room leader asked for my help with the children." She said, "She was sent here a season or so ago, but couldn't seem to get the job done. So when I arrived last week, she ask me for help." She looked at the sad sac on the floor, "But she didn't tell me a few things."

"What's your name?" I asked, offering my hand to her.

"Brisid." She replied, gripping my forearm.

In true Amazon fashion, she tried to squeeze my forearm as hard as she could. I didn't want to break her arm, so instead of matching her grip or trying to outdo her, I tensed my fingers to just make the tendons flex. I held her forearm respectfully, while she tried to squeeze down on what probably felt like unyielding steel.

I let her go after a moment, "Since this is technically a secret place, I'll have to blind you for a few minutes."

The one still coughing out her lunch on the floor tried to protest, but was suddenly wearing a fox eared executioner's hood. "If I really wanted to, I could find my way back here." Brisid said, "Why bother?"

"She's a Kitsune. S'posed to be mysterious." Delly said as she lay against my back, "wee tails..." And obviously feeling the beginnings of mind down.

"Eh, not the worst that's happened to me, even today." And with a little 'poof' she was wearing her own stylishly fox eared hood.

Once we were out of the tunnels, I picked up both of the Amazon and jumped up onto the nearest rooftop. I nearly missed, since I was carrying three people, but with a little more mental flexing and some mana cloth, I managed to stick a landing that didn't break through some poor citizen's roof or something. I then did another couple of jumps, then returned to street level. It was hard to count steps when you were airborne, and I had to at least -try- and keep that particular place secret.

Once back on ground level, I dispelled the hoods and put them both back on their feet. Well, one of them at least.

"Kodori-san." Mikoto said as the Scout basically went back to being curled into a ball.

"Eh, maybe I hit her too hard." Brisid shrugged, "What? Going to actually help her?" She asked as I moved to check on the Scout.

"I want her to tell her boss something, and she can't do it if she's dead." I said, pushing the girl onto her back and pinning her in place with my palm, "You're lucky I make my own potions." I said down to her, "Swallow these."

I was thankful she finally dropped a little of the defiant act, since yes, she did down a half dozen potion pills. That punch might have ruptured her stomach or something, and she'd be dead before sundown, level three or not.

"Now, go back to your boss, and tell her that the children are off limits." I said to her, my hand still holding her down, "If she has a problem with that, she can come visit in person and we can chat. If she doesn't want to try diplomacy, then yes, I will go to war with her. And considering I put down Freya Familia because she wanted my children, do not think that I won't do it again for someone else's." I curled my fingers into the fabric of her shirt and just lifted her back onto her feet, "Go."

She needed no more encouragement, and after one last hateful glare, she was running. (But still holding her gut, so it was more of a 'fast limp with purpose'.)

"Now you..." I got a better look at Brisid. She was a little wider of shoulder than most Amazon, and just a tiny bit taller than me too. Just shy of 'hulking' in all the best ways. You know, unlike Phryne, who was far too hulking, and just as freakish. She was still wearing 'the Amazon standard' for clothing, you know, just enough to keep everything from swinging around and just out of sight for decency. "Mikoto?"

"Hai?"

"Do you have any pocket change? Brisid needs to go to the zoo and talk to Shakti." I replied, accepting a small amount of change from Mikoto and handing it over to Brisid, "And so she knows I sent you, "A little black pocket fox, "Your mission is probably going to run into a lot of... politics... so we'll do this quietly, and off the local communication network."

"Those little glass things I see everyone wearing? That's what they're for?" Brisid asked, pocketing the change and frowning down at the hand sized fox, "What even..."

My voice spoke through the fox, "A letter of recommendation."

"Ah..." She shrugged her shoulders, "No hard feelings then?"

"Try not to get involved with baby snatching again."

"It's not my objective, but our race depends on our children." She replied.

I was about to say something... undiplomatic. But the tone of her voice was reasonable, and her words were fair. To be perfectly honest, from a pure biological perspective, the Amazons were a bit of a 'slave' race. Not to be confused with the 'ball and chain' kind, even a little bit. They needed outside help to continue their species. Without males from other races, they would die out. This gave them two options. Be subservient to men, or capture them (by domination, or endearment). Their entire society was based on 'being strong' so they never needed to beg.

Oni apparently were much the same. Their children were (until now) never (or almost never) female. So, without capturing women (by force or by romance), their species would die out as well.

Slaves to genetics, the both of them. But this union from two different worlds might have broken that particular genetic shackle.

So instead of replying with 'I don't care, and if I catch another kidnapper on my property again I will twist them like a wet rag and feed what's left to my phoenix'... I instead said, "More than half of them have already lost their child to your 'laws'." I looked at her, "But that's a topic for another time. If you hurry you'll make the last tour. Look for the ridiculous sitting statue, second ring, southeast segment."

The look on her face was a clear 'agree to disagree' but she again shrugged and walked towards the tower. Once she was out of sight I looked back to Mikoto, "Thanks. Let's go make sure Lilly doesn't set everyone's hair on fire for dinner.

NOTES!

Yes indeed, we see more PLOT! See you all in five days, where we hear all about the thing we already know is coming, but not exactly how it's getting there just yet.

Questions and comments in the usual places.

Daeore on Ko-fi for Kodori art and a place to leave a coin or two if you want.

Daeore on Inkitt if you want to read an actual book I wrote 'Were Too?'

And if you haven't, give my totally off topic story 'The Misfits Mercenary Company' a read and maybe leave a comment and vote on how it might progress.

Party on, five days, etc etc.