A week has passed after forcibly removing the camp away from Rhinehart by Shade claiming it was her territory. The townsfolk were relieved that the imperials had retreated for now, but some held the elder kitsune in a bad light because of her actions as they did not want to get involved this badly. No matter what the people said, the group made their way pass the hills and followed the map to search for the next nearest location occupied by the imperial army.
About a few days worth of walking, the four do stumble upon a new camp on the map. However, with the sheer numbers within, possibly due to merging with the previous one that was scared off, the four knew they would not be able to take them on. Shade's intimidation factor would not work well either with the sheer amount of troops that were present.
Melissa was going to scout close by the camp in order to see what could have been done, but Kitsuno rushed out to tackle to mouse down to the ground not far from where they took position at. The reasoning behind this was there were feral dogs around the camp. If the younger twin did not see the ferals wandering around in time, Melissa's unknown scent would have triggered them and cause the whole camp to go in full alert.
Plans and preparations had to be made in order to prevent the army from heading out back west. And with Shade not being there to pose as a temporary threat, Rhinehart would be overwhelmed.
Grinwall
The group made a decision to linger close by to the camp, but needed to gather some supplies and draw out ideas in how to stall their advances should the imperials make a move soon. Being so, they entered the mining town known as Grinwall, home to iron and coal deposits that is mined daily and distrubuted across the continent. Kitsuno and Melissa had split from the party in order to search for the general stores, places to eat, and places to stay should it be necessary. Shade and Liam stook together in order to discuss plans on the map and anything else they could should the subject arise.
That is until they were stopped by a dwarf who needed their assistance. "Ho there laddie and lassie, mind helping a fellow out?" The kitsune and ferret look over at the short man in a red and orange tunic, who was holding a toolbox and a sign. Shade walks up to him, "What do you need?"
He points up above a doorframe, "Well, the daft meathead that helped me clear some of the junk out of this here place left. And he forgot to put up the sign like he said he would. I do hate to trouble the both of ya, just the fact that I would have to dig out a ladder just for this one simple thing." Shade shrugs before dropping her stuff on the ground next to the front entrance, "Eh, don't sweat it. I've done stupider things for less. Got the sign with you?"
The dwarf smiles before putting the toolbox down and lifts up the sign, "Right here lassie." Shade grabs ahold of the wooden board and turns it around to place it against the wall above the doorframe. Opening the toolbox, the dwarf kneels down and digs about inside, "Don't be standing around watching her, come here lad." Liam does as instructed and approaches closer to be handed a hammer and some thick looking nails. "Once she's got it in place, go ahead and get it nailed in."
He then walks away from them both to stamd a good distance away to look at the sign. "A little bit higher and to your left." Shade does as the little one said and adjusted the position. He squints his eyes, "A wee bit more left." She adjusts it slowly and he watches, "Almost... almost...... there! Stop!"
Moving her fingers around a bit on the sign, Shade keeps a steady grip onto it, "Best get it hammered in Liam, can't hold onto this forever." He nods and held onto a nail and moved it above her right hand and began to gingerly pound the nail into the wood. "Liam, you ain't going to get it in hard enough if you don't give it some force." He looks at her with slight concern, "Shade, I might miss and hit your hand. Armor or not, that's going to sting."
"Then get it in enough to where it looks okay and I'll move my hand." He sighs before continuing to nail the sign down at his own pace. Once the right side was finished, he moved over to her left side and does the same. When he finished putting the nails in, Shade slowly loosened up her grip on the sign to make sure it didn't falter. Once it was confirmed to be sturdy, she fully let go and stepped back. The dwarf walked up to them to grab the hammer from Liam and nods in approval. "Ah, much better. Brimstone Sauna is now ready to start."
Shade smiles at the thought of a sauna treatment. "You're welcome. Wasn't expecting to run into a sauna here of all places." The dwarf let out a hearty laugh as he walked to his toolbox. "Tis why I wanted a sign up lassie! The old place was just sitting here in need of repairs and remodeling. No doubt hot baths will help the mining teams here to clean up and get the excess tension out of their muscles. Hate to see some of the young ones like yourselves throw out your backsides."
He then lifts up his toolbox and stands in the doorframe, "Thank you both for the assistance. Feel free to tell your friends and family to stop on by whenever you visit. Oh, and don't forget your belongings lassie." Liam and Shade wave goodbye to the dwarf after he handed Shade her bag, and the two walk around the mining town. The kitsune held her hands behind her head, "What a cheerful little fellow. Maybe when we get time we can see how this sauna works." The ferret looks at his friend with a smile, "Maybe when we have things taken care of first Shade, but I will agree that it felt nice helping him."
The mage then looks around the town as it was slightly empty at the moment. More than likely due to the townsfolk working on gathering ores from the hillsides. His smile fades a bit as he remembered the location on the map. "It is odd though how this town is not in imperial control. As technically we are in their claimed lands." Shade's smile fades a bit as well, "I know. Given that the camp is barely a days march northwest of here too." She looks around and spots a few of the townsfolk walking around from some of the buildings. "Wonder if they have a silent agreement going on, or are just ignoring it because of the type of people here?"
Liam shakes his head, "I'm more than willing to believe the silent part. I doubt they would care much on who is living in the area, so long as they comply by there rules. Even so, it is a hillside rich with iron and coal. No doubt they would have great deals in metalworks." The kitsune shrugs her shoulders, "Yeah, but some people can still have their reasons. Like maybe they have something against dwarves. I know elves do and vice versa. Cause we don't know what all is in the empire. Let alone the emperor themself."
Liam flattened his ears slightly in his hat, "Don't you sound a little ridiculous with that logic?" Lowering her hands, "Maybe. Just food for thought and all that. Plus, I'm not saying it's all bad either."
The duo pass by a sabertoothed catgirl in a mining uniform. Her muscles on her arms were well defined as she was pushing a wheelbarrow filled with coal. Shade waited a moment before letting out a slight whistle, "Damn. These people get ripped for sure." The ferret nods, "Mining does involve a lot of heavy lifting and physical exertion."
"I bet. Hell, I'd let her dick me down too if she has one." Liam fell flat with his ears, "Shade, please." She looks at him with accusation, "What? It's a compliment. She's hot looking too." He sighs before rubbing a hand on his face, "Honestly, how does Kitsuno deal with you at times?"
The two stop and Shade crossed her arms. "Well Kit and I are use to seeing each other naked. Nothing really new there." Shaking his head, "That's different than your sexual appetite. There are times where it is hard to believe you two are sisters." She moves closer to her friend and wraps an arm around his shoulders, "Trust me, we think that way at times too." Shade then moves a hand up to his face and rubs a finger against his cheek. "But that's what keeps a few things interesting between us. Wouldn't do us any better if we were exactly the same now, would it?"
"Not fully sure what you two are talking about, but we can discuss that later." Shade releases Liam and straightened herself up a bit as Kitsuno and Melissa approached them both. The two immediately caught on to their friends looks. Liam moves over to Kitsuno, "What's going on?" She nudges her head over to the mouse, who pulls out a few papers.
Papers with the words WANTED written on it. Shade felt the tension in the air settle down on them, "Shit. Sarydia's been here?" Melissa nods before tucking the papers back in her tunic. "Found as many as I could. Not sure where else they have these posted, but we should be considered lucky nobody's said anything yet."
Kitsuno looks at her sister, "We already found a general store, but I didn't go in just to be safe. Liam and Melissa will have to do most of the shopping since our faces are plastered here." Shade looks at Liam, "You think that dwarf was being friendly to put up an act?" He shakes his head, "Hard to say. I know we've encountered some who don't care, but then I think back on those that did." The elder twin digs around in a side pocket of her bag and pulls out a satchel to give to Liam, "Here. Use what I got left for whatever we need."
He opens the pouch and counts what is inside. "Shade, are you certain? There's only seventy-two bucks and thirty-four cents in here." Kitsuno digs out her satchel with her savings and hands it over to the ferret. "Just see what is affordable for the four of us." She then points at the mouse, "And no ale Melissa. No buying it, and no stealing anything. We need to lay low and not give these people a reason to hand us over to Sarydia."
The twins then look around the town as very few people were in sight. Kitsuno looks back at the other two, "We'll meet you both down at the fork in the path south of here. Don't take too long, okay?"
Liam held onto both pouches and faces Melissa, "We won't. Now, let's make this quick and get moving." He and Melissa take off in another direction while Shade and Kitsuno carefully make their exit of the mining town.
On the way towards the shop, Liam looks at the mouse, "Melissa, shouldn't you have given all the papers to Shade so she can dispose of those?" She slows down slightly in her steps before facepalming, "Right. Crap." He looks ahead and spots the store with some signs posted with various goods on sale marked onto it, "Ah, let's not dwell on it now. Just carry the stuff when I give it to you and we can go on from there.
Opening the door, Liam lets Melissa walk in first and they begun browsing through the small shop. The only other people inside was a dwarven shopkeep, a maid, and a butler. Melissa cocks an eyebrow at the two out of place individuals, "What's with the servants?" Liam elbows her and they move around the aisle, "Shush. They are probably doing business with the owner."
The two move around and Liam grabs some containers filled with preserves and hands a few to the mouse to carry. As they browse around, the canine maid turns around slightly and catches sight of the red hair of Melissa's. She squints a bit before adjusting her height to get a better look at the mouse. Once she got a look at Melissa's face, she nudges her hand towards the raven butler. "Hubert. That's the mouse I saw with the girl from the poster earlier."
Hubert turns his head to look at the ferret and mouse gathering some other supplies from the shelves. "Hmm... and yet she is here with someone else. Perhaps another acquaintance of the two?" His eyes focus on them both for a few seconds before turning to the dwarf. Orion, Would you mind making yourself scarce for a moment? Penny and I need to tend to something."
Melissa carried some containers before finding a nearby basket and dumps it all into it, "There. Now I can keep carrying all this." Lifting the handle up, she hoists the basket up and faces Liam, "Anything else we should grab?" She then looks around the store and her ears flatten slightly, "You know, it's pretty dead in here. Figured there would be a few more people other than those other two." The ferret kneels down to look at some of the items on the bottom shelf, "Do remember this is a mining town. Most of the townsfolk are possibly in the mines chiseling away at the ore deposits."
"Yeah, but isn't it almost noon? Figured some would come out and pal around to get something to eat, drink, or relax." He stands up and places a bottle of body oil in the basket. Melissa raises an eyebrow, "Oh? Looks like someone wants to get kinky later." The ferret rolls his eyes, "Save your perverted thoughts. Kitsuno's feet have been getting sore from all the walking around we have done, along with her having to jump quite a bit from certain circumstances. Least I can do is give her some relief."
She stiffles a little laugh, causing him to furrow his brows. "And what is so funny?" The mouse smiles at him with a stupid grin, "Just never took you as a foot person. Not gonna lie Liam, but you just scream vanilla."
He glares at her as she tries not to laugh. "First of all, Kitsuno and I at least keep it tame and reasonable because we don't go at it like you and Shade do. And second of all, I'll have you know that every moment Kitsuno and I have done the deed, we make it memorable." The mouse walks away slightly from him and just held a smile. He follows her behind slightly as they continue to browse, "Since we are going down this road, we may as well get some tests."
Melissa turns her head around, "Oh? Thinking of going all the way then?" He smacks her shoulder, "For you dumbass." He smile lessens up slightly, "Well hell, didn't think I would get you to swear." He sighs before crossing his arms, "If I am to be honest Melissa, it is getting harder not to with you around. However, rather than chastise you here about that, I am being serious about carrying around some pregnancy tests."
The mouse raises a hand up and turns around, "Don't see why you care that much about me considering you're too easy of a target to mess with. Besides, you need to--" he places a hand on her and turns her around to face him. A serious look was etched onto his face, "How about you think for a chance on this matter? What good are you going to be for us if you do end up carrying Shade's child? You're no good if you are weighed down with such a consequential action. And even then, what about your drinking habit, which you seem to have spread to Shade, what then?" Her smile begins to disappear, "Liam I--"
He cuts her off, "No. You have problems that you need to understand that there is a time and place for everything. This carefree act of yours is going to be the death of you." Melissa shoves the basket into Liam's chest and he grips onto the sides of it as she let go. The mouse stood there shaking slightly, her voice feeling hoarse, "Maybe I enjoy feeling free for once. You ever think about that Liam? What gives you the right to tell me how to live my life? You have no clue what fucking hell I have been through."
Without giving him the chance to respond, Melissa quickly makes her way out of the shop. Slight tears formed in her eyes as she tried to compell herself. The ferret stood there by himself for a moment before realizing what he had done. ("I think I struck a nerve there.") Looking down at the stuff in the basket, he sighs before putting the basket down on the floor, ("She may be a pain, but now is not the time to pick fights with each other. Not with our current mission to help people.")
Making his way to the door, "Melissa, wait!" As he grabs the door, black feathers hands reach from behind him and he is pulled away. "Hey, what the--mmph!?" A rag is placed on his face and the mage struggles for a few moments before his mind goes hazy. In seconds, he passes out.
Outside the store, Melissa had walked away and clutched onto her arms. "Damn magic weasel. The fuck does he know? He's lucky he's had a chance..." she sniffles a bit before wiping her eyes with one arm. Her emotions were running a bit high because of that. Something she usually keeps in check around others.
Her ears twitch as the door to the shop opens up. "Great, here comes mister high and mighty." She looks back at the opened door and froze in her thoughts as she sees the raven butler walk out with Liam in tow over his shoulder and his hat clutched in his free hand. ("God damn it. I leave this furry diphead alone for ten seconds and he gets himself kidnapped!?")
Drawing out her blade, she dashes at the butler and swings at his legs. Hubert's eyes glint as he anticipated her movement and did a quick sidestep to avoid the slash. Melissa tries to rebuttle this with more, but he keeps up his fancy footwork to dodge each incoming motion she made.
After a few more failed attempts, Hubert knelt down slightly on one leg, before charging forward and delivering a taloned kick to her chest. The mouse grimaces as she could feel his talons poke through her leather and was at least grateful she still had the wanted posters still in her chest piece. What she wasn't expecting, was to land in the arms of someone behind her.
Before she could react, Penny wraps her arms around the mouse into a tight hug before placing a rag on her face, "Breathe in deeply little mousey. You'll be better in no time." Melissa struggles slightly in the canine's tight gripped hug, ("Let go of me you stupid...") her head felt empty all of a sudden and her vision fades.
With the mouse now unconscious, the canine lifts her up over her shoulders and spots some paper sticking out. Reaching under her armor, Penny pulls out a slightly damaged wanted poster. "Oh! Hubert, look!" Her tail wags furiously as she turns it around, "I was right! She is an accomplice with the wanted kitsunes."
Meanwhile near the outskirts of town, Shade and Kitsuno were making their way out. Kitsuno stopped shortly near a signpost as something felt wrong. Shade senses this and turns around. "You getting that feeling where you have a strange sensation running down your spine?" The younger twin nods before looking back at the town. "Yes, I am. Almost as if those two are in trouble."
The elder twin groans, "Urgh... what do we do? If they are in trouble we need to help them, but we also need to be careful because of the wanted signs." Kitsuno closes her eyes as she tries to think of what to do. Her sister leans back a bit onto the signpost and looks around before focusing her magic. "Screw it. I'm putting an illusion up." Just as her fur started to shift and change color, a ball comes flying out from over one of the chimneys on a nearby house. It lands between the two kitsunes and cracks in half, releasing a black shroud of smoke.
This causes the two to cover their mouths as the smell was appalling. Kitsuno scrunched her face as she pressed her arm against her nose, "Ugh... what is that horrible stench?" Shade's face wrinkles up as the smell was not pleasing her senses either. "It's like burnt charred something?"
All of a sudden, Shade's body started to sway. Kitsuno noticed this, "Shade? What's wrong......" the younger twin started losing focus fast and in seconds, both kitsunes fell down onto the ground. After a few minutes have passed and the smoke has cleared, the maid and butler appeared from the corner around one of the streets. Penny had a silly grin on her face as she carried Melissa and ran up towards the unconscious kitsunes, "See? I was right!"
The raven felt slightly uncomfortable as he had given some of the chloroform to the canine and she applied it to the smoke bomb she had on her person. "Penny, have I mentioned that you are unnerving to be around? That nose of yours trailed these two faster than I give you credit for." The canine girl cocks her head in confusion, "What do you mean Hubert? I was just following her scent." She then holds Melissa's unconscious body out slightly as the source of the scent. He sighs before looking around the area, "Just find something that we can use to get these four out of here easier."
Dwénshire Manor
Opening her eyes slowly, Kitsuno lifts her head up as she gathers her senses again. ("What... the heck happened?") Looking around, she was in a well furnished room with red velvet curtains hanging on the large window, behind a desk. As she tries to move an arm to rub her head, she realizes that she can't and looks down. She was strapped to a chair and her mouth was wrapped with cloth. ("You have got to be joking!")
Liam nods his head a bit as his sense were coming to as well. ("Melissa?") He pauses in his thoughts as he hears Kitsuno grunt and struggle. Looking to his left, he sees her bound and gagged to a chair. The ferret goes to open his mouth, but is unable to as he too was in a similar situation. ("What in the world happened? Who kidnapped and tied us up?")
To his right was Shade. Like them, she was also bound and gagged, but also had a bag over her head. ("Sounds like others are around me. Whatever is going on, they better hope I don't get my hands on them too violently. I fucking hate being restrained.") She struggles her arms around, only to feel metal rattle about. ("Chained. At least I don't have it against my neck...")
Melissa opens here eyes and blinks a few times. She looks around the room before looking to her left to see her companions restrained down. Barely moving her arms, the mouse knew she was in the same boat. ("Just when I thought this day couldn't get any better.")
The sound of a door creaking echoes behind them, followed by some footsteps. "Ah, as if on schedule. Seems our guests have finally woken up." The footsteps grew closer and the three who were able to see see two people appear from their left. Liam and Melissa looked in shock and concern as one of them was the raven butler from the general store. The other, was a silver scaled drake in a green velvet robe.
Hubert looks about the three that looked at him and he held a cold smile towards them. "A warm welcome to you all. Do be respectful with Lord Whitewing, as I will not hesitate to correct you." The drake moves closer to the window and watches the view from outside. "Hubert. Tone it down a notch. No need to put up a strong front against them in their current state." He turns his head and his sharp yellow eyes catch on to the raven, "Unless you want me to get Penny in here as well?"
The raven felt a slight chill go down his spine, "Not at all milord. There is no need to bring in that overexcited pup for this type of meeting. Less you want her chewing on one of them." Whitewing blows a puff of air through his nose, "Fair point." The drake turns around and faces the four, "Now, I can bet you all are wondering why you are here, and why my two retainers were the ones who captured you all."
Kitsuno gave the drake a bit of a glare as she had an idea why they captured them. Shade kept herself still as there was not much she could do to break out. She'd hurt herself more if she tried to use her magic to break out of her binds. Hubert digs into a folder on the desk and pulls out one of the wanted posters of Shade and Kitsuno. "Word around some places is that two of you seem to have quite the reputation within Sarydia. And given what I have inspected of you both when you were first brought up to me, I can quite confirm you have this air of curiosity burning forth."
Shade looked around in the darkness of her bag, ("Exactly what does he mean by curiosity? We're just living our lives.") The drake continues, "And yet, there is something unnatural hiding within you both. Something fierce beyond recognition." Whitewing moves closer to Kitsuno to place a hand under her chin, making her look up to his own scalie face, "I will cut straight to the point. The mayor has put up a very steep price on your heads. And it is indeed, very tempting to hand you two over."
Melissa and Liam looked at the drake before the ferret begins to struggle. Hubert however, moves behins the ferret's chair and places a feathered hand on the back of his neck, causing him to flinch. "Heh, now now. I said it is very tempting." He then moves his hand behind Kitsuno's head and begins to unravel the cloth gag. It loosened down enough for the younger twin to spit it out and take a breath of not cotton moust air. "Phlea... Then what do you have planned? Were it to turn us into those heartless people in Sarydia, no doubt you would have done that while we were unconscious."
Whitewing smiles, "You're a quick one, aren't you? I like that." He runs his hand onto her cheek to give it a pinch before stepping back. "No. I'll hold onto this for the time being." He then opens the folder Hubert pulled the wanted poster from and grabs ahold of a larger piece of folded paper. Liam's eyes go wide as it was the map they had acquired from the camp. "Along with this."
Kitsuno held a firm stare at the drake, "Hey, that doesn't belong to you. Give that back and let us go." Hubert gives a low chuckle, "Lord Whitewing need not care what a kitsune has to say. I suggest you learn that." She turned her head to glare at the raven, while Whitewing places the map down on the table. "Hush. You will be working together, so I don't want to hear any disagreements."
The younger twin struggles a bit in her bindings, "So you kidnap us and expect us to work under your command, least we be taken back to Sarydia and sent back to the stockade? If you wanted extra hands for your cleaning services, we are fairly certain there are much more capable candidates out there besides us."
Whitewing moved around the other two gagged members, "Why the answer is simple. The manor we are in needs proper care after all. It all simply is too much for the little hands we have available at the moment, as I can only have Hubert and Penny handle so much by themselves outside the manor." He then begins to undo the gag on Melissa, while Hubert removes the one on Liam. "For that part of the subject, let's say that one of you has made a good impression on me with your skills. That being the one with a bag on their head and in chains. It certainly painted the picture on your stance with the imperial army."
Liam felt the gag leave his mouth and he looks over to the drake, "So you were present during their attempt to take over Rhinehart?" His response was another laugh, "Oh not at all young blood. The one who witnessed the attack was one of my other subordinates, who was visiting the lakeside for her parents." He then clasps his scaly hands together, "No matter, as you four will fit in well with the rest of the manor."
A slight gruntled coughing noise comes from Shade, mostly to remind them that she is still there and is unable to talk and see still. The drake reaches forth and hooks a claw into the strap on the bag, and tugged back, cutting the string loose and pulled the sack off her head. The elder kitsune had to adjust her eyes as they were now exposed to the light in the room.
The door to the room opens and the canine maid Penny walks in with an cheerful grin on her face. "Mister Kain! Are the new people ready to start? I want to show them what we do around the manor." Hubert lowers his gaze as he kept his hands on Liam. "Milord, is there any way to reconsider having these four stationed here? Surely their combative abilities would fare elsewhere in our little divisions pushing into imperial territory."
The canine moves over to the group and wraps her arms around Shade's neck. The elder kitsune felt the canine squeeze away in a playful yet chokingly manner, "Oh don't be such a sourpuss Hubert. These four will be fine protecting Kain. Why else would he tell us to make room here?" The raven sighs as he begins releasing Liam fully from his shackles. ("It's not so much of them assisting in protecting our liege. I was hoping to put these four elsewhere to not cause too much trouble here. What with the drunken debauchery Bellora explained on two of them.")
Once Liam was released, Penny let go of Shade and moved over to his side. Getting uncomfortably close in his personal space. "Now, I get to show you all what to do around here. And since you know magic, you get to have fun with Gladius and Ben!" The ferret tries to step away from the maid, but she kept close to him like glue.
Melissa was the next to be released, but Hubert kept a hand on her to move the mouse in place next to Penny. "Hey, I can move perfectly fine by myself featherbrain." He ignores her as the raven goes to undo the bindings on Kitsuno next. Kain looks at Melissa before nodding at Penny. "Go ahead and get them outfitted and ready for their assignment for the night." Before much is protested, Liam and Melissa are yanked away by the canine and taken elsewhere in the manor.
Kitsuno rubbed her wrists after her arms were freed as the bindings were sinched on a slight tighter than she favored. Hubert undone the cloth gag on Shade's mouth and she was finally able to speak. "Blegh... about fucking time." She then looks up at the drake in front of her, "So what now? Not keen on going back to Sarydia in chains again, so what is it you want us to do?"
Hubert glares at the back of Shade's head as he could sense the slight hostility in her voice. Kain waves at him to ignore it and continue untying her. "For now, you two will follow Hubert to where Penny took your friends. If we are to have you around here, you need to look the part." The chains around Shade's body begins to shuffle and falter. In seconds, the metal links fall down and slide off her legs onto the floor.
"Now, before you two take off. I have a few questions I want you both to answer." The twins gave each other looks, before Shade relaxes in her seat. "Alright then. What is it you want to know?" The drake walks around the room a bit, "First one I will ask, are you two spellblades? Bellora stated that you used magic to tackle on a small force of soldiers. Yet, that was it. Your group was seen with weapons at some point."
Leaning against one hand propped on the arm of her seat, Shade blows a few strands of her hair out of her face. "Yes, we are spellblades. I didn't bother taking on the soldiers head on in the first place if your maid, spy, or whatever saw. Mostly because I was also dealing with a hangover, so that was a no go." Kain looks at Kitsuno who nods, "I am also a spellblade. While my magic isn't as potent as my sister's I have been amplifying my bows for much stronger shots."
The drake nods before continuing to pace around. "Next question, and this one is a bit obvious. Very few kitsunes tend to roam around on their own free will, and without keeping up illusions to blend in." Kitsuno interjects, "If it is about our connections with the empire itself, no. We are not from there." Hubert looks at the younger twin with skepticism, "And how are we certain you aren't playing a game? Mayhaps this is all just some ruse with everyone around you, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."
"Hubert. I appreciate your concerns, but bear in mind that this is my decision to keep them around." Kain stops by the desk and fiddles around with the imperial map to open it up. "So in conclusion of this, the emperor knew nothing of your existence, up until now. Where have you two been besides Sarydia?"
Shade looks at the map and felt uneasy as with the four of them in some random place and not out in the open, meant that Rhinehart was vulnerable. She'd never let this go should something bad happen to the town because of her being an idiot and standing up against a large opposition. "Before we tell you, I have a question myself. Mind telling my sister and I where we are?"
The raven adjusts his suit slightly, "You and your friends are within Dwénshire Manor. A large estate that belonged to the kingdom itself before it had befallen a horrible fate. According to historians, this is one of the few remaining pieces of history left to remember the dead kingdom." The twins had sudden flashbacks from the phantom incident. Kitsuno looked away from the raven and drake to keep her attention on something else in the room. ("Dwénshire... do these people know about him?")
Shade swallows a bit before continuing on, "Exactly where is this manor located? As my friends and I were planning on disrupting another campsite of theirs." Kain raises a finger, "Ah, ah. You said question. Not questions." The elder twin bares her fangs slightly, ("Now's not the time for that smart ass. People are in danger right now.")
The younger twin sighs, "Orvanellia. We're from Orvanellia." Hubert raises an eyebrow, "You two are from a bustling city landscape, yet you come to Druisalle? How believable." Shade looks at the raven, "Oh stow it in your beak. We are from there, just came over to escape from some insane people trying to kill us. And here we are with an even bigger situation of people wanting to kill us, but also a tyrannical group of people wanting to rule the place with an iron claded fist."
Shade and Hubert give each other death glares as they did not seem to see eye to eye at this point. Kain raises his voice and snaps his fingers, "Enough! I will not tollerate such insolence in this household. Both of you behave now, or I will have to resort to drastic measures." The two stared at each other for a few seconds before looking away in opposite directions.
The drake takes a deep breath and exhales, "Now, I can assume that you are concerned about the safety of Rhinehart. I'll see to it on getting some others in the resistance to stakeout near the town and flush out any imperial soldiers that attempt to march down towards the lakeside to finish the job." He then looks at his butler, "Alright. That'll all do for now. I'll speak with them another time when I need some more enlightenment. Get these two tailored up properly and show them their rooms with Penny. After that, you two are to show them around the estate for the day."
Hubert takes a bow before moving towards the door, "Follow along you two. Hopefully your friends are doing alright, having been alone with Penny for this long." Kitsuno looks at the raven with a questioning concern, "You make it sound like a bad thing." He closes his eyes, "Trust me, I know that girl more than anyone else. You give her something new to play with, and she goes haywire like an unsupervised child in a candy store."
The three leave Kain alone in the room. He turns around and looks out the window to see some other members of the resistance talking about and tending to the hedges near a gazebo. "Orvanellia. I wonder if those two know of two cats around their age? Those two were uncertain of the way some parts of the country acted. Especially the boy as he seemed hesitant to be here." His eyes lock up on the horizon pass a riverside, before looking back at the map. "Hopefully we can get a better grasp on keeping some of the land we take back."
