Nsiia glared at the intruder as she suddenly became visible, but she didn't call her guards.
Whomever the naked woman was, she was talented. Not many could evade the superior senses of her empire's animals - or the people who trained them. It was only due to her authority that she'd noticed someone sneaking around. Nsiia wasn't particularly good or bad with her aura. It was large enough to cover her nation, but not potent enough to be of much use on its own.
Still...
Nsiia's eyes narrowed. "I don't sense hostile intentions from you." Rather, the black and white striped woman seemed to be... curious. Not wary. Not concerned about being caught. Confident - in that she could either win a fight, or that there would not be a fight.
The two stood in silence and observed each other.
Nsiia got the impression of two wild animals sizing one another up. Just as she was taking the measure of the naked... zebra beastkin, so too was she being analyzed.
Finally, the woman smiled. "I am the Siberian."
Was that a title or a name?
Nsiia straightened up and planted the butt of her halberd on the ground. "I am Nsiia Oliphant. [Empress of Beasts]. Ruler of Tiqr. State your purpose, Siberian."
The Siberian's hair flowed in a non-existent breeze. "I was investigating. This place seemed interesting."
Nsiia raised an eyebrow in the haughty manner that only a ruler could. "You dare enter my personal quarters for such a banal reason? What other intentions do you have? Did you seek to steal from me or do me harm?" She focused her aura and tried to use it to sense the Siberian's intentions.
"What other reason do I need?" The Siberian's yellow eyes faintly glowed as she smiled. "I am on my way to visit the Strongest, and I like exploring."
The Strongest? Nsiia tilted her head. "You are on your way to Pomle?" She then laughed. How interesting! The gathering to discuss the King of Destruction was bound to be a tedious affair, but this was amusing. "Sit." She motioned to a portable, but soft sofa. "Tell me about yourself, Siberian. I have never met a zebra beastkin before."
Other [Rulers] might have taken offense at such a brazen lack of courtesy, but things weren't as formal in Tiqr. Now that she didn't think the Siberian meant her any harm, she found the situation exciting.
Nsiia propped her weapons against the side of her bed as she reclined on it. While it was clear that the Siberian didn't feel threatened, neither did she. It would've been another matter if they were outside of Tiqr, but within its borders - she was the Empress. Her authority was absolute.
"I come from far away." The smile never left the Siberian's face. "I travel to Pomle because that is where the strongest gather, and I am the strongest."
Interesting.
"Is that why you are naked? To prove your strength?" Nsiia paused to recall what she knew of [Martial Artists]. "Or is it a training method?" Whichever it was, it was too bold - even for her. The Siberian had a level of confidence that would make even the dead [Tyrant] Nerrhavia blush.
"Clothes are too fragile." The naked woman sat on the couch. "Protecting them is annoying."
Ah, so she had some defensive skill. [Iron Body]? [Stone Skin]? "What sort of fights do you get into that results in your clothes being destroyed? I could see them getting dirty or torn, but to do away with modesty because of that?"
"No." The Siberian shook her head. "I destroy them." She smiled as she ran her fingers over the couch. Nsiia noticed how long and sharp her fingernails were. That was an odd feature for a zebra beastkin to have since zebras didn't possess claws. "Should I show you how fragile things are?"
Nsiia raised her eyebrows. A demonstration? Why would someone sneak into her bedroom to demonstrate...? Oh. Of course. "Go right ahead with your audition." She nodded. "But only the couch."
The Siberian's smile widened as her claws pressed into the couch's cushion. The fabric didn't bend under the pressure. There wasn't even a tearing noise as the fingers raked across it. It was almost as if the couch was nothing more than an illusion.
The furrows left behind were all too real. It was a claw slash like a lion or a tiger would've made, but with less debris. A large cat would've left a trail of feathers spilling out and the fabric at the edges would've been pushed up and away by their claws.
It looked more like an axe cut into wood - minus the shavings that would've been left on the ground.
Nsiia leaned forward. Her eyes gleamed. "That's most impressive." But, even if the Siberian was seeking employment, she'd still overstepped. "We will talk more in the future. Leave me to my thoughts and I will summon you tomorrow."
The naked woman laughed silently before nodding. She then faded away under the effects of a stealth skill. Nsiia could still sense her presence as it left, but there was no physical movement. No dust being stirred. No faint breeze from her passing. Not even a rustling of the tent's walls.
"Interesting." She mused to herself. Nsiia wasn't the type of [Ruler] that stayed away from the battlefield. She'd grown up listening to tales of her mother when the previous Empress had followed the King of Destruction. Nsiia took pride in her ability to fight, and her Skills reflected that.
However, at the end of the day, she was still an [Empress], and the Siberian was some sort of [Rogue]. An [Assassin]? Or an advanced [Martial Artist]? She'd heard stories about the warriors of Pomle. Some of them could be as silent as a shadow and as unseen as a whisper.
She wondered what the Siberian was, and if she really wanted to be part of her kingdom. Should she allow it if that was indeed what she sought?
Sibby liked the woman.
Nsiia. She would remember her name. She felt more real than anyone else in the caravan. She would probably taste good, but Sibby wouldn't eat her. Not only could that cause problem for Laila, but she didn't feel like it.
Talking to Nsiia had been... enjoyable.
She'd staked her claim and didn't back down, but she also hadn't tried to attack her.
Besides, Sibby wanted to learn more about Tiqr. It was a pleasant place, and she was curious about its leader.
She put the encounter out of her mind as she investigated the rest of the camp. There were other elephants, but none as grand as the one by Nsiia's tent. The hyenas were boring - more like ugly dogs than anything majestic. The pair of lions were impressive in their own way. Tigers would've been better, but they were still bigger and stronger than the others of their kind she'd seen.
There were a good number of humanoid birds. Sibby really wanted to pounce on one and watch the others fly away, but she held off on that. They were probably fragile and she didn't want to accidentally hurt them.
Although... She could always grant immunity to the one she ambushed...
She watched them move for an hour before deciding against it. Nsiia obviously liked feathers. These were probably her pets. It would be rude to touch them without permission!
Sibby nodded to herself for showing such restraint, and looked around for other interesting things.
And... that was it. Zebras. Humans. A few stringfolk. Horses. Wagons. Gemstones. Bland food.
Boring.
She thought about going back to Nsiia's tent - not to visit or investigate, but simply because it was the tallest place. She could sit on top of it and observe the world beneath her.
Jumping up and floating or hovering just wasn't the same. Sure, the air was just as ephemeral as the rest of the world, but it was still nicer to have physical things she could more easily interact with.
William had suggested using her power to enhance the air around her body... but it was hard. She could only manage the thinnest of layers, and that hadn't even stopped the black-winged cape.
Instead... she'd go back and watch Laila sleep. Sibby nodded to herself. Her friend was doing better, but she still had nightmares. Watching over her reminded Sibby of when Riley had been a little girl. She smiled as she allowed herself to interact with light and solid objects again and strolled back through the camp towards where Laila was.
She basked in the attention, but there was a lack of fear. Too much fear was boring, but none at all was annoying in a different way.
Should she kill someone?
Laila woke up with her head in Sibby's lap. The Djinni was gently holding her as her yellow eyes looked at her face.
"Hello, Sibby." Laila sat up and stretched. "Good morning." Her jaws opened impossibly large as she yawned. Laila belatedly looked around to make sure no one had seen her. People didn't react strangely to her claws, but she was still self-conscious about Zehia's mouth. "Did you have an enjoyable night?"
"Yes." Sibby smiled. "I talked with Nsiia."
Nsiia? That name was familiar. It took a few moments for her brain to wake up and realize what Sibby had just said. "Nsiia? The [Empress]?" She paused for a moment as she took in the rest of Sibby's words. "You TALKED to her?"
"Uh huh." The Djinni smiled. "She noticed me."
Laila started to panic. Sibby was perfectly calm and happy, but that didn't mean anything. She'd be equally calm if she'd just had a walk or if she'd slaughtered every other living things for miles!
...No, wait. That wasn't fair. Even during her rampage in Lailight Scintillation she hadn't mindlessly killed people... at least not as much as she could have. Sibby was actually pretty restrained all things considered.
"So..." Laila took a deep breath. "What did you talk about?"
"How annoying clothes are." Sibby nodded as if that was a profound statement. "I think that if she didn't like feathers so much, she wouldn't wear any either."
"Feathers?"
"She has them as clothes and even puts them inside furniture."
"..." How? How would Sibby know that? "Why?" Laila asked by reflex.
"Probably because of those bird people." Sibby replied. "I think she keeps them as pets."
"You said Tiqr doesn't have slaves." Of course, not having [Slaves] didn't mean not having [Slavers]. Laila had heard rumors that other countries didn't allow [Slaves] - but that wouldn't stop Roshal. Her country hadn't had [Slaves], but that hadn't stopped the raiders from coming in. It hadn't stopped Roshal from following. It hadn't stopped her parents from signing her away.
"Pets aren't slaves." Sibby rolled her eyes. "Just like all the other animals. They stay because it's easier to have someone look after you."
"If you say so..." The Garuda were doubtlessly citizens of Tiqr and [Royal Guards] or something similar. To Sibby's perspective that was close enough to being a pet that arguing would be disagreeing on semantics.
...Did Sibby think that she was a pet?
Laila frowned. She didn't want to be a pet... Or did she? It felt nice to have someone look after her, but not be forced by a [Class], chains, or the promise of violence to obey.
In fact... what were vassals and servants if not humanoid pets? The term offended her only because it implied that the person wasn't sapient... but the differences weren't that great. In fact, she'd had owners before Riqre who'd had pets they treated better than their [Slaves].
It was a fascinating thing to think about, but it was time to get up. She wanted to help out with breakfast. Sibby wouldn't be hunting and bringing her back raw meat so the least she could do was repay the caravan's hospitality with hard work.
...At least she hoped Sibby wouldn't be hauling back a dead animal.
...
"Somebody's watching us." Laila whispered to Sibby as they walked. The caravan was large, and it could only move as fast as its slowest members - which surprisingly weren't the elephants. The large animals seemed to pace themselves. It was the hyenas and the lions that only walked as fast as a humanoid could.
Laila knew they could sprint far quicker than people, but she guessed that they lacked the stamina for day-long walking.
Sibby looked at her with a curious expression.
"The birds." Laila explained. "The birds that are on top of the wagons are observing us."
She wasn't sure how exactly she knew, but she was confident in her assessment. It had to be one of Zehia's skills. It was either that, or the natural instincts of her altered body. Movement drew her eye and evoked the need to pounce.
Laila suppressed the desire by thinking back to the rabbit.
"I think they belong to one of the [Beastmasters]. They must be keeping an eye on us."
Sibby shrugged. She was as unconcerned about bird spies as she was everything else.
It must be nice to be that confident Laila thought.
The birds continued to watch them throughout the day. Other people came and chatted with the pair. They were obviously intrigued by Sibby... and other things, but the Djinni ignored them all.
No one was brave or foolish enough to try and do anything more than talk to her. While they had no idea about her true power, Sibby's confident and silent demeanor baffled them all.
It made Laila envious. If a [Slave] acted like that, it would just make their owner break them even harder just to see it.
Then again, of the two of them, Laila felt like she was enjoying the day more. It was nice to talk to people. She even got compliments about her hands. She was told they made her look like a wild animal - and not a monster.
At mid-day, the caravan stopped for lunch, and a young woman came up to them. "The [Empress] requests your presence." She gave a short bow before escorting them to the front of the wagon train. The elephants had spread out and were plucking grass and leaves from the surroundings with their trunks and depositing the food in their mouths.
A beautiful woman with a lot of tan skin showing smiled at them. She wore scant clothes, but those that she did have on were brightly colored and adorned with feathers. Instead of a crown, her long, brown hair had a colorful headband - that also had feathers trailing from it.
Laila didn't know how to act around royalty, but she assumed it would be the same as how a [Slave] should act around their owner. She sunk to her knees and bowed her head. "[Empress]. This one offers her greetings."
Sibby, of course, stood standing with a hand on her hip.
"Come now, none of that." Nsiia's voice was filled with amusement. "I wish to eat and talk with the two of you. Even my subjects aren't that deferential."
Laila stood up and nodded. "Yes, [Empress]."
Nsiia smiled and shook her head. "Call me 'Nsiia'." She sat down at a small table with simple, but delicious-looking food. "Sit, sit."
Laila and Sibby both sat down. However, while the Siberian sampled each dish in turn, Laila fidgeted and held her hands under the table.
Nsiia looked at her with narrowed eyes. "The two of you make unlikely traveling companions, if you don't mind me saying so. The Siberian is... blunt with her disdain for clothing, while you wrap yourself up, Laila."
She knew her name?
Laila closed her eyes and sighed before moving her arms to rest on the top of the table. "I do not wish to upset you with my appearance, Emp-... Nsiia."
"And your mouth is similar I would wager." Nsiia's voice was still faintly filled with amusement, but it also now held a note of concern.
Laila nodded. "My appearance is monstrous. I'm afraid of what people would do if they saw me."
"You need not worry about such things here." Nsiia chuckled. "Tiqr is a land of wild animals. We have Stitchfolk that sew on animal ears. We have [Beastmasters] that take on aspects of their companions. You would not draw as many eyes as you might think."
Laila tentatively reached up and unwrapped her scarf. The expected gasp never came. She raised her eyes and saw that Nsiia was looking at her with a bemused expression. "Thank you, Nsiia." She then reached out and took a roasted bird that Sibby had taken a single bite of. Her mouth opened wide as she placed the entire thing inside of it.
"I surmise that your appearance is due to a class?" Nsiia started eating as well. "I doubt your parents would have given you such a complexion at birth, and I know that Stitchfolk cannot make such drastic changes to their heads."
"This is true." Laila avoided looking at her as she ground the bird corpse into mush. She wasn't sure how much she should say. "It's... not the best [Class], but it has helped me a lot. I wouldn't be here if I hadn't obtained it..." She glanced over to where Sibby was now looking hungrily at the living animals that surrounded them. "Or if I hadn't met Sibby."
"Sibby?" Nsiia's eyes sparkled. "Is that her name: Sibby the Siberian? Or is it a nickname?"
The Siberian?
Laila looked quizzically towards the Djinni.
Sibby felt both of their gazes, and turned her head back towards the table. "My name is the Siberian. Sibby is what my friends call me."
Laila felt her cheeks flush. She knew that Sibby was her friend, but it warmed her heart to hear her state it so bluntly. It wasn't her body, and she should've been able to stop the increased blood flow to her face, but it just felt so natural.
Laila swallowed. "She doesn't talk much."
"Oh?" Nsiia raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I was hoping to hear some of her stories."
Sibby smiled and leaned forward. "I can tell you a story." Her yellow eyes seemed to glow softly in the mid-day sun. She paused to think before smiling widely. "There was a city - a huge place filled to the brim with people. I was investigating it when I came across naked girls locked in cages..."
Laila sat back and listened as Sibby told them a tale about how she'd freed slaves and brutally killed the people imprisoning them. Her descriptions were extremely vivid and graphic. The Siberian's taciturn nature falling away as she painted a picture of the gore she'd left behind in explicit detail.
She had to be talking about her time in Lailight Scintillation - Sibby hadn't been to any other cities. Laila didn't recall hearing about any escaped [Slaves], but that was hardly surprising. Zehia might've known, but no one would've mentioned such a thing to a [Slave].
Sibby's descriptions were making her hungry. It was hard to be inside of a ghoul's body without feeling the unnatural urges that had driven Zehia insane. Laila reached out and plucked another cooked animal from the table as Sibby's tale escalated to a fight against other Djinni.
She didn't call them that, and it was possible that they were high-level [Mages] or [Warriors], but what else beside another Djinni could possibly stand up to her?
There were gaps in her story. Laila didn't know if Sibby was hiding something, had forgotten those parts, or if she just wanted to skip past them to the sections where she got to brutally dismember people.
Hiding in a statue to ambush her opponents seemed like an excessive strategy - especially since Sibby didn't bother to say exactly how she had managed to get inside of it in the first place.
Nsiia - on the other hand - was completely enthralled. She obviously wasn't a stranger to the brutality of combat as Sibby's descriptions made her nod with agreement. "And what happened after that?" Her eyes gleamed with excitement.
Sibby leaned back and crossed her arms as she smirked. "Other things." She then reached out and grabbed a haunch of meat and tore a chunk of it out with her mouth.
"It is a story worthy of Barelle the Bard, but I doubt even he would tell it as enthusiastically as you do." Nsiia smiled as she placed a piece of fruit in her mouth. "We must do this again in the future." She sighed. "But I cannot tarry, the journey to Pomle must continue. There are important things that need to be discussed."
Laila frowned as she began wrapping her scarf back around her face. "What reason are you going to another country? I just accepted that you were, but I never thought about it." She glanced at Sibby. "Are you going to fight?"
Nsiia chuckled with mirth in her eyes. "No. Nothing like that. It would be quite the ruler who could stand up to the Strongest. Flos is the only one that comes to mind, and that is who we are discussing. The King of Destruction has awoken, and Chandrar remembers."
"The King of Destruction?" Laila thought back. She'd heard that name in her childhood, but she couldn't recall any details. "I'm afraid that I am a stranger to all politics, no matter how important or wide-spread they are."
Nsiia smirked. "I have no time to tell you the full details, it is sufficient to say that when he marched across the world the first time, Tiqr joined him willingly. As such, we prospered under his rule, and even once he slumbered. Other's fear giving up their power, but not I." She stood up and languidly stretched. "So, the rulers of the countries around us have agreed to meet in Pomle to discuss things."
"Oh." Laila nodded. "I understand. It's a nice coincidence that we are going to the same place."
"Perhaps." Nsiia nodded. "If you came from another direction you'd likely encounter other groups." She looked at Sibby. "I can't imagine things would work out well for those convoys."
"Really?" Laila tilted her head.
Nsiia shrugged. "Nerrhavia's Fallen is too full of themselves. Illivere is too lifeless. Savere would welcome you with open arms before cutting your purse strings." She let out a laugh. "I could list all of the others, but there's no time or point. They all are different, but none of them understand wild animals and nature like Tiqr." She gave a final wave and strolled towards the grand elephant as servants came to pack up the table and food.
Laila and Sibby walked alongside the caravan as it started moving again.
"What do you think, Sibby? Did you know about the meeting in Pomle?"
The Siberian smiled while shaking her head. "Doesn't it make sense? It's where the strongest gather."
Laila frowned. That seemed far too... simplistic to her. It sounded logical, but it wasn't. At least... she didn't think it was? But what did she know? "At least we should be safe from... them." Roshal was powerful, but even they couldn't cause a fuss at a meeting of so many other countries.
What would happen after that? Laila didn't know. She wondered if Sibby had a plan. She knew an awful lot for someone who'd been born only a couple of months ago.
'Don't talk about Earth Bet. You can still tell stories to your friend, but it's best to leave out any specific details. Things like names of places or specific cape powers.'
Sibby nodded to herself. William gave good advice. She'd paid attention, even though she was positive that she wouldn't need to censure herself. Laila didn't ask questions, and Riley and Kevin already knew everything.
...Well, not everything. They hadn't been interested in her stories from before she joined the Slaughterhouse Nine. They also didn't like to hear the more graphic parts of her time with that group. She suspected that Riley didn't want to remember the other ex-members... which was fair.
Kevin usually turned most of her stories into lectures. He was kinda like William in that regard, though the two of them taught very different things.
Still, now that she'd found someone who wanted to hear about her stories... William's advice was coming in handy.
But...
Sibby didn't want to lie to Laila. She might ask questions about Sibby's stories. Nsiia and Laila might also react poorly to some of the stories that made Kevin lecture her.
Hmmm...
She needed to ask William for advice. She couldn't do that while moving. She'd need to unsummon herself. While she'd gotten better at controlling where she returned, it was harder to do it the further away she was from where she'd vanished.
William, of course, had a theory about that. Something to do with the Shards both growing accustomed to this world and also imposing limitations because of... blah, blah, blah.
As much as she tried, some of William's lectures were just too boring to bother memorizing - even with her perfect memory.
So... Sibby stopped thinking about that, and continued her investigation of the caravan while it moved!
...
Once the group of people stopped, Sibby moved to a nearby hill with a good view. The humans would be busy with boring stuff, so now was the best time to stop investigating and to visit William.
She let her form fade away...
...
Sibby appeared.
She looked around.
Red sky? Check.
Tombstones? Check.
White van at the side of the road? Check.
Her original creator looked up from the grave he was standing in front of. "Natalie?" His eyes went wide.
She shook her head as she drew closer. It would take him a while to remember. That was fine. Sibby amused herself by examining Natalie's grave.
Could she eat her?
Fresh was better, but Natalie was her in some way, right? So it should be fine.
Then again... She made a face. Old corpses tasted bad. Not even the bland flavorless mush that most 'food' was like. They were actively unpleasant after a while. Probably because they spoiled or something.
Besides... she looked at William who was frowning as he thought. Her first creator might get upset about her digging his daughter's corpse up.
Yeah... and it wouldn't be real in the first place either. Nothing here was 'real'. Sibby shrugged and dismissed the idea.
William picked himself up from the ground where he'd been holding his head. "You're not Natalie. You're the Siberian." He raised his head, but his eyes weren't focused on anything. "I'm... dead. That's right. I'm dead and you're in a different dimension that's connected orthogonally along the a higher dimension than the first five..."
Sibby let him mumble while she thought about what she was going to say. She wanted to tell him everything, but that tended to confuse him. It was better to not elaborate...
Manton stood still for several minutes before he opened his eyes. "Sibby." He greeted her. "Are you still traveling with Laila and heading towards that country Cauwine told you about? Pomle?"
"Yep!" She smiled. "We're in a place called Tiqr now, and there are lots of wild animals. I met the leader and she's nice. I don't think I'll eat her. I think she might be real."
"Interesting." William frowned and nodded. "That's a good data point."
"Right." She agreed with whatever that meant. "So, she asked Laila and me to eat with her. The food was bland. Nothing like Kevin's. I ate some to be nice, but it wasn't good. Laila seemed to like it and Nsiia didn't seem to mind her improved mouth. I don't know why she's worried about what other people think. I told her they weren't real, but I don't think she gets it."
William held up a hand. "Did you have a question for me?"
"Oh!" Sibby sat up straight. "Yeah, I do. So, I was telling Nsiia a story, 'cause she wanted to hear about me, which makes sense. I remembered what you said about not talking about Earth Bet or saying names. So I didn't tell them anything like that. I think she was more interested in the fights anyways. The way the blood splatters based on how fast I swipe through someone's neck. How their eyes stare at nothing as their body relaxes. The smell that lets you know they're dead."
"Yes. I remember." He said dryly. "Is that your question?"
"Kinda?" She frowned. "I want to tell more stories, and I don't want to lie to Laila, but I also don't want her to think I'm making things up."
"Ah." William nodded. "I see. Trust is an important thing. Lies of omission are one of the ways Cauldron-" He took a deep breath. "I think the best way for you to handle this is to phrase the truth in a way that allows you to hide the important details that could be used against you."
"Huh?" She tilted her head.
"Tell your stories." He frowned. "I'd leave out the ones where you torture and ate people. I don't think Laila would respond well to those. When she asks if they really happened, tell her it was a different you in a different life."
"Huh?" It was always a different her, but she was also always the Siberian.
"You should imply that it's reincarnation. That these memories come from an earlier time when everything was different." He nodded. "It's the truth, since you did do them earlier and in another world. However, if you phrase it right and make her think that you existed in the far past, then you won't have to lie about Earth Bet."
"Huh?" What was reincarnation?
William paused and took a deep breath before speaking slower.