Several days passed while John and his new harem worked at the travel center. The hunting options available were not enough to make a fortune, but he acquired more than enough funds to get them to the Southern March.

A creature of comfort, he firmly believed in staying comfortable during any sort of work experience if possible. The moderate climate that the Florida Preserve provided during even a harsh winter was far better than the freezing cold of the northern regions. Earning enough money to make the trip in relative ease made John quite content at the moment.

Kara looked to him briefly then nodded. Somehow they'd gotten onto the topic of politics. Her master casually informed her of many issues concerning America.

The United States was one of the larger countries in the world, albeit small for a global empire. The seven regions and fifteen states were hard to police at times due to feral and anti-government militia forces. Wars cropped up now and then, but most people adhered to the current treaties at present.

Between the occasional Native Assembly members who wanted to leave their nation and retake all of North America, and the lands belonging to the PRC (People's Republic of California) America had enough to deal with. However, the biggest political concerns were the war-mongering Canadians to the North, and the ever encroaching people of West Mexico.

"There haven't really been any wars in a while," said Kara after considering her masters words.

"Yes. The last great war, the one that rearranged the map, was the only one that mattered much in recent years," said John.

He shook his head then made a comment about human foolishness. Life was difficult enough without people trying to conquer each other. "Wars only breed chaos, orphans, and more feral Demi-humans."

Kara nodded softly then looked out the window. As a soldier, she looked forward to the chance to show her skills on the field of battle. Even so, a global war was not something she wanted to see first-hand.

They chatted back and forth for a while before John said, "Yes, I did live through one. I was born near the end of the last Great War. It's not the same as experiencing one now that I am an adult, however."

While Kara and John discussed his birth and the nature of human stupidity, Mindi and Tera rode in the back of the truck and mostly remained quiet. Only the noise of travel and the road kept their attention. Roads in general were difficult to maintain for various reasons. Side roads and other paths might be there one minute and gone the next. However, the main highways between regions and states were of vital importance for travel and inter-regional commerce. Constant maintenance was applied to the highways.

The main travel arteries had to remain intact. As such, police cruisers and United Self-Defense Force troops were seen in passing every half hour. Every twenty-five miles of road provided access to a heavily guarded defense force station. It was not a perfect system, but at least there would be a few dozen troops and their Demi-Humans to handle any immediate dangers in their jurisdiction when such situations inevitably arose.

Mindi could care less about geo-political issues at present, or the state of America's highways. Her tentacle healed fully during her stay in the confinement room, but her heart did not. She hoped to start her own center for the advancement underprivileged water type Demi-Humans. Growing up in an orphanarium really brought home the nature of how cruel the world could be to those without citizenship. Now she might very well spend the rest of her life as someone's bio-weapon sex toy. It was enough to make her want to cry.

Tera sat next to her and watched the asphalt drift by at a good speed. The wind bit against her a bit despite her heat field. Her master only allowed the two of them to wear the most basic of clothing. A thin cotton t-shirt, and a pair of cotton shorts. Apparently they were on restriction until they proved their worth. It was typical carrot and stick behavior but they had no choice. Besides, there was a very small chance that he might help them sue their former tamer if they cooperated. Unfortunately, that meant biting back their anger and facing the harsh reality of once more being classed as owned Demi-Humans.

After several minutes of silence, Kara asked her master if it would be fine to man the gunner's position. He gave his consent readily, and pulled to a stop.

Tera and Mindi looked askance at the girl, but the only thing the Steel Valkyrie did was hop into the back of the truck and man the gun. Once she settled into position, John drove forward once more.

Kara manned the gunner's seat and kept her eye on both the reluctant, but currently obedient, new comers and the world around them. It was her job to keep the team safe in transit. No harm would come to her master. Her wonderful, wonderful, master.

John drove the truck at a reasonable speed down the road. There was no speed limit outside of inhabited areas, but he was not overly reckless. The truck and what it currently carried was his livelihood. Even if he walked away from the wreck without a scratch, it would be a major loss if the truck was wrecked. Long distance public transport remained hideously expensive on a per travel basis, and he refused to walk across America.

He did, however, turn on the radio. He chose the local rock station and indulged in the luxury of bobbing his head to the lyrical style of Pink Kitty, an all Catgirl band. The lead singer tended to scream her lyrics a bit, but the overall sound of the group was interesting.

As the hours passed he began to grow tired and knew he would need to stop for a while. He was also vaguely concerned for the welfare of his girls. It wouldn't do for them to get sick. Hospital fees were expensive even with full-coverage insurance.

The master of his domain used his GPS to locate the nearest training center travel lodge and nodded to himself. He'd passed one about three miles back but did not want to turn around. The next one was roughly forty miles away.

He cranked up the heat a little since it was getting dark and decided to push on. It was rather chilly in the cab of the truck and he certainly didn't see the need to allow that sort of thing. In the back his two newest acquisitions huddled together for warmth as the biting wind generated by their method of travel swirled around them. Kara, merely accepted it as an inevitability of the battle field.

...