Pakal

[meditions142]

Loved the scene with Tsuki taking out the sentry in the hallway.

First off, love her using the stolen identity to completely trick the guard. Then great take out. A punch to the gut to knock the wind out of her followed by a grab of the shoulders to pull her into the room and out of sight.

Then a quick pinch with the magic touch puts the woman to sleep. I assume the long moan she made was kinda sexy.

I also enjoy what she was wearing under her uniform.

[tirepanted3]

Sometimes, you sum up my intent so well (and with better words), that it's kind of eery! Yes indeed, I knew that there wouldn't be much to say about this specific chapter. It's mostly a way to set up important elements for the next story parts which, while maybe not quicker to write, at least will make including uniform stealings easier.

I think the reason I'm able to see and understand your intents is that I often go through the same problems. As my stories have gotten more complicated and character driven, it can sometimes be difficult to work in the expected USB scenes into each chapter without having them feel forced or superfluous to the plot. I want everything about the stories I write to feel natural and logical, including the motives for the uniform steals, but it can be tough, especially in chapters that require plot setup and exposition.

I am actually having a bit of this problem now, as I am working on two new stories (one of which will hopefully start posting soon) that require a bit of setup in the early going. The plots needs to evolve organically, but also needs to provide ample opportunities for women to lose their uniforms. It's not easy, but finding the balance is part of the fun.

[rufusluciusivan]

Meditions: Glad you enjoyed that specific scene. I admit that I didn't find myself very inspired when it came to the uniform stealings in this part, but I won't argue with results. As long as people enjoy them, I'm satisfied.

Tirepanted: The downsides of trying to feature a lengthy plot. I can perfectly see why some people wouldn't appreciate a USB story if there's a lot of plot and not many uniform stealings, but personally I need a plot to be fully invested.

[Trackman281]

Allow me to get the ball rolling and.....Wait......I'm late to the party for once........Damn.

Okay before we begin I would just like to say that having a more plot heavy focused is NOT a bad thing as this is required to move everything along, so while I can't speak for anyone else (as I don't want to read the comments due to spoilers), I personally love plot heavy moments, so I can tell I'm going to enjoy this and I haven't even begun.

A great opening indeed, I can't wait to see Coulter use the crystal and unleash her wrath. It's going to be so cool, she's basically going to turn into Superwoman at some point isn't she, it's going to be great.

An amazing scene with Tepin being taken down by Safiye and Astrid and I really appreciate the "spy's make up kit". I chuckled a little bit as well. To think that equipment packs like this are just sold on the market was great. For all your infiltrating needs.

I quite liked the scene with Tosca too, of how her mind creates a new story every time she tells it as she can't accept the fact that she failed to save her brother and his wife, a nice touch.

If Safiye is wondering why she attracts all the lunatics, she might want to check herself out, I mean......Tsuki might have chosen her for a reason......Maybe she herself is a little bit crazy underneath.

Bloody hell........What a tremendous scene between Yuka and Coulter. My god, it had so much character development, so much emotion, so much recollection.....,Damn, okay unless anything wow's me now. THIS! Is my favourite scene throughout this entire chapter.

Aaaaannnnnddddddd just as I say all of this, you THEN give me my NOW favourite scene in this chapter and what a surprise it's the one that features Tsuki.

I adored the entire scene with Tsuki and Safiye, it was great to hear all of her views, her mindset and just how corrupt she's become, and unless I'm mistaken, did I just see Safiye have a some what FRIENDLY interaction with Tsuki!? ........My, my, it seems that Safiye is finally warming up to Tsuki after all. Now I also loved the way, Tsuki just gets up, walks straight over the guard outside and just decks her so she can take her clothes......No plan, no tact, no nothing.........Absolutely AMAZING!..........Seriously, THIS is how you do a scene, definitely my favourite part that's for sure.

Oh and don't think I didn't notice either. I LOVED the way that the guard was securely bound to the chair before she was dragged out of sight and left the corner. Incredibly sexy and fantastic to visualize!

Then the two women fell, face against the floor and buns raised towards the ceiling. Tsuki’s smile widened when she noticed their position. She patted the women’s backsides, and looked at Safiye

Hahahaha! Thank you very much for including a scene like this, and I know that Libido would be proud of Tsuki's little cheeky bum tap as well.

Everything's coming to head again as Tsuki goes in search for Yuka once more, I can't wait as I sense another memorable confrontation on the horizon!

BLOODY HELL TSUKI! .............Okay so I've really got to stop saying "favourite scene" haven't I, because I think that THIS was my favourite scene, I genuinely didn't expect you to have their next confrontation so soon, I thought you were saving it for the next chapter........But I'm so pleased you didn't as this was AWESOME!..........I liked Yuka's little trick by turning into Hinita.....oKay yes it was dirty, BUT I noticed Tsuki's reaction, so does this mean that there is still some light in her? Or am I only just seeing things I want to see, hhhmmmm.

Plus, that attack on the door though. Tsuki is a bad arse and I think she's amazing! I loved their interactions. Now I've said this time and time again, but stuff it, I'm still going to say it again all the same. The interactions between Tsuki and Yuka really have been some of my most favorite parts throughout this entire series, I just absolutely love them and this one is certainly no different. I always get this feeling of both excitement and dread, when they share scenes together, but it's such an awesome feeling to experience, seriously, you really KNOW how to make gripping scenes and it really shines through proudly here.

Damn.........Yet here I am once for at the end of another gripping chapter, wanting more and more and more......I love it.

Well, as I said at the beginning, I truly believe that you need some plot heavy chapters to really progress everything forward, so I welcome them with opens arms and this one is of no exception as I loved it. This was a tremendously written chapter and it had everything in it that I loved. Plus I can't believe I'm saying, but to begin with when we first started on this amazing journey, I actually really didn't think much of Safiye, I viewed her as someone who may get their comeuppance by the hands of Yuka or maybe even get betrayed and killed by Tsuki (this was of course before the chapter where they were bonded together of course). But now......I actually want Safiye to live......This chapter has actually made me grown to like her more and I can't believe I'm about to say this but I actually want MORE of her.

This chapter, whilst shorter than the others, was in no way less impactful. It had me smiling with anticipation and eagerly waiting to see what was going to happen next, I truly enjoyed this chapter and I think that you really brought your A game with some of these scene as they were an absolute delight to read through.

Many thanks for another wonderful chapter and I won't lie. I simply just can't wait to see what happens next!

[rufusluciusivan]

I wouldn't call two days after 'late', on the contrary. I also think that a plot heavy part isn't a bad thing, but I thought I'd give a fair warning to the people who don't share my point of view. I know I'm sometimes on thin ice when it comes to the rules of the board, since the point is to propose USB stories. And while this part was necessary to create the next situation during which the heroines would steal clothes, in my opinion the USB-scenes are the weaker element of this post - which can be a problem on a Uniform Stealing board...

Tosca is a character that will play a part in the coming part(s), so I needed to set up her backstory beforehand.

Oh, I think Safiye isn't crazy, even underneath. On the contrary, she's very sane - if ruthless and selfish. And it's because she's sane that Tsuki chose her. After all, a crazy person's best foil isn't another crazy one - it's a rational one.

I figured out I maybe went a little overboard with Tsuki the last time. She's supposed to be repulsive and unnerving, but also sympathetic at the same time, so I thought that it'd be a good thing to remind the tragic aspect of her character: She doesn't have free will anymore. Paradoxically, while her actions are made to look despicable, I personally consider her less 'evil'/'bad' personality-wise than characters like, say, Safiye, Knipperen, or (lately) Bobbie. As Safiye summed up, she hasn't chosen to feel what she feels or to crave what she craves. The Black Star is influencing her actions, especially when it comes to her pleasure to dominate and humiliate her victims. You could say that the 'being' inhabiting Tsuki's body is half-her, half-the Black Star.

(In fact, little anecdote, one of my biggest regrets in this story will probably be not having been able to include, during the world-jumping hijinks, a side-story featuring once more the 'Darkest Dungeon' setting (the first world Yuka encountered, when she mugs the plague doctor). Basically, it was supposed to be a world where Tsuki found the Black Star, and a cult had gathered itself around it. The story would have featured various cultists as victims of our heroines' infiltration. And during the climax with the leader of the cultists, Yuka and her friends would have learned that after centuries of roaming the world, Tsuki grew bored with life and killed herself... but her corpse kept being used by the Black Star as a vessel, prevented from decaying, and being animated by a grotesque parody of life. Though needless to say, this story would have ventured very dark places. As you can guess, Yuka would have been LIVID to hear what the cult did with Tsuki's body. Maybe one day in a deleted scene? But probably never...)

I wouldn't say 'warming up', more like 'having a brief moment of sympathy and understanding that's quickly quenched by Tsuki being Tsuki'.

I can confirm that the chair-tie was NOT random. The scene with the two guards had a huge Aika-vibe.

I absolutely adore writing Yuka's interactions with Tsuki. For all intent and purpose, this part was Tsuki's moment under the spotlight, so I chose to make the most of it. There is still some light in Tsuki, but it's more and more quenched by the Black Star's influence.

Plus I can't believe I'm saying, but to begin with when we first started on this amazing journey, I actually really didn't think much of Safiye, I viewed her as someone who may get their comeuppance by the hands of Yuka or maybe even get betrayed and killed by Tsuki (this was of course before the chapter where they were bonded together of course). But now......I actually want Safiye to live......This chapter has actually made me grown to like her more and I can't believe I'm about to say this but I actually want MORE of her.

I can't express how hard it is for me to refrain myself from spoiling what will happen to all these characters. Because (for most of them), I already have the ending planned. And I am so impatient to see how everyone will react to it and to discuss it. I just wish I could already reach the ending...

Don't worry, we haven't seen the last of Safiye, though I shall warn you that in the next part she'll do (or more precisely 'say') something that may make her lose a lot of sympathy points. But no spoilers. Hopefully, I will be able to write the next part quicker...

[Trackman281]

I wouldn't call two days after 'late', on the contrary. I also think that a plot heavy part isn't a bad thing, but I thought I'd give a fair warning to the people who don't share my point of view. I know I'm sometimes on thin ice when it comes to the rules of the board, since the point is to propose USB stories. And while this part was necessary to create the next situation during which the heroines would steal clothes, in my opinion the USB-scenes are the weaker element of this post - which can be a problem on a Uniform Stealing board...

Nonsense, I think you included enough USB scenes personally in between the plot heavy parts, so don't worry, I think you did a great job!

Tosca is a character that will play a part in the coming part(s), so I needed to set up her backstory beforehand.

I'm listening. You have me very intrigued now.

Oh, I think Safiye isn't crazy, even underneath. On the contrary, she's very sane - if ruthless and selfish. And it's because she's sane that Tsuki chose her. After all, a crazy person's best foil isn't another crazy one - it's a rational one.

If this is the case, then Safiye is basically a magnet for them, so couldn't this in turn, inadvertently make her an accidental menace, knowing that everywhere she goes, the crazy one's are always behind her.

Well I loved it, any scene that involves Yuka and Tsuki together, really are some of the best moments in my opinion. Their dynamic is amazing and to me, it doesn't matter what happens before or what happens afterwards, their scenes are the really show stealers, simply because of who they are and what has happened to them, it's wonderful.

it was supposed to be a world where Tsuki found the Black Star, and a cult had gathered itself around it. The story would have featured various cultists as victims of our heroines' infiltration. And during the climax with the leader of the cultists, Yuka and her friends would have learned that after centuries of roaming the world, Tsuki grew bored with life and killed herself... but her corpse kept being used by the Black Star as a vessel, prevented from decaying, and being animated by a grotesque parody of life. Though needless to say, this story would have ventured very dark places. As you can guess, Yuka would have been LIVID to hear what the cult did with Tsuki's body. Maybe one day in a deleted scene? But probably never...)

Oh I'm definitely up for seeing this, as you said, maybe afterwards there could be a "deleted scenes" page or post somewhere, because I'd love to see how that turned out to be honest.

I can confirm that the chair-tie was NOT random. The scene with the two guards had a huge Aika-vibe.

Well I hope you know that I enjoyed them tremendously, amazing work!

I can't express how hard it is for me to refrain myself from spoiling what will happen to all these characters. Because (for most of them), I already have the ending planned. And I am so impatient to see how everyone will react to it and to discuss it. I just wish I could already reach the ending...

Aaaaahhhhhhh. I want to know too! I honestly want to know everything, but I'm a very patient man, I can wait.......I can wait........Maybe........Maybe not.........Okay, I can't wait.........I have so many ideas running through my mind about the fates of all of these characters, so many possibilities, so many scenarios. I must admit, I'm wondering if I've got any of them right or if I've got all of them completely wrong, and I'm wondering if your suddenly going to pull out a few surprises with some of these characters and show us something that even I wasn't expecting.

Paradoxically, while her actions are made to look despicable, I personally consider her less 'evil'/'bad' personality-wise than characters like, say, Safiye, Knipperen, or (lately) Bobbie. As Safiye summed up, she hasn't chosen to feel what she feels or to crave what she craves. The Black Star is influencing her actions, especially when it comes to her pleasure to dominate and humiliate her victims. You could say that the 'being' inhabiting Tsuki's body is half-her, half-the Black Star

Well as you know (as I've only mentioned it a billion times), Tsuki is one of my most favourite characters in this series, I love her as a character and I think one of the major factors behind this, is because, unlike most people. We actually know her backstory, we know what she's been through and we know what she's going through. Apart from Yuka, I don't think anyone fully understands it, which is why I really do like Tsuki, I think she's awesome. I agree that the blackstar is probably holding a 50/50 hold over Tsuki, simply because of it's power. It'll be interesting to see if the blackstars hold over Tsuki can be broken and I'm curious to see that if it can be broken? How will Tsuki be, when she regains complete control over herself again.......You've got me thinking.

[meditions142]

Your mention of the Aika vibe regarding the two guards is spot on. Loved the scene.

Love that Tsuki took them out with punches to, as you describe it " a very specific spot between the stomach and the torso".

I also like Safiye wondering if Tsuki had used the her magic touch or if she was just skilled enough to knock the women out with the blows.

And of course the image of Tsuki patting the two unconscious women on their butts is so cool!

[rufusluciusivan]

Trackman:

Oh I'm definitely up for seeing this, as you said, maybe afterwards there could be a "deleted scenes" page or post somewhere, because I'd love to see how that turned out to be honest.

Maybe one day. I'll try to motivate myself...

Yuka and Tsuki indeed do have a great dynamic. I enjoy writing them.

Aaaaahhhhhhh. I want to know too! I honestly want to know everything, but I'm a very patient man, I can wait.......I can wait........Maybe........Maybe not.........Okay, I can't wait.........I have so many ideas running through my mind about the fates of all of these characters, so many possibilities, so many scenarios. I must admit, I'm wondering if I've got any of them right or if I've got all of them completely wrong, and I'm wondering if your suddenly going to pull out a few surprises with some of these characters and show us something that even I wasn't expecting.

Do not tempt me, or I may give in and reveal everything!

Well as you know (as I've only mentioned it a billion times), Tsuki is one of my most favourite characters in this series, I love her as a character and I think one of the major factors behind this, is because, unlike most people. We actually know her backstory, we know what she's been through and we know what she's going through. Apart from Yuka, I don't think anyone fully understands it, which is why I really do like Tsuki, I think she's awesome. I agree that the blackstar is probably holding a 50/50 hold over Tsuki, simply because of it's power. It'll be interesting to see if the blackstars hold over Tsuki can be broken and I'm curious to see that if it can be broken? How will Tsuki be, when she regains complete control over herself again.......You've got me thinking.

Well, you'll get your answer at the end of this arc... hopefully...

Meditions: Aika-inspired scenes are always a safe bet.

[rufusluciusivan]

Chapter 6: Part 3

**************

The hideout was under attack.

The Mages' soldiers were storming inside.

Azeneth was wild.

The four soldiers who had ambushed her had gotten lucky: They had been able to take her by surprise while she was fleeing with Jinora and Yisüi. Therefore, she didn’t throw her knife properly, and wasn’t able to hit anyone.

But it was the soldiers’ only stroke of luck…

These soldiers were ordinary foot soldiers. They had brown eyes, a copper-coloured skin, black hair and a regulatory haircut: a small shoulder-long braid adorned with red stones. They were wearing the standard Pakal military uniform: leather sandals, an ample red tunic reaching up to the knees, a leather belt with a metallic buckle, a red cloth headband covering her forehead, a leather breastplate, leather protections around the forearms and legs, and a leather headgear. Sure, they weren’t as low as ‘Black Headbands’ in the hierarchy, but they still had only received a basic training.

On the contrary, Azeneth had trained for years. She was one of the best fighters of the Empire. Few people could hope to go toe to toe with her in a fight. These four random soldiers were not part of them.

The metis dodged a polearm, and then the first soldier got socked in the face with a right hook for her trouble. Azeneth aimed at the cheek, a part not protected by her headgear

The second soldier brandished her macuahuitl, trying to bash Azeneth’s head from a blind spot. The latter noticed her opponent out of the corner of her eyes, and side-stepped the hit. She kneed the soldier in the stomach. In spite of the leather breastplate, the woman was still disoriented. Azeneth grabbed her by the head and smashed her forehead against the wall. The soldier grunted, fell on the floor, and stood still.

The first soldier had recovered from the punch. She grabbed her discarded polearm on the floor. Azeneth stepped on her hand, then kicked her in the chin. The soldier groaned, and curled up on the floor. Merciful, Azeneth put an end to her pain with a precise hit on the forehead that knocked her out cold.

The remaining two soldiers had cornered Jinora and Yisüi. However, when they saw their comrades’ defeat, the third one moved to attack Azeneth. The metis avoided her circular strike by taking a quick step back, then threw a violent uppercut that made the soldier saw stars. The groggy woman staggered. Azeneth moved behind her, and immobilized her.

The fourth soldier was about to hit Yisüi with her macuahuitl.

“Hey you!” Azeneth shouted to catch the soldier’s attention.

Azeneth was holding with one arm the body of the groggy soldier. She pressed the blade of a knife against the throat of the half-conscious woman she was using as a hostage.

“Drop your weapon, or I’ll slit her throat.” the metis coldly warned her opponent.

The soldier glared at her with hatred.

Azeneth didn't lower her eyes. “You better stop giving me that look. We’re enemies. I could just stab her, then throw my knife into your throat. Trust me, it’ll be easy for me.”

There was a short moment of hesitation.

Then the soldier gave up, and dropped her weapon.

Azeneth pointed with her chin at the first soldier whom she had knocked out, then at the door leading to a nearby room.

“Drag your friend inside this room.”

The woman grabbed the unconscious soldier’s legs, and obeyed.

“Yisü’, Jinora, you carry the other one.”

Her friends complied. Azeneth kept her groggy hostage, and entered last.

They all went inside a storage room. There were several of them in the hideout. This one was the most isolated. Most of the fights were taking place at the other side of the hideout. Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi had a little time before them - but not much.

Azeneth looked at the only soldier still conscious.

“Now, remove your clothes.”

The metis wanted to use Pakal uniforms to exit the hideout, then to try to escape the other soldiers in the streets.

The soldier casted her another hate-filled look, but complied.

Azeneth put the unconscious woman she was holding in Jinora’s arms.

“Take off her uniform.” she instructed her friend. “Yisü’, you strip the one she had dragged here.”

Jinora and Yisüi nodded, and swiftly removed their respective soldier’s various clothes.

Once the first soldier had finished taking off her uniform, and was down to a brown loincloth and white bandages wrapped around the chest, Azeneth ordered her to turn. The woman complied reluctantly.

Azeneth dropped her unconscious hostage on the floor, and used the hilt of her knife to hit the back of the other woman’s head, in order to knock her out. The soldier grunted, and collapsed like a sack of grains.

Yisüi and Jinora had finished divesting their respective soldier of their uniforms. The other two soldiers were also wearing bandages wrapped around the chest and back to cover their breasts. The first one's loincloth was black, the second one's was faded red.

The metis looked at the unconscious women. Now. What to do with them?

The easiest solution would be to slit their throats.

Then Azeneth saw Yisüi, who was taking ropes in the storage room to restrain the women.

Azeneth realized she couldn’t kill the unconscious soldiers in front of her friend. Not after she and Yuka had convinced the blonde to not kill Heather.

“Yisü', tie up these two.” She pointed at the soldier she had just knocked out and the one Yisüi had stripped.

The blonde nodded, then complied. She sat the two soldiers back-to-back, and bound them together by wrapping a rope around their waists and shoulders, with one woman's wrists tied in front of the other soldiers. She also bound the ankles, legs, and thighs. There was no hesitation in her movements.

Azeneth grabbed an other coil of rope, and quickly restrained the wrists and ankles of the soldier she had taken hostage - the only one who was still fully-clothed.

“What about this one?” Azeneth asked Jinora, while pointing at the guard whose head she had smashed against the wall. “Is she still breathing?”

Jinora checked the soldier’s pulse. "Yes. But I don't know in what condition she'll be when she'll wake up..."

"That's her problem." Azeneth answered back. "Truss her up, we don't have much time left."

Jinora didn’t bother with complex knots. She simply bound the woman’s limbs and shoulders.

Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi used thick rags to cleave-gag the four soldiers. Then, they slipped into the discarded uniforms and sandals they had just stolen. They adjusted the tunics, the belts, and the headgears. From afar, they should look the part.

Except for one huge detail...

“There’s still the problem of your hair, Yisü'.” Jinora commented. She pointed at her friend’s long braid of blond hair. The headgear couldn’t conceal it.

Yisüi didn’t hesitate. “Give me a knife.”

Azeneth complied. Without any warning, or any hesitation, the blonde used the knife to cut her long braid. Then she hid the rest of her light blond hair with the headgear.

“Problem solved.” she concluded.

Azeneth was too proud to find words, so she simply nodded.

They left the storage room.

**************

Azeneth made sure to avoid the parts of the hideout where most of the fights were taking place. She was feeling very guilty, because she was fleeing while letting the others fend for themselves. However, she considered saving Yisüi and Jinora her priority. Her two friends had received some training, but they still weren’t warriors. On a real battlefield, they stood little chance.

Rashid and Yuka had always been clear. They had always said that, if the hideout was directly attacked, everyone’s priority would have to be saving themselves.

The metis led her friends to a secret door, leading to a passageway to the surface.

Still dressed as soldiers, Jinora, Azeneth, and Yisüi entered the passageway, and left the hideout.

The exit was located in an abandoned house. They left the building, and emerged into an alleyway.

Outside, it was the early morning. There was enough light to see what was going on, but the streets were still almost empty.

“What about Yuka? And Coulter and Rashid? And all the others?” Yisüi worried.

Azeneth grimaced. “We can’t go back, it’d be too dangerous. We’ll have to trust them. They know how to escape the hideout.” She was clenching her fists, as she was angry at herself.

Jinora put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she smiled faintly to show her she was appreciating the gesture.

Suddenly, the three friends heard a sound. The cry of a bird.

They looked at the sky.

“What’s that bird?” Jinora asked.

“It’s a hawk.” Azeneth explained. “I don't know what it's doing here though. They don’t live in the Empire.”

The hawk circled over them a few times, then flew away.

The metis was hoping it wasn’t a bad omen...

**************

The underground hideout possessed several secret passageways. They were perfect for someone who wanted to take advantage of the confusion of the fight to go from one part of the hideout to another.

Or to launch surprise-attacks.

Indeed, when a section of the wall suddenly moved and Yuka grabbed the pair of soldiers who were trying to regroup with their battalion, nobody noticed anything.

The shapeshifter hand-gagged both women at the same time. They let out muffled shrieks of surprise.

Yuka’s hands glowed, and she used her touch to knock them out. At the same time, she pulled her victims into the passageway. The soldiers moaned, then went limp in her arms.

The section of the wall closed itself, concealing the shapeshifter and her two unconscious victims.

Yuka didn’t waste any time. She dropped her burdens on the floor, grabbed the first soldier, and stripped her faster than she had ever stripped anyone.

The soldiers were typical women of Pakal: average size, copper-coloured skins, black hair, almond-shaped brown eyes, oval faces, and long foreheads. Their hair were braided and adorned with red stones. Given their resemblance, they were probably from the same family, and had enlisted together. They were wearing the leather sandals, the red knee-long tunics, belt, leather protections, and the red cloth headbands of the ordinary soldiers.

Yuka removed one woman's headband, leather protections, and sandals. She pulled off the tunic last. Once she was done, she let go of the woman’s motionless upper-body, letting her fall and rest on the second guard who was lying on the floor.

The stripped soldier was left wearing a coarse brown loincloth and a coarse brown strip of leather wrapped around the chest.

Yuka knew that she wasn’t following her own instructions. In case of an attack, people were supposed to favour their own safety, and to save themselves. That was the rule she and Rashid had devised. She also knew that Tsuki was still out there, looking for her.

However, she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t just flee. She needed to check if the others had managed to escape. Her friends… Rashid…

Yuka took a breath, and changed her physical appearance to look like the soldier she had mugged. Hopefully, it would throw off Tsuki’s senses.

The shapeshifter didn’t bother to bind the two soldiers. She simply used her touch on them a second time.

The unconscious women let out long moans, stirred slightly, then went still once more.

Yuka knew it wouldn’t take them very long to wake up, but she didn’t intend to stay in the hideout for long. Just the time to check if the others had managed to escape. Plus, she knew it would take the groggy soldiers quite some time to understand the mechanism opening the wall. And if they tried to walk through the secret corridors, it would take them hours to find their way.

Yuka exited the secret passageway, closed the wall, then went looking for her friends.

**************

Thanks to her guise, Yuka avoided several groups of soldiers, then went to the other side of the hideout. If Rashid was somewhere, it would be here. She was lucky to not come across Tsuki. Apparently, in spite of her newfound powers, her clan sister still couldn't recognize her when she was under someone else's guise.

Yuka suddenly noticed a familiar figure.

The woman had red hair, a bronze-coloured skin, and amber eyes. She was discreetly fleeing across the corridors, and was carrying a small bag in her arms as if it was her first-born child.

“Coulter!” Yuka exclaimed.

The red-haired mage-woman turned to face her, ready to fry her alive on the spot.

Yuka hurriedly raised her hands, and took back her original appearance.

“Don’t shoot! It’s me!” she exclaimed.

“Yuka… Why are you dressed like-” Coulter didn’t finish her question, because she already knew the answer. She shook her head. “Anyway. The Mages are launching a full-scale attack. I can’t fight them all at the same time. Not like that.”

Not as they had taken her by surprise, when she didn’t have the time to put on all her catalysts. Coulter’s powers were ungodly strong, but she still had her limits. She couldn’t fight off all these Mages at the same time.

At least not yet...

“This is bad. They know I’m here.” Coulter added. “It’s just like in the ruins, except this time we are closer to the center of their power. I can’t transport us, I can’t try to force their blockade, it’s too risky. You’ll have to escape through the underground secret passageways.”

"Well, that was my idea from the beginn- Wait a minute!" Yuka wasn’t naive. She had noticed the redhead’s weird phrasing in the last sentence. “What about you?”

Coulter made a weird grimace. “The Mages will bombard the entire district if they realize I’m running away. It will make all the underground pathways collapse. And even if we escape, they won’t give up this time. Not while I’m in their capital city.”

Yuka suddenly had a very bad feeling. “You’re not gonna stay behind, right?”

Coulter looked at her with an exasperated expression. “You daft or something?! The Mages won’t pursue you, or anyone for that matter, if we give them another bone to pick! You’ll just have to contend with normal soldiers, but I think you can handle these morons.” The redhead looked at Yuka intently. “Listen, Yu’. If I come with you, they won’t hesitate to level the entire area this time. We’re in a poor district of the town. They will not care about collateral damages. They will burn down all the houses if they have to. The men, the women... the children. They won't care if everyone in this district dies, as long as they can catch me.”

Coulter threw the bag she was carrying in Yuka’s hands.

“Take my catalysts. I can’t let the Mages get their hands on them.”

Yuka took a step forward. “I will not leave you behind! I won’t let you sacrifice yourself!”

“Why not?”

“You’re my friend.”

Exasperated, Coulter rolled her eyes. “Gods above! How can you be so annoying?”

“It’s a talent.”

“Well, I also have a talent.” the redhead retorted. "Don't take it personally, but if you want to be my friend, you'll have to accept that I sometimes want to keep YOU safe... and that I ALWAYS want to do things MY WAY..."

Yuka suddenly felt Coulter’s power restrain her. Around her, the air was blurred. She was immobilized by an invisible force!

"Coulter! Wait!"

"I'm NOT sorry."

The redhead moved her hand, and sent Yuka flying into the secret pathway with the bag. Another gesture of the hand, and the section of the wall closed itself. A third gesture, and Coulter used her power to destroy the mechanism. Yuka couldn’t open the wall again!

The shapeshifter got up, but it was too late. When she looked through the small spy-hole, she saw a blinding light.

The Mages had arrived.

Coulter used all her strength, and fought them off. It was an impressive spectacle. She was using her raw power as a battering ram. The air around her was blurring, as if there was an intense heat. The walls were shaking, the ground was quaking. Yuka could see why the Mages had been terrified of her power, to the point that they hadn’t hesitated to off her entire clan just to have a shot at her. In a fair duel, Coulter would have crushed every single one of these men with ease.

However, they were twenty against her. Twenty trained Mages, who had learned to fight together and to combine their powers. And that was what made them so dangerous. More dangerous than Ghazan’s scholars or Gengis’ shamans. Not their powers. Their organization. Their martial discipline. Their coordination. Their ability to fight together as if they were one.

The Mages conjured up golden glowing chains and collars. They wrapped themselves around Coulter’s arms, wrists, and legs. One chained collar closed itself around her neck. The chains forced her to get on her knees, with her arms bound behind her back.

The redhead screamed in anger, and fruitlessly struggled against the chains restraining her. In front of Coulter, there were the rulers of the Mages’ Council. Most of them had a hand in the massacre of her clan. They were just in front of her, at hand’s reach… but also as out of reach as if they had been at the other side of the world. The chains were indeed magical, they were inhibiting her powers.

Behind the wall, Yuka couldn’t do anything but watch. She felt a mixture of anger and despair. She was angry at Coulter, for having sacrificed herself even if it was to save her, and she was furious at herself, for her powerlessness.

Ce-Acatl arrived after the battle was over.

The Archmage was followed by a brown-haired woman with green eyes.

Coulter ignored the man, and looked at the woman with unbounded hatred. “You... I will kill you.” she spat at her.

Safiye smiled mockingly. “I don’t think so. Remember what I told you the last time we met? You’ll be way too busy to have the time to get your revenge on me. The Mages have big plans for you. Ones that involve you breeding dozens of children for them.”

Coulter looked at her with a mixture of disgust, hatred, and horror. She didn’t stop her struggles.

“Such strength…” Ce-Acatl commented. “Such spirit...” His eyes were glimmering with lust.

However, when he tried to caress Coulter’s face, the redhead attempted to bite his hand.

The Archmage didn’t get angry. “Don’t worry. You will learn to appreciate me, eventually.”

“The Council hasn’t agreed yet that you should be the one impregnating her.” an other Mage intervened.

“Of course. But I think my arguments will convince the Council that I’m the best candidate for our ‘breeding program’.” Ce-Acatl softly answered. “I am a refined man. I can wait a few more days.”

Coulter spat at his face, and shouted a volley of smutty insults. A Mage tied a gag over her mouth to silence her.

In her hiding place, Yuka was fuming with anger. Safiye, Ce-Acatl, and all the other Mages… These disgusting people were making her want to throw up. How could they discuss such a thing so… so nonchalantly?! How could they be so casual about THAT?!

The shapeshifter was tempted to find a way to go there, to grab a knife, and to slit as many throats as possible.

No. It wouldn’t save Coulter. I’d kill a few, and then they’d kill me.

She realized that she couldn’t stay in the hideout anymore. Not while the Mages were here.

I… I need to regroup with the others. With the ones that managed to escape. I’m sure some of them managed to escape. We’ll go meet Nahid’s team when they land their boat. We’ll find a plan to rescue Coulter and all the other eventual prisoners. We have a few days to think of something.

As she was leaving, the Mages took Coulter away.

**************

With their soldier uniforms, Azeneth, Yisüi, and Jinora were roaming the streets. This part of the town was deserted, save for squads of soldiers. All the inhabitants were hiding in their houses. It was a poor district of the capital city. The people living here were fearing the soldiers perhaps even more than Azeneth and her friends.

“The plan is simple. We go to the secret creek, the one where Nahid and her team are supposed to land.” Azeneth had explained. “Hopefully, the others have had the same idea. There, we will regroup and decide a plan of action.”

The metis was leading the way. Yisüi was walking in her shadow, trying to use Azeneth’s figure to conceal her light skin. Jinora was walking at the back, and was watching the surroundings.

It was her who noticed the newcomers. “Look over there.” she whispered to her two friends.

Azeneth sensed the danger the moment she saw the group of people clad in brown hooded tunics and leather protective waistcoats. The soldiers were deploying on a nearby building. They were armed with bows.

“Who are these people?” Yisüi muttered.

“They are trouble.” the metis answered.

A tall woman with an oval-shaped face, green eyes, a light skin, and long black hair was leading the squad. She was wearing the colourful clothes of a standard bearer. She raised her hand.

The soldiers each took an arrow in their quiver.

“Fire!” the standard bearer shouted.

Azeneth didn’t ask question. She grabbed Yisüi and Jinora by the arm.

“Take cover!”

The three women disappeared in an alleyway just as the volley of arrows was fired. Thanks to the cover of the buildings, they weren’t hit.

“After them!” the standard bearer shouted. “For marquess Tosca!”

***************

Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi were running in a labyrinth of alleyways. Thankfully, Jinora and Azeneth knew this part of the town like the back of their hands. They could lose their pursuers and buy some time, but they knew that the sheer number of their enemies could allow them to catch them anyway.

“Great. The Mages have called Bommare for help.” Jinora commented.

“How do you know?”

“The standard bearer. She’s wearing the crest of House Montefalco. One of their noble houses.”

“Who cares about where they come from? We have more pressing matters.” Azeneth intervened. “We need to escape them!”

“Maybe we could try to find new disguises…” Yisüi proposed. "They won't suspect soldiers of their squad."

There was a short moment of silence.

“Yisü’! You’re a genius!” Azeneth then exclaimed, making the blonde blush. “We simply need to find the right alleyway… Jinora?”

Her friend indeed had memorized a map of the capital city during her time as a scribe.

Jinora nodded. She was looking both nervous and determined. “Follow me.”

They ran after her, to prepare their ambush.

**************

The three soldiers were wearing the same brown hooded tunics, dark brown brown leather protective waistcoats, light brown trousers, green belts, and dark brown leather long boots as the rest of Bommare’s squad. They were armed with bows and a short sword strapped onto their leather belt. A quiver of arrows was also strapped onto the belt.

Two of them had light red hair. The squad leader had reddish brown hair. All had the same haircut: their hair were neck-long and untied, pointy at the end and with one slick lock falling on each chin. They had a light skin, and eyes that were various shades of brownish green. They were fit women, with a tall size and an aquiline profile.

“Lucilla said they’re near! Rodgrigue has seen them! Be careful!” the leader of the squad exclaimed.

The group of soldiers entered the alleyway. Unfortunately for them, in spite of their leader’s advice, they didn’t notice the three figures hiding in a wall recess.

Once she was in their back, Azeneth left her hideout. “Greetings.” the metis commented with a predatory smile.

In the alleyway, the soldiers couldn’t use their bows, and had a hard time drawing their swords.

Thrashing sounds and grunts followed suit.

But only for a short period of time.

They were followed by fainting moans and the sounds of three limb unconscious bodies falling on the ground, and being dragged away. Then by the rustles of clothes being removed.

**************

Since the three fugitives didn’t have ropes anymore, they had crafted makeshift bonds by cutting their discarded clothes. Pakal soldier uniforms were sturdy, they made for fine ropes.

Each bowwoman’s wrists were bound behind her back. A second makeshift rope was wrapped around the shoulders, a third around the knees, and a fourth around the ankles. Each woman was also cleave-gagged, and blindfolded.

The women had been stripped down to their undergarments: a white short-sleeved shirt, and white knee-long underdrawers tied around the waist with a piece of string. Their socks had also been stolen, as the three fugitives weren't wearing any with their sandals.

Azeneth wanted to make sure that the soldiers didn’t take much place, in order to better hide them. Therefore, she piled them up, leaving the squad leader at the bottom. They were concealed in the wall’s recess.

Sure, the woman at the bottom would be cramped and uncomfortable, but Azeneth didn’t care.

Jinora, Yisüi, and Azeneth slipped into the socks, the boots, the trousers, the belts, the hooded tunics, and the leather protective waistcoats. They were satisfied with their change of wardrobe: They could use the hoods to hide their heads.

The three friends exited the alleyway. Azeneth gave her two friends a reassuring gesture of the hand. With some luck, their other pursuers had moved to another part of the area.

However, Azeneth’s good mood was soured when she suddenly saw the hawk circling above their heads. She could have sworn it was the same one as before.

“Why don’t you go somewhere else, you feathered bad omen?!” the metis complained.

The bird let out a cry, then flew away.

Azeneth had a bad feeling.

**************

Even though she had the uniform and the appearance of a Pakal soldier, Yuka chose to be discreet when walking the streets. Patrols were searching the area, trying to catch eventual fugitives. However, as Coulter had predicted, the Mages weren’t taking part in the search now that they had captured their main target.

It was giving Yuka, and all the other potential escapees, a chance. At least Coulter's sacrifice hadn't been in vain...

The shapeshifter hid when she saw an other group of soldiers walking in her direction.

These people were not from Pakal: their skin was too light. However, they weren’t from the Vassal Kingdoms either. Yuka could hear them speak with Bommare’s language.

Not good. The Mages have hired mercenaries.

The soldiers were led by a tall fit woman with short neck-long red hair, and a light skin. For some reason, she was covering only one hand and forearm with a thick leather glove.

The squad leader suddenly paused. She ordered her soldiers to wait, put two fingers into her mouth, and whistled.

A bird of prey landed on the woman’s gloved wrist. Yuka recognized a hawk. Rashid had once shown her a picture of one in a book.

The redhead briefly looked in the bird’s eyes.

Then she pointed at a direction.

“They are over here.” she instructed her soldiers. “Three women. They have stolen the outfits of our soldiers. Guido, Niccola, you go rescue them. Everyone else, with me. The Mages want these criminals dead or alive.”

Yuka gulped nervously.

Three women, who had stolen clothes.

She didn’t need a picture to know that they were her friends.

And she didn’t need a picture to know that these soldiers were enemies…

The shapeshifter forced herself to remain calm, and to see the positive aspect of the situation. Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi were alive. They had managed to escape. Now, Yuka simply needed to regroup with them.

The shapeshifter scoffed mentally.

Easier said than done...

**************

In some aspects, as a shapeshifter, Yuka was a predator. And like a predator, she had learned to take advantage of any opportunity.

While looking for her friends, Yuka noticed the lone recruit who was lagging behind. Probably the rookie of the falconer’s squad, one who had trouble keeping up the veterans’ pace.

The shapeshifter wasn’t going to let such an opportunity go to waste… Like all good predators, she wasn’t going to turn down a weakened prey. She knew it would make her lose some precious time, but she trusted her friends. They wouldn’t let the mercenaries catch them easily, even if the leader could somehow use a hawk to trail them.

The young soldier had short neck-long reddish blond hair fashioned to look like their leader's haircut (which was apparently the case of most women of the squad), a white skin slightly tanned, and blue eyes. She was of average size, but looked smaller and weaker compared to most of her squad-mates. There were a few freckles on her cheeks.

Yuka didn’t bother with subtlety. She grabbed the young woman by the collar of her hood, and dragged her into an alleyway.

Her victim let out a weird: “Gargaglups!” because of the collar of her tunic suddenly tightening itself.

However, before she could recover from the surprise, a little hand-gag (powered up by Yuka’s glowing ‘touch’) convinced her to take it easy, take a nap, and donate her outfit. One muffled moan later, she was out.

Yuka removed the soldier’s boots, thick grey socks, belt, trousers, leather protective waistcoat, and hooded tunic. The young woman was left clad in faded green thigh-long underpants and a faded blue sleeveless undertunic.

Yuka had thought at first that she would simply leave the unconscious soldier like that without restraining her, as she didn’t want to waste time cutting makeshift bonds. However, she changed her mind when she noticed that the young woman was carrying one coil of rope on her.

After all, the Mages wanted the fugitives dead or ALIVE…

Yuka swiftly used said coil of ropes, originally intended for her or her friends, and hog-tied the young soldier. She took the time to cut three strips of her discarded Pakal uniform. With the first one, she stuff-gagged the woman, then she tied the second one over her mouth, and finally she blindfolded the soldier with the third one.

The shapeshifter left the half-naked woman concealed at the end of the alleyway, then changed her appearance to match her victim’s. She slipped into the clothes, and went looking for her friends.

**************

Yuka suspected that Azeneth would choose to regroup with Nahid’s team at the hidden cove. She knew what was the itinerary through the town to reach it, and was hoping to catch up with her friends.

From time to time, she could see the hawk flying above the district. Thankfully, the bird didn’t know she was a traitor. It probably hadn’t seen the bound-and-gagged soldier yet. However, Yuka was perfectly aware that the bird of prey was searching her friends, and she was worried for them.

The fugitives had one advantage over their pursuers: They knew the city better. However, with the hawk, Bommare’s squad could keep track of them.

Yuka’s strategy was eventually rewarded, when she saw from afar the figures of her friends. She couldn’t hide her joy.

“Hey!” she called them.

When Azeneth put Yisüi and Jinora behind her, then grabbed a throwing knife, Yuka realized that she was still using the appearance of the young soldier.

“It’s me! It’s me!” she hurriedly shouted.

Azeneth stopped her movement at the last second. “Yu’! Gods above! I could have-”

“No time to waste. They’re almost here. They’re using a hawk to find you.” Yuka hurriedly exclaimed.

“I knew it! I knew that bird was bad news!”

“Follow me. We’ll try to lose them in the alleyways near the docks. We can’t go to the hidden cove as long as this hawk is looking for us.”

When one was trying to flee dangerous pursuers, they usually didn’t waste time asking questions. Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi followed her.

**************

The four friends ran for a long moment, until they reached the docks. They were avoiding the main streets and were taking small alleyways, in order to come across as few people as possible. It was still the early morning. Not many people were out, but in a few hours the city would come alive.

However, when they saw Jinora and Yisüi out of breath, Yuka and Azeneth decided to take a short break.

They hadn’t seen the hawk for a while, but they knew the bird could easily find them. The break would have to be short.

The fugitives stopped in a district of the docks, in front of a bunch of warehouses. Barrels and wooden crates were near them.

“We can’t stay in one place for too long.” Yuka warned her friends. “Not with that hawk.”

“Yu’. Where are the others?” Azeneth interrupted her.

She hadn’t been able to ask the question before, since they had to spend all their time running.

Yuka grimaced. “They got Coulter… She stayed behind to allow me to flee… I couldn’t save her...” she confessed.

Jinora and Yisüi exchanged a horrified look. Azeneth cursed.

However, the metis chose to not succumb to despair. “Well, they want her alive. So it leaves us a chance to rescue her in the future.”

Then, it was Yuka’s turn to ask a question: “Do you know what happened to Rashid?”

“No. And before you ask, I also don’t know what happened to anyone else. I could barely escape with Yisü’ and Jinora. I’m sorry.”

Yuka shook her head. “You don’t have to be. You did what you could. Everybody knew escape was a top priority if the hideout was ever found-”

Once more, it was Jinora who saw the threat first.

“Watch out! At the top of this building!”

There was a woman. Yuka recognized the leader of Bommare’s squad. The red-haired falconer. Her hawk was flying around her.

She was nocking an arrow.

“Watch out!” Jinora exclaimed.

She jumped the three others, to force them to take cover behind the barrels.

The falconer shot four arrows one after another. They hit the precise spots that the four friends had been occupying one second before.

Yuka realized that, without Jinora’s warning, the redhead would have hit them all before they could even react.

The shapeshifter didn’t dwell on the fact that she had almost died however. She was more focused on staying alive.

“Curved volley!” the falconer shouted.

Her soldiers had regrouped with her on the building.

Yuka saw the alleyway. They could reach it while still using the barrels as covers.

“This way!” she instructed her friends.

The four women crawled to stay under the cover of the barrels.

The falconer and her soldiers adjusted their aim to shoot over the barrels, but from their angle they didn’t manage to hit the moving targets.

Yuka heard the redhead give a few orders to her soldiers, telling them to deploy and to cut their way. Her hawk continued the chase.

The shapeshifter and her friends disappeared into the alleyway, and started to run the moment they were out of reach.

“This is bad! How can we escape the hawk?” Azeneth exclaimed.

“I have an idea.” Yuka answered. “The bird can only follow us OUTSIDE. We can lose it if we go inside a building, and manage to snag a change of outfit there. I know a place. Follow me.”

**************

The Mages’ victory was almost complete. Some of Rashid’s agents had managed to escape, but they were currently being pursued by Tosca’s squad.

Safiye was satisfied. She was confident that, this time, Coulter wouldn’t escape the Mages. A threat to her life had just been neutralized.

The brown-haired woman was resting alone, seated on a chair, when she heard a voice that made her wince.

“I’m BAAAAAACK! What did I miss?” Tsuki shouted with her unbearable upbeat tone of voice.

Safiye turned to retort something mean to the insane shapeshifter, but the horror of what she discovered stopped her.

“Tsuki. Your… Your eyes…” she stuttered.

They were blacker than the void.

Tsuki’s smile widened. “Pretty neat, uh? They’re like that ever since Yu’ used her dirty trick on me. They give me an edge, don’t you think?”

Safiye realized that the corruption of the Black Star had progressed. Usually, Tsuki’s eyes were sky blue, and only black during brief periods of time. Now it was apparently the opposite.

“What kind of monster are you?” the brown haired woman whispered.

The shapeshifter tilted her head. “I know what I am. And I know what I’m not.”

Her eyes glimmered with amused malice.

“For instance, I am NOT the sort of witch who’d gloat to a fellow woman that she’ll be raped and used as a breeding slave for the rest of her life." She shrugged. "But hey, what do I know about ethics anyway? After all, I’m an ogre always looking for an other victim, and I have no code against killing. I mean, I could just leave them to die of thirst on barren wastelands or of suffocation inside closets like you… buuuuut we can’t all be paragons of virtue here.”

Safiye was left speechless. She couldn’t even find a retort.

Tsuki was looking very proud of her nasty remark.

This is bad. She has evolved. Safiye thought to herself.

She had always found Tsuki unnerving. But until now the shapeshifter had been unnerving because her attitude was making her look like an overgrown immature child.

An insane overgrown immature child with dangerous powers and a total lack of moral compass.

However, the malice the shapeshifter had just displayed could only be found in bitter adults.

Safiye had to talk with Ce-Acatl. They couldn’t allow Tsuki to roam freely anymore!

It was time for her to betray her partner.

**************

The Red Sun tavern was one of the biggest buildings of the docks. No matter what time of the day, or the night, it was, it was always open. There was a huge common room, and plenty of backrooms for those who wanted to drink in peace… or to do other things.

Indeed, the ‘tavern’ wasn’t only providing alcohol. It was its front, to hide all its other activities. They were also providing drugs and gallant company. In exchange of a hefty sum of money, the City Watch was turning a blind eye to their extra activities.

Yuka and her friends took refuge inside the tavern. They hid themselves among the crowd. The common room was full, and most of the people were drunk.

Their plan was to search the backrooms, and to look for potential ways to disguise themselves. Tonight had been a religious feast, today would be a non-working day for almost everyone. People had feasted the entire night, and were still at the tavern. They had good hopes of coming across a group of women so drunk that they wouldn’t mind lending their clothes to strangers.

Yuka motioned to her friends to follow her.

The door was suddenly, and violently, opened. The squad of Bommare’s soldiers entered. The red-haired falconer was leading them.

“Rodrigue saw them enter this building.” she was saying to her squad. “This time, they won’t escape us.”

Her standard bearer took a step forward.

“People! Stand aside, and make way for marquess Tosca Morella of Montefalco!” the woman with long black hair shouted.

Her announce created a big wave of discontent among the crowd of drunk people. Most of them were local dock workers and fishermen, strong muscular people who didn’t like the idea of being bossed around by strangers. Most of them were also very drunk… mean drunk, in fact.

“Shit, they’ve found us too soon…” Yuka whispered to her friends. “What do we do?”

Yisüi and Jinora were exchanging distressed looks. They didn’t have ideas this time.

Azeneth watched the crowd. She saw how restless people were. How they were clearly disliking the irruption of these strangers.

“I have an idea.”

The metis did what she did best. She drew all attention on her.

Azeneth climbed on a table, and shouted at the black-haired standard bearer: “Hey, who do you think you are, ordering us around?! We’re in Pakal, pale face! Go home!”

A lot of drunk clients agreed with her.

Marquess Tosca, the falconer, ignored them. She pointed at Azeneth. “There she is! Grab her!”

The metis didn’t react with fear. On the contrary, she roused the crowd. “You see that?! She’s treating us with scorn! Everyone, listen to me! Are you going to let strangers call the shots around here?! Are you proud Pakal men, or cowards?!”

Most of the clients shouted that they were proud Pakal men, not cowards.

Azeneth discreetly made a gesture of the hand towards Jinora, silently asking her friend to back her up. The black-haired woman understood.

“She’s right!” Jinora shouted. “Let’s show ‘em our Pakal pride!” She started to chant: “BAR BRAWL! BAR BRAWL! BAR BRAWL!”

Seeing a good down-home Pakal woman, with her good down-home Pakal hairstyle, finished convincing the crowd to be chauvinistic today. Sure, she was wearing weird clothes, but most people were too drunk to care anyway. They were all looking at her face.

Shouts of “BAR BRAWL!” echoed through the common room. The waitresses quickly hid behind the counter.

In no time, a full-on bar fight broke out. With bottles and chairs flying everywhere. Tosca and her soldiers were in the middle of it.

“You fools, we work for your Mages!” the marquess shouted to try to stop them.

“Yeah, right, and I’m the new empress!” Azeneth mockingly shouted back to encourage the crowd to keep on fighting.

Tosca shot her a nasty glare. But she didn’t gave up. She grabbed a nearby bottle, and threw it at Azeneth.

The metis barely dodged by jumping from the table. This projectile would have knocked her out cold, had it hit her!

At the other side of the room, Tosca grabbed a nearby chair.

When Azeneth saw the marquess start using the wooden chair with both hands as a blunt weapon, without even breaking a sweat, she commented to her friends: “Well, time for us to bow out. We’ll let them have their fun.”

"Gods above... I'm so ashamed... This is embarrassing..." Jinora commented.

"No! You were perfect!" Azeneth said to reassure her.

"That's the problem! This was so rowdy…"

The metis chuckled apologetically. “I’ll buy you a new book as an apology...”

"Well, you've surpassed yourself, Az'." Yisüi commented.

"Thanks a lot. That should hold them for a while..."

"The time for us to find a change of clothes." Yuka concluded.

**************

However, the four friends didn’t leave the tavern immediately. They weren’t stupid. They had seen that Tosca’s hawk wasn’t with her. The bird was probably patrolling outside, looking for them in case they escaped.

Yuka, Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi went to the area of the building where the backrooms were located. Here, the loud noises of the bar brawl were only a faint rumbling. On their way, they came across several thugs working for the tavern, armed with clubs. They were running to try to stop the bar fight, or maybe to take part in it.

It was actually a good thing for the four fugitives. First, it would make the melee even more confused, and would make Tosca waste even more time. Second, it meant that there were no guards left in this area.

The bar brawl didn’t stop all activities however. And Yisüi became bright red when she heard the loud moans coming from a few rooms.

“Can we- Can we speed up please?”

Yuka was tempted to tease her with a little joke, but then she remembered just in time that the blonde used to be a slave. And she knew what most male slave owners did with their pretty young female slaves…

She shared a glance with Azeneth, nodded with a serious expression, and walked faster.

It took them a few tries – though luckily the people were too intoxicated by alcohol or drug to notice them. However, they ultimately found a room where there were only women.

The women were five, seated on various carpets. Judging by their outfits, they were fisherwomen.

They were wearing sturdy knee-long tunics with long sleeves, and a belt tied around the waist. They weren’t using any trousers, in case they fell into the water, and could use the belt to roll up and keep in place the tunic. And most importantly, on the floor there were the straw hats they were using to protect themselves from the sun during their long shifts.

Three of the women were form Pakal. They had copper-coloured skins, coarse black hair, brown almond-shaped eyes, and oval faces. One had a shoulder-long braid adorned with white seashells. One had three armpit-long breads adorned with light blue stone beads. One had an axtlacuilli hairdo, and a nose ring. The two other women were metis, with tanned skins that were slightly lighter, dark brown hair, and hazel brown eyes. Their faces were more angular, their eyes were rounder, and they were slightly taller. One had her hair tied into a short ponytail. The other one had a high braid roughly similar to Azeneth’s.

“Greetings. I apologize in advance, but we will need your clothes. It’s a matter of life or death.” Azeneth said to them.

The drunk women looked at the metis.

“What’s she saying?” one finally asked with a slurred voice.

“I don’t know… But can you ask her to not speak so loud… I have a headache…” another one complained.

“I said: ‘We will need your clothes.’” Azeneth patiently explained.

“Why?”

“To disguise ourselves. We need to flee this building.”

“That sounds needlessly convoluted...”

Azeneth rolled her eyes, and groaned. “I hate it when we do it with drunk people… It often makes things awkward…”

“Gods above… She can take my clothes, but PLEASE ask her to speak less loudly…”

Yisüi looked a little ill-at-ease. “So… Do we beat them up, or...?”

“No need to. Have you seen how inebriated they are? Just blow at them.” Azeneth answered.

“B- Blow at them?”

“Watch.”

Azeneth approached one of the women that was trying to stand still. She blew at her face. The drunk woman lost balance, and fell on the carpeted floor.

“Ooops…” the drung woman said while giggling. “I think I had one too many…”

Azeneth looked at Yisüi. “You see?”

**************

The fisherwomen barely responded when Yuka, Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi removed their clothes, and stripped them down to their thick grey cotton sleeveless thigh-long slips. Some of them were already half-asleep, and the ones who weren’t had less strength than a kitten.

The four fugitives got rid of the Bommare uniforms, and slipped into the fisherwomen’s tunics and belts. The hats were going to be especially useful. They would use them to hide their heads.

“About these women… Do we tie them up?” Yisüi asked.

“We don’t have ropes… and I don’t want to waste time cutting makeshift ones…” Yuka retorted.

“I have an idea.” Jinora proposed.

They rolled each woman into one of the carpets of the floor to restrain them. At the same time, Azeneth cut a few strips of one discarded tunic to stuff-gag each woman.

When the four fugitives discreetly exited the tavern from a backdoor, the bar brawl was actually still going on.

**************

Surprisingly, when the Mages came to arrest her, Tsuki didn’t even try to resist. On the contrary, she was looking amused by the betrayal.

The Mages led her into a room of the Imperial Palace. While it was in theory the emperor’s seat of power, the building had become the Mages’ seat of power when they had turned the emperor into their puppet ruler.

Safiye was accompanying them.

When they reached their destination, Tsuki looked at her and smiled.

“Well then, see you soon!” she merrily commented.

Safiye took a deep breath. “I don’t think so. Not this time.” She was feeling a mixture of satisfaction, excitement, and fear. It was the occasion to finally get rid of her unhinged partner.

The shapeshifter shrugged. “Who knows what tomorrow will bring us…” She then chuckled. “BESIDES… You think they won’t do the same to you? After all, they also don’t need YOU anymore…”

Before Safiye could retort, the Mages conjured up a dome of light around the unhinged shapeshifter, trapping Tsuki inside a prison of pure energy.

“Why are you leaving her alive?” the brown-haired spy asked them.

“Ce-Acatl thinks we can still have a use of her.” a Mage retorted.

Safiye couldn’t help but glance at the bright dome of light. Wondering if she was going to be next...

**************

Thanks to their guise and straw hats, Yuka and her friends managed to escape Tosca’s squad, and her hawk.

Since they looked like fisherwomen, nobody questioned them when they left the town to go to the shores. The four fugitives were careful to remain discreet when they left the trails to go to the hidden cove.

The boat was there, just as Rashid had planned. The small team led by Nahid had set up a camp.

Among them, there were also a few people who had managed to escape the hideout. Apparently, since the hawk’s attention had been fixated on Azeneth, Jinora, Yisüi, and Yuka; others had been able to flee the town without being captured by Bommare’s mercenaries.

They ran to greet Yuka, Azeneth, Jinora, and Yisüi.

The four friends shared a smile. Seeing other survivors gave them hope.

However...

“Yuka! We have terrible news! Rashid has been captured!”

And with this mere sentence, Yuka’s world collapsed.

She remained frozen and silent.

Azeneth looked at her with a worried expression. She put a hand on her shoulder. “Yu’?”

“I’m fine.” the latter answered with a blank voice.

Yuka’s eyes were burning with anger and determination.

“We’ll mount an operation. Trust me. Let them enjoy their success, it won’t last. We’ll make sure their victory is short-lived. Just give me the time to think of a plan.”

Azeneth, Yisüi, and Jinora exchanged a look. Then, they announced: "We're with you."

**************

Safiye got a bad feeling when the Council of Mages summoned her. She hadn’t forgotten Tsuki’s words.

Still, she had no choice but to comply. The Mages had been clever: they had sent a bunch of men to summon her.

The brown-haired mercenary was brought into the room the Mage’s Council used for its meetings. All the leaders of the Council were here. Ce-Acatl was presiding over the reunion. Currently, they were discussing their breeding program, though they stopped when Safiye arrived. Once in front of the assembly, she bowed.

“Safiye! We were expecting you. You have served us well, but we do not require your services anymore.” Ce-Acatl announced.

Safiye held back her breath. A shiver of fear ran through her body.

“We have asked you a lot of efforts, so we think you deserve a special reward.”

Was it because of Tsuki’s words? Or did she TRULY hear a weird intonation in his voice when he said those last two words?

Ce-Acatl motioned to her to go on his platform and to stand next to him. “Come here.”

Safiye took a small breath, and refused to succumb to fear. Why should she trust Tsuki anyway? The Mages had always been fair with her. They were greedy, arrogant, power-hungry, and they were lusting over a woman whose entire family they had slaughtered. But with the people they employed, they were fair.

Ce-Acatl smiled when Safiye stood next to him.

“Now, look and enjoy.”

He casted a spell. In the middle of the room, a sphere of light appear.

It showed a man.

Safiye recognized him. Mehmet III, king of Ghazan.

Ce-Acatl smiled. “Greetings, your Majesty. I’m glad that you allowed your scholars to communicate with us.” he said to the king’s image. “I must admit, your crystals DO have some use from time to time...”

Apparently, his spell was a way to communicate, because the image of Mehmet answered:

“Get to the point, Mage.”

Ce-Acatl showed the king a ring. “I believe you recognize this.”

Mehmet frowned. Of course he did recognize the jewel. Even Safiye did. It was Rashid’s royal ring.

There was a long moment of silence.

“Low is the man who uses a son against his father.” Mehmet III then simply commented.

Ce-Acatl ignored the insult. “Our emissaries shall soon discuss the prince’s ransom. I think that gold, and a few territories on your kingdom’s western coast, will satisfy us. However, before we end this conversation, I shall ask you something else.”

Ce-Acatl moved a little to allow Safiye to be at the center of the king’s attention.

“I believe you recognize this fine woman.”

Mehmet III didn’t answer. His face remained expressionless. Did he recognize her as one of his former courtesans? Probably not.

“She’s the architect of our recent victories against you, and your two sons.” Ce-Acatl added.

A great euphemism to say that she was responsible of the death of Mehmet’s firstborn, and of the capture of his younger child.

Still no reaction from the king, except a murderous glimmer in his eyes.

“I want you to bow in front of her.” Ce-Acatl concluded.

This time, Mehmet III wasn’t able to remain impassible anymore. “WHAT?!”

“Showing honour in defeat is the mark of a TRUE ruler.” Ce-Acatl cruelly commented. “And what better way to show honour than to bow to the opponent who bested you twice?”

The Archmage pretended to ponder for a brief moment.

“Unless you think your heir’s life isn’t worth it…” he added.

Mehmet III glared at him and at Safiye with hatred, but then he bowed his head. Low.

Safiye didn’t think she would find THAT MUCH satisfaction in Mehmet’s humiliation. After all, the memories of her courtesan’s past were distant and blurry, and so were her memories of Zaïde.

But she sure did enjoy that sight a lot!

“You truly are a worthy opponent.” Ce-Acatl mocked the king. “I can’t wait to negotiate with you.”

The Mages ended their spell without letting Mehmet answer. The king’s image disappeared.

“It was indeed a wonderful gift.” Safiye commented.

“Revenge is often sweeter than money.”

“With all due respect, I wouldn’t go this far.”

Ce-Acatl laughed. “You will get your gold, don’t worry.”

Safiye smiled. Today, life was good for her.

**************

The dome of light was so bright that one couldn’t look directly at it for too long. It was actually part of why it was so efficient at holding someone.

However, thanks to her powers and the Black Star’s essence, Tsuki adjusted her eyes until they could bear the intense light. Now, she could see what was going on at the other side of the dome.

Only one guard was in the room. The Mages were confident in their magic. And indeed, only an other Mage could hope of passing through the light without being burned.

In theory.

Not many people knew that the Black Star was impervious to sun magic. Tsuki only possessed a fragment of its essence, but maybe it was enough…

Tsuki put her hand into the light. It started to burn her skin. She removed it. Her skin grew back and healed itself.

The shapeshifter briefly pondered, then she changed the texture of her skin, turning it into metal. It didn’t work. So she tried another metal. And another. And another.

Until she found one that resisted the dome’s light…

Tsuki smiled.

She now knew she could leave her cage at any time.

The Mages were even nice enough to leave a guard around, so that she could steal a disguise!

She simply needed to wait for the right occasion.

I wonder if Yu’ will come to rescue her Prince...

[meditions142]

Great new chapter.

Love the fight scene where Azeneth makes the one soldier surrender. The good old scene of threatening a colleague to get someone to surrender after the other have been knocked out.

Love how she makes the still conscious soldier drag the unconscious soldier inside and then makes her remove her uniform.

Once the woman has done what she was told I do love Azeneth making her turn around so she can be knocked out. Although I will say after the girl had complied it was a bit mean to use a hit to the back of the head with the hilt of the knife to knock her out. She will probably wake with a headache. Since the girl ultimately complied Azeneth could have gone a bit easier on her.

Wonderful we got to see Yuka’s magic touch used twice. I love that method of knocking women out.

Love the scene where she hand gags the two soldiers and simultaneously uses the knockout touch to knock them out.

I also like Yuka sitting up the unconscious girl to strip her and then letting her fall back so that she is laying on the other unconscious woman.

And of course we get to see the knockout touch used on the young reddish blonde haired soldier later.

Do love that magic knockout touch.