"There you are!" Mims shouted as he spotted the two humans approaching.

  Not a hard thing to do, despite the fact that Temate wasn't immediately the tallest person in any area in Occiden, the crowds still scattered around him. A combination of things they'd learned but most notably [Power] sensitivity. Something Toni had personally noticed herself as she was around more people with [Power]'s.

  Out in the Vardenweld, or the "Tower Woods" to the locals, she'd met very few people with actual [Power]s. She'd noticed then that people like Laurel or Thares made her hairs stand on end, as if they were somehow dangerous. She assumed it was just her nerves, not worth mentioning to anyone.

  Now?

  "Gods it still feels so... bzzzt in public y'know?" Toni commented as she followed in Temate's wake of nearly a dozen different humanoid creatures she didn't recognize.

  "What does?" Rose asked, their voice a sharp whistle from Mims arms. Toni was still shocked to hear them speaking at all.

  "I think she means her sensitivity, which is probably more finetuned seeing as she has sensory [Power]s." Mims expined softly as he handed the 3 foot of bundled vines and flower petals to Toni.

  "Is that how it works?" Toni asked, "Voel expined it briefly but like how did it go..." Toni tried to remember Voel's offhanded expnation. Temate's hand lifted with one finger pointed up.

  "A-The phenomena of [Power] sensitivity is simple. A-The more [Power]s, and the more powerful the [Power]s, A-the more power leaks off of a person and the more sensitive to this power leakage a person becomes. A-thus sensing it in the air." Temate said in a surprisingly good impression of Voel.

  "Yeeeeah, sounds like a Circ." Kezzik grunted, flicking something from his ear. "It's not that complicated, stronger someone is, easier it is to tell they're strong." Kezzik huffed.

  "Personally, I like the expnation." Toni replied as she looked around. "It's important to know why a thing works the way it works."

  "Meh, sounds like a waste of time to me. If they're stronger, they're stronger." Kezzik shrugged. "Just means you gotta work harder, maybe folow em around and learn a thing or two."

  Toni sighed, she opened her mouth to respond but Mims beat her to it.

  "Yeah, and that's why you're a big dumb puppy aren't you Kezzy, who's a goooood boy!" Mims said reaching up to scratch behind Kezzik's ear.

  "Grrrr" Kezzik growled with a smack to the cat boys hand. "Not in public!" Kezzik huffed.

  "Pffff, you looooove it." Mims said leaning into Kezzik's side. Kezzik turned his snout up and away but his shaking tail gave him away.

  "Soooooo-" Toni cut in before the two disappeared off to some dark corner for some fun. "-What's the pn today?" She asked.

  "Well we've figured out costs so far." Temate expined as he popped open a small pouch on his belt.

  He pulled out a dozen shiny copper coins each as small as Toni's fingertip, and handed them to the stall owner they had been loitering beside. In return the tender handed him four long cylinders of greyish material. Temate handed one out to each of them, Toni was practically drooling as the sizzling warm stick reached her.

  At first she'd been suspicious of these 'Portbars', they didn't look too appealing to her but apparently-

  "God that looks good, thanks!" Mims perked up rapidly devouring the bar with several small bites.

  "Mmm, very, these are good quality tender nice work!" Kezzik barked to the tall serpentine figure behind the bar. The side of their neck expanded like a cobra as they beamed back.

  "Thank yooouusss my pleassssure!" They said with a dip of their body.

  Yeah, apparently everyone here thought it looked delicious and Toni, not for the first time, wondered why? It basically looked like a thin, foot long stick of charcoal as thick around as three fingers. A combination of fish, Undermount fungus, and spices traded from further innd all wrapped in a weird ftbread.

  The wrap was made from something called merwheat. A seaweed like product grown by an underwater culture called the mergata who's descriptions reminded Toni of old mermaid stories. Long, flowing hair, soft beautiful bodies with fish like lower halves and fins on their arms. Apparently they often settled near coastal cities where they both engage in trade, and protect trade routes from sea monsters.

  Merwheat itself was basically just a dark gray, almost bck, seaweed with blue luminescent veins and spots. It could be eaten raw, cooked, or processed in much the same way as normal wheat. And since the mergata traded it at what many considered to be incredibly cheap rates, it was very prominent in most coastal cities.

  Toni bit into the tube and had to stop an ungodly noise from escaping her throat. It may not look very good, but god did it taste good! The easiest thing to compare it to would be a seafood taquito. Each one was different depending on what type of things were used in it, and Toni had yet to have two that were the same. Even if they often appeared simir.

  "Hmmm, god that's good, spicy but so smooth!" Toni announced as she polished off her own stick while following the group as they moved.

  "Mmm, good crab bar, nice use of cheese blend and some simmerpeas to smooth it out while still giving it a kick. Might have to try that myself." Kezzik hummed, still slowly biting away at his own bar.

  "Ooooh, would you?!" Mims perked up his ears. "Love a good portbar, we should go see if we can buy the recipe it's a good one!" He chirped.

  "I'll track em down ter, got the scent, why did you call us out here Mate?" Kezzik turned to Temate who popped the st of his own bar into his mouth.

  "Mmmf, sorry distracted. Shopping, tonight your estates owner gets back correct?" Temate asked. The two nodded in confirmation. "Good, well I've been wearing the same clothes since I got here, and I'd like something less... Conspicuous." He said as he gnced around.

  Toni followed his gaze and noticed, not for the first time, the wildly strange crowd and also the way the crowd gnced toward them. They stood out, Temate more-so as Toni's flowing dress was at least somewhat akin to something you could find in this world. Temate though, he stood out like a sore thumb in his bright poncho, jeans, thick modern vest and shirt and hiking boots.

  "Mmmm, that's a good point. Though an outfit as exotic as that would be perfect for a ga and finding something properly formal would be..." Mims began as he examined Temate up and down.

  "Expensive." Kezzik finished.

  "Mmmm." Mims muttered in agreement.

  "How expensive is expensive. We still have 171 'pieces' from the 300 you guys gave us and most of that was spent on eating out which seems twice as expensive as just cooking for yourself." Toni started doing some quick maths in her head.

  "Well a good suit would cost you a couple chips usually. Even without any magic, and to match how unique and exotic Mate's outfit is already..." Mims looked up to Kezzik as the two gestured vaguely back and forth.

  "Out of our budget, 1 chip is already 100 pieces at a reasonable exchange." Temate grunted.

  Pieces, the most common currency here in Occiden, were essentially pennies. They were small, fingertip sized discs of copper, tin, and other common base metals. Chips were the same but made of silver or silver alloys, and then there were tabs. Tabs were slightly rger, looking like two pieces or chips set beside each other and welded together, and were made of gold or golden alloys.

  "God I wish-"

  "Divines." Temate corrected her.

  "Damn it, divines I- wait was I saying god with that creep in the alley?" Toni asked.

  "Yes, felt like correcting you then might be a bit... counterproductive though." Temate replied then waved for her to continue.

  "Right, sorry divines I wish the exchange rate were uniform." She finally finished.

  "Mmm, same it's rather annoying that it's not just 100 to 1 and 10 to 1, but at least it's mostly reliable." Temate grunted in response.

  "Plus, if someone tries to get you to give em way more in exchange, you know they're untrustworthy!" Mims tossed in.

  "Like how you got that duergar the other week to give you 130 pieces for something not even worth a chip?" Kezzik teased Mims who turned bright red.

  "Well he was an ass first! That's different!" Mims crossed his arms. "Plus he paid in the end, and happily!"

  "Right right, that makes it soooo much better." Kezzik ughed as he put a hand on Mims head and ruffled his hair.

  "Hmph!" Mims puffed batting Kezziks hands off his head. "Well look, if you want something nice it's gonna cost you more than we gave you, and we can't authorize more till ter." Mims pointed.

  "Sure I understand that but what if I just get something mid-range and where the poncho over it like an overcoat." Temate replied stopping in front of an actual shop.

  He gestured towards the clothing in the window, each ranging from 50 to 100 pieces. They were all nice looking shirts and pants with brass buttons and decorations around the shoulders and hips. Nice scaled and leather belts, pouches and other accessories set off to one side with their own gleaming brass csps.

  "Ooooooh... That could work!" Mims chirped happily as he slid up to press against the window. "These are pretty good quality, though Koto or Mest would know better." Mims hummed.

  "I could go get one of em while you guys shop." Kezzik offered.

  "Yes! If we're going clothes shopping one of them is a must." Mims said before turning back to Temate. "Come on, we'll go figure somethin nice out for the both of you! Get you some simpler street clothes, they'll probably have stuff like that too!"

  He grabbed Temate's hand and dragged him inside. A small part of Toni twisted up in the most shameful pleasure possible as her man was dragged away from her. Go-er divines she hated her brain sometimes. She followed shortly behind them, catching the surprisingly modern looking gss door as it started swinging closed.

  "Welcome to Aneitha's Spindle how can I help you!" A young woman called from nearby. "I'll be right with you!"

  Toni smiled off in that direction for only a moment before she felt her body begin to practically vibrate. Her smile tightened as she gripped Rose more tightly. Immediately she looked around for the source of the sudden surge of power. Someone here was incredibly powerful.

  "You alright little T?" Temate asked.

  "Someone here is... You can't feel that?" Toni whispered as she slid up next to Temate and Mims.

  "No we can't Toni." Mims spoke softly back, "Probably cause we ck any sense skills."

  "Not strictly true." Temate muttered. "But mine is very specifically tailored and requires a lot of focus so." Temate pced a hand on Toni's shoulder. "We can go somewhere else if you-"

  "And who are you." A soft voice rolled across Toni as her body completely froze from an overload of leaking power.

  A woman's face filled her vision, bent down face to face with Rose. The woman seemed to appear from nowhere and stood calmly between Mims, Temate and Toni. Toni knew immediately this woman was the source of the power, and gods did that terrify her. Yet, she was also gorgeous and incredibly bold.

  "Rose." Rose whistled back, a single viney hand coming up to poke the womans nose.

  The woman's face remained vacant and pcid, unconcerned by the gesture. Her soft silver eyes were open wide, not in shock but like she was looking at some distant thing despite looking toward Rose. Her short bob of wavy silver hair seemed to emanate a white light around her. A wreath of pink, white and red rose petals rested softly around the back of her head stopping just passed her ears.

  A colr of white vines sat on her neck, a singur pink gemstone resting in the center gleamed with power as the vines shifted slightly around it. And that was probably the most covered part of her body. The vines ran down her deathly pale skin toward her chest like bikini straps. There they seemed to hold a bed of soft white petals covering her breasts, topped with bright red blooms.

  It was incredibly lewd to Toni, yet she couldn't bring herself to blush with the amount of fear flowing through her.

  "Excuse me ma'am." Temate interposed himself between them pushing the woman backward and forcing her to stand.

  "Oh, was I being rude again?" The woman said. Her voice was so breathy it might as well have been the wind speaking. Despite her comment she never took her eyes off of Rose. "How much?" She asked with a soft gesture towards them.

  "Not for sale." Temate stated firmly. "They're family."

  "Family?" The woman replied as if not understanding.

  She put one soft finger to her pink, plush lips. The bright red nail gave it the appearance of a fleck of blood spttered on her which made Toni shiver. There was just something about this woman, so sensual with the twisting white vines that ran along her sides accentuating her lithe, yet alluring body and leaving it almost completely exposed.

  The way she was adorned with bright red, pink and white flower petals, occasionally spreading into full blooming flowers here and there. How they left the vast majority of her soft, tantalizing body so thoroughly exposed. Even around her hips where several flowers budded at the peak of her asses curve and around her like a microskirt of roses.

  All of this screamed sexy, sensual, and hell Toni would think it, slutty. Yet somehow it also scared Toni. Much like her bright red nails the flowers almost made her appear spttered with blood and viscera. She felt like a monster, an incredibly alluring monster which drew you in and then slit your throat.

  "I want them." The woman said softly and stepped forward.

  Temate put a hand out and spoke. "Stop."

  The woman did not. In fact the moment the word was spoken her eyes sharpened. With a motion Toni could barely follow she backhanded Temate and he flew several feet into the dispy window with a crash. Then the woman was on Toni.

  "Ambrusa what do you- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" The woman stopped with her hand outstretched towards Rose.

  She flipped her head backwards to look behind her, her body remaining poised to grab Rose. There a bck scaled man stood, a rather eborate outfit of midnight bck clothes etched with silver and trimmed with gold. The cloak he held open with hands on his hips was csped with a single sapphire brooch.

  Two rge golden horns extended straight back from a ridgeline of white and bck spines around his long face. His golden eyes narrowed sharply at the Woman, Ambrusa apparently, and Toni felt her another wave of overwhelming power hit her. This one everyone clearly felt as even the employee coming to check on the commotion had frozen.

  "I like this one, I want them." Ambrusa stated.

  The satveak -- the name for any species of humanoid, primarily reptilian, who derived ancestry from dragons -- man sighed deeply and ran a cwed hand across his crown of gold capped horns.

  "How many times have we been through this, you can't just take what you want in cities like this Ambrusa." He hissed.

  "But... Why?" She practically whined.

  "Because if you do, people will die. And if people die, people will want you punished." The man expined with clear exasperation.

  "So I kill them then." Ambrusa replied.

  "You- That's not the point! A city this big eventually you'll meet someone who you can't just kill, and then you could die." The man growled as he prowled toward them.

  "I won'-" Ambrusa started replying but the man grabbed one of her arms.

  In a single fluid motion he spun her around and hugged her close bending her backwards to look deep into her eyes. Toni watched as the woman flushed slightly as the man ran a massive forked tongue that looked to be pted with gold along her body. From between her chest up to her ear where he hissed to her.

  "I don't care, you're my flower and I'll not have you risk even a bit of damage to yourself understood?" He told her.

  She simply nodded slowly in response. The man stood back up, lifting her to her feet and turning her towards them. He put one hand on her head and they both bowed incredibly low, a common way for satveak to apologize.

  "I am Josar, please accept our deepest apologies. My petal was born in the Vardenweld and is still unaccustomed to civil life." Josar apologized.

  "I-it's okay." Toni stuttered out.

  "Thank you very kindly ma'am!" Josar barked as he stood up. "Come on Ambrusa, before your dumb petal brain does something else stupid."

  Josar practically dragged Ambrusa out by the neck, using her choker like a colr. She looked so... so... happy? That was something that Toni felt oddly retable. If Temate had dragged her off like that, calling her names like that... Toni shivered as they left, both with the rapid departure of their leaking power, and the image that had just come to mind.

  "Wait sir! You have to pay for tha-and he's gone... Damn it!" The clerk shouted after Josar. Then she turned to Toni and Mims with a broad smile. "Sorry about that, can I help you find something?"