Saint HeleneBoard

Zoltan Palace, Grand River Tribe.
September 5th, calendar year 1524.

The hours of daylight flew by as if they were mere moments, and before Shizuku knew it, it was time to prepare for the coronation ceremony of Chieftess Matoimaru to officially receive the title that was given to her by her parents once The War of Crossed Tails ended not long ago. Due to political instability within the newly enveloped lands as a result of the war, this official ceremony could not be held until this night, and so it was. A few maids surrounded the brunette fox, as her small and seemingly fragile frame was being delicately prepared in an elegant dark blue dress, with black accents, and long black opera gloves. An ornate golden necklace is clasped around her neck, with a large ocean-blue gemstone that matches the colour of her eyes stationed in the middle of the necklace. A small golden earring was adorned on both of her dark brown fox-like ears, as well as small ocean-blue gemstone earrings on both of her human ears. A padded cloth was wrapped around her upper chest, filling out that particular part of the dress, which otherwise would have fit loosely, due to her slender and dainty frame. Her pale legs were completely shrouded in black satin leggings, as her feet were stuffed into some simple, yet elegant black heels, raised up to a median 7.5cm—Not too casual for the event, yet not too uncomfortable for her to walk around in for long periods of time. As the maids finished up preparing her makeup, and hair for the event, they slowly left the room one-by-one, until Shizuku was the only one left in her room. After staring at the door for a moment, seemingly waiting for it to suddenly swing open, she sat down on her bed, and looked over at her nightstand, which had been cleared of all of the empty liquor bottles, as well as her medications. She gave off a small smirk, before beginning to reach towards the drawer attached to her nightstand. Her smirk slowly disappeared, however, as she noticed her hand beginning to shake as she held it out in front of her. The brunette fox’s expression became neutral, as she opened her drawer, and took out the whiskey bottle from before, a shot glass, as well as a bottle of black orbs, and a bottle of purple orbs that was almost empty. Popping three of the black orbs in her mouth, she washed it down with a shot of whiskey, coughing slightly, before doing the same thing with a handful of purple orbs.

“Man…I really gotta get something stronger…” Her tone conveyed a mix of fatigue and slight frustration.

“…I can’t just keep taking more and more of these damn mystery purple painkillers…”

“They are starting to get a bit pricey for me, if I now have to take six of them for me to not feel anything…”

“…I’ll have to look around for something like that, could ask him the next time I go, as much as that place is extremely sketchy.”

Shizuku put everything back in the drawer, before grabbing a mint leaf out of another bottle, and putting it in her mouth. Closing the drawer, she stood up, making her way out of her room, and towards the large banquet hall. Entering the massive room, the petite fox is surrounded by opulence and luxury, with the room being more highly decorated than she had ever imagined it to be, as expected for a grand event such as this. Looking around her, she confirms that everything seems to be going along just fine, and that her stress and overworking was not for nothing. The palace’s maids and servants scurried around the very large room, their dress shoes and heels clacking on the white marble flooring as they went along with various tasks in preparation for the ceremony. Shizuku looked outside, and noticed the evening sun sitting low in the sky, indicating the beginning of guests arriving at the palace. Walking to the entrance of the ballroom, she watched as a wealthy couple wearing much more opulent clothing than her own, with the middle-aged woman wearing a long light-pink dress, and so much jewelry that Shizuku swears she could hear the woman jingle as she stepped. The man beside her wore a more modest, yet still expensive, black tunic, with a dark red surcoat, and matching dark red pants. The brunette fox studied them for a moment, seemingly recalling their names, and a few details about them. Both of their figures were more than a few centimeters taller than her, but she was used to people looming over her, so she just simply curtsied, and gave a polite greeting to both of them.

“Good evening, Sir Torben Rehder, Madame Stellia Rehder. It is a pleasure to welcome you as an honored guest of Chieftess Matoimaru’s official coronation ceremony.”

Shizuku looked up at them respectfully, only to notice their gaze was solely fixated on her ornate necklace, and the large ocean-blue gemstone that resided within.

“…Is something of my appearance not to your liking?” Shizuku asked innocently, feigning a curious expression.

“Your broach, where did you get it?” The woman suddenly asked, her tone as cold and harsh as her gaze.

“…Oh, this was simply a gift from Madame Kotake. It is quite beautiful, isn’t it?” The brunette fox smiled, feigning politeness as the couple looked down at her with a slight frustration in their eyes.

“…Why yes, of course!” The woman’s face, whose age was physically covered up by makeup, put on a forced smile, before the couple quickly departed. Once they were out of earshot, Shizuku sighed, before preparing herself to greet the next guests.

After greeting a seemingly endless stream of guests, each of them showing a similar amount of disdain towards her existence, the time for guests to stop arriving at the coronation ceremony came near. As Shizuku mentally prepared herself to receive the same cold and unwelcoming treatment from the next guest she was to greet, a cheery voice suddenly exclaimed from a young Woltsu woman in a sunflower-yellow dress, comparable to her own in luxury, indicating that even within the wealthy elite, she was of lower-standing.

“Oh my goodness, you are so adorable!” The woman ran up to Shizuku, and grasped both of the fox’s hands with her own, before the former had a chance to formally greet them. Shizuku’s face displayed a bit of surprise, as the woman’s entire body seemed to glow with positivity. She studied the woman for a moment, realizing her to be Rosetta, sole daughter of the newly-successful entrepreneur Bauer family.

“…Ah…Why thank you…” Shizuku did not really know how to respond to such radiant positivity from the woman, as she had experienced quite the opposite treatment by most all of the people she greeted. Her tone was still letting slip a bit of her surprise, as was her face. She watched as Rosetta’s blonde wolf-like tail wagged back and forth rapidly in excitement, before an older woman rushed up behind her, and scolded her.

“Rosetta, remember your manners!”

The girl’s blonde, wolf-like ears drooped a bit, as well as her radiant smile, but her overall demeanor remained joyful.

“Ah, my apologies!” She backed away a couple of steps, before curtsying, and introducing herself.

“I am Lady Rosetta Bauer, but you can call me Rosetta!” She beamed a bright smile once more, as if the sun had once again risen during the late evening hours.

“What’s yours, young lady?”

Shizuku quickly hid her surprise with a polite expression, this time more real than her normal one.

“Young lady? I’m afraid that I am much older than I look, but thanks for the compliment!” She chuckled, looking at the woman she assumed to be quite some years younger than her, given that her unbounding joy had not yet fizzled out, and that she was only a handful of centimeters taller than her.

“…My name is Shizuku Avalon, Secretary of Chieftess Matoimaru,” she returned a curtsy to the young woman.

Rosetta’s light pink eyes beamed with life, as she looked into the eyes of her interlocutor once more.

“Oh, so it is you! You’re even more adorable than the rumors say!”

“Oh my gosh, girl, can we please be friends?”

“Don’t worry about any potential age-difference, as I just turned 24 myself!”

Shizuku was once again surprised by the lack of formality displayed by Rosetta, a sentiment seemingly shared by the young woman’s mother, who was currently staring daggers into her daughter’s back. The brunette fox flashed the older woman a polite smile, before putting on a more warm one when replying to the blonde wolf.

“Of course we can! I’ll be glad to have you as a friend!” There was some doubt within the mind of the small fox, but most of what she stated reflected her genuine emotions, unlike her previous interactions with the other guests.

“Yayyy—Eugh!” Rosetta celebrated her new-found friendship, before being lightly whacked on the top of her head by the paper fan her mother was holding. The blonde wolf’s ears folded flat against her head, as she placed both of hands on the spot where she was lightly smacked, making a dramatically sad face.

“I do apologize for my daughter…” The older woman began, her figure was taller than her daughter’s by at least ten centimeters, and her aura more commanding.

“…It is her first time being at an event like this, and she really was looking forward to meeting you…”

“Ah, me?” Shizuku questioned.

“…I’m no one special.”

“Oh, please! Girl, you are the cutest out of everyone else here!” Rosetta interjected, her cheery demeanor returning once again.

A tinge of redness appeared on the brunette fox’s cheeks, as she was quite surprised by what she had just heard.

“…Really?”

“Yes! C’mon girl, let’s go!” Rosetta once again stepped forward, and grabbed Shizuku’s hands, before beginning to pull her away from where she was standing, and off towards the main area of the ballroom.

“Uwah~!” Shizuku stumbled for a moment due to the unexpected change in momentum, before walking at a pace faster than she was comfortable with in her heels, trying to keep up with the determined Rosetta, who kept her hand firmly held in her own.

“W-Wait! Rosetta, please slow down!”

“…I-I’m a commoner, you shouldn’t be seen being all friendly with me in a place like this!”

Rosetta slowed down her pace a bit, before turning her head a bit to the right.

“Shizuku, I don’t care who you are, as long as you look adorable!”

“…And plus, these rich people are more stuffy than a prostitute’s chest in a corset!” The wolf chuckled to herself, as Shizu couldn’t help but join her in laughter after what she had been put through just talking to them.

“Now c’mon, let’s have some fun here!” The beaming smile of the blonde wolf put a genuinely warm smile on the face of the brunette fox for the first time in her recent memory. Her tail also began to wag side-to-side a bit faster than an idle swish for the first time in a long time.

As the ceremony wore on, Shizuku noticed more and more piercing gazes on both her, and Rosetta, who was most definitely proving herself to be the extroverts of extroverts, and the incarnation of pure joy itself, as the pair continued to chat and eat around the large ballroom. The blonde wolf’s positivity knew no bounds, as her words were constantly either of positive reinforcement, or spinning something bad, into something funny, which was a great relief that Shizuku didn’t know she even needed, with the weight of her own anxiety and stress beginning to lift itself. Rosetta once again took the small fox’s hand, and led her to a table with different sweets and drinks on it, and other guests milling about near it.

“Oh, Shizu! Have you ever had these strawberry cakes before? They are the best!” The blonde wolf extended out her hand, and grabbed a small white plate that contained a small square of a reddish-pink cake, before handing it to her friend.

“Oh wow! These look greAaAaA—” Suddenly, Shizuku felt a large impact on her left side, causing her to lose her balance, and fall backwards, landing on the dress of another woman.

“Oh my gosh! Shizu, are you okay?!” Rosetta grasped both of her friend’s hands, pulling her back up to her feet.

Without warning, Shizuku was forced to cover her ears with her hands, as a loud shriek emanated throughout the large ballroom from the woman whose dress she fell into. The small brunette fox slowly turned around, only to find her, and another man staring down at her with anger. Glancing around her, Shizuku internally scoffed as now it seemed like everyone in attendance at the ceremony was focused on them.

“…How dare you?!” The rather plump, middle-aged Woltsu woman growled out.

“…This dress cost more than anyone would ever pay for an underdeveloped, frail slave like you.”

Shizuku did not meet the woman’s gaze, still looking down at the portion of her dress that was now wrinkled due to her fall. The fox bit her lower lip, hiding her frustration at the mention of her past, which had seemingly been floated around as a common rumor about her. Her fox-like ears were folded flat against her head in submission, as she slowly adjusted her glasses that were knocked out of place by the fall. Rising above the murmurs of everyone else around them, Rosetta’s confident voice, laced with irritation, fired back at the woman who dared to admonish her new friend.

“Yeah, of course you would have paid more for it, because my friend is worth so much, that not even someone with triple your standing could buy her!”

“…So much more than anyone with a brain would ever pay for someone whose mouth is as foul as yours is!”

Shizuku watched as Rosetta glared into the older woman’s eyes, determination sparkling within.

“Such insolence!!!” The woman squawked.

“…Taking the side of a lowly commoner like that, you should better choose who you associate with, lest something happen to them because of you…”

Shizuku’s eyes widened slightly in fear, before the ever-confident Rosetta wrapped herself around the fox’s left arm, clinging to her as if to claim her as her own. This calmed Shizuku’s nerves slightly, but she still felt stressed out of her mind, and wished this situation would end as quickly as possible, lest everyone around them start to burn actual holes through her with how hard they were staring at the scene.

“Wow, I never knew they hired a jester for this ceremony! Hahaha!!!” Rosetta laughed confidently, spurring more murmurs, as well as a few laughs at her jab at the lady.

Shizuku looked up at the faces of the couple, who were now twisting in rage, before noticing the right arm of the taller man raise itself as if it were about to come down and strike her. The brunette fox quickly braced herself for the impact, freeing her arm from Rosetta, and pushing herself away from her friend so that she does not get caught up in any residual impact on her body from the man’s arm. Suddenly, Shizuku felt her small body being completely enveloped by a large presence behind her, as an unknown person that was much taller than she was, wrapped their hand around her midsection, and effortlessly pulled her dainty frame fully against their own, as if they were hugging a nothing more than mere stuffed animal. The fox’s ears continued to lay flat against her head, as she slowly opened her eyes to confirm a large arm shrouded in the sleeve a dark green coat with silver accents, red stitching, and a brown leather glove concealing a large hand that grasped around her entire side, keeping her still. She looked up to find the other arm of the mysterious figure gripping the wrist of the man who was about to strike her rather harshly, as evident by the mix of pain and frustration twisting on his face. Shizuku shivered slightly, as she heard a low growl emanating from the large figure that held her close, their aura becoming increasingly intense. Suddenly, the voice of her unknown savior revealed itself, growling as they spoke in an all-too-familiar husky feminine tone.

“…If you wish to air your grievances with this one, how about you do it with her directly, instead of taking it out on the ones who work so diligently underneath her…”

Recognizing the voice, Shizuku tilted her head upward to confirm her suspicions, the back of her head resting against the hard, yet not entirely uncomfortable collarbone of her savior, Chieftess Matoimaru. Realizing the embarrassment of having to be saved by the subject of the evening’s ceremony, the fox’s face began to turn a slight shade of red. As she attempted to subtly break free from the grasp of the silver-haired wolf, it dawned on her that only one of Matoimaru’s arms was required to effortlessly wrap around her petite frame, enveloping her entire midsection in an unyielding warm grasp of control and authority. The brunette fox’s heart began to beat faster, as waves of emotions akin to extreme nervousness, and embarrassment crashed into her. Shizuku was at a loss as to why she was even feeling these emotions in the first place, considering she had never felt this way before when she had been in even more compromising positions with others in the past. Before she could attempt to mentally unravel her own emotions, she heard the man yelp in pain, as Matoimaru squeezed his wrist harder, before letting it go. The man stumbled backwards, clutching his wrist, before suddenly dashing towards the exit of the ballroom, soon followed by the plump woman. Shizuku felt the aura around her savior dissipate, as well as her growling subside, before the towering, silver-haired wolf suddenly tilted her head downwards, as if to ensure that their eyes met. With now only roughly a dozen centimeters separating both of their faces, the small fox felt her heart speed up once more, as her face became even more red from waves of embarrassment continuing to crash into her entire being for a reason that was still unknown to her. She noticed that the authoritative wolf’s normally cold, and unwelcoming gaze was now being somewhat ebbed away with a mix of irritation, worry, and a slight hint of confusion swirling around within her bright red eyes.

“…Are you okay?” Matoimaru simply asked, seemingly noticing the increasingly red face of her subordinate.

Shizuku opened her mouth as if to respond, but could not form a coherent sentence in response, as if her brain was overwhelmed by the sudden influx of new stimuli around her, as well as dealing with new emotions that were rapidly eroding away at her composure.

“…Ah…”

“…I…”

“…I-I’m—” Her attempt at properly communication her wellbeing was swiftly interrupted by the tall wolf bringing her gloved right hand up to her mouth, and biting one of the fingers on it, before pulling the glove off, and placing the back of her large hand on the fox’s small forehead, covering it entirely with ease. The wolf scowled, before quickly donning her glove once more.

Shizuku glanced at Rosetta, silently motioning for her to interject and help her escape the tight, and seemingly possessive grasp of the Pureblood. However, the blonde wolf was simply staring at the pair with wide, sparkling eyes, a similarly red face, and a pinched nose as if she was attempting to prevent a nosebleed. The fox desperately wanted to be free of the situation, fearing what everyone else around them would be thinking about, seeing her in this state, and seeing their new Chieftess act so friendly towards a subordinate. Luckily for her, Matoimaru slowly began to loosen her hold on the fox’s small and slender body, allowing her to ultimately wiggle out of the wolf’s once-impenetrable grasp, and get a couple of steps in between them. The silver-haired Chieftess still kept one of her hands locked onto Shizuku’s forearm, preventing her from leaving completely, much to the dismay of the latter.

“…You seem to be running a fever, this one shall guide you to the infirmary to have it properly addressed there…” Matoimaru stated, before suddenly walking towards a side-door in the ballroom, dragging the dainty fox along behind her by her forearm, with the latter struggling to keep up with the much larger, and more confident strides of the former. It was at this point that Shizuku realized just how hard she was breathing, and just how hard her heart was beating—All for a cause which completely vexed the young woman. As they entered the sanctity of an empty hallway, Shizuku used this opportunity to try and stop the trouble she was causing the one she was meant to eliminate the trouble from.

“…Chieftess, I do not have a fever, please do not trouble yourself with my wellbeing,” she said, using nearly every ounce of control in her body to form a coherent statement.

“…Are you saying that this one does not know what a simple fever looks like?” Matoimaru replied rather bluntly, a certain coldness returning to her demeanor.

Shizuku’s mind began to swirl with different thoughts and emotions, severely clouding her ability to focus on what was around her. This led to the fox not realizing there was a small step in the middle of the hallway, and she tripped over it. She stuck her free arm out, bracing for a fall, before being swiftly caught by Matoimaru, and pulled right up against the tall wolf’s body once more, this time facing towards her instead of away like before. Once again the sensation of only one of the towering wolf’s large arms being needed to completely bring her small body in against hers, made her mind race even more with confusing thoughts. Shizuku looked down, attempting to hide her face from Matoimaru’s, and hoping that it was not as red as she felt it getting.

“…Now even your ears are red…” The wolf remarked, brushing her gloved hand against one of the fox’s human ears, causing the latter to let out a small, high-pitched yelp in surprise.

“Don’t make such noises, otherwise people will get the wrong idea that this one is hurting you,” Matoimaru loosened her hold on the seemingly fragile fox, before gently pushing her a couple of steps away

Suddenly, Shizuku felt her legs being swept out from underneath her, as she was picked up effortlessly by the large wolf, who then adjusted her grip on the dainty fox, before beginning to walk forward once more without changing her stride, as if she wasn’t even carrying anything.

“…With a body as dainty and fragile as this, no wonder you could catch a fever this easily…” Matoimaru studied the now completely beet-red face of the fox, as her tail began to wag back and forth, rapidly slapping the legs of the wolf carrying her like it was nothing.

“…Your tail is hitting this one’s legs pretty hard…”

“…Is that how you repay someone who’s helping you get medical attention?”

Shizuku forced her tail to slow down with all her might, and it worked, as she clutched her hands together tightly on her chest. Her mouth opened as if to speak once more, but she again could not form a coherent sentence, due to all of her brain power being used towards trying not to die of embarrassment, while being carried like she was the female lead in a romance novel by the one who treated her so coldly before.

“…Ah…”

“…I…”

“…Mmm…”

Failing to even do something as simple as speak, the fox simply turned her head away from the wolf’s somewhat cold gaze, hoping that no one would stumble upon her being in this awkward position. She herself still could not figure out why her body felt so embarrassed and nervous all of a sudden while being close to Matoimaru, as this had never happened before while with the presence of the mysterious Pureblood, nor while she was in similar positions with other people. She wondered if it was a weird side-effect of her ever-growing dependence on alcohol, combined with the myriad of pills she took in order to help calm the various issues her admittedly frail body had. Whatever the case was, Shizuku was determined to end this feeling as soon as possible, considering how much of a mental strain it took on her body being constantly at the height of nervousness, spiking anxiety and stress, as well as extremely intense waves of embarrassment. The rhythmic rocking of being carried by Matoimaru suddenly ended, as the pair stopped in front of a door, and the tall wolf gently set the small fox back onto her feet once again. She watched as the wolf knocked on the door, before pushing it open, revealing a small doctor’s office complete with a small white cot. Matoimaru gave Shizuku a slight nudge forward, as if coaxing her into the room.

“Hello, Dr. Jonas?” The Chieftess called out.

“This one has brought a patient for you. She has a fever.”

A tall Woltsu man with an aged appearance, donning a long white coat stepped into the room, taking a quick look at the pair before sitting down in a chair facing the bed.

“…A fever, aye? Have a seat on the bed, and I can get you checked out here,” the doctor patted the bed, as Shizuku walked over to it and sat down, her face slowly returning to its natural colour, but still visibly red. Matoimaru stood still in the doorway, as if to confirm that the fox was in fact going to stay in the room, before quickly leaving without a word. The doctor stood and closed the door, before sitting down and speaking once again.

“Before we get started, mind if I catch your name and age real quick? Just so that I have an idea of who I’m dealing with here.”

The fox’s blue eyes stared at him in surprise for a moment, seemingly still getting readjusted back to reality after everything that just happened.

“Oh, uhh…M-My name’s Shizuku Avalon, and I should be…27?” She replied with nervousness still overtaking her voice.

“My age is unfortunately a bit fuzzy, since I don’t actually know what year I was born in…”

“…I-I also don’t believe I actually have a fever, but the Chieftess insisted I go, so…”

“A guesstimate for age is fine as long as your margin of error isn’t something like twenty years, haha!” He chuckled.

“Also, might I say that you got yourself a mighty good escort, being brought in by the bossman herself!” He chuckled once more, before beginning his exam by placing the back of his hand on her forehead. This caused Shizuku to flinch, closing her eyes tightly and leaning her body backwards a bit to shy away from his hand.

“…Something wrong?” He asked, slowly pulling his hand away from her forehead.

“Oh, sorry. Force of habit…” The fox suddenly realized what she was doing, and quickly returned to how she was before.

“…Force of habit? From what, if I may ask?” The doctor asked, concern evident on his face.

“Ah…I umm…Rather not talk about it…” She hung her head low.

“That’s alright. Are you okay with me continuing my exam?” He asked.

“…Yeah, yeah. I’m fine…” She sighed, lifting up her head again, as it was once again touched by the back of the man’s hand.

“Alright, alright. You are running a bit of a high temperature from what I can tell…” The doctor’s voice trailed off.

“Could you open your mouth wide, please?”

The fox did as she was told, the doctor taking a look inside, before she closed it again.

“Hmm…no inflammation of the throat or mouth…”

“Have any symptoms come up recently? Anything differing from the norm? I can see that your face is a bit red, but not as red as it was when you first entered the office here…”

“Uhh…” Shizuku mused for a moment.

“…Not particularly…”

“…I mean I am pretty tired, nervous, and stressed out from working a lot recently to plan the ceremony, as well as stuff that happened while I was at the ceremony.”

“…M-My red face isn’t really caused by a fever or anything like that. Like I said, I don’t really think I’m sick. It was just a misunderstanding is all.”

“Mmm…Well since you are not exhibiting any symptoms other than an increased temperature, I believe you are probably suffering from severe fatigue at the very least, which can lead to you getting seriously ill if you don’t take it easy for a bit,” the doctor stated.

“I wouldn’t be against such a diagnosis being true. Might explain why my headaches have been getting worse recently, although that’s probably because I drink too much…” Her voice trailed off.

“Drink too much? Drink what, exactly?”

“…Liquor, mostly. They happen in the morning just after I wake up, so I just assume that’s what it’s from.”

“Liquor, right… How much do you drink?”

“Mmm…Depends on the strength, but normally I need anywhere from four to six shots in order to calm my mind down enough to sleep.”

“Four to six?!” The doctor exclaimed, not attempting to hide any of his shock.

“…I…”

“…Haaaaah…”

“Shizuku…”

“…What did you do, sign a non-compete clause with your liver?” He laughed silently to himself, massaging his temples for a moment, before hearing the reply of the fox.

“…No? I just need to drink that much in order to fall asleep at night, otherwise I won’t be able to sleep for days, or until I just collapse where I am from exhaustion. It never used to be that much, but I guess I’ve built up a tolerance to that sort of thing…”

The doctor stared at her petite and seemingly unassuming frame for a moment, before sighing.

“…Anything else you’re packing into that small body of yours that I should be aware of?”

“…Uhh…Two different painkillers for my head and my ribs, as well as some medicine that I don’t really know what it is, but it does help with a bunch of my other issues, like tremors, nausea, arthritis, and more that I can’t recall at the moment.”

“Okay…And how long have you been on these different substances for?”

“Alcohol to sleep and help relax my mind? A little over a decade I think… I can’t quite remember when I started that, but it was into my late teens. As far as the other things, I’ve been on and off those, as well as a myriad of other substances, for as long as I can remember. Again, I’m not interested in sharing why, or how I’ve indulged in things, however I will tell you that I’ve always had bumps, bruises, breaks, or just general pain at least somewhere on my body that required some sort of medication. Most of the time, I had no clue what I was actually taking, just that it would make me feel better.”

“…I see…”

“…Eh, it is what it is… Always has been, always will be. I’m not really in a position to fix my issues, nor am I quite that interested to do so at the moment. As long as I can exist just enough to be able to adequately serve Chieftess Matoimaru, I’m not bothered by what happens to my body.”

“…The pages definitely do not match the cover with you…”

“I get that a lot from people. Sh*t happens, that’s all I want to say about that right now.”

“That’s okay with me, but take these with you when you go back to your room,” The doctor took a small glass jar full of green beads out of a drawer next to him, and handed it to the fox.

“…Swallow two of these a bit before you go to bed, and cut your alcohol consumption before bedtime in half. See if that doesn’t help with your morning headaches at the very least.”

“Ah, thank you…” Shizuku studied the jar for a moment, looking at all the individual orbs within.

“…Since I do not wish to disrespect the wishes of the Chieftess, I do believe that I am going to retire to my room for the night. She was already annoyed at me earlier when I tried to say that I didn’t have a fever, otherwise I would go back out to the ceremony to help out with whatever needs it.”

“Some proper rest would do you a lot of good, yeah. Oh, and don’t worry, what has been said here will not leave this room, since it seems you care a lot about the Chieftess, and don’t want her to worry about you,” the doctor advised.

“Thanks… She did save my life once before, so I don’t want her to have to worry about doing it again. It’s best for her to not know about what I can’t fix about myself anyways…”

“I understand…” The old man nodded, before watching Shizuku stand, and leave the room. Once outside, the brunette fox found Rosetta standing there in the hallway, with the worried expression consuming her demeanor. Upon noticing her friend’s return, the blonde wolf threw herself at Shizuku, nearly knocking the poor fox to the ground, as she was enveloped in a tight hug by a now crying wolf.

“…Shizu…” Her voice whimpered.

“…Are you okay?”

Seeing someone this worried for her, and willing to express such in this manner, cleared her thoughts of the previous confusing events that had consumed her, and painted a slight smile on her face.

“Yeah…I’m fine…” Shizuku replied warmly.

“I-I’m so glad…” Rosetta sniffled, before having the tears wiped from her face by the one she embraced.

“The doctor said it was just simple fatigue from overwork and stress, and I’ve got some medicine to help me relax and sleep better for the time-being,” Shizuku explained.

“Good…” Rosetta paused, loosening her hold on the fox’s somewhat smaller body.

“…Let’s head up to your room, so that you can rest while we talk, okay?”

The fox nodded with a warm smile, before the pair headed upstairs to Shizuku’s room.

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Music for this portion of the post: Monster Show (Instrumental) — Pecos Hank (https://youtu.be/vnqWswMLNac?si=XlREc3gBiyjV1SFH)

Zoltan Palace, Grand River Tribe.
September 5th, calendar year 1524.

Shizuku and Rosetta both sat on the former’s bed, each donned in a matching white nightdress. Between them sits a small silver tray, with two shot glasses, and an almost empty familiar whiskey. Both women are visibly intoxicated, their faces red, actions unrefined, and breath making the air around them tainted with the stench of alcohol. The brunette fox pours a shot for both of them, leaving the bottle devoid of any more liquid. Her face becomes a bit annoyed at this, before she quickly downs her shot, and flops backwards onto the pillows behind her, lightly striking the bed with her fists in frustration, as Rosetta also downs her shot.

“Mmmmmmm…*hic*” Shizuku mumbled in frustration, her voice uneven, and slurred from the effects of the alcohol on her body.

“…Why can’t I get what Matoimaru did to me…*hic*…at the ceremony out of my head…”

“…I mean you did look so adorably embarrassed when that big and strong wolf came to rescue you~” Rosetta smugly teased, her voice equally as uneven and slurred due to the alcohol. Shizuku stayed silent for a moment at this before responding.

“…Yeah! *hic*”

“That’s what I mean! I dunno why I’s felt that way, considering I’ve been in more compromising positions with other people before, and never had such extreme and confusing feelings destroy my composure like that…”

“…Oh~? So you are experienced…*hic*…like that…” Rosetta’s demeanor grew even more smug.

“…Well yeah of course I am! I’m f*cking 27 for the Gods’ sake!” The fox adamantly defended herself, arising a laugh out of her interlocutor.

“Hehe… You are just the cutest to tease, you know?”

Shizuku stayed silent at this, her face scrunching in frustration and confusion, as mind tumbled around the events and emotions she experienced just a few hours ago, prompting Rosetta to continue speaking.

“…Say, Shizu…”

“…Do you want to try something that might elevate some of your stress?”

The fox tilted her head to the left, noticing a peculiar glint in the blonde wolf’s light pink eyes as their gazes met, before eventually brushing it off as the alcohol in both of their systems.

“Mmm…” Shizuku mused for a moment.

“…I would honestly love the opportunity to not let this stress…*hic*…bury my mind…”

“…But since I’m this drunk, I doubt I could do anyth—*Mmph!*”

Before the brunette fox could finish her statement, she found her lips being smothered by Rosetta’s, who had leaned over the tray to connect her own lips with the fox’s, knocking over the empty whiskey bottle in the process. After a few moments of this, they parted, leaving only a handful of centimeters between their faces. Both women were breathing heavily, as the blonde wolf suddenly climbed the rest of her body on top of Shizuku, straddling her lap. Rosetta’s eyes continued to gaze into Shizuku’s with a now longing and mischievous glint in them, before she leaned forward, and locked lips passionately with the fox once again, as her blonde wolf-like tail wagging back and forth rapidly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoltan Palace, Grand River Tribe.
September 8th, calendar year 1524.

Sat in her office, Matoimaru suddenly breaks the intense focus she had on the papers strewn about her desk, before slowly turning her head to he right, and gazing out of the window at the starry night sky. Her mind began to wander around the many complex events she’s had to attend to within the past few days, as her face suddenly scowled with irritation. Scenes of her recent interactions with Shizuku replayed in her head, including what transpired between them at her coronation ceremony.

“…Haaaaaah…” The silver wolf sighed, releasing some pressure built up by the act of her brain wandering about in previous events.

“…Ugh…”

“…Why is that girl so damn odd…”

“This one can never truly grasp what is going on inside her head, unlike most of the people this one meets.”

“…This one also does not know why her body moved on its own will to save the same damn girl she’s been so wary of…”

“…Why is this one’s body and mind conflicting on what to do, especially on how to act around Shizuku…”

“…It should be just like how this one acts around any other person she meets, and yet…”

“…There seems to be a conflict between how this one should present herself to that girl…”

“…What is so different about her that makes this one become confused about a person for the first time in her life?”

“The professional assassin this one sent to trail Shizuku has given me the information that she’s asked for, but it does not seem to quell this one’s confusion one bit…”

“…This one has ordered him to continue the investigation. There has to be something to be discovered which can solve this one’s internal conflict.”

“This one’s body wishes to treat Shizuku more warmly and more friendly, however this one’s brain knows it is more wise to continue the same cold demeanor she’s given to both her, and everyone else besides her parents. All of this is necessary in order to keep true to the wise tenants of having your subjects fear you, instead of love you, making the chances for their betrayal of you much slimmer.”

“…This one still cannot fathom why her own body wishes to rebel against all common sense, by seeking out the want to be near Shizuku, even though her brain knows that it is an unintelligent idea. Regardless if that odd girl was a friend of this one before she claimed the title of Chieftess, this one would still choose to put up distance between her so that no danger shall befall her due to this one’s position of power making anyone close to her susceptible to attacks.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoltan Palace, Grand River Tribe.
September 8th, calendar year 1524.

Shizuku sits at the edge of her bed, taking shot after shot of a large bottle of light amber liquor. Struggling to keep herself even in an upright position, she clumsily corks the bottle, and sets it on her nightstand, along with her shot glass. She then flops backwards, using her legs to push herself towards the middle of the bed, wincing in pain along the way.

“…Ahh…*hic*…” She mumbled, her intonation barely coherent due to the amount of alcohol in her system. Her breathing was somewhat heavier than normal due to the strain of her body working harder to move itself in spite of the opposing forces of the alcohol.

“…I’s forgot that my hips are still sore from the…*hic*…intimate night with Rosetta…”

“…She is definitely an expert in stress relief…”

“…*hic*…”

“…If only I could get over the awkwardness with the Chieftess like I did with Rosetta a couple days after that event…”

“…But it seems as if every time I meet the Chieftess since what happened the ceremony, things are a bit awkward…”

“…I dunno if it’s just…*hic*…me, or if it’s also something with her, but there’s something definitely off with how we view each other now…”

“…This is so weird, because I’ve never experienced…*hic*…anything like this before. Even with having engaged in skinship with Rosetta, things are back to normal now after we eventually laughed it off together.”

“…But with the way the Chieftess is so cold and indifferent to everyone around her, I don’t think there’s an opportunity for…*hic*…such a solution…”

Shizuku’s mind began to wander back to the embarrassing moments that happened between her and Matoimaru at the coronation ceremony, before eventually speaking once more.

“Ugh…It’s like a feeling of stage-fright, except for you long to be on stage. F*cking weird, that is…”

“…Maybe I should ask the doctor if it’s caused by one of the medications I’m taking…”

“…*hic*…”

“…Oh yeah, I was supposed to cut my drinking by taking the sleeping pills he gave me…”

“…Eh, f*ck it. It’s my first day off since I started this job. I can do whatever the f*ck I want! Hehehe…” The brunette fox drunkenly chuckled, before feeling herself succumbing to a lack of consciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoltan Palace, Grand River Tribe.
September 9th, calendar year 1524.

“…Ahhh…” Shizuku awakes in the late morning from her alcohol-induced slumber from the other night, her head pounding, and her stomach churning.

“…At least I didn’t have a nightmare this time?”

“…Ugh… Let’s get this headache taken care of…”

The fox reaches over to her nightstand, and fumbles around for a moment, before finding her glasses and putting them on. She then opens the drawer, and pulls out the glass blotter full of black orbs, before taking three of them, washing them down with some water. As she puts the bottle away, she notices her hands become very shaky all on their own. She scowls at this, before suddenly coughing, and yelping loudly, as a sharp pain reverberates throughout her body, originating from her rib cage.

“KAH—! F*ck…”

“…Where are my other painkillers…” She fumbled around in the drawer once more, before finding a glass jar with only a half a dozen purple orbs in it. She frantically opens it, and takes all of them with some water, before setting the empty jar on her nightstand.

“…I didn’t think I would have to make a trip back to the supplier this early, but it looks like I’m out of them…”

“…As much as I don’t care for that place, I do need these pills, as the only other alternative is a temporary fix with those green leaves that smell like an unwashed skunk when smoked…”

Shizuku slowly gets up from her bed, and dons some casual clothes since she is not attending to work-related affairs at the moment. Looking in the mirror, she confirms the correctness of her outfit: A casual tan long-sleeve shirt, light brown pants, worn dark brown leather boots, and a dark brown leather belt with a few pouches attached on it. She then grabs a long dagger within a black sheath, and attaches it to her backside just underneath her tail, before draping a long, dark brown cloak over her figure. Having memorized the layout of the palace from habit as a previous slave, the fox quietly sneaks out, unaware of the tall, black-haired Katsu soldier tailing her.

Shizuku entered a commoner market area, full of bustling stalls with many people milling about, buying various items from food, to even small luxury goods. The brunette fox, however, was not interested in anything being sold here, so turned down an alleyway between two stalls. A dark and dingy aura surrounded her, as she saw a few homeless men sleeping on the ground, with very ragged clothing. She carefully stepped around piles of trash and dirt, before stopping in front of a rather worn-looking wooden door full of cracks and splits in the wood panels. To the left of this door sat a homeless man, wearing a patchwork hat, and was slouched over a flask of an unknown liquid. Shizuku reached into one of her pouches, and pulled out a silver coin, tossing it to the man. It bounced off of his shirt, and landed on the dirt ground with a clink. The man quickly snatched it, and slowly looked up at her, before taking a swig of whatever liquid inhabited his flask, and knocking on the door twice slowly, then twice rapidly. After a few moments, the door slowly creaked open, revealing a tall man whose identity was similarly shrouded by a black cloak. The man stared at her for a moment, before letting her inside, shutting the door behind her. He silently motioned for her to follow, as she made note of the fact that the man had at least 40 centimeters on her in height. The pair went down a narrow hallway, with roughly half a dozen rooms on either side, each shrouded in a closed door that was obviously thinly constructed, as Shizuku could hear the sounds of non-descript moaning coming from a few, as well as faint crying coming from another. The small fox’s demeanor suddenly became rather serious, as she was reminded of her past as a victim of this underworld, and its octopus-like tentacles that stretch out into all corners of civilization. Shizuku brushes this off, as she is led into a room at the very end of the hallway, with the man who escorted her opening and closing the door for her. The room was furnished akin to a small office, complete with a bookshelf full of books and other various trinkets, a few worn chairs, as well as a worn desk, that held various papers on it, as well as the arms of another large man, whose identity was not shrouded by a cloak. He was rough past was seemingly etched upon his body, as his face displayed many scars, as well as a missing eye that was covered by a black eye patch. One of his black, wolf-like ears was missing, with the other having a chunk taken out of the top of it. His short black hair was also obviously dyed quite shabbily from the perspective of a well-trained eye. The man studied her small, shrouded figure for a moment with a rather dominating aura, before letting out a slight smile before speaking.

“Ya here fo’ da usual, young lass?”

“…You always seem to have what I need,” Shizuku nodded, as the man reached into a drawer in his desk, and pulled out a medium-sized glass jar full of small purple orbs, setting it on the desk.

“…We wouldn’t stay in business if we’s didn’t have whatcha needed!” The man chuckled a bit loudly.

“You mind if I throw in five packets of the light green powder?” The fox asked.

The man silently nodded at this, and pulled out five small brown cloth packets of an unknown substance, before placing them all in a small brown paper bag.

“…Price of both items is still the same they was before…” The large man stated, before watching Shizuku reach behind her cloak, and pull out a small pouch, before placing it on the desk. The man peaked inside, seeing various amounts of gold, silver, and copper coins, before nodding and sliding the jar and the bag towards her. The fox took both items, and secured them inside a large pouch on her belt, before speaking.

“…Thanks for being the most reputable business in town…”

The man is caught off-guard by her joke for a moment, before bursting out into a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha! Of course, young lass!”

Shizuku gave the man a slight smile, before exiting the room, being escorted down the hallway by the other large man once again. As the small fox comes upon the last door in the hallway, the man escorting her suddenly begins to cough loudly, making Shizuku stop, and turn around to check on him. She opened her mouth as if to speak, before the door she was next to suddenly swung open, and a large hand came out from it, and covered her mouth and nose with a damp cloth. She began to cough a bit, as an extremely foul odor attacked her sense of smell due to how pungent it was. She tried to push away from the unknown arms now wrapped around her body, dragging her inside the completely dark room, but it was no use, as her strength was just not enough to overpower whoever was holding her captive. She felt her consciousness begin to slip away from her, prompting her to try and draw her dagger, but this was quickly thwarted by a large impact to her stomach, causing her to cough violently, gasping for the air that had just been knocked out of her, before finally succumbing to the siren’s call of unconsciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“…Young lady…” A man’s voice echoed through Shizuku’s consciousness, not yet rousing her from the grips of the artificially-induced sleep.

“…Young lady…” The voice echoed a bit louder and clearer, prompting the fox to open her eyes.

“…Young lady…”

Shizuku’s vision slowly focused, her head spinning and in pain as if it was tossed around in a butter churn. She felt a warm presence on her chin, as her head was lifted up by an unfamiliar hand.

“Young lady, are you awake?”

The fox’s eyes finally focused enough to find the source of the voice to be of a tall, black-haired Katsu, donned in a blood-covered Grand River Tribe soldier’s uniform. She blinked a few times slowly before replying with a weak voice.

“…Yeah…”

A look of relief washed over the mysterious man in front of her, as he knelt down, and placed a flask to her lips, tipping it as a clear liquid flowed into her mouth. Shizuku wasn’t expecting this, and began to cough, sending sharp pains through her abdomen and rib cage.

“…I know it hurts, but you’ve gotta drink water…” The man’s voice said softly.

With this gentle coaxing by the man, the brunette fox began to drink the water until there was nothing left in the flask. Her mouth and throat felt extremely dry, as her lips were cracked and bruised. She began to look at her body, and noticed rips in her pants near her upper thigh, and inseam area, causing her to quickly cover it with her cloak. The man seemingly noticed this, and spoke once more.

“…Don’t worry, Miss. They won’t be able to hurt you anymore.”

Shizuku tilted her head to look around the man, but he quickly moved his own body to shield her gaze from whatever existed behind him.

“…I wouldn’t look back there, Miss. It’s a scene not fit for the eyes of a young maiden like yourself.”

Shizuku became irritated at this man’s inaccurate description of her, and corrected him without hiding her displeasure.

“I am 27, and not a child, thank you very much!” She turned her head away from him, as the pain began to subside. She then notices the man step back, and outstretched his hand, which was covered in a bloodied white glove. She began to outstretch her own hand to meet his, but suddenly hesitated, opting instead to grip the hilt of her dagger with her other hand.

“Who are you?” Shizuku asked sternly.

“…Aren’t you acting awfully defensive towards the man who saved your life…” The man sarcastically replied, expertly dodging the question.

“…I never asked for my life to be saved…” Shizuku said with anger, baring her fangs at the man.

“Then why are you clutching onto your dagger as if you value your own survival over mine?” The man raised his eyebrows in inquisition.

The fox scoffs at the man, before slowly releasing her grip on the dagger, and accepting his hand. The man proceeded to pull her to her feet, and hold her dainty frame against his body much like how Matoimaru did during the ceremony. Shizuku quickly pushes the man away from her, glaring at him angrily, before walking out of the room, and into the hallway, only to step in a squishy pink substance leaking from a man’s skull. The fox looked down and stared at it for a moment, before a mysterious hand covered her eyes, and guided her body through the main room, which she could tell through glimpses was painted red with blood, as corpses were strewn about the room in various positions. As the pair stepped outside of the building, Shizuku pushed the man’s hand away from her, and created some distance between them.

“…Your attempt at copying how the Chieftess treated me at the ceremony is not appreciated…” Her voice spoke with anger.

“I’m not sure what you are referring to, Secretary Avalon,” the man flashed a smug expression.

“Tsk… If you know who I am, then don’t f*cking follow me, you *sshole,” the fox’s voice still not letting the man have anything other than her anger.

“‘*sshole’? Well excuse me for being the one to kill and save you from the actual perverted *ssholes that were having their way with you until I was able to infiltrate the premises,” the man chuckled, before nonchalantly turning around and walking away as if nothing ever happened.

Shizuku stared in the direction the mysterious man walked in for a few moments, before herself turning and walking back towards the palace at a brisk pace, keeping the middle of her cloak closed to cover her torn clothing.

The glossy moon shone down faintly upon the earth, illuminating the dense canopy of the Northern Jungles that made up Nyumbani. The jungle floor was almost pitch-black, with barely any light to illuminate the critters and shrubbery that filled the ground. Yet through the darkened terrain shone several pairs of bright lights, emanating from flashlights strapped to numerous vests, forming a convoy of bodies. The sounds of boots could be heard squelching on the ground, picking up mud and rain from a recent storm, flinging them about as they walked haphazardly along a trail. In total there were no less than twelve people, all armed to varying degrees. At the front of the trail was a local, a member of the Haru. Behind him were three armored fighters, a woman and two men. The woman had a black and red beret, only visible due to the flashlights, as well as a green-tailored jacket and grey pants. The other two men wore helmets bearing the letters “F.U.N” with body armor. The woman had a sheathed machete, while the soldiers had rifles slung over their shoulders. Behind this trio were a pair of six porters, holding three crates amongst them. All were wearing green khaki pants and a green t-shirt, with a black-and-red armband to signify their allegiance. Finally making up the rear was a final duo of armed guards.

Of the convoy, the only two talking were the guide and the woman, the former spoke with caution, the latter with a bored indifference:

“How much further do we gotta go? My men are getting tired out here, aintcha?”

Met with a silence from her men, the woman sighed as the guide replied.

“Patience child. You will soon see the bright lights of my people.”

“Ugh. How many times do I gotta tell ya old man? I aint ya girl, or any other f*ckin thing like that.”

“And, as I have done many times before, I will ask for your age.”

“I aint telling you my age bozo. Who the hell asks a woman for their age?”

“And since you won't tell me, I can only assume you are a girl.”

“F*ck off… You’re lucky I have orders not to ruffle you. F*ckers like you’d be dead in a heartbeat if I had my way.”

“And I will be thankful that your superior has a bigger brain than yours.”

“Oi. I’ll have you know that I’m still the officer here.”

“And without your guide, you will become nothing.”

The officer mumbled to herself, before taking out a cig and lighting it.

“You know…” The officer continued, puffing out smoke. “If it weren’t for your attitude, I’d be totally down to hook-up.”

The guide paused, and slowly turned around, halting the convoy in the process. He glanced at the woman, her brown hair showed a tint of red, matching well with her tanned appearance. The officer stared back at the guide, her olive eyes showing no sign of her words being banter. The guide turned and simply stated “I’ll pass.”, causing the officer to inhale her cigarette and begin violently coughing.

“Quiet.”

“I’m- Coughs- Sorry? Did I do something to offend you? Who the hell turns down an offer like that?”

“I do. What sort of officer are you? I cannot believe a person as insufferable as you was given this sort of task. This is the relief of my people? A h*rny, drug-addicted psychopath in the form of a woman? What mockery.”

“Well excuse you, Mr. I didn’t get my post because I’m a dumb idiot. Who cares if I have a good personality. Sheesh. You people could learn a thing or two from interacting with the outside world. But nope. Here you are, in poverty, without food and water, relying on aid from f*ckin’ anarchists to give your people even a shot at liberty. I mean what the hell? You f*cks actually need a third party to come over here and liberate your poor *sses from the Brits?”

“Yes.”

“They have like two thousand men! With broken down RVs! I swear fighting in Eschlend was harder than this and those f*cks only held out for a month! How pathetic can your people be? And to think that I volunteered my *ss to save you degenerates and you can’t even respect my personality? I ought to have this convoy turned around. What a waste of time and what a sh*tty place to live in.”

“I suggest you hush up… We’re here.”

“Wh-... Oh. Neat.”

As the guide hushed up the officer, she looked forward to notice a slight gloom coming from a few trees up ahead. Finishing the walk in silence, the guide stepped off to the side, and pointed the way in to the village.

“Just follow the trail to the campfire, my elder will wish to speak with you.”

“Okay.”

As the convoy passed by, the guide got a few words with one of the porter teams.

“Is she always this miserable?”

“Yeah.”

“My condolences.”

“Mh-hm.”

With his final words, he watched as the group continued making their way down the trail, before tailing comfortably behind them as to head home himself.

The village was quaint, and shabby at best. A multitude of houses could be seen, most made out of clay and straw. A few more modern shacks appeared to be in the works, but they were unfinished. As the trail curved, it revealed the village center, made up of two parts: A well and a campsite. Surrounding the center were some finished wooden shacks, and smaller trails that led to more of the clay houses. The campsite had a lit fire, with a plethora of villagers onlooking the convoy as it came to a halt just a few meters away. The officer motioned for the porters to lower the crates, and then spoke in the general direction of the crowd:

“Which one of you f*ckers is the one I’m s’posed to meet with?”

At her request, the eldest of the group chuckled to herself and stepped forward.

“Welcome to Nimbuka, child...” As she said child, the officer muttered to herself while the Chief continued speaking. “... and thank you for making your way here. I’m sure the hike was not pleasant.”

“Uhh… Yeah, sure, thanks.”

“Now, before we begin. May I see that you have brought what was requested?”

“Mmm… Yeah, sure.”

The officer gestured to the porters, who opened the crates revealing the contents of each crate. From left to right was a crate of supplies, guns, and various equipment. As the Chief walked towards them, the porters detached their flashlights and shone them into the crates, revealing the attention to which every item was packed and maintained.

“Good… Yes, very good. You people are too kind for us. Building us houses, giving us food in our time of need. My people were right to look North for help.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Hmph. But I know more than anyone here that generosity is just a form of bartering. Here, bring forth the offer.”

At the Chief’s queue, a pair of villagers brought forth a basket, to which the F.U.N soldiers moved up to take it themselves. They moved the basket to the officer, taking out a few bits of equipment that were lodged in it, and began inspecting the contents. The officer herself wasted no time, picking out a pair of walkies, and then a pistol from the basket.

“Radio… loaded side-arm. Bloodied shirt. Damn, you people got a good haul. Poor British f*cker.”

The officer turned on the radio, listening to the flickering sounds. After several seconds of silence, her expression rapidly soured, before immediately returning to one of indifference.

“Ehh, I’ll have the boys look into this, damn Brits may have changed the channels they were using the second this group here failed to check-in. Anyways. Good haul, you can have the supplies.”

At her words, the many villagers suddenly flocked to the crates, albeit the RCF soldiers kept them away from the one with equipment. Within moments every gun, ammo box and piece of food was gone, many of the villagers departed the campfire immediately to take their goods back home.

“We thank you. But what is that third crate there, if not for us?”

“Oh these tools? Yeah command wants them set up here, you know any good spots for a radar set?”

“Ra-dar? I’m sorry, I don-”

“Oh yeah yeah, that’s cool and all. Just need an open area that see the sky but also isn’t right here in the wide-open.”

“No, I mean-”

“Why am I setting up?

The officer grinned a little, before taking out her machete and playing with it.”

“Orders from higher up. New assignments and all that. As it turns out, some f*cker named Karo the whatever-ever made a deal with my big bosses, an offer we couldn’t refuse.”

“I… See?”

“And you f*ckers like- hate the British. Really f*cking hate them right? I mean, it’s the whole reason me and the boys have been supplying every town from here to tomorrowville with guns and whatnot.”

“...”

“And you know what? We also hate British people. Cuz why not! Everyone seems to hate us. Something something socialism bad or something. Especially us. We’re like the big bad wolves of this planet. So our name and cause carries some weight. Ya dig?”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“Yeah yeah, I ain’t done yet. So this Karo whatever wants us in on his little journey to freedom. So much so that he’s offered us pretty much every single man-woman, and child for the cause. That includes your people.”

“Wait… You mean?”

“Uh-huh. So in like a week or so, I haven’t looked at my calendar. All these boys here who got themselves a nice new gun are gonna march with us, yourself included, down south with all the other villages and their men, and we’re gonna meet this Karo, down in his town. Hey, even the Lou will be there! Some bishop or something. And we’re gonna form a little council, and this council’s gonna play war. I promise you that in a month or two, there won’t be a damn British soldier left on this f*cking side of the continent. I mean afterall. These f*ckers are so caught up in petty details that they can’t see the forest for the trees! Too busy wondering why a convoy or two of British troops disappeared to realize they ain’t about to own a North anymore. No. They’ll be deep in the maw of the RCF. And well… Hehehehhe.”

The officers face twisted further as she began giggling.

“I have the feeling that this hunting is gonna be a fun one!”

The Chief stood in silence, as the officer regained her composure.

“So I’ve got a week to get this little village prepared to be the command center of the latest RCF incursion for freedom, and yours truly here is in charge until then.”

“I cannot suppor-”

“Now now. Just look for a minute.” The officer grabbed the chief and pulled her to her side, an armed wrapped around the chief as she pointed to visions only she could see. “Dontcha see it? An independent Nyumbani? Where every person can live without oppression? Where every community can come together and help one-another out, just like we are to you? That’s the future we promise. A few lives here and there for the eternal prosperity of your people. That’s not a bargain, that’s a steal! Besides, it’s not like you’re still in charge.”

“What do you mean?”

“Miss Chieftess or whatever, allow me to formally introduce myself. The names’ Valeria, but you can call me Captain. By the command of the F.U.N Marshalls, I have been appointed to lead this little journey to independence you have going on. So from this moment until victory or death, I will be in charge of every little thing that goes on. I will not take no for an answer. Mkay?”

The Chief’s face briefly downturned, before becoming stoic.

“I place my people in your care, Captain.”

“That’s what I like to hear, you have a nice night you hear?” Valeria began walking off as she continued talking. “I know I’ll need one for certain! Gotta week to set this equipment up and get your finest men in working order. Dumb brats will need a lesson or two about respect? Have you even heard what that guide of yours said to me…”

No longer audible, the Chief took a sigh of relief, as she watched the remaining F.U.N soldiers begin moving about again. One offering a meek apology to the Chief. She ignored the apology, lost in her own thoughts…

“One week… A week of hell more like it. I can only hope that Karo has made the right choice. Looks more to me like he made a deal with the Devil… But I have hope. The British will hopefully stay silent, I will go with this Valeria to Karo, and then she will drive the British out.”

The Chief looked once more at the houses that were under construction, and the crates that held supplies in them. She sighed and softly reconsidered her harsh take… Perhaps the RCF care in the end, if that means dealing with a loonie for a week more, it’s a price she’d gladly take.

Retiring to her house, the Chief slept the rest of the night away, dreaming of how her people would dance and sing after this was all over.

Hello and welcome to this special report, today’s report will be on the Greenwich Détente which is currently being discussed among members of the Canine Security Council.

The Treaty drawn up by Brittanian diplomats is supposed to be a compromise to end hostilities between the Saldanha Security Treaty Organisation and the League of the Willing. Currently other SSTO members are voting to accept the treaty as well as our own government. Currently the Treaty contains several parts to address different areas where both alliances have been hostile toward each other in particular Fletteland and Merilia.

Director of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Niamh Orangfur, has stated that the treaty is of great importance to Canineia’s foreign policy as it covers areas where Canineian soldiers have been deployed to. She also stated that it would allow for greater relationships with the Flettish and Merilian states once conflict there ends.

Another clause of the treaty is the Home Continents clause which defines both alliances claim their own continents, SSTO claiming North Osea and LOTW claiming Fusea, both alliances would have to inform each other if they are to conduct large scale military operations in the opposing region.

A concern was raised by the Directorate of Defence that the clause does not cover the Eastern Tysemny region where Canineia and Emnaria could potentially engage in hostile action with each other. With Emnaria’s ascension in the League and recent actions involving radio interference, the Government is concerned that the powerful nation to our south could be a bigger threat than anything our nation has faced.

I have just received word now that the Council has voted unanimously to accept the treaty. As of now the Canineian Ambassador to the SSTO will deliver the news to Nova Terra within the next hour.

Thank you for watching and have a safe afternoon.

Ha, what a funny joke. Yet a few ambushes here and there perhaps a small patrol or two went missing, but the Haru Communist attacks were down over the decade, this had more likely to do with decreased number of patrols and convoys to be attacked. What mattered more then ever, was the Lou militia. Ethnic Nationalism or more accurately described as tribalism had plagued the Nyumbani state even back in the late 19th century. Ignoring the coastal states, social and cultural development had been stunted due to either the terrain and the mass slavery that afflicted the region till British conquest. Stuck somewhere between either the iron or early medieval a general "Nyumbani" identity did not exist, it would have seem as crazy as a Fusea, or Osea one. Nyumbani identity had formed, in the fires of the 1890 war, in the semi independence afterwards and the two wars against Haru Jungle republic in the 20th and 21st century.

The Lou militia had existed back in the 1892 to resit possible conscription, had intensified during the anti Kingdom movement of the early 20th century till the rise of the Unity Party (U.P.). Afterwards it would slowly begin to rise before engulfing much of the nation in flame after the loss of the First war against the Haru Jungle republic and force changes in the government. Yet slowly as the 20th century dragged to an end the militia that had organised during and after that first war would remain around, to defend against future Haru attacks. They do little in the second Haru war other then seizing Haru equipment and committing a few mass killings or worse acts here or there till British and Nyumbani forces would beat them back. Now with news of the OSU crash causing the largest bank in Nyumbani to be on the verge of bankruptcy, with the Sumoriant oil crisis would cause inflation to spiral out of control. Hungry, poor, forced by urbanization and farm mechanization to move into the city to find little to no work that payed badly, the Lou who dominated the central district, and the Nyumbani capital of Numban turned to there old ways. Militias still organised and devout would pack the halls of churches and cathedrals, wiped up by speeches of martyrdom and that better times were on there way and just required sacrifice many would ready themselves. Riots, quick and furious would break out in many urban areas. Police forces overwhelmed, the 15,000 men of the Nyumbani first army within a day travel of the city were needed to restore control. They barely keep the violence under control it was only a growing figure in the Lou militia that would get the violence to subside, one Omondi Peter, he was a devout Anglican. So when the High Cardinal of Nyumbani asked for violence to be halted as Easter approached he listen and would organised the largest militia to follow this. A growing figure with Lou group his out spoken anti central government would win him much support, and though he had not openly state wanting a separate Lou state the more loyal and extreme element within his power base did.

Room 404 had taken notice, the kingdoms intelligence, would begin to try an infiltrator the various groups. They began to build a case file upon Omondi Peter, he lacked connections with the rich and powerful within the U.P. government, he did have strong connections with the church as he had been able to raise funds to repair 12 rural chapels that otherwise would have closed down. It was clear he was planning to run on a platform against the U.P. he had the strongest support with the central region, most worrying he was slowly turning the disorganized Lou militia into a true force. He had begun to take influence within the reserve forces, making friends with junior officers and the men by hosting events. It was clear he was trying to infiltrator the Nyumbani reserve forces and creating a Lou paramilitary. Yet room 404 ran into problems going against him publicly the Nyumbani government refused to do much to halt Omondi Peter progress due to fear that the riots they just quashed would begin. So Room 404 would try the quiet method, and fail. An agent captured another four injured barely escaping an attempt on their lives when their cover was blown. Yet despite this only small scale violence occurred, Omondi Peter would not let it escalate, for now.

As the room flailed around in the shadows, breaking their own tools for moderate gains, something older and more skilled waited for the dark before it rasied its multi headed body. The Imperial corporation having used smugglers to trade with Eschlend had reported a recent drop in trade. This was odd, Omondi was one thing, a man who had far too many morales to threaten British rule in Nyumbani by himself. But northwards the anarchist were growing quiet, no news is sometimes good news, but anarchist weren't normally. They were loud annoying and clearly had wanted to spread their revolution Fusea wide. Yet something foul was happening just north of Nyumbani they couldn't say what but they guessed they were preparing to sponsor an uprising of Haru. It would make sense, they had only recently expanded in Eschlend they need time to integrate recent gains, a low level war between Numban and the Haru would keep the kingdoms distracted... Yet even the multi headed beast had little information what was going on in that anarchist state, and so would accept this for now. It had other problems, further north was the Northern threat, despite entering the league the Hydra had four of its six eyes pointed their. Yet it would keep one on Nyumbani just to monitor the poor crown colony as its horrific incompetent government failed, and room 404 tripped up trying to do a simple milk run.

Zoltan Palace, Grand River Tribe.
September 10th, calendar year 1524.

Matoimaru paced briskly back and forth within the confines of her large office that she shared with Shizuku, a look of frustration unusual for the cold and commanding silver wolf painted on her face, as her wolf-like tail swished side-to-side sharply. Her blood red eyes began to glow brightly, as she suddenly picked up a book laying on her desk, and threw it hard at the stone wall encasing her office. A loud thump was heard, as the book’s leather covers split apart into a few pieces, and its paper pages crumpled under the force of the impact. The Chieftess began to breathe heavily, letting out a low growl, as her eyes slowly returned to normal, and she calmed her demeanor enough to where her frustration was merely subtly evident on her demeanor.

“…Why does this one’s body wish to worry and care so much for that odd girl…” Matoimaru spoke to herself in a low, quiet tone.

“…This one does not understand her body’s desire for rebelling against her mind, all over a small fox…”

“…Shizuku is merely an assistant from which this one should keep a distance with, in order to avoid getting her caught up in any potential unsavory affairs that could affect this one in the future.”

“…And yet whenever the assassin this one sent to trail Shizuku gave her a report that he had to save the fox from being kidnapped, and used by men within a drug house that she frequented…”

“…This one’s body yearned for the ability to physically care for Shizuku, and to become close to that odd girl…”

“…Ugh…”

“…It’s not as if this one doesn’t enjoy Shizuku’s company, it’s just that this one can’t afford to get too close to others, given her current position as Chieftess within a volatile political environment,” Matoimaru stopped pacing, breathing in and out to help calm herself further, before suddenly walking out of her room, and towards the room of the fox.

After a few minutes of walking, Matoimaru arrived at Shizuku’s room, knocking twice before quickly entering without announcing herself. Shizuku was visibly startled by this, looking up from the book she was reading while sitting in bed, and nervously greeted the silver wolf, as she closed the door behind her, emitting a heavy aura.

“…G-Good Evening, Master…”

Matoimaru glared at the small fox as she greeted her Chieftess, replying in a harsh and stern tone, while crossing her arms defensively.

“…This one abolished the barbaric act of slavery when the war ended. Let go of your past, and engage the present.”

This statement visibly angered Shizuku, who displayed her displeasure for only a moment, before biting her lip and hiding it under a veil of politeness, before replying.

“How can I be of service to you, Chieftess?”

The silver wolf sighed, lightening her aura a bit, before speaking.

“…Do you mind telling this one how her own mind and body are constantly at odds with how to act around you?”

Shizuku stared at her interlocutor with a look of surprise.

“…W-With all due respect, I-I’m not really sure how you expect me to know what’s happening inside of your body…” The fox replied nervously.

Matoimaru mused for a moment, before responding.

“…It is because you are the only one who has ever caused this one’s body and mind to fight over how to treat someone else, which has caused her a lot of stress and confusion over the past few days…”

“…I-I’m sorry, but I don’t believe I can be of any help to you with this matt—” Shizuku’s reply was interrupted by the large silver wolf walking authoritatively across her room towards her, and suddenly climbing up onto the fox’s bed, looming over her small and dainty body. Now emitting a heavier aura, Matoimaru spoke to Shizuku angrily, her blood-red eyes beginning to glow brightly.

“…Explain what you are doing to this one’s body to cause it to rebel against all common sense, and want to care for you and worry about you…”

“…This one does not wish for this internal conflict to continue, as it will only continue to eat away at her mental state like it has the past few days…”

The silver wolf’s bright red gaze met the deep blue gaze of the brunette fox, who was now visibly blushing heavily, as her heart raced upon feeling the dominating aura the wolf emitted. Noticing this, as well as the heavy breathing of the small fox, Matoimaru’s mind began to become clouded with alien feelings of desire for Shizuku. The large wolf quickly snapped herself out of these alluring emotions, and pushed herself off of the fox’s bed, quickly leaving her room without uttering a word. After navigating the maze of hallways that made up the palace, Matoimaru eventually found herself in front of the door to her mother’s office, which she promptly knocked on, before letting herself in, closing the door behind her. The Chieftess sighed, decompressing herself, lest she let out the same heavy aura on her own mother, who was sitting at her desk, as she did onto Shizuku, before speaking.

“…Mother, this one has something to ask you…”

“What is it, dear?” Zara looked up at her daughter, with a subtle hint of worry in her eyes.

“Why does this one’s body and mind fight over how to act around Shizuku?” Matoimaru asked.

“…This one’s mind wishes to keep a distance between herself and Shizuku, however this one’s body wishes to be closer to Shizuku, caring and worrying for her.”

The dark red wolf looked at her daughter with a surprised expression for a moment, before a knowing smile appeared on her face, and she replied.

“…Well, I do believe that it is good for someone in your position to have at least one person other than their family to be close to…”

Matoimaru mused at this advice for a moment as Zara continued.

“…Perhaps trying to bridge the gap between the both of you, instead of pushing her away, would be the best solution to your problem. It is quite obvious to me that Shizuku wishes to help you to the best of her abilities.”

The silver wolf’s tail swished back and forth steadily, as the Chieftess was deep in thought.

“…How does this one ‘bridge that gap’, as you say?” She asked.

“That is something which I believe would be best for you to try and figure out on your own. Do some research, and try out some different methods, until you find something that works,” her mother advised.

Matoimaru’s tail slowed to an idle swish, as an aura of determination suddenly surrounded the Chieftess, before she walked out of the room with a confident stride unlike how she had entered before.

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Zoltan Palace, Grand River Tribe.
September 11th, calendar year 1524.

With a determined aura surrounding her, Matoimaru sat in her office, looking over a paper in her hand while humming to herself mindlessly. This is suddenly interrupted by Shizuku entering their office, and curtsying to the Chieftess.

“…Good morning, Chieftess,” the brunette fox greeted. Matoimaru broke her focus from the paper that she was holding, and put it all onto Shizuku, who was surprised at the silver wolf suddenly paying attention to her.

“…Good morning, Shizuku. Please refer to the this one by her first name from now on,” Matoimaru put on an unusually welcoming demeanor as she called the fox by her first name for the first time.

“…Ah…So-Someone with as lowly status as me couldn’t possibly disrespect you by calling you anything other than your honorifics…” Shizuku replied nervously.

Matoimaru’s demeanor suddenly turned a bit cold and authoritarian, before speaking.

“…Are you telling this one that you are denying a request from your superior?”

“Ah, no, of course not, M-Matoimaru…” Shizuku replied, panicked.

The silver wolf smiled proudly, quickly returning her attention to the work that she was previously doing before the brunette fox entered the room. Shizuku looked on at the odd behavior of her Chieftess with bewilderment, before swiftly grabbing a stack of papers from her desk, and slipping out of the office, walking down the hallway towards Zara‘s office. Arriving at her destination, the small fox knocked on the large door, before opening it and entering the room, showing adequate respect to the one who occupied it, then closing the door behind her.

“…An unexpected visit. How may I help you, Shizuku?” Zara inquired, leading the brunette fox to sigh, before replying.

“…Matoimaru has been acting a bit…strange lately—If I am allowed to say such a thing…”

“…How so?” Zara questioned, looking intently at the small fox who spoke to her.

“Ah, well I guess for starters; yesterday she came into my room, and demanded to know why her body was in conflict with her mind over how to act around me…Or something of the like. Then just this morning, she suddenly asked me to refer to her by her first name, after she had called me by mine for the first time. When I refused, citing my lowly status as a commoner, she suddenly got quite cold with me, and asked if I was disobeying a direct order from my superior, which I also immediately denied, then addressed her by her first name.”

“…Th-This isn’t to say that Matoimaru is a-a bad person or anything like that. A-As much as this sounds like I’m complaining about her, I’m just worried if something happened to her that I’m not aware of that might trigger her sudden change in behavior!”

A dejected look overtakes Zara’s demeanor, as she hangs her head low, massaging her temples, and sighing. The dark red wolf then raised her head before speaking.

“…That is…”

“…A-Actually, I’m sorry for my daughter’s rudeness…”

Shizuku waved her hands back and forth frantically, with a humble expression on her face.

“Oh, no, no! It’s fine, really! I just didn’t know if there was something going on that I didn’t know about, honest.”

Zara sighed once again, a slight smile appearing on her face.

“…Haaaaaah…”

“…I’m really glad my daughter has someone as patient as you to be by her side during these troubling times…”

“…I guess with that being said, what I believe to be happening, is that originally, Maru wanted to put distance between herself and you, due to her position as Chieftess, and the potential danger, it could bring anyone she got close to. However, my daughter is also probably experiencing a pull towards you in order to be closer, and eventually become friends with you, which is resulting in the conflict.”

“…Due to Matoimaru’s rather…isolated upbringing, things, like friendship and casual socialization, with others, were never her strong suit…”

“…So if you could, please just… bear with her unorthodox attempts to navigate through trying to build a friendship that she’s never been able to have before, I’m sure that my daughter would be absolutely over the moon for you eventually.”

A warm smile slowly grew on Shizuku’s face, as she listened intently to Zara’s explanation of Matoimaru’s reasonings.

“I will happily accept the role of being her first friend.”

“…To be honest with you, I’ve also been experiencing a sort-of similar pull towards her, that I’ve also been having a sort of internal conflict with, due to my lowly status as a commoner, and her high status, as a Chieftess.”

“…I also never really knew how to act on it, because of how cold she treats everyone around her besides her parents.”

Zara’s smile widens, as she puts her hands together.

“…I can understand that…”

“…Thanks for taking up this role with my daughter, by the way…”

“…I know that you’ve been looking for an opportunity to get closer to her, so I’m hoping this’ll get you what you need in order to settle your personal obligations with Maru, then be able to stand next to her of your own volition.”

“I cannot promise anything, but I shall try my best if it is for Matoimaru…” Shizuku bowed respectfully.

“…Oh yeah, do you have any suggestions on how I can get the ball rolling, so to speak?”

“Yeah,” Zara replied.

“See if you can make a move to ask Maru out to do something together as friends. That way she will not have to engage in the conflict of her own volition, of which she is quite frankly, too timid to do, and rather play to her more reserved social side, making the conflict come to her. I guarantee that she will not want to turn this down.”

“…I’ll see what I can do, sounds like a great plan!” Shizuku remarked, before quickly leaving the room.

A few hours later, Shizuku is ready to enact their plan. Still unsure of whether or not it’ll work out in the end, the small fox is visibly nervous, with her tail swishing briskly back and forth. She slowly brought her hand up to the door leading into the office that she and Maru share, before taking a deep breath and sighing. She then opened the door slowly, stepping inside only to be surprised by the slight smile that the silver-haired wolf greets her with.

“…U-Umm, Matoimaru…” Shizuku spoke, her voice laced with nervousness.

“…D-Do you think we could…t-take a break from work, and get some lunch together, a-as friends?”

The small fox avoided Matoimaru’s gaze out of fear of her rejection, but instead, a bright smile displayed itself upon the normally cold and authoritarian wolf, her voice also having more energy than normal.

“Of course! This one would love to accompany you as a friend!”

The Chieftess suddenly stopped what she was doing, and stood, walking towards Shizuku, before taking her hand, and leading her down the hallway with a confident stride.

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Music for this portion of the post: Gute Nacht (Winterreise) — Schubert (https://youtu.be/UE3bxY-oT3U?si=r7q_hwObf1OoZ05D)

Zoltan Opera House, Grand River Tribe.
March 20th, calendar year 1525.

Matoimaru and Shizuku sat upon a luxurious red velvet couch, placed in a high balcony overlooking a large opera house that was currently hosting an operatic performance. Matoimaru was wearing her signature formal dark green and brown military dress uniform, reserved specifically for ornate events such as this, and Shizuku was wearing her dark blue and black knee-high formal dress that she wore to the former’s coronation ceremony. There were roughly a dozen other balconies strewn about the tall opera house, however, the one that they were in was the highest of them all, denoting the importance of whoever inhabited it. Each of these balconies were filled with either a wealthy couple or a wealthy family of high status, but neither Shizuku, nor Matoimaru paid much attention to these people. As the opera played out, Maru found herself looking at the stage with a distant gaze, her mind seemingly elsewhere than what was the main attraction of the evening. The wolf was then suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, when she heard the excited voice of her friend calling out to her.

“Maru, Maru! Look, the lead tenor is gathering all of the other singers at center stage! I think the finale is near!”

Maru studied Shizu’s happy face, as it was completely entranced by the performance in front of them. A warm smile arose upon the wolf’s face, as she made a mental note of how seeing the fox be genuinely happy makes she herself feel warm and happy inside. As the final act at the opera began, Maru reached out her large left hand, and completely enveloped Shizu’s dainty right hand within its grasp. The small fox then looked over at the large wolf, only to find that the latter was paying more attention to her than the actual performance they were there to see. She then felt her face become a bit red, before she feigned a small coughing fit, turning away from the wolf in order to cover her blushing face from her friend’s gaze. Shizu’s mind became confused as to why such an innocently friendly gesture would make her feel this nervous, but she quickly composed herself, and refocused her attention back at the opera at hand, which Maru was also doing at this point.

The opera performance kept their attention for a handful more minutes, until it ended, in which case the full opera house erupted in applause from the audience, including Shizuku and Matoimaru. Once the applause finished, the opera house the audience murmured loudly amongst themselves, to which the wolf and the fox were escorted from their balcony through a hidden passageway within the opera house in order to avoid unwanted attention,
and slipped through a side door and onto an opulent carriage. The carriage set off, as Shizu began to speak with a warm smile.

“It feels so nice to actually have… *yawn*…Mmmm excuse me… experienced an opera after so many years of wanting to see one…”

“…Well this one is glad that you were finally able to see one…” Maru smiled.

“This one shall take you to one again whenever you wish to go once more…”

Shizu’s smile brightened, who was visibly very tired, despite her joyful and energized outward demeanor.

“…You will?! Thank you so much, Maru! Hehe…”

“Of course…” The wolf studied the warm and radiant demeanor surrounding the visibly tired fox, who yawned.

“…This one is happy that you are able to smile of your own accord, instead of out of necessity as is typical while we work.”

Shizu felt herself blushing at this gesture of care, quickly turning her head away from Maru in order to look out the carriage window at the starry night downtown sky, before speaking nervously.

“I-I wanted to become an opera singer myself when I was little, but now my throat and lungs are too messed up to be able to handle the strenuous use that operatic singing requires.”

“…That’s unfortunate. Would love to see you be able to perform someday…” The wolf mused.

“…Do you know how to play the piano?”

“…It’s been a while since I was last able to play one, but yeah, one of my previous guardians taught me how to play a few pieces,” Shizu replied, still looking out the window, as she slowly nodded in and out of consciousness.

“That’s great! We should move a piano in your room, so that you can practice it again. It will be nice to hear you perform, and show up all of those rich ladies that give you sh*t about your status,” Maru looked to Shizu for a response, but found the fox peacefully asleep with the subtle movement of the carriage over the cobblestone road.

A few minutes later, the carriage arrived at the Zoltan Palace, where Matoimaru poked Shizuku’s cheek in an attempt to wake the sleeping fox.

“…Shizu…”

“…You have to get up, we are back at the palace.”

“…As much as this one would love to let you sleep here, we must at least return to a proper bedroom.”

Shizu’s face twitched, as she slowly awoke, visibly still halfway between the realms of consciousness.

“…Come on, this one shall escort you to her room, as it is closer to this entrance than your room is…”

The large wolf grasped the slender arms of the small fox, and helped her to her feet, allowing the latter to use the former’s body as a support, as they “gracefully” made their way out of the carriage, and into the palace. After slowly navigating through the seemingly endless hallways of the palace, the duo came upon a large dark wooden door that was more ornate than the others. After pushing it open, Maru led Shizu over to her large, soft bed that was adorned with even softer, white linens, before having the tired fox sit down on the edge of the bed. The brunette fox then kicked off her black heels, with the large wolf using her brown leather boots to push them off to the side, while watching her friend’s body sway back and forth as she nodded in and out of consciousness.

“…You could not possibly fall asleep comfortably while wearing such a stifling dress…” Matoimaru remarked, before proceeding to take off the gold jewelry which adorned the fox’s ears, neck, and wrists, as well as remove her glasses, placing them all on a nightstand that was easily within reach of the bed. As Shizu continued to fight against the siren’s call of slumber, the wolf suddenly walked into her closet, returning a minute later with a small, white nightgown, laying it beside the sleepy fox as she spoke to her.

“…Put your arms up, this one shall lend you comfortable clothes for the night from when she was younger…”

Shizu did as she was instructed, slowly lifting up her arms, as Maru removed her black opera gloves, revealing the fox’s slender and pale arms that were covered in marks and scars of various ages and shapes. The wolf’s gaze turned to concern, as she lifted off the small fox’s formal dress, and found similar scars, marks, and other imperfections along the entirety of her friend’s upper body.

“…Poor girl has more scars than a seasoned veteran who just got called up for his third deployment…”

Maru helped Shizu don the white nightgown, before the latter finally collapsed backwards, still nodding in and out of consciousness, but not having enough strength to keep herself upright. Seeming this, the large wolf adjusted the small fox in her bed, so that she was laying more comfortably, and enveloped by the white linens of the foreign bed. Maru sat at the edge of her bed, studying the fox as she laid there, before turning her attention to the door, and slowly standing up from the bed. This attempt to leave was thwarted, when she felt Shizu grab onto her long, dark green uniform coat as if to hold her in place.

“…No…” The small fox muttered, tears forming in her eyes, as her face was overtaken by a pitiful expression.

“…Please don’t go…”

“…I don’t want to be alone again…”

Tears began to roll down Shizuku’s face, as Maru looked on with a continued somber expression, outstretching her arm which the fox was grabbing onto, and wiped away the tears trailing down her face.

“…Alright…” The wolf replied, still caressing the small fox’s face, wiping it free of tears.

“…This one needs to change into some more comfortable clothing in order to properly join you in bed, so please bear with her for a moment…” Maru slowly slinked out of Shizu’s grasp, and stood up, walking towards her closet. A minute later, she emerged wearing a set of baggy black pants, and a worn grey shirt. She then climbed into bed, laying down to the left of the fox, who suddenly wrapped both of her small arms around the larger right forearm of the wolf, clutching it to her chest. A look of surprise flashed upon Maru’s face, before it was quickly overtaken by a slight smile, as the wolf adjusted her body to be directly facing Shizu, before using her free arm to wrap around the fox’s dainty body, pulling it against hers in an embrace. The silver-haired wolf felt the brunette fox’s heart beating swiftly, as her breathing was also a bit labored, seemingly fighting back her own emotions.

“…Shizu…” Maru softly coaxed with her husky feminine voice.

“…This one knows that you’ve been through a lot, so there is no need to keep it all in…”

A few moments after she said this, the wolf felt Shizu’s head bury itself into her collarbone, as well as the voice of the latter, broken and cracking through tears.

“…I-I’m sorry for…”

“…not being strong enough…”

“…not being worthy enough…”

“…to stand by your side…”

“…”

“…A-And that my…”

“…past and its scars on my b-body are…”

“…too u-unsightly for you to like me…”

The large wolf moved her left hand up and down the fox’s back, trying to comfort her friend, as extreme emotions of pity, and care washed over Maru. Seemingly moving on its own, her head slowly leaned forward, and she planted a light kiss atop Shizu’s head. She then nuzzled her own face into the fox’s head, and spoke in the same soft and comforting, yet husky voice from before.

“…That is just simply not true…”

“…You are very, very strong, Shizu…”

“…And this one enjoys being around you for who you are right now—Not who you were before, or who you could be in the future…”

After a few more minutes, the fox’s sobbing grew softer and softer, until it was completely replaced by the peaceful sound of her steady breathing, seemingly finally heeding the siren’s call of unconsciousness. The warm smile on Maru’s face grew a bit, as the wolf noticed Shizu finally succumb to slumber, before she herself closed her eyes, and joined her friend in her quest for unconsciousness.

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Music for this portion of the post: A Warm Place In Winter — Doug Hammer (https://youtu.be/iWvF-GHy344?si=Q2Vg_Ij-fBx915Qn)

Zoltan Palace, Grand River Tribe.
March 21st, calendar year 1525.

As the late morning sun danced upon the top of the window, Shizu slowly regained consciousness from the grips of slumber. She gathered her bearings, and yawned, before realizing that her intake of breath through her mouth was stifled, due to the fact that the lower half of her face was currently nestled within the adequately padded chest of a certain large, silver-haired wolf. Pulling her face out of the admittedly comfortable, yet very embarrassing position, she also realized that this same wolf had her large arm completely wrapped around the fox’s small and slender torso, holding her body in a perpetual embrace with the much larger body of the former. Shizu began to blush heavily, her mind spinning with thoughts as waves of embarrassment crashed into the fox. Her heart also began to race, as she realized that she was holding the other wolf’s arm hostage within her own grasp, clutching it to her chest. The fox internally panicked, as she suddenly pushed herself away from Maru, creating a slight amount of distance between the two, before raising the latter from her slumber as well.

“…Good morning, Shizu…” The husky, feminine voice of the wolf greeted, her tone rather hoarse from just waking up. A warm smile also danced across her face as she looked down at the now very embarrassed fox, who noticed that she was no longer within her own domain.

“…G-Good m-morning uhh…M-Maru…”

“…Umm…Mi-Might I ask, uhh…wha-what happened la-last night…”

“…umm…f-for me to uhh…e-end up in bed with you?”

Maru seemed a bit confused by Shizu’s embarrassment momentarily, before returning to a warm expression as if she herself was not embarrassed at all to have slept in the same bed as her friend, while cuddling her.

“…You had become extremely tired from the late night at the opera, so this one had guided you to her own room, as it was much closer to the palace entrance we came in from, than your room was.”

“…This one was also about to take her leave, when you were suddenly overcome with emotions, yearning for this one’s presence, so she decided to stay with you in order to comfort you through whatever you were dealing with at the time. By the time you had fallen asleep, this one was already too tired to do much of anything else, so she joined you in your quest of slumber.”

Some rather lewd visualizations of the pair played within Shizu’s mind for a few moments, before she quickly pushed them away via shaking her head back and forth a few times, then clearing her throat, realizing that the innocently warm embrace and smile of the wolf in front of her, could not possibly mean to do any of those actions that her mind wandered on about. Maru tilted her head slightly in confusion, causing Shizu to giggle a bit, and her complexion to return almost completely to its normal, fair state. Feeling rather comfortable in whatever she was wearing, she looked down, and saw that her clothes had been completely changed from what she had on at the opera, meaning that Maru saw all of the scars, blemishes, and imperfections on her body. A sudden wave of melancholy washed over her, as her face dropped to a near-expressionless neutral, before the small fox suddenly wrapped her arms around the large wolf, pulling herself in for a tight embrace.

“…Thank you…for staying by my side…” Shizu spoke, her voice soft and full of emotion.

“…and not abandoning me…”

Maru was stunned by this sudden action by her friend, her face displaying this surprise for a few moments, before it was overtaken by a warm smile, and a reciprocal embrace.

“…This one promises to never abandon you…” The wolf’s voice was soft and reassuring, as her head tilted downwards seemingly all on its own, before planting a small kiss onto the fox’s forehead.

Shizu’s face becomes red once again, as familiar feelings of embarrassment wash over her. She suddenly buried her face into Maru’s adequately padded chest once again, hiding her embarrassment from the wolf that held her close. The fox could hear the large wolf’s heartbeat quicken a bit, but not beat as fast as her own was.

“…You seem to be paying more attention to this one’s chest than a new male recruit does…” Maru teased, chuckling softly.

“…Only fair that I get to admire what I don’t have…” Shizu quickly replied, leading to a more hearty laugh from the wolf.

“Hahaha… Why don’t you just make yourself at home down there…” Maru teased further.

“…Maybe I will if you keep being this risqué and flirty with me…” Shizu teased as well, arising a confused head-tilt and complimenting vexed expression from the wolf.

“…This one is unsure what those two terms mean…” Maru stated, confused.

“…Are you joking?” Shizu’s tone switched to a more sincere, but still light-hearted one.

“This one is most serious, due to her previous disinterest in anything ‘love’, and ‘romance’, stemming from their lack of cohesion with her own duties as a military commander, nor a Chieftess,” the wolf replied.

“…Oh, I see…” Shizu’s voice trailed off, seemingly thinking of how to explain this concept in the least embarrassing way possible, as she tilted her head back up to look at Maru, her blushing expression reduced to a subtle tinge on her cheeks.

“…Umm… So I guess the easiest way to explain this is that…”

“…being ‘flirty’ or ‘risqué’ in your actions is something you would do if you wish to…c-court someone you like…”

“Hmm…” Maru mused for a few moments, before the warm and sincere smile returned to her face.

“…Well this one enjoys being around you, does that count?” Her tone portrayed the oddly innocent, child-like curiosity that resided within the Pureblood, her mind always on the hunt for more knowledge.

“…I uhh…” Shizu hesitated for a moment, her heart aching for her to say something that didn’t make sense to her.

“…Maru…” The fox sighed.

“…Why don’t you do some research on that by reading some romance novels, as I cannot tell you what you, yourself are feeling on the inside…”

“…Ack…” Shizu’s mind wandered, not vocalizing her thoughts aloud.

“…Why does my heart ache like this woman is playing with it?”

“…Maybe I should also do some research, because I’m also just as clueless as to what’s really going on with my heart, and why it aches, longing for Maru’s attention…”

Shizu was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, as Maru began to speak.

“Sounds like a good plan… Do you have any recommendations of specific novels for this one to read?”

A sly smile appeared in Shizu’s face, hidden from the wolf’s bright red gaze.

“…O-Only if you give me another k-kiss as payment…”

The smile on Maru’s face widened a bit, as her head leaned forward, seemingly obeying the small fox’s command, before planting another light kiss on her friend’s forehead.

“…It seems you are weak to this one’s attention…” The wolf teased.

“H-Hey! Teasing costs an extra kiss!” Shizu jokingly pouted, before a light kiss was planted upon her forehead for the third time.

“…It seems as if this one was correct in her assumption…” Maru remarked slyly, as both women began to giggle and laugh about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoltan Palace, Grand River Tribe.
March 25th, calendar year 1525.

Matoimaru and Shizuku dutifully work within their office, before suddenly being interrupted by the doors to their office flying open, revealing Rosetta standing confidently in a light pink, modest long dress. Her light pink eyes scanned the room, and sparkled with life once they landed upon a certain brunette fox, completely ignoring the certain Pureblood that also inhabited the room.

“Shizuuuuuuu~!” Rosetta’s voice called out with joy upon seeing her friend, who she then ran towards. Shizu stood up, and walked out from behind her desk, only to be smothered by the gleeful embrace of the blonde wolf.

“Oh my gosh I missed you so muuuuuuch~!!” Rosetta tightened her hold on the slender fox, rubbing her cheek against her friend’s.

“…Ah…Rosetta, please… You’re gonna snap me in half…” Shizu attempted to pry the seemingly magnetic wolf off of her, before feeling a familiar heavy aura emanating from a few meters away. Rosetta’s blonde wolf-like ears folded flat on her head, before she became visibly frightened of the aura exuding from Matoimaru, who was also now letting out a low growl. Shizuku did not seem bothered by the aura, as she was now able to free herself from the other wolf’s grasp, taking the latter’s hand in its stead, before speaking in a serious tone.

“…Maru…” Her voice mimicked that of one scolding a misbehaving pet.

“…That’s enough, she’s my friend…”

The large wolf suppressed her aura, as well as her growling, before letting out a cold reprisal, turning her head away from the pair.

“…Fine…”

Shizuku then tightened her grip on Rosetta’s hand, before leading the latter out of the office, and into the hallway, seemingly for some alone-time to try and catch up with her friend that she has not seen in the past six months.

“How can you withstand such a powerful aura like that, and even command the Chieftess~?” The blonde wolf asked with a sly expression towards the end, as they stopped a few feet away from the office door.

“…Eh, we just became close friends, is all…” Shizu replied nonchalantly.

“…Being holed up in the palace together for an entire winter, we had to get at least a bit closer to each other, right?”

“Mmm… I dunno~” Rosetta’s demeanor was overtaken by smugness.

“…That aura was rather possessive in nature…”

“…You sure there’s nothing else going on between you two~?”

Shizu blushed, turning away from her friend before speaking.

“I-It’s nothing like that!”

“Rosettaaaa~!”

The blonde wolf let out a hearty laugh at her friend’s nervousness at the mere mention of her and the Chieftess being more than just friends.

“I dunno~” Rosetta teased.

“…It seems like the Chieftess was very unwilling to let you out of her sight with another woman~”

“Oh put a sock in it, will ya?!” The brunette fox pouted, visibly annoyed, with her blushing reduced to a tinge on her cheeks. Rosetta laughed further, before toning down her teasing a bit.

“…I guess those rumors that y’all two have incredible chemistry together are true…”

“…I could definitely see you two as a great couple!”

“…Are you sure?” Shizu tilted her head, confused.

“Yeah!” The blonde wolf exclaimed.

“Women are the best, anyways! Men are greasy and just want you for your beauty and your skills in bed.”

The fox’s expression became smug, turning the tables on Rosetta as she spoke.

“It seems you tick both of those boxes just fine~”

“H-Hey!” Rosetta put on a playfully annoyed expression, before laughing heartily with Shizu for more than a few moments.

“Hey Shizu, you wanna join me out in the palace garden for lunch? We can pick up something from the kitchen along the way.”

“Of course!” Shizu’s face lit up with joy.

“We haven't hung out since you left for the winter last year, so I would love the chance to catch up with you!”

Rosetta’s face matched her friend’s joyful expression, as she led her first towards the kitchen, then to the palace garden. After this journey was completed, the pair sat across each other at a metal table, each munching on their choice of sandwich. In between bites, they began to talk, starting with the brunette fox asking a question.

“…Hey Rosetta, did you get the invitation we sent out to the banquet in a couple of weeks? All of the new nobles will be there, including a lot of other wealthy folks.”

Rosetta looked up from her plate, with a bit of spicy aioli clinging to the edge of her mouth.

“Mmm… Yeah, I did. ‘Twas why I traveled here in the first place!”

“But I dunno what to wear, nor which cute girl to seduce once I get there…”

“Hahaha! You scandalous wolf…” Shizu chuckled.

“…Why don’t we go dress shopping together sometime?”

Rosetta’s face brightens up with joy, as she finishes chewing another bite of her sandwich, drinking some water before speaking.

“Oh my gosh yes gurl!!!!! I would love to~!!!”

The fox smiled radiantly in return, giggling a bit at her silly and carefree demeanor.

“Great! Now I can make sure you do not buy anything too revealing…”

“Wha—! I would never!” The blonde wolf pouted.

“I’m disappointed that you even think I would do such a thing…”

“…But you would, wouldn’t you?~” Shizu replied with a smug expression.

“…Yeah…” Rosetta admitted in a defeated tone, before both women began to laugh. They both then indulged in their meals fully, not leaving much room for conversation, until they had both finished their sandwiches. Roetta’s mouth was covered in crumbs and aioli sauce, prompting Shizu to lean forwards, and wipe it clean with a handkerchief, before speaking.

“For being a noblewoman, you sure do eat sloppily…”

“Whaaaaaaat~?” Rosetta complained sarcastically.

“It takes a lot of energy to stare at cute girls all day…”

“…Yeah, sure it does…” The brunette fox sarcastically remarked, before continuing in a more soft and shy tone.

“…Hey, Rosetta?”

“…You mind if we talk more about something that’s been bothering me over a bottle of wine this evening?”

“…Oh~? What seems to be on your mind, Shizu?” The wolf’s ears perked up.

“Ehh… I-It’s something that I’d rather discuss with a bit of social lubricant in me first…”

“Fair enough. I’ll come to your room this evening then, I’m assuming?” Rosetta asked.

Shizu nodded in reply, as they both continued down conversation-street, on topics that the small fox could not really remember come evening-time, where the pair sat in the former’s bed in nightgowns, sipping on some expensive wine in silver goblets.

“This wine is really good, I might have to just stay here more often if it means I can drink stuff like this more!” Rosetta remarked, pouring herself another helping of wine.

“…As long as it means that you’ll stick with me, then I’m more than willing to bribe you with wine…” Shizu’s voice echoed a more somber and distant tone.

Rosetta turned her head, and gazed at the rather distant expression of her friend, before speaking.

“Shizu…”

“…What’s on your mind, girl?”

The brunette fox swirled around her wine, before taking a sip of it, and sighing.

“…A lot of things, really…”

“…But one thing in particular, I have an issue with being there in the state that it is, which is Maru.”

The blonde wolf’s gaze turned from concerned, to confused.

“…I’m not really sure what you mean…”

“I guess…” Shizu began.

“…So you know how Maru and I are friends, right?”

“Right,” Rosetta nodded, before her interlocutor continued.

“…Well lately…”

“She’s been doing things with me that might go beyond friendship. St-Stuff that my body oddly desires to do with her…”

“…Stuff like sleeping together, cuddling, flirting with me, kissing my forehead, saying some very honest, yet oddly risqué stuff to me, and other just stuff like that.”

“…She’s flirting with you?” Rosetta questions.

“…Yeah…” The fox’s voice trailed off.

“…But it’s strange, because she doesn’t know what love and romance even entail…”

“…”

“…It’s all just…”

“…oddly frustrating? If that makes sense…”

“…It feels as if she’s playing with my heart by saying and doing all these things to me, and yet not following through with more, but it’s not as if it’s really her fault either, because she never really had the need, or want to understand love and romance until now…”

“…But I also don’t know why my heart is aching like this as well…”

“…It shouldn’t be…”

“…I mean…we’re both women, and she’s the damn Chieftess, for the Gods’ sake, and I’m just a lowly commoner—A prior slave…”

“Haaaaaaaaah…”

“…I just…”

“…I dunno what, or how to feel about her…”

A silence fell between the pair, as they idly sipped their wine, seemingly both deep in thought about what Shizuku had just said. After a handful of seconds, Rosetta then broke this silence by speaking.

“…Do you actually like doing these things with her?”

“Yeah…” Shizu replied.

“It does make me feel oddly warm, and comfortable inside—Something I’ve never really experienced before…”

“…Like with you, it is a sense of comfort, but I don’t get that…warmth… if that makes sense…”

“Even when we share skinship with one another, that feeling of warmth is just temporary, and doesn’t linger for days upon days, like it does whenever Maru and I just simply cuddle and fall asleep together…”

Rosetta’s eyes widen a bit, as a look of shock flashes on her face, before mellowing out a bit while speaking.

“…Holy sh*t, it all makes sense now…”

“…So that’s why you’re able to seemingly control her…”

“…and why her aura’s nature is so possessive of you…”

“…I’m not sure I’m following…” Shizuku tilted her head in confusion.

The blonde wolf stared at her friend for a moment, before sighing in annoyance.

“Haaaaaaaah…”

“She’s in love with you, you dense fox!”

“…Me?” Shizu asked, still utterly confused.

“Noooo, the cup of wine you’re holding… Yes, you!” Rosetta fired back, making no attempts to hide her annoyance at her friend.

“But I—” Shizu’s attempt to protest was quickly interrupted by the blonde wolf, who continued speaking.

“A-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta! Listen, girl, she loves you, she just doesn’t know how to express it yet.”

“…And I’m pretty damn sure you’re in love with her too!”

“I—No no no no no no…” The fox denied once more, her demeanor becoming more embarrassed.

“L-Love? Me, her?”

“No no no no no!”

“S-She’s the Chieftess, a-and I’m just some commoner that just so happens to be near her…”

“N-Not to mention the fact that same-sex relationships are heavily taboo here…”

“Shizu, don’t even try to play that card after we’ve shared intimacy multiple times…” Rosetta’s voice grew more annoyed.

“Intimacy is different, Rosetta,” Shizu’s voice became more stern.

“Because intimacy doesn’t involve a lasting relationship with the goddamn Chieftess…”

“Okay, but still, you shouldn’t be denying your…fe……lik…thi…”

Without warning, reality itself seemed to fade away from Shizuku, as an intense ringing overtook her hearing, and her gaze turned distant, with her vision being overtaken by an intense blur. Pulsating feelings of pins and needles overtook her body, as all of her joints seemingly locked in place, preventing her from moving them. The fox’s breathing became more labored, her sense of direction and balance was completely turned upside down, as she felt herself falling down into the world infinitely. Every second passed as slowly as a year, before her senses slowly returned to her amid a pulsing headache.

“Shizu!” Rosetta’s voice echoed seemingly from all around her, as it slowly came back into focus.

“Shizu, are you okay?!”

One she regained majority control of her own body, Shizu looked at the still somewhat spinning and blurred image of her friend’s concerned face.

“…Yeah…” Shizuku spoke in a weak voice, her head still pulsing in pain.

“…Just…”

“…G-Give me one of those small…packets in the drawer of my nightstand…”

Rosetta leaned over Shizu’s body, and reached into her nightstand’s drawer, pulling out a small paper packet of an unknown green powder. The fox then took this packet, and dumped it into her mostly full goblet of wine, before chugging it, having a small coughing fit afterwards. After a few moments her senses stabilized, and she was able to speak relatively normally, with a subtle hint of anxiety painting her words.

“Sorry, I’m better now…”

“…It’s just…”

“…Something that happens whenever I go too long without my painkillers…”

Rosetta’s demeanor becomes serious, in stark contrast to her usual teasing, and sarcastic self.

“Shizuku… You’re probably addicted to those painkillers…”

“Yeah… You’re probably right…” The fox sighed, seemingly unbothered by this notion.

“…Compared to anything else I could’ve gotten through my two decades in the underworld, only having these minor inconveniences is something I’ll take over the alternatives.”

“Lover’s Pox ran rampant throughout the places I went, and with the things that were done to me. It’s a complete miracle that I never got it, or anything else that wasn’t treatable due to how many different people took advantage of my body,” her voice attempted to joke, but pain was evident behind those words. As if noticing this, Rosetta leaned over, and wrapped her arms around Shizu’s torso, speaking in a sorrowful tone.

“I’m sorry for everything you’ve gone through…”

The fox sighed, as she patted the wolf’s head.

“It is what it is…”

“…As long as I have the support system that I currently do, I should keep on existing just fine…”

Mapubù, Chandìse-Duolnjiè Region, East Beiguojia

Five olive-clad jeeps climb up the sharp cliffs of Duolnjiè ‘neck’- a tall and long albeit thin extension of mountain ranges extending into Beiguojia from the east. Although closer to a tail, the mountain range was unusual in contrast to the surrounding topographically-flat landscape, having no gradual slopes like the persisting Hignausean Lemnaupti mountains that it extended from. Tens upon tens if not hundreds of meters of granite and other stones, the near straight incline made them seemingly unscalable- and for a long time that remained a reality.

With continued advents, they were conquered and built upon by the Beiguojian authorities, and ascended by the true people’s government of the country. New fortifications and military posts were erected upon the sharp stone walls. Bunkers, gun-nests, and entire military bases were hundreds of meters from flat terrain with a few easily defensible access points up into the well-defended heavens. The stone wall faded, and grew browner in color, before quickly transitioning into mud-brick and green fauna. On top of the great incline the jungle ecosystem continued, all consuming and inescapable as before across the entire Eastern territories. Nestled in the high altitude forests, East Beiguojian soldiers were stationed in great numbers- as the Duolnjiè Neck became a hotspot for the people’s army and air force military operations.

Now, the neck craning southwards acted as a grand vantage spot over the jungle, whose canopy continued on indefinitely, its leaves swaying with the motion of the wind like the waves of an ocean. The row of jeeps quieted as they pushed their way over the neck’s top-slope, and onto manageable land. The stress their vehicles exerted came to a simmer, and the worst of the climb seemed over. Straddling the edge of the cliffside, on one side laid thinner mountainous jungle and on the other- the dropping Shérăn Jungle, and the great chasm of the Beiguojian Chandìse Plain.

Shedding any divisions between them, seemingly all of the passengers gazed out the south-facing window towards the distant equatorial plain. No matter how many times one had made the trip, the distant plain and the emerald green of the surrounding jungle was a sight to behold. To many Beiguojians, the jungle meant a constant battle for land and resources- here, it shielded the serene plain and her peoples. A flat, grassy hole in the middle of the rainforest. Despite any differences between the two- the Beiguojian and the Thelenassian, each’s eyes wowed where the mouths did not over the awe-encapsulating view- which was quickly taken from them as convoy of jeeps took a turn into the elevated jungle, quickly pulling into the front gate of an unusually flat military base- hidden in the shadows under the canopy.

Even between the buildings, jungle trees reached up into the sky. The walls that were clearly in view quickly faded, hidden behind tight streets and mud-brick buildings- like quickly identified barracks, a communications building, and more. Rows of soldiers trained in a distant courtyard like sardines, although the clearing was no bigger than to fit a few ranks in. The convoy of jeeps went through large parts of the thin military base as quickly as they came, and pulled onto a side road before quickly exiting the base. Behind him, a clearing some tens of meters big laid flat along the cliffside.

Baked into the dirt was some marking, and was only seen for a second as the convoy came to a halt and the Beiguojians quickly got to work. The drivers got out, and the monitory staff swiftly exitted to make room for the Thelenassian envoys. Everyone enjoyed a shared moment of stretching their legs as they fell into groups standing around each other.

After a few moments, the sharp sputter and hum of a helicopter came into full focus, formerly shrouded by the all-consuming jungle and windy skies. In the distance, a large cargo helicopter came to a sharp but controlled descent straight towards the makeshift helipad, dropping tens of meters quickly before leveling out and circling around to better fit his fuselage on the center of the dirt landing pad. The group of people fell back closer to the parked jeeps and hid behind them as the helicopter touched down- its dual rotors whipping dirt, leaves, and sticks around in every direction. In time, they fell into two lines and entered the helicopter, sprinting through the twister-like wind and into and up its large back transport ramp.

Being all soldiers, they fell into instinct and fastened themselves into the hard and tacky seats of the transport helicopter, and prepared to ascend up back into the sky…

…There was an adjoining objective between the two- Oil. To the Thelenassians, selling oil to the East Beiguojians meant a profit, assurement of ties, and a tool against the democracies of the Sahaldna, while to the East Beiguojians, it was a necessary deal with the devil that brought both shame and security…

…Now, Thelenassians were seeing firsthand the complicated relationship of the Jungle and Beiguojia, how it defined the State, its policy, and its interactions with the foreign world. Encapsulated into bubbles of civilization along river banks and in any and all arable land, the Jungle quieted the Beiguojian nation from outside clutter and isolated it. Hundreds of miles of dense rainforest that would eventually tear and absorb back anything implanted impurely upon its soils.

The helicopter veered southwest towards the true Thelenassian-Beiguojian border from its position where the three nations of the People’s Republic, the Kaccinate, and the Borunate met. In the distance, the bright green jungle pitched higher up, and faded into a more temperate if not dry xeric green. Barely taken upon by the East Beiguojians, a familiar sight to the Thelenassians, the Qitum forests, poured over the border some until the eventual international-exchange point.

It had been decided that the oil-exchange agreement between the two would pitch up towards the People’s Republic and spawn the creation of a new pipeline. For another tens upon tens of kilometers Qitum’s forests shrouded any Thelenassian industry and population hubs away from the equally empty Beiguojian side of the border. With military bases sprinkled through the area, little infrastructure existed to support the large-scale construction of a pipeline, which would have to be built one piece at a time.

The helicopter slowed, drawing near to the border, and slowly did a loop north as the Thelenassians and Beiguojians got to talking- using automatic and generative translators to talk back and forth about the length and logistics of the pipeline.

While smaller connections existed, a new extension could be added to the oil pipeline running through Yeprouhi that could get vast quantities of Thelenassian oil to East Beiguojia as one of the close economically and infrastructurally rich population hubs of the Thelenassian northeast- and East Beiguojia would build off of preexisting rail and plastic-transportation infrastructure as a basis for the “Yeingbihe (Yeprouhi) -Adalang” Oil Route.

Each of them knew where a majority of this oil and compounding resources would go- into the mouth of the East Beiguojian Army, flooding new streets with tanks and blood as the People’s Republic continued to find new footing and revitalization amidst burgeoning fears of regional armageddon. Yet, it remained unspoken between all but the Borun and the Eastern Head of State.

Its path was traced out by the engineer’s eyes and on maps- marking waypoints, any additional infrastructure, and anything else as they traced invisible lines through the jungle canopy until it no longer concerned them. Maintenance stations and schedules would have been established to defend the pipeline against the elements- but that seemed small in comparison to the rest of the project. After more time and conversation, the talks died out, and each side seemed better prepared for the industrial project ahead of them…

Kapriel, Oksen, Thelenassy; Borunkogausea

Twelve people, eight men and four women, board an international flight for West Beiguojia without raising alarm. They look like one of the many proto-Asianic people of Indo-East Osea, and claim to be Qitomese, most of them originating from the oasis-like provincial capital. Their passports are native to Thelenassy, and only a few have other stamps.

In time, their plane departs the Borunate and arrives in West Beiguojia at medium capacity- most of the passengers being an equal part of the Asianic blend; Qitomese, Agrusgrazan, Tsolese, and Beiguojian descendents returning home to the villages and places their forefathers knew to see distant lands and equally distant family. They collect their luggage, depart the airport, and fade into the great masses of people traversing the Republic.

They have an eventual rendezvous point in mind; a contact deep out into the Comngchŭ Plain, far from the achings of urban civilization where the spirit of the revolution was continued despite all attempts to stamp out the farmer and worker’s dream. There, they will find the Voice of the Plains, and the tools to spread the wildfire of revolution across the drying plain.

Winter had come and gone, and now the essence of color started to return to the Comngchŭ. The dead and dried grass of the former year was gone and now new blades may rise where they did. Yet, they too shall perish.

If the flames would not singe the plain dry, the coming drought would.

Currently, the 1st Battle Fleet is tasked with a special assignment, along with the rest of the fleet. In total, 1 nuclear carrier, 4 dreadnoughts, 12 cruisers, and 8 destroyers sail for Svipjoth.

This isn't a regular patrol by any means. This fleet is traveling farther North than any Emnarian fleet has in a hundred years. The fleet has two objectives.

The first objective is to perform surveillance on Canineian water borders. The ENS Victory, with its armament of 42 GFM-06 fighter jet aircraft, is currently performing fighter patrols near Canineian waters. The goal of this surveillance is to provide advanced protection and early warning radius for the 1st Battle Fleet on its way to Svipjoth.

The second objective, and its primary goal, is to deliver its VIP to Svipjoth’s capital, Uppsala, for a meeting unheard of in either Emnaria’s or Svipjoth’s modern history.

1127 hours, March 16th, 2023
1st Imperial Battle Fleet, Western Ceres Ocean

Amongst the calm waters of Rurikshaf (Rurik’s Sea), the 25 ships of the 1st Battle Fleet sail at half speed. The nuclear carrier ENS Victory takes center among the fleet of ships. It is the flagship of the Imperial Navy, its greatest symbol of power and importance.

With their imminent approach to Skljarrfloi (Gulf of Skljarr), the commanding admiral of ENS Victory spots the twin cities of Uppsala and Vinoss in the near horizon. Despite Uppsala being the capital and the home of Hvithaar Hall, the fleet is bound for port in Vinoss, the trade capital of Svipjoth, because of her larger capacity. She’s never had to fit any vessel quite like the ENS Victory, but she was their best bet for landing.

As the 1st Fleet sails into the furthest interior point, the crowded masses at the harborsides of the greater metropolitan area became abundant and apparent. Each man, woman, and child marveled with widened eyes and dropped jaws at the iron sea monsters before them, finding assurance only in the streamers and other decorations put up in early dawn. Husbands held their wives and children hid behind their parents as the Emnarian ships pass, nervously watching the foreign machine slowly lumber along the water.

Overhead, the sky fills with an echoing rumble as two GFM-06 fighter jets pass by. To the Svipish, they are unlike any ever seen before: the airplanes’ wings begin to sweep back, forming a triangle. With a great reverberating “boom”, they rapidly accelerate, surpassing speeds capable of any Svipish aircraft. The airplanes are followed by a display of hovering machines. A whole fleet of these “helicopters” fly over the large figure of the nuclear supercarrier ENS Victory; it sails superimposed against the backdrop of the gulf. Flying high above the Victory, is the Emnarian flag, its eagle waving in the refreshing breeze of the Svipish morning. The 25 ships of the 1st Battle Fleet moor themselves in the Gulf of Skljarr.

It was while they coordinated this mooring that the royal guard finished their preparations. The loose gravel circle was made neat, with neither a single pebble or granule rendering the landing pad rigid. An ornate, moose-pulled carriage waited a comfortable distance from the landing pad; an entourage of royal horsemen standing guard in front of and behind the carriage, as well as patrolling the vicinity. Another few less luxurious, but still comfortable, horse-drawn carriages waited to board any and all of Wilhelm’s entourage. At the royal carriage, a well-dressed servant stood erect in front of the passenger door, her left hand slightly twitching in anticipation. She attempted to keep her nerves down, grounding herself to the scent of coffee and tobacco that gently rolled from the ajar carriage windows.

1127 hours, March 16th, 2023
ENS Victory, Moored 1st Battle Fleet, Gulf of Skljarr, Svipjoth

A platoon of marines form a tunnel outside one of the watertight superstructure doors to the flight deck. They stand tall, an intimidating sight to the Emnarian deck crew, even though they’re from the same nation. The Emnarian Army is considered some of the best trained soldiers, they pride themselves on it; the Emnarian Marines, are like the special forces compared to the Army; the entourage of Marines personally selected to accompany the Emperor (a.k.a Marine Special Security Detail) are the very best of the Marines. Their woodland camouflage uniforms make a distinct contrast to the blue uniforms of the Navy sailors.

Walking out from the tunnel, in his large black trench coat and his field cap, is Emperor Wilhelm the 1st. The sailors watch as he walks towards the olive drab green, UHM-58 helicopter. He ducks down as he walks under the spinning rotor blades, making his way into the cabin. Six of the tall MSSD Marines enter the helicopter with him; one Marine has a golden eagle with crossed swords: a prestigious medal last given to a soldier 20 years ago. Two other Marines approach the helicopter and shut the sliding side doors; one of the Marines bangs on the pilot’s door before the two hustle away from it. The main rotor spins faster and faster and the blades begin to pitch. The helicopter rocks side-to-side as it begins to lift off. The UHM-58 gradually lifts off, flying towards the shoreline.

Wilhelm withdraws his cigarette case, “Want a light?”

The Marines around him look at the man with the golden eagle on the chest of his uniform. Without saying a word, he briefly nods. The rest of the Marines immediately lean over to grab a cigarette; one grabs a lighter from his pocket. Wilhelm unbuckles his lap belt and switches to sit next to the Marine with the golden eagle, “You want one Master Sergeant?”

The sergeant shakes his head, “No thanks, sir… I'd prefer if you would put your lap belt on, sir.”

Wilhelm slides open the door, a Marine pursues to do the same for the other side. Wilhelm holds his cap in his hands, his dirty blonde hair blows with the gusts of wind. He looks over at the sergeant once again, “I've flown in one of these many times: for the first thousand or so, with a rifle in my hands. I'm sure I'll be fine.”

The sergeant slightly nods and looks forward, not responding. Wilhelm stares at the water as it passes by. His ears fill with the familiar chopping sound, the constant, consistent, beating rhythm which is practically the UHM-58’s signature.

The helicopter levels out. The Svips on the ground hear the peculiar sound of the rotor chop and it gets closer. As it nears the landing pad, it retains a relatively high speed: this is where Emnarian helicopter pilots display their skill. As it nears 150 feet of the makeshift landing pad, the helicopter aggressively flares. As it approaches, it pitches back so far the people on the ground can see the full belly of the helicopter. Quickly, it glides down to the pad, the down wash of the main rotor kicking up dust as it descends. It rapidly decelerates at the last second to a soft touchdown on the gravel pad.

Despite the racing inner thoughts of the Svipish royal guard, their behavior betrayed their intimidation, neither halting their patrol or adjusting their stance. Heads were turned, but no one dared to adjust anything below the neck. The female servant’s nervous hand was finally allowed to accomplish its menial mission, lifting from her side and grasping the handle. She unclasped and opened the carriage door, neither letting the hinges a chance to creak in slowness or the door to be too fast, too slow, or too erratic in how it was opened.

In the carriage, the chopping rotors signaled Beinlaus to softly release the inhaled smoke, barely lowering his jaw to let it bellow as he set his wooden pipe in its specialized side compartment. His gaze turned towards the central table: coffee pitcher, creamer, sugar cubes, thin chocolate mints, varied fruit pastries, miniature sandwiches with smoked salmon, all delicately arranged around a honey wax candle carved with reliefs of foliage.

Beinlaus’ servant, Rasmus, sat opposite to him, staring down at his hands in ambient thought. Both young men had their focus broken when the door was suddenly opened, the rotors even louder as the helicopter steadied itself onto the gravel. Unphased by the foreign noise, Beinlaus stood from the velvet cushioned booth seats and swiftly exited the carriage, Rasmus following behind him. Passing his other servant, Elingunn, he silently thanked her for her table arrangement as he stood opposite the door to her. Rasmus, exiting the vehicle with a bundled carpet, hurriedly spread it in front of the entrance before joining Beinlaus to his right.

Through the clear glass of the cockpit, they watch as the pilot reaches back and gives the passengers a thumbs up. He then begins flipping switches and pushing buttons on the dashboard, as if a robot, executing its list of orders. On the side of his white pilot’s helmet, a vibrant yellow painted diamond, with a snarling wolf in the center of it. His co-pilot holds a wooden clipboard, list firmly pinned to it. Reaching over his lap belt, he pulls the latch lever on his door: it swiftly swings open. The co-pilot sits there, he can be seen excitedly chatting with the pilot, occasionally laughing: although not the faintest clue of what they’re talking about can be determined.

The high pitched whining of the rotor gradually deafens as it slows down; the fuselage of the UHM-58 begins to shudder and shake. After a minute, the 6 Marines hop out of the helicopter, forming a makeshift perimeter around the sidedoor of the aircraft. The helicopter finally stops shaking, and a couple seconds later, a man in a black trenchcoat steps out from the helicopter. A small collection of ribbons and medals adorn his coat. He wears a worn-looking soft cap, with an eagle badge on its front. He slowly walks past the Marines, who upon seeing his passage, stand up and form 2 lines behind him, each consisting of 3 Marines. On each Marine’s shoulder is the Emnarian flag: its eagle, the symbol of Emnaria.

Beinlaus, dressed in an outfit similar to that of a 18th century Swedish hussar, watched Wilhelm and his marines approach him with a stoic, mysterious gaze.

“Welcome to the Fylkirate, Wilhelm.”

Wilhelm looks at Fylkir Beinlaus. The Pope-King of Svipjoths looks… a lot younger than Wilhelm imagined him to be. Late adolescent boyhood intermixed with a subtle stubble and grizzled creases that mark his time in the Svipish Civil War.

Wilhelm salutes and removes his hat; the weathered details of his face reveal itself in the light of the day. He smiles and salutes Beinlaus:

“I do trust that you are the great Fylkir I have heard about?”

Beinlaus did not return the smile, retaining his unreadable expression. He returns the salute with the same vigor, subconsciously compensating for his cold gaze with a slightly warmer tone of voice, heavy in accent as he responded,

“And I trust that you are Emperor of Emnaria.”

Taking note of the indifference from Beinlaus, Wilhelm’s smile fades. In a more serious tone of voice, he says,

“Indeed.”

Beinlaus directed his attention upon his servants, commanding Rasmus to direct the marines to their accommodations and Elingunn to join him and Wilhelm in the royal carriage. They then quickly boarded the carriages before the caravan of soldiers and royalty began to move forward.

Seated across from Wilhelm and next to Elingunn, Beinlaus reached back into his special compartment to retrieve his still lit smoking pipe. He took a long drag while Elingunn hurriedly, but carefully made a cup of coffee and set it next to Beinlaus. He turned his head to blow the smoke out of the window before turning back to Wilhelm to speak,

“You are welcome to anything on the table. My second wife is also preparing a luncheon feast upon our arrival,” he paused to take another drag.

“Coffee for you, sir?” Elingunn meekly asked.

Wilhelm looks over at Elingunn,

“Please. I appreciate it.”

Wilhelm reaches into a pocket in his coat, and withdraws a cigar wrapped in red paper, with a golden plastic band securing the wrap. He looks up from the cigar,

“I presume you wouldn't mind if I smoke?”

“I would be a hypocrite to disallow you to.”

Beinlaus thoughtfully lifted the fragile porcelain cup and drank as Elingunn poured the pitcher and mixed in only a spoonful of creamer. She handed it to Wilhelm, bowing slightly as she reached across the table.

“Here you are, just as My Holiness likes his coffee prepared. If it is not to your tastes, I can make you another cup.”

Beinlaus gently smiled into his cup, satisfied at his servant’s eager hospitality before returning to neutrality and setting the cup down,

“I appreciate you taking the time to come and visit me in person, Wilhelm. We have much to discuss… Might I first suggest your thoughts on the current continental and global affairs?”

Wilhelm grabs the cup of coffee, nodding his head in respect. He lights the cigar, taking a long drogue from it before responding to Beinlaus,

“I see you cut to the chase… I am concerned for the continent. And, if we cannot live on a peaceful continent, we cannot worry ourselves with interfering in global affairs. Emnaria has the fortune of seeing economic growth, and can afford to see limited involvement in global affairs. Yet, Verusa is still a major concern for the nation. I am quite keen to see your views on the situation in Verusa: particularly with your nation's proximity to some… concerning, ideologies.”

Beinlaus hummed softly in agreement, fiddling with the stem of his pipe as he responded,

“I am largely in agreement with you. As unfortunate as Fusea is, I cannot be concerned with their instability while the tension in Verusa is thickening. Vyerossia and the People’s Democratic Union of Sørland are a threat by virtue of ideological extremisms. Backwards their governments are, however, they mind their own. While tense, Vyerossia and Svipjoth are amicable, and as for the communists of Sørland, I retain hope and a sphere of interest in assisting their exiled kingdom to a full restoration of power, if the opportunity ever arises. So for as long as they are peaceful with us, Svipjoth will be peaceful with them.

The same benefit cannot be said for Canineia… I have no hope of any long lasting peace with those mongrel dogs of the SSTO. Their presence is a threat to our fishermen and warm water ports. I do not doubt they will one day have the arrogance and gumption to embargo that entire bay. And what shall we defend ourselves with then, I ask myself. Our military technological deficit accumulated from our two century isolationist period is too large to ignore. The armed forces of Svipjoth need to become more modernized, and expeditiously, if our people have a fighting chance against them.”

Wilhelm sets his coffee on the table,

“I respect your views on the matter, especially your willingness to remain neutral with the Vyerossians and Sørland.

For the matter of Canineia, I agree with you. It is a major threat to the geopolitics of Verusa, and threatens the interests of the Emnarian Empire. I understand I may not have the same concern as you; the Canineians do not directly threaten my homeland. However, I still believe that cooperation and diplomatic friendship could see Canineia encircled.

A matter which I don't necessarily share the same views on, is Vyerossia. Emnaria has had a, to understate it, tense relationship with the ideology of Communism. To the extent that in the past 25 years we are responsible for killing 700,000 communists.

The people of Emnaria have long appreciated the honor and security of militarism, it's in our blood; some may even say we do nothing better than fight. I believe that our two nations could easily partake in an ideological crusade, to rid Verusa of inferior and tyrannical ideologies: who view themselves as saviors, while they starve the masses “for their own good”.

Of course, I don't mean to be rude or presumptuous beyond my privilege; but judging from the look on many a man's face I have seen today, I'd almost believe you hadn't discovered the helicopter yet!”

Wilhelm lets out a chuckle before realizing, he was the only one laughing. He quickly silences himself and cleared his throat,

“Did I say something wrong?”

Beinlaus sighed, slowly shaking his head,

“No, you are correct. Our technological ignorance is clear. We Svips are an individual, self-reliant culture that used to know what interdependence and cooperation meant. The years of isolationism we imposed upon ourselves has made many of my people hesitant to any form of change.

Through the sacrifice of the civil war and my late father, Svipjoth finally has a chance to relearn the value of interdependence to those we trust as allies. The citizenry can keep their technology as it is, for I do not want to spark yet another civil war, but the same tolerance cannot be given to our military and state industrial infrastructure.

I need your help in this effort of modernization, Wilhelm, but I did not summon you here to beg for charity. Many resources lay idle and in wait for harvest in Svipjoth’s lands, including many metals and oil wells, inaccessible only because we don’t have the technology to extract them.

Help us build infrastructure and we will give you metals and oil. Help us in modernizing our military technology, and we will aid you in war and peace.”

Wilhelm falls silent for a moment, his face expressing the thought happening in his head,

“Another, civil war?”

“It is a long and arduous story.” Beinlaus chuckles darkly, intently focused on his coffee as he then lifts it to take a large drink, “Trust me, we have far greater things to concern than the past. Another time, I will tell you.”

Wilhem breathes deeply in contemplation, choosing his next words precisely,

“As you may know, Emnaria has needed expanded capabilities in Verusa; this is thanks to the large presence of Communism, but also, the delicate nature of relations with Ryshun. As far as my understanding goes, Ryshun and Emnaria have gradually seen more cooperation and what may eventually result in a friendship. However, it is far too early to put full trust into a friendship.

The vulnerabilities of a nation cannot be fixed merely by self-reliance. So, Emnaria has long searched for a trustworthy ally, one that can sustain itself, but also contribute to Emnaria equally. The ever-evolving geopolitics of Verusa call for more measures to invest in security. An alliance between Emnaria and your great nation would surely be a prime opportunity for economic growth on both our behalves, and increased capabilities for military security.

And, seeing as Emnaria’s military relies heavily on oil, it would be heavily beneficial for us to invest in Svipjoth’s oil industry. However, it is also essential for Svipjoth to have a strong, independent economy, so we would be more than willing to invest in your economy.
However, there must be guarantees. Emnaria as a nation, needs to know that this alliance will benefit both of us. My only request is that you, to at least a limited extent, would adopt some similar equipment to match Emnarian military logistics, and allow Emnaria to establish air and army bases in your nation. This way we could also protect Svipjoth in the event things go against our plans.”

Beinlaus softly smirks in appeasement, lifting his coffee cup into a momentary, silent toast before drinking another mouthful,

“Your offer of friendship and economic aid makes me whole with joy. I am willing to agree to your terms, as desperate as they are for much needed specification. I am also willing to offer, as additional security, a royal marriage between our families.”

Wilhelm reluctantly smiles,

“I am glad to hear we are on the same page. Um-,” Wilhelm momentarily stutters, “- I sadly haven't any heirs to marry off. My son is my only descendant, and he has refused to marry until his military service has been fulfilled. However, I thank you for your offer.

I am very aware my requests are vague, but for specifics you would be better off consulting my field marshal. It would be beneficial for our military staff to meet each other in person anyway.”

“No concern is needed, then. The offer is always available, however, in case you change your mind. Nevertheless,” Beinlaus quickly breaks eye contact to look out the carriage window, “we are nearing Hvithaar Hall. Let us resume these discussions once we are settled in a lounge; between now and then, the wives and children will be anxious to meet you.”

=======

News Station Broadcast, WOLK 75.1, Konstaht

Currently the time is 1:40 P.M., and we have breaking news. Emperor Wilhelm met the Fylkir of Svipjoth 2 days ago, which is a country on the northern coast of Verusa. The emperor arrived in Svipjoth with the 1st Battle Fleet of the Imperial Navy, and the two leaders discussed diplomatic matters, among which were talks of alliance.

These talks lasted hours, during which they came to an agreement upon the exchange of embassies, and formally signed a treaty of alliance. There were many other subjects also discussed, however, the most alarming news occurred yesterday evening at 8:40 P.M. Konstaht time.

The ENS Victory, the largest nuclear carrier in the Emnarian fleet, was performing fleet defensive surveillance operations close to Canineian waters on its return trip with the 1st Battle Fleet.

The carrier launched 2 GFM-06 fighter jets at 8:00 P.M., and they performed routine reconnaissance missions for 40 minutes. One of the jets was piloted by Captain Harris of the 40th Carrier Fighter Detachment. Cpt. Harris, according to the Imperial Navy, had an engine unstart as a result of a compressor failure, and was forced to ditch his aircraft in Canineian waters.

After the incident was reported to admirals aboard ENS Victory, and to the emperor himself, the Battle Fleet was forced to halt and commence a rescue operation. After 2 hours, the situation was deemed dire enough to send 2 HAHM-50 helicopters, and 4 UAHM-59C helicopters into Canineian waters to rescue the downed pilot and attempt to retrieve the aircraft. Although this technically violated Canineian water borders, the IEM high command released a statement to the press today, stating, “Although the actions of March 30th, 2024 occurred inside Canineian waters, the Imperial Military reserves the right to put the needs of its soldiers ahead of all others. Captain David Harris was in a life-threatening situation, and the full ability of the Imperial Navy was dispatched to rescue him. His aircraft was lost in Canineian waters, but we hold hope that accords with Canineia may allow us to retrieve our downed aircraft, so that we may investigate the cause of the problem and ensure future safety of our pilots.”

That statement is the latest news of the situation. However, this new alliance with Svipjoth is great news, and we are excited to see what will result from it.

This is WOLK 75.1, signing off for the night…

The Xujing Stock Exchange was generally in the green as the Central Reserve looks to increase reserve rates in order to stem inflation caused by soaring energy prices. Advances in the Jingro Industrial Index were lead by tremendous valuation growth in energy extraction corporations such as Titan and ShrimpPEC, however manufacturing and chemicals have taken severe hits. South Ocean Chemicals has taken the largest hit this month laying off more than 3,000 employees as it shut down two of its largest refineries in the Southern Isles. Layoffs in the industrial sectors have been increasingly common as Lunghan companies were blindsided by the sumori oil crisis.

A surprise victor in the current market appears to be ATLAS Industries (ATL) who announced the successful deployment half a dozen mobile drilling platform to the Ostartic isles as well as winning lucrative contracts to sell hundred of their third generation ambulatory vehicles to various government entities. In collaboration with the Department of Energy and the nations leading petrochemical corporations, the Ostartic isles are rapidly becoming the most important center for government investment. With so much focus on domestic issues spurred by the Sumori oil Crisis, the National Assembly is said to ask the Ministry for Foreign Cooperative Development to reevaluate Lungha's position in the Merilian Plains. Industry representatives of the National Assembly have signaled their willingness to continue support of the Merilian Program, while conservative minority leaders voiced strong rhetoric to withdraw completely in favor of domestic investment.

With gains slowing overall in the market, shareholders in Chenlong steel have rejoiced in the success the company has found operating in the Merilian Plains and voted to continue operations within Merilia and with the Emnarian expansion eying the acquisition of additional independent steel mills and ore pelletizing facilities to gain a stronger foothold in Anea. Chenlong Steel with its the cash reserves seem able to continue with overseas expansion.

Agricultural leaders Buy & Big and Yamifarms stocks fell into the green as fuel and fertilizer prices rose, investor confidence in seeing quarterly growth has drastically fallen, meanwhile retailers and wholesale corporations still forecast positive returns by the end of the fiscal year. Industry leaders attempted calming their shareholders last Tuesday claiming increased foreign relations and record number of Lunghan exports will balance the increase in manufacturing costs. These attempts to calm investors have yet to be proven effective as the XJX closes lower each week.

Waning consumer confidence and strife cause by the price shocks and layoff induced by the Sumori Oil Crisis have cast long shadows on the once friendly relations the Republic had with the Sumoriant Regime. Public sentiment has grown hostile to the nation of Sumoriant which many see as a failed state following an internal power struggle that saw the Sumori Monarchy deposed. The un-elected President is generally seen as illegitimate as the Sumori Monarchy fell in a coup d'etat as opposed to a democratic election. Trade deals held with the Sumori Monarchy have been suspended and the nation of Sumoriant is effectively embargoed from Lunghan goods due to the inability for the current Sumori Regime to come forth to the bargaining table. The Republic, unable to secure it's assets in Sumori or to reestablish trade deals with the current Sumori government has sent envoys to the Austro Germanic Union and Kexia in hopes of rectifying the situation and assisting in intervention within the nation if the need arises.

Is war on the horizon? More at 11.

To whomever this may concern,

I have been asked by their majesty King Fluffy to write to give you a warm welcome both to the world stage and the alliance we are both members of.

We here in Canineia have noticed that both our species descend from the Canidae family and we are delighted to see the similarities between us.

Therefore, we propose that our nations pursue diplomatic ties by establishing embassies between our nations. Another proposal we offer is the meeting between our two leaders. The second proposal is on the fence as of right now but we would be happy to accommodate your leader(s) in Canidae Harbour and be more than willing to visit Narag.

With regards,
Niamh Orangefur
Director of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Gender: Female

Age: 42 (Born in 1990, currently 42 in 2032)

Ethnicity: Half Pecheneg (Mothers side), Half Gojiran (Father's side).

She's a former soldier of the AKSDF (Anti-Kaiju Self Defence Force) branch of the GSDF, she is also great friends with the Gojiran princess Seraphina. She is now a member of the Gojiran parliament, speaking on behalf of the Pecheneg's in Gojira."

Solaria Alliance Pandoska Sumoriant Lungha Merilian Plains Talyr Lucedeia Westplain Beiguojia