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As dawn broke on the second day of the Grand Master's arrival, a royal escort of guards marched down the halls of the Vulpacha Estate toward the heavily warded guest suite. Outside of the room proper sat a bedraggled Usagi princess, catching what little sleep she could before the procession stopped in front of her. One of the Kitusne smiled at the bunny as he stepped from the escort and tapped her on the shoulder, giving her a start, and him a retributive shock as her wards activated. "Gah! It is not like you to put up defensive wards in friendly surroundings princess." Said the offending regal Kitsune as he took a moment to recover from the shock. The bunny quickly stood and bowed to the kitsune. "My apologies Your Majesty, but we have had a rough night here at the estate." She said haggardly. He smiled and chuckled. "I told you never to use titles around me Bianca." He said. She smirked. "Just returning the favor Alhundro." She shot back. He chuckled. "Come, let us eat and you can tell me what happened here." He said as she joined the escort as they made for the dining room.

Bomani poured over his books, looking for some herbal remedy to ease the suffering of his patient. He had already purged the poison that had seeped into his veins the night before, but that was no guarantee of life at this point. He had seen much the same symptoms before when Helenka had died so many years ago. Had he realized sooner what had happened, he may have been able to save her. Then he noticed the change of breathing in the room a smiled as he never looked up from his research. "Your master lives yet little foxling; though he is not yet out of danger." He said. Nadia wobbled slowly to her feet to look at the ill wolf. He had changed even more from last night's activities. He had been feral, a powder keg of rage and anger waiting for a flame to light it. Now his fur was dull, matted down with sweat that his body produced in the vain attempt to bring his fever under control. His visible eye twitched violently, as if the wolf suffered in a nightmare realm from which he could not awaken from. His once bright and perky ears were plastered to his skull. Then she noticed the restraints as his arms and legs twitched and struggled constantly against their hold. She frowned at the scene before her. "He suffers greatly under the yoke of sorrow Nadia. His body and subconscious wish to lash out in rage at the world around him, and his conscious mind hides somewhere in that thick skull of his, unwilling to expose itself to the white hot and pure emotions triggered by the events yesterday. The swirling maelstrom of hate and anger he should be feeling would be enough to push even the coolest of us to insanity." Said the tiger. Nadia looked at the wolf impassively, mulling over what had happened the day before. "Why...?" She said and hesitated before continuing. Bomani chuckled. "A complex question child, a question our kind have been asking for as long as we can remember, but more focus would be appreciated before I can give you a more satisfactory answer I think." He says, his eyes never leaving his research. "Why was this done to him? Poisoning, trying to kill him with sorrow...Why does he still live after this...?" she said, not quite believing the wolf's chest rose and fell, albeit weakly. "Easier questions, but some you should already know answers to, at least if you had much contact with politics with your previous master. But I shall indulge your questions foxling, because to do otherwise would dishonor the wishes of your master." He said as he finally turned to look at her. His eyes showed a combination of exhaustion and a glint of hope that all healers held for the ones they cared for. "This pathetic little wolf, ill in that bed represents the most dangerous threat that this world has ever known. He has access to resources, training, knowledge and pure magical energy that no other being on this world has possessed since Suzujomei first took command of the imperial armies in The Culling. With this title, prestige and his sheer potential, he threatens the powerbase of several Pheonix noble houses, an entire nation dominated by females unwilling to share power with any race, or even with males of their own race, and is now getting involved in the workings of a friendly nation with a powerful military and the willingness to make use of it. The wolf represents much that the matriarchy fears; an independent male, with the potential to end their power for all time. Such things would be enough, usually for the matriarchy to take measures on their own. They often have, making several thousand attempts against Suzujomei's life. However, their lack of success at killing Grand Masters over the millennia usually causes them to become apathetic to most of them. Though they do provide discounts on contracts to off them." He said. She shook her head. "Such foolishness just to wield power over another..." she quipped. The tiger chuckled. "And yet you are willing to serve him until your near untimely death. You are brave to face a Grand Master armed with only your courage foxling, but you have my respect. As to your second question, this will require a bit of storytelling. I am not very good at this, so do bear with me if I start boring you." He said as he relaxed in his chair. "This wolf lives for several reasons. The biological reason is because the poison has been purged from his system. Had I gotten to him earlier, he would not be this bad off. While you slept, Bianca found the messenger that delivered the Lady Vulpacha's letter to the wolf yesterday morning had died...horribly I might add. After I am done researching here I plan to go and autopsy the fox. Though we already have an idea what the poison is and how it was delivered. I digress however as I need to reach back into history for this. Long ago the Matriarchy decided that use of steel and magic did not always fit with their needs when it came to assassination. So they developed skills with poisons. Besides the rats of the east, the Amarokine are some of the most skilled users and deliverers of poison in the world. As such an Amarok is often raised on a regimen of poison immunity. Young Amarok often spend their youths ill as their bodies develop immunities to all manner of poisons the wolves use in their work. Given this immunity, the matriarchy had to find a poison that would kill even their own assassins if the need ever surfaced, so they dabbled in some of the most dangerous poisons. Nerve toxins directly affect our body's functions, shutting down your ability to speak, think, or breathe. As such, the immunity regimen never touched on these poisons as even small doses could be fatal in a very short amount of time. They have had thousands of years to develop these poisons and their subsequent antidotes. To my credit, I quickly picked up information in a pathology class I had there, and managed to steal notes and charts about these poisons and their effects. Herbally I can create antidotes for most of them, but some are so virulent and dangerous, an antidote usually does not have time to work before the subject is dead. Much to the wolf's credit, he has survived one of those poisons. Though I fear it has done a great deal of damage before my divine magics purged it from his system. Combined with the height of the emotional distress, I would have pronounced him dead once we knocked him cold on the roof. However, it would seem that Suzujomei's regimen also provides for a certain amount of inner healing. As such, given enough time, the damage caused by the poison would be healed back. His body, should he stabilize fully, should be fully recovered in about a month, assuming his mind has resumed control. For the time being, we can only wait, and try to make him comfortable. His mind is required for most of my healing magics to work. Willing himself whole is a large part of what my magics provide. His mind is either off on a jaunt through the void, or sealed so deeply within, that my gods do not consider him able to make the decision to continue to live." He said. The fox sighed. "Too stubborn to die, too fragile to live" Bomani laughed. "A very good summation of the wolf. Come, you need breakfast, and rest away from your master." He said and led her out of the room and to the dining room.

"So you are telling me the wolf isn't expected to live?" Asked Alhundro after swallowing a gulp of water. "No, I am saying he is not out of the proverbial woods yet. Bomani is on the job, and we both know that his skills are some of the most complete any Bsani has ever known. He will be running tests on the dead messenger to ascertain the exact toxin used, once we have that information, I am betting we will find this to be the work of the Matriarchy." Bianca answered confidently. "Don't the Nezumi of the east also use poisons similar to this?" he asked. "No, the Nezumi only use fairly mundane and simple toxins. That is all the phoenix often trust them with. Either that or the Matriarchy is fiddling with diseases again. If we are lucky this dabbling will manage to kill off the females as well as most of the male population this time." She said in disgust. Alhundro smirked at this. "Still hold your typical respect for the Matriarchy I see." He said as nodded to the servants as they served up breakfast. The rabbit sighed. "As good as the chefs are here, they are no Ceberune." She says, digging into her meal with slightly less than her typical enthusiasm. "I'll take your word for it Bianca. I still have yet to taste this wolf cooking you constantly go on about. Perhaps I should pray for his recovery, just so I can be a proper food critic for him." The fox said with some amusement. She growled at him. "He wouldn't care what you had to say about his cooking. Besides, you still begrudge the pup his victory in Midraria all those years ago." She said with some friendly ribbing. "He was lucky...nothing more Bianca. Twelve years old and the little fur ball could already fight like a possessed dragon. I bet he is a hundred times more deadly now than he was then." He says. Bianca smiled proudly. "There are sayings that claim that a grandmaster is so skilled with a blade that they do not have to clean their blades of blood after a duel. Ceberune has proved that to be true, but with both blades, and in a full blown battle. He killed most of an Amarokine hunt without moving an inch, and then proceeded to wipe out a Bsani mercenary group that claimed a blood feud with his line." Alhundro chuckled. "Those are feats I bet the wolf would rather not have announced in full public view...much less in front of a king who would give glory and rewards for such feats before a kingdom." He teased. She growled at him. "You spread any of these stories past this room fox, and you will never be able to make you fur lay down properly again!" She threatened. He chuckled and with a smirk he answered with "always with the hair trigger on your electricity Bianca. One would think I shocked you or something." He said, her eyes narrowed with deadly intent as Bomani entered with a groan. "Gods Alhundro, your puns and play on words haven't improved since the tournament in Midraria." He said. The fox smiled genuinely as stood up taking the cats outstretched paw and shaking it firmly. "Bomani! It is good to hear your voice again. Good timing too, considering I would probably have sparked further violence if you had not shown up." He says with a playful smirk, and then he yipped as an arc of lighting stuck him in the arse. Bomani smirked this time. "One does not tempt the storm to strike and expect to get away without so much as a singe eh?" he said as Nadia suddenly realized who she was in the presence of and went prone on the floor, getting the fox-king's attention. "I'd like to think I know the servants of this estate well enough, but this beauty is new to me..." he said. Bomani chuckled. "It's a long story Alhundro, but suffice it to say she belongs to Ceberune." He said. The fox stopped a moment and shook his head violently, as if trying to dislodge something from it. "Could you repeat that Bomani? I would like to think that old age hasn't already set in on my ears, but I thought I heard you say that the wolf owns a slave..." Bianca smiled, producing the full paperwork for Alhundro as she answered. "You heard correctly Alhundro. The wolf is a slave owner." She said. The fox sat down heavily reading over the legalese with a trained eye. "She was a gift? From his mother?!" He said in mounting shock. Then he stopped a moment, reading one section several times before he spoke again. "Nadia Vulpacha. Please stand, approach me and sit in this chair next to me. I have need of a few answers." He said never taking his eyes from the papers. As Nadia complied, Bomani went and teased Bianca's ears, she growled back at him playfully as he sat next to her to eat his meal. Alhundro grabbed a nearby napkin and handed it to the rather flustered slave. "Wipe the dust from your nose Nadia, these floors are a horror to clean unless they are waxed, and the druids demand that they not be waxed. Feel free to sneeze as well." He said as his eyes continued going over the same area, as if burning a hole into the paper. A moment later he waved one of his honor guard over and said something to him. The fox saluted and bolted off before the king finally took his eyes from the papers and placed them on the fox female sitting humbly before him. "Who is your master Nadia?" he asked. She answered "Grandmaster Ceberune Onyxclaw your majesty." He nodded. "How old are you?" he asked, getting a glare from Bianca at the question. "I am 24 your majesty." She answered. He nodded and reached for the papers, looking them over. "Whoever told you that, Nadia was quite mistaken..." he said. Bianca looked at the fox with a bit of confusion as one of the royal advisors entered. "You called my lord?" he asked as he kneeled next to Alhundro." The king nodded and handed the papers over to the advisor, who after only a cursory look passed judgment. "These papers have been forged my lord." He said pointing out specific instances of changes and forged signatures. "The only valid page is the gifting." He said further pointing out the signature of Ceberune's mother and the true age of the fox. "She is of age now, and so the papers remain valid for ownership, but I am sure if we investigated all the previous owners and officials given here, I will find them, dead, missing, or having never existed." He said, the King nodded. "Leave the ownership and gifting page then, I will have to confiscate the rest of this packet. We have an ongoing investigation into underage sex slave sellers in my lands." The king proclaimed. Bianca and Bomani both nodded ascent, Nadia looked frightened, the fox smiled and comforted her. "Worry not Nadia. You still belong to your current master, and neither of you are in any sort of trouble. I will however ask Bianca to accompany me back to Horia to help in the investigation. Bueracracy is not all together interesting, but Usagi eyes are always welcome when combing records and histories." He said looking to her. Bianca nodded. "Of course. Bomani, anything you need from civilization?" she asked the tiger. He produced a list. "I am running low on herbs and teas on the list. Nothing critical, but if you have time..." she kissed the tiger on the forehead. "There will be a good time when I get back." She promised and stood, following Alhundro out with his retinue. Nadia was shaking like a leaf as they left and once gone she let out a sigh of relief. Bomani chuckled. "Eat foxling. And do relax. You get any more wound up and you will be bed rest along with your master." He teased; the fox nodded and ate her breakfast, missing the taste of her master's cooking already...