John took the lead with Leafy following behind and on his left like a migratory bird.

After about 25 kilometres of flying, there was sudden movement from the outpost.

A blue like shield dome became visible around it and a number of violet velvet clothed individuals began to file out of its main gate.

The leading individual was a mature red headed woman with hair like silk that could carry itself in volume all the way down her back and halfway down her front. Her skin was white and slightly tanned with her lips a dark purple nearing the colour of her clothes.

Stocking like footwear covered most of her legs and was made tighter around her thighs by 3 silver buckles. Her waist was slightly cinched much in the same way as 3 more buckles were placed there as well to make something of battle bustier. Her chest was tactfully covered in silver plating along with her fore arms. Only a single thin band containing capsules, of what John did not know, wrapped around her biceps leaving them seemingly vulnerable. Just her her waste she wore matching undergarments but it did not continue onto her thighs while a half skirt split in two did flow down from her her back to her calves.

Strangely though was the fact that she wore a piece of fabric over her eyes. It matched her outfit and was adorned by silver threads, but that she had something purposely obstructing her vision when the rest following her did not was odd. Her followers were dressed in a similar style, though with less silver and in a way that was a bit more modest and combat practical.

Starting from 200km out, the group closed in on Leafy and John who were watching their speed so that they matched as a means to not appear threatening. Not until a full hour had passed did they finally come face to face.

Drawing two blades on her back, the leading gypsy stepped forward and began her interigation.

"Who are you?"

"I am John Ryder, this is Leafy."

John could tell she was inspecting them even with her mask by the small movements of her head.

"We are not ignorant of the conflicts between humans and elves, is she your prisoner?"

"No."

"Is he your prisoner?"

"Pfft! Hahaha." Leafy couldn't stop laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world. She didn't even care that her sudden actions had brought a number of weapons from the surrounding people to bear.

"That's a no." John interjected.

"So there's an elf and a human travelling in peace these days. Maybe there is hope for this world yet."

She withdrew her swords.

"I am Sonya, this is my sister Kara and my brother Kon. What brings you out this way?"

Sonya pointed to two of her people at her side respectively. They were both on edge.

"We're wanderers, looking to trade and hoping to resupply."

"You are traders?"

John reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold coin, flicking it over.

"Will this suffice as a tariff?"

Sonya passed it to Kon who took a closer look before returning it to Sonya's hand who now had a mischievous smile.

"This is a fake, so it does not."

John tossed over 4 more, bringing it to five. They were not fake but neither was the first.

"No, this won't do. What else do you have on you?"

She motioned for a group of individuals to step forward, intending to check.

John started releasing low levels of mana which triggered an arcane shield. A moment later he was glowing a feint purple which had the approaching individuals stop and look at Sonya.

"Are you refusing to be cooperative?" Was all Sonya said as her people raised their weapons.

"You are being unreasonable. What I gave you was genuine yet you called it fake and demanded more."

"Says you."

John talked to Leafy in a whisper, "how are you in a fight? How many can you take?"

"They have 12 nature mages mixed in with what is around 30 people plus this leader lady. They are going to regret bringing them along so I'd say at least half."

"Ok, then that makes this easy."

It looked like it was going to be a fight but then John realized he had forgotten something. And that something was already here.

John only noticed the instant before it took action.

"rrAAAAAwrrr!" It was a baby roar from a particular skytiger that was now, just above them.

There was a huge burst of gravitational and wind type magic from the little guy as his trajectory took him to land right on top of Sonya.

She immediately felt it as she was brought to her knees then made to lay flat on the ground, sprawled like a pancake and feeling too heavy to lift even her pinky.

The little guy gently landed on the mid of her back and proceeded to walk over her head. Its own head had its chin up and was swinging back and forth as if to say, 'praise me praise me, I got the bad lady.'

No one moved as the skytiger did circles around John's legs.

...

...

...

Eventually leafy pick up the skytiger to which she enjoyed so much that she forgot about maintaining her magic and released the hold she had on Sondra.

Propped up on leafy's shoulder the 'little' skytiger that was half her size made every attempt to lick, leaving her tongue to run wild against leafy's cheek.

Leafy's face went red as she tried not to laugh from the ticklish sensation. She could realize now that the atmosphere was pretty tense.

"Would you like a hand?"

John offered assistance but didn't approach else it might appear an act of aggression.

Slowly Sonya got up on her own, she was a bit weak in the knees though, doing everything she could to not let it show.

Her lips were quivering and her whole body was swaying ever so slightly. Even her own people might not of noticed but John did.

Biting her lip before she spoke, "that was... A suprise. You were right though, thinking about it again that tribute was enough. Fake or not, we don't necessarily need to have a friend pay tribute. What do you say, care to have me buy you a drink?"

John was sure her suddenly passive from aggressive stance had nothing to do with getting herself pawned in a single strike from a baby cub, presumably the weakest of the three as it was not with them to begin with and so young. Not! It had everything to do with that!

"Let's do that and sorry about my tiger, she was left behind for a reason. Guess what we gave her to play with wasn't enough when she realized we left."

With a nod to yet another subordinate, the subordinate disappeared. It was short range teleportation magic as it only had one array appear on the ground, craving itself out like an army of termites. A long range teleport require at least one more aerial array in addition to the one on the ground, with more coming into play as the difficulty increased.

Soon a much larger array appeared under everyone's feet for which everyone was teleported.

John's next sight was the inside of the gypsy compound.

Here is what John saw from above. Moulded from the ground, via magic, were a series of rock like square buildings. Doorways cut the walls and stairs were built into its side for access to second floors.

That said, and with all the buildings nearby, it was odd that the area was empty.

"This area is a plaza, it spacious design gives up a fair bit of room for mass teleports. When we are out, it remains clear to avoid getting non-combatants caught in the array."

"No worries here. It just seemed odd by the architecture."

"That's good. If you can follow me, I can get you that drink and we can talk."

It was almost right beside them and so they entered one of the buildings, just the three of them with the cub.

Inside was a bar, or cellar, it was to hard to tell. This place had bottles of this and that lining the walls and a number of tables with their own bear spouts. It was a nightmare waiting to happen. John believed the bartender served only to shine and distribute glasses.

It was refreshingly cool, seemingly the alcohol well maintained.

"What would you like? First rounds on me."

"Something dark and sweet for me and Leafy. Milk for the tiger if you have it."

As she turned around to ask the bartender, John slipped out three pills and silently castes veiled of concealment on them.

"It's milk from our chimera's so you know, virtually the same as what you find in the capital. And the drinks are from Crimson Pom Pom Furrah berries, I guaranteed its taste."

The drink were a red mixture expanding a pink froth at its top.

"Here, let me help."

John grabbed leafy's and the skytiger's drink. He quickly dropped the invisible pills within them.

The dark and clouded liquids masked the dissolving pills and quickly became a part of the drinks, no one the wiser.

John took his from Sonya and did the same again.

It was a good drink, fruity and sweet with just the right amount of alcohol to compliment a very delectable berry's taste. If trading went well, he hoped to bring along one or two barrels of the stuff on Icarus when they left.

"Thank you. This drink is very good."

John could only sing his highest praises while leafy with her smaller mouth and body spent her attention on how she was going to consume it, as she enjoyed it as well. Needless to say the skytiger was enjoying her's, already half way through it.

"So you were looking to trade, what was it you wished to find?"

"Artifacts, magic schematics, food, and water. Anything related to mana and surviving essentials." John kept it simple.

"We may have a few of those things. What would you trade for them?"

"I have gold and..."

John reached into his pocket and pulled out a high grade healing potion.

"Use blessed and purified water to mix with this and you can increase its volume to make a hundred times its volume in low grade healing potions. If not then you can use it as is for a grave injury. As long as someone is still alive and not suffering from a toxin or curse, it will heal them to perfect health."

"That is... May I smell?"

John lifted the lid and wafted it into sondra's nose.

"It really is a healing elixir." Sondra was surprised.

Healing elixir was a term given to the most potent form of healing potion found to date. It was also used as slang to describe a healing potion that was highly potent which this one was.

"So, sufficient for a trade?"

"Certainly, one moment." Sondra walked to the entrance and waved a man in that was nearby.

"Find elder Nero and inform him of the situation."

"Yes!" He immediately turned around and took off at a light jog.

She returned.

"Well then, drink, be merry!"

The three gave each other a clank with their glasses and took a big gulp.

*thump*

The sky tiger spread its legs out and dropped to the ground where it spread its limbs like a floor mat. She was fine, just content and processing her belly filled with milk.

30 minutes later, passing with insignificant chatter, and leafy was cozying up her face with the table with her face red as a tomato.

John was still enjoying the flavour, not effected by the alcohol at all.

Sondra kept a straight face but her eye was twitching.

John guessed that she was realizing that her plan had failed but wasn't sure how. He had suspected her to try drugging them and had dropped neutralizing pills into the drinks but she didn't know that.

She could only sigh though as the chance for a fight was over, now that they were inside. Starting a fight against strong opponents that you did not know while at a disadvantage was unwise. It was time to give up the plans of stealing.

A wave of her hand and the man she had sent away returned with a wooden box.

Opening it revealed a a light blue rock pulsing in a white light.

A moon rock. That was something Icarus could use though she would need more then one.

"hmm, these will do. How about a hundred of these and two barrels of what we just tried?"

"I'm sorry John but what you provided will not be enough to cover that."

John reached inside his armour and pulled out 9 other potions to make it 10 and another potion that was half the size of the others and appearing as a pink cherry blossom flame.

"Saying its a matter of payment rather then quantity, I'll assume you have enough. Will this do then?"

Sondra looked at her subordinate then back to the new bottle and then at her subordinate once more, repeating it a few times for good measure.

The appearance of a Phoenix flame potion was unmistakable. Essentially a healing potion at its core, it could heal anything instantly while active. Where it wasn't a healing potion was its vortex ability on the soul, keeping it bound to the body no mater what the individual suffered, and it's ability to regenerate any organs or limbs like the heart in brain. The potion could revive the dead if the soul of the body was still lingering near it, not having entered the rebirth cycle. It's downside though was a high level of potion toxicity that was far higher then you would get even from top quality healing potions. There was a saying, too much of a good thing can be bad, and it was here you could find such a case. The potion toxicity would be like being completely drunk and under the effect of strong full body muscle laxatives all at once.

Needless to say, people avoided using them in combat but there were times that they needed to use.

"Yes, this for a hundred is fair."

Sondra was happy with the terms of the trade.