Before I start: I can't reply to reviews unless you have a fanfiction account. Just saying. :)

Chapter 46

"PWAH!" I said, raising my face from the plaster I had mixed up.

"AHH!" Some one said in front of me. Sounded female. But my eyes were closed so I didn't get plaster in them.

"Hold on..." I mumbled patting the table for the cloth I had put down a moment before. Finding it, and scrubbing my face, I carefully cracked open an eye to spot Chigusa, still looking slightly horrified. "You look like you've seen a ghost." I joked.

"I was coming to find you, Kodori-dono... Then you raised your face and it was covered in white." She said quietly, settling down and petting one of my tails as it got within reach of her, but not actually touching her.

"Oh... Well here." I motioned her over, another one of my tails visiting to guide her around the table. "I'm going to make a mask for myself. So I mixed up this stuff here." I motioned to the small box I had hammered together and filled with plaster, "The powder I put on my face stops it from sticking to my skin."

"Oh..." She wasn't one to come into the workshop often, only when she had something to do there. She was certainly a 'train, read, relax' person. Very defined comfort zones for relaxing. "You've been here since sun down, and we are wondering if you're skipping dinner."

I looked out the nearest window of the workshop, and did a double take. The moon was out, and now that I wasn't so focused on the current project, I could hear the odd night time noises. "Well, isn't my face red." I said with a chuckle, "This needs time to set anyhow." I stood up, Chigusa backing up a half step as if the action needed more space or something, though she still held one of my tails.

"Um..." She started, as I fell into step beside her. "Why are you making a mask?"

"Hm? Oh, suggestion from a friend." I said, "Would you like one too? I wouldn't mind mixing up a little more of that stuff. Simple really. Like clay."

"I would like that." She said, "Um... I was also wondering..." I waited, and motioned with my hand to encourage her to go on, "Marius-san has been teaching me to use my shield properly. But it's the wrong size for me"

"Aha, no problem. I'll put it on the list and Welf and I will make one just right for you. We're out of drake scale though."

Now she broke, stuttering, "T-that's f-f-fine... Y-ou..." I put a hand on her shoulder, and she calmed down, "You don't need to make it fancy..."

"No, but I do need to make it properly. When it comes to staying safe, never think a request is too much work. Nearly losing Asuka scared the stuffing out of me. We'll get it started tomorrow. Who's turn was it to cook tonight?"

"Lady Hestia." She said, the tension in her shoulder relaxing a little. Poor girl was so shy. "Bell-san is helping."

"Excellent."

"Lilly still thinks this is bad." Our supporter mumbled at the meeting after dinner.

"Sorry..." Wiene said.

Lilly sighed like an old lady, but said, "Lilly is just saying. Wiene isn't at fault."

"Thank you." She was still pouting, but at least not looking like a sad puppy.

"Thank you Lilly." I said, "Anyhow... Let me tell you about what happened..."

So I told them. Repeating almost word for word the conversation Fels and I had. By now, everyone was used to waiting their turn to ask questions. I left out the part about the mask, Haruhime the only other who knew about 'who' told me about it. And my age. I just didn't want to open that can of worms... Like ever.

"There are more like me?" Wiene asked.

"It seems so. Fels made it sound like there were more than a few." I said with a smile, "We might be going to meet them... Don't know when, but..."

"Say we do meet them, all formal and stuff." Welf started, "No insult to our newest, but would they be trustworthy?"

"I always suspected you were special." Hestia mumbled next to me, holding Chime up to her face and touching noses.

"Well... That's the tricky bit. They aren't just going to trust us right from the start. I wouldn't trust us right from the start if we just suddenly showed up. They are from the dungeon. We," I made a gesture to all of us, "Go into the dungeon to hunt monsters. A history of violence is hard to forget."

Many nods from the room. "We almost didn't even try to get to know Wiene-chan." Mikoto admitted, frowning.

Takemikazuchi, our expert on violence, added, "History is a tricky thing. The books tell the tale for those who weren't there. But often, there is much left out. History..."

"Is written by the winner." Marius said grimly, "An all too familiar line in Rakia."

"Then, we write our own history." Bell said, face serious, red eyes clear, "And leave nothing out. If we can't make peace, no one wins." He said.

I blinked, as the others in the room thought about his words. Pretty profound, and recklessly bold thinking. Just like him. "Well said. But, I think we should play it safe for now. Fels," It was here I tried to mimic his voice, that sand over tile sound, "Suggested, strongly, we occupy ourselves with something other than this. For a few days, maybe a week." I coughed quietly into my hand, my throat just unable to do his voice justice, though I did get a few chuckles from the room.

"Well, we do have a pool to build." Asuka said, "And shopping..."

"Lilly knows a place for swimsuits!" Surprising no one.

"I wonder if they have something my size..." Hestia asked, looking down, where Chime was resting on her cleavage. "How did you get there?"

"ahem." I looked around, "Bell, I think you still have to talk to Lord Takemikazuchi. But anything else?"

"Oh right, yes." Bell said, looking across to where the war god was sitting.

People shook their heads, and I nodded, "Right. Training in the morning, so don't stay up too late."

The next two days were pretty normal. I mean, relatively speaking. None of us went to the dungeon. No one left the property. We all stayed in, and took care of our home. To anyone who might have passed by, or chanced a look over the wall, we were busy building a new structure on the property. Perfectly normal.

Unless you did a head count. We still hadn't talked to the Guild about Wiene, but I suspected that would have shattered the 'low profile' we were trying to keep. By the start of the third day, we had polished all the stone, I'd cooked up a huge amount of 'stone glue' as per Nazza's instructions, and Welf had put together a small crane to lower the slabs into the pit we had dug, smoothed, and flattened for the pool.

I had just applied the glue to the slabs we had set for the bottom, when one of the orphans called from the edge of the work site. Good kids all, they actually listened when we said 'it's dangerous so don't get closer than that.

"A visitor?" Bell asked.

Not wanting to potentially mess up the perfectly level stone, I climbed out of the pit with a ladder we had hanging from the crane instead of jumping. "Who is it?"

"An elf! She's very pretty. Green cloak." He paused, "Name... ummm... Lyu? Ryuu! Yeah!"

"Oh." I smiled, "Okay, I'll go get her. I think we're done for the day while that stuff sets." I said, "Clean up for lunch everyone, good work!"

A bunch of tired, but satisfied 'yay's.

Bell followed me to the gate, looking up at me, "I wonder why she's visiting?"

"I asked her to." I replied, "She knows."

Bell gave me a wide eyed look, but settled, nodding, "She is a good person. I trust her too." He answered.

"Good. Go clean up, ask Haruhime to get some tea ready. We'll be in soon."

"Okay." He turned and trotted off, Ryuu looking a little puzzled as she stood at the gate. Crossing the remaining few paces, I unlatched the gate and opened it. "Sister." I greeted, offering my hands.

Clasping my forearms, she replied with a smile, "Sister."

"Come in. We can chat inside." I let her arms go and turned, latching the gate again and waiting until Ryuu fell into step beside me. I noticed she was armed, her smooth pale wood sword at her hip. "Expecting trouble?"

"Here? No." She replied with one of her little smiles, "But, there are more and more rumours about now. The patrons at the Hostess are reporting strange, and dangerous things going on."

"We can talk over tea then." I put my hand on the handle of the main door, "Would you like to meet her, as well?"

"Yes. I admit, I am... Very curious."

"She is very excitable." I said with a chuckle, stepping inside, motioning to the shoe rack and a pair of house slippers. "It's... Your first time here since we moved in, isn't it..."

"Mia only allows my days off, because I almost never take them." She replied, slipping out of her boots, the sturdy Hostess uniform foot wear that I wish I had more pairs of.

"We both know she'd let any of you take a day off if you needed it. She has the second biggest heart of anyone I've ever met." I smiled, putting on my own house slippers.

"Oh? Who is the first?" Ryuu asked, following me again as I led her to the dining room.

Without answering, I took a sudden half step to the side, waving to Hestia, and Wiene who was hiding behind her, her golden reptile eyes bright, even in the full glow of the magic stone lighting.

"A silly question." Ryuu mumbled to me, bowing, "Lady Hestia, good afternoon."

"Hello Ryuu." Hestia said brightly, waving and stepping closer, Wiene still trying to hide behind her. "Wiene... This is Ryuu. She is a guest, and a friend to our Familia."

Ryuu didn't miss the 'our' in that sentence, her eyes widening slightly. "Now what do you say?" Hestia encouraged the dragon girl.

"Um..." Seeming to have to pry herself away from the protection of our Goddess's back, Wiene stepped out from behind Her, and bowed, her black robe moving soundlessly, "Hello Miss Ryuu. Welcome to the Hearth Mansion." Still bowed, she awkwardly stuck out a hand for Ryuu to shake.

Ryuu didn't hesitate at all, and lightly took the girl's hand, "When you shake a person's hand, or bow, you should look at them." She said quietly.

"Oh! Sorry... Um... Pleased to meet you. My name is Wiene." Standing up and looking at Ryuu properly, she shook her hand and let go. Then, unable to contain herself any longer, she looked sideways to Hestia and practically bubbled, "Did I do it right? Just like you showed me?"

"You still need practise." Hestia said, giving the girl a pat on the head, "But it was a good first try."

"Yay!" Wiene exclaimed, looking back to Ryuu, "Are you an elf? Haruhime told me about elves, and dwarves, and humans and all kinds of people!"

Smiling, Ryuu nodded, "Yes, I am an elf." She looked at me, her eyes smiling, then back to Wiene, "Let's have tea, and talk. I am very curious about you."

"Oooo tea!"

The two of them talked for almost an hour. Well, for the most part, Wiene talked, and Ryuu just listened, occasionally asking a question to encourage more out of the girl. I watched, also mostly silent, smiling as my oldest, and newest friends got to know each other. Finally, Ryuu asked her last question.

"Wiene, have you ever fought adventurers before?"

The question surprised the rest of us. Asuka and Haruhime had joined to listen in at some point, and Ouka too. And for the first time, Wiene was silent. Not just 'quiet' but 'holding breath body still frozen in place' silent.

Finally, "I... Don't know." She said quietly, "Sometimes... I have these dreams. They feel real, but..."

Ryuu reached across the table and put her hand on Wiene's. "Please, continue."

"I... I'm... Bigger." She held out a hand, her nails still perfectly smooth and pink, "I had long nails, and my voice was bigger. I was angry. There's fire. And bl..blood. People, they gather and attack me. I fight back. Some times, they run, others, more come, to pick up the ones who fall." She had started to curl in on herself in the chair, her hand still under Ryuu's but her free one hugging herself, "There is blood... It never stops... I want to move, but I can't. I want to see more. Of people, working together." She had tears in her eyes now, though she made no move to wipe them away, "It's so... Beautiful, how they work and help... And I feel... like I want it too... But then, my body..."

"It's okay." Ryuu said, putting her other hand with Wiene's, "It's just a dream."

Hestia stood and gathered the crying girl up in her arms, while the rest of us sort of... blinked. It was obvious none of us, except maybe Hestia had heard this before, but it raised some interesting questions for me. I filed the thoughts away and one of my tails lightly swept across Ryuu's back.

"Convinced?" I asked quietly.

"Yes." Ryuu replied, her eyes looking a little misty as well. She blinked to clear them and looked at me, "If you need my help, with anything, please let me know."

"Thank you, sister." I said, the two of us standing and holding each others forearms.

"Always, sister." She replied, before looking at those of us gathered at the table, "I should be getting back. I'll probably have dish duty for taking time off today."

Ouka, Asuka and Haruhime waved and said goodbye, as did Hestia, but Wiene, still sniffling a little, asked, "Miss Ryuu? Can I have a hug?"

"Yes you may." She replied.

As I walked with her to the gate, the both of us smiling slightly, I asked, "Do you think the others would handle this as well?"

"Possibly. But for now, the fewer who know... As close knit as we are..."

"We do like to gossip..." I said with a sigh.

"Take care of her. She seems... So bright." Ryuu said stepping through the outer gate and turning as it closed behind her. "Be well."

"Stay safe."

"Lilly thinks it looks scary."

"It matches your armour nicely though." Welf chimed in, "And I will never get used to you just... Putting your hand into the forge like that."

"Just be sure to use that hand cream after Ko-san."

"Anything for you, love." I replied, bringing the white hot metal out of the fire and using both hands and my adventurer strength as well as my own magic to move the metal around. "Lilly? Almost done?"

"Lilly would like to say no... But yes." Lilly stopped brushing Haruhime's tale and rubbed it against her cheek, "Miss Kodori's tails are friendly, but Haruharu's tail is softer."

We chuckled, "Well, maybe when Ha-chan levels up, her tail will get longer too? Or maybe she'll grow a second one." I grinned, holding the partially formed mask up and hm'ing at it, before putting it back in the furnace. "Though I wonder what she'd look like with a black tail?"

Haruhime gasped, looking at me in shock, "Ko-san! I'd never steal one of your tails." Her tail had started swishing angrily back and forth, escaping Lilly's light grip and floofing out.

Blinking at her, my eyes widened, "You mean... Wait, that's... I thought that was just a myth."

"It might be, but it's just not talked about... Some of the old stories in my family talked about when Renard hunted other Renard, stealing their tails for power." Haruhime explained, settling down. Lilly took hold of the now floof'ed tail with a quiet 'yay' and went back to brushing it.

"I got that silver up to temperature sister." Welf said.

"Oh, excellent. Umm, Lilly?"

"Does Lilly have to stop brushing?"

"Just long enough to clean the brush and put the fur into the pot there. As much as you can." I replied, "Then, if you want, and Ha-chan doesn't mind."

"She's almost as good as you are, Ko-san." Haruhime replied with a blush I could only just make out over the reddish lighting in the room.

"I could leave the room if you wanted, "Welf chuckled, "I mean, I'm all for hearing girl talk..."

Now I was sure she was blushing, Lilly too as she picked up the double meaning.

"Now now... If you do that, I'll never get this done. And I'll have complaints about my hands being all rough again."

At this point, Haruhime was holding both sides of her face and Lilly was starting to try and stutter something in her defence.

"Okay okay I'll stop..." I laughed, picking up the once again white hot mask and forming it with my hands.

I didn't have a clue as to why Cassandra's picture had gold eyes. But the line of text was clear. What use was a mask that blocked the only way to see though? Were the eyes supposed to be enchanted? As I worked into the night, Haruhime and Lilly having left already, I cleared my mind and focused on trying to enchant the mask itself.

Before leaving, Welf was kind enough to do the mixing on the silver and golden fox hair metal in the little crucible, and we shared a fist bump as he excused himself to round off his night with a drink.

I could feel the metal almost hum under my fingertips as I hammered the final shape into it. As Asfi taught me, I cleared my mind and tried to add 'intent' to my work, shaping the magic inside the metal as I shaped the actual metal to fit it. I wanted the mask to protect my face, obviously. 'Ko-steel' wasn't as hard as it could be, being only an alloy of my fur and base iron. Not wanting to have a massive weight on the front of my face, the metal was fairly thin, and I'd stretched the metal to protect around the top of my head, around to the back, but not my ears, leaving space for them to move about on top of my head. I figured, if I were to wear my coat, with its hood up, I'd have the muffles inside the hood to protect my ears from those stupid bats.

Protection. That was an easy thought to hold while I tapped lightly with the chisel and jeweller's hammer. Maybe an intimidating aura to match my coat? And a way to keep the mask steady on my face, so I wouldn't have to worry about it moving about while I fought at high speed?

Next were the eyes themselves. I'd filed the sockets for them in the mask perfectly smooth, with a slight angle so that when I set them, they would 'pop' into the sockets, requiring a perfect strike to the eye to knock them loose again. I poured the golden silver metal into the mold I'd made, and cast them, touching the molten metal with my fingertips and thinking of glass, clarity, and how much Haruhime let me keep a clear mind under the stress of leadership. As the metal for the eyes cooled, I dipped my fingertips in sand and polished them mirror smooth inside and out as quickly as I could.

Then, with a little push, I socketed the eyes into the mask with a firm sounding 'click'.

As Asfi instructed, I 'anchored' the enchantments to the final product. As I polished the black metal, again by hand with nothing but sand and my fingers, I put a little more effort into certain points.

If I wanted the mask to protect me, I would need to sense the danger. So my sanding left slightly deeper marks along the cheeks for the fox's whiskers, a slightly rougher nose for its sense of smell.

If I wanted to project a fearsome aura, the face needed to hold a certain aggressiveness. Using a metal stain, mixed with a few drops of my own blood, I added crimson eyebrows over the reflective gold eyes. Under the point of the nose, around the thin slit for the mouth, I chiseled in two small fangs, using the same stain to make them blood red.

To hold steady to my face, to stay where I needed it to, I used the last of the golden silver on the inside of the mask, along the contours I'd made using the plaster cast I had made earlier. Dipping my fingers into the molten metal and spreading it like paint on the inside, I thought of everything Haruhime had done for me and my friends since I'd met her.

And it was done. The inside of the mask almost looked like a mirror image of the outside. With the gold and black of my face on the inside, and the black and crimson on the outside. Truly, it was a work of art. And I could even feel the magic humming under the surface of the metal.

So I put it on.

And it was pitch black.

I was hoping my work could have made the 'eyes' clear, but it hadn't. However, my sense of smell became so acute I could tell that Welf hadn't had a bath in a couple of days. And he'd left the room... How long ago? I needed a bath too, but Lilly had one earlier, with Haruhime. Probably right after dinner, and they'd used the shampoo I'd made.

And I could feel the air currents in the workshop. The heat of the banked fire pushing out warm air, the cool night draft along the floor, I felt every air current in the room moving. Even as I took in and let out my breath, I could sense it with my mind until it had mixed with the rest of the air around me.

Standing slowly, I did a few simple head motions, speeding up a little as if looking around quickly to asses a room. The mask stayed on steady, and didn't make my face uncomfortable at all.

Three out of five. I wasn't about to smash my face against a wall to test its protection. And I couldn't see. But Cassandra's picture had been specific. And even if no one else took stock in her prophesy, she had WRITTEN that line. In a language she, and not a single person in the city, even knew. Other than myself that is.

So, I took off the mask, and set it down on the table, looking at it one last time, the early morning light almost being absorbed by the dark metal.

Early morning?

"Crap." I mumbled.

Haruhime and I were getting ready for our morning sparring, the two of us sitting, facing each other, legs apart with a foot on the other's ankle. The rest of the two Familia were paired off and doing the same, more or less.

"Ko-san looks sleepy." Haruhime teased me.

"I finished the mask." I mumbled back to her, lightly gripping her forearms and pulling her so she could stretch just a little further, "Sleep okay?"

"Wiene asked for a story, and she fell asleep in your spot." She giggled as I raised an eyebrow at her, my opposite leaning back and pulling me forward to help me stretch. "She isn't as warm as you, but is even more cuddly."

"To be expected. Well, sort of. You'd never know she is a dragon unless someone told you." I chuckled, standing and helping her stand as well.

"Ah, Kodori-san." Takemikazuchi said from behind me, "Good morning to you."

Turning, I saw the soft spoken war god and Wiene, as well as a small collection of sleepy eyed orphans. "Bell-kun spoke with me and yes, I think it's a good idea for Wiene to join in my classes for the children."

"Good that you are willing to teach her." I said, bowing, "But?"

He smiled slightly, "But, she needs her own supplies. I haven't had a new student in a while, so I have no spare materials for her. And, while looking for some last night, I made a list of other 'scholarly' materials we are very short on."

He handed me a bit of paper, that looked like it was re-used from a shopping list that had been in someone's pocket for a while. Wow... If He had to recycle that scrap of paper, He was either REALLY frugal, or we really did need more office supplies.

But, to go out now? Or make do? We were told to stay in, and though I'd really only just met him, I did want to listen to Fels's advice. But, education was important...

"Sure, a quick shopping trip shouldn't be too much to ask." I put the list in my own pocket and gave the God a fist in palm salute, "After morning practice."

"The fox is diligent." He replied, leading the orphans away, Wiene included. "Now, let's start with something simple today, shall we? Haru-chan?"

"Yes Lord Takemikazuchi." I gave her a pat on the back as she went to follow, earning myself a smile.

"So, You guys can get along without me for an hour or two?" I asked as we assembled around the pool work site. "For the sake of learning, and maybe making sure we don't go hungry in the next day or two..." This got a few chuckles, being an adventurer took fuel. And that meant food, and lots of it.

"Lilly will carry all the things!" Our supporter volunteered.

"Already, I am out of a job." Marius lamented, in his always serious voice.

"Sure sister. I got the plans, the stone glue doesn't need any skill now that you've mixed it... We might even get the water shed and change rooms built today." Welf said with his usual confidence.

"Good. Back soon then."

"Miss Kodori looks sleepy." Lilly commented, shifting her 'shopping' back pack on her shoulders. A half sized version of her massive adventurer one.

I, being mildly paranoid and really liking the feel of it, was wearing my full set of armour. Lilly was only wearing her usual white robe, but I didn't know if she was armed. To be fair, it was only shopping.

"Miss Kodori IS sleepy." I yawned, covering my mouth, "Enchanting needs a lot of focus. And I couldn't bring myself to put it down until it was done."

"Lilly wants to see it later." She said with a smile, "So, what's first?"

It didn't take long to find the things we needed. Having scouted all of the places during the war game, Lilly and I knew exactly where the shops we needed were. Paper was just off the main market street, needing a little more space than a small shop front for actually making it. Ink and quills, as well as primitive pencils were next to it, the shop owner seeing a perfect place to set up. We didn't really need food in bulk, but we did need fresh vegetables and eggs. We had milk delivered, so that wasn't a problem. But we were running out of tea and the like as well. At least, it tasted like we were... Haruhime could only do so much with poor tea leaves, even if her skill was incredible.

"Lilly... Did you bring your crossbow?" I'd expected we'd be followed. Though it took until now for me to sense them.

"No... Mr. Welf needs to take a look at it." Lilly replied a little guiltily, "Lilly forgot to mention it."

"No worries..." I twitched my ears, listening to the quiet footsteps behind and to the right, 'tap tap'ing along the rooftops. "Short, woman, sounds like a robe..."

"Lilly thinks that's the one who followed me." She looked up at me, only enough to meet my eyes, "If it's a red robe, and a Chienthrope."

"Okay, back soon." I said with a wink, warming up my magic and taking a deep breath.

I planted my lead foot firmly, then slammed my back foot down beside it, propelling myself into the air. Wind whistling past my ears, I whipped through the air like an arrow my hand tapping the wall for an instant of grip, my feet touching down on the rooftop a half second later.

A half second after that, before the red robed figure could say 'holy crap' I'd pushed off again. She'd fallen back a half step, tripped over her own feet, and I helped her down by grabbing a fist full of her robe and pinning her to the rooftop, my other fist drawn back.

"Why are you following us?" I asked, perfectly calm, but feeling my eyes and cheeks draw back angrily.

She really was a Chienthrope. Her dog ears sprouting from the sides of her head doing their best to be perky with surprise, the girl's nut brown face and brown eyes twisted in surprise, and focused on the fist I had drawn back. I had every advantage and she knew it. "Wait wait wait!" She said quickly, not moving her hands, though she shook her head a couple of times, "I'm with Hermes Familia!"

Still holding a fistful of her clothes, I unclenched my first and did a quick ruffle under her robe. Red vest, a couple of small daggers, black shirt underneath, and there, on the back of her red vest was a small stitched emblem of the Hermes Familia, a hat with wings. "Fine." I said, letting her go and standing up, "Now an..."

"KODORI!" Lilly screamed from street level.

"That's why I'm following you." She answered as I looked over the edge of the roof top. Spotting Lilly was easy enough, but next to her were two tall women. Dressed in red, reminding me of the Amazons who captured me for Ishtar, they had swords drawn and were slowly approaching Lilly.

"Help or get help then." I said, hopping over the edge of the roof and pushing off as hard as I could, my magic feeling like an igniting star inside my chest as I saw one of them raise her sword. "UP HERE BITCH!" I screamed at them.

She was smiling, even as she tried to cut me out of the air, missing, and my armoured fist slammed into her jaw with a terrific spray of blood and teeth. The second Amazon, I noticed as she turned to bring her sword to bear, had a scar that looked like a bite mark just visible under the red leather armour she was wearing. Unarmed, Lilly backed away and cleared out as the Amazon and I traded attacks. She was good, but I was better and she knew it.

"I won't let you catch me again, dog!" She yelled, using all of her strength to push me back, then shoulder checking her way through a wooden door.

"Get help! I got this!" I yelled over my shoulder and dashed after her.

Through a mostly empty warehouse, out a back window, through another shattered door, past a surprised couple, through another door, up to the rooftops, across three narrow alleyways, back to the streets and through an open iron bound door. She was fast! Even if she were level four like me, I was burning with my magic, making me as fast, or faster, than Bell.

But I only ever seemed to see a splash of red, before needing to make another turn or pass through another door. I was just starting to get frustrated, when that iron bound door shut behind me, and someone threw a thick wire net over me.

Unable to stop myself from getting tangled, I stumbled, fell, rolled, and managed to get both feet under me. And though I'd managed to tear some of the net, my tails, one arm, and one of my legs were hopelessly tangled. Without a knife, that someone else was using, or more time than I wanted to spend simply pulling it apart and unravelling it, I wasn't going very far.

"Good throw sister." I heard someone say, before a lady in red leather armour stepped out from behind a crate.

Trying not to panic, and taking a look around, I found I was in a warehouse. Around me, there were stacks of metal, and wooden crates. The smell of raw potato and other easy to keep foods wafted through the air as well.

Two of the red armoured women stood in front of me. Amazons. The Berbera? From Ishtar Familia? I didn't recognize... No, I did. A dim memory, just after I'd lost control before we rescued Haruhime.

"Oh, she does know who we are." The second one said, as a third appeared behind them, coming through the door I'd entered, followed by a forth. They all had clubs in hand too. "I'm surprised, I didn't think animals had a good memory."

"Do you also remember me?" Another voice asked.

Behind them, a fifth and sixth appeared, these coming in from opposite sides of the room. I felt my wrists throb with the memory that voice recalled, and I redoubled my efforts to break myself free of the net.

Then the six of them descended on me.

Each wielding one or two short lengths of iron as a club, I did my best to dodge, weave, and shuffle, all the while pushing my magic as close to my skin as I could, and tug the net off me. But my armour was meant to deflect sharp things, not absorb blunt impact. And with only half my limbs, and my tails still tangled, I just couldn't keep up.

They had every advantage, and now, I knew it.

Even as I managed to free my leg, one of them landed the first solid strike against me. My tangled arm broke just past the shoulder as I failed to brace properly. The next strike caught me across the side of the head, and the third crashed into my ribs.

Desperately, I tried to pull every shred of magic I had from the flame inside me, but even as my vision started to go red with the rage I was releasing, a second strike to the side of my head shut the lights off.

Cold water over my naked body snapped me awake.

"Now now, can't have you sleeping for what's next." The one with the bite mark on her shoulder said.

I was hanging awkwardly from a support beam, my broken arm throbbing, along with many many other things.

"What about...?" Another asked.

"Dead." The bitten one said simply, "Or captured. The Hermes spy was there too."

"Doesn't matter, we six were enough." Another said. The light was dim, but I could see, and remember all of them. No names, just faces. All from Ishtar Familia, all of them in that room.

Except this one, who was my former torturer. "Well... I wonder if you remember what happened..." She stood in front of me, a thin dagger in one hand, the short iron club in the other. "After you and the boy rejected Her love..." Again, that twisted 'pronunciation' of the word. "And those two traitors..." Her eyes, along with the rest of them, went wide with hatred, "Then Lady Ishtar was sent away... Leaving us without Her love..."

A club from one of the others slammed into my ribs, and I could feel one of them break, a spike of pain that dominated all the other hurts I'd gotten so far.

"So... We vowed to get revenge. On you..." Another strike, this one breaking my shin. She waited until I stopped screaming before continuing. "The Boy." Another to the back of my thigh. "And the two who refused to sacrifice themselves for Her Love." My broken arm was grabbed roughly, and a club smashed into my fingers.

My eyes could just barely make them out through all my tears.

Then someone grabbed one of my tails.

Eyes widening, my tails reacted without need of my broken body. I could feel one, then three more, wrap around a head, and with a sharp SNAP and a gurgle, a body fell to the floor.

And the other five didn't even blink.

"Well... I suppose now, there's one for each of us." The lead Amazon said, grabbing my jaw and looking me in the eyes. "Any last words?"

Voice raw from screaming, chest almost unable to breathe in, I looked back at her, and rasped, "If you don't kill me, I will END you."

"Oh, we won't kill you..." She said, her hand tightening and forcing my mouth open, "But when we're done, NO ONE will love you. And then, you'll be broken, just like us."

Notes

*ahem* Yes, so that just happened.

Try not to hate me too much. I mean, I'd be sad if I had no readers.

5 days until you find out what happens...

Oh! The winner of the 'Where does Kodori go next'. Is Highschool DxD. With honourable mention to Naruto (saw that coming) Worm (Still have to find and start on this one) Campione, and Familiar of Zero. Maybe If I do this sort of thing long enough, I'll end up with some crazy site wide crossover, all with a DanMachi undertone. Looks like I have a bunch of reading material to pick up at Anime North. :)