^^ Rhea's Dress ^^

"I'm glad you took notes, love, because I didn't follow a damn thing he was saying after that. None of those names and locations or events and dates made sense to me, not even a little bit." I nudged Luna, grinning as the unconscious necromancer was tossed back into a cell, to wait out the situation.

She sighed, looking away from the pad of paper and ink pen that Medea had handed her. "This isn't funny, Theo! This is a quarter of the collective. The rich quarter." She snapped at me worriedly.

"Yes, and they'll tear each other apart organically, trying to save their own skins, and soon there'll be almost nothing left. There's always a little bit of corruption, Moonie, don't stress it too much. Your clan isn't involved, neither is Kindle's, and honestly, rich people need to get humbled every once in a while, so shit like this doesn't happen; this experience, watching all the conspirators be executed and buried as dishonorable dead, will show them that Money doesn't equal Power. It's a good lesson for them all to learn." I explained carefully, and watched Kindle as she realized why I'd let the first guy go, finally.

"You're going to sic them on each other, outing everyone, not just the ones these two minions knew about, and also preventing them from standing together... that's evil, and I love it!!!" She laughed harshly, shaking her head at the devilish twist I'd pulled on them.

"See? Kindle's smarter than she looks, now let's get moving and deal with those necromancers, quietly, then go to this meeting they're holding." I nodded.

"We can't get in, Theo, it's for Chieftains and their chosen guards only." Luna shook her head slowly, still awestruck and conflicted.

"I know. Why do you think I let Chief Faunus add us to the Collective? Rhea and I will go together, and you 'n Kindle will go with your chieftains. I'll bring you back some magic souvenirs." I patted Medea's head gently, and she grinned.

"Please do!!!" She grinned greedily, and handed me a shoulder holster and a speed loader for the revolver, as well as a single Adamantite bullet. "If you load that into the Force cylinder, it'll make a very dangerous sound wave, to mess up any Slime monsters or crack any stone or stuff... it's also wicked loud, and even though I directed the sound away from you, the echo can still hurt, if you're in an enclosed space, so maybe plug your ears before firing it inside?" She shrugged casually.

I nodded, pocketing it and slinging on the holster under my jacket. "My Axe and Hammer will likely be taken from me, so I'll keep my knife visible, but can you teleport away my weapons when we get in there, and then bring them back? I imagine they'll take weapons at the door." I asked Luna.

"Yes, I can do that." She nodded determinedly, having finally decided to buck up and get with this plan of mine.

"Good, lets go. We'll be back for you tomorrow at noon, Rhea dear, be ready, okay?" I waved Kindle closer, then stood in front of Luna and waited to be sent. The bottom of my stomach dropping out was becoming somewhat familiar, though no less unpleasant, as we landed on soft, crunchy ground.

I opened my eyes, and gasped softly at the view of a gorgeous beach, with clean white quartz sand, crystalline waves, and a few visible sand-bars out in the water. Gulls cried in the distance, squawking and fighting over a fish that'd been washed ashore, one of the multitude of massive lone fishes and schools of minnows I could see from here easily in the crystal-clear water. "Oh, Wow..." I breathed, and stepped towards the water.

"Whoa hey nope! That's a bad idea!" Kindle was quick to stop me, and I frowned at her.

"What? You afraid of a little water?" I chuckled.

"Yes? And why aren't you? That water is liquid death; two seconds in it and your entire body will seize up from the ice-cold and you'll drown, and that's if the water doesn't steal you away or a fish doesn't eat you first!" She exclaimed, and Luna nodded, apparently agreeing.

"Wait... so your fears are based on the dubious facts that A: Water in the northern side of your continent is cold; B: There's a powerful rip-tide; and C: The fish are big and scary?" I asked dryly.

They glanced at each other, and then back at me. "I mean... first of all screw your sarcastic tone, and second of all yes? How does that not worry you?" Kindle asked.

"Because it's literally the easiest solution to ever exist, and it's sad you haven't figured it out? I keep forgetting that for all your advanced magical technology, you're a very young society, and you don't actually understand a lot of the world of Nature. But I'll leave that for another day, if it makes you happy." I chuckled softly and started walking towards the places I could see little headstones of some sort, made of driftwood and corral. There were no dunes here, (adding to my confusion about this beach in general,) only the mounds where the graves were, about a hundred feet back from the water.

I spotted the fresher graves almost immediately, from the crabs and sand-mites that were scurrying around them, and nodded at one of them. "Never dug up a grave before... sounds like fun, doesn't it?"

"Not even a little bit." Kindle sighed, pulling a shovel out of thin air.

"Don't bother, darling, I'm not waiting that long and there are several graves to get to." I shot the sand with the spell that crushed things, and watched as a large portion of the sand was instantly turned into a quartz sphere the size of my chest with a few imperfections. One more shot cleared the whole top three feet of the grave, and I dug through the last bit of sand with my hands until I snagged clothes.

"That's... so gross." Kindle shivered.

"It's just a cadaver, stop whining..." I sighed, and shot it with the stun spell. After a few moments, it groaned, rubbing its head, and I nodded, handing him to Luna. "One down!"

—

Finding the rest was insultingly easy, which I found sad. 'These people are too cocky to pull off something like this... they didn't even consider that someone would uncover their plot... or maybe I'm cocky, thinking I've outsmarted them so easily?' I stopped moving, walking up the hill towards the elusive 'Capital', and turned to Luna. "Do you think they've got some back-up cards to play? Don't you think this was too easy? Or am I paranoid?"

"Yes, to all three questions, and now you're just as worried as I have been for three and a half months." She answered calmly, and patted my cheek, continuing forward.

"I concur." Rhea shrugged, and straightened her shawl, which covered her bare shoulders sad matched her fancy red mermaid dress, made all of red lace in the top portion, beautiful swirling patterns and windows to her skin and a deep cut neckline to reveal most of her bountiful cleavage, and then more silk and a little lace on the bottom, crashing and rippling in waves down to the ground around her feet to create a sweeping train that spoke a grand statement of elegance and grace, while also revealing and accentuating her legs, as the thigh-high slit that allowed her to walk more easily meant each step was another statement, more potent than the last.

"Luna dear... I'm getting you a dress." I hummed, watching Rhea strut confidently.

"A dress? Whatever for?" She asked, and then looked at what I was looking at, as Rhea's legs casually peeled out of the dress, revealing her six-inch stilettos. "Oh! Those look dangerous... and they do wonders for her calves, don't they?"

"Mm..." I smiled, and started walking again.

"Good luck getting her into one of those useless contraptions, my dear; she's hated them ever since she was a girl. Totally useless, they rip too easily, no armor to speak of!" Luna's mother sighed, shaking her head.

"But oh-so-satisfying... if only I'd been able to wear one today." I sighed, looking at my plate armor and keeping pace.

"You like dresses?" Luna asked, surprised.

"I like Silk and Satin, yes. Glorious feeling on the skin... and I do like to dress up on occasion, yes. I never really wore anything except furs and jeans as a young woman, and then going to the City... I found nice clothes and pink hair and those types of things to be a nice reminder that I was free to be whoever I wanted, even if that meant being girly, not just a Giantess who smashes things." I snorted inelegantly at the thought of the box most people put me in when they saw me.

Rhea glanced back at me knowingly, and nodded. "I'll make one for you soon, my dear, don't worry. Pink, yes?"

"Or blue. Cobalt... and matching lace lingerie." I smirked as Luna blushed, and Rhea laughed loudly, unashamed.

"Yes indeed... consider it done. That cobalt dye you made is very smooth, so it'll adhere to the lace as soon as I'm finished making it. It's a slow process without modern technology." She sighed at her 'slow' process, (only by her count, but I supposed that's what mattered,) and then glanced down, as she stood at the top of the hill, and gasped dramatically.

I joined her on the rise, and smiled at the view of a tight-packed town of two to three-story buildings, about a mile wide. There were no visible homes inside the walls, I noticed, only businesses, small indoor markets, large outdoor markets, some hospitals and clinics, several inns and taverns just outside the walls, and even a few brothels, already visibly active despite the early afternoon hour.

Guards strolled casually through the streets in groups of three or four, amicably exchanging commentary with people they passed, wearing a uniform that was more an accessory to their varied and plethoric armor types; a bronze ring about four inches in diameter, hanging from a green cloth necklace.

Near the center a building rose up a little above everything else, like the city had been built surrounding a hill. It seemed like a white stone amphitheater, perhaps marble or just polished granite, with a visible circular stage surrounded by tiered seating and a metallic domed roof supported by white stone columns. People milled about inside, and I automatically knelt, looking through the small telescope I'd made.

"That's the collective's Forum, Yes?" I asked, surveying the roof and surrounding buildings for people. I found a few groups that looked like they were watching the forum from balconies on the third floors of the three buildings that were close enough and tall enough to look into the forum, and closer inspection revealed some weapons on some of them, but no visible crossbows or arrows, so they weren't planning anything like sniping into the forum, unless such things were hidden inside for now. I relayed everything I'd seen, and handed the spyglass to Kindle when she requested it.

"Interesting... I see three clans, all who are supposed to be there... those are official guards at their posts, they're not assailants unless they're corrupt." She explained, then looked at the spyglass. "I need one of these, it's very useful."

"We survive this, it's yours for a gold piece." I shrugged, and took it back, examining the further buildings, which had line of sight on the columns. "What about those guys? Redstone building, clay brick, three people in robes?" I handed it back, pointing.

She looked again, and tsked, moving to look at a few more areas. "Yes, those are our targets. No insignias means bad news, robes means mages and more bad news, and mages intentionally getting a line of sight is much worse."

"We have four hours before the dance, right? Rhea and the chieftains can go to the forum, while you, me, and Luna quietly clear out those buildings. I... sort of trust Luna's mother with Rhea's safety, and Rhea is armed, so that'll be fine. Just don't let them take her wand." I glanced at Luna Sr., making sure she understood.

She nodded slowly. "Where... in that very tight dress... did you hide a wand?" She asked Rhea incredulously.

Rhea grinned and swept the dress to the side, drawing a full-sized revolver and a hunting knife from her thigh holsters. "A lady's got her ways."

—

The gates were easy to get through, surprisingly. They took down our names and appearances, (with several very long stares at the positively radiant Rhea, causing the female guards, -the ones who weren't also staring,- to smack the other guards in their skulls harshly,) and then let us through with a mumbled 'welcome'.

The inside of the city was busy, and reminded me a lot of the renaissance fair I'd gone to in California, just the once; lots of alcohol, almost everywhere, and a variety of games, like a perpetual carnival. This place was a place people visited, not lived, after all, so no matter how cheesy it was, people would simply come here, have a good time, and leave. There was a lot of money to be made in a tourism industry, and I watched people spend a silver coin a piece at a booth for throwing axes, making a note of the prices for Helen; she still wanted a clearer picture of how much money was actually worth here. The prizes intrigued me, including a variety of straw dolls, held together by simple woolen outsides dyed green and black.

"Impressive, Huh?" Kindle grinned, nudging my side. "A different festival every day, here in the capital, and always fun!"

"It's a cute carnival town, sure. Sad that it doesn't travel around, though. I miss those." I shrugged, and ignored her incredulous stare as I entered an alley casually, covering my trademark pink hair and face with a hood and hunting mask.

"You're way too prepared for this... what did you do in your old realm?" She asked curiously, going invisible.

"I broke metal into pieces, shredded carriages made of metal, and scrapped just about anything that I was given... I also built sculptures out of the metal, very nice ones." I answered, examining the back door and lowering my voice. Two basic hinges, with simple pins; a good amount of leverage would lift it clear silently.

"Anything good?" She asked, also quiet.

"I was barely finished with a particularly nice one for commission, a statue of John Lennon that I'm quite proud of." I grinned.

"Who?"

"Oh, right... He was a Legendary Bard from my Realm who spent his short life telling people to live life with peace and love. I feel really bad, actually, because the one who commissioned it was Sean Lennon, his son... well, it was finished, I just didn't deliver it yet, so I guess he'll find it when he comes to pay me." I hummed.

"A commission from the son of a Blessed Artist? You're that good, huh?" She chuckled.

"I'll let you model something, later. Brass... silver accents." I nodded, and poured some lubricant on the hinges, to prevent them from squeaking.

"I could silence that with magic, you know." She muttered.

"Excuse me for not relying on a handwave for something I can already do like a lazy brat!" I hissed at her under my breath, shutting her up and continuing what I was doing. The door very gently leveraged up and off its pins, circumventing the heavy deadbolt, and I set it aside silently, stepping into the interior. Two people dozed on the couches, weapons nearby, and I shot both with the stun feature of my revolver, sending them into a very deep sleep. "Recognize them?" I asked softly, replacing the door.

One of their faces turned, as an invisible hand gripped his cheeks. "No... he's from the Southeast, Avaldi's lands, judging by his skin... but no clan marks. A Mercenary Band, then... one with mages? That's not good." She sighed softly.

"No, it isn't." I agreed, and focused my attention upwards, as I heard a set of bootsteps above us. As they moved towards the stairs, I stood against the wall beside them, pressing myself flat and staying perfectly still in the shadows. I hummed 'Hey Jude' to myself on accident, still thinking about Lennon, and the steps ceased.

"Teza? What the hell kinda tune is that? Never heard it before!" The man stepped down the stairs, chuckling, and looked right at me, making my blood run cold and my muscles strain, but something kept me still, as his eyes scanned right past me to the still-open door. "Ahh, and you left the fuckin' door open while ya sleep, what the fuck else did I expect?!?" He growled, marching past me towards the door.

I reached out a hand to grab his collar, and paused at my apparent invisibility. "Huh..." I muttered, and he paused, turning towards where the sound had originated. I slipped behind him silently and wrapped my bicep around his throat, pressing the back of his head forward so his neck fit perfectly into the crook of my elbow. This position was designed to specifically depress the carotid and jugular, while his larynx was nearly crushed between my bicep and forearm. Within two second of perfectly silent, panicked choking, he was asleep.

I placed him on the couch, with his buddy, and then carefully closed the door, locking it behind myself, before looking at my invisible limbs. "Kindle? Did you do this?" I asked quietly.

"Do what?"

"... are you seriously saying you didn't realize yet that I'm invisible?"

"Ah, sorry, I have an item that allows me to see through invisibility... I didn't do anything, so you must've done it. You hummed a song, right? Artist-magic is based in music. Experiment later." She directed me back at the task at hand.

"Right." I nodded, and carefully stepped up the stairs, standing near the edges and sides, where they were stronger and less creaky.

Three more were on this floor, lazily checking the windows every few minutes and returning to their casual positions. Still, they seemed professional, as their placement in the room was perfectly designed for scouts. Two sat at the windows, just to the left or right, so their eyes were in shadow and therefore immune to blinding by the sun, and the Third was watching the stairs, cleaning a knife. The fourth, who'd come downstairs, was likely stationed at the chair next to the stairs, the most dangerous position.

"It's been a minute since we heard from Jacobi. I call bullshit. Call the boss." The one watching the stairs muttered, and I leapt into action, swiftly and silently. A quick crack across the skull with my steel-plated foot was enough to send him to sleep, and then I moved on to the one reaching for a communication stone, punching him in the diaphragm and knocking him out before he even got a hand on it. The other one was slumped, unconscious, when I turned around.

"Good hits." Kindle complimented me, and I saw her footsteps in the sand on the floor; it had apparently been left there for specifically that reason... smart.

"Didn't even hear yours. Nice." I returned the compliment, and started up the stairs towards the three men in robes.

Not taking any chances, I loaded a new crystal into the stun chamber, and simply shot all three of them with it from the stairwell. Glowing wards appeared, apparently to protect them, but the healing magic slipped right past their protection, as it wasn't considered an Attack.

"Good to know..." I hummed, and began dragging all of them into a pile on the ground floor, where Kindle teleported them all away and returned, heading with me to the next building.