A trip around town

The duo of Vermillion and Annabelle would reappear in the center of town. The cluster of bats would probably startle many and confuse even more as the two women appeared. Vermillion would have her arms folded as she looked around town. She could care less of how Annabelle would feel having her entire body split into the form of bats and forcefully moved to a new location, and then having her body and conscious forcefully pushed back together into her natural body.

"Well then. What is it that I should know about your master's society?" Vermillion asked with a tone of aloofness. She acted as if she didn't care when truly a part of her enjoyed learning new things.

Annabelle would have appeared out of the cluster of bats and shuddered a bit. That was an experience she knew she could never get used to.

"Please warn me the next time you do that." She stated and took a look around. They were in the village center. There were several people who were startled by the sudden cluster of bats, but others looked in awe and smiled at the interesting display. Those who were startled soon had their fears calmed, when Annabelle appeared among Vermillion.

Annabelle was charged with the question of what it is that should be known about the society. The cat-woman pushed her glasses up on her nose and took several looks towards the different paths that connected to the Red Square.

"Well, the village is based off of strong community bonds, commerce, and trade. Just recently, we've opened our doors to the other villages, in order to encourage trade routes between the other three nations. More specifically to the village, we're in the Red Square. This is the center where all the entertainment, shopping, living areas, and many other amenities for the village branch from." Annabelle would point to two directions, going North and South from their current area. "This is the main boulevard, where the shops and the Dojo of Rage are located. The shops sell unique items that come from Master Dente's homeland of, Kilimagroth." After Annabelle explained that, she pointed towards the West path. It lead from where they were and turned into a slope path the further it went on. "On the West side is where the Milk Lover's Cafe is located. The cafe is one of our main tourist attractions and is ran by, Adam Inaki, who is helping alongside Master Dente, in terms of opening trades with other nations." Annabelle then pointed towards the East side, which turned into a downhill slope and looked to be dotted with many houses. "The East side holds the Tranquil Living Quarters. Most, if not all of the villagers, guardsmen, and other workers live here. There is no cost of living and people aligned with the village can stay for free. Beyond the living quarter is the Old Urbe Rail System. A better history lesson can be taught there, for that place is the ruins and bones of the old village that Master Dente built the current village on top of. The Rail System is also home to our recently added armory and blacksmith." Annabelle took a pause in order to catch her breath. She enjoyed explaining the village, but it did take a while to get around. She waited for Vermillion take in all of that information and maybe even pick a place where she would like to go.

"How quaint. It is a beautiful town, one in which I am happy to not paint red with blood." She said naturally, showing a kinder side to Annabelle. "I shall let you lead the way on where we shall go. I would assume you will be showing me each place before the day is out?"

She had nothing but time, it seemed. In her head she was thrilled to be some place so rambunctious without people being frightened by her. Until something big came up, she would probably find her favorite place to be within the village and mooch there. Besides, it would be up to Annabelle and Dente to let the townsfolk, as well as owners of certain places, know who Vermillion was.


"Shall we get these peons introduced to their new and true Queen?"

Annabelle raised an eyebrow to the fact that Vermillion was being a lot kinder than before. That made her smirk a bit, but she was left to the decision of where to show around the newly appointed Archnin. She figured that the warriors and most of the townspeople currently in the Tranquil Living Quarters, should be the first to know who Vermillion was.

However, the last question Vermillion made about the people of the village being peons, slowly made Annabelle's smile fade. She gracefully bowed and pointed in the direction of the area they were going to next, before she stood up straight, and walked down the path.

"Right this way, Lady Vermillion." She said quietly. When she started to walk, a lot of the people eyed the pair and murmurs about the crowds figured that Vermillion was either a new officer, or Dente's girlfriend.

Vermillion would take a single step before a jolt went up her spine. Whipping her head around with enough force to make her hair displace air, she faced a seemingly random direction and paused, her entire body freezing in place. Her breathing stopped and her fist clenched as she peered at some unseen thing.

'This power...what is it?' She wondered.

The vampire could feel two very distinct powers. They had just peeked heavily along with a third. They were near other powerful auras and her blood began to rush. The two powers felt extremely familiar, and extremely warm to her.

"Ms. Annabelle..." She began. "That direction...that is Esperanza, yes?"

Annabelle had walked a few steps ahead of Vermillion and didn't notice that the Reiji-Archnin had something the matter with her. Annie was getting ready to commentate on how Dente built the village from the ground up, when she was suddenly asked a hesitant question. The assistant stopped and turned to face the woman, seeing that she indeed faced the direction of Esperanza City.

"Why, yes it is, Lady Vermillion. Was there something the matter? You seem a little hesitant." She asked with a bit of concern in her voice and began walking over to Vermillion.

Vermillion would keep her gaze in the direction of Esperanza, feeling the powers intimately.

'A phoenix too?' She thought with wide eyes. 'What is this?' Suddenly she picked up on another similar power nearby. 'Another phoenix...related to the one that is with those powers that resemble my own...'

Vermillion turned to face Annabelle with a serious leer. "Forgive me. I must postpone the tour of the village. There is something very odd plaguing the air at the moment and I feel it is somehow connected to me." Vermillion's polite address of Annabelle would be enough reason for alarm. She suddenly moved like a blur towards the power that she was feeling inside of the Urbe Saevitum.

'I will get to the bottom of this.'

The ground around Vermillion and Annabelle turned water, but didn't have the consistency of water. There was a slight rumble at their feet and Annie knew that it was Dente trying to contact the entire village. Immediately, Annabelle went on the defensive and her eyes hardened into that of a killer's gaze.

"Civilians of Urbe Saevitum! This is your kage, Dente Wolfheart making a serious announcement. I want everyone to take cover immediately within the closet building and stay inside. There is a terror near the Milk Lover's Cafe and I want everybody to stay away from the area, until further notice. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill!" He warned and hoped that the civilians would heed his message quickly, before anything terrible happened. "Annabelle and Vermillion, I need you two to head over to that area immediately and assess the situation. All other guardsmen, shinobi and magician, go and assist them. We will not let this get out of hand!" Dente commanded and his voice boomed with authority. He was not pleased.

Annabelle heard the anger in her kage's voice and nodded at his command.

"At once, Master Dente! Vermillion, whatever you're doing will have to be put on hold for now. Please help keep the villagers safe from harm!" Annabelle conveyed her importance on the situation, to the hopefully still there Vermillion. Whether or not she'd heed their mission wouldn't deter Annabelle from immediately running off after pleading with the vampire and heading towards the Milk Lover's Cafe.