Nobody came. Either they weren’t stupid enough to chase the Butler into a camp like this, or there was just nobody left after the Orchestra guy. Whatever the reason, Ele’s sentry duty went undisturbed, which helped her regain her Yin into perfect harmony once again. Still, Yeni was busy, as she ulled from her patrol about an hour into it, and into the Big Tent, where Yeni and a group of others were stood. The Orchestra Guy had washed up and got a new outfit, and was apanied by an old woman, and two people about thirty or so.

  “Ele. Allow me to introduce; Lagitha Ator, Ranana Thragidottir, and Tai’zian” Yeni would state, gesturing to ea kind. Ele would stare for a few seds and then snap. So much for Yin in perfect harmony again…

  “You just called Tordensjom, A Steat, and the fug Princess nia?!” she excimed, her hair standing on end as her Raiju nature sparked static electricity into the air.

  “Yes” Yeni would reply, so calm and cool in this situation. The old woman was not so much, a a soft ugh at Ele’s incredulity.

  “A most animate grandaughter-in-w. I do hope you visit more often than your mother-in-w does” she would state, unbothered by Yeni’s glower. “Besides, I am not Tordensjom anymore. I retired a few years ago after Father Time finally came to collect his due. I merely came to support my daughter in w after she requested if I knew anyone who could help”

  “And I came because Yeni asked if SIR had any patrols or ops in Skivoa. Which was a terribly broad and suspicious request, so I came to act as a diplomatic representative of SIR. Which, ironically, is exactly what I am serving as fnia as well” Tai’zian put in, giving a grin. “We go way back. She used to work with SIR, and…I like to say we peted for Drax, but it was no petition. She was better for him on nearly every front”

  Feeling like she o expin herself given everyone else had, Ranana would speak up. Gentle in tone, and softly spoken without the unnatural ess of Yeni.

  “I’m just a merary. Also not a Steat anymore. We disbanded after Ragnar died and Endraired” she expined. “And please, call me Ran”

  Watg the heroes of legend introduce themself to her was a situation that Ele couldn’t handle, and so she just stared with her mouth open until Yeni spoke again.

  “This situation is personal, and going to be quite heated as it goes on. I o ehat nothing happens in a dire that will disrupt the proceedings, so I need you with me, Ele. Your presence will stimute my nature as a Den Mother and sympatheti Resonance will allow me to keep my head when I face situations that might cause me to otherwise lose it” Yeni stated. It was, in theory, all nid clear. But Ele just couldn’t hahe idea that yesterday she was just another woman in the camp, and now she was off on a huge uaking with people who had entire books, songs, and sagas about them.

  “HOW!?” Ele exploded, electricity arg out of her until Yeni’s supportive ale smile gave her the hitch she her rampant energy bato some state of trol.

  “You don’t talk much about how old you are, hmm?” Lagitha asked, looking to Yeni.

  “A dy does not talk about herself like that” Yeni replied, stepping over to Ele. Pg her cool hands osune’s cheeks, she’d stare into her crag electric blue eyes.

  “I am sorry to just drop all this on you so suddenly. Had I the ce, I would have kept my past life separate from today. But I do not, and I need you to be with me now” Yeni’s words, both as a woman and Den Mother, had a profound effe Ele’s self-trol, and she cooled her emotions to be more in trol of them, so she could better hahe shock of the situation.

  “Now, we are ready. Let us head out. Primary objective is finding any trace of Kiko. It takes prece over the sedary objective” Yeni excimed, gesturing with her hand. Ran disappeared in a cloud of ice with the Orchestra guy, while Tai’Zian and Lagatha turned a more ventionally. Yeni would focus on nothing for a while, fog her Mana to open a Fox Burrow. Digging new Burrows was aremely intensive event in the modern day, but the p was criss-crossed with old Burrows that could be used by Den Mothers. The air opened up as if it really was a hole dug in the ground, and Yeni stepped through, followed quickly by Ele. It was quite the experience, walking through this tunnel in the veins of the world. For all is and purposes, it was some secret underground tuaking them where they o go. The fact it was bending space to iles with every step was just ancilry.

  Stepping out, Ele would blow out a white-cloud, gd for her Yin and the resistao the cold that it brought. The bright skies and st of ecological industry on the air meant they could only be one pbsp;

  “Skivoa. You think Kiko is here?” Ele asked, looking to Yeni, who moved with determination and fidenbsp;

  “No, but Tartarus is. They won’t just tell me where they took her, but that is fine. Someone will know, and I will get my answers eventually” Yeni replied. The tone was soft and cool, but unlike normal there was not that gentle fort behind it. It was soft, like snow, and with all the implication of a murderous blizzard.

  “It’s not your fault” Ele would state, throwing the word out as an uncouth punch. Yeni didn’t even miss a step, though did take a firm breath before speaking.

  “I know. But I am all she had left in the world right now. I ’t protect her all the time, but I follow her and help where I am. Drax is gone now, and the Ator are a whole ti away. There is only me and you left for her here. So I will do everything I have to support her”

  It was quite the definitive statement that Ele one hundred pert agreed with, and so just followed. It was quite a feast for the eyes, seeing Yeni pulling out every stop she had to find the shortest path to where she was going. Ele had heard of Plug The Wind, but it was a teique for Den Mothers alone, so she had never seen it in a until now. Yeni’s tails really did look like they were plug invisible strings, and direg her where she wao go. That, turned out to be a semi-perma looking military camp oskirts of a medium sized town. Two guards at the orance perked up as the troached, somewhere between wary and ied.

  “Good m” Yeni spoke, cool but sensual in equal measure. Her ears twitched for a moment, and then shifted subtly as if listening in on a distant versation.

  “‘E’yup. What’cha doin’ hanging round here? Aint much to sight see” the bigger of the two guards asked, lookiweewo.

  “Hel dye job not withstanding. D’ja use the same dye for your tail as you do your hair?” The other asked, stepping up.

  “She’s a Raiju, ya twat. That’s her natural colour” the first guard excimed, gesturing angrily with his head.

  “The fuck’s a Raiju? An’ why the fuck do you know what that is?”

  “My lil bro is obsessed with Kitsunes. He’s stantly talking about them. Did ya know, did ya know, did ya know. I couldn’t not know about them if I tried”

  The guard then clicked his tongue, and turned his attention back to Yeni, who had maintaihat look somewhere betweeid ibalistibsp;

  “Sorry about the mush ‘ere. Ya were sayin’?” he prompted.

  “Indeed. Captain Marik has hired us to provide eai for the men. He feels it is a worthwhile endeavor after poor Erin’s untimely departure. He wants to remind you of the good in life, rather than dwelling on the bad that might e”

  Ele kept her face passive, though was amazed that Yeni could just reel off something like that. How did she even know all these names?

  “Ack” the smaller one excimed, spitting on the ground. “Aint no way for an old hand to go, let alone a young kid like him. Full ‘er plud piss, that one was. Didn’t deserve anythihat” his toter at what assumedly was a terrible way to die. With a nod, the twiven ndyards to show they were allowed to be here, a into the base. Just, walking right in without any issues was not what Ele was expeg, but it was ultimately the better way of doing it. The alternative….could have been messy.