<div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Sorry about the delay in posting, been busy.<br/><br/>Also, once we get a few days downtime, I can create potions. False life, invisibility and bull's strength are always favorites, and they're cheap.</div></div></div><br/><br/>As she bid her wonderfully willing meal-to-be goodbye, Xali accepts the gift without hesitation. After all, she had some skill in brewing up arcane reagents to enchant the imbiber, but healing was beyond her purview. "Oh, you are so kind. Fear not, I have every intention of fulfilling my promise. Should Fortune look upon our promise with bold indifference and contrive to have you eaten by some loathsome beast, I should track it down and devour it myself. But if she smiles on us, I will wait for you here by the gates in two-weeks time."<br/><br/>Once he hurries off to help with the unloading, an offhand comment that Kahimori's slave-priestess lets slip causes Xali's ear to twitch.<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>"Caleb uses his conquered nations conscripts to perform most of his suicide or within anthro territory missions. Doing so allows him to keep his the numbers of conquered nations thin, it lessens the risk of rebellion as they have few soldiers. The ones attacked were mostly of Nulas. More blind savages then soldiers. Fortunately, I only had to endure their company for a single evening. I come from Vanadiel myself”</div></blockquote><br/><br/>Xali thinks on this for a moment, staring at Vendra; after seeing the morbid spectacle of Xali digesting the other woman, Vendra was understandably quite afraid of Xali, and inquiring about the fate of her second homeland in the wrong way would be counterproductive. But the irony of the situation was so delicious, Xali couldn't resist commenting on it. Her more rational side, however, was slightly disappointed, since Caleb's strategy would indeed be effective at preventing the Vanadiond people from rising against their conqueror. To maximize her chances of success (and impress whichever military leader they were soon to meet with), Xali worked her fingers over her waist in a sensual pattern and murmured a word of magic.<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Casting Eagle's Splendor just 'cuz, boosting Xali's charisma to 18.</div></div></div><br/><br/>Ensuring that she didn't startle Vendra by approaching too suddenly or too closely, Xali took a step towards her, trying to make her smile look less predatory and more friendly. "Ahh, such a shame. I expected the goat-herding hill-folk of Nula to be crushed easily by Caleb's militant horde, but I hoped that between the expertise of Vanadiel's army and the guile of her nobility, the Light of the North might at least manage to remain neutral. There is no reasoning with that man, I suppose."<br/><br/>Xali's tone is light and casual, as if discussing petty gossip. "Knowing that you hail from the Light of the North, at least I can trust that you understand the fairness of your situation. As the philosopher Avelonde wrote, slavery is merely a rational response to the situation of being in possession of another's life. It is simply the way of things, and need not lead to violence between the ruler and ruled, so long as both uphold their responsibilities. I, myself was a slave in Vanadiel for many years, and most of those years I remember fondly. Three masters, I had. The first and the last were cruel and boorish men - both of whom I eventually made meals of. But the second was a kind and generous man, whom I served loyally until his death. The Archma-"<br/><br/>Xali cut herself off mid-sentence, realizing that she was about to undercut her argument; the Archmage ir'Bane had been good to HER, but she was well aware that most nobles and other mages alike saw him as a half-mad sociopath, and dozens of slaves and guards just as loyal as Xali but less favored had gone to feed the leopardess's hunger. "Ah, my second master changed me from an ignorant savage to what I am today. But still, he appreciated that we beast-people have some things of our own to teach the humans." With that, she gave Vendra a not-entirely-unfriendly wink.<br/><br/>Turning to Kahimori, Xali gave him a broad smile as well. "And you, Kahimori, should plan on visiting when the time comes to release her. Though I warn you that you may not want to leave once you have a taste of the good life."<br/><br/>Grinning demurely, Xali happily allowed her companions to introduce themselves first, idly swishing her tail back and forth.<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Never one to pass up the opportunity to poke fun, Kahmori interjects just after Drir is finished speaking "I'm exceptionally lazy. Xali has an exceptionally nice ass. Alexei is exceptionally strange. I'd say we all have our exceptional qualities..." Those icy-blue eyes lock with Leon's own, trying to gauge his expression and reaction to a bit of fun-poking. The lack of military decorum the kitsune possessed was nothing short of astounding.</div></div></div><br/><br/>In spite of her usual composure, Xali has to stifle a giggle at the kitsune's irreverent 'introduction'. She's able to keep herself to a conversational "Ha!"<br/><br/>"I know not which is more inappropriate, good Kahimori, your excessive familiarity or your false modesty. Mistake not his boisterous words for the fragile enthusiasm of the novice, sir - this kitsune knows the ways of war. He struck down a fully-armored knight as large as you in a span of three breaths, and" Xali nods in Vendra's direction, "shredded the full-plate straight off that girl with his bare hands; only a well-timed appeal on her part saved her from a far worse fate than the swift death that knight met. And Alexei, oh, do not mistake his quiet nature for the silence of a man eaten up by fear, for he is as clever and deadly a combatant as you shall ever see. A mighty warrior who nearly cleaved me in half went down to a precise application of his arcane and martial skills in the blink of an eye."<br/><br/>" And... well, the other two I dealt with myself. I cannot claim so much credit, for they were terribly weak-willed. They might have envied the warriors who my companions struck down quickly, as they were helpless but very much alive when Alexei and I gulped them down. Of course, that was several hours ago, so as you can see, there isn't much left of those girls by now." Xali poked at her stomach, a small, barely noticible bulge in her lower abdomen where Satrina's liquid remains continued to sift through her intestines.<br/><br/>Politely, Xali bowed. "We are at your service. Bring us before Helix whenever you are ready."