While Kira and Chellise were indeed both eager to help, they agreed with Katari that, at least for the present, they should lie low. Once Katari was able to get a better feel for how the princess' party felt about Dark-races in general, they would be able to make a more well-informed choice. "From what you've told us, it really doesn't sound as though they minded you much, though," Kira commented as they sat around the fire that evening.

  "Yes, they were far more respectful than I expected. Miss Cree seemed to know quite a lot about my race. It is possible- nay, probable that she has lived among oni at some time in the past, but there may be a considerable difference in their minds between oni and demons of any kind, even succubi."

  "Well, it's not as if there isn't," Kira pointed out. "We get along well, but we're not very alike for most stuff."

  "Maybe we can still help, though, even if it's only 'under the radar' for now. The S.E.P. cloaks would make following that priest and rogue around a lot easier, and nobody but us knows about the secret passages in the cathedral yet, right?" Chellise asked.

  "You know, you're right," Kira answered slowly. "I'm pretty sure the passage that leads from the sewers into the Cathedral dungeon is used by the trafficking ring, but as far as I know no one but us knows about the others. If we're careful, we could keep an eye on what goes on inside the cathedral, and who knows, we might overhear some useful information. If Katari passes the information on, that lets us stay incognito and still be useful."

  "I will still try to find out how they feel about succubi, however. I do not particurly like this deception, however necessary it may be," Katari stated.

  So the next day she did so. While the party spent much of the morning determining the specifics of their strategy for apprehending the trafficking ring, when they stopped for lunch the topics of conversation drifted towards more general subjects. Katari took advantage of the rexed mood to ask Miss Cree how it was that she knew so much of oni culture.

  "Just call me Cassia, dear. No need to stand on ceremony here." Cassia took a moment to gather her thoughts, and then continued. "It was some time ago, but I had the privilege of traveling and living with the Meraad cn for almost two years, back before the Demon War. It was an eye-opening experience for me. There's a lot to admire about your people, Katari."

  Struck by the sincerity in the woman's voice, Katari could do nothing but incline her head in acknowledgement.

  "Not that I agree with all your practices," Cassia added with a hint of dry amusement, "but I don't mind admitting that in some ways, you could teach us humans quite a bit."

  "What about other Dark-races? Do you know much about any others?" Katari asked casually.

  The older woman leaned back in her chair and crossed her ankles. "Snippets, mostly. Being human, I don't inspire a lot of trust among most Dark-races, Ranger or no. I did spend some time among the cat-folk of the Grimalkin Archipego, but I can't say I really got to know them very well. One thing that did amuse me was their aversion to getting wet even though they live on isnds. It does make some kind of sense; being partially covered in fur would make it more difficult to properly dry oneself, but if you so much as hinted that they should live somewhere else they'd react as though you had said something extremely rude and insensitive." She shrugged, chuckling. "Not that I can talk. I'm sure I have plenty of contradictory notions that I don't want to let go of as well."

  "What about demons?" Katari asked, being careful to keep her tone light and unconcerned.

  "Unfortunately, I know very little about the various races of demons. Oni are probably about the closest I've ever come, and I know very well that oni have entirely different origins and cultural backgrounds than any of the races of demons. I would have liked to learn more about them, but I'm afraid the Demon War effectually put an end to any such hopes."

  Katari cocked her head in surprise. "You wanted to learn more about them?"

  "Certainly. We can never hope to have sting peace between all the different peoples of Ruyanei if we never get to understand one another."

  "But I thought most humans would like to wipe out the Dark-races."

  Cassia sighed. "You're probably right. Right now, at least, you most certainly are. Trust between Light and Dark has never been high, and in the aftermath of the test war between us it's lower than ever. But I'd still like to believe that we could all get along, if not as friends, then at least in a standoffish 'you stay over there and I'll stay over here' sort of way." She smiled a resigned smile. "It's a foolish notion, I know. After all, humans can't even get along with each other. How are we supposed to get along with a people as obviously different as demons?"

  "I don't know..." Katari murmured.

  "What's that, dear?"

  "Oh," Katari blushed, thankful her embarrassment would not stand out much in the natural red hue of her face. "I was only thinking that it does not seem to me as though humans and demons are so very different, not really. Some races of demons seem very simir to humans to me."

  "Oh, really?" Cassia asked, a warm smile stealing over her face. "I'm gd to hear that. I'll admit I've fought many of them during the Demon War, but I've never had the chance to sit down and talk with one. What kinds of demons would you say are the most like humans? I can hardly imagine you mean imps or fiends."

  Katari ughed aloud at the thought of an imp sitting down for a civilized conversation. "No, I did not mean those." She hesitated briefly, deciding how much information it would be safe to reveal, before saying, "I have had the honor of forming a friendship with several succubi in the past. While their ways are obviously different from my own, I did not have difficulty building spirit-bonds between them and myself. I will not pretend you would not find some of their ways strange, but to me they seem more like humans than they seem like oni."

  Cassia's eyebrows rose as Katari finished speaking and she sat in silence for a long moment, thinking the oni's words over. "The general attitude regarding succubi among humans is that they ruthlessly drain men of their vitality, and enthrall both men and women with their charms, turning their victims into mindless servants. That said, not much is actually known about them. How do you know they didn't enthrall you?"

  "Put simply, I am much too powerful. Not that they would have tried were I not, but... Anyway, while I cannot speak for all succubi, I do know that the ones of whom I speak would not do such things without good reason. The impression I have gained from them is that their culture is centered around domination and subservience. My friends serve a master with whom they are well satisfied; they would have no reason to jeopardize that by behavior such as you describe."

  Cassia hummed thoughtfully. "I see. Perhaps you could introduce them to me after all this blows over, assuming of course that they'd consent to meeting with me. I'd appreciate the opportunity to get to know a bit more about them."

  "Perhaps..." replied Katari, trying to contain the eted smile that threatened to burst out onto her face. "But would your companions not disapprove?"

  The slim ranger quirked an eyebrow. "Why does it matter if they do? I'm my own woman, after all." Then seeing the apology on Katari's face, she chuckled and continued, "Ah, I'm sorry, the truth of the matter is that Flint would only care insofar as it might be dangerous for me, and I daresay America would be even more eager than I am to meet a demon. That girl has an almost dangerous level of interest in such things."

  "Did I hear my name?" Ser Brandis asked, looking over from his conversation with the princess several feet away.

  "Oh, don't worry, I'm just warning Katari here to beware of your wickedly beguiling ways," Cassia replied, a roguish smile pying around the corners of her mouth.

  "You're doing what?" Ser Brandis sputtered, turning a surprising shade of red as he almost choked on his tea.

  The two human women erupted into ughter at his reaction, with Katari torn on whether or not it would be rude to join in. "Ah, I've still got it," Cassia finally said, wiping tears of merriment from the corners of her eyes.

  Ser Brandis shook his head, now having recovered his composure. "Forty years," he said. "Forty years, and you're still the only one who can catch me ftfooted like that."

  "Well, me and Alice. I recall she could make you blush the loveliest shade of pink at the drop of a hat. Remember how she used to kiss you out of nowhere just to see you blush?"

  Ser Brandis' face sobered. "I remember," he said quietly.

  Sympathy fshed across Cassia's features, and rising, she sat down next to Ser Brandis and rested a hand on his leg. "I miss her too," she murmured. Ser Brandis said nothing, but csped her hand in his.

  After a long moment of silence, Ser Brandis straightened and cleared his throat. "Anyway, it's about time we got back to work. We still need to weed through the guard list for men we can absolutely trust and work out a timetable for our covert agents."

  Cassia gave him a penetrating gnce, but did not object to the subject change, and soon the four of them were once again immersed in the details of their operation.

  For the next few days there was much activity but little tangible progress. Katari spent the greater part of each day with Cassia, Princess America, or Ser Brandis, returning each evening to the small clearing outside the city to compare notes with Kira and Chellise and to sleep. The two succubi had decided to take turns stealing into the secret passages of the Cathedral in the hopes of overhearing useful information. Unfortunately, Commander Valtos' office was located in a newer part of the complex and did not have a connecting hidden passage, but Bishop Tavill's office had a handy peephole, from which everything that happened in the room could be seen and heard.

  "It's sooo boring!" Kira compined one evening. "If I have to listen to one more sermon revision I'm seriously going to lose it. Can you believe that he reads every single one out loud? And then he usually changes a couple details and does it all over again! And they're not even good sermons! Instead they're full of the most sanctimonious and hypocritical bullshit I've ever heard! Guhh!" Flopping facedown onto her bedroll, she muttered something unintelligible into her bnkets.

  Chellise, who had been sitting beside her, gently patted her back, her own exasperation clear on her face. "And there hasn't been a peep of anything that sounded like it could have to do with the trafficking ring," she admitted. "Do you think we were wrong in assuming he's part of the ring?"

  "Perhaps. We know someone high in the Cathedral's hierarchy must be involved in the organization and he is the most logical suspect, but it could be someone else," Katari shrugged.

  Kira sat up. "But who? We've already agreed it's probably not Valtos. He's an asshole, but he's as straight as they come. If he ever committed a crime he'd probably turn himself in on the spot. Who else has enough pull in the cathedral?"

  "We know there's an older man involved thanks to the conversation Daddy overheard the night he found Safara, and the way he described their conversation, it seemed like that man was pretty important, so it makes sense that whoever he is, he's the one coordinating things in the cathedral. Safara was kinda creeped out by the bishop, and now that I've seen him myself, so am I. It makes the most sense that it'd be him." Chellise frowned at the fire.

  "You know, Chell, sometimes people are just creeps. It doesn't instantly make him the mastermind behind everything," Kira said, grinning. "Seriously though, he's a hundred percent the type to be secretly keeping sves. I thought for sure we'd have gotten something suspicious out of him by now. He doesn't even seem to care that much about the Archbishop being missing."

  "And every day puts Safara further from our reach." Taking a stick, Katari poked at the fire viciously, causing sparks to billow upwards in mesmerizing patterns.

  "How're things going on your end?" Kira asked, looking across at Katari.

  "Our pn is a good one for dismantling the trafficking ring, but it is not a quick one. I am afraid that by the time we actually move on the organization, Safara will be far beyond our aid." The small oni sighed. In an undertone, she added, "Would that my lord was here. He would undoubtedly have a better and quicker pn."

  "I think it might be time for drastic action."

  Katari stopped poking the fire. "What kind of drastic action?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Kira.

  "Well," replied the busty succubus, "thanks to all the sex the boss has been giving me recently, I reached level ten just before he- ...well, you know, and my Lesser Seduction developed into Seduction. It's still not very impressive compared to Greater or Grand Seduction, but I'm pretty sure I can enthrall a sleazeball like, uhh, what's-his-face, the lesser priest guy -right, Carrow, that's his name- for at least a couple hours, and make sure he doesn't remember any of it. I'll be able to get everything he knows out of him without raising suspicion."

  "But he's still at least four levels higher than you. I was always taught that even one level of difference decreases your chances by like a lot," Chellise protested. "And he's a priest of the Light, too. What if it doesn't work?"

  "Then I run like hell and hope he doesn't call an Inquisition down on top of me. But seriously, I'm pretty sure that what he's doing goes against everything the Light stands for, so I doubt Marstolle will step in to save him, and as for the level difference, well, it's possible to partly negate that disadvantage by being smart about it. I just have to seduce him with normal methods as well. You know, fsh some cleavage, give him fuck-me eyes, all that. You can just brute force it if your target is a lower level than you, but your hold will always be stronger if you use your womanly charm too, and don't entirely rely on the ability itself." Kira gestured at herself. "I mean, we look like total sexpots, might as well use it, right?"

  Katari's lips twitched, but she restrained the comment that sprang to mind. Chellise was not so diplomatic. "We are sexpots," she pointed out.

  "Well, sure, but do you wanna have sex with Carrow? Yeah, I didn't think so."

  "I think I might already know, but would you mind expining why not?" Katari asked, her curiosity piqued.

  "It's kind of obvious, isn't it? After the prime rib that is the boss, Carrow's like, I dunno, maggots or something. Yeah, it'll keep you alive, but just thinking about it almost makes you wanna throw up. Also, the boss never actually forbade us from feeding on others, but I still don't like the idea of doing it without his permission. It just doesn't feel right."

  Katari nodded, satisfied. "Very well then, if you are certain that you can make the attempt safely, I have no compints. When do you believe would be the best time?"

  "Next time he goes to that gambling den he's so fond of, probably. I should be able to wayy him on the way there or back pretty easily. If we can find an empty building I can pull him into, that'd be even better, since there'd be less chance of being interrupted." Kira looked at Katari. "Could you find one through the citadel people, or would it be safer for us to look on our own?"

  "I don't know. It is most likely safe to let them know about you, but I do not wish to take chances with your freedom or possibly even your lives. The gambling den is located in a poorer district of the city, so likely it would be best to look ourselves first. If we cannot find a suitable building, then we can ask those at the citadel. If I unexpectedly begin to ask about empty buildings in the city, they will naturally want to know why, after all."

  "Okay, let's do that tonight, then, Chell. We can catch a couple hours of sleep and then start looking."

  Chellise nodded, and soon after the party was comfortably settled down for the night, though as ever since Fenrir's disappearance, restful sleep remained a thing difficult to come by.

  TheBestofSome