^^ Arch-Mage Danis ^^

"You were very nearly late..." Rhea muttered as I stood at her side, brushing my freshly-washed hair back from my face.

"Unforeseen complications. Luna patched me up." I responded calmly into my communication stone, keeping my expression cordial and polite so only some who could read lips should be able to tell what we were talking about.

"And everything's taken care of?" She asked, placing hers in her ear. She'd had one made to look like an earring, and it was actually quite stylish.

"Everything foreseeable? Yes. Every building around the forum was checked and cleared, and a sewer that connected to the Field of Lost Souls was sealed up, just in case the dead weren't the only troops she was summoning through there. The only thing left is whatever she had placed in the forum already when we got here. We can assume she's armed, of course, and we can assume she'll have access to magic. Also, my Stun Shot pierced the Wards of every mage I shot, because it wasn't considered an attack. Good to know, for anything she's got waiting for us." I briefed her under my breath as we walked forward; despite Luna having made all our communication stones private like the weasel's, I was responsibly paranoid.

She hummed. "We have to assume they'll have a way to stop us from calling for help, or summoning it."

"... true. I'll hide my communication stone in your bra, so when they take yours we'll still have one. Pretend to giggle." I agreed, and kissed her neck, boldly fondling her chest with both hands from behind. Then I hefted her right breast as if to admire it, as it easily filled even my massive hand, while sleight-of-handing the stone under her left breast, and it disappeared instantly as her breasts settled down over it.

She gasped at the unexpected move, and then giggled like the perfect little sultry actress, kissing my hands. "Oh you..." she commented out loud, before playfully slapping me, and a few of the people near us smiled at the display of sexy banter.

Luna bit her lip, to our left a few yards, and I gave her Smokey eyes before she felt left out, causing her to blush wildly.

We reached the door, and I watched the guards' jaws drop as they viewed Rhea's gorgeous body, staring at her. One stuttered for a moment before clearing his throat. "I-is-I... ahem! We must search you for weapons... Chieftain?"

"I will surrender my own, actually. My hair was incredibly hard to get into this position, and the slightest disturbance will cause my breasts to simply pop out of this little number..." she giggled softly, and handed him a dagger she slowly drew from a visible thigh sheath.

He gulped visibly, and then yelped when I placed my weapons, the axe and hammer, into his arms. When he looked up at me, he saw steel in my eyes.

"Eyes front, Guard. My Chieftain is not here for you to ogle." I growled quietly as he struggled to lift the two-hundred pounds of metal in his arms, and handed the other one my hunting knife and boot knife.

"The wand on your waist, lady huntress?" That guard cleared his throat.

"Hmm? Ah, yes." I pulled it out and handed it off to Luna, now standing next to us, and she made it disappear, then the weapons in the man's arms. "Thank you, Healer Luna."

"It is my pleasure." She nodded, and we walked into the forum, flanking her mother and Rhea, who'd decided apparently to walk together.

"I was very saddened to hear of your children and wife, Clan Mother Rhea. I admit, I did not consider your losses, when last we spoke, and I acted quite rudely. Please Accept my Deepest Apologies." Luna Sr. apologized sincerely, making Luna stare at the back of her head.

Rhea took a moment to respond, but did in the end. "I will consider forgiving your words, and the Spirit behind them as well." She said simply, apparently ending the conversation.

I scanned the room, frowning when I saw a good number of people who wore robes and had heavy books on their hips. "Mages. Lots of them." I muttered to Luna.

"Note who brought them... enemies, almost all of them." She sighed.

"Or all, considering we don't have a full list... and I'm starting to understand where she got all those mages for the Mercenary Band. Is there a college of mages?" I asked, sitting behind Rhea and Luna Sr. at the very top of the stepped seating, with a pillar at our backs and a clear view of the room.

"Yes? Why?"

"Are there any laws that target mages, ones that they're disgruntled about? Necromancy isn't illegal, last I checked." I frowned, watching every face as it entered. I didn't know what Avaldi looked like, so I couldn't find her in the room, but at least I'd know everyone in attendance.

"Well, mages who aren't with a Clan of the Collective pay a hefty tax on magical components and items? It's pretty harsh, and there's been people advocating for it to go away for years. Is that close to what you're asking?" She whispered back.

"Yes, very... give me my revolver, please." I wasn't happy about all the mages, and I wanted to be very ready.

She nodded and closed her eyes, snapping her fingers, but nothing happened. She opened her eyes slowly, and exhaled. "Thaaaaats not good."

Luna Sr. glanced over her shoulder, and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"An Arch-Mage is in attendance." Luna answered with a weight and severity that made my spine stiffen and my ass clench, even though I had no context to the thought.

"And... you can't do magic around one of those?" I asked.

"No one can, Theo." She growled softly, looking mildly panicked.

I blinked slowly. "Ah... alright, what about Rhea's revolver?"

"... might work." She shrugged noncommitally.

I nodded and leaned forward, kissing Rhea's neck again and sliding a hand between her thighs. "I'm loading the Adamantite Bullet Medea made. Moan quietly, Rhea." I instructed, sliding the bullet into the right cylinder, then paused. I had no way of hiding the glowing bullet I'd just removed.

Her hand slipped down to join mine, and I raised an eyebrow in surprise when the bullet disappeared inside of her. She smirked at me and kissed my cheek briefly. "It's the same exact size as the bullet-vibes you've been making, my dear, don't look so surprised."

"Impressive." I smiled, returning to my seat and making a show of cleaning my hand off.

Luna eyed me closely, confused for a moment. "You're... remarkably comfortable with her?"

"Because I have no romantic feelings for her at all, and there's nothing sexual about what I just did." I shrugged.

"Hmm... alright. Later, more on that later." She glanced at the door, and frowned at the view of a tall, older man with white hair and a fighter's form. "Faunus." She hissed softly.

"Mm... and Avaldi?" I asked.

She blinked, confused, and glanced at a resplendent woman who'd been glaring at Rhea all this time; I'd assumed it was jealousy, because until Rhea entered she'd been the one dressed most beautifully, and now all eyes had shifted to someone else; younger, prettier, more graceful, with an effortless elegance that women coveted and also adored. "She's been glaring at us this whole time?"

"I suppose she is jealous of being Upstaged so effortlessly by the Gorgeous Clan Mother Rhea." I chuckled, allowing the words to be audible in the quiet forum. I watched from the corner of my eye as her expression soured even more, and a small fan she had on hand snapped open, covering her mouth.

Finally, everyone was present, and I spotted the weasel next to Faunus, staring at Rhea in awe. When he caught my eye, he nodded once, seriously.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Maybe I picked the wrong peacock to stroke?" I muttered to Luna, and she snorted, laughing softly. We glanced up at the forum, all eyes on us, and she apologized meekly.

An older woman leaning on a simple wooden staff stepped into the center, and tapped it a few times to silence the few remaining conversations in the room. "Spring's Greetings, all... this Spring's Seasonal Conference of the Collective of Danae's Hill is now in session. We welcome a new addition to the Collective, a Blessed Artist Clan represented by the Clan Mother Rhea, dubbed by the Goddess Yeera as her Children of the Half-Mountain. Clan Mother Rhea, please come to the stage?"

Luna grabbed my arm when I moved to follow her, so I frowned and scanned the room as she descended the steps with an elegant poise befitting a fairy, or at least a Queen in a fairy tale.

She stepped onto the stage, her heels clicking against the stone with a delightful echo, and bowed her head to the elder gently.

"Would you like to address the Collective, Chief Rhea, or voice a complaint at this time? You may defer until later, if you wish to get a feel for the proceedings before diving in." The old woman smiled kindly up at Rhea, who stood a clean Six Foot Four in her three-inch stilettos.

"Thank you, Elder... I would like to address, actually, as I've got a speech planned. Before I begin, though..." she leaned down and spoke softer, showing the older woman a sheet of paper she pulled from her sleeve and discussing it quietly.

"Yes, that is all very well within your rights, Chief Rhea, and that is exactly what this forum can be used for. Well done." The elder woman chuckled and nodded.

"Good, I was a bit worried... ahem!" She cleared her throat softly, and stood to her full, imposing height. Her back was perfectly straight, legs slightly spread for balance, and her head was held high and staring straight ahead, boring her gaze into Avaldi like a titanium drill bit crushing a diamond into powder.

I stiffened, thinking she would start off with the grievances, but instead her tone was bright, calm, and inspirational, even as her cold eyes pinned Avaldi to her seat like nails pinning a butterfly to a cork-board.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Rhea, elected Head of my Clan; you're aware by now that we were part of a Trade, our Clan, between our realm and the gods of this one. We number only ten, but our members are all Blessed as Craftsmen and Artists, as well as two Blessed Healers. We have begun to rebuild our various inventions, lost to us in another realm we cannot ever hope to return to; that realm is sealed, and the trade was final. Some of us, like myself, left behind small children and a wife, or an elderly father and mother in need of care. Still, we are a mentally strong people, hardy and tough, with souls made of Steel. We are strong, intelligent, and trustworthy. Some have seen fit to test us, to test our mental fortitude and physical might in an attempt at theft, murder, or simple banditry. Those people are dead now. We mourn them, even as they are enemies, and we are not without mercy for those deserving of it, but we do not hesitate to protect our slice of Paradise here in this realm, this place you call 'Half-Mountain'. It is not half... it is not broken, or incomplete. Like us, it has lost so much of itself, but it is no less imposing, raw, and Savage, yet Beautiful. Just. Like. Us." She paused, taking a breath, and smiled, even while a predator was visible, lurking in her gaze as her glare at Avaldi turned Molten.

"But I stand here today to greet you all, and to make clear my clan's goals; we wish to expand our reach, to trade and sell our inventions once more, here in this beautiful place. The collective has been quite kind to us, such as sending Arch-Hunters to assist when an Adamantite Golem attacked our borders at the orders of an unknown and as-of-yet unnamed enemy, even though my dearest Theodora, whom you may know, -from the Challenge against those who killed our predecessor Blessed Craftsmen,- simply as the Pink Giant, handled it with ease, and only the slightest of wounds... the attempt was appreciated greatly, and the Healer Luna and the Arch-Hunter known as The Kindled Flame have also been the very closest of allies in this trying winter... we count the White Rock and the Red Clay Clans as our allies, and hope they feel the same for us; any aid we can provide, we would happily do so." She somehow bowed her head to Luna Sr. and Kindle's chief without breaking eye-contact with Avaldi.

"On the subject of trade, though, one we can all agree is of quite paramount importance, we can happily say that the first shipment of our goods is being circulated by way of a Merchant Caravan, from our Friend Kindle's contacts. These goods include Chadian Sprigs, which we call Saffron, Magic Crystals, -which we have the ability to create through an undisclosed magical process that our young Mage Medea Townsend developed on her own,- as well as feminine pleasure implements, of my own personal design, which can vibrate and thrust at your mental command, using a variation of Golem Magic from my dearest Theodora, the Golem Mage." She smirked as a few people murmured curiously, but were silenced by the elder woman and her staff tapping.

"Soon, we will also be exporting a fabric we created by way of magic, and a line of feminine clothing designed specifically to entice, as well as a greater variety of the shape and function of the Vibrating Golems, for your more carnal nighttime pursuits... we also have a more innocent line of clothing coming, but it will likely have to wait for distribution until the Fall season, six months from now. To note, we have already made, with one testing shipment, including costs of production and sale, a grand total of 682 gold pieces of Profit. Before. Sale."

Luna Sr. Whistled softly, not alone in the exclamation, and the old woman didn't bother tapping her staff again, herself looking impressed.

"We are projected to triple that margin, if there is enough interest in the products, and that is only my work. There are Eight of us, Blessed Craftsmen all, and we each have things we're creating for your consumption. Two of us are working on Maps for the Continent. Perfectly detailed, topographical and biographical maps, which will detail even the smallest of roads and trails. One of us has already succeeded in creating a crossbow from solid steel, which, when mounted on a wall or turret, can send bolts for a momentous 900 yards, half a mile, at 300 yards per second. It's impact and stopping force were enough that, in front of several credible Arch-Hunter witnesses, it scratched the outer shell of an Adamantite Golem from thirty yards away." she waited for the incredulous murmurs to subside, before continuing.

"Next, there are our Wands, which we've just begun work on, and will likely also be available in Fall, though beyond their ability to cast Six Spells, they are only very nice-looking. Not very surprising to you all, I'm sure; fancy, powerful, but not very new. Two more of our members are creating new culinary delights, which you will be able to taste and buy the recipes for in our Village immediately, as well as a variety of new kinds of whiskey, brandy, bourbon, and other alcohols and alcohol-based foods and treats. We are farming vegetables, mushrooms, and a True Variety of Herbs, from medicinal to culinary to recreational. More products from the latex and rubber variety will be revealed as they are released to the public. Lastly, we have an observation to put forward to the Healer's College, about the nature of Dungeon Monsters-"

A man stepped onto the stage, and Avaldi finally stood up while he approached Rhea. "Yes yes, dear, you're sure you know how monsters work after just three months. Scurry off now in your pretty little dress, there's more important things to talk about." He waved a hand casually at her, and I frowned slowly as Luna gasped.

"You know him?" I asked calmly, watching a vein bulge in her neck and almost pitying him.

"Arch-Mage Danis... he's the leader of the Mages' College, and the reason I can't cast magic right now... this will get very, very dangerous." she breathed.

"I was not done speaking." Rhea spoke finally, watching him move as he approached and placed a hand on her shoulder, attempting to guide her towards the edge of the stage.

"Yes yes, I'm sure, now my friend Chief Avaldi has a message for the Collective, one that's been quite a while in the makin-Hhrgk?!?!!!?!?" He panicked as she grabbed his throat and pulled him down to his knees in front of her, one-handed.

She slowly raised her foot, the pale and gorgeous leg slipping out from under the dress hypnotically, before stepping on his collarbone and pushing him all the rest of the way down, where he lay demurely with her stiletto heel resting casually against his neck. "I was not done speaking." She repeated herself softly, the icy chill somehow visible in her breath spreading up even my spine, causing everyone to sit very, very still in instinctual fear of her. Next, having him handled without issue, she slowly returned her gaze to Avaldi, spearing the frozen woman with her pulsing white eyes, devoid of fear or even rage. "Sit. Down." She commanded calmly, and I raised an eyebrow as the woman slowly sat back down, staring at her in awe.