War Moon

A new journey

Kira and her godmother leave the hotel in the afternoon with their things and again wearing the combat suits, they were already clean.

"Where will the meeting be?" Kira stretches her back and shoulders a little. The two have spent part of the day touring the bazaar, she even got to buy several small things.

"We have to take a different boat where we will meet the contact of the dragons" Anastasia walks through the corridors of the bazaar, despite being so late there are still people looking for another type of fun something more adult.

Kira sighs, she is somewhat fed up with the boats at that moment, she advances through the streets following her godmother. At least she is already calm from what happened before, although the image of the wolf is still persistent in her mind. She watches around trying to distract herself, everything looks very different at night.

The shops offer products of a more exotic nature, from long pipes attached to a high bottle of painted glass with several hoses attached to it from where intense smelling vapors come out; he could see some people sitting on cushions, around one of these things, inhaling the smoke through the pipes. In another there are more elongated and hard objects that he does not know how to identify.

"It's erotic stuff, Kira, we're in the red zone of the bazaar." Anastasia hurries her way out of there.

Kira frowns at the word, she knows what she means blushing a little at the sight of another stall, she rushes the step more the step until the two leave the area.

The night is intense and bright with a large full moon, Kira can feel the energy of the star pulsating in her body, it is delicious and refreshing. The new area where they are moving through is more colorful and variable, full of foods of another kind than she saw before, some too strange that look like huge insects that she does not feel any need to try.

"Let's continue, we are already approaching the port where the ship is waiting for us."

Kira nods and continues down the small hill where the hotel is, soon arriving at a larger port with more luxurious boats. Kira notes that the water is more profundity even the air feels saltier, it is possible that they are in a maritime port.

"Will we go out to sea?" Kira looks out over the transparent water where marine wildlife, which is limited to a variety of fish in an algae forest beneath the pier.

"We will only take one of the portals that will take us to the seas of southern Africa."

The two continue along the pier, ignoring other ships of different sizes and designs that betray what culture or country they come from. They stop when they arrive at an old cruise ship three stories high.

It is an elegant boat of cream colors, with Victorian details of gold and olive green. through its chimneys they expel a light row of steam, their engines are like sleeping giants waiting to start the march.

"What a boat, they seem to preserve their design well." admires Kira as they approach the access ramp where a man watches.

Annie gives two tickets to the manager before going upstairs.

The first two floors have several corridors with rooms for guests, about fifty cabins barely, since the rest contain places of recreation and food. One of them is a large hall that occupies half of the third floor, a room that covers half of the platform.

Kira keeps walking. admiring the art that represents that ship, there don't seem to be many people as it walks. Women wearing long elegant, glamorous dresses and men in suits seem ready for a society party.

"You will have a room so you can fit for something more comfortable."

"Why do I have the impression that I'm going to get into a gala party?"

"Because that will be, we will meet the emissary, I'm sure you packed some clothes of that style, right?"

"I'm a Lycan princess, wherever I go I represent my nation and my race, right?" Kira responds as she begins to climb to the second floor.

Annie takes out the suitcases she kept, activating again the mechanism that allows them to return to their normal size. Kira grabs hers enters her room, it is not very large, she only has a single bed with the doors of a closet and another that overlooks a bathroom. She immediately gets down to work, putting her suitcase on the bed to open it.

She manages to pull out the clothes almost completely when she reaches the three dresses her mother helped her choose.

One is a brownish-red dress with gold details around her waist, sleeveless and includes a Russian shawl with black and gold details, including boots.

The second is almost the same except that it lacks sleeves and has roses attached to the waistband, it attaches well to its figure.

The third has been a combined design of a designer from the Japanese islands, the suit is crossed to the front by two pieces, as in a kimono, being the lower part somewhat open to a little above the knees, the waist is held by a thick ribbon, in two shades of colors: blue and white.

This is one of his favorites and he had used on his birthday several months ago and is somewhat more daring for being a somewhat unusual design, he decides to opt for the second, which does not have a shawl and can wear his two new braids of the seven she already has.

Kira is already ready when her godmother enters the room, she begins to undo some of her braids to add the two new ones.

"Let me help you, two new ones to add, right?" Annie says while brushing Kira's hair, now it reaches under her shoulders.

"Sure, I beat a troll and a dwarf, I've earned them, although it doesn't catch Maldey."

"That doesn't quite count, honey, your mission was never to capture it but to investigate it. You fulfilled your mission as it is."

"Thank you," Kira smiles and see her godmother in the mirror.

The two leave within twenty minutes, each with a different braided hairstyle. Kira looks at her godmother's hairstyle, only counts about 32 braids but knows that there are more, because there are tiny among the web of braids. Both climb the stairs to the third floor, the boat rocking under the waves as it moves forward using its huge stone wheels to advance being driven by its steam engine. Being a slow advance, they can hardly feel the ship moving.

The two go up the stairs, reaching the third floor, facing beautiful glass doors, the stained-glass windows have the intense colors of the sunset under the light of the lamps on the other side. Annie pushes the doors to move into a beautiful room.

It is elegant in a style of the last century, a place where people enjoy a good glass of wine or a high-quality liquor, wearing their best high society clothes under the music of a grand piano, which is in the middle of the room.

The people inside look at them curiously, while they stay at the door, as if they will try to guess who the newcomers are.

Kira maintains her seriousness that she requires in such events, while entering the room, enjoying the melody of the piano in the middle of the room. A waiter approaches her with a glass of soda.

"Thank you," She grabs it and drinks some, while the waiter also offers his godmother a glass of white wine.

"Thank you for the young drink," Annie smiles.

"Can I offer you some appetizer and a table, my ladies?" asks the young waiter.

"Don't worry, we are here to meet someone, Lord Aleksander Birken" To himself, he warned me of your arrival, majesties, please follow me." The waiter bows before walking in front of them.

The boy guides them to the back of the room where there are fewer people, sitting at more private tables hidden between cubicles of walls and curtains.

In the private of the end, sits an elegant man in a gray suit, his skin slightly yellowish by the dim lights that illuminate the table.

"Lady Anastasia, queen of the fiercest manticores of Greece, what an honor." The man grabs the woman's hand and kisses the back of her hand. "A pleasure to meet her personally." Aleksander looks at Kira with fierce and strong orange-yellow eyes.

Kira keeps her gaze with the same intensity, without even going back to the attempt at passive intimidation,

"You must be the princess of the Lycans of Russia, your majesty," the man bows slightly.

"Equally delighted, Lord Aleksander, thank you for meeting us." Kira only bows her head out of respect.

Aleksander lets them sit before taking their previous seat, arranging their suit firmly.

"If it doesn't bother you, ladies, but I'll get straight to the point and not go through all the possible keys to find out what tells the truth." Aleksander drinks a drink of his Scots on the rocks. The man has a long slender mustache falling down his cheeks. "I got your message to require access to one of the dragon realms, right?"

"It's right, we have some special circumstances that we require of their abilities, I'm sure the dragons have knowledge that the Lycan can control an element."

"Yes, I know that fact, during several meetings where we have made international deals and connections, we made demonstrations of our own strength," Aleksander replies as he stirs the ice in his glass a little. "It must be an unusual power to require an audience with the oldest clan."

"I create icy fire during my first attempt, it took a few minutes to create it but stop it and make it disappear, it was worse." Kira mentions crossing her legs somewhat more comfortable.

The expression of Aleksander becomes a genuine surprise, looking with interest at the Russian princess, he must admit that she looks like a good girl, of good blood and manners, also if the rumors are true that the Lycans of that country have more secrets than they appear, makes her a valuable jewel among gems of a lower quality.

"Well, Lycans are full of surprises, a contradictory element is rare even within our species, and outside of us even more."

The man beckons to a waiter after finishing his glass, asking for a little more and some appetizers for the three.

"Now I understand why they seek the advice of the ancients, a lack of control of that power can be quite dangerous."

"Can you help us, Lord Aleksander?" Kira takes one of the appetizers, a slice of bread smeared with goat cheese and a piece of salmon on top, taking care not to muddy the dress.

"I can allow them access to the dragon kingdom in Zambezia, one of the members of the kingdom council, Lord Ryanair descends from the Kirkerdan kingdom, the dragon empire and the oldest. He may ask permission for them to go, but they need his recommendation, I can serve as their representative to the council." Aleksander explains.

"I must assume that I will want something back." Kira drinks some soda while maintaining her neutral expression, she can't be very inquisitive if she wants to stay in a good mood with the dragon.

"For now, we will only keep it as a pending favor, but don't worry I'm respectful of royalty status, I won't ask for something that is destructive to our nations. After all we have good ties with the Russians, do we agree?"

He offers Kira and Annie a hand as well.

Kira narrows it, even if she didn't really have too many options, it's her best chance.

"We will cross the portal in a while, I suggest you enjoy the night, my ladies. The night is cool, and the Nile Rose parties are to remember with their lively music."

Kira frowns a little unbelieving; it seems more like a party to gain international contacts. She decides to get up and walk a little, listening to several people speaking in different languages, the piano music is no longer heard and even the piano is no longer there.

New musicians begin to enter carrying more varied instruments, from trumpets to saxophones. there are even more people also some of his age. The music begins to sound livelier and more moved; the tone of the Swing fills the room filling the place with life.

Kira watched in surprise as some society women take the lead without the slightest sorrow for proving what it really is.

"Allow me this piece, Miss?" a boy approaches her a clear French ascent.

Kira smiles, one more time of fun doesn't sound so bad. She grabs the boy's hand allowing him to take her to the new dance floor.

The ship gradually approaches the horizon where a dimensional door is seen, giving way to a tunnel shining with all the colors that exist.