Better than expected.

Nerium spent the next few hours speaking privately with shady characters in dark, secluded places about the criminal underworld of Ferarrd. She learded of a scarlet or blonde haired mistress who ran all of the crime in thw city. Her name was Madam Qin and she was a ruthless woman that had all of the city officals and most of the guards in her pocket with ****. Word was that the only way to see her was in the secret brothel below the city.

The witch ventured to the sewers and began her search for this hidden headquarters, using a spell of firelight to shine the way. Half of the night passed before she came upon an odd looking tunnel. Casting life seeking spell, she found that there was a large group of people further down and soon she came upon a dead end. An adjacent set of stairs leading to the world above told her this was the place and so she began looking for the secret passage with another spell. Before her on the bricked wall was a glowing stone that she pressed and gave way to the brothel entrance. Neri stepped through and saw patrons and prostitutes mingling about the fancy room talking while some engaged in sex openly.

Before she could do anything else, a sack was thrown over her head and powder was thrown at her face. Nerium's vision faded to black and she collapsed in the arms of a stranger. When she came to, she was sitting before a group of shadowy figures dressed in robes or stealth armor that hid their identities. In the center, was an elegant woman sitting cross legged in an expensive looking embrodered throne. She wore a dress of fine silk and excelent design that revealed much of her legs and her chest. Scars marked her left eye while the other was hidden behind her head of scarlet hair that had a unique blonde tint.

"Madam Qin, I presume?"

"Oh yes darling," she said, "I see you have been busy."

"I am Ner-"

"I know who you are dear, and I know how you hate saying it. Seems like people have forgotten you."

"They will soon remember."

"That they will, I assure you. So, I accept."

"Excuse me."

"I already know of your intentions. I know everything. So I accpet to lend you my spies."

"I still don't know too much about you to decide if I want you."

"My dear, I know all that I see and hear. I have agents all over the region that tell me everything I want to know and could have evem more posted farther than that. And, thanks to this," she lifted her locks and revealed her right eye that shined bright with its white pupil and pink iris," I can see into the minds of those before me. And if that wasn't enough, a portion of my rackets can fund your army and my people can recruit intresting canditates for soldiers."

"Alright, you've tickled my fancy. But this does sound too good to be true. Why do you want to help me?"

"We ladies of power and lesser morals must stick togther. I was a lowly girl with a scarred face, **** to work as the cheapest whore in the brothel until I killed the madam who scolded me at every turn and fled. I met a witch in the woods who gave me an extrodinary gift and returned to work my way to becoming the true ruler of this city. No one would treat me like the diseased orphan anymore. And it was all thanks to you."

Nerium had lost some of her later memories as wandering the world as a old woman for centuries blended things togther or erased completely with time. But, Qin's words triggered a flow of memory and took her back into the past a few decades. She was sitting at her little camp in the forest outside Ferarrd, cooking up rodent stew. A young girl wandered into her camp, curious and crying, and she let her sit by the fire. The old witch fed her and let her share the small shelter she'd built. Rains came with each night for several days and the two rarely talked and mostly sat in silence as the witch worked away. Finally they sat down and talked, one told the story of her short and miserable time here while the other followed with the tale of her rise to power and fall from grace. Old and powerful was her magic, so she granted the girl with a magical curse of innersight as she saw herself in the child. The two parted ways the next morning and the rest is not of much importance.

Returning from her trip to the past, Nerium found Qin's arms wrapped around her and locked in an embarce. She returned her affection and welcomed the girl who saw her as the only family she'd ever had. "It is so good to see you again, Nan," she said as she let go of the white haired witch.

"Don't call me that. I don't like being reminded of my age...call me mother of you wish to be so affectionate, Neri responded.

"Before we conclude our business here mother dear. I wish to gift you one last thing," she added as she waved in a distant figure. A green haired catgirl entered the room and bowed before her new queen. "This is Nanami, she leads her people in a secluded forest village in the west. She'll serve as your personal assassin and ambassador for her people."

"My friends call me Na-na mistress. I am ready to serve as are the rest of my clan. All of us are trained in the art of stealth."

"Good, good," said the witch, "I thank you all for your support. It will he good to have your skills added to my army. Now, Qin, you do as you please. I trust your decesion making from here on out. Keep an eye on anything interesting and send word to my advisor, Sluttana, especially if you hear anything about my old generals or my staff. And Nanami, have your people serve the officers of my army as personal assassins for when we start to truely begin the campagin. There will be plenty to kill when we move on the lands before us...Now come! We must go." And with that the cat girl joined her queen and the two vanished insnatly, teleporting back to the tower and leaving Qin to her business.