Lady Alexandria flicked the last of the dirt from her claw and turned to move on, the legion she was marching with pulling itself together and beginning its parade once more, hooves and boots striking up a marching beat.
Fey watched the dragoness as she strode down the street, her long violet and cream tail swaying behind her, knocking over a few unfortunate passersby, and a horse. The dragoness didn't seem to notice.
"That one's trouble, a real warhawk. It's a pity really, Bine never got into military trouble before Queen Excalivania assigned that firebrand to the city. Now it's wars this and battles that. She's never happy unless the legion is off marching and invading somewhere, or putting down some upstarts or monster problem or whatever."
"Is it that bad?"
"Well, no, I'm exaggerating a touch, she isn't that bad, and she has made the economy much more open, the previous dragoness hoarded everything she could get her grubby claws on, as dragons have a habit of doing. Not good for the economy as you can imagine, it's taken a monumental effort from the merchant factions to start easing things and opening things up let me tell you. That's part of my job here, to ensure things actually stay open."
"It is?"
"Of course, I can't be a wealthy and successful merchant if things are all closed up and the dragons are seizing everything not nailed down. Merchants suffer the most living under the claws of the dragons, we can't trade if we keep getting robbed!"
"That's true- I sort of suppose?"
"Mhmm! Merchants are a repressed people! And I'm sure I could bore you to tears with our grievances but for now I believe we are going to have to part ways, that is unless you want to help my caravan unpack our stock in the warehouse districts?"
"Aheh, thank you but I think I'll pass, it has been a long trip."
"Fair enough. Anyway here take this."
She handed Fey a small white card and Fey took it. She peered at it. It had the address of a place in Bine scribbled upon it.
"It's a place to stay for free Fey, your band is obviously hurting a bit financially, I'm not stupid, I recognise the signs, your band captain gave me some fairly exceptional prices for the skill level of your band's members. I hadn't felt that safe on a trip in a long time, it was a shame that nothing actually dangerous showed up, I would have liked to see your captain go toe to toe against a frost wyvern."
"Uh right, Ella is rather strong, elves and being long lived kinda gives some advantages."
"True." The lamia turned distractedly, a small Pobo drawn cart was passing them by which contained a still very large and cum filled Zal, although most of her rounded belly was covered with blankets just leaving her body visible at the top. The labrador dogkin seemed to be having some difficulty getting through the crowd and was shaking her fist in anger.
"I'll see you around Fey, maybe sooner than you think." The lamia winked at Fey and then quickly slithered off to help Zal leaving Fey with the otterkin girls.
"She was nice," said Kayla.
"I love her," said Lily, "she helped get me my Class, she's awesome."
"I'll admit I have to agree to that, she's awesome on the outside… and the inside."
Fey turned hearing a voice and found Flora floating beside Vivi, the both of them looking heavily pregnant, although Fey now knew that Flora's was an actual pregnancy whereas Vivi's was just a cum pregnancy. Flora looked increasingly healthy, as well as increasingly milky too. She had taken to putting crosses of tape over her nipples to try and stem the constant leaking, which had worked, except her breasts were slowly becoming larger as the milk built up inside.
Vivi, on the other hand, had appeared increasingly shifty and guilty looking as of late, in fact she seemed to be avoiding Ellaria altogether, she had yet to see the fox girl in proximity to the elf. Fey knew something was up, she just did, judging by the way the otterkin girls and Vivi kept giving each other really incompetently hidden knowing nods and looks suggested the twins were involved somehow.
"What's the card thing?" said Flora gesturing at the card Fey was holding. She blinked and glanced down at it having forgotten she was holding onto it. "Oh, this is an address, Rina gave it to me, she said we can stay there for free…"
"Huh, really? Guess we made a good impression."
"Bit more than an impression, you were inside of her for days Flo," said Vivi
"Hey it was cozy okay, and screw you, you were in me for a bit, your face anyways."
Ellaria suddenly appeared by Flora's side, completing the band, all members together once more. Vivi drew back seeing Ellaria and tried to make herself look innocent. She was not very good at it.
"Cut the arguing you too, and good going Fey, if we're not paying for expensive rooms at an inn that caters for adventurers or centaurs then that's more money we can put toward seeing this Arch-Soulomancer. Now let's get going, come on, no dawdling."
Fey handed over the card to Ellaria and the elf led the way through the crowd with the rest of the band in tow, Vivi bringing up the rear.