^^ Zenobia ^^

— Assam —

It took a while to explain to my mother that the spell to send us home had been a trap laid by the demon, and it's death had paid for the spell, not another human's; Zenobia was less than helpful by ignoring my mother and drinking her Sour, offering a few words every now and then, but still no explanation on how she'd killed the beast. After a bit, mother seemed to accept that all Hunters had their own tricks and skills, and revealing them was something akin to Taboo; after all, how could you hunt demons if they knew all of your abilities?

Mother sighed, setting down her drink. "Well, you've proven yourself useful, and you saved Hunter Assam, so I'll do my best to research how to get you home-"

"That won't be necessary. I already know how to return home, and I have the spell; all I'll need is to gather energy and store it in my grimoire, so I can cast it without hurting anyone." Zenobia explained, tapping the disgusting book she'd placed on the bar next to her; it looked quite stereotypically like a Demonic Tome, with the face of a curiously krachen-like creature on the cover, with sea-green gems for the eyes, and it exuded the smell of the Greater Demon, something I couldn't detect at my current (rather low,) position in the Hunt.

Mother hummed lowly, staring at the book with narrowed eyes. "I see... then, what would you like as repayment for your services? The death or sealing of a Greater Superbia Demon is something most often rewarded with a suite of rewards that I currently do not have access to; the Capital will have to send such things to us."

Zenobia smiled gently. "I will wait, then... all I need are food, clothes, and a safe, secluded space to live in? Perhaps a little cottage or some such, preferably just outside the city? Room for two?" She squeezed me back into her chest, giggling softly down at me.

Mother laughed, amused by the blush on my face or the bold request from the woman, I wasn't sure, but she nodded an affirmative. "Yes, I'll send for those rewards, and I know just the place for you to settle down some roots... it's a bit bigger than a cottage, but no one has lived there in a while, so it'll need some fixing up!"

"Ooh!!! I love a good project house!" Zenobia grinned eagerly, and poked my cheek with one long, artistic finger. "How's that sound, cutie? Ready for mama to spoil you rotten in her new little love nest?" She asked teasingly, rubbing my shoulders while I blushed, too embarrassed to respond immediately. "Good answer, cutie... yes, Guild Master, I'll take it, and thank you very much for your hospitality, Mother-in-Law!"

Mother laughed uproariously, allowing the entire bar to giggle along with her, and ruffled my hair. "Take good care of my Assam, then, Mage Zenobia! I'll have one of the Pages guide you to the Estate, I have some things to handle for now... on a more somber note, Assam, you did well, saving as many people as you did. The number of dead was only 30, despite the size of the spell." She nodded somberly, patting my head and standing up, walking into the stairwell that led to the offices upstairs without any further words. She was trying not to show me any favoritism, as she'd been accused of nepotism when I was assigned to her city right out of the Academy, despite her not asking for any favors from the Dean, who was in charge of the billets.

Zenobia sighed, smoothing my hair back gently. "Well! That was an interesting half-an-hour! Lots to process, that's true... let's go get me some new clothes and see this project house so I can throw myself into some work and relax my brain with some good-old-fashioned manual labor, okay?" She asked quietly, kissing my blushing cheek.

I held a hand to the spot, embarrassed by all the attention, and nodded silently, unable to pull together any words for her. I understood her point, however; she needed work to clear her head, and I could help with that. I waved over a Page, a young Apprentice of perhaps ten years old who had been following the Bartender around like a duckling, and quietly direct him to lead us to the Hadrian Estate, which I imagine is what mother was speaking of; the place was huge, but entirely ruined, after a Baby Dragon had rampaged there last month. It was on the eastern edge of the city wall, not thirty yards from the Eastern Gate, so it was easy enough to get to and from the Guild, as we were in the eastern side of the Market in the first place.

—

The only remaining portion of the Estate was the rather gaudy (or majestic, if you liked gold leafing and thoughtlessly expensive foreign wood,) front gate, and the small Reception Chamber just behind it, while the rest of the mansion and even the famous garden statues of the estate was little more than rubble.

"This is Hadrian's Estate... it's more rubble than stone, after a baby dragon terrorized it, but no one owns it currently, so the Guild received it as payment for killing the dragon before it could spread the destruction beyond the border wall. There used to be a massive mansion here, because the Hadrian Estate was the Estate were all the diplomatic guests of the Royal Family stayed when they visited our city... this used to be the Capital, some 150 years ago, so it was very gaudy, as you can see; lots of waste and gold where gold shouldn't be, imported rare woods, beautiful statues, the whole shebang, it was a real eye-sore..."

"Imported woods, you say?" Zenobia paused in front of the door, reaching up and pulling a piece of wood away from the gate, examining it closely.

"Yeah... that's something called 'Blood Wood', it doesn't grow on this continent, and the continent it does grow on is very dangerous, because dragons live there... there's some theories that state the big reason the dragon went to the Estate first was because of all the Blood Wood, which reminded it of home." I explained, watching curiously as she crushed the wood in her hand and smelled the pink/red splinters.

"Interesting... Pink Ivory... a good choice, but wasteful; better to grow it in a garden than kill it and use it for a stupid door." She muttered, and slowly opened one of the four-meter-tall doors, grumbling to herself.

"I agree... the interior is equally wasteful, and the guild won't care if you turn the place to rubble and start over from scratch." I added, but she was already examining the walls of the ten meter square room, feeling the grain and knocking on portions randomly. "The floor is made of a virgin marble, which, while ridiculously expensive, does have wondrous acoustics. They would use this room to impress visitors before they went into the main house, and usually there'd be a small band of vaguely famous Artists playing here when anyone came in."

She glanced at me, and hummed softly. "Is music... central to your society? Your culture?"

I frowned, trying to understand the question. "Isn't Art important to... everyone? I mean... it's the bailiwick of the Creator of this world, Archangel Gabriel; they were said to have created the world with a secret cord, one they played to please their lord, the Unknowable. I'm not very religious myself, which I know is a bit counterintuitive, but... yes, the Arts are a big part of us, and this world. Even dragons play music!"

"Dragons? Hmm... legends do say that dragons are artistic creatures..." she murmured distractedly, and sat down in one of the alcoves off to the sides, the once-private changing chambers and sitting rooms. This place had been a headache and a half, but I liked the decor, if I was honest with myself.

"Are you... alright?" I asked, concerned, then glanced at the page who had come back with a large bag full of clothes and other necessities, as I'd asked. I grabbed the bag and tossed him a small copper coin, and he bowed silently, standing to one side of the room and waiting patiently for whatever else we'd need. "Did the Guild Master order you to stay here?" I asked him curiously.

"Yes, Hunter Assam. I am to make sure that the big lady has a Fetcher until the Guild Master says otherwise." He nodded.

Zenobia glanced up at that, despite being too far away to hear properly, and hummed. "Are those the clothes? Any food in there?" She stood and approached, looking into the bag expectantly.

I handed it to her, looking at the page. "Some food would not be amiss, actually... here, the Market will be empty, but the Guild will have something; get enough to last a few weeks." I handed him a gold piece, and his eyes widened, before he bowed deeply and scampered off towards the Guild. When I looked up, I was quick to turn around with a small shriek; Zenobia was naked, halfway through pulling on a pair of pants that were a bit too small for her, because of her height and the general thickness of her muscles, (all of which were vividly visible, before I turned away.) "S-Sorry!!!" I stuttered, rubbing my face to get rid of the blush that threatened to spread to my ears.

She chuckled softly, and more rustling sounded behind me as she fished around in the bag for a shirt, most likely. "Oh, I don't mind... you'll get a better look, one day. For now, you may be embarrassed and turn away. For now... NOW! Tell me a bit more about the structure of the country we're in? Is it a Monarchy or a Republic?" She asked, losing the sultry tone and returning to a curious one.

"I-Uhm?!? What is... what's a republic?" I asked, rubbing away the new blush and focusing, sneaking a glance over my shoulder and whipping back forward when I caught her mischievous gaze and heavy bosoms in the same guilty look.

"It is refreshing to know that you're interested in me... but a republic is a country wherein the people are represented by a forum of elites, or respected members of the community, and those people decide amongst themselves all major decisions for the country, from taxes to War." She hummed, and pulled something on, setting the bag aside.

"Oh... like a Council?"

"Correct." She sat in the alcove again, patting the seat next to her. I sat reflexively, too swept up in the conversation and the reveal of the much-too-small shirt she'd chosen to think better of it. "So? What's the governing body of this country?"

"Oh! Well, we are an Empire, but this is the central, original kingdom of said empire... the rest of the continent was conquered about 150 years ago, when the Capital was moved, but there's essentially a Royal Family of sorts, in each Kingdom, though they're chosen by the Emperor and his advisors, so every generation has to prove themselves worthy of the position, or a new family is chosen. Lower governance, such as Mayoral or Gubernatorial jobs, as well as lower royalty such as Barons and Lords, are handled by the Guilds Voting and Supporting candidates. It's a pretty good system, and so far we've been pretty successful, I'd say? Did that answer your... wait, aren't you a Queen? Is that why you're asking?" I turned to look at her more carefully, and she laughed, patting my cheek gently.

"No, dear, I'm not a Queen in anything but spirit and attitude. My country is a Monarchy, but I was not related to the Royal Family at all... I was a Researcher, a Scholar, and a Teacher, that's all. People ask me impossible questions and then I find them answers." She grinned, the mildly arrogant statement at odds with her happy features, and glanced up as I heard the page returning.

"That was quick..." I hummed, and peeked out the still-open massive door, finding a horse and cart, with the page riding the side and a guild merchant driving. "Huh... I did not hear you approach. The acoustics in this room are pretty impressive." I waved to the merchant, and he grinned, happily allowing me to assist him in unloading the barrels of cheese, bread, jerky, and sour, as well as some fresher meats, firewood, and a barrel of water for our meal tonight. "Thanks for getting all of this so quickly, I honestly didn't expect it!" I grinned, handing the merchant a silver coin for a tip.

He nodded gratefully and tucked the coin away, but frowned a bit at the question. "It was all ready for delivery, actually... but the recipient was in the Market, so..." he sighed and shrugged helplessly. "Business must go on, I guess. Have a good day, and send your Page to me for anything else you might need, young Hunter."

"Ah... yes. I will, thank you. Zenobia? Anything else?" I looked at her, in the shaded alcove, and raised an eyebrow at the sleeping woman. "Huh, well, I guess she was tired... who wouldn't be, I suppose?" I nodded to the merchant, releasing him to his business, and then set the page up with one of the other alcoves, for his 'room', before taking the room across from Zenobia's, and getting some rest.

—

I woke up to a rather confusing sight of sunlight streaming down onto me, as there was now a massive hole in the roof of the building. A few brief moments of panic later, I registered it's perfectly square shape, and the thick glass that covered it, except for a spot in the center where the glass seemed to funnel down a few inches, directing any rain that touched it into a pool below. A glance confirmed more changes, all around me; the marble floor was shined and polished, and all of the alcoves had been renovated, becoming sitting areas of sorts, I imagined, due to the glorious wooden furniture that dominated the spaces. The biggest change, though, was the far wall; it had been the ruined remnants of the hall that led into the Mansion, but now in its place was a garden, growing young saplings in perfect rows.

"Good, you're awake... I got bored and started a little bit of work last night; eat up, I'm sure you have to go report the full particulars of the incident yesterday, yeah?" Zenobia suddenly appeared, setting a water flask and some bread next to me and continuing into the garden, where she examined the trees, one by one.

"A little bit of work?!?!?" I asked incredulously, gesturing at the completely-restored building, which had originally been falling apart at the seams.

She blinked in my direction, confused, then something seemed to click, as she understood my irritation. "Ah! Yes, it looks like more than it is, really; I haven't managed anything beyond fixing this hall and the garden and the baths, so next will be the Walls! How high am I allowed to make them, by the way? The Walls?"

I sighed, standing up and stretching my back slowly. "Non-Royal Estate Walls are supposed to be no higher than 10 meters, because any more than that is a Fort, and Forts aren't allowed inside the city... but you're outside the city, so do as you please, I guess? There's also laws about logging, so don't cut down too many trees for all this lumber, okay?" I gestured at the wood that made up the new roof, then paused, looking again and gasping at the Blood Wood visible everywhere in the building.

"I didn't cut any down, I just grew some more! Relatively easy, once you figure it out." She shrugged, then sat next to me, looking at some architectural blueprints for a wall. "Now, 10 meters, huh? That's pretty massive, already... and the estate is massive as well; I walked the boundary, and it's a hefty little hike, about 20 kilometers, so this is a little more than 5-kilometer square property... much bigger than I'd expected. I'll grow a Forest, I think. All the expensive woods of this house will go to good use, and I'll pay back the guild for their helping me... and your social standing will rise as well! Aren't I the perfect wife?!?" She laughed, pulling me into her lap and cuddling me tightly.

I didn't bother trying to free myself, thinking instead about what she'd said and considering the consequences. "You'll be pissing off a lot of people if you do that, actually; the Companies that bring the wood back from the Dragon Continent and the Ice Continent all agreed to stop anyone who tries to sell those types of trees here, and they don't take to the soil anyway, so it'd be a waste of-..." I paused, glancing at the saplings she'd been examining. "Are those... Blood Wood?"

"They are, yes. The nonsense about them not taking the soil is likely to dissuade people non-violently. Don't worry, I don't care about them, but if it makes you feel better I'll make my own company and sell directly to them, through the guild, so they still hold the Monopolies. Better?" She smoothed my bed-head back, fixing the hair into its place meticulously.

"That... that does assuage some of my fears, yes? What's a Monopoly?" I frowned at not knowing what she was saying; the word sounded... foreign? I'd heard something similar, but she couldn't be talking about a game, right now... could she?

"A monopoly is when you own all of a certain product, and no one else is allowed to grow or sell it; like being the only Tavern in a small Town, or owning all of a certain business selling expensive woods. Everyone has to buy from you, and therefore you control that service; that's a monopoly. They're illegal, where I'm from, but I suppose you don't have as much protections of small merchants here, given the likely Elitist and Nepotistic state of your Society." She shrugged calmly, then rubbed my cheeks playfully, sending me off towards the door with a stinging slap to my behind. "Now! Go get your business done, and come back quickly! And tell your mother to send me some supplies for a Moon, she'll understand; I don't want to send the Page for such a thing."

I blinked slowly, rubbing my hip, and then frowned. "Wait, Moon? Like Lunar, or Skin?" I asked cautiously.

"What's a Skin Moon? Like when you show someone your pale, perky little butt? Ha!!!" She laughed, shooing me out of the door, which was of a much more manageable size now, despite the original doors still standing beside it, though it was still very fancy.

I grumbled a bit at her under my breath, but started towards the guild to make my rather interesting report, as well as beg my mother to make sure that nothing bad happened to Zenobia, pulling tails and stepping on toes within 24 hours of arriving here in this world... I had my work cut out for me, I figured.