Amber sat on the roof of the nearby tavern, looking out over the city. Tears steadily dripped down her cheeks as she pulled in her soul as tight as she could. Seeing James with his heart broken had broken hers in turn. Luna had told him that his soulmate was waiting for him. Amber was thankful for that, but being near him when he was in so much pain was making her angry at the Fenrir.

She wanted to scream and slap her friend for hurting him. If only Amber had met him first, or if they didn't rush everything when they first met. If only she had been his first. It hurt, knowing that he was in the inn without her. But he would want her to work, and so with one last deep breath, she wiped her eyes and stood.

Letting go of her soul, she pushed her senses out over the city. She could only cover a few blocks and the number of souls overwhelmed her at times. Still, she took the moment to center herself by looking over the architecture of the city.

Settling Stone was mostly made from stone structures without much decoration. Running River had an elegant river running through it, coming from a waterfall in the mountain. Near the water, the buildings were brick and stone, and those around the waterfall seemed to be made from sort of white marble-like material. They were also vastly larger than anything else in the city. The four manors seemed to be some sort of higher ups that she would need to inspect.

Away from the river the buildings were wood. A sawmill was set up near a gate on the demi-human side, along with the tanneries and breweries. To her surprise, they let the demi-humans brew their own drinks.

She took all of that in with her enhanced vision from her heritage. A nekorian had amazing eyesight and hearing. Not to mention she could transform parts of her body into more feline forms in order to fight and run.

Letting her face fall into a blank mask, she tested the souls around the area. Several off them were drunk even though it was morning. She didn't want to start with them, but her eyes did settle onto a district that Settling Stone did not have.

The well off looking buildings were on the demi-human side. They were sleek with plenty of balconies and draping cloth. From the distance, she could tell the ever burning streetlights had a red hue, and she was very curious about what was going on.

Climbing down from her building, she headed toward the mysterious district. It looked like many people were leaving it with a stumbling gaits, while only a few people were heading in.

Pulling her cloak over her body and covering her head, she blended in with the crowd. Her ears and tail were hidden as she crossed street after street to arrive at the district.

She was right about the streetlights. They had red glass that enhanced the beauty of the buildings and tapestries. Women and men stood on balconies, wearing the bare minimum and Amber nearly groaned.

They have an entire pleasure district? Better yet, the brothels look legal.

Eyeing the workers, she took in their animal features. Many of the women were bunnies, while a few nekorians and elves were mingled in. As for the humans, the woman were mixed in with the demi-humans, chatting and showing off to the street below.

The men were the same, although they were mostly wolves and larger animals like bears. The humans looked like they would be at home in the arenas or battlefield with their large muscles.

Before she could enter one of the buildings to learn more, someone grabbed her hood and ripped it from her head.

"Look at this beauty!" a man slurred.

Turning, Amber found three men standing with a sway as they judged her. She knew her orange hair and ember eyes were attractive, but she really didn't want to kill anyone on the open street.

"Keep your hands to yourself," she said as coldly as she could.

"How much?" one of the men asked. Reaching out, he grabbed a few strands of her hair and ran his thumb towards her ear.

Growling, she smacked his hand away. "I'm not for sale."

"Every woman is for sale," the third man said. "Name your price."

Growing angrier, Amber snarled, "only James may touch my body!"

Smirking, the first man gestured to his friends. "My name is James. Does that mean I can touch you."

Amber glared at the man. His dark features made him stand out in the district, but he was also well dressed, if not disheveled. He likely had already had a fun night and was too drunk to get the hint.

"Let's go to the alleyway," Amber suggested with a smile. "We can talk price."

Beaming, the three men started walking with her. Her soul still raged with anger as she purposefully walked in front, swaying her hips. Her tail danced behind her, entrancing the men.

Stupid humans. I'll make them regret touching me.

Once they were under the shadows of the alley, Amber turned to the men and slipped off her cloak. "So, are you merchants?"

James nodded. "We are." Patting his purse, he pulled out a gold coin. "This should be more than enough for a pretty lady like you."

With a slip of a smile, Amber took the coin. "Tell me, handsome, why do you have to buy your women?"

Smirking, James elbowed his mates. "She thinks that I would willingly tell my wife that I'm here." Frowning, he covered his mouth.

"So, you're married?" Amber questioned. Slipping the gold coin between her breasts, she asked, "does your wife not put out anymore? I bet she is in it for the money."

"Of course she is," the second man stated. "She only sleeps with Jeremy."

Everyone turned to the third man who looked pale.

"Is this true, Jeremy?" she asked.

"It is," the man admitted. "James doesn't even know that his three kids are mine…"

Whistling, Amber crossed her arms. "Oh my…how scandalous."

James pulled a dagger from his belt and slashed at Jeremy. "You bastard!"

Amber stepped forward and disarmed him before the attack could land. "Easy now, Chief. You three wanted to fill me nice and full, didn't you?"

"Yes," the second man stated. "I prefer anal as I think about Jeremy…"

Raising her brows, Amber whistled again. "So indecent," she teased.

Clapping a hand over his mouth, the second man glared at her. "Why did I tell you that?"

Jeremy stepped back. "She's a witch!"

Giggling, Amber licked her lips as seductively as she could. "Please, gentlemen. You already paid for a fun time, and I'm having plenty of fun. Aren't you having fun?"

"No!" James snarled. "You are twisting our minds."

"Tell me, James. What is your greatest secret?" Amber asked.

The man's eyes glazed over for a moment before he said, "I sold Jeremy's sister to the city lord. He has a thing for young girls. I helped Jeremy look, but claimed that we would never find anything.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Jeremy ripped his dagger from his belt and stabbed James. The second man sank his dagger into the James's stomach a second later.

"Boys," Amber said softly. "If you are going to make him suffer, at least stab him a few more times."

Nodding, Jeremy started stabbing the man over and over.

The second man dropped his dagger. "What have you made us do?"

"I only asked for the truth," Amber said while holding a finger to her lips.

Roaring, Jeremy turned on her. Slashing out with his dagger, he hoped to kill her quickly.

Summoning her claws, she severed his hand from his body, spurting blood over her shirt. "Dammit, Jeremy! Now I'm going to have to explain to James why I have blood on me."

Screaming in pain, Jeremy fell to his knees, holding the stump of his wrist. Sighing, Amber slashed through his throat a second later, finishing him off. Turning to the remaining man, she asked, "will you tell anyone about this little meeting?"

"Yes," he answered truthfully.

"That's too bad." Tutting, Amber stepped forward and slashed his throat. Once the body hit the ground, she took each of their purses and added them to her ring.

At least I have some spending money now. But now, I need to get to work. Who runs this district?

Changing her shirt, she used a damp towel from the night before to wipe her face. Once she had her cloak back on, she plotted her next move. She needed to enter the brothels and learn what she could.

***

Luna found a market near the river that had both humans and demi-humans. Claiming a stall was simple with a well placed smile and a few flirtatious touches. It didn't matter that her eyes were puffy and red. All that did was make the nearby women try and comfort her.

Having made her choice about James, she threw herself into setting up her wares and making money. All of the storage rings that he had made for her were set out, alongside the armor that Linda made. The black dragonhide vests with vulture feathers were more durable than anything else in the city.

They may not have been crafted by a master, but Linda took her leatherworking very seriously, creating only two pieces over several days of work. The stitching was immaculate, and they looked the part for the perfect warrior.

It only took a few minutes to sell everything and she tried to question who she could, but everyone simply brought her gifts and food. She added everything to her storage ring and flashed smiles at the men and women around her. It didn't take long before a group of cultivators found her.

The five men traveled together and parted her crowd with ease. But once they laid eyes on her, they looked as though they had fallen in love. Luna felt her heart tear further at how easy it was to mollify and transform hatred into love.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and noticed several of the men and women hold theirs. When she let it out slowly, so did they. Putting a smile back on, she prepared to learn what she could from the cultivators that adored her.

***

James walked with Jamie as they ventured into the human side of the city. It wasn't hard to find the crafting guilds. Their ostentatious buildings were their own section with workshops all around.

"Mandy said that the humans didn't have plumbing devices like ours," James stated. "Do think that is true?"

Jamie nodded. "She wouldn't lie after what we added to her inn. I thought she was going to kiss you when she tried it out."

Laughing, he nudged her. "Yeah, but she kissed you instead."

Humming, Jamie's smile grew. "I promised to spend some time with her after I get back. She's saving me some wine."

"Oh? Is my little sister getting laid?" he teased.

"Oh yes! I'm going to show her a thing or two."

Rolling his eyes, he stopped outside the enchanters guild. "Ready?"

"She won't be."

Clearing his throat, he said, "not Mandy. Are you ready to sell this?"

Giggling, Jamie nodded. "Yes, dear brother. We need money for all of the gifts I'm going to buy Mandy."

"Don't seem so desperate," he chided. "Let her get you gifts as well."

Sighing, she took the lead. "You're right. Follow me, dear brother."

Entering the building, they found the first floor to be largely open with a few different reception desks. Men and women wandered through the room, holding up items that were on display tables. Some were writing down notes, while others tested the products.

"I guess we are in the right place," James murmured.

Linking arms, Jamie led him over to a receptionist. "We need to display a product."

The older man regarded them for a moment. "You two don't seem like you know much."

Scoffing, Jamie slapped down a cultivation ring. "Have a cultivator test this."

The man picked it up and rubbed his chin while looking over the silver ring with gold veins. "I have never seen something like this before." Waving to a boy, he said, "find cultivator Tian."

The boy took off into the building, only to return a minute later with a blue robed man. With skin as black as midnight, the cultivator picked up the ring and admired it.

James watched as Tian slipped on the ring and his eyes widened. Hand shaking, Tian regarded him and Jamie with interest. "Which one of you made this?"

James held up his hand. "I did, but she knows how to as well. But that isn't what we wanted to present today."

"What could be better than this?" Tian asked. Holding up his hand, he waved for James and Jamie to follow. "We'll take this to my office."

James didn't fail to notice that Tian didn't take off the ring.

Heading to the second floor, Tian guided them into a modest sized office with a few couches and a desk. "Sit, sit! Welcome to the enchanter's guild!"

Smiling to himself, James took the couch opposite Tian. Jamie sat by his side, her smile just as large.

"If it's not the ring that you have brought, what more do you have to show?" Tian asked, jumping straight to the point.

James pulled out the hot water device. The two pipes had been cut to a smaller size, while the spicket mixed the water. Both sides could be turned on with a simple touch and adjusted based on rubbing a circle on the hot water rune. Once a complete circle was made, it would be at its hottest and could be shut off by pressing it again.

"What is this?" Tian asked.

"Hot water dispenser for baths or sinks," James explained. "We have cold water on one side and hot on the other. They can be mixed and adjusted for a comfortable temperature."

Eyes wide again, Tian picked it up. "I need to test this."

James summoned his personal tub with the device already installed. "Please, try it." Plugging the drain, he explained how it all worked.

Tian happily started it up, only to frown as gold water poured out of the spicket. "Why is it gold?"

"Ah…" James nearly sighed. "That would be me, I'm afraid. For some reason, when I enchant my products take on a gold hue. Jamie's are silver." Pausing, James pointed to the water. "It's safe to drink and I suggest trying some."

Nodding, Tian dipped a cup into the tub and sampled the water. With a groan, he savored the Soul Water more than a dying man in a desert. "What is this? This isn't normal water."

"Another side effect of my enchanting," James explained. "Sadly, it doesn't transfer to others creating the product. But we would love to sell the design to your guild and maybe even make a few of these special devices for you as well."

Nodding eagerly, Tian shut off the water. "Let's talk details. First and foremost, I know of at least four houses that would need to be outfitted entirely with these gold devices." Running his fingers over the gold veins of the pipes, he added, "I would need at least fifty. We would pay for the pipes and one thousand gold."

Glancing at Jamie, they both smiled. "That sounds exactly like what we were hoping for. We can help install them as well," James stated. "As for the design?"

Tian turned and inspected the device many times. "Are these standard connection runes?"

"Yes," Jamie answered. "We made them as two way paths. On the hot water side, we have the power rune connected to the water rune, and the water rune connected to the heating rune. Once powered, it's easy to adjust. The cold water side is just as simple."

Nodding along, Tian set down the device. "We can't buy the design until one of our grandmasters test it. They may have questions for you."

"We are staying at the Leaping Rabbit," James explained. "You can send a runner and we'll come when we can."

"The demi-human district?" Tian asked.

"Yes. A few of my party members are demi-humans. Jamie and I move to their comforts."

Standing, Tian held out his hand. "I understand. I know I got Jamie's name, but not yours, sir."

Standing, James grabbed the offered hand and introduced himself. "We also make those cultivation rings, but we aren't selling the design. But if you want more…"

Smirking, Tian let him go and rubbed his chin. "I believe we can work something out. Give me a day to test this device and contact you. We'll go over the materials you need and write up a contract."

Resting his hand on Jamie's shoulder, he asked, "do you have any questions for Tian?"

"No, dear brother."

Tian perked up. "Siblings? Does that mean you are single, James?"

The look in Tian's eyes told James exactly what the man was hoping the answer would be. Even his soul held hints of lust as James shook his head. "I do have someone already."

Shaking his head, Tian sighed. "It was a long shot. A man as good looking as you would have to be taken."

Giggling, Jamie tugged on James's hand. "Let's go dear brother. We have plans to make over drinks."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Tian." Returning his tub to his storage, James led the way out of the office. Once they were back outside, he hugged Jamie. "We are going to be rich! We'll have no problems in this city!"

Laughing, she hugged him back. "You're buying the first round!"

***

Tian rubbed his ebony cheek while looking out the window at the retreating siblings. James and Jamie, both enchanters with unusual abilities.

Without turning, he asked, "what do we know about them?"

Zenaria shook her head. "Nothing, Master. I will follow them."

"That man will detect you."

The woman clad in black stepped closer to the wall and bled her body into the shadows. "He cannot detect what is not of this realm."

Tian glanced back at the shadow. Grunting, he didn't feel the woman slip away but knew she would be upon her target before long. The siblings were a mystery that needed to be solved. The ring alone…

Looking down at his finger, he twirled the gold and silver band. The ring alone was worth more than what all but the elders could afford. Touching the ring again, Tian realized that the siblings didn't seem to care that he kept it. What sort of enchanters were they that they could make a ring that purifies all Qi to a needed type?

They are dangerous. I know that much. How dangerous is the real question.

Watching the siblings take a turn a few blocks down, Tian let out a breath he didn't realized he was holding. The rest was in Zenaria's hands now.

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