She had a restaurant on the Eastern Dock Complex, and in the early morning could go to the balcony of the attached living quarters and watch the spelljammers rising up majestically (or in the case of Tinker Gnome Sidewheelers - comically) into the brightening sky. The sleek hammerships and eelships that were favored by many, the squat turtles and swift clippers of the system defense force, the graceful elven living ships and the monstrous whaleships.
After some schooling (it hadn't felt right to just give up on it) she'd open the restaurant and see the throng of people and things (and things that were also people) come and go from her shop like some multi-colored tide.
Some races weren't welcome, mainly because their food preferences made the bulk of the others ill and you couldn't properly store things like live grubs and always keep them seperate from the other ingredients. So the thri-kreen and neogi and beholders rarely ate at her place. That left a lot of variety.
And as she worked she revised her plans for vengeance. She'd been paid back for the dowry, but there was still the insult. Ranma could have been as clueless as was indicated, and Genma might have reformed. So she'd settle for a formal challenge and beating on the two - then revealing her shame to all and turning public sentiment against the rulers.
Maybe. She was still coming up with plans and discarding them. She had given up on the sneak attack strategy when she had heard about what happened to some neogi-hired assassins that had gone after Ranma.
"Where's Pop?" Ranma asked the ogre major-domo, which for some reason had been named 'Lurch' by his father.
The tusked fellow in a fairly dapper red leather and brass armor bowed as best as he could, which wasn't much. "The Prince's Father is currently in the Shire - attending an eating contest."
"Defending his title, eh? Well, he'll be awhile." Ranma realized that there were many things you could say about an eating contest with halflings involved - brief would not among them.
Lurch nodded. "The various advisors are all dealing with this new problem, My Prince."
Ranma nodded and flipped an apple into the air, frowning when it came down in halves. "I don't need a bodyguard tonight, thank you!"
A black-clad shape seemed to materialize from a set of curtains and flow down the staircase.
Ranma waited.
Another shape moved down the stairs.
Nodding, Ranma offered half the apple to Alfred who politely declined.
"Nothing to worry about, young Master, the ships are clearly not of the Gith."
Ranma nodded. "Wasn't worried. The Githyanki aren't exactly wonderful people, but neither are the Githzerai, or the Illithid both groups are continually trying to get nasty with. That yuan ti ship - THAT was worrisome."
Alfred nodded. So far the only two groups to really test their little world were the yuan ti and the neogi. Well, that and the occasional Lolth worshipping group of drow that took exception to Eilistraee's presence here.
The neogi saw the misfits of this land as wonderfully diverse slave stock. The Lolth worshippers felt that the local variety of drow was an affront.
Never mind that she'd been killed not too long ago, speculation was that a goddess in hiding had taken over the role. The yuan ti serpentmen were another thing altogether - they felt the jungles provided the perfect environment for them - that anyone was in the way was just a plus as their breeding habits required humans be sacrificed as part of the deal.
Ranma shrugged and went back to his quarters, checking to make sure he was alone before he opened the window and began the task of sneaking from the palace. If he let the adults around him make those decisions, he'd never get to go out on a real adventure. At least not without a whole crew of trained ninja, warmages, and the like looking over his shoulder. He needed to get out and do some serious adventuring!
As he snuck down the wall, then leapt to the cobblestone street, Ranma made out a shape in the darkness. It looked like his flight had been anticipated but he knew he could count on:
(Posted Tue, 10 Dec 2002 12:10)
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