There were many districts inside a city like the capital city hence why a certain bastard had gone out of his way to find someone that knew everything there was about the streets.
Within one of the districts, specifically one full of warehouses which the many passing merchants used to temporarily store their wares before sale or transportation, a cloaked figure walked. Their pace was hurried as they held the hood over their head. A few people did turn to look toward her however she wasn't seen as being particularly suspicious by any of them.
This was because the person in question clearly was some type of beast-kin with fairly sizable upward facing animal ears below the hood. Since this district was mostly full of merchants they were all well travelled enough to know the difficulties of a beast-kin. Even if they themselves were not beast-kin.
Having wind mess up your hair was bad enough, let alone blowing into their ears, so many female beast-kin wore hoods when travelling.
It was just easier on windy days.
She was even less suspicious as she wasn't even bothering to actually hide her face. The hood alone was not enough to shroud her face in daylight and yet she didn't bother to wear an actual mask. One could argue she was hiding her race however even most beast-kin couldn't tell apart every beast-kin.
So she was moving through the carriage filled streets unimposed as her eyes flickered around to study everyone else bustling about. Quickly finding that the capital city was truly busy. It was likely no one would even be able to recall her should they be asked if they ran into any beast-kin girls due to the foot traffic.
Of course she didn't step into the middle of the streets where an innumerable number of carriages were dropping off crates while others picked some up. There were even many adventurers milling about or helping the carriages load/unload. No doubt either hired as security for the warehouse or escorts for the carriage's journey.
Overall jolly atmosphere perforated throughout the place that made the hyena girl's heart lighten ever so slightly as she somewhat loosened her hold on the basket that previously was like a vice.
Turning off the main street as she needed her destination. A smaller still big (but unassuming so) warehouse that sat just a bit off from the main street through the district. Not exactly well hidden yet that was exactly what they were banking on; trying too hard would draw more attention than simply keeping to themselves without too many extra steps.
That did not mean she was going to condone her partner freely roaming the streets in broad daylight, however, as she was about as far from unassuming as she could imagine. Pushing open the door to the warehouse with a drawn out *CREEEE* as the hinges clearly needed some love. Her ears flattening against her head as her sensitive ears made such a noise more than a little unpleasant to hear.
"*yawn* So you are finally back…" A serene voice rang out through the warehouse as two eyes cut through the dim light like twin moons piercing through the veil of the night.
Lounging in the middle of the markedly empty warehouse was a beyond stunning woman with a tail lazily wagging behind her. One may think she was just a normal beast-kin if not for a magnificent set of horns that made it clear she was no ordinary lizard-kin. These being the symbol of pride from dragon-kin.
Though she was even greater than just a normal dragon-kin.
Her body was nothing short of buxom with wide hips paired with "massive areas of fat" that were all but impossible to ignore with her rather languid posture. She was wearing clothing but it was loose fitting that made it so a certain pair of twins jiggling about freely as she half pushed herself up. A faint smile formed on her plump lips while her eyes narrowed.
It was a sight that made the dog as downbad as a dog can be; audibly gulping as her eyes unconsciously wandered all over the partly exposed body. The loose fabric is not doing wonders for her self control so she did the only thing she could in the form of a deep breath before talking. "Y-Yes I have checked for any rumours and there seems like a knight brigade has arrived yet I can't really get anything on them…"
That caused the dragoness to narrow her eyes as she sat up properly.
"How come?" A simple question that she struggled to formulate an answer on - not because she didn't have an answer but because of the pendulums swinging in front of her. "W-Well it's because there are way too many rumours buzzing around about them; some even say they bare the flags of the God Hunters."
Such a statement caused the queen of moonlight dragons eyes to momentarily widden before her finger began to tap her chin. Quickly concern began to visibly grow causing the hyena dog-kin hybrid to also grow increasingly worried. "What is wrong?"
It seemed that voice caught her by surprise as she jumped slightly with a *pap* following behind; eyes turning back as her faint frown softened slightly. She obviously wasn't sure if she wanted to immediately answer yet the puppy eyes of her lover melted her resistance. "I'm worried what it means if they truly are a God Hunters battalion and that it makes sense if we caught their attention…"
"You mean… The holy relic, the Pearl of the Infinite, right?" Cautious asking after making sure nobody else was in their little hidey hole.
The dragon queen could only nod sternly.
"They no doubt would act if they know that it is currently vulnerable and those knights aren't exactly the friendliest to dragons who act out. I wouldn't go as far as to call them bigoted - those birds have their own draconic mounts - but my previous meetings with them were… Tense." Letting out a sigh as she fell back onto the sofa while that poor dog could only jump.
"S-So those knights with skull like helms in full plate were-" Her question cut off as the dragoness didn't desire to keep her lover in the dark forever. "Indeed, they were real god hunters, not particularly high ranking ones yet they had a phoenix among them which likely means they report straight to the heavens."
The poor canine girl felt as if the world was spinning as she tried to compute the knowledge she had just learned even if it did make some sense.
Why wouldn't THAT knight order keep track of a relic like the pearl?
It made zero sense that they wouldn't.
Yet it was also hard to comprehend the fact that she helped to serve, being a maid at the time, a legendary knight order without even realising it at the time. Sure it was strange and certainly disrespectful of them to not remove their helms. But it wasn't her position (at least at the time) to question such things.
Seeing that her poor lover was mentally overwhelmed by such knowledge she decided to distract her from the life altering information dump. As much as it helped raise her own spirits to see the smoke escape for the hyena-girls ears. "I do not understand why we are in this warehouse instead of an inn nor why I can't go out around the city alongside you."
Fortunately that did the job as the cloaked woman shook the confusion from her mind.
"First place they'd check would be inns and any new purchased houses but at the same time we do need somewhere to sleep. As such it's best to rent an entire warehouse since so many merchants come and go that it's near impossible to keep track of it all." She said with her finger wagging in the air.
Then, when broaching the next topic, she let out a long sigh while letting her limbs fall. "As for not letting you roam the city freely…." Waving her hands all around as if to outline the dragoness' entire body. "You just stand out way too much; even if we don't get found out by those following us you would likely capture the attention of some other groups like ransomers or slavers."
"Why would a kingdom allow such trash to freely roam around." Snorting out loudly with her nose in the air as she couldn't believe humans would be so incompetent.
Of course the hound had to break her out of her false illusions with a long drawn out sigh. "Because its impossible to keep track of everyone who enters or exits the city which makes it the perfect place for those types to run free. Plus I hear that slavery is even legal in their next door neighbour.. A point of contention between the two nations."
That mighty dragon queen thus proceeded to cross her arms while grumping about "ignorant mortals" as the hyena-dog hybrid could only warmly smile.
Hoping that these small moments could last…