XXXVII

*The Northern Nymph Clan is a fairly large clan with a peaceful existence until provoked. Years back I ran into their princess on a mission after saving her butt, she and I became friends. I thought it would stay that way forever, but I didn't know the nature of Nymphs or I never would have gotten involved with her. All they do is use who that can and forget they were allies in the same breath. At our last meeting she was acting weird and I was unsure why since we had just taken a map to a treasure her boyfriend wanted to steal. She kept looking to the door trying not to make it look obvious, but it kept setting me on alert.*

*"Yelle what's wrong? Do you think we were followed? Should we head out?" I asked putting my things in my bag slinging it over my shoulders. She looked alarmed now saying, "No, no I'm just being paranoid. This map has been highly sought after and I wonder if someone else know its location. I just don't want someone getting the jump on us." She tried to seem reassuring, but i could still feel warning bells ringing in the back of my head. "Let's head out anyways. Yoko said he needed this by morning anyways."*

*Suddenly the door came flying off and a squad of Nymphs came piling into the room. I was shocked to say the least running for the back door, but more elite Nymphs were coming in through it. "WHAT THE F~CK YELLENTINE? I thought we were friends!" I shouted as two of the warriors pinned me down. "I could have killed you, but I didn't. My people need this more then some stupid old fox demon with commitment issues. Don't worry I'll make sure to drop you where no one will kill you." she said as someone struck the back of my head.*

*I woke up in a bar in the middle of the mercenary district of the capital city. My head was killing me and thankfully the bar was closed. The bar owner, however was looking at me like I was a piece of meat. "Look fella, I don't want to kill you, so if I could get a cold drink and a meat sandwich I'll pay you for it and be on my way. By the way who dropped me off?" I asked walking to the bar sitting down as he moved around the bar making me a juice and sandwich. He grumbled as he worked handing me my food then saying gruffly, "Some pretty demon dropped you off. Didn't say much, just said I couldn't kill you."*

*She ws surprised Yelle even made that request. "Thanks. Here's for the food, and here's for not killing or raping me." I said, handing him 2 gold bars from my portal pouch. He was shocked when I set them down and walked out the door. I couldn't believe Yelle sold me out like that we had gotten along so well and we had each other backs on all the mission we did together. I just couldn't figure it out.*

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Kai was sitting on her balcony while everyone else was moving about the house making some food. She tried not to be distracted by what they may have to do, but with Naikono having a slave mark on him she knew she'd have to go get him. The question was would he leave once she freed him? Looking at the sun's set the rays cascading through the leaves giving a kaliedo scope fo colors something she never thought to see again. What made her brother do that to her son? Tai was never that harsh of a person or cruel, but it has been a long time since she had been here.

She zoned out so much that she didn't feel Jasper sit next to her on the couch she was sitting on. "Hey, you okay? Ever since you mentioned the Northern Nymphs you've been distant. Care to enlight me on the problem?" he asked taking my hand. I sighed finding the words to explain it. "I was once friends with the princess a long time ago. She wanted freedom from her family and i was wondering around trying to find my place in the world. It was probably 20 years after i was pushed off my home island. She found me beaten to near death not far from her home. I was trying to find food when i took down a large beast. Apparently a pack of demon wolves was stocking it too because they pounced the minute it went down. I tried to beat them off but had my ass handed to me instead. I could barely breath when she found me, bandaged me up and moved my to a small hut to let me heal. She didn't know me, but she helped me anyways."

Jasper looked shocked hearing this as most demons don't help each other as a rule. "I met her brother once, but was told never to go into the city. Apparently my Clan weren't the only ones trying to stay pure. She took care of me until I could walk, then told me i had a week to move on. Nymphs didn't trust other demons because they were usually kidnapped for their beauty and used in the sex trade here. I didn't blame her, but I still felt like we were tied to each other. Anyways, things ended on bad terms with us so going there could incite trouble for us." Kai said staring out into he sunset. She thought, by accepting the punishment of the Fates, that things like this wouldn't happen to her children.

Jasper could see the strain this was putting on her and he didn't have much he could do to help. "Do you want to free your son? It sounds like he walk into that slave mark willingly. Maybe we should focus on why he did it verses the fact that it happened. Could your brother be holding on to something of his?" Jasper said bringing up a good point. Naikono would let anyone mark him like that without a reason and it would have to be a damn good one. "The only thing i can think of is maybe a mate or a child. they are the only things he'd ever put his life on the line for. Or maybe he was betrayed by a mate? I'm not sure," Kai said rubbing her forehead, trying to think of reasons or possibilities.

"You might be right mom. He might have a mate. He was seeing someone right before he stopped keeping in contact with me." Kino said dropping a bomb on her.