Jack POV

The flight was relatively uneventful, with only brief breaks over the course of a few hours to make sure that the entire flock of scouts was still together. Though before long, the destination came into view along the horizon. Jack had been here before, and it was one of the many people places that were on the far fringes of Vitmori's territory.

Since Vitmori originally sent him off to find food and seeds, he made it a personal task of his to at least visit a few of these places in all directions. While he hadn't found any people places to the far south, he did find a very large lake that stretched out far in all directions in front of him. To the north, he found a few people places that had something like Vitmori's garden room, but much bigger and outside, unlike Vitmori's. Each people place had walls of stone surrounding most of the buildings, though some of the buildings were outside the stone walls and were accompanied by open-air garden rooms. Each of the northern people places had the same kind of symbols on the stone walls and seemed to encompass the longest stretch of Vitmori's fringe territory. Between the people places were small stone towers with armored people patrolling the land, much like Legosi and his wolves, so whoever runs these people places had a much larger territory than Vitmori currently had. Still, they didn't seem to approach Vitmori's land, so he had nothing to report. The far east and west fringe territories had similar styles of stone-walled people places, though the symbols on the walls were distinctly different, so Jack could guess that other masters ran them than the northern people places.

Regardless, this people place looked much like the others from a distance, Jack following along after the messenger hawk as they soon flew over the stone walls without a fuss. Jack mentally orders his birds to disperse and take positions around the people place while he personally follows after the messenger, stopping short as he finds a perch on a tree between a few of the buildings. The messenger swoops down to an open seating area; from what Jack could gather, the bird touches down at a table with a black-furred catkin woman in black leather armor and a nicely dressed young human woman with vibrant pink hair.

The human woman seemed to smile brightly at the bird as she clapped her hands together. "Aha! Mishi is back." She gushed as she reached out and tickled the bird under its beak, Mishi cawing out cheerfully enough with the flutter of their wings.

The young woman continued to dote on the bird for a few moments before the catkin woman cleared her throat. "Ma'am... There's a letter in the harness."

The young woman perked up again as she peered around to the back of her dear bird and scratched its beak again. "Ah, good work Mishi; you found them already? Good bird, such a good bird." She mused affectionately, getting distracted momentarily before the catkin woman cleared her throat again. "Ah, right, right." She murmured, half apologetically, as she reached around behind the bird, Mishi standing perfectly still as the young woman pulled the scroll out of the harness. Unfurling it, she begins looking it over. "Oh my, looks like Father's business partners had some trouble... Poor things." She said, seemingly sincere as she passed the scroll over to the catkin woman.

The catkin woman's green eyes scan the scroll thoughtfully as she nodded intently. "I see..." Is all she really says before handing the scroll back to her ward. "What are your orders, ma'am?"

The young woman smiles brightly as she affectionately massaged Mishi's head with a finger. "We ought to help them, of course; we can't just leave the poor things out in that ghastly forest. Perhaps we can also bring them back." She pondered aloud as she now flashed a toothy grin. "Wouldn't Father be proud if we brought them all along for a visit?"

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The catkin woman flicked a tail thoughtfully before giving the young woman a nod. "I believe we can manage that, ma'am. We can head out after breakfast."

The young woman let out a sweet little laugh, catching the attention of some young men nearby who watch her curiously for a moment, that is, until a sharp glare from the catkin woman makes them turn away. "This is going to be just brilliant, Dhalia; I can't wait to go home after all this time in this sad little backwood. Oh, I wonder if they'll have any pretty toys with them. I just can't wait for tomorrow now." She gushed enthusiastically before sipping at her tea and continuing to dote upon Mishi.

Having seen enough, Jack takes to the wing, leaving one of his crew birds behind to maintain a watch as the flock begins to leave a chain of scouts as per Vitmori's instruction.

Ferodias POV

"So... Y-you're really from another world? I mean, you've always seemed odd, and I truly mean that in the most loving way. But another world?" He added quickly, his tail curling thoughtfully.

Historietta appeared rather bashful, she had thought about this conversation for years now, but she honestly never thought she would be having it, nor that it would be this way. "Yes... I came from a world called Earth, just like Vitmori." She explained as she scratched the back of her neck, not too sure what else to say. "I uh... I need to know what happened on my homeworld. I... We as a people were aware of things called zombies, but at least in my time, they were just stories, imaginary monsters that were great material for survival fantasies." She bit her lip, her nerves getting to her as she began messing with a strand of hair around the base of her neck. "Anyways... I want to... No, I need to visit him and hear his story directly... Please? Darling, I swear I'll be careful."

Ferodias' ears twitch and flick thoughtfully, glancing over at Historietta and looking away; he deeply considers the revelation before him. In the end, there was one thing he needed to say to her as he looked to Historietta once more and stood from his seat at his desk. He walks around his desk, coming up beside Historietta, who averts her gaze anxiously. He reached out, his soft, fluffy hand tenderly taking up her chin as he coaxed her to look up at him as he gazed intently into her eyes. "Tori... I just want you to know... I don't care where you came from or whoever you used to be... You're my Empress and the love of my life." He said as he leaned in and lovingly touched his forehead to hers, gently nuzzling as a murr rumbled from his throat. "If you want, we can talk about this more once you get back."

Historietta couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush, even if they had been more than intimate for many years. "Oh, Fero... You're too good for me..." She whispered hotly back to Ferodias as she gazed into his eyes in return. "I promise I'll tell you about everything when I get back." She murmured back as she affectionately kissed Ferodias' furry chin. Pulling back, she smiled some more as she fiddled with a strand of her hair. "I suppose I ought to start packing... I've got a long walk ahead of me." She said, offering a sheepish smile.

Ferodias' tail flicked as he flashed a toothy smile and stood tall again before taking a couple of steps back and sitting on his desk. "A walk? Do you think I'm going to let my darling Empress walk? Of course not; this is now an imperial visit we're dealing with. No, no, I'll be making some arrangements... You'll be taking an escort of Drakewardens instead of the carriage that Reyvyre and Reonim were originally going to take. I'll of course inform the two of them about the change in plans. I want you safe after all, and I'll spare no expense in that endeavor." He then smiled thoughtfully as he scratched his furred chin thoughtfully. "And that gives me an idea for yet another gift for Vitmori." He considered as his ears waggled with delight. "The very idea that we can form an alliance with a person with the influence and power of a dungeon core... The idea is as ridiculous as the idea that there could be other worlds, but here we are with both truths as real as you or me." He chuckled softly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I do think that this alliance is already a done deal darling, but do please keep an ear out to see if there's anything else we can do... As Reyvyre said, he wants to trust and needs to be trusted." His tail curled as he tilted his head a bit. "I'm sure as kin of the same world, he'll be more willing to connect with you. If Reyvyre is anything to go by, I'm certain he'll be as eager to meet you as you are to meet him." He considered as he flashed a confident smile.

Historietta smiled as she nodded, standing as she stepped closer to Ferodias before draping her arms around him. "You're the best Fero, my love, I'll be missing you every day." She mused affectionately before pulling away and heading towards the door, casting one more look at Ferodias and stepping out.

Ferodias sighed wistfully, already missing her as he scratched his throat absently. He then stood as he walked around and settled back in his seat, leaning back and closing his eyes after staring at the ceiling for a moment. "Another world, huh... What a woman..." He mused with a warm smile as his tail curled and flicked.