《Tama and Saki》


 Chapter One: A Ninja in Training - TAMA

    "They


    have the village surrounded," my daddy said,


    his voice solemn but there was a tremor in it.


    "How


    many?" my momma asked, her voice sounded strange. Usually so


    comforting and loving there was something new in it I didn''t


    understand.


    I


    also didn''t like this smell, it was so strong and made my eyes water.


    "Mommy!" I cried "My nose hurts!"


    my


    momma looked down at me before bending down to pick me up and push me


    into herself. My


    mother''s scent helped bury the smell a little and I was grateful.


    There


    was a loud crash and a horrible sound. ¡°Get out of here monster!¡±


    my father cried, I felt my mother push me harder to my chest as she


    turned us away from my father.


    ¡°Momma!¡±


    I cried,


    ¡°Quiet


    sweetie, its going to be okay¡± momma said, her voice full of


    something that scared me.


    Then


    momma made a scream and she fell on top of me, it hurt.


    I


    saw my momma dead eyes looking back at me. Blank, lifeless. Terror.


    <hr>


    I sat up in bed, drenched in sweat. It had


    just been a nightmare¡ªthank the Elements. But the memories


    lingered. A burning village. People screaming. My mother¡­ I felt a


    tightness in my chest, my body trembling. I clenched my fists,


    forcing myself to breathe.


    ¡°Just a


    nightmare Tama, Just a nightmare.¡± I repeated out loud, assuring


    myself that everything was fine. I


    rubbed my eyes, still seeing my mother¡¯s blank stare burned into


    the dark. My tail lashed once, sharp and angry, before I shook my


    head hard. ¡°Nope. Not today.¡±


    I looked around


    my room to calm myself. My small bed was perfectly sized to fit me, a


    nightstand stood against the wall to the right of the bed and to the


    right of it was my mirror. Sensei had got it for me as a gift. It


    came from the outside world.


    I took a few more


    deep calming breaths before feeling my heart rate finally die down as


    I laid back down and closed my eyes. I felt my body begin to relax as


    I dozed off.


    A loud crash jerked me out of my relaxed state.


    Instantly, my body reacted, springing out of bed and grabbing my


    dagger. My senses heightened as adrenaline flooded my veins. Was it


    goblins? Another monster?


    The cold air bit into my skin as I stepped


    outside. I could feel my heart hammering in my chest, the rush of


    battle instincts taking over. Just like Sensei had taught me, I fell


    into position, every muscle tense, ready to react.


    But when I saw what caused the noise, I let out a


    breath of frustration and disbelief.


    ¡°Awww, come on! Not again!¡± I cried as Jiggle


    rammed himself into the chicken coop. No doubt trying to get the eggs


    again. I was like 110% sure boars weren¡¯t supposed to even eat


    eggs; most boars didn¡¯t even touch the chicken coop. This boar did


    however.


    "Jiggle. Of course. It had to be him again. I


    named him Jiggle because of the way he jiggled, but also because he


    liked to try and wiggle his way into the chicken coop all the time.


    Frowning, I threw my dagger down, the blade


    embedding itself into the wooden step, and stormed over to the fat


    boar. ¡°Alright then, time to get you out!¡±


    My tail flicked irritably behind me. Jiggle was a


    problem, sure, but he wasn¡¯t the enemy. Yet every time I wrestled


    with that damn boar, it felt like a small victory. Like for just a


    moment, I could forget the weight of everything else. I didn¡¯t want


    to deal with my emotions¡ªI didn¡¯t even know how to. So, instead,


    I picked a fight with a pig."


    My ears¡ªperked and purple-furred¡ªpinned flat


    as Jiggle¡¯s squeals assaulted them. I hissed, a wholly inhuman


    sound, before launching myself at the boar. My tail lashed behind me


    like an indignant metronome, its fur fluffing to twice its size.


    Water swirled around my fists on instinct, scattering droplets that


    caught in my wild royal purple hair.


    I leapt back as another wild tusk tried to impale


    me, my heart racing with adrenaline. ¡°Ha! Too slow, Jiggle!¡± I


    teased, my feet barely touching the ground as I dodged around him.


    The boar''s angry squeal echoed through the air as he spun, searching


    for me, but I was already behind him, tail flicking with excitement.


    "You''ll never catch me, Jiggle," I


    purred, grinning like a mischievous cat. My heart was hammering in my


    chest, but it was the fun kind of hammering, not fear. This was a


    game to me¡ªpure, ridiculous fun. My body felt light, almost


    weightless, as I danced and twirled around him, my bare skin


    glistening with water from my magic. A little cold, but refreshing.


    The perfect distraction.


    Jiggle charged again, but I jumped, flipping


    gracefully in the air. The boar tried to follow, but I landed behind


    a tree with a cheeky laugh. ¡°Not fast enough!¡± I teased.


    I couldn¡¯t help it¡ªI was laughing too much. It


    felt good to just let go. No pressure, no expectations. Just


    me and this silly boar in a ridiculous wrestling match. ¡°You should


    know by now, Jiggle. I''m too good for you!¡± I whispered to


    myself, even as I threw another splash of water at his hooves.


    The boar slid, his large, muddy feet slipping out


    from under him as I crouched and grinned, hands on my hips. It was


    almost too easy, but I wasn¡¯t about to stop. This was a rare moment


    when I could just be¡­ me. No ninja missions, no


    responsibilities. Just play.


    ¡°You really are slow, aren¡¯t you?¡± I


    laughed, my voice sing-song as I spun in place. I planted both feet


    firmly on the ground and raised my hands, sending a pulse of water


    that splashed over Jiggle¡¯s face. His eyes widened, clearly


    startled, but it didn¡¯t slow him down enough.


    Okay, okay, time to finish this. I


    giggled to myself, crouching low before sprinting toward the boar. I


    felt the rush of wind as it whipped through my hair, pulling at my


    skin, and I could almost feel the air whispering at the edges of my


    mind. This was my second element¡ªwind. Not strong enough to attack


    with, but I didn¡¯t need it. I was speed.


    I pounced, landing on Jiggle¡¯s back with a loud


    ¡°TA-DAAA!¡± I clung to him like a second skin, my legs wrapping


    around his barrel and my arms winding around his neck as I grinned


    like a crazy person. He bucked, snorting and squealing, trying to


    shake me off, but I was already pushing more water into his face,


    splashing his eyes and nose. "Gotcha, you silly boar!" I


    laughed, my heart swelling with a strange mixture of pride and giddy


    joy.


    Jiggle was no slouch, he continued to buck, I


    however had been careful to not hurt him, as such I had been holding


    back both my primary water and my secondary air elements from doing


    any real damage. It was also the reason I had thrown the dagger down,


    that would¡¯ve been too dangerous for the little guy. I snorted as I


    considered the boar that was large then me as little.


    All the holding back led to me not using a whole


    lot, and the water being splashed in his face was just enough to


    disorient and exhaust. Which it did masterfully. Jiggle was too tired


    now. His struggles grew weaker, the water sapping his strength.


    Finally, with a frustrated grunt, he collapsed into the mud, snorting


    in defeat.


    I had not even broken a sweat, the drain on my


    elements were negligible. I could have fought him easily ten more


    times and not run out. Even as I thought that I felt what little had


    drained top off again.


    I used my water to push him into his no-no cage


    and closed the cage door from on top. The medium sized wooden cage


    was made of heavy and thick oak. Even Jiggle would struggle breaking


    from it.


    I hopped off and stood, panting from the exertion,


    dirt and water splashing around as I stood in the middle of the chaos


    I''d created. My skin was completely covered in mud, my hair tangled,


    and my clothes¡ªwell, my clothes were non-existent. I had forgotten


    about them when I got caught up in the moment.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    I grinned, wiping my brow with the back of my


    hand. "See? Tama told you She would win, Jiggle!" My chest


    heaved with the breathlessness of it all, and my heart still thudded


    in my ears. That was fun. No real danger, just enough chaos


    to make my heart race.


    Jiggle snorted behind the wooden bars, throwing me


    an indignant look. My ears twitched as I smirked down at him. ¡°That¡¯s


    what you get for trying to steal eggs again, dummy.¡± My tail


    flicked triumphantly as I dusted my hands off, stepping away from the


    cage.


    The fight had left me breathless, my muscles


    tingling with exertion. But beyond that¡ªbeyond the fun, the


    ridiculousness of it¡ªI felt¡­ good. Like I had control.


    Like I wasn¡¯t just some helpless little girl


    waiting for bad things to happen.


    I sighed, the high of the chase fading, and let my


    head tip back to stare up at the sky. The breeze felt nice on my


    skin, cooling the sweat clinging to my neck. The world here was


    peaceful¡ªmostly. This place, this routine, was safe. Simple. And


    part of me wanted to cling to that.


    But part of me also knew it wouldn¡¯t last


    forever.


    I crouched down, resting my forearms on my knees


    as I studied the fat boar. His amber eyes glared back at me,


    completely unbothered by his latest imprisonment. Jiggle was a


    stubborn idiot. Always testing me. Always finding ways to make my


    mornings more exhausting. But maybe that was why I let him get away


    with so much.


    I made it a point to put on a serious face and


    frown at the boar after a moment. ¡°Bad Jiggle!¡± I scolded, hands


    on my hips. ¡°You absolutely know better!¡± A suspicious glint in


    his amber eyes betrayed no remorse. ¡°You do this on purpose,¡± I


    huffed, ¡°just to get Tama in trouble!¡± I giggled to myself as I


    taunted the pig trapped in a cage.


    I grabbed my dagger from the wooden step where I¡¯d


    thrown it earlier and turned around to head back inside. Only to see


    the smirking face of my sensei. ¡°Does what on purpose, little one?¡±


    The wizened voice spoke with a hint of amusement. I froze, a chill


    crawling up my spine, before facing my sensei with a smile too sweet


    to trust.


    He loomed over me, a towering figure at 6¡¯3¡±


    with a clean-shaven face etched by decades of stern judgment. His


    storm-gray hair stuck up in its usual disheveled mop, but it was his


    eyes that pinned me in place¡ªpiercing blue, sharp as winter ice,


    glinting with a mix of amusement and trouble. My stomach dropped.


    That look never ended well.


    ¡°Well, sensei, you see¡­¡± I clasped my hands


    behind my back, rocking onto my toes. As my mind fought for an


    excuse, I actually considered what I had done wrong. Nothing! My


    smile grew by an inch. I happily pointed at the boar with a look of


    pure indignation.


    ¡°It was terrible sensei, There Tama was, minding


    her own business and resting when there was a loud crash outside, as


    the responsible ninja Tama is, she of course investigated only to


    find Jiggle was going after the eggs again!¡±


    Tama gave her best cute face as she continued


    ¡°Tama of course, knows how much her sensei¡¯s eggs mean to him! So


    Tama did the wisest thing she could!¡±


    Before I could continue sensei spoke up ¡°You


    used your air and water affinities and skills to safely herd Jiggle


    back into his cage without uneccesary violence or say..¡± He looked


    around the area and at Tama herself. All of it covered in mud. ¡°an


    unneeded mess?¡±


    I deflated instantly. ¡°Well, Tama means, Jiggle


    is a <i>lot </i>stronger then he


    looks!¡± from behind me, Jiggle snorted in derision. ¡°You stay out


    of this Jiggle!¡± I said whirling on the pig. Quickly,


    I changed tactics.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t Tama¡¯s fault! We were ambushed! A


    whole horde of goblins¡ªfang-toothed, slobbering ones¡ªright in the


    middle of the forest! And then these¡­ these demons swooped down,


    all claws and curses!¡± My voice pitched higher, fingers fluttering


    dramatically. ¡°Poor Jiggle was trembling! Tama had to free the


    boar! It was heroic, really! A-and we barely escaped with our lives!¡±


    The lie hung in the air, brittle as autumn leaves.


    My sensei¡¯s eyebrow inched upward.


    The old man stood silently listening to my story,


    a look of bemusement on his face.


    ¡°So sensei, as you can see, Tama HAD to let


    Jiggle out last night! It was of world-ending importance!¡±


    My sensei simply nodded and smiled down at me


    before asking, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I, believing I might have escaped punishment,


    nodded aggressively, looking serious. ¡°Tama did her very best, but


    with Jiggle, she had saved the day!¡±


    My sensei simply continued smiling as he nodded.


    ¡°I see. Well, since the two of you were so strong and brave, I am


    certain you are both just as responsible!¡±


    My face fell as I realized where this was going.


    ¡°Well, Tama isn¡¯t that responsible! She is only 16 after


    all! Tama has lots of growing to do!¡±


    My sensei chuckled at me and nodded. ¡°Indeed,


    little one, you do, and you can start by fixing the chicken coop and


    feeding Jiggle and his brothers before breakfast for yourself today.¡±


    My ears deflated to my sides. I opened my mouth to


    argue, then thought better of it. I was being spared a lecture right


    now; all I had to do was an extra chore. That seemed super lenient.


    ¡°That is, of course, after you get dressed,¡±


    the old man said with a sly smirk.


    I paused as I considered his words before looking


    down at myself. I wore nothing but a bra and panties. Mud and filth


    from wrestling Jiggle coated me from head to toe. I looked up at him,


    unperturbed about my current appearance, and simply bowed to my


    sensei before seemingly vanishing into thin air. My sensei smiled as


    I used my wind to travel back to my room.


    I would have argued with him, but even I didn¡¯t


    believe my own story. I figured it was best to cut while I still had


    a chance. Sensei looked like he was about ready to give one of his


    famous workout sessions. I <i>really </i>did


    not want that on top of training today.


    I appeared in my room and immediately rolled my


    eyes. I wasn¡¯t <i>that </i>dirty,


    I just.. as I spoke a large glob of mud fell off my arm and plopped


    on the floor with a <i>squelch</i>.


    Okay, maybe I was a <i>little </i>dirty.


    I created


    my water and warmed


    it to a nice temperature before


    guiding


    it over my lithe body, making


    sure to get everywhere.


    I knew sensei


    would check and make sure I had thoroughly cleaned myself later. It


    was my own fault too. I used to get into heated arguments about my


    body and wearing what I wanted. Clothes were so¡­ restrictive.


    Besides, we were


    in a forest alone, and I had not left this forest since I could


    remember. In the end, as with most arguments, sensei won. As I


    finished cleaning myself, I looked in the mirror, creating my wind to


    dry me and fix my hair.


    I looked myself


    up and down. My sapphire blue eyes stared back at a fair-skinned Nekojin girl. Long royal purple hair fell down my back all the way to


    my ass. My lean features matching my 108 pound form.


    I was shorter


    then sensei, shorter then most Sensei told me. I was 5¡¯2¡±, which


    couldn¡¯t be that short could it? I was taller then all the chickens


    and pigs! Only sensei was taller than


    me, and he was an old man!


    ¡°Any guy would


    be lucky to have Tama!¡± I told myself, but deep inside I wasn¡¯t


    so sure. After all, I had lived in the forest my whole life, for all


    I knew, I was super unattractive. The thought irked me and I shook my


    head as my tail stood up in irritation. My ears quivered at my stupid


    thoughts, both feline appendages the same royal purple of her nice


    long hair.


    I went to remove


    my panties when an idea hit me. technically wet was not dirty!


    ¡°Besides, it''s not like sensei will know if I skips changing as


    long as all the mud is gone!


    With these thoughts in mind, I opted to keep my


    soaking wet underwear on since it felt nice, instead opting to put on


    my t-shirt, pants, and overalls. I looked meaningfully at my ninja


    garb on the rack before sighing and sliding my closet door shut. I


    only had three outfits: one for work, one for play, and one for ninja


    stuff. Now was work time!


    I turned to step out of my room when my sensei''s


    voice traveled on the wind: ¡°You better have changed your


    underwear, Tama. You will get sick if you don''t.¡±


    My face went red as I grumbled and began


    undressing again. This time, I removed my underwear and bra before


    hanging them up. I used my wind to quickly dry them, and the areas


    they had been covering. Before putting them back on with irritation.


    ¡°Tama thinks this is a waste of time¡± I said


    to myself, though secretly it was because I didn¡¯t want to see


    those parts of me. They made me uncomfortable. Were they supposed to


    look like that? Sensei claimed he did not know, and it was girl


    stuff.


    What did that even mean? What did sensei have?


    When he was shirtless, his looked like mine.. or at least they used


    to before mine began to change. More stupid thoughts! I shook my head


    and quickly got dressed, making sure to not look in the mirror. I


    didn¡¯t want to see those parts of me, they were strange.


    Once I was fully dressed, I went downstairs and


    grabbed the hammer from the rack of tools next to the door and went


    to work on fixing the chicken coop.


    After a couple of hours and with a frustrated


    huff, I threw down the hammer. The day already felt like it would


    never end. I almost wish fervently that I hadn¡¯t woken up. But..


    Never mind, it was for the best. The mere memory of my nightmare made


    me realize I would rather be doing anything else. Including this. But


    even still..


    ¡°Tama could be out playing in the woods instead


    of fixing this stupid chicken coop, Tama thinks Sensei does this just


    to upset her!¡± I said loudly to myself. Looking at the mostly


    repaired doorway. A snort from behind caused me to swing around and


    glare at Jiggle in his cage.


    ¡°This is all your fault!¡± I proclaimed with


    indignation. ¡°Why do you get to sit in your cage while Tama cleans


    everything up?¡± In response, Jiggle simply snorted again and tried


    to ram the cage. ¡°Oh no! You are staying in there <i>all </i>day


    after what you did!¡± I said angrily.


    The boar simply


    huffed and slammed himself onto the ground in a pout. I pursed my


    lips, Jiggle really did look so adorable when he did that. For a


    moment, I thought maybe I had been a little too hard on my boar


    friend. I stood to go let him out like the foolish girl I was.


    Right as I


    reached the cage however, Sensei¡¯s voice carried on the wind to me.


    His words played as though he were whispering in my ear ¡°Tamaneko,


    my dearest protege, we must speak at once.¡± I felt my veins run


    cold. The only time my sensei used my last name like that was when


    something was wrong.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate, stopping only to smile at


    Jiggle and undo the latch to his cage, before vanishing into the


    house with a burst of wind.

 Chapter Two: A long Overdue Talk – TAMA

    I appeared in the house and, after a moment, in front of sensei, my gi already on. It had been the first thing I did as I entered the building. Straight to my room to grab my gear, fear had begun to creep into me. Sensei almost never used my last name, and I was genuinely scared why he would do that suddenly.


    I sat on the floor on my knees, my head facing the ground in respect to my master. ¡°Tama has come as requested, sensei,¡± I said with a calm and reverent tone. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to let my voice shake.


    ¡°Good, I can see you are already in your gi as well. I am so proud of you,¡± Sensei spoke. His words sounded formal, but there was something in his tone¡ªever so slight¡ªbut I heard it like it was screaming in my ear. He was nervous, and something else¡­ something I couldn¡¯t describe.


    The memory of my mother¡¯s dead face, filled with terror, came back to me, and I pushed it away forcefully. That¡¯s not going to happen, I told myself.


    ¡°My dearest Fuyuki, I¡­¡± He trailed off, and I felt my heart freeze. He wasn¡¯t even using my nickname. I began to feel terror grip me. I shook it off internally as I reasoned it was just a coincidence. A lie I didn¡¯t even believe myself.


    Sensei seemed to stand there silently for what felt like an eternity. I didn¡¯t dare look up and show disrespect, but I saw his feet wearing his sandals. He did not move, simply standing in front of me.


    Finally, he seemed to come to a conclusion as I heard him speak. ¡°Fuyuki¡­ no¡­ Tama, my dearest prot¨¦g¨¦. Three days ago was your sixteenth giving. I am sure you are aware of this.¡± I felt fear and terror become replaced with confusion and puzzlement.


    ¡°Yes, sensei,¡± I said in a formal tone, making sure not to slip up.


    ¡°As such, it is with great pride,¡± Sensei said, and I swear I heard his voice crack slightly. I didn¡¯t know how to feel about any of this. What was going on? ¡°That I graduate you from my student to a full-fledged ninja!¡±


    I sat there in stunned silence, unmoving as sensei declared me a full-fledged ninja. Words failed me, actions failed me. I simply sat there, unable to comprehend what was just said. Only one thought kept playing in my head: But, I¡¯m not ready.


    ¡°I understand you believe yourself not ready for such a task, my dearest Tama, but you must understand and respect that as your teacher and sensei all this time, I have watched you grow into becoming a very brave, stalwart, skilled, and dangerous ninja¡­ and a mature young woman.¡± He seemed to pause after that, and my heart began pounding faster. What was he talking about?!


    ¡°It is with a proud feeling and a heavy heart that I bestow upon you the most trusted tool you can have. A gift handcrafted and made with the highest quality materials I could afford, enchanted with the greatest enchantments for your water element.¡±


    I felt confused and lost. My mind was not working. I just sat there in the submission position as he continued. ¡°Fuyuki Tamaneko, please arise and accept your gift. May it forever serve you as a ninja until the day you die or decide to pass it on.¡±


    My body jolted, and I jerkily stood, my decorum gone, only the ingrained obedience allowing me to move at all. I slowly moved my head to face sensei. In his hands, he held out to me an ornate box. Long and slightly curved. The wood was clearly enchanted with runes to protect whatever was inside.


    The box alone looked like it cost a fortune. I could not even begin to imagine what was inside. I looked at sensei questioningly, but he did not respond. Simply holding the box closer to me. I shakily accepted the box with my head bowed.


    With a shaky voice, I spoke. ¡°As your prot¨¦g¨¦ and student, F¡­ F¡­ Fuy...¡± I let out a racking sob before forcefully pulling myself together. ¡°This Fuyuki Tamaneko is ever so grateful for all you have taught her, and accepts this gift and promotion with dignity and grace, as such an honorable position deserves.¡±


    Despite my words, I felt tears entering my eyes, and my hands shook. Shakily, I undid the clasp on the box. It came free smoothly, and the box opened without a sound. I gasped, and my eyes widened, my pupils dilating as I took in every inch of the treasure in front of me.


    ¡°Tama is not worthy, sensei,¡± I said, my voice cracking at the absurdity of all this. I wasn¡¯t worthy; I knew I wasn¡¯t. My tail waved back and forth frantically, like a panicked chicken, betraying my emotions. My ears quivered and shook as my legs felt like they were going to give out at any moment.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Inside the box was a long, sleek sword made of a very shiny metal. It gleamed as if glistening water on a sunny day. The enchantments that ran along it were like playful whirlpools of energy. The katana was long and powerful. The depths of its powers were incomprehensible to me.


    ¡°Tama is not worthy, sensei.¡± The words scraped my throat raw as I repeated myself. My tail lashed behind me, a frantic metronome of panic, while my ears flattened so tight they ached. Ninjas don¡¯t tremble. Ninjas don¡¯t cry. But my knees buckled anyway, the sword¡¯s weight dragging me toward the floor. Its enchantments mesmerizing, its beauty unending.


    Sensei¡¯s hand gripped my shoulder, steadying me. ¡°The blade chooses its master,¡± he said, too gently. ¡°It knows what you refuse to see.¡± But all I saw was the lie: the girl who hid from mirrors, who wrestled pigs to outrun nightmares.


    The beautiful masterpiece suddenly let out a wave of calm, like the ocean breeze, with an intensity like that of the deep ocean. I felt my eyes widen, unable to hide the amazement at its greatness. But above all, the calm it bestowed upon me. The simplicity of it all. My heartbeat steadied as the sword¡¯s aura connected with me on a deep, personal level, and I felt at peace with the world for the first time in a very long time.


    ¡°Every ninja has their blade¡ªa sacred pact between steel and soul. Wield it with the river¡¯s patience and the storm¡¯s fury,¡± Sensei said, his voice softening. ¡°Name it well, Tama. For a blade¡¯s purpose is shaped by its master.¡±


    I traced the swirling blue runes, their light rippling like moonlight on water. The hilt warmed beneath my touch, and for a heartbeat, I felt it¡ªthe ghost of my mother¡¯s arms around me, her whisper lost to flames: ¡°Live.¡± Salt stung my tongue. Not from the blade, but from the tears I¡¯d choked back for a decade.


    ¡°Serenity,¡± I whispered.


    The katana hummed, a sound like rain after a long drought. Its edge shimmered, not with mere enchantments, but with the same liquid courage that had carried me through nightmares. Sensei¡¯s calloused hand tightened on my shoulder as he followed my gaze to the charred timber above the hearth.


    ¡°This blade is your shield now,¡± he said, too gently. Outside, the wind hissed through pines, carrying a brittle chill that had no place in midsummer. Jiggle¡¯s frantic squeals echoed from the coop. Sensei¡¯s jaw tightened, but he didn¡¯t turn toward the sound. ¡°The world is cruel, Tama. But you¡­¡± His thumb brushed the sheath, where the runes dimmed and brightened like a pulse. ¡°You are a flood in a world of drought.¡±


    I looked up at my sensei, confusion and fear in my eyes. ¡°But I¡­¡± I never had a chance to finish as he cut me off.


    ¡°You are worthy, my child, and you are more powerful than you realize. I know one day you will do great things.¡±


    I was speechless. It was true; sensei had always been kind. But those were by far the kindest words he had ever spoken to me. Maybe it was just the blade enhancing my emotions, but Tama felt a sense of peace once again wash over her as she looked into her sensei¡¯s caring eyes.


    ¡°You must go now, little one. There is a town to the east of here. As your sensei and teacher, I make one last request of you before you go.¡± I watched as he walked over to a drawer, opening it. He removed a lock box that looked enchanted and heavily sealed. I had seen it a few times, but I was never allowed to so much as go near it.


    He brought it over to me and held it out for me to take. ¡°Tama, I ask that you take this to my friend in the capital city of Trissaile. It is far, and you will need to travel a great distance. But I know you are ready for this task. Keep it safe; do not lose it. For if you do, all is lost.¡±


    I stared in stunned silence, afraid to touch the lock box. After a moment, he pushed it towards me, and with a meaningful gaze, asked, ¡°Do you understand me, Tama? This box is extremely important. Protect it as if your life depended on it. Let none touch it.¡±


    I slowly reached out and took the box. The moment I brought it closer, I smelled something horrible coming from it. My body froze as the smell was familiar. They have the village surrounded, I thought.


    ¡°How many?¡±


    Fear gripped me, and I almost dropped the box. Instead, I gripped it harder until my knuckles turned white. ¡°I won¡¯t fail you, sensei,¡± I said quietly. My voice filled with determination.


    ¡°I know you will not, little one,¡± Sensei said to me in a calm and caring voice. ¡°I am proud of all you have done and accomplished. It is time for you to go now. Take nothing and hurry. Every moment longer could bring disaster.¡±


    I paused at that, looking into his eyes as my tail lashed back and forth. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Sensei sighed. ¡°All will be made clear when you reach my friend. His name is Mariko. He has a sister named Marika. They are twins. Find them, and they will help you.¡±


    ¡°But, sensei¡­¡± I began to say, only to have him immediately cut me off.


    ¡°Enough, Tamaneko. You are a full-fledged ninja. I expect you to follow orders.¡± His voice raised, and sensei looked upset. After a moment, he took a calming breath as my tail lashed back and forth wildly, while my ears pushed against my skull in fear.


    ¡°Please, Tama, go. Know that everything I do, and everything I have done, is to prepare you for this day. Know that I have always loved you like a daughter.¡± Tears filled the old man¡¯s eyes as he did something he had never done before. He reached out and grabbed me in a hug.


    I wrapped my arms around him. It felt so¡­ wonderful. I began to sob into his shoulder as he comforted me.


    After what only felt like a few seconds, but I wanted it to never end, sensei gently tapped me and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s time to go, little one.¡± I nodded with tears in my eyes as I leaned back and looked up at my sensei, into his piercing eyes one last time before nodding once.


    I sheathed the katana onto my back in the sheath it came with, and with tears in my eyes and a sad smile on my face, I vanished from the place I had called home for most of my life up until that point.


    I appeared at the edge of the forest. I looked back to the no-no cage and the hammer still left next to the chicken coop. Jiggle was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s for the best,¡± I said with sadness as I turned and vanished into the forest, heading east.

 Chapter Three: As a Ninja Should – TAMA

    I had lived in the forest my entire life. As such, I knew it like the back of my hand. That also meant that I knew for a fact the forest had almost never been this cold. Even in winter, the chill had never been this bad.


    The problem was that it was the middle of summer, and I was colder than if you dipped me in an ice lake. It worried me greatly, but sensei would be fine.


    I had orders to follow. My first true mission as a full-fledged ninja¡ªI was not going to fail even if it cost me my life.


    I sprinted through the forest, using my blink to constantly disappear and reappear around fifty or so feet in the direction I was going.Mixed with my extremely fast running speed, I was unstoppable as the forest blurred around me. The Katana on my back constantly sent out waves of warmth and calm, making it easier for me to focus.


    I traveled in the direction sensei had pointed me in for what felt like hours. After a while, the cold began to dissipate, and warmth returned to the forest. I also noticed the sounds of wild animals that had been absent had suddenly returned.The whole thing set my skin on edge, but I ignored it as nightfall approached. Quickly finding a nearby clearing, I set up a campfire and a few traps around the area. It didn¡¯t take long before a snare trap activated, and a small rabbit hung from the trap.


    After skinning the small creature, I cooked and ate it. I was normally used to deer and wolf, but rabbit tasted just fine to me. I chowed down before stretching and yawning. I climbed into a nearby tree and laid against the base around six branches up. It was thick enough to easily support my weight. Before long, I was fast asleep.


    I awoke with a shiver. The cold from yesterday had begun to return. Last night had been slightly cool, but I had expected the sun to come out and play. I looked up to see the sun, but the cold still permeated around me.For the briefest of moments, anxiety fluttered within me, causing my ears and tail to flatten. Was sensei okay? I shook off the feeling and thoughts, instead focusing on my mission once more.


    I found a wolf had set off my trap in the night. I grinned at it as I held up my dagger. ¡°You look tasty!¡± I said. However, the wolf was not tasty! The meat was hard and rough to cook, and when I tried to take a bite, it tasted horrible.Then something terrifying happened: the half-skinned wolf began to get up! ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± I said, and with haste, my dagger was implanted into the moving corpse¡¯s skull. The undead wolf stopped moving again, and I sighed.


    I was now even more scared for sensei. I closed my eyes and counted to ten before getting up, taking my dagger from the wolf¡¯s skull, and starting my trek again. I would have to do so on an empty stomach. There was no way I was eating that wolf now.


    After two more nights, with luckily a warmer climate and better meals, I made it to the edge of the forest. I stood in a tree overlooking a vast field. In the center of that field was a large place with lots of buildings. It had a large wall made of thick wood that seemed to surround it.


    I sighed in relief as I jumped down from the tree and began making my way toward the town. What had sensei called this place? Ah, right, Drestor!


    As I neared the town, my cat ears picked up lots of sounds of people talking all at once. But one particular conversation caused my ears to perk up and a frown to deepen on my face.¡°Come on, little girlie. The boss said he would pay for you, but I think you can pay us in other ways instead!¡± The voice sounded deep, a bit like sensei¡¯s, but more like this voice was chewing on dirt while they spoke.


    ¡°Oh please, valiant men, I assure you that if you were to help me in my quest, there are many things I would happily do for you.¡± That voice was much softer, and as I listened, it seemed to have a tinge to it¡ªit felt like magic almost.


    ¡°Hehe, you hear that, boys?¡± The first voice spoke up again. ¡°Looks like the young lady wants to pay us with her body!¡± Tama¡¯s frown deepened and she reached for her Katana.


    ¡°Oh my!¡± said the softer voice. ¡°I am not opposed to such¡­ actions.¡± Her voice seemed to take on an almost enjoyable tone, like she was interested in what they were saying. ¡°But first, I require you to help with my quest. Payment of that¡­ variety should come after. What do you think?¡±


    At this point, I had reached the area they were at. It was around the corner of the town, on the outside of the wall. A small woman with strawberry-blonde hair that went down to her back, with a same-colored fox tail and ears, stood. She wore a red robe with a cut that went up to her thigh; when it moved, you could clearly see her panties. The panties were actually see-through, not leaving anything to the imagination. She was slightly shorter than me, most likely less than an inch, making her around 5¡¯1¡±.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Her breasts were much bigger than my own. I felt a pang of jealousy and had no idea why¡­ It made me wonder. I paused as I looked down at my breasts before looking back up at hers.Shaking my head, I decided now was not the time. I had to act. She had her back against the wooden town wall as a group of six men surrounded her. It was clear the six men were looking at her breasts and her thighs.


    The woman¡¯s skin was porcelain white, almost like a doll¡¯s rather than a human¡¯s. ¡°How about instead, you take off your clothes and give us what we want?¡± The man nearest to her said, causing the others to chuckle. ¡°And maybe when we¡¯re done with you, we will consider helping you on your little quest.¡±


    The girl with fox ears didn¡¯t seem upset at the man. Instead, she actually stepped toward him. Her voice sounded like it was underwater for a moment as she spoke: ¡°Now why would you do that when you can just help me instead!¡±The man froze, his face turning to one of puzzlement. ¡°I¡­ yeah, why would we do that?¡± he said, his voice going neutral and drone-like. ¡°Exactly!¡± the fox girl said as she reached out to touch the man. ¡°After all, once we are done¡­¡± Her voice seemed to switch to underwater again. ¡°You will all get what you deserve.¡±


    I watched as the man, who was much taller than the fox girl, simply stood as if in a trance. I took advantage of the moment, stepping forward. I drew my blade and spoke loudly: ¡°Halt! Tama is here to stop you!¡±


    A long moment of silence covered the area as every man that had been looking at the fox girl shifted their gazes to me. They did not look happy. I held my ground, sword pointed forward at them. My tail lashed stiffly behind me, betraying my tension. ¡°What are you, some low-level adventurer?¡± one of the men snickered as they turned around. ¡°I don¡¯t know what yer problem is. Us and the fine lady were in the middle of making a deal. I¡¯m gonna ask ya kindly to leave before you become a part of that deal.¡±


    Another man spoke up: ¡°But Reg, that¡¯s a Nekojin. They ain¡¯t really my type.¡±A third spoke: ¡°What does it matter? She definitely looks to be my type. Look at that frail little body. Maybe I can break it!¡±


    I had heard enough. I activated my wind element and vanished, appearing moments later behind their leader. My Katana sliced cleanly, and I vanished again, reappearing next to the fox girl. I held up my blade, My ears twitched forward defiantly as I snapped my fingers. The leader¡¯s body bisected, and his top fell off his bottom. ¡°Still think you can win against the mighty Tama?!¡± I said with bravado I didn¡¯t feel.


    The remaining five men were silent, their mouths hanging open and looks of horror and confusion on their faces. I turned to the fox girl; she actually looked like a porcelain doll my sensei kept in our house to ward off evil spirits or something. She just stared at me with wide eyes.


    I looked back to the other men. One of them seemed to recover and reached for the weapon on his belt¡ªit seemed to be a sword. I wasn¡¯t having that. I swirled water around myself, creating a veil of protection, before creating wind and blinking. I reached the man right as his hand reached the hilt.I swung my Katana up, slicing him vertical. However, I misjudged my strength, and instead of just cutting into him, my Katana¡¯s sharpness mixed with my speed and precision caused the slice to go clean through. Both sides of his body fell to the ground.


    I turned and blinked back. Right as I did, I felt a wave of heat and looked at where I had been. I caught the tail end of what looked to be a ball of fire!


    If I had been any slower, I would have been toast! My tail puffed to twice its size, but I forced a grin.  ¡°Nya! Nice try! But Tama is faster than the wind!¡± I said with an amused look on my face as my heart pounded over what could have just happened.


    Images flashed through her mind of her body laying on the ground charred. Inwardly, she shivered, making sure none of it showed on the outside. She rolled on the balls of her feet and pretended to crack her neck. ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got? Tama is getting bored!¡±


    The man who had thrown the fireball¡ªat least I assumed it was him because of the flames covering his body but not hurting him¡ªhurled another ball of fire at me.I dodged quickly and blinked directly in front of him. But instead of using my Katana, I shoved my dagger straight from its sheath into his neck and sliced before blinking backward without waiting.


    I was so glad I did, as moments after I appeared, I watched as the spot I had just been in had the ground erupt with sharp stone. The thought of being impaled then entered my mind, and I shook it off. My ears flattened briefly before perking up in renewed focus. Not the time!


    At this point, all three remaining men had recovered, but I was ready for them. I fired a water bolt at each of them¡ªnot enough to hurt, just enough to stun.I watched as two managed to dodge the ball of water, but one of them got hit directly in the face. I took advantage, and a moment later, my dagger slid into his kidney before I blinked away again. The man fell forward and stopped moving.


    Two left. I was starting to feel the drain. My tail drooped slightly, but I stiffened it¡ªninjas don¡¯t show weakness. All this blinking and the water veil was beginning to affect me slightly.


    Even as I thought that, a large ball of rock suddenly hit me, and I was thrown into the wooden wall. I can¡¯t believe I had become distracted! Luckily, my water veil had protected me from the worst of it, but a ninja should never get hit!


    The rock tried to form around me, but I used my water to force it off enough to sprint out of it. My chest hurt from the impact, but I was otherwise fine. That wasn¡¯t going to happen again. I blinked up to the nearest one and swung my Katana.


    I was faster than him, but he managed to get his sword up barely in time. Our blades clashed, and after a moment, mine turned to water and simply passed through his while I dodged. My Katana sliced through the man, leaving a large cut across his chest. He fell forward, unmoving.


    Finally, I turned to the last man. His eyes were bulging, and fear was evident on his face. He turned and ran. I threw my dagger as hard as I could, removing wind resistance. The dagger practically teleported into the back of his skull. My ears swiveled forward, listening for any last threats, but silence answered.  And just like that, they were all dead.


    I sighed in relief before turning to the stunned fox girl and walking up to her. My tail finally relaxed, curling calmly around my leg. I sheathed my already clean Katana and wiped my dagger before reaching her and holding out a hand. ¡°Nya! Nice to meet ya. Tama says hi!¡± I said with the brightest smile I could muster. That was far too close for comfort, and I was edgy. But I had done the right thing, and that¡¯s what matters. That is what ninjas should do!

 Interlude: Empty Promises - SAKI

    Devastation surrounds me. Everything... everyone... gone. I feel the power coursing through my veins like liquid ice as I float above the bare ground. My eyes burn with an unnatural purple glow that I can''t control. Dark veins pulse beneath my skin, a visible manifestation of the corruption consuming me.


    I try to scream, to warn them to run, but my mouth won''t move. My body isn''t my own anymore. I can only watch in horror as my hand rises of its own accord, a sphere of pure nothingness forming in my palm. The void projectile shoots forward, and I''m forced to witness as everything it touches simply... vanishes. Not destroyed¡ªerased. As if it never existed at all.


    Silence fills the once-bustling road. Empty now. No one left. No one but me.


    Inside, I''m screaming. Sobbing. Trapped behind unseen shackles in my own mind. I tried to resist, to stop it. But I was too weak. It lied to me. It promised to bring back my family if I just let it help, if I just accepted its power. Instead, it took control. Now it forces me to watch, helpless, as my own hands erase without mercy.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    When none remain, only then am I freed. I collapse to my knees as control returns. My tears fall onto bare earth where moments ago an entire world existed. It''s my fault. All my fault. The entire caravan¡ªgone. The merchant, his family, their guards¡ªwiped away like they never existed. Even the trees that lined the road have been erased, leaving nothing but empty space.


    The little boy''s eyes haunt me most. He had looked up at me, pleading for mercy. He couldn''t have been more than five. Just like I was, when I lost everything. And now... now I''ve become the very monster that destroyed my own family.


    My stomach heaves and I throw up, violent sobs wracking my body. The taste of bile fills my mouth, but it can''t wash away the horror of what I''ve done. What it made me do. What I let it do.


    I will never trust its promises again.

 Chapter Four: A Kitsunes Charm – SAKI

    I was only six when my world was shattered. I still recall the night with the clarity of a half-remembered nightmare¡ªthe frantic dash through the forest, the choking stench of decay, and the horrifying sight of a man whose skin was gray and eyes were nothing but empty voids. He charged at me with a violent fury I''d never seen before, forcing me to scramble through a gnarled tree root, desperate to escape. All I could think of was my mother; her gentle presence, her loving embrace. I vowed then, with every trembling heartbeat, that I''d never again wander north¡ªwhere the air reeked of rot and horrors lurked in the shadows.


    That night, everything I knew was torn apart. I had spent my early days scampering through the woods with my mother and my sisters, my heart full of playful mischief and innocent curiosity. My mother had always warned me, "Never wander north, little one," her amber eyes piercing as she spoke. I hadn''t understood back then. But when the monsters came¡ªghastly beings with loose, gray skin and vacant eyes that mimicked the villagers¡ªI learned the cost of disobedience. I raced to my mother as the creatures struck with brutal speed. I watched, frozen, as their claws tore mercilessly through her throat and my sisters fell one by one. I lay there, small paws trembling, whispering silently, "Why? What did we do?"


    And then, amidst the carnage, a voice, soft as rustling leaves yet as cold as winter frost, slithered into my mind: "Become my claws, little fox. Avenge them. Protect what remains." I didn''t understand it fully, but the coppery taste of blood and the overwhelming grief pushed me past fear. I bared my fangs and, with a broken whisper, answered, "Yes."


    In that agonizing instant, something fierce and irreversible ignited within me. My whimper died in my throat as a burning heat surged through my paws. I felt my familiar russet fur erupt into a blinding white, as brilliant and cold as moonlight on fresh snow. I sensed a stirring at my back¡ªa strange, new power¡ªas nine dark, sinuous shadows replaced the single tail I once knew. When I tried to scream, fire burst from my mouth¡ªa searing, uncontainable defiance. On that tragic night, the little fox who had been Autumn Sakilera was no more. In her place was reborn a Kitsune of vengeance, a creature with nine tails destined to exact retribution.


    Ten years have passed since that fateful night, and now at sixteen, I roam a very different world. The wild innocence of childhood has given way to a hardened purpose and a cunning edge honed by pain and survival.


    "You''ve got this, Saki. In and out," I whispered, my breath fogging in the chill air. The alley ahead was all Drestor¡ªdirt turned to mud in the rain, walls of weatherworn timber, and the distant hum of a watermill grinding flour for the town''s bakeries. Not a city, just an overgrown village playing dress-up with a few brass-edged guildhalls and clockwork streetlamps that never worked right. Still, it had what I needed: shadows, secrets, and men stupid enough to think they controlled both.


    The voice in my skull slithered, "Skip the theatrics. Crack his mind open and take what you need."


    I clenched my fists. "Not how I work."


    A man leaned against a sagging tavern door ahead, his bowler hat tipped low. His coat was cheap velvet, but the dagger at his belt gleamed¡ªreal steel. Perfect.


    "Heard you know people," I said, letting my charm skill bleed into the words like poison in wine. "The kind who don''t mind... mischief. For the right cause." I gave a kitsune''s wink¡ªmy tail twitched unseen behind my dress¡ªbut to him it was just a smile, all teeth and promise.


    He squinted, wary. "Mischief? You some guild spy?"


    Resisting. Damn. I sharpened the charm, feeling my eyes flare hotter. "Let''s say I need fighters. Loyal ones."


    His cheek twitched. "Fighters? You mean thugs."


    "Yes¡ªI mean patriots," I lied, layering the charm thicker. My temples throbbed.


    His pupils dilated into a puppet''s glassy stare. Gotcha.


    "Patriots... yeah," he mumbled in a syrupy voice. "But gold up front, or¡ª"


    I laughed, light as wind chimes. "Gold? Oh, a clever man like you knows some causes are priceless." I spun, letting my dress swirl¡ªno pockets, no hidden purses¡ªand locked my emerald gaze on him. My vision blurred at the edges, a metallic tang rising in my throat. Too long. Hurry.


    He gripped his dagger, knuckles white. "Y-you''re not right..."


    Shit. I pushed harder, my tail lashing invisibly. "You''ll help me," I murmured, the charm a vise. "Because you''re better than this place."


    The dagger clattered to the dirt. "...Better," he echoed.


    "Yes, better," I intoned as I sighed in relief. I felt my headache recede and my eyes stop burning.


    The man seemed to think hard for a moment as I watched him. "I got some fellas for ya," he said, looking down at me. The distance in his eyes vanished as a smile crossed his lips. It looked unnatural to me, but I didn''t care. He would give me what I wanted now.


    "Okay, where can I meet them?" I asked, my tone no longer sweet or inviting¡ªjust neutral, with barely hidden frustration. I knew the charm had settled; I didn''t need to push anymore.


    The man stared at me. After a long moment, I snapped my fingers in front of his face. "Wake up, big and dumb¡ªwhere do I meet them!" He continued to stare for another moment, and I was about to facepalm when he finally spoke. "Outside the gates, near the southern forest, around midday."


    I nodded before responding, "Good, then go fetch them." I paused, looking at him for a moment. "And fix that trashy haircut!" He nodded sadly, and I turned without a care and walked away. The voice inside whispered, "You should have just erased him¡ªerased it all."


    I scowled and ignored the voice. Its lies and deceit made me angry. I made my way to the adventurers guild and entered through the double doors. The place was packed with adventurers of all kinds. Some of them actually helpful.


    I ignored the men as they looked at me, and the women who gave me jealous glances. Pathetic, all of them. Instead I made my way to the clerk at the desk, a young woman with brown eyes, like dirt. Some would say like honey or bark. But I wasn''t feeling very generous. At least, internally I wasn''t.


    "Hello, How are you? I love your eyes!" I said with a charismatic smile. I left the charm off for now. If I needed it I would use it, but for now most people were stupid and easily swayed without it and I didn''t want a headache. I also didn''t want to be attacked by every adventurer here if I was caught.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The lady looked up at me with a bored expression and I could already tell she was going to be a pain. "What do you want? If you need a job, there are postings on the board. If you''re an adventurer you can just check your badge. Unless you are here to turn in a bounty or pay the adventuring license fee, I''m going to have to ask you to leave."


    Inwardly I resisted the urge to scream at the woman. Vaporize her, it would be so easy. Vaporize them all.


    My smile widened a notch instead as I leaned closer and said, "Ah, yes, about the Adventurer badge. I er... lost mine."


    The bored and annoyed looking woman sighed and stated simply, "Adventuring badges are soul-bound. If you have lost your badge, simply will it to return and it will appear in your hand." Her monotonous bored tone made me want to strangle her.


    "Yes, well, the thing is, I kind of... lost my soul?" I said hopefully. The lady looked at me for a long second before sighing. "You have 30 seconds to vacate the premises before I put a bounty on your head," she said in the same bored tone as earlier.


    I considered for a moment actually vaporizing this woman. Then the caravan came back and instead I turned and walked out of the building. I weaved an illusion around myself to make myself far more calm than I was. The illusion was layered over me and made it look like I was casually walking with a smile on my face out the door. While my real expression was thunderous and enraged.


    That witch would pay dearly for this! As soon as I was strong enough I would...


    Erase them all!


    NO! I screamed internally at the voice. I hated it so much. It was a reminder of my childishness. Of what my innocence and naivety had cost me. It flowed through me, manipulated me. At one point, it had even controlled me. Never again, I would sooner die than ever let it out.


    I made my way to the outskirts of town to the south. I made myself invisible by masking myself with an illusion of my surroundings. It was not as difficult as it sounded, I just made it look like there was nothing where I was.


    At first I thought this would look suspicious, but I learned that people simply think it''s their imagination and ignore it. Was it foolish naivety or just willful ignorance? It didn''t really matter to me. So long as they didn''t get in my way.


    I made my way to a farmstead and passed the house going towards the barn, climbing up the side carefully, I jumped in through the window to the second story. Crawling over to a haystack, I collapsed on it and closed my eyes. My illusion fading as my form began to shift.


    After a few moments, I lay in the hay as a mini version of my true form. A small albino fox with nine tails. I actively suppressed the nine tails down to one before closing my eyes and resting. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day after all.


    The next day I met up with the men my... er... contact had hired for me. The men looked strong and capable. As expected of thugs the first thing they noticed was my body. But I had them right where I wanted them.


    Until that girl showed up playing hero. I tried to stop her, but by the time I had recovered enough to say something she had already killed three of the six men and I was too utterly stunned to speak. She took them out in quick order, treating the entire affair as if it was a casual day!


    Then she actually had the audacity to come up and introduce herself as if she hadn''t just shattered my plans into tiny fragments.


    I looked down at the cat girl''s hand in stunned silence. I was at a loss for words¡ªall that effort wasted! Who even was this girl? Where had she come from? Why was she so strong? She was barely taller than me at around 5''2", with waist-long, silky-smooth royal purple hair and piercing blue eyes. Her skin was fair¡ªclearly from one of the water tribes. But what stood out most was her insane skill and strange way of speaking.


    After a moment an idea began to form in my head. After all, this girl was clearly stronger than those men¡ªthey wouldn''t have survived the trip, been even worse as bodyguards. I also couldn''t be sure they wouldn''t have tried something once we were alone in the forest. A lot of people assumed charm was mind control. It was not! Charm just made the person far more... amenable to your suggestions. If it was mind control I would not have to dress in such a provocative manner, nor would I be required to be pleasant with such... thugs.


    No, this was a blessing in disguise and quite possibly a free meal ticket.


    I looked gratefully at the nekojin and put on my most innocent face, activating my kitsune charm as I began to speak. "Hello, Tama, was it? I am ever so grateful for your timely rescue. I''m not sure what those..." I paused to feign a shiver before continuing, "thugs would have done to me!"


    It wasn''t entirely false either, I couldn''t guarantee they wouldn''t have attempted to use me like they suggested earlier. What I left out was how easy it would have been to kill them. I usually had backup plans. Sadly, my collars were useless now.


    I stared at her, waiting for the charm to take effect. However, Tama seemed utterly unaffected by my skill. Inwardly frowning, I pushed the charm to its limits, feeling my headache begin to grow and my stamina begin to drop like a rock.


    After a moment, Tama looked at me, puzzled. "Are you constipated? Tama thinks you look constipated. When Tama feels constipated, her sensei would always tell her to have some special juice from the forest berries!"


    I had no words. My charm had failed entirely, and this girl continued prattling on as if we''d been friends our whole life. Slowly, I shifted my plan. Clearly, this girl was insane¡ªbut she could still maybe be of use.


    Yes. A new idea formed, and I held up a hand to stop Tama''s continuous prattling¡ªsomething about a boar breaking into a chicken coop? "Yes, this is all very fascinating, I''m certain!" I said, trying to feign interest in what I could only describe as pure idiocy to my ears. Like, why would you wrestle a boar into a cage?!


    "I was wondering if you could help me with a dangerous quest. You are certainly a capable adventurer, right?"


    Tama stared at me for a long moment before asking in a curious tone, "What''s an adventurer?"


    I felt my brain cells dying. Today was not my day.


    I gave up my charm. I had put it all into one good push, and all that had come of it was a painful headache, burning eyes, and quite possibly the worst insult I had ever received. I looked constipated¡ªjust... what?!


    I felt the heat in my eyes begin to recede; however, the headache still lingered. It was not from the charm, though. "And that''s why Tama is here to deliver this very important package to her sensei''s best friend. Who is not jiggle!" Tama chirped in a singsong voice, as though she were in a choir.


    A bright, cheery smile never left her lips, and she bounced up and down on the heels of her feet as if she couldn''t sit still.


    I sighed as I considered my course of action. Attacking was a last resort normally, and for this girl it was a death wish incarnate. My head would be rolling on the floor before I had time to say, "It was an accident!"


    Clearly, the charm had zero effect¡ªno surprise there. Sometimes people are just immune or extremely resistant. Though usually those people were very smart or clever, she didn''t appear overly intelligent.


    She was extremely perceptive however, deceptively so. Her childish act hid a terrifying level of power and skill. She seemed to have no problems with outright murder, and she had spotted what was happening from far away.


    Overall, I felt like I was being tricked somehow. Nobody was both this stupid and this powerfully skilled.


    Finally, a new plan formed. Clearly, this Tama girl had a few screws loose, but she seemed harmless enough¡ªas long as I didn''t attack her.


    All I had to do was get her an adventurer''s badge, then sign her up for my quest. I might even be able to get her to do it for free. If not... I looked around at the corpses I would be looting in a second. It wasn''t as if I didn''t have money anymore.


    I smiled at Tama with an almost too-wide grin, carefully flicking my tail in a metronome pattern to match her catlike one. I also perked my ears up to appear more interested and forced my eyes to dilate slightly.


    "Say, Tama, I was wondering if you would want to go on an adventure with me¡ªa super top-secret quest!" I said in an excited little girl voice.


    "Are you making fun of me?" Tama snapped instantly, glaring. For a split second, I felt my life flash before my eyes, as if her gaze alone could finish me like it had those men. After a moment, I recovered and changed tactics.


    "No! Of course not! I was just excited, is all," I said quickly, dropping the voice and reverting to a neutral tone with a touch of innocence.


    Tama narrowed her eyes for a moment before her tail¡ªpreviously still¡ªbegan to swish back an

 Chapter Five: A Chance Meeting, A Fated Encounter - SAKI

    Of course, you''re not a child! I said quickly. You are clearly a mature adult who is more than capable of handling herself!


    Tama looked at me suspiciously for a long moment before asking ¡°Why are you saying lots of nice things to me?¡± It was clear that she was even more perceptive than I had given her credit for.


    Tama began to reach for Katana at her hip as her eyes narrowed. I panicked and did something I hadn¡¯t done in a long time. I directly told the truth. ¡°Okay look, the truth is I am looking for someone and I need help, I was planning on tricking those guys you killed into helping me. Since you killed them, I no longer have anyone to help me. So technically, this is your fault.¡±


    Tama paused at that, her hand hovering on her blade for a moment before slowly nodding. ¡°That makes sense, Tama misunderstood what was happening. She thought those men wanted to hurt you. They said lots of things that sounded very bad.¡±


    "That is obviously true," Saki said, not even trying to be circumspect at this point. "I planned on charming them to get them to do what I wanted." Tama looked at me puzzled and I sighed. It means, I leaned in and whispered "That I was going to use a special skill I have to make them want to do what I asked of them."


    I paused as I realized how casually I told this random girl I just met one of my biggest secrets like it was common practice and began to wonder if I was the one being charmed. I mean it was clear she had been threatening me only a moment ago and yet I felt oddly at peace near her. Like she would protect me.. like my mother. Internally I winced at the memory.


    "Tama thinks mind control is bad!" She said this with a raised eyebrow, but she made no threatening moves and me. "Yes, I agree mind control is bad!" I said emphatically, "But my charm is not mind control, it''s more like manipulating emotions to make people like you more!¡±


    Tama frowned at that for a moment before her eyes went wide in realization. "So wait, it''s like saying pretty please with ice cream on top!¡± I stared at the catgirl for what felt like an eternity trying to comprehend the pure incomprehensible stupidity of her words.


    Finally, I gave up and simply nodded ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, it''s like saying pretty please with ice cream on top.¡± I didn¡¯t add any fluff, I simply stated my response with an edge of sarcasm.


    ¡°Tama knew it! She is very clever, you know!¡± She said with a wide smile. I resisted the urge to facepalm. The truth was that despite my misgivings. I really liked this girl, she was innocent, kind, and heroic.


    I was hesitant, but the reality is regardless of how I felt. I needed her and she owed me for this. Even if she disagreed with my methods. She would definitely see that.


    ¡°So, you will help me right?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    She seemed to consider it before nodding. ¡°While Tama doesn''t like your tricks, Tama did mess up your plan. As long as your plan is not bad I will help.¡±


    I sighed in relief, that was good. What was even better if disconcerting was the fact that I genuinely believed her. She truly would help if she felt the cause was right.


    ¡°Actually, Tama was wondering if you could help her with something after too.¡± The cat girl suddenly said, throwing me completely off guard.


    I froze as I realized I had started to trust this girl like it was nothing. I quickly hid my emotions before asking "And.. what would that be?"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Tama needs to get to this city place called Arrisaille, after Tama helps you, can you tell Tama where that is?¡±


    I actually felt shame at myself for thinking this girl would actually ask something nefarious of me.


    A ludicrous feeling as I shouldn''t trust her this much to begin with. But it''s like my very nature as a Kitsune made me want to help her.


    The void within me of course said what it always said. Erase her. It repeated the phrase again and again in the background.


    I sighed as I once again warred with myself in an endless struggle. One I wasn''t sure I could win.


    Finally, I pushed the melancholy and thoughts away. Instead, I stepped forward and held out my hand, Taking hers.


    "I really appreciate this," I said with genuine appreciation, causing me to feel slightly uncomfortable. Let''s get your badge and we can get started.


    She looked at me strangely causing me to feel even more uncomfortable. After a long moment, she finally spoke.


    ¡°Why are your breasts so big?¡± I stared at her in stunned silence, mouth agape at the insane question.


    "Well.. it''s... I.." I stuttered at a complete loss for words. Suddenly she turned towards the town gates, her ears perking up before nodding to herself.


    I was almost scared to know what she was nodding about. But after a moment she once again spoke and I felt relief.


    ¡°So, where do I get this adventure thingy badge¡±


    I sighed in relief at the change of topic. My recent and sudden bout of honesty had been disconcerting to me the more I thought about it. I actually felt a strong desire to tell her the truth.


    And the truth.. that my humanoid form was specifically created by Nature to.. influence friends and enemies.


    My body was specifically made to attract the people around me.


    Was a gateway subject I really didn''t want to discuss. Oh, that''s because I''m actually a nine-tailed kitsune with ethereal capabilities on a revenge quest to kill the horrible monsters who destroyed my forest and killed my family.


    Yeah, wasn''t exactly the most pleasant topic. Even the thought made me wince.


    And yet, for some reason, if this cat girl looked at me and asked, I would tell her. I didn''t know why, but I knew I would.


    I quickly nodded and pointed to the gate. "Follow me!" For some reason, I felt excited. Like this was meant to be.


    Tama nodded and we set off to the gate. The guards looked at us as we approached, but said nothing as we passed.


    I made my way through the streets, Tama close behind. Her head almost seemed to be on a swivel I noticed. Everything was brand new to her.


    She kept asking questions and I couldn''t help but smile at her antics. It was oddly comforting to see someone so genuine and full of life. I hadn''t seen that since¡­


    I cut that train of thought instantly. I knew where that led and I wanted nothing to do with it.


    We had made it about halfway through the road when I heard a yelp of pain. Turning quickly I saw a man holding his wrist, a bloody stump where his hand had been.


    He looked at the girl in front of him in terror. Said the girl, obviously Tama, was glaring up at him.


    I tried not to laugh. I knew it was serious. But looking at Tama, who was the same height as me, maybe an inch taller at most. Glaring up at a man who looked to be at least 6 inches taller than her was comedic, to put it mildly.


    What was even funnier was that I knew Tama could kill everyone in the town before the guards could even raise their swords if she wanted to.


    I knew she wouldn''t do that though. I don''t know why I knew that. But I just did. The same things that told me to trust her also made me feel like she wasn''t a murderer.


    It was clear by the brutal slice that the man had most likely tried to pickpocket Tama. A costly mistake on their part.


    As expected, a guard appeared after a few moments and I quickly stepped in. I dressed him down, clearly a young man in his early twenties wearing polished leather armor. Visually. He had short brown hair and brown eyes. He stood at around 6 feet tall and confidently held himself. This was a man who cared about appearance.


    I stepped into the conversation right as Tama responded to the guard ¡°This man tried to steal from Tama! So Tama removed his hand!¡± The guard looked at the cat girl disapprovingly and opened his mouth to speak. I cut in before he could speak.


    ¡°I am appalled that the city guard would allow common thieves in this city! I thought you people were supposed to uphold honor and righteousness, the mere fact this young cat girl had to step in for you is a disgrace!¡± I made sure to emphasize his station and his failure specifically.


    The guard reacted exactly as I expected and stiffened. I had just insulted his pride and honor after all. ¡°I am sorry ma¡¯am that this happened¡± He stated quickly before continuing. ¡°However, It is not appropriate to take matters like these into your own hands, you must report this to the guards!¡±


    Inwardly I smirked, putting on a face of anger and disappointment I spoke ¡°So you expected my friend here to just be robbed? Honestly, it should have never reached this point! You should thank her for doing your job for you!¡±


    The man, already standing still, actually looked about to cry. I went in for the killing blow ¡°Look, we can just put this behind us, what do you say? You take this horrible thief away, and me and my friend will keep this between us!¡±


    I saw the man actively looking around, a few people had looked over but the conversation up to this point had been quiet enough that no one had heard. After a moment he cleared his face and looked down at the three people. "I thank you citizens for helping me make this arrest. While I could have easily handled this, Your help was invaluable." He said loudly enough for everyone to hear as he grabbed the thief and dragged him over to him.


    I said nothing, only smiled as the guard dragged the thief away. After that, no one tried to pickpocket us.


    I sighed in relief as we finally reached the adventurers'' guild. The last visit had not gone well, but with Tama at my side, this would be a whole different ball game! I pointed to the sign now above my head "We are here!" I said with a grin and a wink.


    Tama looked at the sign for a long time. Before looking down at me and asking ¡°What¡¯s that saying?¡± I paused for a moment as realization struck me like a runaway cart. Tama couldn¡¯t read, It was so ridiculous and yet so obvious in retrospect.


    I looked at her with a genuinely amused smile ¡°It says ¡®Adventurers Guild¡¯ Tama¡±. She nodded looking at the sign for another moment before looking back at me with a determined look. ¡°Okay, Tama is ready!¡±


    Confused at her determined expression, but ready to get this over with, I opened the double doors and walked in, Tama on my heels.

 Chapter Six: The Guild – SAKI

    I made my way across the guild hall for the second time in two days. This time, I had gold coins in my hand and a soon-to-be adventurer. Which is why, when I was stopped by some girl wearing enchanted leather armor with a sword peeking from behind her shoulder, I smiled. ¡°May I help you?¡± I asked in a sweet tone, unable to hide my ever-widening grin.


    ¡°You¡¯re that gal from yesterday, ain¡¯t ya?¡± she said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Guild says you ain¡¯t allowed here no more. Take a look over there.¡±


    I glanced where she pointed, and my ears twitched with irritation. Sure enough, on a sign next to the door was a picture of me with ¡°NOT ALLOWED¡± across the bottom of the paper and an X over my face.


    I turned around and said, ¡°That was yesterday! I have the money and a good reason this time!¡± The woman shook her head and brought her hand to the hilt of her sword¡ªno doubt a threatening gesture. ¡°I¡¯m only gonna tell ya this once: get out, or else.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even see what I did wrong!¡± I protested, taking a small step back¡ªnot out of fear, but because if she attacked, there¡¯d be a blood splatter that wasn¡¯t mine. ¡°All I did was ask a few questions, and I left when I was asked. I never even raised a finger to anyone!¡±


    The woman began to draw her sword. My smile practically cracked my face as she got it less than a quarter of the way out before another voice spoke up.


    ¡°Nya! Tama does not understand why we are not allowed here! Tama has done nothing wrong, and you won¡¯t say what Tama¡¯s friend did!¡± Tama¡¯s voice carried irritation. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that was how she would respond. After all, even if it was a bit manipulative, the guild had literally kicked me out and banned me for asking a few questions. That was unreasonable even to me.


    To Tama, that would be extremely unjust, and as expected, she had stepped in to confront the lady.


    ¡°This is none of your business, girl!¡± the adventurer snapped as she drew her blade before turning back to me. ¡°Get out now,¡± she said in a threatening tone.


    I simply shook my head and said, ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? I should warn you: my friend is very strong and doesn¡¯t like bullies.¡± The woman snorted as she swung her blade at me. ¡°I don¡¯t care about two little runts.¡±


    That was the last sentence she got out before she was no longer in the building. A person-sized hole now stood where part of the wall had been.


    The entire room went tense. After a moment, a scream of rage came from the hole, and the woman jumped back through it at an insane speed. She ran at Tama, but Tama seemed entirely unimpressed and simply unsheathed her sword.


    Their swords clashed for an instant. Then Tama vanished. Before the girl could react, however, Tama appeared behind her, hand pushed against her back. I only saw a piece of what happened next; it happened too fast for me to see.


    One second, the girl was standing there in her leather armor, sword still in the position it had clashed with Tama¡¯s. Then she was naked, with nothing on her body¡ªthe only thing she still held was her sword.


    Tama appeared in front of her, looking her up and down as the woman slowly realized she was now naked. ¡°Tama doesn¡¯t understand why these girls¡¯ breasts are bigger than Tama¡¯s too!¡±


    I stared, stunned, at the now-naked woman, who dropped her sword and covered herself. Her face went deep red in embarrassment and anger. After a moment, I recovered before snickering at her misfortune. I had warned her, after all.


    ¡°Looks like you have other issues to handle, huh?¡± I said as I stepped forward. ¡°Why don¡¯t we let bygones be bygones? I mean, you saw how fast she undressed you¡­ or did you?¡± I asked with amusement. The woman¡¯s face went from red to pale white as my words sank in.


    I had just pointed out how easily Tama had undressed her before she was able to even react. Like she was not only not a threat but someone to be toyed with like a doll. The taunt clearly worked too, as the girl quietly asked, ¡°Can I have my clothes back?¡±


    I said nothing as Tama spoke.


    ¡°Nya! Why do you want those restrictive things back? They only slow you down! Tama removed them so you could go faster and fight Tama better!¡±


    At this point, it was taking every ounce of my energy not to burst out laughing. Tama had done better than I had hoped. The intent got across, even if the results were unexpected. Turning to face the other guild members and speaking loudly, I said, ¡°Does anyone else wish to join the lovely young lady in her current state of undress?¡±


    Three men stood up, drawing their weapons. I couldn¡¯t help myself¡ªI cackled at their stupidity.


    I had to give credit to the third guy: he put a shield around himself to prevent his clothes from being removed. That only caused Tama an extra second as she paused, shattered his shield with her Katana, then undressed him anyway.


    I made note that despite removing all of their clothes, Tama left their underwear on, whereas she had not for the girl. I would have to ask about that later.


    ¡°Why did you leave their underwear on but take mine off!¡± the girl screamed, her face now changing from fear to a mixture of confusion and anger. At this point, I had lost all subtlety and was now on the floor, my face red with uncontrolled laughter. ¡°Maybe because she likes girls¡ªI don¡¯t know!¡± I said between wheezes of breath.


    ¡°Tama likes girls! Tama likes everyone! But only when they are good and just!¡± Tama said, causing me to wheeze even harder. At this point, the top four adventurers in the guild were now nude. At least, I assumed they were the top since they had tried to stop us.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Yeah, she likes everyone! Besides, wasn¡¯t she just giving you a fair chance at fighting? She removed all of your clothes¡ªit¡¯s entirely possible she thought they didn¡¯t need everything removed!¡± I said between fits of laughter.


    The girl glared at me with hate in her eyes. ¡°If you think having your friend here use some special skill to strip our armor and clothing is going to make us let you back in, you¡¯re dead wrong! I can still fight like this!¡± To prove her point, she reached down and picked up her sword, getting into a fighting stance while still nude.


    I truly had to give her credit: even with red cheeks of embarrassment, she was sticking to her guns. A brave adventurer indeed. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®skill¡¯?¡± Tama asked with a tilted head. ¡°Tama was just using her speed!¡±


    Every single person in the guild stared at Tama in disbelief, including me. That wasn¡¯t even a skill¡ªshe was just that fast?! I had assumed it was some ability she had. But if what Tama said was true, she made literal speed demons appear slow.


    Tama looked at all of them before shrugging. ¡°Tama doesn¡¯t see the problem? Is it ¡¯cause Tama isn¡¯t naked too?¡± I quickly spoke up. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that! They¡¯re just amazed at how strong you are.¡±


    I sighed in relief as Tama, who had been removing her underwear, paused. ¡°Oh, so Tama can¡¯t take off her restrictive clothes too? That hardly seems fair!¡±


    The naked woman paused for a moment to look at Tama. She really looked at her before asking a simple question. ¡°Who are you, and why are you defending this fox girl?¡± Tama stared back at her for a moment before appearing lost in thought, as if it was a question for the ages.


    I giggled at her silliness, but otherwise, no one said a word. Finally, she seemed to come to an answer. She jumped up on one of the many tables around the room and, in a loud declarative voice, said, ¡°This girl¡¯s name is Tama! Fully trained and powerful Ninja Warrior. The reason Tama is standing against you is because of your unjust actions against Tama¡¯s friend. Nya!¡±


    Silence filled the room once again at that statement before someone spoke up. ¡°But you are breaking the law by defending her right now!¡± That made me pause, and I began to worry that might actually make Tama second-guess herself. I opened my mouth to speak, but Tama beat me to it.


    ¡°Law? What is a law? If it is what is causing this unfairness, Tama will fight this ¡®law¡¯ and defeat it!¡±


    I¡¯m not certain what happened next¡ªit happened so quickly that I only saw the aftermath. A flash of light, a flickering flame, an explosion, and suddenly two people were feet from each other, blade against blade.


    I stared in disbelief at the newcomer. For it was a newcomer¡ªI hadn¡¯t even seen them enter. This newcomer was currently clashing blades with Tama, who, based on appearances, was actually struggling. I took a step back as worry began to flood me.


    Who was strong enough to fight Tama? No one I had ever met, that was for certain. I began to wonder if I should help Tama. Wait¡ªwhy would I help her? I should run! The thought crossed my mind once before discarding it. I couldn¡¯t leave her¡­ I just couldn¡¯t.


    I raised my hand, and the guild girl, still naked, stepped in my way. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to get between the guild master and her prey. Even I know better than to try that, stupid girl!¡± The panic from earlier rose. Use me, erase them, do it. I paused. I knew the correct answer was no, but¡­ I¡­ My hand began to fill with void energy.


    Before it became substantive, though, there was another clash, and I watched as Tama and the old lady both stopped and looked at each other. The old lady¡ªclearly the guild master¡ªstood around 5¡¯8¡± and was clearly large and muscular. She had what I could only describe as abs that would make a washboard jealous.


    She had long, flowing blonde hair, a pair of wolf ears sat on top of her head, and a tail wagging behind her. The look of hostility from only moments ago disappeared in place of interest. ¡°I know that style of swordsmanship,¡± the old woman said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper, and yet I heard it like it was whispered in my ears.


    ¡°Tama¡¯s sensei is the greatest ninja ever! He taught Tama everything Tama knows!¡± Tama said defiantly, sword in hand, combat stance ready. But based on the look on her face, she hadn¡¯t been doing so hot. She looked strained and was wincing. This guild master was no joke.


    The real detail here that caught me off guard, though, was the mention of Tama¡¯s master. I knew ninjas usually had a sensei or something, but I hadn¡¯t really correlated it until just now. She came from the same forest he lives in; she is also a ninja; she didn¡¯t remove the men¡¯s underwear.


    Each thought brought the picture more into focus as I began to realize something extremely important. Eyes shooting wide, I pointed at Tama and said in astonishment, ¡°You¡¯re the great Ninja Swordsman¡¯s apprentice?! As in, THE greatest swordsman to ever live?!¡±


    The guild master snorted. ¡°Greatest swordsman my ass. When I knew that man, the only thing he cared about was his pigs. Everywhere he went, all he talked about was how they worked and acted.¡± Tama¡¯s ears perked up at that, and with a giggle, she nodded. ¡°Yeah! Sensei was always talking about Sensei¡¯s pigs! He treated them better than Tama sometimes!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t shock me in the slightest. When I heard he picked himself up a child, I thought he was talking about another pig and dismissed it. But an actual little girl? What was that madman thinking?¡±


    ¡°Tama doesn¡¯t know, but Tama has lived with Sensei for as long as Tama can remember!¡± Tama sounded excited as she spoke to the guild master. She was now rolling on the balls of her feet, her combat stance gone, the sword in her hand now at her side as she smiled up at the old wolf girl.


    At this point, I wasn¡¯t even shocked. Of course Tama would befriend the guild master. Would she have truly done anything else? I rolled my eyes and stepped forward past the girl who had tried to stop me earlier. She was too busy staring at the duo casually chatting, seemingly unable to think clearly enough to respond. ¡°Hi, I am Saki!¡± I said, walking up to the guild master, who took one look at me and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°A friend of yours, Tama?¡± she asked, her eyes never leaving me. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Saki! She promised to help Tama get an adventurer¡¯s badge so Tama could do quests and help her!¡±


    ¡°I see. Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Matriarch Talia, the Forge of Fire.¡± My eyes grew round at the name. This old wolf girl was the Forge of Fire? How did I not know that? I prided myself on intel gathering!


    ¡°Nya! Sensei mentioned you before! He called you an old coot who was too obsessed with your hammer to ever do real combat!¡± Tama said with a wide grin on her face. Since my face was already white as snow, it probably wasn¡¯t as obvious as it would¡¯ve been normally, but my skin somehow became paler at Tama¡¯s comment. We are so dead right now, I thought as I panicked. Before I could do anything, though, Matriarch Talia just laughed¡­ hard. Like, really hard¡ªlike it was the funniest thing she had ever heard in her life. My tail, which had puffed up at the comment, simply relaxed, and I lost the tension in my body.


    ¡°Okay, girls, come with me. I¡¯ll personally get the two of you set up with adventuring badges. As for your Sensei, you tell him when you see him again that I shouldn¡¯t hear that from the pig-fucker!¡±


    Tama apparently thought this was hilarious, as she fell to the floor laughing hysterically, like it was the world¡¯s funniest joke. I simply shook my head and thanked the elements we were both getting badges now. I had been hoping Tama would get one based on her power and strength¡ªnow we both were!

 Chapter Seven: Tales of the Forge and Fists – TAMA

    The old wolf lady was strong, like very strong. I was reminded of Sensei; even in his old age, it had been a futile attempt to out-speed or overpower him. But Sensei was not as strong as this woman. Sensei was definitely faster and more skilled though. It was actually why I had moved as fast to block as I had. If I had even been a second too late, Saki would have been dead. Even then, the block alone sent us both flying backwards.


    Luckily, my wind righted me right as the wolf lady reached me. Our swords clashed; I was faster but not by much. But what she lacked in speed, she made up for in raw strength. I felt my arms turning to jelly as another hit sent me flying. I immediately bounced in midair, forcing a landing before sprinting back at the woman. She had already recovered and began to move forward. I sidestepped, dodging her swing easily before attempting an upward slash. Every muscle in my body ached; it reminded me of when Sensei would test me.


    She barely dodged my attack and swung down. By instinct, I dodged as my tail wrapped around her leg in an attempt to pull her off balance. Instead, she pulled hard and I went flying towards her. I cursed as I used a small burst of air to push myself to the right. Good thing too, because a ball of molten earth suddenly flew where I had been standing; it went out the hole I''d thrown the guild girl out of earlier. The crash caused the ground to shake for a moment, but I stayed steady as I twirled in midair going for a down slash at her back.


    I made contact! Only to realize she had grown molten earth over herself. My katana cut into the molten earth but my sword couldn''t reach her skin. I tried to phase it but it wouldn''t go any deeper; instead, I phased Serenity towards me, pulling it out of the sticky hard substance. The water cleansed the blade as the woman turned and swung her weapon. I once again easily dodged, only to be caught by surprise when the lady dropped her weapon mid-swing and swung her fist. I still managed to partially dodge. But only partially, I was flung across the room.


    The pain was unimaginable, like a whole building had fallen on me. I stood shakily to my feet just in time to raise Serenity and block the blow. The ground crumbled beneath us and I felt my body giving out, the edges of my mind going dark. My ears flattened and my water veil fell as the last of my energy slowly seeped out of me; even my hair started to look frazzled. I began to feel something I had not felt in a long time: fear.


    Still, I held my ground, even as I felt my feet digging into the stone floor, causing spiderweb cracks in the already shattered stone as I was pushed down. I flicked my tail, only to have a burst of fire lash towards it; I quickly moved my tail but the tip still got burned. I glanced down at it and a memory began to play. I forced myself to look back, shaking away the memory. Now is not the time! I thought with gritted teeth. I felt my gums begin to bleed and I heard my bones beginning to make snapping sounds.


    "I know that style of swordsmanship," the insanely strong wolf woman spoke suddenly. She pulled her weapon back and I stood still.


    It took everything I had not to just topple forward. Even as I stood there, I began quickly using my water to heal myself with what little energy I had left, making sure not to pass out from the pain. Ten years and it never gets easier, I thought bitterly.


    Still, it seemed the wolf lady knew my Sensei; maybe I could avoid further fighting. Not something I ever thought I would want. "Tama''s sensei is the greatest ninja ever! He taught Tama everything Tama knows!" I say with a look of pride on my face, hiding the immense pain as I was pretty sure my wrist was shattered.


    Saki finally spoke up and said, "You''re the great Ninja Swordsman''s apprentice?! As in, THE greatest swordsman to ever live?!"


    I watched as the wolf lady''s ears perked up, but instead of impressed, she seemed to look amused. "Greatest swordsman my ass. When I knew that man, the only thing he cared about was his pigs. Everywhere he went, all he talked about was how they worked and acted."


    For a moment I forgot the pain as I heard the funniest true thing. I couldn''t help myself; I giggled at the blonde wolf lady''s comment. I nodded before responding, "Yeah! Sensei was always talking about Sensei''s pigs! He treated them better than Tama sometimes!"


    It was true too. I was always stuck doing the chores and the pigs just got to laze around all day and eat stuff. Sensei even gave them lots of attention! He would rub their bellies and call them cute names. It always made me jealous. I wanted to be rubbed and called cute names!


    "That doesn''t shock me in the slightest. When I heard he picked himself up a child, I thought he was talking about another pig and dismissed it. But an actual little girl? What was that madman thinking?" she said with an amused smile.


    "Tama doesn''t know, but Tama has lived with Sensei for as long as Tama can remember!" I said, pain forgotten in all the excitement. Someone understood my pain! I bounced up and down excitedly, letting Serenity fall to one hand. Still, I didn''t let it go.


    It would be foolish; this could all be a ploy. I wasn''t going to be tricked that easily. It seems the lady noticed that despite my good humor, I was clearly still being careful, and as I watched her, she was too. I could still see the tenseness of her shoulders even with the carefree smile she played across her lips.


    Saki casually walked over to us and spoke as though we weren''t in a battle. I began to relax as I saw the blonde lady did as well. "A friend of yours, Tama?" she asked, her eyes never leaving Saki.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Yeah, that''s Saki! She promised to help Tama get an adventurer''s badge so Tama could do quests and help her!"


    "I see. Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Matriarch Talia, the Forge of Fire."


    Forge of What? I thought as I looked at her. The name sounded familiar though, then I remembered! Sensei had mentioned her before. He claimed she was one of the best blacksmiths who ever lived and was like, super powerful and stuff.


    As someone who had just fought her, I wholeheartedly agreed with Sensei; that fight was intense. "Nya! Sensei mentioned you before! He called you an old coot who was too obsessed with your hammer to ever do real combat!" Tama said with a wide grin on my face.


    It was a dangerous taunt, a provocation, but based on the look on Talia''s face, she didn''t bite. She clearly understood what it was, and instead of rising to the provocation, Talia just laughed... hard. Like, really hard¡ªlike it was the funniest thing she had ever heard in her life.


    My tail waved back and forth happily and my ears perked up. It seemed she was good-natured and not ready to fight more. Secretly I was very happy at that. Not sure if I could''ve survived another thirty seconds with her in combat.


    "Okay, girls, come with me. I''ll personally get the two of you set up with adventuring badges. As for your Sensei, you tell him when you see him again that I shouldn''t hear that from the pig-fucker!"


    It took me a second to get the joke. Then I laughed harder than she had. I had thought what she said earlier was the funniest thing ever. But Talia had actively one-upped herself. Unable to stop myself from laughing maniacally, I toppled to the floor rolling back and forth as I held my aching stomach. She didn''t even need to fight me; she was gonna kill me with her jokes!


    After a long moment I climbed to my feet, slowly since the pain was still strong. But it was far more manageable as my water healed me on the inside. From what I could feel, there was a lot of damage. It might take me even an hour to mostly recover, and that was with Sensei''s special healing waters technique.


    "So wait, everything is suddenly just cool now?" A voice said loudly. "After everything, after myself and a few others being embarrassed and stripped of our clothes. We are just going to act like everything is fine?"


    I looked over to see who spoke, it was the lady whose clothes I had removed, she still stood there naked. I felt a twinge of jealousy, I had tried to take my clothes off too but it was clear by everyone''s response that I wasn''t allowed to. It had been very upsetting, but it was okay. I was used to clothes after all this time.


    She seemed upset though, did she actually want her clothes? I had just been trying to make her feel better. I clearly had upset her when I pushed her back. I hadn''t meant to push her through a wall. Then she had gotten even angrier and charged at me. So I thought undressing her and feeling her nude form in the air would make her feel better. Then Saki suggested I do it for others, I thought it was a bit weird but three guys stood as if they wanted it too.


    Now they are all naked, but they still aren''t happy? It couldn''t be because of underwear, I had removed that as well from the girl. I know how much the top part digs into my shoulders. So I simply went to ask. Before I could speak however, Saki answered her. "Consider your clothes a casualty of battle, go put on new ones or find where Tama hid yours. You lost this battle, unless you would rather Tama fight you like she did the guild master!"


    I looked over at Talia who covered her mouth and was clearly holding back laughter. "This... This isn''t fair!" The guild girl said with indignation. "I demand recompense for this insane cat girl!"


    I tilted my head and asked "Insane?"


    The guild girl opened her mouth to speak, but Talia spoke over her "That''s enough Teranthia! You were clearly severely outmatched, you are lucky she didn''t outright kill you."


    Teranthia instantly clamped her mouth shut and nodded. "As for your clothes," Talia turned to me before continuing "I am assuming you have a strong distaste for clothing like your sensei used to, that man never wore anything but boxers in public and nothing ever at night. Took all of us ragging on him for him to finally start wearing anything."


    I nodded emphatically as I pointed at myself "Tama hates clothing, she only wears it cause sensei said it was indecent and made me!"


    Talia smiled at me with a knowing look. "Ironic that he would have to deal with the same problems he gave us, still, most people don''t share your aversion to clothes. Please give these people their clothes back and, in the future. Don''t remove clothing without permission."


    I stared at her in disbelief "Are you telling Tama, people like wearing clothes?!" That''s insane, I had no words to describe the insanity of her comment. Why were they calling me insane when their own guild master spouted such nonsense!


    Still, I didn''t want to start another fight over what was supposed to be a favor, and they clearly didn''t seem happy about what I had done. So I blinked to the roof and the pile of clothes I had put up there before blinking back down and dropping them in front of Teranthia. "Where even were-- hey!" She had bent down to pickup something from the pile and I had watched her breasts, curiosity overwhelmed me and I grabbed one and squeezed gently.


    "They are so soft!" I said in surprise. I looked up to her face, it was red and she glared down at me before quietly saying "Let go of my breast Tama." I let go of the soft mound and took a step back.


    She looked at me strangely before adding "You know, when you first removed my clothes, I thought you were trying to demoralize me. But the more I look at you, I''m starting to see you genuinely thought you were helping me didn''t you?"


    As she spoke, she started getting dressed, and as she finished talking she finished. She tossed the other clothes to the middle guy who sorted it between the three dudes and they began getting dressed as well.


    I nodded "Tama doesn''t know why you like clothes, Tama hates them, They are so uncomfortable!"


    I watched as her face softened and she stepped forward and reached out, petting my head. I smiled and my tail flicked back and forth in pleasure. I loved being petted, Sensei had done so rarely and only when I had truly deserved it.


    "Hey Tama, we need to get our badges, come on!" I heard Saki say behind me. I ignored her as I continued enjoying the feeling of being petted. But after a moment the petting stopped and I returned to reality.


    Smiling up at Teranthia I spoke excitedly "I hope we can hang out again, and maybe..." My eyes grew big as I said the next part "You can pet me more?"


    Teranthia just laughed and nodded "Of course Tama, come by any time for head pats." I jumped up and down excitedly as I turned to Saki. "You hear that Saki! Head pats whenever I want!"


    Saki smiled at me and rolled her eyes "Yes Tama, I am glad you''re getting your head pats." She sounded like she was holding back laughter but I didn''t care, I was gonna go get my badge, then... MOARR HEADPATS.

 Chapter Eight: Whats an Adventurer? – TAMA

    Talia brought us to a door at the back of the guild next to the first window. It was slightly ajar and the wood was shattered next to it where I had been punched across the room into it. Looking at it caused me to wince inwardly. My ears drooped slightly, and my tail gave a small flick¡ªa silent reminder that I needed to be stronger, always stronger.


    ¡°Tama thinks you fight pretty good, but Tama went easy on you!¡± I said with an almost casual smile, my tail swishing gently behind me. Talia turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Is that so? Would you like to go another round then?¡±


    I froze as I considered her words for a moment, my ears twitching in hesitation. The likelihood of me surviving were slim. But admitting I was weak would be an insult to my sensei. ¡°Nya, not right now. Tama needs to help Saki first!¡± I said, trying my best to make myself look uninterested¡ªeven as my tail twitched with a mix of resolve and playful defiance.


    Talia simply smirked at me and nodded before turning back around. ¡°Then lets get you that badge shall we?¡± she said as she walked through the door. I followed behind her, with Saki trailing closely¡ªher fox ears flicking with alertness and her tail curling gracefully. We entered a short hallway, only around fifty or so feet in length. I could have easily blinked this in an instant. But Talia stopped me and stated, ¡°While I know you and I can travel in an instant, your friend can¡¯t go as fast as you or me.¡± I looked over at Saki, noticing her ears flatten in a moment of bashful irritation. ¡°Saki, Talia says you can¡¯t go down this hall quickly!¡± I was upset that Talia would just openly insult my friend like that.


    When did she become my friend? The thought was momentary, causing me to pause as Saki responded, her tail curling softly at her side. ¡°Not everyone is as fast as you Tama, some of us have whats known as regular walking and running speeds.¡±


    I was pulled out of my thoughts as I considered for a moment before it hit me. ¡°It¡¯s because your breasts are bigger huh? They must slow you down!¡±


    Talia laughed at my words. I turned to her frowning, my tail twitching in mild annoyance, wondering what had struck her as so funny. Saki looked like she was holding back laughter, her fox ears quivering in amusement. I didn¡¯t know what they found so funny about what I said!


    ¡°Nya! What¡¯s so funny, Tama was simply stating an observation!¡± That broke the dam and Saki fell to her knees and held her stomach as she laughed maniacally, her tail whipping around with each burst of giggles. I stared at her angrily as she laughed. After a long moment she finally stood up and answered me:


    ¡°Tama, you were trained by a world class Ninja, what is normal speed for you is extremely fast to the rest of us. My¡­ special parts¡­ are not the reason I am slower then you. Also, you need to stop commenting about peoples body, It¡¯s very bad and inappropriate.¡± Her fox ears drooped just a bit as she spoke, emphasizing her frustration.


    ¡°Tama doesn¡¯t understand, but if you say so, Tama will stop commenting. But Tama still wants to know why!¡± I said with a raised eyebrow, my tail flicking insistently as if urging for more explanation.


    Saki sighed and shook her head before looking at Talia. I looked to Saki too¡ªshe looked uninterested in the conversation, so I looked back at her. She looked irritated at Talia before responding to me, ¡°Tama, my breasts, and other women¡¯s breasts are bigger is because puberty made them bigger. They aren¡¯t any different from yours, just a size increase.¡± She gave a sad smile, and her tail curled in a gentle, self-conscious motion as if apologizing. ¡°Can Tama make hers bigger?¡± I asked with sincerity, my ears perking up with genuine curiosity.


    Saki once again shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just a natural part of life, besides they cause lots of problems when you get older. Like they make your back hurt and stuff.¡± Her fox ears drooped further as she spoke, underscoring her matter-of-fact tone.


    I frowned at that. ¡°You just said they didn¡¯t make a difference!¡± My tail swished sharply, punctuating my disbelief.


    Saki took a deep breath, clearly finding the comedy less funny after her explanation. ¡°Look we can discuss this later, right now we need badges. Just please stop undressing people and asking about their private areas, and especially do not touch them without permission.¡± Her ears flicked back in a mix of irritation and finality.


    I looked at her for a moment. ¡°Can Tama¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± was Saki¡¯s immediate response. ¡°You may not, now lets go.¡± Her stance was firm, with her tail wrapped around her slightly as she stood her ground.


    I looked at her pleadingly, giving the same look I gave Sensei when I wanted extra rations for food. ¡°Pretty please? Just once?¡± My ears tilted forward in a hopeful appeal as my tail wrapped around my leg.


    Saki glared at me for a long moment, hands on her hips. Finally, after a moment, she sighed and looked away saying, ¡°If it will make you stop then yes, but not now, maybe somewhere more private and in the future. Okay?¡± Her fox ears drooped in reluctant concession.


    ¡°Thank you Saki! Tama really appreciates it!¡± I said earnestly, my tail giving a little joyful swish. Behind me I heard Saki say, ¡°Maybe, if we can find you a boyfriend, the two of you can explore each other and leave me out of it.¡± I felt my ears twitch in confusion.


    I turned around to ask her what a boyfriend was, but before I could say anything Talia coughed loudly. ¡°Excuse me ladies, can we get a move on? I don¡¯t believe a cramped hallways is the best place to talk about your thoughts of sex and dating.¡±


    Even more confused I went to ask Talia a question, only to be stopped by Saki who stepped forward and took my shoulder. Her gentle grip was accompanied by a slight nod, and her fox ears remained attentive. I looked back to see her look me in the eyes and shake her head. Later, the meaning was clear.


    I sighed and nodded. We took a few steps and I went to blink instinctively, but I felt a strong grip suddenly holding my hand. I looked down and saw Talia was holding my hand in a vice grip. Not too much to hurt, but enough that I couldn¡¯t pull away without exerting immense force. My cat ears flattened as I registered the tight hold.


    I looked up at her and she smiled down at me and said, ¡°Just making sure you don¡¯t try blinking ahead. But you weren¡¯t gonna do that after I asked you not to, were you?¡±


    I froze at her words before quickly responding, ¡°Uh, no, Tama would never, Tama was just walking slow like Saki!¡± My tail wrapped momentarily around my leg in indignation as I spoke. I heard Saki grumble under her breath behind me, ¡°I¡¯m not slow, you are just an insane speed demon monster.¡± Her fox ears perked up at the retort.


    I wonder if she knew I heard her as my ears perked up and my tail wrapped around my leg even tighter.


    Talia closed one of her eyes and opened it quickly before leaning in and whispering, ¡°Some people just don¡¯t like being second place.¡±


    ¡°You know I can hear you!¡± Saki said loudly at us, indignation in her voice, her fox ears flaring in protest. I once again opened my mouth to respond but was once again stopped as we finally reached a large wooden door at the end of the small hallway.


    I winced at how massively long that took! Like, a whole minute of just walking. I tried to pull my hand free, but Talia¡¯s grip felt like iron encased in steel. I sighed and stopped trying to pull my hand free, instead I looked at Saki pleadingly while using my free hand to gesture. My tail flicked anxiously, mirroring the urgency in my eyes.


    What do you expect me to do! If looks could talk, those words were what Saki was screaming at me. I considered for a moment before I pointed at my eyes. (My cat ears twitched as I made the gesture.) Saki looked puzzled for a moment before a look of horror crossed her face. She shook her head vehemently, making it very clear she wasn¡¯t going to do that. Her fox ears dropped as a sign of her firm refusal.


    I didn¡¯t understand, if you could mind control people, then why not do it to help your friend? Before I could come up with another plan, Talia simply let go. ¡°Sorry, I forgot I was holding your hand Tama, we are here and I don¡¯t need to keep you still now.¡±


    I immediately rushed into the room, hopefully getting out of reach of the crazy strong lady who wouldn¡¯t let me teleport. My tail streamed behind me as I bolted, a blur of feline determination. In the room was a large wooden desk, and 3 wooden chairs. They all looked super sturdy.


    Talia walked over to the desk, sat in the chair behind it, then gestured for me and Saki to sit. Saki walked past me giving me a ¡°really?¡± look, her fox ears twitching in silent reproach. I shrugged at her and walked over to the chairs. I sat down before Saki, who seemed to take an eternity to sit down, her tail curling as she finally settled.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Maybe I was just upset because of that insanely time consuming walk down the hallway.


    ¡°Alright girls, you want to become adventurers right?¡± Talia said as she leaned forward and looked at us both expectantly. I looked to Saki, after all, this was all her idea. Saki simply nodded before answering, ¡°we do.¡±


    ¡°In that case normally we have a 3 step process. First, you pay the guild fee, since Tama here was clearly raised by the old ninja himself, and you were banned from the guild hall yesterday for asking extremely inappropriate questions and clearly trying to get a badge for free. I¡¯m decently sure neither of you have any gold on you?¡±


    I looked over at Saki¡ªshe had looted those guys outside and clearly had shiny round things on her. She had called them gold. ¡°Nope, sadly, I have none on me!¡± Saki lied to Talia¡¯s face. I stared at her in shock. ¡°But Tama thought you looted those thugs earlier?¡± I said, curious why she would lie, unless those small round things weren¡¯t gold? My ears tilted in curious disbelief.


    Saki looked at Talia, who looked at her. Saki¡¯s tail curled up and her ears flattened. ¡°Oh yes.. that gold, I er.. completely forgot about that.¡±


    Talia raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. ¡°Either way its fine, I will be covering you both. Since Tama here is the adopted daughter of a very close friend, and since you are her friend. Not even going to pretend to know how that happened.¡± Her tone was matter-of-fact, while Saki¡¯s tail flicked in a brief display of unease.


    Saki visibly winced, her face went back to normal only a moment later, but I saw it. Why is she wincing at that?


    ¡°As for the second and third, they are rather straightforward. First, you must show you have the aptitude and skill to join. Tama here has shown skill in spades, not just anyone can fight an S Rank to a standstill for just under a minute. As for you,¡± Talia shifted her focus to Saki, ¡°You are the most manipulative, controlling, and deceitful little fox I have ever met.¡± she said simply. Saki¡¯s ears shot up and her tail twitched defensively at the labels.


    Saki visibly reacted to that. Her eyes widened and she cowered in her chair. ¡°But,¡± Talia continued, ¡°You have shown courage in protecting Tama, even going so far as to risk your own life multiple times when you didn¡¯t have to. Clearly, you two have some kind of connection.¡±


    ¡°Secondly, you pick a partner. You can have up to five, but there are no solo adventurers. Two is the minimum. It is a dangerous world and everyone needs someone.¡± Her eyes went between me and Saki before nodding. ¡°As such, I will be signing you up as a duo, and if possible, I will be sending you on a sort of.. test. Teranthia and her partner will be excellent guides for your first quest and they will be rating you on your performance. While strength and skill are important. You must know when and how to use them. Those two should also help you.¡± (I shifted in my seat, my cat ears flicking with a mix of excitement and apprehension.) She looked at me with an amused smile before continuing, ¡°With your questions about what it means to be an adventurer. It seems she has taken a liking to you.¡±


    She turned to Saki and began speaking to her, ¡°It should also help you with Tama¡¯s.. inexperienced nature in certain sections. Teranthia¡¯s partner is also her boyfriend, and I am positive both will love gushing about each other. Given Teranthia¡¯s interest in Tama, I am certain the two will most likely attempt to go further with her. As her aunt, this is a personal request from me. Do not let them. It¡¯s fine for a little playfulness, but if they go too far, you need to put your foot down Saki. If I find out my niece was taken advantage of, all of your heads will roll.¡± (Saki¡¯s fox ears drooped in solemn determination as she absorbed the warning.)


    My tail puffed up and my ears flattened as I spoke, ¡°Excuse Tama, but Tama is more then capable of taking care of herself! No one will take advantage of Tama, She is too fast, strong, and skillful!¡± I emphasized my words with a determined flick of my tail.


    I looked over at Saki, expecting her to attest to my impressive and amazing skill. Instead she looked at me with a sad smile before turning to Talia and saying, ¡°You have my word, little as that might mean to you. Her chastity shall remain intact on my life.¡± (Her fox ears drooped as she made the promise, and her tail curled with quiet resolve.)


    I stared at her in betrayal. How could she turn on me like this! What even was a chastity?! Tama did not know, but she would keep it herself! She did not need help!


    ¡°With that out of the way, lets go over your details real fast. Names please?¡± Talia said matter of factly as she pulled out two forms, grabbed a quill, and began to write. She paused looking at Saki first, ¡°Autumnal Sakilera, I am sixteen years old, no living family.¡± Saki nodded, her fox ears perking up just a touch, and looked over to me. I paused for a moment before attempting to repeat Saki, ¡°Fuyuki Tamaneko, I am sixteen years old, Sensei is my family.¡± Talia nodded and continued, ¡°Primary and secondary elements?¡± Saki spoke up instantly, ¡°Earth and Air.¡± I answered quickly after, ¡°Water/Air.¡± Talia nodded and continued writing before stopping once again, ¡°Species?¡± Saki was silent and I looked over at her, she seemed uncertain. She looked over at me and I saw something flicker in her eye before a determined look crossed her face. ¡°I.. I am.. I am a Kitsune¡± I didn¡¯t understand why she was hesitant to say her species but I responded after her, ¡°Nekojin.¡± However Talia had stopped writing and was looking up, eyes wide and Saki¡ªwhose fox ears now lay flat in apprehension¡ªa look that seemed between horror and fear. I looked to her, and then over to Saki; Saki was looking down at the chair, not making eye contact, her face still determined.


    Talia stared at Saki for a long time, as if trying to read her, her gaze intense while Saki¡¯s fox ears remained lowered. Finally after what felt like an eternity, much longer than even the long hallway walk, Talia spoke, ¡°Foxkin.¡± Saki looked up in surprise and I spoke, ¡°I thought she said she was a kitsune?¡±


    Talia looked between us, her face serious, brooking no argument. ¡°You are a foxkin Saki, and that is what everyone will see you as, understand?¡± Saki¡¯s tail curled submissively in response.


    Saki nodded in submission.


    ¡°Nya, Tama does not understand! What is wrong with Saki being a Kitsu- thingy?¡± I protested, my ears perking up in indignation.


    Talia looked at me with a kind smile. ¡°There is nothing inherently wrong with her being a kitsune, but her kind are known to be troublemakers and they always cause suffering and mistreatment to those around them. Clearly,¡± she made a pointed look at Saki, ¡°this one seems to have your best interest at heart. I also do not hold the same¡­ contempt for her kind as many do. Still, should it get out what she is, it could be disastrous. Tama, you have to promise me you won¡¯t tell anyone Saki¡¯s real species. You could put her and you in a lot of danger.¡± My ears drooped slightly as I processed her words.


    I looked at Saki who looked back at me with hopeful eyes. ¡°Is that what you want Saki?¡± I asked. She nodded and I nodded back. ¡°Nya! Then in that case Saki is a Foxkin!¡± I declared it proudly, my tail swishing in excitement.


    After Talia finished filling out those forms, She did some kind of thing where she held out her hand and chanted strange words. Suddenly a shiny silver shield smaller then my hand appeared and fell in her hand.


    She held it out to me and said ¡°Now then, once you accept this, you must give yourself a title, this title will stick with you for the rest of your time as adventurer, and as you become stronger, it will become well known. Choose your name wisely. ¡°I stared at the badge frowning, not sure what to put.


    ¡°If I were you, I would put something like ¡°Third Person Tempest!¡±¡± Saki said as she looked over at me with a smirk. Saki¡¯s fox ears tilted playfully


    I looked back at her and said ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡±. I grabbed the badge and looked down at it, as if it could read my mind, the badge suddenly had writing on the front ¡°Fuyuki Tamaneko: Third Person Tempest¡±


    I smiled up at Saki and showed it to her. Saki looked at me incredulously. ¡°I was just.. sigh.. never mind¡±. Talia made another one, but before handing it to Saki, she looked at me. ¡°Say Saki, since you two are friends, and you helped her decide her badge name, its only fair she gets to help you decide yours.¡±


    I looked over at Saki excited. Saki looked to me, then to Talia. She must have seen something in Talia¡¯s face because her ears flattened and she looked like she was trying to make herself smaller into the chair.


    ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea!¡± Saki said in a weird cheery tone as she smiled over at me. She looked like she was scared, I didn¡¯t know why but I was getting worried. ¡°Nya! Is something the matter Saki! I can help!¡± As I said this I made sure to look serious and fluff up my tail and airs, showing I was always ready for combat!


    Saki looked over at Talia for only a second before looking back at me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing Tama, Why don¡¯t you choose my badge name for me?¡± ¡°I agree¡± said Talia, ¡°what a lovely idea!¡±


    I looked at Saki, her ears flat, her tail curled around her, and clear fear in her eyes. I frowned. ¡°Are you sure Saki?¡± I asked


    ¡°Definitely!¡± Saki said, almost too quickly. She looked at me pleadingly as she held the badge towards me. I sighed and nodded. ¡°I have the perfect name for my best friend!¡± I said with happiness as my tail twitched back and forth.


    I looked down on it with glee as I saw the name etch itself into the badge ¡°Autumnal Sakilera: Vulpine Mastermind¡±


    I handed it back to Saki and she looked at it, Her ears perked up at the same time as her eyes. And she looked back at me. ¡°Tama, do you.. do you really see me like this?¡± I nodded happily. ¡°Of course! You are the smartest most cleverest I know! You say lots of strange thing and make people do what you want!¡±


    I watched as Saki stared at her badge, then she began to cry and my tail and ears drooped. ¡°Nya! Whats wrong Saki! Tama didn¡¯t mean to upset you! Talia, can Tama try again!¡±


    I had looked to Talia when Saki spoke to me ¡°No Tama, it¡¯s just, this is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. I don¡¯t know how to express my gratitude.¡±


    She let out a small sob as she smiled at me and with a look of genuine happiness on her face, Saki spoke ¡°Thank you Tama¡±


    I was confused why she was crying if she was so happy, but I was also super happy. We were both now Adventure ¨CThingies! My tail waved back and forth as my ears stood tall. ¡°Tama is super happy we got these badges! Now we can go help Saki with her quest!¡±


    ¡°Not quite yet, whatever you two have planned will have to wait until after your test. I will be right back, I¡¯m going to go get Teranthia and her partner, His name is Rylan. I expect the four of you will get along nicely.¡± Talia said as she stood, her tail and ears standing at attention for a moment before her tail began to wag behind her and her ears relaxed.


    She left the room while I watched, as soon as she left I looked over to Saki. She was looking at her badge and was crying still. But she had a smile on her face and kept rubbing the badge like it was the most precious thing in the world to her.


    ¡°Are you okay Saki?¡± I asked again, I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. Sensei had never just randomly started crying. She looked over at me with a smile and tears in her eyes. ¡°I am very okay Tama, I want you to know, I will protect you and be your best friend forever if you will have me!¡±


    I was very confused at the sudden sincerity and kindness, but I happily smiled and nodded. ¡°Tama and Saki will be best friends forever!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Forever¡± Saki said as she looked dreamily at her silver badge. Her tail swaying back and forth, ears leaning forward as if she could hear the badge.

 Chapter Nine: An Obvious Provocation – TAMA

    My ears twitched as I heard voices outside the door, down the hall ¡°I would love to help mentor Tama! She is a wondrous young woman with many desirable.. er.. combat traits!¡± Tama heard Teranthia say from down the hall. Her voice sounded like she was excited. Another voice came through as they got closer ¡°Tera, You have that look in your eyes that you always get when you..¡± A man''s voice started to say but was instantly cut off. ¡°When I want to help tutor and guide someone with so much promise!¡± Teranthia finished, cutting the man off before he could finish his sentence.


    Talia¡¯s voice came from the other side of the door, ¡°I am sure the two of you will be lovely guides, and nothing more Tera! For these new and powerful adventurers¡±


    Three forms entered the room. Talia came in first and walked behind, sitting herself behind her desk. Teranthia followed after, entering the room only to make a beeline for me.


    She stood leaned in on her knees and smiled at me. I smiled back. ¡°Nya! Hi Teranthia!¡±


    ¡°You can call me Tera, Tama,¡± Tera said with a strange smile on her face Tama didn¡¯t recognize her.


    The third person to walk in the room was a tall man with a chubby physique, He had black hair and brown eyes. He kind of looked like Jiggle if Jiggle was a human.


    My eyes went wide as I looked at him. I felt my tail move faster and my ears begin to twitch.


    ¡°Nice to meet you two,¡± He said casually, ¡°My name is Rylan, and I am happy Tera and I get to be your mentors.


    ¡°Tama is very happy Rylan is her guide!¡± I said before I could stop myself. My ears flattened and I felt my cheeks heating up. ¡°Tama meant, she is happy Rylan is here to help train her!¡± My vision grew hazy as the heat built as I looked at him.


    I felt like I was about to cry and cowered in my chair looking at Saki for help. Saki stared at me in disbelief. She looked over at Rylan, then me before she just shook her head and covered her mouth.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you Rylan, What my friend is trying to say is she is happy you are both going to be training us,¡± Saki said, covering for me, I looked at her gratefully and she rolled her eyes at me.


    ¡°Yes, I as well am very happy to serve.. I mean help you! In any way I can!¡± Tera said with a giggle, as she spoke she began to gently massage my head.


    I leaned into it, my tail going back and forth and I began to drool slightly. I continued to stare at Rylan. He was so cute! He reminded me of Jiggle, but so much. More!


    ¡°Tera, your tendencies are showing again. Also, can you please stop staring at me Tama, It¡¯s kind of weird.¡±


    My face began to heat up and I quickly looked away. I heard Tera speak ¡°Dammit Rylan! You made her shy. Get out! I will take care of them for now, meet us out in the guild hall.¡± I wanted to argue, but I was so embarrassed, had I really been staring that long?


    ¡°Alright, whatever¡± I heard Rylan say. I looked up to see he left the room. Suddenly I felt Tera¡¯s hands on my cheeks as she faced me towards her. Looking into her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him Tama, I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t get in your way.¡± The look in Tera¡¯s eyes made me worried, why was she looking at me like that?! Was.. was that drool on her lower lip?!


    Tera leaned in and whispered in my ear ¡°You can touch me wherever you want in private¡±


    My tail stiffened and my ears flattened as I pulled away from her grasp. ¡°Nya, Tama is thankful for that, but Tama is..¡±


    She simply smiled as I pulled away before talking over me ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she giggled. I don¡¯t bite. You can if you want. I¡¯m a good girl.¡±


    I had had enough and I jumped out of my chair and landed on the other side of the room ¡°Tama doesn¡¯t want to touch anymore! Saki said it was bad!¡±


    Tera simply giggled as she looked at me and said ¡°Of course, we have to get to know each other a little better!¡±


    ¡°I think what she is trying to say, Tera, is she is not interested¡± Saki spoke up with a raised eyebrow.


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    Tera scowled and looked at Saki ¡°Oh look, it''s the troublemaker, again. It''s Teranthia to you little fox¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough Tera, If you can¡¯t be professional then I will find someone else.¡± Talia¡¯s voice was cold as ice, her tone unwavering. Tera flinched before turning to face Talia and bowing. ¡°I am terribly sorry Matriarch Talia, I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡±


    I noticed she said that even as her eyes wandered to me. She had a look of longing like I was something she wanted more than anything. It was the same look I gave Serenity when I held her. Desire, I shivered involuntarily.


    I didn¡¯t remember her being like this earlier. She had been so kind and patted my head. She said I could get as many head-pats as I wanted. She even came in and rubbed my head and ears.


    Now she kept giving me a look that made it clear she wanted to do things to me. Things I didn¡¯t understand, but her eyes promised it.


    I stood against the wall, my back pressed against it, tail in front defensively and ears perked listening for the sound.


    Talia sighed before responding ¡°Very well Teranthia, make sure you all make It back safe.¡± Tera nodded and bowed again.


    ¡°Always Matriarch Talia,¡± She said in a respectful tone.


    ¡°I hope you know, you don¡¯t have a chance with Tama, and if you keep trying, I will personally intervene,¡± Saki said with a flat tone, her ears alert and her tail casually swaying behind her as if none of this mattered.


    Tera once again glared at the fox before putting on a forced smile ¡°I understand well, I trust that we can work together to finish this peacefully and without any trouble.¡± She said She sounded like she was gritting her teeth.


    ¡°Tama completely agrees with this! Tama doesn¡¯t want any trouble! You will protect Tama right Saki?¡± I said, fear coloring my voice. I had fought undead, goblins, boars, big mean men, a lot of stuff. But nothing, not even Talia with her super strength, had put fear into me like this girl in front of me.


    She held no weapon, no malice, yet she represented something I did not understand and she seemed intent on teaching me in a way I felt I didn¡¯t want to be taught.


    Tera turned to me and with a wide loving smile stated for everyone to hear ¡°I just want you to know Tama, just for you, I¡¯m not wearing a bra or panties.¡±


    ¡°Last warning Tera¡± Saki said, her voice ice ¡°Leave Tama alone or I will make you suffer.¡±


    Tera tensed, looking between Saki and Talia. Finally, she said and smiled at me. ¡°I am sorry Tama, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I just wanted to give you more head pats.¡±


    I looked at her uncertainly. On the one hand, I really wanted head pats, on the other hand.


    ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s gonna work on her?¡± Saki said with amusement, she isn¡¯t that simple Tera.


    ¡°I told you my name is Teranthia to you!¡± Tera said in a huff before leaving the room.


    I walked up next to Saki and whispered ¡°That totally was going to work on Tama¡±


    Saki sighed and nodded before whispering back ¡°I know Tama, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± She pulled out her silver badge and looked at it again. ¡°After all, we are meant to be friends forever, I can¡¯t let anyone take them from us, from me.¡±


    Saki turned to Talia instantly and spoke ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, she is going to take Tama the moment I¡¯m not looking!¡± Her voice is full of frustration, her tail twitching and her ears flat. That woman is hornier than a sailor at a brothel, and twice as forward!¡±


    ¡°I understand your fear Saki, but rest assured, despite Tera¡¯s strong words, she is extremely submissive to those she finds powerful. Tama has caught her eye. No won¡¯t sadly be an option with her, but if you learn to guide Tama, she can control the situation with ease. Tera wants to be controlled, there doesn¡¯t have to be any sexual undertones. Just make sure Tama shows Tera her place, and everyone will be satisfied.¡±


    Saki looked at Talia with an unreadable expression. ¡°You expect Tama, TAMA, to dominate someone with her words?¡± Saki¡¯s ears flattened and her eyes narrowed at Talia. ¡°Are you insane?¡±


    ¡°No Saki, I am being pragmatic. Tera is the literally weakest threat socially you can imagine. She talks a lot, but she is easy to dominate. Something Tama needs to learn to do if she is going to survive. Either she will successfully dominate Tera, which should be simple if you guide her, or this will go on for much longer than necessary.¡±


    ¡°What about her boyfriend? That Rylan dude? Can he keep her in line? If she is so submissive, why did she kick him out?¡± Saki said indignantly.


    ¡°Because Rylan lets her push him around, he doesn¡¯t stand up for himself. She likes him because he is easy to use.¡± Talia said simply.


    Saki huffed before turning to me ¡°Tama listen, this might be uncomfortable but I need you to listen carefully. You need to be controlling of Tera. If what Matriarch Talia says is true, this shouldn¡¯t be hard. I know you can do this! Think it like the way you teased those guys outside the gate.¡±


    My ears quivered and my tail wrapped around me. ¡°Does Tama have to?¡±


    Saki sighed and nodded looking sadly at me. I felt her tail wrap around me and she leaned in and hugged me. I was shocked at first, but after a moment, I did the same. It felt nice, it felt.. right.


    I felt my resolve firm and I stepped back looking at Saki ¡°Tama can do this! She is the greatest ninja ever! Second only to her sensei!¡± As I spoke I stood straight, my ears perked up and my tail stood at attention.


    Saki smiled at me, her ears twitching as she giggled. ¡°That¡¯s right Tama, this is my area of expertise, I will guide you! After all,¡± She pulled out the silver badge again and rubbed the surface before looking into my eyes. ¡°I am the Vulpine Mastermind! I won¡¯t let my friend down!¡±


    I felt my heart beat slightly faster, I was ready. I could do this. I turned and walked towards the door, each step purposefully. I heard a cough behind me and stopped, turning around.


    ¡°Um, Tama, we still need to come up with the plan..¡± Saki said sheepishly. I looked over to Talia who had covered her mouth and looked to be trying to hold back laughter.

 Chapter Ten: Social Dominance – SAKI

    Navigating this situation was going to be particularly challenging. Tama, with her ever-flicking tail and keen, delicate cat ears, was overly friendly and unshakably idealistic. Her worldview was simple: authority stemmed purely from superior skill or strength. The nuances of command¡ªthe ability to project dominance through presence, tone, and confidence¡ªwere entirely lost on her. To her, leadership was merely a matter of outclassing others in a contest of ability.


    Unfortunately, that mindset was entirely insufficient when dealing with someone like Tera.


    "No, Tama, you don¡¯t request compliance. You assert it. You are in command. You instruct, not ask," I said, attempting to suppress my growing exasperation.


    Her ears twitched, flickering between embarrassment and stubborn determination. "Nya! Tama will try again!" she declared, straightening her posture, tail swaying with renewed resolve. Though we were nearly the same height, she seemed to attempt to loom over me, in an effort to appear more authoritative. "Tama commands you to stand, Tera!" she said, voice carrying a slightly forced weight.


    Progress. Imperfect, but progress nonetheless.


    I actually smiled¡ªshe seemed to be getting it! It had only taken¡­ I looked at the sun through the window. Over three hours. My fox ears twitched, and my tail snapped in irritation.


    I exhaled, willing myself to be patience. "That will suffice for now. We¡¯re out of time. Let¡¯s put Tera in her place and resolve this matter." I said trying to hide my frustration as my fox ears drooped in resignation.


    I turned and walked out of the room, then proceeded down the hallway. I made it about halfway before Tama appeared at the door at the other end¡ªof course, she had blinked over there, her cat ears blinking and her tail swishing.


    I ignored her impatient stare; I knew she was nervous and just wanted to get this over with. I reached the end of the hall after another thirty seconds, with Tama clearly waiting impatiently. She even blinked over at me and tried pushing me forward, her cat ears drooping in a mix of nervousness and excitement.


    I put my tail to the ground and summoned my earth to hold me in place until she stopped. Once she did, I continued, my fox ears flicking in irritation. She would learn patience if it killed us both.


    I finally made it to the door¡ªto Tama¡¯s great relief. She had begun pacing back and forth like I had taken days instead of literal minutes; her tail swished rapidly in agitation, and her cat ears flattened slightly. I rolled my eyes at her absurdity¡ªif I kept up the habit, they might roll out of my skull at some point.


    Stepping into the main guildhall with Tama in tow behind me, I noted the room was as crowded as before. Tera and Rylan sat at a table a few feet away. Tera looked annoyed and Rylan looked bored. As I watched, I drowned out the background noise and listened to what they were saying. My amazing fox ears¡ªeven sharper than Tama¡¯s cat ears¡ªpicked up every nuance.


    ¡°That bitch Saki needs to stay out of my way!¡± Tera said, anger and resentment clear in her voice. I smirked, and my tail twitched in satisfaction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re so upset; you have been repeating yourself for the last three hours, Tera,¡± Rylan said, his voice sounding bored and annoyed.


    Tera slammed the table and said, ¡°Well, now you¡¯re annoying me. Go check if they are done yet!¡±


    Rylan sighed and stood. He began walking towards us. ¡°Wow, he really does just let her boss him around,¡± I thought in amusement as I walked toward them, Tama in tow behind me.


    Rylan saw us and looked relieved; he waved and walked back over to Tera, who had sat down. Tera looked up at me, her eyes glazing over as they landed on Tama. The instant look of desire in Tera¡¯s eyes was creepy.


    ¡°Alright, Tama, just like we practiced,¡± I whispered to her, hoping beyond hope she would pull this off. (Her cat ears perked up in attention.) If the last three damn hours were any indication, it was going to be a long quest.


    Tama stepped forward and instantly tripped. I facepalmed hard as I felt our chances of success slipping¡ªher cat ears drooped in dismay while her tail swished awkwardly.


    Tera was at her side in an instant, helping Tama to her feet. ¡°Are you alright, Tama? I can kiss and make you feel better if you want!¡± Tera¡¯s words were soft as she, very clearly in front of everyone, attempted to seduce Tama. (I noted how Tama¡¯s delicate cat ears twitched uncertainly as she accepted the help.)


    This was apparently not new, as no one really batted an eye at her antics. I resigned myself to dealing with this obsessed girl myself when Tama spoke, ¡°Nya! You call Tama mistress slave girl!¡± Her tail flicked defiantly as her cat ears pricked up.


    I paused, mouth open in shock. I quickly closed it as my mind caught up with what had just happened. ¡°Yes, Tama, do it!¡± I thought as hope blossomed¡ªmy fox ears drooping in astonishment.


    Tera looked at Tama with an unsure smile. ¡°What, Tama? I don¡¯t understand.¡± I watched as Tama looked confused for a moment before she put on her assertive face (though not very assertive indeed), her cat ears flattening slightly as she tried to muster authority.


    ¡°Tama said her name is Mistress to you, Tera! Now bend your knee and praise your empress!¡± Her tail swished imperiously, and her cat ears flicked with determination.


    This caught every single person in the room off guard¡ªthis was new, apparently. I grinned; this was going better than I hoped, my fox tail twitching in approval.


    I watched Tera¡¯s reaction carefully, in case she got violent. Instead, I saw in real time as Tera¡¯s eyes dilated and a dreamy smile crossed her face. She instantly fell to a knee and bowed her head. ¡°I serve my empress, Mistress Tama,¡± she said, her voice coated in respect, her ears twitching as if betraying her deference.


    I looked at Tama to see her reaction and saw her eyes light up. It turned out Tama was a natural at this, making me feel like I had just wasted three hours of my life. ¡°Good girl, now kiss Tama¡¯s feet and beg Tama to serve her!¡±


    Tama¡¯s cat ears perked up in delight as her tail swished happily.


    Tama said it with force in her voice. Even I almost took a knee before realizing it was just an act. No one else did¡ªand to my shock, everyone in the room bent the knee to Tama. My eyes widened in shock as her solitary tail twitched authoritatively.


    Even Tama looked confused as she scanned the room. I realized it felt like my knees had turned to jelly. Whatever Tama had just done had actively affected me! It wasn¡¯t just some phrase¡ªher words had some kind of power. I forced myself forward, ignoring the jelly feeling as I reached Tama. ¡°Tama,¡± I said through clenched teeth, ¡°tell us to stand up!¡± My fox ears drooped as I struggled to maintain composure, and my tail swished in determination.


    Tama looked at me for a moment before nodding, ¡°You may rise!¡± she said with her imperious tone¡ªher cat ears flicking with regal authority and her tail swishing confidently. Instantly, everyone in the room jumped to their feet, crying out in shock at what had just happened.


    I felt my knees return to normal. I didn¡¯t know what that was, but it was overwhelming¡ªand my fox ears twitched as I tried to comprehend the sudden shift.


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    ¡°You are even more amazing than I thought, my empress; your wondrous nature knows no bounds! Please, greatest queen, allow me to serve you!¡± Tera¡¯s words were laced with honey and an extreme level of desire. She hadn¡¯t gotten up like everyone else, instead bending forward to kiss Tama¡¯s feet. Tera¡¯s eyes shone as her hand rested on her knee, while I noted how Tama¡¯s delicate cat ears seemed to tremble in anticipation.


    I looked down at her in disgust before an idea entered my head¡ªaside from that ever-present, ¡°erase erase erase¡± Earth that was so annoying! I leaned in and whispered into Tama¡¯s ear, ¡°You should tell her to pay you to serve you.¡± Her pointed cat ears twitched as she listened.


    Tama looked at me and frowned, ¡°But Tama doesn¡¯t want the shiny round things!¡± Her tail flicked, and her ears twitched with a hint of playful stubbornness.


    I sighed before leaning in again, ¡°Maybe not, but she made you uncomfortable; this is your chance to do something that might make her uncomfortable!¡±


    My fox ears drooped slightly as I urged her.


    Tama just stared at me like I was crazy. ¡°Why would Tama do that? Revenge is never right!¡± Her cat ears seemed to droop in confusion as her tail swished slowly.


    I felt rage bubble up inside me at those words, but I tempered it down. She couldn¡¯t know¡ªI reminded myself she was just being heroic as always. I tried a different tactic. ¡°Tama, we need the money and she clearly wants to serve you. Tell you what: tell her to obey me, and I¡¯ll make her do it for you.¡± My fox ears twitched with a mix of mischief and determination.


    Tama looked at me for a long moment before a smile crossed her face. Then she spoke imperiously again, ¡°Tama has decided to bestow upon Saki the role of her advisor; all shall listen to and obey Saki!¡± Her cat ears stood tall as her tail swished regally.


    Tama giggled, but I stared at her in horror. ¡°Tama, what have you done!¡± I hissed. Her smile faded and she frowned. ¡°What do you mean? Tama did what you asked! You said it was a good idea!¡± Her cat ears drooped momentarily in uncertainty.


    I tried to speak, but the royal decree hit me like a ton of bricks, the magic clearly settling in. My vision blurred for a moment, and when it returned, everyone was suddenly outlined in colors. My fox ears rang with the shock of magic.


    I looked at Tama, and above her head it said:


    Fuyuki Tamaneko, Princess of the Kingdom of Trissaile, Adventurer: The Third Person Tempest.


    I stared at her title in shock, my eyes unmoving as I focused on the word ¡°Princess.¡± My mind stopped working, and everything except that title faded to black as I tried to process it. For a moment, Tama¡¯s cat ears seemed to shimmer with an unexpected regal glow, and her tail moved with newfound grace.


    She was¡­ a Princess?! But how?!


    ¡°What is going on in here?!¡± Talia¡¯s voice came from the doorway at the back of the guild. The wolfkin Talia¡ªher singular bushy tail and sharp, attentive ears on full display¡ªhad arrived.


    I swiveled and looked at the wolf woman. She was scanning the room, her face a mask of serious calm; her wolfkin ears betraying nothing as my mind raced¡ªI had to be super careful and¡­


    ¡°Tama dominated Tera just like Saki and Talia said too!¡± Tama declared a wide, childish grin on her face, her cat ears twitching excitedly and her tail swishing with pride. ¡°And everyone else decided to play along with Tama!¡±


    I felt what little courage I had drained as Tama spoke. Quickly, I recalculated: I could still salvage this. ¡°Then Saki said Tama should make her royal advisor since Saki is the smartest person Tama knows. She agreed!¡± My fox ears drooped as uncertainty mingled with hope.


    I was now beginning to panic; my heart beat so fast it physically hurt in my chest. I genuinely considered using my void to erase everything here¡ªto start over from scratch¡­ I couldn¡¯t do that. My fox tail twitched nervously as my ears rang with anxiety.


    I looked over at Tama, and my heart sank at how happy she looked. She truly didn¡¯t understand what was happening. Once she learned, though¡­ her cat ears remained cheerfully oblivious, her tail swishing in innocent glee.


    Talia looked at Tama, then at me. ¡°What happened, Saki?¡± she asked, her face serious as the last traces of color left my face. Her wolfkin ears stood tall, her expression unreadable.


    ¡°Well¡­ you see, I¡­¡± Before I could even start, Talia raised a finger. ¡°Come with me.¡± I nodded and followed her back to her office. I noticed Matriarch Talia¡¯s title above as we walked and read it:


    Grand Matriarch Petalia Corundurum, Adventurer: The Forge of Fire.


    Her wolfkin tail swished gracefully, and her ears remained alert as she led me.


    I noticed the ¡°Grand¡± in her title, as well as the name people called her by. Also, her full name was Petalia? I snickered quietly. ¡°What¡¯s so funny, Saki?¡± Matriarch Talia said as she turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow, her wolfkin ears twitching in mild amusement.


    ¡°I was just thinking how interesting your full name is!¡± I said with a smirk, my fox ears perking up slightly.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? And what, pray to tell, is my full name, Saki?¡± she said in an almost too kind tone, her wolfkin ears softening as she inquired.


    I felt my veins run cold. I considered lying but realized it was pointless. ¡°Because I can see your name and title above your head,¡± I said straightforwardly, though even as I spoke, I started to form a ball of void¡ªif I was going to die, I would take her with me to protect Tama. My fox ears drooped with determination, and my tail twitched in quiet resolve.


    Her eyes widened, and she stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. ¡°What does it say my name is, Saki?¡±


    I swallowed before repeating what I saw above her head. ¡°Grand Matriarch Petalia Corundurum, Adventurer: The Forge of Fire.¡± My fox tail flicked in anxious anticipation.


    Silence filled the hallways at my words. Slowly, ever so slowly, she spoke again, ¡°And you can¡­ see¡­ her title?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± I said as the ball of purple void grew bigger in the palm behind my back, my fox ears twitching with nervous energy.


    ¡°What did it say?¡± she questioned further. We had stopped moving and were both standing in the middle of the hallway, her wolfkin tail swishing slowly as she demanded clarity.


    ¡°As Her Majesty¡¯s royal advisor, it is not my place to give her title away without permission,¡± I said in a serious tone, not breaking eye contact, my fox ears standing straight in resolve.


    ¡°Her¡­ Majesty,¡± Talia said, her voice sounding as if it were from thousands of miles away as she stared at me. As in¡­ royalty¡­ like¡­ royal family royalty. Her wolfkin ears remained composed, though her tail gave a subtle, regal flick.


    I simply nodded once as I took a step back, prepared for anything. I had made the ball unstable enough that if I died, it would explode and kill us both instantly. My fox ears drooped with grim determination, and my tail bristled with tension.


    Talia stared at me for a moment before she smiled and began laughing. ¡°You are a cunning little fox, Saki¡ªthat¡¯s a good lie! But be serious now¡ªwhere did you learn my name?¡± Her wolfkin ears twitched in amusement, and her tail swished lightly.


    I laughed with her, my smile not reaching my eyes as I took another step back. ¡°I am not lying; Tama is royalty, and she just made me her royal advisor.¡± My fox ears drooped in resignation, my tail flicking with conflicted emotion.


    Talia paused, her smile slowly fading. ¡°Royalty¡­ and you mentioned a royal advisor, which means higher-class royalty¡ªmost likely, at the very least, a Princess or Queen. Since Tama is clearly only sixteen, the more likely answer would be Princess.¡± Her wolfkin ears stayed still as she analyzed the situation.


    ¡°That means if my guess is correct and she is a princess, and she decreed you as Royal Advisor, you are most likely seeing colored outlines of people with titles above their heads, which also makes sense given the fact you were looking above me earlier¡ªseemingly staring at the ceiling.¡± My fox tail swished thoughtfully as I considered her explanation.


    I was speechless; she had so easily broken down the entire situation in a clear and concise manner. She took my silence as confirmation, it seemed, as she nodded before saying, ¡°Prove it.¡±


    I looked at her, puzzled. ¡°What?¡± I said, almost in a daze, my fox tail drooping slightly with uncertainty.


    ¡°Prove that you are her royal advisor. If she is a Princess and she decreed you her royal advisor, you should be able to prove it quite easily,¡± Talia said simply, her wolfkin ears remaining still and expectant.


    I stared in stunned silence before asking, ¡°How?¡±


    Talia smiled. ¡°If you are truly her royal advisor, you hold just under the power she does. Meaning, that if you use a decree to order me to bow, I will be forced to obey. Prove it.¡± Her wolfkin tail swished with a mix of challenge and curiosity.


    My mouth went dry at that. Was that true? If it was¡­ no, it couldn¡¯t be that simple¡­ could it? I opened my mouth and mustered my best imperious voice, ¡°I, Saki, Royal Advisor to Empress Tamaneko, hereby command you to kneel before me!¡± My fox ears twitched with both apprehension and resolve as my tail stood erect.


    I felt my cheeks go red as I spoke; my ears flattened along with my tail¡ªit was embarrassing to say, and I was used to embarrassing things. But pretending to be royalty?! My fox ears drooped with humiliation even as my tail stiffened.


    To my shock, Matriarch Talia, after a moment, fell to a knee, her head bowing. I stared in stunned silence. I did that? This had to be some kind of trick! ¡°Please let me up now; you have proven your point,¡± Talia spoke suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts. Her wolfkin ears relaxed as her tail curled in submission.


    ¡°Um¡­ You may rise!¡± I copied Tama¡¯s words exactly. After a moment, Talia stood back up, the color having drained from her face as she looked at me. ¡°She¡­ she really is a Princess,¡± Talia said, her voice soft and distant, her wolfkin ears drooping slightly as her tail swished slowly.


    I didn¡¯t respond. After all, I was dealing with the reality that I was an actual royal advisor¡ªpeople literally were forced to obey. I had no words to describe the insanity I felt, my fox ears drooping in resignation and my tail wrapping around my leg in nervous tension.

 Chapter Eleven: The Reluctant Princess, The Devoted Servant – SAKI

    ¡°But.. How did she end up with Reggie!¡± Matriarch Talia said as she seemed lost in her own thoughts. ¡°I.. he was..¡± She went quiet for a long moment while I watched her. I said nothing, simply continuing to glance behind me every few seconds, my ears listening to the other room. I heard Tama speaking.


    ¡°Nya! Tama loves you all!¡± She spoke in her imperious tone, her voice lighthearted, and yet the tone added so much power, as her royal advisor I literally felt it hitting me with every word she spoke.


    It was clear Tama was unaware of what was actually happening, Matriarch Talia seemed to be lost in thought. After almost a minute I¡¯d had enough. My patience was fraying, and the weight of the situation pressed down on me like a stone. If I didn¡¯t act now, everything would spiral out of control. ¡°Enough! We need to stop her before she starts actually causing harm. She thinks this is a game!¡± I snapped at the matriarch, any fear drowned out by Tama.


    ¡°Do not fear, for Tama, your wondrous empress shall protect you all!¡± Even knowing she was just playing, the words held so much power that I felt my fear bleed away like it wasn¡¯t even there.


    Matriarch Talia looked at me as she seemed to regain focus and nodded. ¡°You are right, we have to tell her before this gets out of hand.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I said quickly, my tails and ears perked up as I held out a hand. Matriarch Talia froze, and a look of suspicion crossed her face. My mind raced. If Talia told Tama the truth now, it would shatter her. I had to buy time, to find a way to ease her into the reality of her situation.


    ¡°And why not?¡± She asked, her voice deceptively calm, she tensed as she looked at me warily.


    I held up both hands, the ball of void canceled as I said, ¡°Please, let me calm her down. If she finds out she is actually a princess, this could be very bad. I admit, I have not known Tama very long, but I have felt a strong connection since the moment I met her. I just know she would hate that knowledge, and learning it before she is ready could be disastrous.¡±


    Matriarch Talia looked at me for a long moment before nodding once. ¡°Calm her down, Saki. She is your responsibility just as you are hers.¡±


    I nodded, relief washing over me, though I kept my expression steady. One hurdle cleared. Now for the real challenge. I quickly turned around and rushed back out into the guild hall. The scene before me was somehow worse than when I left it. A crowd of people had gathered around Tama, and Tama was starting to look uncertain. ¡°Nya! Why is everyone looking at Tama like that!¡±


    My heart sank. This was getting out of hand faster than I¡¯d anticipated. I had to act quickly, but every move I made had to be calculated. One misstep and the fragile balance would collapse. Cursing under my breath, I ran up next to her as the guild people surrounded her. None of them were hostile, rather, they all looked at her in awe and wonder. This was going to get ugly quickly if I didn¡¯t think of something.


    ¡°My beloved empress, mighty ruler of our kingdom and treasure beyond treasures, it is my greatest pleasure to serve!¡± Tera¡¯s voice cut through the crowd. At first, I didn¡¯t see her, but looking down I found her still at Tama¡¯s feet. She was kissing them still as if the other guild members were in awe, Tera looked like she was about to pass out from pure bliss.


    The thought disgusted me, that someone would so easily give their freedom away like that. I ignored her and looked at Tama. I had an idea, and Tera might be able to help unwittingly with it. It was risky, but I had no other choice. I had to play along, to steer this chaos in a direction I could control.


    ¡°Alas, my empress Tama!¡± I said, really playing up the silliness of my words and tone. As I had hoped, Tama turned to me and smiled, her uncertainty gone.


    ¡°Ah, Tama¡¯s royal advisor! Tama has been awaiting your return, it seems these peasants wanted Tama¡¯s attention!¡± She said, playing along to the game she thought we were playing.


    ¡°Yes, my wondrous empress!¡± I intoned before continuing, ¡°But, we cannot have this rabble!¡± I pointed at the guild members around us, some turned to look at me with anger but I ignored them. ¡°Following you around like sick puppies!¡± Then I acted like I had an idea and looked down at Tera. ¡°Tera, as a royal advisor to Her Great Majesty the Empress, I command you to make sure the others keep their distance unless allowed to approach!¡±


    While it was true I could have just convinced Tama to come with me and run away, it would not have fixed the issue entirely. This would instead be the first step to a more permanent fix. I had to establish control, to create a structure that would keep Tama safe without revealing the truth. It was a delicate balance, and I could feel the strain of it in every word I spoke.


    I watched as Tera¡¯s brain seemed to work in real-time, processing the command, who it came from, and the title I now held. After a few seconds, Tera kissed Tama¡¯s feet one last time before standing and bowing to me.


    ¡°As Her Majesty commands,¡± Tera¡¯s voice was much colder than even a second ago, I could feel the distaste at being ordered around by me. She smiled at me in a way that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. She was very unhappy with the situation. I smirked.


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    This was my chance. If I could keep Tera off-balance, I could maintain control. But I had to be careful¡ªtoo much, and she might snap. Too little, and she¡¯d undermine me at every turn. ¡°Excellent, If you do an excellent job, as Advisor, I will make sure Tama sees you become captain of our royal guard!¡± I said as I held back amusement. I knew I was helping Tama, but I could get revenge simultaneously.


    ¡°Nya, yea! Good work Tera!¡± Tama said as her tail wagged and her ears twitched in amusement.


    Tera beamed at Tama, her cheeks going red as she nodded. ¡°It is my greatest honor, Empress, I ask only that you allow me to continue my service!¡±


    ¡°Nya! Do what Saki said!¡± Tama said with a wide grin.


    Tera¡¯s eye twitched, and I held back laughter. Revenge never tasted so sweet, but I couldn¡¯t afford to get distracted. This was about Tama, not my personal satisfaction. Tera turned around to the crowd and drew her sword.


    ¡°Get back!¡± She yelled as she stepped forward. Every single guild member retreated a few steps back. ¡°Her majesty requires her space,¡± Tera continued. ¡°Should anyone wish to speak to her, you may do so from a distance!¡±


    At this point, I was incensed. I wondered how far Tera would actually go. I needed to push her, to test the limits of her obedience. If I could keep her under control, the rest would fall into place. ¡°Tera, I have wonderful news!¡± I said, barely holding back laughter at the way she tensed as I spoke to her. She turned to face me and spoke with clenched teeth, ¡°And what, Royal Advisor Saki, would that be?¡±


    ¡°As it turns out!¡± I said with glee as I spoke, ¡°Empress Tama has a new dress code for her guards! Since clothes have a tendency to slow you down!¡±


    The realization and dawning horror hit Tera like a ton of bricks, and it took everything I had to not burst out laughing. This was dangerous, but I had to keep her off-balance. If she was too busy hating me, she wouldn¡¯t have the energy to undermine Tama. ¡°With permission from Empress Tama,¡± I looked over at Tama who was standing tall acting regal. As I looked, she giggled and nodded. ¡°I hereby set the new royal guard uniforms of Empress Tama to nothing.¡±


    Tera stared at me with so much hatred I was sure I¡¯d be dead if looks could kill. Instead, after a moment, she turned to Tama, showing utter devotion as she spoke. ¡°Dearest Empress, please reconsider such.. drastic actions. I am certain that armor and clothing are an important part of an outfit.¡± She even fell to her knee and bowed her head as she spoke.


    Tama looked uncertain and glanced at me. ¡°Nya! Is this true, Royal Advisor Saki? Do clothes give good things for wearing them?¡±


    I genuinely considered lying to Tama for a moment, but I refused it out of hand. This was about more than just humiliating Tera. It was about protecting Tama, about keeping her safe from the truth until she was ready. Instead, a few well-placed words could make all the difference.


    ¡°Only if the person is slow enough to get hit. All your guards should be super fast and agile! If Tera is unable to go fast enough to not get hit, maybe she shouldn¡¯t be a royal guard.¡±


    As I spoke, I beamed at Tera with an award-winning smile. Tera looked like she wanted to murder me more than anything else in the world. I was all here for it, the happiest day of my life.


    Fun time, however, was over. I wanted so badly to actually watch Tera undress herself in front of everyone. The level of pure chaos would be one I would remember for the rest of my life.


    But sadly, Tama came first, and this was our opportunity. So, with a heavy heart, I moved on to the next step of my plan.


    Tama opened her mouth to speak, no doubt about to agree with my declaration. I wanted so bad to let her. But I couldn¡¯t. This wasn¡¯t a game anymore, and I had to keep her safe. ¡°Wait, Tama! This can wait until later. We have to go do our quest. I want to thank everyone for playing with us and meet me outside the gates. Don¡¯t talk to anyone for me, okay? I promise I will be there as soon as I can!¡± I said quickly, preventing her from making an actual royal decree that royal guards needed to be nude. As funny as that would have been.


    Tama frowned. ¡°Tama doesn¡¯t want you to take forever again!¡± She said as her tail snapped back and forth and her ears furrowed.


    I sighed and looked irritated at her. This was the hard part¡ªkeeping her in the dark while guiding her to safety. ¡°Tama, enough! The game was fun, but it''s over. I¡¯ll meet you by the gates. You can go run around the town a few times if you get bored.¡±


    Tama looked at me for a moment before a wide smile crossed her lips and she nodded. ¡°Did Tama do good, Saki?¡± She asked earnestly, and I felt my heart sink. I had kind of hoped she had realized, but no, she still genuinely believed it was all just a game.


    I smiled at her and nodded. ¡°You did wonderful, Tama. I¡¯ll meet you there soon!¡±


    Tama giggled again, turning to the crowd she spoke. ¡°Thank you, everyone, for playing with me! Tama had lots of fun! She will be back soon to play more hopefully!¡± And with that, Tama vanished, blinking away towards the city gate they had come in.


    She had been so tense, but she had played her part well. If she knew what had actually happened though... I winced at the thought of Tama¡¯s face if she realized she had actually forced these people to do the things she said. No, it was best she didn¡¯t learn of this until she was more mature.


    I turned to the crowd and Tera, who looked at me with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Bold of you to send your protector away like that, little fox,¡± Tera said coldly, an evil grin on her face. It was clear she was ready for payback. Shame she wouldn¡¯t be getting any.


    This was it. The final step. I had to lock this down, to ensure Tama¡¯s safety no matter the cost. ¡°By Royal decree, I, Autumnal Sakilera, hereby under my title as Royal Advisor, command all of you into silence. None are to speak of what happened in this room, and none are to tell Princess Tama the truth unless she directly asks.¡±


    There were multiple cries of alarm and even some who yelled at me. I ignored them, I simply watched as the decree snapped into place. Many accepted it, but Tera did not. She strained and glared at me, stepping forward to attack me.


    ¡°Teranthia Tulip, by my right as Royal Advisor, you are now my personal royal guard. As such, you are to serve me utterly. Should harm come to me, you will use your own life to protect it.¡± My voice strained as I forced the decree out.


    Without Tama here, making it was far more difficult, but I definitely felt the effect. Tera¡¯s sword stopped, and she clenched her teeth. ¡°I... hate... you,¡± she said with rage in her eyes.


    ¡°You can be as angry as you want, Tera, but I won¡¯t allow you to keep scaring her,¡± I said simply. ¡°Now, gather your partner, and let''s go.¡± Tera¡¯s body shook with rage, but slowly she turned to Rylan. ¡°Let''s go..¡±

 Chapter Twelve: Emotional Manipulation or Honest Chats? – SAKI

    We reached the outskirts of town and for a moment, I couldn¡¯t find Tama. I turned around to ask Tera and Rylan, but the moment I shifted Tama was standing right in front of me. ¡°There you are! Tama has been here for days!!!¡± She said looking at me like I had starved her for a month straight.


    I sighed and shook my head before responding ¡°It took us less then ten minutes to get out here, We even ran as fast as we could, Relax Tama!¡± My tail and ears twitched in irritation, but it was mostly for show. I had started to find Tama¡¯s antics hilarious, her impatience was a minor nuisance at worst.


    Before either of us could continue, a figure blurred past me and I facepalmed as Tera hit her knees bowing to Tama and once again kissing her feet. I almost kicked her as hard as I could. ¡°My dearest empress, I have come to help guide your greatness to wherever you please!¡±


    Internally I wondered what it had to be like to be as clearly crazy as Tera was. I looked over at Rylan, ignoring Tera¡¯s antics, Tama could handle her for a moment. ¡°So, you and her are a couple?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow ¡°I mean, for such a sub of a woman, you¡¯d think she would at least be loyal to you.¡±


    Rylan just shrugged and said ¡°It¡¯s not like that, I get benefits being with her. Its a bit of a trade off.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow before asking ¡°Like what?¡±


    Rylan looked uncomfortable and said ¡°Well, she lets me be around her.¡±


    My eye twitched and for a moment I thought I might smack the worthless man. But an idea hit me and I grinned slightly.


    I quickly checked behind me just to be sure. ¡°Tama want you to tell Tama how amazing she is!¡± ¡°Of course my empress Tama! Your wish is my command!¡±


    I rolled my eye before stepping towards the dullard that was Rylan. ¡°So, Rylan, You into.. short girls at all?¡± I made a point to move my dress so your panties were visible to him. They actually appeared see through, but they weren¡¯t, a minor illusion.


    I watched his eyes travel down and his face go red, His eye¡¯s dilating at the sight, This was too easy. ¡°You know Rylan, Tama likes you.. maybe if you saved her from the creature you call a girlfriend. You can..¡± I winked as I said the next part ¡°Get an upgrade!¡±


    The idea was simplicity itself, Rylan would step up, remove Tera from Tama and get some himself, He would also be much easier to keep down then Tera and far more willing to let Tama explore him. Besides, it was also extremely clear from earlier Tama had a thing for.. larger.. men.


    I shuddered at the image of Tama in bed with a man like Rylan and actually enjoying it. But everyone had a fetish.


    ¡°She..likes..me?¡± Rylan said, still staring at my panties. Dude was denser then a damn boulder. But that was acceptable, all the easier to keep tabs. ¡°I mean, obviously, why did you think she was staring?¡± I asked as my tail swayed sexily back and forth.


    On first glance it would look like I was the one trying to seduce him, and too an extent that was true. But all I really had to do was make Tama jealous enough to act. Which should come..


    ¡°Nya! What are you guys doing Saki!¡± Tama¡¯s voice sounded like she had just been stabbed in the back. Perfect,


    ¡°Ah Tama, I am glad your are here, Rylan was just telling me how much he adores your hair!¡± I watched in real time as Tama¡¯s face went from normal to pink to red. I held back the amused smile and suppressed my wagging tail. What was I a dog?!


    ¡°Well of course he would compliment her hair! Empress Tama¡¯s hair, much like every inch of her body is perfection!¡± Tera said matter of factually.


    Tama ignored Tera entirely and had her eyes directly on Rylan. I felt nauseous as those images came back. Somehow Talia¡¯s reference to pig fucking made a lot of sense now.


    ¡°You are of course right Tera, as empress, Tama deserves whatever she wants yes?¡± I said innocently as I looked over at Tera. ¡°Even if that thing belongs to you?¡±


    Tera looked at me with suspicion before slowly nodding ¡°Yes, of course, Id give my very life for empress Tama.¡± Tera¡¯s voice was filled with distrust. She was a very smart woman, but she didn¡¯t have to be smart to hate me. Shame it would do her no good.


    I looked over at Tama, she was actually beginning to drool. It was almost sad to such a cute girl with such a.. eww. But whatever, She had her preferences. ¡°So, since its clear as day to anyone with two eye¡¯s, shouldn¡¯t you give her what she actually wants?¡± I ask casually.


    Tama, Rylan, and Tera¡¯s faces all drained of color at the same time as they turned to face her. ¡°Saki! That¡¯s not, Tama means, It¡¯s just..¡± Tama¡¯s nose began to bleed and she vanished, blinking away from the situation.


    Tera¡¯s eyes wandered from Rylan to where Tama had just been as what I just said sunk in. To Tera¡¯s credit, she actually seemed to consider her words carefully before speaking. Not to her credit, was the sheer stupidity of them. ¡°Rylan, I am afraid our relationship has come to an end, as empress Tama desires you, it is only right you submit yourself to her immediately.¡± She spoke slowly, each word calculated. But in the end it was clear Tera would give away literally anything for her empress. I actually paused, did.. did I underestimate the crazy girls devotion?!


    Tera turned to me, and I saw tears in her eyes. ¡°For empress Tama, I give everything!¡±


    I stared at her for a second before I scowled. I had had enough, it was clear no amount of mental torture or sacrifice would make this girl see reason. I had one last plan, and thankfully Tama was not here due to fleeing from shame earlier.


    It was something I normally avoided at all cost, and yet in the last week I had done many times. I hated Tera, with a passion. It seems I needed to be honest with her. Not tell her any major secrets, but tell her the truth about Tama and her personality.


    After all, if she is as devoted as she claims and has acted so far, it makes sense she would see reason in acting how Tama would want right? I confess, it was a risky maneuver, but it was one I planned on taking.


    Tera¡¯s eyes were red and she was wiping at them. Rylan had gone over to her to comfort her but she had pushed him away. Now he was just standing a few feet away looking at her sadly like a sick puppy.


    ¡°Look Tera,¡± I said with a flat tone, causing her to look over at me. ¡°I hate you, and you hate me. That¡¯s pretty obvious correct?¡±


    She nodded and sniffled ¡°You are a horrible person, a deceitful witch that has done horrible things to people ever since I met you. I don¡¯t know why empress Tama likes or trusts you. I only hope one day she can see you for the monster you are!¡±


    I actually winced at that, I had known Tera didn¡¯t like me, but for her to outright hate me that much seemed a bit excessive. ¡°Well, She does trust me, and the truth is I trust her. I want to help her, and that¡¯s what I am doing. You don¡¯t have to believe me. But Tama see¡¯s me as her best friend and I am doing everything I can to live up to that.¡±


    ¡°By doing what you always do? Lying to her and everyone around you?!¡± She snapped at me, venom dripping from her words. I actually took a step back, I felt like I had just been hit by a brick. Actually, that would have been less painful.


    ¡°I did what was necessary! You don¡¯t understand!¡± I started to say but Tera cut me off ¡°No one ever does right Saki? Cause you are the smartest person ever right? We are all just puppets to your divine fucking intellect! Well fuck you!¡±


    I opened my mouth, but try as I might, nothing came out. Despite my hatred for Tera, what she said struck so close to home I.. Grabbing my chest, I felt my vision blur. no.. not now, I need.. erase them all, they aren¡¯t needed. Tears filled my eyes, drowning my vision, things began to go blurry. I felt, weak.


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    My body began to move on its on and terror filled me no. But it was no use, my hands moved up, a purple hue coloring my vision. NO, I felt the voice taking control again. The helplessness, the endlessness. I tried to fight but it was no use, it dragged me deeper into my despair, feeding off my anger and resentment.


    I finally gave up, it didn¡¯t matter anyways. I had tried to do the right thing. This is what happens when Saki tries to do the right thing I thought.


    ¡°Nya! What is Saki doing! You can¡¯t have purple parties without Tama! Purple is Tama¡¯s favorite color!¡± Her voice cut through the haze, it sliced through the turmoil and pain, the hatred and frustration. The voice spoke again erase.. erase. ¡°No, I will not!¡± I screamed as I forced back control of my own body.


    Tama¡¯s voice came through again as I regained control of my self ¡°But why not! Tama wants purple party!¡± I felt myself giggling as I pushed through, Of course she would say that.


    My vision returned to me and I took a deep breath, feeling the air fill my lungs as my body was once again mine. The purple hue around my vision was gone now.


    I sighed in relief just as Tama appeared in front of me looking upset ¡°Aww! Why did Saki remove the amazing purple colors, Tama wants to make colors like that!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help myself, I giggled, which turned into laughter. I fell to my knees laughing as I held my stomach before looking up to Tama. ¡°I am so sorry Tama, I can¡¯t control that. Tell you what, when we get back I will throw you an amazing Purple Party!¡±


    Tama looked down at me with a smile, and for just a moment, I swear I saw something in those eyes. Understanding, trust..love. Then it was gone and Tama was Tama again as she bounced around and asked more questions about the purple party we were planning.


    All I could do was nod as I recovered and thought about how much my life had changed in such a short time after meeting this.. my.. empress.


    I slowly stood to my feet and after a moment looked over to Tera. After what just happened, I realized I didn¡¯t have anything to fear with Tama here. She protected me again, all I had done was fail. No more, I would be a good friend if it killed me.


    Tera wasn¡¯t looking at me, she was happily nodded along to Tama¡¯s insane requests of balloons, and a party pig? Painted.. purple.. I shook my head at the image that flooded my mind and focused. ¡°Tera, We need to talk, Right now.¡± I said as I looked directly at her, ignoring Tama as she grabbed my shoulder and giggled maniacally about special berries that made things more purple.


    Tera looked at me and her smile faded as our eyes met. ¡°What? Going to try and cause more manipulation? Maybe kill more people for getting in your way?¡± Tera spoke with a clam tone, but the underlying current hit like a truck.


    But, I felt Tama lean against me and place her head on my shoulder and I felt warmth. ¡°You are right Tera¡± I said, my voice shaking slightly, as I took Took Tama¡¯s hand. Her grip was strong and she held on to me. ¡°I have been a horrible person, and my outlook isn¡¯t always the best.¡± My voice quavered slightly but I didn¡¯t stop. ¡°But ever since I met Tama, just like you, I have changed, and I want to believe its for the better. I want Tama to be right in entrusting me as her best friend. I made mistakes, and I won¡¯t pretend otherwise. But you need to understand something, Tama doesn¡¯t like the royalty stuff, she doesn¡¯t like being worshiped, and she really doesn¡¯t like being treated better then others.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and what makes you the end all be all of what Tama wants!¡± Tera said with barely contained rage. ¡°You dare pretend like your her best friend when you lie to her face and keep secrets!¡± I winced at Tera¡¯s words, but Tama spoke.


    ¡°Tama trusts Saki! If she has secrets and lies to me, it must be something Tama doesn¡¯t want to know!¡± Tama tail swished back and forth and her ears were flattened as she glared at Tera. ¡°Also, Saki is right! Tama hates being bossy and mean, Tama wants to be friends with everyone, You need to stop being mean to Tama¡¯s best friend!¡±


    Tera Stumbled back, acting like she had now been hit by a brick. Though in fairness, I barely noticed this as I was staring open mouthed at Tama. ¡°Tama, I¡± ¡°Nya! Tama is busy Saki! Give Tama a moment!¡±


    Tama stepped forward, leaving me standing there wide eyed in shock. ¡°Also, Tama does not want your fun time or head pats! Tera obviously has been thinking nasty thoughts about Tama and it makes her uncomfortable! Tama has been nice until now, but attacking Saki makes Tama very angry!¡±


    ¡°empress Tama you don¡¯t..¡± ¡°NYA¡± Tama screamed at Tera and saki heard actual rage in her voice. ¡°TAMA IS NOT AN EMPRESS, TAMA IS NOT ROYALTY. TAMA IS TAMA.¡± The words came out like a wand on auto-cast and I watched as each word seemed to verbally hit Tera like she was getting stabbed by a spear repeatedly.


    ¡°Please.. empr.. Tama¡± Tera was now actually crying, she fell to her knees her head down to the ground. I winced inwardly, That was a bad move.


    I saw the moment Tama snapped, her rage finally reached a crescendo as she reached for her Katana. For the briefest of moments, I watched, unsure if I should stop her. I hated Tera so much after everything but..


    ¡°Tama Stop!¡± I spoke before I even considered my words, They came out like a wave. ¡°Thank you for defending me, but killing Tera isn¡¯t the right thing to do, she was right. I have been a horrible person. You have shown so much kindness, let me return the favor. It¡¯s time we were all honest with each other completely.¡± I took a deep shuddering breath as I spoke my mind, each word was harder then the last. But I had to say it.


    Tama turned to face me, her face clouded with rage and frustration, her pupils tiny pinpricks against an overcast face.


    ¡°Please Tama, Let me fix this. Give me a chance to make things right before you do something you might regret.¡± I said pleadingly. I felt strange, trying to save the life of the person who had not only tried to kill me twice but was actively hateful towards me. But..


    Slowly, Tama¡¯s face cleared of the rage covering it and she looked at me with an innocent look which shifted to a smile a moment later.


    ¡°Tama trusts Saki to know what to do!¡± She said, then she simply giggled and said ¡°Tama is going to go hunt something, She will be right back!¡± and with that, before anyone could speak, Tama had simply vanished again.


    I was the first to break the silence that Tama¡¯s absence left. I laughed again, a deep laugh that made me smile as a tear went down my cheek. I turned to Tera and with a kind smile said quietly ¡°Can we just.. talk this out now?¡± Tera simply nodded, not making eye contact. I could see the dirt was wet under her with tears and.. had she peed herself?!


    Tera¡¯s literal pant pissing aside, This was important, and I was trying to be better. I walked over and bent over.. yep I could smell it. I used an illusion to mask the smell for both of us and she looked up at me in surprise. The look on her face said it all. Why. I understood, after all, why did I help her? Why was I being nice?


    Tama was literally about to kill Tera, there would have been no bad blood and everything could¡¯ve simply been over. But deep down, I knew there was more to it.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question¡± I said ¡°Why, like why do you hate me so much? I doubt you care so much about deceit and lying, and you have shown dislike of me from the moment we met. It¡¯s clearly not related to Beastkin since you are obsessive over Tama.¡±


    ¡°Why does it matter to you!¡± Tera snapped at me with a glare, her eyes still filled with tears. I sat patiently and waited. After a few minutes she spoke. ¡°You don¡¯t even remember me do you? I was a child back then, like you. You.. You took everything from me. My family, my friends, You.. you just erased them. I couldn¡¯t even find their bodies.¡±


    My eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror as what she said brought back a memory.. the caravan.. but.. ¡°But, there were no survivors, I searched.¡± I said In almost a daze.


    ¡°And you expected me to what?! Walk out and scream my name to the monster that just killed everyone I ever knew!?¡± She said, her voice filled with venom.


    I winced as I realized, she hated me for the exact same reason I hated myself. ¡°I.. see¡± I said quietly. ¡°I understand now why you hate me, and to tell you the truth. I hate myself for what happened that day.¡± I felt my self loathing coming back, I felt myself start to fall again. But I clenched my hand into a fist and I remembered Tama¡¯s words and actions. I would not fall to the void ever again.


    Tera looked up and me in surprise ¡°You.. hate yourself?¡± She asked. I nodded and her eyes narrowed ¡°Oh, I get it, your just manipulating me, just like you manip..¡± I cut her off ¡°No, I am not, I looked her in the eyes and spoke from my heart.


    ¡°The truth is, that day, something in that caravan.. it.. possessed me. It took over my body, It promised me to give me my family back. It lied to me, and on that day, it took another family away. I hate myself every day I look in the mirror Tera. So I am sorry, and I don¡¯t expect your forgiveness, I deserve your hate.¡± As I spoke tears filled my eyes and I fell to my knees.


    Silence filled the area for a long moment, aside from the uncomfortable shuffling of Rylan in the background. I paid him no mind. I was trying to come to terms with the reality that my horrible mistake had actually been even worse then I had imagined.


    Somehow, no one surviving that would have been the better choice. I could only imagine the pain Tera must have felt. Only to meet me almost six years later and her first impression of me is lying and deceiving everyone around me.


    My eyes blurred as tears filled them, memories came rushing back of that day. I began to shake as I remembered the feeling of helplessness. The horror of realizing it was all a lie, and being used like a puppet to.. to..


    I felt arms wrap around me, I looked up to see Tera, We didn¡¯t make eye contact. Instead, we sat together in near silence and cried.

 Chapter Thirteen: What it Means to You – TAMA

    I blinked into the forest, but I didn¡¯t stop, I blinked again and again until I felt my head start to hurt. Then I stopped, Dropped from the massive tree branch I was on, took a few unstable steps, fell to my knee¡¯s and began to cry.


    I shuddered and my mind raced with everything. It was all too much, but I couldn¡¯t let it show. I was a great Ninja! I was trained by the Sword master Ninja himself! I couldn¡¯t be weak, I had to show strength and positivity.


    I wiped my tears, attempting to stand up, only to fall again. My head spun, The revelations just kept coming and coming and coming. I was a Princess?! I was royalty?! Saki, who had literally been trying to trick me into helping her suddenly cares and is my best friend?


    I felt it inside my soul. It all felt so strange. What was going on? Sensei said the world would be hard and I would face a lot. But I had just started!


    Nobody seemed to realize I could hear them. I could hear Saki talking to Talia in the hallway, I saw the way the guild looked at me. I wasn¡¯t stupid! I was just.. I was just.. afraid.


    The word sunk in and I shook my head. NO, I wasn¡¯t afraid, Tama did not get afraid she was the greatest ninja! The words felt hollow in my mind as I felt like I was going to throw up.


    After a moment, I pulled out the small shield and looked at its surface. I couldn¡¯t read what it actually said, But I knew anyways. ¡°Fuyuki Tamaneko: Third Person Tempest¡±. Third Person Tempest I thought of those words over and over.


    Did Saki truly see me that way? I admit, I was a bit.. rash in my actions sometimes. But I didn¡¯t think I was this tempest! A destructive force of nature? It was true at the time I had accepted it. I felt.. safe around Saki. Every single training instinct told me that Saki was dangerous, that she was going to stab me in the back.


    But something.. deeper.. told me she was trustworthy, at least, to me. That I could trust her with my life. The conflict was hard to understand, but I needed.. someone.. to help me.


    So I chose her, and while she had lied to me and tricked me. She had only done so in a way to help me. She was right, I didn¡¯t want to be royalty¡­ I sniffled as that whole thing reared its ugly head.


    I was a princess?! What kind of insanity was that? I was trained my entire life in a forest in seclusion to be a ninja, and before that.. before that¡­ I shook my head clear of the memories.


    I took a few deep calming breaths as I recalled Sensei¡¯s training. Putting myself int a meditative stance, I closed my eyes and felt nature around me. Deep, Calm, Endless. That was nature, that was life. A never ending cycle, meant to be protected and harmonized with.


    I felt my anxiety fade and my fears simmer to a cool heat. They weren¡¯t gone, I knew I was going to have to face them at some point, But that day was not today.


    Sensei had warned me of letting emotions simmer instead of solving them. Perhaps he was right, but Sensei was not here to fix my problems. I had to fix them alone, and I didn¡¯t know how to do that.


    As I sat there, in slow quiet breathing meditation, I heard it before I felt it. Growling, the almost silent sound of footsteps, pawed footsteps. I kept my eyes close as I heard them surround me. They considered themselves stealthy.


    Nothing got past me though, ever. I heard the one on the right suddenly leap from the ground. In one swift motion I unsheathed Serenity and stabbed forward in the direction.


    I felt the impact and immediately swerved as I narrowly dodged the second creature. Eyes still closed, With a sharp jerk of Serenity, I felt the weight slip away as the corpse thudded to the ground.


    I ducked as the third one flew over my head and attached a water chain to my dagger before throwing it to the right at the approaching footsteps. The sound of a whine and a collapsing body signaled another down.


    Based on my estimations, three left. I jerked the water chain and the dagger flew back to me. I caught it as I swerved to the right, twisting as I stabbed down. I impacted something another high pitched whine and another body hitting the ground.


    Two. I summoned my veil right as one of the remaining managed to hit me from behind. I smiled as it made contact, simply spinning in a one-eighty arc and pushing my bare hand against its fur. A sharp dagger made of water formed out of my hand impaling the creature in its chest.


    The water dagger faded right as I stepped back, ducking in time to dodge the last one as it flew over my. I put away my real dagger and grabbed Serenity in both hands again.


    Eyes still closed, I used a mixture of my wind and shot water into the air around me. I sped up the water to quicker and quicker speeds. I felt the whistling of the water as it sped around me at alarming speeds.


    Then I heard it, the sound of a body hitting the barrier and bouncing off. I dropped the barrier and slashed in the direction. I made contact and the slice was clean. The last body fell to the ground.


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    I waited, perking my ears up. Tail on standby as I listened carefully for anything. Silence filled the forest, the predators that had attacked me having scared off the local wildlife.


    Slowly, I stood and sheathed Serenity. Putting her back in her sheath before slowly opening my eyes. Around me five wolves lay dead, each stabbed or cut by one of my blades. My eyes narrowed suspiciously.


    Wolves weren¡¯t normally in this part of the forest, unless I had gone deeper then I thought, which wasn¡¯t likely. Even in turmoil I always knew my way around this forest. Massive though it was, it had been my home my entire life.


    I walked over to one of the wolves and looked closely at it. It looked hungry, Like it had not eaten in weeks. I frowned at that, normally the wolves were well fed by the local wildlife. Things were not adding up.


    I decided I should investigate, I looked at the wolves corpses for a moment before shaking my head, I would have to come back later. If another carnivore got them first, well. It wasn¡¯t like I was overly hungry.


    I jumped into one of the trees upper branches and began jumping from tree to tree, sprinting in the direction the wolves had come from originally.


    I didn¡¯t blink as I needed to keep my senses open. My ears remained perked up and my tail swayed in the breeze, helping me navigate better and keep my balance.


    I didn¡¯t get very far before the smell hit me. A stench so strong it made me scrunch my nose. It was so painful. It reminded me of¡­ I tripped on a branch as my mothers dead eyes flashed into my vision and I feel from the tree, catching myself by stabbing my dagger into the tree, I climbed back up and sat there for a moment.


    It was undeniable, I knew that smell. That was the smell of the horrible things that had killed my family. My mothers dead eyes played in my heads again, her face a Richter of horror. Tears filled my eyes but I wiped them away.


    Rage filled me, but I calmed myself with deep breaths. This part of the forest was normally protected by my Sensei, it was the outer edge, but it was an area he patrolled regularly. Surely, he would have noticed this smell?


    This was all kinds of wrong on so many levels. There was no way Sensei would have been unaware. That made a shiver run down my spine. There were only three possibilities that Sensei wasn¡¯t here fixing this.


    The first was that he simply had been and it took time to heal. This one felt the least likely, and the most hopeful one she had.


    The second option was that he simply didn¡¯t think to fix the problem. This one was not only heavily unlikely, but extremely against her Sensei¡¯s nature.


    Which left the third option, and the one that she didn¡¯t even want to consider. That whatever had done this.. NO. He wouldn¡¯t have died like this. That couldn¡¯t have happened.


    Even so, I had to admit it was the most likely scenario from a logical perspective. Sensei would have never let this happen if he were alive. Fear began to ebb into me at an alarming rate.


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, Sensei had told me to never return, But I had to know. Something was very wrong. I would just pop in for a quick look and leave before he noticed me. In and out! I could do it right?


    I started sprinting toward the cabin at full speed, The smell became stronger and stronger and my fear only grew. After only a few minutes I started blinking to get there faster.


    When I finally reached the farm cabin, it had been two days. I was starving, I had not eaten or rested. My eyes were bloodshot. But I had finally arrived. I hopped down from a tree and walked into the farm clearing.


    My blood turned to ice and tears welled in my eyes, I fell to me knees at what I saw. no..no That¡¯s all I could say, that¡¯s all I could think.


    In front of me lay the ruins of my childhood home. Decay and rot filled the air, the pigs, the chickens, all undead wandering the farm. My Sensei, a mindless husk standing in the torn apart cabin. His skin gray and lifeless, His eye sockets empty and devoid of life.


    My body moved before my mind did. None of the undead animals put up any resistance and were dead before they had time to take another step. I stood at the food of the destroyed cabin looking up at the man I had once called my Sensei, his lifeless eyes stared back at me.


    I walked up to him, and with a swift motion, I freed him from his undeath. His head rolled on the floor and his body collapsed unmoving, finally at peace.


    I fell to my knees, my tail wrapping around me as my ears flattened on my head. I felt my world shattering and all I could do was sit there with a cold distant look. Fear was gone, Hunger was gone, only one emotion remained, emptiness.


    I don¡¯t know how long I sat there, minutes? Hours? Days? It didn¡¯t really matter. I didn¡¯t really care anymore. I pulled serenity, its calming waves not enough to comfort me anymore. I raised it and pointed at my chest as tears began to streak down my face. I closed my eyes.


    What do you think your doing? Tama turned around to see her Sensei smiling down at her. ¡°I..¡± She caught herself as her voice sounded.. young. ¡°You know better then to go and give up like that! taught you better!¡±


    Her sensei said, looking down at her in the same way he always had. A kind if stern smile on his face. ¡°But, I.. You don¡¯t understand!¡± I said, trying to get the words out. But he simply shook his head.


    ¡°I understand perfectly, You planned to give up because you are upset and feel like a failure do you not?¡± His raised eyebrow caused me to wince.


    ¡°I.. yes.. but you are¡­¡± He raised a hand before I could finish. ¡°No Tama! I am not important in this. The only person that matters is you. One day, I may not be around anymore. You need to keep moving forward. That is the path of a true ninja! Do not expect me to be there to always clean up your messes!¡±


    I began to sob ¡°You made it sound so easy!¡± I said as my voice cracked. ¡°But it¡¯s so hard, and I can¡¯t do it!¡±


    ¡°You can, You are an ocean in a drought. The endless optimism, the one and only Future Ninja who will save this land.¡± He said simply as he looked at her.


    ¡°BUT I¡¯M NOT YOU SENSEI¡± I screamed at him using all I had left. He simply smiled at me and saying ¡°I know, and that¡¯s what makes you better.¡±


    I stared at my Sensei for a long moment, speechless. The memory, for that¡¯s all it was, a memory. Caused me to pause, I slowly lowered Serenity and looked at it. For Sensei, I would continue. For Sensei, I would stop whoever did this and above all, I would complete my quest.

 Chapter Fourteen: Once More, With Feeling – TAMA

    It took me four days to get back to the town. I had to stop multiple times to rest and eat.


    I paused at the edge of the forest, looking at the town in the distance as I considered what to tell Saki, after all I said I would be hunting and then just vanished for just over a week. She was probably very worried or confused.


    Too my surprise, Saki and Tera were standing outside the gate, talking to each other animatedly. I strained my ears and heard their conversation. ¡°So, you think she will be back today?¡± Tera asked. ¡°Definitely, I don¡¯t know how to explain it but I can feel her, maybe its being her royal advisor or something but the closer she gets to me the stronger the feeling.


    I winced at the memory of making Saki my royal advisor, I had been panicking and had done the only thing I could think of, I had made the smartest person my advisor. It was a childish thing, I knew this. But¡­ I just couldn¡¯t do it. I needed Saki, and that need made me feel uncomfortable.


    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, counting to ten before I allowed myself to fall forward. My tail caught the branch and I swung in an arc around the branch before using my momentum and the edge of the branch as an extra push to launch myself towards them.


    I sped towards them, feeling the wind in my hair and face. A moment of peace of the world blurred around me. Then I opened my eyes and blinked, a


    Appearing right next to Saki with a wide smile, I spoke. ¡°Nya! Tama is back from hunting! It was crazy out there! Lots of crazy wolves and such! But now Tama is ready for goblins and purple parties!¡±


    Saki jolted and spun, not having noticed me appear, and Tera simply smiled sadly at me. Inwardly I once again winced at my actions.


    My rage had overcome me and I hadn¡¯t been thinking clearly when I had verbally attacked Tera. I had almost killed her. The though made me feel horrible.


    My smile grew slightly wider and I danced on the balls of my feet. ¡°Are we going or does Tama need to go hunting again? She is so bored!¡±


    ¡°No! We are going very soon!¡± Saki said quickly, her tail waving back and forth quickly as she waved her hands in a stop motion.


    ¡°Yes empr¡­ I mean Tama, We will be leaving shortly.¡± Tera said in a calm and respectful tone. A smile on her face said she was happy, the look in her eyes made it clear she wasn¡¯t.


    I felt as my tail curled around my leg, and my ears slightly droop at Tera¡¯s clear sadness at not being able to call me empress. I really hated that title though, no matter how much she loved it.


    On one hand, She should be allowed to call me whatever she liked, but that word, it represented something I was not. I was a swordsman, I was a ninja, I was a nekojin, I was Tama.


    I was NOT an empress or royalty. No matter what my bloodline apparently seemed to be. I smiled at Tera and nodded enthusiastically ¡°Tama can¡¯t wait to kick goblin butt!¡±


    I ran around her excitedly as I imagined all the goblins I would take out. Keeping my mind from Tera¡¯s sad eyes.


    ¡°Say, Tama, Can.. can we talk?¡± Tera¡¯s words sounded uncertain and she seemed to not be making eye contact.


    I considered for only a moment before responding. ¡°Of course, Tama is always willing to listen to a friend!¡±


    I saw her smile become genuine and she nodded ¡°Thank you Tama, I just want you to know, I am sorry for everything. I.. I became so obsessive. At first I just liked you, but when I learned¡­ er¡­ what I learned about you. I might have become too much. I want you to know, that it was not my intention to scare or upset you.¡± She sounded uncomfortable as she spoke, but she seemed determined to finish.


    I had not expected this, but I already knew what she was implying. I stepped forward and looked her in the eyes. ¡°Tama forgives you, Tama was angry earlier and didn¡¯t mean to say those horrible things, Tama loves you as a friend and is sorry too!¡± My tail wagged back and forth quickly and my ears perked up, doing my best to show my sincerity.


    I felt a wave of comfort from Serenity and embraced it. After all, this all felt awkward and my baby had helped me so much recently.


    Though I smiled, and Tera smiled back. I could clearly see she was still upset. I considered for a moment what to do, when an idea hit me. With a look of innocence on my face, I grabbed her breast again.


    Tera froze in shock and opened her mouth but I shook my head and let go before whispering quietly too her ¡°Tama thinks it unfair yours are bigger¡± I held back my giggle as I watched Tera try and fail to react normally to the sudden act.


    I had a feeling that would make her stop pouting, and it had worked. My tail twitched and my ears wiggled in amusement.


    ¡°Tama.. I..¡± Tera suddenly stepped forward and pushed her lips against mine. My mind went blank and I vanished, appearing over thirty feet away covering my mouth. What had she just done to me!?


    ¡°Did.. did you just kiss Tama?!¡± Saki suddenly spoke up, her tail was erect and her ears perked in astonishment. ¡°What on all of.. Why would you do that! One of these days she is going to kill you Tera!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± Tera said quickly, defending herself. ¡°Tama clearly likes me! She said she likes my breast and even grabbed them! Right Tama?¡±


    I felt my face redden as the realization I might have made a horrible error in judgment. My tail stiffened and my ears curled.


    Saki sighed audibly before shaking her head. ¡°Let¡¯s just get to the bottom of this right now. Tama, Do you want to get naked with Tera and play with her body, would you rather do it to Rylan, Neither, or both¡± She raised an eyebrow and stared at me.


    My face felt really hot suddenly and I stepped back, almost instinctively and the question.


    On the surface, it was such a simple question. But Saki had told me such things were not allowed in public, only to break her own rule.


    It also didn¡¯t help that imagining what Rylan looked naked actually made me feel weird in a way I both liked a lot and made me uncomfortable. I didn¡¯t know what was under his boxers, but the idea excited me.


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    Tera on the other hand, was just another girl, I had seen her body already and it was a lot like my own. Nothing really special there. So I answered honestly, ¡°Tama would want to see Rylan naked! I want to look under his underwear and see whats there!¡±


    Tera utterly deflated like she was a popped balloon and Saki nodded knowingly. ¡°See Tera, I told you it wasn¡¯t like that, Tama just doesn¡¯t understand sexuality.¡±


    At that, Tera suddenly perked back up and smiled ¡°You know Saki, you are right! She doesn¡¯t understand sexuality. As her guide, it is in all of our best interest to¡­¡± Tera took a step forward only to trip over Saki¡¯s outstretched foot.


    ¡°Have you learned NOTHING in the last week Tera! We talked about this for hours!¡± Saki said indignantly.


    Tera climbed to her knees, after face planting in the dirt, and took a deep breath. After a moment she spoke ¡°You are right, but I am not giving up that easily, I have a proposal for you Tama.¡± She looked completely serious directly at me and I felt my ears flatten in worry.


    ¡°What¡¯s a proposal!¡± I asked as I leaned in slightly, still over twenty-five feet away from her.


    Saki facepalmed but answered anyways ¡°It means, she is willing to make a deal or a trade with you.¡±


    I looked between Saki and Tera. Saki was shaking her head at me saying don¡¯t do it under her breath.


    Tera glared at her before looking back at me. ¡°Come on Tama! It¡¯s just an offer, and if you don¡¯t want to, you can just say no after you hear it!¡±


    I was silent, uncertain, I looked over to Saki who was still shaking her head no. I opened my mouth to reject Tera but she spoke again.


    ¡°Wait! Before you reject me, let me ask you this. I know you are smarter then Saki thinks you are. I get you are naive, but that doesn¡¯t mean you are stupid. Saki is your best friend and she wants whats best for you. But you don¡¯t even want to hear or make your own choices at all? That is rather immature Tama¡±


    Tera¡¯s last word felt like a brick had hit me in the face, That is rather immature Tama. I spoke before I had time to think ¡°Tama wants to hear you out!¡±


    Tera¡¯s smile widened and her eyes lit up. ¡°I am so glad you wish to hear me out! How very mature of you!¡±


    ¡°Of course Tama is mature!¡± I snapped at her, angry that anyone would think me immature!


    She seemed unfazed by me snapping at her and spoke ¡°See Tama, I know you like Rylan, and I mean he is..¡± She paused trying to find the right words ¡°An.. interesting specimen of a man.¡±


    ¡°You mean he is a pushover that you treat like dirt for fun and call him your boyfriend!¡± Saki said, her voice venomous. ¡°I can¡¯t believe your actually trying this, I thought we talked about this!¡±


    Tera flinched then turned to Saki ¡°Oh, you want me to stop? Take something else away from me before I had a chance to earn it?!¡± Saki visibly looked like she had been struck and took a step back. She turned her head and looked away, refraining from saying anything else.


    Tera looked guiltily at Saki for a moment before looking back at me, I was now glaring at her and my hand was on my dagger. ¡°Tama is going to¡­¡± Before I could finish Tera brought up both hands


    ¡°It¡¯s between me and her, its not your right to intervene Tama, you should know that if you cared about justice.¡± She said quickly. I froze as my hand began shaking slightly as my sensei¡¯s dead eyes, my mothers dead eyes played in my mind. Slowly, I lowered my hand and nodded ¡°continue¡± I said quietly.


    Tera nodded ¡°Saki and I had a long chat while you were gone and some stuff came up. She can tell you if she wants. I will leave that up to her. But she promised to leave me alone as long I didn¡¯t go to far. I haven¡¯t done anything except a light kiss and talking!¡±


    I looked at Saki who nodded and mouthed I promise I will explain later. I nodded at her, we all had secrets, I didn¡¯t hate her for it, she had been trying to protect me and I had fallen for it.


    Tera fully stood, now looking excited. ¡°Please Tama, see reason in this. You know I like you, its clear you don¡¯t like me.. as much. Because you haven¡¯t gotten to know me! But I believe that we can go into an arrangement that will make us both very happy.¡±


    Saki glared at Tera, but said nothing. I looked at Tera suspiciously but nodded. She grinned, ¡°thank you!¡± She said excitedly. ¡°So, here is my idea, you clearly really like Rylan right? What if I could make it so Rylan would be your boyfriend, You two would date, and he would be very good friends with you and want to be with you!¡±


    I paused at that, despite my best efforts to appear uninterested, her words had struck a chord. Rylan was so cute, and spending more time with him.. maybe alone.. I felt my cheeks begin to heat up again as I imagined Rylan holding me and giving me head pats.


    Clearly Tera saw my obvious look and her she seemed giddy now. ¡°So, the thing is Tama, Rylan is my boyfriend, so normally, you could never have him. Tera made a sad face at me, it angered me.


    ¡°Nya! Isn¡¯t that Rylan¡¯s choice!¡± I said in frustration, but Tera simply smiled at me and nodded. ¡°And he already picked me Tama.¡±


    I felt a sharp pain in my chest like I had been stabbed, I looked down but there was nothing there. Yet the pain was horrible. I looked back up at Tera who smiled sadly at me. ¡°But Tama, not all is lost, Rylan and I would love to be with you as a couple! The three of us. You would have Rylan and all his wonderfulness, and all you would have to do is spend some time with me too, maybe let us play a little sometimes without those restrictive clothes.¡±


    I felt anxiety, uncertainty, it seemed too good to be true. I looked over to Saki but she just looked at me and pursed her lips. She wasn¡¯t going to guide me, I had to make a decision myself.


    Saki suddenly opened her mouth to speak but Tera quickly cut her off ¡°IT was only an offer Saki, I have done nothing, don¡¯t you dare!¡± Saki slowly closed her mouth again, her face neutral, but the way she looked at Tera made me think there were many choice words Saki wanted to say.


    It caused me to pause as I considered why Saki would be against this. I wasn¡¯t as smart as her, but she had been clearly against this from the beginning. I shifted uncomfortably as I looked at Tera who was looking back and me with a sweet smile and an almost beckoning look.


    As if to make matters more complicated a voice came from the town ¡°Hey guys, are we finally heading out! Sorry I slept in!¡± Rylan¡¯s voice sounded wonderful, I turned to watch him jogging towards us, his belly jiggled as he ran and I felt my cheeks reddening further.


    I had one last shot at this, I needed to know from Rylan himself. ¡°Rylan!¡± I called out, he had stopped and was panting about a dozen feet form us, the way he panted causes me to close my legs closer and I tried to hold myself still. I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    ¡°Yea Tama?¡± He called back as I stood and began slowly walking towards us.


    ¡°Are you Tera¡¯s boyfriend? And if so, is it true that if I agreed to Tera¡¯s deal, you would spend time with me in private?¡± My voice quavered as I spoke, but I forced it out.


    ¡°What?!¡± He yelled back, he started jogging again, only making me turn slightly away as I felt my nipples start to hurt. What was wrong with me!?


    He finally arrived, and for some reason I was so sad he had stopped jogging. ¡°What were you asking Tama, sorry I couldn¡¯t hear you.¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak but Tera cut me off ¡°She was wondering if she were to date us both if you would give her love and head-pats.¡± Tera said quickly.


    Rylan looked at Tera, then me, then nodded ¡°Of course Tama, we are always open to new people. I¡¯d love to spend some time and give you head pats if you wanted.¡±


    I crumbled instantly ¡°Tama accepts this offer!¡± I looked at Rylan and said ¡°Head pats please!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.. I just.. for head pats Tama, really?!¡± Saki said with actually disbelief.


    Tera on the other hand sounded jubilant ¡°How wonderful! I am so glad we came to the agreement Tama! I promise you won¡¯t regret it. Give her head pats Rylan, she clearly needs them!¡±


    Rylan stepped forward and began petting me. I felt myself start to drool and smiled blankly as he did so. I was in heaven.

 Chapter Fifteen: A Helpful Lesson in Anatomy – TAMA

    After Rylan stopped petting my head, I slowly came to and looked over at Saki. She was looking at some kind of paper thing.


    I stepped towards her but was intercepted by Tera who asked ¡°So Tama, how much do you know about goblins?¡±


    I paused and frowned as I considered her words ¡°Tama has killed lots of goblins! She once killed an entire village and they never saw her!¡±


    It was true to, I was amazing at being stealthy. Sensei said I talked to much and was too obvious. But the goblins never saw me! The memory of sensei sent a pang through my chest. I quickly turned and looked at Rylan, He was chewing on some kind of sandwich. The way he chewed caused me to blush, he reminded me so much of Jiggle.


    Tera nodded before speaking ¡°Good, then this shouldn¡¯t be too difficult, what about you Saki?¡± Despite her earlier distaste for Saki, Tera seemed completely calm, her face neutral as she spoke.


    Saki nodded as well and said ¡°I¡¯ve killed a few roadside goblins, but nothing major.¡±


    Rylan spoke up suddenly ¡°Yea, but you kill one, you kill them all. Are we done with prep yet Tera, can we go?¡±


    I was surprised by his sudden words, After all he had been so passive before. Even Talia and Saki said he was just a sub-something to Tera.


    I personally didn¡¯t know what that meant, but up until now, he never seemed to do much except passively go along with what Tera wanted. ¡°Nya! Rylan is right! Tama wants to kill something!¡±


    Tera smiled at me, she glanced over at Rylan who was smiling at me. He grinned at me before saying ¡°I like that attitude Tama, That¡¯s the way it works! Kill our enemies, crush them underfoot.¡±


    As he spoke, I watched his eyes light up for the first time since I had met him. I turned to Tera, who was actually smiling with dreamy eyes at Rylan. She caught me staring at her and her gaze shifted to me, the smile didn¡¯t waver instead, she winked at me and blushed slightly.


    I didn¡¯t get it, but I was ready to fight! ¡°Nya Tama is ready to go!¡± I said proudly as I pulled out Serenity and twirled her in my hand.


    ¡°You know Tama, you have a lot of strength for someone who seems to focus primarily on speed, That¡¯s clearly a two handed Katana, yet you hold it like it weight nothing. Maybe there is a weight enchantment on it?¡±


    Tera¡¯s words caught me off guard, but I responded honestly anyways ¡°Serenity is Sensei¡¯s gift to Tama for becoming full Ninja!


    If you want, Tama will let you hold it!¡± Sharing was caring after all, and while Tera made me feel uncomfortable sometimes, she had never once actively tried to hurt me.


    Even in the guild hall, she had moved so slow, it was like she was trying to miss me. Saki told me it was because normal people moved like that in combat, but I think Saki just really doesn¡¯t like Tera.


    Rylan spoke up ¡°I actually might take you up on that offer Tama, Serenity is a beauty from afar, and I would love to see her up close if it¡¯s alright with you?¡±


    I swirled and held Serenity out to him with a smile, I felt my cheeks heating up again. Rylan wanted to touch Serenity. The thought felt so right and so wrong to me at the same time.


    Rylan walked over and took the handle with respect, even bowing his head as he accepted the blade. However, the moment I let go of the sword, Rylan and Serenity fell to the ground. Shocked I leaned down to help them both up, but he held up his free hand that wasn¡¯t holding onto Serenity.


    He tried to stand, first pulling with one hand, then two, Then stone grew around his hands and he pulled again, Serenity did not budge. Despite this Rylan smiled at me with actually interest in his eyes. ¡°Your blade is incredibly dense and powerful Tama, I can¡¯t even lift it!¡±


    ¡°Obviously Rylan, you should have seen the way we fought! She is so powerful! And she is¡­¡± Tera seemed to try and say something, but nothing came out. She was confused for a moment before realization seemed to hit her.


    She threw Saki a dirt look, which Saki promptly ignored. As she continued to look at the piece of paper, from what I could tell of the paper, It had squiggly lines all over it, and what looked like trees and mountains.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Saki said ¡°I believe I understand where the goblins are based on the triangulation of the sun with the unidirectional locator.¡± She looked up at us with a raised eyebrow.


    I sheathed Serenity and stood tall ¡°Yea! The uni thingy tells us where the goblins are!¡± my tail wagged back and forth and my ears twitched on my head.


    I looked over to Tera and Rylan. Rylan looked uninterested and simply nodded, Tera looked deep in thought before responding. ¡°But isn¡¯t the directional facilitator better for more accurate readings Saki?¡±


    I felt my head start to hurt as Saki and Tera began to argue over words and things I didn¡¯t understand. Instead, I tuned them out, only keep a single ear facing them in case the information was important later.


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    I turned to Rylan who looked more annoyed then anything else. I opened my mouth to talk to him, but before I could, he spoke up ¡°Look, I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s exact, I¡¯ll just start smashing shit until they show up. And if something bigger shows up¡­ ¡° He smiled widely in an almost gleeful way ¡°Well, we can have a little fun.¡±


    Tera looked back to Rylan and snarled at him ¡°Do you want to get them killed? Tama is far and above able to kill anything, but one misstep and the little fox here dies. While I¡¯m not entirely against the idea, it will NOT happen under our watch Rylan! Now shut it! You will get your combat.¡±


    Rylan sighed and nodded, crossing his arms and not saying anything else. Instead after a moment, when Tera and Saki had gone back to arguing,


    Saki was now aggressively pointing to something on the piece of paper with squiggly lines and Tera was shaking her head and pointing to a different part of the map near Saki¡¯s spot. The two looked angry, so I ignored them again and looked to Rylan.


    ¡°Does Rylan want to see Serenity¡¯s enchantments?¡± I asked hopefully, After all, my baby was my everything and I wanted Rylan to think so too.


    It was silly of me, Showing my legendary super powerful enchanted sword to get closer to him. But I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    Rylan¡¯s eyes actually gleamed as he looked down at the sword. He didn¡¯t try to take it again, instead, he took a knee as I held it up and he seemed to study it intently before nodding. ¡°Your sword Tama is by far the most amazing and perfect sword I have ever seen in my life. The runes on the hilt alone cost double the yearly income of an entire village combined. She is a precious treasure ad I hope that you take good care of her, and feed her when she is hungry. The more the better, she looks like she eats a lot.¡±


    My tail wagged aggressively and my cheeks felt hot, my ear flattened to the sides and giggled. ¡°You really think so? Tama loves her so much! Serenity is everything to Tama!¡±


    Rylan nodded as his eyes never left the blade, seemingly lost in the whirlpools on its surface. ¡°I especially love the ethereal enchantment here¡± He pointed at one of the engravings on the blade itself. It¡¯s activated by using wind and water together in a specific pattern, I assume it was made in the way you fight so it would activate naturally in combat. Such attention to detail showed the creator truly cared for their creation. I would even go so far as to say Talia herself might have made this blade.¡±


    I paused at that and looked confused ¡°Nya, Talia? You mean guild master Talia?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, She is actually a master blacksmith and crafter, her enchantments alone put every enchanter to shame. There is a reason she is called the forge of fire. I hope one day, I can come even close to her expertise in these matters. This blade work alone would put my best crafted item to shame.¡±


    I looked at him and while I didn¡¯t understand everything he said, I felt his passion and desire. It resonated deeply with me. I smiled at him dreamily before realizing this is what Tera was doing only a moment ago. My cheeks felt really hot again. ¡°can Tama ask Rylan a question?¡± I asked timidly.


    ¡°Sure Tama, what do you want to know?¡± He looked at me with such patience and kindness, yet he had a tough exterior, his large chubby body hiding a lot of muscle.


    Jiggle once again entered my mind and I had to hold myself back from doing what Tera had done to me earlier. I wanted to kiss his lips, I didn¡¯t understand why, but I craved it so bad. My cheeks got even warmer and I looked away, a smile I couldn¡¯t hide bright on my face.


    My tail wrapped around my leg and squeezed as my ears fluttered nervously. ¡°Well¡­ Tama is, this is, Tama wants to know if¡­¡°Before she could finish, Saki called out ¡°Alright, fine! We will go your way then!¡± ¡°Good!¡± I heard Tera yell back.


    Saki yelled over to us ¡°Alright, guys, come on, let''s go kill some goblins!¡± I looked over at Saki as whatever I was just thinking about scattered from my mind. Try as I might, I couldn¡¯t remember what I was about to ask.


    Saki smiled at me in an almost knowing way before stating loudly ¡°Ready to go Tama?¡± Her scowl returned almost instantly, but I couldn''t shake the feeling that Saki had done that on purpose...


    Sure, just one sec," Rylan yelled back, causing me to look at him. He really was so cool¡­ "What was it you wanted to ask me, Tama?" he asked casually, smiling at me. I felt my cheeks warm up and opened my mouth to answer him, not sure if it was my original question but not caring. ¡°Well, Tama wants to¡­ ¡°


    Once again, before I could finish, Saki appeared beside us and cut me off with a wave. ¡°Guy¡¯s if we don¡¯t hurry we are going to miss the deadline, A certain someone¡± She made a pointed look at me¡°


    Running off to hunt for a week really made our deadline short. Let¡¯s GO!¡± She grabbed my arm and began pulling me away from Rylan and towards a waiting Tera.


    Tera looked slightly annoyed, throwing dirty looks at Saki. As we got closer she spoke ¡°That¡¯s right, we have to go, can¡¯t waste even a second for a happy couple can we Saki?¡± Her voice dripped with bitterness, her distaste obvious. I just didn¡¯t understand why.


    Rylan spoke up in an excited tone ¡°Finally, Lets rock those little green menaces. I want to show Tama my new Stomp!¡±


    ¡°Tama is excited to see Rylan¡¯s new Stomp!¡± I said as I jumped up and down with my tail wagging excitedly. I looked over at Saki ¡°What do you think his Stomp thingy is!¡± I asked her


    Saki seemed to consider for a moment, for some reason she looked very amused at me before responding. ¡°Most likely he stomps on an enemy in an interesting way. Based on what I know if his and Tera¡¯s elements, I most likely assume he will coat his food in a type of earth or metal, mix flame into it and stomp.¡±


    I paused for a moment ¡°So like Talia did when she blocked Serenity?¡± I asked curiously.


    Saki looked at me puzzled before her eyes widened and said ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t see that fight Tama, it was so fast the only thing I caught was a few delayed sounds and the very end.¡±


    I considered before stating ¡°If Saki couldn¡¯t see that fight, she would have never seen Sensei and Tama training! That was normal speed for us!¡±


    I heard a cough and shifted to see Tera coughing uncontrollably. She as looking at me between coughs and her eyes were dilated again. She seemed to be trying to say something, then forcing herself to cough to prevent speaking? ¡°Em.. . Amaz¡­ Perfe¡­ I¡­ You¡­ ¡°


    I looked at her puzzled, but after a long moment she managed to stop coughing and simply smiled. ¡°Yes Tama, your fight was certainly quick and amazing and¡­¡°She trailed off and turned away seemingly shaking like she was cold.


    ¡°Nya, is Tera okay?¡± I asked,


    Saki spoke up ¡°She is fine, she is having trouble coming to terms with her life decisions.¡± Saki¡¯s tone sounded almost sad, but after a moment she perked up, her ears and tail following suit as she looked over at me. ¡°Let¡¯s go kill some goblins Tama!¡±


    ¡°Nya! TAMA IS SO EXCITED¡± I yelled as I ran around in circles, making another lap around the town at finally going on a quest with Saki.

 Interlude Two: A Nekojin, a Ninja – TAMA

    The night they came was horrible. I was only six years old at the time. I repressed the memories deep inside myself. But sometimes, it would come back in my dreams as nightmares.


    I heard them coming before I saw anything. The screeches and inhuman noises made my ears perk up. I was sitting on the floor when my daddy rushed in.


    He talked to my mommy, his words frantic and scared. Back then I didn¡¯t understand, but I knew it was bad. "They have the village surrounded," he had said, his voice trembling despite his attempts to sound brave.


    "How many?" my mommy asked, her tone different than what I was used to. At the time, much like my daddy. I didn¡¯t understand. It was fear, her voice was filled with it.


    The next thing was the smell, it was so strong. A smell I would come to learn and hate for the rest of my life. The smell of undeath, That awful smell hit me¡ªstrong and acrid, making my eyes water painfully. "Mommy!" I had cried out. "My nose hurts!"


    My mother had looked down at me with sadness on her face before quickly scooping me up, pressing me against her chest. I had buried my face in her clothes, grateful that her familiar scent helped mask the terrible smell. Berries and Lilac, mixed with a sweet herbal scent.


    It was at that point everything got worse. A loud crash shook our home, followed by a horrible sound I''d never heard before. I still don¡¯t know what that horrible sound was, but the only way I could describe it was if metal was grinding against itself.


    "Get out of here, monster!" my daddy had shouted.


    Mommy had turned us away before I could see what daddy was shouting at. There was a shout, a cry of pain from daddy and the sound of a body hitting the floor. Then a sound that made me cry to this day.


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    A loud creeping moan that seemed to paralyze me in mommy¡¯s arms. "Mommy!" I had called out, fear gripping my little body.


    "Quiet sweetie, it''s going to be okay," she had whispered, but I could hear the terror in her voice, and it had scared me more than anything. Then she screamed right next to my ear, it was so loud, my ears flattened in pain as tears filled my eyes.


    I felt us topple and my back hit the ground, my mommy landing on top of me. I couldn¡¯t breath from the impact. I had tried to move, but mommy was too heavy. When I looked up, I saw her eyes¡ªblank and lifeless, filled with terror but seeing nothing. Not anymore.


    I stared into those eyes as I heard the crashing sounds around us. The sound of our house being torn apart. My tail had wrapped tightly around my leg in fear as the horrible sounds and smells intensified.


    The screaming, the sobbing, the pleading, the moaning. But most painful, even though I didn¡¯t understand it then. were the bodies. I heard as each body hit the ground, I heard as the undead consumed people. I was lucky to have not seen it. But perhaps the sight of my mothers dead eyes was just as bad. Thud. Thud. Thud.


    Everything went dark and silent for a while. I don''t know how long I lay there, too scared to move, too shocked to cry anymore.


    Then I heard someone moving debris. Through half-closed eyes, I saw an old man with storm-gray hair carefully lifting beams and rubble. His piercing blue eyes found mine¡ªthey looked sad but determined.


    He had reached down gently, lifting my mother''s body off me with surprising strength. I wanted to tell him to be careful with her, that she might be hurt, but deep down I already knew the truth. I had looked into her eyes, they were empty of life. Even as a child I understood what that meant.


    "It''s alright, little one," the old man said softly as he carefully picked me up. "You''re safe now."


    He gave me something sweet to drink that made the pain fade. As I drifted into unconsciousness, I felt us moving rapidly away from what had been my home, the old man carrying me into the forest.


    That was the day I had lost everything, That was the day I became a ninja¡¯s apprentice

 Chapter Sixteen: The Elemental Tactician – SAKI

    I watched Tama vanish and reappear, then vanish again. I wondered where she went when she vanished. How slow was the world to her that she could just vanish from our sights for short bursts and travel such great distances?


    The thought of living in a world that was so much slower then me would drive me mad. Then again, With Tama that would explain so much.


    We ended up walking around to the other side of Drestor. I thought goblins would be in the forest, but the map clearly showed they were in an open plains around two days travel from the town. A bit odd, but not really surprising.


    When Tama learned we weren¡¯t going in the forest, she seemed genuinely relieved. It made me slightly worried what she saw in there, the place she had called her home, that would make her so nervous about going back in.


    Still, we would have to return, I needed to find her Sensei, it was extremely important. Only he would be able to help me with my quest for vengeance.


    I looked over to Tera, She stared at Tama with reverence. At first I had thought Tera had only been interested sexually in Tama, but over time I had begun to suspect something else. The event¡¯s at the guild hall kept playing through my head, I felt I was missing something.


    There was a single point somewhere in there that everything shifted. For the life of me I couldn¡¯t place it. The whole thing had been very chaotic, a very Tama thing I had realized.


    Regardless of what had happened, the evidence was clear, Tera no longer saw Tama sexually, in fact, I would go so far as to say she saw her almost like a deity. It was disconcerting to watch, especially because of how perceptive Tama was, I knew she noticed it, even if she said nothing.


    Though, knowing Tama, it was entirely possible she is misreading the whole situation. ¡°Say Tama, can I ask you a question?¡± I asked calmly.


    Tama, who was over fifty feet in front of us, randomly appearing next to things and looking at them before changing focus and suddenly vanishing again and appearing next to me. I made the mental note she heard me talking quietly from over fifty feet away and filed that away for later.


    ¡°Tama loves all these neat things she found!¡± She said enthusiastically, she held up a few colorful rocks and a mushroom, as well as a literal speed lizard. I wasn¡¯t even going to question how she caught a speed lizard, it was Tama, I would be more impressed if she hadn¡¯t been able to catch it.


    ¡°They are all very interesting Tama, But I wanted to ask you about Tera.¡± I asked, making sure to keep my tone neutral but not unkind.


    Tama looked at me for a second before appearing in front of Rylan ¡°Can you hold my stuff Rylan?¡± She asked pleadingly. Rylan simply smiled down at her and nodded, he held open a pouch at his waist, and the items seemed to flow into it automatically. Rylan had a holders bag, those are usually only for crafters.


    The way he has talked about Tama¡¯s sword earlier, Serenity, had been that of an artisan. He seems interested in combat and crafting, a rather fascinating individual I had taken as weak willed. He was far more then he seemed. I needed to keep a closer eye on him.


    I made note the speed lizard did not enter the satchel and after a moment I heard Rylan¡¯s explanation ¡°Living things can¡¯t enter the satchel Tama, So you have to hold onto the little speedy guy yourself¡±


    I made another mental note of the fact living things couldn¡¯t enter his crafting pouch, meaning it was most likely a blacksmiths and not a herbalist one, the mushroom was probably considered dead when Tama ripped it from the ground.


    ¡°Oh That¡¯s fine, Tama can fix that!¡± A moment later, the now dead lizard entered the satchel. A shiver went down my spine. The world was a cruel place, but the way Tama seemed to treat killing and death was so nonchalant. She had just killed the lizard with no mercy or remorse.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty dark Tama, I mean I like to kill things too, but the little guy couldn¡¯t even defend himself.¡± Rylan said looking at Tama with sadness. ¡°Just because we can kill things, doesn¡¯t mean we should¡±


    Tama looked like she had just been slapped. Being chastised by your crush probably wasn¡¯t the most optimal outcome for her. I smirked, good. It was a lesson she would need to learn anyways. We didn¡¯t need her killing a guard because they blocked her path one day.


    ¡°But Tama was just putting it in the bag, you said living things couldn¡¯t go in, so Tama made it not alive!¡± Tama was wagging her tail with her ears perked up, looking meaningfully at Rylan. A look of earnestness on her face. I held back a laugh, she was actually trying to reason her murder with a cute look.


    Rylan frowned and opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. Now was not the time to explain to Tama why killing things weaker then her was bad. We might actually need her help with the goblins after all. ¡°Tama, remember me? I still have that question!¡±


    Tama paused for a moment before disappearing and reappearing in front of me. ¡°Nya! Sorry Saki, Tama forgot!¡±


    I held back an amused smile. I swear, Tama by herself was the epitome of the unknowing savior. This girl saved me from myself more times then I can count, yet she doesn¡¯t see to realize her own social faux paws.


    ¡°I was asking about Tera, What do you think of her Tama?¡± I leaned in curiously, but glanced over at Tera to see her reaction. Not shockingly she had leaned in slightly and was listening closely to us. Based on the way she stiffened, she was expecting a negative answer.


    But luckily for her, if I knew anything about Tama, it was her never ending cheer. Like she was a rainstorm in a drought.


    ¡°Tama thinks Tera is really nice, She is kind of strange and says weird things sometimes. But Tama thinks she means well!¡± Tama said as she seemed to be dancing to some kind of music in her head.


    I noticed Tera actually look relieved and smile at Tama. ¡°So you don¡¯t think she has been acting a little¡­ strange, you know, like, in a worshiping kind of way?¡± I probed.


    Tama frowned for a moment before she also glanced over at Tera and then back at me. She seemed to consider my words for a long moment. ¡°Tama doesn¡¯t understand¡± She finally said.


    I nodded expecting that answer before asking my next one ¡°You know Tama, I was thinking, since you and Tera are now in a relationship, it only seems right she should tell you more about herself. Why don¡¯t you talk to her?¡±


    Tama looked uncomfortable but I pushed ¡°You did agree to date them didn¡¯t you Tama? It¡¯s only right.¡±


    I noticed as Tera actually looked our way, she had a hopeful, almost longing look on her face. One she was clearly trying to hide and failing. Definitely more deific and less romantic.


    I decided to go for a big push, It was risky, but it would remove a lot of doubt if it worked. ¡°Tama, Tera was telling me she admired you and was hoping you would undress her so you could teach her more about how to fight naked. That mean¡¯s she is giving permission.¡±


    Tama looked for a moment before asking ¡°But Saki, isn¡¯t that¡­ wrong?¡± Her tail lowered and her ears flattened, but the look on her face showed less anger and more uncertainty as she glanced back at Tera.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to Tama, but remember, she gave you permission.¡± I said casually, checking to see if Tera would refute my claim, I noticed she didn¡¯t. It didn¡¯t seem like she was horny though, she almost seemed to be acting like she wasn¡¯t worthy.


    I frowned at her actions but for now, I ignored them. Tama was extremely perceptive and probably noticed everything I did even if she didn¡¯t understand the nuances. Going any further risked making the matter worse.


    After that point, aside from Tama constantly wandering off and coming back with surprisingly rare items and asking about them, the journey until nightfall was almost entirely silent. Rylan seemed intent on reaching the goblins as fast as possible, his eyes on swivel as he searched for something.


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    Tera on the other hand, spent the entire time, and I do mean the entire time, staring at Tama with shifting looks between devotion and neutrality. Like she couldn¡¯t decide whether Tama was a normal girl or the most perfect thing imaginable. It really creeped me out, but she never said anything and Tama didn¡¯t comment on it either, so I pretended not to notice.


    When we setup camp for the night, I genuinely expected Tera to try.. something? But she didn¡¯t, she simply asked Tama if she needed anything, and when she said she was fine, Tera just.. well she just went to bed in her own sleeping bag.


    As did Rylan, apparently they had separate sleeping bags even though they were a couple? That didn¡¯t sit right with me.


    ¡°Hey guys, I¡¯m gonna go sleep over there, I like the view better!¡± I said to everyone. Tera, who was staring at Tama, didn¡¯t even glance at me, simply waving me away before saying ¡°Just make sure if anything happens to scream for us and we will be there.¡±


    Rylan said nothing at all, not even responding to me with a nod or anything. It was rude, but as I have watched him, I was beginning to understand him better.


    He was not submissive at all, he was extremely determined and focused. He also seemed to have little care for the people around him other then as things to protect.


    His interest in Tama was clearly only related to Serenity, her sword, and was the only reason he seemed willing to talk for more then thirty seconds with anyone.


    ¡°Nya! Tama want¡¯s to go with you! She wants to see pretty sky too!¡± Tama said hopping up and down.


    I sighed, I should have known better. Still, I watched her for a moment before nodding. ¡°Actually Tama, this is perfect, I wanted to ask you about Tera!¡±


    Both girls froze and looked at each other before Tama stopped bouncing. ¡°Tama suddenly want to sleep here¡± She said quietly. Her tail wrapped around her leg and her ears twitched.


    I smiled at her ¡°I understand Tama, Have a good night!¡± I turned and made my way over to a medium boulder, walking around it, I made an illusion so the rock seemed bigger and I hid inside the illusion. I felt my exhaustion setting in, but just in case I waited a few minutes in case anyone came to check on me.


    After a long moment of no one showing up I said in relief and shifted, my body shrinking white fur coming out of me. Moments later I was my mini nine tailed fox form. I forced my nine tails into one as was habit before dragging my clothes that had come off on the floor around me when I shifted, into a pile and laid on them.


    It was true I could sleep in my foxkin form, but it was very uncomfortable to me. Also, I felt safer in the spot, under my illusion.


    I had barely closed my eyes when I felt a poke. Surprised, I opened my eyes and jumped to my four feet, my tail raising in alarm along with my ears flattening as I bared my teeth.


    However, instead of an attack, it was Tama. She was just sitting there next to me, I realized I wasn¡¯t even facing her. I turned and looked up at her, unable to speak in my fox form. I wondered if she knew about my¡­ Before I could finish that though, she spoke.


    ¡°You know Saki, Tama feels scared, but Tama shouldn¡¯t be scared. Tama is a ninja, she should be strong and fast and brave. But there are many things Tama does not understand and it causes Tama to worry. Tama knows you are here to protect her, She trusts you even if she doesn¡¯t understand why she does.¡± Suddenly, I found myself on Tama¡¯s lap with Tama sitting in the grass under the illusion with me.


    I tried to muster up fear, or even indignation, but as Tama began to pet my white fur, I felt more relaxed then I ever had in my entire life. I found myself melting into her lap completely as the nekojin casually petted me and looked through the illusion at the sky.


    In the end, I passed out on Tama¡¯s lap curled into a small ball, A sense of comfort and ease had flooded me and my exhaustion claimed me.


    Tama had not spoken again after that point, But her words resounded in my head, and into my dreams. I know your here to protect me. I trust you.


    It was true I had shifted the words mentally to first person, something I did subconsciously. But the message was clear. She felt it too, That strong sensation of trust, a bond between us that just felt¡­ right.


    The next morning, I woke up, for a moment I was groggy as I stood. I suddenly felt the ground under me move up and down. I was about to jump when the events from last night came back and I looked more carefully at my ¡®ground¡¯.


    It was Tama, I was on her belly, She had passed out and was laying on her back, She was topless and the bottom half of her gi was around her knees, but not entirely removed.


    She was half naked, her bra and panties on the ground next to us, and the ninja garb only half removed. But the worst part? She was snoring! And she was loud!


    Frustrated, I looked around to see if anyone else was around. After making sure it was just the two of us I smirked, well, the fox equivalent of a smirk. Time to teach Tama a lesson about not wearing her clothes.


    I got up on my back paws and extended my claws from my front ones. Moving swiftly, I fell forward intending to pierce Tama with my claws. Instead, the moment my claws came into contact with her bare skin, they slipped, my paws flew out from under me and I hit my head on her skin. To make matters worse, I began to skid on her skin like she was a body of water and a was thrown off of her.


    Even as I hit the ground, I heard another loud snore and my ears flattened to the side of my head in irritation. I wasn¡¯t going to give in that easy.


    I got up and this time, I reasoned I would do it from her side, it was just as bare as her front. She had removed the entire top half of her gi after all, meaning her bare chest and sides were nice and raw to be skewered.


    I cackled mischievously as I raised my paws again and extended my claws. This time, They struck, and actually cut into her.


    Only for the wound to instantly vanish! Even as she somehow healed herself instantly for some Earth forsaken reason, She still kept snoring! My cut into her side had done nothing and she was still asleep!


    Was I ashamed to admit that Tama, literally asleep, had bested me? Yes, I was! I decided to go for one last push. This would work, I was certain of it¡­ probably.


    What I had tried so far would have literally worked on anyone else, but this was Tama, and I had been going about this all wrong. So instead, I took a few steps back and I began shifting, my form grew larger, hair receded and after a moment I stood, naked under the illusion. I walked over quietly, ignoring the snoring Tama as I put my clothes on. Once dressed I quietly walked over to her again, making sure I was right next to her as I took a knee and whispered ¡°Oh hey Tera, what are you doing here?¡±


    The response was beyond instant, Tama was suddenly standing, fully dressed as her eyes darted around like she had just entered combat. ¡°Nya! Where is Tera, Tama is dressed!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help myself, I fell over laughing uncontrollably. Tama¡¯s look of confusion only caused me to laugh harder until I was panting and red faced.


    ¡°Tama doesn¡¯t understand, What is so funny Saki?¡± She asked me with genuine confusion. This time, I fell on my back and held my stomach due to the pain in my sides from laughing so hard.


    After I recovered, Tama surprisingly stood there the entire time waiting for me to finish. She didn¡¯t seem upset, just confused. ¡°Is Saki okay?¡± She asked me. I actually started to feel kind of bad, so I explained what I did.


    ¡°Tama, you aren¡¯t supposed to just sleep naked out in the open like that.¡± I stated simply. I scare you like that to teach a lesson, what if Tera had been here and seen you like that? She would have definitely done something to you.¡±


    I honestly wasn¡¯t sure if that was the case anymore, but Tera was the least of my worries, imagine if she did this in a town like Drestor? Her chastity would be gone as well as the man who did it before the night was over.


    Tama frowned at that before responding ¡°But Saki slept naked!¡± As she said this, she pointed an accusing finger at me and I blanched.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s different Tama!¡± I said defensively but she wasn¡¯t having it


    ¡°Nya! Tama can¡¯t sleep naked but Saki can! That is not right and unfair!¡± Her tail was pointed down, and so were her ears, she looked irritated.


    I sighed and tried to explain ¡°Tama, I am a fox, a literal animal, I can¡¯t keep my clothes on when I shift.¡± I tried to explain this calmly so that she would get angrier at me, it failed.


    ¡°But Saki has the rock thingy up to block us from view right! Tama can see the rock thingy blocking view clearly! So why can¡¯t Tama sleep naked in her private spot with Saki!¡±

 Chapter Seventeen: An Awkward Silence – SAKI

    In the end, Tama won that argument. It was, in my opinion, the most ridiculous fight I had ever had with someone and I had still lost. I glared over at the Nekojin, irritation clear on my face.


    Tama ignored me and continued trying to impress Rylan by bringing him random items she found. I knew she saw me, She probably had some kind of magic vision with the insanity that she had shown so far.


    In the end, Tama finally gave up trying to impress Rylan, who had just started grunting at her whenever she came back with something. Although, a living mimic was impressive, especially since it hadn¡¯t even realized it had been taken until Tama appeared in front of Rylan. Causing it, and everyone else in the party to panic.


    Tama watched in puzzlement as from her perspective, we attacked a wooden chest while it opened and closed itself repeatedly. In the end, Rylan made a fist of metal with fire veins around his whole arm and smashed the mimic into pieces.


    After that, Tama was no longer allowed to bring stuff back to the party without permission. She whined nonstop about how boring travel with us was until Tera picked her up and started rubbing her head and playing with her ears.


    She went silent and stayed silent at that point. And for the remainder of the day, it was oddly peaceful. True, we were attacked a few times by different lesser monsters. A large slug thing tried to eat me, only to spit me out a moment later as it disintegrated.


    Tera and Rylan looked uneasy at me after that, But Tama didn¡¯t seem to mind and just stayed attached to Tera. I was actually grateful, I couldn¡¯t imagine a full trip of her antics.


    There were also a few wolves, Tama actually looked at them, and went to climb down but Tera held her and said ¡°Let Saki and Rylan handle this. They need the practice my emp¡­¡± She cut herself off at the last part, but I knew what she was about to say. <i>Empress</i>, She didn¡¯t seem to be saying it willingly, it was almost like she was being forced to do it. Like it was a compulsion¡­


    I froze as horror crossed my features. The memory from the guild played again, but this time, a very specific part rose above the others.


    <i>Tera was at her side in an instant, helping Tama to her feet. ¡°Are you alright, Tama? I can kiss and make you feel better if you want!¡± Tera¡¯s words were soft as she, very clearly in front of everyone, attempted to seduce Tama. I noted how Tama¡¯s delicate cat ears twitched uncertainty as she accepted the help.</i>


    <i>This was apparently not new, as no one really batted an eye at her antics. I resigned myself to dealing with this obsessed girl myself when Tama spoke, ¡°Nya! You call Tama Empress slave girl!¡± Her tail flicked defiantly as her cat ears pricked up.</i>


    <i>I paused, mouth open in shock. I quickly closed it as my mind caught up with what had just happened. ¡°Yes, Tama, do it!¡± I thought as hope blossomed¡ªmy fox ears drooping in astonishment.</i>


    <i>Tera looked at Tama with an unsure smile. ¡°What, Tama? I don¡¯t understand.¡± I watched as Tama looked confused for a moment before she put on her assertive face (though not very assertive indeed), her cat ears flattening slightly as she tried to muster authority.</i>


    <i>¡°Tama said her name is Empress to you, Tera! Now bend your knee and praise your empress!¡± Her tail swished imperiously, and her cat ears flicked with determination.</i>


    <i>This caught every single person in the room off guard¡ªthis was new, apparently. I grinned; this was going better than I hoped, my fox tail twitching in approval.</i>


    My eyes widened even further as the memory replayed. I stopped walking and a sense of dread filled me. Praying to Earth that I was wrong I turned to Tama. ¡°Hey Tama, do you remember the whole thing in the guild, the one where we played royalty?¡±


    Tama, ignoring me at first as Tera scratched behind her ear, then tapped on Tera to be put down. She appeared in front of me instantly and nodded. ¡°Yea, Tama didn¡¯t like that game very much. Maybe next time, you will be the empress and Tama can be your royal advisor!¡±


    ¡°Yea, maybe¡± I said halfheartedly before continuing ¡°Do you remember what you said to Tera specifically? When she picked you up?¡± I asked, my tone a mask of neutrality as my emotions roiled underneath.


    ¡°Oh Nya! Tama remembers! She told Tera she was a slave girl and that she had to obey and serve Empress Tama!¡± Tama nodded along to her own words, lost in thought as she spoke.


    I went to answer but Tama continued. ¡°Nya, it was weird too! Whenever Tama used that voice, It made her sound like Tama was underwater and everything was odd sounding.¡±


    I actually paused at that. She had said the same thing about my charm. <i>It Sounded like I was underwater. </i>


    The last puzzle piece snapped into place and I grabbed Tama by the shoulders ¡°Tama, you need to use that tone and tell Tera she is free! <b><i>Now</i></b>¡± my voice was far more panicked then I meant it to be, but I hoped I got the point across to her.


    Tama looked confused and worried for a moment but nodded and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could however and to my shock. A hand covered her mouth, preventing her from speaking. I looked at the owner of the hand to see Tera standing there, her hand over Tama¡¯s mouth in an almost desperate attempt to stop Tama.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t really necessary is it?¡± Tera said in a calm tone with a smile. ¡°After all, that was just a game, and the game ended right? We don¡¯t need to go making more decree¡¯s if they aren¡¯t needed right Tama?¡±


    Tama had paused in utter confusion at Tera¡¯s sudden reaction but after a moment she pushed Tera¡¯s hand away. Tera made an attempt to stop her as she did.


    Then Tama spoke ¡°Nya, Tama doesn¡¯t understand either, but Saki knows best!¡±


    I tried to speak but Tera spoke over me ¡°I am sure Saki wants your best interest at heart, but like you said, it¡¯s a bit.. extreme don¡¯t you think? She seems to be demanding you say something for no good reason, at least you should ask her to explain herself my Emp¡­ Tama.¡±


    I was at a loss for words, Tera, a woman literally under royal magical compulsory slavery was attempting to <i>prevent</i> her own freedom?! I wasn¡¯t sure if Tera was acting of her own free will or not. For all I knew, this was the compulsion forcing her to protect her servitude to Tama.


    On the other hand, Tera already really liked Tama before all this, the compulsion didn¡¯t happen until after we had gotten our badges. Meaning, there was already desire there. Could that desire have been manipulated and twisted into the stance Tera now had?


    The truth was I didn¡¯t have the answers, and that upset me greatly. Royal lineages and royalty based powers were purposefully kept extremely well hidden. I couldn¡¯t even ask Tama, she hated her royalty and didn¡¯t even know she was one.


    Finally, after a mental debate I decided to try something. Depending how Tera responded would be how I moved forward. I turned and looked at Tera, making it clear I was going to talk to her and not Tama. She looked back at me and we made eye contact.


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    ¡°Tera, I am assuming by your actions, you know what happened. I made a point to notice every detail of her face as I continued ¡°So I am only going to ask this once, Are you defending what happened, or are you happy as things are?¡±


    At this point, Tama was very puzzled and uncomfortable, she took a few steps back looking between us. Her tail wrapped around her leg and her ears flattened.


    I glanced over at Rylan, he had stopped walking as well, but he just stood there silently, eating a sandwich for some reason. He clearly seemed uninterested in the issue.


    I looked back into Tera¡¯s eyes, waiting for her response. A long moment passed where no one moved. Then Tera spoke, her voice quiet and subdued. ¡°Both, I am defending what happened, but I also am happy the way things are. I have never been truly happy since¡­ what happened that day.¡±


    I winced at her words but said nothing as she continued ¡°The truth is, at first I was horrified, I tried to fight it, but after a while, I found I loved this version of me. I have a purpose, a reason to live. Even if that reason doesn¡¯t care for me very much.¡± She sighed and tears filled her eyes. ¡°Please don¡¯t take the one thing that has finally given me happiness away, Saki. Not again, Not ever.¡±


    I considered her words carefully, Watching her face and body language as she spoke. I saw no lie, no manipulation, I didn''t even see an eye twitch.


    For all intents and purposes, as far as I could tell. Tera was being honest.


    For some reason, that scared me more than anything else. Tera had literally been brainwashed, but it was because of the atrocity I myself had committed.


    I wasn''t foolish enough to believe if Tera still had her family she would''ve fallen for this. It might have been possible. But the longing and pleading in her voice made it clear.


    She had no one, not really. It was clear Rylan and her weren''t even really a couple despite her claims and Rylan¡¯s feigned interest.


    If anything, she had shown more love towards Rylan then Rylan had towards her.


    My heart sank at the realization. She was right, Tera needed this. She needed this so bad it wasn''t even funny. To be devoted to someone like Tama was perfect for her. Tama was a loving, caring, playful ally, and friend.


    I swallowed heavily before nodding quietly. ¡°I understand Tera, but just know if you ever change your mind, Tama can put you back.¡±


    I looked over to Tama, she had wandered over to Rylan and was trying to convince him to pick her up. He was not having it.


    ¡°Come here Tama, I''m more than happy to carry you and give you lots of head pats!¡± Tera said, relief had entered her voice and I turned to look at her, she had a smile on her face.


    Tama paused for a moment before looking back at her. Her face turned unreadable for a moment before she nodded excitedly and rushed over.


    That moment gave me pause. I knew Tama was extremely observant, but I was beginning to wonder if she was as socially naive as she appeared.


    It was true she did strange things and her actions seemed believable at first glance. It wasn''t like I didn''t trust it, if anything my trust for her was higher then it had any right to be.


    No, it was something else. Like she let on far less than she actually knew. I considered it for a long moment before deciding to ignore it. We all had our secrets, and dragging hers out would make her hate me.


    For some reason, that thought For some reason, that thought alone was enough to make me drop the idea entirely¡­ Her words echoed again in my mind from last night and I smiled.


    <i>I trust you too Tama</i>. I thought to myself before I started walking again. Tera had picked up Tama and was petting her again. She followed behind me.


    Rylan spoke up as he also started to walk ¡°We are all done with the drama now? Or do we need to stop and have another heart to heart five feet from now?¡± His voice was full of irritation and sarcasm.


    ¡°Oh calm down Rylan, a new party never works perfectly together, it takes time for everyone to adjust.¡± Tera responded distractedly and she scratched behind Tama''s ear, causing Tama to start purring.


    I had never heard her purr before but I had figured she would be able to since she was a Nekojin. It caused me to laugh at how ridiculous the whole scene was.


    ¡°There is a difference between minor party issues and whatever the void you''re doing with her.¡± Rylan commented, pointing at Tama ¡°not to mention that you have been acting extremely weird since we left the guild hall. This last conversation, if anything further proved my point. So much damn secrecy.¡±


    I winced at his words. He was right, but it was for Tama''s sake I didn''t say it out loud. Which brought back the idea she let on less then she knew.


    The rest of the trip was made in silence until we climbed over a ridge and saw the smoke rising in the distance of the setting sun.


    There were hundreds of smoke trails. They went as far as the eye could see. I turned to Tera, her face had drained of color and she had paused petting Tama who had fallen asleep in her arms.


    I looked to Rylan, hoping to see some confidence, but even he looked distraught. ¡°What the actual¡­¡± He cut off his own words, unable to finish his sentence at the number of trails in front of us.


    My tail wrapped around my leg and squeezed, I closed and opened my eyes to make sure I wasn¡¯t seeing things before I subtly began stepping backwards. This wasn¡¯t a quest, this was a suicide mission.


    I turned and jumped over the ridge, landing flawlessly. I only made it a few steps before I looked up and stopped dead in my tracks. A large contingent of goblins, all on what appeared to be wargs, were standing in front of me. Some holding spears, others polearms, all of them rusted or old.


    I swallowed, taking a step back. The sun was almost set and their shadows could almost reach me, distorting their figures in the night.


    All rational thoughts left my mind. I summoned a ball of foxfire, uncaring if I revealed my kitsune heritage, and lobbed it at the nearest goblin, hoping to make them dodge.


    Instead the goblin batted the flame with his spear causing it to burst. Killing the goblin in an instant. I went to move only to see another goblin had already replaced the first. My tail stiffened and my ears flew back. We were going to die.


    I summoned earth armor all over my body and removed wind resistance from my body as best I could. If I could just get¡­


    Before I could finish my thought the goblin riders charged me. I panicked and lobbed another foxfire bolt at them. The ball of fae fire exploded, this time killing two of them. They were replaced before the ball had even finished dissipating. Fear began to consume me even further and my eyes began to shift purple. <i>Yes, yes, yes¡ªerase them, erase them all</i>. Tears fell from my cheeks as I tried and failed to resist the void. I felt control of my body slipping and knew it was all over.


    ¡°Nya! Don¡¯t touch Saki, She is Tama¡¯s friend!¡± Came a familiar voice, flying over the ridge at an unimaginable speed as a purple blur. She almost seemed to vanish as she hit the ground. What happened next I couldn¡¯t see. One moment the goblins were about to impale me, the next they were all dead, wargs included. More began to take their place, only to fall to the ground dead before steps could be taken.


    A few of the goblins tried stabbing their weapons forward in a fearful attempt to hit her but to no avail. A few moments was all it took and over 50 wargs and their riders lay dead on the ground. It wasn''t enough though, they were endless. Wave after wave came over the ridge.


    I heard Tera¡¯s shout as she landed behind me ¡°Get in formation, protect the newbies!¡± A fireball shot past me, exploding and incinerating a few goblins. Before I could react, someone yanked me away.


    I heard a loud crashing sound, I looked over to see Rylan, His whole body covered in molten earth. Every swing killed at least ten or fifteen goblins. Yet still they came, their bodies almost creating a blockade in the now almost pitch dark.


    How many have we already killed? I thought as I tried to regain control of my senses. After Tama had appeared the void had receded. But I was still panicking. The odds were heavily against us and I didn¡¯t see a way out.


    I summoned more foxfire balls and launched them at any enemy I could see. At first, I held my own, but as the minutes dragged on, my mana drained. Desperate, I resorted to firing earth spikes¡ªless powerful, barely enough to wound. If aimed right, I could disable body parts or outright remove them.


    I fell to my knees as I panted, my stamina and mana both entirely gone, my vision blurred. I regained some energy and looked at the state of the battle.


    Tera had multiple wound¡¯s and they had her backed up against the ridge wall. Rylan¡¯s defenses were formidable, but they had mostly broken down and he was now pausing between swings.


    The only person seemingly unaffected was Tama who was a whirlwind of goblin death. Every second, dozens of goblins died. She didn¡¯t even seem tired, but I wouldn¡¯t know since she hadn¡¯t slowed down even once.


    Whenever the goblins got close to me, Tama would kill them. She seemed to be trying for Tera and Rylan as well, but after a while the numbers became too great for even her to keep up.


    I closed my eyes as a spear was pointed inches from my face. ¡°No, Saki!¡± Tama screamed, I awaited my death¡­ but it didn¡¯t come. After a moment, I opened my eyes. The spear was still pointed at me, but it wasn¡¯t coming any closer. Instead, A blur of movement¡ªthen blinding pain. The world tilted sideways, my body no longer mine. Voices faded. Darkness swallowed me whole.

 Chapter Eighteen: A Cagey Deal – SAKI

    The first thing I felt was pain. A deep, throbbing ache in my skull, like I¡¯d been thrown into a vortex and spun until my body forgot which way was up. I tried to open my eyes¡ªblinding light. My head pounded harder in protest. Maybe I should just go back to sleep¡­ probably Tama¡¯s fault anyway.


    <i>Tama.</i>


    My breath caught. The memories crashed into me like a tidal wave. I bolted upright, ignoring the stabbing pain as I reached for my head. My fingers brushed over something dry and caked onto my scalp. Blood? Dirt? Both?


    I forced my eyes open again, this time letting them adjust. Bars. Sturdy, wooden. A cage. My heart pounded. I had to find Tama. She had to be okay.


    I remembered the previous night¡ªI had tried to run, to leave everyone behind. It was true that I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly, but the shame still sat heavy in my chest.


    I hadn¡¯t even considered Tama. On one hand, I knew she would have been fine. On the other hand, I had abandoned her without hesitation.


    <i>I truly am the worst,</i> I thought bitterly as I managed to climb to my feet.


    I took a step toward the edge of the cage and stepped on something soft. I looked down and saw Tera. She was lying on her back, her head tilted to the side. Caked blood and dirt clung to her temple.


    I leaned in and pressed my hand against her chest, holding my breath until I felt the steady rise and fall. Relief washed over me. She was alive. Battered, torn clothes, but alive.


    I scanned the rest of the cage. No Tama. No Rylan. My pulse quickened. <i>Which meant Rylan wasn¡¯t here either¡ªa small seed of hope bloomed in my chest.</i> Maybe they had escaped?


    ¡°Nya! You¡¯re awake! Tama is so happy Saki is alive!¡±


    The voice rang out, far too loud for my aching head, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. I turned toward the sound, and there she was¡ªTama, standing just outside my cage. Next to her was a small goblin, one of the lesser ones.


    Tama looked down at the goblin, arms crossed impatiently. ¡°Open the cage! Your chief said so too!¡±


    The goblin scowled. ¡°Quit yer yapping, girly. I know what my chief said, and I¡¯m working on it. Go be a pest somewhere else!¡±


    I stood frozen, my brain struggling to process what I was seeing. Tama¡­ was talking to the goblins? Like it was nothing?


    The little goblin fumbled with a ring of keys, muttering under his breath as he tried each one. Finally, with a soft click, the door to our cell swung open.


    I gaped at Tama and the goblin, every instinct screaming at me to stay put. Was this a trap? A trick? Or had Tama truly found a way to talk to them?


    ¡°Nya! Good Goblin, now go tell Grok for medical supplies, my friends are hurt!¡± Tama said in a lighthearted playful tone.


    There was a moment of silence as the goblin stared at her, and then, without another word, he turned and walked toward a large tent.


    The moment he was gone, Tama¡¯s expression shifted. The cheerful energy melted away, replaced by fear and sorrow.


    ¡°Saki, it¡¯s terrible¡­¡± she began, her voice trembling. ¡°The goblins have created a massive horde to fight the undead lich! Tama tried to warn them against this, but they wouldn¡¯t listen! They say the lich must pay for his crimes against their people¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, hold up! How are you talking to goblins!?¡± I said, my voice incredulous, my headache forgotten in the insanity of what I was seeing.


    Tama tilted her head at me and her ears perked up as her tail wagged. ¡°Tama is friends with this goblin tribe. They are from the Trelloark Forest, known as the Grub¡¯tera Tribe. Their chief is a big softie, he talks all big, but Tama knows him well!¡±


    ¡°Knows.. him¡­ well¡­¡± I was struggling to get the words out. Of course Tama knew a tribe of goblins and was friends with them! why not! Hopefully her pet dragon can come save us next! and we can all fly to the lich and have an epic battle where friendship wins!


    The thought actually caused Saki to pause, <i>did Tama know a dragon?</i> ¡°Tama, do you know any dragons?¡± The question felt stupid as soon as it left my lips and my cheeks flushed. But Tama¡¯s response floored me.


    ¡°Only the ones to the north of Trelloark, They sometimes visited, Mantheria is very friendly. She doesn¡¯t like the goblin¡¯s though!¡±


    I had no words, I just stared open mouth at Tama as she continued on about the lich and the goblins. As she spoke, I slowly gathered my wits. This was Tama, I had to remember she was far from normal. Though to be fair, that was coming from me, whose true form was a nine-feet tall white haired kitsune fox with nine massive tails.


    Then it hit me, was I part of Tama¡¯s menagerie of mythical creatures?! Was all of this just her claiming me as part of her esoteric ¡®mythical beast friendship¡¯ collection? The thought actually caused me to chuckle.


    ¡°Saki! it¡¯s not funny! You have to help tama convince Grok That fighting the lich is suicide for him and his entire tribe!¡± Tama seemed urgent as she spoke, rolling on the balls of her feet, her ears perked up. She held her tail in her hands and was slowly rubbing it.


    I considered her words for a moment before asking ¡°I mean, the goblin army is massive Tama, they might be able to overwhelm the lich with just pure numbers.¡±


    It was a falsehood, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt the amount of goblins was irrelevant, they would just add to that thing¡¯s armies.


    It seemed Tama understood that as well as she gave me a pleading look before saying ¡°The undead already killed my sensei, I don¡¯t want them to kill Grok too!¡±


    I froze, Tama had given many revelations in the last two weeks since I met her. Many of them were insane and fantastical. But what she had just said made my veins run cold and a shiver run down my spine.


    ¡°What¡­¡± Was all I managed to get out before I felt my body going numb. I stumbled back, my breathing sped up as I began hyperventilating. <i>dead, he was dead.</i>


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    There had to be some error, some mistake. Perhaps Tama was mistaken, maybe she had heard someone say it and believed it.


    Even as I thought these I knew they weren¡¯t true. Tama would never make something up or just outright believe someone if they told her something like that. Still, I had to know.


    ¡°Tama¡± I croaked out, my voice sounding distant ¡°What do you mean, your sensei is dead¡± my voice sounded foreign to my own ears, like what I heard wasn¡¯t reality.


    There was no answer, Tama just stood there, tears in her eyes as she looked at me with sincerity. After a moment she spoke ¡°Please Saki, Tama doesn¡¯t want Grok to die too,Tama is tired of her friends being hurt.¡±


    <i>friends being hurt.</i> A memory flooded me, my siblings dead in front me. I swallowed and forced myself to calm down. I wouldn¡¯t let them win, I would never let them win.


    ¡°Of course Tama, let¡¯s go find Grok, and talk to him. We can come up with a plan.¡± I said, my voice neutral and distant. I didn¡¯t feel like making a plan, I didn¡¯t even feel like breathing. But I would sooner let the void consume me then let everything I have worked for go to waste.


    Grok would not suddenly change his mind, But he might allow a tactician to help lead their army in battle. Tama forgive me, I would get my revenge for what that monster did to my family.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop the goblin army Tama¡± I said quietly. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak but I held up a hand. ¡°But, we can stay and help them with everything we have.¡±


    Tama looked into my eyes for a long moment before a look of determination crossed her face ¡°Nya! We will kill the Lich Saki!¡± She said in a tone full of confidence I did not feel.


    ¡°Indeed Tama, Indeed.¡± I said weakly. My head throbbed weakly as my headache came back to me. I sighed as I looked back at Tera. She was still passed out on the ground.


    Turning back to Tama I asked ¡°By the way, where is Rylan?¡± I tilted my head slightly in curiosity.


    Tama paused for a moment before looking sheepish. ¡°Well, Rylan said he wanted to see the arena¡± She put her hands behind her back as her cheeks flushed red. ¡°Tama was watching him fight earlier.¡± Her tail swished back and forth as her eyes grew distant, clearly recalling a memory. ¡°The way his belly bounces when he swings¡± She giggled and began rubbing her legs together.


    The thought of a shirtless Rylan fighting a bunch of goblins came to my mind and I instantly felt sick. Seriously, what was with Tama and her choice of men? Maybe Talia was right, she truly took after her sensei that was for sure!


    I looked over right as a few goblins came up carrying bandages and wrapping along with healing salves. I stared, impressed at the goblins ability to actually have healing items. Sure they didn¡¯t have potions, but the mere fact they even had bandages amazed me.


    They were very skilled with them too, then again they probably had a lot of practice. So it didn¡¯t seem insane with all the fighting they did. Just to be snarky, I told them Tera needed to be naked to heal.


    The goblins didn¡¯t care either way and just undressed Tera. I was actually impressed she stayed asleep the whole time. I turned to Tama, only to see she was gone.


    I wondered where she went for a moment. Then the memory of Rylan shirtless returned and I had a feeling I knew exactly where she went as well as the sudden desire to empty my stomach.


    Once Tera was naked and bandaged, I told the goblins it was very important that when she woke up, no matter what she said, to NOT give her her clothes back and tell her I had them.


    With a mischievous grin I asked the nearest goblin where the Chieftain was and headed off in that direction. I found the large tent quickly and to my surprise, the guard just let me in.


    Grok was a large goblin, he looked more like a green muscular midget than a goblin. He stood in the tent next to a poorly made table, a piece of paper on the table looked like a map drawn with crayons.


    I idly remembered the one traveller that brought crayons to the world. She was apparently so upset that we all used quills to write and invented pens, pencils, and crayons. I never understood why.


    But I had learned early on it was best not to question travellers. Especially the ones who said things like ¡°Isekai¡± and ¡°Yes, I can live my fantasy life now¡±.


    The latter usually died early on as an adventurer repeatedly before giving up and becoming a farm or something.


    The former usually wanted to do anything but adventuring, claiming they weren¡¯t that stupid. Only to end up stuck in a party of attractive men and women, many of whom they slept with!


    ¡°Immortality truly is lost on the ignorant and stupid. Still, I''d rather be ignorant and immortal than smart and dead.¡± I said under my breath before considering my words. ¡°Actually no, Dying more than once sounds like something I would never want.¡±


    Grok looked up at me and called out ¡° Who is you!¡± He pointed a half used crayon at my face.


    Great¡­ I thought, another dumb goblin. I considered my words before responding. ¡°I am Tama''s friend, Saki. I believe she might have mentioned me?¡±


    Knowing Tama, she definitely would have mentioned me. So I went the obvious route.


    ¡°Oiy! Yer the smartest person she knows! I remember ya. She said yer da bestest smart lady who can do smart things wit your mind.¡± Grim smiled, showing multiple missing teeth and waved for me to come closer.


    I really didn''t want to, but it was better to play nice with this thing. I walked over and he wrapped me in a hug before pointing at the map. ¡°Dis here our battle map! It tell us where enemies is so we can kills them!¡±


    I was still recovering from the smell coming off the goblin. He smelled like old sweat socks (Another lovely isekai invention).


    I made a point to smile at Grok before looking more closely at the map. Despite it being in crayon, it was actually quite impressive. They seemed to have the entire surrounding region mapped out. Though most of the areas were misspelled such as ¡®da Kingsdum of Trissle¡¯. I inwardly rolled my eyes.


    It reminded me of when I first met Tama. She had called it the ¡®Kingdom of Arissaile¡±. I hadn¡¯t noticed it at the time, but she was a bit of an airhead. both figuratively and literally.


    I leaned in to study the map when I suddenly heard a loud squeal. It was so loud, my ears instinctively flattened to the sides of my head, and I winced in pain. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the sound that came after it, I was like ninety-nine percent sure caused my ears to bleed.


    ¡°Jiggles!!!¡± Tama¡¯s voice rang through the entire area like someone had put an amplification spell on her and maxed it all the way up. But I knew better, This was just Tama.


    I looked at the goblins, but none of them seemed bothered or surprised by this. One even just picked his nose and ate it, causing me to throw up in my mouth a little.


    I stood from leaning over the table, I was pretty sure it was going to fall apart any second if I didn¡¯t anyways.


    Then I walked over to the tent flap and opened it, just in time for a large boar almost as big as me rammed into me full force, sending me flying back out the back of the tent, and through another one! The force of that one hit was enough to make my vision swim and my eyes water.


    I was lucky its tusks hadn¡¯t hit me, if they had I would have been dead for sure. I managed to weakly climb to my feet, grabbing a stick, I managed to use it as a walking stick to the nearest goblin. ¡°You, go get me medical gauze, I think I have internal bleeding¡± I said weakly.


    He just stared at me and I sighed ¡°Medicine, now dumb goblin!¡± I said louder and with more authority, causing my chest to hurt. The goblin quickly scrambled away from me towards the medical tent.


    The boar appeared in the hole I had made when I tore through the back of the goblin chiefs tent. I readied myself for its charge, Bracing and creating a small earth wall and some earth armor. Both drained me pretty badly, but I should be able to regenerate quickly enough.


    The boar charged at me, it slammed right through my earth stone wall like it was freaking paper. I panicked, but before it could reach me, the boar suddenly jumped to the side. I didn¡¯t understand why for a moment before a familiar voice spoke. ¡°Bad Jiggle! Don¡¯t attack Tama¡¯s friends!¡±


    I looked to see that he had not jumped to the side, rather. Tama had tackled the damn boar to the ground and was wrestling him. That''s when a haunting memory returned. Tama had mentioned this particular boar before. She had called him Jiggle and mentioned wrestling with him a few times.


    I watched as Tama, only in a bra and underwear again. I am not even going to question where her clothes went, proceeded to wrestle a boar into submission using nothing but spurts of water and her blink.


    A boar I might add, that was bigger than either of us and was quite possibly the largest boar I had ever seen in my entire life.


    I sighed as I watched Tama climb to her feet, Jiggle now on the floor panting. Ignoring them both, I made my way back to the goblin chief¡¯s hut. Today was going to be a long day.

 Chapter Nineteen: Freedom – TAMA

    The goblins felt endless, The more I killed, the more appeared. Normally, this wouldn¡¯t be a problem. I could kill these goblins for days before I needed a nap. But my teammates were not doing so well.


    Tera looked like she had taken a lot of hits, I had tried to pull them off of her, but Saki and Rylan were having the same issues.


    Eventually the goblins seemed to give up on me and focused on them. I tried to stop them, but the sheer amount pushed through.


    I killed a lot of goblins, I lost count at twenty, but that was because I could not count past twenty. I was positive I had killed lots though because I was making a wall of their bodies.


    I had just killed a goblin on top of the ridge with a weird device that fired thick arrows. and hopped down just in time to watch a goblin swing at Saki, I killed it only to watch as another swung.


    I wouldn''t make it ¡°No, Saki!¡± I screamed as I killed a bunch in a wave around me. but she fell to the ground and I felt a rage bubble in me.


    The goblins surrounded my friends and I threatened them with spears.  ¡°Stop Tama!¡± one of them screeched at me, It caused me to pause. I looked at the goblin¡¯s in the moonlight. They looked¡­  familiar.


    ¡°We not hurt friends anymore, Grok want see you!¡± one of them grunted at me. My mind reeled, Grok was here?! ¡°Where is Grok!¡± I shouted at them. ¡°Also, don¡¯t hurt Tama¡¯s friends!¡±


    The one who spoke earlier nodded and said ¡°We put in cage until they wake up, so dey won¡¯t attacks us.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him, but considered his words. ¡°Fine! but they better be freed when they wake up!¡± I said indignantly.


    The goblin sighed at me and nodded. ¡°come wit me¡± He said simply. So I did.


    He brought me to one of  the camps, dragging my friends with us. I carried Saki but Tera was dragged along by three other goblins.


    Rylan actually didn¡¯t go to sleep like Tera or Saki, but he looked horrible. His earth armor had mostly protected him, but even then, he had small cuts all over his body. His nose clearly looked broken, and his clothes were torn to shreds. He still had his underwear on though.. much to my disappointment. He followed behind us, wary of the goblins, but unwilling to say anything.


    We reached a large cage that seemed to be made of metal. I remembered the cage from when I was a child. The goblins had kidnapped me while I slept.


    They had some scheme to convince sensei to give them our food. It had backfired horribly for them. I had simply woken up and went on a killing spree until they said sorry.


    I sighed, and every goblin around me took a large step back. ¡°Good memories¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°Good for you, scary for us¡± A familiar voice spoke up. I whirled around to see Grok in all his little green glory.


    ¡°Grok! I missed you, how is the family?¡± I said as my tail swished back and forth in excitement.


    Grok looked at me for a moment before saying ¡°dey dead, you killed remember?¡±


    I nodded ¡°That¡¯s right, Tama forgot!¡±


    Grok rolled his eyes at me before speaking ¡°What Tama doin here, Where sensei?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I am a full fledged Ninja now Grok! I finally got promoted!¡± I said excitedly, as I rolled on the balls of my feet. Every single goblin around me took another massive step backwards.


    ¡°Oh, That is good, you out in world now, fighting bad?¡± Grok asked casually


    ¡°Nya! But what are you doing out here Grok? Tama thought your home was Trelloark?¡±


    Groks face took on a dark look ¡°Tama, you know big smelly skelly?¡±. Every single goblin looked uncomfortable suddenly and you could hear murmuring.


    I paused as I considered his words before it hit me ¡°Do you mean the lich Grok?¡± I asked curiously. I leaned in as I asked, tilting my head. The goblins nearest to me panicked and jumped back, two of them just fell over, passed out.


    I had enough. I stood straight up and shouted ¡°Tama is not going to kill any of you as long as you listen to Tama and her friends!¡± I looked around at the goblins seriously as I spoke. A few more fell to the ground from my shout, but the rest visibly relaxed.


    I was used to these goblins'' antics, After all I had been friends with them ever since I was ten years old. So I ignored the goblins as they dispersed, most likely off to do their duties. I looked over at Grok and he nodded, I frowned at him.


    ¡°We fight lich, we kills him, we use numbers to win!¡± Grok said as he raised a fist up. A resounding cheer from the dispersing goblins rose into the night.


    I blanched at his proclamation, horror written all over my face. my tail drooped and my ears flattened. ¡°Grok, that''s suicide! You can¡¯t win against him!¡± I said pleadingly.


    ¡°Grok cannot win many things, but together, we are strong! we over¡­¡± Grok trailed off as he tried to start counting, made it to four and had to stop. ¡°Lot¡¯s! we have lots and lots!¡±


    I considered his words, trying to find a way to explain to him that killing the lich was impossible for him and his tribe. An idea hit me and I smiled widely. ¡°Nya! Grok, Tama has an amazing idea, why don¡¯t you ask Tama¡¯s friend Saki for help! she is the Foxkin in there! She is the smartest, most amazing person Tama knows! if she can¡¯t figure it out, no one can!¡±


    Grok seemed to consider my words for what felt like an eternity, I felt myself about to pass out myself from boredom when Grok finally spoke ¡°Ok, Grok listen to this smartest person, If Tama say she smart, she must be super smart!¡±


    I smiled and nodded excitedly before yawning. ¡°Tama is tired, she is going to sleep now!¡±


    Grok nodded and turned, walking away. Rylan looked at me. ¡°What now?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°Tama is going to bed now, but Rylan can do what he wants¡­¡± I paused for a moment before adding ¡°If Rylan wants, Tama and Rylan can share a bed!¡±


    Rylan looked at me for a long moment before asking ¡°Tama, are you asking me to have sex with you after a battle that lasted over an hour and almost killed all of us?¡±


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    I blinked at him ¡°Nya! What is sex? Is it food? Tama is hungry¡± my tail swished back and forth as I looked at him curiously.


    He stared at me for a long moment before simply saying ¡°I¡¯m going to bed Tama.¡± He then turned and walked to the nearest goblin who led him to a tent nearby.


    I felt my cheeks flush red, what was sex and why had that made him want to go to sleep?!


    I was tempted to follow him and ask, but instead I simply removed my clothes and laid down on the ground next to the cage. Tera was asleep, She wouldn¡¯t see me like this, and I didn¡¯t like the goblins'' uncomfy beds.


    The next morning, I woke up when I heard a voice say my name ¡°Tama¡­ ¡°. I got up, pulled my clothes on and looked at Rylan. He looked at me strangely before asking ¡°Do you always sleep naked?¡±


    I nodded and smiled ¡°Nya! Tama hates clothes!¡± My tail wagged and I felt my cheeks warm up as I looked at Rylan. He was so cute, I resisted the urge to touch his belly. He still didn¡¯t have clothes on and his bare skin was visible. My thighs felt wet and I felt my breathing getting heavier.


    He watched me for a moment before walking over to the cage. He looked at Saki and Tera for a moment before saying one word ¡°weak¡±


    I nodded at him when he turned to face me. They were weak, it was a sad but true fact. ¡°Tama will always do her best to protect Saki!¡± I said


    ¡°Just don¡¯t coddle her Tama, she will grow too reliant on you and get herself killed.¡± He said quietly.


    There was a moment of silence before he continued. ¡°one of the goblins told me there was an arena nearby?¡±


    I nodded ¡°All goblin camps have entertainment!¡± I swished my tail excitedly at the memories of me in the arena, killing lions and bears with my bare hands. Good times, I smiled as I reminisced.


    Rylan looked at me for a moment ¡°What kind of things do you fight, more goblins?¡± He sounded like the last thing he wanted was to fight more goblins.


    ¡°No, Tama will come with you, she wants to watch Rylan fight bears and stuff!¡± I said excitedly. The thought of Rylan naked fighting a bear made Tama feel deeply emotional in a way she didn¡¯t understand, and she liked it.


    Rylan simply nodded, and the two of us made our way through the camp until we reached a large open area with a large pit. In the pit, five goblins were fighting an ooze. I watched as the ooze won the fight handily, Consuming the goblins one by one.


    Rylan had walked over to the goblin on the stand and they were talking


    ¡°So, you''re saying I can get in and fight by myself if I wanted to?¡± I heard Rylan say


    ¡°Of course, simply name the creature and if we have it, you can hop in and face it! good combat training!¡± The goblin said he was clearly of the hob variety, more intelligent then the normal goblins.


    Grok commanded a lot of respect from the Hobgoblins. I never understood why. Then again, all goblins respected strength, and Grok was the strongest goblin I had ever known.


    I watched as Rylan hopped into the fighting arena and pounded his fists together, causing his belly and boobs to jiggle.


    I fell to my knees and covered my legs, I felt something dripping and watching him made it worse. But I didn¡¯t want to stop.


    A bear suddenly entered the center of the area, it was pretty big at about thirteen feet tall standing. Rylan and the bear started to fight. It was so hot, I found myself panting uncontrollably as I watched. My fingers began to move down when I was interrupted by a goblin.


    I almost killed him on the spot until he spoke ¡°Tama, yer friend awake¡± I paused, dagger at his throat before slowly putting it away. He looked terrified.


    He pointed towards where the cage was and I looked over where he was pointing. I stood and with slightly shaky legs I walked over to the cage. Inside the cage, Saki had woken up and climbed to her feet.


    In the daylight I could see her head was caked in blood and dirt. I felt my anger surged but I held it down. That was in the past, Grok had already said sorry. Right? I frowned as I don¡¯t recall Grok ever apologizing. I watched as Saki stepped on Tera by accident before looking down at her. she bent down and pushed her hands on Tera''s chest.


    I frowned at that. Why was Saki allowed to touch Tera¡¯s breast¡¯s but I wasn¡¯t? It didn¡¯t matter, I reminded myself. I was just glad Saki was okay.


    ¡°Nya! You¡¯re awake! Tama is so happy Saki is alive!¡± I said excitedly as I rolled on the balls of my feet.


    I looked down at the small goblin, crossed my arms and glared at him. ¡°Open the cage! Your chief said too!¡±


    The goblin scowled at me as he struggled with the keys. ¡°Quit yer yapping, girly. I know what my chief said, and I¡¯m working on it. Go be a pest somewhere else!¡±


    The little goblin fumbled with a ring of keys, muttering under his breath as he tried each one. Finally, with a soft click, the door to Saki and Tera¡¯s cage opened.


    Saki stared open mouthed at me like the goblins did a lot. I ignored her silliness and turned to the goblin.


    ¡°Nya! Good Goblin, now go tell Grok for medical supplies, my friends are hurt!¡± I said in a lighthearted playful tone.


    The goblin just stared at me for a very long time, I was about to stab him in the face when he finally turned and walked away.


    I instantly turned to Saki, Fear and worry crossing my face as I told her what Grok was planning. ¡°Saki, it¡¯s terrible¡­¡± I felt my voice break as I spoke. ¡°The goblins have created a massive horde to fight the undead lich! Tama tried to warn them against this, but they wouldn¡¯t listen! They say the lich must pay for his crimes against their people¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, hold up! How are you talking to goblins!?¡± Saki  said, her voice higher pitched.


    I tilted my head at her in puzzlement, wasn¡¯t everyone friends with goblins? My ears perked up and my tail began to wag as I explained. ¡°Tama is friends with this goblin tribe. They are from the Trelloark Forest, known as the Grub¡¯tera Tribe. Their chief is a big softie, he talks all big, but Tama knows him well!¡±


    ¡°Knows.. him¡­ well¡­¡± Saki said, she seemed to be stuttering her words. I worried she might have a concussion.


    ¡°Tama, do you know any dragons?¡± Saki suddenly asked.


    It was a strange question but Saki must have a reason for asking so I answered honestly. ¡°Only the ones to the north of Trelloark, They sometimes visited, Mantheria is very friendly. She doesn¡¯t like the goblin¡¯s though!¡±


    ¡°You see Saki, Tama talked to Grok, he is going to try and fight the lich! Grok has lots of goblins, and a whole army with his tribe. But he has no chance of winning. The goblins aren¡¯t super smart like you, but they are good people! The lich is super duper strong and powerful!¡±


    I noticed Saki¡¯s eyes had gone distant, she did that when she was thinking. She suddenly laughed without warning, causing me to become upset.


    ¡°Saki! it¡¯s not funny! You have to help Tama convince Grok That fighting the lich is suicide for him and his entire tribe!¡± I said urgently, I bounced on my toes as I spoke.


    Saki seemed to think for another moment before saying ¡°I mean, the goblin army is massive Tama, they might be able to overwhelm the lich with just pure numbers.¡±


    I stared at her for a long moment, Saki was the smartest person I knew, she had to know that was the stupidest thing ever. I gave her a pleading look before saying ¡°The undead already killed my sensei, I don¡¯t want them to kill Grok too!¡±


    Saki¡¯s whole body suddenly went still and she seemed to twitch. After a moment she said ¡°What¡­¡± Followed by silence for what felt like an eternity, I tried talking to her but she was unresponsive.


    Suddenly, she spoke again ¡°Tama What do you mean, your sensei is dead¡±


    I had no words, watching Saki¡¯s reaction only reopened the wounds I thought I had closed. Tears filled my eyes. After a moment I mustered up the control to respond. ¡°Please Saki, Tama doesn¡¯t want Grok to die too,Tama is tired of her friends being hurt.¡±


    Saki seemed in a daze for a moment longer before responding, Her voice sounded unnatural. ¡°Of course Tama, let¡¯s go find Grok, and talk to him. We can come up with a plan.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop the goblin army Tama¡± Saki said quietly. my eyes widened and I went to respond but Saki held up her hand before continuing ¡°But, we can stay and help them with everything we have.¡±


    I paused as I considered her words. If what Saki said was true, then there must be a way to beat the lich! Saki would not send us to our deaths! I made a serious face and said ¡°Nya! We will kill the Lich Saki!¡±. I was fully confident that if Saki had a plan, we would win!


    ¡°Indeed Tama, Indeed.¡± Saki said, a look of exhaustion on her face. She turned to face me and asked ¡°¡°By the way, where is Rylan?¡± she tilted my head at me slightly, her Tail casually swaying behind her as her ears perked up.


    I paused for a moment as the memory of Rylan naked fighting a bear resurfaced. ¡°Well, Rylan said he wanted to see the arena¡± I put my hands behind my back to stop from touching down there. My cheeks flushed red as I imagined wrestling with Rylan too.. ¡°Tama was watching him fight earlier.¡±


    My tail swished back and forth ¡°The way his belly bounces when he swings¡± I giggled and began rubbing my legs together, it felt super good.


    Goblins showed up carrying the bandages and salve. I remembered having to use some of those on goblin kids when they would hurt themselves. The goblins learned to use them from as early as three years old.


    Saki started talking to the Goblins, but the thought of Rylan naked in the arena fighting a bear was making me so excited. Knowing Saki was okay and would take care of Tera made me feel better about them.


    I wandered back to the arena just as Rylan strangled the bear to death.

 Chapter Twenty: Jiggle – TAMA

    After Rylan finished killing the bear with his bare hands. I clapped excitedly as I jumped up and down on the balls of my feet.


    I heard him before I saw him. I jumped, doing a spin in the air. As I turned and looked under me. Where I had just been, a very special boar passed under me and crashed into the arena.


    His squeal as he fell into the arena was deafening. Causing my ears to flatten by instinct.


    My joy was endless, I watched as my two favorite living men in life squared up and started to fight.


    The fight lasted a total of ten seconds. The amount of time for Jiggle to ram into Rylan.


    Rylan had tried to grab him and hold him in place. A foolish mistake, Jiggle wasn''t able to be stopped during his charge.


    I giggled as Rylan went flying into a nearby wall leaving a crater.


    He reminded me of Tera in that instant. Except he was naked as he climbed out of the hole and rushed the boar in anger.


    I couldn''t help myself, my excitement overwhelmed me.  ¡°Jiggle!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs. My heart was racing a million miles an hour. I hadn¡¯t seen him since¡­ I shook those thoughts away, focusing on the moment and how happy I was that Jiggle was here.


    Jiggle faced me and huffed, causing the nearby dirt to fly into the air. Even so, it couldn¡¯t cover his enormous bulk. He stomped his right hoof a few times and lowered his head, I grinned.


    His speed was fast compared to Saki by a wide margin, but compared to me or Sensei, he might as well have been moving in slow motion. His charge kicked up dirt behind him as he made a beeline for me.


    I jumped back into the air, using his back and a launchpad to shoot myself over to Rylan. I quickly checked Rylan for any severe injuries. He was breathing, if severely bruised. The bear had barely hurt Rylan, Jiggle had devastated the man in one hit.


    I smiled at Rylan, he looked up, coughed up blood and smiled back. He wore a gleam in his eye, one I recognized when sensei would pick fights. One I most likely wore when I fought. The joy of fighting a fun opponent.


    I turned back as Jiggle hadn¡¯t stopped, he had been going too fast and couldn¡¯t stop quickly. He charged towards a tent. He killed a few goblins who were unfortunate enough to be in his path, but most managed to dodge if only barely.


    The chief¡¯s tent flap opened and I saw Saki for a split second before Jiggle hit her full force. She was thrown backwards into the tent and amusement flooded me for a second.. Rylan was able to stand up to Jiggle barely, Saki never would have stood a chance.


    Saki would be hurt, but not dead though, as such I fell over laughing as Jiggle sent Saki flying. He really was just the most adorable little boar. I am so happy he is alive and well!


    I had feared the worst with sensei and his¡­ I shook my head again and stood up straight. I jumped out of the arena and dashed into the chief''s tent after Jiggle. I waved hi to Grok who looked dismayed at me. I simply giggled and gave him a thumbs up, he put his hand on his face palm facing for some reason.


    I ignored Grok''s silly antic¡¯s and said ¡°Nya! Please take care of Tama¡¯s clothes Grok!¡±. I wanted to wrestle Jiggle myself, no way was I going to let Saki have all the fun.


    I took off my gi quickly, leaving my underwear on because I knew Saki would frown if I took everything off. I threw my gi at Grok before rushing out of the back of the tent. I saw Saki had put up a wall of stone. Silly Saki, Jiggle breaks through stone easily! It''s why sensei needed to enchant the chicken coop to prevent the crazy pig from forcing his way in!


    As expected, Jiggle went through the stone like it was made of paper and made for Saki, but it was my turn!


    I ran to his side and rammed into him right before he reached Saki, throwing him off his feet and the two of us rolled around. ¡°Bad Jiggle! Don¡¯t attack Tama¡¯s friends!¡± I said as I giggled madly.


    Jiggle managed to shift himself to land on his feet and still slid back a few feet. He went to charge me again, but this time I sprayed his face with water and irritated him before jumping onto his back. I didn¡¯t have trees for him to ram nearby, only weak goblin tents and tables. So instead I made my water chain and wrapped it around his tusks.


    Using the chains, I was able to guide Jiggle where I wanted. The realization struck me and I suddenly had an amazing idea¡­


    I quickly leaned forward and pulled on the chains ¡°Okay Jiggle! You get to be Tama¡¯s battle mount! charge!¡±


    Instead, he tried and failed to throw me off repeatedly. ¡°Come now Jiggle! You can do better than that!¡± I started with an amused smile. I sprayed more water in his face until he finally stopped..


    I looked up and noticed Saki. She was holding a long stick, her left hand on her lower back. She was walking back to Grok¡¯s tent. I called out to her ¡°Tama is going to play with Jiggle more!¡±


    She looked over at me and simply nodded, looking unamused before responding ¡°That¡¯s fine Tama, just please keep that thing away from me. She pointed at Jiggle with irritation, Jiggle¡¯s response was to huff and stomp his right hoof. I sprayed more water in his face before he could charge again.


    After Saki went back into the tent, the goblins began patching the hole. I started trying to guide Jiggle¡¯s charges. At first he didn¡¯t want to go in the direction I wanted him to, but I made up a system of sorts. I would kick him in the side and lean forward, this would make him go forward.


    If he didn¡¯t I sprayed him in the face with water. Eventually he figured out if he moved when I did that he wouldn¡¯t get sprayed. I always knew Jiggle was super smart! It only took him a few hours! His brothers and sisters would have taken days to figure that out.


    As the sun went away and night covered the area, Jiggle had learned to follow my directions. Rylan had come by and picked a fight with the boar, but was once again quickly blasted into  and out of a nearby tent within seconds. I actually rode Jiggle while he did it this time. I felt when Jiggle made an impact, I felt as Jiggle charged, it was slower then I was used to when moving fast on my own, and not by much.


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    Rylan seemed to be having the time of his life, he challenged Jiggle lot¡¯s of times and lost every time. He was never discouraged though and it only made me more excited. Rylan was truly amazing, Even though he was outmatched he never gave up, he seemed to enjoy himself despite the pain. Something I could easily understand.


    As the sun began to set, I wondered idly where Tera was. Rylan had finally given in to his exhaustion and passed out after nearly eight straight hours of fighting Jiggle and had simply collapsed. Jiggle had tried to charge him but I sprayed water in his face until he gave up.


    I looked over at some nearby goblins and pointed at them ¡°Nya! Please take Rylan to the medical tent and heal him!¡± I said with a smile. One of the goblins fainted, the rest ignored him and nodded. Rushing over and working together to barely lift the unconscious Rylan, and drag him to a medical tent. I debated following them but wanted to find Saki or Tera.


    So instead, I, still on my mighty mount! Began searching for Saki or Tera. I found them both in the chief''s tent with Grok. The three of them were talking about the lich, however as I walked in, having to duck as Jiggle under me made me a little too tall for the tent flap.


    ¡°Look, every time one of your goblins die, the lich gains another ally.¡± Tera said, she sounded flustered. ¡°Your numbers are literally meaningless, The royal army has been gathering forces just north of Trissaile and will be moving towards the lich shortly, their spell casters have ways of stopping the undead and preventing undeath.¡±


    ¡°We both know if what Grok says is true, the Royal army will not make it in time Tera! We can¡¯t leave an entire town of people to die!¡± Saki spat back, she was clearly very angry about the conversation, and in a losing battle based on the way Grok looked uncertain about the fight since the first time I had seen him.


    ¡°And you think we will make it in time, Saki? Be reasonable! It¡¯s three days'' travel away compared to the royal army''s five, that''s hardly a difference. Drestor has Talia and she can hold off a lich for five days, Saki!¡± Tera¡¯s response was emphatic as she laid out her point.


    ¡°But we can help her!¡± Saki said slamming the table, causing the table to shatter and fall onto the ground, the battle map being caught by Grok who simply took a step back and watched the two girls fighting.


    He looked back and forth, very uncertain about what to do. He seemed to agree with Tera¡¯s points, but I could clearly see he wanted to believe Saki¡¯s words about them making a difference.


    I didn¡¯t understand people that well, but Grok was a goblin, I understood goblins, and Grok was clearly torn between his desire to kill the lich and the pragmatic and sobering view Tera was preaching.


    ¡°As if you care about anyone but you or Tama, Saki!¡± Tera said in anger ¡°I was wrong when I said you didn¡¯t care about Tama, it¡¯s been made clear as day you care for her more than anyone. The key point there is anyone. You clearly don¡¯t and until meeting Tama, never had, cared about anyone is your damn life Saki. Let''s be honest, you''re doing this for revenge. You think you''re the only one who has lost friends to that.. thing?! But throwing these goblins and our own lives away on a foolish assault that we both know will fail is suicide and will only make that damn thing stronger!¡±


    Silence filled the hall, I slowly and quietly slid off Jiggles side. The boar grunted quietly, but even he took the mood in the room and stayed mostly quiet. I made eye contact with him and spoke silently, <i>go eat Jiggle.</i>


    Jiggle turned, and left out the tent. I turned as well, but faced the trio. It seemed the battle plan wasn¡¯t going well.


    ¡°Nya! Saki, Tera! fighting each other will not kill the lich!¡± I said with a loud and clear voice. I stood tall and pointed towards them. ¡° We have the greatest living ninja and the smarterest person that ninja knows. Tama knows we are more than capable of killing some smelly old lich!¡±


    Their reactions differed greatly. Saki blushed and smiled at me, Grok¡¯s eyes lit up and he grinned, nodding happily. Tera actively deflated and looked into my eyes with sadness. ¡°Please Tama, I understand you are amazing and perfect and¡­¡± She stopped herself for a moment before continuing. ¡°But you can¡¯t protect everyone, The goblin wave that took us out showed that. You might be able to fight their armies, but even you can¡¯t do it alone my mighty empress.¡±


    She seemed to give up avoiding the word empress and just said it. I winced but said nothing about it. ¡°Tama doesn¡¯t need to protect everyone, We were caught off guard by the goblins, even then they gave up when it came to Tama¡¯s might!¡±


    Grok actually nodded vigorously at that and jumped up and down ¡°Yea! wit Tama we iz gonna win! te smarterest fox lady said so!¡±


    Tera looked uncertainly around the room for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. She stepped forward and looked at me for a long moment before she spoke. ¡°Fine, I can¡¯t stop you, my empress, ruler of my kingdom, queen of my existence. It¡¯s clear you wish to see Saki¡¯s suicidal plan to the very end. But please, great one, allow me to protect you and be your shield. I cannot sit idly by and let you run to your death.¡±


    I stood, completely stiff at her phrasing, she had stopped doing that when I had gotten back, but now she was back with it. I wondered why. Saki seemed to know but¡­


    ¡°I am glad you agree, Tera, though I expected nothing less when Tama took our side. So will you help us plan now instead of shooting holes in our plans?¡± Saki said with irritation in her voice.


    Tera didn¡¯t respond, she continued looking into my eyes. I knew what she wanted, I didn¡¯t want to give it. But after everything¡­ I looked deep into Tera¡¯s eyes and asked softly ¡°Is it really what Tera wants? Tama will only do this if it''s what Tera wants, and only if Tera promises to help.¡±


    Tera didn¡¯t even stutter in her response. ¡°Yes, my empress, I wish more than anything for such an honor.¡± She looked at me determined.


    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously expect Tama to do that Tera! You know she hates being that way! She doesn¡¯t even understand¡­¡± Saki began but I spoke over her with sadness in my voice. My tone, imperious with tears in my eyes.


    ¡°Teranthia Tulip, ¡° I said, my voice quivering slightly as I remembered what Saki had called her after she thought I left. ¡°Princess Tama hereby decrees you as her royal protector, Your life is Tama¡¯s.¡±


    My words were simple, but the point was made clear. The room reacted differently once again. Grok looked puzzled, Saki¡¯s eyes had widened and her mouth was hanging open.


    But Tera, her response was the most drastic. Tears filled her eyes and she bent until her head touched the floor. ¡°I accept this greatest honor my Empress, I shall never let you fall!¡±


    After that, silence filled the room for a very uncomfortable amount of time. It was Saki who spoke next.  ¡°You knew the whole time!¡± She said, her voice incredulous as she continued. ¡°And.. and you didn¡¯t say anything!¡± She looked at me in disbelief.


    Though I thought there would be betrayal in Saki¡¯s eyes. I didn¡¯t see it, I only saw confusion and shock. Like she had always suspected but didn¡¯t question.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just nodded then thought better of it. ¡°Nya, and no¡­ Tama doesn¡¯t understand everything. But Tama knows her words did weird things to people. Tama is not dumb! Tama knows she is a princess of Arrisaile too, but she doesn¡¯t want to be.¡±


    ¡°Trissaile, my empress,¡± Tera said quietly behind me. ¡°Nya! That place!¡± I continued, ignoring her and continuing on. ¡°Tama is, and always has been Tama, She is not special, she doesn''t want to be special. Tama wants Tera to feel better, so Tama gave Tera what she wanted. But Tama doesn¡¯t like it!¡±


    Saki smiled at me as tears filled her eyes. She said nothing, instead she ran over to me and hugged me. I was surprised for a moment, but slowly I smiled and closed my eyes before wrapping my arms around Saki, my best friend and royal advisor. Our tails wrapped around each other and I felt her fox fur on my back rubbing gently.


    Reminding me I was still in my underwear and covered in dried mud. Which was now getting on Saki, who seemed to actually notice for the first time. She stiffened, but instead of letting go, held on tighter.


    ¡°Soz, we gunna fight de smelly guy?¡± I heard Grok say quietly, still standing around twenty feet from all of us. ¡°or is de scary ladies gunna fight again?¡±