Chapter 26: Exotic Exchange

Kashira listened to Goren's tales, and it was a pleasant flight. She felt odd about the situation in some ways; having her Goren was nice, but feeling responsible for all four of them brought her some worry. She felt more than capable of looking after one bunbun, but three jayune and a gnoll were different, maybe.

On the other hand, Ereza did everything she could to show me that she understood and wanted to cooperate, even though she was deeply afraid after what happened in her home. It made her feel like it wouldn't be that difficult to look after this group; they were already all pretty capable and tough, so they just needed a little shelter in a harsh world. Besides, if Lukka thinks she is not good at potion brewing, I can hardly wait to see what she becomes. And those sketches that Goren was making were wonderful; I wonder how his first painting will look. All these ideas made it easier for her to ignore the stiffness of so much travel and push herself for that long flight to Arieton.

The trip went smoothly enough. Instead of late at night this time, it was still evening, though dark and snowy. She walked up to the gate, and the same as last time, she saw the guards get tense, but she approached politely, and they calmed. "I am Kashira. I wish to enter to do business. I may buy land."

There was a shifting of weight on feet, and the guards traded glances as one of them looked her up again. Then, he nodded. "Please enter; you have a good record."

She passed through the gate and to the Exotic Exchange. Revisiting the place had her chest feeling quite tight. The kitsune from before greeted her almost immediately once she went to the auction block in the back.

"Ciara, was it?" Kashira asked. She breathed in deeply. The smell of cherry blossoms is lingering on her; I do not think I noticed it last time.

The dark-haired kitsune smiled, and her tails swished behind her. "Yes! You remember me! What can I do for you today? Did you like that charm I sent back with Joyra?"

"Yes. It has worked very well, thank you. I have..." she hesitated. Do I need to collar the other two? She was not certain. "I have a question. Is it possible to get a collar that would just make someone appear to be mine that could carry some enchantments?"

Ciara tilted her head, her large black ears folding back. "I am sorry, there is no way to extend the legal protections a collar offers to someone without also making it official in their records. There was some exploitation of that system, so the king's council put a stop to it. For a little while, people were buying their own collars."

Kashira repressed most of a sigh. I should have expected that answer. I wondered what the motivation was for stopping people who could afford their own protection from buying it. There was nothing for it, for now. It would be useful to know where everyone generally was, and the collars offered that in addition to safety from anyone else trying to put one on any of her three girls. "Very well. Then, I will need three collars."

The kitsune smiled, and her three tails swished. "So many? You are starting a collection? Room for a kitsune?"

She was teasing, but the tease was very forward, and Kashira found it overwhelming at this exact moment when she already had three bunnies and a gnoll to look after. She felt like she was neglecting the one bunbun she started with, somehow.

"Maybe with time. You ready for my list of demands?"

"Of course!"

Kashira did her best to keep her tone even. "All right, I will need three collars: purple, silver, and green. I have two that need to be dried off once I reveal them, but first I would like a good amount of clothing brought to me." She lay down. "Goren, can you and Tomyra climb out of the sling?"

Goren answered that he could, and she felt the slight shifting of weight in the fabric as he climbed out and held it steady for Tomyra to follow.

Ciara made a long cooing noise as she saw the precious white rabbit with brown spots and brown hair. "Oh, my darling, are you Tomyra?"

She crouched down and held out her arms to the little jayune, who came to Ciara after checking in with Kashira and Goren, who both smiled. The kitsune hugged her and scooped her up. "You are so cute, my dear."

Tomyra beamed. Even though Kashira was put off by the kitsune's flirting earlier, it was warming to her to see her respond so sweetly to the little girl. She nuzzled Goren, brightening as he put his hand on her nose and leaned into her. "What's your name?" Tomyra asked.

"I'm Ciara, and I'm waiting for your master and friend the dragon to tell me all about what she wants me to get you. What do you think about that? What's your favorite color, my dear?"

"Pink!"

Kashira felt soft all the way through as she breathed out. Maybe Goren was getting lost in the small mob of cuties she had, but she did have a whole mob of cuties. "Can you get me a stack of clothes that would fit Goren, a jayune woman a bit smaller than him, and a gnoll woman, around seven feet high? As well as some for Tomyra there... quality, I want them to stay warm. Also, I want two more drying charms. I want the location abilities added on each collar, as well as the same illusion enchantment you placed on Goren's collar. Make the silver collar pink but keep the fast-healing effect. The other two can be standard abilities for their color, but please make room on them to have charms added at a later time." As she spoke, she reached into the bag about her wrist, drew out another bag of gold, and handed it over.

Ciara wrote in foxfire in the air as she listened and nodded along. Tomy found this fascinating. "Perfect. That will take me a little time. Do you mind waiting out here? I'll send out Payta to do paperwork while you wait."

"Do you still have food vendors on the first floor of the Exchange? We could use some food, and since it's not so late, I am hoping you can send someone out with it?"

Ciara bobbed her head. "Of course! I will make sure Payta knows. Here, cutie, go back to your... brother?" she questioned Goren.

Goren nodded and took his sister back. Once Ciara had left, he sighed as he cuddled Tomy. "This feels much more laid back compared to last time." He spun a circle with her. "I guess you are not so surprising to them the second time?"

Kashira grinned. "I think that is likely. It's not even been two days. Besides, I gave them a lot of money last time, so..."

Goren held Tomyra so that she could pat Kashira's nose. "That's true. I am sure that makes you a more exciting client than normal." He trailed off as Payta came out quickly.

"Oh, look at the cute little girl!" the kobold exclaimed. Tomyra laughed as she recognized the good-natured demeanor of the round-eared, fluffy, black and white kobold, and she put her arms out to be picked up.

Kashira watched Payta, after checking for permission, give in immediately and lift Tomy. I wonder if I am about to help raise a child who thinks she is the literal cutest.

"So, I heard you had two more. I can start the paperwork, but I will need to see them too before we can finalize it. But, what's your name, cutie?"

"Tomyra!"

"Alfon, of Buetarn," Kashira added. "I also have her sister Ereza Alfon. Um, Lukka of Ledondale, I'm pretty sure, but I am uncertain of her last name; we'll have to ask her when she's out."

"I might be able to find her also with the slate's magic," Payta said with a smile. She gave Tomyra one more squeeze and then set her down. "Food should come out soon, cutie, just be a little patient."

Tomy smiled, and she returned to Goren to take his hand, and then moved to stand on her paw so she could be taller, which kept Kashira grinning. I wonder if it is possible, if I had ever been brave enough to introduce myself to Buetarn, if there would have been anyone that would have been this cute and accepting of me? Or if this is something special because I forced Goren to be mine and so his family feels confident enough to follow him? She suspected it was the latter, but she didn't feel that bad about it.

The golden-haired elf from before came out, and Payta greeted her, "Kaldia, do you have the changes of clothes?"

Kaldia nodded, and she smiled up at Kashira as she offered them. When Kashira put out her paw that was not acting as a bunny perch to accept them, the elf bowed. Kashira found herself wondering whether the elf could speak. She looked questioningly at Payta.

After an awkward moment, Payta said, "I think Kaldia is prepared to help you dry off your other two, if you are ready."

That seemed to confirm the notion that perhaps the elf could not speak. "Oh, thank you," she said as Kaldia nodded.

"Here, Goren, why don't you take Tomyra and go around to my side for a moment."

Once they were there, "Lukka, Ereza, are you two ready? I need you to try to separate so I don't crush you together. Can you manage?"

They had woken when Kashira started talking to people. Ereza lay against Lukka in a rather relaxed way that made the gnoll feel so comfortable and cozy that even as Kashira called to them, it was difficult to summon energy to respond. "Yes! Ereza will be first!"

Ereza groaned as she stretched, her body shifting against Lukka's in a way that made the gnoll feel heat come to her cheeks, which both surprised and embarrassed her. Then, she gave a nuzzle that made it all the more intense. "All right, I'm ready!"

From there, Lukka felt Kashira tense and flex, and she lifted and pressed Ereza back in the direction that she had seemed to come in to her. Then she felt her slide away; the squeeze was almost smothering. Although Lukka expected there would be a pause before she was pulled up, she found herself slipping up immediately after.

She supposed that escape sooner was better than later, at least until the cold night air reached through her wet fur and touched her skin. She was partially in a dragon paw and partially on a wooden walkway that was lightly brushed with snow. The cold was intolerable, and even though the lights were dim, they were very bright comparatively. It took her a moment to focus on the elf in front of her. She had a large golden flower, almost the same shade as her long, shiny golden hair, that seemed to have roots right in her shoulder. Lukka was pretty certain that meant she was a Grinwild Elf. The woman silently drew something on her forehead, and then warmth battled the cold, and her fur dried out.

Ereza had chattering teeth when she was done next. "Both of you get dressed," Kashira said, leaning in to give her a nuzzle and then Ereza one.

It was sweet. Lukka huffed, I can feel myself slowly giving up on my ambitions to run away. She pulled on the offered dress; it was full-length with long sleeves and an extra heavy skirt. The material was of a quality that she had never seen. She looked at the black and white kobold woman filling in paperwork and eyed the auctioning platform just to the side of them. If I am going to get away, it would have to be now, before she gets one of those collars on me.

"Gnolls are a little more difficult to track in our records. Are you Lukka Zanabir from near Ledondale?"

Her heart raced. If she was going to resist, she had to start doing so. The question hung in the air, pressuring her to answer it. The dragon was looming over her, looking down, Ereza watching her from the side...

"That's me," she said with her mouth dry.

It felt so wrong to answer the question. It seemed like something should happen, some shift in the atmosphere, some change of temperature or sound or light or anything, as she agreed to the most important bit of information needed to put a collar on her. Instead, all that happened was the kobold woman nodded. "Good, good. Shall I send out the status notification that Lukka is yours now, Kashira?"

It was a weird feeling; that question wasn't even addressed to her. "Yes. Make it as broad-reaching as you can, but don't disclose our current location, just my ownership, thank you," the dragon said.

That was it. Lukka felt overwhelmed and vaguely empty.

A kitsune, with dark fur and three tails, wheeled out a cart. "I know I told you this would come to you before I did, but I suppose I was mistaken. I hope you do not mind," she said with a light tone that was almost teasing. "Oh my, what a beautiful gnoll, and this bunny is such a cutie."

Ereza made a small noise and covered her cheeks with visible embarrassment. She was wearing a heavier dark red dress, whereas Lukka's was a dark blue—both in shades that were challenging to achieve with ordinary dyes. The kitsune looked smug. "Very good. I have collars ready for all three lovelies today, and this cart has soup, fresh bread, and fried desserts. Please, come and help yourselves; it's always a long trip for everyone who comes here."

She seemed more solemn when she said it that way, and Payta nodded. "It is nice to see so many looking so calm."

Lukka hated this place instantly, almost as much as Buetarn. And yet, the food still smelled really good. Kashira brought Goren and Tomyra back out from her side and folded her wing down. Tomyra pointed and declared that she was hungry, so Ereza got up and dished up the creamy soup that was being offered, and they sat on the stage together to eat.

"All right, Lukka, you first, then eat," Kashira said, pushing her to the kitsune with her nose.

Lukka stared down hard at the kitsune as the woman reached up and clasped the purple collar on her. There was a warm feedback of magic that Lukka could barely sense... and just like that, it was over. It felt almost anticlimactic. She was numb as she served herself some soup with Goren.

Tomyra was excited because the collar was pink, but Ereza seemed reserved as the green collar went on her.

Lukka stood where she was and ate slowly, her stomach feeling tight even though she was hungry, and the food was even better than it smelled.