Snow And Slavers

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 17, Post Number 408

-Phoenix Mountains, near the foothills-

Wearing her camouflage winter gear with Azure Armor underneath the jacket and polarized orange goggles perched on her head, Victoria also carried a backpack with food, water, and Bandolier and Crown of Persephone inside of it. Today she was in the snowy Phoenix Mountains region, which was home to the independent guild Silver Wolf and its powerful Guild Mistress. She did not know how territorial Silver Wolf was, but she was sure that the purpose of her visit would get the guild off her back if its members came to ask why she was here. Victoria was not here for sightseeing. She was here on a mission that had become a personal crusade for her... putting slavers out of business.

Victoria had heard through the rumor mill that a band of slavers had taken up residence in the foothills of the Phoenix Mountains and instead of waiting for someone else to handle it, she decided to do something about it herself. She was here to find out whether the rumors were true and if they were proven to be true, to remove the slavers from this region. However, the brunette would not be alone in her anti-slavery crusade in the foothills. Joining her on this mission was her guildmate Shirokawa Itori, the kitsune who was also Sabertooth's newest Ace. Perhaps Itori hated slavers as much as Victoria did or she just wanted to keep the brunette in line by not allowing her to kill the slavers once they had been found... either way Victoria welcomed the help from the level-headed kitsune.

Itori was a good contrast to Victoria. Where Victoria was brash and prone to acting before she thought things through, Itori was level-headed and thought everything through before taking action. It also helped that Itori was a good communicator and a talented diplomat, two traits which would come in handy for this mission. A few hundred meters in front of her was a hillside tavern named The Frozen Phoenix and someone inside might have some information about the outlaws hiding in the area. However, the slavers could have eyes and ears there to listen out for troublesome do-gooders, so the Sabertooth mages would have to proceed with caution.

Victoria looked around for a shelter that would protect her from the blowing wind and biting cold. The tavern was the closest thing to cover in the immediate area, but she did not want to go inside of it without Itori being with her. She was in unfamiliar territory and the brunette was not exactly the most intimidating mage in Earthland, so she wanted someone to watch her back in possible slaver territory. If the tavernkeeper was in cahoots with the slavers, having Itori as backup would make all the difference. The wind picked up again and blew snowflakes into Victoria's face; they landed close to her eyes and she wiped them away.

Despite the biting cold, Victoria opted to wait for Itori before going any further. She would need Itori's people skills to help her learn about the outlaws. She would also need the kitsune's powerful magic to deal with the outlaws when the fighting started. Finally, she would need Itori's calming influence to keep her from doing something to the slavers that she would regret.

[Post Word Count: 550]
[Victoria's Word Count: 550/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 550/25,000]

Slavery was one of those things which just seemed to pop up in every society and culture no matter what you tried to do about it. Itori had seen a lot of empires rise and fall and she could say with some certainty that slavery always found a way to slither inside. You could argue about what caused it but the its persistence was above question.

However just because people were going to keep trying to control the fates of others didn't mean one should just sit back and let it happen. The pessimists liked to argue that you might as well not bother fighting back as evil would never give up. Itori would argue that there was no reason why good couldn't be just as persistent.

The tenko's response to the frosty weather was little more than adding a coat to her normal attire. She was used to wearing mundane but modest clothes that covered her entire body so she only really needed to add another layer to help ward off the cold and the snowflakes that threatened to melt upon contact. Her nine white tails were covered a thick layer of soft fur which would be as effective at keeping them warm as any piece of clothing would have been. As an added bonus Itori's white hair and fur combined with her new white coat meant that she was effectively walking around with natural camouflage in this wintery landscape.

As she walked towards the appointed meeting place she considered the details of the job. They were rather straightforward: there was a rumour of slavers having set up camp in these foothills. She'd be joining up with Victoria to verify whether these rumours were true and if they were flush the slavers out. Of course while the details were straightforward the execution might be trickier: they'd have to do some digging to get all the information they needed.

It didn't take long before Itori could hear Victoria in the distance. The tenko hastened her step as around her the snow swirled along the pathways laid out by the winds, although they seemed to part before the nine-tailed spirit fox. Casting her perception forward she located her fellow Sabertooth mage and altered her course accordingly, until she was close enough to call out with her lyrical voice to draw Victoria's attention.

"I hope I did not keep you waiting." She joined the brunette, giving her a small bow before coming to stand next to her. "It is fortunate to see you in good health. Let us hope that we do not have to linger in this area for too long." She didn't show much of a reaction towards the weather, although the other mage would feel the winds weaken and the cold lessen around Itori. The tenko didn't show any sign of doing it on purpose as she instead cast her glance towards the tavern ahead.

"Is there anything we might need to discuss regarding the proceedings of this job or shall we move ahead onto the procuring of intel?" Since they didn't have anything better than rumours regarding the bandits they didn't have much of a choice but to ask around. Not that the two of them couldn't have tried searching by hand but it would be significantly more practical if they tried to narrow down the area which they had to search before they ended up combing over the entirety of the Phoenix Mountains.

WC: 576
PWC: 576/12,500
TWC: 1,126/25,000

Victoria braced herself against the biting wind and shivered as she waited for Itori to arrive before daring to venture inside The Frozen Phoenix. She was glad that she had bought the winter camouflage clothing all those months ago because the warmth it provided more than paid for itself during her three trips to Snowfall Island and her current trip to the Phoenix Mountains. Without the protection provided by the clothing her enemies would not even have to lift a finger because the intense cold would kill her for them. Victoria's mind turned from the cold to the possibility of having to explain to inquisitive Silver Wolf mages what Sabertooth was doing in their territory. That possibility was yet another reason she was glad that Itori would be helping her today; Itori was an Ace and would have a lot more influence with other guilds than a rank-and-file member like Victoria.

Speaking of mages, Victoria reached out with her ability to sense magic and felt a powerful magic signature not too far away from her. It was not Wizard Saint strong, so that chick from the desert had not come down from her guild hall to kick ass and take names. Victoria determined that the signature was coming from somewhere behind her, so the brunette turned around and found herself facing none other than Itori.

"Hi Itori! You made it just in time!" Victoria greeted the well-dressed kitsune and newly minted Ace of Sabertooth. Something was different about the woman... it seemed like she had somehow gotten another tail or two in the time between their rescue of the swordsman with the poor sense of direction and now. The brunette had not noticed that until now, but the brunette and the kitsune did not interact very often because the two mages were usually on the move doing jobs for Sabertooth. Victoria was off beating up outlaws and Itori was busy doing whatever mystical fox ladies did.

"I know it's kinda late, but congratulations on becoming a Guild Ace!" Victoria congratulated Itori on achieving status within Sabertooth. She let the mood float around for a few seconds before turning to the task at hand, which was finding out whether slavers really were holed up in the foothills of the Phoenix Mountains or if it was just empty talk. Victoria thought it prudent to apprise Itori of her idea and her concerns before they went into the tavern.

"OK Itori, here's what I'm thinking. I spotted that tavern, which is called The Frozen Phoenix. I'm thinking that we might be able to find someone who can help us, but before we go walking in there's a concern I'd like to share with you." Victoria said to Itori, doing her best not to insult the ace's intelligence.

"I'm thinking that if the slavers really are in the area, they're gonna have someone in the tavern keeping an eye out for do-gooders like us. I don't know if the tavernkeeper's in on it voluntarily or if he's being forced to work with them. That's why I waited until you got here before I even thought about going inside." Victoria informed the ace of her concern that the tavern was a listening post for the slavers. She also posited the theory that the tavernkeeper might be helping the outlaws, though whether or not said help was voluntary was yet to be determined. They would find out soon enough.

"Now that you're with me, I'm ready to go into the tavern when you are." Victoria stated to Itori.

[Post Word Count: 592]
[Victoria's Word Count: 1,142/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 1,718/25,000]

Itori answered Victoria's greetings and following congratulations with a smile and another bow. "I am glad to hear that, and I thank you for your kind words. I will make sure to live up to the standards required for an Ace of Sabertooth." So far as Itori could tell the main reason she had been elected as an ace was because she was one of the older members of the guild, not only in actual age but also in veterancy. Beyond that she imagined that her developing a stronger level of trust with the higher ups of the guild had also helped a lot.

Regardless of the reason she'd have to work hard. She accepted the position so she didn't have any excuses if she failed.

The tenko listened patiently as Victoria laid out her idea regarding the tavern. It was true that such a place was generally the best place to find answers to questions of a non-academic nature... But the gunner mage also had a point that such a place wasn't always safe. Not everyone valued morals above coin, and those who did weren't immune to a little twisting of the arm out here where the arm of the law didn't always reach.

"Understood. We will have to proceed with due caution. A single spy should not be a threat to the two of us combined but if they managed to alert the higher ups we could be facing challenges of a more notable quality." Itori wasn't one for arrogance but it wasn't arrogant for a nine-tails to assume that someone posted in a tavern to keep an eye out was unlikely to be the biggest threat.

"As if anything would dare to try anything with all three of us present."

Itori barely reacted to the voice, although one of her ears did twitch before she looked upwards. The voice had come from above, and if Victoria were to look up she'd see a fiery and winged woman descend quickly until she was standing next to the two of them. The air around them quickly became significantly warmer to the point that the winter clothes might actually be redundant.

"But really, the Frozen Phoenix? That's kind of rude, don't you think?"

"I am quite certain that they would never have given the tavern that name if they had ever encountered you, Nenet."

The woman, now having been revealed to be Nenet, raised in eyebrow in mild surprise before laughing. "Was that some actual snark from the always polite tenko? You see something new every day."

She placed an arm around Itori's shoulders and pulled her close, the nine-tailed fox appearing to just go along with it for the first couple of seconds before gently freeing herself and turning back to Victoria. "I believe introductions are in order. Victoria, this is Nenet, a phoenix and a friend of mine. Nenet, this is Victoria Sheriden, an experienced mage who I have had the pleasure of cooperating with during past missions."

"'Sup." Nenet gave Victoria a quick wave before placing her hands behind her head, looking rather casual for a humanoid phoenix who'd just shown up out of nowhere without warning. "I occasionally go see what Itori is doing. But I heard you guys were heading for the tavern, so let's go already!"

Itori suppressed the urge to sigh. She was pretty sure Nenet wanted to go there as much for the drink as for anything akin to intel gathering. "I suppose we should. I would suggest letting me do the talking at first, and Nenet, please avoid getting into any arguments or fights."

The phoenix gave a quick grin and a nod and the nine-tails led the way to the tavern, expecting the other two to follow. The phoenix did so without question, giving Victoria a wink as she began to walk. "I just hope they're willing to put up with Ito's overly polite behaviour."

WC: 655
PWC: 1,231/12,500
TWC: 2,373/25,000

Itori demonstrated her usual diplomatic demeanor when she modestly accepted the congratulations Victoria gave her for becoming an Ace of Sabertooth. Aside from her fighting ability and the pleasant company that she provided, that diplomatic demeanor was another important reason why the brunette requested Itori's assistance. The fox lady had a way with people that the gunslinger could not hope to match. Either her nature as a mystical fox lady gave her a boost in charisma or it was the fact that she was easy on the eyes, but people responded to Itori in a far different manner than they did Victoria. Until she figured out just what it was that gave the Ace her amazing people skills, Victoria would chalk it up to that old mystical fox magic.

The brunette heard a familiar voice ringing from the sky and recalled Itori's phoenix companion Nenet. When the winged girl landed and gave a short wave to Victoria, Victoria returned the favor. She gave Nenet a short wave and listened to her boast to Itori that no one would dare try to harass the three of them together. She noticed that the phoenix girl emitted enough heat around the duo that winter clothing was not required. Victoria had not noticed that in the Mysterious Canyon because of that area's hot and dry climate... out in this frigid locale the heat Nenet put out was a lot more noticeable.

Nenet was eager to go to the tavern to sample its wares. Itori requested that the lively phoenix girl refrain from starting any fights while the Sabertooth mages were conducting their business inside The Frozen Phoenix. Itori also requested that she be permitted to do the talking, a proposition that Victoria had no problem with.

"I was gonna suggest the same thing, Itori. You've got people skills that are a lot better than mine and people tend to listen to you a lot more readily than they do me. I'll hang back and let you do the talking." Victoria readily agreed to the Ace's request. She had no problem hanging back and letting the sociable fox lady do the talking. Victoria was more adept at shotgun diplomacy than she was the normal kind and not every situation required a forceful approach. One could catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, after all. Nenet poked fun at her mistress' polite demeanor and Victoria was quick to defend it... politely, of course.

"I don't mind Itori's politeness, Nenet. It's one of the things I like about her. She's one of the most polite people I've met in my life and I like her company." Victoria politely and carefully defended Itori's demeanor. Maybe Itori was so polite because she could afford to play the long game due to her lifespan, a luxury that most humans did not have. Most humans had around seventy to one hundred years of life before they died. Itori could live centuries past that, if not far longer than mere centuries. Victoria's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Itori casually strolling towards the tavern and the realization that she would need to hurry to catch up with the Ace.

"C'mon Nenet, we'd better get going!" Victoria urged the phoenix girl before breaking into a jog to catch up with the taller fox lady. She did not want Itori to enter the tavern alone nor did she want to be literally left out in the cold.

[Post Word Count: 575]
[Victoria's Word Count: 1,717/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 2,948/25,000]

Itori nodded as Victoria agreed with the suggestion that the tenko would be the one to handle the talking, at least at first. While the nine-tailed fox was quite certain that Victoria would also be able to extract the required data if push came to shove it was true that she usually had an easier time convincing people to provide the information willingly. Aside from the fact that she had a more polite demeanour that put people at ease her natural charm as a kitsune meant that most creatures had an inclination towards liking her and going along with her wishes. This wasn't a power that Itori abused intentionally often but when it came to learning the location of a group of slavers (if the rumours were true about there being slavers in the area) she was willing to be a bit more flexible with her ethics.

One ear twitched as she heard Nenet comment on her 'overly polite behaviour' but the tenko refrained from commenting. She knew the phoenix well enough that she was just teasing and trying to get a rise out of her. For Nenet the fact that Itori was nearly impossible to rile up was just a challenge, and every time she got her friend to actually snap at her was in a way a victory.

Nenet meanwhile raised one eyebrow at Victoria. "Oh it's very nice and all but don't you think it might be a bit stiff for a bunch of thugs out here in the cold?" The phoenix shrugged before going with the other two. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't like Itori but for a hothead like her the tenko's calm attitude could get kind of tedious at times. Where was the fire, the passion? It was little wonder that Nenet would often leave Itori to her own devices and go out to find something fun to do.

Itori waited for the other two to join her at the entrance to the tavern before she opened the door, stepping inside and holding the door open until Nenet reached out to hold it so the nine-tailed fox could make her way further inside. The inside of the building looked like what you'd expect from a hillside tavern which often had to deal with such weather: the walls were thick and sturdy so as to keep the cold out, the ceiling was low and off to one side there was a large fire pit dug into the floor and surrounded by a rectangular stone border which served to warm up the room and, looking at the spit placed above it, the occasional roasting of big game. The tables and chairs were all close to the walls, leaving the middle of the room open. The counter which simultaneously served as a bar took up most of the back wall with most of the actual wall obscured by big barrels. There was a door-sized opening behind the counter which lead to the kitchen where another fire burned, and next to the counter there was a door which was ajar from which food could directly be delivered from the kitchen to the customers at their tables. On the wall opposite to the one with the fire pit there was a door which no doubt lead to the first floor.

There was little doubt that this tavern saw much use but at the same time it was clear that this place was meant for hunters, sellswords, outlaws and other folk who would be described as unsavoury more often than not. It was not the kind of place a travelling merchant of good repute would use unless they had good bodyguards or were very desperate. The wooden floor was worn down, the air smelled of ale both old and fresh along with the body odours of men who didn't get to bathe very often, and the smoke from the fire pit trickled away very slowly, slithering across the low ceiling and threatening to prick the eyes of the people in the room.

Itori for her part did her best to ignore the scents and the poor air quality as she made her way to the bar. Of course the arrival of three ladies didn't go unnoticed: the only other woman in the room was the one bringing food to some of the tables, and beyond that it was clear that the three of them weren't your average travellers. About half of the tables were being used, some of them crowded and others occupied by one or two weary men trying to warm their bones with ale. There was also two men at the bar, who turned around to watch the newcomers for a moment before returning to their conversation.

The overall noise of the place died down a little before it started up again, most of the men having decided that they weren't drunk enough to start bothering a nine-tailed fox, a lady who looked like she could probably lay them out with one punch and a chick with fiery wings. That wasn't to say that there wasn't some leering but one couldn't expect any less in a place where the ale was as vital to people's warmth as the fire from the pit.

The bartender straightened up a little as Itori approached the bar, having been listening to the two men arguing over their drinks before the door opened. He was a fairly heavyset man, with a close-cropped beard and messy brown hair that almost reached past his chin. He could've been a pretty boy if he put some more effort into cleaning up and shaping up, but as it was he was more accurately described as ruggedly handsome. At least his girth appeared to be as much muscle as fat, so if need be he could forcefully separate the customers if a fight broke out.

Blue eyes focused on Itori as the tenko gave him a slight nod of her head as greeting. In this kind of place an actual bow would have been out of place and drawn even more attention, something which they already had more of than entirely desirable. The bartender/tavernkeeper looked... curious more than anything else, although there was also some wariness in his eyes as he rested one hand on the countertop.

"A good day to you sir," Itori opened up with her lyrical voice, albeit speaking softly. "We are in need of the aid of a man who is knowledgeable about the area. Could you assist us or do you know of one who could?"

The tavernowner didn't immediately reply, his gaze instead moving up and down to seize Itori up before switching to Victoria and Nenet. Nenet lifted one hand from its position behind her head to give him a wave and a grin, the man's eyebrows lifting before he returned his attention to Itori.

"Yer a strange sort a'right. Depends on wha' yer looking for, but if ye need sum'one who knows lots about the area ye best be asking Harver over there." He nodded towards a group of three men sitting at a table close to the fire pit, specifically a man who wasn't speaking much. He was draped in fur and leather, drinking from a mug and seemingly having little else of importance to focus on at the moment. While not exactly heavy he looked sturdy and the first glance could let you guess he was used to surviving out in the wilds. "'E's known for being one of the best hunters in these parts, does his hunting closer to the mountains than ev'ryone else." The taverowner lowered his voice a little. "That said ye best be quick with yer bus'ness. Smart folk won't be bothering you but three pretty ladies ain't sumthing ye see ev'ryday. Not ev'ryone is smart enough to know not to try anything, y'get what I'm saying?"

Itori gave the man a grateful smile. "I understand. I assure you we will depart as soon as we have the information we need. Thank you for your assistance."

The man shrugged and turned halfway around. "Don't worry about it. Jus' make sure ye don't waste time." With that he entered the kitchens, where he began to talk to the cook, a woman with a strong build which indicated she didn't shirk from doing her share of the heavy labour to keep the tavern running.

Itori turned back around towards Victoria and Nenet, although one of her ears was swivelled into the direction of the kitchen. When next she spoke she was speaking almost softly enough to be a whisper, although her voice still clearly reached both of her companion's ears. "I believe that he is telling the truth, both that Harver is the man we should be asking for information regarding the area and that the longer we stay here the more likely it becomes that trouble will find us. Not all of the customers harbour positive intentions towards us." Her sensitive ears were about the best one could hope for when it came to picking up on things people didn't want you to know. She ignored the whispers which were clearly motivated by the libido of men but some of those low voices talked about things less innocent than some hands-on flirting.

Nenet rolled her eyes. "So we buy that Harver guy a drink and ask him to tell us whether he's seen the people we're looking for. And if the others try to do anything I'll straighten things out." The way she grinned as she said that made it clear that she wasn't going to settle things peacefully if things came to that. It was practically a slasher smile.

WC: 1,619
PWC: 2,850/12,500
TWC: 4,567/25,000

"Maybe Itori's a bit too formal, but you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. At least that's what an old pal of mine said." Victoria opined to Nenet, who believed that her mistress was being way too formal for the setting. The winged girl believed that there was no point in wasting manners on some local yokels in the Phoenix Mountains. Victoria would let the fox lady work her magic because Itori got results without resorting to posturing or over-the-top threats, unlike Francesca Corlone. The brunette shuddered at the very thought of the mob princess and her boorish behavior, especially that stunt in the Silver Moon Inn when she threw a perfectly mixed Bloody Mary onto Victoria's apron and tried to hurl a bar stool at the brunette after Victoria stood up for herself.

Victoria would pay back that asshole one day, but right now she needed to focus on the present.After realizing that Itori was calmly walking away and would enter The Frozen Phoenix with or without them, Victoria and Nenet reached the door to the tavern at roughly the same time. Neither one of them wanted to make the kitsune angry because the fox lady could get revenge on those who slighted her in ways that would make the offender wish they were dead by the time revenge was taken.

Itori stepped inside and held the door for Nenet, who held it open just long enough for Victoria to grab it. Victoria grabbed the handle and let herself inside the establishment, which was a welcome relief from the constant cold of the outside. She could feel herself getting warmer already.

-Inside The Frozen Phoenix-

Victoria entered behind Nenet to find a reasonably well-made establishment that was a bit on the rustic side but was suited for the environment it was located in. The walls were thick and sturdy so as to keep the cold out, the ceiling was low and off to one side there was a large fire pit dug into the floor and surrounded by a rectangular stone border which served to warm up the room and, looking at the spit placed above it, the occasional roasting of big game. The tables and chairs were all close to the walls, leaving the middle of the room open.

The counter which simultaneously served as a bar took up most of the back wall with most of the actual wall obscured by big barrels. There was a door-sized opening behind the counter which lead to the kitchen where another fire burned, and next to the counter there was a door which was ajar from which food could directly be delivered from the kitchen to the customers at their tables. On the wall opposite to the one with the fire pit there was a door which no doubt lead to the first floor.

Inside The Frozen Phoenix was a collection of outdoorsmen with questionable hygeine, most likely hunters and trappers who knew the area like the back of their hand. The three women attracted a bit of attention from the locals but no one made a move because they knew that Itori and Victoria could kick their asses if push came to shove. So could Nenet, that bellicose winged wonder who was bored and looking for an activity to alleviate the boredom. Between the three of them they could easily wipe the floor with the locals, but the brunette wanted to avoid that because it would make Sabertooth look very bad.

Itori walked up to the bar and engaged the hefty tavernkeeper in conversation. Victoria watched the socially adept fox lady do her thing while sparing an occasional glance at the locals in case one of them got any ideas. Victoria spared a glance at the offerings of the bar and was mildly disappointed that there was no Albino Gander or Slatheron vodka and no tequila of any kind. There was whiskey in abundance plus gin and other hard liquors that the brunette could drink, but she could use most of it to clean her lawnmower engine... if she had a lawnmower. There was some Wild Crow whiskey on offer, which kicked like a mule but had a good aftertaste... for whiskey, anyway.

Victoria frowned when she saw bottles of CEIL vodka behind the bar. That stuff was a cheap vodka with a strong alcohol flavor people drank for a quick buzz, mostly the party crowd who did not know any better or could not afford Albino Gander or Slatheron. CEIL would do the trick in a pinch, but Victoria preferred to save her Jewels for better alcohol. If they were not in such a dangerous place, Victoria might have gotten a shot or two of Wild Crow, but she needed to stay sober because alcohol and magic did not mix.

After several minutes of conversation Itori calmly walked over to the pair and whispered to them of what she had learned. The guy to talk to was Harver, who was considered to be the best hunter who frequented these parts. However, Itori had been warned to conduct their business in a hurry because three burly men were whispering about doing things to the three women that moved past annoying unwanted flirting and into more sinister territory. The brunette quickly got the point Itori was trying to make and asked a quick question.

"OK then, do you want me to go with you to talk to Harver or can you handle it by yourself? Or would you rather have me do it?" Victoria whispered her query to Itori. Nenet stood ready to deal with any troublemakers and so did Victoria, who did not trust the three burly men making vaguely sinister remarks about the female visitors. Anyone looking to hinder their mission would get more trouble than they bargained for because the three women were not just hapless city slickers way out of their element. Itori had kitsune magic to back her polite words with force, Nenet had phoenix fire and the will to use it, and Victoria had an arsenal of weapons that she could call upon and her fists if guns were not fast enough. Anyone who attacked them thinking they were easy prey would learn the hard way that the Sabertooth mages could defend themselves.

[Post Word Count: 1,052]
[Victoria's Word Count: 2,769/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 5,619/25,000]

It was good to see that both Victoria and Nenet were on guard. Itori's ears allowed her to overhear all the conversations going on in the room (and the rest of the building) but it was better if her friends focused on the surroundings while she extracted the necessary information from the right people. Of course such a task was already easier than it would have been for them... The advantages of being a succubus could turn difficult task into a breeze.

As for Nenet... well she was just keeping an eye out while at the same time joining Victoria in inspecting the drinks the tavern had on sale. Unlike the gunner, who was a connoisseur, the phoenix approached alcohol with a more economical perspective: she wanted to drink and get drunk, so she drank and got drunk. Of course there was alcohol which tasted better and alcohol which tasted worse but she'd never invested into the art of brewing to the point that she could tell you which drink was which and why one was better than the other. At least in terms more refined than just 'this beer tastes stale.' It was good to see that the people around here had the heavier stuff in times of need though. Times of need being the time when someone really needed to get drunk.

In response to Victoria's question Itori shook her head. "I should be able to take care of it myself, but I would be grateful if the two of you remained vigilant. There is good reason to believe that more than one of the customers is aware of the slavers but is more likely to support them than to hinder them, and while nobody here possesses the raw power required to oppose us directly they could make an attempt to catch us unawares." Nenet nodded, her smile still up as she was almost looking forward to knocking some heads. The tenko for her part would much rather this didn't happen, but she wouldn't get in the phoenix's way if she found reason to pound someone.

With her companions warned about the possible threat Itori went over to the table where Harver was drinking, the two other men seated at the same table halting their conversation to look at the kitsune. Itori gave them her usual gentle smile and a polite bow, her nine tails subtly spread out behind her to help cement her as being more than just a pretty girl.

"My apologies, but I am in need of some information which I believe your companion could provide to me and my friends. Could I ask you to grant us a small measure of privacy? It should not take very long." This time around she allowed her voice to carry its enchanting effect, albeit in moderation. At the same time she focused her charming aura on the two men: it was one thing for them to decide against bothering the three women when they were keeping to themselves but she couldn't expect two grown (and fairly tipsy) men to ignore the opportunity when one of those three women actually approached them all proper-like.

"Sure, whatever you say sweetcheeks. Maybe you can come talk to us in private after eh?" Both men laughed but got out of their seats, sitting down at another table while Itori thanked them and gave them another small bow. Once Harver was alone at his table Itori focused her attention to him, the fur-clad man looking at her from underneath heavy eyebrows. "So, what do you need me for?" It appeared that he wasn't quite as easily enchanted as the other two. Of course Itori didn't think he needed much convincing: he didn't look like the type to let his second head take over even after he'd already gotten some alcohol inside of him.

"The owner of this establishment informed me that you are the most knowledgeable man in these parts regarding the lay of the land. Me and my companions are searching for a group of outsiders who have established themselves in this region in recent times. We were hoping that you could aid us in locating them... if the rumours of their presence are true."

Harver raised one eyebrow, glanced around, then put his drink aside. "That's some dangerous information you're asking for miss. Most people would rather not get involved." Itori nodded in understanding. "I would not ask this of you if I did not believe the need to be sufficient to warrant it. We are willing to recompensate you for your assistance."

Harver grunted and shook his head. "Money'd just convince them I was part of whatever you're trying. And I ain't some youngling who loses his head the moment a pretty face comes along, and I doubt you're the count to offer such things anyway. Well, your friend might, but I'd rather not get burned." He nodded towards Nenet, who true enough looked the most like the kind of woman who might be fine with trading her body for some information. She certainly never bothered to wear any kind of clothing which would make her look more modest, if only because she didn't need to fear the cold.

Itori sat down at the table as Harver began to explain in a low voice how to get to the slavers. A subtle illusion on Itori's part also ensured the sound wouldn't travel beyond their table.

Victoria and Nenet meanwhile would see that for the most part their presence was becoming less noteworthy now that they'd been in the room for several minutes without anything actually happening. Sure Itori had been going around talking to people but since she actually managed to make it look rather uninteresting. Not that the ogling and the occasional whisper stopped, but beyond that it looked like everyone had returned to their own business.

While Itori was still listening to Harver a group of three men from another table all stood up and moved towards the door. If Victoria and Nenet had been paying attention earlier they'd have realized that those three hadn't returned to minding their own business: most other tables had resumed their conversations but those three had remained whispering and shooting the three of them glances which were less than friendly.

Unfortunately Nenet hadn't been paying attention, and while she picked up on the three men leaving she lost interest once she had ascertained that they weren't moving towards Itori. The phoenix had also decided to sit down on one of the barstools so she didn't have to remain standing the entire time, giving the bartender a wink and the promise that she'd come back for a drink later on.

WC: 1,118
PWC: 3,968/12,500
TWC: 6,737/25,000

"OK. You work your social magic, Itori. You've got this." Victoria affirmed her belief that Itori had things under control before the Ace went over to speak to Harver. The fox lady was a good talker who could make the person she spoke to feel like they were the most important person in the room. Victoria appreciated that ability because Itori made the brunette feel like the former actually cared a little about her beyond what it took to keep the brunette placated enough to work with her. While they were not exactly best friends, the two mages worked well enough together that they got the job done thanks to their complimentary abilities and temperaments. Itori was the undisputed brains of the duo with a silver tongue and Victoria was the heavy who knocked heads together whenever the time for subtlety and social graces had passed.

Despite the wide gaps in their intellects Victoria liked Itori. The soft-spoken kitsune had a way with people that was hard to match, but she did not lord it over anyone. Itori just did her thing and let the results speak for themselves. She had a track record of success with that simple strategy, but there was more to Itori's success than just having a silver tongue. Itori had power and she knew how to use it to good effect.

After taking an idle glance at the drinks lined up behind the bar Victoria was shaken from her idle thoughts by something she should have picked up on if it were not for her musing about alcohol and the keys to Itori's success. She glanced over at the three men from earlier and noticed something that was more than a little alarming.

Those three sketchy guys from earlier were still talking to each other.

Their conversation still had the same sinister undertones now as it did earlier. They seemed to not care too much about secrecy; if anything they were trying to sow the seeds of fear in the minds of the mages and scare them away so that they could capture the trio away from the sanctuary of The Frozen Phoenix. The brunette would fall for such an amateur trick so easily. Victoria had lived on the unforgiving streets of Capital Crocus and had run into people worse than these goons. She had even run into more competent slavers that would have captured her were it not for the timely intervention of Lawrence Sheridan.

Victoria could not hear what was being said, but she could tell that Harver was a smart customer. He was not divulging everything he knew right away and Itori was having to dip into her bag of diplomacy to keep the man talking. She could not blame the mountain man for being cautious. Unlike Victoria and Itori, who had the backing and protection of a Legal guild, Harver had no one to go looking for him if he went missing. However, if his information was good and the Sabertooth mages were thorough, Harver would be safe from retribution after today.

Victoria saw the three men having the sinister conversation get up from their table and start moving towards the door, probably to tell their pals to ready an ambush for the trio and for Harver. She had to act fast before they could get away. She needed a reason to keep them inside just long enough for Itori to learn what she needed to learn from the clever mountain man. A fight would be a good way to slow them down, possibly even stop them, but she would be guilty of violating the law and would get into deep legal trouble because of it. There had to be something within the law that she could do to keep them from leaving. The brunette looked to the bar for inspiration and her eyes passed over liquor bottles.

Liquor bottles. Liquor bottles. Liquor bottles.

That was it!

Victoria would be violating one of her rules about drinking on the job, but if she could stall them long enough for her companion to get the info, it would be worth it. Victoria took a deep breath before she started walking for the three men, and not just because they smelled like a horse stable that had not been cleaned since the last edition of Sorcerer's Magazine came off the presses. The brunette was about to engage in some risky Grade-A shenanigans that would either work perfectly or backfire horribly.

"Hey guys! Wait up!" Victoria loudly called out to the trio, who pointedly ignored her. She hurriedly walked past them and stopped just shy of the door. She then started her bid to play for time.

"I'm new to the region and see that the bar in this place has a lot to offer. My fiery friend over there's pretty interested too. Can you guys give us some drink suggestions?" Victoria asked them politely but loudly to draw attention. She was willing to talk nicely to them so long as they did not lay a hand on her. If they did all bets were off. The brunette would start swinging until she won or they won. She might be twiggy, but she could punch well above her weight class with her fists alone, to say nothing of the weapons she could summon at will.

Victoria waited for their response and hoped they would take the bait. Even if she only bought a few seconds, that might be all the time that Itori needed to seal the deal. With the loud mention of alcohol maybe Nenet would quit chatting up the bartender and get over here to help with the charade. If the phoenix girl did get interested enough to chat up the sketchy trio Victoria could buy minutes instead of seconds, but that depended on whether the sketchy trio played ball and whether Nenet would hear what was being said. There were a lot of variables at work and having a lot of variables meant that there were a lot of things that could go wrong with improvised plans such as the one the brunette was trying to pull off.

[Post Word Count: 1,027]
[Victoria's Word Count: 3,796/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 7,764/25,000]

Nenet had been asking the bartender about what the regio was like when she heard Victoria speak up. Looking around she quickly focused her attention on the brunette and the three men that she was standing in front of. The phoenix had a rather casual and carefree attitude but she definitely wasn't stupid. She doubted that Victoria would just go and engage these three men unless there was a good purpose behind it, something related to the job. To her eye the three men definitely looked like there might be worth in keeping them tied up for a while longer.

As for the three men, the one in front opened his mouth angrily before Victoria even finished talking. "You want me to tell ye what to drink? Well why don't ye get on yer knees and-" Before he could finish his crude comment another of the trio grabbed his shoulder and shook his head, pulling him back while stepping to the front himself. His appearance wasn't much better than that of his foulmouthed companion but when he spoke he did so with a gruff and impatient voice rather than the volatile anger of the previous man. "Any drink here is good. Now get out of the way. My friends and I have business to attend to. Can't keep people waiting." His brown eyes were hard as he loomed over Victoria, clearly hoping that his large stature and stern attitude would persuade her to get out of the way.

"Hey now, that's no fun!" Nenet spoke loudly as she approached the trio from behind, drawing the attention of more than half the tavern as she slipped between them and wrapped her arms around their shoulders. "When a pretty girl asks you to help her choose a drink you don't tell her no! I'm sure whoever you're planning to meet with will understand if you were held up."

The angry man tried to push Nenet away, only for the phoenix to give him a firm hug before chuckling and letting him go. Planting her hands on her hips she tilted her head as she gave the three men a challenging look, daring them to turn down the offer. She wasn't entirely aware of what the situation was about but if Victoria wanted to keep these men busy she'd make sure they were kept busy."

"Ye can choose any drink you want, just leave us alone you harebrained fire-" Again the angry man wasn't allowed to finish as the third man held his arm up in front of his volatile companion as a signal to stop. it looked like the two other men were familiar with the first man's hotheadedness and dealt with it as if it was second nature.

Of course, while the first man appeared angry at any delay and the second one tried to intimidate Victoria into stepping aside it seemed like the third man was more interested in the offer... or at least the two women offering it. "She does have a point buddy. When a woman asks you for a drink you don't just say no." His eyes flitted over towards where Itori was still talking with Harver softly for but a split second before returning to Nenet, who grinned and winked. "The others aren't going to complain if we tell them we had to help some girls who didn't know the way."

The first man was seething before he sighed and took a deep breath, still noticeably irritated but at least no longer looking like he was about to explode. "Fine, if that's what ye want. But yer the one who's gunna tell the others about it after. Don't want them to yell at me for yer stupid idea."

The second man looked between his friends and the two ladies who were now flanking the three of them. After several seconds he nodded. "Fine then, but let's be quick about it."

"That's the spirit!" Nenet grinned as she pointed with her thumb over her shoulder at the bar. "Now, as you can imagine I'm quite the lover of a drink with some real heat to it, so do you have any suggestions for that?"

"If you want heat there's the Deepmountain Firewhiskey." The third man helpfully suggested. Now that he was no longer busy trying to convince his friends to stay for a while longer he was being less subtle about staring at the figure that the phoenix was willingly putting on display. Although at the very least he had the decency to keep his eyes above her shoulders whenever either one of them was talking. "It tastes like someone set normal whiskey on fire and then bottled it but it'll keep you real warm during these cold days."

The first man snorted. "It'll also make ye breathe fire like a dragon. C'mon Erval, ye can't tell a girl to drink that stuff, even if she looks like sum'one already set fire to her."

"Those are some big words. I bet I could drink you under the table though, firewhiskey or any other drink you care to name." Nenet's grin widened and became almost outright challenging, spreading her wings behind her.

The first man was either very confident or very oblivious. "What?! Ye think I'd let a little gal with fire between her legs say that? C'mon then, let's show just how good ye think ye are at holding yer drink!" He began to storm towards the bar only for the third man, who apparently was called Erval, to grab him and stop him.

The second man tried his best to ignore the chaos of his two friends arguing not only with Nenet but also each other. Instead he was still glowering at Victoria. "So? If yer like yer friend then firewhiskey would be your choice, but if ye just want to get drunk the bar's got CEIL vodka. Or are you going to waste more of our time by asking for something else?" Of the three men he looked like he was the least interested in entertaining Victoria and Nenet. Erval was clearly letting his second head do at least some if not most of his thinking and the volatile man had appearently easily been distracted by Nenet's challenge. Only this man was still trying to hurry things up.

WC: 1,053
PWC: 5,021/12,500
TWC: 8,817/25,000

Victoria was starting to have second thoughts about her improvised plan because while the three men smelled like a barn, they were built like a barn too. Just one of them could break the twiggy brunette over their knee without breaking a sweat if any of them wanted to do it. The first guy was an absolute jackass with a rather punchable face, the second guy was slightly better, and the third was actually helpful with informed drink suggestions and kind of cool. If they really were in league with the slavers, she would beat up the first guy the hardest and go easy on the third guy. In the meantime, she had to cope with the unexpected success of her ploy.

It had succeeded when she did not expect it to. She had the undivided attention of the three men and Nenet had joined the conversation, lending the ploy even more value as a time-waster. The brunette struggled to keep a straight face when the phoenix girl suggested a drinking contest with the second man. The half-baked plan was working well... perhaps too well. Sooner or later the three guys would put two and two together and realize that the brunette asking about alcohol was stalling them for time for her more attractive guildmate to get information from Harver before the trio could go get their slaver buddies together for a slaver ambush on the decidedly anti-slavery mages.

The second guy was actually willing to take Nenet up on her challenge of a drinking contest until he was stopped by the third guy, who was easily the most reasonable of the trio. Victoria had to keep herself from showing frustration because the drinking contest could have easily bought Itori several more minutes to do her thing and the idea was rejected. However, considering they had eaten up a good few minutes, the brunette should have counted herself lucky that that ploy lasted this long without being exposed for what it was, which was pure and utter BS. Victoria took the third man's helpful suggestions into account and looked at the second man, who was just barely being civil when he asked if she had any other questions or if she was just going to waste more of their time. His growing suspicion meant that it was time to wrap up the charade before it was exposed for real and the trio got really pissed.

"So you suggest CEIL vodka if I just want to get drunk as quick as possible?" Victoria repeated the second man's suggestion. She did not expect any kind of acknowledgment, but she was trying to be polite by acknowledging what he had suggested to her. Her gaze then turned to the man who had suggested the Firewhiskey for a hot drink with a lot of kick.

"And if I want heat in a drink, I go for Firewhiskey?" Victoria inquired about the whiskey to the man who had suggested it. To keep the ball rolling she needed to not just talk about alcohol, but to actually get the drink in question. Now was the time to violate a rule about not drinking on the job by getting a shot of Firewhiskey and seeing how they would react to her reaction. That ploy would be good for wasting a few more seconds and maybe eliciting a cheap laugh at her expense. If Itori needed time, the brunette would do her best to provide enough of it.

"OK gentlemen, I'm sorry if I held you up, but I appreciate all of your advice. Now I'm gonna get a shot of Firewhiskey. Thanks again!" Victoria politely thanked the three for their time and made her way to the bar to make good on her word. She sidled up to the polished wooden bar and got the attention of the tavernkeeper with a raised hand. He looked her in the eyes and waited for her order.

"One shot of Firewhiskey, please." Victoria calmly requested. The man nodded and set down a shotglass, then poured out a perfect shot of the drink. The brunette set down the Jewels for the shot and walked back over to Nenet and the men to swig the potent whiskey in front of them. She stood in front of them so that they could see that she was putting their advice to use.

Victoria took the shot and coughed barely ten seconds later. The man was not lying when he said the drink was a hot one. She was already starting to regret taking the unspoken challenge to try the whiskey, but it was too late to back out now. This would be the first time she ever drank on the job, but breaking a personal rule was necessary to sell the deception. Itori would most likely forgive her for this transgression as long as she kept the violations few and far between... too many violations would be bad for Sabertooth's professional image.

Victoria was not terribly worried about getting intoxicated because she had built a resistance to alcohol. While it was not on par with the resistance of hardy men like the burly trio standing before her or Nenet the party phoenix, the twiggy brunette could hold her own. If she lured one of them into a drinking contest that wasted even more time, that would be a bonus. However, she would be in questionable condition when it came time to hunt the slavers and end their little enterprise in the middle of nowhere.

"Whoa. This is some strong stuff! No wonder it's called Firewhiskey!" Victoria told them, hanging onto the shotglass for dear life as the beverage started to burn her throat. It took a lot of effort not to cough up her lungs on the spot, but she was still on her feet. Hopefully Itori was getting what she needed because the brunette had a feeling that the Firewhiskey would kick her ass if she drank too much more of it in one day. Firewhiskey was a drink that one treated with respect because it was fire in a bottle.

[Post Word Count: 1,018]
[Victoria's Word Count: 4,814/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 9,835/25,000]

Victoria's plan was indeed working well. While the men definitely didn't really trust her motivations they were at the very least letting themselves be held up by her and the phoenix girl. Of course the reason why it was working so well was pretty obvious: the third man was clearly the sort who wouldn't give up on the opportunity to talk to a pretty girl, let alone a pair of pretty girls. The first man looked like the only reason he hadn't stormed out yet was because he didn't want to leave without his companions, and the second man also looked like it was only with great reluctance that he indulged Victoria's inquiries.

However it was also clear that her plan wasn't going to work forever. The first and second man both were growing increasingly annoyed even if the second man was being less open about it. Only the third man was trying to remain polite and well-mannered. When Victoria repeated their suggestions back at them the second man nodded curtly, his eyes narrow as he folded his arms. When she told the three of them that she'd go and drink some firewhiskey he just gave her a short grunt. "Sure, whatever. Now get out of the way."

"If she's going to order some I might as well join her. See you later guys!" Nenet gave the three men a quick grin before she followed Victoria to the bar. The first and second man moved to leave but the third one stopped them, whispering in a hushed voice only for the other two to both reply rather harshly. The arguing continued even as the two women ordered their drinks.

When Victoria moved to return to them the second man grabbed the third man by the shoulder and forcefully pulled him along as he and the first man stepped out of the tavern, slamming the door shut behind them. There was the sound of loud footsteps quickly disappearing as the men moved with some hurry.

"That went about as well as we could have hoped." Nenet emptied her own shot glass with little issue, although when the drink tried to burn her throat as well she just belched a small plume of fire and chuckled while inspecting the now empty glass. "That IS a pretty strong drink. I like it." It wouldn't come as a surprise that the phoenix would have little issue with a drink called firewhiskey. She looked at Victoria and noticed that the gunner girl might be not quite as tolerant of the drink. "You okay?"

Itori meanwhile finished her conversation with Harver, thanking him for his time and promising him that they'd be careful. Harver in return grunted something about how he hoped they succeeded if only because if they failed he could very easily be next on the chopping block. Helping mages track down a bunch of slavers was a risky move to make, even if the tenko did a good job of coming across as reassuring and confident. Standing up and leaving the table Harver's original two companions rejoined him at the table while the nine-tailed fox rejoined Victoria and Nenet, nodding at the two of them with a grateful smile.

"Both of you, thank you for your hard work. Harver has been very helpful: we should be able to find our quarry with little issue." She glanced towards the door through which the three men had departed. While she'd been talking with Harver her sharp ears also allowed her to pay attention to what had happened at the entrance of the tavern. "However it would be prudent of us to move quickly. Your efforts delayed the three associates for long enough but we must make use of that time." Perhaps somewhat ironically ambushes did take some time to prepare if you wanted to do a good job of it.

"Well let's get going then. No reason to hang around patting ourselves on the back." The phoenix was the first one to move, heading towards the door and impatiently motioning for the other two to follow her as she prepared to head out. With the information Itori now possessed there was little reason left to dally.

The pale-furred kitsune nodded in agreement, then looked at Victoria. "Do you require me to remove the alcohol from your system before we depart? While we should have the upper hand in the upcoming confrontation Harver did not know their exact numbers and the full extent of their strength." Removing alcohol was pretty much the same as purifying poison, a relatively easy task. However it was Victoria's call, and at least having the firewhiskey burning her from within would keep her warm.

WC: 783
PWC: 5,804/12,500
TWC: 10,618/25,000

Sensing that the ploy had run its course and unwilling to press her luck any further lest they finally catch on, Victoria let the burly trio pass without any further smooth talking. She had succeeded far beyond her expectations and now it was time to quit while she was ahead. She stepped away from them and let them pass without further delay.

"OK. Have a good day!" Victoria bade them goodbye as the wooden door closed. That third guy was pretty cool... if he were not in league with the slavers she would like to look him up and talk to him again some day. That Harver guy was pretty cool too. He had balls the size of the Phoenix Mountains for daring to tell Itori anything about the outlaws since they were still a threat and might have picked up on him being Itori's informant. Once the trio had went on their way she turned to Nenet and noticed that she was still holding the shotglass that had held the shot of aptly named Firewhiskey.

"Yeah. I'm glad it worked as well as it did 'cause I pretty much winged it... ummm, forgive the pun." Victoria said to the phoenix girl at a volume that only the two of them could hear, allowing relief to slowly creep into her voice. She had just pulled off some pretty smooth talking to buy Itori time to learn what she needed to know and the men had not picked up on what the twiggy brunette was pulling. She would find out whether the trio had really fallen for the ploy or if they were just humoring her and were going to drop the hammer on the Sabertooth mages once they were far enough away from The Frozen Phoenix that disappearances would not look too sketchy. However, Victoria was sure that she had bought them some time to seek out the slavers and for Harver to put some distance between himself and this place before retribution came to his doorstep.

Victoria walked over to the bar and returned the empty shotglass, then requested another round of Firewhiskey. The man behind the bar nodded and prepared the shot with the same smooth and precise motion that he had used to pour the first shot. This guy had a lot of bartending experience and showed in in the way he poured shots. Victoria put down the Jewels for the drink and downed the shot with practiced ease, then set the shotglass down on the bar and let relief creep into her body and the Firewhiskey work its fiery magic. This would be her last shot because she needed to have some coordination when the Sabertooth mages made contact with the enemy. She also did not need to get into the habit of drinking on the job; she had already violated her rule by drinking in front of the men, but if doing so helped the mission it would be worth it.

Victoria saw Nenet take her own shot of Firewhiskey and belch out a small flame. It was not terribly surprising that a phoenix could handle heat without much issue. To her drinking Firewhiskey was probably like drinking ice water. Victoria heard the phoenix ask if she was OK and turned to face her.

"Yeah, I'm doing good. A third shot's out of the question because this is some strong stuff. It makes CEIL vodka look like sparkling water." Victoria answered the phoenix's inquiry with an honest assessment of the whiskey's power. She was not ashamed to admit that the Firewhiskey was threatening to get the better of her. Victoria coughed a little because her throat was beginning to burn and the bartender helpfully supplied a shotglass of water that Victoria downed without a second thought.

Itori sauntered up to the pair at the bar and praised them for their work in stalling the burly trio long enough for her to get what she needed from Harver. Victoria wished that she could say that it was an intricately planned ploy executed with the utmost care, but the truth of the matter was that the brunette had to think on her feet and use some acting skills to pull it off. Nenet's participation went a long way in making the ploy the success that it was.

"Thanks Itori. Nenet here was a big help. I don't think I could have been nearly as successful if she wasn't with me." Victoria accepted the praise from the Ace and gave credit where credit was due. Nenet provided the second person necessary to make Victoria's ploy work even better than it would have worked because the phoenix girl had the confidence to engage the men in conversation. She also inspired Victoria to take a shot of whiskey to prove to the men that she was not completely deceiving them when she asked for drink recommendations.

When Victoria heard that Itori could remove the alcohol from the former's system, the brunette did not need to be told twice. The brunette jumped on the offer with alacrity.

"Yes, please. I'd like you to remove the alcohol from my system before we go any further. I need to be completely focused for what we're about to do." Victoria replied in the affirmative to Itori's question. Victoria needed to be focused and coordinated enough to use her main magic effectively because alcohol and firearms tended to make a very dangerous combination for anyone in the drinker's path. Aside from "friendly fire", there was also the possibility of property damage caused by any errant bullets, grenades, or rockets. She did not want to bury the trio beneath the snow of an avalanche caused by an errant Grenade Launcher round or a Rocket Launcher rocket or wreck an innocent villager's home with a stray rocket. She doubted that the slavers had strong enough defenses to warrant using those weapons, but she never knew what kind of opposition she might go up against in the course of a job.

"I don't plan on making drinking on the job a habit, Itori. I had to drink to sell the deception. That's the only reason I drank when I did." Victoria assured the Ace that the brunette would not drink on the job as a regular habit.

[Post Word Count: 1,050]
[Victoria's Word Count: 5,864/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 11,668/25,000]

Nenet flashed Victoria a quick grin and a chuckle at the pun, spreading her wings to display them in their fiery glory before folding them again so she wasn't taking up all the space in the tavern. "A pretty good attempt for someone who doesn't even have wings I'd say." She raised an eyebrow when the brunette got herself another shot of firewhiskey after the first one already seemed to be doing a number on her, but just let the woman do whatever she wanted as she got herself a second shot as well. "Yeah, it's pretty good. I'm guessing that they need strong drinks to stay warm up here." It wasn't like this place was the coldest: they were still only at the slopes of the mountains. However it was already clearly a different climate than the plains and grasslands that made up most of Fiore's landscape along with rivers, forests and hills. Around here the winter was a genuine threat, the chill seeping into your bones if you weren't careful.

"That said you really should stop drinking it. Your throat isn't going to last." She said this even as she downed her own second shot, another belch of flame escaping her mouth soon after. "Gotta keep an eye on your constitution you know." The phoenix didn't think any less of Victoria for not being able to handle the firewhiskey. It'd be irrational to look down on the brunette for not being able to compete with a bona fide phoenix in a contest which revolved around tolerating throwing liquid fire into your gullet.

Itori had her usual gentle -if possibly slightly mysterious- smile as she nodded in response to Victoria's explanation that she thought the phoenix had been a great help. "Nenet can appear like she cares for little beyond her own entertainment, but one would have to be foolhardy to not see how helpful she can be when she puts her mind to it."

Nenet barked a laugh at that. "That's right, anyone who thinks I'm just a pretty face and good company doesn't know the half of it.

With Nenet already heading for the door Itori could focus her attention on Victoria as the brunette quickly asked her to get rid of the alcohol in her system. The tenko nodded as she reached out and placed a hand on Victoria's shoulder. "A wise decision. The alcohol might help keep you warm but you would be sacrificing precision and focus." As she spoke a peculiar feeling would ripple through the gun-girl's body. It was similar to splashing your face with fresh water except it flowed through her body as if Itori's touch was a pebble sending ripples across a water surface. She'd feel any effects the alcohol might be having on her mind and body disappearing with each ripple until they were completely gone. On top of that she'd also feel invigorated as if she'd had a good night's sleep on top of whatever other preparations she'd already made for the job.

When her companion began to assure her that she wasn't planning on making a habit of drinking on the job Itori tilted her head to the side, then covered her mouth with the wide sleeve of the hand she wasn't using to purify Victoria. "You do not have to worry about my judgement Miss Sheridan. As long as it does not impede your ability to perform the duties given to you I have no objections to members of Sabertooth indulging themselves. Otherwise I would not consent to have Nenet accompany me on jobs. As for the impression you make to outsiders, as long as you do not drink in excess the vast majority of people are not going to consider it anything out of the ordinary. You are a creature of flesh and blood just like the rest of us after all, being a member of Sabertooth does not mean that you stop having your own wants and needs." With these (hopefully) reassuring words Itori pulled her hand away and turned around, motioning for Victoria to follow even as Nenet looked impatiently at the both of them. "I believe my dear friend would rather not wait any longer."

Joining Nenet at the entrance of the tavern they would wait for Victoria to also join them before Nenet would push open the door and step outside, her heat making the transition from indoors to outdoors more bearable as she kept the door open for the other two to step through before she closed it behind herself. "So? What did you learn?"

"The slavers are clearly not fools. Rather than building their base out in the open where they are not only vulnerable to the environment but assailants as well they have built their base in a location where several steep slopes meet to form a natural enclosure. This allows them to remain hidden from the authorities, keeps the worst of the weather out of the way, and means that under normal circumstances there is only one direction enemies could arrive from.." Itori immediately answered the phoenix's question even as she began to lead the other two away from the tavern. "I have also learned that the three men you two were distracting are planning to ambush us: the one who pulled the other out by the shoulder is heading back to the slaver camp to alert them of our presence while the other two will be trying to catch us unawares. If their whispers are to be believed they are hoping that they can deal with us on their own so they do not have to share us." If the tenko was disturbed by that idea she didn't show it.

Nenet on the other hand frowned and actually snarled for a moment before giving a less friendly grin. "Well then, let's see how that works out for them. I propose we beat them up before we head for the rest of the scum. No sense letting them get away when we can neatly tie them up instead." The phoenix looked ready for a fight, now that they were no longer indoors spreading her wings as she cracked her knuckles and her sharp eyes looked around as if hoping that the two thugs were about to jump out of the snow so she could cave their heads in.

Itori looked at Victoria. "It might be prudent to take care of the two ambushers before we head for the camp, but dealing with them might also slow us down so the other slavers have time to prepare. Either way we should not dally, but which action would you prefer to take?"

WC: 1,112
PWC: 6,916/12,500
TWC: 12,780/25,000

Victoria's pun was entirely unintentional, but the results were still amusing. Nenet took it in stride and commented on the brunette's ability to "wing it" despite not having wings before belching another small flame after downing her second shot of Firewhiskey. The phoenix girl then mused that the locals needed strong drinks to help them bear the cold of the Phoenix Mountains. Based on her experience so far Victoria could easily see why. The trio was just in the foothills and the cold was hard to bear... she would hate to travel to the highest point wearing anything short of full winter gear.

Victoria heard Nenet remark that the former needed to slow down on the alcohol for the sake of her body. The fiery winged chick had a point. The hot whiskey was killing her throat and threatened to do much worse to the brunette if she did not stop drinking the Firewhiskey. Two shots was enough for a day.

"Yeah, I'm calling it quits at just two shots. My throat can't take much more and I need to stay sober." Victoria took Nenet's advice because the former was not a phoenix chick who could down hot beverages like they were lemonade. She also did not want to get drunk and be useless before the inevitable brawl with the slavers. They were her most hated enemies and she wanted to be sober enough to have fun kicking their asses. Sabertooth members were not supposed to think like that, but Victoria hated slavers so much that the prospect of beating them up gave her more joy than the best alcohol. Victoria's grandiose fantasies of fighting the good fight and stomping slavers into the dirt would have to wait until she made contact with the enemy.

Victoria then shifted her attention to Itori, who stated that while Nenet might look like a carefree party girl who was only interested in fun and alcohol, the fiery girl could be useful when she focused. The brunette found that to be an accurate assessment of Itori's companion. once engaged Nenet effortlessly slipped into the conversation and had the confidence to keep it going smoothly while sounding completely natural, a skill which was important whenever one was trying to pull the shenanigans that Victoria did.

"I agree with that. Nenet always seems to come through when you need her the most. You don't wanna sell her short." Victoria praised the winged girl for her ability to come through when she was needed the most. Nenet herself agreed with Itori's assessment and took it in stride instead of being insulted by the implication that she was someone who looked like they only cared for personal amusement. Victoria could easily come across the same way with her fondness for alcohol and her tendency to take combat jobs because she liked fighting. Victoria's focus shifted once again when Itori used some sort of magic to purge the alcohol from the former's body and make her feel like a million Jewels.

"Thanks, Itori." Victoria said simply in response to Itori's assurance that the drinking on the job would not be held against her. She was not sure if any extenuating circumstances came into play, but they probably did. The brunette drank in moderation and only drank to deceive the suspected slavers. The Sabertooth mage would not question the reasons for leniency and followed Itori and Nenet outside where they could talk about what the fox lady had learned from the brave Harver.

-Outside The Frozen Phoenix-

Thankful for Itori removing the alcohol from her body before the trio went to work and grateful that the fox lady did not consider her a hopeless inebriate, Victoria felt ready to go against the slavers and their helpers. Victoria was already focused because slavers were her most detested enemy, but having the alcohol removed before it could cloud her judgment and hamper her reflexes was a plus. Handling firearms and explosive spells was not something to be doing while intoxicated because "friendly fire" would hurt Itori and Nenet without distinction. Friendly fire was not something the brunette wanted to become known for, especially not friendly fire brought on by alcohol consumption.

Victoria listened to Itori give a detailed rundown on what she had learned from the mountain man. Itori had learned that the slavers had wisely built a camp that was naturally fortified by several steep slopes, which made defending the camp fairly simple. It also made it easy to deter escapes since one false step by an escapee meant that they would be in for a nasty fall. Victoria frowned when she had learned that the helpful third guy who had suggested drinks was actually in league with the slavers. She was kind of hoping that one day they could meet under happier circumstances, but now that that hope was dashed she would do what needed to be done to shut the slavers down.

Victoria's displeasure only grew when Itori theorized that the burly men wanted to take the Sabertooth trio for themselves so that they did not have to share with the main camp of slavers. There was no way in hell that Victoria was going to let that happen. She would kill every last slaver in the area before she become an object to be sold on an auction block. Itori asked Victoria for their next course of action.

They could either deal with the ambushers and give the camp time to prepare or ignore the ambushers and press onto the main camp to knock them out before they could mobilize.

"I say we deal with the ambushers first so that all our enemies are in front of us. We don't need any distractions once we hit their camp. Also, getting rid of the ambushers will clear an escape route should we have to pull back to regroup." Victoria answered Itori's question. Once the Sabertooth trio attacked the main camp the slavers would throw everyone they had at the trio. There needed to have a clear escape route in case things went south and removing the ambushers would go a long way towards assuring that a way out was available if it was needed.

[Post Word Count: 1,035]
[Victoria's Word Count: 6,899/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 13,815/25,000]

While it was subtle Itori could see that Victoria was displeased at the news that one of the men she had been distracting had been working with the slavers. It wasn't surprising, as while the man was definitely up to not good at least he had been polite and helpful. Victoria had probably been hoping that she wouldn't have to deal with him. However the truth was that the man was, in a way, just as bad as the rest.

Nenet meanwhile didn't care much. She had already decided that the group of three men was trouble, Itori had just confirmed what she'd suspected. From her perspective the third man had been little more than a lecher who had been hoping to get into the good graces of two beautiful women. Given that he was working together with the slavers he was undoubtedly more interested in their bodies than anything else, and wouldn't hesitate to get what he wanted in a more forceful manner if charm and grace didn't do the job.

The vixen nodded as Victoria declared that she thought it more important to make sure they wouldn't be taken from the rear while they invaded the slaver camp. It was a sensible decision, and while it meant that the slavers might have time to mobilize a defence at least it would mean that all their problems would be in front of them, easily kept track of and reacted to if needed. "A sound decision. We will most likely have to deal with more resistance at the slaver camp but it should be within the scope of things that we can handle."

Nenet grinned as she slapped Victoria on the back. "Atta girl. Now let's go knock some heads." Nenet didn't have any weapons and so far as she was concerned she didn't need them. Her fists and feet were plenty dangerous in their own right, talons and all, and that wasn't even mentioning all the fire she could thrown around without a second thought. She'd show that lecher and that angry fellow that if they thought they could threat women like toys they were sorely mistaken.

With a course of action having been decided upon Itori led them towards where the slaver camp was supposed to be located, heading towards the mountains where the trees became scarcer and the snow piled up. If it wasn't for Nenet's warmth the three of them would have had to prepare for this kind of weather, but as it was the snow just melted when it got close to the phoenix. Itori remembered the last time she came here... there had been a valley which Nenet had been watching over which had been completely devoid of snow despite being in the middle of the mountain range. The weather hadn't been so bad either. Nenet really was rather liberal with using her fiery nature to heat up her surroundings, both literally and figuratively.

"The two men we will be facing have no aptitude for magic, but they know the terrain and how to set up an ambush. Most likely they will use camouflage to blend in with the environment and try to strike us from behind once we have unwittingly passed by them. That is a common tactic among those who try to fight creatures more powerful than themselves, and slavers are known for attempting to capture creatures which will fetch a high price not just for what they are but for the difficulty of catching them." As they got closer to the mountains that towered far above them the terrain became rockier. What was worse was that the treacherous and unreliable surface was hidden underneath a thick layer of snow, which would slow them down and hide the more dangerous areas. They would have to be careful.

"Very clever and all, but will it actually help them?" Nenet asked the question rhetorically, although Itori still answered. "The snow and the weather dampen the sounds to some extent but I can compensate for it. As long as my attention remains undiverted I should be able to pinpoint their location long before they are in position to do anything. You have sufficient mobility and speed to react and Victoria has the raw power needed to conclusively deal with them... although I would request that you do your best not to kill them. While the practice of slavery is one I quite abhor our enemies are not such horrors that we have to resort to eliminating them." Not that Itori hadn't killed people in the past, but generally speaking that was out of self-defence or because it seemed like it was the only way to get rid of a threat too big to be allowed to live. Except for that one time she got really angry... but nobody knew about that. The only three people who had witnessed that episode were long gone.

"Knock them about and then drag them back to jail. Got it. How are we going to do that when we have an entire camp of them to carry?" Nenet was quite strong physically but she wasn't Hercules. Also carrying an entire bundle of people was just a hassle even if you did have the strength for it.

"I do have an idea for that but I suggest we worry about that after we have dealt with them. For now I suggest we pretend to be unaware of the ambush the two men are planning. When they make their move we can catch them by surprise." Nenet grinned again, this time not vocally replying as she instead just looked forward to the opportunity to get physical with a bunch of burly men. Itori sometimes wondered why this phoenix was such a wild character: weren't they supposed to be elusive and graceful?

"So, what do you think Vic? You ready to show them who's boss?"

WC: 982
PWC: 7,898/12,500
TWC: 14,797/25,000

Itori had agreed with Victoria's decision to clear a path in the off chance that the resistance in the main camp was greater than what the trio could handle. Between the three of them they should be able to handle whatever opposition the slavers could put up, but Victoria's main concern was something out of that Sun Tzu guy's book that that Haruyuki dude she had worked with before was so fond of. While it was written for an earlier era of warfare, a lot of the principles were still relevant to the modern era. Victoria had already applied the one that stated "If an enemy is too strong to attack directly, attack his supports" to take down the Corlone crime family in Rose Garden, so the principles within were still relevant and useful even though the ancient era ended long ago.

The principle that applied to this scenario was an admonition about pressing an opponent so hard that they felt that there was no way out other than to fight to the last man.

While attacking a slaver camp in snowy, mountainous terrain with only one way in or out was dangerous enough for the attackers, the defenders were in an even tougher spot. The slavers knew what waited for them if they were captured and turned over to the authorities. They were men with nothing left to lose, so once the attack on their camp had begun they would throw everything they had at the Sabertooth mages if it meant they had a chance to remain free and maybe even score three valuable captives. Victoria even considered the possibility that they would deliberately trigger an avalanche to take the Sabertooth mages with them if the situation got desperate enough. Even if they could not trigger an avalanche, the slavers might have planned some other last-ditch defense against intruders, but what that was currently remained a mystery.

Victoria listened to Itori's warning about her near-certainty that the slavers were hiding in the snow waiting for the trio to pass them before springing from their hiding places and triggering the ambush. Itori had expressly warned the brunette that the slavers could not use magic, so using her ability to sense magic signatures to find them was not an option. Neither was using the men's questionable hygiene against them... Victoria's nose was not sensitive enough to reliably pick up the scent and if they had buried themselves in the snow the snow would mask their scent.

Victoria heard that the slavers were going to try and take the trio alive not only for the value that Itori, Nenet, and Victoria could bring on the auction block, but also for the considerable prestige that capturing three mages could bring the slavers who pulled off the feat. Victoria frowned. There was no way in Hell that she would be funding some slaver's retirement or giving them "street cred" among their peers. It would take a lot more than two burly mountain men who smelled like a barn to subdue her.

While Victoria was trying to find another way to locate the men Nenet asked whether Itori could hear them before the trio made contact. Itori had replied that the snow and the weather had something of a dampening effect that worked in favor of the slavers, but not all the news was bad. Itori could take advantage of her Fox Lady hearing and other Fox Lady senses to locate the slavers and foil their trap before it could even be sprung, but that was dependent on her being able to focus on the path ahead of the trio.

"OK. I won't kill them if I can help it." Victoria said with some measure of unhappiness seeping into her voice. That was the street kid with authority issues talking, but it was too late to retract what had been said. Aware that she was pushing her luck just by expressing displeasure with the directive to take the slavers alive, the brunette canned it it so that Itori could focus on detecting them in time for her and Nenet to kick ass and take names. Victoria's preferred method of dealing with slavers would have been to turn them all into Swiss cheese with her Light Machine Gun, but there were three concerns holding her back.

First, she was working with Itori, a Guild Ace who could have her censured or kicked out if the brunette committed an act of flagrant insubordination like killing slavers who had already surrendered or killing them without the situation being desperate enough.

Second, Victoria was part of Sabertooth and guild laws stated that they did not kill enemies just because it would be a more convenient way to deal with them than taking them alive.

Third, if she acquired a reputation for slaughtering slavers, then none of them would ever surrender to her in the future.

While she thought over what Itori had said and hoped that her tenure with the guild would continue after this Victoria wordlessly followed Itori and Nenet through the mountains while keeping a watch for unexpected trouble like a wild beast, a pack of wild beasts, or a slaver patrol. Itori was cautious and on the lookout for danger, but Nenet was ready for a fight. Her body language and her tone of voice were dead giveaways that the phoenix chick was ready for anything. Victoria hoped that Nenet was really ready for anything because things were going to get ugly once the battle kicked off. Then something hit Victoria... if the trio won, how would they cart so many unconscious slavers off the mountain by themselves?

Nenet had asked that question for Victoria and Itori had answered that she had already worked out an idea before gently suggesting that the phoenix chick focus on defeating the ambush before she focused on the logistics of taking unconscious slavers down the mountain. Itori also suggested to the pair that they pretend to be unaware of the ambush. Victoria could do that.

"OK, I can play dumb for a bit." Victoria said to Itori. She ignored the impulse to take off her backpack and put on the Bandolier that Itori had given her because putting it on would tip off the slavers that the brunette knew about their ambush. Itori wanted the slavers to think that their prey was unaware, an illusion that the Fox Lady would encourage right until it was time to turn the tables on them. Victoria could live with that. Besides, playing dumb came naturally to her because she was not the sharpest tool in the shed to begin with.

"Yeah, Nenet. I'm ready to show 'em who's boss. I'm gonna enter that Road Fighter tournament and kick Wyvern's ass so hard that he tastes shoe leather for a week straight! I'm gonna beat him and everyone else they send my way!" Victoria said to Nenet in an attempt at misdirection by pretending to be unaware of what was ahead. Victoria had been meaning to enter that tournament for awhile, so the enthusiasm was real enough. She just hoped that Nenet did not ruin the misdirection by blurting out what they were really doing.

[Post Word Count: 1,201]
[Victoria's Word Count: 8,100/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 15,998/25,000]

If Itori had been aware of Victoria's choice of literature she would have approved. Sun Tzu had been a renowned general and strategist even in his own day, which spoke volumes of his skill. It was one thing to become a legend after years had passed which allowed people to hear of your exploits, but to become such a figure in your own day meant that your accomplishments were so numerous and impressive that it was impossible for people to ignore your presence in the world. Itori had never met the man personally but from what she had heard he was as calm and calculated in mind as his book suggested. His strategies often revolved around how to manipulate the circumstances to improve your position in a conflict rather than about how to win a battlefield after the fighting had already broken out. His teachings were definitely still applicable even though many years had passed since his days.

The tenko noted that Victoria was unhappy with the idea that she wouldn't be allowed to kill the slavers if she could avoid it, but refrained from commenting on it. The nine-tailed fox was no stranger to the desire to end a life, as there were quite a few creatures in the world who brought more misery than fortune. There had been past examples where the spirit fox had actually ended lives even when it could have been avoided, although those instances were rare and far between. She reserved that kind of treatment for the truly reprehensible and dangerous entities. Although occasionally it was also a mercy to kill: not every dangerous creature did so of their own will or was happy about their fate in life, and sometimes the only way to free them from their shackles, whether they were physical, magical or mental shackles, was to send their soul to the afterlife.

But these slavers didn't appear to be that far gone yet. While definitely unpleasant people they were still merely mortal humans who had chosen an unfortunate trade. Capturing them and bringing them to the authorities would have to be enough, as the law could decide how to judge them. The death penalty wasn't technically illegal in Fiore even if many towns and cities would only employ it with the greatest reluctance. It was much more likely that the slavers would be imprisoned or put to work, although the authorities would also most likely take an interest in learning any connections the slavers had with other elements of the underworld. It wasn't like all criminals of Fiore were part of the same network but a big group like this one often had contacts.

With the three of them having hashed out a plan for how to deal with the two men planning to ambush them Itori focused on preparing for the counter-ambush. Having Nenet and Victoria pretend that they weren't aware of anything would be the first step, but she'd use her own illusions to emphasize the impression of naivety so the two men would be even more shocked as the tables were suddenly turned on them. As they walked the fox wove her magic, silently and invisibly, slowly forming a layer around the three of them. From the outside it would look as if they were just walked towards the slaver camp, so even if Victoria were to pull out her weapons people outside of the bubble wouldn't notice.

Nenet blinked before grinning as the brunette suddenly began to talk about some tournament. The phoenix wasn't exactly a genius either but she was clever enough to catch onto what the gunner was trying to pull. "Damn straight! Can't let them think that we gals shouldn't be taken seriously in a fight!" She glanced to their surroundings, the snow unmoving for now. "As for me I'll just wipe the floor with whoever they'll throw at me. If they can't even drink me under the table they shouldn't think they can beat me down either."

As the two of them talked the men who had been laying in ambush finally began to make their move. They'd been using big white capes to blend in with the snow, such a simple camouflage already enough to be nearly impossible to see in this weather. However Itori had already heard them move, so as they began to get closer so they could take the three women out the vixen crafted two small, simple illusions, sending them directly into the minds of her allies. Nenet would get a vision of the man on the left and Victoria would get an image of the man on the right. Both were carrying some kind of gun contraption meant to shoot a weighted net, clearly used for capturing targets which were likely to resist.

Nenet bit her lip in anticipation as she waited, waited... it was only once the man on the left was close enough that she finally jumped out, breaking the larger illusion Itori had carefully crafted. She got the angry man, who swore as suddenly he had a phoenix flying right at him with little time for him to react. He pulled the trigger on his net cannon as he aimed it at Nenet, but a wave of flames burned straight through the flimsy net before the phoenix's fist was driven into the man's face.

That left Victoria to face the man on the right, the lecher who'd been so polite in the tavern, even if truthfully he was fine with capturing women if they didn't come willingly. That one also shot his cannon once he saw that his partner was in trouble, trying to capture both Itori and Victoria so he could help the angry man fight off Nenet. However Itori stepped forward and unsheathed her blade, several quick and economical slices dividing the weighted net into several pieces which ended up on the snowy ground without bothering anybody. The tenko would leave it up to the gunner to take care of the lecher, given that with his net cannon already fired he didn't have much of a strategy left. Even as things were the man was beginning to turn around and run, abandoning the other man now that the plan had failed.

Regardless of how Victoria took care of him Nenet would be having the time of her life, the first punch in the angry man's face having broken his nose. His breathing was hindered even as he pulled out a dagger and made several slashes at the party phoenix, who laughed as she danced around his clumsy attempts, taunting him and his inability to hit before finally she'd wrap up the fight by first ramming a fist in the man's gut, making him almost spit out his last meal as all the air was also driven out of his lungs, and then jumping up and landing a flying roundhouse kick on the side of the man's head that sent him flying several meters before he motionlessly hit the ground, the snow at the very least action as a cushion so he didn't break any bones on impact.

WC: 1,186
PWC: 9,084/12,500
TWC: 17,184/25,000

As the trio made their way towards the slaver camp and pretended to not know about the upcoming ambush Victoria felt the wind cut through her winter camouflage gear like she was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. It was probably some higher power's way of reminding her that she had just cut her own throat with her sharp tongue. Itori was trying to look out for both Sabertooth and the moral well-being of the brunette when she made the statement to bring the slavers in alive if possible, but the latter had given a passive-aggressive response and had likely torpedoed any chance of a real friendship between them. The backdrop of cold weather was appropriate because their partnership might grow cold after this episode. Victoria the street kid had cost Victoria the mage a valuable relationship and all the mage could do was finish this job now and try to make amends for the blunder later.

Making an apology right now would only make it sound half-assed and more of an attempt to get Itori off of her back than a sincere expression of regret for poorly considered phrasing of some words. Itori had been alive for a lot longer than Victoria and the fox lady's bullshit detector had centuries of use with which to be fine-tuned for detecting deception and insincerity. Victoria would have to apologize after the slavers had been captured and their captives freed... if Itori even cared to listen at that point. The brunette thought about the whole situation and whether it was too late to do anything to avoid a falling out. The brunette thought about it and after a couple of minutes reached a worrying conclusion.

The frightening thing was that even if Fox Lady did not accept an apology, Victoria probably would not care.

That was Victoria the street kid talking. That was the street kid who had issues with authority. That was the street kid who had looked to authority figures for help and was disappointed time and time again when they either refused to help or deliberately antagonized her just because she was an easy target. The Capital Crocus police had let her down when they turned a blind eye to rich people chasing her and other homeless people with hunting dogs. The last generation of Rune Knights had let her down when they were more concerned with keeping their uniforms tidy and maintaining a photogenic martial bearing instead of actually fighting crime.

Victoria had long ago gotten tired of feeling powerless and depending on others to help. Now that she had magic power and powerful gear, she was going to use it to hammer slavers into the dirt. Victoria was so hellbent on stopping slavers that she would cast aside established friendships and potential friendships just to accomplish her goal. The brunette would not beg for friendship or validation from anyone. Her willingness to forsake any relationship with others just to keep her own personal crusade going was both empowering and concerning.

Victoria's thoughts turned away from that incident to the upcoming ambush from the slavers because it would be the perfect distraction from her dark thoughts. This kind of thing was what she lived for. Even if she was forbidden from killing them, Victoria could still stomp them into the dirt and punch their faces in with her fists. Moments later her fondest hope came true when Fox Lady's powers allowed her to see the slaver to her right just when he sprung out of the snow. His using a white cape for winter camouflage was a simple but clever strategy and using a net cannon for a weapon was another clever move, but the real shock was the man's identity.

He was the guy of the trio who was actually nice to her!

Unlike the incident with Itori where her disappointment was expressed in tone of voice, Victoria's disappointment with this turn of events was openly shown by her facial expression. He seemed like a pretty cool guy to know, someone she could be drinking buddies with were it not for his unsavory trade. Oh well. It was not the first time she had been disappointed by someone nor would it be the last. She would have rather faced the guy who was an asshole to her so that she could get real satisfaction from what she was about to do, but Nenet was currently enjoying that privilege and both of them would get plenty of chances to redress their grievances when they got to the main camp after plowing through this speed bump.

"I was hoping that we wouldn't meet again, not like this. I'm gonna make this quick." Victoria said in disappointment after Itori had come to the rescue by jumping in front of her and slicing the net to useless little pieces with a hitherto concealed blade before leaving the brunette to deal with the slaver. The brunette would honor Itori's request of using non-lethal force to bring the men in alive. It was the least she could do after acting like such an asshole to someone who was trying to look out for her.

Victoria raised her right hand and formed it into a gun shape, then focused electrical energy into the "barrel" made by her right index and middle fingers put together. Once it was ready she fired the Taser Spark and watched as it hit him right in the chest. He was stunned and left in place long enough for Victoria to hurry over and deal some hand-to-hand justice to the slaver. She rushed over to him and initiated a one-two punch combo that hammered him in the face and dropped him to the snow, but he was still conscious.

Victoria summoned her Tranquilizer Rifle and shot him twice in the chest, one dart in each pectoral muscle. He pushed himself up from the snow, spit out blood to the right, and rushed at Victoria, slugging the surprised brunette in the face with enough force to stagger her. He drew back his left fist and was about to try again when the sedatives finally rendered him unconscious. Instead of feeling happy, part of Victoria was more disappointed than ever. Even getting permission to destroy the whole slaver camp would not erase the brunette's disappointment in learning beyond all doubt that the guy she had kind of wanted to be friends with was a slaver.

"He's down. Don't worry, I used a tranquilizer rifle. He's still alive." Victoria informed her colleagues while the wind whipped around her.

[Post Word Count: 1,094]
[Victoria's Word Count: 9,194/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 18,278/25,000]

While the two slavers had done their best to set up a good ambush with what limited resources were available to them it wasn't enough. Nenet was practically toying with the angry man before she finally kicked him out of commission and after Itori had taken care of the net that might have posed a problem Victoria quickly took care of the charming man, shooting him to sedate him while Itori watched. She knew that Victoria wasn't happy that she wasn't allowed to kill them if she could avoid it, but it was good to see that the Sabertooth mage was willing to ignore her own wants if it was for the sake of the guild and the people. She wasn't a stranger to the desire to kill those who you felt didn't belong in the world, but she hoped she could help Victoria learn that this desire had to be tightly controlled, lest it grow out of control.

With both slavers out of the picture Nenet picked up the angry man and carried him over to where Itori and Victoria were standing near the charming man, grinning as she held her victim up in the air. "Easy pickings. I'd almost hope that the camp has something stronger." For a phoenix Nenet was remarkably enthusiastic about the idea of fighting strong enemies and beating people up.

Itori for her part checked up on the angry man's condition, making sure that Nenet in her enthusiasm hadn't gone overboard. Fortunately it looked like while the man would be out for quite some time the fiery woman hadn't actually broken anything. The tenko didn't have any real reason to be considerate of slavers but it would look better if they didn't drag the slavers to the authorities looking like they were on death's door. Questions would be asked and Sabertooth might gain a reputation of excessive violence. "You both have done a good job. A quick and efficient subjugation means that we should still have an easy time at the encampment." She glanced around at their surroundings. They were in the middle of nowhere currently, and it was still snowing. "However we can hardly take them with us, and leaving them out here would endanger their lives due to the weather."

"They're dressed warmly and I took care not to burn his clothes. They should be fine." Nenet spoke rather dismissively as she dropped the angry man to the ground next to the charming man. Itori wasn't entirely sure whether Nenet's assessment could be trusted though: given that she emanated enough warmth to keep her and Victoria in good condition she almost certainly had a skewed perspective of the dangers of hypothermia.

"Possibly so, but I would rather not run the risk. I would suggest that the both of you scout ahead to get an idea of what the encampment is like while I ensure that these two will still be alive when we come back to collect them." She did have an idea how she could keep the two outside of the danger zone but it might take a moment, and she didn't want to delay the mission too much. "I will rejoin you within a few minutes."

Nenet placed her hands on her hips, frowning and opening her mouth. However the tenko met her protests with a steady vermilion gaze, the phoenix faltering for a moment before sighing and placing a hand against her forehead. "Suit yourself." She looked at Victoria. "Come Vic, let's go find some slavers to punch. And shoot."

While Itori clearly meant for Victoria to go with Nenet she wouldn't force the gungirl if she decided to remain. If she did stay with Itori she'd see the nine-tailed fox carefully tying the two slavers up with the ropes they themselves carried with them, then shifting them into an ethereal form to make them easier to transport as she looked for a spot out of the weather. Not finding a convenient cave nearby the tenko would pull out her blade once more and search for a large boulder, her white blade flashing as she began to systematically carve out an opening inside the stone where the two men could be tucked away in. The clean cuts were a testament of the sharpness of her blade and the swiftness of her strikes, the pieces of rock she cut away from the boulder flicked away by her tails. Only once the little hideout was large enough for both men would Itori put their two captured slavers inside and turn them back into their normal state, finishing up with an illusion which would make the boulder look unmarred and hiding the slavers from view. It wasn't ideal but it was good enough, and this way a stray acquaintance wouldn't find the slavers and free them.

On Nenet's end she'd fearlessly stride forward, relying on the information Itori had given them on the location of the slaver camp to keep going in the same way they'd already been going. Due to her glowing wings she could hardly be a stealthy scout, but at the same time at least she was unhindered by the environment and would probably spot the camp before anyone spotted her. At least the snow helped dim her glow when seen from a distance. If Victoria was with her the phoenix would suggest that she walked at least a meter or so ahead of Nenet so she would still enjoy the phoenix's warmth while helping block the glow from anyone looking at them from the front.

WC: 927
PWC: 10,011/12,500
TWC: 19,205/25,000

Victoria had taken down her target without excessively injuring him; that was partially because she had kind of liked the guy before she had received confirmation that he was actually a slaver and not just a local shanghaied into it. She also wanted to start making amends with Itori for being such an asshole towards her by trying to follow her directions instead of giving her the proverbial finger and doing as she wanted. Itori was not only trying to look after the guild's reputation, but she was also trying to look after Victoria because the former likely knew that killing was a slippery slope that was all too easy to slide down once one had set foot on it. Killing too often could lead to the brunette using force as the first solution for every problem instead of using finesse or people skills.

Victoria had already killed more people than she cared to admit and all of them were justified. No one would bat an eye over the "loss" of Jacob Goodnight, those bandits in the forest that had tried to hold up her and Florence, or the Golden Band slavers in Desierto. Even those hapless people in that remote village who were infected by the Phaaz were justified because they had explicitly pleaded for a mercy kill and did so of their own free will. Even if it was justified under the extreme circumstances, it still ate at Victoria that killing them was the best solution to the situation.

She had been explicitly told by her job partner that making a cure for the Phaaz was impossible and that if the suffering of the villagers was not ended by the brunette the people would linger in agony for seven days before dying. Victoria's healing magic was useless against the substance from beyond Earthland. The only way to help the villagers was to kill them. Victoria remembered some of the faces and remembered the newly married couple that she had to kill. The brunette had not used her sniper rifle since that day... even thinking about summoning it made the Sabertooth mage sick because she could see their faces.

Victoria did not want to think any more about that deeply unpleasant day, but think about it she did. She would have to sort out her mental issues later. Right now the trio needed to take down the slaver encampment and rescue any captives before they could be taken to market and end up beyond the Sabertooth trio's ability to help. That was what was most important right now; it was even more important than the brunette's feelings. The best way to hurt the slavers was to capture them alive and rescue their victims so that their testimony could bury the slavers a lot deeper than Victoria ever could.

Still, shooting slavers was not an entirely bad way to deal with them.

The brunette took a deep but unsteady breath to try and steady herself for a scouting mission with Nenet. Itori had given to them the task of scouting out the slaver encampment and getting an idea of its layout, then reporting back to the Fox Lady about what they had seen. Nenet was ready to go and so was Victoria. Victoria gladly left the subdued slaver behind and stood beside Nenet for a moment to take another breath, then spoke to the phoenix girl.

"OK Nenet, let's get going." Victoria said to her fiery companion before taking the lead. She needed to find a good elevated position to scout the camp from, but the trouble with that was that she and Nenet would stick out like a sore thumb because the slavers had likely anticipated would-be intruders taking the high ground. Victoria and Nenet might just have to sneak onto the best ground they could get and do the best they could in sizing up the camp.

Victoria kept her Tranquilizer Rifle at the ready and followed the phoenix girl towards the slaver camp. The brunette refrained from putting on her Bandolier for three reasons. The first was that the bullets clanked against each other and noise control was important for getting as close to the camp as possible before the action started. The second was that if the slavers saw a mage with a bandolier walking towards them they might conclude that there was no mercy to be gained by surrendering and just decide to kill their captives. The third was that the Bandolier's bullets gleamed in the sunlight and the duo needed to remain unseen for as long as possible.

A fourth, unspoken reason was that the Bandolier was a gift from Itori and Victoria did not feel like she deserved to wear it right now.

Victoria kept up with Nenet and hoped that Itori would catch up to them as soon as she did whatever it was she was doing. They would need Itori's careful planning and more than a little bit of that Fox Lady magic to make storming the camp a success. As soon as the slavers caught sight of the Sabertooth mages they would sound the alarm and throw everyone they had at them in the hopes of capturing the trio.

"Hey Nenet, do you think they have any more dudes hiding in the snow on the approach to their camp?" Victoria asked Nenet while looking for any stray clumps of snow on the sides of the path to indicate that someone had buried themselves in the abundant snow. It would be hard to spot the men due to their white cloaks, but they could not entirely erase their presence since Itori had detected them with her Fox Lady sensory abilities that were above and beyond that of ordinary humans. However, Victoria did not have super hearing and an enhanced sense of smell, so she was not as good a detector as the Sabertooth Ace was. The pair would just have to be careful on the road until Itori finished her business and rejoined them for the trip to the slaver camp.

[Post Word Count: 1,010]
[Victoria's Word Count: 10,204/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 20,215/25,000]

If Itori had known what Victoria had been thinking she'd have said something about it, because she wouldn't have liked knowing that her companion was this bothered by her own actions. Everyone had things they regretted, decisions they wished they hadn't made, words they wished they hadn't said, actions they wished they hadn't taken. Whether it was because of poor judgement calls or the inability to do better, there was nobody who lived a perfect life and had nothing to regret. In the case of someone like Itori, who had lived for millennia, the regrets piled up like a mountain. The only difference between her and someone stricken with guilt was that over the years she'd learned to accept her imperfections, her failures, and keep moving forward instead of letting them drag her down. Although she certainly didn't forget them: she couldn't forget. Learn from the past and move on, that was one of the cornerstones of Itori's philosophy of how to best approach life.

So the gungirl's thoughts would have been to some concern to her, as it seemed Victoria was letting herself get dragged down by her regrets. However the Tenko needed physical contact to read minds, and as such could only guess at what the brunette might be thinking. While she was good at reading expressions there were limits to how effective that was, so the best Itori could get out of Victoria's expressionm, words and behaviour was that she was bothered by something, even if it didn't have anything directly to do with the task at hand. The gunner certainly seemed enthusiastic at the idea of taking care of some slavers so that definitely wasn't the issue.

The nine-tailed fox didn't say anything, focusing on her own work as the other two left for the slaver camp. Maybe Nenet would be able to help Victoria: the phoenix was lively and straightforward, and was even less bothered by her past than the fox. Nenet lived in the present, rarely sparing a thought for either past or future. It might be because she was effectively immortal that she didn't feel the need to be too worried as she didn't suffer from the limited time most creatures had in which to live their lives. Or maybe she just had a strong personality and being mortal wouldn't have changed that. But that positivity and more simplistic attitude could be the key for Victoria to shake off her regrets, at least for a short time.

As the two of them walked towards the slaver camp Nenet kept an eye out, even if on the surface it might look as if she was merely striding along without a care in the world. She didn't have Itori's ridiculously sharp senses but she wasn't blind either. In particular her eyesight was very good, even if more suited for long distance spotting.

"If it wasn't for the fact that we have to try and be sneaky about this I'd just pick you up and give us a good view from the skies" Nenet pointed out as she walked. She couldn't really stop glowing, which was one of the only real downsides to being a phoenix. Even with this weather, with such dark clouds and with snow everywhere, a flying light would be spotted nearly instantly. In fact it might be even more noticeable than in clear weather since the phoenix's light would stand out against the backdrop of dark clouds.

When Victoria posed the question of whether the fiery woman expected any other ambushers the phoenix shrugged. "Probably. However-" At that point another man wearing white clothes showed himself by shooting a net at them. Nenet swiftly moved in response, dashing towards the man and burning straight through the net before delivering a punch to the gut which dropped him, followed by her picking him up by the collar and giving him a headbutt to knock him out cold. "Only the dumb and the weak. They wouldn't want their stronger members to be out here keeping watch." She gave the unfortunate man on the ground a nudge with her foot. "This guy probably was given scouting duty as punishment. He looks like the stupid kind." At the very least that he attacked them like that was a sign that he didn't think things through. Or maybe he'd just thought that two ladies would be worth the risk.

"But it's almost impossible for us to get there without being spotted by someone with the brains to return to the camp and report. It's a good thing that we already know there's one man who's warning them, so we don't have to waste time building strategies around the idea of not being seen." She gave Victoria a grin "Still better to keep a low profile though."

Leaving the unconscious man on the ground the phoenix kept moving onwards. The land in front of them was noticeably sloping upwards by this point. Nenet pointed towards the top of a foothill to their left. "Maybe we can see their camp from up there. Well, maybe you can. The moment I poke my head up they'd spot us as well."

---

Having finished carving out a small hiding spot for the two unconscious men Itori moved to catch up with Nenet and Victoria. She'd have to hurry given that it had taken several minutes, but with some luck the two of them would have taken care of any scouts and guards outside of the camp. Nevertheless it would pay to be careful... the vixen settled for turning invisible and heading into the direction that Nenet and Victoria had disappeared into.

Harver had warned them that there might be magic users amongst the slavers, given the size of their group and their success rate, along with the fact that they hadn't been caught yet. It might just be skill and physical prowess, but magic allowed for a lot of things. Itori wondered if it hadn't been better for her to go ahead: Nenet wasn't very suited for stealth given her habit of glowing. The tenko could hide her presence...

But Nenet probably would have left the two men to die from the cold. If Itori wanted to set a good example and minimize the death count she couldn't trust the phoenix with those tasks. As friendly and cheerful as Nenet was she didn't have many qualms against killing those she considered scum, and slavers definitely fell squarely into that category. She could probably bond with Victoria over their mutual hatred of scum.

WC: 1,098
PWC: 11,103/12,500
TWC: 21,313/25,000

"Yeah, I think you're right. It's not like they sent their best to hide in the snow. They're saving their best guys for when the fit hits the shan, which it will as soon as Itori gives the go-ahead." Victoria surmised to her fiery companion, bowdlerizing a popular phrase involving fecal matter and oscillating air devices for humor value. Victoria had a foul mouth and was not afraid to use it. It was one of many leftovers from her years on the streets of Capital Crocus and a legacy of her adoptive father. While Nenet had no problem with harsh language, some of the other members might take umbrage, particularly since it could harm Sabertooth's reputation if used in front of the wrong people.

Oh well.

Victoria would deal with that issue if it ever came up. The brunette was not much good at long-term planning and lived only in the moment, which was why pairing up with someone like Gaia or Itori was essential to Victoria's continued survival. Victoria's idea of long-term planning involved picking the right weapon for the occasion and packing the right gear. Itori's idea of long-term planning involved predicting what would happen months after a mission and making sure that the best outcome for Sabertooth came about. That was the kind of thinking that everyone could benefit from, though only a special few like Fox Lady could plan everything out and pull it off with clockwork precision.

"Putting their idiots on scout duty made our lives easier. If they had sent some of the smart ones we'd probably be up to our eyeballs in burly guys who don't take a bath but once every month, if that." Victoria commented to Nenet once the former realized that the slavers had actually done them a favor by sending the dumb ones first. If they had cottoned onto the bullshit that Victoria had pulled in the tavern sooner and scrambled a squad of their best men for the ambush, the trio's progress would have been stopped before they even got started. At best they would have had to fight for the lives a lot sooner than they had planned on it. At worst the Sabertooth trio could be headed for the auction block and a grim future. Thankfully the worst-case scenario had not come to pass and the trio still had a chance to advance on the base undetected.

Victoria paid attention when Nenet had told her that one of the men had gotten away to report the three mages snooping around The Frozen Phoenix to his pals back at camp. The phoenix was right when she asserted that it was a waste of effort to plan out an approach that banked on them going entirely undetected; unless the man who had gotten away got lost, died of a heart attack, or had been mauled by a pack of wolves on the way back to camp, the slavers would be alerted. The best that the pair could do was at least get a glimpse of the camp before a slaver horde came thundering down from the camp in search of the Sabertooth mages.

Nenet said that while she could crawl up the sloping terrain to take a peek, her distinctive coloration would give her away to anyone who was not colorblind and was not drunk. There was also the high chance that Nenet's body heat could melt the snow and send up a giant cloud that would give her position away. The task of glancing over the slaver camp would fall to Victoria. Victoria was clothed in white winter camouflage and had a scope that would extend her vision, though the scope had a big drawback. She had forgotten to coat it with an anti-glare treatment to reduce or eliminate the chance of a lens flare revealing her position to an observant sentry. While she would lose the benefit of a ranged weapon, keeping a low profile like Nenet had suggested was a prudent idea, at least until Itori could get here or the slavers came thundering out of their camp anyway.

"I'll crawl up there, Nenet. I'll have an easier time going unspotted than you will." Victoria said to Nenet before walking over to the sloping terrain, dispelling the Tranquilizer Rifle, getting on her stomach, and beginning the slow and careful crawl into position. Victoria would get as close as she dared, then stop and get a glimpse of the camp that the trio would soon be forcing their way into. Victoria would have to be careful because she did not know if they had watchtowers or people stationed on elevated positions.

Victoria slowly crawled through the snow to disturb it as little as possible. She was also moving slowly to reduce the noise she made on her ascent because crunching snow was a distinctive sound that could not fail to go unnoticed by anyone with working ears. The brunette slowly crawled forward on her stomach until she could glance out over the camp.

It was a small-sized camp that did not have watchtowers or fences but had several two-man teams on watch at all the likely entrances, so taking out the sentries was a risky proposition because unless the attackers had the split-second coordination needed to silence both sentries at once it was all but guaranteed that one would notice in time to sound the alarm. The camp's main entrance was about 500 meters down the road from Nenet's current position. 200 meters to the northwest of the entrance was a wooden building that likely served as a barracks for the slavers because she noticed one two-man team going in and another two-man team trudging out to take their places.

300 meters to the north of the barracks was another wooden building, but the brunette could not ascertain what it was for because she did not want to risk crawling any close than she already had. All she could see to set it apart from the first was that it was in crummy condition; it had numerous holes in the roof and some cracks in the walls that had been hastily patched but never properly repaired. It also had iron bars on the windows and a wooden bar keeping the door shut from the outside. Maybe it was the place where their captives were kept until they could be sent to market. Or maybe it was their armory. She did not know and was not brave enough to risk a closer look. Rounding out the place was a quartet of tents placed side-by-side off to the right side of the entrance of the unknown building, presumably for those slavers who had fallen out of favor and were kicked out of the warm barracks... or for those who guarded the building.

Not wanting to be spotted before she could tell Nenet of what she had seen, Victoria quietly crawled backwards until she was off the slope. She then turned around and crawled forward until she was at Nenet's feet. Once there she stood up and gave a rundown of the camp.

"The camp entrance is roughly 500 meters away from us. No watchtowers, but there are two-man sentry teams at every possible entrance, even cliffside. 300 meters northwest from the entrance is a wooden building that's possibly a slaver barracks. 300 meters north of the possible barracks is a badly maintained wooden building that's either a prison or an armory. In front of that building is four canvas tents, most likely for guards to use." Victoria reported her findings to Nenet. Hopefully Itori would get here before the slavers were alerted by the man who had gotten away. Once Itori was here the fox lady could make a plan that would allow a three-man team to bring down an entire slaver camp.

[Post Word Count: 1,306]
[Victoria's Word Count: 11,510/12,500]
[Total Word Count: 22,619/25,000]

"It's a typical man thing. Nobody wants to do the job even though it's important so instead of making sure someone who's good at it ends up standing guard they just choose whoever messed up the most recently, so instead of guard duty it's more of a punishment." Nenet chuckled even as she grimaced. "Of course I'm saying that but arguably it's even worse among women. I may have lived alone for a long time but I'm still very much aware of how catty women can be when put together for long amounts of time. Really depends on whether you prefer fighting with your fists or with your tongue. Me? Definitely fists." Given that she'd just knocked a man out while barely missing a beat this wasn't particulary difficult to believe. Nenet certainly had no hesitation when it came to knocking some heads, even if she generally refrained from lethal punches. No fun if you ended up surrounded by bodies after all.

With Victoria agreeing to do the more serious scouting Nenet waited as the brunette sneakily crawled her way onto the hill, staying hidden from sight herself mosly by just sitting there behind the hill. Sometimes the best solution was the easiest, and the phoenix woman wasn't running any risks with how easily she could get spotted if she wasn't careful. She should see if Itori could get her something for stealth: she didn't mind being a striking figure but on jobs like this it really could be inconvenient.

She patiently waited for Victoria to return, being aware that by this point things were getting serious and that they couldn't afford to be discovered. Given that most of the slavers most likely couldn't even use magic or possessed any special abilities it was perfectly possible for the two of them to hold their ground, but even if they could fight off the slavers in a straight-up conflict the slavers might fight dirty, and the slaves were something to consider as well. Once Victoria returned the phoenix focused fully on what the gungirl had to say, nodding and frowning as she gazed out towards where the camp was located. "That does sound like a large group. The patchy building..." Her eyes narrowed further and she flexed one hand. "Must be where they keep the slaves, the bastards. I'd imagine they keep their weapons inside of the barracks. They're a bunch of criminals after all, not an army which has to carry big weapons." This organization clearly was of significant scale, but that didn't mean that the slavers were an organized military group. Most likely there was a core of either trained or professional types, surrounded by a whole bunch of folk who might be able to hold their own in the fight or who had other useful skills but who mostly were in it for the (supposedly) easy money.

"So now we wait for Ito to return to use and then we can-"

"You will not have to wait for long."

Nenet nearly jumped into the air as Itori appeared seemingly out of thin air. The tenko had been walking silently and invisibly, dropping her camouflage only once she was close enough that she could address the other two without having to raise her voice. Her ears had allowed her to overhear the entire conversation beforehand, so she didn't need to be briefed either. "If they have so many guards up they must have a strong reason to believe that someone is attempting to infiltrate their camp. The most reasonable conclusion is that the man from the tavern has already reached them and has explained the situation. Unfortunately it would have been preferable if they response had been to spread out in an attempt to find us, as it would have scattered them and left them open for a surprise attack."

"So you're just going to ignore the fact that you scared the living daylights out of me huh." Nenet said this almost under her breath, but other than that just listened as the tenko gave her opinion on the issue while completely ignoring the fiery woman's comment.

"I can render the three of us hidden from their sight, which would allow us to approach undetected. However we first would have to decide upon how to best deal with this scenario. Given the amount of guards that are required to protect a perimeter of this size it might be prudent to wait for the ones on duty to tire out and lose focus, after which we could take out a single pair and infiltrate as we locate the ones in charge." She nodded towards Nenet. "Although I suspect that you would not be in favour of this plan."

Nenet shook her head. "Might be the safest plan but we shouldn't be sitting around here out in the open. Better to just prepare for a big fight and force our way in. The three of us should be able to beat them down without much difficulty."

"Perhaps, although it is too early to be certain of this. The men we have encountered so far are not an accurate representation of their combat potential. As you mentioned yourself earlier, the ones outside of the camp are most likely to have been given such tasks because they were considered of lower rank." Itori raised a hand and crafted an illusion which gave a simplistic view of the camp. Victoria's description had been concise but to the point. "Nenet and I are both capable of flight, but given the circumstances I believe it would be better to remain grounded for the time being. Instead I suggest that we use the barracks itself as our cover." The line which divided the camp and the surrounding area lit up near the barracks as described by the brunette. "Large structures not only block vision but also help mask sound to some extent. Breaking through the perimeter close to the barracks would both be unexpected and less noticeable than if we tried a different approach. For the disabling of the guards I can give the both of you a temporarly illusion that hides you from sight even if you are separated from me and give you the signal to strike. Afterwards I shall disable the ones resting inside the barracks: they should be easily taken out as long as they remain unaware of the situation."

Itori looked at the other two. "That said there is still a good chance that we will be noticed at this point, so do not be afraid to engage the slavers and disable them with extreme force if necessary. Once we are inside the camp we will already have bypassed their first and foremost line of defence. If possible I would like for Nenet to use the opportunity to locate any captives and ensure their safety while miss Sheridan and I keep all the enemy combatants occupied. That means that once the actual fighting starts we would have to change from a stealthy approach to something significantly more flashy to ensure that we are seen as credible enough a threat that they want to respond with as many people as possible. My magic is not optimized for direct combat but as long as miss Sheridan keeps up the offensive I can handle the defence... although of course I would still prefer it if you refrain from lethal strikes if possible. Any suggestions?"

Nenet shook her head, not having much to argue here. Itori's plan was... well, rather crude, lacking minute details, but given that the three of them had a wide array of different abilities and that plans had to be adaptable that might be for the best. She was a bit disgruntled that she'd be the one securing the captives but when it came to fighting large groups of armed and armoured enemies Itori and Victoria probably had a better combination going. For her part she'd use her mobility and physical skills to take down any guards left to defend the slaves, if by some misfortune not every slaver responded to Itori's and Victoria's noisiness. Although with some luck the captives would be easily secured and she'd have plenty of time to beat up some slavers herself. Outside of that perimeter guard of course.

"Sounds good to me, just don't take care of them before I've got the opportunity to join in."

WC: 1,400
PWC: 12,503/12,500
TWC: 24,019/25,000