With the light chatter of Akami and the barkeep filling the air a light clink  of bowls presented themselves to her group. Hotaru glanced behind the counter only to see once again a glimpse of black hair that swiftly moved from her vision. Suspicion trickled down her back as she sat next to Xiu, The warm waft of steam from the soup relaxing her senses in their fatigue from their long journey here. Hotaru was always a slow eater not like Akami apparently as she could hear the clink of his spoon scooping into the glass bowl. He apparently dove right in. Her attention turning to Xiu he seemed to be like her it seemed his hands gingerly holding the bowl rising to his mouth. Still that trickle in her mind beat, but Hotaru sighed and pushed it aside and turned to her own bowl her hand gripping the spoon lightly just as her spoon dove into the surface of the stew, her mouth watering in anticipation.<br/><br/>Suddenly Xiu’s hand clasped her wrist causing her green eyes to dart at him the light trickle of shock filling her.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> “Don’t eat the stew,”</span>Xiu warned releasing her wrist whilst her hand gave way to the spoon. The crash of bowls and wood soon filled the air pulling Hotaru onto her feet. Her green eyes  darting around the room keeping her eyes behind Xiu and herself, but to her surprise a feminine voice broke through the air bringing Hotaru’s eyes away from trained area. They soon fell upon another of her sister’s of their order more important she was the Aspen Snake<span style="font-style: italic">”Readine”</span>her mind echoed just as Xiu breathed her name. An inward sighed vibrated inside her, the order really needed to stop making their group so large. But Hotaru just watched the two interact irritation rolled of Xiu as did Readine after receiving her orders.<br/><br/>Hotaru’s eye’s narrowed on Readine as she spoke,<span style="font-style: italic">”Yes because you can lift the six foot something man whose form changes.”</span>She thought to herself as closed the distance between the two.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> “I’ll deal with whoever thought it was a good idea to try and poisonous.”</span>Said Xiu as a smocky blacky cloud covered over his features. He was shifting<span style="font-style: italic">”Damn it all, so much for being low key”</span>she thought to herself as she wrapped her arm under Akami’s side the light sweet smell wafting from him. Her lip’s pressed into a hard line, there would be no telling how this would affect Akami’s body. Worry seeped into her bones, he was a pain but Akami was still one of her brother’s, she would care for him regardless.<br/><br/>“Stupid man” she said referring to Akami as she waited for Readine to acquire a room. Hotaru watched as Xiu’s new form padded along the wooden floor headed towards the kitchen. An older man swallowed hard raising hand’s up in defenselessness.<br/><br/>“I swear I had nothing to do with this, please my wife and son this is all we have” he begged. To Hotaru he seemed to be telling the truth but that was not her call to make.<br/><br/>Finally after bartering with another man away from the bar she acquired a room for unconscious Akami. As the two walked up the steps irritation still itched at Hotaru and she could no longer hold her tongue.<br/><br/>“You wasted precious time bartering when time  is not our friend, we have no idea how the herb will react with Akami’s body” she said the three finally ,made it to the top of the stairs.<br/><br/>“You should know better as you are Shoudai” she said disappointment dripped from her words. Hotaru knew she was speaking to her higher up but she could not hold it back. Hotaru herself Shuesi due to her temper and her past, were the reason for not advancing further. Hotaru bit her lip, her mind was wandering and heading into dark corners. With a creak of the wooden door the three made it inside laying Akami atop the bed.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">You better come back to keep me in check, stupid man”</span>Hotaru thought as she watched Akami’s sleeping face. A slight tremor flowed through his body it seemed the herb had reacted to his power’s.<br/><br/>“Readine, the herb is reacting to his powers this isn’t good” she said her tone dripping with concern.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">”Hurry Xiu”</span>she thought lips pressed in a hardline, maybe who ever placed Akami in this sleep could reverse it.<br/><br/>Meanwhile…<br/><br/>Clay had watched the small group with excitement and vigor but his mouth had turned sour as only the tall length man who was speaking to his father had eating the stew<span style="font-style: italic">”Shit”</span>he cursed in his mind as he quickly cleaned up the herb hiding it among others. As he turned to see what was going on a light tingle returned his eyes darted back and forth as his mind tried to make sense of it all. Till another female voice entered peeking his interest. Except when he spied this new female she wore armor with engraved sigils into them. His eyes narrowing on them as he quickly ran through the sigils he knew of<span style="font-style: italic">”The Lemurinian Order”</span>. Clay raised his glasses and raked a hand down his face, he knew of them and he knew he had really stepped into it this time. But as he heard the voices became louder his eyes shifted back to the scene at hand.<br/><br/>Clay’s eyes wide eyed his voice speechless he looked now upon one of the solider’s form’s drowning in black smoke. But what came from the black smoke set his heart racing, dangerous yellow eyes now peered around the bar. The  black Tiger headed right for the kitchen. Quickly clay grabbed what he could but what he had left to defend himself well was just very sad.<br/><br/>Clay stood in the corner of the kitchen a steel strainer atop his head, a wok pan strapped to his chest with some straw string, and two saucepans to defend himself. He now clink and clanked as he awaited the coming predator.