The Trancer

by Ajaxis

16. Homeward Bound

The midday sun shone brightly above Palosol's desert surface, twin moons hanging off towards the east, where Paradise City stood. Now the pony civic was just a large metal-colored growth in the distance, transplanted to the dusty surface. The distant northern mountains were partially visible in the midst of the sands, but the ocean that surrounded the continent could not be seen unless someone traveled so far west that the desert landscape was but a distant memory, replaced with equally huge plains.

Despite the proximity of the sun and the lack of cloud cover over most of the desert, it was not too hot, within the sled's cabins, where Zuri now sat, eyes aglow. She was tending to her wounds via trance, taking an occasional sip from a sweet beverage Datroi had brought her a few minutes previous. On occasion, she stopped sealing up cuts and lowering the swelling on bruises to admire the bare beauty of the sand dunes they passed. It was nearly Samā, yet still the surface was just cool enough for safe Gau-Aer travel. One had to be especially careful going abroad during the hottest season of the Palosol year. When the sands grew searing hot, it came time for the Ophidum to mate.

Ophidum, the humongous, magnificent serpents which swam through sand as an eel would through water, enjoyed mating season only when the weather was scorching hot, perfect for ensuring the survival of their cold-blooded eggs. Not only did this mean a large number of supermassive snakes prowling around near the desert surface, it also meant that mothers bearing eggs had an extra appetite. It just so happened zebra were among the Ophidum's favorite meals, when mating season came around. Ordinarily zebra steered clear of known Ophidum territories in favor of avoiding angering the enormous, intelligent, and often ravenous animals. Likewise, Ophidum families avoided zebra cities in turn, as a stray could be often caught for profit off their huge skins, long scimitar fangs, and venom. Yet, one way or another, one always ran into the other every year.

In the previous year's Samā, she had heard of three different stories about zebra going out on last-minute travel plans, to suddenly vanish without a trace. There were undoubtedly more than just three casualties that year, but those were the only ones anyone bothered to talk about, because it had cost the lower-class portion of Otoul a visit from an Arbiter and Tedus two recently wed Oun-Drii. Though, this latter incident hadn't saddened the residents of their estates. Apparently neither of the Oun-Drii, before or after being married, did anything to help them be popular. Perhaps some Ophidum had a taste for royal pains, or perhaps fate was that much of a vindictive nag, as father would put it.

Thinking back to everything that had transpired in Paradise City, the blue-striped zebra could agree very easily with the latter. She had so much to tell her family about, and so much she wanted to find a way to avoid mentioning altogether. That, unfortunately, brought Shade back into the forefront of her mind, and her body gave an involuntary quiver.

Zuri returned to mending herself, sucking in her breath through clenched teeth as the circle of burnt flesh on her side began to regain its natural color and shape. Hopefully, by the time they reached Otoul, she'd look a bit more normal. This wouldn't be too hard: Druva would be dropped off at Tedus, a much closer goal than the huge capital of the desert cities, so there would be plenty of time to fix herself up.

All of the sudden, the sled began to slow, and there was a faint grinding sound as the vessel depressed into the sands about two inches. They couldn't possibly be at Tedus already; no Gau-Aer sled was that fast, and the view through the ovular window did not resemble any city entrance Zuri had ever seen.There was a knock on the stone door that led out into the cramped central chamber within the sled. Then, it slid open with a quiet rocky grumble, and Agilis' face poked in to grin at her.

"No more just sitting around in here, sister." He chided playfully. "You've got to come help operate the sled, Giza needs a break."

Zuri followed her brother closely up the tight spiral of steps to the deck. She wrapped her cloak tightly about her, to guard against the sun and any stray grains carried by the wind whistling in her ear. There was nothing but sand in every direction for miles. It would be long before they reached any goal. Giza stood tall at the bow of the ship, within the circle of runes. The glow from the markings had diminished, and Zuri could see as she approached that her big sister's shoulders were heaving, head lowered slightly.

"Glo'Dei, the wind is working against us today." Giza wheezed, apparently trying to get her breath back. "That Forgirn oaf hardly did anything useful—aside from help with moving this sled of ours. He had a lot of stamina, in that regard."

Zuri walked up and stood next to her, within the circle, examining the runes that it was comprised of. "Well, I'll be good for something, I guess." She took her breath, positioning her hooves to be parallel with her sister's. The heat from their hearts spread through their bodies in tandem, and the circle of runes lit up again, brighter this time. To Zuri, the body ofthe sled suddenly became her body, that strangely required no muscles to move, just thought. With a soft rumble, the sled rose off of the sand again, and with a gentle coaxing of the sisters' combined willpower, began to accelerate.

"You won't be any burden!" Giza replied to her comment, after a few seconds more of silence. "You are our sister, and you've brought home a free Scal-Re. Where did you get her from, anyway? We'll turn right here, around this rock. Watch me."

Both of them, Zuri after Giza, slowly leaned to the right. Their legs bent almost in synchronization, and the sled bent with them, banking to the right and cutting a smooth curve in the sand as it went. "I acquired her from an unkind master. He did not deserve a Scal-Re trained such as she, so I took her from him for her own sake."

"What, then, became of her former master?" Giza asked.

Zuri imagined Barxie, tied up, with Chrys forcing him to father her children, using his body however she wished. "You... probably wouldn't believe me if I told you, sister."

"No? Fine then. Probably a better idea to keep our minds on this sled, like the Dunnur would want. He still makes me shiver with his disappointed face. He's getting even older than he was when you started with him, and he still scares me sometimes."

"He's getting older," Zuri agreed, smiling as they both bent again to steer the sled around a cluster of jagged rocks. "But not senile. He'd verbally throttle me at even the smallest muckups. Speaking of which, I did not trance before any pony I came across."

Giza nearly turned to stare at her, but didn't, in the case of breaking her concentration on the sled altogether and causing it to tumble into the sands. "How did you manage any sort of mans, in that case? I can't imagine restricting your power that long. You were gone from home for nearly two weeks, I hope you realize."

Zuri sighed inwardly. "I'm very well aware of how long I spent, Giza. Not every part of that big city is full of ponies, though. That shanty we left, for instance, allowed me to get some excellent practice in for the next Cudonetor."

"Really? How?" Giza inquired.

Zuri frowned. "I would really rather talk of it with as much of the family listening at once. I'm sorry."

"No, no! I understand," Giza's voice was unnecessarily sympathetic. "Your first big trek outside of Otoul—on your own. Palosol is much bigger than we often think."

Zuri could imagine what else Giza understood. You need to show off, to the rest of the family. She guessed her sister's thinking. To the rest of zebrakind, more like. Need to remind them all that you are useful, that you're powerful. Every Sara descendant has to.

Well, I am, big sister. I am now the one and only family member who has gone into the pony lands and has come back, more or less unscathed.

There was a stretch of silence, before several little mounds of sand in front of the sled began to shudder violently as the sled drew closer. "Oh, melose," Giza cursed, stamping one hoof on the floor and by extension breaking her concentration. The sled fell into the sand, slowly grinding to a halt. "Double melose!"

"What was that all about?" Came Agilis' voice, as he too came up from below. Zuri turned, seeing Druva and Datroi tentatively come up after him. Her brother continued with, "I know neither of you are that tired. Is there an Ophidum or something ahead of us?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, there is," Giza replied hurriedly, eyes beginning to glow brightly. "Quick, get this sled up again, maybe there's still-"

A suddenly eruption caused sand to fall upon the sled like hail, as a long, wide serpent jumped out before it. Zuri almost cried out in dismay, before noticing that the Ophidum that had revealed itself was in fact an adolescent. This was easy to tell, given that it was small. Well, not really small, but much, much smaller than any Zuri had heard of causing a major problem. Usually described as hundreds of feet long, large enough to gulp down a Gau-Aer sled four times the size of the one Zuri stood on now, this one looked just barely large enough to swallow a diminutive zebra whole. Even so, one Ophidum so young could be a problem, because it meant its mother was probably nearby.

"Gah, just a little one!" Giza sighed in relief and agitation, shaking her head. "Must be looking for food, pretty stupid for it to come up to us. This won't take long."

The young Ophidum writhed around in the sand before them, spitting poison onto the ground and gnashing its wickedly sharp fangs. "Morsels!" It hissed, "Get down from there now, promise I'll make it fast~"

"They can talk, m-my lady?" Datroi squeaked, hiding more or less behind Agilis, who had come up behind his two sisters. The poor girl had probably just heard stories about Ophidum secondhoof, Zuri guessed. Yes, of course they could talk. Usually it took a few years to really have it down, so Zuri was told. Those wisest and largest, therefore, were the oldest, such as the legendary Gibraxin, an Ophidum supposedly so large that no zebra could ever report having seen all of him at once. Many came looking for that immense snake, for a chance at sampling his wisdom (age had made him wise, strong, and incomprehensibly huge, but had reduced his appetite for other intelligent beings, so the stories went) but none for his skin. He was unkillable, eternal, as far as zebra were concerned. Zuri fancied that her journey might have taken her on the path to finding him, eventually. Now, she wasn't so sure she'd be going anywhere for some time.

But this Ophidum was a meager thousandth of Gibraxin's estimated size. His green, brown, and black patterned scales looked pale and raw, freshly grown. Yes, this one was very young indeed, snapping and babbling at them with the carnivoruous arrogance that was apparently common among Ophidum attempting to get at intelligent prey otherwise out of reach. If they could help it, Ophidum never left the sand behind.

"Come down here, morsel," it crooned mockingly at Datroi, probably having heard her with the oval-shaped auditory holes on either side of its head. "Come down, and I'll show how I speak, morsel." It ended this with another snap of its teeth, Datroi didn't look like she would be listening to the young serpent's instructions any time soon.

"Please," GIza sighed, eyes giving a bright flash. Like pulling up a weed by the roots, her trance yanked the over-sized snake out of the sand by its head. It gave a scream of outrage and alarm, its long body indignantly waggling around like a wet noodle.

"Put me down!" It shouted, rather desperately. "Put me down, food! Wait 'till mother comes, you'll be sorry then!"

"Not waiting around for that, foolish thing." Giza replied, holding the young Ophidum in mid-air for a few moments longer, before tossing him far away, eastward. It sailed through the air most un-majestically, before it eventually landed atop a nearby dune. Now with a more dignified movement, it dove beneath the surface, tail wriggling behind it before vanishing moments later.

"We best get move on," Giza murmured, taking up her position alongside Zuri in the rune circle. "The rest of you, back down below deck. We'll have to move quickly if we want to avoid mother's retribution."

Soon afterward, the sled rose upright once more out of the sand, and continued speeding along.

———

There was little else to talk about, so Zuri's and Giza's focus was on keeping the sled moving as fast as possible. Good that it was, given the time. The sun was moving faster than usual: Zuri could have sworn that six hours hadn't passed by so quickly, despite the sky showing that it had. It would be getting dark soon, and that would mean stopping sooner than that, to recuperate, and—a much more unsettling thought—talk to her elder siblings.

The fraternal twins were the closest to Zuri in age, and probably in relations, when compared to the rest of the Sara children this generation. Lebowa had never entirely taken to her youngest sister before she was married, and Mizul had gone off to begin his own family when Zuri was halfway through pubescence, his visits rare, but long.

Despite her feeling closest to Agilis and Giza, Zuri was going to run out of decent excuses as to why she hadn't yet told them any significant details on her misadventure. Was it a misadventure? She got temporarily imprisoned by ponies, fell in with a band of vindictive mercenaries led by a supposedly world-renowned hero, trekked all the way to a huge city where she encountered a thief, a pariah of a leader, two princesses, a friendly cybernetic dressmaker, several unkind nobles, one not-so-unkind...

Well, perhaps it wasn't such a misadventure. She had made friends, made a few more enemies, and met a pony whom she couldn't get out of her head, no matter how hard she wanted to. Sounded awfully similar to how Viva Sara had started out, though being from the mostly impoverished and borderline-totalitarian city of Mavisde probably meant anything was an improvement.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her sister, saying, "turn left again, here." With the Sled leaning to the left, gradually turning around the edge of a long dune, Zuri saw a large shape, about a couple kilometers away. Giza interjected, "Ha! And there is the entrance to Tedus."

It was what at first glance would appear to be a tall mound of sand, though every time Zuri blinked, she could see the shape of the hill shimmer unnaturally. An illusory trance was on the entrance, probably a safeguard against ponies that dared travel this far west. As the sled drew closer, Zuri could make out what it really was The mound of sand became a smooth, edgeless house, then a huge sandstone and metal gateway, with two cloaked figures standing on either side. When the sled was only meters away, two of the figures stepped forth, and Zuri could see the bright shine of one of the figures' eyes. Sand-Trancers made the most effective guards, regardless of whether they relied on runes or the Gift. One method could be set up well in advance as a series of hidden traps, and the other method was so much stronger, that simply the glow of eyes could act as sufficient persuasion not to break the rules. At any rate, not to break the rules in their presence.

The sled gradually decelerated, stopping just short of the two approaching guards. One of them leapt up, and with a flare of sand pushing them up further, they landed on the bow of the deck, directly in front of Zuri and Giza. Two glowing, indigo eyes surveyed both of them, gradually traveling down to the crests upon the clasps of their cloaks. Upon seeing these, the guard bowed low with a practiced air.

"Dell Mansau of Sara's lineage." He began, and Zuri almost gave a happy squee for his fluent zebric and native accent, unchanged by ponies in the slightest. "I, but a humble Gho-Re sentry, welcome you to Tedus."

The sisters exchanged a significant look. Gho-Re, the soldiers, were the product of the rigorous training of Tabithun, the heart of military power among the desert cities. They were strong, fast, extremely physically fit (by extension very easy on the eyes), and most all of them Trancers. Although not conditioned to the extreme degree that private students of the mans were—students under the Dunnur's study, for example—they were all raised up to the same level of skill. One Gho-Re would provide a challenge to Zuri, about as much as Barxie had, she guessed.

Now that she thought of it, where had someone like Barxie gotten any sort of training for the Gift? He had obviously been born and raised in the striped shanty, to be so accustomed to that decrepit way of life underneath ponies, there was no way he would act so... Disgusting if he had been raised in any desert city. Who was running around, teaching the most secret of secrets to zebra who lived close to an alien race? Zuri couldn't think of any zebra who would be that stupid.

"Ah, do you hail from Tabithun, or Tedus?" Giza remarked, smiling beneath her cloak at the Gho-Re.

He nodded, expression showing casual respect. "Tedus is my home, Dell Mansa, here I grew up with my family. But surely, you don't wish to waste your time outside discussing me, do you? 'Tis beginning to grow dark..."

"Time is on our side," Giza answered. "We'll be staying the night, in the sled dock entrance."

"We're here!" Druva shouted, clambering excitedly up onto the deck and running to the bow of the sled. She wore her cloak again, vuiol wrapped around her middle like a sash. "Gah! It's been so long since I've seen those gates, and you, Libbur!" She smiled at the guard, who looked shocked to see her.

"Druva? How... That merchant said you got dropped off at one of the pony towns! How did you manage to get back out?" Libbur asked, a smile gradually growing on his face.

The alchemist gestured to Zuri with a sweeping bow. "With help from this fair lady Trancer, no less. Zuri Oun-Drii Sara rescued me from the pony's cruel slaving practices, and set me on the right road home!"

"You mean to say that while you were gone, you befriended a traveling Sara descendant in pony territory," Libbur remarked, shaking his head in disbelief, and looking at Zuri with a more subdued face. "Is this true, Dell Mansa? You are most kind, thank you for helping my friend!"

Zuri beamed underneath her hood. "T'was what any fellow zebra ought to do. Druva, is this goodbye, then?"

"Right, yes, this part." Druva smirked. "That crowd of Twilight Sparkle's rather put me off extended good-byes, and you've said you feel the same. So, goodbye, Zuri Oun-Drii Sara." She looked as if she were coming in for a hug, but then she blinked. Her eyes flitted to her guard acquaintance, and she instilled a more practiced respectful smile on her face, removing the warmth her expression had before. She bowed low to Zuri, snout to the floor of the deck. "Farewell, Dell Mansa Sara. It was an honor traveling with you."

Of course she would have to act like this. A Non-Ni couldn't just up and hug an Oun-Drii lady in public. That was reserved for family members, and friends of the same caste. It was an abrupt reminder that she was returning to the culture she had known all her life as her own. She wasn't just another zebra anymore: she was Oun-Drii. Where was this when I was in Paradise city?

Druva straightened again, warm smile reappearing. Zuri returned it, nodding to her. "Spirits preserve you, 'til we next meet, De Non-Ni."

The alchemist turned, and hopped gently onto the sand in front of the sled. She walked towards the gates, where another guard approached her and began to converse. Giza spoke once more, "well, I think that's all. Our goal is Otoul, but we are very tired. Zuri, let's just move the sled into the entrance, and then get some sleep."

Moving the sled was simple, though a bit more strenuous on both sisters. Now the sled rested, bow facing outward, with two others underneath a large canopy that connected directly to the opposite side of the city gate. Zuri helped Giza bring up a wide metal fire pit, placing it on the center of the top deck. It was oddly reminiscent of Druva's cauldron, she thought. Giza next brought three large wooden cylinders—an enchanted wood from trees native to the far marshes, thruimbere, literally; firewood—and dropped them into the metal basin.

"Now it's my turn. Not going to let my sisters catch a cold for dinner; you've been trancing all day." Agilis stepped up to the firepit, turning his head to the side to look at the runes engraved in the metal. He muttered a word, rapping his hoof on one of the runes engraved in the side. There as a strange pulling sensation towards the pit for a split second, Zuri recognizing it as a powerful rune's activation. Fire shot up in the center of the pit, a brilliant red-yellow. The flare only lasted a second, but the thruimbere ignited within that second, as it was made to do.

Giza sighed, sitting back and admiring the flames licking around the wood. "Thanks, Agilis, I was just starting to get dizzy." Zuri soon followed her example, massaging the faint, dull aching all over her body as she watched the fire grow.

Agilis smirked, imitating a whiny, overworked voice. "Oh, and I predict you'll both expect me to fetch the raw akarne, too, and get it cooking?" He looked at both of them with a mocking huff.

"Oh, would you please, big brother?" Zuri smiled sweetly at him. He snorted, biting his tongue for a moment.

"Could I get your new Scal-Re to do it?" He asked, looking back at the hole leading down into the sled. "She's not making herself useful, otherwise."

"I was letting her enjoy her freedom from her previous owner, for the moment," Zuri explained, her smile becoming set. "If you had a clue as to what he made that poor girl do..."

Agilis pursed his lips, shifting a little in place. "I have a few guesses, little sister. After all, that was the striped shanty where she came from. Say, you didn't... Run into any of that, did you?"

Zuri lost her smile altogether. "I am going to tell mother and father the finer details of my time away before anyone else."

"Don't bother pushing it, Agilis," Giza advised her twin. "If I couldn't get her to say any more when she was distracted by running the sled, you certainly won't do much better."

"All the same," Agilis continued. "Ought we to invite her up to sit with us? This isn't home's dining room, slaves are allowed to eat within the field of vision of their masters, here. Besides, I'm not letting anyone dribble akarne bits all over the rooms down there. They're still all clean from when I purchased the sled!"

"Very well!" Zuri stood up, brushing past her brother a little pointedly to stick her neck down the hole. "Datroi, come up here, and sit with..." The stumbling clatter of hooves interrupted her. The slave girl came into view moments later, silver earrings bouncing on either side of her face as she looked up wide-eyed to her mistress.

"Y-yes my lady?" Datroi inquired quietly. "What do you wish?"

"I was merely inviting you up here, with us." Zuri continued, "We're going to eat soon, and we'd like you to join us."

"Oh, thank you my lady!" Datroi smiled, nodding as she stepped up and onto the deck. "Shall I get foodstuffs ready, then, my lady?"

Zuri blinked, then reminded herself that the Scal-Re probably had been conditioned to react thus, though without even talking. "No, no, you needn't do anything but sit, and enjoy company with us."

Datroi looked completely nonplussed, staring at her. After a few uncomfortably quiet moments, Agilis moved past them both, going down to fetch food to cook. At this, Datroi snapped out of her numbed state and moved with wobbling legs to sit nearby Giza. Giza smiled brightly at her. "are you a true Scal-Re, as Zuri says you are?" She asked.

"Yes, my lady," Datroi answered meekly, but said nothing more.

Giza continued on, disregarding the slave girl's obvious discomfort. "Then, what city do you hail?"

"Otoul, my lady; I was raised and trained there."

Giza favored Zuri with a grin, still addressing Datroi. "Well, then, you may be happy to know where we're headed next."

She was, indeed. When told of their next destination the Scal-Re looked very much like Druva, eager to give Giza or Zuri or Agilis or even Barxie if he had been there a hug. Of course, she didn't, she must have known it was bad form to do such a thing. Agilis soon returned with several large, uncooked pieces of arthropodal flesh on a thick metal grill. They were devoid of outer skin, just pale white meat. Fresh akarne: sandspider, Zuri's favorite meat, probably purchased that day when still docked in the shanty from another Gau-Aer. Agilis was carefully positioning the grill over the roaring fire, so that the flames easily caressed the bits of meat.

Giza licked her lips at the sight of the flames licking at the sandspider flesh. "Lovely! And what about our greens?"

"Just having me do everything while I'm up, hm?" Their brother snarked, and then went back below-deck, most likely to retrieve the foliage zebra preferred to eat. Already the sweet, rich smell of cooked akarne meat began to waft to Zuri's nostrils, and her belly loudly insisted that when dinner was served, she would take second helpings.

"It's probably been forever since you've had akarne, little sister," Giza commented, smiling at her.

"Ponies make interesting breakfasts, you know." Zuri remarked absentmindedly. "Only a week away, and the food wasn't all that bad, but I have missed zebric food."

Dinner was fast and extremely satisfying, and Zuri went to her room feeling a little heavier than when she had come out of it, not to mention much more tired. She was happy to see that she was alone in her room, no Sibulla in sight. No anyone in sight. She removed her cloak and crawled underneath the bedsheets, nuzzling into the pillow.

Here she was, on her way home, completely alone in bed, no company save for her family, and her new slave, in their own beds in other rooms. Perfectly alone, none of her list of brief, newfound friends so close any more, now miles away. This list included Chrys, not to mention Shade.

Zuri took another hour to fall asleep, brain not wanting to leave away any of those interesting topics. Sure, there was her family, which she was overjoyed to see. But family was not a significant other. Alone once more coincided with a teary-eyed loneliness.

———

Her dreams were many, and varied. she thought there were familiar faces in them, Viva Sara included. She could remember nothing from this dream, however. Unlike the others she had had recently, this dream was no memory. She simply drifted through an immense ocean of what seemed to be onyx-black sand, bright stars staring quizzically down at her from the endless sky.

The sled was already moving when Zuri awoke the next morning. Blearily, she peeked out of the ovular window in her room again, and she blinked. They couldn't have traveled that quickly overnight unless she'd overslept, and given the position of the sun in the sky, she probably had. She could see the shimmering shape of the entrance to their home.

Otoul, the bright and shining center of life in the desert, had an immense pillar-like structure as its main entrance. Entering was easy. The guards within the outer structure allowed the sled to approach the pillar without halting it, and suddenly the window only showed dark sandstone, and then total pitch-black. The huge door in the side of the entrance had opened, to allow the sled entrance, and had closed up again, explaining the sudden darkness. Zuri tranced the lamp in her room to burn a bright blue flame, and she could see the thick bricks of stone moving upward, evidence of their descent.

Zuri felt a sudden surge of giddiness. Finally, she was back home, back in a world that she understood, back to a society that wasn't trying to kill, rape, or otherwise physically harm her. Instead, they restrained themselves to merely thinking about doing so. She ascended to the upper deck of the sled, right when it emerged from the large vertical tunnel, and the sudden flood of sound and light momentarily dulled her senses.

Otoul was just as bright and massive as she had remembered it. The great dome ceiling was so large, that even from where the sled came out, one could not see the end to it. The city was illuminated from wide metal disks, enchanted to generate light. The Gau-Aer markets, placed around the entrance, brought the noise that filled Zuri's ears. She could see, over the tops of the large inns and lower-class housing, the front of the Oun-Drii district. Its expansive, decorated manors provided a gorgeous backdrop.

The sled moved through a wide river of sand, parking itself among other sleds just as large and well-kept, in the middle of the marketplace. Zuri approached Giza, who was busy straightening her cloak and the metal clasp on the front that bore the Sara family crest until she noticed Zuri's approach. "Well, little sister? What's keeping you from running off to go allay our parents' worst fears?"

Zuri cocked her head to a side. "Then you're not coming with me, up to the manor?"

Giza shook her head, chuckling. "No time yet for that. Agilis and I have business to take care of. Contrary to what Lebowa may think, we do keep focus on our trade." Giza made a shooing motion with her hoof, similar to the motion that she used to shoo her little sister away when she was much younger. "Go on, and take your new Scal-Re with you; Agi and I will be home in time for dinner."

Datroi was easy to round up, having just come up from below deck, and being stunned by seeing Otoul again for the first time in what must have been months, or even years. Of course when her mistress addressed her, Datroi immediately straightened and bowed with shaky legs, unable to keep the exhilaration within her. Ensuring that her family crest was easily visible, Zuri kept her hood off of her head, stepped off the sled, and began moving in the direction of the Oun-Drii district, new slave following close behind. She wore her golden Trancer's rings upon her neck and ears once more, and moved with the casual confidence a zebric noblemare as herself would be expected to have. Every zebra she passed slowed their step or stepped away from her, bowing their heads and hesitating to look at her eyes. These two reactions told Zuri who was more surprised at her appearance, and who had seen her elsewhere. No one stopped her, though she drew many eyes as she walked.

Otoul's large Oun-Drii district was closed off from the rest of the city, with only one entrance. Tall, spiked, metal gates were guarded by two trancers that Zuri knew from fillyhood. She approached the gates confidently, but was stopped just before them by one of the guards. The zebra in question had bright green eyes, and long hair pulled behind her head in an elaborate quartet of braids. "Welcome home, Dell Mansa Sara. May I have your permission to drop the formalities?" The guardsmare inquired, smiling widely at her.

Zuri returned the smile, nodding her head in recognition. "Thank you, Guard Zivandi, and I don't see why you should start asking now."

Zivandi jerked her head towards the other guard, who was standing stoically on the left side of the gates. "My captain has assigned a new fellow to stand the gate with me. He's fresh from Tedus, and a tattle-tale like you wouldn't believe."

"Ah, does he have a name?"

"Bivul Gho-Re Bage, so he claims. Does he look like he's the son of the prettiest face to Retaogos into the Cudonetor arena?"

Zuri regarded the other guard's slim, short form. "He does cut a fairly feminine figure."

Zivandi laughed at this, looking behind her at Bivul herself. He merely blinked at her, wondering what the two mares were chuckling about. He did not approach however, but merely shifted uncomfortably in place.

"So, who is this filly you've got with you?" Zuri's friend asked, turning around to examine Datroi, standing beside her mistress and looking meek.

"This is Datroi, my new Scal-Re. I found her in the pony city, in need of a better master than the one she had."

Zivandi's eyes widened, and she shook her head in exasperation. "You brought home a legitimate Scal-Re? What did you get up to in a place like that that gave you a new slave?"

Hastened along by her friend's curiosity, Zuri returned to her old tune of, "I'm telling my parents before anyone else."

Zivandi gave a little snort. She couldn't give a bigger snort, else a certain tattle-tale she had just been complaining about might think she was disparaging Zuri, as opposed to beginning to banter with a friend she'd known for at least half her life. "So you're going to come all the way down here to visit me and tell me of your travels, yes?"

Zuri rolled her eyes, a little exasperated. "I'm going to visit you when you're not on duty, ideally, so I don't get you in trouble."

"What! Getting in trouble is the most exciting part of my day, and you would deny me that. Dell Mansa, I feel betrayed by your judgement. Please, explain: why have you changed so?" Zivandi mocked an indignant, pleading expression.

The blue-striped mare's tone was more serious now, "I've had plenty of trouble for the last week. I think I'll wait another few days before stumbling into anything else."

"Alright, I'll let you in. Welcome home, Zuri, don't forget to visit!" Zivandi stepped aside, running a hoof across a symbol carved into the stone road beneath her. The rune glowed a pale grey-white, and the gates to the Oun-Drii district swung open.

Datroi stuck right by her mistress' side as they walked past the gate threshold, Zivandi's new partner guard watching them go with curious eyes. Zuri knew he was looking at her stripes but she did not do anything. Best not to get rid of him, just to land Zivandi with an even worse co-sentry. Doing such a thing to the stallion would be petty, anyway.

The tall barrier between the rest of the city and the Oun-Drii district muffled the sound easily, in part because of runes and trances set up with the express purpose of keeping things quiet for the residents. Zuri walked coolly down a wide avenue split down the middle by a long mirror-pool, at the banks of which a few young fillies and colts were playing. One parent, both parents, or nursemaid kept a close eye on their respective charges, calling them back when they wandered too far or attempted to jump into the canal. It was a piece of art, how the water only moved when disturbed by hooves, meant to be art, and not a swimming pool. Most Oun-Drii had those in their manors, all of which were connected to this public area. The calming scene was further accented by tall, crooked trees on either side of the road, which only grew thick, circular leaves on the ends of their snaking branches.

The smallest manors came first after the promenade that followed the gates. Zuri had seen them all a dozen times before, none of them as impressive as the larger, more expensive, older buildings that were further into the midst of the district. There was the occasional shop, identified by having their entrances right on the smooth sandstone path and a large pane of glass letting light into them. Zebric runes in extremely large print told what each one was for. High-end smithing, jewelry, bakeries, et cetera. Datroi was in awe, struggling to take in every detail of the progressively more beautiful homes as they left the miniature marketplace behind. Zuri had her eyes on one of the biggest: The Sara estate.

It looked just like she had dreamed it so many days ago. One large structure that made up the manor, connected to a smaller penthouse where the servants slept. As she stepped onto the path that lead to the stairs to the main doors, she took a moment to admire the beautiful windows, the flawless outer walls of stone, the obelisks flanking the entrance, inscribed with zebric blessings upon the house of Sara.

Zuri made her way up the stairs, making sure that Datroi was till behind her, and met the two guards at the double-door entrance to her home. Both guards recognized her at the same time, and seemed shocked to see her again. They both made to move for the rune engraved on the door that would open it, and ended up bonking heads with one another. Zuri suppressed a giggle and instead addressed them, "be still loyal guards. I am capable of opening my own door." Her eyes flashed, and the doors swung open. Both guards made a mumbling apology to one another, a more audible one to their Lady, and then stood straight again, not questioning Datroi's presence or her following Zuri into the main entryway.

The high-ceiling had three large, circular skylights which lit the room, showing Zuri the two curving sandstone staircases, the thick, dark blue carpet that adorned them, and the balcony they led up to. It also showed that no one seemed to be home. The double doors shut behind her with a loud crash, that reverberated through the entry hall like the ringing of a bell. After a few moments of silence, Zuri felt her stomach give a rumble. Agilis and Giza had conveniently forgotten about breakfast. Thanks, you two. I'm sure you're very busy. It was still morning, perhaps the dining table would still have something on it for the youngest member of the family.

She lead the way to the dining room, deciding to introduce Datroi to the servant's lodgings once she had introduced her to her family. Sure enough, she could hear voices coming from the dining room, which became silent as the sound of her hooves hitting the floor reverberated through the long, tall hallway. The long dining table had the remains of a hearty family breakfast still present, five places set, and three more unset. At three of those set places, sat three zebra, all of whom Zuri knew.

Mother, father, and big brother, all blinking at her, momentarily stunned by Zuri's sudden appearance. With hunger pains and anxiety fogging her thoughts, the only thing that Zuri could think to say was, "did you save any for me?"

Her mother got to her first, inflicting a desperate hug upon her youngest daughter. "You're home! Thank the stars, you're back home!" Xoda Oun-Drii Sara pulled back for a moment, to fix her sapphire eyes in a firm stare upon Zuri. "You, young lady, had us all worried nearly to death. Stars, look at you, you've thinned. Have you eaten nothing in your time away?"

"Not nothing..." Zuri's stomach disagreed with another timely growl.

Xoda gave a little sigh. "Or perhaps your brother and sister just neglected to feed you."

Father came next, embracing his youngest with equal warmth and relief. "I suppose it was enough that they brought you back alive and well! You are well, aren't you?" Gainu looked over Zuri with his probing eyes. "Where did you go? What did you eat? You obviously never made it to any Gau-Aer..."

Mizul pushed past his father to nuzzle his little sister affectionately, getting a word in edgewise. "What got to you, then? Rogues? Ophidum? Formannecol?"

Zuri suppressed a prideful grin. "None of those. I was captured by roving ponies, thinking me a thief."

Well that shut everyone up. It had been obvious that they all had questions for her, but now mother, father, and eldest brother just gaped at her. Having stunned them to speechlessness, Zuri decided to continue. "They put me in a cage, and tried to get rid of me in a slaving town..."

Xoda gave a sharp intake of breath. "Now wait just a moment, my dear. It'd be best if we heard this while sitting down, I think. If only Lebowa were here to hear this..." Zuri was sort of glad her eldest sister wasn't there to hear it. Yes, they loved each other, but there was always a rivalry between the youngest and the eldest Sara daughter—Lebowa was born with a strong, intelligent mind and a beautiful body, though without the gift. Zuri was born with a strong mind, discolored body, and carried the gift the strongest out of all her siblings.

They sat down, and Xoda demanded that the servants fetch Zuri something to eat. Before Zuri could stop her, Datroi made off with the other Scal-Re present in the room, intent on appeasing her mistress' empty stomach. While this temporarily let Zuri get away with not explaining the young slave's presence to her elders, it made her wonder just how well Datroi would blend in with the other servants. Pushing this thought aside for the moment, Zuri resumed telling her tale, keeping her parents and eldest brother on the edge of their seats, much to her enjoyment. Editing out any thing to do with her emotional breakdown or the changeling queen set loose on the world, her story went from New Dodge Junction, to the Forest guarded by mercenaries, to the train, to Rockpile, and then to Paradise City.

She went from the grungy slums where Ruby Nights ran her outfit to the aristocratic apex of the civic, deigning even the Grand Galloping Gala, emotional roller coaster though it was, necessary to mention. She left out any mention of Shade, though she did hint at Blueblood's attempt to take her, much to both her parents' dismay and her brother's outrage. She then brought up the striped shanty, and this was where she hesitated on more detail. It was bad enough to speak of how ponies mistreated zebra, but what about zebra mistreating zebra? Zuri had no clue how to gauge her family's reaction to that. She decided to go scant on the more sordid details, just to be safe.

"It was a dirty place, full of zebra and buffalo who couldn't do anything better with themselves." She explained, emphasizing her point with a disgusted expression on her face. "It was governed by an uniquely brutish stallion and his buffalo right-hoof. Surprisingly, he knew how to trance. And trance well. He nearly killed me."

Xoda shook her head in disbelief. "Stars, I cannot imagine any mansa so well trained and experienced living in a place like that. Even though you're still young, Zuri, you're very strong," she paused to enjoy her daughter's blush. "But honed skill can outdo raw power almost any day."

"He definitely had skill," Zuri agreed. "It felt as if the Dunnur had taught him, as well."

Gainu put a hoof to his chin, a playful smile on his face. "Perhaps Dunnur has something he ought to tell us, eh? I bet the old stallion makes frequent trips out to the pony towns, just to teach unkind little colts how to control their abilities better than a Sara descendant, granted one that is just coming of age."

Zuri gave a little huff. She had her gold rings; she was just as much a fully-trained trancer as her mother was, minus the experience and the experimentation. Sure she was still rather young, but she wasn't an adolescent anymore! She was an adult Sara descendant, and and hadn't Viva Sara been her age when she set out on her own?

Food arrived, on one large, shimmering platter piled with sweet native fruits, teardrop-shaped leavened bread, freshly cooked sandspider meat, and leaves of all sorts. Datroi carried this platter ahead of two other servants, and carried herself with pride for what was probably the first time in her life. She set it down before Zuri where she sat, right between Mizul and her mother. The two other servants, sort-of pushing Datroi aside, then gave her a tall, cylindrical cup of water. Tired of talking, Zuri dug in, in the midst of reveling in a mouthful of soft, warm naan when she was interrupted by Mizul putting a hoof on her shoulder, and looking warily at the food.

"You left out saying anything about that Scal-Re who followed you in," he said. "Do we get an explanation about that before we let her serve you breakfast?"

Swallowing first, Zuri answered, "her name is Datroi Scal-Re Talas, and she is my servant. She was originally owned by the brute of a stallion running the striped shanty. I found him undeserving of a Scal-Re, given his vile treatment of her, and so I took her with me. She has no reason to harm me. Is that all correct, Datroi?"

Datroi nodded eagerly. "Yes, my lady!"

Gainu looked pensive. "And so you say she is now your very own servant?"

"You knew her full name, which suggests that you had her sworn unto you," added Xoda, looking amused.

"She is sworn unto me as hoofservant and secondly unto the family, as I expected you'd have wanted, mother," Zuri explained.

Xoda openly laughed. "Well, good that I did! I suppose this saves us the trouble of purchasing one for you. She has her rings, I see, so she must be fully trained. In that case my only request is that you make a point of seeing your Grandfather soon and ensuring that her becoming yours is something you can do—given the situation you were in."

"I don't see why I won't be able to go see him today. I don't have Dunnur's lessons to attend, at least not today, nor anyone else's. I've got to figure out something to do with all this free time."

"I'm sure you'll find something, dear." Xoda assured her. "In fact, why not go see Dunnur as well? I'm sure he'd be as interested as my father would be in hearing about your travels."

"With luck," Mizul put in, "you'll find them together. Recent goings on have gotten them talking with each other."

"Recent goings on? What do you mean?" Zuri queried. What did I miss?

Mizul smiled at her, and sat up straight in his street. "Oh, no one's told her yet, that's not peculiar at all."

"I'll save you the trouble of trying to get it out of your brother," Xoda cut in. "Eat your greens, and plenty of them, dear. Among other things, there's a Cudonetor coming up."