"General Traren Shurath..." Gala whispered quietly as she dragged a talon ever the guest book.
"Wait, are you certain?" Whistle asked with a confused expression hovering his face over the guestbook.
"Yeah, he was one of the last ones to check in, and the first one to check out. Elf, a little taller, navy blue suit, does that match the guy you saw?"
"It does..." Whistle bit the upper knuckle of his index finger as he paced back and forth. "... why do I recognize his name?"
"Isn't he the guy team Manhunter is looking for?"
"THAT'S IT!" Whistle shouted triumphantly like he figured it out himself. Then both got a wide eyed concerned look as they both looked at each other for a silent moment.
"We need to get Vanity." They said together.
XXXXX
"...and then she comes around the corner covered in tomato sauce, and convinced me she was injured! She tricked me into hugging her! Ah! I just can't stand those too!" The demon queen ranted as she paced back in forth infront of Xena's desk. A crystal ball sat in between Vanity and Xena.
"Preach, girl!" Xena said amusingly letting out a laugh. "You said you were a queen didn't you? Can't you just use your authority against her?"
"I wish. I have no noble claims in this world. I'm reduced to a commoner like the rest of them. I admit it's actually a nice change of pace as I can really let loose without sullying a perfect reputation. But that DAMN BIRD! Whether I come at her as an equal or as a superior, she always has some retort to tease me."
Xena couldn't help but chuckle at the young demonkin before her. Her age brought wisdom as she could instantly tell the reason for the red on Vanity's cheeks. "I think you're just afraid to admit you like her..." Xena said with a cocky smile.
Vanity turned to Xena with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "I do not!"
"Maybe just try sleeping with her like she wants. It will put thing in perspective sharing a bed with her." Xena suggested. Vanity only stood with red increasing on her face. "I will do no such thing! Gods, is the whole Wolfbane family a bunch of sex crazed perverts?"
"Oh, and here I thought you were more progressive... don't tell me your one of those bigots. Have you seriously never slept with a beastfolk?" Xena ignored the slight to her family name, as it wasn't far from the truth.
"I... have not." Vanity tried to regain a more dignified demeanor as she answered. In reality she hadn't slept with anyone for that matter. She was still a virgin.
"Oh you are missing out. Falling asleep and waking up cuddling warm fur, or being wrapped in silky smooth feathers; once you done it once you absolutely can't go back to skin. Sure, there are some downsides. The smell, the shedding. The scaly ones aren't easy to cuddle, but they are quite... ~robust~."
Vanity looked at Xena with a disgusted face. "You really are disgusting old woman. I could never think about such degeneracy!" She lied as easy as she breathed now imagining what it would be like to snuggle her face into Gala's plumage, or maybe feel Whistle's tail wrapped around her thigh.
Xena sighed hoping she just found another woman of culture, but was shot down. "Well what did you expect when you started going on about your whole life story and all of your relationship troubles with a member of the Wolfbane family?"
Vanity was just about to give a retort when the door to the office bursted open as both Gala and Whistle came running. Vanity pushed away the lascivious thoughts in her head and gathered her composure as both Gala and Whistle began shouting; shoving the guest book in her face.
"Calm down, both of you! One at a time please!"
"General Traren Shurath! He signed the guest book!" Gala started.
"Excuse me. Who?"
"It's the guy team Manhunter is looking for." Whistle continued.
Vanity joined in with her own fresh face of concern. "We need to get Zackaria right now!" Vanity turned to Xena only to see her tapping on the crystal ball.
"Yeah I don't think that's going to happen. Zackaria hasn't answered me on his end for the past half hour."
"Julia has one." Whistle stepped over to the desk. "Contact Julia Winshire."
"Anything for you, kitten." Xena chuckled as she pour a string of mana into the crystal ball. After a few moments Julia's face appeared inside. "Hey Xena. Is this important? I'm kind of in the middle of something."
"Oh nothing, just that Zackaria's gone somewhere again so we need you to open the teleportation circle on your end."
"Gods damn it..." Julia sighed. A muffled voice can be heard behind her. "No. It's nothing. I just need to do some work real quick... Alright tell them to go to the circle and I'll grab them in 5."
"You heard the lady." Xena said looking to the party. "My personal circle is in the room next to my bedroom."
XXXXX
In a flash the three appeared in Zackaria's ritual room to be greeted by Julia. Her fists on her hips, a blood-red nightgown on her body, and a perturbed look on her face. The first word Gala thought was "Hot."
Julia's face then contorted into confusion. "Where's Mordeki?"
"What do you mean?" Vanity replied. "He's with Ag and his team."
Julia turned on her heel yelling for everyone to follow her as she started running through the palace halls. "Damn that old man! I told him that he can't be on that team or he WILL cause a fatal misunderstanding! He was probably too busy staring at my ass to notice again!"
"So what are we going to do?" Whistle said trying to keep up.
"I have an idea, but I'm going to need to drink from you all again." Julia finished just as they reached her office. Upon opening she pointed to the corner and said "Ignore him." It was an orange skinned elf lying asleep in a cushioned chair. A trickle of blood along his collar dying the top of his tunic.
"Did we catch you at a bad time?" Gala snickered.
Julia turned her head back with a look of absolute scorn before turning back to her desk and pulling something from a drawer. She turned to the team holding a brass and glass syringe as well as a knife. "Alright, bite, slash, or needle?"
Gala chose bite.
Vanity chose slash.
Whistle fainted from the sight of the needle.
After consuming their blood Julia sat back in her chair. The conscious party watched as her body tensed up. Her eyes rolling into the back of her head. She began seizing in her chair. Gala averted her gaze but kept looking through her fingers.
"This is weird. I feel like I shouldn't be watching. Aren't you the least bit weirded out?" Gala said looking over to Vanity who had a stoic, unimpressed face.
"I've seen Blood Seers in action before. She's just reading into our futures. Though I guess three at the same kind must be pretty intense."
Julia lurched forward in her chair coming out of the visions. She had heavy breaths and sweat dripping down her forehead. She shakily rose her hand and pointed at Gala.
"Get to the teleportation circle..." Julia struggled to catch her breath. "...you're the only one who can keep Mordeki from killing Dian. I just hope we aren't too late."