With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

[Mr Zoat]

Late Winter, IC 690
The next day

Emperor Molt wanted Diabo to ride the dragon down the main thoroughfare of Sadera in order to indisputably emphasise his power and authority. Unfortunately, even well laid out Roman streets aren't really wide enough to allow for that. It could just about fit, as long as no one minded having to replace all of the abraded bricks on the front of their houses and businesses afterwards. But if it came to any sort of corner it wouldn't be able to turn, it couldn't spread its wings and no one could actually watch it due to it taking up all of the space. So instead of doing that, the dragon will land once we reach the forum, and Diabo will mount it and continue on to the Senate building from there.

For now the prince, a small group of Praetorians sent by his father to 'protect' him, and his actual bodyguards are riding on horseback to the cheers of the lower orders who inhabit this part of the city.

Mostly cheers.

Tuka smiles at Master Graccus. "Was that your daughter?"

He gives her a decidedly disgruntled look, but after a moment appears to realise that she's not joking. "No."

She just looks confused. "Then why did she call you 'daddy'?"

He pointedly turns his face towards the front of the procession and doesn't reply.

"And what happened to her subucula?" No one answers, so she turns to Cato and Lelei. "Do you know?"

Cato is suddenly overcome by a coughing fit, earning him a sidelong glance from Lelei. Then Lelei notices that Tuka is looking expectantly at her.

"…"

Now, I know that she's spent at least some time in the city of Rondel, which as a part of the Saderan Empire must share at least some culture with it. I never got the impression that she came from a background of wealth, but then again I've never studied Rondel in particular. I… Doubt she'd have spent a great deal of time around-.

"She's a prostitute."

Tuka's eyes widen, and-. Huh?

"Did you disinherit her?"

Master Graccus jerks his head around, confusion warring with irritation. "What? No."

"Then why is your daughter a prostitute and why are you saying that she's not your daughter?"

"She isn't my-!"

"If I might interject?" Master Graccus bites his tongue. "It is the custom for prostitutes to address older clients or potential clients as 'daddy'. I am not sure where the custom originates. I find it distasteful, but I suppose that it's best that they make it clear that they're selling a service."

"Oh." Tuka thinks that over for a moment, her ears gradually reddening. "That sounds dirty."

Eithne stops scowling long enough to look confused. "All of them?"

"Yes. They go where the customers are, and crowds and parades have many potential customers."

"Human men pay human women to fuck them?"

"Yes? You told me that your former owner engaged in intercourse with you on several occasions."

"Yeah, but he bought me to do farm labour. If I'd bought him I'd have fucked him." She's looking increasingly mystified. "I thought the whole reason why Sadera invaded the Warrior Bunny lands was because they wanted us to stop raiding them for men. And now they're paying for what we did for free?"

"But they do so from a position of social dominance, and that's the main thing."

Diabo rolls his eyes. "I wonder if the Triumphs of Gaius Julius Caesar were like this in truth? Him looking stately at the head of the column, while behind him his centurions discussed the local prostitutes."

"Probably. We can talk about the uses of black powder in warfare if you like, but we've been doing little else for two years now and I think everyone would like a break from the stuff."

Tuka's eyes widen. "All of them were prostitutes?!"

Diabo's shoulders slump, but he keeps waving. "Yes. I looked it up once, and a majority of young female slaves end up as whores. Older women generally end up as domestics, and the men as labourers. And they know that my men will be receiving their pay and bonuses once this parade is over, and the men haven't had the opportunity to see a woman without rabbit ears for two months."

Because it turns out that knocking holes in a city's walls and then inviting emissaries from their neighbours to come and have a look does a remarkable amount of damage to their resolve but most certainly does not endear you to them.

"And we're not good enough?"

"I doubt you were enough for the entire army and navy."

"Wait." Diabo looks mildly pained. "Are we going to have a rash of pregnancies amongst the auxiliary?"

Eithne seems untroubled. "Probably? That's how you tell it was a successful campaign."

"Then we'll have to-." Diabo looks concerned. "Are you pregnant?"

"Eh?" She frowns. "No. I'm saving myself for you."

Several pairs of eyes turn themselves towards him. Including those of Master Graccus.

"You ar-? Why?"

"I'm the chief, which means that I can't go around fucking just anyone. Until you deliver those males you promised-"

"They're being transported to your village as we speak. I gave the order the moment we returned to Sadera."

"-then I'm supposed to limit myself to fucking important humans. And… Tyuule accepted Zorzal's offer because she knew that Imperials give their concubine's people better treatment."

"Oh."

"Not that you're deformed or anything. And I'm used to fucking humans, so honestly I'd probably prefer it."

"What..?" Cato affects an expression of scholarly enquiry. "What are the differences?"

"My father was a human, so I haven't really had much to do with them. Our males are physically small and they're usually closeted to keep them safe from other tribes. They're supposed to be a prize, because our rulers have to-. Used to have to have two Bunnies as parents. But I think it's just because they're rare. Having a Bunny father didn't help any of the chiefs when the Saderan Empire invaded, and it certainly didn't make Tyuule any wiser. All of my Warrior Bunnies came to me because I could survive, but they'll feel better if I act how they think a chief should act."

"Ah." Cato raises his busy eyebrows. "But you would prefer our illustrious patron."

She looks him over. Slowly.

"Please-"

"Yes."

"-stop. I-."

The crossbow bolt slams into her stomach and knocks her off her horse!

 

[Mr Zoat]

Late Winter, IC 690
The next moment

Diabo instinctively raises a large dome shield, which blocks the bolt heading for Lelei. It shatters right in front of her face, her eyes widening as she realises what just happened. The praetorians are drawing their swords-.

Diabo, check their desires.

What? Oh.

He does so, identifying their hostile desires before their swords clear their scabbards. I've got no idea what… Their swords and armour. They're enchanted. I… Suppose if they caught him when he was distracted. Diabo sends filaments towards the swords-.

It's harder to affect enchanted weapons. Use indirect force.

Like what?

Fast acting knock out gas. Pepper spray. Stab through the-

Bellow constructs appear around us, squirting eau de poivre fantôme directly into their faces!

-eye-. Well done.

The entire escort manages to get their swords out of the scabbards, and one of them even manages to takes a stab at Cato before the pain gets to them.

"YEAAAGHGODS!"

Swords clatter to the ground as the elite of the Saderan Empire impotently try to remove the noxious liquid from their eyes, noses and mouths.

Tuka looses an arrow, the enchantment on the tip punching a tiny hole in the shield construct and flying into a-

"Agh!"

-building and nailing someone inside. Not fatally, but… Ah. Diabo's shortcoming as a Lantern is that when under stress he focuses on what is immediately around him and ignores things further afield. Dealing with the praetorian traitors he was preparing to act, listened to my advice and responded rationally. He even maintained the dome shield. But he wasn't looking for other threats or opportunities.

Something to feed back on.

What next?

Have Cato or Lelei magic up ropes or chains, then see to Eithne.

He turns to the wizards. "Bind the traitors."

Lelei gestures with her staff and chains surge jingling from her saddlebags. They wrap themselves around arms, necks and chests and then pull tight, praetorians being dragged from their saddles as the chains pull them towards each other. Between that and the residual pepper spray the horses are starting to get agitated-

"Who the fuck was that?!"

-as Eithne pulls herself to her feet, hand clasped around her wound. A hit to the intestine isn't immediately fatal, but in a culture like this it virtually guarantees that the target will die. Perfectly fixable by power ring of course, but extremely painful, and the victim will know that they're doomed.

Tuka has another arrow on her bow, her eyes glowing faintly as she enhances her already excellent vision with magic. After a moment she lowers it with a frustrated snort.

"The other archer is too far away." She rises out of her saddle and stands on it. "I can catch him-."

Diabo looks at her. "No. He could lead you into an ambush. Take two trustworthy… Bunnies, and secure the one you already hit."

She nods, jumps towards the edge of the shield, pointing-

"You and you! Come with me!"

-to two of the Warrior Bunnies walking behind the officer group. Her interactions with the bunnies have been… Interesting. In addition to her magic she is far more quick and agile. They on the other hand are stronger and have better endurance. Several have sparred with her, and after she proved that she could keep up they sort of accepted her as an unusually runty Warrior Bunny. Which means that unlike legionaries or marines who think that she's Diabo's concubine, Warrior Bunnies will actually take orders from her without needing to be nagged. The two she pointed to take off after her without hesitation while Diabo-.

"N-ngh!"

Eithne tries to join them, but the action stresses her punctured abdominal muscles and exacerbates her injury.

"I'm going to get the bastard!"

"You." Diabo points to a non-praetorian guardsman. "Take my reins."

The guardsman complies, and Diabo dismounts -while maintaining the shield, respect to him there- and strides over to her.

"Hold still while I tend to your injury."

She makes a weird-

"Gwaah."

-noise-. Is that supposed to be a Bunny growl? Perhaps fortunately, Diabo doesn't notice the direction of her aggression and just assumes that it's the pain.

"Hold-"

She swings her left hand at him to push him away. He-.

Oh dear.

He sidesteps it, then reaches out and takes her hand in what I think is supposed to be a reassuring manner. Eithne appears to be so surprised that she doesn't just.. punch him out or something, but just stands there staring at him while he-

"Heal."

-puts her back together, the bolt floating out of her and landing in his right hand.

"There, all better. Hardy can't have you quite yet."

Alright, no need to make a meal out of-.

Why are the other Warrior Bunnies staring-?

Oh dear. Is this what passes for rizz amongst their misbegotten kind?

Tuka-. Jumps out of the window the would-be assassin fired from, snapping them out of it. She's got a piece of parchment in her hand, and the two Bunnies that went with her are carrying the still-bleeding mercenary. Plain clothing, no distinguishing physical features, not loyal enough to take poison. Excellent.

She passes Diabo the note. Ah, written orders signed by Zorzal himself. Even added his seal. How remarkably convenient.

Diabo reaches the same conclusion. "Obviously fake. My brother may be bull-headed, but he's not that stupid." He remounts his horse and puts it into subspace. "Alright, show's over. Decanus, drag these impostors to... Our cells, and make certain that they have no way to kill themselves. Lelei, go with them."

"Yes, Highness."

"Now, we shall finish my Triumph, and then-."

Giselle slams into the road just in front of us, another… Individual in her claws. He's somewhat battered.

Tuka perks up. "That is the other bowman."

Giselle grins slightly manically as she lifts him over her head.

"Witness my victory!"

I mean… He's a human with a crossbow, she's a demigoddess. It's not that impressive. From the looks of things, the others feel the same-.

She glowers fiercely. "Praise me!"

Diabo looks a little uncertain, but makes a construct hand and pats her on the head.

"Well done."