《Kitsune in the Shadows》 Prologue Prologue I¡¯m d the uni decided to keep their doors open 24/7 this year, although that is a more recent development. If they weren¡¯t open, I would probably be beside myself worrying about just how I was supposed to finish this coursework on time. My trustyptop had finally given up on me after being quite frankly abused over thest eight years. Fortunately, I had rather uncharacteristically decided to make a backup of the project on a USB. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t bother, but I just felt that it was about time for something not to go my way. Thanks to that, all I had to do was run to the uni so I could finish it off in one of theputerbs. Although, I do still need to figure out what to do about myptop in the long term. I pushed that thought out of my mind so I could focus on what I had in front of me. Many hours passed as I stuck my head down to get this coursework done. It had been a while since I¡¯d had to work into the night, though I can¡¯t exactly say I¡¯m unfamiliar with being forced to pull an all-nighter. I had just finished with the final touches when the time passed 3 am, and all that was left to do was submit it online, which I did without any issues. Thankfully. ¡°Almost done, just a little more.¡± I don¡¯t know just how many times I have said that to myself over the years, but that doesn¡¯t really matter. Every time I finished something like this it meant that I was one step closer to really getting my life started. Though the end had never felt quite as close as it did at that moment. All that was left to finish was my dissertation; then, I would finally be free. I pulled out my phone to check my messages just in case someone had tried to contact me, and I noticed that my mother sent me a message four hours ago. ¡®How are you doing?¡¯ This message has been sent to me at least once a week for thest two years. At this point, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s just to check that I¡¯m still breathing. My mother probably feels the same way when I send the obligatory ¡®I¡¯m fine¡¯ in response. Thinking back on it, the longest conversation we¡¯ve had in recent memory probably wasn¡¯t any longer than six messages. Nothing in particr happened between me and my parents that led to our current rtionship; it¡¯s just that I need to prioritise my studies right now. Once this is over, I can spend all the time in the world bonding with them again. I stood up from my seat and stretched, signalling that I was done reflecting on my current situation in life. It¡¯s hard not to think about things like that when your mind is suddenly relieved of stress. ¡°Guess I have to walk home now.¡± As soon as I said that, I froze as I noticed that I wasn¡¯t alone, mainly thanks to the not-so-subtle side-eyeing from the only other student in the room. I waved at him and squeaked out an admittedly awkward ¡°Sorry¡±, he responded by shaking his head before just getting back to whatever he was working on. Sometimes you just feel like talking to yourself okay? It can really help to keep your train of thought focused. Anyway, I made good on what I had identally told him and quickly made my way out of the room. As I walked down the corridor, my nose was assaulted by the smell of bleach; it was strong enough to even make me feel a little light-headed. Deciding to pick up the pace in order to escape the smell I found myself at the top of the central staircase in no time. Letting out a quick sigh for good measure, I reached my foot out to start on my way down. Pretty quickly though, I noticed that something was wrong. My foot didn¡¯t stop when it was supposed to, it just kept going. Before I could react my vision was already filled by a close-up of the seventh step. My next thought was something along the lines of ¡®This is going to hurt¡¯, but strangely it didn¡¯t. Instead, I felt nothing. Not in the sense that nothing is wrong, but just, nothing. ¡­ What even is nothing? I always thought it would be something like an endless ck void, but it turns out that nothing doesn¡¯t even have that. Did you know that time is something? I didn¡¯t think so, at least until actually experiencing nothing.¡¯ ¡­ Do I even count as something anymore?¡¯ Maybe?¡­ ¡­ .. . Chapter 1 – My Chance Chapter 1 ¨C My Chance *Thud* Pain¡­ I felt¡­ pain¡­ Slowly, my eyelids opened, and I was greeted by something I thought I would never see again. Something lined with cobblestones and caked in ayer of mud. The floor. It was the floor. My arms started to try and lift me up off of the ground. It felt strange to move my body again, but despite that, what my mind was focused on was the sharp pain in my palm where it was being poked by a stone. Just how long has it been since I could feel something? While it should¡¯ve hurt, such a mild inconvenience was surprisingly reassuring. It meant that this might be more than just a dream. After putting in a surprising amount of effort, I finally managed to prop myself up against a wall. Almost immediately after I rxed my arms, my mind started trying to understand what was going on. Where am I? My eyes looked around the area, trying to pick out anything remotely familiar. But with no luck. There were two walls made fromrge stone bricks, the one that I was leaning against and one only about two steps in front. To my right, there was a dead end, and to my left was an opening that let a small amount of sunlight in. It was an alley, a dark, damp alley. Since there was nothing that I recognised, I just moved on to the next question on my mind, hoping that would be more helpful. Who am I? I pulled myself over to a nearby puddle, slowly starting to get the hang of moving my limbs again. What stared back at me through the muddy water was a young girl with pale grey eyes. She was probably no older than seven years old. She had a delicate face framed by pure white hair. However, by far, the most striking feature had to be the tworge fox ears adorning the top of her head, although there definitely was somepetitioning from the fluffy tail waving just behind her head. What am I? After seeing my reflection, I tried to think back to what I looked like before, but there was nothing. I couldn¡¯t remember what I looked like before now. In a panic, I tried to think back and recall anything about myself. What was I doing before now? Where did I live? What was my name? But again, there was just nothing. I can¡¯t remember¡­ It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t remember anything, but there is nothing specific. Whenever I tried to remember who I was, all I recalled was white noise, as if the information had been scrubbed from my mind. Then what am I supposed to do now? ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Maybe this is a good thing,¡± I mumbled to myself. I might not know who I am or where in the world I might be, but I can just start my life now. Even if I don¡¯t remember who I was, that doesn¡¯t matter. I can just be whoever I want to be. This is a chance to start over. This was a chance. My chance. With this newfound surge of confidence, I pulled myself off the floor and onto my feet. Carefully, I lifted one foot and then set it down in front of me while still leaning my shoulder against the wall for support. ¡°Just one step at a time.¡± It¡¯s going to take a while for me to get my sense of bnce back, but I had to start somewhere. These small steps are the thing that is going to take me into my new life. Well, admittedly, what I did was more of a clumsy shuffle than any kind of gant stride, but either way, I made my way out of the alley, ready to confront whatever was out there. What I saw in front of me was a bustling shopping district lined with decorative storefronts. The bottom floors of the buildings were built from the same simple grey bricks as the walls in the alley, but the rest of the floors had this timber-framed look, although the woodwork was clearly far above what you would expect for a simple house. Out of the stores that I could see, there was an extravagant boutique, a small bakery, a jeweller, a tailor, and so many more. There was so much to look at it was impossible to focus on any one storefront. At that moment, I was immediately caught off guard by the sound of a horse¡¯s hooves clopping against the cobbles along with a low rattle. I pushed off the wall that I was using as a support to get a better view outside of the alley. Right as I did that, a bright red carriage pulled by two huge horses came into view. I stood there stunned, following the carriage as it passed me, trying to catch a glimpse of who was in it. I was so absorbed by the sight that I stopped paying attention to anything else around me. *Thud* Without warning, I found my forehead nted against the floor once again. Except this time, it was apanied by a sharp pain in the side of my head. ¡°Disgusting little heretic.¡± I painfully rolled myself over to try and see the person who had just said that. Stood over me was arge bulbous man, and I meanrge in every sense of the word. I doubt he could¡¯ve even made it into the alley I had juste from. The man was sporting a poorly sized three-piece suit; you could see his shirt poking out between the buttons on his waistcoat. He was cleaning his cane off with a handkerchief that had been stained a deep shade of red. ¡°Tsk, this had bettere off.¡± I tried to get up and run away, but as soon as I got back on my feet, I was met with a sharp pain on the other side of my head. *Thud* I was back on the floor. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just kill these heretics?¡± the man spat at me. He looked like he was about to take another swing at me, but fortunately, he was interrupted. ¡°W-we need to move on soon, o-or you will bete for your visit to the temple¡±, an unknown voice sheepishly squeaked out. ¡°Tsk, fine. But first, I need to procure a new cane. It would not be appropriate to bring that, thing¡¯s, blood into the temple.¡± ¡°Y-yes, my Lord¡± He started to turn away from me, but just before he started to walk away with his attendant, he made sure to throw the stained handkerchief at me. ¡°I also need to buy a new handkerchief!¡± He barked, ¡°I can¡¯t use this one anymore.¡± ¡°Y-yes, my Lord, right away.¡± With that final remark, he finally left me alone, crumpled on the floor. Tears were streaming uncontrobly from my eyelids, mixing with the blood strewn haphazardly across the floor. I justy there¡­ Crying¡­ My mind swirled with thoughts that questioned and condemned my prior confidence. Am I not allowed to just live my life? Why did I even try? ¡­ What else am I supposed to do? ¡­ The sun had started to set, and I was still just lying on the floor. My wounds had stopped bleeding at some point, but I didn¡¯t have the strength or the resolve to get back up on my feet. Nobody came to help; everyone just ignored me. I was, alone. What can I even do? Survive? Can I even do that? Summoning whatever strength I had left, I slowly and painfully dragged my body over the cobblestones back into the alley. Out of view, where nobody would find me. I made my way all the way to the dead end at the far end of the alley and curled up in the darkest corner. Maybe if I make it another day, things will change. As my eyelids started to feel heavy, my tail waved in front of my face, so I grabbed it in a tight hug. At least I have this much¡­ With thatst thought, I finally closed my eyes, hoping deep down that all of this was just a passing nightmare and nothing more. Chapter 2 – It’s Raining Food Chapter 2 ¨C It¡¯s Raining Food Back in the alleys of the shopping street, I waited. It has been about a month of doing this, and it¡¯s safe to say that it isn¡¯t just a nightmare. If anything, a nightmare would be better than this because, at least then, there is a way out. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t another encounter quite as bad as that first meeting with that bulbous pig. But that isn¡¯t to say the other people treat me much better. I peeked out from the alley a bit further down the street than where I was when I first woke up. This section of the street focused much more on food; in particr, there was a fruit stall and a bakery here, which were both quite popr. It was almost time for the regr lunch rush, and a few people had already started to crowd around the stalls. ¡°Tsk, not enough people yet,¡± I muttered to myself out of frustration. After many attempts of trying to talk to the people on this street, I managed to learn why everybody hated me so much. It¡¯s my hair. For some reason, everyone here thinks that pure white hair is a sign of a heretic. That¡¯s it. I don¡¯t know why, but just having white hair is enough to be branded a heretic. The only saving grace is that nobody seems to be willing to go any further than physical abuse. Even that bulbous pigined about not being able to kill me. Well, there is one other thing that this hair lets me do, but it¡¯s not exactly pleasant. ¡­ Just go and get it over with. The crowd had finally grown to a decent size, which meant it was time for me to make my appearance. I cautiously made my way out into the street, and nobody took notice. They were too busy trying to fight their way through the crowd so they could buy their lunch. Using this to my advantage, I approached a man who was busy inspecting an apple from the fruit stall and gently tugged on the hem of his shirt. ¡°Ahh, and what do you want?¡± the man said as he slowly turned around to look at me. However, as soon as his eyes fell on me, his tone quickly changed from annoyed to overtly hostile. ¡°Oi, that little heretic is back again!¡± Everyone within earshot of the man immediately turned to see what he was shouting about. As soon as they also noticed my hair, they started to join in the shouting, which prompted the few people who ignored the man¡¯s shouting at first to join in. ¡°When will you learn?!¡± ¡°How many times are you going toe back?!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want your kind here!!¡± The crowd didn¡¯t hold back their hatred. I want to say that I¡¯ve gotten used to it, but it always stings at least a little. The first man had now backed up, along with everyone else who was even remotely close to me. He stood with his arm pulled back, apple gripped tightly. Knowing what was about to happen, I started to raise my arms, but I was a bit toote. The man had already thrown the apple, and it hit me square in my forehead. A single drop of blood fell to the floor just in front of me. The crimson liquid slowly mixing with the mud was, unfortunately, no longer an unfamiliar sight. Seeing that someone else had drawn first blood, the rest of the crowd decided that it was time for them to join in. I fell to my hands and knees in preparation for what wasing. Not soon after, a flurry of various fruits and stale bread was thrown at me. It hurts. But it doesn¡¯t matter; I just need to hold on a little longer. While taking the abuse from the crowd, I would peek out every so often to grab whatever was close to me and stuff it into the rags I was wearing. If I just make it through this, then I should be able to hide away for at least a few days. Luckily for me, it doesn¡¯t take too long for people to lose interest, probably because they don¡¯t want to waste too much money buying food just to waste by throwing it at me. Not that I¡¯mining. Once everyone had stopped throwing their lunch at me, I quickly got up and scurried back into the alley, trying to ignore the lingering pain. Looking over what I managed to grab, I discarded anything that was too dirty to be eaten. Once I was left with only the edible food, I started to count what I had. It seemed like the haul wouldst me for at least a few days. Hopefully, that is enough time for my injuries to heal up enough to do this again. I pulled out an apple with a red stain on it and brushed it against my clothing to try and get as much of the blood off it as possible before biting into it. It¡¯s sweet Savouring the apple, things started to seem a little better, but the fleeting bliss disappeared along with the apple as I was abruptly brought back to reality. I let out a heavy sigh before getting up and limping towards the only safe ce I know. After about a week of staying in the ally where I first woke up, one of the shop owners came and chased me out, yelling about how I was affecting his business. Fortunately for me, it led me to find a better ce. The shopping street led to arge square, although saying that it was shaped more like a rectangle. On one of the short sides, there was a temple. It was arge building surrounded by pirs engraved with various murals, although by far, the most striking thing about the building was the pure ck stone it was made from. On the opposite side of the square, there was an almost identical building, although rather than ck stone, it was made entirely from white stone. The white stone temple was always busy, but everyone seemed to avoid the ck stone temple. For some reason, not a single person has visited since I found the ce, but that made it the perfect ce for me to hide. After I arrived at the temple and did what I could to tend to my wounds, the sun started to fall below the horizon. Is this ever going to end? There¡¯s nothing I can do to stop people from hating me, so does that mean I just have to keep surviving like this? ¡°If someone is watching, please give me something¡­ Just a way to hide my hair¡­ Maybe then things can change¡­¡± I know that there probably isn¡¯t anyone listening, but just maybe¡­ Finishing thosest thoughts, my tail moved in front of me instinctively. ¡°Guess it¡¯s time to sleep¡± Chapter 3 – A Flustered Goddess Chapter 3 ¨C A Flustered Goddess [??? POV] I don¡¯t know what to do. One day, this shabby-looking fluffy thing just showed up outside my temple. This has never happened before. Everyone¡¯s supposed to avoid my temple. Despite that, there was this small ball of white fluff huddled up against one of the pirs. It¡¯s really cute, and fluffy, and¡­ sad? Wait, why is it sad? I don¡¯t want it to be sad¡­ What do I do to stop it being sad? ¡°Maybe, I can just get rid of what is making them sad?¡± But I don¡¯t know what is making them sad. ¡°Maybe I can go and give them something?¡± But I don¡¯t have permission to go down there. While I was trying toe up with a solution, the fluffy thing suddenly said something under its breath. ¡°If someone is watching, please give me something¡­ Just a way to hide my hair¡­ Maybe then things can change¡­¡± ¡°I can do that!¡± I back shouted in response, ¡°I can give you a Blessing of Darkness!¡± Without wasting any time, I tried to give my Blessing to the fluffy thing. But it didn¡¯t work¡­ Wait, it didn¡¯t work? Why didn¡¯t it work? I know that it was my first time blessing someone, but it should just work. ¡°M-maybe that was just a fluke¡­ I-I¡¯ll just try again,¡± I said to myself, trying not to lose my previous burst of confidence. Same result¡­ But I can¡¯t just not give my Blessing to the fluffy thing. I don¡¯t know why, but I just do not want this ball of fluff to stay sad. Just watching the fluffy thing cuddle up with its tail to go to sleep while hiding its tears tugged at my heart. I tried toe up with a solution, but nothing came to mind. ¡°How could I fix this?¡­ I don¡¯t even know what the problem is.¡± Maybe Eria knows¡­ She has blessed a lot of people before. She probably knows what¡¯s happening. Before I had the chance to think about anything else, I had already rushed out of my domain and headed over to Eria¡¯s ce. When I arrived, I threw the door open and just blurted everything out, ¡°Eria! Fluffy thing! Hair! Hide! Blessing! Not working!¡± In response, she just stared nkly at me as if I was mad. ¡°Eria!¡± I shouted again. That seemed to force her out of her daze, and she started to talk. ¡°Sister? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Fluffy thing! Blessing not working!¡± I said with my arms iling around, trying to act out the situation. ¡°Hold on.¡± Eria rested her head in her hand, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for at least a couple hundred years, and you just suddenly show up screaming about a ¡®fluffy thing¡¯ and a blessing that isn¡¯t working?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Eria then let out a sigh, before looking up and gesturing to the seat next to her. ¡°Just calm down for a bit, then we can try and sort this out.¡± I really didn¡¯t want this to drag out any further than it had to, but this was all to make the ball of fluff happy, so I walked up and sat next to her. ¡°Now, first things first. Ovia, I thought I told you to call me either Aria or big sis.¡± ¡°B-but we¡¯re twins.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Fine¡­ A-Aria.¡± Eria then started beaming, quite literally at that, as you would expect from the Goddess of Light. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever been this epting before. I must admit it¡¯s a wee change.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now.¡± Eria was a bit taken aback after hearing my quick retort. ¡°Alright then, I would love to hear about what exactly has affected you so much.¡± ¡°T-there¡¯s this ball of fluff outside my temple, I want to give it my B-Blessing of Darkness, but it isn¡¯t working.¡± Eria seemed lost in thought for a moment before she waved her hand and summoned a panel that showed the exterior of my temple. ¡°Hmm, well, first off, maybe you should stop just calling it a ¡®fluffy thing¡¯ or a ¡®ball of fluff¡¯; it¡¯s a young kitsune girl, not a thing. Both you and me are kitsune as well? Why are you just calling her a ¡®fluffy thing¡¯?¡± My face started to heat up. I didn¡¯t realise I had been doing that. ¡°I-I¡­ forgot that k-kitsune could have o-one tail¡± You could probably cook an egg on my face at this point. Eria, on the other hand, just let out a sigh before continuing. ¡°You need to slow down and think things through properly, you don¡¯t need to panic this much.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­¡± ¡°So, why do you want to bless this little kitsune all of a sudden?¡± ¡°S-she¡¯s sad, and I don¡¯t want her to be sad for some reason. She said she wants a way to hide her hair, and my B-Blessing can help her do that.¡± Eria just silently stared at me for a moment after that, almost as if she was struggling to understand everything that was going on. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are the same Ovia as before. I think I should keep an eye on this particr kitsune.¡± ¡°J-just help me give her my Blessing.¡± Eria chuckled after that, ¡°Alright, I guess it is partially my fault, so I can try to help-¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± I interrupted, my face stiff. At that moment, the colour had drained from Eria¡¯s face, and it took a moment before she spoke up again. ¡°I-it¡¯s not something that I did.¡± She hastily spurted out while waving her hands around. After hearing those words, the muscles in my face rxed again, and Eria seemed to do the same. ¡°Her white hair actuallyes from her high affinity with Light Magic. All that is happening is that her Light affinity is so strong that it was rejecting your Blessing of Darkness.¡± ¡°So¡­ how do I fix it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly something that can be fixed¡­¡± I was physically deted after hearing that. What can I do for the little kit now? I started to get up and head back to my domain to try ande up with something new but Eria quickly started speaking again. ¡°Now, don¡¯t be so quick to leave. I didn¡¯t say that there wasn¡¯t something we could do.¡± I immediately sat back down and gave my full attention to Eria. ¡°Being that I am the Goddess of Light, I should be able to temporarily suppress her Light affinity so that you could try to give her your Blessing.¡± ¡°Then, what are you waiting for?¡± ¡°You see, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able topletely suppress her Light affinity. Her affinity for Light Magic is even higher than my natural affinity.¡± Neither of us said anything for a moment as I processed what Eria had told me. ¡°But, t-there¡¯s a chance?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I want to try.¡± If there is even a slight chance of this working, then I want to give it a go. If it doesn¡¯t work, then I¡¯ll just find something else. I won¡¯t stop until I at least do something for the little kit. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it,¡± Eria said as she stood up, ¡°No time like the present.¡± She ced her hand on the panel that she was using to view the little kit, and it started to glow softly. ¡°Now¡¯s your chance.¡± I closed my eyes and tried to bless the little kit, but it was rejected again. ¡­ Not good enough. I kept trying, putting everything I had into getting this Blessing to the little kit. It was like pushing against a brick wall, it just didn¡¯t want to budge. Just a bit more. I pulled what remaining power I had left in me and continued to push. It would probably leave me a bit drained for a while, but that didn¡¯t matter. Then, after just a little more pushing, it felt like the wall copsed, and all the energy had been sucked out of me. It worked. The Blessing actually went through. ¡°So, does that mean you did it?¡± Eria said after seeing me rx and sink into the chair. ¡°I¡­ think¡­ so¡­¡± Just to make sure it had actually worked, I gestured towards the panel Eria had been using so I could check. Looking at the fluffy little kit, it was clear that she had my Blessing, although something did feel a little strange. It¡¯ll probably be fine¡­ I sank even further into the chair, really feeling the wave of exhaustion hit me now that it had all worked out. Although, it seemed like Eria still had something to say. ¡°It looks like she¡¯s asleep at the moment; why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to send her a message?¡± ¡°What¡­ do you mean?¡± ¡°You are also the Goddess of Dreams, you should be able to visit her in her dream, no?¡± ¡°Oh yeah¡­ I forgot¡­ I could do that¡­ ¡°Well then, what are you waiting for?¡± I tried to force myself up off the chair but wasn¡¯t quite able to, so Eria grabbed my arm and lifted me to my feet. ¡°I wish you luck!¡± I just limply raised my arm in response before making my way back to my domain. I hope I have enough energy left to actually do this. Chapter 4 – The Shadow’s Embrace Chapter 4 ¨C The Shadow¡¯s Embrace It¡¯s cold¡­ But I don¡¯t hate it¡­ I opened my eyes to find¡­ an empty ck void¡­ But it didn¡¯t scare me. If anything, it felt rxing, homey even. There was nothing; it was just me¡­ Or at least that¡¯s what I thought. Without warning, something brushed against my tail, sending a shiver all the way up my spine to the tips of my ears. I instantly turned around, pulling my tail into my chest to keep it safe from whatever was out there. I won¡¯t give you my onefort in this world. The creature recoiled in response, almost as if it was just as startled as I was. It was a strange sensation; I couldn¡¯t see it, but somehow, I was fully aware of where it was. I just stood there, facing the creature, waiting for it to move again, but it didn¡¯t. It just stood there, facing me. Cautiously, I took a step back, but as I did, the creature took a step forward, maintaining the same distance between us. What am I supposed to do here? My mind was racing, trying to figure out what was going on. But the creature just stayed in ce,pletely motionless. Seeing this, my mind eventually settled on a single hopeful thought. It isn¡¯t going to hurt me¡­ I think? Deciding to take the risk, I took a step forward while reaching my hand out in front of me. ¡­ The creature didn¡¯t try to keep the distance between us like before. Instead, it just stood there as my hand slowly sunk into its fur. It¡¯s soft. My fingers slowly started to caress the fluffy creature by themselves, savouring the feeling as they glided through the silky fur. The creature didn¡¯t seem to mind this; if anything, they seemed to be enjoying it just as much as I was. This continued on for a little while, at least until the creature decided to move again, this time leaning in towards me. Looking up, it was just about possible to make out a face. It looked like a fox, albeit a veryrge fox, with deep ck fur and matching eyes. It was difficult not to stare into the abyss of those eyes; even being surrounded by darkness, something about those pitch-ck eyes stuck out. ¡°Hello¡­¡± A woman¡¯s voice? I started looking around to try to find where the voice wasing from, but whenever I tried to look around, the fox made sure to get in front of me. ¡°Look¡­ Me¡­¡± Is it¡­ the fox? ¡°Little¡­ Kit¡­¡± Is that me? I pointed towards myself, but before any words came out of my mouth, the fox nodded as if guessing what I was about to ask. ¡°I¡­ Dark¡­ Blessing¡­ Hide¡­ Tears¡­¡± What? Is this some sort of riddle that I¡¯m supposed to figure out? Once again, I tried to open my mouth and ask a question but was interrupted by the fox before getting a sound out. ¡°Tired¡­ Sleep¡­¡± The fox suddenly pulled away from me and walked off into the distance. I tried to follow it but started feeling lightheaded and ended up tripping over my feet. I closed my eyes and braced for what I knew was about to happen. All that registered in my mind was a single thought. Again? ¡­ .. . Isn¡¯t this the part where it hurts? Opening my eyes, my vision was filled with an endless field of white. My arms moved to lift my body up off of the floor, which gave me a better view of what I was looking at; a tail, one with a head-sized indent in it. ¡°A dream?¡­¡± While fluffing up my tail to get rid of the indent, I tried to figure out what all of that was supposed to mean, although nothing wasing to mind. No point wasting time on this right now. I sat myself up against a wall before reaching into my stash from the day before and pulling out something that looked like a plum. It was bruised and a little softer than expected, but it didn¡¯t bother me; it was food all the same. While eating, I couldn¡¯t help but think about a problem with people¡¯s choice of food to throw at me. ¡°I wish people would throw more bread; fruit just doesn¡¯tst long enough.¡± ¡­ ¡°It even would be cheaper for them¡­ and hurt less too¡­¡± The plum was quickly finished in the time that I spentmenting people¡¯s choice of projectile. Looking down at the plum stone that was left behind in my hand, I noticed that something was strange. The small shadow that it cast on my palm looked¡­ unusual? It was writhing and squirming about in my hand while also rhythmically pulsing every so often. It was almost as if it was alive. Gently rolling the stone back and forth, it looked like this living shadow was reluctantly being dragged along by the stone. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that my own shadow was doing the same thing, just on a muchrger scale. While trying to figure out what this was, a tendril from my own shadow started to crawl up my leg. I immediately jumped to my feet, but that didn¡¯t stop it. The shadow continued to climb up my body until it reached the palm of my hand, where it joined up with the shadow being cast by the stone. I could feel the shadow as it moved across my body, as wherever it touched rapidly cooled down, although I didn¡¯t find it ufortable. It actually felt¡­forting? This seems¡­ familiar. And that¡¯s when the pieces started to fall into ce in my mind. ¡°The dream¡­¡± As soon as those words left my lips, I felt the shadow start to squirm again. Looking down at my hand it seemed to be trying to point somewhere. My eyes followed where it was pointing and ended up arriving at one of the stone pirs just in front of me. Engraved into the ck stone pir was a mural of a sleeping nine-tailed fox. I walked up to the pir and gently brushed my hand against the mural, recalling the feeling of the fox¡¯s fur from my dream. Did I meet a Goddess? ¡­ They did mention a Blessing¡­ ¡°But why?¡± As if responding to my question, the shadow started to move again, rapidly making its way to both my hair and tail before eventually calming down again. At first, it seemed like nothing had happened, aside from a new brisk chill in my tail. But then my tail waved into my peripheral vision¡­ My heart skipped a beat¡­ The once pure white tail was now a deep ck, just like the fox¡¯s fur from my dream. My mind immediately realised what this could mean. What if?¡­ I sprinted from the temple, looking for the nearest puddle. I need to know. Once I found one, I immediately fell down to my hands and knees, sttering mud all over myself. ¡­ It was hard to make out much in the puddle due to the ripplesing from the tears that were already streaming down my face. But I could see enough. Someone heard me¡­ Just like my tail, my hair had been stained a deep ck. ¡­ ¡°Thank¡­ you¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Thank you¡­ So much¡­¡± ¡­ Chapter 5 – My Reality Chapter 5 ¨C My Reality It¡¯s been a month¡­ I¡¯ve put up with everything for a month¡­ But now¡­ ¡°I¡¯m free¡­¡± Just hearing those wordse from my lips filled me with hope. ¡°I¡¯m finally free¡­ to just live my life.¡± I pulled myself up off the floor and wiped away my tears with my sleeve. This is where I start over. There is just one thing that I want to do first. I want to go back to where it started and do things properly this time. Before I had the chance to think about it anymore, I was already sprinting through the back alleys, heading to the street where it started. The exit to the alley was in front of me before I knew it, but before actually making it out into the street, my legs froze up, almost tripping me up. Should I- ¡°Yes!¡± I interrupted myself before my thoughts could start to spiral out of control, ¡°This is your chance to do it over. Do it properly.¡± Forcing down any doubts, I took a step out into this new world once again. ¡­ What I saw in front of me was the same bustling shopping district lined with decorative storefronts. The same intricate timber-framed buildings. The same extravagant boutique. The same small bakery. The same tailor. The same jeweller. It was all¡­ the same¡­ But it didn¡¯t feel the same¡­ While trying to figure out what was wrong, my eyes instinctively moved to the people walking down the street. Most just ignored me, and the few who didn¡¯t did little more than nce my way before continuing on their way. Nobody is chasing me away, so what¡¯s wrong? This is exactly what I wanted¡­ This was supposed to be my second chance, but something was off. It was like all of the colour had been taken from the world around me. Why don¡¯t I feel anything?¡­ What¡¯s different?¡­ After asking that question in my mind, my lips started to move on their own, as if the answer was all too obvious, ¡°Me¡­¡± However, I was cut off before I could continue down that line of thought by a man shouting at the top of his lungs, ¡°There!!¡± My eyes and ears instinctively turned towards the source of the noise, but what they ended up finding made my blood run cold. There were three knights walking behind arge man. Arge man with a familiar face, who was wearing a familiar poorly sized three-piece suit. It was the same bulbous pig from my first day, but his skin had gained a sickly yellow tint, and what little hair he still had was sticking out of his head haphazardly like it had a mind of its own. ¡°That¡¯s the little heretic that cursed me!¡± he belted out while pointing directly at me. ¡°My Lord, that child has ck hair,¡± One of the knights chimed in, ¡°I thought we were looking for a white-haired heretic?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it has ck hair now! It has that face! I would recognise that pathetic damn face anywhere!¡± The knights nced at each other, almost as if they were trying to make sure that they were all hearing the same thing, although none of them chose to speak up. ¡°What are you waiting for?! Go kill that thing! I don¡¯t care what punishment Casgu faces for this! This ce has already betrayed me!¡± The three knights sighed, then replied in unison, ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± I just stood there, stunned, trying toprehend what I just heard. Kill?¡­ That can¡¯t be right¡­ I know that everyone hates me¡­ but nobody would go that far¡­ Right?¡­ However, once I saw the knights unsheathe their swords, a prickling sensation ran through my body, making my tail puff up as if my body instinctively knew it was in danger. My little legs took action immediately, carrying me back into the alley. All I could hear behind me was the knights¡¯ armour nking against itself as they started to run. Even though they were wearing heavy armour, it would only be a matter of time before they caught up to me and my tiny legs. Loose stones were digging into my feet with every step, but I could ignore the pain. It¡¯s nothing I haven¡¯t felt before. At least, that¡¯s what I thought. As I was approaching a turn in the alley, a particrly sharp stone sliced into the sole of my foot, tripping me up. I was able to brace myself against the fall, with my forearm taking the brunt of the impact and getting small cuts along it in the process. ¡°It¡¯s fallen, go get it!¡± The knight in the front yelled, ¡°I want to get this over with quickly.¡± Come on, get up! Hearing the sound of metal nking together, I tried to get up as quickly as possible, but right as I got back on my feet, a sharp pain travelled from my right shoulder diagonally down my back, sending me back down to my knees. It burns! The nking sound stopped as all the knights had caught up with me. ¡°Well, it shouldn¡¯t be moving after that.¡± One of the knights said as he wiped off his sword. ¡°So, what are we supposed to do now?¡± The second knight asked. ¡°Just kill it; I¡¯m tired of hearing the Baronin about this curse,¡± the third knight answered as he raised his sword. The first knight grabbed his wrist, stopping the third knight from swinging, ¡°Wait, let¡¯s just take the kid to the Baron. It¡¯s probably not the right one, he was after one with white hair. And I¡¯d rather not kill some innocent kid.¡± If you feel so bad about it, why did you swing at me?! ¡°Why bother? I know you¡¯re just as sick of the Baron as I am.¡± Just like that, the knights continued to squabble amongst themselves about what they should do with me. The argument seemed to quickly heat up to the point of bing physical, and the third knight ended up knocking the first knight down to the floor, prompting the other knight to get between them. Seeing this as my only opportunity, I summoned up whatever strength I had left to force myself to my feet before immediately sprinting around the corner just ahead of me. ¡°Now look what you¡¯ve done. It¡¯s getting away!¡± I didn¡¯t know which knight that was, but it didn¡¯t matter; I needed to get away. Frantically scanning the alley in front of me, I saw that there was a small alcove on my right, so I threw myself into it, scraping my already injured forearm against the cobblestones again. Please don¡¯t find me. As if responding to my thoughts, the shadows in my hair started to move, snaking across my body until I waspletely covered. ¡°I swear, if you made us lose her just because you felt sorry for some kid on the streets!¡± The nking came up right behind me again, and I held my breath with my hands sped to my mouth. The nking suddenly stopped¡­ ¡°Where did that damn thing go!¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know?!¡± ¡°Just keep going. She couldn¡¯t have gotten far with that injury.¡± The knights took off running again, the nking sound slowly getting quieter. I justy in the alcove,pletely still, breathing as little as possible. ¡­ The sun eventually set, covering the alley in darkness. They must be gone now¡­ ¡­ Right?¡­ Cautiously, I peeked out from the alcove, checking that there wasn¡¯t anyone waiting for me toe out. Once I was sure nobody was around anymore, I got up and shuffled back to the ck stone temple. Propping myself against the temple wall, I could finally feel my body start to rx and, along with it, the pain from my injuries. It seemed that I wasn¡¯t the only one who was rxing as the shadows melted out of my hair and tail, returning them to their natural pure white. ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± Tears started streaming down my face, and just like that first day, my tail waved in front of me, knowing what came next. ¡°Is there just nothing I can do?¡± I pushed my face deep into my tail, hoping that, just maybe, I could see that fox from my dream again. At least you listened to me¡­ Iy myself down on the ground and closed my eyes. Is this just¡­ my reality? ¡­ Chapter 6 – A Sister’s Concerns Chapter 6 ¨C A Sister¡¯s Concerns [Eria POV] My sister locked herself away many years ago, and no matter what I tried, she never came out of her domain; then, all of a sudden, she¡¯s in my face going on about this ¡®fluffy thing¡¯ she wanted to help. Though I don¡¯t dislike the change, if anything, I wee it wholeheartedly. I¡¯ve always wanted her to get out a bit more as everyone around here seems to think she¡¯s some dangerous and scary Goddess when, in reality, she¡¯s just the cutest little thing. Because of that, I really need to make sure this little kitsune is doing well; she could go on to change my sister for the better. I pulled up a panel to check on what the little thing had done throughout the day. Starting from when the little thing woke up, it opened on a scene of the little kitsune sitting outside of my sister¡¯s temple, seemingly ying with her shadow. While it was a fun moment and all, something about the shadow in particr stuck out like a sore thumb. ¡°That isn¡¯t Dark Magic.¡± Does that mean the Blessing didn¡¯t work? No, that can¡¯t be the case. My sister checked and said it went through; she wouldn¡¯t lie about that. Maybe it¡¯s a result of us forcing the Blessing onto her? Well, not that it seemed to matter. The little kitsune started crying tears of joy as soon as she saw her new appearance, so I guess she got exactly what she wanted. I wish I could see my sister¡¯s face right now¡­ ¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll go pay her a visit in a bit. I¡¯m sure she will let me in if only to tell me about how happy she made this little kitsune. I started to skip ahead a bit, at least until I saw a strangely familiar face. It was a particrlyrge man who was staring rather intently at the little kitsune. Now, where have I seen you before?¡­ It¡¯s unusual for some random person to leave an impression on me, so they probably did something noteworthy recently. ¡­ ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. He¡¯s the one who got cklisted from my templest month.¡± I¡¯ve never understood these people. You would think they would get the message when something like that happens, but they never do for some reason. They always just me something else. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s ming that little kitsune. It¡¯s definitely not because you came into the temple bragging about how you taught a heretic child a lesson before on your way there. The only thing that I have ever managed to get through their heads is that they shouldn¡¯t try to destroy my sister¡¯s temple; It only took them trying three times... ¡°Come on Aria, you shouldn¡¯t be thinking about this right now.¡± I shook my head before turning my attention back to the little kitsune, just in time for me to see one of that man¡¯s knights swing his sword at her back. ¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± My head was now thoroughly buried in my palms. ¡­ She¡¯ll live at least, but only just. It¡¯s fortunate that my sister¡¯s blessing made her a bit more resistant, but even then¡­ ¡°I should at least do what I can.¡± I called one of the Light Spirits in my domain over to my side before gesturing towards the panel with the scene unfolding on it. ¡°You see those three, I don¡¯t want them in the temple.¡± The Spirit nodded in acknowledgement, although rather strangely for a Spirit, it seemed a bit annoyed when it looked at the panel. ¡°Good, now go along. Send the message down.¡± The Spirit immediately set off, leaving my domain and heading for the temple. After a brief pause to let myself cool off a bit, I let out a sigh, now trying to think about what else I could do from here. But there isn¡¯t much I can do for her unless shees to my temple¡­ ¡­ If I¡¯m all up in arms like this, I can only imagine how my sister feels right now¡­ Right after finishing that thought, I realised that something was strange. If I¡¯m only just finding out about this now, my sister should have found out about it a while ago, but she hasn¡¯te in here crying to me about it yet. Has something happened to her? ¡­ ¡°I better just go and check.¡± Getting up out of my seat, I gestured over to another one of the Light Spirits for it to follow me before setting out for my sister¡¯s domain. Once I got there, I noticed that she wasn¡¯t in the main room, which wasn¡¯t that unusual. What was unusual was that a door in the back was left slightly ajar. I made my way over before peeking my head in. ¡°Sister, are you doing alright?¡± After quickly looking around the room to try and find her, my eyes locked onto a mound of ck fluff in the corner. ¡­ Walking up to the mound of fluff, I found my sister passed out on top of a pile of plushies, her arms wrapped around a fox plush with pure white fur and pale grey eyes. ¡°When did you make that?¡± I don¡¯t know who I was expecting to answer that¡­ I just decided it would be better to let it be a mystery for now¡­ It seems that she just ended up passing out after she met with the little kitsune in her dreams; it must have ended up taking everything she had in her to give her that blessing and then make her way into her dream. Although she might have also used a bit on that plushie¡­ My eyes once again locked with the plushie¡¯s pale grey eyes. ¡­ ¡°Come on Aria, stop thinking about that.¡± After scolding myself for being strangely obsessed with the existence of this plushie, I turned to the Light Spirit that came with me. ¡°Can you just watch over her and call me when she wakes up?¡± The Spirit didn¡¯t respond and just made its way over to my sister¡¯s side. I should probably prepare to calm her down when she wakes up. ¡°It¡¯ll be a while before she wakes up, at least a year or two¡­ Hopefully, that makes it easier to swallow the news.¡± Having done all I could, I left the room and headed back to my domain. ¡°This should make for a good story at least.¡± Chapter 7 – Hope Only Lasts So Long Chapter 7 ¨C Hope Only Lasts So Long ¡°Seven years¡­ and what do I have to show for it?!¡± ¡­ As I watched the sun set over the city of Casgu once again, I couldn¡¯t help but look back on all the time I¡¯d spent suffering here. Crouching down, I reached over to my stash and pulled out what was probably a plum, at least before the mould got to it. Good enough. I cut out the rotten parts using a chipped knife that someone dropped in the alleys at some point. Once it looked like only the edible parts remained, I brought the mangled fruit up to my mouth and took a bite. ¡­ ¡°Weren¡¯t these sweet at some point¡­¡± ¡­ Where did things go wrong? ¡­ I took another bite out of the plum before leaning my back against the wall of the ck stone temple. All this time, and nothing has changed. ¡­ Looking down at the half-eaten plum with chunks haphazardly cut out of it, a different realisation dawned on me. Well, that isn¡¯t true¡­ Unfortunately. At some point, the shopkeepers collectively decided it was a good idea to start putting out any rotten fruit they had for sale at a discount. It¡¯s clear they had decided to make use of my food runs just to move unsold fruit. My only saving grace was that some people still bought fresh fruit to throw at me because they wanted it to hurt more, even if it cost them a bit extra. Never thought I¡¯d be happy people were so cruel¡­ Trying to push the thought out of my mind, I took another bite out of the plum. But this time, my mouth was filled with an astringent bitter taste, causing me to spit it out. ¡°Must¡¯ve missed a bit.¡± ¡­ That wasn¡¯t all that changed; that bulbous pig never gave up on trying to find me. He had started to send out daily patrols around when the lunch rush started, although he stoppeding here himself at some point. Luckily, I¡¯d never been caught like I did the first time. However, there were a few times when I was spotted, but it was easy enough to get away, thanks to my shadow. ¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure he died recently. About a month ago, the patrols just stopped. At least they did until a new kid showed up around here calling himself the Baron and cursing me out for cursing his oh-so-majestic father. I wouldin that he got off easy, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s true, considering how he looked thest few times I saw him. ¡­ Still wish I got a jab in myself though¡­ ¡­ ¡°Why have I held on so long?¡­¡± Slumping down even lower, I took the final bite of the plum before spitting the stone out into my hand. I looked down at the plum seed in my palm, focusing on the shadow that was being cast due to the sunset. It was subtly pulsing and writhing just like it did on that day all those years ago. ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s why¡­¡± I instinctively looked over to the pir on my right with the mural of a nine-tailed fox. ¡°Why won¡¯t you respond to me anymore?¡± ¡­ A single tear ran down my face as I recalled the joy that came over me on the day I spoke to the fox, but it dried up quickly as the rest of that day came to mind. My hand reached over my right shoulder to the scar that was left behind. ¡­ I should just leave¡­ I¡¯d held out all this time, hoping to speak to that fox from my dreams again, but after seven years¡­ ¡­ ¡°I could just go tonight.¡± ¡­ I tried toe up with a reason for me not to leave, but nothing came to mind. There just wasn¡¯t a good reason to stay here anymore. Hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel can only get you so far. Reluctantly, I lifted myself up off the floor just as thest glimmer from the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the city into darkness. My shadow coated my hair and tail, and I started to leave, but before getting too far away, I stopped and looked back at the ck stone temple. ¡°This ce really kept me safe all this time¡­ I just¡­ wish I could¡¯ve thanked you¡­¡± ¡­ Deciding that it would be better just to get it over with, I pulled my hood up over my head and lifted my makeshift scarf over my mouth before heading for the city gates. Getting to the gates was rather uneventful, as the patrols who were looking for me knew it would be a waste of time to continue trying when it got dark. Fortunately for me, the gate was still open when I got there, although I didn¡¯t know how long it would stay that way. There were two guards standing by the gate, but neither looked all that interested in actually doing their job, which works out better for me. I made my way up to the gate, hoping that the two guards would just ignore me and let me on my way. But as I¡¯ve already learned by now, things rarely go my way. ¡°Oi! Are you sure you want to be going out right now?¡± Turning around, I saw that the younger-looking of the two guards was walking up to me, so I just nodded and tried to go through the gate anyway, but when he realised that I had no intention of stopping, he started to run instead. He quickly caught up to me and grabbed my shoulder to stop me from leaving. ¡°Hey,e on, a kid like you shouldn¡¯t even be out by themselves at this hour, let alone trying to leave the city.¡± I just stared at him nkly. Is that¡­ genuine concern?¡­ No, I know better than that¡­ I tried to shake myself free from the guard¡¯s grip, but he didn¡¯t budge. Instead, it seemed like my struggle just got the older guard toe over and see what the problem was. ¡°Ah,e on, just deal with the kid so we can close up.¡± ¡°Just close up then. I¡¯m not going to let a kid go and get themselves killed.¡± Hearing that, I started to struggle again, but this time, I must¡¯ve caught him a bit off guard as his hand slipped off my shoulder, and I started to run for the gates. Seeing this, the older guard lurched over to stop me. His hand managed totch onto my hood, abruptly stopping me while also exposing my ears. ¡°Fox ears?¡­¡± The younger guard muttered. ¡°Ahh, wasn¡¯t that new Baron or something going on about wanting to catch one of these foxes? He wanted one with ck hair or white hair, right?¡± The older guard asked. Not now! I tried to remove my cloak, but the older guard clearly learnt from seeing me slip out of the other guard¡¯s grip. He yanked me closer before kneeing me in the stomach, winding me. ¡°Tie it up. It must be the right one if it¡¯s trying to escape at night like this.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The younger guard looked down at me, crumpled on the ground and clutching my stomach, ¡°¡­Sorry¡­ but¡­ I¡¯ve got a family to feed.¡± Why do I have to be right about people? Even though I was winded, my struggle continued until, eventually, the tattered cloak tore, freeing me once again. ¡°Oi! Grab it!¡± The older guard shouted at the younger guard, tripping on the torn cloak in the process. Not happening! Sprinting into the alleys, my shadow expanded to cover my whole body. It was difficult to run, but I should have been able to make it back to the temple before passing out, although my vision was already starting to get a bit blurry, so it would be a close call. ¡°Did they really have to wind me like that?¡± I looked back to see if the guards were still following me, but¡­ *Thud* I ran into something? Trying to stop myself from falling, I clumsily stumbled backwards, but my legs ended up giving out anyway, sending me to the floor. Did I run into a brick wall? But I know these alleys better than anyway! There shouldn¡¯t be a wall here! Looking up, it was just about possible to make out arge figure wearing armour; they were clearly muchrger than either of the guards that were after me. Another one?! Even though they were shrouded in darkness, I could see their vivid purple hair whenever it caught a ray of moonlight, but that wasn¡¯t all that was revealed by the pale light. It also revealed a sword, pointed directly at me. Get up! But no amount of internal screaming would help me; there was just no energy left in my body to call upon this time. Not like this! Not after all this time! Thest thing I could make out as my vision was fading was my shadow melting out of my hair. Is this how it ends?¡­ ¡­ Chapter 8 – An Unfamiliar Ceiling Chapter 8 ¨C An Unfamiliar Ceiling It doesn¡¯t hurt. ¡­ It doesn¡¯t hurt at all. I couldn¡¯t even remember thest time my body didn¡¯t ache; my injuries have never had the time to heal fully. My eyelids slowly forced themselves open. Ever since I woke up in this world, my tail was always the first thing I saw in the morning, but today, I was greeted by an unfamiliar wooden ceiling instead. It was then that a wave of panic spread over me. I quickly sat up and reached behind me to check that my one source offort hadn¡¯t been taken away from me. It¡¯s still there. The panic washed away just as quickly as it came over me. Once I had calmed down enough, I started to take in my surroundings. I was inside a room, alone, with a single window and a small bed tucked in the corner on which I was sitting. The bed was surprisingly soft, but that might just be because I¡¯m used to sleeping on the floor. On the opposite side of the room, there was a door which had been left slightly ajar. Through the gap, I caught sight of a person with a purple eye and ck hair, but as soon as I made eye contact with them, they ran away. Who?! Panic started setting in again. I tried to get up, hoping to be able to get out through the window, but before I was even able to get off of the bed, the door flew open. My body reacted instinctively; before I could process anything else, I had my back up against the corner of the room while still on top of the bed, with my makeshift scarf pulled up over my mouth and my shadow covering my body. ¡­ ¡°Whoa, calm down. I ain¡¯t gonna do anything to you.¡± ¡­ In the doorway stood a tall woman with bright blue eyes and purple hair that reached down to her shoulders. What stood out the most about her was her size; shecouldn¡¯t have been any shorter than six feet tall. On top of that, it was clear that her body had been well-trained just by looking at her forearms as she held her hands out in front of her with her palms facing towards me. ¡°You bumped into us yesterday, okay? I just took you to the inn with us, alright?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What¡¯s going on?! Did she abduct me after I passed out yesterday? ¡°I¡¯m Raynelle, but you can just call me Nellie.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When is she going to take me to that Baron? ¡°So¡­ Do you have something I should call you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not one for talking, eh?¡± Raynelle then let out an exaggerated sigh, finally dropping her arms. I turned and started eyeing up the window again. It would be impossible for me to go through the door with her standing in the doorway, but I didn¡¯t know if I would be able to make it out of the window before she could get to me. Before I could build up the courage to try and escape a new voice came from behind Raynelle. ¡°I¡¯ve brought the bread!¡± Behind Raynelle was a girl who was trying to squeeze her way into the room. The girl had purple eyes and ck hair. She was probably the person who was watching me through the door when I woke up. ¡°Ava! Wait a minute!¡± Raynelle tried to stop the girl, but she managed to slip past her anyway, losing her cloak in the process, which revealed two ck feathered wings that sprouted from her back. She quickly made her way towards me, until she was right up against the side of the bed. ¡°Hi there! My name¡¯s Ava, what¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I just stared back at her in silence, asionally ncing at the loaf of bread she held in her hand. Another exaggerated sigh came from Raynelle, ¡°Sorry about that. That¡¯s Ava, she¡¯s the one who healed you up after we brought you here. She¡¯s a bit of a handful but she means you no harm¡± ¡°Come on mom, I¡¯m not that bad!¡± What am I supposed to do here? ¡°Okay then, whatever you say. Now, how about you give the little fox the bread you¡¯ve been holding on to. Bit rude to wave food in front of them, hey?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ava¡¯s face turned a bright shade of red as she ced the loaf of bread on the bed in front of me. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Alright now Ava, give the girl some space.¡± Ava did as she was told and moved next to Raynelle. That looks good¡­ No matter what anyone says, it¡¯s hard to turn down food when you¡¯re hungry. ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s probably fine¡­ Right? I slowly reached my hand towards the bread while looking directly at Raynelle and Ava just in case they tried something. Once my hand was on the bread I immediately jerked back and brought it towards me. Nothing happened. Pulling my scarf down I brought the bread up to my mouth and took a bite, still keeping my eyes on those two. ¡­ It¡¯s soft. ¡­ Bread could be soft? I had forgotten what fresh bread tasted like and couldn¡¯t help myself from finishing the whole loaf as quickly as possible. At some point while I was eating my shadow retracted until it just covered my hair and tail. The whole time the other two people in the room just looked on in silence. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, that good huh?¡± Raynelle piped up, breaking the silence. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Still no talking then,¡± Raynelle said letting out yet another exaggerated sigh, ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got to call you some-¡± ¡°Chloe!¡± Ava interrupteding up next to the bed again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not good enough?¡­ Then¡­ L!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Does she think she can just guess my name? How are you going to do that if even I don¡¯t know my name? ¡°Now now, I already told you to give the girl some space.¡± Raynelle said as she ced her hand on Ava¡¯s shoulder, gently pulling her back. ¡°But she won¡¯t talk, so we have to try something.¡± ¡°I get that, but you can¡¯t just start shouting random names at her.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what you did to me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Do I¡­ need to step in here? ¡°*Cough* anyway, we do need toe up with something to call this little¡­ kit? Oh, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t remember when a kitsune stops being called a kit.¡± Raynelle said, clearly trying to move past the awkward silence. Every time she said the word kit my ears twitched, so I quickly reached up to cover them as soon as I noticed. Unfortunately, it seemed that I was toote as Raynelle let out a quiet giggle. ¡°So, Kit then?¡± Raynelle asked. ¡°¡­¡± My mind was sent back to the fox from my dream. They were the only one who called me that¡­ ¡°Ahhh, I guess we¡¯ll just go with Kit until you tell us your name.¡± ¡°KIT!¡± Ava lurched towards me. However, before she was able to grab me my instincts kicked in and I jumped off the bed. Not again. ¡°AVA!¡± Raynelle shouted, ¡°Come on girl!¡± ¡°¡­Sorry¡­¡± Ava sheepishly let out, looking dejected. ¡°Like I said, she¡¯s a handful. She¡¯s just¡­ excited?¡± Raynelle said as she crouched down to my level. ¡°¡­¡± Then Raynelle just stared at me for a moment, probably hoping for something to change. I just stared back at her in response. It was clear that I was the more determined of the two of us as she decided to speak up again. ¡°What can I do to get you to talk? Or are you just not able to?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Raynelle nted her forehead firmly in her palm, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of answer I was even expecting.¡± Instead of trying to push me any further she just stood up, gesturing for Ava. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry to do this to you-¡± My heart dropped instantly. I knew it! I started to turn towards the window, ready to make my escape. ¡°-but, I¡¯ve got to leave you here with Ava for a bit.¡± Huh? My legs froze as I tried to process what Raynelle just said. That¡¯s¡­ it? What¡¯s the catch? I could only imagine what my confused expression looked like to Raynelle, but whatever it looked like she just continued talking. ¡°I¡¯ve got to head out and buy some things now that you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We good?¡­ I¡¯ll take that as a yes. Ava, be good to Kit, no more jumping at them.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Ava said, seemingly already over getting scolded. Raynelle shot a sceptical look towards Ava, but continued heading out anyway. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before dinner¡­ Probably.¡± With that Raynelle went out the door, leaving just me and Ava in the room. I could just escape now. Ava does look to be a bit older than I am right now, but only by one or two years at most. I could probably slip past her and get back to the temple. ¡­ But, maybe not. ¡­ The food is good. ¡­ I guess I can stay¡­ for a bit. ¡­ Can I at least have that much?¡­ Chapter 9 – The Crow and The Fox Chapter 9 ¨C The Crow and The Fox [Ava POV] Mom decided to leave me alone with this cute little kitsune, but I didn¡¯t know what I was supposed to do. What I did know was that whenever I looked at her, only one thought came to mind. I want to touch that tail. Well, that¡¯s not entirely true; there was one other thought. Those ears look pretty fluffy too¡­ You would think that makes things quite simple, right? Go up, brush the tail, y with the ears, and everyone has a good time. Well, unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. Kit was doing everything she possibly could to avoid me. Even when I just tried going for it and jumped at her when she was distracted, they simply leapt off the bed out of my reach. Mom even scolded me for doing it. It was rather unjust, in my opinion. Like,e on, I didn¡¯t even get anything out of it. Now, if I could at least talk to her, maybe we could have a conversation and work something out, y¡¯know?. But that also seems to be a no-go. This little fox has refused to talk the whole time she¡¯s been awake. I know you can talk! I heard you mumbling in your sleep. Well, I didn¡¯t exactly hear what she said, but there was definitely some noiseing from that tiny mouth of hers. ¡­ Ahh, I¡¯ve gotta try something! I got off the bed and sat down on the floor a small distance in front of Kit. ¡°So. Let¡¯s start over. You¡¯re Kit, I¡¯m Ava.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She stared back at me in silence. Come on, you¡¯ve gotta give me something. ¡°Age¡­ what about age? I¡¯m 16, and you are?¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± No response. Should I just guess? Surely, she¡¯ll correct me if I¡¯m wrong. ¡°12?¡± Kit just continued to stare back at me, so I was about to try and change tactics. But right as I was about to move on, something unexpected happened. Kit shook her head from side to side catching me off guard. ¡°No?¡­ No! Then how old are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Come on! You almost had something there. ¡°11?¡± Another head shake. ¡°Lower?¡± She shook her head again. ¡°So higher then¡­ 13?¡± Another no. Do you only know how to shake your head? ¡°14?¡± There was a short pause¡­ followed by a nod. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re 14?¡­ Are you sure?¡± I thought a 14-year-old would be taller. ¡°Wait, was that a rude thing to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± I said while dramatically throwing my body to the floor. ¡°¡­¡± Seriously? Still nothing. The only times this girl has shown any real reaction was when Mom burst into the room, when she got food and when I jumped at her¡­ I could just try that again¡­ Surely, she wouldn¡¯t expect it the second time. ¡­ Maybe not; I¡¯d rather not have her hate me. But I didn¡¯t exactly have many more conversation topics I could use. Maybe if I had more food, I could try and sort out some kind of trade, but that loaf of bread we gave her was thest of what we had on hand¡­ While I was sitting there trying toe up with a new angle of attack, I noticed Kit¡¯s eyes started to wander around the room, at least until they eventually settled, looking at something just above my head. ¡°Huh? What¡¯ve you found?¡± I turned around to try to find what she was looking at, but there wasn¡¯t anything there, so I turned back to face Kit, but she was still looking above me. So I tried looking up instead, and that¡¯s when I realised what was going on. ¡°Ohhh, you¡¯re interested in my wings.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I brought one of my wings in front of me and rested it on myp, Kit¡¯s eyes following the wing the whole time. That¡¯s when a great idea hit me. ¡°So¡­ do you want to try touching them?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She once again responded by staring in silence; however, this time, her eyes were firmly locked on my hand as I gently ran my fingers through my feathers. I continued to taunt her, watching as she slowly started to inch forward. It was only a couple of minutes before she finally broke and nodded her head. ¡°Well, I could let you do that¡­ but¡­ I would need something in return.¡± As soon as those words left my mouth, she started to move away from me. ¡°Wait! It¡¯s something simple!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kit stopped moving away, clearly still interested. ¡°You can touch my wings¡­ If I can touch your ta-¡± Before I had even finished my sentence, she violently shook her head and retreated all the way back into the corner of the room, clutching her tail to her chest. My arms fell to my side in defeat as I let out a sigh, frustrated at already being sent back to square one. ¡°What¡¯s it going to take?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come on, anything!¡± ¡°¡­¡± At that point, I got up off the floor and started to pace back and forth, trying toe up with anything else that could work. What do kids even like these days? ¡­ Magic is pretty popr. But I only have Healing Magic, and that doesn¡¯t make for a good show¡­ Unless I cut myself, then heal it? That¡¯d be pretty impressive¡­ But should you do that in front of kids? ¡­ Probably not¡­ Right? Kit just sat there and watched me walk back and forth in silence. There is that one thing I can do, but it doesn¡¯t usually impress beastkin¡­ I stopped walking and looked back at Kit. But maybe here¡­ Deciding not to think and just do, I tried to start a conversation again. ¡°So, how do you feel about magic?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence again, although this time, there seemed to be something of a glint in Kit¡¯s eye. I¡¯ve got you. ¡°Well, I happen to know a pretty good trick.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to see it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A tentative nod. ¡°Alright then, check this out!¡± In that instant, I changed into my crow form. Most beastkin are able to do something simr, so I¡¯m just kinda hoping that Kit is too young to know about it. ¡°¡­¡± Come, do something. She just stared at me silently, although she did seem a little bit more rxed than before. It wasn¡¯t a big change, more just that she gave off a different vibe. I decided to try my luck and began to slowly approach her while in my crow form. ¡­ She didn¡¯t move away. This might actually work. I continued to walk towards her until I was so close that I could just jump up into herp. ¡­ Maybe I should. ¡­ So I did. Or at least, I tried to. As soon as I had left the ground, Kit had already scampered all the way to the opposite corner, leaving me sprawled out on the floor. Seriously? I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her in disbelief. ¡­ How can you be this difficult? ¡­ I¡¯ll get you one day. ¡­ It just seems that day is not today¡­ Chapter 10 – An Uncomfortable Realisation Chapter 10 ¨C An Ufortable Realisation [Raynelle POV] What am I gonna do now? I knew that it was my fault that I was in this position, but that didn¡¯t make it any easier to figure out. I really didn¡¯t want to stay in this city very long. It¡¯s always just felt kinda ufortable. But now that I¡¯ve taken that kitsune in¡­ ¡­ ¡°Ahh! I can¡¯t just leave her alone now!¡± ¡­ It took a few seconds for me to cool off after shouting out into the ether like that. At that point, my only hope was that she had some kind of parent or guardian who was looking for her; then, I could just head out with Ava. Might even be able to get out of here today if things work out. However, seeing that she was running around at night dressed in rags, the chance of that was probably fairly slim. ¡­ I¡¯ll just try to ask around the market. If someone lost their kid, I doubt they would stay quiet about it. With that thought in mind, I made my way down the market street, looking for somece to stock up on food. I quickly came across a fruit stand, which normally wouldn¡¯t be that big a deal, but this stand had something rather unusual on disy. Wanting to satiate my own curiosity, I walked up to the stand. ¡°H-hello there, what can I do for you?¡± An old man came up beside me, although looking down at him, it was clear that he was a little intimidated by me. Not that it¡¯s anything new for me. ¡°I just wanted to ask you about what you have in that barrel over there?¡± I said, pointing at the unusual disy. ¡°Oh, t-that. Y-you must not be from around here. T-that¡¯s all the fruit that d-didn¡¯t sell and started to rot.¡± Yeah, I can see that; I want to know why you¡¯re selling it. ¡°And people buy that?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± The old man responded, seemingly taken aback by the question. ¡°Why?¡± I just can¡¯t imagine why a normal person would want to buy rotten food, even if it¡¯s at such a hefty discount. ¡°E-every so often, this little h-heretices around. M-many p-people buy the r-rotten fruit to throw. I-it¡¯s cheaper, so they can do it m-more often.¡± There was something deeply disturbing about seeing this timid old man talk about pelting someone with rotten fruit as if it were perfectly normal while still keeping a smile on his face. ¡°I-if you wait a little while, she might s-show up today. I-it¡¯s about time for her to ce around.¡± She?¡­ A rather upsetting thought came to mind, but I quickly pushed it out. ¡°No, just throw together whatever you rmend, enough for me and two kids.¡± ¡°A-alright then.¡± The old man then turned around and started filling a basket with various fruits. He was clearly grabbing a bit more than what I asked for, but with how Kit devoured that loaf of bread we gave her, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a problem. ¡°T-that¡¯ll be-¡± ¡°Hold on a second there. There¡¯s still something else you can help me with.¡± I interrupted. The man was a little surprised, but I continued anyway. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, just want some information. I am new in town after all.¡± ¡°A-alright, that isn¡¯t a p-problem.¡± ¡°Good. Now, has anyone around here been looking for a little girl with fox ears?¡± ¡°F-fox ears?¡± ¡°Yes, fox ears.¡± I put my hands up on top of my head in case he didn¡¯t understand what I meant. The man paused for a second before saying anything. ¡°W-well, the new Baron has been l-looking for a girl with f-fox ears.¡± ¡°That sounds rather interesting; what else do you know?¡± ¡°H-he says that the child c-cursed his f-father. H-he is offering a r-reward to anyone who can b-bring her in.¡± I froze momentarily after hearing that. My mind couldn¡¯t help but start putting everything together. The Baron hunting down a young kitsune. A girl regrly assaulted with rotten fruit. And me taking in a young kitsune girl in the middle of the night¡­ The old man gestured for me to bend down, which I did. ¡°B-between you and me, i-if you find her j-just let her g-go.¡± The old man whispered into my ear. Huh? That wasn¡¯t what I was expecting; from how this old man was casually talking about throwing rotten fruit at someone with a smile on his face, I didn¡¯t expect him to have a conscience like that. ¡°W-we all know that she is the little h-heritic whoes around here. B-but everyone has agreed to l-let her go. S-she¡¯s too good for business.¡± Of course¡­ Really shouldn¡¯t get my hopes up like that. ¡°Sure, doesn¡¯t bother me.¡± I said putting on a feigned smile, ¡°Well, you kept up your end of the bargain so keep the change.¡± I threw a silver coin his way, which he seemed more than pleased with. ¡°T-thank you for your p-purchase.¡± Don¡¯t worry about it; you won¡¯t be seeing me again any time soon. After picking up the basket of fruit he put together, I quickly left the stall and continued on down the street. I ended up picking up quite a lot of food and ended up asking around a bit more about Kit, although all the information that I got seemed to point to the same conclusion. Even if I really didn¡¯t want it to be the case. ¡­ ¡°Gods, what has Kit lived through?¡± ¡­ Guess I¡¯ll be staying in this city a while longer. ¡°Well, with that decided, I guess it means I need to try even harder to get Kit to open up to us.¡± But with what she¡¯s been through, it might be a bit of an upward battle. ¡­ Who knows? I already picked up one daughter on this journey¡­ After that thought crossed my mind, I instantly shook my head. I shouldn¡¯t be thinking like that. It¡¯s not my choice to make. I distracted myself by trying toe up with ideas about how I could get Kit to at least stop being as afraid of us. But unfortunately, nothing came to mind. This was so much easier with Ava¡­ If anything, I wish I could make her a bit quieter. ¡­ Maybe a gift? Well, it might not have been the best idea, but it was an idea, at least. The only problem with it was that I didn¡¯t know what sort of gift she would even like. Clothes would probably be good¡­ But it would be better if she could pick herself¡­ I don¡¯t want to get her something she doesn¡¯t like¡­ Maybe something small¡­ I thought back to what Kit was wearing, and that¡¯s when it hit me. She was wearing a tattered scarf! ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± With the gift decided, I ran back to a clothing store that I had walked past earlier in the day. As soon as I got there, I went over to their collection of scarves and picked out the first one that screamed ¡®Kit¡¯ to me. It was a pitch-ck scarf with no special embroidery on it; it just called out to me as soon I saw it. While doing that, something else caught my eye. Something that was hidden away on the top shelf. I have to have this! ¡°Hey, excuse me. Do you have this in purple?¡± I called out to the shopkeeper. Raynelle, you really are a genius sometimes. ¡°Kit, I¡¯ve got you now! You¡¯ll be talking before the morning!¡± Chapter 11 – A Not-So-Quiet Evening Chapter 11 ¨C A Not-So-Quiet Evening What am I supposed to do now? Ever since Ava tried to jump at me, she has been sitting in the corner of the room, stayingpletely silent. She asionally looked up at me but quickly looked away again. I even got myself back up onto the bed, and she didn¡¯t react at all; she didn¡¯t even try to talk to me. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a while of just sitting in silence, the door suddenly flung open, and Raynelle came into the room with a basket in tow. ¡°So, you girls miss me?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tough crowd?¡± Raynelle said, shrugging her shoulders before setting down the basket. What am I even supposed to say? ¡°¡­¡± Raynelle then turned towards Ava, but Ava just continued her silence. I don¡¯t know if she even realised that Raynelle hade into the room. ¡°Wow, you managed to get Ava to shut up somehow,¡± Raynelle said, sounding genuinely surprised, ¡°I need you to teach me how to do that someday.¡± ¡°Now, wait a minute!¡± Ava finally piped up as she got up off the floor, ¡°It¡¯s not like I talk that much.¡± ¡°Sure, I believe you.¡± Ava didn¡¯t say anything in response, choosing to just pout instead, probablying to the conclusion that there wasn¡¯t much point in trying to push back any further. ¡°Alright then, Ava, can you go and make your way down to the kitchen? I¡¯ve already spoken to staff here, and they are willing to let you use it. I¡¯ve also left the rest of what I bought there ready for you to work your magic.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯ve already had all day with Kit, and I¡¯m pretty sure she would really appreciate a warm meal.¡± Raynelle interrupted, ncing over at me. Ava let out a sigh. ¡°Fine.¡± Then she left the room, leaving just Raynelle and me. ¡°Alright, now I have you all to myself for a bit.¡± Hearing those words, my body started to pull back instinctively. ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t worry so much; I¡¯ve just got something I want to give you; you can turn it down if you want, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, she hasn¡¯t done anything bad¡­ yet¡­ While I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced of her intentions, I still decided to nod, to which Raynelle simply responded with a smile before turning and grabbing something out of the basket she had brought with her. ¡°So, I don¡¯t know how exactly you want me to give this to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you okay with meing closer?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I don¡¯t know¡­ Raynelle looked into my eyes, clearly expecting something, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to respond to her. I want to say yes¡­ But¡­ I just can¡¯t trust you¡­ ¡­ ¡°Here, how about this?¡± Raynelle said as she approached the far end of the bed, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it here, and you cane grab it when I move away again. Good?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I nodded, and Raynelle did exactly as she said she would, cing something wrapped in paper at the far end of the bed before moving back. Slowly, I crawled over to the other side of the bed, keeping my eyes on Raynelle the whole time, just in case. But I managed to grab the package and move back without her doing anything. Raynelle didn¡¯t say anything once I had retrieved the package but just looked on expectantly. Carefully, I unfolded the paper wrapping, making sure not to tear it. What was inside was a long ck piece of fabric. It was the same colour as my hair when it was covered by my shadow¡­ Which meant it was also the same colour as¡­ ¡­ A tear started to well up in my eye. ¡°Whoa there, it¡¯s just a scarf,¡± Raynelle blurted out, clearly a little panicked. But the tears didn¡¯t stop. You couldn¡¯t understand! I took off my makeshift scarf before gently wrapping the new one around my neck. ¡­ It¡¯s warm. ¡­ Raynelle didn¡¯t try to interrupt after that. I stayed there, trying to sort out my thoughts, or at least I was, until Ava came back into the room carrying three tes of food. ¡°Huh?¡± Ava turned towards Raynelle before blurting out, ¡°What did you do to her?!¡± ¡°Just¡­ reign it in Ava, it¡¯s not the time.¡± Shockingly, Ava did what she was told without saying anything back. At the same time, Raynelle grabbed one of the tes that Ava had brought with her and took it over to the far end of the bed, just like she did with the scarf. ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure the cooks here could do a great job, but once you taste Ava¡¯s cooking¡­ just¡­ y¡¯know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ahh, you¡¯ll get what I mean when you try some.¡± Looking over at the te of food that had been left on the bed, it was clear that it had been put together by someone very skilled, but that might also just be my hunger affecting my vision. Everything on the te looked good, but there was one thing that I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off. Arge b of meat sat in the middle of the te. Have I ever had meat?¡­ Despite my reservations about these people, I quickly approached the food with my eyes locked squarely on whatever meat that was. The bread they gave me wasn¡¯t bad¡­ But what if?¡­ But meat¡­ My hands unconsciously moved towards the meat, picking it up and bringing it up to my mouth. I know I shouldn¡¯t¡­ but¡­ I took a bite. ¡­ It¡¯s good. ¡­ It¡¯s so good. ¡­ Why have I never had this before?! ¡­ My mind was filled with those thoughts as the meat quickly vanished, along with everything else that came with it. It was almost like I had cked out, as it was there one second and gone the next. ¡°You alright there?¡± Raynelle asked,ughing slightly, ¡°I get that we have Ava to patch you up, but we can¡¯t have you getting sick cause you¡¯re eating like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Is there more? I want more. All of a sudden, Raynelle let out a sigh before getting up and cing her own te down in front of me. ¡°Go ahead. I had something to eat on the way back.¡± Raynelle said, gesturing towards the te of food, ¡°Just take it a bit slower this time. Nobody is going to take it away from you.¡± Can you read my mind? She then just smiled at me before going over to and opening the door. ¡°Ava, can you please look over Kit? I¡¯ve got something I need to do quickly.¡± Ava responded by giving a thumbs up, her mouth still full of food. Seeing that, Raynelle left the room. Not wanting to be ungrateful, I dug into the second te of food. She gave it to me, so she can¡¯tinter. Once again, the food just seemed to vanish. When I came back to my senses, I could see the sun setting outside the window. This food is powerful¡­ ¡­ While I was still in awe of the food, the door opened again. Raynelle hade back into the room, although this time, she looked a bit different. As soon as Avaid eyes on her, she burst outughing. I myself was somehow more speechless than before; even my thoughtspletely stopped for a second. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Ava blurted out between herughter. ¡°What?¡± Raynelle responded, blushing slightly, ¡°I thought it would help Kit open up to me.¡± Raynelle hade back into the room sporting a new pair of purple cat ears on top of her head. ¡°¡­¡± Why would that change anything? ¡°Why would that change anything?¡± Ava asked, stillughing. Huh! Are they both psychic? ¡°I thought she had some bad experiences with humans and, y¡¯know didn¡¯t want to talk to me cause, well, I am one.¡± ¡°Why would that work? She didn¡¯t talk to me either, and I¡¯m not human.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ because I¡¯m cuter?¡± Raynelle responded, attempting to strike a pose. ¡­ Something started to well up in my throat watching this exchange. At least it did until I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, and a smallugh escaped my lips. I quickly brought my hands up to my mouth to hide it¡­ although I was clearly unsessful¡­ ¡°Huh!¡± The two eximed in unison. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°See! I told you!¡± Raynelle shouted. ¡°No! That wasn¡¯t her talking to you.¡± Ava argued, ¡°She was justughing at how stupid you look.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me!¡± Just like that, what little of the day was left turned into a blur. Eventually, the little light that came from the sunset disappeared, casting the city into darkness once again. ¡°Alright then, It¡¯s been a long day,¡± Raynelle said, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll call it a night here. The two of us will head back to our room so you can get some sleep.¡± ¡°Sure, that sounds good,¡± Ava mumbled as she started to yawn. ¡°¡­¡± Raynelle started to get up off the floor, but before fully standing up, she paused. ¡°Hmm?¡± I looked down and saw my handtched onto the hem of her shirt. What? My mind instantly started to spiral out of control, trying to figure out what had just happened. It was an ident! But I still haven¡¯t let go! I shouldn¡¯t be doing this! But I¡­ don¡¯t want to be alone¡­ Not again¡­ Raynelle looked down at my hand and then to my face before silently gesturing for Ava toe over. She tried whispering to her, but thanks to my ears, I could still clearly make out what she was saying. ¡°Ava, go grab me a nket¡­ and some bread too.¡± ¡­ You know you didn¡¯t have to give me your te¡­ Ava left the room and quickly came back in with a nket, which I assumed had been wrapped around a loaf of bread, so I couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just stay right here tonight.¡± Raynelle said, settling in on the floor next to the bed, ¡°Ava, just go back to our room, I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Ava said, waving her hand as she left the room, clearly quite tired herself. Raynelle didn¡¯t say anything further and just wrapped the nket around herself. I got myself into the bed, pulling the covers over me before hugging my tail. ¡­ I¡¯m just doing this because of the food. ¡­ ¡°Sleep well now,¡± Raynelle quietly whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll keep youpany for as long as you need.¡± ¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s just for the food¡­ Chapter 12 – A Sister’s Frustrations Chapter 12 ¨C A Sister¡¯s Frustrations [Eria POV] ¡°I¡¯m d that she has finally found some decent people.¡± ¡­ ¡°Only took seven years¡­¡± I was just finishing looking through the little kitsune¡¯s day. Ever since that incident, I¡¯ve made it part of my routine to check in on her at least once a day, just hoping that something would change. After all this time, there was finally some good news. Maybe with this, my sister will¡­ I was so worried that she would go on a rampage as soon as she found out what had happened to the poor kitsune, but she never did. The spirit that I had left with my sister came and got me as soon as she woke up, and of course, I went over to her as soon as I could, expecting the worst, but in the five years since¡­ ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s about time for me to go and visit again anyway.¡± I got rid of the panel that was showing the little kitsune¡¯s day before getting up and making my way over to my sister¡¯s domain. As soon as I got there, I made my way over to the door in the back of the main room and tried to open it, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Still locked¡­ ¡°Sister, isn¡¯t it time for you toe out yet?¡± I called out, hoping for some kind of a response; but no sound came from the other side of the door. It has been like this ever since she woke up; she has just refused toe out or even just talk. The only saving grace is that she hasn¡¯t stopped me from entering her domain altogether; I¡¯ve just had to hope that it meant she was at least willing to hear me out. I sat down on the floor with my back against the door. ¡­ ¡°I know you¡¯ve been watching that little kitsune.¡± ¡­ ¡°You saw the good news, right?¡± ¡­ ¡°She¡¯s found herself some good people.¡± ¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re worried, I can vouch for them myself.¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve been following that purple-haired one for a little while now.¡± ¡­ Is it just not good enough?¡­ ¡­ ¡°Look, Ovia¡­ I get that you¡¯re upset, but you didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡­ ¡°No¡­¡± A barely audible voice came from behind the door. Finally! A tear started to well up in my eye, but I held it in. Right now, what I needed to do was help here out again. ¡°Come on, if you¡¯re going to argue with me, at least open the door and do it properly¡­¡± Not good enough? I¡¯ve been here at least once every month since she woke up. I had really hoped that with this good news, she would at least be willing toe out for a bit. She even responded to me for the first time since she locked herself away, unless that was just me hearing things in an attempt to keep my hopes up. ¡­ What¡¯s it going to take? ¡­ Thinking that she still wasn¡¯t going toe out this time, I started to get up off the floor. However, as I grasped at the door handle for support, I started to fall backwards. ¡°Huh?¡± I managed to steady myself before falling over, but that wasn¡¯t important. The door! It¡¯s opened! It actually opened! I made my way into the room as quickly as I could, just in case my sister changed her mind. Looking around the room, it didn¡¯t take long to find her. In the corner of the room was a dishevelled mass of ck fluff, sitting on the floor, hugging her knees against her chest, staring intently at a panel showing a certain white-haired kitsune sleeping. Come on, you should take better care of yourself¡­ Rather than trying to get her to move from where she had set, I made my way over and sat down on the floor next to her. ¡°So, what were you saying to me before.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll just have to tell you again then, It¡¯s not you-¡± ¡°NO!¡± My sister interrupted. ¡°¡­¡± She startled me with her response. I wanted to correct her, but no words came out. ¡°It is my fault¡­ It¡¯s all my fault...¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t given her that stupid blessing¡­ She wouldn¡¯t have gone there that day¡­ She wouldn¡¯t have had to go through that¡­¡± She continued on like that for a while, although it was impossible to make out what she was saying as she had started crying very loudly. ¡­ Once she had eventually calmed down a bit, I pulled her closer and hugged her. ¡°Stop beating yourself up about it. You know that it wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± ¡°Mmph!¡± She tried to argue with me again, but I just pulled her head further into my chest so she couldn¡¯t get any words out. ¡°That little kitsune hasn¡¯t even med you for what happened back then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She stopped resisting immediately after I said that. She definitely already knew that herself. She probably hasn¡¯t done anything but watch her since she woke up. Seeing an opportunity, I tried to run my fingers through my sister¡¯s tails, but they got caught on something almost instantly. ¡°It really has been a while since you took care of yourself, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± I responded by letting out a long sigh. ¡°Where do you keep your brushes?¡± My sister pointed over to a box up against the wall. I pulled the box over to us and took out one of the brushes. ¡°Let¡¯s get started then.¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± After separating her tails, something jumped out to me. Inside of her tails, there were a few things that were not supposed to be there. ¡°Sister¡­ you could have at least taken the plushies out of your tails.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I got started trying to remove one of them, but it wouldn¡¯t leave the tail¡¯s fluffy embrace. It was almost as if the plushie had be part of her tail. ¡°Even you have to admit that this is a bit ridiculous.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Since it was clearly going to take a while, I just continued trying to slowly untangle each of the plushies from the tails one at a time, following up with a thorough brushing. ¡°So, now can I ask you some questions?¡± ¡°¡­Mhm¡± ¡°So, how are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I guess she wasn¡¯t expecting such a mundane question. ¡°Fine¡­¡± ¡°Is that true? I didn¡¯t know that this is what Ovia being fine looked like.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s try something you might be more interested in. Why did you never talk to the little kitsune thest few years?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know you want to,¡± I said as I finished with her first tail. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to¡­ I couldn¡¯t help her¡­¡± ¡°Well, that might be how you feel, but what about her? Do you think she thinks of you that way?¡± My sister didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she brought one of her tails around in front of her and buried her face in it. ¡°Come on, I was working on that one!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I decided it wasn¡¯t worth fighting over which tail was being cleaned, so I pulled a different tail into myp. ¡°Well, you probably couldn¡¯t talk the way you are now anyway.¡± ¡°What! Why?!¡± She blurted out. ¡°Just look at yourself! You can¡¯t show this to her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Was that too much too soon? ¡°¡­pass¡­¡± My sister muttered under her breath. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Pass me a brush!¡± She shouted in response. A small chuckle escaped my lips as I handed her a brush, and she started working on the tail she had taken from me. It¡¯s good to see you excited like this again. After that, we spent a while in silence, just focusing on cleaning up her tails. It was not a quick endeavour. Once we had finally removed all of the plushies and my sister¡¯s tails at least looked presentable a great idea came into my head. ¡°I just don¡¯t think this is good enough¡­¡± ¡°What?! What else do I need to do!¡± ¡°We should really do a full deep clean. It has been five years, after all¡­¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Once again, I let out a chuckle. I knew my cute sister was still in there. ¡°Alright, I guess that means you shoulde with me back to my domain. Then we can set something up.¡± My sister shot up from the floor as soon as those words left my lips. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± I got myself up off the floor and linked arms with my sister, thinking that I was going to be the one pulling her all the way to my domain. But to my pleasant surprise, she was the one who dragged me along. It took a few years, but at least she¡¯s still willing to try. Chapter 13 – Why Did I Stay? Chapter 13 ¨C Why Did I Stay? ¡°Come on, it¡¯s been two weeks since we picked you up, and you¡¯re still not gonna talk?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I just stared nkly at Raynelle, as usual. Don¡¯t you ever get tired of doing this? We were sitting in the room while waiting for Ava to finish preparing lunch. It might have been a bit tiring to deal with these two every day¡­ but the food is very good. I didn¡¯t know if I would be able to go back to how I used to live if I stayed much longer. ¡°All I¡¯ve managed to get out of you is oneugh. How can that be right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why haven¡¯t you just given up yet? No matter how many days I had spent with these two, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to; it¡¯s just that whenever I tried, nothing came out. The words would always get stuck in my throat. ¡­ I really should think about leaving soon¡­ ¡­ Who knows when they¡¯re going to show their true colours¡­ ¡­ While I was busy contemting my escape, the door swung open, and Ava made her way into the room carrying three tes piled high with food. ¡°So¡­ who¡¯s hungry!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask that every time. Just give me food!¡± Raynelle responded while banging on the table. Ava chuckled as she ced Raynelle¡¯s te down in front of her before quickly turning around and making her way over to me. ¡°And here you go.¡± I reached out my hands to take the te from her, but she quickly pulled it back. ¡°Y¡¯know, on second thought¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Just give me the food! It¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m still here! ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t give me that look. I¡¯m just wanting to propose something of a mutually beneficial agreement¡­ of sorts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just assume that means you¡¯re interested,¡± Ava continued, ¡°You see, I have quite a lot of food here, and I think I would be willing to part with some-¡± After hearing that there was a chance to get more food, my ear started to twitch involuntarily, so I quickly grabbed it with my hand to get it under control. I¡¯ll give you a chance¡­ ¡°-It¡¯s just that I would like to get something in return.¡± I stared at her, waiting for her to tell me what she wanted. Not that I couldn¡¯t guess what it was going to be, but I did decide to give her a chance. ¡°All I would need from you¡­ is to be able to touch your ta-¡± Before she even finished asking, I had already turned away from her, holding my tail tight against my chest. You can¡¯t have it! It¡¯s mine! ¡°AVA!¡± Raynelle shouted, ¡°How many more times are you going to try this?!¡± ¡°B-but-¡± ¡°Why should you get to touch her tail before me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± But it¡¯s my tail¡­ The two of them just burst outughing, seeming to forget about me, as Ava danced around with my te still in her hand. I looked over at Raynelle, hoping she noticed what was going on so she could sort it out for me. It took a little bit, but once Raynelle started to calm down, she ended up making eye contact with me and quickly realised what had happened. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit rude to wave food around in front of a hungry little fox like that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡­ Oh¡­¡± Ava turned a bright shade of red as she realised just what she had been doing this whole time. She quicklyid the te down in front of me before running over to Raynelle and eating her own food, making sure not to look up at me. Serves you right! On the te was a whole bird that was about the size of my head, although I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of bird it was. But that didn¡¯t really matter to me; the only important thing was that it tasted good. I tore off some of the cooked flesh with my nails before biting into it. ¡­ How is it always this good? ¡°Ava, you don¡¯t think it¡¯s too early to introduce her to a fork, right?¡± ¡°That might be a good idea,¡± Ava responded, stifling a chuckle. ¡­ I know how to use a fork¡­ ¡­ I just don¡¯t want to¡­ Deciding it would be better to just ignore theirments, I went back to focusing on the food, scarfing it all down as quickly as possible. I won¡¯t get to use a fork after I leave anyway¡­ ¡­ ¡°Hey,¡± Raynelle nudges Ava¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You might need to get ready. I think our little Kit might have a stomach ache soon.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Ava blurted out, ¡°Come on, just eat slower!¡± ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s my food. So I can choose what to do with it. Right on cue, a slight pain started to form in my stomach. ¡­ How does she know? Raynelle somehow always seemed to know when things like this were going to happen. ¡­ Raynelle¡¯s intuition was just too good. She always seemed to know exactly what was going to happen. Sometimes, it even felt like she was able to read my mind at times, but that couldn¡¯t be true; if it were, she wouldn¡¯t have been trying so hard to make me speak. Is it a special ability she has?¡­ ¡­ While I was busy thinking, the pain in my stomach gradually started to get worse. At first, it was just slowly getting more painful, but all of a sudden, it spread out from my stomach across my whole body. All the muscles in my body started to tense up as waves of pain started to pulse through my body, starting in my stomach and moving to the ends of my limbs. It hurts! What is this?! While my mind was racing, trying to figure out what was going on, a terrifying thought crossed my mind. What if?¡­ ¡­ Poison? ¡­ She knew it was going to happen. ¡­ How else would she know?! ¡­ I felt tears start to well up in my eyes, but it wasn¡¯t because of the pain. Not again! Not again! I should have just left! ¡­ Why did I stay?! ¡­ I knew I shouldn¡¯t have trusted them. ¡­ All of a sudden, I heard shoutinging from the other side of the room. ¡°AH, NO, NO, NO, NO!¡± Raynelle ran up to me, picking me up off the bed, ¡°AVA! DO¡­ SOMETHING! ANYTHING!¡± What, can you not have me dying on you? You want me alive? ¡­ Why? Do you get paid more? ¡°I¡¯M TRYING, OKAY! It¡¯s just¡­ not working!¡± Ava shouted back in response as she grabbed my arm. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not working!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ know¡­¡± Ava responded, sounding more tired than just moments before. I felt Raynelle¡¯s arms start to tense up around me. What do I do now?! My body won¡¯t move! How do I get away?! ¡°What else can we do?¡± Raynelle asked, starting to calm down a bit, ¡°A kid shouldn¡¯t have to go through this.¡± ¡°Stop¡­ asking¡­ me¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ know¡­¡± Ava was still standing next to me, trying to heal me with her magic, although it didn¡¯t look like she would be able to do so for much longer. ¡°There¡¯s gotta be-¡± Raynelle suddenly stopped talking. What! There¡¯s gotta be what?! What are you going to do to me?! ¡°There is that temple, but-¡± Raynelle looked down at me, but I couldn¡¯t quite make out her expression through the tears in my eyes. ¡°Ava, pass me your cloak. I¡¯ve gotta try something.¡± Ava didn¡¯t say anything. She just went over to where her cloak was and threw it towards us. Raynelle then gently wrapped me up in the cloak, seemingly trying to make sure she didn¡¯t hurt me. ¡°Look, I know this isn¡¯t what you want to do¡­¡± Raynelle paused momentarily, ¡°But¡­ that temple is probably the only ce in the city which might have a better healer than Ava¡­¡± What temple? What do you mean? ¡°Can you manage that thing where you change the colour of your hair?¡± Why should I? ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want to take you there, but I don¡¯t have another choice.¡± Raynelle said, sounding desperate, ¡°I¡¯m not losing you like this¡­¡± What do you mean? Are you not just going to sell me off to that Baron? ¡­ Ava then came back over and put her hands back on my arm. ¡°Alright¡­ Let¡¯s try¡­ again¡­¡± Is it okay for me to hope for something again?¡­ ¡­ Is it okay for me to trust you?¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t think I can¡­ ¡­ But¡­ What else can I do¡­ ¡­ I forced out a nod, and my shadow moved to cover my hair and tail, dying them both ck. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±, Raynelle said, sounding relieved. Please¡­ Don¡¯t be lying¡­ ¡°Ava-¡± Raynelle paused as soon as she saw Ava¡¯s condition, ¡°Just goy down. You look like you¡¯ll hit the ground any second now.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Ava responded before falling over face-first onto my bed. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s do this.¡± Raynelle said, pulling the cloak over my ears, ¡°If something goes wrong¡­ I¡¯ll just get you out of there myself.¡± What! What could go wrong? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± ¡­ I don¡¯t have a choice¡­ Immediately following that, Raynelle threw the door to the room open and ran out of the inn, ignoring the reactions from all of the staff we passed by. Once she had gotten outside, she continued running down the streets, although she made sure to look down at me to make sure she wasn¡¯t making me too ufortable. Where are we even going? I forced myself to turn my neck just enough to see what was in front of us. As soon as I did, we passed by the ck stone temple. What! Go back! If I have to go to a temple, I want to go to that one! Despite Raynelle normally seeming to know what I wanted, this time, she clearly didn¡¯t, as she just kept on sprinting. She was heading straight for the temple on the other side of the square, a temple made entirely from white stone. I don¡¯t want to go there! There are too many people! What if they see my hair?! ¡°Hold on a bit longer,¡± Raynelle blurted out, ¡°If anyone can heal you, they¡¯ll be there.¡± How do you know?! ¡°They have to be¡­¡± She said thatst part under her breath, although I heard her clearly thanks to my ears. ¡­ Fine¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ trust you¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s all I can do now¡­ Chapter 14 – Why Do You Care About Me So Much? Chapter 14 ¨C Why Do You Care About Me So Much? Raynelle continued running across the square until she was right in front of the temple, where she was stopped by the crowd of people outside. ¡°Gods¡­ how am I supposed to get you in there?¡­¡± Raynelle said as she looked towards the entrance, ¡°I could just push through them, but¡­¡± She looked down at me for a moment, right as a wave of pain spread over my body again, causing all my muscles to tense up. ¡°I just¡­ can¡¯t risk hurting you¡­¡± Raynelle looked around frantically while continuing to mutter to herself, trying to figure out what she could do. It hurts¡­ ¡­ It really hurts¡­ ¡­ It was only gradual, but the pain was getting worse; it felt like my body was trying to tear itself apart with each wave of pain that made its way through my body. But, without warning, the pain just started to go away. It didn¡¯tpletely vanish, but it became bearable. What¡­ happened?¡­ I tried to force myself up to get a better view of what was going on, but as I did, something pushed down on my chest, stopping me from moving. Looking down, I saw that someone had ced their hand on my chest and that there was a soft glowing where they were touching me. I followed the person¡¯s arm to see who they were, but all I could see was a person in a pure white robe with a hood covering their face. Who?! Without thinking, I started to move one of my arms in an attempt to get Raynelle¡¯s attention. But as soon as I did, the person lifted their hood slightly, revealing their face. They were a woman with two golden eyes that were glowing softly, each with a white ring inside of the iris that glowed ever so slightly brighter. She simply put one finger up to her lips while smiling slightly. Why should I trust you? Ignoring what the woman wanted, I tried to get Raynelle¡¯s attention again, although it didn¡¯t seem necessary, as Raynelle suddenly jerked me back while also taking a step away from the woman. ¡°Who are you?!¡± Raynelle shouted before looking down at me and quickly adjusting my cloak to make sure I was still hidden. ¡°Whoa, please calm down,¡± The woman held her hands up in front of her, ¡°I already know what¡¯s going on¡­ I also know you really don¡¯t want to cause a scene here.¡± Looking around, a few people had already turned to look at what was going on, although they quickly lost interest as Raynelle let a sigh to help herself calm down a bit. ¡°But, why should I trust you?¡± Raynelle said as she pulled me closer to her chest. ¡° I¡­ uh¡­ wasn¡¯t told that part¡­¡± Raynelle just silently stared back at the woman while asionally ncing down at me. She did help me¡­ ¡­ It didn¡¯t matter how either of us felt; whatever she did to me made the pain go away, not that Raynelle knew that. ¡­ ¡°Oh, I know! This usually works,¡± the woman suddenly blurted out as she lifted her hood just enough so that Raynelle could see her eyes, ¡°So?¡­ Is that good enough?¡± ¡­ ¡°No! Of course not!¡± Raynelle suddenly shouted, ¡°It¡¯s your fault she¡¯s even in this situation.¡± Huh? ¡­ But I¡¯ve never seen her before¡­ What did she do? ¡°Whoa, please calm down. That¡¯s just a¡­ misunderstanding?¡­ Yeah, a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°A misunderstanding!¡± Raynelle¡¯s arms tensed around me, ¡°Can you really look at this child right now and just say everything that has happened to her was a misunderstanding?!¡± ¡°I understand, just¡­ can we talk about this inside,¡± The woman said, backing away from Raynelle while pointing at the temple, ¡°I would also not like to draw attention to myself.¡± It was silent for a moment, and then Raynelle looked at me again, although this time, she showed me a pained face. It was clear that she was considering the offer if only to get into the temple. ¡­ She did help me¡­ ¡­ As I was thinking about my options, another wave of pain pulsed across my body, stopping any rational thoughts from forming in my mind. It¡¯s too much! I don¡¯t care anymore! Despite the pain I was in, I forced myself to nod at Raynelle. ¡°Huh? Are you sure?¡± Raynelle said, surprised. I nodded again, tears welling up in my eyes once again. I just want it to be over! Raynelle bit her lip before eventually responding, ¡°Fine¡­¡± ¡°Great, just¡­ follow me!¡± The woman immediately started walking away. ¡°Wait!¡­ I thought you said we were going to talk in the temple?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Yes?¡± The woman said, seeming genuinely surprised by the question. ¡°Then where are you going? The temple is over there,¡± Raynelle said, gesturing towards the temple''s entrance. ¡°What? You want to try to get through all of them?¡± The woman asked. ¡°I know you could easily get us through there.¡± ¡°I already told you. I don¡¯t want to draw attention to myself.¡± The woman kept on walking away, ¡°I know another way in¡­ it¡¯s better¡­ trust me.¡± Raynelle hesitated for a moment, but despite her worries, she quickly decided to follow the woman as she walked around the back of the temple. The woman abruptly stopped in front of the temple¡¯s rear wall before looking around the area to see if anyone was watching us. ¡°Alright¡­ Coast is clear.¡± She then gently knocked on the wall in some kind of pattern. ¡­ Nothing happened. ¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t be dealing with this right now,¡± Raynelle blurted out as she turned away, getting ready to leave. But right as she did, a section of the wall slowly sank into the ground, revealing a passage into the temple. ¡°What did I tell you? I knew another way in¡­ and it¡¯s a pretty cool one if I don¡¯t say so myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Really, no reaction? From either of you?¡­ Ah, whatever, we¡¯ve got something more important to tend to first.¡± The woman walked into the passage, with Raynelle following close behind. It didn¡¯t take long for us to exit the passage and enter arge white room. As soon as we entered, a ball of light went up next to the woman¡¯s ear. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I understand. Just let me work my magic first,¡± The woman said, waving her hand at the ball of light. ¡­ What have I gotten myself into?¡­ ¡°Alright then¡­ justy her down here, and I¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s going on, although I already have a good guess from what I¡¯ve heard.¡± Raynelle did as the woman said andid me down on top of a table. ¡°I¡¯m right here, okay?¡± Raynelle said, holding onto my hand. The woman immediately came up right next to me and ced her hands on my chest, and they started to glow with the same light from before. Almost immediately, the pain that I felt started to vanish and my muscles finally began to rx. Neither of them said anything, although I could see Raynelle looking on with worry out of the corner of my eye. Why do you care about me so much? ¡­ While I was busy contemting Raynelle¡¯s intentions, the pain ended uppletely disappearing, as if nothing was wrong in the first ce. ¡°Alright¡­ she should be good¡­ for a while at least,¡± The woman said as she wiped her brow. ¡°So, what was it?!¡± Raynelle shouted, ¡°What was it?!¡± ¡°Calm down, okay? It wasn¡¯t anything serious.¡± The woman said as she grabbed onto Raynelle¡¯s wrist, her hand gently glowing, ¡°She was just going through some growing pains¡­ very bad growing pains, but it was just growing pains nheless.¡± Raynelle calmed down dramatically after hearing that, but I don¡¯t know if that was because of what she said or whatever magic she was using. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡­ That¡¯s all it was?¡± Raynelle said, audibly relieved. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m sure you noticed she¡¯s a little small for her age¡­ because she¡¯s started eating well recently, her body has just decided¡­ ¡®Let¡¯s grow all at once,¡¯¡­ which isn¡¯t toofortable¡­ although, even considering that¡­ hers were particrly rough.¡± ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Raynelle said, falling into one of the chairs lining the room and burying her face in her hands. ¡°Before you rx too much, we¡¯re not quite done yet,¡± The woman said as she sat down next to Raynelle, ¡°She¡¯ll probably end up experiencing them a few more times before she¡¯s finished growing, so you might need toe back over here every so often.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­¡± Raynelle responded, still holding her head in her hands, ¡°That¡¯s fine, I can do that.¡± ¡°Alright, then, while I discuss how we can set that up with you, I actually have something for the little fox to do.¡± ¡­ For me? ¡°You see that room over there,¡± the woman pointed to a door in the corner of the room, ¡°Just go in there. There¡¯s someone who really wants to meet you.¡± What? Who? Do I have to? Raynelle lifted her head out of her hands, seemingly about to say something, but the woman simply pointed to her eyes, and then Raynelle remained silent. I looked over at Raynelle, confused at what just happened, but she just nodded at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about things so much. I¡¯m just going to talk about some stuff for adults to worry about with your¡­ guardian?¡­ friend?¡­ mother?¡­ ah, whatever, you know what I mean. You can go have some fun,¡± The woman smiled at me, ¡°I can guarantee, she¡¯s quite nice.¡± ¡­ She hasn¡¯t done anything bad to me yet¡­ ¡­ I got up off the table and walked over to the door, looking back at the two of them just in case this was something that they had nned together, but they were just talking to each other, already ignoring me. When I opened the door all that I could see was an empty room. ¡­ Where is the person? ¡­ Maybe this is for the better¡­ I walked into the room, slowly closing the door behind me while keeping my hand on the handle and my foot in the way just in case someone was going to jump out at me. But before I could even fully close the door, my vision went white. ¡­ What! I knew it was a trap! ¡­ ¡°Oh, do go tell my sister that she needs to get ready.¡± A woman¡¯s voice that I didn¡¯t recognise came out of nowhere. What?! Who are you?! I looked around, trying to find where the voice came from, but no matter where I looked, all I could see was a white void. ¡°This will be fun. I get to meet you first.¡± Chapter 15 – The Goddess of Light Chapter 15 ¨C The Goddess of Light ¡°Um¡­ Hello¡­ Why are you looking over there?¡± Over where? It didn¡¯t matter where I was looking; there was just an endless expanse of white stretching out in every direction. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± As the voice said that to me, a light breeze brushed over my face as if someone was waving something in front of my face. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I instinctively stepped back to try and get away from whatever was in front of me. ¡°Oh, I know what¡¯s going on.¡± Then I heard a snap, and the world suddenly opened up in front of me. There was a garden that seemed to stretch far beyond the horizon. It was filled with various marble structures that themselves were adorned with vines that sprouted white flowers. ¡°Sorry about that. I had the lights up a bit too high. It¡¯s a bad habit of mine.¡± I spun around to try and find the source of the voice, but as soon as I did, I froze up. Standing in front of me was a very tall woman, probably taller than Raynelle, even without considering the extra heighting from the two fox ears adorning her head. She had the same golden eyes as the woman from the temple, although the inner white ring was much brighter. Her hair, reaching down to her hips, was a radiant blonde, along with a matching set of nine tails that poked out just above her head. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lot you want to ask me about, but how about we getfortable first?¡± The woman said as she gestured towards an empty space. What have I gotten myself into? ¡°Come on,e on; you¡¯ll figure it out,¡± the woman said as she picked me up and carried me over. Huh? As soon we reached the area she had gestured to, I was just dropped. HUH?! I braced myself, fully expecting to hit the floor, but it didn¡¯t hurt. Instead, it felt like I had fallen onto a cloud. ¡­ ¡°See, I knew you would figure it out.¡± The woman said, softly smiling at me, ¡°Go ahead, make yourselffortable.¡± Looking down, I could see that a chair had appeared beneath me out of nowhere. The woman walked a short distance away from me, and then a simr-looking chair appeared, which she sat on herself. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The woman just stared at me, looking me up and down; it felt like she was judging me for some reason. Can I just leave? ¡°I knew you were quiet, but I was really expecting questions to start pouring out of you by now.¡± I have plenty of questions. ¡­ But why would I ask you? ¡°Hmm¡­ You do know who I am, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why would I know some random person? ¡°Really?! That¡¯s a first. I haven¡¯t been in this situation for¡­ I don¡¯t even remember how many years now.¡± What do you mean? ¡°Well then, I¡¯m Eria, although you can just call me Aria, as I think we will be meeting quite often from now on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Still not ringing any bells?¡± No? ¡°This is actually a little fun. Unfortunately for me, I don¡¯t have all the time in the world to y with you today, as I don¡¯t want to leave a certain someone waiting too long.¡± I knew it! They were trying to sell me off! It didn¡¯t matter that I couldn¡¯t find an exit; I just needed to get out of there. I jumped from my seat and was about to start running, but Eria said something that froze me in ce. ¡°Most people call me the Goddess of Light, although I¡¯m also the Goddess of Transformation and Titles.¡± What? As soon as the word Goddess reached my ears, they began to twitch. A Goddess¡­ But you¡¯re¡­ ¡°¡­the wrong one¡­¡± ¡°Oh, so you do have a voice.¡± Looking up at the Goddess, her smile got noticeably wider. ¡°Well, luckily for you, I happen to know quite a few Goddesses, so if I¡¯m the ¡®wrong one¡¯, maybe we can sort something out?¡± ¡­ She might be lying¡­ But¡­ I climbed back onto the chair, looking up at the Goddess while making sure to avoid any eye contact just in case she would find it rude. Maybe¡­ ¡°Good, so the first question I have for you is, how are you feeling? Did Celica do a good job?¡± Celica? ¡°She¡¯s my Emissary of Light. Her eyes should look simr to mine?¡± The Goddess pointed at her eyes. So that¡¯s who that person from the temple was¡­ I nodded, but the goddess didn¡¯t respond. She just kept looking at me as if she was expecting something else. I don¡¯t want to¡­ But¡­ If there¡¯s even a chance¡­ ¡°Y-yes¡­ G-Goddess.¡± The Goddess¡¯s smile faded. ¡°I thought I already told you my name?¡± ¡­ ¡°E-Eria¡­¡± Once again, the Goddess didn¡¯t respond to me but continued to stare. ¡°¡­A-Aria.¡± ¡°There you go!¡± Her smile came back instantly, ¡°Now, don¡¯t go forgetting it.¡± Is it okay for me to refer to a Goddess like that? ¡­ W-wait, what if she can read my mind?! ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Aria. Looking up, Aria¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but that didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t read my mind; she might have just been pretending. I¡¯ll just be safe¡­ I don¡¯t want to anger a Goddess¡­ A Baron was already too much¡­ ¡°Well, I¡¯m d she did a good job. I know that someone would be quite upset if you weren¡¯t alright, and unfortunately, I myself wouldn¡¯t be able to help you very much. After all, I¡¯m the Goddess of Light, not the Goddess of Life.¡± Aria said as she leaned back in her chair. Am I supposed to say something? Fortunately for me, Aria continued to talk. ¡°Actually, speaking of that certain someone, it would probably be good for me to apologise to you. What happened is partially my fault, and I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t hold a grudge against me. That¡¯d make our future meetings a bit awkward.¡± Why would a Goddess need to apologise to me? I couldn¡¯t do anything to her even if I wanted to. ¡°You seem confused¡­ Maybe I should just start at the beginning?¡­ Yeah, I¡¯ll do that. How much do you know about magic?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ Alright then, it might be a bit hard for a child to understand, so I¡¯ll try to make things simple.¡± Aria waved her hand in the air, and arge panel appeared out of nowhere, showing a bunch of colourful semi-transparent blobs. It looked simr to a stained ss window. ¡°You can treat this like a map, although it has been quite heavily simplified; each of those coloured areas represents some kind of magic. Is it simple enough so far?¡± ¡°Y-yes, Aria.¡± ¡°You really need to stop stuttering so much. I expect we¡¯ll be talking to each other quite a bit in the future, and it will be difficult if you¡¯re always this nervous.¡± Why would I want to talk to you again? There is only one thing I want from you. I didn¡¯t say anything, and Aria just continued with her exnation. ¡°Well, all the way in the top right corner of this ¡®map¡¯ is where Light Magic resides.¡± She pointed at therge white area on the panel, ¡°You¡¯ve probably already noticed, but this Light Magic area oveps quite a lot with that pale green area; that¡¯s Life Magic, although I think most people call it Healing Magic these days.¡± Aria looked at me, probably waiting for me to confirm that I understood, so I nodded, although I didn¡¯t really understand why she was telling me all of this. ¡°So, what that means is that many people who end up with Light Magic also end up with Life Magic, as they ovep.¡± But what does that have to do with me? ¡°Now, onto the more unfortunate part. Sometimes, if someone has a particrly good affinity for some kind of magic, it can manifest in some physical change-¡± My mind started to put together some things, but it still didn¡¯t make sense why they were rted to me. ¡°-your white haires from a very high affinity with Light Magic, even higher than my own natural affinity, which is why I myself don¡¯t have white hair,¡± Aria ran her fingers through her hair, ¡°My affinity as the Goddess of Light only came after I ascended. Funny enough, when I did ascend, what changed were my eyes, not my hair¡­ You might not believe it, but a long, long time ago, I used to have green eyes.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Anyway, I can show you where that should put you on the map,¡± Aria interrupted me and continued with her exnation, ¡°You would be all the way there, right in the corner, where Light Magic doesn¡¯t ovep with anything.¡± A small grey dot appeared right up against the edge of the map. Should? ¡°Now, the reason you get called a heretic in that cityes from here. As Light and Life Magic are so close to each other, most people are under the impression that they are actually the same thing, or more urately, people think that Light Magic heals people.¡± Aria let out a sigh and paused for a short moment before continuing, ¡°People with white hair get Light Magic but won¡¯t be able to use any Life Magic and, as such, can¡¯t heal people.¡± ¡­ What? Aria leaned forward before continuing, ¡°Because you can¡¯t heal anyone, people think you are just imitating Light Magic, which they believe is an offence to me.¡± ¡­ That¡¯s it? ¡­ Everything I¡¯ve had to go through¡­ ¡­ It was just a misunderstanding¡­ ¡­ Both my ears and tail drooped down, causing Aria to start panicking. ¡°Wait! You can¡¯t be sad. You need to go meet my sister after this!¡± Aria got up and came over to me before picking me up once again, this time hugging me tightly against her chest. ¡­ It took a little while, but I eventually managed to calm down. When did I be sofortable around her?¡­ ¡­ I forced my head out of Aria¡¯s chest to ask the only question that hade to mind. ¡°But¡­ Aria¡­ How¡¯s that your fault?¡± ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t something that I did myself, but at the same time, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve helped very much.¡± What does that mean? ¡°Well, just look at me. I¡¯m supposed to be the pinnacle of Light Magic, yet I don¡¯t even have white hair, so even when I tell them the truth, they just ignore it.¡± ¡°But-¡± Once again, I was cut off. ¡°Appointing Celica as the Emissary of Light also doesn¡¯t help; she doesn¡¯t have white hair either and isn¡¯t even that good with Light Magic. The only reason she was chosen was that she was very good with Life magic while still having some Light Affinity.¡± ¡­ ¡°T-then, why did you pick her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s what those people need, and I need to make sure that I keep my relevance. Especially because I¡¯m busy protecting someone else.¡± ¡­ She doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person¡­ ¡­ And she is a Goddess¡­ ¡°I¡­ forgive you.¡± ¡°Well, thank you very much, little kitsune.¡± Aria smiled at me before putting her hand on my head, which started to glow, ¡°That there is a little gift as a sign of you epting my apology.¡± ¡­ ¡°You didn¡¯t need to do that¡­ It wasn¡¯t even your fault¡­¡± I said it under my breath, and Aria didn¡¯t react, but she probably still heard it as her smile grew wider once again. Chapter 16 – One Step at a Time Chapter 16 ¨C One Step at a Time ¡°While I wouldn¡¯t mind us staying like this a bit longer, I think you might have some things to do,¡± Aria said, looking down at me in her arms. ¡°¡­¡± Aria put me back down in the chair before kneeling down in front of me. ¡°Now, I know you still have at least one question left on your mind, so this is the time for you to ask.¡± ¡­ Alright¡­ ¡­ This might be my only chance¡­ ¡°Um¡­ D-do you know¡­ a Goddess?¡­ S-she looks like a fox¡­¡± I said while pointing at my own ears. ¡°Well, I happen to know quite a few Goddesses who look like foxes,¡± Aria¡¯s ears twitched, ¡°I look like a fox too, although I know you¡¯re not looking for me.¡± ¡­ ¡°S-she had¡­ b-ck fur and¡­ b-ck eyes.¡± I looked at Aria, hoping that my little description would be good enough because I knew nothing else about them. ¡°Hmm, a Goddess that looks like a fox and has ck fur and eyes¡­¡± Please¡­ ¡°I do know a Goddess like that. I know them very well, in fact.¡± ¡°Then!-¡± I abruptly stopped myself from talking. Should I even be trying to talk to them again¡­ ¡­ They didn¡¯t respond to me¡­ for seven years¡­ ¡­ They must have had a reason¡­ What if it was my fault¡­ Aria leaned forward and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, the Goddess that I know would love to meet you. I can guarantee it myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But how would you know?¡­ It might not even be the right one¡­ ¡°How about this? You can go over to her temple, and if she wants to meet you, she¡¯ll bring you up herself. Okay?¡± But, do I even want to know¡­ ¡­ What if¡­ she actually doesn¡¯t want to talk to me?¡­ ¡­ Still¡­ ¡°Alright¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°That''s good. You don¡¯t know how much this would mean to my sister.¡± Sister? ¡°Unfortunately, it also means that we need to say goodbye to each other for now,¡± Aria said, spreading her arms apart while looking directly at me. ¡­ I knew exactly what she wanted, but my body still hesitated. After waiting for a few seconds, she picked me up out of the seat and hugged me tightly once again. ¡°One step at a time. You¡¯ll get there eventually.¡± ¡°¡­Mhm¡­¡± I don¡¯t believe you¡­ But¡­ ¡­ I want to¡­ Aria carried me over to where I first met her. ¡°When you get out there, just head to the other temple. I know you already know which one I¡¯m talking about.¡± Aria said as she set put me down. ¡°Mhm¡± ¡°Well then, hopefully, we will get to meet again soon, little kitsune,¡± she said while waving at me, ¡°Maybe next time you can be the one to give me a hug instead.¡± As soon as she finished talking, everything around me started to turn white. Wait! ¡°G-goodbye Aria.¡± I don¡¯t know if she heard me, as everything had already turnedpletely white by the time I started talking. After just a few short moments, I found myself back in the empty room from the temple, copsed on the floor. I pulled myself up off the floor while checking over myself to make sure everything was still there. Was that even real?¡­ As I thought through what just happened, I found my hand gravitating towards my forehead, where Aria had supposedly given me a gift. I hope it was. ¡­ I need to get to the other temple. Pushing the door to the room open, I could see Raynelle and Celica still talking, although Celica had her hood down, revealing her brown hair that had been tied in a ponytail. ¡°Oh, are you back already?¡± Celica asked as soon as sheid eyes on me peeking out from behind the door. I nodded as I walked out of the room, and Raynelle came over to me before picking me up. Everyone has been picking me up today. ¡°I told you she¡¯s quite nice.¡± Celica smiled at me, ¡°I¡¯ve finished telling Raynelle how to get you back in here if you start feeling any more pain, so you¡¯re free to go now. I imagine you would want to get some rest yourself¡­ it has been a bit of an eventful day.¡± I grabbed Raynelle¡¯s shirt and pulled myself closer to her. ¡°I think we¡¯ll do just that,¡± Raynelle responded in my stead, ¡°We do need to go back and check up on Ava after all.¡± But¡­ ¡°Again, Thank you so much, Celica. I don¡¯t know what I would have done without you. And¡­ sorry¡­ for before.¡± Celica responded simply by smiling and waving as Raynelle, with me still in her arms, left the temple using the same passage we entered from. After leaving the temple, the sun outside seemed dim inparison to the garden Aria was in. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get you home quickly.¡± Raynelle said as she pulled my cloak over my ears, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like being out in public like this.¡± But¡­ That¡¯s not what I want right now. Raynelle started walking back to the inn, probably more worried about Ava now that I was fine. It would be nice if¡­ I stopped my thoughts there. I don¡¯t need to think about that right now. There¡¯s something more important. I waited patiently as Raynelle made her way across the square, but as soon as we got near the ck stone temple, I summoned all the strength that I had to try and force my way out of Raynelle¡¯s grip. ¡°Whoa there! Kit!¡± Raynelle blurted out, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± Raynelle struggled to hold me down without hurting me, but she eventually managed to find her grip and pulled me in tightly against her chest again. Just let me go! ¡­ I pointed towards the ck stone temple while looking directly into Raynelle¡¯s eyes. Just leave me here alone if you have to! ¡­ I¡­ want to know her answer. ¡°But¡­¡± Raynelle looked back and forth between me and the temple before letting out a loud sigh, ¡°¡­ Are you sure?¡± If you aren¡¯t going to listen to me, then let me go! Once again, I started to struggle, trying to force my way out of Raynelle¡¯s grasp. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll let you go there¡­ just¡­ I¡¯m going with you.¡± Fine! Let¡¯s go! Raynelle carried me up to the ck stone temple until we were in front of tworge stone doors. One door had an intricate carving of a nine-tailed fox sleeping on a cloud, while the other was nk as if it had been left unfinished. Throughout the entire time that I stayed here, I never even thought to try to open these doors. ¡­ If it actually was that easy to meet the fox from my dreams all this time¡­ ¡­ Raynelle set me down on the ground, and I instantly ran over to the doors to try and open them, but¡­ they wouldn¡¯t budge. No matter how hard I pushed against them, they refused to open. Is that it? Is that your answer? ¡­ ¡°Do you need some help?¡± Raynelle called over. ¡°¡­¡± Raynelle let out a chuckle to herself before she came over and effortlessly pushed therge stone doors open. ¡°There you go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Really? Not even a thank you?¡± I turned away from Raynelle and made my way into the temple. This is more important. Inside the temple, it was dark. There wasn¡¯t a single window, but rather, the only light in the building came from a few dim candles that were haphazardly scattered around. ¡°Ahhhhhh¡­ What do you people want?¡± A man¡¯s voice came from the far corner of the room. I didn¡¯t respond; instead, I tried to find out who the voice belonged to. It didn¡¯t take long as the sounds of chains being dragged along the floor starteding from a corner of the room. What is this? This isn¡¯t what I thought a temple for a Goddess would be like. Especially not for a Goddess as nice as she was. ¡°The least you could do is respond¡­¡± The owner of the voice came into view, ¡°This is why I can¡¯t stand people¡­¡± He was a tall, slender man with tworge rabbit ears hanging down from the top of his head. His messy, short hair was pitch ck, while his beady eyes were bright red. However, what drew most of my attention were the ck shackles around his wrists and ankles, connected with long chains that extended into the darkness of the temple. It wasn¡¯t the fact that the man was wearing shackles that caught my attention, but rather, there was a feeling that I got from them. It felt¡­ familiar. ¡°Are you still not-¡± All of a sudden, the man stopped talking and fell to the floor, apanied by the sound of the chains mming against the stone floor while holding onto his ears in his hands. ¡°I hear you!¡± The man yelled, ¡°Why can¡¯t you just use spirits like all the others!¡± Maybe¡­ I should just leave. I started to back away, but the man started shouting again. ¡°Hold on! Just wait a minute!¡± At this point, Raynelle had stepped in front of me in an attempt to hide me from the man who was now crawling on the floor. ¡°You there! With the fox ears! Just hurry up and make your way in,¡± the man said, looking directly at me, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to be screamed at again.¡± Screamed at? ¡­ ¡°Kit, let¡¯s just¡­ go home¡­ I don¡¯t think this is where you wanted to go.¡± ¡­ ¡­ No¡­ I ignored Raynelle and walked past her further into the temple. ¡°Wait!¡± Raynelle shouted. I need to do this¡­ As I walked further into the darkness, the room seemed to get cooler. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt this. Chapter 17 – The Goddess of Darkness Chapter 17 ¨C The Goddess of Darkness I kept on walking, just hoping that somewhere in here, I would be able to find the fox from my dreams. That¡¯s all I need¡­ Each step that I took seemed to drain me more than thest, but that didn¡¯t slow me down. It feels so close¡­ After pushing through the darkness for a while, I could just about make out something in the distance, so I started running, ignoring my building fatigue. You¡¯re there! I know you are! You have to be! As I got closer, it became clear what was in front of me. It was a room made entirely from ck stone bricks, and just like the temple, the only lighting was provided by a few dim candles scattered haphazardly around the room. Hanging from the ceiling were manyrge chains, each ending with a single long spike at the end. Is that a dungeon?¡­ In the centre of the room, there was arge throne that seemed to be made from darkness itself. I couldn¡¯t see if there was anyone on the throne due to how dark it was. It doesn¡¯t matter. They have to be there. I just kept on running until I could finally see the ground beneath my feet. Finally¡­ ¡°Wee.¡± A deep voice came out of nowhere, echoing throughout the whole room, causing me to freeze in ce. Who?! Looking up at the throne, I could now make out a woman sitting with one leg over the other, but it was too dark to be able to make out anything above their waist. Just looking at her, my body started to pull away from the pressure I felt. She seemed to be the same height as Aria, but she felt much more intimidating. From what I could see, she was wearing a form-fitting ck dress along with high-heeled boots. From her back sprouted nine tails that blended seamlessly into the surrounding darkness. Adorning her arms were elbow-length gloves where the fingertips ended in sharp ws. What is this? Where¡¯s the fox? ¡°You may speak.¡± The voice echoed throughout the room once again. ¡°¡­¡± This isn¡¯t right. This isn¡¯t what I wanted. I tried to turn away so I could leave, but it felt like something grabbed onto my legs before quickly letting go, although it was enough to root me in ce. ¡°Go on, tell me your name.¡± The woman started tapping her fingers against the throne, letting out sharp metallic clicks as each w hit the armrest one at a time. ¡­ No¡­ This isn¡¯t¡­ It didn¡¯t matter anymore; this wasn¡¯t what I wanted. I started running away, back into the darkness, hoping that I would find myself back at the temple. Raynelle was right¡­ All of a sudden, there was a loud crashing sound behind me, but I didn¡¯t turn back. I just need to leave! I managed a few more steps before getting tackled to the ground. ¡°Huh?¡± This time, it was a different voice, a voice that was all too familiar to me, ¡°Oh No! What did I do?!¡± Before I could even try to get myself off the ground, I was picked up and carried back into the room. ¡°Ah! What do I do?¡± The voice grew more panicked by the second. ¡°Should I just call Eria here?¡­ She¡¯d know what to do.¡± I turned myself around so that I could see the face of the woman who was talking. She was beautiful, with straight ck hair reaching down her back, crowned by two matching fox ears. But it was her eyes¡­ Ever since I first saw them all those years ago, I have never forgotten what it was like to stare into them. The endless abyss that seemed to be contained within drew me in, but instead of being afraid, I felt excited. ¡°Is it¡­ you?¡± I muttered. ¡°What?!¡± The woman shouted, looking down at me, ¡°Are you okay? Did I poke you with the ws? I knew they were a bad idea.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, then¡­ then¡­ what about this?¡± The woman waved one of her tails, and the room instantly brightened up. Then, a bed appeared where the throne used to be, which the woman carefullyid me down on before removing her gloves and throwing them behind her. ¡°D-don¡¯t sit up, just stay there.¡± The woman turned and started to leave. Wait, don¡¯t leave me again! ¡­ Not again¡­ I sat myself up in the bed, which caused the woman to instantly turn around and frantically run back to me, cing her hand on my chest and gently pushing me back down. ¡°I said, d-don¡¯t sit up. I-I can¡¯t make another m-mistake.¡± She turned away again, but this time, I grabbed onto her dress in an attempt to stop her. ¡°Wait!¡­ Please¡­¡± She froze. ¡°Is it you?¡­ Are you the one?¡± I asked, my voice trembling slightly. ¡°W-what one?¡± Please¡­ ¡°The fox!¡­ the fox from my dreams.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± she seemed to be a little taken aback by the question, ¡°W-what if¡­ I a-am?¡± ¡­ What if she is the fox? ¡­ What am I even supposed to say? ¡­ ¡°I would¡­¡± I looked to the side, feeling a little embarrassed, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± The woman shouted again, ¡°Why would you thank me!¡­ It¡¯s my f-fault¡­¡± What?! ¡­ What¡¯s her fault? All she ever did was help me? ¡°What do you mean?¡± I blurted out. ¡°If¡­If I didn¡¯t give you that B-Blessing¡­¡± The woman started to tear up and turned away from me, ¡°Then you wouldn¡¯t have gotten h-hurt that day¡­¡± ¡­ Maybe¡­ Maybe that¡¯s true¡­ But¡­ That Blessing was¡­ all I had for so long. ¡°But¡­ that Blessing was exactly what I asked for.¡± I started to speak, ¡°You were the only one who listened to me¡­ Isn¡¯t that enough.¡± The woman continued to show her back to me, stayingpletely silent. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I would have survived without it¡­ It has helped me¡­ more times than I can even count.¡± The woman still didn¡¯t move. ¡­ ¡°Can you¡­ at least tell me your name?¡± I asked. Just that much would be enough. ¡­ ¡°¡­Ovia.¡± Ovia¡­ ¡­ The only person who listened to me¡­ ¡­ ¡°Ovia¡­ Thank you¡­¡± My eyes started to tear up, ¡°Thank you¡­ so much¡­¡± She still didn¡¯t turn around. At least¡­ I got to talk to her again¡­ ¡­ I started to reign myself in a bit as it seemed that this was as much as I was going to get. She really didn¡¯t want to talk to me¡­ ¡­ ¡°*Cough*¡­ I-I do also have a title¡­¡± Huh?¡­ ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°I am known as the G-Goddess of Darkness, Dreams and ¡­¡± Even though I was looking at her back, I could see that she puffed her chest out as she spoke. She said thest thing so quietly that I couldn¡¯t hear what it was, even with my improved hearing. ¡°S-so¡­ what about y-you?¡± She asked, slightly deting. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your n-n-name?¡± ¡°My name?¡± But¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t remember my name¡­ ¡°Y-yes, I have been watch- *Cough* o-observing you for quite some time now, but I have never h-heard your n-name.¡± ¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡°¡­Kit¡­¡± I mumbled, ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯ve been calling me¡­¡± ¡°No! Not that.¡± Ovia quickly spun around to face me, ¡°I was asking for your n-name¡­ your actual n-name!¡± But¡­ That¡¯s¡­ all I have¡­ ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?! What do you mean? Do you not have one? Did you just forget it?¡­¡± Ovia thought for a moment before asking, ¡°D-did you throw it away?¡± I wasn¡¯t even able to think about my name anymore, as Ovia¡¯s outburstpletely surprised me. ¡°Ummm¡­¡± She wrapped her hair around her hand and clenched her fist, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t prepare for this¡­ W-why did everything go off script?¡± I reached out to grab her arm and tell her it was okay, but before I was able to, she sat herself down next to me and grabbed both my shoulders. ¡°I-it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t want to tell m-me what happened,¡± She looked me in the eyes, ¡°I-I¡­ can just¡­ give you a new n-name!¡± ¡­ A new name¡­ ¡­ I haven¡¯t needed one this whole time¡­ ¡­ Do I even deserve one? ¡°How about¡­¡± She looked away from me briefly before snapping back, ¡°Kierra!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I responded without even thinking. As soon as I heard the namee from her lips, my body jumped into action,tching onto her arms. ¡°I-I¡¯m Kierra¡­¡± I started to tear up again, although this time I buried my face in Ovia¡¯s arm to hide it, "That¡¯s¡­ me..." Kierra¡­ That¡¯s¡­ ¡­ The second thing you¡¯ve given to me¡­ Chapter 18 – Just Stay Next to Me Chapter 18 ¨C Just Stay Next to Me ¡°Wait!¡± Ovia started to panic again, ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong? W-why are you crying?¡± I¡¯m fine. They¡¯re happy tears! I tried to push Ovia¡¯s arm away so that I could tell her I was alright and thank her once again, but before I could, she had already jumped off of the bed and was pacing back and forth. ¡°Umm¡­ What do I d-do? How do Ifort c-children?¡± ¡°I¡¯m-¡± ¡°N-no, I k-know what to do,¡± She cut me off, ¡°I know exactly what to do.¡± She stepped away from me before snapping her fingers. Right as she did, she waspletely engulfed by the surrounding darkness. What? ¡­ Did she just¡­ run away? After a short pause, the room started to lighten up again and my worries immediately dissipated. Where Ovia had just been standing there was a now arge ck fox in her ce. That¡¯s!¡­ ¡­ I want¡­ My first thought after seeing the fox was to try and grab onto it as quickly as possible. You¡¯re not leaving me again. I started to shuffle off of the bed, but before even getting my feet over the edge, the fox ran up and jumped onto it instead, gently curling around my back before lying down. ¡­ ¡°Can I?¡± I asked, looking over at the fox¡¯s face. The fox paused for a moment before responding by quickly nodding their head. Am I¡­ excited? My tail seemed to have gained a mind of its own as it was swaying back and forth uncontrobly, asionally brushing against the fox. How long has it been since I¡­ looked forward to something? ¡­ She did give me permission. Having mentally prepared myself, I slowly leaned backwards until I was lying against the body of the fox. ¡­ What?¡­ ¡­ What is this?¡­ ¡­ This can¡¯t be real¡­ How does this exist?¡­ No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t fully describe what it felt like to be enveloped by the soft ck fur. It was almost like beingpletely surrounded by many copies of my own tail, yet somehow even better. Her fur was slightly cool to the touch; it felt unnatural but strangely calming at the same time. ¡­ I¡¯m definitely not letting you leave me¡­ Not again¡­ ¡­ ¡°A-are you feeling better now?¡± Ovia asked as she nuzzled up against my face with her nose. Her mouth didn¡¯t move, but I could still hear her voice clearly. There was nothing wrong in the first ce¡­ ¡­ But¡­ it feels good¡­ ¡­ ¡°Mhm,¡± I responded, deciding to just ept her gesture. ¡°Good!¡± Ovia¡¯s tails started to stir slightly, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± I rolled onto my side, pulling my own tail into a hug while still enjoying Ovia¡¯s fur. However, as I did, I noticed that even with my shadow coating my tail, it just wasn¡¯t as dark as Ovia¡¯s. It¡¯s not the same¡­ ¡­ Is there some secret to it?¡­ ¡°Now, what do I do next?¡­¡± She mumbled quietly, looking away from me, ¡°What would Eria do?¡­¡± You don¡¯t need to do anything. ¡­ Just stay next to me. I pushed my body a bit deeper into Ovia¡¯s fur. ¡°Oh, I know!¡± Ovia nudged my cheek with her nose before continuing to speak, ¡°S-so, h-how are you doing?¡± Even though her face as a fox wasn¡¯t very expressive, I could still feel her anticipation just by looking into her eyes. But¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ have a happy answer¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t want to ruin this¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°R-right, you don¡¯t know¡­¡± Ovia paused for a second before unexpectedly shouting, ¡°Wait! Y-you don¡¯t know! W-what does that mean? Umm¡­¡± *Fwump* Without any warning, Ovia wrapped her tails around me, engulfing mepletely in her fluff. ¡­ Ahhhh¡­. ¡­ ¡°I-is that better?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°E-Eria used to give m-me her t-tail when I was feeling down,¡± I could hear the panic rising in her voice, ¡°I-I have nine, so that must be better t-than one.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I wanted to tell her that I was fine, but my mind was being overwhelmed by what I was experiencing. I was so overwhelmed by her tails that even the shadow that had been coating both my tail and hair melted away. ¡­ It¡­ doesn¡¯t matter¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t know how long I spent like that. My memory of the event was hazy at best. The most I could remember was the muffled sounds of Ovia speaking as I gradually sank deeper into the fluff. Ovia eventually removed her tails, but as she did, I instinctuallytched onto one and hugged it tightly. ¡°No!¡± I blurted out. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ What¡­ did I just do? My eyes went wide, and my face started to heat up. I could only imagine just how red I went. In an attempt to cool my head off, I buried my face into the tail I had abducted. Instantly, I felt the effects, as the cool fur instantly got rid of the heat in my face, although that also meant I was able to think clearly again. What are you doing?! That only makes it worse! I quickly released the tail before recing it with my own to keep my face hidden. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Ovia moved the tail away from me. Why did you do that?! You¡¯ve ruined it! How could you do this?! I pushed my face deeper into my tail, preparing myself for the worst. ¡°¡­¡± Why isn¡¯t she saying anything? ¡­ Is she deciding how to punish me?! ¡°I-I like the white¡­¡± Ovia finally spoke up. I knew!- Wait? What? I pulled my tail down just enough so that I could see while still keeping most of my face hidden, just in case. Looking over at Ovia, she was facing away from me again. ¡°I-I think it¡¯s¡­ um¡­ e-elegant!¡± ¡­ You¡­ hesitated¡­ ¡­ ¡°O-oh no, um¡­ Y-your B-Blessing! You said you like the B-Blessing!¡± Ovia kept talking, ¡°H-how has that been going?¡± Shouldn¡¯t you already know? It¡¯s your blessing, right? ¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡­ like it¡­¡± What else am I supposed to say here?¡­ ¡°W-well, um¡­ uh¡­ H-how about¡­ you show m-me?¡± Why? ¡­ Fine. Just by thinking about what I wanted it to do, my shadow crept up my body and settled into my hair and tail, dying them ck once again. Ovia didn¡¯t say anything and just continued to stare at my tail. What? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? ¡°Uhhh¡­ What¡­ was that?¡± Ovia asked, sounding genuinely confused. ¡°¡­Your Blessing?¡± ¡°It is?¡± How don¡¯t you know? You gave it to me. Ovia pulled herself away, turning back into her humanoid form before sitting down next to me. ¡°J-just give me a second.¡± Ovia grabbed my wrist with one hand before cing the palm of her other hand against mine. She then gradually pulled her hand away, revealing a grey liquid that floated into the air. ¡°N-now, where did I leave it?¡± Ovia mumbled to herself while looking around the room frantically. All of a sudden, the floating liquid flew behind me. I instantly turned around to see where it went, but when I did, I saw Aria standing there with some kind of grey crystal floating next to her. ¡°Were you looking for one of these?¡± Aria asked as she walked up to us. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it!¡± Ovia blurted out. What¡¯s going on? ¡°Hello again, little kitsune,¡± Aria said, looking down at me, ¡°I¡¯m sure you weren¡¯t expecting to see me again so soon.¡± ¡­ ¡°K-Kierra¡­¡± I mumbled. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡­ ¡°My name¡­¡± I spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Kierra.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great,¡± Aria said, pping her hands together. ¡°W-what are you doing h-here?¡± Ovia seemed to finally realise what had just happened. ¡°Ah, thank you for reminding me,¡± Aria chuckled slightly, ¡°I came to remind you to send little Kierra here back down soon.¡± ¡°But!¡± Both Ovia and I shouted in unison. ¡°Look, I know you two would like to spend more time together, but sister, you know how those gods get.¡± Ovia didn¡¯t say anything, instead just looking down at the floor. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? I don¡¯t want to leave you! Not again! ¡­ Please, don¡¯t do this to me again¡­ ¡°A-alright,¡± Ovia deted, ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ send her back¡­¡± ¡°But-¡± I spoke up but was immediately interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s really not our choice,¡± Aria said, ¡°If I could, I¡¯d keep you up here, but unfortunately, there are some¡­ rules?¡­ we have to follow.¡± But¡­ I finally found her¡­ ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t look so down. You can juste back and visit again. I¡¯m sure my sister wouldn¡¯t mind thepany, Right?¡± Aria looked over at Ovia. ¡°Mhm¡­¡± ¡°See?¡± Aria moved next to Ovia, ¡°Now, sister, send her along.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°No buts.¡± Aria ced her finger over Ovia¡¯s lips. Ovia looked over to me with a disheartened expression before looking away and waving one of her tails. As soon as she did, my vision wentpletely ck, and I felt her presence disappear. Chapter 19 – Teach Me Chapter 19 ¨C Teach Me [Eria POV] Now that the little kitsune had left it was time for me to try and sort out the mess that my sister has gotten herself into. ¡°Now then, Ovia,¡± I spoke while using all the restraint I had to stop myself from grabbing my sister by the shoulders, ¡°Would you care to exin what that was?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± She looked away from me, ¡°I-I¡­ t-talked to her.¡± ¡°Yes, you did,¡± I walked around her so she was facing me, ¡°But you know that isn¡¯t what I was talking about.¡± My sister fell silent, looking away again. ¡°So, you do know what you did?¡± She still refused to respond, so I ced my hand on her shoulder, forcefully turning her around to face me. At that moment, she immediately started listing off seemingly everything that came to her mind. ¡°I-I¡­ didn¡¯t follow the script. The g-gloves were a bad idea. I knew they were a bad idea, but I did it anyway. I didn¡¯t k-know how tofort her. H-her name, I don¡¯t know what I was thinking. Why did I think that I had the right to n-name her? I-I even almost smothered her to death-¡± I had to cup my hand over her mouth in order to get her to stop talking, and even then, she didn¡¯t actually stop talking but kept shouting into my hand. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about,¡± I said after she had finally started to calm down. ¡°¡­¡± I guess I should give her a bit of a hint. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± I asked as I kicked one of the chains lying on the floor. With a guilty expression on her face, she looked down at the chain for a while, remaining silent. ¡°*Sigh* This is why everyone is scared of you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but nt my forehead firmly in my palm. No matter how many times I¡¯ve gone out of my way to speak to her about this she just won¡¯t let go of this whole persona she has given herself. I just don¡¯t understand¡­ Do you just¡­ not want to get along with people? ¡°I-I wanted to make a good first impression.¡± My sister mumbled. ¡°What part of that was a good first impression?¡± My sister was visibly deted, now crouching on the floor. ¡°B-but if I just followed the script¡­¡± What am I going to do with you?¡­ I ced my hand on top of my sister¡¯s head before using some of my divinity to force her into her fox form. ¡°Alright, now I will be the one to talk, and you will listen.¡± I sat down andy against my sister. ¡°But-¡± ¡°I said that I¡¯m the one who¡¯s talking.¡± My sister¡¯s ears drooped down slightly. ¡°Good,¡± I gave her a scratch under her chin before continuing, ¡°Did you not see how much you scared the poor girl, she even tried to run away from you.¡± ¡°YOU WERE WATCHING US!¡± What happened to ¡®I¡¯m the one who¡¯s talking¡¯? ¡­ I know that¡¯s going to be a losing battle right now¡­ ¡°Of course I was watching you; I didn¡¯t want you to ruin this for yourself. You don¡¯t even know how many times I was this close to jumping in to help you out,¡± I lent back a bit further, ¡°You could have at least taken her into your little ¡®den¡¯ instead of staying in-¡± ¡°No!¡± She covered my mouth with one of her tails. ¡°No?¡± I gently pushed the tail away, ¡°But that little kitsune would have loved to see everything you keep in there, especiallypared to what you have set up in here.¡± ¡°N-nobody can see that! That is just for me!¡­ a-and you¡­ I guess¡­¡± She said thest part under her breath, not that it did anything. ¡°Come on; you could even have shown her that little plushie version of her that you made.¡± My sister¡¯s eyes went wide, ¡°Y-you didn¡¯t tell her about t-that, did you?!¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Ah, it¡¯s always so fun to tease you like this. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t!¡± She covered her face with her front paws, ¡°W-what would she think about m-me if she knew¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I moved her paws away from her face, ¡°Why would that matter?¡± ¡°¡­ I-I have to make a good i-impression¡­ I-I¡¯m the G-Goddess of Darkness¡­ I-I can¡¯t be a p-pushover¡­¡± ¡­ I pulled my sister¡¯s head into myp and wiped away the tears that were forming. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you before. You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± ¡°B-but-¡± ¡°No buts. You already proved yourself when you ascended as a Goddess¡­ You even ascended before me, don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°T-that wasn¡¯t fair¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it wasn¡¯t fair. It¡¯s still what happened.¡± My sister didn¡¯t say anything in response. Did you learn to stay silent from that little kitsune? ¡°*Sigh* Alright then, I¡¯m sure you get my point now. Let¡¯s move on to something more fun, hey?¡± I asked, gently brushing her snout. She nodded her head while keeping it in myp. ¡°I saw that you took some of the little kitsune¡¯s mana,¡± I waved my hand, and the mana crystal containing her mana came closer, ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re just as interested in it as I am.¡± My sister nodded her head again, although this time, she also used the opportunity to nuzzle in a bit closer as well, not that I minded at all. ¡°Unfortunately, it will take me some time to look into,¡± I started exining to her, ¡°Whatever magic she has been using is something even I haven¡¯t seen before, and if you also don¡¯t know about it, then we really don¡¯t have a ce to start looking into.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, but I already knew that it wasn¡¯t the news that she was wanting to hear. Luckily for her I had already thought about how to deal with this situation. ¡°So this is my idea. I¡¯ll split this mana into two so you can have a y with it while, at the same time, I can look into it on my side,¡± I turned my sister¡¯s face so that she was looking directly at me, ¡°Does that sound good?¡± ¡°Mhm¡± ¡°Great, this can be our little project together then.¡± I pped my hands together, ¡°That should help keep your mind upied before the little kitsunees back around.¡± I started rubbing her cheeks, but she didn¡¯t show the enthusiastic reaction that I was expecting. Normally this is the time when she would be jumping at me, rushing me to get everything started. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something you¡¯re still hung up on?¡± She nuzzled her face closer to me. I responded in turn by cing my hand on her head and returning her to her normal self. I knew she would try this. ¡°That¡¯s not going to get you out of it¡­¡± My sister turned, so she was lying face down in myp. ¡°Hmm¡­ How about¡­ If you tell me, I¡¯ll let you y with my tails for a bit? Just like the old days.¡± She stayed still for a while, but eventually, she sat up and faced me, although she avoided making eye contact. ¡°W-what if she¡­ doesn¡¯t¡­e back?¡­¡± She fumbled over her words. That¡¯s what she¡¯s so worried about? Was she not watching that little kitsune? ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a little, ¡°I can guarantee she¡¯ll be back at your doorstep before you know-¡± ¡°How can you be so s-sure?!¡± She leaned forward. I stared at her tails swaying back and forth in excitement. They really are surprisingly simr. ¡°Let¡¯s just call it¡­ your sister¡¯s intuition, alright?¡± She looked towards the floor for a bit before suddenly looking me in the eye. ¡°A-alright.¡± There was a sparkle in her eye. ¡°That¡¯s good-¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± My sister interrupted me, ¡°¡­C-can you¡­ help m-me?¡­¡± ¡°Help you with what exactly?¡± I already have an idea of what she wants¡­ But she needs to tell me herself. ¡°T-teach me¡­ how to¡­ make a g-good impression on K-K-Kierra!¡± Iughed a little at the situation. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do just that,¡± I stood up and stretched, ¡°You know I would never turn you down.¡± ¡°W-what are you waiting for?!¡± My sister leapt up off the floor before dragging me into the side room, ¡°T-there¡¯s only so much time before K-Kierraes back.¡± It really was a good idea to try and get along with that little kitsune. Chapter 20 – Do I Even Deserve To? Chapter 20 ¨C Do I Even Deserve To? Why are you doing this again?! Don¡¯t do this to me! ¡­ Please!¡­ Please not again¡­ I didn¡¯t know how long I would have been stuck in ce, silently ming everything I could. However, after standing there for only a few moments, my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sharp screech of metal sliding over metal. My ears reacted instantly, searching for the source of the sound. When I turned towards where I heard iting from, all that I could see was a faint light apanied by an asional sh whenever I heard the noise. Is she over there? I¡¯ll go to you. Before I could even take a step, my question was answered when I heard a man shouting. ¡°Come on out already! *Grunt* I know you''re back.¡± That¡¯s¡­ not her¡­ ¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?!¡± The shrill sound of metal shing against metal echoed through the room again, ¡°Get out here and deal with yourpanion!¡± Why should I?¡­ ¡­ I can just¡­ wait here¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s right¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t n-need anything else¡­ ¡­ I-I waited seven years¡­ I-I can w-wait some more¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I¡­ ¡­ .. . Tears started running down my face, disappearing out of sight into the darkness. Please¡­ ¡­ ¡°What did you do to that little girl?!¡± Raynelle?¡­ ¡°I *Grunt* told you, I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± The loud rattle from chains being pulled taut filled the room, ¡°She¡¯s standing right there!¡± ¡°Then let me go!¡± Raynelle shouted, ¡°Let me go to her!¡± Why?¡­ ¡­ Why¡­ are you still here? ¡­ I-I don¡¯t need you¡­ ¡­ I¡­ ¡°¡­need her¡­¡± My knees mmed against the cold stone floor, but I didn¡¯t feel any pain. ¡­ Suddenly, I heard the chains sh against the stone floor, followed by hurried footsteps heading my way. ¡°Kit! Where are you?!¡± ¡­ I couldn¡¯t bring myself to respond, although that didn¡¯t matter as soon after, I found myself being lifted into the air. ¡°A-are you okay?¡± Raynelle asked, ¡°Nothing happened to you, right? You¡¯re alright?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just¡­ Tell me¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do for you...¡± She gently brushed away my tears. Please¡­ Just leave me¡­ I have to¡­ ¡°L-let¡¯s just get you back to Ava, she¡¯ll do¡­ something¡­¡± She started walking with me cradled in her arms, ¡°Just¡­ please don¡¯t cry¡­¡± I¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ What do I do?¡­ I¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t want to wait any more¡­ Somehow, even more tears burst from my eyes. They just kepting until, even if it wasn¡¯t dark, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see anything around me. ¡°Hey, kid!¡± The man from before shouted, ¡°If you evere back, pleasee by yourself! She¡¯s quite a handful.¡± ¡°Just shut it,¡± Raynelle snapped back, catching me off guard, ¡°If you knew what she¡¯s been through¡­ you¡¯d understand.¡± But how do you know? ¡­ You don¡¯t know anything about me. ¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know anything about me. ¡°Ahhh, how many times do I have to tell you?! Nothing bad happened to her. Stop assuming things.¡± He¡¯s¡­ right¡­ I grabbed onto Raynelle¡¯s arm to stop her from going at the man any further. ¡°But¡­¡± Raynelle looked down at me, although I couldn¡¯t make out her expression. ¡°Look, just leave¡­ If you have toe back,e backter¡­ neither of you is in your right mind at the moment,¡± I heard the sound of chains being dragged away from me, and then the temple doors flew open, filling the room with light, ¡°And by the way, make sure your hood is pulled up¡­ don¡¯t want the wrong people to see you¡­¡± Hastily, I returned my shadow to my hair and tails; I hadn¡¯t even realised that my shadow had disappeared at some point. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ just go¡­ alright?¡± Raynelle pulled me closer. F-fine¡­ ¡­ But¡­ I¡¯lle back¡­ I have to¡­ Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion hit me, as if everything that had happened throughout the day hit me all at once, but I continued to keep my eyes open. ¡°It¡¯s okay, just go to sleep,¡± Raynelle pulled my hood over my face, ¡°I¡¯ll get you back to the inn, alright? You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t respond and just let sleep fall over me while still holding onto one faint hope. Maybe¡­ she¡¯ll be in my dream¡­ ¡­ Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. It felt like as soon as I closed my eyes, I was already opening them again, staring up at a wooden ceiling that had be familiar. ¡­ Why?¡­ Why weren¡¯t you there?¡­ ¡­ Sitting myself up, the first thing that I noticed was Ava strewn across the foot of the bed while fast asleep. Her hair and feathers were inplete disarray, sticking out all over the ce. I reached my hand out to brush down some of her feathers but ended up stopping myself before I did, as the memory of the first day I met her came to mind. She¡­ never touched my tail in my sleep¡­ I-I should do the same. Deciding to leave her to her sleep, I carefully manoeuvred around Ava and slid off of the bed, barelynding on my feet before falling down onto my hands and knees. What do I do now?¡­ ¡­ I want to go back¡­ I looked myself over, staring down at the rags that still covered my body and my tail, which was admittedly doing far worse than Ava¡¯s feathers. The only decent thing I had was the scarf that Raynelle gave me. But¡­ do I¡­ even deserve to? ¡­ Running my fingers through my tail, it was impossible not topare it to the memory of hers¡­ It was like night and day. I could neverpare to her¡­ Why would she even want to see me again? ¡­ A-Aria said¡­ that I coulde back¡­ But¡­ ¡­ No matter what I tried, I just couldn¡¯te up with a reason why a Goddess like her would ever want to see someone like me. Just from the pressure that I felt when I first saw her, it was clear that she just didn¡¯t need someone like me. She could have whatever she wanted¡­ Why would she choose me?¡­ ¡­ But¡­ I need her¡­ ¡­ I had already somehow held on for seven years, just hoping that I could meet her again. Now that I had finally met her again, I just couldn¡¯t let her go. I can¡¯t wait another seven years¡­ ¡­ Looking around the room, I saw a brush that Ava had brought with her a few days ago in an attempt to touch my tail. I had turned her down when she did, but she still decided to leave the brush in my room, which, at that moment, I was thankful for. I-I¡¯ll fix it¡­ I-I¡¯m sure¡­ If I-I look better¡­ She¡¯ll like me more¡­ ¡­ She has to¡­ I-I need something¡­ I picked myself up off the floor and grabbed the brush off the nearby table before sitting myself back down on the floor with my pure white tail resting in myp. I guess I just- ¡°*Yelp*¡± Instantly, my hand let go of the brush, but it stayed attached, dangling from my tail. As soon as I tried to run the brush through my tail, I felt an excruciating pain shoot up my spine as it pulled against the fur. B-but¡­ I-I have to¡­ I grabbed the brush and kept trying to force it through the fur, this time biting down on my hand to help bear the pain. Although, it didn¡¯t help much¡­ ¡°*Yelp*¡± All it really achieved was muffling my cries of pain rather than stopping them. Just go through! As I kept pulling on the brush, tears started welling up in my eyes. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop! Don¡¯t do it like that!¡± Someone shouted. I turned around to see a blurry Ava barrelling towards me. As soon as she was in front of me, she grabbed my wrist, which caused me to let go of the brush. ¡°You¡¯re just going to damage your fur like that!¡± ¡°¡­¡± But¡­ I need to¡­ I tried to pull my wrist out of her grip, but she wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Look, I know you don¡¯t want me to touch you, but please, let me at least teach you first.¡± Ava continuedining at me, sounding genuinely panicked. I need it now!¡­ I don¡¯t want to wait anymore¡­ ¡­ Looking at the brush hanging limply from my tail, I knew that there was only one way to fix this problem, but I was still reluctant to do it. ¡­ I looked up at Ava¡¯s panicked face, then back down at the brush. ¡­ It¡¯s f-for her¡­ I-I can do this¡­ ¡­ I lifted the brush along with the attached tail using my free hand and held it out to Ava. ¡°Really?!¡± Ava asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± I silently braced myself before nodding, and her face immediately lit up as she reached for the brush¡¯s handle. ¡­ It¡¯s for¡­ Ovia¡­ Chapter 21 – She’ll Get There Eventually Chapter 21 ¨C She¡¯ll Get There Eventually [Raynelle POV] I don¡¯t know what I should be doing¡­ After visiting that temple yesterday, Kit fell asleep in my arms, and she''s stayed that way ever since I got her back to the inn. I knew that she was probably just tired from such an eventful day, but that didn¡¯t matter. I couldn¡¯t help but worry about her. I buried my face into my hands. ¡°¡­ I just¡­ don¡¯t know how to help you¡­¡± ¡­ *Thud* Instantly, I lifted my head out of my hands and turned towards the source of the noise, but nothing else happened. ¡°I must be imagining things now¡­¡± I need to calm down. It helps nobody being this high-strung. ¡­ I just really don¡¯t want to leave that kid like this¡­ ¡­ But¡­ even when I was screaming for her¡­ She said¡­ nothing¡­ ¡­ What more can I even do?¡­ She just¡­ doesn¡¯t trust me. Leaning back in my chair, I gently rocked back and forth on its two back legs. With each push, a soft creaking sound filled the room before I let the chair fall forward to do it again. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­Ava was so much easier to deal with¡­¡± ¡­ *p* ¡°Come on Raynelle, you can¡¯t be thinking like that,¡± I said to myself, ¡°You know how much that kid has had to deal with.¡± I sat there in silence for a moment, waiting for the stinging sensation in both my cheek and my hand to go away. ¡­ ¡°Y¡¯know¡­ Celica seemed to be an alright person¡­ so if push everes to shove, I know that at least I could just¡­ leave her there¡­¡­ Then she¡¯ll be safe¡­ I¡¯m sure¡­¡± ¡­ Without warning, my train of thought was interrupted by the faint sound of a muffed yelp, followed by hurried footsteps. ¡°What!¡± The girls! Without wasting any more time, I burst out of the room and ran down the corridor towards Kit¡¯s room, immediately throwing the door open once I reached it. I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if I damaged a hinge or two. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± I shouted while searching the room, ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡­ I looked down to see the two girls just sitting on the floor. Ava was brushing Kit¡¯s tail with a rather serious expression on her face while Kit sat there, tense as could be, with tears visibly welling up in her eyes. I can¡¯t believe Ava got to do that before me! ¡°I-¡± I started toin but stopped myself almost immediately. Raynelle, It¡¯s not the time for that. Just look, that little girl is finally letting someone get a bit closer to her. ¡­ ¡°So¡­ What¡¯s the story here?¡± I went and sat myself down next to the two girls, though neither of them reacted to me. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ Hello, Ava¡­ You there?¡­¡± She didn¡¯t respond, so I reached out to shake her shoulder, but before I could make contact, she abruptly spoke up. ¡°Not now. This is important.¡± ¡­ I¡­ haven¡¯t seen her like that in a while. ¡°So then¡­ Kit, do you have any input?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nothing¡­ Y¡¯know, I was really hoping there would be something there¡­ It just felt right. ¡­ One step at a time, I guess¡­ I decided that it was probably better to just let the two of them finish up by themselves, so I left the room to go and throw together a meal for the three of us. I ain¡¯t as good a cook as Ava, but I can still put together something nice and filling. And I imagine our little fox will be quite hungry after being asleep for a whole day. After around an hour of cooking, I was back in the room carrying arge pot of freshly made meat and potato stew. ¡°Alright! Who¡¯s ready for lunch?¡± No response from either of them. Looking down at the two girls, it was like almost nothing had changed since I left ¡ª well, other than little Kit¡¯s tail and hair looking better than ever. I set the stew down on the table with a satisfying thud before squatting down and grabbing Ava by the shoulder. ¡°Ava, I think you¡¯re good.¡± ¡°No¡­ I can do better¡­ I know I can¡­¡± Looking over at Kit, it was clear that she was more than just a bit exhausted from the whole experience. ¡°Well, you can do better at another time,¡± I pulled her away, ¡°For now, you two can take a break and eat some lunch.¡± ¡°What?! You cooked?¡± Ava spun around to look at me. ¡°Yes, I cooked, okay?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± ¡°Ohe on, don¡¯t be like that. You used to eat my cooking all the time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it was the only option!¡± ¡°Stop making excuses. I even used some of those spices you keep going on about.¡± I said as I got up from the floor and served a bowl to both her and Kit, ¡°If they¡¯re as good as you say they are, then you have nothing toin about.¡± As soon as Kitid eyes on the food, she lifted the bowl to her mouth and started gulping it down. ¡°See, she isn¡¯tining.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Just eat.¡± Ava continued to look at the bowl hesitantly but eventually gave in and ate, putting a spoonful of the stew into her mouth. ¡°See, it¡¯s not that bad.¡± I patted her on the back. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s better¡­ Still tastes a bit like soap though.¡± Ava muttered. ¡°You¡¯re just being a baby about it. Look, Kit has already finished her first bowl.¡± I said as I took the bowl from in front of Kit and filled it back up. ¡°*Hmph*¡± Ava looked away from me but still continued to eat. I sat down and served up a bowl for myself. I knew it was good. I don¡¯t know why sheins every time. ¡­ In only a few minutes, we were all finished with lunch. It was mainly thanks to Kit devouring the bulk of it, but at least she looked satisfied. ¡°Now then, can one of you two fill me in on the details?¡± I looked over at Kit, hoping that a miracle would happen, but Ava spoke up instead. ¡°Yeah, She just started attacking her tail with the brush and almost pulled out a bunch of her fur because of it,¡± Ava exined, ¡°So I stopped her¡­ then she was gracious enough to hand me the brush, with tail still attached.¡± ¡°And since when were you some kind of expert on tail care?¡± I might not know how you tend to all those feathers of yours, but I know it ain¡¯t anything like brushing a tail. For goodness sake, I know you only bought that brush a week ago! ¡°Sincest week,¡± Ava looked very proud of herself, ¡°I spent some time looking into it, and it paid off.¡± ¡°Oh, did you now?¡± I leaned in towards Ava¡¯s ear and whispered to her, ¡°I need you to show me how to do itter.¡± Ava let out a quiet chuckle before nodding. ¡°So then, Kit, you¡¯ve decided to worry about your appearance now?¡± I walked over to her and squatted down. ¡°¡­¡± Wait a minute¡­ This could be a great opportunity. She just needs a little push. ¡°Well, your tail is looking quite neat now¡­ It sure would be a waste to leave you dressed in those rags, hey?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How about this then? We can take you somewhere to get kitted out with some new outfits. That sound good to you?¡± Kit¡¯s eyes lit up, but that burst of excitement quickly vanished as she started staring at the floor. So, you don¡¯t want to go out¡­ ¡­ Ah, I got it. ¡°Y¡¯know, with your hair all neatened up like that, I can hardly recognise you anymore. With some new clothes, and maybe a haircut, I imagine you would look like an entirely new person.¡± Kit looked back up at me, this time with her ears perked up and her tail quickly swaying back and forth. ¡°Okay then, but first, let¡¯s try it out,¡± I looked over at Ava, ¡°Do you have something she could wear?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I think there¡¯s something. Just give me a second.¡± She got up and quickly left the room. I really hope this works. At this point, I¡¯ll really take any kind of progress. Ava quickly came back, holding a familiar dress. It was a simple dress, but it was made entirely out of feathers of various sizes, mainly ck, but dappled with various greys and whites throughout. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that for a few years now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only thing I have that is small enough for her.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, just go for it. I¡¯ll just need it back after we get back. And I know Kit won¡¯t do anything to it,¡± Ava said, ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve seen how she treats the scarf you got her.¡± ¡°Okay then, you heard her. We¡¯ve got the go-ahead,¡± I said, ¡°Do you need any help putting it on?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll leave you to it. Ava, let¡¯s give the girl some space.¡± I put my hand on Ava¡¯s shoulder and dragged her out of the room, ¡°We¡¯ll just be waiting out here.¡± I closed the door behind me before letting out a heavy sigh. She¡¯ll¡­ get there eventually¡­ ¡­ I know it. Chapter 22 – Pretty Little Thing Chapter 22 ¨C Pretty Little Thing Looking down at the dress that Ava had allowed me to use, I couldn¡¯t help but question the motives behind her decision. Is this some kind of trick?¡­ ¡­ Why a dress made of feathers? ¡­ Does she want me to ask her if I can touch her feathers? ¡­ Is it all to tempt me?! ¡­ I kept staring at the dress, just thinking in silence. That must be it. ¡­ But¡­ ¡­ No, you have to do this. Reluctantly, I took off the rags that I had been wearing for the past few years, leaving me with just my bare body. I couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since I¡¯d seen my body just as it was. What confused me was theck of any visible scars. Over thest few years, I knew that I had picked up more than a few, but looking down at myself, I saw nothing as if none of it had even happened. Does that mean? I reached a hand over my shoulder and ran it across my back, hoping for a miracle. But the distinct groove I felt told me otherwise. Still there¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Looking back down at the dress in an attempt to distract myself, I felt a strange resistance to putting it on. It just didn¡¯t feel right to me; it didn¡¯t feel like I deserved it. ¡­ Don¡¯t forget K-Kierra; it¡¯s for her¡­ It¡¯s all for her¡­ I quickly threw the dress over my head, careful not to damage it, as I didn¡¯t know what they might do to me if I did. However, as soon as I had pulled it down, I noticed a problem. There wasn¡¯t a hole in the back for my tail, so it was pushing up against the skirt. ¡­ You just have to deal with it. Thinking on my feet, I wrapped my tail around one of my legs, securing it with my old makeshift scarf. It was ufortable, but at least it wasn¡¯t painful. It¡¯s only for one trip. Bracing myself, I opened the door to see both Raynelle and Ava waiting patiently in the hallway. ¡°Now, doesn¡¯t that look so much better, hey?¡± Raynelle said as she turned towards me, ¡°Although, something does seem a little bit off.¡± Isn¡¯t that a good thing? I don¡¯t want to be recognised. Ava walked behind me and looked me up and down. ¡°It seems to be a little bit big on you.¡± Ava said as she adjusted the back of the dress, ¡°And I can¡¯t imagine your tail isfortable being covered like that.¡± ¡°Ah, that was it! the tail was missing.¡± Raynelle blurted out, ¡°How did I miss that?¡± Can we just go already? This is important. My shadow slithered up my body until it coated my hair and tail before I started heading out of the inn, believing that they would just follow me. However, after only two steps, Raynelle lifted me into the air. ¡°Hold up a bit there, you should probably still put a cloak on before heading out,¡± Raynelle waved her hand at Ava, ¡°And you don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re going.¡± Raynelle then set me back down on my feet, and Ava draped a cloak over my shoulders before fastening it around my neck. ¡°While I don¡¯t think anyone would recognise you at a nce anymore, you don¡¯t exactly see all that many little girls with fox ears running around here.¡± Raynelle pulled the hood of the cloak over my ears. I thought you said this would make me look like a different person? ¡­ It has to¡­ I need to be someone¡­ better¡­. Ava threw a cloak over her wings while Raynelle helped adjust it so she wasfortable. ¡°Alright then, since we¡¯re all ready, let¡¯s head out,¡± Raynelle said as she gestured down the hallway. We all quickly made our way out of the inn and out into the streets. I immediately started walking towards the main shopping street, but Raynelle and Ava didn¡¯t follow me. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Raynelle called out. ¡°¡­¡± But that is where all the shops are. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, I know a better ce.¡± Something inside of me was screaming not to follow her, but¡­ It¡¯s for her¡­ I-I can do this¡­ I walked back up to Raynelle and grabbed onto the hem of her shirt. She responded by wrapping her arm around my shoulder and pulling me closer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep you safe,¡± Raynelle started walking before muttering to herself, ¡°I just¡­ wish you would believe me.¡± ¡­ We ended up walking in theplete opposite direction of the shopping street for a while until we eventually arrived at what looked like a small market hidden in one of the side alleys. I couldn¡¯t help but look around at everything. Unlike the main shopping street, everything here was more rustic. It was a pretty small alley, but there were these colourful fabric awnings stretching between the buildings on either side. When the sunlight shone through the awnings, it did so in a myriad of different colours, creating colourful patterns all across the walls. ¡°So, you like it?¡± Raynelle asked, ¡°I found this ce after my first shopping trip in this city.¡± ¡°Yeah, this ce is much nicer than that main street,¡± Ava piped up, ¡°And the best part is that you don¡¯t have to deal with any of those stuffy nobles waltzing around the ce.¡± ¡­ It is pretty¡­ But that doesn¡¯t mean anything¡­ That main shopping street was also pretty¡­ The first time I saw it, at least¡­ ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve arrived,¡± Ava said, pushing open a door with a sign that showed a reel of thread on it, ¡°Well, go on, get yourself in there already.¡± I froze up, but Ava came up behind me and gently pushed me into the building, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing bad will happen to you in there. Even if it did, mom is quite the bodyguard.¡± Raynelle came in close behind us. As she closed the door, a woman almost immediately came over and struck up a conversation. ¡°Oh, hello there, or wee back, I should say. Are there any updates on your little one?¡± Raynelle started by chuckling in response. ¡°A pretty big one,¡± Raynelle lifted me into her arms and then pulled my hood down, revealing my ears. What are you doing?! I instantly started to struggle, trying to get away from that woman before she had a chance to register what she saw. ¡°Aw, you didn¡¯t tell me she was such a pretty little thing.¡± What? My body froze up. ¡°Trust me, I would have if I knew. I myself only found out a little bit ago,¡± Raynelle continued to chuckle as she spoke, ¡°Anyway, you can probably guess what we¡¯re here for.¡± ¡°Oh, of course,¡± The woman leaned in towards me, ¡°So, do you have something specific in mind?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s going to be fighting a losing battle,¡± Raynelle said as she took a step back from the woman, still carrying me in her arms. ¡°Well then, I guess the next best thing would be¡­ do either of you two have something in mind?¡± Both Raynelle and Ava looked at each other in silence for a moment before suddenly starting to mutter to each other. ¡°I think she would look nice in some brighter colours¡­¡± Ava said as she scratched her chin. ¡°What about white¡­ that would be nice¡­¡± Raynelle added. ¡°No no, that¡¯s a bit too much for her¡­ maybe a green¡­ or a blue¡­¡± ¡°It definitely has to be a dress, although¡­¡± ¡°I think red would be nice, but that¡¯s probably a bit too mature for her¡­¡± Why are you deciding? ¡­ I wish she could decide for me¡­ But she¡¯s already given me so much¡­ ¡­ I knew that if I didn¡¯te up with anything, I would be stuck with whatever those two came up with. But as I tried to think about what would look good, the only thing that came to mind was my memory of Ovia. ¡­ Is that a bad thing?¡­ No. How could it be? Before I could change my mind, I hopped out of Raynelle¡¯s arms, but she was too absorbed in her conversation with Ava to notice. Then I walked up to the woman, gently tugging on her skirt to get her attention. ¡°Hmm, do you have something you want to say?¡± She squatted down so she was on my level. I panicked a bit at the question and ended up looking around the room for something that I could point to, but then I realised that I already had exactly what I needed. I carefully tugged on my scarf while also pointing at it, hoping that she would understand me. ¡°Hmm¡­ Do you¡­ want something in ck?¡± I nodded. ¡°So then, what exactly do you want in ck? Are you looking for a dress?¡± I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t think they suit me¡­ ¡­ ¡°I think a cute little dress would look very good on you,¡± The woman said as she shed a warm smile at me, ¡°You¡¯d be sure to wow whoever saw you. I can personally guarantee it.¡± I nodded instantly. I didn¡¯t need to think about it anymore because that¡¯s exactly what I wanted. Hopefully, she¡¯ll like it. ¡°Alright, I think I have something in the back that will fit you,¡± The woman stood up, ¡°Just give me a few minutes to make some adjustments for you.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Both Raynelle and Ava shouted in unison. ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s the problem?¡± The woman responded,pletely unfazed. ¡°How did you¡­ do¡­ that?¡± Raynelle asked. ¡°What do you mean? I just asked her some questions, and she responded, albeit in her own way,¡± The woman turned around and walked into the back of the shop, ¡°She¡¯s really not as difficult as you made her out to be.¡± ¡°Are we¡­ just that unapproachable?¡± Raynelle asked Ava. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ think so¡­ I hope¡­¡± Ava responded. Both Raynelle and Ava kept going back and forth like that for a little while before the woman eventually came back out with a ck dress draped over one of her arms. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± The woman squatted down in front of me just like before and held the dress up in front of me. It was a ck dress, just like I had asked for. The bottom of it was fairly simple, only slightly frilled, with a small whiteyer sticking out beneath it. Down the body of the dress, there were two rows of decorative buttons that led up to the cor, which had a loose ribbon draped around it. ¡°And don¡¯t worry,¡± She turned the dress around, ¡°I added a little p for your tail to go through.¡± I don¡¯t know what to say¡­ It looks good¡­ Too good for me¡­ ¡­ ¡°Do you want to go try it on?¡± ¡­ After a brief pause, I nodded. ¡°Alright then, here you go,¡± She handed me the dress, ¡°You can use the room just down there. Just make sure to make some noise if you need any help.¡± I didn¡¯t respond to her and instead quickly made my way into the room to get changed. Chapter 23 – The Tail Flap Chapter 23 ¨C The Tail p I quickly took off Ava¡¯s dress and neatly folded it to give back to her. But standing there in the changing room, looking over the dress the woman gave to me again, there was just one thought that filled my mind. Ovia would look so much better in this¡­ ¡­ ¡­ She¡¯d look better than me in¡­ anything¡­ ¡­ She¡¯s just¡­ better than me¡­ I quickly threw the dress over my head in an attempt to try and distract myself. Immediately, I noticed how much morefortable it waspared to Ava¡¯s dress, which wasn¡¯t that surprising after thinking about it for a bit. A dress made with any kind of fabric is going to poke you less than a dress made of feathers. After pulling the dress down and freeing my hair, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything else for me to fasten, so I moved my attention down to my tail. Lifting up the skirt, I untied my makeshift scarf from my leg, freeing my tail. Initially, I felt a wave of relief pass over me, but that feeling almost immediately disappeared once I looked my tail over. It was aplete mess, with fluff sticking out all over the ce. No! This can¡¯t happen! Panicking, I tried to tten out the fur with my hands, but it didn¡¯t help much. If anything, I was just making it worse. Why?! I-I-I don¡¯t think I can do that again! I-If I bother her again after saying no to her s-so much¡­ ¡­ I-I¡¯ll just fix it¡­ myself¡­ I-I have to. ¡­ I still had one more thing to do to finish putting the dress on. I still needed to get my tail through the p in the back. So I just moved my attention to that, holding onto the hollow hope that, just maybe, my tail would sort itself out. I thought that there would just be a simple hole in the back of the dress for my tail, but instead, there was an additional piece of fabric sewn in behind the opening, which formed a sort of pouch. If I had to guess, it was probably to prevent anyone from seeing inside the dress from any gaps at either side of the tail. But with my fluffy tail, I don¡¯t think that would have been an issue. Using one hand, I guided the tip of my tail into the slot on the inside of the dress, and then I grabbed it on the other side using my other hand. Once I was sure I had a secure grip on my tail, I tried to pull it through quickly. ¡°*Yelp*¡± It got caught on something, sending a shock right up my spine. Almost immediately, I heard footsteps rapidly approaching, followed by a hurried knock on the door. ¡°Are you alright in there?¡± It was the woman from before, ¡°I¡¯m going to open the door just to check, okay?¡± Slowly, the door opened, and she peeked her head around to see me standing there with a tear in my eye and a ragged tail in my hand. Immediately afterying eyes on me, she stepped into the room and reached for my tail. NO! It¡¯s mine! I jumped back, turning so that she couldn¡¯t see my tail, let alone grab it. ¡°Oh, oh no. I-I¡¯m really sorry about that,¡± the woman said, taken aback, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know. Should I get one of the other two to help instead?¡± ¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­ But¡­ ¡­ I looked up at the woman while trying to make a sign with my hands. I linked my thumbs together and then pped my fingers like a bird¡¯s wings. ¡°Oh, um, alright, I¡¯ll show them that, and they¡¯ll understand?¡± I nodded my head even though I wasn¡¯t sure myself, and she left the room without saying anything else. I guess¡­ she¡¯s the best option¡­ Pretty soon after, Ava burst into the room without even knocking. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?!¡± Not even waiting for my response, she ran up to me and went straight for my tail. Reflexively, I pulled back, which caused her to instantly freeze up. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I should¡¯ve asked first,¡± Ava took a deep breath, ¡°So, can I help you out?¡± ¡­ I-I don¡¯t have a choice¡­ I turned so that my tail was facing Ava. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s get your tail through first, alright?¡± I didn¡¯t respond, but Ava got my tail unstuck after only a few seconds of handling it. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re doing good. Now I¡¯m just going to pull your tail through slowly. You can just hit me if it hurts, and I¡¯ll stop.¡± I won¡¯t do that¡­ ¡­ I¡­ couldn¡¯t¡­ Again, she didn¡¯t wait for my response and just got to work, pulling my tail through slowly, just like she said she would. In less than a minute, my tail was sticking out the back of the dress, and somehow it didn¡¯t get caught a single time. ¡°There, you¡¯re all good.¡± Ava stood there, looking very proud of her work. I hesitantly looked over my shoulder at my tail and just how much of a mess it still was. ¡­ Should I ask her now?¡­ But¡­ I¡­ just can¡¯t¡­ ¡­ ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ava looked me over, ¡°Ah, I see what¡¯s happened. Your nice and neat tail didn¡¯t survive the experience.¡± ¡­ I know¡­ Hearing someone else say it made it hurt just that little bit more, as it meant that I wasn¡¯t just imagining it. ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t bring the brush with me¡­ I didn¡¯t realise this would happen¡­¡± Ava paused for a moment, before suddenly pping her own cheek, ¡°I¡¯ll just do what I can for now¡­ If that¡¯s alright with you?¡± ¡­ I nodded. Ava then sat down on the floor and gestured towards herp. I followed along and sat down in front of her,ying my tail down in herp. After checking that I was alright with this one more time, Ava started gently running her fingers through my tail. Unlike when she brushed my tail before, it didn¡¯t hurt¡­ It actually felt a littleforting. ¡°Well, there you go. It¡¯s not perfect, but it certainly looks better.¡± I moved my tail into my ownp and looked it over, and true to her word, it did look a lot better. ¡­ Do I have to do this with her every time? ¡­ ¡°Look, how about this? When we get back, I can teach you how to do this yourself?¡± Ava asked, ¡°However, it¡¯s not like I mind doing it.¡± ¡­ She must be able to read my mind¡­ This happens too often. I didn¡¯t respond to her, but I still made sure to make a mental note of what she said¡­ Just in case. Right now¡­ there¡¯s something more important. After getting myself up off the floor, I quickly left the room and ran over to Raynelle and the woman to see what they thought of the dress. Is it good enough for her? ¡­ However, as soon as I stood in front of them, the room fellpletely silent. What¡¯s wrong? Is it that bad? I-I knew it¡­ I-I¡¯m just¡­ not her¡­ ¡°Can you turn around for me quickly?¡± The woman finally broke the silence. I did as she asked, still holding onto a small sliver of hope. ¡°Hmm¡­ I think I need to make that tail p a bit bigger.¡± Huh? ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d say so,¡± Ava came up behind me, carrying the folded dress I had left in the changing room, ¡°It was more just than a little bit of work to sort out.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get that done for the rest of them then,¡± The woman jotted something down on a notepad, ¡°Honestly, this was bound to happen; You don¡¯t really see beastkin in this city, let alone a kitsune.¡± The rest? The rest of what? I turned and looked up at Raynelle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Raynelle looked over at the woman for a second before squatting down and grabbing the two ends of the ribbon hanging around my neck, neatly tying it into a bow, ¡°B-by the way, I think that dress looks very good on you.¡± Really! My tail started to sway involuntarily, but that didn¡¯t matter to me; this was what I needed. Then- Then- Will she like it too? Raynelle then looked back up at the woman, who responded by nodding her head while looking very proud of herself. ¡°Alright then Kit,¡± Raynelle turned back to me, ¡°Where should we go next?¡± Next? We¡¯re going somewhere else? ¡°She¡¯s asking if you want anything else,¡± Ava put her hands on my shoulders from behind. ¡­ No¡­ I can¡¯t take anything else. This¡­ is already too much. I shook my head. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Raynelle asked. ¡­ I nodded my head. ¡°Okay then, just¡­ if you even want anything, absolutely anything, you can always tell me. I¡¯ll always do what I can.¡± Raynelle picked me up and started carrying me in her arms, ¡°Anna, once again, thank you for both the dress and the advice. I¡¯ll be back around soon enough for the rest.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it; it was a pleasure. If anything, I¡¯d hope you could bring everyone back here when youe by again,¡± The woman responded. ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll see about it, but it¡¯s not really up to me,¡± Raynelle said as she waved to the woman and left the store with me still in her arms. ¡°Mom, you can take her back first. I¡¯m gonna go grab some things while I can.¡± Ava handed the folded dress she was carrying to Raynelle as she walked past. ¡°Sure, sure, just get back soon. Unless you want to eat my stew again!¡± Raynelle shouted. ¡°Now, I definitely won¡¯t bete!¡± Ava was already out of sight, having gotten lost in all the people at the market. ¡°Guess it¡¯ll just be us two for a bit then,¡± Raynelle looked down at me, ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯lle up with something to do.¡± After that, we made our way back to the inn, catching nces from more than just a few people. Almost done, just a little more¡­ Then¡­ I¡¯ll be ready to see you again. Chapter 24 – Back At The Inn Chapter 24 ¨C Back At The Inn As soon as we got back to the inn, Raynelle sat me down at the table in my room. ¡°Alright, just¡­ uh¡­ wait here for a second. I have something I need to try.¡± Raynelle ran out of the room, leaving me alone. Wha- Before I even had the time to think about what she could have been talking about, she was already back, carrying a notebook and some pencils in her hands. ¡°Anna told me this would be a good idea, and she definitely seemed to know what she was talking about.¡± Raynelleid the notebook and pencils in front of me before sitting down at the other side of the table. ¡°¡­¡± We sat there for a few minutes, just staring at each other inplete silence, until Raynelle suddenly buried her face in her hands. ¡°This isn¡¯t working,¡± She muttered, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m not supposed to force you¡­ Am I doing this wrong?¡± Force me to do what? I looked down at the notebook and pencils again, trying to figure out what she was expecting me to do. ¡­ I picked up one of the pencils, and immediately, it feltfortable in my hand. But, more than that¡­ there was this urge wing away at me all of a sudden. Once Raynelle noticed that I had taken one of the pencils, she lifted her head out of her hands and started staring at me, still not saying anything. But my mind was too busy for me to be bothered by it. This is¡­ Why¡­ Why is this familiar? ¡­ Looking down at the notebook, my mind was filled with one thing. My memory of Ovia, each and every individual moment, shed past until they all came together into a single image. As soon as that image was clear in my mind, I just instinctively knew what to do. I put the pencil against the page, and my hand just started moving, gracefully sliding over the page. It was like being in a trance; nothing else mattered. For just a few brief moments, what was in front of me was all that existed in the world. Until, all of a sudden, it was over. I looked up, but Raynelle wasn¡¯t there anymore. I immediately looked around the room and found her standing over me, looking down at the notebook. ¡°So, who¡¯s this?¡± Raynelle asked, having noticed that I¡¯de out of my trance. ¡°¡­¡± I looked down at the notebook, at my drawing of Ovia kneeling down, with her arms outstretched and an expectant look on her face. I started to reach my hand out but pulled back. ¡°So, how many tails is that? 1, 2, 4, 6, 8¡­ 9!¡± She shouted when she reached thest number. Huh? Why does that matter? ¡°Is it a Goddess?¡­¡± Raynelle started muttering to herself, ¡°But, I don¡¯t recognise them¡­ Is there a nine-tailed kitsune out there that isn¡¯t a Goddess?¡± Raynelle moved around me and leaned on the table to get a better look at the drawing. ¡°Is this someone you¡¯ve met?¡± She pointed at the drawing. ¡°¡­¡± I nodded. ¡°¡­If only you¡¯d talk to me, this would be so much easier to figure out¡­¡± You don¡¯t need to know¡­ This¡­ This is for me. ¡°Maybe someone else can help¡­ Celica would probably know; even if she doesn¡¯t, she can probably ask her Goddess about it. I doubt that there¡¯s a nine-tailed kitsune out there that even the gods don¡¯t know about.¡± Raynelle reached out for the drawing. NO! I snatched the notebook off the table, knocking all the pencils onto the floor. It¡¯s mine! Don¡¯t take her away from me! Raynelle took a step back, almost slipping on one of the pencils. ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s yours,¡± She said, putting her hands up, ¡°I won¡¯t take it away from you.¡± Right as she finished speaking, the door flew open, and Ava came into the room with a basket on her arm. ¡°Did I¡­ interrupt something?¡± Ava asked, looking back and forth between us. ¡°Um¡­¡± Raynelle responded, ¡°Did you know that our little Kit can draw?¡± ¡°Can she now?¡± Ava locked her gaze on me. ¡°Go on, show her,¡± Raynelle said, pointing at the notebook I had held against my chest. Do I¡­ have to? ¡­ ¡­ She did help me¡­ I guess she can see¡­ I turned the notebook around while still holding onto it tightly, just in case they tried to take it from me. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s have a look then,¡± Ava said,ing closer and setting the basket down on the table, ¡°This¡­ is very good, actually. Where did you learn to do this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ ¡°You know what? I can worry about thatter. I¡¯ve managed to get you something that you might be interested in,¡± Ava said, pulling various bottles and brushes out of the basket she brought with her, ¡°I offered to help teach you how to care for your tail yourself, so we might as well do it properly from the beginning. That¡¯s if you¡¯re willing, of course¡­ I don¡¯t want to force you.¡± There¡¯s¡­ a lot¡­ What did that all cost?¡­ ¡­ Why are you going so far? ¡­ I nodded my head while looking her in the eyes. I-I¡¯ll do it. ¡°Good,¡± Ava pped her hands together, ¡°Then, to start, let¡¯s get you into a bath. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve had one.¡± Immediately after hearing her say that, my enthusiasm plummeted. But¡­ that scar¡­ ¡­ ¡°Okay then, I guess I¡¯ll have to leave you two to it. I need to go pick something up anyway,¡± Raynelle said, walking over to the door, ¡°And Ava, when I get back, you really need to teach me all of this stuff as well. I don¡¯t like being on the back foot like this all of a sudden.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your own fault. I didn¡¯t do anything you couldn¡¯t,¡± Ava said before turning to face me again, ¡°I called in a favour and managed to get the bath in this inn all to ourselves.¡± Raynelle left the room without saying anything else, although I heard what I thought was a sighing from the other side of the door. Ava then packed up all of the bottles and brushes she had just taken out before heading over to the door and gesturing over to me. ¡°Well,e on then, the sooner we get started, the sooner we¡¯ll finish.¡± ¡­ It will make me look better¡­ You have to. But¡­ ¡­ No. Y-you can do this. It¡¯s all for her. ¡­ It¡¯s Ava¡­ She seems¡­ ¡­ She did already help me before¡­ a-and nothing happened¡­ I slid myself off the chair and walked up next to Ava. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous,¡± Ava said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, ¡°Haven¡¯t I already proven myself to you? I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I just can¡¯t wait to see what you look like at the end.¡± ¡­ Neither can I. My tail started gently swaying back and forth involuntarily, and Ava let out a small chuckle. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and get you in the bath then,¡± Ava said, pushing me out the door, ¡°I don¡¯t want you changing your mind on me.¡± I-I won¡¯t This¡­ This is for her¡­ so I can¡¯t. Ava then guided me down through the inn to where the bath was before helping me to take off my dress. ¡°Good thing your tail came out easier than it went in,¡± Ava said as she folded the dress up, ¡°Hopefully, it will be easier to put back on after we get your tail all clean. It definitely shouldn¡¯t catch as easily¡­ I think.¡± Really? ¡­ I quickly slipped past Ava and slid myself into the bath, being careful not to ssh water all over the room. My tail instantly became heavier, now needing a surprising amount of effort to move around. I¡¯ve been rained on before, but even then, my tail never absorbed this much water. As I was ying around with my tail, Ava came into the room. She was wearing arge shirt with the sleeves rolled up and trousers that seemed way too big for her. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her for a moment. ¡°Hmm? What- Oh, I didn¡¯t want to make you ufortable, so I ¡®borrowed¡¯ some of Mom¡¯s clothes and cut some holes in the back for my wings.¡± Ava did a quick twirl, ¡°What do you think? Does it look good on me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I do wish you would y along a bit. But for now, let¡¯s get to work,¡± Ava came up to the side of the bath, ¡°To start, can you go back to the white tail? It¡¯ll be easier to see if anything is stuck in there that way.¡± ¡­ Fine¡­ I did as she asked. If it will make it easier¡­ I can do it¡­ Ava then pulled out one of the bottles from the basket. ¡°This is a speciality shampoo I managed to find in the market. It¡¯s supposed to be better for this kind of thing.¡± Ava then gestured for my tail in the water. But¡­ That scar¡­ ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I made sure that I was facing Ava directly so that she couldn¡¯t see my back. ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Ava sighed, ¡°Look¡­ there¡¯s nothing there I haven¡¯t seen before. After all, I was the one who wiped you down and healed you up when we first found you.¡± That¡¯s not the problem. She¡­ Ovia¡­ mes herself for it¡­ I-I don¡¯t want you looking at it. ¡°Okay then, how¡¯s this?¡± Ava threw a brown shirt at me, ¡°You can put that on. Would that be better?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I quickly put on the shirt before turning around and lifting my tail out of the water and onto the side of the bath. Ava then got to work,thering the shampoo all over my tail. She gently massaged my soapy tail for a while before gentlyying it back in the water. ¡°Just run your fingers through the fur, make sure it¡¯s all gone, alright?¡± I did as she asked and immediately felt a difference. My fingers could glide through easily and didn¡¯t get caught anywhere near as often as before. I looked at Ava and saw her flipping through a book. After only a few seconds, she closed the book and looked back up at me. ¡°Okay, next, I¡¯m going to use this,¡± Ava said, pulling ab out of the basket, ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to brush your tail while it¡¯s like this, as the fur is weaker when wet, so instead, I¡¯m going to use this wide-toothb, which should be fine. It should help get out anything that¡¯s gotten stuck in there.¡± Okay. Ava did exactly as she said she would and started running theb through my tail, each time going from base to tip. After a few minutes of this, Ava once againid my tail back in the water. ¡°Run your fingers through there again, just to get rid of the loose bits.¡± Once again, I was surprised at just how different it felt. It was almost like she was using some kind of magic. ¡°Pretty good, right?¡± Ava put her hands on my shoulders, ¡°Now, get yourself out of there. We need to dry your tail off before getting to the rest.¡± I pulled myself out of the bath, with my wet tail drooping down behind me. ¡°Pat your tail down with this,¡± Ava threw a towel at me, ¡°Then we just need to run that wide-toothedb through it until it¡¯s dry.¡± I followed her instructions exactly, and I waspletely amazed. Each time I ran theb through my tail, it somehow didn¡¯t catch a single time. After what felt like only a little while, my tail waspletely dry and softer than ever; in fact, I couldn¡¯t even remember my tail ever feeling quite as soft. ¡°That¡­ actually didn¡¯t take as long as I thought it would¡­¡± Ava said, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get you dressed so we can get to the good part, alright?¡± Once again, I nodded. She¡­ ¡­ Doesn¡¯t seem that bad¡­ ¡­ Chapter 25 – A New Perspective Chapter 25 ¨C A New Perspective I picked up my dress before looking up at Ava. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll turn around for you.¡± Ava slowly turned around while also making a show of covering her eyes. Once I was confident that she wasn¡¯t looking at me, I took off the shirt she had given me before quickly throwing the dress over my head and pulling it down. Immediately, I looked back over at Ava to make sure that she was still facing away from me. After confirming that she was still facing the wall, I grabbed my tail. ¡­ It¡¯ll be fine. ¡­ She said it would be easier now¡­ I guided my tail into the p and grabbed the tip from the other side. I-It¡¯s not going to hurt¡­ ¡­ Deciding it would be better to get it over with quickly, I yanked my tail through all at once. ¡­ To my utter surprise, it went through without catching at all. I even looked over my shoulder to check on my tail, and while it was a little messy, it didn¡¯t look that bad. She¡­ was right¡­ ¡­ ¡°Just warning you, I¡¯m going to turn around now, alright?¡± Ava suddenly spoke to me. She stayed still for a moment before dropping her arms and turning around to face me. ¡°Oh, you managed to get your tail through yourself this time,¡± Ava came a bit closer, ¡°Well done.¡± ¡­ Mhm¡­ I felt my tail start to sway, but I reached behind me and grabbed it before it got out of control. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the brushing then,¡± Ava chuckled as she picked up the basket, ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s get back to the room.¡± I followed Ava back to the room, where she promptly sat on the floor and gestured towards herp. ¡°Come on now, you know what to do.¡± I sat myself just in front of her andid my tail in herp. As soon as I did, I felt a brush run through it. ¡°Wow¡­ I really outdid myself; It feels quite a lot better¡­¡± Ava decided to run her hand through my tail, ¡°Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Ava switched back to the brush, ¡°Now make sure you pay attention, we¡¯ve got-¡± I couldn¡¯t quite make out what she said past that point, as my eyelids slowly closed, and I drifted off to sleep while she kept brushing. ¡­ I hope she likes it too¡­ ¡­ ¡­ The temperature around me suddenly dropped, and the surprise caused my eyes to shoot open, revealing an endless ck void all around me. ¡°Is it?¡­¡± Arge ck fox walked up to me out of the darkness. As soon as Iid eyes on it, I started running with my arms outstretched. The fox just continued walking towards me until we eventually collided, and I wrapped my arms around it. ¡°Stay here¡­ Please, just¡­ stay¡­ with¡­¡± ¡­ Wait¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s¡­ not her. This wasn¡¯t the first time that I had dreamt up a fake, but this time, I knew she was really out there, and it hurt just a little more than all the other times. Why¡­ is she still avoiding me?¡­ ¡­ I cleaned up my tail¡­ I got a new dress¡­ What¡¯s missing?¡­ ¡°I wish you would tell me¡­¡± I continued hugging the dream fox while I thought to myself. It at least provided some kind offort, even if it felt a bit hollow. ¡­ Is there something she wants from me? ¡­ Thinking back to when I met her at the temple, I tried to see if there was something she wanted, a gap I could fill. ¡­ What would a Goddess even need from me? ¡­ That¡¯s when the perfect idea hit me. I walked around the fox andy against its body, just like Ovia had let me do with her. Is this it? She did this for me when I was crying¡­ ¡­ Maybe¡­ that¡¯s what she wants? But¡­ the other way around. ¡­ I liked it when she let me¡­ ¡­ I looked back at the dream fox. ¡°What do you think? Is it a good idea?¡± The fox just stared at me nkly. ¡°I mean¡­ I think I¡¯d be happy just being her pillow¡­ because at least then¡­ I could stay with her.¡± I sat in silence for a moment, leaning deeper into the dream fox¡¯s fur. ¡°But I can¡¯t turn into a fox like she can¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Ava can turn into a crow¡­ maybe she knows¡­ but¡­ can I even ask her?¡± I looked back over at the dream fox, expecting to see a nk stare, but surprisingly, it nodded. ¡°Wait, What?!¡± The dream fox then got up, gently sliding me off of its body, before walking off into the distance. I tried to follow it, but my legs felt like they were rooted in ce. As soon as I lost sight of it, a faint giggle echoed throughout the space. ¡°Who?!¡± ¡­ I jolted awake, only to find myselfpletely wrapped up by something. Immediately, I started struggling, trying my hardest to squeeze my way. After much effort, I eventually freed myself from the cloth cocoon. What¡¯s going on? I was still in the inn, although I had been moved onto my bed. Looking out the window, the sun had just started to set. Something¡­ feels¡­ off? I looked back over at what I was trapped in, but that just resulted in more questions. ¡­ ¡­ Laying in front of me was the dress I was wearing, or maybe it was just a dress that looked a lot like it. It seemed much bigger than mine, to the point that I think it would¡¯ve still looked big on Raynelle. I looked down to check my own dress, but what I saw froze me in ce. ¡­ Is this? Did I?! Where my hands should have been, there were instead two small white paws, barely able to leave an indent in the bed. ¡­ I-I did it! ¡­ I¡¯m a little small¡­ b-but it¡¯s enough for her to rest her head on¡­ It has to be. My tail started swaying all over the ce, trying to pull my whole body along with it, but I didn¡¯t care. I¡¯m one step closer. While I was busy celebrating, the door slowly opened with a quiet creak. Soon after, both Ava and Raynelle peeked into the room. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nobody made a move, instead choosing to just stare in silence. ¡°Uh¡­ Ava¡­ do you know what we¡¯re supposed to do here?¡± Raynelle asked. ¡°I can try,¡± Ava pushed the door openpletely and came into the room before sitting at the foot of my bed. ¡­ They¡¯re¡­ a lot bigger than before¡­ Looking up at Ava from the bed, it was hard not to notice just how small I really was. I instinctively took a step back. ¡°Hey, calm down, don¡¯t panic,¡± Ava showed her palms to me. But I¡¯m not panicking. This¡­ This is a good thing. This is what I needed. ¡°It¡¯s very early for this to have happened¡­ at least, I think it is¡­ I don¡¯t know if kitsune are different when ites to this.¡± ¡°Yeah, I still remember when you gave me a heart attack when you first turned into a crow about two months back.¡± Raynelle tried toe into the room, but Ava stopped her. ¡°You can¡¯t just walk up to her like that right now. You¡¯re a lot bigger than her now after all. You¡¯ll just startle the little fox.¡± Without waiting for a response, Ava turned back towards me, ¡°Okay now, just¡­e to me slowly so I can check that everything¡¯s okay.¡± ¡­ Everything is okay. In fact, it¡¯s perfect. ¡°Look, I know you don¡¯t want to open up to us, but I really need to make sure you¡¯re okay,¡± Ava gestured towards herp, ¡°It¡¯s rare, but I have heard some horror stories about the first time using Transformation Magic going wrong.¡± But it didn¡¯t go wrong¡­ I looked myself over just to make sure, and what I saw looked exactly like a white fox, a baby one with an oversized tail perhaps, but that¡¯s good enough for me. ¡­ ¡°Look¡­*sigh* I¡¯m just trying to help you here¡­¡± Ava looked up at the ceiling, ¡°I just¡­ wish you weren¡¯t so afraid of me.¡± ¡­ Hearing Ava say that caught me a bit off guard; it somehow made me feel a bit¡­ ufortable. ¡­ I¡¯m¡­ not¡­ Scared of you¡­ ¡­ I¡­ think¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s true that Ava has helped me a lot in thest few days, and nothing bad ever happened afterwards. But¡­ why? ¡­ Nobody else is like that¡­ ¡­ What do you want from me? Everyone wants something. ¡­ Looking up at Raynelle, she stood in the doorway, staring at Ava, ready to run in and grab her at a moment''s notice. ¡­ I thought back over every time Ava spoke to me, trying to figure out why she was different to everyone else I¡¯d met until it suddenly became clear. The answer had been staring me in the face from the beginning. She wants to touch my tail! Every time she helped me, it had to do with my tail! ¡­ Does that mean¡­ If I just let her touch my tail¡­ She won¡¯t do anything to me? ¡­ Is it that easy? ¡­ ¡­ I-It¡¯s the only exnation. I slowly made my way across the bed and mbered up onto Ava¡¯sp, making sure to present my tail to her as I did. ¡­ Ava looked down at me without saying anything. In response, I waved my tail in front of her face, trying to tell her what to do. ¡°Can I?¡± Ava asked. I nodded. Ava hesitated for a moment before running her hand through my tail with a content look on her face, ¡°Well, I can definitely say that your tail, while smaller, is still just as soft as before.¡± I-I was right. ¡­ If I just give her what she wants, I¡¯ll be fine. It even made that ufortable feeling go away. Ava then checked me all over before giving her okay. ¡°What did you do to make her so¡­ docile all of a sudden?¡± Raynelle asked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just my natural talents at work,¡± Ava smirked, ¡°It was always only a matter of time before she would see my charm.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, let me try too,¡± Raynelle squatted down in front of Ava and held her hands out, ¡°Just¡­ hop on over.¡± No. I don¡¯t know what you want. I still can¡¯t trust you. I curled up on Ava¡¯sp, refusing to move. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that Mom,¡± Ava stroked my back, ¡°I¡¯m just that good at this.¡± Raynelle and Ava kept going back and forth like that for a while. I started ignoring the two of them pretty quickly, instead focusing on just howfortable Ava¡¯sp was. The slight warmth made me feel sleepy even though I had only just woken up. Tomorrow¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ll¡­e to you¡­ ¡­ Chapter 26 – Sisterly Bonding Chapter 26 ¨C Sisterly Bonding [Ovia POV] I sat in Eria¡¯s domain, waiting for her after she decided to step out for a moment. In order to upy myself, I decided to check on Kierra. ¡­ ¡°I¡­ want to try that too¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°What is this thing that you want to try now?¡± Eria called out as she came back into her domain with a pleased look spread across her face. I pointed at the image of a fluffy little white fox curled up in someone¡¯sp that was floating just in front of me. Eria walked up behind me so that she could see what I was pointing at. ¡°You do know that if you want to sleep in myp like that,¡± She sat down next to me, ¡°All you have to do is ask; myp is always avable to you.¡± ¡°N-no¡­ that¡¯s not it¡­ I-I want¡­ K-Kierra to sleep in m-myp.¡± Stop stuttering! A Goddess shouldn¡¯t be stuttering all the time. ¡°Alright then,¡± She chuckled as she pulled out a notebook, ¡°Should I add it to your list then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I nodded. Instead of writing it down, Eria just stared at me in silence. What? Was I not supposed to say yes to that? ¡­ Did I¡­ make another mistake? ¡°Did you pick that habit up from watching that little kitsune all the time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eria came closer before brushing her hand against my cheek. ¡°I thought we went through this already? You¡¯re going to try to help her open up a bit more. How are you going to do that if you also decide to stop talking?¡± I tried to turn away from her, but she grabbed my head and held it in ce. W-what am I supposed to say here? ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t know¡­ It was your idea¡­¡± She then let go of me and ced the notebook she was holding on myp. ¡°That¡¯s why we made the list. If you get stuck and don¡¯t know what to do, you can just check the list and know exactly what to do.¡± ¡­ But¡­ ¡°¡­what if I¡­ mess it up again?¡­¡± Eria then pulled me into a hug while encasing me in her tails. ¡°You need to stop being so hard on yourself,¡± she said, brushing my hair out of my face, ¡°While yourst meeting might not have been perfect, you still did some things right.¡± What did I even do right? I started by tackling her to the ground¡­ ¡­ ¡°Like, the name you decided to give her. She seemed to like it quite a bit.¡± ¡­ ¡°But-¡± Eria covered my mouth with her hand before I could finish talking. ¡°I¡¯m telling you she liked it, not asking you if you think she did,¡± She removed her hand, ¡°Although I have been wondering, how did youe up with the name? I would have expected a name like ¡®Fluffy¡¯ instead of Kierra.¡± ¡­ Fluffy¡­ was one of the options¡­ ¡­ Is it that bad? ¡­ ¡°I-I had some help¡­¡± I blurted out. ¡°See, if you don¡¯t-¡± She suddenly stopped talking, ¡°Wait, you went and got help from someone? But you didn¡¯t ask me¡­ Who did you even ask?¡± I don¡¯t have to ask you¡­ not every time¡­ ¡°Beni¡­ Beni helped me.¡± ¡°Beni?¡­¡± She closed her eyes for a moment while she thought, ¡°Beni is¡­ your Emissary of Darkness, with the bunny ears, right?¡± I nodded, but she just stared back at me instead of continuing to talk. ¡­ ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Guess I should give him a reward¡­¡± Eria turned and mumbled something to one of the Light Spirits in the room. ¡­ He didn¡¯t do it all¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯m still the one who picked it¡­ he just came up with new options¡­¡± She turned back to face me, showing only a brief look of surprise before going right back to her usual smile. ¡°And you did a good job doing that,¡± She patted me on the head, ¡°But why did you ask him of all people? I mean, I¡¯m right here, anding up with names is something I do quite a lot of as the Goddess of Titles.¡± ¡­ ¡°H-he has travelled all over the ce¡­ I-I thought he would have some interesting ideas.¡± ¡°You do know-¡± ¡°I-I also didn¡¯t want to b-bother you more than I needed to¡­¡± I panicked and cut her off before she could say anything. ¡­ Wait! I-I didn¡¯t mean to say that part! Eria didn¡¯t say anything and just looked down at me in silence for a moment. ¡°Sister¡­ You know you can always ask me for help. When have I ever said no to you?¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°That brings me back to what I was trying to say,¡± She interrupted me before I could respond, ¡°If you ever don¡¯t know the answer to something, you can always ask someone for help.¡± ¡­ But¡­ She suddenly pulled me in even closer. ¡°Now, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in that head of yours, but I can definitely make a good guess,¡± She patted me on the head, ¡°You need to stop being so hard on yourself and just¡­ listen to your sister on this.¡± ¡­ Why can¡¯t I just¡­ be like you instead?¡­ You always know what to do¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I just¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I mumbled. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t, who does?¡± ¡­ ¡°You?¡± She gently stroked my hair before speaking to me again. ¡°Come on now, you know that isn¡¯t the answer I was looking for.¡± What else am I supposed to do¡­ ¡­ ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Look, I can see this is difficult for you, but you¡¯ve already gotten much better at this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I also know that you¡¯re not going to stop here. No matter what you say now, you¡¯ll just keep on trying in your own way.¡± ¡­ Why are you so confident?¡­ ¡­ Can¡¯t you just¡­ give some of that confidence to me? ¡°You know what, I think I have something that¡¯ll help cheer you up a bit,¡± She let me out of her tails and turned to grab something from behind her, ¡°So¡­ what do you think?¡± Is that? How? ¡°I asked around a bit and managed to get this done in time.¡± She answered as if she had read my mind. She was holding up a ck dress; it was frilled at the bottom and had a small whiteyer sticking out beneath it. I was looking at a copy of the dress Kierra wore, but it was much bigger than hers. ¡°Why did you-¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be meeting up again soon, right?¡± She started folding the dress back up, ¡°I thought it would be fun for you two to wear matching outfits. I¡¯m sure the little kitsune will enjoy it at least.¡± ¡­ Am I allowed to? I didn¡¯t ask her¡­ ¡°It will also make you seem a bit more friendly than that outfit you worest time.¡± ¡­ ¡°¡­I thought it looked good¡­¡± ¡°It did look good on you, but it also looked quite¡­ imposing, to put it lightly,¡± Eria said as she handed me the folded dress, ¡°I would tell you to just dress how you normally do instead, but that¡¯s probably not appropriate for her.¡± ¡­ Just thinking about how that would go caused my face to heat up. ¡°I-I¡¯m definitely not doing that!¡± Eria let out a small chuckle, ¡°And I wasn¡¯t asking you to.¡± ¡­ ¡°Now, I should probably be letting you go soon,¡± Eria stood up and stretched. Huh?! ¡°What?! Why?! I-I¡¯m not ready yet,¡± Itched onto her arm, trying to make her sit back down, ¡°S-she shouldn¡¯t be cing back so s-soon.¡± I-it¡¯s too soon. I-I still need to practise. ¡°Well, I might have given our little kitsune a slight¡­ nudge, of a sort,¡± She said as she struggled to peel me off of her arm. ¡°W-why did you do that?!¡± I let go of her arm, ¡°I-I need more time!¡± T-this doesn¡¯t work. ¡°You don¡¯t need any more time; you¡¯ve got your list to tell you what to do, the outfit you¡¯re going to wear, and you even have that ¡®gift¡¯ you want to give her. What more do you need?¡± ¡°I-I need to practise. I-I don¡¯t remember my lines¡­¡± I wrapped my hair around my hand and then clenched it into a fist. ¡°You need to stop talking about lines and the like,¡± Eria grabbed my hand, slowly prying open my fingers, ¡°You¡¯re just going to talk to her for a bit; you¡¯re not putting on a rehearsed performance, okay?¡± ¡­ But¡­ I might say the wrong thing¡­ I-I¡¯ll ruin it again¡­ Eria then pulled me into a hug once again. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll keep an eye on you two likest time and step in if you really need the help. Would that be better for you?¡± ¡­ I nodded, but this time, instead of staring at me, Eria just continued talking. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do just that, alright?¡± ¡­ ¡­ I stayed silent, just hugging Eria for a few minutes. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± ¡°¡­Mhm.¡± ¡°Good, now you should head back to your ce and get set up,¡± She put her hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me away from her, forcing me to let go. ¡°O-Okay¡­ I-I¡¯ll try¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m ever going to ask of you.¡± ¡­ I was about to leave but decided to stop for a moment and say something that was on my mind. ¡°Th-¡­ Thank you¡­ f-for helping me¡­ e-even though I¡¯m like this.¡± ¡°Like I¡¯ve been telling you this whole time, it¡¯s fine. I enjoy the extra bonding time with my sister, especially after all these years.¡± ¡°¡­Mhm.¡± I left her domain right after that, feeling a bit better than before. ¡­ Alright, Ovia¡­ You just¡­ have to do it¡­ Y-you don¡¯t have a choice. ¡­ It will go well this time. ¡­ It just¡­ has to. Chapter 27 – I Need To Get Going Chapter 27 ¨C I Need To Get Going My eyes opened just as the sun had started to rise. I was still lying on Ava¡¯sp, although she must¡¯ve fallen asleep at some point as she wasn¡¯t sitting up. I didn¡¯t know exactly why, but that night of sleep felt like the best I¡¯d had in a long time; something about it just felt more natural. I was tempted to just try to go back to sleep; however, there was something more important to do. So as not to waste any more time, I immediately hopped off of Ava¡¯sp onto the floor and stretched. However, as soon as I did, she woke up. ¡°Hmm¡­ What?¡­¡± She looked all around the room until she eventuallyid eyes on me, ¡°Oh¡­ So you did *Yawn* end up staying there all night¡­ I guess that means¡­ I won the bet.¡± That doesn¡¯t matter right now. I need to get going. Hoping that she would understand me, I made my way over to the door and scratched at it. Just let me out. I can go by myself. ¡°Kit¡­e back *Yawn* over here,¡± Ava wiped her eyes, ¡°I still need to check if you can change out of your fox form without any problems.¡± Why? I don¡¯t need to go back. I have everything I need just like this. I scratched at the door again. ¡°Hey,e on now, don¡¯t be like that,¡± Ava stood up, ¡°How are you going to wear your new dress like that?¡± ¡­ That¡¯s¡­ a good point¡­ But¡­ I have fur now¡­ I-I don¡¯t need it anymore¡­ Once again, I scratched at the door, this time choosing to look Ava in the eye at the same time. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you? Why do you want to stay as a fox so badly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I know something that will change your mind,¡± Ava picked up a brush from the table and held it out in front of her, ¡°It will be a lot harder for you to take care of your fur with those paws¡­ well, not that I would mind doing for you¡­ but y¡¯know?¡± That¡¯s¡­ I¡­ ¡­ I can just¡­ I¡­can¡¯t¡­ ask a Goddess to do it for me¡­ ¡­ ¡°So?¡± ¡­ Still somewhat reluctant, I walked over to Ava, who picked me up and ced me back on the bed. ¡°Good. Now, all you need to do is try and turn back,¡± ¡­ How? I looked up at Ava, assuming that she hadn¡¯t finished talking, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ Go on then¡­ Do you need me to turn around?¡­ Is that the problem?¡± I shook my head, starting to feel a little panicked. ¡°Just¡­ do what you did to turn into a fox, but backwards?¡± Ava started to look worried, ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to exin it¡­ and it might not be the same as it is for me¡­¡± B-But I didn¡¯t do anything. I-I just woke up like this. Is there something wrong with me? ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± She started pacing back and forth, ¡°¡­Maybe, just try thinking about turning back¡­ but like¡­ really hard?¡­ I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to exin any of this.¡± O-okay¡­ I-I¡¯ll try¡­ I closed my eyes and tried focusing, only thinking about wanting to turn back, but nothing happened. Ce on¡­ Y-you need to do this¡­ Kierra¡­ You can¡¯t make O-Ovia take care of you¡­ ¡­ You can¡¯t be a hassle¡­ ¡­ S-she¡¯ll leave you again¡­ As soon as that thought crossed my mind, it felt like something was sucked out from deep inside me before the room got much colder all of a sudden. *Thud* ¡°Kit, you can open your eyes! You need to put some clothes on!¡± When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Ava strewn across the floor, with her hands covering her eyes. Ava scrambled onto her feet, making sure to keep one hand over her eyes. ¡°Y-your dress is on the bed,¡± She said, turning around so her back was facing me, ¡°I-I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m turning back around if you need help with the tail p again.¡± Alright. I quickly put on my dress, still a little surprised by just how easy it was to pull my tail through the p now that it had been cleaned up. ¡°I think that was enough time. I¡¯m turning around now,¡± Ava slowly turned around, peeking through her fingers before putting her hands down once she saw me, ¡°Okay, do you need me to help neaten up your tail now?¡± ¡­ I nodded. Ava climbed onto the bed next to me before gesturing towards my tail. I-I understand¡­ this is for helping me turn back. I turned around andid my tail down in herp; as soon as I did, she enthusiastically got to work sorting out my fur. After a few minutes of brushing, the door to the room slowly opened, and Raynelle came into the room. ¡°So¡­ who won in the end?¡± Raynelle asked, looking at Ava. ¡°I did, as I expected.¡± ¡°Seriously?! What did you do to make her warm up to you like that? At this point, you must have some kind of secret method or something that you¡¯re not telling me about.¡± ¡°I already told you. It¡¯s just my natural charm,¡± Ava said, cing her hands on my shoulders, ¡°There you go, all neatened up and looking adorable.¡± Good. Then it¡¯s time for me to go now. I hopped off of the bed and immediately made my way to the door. But, before I could open it, Raynelle picked me up. ¡°Um, Kit? Where are you wanting to go all of a sudden?¡± I pointed at the door while trying to free myself from her grip. ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t help very much.¡± Raynelle put me down, but she made sure to stand between me and the door before she did. If I tell you, will you let me go? I went over to the bed, grabbed the notebook that Raynelle had given me, and then pointed at the picture of Ovia. Is that what you wanted? Can I go out now? ¡°You¡¯re¡­ wanting to go to this person?¡± Raynelle gave me a puzzled look. I nodded. ¡°Um¡­ I-¡± ¡°Kit, I think you might be getting a bit ahead of yourself,¡± Ava interrupted, ¡°The first thing you should probably do is eat breakfast. You barely ate anything yesterday, after all.¡± I can deal with it. ¡­ I-It¡¯s only one day. I-I can do more than that. ¡­ ¡°Hey, Kit, y¡¯know, something tells me that you want to look your best in front of this person, am I right?¡± Ava knelt down in front of me. ¡­ I nodded. ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t it be very embarrassing if your tummy started rumbling all of a sudden?¡± ¡­ ¡°I see you understand what I¡¯m talking about. Just give me a few minutes, and I¡¯ll sort something out, alright?¡± Ava then got up and made her way over to the door. ¡°Ava, seriously, is this something just between beastkin that I just don¡¯t understand?¡± Raynelle asked. Ava just giggled before leaving the room, leaving Raynelle just staring at the door. After a few minutes, Ava came back in with breakfast, which I ate as fast as possible. As soon as my te was empty, I made my way to the door again; however, this time, both Ava and Raynelle started following behind me. ¡­ Why? Just let me go alone. ¡°What? Did you think we were going to leave you unprotected?¡± Raynelle asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us,¡± Ava put a cloak around my shoulders, ¡°We just want to make sure nothing happens to you, okay?¡± ¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter. My shadow coated my hair as I opened the door and made my way out of the inn with both Ava and Raynelle still in tow. As soon as I got outside, I started heading directly for the ck stone temple. When the temple came into view, Raynelle put her arm in front of me. ¡°Wait a moment, what are you doing? Are you trying to go back to that temple? Butst time-¡± Raynelle then let out a stifled grunt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her,¡± Ava had just elbowed Raynelle in the stomach, ¡°You can go on ahead. We¡¯ll catch up soon.¡± I didn¡¯t question what had just happened and instead took the opportunity to run towards the temple. It didn¡¯t take long before I was standing in front of the tworge stone doors. ¡­ Now¡­ how do I open them? ¡­ Suddenly, the doors just started to open by themselves, and standing behind them was the man with the rabbit ears from thest time. ¡°Yeah¡­ juste in; I was already expecting you to show up.¡± The man said. I did just that, and the man led me over to one of the pews, where we both sat down, leaving a small distance between us. ¡°The Goddess just¡­ needs a minute to prepare¡­ so you¡¯ll have to wait a little bit.¡± ¡­ Prepare? ¡­ We sat there in silence for a moment before the man suddenly started talking to me again. ¡°I¡­ need to apologise to you¡­¡± The man leaned forward, ¡°Last time¡­ was just a bad day for me¡­ well¡­ and I didn¡¯t recognise you with the ck hair; I was only told to look out for white hair.¡± ¡­ Why are you apologising to me? What did you even do? ¡°You don¡¯t need to ept it¡­ just¡­ I made a mistake¡­¡± The man leaned forward even further to the point that his ears were resting on his knees, ¡°I know the kind of life you¡¯ve had¡­ You really¡­ didn¡¯t deserve that¡­ I¡­ would know.¡± ¡­ Without thinking, I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder, hoping that he would understand that I was fine. ¡°Really? Does that mean you forgive me?¡± The man sat back up, ¡°That¡¯s nice¡­ mainly because I imagine we¡¯ll be seeing each other a decent bit from now on.¡± Why? ¡°Anyway¡­ guess the next thing is¡­ I should introduce myself¡­ I¡¯m Benvolio, but you can just call me Beni¡­ most people do¡­¡± I stared at him, not sure what to do. ¡°I¡­ already know your name¡­ but well¡­ I won¡¯t use it until you tell me yourself¡­ I don¡¯t want to overstep my bounds and all that.¡± ¡­ After he finished speaking, a small dark orb appeared next to his ear. ¡°Hmm¡­ Oh¡­ she¡¯s good to go now?¡­ Yeah, I¡¯ll let her go then.¡± The orb then vanished. ¡°Well, you can probably guess what that was, but she¡¯s ready for you now,¡± He stood up, ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to talk moreter instead.¡± I got up off the pew as well and started walking further into the temple, waiting for the familiar chill to envelop me. I-I¡¯m ready for this. I-I don¡¯t need to be so nervous. Chapter 28 – That Makes It Special Chapter 28 ¨C That Makes It Special It wasn¡¯t long before I felt the temperature start to drop, which only caused my nerves to build. She¡¯s there. She¡¯s right there. Slowly marching forward, each step filled with anticipation, I moved further into the darkness until a familiar room came into view, and my heart stopped. It¡¯s¡­ It was as if all my nerves had vanished just byying eyes on it. It was definitely the same room made from ck stone bricks, but it looked a little different. The chains that had hung from the ceiling were gone, the room was noticeably brighter, and there were two couches just off to the side that weren¡¯t there before. ¡­ Go! Just¡­ Go! Immediately, I started running. It probably didn¡¯t take more than a few seconds before I was standing in front of the throne, but once I got there, it was like time had frozen. All the anticipation was bottled up inside of me, but there was no relief. ¡­ Where¡­? I looked around the room but couldn¡¯t find Ovia anywhere. Why?¡­ What?¡­ Am I still- My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of rustling papering from behind the throne. I instantly turned towards the throne and saw just the tip of a deep ck tail poking out. Is that her?¡­ My feet started moving by themselves, taking me towards the throne. ¡°H-hello K-Kierra¡­ W-wee back to m-my domain.¡± As soon as her voice reached my ears, I stopped moving. ¡­ It¡¯s¡­ her. She¡­ She let me back in. ¡­ But¡­ why is she hiding from me? ¡°D-did I miss a step? W-why isn¡¯t she saying anything?¡± Ovia said in a faint voice, followed by the sound of turning pages, ¡°Um¡­ H-how are you?¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ not sure¡­¡± I wanted to tell her that I was fine, that I was happy just being here, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to lie to her, not after everything she¡¯s done for me. ¡°Oh¡­ um¡­ c-can I help?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What¡¯s¡­ the right answer?¡­ ¡­ What am I¡­ even supposed to say?¡­ ¡­ Neither of us said anything to each other, just waiting in silence. Until I somehow built up the courage to ask the one question that was gnawing away at me in this silence. ¡°Why¡­ are you hiding from me?¡­¡± I felt a tear start to form, ¡°Did I-¡± ¡°NO!¡± She suddenly shouted, interrupting me, ¡°I-It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­ I¡­¡­ I can just¡­¡± The sound of hurried shuffling could be hearding from behind the throne, with the asional tail poking out. After a few seconds, Ovia stepped out from behind the throne, her face noticeably pink. ¡°S-See, I-I¡¯m right here.¡± ¡­ Is that?¡­ Instead of the form-fitting dress she had worn before, this time, she was wearing a ck dress that was only slightly frilled along the bottom, with a small whiteyer sticking out beneath it. Down the chest were two rows of decorative buttons, and around the cor was a ribbon tied into a bow. That¡¯s¡­ I looked down at my own dress to make sure that I wasn¡¯t imagining things. It¡¯s the same¡­ ¡­ I was right¡­ She does look better in it than me¡­ Much better¡­ Seeing Ovia wearing the dress so much better than I ever could should have been disheartening, but instead, there was some other feeling or maybe a desire forming. However, before I could put any more thought into it, she spoke up. ¡°Um¡­ W-why aren¡¯t you saying anything? W-was this wrong?¡± She pulled out a small notebook and started flipping through it, ¡°I-I thought you would like to wear m-matching dresses.¡± ¡­ While I didn¡¯t know what exactly I was feeling, it definitely wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. ¡°I¡­ do¡­ I think¡­¡± Ovia abruptly stopped flipping through the notebook and looked directly at me. ¡°¡­Oh¡­ T-that¡¯s good!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Once again, the room fell silent. She eventually turned back to her notebook, rapidly skimming over the pages until she found one in particr that made her face brighten up. After a short moment, she looked at me again. ¡°Y-your name!¡± ¡°¡­Kierra?¡± Just saying that name out loud again made me feel a little embarrassed. ¡°Yes, K-Kierra,¡± She took another brief nce at the notebook, ¡°W-why haven¡¯t you t-told anyone your n-name?¡± ¡­ Why should I tell anyone? ¡­ It¡¯s¡­ ¡°It¡¯s¡­ special¡­¡± My face continued to heat up. ¡°It¡¯s special¡­ That means¡­¡± She turned a page, ¡°W-wait, what do you mean it¡¯s s-special?¡± Why wouldn¡¯t it be? ¡­ ¡°You¡­ gave it to me¡­ that¡­ makes it special¡­¡­ to me¡± Ovia looked back at the notebook, flipping through a few pages, but this time her expression didn¡¯t change. Instead, she closed the notebook before letting out a brief sigh and pointing over at the couches beside the throne. ¡°F-first, let¡¯s sit down.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything and just walked over to the couches with Ovia walking close behind me. As soon as I was standing in front of one of the couches, Ovia picked me up before carefully cing me on top of it. You didn¡¯t need to do that¡­ But¡­ thank you. ¡°Y-you can lie down if it¡¯s m-morefortable,¡± She said as she sat down on the other couch directly in front of me. I stared at her, not sure of what to say next. ¡­ ¡°I-if your n-name is special to you¡­ you s-should tell other people.¡± ¡­ ¡°But I¡­ I don¡¯t want other people to know¡­¡± For some reason, I couldn¡¯t make eye contact with Ovia. ¡­ You gave it to me¡­ I¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­Y-you should let other people know¡­ Y-your name is¡­ important,¡± She leaned forward, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ who you are¡­ I-It¡¯s proof you were here.¡± ¡­ I don¡¯t want to give it to anyone else. ¡­ I¡­ ¡°¡­like it when¡­ you¡­ say my name¡­¡± Wait¡­ As soon as I registered what I just said, my face started to heat up, and my shadow spread to cover my whole body, letting me blend into the surrounding darkness. What am I saying? That¡¯s¡­ ¡­ Ovia wrapped her hair around her hand before clenching it into a fist. ¡°W-what do I say here?¡­¡± She mumbled. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a faint glimmer of light, but when I tried to look directly at it, it immediately disappeared. ¡°Um¡­ Okay¡­ I-I¡¯ll try,¡± Ovia¡¯s eyes then focused on me, ¡°Y-you should tell people your n-name because I-I gave it to you.¡± ¡­ ¡°¡­Why?¡­¡± ¡°B-because y-you should show it off¡­ I-I gave it to you¡­ that¡¯s something to be p-proud of¡­ Y-your name came directly from the G-Goddess of Darkness,¡± She puffed her chest out, ¡°N-nobody else can say that.¡± ¡­ Show off¡­ But¡­ why would you want¡­ me¡­ to show it off¡­ I¡¯m¡­ ¡­ There are better people out there¡­ There must be. ¡­ My thoughts were interrupted by another glimmer of light, but just like thest one, it disappeared almost as soon as it showed itself. ¡°A-are you sure?¡± She mumbled under her breath before once again looking me in the eye, ¡°I¡­ w-want you to tell people your n-name.¡± ¡­ I¡­ ¡­ Can I say no?¡­ ¡­ She¡­ wants me to¡­ Ovia wants me to¡­ ¡­ She has¡­ always helped me¡­ ¡­ There must be a reason¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡­ but¡­ ¡­ If I want to stay here with her¡­ I have to listen to her¡­ ¡­ After much thought, I nodded while also reigning my shadow back in to only cover my hair and tail. ¡°Yes?! T-that¡¯s a yes?!¡± Ovia stood up, releasing her hair. I nodded again, this time looking up at her as I did. ¡°I-I did it¡­ I d-didn¡¯t mess it up.¡± She looked off to the side, but when I looked the same way, all I saw was a wall. She then pulled the notebook back out and started flipping through the pages again while muttering to herself, ¡°W-what¡¯s next?¡­¡± ¡­ Is it my turn now¡­ Is this where I show what I can do for her¡­ ¡­ I need to show her¡­ that there¡¯s a reason to keep me around. ¡°O-Ovia¡­¡± She instantly looked directly at me, seemingly forgetting about the book as it fell out of her hand and onto the floor. ¡°Can you¡­ sit next to me?¡± I slide myself over to the side of the couch. ¡°¡­¡± Was I not supposed to do that?¡­ ¡­ What have I done?! I-I can¡¯t just talk to a Goddess like that! ¡­ ¡°A-alright¡­ I-I can do t-that.¡± She walked up next to me and sat down. One of her tails identally brushed against my own, the unexpected coolness of her fur sent a shiver through my tail and up my spine. I looked over at Ovia to see if she noticed, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡­ Okay Kierra. You¡¯ve got this¡­ You¡¯ve prepared for this. ¡­ Just¡­ follow the n. Chapter 29 – I Need to do Something for You Chapter 29 ¨C I Need to do Something for You ¡­ How do I ask her? We had been sitting next to each other for a few minutes, but neither of us had said anything. ¡­ Kierra, you need to say something. But I don¡¯t know what to say. ¡­ You¡¯re the one who asked her to sit next to you. I know that¡­ but¡­ ¡­ It didn¡¯t matter how much I thought about it; I just couldn¡¯t find the right words to use. Why is this so hard? ¡­ I turned and looked up at Ovia, but she was busy ying with her hair in herp, wrapping and then unwrapping her hands over and over again. ¡­ Just¡­ follow the n¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s all you have to do. ¡­ Before I could do anything, there was another sh of light; however, unlikest time, it didn¡¯t disappear. When I turned to look at it, it felt like something warm entered my body. Immediately, I tried to stand up, but before my feet touched the ground, everything around me went ck. Help! ¡°*Yip*!¡± ¡­ Yip? I immediately started struggling, pushing against anything that touched me until I eventually managed to free myself. Looking around the room, the first thing I saw was Ovia staring directly at me. However, she was much bigger than I remember, easily towering over me¡­ well, towering over me more than she did before, at least. ¡°¡­U-um¡­¡± Ovia inched closer to me. I looked down at myself and saw two small white paws trampling on my dress. Did I?¡­ How? I didn¡¯t do anything yet¡­ Somehow, I had turned into a fox without thinking about it, but that seemed to be a good thing. Ovia¡¯s eyes were locked solely on me, containing what I could only call a desire that I had never seen from her before. Was I right? ¡­ Is this what she wants?! Without wasting any more time thinking, I hurriedly pushed my dress onto the floor before making my way over to the edge of the couch and lying down. ¡°W-what?¡± Ovia asked, ¡°D-do you w-want something?¡± I responded simply by pointing at my body with my tail, assuming she would understand what I wanted her to do. Before saying anything, she reached her hands out towards me before abruptly stopping herself. ¡°C-can I?¡± She asked while holding her hands out in front of her. Yes! Of course! I need to show you what I can do for you. I nodded. ¡°R-really?¡± She held her pose although her hands started trembling. I nodded again, pointing at my body with my tail again in case she had misunderstood me. ¡°O-Okay.¡± She started moving again, but instead of lying down like I expected her to, she picked me up and held me in her arms. Huh? What? This isn¡¯t right. I wriggled my way out of her arms, making sure not to scratch her with my ws, andy back down on the couch in the same spot. ¡°¡­O-oh¡­ D-did I do something w-wrong?¡± She moved away, putting her hands behind her back, ¡°I-I knew I shouldn¡¯t have d-done that. W-what was I thinking?¡± No! You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I didn¡¯t exin well enough. ¡­ That¡¯s what happened. ¡­ It¡¯s not your fault. ¡°*Yip*!¡± I made a noise so Ovia would look back at me. ¡°Y-yes, w-what¡¯s wrong?¡± She brought her hands out in front of her again. Using my paw, I pointed at her head and then at my body. ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand.¡± She started frantically looking around the room. After only a brief moment, she flicked one of her tails, which caused a ck tendril to appear from the ground. The tendril then grabbed the notebook that Ovia had dropped a little earlier and gave it back to her before disappearing into the ground just as quickly as it appeared. ¡°T-there must be s-something,¡± She rapidly flipped through the pages, ¡°W-what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°*Yip*!¡± Once again, I tried to get Ovia¡¯s attention. She looked up from the notebook and back at me. I then repeated the same action I had done before, but this time, I also briefly pretended to be asleep afterwards. Please. ¡°S-sleep?¡± She nced at the notebook and then back at me, ¡°Y-you want to sleep in m-myp?¡± I shook my head, which caused Ovia to visibly dete slightly. What? I-is this wrong? I repeated the actions again, hoping she would understand me this time. M-maybe it¡¯s just unexpected. I-I doubt anyone else has offered to do this for a Goddess. That must be what¡¯s going on. ¡­ ¡°Y-you want me to¡­ s-sleep on y-you?¡± I nodded as quickly as I could, and my tail followed suit, rocking my whole body back and forth along with it. ¡°B-but-¡± ¡°*Yip*!¡± Just do it. I know you want to. You have to. ¡­ ¡°B-but you¡¯re-¡± ¡°*Yip*!¡± I stared directly into her eyes. You have to do it. It¡¯s¡­ all I have right now. ¡°O-okay¡­ I-If that¡¯s what you w-want,¡± Shey down on the couch but made sure to keep her head up, ¡°I-I¡¯m doing it now¡­ O-okay?¡± I¡¯m ready! ¡°*Yip!*¡± She slowly started to lower her head onto my body. Before her head even made contact, the first thing I noticed was that her hair brushing against my body gave me a slight chill, just like her tails did. That¡­ Feels nice¡­ Without warning, a low rumbling noise starteding from somewhere deep inside my chest. What is this? Am I¡­ purring? It seemed that I wasn¡¯t the only one caught off guard as Ovia had stopped lowering her head and was instead staring directly at me without saying anything. W-what am I supposed to do? ¡­ I just pointed at my body with one of my paws, hoping that she would ignore that embarrassing moment. I-I¡­ didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I didn¡¯t even know I could. ¡­ Ovia didn¡¯t say anything and instead continued toy her head down on me. However, as soon as her head made contact with my body, I felt an immense weight start pushing down on me, making it harder to breathe. What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s just her head. Why is it this heavy? Am I¡­ that weak? ¡­ ¡°A-are you okay?¡± Ovia asked, sounding a little panicked. ¡­ I¡­ can¡¯t stop¡­ Just¡­ need to¡­ force my way through it¡­ ¡­ I-I¡¯ve been through worse. ¡°*Y-yip*!¡± I nodded, making sure not to show her how much I was struggling. I can take it. ¡­ If I just do it enough, I¡¯ll get stronger. I-I have to¡­ After a few more seconds of gritting my teeth, the weight abruptly disappeared. Huh? No! I looked up at Ovia, who had propped herself up over the top of me. ¡°I-I¡­ can¡¯t¡­¡± What?! Why?! W-what did I do wrong?! I-It¡¯s not supposed to go like this. I pointed back at my body, hoping she would give me another chance. Please, I don¡¯t have anything else¡­ ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to h-hurt you¡­¡± Ovia was clearly panicking. ¡°*Yip!*¡± It didn¡¯t hurt. I¡¯m fine. ¡°B-but¡­ y-you started crying.¡± Ovia wiped away the tears from under my eyes, proving that she was telling the truth. So¡­ That doesn¡¯t matter¡­ I¡­ cry all the time. ¡­ I¡­ I¡­ had to do this¡­ ¡­ Ovia stopped lying down and instead sat up next to me. What can I do now?¡­ ¡­ I-I have to prove my worth¡­ I need her to let me stay with her¡­ ¡°W-what about this?¡± Yes! Anything! Just¡­ I need to do something¡­ for you¡­ I don¡¯t care what it is. She picked me up off of the couch and carefully ced me in herp. ¡°*Yip*?¡± I looked directly at her, waiting for her to tell me what she wanted. What now? What do I need to do? ¡°U-um¡­ n-now you can go to s-sleep,¡± Ovia looked down at me, with her hands hovering just above my body. What? That¡¯s something for me¡­ I need to be the one doing something for you. ¡°B-but¡­ C-can I?¡­¡± Her hands started trembling again. My ears perked up. Can you what?! ¡°C-can I¡­ s-stroke your¡­ t-tail¡­ w-while you sleep?¡± ¡­ Is that it? Why wouldn¡¯t you be able to? Despite my confusion at her request, I nodded my head, causing Ovia¡¯s eyes to immediately light up. ¡°T-then¡­ Go on¡­¡± She waved her hands at me, ¡°M-make yourselffortable.¡± Is this really enough? I curled up in herp, just like I had done with Ava the night before. As soon as I settled down, I felt Ovia run her fingers through my fur. Herp felt surprisingly different from Ava¡¯s; instead of having a slight warmth, hers was cool, which didn¡¯t make it any lessfortable. If anything, it was morefortable as I was already kept warm by all the fur covering my body. ¡°T-thank you,¡± Ovia muttered under her breath. I wanted to respond to her but wasn¡¯t able to as my eyes started to close by themselves. ¡­ Just¡­ stay here¡­ Don¡¯t leave me¡­ ¡­ Not again¡­ Chapter 30 – It’s Time For You to Wake Up Chapter 30 ¨C It¡¯s Time For You to Wake Up ¡°Hello there. I¡¯m sorry that I need to do this, but it¡¯s time for you to wake up.¡± Huh? Who? What¡¯s going on? I forced my eyes open slowly, only to be greeted by Aria¡¯s face, which was only a few centimetres in front of mine. Wait! Where is Ovia?! At that moment, I felt a hand run through my fur, so I spun around to see who it was. ¡°Oh¡­ S-sorry¡­ d-did I startle you?¡± Ovia pulled her hand back. I responded to her by quickly shaking my head before trying to curl back up. But before I could, someone picked me up. ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that right now. I already told you that you need to wake up,¡± Aria said as she put me down on the floor, ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of time left, so I¡¯m going to help you turn back. Ovia, can you help with the clothes?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­ I can d-do that.¡± Ovia looked over at me before flicking one of her tails, engulfing both me and my dress in darkness. It was a strange feeling, simr to when I wrapped my own shadow around my body, but something about it felt distant; it was almost like I was being cut off from the rest of the world around me. Before I was able to do anything else, a familiar warm energy started to enter my body. Is this? ¡°There we go,¡± Aria pped her hands together, ¡°Our little kitsune is all back to normal.¡± A momentter, the darkness around me disappeared, revealing that I had been changed back. While it was surprising that Aria was able to change me back, what was much more surprising to me was that I was already fully clothed. It¡¯s possible to get dressed like this? ¡­ Can I learn to do that? I looked at Ovia, which caused her to shuffle to the far side of the couch. Then she looked back at me without saying anything, just looking into my eyes. Do you want me to?¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I opened my mouth to say something, but before any words even came out, Ovia nodded. Without hesitating any further, I walked over and sat down next to her, making sure not to identally sit on any of her tails. If it¡¯s what you want¡­ I can do it. ¡°It¡¯s nice that you two have made some progress,¡± Aria sat down on the couch just opposite us, ¡°However, we really should be sending the little kitsune back soon.¡± But¡­ I looked over at Ovia, but she avoided eye contact. What?! Why?! Did I not do enough? ¡­ ¡°Sister, didn¡¯t you want to-¡± ¡°W-what¡­¡± I blurted out, interrupting Aria. Both Goddesses turned to face me, remaining silent. ¡°W-what¡­ else¡­ do I have to do?¡± I managed to force the words out. Neither Goddess said anything in response and just kept staring. What¡¯s the problem?! Am I that useless? ¡­ Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?! ¡­ ¡°P-please¡­ just¡­ give me something¡­ anything¡­¡± All of a sudden, the words just seemed toe out by themselves, ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to leave¡­ I-I don¡¯t want you to leave me¡­ What do I have to do?¡­ What¡¯s wrong with me?¡­ I-I¡¯ll do anything, just¡­ let me stay here¡­ just don¡¯t leave me¡­ not again¡­¡± Ovia reached out towards me, but I pulled away without thinking. Wait! No! Why did you do that?! You need her to like you. What are you going to do now? Tears started rolling down my cheeks uncontrobly, quickly soaking my dress. It¡¯s all my fault. I-I keep making mistakes. Why did I think this would work? ¡°K-Kierra¡­¡± I heard Ovia¡¯s voice, but instead of feelingforted like before, all I felt was fear. Now that you¡¯ve done this¡­ Why would she ever let you stay here now? I tried to get off of the couch, but before I could, I was pulled back. ¡°S-stop,¡± Ovia wrapped her tails around me, ¡°D-don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I buried my face in her tails, and she started to run her fingers through my hair. ¡­ Just¡­ stop being so nice to me. If I can¡¯t stay here¡­ Just let me go. ¡­ ¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed, but it couldn¡¯t have been much, as while my tears had stopped, both my cheeks and dress were still damp. ¡°Have you calmed down a little now?¡± Aria asked. I reluctantly nodded while keeping my face hidden in Ovia¡¯s tails. ¡°Good, now,¡± Aria paused for a moment, ¡°I think I should exin some things to you. Is that okay?¡± ¡­ Why? I¡¯m just going to be sent back anyway¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± I heard here closer, ¡°If I could, I would have you stay in my domain, but unfortunately, there are some¡­ rules¡­ that we need to follow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ no, never mind¡­ you don¡¯t need to worry about theplicated part¡­ but just know that it isn¡¯t our choice to send you back like this.¡± ¡°¡­But¡­¡± I lifted my head out of Ovia¡¯s tails, ¡°I-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Aria interrupted me. ¡°¡­¡± So¡­ It was all for nothing¡­ ¡­ What¡­ do I do now?¡­ I¡¯ve¡­ had enough¡­ ¡­ ¡°B-but¡­¡± Ovia wrapped her arms around me, pulling me in close, ¡°Y-you can ce back again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It took a moment for me to process what she had said. ¡°I-I can?¡± Is there still a chance? I¡­ I need this. ¡°Yes, as long as you wait about¡­ a week?¡­ each time,¡± Aria crouched down in front of me, ¡°I think that will be enough time to be safe.¡± A week¡­ ¡­ I can still see her¡­ Once a week¡­ ¡­ But¡­ But¡­ I want more¡­ Both my tail and my ears drooped down as I continued to think about it. ¡°Sister?¡± Aria looked over at Ovia. ¡°¡­Oh!¡± Suddenly, Ovia let go of me and jumped onto her feet. What? Before I could ask what was going on, she had already made her way into a side room, leaving just Aria and me. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry so much,¡± Aria started talking to me, ¡°I¡¯ve known my sister for a long time, and I can tell you that she isn¡¯t going to be leaving you alone any time soon, alright?¡± You can¡¯t know that. But¡­ ¡­ I¡­ hope you¡¯re right. ¡­ Just then, there was arge crash, followed by the sound of a door flying open. ¡°I-I have a gift!¡± Ovia shouted as she ran back into the room, cradling something in her arms. Aria quickly got up and took a step back before Ovia took her ce, kneeling in front of me. ¡°I-if you feel l-lonely,¡± She extended her arms towards me, ¡°T-this c-can help.¡± In her hands was what looked like a baby fox with dark grey fur, although it sat in her hands,pletely motionless. What is this? A plushie? I reached out to pick it up, but before I could grab it, it got up and jumped into myp by itself. A live fox?! Ovia looked at me with expectant eyes, but I wasn¡¯t sure what she was expecting me to say. ¡°I should probably help exin this as well,¡± Aria knelt down next to Ovia, ¡°This little fox is a newly born Divine Beast.¡± Divine Beast? Is that something I¡¯m supposed to get as a gift? ¡°However, this little one is a bit unusual, as it was born from your mana.¡± She reached out to pat the fox, but it pulled away from her, ¡°To be more precise, it came about as thebination of your mana and some of my sister¡¯s divinity.¡± I don¡¯t understand. Mana? Divinity? Ovia then reached out to pat the fox, which it happily epted, ¡°I-if you¡¯re l-lonely¡­ M-maybe they c-can remind you of m-me.¡± ¡­ I looked over the fox again, running my fingers through their fur. It wasn¡¯t the same as Ovia¡¯s, but it was still a little cool to the touch. ¡­ ¡°¡­Okay¡­¡± I muttered while avoiding eye contact with either of the Goddesses. ¡­ It¡¯s not her¡­ But it¡¯s a gift from her¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s her third gift to me¡­ ¡­ ¡°D-do they have a name?¡­¡± I asked. ¡°All divine beasts are given a name at birth by the Spirits,¡± Aria answered, ¡°This little fox is called Umbra.¡± ¡°Umbra¡­¡± As soon as I said their name, the little fox turned around and looked directly into my eyes. Their eyes were a pale grey, just like my own, although unlike mine, they were glowing softly. Then without warning they jumped off of myp and disappeared into my shadow. ¡°D-did it run away?!¡± Ovia started panicking. ¡°No,¡± I responded, reaching out towards Ovia but stopping myself before actually grabbing her. Somehow, I just knew that Umbra was still there. As soon as they had dived into my shadow, it felt like it had gotten just a little heavier. ¡°That¡¯s all well and good,¡± Aria said, lifting Ovia off the ground, ¡°But we really need to send you on your way. We¡¯re already cutting it a little close.¡± ¡­ I reluctantly slid myself off of the couch. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re the one who has to send her back.¡± Ovia was about to flick her tail, but I interrupted her, ¡°I-I¡¯ll be back¡­¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Ovia said as she nodded before finally finishing her tail flick. As soon as she did, I was once again surrounded by darkness, and I slowly felt the presence of the two Goddesses fade away. It¡¯s only a week. You can wait that long. Chapter 31 – Is That Really It? Chapter 31 ¨C Is That Really It? [Raynelle POV] ¡°Come on, Ava, did you really have to do that?¡± Ava had just elbowed me in the stomach when I tried to stop Kit from going back into that temple that hurt her. ¡°I know you¡¯re alright,¡± Ava retorted with a smirk spread across her face, ¡°You¡¯re plenty strong after all.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve underestimated just how strong you¡¯ve gotten.¡± Ava responded with a chuckle, but it was only brief as her smirk faded, leaving an uncharacteristically serious expression. ¡°Mom¡­ I think we need to talk about how you¡¯ve been actingtely,¡± She looked me directly in the eye. ¡°What do you mean how I¡¯ve been acting? I¡¯ve¡­ just been myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ava didn¡¯t say anything and just continued to stare back at me. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not letting her go in there alone,¡± I broke eye contact and decided to just walk towards the temple, ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t do that to her.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do what to her?¡± For some reason, just hearing those words frustrated me to no end, causing me to immediately stop and turn around to face her again. ¡°You should have seen her thest time she came out of there! The poor thing was non-responsive, with all those tears streaming down her face,¡± I took a step towards Ava, ¡°She didn¡¯t even push me away like normal¡­ I-I¡­ don¡¯t want that to happen again.¡± ¡­ What am I doing? I shouldn¡¯t beining about this to a child. While I was busy regretting my outburst, Ava silently came up and hugged me, catching me off guard. ¡°Mom, I know you mean well, but you need to try and think about it from Kit¡¯s perspective.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± I gently pushed Ava away, ¡°She¡­ She¡¯s been hurt by too many people and¡­ I need to stop that from happening again¡­ I¡­ I can do that.¡± ¡°No, not like that-¡± ¡°Then, like what?!¡± I shouted, cutting her off, ¡°What do you want me to do?! Just let her get hurt again?!¡± ¡°Of course not. I know you just want to help her, just like you did when you first found me,¡± She came a little closer, ¡°But do you think she knows that?¡± ¡°I¡­ That little girl¡­¡± While I didn¡¯t like it, there wasn¡¯t much I could say in response, as I already understood what she was talking about. I know how scared she is of me¡­ How couldn¡¯t I know?¡­ ¡­ But even then¡­ ¡°I¡­ still can¡¯t let her go in there,¡± I turned away from Ava and began walking to the temple again, ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t like it¡­ I¡¯m not letting that kid hurt herself.¡± I can deal with thister. For now¡­ I just need to keep her safe. ¡°Why do you think she¡¯s going to hurt herself?¡± Ava was followed close behind me. ¡°I already told you-¡± ¡°Do you really think she would intentionally let herself get hurt?¡± She interrupted me, ¡°You know she wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡­ I¡­ ¡­ ¡°What makes you so confident?¡± My legs stopped moving, ¡°How do you know so much about her when she won¡¯t tell me anything?¡± ¡°I think she tells us plenty,¡± Ava walked in front of me. Plenty? She hasn¡¯t even said a word to me. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Raynelle, stop this¡­ You¡¯re just shouting at a child. ¡­ ¡°Just¡­ tell me what you think I¡¯m supposed to do?¡± ¡°Come on. You know as well as I do that she¡¯s terrible at hiding what she¡¯s thinking,¡± Ava put her hands just above her head, just like Kit¡¯s ears, ¡°Just watch her ears and tail, and it¡¯s almost like you can read her mind.¡± ¡°I know that, but this and that are two different things.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re not. All you need to know is that she¡¯s not someplicated puzzle you need to try and solve,¡± Ava continued walking towards the temple, so I started moving as well to keep up with her. ¡°Then tell me¡­ What do I need to do for her?¡± ¡°Not much, just¡­ wait for her.¡± ¡°Just wait?¡± I asked, confused. That can¡¯t be right¡­ If it was¡­ something would have changed already¡­ ¡°Yes, you should just wait for her toe to you instead of trying to force your way in.¡± ¡­ Is that really it? But¡­ Why would she evere to me? ¡­ But you¡­ The door of the temple was only a few steps away at this point. ¡°How did you do it?¡± The question slipped out of my mouth. ¡°I guess¡­ I just gave her what she wanted when she wanted it,¡± She said, now smirking again. But¡­ I don¡¯t know what she wants. ¡°Wh-¡± I was cut off by the sound of the heavy stone doors opening. Standing in the doorway was a man with a familiar face. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t be far behind,¡± The ck-haired rabbit beastkin gestured into the temple, ¡°Come on in; it will probably be a while before shees back.¡± I just stood there, frozen, while trying to decide what I should do. But before I coulde to a decision, Ava began to make her way into the temple. ¡°Ava?!¡± I shouted as I ran up and grabbed her by the shoulder. ¡°What? He invited us in?¡± ¡°But he¡¯s-¡± ¡°I also¡­ want to talk to you aboutst time,¡± The rabbit beastkin turned to face me, ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t make the best first impression.¡± Didn¡¯t make the best first impression? You wouldn¡¯t let me go help her. You were the one who held me back. ¡°Who even are you?¡± I asked, pulling Ava behind me, ¡°I never got a name from you.¡± ¡°I thought I told youst time¡­ although¡­ maybe I forgot¡­ I wasn¡¯t in the best head-space that day,¡± He sat down on one of the pews, ¡°I¡¯m Benvolio, the Emissary of Darkness¡­ although¡­ I¡¯m normally just called Beni.¡± ¡­ ¡°Mom, why are you acting like this?¡± Ava squirmed out from my grip and made her way over to the pew, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem that bad.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°I understand¡­ It¡¯s nothing new around here¡­¡± He interrupted me, ¡°I¡¯m used to people avoiding me¡­ and this temple¡­ for no real reason¡­¡± ¡°No reason?!¡± My anger was building, ¡°You wrapped me in those chains. You stopped me from helping that little girl when she had copsed onto the floor, tears streaming down her face!¡± The room fell silent for a few short moments. ¡°I¡­ sorry about that¡­ but it wasn¡¯t to stop you from helping her¡­ you wouldn¡¯t have found her there anyway¡­¡± He looked up at me, ¡°I just¡­ didn¡¯t want you to damage the ce¡­ I-¡­ No¡­ I could¡­ probably have just¡­ exined myself better.¡± ¡°Why are you being so hard on him?¡± Ava piped up, ¡°If anything, you should be sitting over her with me.¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± She threw her hands into the air, ¡°Maybe because he seems to know why Kit wanted toe here?¡± ¡­ That¡¯s¡­ Without saying anything more, I reluctantly went and sat down next to Ava and Benvolio. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked, ¡°Why does that little girl want toe here after what happenedst time?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I should tell you¡­ you should probably hear it from her¡­¡± He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, ¡°She¡¯s safe though¡­ the person she¡¯s talking to is very nice¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­ at least tell me who she is talking to.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You probably already have an idea¡­ though¡­¡± He started to sit up again, but before he straightened his back, he leaned forward again, ¡°No¡­ never mind¡­¡± Just like that, we had a back-and-forth for a few hours, with me asking questions and only getting vague reassurances from Benvolio. At least until I heard footstepsing from the far side of the temple. Instinctively, I knew exactly who it was and jumped out of my seat, ready tofort a crying Kit, but to my surprise, that¡¯s not what came out of the darkness. It was the little girl I was expecting, but there were no tears, although her tail was hanging a little low. ¡°Kit! Are you alright?¡± I ran up to her, kneeling down when I got close, ¡°Did anything happen to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ava then came up behind me, poking her head out just over my shoulder, ¡°So, did it go well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kit nodded. ¡°I guess that means all your effort was worth it then.¡± Benvolio then came over himself, although he made sure to keep some distance from us. ¡°I hope you had a good time with her¡­¡± Once again, Kit nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting for your next visit¡­ Although you should probably leave the temple soon¡­ The sun has already started to set.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something we can agree on,¡± I said, turning back towards Kit, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the inn. I¡¯m sure Ava can quickly put something tasty together for dinner.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t respond at all, so I just picked her up and made my way to the exit. ¡°Come on Ava, let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Ava came up next to me as I stepped out of the temple. I¡¯ll need to talk to Ava some more when we get back. I¡­ need to learn how to help Kit¡­ properly this time. ¡­ I found myself unintentionally looking over at Ava. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting advice from you now. Just¡­ when did you grow up so much? Chapter 32 – It’s Been A Long Day Chapter 32 ¨C It¡¯s Been A Long Day Ava ced a te piled high with meat in front of me. ¡°It was a big day for you,¡± She said as she sat down just across the table from me, ¡°So I thought we could celebrate a little bit.¡± ¡­ Thank you¡­ For helping me¡­ I quickly nodded before stuffing my face. How is it always this good? ¡­ Ovia would probably like this too¡­ Maybe I should ask Ava to teach me¡­ I stopped eating for a second and looked up at Ava but almost immediately went back to eating. No, I can¡¯t do that. ¡­ Not yet, anyway¡­ I kept my head down for the rest of the meal, enjoying every bite of the sulent meat that I was given. It was only after I had finished eating that I noticed something was a bit different to usual. Raynelle wasn¡¯t sitting at the table eating with us. I looked around a bit, just in case she had sat somewhere else, but she didn¡¯t seem to even be in the room. ¡°Are you looking for Mom?¡± Ava asked as she finished eating her meal. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You probably won¡¯t see her tonight,¡± Ava stood up, ¡°She has some¡­ homework to do.¡± That¡¯s¡­ a problem for me¡­ I still need to do what Ovia wanted me to do¡­ I wanted to tell them my name as soon as I saw them back in the temple, but the words just wouldn¡¯te out of my mouth for some reason. ¡­ Why am I so useless?¡­ Both my ears and my tail drooped down. ¡­ All I had to do was tell them my name¡­ I¡­ couldn¡¯t even do that¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know what Mom was worried about,¡± Ava let out a chuckle as she picked up my empty te. Should I just tell Ava now? She¡­ She would be the easiest person to tell¡­ ¡­ No. Not yet¡­ I¡­ I need to prepare more. ¡­ I should wait for the two of them to be together. That way¡­ I¡¯ll only have to tell them once. ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s gotten prettyte, so I should probably leave you to get some sleep,¡± She opened the door but turned back to tell me something before leaving, ¡°If you need anything, I¡¯ll probably be kept awake for a while. You just need toe and knock on our door, alright?¡± I nodded, which caused her to smile at me before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. ¡°¡­Why is it so hard?¡± I started mumbling to myself, ¡°Just¡­ open your mouth¡­ you did it with Ovia¡­ why¡­ why can¡¯t you do it now?¡­¡± ¡­ Just then, a slight rattle came from the door. Immediately my ears perked up, but all they heard wasplete silence. Was someone watching me? Why would someone spy on me like that? ¡­ Was it Ava? But I heard her footsteps as she left. ¡­ I think¡­ Against my better judgement, I got up from my chair and opened the door, poking my head into the hallway while fearing the worst. There was no one there, just a dark, empty hallway. ¡­ It¡¯s been a long day. M-Maybe I¡¯m just hearing things¡­ I closed the door and climbed onto my bed. Just as I did, the moonlight started filtering into the room through the window. ¡°I need to go through this seven times before I can see her again¡­¡± ¡­ What am I supposed to do while I wait?¡­ ¡­ Should I get Ovia a gift? What would a Goddess even want from me? ¡­ While I was lost in thought, something small and fuzzy came and nuzzled up against my face. Immediately, I sat up but quickly calmed down when I saw that it was just Umbra. Almost instinctively, I reached out my hand and started petting them, the slight chill from their furforting me even further. ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re here¡­ just¡­ to prove that what happened today was real.¡± It didn¡¯t matter that it was my second time meeting her; there was always this thought in the back of my mind that none of it was real, that I was just making things up so I could hold on a bit longer. But seeing Umbra sitting in front of me proves that everything actually happened; there is just no other way I could exin them being here. They then climbed into myp before curling up while looking up at me with expectant eyes. In response, I continued petting them, which seemed to be the right answer. ¡­ Is this what it was like for Ovia? ¡­ I think I understand why she wanted to do this. ¡­ But¡­ my legs are already feeling a bit tired¡­ ¡­ I lifted Umbra up andy them down on the bed, which they didn¡¯t seem to be pleased about, but they didn¡¯t fight back at all. Instead, they curled back up and wrapped some shadows around their body. Watching Umbra wrap their body in shadows, just as I had done many times before, gave me an idea. If you can do that¡­ Can I do what you can? Umbra was able to hide themselvespletely in my shadow, so does that mean that I can hide other things in there myself? I grabbed the notebook which Raynelle had given me out from under my pillow, along with a few of the pencils. ¡°Now¡­ how would I start,¡± I looked over at Umbra, almost hoping they would answer me. But they didn¡¯t. I lifted one of the pencils up into the air and dropped it onto my shadow, but as expected, it justnded on the bed with almost no sound. Is there some kind of trick to it? Thinking back to when Umbra first jumped into my shadow, I could remember this strange feeling that spread across my shadow the moment that they disappeared. Is that the trick that I¡¯m missing? I tried to replicate that feeling, which caused the shadow to start rippling slightly. Without wasting a moment, I lifted another pencil up into the air and dropped it onto the rippling shadow and¡­ It fell onto the bed, with my shadow just dancing around on top of it. ¡­ ¡°Why did I even try?¡­¡± I reached out to pick the pencil back up, but Umbra ran over and grabbed it before I could. ¡°Wait, give that back!¡± I shouted as I reached out to try and take the pencil from Umbra¡¯s mouth. Umbra didn¡¯t listen to me and instead dived into my shadow with the pencil still in their mouth beforeing back out almost immediately only with the pencil now missing. ¡­ ¡°So¡­ you can do it¡­ but I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡­ It¡¯s better than nothing, at least¡­ ¡­ I looked over the notebook that was lying on the bed just next to me. ¡°Can you put this in there too?¡± I carefully pushed the notebook across the bed until it was in front of Umbra. This should keep it safe. Umbra looked over the notebook for a few seconds before grabbing it and dropping it into my shadow. ¡­ ¡°I guess¡­ I should probably get some sleep¡­¡± Maybe¡­ she¡¯ll show up in my dreams this time¡­ As soon as Umbra heard me, they immediately went and curled up on top of my pillow as if they were expecting me toy my head on top of them. ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t do that,¡± I lifted them off of the pillow, ¡°I know how hard it is to be a pillow.¡± However, as soon as I put Umbra down, they ran straight back onto the pillow, curling up just as they did before. What am I supposed to do in this situation? ¡­ How about¡­ Just by thinking about what I wanted to do, I quickly changed into my fox form, which was surprisingly pretty much the same size as Umbra, only with myself having a muchrger tail. This should work better. I mbered up onto the pillow and curled up next to Umbra, which prompted them to readjust so that we both fitfortably on the pillow. Tomorrow¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ do what she asked me to. I have to. ¡­ It¡¯s¡­ the task Ovia gave to me. Chapter 33 – A Crow’s Restless Morning Chapter 33 ¨C A Crow¡¯s Restless Morning [Ava POV] Last night was a little bit rough, to say the least. I spent most of it with Mom continuously pestering me for answers I didn¡¯t even know. Like,e on, it¡¯s not like I know everything about Kit. I¡¯ve just been guessing, and it¡¯s been working out most of the time; that doesn¡¯t make me some kind of Kit connoisseur. But that wasn¡¯t even the worst part. When I was taking our tes to the kitchenst night, I realised I had forgotten a knife in Kit¡¯s room, so I turned back to quickly go get it and¡­ Why did I have to hear that?¡­ ¡­ Just those few words she said kept me up all night as they spiralled around in my mind, constantly gnawing at me. I didn¡¯t even do anything tofort her¡­ I just¡­ ran¡­ or rather, flew away. ¡­ ¡°I want to say it will just work itself out eventually, and I don¡¯t need to worry so much, but look at me¡­ I¡¯m already losing sleep over it.¡± I cracked an egg into the pan in front of me, and then I just stood there, watching it cook slowly. ¡­ ¡°Just¡­ focus on breakfast for now,¡± I said to myself, sliding the egg out of the pan and onto one of the tes, ¡°It¡¯s hard to do anything on an empty stomach after all.¡± After carefully picking up two of the tes while bncing the third on my forearm, I made my way over to Kit¡¯s room, gently knocking my foot against the door to see if she was awake. No response. Guess yesterday tired her out more than I thought. I awkwardly opened the door, using my free elbow to push the door handle down while doing my best to keep the tes bnced. Fortunately, I managed it without dropping anything. ¡°Hey, good morning, breakfast¡¯s he-¡± The words got caught in my throat as Iid eyes on the bed. ¡­ That¡¯s¡­ adorable! After quickly cing the tes down on the table, I went and crouched down next to the bed to get a better view of the spectacle in front of me. On top of the pillow were two baby foxes, one pure white and the other a dark grey, curled up together, sleeping peacefully. My hand instinctively reached out towards the bundle of fluff, but I quickly pulled it back. She probably wouldn¡¯t like me touching her in her sleep like this. ¡­ If I can¡¯t pet her. I reached my hand out towards the grey fox. What about?¡­ But that¡¯s when a realisation hit me, causing my arm to lock up. ¡°Wait¡­ where did the other foxe from?¡± I couldn¡¯t remember her picking up a fox at all. You don¡¯t really see wild foxes in human territories. Saying that they might not even be a wild fox; they could be another kitsune. ¡­ Then again, you don¡¯t normally see kitsune around here either. I should probably separate the two of them at least¡­ ¡­ I continued staring at the two of them for a little while, not doing anything. ¡°Maybe not¡­¡± They both seem pretty happy¡­ Well, they look as happy as a pair of sleeping foxes can look at least. ¡°I¡¯ll just ask her about it when she wakes up,¡± I mumbled to myself as I started to get up from the floor, trying my best not to make too much noise. Unfortunately, Mom happened to throw the door to the room open at the exact same time, making sure to announce her presence. ¡°Breakfast smells good today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Really?! Right now? ¡°What? It¡¯s true,¡± She made a show of shrugging her shoulders with her arms outstretched. ¡°Keep it down. I¡¯m letting her sleep in a bit longer.¡± Mom¡¯s eyes nced over at the bed, and I saw her start to open her mouth. ¡°Shh!¡± I put my finger up to my lips, ¡°Just¡­ sit down first.¡± She started opening her mouth to say something again, so I put my finger up to my lips, although with a bit more vigour this time, while also pointing at the table with my other hand. Thankfully, this time, she listened to me and sat herself down at the table before I went and sat down next to her. ¡°Where did that foxe from?¡± Mom asked, now whispering. ¡°I don¡¯t know; they were just there when I came in.¡± ¡°What?¡± She almost jumped out of her seat but I stopped her, ¡°What if it¡¯s dangerous? She could get hurt.¡± ¡°If it was dangerous, do you think it would be sleeping so peacefully with Kit?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. This isn¡¯t a situation I¡¯ve been in before¡­¡± She looked over at the bed, ¡°We should at least separate them so nothing happens when they wake up.¡± ¡°Just leave them alone,¡± I said, pushing Mom¡¯s te closer to her, ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get an answer when they wake up¡­ well¡­ probably¡­ you know how she is.¡± ¡°¡­But-¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll listen to you this time¡­ But if something goes wrong¡­ No¡­ I shouldn¡¯t be thinking like that.¡± She stuck her head down and started eating, though I could see her nce to the side after every few bites to check on Kit. When we were about halfway through our meal, some shuffling could be hearding from the bed. Mom immediately tried to get out of her seat and run over, but I grabbed her sleeve, stopping her. The first of the foxes to get up was Kit, who, while half asleep, tried to stretch while still on top of the pillow, knocking the poor grey fox onto the bed and waking them up as well. If we had separated them we wouldn¡¯t have gotten to see this. I knew I made the right choice. ¡°Mom, maybe we should buy a bigger pillow for the two of them,¡± I whispered. ¡°We still don¡¯t even know if keeping that fox here is safe,¡± She responded, quickly putting a damper on my mood. ¡°Come on, just look at that,¡± I pointed at the two foxes, ¡°How can you not want to keep them here.¡± She didn¡¯t respond and just kept her eyes glued on Kit. After a few more stretches from the two foxes, they finally seemed to be fully awake. However Kit, in particr, looked a little shocked, quickly ncing between me, Mom and the grey fox over and over again. ¡°So,¡± I got up from my chair but didn¡¯t get any closer, ¡°Are you going to introduce us to your¡­ friend?¡± Kit didn¡¯t do anything; she just turned and stared at the grey fox. ¡­ Y¡¯know what¡­ I think we¡¯re fine. She seems to know who that grey fox is. ¡­ I mean if something were going to happen, it would have already happened. ¡­ Kit didn¡¯t seem to be calming down at all, and seeing that just caused me to recall what I heardst night. Now that I know how hard you¡¯re trying¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ll do something¡­ ¡­ ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I forgot,¡± I pped my hands together to get everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°Mom, we should probably step out for a moment so she can get changed, right?¡± This should help give her some space to sort her thoughts out. ¡°What? But-¡± ¡°We should give her some privacy,¡± I said, cing my hand on Mom¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We¡¯ll just be waiting outside the door, so knock when you¡¯re ready for us toe back in.¡± This time, Mom didn¡¯t argue with me and just followed me outside, but once we got out of the room, she stopped being so quiet. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked, ¡°We still don¡¯t know if leaving her with that fox is safe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Come on, you saw how she looked at that fox. There¡¯s no way she doesn¡¯t know them.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®how she looked at that fox¡¯?¡± She rested her head against her knuckles, ¡°Just give me straight answers.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t straight answers for this kind of thing,¡± I pulled her hand down, ¡°You just¡­ get a feeling for it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She red at me. ¡°You¡¯ll get there eventually,¡± I said, patting her on the back. ¡°Should you really be saying that kind of thing to your mother? I mean¡­ It¡¯s not like I know nothing about this stuff. I think you forget what you were like just two years ago, and I was able to help you¡­ Wasn¡¯t I?¡± Come on, Mom, where exactly do you think I learned all of this from? It didn¡¯te from nowhere. She brought her fist up to her forehead again. ¡°I told you yesterday; just calm down, and you¡¯ll get it,¡± I pulled her hand down once again. ¡°¡­ Y¡¯know¡­ Sometimes¡­ I wish you would stop growing so fast,¡± She turned to face me, ¡°It¡¯s only been two years, and I already feel like I¡¯m losing my cute little daughter.¡± ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± I said, unable to keep a smug grin from spreading across my face, ¡°No matter how big I get, I¡¯ll still be your cute daughter.¡± Mom responded simply by letting out a small chuckle. Now that¡¯s more like the Mom I know. I continued talking to Mom for a while, hoping to distract her from Kit, even if just for a little bit. Kit, I know you¡¯re trying your best in there. I just hope I¡¯ve given you enough time to psych yourself up¡­ Cause I think Mom might end up being a bit of a handful today. Chapter 34 – My Name Chapter 34 ¨C My Name What do I do?! T-They saw Umbra! I quickly jumped off the bed and returned to my humanoid form, then turned around and picked up Umbra. What if they try to get rid of you? ¡­ I-I can¡¯t let that happen. ¡°G-go hide,¡± I whispered while keeping an eye on the door just in case they suddenly barged back in. Umbra stared at me for a second before wriggling their way out of my arms and diving head-first into my shadow. I-it will be fine. Umbra was a g-gift from Ovia¡­ They can¡¯t do anything¡­ It was a gift from a Goddess. O-only Ovia can take Umbra away. ¡­ Trying to calm myself down, I threw my dress over my head, but it didn¡¯t help very much as my mind almost immediately moved on to the next issue. Ovia¡­ I¡­ I still need to tell them my name¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­K-Kierra¡­¡± I mumbled to myself. That¡¯s all I need to say¡­ ¡­ They weren¡¯t even in the room, but just knowing that they were standing behind the door was enough to make me feel uneasy when I spoke. Is there something¡­ wrong with me? Out of habit, I reached for my tail, but unfortunately, it was still covered by my dress, as I hadn¡¯t pulled it through the p yet. ¡­ I can¡¯t even get dressed properly. ¡­ Why is everything already going wrong? Tears were starting to form in my eyes, but I took a deep breath and managed to hold them back. Y-you can¡¯t cry again. All you do is cry. My hands started shaking as I struggled to thread my tail through the p in my dress. Come on¡­ Please¡­ Why are you doing this to me? Eventually, I managed to pull my tail through. ¡­ ¡°Why am I like this?¡­¡± I sat down on the edge of my bed with my face buried deep in my hands. ¡­ I just sat there for a while, doing nothing. There wasn¡¯t even a single coherent thought that crossed my mind for at least a few minutes. ¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t just sit here forever¡­ I¡­ I need to do what I said I would do¡­ ¡­ I-I can¡¯t lie to Ovia¡­ ¡­ Gathering up the little courage I could muster, I got up off the bed and knocked on the door. At first, nothing happened, but after a few seconds, the door slowly opened with a distinct high-pitched squealing from the hinges. ¡°Are you all ready now?¡± Ava called into the room while staying just out of sight. I moved around the door so that she could see me and nodded. ¡°Great! Well, as I¡¯m sure you already noticed, breakfast is already all set up and ready for you to dig in,¡± She said as she came intothe room and sat in front of a te of food that looked to already be half finished. I¡­ didn¡¯t notice¡­ Raynelle followed closely behind Ava, staring at me briefly before sitting down at the table. ¡°Are you just going to stand there by yourself, or are you going to eat with us?¡± Ava asked. I joined them at the table, sitting in front of a te covered in breakfast staples like sausages, some kind of bacon, eggs done two ways and more. But for some reason, I just didn¡¯t feel all that hungry. Not wanting to cause any issues, I tried to eat one of the sausages. ¡­ It¡¯s cold¡­ It still tasted good, but it was clear it had been sitting out on the table for quite a while. I forced myself to swallow, but as soon as I did, it felt like it wanted toe back up. ¡­ Looking up at the other two, they were happily finishing off their meals, not paying any attention to me. ¡­ Do I just?¡­ ¡­ They are both here¡­ ¡­ If I don¡¯t, it¡¯s just going to haunt me¡­ I know it¡­ But¡­ ¡­ I grabbed another sausage and tried to eat it, but it was even harder to manage than the first one. It just sat in my mouth until it eventually lost its vour, and I managed to swallow. ¡­ I looked up at Ava and Raynelle again. They were still just eating their food, although they were almost finished at that point. What if I tell them and they don¡¯t hear me?¡­ ¡­ S-she only said to t-tell someone¡­ T-that¡­ might count¡­ ¡­ I-I¡¯m sure it would¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­K¡­¡± I said under my breath. ¡­ No response. M-maybe¡­ I can do this¡­ ¡°¡­ K¡­ Ki¡­¡± I continued to force the sounds toe out of my mouth, no matter how quiet they were. Again, there was no response from either of them. I¡­ This¡­ This is possible¡­ I-I can keep the promise I made. ¡­ ¡°¡­ K-Kierra¡­¡± I closed my eyes, prepared for the worst. ¡­ At that moment, it was as if everything around me had stopped. The only thing I could feel was my heart beating, slowly getting faster with each second that passed. I¡­ did it¡­ ¡­ I did it, and nothing happened. It¡­ It wasn¡¯t that hard. In my excitement, I hastily opened my eyes and looked up, but my heart dropped almost immediately. ¡­ Instead of having their heads down and eating their food as I expected, both Ava and Raynelle were staring directly at me. Raynelle opened her mouth but I didn¡¯t hear what she said. I-I¡¯ve made a mistake. I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have done that. B-but what do I do now? I can¡¯t go back. I can¡¯t undo this. The things in front of me started to blur together as my heart continued beating faster and faster. ¡°I¡­¡± I tried to say something, anything to fix the situation, but I couldn¡¯t put the words together. Almost immediately after, there was a loud crash followed by incoherent yelling as Raynelle and Ava both leapt out of their seats. I-I knew it was wrong. I-I shouldn¡¯t have spoken. W-why did I do that?! I saw their mouths moving but just couldn¡¯t make out what they were trying to say. In a panic, I tried to jump out of my chair so I could run away, but my body wouldn¡¯t move the way I wanted it to. ¡°P¡­¡± I tried again to say something, but the same thing happened. Please! After trying to get out of my seat again, I just started to fall to the side, watching as the blurry world spun around me. Instinctively, I reached my arm out to try to catch myself on the table, but even though my arm managed to hit it, I was unable to muster any strength in it and continued to fall. Help me! Please! I closed my eyes, preparing myself to hit the floor at any moment. ¡­ *Thud* ¡­ It¡­ didn¡¯t hurt? I definitely fell onto something solid, but for some reason, it didn¡¯t hurt at all. Slowly, I forced my eyes open to see a purple smear above me, along with a pale light pulsating just in front of me. My body was shaking uncontrobly, and my heart continued to pound in my chest, but still, I started struggling in an attempt to get up. However, whenever I managed to move my body at all, something pulled me back, forcefully holding me in ce. What went wrong?! What¡¯s happening?! Let me go! I continued to struggle, iling my limbs all over the ce in an attempt to escape from whatever was trying to restrain me. I need to leave! I made a mistake! All of a sudden, amongst the chaos of everything happening, there was something familiar. A sensation. A sensation that I was very familiar with. It was a slight chill that slowly spread across my forearm as something soft brushed against it. Instinctively, I grabbed at whatever was there and brought it into my chest, hugging it tightly. The slight coolness helped to ease the pain in my chest. Gradually, my heart also started to rx, and after that, my vision started to clear up, revealing what I had grabbed onto. ¡°Umbra¡­¡± I wanted to say thank you but couldn¡¯t muster much more than just their name, but that seemed to be enough as they forced their way out of my grasp and licked my cheek. Someone¡¯s hand then brushed against my other cheek, wiping off tears that I didn¡¯t even know about. ¡°Are you doing better now?¡± I looked up to see Raynelle sitting on the floor with me in herp, ¡°Just¡­ stay still for a bit longer, alright? I¡¯ve got you. You can rx now.¡± Looking in front of me, I could see Ava kneeling,pletely drenched in sweat yet putting on a smile. ¡°H-hey¡­ y-you messed up¡­ your hair¡­ w-we should¡­ probably¡­ sort that out¡­¡± She said, panting between every few words, ¡°Though¡­ maybe¡­ give me¡­ a few minutes¡­¡± I reached towards Ava, but Raynelle gently pulled me back. ¡°Just rx for now, calm down some more,¡± Raynelle said, ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be okay now.¡± She had her arm wrapped around me, but looking across it, I could see many fresh scratches and scrapes, some of which were still bleeding. ¡­ Why does she always do this? ¡­ It¡­ doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ But¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ M-my¡­ name¡­¡± With what little strength I had left, I forced the words out, ¡°¡­ Kierra¡­¡± But before either of them could respond, my vision went dark. Ovia¡­ ¡­ I¡­ did it¡­ Chapter 35 – Don’t Force Yourself Chapter 35 ¨C Don¡¯t Force Yourself It¡¯s too¡­ bright. ¡­ Keeping my eyes closed, I reached for my tail to cover my eyes but couldn¡¯t find it anywhere. I could still feel it attached to me, so it definitely hadn¡¯t disappeared, though I couldn¡¯t move it around very much. ¡­ Reluctantly, I forced my eyelids open to figure out what was going on. Where¡­ is it?¡­ ¡­ I tried to turn around, but something was stopping me, holding me in ce. Looking down, there were two muscr arms coated in many small scratches along with streaks of dried blood that were gently wrapped around my waist. Tight enough to hold me upright but not so much that it was ufortable. Immediately, the memory of what had just happened flooded my mind, waking me up fully. ¡­ I¡­ I did it¡­ I really did it. ¡­ Right? Following the arms up, I saw Raynelle¡¯s head softly bobbing up and down just above me. She was fast asleep, yet somehow still holding me in herp. Ava was also asleep, although she was leaning up against Raynelle¡¯s shoulder with her wings twitching every so often. I squeezed my way out of her arms by slowly sliding my body upward, being very careful not to wake either of them up. Unfortunately, as soon as I freed my waist, I lost my bnce and rolled forward onto the floor, inevitably brushing my tail up against Raynelle¡¯s face. While still sprawled out across the floor, I looked up at her to check if I had disturbed her at all. ¡­ Still asleep. Right as I let out a sigh of relief, Umbra crawled out of my shadow before walking up and licking my cheek. ¡­ ¡°Okay, I understand,¡± I scooped Umbra up before lifting my body off the floor, ¡°And¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°*Yip*¡± They responded sharply before nuzzling into my elbow, sending a small chill straight through my arm. ¡­ It¡¯s¡­ just not the same¡­ ¡­ It hadn¡¯t even been a day since I hadst seen Ovia, but I already wanted to go back and tell her all about what happened. All about how I figured out Umbra could store things in my shadows, all about the food Ava cooked and most importantly, all about how I managed to tell both Raynelle and Ava my name. But¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ There are still six nights in the way¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t afford to forget this. ¡°Umbra, can you give me my notebook?¡± I asked as I scratched the back of their head. The little grey fox looked up at me before gracefully jumping out of my arms and into my shadow. They quickly returned with the notebook as well as a few pencils, even though I hadn¡¯t asked for them yet. ¡°Thank you¡­ again,¡± I crossed my legs to give Umbra a ce to sit. Seeing this, Umbra happily climbed up into myp before curling back up. ¡­ Do you do anything other than sleep? No, now¡¯s not the time to be thinking about that. I opened the notebook straight to the picture of Ovia with her arms outstretched, which I had drawn only a few days ago, and ended up pausing for a moment. ¡­ I¡­ can¡¯t let her see this. What would she think of me? I flipped forward a few pages in the notebook to hide the embarrassing drawing before reaching down and picking up one of the pencils. ¡­ What do I even draw?¡­ I knew that I wanted to draw something, both to show Ovia and to make sure that I wouldn¡¯t forget anything, but I just couldn¡¯t think of what that something should be. My eyes drifted up from the notebook until I was looking up at Ava and Raynelle sleeping peacefully together. Maybe that would be good¡­ ¡­ I did remember what happened when I saw her holding me¡­ ¡­ I wonder if I could ask Ovia to do that¡­ No,e on Kierra¡­ Don¡¯t ask for too much. Before I had the chance to change my mind, my hand seemingly started moving by itself, trying to recreate exactly what wasid out in front of me. The pencil gracefully slid over the page, effortlessly capturing even the smallest of details, from the numerous scratches along Raynelle¡¯s arms to Ava¡¯s feathers draped over her back, almost like an borate cape. Just like before, it was like my body just instinctively knew exactly what to do. However, this time, it was even clearer thanst time. I could now see the little imperfections in the drawing; I could now see all the missing lines; I could now see the final drawing; it all just made sense to me, even if I couldn¡¯t quite put it into words. However, maybe because of just how much sense it made to me, I could feel that something was missing. Like an extra step, or maybe something was wrong from the beginning like I had been drawing the wrong thing the whole time. But that couldn¡¯t be right; if it was, then how were my hands moving so naturally? Why do I even know all of this? I don¡¯t remember learning any of it. ¡­ My hand stopped abruptly, but I didn¡¯t have the time to continue drawing anyway as Raynelle slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Ah, Gods¡­¡± She said as she brought one hand up to her forehead, ¡°How long was I out?¡­ there¡¯s no way that it was only five minutes¡­ If it was, I wouldn¡¯t feel this stiff¡­¡± ¡°I was¡­ ahh¡­ what was I supposed to do?¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right¡­ I was supposed to take her to her bed¡­¡± She looked down, and almost immediately, panic spread across her face, ¡°Where?!-¡± She cut herself off as soon as she looked at me and instead just let out a brief sigh as she quickly calmed herself back down. Once she had rxed, she focused on me again and started speaking. ¡°So, are you doing okay now?¡± She asked, her voice a little quieter than usual. I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ that¡¯s good¡­ You gave us quite a scare there y¡¯know¡­ though it¡¯s lucky Ava was around. Your wrist was swelling up pretty badly after you banged it on the table.¡± I¡­pletely forgot¡­ ¡­ Looking down at my wrist, it was perfectly fine; there was no swelling or bruising or any other mark left behind. ¡°That aside, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve slept on the floor like this. Though I really can¡¯t say that I miss it at all,¡± She let out a chuckle, ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t too ufortable for you. I was going to take you to your bed, but the two of us were up a littletest night, and¡­ well, I guess you can see what happened.¡± Before waiting for my response, she tried to get herself up off of the floor but was abruptly stopped by Ava wrapping her arms loosely around her neck while still asleep. ¡°Not yet¡­¡± Ava wrapped her wings around Raynelle, ¡°My pillow¡­ can¡¯t run away like that¡­¡± Both Raynelle and I just stared at her for a moment as she settled back down. I¡­ kind of¡­ want to try that¡­ I wonder if Ovia¡­ ¡­ No, you already thought about this. It¡¯s not possible. ¡°Guess I¡¯m not allowed to get up yet,¡± Raynelle said as she settled back down onto the floor, ¡°By the way, I must say you¡¯re surprisingly feisty when you want to be. I never thought it would be so hard to hold you still.¡± Sheughed a little, but I couldn¡¯t help but look down at her arms as she said that, still covered in the proof of what she was saying. ¡°Oh, this,¡± She slightly lifted one of her arms, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; I¡¯ve been through much worse. And even then, once Ava wakes up they¡¯ll be good as gone.¡± But¡­ It still hurts¡­ I know it does¡­ There¡¯s no way it doesn¡¯t. ¡°But onto more important things,¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°I might have misheard you, but¡­ you said your name was¡­ Kierra?¡± That¡­ That¡¯s right! That means¡­ I really did it! And nobody can say otherwise! There¡¯s proof! ¡°Are you¡­ okay with us calling you that now?¡± She asked a little hesitantly, ¡°I just want to be a little careful, as well y¡¯know¡­¡± ¡­ I¡­ I want to try again¡­ I can do it¡­ I did it once before¡­ I can do it again. ¡°¡­ Y¡­ Ye¡­¡± I tried to force the word out, just one word, that was all I needed to say. However, before I could actually get that one word out, Raynelle interrupted me. ¡°Hey, look, it¡¯s okay, don¡¯t force yourself,¡± She stuck her hand out in front of her, ¡°You can take your time.¡± ¡­ ¡°¡­Y-Yes!¡­¡± I forced it out and felt my heart rate increase ever so slightly, but thankfully it calmed down quickly. Raynelle stared at me in silence for a few seconds, looking ready to jump up whether Ava was holding on or not. Thankfully, she ended up pulling back a bit. ¡°Alright¡­¡± She let out an exaggerated sigh, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s do this properly. Hello there, Kierra. I¡¯m Raynelle, but you can just call me Nellie. Though please don¡¯t force yourself.¡± Chapter 36 – How Is She Going To Open The Door? Chapter 36 ¨C How Is She Going To Open The Door? Raynelle and I sat there in silence, with the only asional movementing from Raynelle having to brush Ava¡¯s hair out of her face to stop her from chewing on it while she slept. I was tempted to continue drawing but just couldn¡¯t get myself to with Raynelle¡¯s eyes watching me. I just couldn¡¯t get into the right mindset to pick up where I left off. ¡­ Am I supposed to¡­ leave them alone? ¡­ Where would I even go? ¡­ Should I go sit in their room until Ava wakes up?¡­ Am I even allowed in there?¡­ They¡¯ve never let me in¡­ ¡­ ¡°Um¡­¡± Raynelle started to speak, quickly bringing me out of my thoughts, ¡°I see you¡¯ve held on to that notebook I gave you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The drawing you showed me before was quite good¡­¡± She paused, ¡°Have you drawn anything else?¡± I looked down at my drawing of Raynelle and Ava sleeping. Slowly moving from detail to detail, almost tracing the process of drawing it in my mind, until I eventually got to a broken line. It¡¯s not finished yet¡­ ¡­ Should I show it to her anyway? It is a drawing of her¡­ ¡­ She is also the person who gave me the notebook in the first ce¡­ ¡­ Maybe¡­ ¡°¡­Mhm,¡± I responded while avoiding eye contact. ¡°Can you show me one then?¡± She asked immediately. ¡­ But what if she doesn¡¯t like it?¡­ What if she¡¯s insulted?¡­ ¡­ M-maybe this can be¡­ a test! ¡­ If¡­ if it¡¯s really that bad I¡­ I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t show it to Ovia¡­ Slowly, I turned the notebook around, gradually moving my gaze up to Raynelle''s face as I did, bracing myself for her reaction. But she didn¡¯t say anything. Her face didn¡¯t change. She just silently stared at the drawing. What does that mean? Did I get ahead of myself? Why did I think this would be okay? I quickly shut the notebook with a loud p and brought it in close to my chest. As soon as I did, Raynelle¡¯s eyes immediately shifted back to me. ¡°I¡­ was just a little surprised,¡± She said, ¡°¡­ For some reason, I really didn¡¯t expect to see a drawing of myself in that notebook of yours¡­ Especially one that good¡­ Thest time I had a portrait done was probably¡­¡± Her expression darkened for just a moment, but she was quickly back to smiling as if nothing had happened. Did I do something wrong? My heart started to beat faster as I hastily tried to figure out what mistake I had made. However, before I coulde up with any answer, Umbra yawned before turning their eyes up towards me, clearly expecting something. What do you want me to do? There was only one thing I could think Umbra would want from me, so I reached out one of my hands to pet them, but before I made contact, they jumped up,pletely dodging my hand, and grabbed the notebook from me. ¡°No!¡± I tried to grab them, but they expertly jumped off of my shoulder and into my shadow. It didn¡¯t take long for them to return, strutting back up to me with a proud look on their face. Why did you do that? I wasn¡¯t finished with it yet. I wanted to scold Umbra but just couldn¡¯t bring myself to, and instead, I ended up petting them, even making sure to give them a scratch behind the ears, before they climbed into myp and went back to sleep. ¡°Um¡­¡± Raynelle suddenly spoke up, giving me a little scare. Wait, no! That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen! I-I was supposed to hide them! ¡°Are you going to introduce your¡­ little friend?¡± She asked, gesturing towards the fox sleeping in myp. Almost instantly, I covered Umbra with one of my arms to protect them. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not going to do anything to them,¡± She waved her free hand, ¡°Trust me, after what just happened, I¡¯m almost tempted to strap them to you just in case it happens again.¡± ¡­ I was about to ask Umbra to go into my shadow, but before I could even lean in, they wriggled out from under my arm and walked straight up to Raynelle. What?! What are you doing?! What if she does something to you?! But nothing happened. Umbra just quietly approached Raynelle before sitting down and staring back at me with those same expectant eyes. ¡°¡­¡± I remained silent. What?! Are you wanting me to do something? Or¡­ ¡­ Do you just¡­ like her better than me?¡­ She¡­ would be able to treat you better than I can¡­ While I was stuck in my thoughts, Ava suddenly let go of Raynelle¡¯s neck and fell forward into herp. ¡°Huh¡­¡± She mumbled, ¡°What¡­ Pillow¡­¡± Raynelle tried to grab her but unfortunately didn¡¯t make it in time as Ava rolled off of herp and onto the floor with a loud thud that could probably have been heard in the room over from us. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s not right¡­¡± Ava, while lying face down on the floor, started haphazardly throwing her arms around the ce. That didn¡¯t wake her up? Somehow, despite falling onto a wooden floor, Ava still hadn¡¯t fully woken up. Was she always such a heavy sleeper? ¡°Sorry about this,¡± Raynelle said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since she¡¯s acted like this, but she probably just needs to get some more sleep. That¡¯s what¡¯s worked in the past. She probably had it a bit rougher than I did since she was using her magic right until she passed out.¡± ¡°Where?¡­¡± Ava opened one of her eyes ever so slightly, ¡°There¡­ My pillow¡­¡± Ava¡¯s arm shot out towards Umbra, but before she could grab them, Umbra jumped back. Raynelle then lifted Ava¡¯s head back onto herp. ¡°At least all she wants is a pillow this time;st time, she wasining about wanting a¡­ No, never mind, you¡¯re probably a bit too young for that conversation,¡± Raynelle ran her hand through Ava¡¯s hair before letting out a sigh, ¡°Y¡¯know, I feel sorry for the poor souls who will have to deal with her when she¡¯s drunk. Then again¡­ that¡¯s probably going to be me anyway¡­¡± ¡­ What am I supposed to do here? ¡­ I looked over at Umbra, once again hoping for some kind of response, but there was none. Instead, Umbra just went back to sitting next to Raynelle and staring at me as if nothing had happened. ¡­ Just¡­ Can someone just tell me what I¡¯m supposed to do? ¡­ I don¡¯t want to be in this situation. ¡°Well, we got a little bit off track there, didn¡¯t we?¡± Raynelle asked, ¡°But back to what we were talking about. Does your little friend here have a name?¡± Umbra¡¯s tail started to sway back and forth when she said that. ¡­ ¡°¡­U-Umbra!¡± I blurted out before quickly turning around. Is that what you wanted?! ¡­ ¡°So, it¡¯s Umbra then¡­ Well, Umbra, thank you for helping Kierra out,¡± She chuckled a little, ¡°And I guess I also thank you for helping us out as well, even if you didn¡¯t mean to, don¡¯t know how long I would¡¯ve been able to hold her if you didn¡¯t help her calm down.¡± If it was that bad, why did you do it then? It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ ¡­ There was no reason for you to get hurt like that¡­ Tears had started to form in my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t understand why. I wasn¡¯t sad, or in pain, or sick, at least that¡¯s what I thought, but the tears still wanted toe out. What¡¯s wrong with me? ¡­ At that moment, I felt Umbra jump into my shadow behind me before immediately jumping back out of it in myp and trying to lick the tears from my face. ¡­ You really just do whatever you want¡­ don¡¯t you¡­ Despite what I was saying in my head, I lifted Umbra up and hugged them tightly as I waited for the tears to stop. ¡­ I had expected Raynelle to say something to me, but she remained silent right until I turned back around to face her. ¡°Hey, look¡­ I think I¡¯m going to take Ava back to our room so she can get some proper sleep,¡± Raynelle lifted Ava up, gently cradling her in her arms, ¡°If you want, we can continue talking afterwards. Or maybe we can make some other ns for the day? Whatever you feel like.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t be like that. There¡¯s got to be something you want to do, even if you don¡¯t quite know what it is yet.¡± ¡­ I know what I want to do¡­ I just¡­ can¡¯t do it yet¡­ ¡°Hmm¡­ Actually, before that, there¡¯s something I was supposed to give you. I¡¯ll bring it all here in a bit¡­ But maybe I should wait for Ava to wake up first¡­ Nah, it¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯ll understand.¡± What do you mean something to give me? You¡¯ve already given me enough. You gave me a dress and a scarf already¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s already going to be hard to pay back¡­ So if you give me more¡­ ¡­ ¡°Come back here!¡± Ava suddenly shouted, somehow still fast asleep. ¡°Guess that¡¯s her way ofining that I¡¯m taking too long,¡± Raynelle walked over to the door but abruptly stopped, ¡°Um¡­ can I get a hand with this?¡± I didn¡¯t say anything and carefully set Umbra down on the floor before getting up and opening the door for Raynelle. ¡°Thanks, just give me a minute, and I¡¯ll be back,¡± She called back as she walked through the hallway. ¡­ How is she going to open her own door? Chapter 37 – Back To The Market Chapter 37 ¨C Back To The Market It didn¡¯t take long for Raynelle toe back into the room. I hardly had enough time to persuade Umbra to go back into my shadow before the door flew open. ¡°I was going to bring everything here, but it was a bit much for one trip,¡± Raynelle said, holding up some clothes, ¡°This might be a bit easier for you to put on than having to struggle with your dress every morning.¡± She had brought a beige T-shirt that looked very simr to her own shirt and what looked like a pair of shorts that had been flipped back to front. But, just the dress is enough for me¡­ Anymore and¡­ What am I going to do? I instinctively clutched at the hem of my dress as sheid the clothes down on my bed. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like anyone being in the room while you¡¯re changing, so I¡¯ll just-¡± She abruptly stopped talking as soon as she turned around and saw me, ¡°¡­Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She crouched down in front of me so her head was at the same height as mine. ¡°¡­¡± I¡­ I can¡¯t ept any more¡­ ¡°Am I going to have to guess? You should know by now that I¡¯m not very good at that,¡± Sheughed a little as she carefully opened up my hands, ¡°It would help me help you if you could tell me.¡± Will that make you stop? ¡­ ¡°¡­T-t-too¡­¡± ¡°Too?¡± ¡°¡­M-much!¡± I identally shouted. ¡°Too much?¡± Raynelle leaned back a little, now holding my little hands in hers, ¡°So you think that I¡¯m giving you too much¡­¡± She spent a little while staring at the ceiling. When I looked up to try and find what she was looking at, she immediately started talking again. ¡°What if I said it wasn¡¯t too much for me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what she expected me to say. ¡°Not good enough then¡­ then how about¡­¡± She paused for a few seconds, ¡°It makes me happy to give you things, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯ve never had so much trouble trying to give someone a gift¡­¡± She continued to hold onto my hands as she was lost in thought, only asionally sighing to herself. It had already gotten to the point where I was starting to feel very ufortable. Why is she so¡­ desperate to give me things? What does she get out of it? ¡­ She said it makes her happy, but why? Why would giving something away make you happy? ¡­ I do want to give a gift to Ovia¡­ But that¡¯s different! She helped me first¡­ S-so I¡¯m just showing my gratitude. ¡­ I¡¯ve done nothing for Raynelle¡­ ¡­ No matter how much I thought about it, it didn¡¯t make any sense to me. There just wasn¡¯t any reason why she should be happy to give me something unless she wanted me to pay her backter. ¡°Can¡¯t you just-¡± She suddenly started to speak, startling me out of my thoughts. At that moment, I wasn¡¯t sure what came over me, but before she could say anything else, I pulled away from her and picked up the clothes she hadid out. Every time she tried to persuade me, this sinking feeling was building up in my stomach, and I just wanted it to go away. ¡°¡­Great, that works for me,¡± Raynelle stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll step out of the room for you then¡­ how did Ava do it?¡­ Ah, that¡¯s right, just knock on the door when you¡¯re all good to go.¡± She quickly left the room, not giving me a chance to respond. ¡­ I looked over the clothes in my hands again, paying much more attention to the pair of shorts she gave me. They almost looked normal, but instead of fastening at the front, they fastened at the back, with a notable gap cut into them, which was clearly meant for my tail. ¡­ I already knew Raynelle was going to keep pestering me if I didn¡¯t at least try and wear what she had given me, but I still didn¡¯t really want to do it. ¡­ Come on Kierra¡­ Just¡­ get it over with¡­ Reluctantly, I took my dress off, folded it neatly, and ced it down on my bed before stepping into the shorts and pulling them up. They sat a little too high on my legs for my liking, but I wasn¡¯t in any position to argue. Once they were up around my waist, I immediately turned my attention to my tail. I made sure it was sitting in the slot before doing up the fastening just above the base of my tail. It was a little tricky as I couldn''tsee what I was doing, but I managed to do it anyway. ¡­ That¡­ was so much easier than the tail p¡­ Choosing not to dwell on it too much, I hastily put the shirt on. Looking down, it was clearly a little bit too big for me. I quickly checked myself over onest time before making my way over to the door and knocking on it. As soon as I did, the door flew open, almost knocking me to the ground. Raynelle was standing in the doorway, now wearing her cloak with another smaller one in her hands. ¡°Hmm¡­ I think that looks good, though the sizing could use a little work,¡± She handed me the other cloak she was carrying, ¡°Now, let¡¯s head on out.¡± Head out? That isn¡¯t what you said we were doing. You said we were going to talk¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much. I just thought being outside would help you figure out what you want to do,¡± she said, putting the cloak on me before patting me on the head, ¡°Plus, I think it would be nice to go and say thank you to Anna for those clothes.¡± Once again, I looked down at the clothes I was wearing. I guess¡­ I should¡­ ¡­ I should¡­ thank her for the dress as well¡­ My shadow coated my hair, and Raynelle pulled the hood up over my ears. ¡°Great. The earlier we get there, the more time we¡¯ll have to look at everything else.¡± Everything else? Does that mean¡­ I could¡­ get something for Ovia? ¡­ I do need to find something for her¡­ With my mind made up, instead of waiting for Raynelle to lead me out like she normally did, I squeezed past her and confidently led the way all the way back to that small market with the colourful awnings from before, though I could hear a faint chuckle the whole time. However, as soon as I was standing in front of the familiar door decorated with a sign showing a reel of thread, my confidencepletely vanished. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Raynelle quickly caught up with me. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that. You seemed to like Ana plenty thest time we came here,¡± she said, pushing the door open by reaching over my head. What do you mean?! ¡°I¡¯ll be there in just a second,¡± A voice called out from inside the store. ¡°Go on now,¡± Raynelle ced her hand on my back and gently pushed me forward. As soon as we were inside the store, the door mmed closed behind us. ¡°Oops¡­ Sorry about that Anna!¡± Raynelle called out. ¡°Oh, is that Raynelle? How did the little fox like-¡± She poked her head out from the back and immediately stopped talking, ¡°I see we have the person in question here herself.¡± She came out of the back carrying arge pile of dresses, which she ced down on the front counter beforeing up to me and crouching down. ¡°I see you got your hands on some of the other things I had put together for you,¡± She briefly looked me up and down before smiling, ¡°The shirt is a little bit big, but I guess that at least means it will be morefortable to sleep in.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So you¡¯re still not very talkative?¡­ Well, that¡¯s fine; I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get there. But for right now, can you do something for me?¡± I just nodded without thinking; there was just something about her that made me want to agree. ¡°Can you take off your cloak and turn around for me? I¡¯d like to check how those shorts fit you and your fluffy tail.¡± I did exactly as she asked and handed my cloak off to Raynelle before turning around and lifting my shirt just enough so the fastening at the back could be seen. ¡°Hmm, it looks good to me¡­ But the more important question is¡­ Do you like it? Did you find them easier to put on than the dress?¡± She put her hands on my shoulders and turned me back around. I nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep that in mind for the future,¡± She started to stand back up. Wait, not yet! I still need to thank you. At least for the dress¡­ It helped me a lot¡­ ¡°¡­Th¡­Tha¡­¡± In a panic, I tried to force the words out. However, before I could, Anna quickly crouched back down and lightly cupped her hand over my mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t have to push yourself if you¡¯re not ready,¡± She took her hand away, ¡°I already know what you¡¯re trying to say and already appreciate it a lot, okay?¡± ¡­ But¡­ ¡°¡­ Th-Thank you!¡± I blurted out, only panicking a little this time. She didn¡¯t say anything and just smiled warmly at me before turning her attention to Raynelle, ¡°She¡¯s doing much better than before, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small step, but it¡¯s a step in the right direction at least,¡± Raynelle responded. Anna let out a chuckle before going back over to the counter and picking up the dresses she had brought out, ¡°If you want to talk some more, you¡¯ll have to wait a while; I need to try and sort these dresses out quickly. The client in question isn¡¯t known for being generous.¡± ¡°Do you need some help?¡± ¡°No, no, go spend some time with the little one. I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t the ce she wants to spend the day.¡± ¡°Ahhh¡­ I¡­ I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± Raynelle scratched the back of her head, ¡°Well then, before we leave, do you know any ces around here that sell art supplies?¡± ¡°Oh, does she have an interest in art?¡± She looked at me, but I quickly turned away, leading to another chuckle, ¡°Well, if you just keep walking down the street, there¡¯s a ce without a sign that sells what you¡¯re looking for and many other little trinkets. It¡¯s run by this nice old man, though if I¡¯m being honest with you, I don¡¯t know much about him, but he asionallyes over here to hand out cookies, so if you¡¯re lucky¡­¡± ¡°That sounds nice,¡± Raynelle lifted me up, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right Kierra?¡± She looked into my eyes, clearly expecting an answer from me, but I just looked away, unsure of what to say. ¡°I guess that means we¡¯ll be heading out now then,¡± She made her way over to the door before shouting back, ¡°Thanks again!¡± ¡°Anytime!¡± Anna shouted back in response, ¡°But next time you better tell me the full story!¡± Raynelle justughed as she left the store with me still in her arms, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s find this store then.¡± We made our way down the street, with Raynelle checking each of the doors as we walked past them. Eventually, we stopped in front of a store that had a deep purple awning above the entrance. Or at least I thought it was a store; aside from the awning, it just seemed like a regr house. Raynelle set me down on the ground before walking up to the door, ¡°I think this is the right ce.¡± As she pushed the door open, I was suddenly assaulted by the sharp smell of wet paint. ¡°Well, am I going to need to help you go in again?¡± Raynelle smiled at me while holding the door open. No¡­ I can¡­ do it myself¡­ I sheepishly walked past her into the store and was immediately left in awe of what I saw. The store was filled with a seemingly endless number of shelves stacked with art supplies and other small things, from hair clips to intricate ss sculptures. But by far, what drew my attention the most were the many easels lined up along the back of the store, which had what could only be called masterpieces left on them. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± An unfamiliar voice startled me, causing me to jump back, ¡°Whoa there! Sorry for surprising you. I didn¡¯t expect you to jump quite that much.¡± I immediately turned to face whoever was talking. They were a man with short grey hair and a well-trimmed beard, clearly showing his age, but despite that, his body betrayed that image with how well-built he was. He was wearing an apron over his clothes that had clearly been sttered with paint over many years. ¡°Hello there,¡± Raynelle spoke up, taking his attention from me. ¡°Hello to you too,¡± he said, reaching out his hand towards Raynelle, which she promptly shook, ¡°So, what exactly are you two looking for?¡± ¡°Um¡­. Let¡¯s say¡­ we¡¯re just here to look around a bit,¡± Raynelle said, putting one hand on my shoulder, ¡°This little one, while a bit shy, has quite the knack for drawing, so I wanted to see if she¡¯d be interested in looking around a ce like this.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He turned his attention back to me, ¡°Well, then. How about this?¡­ go have a look through this ce and bring me whatever it is that¡¯s your favourite. It can be absolutely anything, even if it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s for sale. In the meantime, I¡¯ll talk to your Mom here. Does that sound good to you?¡± Mom?! She¡­ isn¡¯t my mom!¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ I pushed the thoughts out of my mind before they could get out of control and just ran off into the store, hoping to distract myself. ¡°Well doesn¡¯t she seem eager?¡± The old manughed to himself. Chapter 38 – It’s not a Gift, It’s A Bribe Chapter 38 ¨C It¡¯s not a Gift, It¡¯s A Bribe When I finally managed to calm down a little, I found myself standing just in front of one of the easels. On it, there was a painting of a street I didn¡¯t recognise at night, with all of the houses and other buildings having light spewing out of their windows. But, at the centre of it all, there was the silhouette of a single person. Just a single person painted in all-ck right in the middle of what would otherwise be a fairly typical painting. That person being there made the whole thing a little bit eerie, but at the same time, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like if I was that person. Nobody would chase me anymore¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have to hide¡­ ¡­ But¡­ No, what are you doing? I turned away from the painting and looked back to see what Raynelle was doing, but she was simply talking with the old man. But then, in the middle of their conversation, the old man abruptly looked over at me, causing me to run behind one of the shelves to hide. On the shelf I hid behind, there were little wooden sculptures. Surprisingly there were no two that were exactly alike; some were of birds, others were of squirrels and other small animals, but right at the end of the shelf, there was something that caught my attention. It was a whole castle that had somehow been carved out of a single log. But the castle looked to be falling apart, with holes covering the walls and entire roofs missing from some of the towers, and one of the towers waspletely missing. It was clearly an intentional design with how much attention was put into each little detail, which was especially evident when looking at the broken bricks and how each individual crack had been carved into them. Standing just in front of the castle walls was a single man, with long flowing hair and his sword raised up to the sky. Who is that? ¡­ I turned to face the shelf just behind me and saw a ss sculpture of the same man, though it was much bigger. However, what drew my attention this time was the man¡¯s coat. It was simple, probably made from leather, with the sleeves rolled up to just above the elbows and the hem ending just above the hips. ¡­ What would Ovia look like in that? ¡­ For some reason, it was the only thought on my mind as I looked at the sculpture. The imaginary images just continued to flood my mind. So again, I had to pull myself away from it and move on to the next shelf. This one was instead covered in small essories, from embroidered handkerchiefs to surprisingly borate earrings. ¡­ I do want to get a gift for her¡­ She¡¯s already given me so much¡­ ¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t have any money¡­ ¡­ I decided to continue walking through the store until I ended up at some more easels, just like the first; each had an incredible painting disyed on it, except for thest one. Instead, all it had was a faint sketch on an otherwise nk canvas. As I got closer to the sketch and started to make out the details, my heart immediately sank. It would have been impossible for me not to recognise that view. ¡­ There was an extravagant boutique, a small bakery, a jeweller, a tailor and many other storefronts that had already been burned into my mind. ¡­ No! I-I¡­ ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to go back¡­¡± The words just slipped out of my mouth. For some reason that I couldn¡¯t understand, I instinctively looked over at Raynelle. As soon as I did, her eyes met mine, and she immediately came over. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± She asked, crouching down in front of me before looking up at the sketch I had just seen. She paused for a short moment before clicking her tongue, ¡°If you want to leave, we can, okay?¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± The old man walked up behind Raynelle. I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s good. You gave me a little scare. I don¡¯t want to be known as a mean old man after all,¡± He looked up at the sketch I was standing in front of, ¡°Oh, you ended up here. This is what I was working on just before you came in, so it wasn¡¯t quite ready for you to look at. I¡¯m sorry if you¡¯re disappointed¡­ Although it probably isn¡¯t the sort of thing a child like you should be interested in anyway.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Raynelle asked, looking back at the sketch. ¡°Well, you see, I heard this story about a young child, probably no older than the little one here.¡± The old man reached out to pat my head, but I pulled away before he could, ¡°Poor thing was stuck out on those streets all alone¡­ I probably shouldn¡¯t go into the rest¡­ it¡¯s not a happy story.¡± Raynelle turned her attention to me but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Thest I heard was that nobody could find that child anymore.¡± The old man¡¯s expression darkened a little, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say if that¡¯s a good thing or not¡­ but all an old man like me can really do is hope for the best.¡± We all stayedpletely silent for a few seconds, at least until the old man spoke up again, with his smile now having returned. ¡°That¡¯s enough doom and gloom for one day. Now, did you manage to go and find your favourite thing in this store?¡± ¡­ I shook my head. ¡°Hmm, that makes things a little difficult¡­ for a nice girl like you, I was nning to let you take whatever you picked home.¡± Why? ¡­ Why do so many people want to give things away? Especially if you¡¯re a store owner¡­ Don¡¯t you want money? Isn¡¯t that the point of running a store? ¡­ I was about to decline the man¡¯s offer, but before I could, Raynelle stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but she¡¯s not the best when ites to epting gifts.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡­¡± He paused for a second, ¡°But when did I say it was a gift?¡± What do you mean? What else would it be? ¡°No, no, I¡¯m running a business here. What I¡¯m giving you is a bribe,¡± He leaned forward, ¡°It¡¯s to make you want toe back and buy even more from meter.¡± ¡­ That¡­ makes sense¡­ ¡­ And¡­ I did want to get a gift for Ovia¡­ ¡­ After some careful deliberation, I nodded. If I just don¡¯te back here,¡­ Then there¡¯s no problem. ¡­ H-he¡¯s the one who decided to take that risk. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡± The old man pointed back over his shoulder, ¡°Get back in there and pick something out.¡± I immediately ran back amongst all the shelves to try and pick something out. I know he said I could pick anything¡­ But¡­ ¡­ I shouldn¡¯t pick anything expensive¡­ Just to be safe. The shelf that seemed to be the best choice was the one filled with small essories that I only briefly looked at, so that¡¯s where I went first. My eyes were immediately drawn to the section filled with jewellery, but I quickly moved on from that as I knew it would be too expensive for the man to just give away. The next section had the embroidered handkerchiefs I had noticed before, as well as a few different ascots, but nothing jumped out to me. Apart from the few with animals or nts on them, the rest of them just had various crests and symbols on them that I didn¡¯t recognise. It needs to be something that would make her think of me. Just like Umbra makes me think of her¡­ Thest section of the shelf was filled with what could only be called odds and ends. Nothing special; there were a few simple bracelets, a wooden paperweight shaped like a boat, and a few quills dyed in various colours, but nothing was quite right. At least, that¡¯s what I thought until I looked right at the back of the shelf, hidden behind all the other things on disy. There was a simple hair clip; the only thing that was even a little special about it was its colour; it was pure white, just like my hair and tail. I didn¡¯t even have to think about it. I picked up the hair clip and headed back to the old man. ¡°Have you decided already?¡± He asked me, ¡°You can take some more time if you need it.¡± I responded by simply holding out the hair clip. ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve found,¡± He picked up the hair clip and looked it over, ¡°Hmm¡­ I didn¡¯t realise I had left one of these out.¡± What is that supposed to mean? Did I choose the wrong thing? Did I make a mistake? ¡°You see, this hair clip hasn¡¯t been finished, or really even started, yet. It¡¯s just a nk hair clip I must have forgotten about at some point.¡± But¡­ It¡¯s what I want to give her¡­ I¡­ ¡°But who am I to question you? I said you could pick anything, and that¡¯s exactly what you did,¡± He walked over to one of the shelves with art supplies on it, ¡°But even then, this is supposed to be a bribe, so I really should try and put my best foot forward.¡± He grabbed a set of coloured pencils, a few paints and some other things I didn¡¯t recognise before wrapping them up in some paper and bringing them over to me. ¡°Since I¡¯ve been told you¡¯re pretty good at drawing, this might actually be more fun for you to do yourself,¡± He said, handing me the package he had put together, ¡°And I think it makes for a good bribe, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I looked down at the package for a while, trying to decide if epting it was really the correct choice. He¡¯s giving me a lot¡­ But it¡¯s a bribe¡­ It¡¯s supposed to be a lot. ¡­ He is the one who added the extra things¡­ not me¡­ So¡­ it¡¯s fine¡­ right? ¡­ I tucked the package under my cloak, where Umbra could just slightly poke their head out and take the package into my shadow without being seen. ¡°Thanks for all this,¡± Raynelle lifted me up, ¡°Though I must admit, I don¡¯t really understand what you did. Even just this morning she was humming and hawing about epting a gift from me.¡± ¡°Well, when you run a shop for long enough, you get better at this sort of thing,¡± Heughed to himself. ¡°Well, then I might have toe back and get some advice.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­. It¡¯ll cost you.¡± This time, Raynelle was the one who wasughing, ¡°I guess you really do know what you¡¯re doing.¡± The two of them continued talking for a while after that, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention. Instead, I was busy thinking about all the different things I could put on that hair clip, although I ultimately wasn¡¯t able to decide on anything. ¡°Again, Thank you for doing this,¡± Raynelle said. ¡°The pleasure¡¯s all mine,¡± The old man turned to me, ¡°If anything, I think I¡¯ve got a good idea for my next painting.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll leave you to it, right Kierra?¡± I buried my head in her shoulder so I didn¡¯t have to say anything. ¡°I¡¯ll just take that as a yes. I don¡¯t want to leave Ava alone for too long after all,¡± She looked back up at the old man, ¡°Bye for now, though I¡¯ll definitely be back soon.¡± As we made our way out of the store, all that could be heard was a hearty chuckle from the old man. Chapter 39 – You’ve Rubbed Off On Me Chapter 39 ¨C You¡¯ve Rubbed Off On Me [Ava POV] I¡¯m tired¡­ But¡­ It took a lot of effort, but eventually, I managed to get myself out of bed by sliding my whole body onto the cold wooden floor below. That feels¡­ nice¡­ ¡­ It took a few more minutes for me to actually sit myself up and open my eyes. ¡°¡­ What¡­ time is it?¡­¡± It took a while after that, but I managed to get up on my own two feet and make my way over to the window. Pulling the curtains back, I saw that it was still dark outside, though I could see the sun was just starting to poke out on the horizon. ¡°¡­ I feel¡­ awful¡­¡± Before checking on anything else, I made my way down to the kitchen, hoping to find something to drink. Luckily, it seemed like someone had nned for my little trip here in advance, as there was already a jug full of water set out, which I happily drank in its entirety, choosing to ignore the cup that had been ced next to it. ¡­ ¡°What even happened yesterday?¡± I muttered to myself. ¡­ I think Kit¡­ said¡­ something¡­ But¡­ Why can¡¯t I remember what it was? ¡­ She panicked¡­ then¡­ she fell¡­ Then I healed her. But¡­ what happened after that? I sat there in silence for a while, just trying to remember whatever I could about the day before, but for some reason, I just couldn¡¯t. It was all just a blur left in my mind. ¡­ ¡°Was I really that tired yesterday?¡­ Maybe I just used my magic a bit too much¡­¡± ¡­ No matter how much I sat and thought about it, there was only so much I could do just sat there, so I just got up and decided to head over to Kit¡¯s room to check on her. I carefully opened the door, being careful not to make any noise so that she didn¡¯t wake up. She was once again fast asleep while in her fox form, curled up with the same grey fox from yesterday. I wonder if they¡¯d let me join them one night? ¡­ That¡¯s probably asking them for too much. ¡­ Although¡­ maybe in a week or two¡­ I made my way into the room, sitting myself down on her bed, just next to the pillow the two foxes were sleeping on, or at least where I thought the two foxes were sleeping. As as soon as I sat down, the grey fox looked up at me. ¡°So¡­¡± I reached my hand out towards them, ¡°Are you protecting her now?¡± ¡°*Yip*¡± They responded, nuzzling up to my hand. ¡°Ha ha, good.¡± Having cated the guardian, I decided to try to move my hand down towards the white fluff it had been so diligently protecting. I know she is a little bit wary when people try to touch her, but¡­ Surely, it would be fine to pet her a little¡­ We¡¯re close enough for that, right? ¡­ I looked at the grey fox again just to check that it wasn¡¯t going to stop me. They looked at my hand for a moment before they justid their head back down and closed their eyes. I¡¯ll take that as a go-ahead. Slowly, I started to run my fingers through the fur, a little anxious that she was going to wake up at any moment. Yet, for some reason, that anxiety made it even more exciting. As time went on, my motions started to get a little bigger and a little more forceful as I indulged more and more in the sensation running through my hand. The sun was almostpletely above the horizon when I finally decided that I¡¯d had enough for now, but right as I was about to take my hand away, I noticed a low, somewhat quiet, rumbling sound. ¡­ Is this? I leaned in towards the two foxes, and the rumbling got just a little bit louder. It is! I didn¡¯t know foxes could purr! It¡¯s absolutely adorable! Immediately, I stuck my hand back into the pile of fluff, hoping that the more I stroked her, the louder she would purr. This is bad¡­ This is really bad¡­ I might get addicted to this¡­ Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you looked at it, as soon as I ran my fingers through her fur, she started to stir, gently kicking her hind legs. I pulled my hand back and just watched her haphazardly fumble around while half asleep. At least, that¡¯s what I did until I saw her start to slide off of the pillow. ¡°Whoa there,¡± I said, pushing her back up next to the other fox. She seemingly responded to me simply by lifting her head up and trying to look around, although her eyes were still closed. My body sprung into action, almost like some kind of dormant instinct. I gently ran my hand over her back and whispered, ¡°Shh, just go back to sleep. It¡¯s still early, alright?¡± A quiet whine came from the little fox, but she relented to my calming touch and quickly went back to sleep. Maybe I¡¯m just naturally good at this. ¡­ It almost makes me wish I had some fur of my own. Instead, I¡¯ve just got¡­ I looked over my wings for the first time since waking up. ¡°¡­ Some feathers that really need to be cleaned up¡­¡± Ahhh¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll do it¡­ter¡­ Breakfastes first.¡± I quickly made my way out of her room and back into the kitchen to look over what was avable. Which, admittedly, wasn¡¯t much. Guess I¡¯ll have to go shoppingter¡­ ¡­ Maybe I can buy Kit a bigger pillow at the same time¡­ I decided it would be better to leave that train of thought forter and started pulling out everything needed to put together some sandwiches, in other words, everything that was left. I know it¡¯s not really a breakfast food per se, but¡­ I missed both lunch and dinner yesterday, so I want something properly filling. If they don¡¯t like it they can sort themselves out. ¡­ Maybe not Kit¡­ if she didn¡¯t like it, she would probably just starve herself instead¡­ ¡°Come on Ava, just don¡¯t think about that. If it¡¯s good food, she will eat it, so you just need to make some damn good sandwiches.¡± Immediately, I got to work, pulling together pretty much everything we had left, even frying off thest of the bacon from yesterday. When finished, I was faced with three heaping sandwiches, although they didn¡¯t quite feelplete yet. ¡°What else can I?¡­¡± I mumbled to myself as I looked around the kitchen, ¡°Oh! Of course, what am I even doing? It was obvious.¡± I took the three sandwiches over to the hob to toast them off in the same pan that I had fried the bacon in. ¡°Now, I could probably eat one of these even if I was full¡­ well, just one¡­ they are a bit big¡­¡± Quickly moving past that, I brought the tes of food over to Kit¡¯s room, where I was surprised to see her both fully awake and sitting at the table. ¡°So, you¡¯re finally getting used to staying with us Kit?¡± I asked as I set the tes down, expecting the usual shy reaction of her looking at the floor or maybe even burying her face in her tail. Instead, however, she seemed a little sad. ¡°Oh no, oh no, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I crouched down next to her, ¡°Did I make a mistake? Is it the food? Should I try make something else for you quickly? Y-you don¡¯t have to feel bad about it, I¡¯m sure mom could easily down your whole portion if you don¡¯t want it.¡± All of a sudden, her gaze tightened on me, and her mouth started to tremble ever so slightly. My immediate instinct was to bring her into a hug, but what she did next stopped me in my tracks before I could even get an arm around her. ¡°¡­ My n-n-name¡­¡± She squeaked out, ¡°¡­K-Kierra.¡± Her name? Kierra? ¡­ Oh no, please no. Is that what she told us yesterday?! No, no, no, no, no. How could I forget something as big as that? ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, Kierra, I-I didn¡¯t forget,¡± I tried hard not to fumble my words, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ old habits die hard, right?¡± She nodded and seemed to perk up a little as well. Better not ever forget that again¡­ It would be too much for my heart. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s dig in. The food¡¯ll taste better when it¡¯s warm after all.¡± As if on cue, Mom came into the room and sat at the table. ¡°Good morning girls,¡± Was all she said before she started eating. That¡¯s as good an invitation as any¡­ I guess. I joined in, trying my best to fit the sandwich into my mouth¡­ Which I didn¡¯t manage¡­ Instead, I ended up taking my masterpiece apart before digging in. What happened after that¡­ was admittedly a bit of a blur¡­ I just remember shovelling as much as I could, as fast as I could, into my mouth. And it seemed that I wasn¡¯t the only one who did, as for the first time, the three of us finished eating at the same time. Seeing the two of them satisfied, I collected up the tes and made my way back into the kitchen, although I wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Mom? What are you doing here?¡± I asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you normally stay with Kit¡­ no, wait, I mean Kierra?¡± ¡°I just¡­ need to talk to you about something¡­¡± She replied, ¡°It¡¯s about¡­ what we¡¯re going to do going forward.¡± I let out a sigh before setting the dirty tes down, ¡°Alright, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You remember I said that we weren¡¯t going to stay here that long?¡± ¡°Yeah? What about it?¡± ¡°Well, I think¡­ No¡­¡± She looked unsure of herself, ¡°I¡­ want¡­ to stay here a bit longer.¡± Is this really what she wanted to talk about? ¡°Okay¡­ and?¡± She just stared at me after I said that, clearly a little confused. ¡°What? You¡¯re okay with it?¡± She somehow seemed to be getting even more surprised as she spoke, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like this ce? If you really wanted to leave, I could-¡± ¡°Oh,e on,¡± I cut her off, ¡°As soon as we took that little fox in, I knew we weren¡¯t going to be leaving any time soon. I know what you¡¯re like.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t like this ce¡­ at all, to be honest¡­ but I do want to keep helping Kierra out just as much as you do.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°What can I say?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but shrug my shoulders and smirk at her, ¡°You¡¯ve rubbed off on me.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± A smile spread across her face, ¡°So, on that note, what I really wanted to talk about was¡­ This inn is a bit¡­ expensive¡­ It¡¯s not a problem at the moment. I mean, I could probably keep us in here for a few months, though after that, I would need to start taking on work in earnest again.¡± ¡°So, what are you wanting to do about it? If needed, I could probably take on an odd job or two myself.¡± I suggested. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I was just thinking about renting out a ce, preferably as far from the main street as possible,¡± She looked down at the floor as she spoke. ¡°Any reason for the preference? Not that I mind.¡± ¡°¡­ She saw a picture of that street¡­¡± She struggled to get the words out, ¡°Her eyes¡­ She didn¡¯t say anything and tried not to show it¡­ but that raw fear I saw in her eyes¡­ I just¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that,¡± I came up next to her and hugged her with my dishevelled wings, ¡°Treat it as a good thing.¡± ¡°How can that be a good thing?!¡± She put her hands on my shoulders, pushing me away. ¡°Think of it like this, she¡¯s getting used to living with us. Before, she would¡¯ve just thought of that street and what happened there as part of her daily life. But now, she¡¯s learned that it¡¯s not right! That she doesn¡¯t have to live like that!¡± I took a moment to calm down a bit, ¡°She¡¯s scared of going back¡­ Even if she doesn¡¯t really show it¡­ She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s going to run away the moment someone so much as talks to her anymore.¡± Mom didn¡¯t respond and just continued to stand there as I got to work cleaning the dishes. It was only when I was finished that she spoke again. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try looking for a ce. Just¡­ don¡¯t say anything to Kierra¡­ not until I¡¯ve sorted it all out.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. You have fun with that,¡± I walked past her, ¡°For me though, I¡¯m first going to get myself in a bath, then I¡¯m going to sort these feathers out.¡± Chapter 40 – I Shouldn’t Be Watching This Chapter 40 ¨C I Shouldn¡¯t Be Watching This [Ovia POV] ¡°I-I s-shouldn¡¯t be watching this!¡± ¡­ But¡­ I want- ¡°No!¡± I shouted at myself. On the panel floating just in front of me was Kierra, sitting on the floor, hunched over a hair clip, surrounded by various pencils and paints. She even spoke about the gift in her sleep¡­ ¡°S-she¡¯s working so hard¡­ I-I shouldn¡¯t ruin the surprise.¡± I waved my hand to get rid of the screen in an attempt to get rid of any temptation, but it didn¡¯t do much. Almost all I had done for thest few years was watch Kierra, so it was hard to tear myself away without a good reason. ¡°M-maybe I can distract myself¡­ I-I could¡­¡± ¡­ What can I do? ¡­ Is there even anything to do? ¡­ I made my way out of the side room and into the throne room, hoping that an idea would juste to me. Or maybe a Spirit would finally have an issue for me to solve. That¡¯s what most Gods do¡­ I think. But I¡¯ve never had to do that. Nobody really uses Dark Magic even if they can because they¡¯re all scared of it, so the Spirits can just take care of it all themselves. Dreams just work by themselves, which I assume is also thanks to the Spirits. Why am I even a Goddess?¡­ The spirits just do everything by themselves¡­ Even my other¡­ I froze up. I didn¡¯t want to think about that, it was too embarrassing. ¡­ What else can I do? ¡­ I guess I could go to Eria¡­ I do need some help nning¡­ something¡­ But¡­ I can¡¯t keep bothering her like that¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯ll just¡­ visit¡­ s-someone else¡­¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ know anyone else¡­¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Maybe I should just go back to watching Kierra¡­ I can just¡­ pretend I didn¡¯t see it when she gives it to me¡­ ¡­ Probably¡­ I turned around and started walking back to the side room, thinking about different ways to censor the panel so I wouldn¡¯t ruin the surprise. But just before I could open the door, someone came into my domain. ¡°Sister!¡± All of a sudden, Eria came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my neck, ¡°Wait, why are you out here and not in the side room like usual?¡± ¡°Ell-¡± ¡°Not that I¡¯mining,¡± Eria cut me off, ¡°Now, before anything else, look at this!¡± She held up a vial containing grey mana in front of my face. Or at least, it looked to just be grey at a nce. But after looking at it a bit closer, rather than just being grey, it was closer to a swirling mess made from strings of both ck and white mana. ¡°Is that?-¡± ¡°It¡¯s somehow holding itself together even though it isn¡¯t stable!¡± She interrupted me again, ¡°It¡¯s almost like this is not the perfected version, like this is only the first step to something much greater.¡± ¡°Um-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what this could eventually turn into,¡± She interrupted me a third time. I had almost forgotten how she gets when ites to anything magic-rted. After all, it had been a long time since I had seen her this excited about something. She continued going on about all these different theories about how the individual strings of mana weren¡¯t repelling each other, or maybe they were repelling each other, just in a specific way. I didn¡¯t really understand it, so I just kept quiet, hoping she would stop talking soon. It took a while, but she eventually stopped rambling and just rested her head on my shoulder. ¡°A-are you finished?¡± I asked. ¡°No, there¡¯s still-¡± ¡°N-NO!¡± I interrupted her this time, really not wanting to let her start all over again, ¡°¡­ l-let¡¯s just¡­ g-go sit down.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds as she rocked her head back and forth on my shoulder. ¡°Fine.¡± She eventually responded. Despite what she said, she didn¡¯t take her head off my shoulder and just kept it there as we walked over to the two couches that were added for Kierra¡¯sst visit, where she finally separated from me and sat down. ¡°Now then, back to the topic at hand,¡± She opened up the vial she had brought with her, just letting the mana hang freely in the air in front of us. ¡°I-Is that?-¡± ¡°It¡¯s some of the mana from that little kitsune that you collected before,¡± She exined, ¡°The thing is, the more I look into it, the stranger it seems to be. Like, look at this.¡± She released some of her own mana towards the grey blob. However, as soon as the Light Mana got close, it was repelled. ¡°I-isn¡¯t that n-normal for Light Mana and D-Dark Mana?¡± ¡°No, no, keep watching.¡± I looked back at the mana, but it didn¡¯t seem any different. The Light Mana was just being repelled by Kierra¡¯s. ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just repelling the mana,¡± Her eyes lit up, ¡°Look closely, the Light Mana is being held at a set distance from the little kitsune¡¯s Mana, it¡¯s almost like the Light Mana is forcefully being pulled into an orbit.¡± If you say so¡­ You were always the expert when it came to this kind of thing¡­ ¡°Now, you do it too!¡± She pointed at me, with her eyes wide as they could be. ¡°O-okay Eria¡­¡± I released some of my own Mana, letting it float towards the grey blob. Almost immediately, it got sucked inside, although it hadn¡¯t disappeared or been absorbed, at least not in the usual sense. It almost felt like it had be entangled in the weave, being forcefully manipted just like my sister¡¯s Mana. As I unsessfully tried to take my Mana back out of it, Eria took out a notebook and started frantically writing notes in it. ¡°If it¡¯s able to¡­ that must¡­ move shadows¡­ but¡­ constant¡­ in theory¡­ almost unfair¡­ limits¡­.¡± She started mumbling. There wasn¡¯t any room for me to say anything, so I just sat there in silence as she continued taking notes. ¡­ I still need to n¡­ ¡­ How many days are left?¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Sister?¡± At that moment, I snapped back to reality with Eria only centimetres away from my face. ¡°Are you back now?¡± She asked as she leaned forward just a little. ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± She then just suddenly burst outughing before going and sitting back down opposite me. ¡°W-what¡¯s so funny?¡± I asked as I felt my face start to heat up. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just been a while since I¡¯ve seen you zone out during one of my ¡®lectures¡¯, as you liked to call them,¡± She leaned back, ¡°Thest time¡­ must have been just after I ascended. When we were ying around with divinity for the first time.¡± ¡­ Has it¡­ really been that long¡­ ¡­ Eria was always the smarter one out of the two of us, always trying to understand all the different types of magic even if she couldn¡¯t use most of them herself. I don¡¯t know where all that motivationes from, though, because I just never had to study like her. For some reason, whenever I tried to use magic, it just worked as if my body already knew exactly how it all worked. ¡°H-howe you didn¡¯t be a G-Goddess of Magic?¡± I asked impulsively. I had never given it much thought before, but given how much she knows and how much she has continued to research even after ascending, it would only make sense. ¡°I would have loved to be the Goddess of Magic¡­¡± She looked a little annoyed, ¡°Unfortunately, some old elf beat me to it by a few thousand years.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± I responded reflexively. ¡°Come on now, don¡¯t be sorry for something like that,¡± She startedughing, ¡°It¡¯s not like it was your fault.¡± That¡¯s¡­ not why I said sorry¡­ ¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this more often?¡± Eria asked, ¡°We used to do it all the time back in the vige.¡± I was suddenly hit by a wave of memories. I hadn¡¯t thought about the vige in many years yet, I could still recall everything like it was only a week ago. ¡°¡­ I-I don¡¯t know,¡± I mumbled under my breath, ¡°Y-you always c-came to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. I know you enjoyed mypany,¡± She chuckled. ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯te up with anything to say in response. ¡°It might be a good idea to send the little kitsune to that vige eventually. It would be nice for her to meet some other kitsune after all¡­ it might even be a little easier for her to talk to them¡­ She spoke to us pretty quickly after all,¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°By the way, how is she doing? I haven¡¯t had the chance to check on her since she left.¡± ¡°S-she told them her n-name.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± She sounded genuinely surprised, ¡°I thought it would at least take her a month to work up enough courage.¡± Even though I didn¡¯t really do anything to help Kierra, I still felt proud that she was able to do it. ¡°So, does that mean she¡¯s talking now?¡± ¡°A-a little,¡± I responded. ¡°That¡¯s great. But you need to make sure you congratte her properly when shees back, we don¡¯t want her to go back to being silent now.¡± ¡­ That¡¯s what I want to do¡­ But¡­ ¡°I-I need help,¡± I blurted out. She came over and sat down next to me, ¡°I already told you that you can always ask me for help. You don¡¯t need to be so nervous,¡± She pulled me into a hug, ¡°Now tell me, what have you decided on so far?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ sister?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Nothing yet?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Is it really that bad? I¡¯ve never done this before. How am I supposed to know what to do? ¡°Well¡­ What do you want to do for her?¡± She brushed my hair out of my face, ¡°She liked the gift you gave herst time, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯d like anything that youe up with.¡± ¡°B-But¡­ I want to do it¡­ p-properly¡± ¡°And what does properly mean?¡± ¡°¡­ Doing it r-right?¡± I answered. What else could it mean? ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°T-then what?¡± ¡°I think doing it properly just means that you¡¯re doing the best you can.¡± ¡°B-but-¡± ¡°No buts,¡± Eria interrupted, ¡°You asked me for help, so now you are going to let me help you. That¡¯s how this works. ¡± ¡­ How does she do it? Where does all her confidencee from? ¡­ ¡°O-okay,¡± I responded. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s get to work, we¡¯ve got a celebration to n out.¡± Chapter 41 – That’s What I Can Help You With Chapter 41 ¨C That¡¯s What I Can Help You With It¡¯s almost perfect¡­ But¡­ ¡­ I just¡­ can¡¯t figure it out! The hair clip just didn¡¯t look right. There was nothing wrong with it, just¡­ it felt like something was missing. The problem was that no matter how long I stared at the hair clip, I just couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. It needs to be perfect. Nothing less. I picked up a paintbrush, just hoping that as soon as I started painting again, the answer would juste to me. But before I had the chance to actually dip the brush into any paint, Ava came into the room. ¡°Oh, have you moved on to painting now?¡± She asked, quickly making her way behind me. Instinctively, I hid the hair clip with my hands, being careful not to smudge any of the wet paint. Unfortunately for me, all that seemed to do was make Ava even more curious about it. ¡°Hmm, is it something special?¡± She put her hands on my shoulders, lightly jostling me as she looked around at everything else on the floor, ¡°Ahh, I see¡­ is that what you¡¯re busy painting?¡± She reached for the notebook with all my practice drawingspletely exposed. Not wanting to take my hands away from the hair clip, I used my tail to cover it, hoping it would stop her from trying to pick it up. Thankfully, she stopped almost immediately. ¡°Y¡¯know, you¡¯re just making me more curious now,¡± She let go of my shoulders, ¡°Hmm¡­ I wonder what it could be¡­ What would little Kierra want to hide from me?¡­¡± Nothing you need to worry about. ¡­ It¡¯s¡­ ¡°¡­N-n-nothing,¡± I squeaked out. She didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. Instead, she got up before sitting down with her legs crossed in front of me. ¡°Well, I already know it¡¯s not nothing¡­¡± She said, pointing at my tail, ¡°¡­ Now, when was thest time you acted like this?¡­¡± What do you mean ¡®acted like this¡¯? ¡­ I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Oh, I know,¡± She abruptly leaned forward and made eye contact with me, ¡°Is this something to do with your friend at the temple?¡± ¡­ How did she know? Did she see the notebook? But I thought I was fast enough. I nodded. ¡°Hmm¡­ then¡­ Is it another drawing of her? Wait, no, is it a painting of her this time?¡± I was about to shake my head, but Ava responded to herself before I could. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be it. You were more than happy to show me yourst drawing of her¡­ Then¡­ maybe it¡¯s¡­ a gift¡­ Is it a gift for your friend?!¡± ¡­ She must be able to read my mind. There is no other exnation. ¡­ She wasn¡¯t even with me yesterday¡­ She can¡¯t even know about the hair clip¡­ ¡­ Once again, I nodded. ¡°So you¡¯re going to give her a homemade gift¡­¡± She let out a light chuckle, ¡°You really are just adorable, aren¡¯t you?¡± Herment caught me by surprise, making me tense up a little. However, Ava just continuedughing. ¡°It¡¯s almost hard to believe you are the same little girl who would run to the other side of the room as soon as I got just a little too close.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I¡­ I haven¡¯t changed that much¡­ Just¡­ ¡­ ¡°Well, there is no sense dwelling in the past though,¡± She pointed at the hair clip inside my hands, ¡°Right now, I think there is something I can help you with.¡± What? Help me? ¡­ Ava¡­ has helped before¡­ and¡­ it did work¡­ ¡­ I want this to be a good gift¡­ a perfect gift¡­ but¡­ What could she even help with? I looked up at her but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°So I take it you¡¯re interested? Good. So, here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve picked out the perfect gift for your friend, but¡­ have you thought about how exactly you are going to give it to her? Are you going to put it in a box? Are you going to wrap it up? Are you going to include a card? Maybe you don¡¯t need one, but then you need to think about what you¡¯re going to say¡­ if¡­ you talk to her¡­ But never mind that, that¡¯s what I can help you with.¡± That¡¯s¡­ a lot¡­ ¡­ A lot¡­ that I didn¡¯t think about¡­ ¡­ ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t need to look so down about it,¡± She reached out towards me but abruptly pulled back halfway through for seemingly no reason, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t help you for free¡­ but if I must say, I do have pretty good rates. In fact I doubt you could find cheaper anywhere else.¡± ¡­ That¡­ makes sense¡­ ¡­ I already knew what she was going to ask for, so I immediately turned around and moved my tail over towards herp. While at the same time picking up the notebook that it had been covering. ¡°You know me so well,¡± She pulled a brush out from behind her back, almost as if she already knew that this was going to happen. As she started brushing, I handed both the notebook and hair clip off to Umbra, who had poked only their head out from my shadow so they could store them forter. ¡°So that¡¯s where they were hiding,¡± Ava caught me by surprise, causing me to yank my tail away from her, though this just made herugh, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really didn¡¯t mean to surprise you like that.¡± ¡­ I gently ced my tail back down in herp without saying anything. ¡°I had just been wondering about where they were hiding, as the little fox seemed to just disappear yesterday, then just showed back up like they had always been there.¡± That¡¯s what surprised her? Not that they just came out of my shadow? ¡­ Is that a normal thing? No, it can¡¯t be¡­ ¡°Now, now, just rx. I¡¯ll be finished soon,¡± She ran the brush through my tail, ¡°It¡¯s so much easier to just do this regrly than just waiting for it to be a problem, don¡¯t you think?¡± I immediately thought back to the pain I felt the first time I tried brushing my tail¡­ ¡°¡­ mhm¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­ does that mean I get to do this again tomorrow?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± Even though I wasn¡¯t facing her, I could almost hear her smiling. As Ava said, she finished brushing my tail pretty quickly before getting up and pulling out two cloaks, one for her and one for me. ¡°We should probably ask Mom before we go out¡­ but I¡¯m sure it will be fine¡­ she has things she needs to do,¡± Ava said as she fastened one of the cloaks around my neck, ¡°She¡¯ll probably appreciate having some time to herself.¡± However, as if on cue, Raynelle came into the room, ¡°What¡¯s this about you two girls trying to sneak out?!¡± She scared me just a little. ¡°I¡¯m just wanting to take her shopping with me. It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ava responded,pletely unfazed. ¡°No¡­ No, sending you shopping is one thing, but with Kierra¡­ What if something happens?¡± ¡°Nothing is going to happen¡­ even if something does, I can take care of it. You even told me yourself that you think I underestimate my own strength,¡± Ava punched the air a few times, trying to prove her point. ¡°I still¡­ can¡¯t¡­ I trust you, but¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t just let you go by yourselves.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ve already thought things through,¡± Ava put her hands behind her head, mimicking my ears, ¡°Everyone is looking for a kitsune with ck or white hair right¡­ well, our little Kierra isn¡¯t a kitsune, she¡¯s a¡­ a wolf! Since you don¡¯t normally see beastkin around here, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t know the difference.¡± ¡°Do you really think they will believe you?! As soon as they see those fluffy ears, it doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s a kitsune, wolf beastkin, cat beastkin, or anything else. They¡¯ll take her anyway. Come on, you already know this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a few days now, but,¡± She turned to me, ¡°You can make your hair ck, with¡­ whatever you use¡­ but what if you made it¡­. um¡­ less dark. Kinda like the other little fox, the grey one.¡± Less dark? I let my shadow cover my hair, and just like every other time before, it became a deep, pitch-ck. How do I make it¡­ less? ¡­ Then, seemingly as a response to me simply thinking about it, my hair very slowly started to brighten until it was a simr colour to Umbra, though a little darker. ¡°See!¡± Ava shouted while pointing at me, ¡°Now she¡¯s a grey wolf! The people here have probably heard about the grey wolves out in the forests. Which means it¡¯s a perfect disguise, they¡¯d never suspect a thing.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°And you have something that you wanted to do¡­¡± Ava interrupted, ¡°Y¡¯know, there was something you were wanting to take a look at¡­¡± ¡°I-I can just do that myself¡­ while you two wait here, safe-¡± ¡°It will be fine!¡± Ava shouted, interrupting Raynelle again, ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? Nothing will happen. I¡¯m just taking her with me to buy some food cause we¡¯ve run out, it¡¯ll just be a quick trip, there and back.¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°Come on. I understand you¡¯re worried, but at this point you¡¯re just being overprotective. I¡¯ve been making this trip since we got here, and as for Kierra, I mean, she managed to take care of herself even without us being there. With me there, it would be impossible for what you¡¯re imagining to happen.¡± The room fell silent after that. It wasn¡¯t the first time that Ava and Raynelle had argued, but it was the first time that I had felt that level of pressure in the room. It had gotten to the point where I was contemting climbing out the window just to escape. However, before I did, Raynelle spoke up. ¡°Fine¡­ but just buy food, thene back. If anything happens¡­ anything¡­ please¡­ run back here¡­ don¡¯t worry about anything else, just run,¡± Raynelle pleaded. ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± A smile spread across Ava¡¯s face as she turned to me, ¡°Alright, pull your hood up, and we¡¯ll head out straight away.¡± I immediately did as she said, pulling the hood over my ears and following her out of the inn, afraid that if I didn¡¯t, the two of them would just start arguing again. ¡°So, what do you want to do first?¡± She asked, putting her arm around me before pulling me close, ¡°I¡¯ll have to get the foodst, but otherwise what we do today is entirely up to you.¡± ¡°¡­ Mhm¡­¡± I responded. ¡°Good, then let¡¯s get moving,¡± she said, starting to walk, still holding onto me, ¡°It¡¯s my turn to have fun with you, and I don¡¯t want to waste any of it just standing around doing nothing.¡± Chapter 42 – An Onion Seller and Misfit Hats Chapter 42 ¨C An Onion Seller and Misfit Hats It didn¡¯t take long before the familiar market decorated with colourful awnings came into view. Ava held me close the entire way there, and even though we had arrived, it didn¡¯t seem like she was going to let go any time soon. ¡°Okay, before we get to the fun stuff I just need to stop off¡­ Here!¡± She pulled me along as she made her way over to a stall at the entrance to the market. ¡°Oh, hello again!¡± The woman running the stall called over to us as she put down the crate she was carrying and came over to us, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re already back, it hasn¡¯t even been a week yet, and you even brought a friend along this time, or maybe this is¡­¡± My immediate instinct was to take a step back, but unfortunately for me, Ava seemed to have a different idea as she pushed me in front of her. ¡°This here is the little bundle of fluff who really knows how to put a meal away¡­ or three¡­¡± Ava said, firmly nting her hands on my shoulders so I couldn¡¯t escape, ¡°And we¡¯re here to have some fun today.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d be more than happy to help you out,¡± She startedughing, ¡°But I don¡¯t think your idea of fun is sitting around with this olddy at her stall.¡± Olddy? The woman looked to be in her early thirties, and even ignoring that fact, just a few moments ago, she was carrying arge crate filled with vegetables as if it were nothing. Is she older than she looks? Or¡­ do people just think thirty is old here? Maybe it¡¯s just a saying¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but today is just for the two of us, but maybe some other time¡± Ava said, reciprocating the woman¡¯sughter, ¡°I just came here to ask if you could prepare my order in advance. I¡¯m nning on picking it up on our way back if that¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± The woman went back behind the stall. ¡°So, just the usual then?¡± ¡°Yep, but if you have anything interesting today, can you throw that in as well?¡­ Oh, and can you go ask everyone else for me,¡± Ava pped her hands together, ¡°I don¡¯t want to tire her out before we get to the fun stuff.¡± ¡°Sure thing, I can send someone to pick up the rest for you, but only because I¡¯d feel sorry for that little one¡¯s legs with all the walking you¡¯d have to do,¡± The woman wrote some things down on a notepad before looking back up at Ava, ¡°Well¡­ What are you doing just standing there? Get out of here already! Go have fun with your sister!¡± Sister?! What sister?! Does she think that?- I tried to look up at Ava in an attempt to have her exin that the woman was wrong, but before I could, I was abruptly yanked backwards. ¡°Sure thing!¡± Ava shouted back to the woman as she started running into the market, dragging me along by the arm. It was only when the stall was no longer in sight that she finally decided to slow back down. ¡°Now that the boring stuff is taken care of,¡± She crouched down so that she was at eye level with me, ¡°Have you decided on what you want to do first?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say to her; there were just too many different things going through my mind, along with needing to try and calm myself down after suddenly having to sprint through the market. ¡°No? Well, I already expected as much,¡± She sighed, ¡°How could you know what you want to do when you¡¯re just sitting inside that inn all day? The first time you went out just for the sake of it was yesterday. And I didn¡¯t even get to go with you!¡± ¡°¡­ b-but-¡± I tried to interrupt her, but she didn¡¯t seem to hear me over the hustle and bustle of the market. ¡°So, what we can do instead is just walk from here, and if you see something that catches your eye, absolutely anything, we can go there. Sound good? Great!¡± She didn¡¯t even let me try and respond to her. But I thought you were going to help me with the gift¡­ Isn¡¯t that why we came here? Why aren¡¯t- Before I could continue that line of thought, I was once again pulled through the market as Ava started walking me through the market, pointing out every stall we walked past, no matter how small it was. There were many fruit and vegetable stalls that were much smaller than the first one we visited. However, unlike that one, they almost all chose to specialise in one thing each, like one stall that only sold different varieties of onions, although the man running that store didn¡¯t seem very happy when Ava pointed that out. Ava even pointed out the small stands set up in dark alleyways where people were paying money to y something called the shell game. In the game, a pea was hidden under one of three shells. All the person ying had to do was follow the shell with the pea under it. But when watching one of the games, I saw the person running the stand slide the shell to the edge of the table so that the pea would fall into theirp. ¡­ It¡¯s just a scam? It seemed that I wasn¡¯t the only one who saw this as the man ying the game immediately flipped the table before grabbing the con artist by the cor and yelling incoherently. Before it escted any further, Ava covered my eyes with her cloak, ¡°Y-you don¡¯t need to see that,¡± She said as she hurriedly pushed me down the street. When she removed the cloak, we were standing in front of a stall selling handmade pens and quills. Unfortunately, what they had on sale didn¡¯t seem anywhere near the quality of what I had seen in the old man¡¯s art store the day before. ¡°Come on, Kierra, there has to have been something you were interested in,¡± She put her hands on my shoulders and looked directly into my eyes, ¡°This doesn¡¯t work if you don¡¯t want to go anywhere.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This isn¡¯t what you said we were going to do. ¡°Okay then, the next store I see that¡¯s the one we¡¯re going to go into,¡± Ava said, standing back up. True to her word, we walked only a few steps before Ava abruptly dragged me into a store without even checking what they were selling. Inside, the first thing that greeted us was arge man sitting behind the front counter reading a newspaper whopletely ignored us. ¡°Um¡­ Hello?¡± Ava called out as she walked up to the counter. The man tilted his newspaper down slightly and peered at the two of us with his beady ck eyes. ¡°Whatever,¡± He grunted. My instincts were screaming at me to run away. That man clearly didn¡¯t want us there, and I didn¡¯t want to test him any further than we already had. Ava, however, clearly didn¡¯t feel the same as she promptly pushed me all the way to the back of the store, where some tall shelves were set up. On the shelves, there was arge variety of hats that didn¡¯t seem like they should have been stored together. There were borately decorated bos next to what looked to be some sort of cartwheel hat, which itself was sitting next to a collection of various ascot caps and berets. For some reason, I just found myself drawn to them, looking each over and almost immediately identifying what each of them was. But at some point, while doing this, I realised that it was strange. How¡­ do I know this?¡­ ¡­ This was different to when I first picked up a pencil; it wasn¡¯t like my body was acting on its own. I just knew these things somehow. Somewhere in my mind, this information existed, but¡­ ¡°So, have we finally found something you¡¯re interested in? Well, I don¡¯t really know much about things like this, but¡­¡± Ava looked over the hats until she decided on one and tried it on, ¡°What do you think? Do I look good?¡± She had picked out a ck top hat, which, along with her cloak, made for a rather interesting outfit. But in a strange way, it fit her surprisingly well. ¡°¡­y-yes,¡± I managed to squeak out. ¡°Right?¡± She ced the hat back down, ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn, just pick one out.¡± I am interested in the hats¡­ What if it¡¯s like my drawings? Maybe I¡¯ll¡­ remember something¡­ ¡­ I nodded at Ava before turning to one of the shelves. My eyes were almost immediately drawn to a tricorne made of ck felt that was lined with some delicate goldence, which stood out amongst the many overly decorated hats that surrounded it. Before trying it on, I checked to see if the shopkeeper could see me from where he sat. Thankfully, the shelves were tall enough to hide both me and Ava from him. I then pulled my hood down before trying to put the hat on, but as soon as I did, I noticed something was very wrong. ¡­ Why?¡­ ¡­ Ava burst outughing as soon as she also realised what the problem was. ¡­ My ears¡­ were in the way¡­ ¡­ ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t mean tough at you,¡± Ava said, trying and failing to hold back herugh, ¡°I just didn¡¯t even think that would be an issue for you.¡± I just stood there in silence as a single tear started to form in my eyes. ¡°No no no,¡± She immediately stoppedughing, ¡°D-don¡¯t cry, I-I¡­ wait! I¡¯ve seen¡­ special hats for beastkin with different ears before. They had all these different kinds! Some were like small hats that would fit between your ears, while others had holes cut into them, or even special designs that would hold the ears in ce¡­ but¡­ I saw that¡­ in a¡­ different¡­ town¡­¡± Another town¡­ ¡­ The idea of there actually being somewhere other than here seemed strange for some reason, even though it was obviously true, this couldn¡¯t be the only ce in this world. I had tried to run away before, but all I saw on the other side of the gate was an open field with a row of trees in the distance. ¡°M-maybe we can go back there someday, and at the same time, we can go and see the rest of the world as well¡­ something like that, y¡¯know?¡± Go and see the world¡­ ¡­ If this was a few weeks ago¡­ ¡°What do you say to that?¡± Ava asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be fun? We could all go on a proper journey with-¡± ¡°No,¡± I interrupted. I¡­ don¡¯t want to leave. Not when Ovia is right here. ¡­ I can¡¯t leave. Not anymore. ¡°No?¡­ Well¡­ I¡­ I¡­ can¡¯t force you¡­¡± She crouched down and took the tricorne from me before cing it back on the shelf, ¡°But¡­ just think about it, okay? There¡¯s a whole world out there, and that includes a lot of ces that are much better than here.¡± It doesn¡¯t matter. I have what I need here. I¡­ I can put up with anything. I need to stay here¡­ No matter what. I pulled my hood up and immediately made my way to the door, not wanting to think about that any further. As I did, the storekeeper lowered his newspaper again, ¡°Kids,¡± He grumbled before lifting it back up. With Ava following close behind I quickly left the store and started to walk down through the market again in an attempt to clear my mind. ¡°Sorry for all that,¡± Ava said, sounding a little disheartened, ¡°But did that at least give you some ideas for what you do want to do?¡± ¡­ There is only one reason why I¡¯m here. ¡°¡­ y-you¡­ h-help me¡­¡± I mumbled while tugging on her cloak. ¡°With the gift?¡± Ava finished my sentence for me. I nodded. ¡°Okay, if that¡¯s what you want to do first,¡± Ava looked around a bit before suddenly changing the direction she was walking in, ¡°I know just the ce, it¡¯s just down here.¡± Looking at where she was heading, there was a store with a familiar purple awning above the entrance. Chapter 43 – Something You Like Chapter 43 ¨C Something You Like Ava didn¡¯t even wait for me to catch up and immediately made her way into the store. ¡°Hello!¡± She shouted. I quickly followed her in, where the old man from yesterday was sitting behind an easel, calmly painting despite the noise. ¡°Well, hello to you too. Were the books I lent-¡± He peeked out from behind the easel and immediately turned his attention to me, making him pause for a moment, ¡°Now, I didn¡¯t expect you to be back so soon. Was the bribe I gave you that effective? Maybe I should start doing it more often.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Ava immediately turned around and looked at me as if she wanted an exnation. Fortunately for me, the old man continued talking, taking Ava¡¯s attention away. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise the two of you knew each other,¡± he said, setting down his paintbrush anding over to us, ¡°Now, I might be mistaken, but I don¡¯t think you two came here just to talk to an old man. So, what do you need?¡± The old man looked at me, but I wasn¡¯t able to say anything. Thankfully, Ava spoke up for me, ¡°My¡­ friend has put together a gift for someone but didn¡¯t think about how she was going to actually present it¡­ So we¡¯re looking for a small box? Maybe just something to wrap it in? I don¡¯t actually know what the gift is, but it needs to look good. I¡¯m sure you understand what I mean.¡± The old man looked at me and smiled, ¡°Lucky for you, I already have an idea of what that gift might be, so I think a nice small box would be the best. But what do you think?¡± I immediately nodded in response. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go pick some options out for you. Feel free to have a look around the store while you wait,¡± He promptly got up and headed towards the back of the store, where he disappeared behind a curtain. As soon as the old man was out of sight, Ava turned towards me, ¡°You should¡¯ve told me you already knew about this ce,¡± She said, crouching down to match my height. When was I supposed to tell you?! You never even asked! ¡°I really thought I had something special with this ce.¡± It was hard to put the expression on her face into words; at least, I couldn¡¯t. She was still smiling like usual, but something about it felt different. She didn¡¯t seem sad, but rather something in between? Disappointment maybe? It was like the wind had been taken out of her sails, but she just kept on smiling anyway. ¡­ I don¡¯t like this. But¡­ what am I supposed to do? ¡­ What makes her happy? ¡­ My eyes drifted down towards the wooden floorboards as I stood there racking my brain, trying toe up with an idea, any idea¡­ but it was harder than I expected. ¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ much about her¡­ The realisation came as a bit of a surprise to me; even though I had spent thest few weeks living with her, I didn¡¯t really know who she was. What she liked, what she disliked, even just what she usually did during the day. I knew almost nothing. The only thing I knew was that she wanted to brush my tail¡­ ¡­ But I¡¯m not supposed to take my tail out of my cloak¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Desperately trying to think of something, I looked up at Ava, and almost immediately, an idea came to mind, though I was a little hesitant to put it into practice. ¡­ ¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t want her to stay like that¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ A-Ava¡­ g-good¡­¡± I got onto my tiptoes and, with my arm, reached up towards the top of her head. However, as soon as my hand made contact, she jumped back, her face turning a little red. Was that wrong?! I-I shouldn¡¯t have done that! I instinctively took a step back while pulling down on the hood of my cloak so that I couldn¡¯t see Ava anymore. ¡°No, no, no, don¡¯t try to disappear now!¡± She grabbed my wrist just before I could bring it back into my cloak, ¡°I-I was just a little surprised. I didn¡¯t expect you to suddenly try and pat my head like that.¡± She lifted my hood back up just enough so I could see her face without revealing my ears. She was still smiling, but now that smile felt a little more genuine. Maybe¡­ I did the right thing¡­ ¡­ ¡°The two of you get along so well I wouldn¡¯t question it if you told me you were sisters,¡± The old man came out carrying a tray with a number of small boxes on it, ¡°Oh¡­ that does remind me, I forgot to apologise to youst time, I only called her your mom because it felt appropriate. She did correct me after, but I never apologised to you.¡± My eyes were instinctively drawn towards Ava, but I could no longer see her expression as she had turned to face the man. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He set the tray down while chuckling to himself a little, ¡°This is most of what I have, although I do have a few different colours still in the back, so if you don¡¯t find what you¡¯re looking for, I can go find them for you.¡± I walked up to where the tray had been ced and looked over what the man had brought. Each box waspletely different from the one sitting next to it. One was made from a dark wood, which had been carved to make it look like there were thin vines wrapped around it, while another had intricate golden iys that almost made it look as if the gold was a liquid flowing through it. Each box could have been called a masterpiece in its own right, but none of them seemed right for me to give to Ovia. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t think she deserved them, just that¡­ It wouldn¡¯t make senseing from me. Looking over the try again, going box by box once again, I noticed one that I had missed the first time. Right at the back of the tray was a simple box that was just a little plush. It was covered with a ck velvet fabric that immediately reminded me of Ovia¡¯s fur. I reached out towards it but almost immediately stopped myself. What am I doing? I can¡¯t pay for this. But¡­ I¡­ need it. ¡­ ¡°So that¡¯s the one you like¡­ I see,¡± The old man said, picking up the box I was looking at, ¡°Well, what should I do now¡­ I can¡¯t just give it to you for free¡­ and I already gave you a bribest time¡­¡± ¡°I can pay for her!¡± Ava spoke up, sorting through some coins she had taken out from the inside of her cloak. But- ¡°Put those coins away. I already have something else in mind,¡± He said as he walked over to the wall and selected two small nk canvases, ¡°Instead of taking your money, I want the two of you to paint for me.¡± ¡°What? But I can just pay you. I have the money,¡± Ava was visibly confused, still holding the coins out in front of her. ¡°You might have the money, but this box is for a gift. I think it would mean a lot more if the person who was giving the gift was the one paying for it,¡± He turned and looked at me, ¡°Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡­ That makes¡­ sense¡­ a lot of sense¡­ ¡­ I nodded, and the old man smiled as he handed me one of the canvases. ¡°Now, what should you paint¡­ how about¡­ something you like?¡­ That sounds good. I want you to paint something that you like; it can be absolutely anything as long as you like it. Then, once it¡¯s done, I¡¯ll put it up for sale in my store, and that can pay for the box, does that make sense?¡± So it needs to sell first? ¡­ I still have five more nights until I can see her. It should sell before then¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t have a better option. Once again, I nodded. ¡°Now, one for you,¡± He said, holding the other canvas out towards Ava. ¡°But, I thought this was so that she could pay for the box herself?¡± Ava replied, still confused, ¡°Why would I also need to paint something?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s so she can pay for the box, but¡­ I saw that you have picked something out yourself, and you¡¯re going to be here waiting for your friend to finish anyway, so why not.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ava didn¡¯t respond and instead blushed slightly. ¡°Now, go ahead and paint me something you like.¡± Again, Ava didn¡¯t say anything, but this time, she took the canvas and quickly made her way over to an easel. I followed her and sat down in front of the easel set up right next to the one she had chosen. I picked up a pencil, nning to put together a rough sketch to start, but as soon as I did, I ran into an issue. I didn¡¯t know what to draw. What¡­ do I like? ¡­ It was seemingly a simple question, but there just wasn¡¯t a simple answer to match it. I like¡­ Ovia¡­ she¡¯s nice¡­ ¡­ But I can¡¯t paint her, not to give away. It¡­ wouldn¡¯t be good enough for a Goddess¡­ I can¡¯t do anything to hurt her reputation. ¡­ But¡­ is there anything else? ¡­ I like¡­ ¡­ The name she gave me¡­ but I can¡¯t paint that¡­ ¡­ Then what else¡­ ¡­ I like¡­ Umbra? She also gave me Umbra¡­ and I could paint Umbra¡­ ¡­ I knew that I wasn¡¯t going toe up with a better idea, so I put the pencil against the canvas and started to sketch. It was a simple sketch of Umbra sleeping peacefully on top of the pillow I had been sharing with them. It didn¡¯t take long for me to finish the sketch and switch to using paint. While I had already tried painting a little bit when decorating the hair clip, I found that it didn¡¯t feel as natural as when I was simply drawing, and unfortunately, this time was no different. My painting definitely didn¡¯t look bad, but no matter how much I tried, I just couldn¡¯t make it look exactly how I wanted, whether that be from struggling to mix the paints to make the right colour or just identally smudging the painting with my wrist. Looking to my side, Ava seemed to be struggling a lot more than I was, as her usual smile was nowhere to be seen and had instead been reced with an intense focus. We both continued working on our paintings for a while, and in the end, I had something that didn¡¯t look bad but was still far from perfect. At least you can¡¯t see any of the smudged parts¡­ I looked over to see what Ava had painted. On her canvas was a simple forest with a few colourful blobs haphazardly scattered through it, which I could only assume were supposed to be various animals, though I couldn¡¯t tell what any of them were supposed to be. ¡°Are the two of you already finished?¡± The old man called out from behind his own easel, having gone back to continue the painting he was working on when we first entered the store, ¡°Let¡¯s see what you two havee up with.¡± He got up and walked around so that he could stand behind us. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a little unusual,¡± He said, leaning in a little closer towards my painting, ¡°It¡¯s not every day you see a fox, even if it¡¯s just a painting.¡± Huh? I was slightly tempted to ask the man to exin what he meant, but he quickly turned his head and had a look at Ava¡¯s painting. ¡°Oh my, and over here, we have a lively forest. Just looking at it quickly, I can see a squirrel, a bear and many more,¡± He said, picking up the two canvases, ¡°I think you two have done a very good job, now then.¡± He took both paintings behind the main desk and came back out with the box and something wrapped in paper. What? I thought he needed to sell the paintings first? ¡°You seem a little confused,¡± He said as if reading my mind, ¡°Well, I just put your two paintings into my store, and they sold immediately. This might surprise you, but even my own work struggles to sell so quickly. I guess you two might have a special talent.¡± Does he mean?¡­ Did he?¡­ Ava suddenly burst outughing, ¡°Can you thank the person who bought them for us?¡± ¡°Your thanks have been well received,¡± The old man joined in herughter while handing the box to me and the other package to Ava, ¡°Now, get on your way you two. I think you¡¯ve spent enough time here.¡± I quickly tucked the box under my arm so Umbra could store it in my shadow. Ava eventually stoppedughing and made her way out of the store, with me close behind. ¡°Thank you again!¡± She shouted back. ¡°¡­. T-thanks¡­¡± I mumbled, even though I knew the man wouldn¡¯t be able to hear me. Chapter 44 – Watch Where You’re Walking Chapter 44 ¨C Watch Where You¡¯re Walking Ava and I continued walking down the street, although unlike before, she had stopped pointing at each of the stores we walked past as she was too busy struggling with the package she had gotten from the art store. ¡°Why did he make this so- Ah, got it!¡± Ava eximed as she managed to untie the string holding the package closed. She quickly sorted through whatever was in the package before pulling out a long ck ribbon that shimmered just slightly as it caught the sunlight. My eyes were drawn to it as it gently swayed in the wind, almost as if it had hypnotised me. ¡°Do you like it?¡± She asked, waving it back and forth in front of me. Why would you ask me that? ¡°Hmm¡­ I just noticed you liked things that were ck. You have your ck scarf and your ck dress, and just now, you chose a ck box for the gift you¡¯re putting together. So I thought you¡¯d also like this.¡± I do¡­ But why does that matter? I nodded. ¡°Great! I wanted to have you try some different hairstylester¡­ but why should we wait? We can just-¡± She stopped herself just as she reached toward my hood, ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s right¡­ we can only do it after we get back¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even agree to it yet! We stood there, staring at each other in silence for a moment, with Ava still holding the ribbon out even though she knew I couldn¡¯t remove my hood while we were outside. ¡°Oh, I have an idea!¡± She suddenly lit up again, ¡°Give me your wrist.¡± What? Why? ¡­ Even though I didn¡¯t know what she wanted, I still held my hand out towards her anyway. Seeing this, Ava immediately grabbed my outstretched wrist before wrapping it with the ribbon and tying it into arge bow. ¡°There you go,¡± She handed the package over to me, ¡°Now do mine!¡± The package just contained arge number of ribbons. There were plenty of different colours to pick from, and some of them even had borate patterns spanning their entire length. In fact, there were so many different ribbons in there that it seemed strange that they could even fit into the small package in my hands. ¡­ I sifted through the ribbons until I found one that was a bright purple with some faint floral patterns running through it. The colour jumped out at me because it somehow matched Ava¡¯s eyes almost exactly. As soon as I pulled the ribbon out, Ava¡¯s arm abruptly shot in front of me. It startled me for a second, but I quickly calmed back down. I carefully wrapped it around her wrist and tried to tie it into a bow just like she had done for me, but I just couldn¡¯t keep the two sides of the bow even, and it ended up looking a bit strange. I reached out to untie it and try again, but before I could, she pulled her wrist back. ¡°Looks great,¡± She said, holding her hand up in front of her and inspecting my handiwork, ¡°I bet Mom would be jealous if she saw this.¡± Why? ¡­ ¡°¡­ mhm¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what she wanted me to say, so I just hummed and hoped she would decide what it meant herself. ¡°Oh,e on, you can give a bit more of a reaction than that; what happened to the girl who was bold enough to suddenly try to pat my head in the middle of a store?¡± My face almost immediately started to heat up. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± She smiled while dancing around a little, letting the ribbon tied around her wrist flutter about, ¡°By the way, there was something else I was really wanting to get while we were out, maybe we can just quickly-¡± *Thud* Ava fell to the floor. ¡°Come on, you need to look where you¡¯re going; you just walked into some kid.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t walk into anyone! She just jumped into me out of nowhere!¡± ¡°Hello there, and sorry about that. This guy over here is awful when ites to paying attention to what''s going on around him. Honestly, I don¡¯t know how he managed to get this job.¡± ¡­ No¡­ No¡­ No¡­ My heart started beating quickly and quicker as I stood there, frozen in ce, just watching the scene ying out in front of me. Ava was lying on the ground, with two knights standing just over her. While she was dancing about, she identally bumped into one of them. The one who spokest, the smaller of the two knights, held his hand out towards her. No¡­ please¡­ ¡­ Run. You need to run. ¡°First, we¡¯re called out here ¡®cause some conman got what wasing to him, and now you¡¯ve gone and done this,¡± The smaller knight, while still holding his hand out, had turned his head and startedining. ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t my fault! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± The other knight argued, ¡°Plus, you were justining about how you were sick and tired of patrolling the streets searching for some street rat. Your eyes lit up when you found out about that conman.¡± ¡°Sure, but by the time we actually got there, they had both already run away. I feel like I¡¯ve done nothing but patrol these streets for years at this point!¡± Why won¡¯t you move?! Get away from here! ¡°He¡¯ll give up eventually. There haven¡¯t even been any sightings for thest few weeks; they probably kicked the bucket off in an alley somewhere.¡± ¡°Look, you know as well as I do that he won¡¯t stop until he sees the body,¡± ¡°That kid doesn¡¯t even know what they look like; only thete Baron actually saw them.¡± ¡°So what? We¡¯re stuck doing this ¡®cause some kid has probably gone and died in a ditch somewhere.¡± The knights fell silent for just a moment before the knight holding his hand out towards Ava spoke up again. ¡°Um, are you going to take my hand or not?¡± He shook his arm a little, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it might fall off if I keep holding it up like this.¡± Please¡­ I managed to force myself to take just a single step backwards. But that may have been the wrong thing to do as the knight turned his attention to me. ¡°Hey, is this your sister? Uh¡­ friend? Ah, whoever they are to you, you seem to know them. Can you help us out a bit here?¡± I looked down at Ava, who was staring directly at me, her usual smile nowhere to be seen. No¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I¡­ ¡°Can¡¯t you see you¡¯re just scaring the kid? This is how you¡¯re supposed to do it,¡± Therger knight said before taking a step towards me. My body started to shake uncontrobly as I tried to force it to move, to run, to get away, anything! But my feet refused to move; it was as if they had been nailed to the ground. Not again! Please move! Please! Right at that moment, Ava scrambled to her feet,pletely ignoring the knight¡¯s outstretched hand. She ran over to me and hugged me tightly, pulling my head in close to her chest, where I could hear her heart pounding. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ava stumbled over her words, ¡°My s-sister is a little shy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that big guy is used to it. It''s not just children, but even cats and dogs seem to be afraid of him,¡± He pped therger knight on the back, ¡°But you don¡¯t care about that. More importantly, are you alright? That was quite the fall you took.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Ava said. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good, although I do still have something else I just need to do quickly¡­ I guess you could call itmon procedure these days,¡± He pointed at me, ¡°Can we just have your sister remove her hood.¡± No! By some miracle, I managed to move my other foot, but all it did was make Ava hold me tighter. ¡°Do we really have to?¡± Therger knight asked, ¡°How can it be her if they¡¯re sisters? There was never any mention of family anywhere. I thought we were looking for a street rat.¡± ¡°Just pull out the description. It¡¯ll only take a few seconds to do anyway,¡± He turned back to me, ¡°Now, please remove your hood so we can be on our way.¡± Let me go! I can¡¯t let them see! ¡°A-alright,¡± Ava grabbed my hood, her hand clearly trembling. No! What are you doing?! ¡°It will be f-fine, okay? Just¡­ d-don¡¯t say anything,¡± She whispered to me before slowly lifting my hood and revealing my ears. Almost immediately, the two knights looked at each other in confusion. ¡°A beastkin?¡± They asked in unison. No! Why would this work?! Please! Don¡¯t do this to me! ¡°Is it normal for only one sibling to be a beastkin?¡± Therger knight asked. ¡°How am I supposed to know?¡± The smaller knight responded, ¡°Do you see any ears on top of my head? Why would I know how beastkin children work?¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just check if they match the description. We don¡¯t need to worry about that if it¡¯s the wrong kid anyway.¡± Therger knight did as he was asked and pulled out a notebook before staring directly at me, causing my heart to stop for just a second. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Come on, what¡¯s it now?!¡± ¡°Well, I think¡­ she might match it?¡± I tried to slip under Ava¡¯s arms, but she changed her grip so that I couldn¡¯t. ¡°What do you mean she might match it? Either she does or she doesn¡¯t.¡± The smaller knight was clearly annoyed. ¡°Um¡­ well, the only description we have is a small kid wearing dirty rags with fox ears and either ck or white hair¡­ Her hair is somewhere between ck and white¡­ maybe¡­ as for the ears¡­ um¡­¡± ¡°T-they¡¯re wolf ears,¡± Ava spoke up, ¡°S-she¡¯s a wolf beastkin.¡± The knights turned to face each other. ¡°Do you even want to risk it?¡± Therger knight asked. ¡°No¡­ not really. Thest guy who got it wrong just disappeared one night. I might hate the job, but I¡¯d rather keep my head on my shoulders.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s just move on. If we¡¯re quick, we can probably get a few drinks without the other guys getting suspicious.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± The smaller knight turned towards us, ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll be on our way then. Sorry for all this.¡± They didn¡¯t even wait for us to respond before they left. Ava kept holding onto me tightly while mumbling something to herself that I wasn¡¯t able to make out. As soon as the knights couldn¡¯t be seen anymore, she let go of me, and I immediately fell to the floor. At some point, my legs must have given out as I couldn¡¯t move them at all. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Ava picked me back up, her hands now glowing ever so slightly, ¡°I-I¡­ this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why couldn¡¯t I run away? What if this happens again? ¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ ¡°Look, let¡¯s just¡­ go back to the inn, would that be okay?¡± She hugged me even tighter, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything¡­ I-I¡¯ll carry you back, alright?¡± She let go of me so she could awkwardly try to lift me up onto her back. It was a little ufortable feeling her wings twitch underneath her cloak as they tried to find afortable position. I didn¡¯t resist at all and just let her do what she wanted. I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ I just¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure how long it took, but by the time we got back to the inn, the sun had already started to set. Ava stopped in front of the door, ¡°This is a bit awkward, I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯m supposed to-¡± The door suddenly flew open, with Raynelle standing there while clearly in a panic. As soon as her eyes locked on to me, tears started streaming down her face, ¡°What happ-¡± ¡°Just¡­¡± Ava cut her off, ¡°I forgot to bring back the food we bought, the shopkeeper should have it all ready¡­ can you go get it quickly?¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Please,¡± Ava interrupted again, ¡°I¡­ She¡­ probably needs some time¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ Guess that means I can make dinner tonight, hey?¡± She bounced me slightly. I didn¡¯t respond. I couldn¡¯t respond. I just didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I¡¯ll go put her in her room¡­ it¡­ was a long day.¡± Ava walked into the inn with me still clinging to her back. ¡­ I made a mistake¡­ again¡­ Chapter 45 – I Don’t Know Chapter 45 ¨C I Don¡¯t Know I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ It had probably been a few days since visiting the market, but I couldn¡¯t say exactly how many days had passed. Since then, I just stayed in my room with the curtains drawn to block out the light. I don¡¯t know what to do¡­ ¡­ Both Ava and Raynelle had visited me a few times, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to face them. After a while, they stoppeding into the room entirely and would just leave things at the entrance for me, though that didn¡¯t stop them from trying to talk to me every time they did. I don¡¯t want to¡­ ¡­ As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, followed by the sound of the hinges squeaking. I just lifted the covers over my head so whoever it was couldn¡¯t see me. Please stop¡­ ¡­ ¡°Kierra?¡± It was Ava¡¯s voice, ¡°How are you doing today?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She said, for what had to be the tenth time since she brought me here. It wasn¡¯t your fault¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s mine¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m the one who couldn¡¯t run¡­ I¡¯m the one who froze up¡­ I¡¯m the one they wanted¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m the one who¡¯s hiding¡­ ¡­ ¡°Um¡­ I had gotten this for you a little bit ago now¡­ the day after-¡± She stopped herself from speaking, ¡°I¡¯ll just leave it here, alright?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I know you want to be left alone¡­¡± She said, followed by the sound of the door closing. ¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ I¡­ just¡­ don¡¯t know anymore¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t know why my legs wouldn¡¯t move¡­ ¡­ All that¡¯s changed is¡­ ¡­ But I¡­ I don¡¯t want to go back¡­ not anymore¡­ ¡­ I brought the covers down just enough so that I could check if the door had actually been closed fully. Even though there was almost no light in the room, I was somehow still able to see perfectly clearly. The door was closed, and in front of ity a single pillow. It was quite a bit bigger than the pillow I had been using. Umbra jumped out of the shadows right next to the pillow and brought it over to me. ¡­ Thanks¡­ ¡­ Ever since I closed out the light, it was almost like the whole room had be an extension of my shadow. Umbra had been able to pop out from anywhere they wanted in the room, and on top of that, the room had cooled down quite a lot¡­ it was almost like¡­ ¡­ Not now¡­ Please¡­ Not now¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t want her to see me¡­ ¡­ Not like this¡­ ¡­ What happened to me?¡­ I found myself instinctively ncing over at the side table where I had left the hair clip I had finished off for Ovia. It was the only thing I could bring myself to do since¡­ ¡­ What am I supposed to do?¡­ ¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ That phrase had looped over and over in my head for the past few days. I don¡¯t know¡­ I just¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ I reached out to close the box where the hair clip had been ced, but as I did, something pulled my hand back. The ribbon tied around my wrist had gotten caught on the corner of the table. ¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ I pulled my hand back to free the ribbon before closing the box. ¡­ What am I doing?¡­ ¡­ Tears started falling from my eyes, but I didn¡¯t feel any different. ¡­ I just closed my eyes, hoping that by going to sleep, I would be able to forget about everything, even if just for a short while. ¡­ It didn¡¯t take long for the room temperature to drop even further than it already had. Because of that, I didn¡¯t even need to open my eyes to know what kind of dream I was having. ¡­ I don¡¯t want this¡­ Not now¡­ ¡­ Iy there, holding my eyes shut. I didn¡¯t want to see the fake fox from my dreams, not when I was like this. It will just remind me of¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t deserve¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Kierra!¡± My ears instantly perked up, searching for the source of the sound. Was that? No, it couldn¡¯t be¡­ ¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­. I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to entertain that thought any further than I already had. ¡°Kierra!¡± The voice was much louder this time. Leave me alone¡­ Don¡¯t do this to me¡­ ¡°Kierra! W-what¡¯s wrong?!¡± Someone lifted me up off of the ground, and tears immediately started forming again. ¡°N-no, no, w-what do I do?!¡± The voice wasing from right behind me. Why are you here? ¡­ Why now? ¡­ Something cool brushed up against my face, taking my tears with it. ¡°P-please don¡¯t c-cry.¡± ¡­ ¡°¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± I mumbled, still holding my eyes closed, not wanting to admit that this was actually happening¡­ that it was her. ¡°I-it¡¯s going to be a-alright,¡± They sat down on the floor and carefully ced me in theirp, ¡°U-um¡­ W-what do I do now?¡± ¡­ Did you reallye here¡­ for me?¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I gave in. I opened my eyes. I looked up. I looked into those abyss-like eyes. ¡­ ¡°¡­ Ovia¡­¡± My tears just kept on flowing. ¡°Y-yes, I-I¡¯m here,¡± She responded, gently wiping away my tears once again, ¡°A-¡­ Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°U-um¡­ c-can I help?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± You can¡¯t keep saying that. ¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t- ¡°B-but,¡± She interrupted my train of thought, ¡°I¡­ want to help¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I chose not to say anything, as I knew that if I tried, only one thing woulde out of my mouth, and I didn¡¯t want to keep doing that to her. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me back against her chest. ¡°S-sorry if I¡¯m a l-little cold¡­ T-there isn¡¯t much I can d-do about it.¡± ¡°¡­ No¡­ I like it,¡± I squeaked out, though I wasn¡¯t sure if she heard it. We sat like that for a while, inplete silence. At some point, the tears that had wet my cheeks finally dried up. ¡­ Why does she let me do this? ¡­ She¡¯s a Goddess¡­ She doesn¡¯t have to do this¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± I mumbled by ident. ¡°A-are you feeling better now?¡± She asked, seemingly ignoring what I had said. ¡°¡­ Mhm¡­¡± ¡°Good!¡± Ovia suddenly shouted, startling me a little, ¡°Oh, s-sorry¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°¡­ It¡¯s fine¡­ I was just¡­ a little surprised¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I apologised¡­¡± she muttered to herself. I almost let out augh but held myself back, knowing that it probably wasn¡¯t appropriate. ¡°S-so what was wrong? C-can I help?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t-¡± I stopped myself before continuing, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve changed¡­¡± ¡°Is that a g-good thing?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know!¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself and ended up shouting at her, ¡°¡­ I just¡­ I don¡¯t want to change¡­ but¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­ go back either¡­¡± What are you doing? This is your problem. Not hers. Why are you doing this to her? ¡°W-well um¡­ I¡­¡± Ovia seemed to struggle to say anything. Look at what you¡¯ve done¡­ This is your fault. ¡°W-what happened?¡± She eventually asked. Just stop. Don¡¯t answer. ¡­ ¡°I¡­¡± In the end, I just couldn¡¯t stop myself, ¡°The knights¡­ I couldn¡¯t run¡­ I couldn¡¯t escape¡­ I was stuck¡­ but why?¡­ why can¡¯t I control myself anymore¡­ what if¡­ I don¡¯t want¡­ not again¡­ please not again¡­¡± I felt tears start to well up, but before any could fall, Ovia hugged me tighter. ¡°I-I¡­ saw¡­¡± She said, sounding a little dejected. ¡°¡­¡± She saw? ¡­ She saw¡­ that¡­ ¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do¡­ What if¡­ it happens again¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not safe anymore¡­ I¡­ need to go back¡­ but¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­ I don¡¯t want to go back¡­ not anymore¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but I don¡¯t want to go back. I can¡¯t go back!¡± Ovia didn¡¯t respond. I¡¯ve ruined it¡­ Why did I do that? Why do I keep making mistakes? ¡°I-I think you know exactly what y-you want to do,¡± She eventually spoke up. ¡­ ¡°¡­ What?¡­¡± I asked, ¡°¡­ What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Y-you keep saying that y-you don¡¯t want to go b-back.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°I-if you don¡¯t want to go back,¡± She cut me off, ¡°T-then the only way you can go is f-forward.¡± ¡­ ¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ It makes sense, but¡­ I just don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ ¡°U-um¡­ W-what about this? W-what do you want to d-do right n-now?¡± She asked. ¡°¡­ Just¡­ can we stay like this¡­ I like this¡­ This is what I want right now¡­¡± ¡°O-okay then,¡± She hugged me even tighter than before, this time wrapping her tails around me as well. ¡­ ¡°¡­ Thank you¡­¡± I mumbled We sat like that for what felt like an eternity, but I didn¡¯t mind. For the first time in a while, my mind fell silent, and I was able to just focus on what was happening around me. I was able to just focus on the slight chilling from Ovia¡¯s body. I was able to just focus on the endless darkness that surrounded us. I was able to just focus on¡­ me¡­ what I wanted¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not that g-good at this¡­ E-Eria is better at things like this¡­¡± She suddenly broke the silence, ¡°S-she¡¯s helped me before¡­ more t-than once¡­ I t-tried to copy her, but I k-know I¡¯m not that good.¡± That¡¯s not true¡­ ¡­ If that were true¡­ I wouldn¡¯t feel like this¡­ I think¡­ ¡­ I reached out and hugged one of Ovia¡¯s tails that was waving about just in front of me, hoping that it would make her feel a little better, ¡°¡­ Thank you¡­¡± I buried my face in the tail to hide my embarrassment. She didn¡¯t respond for a while, so I just continued to hold onto her tail, at least until the darkness around us started to lighten up a little. ¡°Oh no!¡± Ovia suddenly shouted, ¡°I-I spent t-too long here.¡± ¡°What?-¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± She freed me from her tails and stood up, ¡°I-I was supposed to p-prepare.¡± ¡°No!¡± I instinctually reached up and grabbed her arm, ¡°Not yet¡­ Please¡­ I¡¯m not ready¡­¡± ¡°B-But I need to prepare for t-today.¡± ¡°Today?¡± ¡°I-I thought you were v-visiting today¡­¡± There was a slight tremble in her voice, ¡°A-are you not?-¡± ¡°No!¡± I interrupted her, ¡°I just¡­ I¡¯m not ready¡­ just a bit longer¡­ please.¡± ¡°U-um¡­ I c-can¡¯t¡­¡± Oh¡­ I pushed it too far¡­ ¡°B-because y-you are about to w-wake up,¡± She added in a panic. ¡­ I¡­ can¡¯t do anything about that¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ Okay¡­¡± I let go of her arm and fell to my knees. ¡°S-see you s-soon then,¡± She waved at me before disappearing from view, leaving just me and the endless ck expanse behind. I knelt there, motionless, as the chill that once filled the space gradually vanished, telling me that this dream was trulying to an end. ¡­ My eyelids slowly opened, revealing the familiar wooden ceiling of the inn. I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ I silently cursed at myself after that thought went through my mind. Even after Ovia visited me in my dreams, I still didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡­ What do you want to do right now? I thought back to Ovia¡¯s question. ¡­ I¡­ want to see you again¡­ ¡­ She said I could visit today¡­ I slid myself out of bed and pulled the curtains back for the first time in days. I expected sunlight to flood the room immediately, but instead, what greeted me was the moon hanging high in the sky. It doesn¡¯t matter what time it is¡­ It¡¯s still today¡­ She said today. ¡°Umbra?¡± I called out. ¡°*Yip*¡± They responded as they climbed out of my shadow. ¡°Can I have my dress?¡± Without making any noise, Umbra brought the dress out and ced it down on the bed. ¡°Thank you.¡± I got changed as quickly as I could, just taking some extra time at the end to pat down my tail to make sure there wasn¡¯t any fur poking out haphazardly. ¡°Alright,¡± I said, turning towards Umbra once again, ¡°Take¡­ everything¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be back¡­¡± ¡°*Yip?*¡± Umbra responded. It was strange for Umbra to talk back to me like that, but¡­ ¡°¡­ Yes¡­ just¡­ please¡­¡± Umbra didn¡¯t respond after that and just took everything from the room into my shadow immediately, leaving it looking just as it had the first time I was brought here. ¡­ I sat on the windowsill in silence for a minute, just contemting what I was about to do. I¡­ No¡­ not again¡­ ¡­ ¡°Thank you¡­ for everything¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Tears started forming in my eyes once again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I need some time¡­ I¡­ I just need some time¡­¡± I made my way out of the inn through the window because I didn¡¯t want to risk running into Ava or Raynelle, not when I was like that. ¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t know why¡­ why I¡¯m like this¡­ I just¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Chapter 46 – Come In Chapter 46 ¨C Come In Please¡­ That word repeated over and over in my mind as I tried my hardest to block out any other thought. Please¡­ I quickly made my way through the familiar streets, deciding to slip through the more dangerous back alleys to get there just a little faster. Please¡­ It wasn¡¯t long before I stood in front of therge ck stone door of Ovia¡¯s temple. Please¡­ I pushed against the door with all the strength I could possibly muster, but it didn¡¯t budge. It might as well have just been a wall. Please¡­ *Thud* My foot slipped from under me, and I fell onto the cold, hard stone below. ¡°Please¡­ just¡­ let me in¡­¡± ¡­ Nothing. Not even a sound, neither from inside nor outside. ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡­ I picked myself off of the ground using the door as a support. Looking down, there was now a gash stretching from my knee down my shin. I tried to push myself off of the door, but my leg just couldn¡¯t take the weight, forcing me to lean back against the door. ¡°Please¡­ just¡­ please¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± The all toomon feeling of tears falling down my cheeks came back, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m¡­ supposed to do¡­¡± ¡­ Still nothing. ¡­ For the first time in a long time¡­ I felt¡­ alone¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡­ thought I was used to this¡­¡± The tears only got worse, showing no signs of letting up. A small pool of blood started to form beneath my foot as the pain in my shin started to re up. Strangely, the pain drew my eyes to be drawn towards the ck ribbon still tied around my wrist. ¡°¡­ She¡¯s not¡­¡± The realisation of what I had just done continued to sink in. There was no Ava to heal my leg, no Raynelle to help me open the door¡­ It was just¡­ me¡­ just like it used to be. ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me¡­¡± my tears started mixing with the still-fresh blood as they continued to cascade off my face and onto the stone below, ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡­¡± ¡­ Then, without warning, the door pulled away, almost causing me to fall again. ¡°Oh,e on! Who is it-¡± Beni poked his head out from behind the door, immediately cutting himself off as his eyes fell on me, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡­ What are you doing here?¡­ I guess your visit was supposed to be today¡­ but is it not a bit early?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I just looked up at him, unable to say anything. ¡°Wait! Why are you out here alone?! Have you been crying? What happened to-¡± He stopped himself again as his eyes slowly moved downwards, ¡°Just¡­e in¡­ Luckily, I¡¯m not alone right now¡­¡± He gestured for me to go in, but my leg still wasn¡¯t able to take my weight. Please¡­ Using the door as a support, I took a single step, being careful not to slip on the pool of blood beneath me. However, as soon as I took that step, I was lifted up into the air by a chain that was coiled up beneath me. ¡°If it hurts, just say so, alright?¡­ don¡¯t try to do everything yourself¡­¡± Beni said as the chains beneath me carried me into the temple. ¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t even know what to think after hearing him say that¡­ ¡­ The temple seemed a little different from thest time I had been there; it was just a little brighter than before. In addition, some of the pews had been removed, and in their ce was a single round table surrounded by a few chairs and topped with a bottle of a dark red liquid that was probably wine. Sitting in one of the seats was a woman with brown hair tied into a ponytail, though that was far from what stood out about her. In the darkness, her golden eyes made her resemble a lighthouse, lighting up whatever she was looking at. It was almost funny to look at, so much so that it almost made me forget why I was there in the first ce. ¡°Celica¡­ We¡¯ve got a guest who could use some help¡­¡± Beni called out. I was immediately cast in the spotlight as Celica turned her attention towards me. ¡°Oh my! Is that the little kitsune? Are you doing okay? Have your growing painse back? Oh no, what happened to your leg?¡± She tried to get out of her seat, but Beni gestured for her to sit back down as he brought me closer. He gently ced me down on Celica¡¯sp as he sat just opposite the two of us. ¡°Have you been crying?¡± Celica ran her finger across my cheek, ¡°Your eyes are a little red.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Still not talking? Wait! That doesn¡¯t matter right now. Let¡¯s fix that leg of yours first,¡± She didn¡¯t even hesitate before cing her hand on my bloody shin. The whole room was lit up as she used her magic, though, for some reason, it just¡­ didn¡¯t feel right to me. It¡¯s¡­ wrong¡­ It¡¯s¡­ too clean¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s not¡­ ¡­ Ava¡­ No! Stop! Stop doing this to yourself! It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, my mind was determined to remind me of just what situation I was now in at every possible opportunity. ¡°Is that better?¡± Celica asked as she lifted her hand. ¡­ My leg¡­ doesn¡¯t hurt anymore¡­ But¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I just nodded, not wanting her to ask any more questions. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± Beni spoke up, with the bottle that was on the table now missing, ¡°Now¡­ why are you here so early?¡± ¡­ I¡­ ¡­ I want¡­ ¡°¡­ to see¡­ her¡­¡± Silence filled the room. Neither of them even reacted to me talking; they just sat there silently, staring at me. Why? What did I do wrong this time? ¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ Please¡­ ¡°How are you so adorable?¡± Celica suddenly wrapped her arms around me, ¡°Is there some kind of secret? Can you tell me? Maybe it¡¯s-¡± ¡°*Cough* Unfortunately¡­ you¡¯re a bit too early¡­¡± Beni immediately interrupted Celica¡¯s line of questioning, ¡°The Goddess is still preparing¡­¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. I couldn¡¯t say anything. But¡­ what else am I supposed to do? I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ ¡°Now¡­ while your waiting here¡­ what has happened?¡­ I noticed your big friend isn¡¯t with you¡­¡± I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ It- It¡¯s my fault¡­ I did it¡­ ¡°Aww, don¡¯t cry,¡± Celica wiped my tears away with her sleeve, ¡°I might not be able to help with what¡¯s bothering you, I¡¯m not very good at this kind of thing. You see, my magic doesn¡¯t work on the heart, or would it be the brain?¡­ But that doesn¡¯t matter at all. You¡¯ve got the best possible person to talk to sitting right in front of you!¡± She looked up at Beni, making him squint as the light shone directly into his eyes. ¡°Celica¡­¡± Beni started to talk but was immediately interrupted. ¡°He¡¯s lived like¡­ three whole lifetimes!¡± Celica was moving around a lot, making herp incredibly ufortable. ¡°I haven¡¯t-¡± ¡°You must have,¡± Celica interrupted Beni again, ¡°You¡¯ve done way too much and have way too many stories for just one lifetime, so you must have lived more, that¡¯s the only exnation!¡± Beni simply sighed in resignation as if he had been through this many times before and already knew that trying to argue any further would be pointless. ¡°I had an¡­ eventful life¡­ before I became an Emissary¡­¡± He sighed again, ¡°Both the twin Goddesses and Celica¡­ seem to like my stories¡­ but that doesn¡¯t matter right now¡­ what¡¯s going on with you?¡­¡± ¡­ Ovia¡­ likes them¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ What¡­ stories does¡­ she like?¡­¡± I asked. ¡°What about?¡­ no¡­ if you don¡¯t want to talk about it¡­ I can¡¯t force you¡­¡± He sighed again, ¡°Well¡­ she likes my stories from when I was an adventurer¡­ she¡¯s always asking for more¡­ though I don¡¯t have too many¡­ and don¡¯t get any new ones these days¡­¡± Adventurer?¡­ ¡­ ¡°Now that looks better¡­¡± A slight smile spread across his face. What? ¡°Huh, You already stopped crying? It was that easy?¡± Celica pulled me backwards into her chest and lifted my chin up, so she could see my face, ¡°You look much better when you¡¯re not crying¡­ I knew Beni would be able to do it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± ¡°You did.¡± ¡°No, I¡­ whatever¡­¡± ¡°See, Beni is good at this kind of thing. It¡¯s almost like his own unique magic.¡± ¡­ ¡°¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± Beni leaned forward in his chair, ¡°You haven¡¯t told us anything yet¡­¡± ¡­ I want¡­ help but¡­ ¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ I can tell you what I do know¡­ No one has all the answers¡­ there just isn¡¯t enough room in your head for all of them¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if that was an attempt at a joke or if he was serious, as his expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest. ¡°That¡¯s why we look for other people¡­ they might know the answers we don¡¯t¡­ does that make sense?¡­ and you¡¯ve got some alrightpany¡­ you even know two Goddesses¡­ you just need to ask someone¡­¡± ¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ They¡¯re not¡­ ¡­ I¡­ No¡­ ¡­ I ruined it¡­ I¡¯ve already ruined it¡­ ¡­ What am I¡­ supposed to do? ¡­ I¡­ I want- ¡°Ooh! I like that!¡± Celica shouted, interrupting my train of thought, ¡°Can I use that one for myself?¡± ¡°Have I ever said no?¡­¡± Beni responded. ¡°No?¡± ¡°So¡­ what do you think my answer is?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°Yes, Celica¡­ you can use it¡­¡± ¡°Great!¡± Celica shouted straight into my ear, almost making me scream out from just how loud it was. ¡­ Am I even supposed to be here? ¡°Now, now, Celica¡­ can you let go of the little fox?¡­ I think she is getting a little ufortable¡­¡± Beni said as he gestured towards me. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Instead of letting me go, she squeezed me tighter before using her magic on me again, immediately making the pain in my ear disappear. ¡°Celica?¡­¡± Beni¡¯s voice was unusually stern. ¡°A¡­ fine¡­¡± She pouted as she finally released me from her hug. ¡°Is that better?¡± Beni asked. I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know which of you two is more of a handful¡­ but¡­ back to what I was saying¡­ If there is something you don¡¯t know¡­ you just need to ask¡­ If we¡¯re too scary¡­ I¡¯m sure you could ask one of your friends¡­ or even one of the Goddesses¡­ I know at least one of them would drop everything if you asked for help¡­¡± What? ¡­ What does that mean? I don¡¯t¡­ understand¡­ Why would the Goddesses-?¡­ ¡°So¡­ is there anything you want to ask?¡­ is there anything either of us can help with?¡­¡± ¡­ Is there anything I want to ask?¡­ ¡­ I¡­ ¡­ What even¡­ is the problem I¡¯m having?¡­ Why am I-?¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I¡­ ¡°¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ anymore¡­¡± The words slipped out in between my sobs, ¡°I¡­ I¡­ What is¡­ wrong with me?¡­¡± Beni knocked his chair over as he got up and knelt down in front of me, grabbing both my hands, ¡°Whoa there!¡­ There¡¯s nothing wrong with you¡­ Okay?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± He squeezed my hands just slightly, ¡°Just calm down¡­ you¡¯re not alone¡­¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡­ I am¡­ and¡­ It¡­ It¡¯s my fault¡­ I ran away¡­ I left them¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I ruined it¡­ I¡­ I¡­ Please¡­ ¡°No buts¡­ you have the two of us here right now¡­ right?¡± He nced just over the top of my head as he spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Celica ced her hands on my shoulders from behind. ¡°Look¡­ if there¡¯s something going on¡­ you can alwayse here¡­ or you could go to the other temple if you¡¯re hurt¡­ though that might be a little harder¡­ with how busy it is¡­¡± ¡°Yes! You should visit more often, even if nothing is wrong.¡± ¡­ ¡°But¡­ I think the best people for you to talk to¡­ would be your two friends¡­¡± He squeezed my hands again, almost like he was worried I was about to pull them away, ¡°Those two care an awful lot about you¡­ maybe even a little too much¡­ I still remember how our first encounter went¡­¡± But¡­ I¡­ ¡­ Can¡¯t¡­ ¡­ I ruined it¡­ I ran away¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s my fault¡­ ¡°Oh,e on¡­ don¡¯t start crying again¡­ you-¡± He was interrupted by the appearance of a small dark orb just next to his ear, ¡°¡­ Alright, she¡¯s already here¡­ I¡¯ll send her on her way soon¡­¡± The orb vanished just as quickly as it appeared, ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m sure you can guess¡­ but the Goddess is ready for you now¡­ and I don¡¯t think you want to show her you crying¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°¡­ N-no¡­¡± I responded. ¡°Alright¡­¡± He wiped my tears away as I tried my best to stop them from flowing, ¡°Now¡­ go forget about whatever is bothering you for a bit¡­ just rx a little¡­ do you promise?¡± ¡­ I nodded. ¡°Good¡­ I¡¯ll still be here after youe back¡­ so if you feel like you want to talk afterwards¡­ I will be ready and waiting¡­¡± Both Beni and Celica then released me from their grasp so I could make my way further into the temple, into the darkness and¡­ towards Ovia once again. Chapter 47 – I’m Fine Chapter 47 ¨C I¡¯m Fine Just¡­ Just follow the n¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s all you need to do¡­ I continued walking into the darkness, feeling the temperature around me fall with each step. But unlike thest time I walked this path, all it did was make me start to tense up. Don¡¯t ruin this¡­ Please¡­ Just follow the n¡­ ¡­ Give the gift¡­ Tell her¡­ I did what she asked me to¡­ Show her the¡­ drawing¡­ ¡­ No! Don¡¯t hesitate now¡­ ¡­ Just¡­ follow the n¡­ It will work itself out¡­ I just kept on walking, at least until I walked into something that was unexpectedly soft. Before I could even register what I had just walked into, my instinct was to take a step back, but as I did, I was immediately pulled back into it. ¡°H-hello¡­ K-Kierra,¡± I had identally walked into Ovia while I wasn¡¯t paying attention, ¡°W-wee back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t want to say anything, just in case the wrong words came out of my mouth. I just hugged her back instead. I know I shouldn¡¯t¡­ But¡­ I want to stay like this¡­ ¡­ After a little while, Ovia gently pushed me away, forcing me to remove my arms from around her waist. ¡°K-Kierra-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I interrupted Ovia. No¡­ I¡­ I need to follow the n¡­ I just need to follow the n¡­ ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Come on Kierra¡­ just¡­ give her the hair clip¡­ Just follow the n¡­ ¡°I¡­ I have¡­¡± Even though I knew what I wanted to say, I was still a little hesitant to actually say anything, just in case. I¡¯m fine¡­ I have to be fine¡­ I can¡¯t worry her again¡­ While I was struggling to speak, Umbra must have poked their head out as the small ck box with the hair clip in it was quietly ced into my hand. ¡°I¡­¡± Just do it¡­ Giving up on trying to say anything, I just held the box out in front of me, hoping that Ovia would understand without me having to say anything. ¡°I-Is that f-f-for me?¡± She asked, holding her hands out in front of her. I nodded, prompting her to take the box from me, cupping it with both of her hands. ¡°T-thank you¡­¡± Her voice got quieter as she spoke, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what to s-say¡­¡± She opened the box, her hands noticeably trembling as she did, revealing the hair clip inside. It was a fairly simple, narrow white barrette, but on one side, there was arge ck nine-tailed fox curled up and sleeping peacefully, with a much smaller white fox, with only a single tail, sleeping on top of them. The design was small enough that even from a small distance, it would be a little difficult to make out what it was. I made the design both small and simple intentionally so that Ovia could wear it without being embarrassed¡­ and then¡­ just maybe¡­ she could wear it a little more often because of that¡­ Ovia didn¡¯t say anything as she looked at the hair clip. Was that¡­ not good enough?¡­ ¡­ What was I thinking?! Giving a hair clip to a Goddess. Of course that¡¯s not good enough. I¡­ Why did I?¡­ ¡°U-um¡­ C-c-can y-you¡­¡± She held the open box back out toward me, ¡°p-p-put it on for me?¡± she said thest few words so quickly that I almost didn¡¯t understand what she was asking me. ¡­ I nodded, taking the hair clip from her as she leaned forward so that I could reach her head. I carefully put the clip on for her, using it to pull some of her hair away from her eyes. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m done¡­¡± My voice was so quiet that it would have been hard to even call it a whisper, but that didn¡¯t matter. Ovia clearly heard me as she immediately lifted her head back up. ¡°W-what does it look like?¡± She asked. Before I could even try to answer her, she flicked one of her tails, and a mirror emerged out of the darkness. ¡°¡­ I¡­ like it¡­¡± She ran her fingers over the hair clip as she spoke. I stood and watched as Ovia looked at herself in the mirror. After a while, there was a slight sh of light next to her ear, which made her stop. ¡°O-oh¡­ Y-yes!¡± Her eyes snapped to me, ¡°K-Kierra-¡± ¡°N-not yet!¡± I interrupted her again. I knew that I shouldn¡¯t interrupt a Goddess like that, but I needed to follow the n. I just¡­ couldn¡¯t allow myself to make a mistake; I couldn¡¯t allow myself to make her worry again. What was next?¡­ ¡­ Name¡­ I did what she asked¡­ I told someone my name¡­ I need to tell her¡­ ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± I tried to tell her all about how I had managed to do what she asked me to, but every time I opened my mouth, I could feel tears starting to well up. Don¡¯t cry! I¡¯m fine¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ Maybe I can¡­ I can¡­ show the drawing instead! ¡­ Then I don¡¯t need to talk! I reached behind me once again, and thankfully, Umbra understood what I wanted and promptly ced the notebook in my hand. I quickly flipped through the pages until Inded on the page with the drawing of Ava and Raynelle sleeping together. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°A-are you-?¡± Ovia started to ask. I¡¯m fine! I nodded, wiping my face just in case some tears had fallen without me knowing. I¡¯m fine. ¡°Name¡­¡± I turned the notebook around and pointed at the drawing, ¡°I¡­ told them¡­ my n-name.¡± Each word was a struggle, and I could feel the pressure behind my tears building with each word. It had already gotten to the point where it was painful to hold them back, making it even harder to keep myself in check. I¡¯m fine. I¡­ can hold it in¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ ruin this. Ovia turned her attention to the drawing, leaning in a bit closer. At least, that¡¯s what I thought she was doing. ¡°Y-you did it!¡± She suddenly fell to her knees and embraced me, ¡°C-congrattions!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I wanted to say something to her, but I knew the moment I opened my mouth, I would just end up wetting her shoulder instead. I¡¯m fine¡­ I have to be. Right at that moment, the room brightened up, revealing Aria standing at the entrance. ¡°Well done, I know that couldn¡¯t have been very easy for you,¡± Aria said as she walked up to the two of us. I didn¡¯t respond to her. I had to focus; my breathing was steadily getting heavier and heavier as I continued to hold back my tears. ¡°Now, Sister,¡± She turned her attention to Ovia, ¡°I can see you¡¯re having a good time right now, but why don¡¯t we get up off of the floor and go sit down?¡± Ovia stayed quiet for a short moment but eventually relented, ¡°Okay_¡­¡± However, instead of releasing me from her grasp she lifted me up into into a princess carry as she stood up. Aria let out a small chuckle as I was lifted, though Ovia didn¡¯t seem to notice as she continued to carry me along with her. ¡°I-I saw¡­ y-you found the chair awkward lst time¡­ T-these are nicer.¡± Awkward? ¡­ I guess¡­ chairs are a little ufortable¡­ because of my tail¡­ But¡­ isn¡¯t that normal? Instead of the two couches from thest time I visited there were what looked like severalrge round cushions, almost resembling bags filled with wool. Ovia awkwardly draped me over the smallest one, such that I was lying on my stomach with my tail pointing straight up. The cushion was much softer than I was expecting, as just by lying there I slowly sank into it. Ovia checked that I wasfortable before both she and Aria sat on the tworger cushions in front of me. ¡°She won¡¯t tell you this, but she made the first one of these chairs herself when she was still just a little kit,¡± Aria chuckled to herself. ¡°E-Eria!¡± ¡°She keptining about how she just couldn¡¯t sit in such a way that her tail wasfortable no matter what she tried, so one day she locked herself in her room and the next she came out carrying one of these.¡± Ovia¡¯s face slowly turned red as Aria continued to speak. ¡°The vige elders weren¡¯t too fond of it, but she carried it around with her everywhere anyway. I sometimes wish I could see you doing that again, even back then I thought it was adorable.¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t need to t-tell her¡­¡± ¡°Oh, but I do. After all, I still remember chasing you around trying to get you to make one for me.¡± ¡°B-but I-I did!¡± ¡°Yes you did¡­ and I still have it. It was simply too precious to leave behind.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Aria didn¡¯t say anything further and just smiled instead as Ovia became an even brighter shade of red. The whole situation caught me off guard, so much so that I almost managed to forget about my tears. Unfortunately, the pain in the back my throat prevented me from forgettingpletely. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough teasing you,¡± Aria said as she pped her hands together, ¡°Today is supposed to be all about the little kitsune who came to visit after all.¡± ¡°Oh! E-Eria look!¡± Ovia pointed at the hair clip I had given her, ¡°K-Kierra made it¡­ f-for¡­ me¡­¡± ¡°I must say¡­ it¡¯s very well made,¡± Aria said as she turned towards me ¡°Will I have to chase you around to get one for myself now?¡± I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything, but thankfully Ovia decided to speak up in my ce. ¡°No!¡± She shouted, before quickly quieting down, ¡°I-it¡¯s¡­ special¡­ it¡¯s¡­ mine¡­ only¡­ mine¡­¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s a shame, I was really hoping to get my own personalised essories¡­ maybe in the future¡­ though I can¡¯t wait too long. I want to have something I can show off when you eventually be famous.¡± Are they doing this intentionally? Whenever I felt my tears were about to leak out the two of them would suddenly start talking about something else, distracting me, if only for a short while. No, it can¡¯t be¡­ That¡­ doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ ¡­ ¡°S-she also drew s-something,¡± Ovia¡¯s eyes were full of expectation as she looked at me, clearly wanting me to bring the notebook out again. But¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can¡­ hold myself back¡­ ¡­ I hadn¡¯t even decided if I was going to open the notebook again and my throat was already tensing up in preparation. ¡­ I can¡¯t make her worry¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ I quickly opened the notebook, not checking the page that I had opened it to. I knew that if I looked at the drawing again it would be impossible to keep my cheeks dry. ¡­ Silence. Neither of the Goddesses spoke. What?! What did I do wrong?! In a panic, I turned the notebook around and saw the mistake I had just made. Instead of my drawing of Raynelle and Ava sleeping, it was my drawing of Ovia with her arms outstretched. No! No! No! The pages turned quickly as I hastily tried to cover up my mistake. As soon as I saw the slightest hint of a feather on the page I turned the book back around so that I couldn¡¯t see the drawing. Again, silence. I should have torn that page out! ¡­ ¡°W-well¡­¡± Aria stuttered but quickly rposed herself, ¡°It¡¯s a very nice drawing, maybe I could ask you for my own drawing instead of an essory¡­¡± Ovia however, still didn¡¯t say anything and just stared at me. A mix of emotions that I couldn¡¯t name spread across her face. ¡°Sister?¡­¡± Even Aria seemed to be concerned about her, reaching out for Ovia¡¯s shoulder as she spoke, ¡°Are you-?¡± However, her hand never reached Ovia¡¯s shoulder as she leaped out of her chair and over to me, hugging me again, causing me to drop the notebook on the floor. This time though, instead of thefort I felt before, her hug just made it harder for me to hold my tears back. Even though she was cool the the touch, a warmth started to form in my chest. ¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ Thankfully¡­ I managed to hold it in, if only barely. Please¡­ I have to be¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ ¡­ While I was busy holding my tears back, Aria came over and picked up the notebook off of the floor, almost immediately flipping back to the drawing of Ava and Raynelle. ¡°I know I might have said this before¡­ but truly, I¡¯m d you managed to find some good people¡­ even if it took a while.¡± ¡­ ¡­ Aria¡¯s words caused me to freeze up. She probably didn¡¯t mean anything by it¡­ but¡­ that didn¡¯t matter. ¡­ I¡­ I know I made a mistake! My breathing immediately got faster. ¡­ I don¡¯t need to be reminded¡­ I already know! The tears I had been holding back so desperately were starting to force their way out. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­ ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not fine¡­¡± The words just slipped out of my mouth, quickly followed by a cascade of tears that ran down Ovia¡¯s back, ¡°I¡¯m not fine¡­¡± I don¡¯t know what to do¡­ I just¡­ I don¡¯t know anymore¡­ ¡­ ¡°Alright, alright, just try to calm down,¡± Aria had gotten off of her chair and was trying to wipe my tears away, although it didn¡¯t help very much as the tears just kept on falling, ¡°Why are you not fine? What¡¯s happened?¡± No! Don¡¯t say anything¡­ You can¡¯t make them worry¡­ You can¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t do this¡­ Please¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡­ I¡­ ran away¡­¡± No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn¡¯t keep it in anymore. It hurt too much. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start there then,¡± Aria sat down on the ground, ¡°Why did you run away?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know anymore¡­ I was scared¡­ I¡­ I¡­ help¡­ please¡­ help me¡­.¡± ¡°What do you need help with? If you tell us, I can assure you that we¡¯ll both do everything we can to help¡­ anding from a Goddess that means quite a lot.¡± ¡­ What¡­ do I need help with? What¡­ do I even want? ¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ Why don¡¯t I know? Why? Please¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I want¡­ ¡°¡­ to go back¡­ I want to go back¡­¡± I didn¡¯t think it was possible, but my crying only got worse as I continued to speak, ¡°I made a mistake¡­¡± Neither of the Goddesses said anything in response, they just let me cry and cry and cry, until the tears eventually stopped flowing, even if it was only because I had no more tears left to cry. ¡°Sister, let me take over for a bit,¡± Aria put her hand on Ovia¡¯s shoulder and pulled her back, ¡°You can go and get changed into something else, okay?¡± Ovia didn¡¯t say anything in response and just slowly let me go. As she stood up I saw that it wasn¡¯t just the back of her dress that had been soaked through with tears. I looked up at her face but she immediately covered her eyes before walking into a side room. Was she?¡­ ¡°Now that you¡¯ve managed to calm down a little,¡± Aria took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°You ran away, but now you want to go back?¡± ¡­ I nodded. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go back? I¡¯m sure-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± I interrupted her. ¡°And why do you think you can¡¯t?¡± She responded almost immediately. In that short moment something started building up in my chest¡­ and I just didn¡¯t have the strength left to hold it back. ¡°Because it¡¯s my fault! I did it! I got scared! I locked myself away! I ran away!¡­ I ruined it! It is all my fault!¡­ it was just¡­ me¡­ I¡¯m the one who ruined it! It¡¯s all my fault!¡­ and now I want to go back¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ It¡¯s my fault¡­¡± Even with my throat burning the words just kept on flowing. Aria reached her hand out towards me, but I immediately pulled away. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?! They¡­ They didn¡¯t do anything!¡­ They¡­ I don¡¯t know why¡­ but they¡­ never did anything!¡­ I¡¯m the one who did it! It¡¯s my fault!¡­ I ruined it¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t go back!¡± I had to pause and take deep breath to stop myself from passing out, but still, I couldn¡¯t stop the words from spilling out, ¡°Not¡­ after I ruined it¡­ They¡­ wouldn¡¯t want me back¡­ It¡¯s¡­ all my fault¡­¡± Right as I paused to breathe again, Ovia came back out from the darkness, now wearing a new dress. ¡°I¡­ what am I doing?¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look Ovia in the eye after that. Even after everything she has given me, all the help she offered, I still ruined it, I wasted it, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s my fault¡­¡± Ovia immediately ran up to me as soon as I stopped talking. In that moment I knew I should move away. I knew I didn¡¯t deserve what wasing. But despite that, I just stood still as she fell to her knees and embraced me once again. What¡¯s wrong with me? ¡­ ¡°If you could go back, would you?¡± Aria came a little closer now that I was being held in ce by Ovia. ¡°But they-¡± ¡°If they allowed you toe back, would you go back?¡± She almost immediately interrupted me. I¡­ Am I allowed to?¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I want¡­ ¡­ I nodded. But¡­ ¡°¡­ they wouldn¡¯t¡­ I¡­ I chose to run away¡­ why would they want me back?¡­¡± I asked. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t force you to go back¡­ But, I don¡¯t want to see you left out on the streets again.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°No buts, I still feel at least partially responsible for what happened to you in the first ce.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was nothing I could say in response to her. ¡°So¡­ I want to propose a deal, just between me and you, does that sound good to you?¡± ¡­ I nodded. She smiled in response, ¡°What I want to propose to you is a bet,¡± She pulled up a panel, although I wasn¡¯t able to see what was on it, ¡°If those two are willing to take you back, you will go back to them.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°But¡­¡± She interrupted me again, ¡°If they don¡¯t¡­ which I don¡¯t think will happen¡­ I will let you have a room at my temple. If you want I can even ask Celica to start preparing the room right now, does-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Ovia suddenly interrupted, ¡°S-she can have a room¡­ at my t-temple¡­ I-I have more rooms t-to spare.¡± ¡°Alright then, if they don¡¯t let you back you can have a room in one of our temples, you can even choose which you would prefer¡­ At the end of the day, I just don¡¯t want you back on those streets.¡± ¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t say no¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ want to go back to the streets¡­ not again¡­ ¡­ I nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± She waved her hand and the panel that was in front of her glided through the air until it was floating just in front of Ovia, ¡°Now, I know it¡¯s a little early but I think it¡¯s time for you to go back¡­ I¡¯m sure you have a lot to think about right now.¡± But¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ No¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t want¡­ to leave¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t want them to see me like this anymore¡­ I¡¯ve already done enough¡­ ¡­ ¡°O-okay¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ll go back¡­¡± ¡°T-then I-I¡¯ll send you back,¡± Ovia loosened her hug just enough so that she could move her face in front of mine, ¡°B-but¡­ I-I want to do it like t-this¡­¡± She tightened her hug again, but this time I could feel the darkness slowly climbing up my leg, telling me that it wasn¡¯t long before I was sent back. Just before I felt myself slip from Ovia¡¯s grasp I quickly wrapped my arms around her neck. Just¡­ Let me be a little selfish¡­ ¡­ I need it¡­ With thatst thought, I felt Ovia¡¯s presence disappear. Chapter 48 – I Don’t Understand Chapter 48 ¨C I Don¡¯t Understand The air around me quickly warmed back up, but still, I held my eyes closed. Even if I couldn¡¯t feel Ovia between my arms anymore, I just wanted a little longer before I had to go back. Please¡­ I¡­ ¡­ I¡­ Just¡­ ¡°-just stay there!¡± It was Beni¡¯s voice, followed by the sound of a door mming shut. ¡­ It was impossible for me to deny that I was back in the temple any longer. I opened my eyes to find myself in a small room that I didn¡¯t recognise. The walls were made from the same ck stone as the rest of the temple, although, unlike the main room, there were no candles, leaving the room inplete darkness. ¡°You came back sooner than I expected¡­¡± My head instantly spun around to face Beni. Due to theck of light in the room, it was easy to make out a slight red glowing from his eyes that I hadn¡¯t noticed before. Once my eyes met him, he froze for a moment. ¡°Your eyes¡­ Can you-?¡­¡± He shook his head before continuing, ¡°Are you feeling a little better now?¡­¡± Am I¡­ feeling better?¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I guess¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ have to go back to the streets¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I can just stay here! But¡­ is that¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡­ think so¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°You think so¡­ I guess that¡¯s a little better than when you arrived here this morning¡­¡± He crouched down so his eyes were at the same level as mine, ¡°Now¡­ is there anything you want to talk about now?¡­ I did say I would be ready and waiting for when you came back¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well¡­ now that you¡¯ve had some time to think since thest time I asked¡­ what don¡¯t you know?¡­ Maybe if you tell me¡­ I can help this time?¡± There was something about Beni, the way Beni spoke, that just made me want to respond, but I still wasn¡¯t sure what exactly to say. Even though I could feel that I had calmed down a bit, there was still too much going through my head. ¡­ I¡­ I can stay here now¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I can talk to Beni about Ovia¡­ I can ask as many questions as I want¡­ I¡¯m safe¡­ I still have a roof over my head¡­ I can still eat real food¡­ I¡­ I¡­ ¡­ But¡­ ¡°I want¡­ to go back¡­¡± ¡°And where do you want to go back to?¡± Beni immediately responded with another question, not giving me the time to rpose myself. ¡°To Ava. To Raynelle,¡± I didn¡¯t have to think about it, the words just came out, ¡°Back to that inn¡­ back¡­ back before I ran away¡­ before I ruined it¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t cry¡­ instead¡­ why don¡¯t you tell me why you want to go back?¡­¡± Cry? But I¡¯m- ¡°¡­ not crying¡­¡± I knew I wasn¡¯t crying. I couldn¡¯t be crying. My cheeks were still dry. ¡°There might not be any tears running down your face¡­ But the look in your eyes¡­ your limp tail¡­ and folded ears¡­ all those little signs tell me that you are crying¡­ at least on the inside¡­ I have some experience with kitsune after all¡­¡± He chuckled to himself, ¡°You distracted me a little there¡­ Now¡­ can you tell me why you want to go back?¡± Why¡­ I want to go back?¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡­ just do¡­¡± Beni didn¡¯t respond and just kept looking at me as if he was telling me that it was still my turn to speak. So I just kept talking, saying whatever came to mind. ¡°I¡­ I miss my bed¡­ I miss Ava¡¯s cooking¡­ I miss¡­ I miss Raynelle¡­ I miss when she would give me her food even if she went hungry afterwards¡­ when she would sleep on the floor next to me so I wasn¡¯t alone¡­ I miss Ava always trying to brush my tail¡­ always talking to me, even if I didn¡¯t respond¡­¡± There was a tightness in my chest as I struggled to get out thest few words, ¡°I¡­ I just¡­ I don¡¯t want to be left alone any more¡­¡± Again, Beni didn¡¯t say anything, but unlikest time, he reached out to put a hand on my shoulder, letting the chain from the shackle on his wrist drape down my arm. To my surprise, the chain wasn¡¯t heavy at all. If it weren¡¯t for the familiar chilling from it, I probably wouldn¡¯t have even noticed it was there. ¡°It sounds like¡­ you¡¯ve figured it all out yourself¡­ It just took a little push¡­¡± He got up off the floor and headed for the door, ¡°Well, guess that means I should-¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I interrupted him, ¡°I can¡¯t go back¡­¡± He froze once again, clearly taken aback. ¡°Why do you think that?¡­¡± He asked as he awkwardly turned around to face me. ¡°Because they¡­ they wouldn¡¯t want me back¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know why¡­ but they¡­ they never did anything bad to me¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but they helped me¡­¡± What I was feeling at that moment wasn¡¯t sadness anymore; it was¡­ anger¡­ anger directed solely towards myself, ¡°Then I ran away! I left! I threw it all away! I¡­ I did it¡­ Why would they take someone like that back¡­ It could just happen again¡­ I¡­ I just¡­¡± ¡°But¡­ would it happen again?¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± I immediately responded, ¡°I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t do it again¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t want to be¡­ I wouldn¡¯t make that mistake again¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t see a problem¡­¡± He ced one hand on the door handle, ¡°Does that mean if they let you go back with them¡­ you would?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I promised¡­¡± ¡°You promised?¡­¡± He looked confused for a moment but seemed to quickly understand what I meant, ¡°Oh, I see what¡¯s happened¡­ well¡­ if you didn¡¯t make that promise then¡­ Would you go back to them?¡± ¡­ Would I even¡­ deserve to?¡­ They¡­ They wouldn¡¯t want me back anyway¡­ ¡­ But¡­ if¡­ Just¡­ if they¡­ ¡­ Could I-?¡­ ¡­ I nodded. ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s time for you to get up off of the floor¡­¡± He pushed the door open, letting in the little lighting from the candles in the main room, ¡°I don¡¯t think we should keep them waiting much longer¡­¡± Keep who waiting? Beni quickly stepped out of the room, making sure to hold the door open for me as he did. I slowly lifted myself up onto my feet. My legs were a little shaky, but I managed to stay upright as I shuffled towards the open door. I managed to make it to the door frame, where a beam of light almost immediately shone directly at me. The light hade from Celica turning my way. She started saying something, but I couldn¡¯t hear her. My attention was instead being taken up by what I saw behind her. Celica had her hands delicately ced on top of arge ck feathered wing, a slight glowing from them just like when she healed my leg. Following the wing back to the body, there was a girl with ck hair and purple eyes who had clearly been crying just moments before. Next to her sat a tall woman with bright blue eyes and purple hair that reached down to her shoulders. Is that?¡­ No¡­ No¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­I know it can¡¯t be¡­ ¡­ But¡­ I took a step forward and their eyes immediately locked on to me. What if?¡­ I forced myself to take another step, the trembling in my legs only getting worse. I know¡­ I don¡¯t deserve it¡­ I could see the light reflecting off of their tears. But¡­ am I allowed to have¡­ I tried to take another step, but my legs gave out beneath me. Just a little hope¡­ I closed my eyes and braced myself for the fall. ¡­ ¡­ However, there was no thud; there was no pain. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I-I¡­ It was all my fault. Please¡­ Kierra, please don¡¯t run away¡­ pleasee back¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Is it really you?¡­ I¡­ I¡­ ¡­ I opened my eyes to see Ava sprawled out on the floor beneath me, her face wet with tears and eyes red as can be. It¡¯s not your fault¡­ It can¡¯t be your fault¡­ ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t find the right words to say, so instead, I let myself fall against her chest and wrapped my arms around her in a hug. It¡¯s warm¡­ It¡¯s so warm¡­ Both Beni and Celica rushed over to make sure neither of us was hurt, while Raynelle still stood a few steps back. However, even from that distance, I could see that her eyes were a little red, and her jaw was clenched shut. It was the first time I had ever seen her like that. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Celica shouted, quickly sitting Ava up and putting her hands back on her wing, ¡°What if you injure your wing again?!¡± She injured her wing! How?! What happened?! I instinctively reached out towards her wing, but Ava stopped me. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ I just knocked it against the door frame when I left the inn¡­ you¡­ you don¡¯t need to worry about it,¡± Ava was unable to hold back her tears as she spoke, ¡°Just¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ please¡­ please don¡¯t leave¡­ because of what I did¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ If you have to me someone-¡± I tightened my hug on her to stop her from finishing what she was saying. Don¡¯t say that¡­ It¡¯s my fault¡­ I know it was my fault¡­ ¡­ Don¡¯t me yourself¡­ You didn¡¯t do anything. Ava immediately stopped talking and instead brought me in closer to her chest. ¡­ Eventually, Beni had to separate the two of us so that it was easier for Celica to check Ava¡¯s wings and ensure they were all right. Beni lifted me up before setting me back down on my feet; however, as soon as he did, I started to fall,pletely unable to put any strength into my legs. Thankfully, he noticed quickly and caught me. ¡°You with the purple hair¡­ isn¡¯t this your job?¡± Beni called out while still holding me up. Raynelle came over and picked me up, yet she didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t even look me in the eye. ¡°Do I have to guide you every step of the way?¡­¡± Beni sounded more and more annoyed as he spoke, although none of it was directed towards me, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there¡­ talk to the poor girl¡­ How else are you expecting anything to happen?¡± Raynelle looked down at me, letting me see just how desperately she was holding back her tears. ¡°¡­ What¡­ did I do wrong?¡­¡± Her voice was so quiet that I was probably the only one who could hear her. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ Nothing¡­¡± I responded just as quietly. She didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°¡­ I¡­ I want¡­ Can I-?¡­¡± I tried to speak, but the words were getting caught in my throat. ¡°Can you what?¡± She asked, her voice slowly getting both louder and more desperate, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll do what can¡­ just¡­¡± Am I even allowed to ask? ¡­ But¡­ I¡­ I want to¡­ ¡°¡­ Can I¡­e back?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The tears that Raynelle had so desperately been trying to hold back finally started to flow, ¡°Yes!¡­ Of course you can¡­ You can alwayse back. I-I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll never turn you away¡­ not today, not tomorrow, not ever¡­ You couldn¡¯t know how scared I was when I saw your room empty¡­ I just-¡± Why do you care so much?¡­ Why¡­ Why do you always care so much?¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡­ ¡­ But¡­ I¡­ ¡°Thank you¡­ Thank you so much¡­ I¡­ I want to go back¡­¡± I don¡¯t know where they came from, but I somehow managed to cry a few tears of my own in that moment, ¡°I just want to go back¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes¡­ As soon as Ava¡¯s wing is healed up¡­ let¡¯s¡­ go back¡­¡± Just like with Ava before, she was sobbing as she talked, ¡°¡­ let¡¯s go¡­ let¡¯s go home¡­ to our new home¡­ I¡­ I saw you already packed¡­ isn¡¯t that¡­ It¡¯s funny how these things work out sometimes,¡± She tried to put on a smile as she finished talking, but it was clear that she was just trying to stop herself from crying any more than she already had. I nodded. I didn¡¯t care about a new home. I just didn¡¯t want to throw this away. I didn¡¯t want to make this mistake again. It didn¡¯t take much longer until Celica dered that Ava¡¯s wing was perfectly fine. ¡°I guess¡­ it¡¯s time for us to go home¡­¡± Raynelle took Ava under her free arm. ¡°Just wait a second¡­¡± Beni came over to us, holding out two cloaks, one for me and one for Ava, ¡°I think you¡¯re forgetting something¡­¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ for this¡­ and everything else¡­¡± Raynelle responded as she took the cloaks from Beni before putting them on us, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for before¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sorry¡­ you can make up for it by taking care of your little ones¡­¡± ¡°I will¡­ Of course I will¡­¡± With thatstment, Raynelle carried me out of the temple with Ava still held close at her side. ¡­ I don¡¯t understand it¡­ and¡­ I know I don¡¯t deserve it¡­ But¡­ thank you¡­ thank you for this¡­ for everything¡­ ¡­ ¡°Thank you¡­ for taking me back¡­¡± I mumbled as I nuzzled in towards Raynelle¡¯s chest. Chapter 49 – Another Chance Chapter 49 ¨C Another Chance It¡¯s¡­ Soft¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s¡­ ¡­ *Thud* My eyes immediately shot open. I was lying on the floor, cocooned inside a nket that I hadn¡¯t seen before. Looking around, I didn¡¯t recognise the room at all. It was much smaller than the one at the inn. There was a bed, a side table, and a wardrobe, all of which looked brand new. Where am I?! Where¡¯s¡­ ¡°Ava¡­ Raynelle¡­¡± Their names weakly escaped my dry mouth. Seemingly in response to my faint cries, there was a loud thud, followed by loud stomping, getting louder and louder with each stomp until the door in front of me flew open. ¡°Kierra!¡± Raynelle burst into the room, and immediately, her eyes locked onto me, ¡°What happened?! Ava! Drop whatever you¡¯re doing ande here! Quickly!¡± She leaned down and lifted me into her arms, keeping me wrapped tightly in the nket. ¡°Where?¡­¡± I tried to ask, but my voice was still faint. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t push yourself,¡± Raynelle put her finger to my lips, ¡°I¡¯ve got you now.¡± Ava came into the room soon after, looking a little ragged withrge dark circles painted around her purple eyes. ¡°What happened?!¡± She shouted, stumbling a little as she came up to Raynelle and me. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think she rolled off her bed. I found her on the floor when I came in.¡± Raynelle said as she knelt down so it was easier for Ava to reach me, ¡°Just do what you can.¡± My bed? But¡­ I don¡¯t know this ce?¡­ ¡­ Ava¡¯s hands glowed with the familiar soft light of her healing magic, her usual smile contorting slightly as she ced her hand on my forehead. Ava¡­ you¡­ I wanted to reach my arm out towards her. To tell her that I was fine, that she didn¡¯t need to push herself, but the nket wrapped around me held my arms firmly in ce. ¡°Ava¡­¡± As the word left my mouth, I saw a little panic on Raynelle¡¯s face, but I kept trying to speak anyway, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ okay now¡­ It¡­ doesn¡¯t¡­ hurt¡­¡± Ava paused for a second, though she didn¡¯t stop using her magic, ¡°I¡­ need to make sure¡­ I¡­ Just¡­ please let me do this¡­¡± her voice dropped to little more than a whisper, ¡°I still need to make up for what I did¡­¡± ¡­ My heart tightened hearing her say that. I knew that it was something that I wasn¡¯t meant to hear, but still¡­ I just couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Yet despite that, I couldn¡¯t find any words to say to her¡­ so instead, I stayed silent, letting Ava continue to try to heal me if that would make her feel a little better. I¡¯m sorry¡­ Raynelle ultimately stepped in to stop Ava when her hands started shaking, ¡°Ava, why don¡¯t you go lie down for a bit? You could really use the rest. You haven¡¯t slept properly since-¡± ¡°No!¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ I¡­ I still need to finish cooking dinner, and it¡¯s gettingte¡­ thest time Kierra ate¡­ I don¡¯t know, but she must be hungry¡­¡± Ava shuffled out of the room, her wing colliding with the door frame as she did. ¡°Ava¡­¡± Raynelle turned away from the door, instead walking over to the bed andying me down, ¡°Well, I guess you can look forward to dinner in a bit. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± What¡¯s going on? This¡­ This isn¡¯t what I remember¡­ What about Ava? Shouldn¡¯t you stop her? ¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much; you¡¯ll start getting wrinkles around your eyes like me,¡± Raynelle chuckled slightly, though even I could tell that it was far from sincere. Are you¡­ ¡°¡­Okay?¡± I asked. ¡°Hmm¡­ Oh. Yes. I¡¯m okay, just¡­ a little tired¡­ Ava too, as you could probably see¡­ poor girl,¡± Her eyes seemed to ze over for just a second before she suddenly came back to life, ¡°B-but don¡¯t think it¡¯s your fault! It¡¯s¡­ um¡­ ah! We spent thest few days moving our stuff over here from the inn, buying all the new stuff we needed, and cleaning. A lot of cleaning. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much cleaning the two of us have done thest few days.¡± Her sudden outburst made me jump a little. The movement made the nket around me loosen just enough that it slid off of me, sending a slight chill through my body as the air surrounded my skin. Raynelle¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Is it cold? Do you need me to wrap you up again?¡± She grabbed the nket, her hands trembling just slightly. I slowly lifted my hand to meet hers, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure? You need to tell me, alright? I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want you to¡­¡± The pang in my heart came back in full force as Raynelle spoke. It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡­ ¡­ I just¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ ¡­ ¡°Where¡­ are¡­ we?¡± I asked, trying to distract Raynelle and myself so that I could try and escape the feeling in my chest, even if just for a brief moment. ¡°This¡­¡± She paused for a moment before sitting down on the bed next to me, ¡°This is our new home¡­ your new home Kierra,¡± She brushed some of my hair out of my face, ¡°This is your room from now on¡­. We even left a gift in your wardrobe¡­ though we can save that for when you are feeling a bit better, alright?¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡± ¡°Good¡­ then for now, just rx a bit. I¡¯m sure Ava will have dinner ready soon, and then after that, you can get a proper night''s rest¡­ I think you really need it,¡± She said, standing up and walking over to the door, ¡°I¡¯ll just go check up on Ava. When she¡¯s finished cooking, I¡¯lle and get you, okay?¡± I nodded, watching as the door closed behind her. As soon as she was out of sight, my body rxed, although¡­ my mind did anything but. I¡¯m really back¡­ They¡­ They really took me back¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s¡­ different¡­ But¡­ they¡¯re here¡­ ¡­ They¡¯re here with me¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I¡­ Not again¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ ¡­ I can¡¯t throw this away¡­ This¡­ This might be¡­ ¡­ Another chance¡­ I felt my tear ducts squeeze, but nothing came out. ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m¡­ thirsty¡­¡± My voice grew more hoarse with each word. ¡­ It took a little while, but I eventually managed to sit myself up and noticed that a ss of water had been left on the side table next to me. They¡­ ¡­ How¡­ do they always know what I¡¯m thinking?¡­ I picked the ss up and drank. A sense of relief washed over me as the cool liquid quickly soothed my parched throat. Right as I finished drinking, there was a knock on the door, followed by Raynelle letting herself in. ¡°Kierra? Dinner¡¯s ready,¡± She said as she walked up to me, ¡°If you need me to, I can carry you to the table, or if that¡¯s too much, I can bring your food here, and you can eat on your bed, just like-¡± She stopped herself, cupping her hand over her face as if she was about to say something she shouldn¡¯t. I¡­ Slowly, I slid myself off the bed,nding on my feet but wobbling just a little. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ walk¡­¡± I muttered. While my throat wasn¡¯t as dry anymore, my voice was still weak. Raynelle immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me close to her, ¡°I know it¡¯s not far, but if you need to, you can always lean on me. I can take it.¡± I nodded as I took my first few steps, shakily making my way out of my room and into a short hallway. There were three other doors in the hallway that had been left open. The room next to mine was another bedroom, and on the other side of the hallway was both a bathroom and kitchen. ¡°It¡¯s just to your left, okay?¡± Raynelle used her free hand to turn me towards the dining room, where Ava was already sitting with her head against the table. I made my way over to the table, almost falling once, but luckily, Raynelle caught me and got me back on my feet before anything actually happened. Once I got to the table, Raynelle lifted me up and ced me in the chair next to Ava. ¡°This is why I told her to get some rest,¡± She sat down before gently poking Ava¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Hey, are you going to eat now? Or do you want me to carry you to your bed?¡± Ava lifted her head from the table and looked around before picking up the fork next to her te, ¡°I¡¯ll eat¡­¡± She stabbed her fork into the steak in front of her, bringing the entire piece of meat to her mouth. ¡°Ava,e on. Just give that to me. I¡¯ll help you out,¡± Raynelle took the fork from Ava before cutting her steak into smaller pieces, ¡°Kierra, do you want me to do the same for you?¡± I shook my head as I picked up my own knife and fork and started eating. The food was just as good as it always was, seemingly disappearing as soon as I took my first bite. ¡°Just leave your te on the table, I¡¯ll¡­ sort it out in the morning. I think all of us could use a good night¡¯s sleep right now, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Raynelle said as she jostled Ava again, ¡°You can head to your room by yourself, or you can wait for me to get Ava in bed, and I¡¯ll carry you there. I¡¯m just a bit worried about leaving her like this right now-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Ava stood up before awkwardly shuffling down the hallway while mumbling under her breath, ¡°Just¡­ worry about¡­ her for now¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡± The speed at which she disappeared into the bedroom next to mine was surprising considering her state. ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s get you in bed as well then,¡± Raynelle picked me up, wiping away some stray crumbs from around my mouth. She took me back into my room,ying me down on the bed and tucking me in while making sure I wasfortable in the new bed. ¡°Just focus on getting some sleep for now,¡± She brushed some hair out of my face, ¡°If you need anything, I¡¯ll be sleeping next door, okay? Don¡¯t be afraid of waking me up.¡± I nodded, and Raynelle left the room soon after. Once she was gone, Umbra came out of my shadow and snuggled under the covers with me, gently purring as they did. I wrapped my arms around Umbra before closing my eyes and trying to sleep. ¡­ ¡­ But I just couldn¡¯t. Whenever I closed my eyes, a looming feeling of dread washed over me, a fear that as soon as I opened my eyes again, everything would be gone. I¡¯d be back on the streets, alone, after throwing everything away. Having Umbra in my arms helped a little, but no matter what, that feeling just wouldn¡¯t go away. ¡­ I¡­ need to make sure. I got out of my bed and made my way down the short hallway, with Umbra following close behind me, until I stood in front of the door to their room. They¡­ should be there¡­ Behind this door¡­ ¡­ I brought my hand up to knock but couldn¡¯t actually bring myself to. What if¡­ ¡°¡­ they¡¯re not¡­ here¡­¡± ¡­ My body stiffened at the idea. What if this was just a dream? What if I really did ruin everything? What if-? I was abruptly taken out of my thoughts by the sound of some light scratching. My heart sank as I saw Umbra wing at the door. Before I could do anything about it, the door opened. ¡°What happened Kierra?¡± Raynelle poked her head out, keeping her voice down, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± The panic in her voice was subtle but unmissable. ¡­ I don¡¯t know what came over me at that moment. It was as if my mouth started moving on its own. ¡°Can I¡­ sleep¡­ with you¡­¡± Raynelle didn¡¯t even wait a second before responding, ¡°Yes, of course you can. Kierra, if that¡¯s what you want, you cane to sleep with me whenever you want.¡± Even in the dark, I could see the relief spread across her face as she spoke to me. ¡°Is your little friend also going to join us?¡± She pointed at Umbra. I didn¡¯t respond. I wanted Umbra to sleep with me as well, but I didn¡¯t know if that would be okay. ¡°I thought I told you to stop worrying so much, hey?¡± she crouched down, patting Umbra on their head, ¡°It¡¯s fine if they want to sleep on the pillows just above us.¡± I nodded, and she immediately picked me up, carrying me into the room beforeying down in her bed with me still in her arms. Umbra curled up just above my head as Raynelle tucked me in. ¡°Are youfortable? Just-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave me out¡­¡± Ava slowly mbered out of her own bed, making her way across the room, ¡°It¡¯s not fair if you keep the fluff to yourself Mom¡­¡± She fell right next to me on the bed, instantly falling asleep as her head hit the pillow. ¡°I guess we¡¯ve got some extrapany tonight,¡± Raynelle chuckled a little, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t mind¡­¡± I said as I brought my tail around in front of me and hugged it. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll see you in the morning Kierra. Sweet Dreams.¡± I closed my eyes, and unlike before, I didn¡¯t feel the fear that this would all disappear. I could hear their breathing. I could feel their heat on either side of me. I knew they were right there with me, that I wasn¡¯t imagining it. ¡°Thank You¡­¡± I whispered into my tail as I drifted off to sleep. Chapter 50 – A Worried Goddess Chapter 50 ¨C A Worried Goddess [Ovia POV] Did I do the right thing? ¡­ What if-? No¡­ I can¡¯t think like that. I need to¡­ ¡­ What exactly do I need to do?! My hand reached up to my hair clip by itself, my fingers gliding across the smooth surface as my mind raced, considering everything that I could have done differently. ¡°I quite like what the little kitsune did with your hair,¡± Eria said as she came up behind me, ¡°She might have a hidden talent that she doesn¡¯t even know about.¡± ¡°¡­ H-how are you n-not worried?¡± I asked, my hands starting to shake. ¡°Hmm¡­ What do you mean?¡± She sat down next to me, cing one of her tails in myp. ¡°D-did I do the¡­ r-right thing? What if s-she gets hurt again?¡­¡± I instinctually ran my fingers through Eria¡¯s tail, ¡°M-maybe I should have kept her h-here? W-what if it goes wrong again?¡± Eria pulled me into a hug before she responded, ¡°You sound more and more like that little kitsune every time she visits,¡± She chuckled slightly, ¡°I know you were watching when they took her back-¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I interrupted, ¡°W-what if?¡­¡± ¡°Oh, sister, what are you so worried about? You know she¡¯s a smart girl. Even if the worst were to happen, she would be able to take care of herself.¡± ¡°¡­ W-what about the other t-two? What if they c-change?¡± ¡°And why do you think they would change?¡± She asked, a confused expression spread across her face. ¡°B-because K-Kierra ran away,¡± I buried my face in Eria¡¯s tail, ¡°W-what if they feel¡­ b-betrayed?¡± ¡°Sister¡­ the little kitsune was only away from them for a few hours,¡± She gently lifted my face out of her tails, ¡°They¡¯re not going to suddenly hate her or anything because of that. You¡¯ve seen how they have treated her. You know that they are good people.¡± ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t want h-her to get h-hurt¡­ n-not again,¡± tears started welling up in my eyes, ¡°I-I already did that t-to her before! I c-can¡¯t let it happen again!¡± Eria didn¡¯t respond and just let me cry into her shoulder until I eventually tired myself out. ¡°Sometimes I think you care about that little kitsune a little too much,¡± She said, lifting me off her shoulder, ¡°Why don¡¯t you start worrying about yourself just as much?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know¡­ it¡¯s hard for me to help you if you suddenly choose to be silent?¡± ¡°¡­¡± But I don¡¯t know what to say. I just¡­ can¡¯t help but worry about her. Eria¡¯s expression softened, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try talking about something else then¡­ How about¡­ What do you want to do the next time the little kitsunees to visit?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What do I want to do?¡­ I¡­ I want to make her happy, not like this time. I don¡¯t want to watch her cry like that again. ¡­ ¡°I-I want to m-make her smile!¡± I blurted out. ¡°There you are,¡± Eria once again pulled me into a hug, ¡°That¡¯s more like the little sister I remember.¡± ¡°B-but we¡¯re twins!¡± She justughed in response, jostling me around a bit as she did, ¡°You should show this cute side of yours to the little kitsune. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love it just as much as I do.¡± But I¡¯m a Goddess¡­ I can¡¯t show her that. ¡°Sister, I can almost hear your thoughts,¡± She said, ¡°I really can¡¯t wait until you finally break out of your shell so everyone else can see just how adorable you are.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but blush at her words, ¡°B-but I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°But you are,¡± She ran her fingers through my tail, making me flinch, ¡°I¡¯m sure if that little kitsune called you adorable, you wouldn¡¯t argue back like this.¡± If Kierra¡­ What if she did? What should I?¡­ ¡°N-no, I¡¯m a G-Goddess. I-I¡¯m not a-adorable.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you be both?¡± Eria asked, her hand moving to another one of my tails. ¡­ Why can¡¯t I¡­ be both?¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°I just can¡¯t!¡± I stood up in order to stop Eria from ying with my tails, ¡°I-I¡¯m the G-Goddess of Darkness and D-Dreams. I-I¡¯m not supposed to be adorable.¡± ¡°Sister, I think you forgot something. You¡¯re not just the Goddess of Darkness and Dreams,¡± Eria chuckled, ¡°What about-¡± No! Not that! At that moment, my heart started to race, and I leapt towards Eria, knocking her off the chair and cupping my hands over her mouth to stop her from speaking. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not supposed to say it!¡± I shouted, panicking, ¡°W-What if someone is listening?!¡± If that got out¡­ What would I do?! I-I can¡¯t let anyone know! Eria slowly pushed my hand away, ¡°I really don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve managed to keep it a secret for so long. Somehow, I¡¯m still the only person who knows.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s because-¡± ¡°Maybe I should tell the little kitsune,¡± She interrupted me, ¡°I¡¯m sure she would love to know.¡± I could tell that she was just trying to tease me, but the idea was instantly lodged inside my mind. What if I told her? ¡­ No. No, I can¡¯t do that. But¡­ What would she think about it? ¡­ Maybe¡­ ¡°N-no,¡± I mumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t t-tell her.¡± ¡°Aw, that¡¯s a shame. I just know that she would-¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll d-do it,¡± I interrupted Eria, surprising even myself with what I said, ¡°Eventually¡­ J-just not yet¡­¡± She just stared back at me in silence. Not a word came out of her mouth. Was that wrong? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? I tried to decipher her expression but just couldn¡¯t. ¡°E-Eria?¡± I called out to her, my voice shaking. ¡°Oh,¡± In that moment, she suddenly came back to life, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just¡­ surprised¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to actually want to tell her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s-¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a wee change,¡± She put her finger up to my lips, ¡°So now I¡¯m going to hold you to your word. One day you need to tell the little kitsune all about it.¡± ¡­ ¡°I-I will,¡± I muttered to myself, pouting a little, ¡°T-that¡¯s what I said I would do after all.¡± Eria chuckled a little as she picked herself off the floor. ¡°Just think of it as some insurance,¡± She extended her hand out to me, ¡°I¡¯ll be there to remind you just in case you ever forget.¡± I took her hand, and she pulled me up to my feet. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you go freshen up a bit?¡± Eria turned me towards the side room, ¡°Your eyes are still a little red from when you were crying just now.¡± ¡°W-why?¡± I turned back, ¡°I-it¡¯s just you h-here. It¡¯s f-fine if you see m-me like this.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to pay a visit to a certain someone¡¯s dream, I¡¯m sure you would want to look your best.¡± What? But why would I?¡­ ¡°B-but you t-told me not to visit her t-too often?¡± I gave her a puzzled look, ¡°S-so she didn¡¯t d-depend on me t-too much. I-I remember.¡± ¡°Sister¡­ That doesn¡¯t mean you can never see her. I was just telling you not to visit her every night, or every other night for that matter,¡± She cupped her hand against my cheek, ¡°You can still go check up on her every so often, just like what you did for herst night. You didn¡¯t need my permission then, so why do you need it now?¡± ¡­ Why? ¡­ ¡°I-I just¡­ don¡¯t want to m-make a mistake again¡­¡± There was a brief pause before Eria spoke again, ¡°You two are more simr than I thought.¡± ¡°What do you-?¡± ¡°Now, hurry up. She¡¯s already fallen asleep,¡± Eria interrupted me by pushing me into the side room, ¡°And before I forget about it, I thought I told you to call me either Aria or big sis?¡± Before I could respond to her teasing, she closed the door behind me. ¡­ ¡­ I should get ready quickly. I quickly washed my face and changed into a new dress, making sure there weren¡¯t any visible creases. ¡°A-alright, let¡¯s do this,¡± I said to myself before flicking one of my tails. Soon, a spirit appeared in front of me, taking on the form of a small fox. They had deep ck fur simr to my own, but unlike mine, their fur had this slight blue sheen to it. ¡°Ovia? Why did you call me? I was just about to-¡± The little fox paused as they looked me up and down, ¡°Oh,e on! I thought I was going to check on her tonight! You got to gost night!¡± The spirit¡¯s outburst surprised me. I had asked them to check on Kierra in her dreams every so often just to make sure she was okay. Back when I did, she had a simr outburst, although sheined about me suddenly calling her and giving her work to do instead. ¡°R-Rya I-¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine. I can already guess why you want to see her yourself.¡± She interrupted, ¡°But I get tomorrow night! And that¡¯s non-negotiable!¡± Before I could even respond, she had already disappeared. I just wanted to tell her she could take a break today¡­ I tried to call her again, but she didn¡¯t respond. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know how to t-talk to her¡­¡± If she refused to answer my call, there wasn¡¯t much I could do, so I decided it would be better to shift my focus to Kierra instead. I took a second just to check that she had actually fallen asleep before flicking my tail once again. It wasn¡¯t long before I found myself in the familiar ck void of Kierra¡¯s dream. Maybe one day¡­ there will be something else here¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Ever since I first entered her dreams, there had never been more than thisrge empty void reminiscent of my own domain. ¡°Is there really nothing you dream about?¡­¡± I carelessly let my inner thoughts escape from my lips. Almost immediately, I heard a shuffle in the distance, followed by hurried footsteps quickly approaching me. ¡°Ovia?¡± I heard Kierra call out to me just before she mmed into me, wrapping her arms around my waist. ¡°K-Kierra!¡± I reached down to pat her head, but before I could, she looked up at me. ¡°Thank you¡­ Thank you so much¡­¡± I just stood there, unsure of how I was supposed to respond. ¡°They¡­ They took me back¡­ They-¡± As she stopped herself I heard a hint of reluctance in her voice, ¡°They really took me back¡­ right?¡­ It wasn¡¯t a dream?¡­ Did it really happen?¡± You poor girl¡­ I¡­ Seeing Kierra doubting what had happened tore at my heart, yet I couldn¡¯t chastise her for it. Not after having seen everything she had been through. ¡°Y-yes!¡± I ced my hands on her shoulders and pulled her in closer, ¡°Yes it d-did. Y-you are sleeping with t-them right now.¡± I choked back my own tears as I tried to reassure her. ¡°I-I can assure you, as the G-Goddess of D-Dreams, i-it really happened, i-it wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± Kierra suddenly squeezed me a little tighter, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± After a brief pause, I knelt down so that I could hug her back properly, ¡°A-are you happy now?¡± ¡°I¡­ think so,¡± I could hear that she was holding back tears as she responded. The fact that she couldn¡¯t say yes hurt a little, but it was much better than hearing her say no. I wrapped my tails around the two of us, hoping to make up for whatever was stopping her from being sure of her own happiness. The two of us stayed like that until Kierra eventually woke up. Leaving me back in the side room by myself, still able to feel the warmth that came from her lingering in my arms. I picked up my Kierra plushie before deciding to make a promise to myself, ¡°O-one day¡­ you will say y-yes¡­¡± I ran my fingers through the plushie¡¯s soft fur, ¡°I-I¡¯ll make sure of it!¡± Chapter 51 – A Peaceful Day Chapter 51 ¨C A Peaceful Day After that night, time seemed to pass by quickly. Raynelle was back to her usual self in only a few days. Ava was the same; after a few days, she seemed toe back to life, although she felt just a little more distant than I remembered. That isn¡¯t to say everything else was exactly the same as before. The biggest thing that changed was that the two of them stopped pushing me to speak like they used to. However, I still tried my best to talk to them in spite of that, even if it was hard, just because whenever I did, their eyes seemed to light up. The other thing that started soon after I arrived at the house was Raynelle and Ava heading out somewhere every few days without me. Ava always came back panting while drenched in sweat. I tried asking them what they were doing a few times, but each time, Raynelle would try to change the topic while Ava would go silent. The only time that I left the house was to go visit Ovia at the temple. When I did neither Raynelle nor Ava would let me go by myself, so they would follow me there in the morning before collecting me in the evening. They started using the time while I was with Ovia to go shopping for the week, so they didn¡¯t mind taking me every week. Well, I say they, but Raynelle was always the one who went with me. The peaceful days continued, and before I knew it, a month had already passed. ¡°Kierra? Are you sure you got enough sleepst night?¡± Raynelle asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. I sat at the table, breakfast alreadyid out in front of me. A te piled high with pancakes. Or, more urately, Ava¡¯s first attempt at pancakes. Their thickness was a little uneven and some parts were cooked slightly more than others, but I couldn¡¯t say that they looked bad. ¡°Mhm¡­ just¡­ tired¡­¡± I took a bite of one of the pancakes. Even if they didn¡¯t look perfect, they definitely tasted as if they were. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re telling me that you did get enough sleep, but somehow you¡¯re still tired?¡± Raynelle pointed her fork towards me as she spoke, ¡°I know you¡¯re excited for today, but you really need to stop staying up sote every time.¡± Herment made me blush a bit out of embarrassment. I decided not to say anything and just continued eating breakfast. I can¡¯t help it! I only get to see her once a week¡­ Of course I¡¯m excited! Breakfast quickly disappeared as the sun finally started to peek out from below the horizon. After finishing myst bite, I turned towards Ava. ¡°T-thank you, Ava,¡± I put my knife and fork down on the te, ¡°¡­ It was good¡­¡± I still need to practise talking more¡­ Ava chuckled in response as she got up and collected our tes, ¡°I know it was good. I wouldn¡¯t give you something that I thought wasn¡¯t. But next time, I¡¯ll try for ¡®perfect¡¯ instead of just ¡®good¡¯, alright?¡± ¡°Those weren¡¯t perfect?!¡± Raynelle blurted out, ¡°How could they be any better? Just what kind of recipe did Ana give you? How long has she been hiding this from the world?¡± ¡°Come on Mom,¡± Ava said with a smirk as she took the dishes into the kitchen, ¡°There¡¯s no need to overreact like that.¡± I left the table almost immediately after that, heading into my room and digging through my wardrobe, looking for the dress I always wore when visiting the temple. Every time the wardrobe was opened, I was surprised at just how many clothes were inside. Raynelle and Ava had bought extra clothes for me as a gift, though they never told me exactly what the gift was for. As soon as I found the ck dress, I changed into it as quickly as I could before quickly brushing my tail down to make sure there weren¡¯t any stray hairs sticking out from pulling it through the p. ¡°Kierra?¡± Raynelle knocked on my door, ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± I opened the door and stepped out, showing her that I had finished getting dressed. ¡°The same dress again?¡± She knelt down and adjusted the bow around the cor of the dress, ¡°Is there a reason why you always wear this dress when you go to visit? Is it the colour? The style? Something else?¡± ¡­ ¡°I just¡­ like it,¡± I responded, not wanting to admit the true reason: that every time I wore the dress, I was reminded of when Ovia wore a matching dress. Right at that moment, Ava stepped out of the kitchen, ¡°If she likes that dress, why not just get more of them?¡± ¡°But I just know she would look great in so many other clothes as well,¡± Raynelle stood up, ¡°I just want to see her dressed up in all sorts of outfits. Is that so wrong?¡± You don¡¯t need to lie like that. I know¡­ that isn¡¯t true. Despite what was going through my mind, my face still went a little red from her words. ¡°Well, we can continue this conversationter,¡± Raynelle said, turning towards me. Let¡¯s get going. I know you prefer to get there early.¡± My eyes instinctually drifted over to Ava. But what about¡­ ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s going on Kierra?¡± Ava crouched down, ¡°Are you wanting to go with me?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± I responded as I nodded my head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, but I can''t today. I¡¯ve got something I need to do.¡± But¡­ you always say that¡­ ¡°Well, how about this then?¡± She went into her room beforeing back out with a ribbon that matched the one around my neck, albeit a littlerger, ¡°Can you turn around for me quickly?¡± I immediately did as she asked. ¡°Alright, this might feel a little strange, but¡­ just bear with me.¡± As soon as she said that, I felt something tickle the base of my tail, making me flinch involuntarily. However, the tickling didn¡¯t stop. Instead, it just kept on going until I eventually felt something close in around the base of my tail. ¡°And that¡¯s¡­ All done!¡± Ava shouted as she spun me around, ¡°What do you think Mom? I think it was a pretty good idea.¡± ¡°¡­ Why¡­ didn¡¯t I think of that?¡­¡± Raynelle muttered, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely adorable.¡± ¡°I know! I¡¯ve been looking for an excuse to try this with Kierra for a while.¡± What did she do? I awkwardly looked over my back, barely catching a glimpse of arge bow at the base of my tail. ¡­ I moved my tail a little, trying to get used to the sensation. ¡­ ¡°I¡­ like it¡­¡± I said, watching as the two loose ends of the ribbon fluttered along with the movement of my tail. ¡°I¡¯m d you do,¡± Ava turned me around, adjusting the bow onest time, ¡°This is what I can do for you today, okay? I promise I¡¯ll go with you next week¡­ if that¡¯s still what you want when we get there.¡± I immediately nodded. Ava responded with a smile, ¡°Now, go along with Mom. You¡¯re just wasting time you could be spending at the temple right now.¡± Before I had the chance to say anything, Raynelle scooped me up and took me out the door. ¡°Ava, we¡¯ll be back this evening. You can eat first if you want,¡± Raynelle stepped out, letting the door swing closed behind her. Just before the door mmed shut, Ava yelled out, ¡°Stop saying that! You know I¡¯m going to wait for you two anyway! So instead, just make sure you¡¯re notte!¡± Raynelle justughed in response before we made our way to Ovia¡¯s temple. At some point, Beni told us to use the hidden entrance at the back of the temple instead of the main doors. Apparently, someone saw Raynelle dropping me off in the morning, which started some strange rumours around the city about what the temple was doing behind the scenes. Luckily, we both had the hoods of our cloaks up at the time, so the rumour didn¡¯t include our appearances. It was then that Beni decided it would be better to use the back entrance to stop the rumour from getting any worse before they hopefully died off. As soon as we arrived at the temple, the hidden door opened, with Beni already waiting in the doorway. ¡°You¡¯re a littleter than usual today¡­¡± Beni said as heid eyes on me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I responded instinctually. ¡°No I wasn¡¯t¡­ One day I¡¯ll¡­¡± He sighed, ¡°Just¡­ head in¡­ she¡¯s still getting ready¡­ as usual¡­¡± ¡°Go on then,¡± Raynelle nudged me into the temple, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in the evening, so remember to be good.¡± ¡°I will¡­¡± Raynelle waved back before walking away. I followed Beni into the temple as the door closed behind us. As soon as we were in the main room, the two of us sat on the pew right at the front of the temple as if it were routine. ¡°Now¡­ What story should I tell you today?¡­ Any preference?¡± He asked. Beni started telling me his stories while I waited for Ovia to be ready every week, and sometimes, he would even tell an extra story when I came back in the evening if Raynelle was running a littlete. ¡°F-from when you were an adventurer¡­¡± I said meekly. ¡°Hmm¡­ Just like the Goddess¡­¡± He chuckled, ¡°Maybe I need to see about bing an adventurer again¡­ it¡¯s all the two of you want to hear about¡­¡± That is why I want to hear about those stories. It¡¯s what Ovia enjoys. Maybe¡­ one day¡­ I could¡­ ¡­ ¡°Well¡­ what should I tell you about this time¡­ Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve told you a few tales about my solo adventures¡­ so how about something from a bitter on¡­¡± He smiled a little ¡°Something from my¡­ very brief¡­ time as an ¡®instructor¡¯ for the greenhorns¡­¡± I nodded immediately. ¡°Ha ha¡­ alright then¡­ This tale took ce back when I was ¡®asked¡¯ to take on a new party¡­ I was supposed to supervise them on their first hunt¡­ Thinking back, I don¡¯t know how I got that position¡­ hunts weren¡¯t really my speciality¡­ with my Dark magic¡­ I was much better suited for as-¡­ No¡­ No, you don¡¯t need to know about that part¡­ not yet at least¡­¡± It was strange for Beni to stop himself like that in the middle of his story, but I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Anyway¡­ This party wasn¡¯t the worst I had seen¡­ they had a big guy with a shield up front¡­ someone who at least knew which side of the sword you¡¯re supposed to hold¡­ They even had both a mage and a healer somehow¡­ though that mage wasn¡¯t the greatest, as you¡¯lle to realise¡­ They lugged around thisrge mace that was clearly much too heavy for them¡­ but it wasn¡¯t my job to do anything about that¡­ I just needed to make sure they would make it back alive¡­¡± Didn¡¯t you say you were an instructor? ¡°It was a simple enough hunt¡­ nothing too dangerous¡­ just two of theserge wolves that had been causing problems near the town¡­ The request didn¡¯t even include anything about butchering them¡­ no pelt, no bones, no teeth¡­ just proof of the kill¡­ so perfect for a new party¡­ well, those higher up didn¡¯t think so, and they sent me with them as some kind of insurance¡­ Now, to make a long story short, I¡¯ll just jump ahead to the interesting part¡­ We¡¯re out in the forest facing down the two wolves¡­ the two of them were scared out of their minds, but well¡­ so were these greenhorns¡­¡± Beni chuckled a little. ¡°The big guy said something like ¡®I¡¯ll protect all of you!¡¯ before tripping and falling face first into the ground¡­ Honestly¡­ even those wolves seemed to be embarrassed¡­ they didn¡¯t pay him any mind at all and went straight for those at the back¡­ thed with a sword stepped in and took the attention of one of them¡­ can¡¯t say he did much more than that though¡­ but at least he was better than the big guy¡­¡± He chuckled again, ¡°Ah, that guy¡­ this whole time he was just stuck there¡­ the armour he was so proud of was a bit too heavy for him¡­ he couldn¡¯t seem to get himself back up¡­¡± ¡°*pfft*¡± Even I couldn¡¯t hold back myughter after hearing that. ¡°Now¡­ the second wolf took the opportunity and jumped right at the healer¡­ luckily they swung their staff on instinct and knocked it clean out of the air¡­ was a very good hit too¡­ though it unfortunately wasn¡¯t enough to stop itpletely¡­ it quickly got back up and started snarling at her¡­ it was almost as if it was now acknowledging her as a noteworthy enemy¡­ but that¡¯s not what caught my attention¡­ standing far behind the rest was the mage¡­ scared beyond belief¡­ doing absolutely nothing¡­¡± Beni¡¯s face contorted as he spoke, ¡°This¡­ annoyed me to no end, to put it lightly¡­ I knew I didn¡¯t have to do anything but¡­ In the heat of the moment shouted at that mage to cast a spell or something¡­ You know what they did after that?¡± I shook my head. ¡°They slowly stumbled forwards¡­ dragging that damn mace of theirs along the ground with them¡­ tearing up the grass as they went¡­ Even thinking back on it now, I¡¯m getting ticked off¡­ What¡¯s the point of being a mage if you don¡¯t use any spells¡­¡± Beni paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Anyway¡­ the healer dropped their staff in a panic and started running in circles with the wolf chasing her¡­ I didn¡¯t exactly want to lose a healer like that¡­ they were a rarity out in that town after all¡­ so I ran over to the mage¡­ took their mace¡­ and swung it down on the wolf¡¯s head¡­¡± Beni jumped out of his seat, swinging his arms as he acted out the scenario. ¡°It was a¡­ very heavy mace to say the least¡­ everyone in that party was scared out of their minds afterwards¡­ while also being painted with-¡­ a little redder than before¡­¡± Redder? Was that-? Do you mean-? I shuddered as Beni pretended to swing the mace once again. ¡°While they were all paralysed with fear, I quickly¡­ ¡®dealt¡¯¡­ with the other wolf in much the same way¡­¡­ Needless to say, the party failed their hunt as I was forced to step in¡­ though the higher-ups didn¡¯t care that much¡­ their problem was solved either way¡­ I do remember hearing that the mage and big guy tried to get out of being an adventurer after that¡­ Unfortunately, that there is where this story ends¡­ I got transferred to the town over for some¡­ more appropriate work¡­ I do sometimes wonder what happened to them¡­ mainly that healer¡­ with a swing like that, she could¡¯ve done some real damage if she was given something better than her staff¡­¡± Right as he let out one final chuckle, a now familiar dark orb appeared next to his ear before promptly disappearing. ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough from me¡­¡± While he had stoppedughing, he still had a smile on his face, ¡°The Goddess is waiting for you¡­¡± I quickly turned away from him and headed deeper into the temple, hoping that by the time I came back, he would have calmed down a little. Chapter 52 – The First Emmisary of Light Chapter 52 ¨C The First Emmisary of Light As soon as I stepped into the darkness, I was taken into Ovia¡¯s domain. The room slowly came into view as I was embraced by the familiar coolness. My immediate instinct was to look for Ovia. Looking around the room, I saw that it had been rearranged slightly, with three seats set out instead of the usual two that were meant for Ovia and me. ¡°Ovia?¡± I called out. ¡­ No response. ¡°Where are you?¡± I called out again, taking a few steps forward. ¡­ Again, no response. Did Beni send me here too early? But I saw that ck orb¡­ Isn¡¯t that the cue for me toe here? ¡­ Then, without warning, as I was lost in thought, two arms shot out from behind me and wrapped themselves tightly around my body. ¡°W-wee back Kierra!¡± Ovia had sneaked up behind me. ¡°Mhm,¡± I responded, awkwardly twisting myself around in her arms to face her. There was a brief silence as I looked into Ovia¡¯s abyss-like eyes, letting myself get lost in the seemingly endless space inside of them. ¡°D-did you not like my surprise?¡± She let go of me, her hands shaking a little. No! I came in close and hugged her, not letting her get away, ¡°I was just¡­ a little worried¡­¡± I wanted to tell her that it was fine, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to lie to her, even if it was something as small as that. ¡°Should I leave you two alone then? I can juste backter if you want.¡± I immediately whipped my head back, searching for where the voice came from, although it didn¡¯t take long to see who was there. It was Aria. She was sitting on one of the three seats that had been set out, ying with the panel floating in front of her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to interrupt anything after all,¡± She teased. ¡°No! Just¡­ W-wait a second,¡± Ovia stuttered as she scooped me up in her arms, ¡°U-um, I¡­ I saw that you liked Beni¡¯s stories. I w-wanted to tell you one too, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t think of a story you w-would enjoy¡­¡± A story from Ovia? Why wouldn¡¯t I enjoy it? ¡°But I-¡± ¡°But! E-Eria knows a lot of stories,¡± Ovia interrupted me, ¡°I asked her t-toe here so you could listen to one.¡± I would enjoy any of your stories¡­ I know it¡­ I just¡­ want to know more about you¡­. ¡°Sister?¡± Aria called out, ¡°I thought I told you not to call me that?¡± ¡°A-Aria¡­¡± Ovia sheepishly muttered after a few seconds. ¡°That¡¯s better. Now,e and sit down. The story I¡¯ve picked out for you two is a little long.¡± Ovia quickly carried me over, setting me down on my stomach on top of one of the cushion-like seats. As soon as she was done checking that I wasfortable, she dragged the other free seat right next to mine andid down on top of it in the same way. ¡°Comfortable?¡± Eria asked. ¡°Mhm,¡± Both Ovia and I replied in unison. Eria chuckled a bit before continuing, ¡°Now, the story I have picked out for you two is one of my oldest. It involves a lot of my firsts, my first Emissary, the first time I gave someone a title and even the moment I became the Goddess of Titles-¡± ¡°I love this one!¡± Ovia suddenly shouted, interrupting Aria before covering her mouth and blushing slightly. Her tails were waving all over the ce, asionally rubbing against my own. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she looked up at Aria. Have I¡­ ever made you that happy? ¡­ What do I have to do to-?¡­ ¡°Sister, I think you need to calm down a bit,¡± Aria giggled, interrupting my train of thought, ¡°The little kitsune is getting a little swept up in all your fluff.¡± ¡°Oh! I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her tails instantly stopped swaying, instead drooping down and only asionally twitching. ¡°It¡¯s-¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started on the story now. Maybe if I¡¯m quick, you two can still have a little time to yourselves.¡± I wanted to tell Ovia that she didn¡¯t have to stop waving her tails like that, that I was fine with it, but Aria interrupted me before I could get the words out. Aria snapped her fingers, and the panel floating in front of her expanded before settling in the middle of the three of us. ¡°This story involves a ce you are already familiar with, the city of Casgu, though it¡¯s a Casgu that the little kitsune won¡¯t recognise. This took ce long before it was a city before it was even called Casgu.¡± The image on the panel shifted, showing a man standing in front of a destroyed castle with his sword raised to the sky. I¡¯ve seen this before¡­ At that store¡­ However, unlike the sculptures I had seen before, the image of him on the panel revealed much more about his appearance. His long blonde hair flowed behind him, and his eyes glowed with a distinct gold hue. My eyes were instinctually drawn up to Aria; the simrity in their appearance was hard to miss. ¡°This is a man whose name has been long forgotten by the city of Casgu, though despite that, many of his feats are still celebrated to this day. However, what I¡¯m going to tell you is the original story before it was distorted by the passage of time.¡± Aria looked directly at me, ¡°The first thing that I think the little kitsune would be interested in is his true appearance. You see, this here is how everyone in the city remembers him, but-¡± The image on the panel shifted again. The castle behind the man slowly pulled itself back together. The man¡¯s hair got shorter as it started to lighten up into a pure white. The glow from his eyes dissipated, revealing a vibrant green beneath. White hair? Like mine? ¡°You see, over time, as his appearance was forgotten, they changed his hair colour to blonde to better match mine. Now, I have tried to correct them before, but once an idea has been epted into society as widely as this has been, it¡¯s hard to change people¡¯s minds. In reality, though, he was much like you; his affinity for Light Magic was so great that his hair was bleached white. He was actually quite proud of his hair,¡± Aria giggled, ¡°He decided to cut it short just to stop it getting dirty while he was working. As you have probably already noticed back then, nobody cared much for the colour of his hair; they didn¡¯t know that someone¡¯s appearance could be affected by their natural affinity. They really didn¡¯t know much about magic at all back then. However, even if they did, they had more pressing things to worry about.¡± The panel quickly zoomed out, showing that what he was standing in front of was no more than a small fortress with what could hardly be called a vige at the base of it. The whole thing was enclosed by arge stone wall with a single gate at the front. ¡°He was the captain of this small fortress located right on the border of the human territory at the time. His was called¡­¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°¡­ Eirian¡­. He was a well-respected man. He did just about everything he could for that little fortress that no one else seemed to care for. They didn¡¯t even bother to give it a name, seeing it as little more than a marker of how far their borders reached.¡± Aria clenched her teeth briefly before letting out a sigh and continuing, ¡°Eirian actually trained all the soldiers there himself, willingly giving up his time just to give each one individual advice. Then, in whatever time he got off from his duties as captain, he would go down to the fields just to give the farmers a break with the excuse that even though he wasn¡¯t working as a soldier at that moment, he still needed to keep his body in shape. There wasn¡¯t a soul in the fortress that didn¡¯t trust him with their lives¡­ and if they were ever asked, they would probably trust him with even more than that.¡± Ovia started to kick her legs as Aria continued to tell the story. ¡°As you can probably guess, Eirian did many things in his time that could easily be turned into legends in their own right, but what I want to focus on for this story is the one event that made him famous, the event that first brought him to my attention.¡± On the panel, the fortress was suddenly surrounded by many creatures I had never seen before, wolves the size of grown men, giants the height of the wall surrounding the fortress, and even a few flying creatures that looked like wyverns. ¡°During a vicious monster wave, the small border fortress was abandoned by the rest of humanity. They decided it would be better to fall back and instead try to defend at one of their cities instead,¡± She looked down for a moment, ¡°What they didn¡¯t take into ount was all the children, the elderly, the injured and many others that simply couldn¡¯t escape the fortress in time. So¡­ they just left them. They decided that those people didn¡¯t matter, using the logic that even if they got them out of the fortress, they wouldn¡¯t be able to help with the defence. So many of the people who were initially sent to support the fortress left before the monsters even attacked, nning on leaving those who were unable to follow them behind.¡± Tears started running down Ovia¡¯s cheeks. She was a lot more invested in this story than I thought she would be, especially because I knew she had already heard it before, as she had called it one of her favourites. I reached my hand over and wiped a tear away. ¡°Eirian decided that he wasn¡¯t going to leave. He was going to hold his ground whether it killed him or not¡­ Fortunately for him and everyone else left at the fortress, he wasn¡¯t the only one to stay. Every soldier that he had personally trained stood beside him, taking up their arms as they prepared for the iing attack.¡± On the panel, the gates of the fortress opened, with Eirian standing at the front with his sword raised up high, facing down the hoards of monsters in front of him without flinching. In an instant, the fight started. Eirian and his soldiers ran fearlessly at the monsters. Many of the men were injured, but as quickly as they fell to the ground, they were pulled back behind the line to get treated. ¡°They fought as hard as they could. The first battlested for four straight hours. By all ounts, they shouldn¡¯t have made it as far as they did. They weren¡¯t even able to push them back; the wall had started to fall, and even the small castle at the centre of the fortress was crumbling after being attacked by the wyverns. Yet by some miracle, not a single person died during those four hours,¡± Eria paused andposed herself, ¡°Unfortunately, they were not safe yet. All that had happened was that the monsters decided it wasn¡¯t worth attacking them anymore. Most of their forces just moved past the fortress, heading for what would be the new front line of humanity.¡± The image in front of me changed into a map, showing the monster¡¯s territory as it engulfed the small fortress, leaving them stranded. ¡°They were now stuck in the middle of enemy territory, left with only a crumbling wall to protect them from the impending assault. Their only saving grace was that the main force had moved past them,¡± This time, a single tear ran down Aria¡¯s face before she quickly wiped it away with her sleeve, ¡°Could you me them for losing hope at that moment? What else could they do? It was only a matter of time before they fell to the impending attacks. How long would they even be able to hold out? Would they fall to the monsters or starvation first? No matter how loyal the people in that fortress were, they could do nothing but despair.¡± The panel shifted to Eirian, sitting in a room inside the castle with one of the walls missing. Through the broken wall, the people below could be seen running around, panicking, and falling to their knees as the realisation began to set in. All Eirian did was hang his head in his hands. ¡°Even Eirian himself couldn¡¯t escape those thoughts. He didn¡¯t want to lose a single person. He knew them all by name, had fought alongside many of them, and shed tears with others. He just¡­ couldn¡¯t bear the idea that there wasn¡¯t anything he could do for them.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± I whispered, getting caught up in the story. Beside me, I heard Ovia dig her nails into her seat. Eirian stood up and walked over to the gap in the wall. Looking over everyone below him. ¡°I don¡¯t think even he knew what he was about to do. He probably just couldn¡¯t bear the weight of doing nothing any further. If I had to guess, he was just trying to do whatever he could at that moment, however little it was.¡± Just like when he led the charge in the first battle, he lifted his sword up to the sky, and in that instant, time seemed to stop for everyone at the fortress. A pir of light left his sword, rising far into the air, dying everything nearby a brilliant gold. ¡°That was the first time he used light magic,pletely on ident. It was nothing more than him releasing his mana, but that was enough. As if he had nned for this to happen all along, he called out to everyone below him. Hemanded them to tear down what was left of the castle, to grab whatever they could and barricade the wall, to fill in the gaps that were left from the first battle. They were going to hold their ground even if it might be nothing more than a futile effort,¡± Eria¡¯s expression softened, ¡°Every person that heard his voice grabbed whatever was closest to them and made their way to the wall. It didn¡¯t matter if they were soldiers or not. In that moment, they had all decided that they were going to do whatever they could. Even Eirian himself came of the castle hauling as many of the intact bricks as he could carry.¡± All I could do was stare in awe as I watched Eirian and those around him work. The sight itself almost made me want to join in, even though I knew that this was just a story from long ago. Looking to my side, Ovia looked like she was about to jump out of her seat. ¡°The siegested a whole month. Yet somehow, the little fortress held strong; many were injured, and some were starving, including Eirian himself. He just told them he was strong enough to handle not eating for a bit. Humanity eventually dered its victory over the monster wave. They quickly began pushing the monsters out, reiming theirnd as they worked their way up to the little fortress. When they got there, they were shocked that anyone was still alive, let alone every single person. As soon as Eirian saw the approaching support, he lifted his sword to the sky once again, releasing his light and dering that their struggle was finally over before copsing to the ground from exhaustion.¡± The scene yed out just as Aria described, with Eirian lying on the ground, his soldiers trying to lift him back to his feet despite their own exhaustion. ¡°It took a few days until he woke back up, but when he did, the reconstruction of the fortress had already begun. Many new people moved to the fortress after hearing about Eirian¡¯s ¡®Healing Light¡¯. Named not because it could heal anyone¡¯s wounds, but because of how just seeing that pir of light healed their very souls, how it bestowed hope on them despite the seemingly inevitable darkness,¡± Ariaughed a bit, ¡°After seeing that, I decided to call him the ¡®Pdin of Healing Light¡¯, that name became a title for him as I was bestowed the responsibility of Goddess of Titles. I was apparently given the responsibility because I was the first Deity to take so much interest in the life of someone outside the Divine Realm, so much so that I had given him a title.¡± Is that how bing a Deity works? It¡¯s that easy? That can¡¯t be it¡­ ¡°Well, that small fortress slowly grew into a vige, then a town, as more new people continued moving in. That town was eventually named Casgu, ¡®Castle of Light¡¯. The castle that once stood in that fortress had already been torn down, but that didn¡¯t matter to the residents. That wasn¡¯t why they gave the town that name.¡± The panel quickly changed to showing Aria¡¯s temple, or what probably became Aria¡¯s temple. ¡°They built a temple for me, which I decided to give my blessing on the condition that they built one for my sister as well. They happily did as I asked, so both my sister and I gave the two temples our blessing on the same day.¡± Aria¡¯s eyes moved down to Ovia, ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ Was that thest time you left the Divine Realm?¡± Left the divine realm?¡­ It¡¯s possible for them to leave? ¡°U-um¡­¡± Panic spread across Ovia¡¯s face, ¡°N-no!¡± ¡°Really? I can¡¯t see you getting permission for that,¡± Aria sat and thought for a moment, ¡°Then did you just sneak out? I¡¯m surprised no one noticed¡­ Not even me¡­¡± Ovia just blushed in response. ¡°Well, anyway, that¡¯s enough about that. Let¡¯s get back to the story.¡± The panel shifted again, this time showing Eirian kneeling down in front of Aria inside her domain. The Aria in the panel ced her hand on top of Eirian¡¯s forehead, and when he opened his eyes, his once green eyes had turned gold with a distinctive white inner ring inside, just like both Celica¡¯s and Aria¡¯s. ¡°I decided to make him my first Emissary of Light and gave him my token, a copy of my own golden eyes, so that everyone knew that he had been chosen. I still don¡¯t think I could have made a better choice. Even though he was my Emissary, he didn¡¯t change at all; he would still go to the fields just to give the farmers a break, and he would still go and give the soldiers some personal training every so often. However-¡± Aria stopped talking as if the words had gotten stuck in her throat. Ovia was extremely excited as her tails started swaying back and forth again. ¡°Well¡­ One of the effects of bing an Emissary is living longer¡­ a lot longer¡­ It¡¯s not quite immortality, but for anyone close to them, it might as well be.¡± Aria once again paused for a moment, ¡°Because of that¡­ Eirian ultimately decided to pass down his position as my Emissary to one of his pupils.¡± What? Why? Isn¡¯t being an Emissary a good thing? Wouldn¡¯t you want to live for a long time? ¡°Eirian served as my Emissary for many years, but one day, he met someone he just couldn¡¯t forget. The woman who would one day be his wife.¡± Ovia suddenly wrapped her tails around me and brought me in close, hugging me against her side. ¡°He truly was a simple man at heart. He just wanted to live out the rest of his life with his wife. If he remained my Emissary, he would easily outlive her¡­ He wasn¡¯t just worried about missing her, but also about eventually¡­ forgetting her¡­ How could I say no to him? I knew it would be hard to find another person like him¡­ but maybe that was why¡­ I didn¡¯t put up any resistance. I took my token from him and gave it to the pupil he had chosen as my way of respecting everything he had done¡­ And that¡¯s¡­ the end of this story, my version at least.¡± ¡­ Forgetting¡­ I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything after hearing the end of the story. However, I didn¡¯t need to, as Ovia abruptly jumped to her feet and took me with her. Aria chuckled, ¡°Sister, you seem to have abducted a little fox at some point during the story.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ovia immediately set me down, blushing furiously, ¡°You were just so c-close and¡­ fluffy¡­¡± But I¡¯m not as fluffy as you¡­ As soon as my feet touched the ground, I hugged her back, trying to reassure her, ¡°I didn¡¯t mind¡­ I liked it.¡± ¡°Now, I would like to tell you that it¡¯s time for me to leave you two alone, but unfortunately, it seems that my story dragged on a little longer than expected,¡± Aria got out of her seat. Oh¡­ I knew what she was trying to tell me. It was already time for me to go back. I had gotten so absorbed in the story that I hadpletely forgotten that this was the one day this week I was allowed to see Ovia. Ovia knelt down and hugged me tightly as if reading my mind, ¡°It¡¯s okay, t-there¡¯s always next time!¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± I buried my face in her shoulder, the tip of my ear brushing against her cheek, ¡°But¡­ I want to go back like this.¡± ¡°Yes! O-of course!¡± She responded, the surrounding darkness immediately closing in around me as Ovia squeezed one more time. ¡°I¡¯ll be back next time,¡± I said just as I felt Ovia¡¯s presence disappear. ¡­ As I felt the air around me warm up, the expressions I saw when Ovia was listening to Aria¡¯s story remained stuck in my mind, ying back on a loop. I¡­ want to tell her stories like that¡­ ¡­ I just¡­ want to see her smile like that again¡­ ¡­ ¡°Did you have fun Kierra?¡± Raynelle called out, pulling me out of my thoughts. ¡°Mhm¡­¡± I walked over to her, where she quickly wrapped a cloak around me, ¡°I did.¡± Chapter 53 – Something I Think You’ll Enjoy Chapter 53 ¨C Something I Think You¡¯ll Enjoy Days quickly turned into weeks, which themselves turned into months. Everything just seemed to fit together. Nothing was out of ce. It was¡­ nice. Every week, I would go through the same motions, spending my time with Raynelle and Ava until the one day I could visit Ovia. But that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. It meant that when I woke up, I knew Ava and Raynelle would still be there. I knew that I would still be able to go see Ovia. I knew that I would be safe. The only things that changed were rtively minor. For example, Raynelle stopped leaving me by myself in the house when she took Ava out. Instead, she would leave me with Beni, and I would get to listen to more of his stories. I enjoyed those days quite a lot, as Beni was able to get messages from Ovia as he was telling his stories. It was nice being able to talk to her even when it wasn¡¯t the day I was allowed to visit, even if it was a little cumbersome trying to talk with Beni as the intermediary. My growing pains also starteding back every so often, although, after the first few times, I almost started looking forward to them, even if I changed my mind once they actually arrived. Each time they came and passed, I grew quite a bit taller, though I still wasn¡¯t even as tall as Ava. I started talking even more as well, though it wasn¡¯t still easy for me. It was almost impossible to get any words out when it came to anyone I didn¡¯t already know. But with Raynelle and Ava, I was at least able to say a sentence or two. Ovia helped quite a lot, even if she didn¡¯t know it. Each time I visited her, she would stutter less and less. Seeing her improve like that made me want to put extra effort into talking, no matter how difficult I found it. Just like that, a whole year passed by me. ¡­ ¡°¡­ Kierra?¡± Someone poked my cheek. ¡­ ¡°Kierra?¡± The voice repeated. This time, I was shaken a little. ¡­ It¡¯s too early¡­ ¡°Come on now, the sun is already up.¡± I was lifted from my cosy pillow before feeling someone cradle me in their arms. ¡­ Just a little longer¡­ ¡°*Yip*¡± I tried toin but had forgotten that I was still in my fox form. ¡°Kierra¡­ No matter how long we spend together, I¡¯m not going to suddenly understand Fox¡­ At least I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible¡­¡± I reluctantly opened my eyes, unable to see much more than a purple blur hovering above me. ¡°Good morning sleepy head,¡± Raynelle scratched under my chin, making my tail sway back and forth involuntarily, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve got you awake, you need to get ready. I¡¯ve finally gotten permission for something that I think you¡¯ll enjoy.¡± Something I¡¯ll enjoy? I let out a quiet whine as I tried to ask what she meant. ¡°Great,¡± She set me down on my bed, clearly misunderstanding what I was trying to say, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten breakfast ready for the two of us, so as soon as you¡¯re dressed, just head to the table and dig in. The quicker, the better.¡± Raynelle made her way over to the door, but just before she left the room, she turned back towards me. ¡°Actually, before I forget, make sure to wear somethingfortable. Something you can really move around in, y¡¯know?¡± She opened the door, ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sure you understand what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± With thatstment, she left the room, being careful so that the door didn¡¯t m behind her. I quickly turned back into my humanoid form, gently wiping my eyes until I could see clearly. ¡°What was that?¡± I mumbled to myself, the whole event ying over in my mind as I tried to recall everything she had told me. As I was thinking, Umbra brushed up against my leg. I responded in kind by giving them the pats I knew they were after. ¡°Morning, Umbra.¡± While my fox form had mirrored my own growth, Umbra hadn¡¯t seemed to have grown at all. They were still a cute little baby fox, just like when I had first met them. After Umbra was satisfied, they settled down in my shadow. Now that I was freed from patting duty, I quickly got dressed in a simple T-shirt and shorts before leaving my room and seeing Raynelle waiting at the table. ¡°What are you waiting for? Eat up,¡± She called out as soon as she saw me. I joined her at the table, where two omelettes had been set out. Raynelle didn¡¯t say anything, instead just staring at me expectantly as I took the first bite. ¡­ There was nothing wrong with the food, per se. It just¡­ didn¡¯t feel as fulfilling as I had grown used to. It was like there was something fundamental missing that I just couldn¡¯t put a name to. ¡­ ¡°What about Ava?¡± I asked, wanting to avoid telling Raynelle what I thought of her cooking. ¡°Still?!¡± She hastily took a bite of her own omelette, ¡°¡­ What am I doing wrong? I followed all the steps she gave me as closely as possible, so why is it just not as good? She must be using some kind of magic¡­ actually¡­ could she be infusing some of her Healing Magic into the food¡­¡± That¡¯s not what I meant! I wasn¡¯t trying topare the two of you. I just¡­ wondered why we were eating without her. ¡°Is she still sleeping?¡± I asked, hoping to make myself a little clearer. ¡°Oh¡­ you meant¡­¡± Raynelle took another bite of her omelette before continuing, ¡°I just thought she should be allowed to sleep in every so often¡­ She¡¯s the only one who cooks between the three of us¡­ Isn¡¯t it nice to give her a break every so often?¡± ¡­ I guess that makes sense¡­ The two of us quickly finished off our food, though Raynelle didn¡¯t give me any time to digest before she spoke up. ¡°Alright, now that you¡¯re full,¡± She said, getting up from the table and picking up a cloak before handing it to me, ¡°Let¡¯s head out. The earlier we get there, the better.¡± Not wanting to disappoint her, I immediately picked up the cloak, letting my hair change to the now all-too-familiar grey before following her out the door, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough. But I will at least tell you it¡¯s somewhere you¡¯re definitely interested in.¡± She responded. Raynelle led the way down unfamiliar paths that went around the very edge of the city, tracing the inside of the wall that surrounded it. We were walking for about twenty minutes before a building in the distance caught my attention. It was arge building that looked simr to those on the main shopping street. It only caught my attention because it looked out of ce amongst all the small houses that were usually on the edge of the city. Unlike those shops, however, there were no signs or disys, just arge wooden door, probably more than twice Raynelle¡¯s height, that had been left wide open. ¡°What do you think?¡± Raynelle asked as soon as she noticed that I was looking at the building. What am I supposed to say? ¡­ ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know?¡± I responded after a brief pause. Raynelle justughed as she took me into the building, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll change your tune soon enough.¡± The inside somehow seemed even bigger than I had expected it to be from the outside. Looking up, I saw that there were at least four floors, with a few people running up and down the stairs frantically. Raynelle put her arm around me and walked over to the nearest counter. ¡°Hello Nellie,¡± The young man behind the counter spoke up first, ¡°I assume this is the one that you¡¯ve been telling me all about?¡± Nellie? I¡¯ve never heard anyone actually use that nickname before¡­ ¡°Yes, this is the one and only,¡± Raynelle chuckled as she patted me on the back. ¡°Well, little miss, as I¡¯m sure you can tell, I¡¯ve heard quite a lot about you,¡± He made a show of tipping his hat to me before looking back up at Raynelle, ¡°Anyway, I assume you¡¯re here to use one of the rooms in the back?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what we¡¯re here for,¡± Raynelle responded. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve got it for the entire day, so take as much time as you need,¡± He wrote something down before handing Raynelle a key, ¡°I¡¯ll also have someone on standby if anything happens, though I doubt anything will with you there.¡± Raynelle took the key and checked the tag that was attached to it, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not showing me a little too much preferential treatment?¡± ¡°Come on, Nellie, I can do this much for you. No one is going toin with all you¡¯ve done for this ce.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to just take your word for it then,¡± Raynelle turned back to me, ¡°Now let¡¯s get going. If we wait too much longer, this ce will start being swarmed with people.¡±. I tugged on the hem of Raynelle¡¯s shirt, trying to tell her that I was ready to go without saying anything. ¡°Then what are we waiting for,¡± Raynelle wrapped her arm around me before turning back to the man, ¡°Good luck with your work today.¡± The man just let out a sigh in response. Raynelle let out a small chuckle before leading me further into the building. We eventually reached a locked door right at the back; Raynelle took out the key she was given and opened it. Once again I was shocked by what I saw. The room was huge. It was big enough that Ava could probably fly around the ce without being too ufortable. The majority of the floor was covered in ayer of what looked to be dirt, though it was clearly by design. ¡°So what do you think?¡± Raynelle asked as she started stretching. ¡°Why¡­ are we here?¡± I asked, still looking around the room. ¡°Hmm¡­ I thought you would have figured it out by now. You¡¯re the one who has been asking me about bing an adventurer after all.¡± Adventurer? Building? Then is this?! ¡°Is this a guild?!¡± I couldn¡¯t hide the excitement in my voice. ¡°I knew you¡¯d get there eventually. Specifically, this is one of their training rooms. While doing some work for them, the guild ended up owing me a favour. So I used it to get this ce to ourselves.¡± A grin spread across her face as she spoke. A guild¡­ just like in Beni¡¯s stories. Maybe one day¡­ I could¡­ But¡­ ¡°I thought you said I couldn¡¯t be an adventurer?¡± I had asked Raynelle about it a few times before, but each time, she said it was a bad idea without giving me a reason. ¡°I said being an ¡®adventurer¡¯ was a bad idea. I didn¡¯t say it was a bad idea for you to want to go out and see the world.¡± What does that mean? ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the specifics right now,¡± Raynelle helped to unbutton my cloak, ¡°You¡¯re still a way off from being ready to make a decision like that¡­ However, that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯ve brought you here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ understand,¡± I responded, still trying to make sense of Raynelle¡¯s words. ¡°Well, no matter what you decide to do in the end, it¡¯s probably going to be a good idea to do some kind of physical training. Even if it¡¯s just to do nothing more than get a little muscle on your body, cause as you are, I¡¯d be worried just giving you a bag to carry your things with you.¡± That¡¯s not my fault. It¡¯s just because I¡¯ve been growing so quickly¡­ ¡°Oh,e on Kierra, don¡¯t look so down about it. We¡¯re here to start doing something about it, right? And trust me, if anyone can help you with this, it¡¯s me,¡± Raynelle flexed her arm as if proving her point. ¡­ I looked over her arm, but instead of making me feel any more confident, it just made me worry about what she had in mind. What sort of training do you even have to go through to get muscles like that? ¡­ ¡­ Yet, despite my reservations, I couldn¡¯t deny that she made a good point. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°I knew you would,¡± She ruffled my hair, ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to start off very simple. All I want you to do is runps around this ce. Just do as many as you can without passing out. Today isn¡¯t about pushing you after all¡­ at least¡­ not too much.¡± ¡­ ¡°Why?¡± I immediately cupped my hands over my mouth as I had identally asked the question I was nning on keeping to myself. ¡°Well, Kierra, as I¡¯m sure you know, you¡¯ve been doing an awful lot of growingtely¡­ and while me and Ava haven¡¯t really said anything about it¡­ you have gotten¡­ a ¡®little¡¯ clumsier¡­¡± My face immediately flushed red. It was true that I had tripped over a little more often¡­ and maybe also walked into things I thought I would fit under¡­ but¡­ Was it really that bad? ¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so embarrassed about it,¡± Raynelle smiled, ¡°Of course, you¡¯d need some time to get used to your body as it grows; you just haven¡¯t had as much time as everyone else.¡± ¡­ That¡¯s true¡­ ¡°Mhm,¡± I responded. ¡°There you go. Now, get running,¡± Raynelle walked behind me before giving me a light shove forward, ¡°The best way to get used to your body is to use it after all.¡± Chapter 54 – What’s Behind Us Chapter 54 ¨C What¡¯s Behind Us I started with a light jog, gradually making my way around the room. After only a singlep, Raynelle stopped me just to check on how I was doing. She gave me some water before telling me to go again, but a bit faster than before. She made me repeat this over and over again. It got to a point where I couldn¡¯t remember how manyps I had done. Sometimes, Raynelle would run alongside me to set the pace, though no matter how many times she did, she didn¡¯t seem to be even slightly tired. Meanwhile, as soon as I tried sprinting ap, I copsed, though fortunately, Raynelle caught me before I hit the ground. ¡°Guess that¡¯s as far as you go today,¡± Raynelle chuckled before handing me some more water, ¡°I will say, you went on for quite a bit longer than I thought you¡¯d manage.¡± I took the water, immediately drinking it as quickly as I could manage. ¡°Whoa there, slow down a bit. You¡¯ll make yourself sick,¡± She said, cing her hand on my wrist to try to slow me down. But it didn¡¯t matter; the feeling of the cool liquid travelling down my throat was just so relieving that I didn¡¯t care if I might feel sick afterwards. I only let go once there was no more water left. ¡°Better,¡± I muttered to myself between heavy breaths. ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you¡¯re feeling better now,¡± Raynelleughed a bit as she stood up, ¡°Can you stand? Or am I going to have to carry you back home?¡± ¡°I-I can stand¡­¡± I responded. At least¡­ I think I can¡­ I used my hands to push off the ground, trying to bnce myself on my feet as I did. It wasn¡¯t easy, but I eventually managed to stand myself up, even if my legs were a little wobbly. ¡°That¡¯s good. Going for a short walk should help you wind down a bit easier. But if at any point you feel you might fall over, just tell me, okay?¡± She said as she wrapped my cloak around my shoulders. ¡°I will,¡± I shakily took a step forward. Raynelle slowly led me out of the training room, always staying right next to me just in case I needed to lean on something for support. The guild had gotten a lot busier during the time we spent here. There were crowds of people all through the building carrying all sorts of weapons, from swords to spears and even a few people with bows. Yet, strangely, I didn¡¯t see anyone who looked like a mage or even a healer. Beni told me they were a little rare¡­ But I didn¡¯t think there wouldn¡¯t be any. Raynelle gave the key back to the man at the counter before guiding me out of the guild. Her size helped us to move through the crowd, as whenever peopleid eyes on her, they would move over to the side. The walk back itself wasn¡¯t very eventful, though I dide close to falling on my face a few times, but thankfully, I always managed to catch myself. Once we arrived at the house, I immediately made my way over to a chair and sat down, my legs immediately thanking me. Raynelle came in just behind me. ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡± Ava poked her head out from the kitchen right as Raynelle closed the door behind her. ¡°What do you mean already? We¡¯re back just in time for lunch,¡± Raynelle turned to face me, ¡°Although, before we do any eating, I think it would be good for us to wash up first, don¡¯t you think Kierra?¡± Wash up? I quietly looked over myself, noticing just how sweaty I had gotten. ¡­ ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave the two of you to it,¡± Ava headed into the kitchen before calling back out, ¡°It¡¯ll be ready by the time you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Well, you heard her. The sooner we finish washing up, the sooner we can eat,¡± Raynelle pointed towards the bathroom. ¡°Okay,¡± I stood myself back up before making my way into the bathroom. As soon as I heard the door close behind me, I started taking off my shirt, struggling just a little as it stuck to my skin. However, just before I got it off, I heard a single footstep behind me and immediately pulled it back down. I wasn¡¯t alone! What if-? I spun around to see who it was. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect you to jump so much,¡± Raynelle hade in with me, ¡°You were a bit shaky on the walk back, so I was just going to help you clean yourself off. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± That¡­ It¡­ would help, but¡­ That scar¡­ I¡­ Even after all the time that had passed, that scar still reminded me of that day. While it was a bad memory for me, I also knew that Ovia couldn¡¯t help but me herself for what happened that day. Someone else seeing that¡­ I knew she would me herself. I just¡­ I took a step back from Raynelle, still unsure as to whether she had seen the scar in that brief moment. Raynelle¡¯s smile almost immediately faded, ¡°Kierra? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± I frantically tried to figure out what the right thing to say was. ¡°Something tells me this is about more than just being a little surprised,¡± She pulled out two stools and gestured for me to sit on one while she sat on the other, ¡°Do you want to tell me about it? I¡¯m more than ready to listen, no matter what¡¯s going on.¡± But I¡­ I¡­ I sat on the stool across from Raynelle but stayed silent. ¡­ Can I-?¡­ But¡­ ¡­ Should I-?¡­ ¡­ ¡°You can take your time,¡± Raynelle said, putting a hand on my knee, ¡°If it¡¯s something you¡¯re worried about, you can trust me, okay? If you want me to, I can even keep this a secret from Ava. Does that sound good? It can just be something between me and you.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ But¡­¡± It took a while, but I managed a single word. Raynelle didn¡¯t say anything. All she did was tighten her grip on my knee just slightly. Should I tell her?¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I know nothing will change¡­ but¡­ ¡­ I swallowed deeply. ¡­ I thought back to all the times Raynelle had helped me before and everything else she had done for me. Even though I still didn¡¯t know why she was like this, somehow, I just knew that she would try and help me, even if it was something like this. ¡­ ¡°I¡­¡± I swallowed again, ¡°I¡­ have a scar¡­¡± ¡°Okay, and where is this scar?¡± Raynelle asked, her eyes never leaving mine. ¡­ ¡°¡­ Back¡­¡± I squeaked out. ¡°Okay¡­ so you have a scar on your back?¡± I nodded. ¡°And you don¡¯t want me to see it?¡± I nodded again. Raynelle paused for a while, seemingly deep in thought, ¡°¡­ Why don¡¯t you want me to see it?¡± I was a little taken aback by her question. I thought she would ask to see it¡­ ¡­ It¡­ ¡°It¡­ reminds me¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t get any more words out. Raynelle let go of my knee and instead grabbed my hands, ¡°So, it reminds you of when you got it.¡± I nodded, even though there was more to it than just that. Raynelle went back to thinking, her grip on my hands gradually getting tighter until she suddenly let go. ¡°I¡­ understand¡­¡± I could hear the uncertainty in her voice, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ the same way.¡± The same?¡­ ¡°In the same ce too,¡± Raynelle let out a t chuckle that even I could tell was forced, ¡°But¡­ I¡­ No¡­ what am I trying to do? It¡¯ll be easier to just tell you the full story¡­ I hope that it will help you with whatever you¡¯re worried about a bit¡­ and don¡¯t think I¡¯m trying to get you to do the same¡­ it took me many years toe to terms with everything, so I don¡¯t expect you to suddenly figure everything out.¡± A story? I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect, but I could see in Raynelle¡¯s eyes that it was difficult for her toe to this decision. So, I waited patiently for her to start telling her story. ¡°This¡­ started around twenty-five years ago now¡­ before either Ava or you were born¡­ At the time, I had a few years as a mercenary under my belt, but I had already begun to grow tired of it. I myself was nothing special. I knew how to use a sword and was probably better with it than most, but that was about it.¡± A mercenary? ¡°That all changed during one request¡­ The request itself was nothing special, just escorting this moderately wealthy man over to the next vige. All I really cared about was the pay¡­ at least that was how I felt when I initially took up the request,¡± Raynelle¡¯s expression softened a little, ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only person who took up that request, which wasn¡¯t unusual, but there was this one person who came with us who¡­ caught my eye so to speak¡­ a man¡­ who didn¡¯t seem to know his right foot from his left. He was a mage, but an unusual one, to say the least.¡± ¡°He had an obsession with spirits¡­ He couldn¡¯t see them, he couldn¡¯t hear their voices, yet he was still absolutely obsessed with them. He would tell everyone about his ideas, about his research¡­ about this idea that if he could somehowmunicate with them, he could pioneer a whole new field of magic. One that didn¡¯t rely on natural talent or some ancient relic¡­ but that¡¯s not what¡¯s important¡­. We spent quite a lot of time together during the request and even after. We would take on requests together, travelling all over the ce¡­ we became good friends in only four years¡­ that is until¡­ I ended up proposing to him¡­¡± Proposing? As in marriage? I didn¡¯t know quite what to think. When Raynelle was hesitant to tell me the story, I didn¡¯t expect this. Then¡­ where-?¡­ A smile crept across Raynelle¡¯s face, but it wasn¡¯t a smile that she had ever shown me before. There was something deeper behind her eyes, something I just couldn¡¯t grasp. ¡°It was a little embarrassing at the time,¡± Raynelle chuckled, ¡°He had apparently been nning on proposing to me for a while but just couldn¡¯t find the confidence to take the leap. So, I ended up taking himpletely by surprise¡­ We had our wedding pretty soon after that and decided to settle down in a vige in the middle of nowhere so he could continue his research into spirits without being bothered¡­ It was good¡­ very good¡­ we were even discussing having a child at the time¡­¡± Raynelle¡¯s expression started to darken, ¡°One issue with living in such a secluded area is¡­ ack of support if anything goes wrong¡­ all you¡¯ve got is yourself and maybe a few neighbours¡­ And we¡­ we were just¡­ unlucky¡­ there really isn¡¯t another word for it¡­ a group of bandits decided to raid the vige¡­ we were caughtpletely off guard, but my husband and I were all that vige had to fend them off¡­¡± A tear ran down Raynelle¡¯s cheek, but she quickly wiped it away, ¡°We immediately split up. I went around, getting everyone I could inside a small warehouse before barricading the door while my husband did what he could to hold the bandits back¡­ He used whatever shy spells he could just to make them hesitate for a bit longer¡­ As soon as I was sure I had secured everyone¡­ I went to join him¡­ as soon as he saw me, his face brightened up, but¡­ in that brief moment¡­¡± No¡­ I didn¡¯t even need to hear what happened to put the pieces together. And it seemed that Raynelle wasn¡¯t exactly keen on exining it either. ¡°In that moment¡­ I just did what I could¡­¡± Raynelle turned around and lifted her shirt in one motion, showing me her back. While she had said that she had a scar in the same ce, that was the only thing that was the same. Rather than the single scar I had, her back was covered in a seemingly endless number of gashes, bothrge and small, many shallow but some much deeper. Doesn¡¯t that hurt? ¡­ I¡­ She pulled her shirt back down before turning to face me again, ¡°I didn¡¯t think¡­ in that moment¡­ my body just acted¡­ I crouched over him¡­ his faint breaths the only thing giving me the strength to go on¡­¡± More tears ran down Raynelle¡¯s face, but again, she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. Raynelle¡­ ¡°There¡¯s more to the story¡­ but¡­ I don¡¯t think that you need to hear about those parts¡­ not yet¡­¡± While she said that she was stopping for my sake, I knew deep down that it would be difficult for her to continue even if she wanted to. We both sat there in silence for a few minutes. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ hard to look back on moments like that¡­¡± Raynelle spoke up, ¡°And with a scar permanently engraved on your body¡­ it¡¯s hard to forget¡­ but.;.. that¡¯s not always a bad thing¡­ notpletely anyway¡­ It¡¯s all about what you do with that memory.¡± What you do with it¡­ ¡­ ¡°It took me a long time to figure out what to do with myself after that day¡­ and that¡¯s a story I will probably tell you someday¡­ It involves when I first met Ava, so I¡¯m sure that even if I don¡¯t tell you about it, she will eventually,¡± Raynelle paused and took a deep breath, ¡°Anyway¡­ after many years and some unexpected assistance¡­ I changed¡­ I found something to do¡­ a new duty¡­ my daughter¡­ Now that scar, while it still reminds me of that day¡­ it¡­ helps me to move forward in a way¡­ to make sure that nobody else has to go through the same thing¡­ Well, I¡¯m making it sound grand¡­ but really¡­ it makes me care an awful lot more about those close to me¡­ including yourself.¡± To move forward¡­ Is that why-?¡­ ¡­ I¡­ ¡­ How are you that strong?¡­ ¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to say, but I couldn¡¯t bear just sitting still any longer. I got up and hugged Raynelle, trying to mimic what she had always done for me. ¡°Look at you,¡± Raynelle hugged me back, ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think you were the adult and I was the child.¡± ¡­ ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I mumbled, ¡°¡­ for this¡­ and everything else¡­¡± She finally let go of me, ¡°Hey, that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for, alright?¡± Raynelle¡¯s smile was back, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t see me as your mother, I¡¯m still going to put my all into mothering you, even if you end up getting sick of it. Though I would rather you didn¡¯t.¡± My mother¡­ Do I even-?¡­ ¡­ No, not now. ¡°Mhm,¡± I just hummed in response, hoping that would be enough for her. ¡°Good¡­ now I¡¯ll step out so you can get yourself cleaned up,¡± Raynelle said, standing up and heading over to the door, ¡°But if you need help, just shout. I¡¯ll be right outside as I¡¯m still a bit worried.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I responded, getting up off the stool. Raynelle once again smiled at me before leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind her. As soon as she left, I took my shirt off and reached over my shoulder, running my fingers over my scar. ¡°It¡¯s about what you do with the memory¡­¡± Chapter 55 – Something that was Missing Chapter 55 ¨C Something that was Missing [Raynelle POV] It was a cold, crisp morning. Thest week had been nothing but rain, but it seemed that the sun had finally decided to show itself. Ava and I had both been woken up at the crack of dawn because we¡¯d forgotten to close the curtains the night before. ¡°It¡¯sing up on two years soon¡­¡± I spoke to myself while gently rocking back on my chair, ¡°Almost hard to believe¡­¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Ava stepped out of the kitchen carrying two tes piled high with breakfast. ¡°I was just thinking about the past,¡± I quickly got up from my seat and took one of the tes from her, ¡°Lately, I¡¯ve just been getting that feeling, y¡¯know? Wanting to just¡­ look back on things again.¡± Looking at the tes, it seemed that Ava had once again managed to get her hands on a new recipe from Ana. She had prepared some kind of dish made from diced potato and meat with a poached egg in the centre. I couldn¡¯t wait to dig in and started making my way back to the table. ¡°Should I go wake our little fox up now?¡± Ava called out with her hand already on the door to Kierra¡¯s room. ¡°No¡­ just let her sleep in today,¡± I said, pulling out the chair next to me and gesturing for Ava toe and sit down, ¡°She¡¯s really been pushing herself with her training thest few months. She could do with a good rest.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± She took her hand from the door before making her way over and sitting down next to me. As soon as she was seated, she started digging in. Naturally, I followed her lead, shoving a forkful into my mouth. The vour was strong and incredibly savoury, making my mouth continuously water involuntarily. ¡°Ava, what did you put in this?¡± I asked after swallowing that first mouthful, ¡°I think I¡¯m about to start drooling all over the table whether I want to or not.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to exaggerate so much. The only new thing I used was a sauce made from mushrooms, and to be honest with you,¡± She quickly ate another bite, ¡°I think I need to try using this in other dishes.¡± A sauce made from mushrooms? You can make mushrooms taste like this? I thought they were just watery and nd¡­ ¡­ We both wolfed down the rest of the food. However, right as I took thest bite, a thought crossed my mind. ¡°Um Ava¡­ You did set some aside for Kierra, right?¡± I really don¡¯t want to be med for making Kierra miss out on breakfast. ¡°Of course I left some for her. It¡¯s sitting in the kitchen. I can just warm it up whenever she wakes up,¡± Ava said with a smirk, ¡°I¡¯m not exactly going to let her go hungry now am I?¡± Thank goodness¡­ I really don¡¯t want to make that mistake. ¡­ ¡­ Maybe I should still check¡­ just in case¡­ ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll clear up¡± I got up and picked up both mine and Ava¡¯s tes before walking towards the kitchen, ¡°But don¡¯t go anywhere; I have something I want to talk with you about,¡± As soon as I had set the tes down in the kitchen I went looking for the food Ava had set aside. Thankfully, there was still some more food left in the pan. As soon as I was happy that Kierra wasn¡¯t going to miss out on breakfast, my eyes found themselves wandering over to the pot sitting next to the pan. Inside was a very dark sauce, which was probably the mushroom sauce Ava had mentioned. ¡°Hmmm?¡­¡± Surely, I can have a taste. I grabbed a spoon and took a small spoonful of the thick sauce. ¡­ There weren''t many ways to describe that vour other than simply a lot. It wasn¡¯t bad, but it was incredibly strong, probably too strong to be eaten by itself like just did. As soon as I had swallowed the sauce I reached for some water to try and dilute the vour. ¡°Gods¡­ that¡¯s strong.¡± Probably best to leave that to Ava¡­ Just a little too much of that, and I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯d be all you could taste. After washing down most of the taste, I made my way back to Ava, although as soon as I stepped out of the kitchen, I saw a cheeky smile spread across her face. ¡°Was it a bit too much for you?¡± She asked, her smirk never fading, ¡°I let it reduce a bit more than the recipe asked for as I know both you and Kierra prefer ¡®stronger¡¯ vours.¡± ¡°Go take a spoonful of the stuff yourself before you act like that,¡± I replied before sitting back at the table with a loud thud, ¡°I would be more worried if someone didn¡¯t have the same reaction I did.¡± We both just burst outughing, being careful to at least keep it a little quiet so as not to wake Kierra on ident. Once we had both calmed down enough, I was the first to speak, ¡°So¡­ Ava¡­ you know how it¡¯s been almost two years since we arrived here¡­ since we took in Kierra?¡± ¡°Is that what you were talking to yourself about earlier?¡± She responded. ¡°Yeah¡­ I was just looking back on everything,¡± I leaned back in my chair, ¡°Time just¡­ moved so quickly, y¡¯know? I didn¡¯t even realise just how much time had passed until I sat down and actually thought about it.¡± ¡°So? What exactly are you wanting to talk to me about?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s been about two years, but¡­ I noticed something that was missing when I looked back on everything. Something which should havee up at least once.¡± ¡°And what exactly do you think was missing? Just tell me instead of slowly leading me on like this every time.¡± ¡°I was talking about her birthday,¡± I immediately responded, ¡°It¡¯s been two years, but we never celebrated¡­ it should havee up at least once by now.¡± Ava let out a sigh in response, ¡°Well, we can¡¯t exactly celebrate a day we don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I know¡­ but it¡¯s just¡­ she never even seemed down about it or anything¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure she hasn¡¯t even thought about it,¡± I said, putting my elbows on the table, ¡°Even when we did something for your birthday, she didn¡¯t seem to react at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably because I didn¡¯t want to do anything too special for my birthday. All that happened was that we had a cake after dinner. We did the same thing for yours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse¡­ isn¡¯t it? What if she¡¯s never thought about it because she¡¯s never had one? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she just doesn¡¯t know when her birthday is¡­ or if she just¡­ ended up forgetting about it after everything she went through¡­¡± ¡°Well then¡­ what do you want to do? If she doesn¡¯t know her birthday, how are we supposed to figure it out?¡± Ava asked, ¡°Are we supposed to just make one up?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I stayed silent. What else can we do?¡­ ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I just want to give her her own day, y¡¯know? It¡¯s something she¡¯s probably never had before¡­¡± I paused for a moment to collect my thoughts, ¡°We don¡¯t have to call it her birthday¡­ just¡­ I want to do something special.¡± ¡°What did I say about leading me on?¡± Ava leaned in closer, ¡°It sounds like you already have an idea of what you want to do, so just tell me already. Honestly¡­ I would have thought that after two years of taking care of the little fox, you wouldn¡¯t need to consult with me about stuff like this all the time.¡± A brief silence fell over the room. ¡­ ¡°Come on Ava. I just want to make sure I¡¯m not overreaching¡­ you just happen to be the closest person to talk to,¡± I said, although, in all honesty, it was a bit embarrassing that I was still asking my daughter about things like this. ¡°Yeah, yeah, alright,¡± Ava said with a small chuckle under her breath, ¡°Now, will you tell me what you were nning on doing for her.¡± Ava really has grown up so fast¡­ she¡¯s evenforting her mother now¡­ ¡­ What am I even thinking about? I shook my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts. ¡°Well, in four days, it¡¯ll have been exactly two years since we took her in¡­¡± I said, ¡°We could just put something together for that, then¡­ after asking her about it¡­ maybe we could make that day her birthday? If she says no, then that¡¯s fine; it¡¯s still a day worth celebrating after all.¡± Once again, silence fell over the room. However, this time, Ava was the first to break it. ¡°That sounds like a good idea to me,¡± She leaned back in her chair, ¡°Although¡­ there is a ¡®slight¡¯ problem with that n.¡± ¡°A problem?¡± ¡°Well¡­ isn¡¯t that also the day she¡¯s going to the temple this week?¡± Wait¡­ How didn¡¯t I realise that? ¡­ It¡¯s¡­ ¡­ ¡°It¡¯ll be alright¡­ probably¡­ We can just¡­ do something in the morning and the evening¡­ It just wouldn¡¯t mean as much if we moved the day around, y¡¯know? And I¡¯m sure we can make it work, even if there¡¯s a slight hup along the way.¡± ¡°Well¡­ if you say so Mom,¡± Ava got up from the table, ¡°So, now that that¡¯s been decided on¡­ anything else you wanted to mention?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I wanted to bring it up a few days in advance so you¡¯d have some time to put together a gift for her¡­ if you wanted to.¡± I replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already put in an order for something a while ago, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯d rather get her something yourself.¡± ¡°I was already nning to do that as soon as you mentioned we¡¯d be celebrating,¡± Avaughed, ¡°I¡¯ll go and visit Anater today. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve wanted to try putting together for a while now, and this is as good an excuse as any to give it a go.¡± She already had something in mind? I guess I wasn¡¯t the only one wanting to do something like this. ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± I spoke as I got up from the table myself, ¡°Actually, on that note, while you¡¯re out, can you go and pick up what I ordered for her? I¡¯ll probably be doing some more weapon training with her today, so it¡¯d be best for you to sneak it back home while we¡¯re out.¡± ¡°Sure thing, just tell me where to go this time,¡± A smirk once again crept over Ava¡¯s face, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be forced to check every store down the street again.¡± ¡°Ohe on, that was only one time,¡± I dug through my bag until I found a small slip of paper with the details for the order, ¡°Take this to the smithy, the one right at the end of the street run by that talld with red hair.¡± I handed the note to Ava, who immediately folded it and put it in her pocket. ¡°Not your usual ce?¡± Ava asked. ¡°No, I needed something a bit different to the usual gear. That kid just happened to be able to do what I wanted. Should¡¯ve seen his face light up when I mentioned my idea to him. It was as if he had been waiting for a request like this.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll go to Ana first, then on my way back, I need to pick up your order from this smithy and bring it back before you¡¯re done with Kierra,¡± Ava spoke as she walked to the kitchen, ¡°Sounds good. Now, go wake up our little fox, I¡¯ll warm her breakfast through for her.¡± With that, Ava disappeared into the kitchen, and the smell of breakfast once again wafted through the house. Without saying another word, I turned and opened the door to Kierra¡¯s room; inside were two foxes still sleeping peacefully on the bed. ¡°Good morning you two!¡± I shouted as I sat down on the bed, jostling the two of them slightly, ¡°You¡¯ve slept in quite a while today.¡± Now, I just need to make sure to act the same as usual to keep it a surprise for her. Chapter 56 – Why am I Hesitating? Chapter 56 ¨C Why am I Hesitating? It¡¯s cold¡­ ¡­ My arms started searching around me, instinctually looking for a source of warmth. Where?¡­ After a while of not finding anything, I reluctantly opened my eyes. The sun was just peeking up over the horizon as Iy there in bed, just like any other morning. But this time, there was something missing. ¡°Umbra?¡­¡± I called out, my voice a little hoarse. No response. Where did you go? Thest few days had felt a little different. Well, it was mainly Raynelle who had been acting a little differently. She¡¯d been strangely eager to take me to train, but as soon we would arrive at the guild, it seemed like her mind was elsewhere. And now, Umbra was nowhere to be found even though I know I went to sleep with them yesterday. Not knowing what to do, I just got myself dressed. I picked out a nice dress, simr to the first one I had received from Raynelle and Ava, though bigger and with fewer frills. At some point, I just felt that they didn¡¯t really suit me very much. Right as I finished fastening the dress and pulled my tail through the p, Umbra crawled out from my shadow. Almost immediately, I leaned down and lifted them up, assuming they had decided to show themselves just to get their usual pats. ¡°What were you doing in there? It isn¡¯t like you to hide away like that.¡± As I brought them closer, I noticed that there was something in their mouth. A small folded piece of paper being held carefully between their teeth, almost as if making sure not to damage it in anyway. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± To my surprise, as soon as I brought my hand closer to try and take the paper out of Umbra¡¯s mouth they just dropped it into my palm. ¡°*Yip*¡± ¡°¡­ Is this¡­ for me?¡± I asked, a bit confused by the gesture. ¡°*Yip*¡± ¡­ I don¡¯t know what else I expected you to say. ¡­ I just unfolded the note, hoping to get some answers. ¡®Hello there! I¡¯ve been wanting to talk for a while now. Been a few years I think, hard to remember with everything else going on. Unfortunately, that isn¡¯t possible right now, but this is a good first step if I¡¯ve ever seen one. Now, to make things nice and simple, can you please hand this note to one of the twin Goddesses? They¡¯ll understand, alright? Great talking to you and all that. -JD¡¯ What? JD? Who is JD? They know about the Goddesses? They know that I know them? ¡­ But¡­ I haven¡¯t told anyone. Somehow, the message wasn¡¯t even the strangest part of the note. The letters themselves seemed to wobble slightly as if they were struggling to stay in ce. There were even what looked to be the faint outlines of extra words just behind the legible ones. ¡°Umbra, where did you-?¡± I stopped myself, realising that I wouldn¡¯t get an answer from them. What do I-? Right at that moment, I heard the faint sound of footstepsing from behind my door. Before I could think things through, I handed the note to Umbra so that they could hide it in my shadow, which they dly did. Are they already awake? But they¡¯re never awake this early¡­ Did something happen?! Not wanting to jump to any conclusions, I put my ear up to the door and listened. ¡°Is she awake?¡± It was faint, but I could tell it was Raynelle¡¯s voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Ava responded, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she havee out of her room if she was?¡± ¡°But she¡¯s always awake early when she¡¯s going to the temple. She normally wakes us up.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve been pushing her at trainingtely, right? Maybe she¡¯s just exhausted from it?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s never stopped her before. I don¡¯t see why it would today of all days.¡± There was a brief pause. ¡°Should I go wake her?¡± Ava asked. ¡°We probably should¡­ if we wait too long, we won¡¯t be able to do this before she wants to head out.¡± Without anything else being said, I heard the footsteps rapidly getting closer. I don¡¯t know why, but at that moment, I felt a small surge of fear. It wasn¡¯t like I had done anything wrong, but it still felt like I was doing something I wasn¡¯t supposed to. Without thinking, I jumped back into bed, pulling the covers over me just before the door opened. They didn¡¯t hear me, did they? ¡­ ¡°Kierra?¡± Ava was the one to call out. I didn¡¯t open my eyes, trying to sell the idea that I was asleep. ¡°It¡¯s time to wake up little fox.¡± Little fox?! Every time Ava called me that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a littlebative. It wasn¡¯t my fault that I had barely grown in thest year¡­ My growing pains just suddenly stopped, and I stopped growing along with it. That should be a good thing! ¡­ Despite what was going through my head, I managed to keep my eyes and mouth closed. ¡­ ¡­ Nothing. Nothing at all. Did they already give up? ¡­ Did they leave? ¡­ Was my acting that good? ¡­ ¡­ No matter how long I waited, there was just silence. What¡¯s happening? Somewhat reluctantly, I opened one eye just enough to get a peek at what was going on. However, all that greeted me was a bright purple eye staring right back at me, making me jump a little. ¡°So you¡¯re pretending to sleep now?¡± Ava asked, ¡°Unfortunately, you can¡¯t trick me, little fox. You¡¯re a little too easy to read with the way your ears twitch.¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not little¡­¡± I sheepishly let out while blushing. ¡°Yeah, yeah. You can say that once you¡¯re taller than me,¡± Ava chuckled, ¡°Now get up. We¡¯ve got something for you before you head out today.¡± Not saying anything else, I clumsily slid myself out of bed. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re already dressed? That¡¯s even better! Now, get out there. Mom is probably beside herself waiting for you,¡± Ava gave me a light push towards the door as she spoke. It seemed I had no choice in the matter, as Ava kept nudging me forward until I was standing out in the corridor. ¡°Kierra!¡± Raynelle called out from the main room, ¡°What are you doing over there? Come sit. Come sit.¡± The excitement in Raynelle¡¯s voice was almost infectious. I quickly made my way over and sat down next to Raynelle at the table; Ava followed closely behind, choosing to sit on the other side of me. In the centre of the table, there was arge cake, along with two boxes, one small and narrow, the otherrge and t. I expected either Raynelle or Ava to say something first, to exin what was going on, but instead, they just looked at me expectantly. ¡°What is¡­ this?¡± I asked. ¡°A celebration!¡± Raynelle responded immediately, the smile on her face only seeming to grow, ¡°Your celebration!¡± My celebration? For what? What did I-? ¡°It¡¯s been exactly two years since we took you in,¡± Ava said, clearly noticing my confusion, ¡°I know we didn¡¯t celebrate itst year, but we just wanted to do something this time, alright?¡± They did all this¡­ for me? They didn¡¯t have to¡­ really¡­ but¡­ ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t say thank you yet!¡± Raynelle called out, reaching for the boxes on the table, ¡°Say thank you after you¡¯ve got your presents, that¡¯s the right order to do this in.¡± Raynelle took the smaller box and handed the other,rger box, to Ava. ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Raynelle said, handing me her box, ¡°Go on, open it!¡± Seeing the look on her face, I just couldn¡¯t turn her down. I slid the top off the box. Inside was a knife nestled on some sort of plush lining, almost being presented like jewellery. Both the de and handle were a deep ck. Even when tilting the box slightly, the de didn¡¯t catch the light. Carefully lifting it up, I could feel something on the other side. Turning it over, I saw the name ¡®Kierra¡¯ engraved into the handle, surrounded by intricate motifs. Before I could even say anything, Raynelle started speaking. ¡°It¡¯s never a bad idea to have a good knife on you. It could save your life, or it might just live on your belt and be used to peel fruit¡­ but for this¡­ I wanted it to mean a little more¡­¡± She paused for a bit, ¡°I still remember that day you gave us a heart attack¡­ when you somehow worked up the courage to finally tell us your name¡­ I hope that by having your name engraved on this knife that you carry with you¡­ it will help remind you of your courage that day¡­ To give you that little push if ever you need it.¡± ¡­ I didn¡¯t know how to respond. Even when I saw the knife, I had just thought Raynelle had gotten it for me because she noticed that I preferred using knives for our training. I didn¡¯t expect it toe with such a heartfelt message attached. But that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. ¡°I¡­ thank you¡­¡± I carefully ced the knife back into its box to keep it safe, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ almost a shame I¡¯m not wearing a belt to put it on right now¡­¡± ¡°Ohe on now, you don¡¯t have to worry about something like that. If you want to keep your knife on you in a dress, we can go have a thigh sheath made for you at some point. Just knowing you want to keep it is more than enough for me right now, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I responded, feeling a little better thanks to her words. ¡°Then is it my turn now?¡± Ava got up from the table with her box in hand, ¡°What are you doing? Come stand in front of me.¡± Now that I was getting a little swept up in the energy, I immediately did as I was told. ¡°Now, close your eyes for me.¡± As soon as I closed my eyes, I heard the sound of a box being opened, followed by a slight weight being ced on my shoulders. ¡°Now I just need to¡­¡± I heard Ava move around to the front of me before fiddling with something, ¡°And we¡¯re done! You can open your eyes now.¡± Opening my eyes, I saw the cloak that had been draped over my shoulders. Just like the knife, it was a deep ck. The material itself felt very high quality, but by far, the most interesting part was the mass of feathers decorating the cor. ¡°Unfortunately, unlike Mom, I don¡¯t have any deep reasoning as to why I got you this. Just thought you could do with a new cloak instead of using whatever we had lying around. For the feathers¡­ I just noticed that even after all this time, you still like to stare at my wings¡­ So I made sure to keep any of the softer ones when moulting season came around and worked with Ana to get this done in time,¡± She said with a smirk, ¡°Ah, and there is a hood. I just tucked it under the feathers so it didn¡¯t get in the way.¡± ¡­ ¡°Thank you¡­ It¡¯s¡­ pretty¡­¡± I said, running my hand through the feathers. ¡°Now that¡¯s much better,¡± Raynelle patted my head as she stood up, ¡°That¡¯s when you¡¯re supposed to say thank you.¡± All three of us burst outughing at herment and it took a surprising amount of time for us to eventually calm down. ¡°Anyway¡­ now that we¡¯ve done all this¡­ there¡¯s something I wanted to ask you, Kierra,¡± Raynelle knelt down. Is there more? Isn¡¯t this already enough? Maybe even too much? ¡°Both I and Ava spoke about it a bit¡­ but¡­ how would you feel about making today your¡­ birthday?¡± Before I even had a chance to respond, she put her hands up, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want to force you or anything. We were just thinking about how you didn¡¯t have onest year¡­ and thought that maybe you weren¡¯t sure when it was, or maybe you just didn¡¯t want to tell us. It¡¯s just¡­ if you want it to be your birthday¡­ it seemed like a good option¡­ Again, I don¡¯t want to force you into this or anything, y¡¯know?¡± My¡­ Birthday¡­ ¡­ I hadn¡¯t really thought about it before; there were just always other things that were more important, and by the time I was taken in by Raynelle and Ava, it had alreadypletely slipped my mind. ¡­ It would be the same day as the day they found me¡­ I¡­ ¡­ Why am I even hesitating? ¡°Yes¡­¡± I said, holding back my tears so as not to ruin the moment, ¡°I would like¡­ today to be my birthday.¡± Right as the words had left my mouth, the two of them shared a nce before shouting in unison, ¡°Happy sixteenth birthday, Kierra!¡± Before I could say anything else to them, Raynelle pulled the cake towards us. ¡°Now, let¡¯s quickly get some food in you and head out,¡± She said, ¡°Don¡¯t want to keep you from the temple too long.¡± Chapter 57 – Another Divine Gift Chapter 57 ¨C Another Divine Gift The next few minutes went by in a sh. I quickly forced down a slice of cake, barely having a chance to even taste it, before having the hood of my new cloak pulled over my ears and heading outside. The three of us ran to the temple, hoping to get there before the town square got too busy. Even using the back entrance, there was a chance we would be seen and start another rumour if it was busy enough. Strangely, while I was able to keep up with Raynelle just fine, Ava seemed to struggle a little, though not enough to fall behind. When we arrived at the hidden rear entrance to the temple, the door was already open, with Beni poking his head out, looking around frantically, at least until he locked eyes with me. ¡°Kierra!¡± He called out, ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°I-¡± I tried to exin what had happened that morning as soon as I was stood in front of him. ¡°Ah, you just can tell me after,¡± He interrupted, firmly cing his hand on my shoulder and pulling me in, ¡°The Goddess has been waiting for you¡­¡± She¡¯s been waiting? I¡¯m not thatte, shouldn¡¯t she still be preparing? ¡°Just go in,¡± Beni told me, giving me a light shove forward, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the other two¡­ The Goddess has been going at me all morning.¡± All morning? With how quickly everything was happening around me, I just did as I was told. I made my way into the main room of the temple before walking directly into the darkness, letting it envelop mepletely with its familiar chill. Even the process of arriving in Ovia¡¯s domain felt a little rushed. I barely had enough time to get my bearings before I was pulled into a hug from behind. ¡°Happy Birthday, K-Kierra,¡± Ovia spoke directly into my ear, her voice sending a slight shiver down my spine. ¡°Mm,¡± I wasn¡¯t able to put any words together in response, so I just hummed in acknowledgement. Wait! Happy Birthday? Was she watching me all morning? ¡­ I wasn¡¯t quite sure how I felt about that. On one hand, I was happy that she was also there with me in spirit, but on the other¡­ I do wish she could have actually been there with me. Especially with everything she had done for me. ¡­ ¡°How did you know?¡± I asked even though I already had a good idea of what her answer would be. ¡°W-Well I- No¡­ We saw your two friends talking about it a few days ago,¡± Ovia started to exin, ¡°But I didn¡¯t know if you would say yes to their n¡­ so I was w-watching you¡­ just to see what your answer was¡­ I wanted to surprise you¡­¡± As she spoke, I leaned further back into her embrace, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Neither of us said anything; we just enjoyed each other¡¯spany for a bit, at least until someone else spoke up. ¡°It seems you two are having fun. It really feels like I¡¯m interrupting just by being here,¡± The voice came from Aria, sitting in her usual seat, ¡°Sister, should I just leave our gift here and go back to my domain?¡± ¡°No!¡± Ovia stood up, lifting me off the ground as she did, ¡°It was just a g-greeting.¡± Aria let out a little chuckle, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll choose to believe you. Now, why don¡¯t you bring our guest over here so we can give her our present? Then maybe I can give you two some alone time afterwards, alright?¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ovia carried me over before gently cing me down on one of the seats, making sure I wasfortable before taking her own. ¡°I¡¯m actually starting to rethink our gift now¡­ I think it would have been a better idea to get a sling or even a nice bag so that Sister can carry the little kitsune around with her,¡± Aria teased. I¡¯m not little¡­ ¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t dislike the idea¡­ The image of being carried around by Ovia in a cute little bag was already lodged inside my mind just from those few words. Maybe¡­ being a little small isn¡¯t always a bad thing¡­ ¡°Oh well, maybe next year,¡± Aria then pulled out a small box from behind her and held it out, ¡°Though, truthfully, I think you might like what we managed to get for you this year a bit more than that. Now, Sister, would you like to?¡± ¡°Y-yes,¡± Ovia said sheepishly as she got out of her seat and took the box, immediately turning around and presenting it to me, ¡°It¡¯s for you¡­ from¡­ both of us.¡± ¡°Sister¡­ that¡¯s not¡­¡± Aria let out a heavy sigh, ¡°Maybe I should have spent more time going through this with you.¡± Ovia, however, didn¡¯t seem to notice what was said, instead just looking directly into my eyes with the box in hand. I was almost tempted to just reach out and pat her head, but I knew that probably wasn¡¯t the right thing to do. It feels like I only ever receive things from you. Slowly, I lifted the lid of the box off, revealing a beautiful pendant. It was a fox that looked like it was made from pure silver, cradling a spherical gemstone that had a soft, almost unnoticeable glow. The gemstone itself looked like the moon, although not a full moon; instead, it was just a thin white crescent with the rest of the gemstone being the same colour as the surrounding darkness. It wasn¡¯t just the appearance of the pendant that surprised me. As I brought my hand closer to it, it was almost like I could feel waves flowing through the air and into my arm. As I lifted it out of the box, the delicate chain the pendant was attached to was revealed, made of the same silver material as the fox pendant. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ beautiful¡­¡± The words simply fell out of my mouth. It was simply impossible not to say something after being presented with it. Especially knowing that it was a gift that two Goddesses had gone out of their way to pick out for me. ¡°Well, Sister, since you missed your chance before, why don¡¯t you put it on her now?¡± Aria suggested, crossing her legs. I would like that¡­ Despite what I was thinking, I didn¡¯t say anything; instead, I chose to just look into Ovia¡¯s eyes once again, hoping that would be enough for her to understand. ¡°C-Can I?¡± She asked, blushing slightly. I nodded before untying my cloak and letting it slide down my shoulders just enough so that Ovia could get to my neck. As soon as I did, Ovia took the pendant from my hands and moved behind me. ¡°Can you hold your hair out the way for m-me?¡± As she asked, I pulled my hair around in front of me so it wouldn¡¯t be in the way. Ovia then brought the pendant in front of me, draping the delicate chain over my shoulders. It really is too pretty for someone like me¡­ Just as I was about to bring my hand up to touch the pendant, I heard the gentle click of the sp being fastened behind me. ¡°It looks good on you,¡± Aria said as she got up from her seat and walked over to me, ¡°Now, I actually have something for you to do as well.¡± Aria ced another small box in my hands. I immediately took the lid off, revealing another pendant. It was almost identical to the one that now hung around my neck. However, instead of being silver, it was ck with little white specks through it that almost looked like stars. Just by seeing the pendant, I knew what Aria was asking me to do. I turned around to meet Ovia face to face, ¡°May I?¡± I asked, holding the pendant out in front of me. ¡°Mm,¡± She hummed in response before showing me her back, her hair already being held out of the way for me. I carefully ced the pendant in front of her before bringing the two ends of the chain together; however, before I fastened the sp, I froze. It was like the realisation of what I was doing hit me all at once. I can¡¯t believe it¡­ Just by looking at the back of Ovia¡¯s neck, I felt my face heat up. ¡­ I immediately fastened the sp before quickly bringing my hands back into myp. ¡°W-what do you think?¡± She asked as she turned back to face me, her face still a little pink. ¡°¡­¡± I was left speechless. There were just no words that I could think of to describe what was in front of me. I need to say something¡­ But I don¡¯t think I can do her justice¡­ ¡­ ¡°Stunning¡­¡± I identally whispered under my breath. ¡°I would have to agree,¡± Aria came up behind me, ¡°Both of you look stunning.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Both Ovia and I replied in unison, which only served to make me blush even more than before. ¡°Well, you two are quite wee,¡± Aria smiled, ¡°Now, Sister, let¡¯s get back to our seats, and maybe we can exin a little bit about what we got for our guest. We wouldn¡¯t want all that effort you put into picking it out to be forgotten.¡± ¡°Oh y-yes,¡± Ovia practically leapt up from the ground, immediately making her way back to her seat. Aria, on the other hand, gracefully walked back to her seat, where she sat down, being careful not to crease her robes, ¡°Now, what should we start with? I think it would do well to start with how you ended up with those nes.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Ovia hummed in response. ¡°Do you want me to tell her? Or would you rather tell the story?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to take your silence to mean that you want me to tell the story,¡± Aria giggled, ¡°I guess you want to be the one to tell her about the ¡®special feature¡¯.¡± Special feature? I nced over at Ovia, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Well, to keep a very long story short, Sister asked another Goddess for help,¡± Aria pped her hands, ¡°In her own way at least.¡± In her own way? Wait! Another Goddess? I found myself looking down at the pendant again, realising that even more deities were involved in the gift than I had initially thought. ¡°She needed some help when it came to the ¡®special feature¡¯ she wanted to add to the pendant. It just so happened I knew someone who could help out, the Goddess of the Moon,¡± Aria exined as she pointed at the gemstone on my pendant, ¡°I also thought it would be easy for Sister to get along with her because she¡¯s just an adorable little thing with theserge rabbit ears. She¡¯s normally friendly as can be¡­ Unfortunately, this time, the little bunny was a bit scared, so I had to act as the intermediary¡­ But it all worked out in the end, and she offered some assistance with making the nes.¡± Another Goddess was scared of Ovia? I had never put much thought into how other Gods and Goddesses might see Ovia. The only other Goddess I had ever spoken to was Aria, and she clearly wasn¡¯t scared¡­ Thinking back, I was a little scared when I first met her¡­ but she¡¯s only been nice to me¡­ too nice to me¡­ I don¡¯t think I could ever be scared of her now¡­ ¡°With the story out of the way¡­¡± Aria turned to face Ovia, ¡°Would you like to show our little guest what the gift you put all that effort into getting for her can do?¡± Ovia slowly turned to face me again, taking a deep breath before locking her eyes with mine. ¡®H-Hello Kierra¡­ Is this working?¡¯ Her voice rang inside my head, yet¡­ her lips didn¡¯t move. Chapter 58 – Unspoken Messages Chapter 58 ¨C Unspoken Messages ¡°I- What?! I-¡± I immediately tried to cover my ears. ¡®Ah! U-um¡­ c-calm down¡­ please¡­¡¯ Even with my hands over my ears, I could still hear her voice as if she was sitting right next to me. Aria quickly got out of her seat, crouching down in front of me and gently pulling my arms down, ¡°I guess that means it¡¯s working.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± I was so shocked that I couldn¡¯t put any words together. She¡¯s talking¡­ but it¡¯s inside my head¡­ Does it work if I leave her domain? Can I talk to her too? Wait¡­ If she¡¯s in my head, can she hear my thoughts? Can she hear me now?! What else could she have heard?! My eyes locked onto Ovia, but she didn¡¯t seem to be reacting to any of my thoughts, not that it proved anything. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re excited or scared at the moment,¡± Aria put a hand firmly on my shoulder, ¡°The nes are linked. As long as the two of you have them on, you¡¯ll be able to talk to each other whenever you want, wherever you are, okay?¡± Talk? So, it does go the other way. But¡­ ¡°How?¡± I asked. ¡°Ah¡­ mmm¡­ It¡¯s a little difficult to exin¡­ It works when you want it to¡­ if that makes sense,¡± Aria replied. That¡¯s it? I decided to try it as soon as possible. If it worked¡­ If I could talk to her through it¡­ That would mean the world to me¡­ Hello? No response. Was that not right? Hello¡­ Again, no response. I don¡¯t get it¡­ What do you mean it works when you want it to? Once again, I looked up at Ovia. She was looking back at me expectantly, leaning forward just slightly with her eyes wide. My gaze slowly moved up, looking at her hair clip¡­ the same hair clip I gave her almost two years ago now¡­ After taking it all in, I could onlye up with one word to describe her¡­ ¡®¡­ Pretty¡­¡¯ Right at that moment, Ovia flinched, her ears suddenly twitching. Wait, did that? Did I?! As my face started to heat up, I saw a simr blush creep over Ovia¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I must admit, I¡¯m already a little sad that I can no longer listen in on your conversations,¡± Aria¡¯s voice immediately made me snap back to reality, ¡°Now¡­ Sister, didn¡¯t you have another gift you wanted to give her?¡± ¡°Y-Yes,¡± Ovia immediately stood up and headed over to the side room, her blush not fading for even a moment. She mmed the door behind her, and right after, I heard her voice in my head again. ¡®Thank you¡­¡¯ ¡­ Am I ever going to get used to this?¡­ ¡°Shall I let you in on a little secret?¡± Aria moved back to her seat. I nodded, a little confused. ¡°Since I was the one talking to the Goddess of the Moon, I took the opportunity to ask for an extra feature to be added to the nes. My sister doesn¡¯t know about it yet, but I thought I should tell you. Though I will still keep the feature itself a secret,¡± She giggled, ¡°All I will say is to pay attention to the gemstone on the pendant, so you¡¯re hopefully not too surprised.¡± It does even more? Do I really deserve something like this? ¡°Okay¡­ I will¡­¡± It doesn¡¯t matter¡­ I don¡¯t think I could give this up. ¡°Oh, and something I need to mention is that if anyone else touches either of the nes, they will be able to listen in on your conversations, so just be careful,¡± Her face changed to a soft smile, ¡°Not that I¡¯m expecting you to just let people touch your neck.¡± Right then, before I had a chance to respond to Aria¡¯s warning, the door to the side room swung open, revealing Ovia standing there with one hand behind her back. She quickly made her way in front of me before kneeling down, avoiding eye contact the whole time. ¡°This is¡­ from m-me,¡± She brought what she was hiding around in front of her. In her hand was a fox plushie with ninerge tails, its fur and eyes perfectly matching Ovia¡¯s when she was in her fox form. The match between the two was so exact I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if she told me that she used some of her own fur to make it. I reached out with both hands to grab it. But it seemed that there was still one more surprise left for me because as soon as my hand brushed up against the plushie¡¯s fur, I felt that all-too-familiar chill, albeit a little tamer than what I had grown used to. ¡®A¡­ mini Ovia¡­¡¯ Her ears twitched just as the thought crossed my mind. ¡­ I¡­ need to learn how to not do that by mistake¡­ I carefully brought the plushie into myp before instinctively starting to pat its head like I normally would with Umbra. ¡°Now you two can match,¡± Aria giggled. Match? How can we match? A blush crept over Ovia¡¯s face again, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°What do you-?¡± Before I could finish asking my question, I was interrupted by Umbra leaping out of my shadow, carrying the note that they had given me this morning in their mouth. They looked around for a bit before quickly making their way over to Ovia, nuzzling up against her leg. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this?¡± Aria leaned forward, reaching towards Umbra. Umbra immediately pulled away, going to the other side of Ovia so Aria wouldn¡¯t be able to reach her. ¡°What is it about me that you dislike?¡± Aria suddenly raised her voice, catching me off guard, ¡°It¡¯s been two years, and you still won¡¯t even let me get close to you.¡± Aria waspletely ignored by Umbra, who instead continued to nuzzle up against Ovia until she eventually lowered her hand so Umbra could give her the note. As soon as Ovia took the note, Umbra jumped into myp, quickly taking the Ovia plushie and slipping back into my shadow. I was so surprised by the whole interaction that I almost didn¡¯t notice Umbra stealing the plushie from me¡­ almost¡­ I can¡¯t believe you took that without asking. ¡­ I¡¯ll have to talk to you when I get home. Ovia carefully unfolded the note, her eyes going wide as she started to read. What is it? ¡°What does it-?¡± Aria got up out of her seat to get a look at the note, but as soon as sheid eyes on it she immediately stopped talking. Is it something bad? But when I read it¡­ It was just- My mind was immediately taken back to the faint letters I wasn¡¯t able to make sense of. ¡°Um¡­ well¡­¡± Aria was struggling to say anything, ¡°This¡­ How did-?¡­¡± ¡®Is it that bad?!¡¯ I didn¡¯t even need to look at Ovia to know that she had heard that. ¡®N-no¡­ maybe¡­¡¯ She replied, though her words didn¡¯t help to calm me down at all. Aria eventually just let out a sigh, ¡°Where do I start?¡± It¡¯s that bad! ¡°Well, I guess the right ce to start is the note itself. It¡¯s a little special. To most people, it seems perfectly ordinary; however, to those with divinity, it shows a different message. It¡¯s normally used between Emissaries to disguise their letters.¡± It seems ordinary? But- ¡°Next, who it¡¯s from¡­ Unfortunately, the note did ask that I hide their name from you, even if it¡¯s for a ridiculous reason. What I can tell you is that they are a very old, very important God¡­ so important so that the two of us really can¡¯t afford to get on their bad side¡­ and¡­ they can be a little¡­ petty? That¡¯s probably the right word for it.¡± It¡¯s someone even a Goddess has to be wary of? W-why would they send me a note? Is it something I did? Could it-? At that moment, it felt like I was close to a realisation, but lost it just before I could put it into words, just being left with a slight pain in my head. ¡°The message itself doesn¡¯t seem bad¡­ and, in my experience, they don¡¯t go out of their way to antagonise people or anything like that, so it¡¯s¡­ probably a good idea to listen to their advice¡­ although they already know if you¡¯re going to listen and will have ounted for it.¡± They already know? What do you mean they already know? ¡°All the note says is that it would be a good idea for you to head towards Haelmor. It¡¯s a small port town right on the edge of human territory. They do add that it would be better to go there sooner rather thanter,¡± Aria folded up the note and handed it back to me, ¡°He didn¡¯t write it in the message you could read because he thought you would be more likely to listen if one of us told you.¡± Haelmor? Wait, does that mean-? I would have to leave the city! ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± I knew I had to say something but didn¡¯t know what. I had thought about leaving the city to go on an adventure and get more stories to tell Ovia. But I wasn¡¯t ready yet. I was nowhere near ready. Isn¡¯t it too soon? I¡­ I¡­ But it¡¯s advice from a God¡­ An important one¡­ What would they do if I didn¡¯t listen? Ovia suddenly wrapped her arms around me, bringing me back to reality, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡­ We¡¯re here.¡± I immediately hugged her back, pulling her in even closer. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t need to decide on anything right now, alright?¡± Aria joined the hug, ¡°The note was just some advice, not amand.¡± For a while, none of us said anything, just staying huddled together until I could finally calm downpletely. ¡­ ¡°What¡­ would happen if I did what the note asked?¡± I eventually managed to squeeze out a question. ¡°Well, while I don¡¯t know the reason you¡¯re being advised to go there, you would definitely get to see more of the world at least,¡± Aria replied, ¡°For as long as I¡¯ve known you, you¡¯ve been holed up in this, quite honestly, horrible ce. It would be good for you to go and see that not everywhere in the world is like this.¡± But I don¡¯t need anywhere else¡­ This is where Ovia is¡­ Where Raynelle and Ava are¡­ Where my¡­ ¡°A-And after today, no matter where you go, we can still t-talk through the nes!¡± Ovia added, ¡°W-we can even talk more often than we used to.¡± ¡­ Do you¡­ also want me to leave this ce?¡­ ¡­ If even Ovia thinks I should¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ have to think about it¡­ Even with Ovia suggesting that I should follow the advice I was given, I just couldn¡¯t make that decision. Not at that moment anyway. ¡°How about this? You go back to your friends for the rest of your birthday, just spend some time rxing. Then you can think about itter,¡± Aria suggested as she stood back up, ¡°Does that sound like a good idea to you?¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡± ¡°Good. Then, Sister, it¡¯s time for you to say your goodbyes,¡± She smiled, ¡°Even if it will only be for a moment.¡± Ovia suddenly hugged me tighter, ¡°Again¡­ Happy birthday Kierra.¡± With thatment I felt the chill of Ovia¡¯s domain start to gradually recede. Just before I felt Ovia¡¯s presence disappear, I managed to say onest thing, ¡°Thank you¡­ again.¡± Chapter 59 – What’s the Plan Now? Chapter 59 ¨C What¡¯s the n Now? [Ava POV] ¡°So¡­ What¡¯s the n for when shees back out?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mom didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You said we were going to do something in the morning and the evening. Didn¡¯t you n anything?¡± I asked, a little surprised. ¡°Look, I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ really know what you¡¯re supposed to do on someone¡¯s birthday,¡± She leaned back in her seat, ¡°I had thought about bringing the cake out in the evening, but we already did that, even if it was a bit rushed¡­ It wouldn¡¯t feel as good if we just did that again, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°What about-?¡­¡± I was unable to say anything else; the words just wouldn¡¯te to me. I¡­ don¡¯t know what you¡¯d normally do either¡­ We gave her the gifts¡­ We had the cake¡­ ¡­ Is there anything else? There must be¡­ As we were lost in thought, Beni came and sat down next to Raynelle, immediately leaning backwards, letting his ears drape over the back of the pew. ¡°So¡­ you finally decided on Kierra¡¯s birthday¡­¡± He spoke, taking exaggerated pauses between every few words, ¡°That helps to exin the rush this morning¡­ Although¡­ I wish I knew in advance so I could congratte her¡­ I do wonder if I scared her a little¡­ but that¡¯s neither here nor there¡­ For now¡­ it sounds like you have a problem?¡± No matter how many times I¡¯de here, I¡¯d always just found Beni to be¡­ hard to talk to? Something about him was just a little off-putting. Maybe it was his bright red eyes that seemed to pierce the darkness of the temple, or maybe it was the chains that clinked every time he moved. Yet despite all that, he could be someone you would happily sit down in front of just to hear his stories and lessons. Thatbination was just¡­ a bit too much? ¡°I don¡¯t know how much help you¡¯d be I¡¯m afraid,¡± Mom spoke up first, taking a small jab at him. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out¡­¡± Beni responded immediately, turning his head to look at us. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s Kierra¡¯s birthday, as you now know, and we wanted to go and do something to celebrate when shees back from talking to¡­ whoever she¡¯s with. We just don¡¯t know what you¡¯re supposed to do¡­ y¡¯know? Just something to cap the day off in a way.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That is a problem¡­¡± Beni sat up straight, ¡°Lucky for you¡­ Though it¡¯s¡­ admittedly been a while since I¡¯ve seen them¡­ I do have a¡­ number¡­ of siblings¡­ So I can probablye up with some ideas¡­¡± Siblings? Wait. A number of siblings? ¡­ It¡­ does make sense¡­ He is a rabbit beastkin¡­ But¡­ It¡¯s still strange to think that there are multiple Benis out there in the world¡­ ¡°So-?¡± Mom pressed him for an actual answer. ¡°Normally¡­ we¡¯d invite friends round¡­ Which might be a little hard for Kierra¡­¡± He closed his eyes, ¡°Maybe you could go eat out somewhere?¡­ Just something you don¡¯t do often?¡­ So it¡¯s special¡­¡± Go out to eat somewhere? That¡¯s¡­ actually not a bad idea¡­ Though¡­ I don¡¯t know if Kierra would be happy with all the people around¡­ Kierra had gotten much better when it came to being around people, even if she still wouldn¡¯t talk to anyone she didn¡¯t already know. However, I didn¡¯t really know if she would be able to cope with the atmosphere. ¡°Ooh, I like that idea. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever taken Kierra to eat out before; it would be a nice change of pace and,¡± Mom turned and smiled at me, ¡°and would give our chef a little break. Though, I must admit I don¡¯t know anywhere in this city we could go.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that I get out much myself¡­ I attract a few too many eyes¡­ as you might expect¡­¡± He lifted one of his arms, letting the chain tter against the pew. ¡°Then we need to go and-¡± I tried to speak up. ¡°But¡­¡± Beni interrupted me, ¡°Celica did rmend a ce the other day¡­ It¡¯s a small pub¡­ somewhat near the outskirts of the city¡­ I think it was called¡­ The Hearth & Harvest¡­ or something along those lines¡­¡± ¡°A pub?¡± Mom sounded a little surprised, ¡°Is that a good idea? I mean¡­ I don¡¯t know if I want either of them drinking¡­¡± Huh? Wait. Why can¡¯t I drink? ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a very¡­ very¡­ wise decision¡­¡± Beni sighed, ¡°In my experience¡­ it¡¯s a good idea to keep alcohol and kitsune separate¡­ It¡­ exaggerates some of their natural instincts¡­ Granted, every kitsune I¡¯ve met has reacted a bit differently¡­ but they¡¯ve all been¡­ more than a handful if you understand what I mean¡­¡± Natural instincts? I never noticed anything like that with Kierra¡­ Could she really be that different if she just drinks a little? ¡­ I¡¯ll have to remember that forter. ¡°Luckily, you don¡¯t need to worry too much about it with this ce¡­ It¡¯s a little different¡­ they focus more on food rather than drink¡­ That isn¡¯t to say they don¡¯t sell alcohol¡­ you just need to be a little careful of what you let them order¡­ Another nice thing is that since they¡¯re a little unusual¡­ they normally attract a younger crowd during the day and calm down in the evening¡­ so it should be a nice ce¡­¡± ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t sound too bad, actually,¡± Mom said as she turned to face me again, ¡°What do you think? It could wind up being pretty good.¡± ¡­ I guess¡­ Worst case scenario¡­ we can just leave¡­ ¡­ Though¡­ I am a little worried about who we could run into there¡­ If there¡¯s a knight like¡­ No. Ava, you can¡¯t keep thinking like that¡­ It¡­ It doesn¡¯t even sound like the kind of ce they would visit¡­ ¡­ ¡°I think we could give it a go,¡± I respond, ¡°Though we should still ask her first. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯d agree with the idea.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ you¡¯re in luck¡­¡± Beni pointed to the far side of the room, ¡°It looks like she¡¯s already back¡­ just in time¡­¡± Both Mom and I got up together, expecting Kierra toe over to us at any moment. Yet¡­ even after waiting a little while, she didn¡¯t appear. ¡­ I looked over at Beni, but all he did was shrug. That¡¯s not very helpful. Just in case something had happened to Kierra, I decided to try to go over to her instead, even if I couldn¡¯t really see. I slowly walked into the darkness, holding my arms out in front of me so I didn¡¯t identally bump into Kierra, or anything else for that matter. Thankfully, it was only a few steps before my hand brushed against something fluffy. ¡°Oh? I seem to have found myself a little fox,¡± I teased. ¡°¡­¡± Nothing? No talking back? Not even a peep? ¡°Hey, Kierra?¡± I fumbled about a little until my hand eventually found her shoulder, ¡°Is everything alright?¡± She jumped as soon as my hand made contact. ¡°Ah, I- Y-yes,¡± She blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Though I couldn¡¯t see her, I was able to feel her nod. ¡°If you say so¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s get back to Mom. She¡¯s got something she wants to ask you.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± She hummed as she picked herself up off the floor. As Kierra made her way back to Mom, I kept my hand on her shoulder, mainly just to make sure I wouldn¡¯t bump into anything on the way back out. I just couldn¡¯t understand how everyone else was able to make their way around this ce without any issues. ¡°There¡¯s the birthday girl!¡± Mom shouted as we got close, ¡°Say, how would you feel about going out tonight? Just to do something a little different? To celebrate?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t respond. Now that I could make out her face, it didn¡¯t even seem like her eyes were focused. I squeezed her shoulder a little, and once again, she suddenly came to life. ¡°Oh, y-yes, okay,¡± Kierra said immediately. That was a little quick¡­ Did you even think about it? What¡¯s got you so distracted? ¡°Well¡­ Great!¡± Mom responded, sounding a little surprised herself, ¡°I guess we can head out right away. I just got the directions from Beni, and since it isn¡¯t too far from home, we can probably take as long as we want once we¡¯re there.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Before you go¡­¡± Beni walked over to Kierra before crouching down to meet her height, ¡°Happy birthday¡­ and sorry that I don¡¯t have a gift¡­ I found out about all this a little toote¡­ I hope you can consider the ce rmendation as a gift from both me and Celica¡­ as I¡¯m sure¡­ even though she isn¡¯t here¡­ she would have liked to prepare something as well¡­¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Again, Kierra just hummed in response. Once Beni had stood back up, I quickly turned Kierra around so she could face me. ¡°Hey, are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes,¡± She responded immediately, ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± I¡­ can¡¯t do anything if she doesn¡¯t tell me. I¡¯ll just¡­ have to keep an eye on her then. ¡­ ¡°Okay¡­ but, please tell me if anything is going on. Can you promise me that little fox?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not little¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like the little fox I know,¡± I ruffled her hair a little, ¡°Now, let¡¯s get going. And make sure don¡¯t forget your promise.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± I chuckled a little as I stood back up, hoping that maybe I was just imagining things before. ¡°What¡¯s with the hold-up?!¡± Mom called out, already waiting by the rear exit. ¡°You¡¯re just impatient!¡± I yelled back, pulling up the hood of Kierra¡¯s cloak before gently pushing her forward until she started to walk herself. Beni quickly saw us out before we set out on our way to the pub. The trip there wasn¡¯t too bad, although there were a few times when I had to pull Kierra out of the way so she didn¡¯t identally walk into people. The pub itself was hard to miss, mainly due to both therge sign hanging above the door and the tworge chimneys on the roof. On the sign it read, ¡®The Hearth & Harvest¡¯ inrge letters over what looked to be a burning field of barley. ¡°This seems to be the right ce,¡± Mom said as she confidently pushed the door open, ¡°Let¡¯s hope it isn¡¯t too busy.¡± Both Kierra and I followed her in. As soon as we were inside, I was a little overwhelmed by the atmosphere after having not gone out anywhere for thest two years. The ce was very warm, yet it wasn¡¯t ufortable. It was also a little loud, butpared to most pubs, at least the few I¡¯d been in, it wasn¡¯t too bad. Mom quickly made her way over to a table where we all sat down before she raised her hand to call someone over. Almost immediately, a waitress who was leaning on the bar noticed and came to our table. ¡°These are a couple new faces,¡± She said with a smile on her face. ¡°That does seem to be the case,¡± Mom responded. ¡°Indeed it does,¡± She chuckled, ¡°Now, what can I get for you?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re actually here to celebrate a birthday,¡± Mom made a show of whispering to the waitress, though she had to speak quite loudly to be heard over all the background noise. ¡°Is that so? Tell me, who¡¯s the special one here today?¡± ¡°That would be our shy one. I wonder if you could pick them out?¡± Mom teased. ¡°Hmm,¡± The waitress turned to face me, making a show of looking me up and down before doing the same to Kierra, ¡°I wonder¡­ Might it be the girl with her hood still up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°Well, I wish you a very happy birthday. I guess I¡¯ll have to ask the chef to make things extra special for you.¡± Kierra didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Actually, on that note, we¡¯ll just take whatever you rmend,¡± Mom spoke up, redirecting the waitress¡¯s attention away from Kierra, ¡°I was told the food here was quite good, so I trust in your choice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s definitely a big ask¡­ but I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± She smiled again, ¡°Any drinks?¡± ¡°Whatever fruit juices you have would probably be best,¡± Mom quickly responded, not allowing the waitress to look at anyone else, ¡°For the three of us.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get that all ready for you then. Should only be a few minutes.¡± She quickly made her way back over to the bar, calling over one of the chefs in the back. This ce doesn¡¯t seem too bad. Then again¡­ can¡¯t really say that before we try the food. I looked over at Kierra to see how she was holding up, however, wasn¡¯t able to see her face as her hood was in the way. I started reaching a hand out to try get her attention but stopped myself just before I tugged on her cloak. Don¡¯t worry so much Ava¡­ She said she was okay¡­ If she wasn¡¯t, she would tell you¡­ She promised. Chapter 60 – The Next Morning Chapter 60 ¨C The Next Morning Good¡­ night¡­ Ovia¡­ ¡­ ¡­ *Thud* ¡­ What¡­ just-?¡­ My eyelids slowly forced themselves open, only to be greeted with an up-close view of the floorboards. ¡­ ¡°Mmnn,¡± I groaned as I struggled to lift myself up off the floor, ultimately only managing to barely sit myself up with the help of the bed behind me. What¡­ happenedst night?¡­ Looking myself over, I saw that I was still wearing my dress, albeit a lot more creased than how Ist remembered it. ¡­ I¡­ went to the temple¡­ then¡­ ¡­ No matter how much effort I put into trying to remember, I just couldn¡¯t figure it out. I felt that the memories were definitely there, just¡­ foggy. We¡­ ate food¡­ somewhere¡­ I know that¡­ Ovia asked me about the food¡­ But¡­ What¡­ happened after that?¡­ ¡­ I got home¡­ somehow¡­ ¡­ As I was lost in thought, I felt myself start falling forward, but thankfully, I managed to catch myself just before hitting the floor again. ¡°Little fox?! Are you okay?!¡± As if on cue, I heard Ava shouting from behind the door. The panic in her voice was clear. ¡°Mmm,¡± I tried to respond to her but couldn¡¯t manage anything more than a weak groan. ¡°Since I didn¡¯t hear anything I¡¯ming in, alright?!¡± Without missing a beat, the door swung open, revealing Ava standing there in her apron, her wings spread open behind her as if she were ready to take flight at any moment. ¡°What happened?!¡± She shouted as she rushed towards me, cing a hand on the side of my head as soon as she was close enough. As she caressed my head with her cool hand, I felt a wave of difort I hadn¡¯t even noticed leave my body, and my mind gradually started to clear, even if only slightly. ¡°Did you fall off the bed?¡± She asked as she quickly examined me, carefully checking each limb one by one, ¡°Do you feel okay now? Does anything else hurt? That was quite arge bump on your head¡­ Do I need to take you to Celica? Did you injure something on the inside that I can¡¯t see?¡± I could barely process the words she was saying as they flew out of her mouth seemingly all at once. My mind was not helped by the way she was jostling me around as she tried to inspect my back. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­¡± I managed to squeeze out a few words despite the dryness in my throat. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ava asked immediately, ¡°Wait, do you need water? I¡¯ll go get you water. Just¡­ stay still. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve hurt anything else.¡± She rushed out the door before even giving me the chance to answer, though that didn¡¯t end up mattering all that much. It seemed that in the time it took for me to blink, she was already back, holding a cup of water up to my mouth. ¡°Drink slowly, alright? I don¡¯t want you to choke on the water.¡± I did exactly as she asked¡­ for just a moment. As soon as I felt the refreshing liquid touch my tongue, I instinctively started gulping down the water as fast as I could, desperate for the relief it brought. I need¡­ more¡­ Please¡­ ¡°Hold on, I said slowly!¡± She pulled the ss away a little toote as I had already finished drinking all the water she had brought, ¡°Alright¡­. Do you feel sick at all? Maybe I should try heal you anyway, just to be safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± I said, stopping her hand before it reached me, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ just¡­ feeling a little¡­slow¡­¡± Ava let out a sigh of relief as she sat down next to me, ¡°Good¡­ That¡¯s good¡­ I just heard this loud thud out of nowhere¡­ then I saw that bump on your head and¡­¡± She abruptly put her arm over my shoulder and pulled me close. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve calmed down a little and have gotten a better look at you¡­ What were you doingst night? You didn¡¯t get changed out of your dress, and you have dark rings under your eyes¡­ Just how long did you stay up?¡± Dark rings? I gently ran my fingers under my eyes, though I couldn¡¯t actually feel anything different. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t remember¡­¡± I responded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably because you didn¡¯t get enough sleep. In fact, if I had to guess what happened, you fell off your bed because you ended up copsing in a weird position when your mind and body finally gave up and forced you to sleep,¡± She unexpectedly let out a slight chuckle, ¡°You do know that you¡¯re not going to grow very much if you don¡¯t get enough sleep? Not that I¡¯mining. I¡¯m quite fond of my little fox.¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not a little fox¡­¡± I grumbled under my breath. ¡°Oh, you aren¡¯t now. Then¡­ how about¡­ being my little sister instead?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No words came out of my mouth. Sister¡­ I¡­ ¡­ ¡°Why not?¡± Ava asked, pulling me in even closer, ¡°I think we¡¯re close enough to consider each other sisters.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I don¡¯t¡­ dislike¡­ it¡­ But¡­ Can I-?¡­ ¡­ ¡°Just to be clear, I¡¯m not trying to force you or anything. It¡¯s just¡­¡± She paused, ¡°I think we need a proper word to describe our rtionship, and no matter how I twisted it, I think we¡¯re at least a step above friends, right? So sisters!¡± ¡­ Sisters¡­ family¡­ I¡­ ¡­ ¡°Mhm,¡± I eventually responded, even though I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the right answer. ¡°Is that a yes?¡± ¡°¡­ Mhm¡­ though¡­ only because it¡¯s better than being called little fox¡­ nothing else¡­¡± ¡­ I¡¯m¡­ at least allowed to¡­ pretend to be family¡­ That much¡­ is enough for me¡­ ¡°Oh,e on!¡± Ava suddenly shouted, ¡°Haven¡¯t you grown tired of putting so much distance between us yet? Sure, I¡¯m just using it to be endearing right now, but all you¡¯d have to do is ask Mom, and we could be real sisters. I know she¡¯d agree to take you in as her daughter in a heartbeat.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I hummed, hoping that Ava would move on from this topic. I¡­ No¡­ Not¡­ yet¡­ I don¡¯t des- I didn¡¯t finish that thought, not for any grand reason¡­ I just¡­ didn¡¯t want to. ¡­ ¡®G-Good morning K-Kierra¡¯ Without warning, I heard Ovia¡¯s voice inside my head, yet that wasn¡¯t what surprised me the most. As Ovia¡¯s words rang inside my head, I saw Ava¡¯s eyes widen, followed by what looked to be some kind of realisation. All of a sudden, the weight of Ava¡¯s arm on my shoulders felt that much heavier. No! I-! What do I do?! I- I- Right as I tried to push Ava¡¯s arm away, she pulled it back herself. ¡°I-!¡± I shouted, trying to say something, anything, to exin what had just happened. However, Ava immediately interrupted me by putting her hand over my mouth. With her free hand, she put a finger up to her own lips before leaning in close. ¡°Just calm down,¡± She whispered into my ear, ¡°Nothing is going to happen. I¡¯m not going to ask you anything¡­ well¡­ much¡­ You can tell me about all this when you want to. If you want to, alright?¡± ¡°Y-yes,¡± I said as soon as she pulled her hand away, still panicking. ¡°The only thing I¡¯m going to ask is-¡± My heart felt like it was trying to creep up my throat as I anticipated her question. ¡°-are they a bad person? You can nod or shake your head if you must,¡± She smiled, ¡°I just want to make sure, Y¡¯know? As your big sister.¡± ¡°They¡¯re nice!¡± I immediately responded, not wanting Ava to get the wrong impression about Ovia. ¡°Then that¡¯s enough for me,¡± Ava said, rxing again, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll keep quiet for a bit. I guess you don¡¯t want to leave them waiting for too long.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I hummed, still feeling butterflies in my stomach. ¡®Morning¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ Nothing?! Am I in trouble now?! Aria told me to be careful! ¡®Ovia I-¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry!¡¯ In an instant, Ovia¡¯s voice overwhelmed everything else in my head, ¡®I s-should have looked before trying to t-talk to you¡­ Eria already said she might t-take the ne away from me!¡¯ ¡®What?!¡¯ Those few words sent my mind into even more of a panic than before. ¡®Why?! What happened?!¡¯ ¡®She¡­ said that I was taking up too much of your attention¡­ and that I shouldn¡¯t have kept you up all night¡­¡¯ ¡­ So that¡¯s what happenedst night¡­ ¡®B-but I¡¯ll try do better! S-so it won¡¯t happen!¡¯ ¡®No¡­ it¡¯s not all your fault¡­ I probably should have said something¡­ I was the one who was tired¡­¡¯ ¡®Ah¡­ um¡­ Eria t-told me to expect you to say that¡­ um¡­ I-I¡­ forgot what she t-told me to say back¡­ Why d-didn¡¯t I write it down?¡­¡¯ I pulled the ne out from under my dress to stroke the fox on the pendant, hoping that maybe Ovia would be able to feel it. ¡®But! She did tell me to remind you about the n-note¡­ though she said t-to do it after you slept¡­ Wait! I¡¯m doing it again! Ah, um-¡¯ It sounded like her voice was forcefully cut off. ¡®Ovia¡­¡¯ No response. ¡®Ovia!¡¯ What happened to her?! ¡®Hello? Little kitsune?¡¯ This time, a different voice rang inside my head. ¡®Aria?¡¯ ¡®Yes, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m just telling you that there¡¯s no need to panic. I just took the ne away from Sister for a bit. Now, go and get some sleep. I¡¯ll give it back to her by the time you wake up again, alright?¡¯ ¡®¡­ Alright,¡¯ I responded, knowing that if I didn¡¯t agree, Ovia probably wouldn¡¯t be given the ne back for a while. ¡®Good. We¡¯ll give you some peace and quiet.¡¯ With thosest few words, the voices inside my head fellpletely silent, leaving me with only my own thoughts. ¡­ The note¡­ Leaving here¡­ JD¡­ ¡­ As I continued to think about the note, my eyes finally started to focus on my surroundings again. ¡°Are you done now?¡± Ava asked, making me jump a little, ¡°You really do zone outpletely, hey?¡± Looking at her again, sitting next to me with a bright smile on her face, I couldn¡¯t help but start to think about how she might react if I decided to follow the advice in the note. Ava¡­ If I left¡­ I¡­ You¡­ ¡­ At that moment, while my mind was still a little fuzzy from myck of sleep, I decided to ask something¡­ Something which I didn¡¯t know if I really wanted to know the answer to. ¡°Ava¡­ What if¡­ I wanted to¡­ leave someday?¡­¡± Silence filled the room for what felt like a small eternity. I couldn¡¯t even hear my own heartbeat as my mind started racing. I shouldn¡¯t have asked that¡­ I¡­ What if she-? ¡°Well¡­ that depends,¡± Ava spoke slowly, ¡°What do you mean by leave?¡± ¡°If I¡­ wanted to leave this city¡­ to go somewhere far away¡­¡± I responded immediately despite my reservations. ¡°Hmm¡­ I can¡¯t speak for Mom, but I know what I would do,¡± She stood up, stretching her legs and wings, ¡°As your big sister, I would have to follow you. How else am I supposed to help you tie ribbons in your hair? or help brush your tail? Even without talking about any of that, I¡¯m sure you would have a very hard time getting by without my cooking.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I responded with a quiet hum, not being able to fully process what she had said at that moment. ¡°On that note, you should go and change out of that dress and get back into bed for a bit,¡± She lifted my off the floor and set me down on the bed, ¡°By the time you wake up, I¡¯ll have breakfast ready. Does that sound nice to you?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± I tried to nod but almost fell off the bed again. ¡°Alright,¡± Ava caught me before tucking me securely into bed, ¡°Maybe you can skip changing out of your dress for now. Just make sure you have a good nap¡­ my little sister.¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± I mumbled as sleep finally overtook me. Chapter 61 – Putting Off the Decision Chapter 61 ¨C Putting Off the Decision ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did that,¡± I mumbled as I buried my face in my pillow. It had been a few minutes since I had woken up, but the memories of what I had done in the morning were already flooding my mind. I asked about leaving. Ava heard Ovia talking to me. Ovia got the ne taken away. I¡­ I even let Ava call me her¡­ her little sister¡­ ¡­ Why did you do that Kierra?! You know that- ¡®H-Hello Kierra¡¯ My thoughts were immediately cut off by Ovia¡¯s voice. ¡®I-I¡¯m sorry for this morning¡­¡¯ ¡®Sorry for what?¡¯ I asked. ¡®F-for everything¡­ for trying to talk to you when I could have seen that someone was touching the ne¡­ for bringing up the n-note¡­ for n-not letting you go back to sleep¡­¡¯ ¡®But that¡¯s-¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to stop you there, little kitsune,¡¯ Suddenly Aria¡¯s voice took over, ¡®I¡¯m the one who told her to apologise. It was one of the conditions I gave her for me to give the ne back. Sister needs to learn some moderation.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Okay¡­¡¯ There was a certain sternness in Aria¡¯s voice that stopped me from even attempting to say anything back to her. What she did wasn¡¯t that bad¡­ And it only happened once¡­ ¡­ And it¡¯s true that it¡¯s not entirely her fault¡­ I should¡¯ve told Ovia that I was getting tired¡­ Shouldn¡¯t I also be gettingined at? ¡®Well, as part of me helping her to learn moderation, I¡¯m going to be spending the day with her,¡¯ The tone of Aria¡¯s voice changedpletely from stern to strangely cheerful, ¡®Spending the whole day with my arm wrapped around Sister so I can check on what she¡¯s saying.¡¯ It felt like I wasn¡¯t supposed to hear thatst part¡­ yet¡­ something about it ended up stuck in my mind. Sister¡­ ¡­ Is that what sisters are supposed to be like? ¡­ Am I like that with Ava?¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ But¡­ ¡­ It seems¡­ nice¡­ ¡®Alright, Sister and I will give you some space now. Your two friends are out there waiting for you to leave your room. And, just a little piece of advice from me, this is probably a good time for you to bring up the note you received. You have already asked one of them, so it would be best for you to ask the other one soon while you still have it fresh in your mind.¡¯ ¡®G-good luck Kierra!¡¯ Ovia chimed in. With those good wishes, my mind once again fell silent. ¡­ Aria¡­ has never given me bad advice before¡­ ¡­ I pushed myself up, quickly smoothing over the impression left on my pillow from my face. Then, as if on cue, a loud rumble came from my stomach. ¡­ Ava did say she would have breakfast ready¡­ Hopefully, I didn¡¯t miss it¡­ I slid myself out of bed, finally removing my dress from the day before and putting on a new set of clothes. They were just a simple shirt and afortable pair of shorts. As soon as I was dressed, I stepped out of my room, finding Raynelle sitting at the table, along with being able to hear some noiseing from the kitchen. ¡°Morning sleepy head!¡± Raynelle called out as soon as sheid eyes on me. ¡°Mmm,¡± I did little more than groan as I went and sat down next to her. ¡°Did something keep you upst night?¡± She asked, ¡°You slept in till lunch, so I¡¯m a little worried something was eating at you, be that literally or figuratively¡­ actually¡­ hope it wasn¡¯t literally¡­ I¡¯m ashamed to admit that I¡¯m not the best when ites to little bugs.¡± Ava really didn¡¯t say anything about this morning¡­ ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­ I just¡­ didn¡¯t notice the time¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Well, we can¡¯t have that. I guess tonight I¡¯ll have to make sure you¡¯re tucked in before I head off to sleep myself¡­ or maybe¡­¡± She paused for a moment as she rocked back on her chair, ¡°We could all sleep together tonight. It¡¯s been a while since thest time we did. It feels like the two of you are slowly drifting away from me.¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Guess it¡¯s decided then,¡± Sheughed, arge smile spreading across her face, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to rope Ava in, so don¡¯t worry about that part.¡± ¡°What exactly am I being roped into now?¡± Ava came out of the kitchen holding three tes of food. On each of the tes was arge sandwich, sorge that I didn¡¯t think I would even be able to fit one of them in my mouth in order to take a proper bite. ¡°Oh, nothing much,¡± Raynelle called out to her while gesturing for her to sit, ¡°Just making sure that Kierra gets enough sleep tonight.¡± ¡°Well, in that case, I would be d to join,¡± Ava said as she set the tes down on the table before sitting down herself. ¡°I need to make sure my little sister is taking care of herself after all.¡± There was a brief silence in which it seemed Raynelle slowly processed Ava¡¯s words. ¡°Wait! Little sister?!¡± Raynelle shouted, shooting up from her chair. ¡°Yes, my little sister,¡± Ava said smugly. Raynelle fell back into her chair with a thud, ¡°It seems like I only ever fall behind.¡± ¡­ What am I supposed to say? ¡­ ¡­ I just tried to take a bite out of the sandwich Ava had prepared, hoping to just move on from the conversation. Deep down, I knew what I could have said at that moment¡­ but could just isn¡¯t the same as should. Thankfully, both Ava and Raynelle also started eating rather than continuing to talk. The sandwich was good, very good, not that it surprised me anymore. However, I was unfortunately right when I thought that I wouldn¡¯t be able to take a proper bite¡­ It was just too big for my jaw. Meaning that I was forced to take smaller, more awkward bites, though I didn¡¯t mind it that much; although, it did mean that I was thest to finish eating. The three of us just sat there for a moment as we gave our lunch some time to settle; however, that short period of silence was enough for my thoughts to start bubbling to the surface again. Do I follow Aria¡¯s advice? I already know what Ava thinks¡­ ¡­ But what do I do after asking the question?¡­ No matter what Raynelle says¡­ where do I go? What would she say? What do I¡­ even want her to say?¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ know¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡­ um¡­ what¡­¡± I stumbled over my words a little as I impulsively tried to ask the question, ¡°What if¡­ I wanted to leave?¡­ to leave this city?¡± Somehow, I worked up enough courage to ask Raynelle. I knew that no matter what happened, everything was going to start with the question¡­ and that putting off that question would do nothing but leave me thinking about what might happen for longer. Contrary to my expectations, nothing happened¡­ the room fell silent as time seemed to slow down around me. Did I get ahead of myself? What am I even trying to do? I don¡¯t even know if I want to follow that note. Why am I making things moreplicated?! ¡°Is this to do with you wanting to be an adventurer?¡± Raynelle asked, finally breaking me away from my thoughts. ¡°Y-yes,¡± I answered, deciding that it would be an easier exnation than bringing up the note, and it wasn¡¯t entirely untrue that it yed a part in it. ¡°Look¡­¡± Raynelle sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t have an issue with you wanting to leave. If anything, I would be happy that you were finally getting away from this awful ce¡­ but I don¡¯t want you to be an adventurer. It¡¯s¡­ not a good path.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Every time I brought up being an adventurer, Raynelle said something simr, yet she never gave me an exnation as to why¡­ although this time she reacted a little differently. ¡°Well¡­ being an adventurer is not what you think it is¡­¡± She started to exin, ¡°¡®Adventurer¡¯ is nothing more than a job title, and ites with a lot of¡­ responsibilities is probably the right word. Being an adventurer means nothing more than being abourer for a guild; you don¡¯t get to go out, you don¡¯t get to do what you want, everything is dictated to you¡­ even when you can quit¡­ It¡¯s just not something worth putting yourself through.¡± But¡­ What about Beni¡¯s stories?¡­ What about your stories?¡­ ¡°But-¡± ¡°But that isn¡¯t to say there isn¡¯t a way to do what you want to,¡± She interrupted me, ¡°You could go around as a mercenary, a sell-sword. It¡¯s not as stable as just being employed by a guild, but it would give you that freedom to do what you want¡­ if that is what you want, of course.¡± ¡­ But that¡­ ¡°¡­ doesn¡¯t answer the question¡­¡± I identally mumbled, covering my mouth as soon as I realised what I had said. ¡°Then tell me. What exactly is the question you want an answer to? I¡¯ll do my best to give you an answer.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ If I wanted to leave¡­ right now¡­ What would you think?¡­ What would you do?¡± ¡°I think I already told you what I think. I think it would be good for you to leave this ce¡­ to go somewhere where you don¡¯t have to live hiding underneath a cloak. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve stayed here as long as you have, though I do have a guess as to why. As for what I would do¡­ If you decided to leave right now, right at this moment¡­ I would stop you.¡± Stop me? I don¡¯t understand¡­ You think it¡¯s good for me to leave¡­ but you would stop me? ¡­ And why¡­ don¡¯t I like that answer?¡­ ¡­ ¡°I would stop you because you¡¯re not ready to leave,¡± She ced a hand firmly on my shoulder, ¡°Do you know what you are going to eat? Do you know where you are going to sleep? Do you even know where you want to go? I wouldn¡¯t let you leave until I was sure that you were prepared. But¡­ if you were prepared¡­ then I would make sure I was there to send you off with a smile.¡± Send me off? ¡­ But¡­ ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you¡­e with?¡­¡± I asked as I realised what her words meant. ¡°Kierra¡­¡± Raynelle took a deep breath, ¡°I would like to go with you¡­ but just like you would be setting out on your own journey, I have my own. Originally, Casgu was just going to be a one-night stop in that journey¡­ on the way for me to¡­e to terms with things¡­¡± Even without her explicitly telling me what she was talking about, my mind was immediately thrown back to the story she told me about her scars, and I couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°However, as soon as that came to an end¡­ I would scour each and every continent looking for you. Though, hopefully, it won¡¯te to that. The world is a very big ce, and I¡¯m only one person,¡± She let out a little chuckle, immediately bringing the mood back up, ¡°Maybe once you get out into the world, you¡¯ll make a name for yourself. That would make it much easier for me to find where you were, right?¡± ¡­ After hearing what Raynelle had to say, I found myself feeling strangely giddy. Even though she said that she wouldn¡¯t follow me, knowing that she woulde looking for me made me a little happy. ¡°Why am I being left out here?¡± Ava chimed in, ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t have to worry about her food. Do you think her big sister is just going to let her starve out there?¡± ¡°I guess not,¡± Raynelle answered, chuckling again. However, this time, it felt a little forced, ¡°So¡­ should I take this conversation to mean the two of you are nning on setting out somewhere?¡­ I¡¯m not too surprised¡­ I myself decided to strike out on my own when I was a little younger than the two of you¡­¡± I nodded, not quite able to put together the right words but still wanting to respond. ¡°Well¡­ do you have somewhere in mind?¡± She asked, her tone going back to normal, ¡°If not, I can rmend some ces.¡± ¡­ ¡°Haelmor¡­¡± I answered sheepishly. ¡°Haelmor¡­ so a port town¡­ Well, funny enough, both Ava and I came through there when we arrived in human territory,¡± She leaned back in her chair, ¡°It¡¯s probably one of the better ces for you to go too. You¡¯ll get to see plenty of different species over there as theye in to trade, so you wouldn¡¯t stand out as much¡­ and if you wanted¡­ you could leave this ind and head for somewhere else¡­ maybe find some other kitsune¡­ though I myself wouldn¡¯t be able to help you with that, unfortunately.¡± Other kitsune¡­ ¡­ It was an idea that I hadn¡¯t really thought about very much. The only other kitsune I had ever met were Ovia and Aria, and they were enough. I never felt that I needed to meet any others. ¡°I can probably get you on an escort mission up there as mercenaries,¡± Raynelle continued talking, ¡°There are almost no monsters in human territory since they pushed them off the ind many years ago. There are just some wild animals and low-level bandits, but even that isn¡¯t toomon.¡± ¡­ Hearing Raynelle talk about how she could help me go there made the situation feel all the more real. If I don¡¯t say anything¡­ if I don¡¯t stop this now¡­ I might¡­ really be leaving this ce¡­ ¡°How about we do this?¡± Ava seemed to notice how I was feeling as she spoke up, ¡°We spend the next, I don¡¯t know¡­ two weeks preparing, putting things together, making ns and whatever else needs to be done. Then, once things are all ready, we can make a decision. Does that sound like a good idea?¡± ¡­ I do need to prepare¡­ ¡­ It would give me more time to think¡­ ¡­ ¡°Okay,¡± I responded, although I knew full well that all I was doing was trying to put making the actual decision off for just a little longer. ¡°At least that makes the n for the day a little easier,¡± Raynelle stood up, ¡°Come on then, let¡¯s get you all kitted out and ready.¡± Chapter 62 – Time Waits For No One Chapter 62 ¨C Time Waits For No One Those two weeks felt like nothing more than a moment. Raynelle took me and Ava all over the city, buying seemingly everything that might be useful. Lots of weapons and armour, including many that neither Ava nor myself were confident in using. I told Raynelle that I wasn¡¯t sure about some of them, particrly therger axes and hammers, but she would always retort about some situation where it would be helpful, no matter how ridiculous it sounded. Thankfully, I wasn¡¯t the only one who went through this, as Raynelle did much the same for Ava. The first thing Raynelle took us to buy specifically for Ava was a bow¡­ well, multiple bows¡­ Apparently, Ava had been practising using a bow while flying with Raynelle. She had apparently started her training about a year before I started mine. The idea of Ava using a bow made sense to me, though I wasn¡¯t sure how difficult it would be in practice. Once Raynelle was happy with our weapons and armour, she quickly moved on to getting us tents, covers, pillows and many other little things to help us when camping out. In particr, she bought many extra covers and pillows just in case it got a little cold while we were camping or just in case some of our equipment got wet or dirty for whatever reason. The next stop was at Ana¡¯s store to pick up extra clothes for all the different asions Raynelle coulde up with, even including a few fancier dresses, just in case. Ana also went out of her way to give me a sewing kit so I would be able to fix any tears or other damage to our clothes¡­ although as soon as Raynelle heard that, she asked for a couple more outfits¡­ just in case we didn¡¯t have the time to repair the clothes. The final stop was to pick up food, mainly preserved food but many fresh ingredients as well, at Ava¡¯s request. Through this, I found out that anything stored inside my shadow will still spoil, although much slower than normal. By the end of the two weeks, there was a mountain of everything we had bought sitting in the house. There was so much that I didn¡¯t know how anyone would have been able to carry all of it, even if it was for two people. Thankfully, I had Umbra, who was able to take it all into my shadow without any issues. However, that wasn¡¯t all that happened over those two weeks. I got to visit the temple two more times, although those two visits felt different from all the others. They were¡­ quieter¡­ I just got to enjoy being around Ovia; there was no rush to say anything as we had been talking the entire time leading up to our meeting in person, and even if there was something I wanted to say, I could just say it after I had left. It was¡­ nice¡­ calming. During the second meeting, Aria pointed out that the gemstone on both mine and Ovia¡¯s nes had changed; the thin sliver around the edge had grown such that it now resembled a full moon. After trying a few different things, there didn¡¯t seem to be changes other than its appearance. It was now the day after that second meeting. The day I had to make my decision. ¡­ The three of us sat around the table, yet no one spoke. Both Ava and I were already dressed and ready to head out at a moment¡¯s notice. We were both wearing rtively light leather armour with a few metal tes here and there. It¡¯s already here¡­ ¡­ ¡°Well¡­ here we are,¡± Raynelle broke the silence, ¡°Have you decided on what you want to do?¡± ¡­ Have I decided? ¡­ I¡­ Everyone has said it would be a good idea¡­ I even got a note from a God specifically telling me to go¡­ ¡­ We just spent two weeks preparing¡­ buying everything¡­ If I said no now¡­ ¡­ ¡°Hey,¡± Ava wrapped her arm around my shoulders, ¡°Don¡¯t think so hard about it. Just do what you want to do, alright?¡± ¡­ ¡°I¡­¡± My words came out slowly as I felt the nerves building in my stomach, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ go¡­¡± No matter how I was feeling, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to say I wasn¡¯t going to leave with everything that had already happened, with all the support they had given me, with everyone wanting me to leave this ce, to find somewhere better. It took a moment for anyone to respond after I made my decision. ¡°¡­ I¡­ expected as much¡­¡± Raynelle said, deting a little, ¡°I¡¯ve already gone and put you on an escort mission up to Haelmor¡­ they¡¯re leaving this afternoon¡­¡± ¡°I-¡± I feltpelled to say something but was interrupted. ¡°Was actually pretty lucky too,¡± She chuckled a little as if trying to lighten the mood, ¡°There were two different escort missions heading up to Haelmor today. I got you two on the second one, so if there is anything on the route, the first group should take care of it¡­ there couldn¡¯t be a better first mission for the two of you¡­¡± ¡­ She¡­ really put a lot of thought into this¡­ ¡­ All because I asked one question¡­ All because of one note¡­ ¡­ ¡°Well, what are the two of you doing?!¡± Raynelle suddenly shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s go through your final checks. I¡¯m not letting either of you out the door unless I think you¡¯re prepared.¡± Both Ava and I got out of our seats before Raynelle immediately started checking the gear we were wearing. ¡°Now, Kierra, I need you to remember this,¡± She knelt down, checking that the sheaths for my knives were fastened on securely, ¡°I know that you like to dress in all ck and that you¡¯re much morefortable using knivespared to any other weapons. But please don¡¯t forget to keep a bigger weapon visible at all times, just like the spear on your back. If you don¡¯t, you might start getting on people¡¯s nerves, looking like some kind of thief or assassin. I¡¯m sure you can imagine how some people might feel seeing someone dressed in all ck without any obvious weapons on them.¡± ¡°You already told me that¡­¡± ¡°And I¡¯m telling you again.¡± She pulled the strap holding the spear against my back tight before turning to face Ava and doing simr checks. ¡°And Ava, since you¡¯re the big sister here, I¡¯m trusting you to take care of Kierra. I don¡¯t want even a scratch on her before we see each other again.¡± ¡°Of course I will,¡± Ava smirked, ¡°That¡¯s the whole reason why I¡¯m following her.¡± Raynelleunched before looking back over at me, ¡°Kierra, this goes for you too. Take care of Ava; you know she can get a bit too excited sometimes. I¡¯m hoping you¡¯ll be able to reign her in.¡± I simply nodded. Once Raynelle was happy that our gear was fastened securely, she made me get Umbra to pull everything back out of my shadow before going item by item, ensuring that everything was there and ready to go. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what else I can do for you now¡­¡± She said as she handed thest shirt over to Umbra, ¡°It looks like the two of you are set to go¡­ to¡­ leave¡­¡± I could have sworn I saw a tear form in her eye, but she quickly wiped it away. ¡°Actually, I do have one more thing to give you two¡­¡± She stuck her hand into her pocket before pulling out three small pieces of paper, ¡°I asked the old man at the craft store if he could get these made a while ago but couldn¡¯t find the right moment to give them to the two of you.¡± She handed Ava and me each one piece of paper while keeping one for herself. On each of the pieces of paper was a small painting of the three of us huddled together in the old man¡¯s store. Mine, however, was a little different. On the back, there was a smaller painting of three animals: arge purple bear, a white fox and a ck crow. I couldn¡¯t help but let out a quiet chuckle as I realised what the animals were representing. Raynelle¡­ is a lot like a mama bear¡­ She¡¯s done so much¡­ ¡­ But¡­ How did the old man know about me and Ava? Looking closer at the painting on the back, I noticed something else unusual. There was a slight wobble around the edges, much like the letters on the note from JD. ¡°These are probably more for me than for you,¡± Raynelle¡¯s voice pulled me away from my thoughts, ¡°But it always helps to have a good memory close to you¡­ makes it much easier to bounce back if anything does happen¡­ Not that I think it¡¯s going to.¡± I carefully folded the paper and put it in my breast pocket so I could make sure it was always close. ¡°Now, all I have left to give you is advice¡­ Not that I think you need much more that I haven¡¯t already given you over thest few years¡­ I know you two girls are smart and know how to take care of yourselves¡­¡± She paused and took a deep breath, ¡°I guess the best thing I can do right now is give advice for your uing escort mission¡­ It¡¯s important to remember that you¡¯ll be with a lot of people. You¡¯ll have the client and their entourage; in this case, you don¡¯t have to worry about them. I checked ahead of time, and they are on their way back to Haelmor. They¡¯re not locals from around here, so they¡¯ll more than likely be used to being around beastkin. The people you will have to look out for are any other adventurers or mercenaries who are with you. Many people go from escort request to escort request, so you never know who you might meet when you take one on.¡± ¡­ How many people are there going to be? ¡°You should go out of your way to try and find someone decent to stick close to. I¡¯m not telling you to be their friend or anything, but just find someone you can stay around. If it looks like you¡¯re part of a group, fewer people will try to mess with you, alright?¡± She turned to face Ava, putting a hand on her shoulder, ¡°Ava, that will more than likely be your job¡­ I know how Kierra gets around people she doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Heard loud and clear!¡± Ava shouted, immediately lightening the mood in the room. ¡°I guess¡­ I¡¯ll be seeing the two of you off now then¡­¡± Raynelle briefly hid her face before standing up and pushing us towards the door. It¡¯s really happening now¡­ It¡¯s time to¡­ say goodbye¡­ Ava opened the door, and the two of us stepped out, but Raynelle remained, standing in the door frame¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to wrap things up here myself¡­ I need to sell this house now that everyone¡¯s moving out,¡± Raynelle put on a smile, but I could hear her voice straining, ¡°Go on, they¡¯re probably already getting everyone together at the gate¡­ You don¡¯t want to miss such a good opportunity.¡± ¡­ But¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t want to give this up¡­ I don¡¯t want to leave Raynelle¡­ to leave home¡­ ¡­ But¡­ She did it all¡­ for me¡­ ¡­ Not just her¡­ Ava, Ovia, Aria¡­ Beni and Celica too¡­ even Ana and the old man¡­ They all helped me get here¡­ ¡­ If I don¡¯t go now¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Not yet¡­ In the spur of the moment, I ran straight back to Raynelle, wrapping my arms around her tightly. ¡°W-What¡¯s this?¡± She asked, clearly surprised. ¡°Goodbye¡­ Mom¡­¡± I buried my face in her shirt to hide any tears, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I want to be a little selfish¡­ ¡°Oh, ce on,¡± Raynelle had a slight tremble in her voice as she wrapped her arms around me, ¡°You make it sound like this is goodbye forever¡­ As soon as I¡¯m ready¡­ I¡¯lle looking for my daughters¡­ both my daughters¡­¡± Ava didn¡¯t say anything; instead, she just joined us for one final hug. We stayed like that for only a few seconds, yet, in that moment, it meant the world to me. ¡°Alright now, it¡¯s really time for you two to go¡­ I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want me to follow and embarrass the two of you in front of everyone you¡¯ll be travelling with,¡± Raynelle stood up straight, wiping the tears from her eyes, ¡°I wish you all the best on this next journey in your lives.¡± ¡°Bye, mom!¡± Both Ava and I called out in unison as we started walking. Raynelle stood in the doorway the whole time. Every few steps, I would look back and see her with a smile on her face, waving at us. ¡­ Thank you¡­ for everything¡­ ¡­ I just hope that you find us again¡­ soon¡­ Chapter 63 – Setting Out Chapter 63 ¨C Setting Out ¡®A-are you feeling alright Kierra?¡¯ ¡®Mm¡¯ Hearing Ovia¡¯s voice wasforting after what had just happened, but I wasn¡¯t able to give her a definite answer. I had said goodbye, I had left Mom at the house¡­ but it just hadn¡¯t sunk in yet. The only thing I was sure of at that moment was the butterflies in my stomach as I slowly made my way to the gate with Ava. ¡®You¡¯ve made a big step already. It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re feeling a little unsure about things right now because you¡¯ll slowly start to figure things out as you continue to move forward.¡¯ This time, it was Aria¡¯s voice. I don¡¯t know¡­ Am I really doing the right thing? ¡­ ¡®Mm¡¯ My ambiguous hums probably weren¡¯t what they wanted to hear, but no matter what they said to me, I just couldn¡¯t get my feelings in order. I can still turn back¡­ can¡¯t I? ¡­ ¡®If you¡¯re really that worried about what happened today, how about we make you a promise?¡¯ Aria asked. I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡®The two of us will make sure to keep an eye on your friend for you. Then, if you¡¯re ever worried if she¡¯s alright, or even if you just miss her and want to hear about what she¡¯s gotten up to, you can ask us about her. Would you like that?¡¯ ¡­ I would¡­ But¡­ you made a mistake¡­ ¡­ ¡®¡­ She¡¯s my mom¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll take that as a yes then,¡¯ Aria chuckled slightly, ¡®We¡¯ll make sure to keep an eye on your mom for you then. All you have to do is ask.¡¯ ¡­ ¡®Thank you¡­¡¯ ¡®You should be thanking Sister more than me. She came up with the idea while she was busy thinking of ways to help you on your journey as you slept.¡¯ ¡®Shhh!¡¯ Ovia¡¯s voice easily overtook Aria¡¯s, ¡®I thought we agreed to keep that part a s-secret.¡¯ The feeling in my stomach started to settle just slightly. Knowing that Ovia and Aria were both looking out for me made me feel a little better about leaving¡­ though it really was only a little better¡­ ¡®Thank you¡­ Ovia¡­¡¯ ¡°Kierra?¡± Ava¡¯s voice immediately took me out of my thoughts, ¡°I need your attention for a moment; we¡¯re getting close to the gate now.¡± In front of usy the gate, wide open with a row of wagons going through. From where we stood, I could make out seven wagons in total. Most were waiting outside the gate; however, thest two were still inside. Each of the wagons had a canvas roof and its own pair of horses to pull it. However, I couldn¡¯t help but also notice the ominous dark clouds that were gradually rolling in overhead. I nced up at Ava. ¡°Alright,¡± She said as she crouched down and locked eyes with me, ¡°I¡¯ll do all the talking once we get there. The only thing you¡¯ll need to worry about is that they might ask you to remove your hood¡­ and no matter how you feel, you will have to do as they ask. It really isn¡¯t a good look if you refuse.¡± Those few words made my heart sink. ¡°So, we¡¯ll put together our n for what to do if¡­ well, more than likely, when that happens. What I¡¯ll do is when you lift your hood up, I¡¯ll step in and exin that you¡¯re a wolf beastkin. It¡¯s worked before, so it will probably be fine. What you need to do is take your hood off as soon as you¡¯re asked. Okay?¡± ¡­ ¡°Look, Kierra,¡± Ava ced her hands on my shoulders and squeezed firmly, ¡°Think of this as thest time that you ever need to do this. Once we¡¯re outside of that gate, you¡¯ll have escaped from this ce. You¡¯ll be free from all this.¡± ¡­ Just¡­ one more time¡­ ¡­ I¡­ ¡­ I can¡¯t turn back now¡­ ¡°Okay,¡± I said as my shadow quickly came up and coated my hair, dying it a now familiar dark grey. ¡°Good. We¡¯re almost there now,¡± She stood back up before heading towards the gate again. I followed closely behind her, counting the steps as we approached in an attempt to calm myself down. However, that didn¡¯tst very long at all. After only a short while of counting, we were already stood in front of the gate, a mere stone¡¯s throw away from the outside world. I heard heavy footsteps approaching, so I reflexively pulled my hood down to hide my face. ¡°Moreters?¡± It was a gruff voice from someone who wasn¡¯t trying to hide their annoyance. Wait¡­ Just hearing that voice made me immediately freeze up. No matter how long it had been, it was impossible for me to forget it. It was the voice of an older guard¡­ The one that had tried to catch me in front of this very gate two years ago. What if he recognises me?! ¡°Only two of you? But we¡¯re still waiting on four,¡± I could hear the frustration building in his voice, ¡°I¡¯ve been stuck out here all day doing this! Do you see those clouds up there?! I want to be done with this before I end up drenched!¡± Ava didn¡¯t seem to be affected by the man¡¯s yelling as she simply pulled out a slip of paper and handed it over to him. ¡°Everything seems to be in order¡­ Just go over to my ¡®colleague¡¯. He¡¯ll do the rest of the checks,¡± He turned away and grumbled, ¡°Can¡¯t be bothered with this anymore¡­ I¡¯ve been stuck doing this for two goddamn years straight because that pillock couldn¡¯t catch one street rat.¡± ¡­ ¡°Kierra, are you holding up alright?¡± Ava asked. ¡°Mm,¡± I responded. ¡°This is where the check I warned you about might happen, so be ready for it.¡± Ava put her arm around my shoulders and guided me forward as I kept my hood pulled down low. ¡°Hmm? Oh, are you two here as part of this escort mission?¡± It was another familiar voice. It¡¯s both of them?! ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ava responded. I¡¯m going to be found out! I tried to keep my breathing under control, but it was a losing battle. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just have to ask your friend there to remove their hood. One of the people in charge is looking for someone, so we have to be a little thorough around here,¡± The guard let out a strained chuckle, ¡°I hope you can understand¡­ We¡¯re all a bit tired of this.¡± This isn¡¯t going to work! I felt a small tug on the side of my cloak. He already knows! ¡°Kierra, you heard him. You need to lift your hood up,¡± Ava said loudly before leaning in close and whispering, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m right here next to you, remember? I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ ¡­ In a spur-of-the-moment decision, I threw my hood off, choosing to trust Ava¡¯s words. However, I immediately regretted it as I locked eyes with the guard in front of me. The surprise on his face told me everything he was thinking. He recognised me. He started to reach his hand out, ¡°You-¡± ¡°She¡¯s a wolf,¡± Ava interrupted quickly, standing between us to block the man¡¯s hand, ¡°She¡¯s a wolf beastkin. We¡¯re heading up to Haelmor as some of her family managed to get a trip on a trade vessel by volunteering to help move cargo, so she wants to meet them while they¡¯re here.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The man clenched his jaw as he looked at me for a moment before ncing over at the other guard. I could practically see the thoughts racing through his head, yet, despite that, only one question was ring in mine. Why hasn¡¯t he said anything?! Is he using some kind of signal?! ¡°That¡­ sounds good¡­ The two of you will be riding in the rear wagon, so go make yourselffortable,¡± He suddenly said, catching mepletely off guard, ¡°I hope your trip is both swift and uneventful¡­ so you can see your family sooner.¡± ¡­ What?¡­ I¡­ He¡­ But¡­ I was left stunned, so much so that Ava had to pull my hood back up over my ears before I came back to reality. ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll go get ourselves settled down then,¡± She said as she pushed me towards the wagons. Why didn¡¯t he say anything? I know he knew. I saw it in his eyes. I¡­ ¡°See? I told you it would be okay. We got through the check without any issues,¡± Ava climbed up into the wagon first before reaching her arm out. I grabbed onto her arm, and she immediately pulled me up. There wasn¡¯t much room inside the wagon as most of it was taken up by various crates and boxes. On each side of the wagon was a bench we could sit on. Both Ava and I sat down next to each other on the right side of the wagon. ¡®Are you excited?¡¯ Ovia suddenly asked. ¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­¡¯ ¡®Oh u-um¡­ W-well, the hard part is over now. All you have to do is sit and wait, and y-you¡¯ll be outside the city. I-It¡¯s that easy.¡¯ ¡­ Is that a good thing?¡­ ¡­ No matter how much I think about it¡­ I just don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯ve said I wanted to go¡­ I¡¯ve got all the way here¡­ But¡­ ¡°Sorry to intrude,¡± An unfamiliar voice interrupted by thoughts, ¡°It seems that we¡¯re going to be wagon buddies for this trip.¡± There were two people standing outside the wagon. Both of them were wearing cloaks and had their hoods up. The one who was speaking to us was the taller of the two. Even with the cloak in the way, I could make out that they were fairly thin. The other person was a little shorter but much more muscr, going so far as to remind me a little of Raynelle. ¡°No worries,¡± Ava called out to them. ¡°Then we¡¯ll let ourselves in,¡± The taller person said as they climbed into the wagon, closely followed by theirpanion. The person¡¯s voice was a little strange to me. Even after hearing it, I couldn¡¯t put together a face that would match it. It was unnaturally smooth, but apart from that, there weren¡¯t any other notable characteristics. ¡°Don¡¯t mind the big guy,¡± They said as they sat down opposite us, ¡°He looks intimidating, but he¡¯s sweet as can be.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell them that,¡± The other person¡¯s voice was unexpectedly gravelly, catching me off guard. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± The taller person pped theirpanion on the back, ¡°I know you¡¯re just worked up because we had to stay the night in this city, but that isn¡¯t any reason to take it out on these nice people. We¡¯ve got about two weeks where we¡¯ll be riding together with them, hmm? I don¡¯t want them to get the wrong impression of you right away.¡± I decided that it would be better not to try and interact with them, so I just pulled my hood down so that it covered my eyes. It probably wasn¡¯t much longer before I heard a knock on the back of the wagon, followed by a hushed whisper. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± What? I lifted my hood just enough to peek out the back of the wagon and saw the younger guard waving his arms in the air. ¡°Everyone¡¯s on board!¡± He shouted. ¡°Then we¡¯re setting off!¡± Someone else shouted back. As soon as those words were spoken, things suddenly got much louder. I could hear the clopping of hooves in front of us, followed by the groaning of wood as the wagons started to move one by one. The sounds got closer and closer until our wagon abruptly jolted forward, throwing me up against Ava¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Was that a bit of a surprise?¡± Ava took the opportunity to hug me close, ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it soon enough.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± I wanted to correct her, to tell her that it was an ident, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything more with the other people in the wagon watching us. ¡­ So, there I sat in Ava¡¯s embrace as I watched the gate that once stood in my way simply pass overhead. ¡­ What I felt at that moment was impossible to describe. Everything happening around me was real. I knew it. I just knew it couldn¡¯t be my imagination, or a dream, or anything else. The reason for that was simple. As the first raindrops hit the canvas roof with dull thuds, I was there, staring at something I had never seen before¡­ It was the outside of the very wall that contained my whole life up to that point. Chapter 64 – Wagon Buddies Chapter 64 ¨C Wagon Buddies It just keeps going¡­ The rain was loud against the canvas roof of the wagon. Looking out the back, all I could see were endless fields of grass stretching as far as I could see, with only the asional line of trees to break it up. The whole time, I had my eyes fixed on the walls of Casgu, watching as they began to shrink. The only ce I had known gradually got smaller and smaller before eventually disappearingpletely under the horizon. All that was left in its ce was the path we had travelled on and the mud that was starting to form on top of it. Somehow, nothing about it made sense to me¡­ Even though I knew that there was a world out there, actually seeing just how far I could go really put into perspective just how small my own world was up to that point¡­ Yet, something about it felt a little hollow¡­ like something was missing¡­ ¡­ This¡­ is really it¡­ ¡­ *Thud* All of a sudden, the wagon bounced, throwing me up off the bench before quickly mming back down. Thankfully, I didn¡¯tnd on my tail, but that didn¡¯t stop me from feeling the after-effects pulsing through my back. Oww I leaned back slightly in an attempt to readjust myself to maybe relieve some of the pain in my back, but just as I did- *Thud* The wagon bounced again. The bare wooden bench did not help the situation in any way. No one else is flying into the air¡­ Am I doing something wrong? ¡°You seem to be having a rough time there,¡± The taller person opposite me suddenly spoke up. Why are you talking to me? ¡­ Do you want something from me? Did I bother you in some way? Despite all the questions that raced through my mind, I didn¡¯t dare say a single word to them. ¡°Did I say something that offended you? I¡¯m sorry if I did. It truly wasn¡¯t my intention,¡± They said. ¡°She¡¯s just a little shy,¡± Ava said as she lifted me up and ced me in herp. She wrapped one arm around my waist while putting the other up against my back. As soon as her hand met my back, the lingering pain instantly washed away. Healing magic is convenient¡­ ¡­ What would I do without Ava? ¡°Oh, of course. I¡¯m terribly sorry for spooking you then. I was just a little worried after seeing your reaction to thosest two bumps. You were looking a little worse for wear, forck of a better expression.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll say thank you for your concern in her stead,¡± Ava took her hand off my back before wrapping it around the other side of me, ¡°I care quite a lot for her, you see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just d we could clear up that little misunderstanding. I¡¯ll do my best to be considerate in the future, and so will the big fe next to me. Though, I imagine he would only talk to you if you spoke to him first, being a man of few words and all that,¡± The taller man gave hispanion a yful jab. ¡°Man of few words,¡± Therger man said mockingly, ¡°You just talk too much. Don¡¯t hold me to that standard.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that; it wouldn¡¯t be all that fun to spend the next two weeks riding this wagon in silence. Especially on this route, you know there¡¯s almost nothing to see until thest few days.¡± The taller person then turned to face me, ¡°Plus, after seeing these two going through the inspection, I became very curious about this ¡®wolf¡¯ we have here. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Why did they say it like that?! Does he know something?! I felt my hair start to stand on end as I thought through all the possible scenarios that might y out. What do I do if they know? Would they try to take me back?! Do I jump out?! ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Ava spoke for me, her tone much more serious than just moments before. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything bad by it¡­ it was just¡­ I had never seen a wolf with ears like yours. A wolf¡¯s ears are normally a little shorter, a little smaller and a little more rounded. They normally look like¡­¡± Then, without any warning, they pulled down theirpanion¡¯s hood, ¡°this.¡± My eyes were immediately drawn to the top of the man¡¯s head, where two ears, exactly like the taller man described, were perched. A¡­ wolf beastkin? An actual wolf beastkin? He had messy light grey hair and tired amber eyes. On his chin, there was some slight stubble, though his hair colour made it a little hard to notice, along with two scars that made a cross on his left cheek. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± As he spoke, I could see his surprisinglyrge canines catch the light, ¡°I always tell you to ask first.¡± ¡°Ohe on, look at who¡¯s with us,¡± The taller person gestured over to Ava and me, ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to happen just because they saw your ears.¡± I eventually stopped paying attention to their bickering as a realisation began to dawn on me. If he was inspected after me¡­ then¡­ the guard definitely knew I was lying¡­ I knew I could pass off my ears as being wolf ears to someone who didn¡¯t know any better, but seeing both of us back to back¡­ there was no way someone wouldn¡¯t notice the difference. ¡®Why¡­ did he let me go?¡­¡¯ ¡®A-Ah!¡¯ Ovia responded, surprising me. ¡®Sorry,¡¯ I responded immediately, ¡®I must have been thinking¡­ out loud¡­ or¡­ um¡­ I don¡¯t know a better to say it¡­ it was an ident¡­¡¯ It¡¯s been two weeks, and I¡¯m still making the same mistakes¡­ There has to be a trick to it¡­ Ovia never makes that mistake¡­ ¡®I know! It was because-¡¯ She stopped herself mid-sentence, ¡®I-I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m supposed to tell you¡­¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s-¡¯ ¡®I can exin what happened if you¡¯re that curious,¡¯ Aria joined in, ¡®I did have a hand in it after all.¡¯ ¡­ Knowing that there was an answer only made me that much more curious. ¡®Mhm¡­ I¡­ would like to know¡­¡¯ ¡®Well, it was quite simple, really. That guard who did your inspection cares an awful lot for his family, so much so that he puts them before anything else.¡¯ I felt a shiver run up my spine as my mind started toe up with all manner of things that Aria might have done to the guard. ¡®His wife and daughter were¡­ a little under the weather, to put it lightly¡­ He might have then gotten himself a personal visit from Celica.¡¯ My worries were, thankfully, immediately dispelled. Even I could read between the lines and understand what Aria had done. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ ¡®You know it¡¯s no issue for either of us to do something simple like this. Celica enjoyed it too; it gave her an excuse to leave the temple for a bit. So don¡¯t worry about it.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve been saying thank you a lottely¡­¡¯ ¡®And that¡¯s a good thing,¡¯ Aria responded, ¡®It means you¡¯ve been getting a lot of help, which is what you need right now.¡¯ ¡­ But I can never do anything for you two¡­ ¡­ *Thud* The wagon ran over another bump, forcefully pulling me away from my thoughts. Thankfully, Ava¡¯sp did a lot to soften the blow this time. ¡°Anyway, what I¡¯m trying to say is that the two of you don¡¯t need to worry about us saying anything about whether you¡¯re a wolf or not. We all have our own secrets after all,¡± Even though his hood was still up, I could tell that the taller person was now staring directly at me, ¡°If it helps make you feel any better, I can share a secret of my own with you.¡± Without waiting for a response, they slowly lifted their hood, revealing these long chestnut locks and brilliant blue eyes. However, it seemed they weren¡¯t quite done yet. They carefully pulled their hair back to reveal their ears. They¡¯re¡­ pointy? ¡°I know that you¡¯re not a wolf, and you two now know that I¡¯m a half-elf. I hope that makes us even Ms¡­¡± They froze up for a moment but quickly rposed themselves, ¡°Oh, silly me. I never asked for your names¡­ and at the same time, I never gave you ours. I¡¯ve been awfully rude this whole time. My name is Elwyn, and the big guy¡¯s is Joran. May I now btedly ask for yours?¡± ¡°You can just call me Ava, and this here is-¡± I squeezed her arm to stop her from saying anything more. I don¡¯t know if I want to tell them. ¡°Well then, Ms Ava, Ms¡­ Wolf, It¡¯s a pleasure to meet the two of you, and I hope we¡¯ll be able to get along for the next two weeks. I imagine it will be a little hard not to run into each other being in the same wagon and all,¡± Elwyn said with a slight chuckle. ¡°Likewise,¡± Ava responded, although a little more guarded than before. ¡°Now that our introductions are out of the way, it would probably be a good idea for the four of us to get some shut-eye,¡± They pped their hands. Sleep? Now? I couldn¡¯t figure out why we would ever want to sleep now. We had only left a little while ago, and while it was admittedly a little dark, it was because of the rain clouds overhead rather than it beingte. ¡°Are you two new to this?¡± This time, it was Joran who spoke up, ¡°I guess that would make sense. ¡®Ms. Wolf¡¯ at least seemed a little green from the get-go with the way she was watching the road behind us.¡± ¡­ It was that obvious? ¡°Well, I guess I should give you some pointers then,¡± He leaned forward so that his eyes were level with mine, ¡°Whenever either you or I take on an escort like this, we¡¯ll be stuck on night duty. It¡¯s pretty much a universal rule that beastkin like us end up with it due to our better senses. So it¡¯s a good idea to get some sleep while we¡¯re on the move like this.¡± ¡°Night duty? But I¡¯m¡­ a little¡­ not helpful in the dark¡­¡± Ava added sheepishly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter; yourpanion gets put on night duty, so you¡¯re stuck with it too,¡± His expression suddenly soured, ¡°To be honest with you though, when ites to doing this in human territory, it¡¯s more of a boon than anything¡­ at least from my experience¡­ Means we don¡¯t really have to interact with ¡®em all that much. Cause, as I¡¯m sure you know, even when they don¡¯t say anything to you, you sometimes get those looks. Better to just avoid ¡®em entirely.¡± Mm¡­ Even if I didn¡¯t say anything at that moment, there was no way I couldn¡¯t understand what he was talking about. ¡°But don¡¯t worry about it too much,¡± He lightened up again, ¡°Nothing ever happens around here. The most you¡¯ll get is a wild animal, and they¡¯ll normally back off when they see a group of this size. Well¡­ I guess you might get some bandits if you¡¯re unlucky, but they¡¯re easy enough to deal with. Doesn¡¯t really happen as this route¡¯s pretty well maintained with how often it¡¯s travelled and the kind of cargo going back and forth.¡± ¡°I told you he was the sweetest thing,¡± Elwyn decided to chime in again, ¡°He might be a little rough around the edges, but that¡¯s just on the outside.¡± There was a brief moment of silence. ¡°You¡¯re the one who suggested we get some sleep, so why don¡¯t you set an example for these two,¡± Joran was clearly a bit annoyed at this point. ¡°Oh, dly!¡± They shouted as they closed their eyes and leaned up against Joran¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You two should probably do the same now that we¡¯ve got some peace and quiet,¡± Joran then closed his own eyes, seemingly falling asleep instantly. Is that something he¡¯s learnt to do? ¡­ It¡­ seems like a useful skill¡­ ¡°Kierra,¡± Ava whispered directly into my ear, ¡°You can get some sleep. I¡¯ll stay awake to make sure nothing happens, alright?¡± ¡­ ¡°Mm,¡± I responded with a short hum. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll wake you if anything happens,¡± She ran her fingers through my hair while pulling me back into her chest with her free arm, ¡°Sleep well.¡± Her words were almost like magic to me. Well, it was either that or I was just very tired from everything that already happened that day, as I drifted off to sleep almost immediately. ¡°Good night¡­ Ava¡­¡± Chapter 65 – A Coat of Many Colours Chapter 65 ¨C A Coat of Many Colours ¡°It¡¯s time to get up, sleepy head,¡± Ava¡¯s voice was soft and gentle, but it was enough to stir me from my sleep, ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going to be stopping soon.¡± I opened my eyes to the dark interior of the wagon. The air was damp, but the rain from earlier had thankfully stopped. ¡°Was that a good nap?¡± Elwyn asked. Looking over, I could see that both Joran and Elwyn had put their hoods back on. Wait! What if-?! I checked my own hood, but thankfully, it was still pulled over my ears. ¡°I¡¯ll have to assume that means yes,¡± Elwyn chuckled, ¡°The guys up front are just looking for a good ce to set up camp, so it¡¯s only a short while left now.¡± As if on cue, the wagon started to slow before eventuallying to a stop, the axles screeching loudly as it did. It felt like the sound passed through my entire body, starting from the sharp pain in my ears all the way to a tingling in my toes. ¡°Ah!¡± Joran covered his ears as I did the same, ¡°Did no one remember to oil this wagon before we left?!¡± ¡­ We shared a brief look of understanding before removing our hands as soon as we were certain the wagon hade to aplete stop. ¡°Guess that¡¯s the first thing I¡¯m doing when we get off this thing,¡± He said with a defeated voice as he slumped back down on the bench. ¡°So¡­ what are we doing now?¡± Ava asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be getting off? Cause I can hear everyone else moving around out there.¡± ¡°No,¡± Joran answered, ¡°Just wait here, let them all set up their tents and the like. They¡¯ll send someone to call us out when they start going to sleep.¡± Really? ¡­ This¡­ isn¡¯t like the stories at all¡­ We just¡­ sit in the wagon¡­ ¡­ The wagon fell into silence for the next while, although I wasn¡¯t quite sure exactly how long it was without the sun in view. I spent the time listening to the noises just outside the wagon. People shuffling about, many of themining about sore joints from the ride. The rustling of fabric as the tents were being set up. Even the light crackle of a me as it castsrge shadows across the inside of our wagon. ¡°H-Hello, u-um¡­¡± While I was distracted, someone had approached the back of the wagon. He was a fairly short, stout man clutching what looked to be a beret against his chest. ¡°A-are you o-o-okay with t-the n-night-¡± Joran exhaled loudly, spooking the man a little. ¡°We¡¯re okay with that,¡± Elwyn stepped in almost immediately, ¡°We¡¯ll be out in a few minutes then.¡± ¡°T-thank you,¡± The man squeaked before immediately scurrying away. ¡­ ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Elwyn jabbed Joran in the side, ¡°That¡¯s the merchant we¡¯re escorting, not some random adventurer we¡¯re never going to see again. The poor man was absolutely terrified just from seeing the size of you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything.¡± ¡°Joran I-¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just get out,¡± Joran interrupted as he started to climb over Elwyn. ¡°But I just-¡± ¡°You know they ain¡¯t gonna move till they see us,¡± He finally managed to get out of the wagon,nding with a wet ssh, ¡°Nowe on out, I need to find whatever oil they have on hand.¡± Joran offered his hand to Elwyn, which they reluctantly epted as they climbed out of the wagon. Once Elwyn was on the ground, Joran then offered his hand to Ava. ¡°Thanks,¡± Ava said as she was helped out of the wagon. ¡°Just be careful. This ce is a little muddy from all the rain earlier.¡± Joran then finally offered his hand to me. ¡­ ¡­ I just sat there staring for a moment. ¡°Ms Wolf?¡± He said, making me refocus. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright,¡± Ava chimed in, ¡°Just take his hand so he can help you down. It¡¯s a big help with how dark it is.¡± ¡­ I didn¡¯t say anything, but I got up and reached out to grab his hand as Ava told me to. But just before I grabbed on, he reached further into the wagon and lifted me up before carefully setting me down on the ground next to Ava. What was-?! ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to spook you, just thought it¡¯d be easier to get you out that way,¡± He quickly checked me over, ¡°Alright, go get yourself a seat by the fire. I¡¯ll go sort out the axles to save our ears for the next two weeks.¡± As Joran walked around the side of the wagon, I heard a couple of gasps followed by a few people making their way into their tents, although not everyone did. ¡°Well, there¡¯s really nothing else for us to do,¡± Ava wrapped her arm around my shoulder as she guided me towards the fire, ¡°And, If I¡¯m being honest, I am feeling a little tired already¡­ I can see why they told us to get some sleep.¡± She guided me over to one of the logs that surrounded the fire, where we both sat down opposite a couple of other people. Not much at all happened after that. Thest few people filtered into their tents as Joran continuedining about not being able to find any oil. Ava also ended up falling asleep in myp, so I draped my tail over her to help keep her warm, which she dlytched onto. It wasn¡¯t long before I was left with just the sounds of rustling leaves, the crackling fire and Ava¡¯s quiet breathing. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°You know, I have been absolutely dying to meet you. Well, not in the literal sense, of course. If I was dying, this would be a very different situation.¡± What?! If Ava¡¯s head wasn¡¯t in myp, I would¡¯ve leapt out of my seat. Somehow, someone had managed to sit down next to me without me noticing. My eyes were immediately drawn to his outfit. He was wearing a formal suit; however, it somehow was in every colour imaginable all at once, even some colours that didn¡¯t make sense to me. Looking up at his face, his hair was brown¡­ or maybe ck¡­ or blonde¡­ every time I focused on it, it seemed to change and shift. Even his voice was the same; I could remember it was a man¡¯s voice, but I couldn¡¯t remember the voice itself, only the words that were said. After getting a good look at him, I was even more surprised that I hadn¡¯t noticed his approach. How long have you-? ¡°I was going to wait until a bitter, truly, but I¡¯ve already been waiting twenty years for this. You can understand, can¡¯t you?¡± It looked like he started to lean back, but he immediately shot forward instead, ¡°I still can¡¯t even believe it. It¡¯s you! It¡¯s really you!¡± Twenty-? Wait, who-? ¡°The name¡¯s John, with the ¡®h¡¯, it¡¯s very important. Spent a while without it, you know, just Jon with no ¡®h¡¯, but it just didn¡¯t carry the way it needed to. It just needed that extra¡­ gravitas that such an unassuming letter brings,¡± As he spoke, he swung his hands around as if trying to exaggerate each and every word, ¡°I¡¯ve also been given many a title, but the one I¡¯m the most proud of is the first John. Of course, there are others, like the first human, the God of Fate, the God of Souls. But the first John, it¡¯s me! It¡¯s all me!¡± The God of-?! ¡°Actually, on that note, being God of Fate in particr. Bit of a rough job if I don¡¯t say so myself,¡± He just continued to speak, not even giving me the time to think, let alone respond, ¡°You might not understand this part, but I didn¡¯t really ask for it, just one day, ¡®Hey, you defied your fate, be the God of Fate¡¯ sort of thing happened. Don¡¯t really know how I did that, you know, the whole defying fate thing; I think it was because I became a God, thus not being able to die, but well, the order is wrong then. But that doesn¡¯t matter. As I was saying, God of Fate, not great. You just know what¡¯s going to happen, always. No matter what. You just know. Do you know what that does to someone?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even try to respond this time, already expecting him to answer his own question. ¡°It makes them very, very, very, very, very bored! So, they mess around. They try to do things. But no matter what they do, they still know what¡¯s going to happen. My only hobby was ying around with souls; even if I knew the oue, at least I had to put some effort in. But unfortunately, the God of Death and Goddess of Life really don¡¯t like it when I do. They were really mean thest time I did it too,¡± He put on an exaggerated frown, ¡°I was left wandering the farthest reaches of the ether, wasn¡¯t even very fun, already knew nothing was going to happen, BUT!¡± He shouted so loudly I was amazed no one else had noticed him yet. ¡°Then something happened. Something I didn¡¯t expect. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! Something I didn¡¯t know was going to happen just happened. Out there, just beyond my reach, there was a soul. Not a soul like I¡¯d ever seen; the shape was strange, the colour was wrong, but that didn¡¯t matter. Luck just happened to be on my side as it drifted just close enough for me totch onto, and when I touched it¡­ NOTHING! I saw nothing! It was everything I ever wanted in one oddly shaped package. So I got to work. I wanted to give the soul a body, to let it start doing something, anything. But the soul just didn¡¯t fit! I slowly worked on it; I added parts here and there to make it more simr to what I¡¯m used to and got the perfect kitsune body prepared¡­ well, a mostly kitsune body¡­ it needed a little extra oomph to really make it work. Their resilience to this kind of thing was perfect. It¡¯s hard to put a soul into a body like that, but as soon as the soul is put in, it should be held down tightly. I just knew it was so. And I was right! The soul settled in with all the extra bits I added, and then the body started to grow. Four years to mould the soul, seven whole years of growth and then¡­¡± He paused, ¡°I was caught. Got in a bit of trouble with the one I shouldn¡¯t have. In an emergency, I just sent them out into the world while I waited to be sealed. Thankfully, wasn¡¯t sealed for too long; God of Fate is pretty in demand, if you know what I mean, so I got out early. Put together a note, got it to my very precious, unpredictable soul, and now here we are. Interestingly, it seems that the soul has settled even more than before¡­ It¡¯s incredible!¡± ¡­ I just couldn¡¯t process everything that had just been said. He¡¯s a God?¡­ But he¡¯s here¡­ The note¡­ Souls?¡­ Twenty years¡­ how?¡­ What is-? ¡°This is so exciting! I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re going to say next! I don¡¯t know how you are going to react!¡± Can no one else hear him? Can no one else see him? I nced around the campsite and saw Joran leaning up against one of the wagons, but he didn¡¯t seem to react at all. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± John turned to see what I was looking at, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. They¡¯ll only notice me if they¡¯re supposed to notice me. Same with anything you say to me. Now, tell me, who are you? What are you? What do you know? What are you going to do? Not whatever you¡¯ve learned since you opened your eyes here, I already know all of that. What I want to know is where your soul came from,¡± He pointed at me, ¡°Did you know that one day, the fate of lots of people in Haelmor got fuzzy? I decided to leave you a note just as a test, and as soon as I did, I waspletely cut off from Haelmor. I just don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen there anymore. Can you believe it! It¡¯s great! And you¡¯ve already done so much! There was a Baron who was set to start a gambling racket before using the money to climb his status all the way to bing a Count, but then it just didn¡¯t happen! Everything I knew changed just because you existed.¡± ¡­ Who¡­ am I?¡­ What do I¡­ remember?¡­ Even just trying to think about it gave me a piercing headache. ¡­ I¡­ ¡°¡­ don¡¯t remember¡­¡± I muttered. I didn¡¯t really want to say anything¡­ but with everything this man had just told me¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t know! I didn¡¯t know that! I didn¡¯t know that you didn¡¯t know! I just know that you¡¯re something special because I don¡¯t know if you are,¡± He threw his body back before snapping back to how he was, ¡°Although¡­ I am a little disappointed¡­ There should still be something in that head of yours, though; maybe I could get the God of Memories to do me a favour¡­ The promise of your memories is such a good bargaining chip too; it would finally let him win that argument with the God of Knowledge as to who knows more¡­ But no! There¡¯s no fun in me doing that! I want to see what you¡¯re going to do all by yourself from now on. I can¡¯t even guess what you¡¯re going to do. I mean, who knew you would be taken in by those twin Goddesses ¡®cause I definitely didn¡¯t!¡± He then suddenly stood up, his coat blinding a little me as it caught the light from the fire and dyed the surroundings in all manner of colours. ¡°I just can¡¯t wait to see what you¡¯re going to do. Honestly speaking, if you just led an ordinary life, maybe started a family, grew old, then¡­ died¡­¡± He locked up for a moment as he said that, ¡°Actually, please don¡¯t die. I don¡¯t know what would happen to your soul if you did. Also, I really wouldn¡¯t like the God of Death to find you¡­ but you can¡¯t really control that¡­ How about this? When you¡¯re about to die, slip me a note. I¡¯lle pick your soul up. Good? Good. I¡¯ll hold you to that then, but for now, I¡¯m going to leave you be. The council up there really doesn¡¯t like it when I walk around down here. They can¡¯t do anything to stop me, but they get a little difficult to deal with when I ask for favourster on.¡± Before waiting for my response, he stepped over the log I was sitting on, but as I turned to look for him, he was already gone. Not even just physically, as when I thought back to what he had said, all I could remember were the words themselves, no voice, no face. The only other thing I could remember about him was his coat. What¡­ was that?¡­ It was like he held a conversation entirely by himself. I barely managed to get two words in. He just showed up, said what he wanted to say and left¡­ yet¡­ ¡­ Where¡­ did Ie from? Who¡­ was I? ¡­ What did he mean? He just¡­ found my soul? ¡­ That night, I was just left with too many questions that buzzed around inside my head, all seemingly with no way of being answered. Chapter 66 – A Story Around the Fire Chapter 66 ¨C A Story Around the Fire [Ava POV] Where has this pillow been all my life? As I hugged it tighter, it felt like I was melting, bing one with thefy¡­ yet it was also just a little cool, never heating up, no matter how long I held onto it. It¡¯s almost like¡­ ¡­ My eyes shot open only to be met with a field of never-ending grey. ¡°MM!¡± I tried to speak but just ended up with a mouth full of fluff. In a bit of a panic, I let go of whatever was in my arms, finally letting myself see what was going on. ¡­ ¡°Sorry,¡± I said awkwardly as I saw Kierra looking down at me, ¡°Yourp was surprisinglyfortable¡­ and your tail was very much appreciated¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t say anything, but I was able to just make out her ears twitching beneath her hood. It was then that I heard a slight rumblinging from just next to me. ¡°Hungry?¡± I asked as I sat myself up, ¡°Just give me a few minutes. I¡¯ll throw something together for us.¡± Kierra just looked over towards the fire. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Ms Ava. It seems I might have mistakenly stolen your thunder,¡± Elwyn suddenly spoke, forcing me to wake up a little quicker than I had nned. They were sitting on the other side of the fire, tending to something that was already well on its way, bubbling away in arge pot. ¡°And now I¡¯m sorry for making you jump,¡± They let out a slight chuckle, ¡°I¡¯ve been saying sorry quite often this trip¡­ yet all I can think to do is apologise for it. How about you take this stew as my apology this time so I don¡¯t end up saying it again.¡± Looking into the pot, it seemed to be a fairly simple stew: a fewrge chunks of meat, a couple of vegetables here and there, all cooking away in a dark gravy. If I had to say anything about it, it would be that it was more meat-forward than how I would usually cook stew myself, although I could guess why, considering ourpany. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not one to waste food,¡± I got up and grabbed two empty bowls, ¡°However, I¡¯ll be the one cooking tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to brag¡­ too much at least¡­ but I¡¯m quite confident in my skills.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be looking forward to it,¡± Elwyn smiled as theydled the stew into the bowls I was holding, ¡°Now eat up you two. The next hot meal will be at our next stop.¡± ¡°dly,¡± I walked back over to the log where Kierra was sitting, moving a little slowly so as not to identally trip on something in the dark. Even with the fire burning brightly, there were quite a few spots the light didn¡¯t quite reach, particrly on the ground where the rocks surrounding the fire blocked it out. Can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been put on night duty¡­ I can barely see anything¡­ even with the fire right here¡­ I handed one of the bowls over to Kierra as I sat back down, deciding to just focus on eating instead of wasting time thinking about what¡¯s already happened. After all, it had been quite a while since we had lunch back in the city, and I could swear my stomach was contemting eating itself if it wasn¡¯t given a better option. As I took the first bite¡­ It¡¯s¡­ okay! It might have been a little mean of me to think, but could anyone me me? If anything, it was apliment. It looked eerily simr to the stews Mom would make while we were out and about¡­ and those were¡­ very hit or miss¡­ with a heavy leaning towards miss. It wasn¡¯t long before I had cleaned the bowlpletely, which ended up making me a little worried about Kierra. If I managed to wolf the stew down this quickly, she must¡¯ve finished eating as soon as I ced it in her hands. It¡¯s honestly a mystery where it all goes. I turned to Kierra, thinking of how I could tease her about it to make her loosen up a bit, but when I did, I saw that her bowl was still pretty much full. ¡­ Was I the only one who was hungry? No, that can¡¯t be right. I heard her stomach growling at me like a wild animal just a bit ago. ¡°Hey,¡± I ced a hand on her shoulder, which seemed to surprise a little, ¡°Are you okay? Is something wrong? If there is, please tell me, okay? Just whisper it into my ear so that only I can hear you,¡± I leaned in close in an attempt to prompt her to say something, even if it was just to move my face away. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m here. I¡¯m sitting right next to you. You can tell me anything that¡¯s going on¡­ you can even tell me if you were just having a conversation I¡¯m not supposed to hear if you get what I mean.¡± Despite what I said, I was pretty sure that wasn¡¯t the case. This wasn¡¯t quite the same as when she was spacing out before; I could practically see the tiny gears turning inside her head as she grappled with whatever was on her mind. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nothing¡­¡± She whispered with almost no noticeable emotion in her voice, ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ thinking¡­¡± ¡­ It hurts my heart a little to hear her say that. I knew it wasn¡¯t just ¡®nothing¡¯. Anyone can tell that it wasn¡¯t ¡®nothing¡¯. But if she won¡¯t talk to me¡­ How can I help her? I¡¯m just left guessing as she tries to tackle whatever is going on inside by herself. However, I know that I can¡¯t push her. If I pushed too hard, she would just close up again. So, all I could do was make sure I stayed next to her, just in case she finally decided to ask for help. What would you do without me? ¡°Okay,¡± I pulled my head back, ¡°But at least remember to eat. You don¡¯t want it getting cold while you¡¯re off, lost in thought, alright? And remember, you can always talk to me if your thoughts get to be too much for that little head of yours.¡± Thankfully, she started to eat after that, even if a little slowly. ¡°Finally managed to sort that wagon out,¡± Joran suddenly appeared from out of the darkness next to Elwyn, making me jump again and almost fall off the log, ¡°¡­ I wish I could say that was the first time I¡¯ve gotten that reaction.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I just didn¡¯t notice you approaching¡­¡± I admitted as I patted myself down. ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± He said as he was given a bowl from Elwyn and sat down, ¡°You¡¯re an avian beastkin, aren¡¯t you? I get that night duty might be a little rough on you.¡± What?! How did he-? No one else has- ¡­ ¡°How?¡­¡± I asked a little sheepishly. ¡°You might be able to fool my eyes, but my nose is a little bit harder to deceive,¡± He tapped his nose as if to make his point clear, ¡°Well, all I knew was that you weren¡¯t human¡­ and that didn¡¯t have any obvious features that told me you were anything else. I just guessed after you said you weren¡¯t good for night duty. I know that there are quite a few avian beastkin out there who struggle with night blindness.¡± ¡­ It was honestly a little hard to believe he was able to figure everything out from just those clues, but there really wasn¡¯t another exnation as to how he did. ¡°You probably already know this, but I¡¯ll say that I ain¡¯t gonna go spreading this around,¡± He said as he started eating, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t help either of us if I did.¡± ¡­ I guess that¡¯s true. ¡­ ¡°He just felt bad about it,¡± Elwyn spoke up, ¡°He just wanted to tell the two of you that he knew about it. Like I said, he¡¯s just a big softy who is a little awkward around people.¡± ¡°Just be quiet,¡± Joran said as he gave hispanion a slight nudge. ¡°Ah, that reminds me!¡± They started digging in the pouch on their hip, ¡°It¡¯s payday today!¡± Joran sighed deeply before bringing the bowl of stew up to his mouth with one arm while extending his free hand out towards Elwyn. ¡°Two coppers, just like always,¡± They said as they dropped the coins into his waiting hand. ¡°Two coppers?!¡± I identally shouted as I heard the amount. That¡¯s almost nothing! Almost no one would work for those rates. Even if you¡¯re struggling¡­ to put your life on the line¡­ That is just¡­ ¡°Hmm? Are you a little surprised?¡± ¡°Just so you know, I told him to stop doing this years ago now¡­ but he insists¡­¡± Joran said while sounding a little defeated. ¡°We signed a contract. Of course I¡¯m going to keep to it,¡± Elwyn giggled, ¡°You fought hard for those rates, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me¡­¡± Fought? ¡­ I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Joran, you don¡¯t mind if I tell Ms Ava and Ms Wolf the story, do you?¡± Joran once again let out a long, drawn-out sigh, ¡°Even if I say no, you¡¯ll do it anyway.¡± ¡°You know me so well,¡± Elwyn set down their bowl on the log next to them, ¡°This all happened about twenty-five years ago now. I had already been on the road for a good many years, and admittedly, it really wasn¡¯t the best experience. Mainly because, as I¡¯m sure you can tell, I¡¯m not much of a fighter.¡± He jokingly pulled his sleeves up and flexed his arms even though they were easily dwarfed by Joran sitting next to him. ¡°Funny enough, this actually took ce in human territory, though much further ind than where we are now. I was a little hard on my luck at the time, so I was going around asking every person I ran unto about where they were going and if I could join-¡± ¡°They were known as a massive nuisance,¡± Joran interrupted, ¡°Everyone knew about them. Wouldn¡¯t stop talking about how frustrating it got when it was their third or fourth time being asked¡­ that day.¡± ¡°And wasn¡¯t that such a good thing? That¡¯s how you found out about me, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Joran just exhaled sharply instead of saying anything further. ¡°Well, to get back on track¡­ One day, this little pup jumped out at me. They were very bold, standing in my way with their arms outstretched as they loudly imed that they would be my escort to wherever I wanted to go. They told me all about how strong they were, about how their better sense of smell and hearing could be helpful on a journey. It was almost like watching a theatre performance. It was just so endearing,¡± Elwyn seemed to struggle to hold theirughter back as they continued to speak, ¡°At the end, they fearlessly told me that they would be my bodyguard for no less than one copper a week.¡± In the spur of the moment, I found myself asking, ¡°Just one?¡± ¡°I said the exact same thing!¡± Elwyn shouted as he let hisughter start to slip, ¡°You should have seen the pup¡¯s face. They lookedpletely dumbfounded by my question. You can probably guess what happened after that. He brazenly put up two fingers and instead asked for two whole coppers as if he had never given the first offer.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if it was just from the fire, but Joran¡¯s face looked ever so slightly pink, ¡°You don¡¯t need to give that much detail.¡± ¡°I just couldn¡¯t say no to that, and decided to have Joran be my bodyguard ever since,¡± Elwyn¡¯s expression softened, ¡°Though I think he¡¯s long graduated from bodyguard to family¡­ I just can¡¯t help myself and still make sure to give him his two coppers each week. I know he doesn¡¯t even spend them¡­ he really is still just that little pup¡­ even if he¡¯s quite a bit bigger than back then.¡± ¡°And yet, somehow, you haven¡¯t changed in the slightest,¡± Joran retorted. ¡°Really? I thought I aged into my eighties quite well,¡± Elwyn¡¯sment brought the mood right back up to where it was when he started telling his story as the two of them startedughing. I found myself looking over at Kierra, who had finished her food and was now just staring nkly into space. I wonder if we¡¯ll ever end up like that¡­ ¡­ We¡¯ll get there one day. She¡¯s alreadye this far after all. ¡­ I wrapped my arm around her and brought her close. We¡¯re already sisters, and that¡¯s good enough for now. Chapter 67 – Stop Talking Over M- Chapter 67 ¨C Stop Talking Over M- [Eria POV] ¡°How did Celica get herself drunk?!¡± The little light spirit that had just conveyed the news to me just continued to bob up and down slowly. Just how much did she drink? ¡­ Was nobody watching her? ¡­ I let out a deep sigh. I can¡¯t me anyone for that. I didn¡¯t even notice what she was busy doing myself. ¡°Can you ask one of Sister¡¯s spirits to tell her Emissary about this? Celica really needs to be kept inside one of the temples until she sobers up.¡± The spirit promptly vanished to hopefully do what I had asked before things got out of hand down in the mortal realm. Thest time this happened¡­ I shivered slightly as I recalled the memory. ¡­ Maybe I should ask Sister to tell her Emissary directly¡­ Right at that moment, I felt someone enter my domain, but just before I was able to see who it was¡­ ¡°Eria! Help! It stopped working! But now it is working! But she isn¡¯t talking! Help! I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± Sister shouted as she ran towards me. It doesn¡¯t seem like this is the right time to ask her. ¡°Alright, just calm down a little,¡± I shifted over in my seat to make space for her, ¡°Come sit, and then we can go through whatever has happened one step at a time.¡± Sister hurriedly came and nuzzled in next to me, where I wrapped my tails around her. She immediatelytched on to them, hugging them tightly. ¡°Now, what¡¯s happened to get you all worked up like this?¡± There was a brief moment of silence as I assumed Sister was busy trying to slowly put together the right words. ¡°T-The ne¡­ it just¡­ s-stopped working,¡± She spoke slowly, squeezing my tail ever so slightly whenever she paused, ¡°I was watching K-Kierra¡­ then a man sat next to her, and the ne just d-didn¡¯t work anymore¡­ I-I couldn¡¯t even hear what was being said by the man¡­ e-even just trying to watch her¡­ I d-don¡¯t know what happened.¡± It stopped working? That doesn¡¯t sound right¡­ ¡°Do I need to ask the Goddess of the Moon for help? If there¡¯s an issue with the ne-¡± ¡°No!¡± Sister shouted before quickly quieting back down, ¡°I-It started working again¡­ but¡­ now s-she won¡¯t respond¡­¡± ¡­ Did it really? Just like that? If it stopped working like that, we should probably make sure it won¡¯t happen again. Do you just not want the cute little bunny toe over again? ¡­ Maybe I should test it myself. ¡°Do you want me to try talking to her?¡± I asked as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder to touch the ne. Before she responded, I brought up a panel showing what the little kitsune was up to at that moment. From what I could see, the sun was just beginning to poke over the horizon while the little kitsune was climbing back into the wagon. It doesn¡¯t look like anything bad has happened to her at least. ¡°¡­ P-please do¡­¡± Sister looked towards the panel as she spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± I pulled her in a little closer, even though it wasn¡¯t really needed. ¡®Little kitsu-¡¯ Sister immediately moved my arm away from the ne. ¡°Name¡­ use her n-name instead,¡± She said before cing my arm back down on her shoulder. If that¡¯s what you want. ¡®Kierra?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ No response. ¡®Is everything okay?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®Sister is a little worried about you. Can you at least say something? Just so we know you¡¯re alright.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ No matter what I said she just wasn¡¯t responding, even when I brought up Sister¡­ nothing. That just wasn¡¯t like her. I couldn¡¯t even remember a time when the little kitsune had ignored Sister. She had always responded, even if it was nothing more than a quiet hum. ¡°Can you try saying something now?¡± I asked as I brought the panel that was currently showing the little kitsune a bit closer. ¡®K-Kierra?¡¯ Sister asked, ¡®I-Is something wrong?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ As Sister spoke through the ne, the little kitsune¡¯s ears started to twitch beneath her hood. She could definitely hear us, yet she was choosing to remain silent despite that. Something must have happened to her¡­ ¡­ Sister mentioned a man¡­ But she couldn¡¯t hear what he said to her¡­ ¡­ To be able to hide from Sister like that¡­ ¡°Sister?¡± as I spoke, I guided Sister¡¯s head into myp in an attempt to keep her calm, ¡°You said the ne stopped working when a man sat down next to the little kitsune.¡± ¡°Y-Yes,¡± Sister responded. ¡°Was there anything special about this man? Something that stood out?¡± There was another brief pause as Sister collected her thoughts. ¡°H-he just appeared,¡± She said, ¡°From out of the trees¡­ he left the s-same way.¡± So he wasn¡¯t part of the group? ¡°He was¡­ I d-don¡¯t really remember¡­ ¡± She seemed to struggle as she spoke. ¡°That makes things a little dif-¡± ¡°A coat!¡± Sister suddenly interrupted me, ¡°He was wearing a shiny coat! With all these different colours on it!¡± ¡­ As soon as the coat was mentioned, I knew exactly who it was. There was only one person who both had such a¡­ unique fashion sense and could interfere with the ne. I see what happened. He did exactly as he said he would in that note. ¡°Okay, Sister, that must have been-¡± ¡°ME!¡± The man in question had arrived at the perfect moment, causing Sister to immediately tense up in my arms. ¡°-John,¡± I just finished my sentence as if he hadn¡¯t interrupted me. It seemed like my entire domain had changed colour as the light was being reflected off his coat, tinting everything in oh so many gaudy colours. ¡°The very first!¡± John shouted as he pranced around the ce, ¡°You two are just great! I love this domain, it really brings out my jacket, don¡¯t you think? Not to downy the other twin¡¯s domain of course. It¡¯s also absolutely INCREDIBLE! But if the three of us were going to meet there, I would have had to wear my glow-in-the-dark jacket instead. I haven¡¯t brought that out in decades. It just needs the right ce for it to really shine you know?¡± ¡°Could you-?¡± I tried to speak up. ¡°No!¡± He interrupted me again, ¡°I chose this jacket specifically because I was going to visit the two of you. You two just wouldn¡¯t understand it. There are so many different fun-looking Deities up here. Some have funky hairstyles, some have markings all over their bodies, there are even a few skeletons up here, and even ignoring all of them just look at the two of you! You have those fluffy ears and oh so so so so so so so so so many tails. If you ask someone what features I have all they¡¯ll tell you is that I¡¯m called John. If they¡¯re really dedicated, they¡¯ll specify the importance of the ¡®h¡¯. Granted, that is still an incrediblepliment, but is that really it? You know, it¡¯s not my fault I don¡¯t have ears or a tail. But then, at some point, I realised. Some people up here wear fun clothes; even one of you two did. Those gloves with the ws, BRILLIANT! Though you stopped wearing them a little bit ago. Truly a shame¡­ But this jacket! When I wear this jacket, everyone notices. Yes, that there is John. John is the one with the fantastic coat. Makes me fit in perfectly with the crowd up here.¡± ¡°John, please s-¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry,¡± He stopped everything he was doing and bowed deeply, ¡°It¡¯s a hard habit to break. When you know what¡¯s going to be said, you can¡¯t help but just want to reply. You already know what you¡¯re going to say. I already know what you¡¯re going to say. I already know what I¡¯m going to say. So I might as well say it and save us the time. But as you were going to ask oh so nicely, I will do my best to stop talking over you.¡± ¡­ ¡°Can I-¡± I stopped myself,pletely expecting John to interrupt again, but thankfully this time he didn¡¯t, ¡°-talk now?¡± ¡°Go ahead. I expected you might have some questions,¡± He put on this exaggerated grin that made even me feel a bit ufortable. ¡°What were you doing down in the Mortal Realm?¡± I asked, ¡°I¡¯m particrly interested in why you decided to talk to a certain kitsune. I¡¯m sure you know who I¡¯m talking about.¡± He waited for an excessive amount of time before speaking. ¡°I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit after being sealed. Even if I wasn¡¯t sealed wasn¡¯t for very long, it just does something to the joints, you know? And you just want to get out there and move, not that either of you have experienced that of course. And you already know that little council that stops us can¡¯t do anything to stop me. Just think about it, they use me to find out if anyone else is nning on making a trip down there. Without me to tell them, they¡¯re none the wiser to my little excursion¡­ Actually, you know what? I just remembered! I¡¯m actually the head of that council! Of course they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me from going on a nice little stroll. I am them!¡± At this point, Sister waspletely frozen except for her heart, which I could faintly feel as it was pounding away against me. I could only imagine what was going through her head right now. She came in here panicking, and right as I got her to calm down¡­ John just had to show up¡­ ¡­ ¡°John, you know that wasn¡¯t what I was asking you about. Why did you talk to the little kitsune? What did you say to her?¡± I asked, making it clear that I was expecting an actual answer this time, ¡°This isn¡¯t like you. You don¡¯t normally interfere with the Mortal Realm like this. Not in person.¡± Once again, John waited an excessive amount of time before responding. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to know,¡± John¡¯s response caught me off guard; he¡¯s not exactly someone known for being very direct, ¡°What you can know is that I¡¯m very grateful that you decided to take that one in. She¡¯s a very special person. More than you could even know. I just wanted to give her my regards. It was due course with everything that¡¯s happened. You two just wouldn¡¯t understand it. Everything is just how I wanted it to be.¡± What has that little kitsune gotten herself involved in? ¡­ What have we gotten ourselves involved in? I ran my fingers through Sister¡¯s hair, both tofort her and to try to calm myself down. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry about this happening again¡­ all too often,¡± John added as he came closer, ¡°As of this current moment, at the very least, I don¡¯t n on repeating this stunt in particr. Oh, on that note, I actually had a request for the two of you. I need the two of you to keep doing what you¡¯re doing. I thought it would be better for me to tell you in person to avoid a certain meltdown that might have happened in the future. With that, I think I¡¯ve finished everything I had nned to do here. Next time we meet, I really want to go to the other domain instead, the dark one. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve mentioned it before, but I really want to get that glow-in-the-dark jacket out, and there simply isn¡¯t a better ce for it, not here or in the Mortal Realm.¡± With that, John spun around, letting his jacket drag in the air before slowly back fluttering down. He really just does whatever he wants¡­ ¡­ And almost no one can stop him¡­ I let out a sigh as I started to prepare myself for Sister¡¯s inevitable outburst, although it turned out that I was just a little too slow. Sister suddenly shot up out of her seat and ran over to John, tripping just before reaching him. ¡°Wait!¡± She shouted as shetched onto his arm and pulled back herself up, ¡°I-I have a question¡­¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± John said as he turned back around, immediately locking eyes with Sister. ¡°Is¡­ is Kierra going¡­ t-to be okay?¡± John once again paused; however, this time, he felt just a little different as a smile slowly crept its way across his face. ¡°I have no idea.¡± What? Isn¡¯t it your job to know? With thatstment, John managed to free his arm from Sister¡¯s grasp before promptly disappearing. It only took a moment for it to be as if he was never here in the first ce. Sister crumpled back down onto the floor,pletely speechless. I quickly got down next to her and pulled her into my embrace, holding her tightly. That kind of question can wait untilter. I¡¯ve got an adorable Sister who is in desperate need of being doted on. Chapter 68 – Questions Without Answers Chapter 68 ¨C Questions Without Answers ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± We¡¯ve now been travelling for a week, although nothing notable has happened, just like Joran told us. Every day just seemed to be exactly the same, the only difference being where we decided to set up camp for the night. However, in spite of that, it really was only now that things had really started to sink in¡­ many different things. I had really started to miss Mom; now that it was just Ava and me, it was starting to feel a little lonely. Not that I didn¡¯t like Ava¡¯spany; it was just¡­ different. This was also the first week in thest two years that I hadn¡¯t gone to visit the temple¡­ Hadn¡¯t gone to visit Ovia¡­ I thought I would be fine¡­ but it was already starting to grate on me. I knew I could always talk to Ovia with the ne¡­ but¡­ I¡¯m scared¡­ ¡­ I pulled my hood down to give my ears a break from being held t against my head. Night had fallen, but I¡¯d decided to just stay in the wagon by myself. I didn¡¯t like showing my ears off¡­ even to the two who already knew¡­ but that was probably just an excuse¡­ I¡­ just need some time¡­ alone¡­ ¡­ ¡­ What am I even doing? Ever since John showed up¡­ Ever since he said those things¡­ I just couldn¡¯t stop thinking about them. I couldn¡¯t stop ying his words over and over again in my head. ¡­ I thought it just¡­ didn¡¯t matter anymore¡­ I thought I¡¯d already given up on it¡­ ¡­ I thought I was¡­ happy¡­ with where I am now¡­ ¡­ My past¡­ It¡¯s all I¡¯ve been able to think about since meeting John. His words had firmly engraved themselves into my mind. That conversation was the closest I had ever been to finding out more about myself¡­ yet¡­ I still didn¡¯t know if I liked what I was told. Unfortunately, those words were all I had¡­ Ever since he brought it up, I had constantly been trying to think back, trying to remember something, anything, from before when I woke up in that alleyway, but all it resulted in were many piercing headaches that refused to go away for hours. Why do I care so much? I didn¡¯t before¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m happy now¡­ Aren¡¯t I?¡­ ¡­ I have Ava¡­ Mom¡­ said she woulde find me again¡­ I¡­ I know she will¡­ Can¡¯t I just¡­ be happy with that? ¡­ I pulled my pendant out from under my shirt and just stared at it¡­ since the day we had set out, the gemstone in the middle had gotten much darker; in a little over a week, there would probably be no light left in it. I have Ovia¡­ and Aria too¡­ I have so much now¡­ I don¡¯t need anything else¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ Looking down at the pendant, I could only feel guilty. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything to Ovia¡­ to respond to her¡­ but I also couldn¡¯t bring myself to take it off. Just hearing Ovia¡¯s voice whenever she greeted me as I woke up or whenever she just checked up on me, even just her talking about whatever she had done that day, helped to calm me down, even if just for a moment. What would she think?¡­ ¡­ I tucked the pendant back into my shirt just as I felt myself starting to tear up. What¡¯s wrong with me? As I tried to distract myself, John¡¯s words once again started ying over and over again in my head. ¡­ There was one thing he said that I just couldn¡¯t get over; it wasn¡¯t the fact that he had apparently grown my body himself or that he had to change my soul to make it fit in the body he had prepared¡­ it was¡­ just¡­ where did my soule from? He said it was just out of reach¡­ ¡­ Just¡­. where is out of reach for a God?¡­ Where did Ie from?¡­ What¡­ was I? What even am I?! ¡­ I just¡­ ¡­ Why can¡¯t I just be happy with what I have now? ¡­ I¡¯m Kierra¡­ isn¡¯t that all that matters? That train of thought had been ying over and over again just as often as John¡¯s words had, yet it didn¡¯t seem to matter. I could never find an answer to any of my questions. ¡­ Do I¡­ even belong here? John said he got in trouble when someone found out¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ I¡¯m a problem? ¡­ At that moment, Umbra jumped out of my shadow, carrying my Ovia plushie in their mouth. They quickly sat down on the bench opposite me and set the plushie before staring into my eyes. Why¡¯d you bring that out?¡­ ¡­ I started reaching for the plushie but promptly stopped myself. I don¡¯t¡­ I just¡­ ¡­ ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°What don¡¯t you know?¡± The unexpected question made me jump in my seat before immediately grabbing the plushie and hiding it at my side. As I looked out the back of the wagon, I saw that it was just Ava. She was carrying a smallntern along with two bowls filled with stew¡­ again¡­ ¡°Scoot over,¡± She said as she climbed into the wagon, ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you go hungry, so I¡¯ll have to watch over you to make sure you actually finish your food this time.¡± ¡­ I must¡¯ve worried her¡­ ¡­ I hadn¡¯t had much of an appetite over thest few days¡­ Honestly, I hadn¡¯t felt much of a need for anything, be that food, drink or even sleep. Whatever was going through my mind was just¡­ more important. ¡°Mm,¡± I moved across so Ava could sit next to me. ¡°Good. I think the stew will be pretty good today,¡± She handed me one of the bowls with a smirk, ¡°It was made by Elwyn, but he¡¯s taken on a few tips from the very best.¡± ¡­ I just stared at the bowl¡­ it looked good¡­ great even¡­ but it didn¡¯t feel like there was any room in my stomach for it. ¡°Come on, at least take a bite. I promised Mom I¡¯d look after you.¡± ¡­ I brought the bowl up to my mouth but couldn¡¯t taste anything. I don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ ¡°Oh, hello, Umbra,¡± Ava gave Umbra a scratch under the chin, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around in a little while.¡± ¡°*Yip*¡± ¡°Hmm? Are you telling our little fox to eat up? I agree. She could really do with a hot meal in her belly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not-¡± For some reason, I just couldn¡¯t finish my retort. ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Look, I was going to wait until you said something to me,¡± Ava took a sip from her bowl, ¡°But you¡¯ve been getting quieter and quieter by the day. I feel like I might miss my chance if I don¡¯t at least try to do something now.¡± ¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡°What¡¯s going on? You were busy saying that you didn¡¯t know something,¡± A smirk crept across her face again, ¡°I have two whole years on you. You never know what kind of wisdom might havee with my age. So, can I help?¡± ¡­ No¡­ how could you?¡­ I¡­ ¡­ No one can¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ No¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t just stay silent after seeing how worried I was making her. ¡°Hmm¡­ that makes things difficult¡± She leaned back on the bench as she finished off her stew, ¡°So it¡¯s something that¡¯s on your mind¡­ but I can¡¯t help you¡­¡± ¡­ I¡¯m¡­ ¡°¡­ Sorry,¡± My voice was hardly a whisper. ¡°Well, that¡¯s no good. You don¡¯t need to be sorry for something like this,¡± She gave me a slight nudge, ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault that you¡¯ve got a lot on your mind. It happens to everyone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t exactly give you any advice that will magically fix your problem; healing magic doesn¡¯t work on the mind after all, but there is still something I can do,¡± She shuffled about on the bench so she was facing me, ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you a simple question. Will you sitting here thinking about it make things any better? Or is there something you could do right now that would make you feel better?¡± ¡­ I¡­ If I could just¡­ remember¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ No¡­¡± I eventually admitted. ¡­ ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to stop thinking about it?¡± She asked, ¡°I¡¯ve been watching whatever this is eat away at you pretty much since we set out on this trip, and really, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to do you any good to keep on worrying about it, at least not right now.¡± But I¡­ I don¡¯t know who I was¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m doing anymore¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m only here right now because of some note! The only reason I¡¯m with you now is because you took me in! ¡­ What am I doing? ¡­ I just¡­ I don¡¯t know who I was¡­ I don¡¯t know who I¡¯m going to be¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t even know if I know who I am right now¡­ ¡­ I just¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I really just¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± I instinctually squeezed the plushie that was next to me as I fought to hold back my tears. ¡°Just give it a go,¡± Ava ruffled my hair, ¡°Come back to it when you¡¯re ready, ¡®cause you clearly aren¡¯t at the moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s not that easy¡­ ¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s try doing something else then; maybe that will help clear your mind,¡± Ava started to take off her cloak, ¡°Just like you and your adorable ears, I really need to stretch my wings a bit. As I¡¯m sure you can imagine, it doesn¡¯t feel great to have them folded against my back like this.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Even before she finished taking her cloak off, I could guess what was about to happen. Unfortunately, I was a bit toote. As soon as Ava¡¯s wings were free of her cloak, they exploded outwards, filling the entirety of the wagon in little more than a single moment. The sudden movement made Umbra leap all the way from the other bench into myp just before they were engulfed. ¡­ ¡°Whoops, I¡­ probably should have expected that to happen,¡± She chuckled. Herugh was strangely infectious and soon enough, I found myselfughing along with her. ¡°Now that¡¯s a much better look for you,¡± Ava said as she slowly brought her wings back in. Wait¡­ Was that¡­ intentional? ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡± ¡­ I wish¡­ it was really that simple¡­ ¡­ Despite what I had just said, I knew deep down that it wouldn¡¯tst. These weren¡¯t the kind of questions I could forget about just because Iughed a little. ¡­ I quickly finished off the rest of the stew, this time being able to taste it ever so slightly. Though¡­ I do feel a little better¡­ ¡­ Just a little¡­ ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know if this news will help you, but as of today, we¡¯ve officially passed the halfway point of this trail. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll start feeling better once we can get out and about. I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t have enough time to get lost in your thoughts like this,¡± She wrapped one of her wings around me, ¡°I can promise you that much.¡± ¡­ Would you say the same if¡­ you knew who I was? No, Kierra¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Please¡­ I¡­ ¡­ Why am I like this? Why can¡¯t I just be¡­ ¡­ Once again, I found myself squeezing my Ovia plushie. The slight chill from its fur helped to calm me back down. ¡­ I¡­ I can¡­ ¡­ I can at least¡­ put on a face¡­ right? I stopped trying to hide the Ovia plushie and just brought it onto myp right next to Umbra. I know I¡¯m just worrying everyone by being like this¡­ ¡­ ¡°Ooh, looks like you picked up something new,¡± Ava said as she peered down at myp, ¡°You know what? I bet it would feel great to fall asleep while hugging that nice and tight. Don¡¯t you think? Why don¡¯t you give it a go? Might also help to get rid of those dark circles under your eyes.¡± ¡­ As if agreeing with Ava, Umbra dived back into my shadow, leaving me with the plushie and no way of putting it back. ¡­ Is this supposed to be¡­ Ovia helping me again?¡­ Ovia¡­ Ava¡­ Umbra¡­ ¡­ I can¡¯t keep worrying everyone¡­ I¡¯ll just¡­ ¡­ Later¡­ I¡¯ll think about itter¡­ ¡°Alright¡­¡± I said, already feeling rather tired due to how little sleep I had gotten recently, ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­ but¡­ can you stay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one to turn down a request like that from my little sister,¡± Ava wrapped her other wing around me,pletely engulfing me in her feathers, ¡°Now, get some sleep. I¡¯ll keep watch for you, okay?¡± It didn¡¯t take long until my eyelids were too heavy for me to keep open. Despite that, there was still someone else I needed to speak to, just¡­ to stop them from worrying. ¡­ ¡®Good night, Ovia.¡¯ Before I got a response, I felt myself drift off to sleep. Chapter 69 – A Fox’s Nightmare Chapter 69 ¨C A Fox¡¯s Nightmare My eyes suddenly shot open, although through no will of my own. Somehow, I was already standing. I wasn¡¯t in the wagon like I had expected, yet this ce wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to me. It was actually somewhere I knew very well. ¡­ It was my room. The one from back in Casgu. There was my bed, my wardrobe, and even the scratch marks on the floor from when Umbra would run around. There was nothing else it could be but my room. How did I-?¡­ My first instinct was to try to call for Mom or Ava, but no matter how much I tried, my mouth refused to budge. I brought my hand up to try to force my mouth open, and surprisingly, there was no resistance; although, even as I held my mouth open, I still couldn¡¯t make a sound. If I can¡¯t call for them¡­ I made my way to the door, opening it slowly. ¡­ I don¡¯t know what I expected, but it just was the rest of the house, exactly as I remembered it¡­ almost¡­ While there was nothing strange at a nce, there was an unsettling feeling in the air that seemed to be dangling over me. I walked into the main room, where we would eat every day, but as I did, I noticed something a little unusual out of the corner of my eye. It was the window; there was something about it that just wasn¡¯t quite right. The outside world¡­ it¡­ wasn¡¯t really there. I could see it outside of the window, but it was like the scene had just been painted onto the ss itself. With each step I took, it became more and more obvious. Something wrong¡­ Very wrong¡­ I spun around, looking back down the short hallway I had just walked down. It almost looked like I remembered. All four rooms were there, just like in the house, but at the end of it was an extra door that wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. ¡­ ¡­ As soon as I noticed that it was there, I couldn¡¯t pull my eyes away. My feet started moving by themselves, carrying me closer, yet I didn¡¯t resist. As I stood in front of the door, I ced my hand against it, only taking a few seconds to steal myself before pushing it open. ¡­ That¡¯s not¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­ How?¡­ On the other side of the door was another ce I recognised, but it wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. It couldn¡¯t have been there. It was an alleyway¡­ The alleyway¡­ The very one I woke up in nine years ago¡­ with the same muddied cobblestones lining the floor, the same buildings from the shopping street on both sides¡­ everything was perfect¡­ except for the fact that it was here. My mind screamed at me to close the door, to turn around, but my body didn¡¯t listen. As soon as I stepped out into the alley, the door mmed behind me. The sound shocked me out of whatever trance I had been in and I immediately turned around in an attempt to go back, but the door was gone, reced with the rest of the alleyway. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t given much time to think about what I should do as the once silent alleyway was suddenly filled with the ttering of armour and unintelligible yelling. My heart dropped. What?! What¡¯s happening?! Was it all-? That thought was cut short as I started sprinting. The alleys were a maze, but that didn¡¯t matter; I knew this ce like the back of my hand¡­ I had to¡­ I didn¡¯t have a choice¡­ My legs are longer now. I-I can get away! I have to! I ran and ran, yet no matter how much I pushed myself, the sounds continued to draw closer. The scar across my back was growing hot as if telling me what was going to happen¡­ What had to happen. No! Not again! My legs were already burning, but it was nothingpared to the searing heat across my back. Please! Right as that thought crossed my mind, I felt the worst happen. My foot got caught on one of the cobblestones, and I was thrown forward. The world around me slowed, and the scar on my back somehow grew even hotter. I wanted to scream, but my mouth still refused to open. Why?! Why again?! I braced myself for the fall as I was left listening to the ttering of armour, the yelling¡­ it was right behind me. It was about to happen. *Thud* I hit the ground. However, it wasn¡¯t the cold, hard cobblestone floor I was expecting. Instead, I had fallen onto a carpet that wasn¡¯t there just moments before. ¡­ The sounds were gone, the heat was gone¡­ the alleyway was¡­ gone¡­ as if it was never there in the first ce. ¡­ I slowly got myself up off the floor and started looking around. I was inside¡­ at least that¡¯s what it seemed like. It was a hallway, about the same size as the alleyway¡­ or maybe a maze of hallways would be a better description? Looking off into the distance, there were all these branching paths, none of which I could see the end of. The walls had be smooth, almost shiny, each of which was lined with a seemingly never-ending number of doors that all a single small window in, although they werepletely cked out, stopping me from seeing what was behind them. Tentatively, I reached out for one of the door knobs and tried to turn it, but it didn¡¯t budge. I tried the next door, and the next, and even the one after that, but none of them opened. What¡¯s going on?¡­ ¡­ Looking both ahead and behind me all I saw were more doors, more turns, more hallways. ¡­ I did the only thing I could in that situation and started to walk. It was a strange sensation; each time I got to a turn, I just somehow knew deep down which way I was supposed to go. At some point, the hallways slowly started to change; the once-barren walls started to be filled with unfinished sketches. Pages torn out of notebooks started to litter the floor. There didn¡¯t seem to be much of a theme with the sketches. The closest thing would be this faceless figure that showed up somewhat often; however, each time they appeared, they were wearing apletely different outfit. I just continued to walk, trying to ignore it all, at least until something caught my eye, something familiar. I immediately knelt down and grabbed it. It was a notebook, just like the many others I had seen in this hallway, but this one was a little different to the rest. It was the very notebook that Raynelle had given to me two years ago. It can¡¯t be¡­ I started flicking through the pages, and sure enough they were my sketches, all of them. Why¡­ is this here? ¡­ As I stood up, the notebook just slipped through my hand andnded back in the pile of sketches as if refusing to let me take it away. I don¡¯t understand any of this. Instead of dwelling on it, I continued to walk down the hallways, following my instincts. It wasn¡¯t much longer before the sketches stopped appearing. Instead, the hallways started to be lined with mannequins, much like the ones I had seen at Ana¡¯s store. However, the clothes that were on them were nothing like I had ever seen; the colours, shapes, and even the materials they were made of seemed alien to me. Again, I just kept on walking; however, with each step, something seemed to change. One step, a stitch on one of the dresses snapped, another step, some of the decorations from a different dress ttered to the floor, another step, some of the dresses fell apartpletely, copsing onto the floor in a heap. It was as if each step I took was tearing this ce apart. I started running, trying to ignore the noises made as things continued to fall apart, focusing only on my next step. Eventually, the dresses stopped appearing; each wall was lined only with even more doors and bare mannequins; sometimes, even the mannequins themselves were broken. ¡­ At this point, I couldn¡¯t even put together coherent thoughts; everything that was happening was just so strange that I stopped questioning it. However, it seemed that I might have decided on that just a little too soon. The doors and mannequins both eventually stopped appearing, and the carpet slowly smoothed out into a single shiny sheet that was ever so slightly wet. All the colour in the room gradually vanished, and all the branching paths that I saw in front of me converged into one. ¡­ The air felt heavy in my lungs, and there was a strange smell that burnt the inside of my nose, but still, I continued to walk¡­ I continued until I finally saw an end to the hallway¡­ a wall with a single door and nothing more. Somehow, it only took a moment before I was stood in front of the door with my hand up against it. ¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t think I should be doing this¡­ It¡¯s not right¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to do this¡­ There was just something about it¡­ it was different to all the doors before¡­ just touching the handle; something was telling me that I didn¡¯t want to know what was on the other side¡­ yet once again, my body didn¡¯t listen. I simply turned the handle and¡­ *Click* It wasn¡¯t locked. ¡­ I pushed it open. ¡­ Behind that door was something that inexplicably shook me to my core. ¡­ It was a staircase. ¡­ But as my eyes looked at each step in turn, it seemed to just keep going down, deeper and deeper, as it trailed off into nothingness. No. I don¡¯t know why¡­ But no. I can¡¯t do that. Anything but that. Then, as if sensing my fear, something came up from out of the nothingness. An ear-piercing scream that froze me in ce. What was¡­ I¡­ This isn¡¯t right. The scream was familiar¡­ eerily familiar¡­ yet I didn¡¯t recognise it. But that didn¡¯t matter as, once again, the same scream came up from the staircase, only much louder. No. No. No. I tried to take a step back but just ended up falling to the floor instead. The scream came again, and again, and again. It was echoing up the staircase, echoing through the hallway behind me. I tried to cover my ears, but it did nothing. The scream echoed inside my head. I couldn¡¯t get away from it. I wasn¡¯t allowed to get away from it. Please stop. I don¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I could feel it¡­ the fear¡­ this¡­ terror that was in the scream. My heart kept beating faster and faster, each breath bing shorter and shorter. At some point, my very thoughts were drowned out by the incessant screaming. ¡°Found her!¡± A voice! That voice somehow cut through all the wailing and gave me something to hold on to, something to distract me. I propped myself up and immediately looked around for where the voice came from. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take long, as behind me, just a few steps away, stood a nine-tailed fox, their eyes seemingly an endless abyss. Is that-? No¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­ it wasn¡¯t her voice¡­ The fox slowly approached me before settling in close, wrapping its tails around me. As it did, the screaming finally stopped, the walls fell away, and the staircase vanished, leaving nothing but a familiar dark void. ¡°Kierra!¡± A different voice called out. Ovia?! My ears immediately perked up, but before I even had a chance to turn around and look, I felt her arms tightly embrace me as that familiar chill wrapped around me, helping me to quickly calm down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I-It was a maze in here. I couldn¡¯t f-find you,¡± She spoke quickly, ¡°It¡¯s just a n-nightmare. I-It¡¯s okay now, It¡¯s over. I-I¡¯m here now.¡± Instead of saying anything, I just buried my face in her arms as I felt tears start to well up in my eyes. Just a nightmare?¡­ ¡­ But¡­ it felt¡­ too real¡­ ¡°I guess I should leave you two to it,¡± The fox got up, leaving me leaning up against Ovia, ¡°I will be expecting a reward when you get back though.¡± ¡°T-thank you, Rya,¡± Ovia said as she squeezed me a little tighter. ¡°You can take your time. I¡¯m not rushing you or anything,¡± With thatstment, the fox disappearedpletely. Who was that?¡­ ¡­ Shouldn¡¯t I also thank them?¡­ ¡­ ¡°I-I was surprised when you suddenly said g-good night to me,¡± Ovia started talking to me almost immediately, ¡°I wanted to s-say something back, but you had already fallen asleep. S-so I entered your dream but couldn¡¯t find you¡­ so I asked for some help¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I tried to say something, but my mouth still wouldn¡¯t open. ¡°A-ah um¡­ you don¡¯t need to say anything,¡± She carefullyy me down so that my head was resting in herp, ¡°Just r-rx¡­ we can t-talk when you wake up!¡­ But only if you w-want to¡­¡± Ovia then wrapped her tails around me, just as the other fox had done moments before. I quickly grabbed onto one of them and held it close, hoping that Ovia would be able to understand me even if I couldn¡¯t speak. Thank you¡­ Again¡­ ¡­ And¡­ sorry¡­ For not saying anything¡­ ¡­ Even if¡­ I still can¡¯t bring myself to tell you everything¡­ ¡­ Thankfully, nothing else happened after that in my dream. It was simply a peaceful time spent with Ovia until I eventually had to wake up and leave her once again. Chapter 70 – What Have I Gotten Myself Into? Chapter 70 ¨C What Have I Gotten Myself Into? After I woke from that dream, I immediately apologised to Ovia for not speaking to her¡­ although I wasn¡¯t able to tell her why. Admittedly, even after that, things were still a little awkward for a day or two, but I thought it got better after that¡­ Around the same time as that, we stopped travelling through the open fields and entered arge forest. Elwyn had told us that as soon as we got out on the other side of the forest, we would finally be able to see both Haelmor and the sea it borders. Travelling through the forest was a little different, although it didn¡¯t really change what we did each day. The biggest change was probably that the wagons had to move a little slower due to both the condition of the trail and the lowered visibility from all the trees. Just like the first half of the journey, the view didn¡¯t change much from day to day; the only difference was that instead of watchingrge open fields go by, we were watching the trees as they did the same. That wasn¡¯t to say that the forest wasn¡¯t interesting; quite the opposite. While it might not have done much for my eyes, the sounds and smells werepletely different from anything I had experienced before. No matter where we were, I would constantly hear the scurrying of small animals or the sound of birds breaking through the canopy. At one point, I even heard a low growl from what I could only assume was a bear far off in the distance. Thankfully, the bear didn¡¯t seem to have anywhere near as much interest in us as I did in it. And just like that, as quickly as this trip started, it was alreadying to an end. The four of us were sat around the fire, watching on as Ava was busy putting together dinner. ¡°Not much longer now,¡± Elwyn spoke up first, ¡°I¡¯d say we¡¯ve got about a day and a half left if we keep going at this pace. It¡¯s funny how time just slips past you like that, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡­ We¡¯re almost there¡­ ¡­ What does that really mean? I¡­ Why am I even going there? ¡­ ¡°The sooner, the better,¡± Joran huffed. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that,¡± Elwyn poked Joran in the side, ¡°I know you enjoyed your time more than usual. We got quite lucky with our wagon buddies, don¡¯t you think?¡± Joran just sighed in response. ¡°You weren¡¯t the only ones who were lucky,¡± Ava started todle her soup into bowls, ¡°This little trip of ours could have been very different with the wrong kind of people.¡± She started to hand the soup out to everyone; however, just as she was about to hand one of the bowls to me, I heard a rustle followed by a low growl off in the bushes. Evidently, I wasn¡¯t the only one who heard this as Joran¡¯s ears twitched in sync with my own. ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to hold off on dinner for a bit,¡± Joran stood up and drew his sword, ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing serious¡­ But better safe than sorry when ites to something like this.¡± ¡°Do we have ourselves a visitor?¡± Elwyn asked. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably just a wolf, albeit only one, which is a little unusual.¡± ¡°Ah, then we have nothing to worry about. Just go and work your magic over there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not- Ah, whatever, you wouldn¡¯t understand¡­ You three just stay by the fire. Ms Wolf, if anything happens, you¡¯ll be the first to notice, so just¡­ be ready.¡± I nodded before pulling out one of my knives and gripping it tightly. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll be back as soon as I sort this out,¡± He started walking directly over to where I heard the growling. Is he going to be okay? ¡­ ¡°Hey, you really don¡¯t need to be so tense,¡± Elwyn let out a slight giggle, ¡°He¡¯s a wolf beastkin; if we really have been visited by a wolf, we¡¯ll have no issues at all. He can do this interesting thing where he can both understand and be understood by wolves, but it apparently isn¡¯t the same as talking¡­ although I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m telling this to other beastkin¡­ force of habit maybe?¡± He can do what? Wait¡­ can Ava do that? Can I do that? ¡­ But¡­ is it even useful?¡­ I¡¯ve never seen a wild fox¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that wild animals would usually avoid the wagons?¡± Ava asked as she started eating, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be a bit more worried that one got so close?¡± ¡°Hmm? No, not really,¡± They joined Ava in eating, ¡°He said it was only one wolf. They might have been injured or got separated from their pack for whatever reason. If they¡¯re desperate, they¡¯ll do whatever they think they need to in order to survive. But don¡¯t worry about it, Joran will take care of it. If they¡¯re just hungry, he¡¯ll probably throw them some meat, and they¡¯ll leave.¡± Despite Elwyn¡¯s words, I didn¡¯t loosen my grip on my knife. But¡­ what if something goes wrong? ¡­ As the other two continued to eat, I focused on my ears in an attempt to try and check on what Joran was doing. ¡°Whoa there, big guy. What¡¯s got you all riled up now?¡± Even from this distance, I could hear Joran sheath his sword, ¡°Look, I ain¡¯t gonna do anything to you.¡± The wolf just continued to growl. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be injured¡­¡± He took a step forward. However, in that brief moment, I heard the wolf start running towards us, probably slipping past Joran in the process. ¡°No!¡± Joran shouted loud enough that the other two also noticed. I could hear it getting closer and closer, its paws viciously mming into the ground. W-What am I supposed to do?! I leapt out of my seat and drew my second knife in preparation for when the wolf came into view. ¡°Watch out!¡± Joran shouted as he started running towards us himself, ¡°He¡¯s been spooked by something! I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s going to do over there!¡± I thought this was supposed to be easy! I was told that there would be no issues! Right at that moment, the wolf came out of the bushes. ¡­ We both froze in ce, staring the other down. The wolf continued to growl, broken up only by asional panting. Its fur was full of various sticks and leaves, but apart from that, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with it physically. ¡­ I was very d that I was wearing gloves; if I wasn¡¯t, my knives probably would have slipped out of my hands from how much I was sweating already. Please just¡­ back away. The wolf suddenly snarled at me, and I instinctively took a step back, widening the distance between us. Thankfully, the wolf didn¡¯t move at all and just stood its ground. I wanted to look over my shoulder to see what Ava and Elwyn were doing, but deep down, I instinctively knew that as soon as I looked away, the wolf would pounce on me. Do I need to make the first move? ¡­ It seems tired¡­ but¡­ As if responding to my thoughts, the wolf snarled once again, although this time I held still. ¡­ I-In Beni¡¯s stories, a wolf didn¡¯t seem like a big deal¡­ ¡­ I had to keep tearing myself away from my thoughts in order to stay focused on the wolf in front of me. If it tried to do anything, I needed to be able to react fast enough to stop it¡­ or at least be fast enough to get out of the way. Why isn¡¯t Joran here yet? If he could juste up behind it¡­ ¡­ *Snap* It just was a twig off in the distance. But due to how tense I was, I instantly turned my head towards the sound. ¡­ ¡­ Time slowed. I knew I had just made a big mistake. I heard their paws m into the ground with a single heavy thud. No! I immediately tried to turn my head back, to bring my arms up. I was yelling at my legs to move. To get out of the way. To do anything! But it was just too slow. I could see iting out of the corner of my eye. The wolf¡¯s teeth glistened in the warm light from the fire. ¡°Kierra!¡± Ava screamed. I heard her take a single step. She was too slow. It would be toote. ¡­ I did what I could to brace for the iing bite. All I could do was hope that the wolf wouldn¡¯t have the strength to bite all the way through the leather that was protecting my shoulder. ¡­ Ava could just heal me¡­ Right? Please¡­ I started to close my eyes in preparation for what wasing. However, right before I closed my eyespletely, something unexpected happened. *Thud* The wolf was knocked out of the air by what seemed to be a tree branch that came flying out of nowhere. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Joran called out as he came out of the bushes. As I watched him step into the light, I immediately noticed that something was very wrong. Wait¡­ The branch didn¡¯te from there. I looked off to where I guessed the branch must havee from, only to see vines creeping along the ground towards me. ¡°What¡¯s-!¡± I jumped back to avoid getting tangled up in them. As soon as I had gotten out of the way, the vines shot forward, entangling the wolf before rapidly dragging it back into the bushes. ¡°Get back!¡± Joran called out, ¡°I don¡¯t know what those are, but I¡¯d rather not be the one to find out!¡± Despite the warning, I just stood in ce; I had traced the vines back into the forest and saw something¡­ or someone standing there. Even though I could see in the dark, it was hard to make out what exactly I was looking at behind all the cover provided by all the trees and bushes. All I was really able to take note of were their bright blue eyes as they were looking directly at us. They must have noticed me staring pretty soon after that as they started running¡­ or at least I guessed that they started running, but based on what I could hear, they were moving much quicker than I would be able to. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we got lucky because whatever that was decided to run away or unlucky because we ran into it in the first ce,¡± Joran ced a hand on my shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard it too. It seems like it¡¯s decided to leave us alone¡­ for now at least¡­ but¡­ it¡¯s going to be a long night.¡± What was- Ava came up from behind and hugged me, ¡°Are you okay? Didn¡¯t you hear me shouting?¡± Her hands started glowing as she started using her magic on me. ¡°She¡¯s alright; nothing touched her¡­ although she could probably use some calming down¡­ She still hasn¡¯t let go of her knives¡­¡± Joran then looked over at Elwyn, ¡°Go wake up the guy in charge. Tell him we¡¯ll need to pick up the pace tomorrow. We¡¯ll aim to get into town just after nightfall; it¡¯ll be better than risking another night out here.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, I¡¯ll do that,¡± Elwyn scrambled to his feet before heading over towards the tents. ¡°As for you two¡­¡± He paused for a moment, ¡°Just go sit by the fire¡­ Try to eat something if you can. I think whatever that was was only after the wolf¡­ If I had to guess, it was just cleaning up a straggler that had gotten away. So we¡¯re probably fine¡­ for tonight at least¡­ But stay alert just in case.¡± You said it was finest time! But the wolf came right for us! And then¡­ ¡°I imagine we won¡¯t get a chance to sleep until we get to town. We¡¯ll have to listen out for it throughout the day as well, so conserve your strength,¡± He let out a sigh before guiding us back towards the fire, ¡°I wish we could just get going now, but it¡¯d be even worse to try to move in the dark¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be heading out as soon as the sun starts to rise,¡± Elwyn called out from over by the tents. ¡°Good!¡± Joran called back before sighing once more, ¡°You know?¡­ at least we haven¡¯t seen any remnants from that group that was ahead of us¡­ I can only hope that¡¯s a good sign¡­¡± Ava handed me a bowl of soup, but I just found myself staring into it, not really having much of an appetite after what had just happened. ¡­ What have I gotten myself into? Chapter 71 – Racing Through The Forest Chapter 71 ¨C Racing Through The Forest As soon as the sun broke past the horizon, the four of us made our way into our wagon. At the same time, the man in charge started going to each tent and waking everyone up so they could pack up and get ready to set out as soon as possible. Even though I was only able to hear what was going on outside, I could feel the unease that had spread throughout everyone as they were told what was going on. It felt like only a few minutes had passed before everyone else started making their way into the wagons. Yet, even as thest person got on, we didn¡¯t start moving. What¡¯s going on? I thought we needed to move quickly? As if in response to my question, the man in charge appeared at the back of our wagon, his beret being crumpled up in his hands and two men standing behind him. ¡°U-um¡­ e-excuse me¡­¡± He mumbled, keeping his eyes towards the ground. ¡°What do you want?¡± Joran huffed, ¡°We could¡¯ve been on our way by now if you lot had gotten up earlier.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for that¡­ I-I¡¯m v-very sorry for that¡­¡± He took a deep breath, ¡°B-but could I a-ask t-two of you to join the f-front¡­ I-It¡¯s still a little dark¡­ a-and it¡¯s hard to see with all the t-trees¡­ w-we need someone w-who can k-keep watch¡­¡± Joran let out a sigh that had be all too familiar over thesest two weeks, ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll take the front. But I¡¯m warning you now, don¡¯t try anything with those two. I¡¯ll be checking on ¡®em after we stop, and if I hear anything¡­¡± Joran didn¡¯t finish his sentence, although it was clear he didn¡¯t need to from the faces of the three people standing outside our wagon. Wait what?! New people are joining us?! I¡­ Both Joran and Elwyn then stood up as they made their way out of the wagon. However, just before Joran jumped off, he leaned in close to me and whispered, ¡°If they try to start anything, just let out your best growl; it¡¯ll give them a good spook, and they¡¯ll back off. Trust me.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I responded, more so because it was expected rather than because I agreed with what he said. I could have sworn that he giggled a little after that, but it might have just been my imagination. He just jumped off the wagon before following the man in charge with Elwyn in tow close behind. Do we really have to do this¡­ ¡­ Strangely, the two men who had been left behind didn¡¯t climb into the wagon; instead, they just stood there staring at each other. ¡°Do we really have to get in there?¡± The first man whispered. ¡°What else are we going to do?¡± The other responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe there¡¯s some room in a different wagon?¡± ¡°Do we really have the time to go check each one?¡± They both fell silent for a brief moment. ¡°Are you going to get in first?¡± ¡°What?!¡± He identally stopped whispering but quickly quieted back down, ¡°Why do I have to get in first? It wasn¡¯t my idea to move to the back.¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to get in first, obviously,¡± The man pushed the other forward, ¡°Now hurry up. I don¡¯t want to be left behind with whatever we¡¯re supposed to be running from.¡± The man who had been pushed just clicked his tongue before climbing into the wagon, followed quickly by the other. Once they had both sat on the bench opposite me and Ava, they just pulled the hoods of their cloaks down over their faces. Am I really that scary?¡­ Or is it Ava they¡¯re scared of? I turned to look at her as the thought crossed my mind. She did look a little on edge, but that wasn¡¯t surprising with what took ce in the night. No, that can¡¯t be right¡­ ¡­ Before I had the chance to think any further, the wagon lurched forward, followed by a lot of yelling from somewhere ahead of us. We immediately started to pick up speed, moving much faster than we had the previous few days, maybe even moving a bit faster than we had been before entering the forest. The trail itself clearly wasn¡¯t designed to be travelled at speed like that as we were thrown from side to side in the wagon. Ava wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got you,¡± As she spoke she didn¡¯t look at me, instead she looked out the back of the wagon. ¡­ I did the same, looking at the tracks being left behind our wagon. I was hoping to see some tracks from the group that was supposed to be ahead of us, but it was impossible to tell if there were any there amongst all the freshlyid tracks from the wagons up front. By the time the sun had fullye over the horizon, we had started to slow down a little, probably because the horses were already getting tired from how hard they were pushed in the morning. ¡­ Thankfully, not much happened as we continued to move through the forest. The two men who had joined us in the wagon had kept entirely to themselves. Ava kept her arm wrapped around me¡­ And I stayed focused on the forest as it passed us by. Unlike the previous few days, I could hear very little noiseing from the forest. There were no more small animals scurrying about, no more birds flying through the canopies, and no more wind whistling through the trees. The only sound seemed toe from the wagons and the people in them. What¡¯s happened? ¡­ This can¡¯t just be because of what we sawst night¡­ ¡­ Could it? ¡­ The wagons just kept going, speeding up and slowing down at regr intervals, the tension from the morning never leaving us even as the sun gradually moved overhead before starting on its way back down. It¡¯s hard to say whether I was thankful for all the tension or not, as while it was more than likely the only reason I was able to keep my eyes open, it was still draining to be left on edge for so long. Throughout the journey, I had kept an eye out for anything that might have been left behind by the group ahead of us¡­ anything that had been discarded¡­ the ash from a fire¡­ yet I never saw anything. ¡­ I could only hope that was a good omen. ¡­ The sun eventually met with the horizon once again, and the light of the day slowly began to fade. But unlike every other day, the wagons just kept going, pulling out theirnterns in an almost futile attempt to keep the darkness at bay. How much further is the town?¡­ ¡­ I looked over at Ava again. She hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off of the path behind us, and her eyes had started to go a little red. I thought you were night blind? How much can you really see out there? ¡­ Do you need to strain yourself so much? ¡­ I turned back to look at the forest but to my immediate surprise, it¡­ ended¡­ After a full day of racing through the forest, we had finallye out the other side. I was immediately assaulted by the saltiness in the air, burning my nose just slightly. However, the wagons didn¡¯t slow down; instead, they sped up, presumably because the town was in view. ¡°Almost there now,¡± Ava turned towards me, a slight smile on her face, ¡°I hope we can find ourselves an inn at this hour. Sleeping in this wagon for thest two weeks hasn¡¯t been the mostfortable thing in the world, hey?¡± I could tell she was just trying to brighten the mood a little¡­ and I didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Mm,¡± I hugged Ava¡¯s side while continuing to watch the forest as it got further and further away from us. ¡­ Even though we weren¡¯t actually in town yet, I could finally feel myself starting to rx. My eyes started to feel heavy, and my focus gradually dwindled, yet I didn¡¯t allow myself to fall asleep, not until we hade to a stop at least. ¡­ ¡­ ¡®Ovia?¡­¡¯ It was only on a whim, but I had realised that Ovia hadn¡¯t said anything to me since the wolf showed up at our camp. She didn¡¯t even check on me in the morning¡­ which affected me a bit more than I expected it to once I realised. ¡­ ¡­ She didn¡¯t respond to me. ¡­ Has something happened to her? ¡­ Could I even do anything if something has happened?¡­ ¡­ All I could do was worry¡­ but even that was getting a little difficult with the wave of exhaustion I felting over me. It wasn¡¯t much longer before the wagon came to a stop. However, it was evidently only a brief pause. I heard the man in charge talking to someone ahead of us, although I couldn¡¯t focus enough to make out any of the words he was saying. As their conversation came to an end, we started moving again, albeit much slower than we had been travelling throughout the day. As we did, these tall wooden buildings gradually came into view, signalling that we had finally made it into the town itself. Is it¡­ over now? Are we really done? As soon as the wagon came to its final stop, the two men scrambled out, almost knocking each other down into the mud below in the process. They were followed promptly by what sounded like everyone else having the exact same idea. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait here a bit,¡± Ava squeezed my arm as she spoke, ¡°It¡¯ll be easier than trying to push our way through the crowd.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I did as Ava suggested and just sat and waited as the crowd slowly dispersed. I took the opportunity to take out my pendant and look it over. The gem in the middle had now gonepletely dark, just like the sky outside. Is that why she hasn¡¯t said anything? ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Ms Ava, Ms Wolf, are the two of you doing alright?¡± I jumped in my seat a little, but as I turned and looked out of the wagon, I saw that it was just Elwyn poking his head in. ¡°I had hoped I wouldn¡¯t make a habit of scaring you like that,¡± They scratched their chin, ¡°Am I just that scary?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself,¡± Joran came up behind Elwyn, ¡°Do you two have a ce to stay tonight?¡± ¡°No, not yet,¡± Ava answered. ¡°Then take this with you,¡± He handed Ava a folded piece of paper, ¡°There¡¯s a map on the back. If you give it to thedy at the front desk, she¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re taken care of¡­ at least for a while.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you be a little more honest with yourself?¡± Elwyn wrapped his arm over Joran¡¯s shoulders, ¡°That ce is great. It¡¯s nice and quiet and the olddy who works the front is just the best. It¡¯s much better than trying your luck around town at this time of night. You can take both of our words for that.¡± ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Ava said, ¡°You¡¯ve been a big help the whole time we were on the road.¡± ¡°Oh no, please, the pleasure was all ours,¡± Elwyn immediately started waving his hands around, ¡°If we ignorest night, this was probably one of the most enjoyable escort missions we¡¯ve been on in human territory. It¡¯s honestly almost a shame that we¡¯re having to part ways so soon.¡± ¡°Part ways?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to go around and see about getting a ship off this ind first thing in the morning, maybe eventer tonight if at all possible.¡± Joran said, ¡°This was only a brief stop on our way up north.¡± Up north? ¡°Even now? Come on, Joran, you need to let your guard down sometimes. You¡¯re going to wear yourself out one of these days,¡± Elwyn giggled. ¡°Whatever,¡± He huffed as he turned around and started walking, ¡°I¡¯ll head down to the pier and see who¡¯s around¡­ It was¡­. an alright time travelling with the two of you.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind him. You know how he can be,¡± Elwyn sighed, ¡°Hopefully, we will get the chance to meet again one of these days. Who knows, maybe then I¡¯ll be able to hear your name from your own mouth, ¡®Ms Wolf¡¯.¡± With thatstment, he quickly ran after Joran as he waved back at us. ¡°Well¡­ no sense in sitting here any longer,¡± Ava climbed out of the wagon and extended a hand out towards me, ¡°Let¡¯s go find this ce¡­ I can¡¯t wait to get in a bed¡­ and I doubt you¡¯re feeling any different.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I grabbed her hand, and she helped me down. The map that Joran had given us was surprisingly easy to follow, although that might just have been because Ava had spent some time in this town before. Not that I was going toin, as before I knew it, we were standing in front of the inn. What happened next was honestly a bit of a blur as I struggled to keep my eyes open. The little I remember was the olddy sounding very surprised when Ava gave her the note before telling us something as she led us up to a room. There were two beds in the room, but both of us just fell onto the one that was closest to the door. ¡­ ¡°Ahhhh¡­ I don¡¯t think I can get back up¡­¡± Ava mumbled. ¡°Mm¡­¡± I responded. ¡°We could just¡­ both sleep right here¡­ can¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Ava wrapped one arm around me and helped me to get onto the bed properly beforeying down next to me. ¡°Good night, Kierra¡­ tomorrow¡­ we¡¯ll¡­¡± Ava didn¡¯t get to finish her sentence as she fell asleep as soon as she had me in her embrace. ¡­ Admittedly, I wasn¡¯t in much better shape, as my eyelids had already started to give in. Good night, Ava¡­ ¡­ With thatst thought, I finally let my eyes close as they had been so desperate to do. Chapter 72 – A Bundle of Feathers and Fluff Chapter 72 ¨C A Bundle of Feathers and Fluff [Ovia POV] What am I supposed to do?! I-I had a n. We were just going to sit down together. I-I would have Kierra in myp for the whole day! But¡­ I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away from the bundle of feathers and fluffid in front of me. T-This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen! Is this e-even allowed?! Thankfully, they were asleep at the moment¡­ I had even picked them up off the floor and put them onto a bed, but¡­ ¡°W-What are we supposed to d-do?¡± I asked, ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t expecting another¡­¡± ¡°Calm down Sister. If you¡¯re too loud, you¡¯ll wake them up,¡± Eria responded as she moved a strand of hair out of the girls¡¯ faces, ¡°Nothing has happened yet, so you don¡¯t have to worry so much.¡± ¡°B-But-¡± Y-You did tell me yesterday that K-Kierra would be here today. B-But not about anyone elseing with her! ¡°The timing was really unfortunate,¡± She said, ¡°I just wanted to surprise her by bringing her here with the ne, but I didn¡¯t realise that she would be asleep once midnight came along. At this rate, she might be sent back before she wakes up.¡± That¡¯s the biggest problem?! W-What about-? ¡°Maybe I should talk to the Goddess of the Moon about this¡­ I¡¯m sure she could allow the little kitsune a bit of leeway whening over, at least on the day¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the p-problem!¡± I blurted out. ¡°Shh,¡± Eria brought her finger to her lips, ¡°I just told you that we need to be quiet, or we¡¯ll wake them up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Now, Sister, I know what you¡¯re worried about, but we¡¯re here now, and it¡¯s already happened. No one hase to intervene, so it¡¯s¡­ probably fine.¡± Probably?! W-What if they just haven¡¯t noticed yet?! ¡°If you¡¯re really that scared, do you want me to ask John about itter?¡­¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°Even if he probably already expects me to¡­¡± ¡­ I-Is that a good idea? What if he r-really doesn¡¯t know? W-What would he do when he f-finds out? B-but then wouldn¡¯t it be better t-to tell him? I-If he finds out by himselfter¡­ W-What¡¯s the right answer? I-Is there a right answer? ¡°P-Please,¡± I eventually responded. ¡°Then, once these two leave, I¡¯ll go and ask him for you,¡± She then started walking away from the bed, ¡°But for now, you should continue preparing to greet your guests¡­ You can think of it this way; since they¡¯re sleeping, you have been given some extra time to make up for the added surprise.¡± ¡°B-But how?¡± ¡°Just be yourself. That little crow has already heard your voice before; all you¡¯re doing is giving her a face to match it to. So how bad can it really go?¡± Eria smiled, ¡°And remember, I¡¯m still going to be here, as is the little kitsune; there is only one person you have to introduce yourself to.¡± Eria¡¯s words brought a single memory to the surface. The moment Kierra was first brought into my domain¡­ When I tried to speak to her¡­ When the first thing she did was to try and run away from me¡­ ¡­ W-What am I supposed to do? I¡¯m the Goddess of Darkness I-I need to act l-like it¡­ B-But what if I scare Kierra¡¯s sister? What if I scare Kierra again?! ¡­ What¡¯s the correct answer? The thoughts raced through my head, going around and around, never stopping for even a moment. W-What if I just dress the part? S-Should I get my ws out? But then what do I say? H-How do I introduce myself to her?! Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t given enough time to finish thinking everything through as one of the two people on the bed began to stir. ¡°You¡¯ve got this,¡± Eria said as she took another step back, ¡°I know it.¡± W-What do you mean?! My question was forced to remain inside my head as Kierra¡¯s sister propped herself up and started looking around the room. D-Do I look okay?! I-I didn¡¯t have time to check! ¡°Is it still night out?¡± Kierra¡¯s sister asked, ¡°I can¡¯t see a thing¡­ How am I supposed to find a candle like this?¡­ Should I just go back to sleep?¡­¡± S-She can¡¯t see? Maybe that¡¯s a good thing! It¡¯s easier if she can¡¯t see me! As I was about to try and say something, there was a low yet loud rumbling. ¡°Ha¡­ guess I¡¯m being told to make breakfast instead¡­¡± She said as she started feeling around the bed until her hand eventually found Kierra¡¯s shoulder, ¡°There you are¡­ I¡¯m d you¡¯re finally getting the sleep you need¡­¡± ¡­ ¡­ C-Can I speak now? ¡­ Kierra¡¯s sister then started to shuffle herself off the side of the bed. ¡°W-Wee,¡± I said in a panic, wanting to stop her before she started blindly wandering around my domain. She instantly froze up. Why did you s-stutter?! It was only one word! W-What is she thinking now? What does she think of me?! Was that a b-bad first impression?! It must have been! It¡¯s just like thest time! She suddenly lifted both of her hands and her wings up into the air and held them there. What does that mean?! ¡°Was I touching her ne again?¡± She asked out loud. ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°¡­ I guess I must¡¯ve been¡­ Although¡­ I do wonder if she can hear it in her sleep¡­ would it wake her up then?¡­¡± She let out a sigh, ¡°Anyway¡­ I should go ask thatdy downstairs if I can use the kitchen here¡­ if she¡¯s awake at least¡­¡± W-What do I do now? D-Do I just say it again? ¡­ ¡°Wee to my domain,¡± I said again, trying my best not to stutter this time, yet I immediately regretted what I had just said. Isn¡¯t it strange to say it again? W-Why did I do that?! ¡°¡­ Am I just hearing things now?¡± ¡­ Nothing I¡¯m trying is working! Then, without warning, a number of light spirits spread themselves out across my domain, brightening it up significantly. Off in the distance, I saw Eria standing there with her finger up against her lips. W-What are you doing?! You need to- As I looked back over at the bed, my thoughts stopped. ¡­ Looking back at me were two bright purple eyes. They slowly traced their way up and down my body as I did nothing but stare back at them. She¡­ can see me¡­ ¡­ She can see me! In a hurry, I folded my arms and puffed out my chest. ¡°Are you-¡± She started to speak. ¡°You may call me Ovia,¡± I identally interrupted her as I tried to guess her question, ¡°The Goddess of Darkness, Dreams and¡­ You may tell me your name.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence filled the room. D-Did I do it wrong again?! ¡°So that¡¯s who¡­¡± She muttered under her breath before looking into my eyes, making me flinch a little, ¡°Hello, my name is Ava, Kierra¡¯s one and only sister, but you probably already knew that¡­ I think.¡± ¡­ S-She isn¡¯t scared? What do I say now?! I-I wasn¡¯t expecting to get this far! ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to step in and help out a little,¡± Eria came up next to me, ¡°I¡¯m Eria, Ovia¡¯s sister, also known as the Goddess of Light, Transformation and Titles, but I would really like it if you would just call me Aria.¡± ¡°Another one?!¡± Ava blurted out, ¡°If I turn away, is a third kitsune Goddess going to appear in front of me? I had guessed that Kierra was talking to someone important at that temple¡­ but this¡­ this is just¡­¡± The tension in the room was broken by Ava¡¯s stomach rumbling once again. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so sorry,¡± She said as her face turned just a little pink, ¡°But¡­ do you have a kitchen around here that I could use? Or maybe just something to eat?¡± A Kitchen?! Um¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t think I do¡­ b-but maybe I could ask Um- ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t,¡± Eria answered for me, ¡°The two of us admittedly don¡¯t eat very much, so we have no need for either a kitchen or food.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡­¡± Ava said as she seemed to get lost in her own thoughts. ¡°Wait!¡± I blurted out as I got a little closer to the bed, ¡°U-Umbra, c-can you bring out something for A-Ava to eat?¡± It was an impulsive decision, but as soon as I came up with the idea, I just couldn¡¯t stop myself. I knew that Ava was important to Kierra, so if Ava was unhappy, it might make Kierra unhappy as well¡­ and I didn¡¯t want to do that to her. ¡­ It took a little over a minute, but eventually, Umbra showed themselves with some jerky in their mouth, which they quickly handed to me. Wait! W-Why are you giving this to me?! S-She needs it! Not me! Umbra disappeared before I could actually bring myself to say anything to them¡­ leaving me standing there with a few strips of jerky in my hand. ¡°You c-can eat this!¡± I said as I immediately swivelled my body around to face Ava. She took the jerky out of my hand with a slight giggle, ¡°Thank you very much, Ovia.¡± My ears twitched as she said my name. It just felt strange to hear it from someone who wasn¡¯t Eria or Kierra. She quickly got to work, eating through the jerky at a surprising speed. ¡°So,¡± She started to speak as she finished off thest bite, ¡°I just want to make sure I¡¯m not misunderstanding this, but¡­ has my sister been speaking to two Goddesses?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Eria responded, ¡°We¡¯ve been looking out for the little kitsune for some time now, although we were nning on keeping it a secret.¡± ¡°That¡­ I just don¡¯t know¡­¡± Ava leaned back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, ¡°In all honesty¡­ it¡¯s hard to say if that exins a lot or a little¡­ I guess I can at least put a face to the voice I heard¡­ and a name to the sketch I saw all that time ago now¡­ But if that¡¯s really the case¡­ what am I doing here?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­ um¡­¡± I tried to answer her but just couldn¡¯t figure out how to put the words in the right order. ¡°That was an ident on our part,¡± Eria took over, ¡°When the pendant on her ne was made, I had asked for it to allow the little kitsune toe to visit on the day of a new moon¡­ and you just happened to be touching it when it happened.¡± There was a brief pause as Ava seemed to sort through everything in her head. ¡°So¡­ I guess I¡¯m supposed to keep this secret now¡­¡± She turned to look at Kierra. ¡°We would much prefer it if you did,¡± Eria got a little closer to me, ¡°But then again, I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯ve been overstepping our bounds for a long time now.¡± Ava let out a shortugh, ¡°Then I have just one more question for the two of you¡­ I know that you said that you don¡¯t normally eat, but could you eat if you wanted to?¡± ¡°Yes, that isn¡¯t a-¡± ¡°Great!¡± Ava cut Eria off, ¡°Then next time I¡¯m up here¡­ if there is a next time anyway¡­ I need to cook a meal for the two of you. As my way of saying thank you for whatever you¡¯ve been doing for my sister.¡± ¡­ What?! Is that it? T-That¡¯s all your questions? N-Not about what we did? Not about the¡­ m-mistakes I¡¯ve made¡­ ¡­ ¡°I-Is that really e-everything?¡± I asked, ¡°Y-You really don¡¯t have any other questions.¡± ¡°Oh no, I have lots of questions. I mean, who wouldn¡¯t in this situation?¡± She ran her hand through Kierra¡¯s hair, ¡°But it already feels like I¡¯m going behind someone¡¯s back just being here right now¡­ and anyway¡­ whatever you¡¯ve done for her seems to make her happy¡­ and that¡¯s all I need to know¡­ at least until she wants to tell me more, then I¡¯ll ask all the questions in the world until I¡¯m satisfied.¡± Before I even had the chance to say anything else, Kierra started to stir in the bed, and the room fell silent once again. Her hands seemed to wake up first as they started searching around the bed. After a short while, they happened upon her tail, immediately grabbing onto it and bringing it around in front of her, where she gracefully buried her face inside. She¡¯s just too cute sometimes. I started to reach out to run my fingers through her fluffy tail but quickly stopped once I remembered that there were other people in the room. It took a few more minutes after that, but eventually, she opened her eyes and looked directly into my own. Chapter 73 – A Promise for Next Time Chapter 73 ¨C A Promise for Next Time What¡¯s happening?! I had just woken up¡­ at least, I thought I had woken up. Ovia and¡­ Ava?! My eyes quickly darted from one to the other, trying to figure out which one I was imagining. How has-¡­? This isn¡¯t¡­ Is it-? Before I was even able to finish that thought, I was hugged from both sides, with Ovia on my left and Ava on my right. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay,¡± Ava whispered into my ear, ¡°No need to panic.¡± I instinctively grabbed onto both of their arms to see if they were really there. ¡°¡­ Is this¡­ a dream?¡± I asked hesitantly. ¡°No, this is very much not a dream,¡± Aria suddenly walked into view from behind me. If I hadn¡¯t been held so tightly, I probably would have jumped out of bed from the surprise. It seemed like everyone I knew was showing up in this one room. ¡­ Does that mean-? I looked off to the other side, hoping that maybe Mom would appear just like everyone else had¡­ But, unfortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. ¡­ ¡°Morning, Kierra,¡± Ovia said as she hugged me a little tighter. ¡°¡­ Morning,¡± I replied reflexively. I don¡¯t understand¡­ All of this¡­ it¡¯s¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ Are you sure it¡¯s not a dream?¡± Even though Aria had already told me that it wasn¡¯t, it was just too hard to believe. The temple is all the way back in Casgu¡­ How could I get here? ¡­ How did Ava get here? Wait! Ava is here?! She found out about Ovia?! My breathing gradually quickened as I slowly started putting everything together piece by piece in my head. So many things that I hadn¡¯t even imagined happening were ying out in front of me. ¡°I-It isn¡¯t a dream,¡± Ovia said, ¡°I can guarantee it.¡± ¡°I think it would be difficult for you to disagree with the Goddess of Dreams about this,¡± Aria came a little closer, ¡°But unfortunately, you don¡¯t have too much time left with her. You spent most of your time sleeping peacefully right here.¡± Sleeping? ¡°Now, the two of you probably want to make the most of the time you have left, so,¡± Aria extended a hand out towards Ava, ¡°I¡¯ll take the little crow with me so you can have some time alone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in any position to argue,¡± Ava said as she released me and grabbed Aria¡¯s hand. The two of them then quickly left the main room with the lights that were hanging in the air following close behind them, leaving me and Ovia sitting on the bed¡­ alone¡­ in the dark¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± Ovia released me, ¡°You¡¯re probably still tired! Why don¡¯t you lie down?! It will be easier than sitting up like this!¡± I wasn¡¯t given the chance to answer as Ovia carefully made mey down before pulling the covers up over me. ¡°Is that better?¡± She asked, ¡°If you¡¯re ufortable, just tell me. I¡¯ll do whatever I can.¡± ¡°Mhm¡­ but¡­¡± I strained my neck to look up at Ovia as I spoke, ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to talk to you like this¡­¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ I know!¡± To my surprise, she lifted up the covers again beforeying down opposite me on the bed, ¡°Is this any easier?¡± ¡­ I¡­ I thought she was just going to walk around to the other side¡­ ¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t dislike this¡­ ¡°Mhm,¡± I responded. ¡°Good! Um¡­ I had some things nned for today¡­ but we¡­ don¡¯t have enough time left to do them¡­¡± I admittedly didn¡¯t pay much attention to what she was saying, as even though I had heard her voice many times before, there was something about it that felt different at that moment. Maybe it was just because of how close she was to me; maybe it was just because I was still feeling a little tired¡­ maybe it was because of something else entirely¡­ ¡­ Did you always sound like this? ¡­ It¡¯s just so¡­ soothing¡­ smooth¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s when I suddenly realised what it was that was different. ¡°¡­ You¡­ didn¡¯t stutter¡­¡± I identally spoke under my breath as the thought went through my mind. ¡°I didn¡¯t-¡± Ovia stopped herself as if having to check for herself, ¡°I¡­ I really didn¡¯t¡­ Kierra I¡­ I¡¯m not stuttering!¡± The smile that spread across her face was infectious, and I soon found myself doing the same. ¡°After meeting Ava earlier¡­ talking like this¡­ with you¡­ really isn¡¯t that bad.¡± She said. ¡°Mhm.¡± I couldn¡¯t quite put it into words, but hearing her say that made me feel a little warmer inside, but that might have just been from the covers. ¡°But, never mind that. I had put together a list of things I wanted to ask you,¡± She just continued speaking as if nothing had changed, ¡°First, I wanted to ask about what happened during thest two days¡­ I wasn¡¯t watching¡­ and even though I could ask for the records¡­ I want to hear it from you instead.¡± What happened over thest few days¡­ ¡­ My mind was immediately brought back to the wagon ride and the wolf that had appeared, but by far, the thing that stood out the most in my mind were those bright blue eyes that I had only caught a glimpse of in the forest. ¡°Okay,¡± I said as I started to recount the events of thest few days to her. I told her all about the night when the wolf appeared and about how Joran had gone to stop it, but the wolf had somehow managed to slip past him. I told her all about how the wolf and I were stuck in a standoff before I got distracted by a twig snapping in the distance. I told her all about the tree branch that knocked the wolf out of the air and the vines that then crept out of the bushes to pull the wolf away. The whole time I was speaking, Ovia¡¯s eyes were locked closely on my face. As I exined what had happened with the wolf, I was sure she was going to grab onto me and pull me close at any moment, yet she never did. I finished the story by telling her about how we raced through the forest and how strangely quiet it was the whole time. I even told her what it felt like when we finally got into the town and how Joran and Elwyn had rmended an inn to us before leaving to continue on their own journey. As I finished recounting the events to her, she just stayed silent, keeping her eyes on me. ¡­ ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to sleep some more?¡± She asked, ¡°It sounds like a lot has happened to you. I don¡¯t want to keep you awake if you¡¯re still tired.¡± ¡°No!¡± I blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ alright¡­ I don¡¯t want to waste the time we have¡­¡± I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to do this again¡­ I¡¯m not going to waste it sleeping any more than I already have¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ Can you tell me what I missed?¡± I asked, and while I was curious about Ovia¡¯s meeting with Ovia, I mostly asked because I didn¡¯t want Ovia to stop talking. Without any stuttering, there was an underlying smoothness to her voice, which was almost addicting. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think it will be as exciting as your story was¡­¡± Despite what she said, she didn¡¯t hesitate to tell me about thest few days. She started by talking about how Aria had surprised her yesterday by saying that I would be visiting on the day of the new moon and about how Aria had hidden that feature of the pendant so it would be a surprise for both of us. Ovia had then spent all this time trying toe up with ideas for what we could do, but when the day actually came, she was somehow greeted by an even bigger surprise, with Ava and me showing up on the floor while still fast asleep. When she spoke about how Ava¡¯s stomach started rumbling as soon as she woke up, I realised that I was also quite hungry. Thankfully, Umbra quickly brought out some jerky for me to eat as Ovia continued to tell me all about what had happened. ¡°¡­ And now I¡¯m here telling you all about it,¡± She said, ¡°¡­ Although¡­ there isn¡¯t much time left in the day now¡­ so we can¡¯t really do what I had nned¡­¡± ¡°¡­ But¡­ there will be a next time¡­ won¡¯t there?¡± I asked¡­ just to make sure. ¡°Yes! Of course there will be a next time!¡± She replied immediately, ¡°If you want¡­ we can even decide what we¡¯re going to do next time right now¡­ Would that be okay?¡± ¡°I¡­ would like that¡­¡± If we decide on something to do¡­ then there will definitely be a next time. There has to be¡­ ¡­ I know she wouldn¡¯t lie to me¡­ ¡°Then¡­ um¡­ what do you want to do?¡± She asked as a tendril of darkness brought a notebook over to her. What¡­ do I want to do? ¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ What do I want to do?¡­ ¡­ I¡­ I just¡­ ¡­ Isn¡¯t seeing Ovia enough?¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I admitted. ¡°Then¡­ how about¡­ what do you like doing? Whatever it is, I¡¯ll do my best toe up with something we can do.¡± ¡­ Is that¡­ any easier?¡­ ¡­ I¡­ guess¡­ I like drawing¡­ But¡­ do I really like it?¡­ I¡¯ve never really thought about it¡­ It¡¯s just something I realised I could do well¡­ ¡­ ¡°Do we¡­ need to do anything?¡± I eventually asked after not being able toe up with an answer, ¡°I just¡­ I just want to spend time here¡­ with you¡­¡± ¡°No. No, we don¡¯t have to do anything. It¡¯s just¡­¡± She paused for a while before continuing, ¡°We always sit together and talk¡­ but now that we can talk whenever we want¡­ and I can¡¯t see you as often¡­ I thought it would be a good idea to do¡­ more¡­ but if you don¡¯t want to¡­¡± I saw the smile on her face fade ever so slightly, and my heart sank. No, that¡¯s not what I meant! I just¡­ I can¡¯te up with anything¡­ Seeing you is enough for me¡­ even if that doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­ I don¡¯t want to ask for any more than that¡­ ¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t want to see you like this¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­ What do you want to do?¡­¡± For some reason, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look her in the eye as I asked her, ¡°Maybe it could give me some ideas¡­¡± Her face immediately lit up, and she started flicking through the notebook. ¡°I have lots of things I want to do with you!¡± She said excitedly, ¡°But there is one thing in particr I really wanted to try doing¡­ although Eria said I should ask you first, so I couldn¡¯t do it today¡­ but now maybe we can!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I noticed that you always wore the same thing when you came to visit me¡­ and¡­¡± She brought a hand up to her hair clip, ¡°I remember when you put this on for me¡­ So I wanted to¡­ give you some clothes to try on¡­ Once I started thinking about it, I just really wanted to see you in all sorts of things¡­¡± ¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t mind¡­ ¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t want you to be disappointed¡­ What if I don¡¯t look as good as you wanted? ¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not like you¡­ you would look good in anything¡­ I know it¡­ Anyone who sees you would know it¡­ ¡­ If you dressed up instead¡­ At that moment, an idea came into my head. ¡°¡­ If you are going to give me some clothes to wear¡­ can I give you some clothes too?¡± I asked while avoiding eye contact. This way, even if I don¡¯t look that good, at least she¡¯ll have some new outfits to keep¡­ ¡­ I do want to see Ovia wear some different colours¡­ ¡°That¡­¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°¡­ is a great idea!¡± She started frantically writing things down in her notebook. ¡°We can bring clothes for each other and then show them off! I love it! I get to see you in new outfits¡­¡± She suddenly went quiet, ¡°And I also get to see what kind of clothes you like.¡± Hearing Ovia¡¯sments, I suddenly felt very self-conscious. ¡­ ¡°B-But¡­ when I¡¯m picking out clothes¡­ can you look away?¡­¡± I asked while feeling my face start to heat up, ¡°S-So it¡¯s a surprise!¡± I didn¡¯t want to admit that it was actually because I would be embarrassed knowing that Ovia was watching me pick out the clothes that I wanted to see her wear. ¡°But what if-¡± She stopped herself, ¡°¡­ Can I ask Eria to watch you instead?¡­ Just to make sure nothing happens¡­ after your story, I¡¯m just a little worried¡­¡± ¡­ But that¡¯s- No¡­ I can¡¯t argue with that¡­ ¡°That¡¯s okay¡­¡± I said, ¡°But she can¡¯t tell you what I pick out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell her that¡­ I promise.¡± As she smiled, I felt an all too familiar feelinge over me. Already? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s¡­ already time¡­¡± She awkwardly shuffled across the bed before wrapping me in a hug, ¡°Goodbye, Kierra¡­ for now¡­ I¡¯ll make sure we can do what we nned next time, definitely.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± I wrapped my own arms around Ovia¡¯s body, ¡°Until next time.¡± As thosest few words left my mouth, I felt her presence gradually slip away. Chapter 74 – Breakfast At The Inn Chapter 74 ¨C Breakfast At The Inn As soon as I could no longer feel Ovia¡¯s presence, I opened my eyes to find Ava sitting on the side of the bed. ¡°They seemed nice,¡± She said as she reached out and patted my head. ¡°Mm¡­¡± I struggled a bit to get myself out of bed, realising quite quickly that my body was still feeling a little weak from ourst day on the road. ¡°Hey now, you don¡¯t need to push yourself,¡± Ava got off of the bed and helped me onto my feet, ¡°We¡¯re here now. We can take things a little easier for a bit¡­ and to bepletely honest with you, I¡¯m not in the best shape myself.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡­ sounds good¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you think so,¡± Sheughed a little as she spoke, ¡°But for right now, how about we get out of these clothes and put on something a bit morefortable? I, for one, could go for a big breakfast right about now.¡± Without me saying anything, Umbra came out of my shadow, already carrying two fresh sets of clothes for the two of us. Were you¡­ waiting for us? ¡°Well done Umbra,¡± Ava gave Umbra a scratch under their chin as she took the clothes and divided them up, ¡°Kierra, I¡¯ll face away while you get changed first.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said as I took my clothes from Ava. The outfit was nothing fancy, just a pair of shorts and a reasonablyfortable shirt. Not that it really mattered all that much what I wore, as I wasn¡¯t nning on taking my cloak off while we were out. As I took off my shirt, I took a moment to hold my pendant in my hand. The gem had the slightest sliver of light on it once again¡­ I ran my finger over the stone, hoping that just maybe I could rub it off and go see Ovia again¡­ But nothing happened. ¡­ Umbra hopped back into my shadow as I quickly got changed, watching Ava¡¯s back the whole time to make sure she didn¡¯t go against her word¡­ even though I already knew she wouldn¡¯t. When I finished, I went up and lightly tapped Ava on the shoulder. ¡°All done?¡± She asked as she turned around, ¡°Guess that means it¡¯s my turn now.¡± Without even waiting for me to look away, she immediately started undressing. I immediately spun around, feeling a little embarrassed. All I heard from that point on was a faint giggle, the ruffle of feathers, and the quiet sound of clothing falling to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m all dressed now.¡± Looking back, the clothes she had put on weren¡¯t all too different to mine, although, unlike me, she had already put on her cloak. ¡°So, should we go see what we can do about breakfast?¡± She asked. ¡°Alright,¡± I reached for my cloak before quickly throwing it on and pulling the hood up over my ears. ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep the hood up anymore if it isn¡¯tfortable. This ce is a little bit more rxed than Casgu.¡± Rxed? ¡­ But you¡¯re still hiding your wings under your cloak. How rxed could it really be? ¡­ I just kept my hood up as I made my way to the door, although Ava quickly ran in front of me and opened it before I could even put a hand on it. ¡°After you,¡± She said as she gestured into the hallway. ¡°Mm¡­¡± The two of us made our way down the stairs to find the olddy from before sitting behind the front desk. As soon as she saw us she smiled and waved for us toe closer. However, as I looked at her, I noticed something obvious that I had somehowpletely missed the first time we saw her. On the top of her head were two wolf ears. ¡°You two must have had quite the journey to get here,¡± She said as she started rummaging behind the desk, ¡°You slept for a whole day¡­ Oh! But don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t go into your room. Those two boys came and told me that you¡¯d need some space.¡± Boys? Who would-? ¡°It was just a particrly long day yesterday¡­ or I guess the day before yesterday,¡± Ava said as sheughed a little awkwardly. ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t worry about it,¡± The olddy pulled out a few pieces of paper along with two small pouches, ¡°Those boys showed up early in the morning with your payment for that request you were on. Oh, and where are my manners? I¡¯m Daleia, and I¡¯m the owner of this little inn.¡± ¡°Well, my name is Ava,¡± She took both the papers and the pouches, looking them over briefly before tucking them inside her cloak, ¡°And this is¡­ um¡­¡± Ava looked at me, clearly hoping for me to say something. ¡°Ms Wolf, at least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been told,¡± Daleia smiled warmly towards me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything. If that pup Joran opened up to you, I know that you¡¯re not that bad a person.¡± Joran? Are the boys Joran and Elwyn? ¡°Sorry, sorry, the two of you are probably starving,¡± She stood up and walked out from behind the desk before gesturing over to a table, ¡°I¡¯ll have something ready for you immediately, and don¡¯t worry about payment. I¡¯ve already taken out what you owe me.¡± As we sat down, she made her way behind the bar and into what I could only assume was the kitchen. ¡°I can see why we were rmended this ce now.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Thankfully, we didn¡¯t have to wait much longer until Daleia came out carrying two bowls. She walked over to us and set them down at our table before taking a seat herself. ¡°You don¡¯t need to wear that hood in here if it¡¯s getting too stuffy,¡± She said, ¡°No one in here will have a go at you for being a beastkin. If they would¡¯ve, I¡¯d have already shown them the door. That is if they hadn¡¯t already run away with their tail tucked between their legs.¡± No. ¡­ I know better than that. I just ignored what she had said and started to eat. The food was admittedly nothing more than a simple soup, but I couldn¡¯t deny that it felt particrly filling in the moment. ¡°She¡¯s just been through a lot,¡± Ava spoke up for me, ¡°She isn¡¯t trying to be rude.¡± ¡°Oh, that isn¡¯t a problem at all. As you can probably imagine, I¡¯ve had all sortse through that door over the years,¡± Her expression softened, ¡°Honestly, those boys that sent you here were much more of a handful than the two of you have been so far. Honestly, I think we might as well still be strangers with how little those two rascalse to visit¡­ the audacity of them.¡± Despite what she said, it was obvious from the tone of her voice that she cared for Joran and Elwyn. ¡°Really?¡± Ava spoke in between spoonfuls, ¡°When we were travelling with them, they did seem a little rough around the edges, but that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s how they are now,¡± She let out a yful sigh, ¡°The first time they came barging in through those doors, they were on the run from the guards. That pup had gone at someone he shouldn¡¯t have¡­ they only stayed for a night before getting on a ship and heading off the ind. Of course, they came backter and stayed here properly. But it¡¯s hard for me to see them as anything other than troublemakers. Whenever they pass through here, something always ends up happening.¡± I just continued to eat as Ava and Daleia continued to speak. Eventually, both Ava and I finished the food that was given to us. Daleia promptly stacked the bowls before setting them over at the end of the table. ¡°So, what did you think?¡± She asked. ¡°Much better than what Elwyn was serving us,¡± Ava responded. ¡°Of course it¡¯s better! I might have taught him everything he knows, but that doesn¡¯t mean I taught him everything I know. A good chef always has their secrets.¡± ¡°Completely understandable,¡± Ava nodded her head. ¡°Oh?¡± Daleia¡¯s ears perked up, ¡°It sounds like I¡¯ve been visited by a kindred soul. Do you cook?¡± ¡°Do I cook?!¡± Ava immediately started exaggerating everything she said, ¡°I don¡¯t just cook. I make art for the soul.¡± ¡°Oh my, it seems that I need to sample this ¡®art¡¯ of yours sometime.¡± ¡°I would dly oblige.¡± ¡°But unfortunately, sometime isn¡¯t today. I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re at your best so you can just spend some time rxing for a while,¡± She pointed over her shoulder at the kitchen, ¡°Oh, and if the two of youe to the bar this evening, and I¡¯ll make sure to have dinner ready for you.¡± ¡°And what might dinner be?¡± Ava leaned in close. ¡°Today, I¡¯m making our speciality,¡± She puffed out her chest as she spoke, ¡°The most tender braisedmb shoulder you¡¯ll ever eat.¡± ¡°Ooh, that sounds great.¡± ¡°Oh, it is. Especially when you¡¯ve juste off a long journey like you have,¡± She smiled as she spoke, ¡°You just don¡¯t get the chance to experience good slow-cooked food when you¡¯re always on the move. It makes it that much better when you finally get to settle down for a bit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to see about that.¡± ¡°I hope you do.¡± The two of them just startedughing together before eventually calming back down once footsteps could be heard at the top of the stairs. ¡°It looks like I¡¯m going to have to leave you two now,¡± She stood up and dusted off her dress, ¡°But I hope you have a lovely stay while you¡¯re here.¡± Daleia then made her way back behind the bar as people started asking for breakfast. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n for today?¡± Ava immediately turned towards me, ¡°You can whisper if you want to, but I¡¯m sure no one is paying attention to us.¡± What¡¯s the n for today?¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ ¡­ I just came here because of the note¡­ ¡­ ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± She asked. I promptly nodded but still couldn¡¯te up with an answer to her first question. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do now¡­¡± I whispered into Ava¡¯s ear just to be sure no one could hear me. ¡°Hmm¡­ that makes things a little difficult¡­ I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to just sit in the inn though. I did promise that I¡¯d make sure you wouldn¡¯t have the time to be lost in your thoughts,¡± She smirked, ¡°I know that I might not be the best guide in the world, but I¡¯ve at leaste through here before so it¡¯ll be better than nothing.¡± ¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to her. I knew she meant well, but all she did was bring up the memories of when she made me that promise. ¡­ ¡°Hey, you probably just don¡¯t know what to do because you don¡¯t know what you can do out here,¡± She wrapped her arm over my shoulder, ¡°We can just take a day or two to walk around the ce. I¡¯m sure something will catch your eye eventually. There¡¯s so much here that you probably couldn¡¯t even imagine after being stuck in Casgu for so long.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± ¡°Look, how about this? We go see what this ce is known for! The port! You¡¯ll get to see the port itself, the people that live here, the boats as theye and dock,¡± Her face suddenly lit up, ¡°Oh! And the sea! I still remember the first time I saw it. I almost didn¡¯t believe it was real. It just kept going and going and going, as far as the eye can see, many times over at that.¡± But¡­ I know what the sea is¡­ ¡­ Is it really that impressive? ¡­ ¡­ But what else am I going to do? I do want to find clothes for Ovia¡­ but I have a whole month¡­ I can¡¯t spend a whole month doing just that¡­ ¡­ ¡°Okay,¡± I eventually gave in. ¡°Then let¡¯s head out right away,¡± She got up from the table before stretching, ¡°I¡¯m sure you want to get out of here before this ce gets too crowded for breakfast after all.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 75 – The Port of Haelmor Chapter 75 ¨C The Port of Haelmor Ava and I quickly made our way out of the inn, and I was immediately overwhelmed by what I saw. Unlike inside the inn, where people were only justing down the stairs looking for breakfast, everyone outside seemed to have a ce to be. People were practically racing up and down the street, but somehow, no one bumped into each other. In many ways, what I was watching was almost like a carefully choreographed dance¡­ and unlike everyone else taking part, I didn¡¯t know the moves. How are we supposed to go anywhere? ¡­ ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Ava grabbed me by the hand, ¡°If we¡¯re going to see anything, we need to get moving !¡± Before I could even try to respond, Ava started pulling me through the crowd. I braced myself for the oing wave of people, yet¡­ nothing happened. Ava and I were almost running down the street, but somehow, we didn¡¯t bump into a single person. Every time I thought I was about to, they just effortlessly stepped to the side as if it was nothing other than an everyday urrence. However, that in itself wasn¡¯t the most surprising thing; instead, what overtook my mind was this strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Everything about this felt familiar to me, to the point that I soon found myself stepping out of the way of people without even having to think about it. It didn¡¯t take long before the two of us arrived at the dock, although the first thing we did was spend a little bit of time walking along the dock to find somewhere a little quieter. We ended up finding a ce right at the end of the dock where there weren¡¯t as many people. ¡°So¡­ what do you think?¡± Ava asked as she gestured out to the sea, ¡°It¡¯s a little different from what you¡¯re used to, isn¡¯t it?¡± If I were to describe the town in one word, it would have to be ¡®breathtaking¡¯. No matter where you looked, the town just felt alive, there were so many people walking about, working or even just socialising with each other. Most of the buildings were made entirely from wood, with only a few other materials used for decoration, sitting in stark contrast to Casgu¡¯s stonework. Running along one side of the harbour was a row of stalls, each selling somethingpletely different to the one next to it, many selling things I couldn¡¯t have even imagined even if they were described to me. The people themselves were much like that as well; while most were human, it was clear that quite a few were not, even if I didn¡¯t know what exactly they were. Strangely, however, there was a surprising amount of rabbit beastkin, probably second only to the number of humans that were wandering about the ce. Even looking out at the sea, while it itself wasn¡¯t much to look at, the ships that filled it more than made up for it. Each was covered in different emblems and decorations that were clearly fromnds far away from here. One in particr that caught my attention had the emblem of a bright red fox emzoned on the main sail, although from what I could see, all the crew were rabbit beastkin. While everything that immediately caught my attention was incredible, the waterfront itself definitely was as well¡­ but not in the same way. To me, at least, it seemed like a miracle that the harbour was still standing. There were many holes running along it, even some ces where it seemed entire piers were just missing, leaving nothing but lone stumps in the sea. My thoughts were all but confirmed by all the debris that was just left floating in the water. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a lot¡­¡± I responded, unsure of how exactly to put it all into words. ¡°And that¡¯s what¡¯s great about this ce. So muches through here, from things to people and even cultures. It¡¯s this little amalgamation of so many different ces that just makes it feel unique¡­ especiallypared to most ces in human territory.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably the most open ce you¡¯ll find on this ind¡­¡± As she spoke, she looked out towards the sea. I did the same and just spent some time peacefully watching¡­ it was almost hypnotising in a way. As I watched the ships as they bobbed around the in water, the seagulls as they flew through the sky and even the people running up and down the dock carryingrge crates and other items, everything else seemed to just stop for a moment¡­ Which left me with time to think. ¡­ What am I doing here? ¡­ I made my way all the way here¡­ but why? What do I do now? ¡­ What did I even do before? ¡­ I just¡­ lived with Ava and Mom¡­ waiting to go to the temple to see Ovia each week¡­ Do I just¡­ keep doing that? But how can I?¡­ Mom isn¡¯t here¡­ The house isn¡¯t here¡­ The temple isn¡¯t here¡­ ¡­ I said I wanted this¡­. I said I wanted to be an adventurer¡­ just so I could tell Ovia all my stories¡­ My own stories¡­ ¡­ But now that I¡¯m here¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ lost¡­ ¡­ As I was lost in my thoughts, a strong gust of wind suddenly came in from the sea, blowing my hood off and revealing my ears. ¡°No!¡± I shouted as I failed to grab onto it. In an instant, I had my shadow cover my hair. However, I wasn¡¯t able to adjust the shade in that short moment, leaving my hair a deep ck. As soon as I felt everyone¡¯s eyes fall on me, I quickly pulled my hood back up, holding it down tightly, just in case another gust of wind came by. Not now. Please¡­ not now. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay,¡± I felt Ava put her hand on one of mine, ¡°This isn¡¯t Casgu. That baron or whoever was looking for you can¡¯t do anything. Nobody knows about you here.¡± No. Please. ¡°Kierra!¡± Ava shouted a little as she turned my head to face her, ¡°Look at me. Nothing is going to happen to you. If you don¡¯t believe me, just look around. No one is paying any attention to us. They probably just looked over here because you screamed so loudly.¡± But¡­ I slowly lifted my hood just enough so that I could see if Ava was telling the truth. As I nced around, I saw that nothing had changed from before. People were still working along the dock, or socialising, or whatever else they were doing a moment ago¡­ yet I could still feel it¡­ I could feel someone¡¯s eyes on me, but as I looked around, I saw that no one was even looking this way. ¡­ ¡°See?¡± Ava guided me over to a bench and sat me down, ¡°Nothing happened, okay? It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even after Ava¡¯s words¡­ Even after looking around myself¡­ I just couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was someone staring at me, that someone had seen me and had taken notice. ¡®Kierra, are you okay?¡¯ Ovia¡¯s voice suddenly rang inside my head. ¡®I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I can feel it. I can feel someone watching me.¡¯ I responded almost immediately. ¡®Um¡­ I-I¡¯m watching you right now¡­ maybe that¡¯s what you¡¯re feeling¡­¡¯ Herment caught mepletely off guard, almost making meugh a little. ¡®I also looked around the ce a little, but I didn¡¯t see anyone looking at you.¡¯ ¡­ Is that¡­ true? ¡­ Ovia¡¯s the one telling me¡­ but¡­ I can still feel it¡­ I¡¯ve never felt it when she¡¯s watched me before¡­ At least¡­ I think I haven¡¯t¡­ ¡­ ¡®Okay¡­¡¯ I eventually replied, not wanting to argue with her after she went out of her way just to check for me. ¡®But I¡¯ll keep looking around to make sure! I don¡¯t want to miss anything,¡¯ ¡®¡­ Thank you.¡¯ ¡°Are you doing a little better now?¡± Ava asked as soon as my eyes refocused on the world around me. ¡°Mhm¡­¡± I replied. ¡°Good, and just in time too. It looks like one of the ships ising into dock.¡± I looked out towards the sea and saw that it was the ship with the fox emblem heading towards the waterfront. As it got closer, I could see more rabbit beastkining out onto the deck, while at the same time, a crowd of people started to form just in front of the pier it was heading towards. What was a little strange, however, was that the crowd wasn¡¯t just workers preparing to help the ship dock, but many of the people that were previously just standing around the harbour socialising had also gathered, although they were standing quite a bit further back than the workers. As the ship got closer, they started closing the sails and slowing down just before a number of people carrying ropes began to line the side closest to the pier. However, something strange happened the moment they tried to throw the rope down to those waiting on the pier. For a very brief moment, it looked like everything was fine. The people below hadn¡¯t caught the rope, but it had stillnded on the dock. At least, that¡¯s what I thought I saw, yet as soon as I blinked my eyes, I saw that the same rope had actually just been thrown into the water. What? That¡­ That doesn¡¯t make sense. I rubbed my eyes, wondering if maybe I hadn¡¯t gotten as much sleep as I thought I had. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Ava said as she stood up. It seemed that we weren¡¯t the only ones who had noticed that something wasn¡¯t right, as the crowd of people were already running away. The ship itself, while it had slowed down a little, clearly hadn¡¯t slowed down as much as it should have. *Crash* The ship rammed into the port, stopping only once it had run through the entirety of the pier, opening a fairlyrge hole in its side. Fortunately for them, the hole was above water, so the ship didn¡¯t seem like it was going to sink, but it was still a considerable amount of damage just by itself. ¡°Have they never done this before?¡± Ava asked, ¡°I¡¯m surprised they even managed to set sail if that¡¯s the skill of the crew they¡¯re working with.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± While I didn¡¯t know much about sailing, I knew that something had to have gone very wrong for something like that to happen. The people in the crowd immediately started shouting loudly about what had happened, and my ears instinctively started to focus, trying to make out what exactly they were saying. ¡°Again?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the fifth one this week!¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with the piers? They¡¯ve worked fine as long as I¡¯ve been here, but with this happening so often¡­¡± ¡°We already had to stop people trying to dock at night because of this, we can¡¯t stop them during the day as well!¡± ¡°How many piers do we even have left?¡± ¡°Is this going to be fixed by next week? We have arge shipmenting in.¡± From theirments, along with the state of the port on the whole, it was clear that this wasn¡¯t an umon incident. Looking back at the ship, I noticed that a small rowing boat was being set down into the water; on it were four rabbit beastkin and one hooded figure. Were they just carrying people? But why would they only transport five of them off? I¡¯m sure they could fit more in there. ¡­ ¡°Wow¡­ I¡­¡± Ava stumbled over her words, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what to do¡­ I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t what you were hoping to see today¡­ and it¡¯s far from what I was nning on showing you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I reached out and grabbed onto Ava¡¯s sleeve in an attempt to stop her from worrying. You didn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe we should go look at something else¡­ since there isn¡¯t much we can do about what happened down there¡­ but we can definitely do something about our mood!¡± She suddenly sprung back to life, ¡°How about we go through some of the streets instead? Maybe you could end up finding something that catches your interest! I just really don¡¯t want your first impression of this ce to be where ships ram into the waterfront¡­ especially because this was the first ce you ever wanted to go to¡­ You wanted toe here, so I need to make sure you have fun!¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± As soon as I answered Ava pulled me up onto my feet before shouting out, ¡°Then off we go again!¡± Right after her triumphant cry, I heard her stomach start to rumble loudly and ended up having to stifle a giggle. ¡°And maybe we¡¯ll go get some lunch at the same time¡­¡± She said awkwardly as she led the way forward. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 76 – A Hint of Spice Chapter 76 ¨C A Hint of Spice As soon as we had arrived at what looked to be one of the main streets, Ava dragged me over to a small stand that was selling a variety of skewers. She quickly grabbed a few of them before paying with the money Daleia had given us back at the inn. ¡°You can take whichever you want to try,¡± She tilted the bag of skewers towards me, ¡°I just grabbed whatever looked interesting.¡± Ava¡¯s selection of skewers was certainly interesting, with each having a differentbination of meats and colourful vegetables. I just grabbed one of them at random after deciding that, ultimately, no matter which one I picked, it would probably taste good if it caught Ava¡¯s eye. ¡°Thank you.¡± The skewer that I ended up with looked fairly simple, just some cubes of meat broken up by different coloured peppers. Biting into one of the cubes of meat, I was a little taken aback by the taste. I was expecting it to be beef, but the vour was very different; it was a little milder, slightly early, and maybe even a little sweeter, but it was definitely very tender. That wasn¡¯t to say that the peppers were any less incredible with just how smokey and tangy they were, being a perfectpliment to whatever meat was used. Ava bit off a cube from her skewer before she said, ¡°You¡¯re really enjoying that, aren¡¯t ya? Maybe I need to go pick some stuff up so we can try making our ownter.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Without even thinking about it, I hummed in agreement, with my mouth still very full. ¡°Alright, I hear you loud and clear,¡± She chuckled a little as she spoke, ¡°As soon as we¡¯re done eating, we can go and see if we can find what we need. Although, if I¡¯m being honest, this is probably the wrong ce to go looking for meat¡­ so I¡¯ll have to hold off on finding you somemb.¡± Lamb? Is that what this is? I only paused for a moment to make sure I took a mental note of what I was eating, but not any longer than that, as I immediately finished off my skewer before being offered another by Ava. ¡°You don¡¯t need to rush. We have a lot to get through after all.¡± Ava wasn¡¯t lying when she said we had a lot to get through, as by the time we finished off all of what she had bought, I was feeling a little too full. We just sat down for a short while in an attempt to let all the food we had just eaten settle, but at some point, I started to get a strange feeling again. It was very simr to when my hood was blown off, that feeling of being watched, yet somehow also a little different. That initial feeling hadn¡¯t even gone away; this was just something else I was feeling on top of it. Almost like a different set of eyes had found me, but unlike before, there was this ufortable familiarity there at the same time. I looked around, trying to see if I could find who it was, but just like before, there wasn¡¯t anyone I could see looking back at me. ¡­ My first instinct was to ask Ovia about it¡­ but I didn¡¯t want to bother her just because I thought I could feel someone looking at me¡­ not again anyway. She was already checking because of the first time I brought it up after all¡­ ¡­ My thoughts were interrupted by Ava standing up before she said, ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve really waited long enough for everything to settle, but we really should get moving if we¡¯re going to get through this street today.¡± She extended her hand out towards me, and I happily grabbed onto it as she lifted me to my feet. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, this ce gets a little busy, so try to stick close to me, okay?¡± Rather than saying anything, I just squeezed her hand. She responded simply by smiling before guiding me down the street while still hand in hand. The feeling of being watched wouldn¡¯t go away, so I tried to distract myself by taking note of the stores we were walking past just in case I saw something that interested me. As I started paying more attention to the buildings around us, I was almost immediately hit with just how different this ce was from the big shopping street back in Casgu. In Casgu, each store had intricately constructed disys andrge painted signs, all wrapped up in a building that would be breathtaking even if the store wasn¡¯t there. Here, the buildings were much simpler, signs were nothing more than the name of the store written on a board and the disys, if there even were any, seemed to be little more than an afterthought. Yet despite all that, these stores were incredibly busy, with people going in and out like clockwork, yet never actually taking anything out of the store with them. As we continued to walk, I did take note of a few stores that caught my attention forter; in particr, there was a store with rolls of fabrics out on disy, along with a few items of clothing that might have been a good ce to put together an outfit for Ovia. There was also a store selling various items of jewellery right next to it, which would be convenient if I ever went there in the future. Among all the stores we went past, there was even one that caught my attention for the wrong reasons. They mainly had paints and dyes out on disy, but the reason I even looked over at them in the first ce was actually because of the smell. Even though we were just walking past the store, I started to feel a little light-headed from the scent alone, along with a minor headache that only got worse the longer we lingered around. Thankfully, we kept walking instead of stopping anywhere nearby. Instead, we kept moving until we reached the end of the street. ¡°There it is,¡± Ava said as she turned towards one of the stores, ¡°This ce is pretty good when ites to more unusual ingredients¡­ at least I think it was this one¡­. If we can at least find some of those peppers here, I think we should be able to make a pretty good copy of those skewers.¡± She didn¡¯t even pretend to wait for my response before dragging me into the store behind her. Inside, it became even more ringly obvious just how different these stores werepared to what I was used to. The vast majority of the things in the store were left inside sealed crates with only a single one open so you could tell what was in the others. On one side of the store, there was a front desk with a single person behind it; however, the only people who went up to it looked to be other employees who did little more than hand over pieces of paper before walking around again. Looking around the store, I saw many employees with clipboards walking around and speaking to the customers. Most of the time, all they did was have a conversation before the employee would scribble something down and move on to the next person. Ava immediately dragged me over to the only area of the store that looked to have had any thought put into it. However, even that description was a stretch as it was only a few tables that were covered in a litany of different spices, none of which I couldn¡¯t have named even if I tried. ¡°Ooh, they have th- Ah! But they also have this!¡± She scanned the tables, taking note of each spice that she found, ¡°There¡¯s just too many to choose from! I want them all! I¡¯m now really in the mood for some spicy food¡­ maybe I should just ask Daleia if I can cook even if she¡¯s already prepared something¡­ I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Once she finally got to the end of the tables, she simply went back to the beginning and started going through all of the spices once again. When she eventually finished her second look through the spices, she turned to me and said, ¡°Okay, Kierra, can you please just wait here for a moment? I¡¯m going to go negotiate to get as many of these as I can.¡± Wait! You¡¯re just going to leave me?! Before her words had the chance to sink inpletely, she had already wandered off in search of an employee, leaving me standing at the table¡­ alone. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long for me to find her after looking around a little, but actually getting to her would be difficult with the constant crowd of people rushing around inside the store. I¡­ I don¡¯t want to bump into anyone¡­ I decided that it probably wasn¡¯t worth trying to fight my way through to get to her, so instead, I just slunk back so that I was as out of the way as possible. ¡­ All I could do was keep my eye on Ava as she spoke to an employee, at least that¡¯s what I thought she was doing¡­ but with how her arms were going all over the ce, it was hard to believe that all she was doing was just having a conversation. ¡­ Don¡¯t take too long¡­ please¡­ ¡­ ¡°Hello there.¡± As soon as those two words graced my ears, my blood ran cold, and I froze in ce. Are they talking to me? No¡­ No, why would they be talking to me? ¡­ I waited for someone else to respond to the person I heard, not taking my eyes off Ava for even a second. ¡­ Why is no one responding to them? Please can someone respond to them?! ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve had a greeting like this,¡± They said, their voice only drawing closer, ¡°It was just a feeling, but now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Sure of what?! Do you know me?! No, you couldn¡¯t. You¡¯re not talking to me. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just imagining it. ¡°Hello¡­ anyone home?¡± A hand started waving in front of me, breaking my line of sight to Ava. The hand had delicate fingers adorned with sharp red nails and many rings. My eyes started following the arm back by themselves, quickly arriving at a cloak that somehow seemed a little familiar to me. No, don¡¯t look. If you look- Please. Despite my silent pleas, I just couldn¡¯t fight against my curiosity and slowly started to look up¡­ only to be met with a hooded figure. Wait- I- As soon as I saw the hood, I realised why the cloak seemed familiar. I had seen them before; they were the person who I saw get off the boat after it crashed into the pier. ¡°There you are.¡± As soon as she said those words, my body screamed at me to run, but all I could manage was to bring my hands up. No¡­ No¡­ I¡­ No¡­ They started to extend a hand towards my hood, and I immediately pulled back, identally bumping into the wall behind me. No, not again! I knew it would happen again! ¡­ ¡°Oh, um, I-¡± Suddenly, a hand appeared on the hooded person¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I think you¡¯re scaring them,¡± The person behind them said. ¡°I can see that,¡± The hooded person immediately retorted, ¡°I¡¯m trying not to do that right now.¡± As I looked up again, I saw that the person who had just stopped the hooded person was actually one of the rabbit beastkin who was also on the small row boat after the ship crashed. ¡°Hmm¡­ Oh, what am I doing?¡± The person turned towards me once again, however, this time, they lifted their hood such that I was the only person who could see what was under it, ¡°Maybe this will make you morefortable.¡± ¡­ I couldn¡¯t help myself and ended up taking a look at their face. They were a woman with piercing golden eyes and red hair¡­ a lot of red hair¡­ styled into intricately crafted curls that made it look fluffy. But by far, the biggest surprise was what was sitting on top of her head. Two ears. She was clearly a beastkin, but not a rabbit-like those around her. They were a set of ears that I was all too familiar with. She undoubtedly had the ears of a fox. ¡°You¡¯re finally looking at me,¡± She said as a grin slowly spread across her lips. Chapter 77 – Two Kitsune Walk Into a Store… Chapter 77 ¨C Two Kitsune Walk Into a Store¡­ Why is this happening? I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do?! My eyes darted back over to where Ava was just a moment ago, but she wasn¡¯t there. Where-?! Thankfully, it only took a second of frantically looking around for me to find her again. She had moved over to what looked to be a stack of crates containing peppers while still talking to the same employee. ¡°Hmm?¡­ Even though I¡¯m right in front of you, you really don¡¯t give off much of a presence, do you?¡± The red-haired kitsune continued talking to me, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised I even noticed that there was another kitsune around at all¡­ maybe I¡¯ve just gotten sharper over the years.¡± What?! ¡®How does she know?!¡¯ ¡®When did she see?! Was it my ears?! Or maybe it was my tail?!¡¯ While panicking a little, I both clutched onto my hood to make sure that it was still in ce while also tucking my tail between my legs to make sure it wasn¡¯t poking out. ¡®Kierra, calm down,¡¯ Ovia¡¯s voice took me by surprise, ¡®S-She¡­ um¡­ I don¡¯t know how to exin it¡­¡¯ ¡®Exin? Exin what?¡¯ I identally asked before even giving her a chance to exin. ¡®Um¡­ She didn¡¯t see under your hood¡­¡¯ ¡®How do you know?¡¯ I asked immediately, my panic still not subsiding. ¡®I was watching because you were worried before¡­ What she did was different; it¡¯s just¡­ i-it¡¯s like an instinct! Y-you¡¯ve probably felt it before as well, but just not noticed¡­¡¯ Her voice suddenly got a lot quieter as she continued, ¡®Because¡­ the only other kitsune you¡¯ve met are Eria and me¡­ so, of course, you wouldn¡¯t know¡­¡¯ ¡­ Ovia¡¯s vague exnation actually made a strange amount of sense¡­ or at least based on what was in front of me; I couldn¡¯t deny it at the very least. I looked back over at the red-haired kitsune. It was true that I could feel¡­ something¡­ It was the same feeling I had when I first started walking down the street. That feeling of being watched, or maybe being noticed would be a better description. Wait¡­ if I really did feel her watching me¡­ ¡­ Where is this other feelinging from? That feeling that came over me when my hood blew off still hadn¡¯t disappeared; if anything, it was even stronger now that I knew it might be more than just me imagining things. What made things worse was the fact that now I knew where that sense of familiarity came from; I knew that whatever else had noticed me was someone, or maybe even something, that I didn¡¯t know anything about. ¡°Not one for talking?¡± The red-haired kitsune looked around the room for a moment before focusing back in on me, ¡°Hmm¡­ wait¡­ can you talk? I really hope I¡¯m not being rude to someone I just met.¡± Why are you still talking to me? Once again, I looked towards Ava, hoping that somehow she would feel my eyes on her back and would turn to see what was happening. Yet, no such thing happened. ¡°I think you¡¯re just being a little too forward to someone you¡¯re meeting for the first time,¡± The rabbit beastkin from before pulled the red-haired kitsune back a little. ¡°I am?¡± She asked, sounding genuinely confused, ¡°Then what do you think I should do? I can¡¯t think of any other ways to go about this.¡± The rabbit beastkin let out a sigh, ¡°Why don¡¯t you start by giving them your name?¡± ¡°What? But I haven¡¯t had to tell anyone my name in years.¡± The rabbit beastkin didn¡¯t say anything in response. ¡°Well¡­ nothing to lose I guess,¡± She turned back towards me, ¡°I¡¯m Elenia. What¡¯s your name?¡± Why won¡¯t you just leave me alone? ¡­ ¡°Still not good enough?¡± She asked as she brought a hand up to her chin, ¡°And I was so happy to see someone else from the vige¡­ although¡­ now that I¡¯m looking at you, I¡¯m surprised you were allowed out of the vige¡­ have they be more rxed since Ist visited? I thought you had to be quite a bit older before being allowed out into the wider world.¡± Vige? ¡®What vige?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ I tried to ask Ovia, but strangely, she didn¡¯t respond. ¡®Ovia?¡¯ ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re not by yourself, are you?¡± She held her hand out towards me, ¡°If you are, you cane stay with me for a bit, even if you don¡¯t want to talk. I just want to make sure nothing happens to you, especially in this part of the world.¡± No! As her hand got closer to me, I moved away, being careful not to bump into the wall this time. But as I quickly realised that I was running out of space to retreat, I instinctively looked over at Ava again. ¡°Is there something over there? You¡¯ve been getting distracted quite often¡­¡± In only a brief moment, she was able to trace my line of sight and find Ava, ¡°Oh? Is that person with you?¡± ¡­ I nodded. ¡°So you weren¡¯t alone. That makes me feel a little better¡­ but¡­ maybe I can still do something,¡± She quickly pointed at Ava and then at the front desk, the whole while the ttering of jewellery could be hearding from beneath her cloak. As soon as she put her arm down, two of the rabbit beastkin that were with her made their way over. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get you two reunited, shall we?¡± I watched the rabbit beastkin who had approached Ava. As soon as they reached out, the employee visibly jumped before putting on what could only be described as a forced smile. The conversation from there onlysted a few moments before the employee ran towards the front desk and bumped into the other rabbit beastkin. As the employee left, the rabbit beastkin appeared to say a few words to Ava before gesturing back over to Elenia and me. I watched Ava¡¯s eyes go wide as they turned towards me. Elenia waved at Ava, once again apanied by the sound of her jewellery ttering against itself. Ava quickly ran towards me, wrapping me in a hug the moment she was close enough. ¡°What¡¯s going on?! I just stepped away for a moment and-¡± ¡°Oh, I was just saying hello to a fellow kitsune,¡± Elenia interrupted, ¡°She seemed to be a little worried about you, so I just offered some assistance.¡± ¡°Another kitsune¡­¡± Ava whispered before hugging me a little closer and asking, ¡°And who might you be?¡± There was a brief silence as Elenia just stared at us, her eyes moving from me to Ava and back again. ¡°Really? I thought everyone here knew my name?¡± She turned towards the one rabbit beastkin who was still standing behind her, ¡°Has everyone forgotten about me? I know it¡¯s been a while since I came here myself, but it shouldn¡¯t be this bad.¡± ¡°They are probably just not from around here,¡± The rabbit beastkin said through another sigh. ¡°Even so, everywhere we go, everyone knows the name Elenia. It¡¯s the whole reason I bother with this cloak, even though it ruins my hair.¡± The rabbit beastkin simply shook their head without saying anything more. ¡°Well, anyway, there you go. I¡¯m Elenia, as you probably heard just now.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Elenia. I¡¯m Ava, and this here is¡­¡± Ava looked at me, asking if it was okay for her to tell Elenia my name with her expression alone. ¡­ I shook my head. ¡°¡­ my sister,¡± Ava finished what she was saying. ¡°Oh? Sister?¡± Elenia leaned in a little closer, ¡°That¡¯s-¡± Before she could finish what she was saying, another rabbit beastkin abruptly entered the store and quickly made his way over to us. The rabbit beastkin standing behind Elenia stopped them before having a note hastily given to him. ¡°It seems the inventory count hase in,¡± He said as he read the note, ¡°Some of the cargo is missing¡­ again¡­¡± ¡°Again?!¡± Elenia practically shouted. ¡°Yes¡­ again.¡± ¡°I was on that ship. How could stuff just go missing without me noticing?¡± She then turned back to face us, ¡°Sorry about this. We¡¯ve just been having a few issuestely, ships crashing, cargo going missing, somehow even more things along those lines¡­ and to be perfectly honest with you, it¡¯s just led to me getting my tail all in a twist.¡± ¡°I think it would be wise to go check the list yourself,¡± The rabbit beastkin suggested. ¡°This just won¡¯t do,¡± Elenia seemed topletely ignore the advice she was just given, ¡°It was hard enough to find you the first time¡­¡± Why won¡¯t you leave? I don¡¯t know what you want from me. I squeezed Ava a little tighter. ¡°That¡¯s quite alright,¡± Ava interjected, ¡°Thank you for your help, truly, but it seems like you have something else much more important than the two of us that requires your attention.¡± Help? What help? ¡°But I really don¡¯t want to end this conversation here. I wonder if you could- No, wait, I have just the thing for this.¡± She carefully removed one of the rings from her little finger. It was a gold ring, but it bore the same red fox emblem that I had seen on the sail of the ship from earlier. She closed the ring in her hand before a faint orange glow epassed it. ¡°Just keep this on you,¡± She said, holding her hand out towards me, ¡°If you show this to the people at the front door, they¡¯ll take you straight to me. Oh, and if you show it to any of the merchants around here, it should make things a lot easier.¡± I looked at the ring, almost mesmerised by the soft orange glow stuff surrounding it. Is it a good idea to ept it? ¡­ I cautiously looked up at her face, and she immediately looked me right back in the eyes. She¡¯s¡­ not going to leave until I take it¡­ is she? ¡­ ¡­ Reluctantly, I reached out to take the ring, but just before I could grab it, Elenia slipped it onto my index finger with surprising precision. As soon as it made contact with my skin, a heat started to spread through me, although it was only brief, and as it subsided, so too did the glow that came from it. ¡°Now that¡¯s yours and only yours. I don¡¯t want to be seeing it on the market somewhere,¡± She said, ¡°And trust me, if it¡¯s on the market, I¡¯ll be able to find it.¡± ¡°Guild master, it¡¯s starting to get dark,¡± The rabbit beastkin interjected. Wait, a guild master? Elenia? She¡¯s a-? ¡°You know we¡¯ll end up working through the night anyway,¡± She patted the rabbit beastkin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°But I guess you¡¯re right. Might be able to squeeze in an hour-long nap if we¡¯re quick.¡± ¡°I would very much appreciate it,¡± He responded. ¡°Well, you heard him. I have to go for now, but you know where to find me,¡± She said as she quickly started to leave the store, ¡°Oh, and please do make sure to visit; I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have the time toe find you like this again.¡± What do you mean I know where to find you? You didn¡¯t tell me that¡­ As I looked back up, she, along with the rabbit beastkin, was already gone. ¡°They seemed¡­ nice?¡± Ava said. Did they? ¡­ ¡°Hey, I thought you¡¯d be more excited to see another kitsune. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve met one that wasn¡¯t you¡­ well, wasn¡¯t you or your friends. And she was even nice enough to pay for our order.¡± What?! She paid for us? What if she wants that money back? She wouldn¡¯t do that for no reason¡­ ¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much,¡± Ava wrapped an arm around my shoulder, ¡°She might have invited you to talk to her again, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to go. But if they try force you, well¡­ let¡¯s just say they¡¯ll find out exactly what this crow is capable of.¡± I wasn¡¯t able to hold back a chuckle after hearing Ava¡¯s bold deration, but at the same time, I couldn¡¯t deny that it did make me feel a bit better. ¡°That¡¯s a better look for you, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Ava chuckled a little herself before continuing, ¡°Alright, now, they¡¯ll take a while to put our order together, so we¡¯ll have toe back to pick everything up. So, for now, I think we should head back to the inn and get some sleep; quite a lot happened today after all.¡± How much did you buy that it¡¯ll take that long to put it all together? ¡­ ¡°Okay,¡± I decided not to ask the question that was on my mind so as not to ruin the moment. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± She started to push me out of the store, ¡°The sooner we get there, the sooner we¡¯ll be able to dig into that braisedmb shoulder Daleia was bragging about¡­ even if we¡¯re still a bit full from lunch.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!