In the wake of her failed application to the Wyllmochvar University, Natsumi returned to Canelux dejected and angry.  She had lost hope because of the actions of a single, powerful man: a déjà vu from earlier in her life. Unlike the previous occasion, however, this man was not flesh and blood. He was simply a stuck up, jealous rival who didn't have anything better to do than make a young runaway's life even more miserable.
 
Contrary to the sadistic director's wishes, though, his victim did not crumble. Instead, her opponent's actions only forced the young woman further down the outlaw's path: a position that the antagonist had attempted to cast her in already. Natsumi's larceny intensified in the absence of honest work, so much so that she had begun partaking of higher profiled game. She wasn't just stealing from rural areas anymore. She had upped the ante by going after nobles in the city.
 
One such incident relating to this shift in activity happened in the city of Adeluna on a cold, Pacem day. Word among botanists and alchemists in the city was that a wealthy, merchant guild had just taken a delivery of an exotic plant. Not one of these professionals could actually name the specimen of flora that this guild had acquired, but the staggering amount that they were being paid for transportation to Wyllmochvar spoke volumes of its value.
 
"I'm telling ya, Sergius," said a man near to Natsumi in the Winking Mermaid that morning. "Whatever that guild is taking in is extremely valuable. You don't pay 2000 silver to transport a single plant to Wyllmochvar otherwise!" The tavern was mostly quiet at this time of day, and the young druid had only just arrived under cover of a thick, brown cloak. Nikolai was neatly placed on her head underneath the hood as she sat down at a distant table, and the two, along with Kino, were eavesdropping on every conversation within the establishment. They, or rather Natsumi, were looking for information on the plant, and had paid the tavern keeper in blood crusted crescents to keep a constant supply of milk coming in the mean time. He would have laughed at the request had it come from any other minor, but the blood on the specie was enough for him to refrain from judgment.
 
For a time, this plan paid off somewhat, but not nearly enough to figure out where to go. Yamauchi was hoping for something a little more: anything to at least give her a hint on which warehouse to examine. Perhaps this "Sergius" or his friend would eventually reveal something, but, if they didn't, it would be well past time for the druid and company to depart.

Pyzis leaned against the stucco wall of one of the many buildings on the streets of Adeluna. Panic tried to grip her as the thought of so many people seemed to choke her. Bodies milled by, talking, shuffling, and going about their lives. It had been forty years since she had entered a place so consumed by human beings. She had spent that time in a golden cage being tortured and drained of her healing Phoenix tears. That had been the only touch she had known for so long that the idea of someone accidentally brushing against her sent her heart pounding. With a deep breath, Pyzis calmed her nerves and assessed her surroundings. Squat square buildings pressed close together with only small alleys between sprawled out in the market district of the city. 

Most of her time here had been spent among fellow alchemists, learning what she could as she was still only an apprentice. Coran, her Master, had sent her to a city for more training. He was centered in Hoja Mesto on Parvpora, so her journey here had taken quite a while despite having used an airship. The culture and plant life here was so much different than Parvpora which was why she was here. Upon arriving whispers flew about a shipment of a rare plant happening in a few days. Pyzis had tried to learn what she could from the elder Alchemists, but the only information she could find was that 2000 silver were exchanging hands upon safe arrival. The amount was ridiculous! She couldn't even think of a plant that anyone would pay that much for. It must be very rare indeed, if not rare then illegal or dangerous to retrieve. 

Pyzis had heard the shipment would be coming along this route that was why she had risked the fear of touch to find out what she could about the plant. There was no way she would let a once in a lifetime opportunity to see something like this pass. Coran would chastise her for not only asking the Guild about it, but Pyzis wasn't up for more human interaction right now. Under her breath, she began counting down from some ridiculously high number as she watched people slip in and out of shops unaware of their surroundings. She pulled her long chocolate brown hair over her shoulder and plaited it swiftly. Standing still made her skin crawl, so she rocked on her heels and waited. 

[OOC: It's a little short, but this should allow our group to get together now.]

Sergius, as Natsumi had come to know him by, never did answer his friend's comment inside the tavern. The pair was a surprisingly courteous lot, choosing not to smoke inside the building despite its allowance. Instead, before any further words were exchanged, the two men paid their bill and moved outside to a corner across the street. An extraordinarily nervous girl was only a few yards from them when the man who had yet to speak lit up his pipe.
 
The druid had followed them outside during this event, but only after assuring that her own bill was paid. She arrived within ear shot by the time her current fascination spoke.
 
"I'll tell you one thing, Pierre," the smoking gentleman said as the fumes from his pipe caused the sensitive Natsumi to crinkle her nose, "Don't go sticking your nose where it's liable to be chopped off. As you know, I worked for the Bulwark Trading Company, and I've never known them to take on jobs for plants. They ship magical components almost exclusively to Parvpora and have recently been under suspicion of weapon smuggling. There's no proof, but it's safe to say that, whatever that plant is - if it is indeed a plant - is not something I or you want to get involved with."
 
'Bulwark Trading Company?' The name was familiar to Natsumi, but only just. It was certainly more of a lead than she'd gotten all day, enough that she decided to stick around Sergius and Pierre a bit longer in order to see what else they knew. With that in mind, she positioned herself next to the anxious woman, leaning against the same stucco wall after making her way through the crowd. She made sure to give the girl a wide berth so that anxiety didn't turn to violence, and also instituted an insurance policy just in case she miscalculated. A heavily diluted version of hibernation emanated from the druid toward the nameless woman, specially designed to combat anxiety without afflicting drowsiness. If it connected in the right dose, the target would feel calmer without also feeling sleepy.    

Pyzis tried to keep tabs on as many of the bustling people as possible, but there was no way with the sheer volume before her. A woman strode out of the tavern kitty-corner to her position and made herself comfortable against the same wall as Py. Her senses went into overdrive as she looked over the casual looking female. She wore a long basic robe with a hooded cloak and had gorgeous brown hair with orange highlights. The distance between her and Pyzis seemed intentional though she was sure her shuffling from foot to foot nervously made her stick out like a wart. The woman nearby didn't seem to be alone, and there were two men nearby lighting pipes and speaking about the shipment she was after. Once she realized they were talking about the plant in question, she moved closer to listen better. 

A waft of smoke rose toward her, and she tried to ignore a cough that threatened to overcome her. It seemed that these men weren't even sure it was a plant that was being delivered and her heart sunk a little. She hoped that her information was correct. As she shifted her weight, a sudden feeling of calm drifted over her. Out of nowhere, the packed crowd before her was no longer a buzz of noise and activity. They became people calmly going about their business as Pyzis was sure they had been all along. Her shoulders relaxed, and she looked around to try and figure out what had happened, but nothing stood out. Unless….the woman against the wall was the only person who had come near her in hours.

Pyzis turned to her and raised an eyebrow. Though Pyzis only held fire weaving, there was a possibility of this other person holding some magic that would help her. Why had she done it? It was obvious that Pyzis was nervous, but few people would assist a stranger for something so menial. Perhaps she had something to do with this shipment, or, at least, was here to observe it as Pyzis was. If there were more people trying to see this delivery, maybe she could get more information. All of the Alchemists had been so vague, to the point where the only sure thing she knew was it was rare and possibly dangerous. 

"That's one hell of a pick me up you have there," she nodded as she looked at the woman nearby. "Are you here for the delivery too? Why else would someone be standing still on these bustling streets. I'm Pyzis." Pyzis offered her a hand in greeting.

Further information from Pierre and Sergius, the tobacco addict duo, was limited and slow-coming. They seemed more preoccupied with their poisonous hobby than actually discussing the day's events now that they were outside the tavern, but Natsumi, hoping this would changed, had remained in their exhaust trail. Bits and pieces escaped from time to time, but it all seemed mundane.
 
"Bulwark? Wasn't it Imperial Diamond?" asked Pierre at one interlude. Sergius responded in a gruff, almost arrogant voice.
 
"No, it's definitely Bulwark. I have that from a reliable source." The two returned to silence after this, and looked like they were about to say more until Natsumi's spontaneous patient spoke up. Apparently the girl could track magic even in the faintest amount; and the druid had not counted on this possibility. Even just a little sleep magic was enough to call attention to her: attention that could be dealt without.
 
'Tch,' she thought as she finally realized the developing situation. She could only watch as her nearby objects of fascination looked up to discover their eavesdropper, now completely aware of her presence. As expected, they moved on without a second thought, preventing any further inquiries. It was an unfortunate development, but not an unforeseen one.
 
Now left alone with the obvious mage – or, at the very least, a magically attuned person – Natsumi was free to resume her course. She began by attempting to exchange her own introduction with Pyzis, at least until Nikolai answered for her.
 
"Oh, Nikolai will pick you up all day, every day, my radiant goddess of fire," he said in as suave a voice as he could muster. He was making a sound like a cat's purr, apparently smitten with the woman in front of him. She must have been a magical creature in the guise of a human woman for that to happen, but this facet of the situation didn't stop Natsumi from face-palming herself before interrupting the flirt session.


"Certainly not to indulge a love struck platypus or inhale tobacco fumes," she began while slowly removing that palm of embarrassment. She wasn't sure she could trust Pyzis with the entirety of her scheme revolving around the plant shipment just yet, because not everyone would be okay with the idea of theft. However, the woman was clearly interested in the plant as well, and Natsumi wasn't about to turn down potential aid from an unwitting accomplice. Taking the woman's hand out of courtesy, she continued her introduction with cunning improvisation. "Natsumi, and yes, I am here looking for the shipment. I dabble in alchemy myself, and rare specimens are always interesting to see. I didn't get everything I wanted from those two men, but I at least know where to start looking.  I can tell you, if you agree to help me get there."
 
The conversation was truth mixed with data omission. She was willing to work with Pyzis, but didn't reveal the true extent of her path. She would look at the plant, as promised, and then pilfer it from the guild's coffers when given the chance.

Pyzis looked aghast at the creature speaking to her from atop Natsumi's head. It was a medium sized furry thing with a duck bill and a beaver tail. This was the first time she had seen something like it, and it was attracted to her! Natsumi said it was called a platypus before informing her that the men hadn't been traveling with her after all. At least, she had an interest in Alchemy just as Py. With a smile, she looked the platypus in the dark eyes and smiled flirtatiously before winking. Her yellow eyes danced with laughter as she stifled the giggle that threatened to escape. 

"I apologize, you left the inn at the same time as those men, so I had assumed you were with them. I will help you; I know a little about the delivery as I've been staying with the local Alchemists guild. They mentioned the name Bulwark also," she chatted. With the calming effects still coursing through her Pyzis felt at ease around Natsumi. If she were willing to share information, Pyzis could probably trust her, though the giddy feeling inside her was probably a bad sign. 

She took a deep breath before continuing, "Your companion is very vocal. I've never seen a platypus before though I admit I've had hardly any opportunities to meet talking creatures. How did he know I am a creature of fire? How can he talk? Does he have a name?"

Pyzis pulled a lock of her long brown hair over her shoulder and began to twirl it. Her eyes looked over the furry animal again. It was a strange combination of creatures, but somehow it was cute. Her attention was drawn back to the street when a cart rolled past noisily. The people around them were no longer staring as they were not silently hovering against a wall. She could still smell the tobacco left over from the pipes the men had been smoking; it mingled with the stench of humanity. Hopefully, Natsumi knew more than Pyzis since Py's only plan had been to look for a suspicious carriage. If they worked together maybe they would be able to inspect the rare specimen. 

"Where do we start looking for this delivery? I heard the name of the company, but do you know where they are taking the shipment?" questioned Pyzis. If she could she would get as much information from Natsumi as possible.

In truth, it hadn't occurred to Natsumi that she would be mistaken for a companion of the smoking pair of men before Pyzis brought it up. The druid's intent was, and always had been, completely contrary to that impression, and she had believed herself to be maintaining the proper distance to acquire her desired image of an uninvolved party. Instead, she slipped up enough for a "drugged" stranger to make the assumption she was trying to avoid in the first place. It wasn't Pyzis that needed to apologize. It was Natsumi who needed to get her stealth act together.
 
Regardless, the unexpected apology of the fire based entity failed to register with the black queen as readily as the agreement to partnership. Pyzis revealed that she had ties to the local alchemist guilds: a fact that piqued Natsumi's interest further than it might otherwise have been. For all her eavesdropping potential, the druid was only a stranger in the midst of local professionals; and, even if the nervous woman in front of her was a new addition to their network, it was certainly more of an edge than she would have had alone. As such, capitalizing on Pyzis' strengths became a priority for the young sneak-thief, but, alas, the stranger made the mistake of paying too close attention to Nikolai before Natsumi could say anything further.
 
'Oh no.' Yamauchi could already feel the platypus moving off of her head to land on the road in front of her, and she knew, from experience, what was coming next.
 
"Let me tell you a tale," the amorous creature said as he stood up on his hind legs much unlike a normal platypus. "In Mother Fee, the magical platypus reign supreme. We talk, we sing, we make steamy love. Yet among these people who frolic with creatures of magic, there is but one that reigns supreme."
 
'There the egomaniac goes again…' was all Natsumi could think before the next line even came out of her companion's bill. Kino wasn't helping the situation, as she began playing a calming melody filled with percussion instruments and finger snapping to accompany Nikolai's hyperbole. It always ended the same, though. Natsumi knew that. Kino knew that. Even Nikolai knew it, though he always chose to forget.
 
"His name is Nikolai." Flexing his forelegs what little he could, the magical platypus demonstrated his failure to heed the age old wisdom of the past as soon as he uttered his name. His boasting had happened before, and it always ended in chaos that got Natsumi stuck on maid duty. Because of that, she had instituted a zero tolerance policy that Nikolai always seemed content to ignore despite his punishment.
 
As soon as he started trying to dance, the music abruptly ended. Kino emitted a squealing noise to signify the termination of the current party, all while a portal appeared underneath the magical platypus' feet. In a flash, he disappeared into the void, transported to a river bank in Virens Forest.
 
"That's enough out of you," Natsumi said while maintaining this gate for a few moments so that Nikolai could hear her on the other side. "You made a promise to me, and you keep breaking it; so you may go soak your head now." The portal closed immediately after that, locking out the trouble-maker for the time being. He would be back, eventually; but, for now, Natsumi would preoccupy herself with more important matters: like the shipment that had led her to Adeluna in the first place.
 
"So, delivery," she sighed while turning back to Pyzis, not realizing that her fox ears were now exposed for all to see thanks to Nikolai. "Kino, you already started revealing yourself, so go ahead and give a proper introduction before displaying the map of the area along with what we've deduced."
 
"Of course, madam." The magical artifact summoned up light from Natsumi's right glove following her command, and molded the luminance into her holographic image before continuing. "I am Kino, a highly advanced intelligence bound to an amorphous object designed especially to help those with the gifts of a druid. I now serve as Mistress Natsumi's personal assistant." With not even a moment's delay, the blue light shifted from the former, humanoid figure into a three dimensional map of Adeluna city. It was a marvel of magic that very few even in Parvpora would have access to, enough of a rarity that there were already some gawkers watching the display from the other side of the road – at least those that weren't already paying attention to Natsumi's fox ears. "From the data we have collected thus far, we can surmise that the company shipping the herb is Bulwark." Suddenly, all the warehouses that Bulwark Trading had access to were highlighted in red. There were quite a few, but less than the total number of warehouses in the city. They were also about to get even fewer with the additional criteria that Kino had yet to list. "Taking into account the rumors about the potential legality of the shipment, we can assume that there is a specific reason for taking the package through Adeluna as opposed to some other port. The price is even higher than ingredients for the latest youth potion, meaning that the steep premium is unlikely to be caused by difficulty of acquisition alone. If the only reason was to be discreet, on the other hand, the pirate haven of Vilpamolan would have been a better choice than this highly regulated port. Therefore, the logical conclusion is that the herb requires special storage conditions that are only available in a rich port such as this one." With all of that deductive reasoning out of the way, only three warehouses were left highlighted in red. Each of them was now flashing to indicate their importance to the mission at hand. "All cross-referenced data points to these three locations. The man from earlier mentioned that Bulwark was under suspicion of weapon smuggling. Therefore, the logical step to narrow down the dataset even further is to discover which of the locations have been searched and which have not. It is likely that the herb will be secured in a warehouse that has already been searched, and in a secret compartment that the authorities did not find so as to present an additional barrier. Warrants are more difficult to authorize when a location has already been searched, and authorities are unlikely to assume a criminal organization would be so bold as to hide contraband in a location that has already seen recent guard activity."
 
Kino's assessment was spot on, by Natsumi's evaluation. There were currently three spots to search, and that selection could be narrowed down even further if either of the two partners received information from the imperial guard. It was a greater start than most could ever hope for, but a lingering worry still remained: a nameless phantom that hung in the back of Natsumi's mind. This plan, to the druid, was almost too good, and she was waiting for the catch to appear at any moment.
 

---

Meanwhile, on the bank of a river in Virens Forest, a drenched Nikolai was just now crawling out of the water. Looking up at the sky wistfully, he pouted aloud for all to hear.
 
"Stingy fox girl stealing my spotlight." He would return, but only after he got something to eat.

Pyzis raised a hand to her lips as she giggled uncontrollably. They were standing in the middle of the street with a song was played by some strange contraption and a talking platypus getting ready to dance. While she felt extremely flattered that the creature would tell his story to her through song, it was obvious that Natsumi was not amused. Before Nikolai had gotten into his song, a portal was summoned, and he was forced through. Pyzis was sad to see him go, but when she noticed people all around them staring she realized it was probably a good thing. As if they hadn't attracted enough attention a moment later Natsumi raised her right glove, and a strange see-through map appeared in the air. Fear ran through her, and a fireball was summoned to her palm before she realized the strange magical artifact was speaking to her. 

"How do you have such magic?" she asked the talking glove as she dismissed the flames and inspected it carefully. The map deduced where the most likely location the delivery would happen. It wasn't just a map made of light, but it obviously was capable of higher thinking. Pyzis raised a hand and ran it through the light to see if it would change, but nothing happened. Then she reached out a finger and poked the glove itself. She was sure Natsumi would thump her over the head for being so close, but she couldn't help but wonder about this magic. 

"I've never seen anything like this, how does the light stay in the shape of the map? How does it have a voice? How can it listen to what you tell it?" she quizzed as she peered back up at the white haired woman. Pyzis noticed she was standing hovering over the woman's hand and took a quick step back. 

Clearing her throat she continued, "What are you planning once we have the delivery? I wanted to see what it was and if it had any healing properties. Perhaps get a sample if I could, but if it's something dangerous it can't fall into corrupt hands." Pyzis smoothed out her tunic and fidgeted with the laces on her sleeves. She was beginning to feel uneasy again about the crowd surrounding them. It wasn't as bad as before, but a shiver crept up her spine. While watching Nikolai she had moved away from the wall, Pyzis moved until her back was once more unexposed. 

Pyzis' almost attack was unexpected, but, thankfully, Natsumi, being on edge as she was, had made herself ready to retaliate at a moment's notice. When the fireball materialized, the druid remained on standby with a recall spell, just in case the nervous woman did something she was going to regret – like setting fire to a district. Luckily, things did not progress that far, and both spells were allowed to fizzle out in the face of overwhelming curiosity.
 
Questions abounded from the phoenix in human skin. Where did the magic come from? Why was it unaffected by touch? Who was the voice behind it all? These were all questions Natsumi had asked before, in fact, and the moment was a definite déjà vu from when she first met Kino.
 
"I'm an artifact hunter: freelance," began the amused Queen as her ego was stoked by the woman's curiosity. "The truly valuable stuff, I keep for myself, and then I sell the leftovers. Kino is an ancient artifact I found in my first dig up in some Boharian ruins north of here. She was designed in my homeland of Ataiyo thousands of years ago, and is one of a kind, capable of advanced combinations between magic and various other artifacts that she absorbs. That's how she generated the map. My entire attire is her, actually; and, for better or worse, we're bound for life. Thankfully, her form is not static so I can actually have a change of style at whim or take a bath without clothing."
 
Dismissing the map, Natsumi finally noticed the stares that were focusing on her fox ears. She was grateful Pyzis hadn't said anything about the strange mutations despite how long they were probably exposed, but still quickly replaced her hood in slight embarrassment. Then, just as she fastened the article appropriately, she turned her attention to Pyzis' next, most anticipated question.
 
"Documentation, mostly," the druid answered cautiously as if she were deliberately choosing her words. "I also plan to try and collect a reward from the city guard for tipping them off to an illegal shipment, if that's what it turns out to be. They've been trying to nail Bulwark and have failed thus far. A little help would go a long way, even if it's probably going to be chump change compared to my other lines of work."
 
Everything said in that dialogue was the truth, but not the whole truth. While it wasn't the most righteous practice, Natsumi had made a habit of speaking only relevant portions of reality when conversing with others. She carefully crafted her responses so that she was never lying, when possible, but, also, never telling the full truth unless it served her purposes. Pyzis didn't need to know Natsumi's full intent, and, hopefully, the excuse given would be good enough to proceed without further inspection. Maybe it would even jog Pyzis' memory about recent guard activity in the area: the next, essential step on her quest for plants.

With her back once more against the wall Pyzis felt more comfortable. The paralyzing fear had faded into a mild buzz at the back of her mind. Wonder was the emotion that dominated her conscious, this Kino had impressed her immensely. It seemed that her time confined behind a gilded cage had meant many new discoveries. Natsumi had said that the map was an ancient artifact he had uncovered, Py had never heard of a race that possessed that sort of knowledge. Not that she had had to opportunity to travel in any of her lifetimes, but that was why she was here now. This was her chance to see the world and learn how to heal in every culture imaginable. Thankfully she would live many lifetimes. There was no reason for her to rush through any of these new experiences. 

Pyzis listened carefully as Natsumi told her of her intentions after they got to this rare plant. When she mentioned that Kino wasn't bound to just her glove or even one piece of clothing Pyzis began circling the fox woman. She looked closely at each piece of her clothes trying to see if there was some sort of visual manifestation of the strange artifact. Despite her inspection she couldn't see any outward sign. As soon as Natsumi mentioned the city guard she stopped her circling. Pyzis remembered that she had seen the guards sending extra time near the Eastern Gate, down by the river. The Alchemists guild was situated on the opposite side of the river than the warehouses. She had spent much of her time on the balconies that over looked the water and noticed that there had been guards inspecting one in particular. If what Natsumi had said was accurate then it was possible that the delivery would happen at the warehouse across the river. 

"Natsumi, I saw the City Guard searching a warehouse across the river from the Alchemists guild. It was one of the ones that Kino had mentioned. I wasn't aware that the shipment was illegal, but if that is the case then I will do what I can to help you stop it. Some plants can't land in the hands of those who have bad intentions. Many of them are dangerous and I can't let that go," she burst out. The thrill of excitement ran through her veins. Now that she understood the stakes Pyzis felt responsible to keep the delivery away from the Bulwark company. Pyzis began to bounce on her toes in anticipation, she wanted to move, to get on the trail of these nefarious people.

This was the first time she had involved herself in something so adventurous. With so much time lost she was determined to make up for it. The Alchemist that had imprisoned her had been someone evil. She would have done anything to prevent him from hurting anyone else, but he had died before she had been able to do anything herself about it. Now she would have to help Natsumi in order to redeem the time she had lost.