Emancipation

episode 18

Raen had gotten used to the constant influx of new people, it was a resort town. Some locals feared these visiting city folk. Mrs. Shaney down the street feared the visitors were thieves and rapists. Raen didn't know how common those crimes were on this world but she was pretty sure that Mrs. Shaney's fears were unfounded. Either way, Raen wasn't afraid, Beaoul her companion was a born and bred female hellhound. Their relationship was complicated and often they didn't agree, but Raen knew she could count on Beaoul to have her back.

Frankly, the two of them had only lived there five years. The locals were barely considering Raen and her companion locals as opposed to extended visitors. Raen worked at the local grocery store and Beaoul worked for a local sheep farmer on occasion. Of course, Raen got paid for those services. A fact that really upset the hellhound. Beaoul was every bit as intelligent as Raen. Heck Beaoul could speak, though she wisely concealed that fact. This was earth and "dogs" had no rights or intelligence.

Raen regularly had to talk her friend down from making a hasty mistake. She usually didn't have to remind Beaoul of much more than the fact that they were in hiding. Mira Black, Beaoul's former mistress still searched the universe for them. This meant they couldn't draw too much attention to themselves.
The duo had settled rather complacently into a relaxed life, until the summer when the odd tourists began arriving. Most of the town thought them no odder than the rest. And perhaps Raen and Beaoul would have continued to ignore the newcomers if there wasn't one simple thing uniting them. They arrived in groups of two to four adults, wearing clothing in shades of mid-tone gray to black. The normal tourists arrived as family groups and wore clothing as colorful as anyone.

When Raen finally noticed the gray people it was nearly too late. She immediately contacted Beaoul telepathically, I think Mira has found us.

"I think you are right," Beaoul said aloud stepping up behind Raen out of thin air.

Raen smiled at her friend, "Your teleportation is getting way better than mine. I think we need to get out of here now."

Together they quietly ducked down an alleyway. Raen removed a necklace with a pearlescent key dangling from it from around her neck. She shoved the key into the back door of the nearest building and opened a portal to their place of refuge, a Middle of Everywhen entity they called Toni. Before the enemy operatives could close on their position, Raen pulled the key from the lock. Then Beaoul and Raen stepped through the portal.

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Beaoul