The Dream Shifter

Chapter 90

Ayumi stepped forward looking at the two of them with the façade dropped while she only faced them. "I think one of the sisters is a Meso Presecho user," she declared to them with all of the seriousness she could muster.

Yuki smiled and nodded patting her shoulder. "Yeah, I figured that it was a Kasou-ryoko a while ago." Saki nodded silently to Ayumi.

As the only one to get under Ayumi's skin, her frustration was quickly appearing as she glared at Yuki. "Would you stop insulting our tradition!"

"But I can't understand your Greek words! It sounds better this way!"

The bickering between the two alerted Saki returning her to herself sharply to interrupt them. "Hey you two! Now's not the time to fight!" She had her hands on the two of them gripping them tightly to keep them separated. Tensions eased back quickly for Ayumi as she regained her composure. "So which of the sisters do you think it is?"

Yuki did not look like he wanted to let go of it, but Saki was already addressing Ayumi. "The eldest sister. She's the only one that was not present while we were in the simulations." Ayumi turned her head just enough to glance back at the counter as the three sisters were entertaining their friends. Her mind was quickly going through tactics until a voice interrupted them.

"It's actually none of them, Young Miss," a woman's voice said from above and front of them. Across from where they stood against one of the rooms was a stairwell with a landing. Drawn out steps on the wood boards signaled the approach of the woman. The woman that appeared on the landing looked to be in her thirties and an ordinary businesswoman wearing formal pants and blouse with an open vest over. It was carried out in a calm scheme of tan brown, white and light blue. She would have passed for Japanese if not for the distinct European features of her face and natural blonde hair.

Ayumi and Saki quickly turned to give her their full attention as well as stepping forward in front of Yuki. "My, such determined expressions. You're pretty lucky boy," she said keeping with her relaxed attitude.

"I won't let you near him!" declared Saki as she moved out in front more keeping her between them. She did not know what to expect from an assassin since they were all so different, but she kept slowly pushing herself forward.

Taking them back some, the woman sat down on the landing with her legs resting on the lower steps. "I think you misunderstood me, dear. I'm not interested in the young man there." She smiled pleasantly to them still holding her aura of calm.

"Then what do you want?"

"Simply to introduce myself. Welcome you to my shop! I'm Phoibe." Her hands drew out to her sides as she talked taking ownership of the building. "How did you enjoy my entertainment?"

"Entertainment?" Ayumi cautiously said still waiting for the woman to change her attitude. "What's the point of this?"

Phoibe frowned upon hearing Ayumi's suspicious tone. "I thought that was pretty obvious. I need money."

"Huh?" Saki said confused by the reactions that they were getting from the woman. "But don't you get support from your people?"

"Exiles have to live on their own," said the woman flatly becoming serious. She pulled up her blouse exposing her stomach revealing a cross shaped scar on her right side. Ayumi immediately reacted to it as her eyes widened for a moment. "Seems the Young Miss understands." Phoibe lowered her blouse readjusting it.

Ayumi relaxed her guard as Saki and Yuki looked to her for an answer. "How long?"

"Nearly twenty years…"

"Ayumi?" said Saki starting to pull herself back from the front.

There was a lengthened pause with Ayumi before she looked at the two of them. "Depending on the crime and person it happens that we'll exile someone rather than kill or imprison them. When someone is exiled they are marked with a brand so that they are forever marked. It's rare, but it has happened with Meso Presecho users. Though they are normally executed…" Ayumi looked over at the woman with a demanding look in her eyes.

"Why would they allow someone with such powers to leave?" asked Saki expecting Ayumi to give her an answer even though it was clear she would not know.

The woman stood up and began down the rest of the stairs. "Well I can explain that. In my youth I was considered a…deviant. I had one too many run ins with the royal guard and so they had enough of me. However, they weren't strong enough to hold me for long and so I left."

"You just left?" Saki said incredulously. The explanation felt too simple to be truthful.

"Always having to hide and look around your back gets exhausting. So it was easier to just leave. I let them brand me to save face and departed."

"That's rather generous of you."

"I kind of regret it now. Makes wearing a bikini impossible."

The flat delivery in a vain serious tone made them all fall over off balance. The time that it took them all to recover Phoibe was walking into the hall towards their friends. Yuki stepped out in the front of them, but stayed behind Phoibe to keep his distance from his friends ahead. "So you aren't after me?"

Phoibe turned around looking across at him with grin that was bordering on a smirk. "My dear boy, I prefer men that are more experienced." She looked him up and down quickly leaving Saki and Ayumi a little unsettled as she looked back at them. Afterwards, Phoibe turned letting her shoulder length blonde hair wisp around lightly in the air as she stepped out to greet the rest of their friends.

Saki caught up with Yuki as Ayumi brought up the other side. She looked over at Yuki and Ayumi continuing on in her gaze. "She's a little strange, but you think we can trust what she says?"

"Don't trust anyone, but for the moment she doesn't seem aggressive. I'd suggest leaving." Ayumi stepped forward returning back to her usual personality as she rejoined everyone in the lobby. Phoibe did not miss a beat with her leaving Saki and Yuki behind.

'I don't know, but I'd like to think that there's not just assassins out there. There have to be good people too.' The whole conversation left him with an off balanced feeling that seemed very intentional, but it was simply a feeling. He wanted to trust her seeing that she had such a power and only using it to run a business, even if it was a business that was impossible without the power. There was little that he could do at the moment. So he went with the flow of the time. "Let's go, Saki!" he said smiling back to her.

Yuki grabbed her hand dragging her along with him taking them back to their friends. She was not in on their conversation and stood at the side waiting.

It was currently Kazuhiro speaking to shop owner. He had been mentioning what they had heard about the hostess's 'purpose'. "Given that, what type is the eldest sister?" Katsumi could not believe how straightforward he was speaking and grabbed him to keep him silence to not further insult them.

Phoibe waved her hand dismissing Katsumi's response. She was smiling hardly offended by his question, possibly even pleased. "You're quite correct in what you've been told. Though I'll have to get after Ha for spoiling the trade secret. But to answer your question the more refined palette desires someone more mature both in age and intellect. That is Hanabira. I do serve many different types of clientele."

"You've thought this out a lot I see."

"I am a businesswoman. I have to keep my customers happy." The woman raised her hand up to her mouth starting to laugh amusing herself.

While the laugh was not deafening it did make them retreat and ready to leave. Several of them were already going for the door as Hiroshi was politely trying to excuse himself. "Well it's getting late and it's a long walk through the alley." The others were nodding to him stepping back with him.

Hana stepped forward still with her hands quietly held in front. "If you turn left around our shop you'll be returned to the main street. It's much faster!" She smiled warmly to them.

Everyone looked over at Hiroshi suddenly becoming angry at him. He tried to back out of the building even faster as he was trapped. Kaede was the first to speak up for everyone's anger. "You mean all that walking through the alley we did and we could have just gotten here from the street!" She pressed in taking Hiroshi outside as the others followed leaving the owner and her hostesses behind still smiling.

Hana closed the door and turned politely towards Phoibe. "They were very pleasant customers, Miss Phoibe."

"Yes…yes, they were Hana. However, I'm feeling a little tired. So we're closing early."

"Yes, Miss Phoibe," the three sister said softly.

Phoibe stepped forward locking up the door before turning around. All three of the sister were gone leaving her alone. She ran her fingers through her hair fluffing it up a little as she walked back. "To think there'd be another one. I wonder…"

Their friends had left at the station leaving Yuki to walk home with his brothers and Ayumi and Saki. Saki left at her street and his brothers had run up ahead to their house. Yuki continued his even pace with Ayumi. However, before he could finish his walk Ayumi stepped out in front of him staring at him with serious eyes. "I hope that you enjoyed today, Yuki."

"Huh? Ayumi? Why you look so serious when you say that?" Yuki started to pull away getting an unsettled aura coming off of her.

"I'm telling that because I'm going to be working you harder in your training."

"What's with this all of sudden? I still can't even control my power!"

"Exactly. You need to be able to control," Ayumi said with urgency in her voice that made Yuki recoil further.

"You make it sound like I need to do now!"

"You only have one month left, Yuki."

Yuki was even more confused now than when she started. "Month? For what? What happens in a month?"

"The time for the heir to appear and claim the throne. After that it is turned over to the public for anyone to take." Ayumi stared at him closely starting to slow in her words. There even appeared some tears in her eyes as she seemed to be pleading to him. "You're the only one that can save them from the tyranny that they will bring down upon our people!"