As we sat onto the offered seats, the rays of the evening sun cast a golden glow through the restaurant's windows, bathing Agamemnon in a warm, ethereal light. The city's spires gleamed like molten gold against the orange sky.

Ciaori sat across from us, her large fox ears twitching slightly as she perused the menu. The fading sunlight caught in her orange fur, making it shimmer like fire. I couldn't help but be amazed at how alien yet familiar she appeared. It was as if someone purposefully fused a fox with a girl, similarly to how I combined Kliss with a dragon.

There was something about the silver-violet threads that danced around her figure, something that made my mind slowly slide towards appreciating her more and more. I extrapolated that their influence was similar to Charisma magic, except far more unique. I had to occasionally snip away at the mental influence so as not to succumb too much to it and start drooling over her.

Thankfully it wasn’t affecting Kliss in the slightest, but my pretend-fiancee’s thoughts kept drifting towards sleigh theft, her half-dragon soul focused on claiming the extraordinary artifact with inhuman determination.

[Thank her for helping us get into the city,] I directed the hoard-obsessed dragon-girl.

“Thank you for helping me at the gate, by the way,” Kliss voiced. “My Champion almost gave us away.”

“It happens,” the Vulfix shrugged. “He looks rather young and frail. You must have recently bought him from a Drallus shop at a discount.”

Kliss nodded. "What would the humans have done if they caught me?" She asked.

“At worst the City Watch would have put you in the slammer for a few days, harassing you with dumb questions. Had you been arrested one of us would have helped you sort it out eventually,” Ciaori shrugged.

“How long have you been working here, Ciao?” Kliss asked.

“Thirteen years,” the Vulfix said.

A half naked, muscular man dressed like a merman took our orders with a deep bow. According to the Infoscopes, he was level 70 and had the same red spiral shimmering about him. Another Arcanicx? I wondered how much of the city was infested with these inhuman beings.

I watched as the merman waiter gracefully glided away with our orders, his movements unnaturally fluid. As my mind accelerated, I sent an Infoscope through him. He was absolutely packed with positively-charged magic to the brim.

[What?] Kliss asked.

[That man is packed with positive magic,] I swallowed.

[What, like me?] Kliss asked.

[No,] I replied. [Nowhere as much as you, but still… he’s not exactly human. It’s like he’s constantly being projected into existence by his blood. I’ll need more time to understand whatever the hell he is. Have you ever encountered anything like this as an Imperial Overseer?]

[No,] Kliss replied, concern pouring from her. [I have not. I mean… I knew that magic-warped tribes lived close to some Magogenic Zones, but I didn’t think that they were so… well organized, high level or planning invasions!]

Turning back to our table, I found Ciaori eyeing us with interest. "So, do tell me more about your mission here, Elly," she purred, her gaze fixed on Kliss. "Might it have something to do with the upcoming visit by the Inquisitor of Equality?"

[Slava, what do I say?]

[Be affirmative and vague,] I advised.

“Yes,” Kliss nodded. "The Inquisitor's visit is... of interest to us."

Ciaori leaned forward, her eyes glinting with curiosity. "Oh? Are you here to observe? Or perhaps... interfere?"

Worry pounded into my mind across the kobold-dragon connection.

[Don’t confess to anything,] I advised. [Ask questions instead.]

“Uhm. What sort of interference would get in the way of any of your plans?” Kliss asked.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Hrm, hrm,” Ciaori tapped her chin with a gloved finger. “According to the reports, there have been quite a few Imperial ships vanishing without a trace. Why, most recently a skyship vanished in Skyisle along with what was her name, hmmm… Baroness Kliss? That’s it. I hear that’s what Inquisitor Jubz is coming to investigate.”

Kliss sputtered mentally.

“So if Jubz… and two of his legions were to vanish in the mountains…” Kliss probed.

“Perfectly alright with me,” the Vulpix shrugged. “Just don’t cause too much havoc in Agamemnon. Imperial Scrutimancers are a pain in my tail to redirect.”

[Pfff. Look at that, she's practically giving us permission to murder Jubz,] Kliss sent.

[Yea,] I nodded mentally. [Seems like the Arcanicx plans don't align with those of the Empire of Equality.]

[I don’t know whether this is good or bad,] Kliss frowned mentally. [I mean on one hand I hate the Empire and on the other… who knows what these Vow-less creatures are planning to do with the locals once they take over Agamemnon.]

As we pondered this new information, our food arrived. The merman waiter brought a bottle of two hundred year old wine and placed before us an array of exotic seafood dishes that looked almost too beautiful to eat. I cautiously scanned everything with my Infoscopes for poisons or mind-influencing substances and then we began our dinner.

[Try to probe how the invasion is going and what’s going to happen to the people of Agamemnon once the city is under full control of the Arcanicx,] I suggested.

Kliss took a bite of her food and then took a deep breath. "So, Ciao, how is the... 'integration' of Agamemnon progressing? What's your timeline for full... takeover?"

Ciaori's eyes gleamed with appreciation. "Ah, straight to the point! I like that about you, Elly. Well, we're making steady progress. Most of the key positions in the city are already under control of the Ring of Stormfall," she smiled, taking a sip of her wine.

[Ask about the fate of the humans,] I prompted.

"And the local humans?" Kliss asked. "What will be done with them once the city’s ours?"

Ciaori waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, they'll be fine. Most won't even notice the difference. We're not barbarians, after all. They'll just have new, more capable leaders. The competing women will be formed into cells, armed to the teeth and sent on suicide missions to sabotage the Gregarius Empire from within. The worthy men will be bound as Champions. The Ishikarians desire to throw off the Imperial yolk, see? We’re just helping them get there faster.”

She laughed jovially.

“The Imperial Inquisition hasn’t noticed anything?” Kliss asked.

Ciaori's expression darkened slightly. "The Inquisitors are a nuisance, but a manageable one. Their Vows make them incredibly predictable and their Administration is a colossus on thin legs. We've been working around them for years. Eventually, they'll be obsolete. Our Agents make Vows to serve the Empire and in two weeks time the parasitic Astral fungi simply dissolve away. It’s hilarious that the humans think that Vows are the perfect way to secure someone’s obedience. Say, how long does it take for a Vow to die on a Dracanix?”

“I don’t know,” Kliss shrugged. “I haven’t tried to host a Vow on me yet.”

“You should try it,” Ciao grinned. “It’s fun to watch them wither away to nothing. Great for making many lofty promises to the locals and then stabbing them in the back when the time is right.”

“How much of Ishikaria answers to the Ring now?” Kliss asked.

“About sixty percent, give or take,” the Vulfix shrugged. “I just got back from Laraima. Things there are going just as good as in Agamemnon. The Artificery of the locals simply cannot compete with Corvix-designed tools.”

“Right,” Kliss nodded. “Their armaci are rather pitiful compared to your beautiful sleigh.”

“Exactly,” Ciaori grinned, sipping her wine. “Humans lack optimization. Their individuality and lack of specialization is a glaring weakness. The Gregarius Empire actually enforces equality of skills in their youths! Can you believe that? What a laughable concept!”

“Ha ha, yeah,” Kliss pretended to be amused.

Ciaori chewed on her steak thoughtfully.

“What happens when we bring down the Gregarius Empire?” Kliss asked.

“We’ll expand our dominion and take on the Basq,” Ciao shrugged. “Give or take a century and all of Novazem will be ours.”

“Sounds lovely,” Kliss commented.

“Human idiots don’t even know about Star shards,” Ciaori waved her fork. “Can you believe that? They have no idea what the Wormwood Star can do!”

Kliss choked mentally.

[Sasha did say that the Wormwood comet seeds worlds,] I commented. [Seems like Novazem has been seeded by it already and what grew from it are these… Arcanicx.]

Ciao chuckled, orange tail swishing. "You know what's even more amusing? Those silly humans with their dragonheart-powered skyships can't even enter the faults. The magic disruption fries their control mechanisms instantly!"

“Pathetic!” Kliss laughed along.

"Exactly!" Ciaori nodded. "Star-shard operated gliders slice through fault barriers like a hot knife through butter though. The Empire can't even track our movements across the world's spine mountains! Their armaci don’t even work properly in the Ring cities!”

[You’re drooling again,] I commented.

Kliss quickly wiped her chin and chewed more of her steak.

[She keeps marketing her sleigh,] she complained. [I can’t help it!]

I sighed internally. [Focus. We need information, not a new ride.]

[But Slava, it slices through fault barriers! Like butter!] She whined mentally. [Maybe it can go into the heart of the Valley of Death!]

[Yes, I heard. Now please try to get more intel without giving us away or attempting grand theft sleigh.]

“Could your Sleigh go into fault 18 then?” Kliss asked.

“Fault 18, hrmm,” Ciaori contemplated. “Right. That’s the fault directly North of here. Maybe, but I wouldn’t risk it. Fault 18, known as Valley of Death wasn’t made by cometfall. From what I know it was the result of the war between two human factions which took place over a thousand years ago. As such it is a place that radiates Death, not Life. The Cantigeist probably don't even exist in such a place."