《Kitsune in the Shadows》 Prologue Prologue I¡¯m glad the uni decided to keep their doors open 24/7 this year, although that is a more recent development. If they weren¡¯t open, I would probably be beside myself worrying about just how I was supposed to finish this coursework on time. My trusty laptop had finally given up on me after being quite frankly abused over the last eight years. Fortunately, I had rather uncharacteristically decided to make a backup of the project on a USB. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t bother, but I just felt that it was about time for something not to go my way. Thanks to that, all I had to do was run to the uni so I could finish it off in one of the computer labs. Although, I do still need to figure out what to do about my laptop in the long term. I pushed that thought out of my mind so I could focus on what I had in front of me. Many hours passed as I stuck my head down to get this coursework done. It had been a while since I¡¯d had to work into the night, though I can¡¯t exactly say I¡¯m unfamiliar with being forced to pull an all-nighter. I had just finished with the final touches when the time passed 3 am, and all that was left to do was submit it online, which I did without any issues. Thankfully. ¡°Almost done, just a little more.¡± I don¡¯t know just how many times I have said that to myself over the years, but that doesn¡¯t really matter. Every time I finished something like this it meant that I was one step closer to really getting my life started. Though the end had never felt quite as close as it did at that moment. All that was left to finish was my dissertation; then, I would finally be free. I pulled out my phone to check my messages just in case someone had tried to contact me, and I noticed that my mother sent me a message four hours ago. ¡®How are you doing?¡¯ My next thought was something along the lines of ¡®This is going to hurt¡¯, but strangely it didn¡¯t. Instead, I felt nothing. Not in the sense that nothing is wrong, but just, nothing. ... What even is nothing? I always thought it would be something like an endless black void, but it turns out that nothing doesn¡¯t even have that. Did you know that time is something? I didn¡¯t think so, at least until actually experiencing nothing.¡¯ ... Do I even count as something anymore?¡¯ Maybe?... ... .. . Chapter 1 – My Chance Chapter 1 ¨C My Chance *Thud* Pain... I felt... pain... Slowly, my eyelids opened, and I was greeted by something I thought I would never see again. Something lined with cobblestones and caked in a layer of mud. The floor. It was the floor. My arms started to try and lift me up off of the ground. It felt strange to move my body again, but despite that, what my mind was focused on was the sharp pain in my palm where it was being poked by a stone. Just how long has it been since I could feel something? While it should¡¯ve hurt, such a mild inconvenience was surprisingly reassuring. It meant that this might be more than just a dream. After putting in a surprising amount of effort, I finally managed to prop myself up against a wall. Almost immediately after I relaxed my arms, my mind started trying to understand what was going on. Where am I? My eyes looked around the area, trying to pick out anything remotely familiar. But with no luck. There were two walls made from large stone bricks, the one that I was leaning against and one only about two steps in front. To my right, there was a dead end, and to my left was an opening that let a small amount of sunlight in. It was an alley, a dark, damp alley. Since there was nothing that I recognised, I just moved on to the next question on my mind, hoping that would be more helpful. Who am I? I pulled myself over to a nearby puddle, slowly starting to get the hang of moving my limbs again. What stared back at me through the muddy water was a young girl with pale grey eyes. She was probably no older than seven years old. She had a delicate face framed by pure white hair. However, by far, the most striking feature had to be the two large fox ears adorning the top of her head, although there definitely was some competition coming from the fluffy tail waving just behind her head. What am I? After seeing my reflection, I tried to think back to what I looked like before, but there was nothing. I couldn¡¯t remember what I looked like before now. In a panic, I tried to think back and recall anything about myself. What was I doing before now? Where did I live? What was my name? But again, there was just nothing. I can¡¯t remember... It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t remember anything, but there is nothing specific. Whenever I tried to remember who I was, all I recalled was white noise, as if the information had been scrubbed from my mind. Then what am I supposed to do now? ... ¡°W-we need to move on soon, o-or you will be late for your visit to the temple¡±, an unknown voice sheepishly squeaked out. ¡°Tsk, fine. But first, I need to procure a new cane. It would not be appropriate to bring that, thing¡¯s, blood into the temple.¡± ¡°Y-yes, my Lord¡± He started to turn away from me, but just before he started to walk away with his attendant, he made sure to throw the stained handkerchief at me. ¡°I also need to buy a new handkerchief!¡± He barked, ¡°I can¡¯t use this one anymore.¡± ¡°Y-yes, my Lord, right away.¡± With that final remark, he finally left me alone, crumpled on the floor. Tears were streaming uncontrollably from my eyelids, mixing with the blood strewn haphazardly across the floor. I just lay there... Crying... My mind swirled with thoughts that questioned and condemned my prior confidence. Am I not allowed to just live my life? Why did I even try? ... What else am I supposed to do? ... The sun had started to set, and I was still just lying on the floor. My wounds had stopped bleeding at some point, but I didn¡¯t have the strength or the resolve to get back up on my feet. Nobody came to help; everyone just ignored me. I was, alone. What can I even do? Survive? Can I even do that? Summoning whatever strength I had left, I slowly and painfully dragged my body over the cobblestones back into the alley. Out of view, where nobody would find me. I made my way all the way to the dead end at the far end of the alley and curled up in the darkest corner. Maybe if I make it another day, things will change. As my eyelids started to feel heavy, my tail waved in front of my face, so I grabbed it in a tight hug. At least I have this much... With that last thought, I finally closed my eyes, hoping deep down that all of this was just a passing nightmare and nothing more. Chapter 2 – It’s Raining Food Chapter 2 ¨C It¡¯s Raining Food Back in the alleys of the shopping street, I waited. It has been about a month of doing this, and it¡¯s safe to say that it isn¡¯t just a nightmare. If anything, a nightmare would be better than this because, at least then, there is a way out. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t another encounter quite as bad as that first meeting with that bulbous pig. But that isn¡¯t to say the other people treat me much better. I peeked out from the alley a bit further down the street than where I was when I first woke up. This section of the street focused much more on food; in particular, there was a fruit stall and a bakery here, which were both quite popular. It was almost time for the regular lunch rush, and a few people had already started to crowd around the stalls. ¡°Tsk, not enough people yet,¡± I muttered to myself out of frustration. After many attempts of trying to talk to the people on this street, I managed to learn why everybody hated me so much. It¡¯s my hair. For some reason, everyone here thinks that pure white hair is a sign of a heretic. That¡¯s it. I don¡¯t know why, but just having white hair is enough to be branded a heretic. The only saving grace is that nobody seems to be willing to go any further than physical abuse. Even that bulbous pig complained about not being able to kill me. Well, there is one other thing that this hair lets me do, but it¡¯s not exactly pleasant. ... Just go and get it over with. The crowd had finally grown to a decent size, which meant it was time for me to make my appearance. I cautiously made my way out into the street, and nobody took notice. They were too busy trying to fight their way through the crowd so they could buy their lunch. Using this to my advantage, I approached a man who was busy inspecting an apple from the fruit stall and gently tugged on the hem of his shirt. Once I was left with only the edible food, I started to count what I had. It seemed like the haul would last me for at least a few days. Hopefully, that is enough time for my injuries to heal up enough to do this again. I pulled out an apple with a red stain on it and brushed it against my clothing to try and get as much of the blood off it as possible before biting into it. It¡¯s sweet Savouring the apple, things started to seem a little better, but the fleeting bliss disappeared along with the apple as I was abruptly brought back to reality. I let out a heavy sigh before getting up and limping towards the only safe place I know. After about a week of staying in the ally where I first woke up, one of the shop owners came and chased me out, yelling about how I was affecting his business. Fortunately for me, it led me to find a better place. The shopping street led to a large square, although saying that it was shaped more like a rectangle. On one of the short sides, there was a temple. It was a large building surrounded by pillars engraved with various murals, although by far, the most striking thing about the building was the pure black stone it was made from. On the opposite side of the square, there was an almost identical building, although rather than black stone, it was made entirely from white stone. The white stone temple was always busy, but everyone seemed to avoid the black stone temple. For some reason, not a single person has visited since I found the place, but that made it the perfect place for me to hide. After I arrived at the temple and did what I could to tend to my wounds, the sun started to fall below the horizon. Is this ever going to end? There¡¯s nothing I can do to stop people from hating me, so does that mean I just have to keep surviving like this? ¡°If someone is watching, please give me something... Just a way to hide my hair... Maybe then things can change...¡± I know that there probably isn¡¯t anyone listening, but just maybe... Finishing those last thoughts, my tail moved in front of me instinctively. ¡°Guess it¡¯s time to sleep¡± Chapter 3 – A Flustered Goddess Chapter 3 ¨C A Flustered Goddess [??? POV] I don¡¯t know what to do. One day, this shabby-looking fluffy thing just showed up outside my temple. This has never happened before. Everyone¡¯s supposed to avoid my temple. Despite that, there was this small ball of white fluff huddled up against one of the pillars. It¡¯s really cute, and fluffy, and... sad? Wait, why is it sad? I don¡¯t want it to be sad... What do I do to stop it being sad? ¡°Maybe, I can just get rid of what is making them sad?¡± But I don¡¯t know what is making them sad. ¡°Maybe I can go and give them something?¡± But I don¡¯t have permission to go down there. While I was trying to come up with a solution, the fluffy thing suddenly said something under its breath. ¡°If someone is watching, please give me something... Just a way to hide my hair... Maybe then things can change...¡± ¡°I can do that!¡± I back shouted in response, ¡°I can give you a Blessing of Darkness!¡± Without wasting any time, I tried to give my Blessing to the fluffy thing. But it didn¡¯t work... Wait, it didn¡¯t work? Why didn¡¯t it work? I know that it was my first time blessing someone, but it should just work. ¡°M-maybe that was just a fluke... I-I¡¯ll just try again,¡± I said to myself, trying not to lose my previous burst of confidence. Same result... But I can¡¯t just not give my Blessing to the fluffy thing. I don¡¯t know why, but I just do not want this ball of fluff to stay sad. Just watching the fluffy thing cuddle up with its tail to go to sleep while hiding its tears tugged at my heart. I tried to come up with a solution, but nothing came to mind. ¡°How could I fix this?... I don¡¯t even know what the problem is.¡± Maybe Ellaria knows... She has blessed a lot of people before. She probably knows what¡¯s happening. Before I had the chance to think about anything else, I had already rushed out of my domain and headed over to Ellaria¡¯s place. When I arrived, I threw the door open and just blurted everything out, ¡°Ellaria! Fluffy thing! Hair! Hide! Blessing! Not working!¡± In response, she just stared blankly at me as if I was mad. ¡°Ellaria!¡± I shouted again. That seemed to force her out of her daze, and she started to talk. ¡°Sister? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Fluffy thing! Blessing not working!¡± I said with my arms flailing around, trying to act out the situation. ¡°Hold on.¡± Ellaria rested her head in her hand, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for at least a couple hundred years, and you just suddenly show up screaming about a ¡®fluffy thing¡¯ and a blessing that isn¡¯t working?¡± I immediately sat back down and gave my full attention to Ellaria. ¡°Being that I am the Goddess of Light, I should be able to temporarily suppress her Light affinity so that you could try to give her your Blessing.¡± ¡°Then, what are you waiting for?¡± ¡°You see, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to completely suppress her Light affinity. Her affinity for Light Magic is even higher than my natural affinity.¡± Neither of us said anything for a moment as I processed what Ellaria had told me. ¡°But, t-there¡¯s a chance?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then... I want to try.¡± If there is even a slight chance of this working, then I want to give it a go. If it doesn¡¯t work, then I¡¯ll just find something else. I won¡¯t stop until I at least do something for the little kit. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it,¡± Ellaria said as she stood up, ¡°No time like the present.¡± She placed her hand on the panel that she was using to view the little kit, and it started to glow softly. ¡°Now¡¯s your chance.¡± I closed my eyes and tried to bless the little kit, but it was rejected again. ... Not good enough. I kept trying, putting everything I had into getting this Blessing to the little kit. It was like pushing against a brick wall, it just didn¡¯t want to budge. Just a bit more. I pulled what remaining power I had left in me and continued to push. It would probably leave me a bit drained for a while, but that didn¡¯t matter. Then, after just a little more pushing, it felt like the wall collapsed, and all the energy had been sucked out of me. It worked. The Blessing actually went through. ¡°So, does that mean you did it?¡± Ellaria said after seeing me relax and sink into the chair. ¡°I... think... so...¡± Just to make sure it had actually worked, I gestured towards the panel Ellaria had been using so I could check. Looking at the fluffy little kit, it was clear that she had my Blessing, although something did feel a little strange. It¡¯ll probably be fine... I sank even further into the chair, really feeling the wave of exhaustion hit me now that it had all worked out. Although, it seemed like Ellaria still had something to say. ¡°It looks like she¡¯s asleep at the moment; why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to send her a message?¡± ¡°What... do you mean?¡± ¡°You are also the Goddess of Dreams, you should be able to visit her in her dream, no?¡± ¡°Oh yeah... I forgot... I could do that... ¡°Well then, what are you waiting for?¡± I tried to force myself up off the chair but wasn¡¯t quite able to, so Ellaria grabbed my arm and lifted me to my feet. ¡°I wish you luck!¡± I just limply raised my arm in response before making my way back to my domain. I hope I have enough energy left to actually do this. Chapter 4 – The Shadow’s Embrace Chapter 4 ¨C The Shadow¡¯s Embrace It¡¯s cold... But I don¡¯t hate it... I opened my eyes to find... an empty black void... But it didn¡¯t scare me. If anything, it felt relaxing, homey even. There was nothing; it was just me... Or at least that¡¯s what I thought. Without warning, something brushed against my tail, sending a shiver all the way up my spine to the tips of my ears. I instantly turned around, pulling my tail into my chest to keep it safe from whatever was out there. I won¡¯t give you my one comfort in this world. The creature recoiled in response, almost as if it was just as startled as I was. It was a strange sensation; I couldn¡¯t see it, but somehow, I was fully aware of where it was. I just stood there, facing the creature, waiting for it to move again, but it didn¡¯t. It just stood there, facing me. Cautiously, I took a step back, but as I did, the creature took a step forward, maintaining the same distance between us. What am I supposed to do here? My mind was racing, trying to figure out what was going on. But the creature just stayed in place, completely motionless. Seeing this, my mind eventually settled on a single hopeful thought. It isn¡¯t going to hurt me... I think? Deciding to take the risk, I took a step forward while reaching my hand out in front of me. ... The creature didn¡¯t try to keep the distance between us like before. Instead, it just stood there as my hand slowly sunk into its fur. It¡¯s soft. My fingers slowly started to caress the fluffy creature by themselves, savouring the feeling as they glided through the silky fur. The creature didn¡¯t seem to mind this; if anything, they seemed to be enjoying it just as much as I was. This continued on for a little while, at least until the creature decided to move again, this time leaning in towards me. Looking up, it was just about possible to make out a face. It looked like a fox, albeit a very large fox, with deep black fur and matching eyes. It was difficult not to stare into the abyss of those eyes; even being surrounded by darkness, something about those pitch-black eyes stuck out. ¡°Hello...¡± A woman¡¯s voice? I started looking around to try to find where the voice was coming from, but whenever I tried to look around, the fox made sure to get in front of me. ¡°Look... Me...¡± Is it... the fox? While trying to figure out what this was, a tendril from my own shadow started to crawl up my leg. I immediately jumped to my feet, but that didn¡¯t stop it. The shadow continued to climb up my body until it reached the palm of my hand, where it joined up with the shadow being cast by the stone. I could feel the shadow as it moved across my body, as wherever it touched rapidly cooled down, although I didn¡¯t find it uncomfortable. It actually felt... comforting? This seems... familiar. And that¡¯s when the pieces started to fall into place in my mind. ¡°The dream...¡± As soon as those words left my lips, I felt the shadow start to squirm again. Looking down at my hand it seemed to be trying to point somewhere. My eyes followed where it was pointing and ended up arriving at one of the stone pillars just in front of me. Engraved into the black stone pillar was a mural of a sleeping nine-tailed fox. I walked up to the pillar and gently brushed my hand against the mural, recalling the feeling of the fox¡¯s fur from my dream. Did I meet a Goddess? ... They did mention a Blessing... ¡°But why?¡± As if responding to my question, the shadow started to move again, rapidly making its way to both my hair and tail before eventually calming down again. At first, it seemed like nothing had happened, aside from a new brisk chill in my tail. But then my tail waved into my peripheral vision... My heart skipped a beat... The once pure white tail was now a deep black, just like the fox¡¯s fur from my dream. My mind immediately realised what this could mean. What if?... I sprinted from the temple, looking for the nearest puddle. I need to know. Once I found one, I immediately fell down to my hands and knees, splattering mud all over myself. ... It was hard to make out much in the puddle due to the ripples coming from the tears that were already streaming down my face. But I could see enough. Someone heard me... Just like my tail, my hair had been stained a deep black. ... ¡°Thank... you...¡± ... ¡°Thank you... So much...¡± ... Chapter 5 – My Reality Chapter 5 ¨C My Reality It¡¯s been a month... I¡¯ve put up with everything for a month... But now... ¡°I¡¯m free...¡± Just hearing those words come from my lips filled me with hope. ¡°I¡¯m finally free... to just live my life.¡± I pulled myself up off the floor and wiped away my tears with my sleeve. This is where I start over. There is just one thing that I want to do first. I want to go back to where it started and do things properly this time. Before I had the chance to think about it anymore, I was already sprinting through the back alleys, heading to the street where it started. The exit to the alley was in front of me before I knew it, but before actually making it out into the street, my legs froze up, almost tripping me up. Should I- ¡°Yes!¡± I interrupted myself before my thoughts could start to spiral out of control, ¡°This is your chance to do it over. Do it properly.¡± Forcing down any doubts, I took a step out into this new world once again. ... What I saw in front of me was the same bustling shopping district lined with decorative storefronts. The same intricate timber-framed buildings. The same extravagant boutique. The same small bakery. The same tailor. The same jeweller. It was all... the same... But it didn¡¯t feel the same... While trying to figure out what was wrong, my eyes instinctively moved to the people walking down the street. Most just ignored me, and the few who didn¡¯t did little more than glance my way before continuing on their way. Nobody is chasing me away, so what¡¯s wrong? This is exactly what I wanted... This was supposed to be my second chance, but something was off. It was like all of the colour had been taken from the world around me. Why don¡¯t I feel anything?... What¡¯s different?... After asking that question in my mind, my lips started to move on their own, as if the answer was all too obvious, ¡°Me...¡± However, I was cut off before I could continue down that line of thought by a man shouting at the top of his lungs, ¡°There!!¡± My eyes and ears instinctively turned towards the source of the noise, but what they ended up finding made my blood run cold. The argument seemed to quickly heat up to the point of becoming physical, and the third knight ended up knocking the first knight down to the floor, prompting the other knight to get between them. Seeing this as my only opportunity, I summoned up whatever strength I had left to force myself to my feet before immediately sprinting around the corner just ahead of me. ¡°Now look what you¡¯ve done. It¡¯s getting away!¡± I didn¡¯t know which knight that was, but it didn¡¯t matter; I needed to get away. Frantically scanning the alley in front of me, I saw that there was a small alcove on my right, so I threw myself into it, scraping my already injured forearm against the cobblestones again. Please don¡¯t find me. As if responding to my thoughts, the shadows in my hair started to move, snaking across my body until I was completely covered. ¡°I swear, if you made us lose her just because you felt sorry for some kid on the streets!¡± The clanking came up right behind me again, and I held my breath with my hands clasped to my mouth. The clanking suddenly stopped... ¡°Where did that damn thing go!¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know?!¡± ¡°Just keep going. She couldn¡¯t have gotten far with that injury.¡± The knights took off running again, the clanking sound slowly getting quieter. I just lay in the alcove, completely still, breathing as little as possible. ... The sun eventually set, covering the alley in darkness. They must be gone now... ... Right?... Cautiously, I peeked out from the alcove, checking that there wasn¡¯t anyone waiting for me to come out. Once I was sure nobody was around anymore, I got up and shuffled back to the black stone temple. Propping myself against the temple wall, I could finally feel my body start to relax and, along with it, the pain from my injuries. It seemed that I wasn¡¯t the only one who was relaxing as the shadows melted out of my hair and tail, returning them to their natural pure white. ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± Tears started streaming down my face, and just like that first day, my tail waved in front of me, knowing what came next. ¡°Is there just nothing I can do?¡± I pushed my face deep into my tail, hoping that, just maybe, I could see that fox from my dream again. At least you listened to me... I lay myself down on the ground and closed my eyes. Is this just... my reality? ... Chapter 6 – A Sister’s Concerns Chapter 6 ¨C A Sister¡¯s Concerns [Ellaria POV] My sister locked herself away many years ago, and no matter what I tried, she never came out of her domain; then, all of a sudden, she¡¯s in my face going on about this ¡®fluffy thing¡¯ she wanted to help. Though I don¡¯t dislike the change, if anything, I welcome it wholeheartedly. I¡¯ve always wanted her to get out a bit more as everyone around here seems to think she¡¯s some dangerous and scary Goddess when, in reality, she¡¯s just the cutest little thing. Because of that, I really need to make sure this little kitsune is doing well; she could go on to change my sister for the better. I pulled up a panel to check on what the little thing had done throughout the day. Starting from when the little thing woke up, it opened on a scene of the little kitsune sitting outside of my sister¡¯s temple, seemingly playing with her shadow. While it was a fun moment and all, something about the shadow in particular stuck out like a sore thumb. ¡°That isn¡¯t Dark Magic.¡± Does that mean the Blessing didn¡¯t work? No, that can¡¯t be the case. My sister checked and said it went through; she wouldn¡¯t lie about that. Maybe it¡¯s a result of us forcing the Blessing onto her? Well, not that it seemed to matter. The little kitsune started crying tears of joy as soon as she saw her new appearance, so I guess she got exactly what she wanted. I wish I could see my sister¡¯s face right now... ... Maybe I¡¯ll go pay her a visit in a bit. I¡¯m sure she will let me in if only to tell me about how happy she made this little kitsune. I started to skip ahead a bit, at least until I saw a strangely familiar face. It was a particularly large man who was staring rather intently at the little kitsune. Now, where have I seen you before?... It¡¯s unusual for some random person to leave an impression on me, so they probably did something noteworthy recently. ... ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. He¡¯s the one who got blacklisted from my temple last month.¡± I¡¯ve never understood these people. You would think they would get the message when something like that happens, but they never do for some reason. They always just blame something else. Getting up out of my seat, I gestured over to another one of the Light Spirits for it to follow me before setting out for my sister¡¯s domain. Once I got there, I noticed that she wasn¡¯t in the main room, which wasn¡¯t that unusual. What was unusual was that a door in the back was left slightly ajar. I made my way over before peeking my head in. ¡°Sister, are you doing alright?¡± After quickly looking around the room to try and find her, my eyes locked onto a mound of black fluff in the corner. ... Walking up to the mound of fluff, I found my sister passed out on top of a pile of plushies, her arms wrapped around a fox plush with pure white fur and pale grey eyes. ¡°When did you make that?¡± I don¡¯t know who I was expecting to answer that... I just decided it would be better to let it be a mystery for now... It seems that she just ended up passing out after she met with the little kitsune in her dreams; it must have ended up taking everything she had in her to give her that blessing and then make her way into her dream. Although she might have also used a bit on that plushie... My eyes once again locked with the plushie¡¯s pale grey eyes. ... ¡°Come on Aria, stop thinking about that.¡± After scolding myself for being strangely obsessed with the existence of this plushie, I turned to the Light Spirit that came with me. ¡°Can you just watch over her and call me when she wakes up?¡± The Spirit didn¡¯t respond and just made its way over to my sister¡¯s side. I should probably prepare to calm her down when she wakes up. ¡°It¡¯ll be a while before she wakes up, at least a year or two... Hopefully, that makes it easier to swallow the news.¡± Having done all I could, I left the room and headed back to my domain. ¡°This should make for a good story at least.¡± Chapter 7 – Hope Only Lasts So Long Chapter 7 ¨C Hope Only Lasts So Long ¡°Seven years... and what do I have to show for it?!¡± ... As I watched the sun set over the city of Casgolau once again, I couldn¡¯t help but look back on all the time I¡¯d spent suffering here. Crouching down, I reached over to my stash and pulled out what was probably a plum, at least before the mould got to it. Good enough. I cut out the rotten parts using a chipped knife that someone dropped in the alleys at some point. Once it looked like only the edible parts remained, I brought the mangled fruit up to my mouth and took a bite. ... ¡°Weren¡¯t these sweet at some point...¡± ... Where did things go wrong? ... I took another bite out of the plum before leaning my back against the wall of the black stone temple. All this time, and nothing has changed. ... Looking down at the half-eaten plum with chunks haphazardly cut out of it, a different realisation dawned on me. Well, that isn¡¯t true... Unfortunately. At some point, the shopkeepers collectively decided it was a good idea to start putting out any rotten fruit they had for sale at a discount. It¡¯s clear they had decided to make use of my food runs just to move unsold fruit. My only saving grace was that some people still bought fresh fruit to throw at me because they wanted it to hurt more, even if it cost them a bit extra. Never thought I¡¯d be happy people were so cruel... Trying to push the thought out of my mind, I took another bite out of the plum. But this time, my mouth was filled with an astringent bitter taste, causing me to spit it out. ¡°Must¡¯ve missed a bit.¡± ... That wasn¡¯t all that changed; that bulbous pig never gave up on trying to find me. He had started to send out daily patrols around when the lunch rush started, although he stopped coming here himself at some point. Luckily, I¡¯d never been caught like I did the first time. However, there were a few times when I was spotted, but it was easy enough to get away, thanks to my shadow. ... I¡¯m pretty sure he died recently. About a month ago, the patrols just stopped. At least they did until a new kid showed up around here calling himself the Baron and cursing me out for cursing his oh-so-majestic father. I would complain that he got off easy, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s true, considering how he looked the last few times I saw him. ... Still wish I got a jab in myself though... ... ¡°Just close up then. I¡¯m not going to let a kid go and get themselves killed.¡± Hearing that, I started to struggle again, but this time, I must¡¯ve caught him a bit off guard as his hand slipped off my shoulder, and I started to run for the gates. Seeing this, the older guard lurched over to stop me. His hand managed to latch onto my hood, abruptly stopping me while also exposing my ears. ¡°Fox ears?...¡± The younger guard muttered. ¡°Ahh, wasn¡¯t that new Baron or something going on about wanting to catch one of these foxes? He wanted one with black hair or white hair, right?¡± The older guard asked. Not now! I tried to remove my cloak, but the older guard clearly learnt from seeing me slip out of the other guard¡¯s grip. He yanked me closer before kneeing me in the stomach, winding me. ¡°Tie it up. It must be the right one if it¡¯s trying to escape at night like this.¡± ¡°But...¡± The younger guard looked down at me, crumpled on the ground and clutching my stomach, ¡°...Sorry... but... I¡¯ve got a family to feed.¡± Why do I have to be right about people? Even though I was winded, my struggle continued until, eventually, the tattered cloak tore, freeing me once again. ¡°Oi! Grab it!¡± The older guard shouted at the younger guard, tripping on the torn cloak in the process. Not happening! Sprinting into the alleys, my shadow expanded to cover my whole body. It was difficult to run, but I should have been able to make it back to the temple before passing out, although my vision was already starting to get a bit blurry, so it would be a close call. ¡°Did they really have to wind me like that?¡± I looked back to see if the guards were still following me, but... *Thud* I ran into something? Trying to stop myself from falling, I clumsily stumbled backwards, but my legs ended up giving out anyway, sending me to the floor. Did I run into a brick wall? But I know these alleys better than anyway! There shouldn¡¯t be a wall here! Looking up, it was just about possible to make out a large figure wearing armour; they were clearly much larger than either of the guards that were after me. Another one?! Even though they were shrouded in darkness, I could see their vivid purple hair whenever it caught a ray of moonlight, but that wasn¡¯t all that was revealed by the pale light. It also revealed a sword, pointed directly at me. Get up! But no amount of internal screaming would help me; there was just no energy left in my body to call upon this time. Not like this! Not after all this time! The last thing I could make out as my vision was fading was my shadow melting out of my hair. Is this how it ends?... ... Chapter 8 – An Unfamiliar Ceiling Chapter 8 ¨C An Unfamiliar Ceiling It doesn¡¯t hurt. ... It doesn¡¯t hurt at all. I couldn¡¯t even remember the last time my body didn¡¯t ache; my injuries have never had the time to heal fully. My eyelids slowly forced themselves open. Ever since I woke up in this world, my tail was always the first thing I saw in the morning, but today, I was greeted by an unfamiliar wooden ceiling instead. It was then that a wave of panic spread over me. I quickly sat up and reached behind me to check that my one source of comfort hadn¡¯t been taken away from me. It¡¯s still there. The panic washed away just as quickly as it came over me. Once I had calmed down enough, I started to take in my surroundings. I was inside a room, alone, with a single window and a small bed tucked in the corner on which I was sitting. The bed was surprisingly soft, but that might just be because I¡¯m used to sleeping on the floor. On the opposite side of the room, there was a door which had been left slightly ajar. Through the gap, I caught sight of a person with a purple eye and black hair, but as soon as I made eye contact with them, they ran away. Who?! Panic started setting in again. I tried to get up, hoping to be able to get out through the window, but before I was even able to get off of the bed, the door flew open. My body reacted instinctively; before I could process anything else, I had my back up against the corner of the room while still on top of the bed, with my makeshift scarf pulled up over my mouth and my shadow covering my body. ... ¡°Whoa, calm down. I ain¡¯t gonna do anything to you.¡± ... In the doorway stood a tall woman with bright blue eyes and purple hair that reached down to her shoulders. What stood out the most about her was her size; she couldn¡¯t have been any shorter than six feet tall. On top of that, it was clear that her body had been well-trained just by looking at her forearms as she held her hands out in front of her with her palms facing towards me. ¡°You bumped into us yesterday, okay? I just took you to the inn with us, alright?¡± ¡°...¡± What¡¯s going on?! Did she abduct me after I passed out yesterday? ¡°I¡¯m Raynelle, but you can just call me Nellie.¡± ¡°...¡± When is she going to take me to that Baron? ¡°So... Do you have something I should call you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Not one for talking, eh?¡± Raynelle then let out an exaggerated sigh, finally dropping her arms. I turned and started eyeing up the window again. It would be impossible for me to go through the door with her standing in the doorway, but I didn¡¯t know if I would be able to make it out of the window before she could get to me. Before I could build up the courage to try and escape a new voice came from behind Raynelle. ¡°I¡¯ve brought the bread!¡± Behind Raynelle was a girl who was trying to squeeze her way into the room. The girl had purple eyes and black hair. She was probably the person who was watching me through the door when I woke up. ¡°Ava! Wait a minute!¡± Raynelle tried to stop the girl, but she managed to slip past her anyway, losing her cloak in the process, which revealed two black feathered wings that sprouted from her back. She quickly made her way towards me, until she was right up against the side of the bed. ¡°Hi there! My name¡¯s Ava, what¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°...¡± I just stared back at her in silence, occasionally glancing at the loaf of bread she held in her hand. Another exaggerated sigh came from Raynelle, ¡°Sorry about that. That¡¯s Ava, she¡¯s the one who healed you up after we brought you here. She¡¯s a bit of a handful but she means you no harm¡± ¡°Come on mom, I¡¯m not that bad!¡± What am I supposed to do here? ¡°Okay then, whatever you say. Now, how about you give the little fox the bread you¡¯ve been holding on to. Bit rude to wave food in front of them, hey?¡± ¡°Ahhh, I guess we¡¯ll just go with Kit until you tell us your name.¡± ¡°KIT!¡± Ava lurched towards me. However, before she was able to grab me my instincts kicked in and I jumped off the bed. Not again. ¡°AVA!¡± Raynelle shouted, ¡°Come on girl!¡± ¡°...Sorry...¡± Ava sheepishly let out, looking dejected. ¡°Like I said, she¡¯s a handful. She¡¯s just... excited?¡± Raynelle said as she crouched down to my level. ¡°...¡± Then Raynelle just stared at me for a moment, probably hoping for something to change. I just stared back at her in response. It was clear that I was the more determined of the two of us as she decided to speak up again. ¡°What can I do to get you to talk? Or are you just not able to?¡± ¡°...¡± Raynelle planted her forehead firmly in her palm, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of answer I was even expecting.¡± Instead of trying to push me any further she just stood up, gesturing for Ava. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry to do this to you-¡± My heart dropped instantly. I knew it! I started to turn towards the window, ready to make my escape. ¡°-but, I¡¯ve got to leave you here with Ava for a bit.¡± Huh? My legs froze as I tried to process what Raynelle just said. That¡¯s... it? What¡¯s the catch? I could only imagine what my confused expression looked like to Raynelle, but whatever it looked like she just continued talking. ¡°I¡¯ve got to head out and buy some things now that you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We good?... I¡¯ll take that as a yes. Ava, be good to Kit, no more jumping at them.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Ava said, seemingly already over getting scolded. Raynelle shot a sceptical look towards Ava, but continued heading out anyway. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before dinner... Probably.¡± With that Raynelle went out the door, leaving just me and Ava in the room. I could just escape now. Ava does look to be a bit older than I am right now, but only by one or two years at most. I could probably slip past her and get back to the temple. ... But, maybe not. ... The food is good. ... I guess I can stay... for a bit. ... Can I at least have that much?... Chapter 9 – The Crow and The Fox Chapter 9 ¨C The Crow and The Fox [Ava POV] Mom decided to leave me alone with this cute little kitsune, but I didn¡¯t know what I was supposed to do. What I did know was that whenever I looked at her, only one thought came to mind. I want to touch that tail. Well, that¡¯s not entirely true; there was one other thought. Those ears look pretty fluffy too... You would think that makes things quite simple, right? Go up, brush the tail, play with the ears, and everyone has a good time. Well, unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. Kit was doing everything she possibly could to avoid me. Even when I just tried going for it and jumped at her when she was distracted, they simply leapt off the bed out of my reach. Mom even scolded me for doing it. It was rather unjust, in my opinion. Like, come on, I didn¡¯t even get anything out of it. Now, if I could at least talk to her, maybe we could have a conversation and work something out, y¡¯know?. But that also seems to be a no-go. This little fox has refused to talk the whole time she¡¯s been awake. I know you can talk! I heard you mumbling in your sleep. Well, I didn¡¯t exactly hear what she said, but there was definitely some noise coming from that tiny mouth of hers. ... Ahh, I¡¯ve gotta try something! I got off the bed and sat down on the floor a small distance in front of Kit. ¡°So. Let¡¯s start over. You¡¯re Kit, I¡¯m Ava.¡± ¡°...¡± She stared back at me in silence.e on, you¡¯ve gotta give me something. ¡°Age... what about age? I¡¯m 16, and you are?...¡± ¡°...¡± No response. Should I just guess? Surely, she¡¯ll correct me if I¡¯m wrong. ¡°12?¡± Kit just continued to stare back at me, so I was about to try and change tactics. But right as I was about to move on, something unexpected happened. Kit shook her head from side to side catching me off guard. ¡°No?... No! Then how old are you?¡± ¡°...¡± Come on! You almost had something there. ¡°11?¡± Another head shake. ¡°Lower?¡± She shook her head again. ¡°So higher then... 13?¡± Another no. Do you only know how to shake your head? ¡°14?¡± There was a short pause... followed by a nod. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re 14?... Are you sure?¡± I thought a 14-year-old would be taller. ... Probably not... Right? Kit just sat there and watched me walk back and forth in silence. There is that one thing I can do, but it doesn¡¯t usually impress beastkin... I stopped walking and looked back at Kit. But maybe here... Deciding not to think and just do, I tried to start a conversation again. ¡°So, how do you feel about magic?¡± ¡°...¡± Silence again, although this time, there seemed to be something of a glint in Kit¡¯s eye. I¡¯ve got you. ¡°Well, I happen to know a pretty good trick.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Do you want to see it?¡± ¡°...¡± A tentative nod. ¡°Alright then, check this out!¡± In that instant, I changed into my crow form. Most beastkin are able to do something similar, so I¡¯m just kinda hoping that Kit is too young to know about it. ¡°...¡± Come, do something. She just stared at me silently, although she did seem a little bit more relaxed than before. It wasn¡¯t a big change, more just that she gave off a different vibe. I decided to try my luck and began to slowly approach her while in my crow form. ... She didn¡¯t move away. This might actually work. I continued to walk towards her until I was so close that I could just jump up into her lap. ... Maybe I should. ... So I did. Or at least, I tried to. As soon as I had left the ground, Kit had already scampered all the way to the opposite corner, leaving me sprawled out on the floor. Seriously? I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her in disbelief. ... How can you be this difficult? ... I¡¯ll get you one day. ... It just seems that day is not today... Chapter 10 – An Uncomfortable Realisation Chapter 10 ¨C An Uncomfortable Realisation [Raynelle POV] What am I gonna do now? I knew that it was my fault that I was in this position, but that didn¡¯t make it any easier to figure out. I really didn¡¯t want to stay in this city very long. It¡¯s always just felt kinda uncomfortable. But now that I¡¯ve taken that kitsune in... ... ¡°Ahh! I can¡¯t just leave her alone now!¡± ... It took a few seconds for me to cool off after shouting out into the ether like that. At that point, my only hope was that she had some kind of parent or guardian who was looking for her; then, I could just head out with Ava. Might even be able to get out of here today if things work out. However, seeing that she was running around at night dressed in rags, the chance of that was probably fairly slim. ... I¡¯ll just try to ask around the market. If someone lost their kid, I doubt they would stay quiet about it. With that thought in mind, I made my way down the market street, looking for someplace to stock up on food. I quickly came across a fruit stand, which normally wouldn¡¯t be that big a deal, but this stand had something rather unusual on display. Wanting to satiate my own curiosity, I walked up to the stand. ¡°H-hello there, what can I do for you?¡± An old man came up beside me, although looking down at him, it was clear that he was a little intimidated by me. Not that it¡¯s anything new for me. ¡°I just wanted to ask you about what you have in that barrel over there?¡± I said, pointing at the unusual display. ¡°Oh, t-that. Y-you must not be from around here. T-that¡¯s all the fruit that d-didn¡¯t sell and started to rot.¡± Yeah, I can see that; I want to know why you¡¯re selling it. ¡°And people buy that?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± The old man responded, seemingly taken aback by the question. ¡°Why?¡± I just can¡¯t imagine why a normal person would want to buy rotten food, even if it¡¯s at such a hefty discount. ¡°E-every so often, this little h-heretic comes around. M-many p-people buy the r-rotten fruit to throw. I-it¡¯s cheaper, so they can do it m-more often.¡± There was something deeply disturbing about seeing this timid old man talk about pelting someone with rotten fruit as if it were perfectly normal while still keeping a smile on his face. ¡°I-if you wait a little while, she might s-show up today. I-it¡¯s about time for her to c-come around.¡± She?... A rather upsetting thought came to mind, but I quickly pushed it out. I ended up picking up quite a lot of food and ended up asking around a bit more about Kit, although all the information that I got seemed to point to the same conclusion. Even if I really didn¡¯t want it to be the case. ... ¡°Gods, what has Kit lived through?¡± ... Guess I¡¯ll be staying in this city a while longer. ¡°Well, with that decided, I guess it means I need to try even harder to get Kit to open up to us.¡± But with what she¡¯s been through, it might be a bit of an upward battle. ... Who knows? I already picked up one daughter on this journey... After that thought crossed my mind, I instantly shook my head. I shouldn¡¯t be thinking like that. It¡¯s not my choice to make. I distracted myself by trying to come up with ideas about how I could get Kit to at least stop being as afraid of us. But unfortunately, nothing came to mind. This was so much easier with Ava... If anything, I wish I could make her a bit quieter. ... Maybe a gift? Well, it might not have been the best idea, but it was an idea, at least. The only problem with it was that I didn¡¯t know what sort of gift she would even like. Clothes would probably be good... But it would be better if she could pick herself... I don¡¯t want to get her something she doesn¡¯t like... Maybe something small... I thought back to what Kit was wearing, and that¡¯s when it hit me. She was wearing a tattered scarf! ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± With the gift decided, I ran back to a clothing store that I had walked past earlier in the day. As soon as I got there, I went over to their collection of scarves and picked out the first one that screamed ¡®Kit¡¯ to me. It was a pitch-black scarf with no special embroidery on it; it just called out to me as soon I saw it. While doing that, something else caught my eye. Something that was hidden away on the top shelf. I have to have this! ¡°Hey, excuse me. Do you have this in purple?¡± I called out to the shopkeeper. Raynelle, you really are a genius sometimes. ¡°Kit, I¡¯ve got you now! You¡¯ll be talking before the morning!¡± Chapter 11 – A Not-So-Quiet Evening Chapter 11 ¨C A Not-So-Quiet Evening What am I supposed to do now? Ever since Ava tried to jump at me, she has been sitting in the corner of the room, staying completely silent. She occasionally looked up at me but quickly looked away again. I even got myself back up onto the bed, and she didn¡¯t react at all; she didn¡¯t even try to talk to me. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± After a while of just sitting in silence, the door suddenly flung open, and Raynelle came into the room with a basket in tow. ¡°So, you girls miss me?!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Tough crowd?¡± Raynelle said, shrugging her shoulders before setting down the basket. What am I even supposed to say? ¡°...¡± Raynelle then turned towards Ava, but Ava just continued her silence. I don¡¯t know if she even realised that Raynelle had come into the room. ¡°Wow, you managed to get Ava to shut up somehow,¡± Raynelle said, sounding genuinely surprised, ¡°I need you to teach me how to do that someday.¡± ¡°Now, wait a minute!¡± Ava finally piped up as she got up off the floor, ¡°It¡¯s not like I talk that much.¡± ¡°Sure, I believe you.¡± Ava didn¡¯t say anything in response, choosing to just pout instead, probably coming to the conclusion that there wasn¡¯t much point in trying to push back any further. ¡°Alright then, Ava, can you go and make your way down to the kitchen? I¡¯ve already spoken to staff here, and they are willing to let you use it. I¡¯ve also left the rest of what I bought there ready for you to work your magic.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯ve already had all day with Kit, and I¡¯m pretty sure she would really appreciate a warm meal.¡± Raynelle interrupted, glancing over at me. Ava let out a sigh. ¡°Fine.¡± Then she left the room, leaving just Raynelle and me. ¡°Alright, now I have you all to myself for a bit.¡± Hearing those words, my body started to pull back instinctively. ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t worry so much; I¡¯ve just got something I want to give you; you can turn it down if you want, okay?¡± ¡°...¡± Well, she hasn¡¯t done anything bad... yet... While I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced of her intentions, I still decided to nod, to which Raynelle simply responded with a smile before turning and grabbing something out of the basket she had brought with her. ¡°So, I don¡¯t know how exactly you want me to give this to you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Are you okay with me coming closer?¡± ¡°...¡± I don¡¯t know... Raynelle looked into my eyes, clearly expecting something, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to respond to her. I want to say yes... But... I just can¡¯t trust you... ... ¡°Here, how about this?¡± Raynelle said as she approached the far end of the bed, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it here, and you can come grab it when I move away again. Good?¡± ¡°...¡± I nodded, and Raynelle did exactly as she said she would, placing something wrapped in paper at the far end of the bed before moving back. Slowly, I crawled over to the other side of the bed, keeping my eyes on Raynelle the whole time, just in case. But I managed to grab the package and move back without her doing anything. Raynelle didn¡¯t say anything once I had retrieved the package but just looked on expectantly. Carefully, I unfolded the paper wrapping, making sure not to tear it. What was inside was a long black piece of fabric. It was the same colour as my hair when it was covered by my shadow... Which meant it was also the same colour as... ... A tear started to well up in my eye. As soon as Ava laid eyes on her, she burst out laughing. I myself was somehow more speechless than before; even my thoughts completely stopped for a second. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Ava blurted out between her laughter. ¡°What?¡± Raynelle responded, blushing slightly, ¡°I thought it would help Kit open up to me.¡± Raynelle had come back into the room sporting a new pair of purple cat ears on top of her head. ¡°...¡± Why would that change anything? ¡°Why would that change anything?¡± Ava asked, still laughing. Huh! Are they both psychic? ¡°I thought she had some bad experiences with humans and, y¡¯know didn¡¯t want to talk to me cause, well, I am one.¡± ¡°Why would that work? She didn¡¯t talk to me either, and I¡¯m not human.¡± ¡°Umm... because I¡¯m cuter?¡± Raynelle responded, attempting to strike a pose. ... Something started to well up in my throat watching this exchange. At least it did until I couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, and a small laugh escaped my lips. I quickly brought my hands up to my mouth to hide it... although I was clearly unsuccessful... ¡°Huh!¡± The two exclaimed in unison. ¡°...¡± ¡°See! I told you!¡± Raynelle shouted. ¡°No! That wasn¡¯t her talking to you.¡± Ava argued, ¡°She was just laughing at how stupid you look.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me!¡± Just like that, what little of the day was left turned into a blur. Eventually, the little light that came from the sunset disappeared, casting the city into darkness once again. ¡°Alright then, It¡¯s been a long day,¡± Raynelle said, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll call it a night here. The two of us will head back to our room so you can get some sleep.¡± ¡°Sure, that sounds good,¡± Ava mumbled as she started to yawn. ¡°...¡± Raynelle started to get up off the floor, but before fully standing up, she paused. ¡°Hmm?¡± I looked down and saw my hand latched onto the hem of her shirt. What? My mind instantly started to spiral out of control, trying to figure out what had just happened. It was an accident! But I still haven¡¯t let go! I shouldn¡¯t be doing this! But I... don¡¯t want to be alone... Not again... Raynelle looked down at my hand and then to my face before silently gesturing for Ava to come over. She tried whispering to her, but thanks to my ears, I could still clearly make out what she was saying. ¡°Ava, go grab me a blanket... and some bread too.¡± ... You know you didn¡¯t have to give me your plate... Ava left the room and quickly came back in with a blanket, which I assumed had been wrapped around a loaf of bread, so I couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just stay right here tonight.¡± Raynelle said, settling in on the floor next to the bed, ¡°Ava, just go back to our room, I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Ava said, waving her hand as she left the room, clearly quite tired herself. Raynelle didn¡¯t say anything further and just wrapped the blanket around herself. I got myself into the bed, pulling the covers over me before hugging my tail. ... I¡¯m just doing this because of the food. ... ¡°Sleep well now,¡± Raynelle quietly whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll keep you company for as long as you need.¡± ... Yeah, it¡¯s just for the food... Chapter 12 – A Sister’s Frustrations Chapter 12 ¨C A Sister¡¯s Frustrations [Ellaria POV] ¡°I¡¯m glad that she has finally found some decent people.¡± ... ¡°Only took seven years...¡± I was just finishing looking through the little kitsune¡¯s day. Ever since that incident, I¡¯ve made it part of my routine to check in on her at least once a day, just hoping that something would change. After all this time, there was finally some good news. Maybe with this, my sister will... I was so worried that she would go on a rampage as soon as she found out what had happened to the poor kitsune, but she never did. The spirit that I had left with my sister came and got me as soon as she woke up, and of course, I went over to her as soon as I could, expecting the worst, but in the five years since... ... ¡°It¡¯s about time for me to go and visit again anyway.¡± I got rid of the panel that was showing the little kitsune¡¯s day before getting up and making my way over to my sister¡¯s domain. As soon as I got there, I made my way over to the door in the back of the main room and tried to open it, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Still locked... ¡°Sister, isn¡¯t it time for you to come out yet?¡± I called out, hoping for some kind of a response; but no sound came from the other side of the door. It has been like this ever since she woke up; she has just refused to come out or even just talk. The only saving grace is that she hasn¡¯t stopped me from entering her domain altogether; I¡¯ve just had to hope that it meant she was at least willing to hear me out. I sat down on the floor with my back against the door. ... ¡°I know you¡¯ve been watching that little kitsune.¡± ... ¡°You saw the good news, right?¡± ... ¡°She¡¯s found herself some good people.¡± ... ¡°If you¡¯re worried, I can vouch for them myself.¡± ... ¡°I¡¯ve been following that purple-haired one for a little while now.¡± ... Is it just not good enough?... ... ¡°Look, Ovia... I get that you¡¯re upset, but you didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ... ¡°No...¡± A barely audible voice came from behind the door. Finally! A tear started to well up in my eye, but I held it in. Right now, what I needed to do was help her come out again. ¡°Come on, if you¡¯re going to argue with me, at least open the door and do it properly...¡± Not good enough? I¡¯ve been here at least once every month since she woke up. I had really hoped that with this good news, she would at least be willing to come out for a bit. She even responded to me for the first time since she locked herself away, unless that was just me hearing things in an attempt to keep my hopes up. ... What¡¯s it going to take? ... Thinking that she still wasn¡¯t going to come out this time, I started to get up off the floor. However, as I grasped at the door handle for support, I started to fall backwards. Since it was clearly going to take a while, I just continued trying to slowly untangle each of the plushies from the tails one at a time, following up with a thorough brushing. ¡°So, now can I ask you some questions?¡± ¡°...Mhm¡± ¡°So, how are you doing?¡± ¡°...¡± I guess she wasn¡¯t expecting such a mundane question. ¡°Fine...¡± ¡°Is that true? I didn¡¯t know that this is what Ovia being fine looked like.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s try something you might be more interested in. Why did you never talk to the little kitsune the last few years?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I know you want to,¡± I said as I finished with her first tail. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to... I couldn¡¯t help her...¡± ¡°Well, that might be how you feel, but what about her? Do you think she thinks of you that way?¡± My sister didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she brought one of her tails around in front of her and buried her face in it. ¡°Come on, I was working on that one!¡± ¡°...¡± I decided it wasn¡¯t worth fighting over which tail was being cleaned, so I pulled a different tail into my lap. ¡°Well, you probably couldn¡¯t talk the way you are now anyway.¡± ¡°What! Why?!¡± She blurted out. ¡°Just look at yourself! You can¡¯t show this to her.¡± ¡°...¡± Was that too much too soon? ¡°...pass...¡± My sister muttered under her breath. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Pass me a brush!¡± She shouted in response. A small chuckle escaped my lips as I handed her a brush, and she started working on the tail she had taken from me. It¡¯s good to see you excited like this again. After that, we spent a while in silence, just focusing on cleaning up her tails. It was not a quick endeavour. Once we had finally removed all of the plushies and my sister¡¯s tails at least looked presentable a great idea came into my head. ¡°I just don¡¯t think this is good enough...¡± ¡°What?! What else do I need to do!¡± ¡°We should really do a full deep clean. It has been five years, after all...¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Once again, I let out a chuckle. I knew my cute sister was still in there. ¡°Alright, I guess that means you should come with me back to my domain. Then we can set something up.¡± My sister shot up from the floor as soon as those words left my lips. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± I got myself up off the floor and linked arms with my sister, thinking that I was going to be the one pulling her all the way to my domain. But to my pleasant surprise, she was the one who dragged me along. It took a few years, but at least she¡¯s still willing to try. Chapter 13 – Why Did I Stay? Chapter 13 ¨C Why Did I Stay? ¡°Come on, it¡¯s been two weeks since we picked you up, and you¡¯re still not gonna talk?¡± ¡°...¡± I just stared blankly at Raynelle, as usual. Don¡¯t you ever get tired of doing this? We were sitting in the room while waiting for Ava to finish preparing lunch. It might have been a bit tiring to deal with these two every day... but the food is very good. I didn¡¯t know if I would be able to go back to how I used to live if I stayed much longer. ¡°All I¡¯ve managed to get out of you is one laugh. How can that be right?¡± ¡°...¡± Why haven¡¯t you just given up yet? No matter how many days I had spent with these two, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to; it¡¯s just that whenever I tried, nothing came out. The words would always get stuck in my throat. ... I really should think about leaving soon... ... Who knows when they¡¯re going to show their true colours... ... While I was busy contemplating my escape, the door swung open, and Ava made her way into the room carrying three plates piled high with food. ¡°So... who¡¯s hungry!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask that every time. Just give me food!¡± Raynelle responded while banging on the table. Ava chuckled as she placed Raynelle¡¯s plate down in front of her before quickly turning around and making her way over to me. ¡°And here you go.¡± I reached out my hands to take the plate from her, but she quickly pulled it back. ¡°Y¡¯know, on second thought...¡± ¡°...¡± Just give me the food! It¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m still here! ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t give me that look. I¡¯m just wanting to propose something of a mutually beneficial agreement... of sorts.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just assume that means you¡¯re interested,¡± Ava continued, ¡°You see, I have quite a lot of food here, and I think I would be willing to part with some-¡± After hearing that there was a chance to get more food, my ear started to twitch involuntarily, so I quickly grabbed it with my hand to get it under control. I¡¯ll give you a chance... ¡°-It¡¯s just that I would like to get something in return.¡± I stared at her, waiting for her to tell me what she wanted. Not that I couldn¡¯t guess what it was going to be, but I did decide to give her a chance. ¡°All I would need from you... is to be able to touch your ta-¡± Before she even finished asking, I had already turned away from her, holding my tail tight against my chest. You can¡¯t have it! It¡¯s mine! ¡°AVA!¡± Raynelle shouted, ¡°How many more times are you going to try this?!¡± ¡°B-but-¡± ¡°Why should you get to touch her tail before me?¡± ¡°...¡± But it¡¯s my tail... The two of them just burst out laughing, seeming to forget about me, as Ava danced around with my plate still in her hand. I looked over at Raynelle, hoping she noticed what was going on so she could sort it out for me. It took a little bit, but once Raynelle started to calm down, she ended up making eye contact with me and quickly realised what had happened. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit rude to wave food around in front of a hungry little fox like that?¡± ¡°Huh?... Oh...¡± Ava turned a bright shade of red as she realised just what she had been doing this whole time. She quickly laid the plate down in front of me before running over to Raynelle and eating her own food, making sure not to look up at me. Serves you right! On the plate was a whole bird that was about the size of my head, although I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of bird it was. But that didn¡¯t really matter to me; the only important thing was that it tasted good. I tore off some of the cooked flesh with my nails before biting into it. ... How is it always this good? ¡°Ava, you don¡¯t think it¡¯s too early to introduce her to a fork, right?¡± ¡°That might be a good idea,¡± Ava responded, stifling a chuckle. ... I know how to use a fork... What are you going to do to me?! ¡°There is that temple, but-¡± Raynelle looked down at me, but I couldn¡¯t quite make out her expression through the tears in my eyes. ¡°Ava, pass me your cloak. I¡¯ve gotta try something.¡± Ava didn¡¯t say anything. She just went over to where her cloak was and threw it towards us. Raynelle then gently wrapped me up in the cloak, seemingly trying to make sure she didn¡¯t hurt me. ¡°Look, I know this isn¡¯t what you want to do...¡± Raynelle paused momentarily, ¡°But... that temple is probably the only place in the city which might have a better healer than Ava...¡± What temple? What do you mean? ¡°Can you manage that thing where you change the colour of your hair?¡± Why should I? ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want to take you there, but I don¡¯t have another choice.¡± Raynelle said, sounding desperate, ¡°I¡¯m not losing you like this...¡± What do you mean? Are you not just going to sell me off to that Baron? ... Ava then came back over and put her hands back on my arm. ¡°Alright... Let¡¯s try... again...¡± Is it okay for me to hope for something again?... ... Is it okay for me to trust you?... ... I don¡¯t think I can... ... But... What else can I do... ... I forced out a nod, and my shadow moved to cover my hair and tail, dying them both black. ¡°Thank you...¡±, Raynelle said, sounding relieved. Please... Don¡¯t be lying... ¡°Ava-¡± Raynelle paused as soon as she saw Ava¡¯s condition, ¡°Just go lay down. You look like you¡¯ll hit the ground any second now.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Ava responded before falling over face-first onto my bed. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s do this.¡± Raynelle said, pulling the cloak over my ears, ¡°If something goes wrong... I¡¯ll just get you out of there myself.¡± What! What could go wrong? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± ... I don¡¯t have a choice... Immediately following that, Raynelle threw the door to the room open and ran out of the inn, ignoring the reactions from all of the staff we passed by. Once she had gotten outside, she continued running down the streets, although she made sure to look down at me to make sure she wasn¡¯t making me too uncomfortable. Where are we even going? I forced myself to turn my neck just enough to see what was in front of us. As soon as I did, we passed by the black stone temple. What! Go back! If I have to go to a temple, I want to go to that one! Despite Raynelle normally seeming to know what I wanted, this time, she clearly didn¡¯t, as she just kept on sprinting. She was heading straight for the temple on the other side of the square, a temple made entirely from white stone. I don¡¯t want to go there! There are too many people! What if they see my hair?! ¡°Hold on a bit longer,¡± Raynelle blurted out, ¡°If anyone can heal you, they¡¯ll be there.¡± How do you know?! ¡°They have to be...¡± She said that last part under her breath, although I heard her clearly thanks to my ears. ... Fine... ... ... I¡¯ll... trust you... ... It¡¯s all I can do now... Chapter 14 – Why Do You Care About Me So Much? Chapter 14 ¨C Why Do You Care About Me So Much? Raynelle continued running across the square until she was right in front of the temple, where she was stopped by the crowd of people outside. ¡°Gods... how am I supposed to get you in there?...¡± Raynelle said as she looked towards the entrance, ¡°I could just push through them, but...¡± She looked down at me for a moment, right as a wave of pain spread over my body again, causing all my muscles to tense up. ¡°I just... can¡¯t risk hurting you...¡± Raynelle looked around frantically while continuing to mutter to herself, trying to figure out what she could do. It hurts... ... It really hurts... ... It was only gradual, but the pain was getting worse; it felt like my body was trying to tear itself apart with each wave of pain that made its way through my body. But, without warning, the pain just started to go away. It didn¡¯t completely vanish, but it became bearable. What... happened?... I tried to force myself up to get a better view of what was going on, but as I did, something pushed down on my chest, stopping me from moving. Looking down, I saw that someone had placed their hand on my chest and that there was a soft glow coming where they were touching me. I followed the person¡¯s arm to see who they were, but all I could see was a person in a pure white robe with a hood covering their face. Who?! Without thinking, I started to move one of my arms in an attempt to get Raynelle¡¯s attention. But as soon as I did, the person lifted their hood slightly, revealing their face. They were a woman with two golden eyes that were glowing softly, each with a white ring inside of the iris that glowed ever so slightly brighter. She simply put one finger up to her lips while smiling slightly. Why should I trust you? Ignoring what the woman wanted, I tried to get Raynelle¡¯s attention again, although it didn¡¯t seem necessary, as Raynelle suddenly jerked me back while also taking a step away from the woman. ¡°Who are you?!¡± Raynelle shouted before looking down at me and quickly adjusting my cloak to make sure I was still hidden. ¡°Whoa, please calm down,¡± The woman held her hands up in front of her, ¡°I already know what¡¯s going on... I also know you really don¡¯t want to cause a scene here.¡± Looking around, a few people had already turned to look at what was going on, although they quickly lost interest as Raynelle let a sigh to help herself calm down a bit. ¡°But, why should I trust you?¡± Raynelle said as she pulled me closer to her chest. ¡° I... uh... wasn¡¯t told that part...¡± Raynelle just silently stared back at the woman while occasionally glancing down at me. She did help me... ... It didn¡¯t matter how either of us felt; whatever she did to me made the pain go away, not that Raynelle knew that. ... ¡°Oh, I know! This usually works,¡± the woman suddenly blurted out as she lifted her hood just enough so that Raynelle could see her eyes, ¡°So?... Is that good enough?¡± ... ¡°No! Of course not!¡± Raynelle suddenly shouted, ¡°It¡¯s your fault she¡¯s even in this situation.¡± Huh? ... But I¡¯ve never seen her before... What did she do? ¡°Whoa, please calm down. That¡¯s just a... misunderstanding?... Yeah, a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°A misunderstanding!¡± Raynelle¡¯s arms tensed around me, ¡°Can you really look at this child right now and just say everything that has happened to her was a misunderstanding?!¡± ¡°I understand, just... can we talk about this inside,¡± The woman said, backing away from Raynelle while pointing at the temple, ¡°I would also not like to draw attention to myself.¡± It was silent for a moment, and then Raynelle looked at me again, although this time, she showed me a pained face. It was clear that she was considering the offer if only to get into the temple. ... ... While I was busy contemplating Raynelle¡¯s intentions, the pain ended up completely disappearing, as if nothing was wrong in the first place. ¡°Alright... she should be good... for a while at least,¡± The woman said as she wiped her brow. ¡°So, what was it?!¡± Raynelle shouted, ¡°What was it?!¡± ¡°Calm down, okay? It wasn¡¯t anything serious.¡± The woman said as she grabbed onto Raynelle¡¯s wrist, her hand gently glowing, ¡°She was just going through some growing pains... very bad growing pains, but it was just growing pains nonetheless.¡± Raynelle calmed down dramatically after hearing that, but I don¡¯t know if that was because of what she said or whatever magic she was using. ¡°That¡¯s it?... That¡¯s all it was?¡± Raynelle said, audibly relieved. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m sure you noticed she¡¯s a little small for her age... because she¡¯s started eating well recently, her body has just decided... ¡®Let¡¯s grow all at once,¡¯... which isn¡¯t too comfortable... although, even considering that... hers were particularly rough.¡± ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Raynelle said, falling into one of the chairs lining the room and burying her face in her hands. ¡°Before you relax too much, we¡¯re not quite done yet,¡± The woman said as she sat down next to Raynelle, ¡°She¡¯ll probably end up experiencing them a few more times before she¡¯s finished growing, so you might need to come back over here every so often.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine...¡± Raynelle responded, still holding her head in her hands, ¡°That¡¯s fine, I can do that.¡± ¡°Alright, then, while I discuss how we can set that up with you, I actually have something for the little fox to do.¡± ... For me? ¡°You see that room over there,¡± the woman pointed to a door in the corner of the room, ¡°Just go in there. There¡¯s someone who really wants to meet you.¡± What? Who? Do I have to? Raynelle lifted her head out of her hands, seemingly about to say something, but the woman simply pointed to her eyes, and then Raynelle remained silent. I looked over at Raynelle, confused at what just happened, but she just nodded at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about things so much. I¡¯m just going to talk about some stuff for adults to worry about with your... guardian?... friend?... mother?... ah, whatever, you know what I mean. You can go have some fun,¡± The woman smiled at me, ¡°I can guarantee, she¡¯s quite nice.¡± ... She hasn¡¯t done anything bad to me yet... ... I got up off the table and walked over to the door, looking back at the two of them just in case this was something that they had planned together, but they were just talking to each other, already ignoring me. When I opened the door all that I could see was an empty room. ... Where is the person? ... Maybe this is for the better... I walked into the room, slowly closing the door behind me while keeping my hand on the handle and my foot in the way just in case someone was going to jump out at me. But before I could even fully close the door, my vision went white. ... What! I knew it was a trap! ... ¡°Oh, do go tell my sister that she needs to get ready.¡± A woman¡¯s voice that I didn¡¯t recognise came out of nowhere. What?! Who are you?! I looked around, trying to find where the voice came from, but no matter where I looked, all I could see was a white void. ¡°This will be fun. I get to meet you first.¡± Chapter 15 – The Goddess of Light Chapter 15 ¨C The Goddess of Light ¡°Um... Hello... Why are you looking over there?¡± Over where? It didn¡¯t matter where I was looking; there was just an endless expanse of white stretching out in every direction. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± As the voice said that to me, a light breeze brushed over my face as if someone was waving something in front of my face. ¡°Hmm...¡± I instinctively stepped back to try and get away from whatever was in front of me. ¡°Oh, I know what¡¯s going on.¡± Then I heard a snap, and the world suddenly opened up in front of me. There was a garden that seemed to stretch far beyond the horizon. It was filled with various marble structures that themselves were adorned with vines that sprouted white flowers. ¡°Sorry about that. I had the lights up a bit too high. It¡¯s a bad habit of mine.¡± I spun around to try and find the source of the voice, but as soon as I did, I froze up. Standing in front of me was a very tall woman, probably taller than Raynelle, even without considering the extra height coming from the two fox ears adorning her head. She had the same golden eyes as the woman from the temple, although the inner white ring was much brighter. Her hair, reaching down to her hips, was a radiant blonde, along with a matching set of nine tails that poked out just above her head. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lot you want to ask me about, but how about we get comfortable first?¡± The woman said as she gestured towards an empty space. What have I gotten myself into? ¡°Come on, come on; you¡¯ll figure it out,¡± the woman said as she picked me up and carried me over. Huh? As soon we reached the area she had gestured to, I was just dropped. HUH?! I braced myself, fully expecting to hit the floor, but it didn¡¯t hurt. Instead, it felt like I had fallen onto a cloud. ... ¡°See, I knew you would figure it out.¡± The woman said, softly smiling at me, ¡°Go ahead, make yourself comfortable.¡± Looking down, I could see that a chair had appeared beneath me out of nowhere. The woman walked a short distance away from me, and then a similar-looking chair appeared, which she sat on herself. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The woman just stared at me, looking me up and down; it felt like she was judging me for some reason. Can I just leave? ¡°I knew you were quiet, but I was really expecting questions to start pouring out of you by now.¡± I have plenty of questions. ... But why would I ask you? ¡°Hmm... You do know who I am, right?¡± ¡°...¡± Why would I know some random person? ¡°Really?! That¡¯s a first. I haven¡¯t been in this situation for... I don¡¯t even remember how many years now.¡± What do you mean? ¡°Well then, I¡¯m Ellaria, although you can just call me Aria, as I think we will be meeting quite often from now on.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Still not ringing any bells?¡± No? ¡°This is actually a little fun. Unfortunately for me, I don¡¯t have all the time in the world to play with you today, as I don¡¯t want to leave a certain someone waiting too long.¡± I knew it! They were trying to sell me off! It didn¡¯t matter that I couldn¡¯t find an exit; I just needed to get out of there. I jumped from my seat and was about to start running, but Ellaria said something that froze me in place. ¡°Most people call me the Goddess of Light, although I¡¯m also the Goddess of Transformation and Titles.¡± What? As soon as the word Goddess reached my ears, they began to twitch. A Goddess... There is only one thing I want from you. I didn¡¯t say anything, and Aria just continued with her explanation. ¡°Well, all the way in the top right corner of this ¡®map¡¯ is where Light Magic resides.¡± She pointed at the large white area on the panel, ¡°You¡¯ve probably already noticed, but this Light Magic area overlaps quite a lot with that pale green area; that¡¯s Life Magic, although I think most people call it Healing Magic these days.¡± Aria looked at me, probably waiting for me to confirm that I understood, so I nodded, although I didn¡¯t really understand why she was telling me all of this. ¡°So, what that means is that many people who end up with Light Magic also end up with Life Magic, as they overlap.¡± But what does that have to do with me? ¡°Now, onto the more unfortunate part. Sometimes, if someone has a particularly good affinity for some kind of magic, it can manifest in some physical change-¡± My mind started to put together some things, but it still didn¡¯t make sense why they were related to me. ¡°-your white hair comes from a very high affinity with Light Magic, even higher than my own natural affinity, which is why I myself don¡¯t have white hair,¡± Aria ran her fingers through her hair, ¡°My affinity as the Goddess of Light only came after I ascended. Funny enough, when I did ascend, what changed were my eyes, not my hair... You might not believe it, but a long, long time ago, I used to have green eyes.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Anyway, I can show you where that should put you on the map,¡± Aria interrupted me and continued with her explanation, ¡°You would be all the way there, right in the corner, where Light Magic doesn¡¯t overlap with anything.¡± A small grey dot appeared right up against the edge of the map. Should? ¡°Now, the reason you get called a heretic in that city comes from here. As Light and Life Magic are so close to each other, most people are under the impression that they are actually the same thing, or more accurately, people think that Light Magic heals people.¡± Aria let out a sigh and paused for a short moment before continuing, ¡°People with white hair get Light Magic but won¡¯t be able to use any Life Magic and, as such, can¡¯t heal people.¡± ... What? Aria leaned forward before continuing, ¡°Because you can¡¯t heal anyone, people think you are just imitating Light Magic, which they believe is an offence to me.¡± ... That¡¯s it? ... Everything I¡¯ve had to go through... ... It was just a misunderstanding... ... Both my ears and tail drooped down, causing Aria to start panicking. ¡°Wait! You can¡¯t be sad. You need to go meet my sister after this!¡± Aria got up and came over to me before picking me up once again, this time hugging me tightly against her chest. ... It took a little while, but I eventually managed to calm down. When did I become so comfortable around her?... ... I forced my head out of Aria¡¯s chest to ask the only question that had come to mind. ¡°But... Aria... How¡¯s that your fault?¡± ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t something that I did myself, but at the same time, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve helped very much.¡± What does that mean? ¡°Well, just look at me. I¡¯m supposed to be the pinnacle of Light Magic, yet I don¡¯t even have white hair, so even when I tell them the truth, they just ignore it.¡± ¡°But-¡± Once again, I was cut off. ¡°Appointing Celica as the Emissary of Light also doesn¡¯t help; she doesn¡¯t have white hair either and isn¡¯t even that good with Light Magic. The only reason she was chosen was that she was very good with Life magic while still having some Light Affinity.¡± ... ¡°T-then, why did you pick her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s what those people need, and I need to make sure that I keep my relevance. Especially because I¡¯m busy protecting someone else.¡± ... She doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person... ... And she is a Goddess... ¡°I... forgive you.¡± ¡°Well, thank you very much, little kitsune.¡± Aria smiled at me before putting her hand on my head, which started to glow, ¡°That there is a little gift as a sign of you accepting my apology.¡± ... ¡°You didn¡¯t need to do that... It wasn¡¯t even your fault...¡± I said it under my breath, and Aria didn¡¯t react, but she probably still heard it as her smile grew wider once again. Chapter 16 – One Step at a Time Chapter 16 ¨C One Step at a Time ¡°While I wouldn¡¯t mind us staying like this a bit longer, I think you might have some things to do,¡± Aria said, looking down at me in her arms. ¡°...¡± Aria put me back down in the chair before kneeling down in front of me. ¡°Now, I know you still have at least one question left on your mind, so this is the time for you to ask.¡± ... Alright... ... This might be my only chance... ¡°Um... D-do you know... a Goddess?... S-she looks like a fox...¡± I said while pointing at my own ears. ¡°Well, I happen to know quite a few Goddesses who look like foxes,¡± Aria¡¯s ears twitched, ¡°I look like a fox too, although I know you¡¯re not looking for me.¡± ... ¡°S-she had... b-black fur and... b-black eyes.¡± I looked at Aria, hoping that my little description would be good enough because I knew nothing else about them. ¡°Hmm, a Goddess that looks like a fox and has black fur and eyes...¡± Please... ¡°I do know a Goddess like that. I know them very well, in fact.¡± ¡°Then!-¡± I abruptly stopped myself from talking. Should I even be trying to talk to them again... ... They didn¡¯t respond to me... for seven years... ... They must have had a reason... What if it was my fault... Aria leaned forward and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, the Goddess that I know would love to meet you. I can guarantee it myself.¡± ¡°...¡± But how would you know?... It might not even be the right one... ¡°How about this? You can go over to her temple, and if she wants to meet you, she¡¯ll bring you up herself. Okay?¡± But, do I even want to know... ... What if... she actually doesn¡¯t want to talk to me?... ... Still... ¡°Alright...¡± I muttered. ¡°That''s good. You don¡¯t know how much this would mean to my sister.¡± Sister? ¡°Unfortunately, it also means that we need to say goodbye to each other for now,¡± Aria said, spreading her arms apart while looking directly at me. ... I knew exactly what she wanted, but my body still hesitated. After waiting for a few seconds, she picked me up out of the seat and hugged me tightly once again. ¡°One step at a time. You¡¯ll get there eventually.¡± ¡°...Mhm...¡± I don¡¯t believe you... But... ... I want to... Fine! Let¡¯s go! Raynelle carried me up to the black stone temple until we were in front of two large stone doors. One door had an intricate carving of a nine-tailed fox sleeping on a cloud, while the other was blank as if it had been left unfinished. Throughout the entire time that I stayed here, I never even thought to try to open these doors. ... If it actually was that easy to meet the fox from my dreams all this time... ... Raynelle set me down on the ground, and I instantly ran over to the doors to try and open them, but... they wouldn¡¯t budge. No matter how hard I pushed against them, they refused to open. Is that it? Is that your answer? ... ¡°Do you need some help?¡± Raynelle called over. ¡°...¡± Raynelle let out a chuckle to herself before she came over and effortlessly pushed the large stone doors open. ¡°There you go.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Really? Not even a thank you?¡± I turned away from Raynelle and made my way into the temple. This is more important. Inside the temple, it was dark. There wasn¡¯t a single window, but rather, the only light in the building came from a few dim candles that were haphazardly scattered around. ¡°Ahhhhhh... What do you people want?¡± A man¡¯s voice came from the far corner of the room. I didn¡¯t respond; instead, I tried to find out who the voice belonged to. It didn¡¯t take long as the sounds of chains being dragged along the floor started coming from a corner of the room. What is this? This isn¡¯t what I thought a temple for a Goddess would be like. Especially not for a Goddess as nice as she was. ¡°The least you could do is respond...¡± The owner of the voice came into view, ¡°This is why I can¡¯t stand people...¡± He was a tall, slender man with two large rabbit ears hanging down from the top of his head. His messy, short hair was pitch black, while his beady eyes were bright red. However, what drew most of my attention were the black shackles around his wrists and ankles, connected with long chains that extended into the darkness of the temple. It wasn¡¯t the fact that the man was wearing shackles that caught my attention, but rather, there was a feeling that I got from them. It felt... familiar. ¡°Are you still not-¡± All of a sudden, the man stopped talking and fell to the floor, accompanied by the sound of the chains slamming against the stone floor while holding onto his ears in his hands. ¡°I hear you!¡± The man yelled, ¡°Why can¡¯t you just use spirits like all the others!¡± Maybe... I should just leave. I started to back away, but the man started shouting again. ¡°Hold on! Just wait a minute!¡± At this point, Raynelle had stepped in front of me in an attempt to hide me from the man who was now crawling on the floor. ¡°You there! With the fox ears! Just hurry up and make your way in,¡± the man said, looking directly at me, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to be screamed at again.¡± Screamed at? ... ¡°Kit, let¡¯s just... go home... I don¡¯t think this is where you wanted to go.¡± ... ... No... I ignored Raynelle and walked past her further into the temple. ¡°Wait!¡± Raynelle shouted. I need to do this... As I walked further into the darkness, the room seemed to get cooler. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt this. Chapter 17 – The Goddess of Darkness Chapter 17 ¨C The Goddess of Darkness I kept on walking, just hoping that somewhere in here, I would be able to find the fox from my dreams. That¡¯s all I need... Each step that I took seemed to drain me more than the last, but that didn¡¯t slow me down. It feels so close... After pushing through the darkness for a while, I could just about make out something in the distance, so I started running, ignoring my building fatigue. You¡¯re there! I know you are! You have to be! As I got closer, it became clear what was in front of me. It was a room made entirely from black stone bricks, and just like the temple, the only lighting was provided by a few dim candles scattered haphazardly around the room. Hanging from the ceiling were many large chains, each ending with a single long spike at the end. Is that a dungeon?... In the centre of the room, there was a large throne that seemed to be made from darkness itself. I couldn¡¯t see if there was anyone on the throne due to how dark it was. It doesn¡¯t matter. They have to be there. I just kept on running until I could finally see the ground beneath my feet. Finally... ¡°Welcome.¡± A deep voice came out of nowhere, echoing throughout the whole room, causing me to freeze in place. Who?! Looking up at the throne, I could now make out a woman sitting with one leg over the other, but it was too dark to be able to make out anything above their waist. Just looking at her, my body started to pull away from the pressure I felt. She seemed to be the same height as Aria, but she felt much more intimidating. From what I could see, she was wearing a form-fitting black dress along with high-heeled boots. From her back sprouted nine tails that blended seamlessly into the surrounding darkness. Adorning her arms were elbow-length gloves where the fingertips ended in sharp claws. What is this? Where¡¯s the fox? ¡°You may speak.¡± The voice echoed throughout the room once again. ¡°...¡± This isn¡¯t right. This isn¡¯t what I wanted. I tried to turn away so I could leave, but it felt like something grabbed onto my legs before quickly letting go, although it was enough to root me in place. ¡°Go on, tell me your name.¡± The woman started tapping her fingers against the throne, letting out sharp metallic clicks as each claw hit the armrest one at a time. ... No... This isn¡¯t... It didn¡¯t matter anymore; this wasn¡¯t what I wanted. I started running away, back into the darkness, hoping that I would find myself back at the temple. Raynelle was right... All of a sudden, there was a loud crashing sound behind me, but I didn¡¯t turn back. I just need to leave! I managed a few more steps before getting tackled to the ground. ¡°Huh?¡± This time, it was a different voice, a voice that was all too familiar to me, ¡°Oh No! What did I do?!¡± Before I could even try to get myself off the ground, I was picked up and carried back into the room. ¡°Ah! What do I do?¡± The voice grew more panicked by the second. ¡°Should I just call Ellaria here?... She¡¯d know what to do.¡± I turned myself around so that I could see the face of the woman who was talking. She was beautiful, with straight black hair reaching down her back, crowned by two matching fox ears. But it was her eyes... Ever since I first saw them all those years ago, I have never forgotten what it was like to stare into them. The endless abyss that seemed to be contained within drew me in, but instead of being afraid, I felt excited. ¡°Is it... you?¡± I muttered. ¡°What?!¡± The woman shouted, looking down at me, ¡°Are you okay? Did I poke you with the claws? I knew they were a bad idea.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Oh, then... then... what about this?¡± ¡°Ovia... Thank you...¡± My eyes started to tear up, ¡°Thank you... so much...¡± She still didn¡¯t turn around. At least... I got to talk to her again... ... I started to reign myself in a bit as it seemed that this was as much as I was going to get. She really didn¡¯t want to talk to me... ... ¡°*Cough*... I-I do also have a title...¡± Huh?... ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°I am known as the G-Goddess of Darkness, Dreams and ...¡± Even though I was looking at her back, I could see that she puffed her chest out as she spoke. She said the last thing so quietly that I couldn¡¯t hear what it was, even with my improved hearing. ¡°S-so... what about y-you?¡± She asked, slightly deflating. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your n-n-name?¡± ¡°My name?¡± But... ... I don¡¯t remember my name... ¡°Y-yes, I have been watch- *Cough* o-observing you for quite some time now, but I have never h-heard your n-name.¡± ... I don¡¯t know... ¡°...Kit...¡± I mumbled, ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯ve been calling me...¡± ¡°No! Not that.¡± Ovia quickly spun around to face me, ¡°I was asking for your n-name... your actual n-name!¡± But... That¡¯s... all I have... ¡°I... don¡¯t know...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?! What do you mean? Do you not have one? Did you just forget it?...¡± Ovia thought for a moment before asking, ¡°D-did you throw it away?¡± I wasn¡¯t even able to think about my name anymore, as Ovia¡¯s outburst completely surprised me. ¡°Ummm...¡± She wrapped her hair around her hand and clenched her fist, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t prepare for this... W-why did everything go off script?¡± I reached out to grab her arm and tell her it was okay, but before I was able to, she sat herself down next to me and grabbed both my shoulders. ¡°I-it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t want to tell m-me what happened,¡± She looked me in the eyes, ¡°I-I... can just... give you a new n-name!¡± ... A new name... ... I haven¡¯t needed one this whole time... ... Do I even deserve one? ¡°How about...¡± She looked away from me briefly before snapping back, ¡°Kierra!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I responded without even thinking. As soon as I heard the name come from her lips, my body jumped into action, latching onto her arms. ¡°I-I¡¯m Kierra...¡± I started to tear up again, although this time I buried my face in Ovia¡¯s arm to hide it, "That¡¯s... me..." Kierra... That¡¯s... ... The second thing you¡¯ve given to me... Chapter 18 – Just Stay Next to Me Chapter 18 ¨C Just Stay Next to Me ¡°Wait!¡± Ovia started to panic again, ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong? W-why are you crying?¡± I¡¯m fine. They¡¯re happy tears! I tried to push Ovia¡¯s arm away so that I could tell her I was alright and thank her once again, but before I could, she had already jumped off of the bed and was pacing back and forth. ¡°Umm... What do I d-do? How do I comfort c-children?¡± ¡°I¡¯m-¡± ¡°N-no, I k-know what to do,¡± She cut me off, ¡°I know exactly what to do.¡± She stepped away from me before snapping her fingers. Right as she did, she was completely engulfed by the surrounding darkness. What? ... Did she just... run away? After a short pause, the room started to lighten up again and my worries immediately dissipated. Where Ovia had just been standing there was a now a large black fox in her place. That¡¯s!... ... I want... My first thought after seeing the fox was to try and grab onto it as quickly as possible. You¡¯re not leaving me again. I started to shuffle off of the bed, but before even getting my feet over the edge, the fox ran up and jumped onto it instead, gently curling around my back before lying down. ... ¡°Can I?¡± I asked, looking over at the fox¡¯s face. The fox paused for a moment before responding by quickly nodding their head. Am I... excited? My tail seemed to have gained a mind of its own as it was swaying back and forth uncontrollably, occasionally brushing against the fox. How long has it been since I... looked forward to something? ... She did give me permission. Having mentally prepared myself, I slowly leaned backwards until I was lying against the body of the fox. ... What?... ... What is this?... ... This can¡¯t be real... How does this exist?... No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t fully describe what it felt like to be enveloped by the soft black fur. It was almost like being completely surrounded by many copies of my own tail, yet somehow even better. Her fur was slightly cool to the touch; it felt unnatural but strangely calming at the same time. ... I¡¯m definitely not letting you leave me... Not again... ... ¡°A-are you feeling better now?¡± Ovia asked as she nuzzled up against my face with her nose. Her mouth didn¡¯t move, but I could still hear her voice clearly. There was nothing wrong in the first place... ... But... it feels good... ... ¡°Mhm,¡± I responded, deciding to just accept her gesture. ¡°Good!¡± Ovia¡¯s tails started to stir slightly, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± I rolled onto my side, pulling my own tail into a hug while still enjoying Ovia¡¯s fur. However, as I did, I noticed that even with my shadow coating my tail, it just wasn¡¯t as dark as Ovia¡¯s. It¡¯s not the same... ... Is there some secret to it?... ¡°Now, what do I do next?...¡± She mumbled quietly, looking away from me, ¡°What would Ellaria do?...¡± You don¡¯t need to do anything. ... Just stay next to me. It¡¯s your blessing, right? ... ... ¡°I... like it...¡± What else am I supposed to say here?... ¡°W-well, um... uh... H-how about... you show m-me?¡± Why? ... Fine. Just by thinking about what I wanted it to do, my shadow crept up my body and settled into my hair and tail, dying them black once again. Ovia didn¡¯t say anything and just continued to stare at my tail. What? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? ¡°Uhhh... What... was that?¡± Ovia asked, sounding genuinely confused. ¡°...Your Blessing?¡± ¡°It is?¡± How don¡¯t you know? You gave it to me. Ovia pulled herself away, turning back into her humanoid form before sitting down next to me. ¡°J-just give me a second.¡± Ovia grabbed my wrist with one hand before placing the palm of her other hand against mine. She then gradually pulled her hand away, revealing a grey liquid that floated into the air. ¡°N-now, where did I leave it?¡± Ovia mumbled to herself while looking around the room frantically. All of a sudden, the floating liquid flew behind me. I instantly turned around to see where it went, but when I did, I saw Aria standing there with some kind of grey crystal floating next to her. ¡°Were you looking for one of these?¡± Aria asked as she walked up to us. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it!¡± Ovia blurted out. What¡¯s going on? ¡°Hello again, little kitsune,¡± Aria said, looking down at me, ¡°I¡¯m sure you weren¡¯t expecting to see me again so soon.¡± ... ¡°K-Kierra...¡± I mumbled. ¡°What was that?¡± ... ¡°My name...¡± I spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s... Kierra.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great,¡± Aria said, clapping her hands together. ¡°W-what are you doing h-here?¡± Ovia seemed to finally realise what had just happened. ¡°Ah, thank you for reminding me,¡± Aria chuckled slightly, ¡°I came to remind you to send little Kierra here back down soon.¡± ¡°But!¡± Both Ovia and I shouted in unison. ¡°Look, I know you two would like to spend more time together, but sister, you know how those gods get.¡± Ovia didn¡¯t say anything, instead just looking down at the floor. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? I don¡¯t want to leave you! Not again! ... Please, don¡¯t do this to me again... ¡°A-alright,¡± Ovia deflated, ¡°I¡¯ll... send her back...¡± ¡°But-¡± I spoke up but was immediately interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s really not our choice,¡± Aria said, ¡°If I could, I¡¯d keep you up here, but unfortunately, there are some... rules?... we have to follow.¡± But... I finally found her... ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t look so down. You can just come back and visit again. I¡¯m sure my sister wouldn¡¯t mind the company, Right?¡± Aria looked over at Ovia. ¡°Mhm...¡± ¡°See?¡± Aria moved next to Ovia, ¡°Now, sister, send her along.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°No buts.¡± Aria placed her finger over Ovia¡¯s lips. Ovia looked over to me with a disheartened expression before looking away and waving one of her tails. As soon as she did, my vision went completely black, and I felt her presence disappear. Chapter 19 – Teach Me Chapter 19 ¨C Teach Me [Ellaria POV] Now that the little kitsune had left it was time for me to try and sort out the mess that my sister has gotten herself into. ¡°Now then, Ovia,¡± I spoke while using all the restraint I had to stop myself from grabbing my sister by the shoulders, ¡°Would you care to explain what that was?¡± ¡°Umm...¡± She looked away from me, ¡°I-I... t-talked to her.¡± ¡°Yes, you did,¡± I walked around her so she was facing me, ¡°But you know that isn¡¯t what I was talking about.¡± My sister fell silent, looking away again. ¡°So, you do know what you did?¡± She still refused to respond, so I placed my hand on her shoulder, forcefully turning her around to face me. At that moment, she immediately started listing off seemingly everything that came to her mind. ¡°I-I... didn¡¯t follow the script. The g-gloves were a bad idea. I knew they were a bad idea, but I did it anyway. I didn¡¯t k-know how to comfort her. H-her name, I don¡¯t know what I was thinking. Why did I think that I had the right to n-name her? I-I even almost smothered her to death-¡± I had to cup my hand over her mouth in order to get her to stop talking, and even then, she didn¡¯t actually stop talking but kept shouting into my hand. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about,¡± I said after she had finally started to calm down. ¡°...¡± I guess I should give her a bit of a hint. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± I asked as I kicked one of the chains lying on the floor. With a guilty expression on her face, she looked down at the chain for a while, remaining silent. ¡°*Sigh* This is why everyone is scared of you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but plant my forehead firmly in my palm. No matter how many times I¡¯ve gone out of my way to speak to her about this she just won¡¯t let go of this whole persona she has given herself. I just don¡¯t understand... Do you just... not want to get along with people? ¡°I-I wanted to make a good first impression.¡± My sister mumbled. ¡°What part of that was a good first impression?¡± My sister was visibly deflated, now crouching on the floor. ¡°B-but if I just followed the script...¡± What am I going to do with you?... I placed my hand on top of my sister¡¯s head before using some of my divinity to force her into her fox form. ¡°Alright, now I will be the one to talk, and you will listen.¡± I sat down and lay against my sister. ¡°But-¡± ¡°I said that I¡¯m the one who¡¯s talking.¡± My sister¡¯s ears drooped down slightly. ¡°Good,¡± I gave her a scratch under her chin before continuing, ¡°Did you not see how much you scared the poor girl, she even tried to run away from you.¡± ¡°Mhm¡± ¡°Great, this can be our little project together then.¡± I clapped my hands together, ¡°That should help keep your mind occupied before the little kitsune comes back around.¡± I started rubbing her cheeks, but she didn¡¯t show the enthusiastic reaction that I was expecting. Normally this is the time when she would be jumping at me, rushing me to get everything started. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something you¡¯re still hung up on?¡± She nuzzled her face closer to me. I responded in turn by placing my hand on her head and returning her to her normal self. I knew she would try this. ¡°That¡¯s not going to get you out of it...¡± My sister turned, so she was lying face down in my lap. ¡°Hmm... How about... If you tell me, I¡¯ll let you play with my tails for a bit? Just like the old days.¡± She stayed still for a while, but eventually, she sat up and faced me, although she avoided making eye contact. ¡°W-what if she... doesn¡¯t... come back?...¡± She fumbled over her words. That¡¯s what she¡¯s so worried about? Was she not watching that little kitsune? ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a little, ¡°I can guarantee she¡¯ll be back at your doorstep before you know-¡± ¡°How can you be so s-sure?!¡± She leaned forward. I stared at her tails swaying back and forth in excitement. They really are surprisingly similar. ¡°Let¡¯s just call it... your sister¡¯s intuition, alright?¡± She looked towards the floor for a bit before suddenly looking me in the eye. ¡°A-alright.¡± There was a sparkle in her eye. ¡°That¡¯s good-¡± ¡°B-but...¡± My sister interrupted me, ¡°...C-can you... help m-me?...¡± ¡°Help you with what exactly?¡± I already have an idea of what she wants... But she needs to tell me herself. ¡°T-teach me... how to... make a g-good impression on K-K-Kierra!¡± I laughed a little at the situation. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do just that,¡± I stood up and stretched, ¡°You know I would never turn you down.¡± ¡°W-what are you waiting for?!¡± My sister leapt up off the floor before dragging me into the side room, ¡°T-there¡¯s only so much time before K-Kierra comes back.¡± It really was a good idea to try and get along with that little kitsune. Chapter 20 – Do I Even Deserve To? Chapter 20 ¨C Do I Even Deserve To? Why are you doing this again?! Don¡¯t do this to me! ... Please!... Please not again... I didn¡¯t know how long I would have been stuck in place, silently blaming everything I could. However, after standing there for only a few moments, my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sharp screech of metal sliding over metal. My ears reacted instantly, searching for the source of the sound. When I turned towards where I heard it coming from, all that I could see was a faint light accompanied by an occasional flash whenever I heard the noise. Is she over there? I¡¯ll go to you. Before I could even take a step, my question was answered when I heard a man shouting. ¡°Come on out already! *Grunt* I know you''re back.¡± That¡¯s... not her... ... ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?!¡± The shrill sound of metal clashing against metal echoed through the room again, ¡°Get out here and deal with your companion!¡± Why should I?... ... I can just... wait here... ... That¡¯s right... I... don¡¯t n-need anything else... ... I-I waited seven years... I-I can w-wait some more... I... I... I... ... .. . Tears started running down my face, disappearing out of sight into the darkness. Please... ... ¡°What did you do to that little girl?!¡± Raynelle?... ¡°I *Grunt* told you, I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± The loud rattle from chains being pulled taut filled the room, ¡°She¡¯s standing right there!¡± ¡°Then let me go!¡± Raynelle shouted, ¡°Let me go to her!¡± Why?... ... Why... are you still here? ... I-I don¡¯t need you... ... I... ¡°...need her...¡± My knees slammed against the cold stone floor, but I didn¡¯t feel any pain. ... Suddenly, I heard the chains clash against the stone floor, followed by hurried footsteps heading my way. ¡°Kit! Where are you?!¡± ... I couldn¡¯t bring myself to respond, although that didn¡¯t matter as soon after, I found myself being lifted into the air. ¡°A-are you okay?¡± Raynelle asked, ¡°Nothing happened to you, right? You¡¯re alright?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Just... Tell me... I don¡¯t know what to do for you...¡± She gently brushed away my tears. I could never compare to her... Why would she even want to see me again? ... A-Aria said... that I could come back... But... ... No matter what I tried, I just couldn¡¯t come up with a reason why a Goddess like her would ever want to see someone like me. Just from the pressure that I felt when I first saw her, it was clear that she just didn¡¯t need someone like me. She could have whatever she wanted... Why would she choose me?... ... But... I need her... ... I had already somehow held on for seven years, just hoping that I could meet her again. Now that I had finally met her again, I just couldn¡¯t let her go. I can¡¯t wait another seven years... ... Looking around the room, I saw a brush that Ava had brought with her a few days ago in an attempt to touch my tail. I had turned her down when she did, but she still decided to leave the brush in my room, which, at that moment, I was thankful for. I-I¡¯ll fix it... I-I¡¯m sure... If I-I look better... She¡¯ll like me more... ... She has to... I-I need something... I picked myself up off the floor and grabbed the brush off the nearby table before sitting myself back down on the floor with my pure white tail resting in my lap. I guess I just- ¡°*Yelp*¡± Instantly, my hand let go of the brush, but it stayed attached, dangling from my tail. As soon as I tried to run the brush through my tail, I felt an excruciating pain shoot up my spine as it pulled against the fur. B-but... I-I have to... I grabbed the brush and kept trying to force it through the fur, this time biting down on my hand to help bear the pain. Although, it didn¡¯t help much... ¡°*Yelp*¡± All it really achieved was muffling my cries of pain rather than stopping them. Just go through! As I kept pulling on the brush, tears started welling up in my eyes. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop! Don¡¯t do it like that!¡± Someone shouted. I turned around to see a blurry Ava barrelling towards me. As soon as she was in front of me, she grabbed my wrist, which caused me to let go of the brush. ¡°You¡¯re just going to damage your fur like that!¡± ¡°...¡± But... I need to... I tried to pull my wrist out of her grip, but she wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Look, I know you don¡¯t want me to touch you, but please, let me at least teach you first.¡± Ava continued complaining at me, sounding genuinely panicked. I need it now!... I don¡¯t want to wait anymore... ... Looking at the brush hanging limply from my tail, I knew that there was only one way to fix this problem, but I was still reluctant to do it. ... I looked up at Ava¡¯s panicked face, then back down at the brush. ... It¡¯s f-for her... I-I can do this... ... I lifted the brush along with the attached tail using my free hand and held it out to Ava. ¡°Really?!¡± Ava asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± I silently braced myself before nodding, and her face immediately lit up as she reached for the brush¡¯s handle. ... It¡¯s for... Ovia... Chapter 21 – She’ll Get There Eventually Chapter 21 ¨C She¡¯ll Get There Eventually [Raynelle POV] I don¡¯t know what I should be doing... After visiting that temple yesterday, Kit fell asleep in my arms, and she''s stayed that way ever since I got her back to the inn. I knew that she was probably just tired from such an eventful day, but that didn¡¯t matter. I couldn¡¯t help but worry about her. I buried my face into my hands. ¡°... I just... don¡¯t know how to help you...¡± ... *Thud* Instantly, I lifted my head out of my hands and turned towards the source of the noise, but nothing else happened. ¡°I must be imagining things now...¡± I need to calm down. It helps nobody being this high-strung. ... I just really don¡¯t want to leave that kid like this... ... But... even when I was screaming for her... She said... nothing... ... What more can I even do?... She just... doesn¡¯t trust me. Leaning back in my chair, I gently rocked back and forth on its two back legs. With each push, a soft creaking sound filled the room before I let the chair fall forward to do it again. ... ... ¡°...Ava was so much easier to deal with...¡± ... *Slap*Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.come on Raynelle, you can¡¯t be thinking like that,¡± I said to myself, ¡°You know how much that kid has had to deal with.¡± I sat there in silence for a moment, waiting for the stinging sensation in both my cheek and my hand to go away. ... ¡°Y¡¯know... Celica seemed to be an alright person... so if push ever comes to shove, I know that at least I could just... leave her there...... Then she¡¯ll be safe... I¡¯m sure...¡± ... Without warning, my train of thought was interrupted by the faint sound of a muffed yelp, followed by hurried footsteps. ¡°What!¡± The girls! Without wasting any more time, I burst out of the room and ran down the corridor towards Kit¡¯s room, immediately throwing the door open once I reached it. I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if I damaged a hinge or two. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± I shouted while searching the room, ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ... I looked down to see the two girls just sitting on the floor. Ava was brushing Kit¡¯s tail with a rather serious expression on her face while Kit sat there, tense as could be, with tears visibly welling up in her eyes. I can¡¯t believe Ava got to do that before me! ¡°I-¡± I started to complain but stopped myself almost immediately. Raynelle, It¡¯s not the time for that. Just look, that little girl is finally letting someone get a bit closer to her. ... I knew it was good. I don¡¯t know why she complains every time. ... In only a few minutes, we were all finished with lunch. It was mainly thanks to Kit devouring the bulk of it, but at least she looked satisfied. ¡°Now then, can one of you two fill me in on the details?¡± I looked over at Kit, hoping that a miracle would happen, but Ava spoke up instead. ¡°Yeah, She just started attacking her tail with the brush and almost pulled out a bunch of her fur because of it,¡± Ava explained, ¡°So I stopped her... then she was gracious enough to hand me the brush, with tail still attached.¡± ¡°And since when were you some kind of expert on tail care?¡± I might not know how you tend to all those feathers of yours, but I know it ain¡¯t anything like brushing a tail. For goodness sake, I know you only bought that brush a week ago! ¡°Since last week,¡± Ava looked very proud of herself, ¡°I spent some time looking into it, and it paid off.¡± ¡°Oh, did you now?¡± I leaned in towards Ava¡¯s ear and whispered to her, ¡°I need you to show me how to do it later.¡± Ava let out a quiet chuckle before nodding. ¡°So then, Kit, you¡¯ve decided to worry about your appearance now?¡± I walked over to her and squatted down. ¡°...¡± Wait a minute... This could be a great opportunity. She just needs a little push. ¡°Well, your tail is looking quite neat now... It sure would be a waste to leave you dressed in those rags, hey?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°How about this then? We can take you somewhere to get kitted out with some new outfits. That sound good to you?¡± Kit¡¯s eyes lit up, but that burst of excitement quickly vanished as she started staring at the floor. So, you don¡¯t want to go out... ... Ah, I got it. ¡°Y¡¯know, with your hair all neatened up like that, I can hardly recognise you anymore. With some new clothes, and maybe a haircut, I imagine you would look like an entirely new person.¡± Kit looked back up at me, this time with her ears perked up and her tail quickly swaying back and forth. ¡°Okay then, but first, let¡¯s try it out,¡± I looked over at Ava, ¡°Do you have something she could wear?¡± ¡°Hmm... I think there¡¯s something. Just give me a second.¡± She got up and quickly left the room. I really hope this works. At this point, I¡¯ll really take any kind of progress. Ava quickly came back, holding a familiar dress. It was a simple dress, but it was made entirely out of feathers of various sizes, mainly black, but dappled with various greys and whites throughout. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that for a few years now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only thing I have that is small enough for her.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, just go for it. I¡¯ll just need it back after we get back. And I know Kit won¡¯t do anything to it,¡± Ava said, ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve seen how she treats the scarf you got her.¡± ¡°Okay then, you heard her. We¡¯ve got the go-ahead,¡± I said, ¡°Do you need any help putting it on?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll leave you to it. Ava, let¡¯s give the girl some space.¡± I put my hand on Ava¡¯s shoulder and dragged her out of the room, ¡°We¡¯ll just be waiting out here.¡± I closed the door behind me before letting out a heavy sigh. She¡¯ll... get there eventually... ... I know it. Chapter 22 – Pretty Little Thing Chapter 22 ¨C Pretty Little Thing Looking down at the dress that Ava had allowed me to use, I couldn¡¯t help but question the motives behind her decision. Is this some kind of trick?... ... Why a dress made of feathers? ... Does she want me to ask her if I can touch her feathers? ... Is it all to tempt me?! ... I kept staring at the dress, just thinking in silence. That must be it. ... But... ... No, you have to do this. Reluctantly, I took off the rags that I had been wearing for the past few years, leaving me with just my bare body. I couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since I¡¯d seen my body just as it was. What confused me was the lack of any visible scars. Over the last few years, I knew that I had picked up more than a few, but looking down at myself, I saw nothing as if none of it had even happened. Does that mean? I reached a hand over my shoulder and ran it across my back, hoping for a miracle. But the distinct groove I felt told me otherwise. Still there... ... ... Looking back down at the dress in an attempt to distract myself, I felt a strange resistance to putting it on. It just didn¡¯t feel right to me; it didn¡¯t feel like I deserved it. ... Don¡¯t forget K-Kierra; it¡¯s for her... It¡¯s all for her... I quickly threw the dress over my head, careful not to damage it, as I didn¡¯t know what they might do to me if I did. However, as soon as I had pulled it down, I noticed a problem. There wasn¡¯t a hole in the back for my tail, so it was pushing up against the skirt. ... You just have to deal with it. Thinking on my feet, I wrapped my tail around one of my legs, securing it with my old makeshift scarf. It was uncomfortable, but at least it wasn¡¯t painful. It¡¯s only for one trip. Bracing myself, I opened the door to see both Raynelle and Ava waiting patiently in the hallway. ¡°Now, doesn¡¯t that look so much better, hey?¡± Raynelle said as she turned towards me, ¡°Although, something does seem a little bit off.¡± Isn¡¯t that a good thing? I don¡¯t want to be recognised. Ava walked behind me and looked me up and down. ¡°It seems to be a little bit big on you.¡± Ava said as she adjusted the back of the dress, ¡°And I can¡¯t imagine your tail is comfortable being covered like that.¡± ¡°Ah, that was it! the tail was missing.¡± Raynelle blurted out, ¡°How did I miss that?¡± Can we just go already? This is important. My shadow slithered up my body until it coated my hair and tail before I started heading out of the inn, believing that they would just follow me. However, after only two steps, Raynelle lifted me into the air. ¡°Hold up a bit there, you should probably still put a cloak on before heading out,¡± Raynelle waved her hand at Ava, ¡°And you don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re going.¡± Raynelle then set me back down on my feet, and Ava draped a cloak over my shoulders before fastening it around my neck. ¡°No no, that¡¯s a bit too much for her... maybe a green... or a blue...¡± ¡°It definitely has to be a dress, although...¡± ¡°I think red would be nice, but that¡¯s probably a bit too mature for her...¡± Why are you deciding? ... I wish she could decide for me... But she¡¯s already given me so much... ... I knew that if I didn¡¯t come up with anything, I would be stuck with whatever those two came up with. But as I tried to think about what would look good, the only thing that came to mind was my memory of Ovia. ... Is that a bad thing?... No. How could it be? Before I could change my mind, I hopped out of Raynelle¡¯s arms, but she was too absorbed in her conversation with Ava to notice. Then I walked up to the woman, gently tugging on her skirt to get her attention. ¡°Hmm, do you have something you want to say?¡± She squatted down so she was on my level. I panicked a bit at the question and ended up looking around the room for something that I could point to, but then I realised that I already had exactly what I needed. I carefully tugged on my scarf while also pointing at it, hoping that she would understand me. ¡°Hmm... Do you... want something in black?¡± I nodded. ¡°So then, what exactly do you want in black? Are you looking for a dress?¡± I... don¡¯t know... I don¡¯t think they suit me... ... ¡°I think a cute little dress would look very good on you,¡± The woman said as she flashed a warm smile at me, ¡°You¡¯d be sure to wow whoever saw you. I can personally guarantee it.¡± I nodded instantly. I didn¡¯t need to think about it anymore because that¡¯s exactly what I wanted. Hopefully, she¡¯ll like it. ¡°Alright, I think I have something in the back that will fit you,¡± The woman stood up, ¡°Just give me a few minutes to make some adjustments for you.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Both Raynelle and Ava shouted in unison. ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s the problem?¡± The woman responded, completely unfazed. ¡°How did you... do... that?¡± Raynelle asked. ¡°What do you mean? I just asked her some questions, and she responded, albeit in her own way,¡± The woman turned around and walked into the back of the shop, ¡°She¡¯s really not as difficult as you made her out to be.¡± ¡°Are we... just that unapproachable?¡± Raynelle asked Ava. ¡°I... don¡¯t... think so... I hope...¡± Ava responded. Both Raynelle and Ava kept going back and forth like that for a little while before the woman eventually came back out with a black dress draped over one of her arms. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± The woman squatted down in front of me just like before and held the dress up in front of me. It was a black dress, just like I had asked for. The bottom of it was fairly simple, only slightly frilled, with a small white layer sticking out beneath it. Down the body of the dress, there were two rows of decorative buttons that led up to the collar, which had a loose ribbon draped around it. ¡°And don¡¯t worry,¡± She turned the dress around, ¡°I added a little flap for your tail to go through.¡± I don¡¯t know what to say... It looks good... Too good for me... ... ¡°Do you want to go try it on?¡± ... After a brief pause, I nodded. ¡°Alright then, here you go,¡± She handed me the dress, ¡°You can use the room just down there. Just make sure to make some noise if you need any help.¡± I didn¡¯t respond to her and instead quickly made my way into the room to get changed. Chapter 23 – The Tail Flap Chapter 23 ¨C The Tail Flap I quickly took off Ava¡¯s dress and neatly folded it to give back to her. But standing there in the changing room, looking over the dress the woman gave to me again, there was just one thought that filled my mind. Ovia would look so much better in this... ... ... She¡¯d look better than me in... anything... ... She¡¯s just... better than me... I quickly threw the dress over my head in an attempt to try and distract myself. Immediately, I noticed how much more comfortable it was compared to Ava¡¯s dress, which wasn¡¯t that surprising after thinking about it for a bit. A dress made with any kind of fabric is going to poke you less than a dress made of feathers. After pulling the dress down and freeing my hair, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything else for me to fasten, so I moved my attention down to my tail. Lifting up the skirt, I untied my makeshift scarf from my leg, freeing my tail. Initially, I felt a wave of relief pass over me, but that feeling almost immediately disappeared once I looked my tail over. It was a complete mess, with fluff sticking out all over the place. No! This can¡¯t happen! Panicking, I tried to flatten out the fur with my hands, but it didn¡¯t help much. If anything, I was just making it worse. Why?! I-I-I don¡¯t think I can do that again! I-If I bother her again after saying no to her s-so much... ... I-I¡¯ll just fix it... myself... I-I have to. ... I still had one more thing to do to finish putting the dress on. I still needed to get my tail through the flap in the back. So I just moved my attention to that, holding onto the hollow hope that, just maybe, my tail would sort itself out. I thought that there would just be a simple hole in the back of the dress for my tail, but instead, there was an additional piece of fabric sewn in behind the opening, which formed a sort of pouch. If I had to guess, it was probably to prevent anyone from seeing inside the dress from any gaps at either side of the tail. But with my fluffy tail, I don¡¯t think that would have been an issue. Using one hand, I guided the tip of my tail into the slot on the inside of the dress, and then I grabbed it on the other side using my other hand. Once I was sure I had a secure grip on my tail, I tried to pull it through quickly. ¡°*Yelp*¡± It got caught on something, sending a shock right up my spine. Almost immediately, I heard footsteps rapidly approaching, followed by a hurried knock on the door. ¡°Are you alright in there?¡± It was the woman from before, ¡°I¡¯m going to open the door just to check, okay?¡± Slowly, the door opened, and she peeked her head around to see me standing there with a tear in my eye and a ragged tail in my hand. Immediately after laying eyes on me, she stepped into the room and reached for my tail. NO! It¡¯s mine! I jumped back, turning so that she couldn¡¯t see my tail, let alone grab it. ¡°Oh, oh no. I-I¡¯m really sorry about that,¡± the woman said, taken aback, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know. Should I get one of the other two to help instead?¡± ... I don¡¯t want to... But... ... I looked up at the woman while trying to make a sign with my hands. I linked my thumbs together and then flapped my fingers like a bird¡¯s wings. ¡°Oh, um, alright, I¡¯ll show them that, and they¡¯ll understand?¡± I nodded my head even though I wasn¡¯t sure myself, and she left the room without saying anything else. I guess... she¡¯s the best option... Pretty soon after, Ava burst into the room without even knocking. However, as soon as I stood in front of them, the room fell completely silent. What¡¯s wrong? Is it that bad? I-I knew it... I-I¡¯m just... not her... ¡°Can you turn around for me quickly?¡± The woman finally broke the silence. I did as she asked, still holding onto a small sliver of hope. ¡°Hmm... I think I need to make that tail flap a bit bigger.¡± Huh? ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d say so,¡± Ava came up behind me, carrying the folded dress I had left in the changing room, ¡°It was more just than a little bit of work to sort out.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get that done for the rest of them then,¡± The woman jotted something down on a notepad, ¡°Honestly, this was bound to happen; You don¡¯t really see beastkin in this city, let alone a kitsune.¡± The rest? The rest of what? I turned and looked up at Raynelle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Raynelle looked over at the woman for a second before squatting down and grabbing the two ends of the ribbon hanging around my neck, neatly tying it into a bow, ¡°B-by the way, I think that dress looks very good on you.¡± Really! My tail started to sway involuntarily, but that didn¡¯t matter to me; this was what I needed. Then- Then- Will she like it too? Raynelle then looked back up at the woman, who responded by nodding her head while looking very proud of herself. ¡°Alright then Kit,¡± Raynelle turned back to me, ¡°Where should we go next?¡± Next? We¡¯re going somewhere else? ¡°She¡¯s asking if you want anything else,¡± Ava put her hands on my shoulders from behind. ... No... I can¡¯t take anything else. This... is already too much. I shook my head. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Raynelle asked. ... I nodded my head. ¡°Okay then, just... if you even want anything, absolutely anything, you can always tell me. I¡¯ll always do what I can.¡± Raynelle picked me up and started carrying me in her arms, ¡°Anna, once again, thank you for both the dress and the advice. I¡¯ll be back around soon enough for the rest.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it; it was a pleasure. If anything, I¡¯d hope you could bring everyone back here when you come by again,¡± The woman responded. ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll see about it, but it¡¯s not really up to me,¡± Raynelle said as she waved to the woman and left the store with me still in her arms. ¡°Mom, you can take her back first. I¡¯m gonna go grab some things while I can.¡± Ava handed the folded dress she was carrying to Raynelle as she walked past. ¡°Sure, sure, just get back soon. Unless you want to eat my stew again!¡± Raynelle shouted. ¡°Now, I definitely won¡¯t be late!¡± Ava was already out of sight, having gotten lost in all the people at the market. ¡°Guess it¡¯ll just be us two for a bit then,¡± Raynelle looked down at me, ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll come up with something to do.¡± After that, we made our way back to the inn, catching glances from more than just a few people. Almost done, just a little more... Then... I¡¯ll be ready to see you again. Chapter 24 – Back At The Inn Chapter 24 ¨C Back At The Inn As soon as we got back to the inn, Raynelle sat me down at the table in my room. ¡°Alright, just... uh... wait here for a second. I have something I need to try.¡± Raynelle ran out of the room, leaving me alone. Wha- Before I even had the time to think about what she could have been talking about, she was already back, carrying a notebook and some pencils in her hands. ¡°Anna told me this would be a good idea, and she definitely seemed to know what she was talking about.¡± Raynelle laid the notebook and pencils in front of me before sitting down at the other side of the table. ¡°...¡± We sat there for a few minutes, just staring at each other in complete silence, until Raynelle suddenly buried her face in her hands. ¡°This isn¡¯t working,¡± She muttered, ¡°But... I¡¯m not supposed to force you... Am I doing this wrong?¡± Force me to do what?Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com I looked down at the notebook and pencils again, trying to figure out what she was expecting me to do. ... I picked up one of the pencils, and immediately, it felt comfortable in my hand. But, more than that... there was this urge clawing away at me all of a sudden. Once Raynelle noticed that I had taken one of the pencils, she lifted her head out of her hands and started staring at me, still not saying anything. But my mind was too busy for me to be bothered by it. This is... Why... Why is this familiar? ... Looking down at the notebook, my mind was filled with one thing. My memory of Ovia, each and every individual moment, flashed past until they all came together into a single image. As soon as that image was clear in my mind, I just instinctively knew what to do. I put the pencil against the page, and my hand just started moving, gracefully sliding over the page. It was like being in a trance; nothing else mattered. For just a few brief moments, what was in front of me was all that existed in the world. Until, all of a sudden, it was over. I looked up, but Raynelle wasn¡¯t there anymore. I immediately looked around the room and found her standing over me, looking down at the notebook. ¡°So, who¡¯s this?¡± Raynelle asked, having noticed that I¡¯d come out of my trance. ¡°...¡± I looked down at the notebook, at my drawing of Ovia kneeling down, with her arms outstretched and an expectant look on her face. I started to reach my hand out but pulled back. ¡°So, how many tails is that? 1, 2, 4, 6, 8... 9!¡± She shouted when she reached the last number. Huh? Why does that matter? ¡°Is it a Goddess?...¡± Raynelle started muttering to herself, ¡°But, I don¡¯t recognise them... Is there a nine-tailed kitsune out there that isn¡¯t a Goddess?¡± Raynelle moved around me and leaned on the table to get a better look at the drawing. ¡°Is this someone you¡¯ve met?¡± She pointed at the drawing. ¡°...¡± I nodded. ¡°...If only you¡¯d talk to me, this would be so much easier to figure out...¡± You don¡¯t need to know... This... This is for me. ¡°Maybe someone else can help... Celica would probably know; even if she doesn¡¯t, she can probably ask her Goddess about it. I doubt that there¡¯s a nine-tailed kitsune out there that even the gods don¡¯t know about.¡± Raynelle reached out for the drawing. NO! I snatched the notebook off the table, knocking all the pencils onto the floor. It¡¯s mine! Don¡¯t take her away from me! Raynelle took a step back, almost slipping on one of the pencils. ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s yours,¡± She said, putting her hands up, ¡°I won¡¯t take it away from you.¡± Right as she finished speaking, the door flew open, and Ava came into the room with a basket on her arm. ¡°Did I... interrupt something?¡± Ava asked, looking back and forth between us. ¡°Um...¡± Raynelle responded, ¡°Did you know that our little Kit can draw?¡± ¡°Can she now?¡± Ava locked her gaze on me. ¡°Go on, show her,¡± Raynelle said, pointing at the notebook I had held against my chest. Ava then guided me down through the inn to where the bath was before helping me to take off my dress. ¡°Good thing your tail came out easier than it went in,¡± Ava said as she folded the dress up, ¡°Hopefully, it will be easier to put back on after we get your tail all clean. It definitely shouldn¡¯t catch as easily... I think.¡± Really? ... I quickly slipped past Ava and slid myself into the bath, being careful not to splash water all over the room. My tail instantly became heavier, now needing a surprising amount of effort to move around. I¡¯ve been rained on before, but even then, my tail never absorbed this much water. As I was playing around with my tail, Ava came into the room. She was wearing a large shirt with the sleeves rolled up and trousers that seemed way too big for her. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her for a moment. ¡°Hmm? What- Oh, I didn¡¯t want to make you uncomfortable, so I ¡®borrowed¡¯ some of Mom¡¯s clothes and cut some holes in the back for my wings.¡± Ava did a quick twirl, ¡°What do you think? Does it look good on me?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I do wish you would play along a bit. But for now, let¡¯s get to work,¡± Ava came up to the side of the bath, ¡°To start, can you go back to the white tail? It¡¯ll be easier to see if anything is stuck in there that way.¡± ... Fine... I did as she asked. If it will make it easier... I can do it... Ava then pulled out one of the bottles from the basket. ¡°This is a speciality shampoo I managed to find in the market. It¡¯s supposed to be better for this kind of thing.¡± Ava then gestured for my tail in the water. But... That scar... ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°...¡± I made sure that I was facing Ava directly so that she couldn¡¯t see my back. ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Ava sighed, ¡°Look... there¡¯s nothing there I haven¡¯t seen before. After all, I was the one who wiped you down and healed you up when we first found you.¡± That¡¯s not the problem. She... Ovia... blames herself for it... I-I don¡¯t want you looking at it. ¡°Okay then, how¡¯s this?¡± Ava threw a brown shirt at me, ¡°You can put that on. Would that be better?¡± ¡°...¡± I quickly put on the shirt before turning around and lifting my tail out of the water and onto the side of the bath. Ava then got to work, lathering the shampoo all over my tail. She gently massaged my soapy tail for a while before gently laying it back in the water. ¡°Just run your fingers through the fur, make sure it¡¯s all gone, alright?¡± I did as she asked and immediately felt a difference. My fingers could glide through easily and didn¡¯t get caught anywhere near as often as before. I looked at Ava and saw her flipping through a book. After only a few seconds, she closed the book and looked back up at me. ¡°Okay, next, I¡¯m going to use this,¡± Ava said, pulling a comb out of the basket, ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to brush your tail while it¡¯s like this, as the fur is weaker when wet, so instead, I¡¯m going to use this wide-tooth comb, which should be fine. It should help get out anything that¡¯s gotten stuck in there.¡± Okay. Ava did exactly as she said she would and started running the comb through my tail, each time going from base to tip. After a few minutes of this, Ava once again laid my tail back in the water. ¡°Run your fingers through there again, just to get rid of the loose bits.¡± Once again, I was surprised at just how different it felt. It was almost like she was using some kind of magic. ¡°Pretty good, right?¡± Ava put her hands on my shoulders, ¡°Now, get yourself out of there. We need to dry your tail off before getting to the rest.¡± I pulled myself out of the bath, with my wet tail drooping down behind me. ¡°Pat your tail down with this,¡± Ava threw a towel at me, ¡°Then we just need to run that wide-toothed comb through it until it¡¯s dry.¡± I followed her instructions exactly, and I was completely amazed. Each time I ran the comb through my tail, it somehow didn¡¯t catch a single time. After what felt like only a little while, my tail was completely dry and softer than ever; in fact, I couldn¡¯t even remember my tail ever feeling quite as soft. ¡°That... actually didn¡¯t take as long as I thought it would...¡± Ava said, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get you dressed so we can get to the good part, alright?¡± Once again, I nodded. She... ... Doesn¡¯t seem that bad... ... Chapter 25 – A New Perspective Chapter 25 ¨C A New Perspective I picked up my dress before looking up at Ava. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll turn around for you.¡± Ava slowly turned around while also making a show of covering her eyes. Once I was confident that she wasn¡¯t looking at me, I took off the shirt she had given me before quickly throwing the dress over my head and pulling it down. Immediately, I looked back over at Ava to make sure that she was still facing away from me. After confirming that she was still facing the wall, I grabbed my tail. ... It¡¯ll be fine. ... She said it would be easier now... I guided my tail into the flap and grabbed the tip from the other side. I-It¡¯s not going to hurt... ... Deciding it would be better to get it over with quickly, I yanked my tail through all at once. ... To my utter surprise, it went through without catching at all. I even looked over my shoulder to check on my tail, and while it was a little messy, it didn¡¯t look that bad. She... was right... ... ¡°Just warning you, I¡¯m going to turn around now, alright?¡± Ava suddenly spoke to me. She stayed still for a moment before dropping her arms and turning around to face me. ¡°Oh, you managed to get your tail through yourself this time,¡± Ava came a bit closer, ¡°Well done.¡± ... Mhm... I felt my tail start to sway, but I reached behind me and grabbed it before it got out of control. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the brushing then,¡± Ava chuckled as she picked up the basket, ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s get back to the room.¡± I followed Ava back to the room, where she promptly sat on the floor and gestured towards her lap. ¡°Come on now, you know what to do.¡± I sat myself just in front of her and laid my tail in her lap. As soon as I did, I felt a brush run through it. ¡°Wow... I really outdid myself; It feels quite a lot better...¡± Ava decided to run her hand through my tail, ¡°Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°...¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Ava switched back to the brush, ¡°Now make sure you pay attention, we¡¯ve got-¡± I couldn¡¯t quite make out what she said past that point, as my eyelids slowly closed, and I drifted off to sleep while she kept brushing. ... I hope she likes it too... ... ... The temperature around me suddenly dropped, and the surprise caused my eyes to shoot open, revealing an endless black void all around me. ¡°Is it?...¡± A large black fox walked up to me out of the darkness. As soon as I laid eyes on it, I started running with my arms outstretched. The fox just continued walking towards me until we eventually collided, and I wrapped my arms around it. ¡°Stay here... Please, just... stay... with...¡± ... Wait... ... It¡¯s... It¡¯s... not her. This wasn¡¯t the first time that I had dreamt up a fake, but this time, I knew she was really out there, and it hurt just a little more than all the other times. Why... is she still avoiding me?... ... I cleaned up my tail... I got a new dress... What¡¯s missing?... ¡°I wish you would tell me...¡± I continued hugging the dream fox while I thought to myself. It at least provided some kind of comfort, even if it felt a bit hollow. ... Is there something she wants from me? ... Thinking back to when I met her at the temple, I tried to see if there was something she wanted, a gap I could fill. ... What would a Goddess even need from me? ... That¡¯s when the perfect idea hit me. I walked around the fox and lay against its body, just like Ovia had let me do with her. Is this it? In fact, it¡¯s perfect. ¡°Look, I know you don¡¯t want to open up to us, but I really need to make sure you¡¯re okay,¡± Ava gestured towards her lap, ¡°It¡¯s rare, but I have heard some horror stories about the first time using Transformation Magic going wrong.¡± But it didn¡¯t go wrong... I looked myself over just to make sure, and what I saw looked exactly like a white fox, a baby one with an oversized tail perhaps, but that¡¯s good enough for me. ... ¡°Look...*sigh* I¡¯m just trying to help you here...¡± Ava looked up at the ceiling, ¡°I just... wish you weren¡¯t so afraid of me.¡± ... Hearing Ava say that caught me a bit off guard; it somehow made me feel a bit... uncomfortable. ... I¡¯m... not... Scared of you... ... I... think... ... It¡¯s true that Ava has helped me a lot in the last few days, and nothing bad ever happened afterwards. But... why? ... Nobody else is like that... ... What do you want from me? Everyone wants something. ... Looking up at Raynelle, she stood in the doorway, staring at Ava, ready to run in and grab her at a moment''s notice. ... I thought back over every time Ava spoke to me, trying to figure out why she was different to everyone else I¡¯d met until it suddenly became clear. The answer had been staring me in the face from the beginning. She wants to touch my tail! Every time she helped me, it had to do with my tail! ... Does that mean... If I just let her touch my tail... She won¡¯t do anything to me? ... Is it that easy? ... ... I-It¡¯s the only explanation. I slowly made my way across the bed and clambered up onto Ava¡¯s lap, making sure to present my tail to her as I did. ... Ava looked down at me without saying anything. In response, I waved my tail in front of her face, trying to tell her what to do. ¡°Can I?¡± Ava asked. I nodded. Ava hesitated for a moment before running her hand through my tail with a content look on her face, ¡°Well, I can definitely say that your tail, while smaller, is still just as soft as before.¡± I-I was right. ... If I just give her what she wants, I¡¯ll be fine. It even made that uncomfortable feeling go away. Ava then checked me all over before giving her okay. ¡°What did you do to make her so... docile all of a sudden?¡± Raynelle asked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just my natural talents at work,¡± Ava smirked, ¡°It was always only a matter of time before she would see my charm.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, let me try too,¡± Raynelle squatted down in front of Ava and held her hands out, ¡°Just... hop on over.¡± No. I don¡¯t know what you want. I still can¡¯t trust you. I curled up on Ava¡¯s lap, refusing to move. ¡°...¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that Mom,¡± Ava stroked my back, ¡°I¡¯m just that good at this.¡± Raynelle and Ava kept going back and forth like that for a while. I started ignoring the two of them pretty quickly, instead focusing on just how comfortable Ava¡¯s lap was. The slight warmth made me feel sleepy even though I had only just woken up. Tomorrow... ... I¡¯ll... come to you... ... Chapter 26 – Sisterly Bonding Chapter 26 ¨C Sisterly Bonding [Ovia POV] I sat in Ellaria¡¯s domain, waiting for her after she decided to step out for a moment. In order to occupy myself, I decided to check on Kierra. ... ¡°I... want to try that too...¡± ... ¡°What is this thing that you want to try now?¡± Ellaria called out as she came back into her domain with a pleased look spread across her face. I pointed at the image of a fluffy little white fox curled up in someone¡¯s lap that was floating just in front of me. Ellaria walked up behind me so that she could see what I was pointing at. ¡°You do know that if you want to sleep in my lap like that,¡± She sat down next to me, ¡°All you have to do is ask; my lap is always available to you.¡± ¡°N-no... that¡¯s not it... I-I want... K-Kierra to sleep in m-my lap.¡± Stop stuttering! A Goddess shouldn¡¯t be stuttering all the time. ¡°Alright then,¡± She chuckled as she pulled out a notebook, ¡°Should I add it to your list then?¡± ¡°...¡± I nodded. Instead of writing it down, Ellaria just stared at me in silence. What? Was I not supposed to say yes to that? ... Did I... make another mistake? ¡°Did you pick that habit up from watching that little kitsune all the time?¡± ¡°...¡± Ellaria came closer before brushing her hand against my cheek. ¡°I thought we went through this already? You¡¯re going to try to help her open up a bit more. How are you going to do that if you also decide to stop talking?¡± I tried to turn away from her, but she grabbed my head and held it in place. W-what am I supposed to say here? ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t know... It was your idea...¡± She then let go of me and placed the notebook she was holding on my lap. ¡°That¡¯s why we made the list. If you get stuck and don¡¯t know what to do, you can just check the list and know exactly what to do.¡± ... But... ¡°...what if I... mess it up again?...¡± Ellaria then pulled me into a hug while encasing me in her tails.Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com ¡°You need to stop being so hard on yourself,¡± she said, brushing my hair out of my face, ¡°While your last meeting might not have been perfect, you still did some things right.¡± What did I even do right? I started by tackling her to the ground... ... ¡°Like, the name you decided to give her. She seemed to like it quite a bit.¡± ... ¡°But-¡± Ellaria covered my mouth with her hand before I could finish talking. ¡°I¡¯m telling you she liked it, not asking you if you think she did,¡± She removed her hand, ¡°Although I have been wondering, how did you come up with the name? I would have expected a name like ¡®Fluffy¡¯ instead of Kierra.¡± ... Fluffy... was one of the options... ... Is it that bad? ... ¡°I-I had some help...¡± I blurted out. ¡°See, if you don¡¯t-¡± She suddenly stopped talking, ¡°Wait, you went and got help from someone? But you didn¡¯t ask me... Who did you even ask?¡± I don¡¯t have to ask you... not every time... ¡°Beni... Beni helped me.¡± ¡°Beni?...¡± She closed her eyes for a moment while she thought, ¡°Beni is... your Emissary of Darkness, with the bunny ears, right?¡± I nodded, but she just stared back at me instead of continuing to talk. Am I allowed to? I didn¡¯t ask her... ¡°It will also make you seem a bit more friendly than that outfit you wore last time.¡± ... ¡°...I thought it looked good...¡± ¡°It did look good on you, but it also looked quite... imposing, to put it lightly,¡± Ellaria said as she handed me the folded dress, ¡°I would tell you to just dress how you normally do instead, but that¡¯s probably not appropriate for her.¡± ... Just thinking about how that would go caused my face to heat up. ¡°I-I¡¯m definitely not doing that!¡± Ellaria let out a small chuckle, ¡°And I wasn¡¯t asking you to.¡± ... ¡°Now, I should probably be letting you go soon,¡± Ellaria stood up and stretched. Huh?! ¡°What?! Why?! I-I¡¯m not ready yet,¡± I latched onto her arm, trying to make her sit back down, ¡°S-she shouldn¡¯t be c-coming back so s-soon.¡± I-it¡¯s too soon. I-I still need to practise. ¡°Well, I might have given our little kitsune a slight... nudge, of a sort,¡± She said as she struggled to peel me off of her arm. ¡°W-why did you do that?!¡± I let go of her arm, ¡°I-I need more time!¡± T-this doesn¡¯t work. ¡°You don¡¯t need any more time; you¡¯ve got your list to tell you what to do, the outfit you¡¯re going to wear, and you even have that ¡®gift¡¯ you want to give her. What more do you need?¡± ¡°I-I need to practise. I-I don¡¯t remember my lines...¡± I wrapped my hair around my hand and then clenched it into a fist. ¡°You need to stop talking about lines and the like,¡± Ellaria grabbed my hand, slowly prying open my fingers, ¡°You¡¯re just going to talk to her for a bit; you¡¯re not putting on a rehearsed performance, okay?¡± ... But... I might say the wrong thing... I-I¡¯ll ruin it again... Ellaria then pulled me into a hug once again. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll keep an eye on you two like last time and step in if you really need the help. Would that be better for you?¡± ... I nodded, but this time, instead of staring at me, Ellaria just continued talking. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do just that, alright?¡± ... ... I stayed silent, just hugging Ellaria for a few minutes. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± ¡°...Mhm.¡± ¡°Good, now you should head back to your place and get set up,¡± She put her hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me away from her, forcing me to let go. ¡°O-Okay... I-I¡¯ll try...¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m ever going to ask of you.¡± ... I was about to leave but decided to stop for a moment and say something that was on my mind. ¡°Th-... Thank you... f-for helping me... e-even though I¡¯m like this.¡± ¡°Like I¡¯ve been telling you this whole time, it¡¯s fine. I enjoy the extra bonding time with my sister, especially after all these years.¡± ¡°...Mhm.¡± I left her domain right after that, feeling a bit better than before. ... Alright, Ovia... You just... have to do it... Y-you don¡¯t have a choice. ... It will go well this time. ... It just... has to. Chapter 27 – I Need To Get Going Chapter 27 ¨C I Need To Get Going My eyes opened just as the sun had started to rise. I was still lying on Ava¡¯s lap, although she must¡¯ve fallen asleep at some point as she wasn¡¯t sitting up. I didn¡¯t know exactly why, but that night of sleep felt like the best I¡¯d had in a long time; something about it just felt more natural. I was tempted to just try to go back to sleep; however, there was something more important to do. So as not to waste any more time, I immediately hopped off of Ava¡¯s lap onto the floor and stretched. However, as soon as I did, she woke up. ¡°Hmm... What?...¡± She looked all around the room until she eventually laid eyes on me, ¡°Oh... So you did *Yawn* end up staying there all night... I guess that means... I won the bet.¡± That doesn¡¯t matter right now. I need to get going. Hoping that she would understand me, I made my way over to the door and scratched at it. Just let me out. I can go by myself. ¡°Kit... come back *Yawn* over here,¡± Ava wiped her eyes, ¡°I still need to check if you can change out of your fox form without any problems.¡± Why? I don¡¯t need to go back. I have everything I need just like this. I scratched at the door again. ¡°Hey, come on now, don¡¯t be like that,¡± Ava stood up, ¡°How are you going to wear your new dress like that?¡± ... That¡¯s... a good point... But... I have fur now... I-I don¡¯t need it anymore... Once again, I scratched at the door, this time choosing to look Ava in the eye at the same time. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you? Why do you want to stay as a fox so badly?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Oh, I know something that will change your mind,¡± Ava picked up a brush from the table and held it out in front of her, ¡°It will be a lot harder for you to take care of your fur with those paws... well, not that I would mind doing for you... but y¡¯know?¡± That¡¯s... I... ... I can just... I...can¡¯t... ask a Goddess to do it for me... ... ¡°So?¡± ... Still somewhat reluctant, I walked over to Ava, who picked me up and placed me back on the bed. ¡°Good. Now, all you need to do is try and turn back,¡± ... How? I looked up at Ava, assuming that she hadn¡¯t finished talking, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°...¡± ¡°Um... Go on then... Do you need me to turn around?... Is that the problem?¡± I shook my head, starting to feel a little panicked. ¡°Just... do what you did to turn into a fox, but backwards?¡± Ava started to look worried, ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to explain it... and it might not be the same as it is for me...¡± B-But I didn¡¯t do anything. I-I just woke up like this. Is there something wrong with me? ¡°Um... I don¡¯t know what to do...¡± She started pacing back and forth, ¡°...Maybe, just try thinking about turning back... but like... really hard?... I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to explain any of this.¡± O-okay... I-I¡¯ll try... I closed my eyes and tried focusing, only thinking about wanting to turn back, but nothing happened. C-come on... Y-you need to do this... Kierra... ¡°I see you understand what I¡¯m talking about. Just give me a few minutes, and I¡¯ll sort something out, alright?¡± Ava then got up and made her way over to the door. ¡°Ava, seriously, is this something just between beastkin that I just don¡¯t understand?¡± Raynelle asked. Ava just giggled before leaving the room, leaving Raynelle just staring at the door. After a few minutes, Ava came back in with breakfast, which I ate as fast as possible. As soon as my plate was empty, I made my way to the door again; however, this time, both Ava and Raynelle started following behind me. ... Why? Just let me go alone. ¡°What? Did you think we were going to leave you unprotected?¡± Raynelle asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us,¡± Ava put a cloak around my shoulders, ¡°We just want to make sure nothing happens to you, okay?¡± ... It doesn¡¯t matter. My shadow coated my hair as I opened the door and made my way out of the inn with both Ava and Raynelle still in tow. As soon as I got outside, I started heading directly for the black stone temple. When the temple came into view, Raynelle put her arm in front of me. ¡°Wait a moment, what are you doing? Are you trying to go back to that temple? But last time-¡± Raynelle then let out a stifled grunt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her,¡± Ava had just elbowed Raynelle in the stomach, ¡°You can go on ahead. We¡¯ll catch up soon.¡± I didn¡¯t question what had just happened and instead took the opportunity to run towards the temple. It didn¡¯t take long before I was standing in front of the two large stone doors. ... Now... how do I open them? ... Suddenly, the doors just started to open by themselves, and standing behind them was the man with the rabbit ears from the last time. ¡°Yeah... just come in; I was already expecting you to show up.¡± The man said. I did just that, and the man led me over to one of the pews, where we both sat down, leaving a small distance between us. ¡°The Goddess just... needs a minute to prepare... so you¡¯ll have to wait a little bit.¡± ... Prepare? ... We sat there in silence for a moment before the man suddenly started talking to me again. ¡°I... need to apologise to you...¡± The man leaned forward, ¡°Last time... was just a bad day for me... well... and I didn¡¯t recognise you with the black hair; I was only told to look out for white hair.¡± ... Why are you apologising to me? What did you even do? ¡°You don¡¯t need to accept it... just... I made a mistake...¡± The man leaned forward even further to the point that his ears were resting on his knees, ¡°I know the kind of life you¡¯ve had... You really... didn¡¯t deserve that... I... would know.¡± ... Without thinking, I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder, hoping that he would understand that I was fine. ¡°Really? Does that mean you forgive me?¡± The man sat back up, ¡°That¡¯s nice... mainly because I imagine we¡¯ll be seeing each other a decent bit from now on.¡± Why? ¡°Anyway... guess the next thing is... I should introduce myself... I¡¯m Benvolio, but you can just call me Beni... most people do...¡± I stared at him, not sure what to do. ¡°I... already know your name... but well... I won¡¯t use it until you tell me yourself... I don¡¯t want to overstep my bounds and all that.¡± ... After he finished speaking, a small dark orb appeared next to his ear. ¡°Hmm... Oh... she¡¯s good to go now?... Yeah, I¡¯ll let her go then.¡± The orb then vanished. ¡°Well, you can probably guess what that was, but she¡¯s ready for you now,¡± He stood up, ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to talk more later instead.¡± I got up off the pew as well and started walking further into the temple, waiting for the familiar chill to envelop me. I-I¡¯m ready for this. I-I don¡¯t need to be so nervous. Chapter 28 – That Makes It Special Chapter 28 ¨C That Makes It Special It wasn¡¯t long before I felt the temperature start to drop, which only caused my nerves to build. She¡¯s there. She¡¯s right there. Slowly marching forward, each step filled with anticipation, I moved further into the darkness until a familiar room came into view, and my heart stopped. It¡¯s... It was as if all my nerves had vanished just by laying eyes on it. It was definitely the same room made from black stone bricks, but it looked a little different. The chains that had hung from the ceiling were gone, the room was noticeably brighter, and there were two couches just off to the side that weren¡¯t there before. ... Go! Just... Go! Immediately, I started running. It probably didn¡¯t take more than a few seconds before I was standing in front of the throne, but once I got there, it was like time had frozen. All the anticipation was bottled up inside of me, but there was no relief. ... Where...? I looked around the room but couldn¡¯t find Ovia anywhere. Why?... What?... Am I still- My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of rustling paper coming from behind the throne. I instantly turned towards the throne and saw just the tip of a deep black tail poking out. Is that her?... My feet started moving by themselves, taking me towards the throne. ¡°H-hello K-Kierra... W-welcome back to m-my domain.¡± As soon as her voice reached my ears, I stopped moving. ... It¡¯s... her. She... She let me back in. ... But... why is she hiding from me?T/his chapter is updated by ¡°D-did I miss a step? W-why isn¡¯t she saying anything?¡± Ovia said in a faint voice, followed by the sound of turning pages, ¡°Um... H-how are you?¡± ... ¡°I... I¡¯m... not sure...¡± I wanted to tell her that I was fine, that I was happy just being here, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to lie to her, not after everything she¡¯s done for me. ¡°Oh... um... c-can I help?¡± ¡°...¡± What¡¯s... the right answer?... ... What am I... even supposed to say?... ... Neither of us said anything to each other, just waiting in silence. Until I somehow built up the courage to ask the one question that was gnawing away at me in this silence. ¡°Why... are you hiding from me?...¡± I felt a tear start to form, ¡°Did I-¡± ¡°NO!¡± She suddenly shouted, interrupting me, ¡°I-It¡¯s... it¡¯s... I...... I can just...¡± The sound of hurried shuffling could be heard coming from behind the throne, with the occasional tail poking out. After a few seconds, Ovia stepped out from behind the throne, her face noticeably pink. ¡°S-See, I-I¡¯m right here.¡± ... Is that?... Instead of the form-fitting dress she had worn before, this time, she was wearing a black dress that was only slightly frilled along the bottom, with a small white layer sticking out beneath it. Down the chest were two rows of decorative buttons, and around the collar was a ribbon tied into a bow. That¡¯s... I looked down at my own dress to make sure that I wasn¡¯t imagining things. It¡¯s the same... ... I was right... She does look better in it than me... Much better... Seeing Ovia wearing the dress so much better than I ever could should have been disheartening, but instead, there was some other feeling or maybe a desire forming. However, before I could put any more thought into it, she spoke up. ¡°Um... W-why aren¡¯t you saying anything? W-was this wrong?¡± She pulled out a small notebook and started flipping through it, ¡°I-I thought you would like to wear m-matching dresses.¡± ... Show off... But... why would you want... me... to show it off... I¡¯m... ... There are better people out there... There must be. ... My thoughts were interrupted by another glimmer of light, but just like the last one, it disappeared almost as soon as it showed itself. ¡°A-are you sure?¡± She mumbled under her breath before once again looking me in the eye, ¡°I... w-want you to tell people your n-name.¡± ... I... ... Can I say no?... ... She... wants me to... Ovia wants me to... ... She has... always helped me... ... There must be a reason... ... I don¡¯t know what... but... ... If I want to stay here with her... I have to listen to her... ... After much thought, I nodded while also reigning my shadow back in to only cover my hair and tail. ¡°Yes?! T-that¡¯s a yes?!¡± Ovia stood up, releasing her hair. I nodded again, this time looking up at her as I did. ¡°I-I did it... I d-didn¡¯t mess it up.¡± She looked off to the side, but when I looked the same way, all I saw was a wall. She then pulled the notebook back out and started flipping through the pages again while muttering to herself, ¡°W-what¡¯s next?...¡± ... Is it my turn now... Is this where I show what I can do for her... ... I need to show her... that there¡¯s a reason to keep me around. ¡°O-Ovia...¡± She instantly looked directly at me, seemingly forgetting about the book as it fell out of her hand and onto the floor. ¡°Can you... sit next to me?¡± I slide myself over to the side of the couch. ¡°...¡± Was I not supposed to do that?... ... What have I done?! I-I can¡¯t just talk to a Goddess like that! ... ¡°A-alright... I-I can do t-that.¡± She walked up next to me and sat down. One of her tails accidentally brushed against my own, the unexpected coolness of her fur sent a shiver through my tail and up my spine. I looked over at Ovia to see if she noticed, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ... Okay Kierra. You¡¯ve got this... You¡¯ve prepared for this. ... Just... follow the plan. Chapter 29 – I Need to do Something for You Chapter 29 ¨C I Need to do Something for You ... How do I ask her? We had been sitting next to each other for a few minutes, but neither of us had said anything. ... Kierra, you need to say something. But I don¡¯t know what to say. ... You¡¯re the one who asked her to sit next to you. I know that... but... ... It didn¡¯t matter how much I thought about it; I just couldn¡¯t find the right words to use. Why is this so hard? ... I turned and looked up at Ovia, but she was busy playing with her hair in her lap, wrapping and then unwrapping her hands over and over again. ... Just... follow the plan... ... That¡¯s all you have to do. ... Before I could do anything, there was another flash of light; however, unlike last time, it didn¡¯t disappear. When I turned to look at it, it felt like something warm entered my body. Immediately, I tried to stand up, but before my feet touched the ground, everything around me went black. Help! ¡°*Yip*!¡± ... Yip? I immediately started struggling, pushing against anything that touched me until I eventually managed to free myself. Looking around the room, the first thing I saw was Ovia staring directly at me. However, she was much bigger than I remember, easily towering over me... well, towering over me more than she did before, at least. ¡°...U-um...¡± Ovia inched closer to me. I looked down at myself and saw two small white paws trampling on my dress. Did I?... How? I didn¡¯t do anything yet... Somehow, I had turned into a fox without thinking about it, but that seemed to be a good thing. Ovia¡¯s eyes were locked solely on me, containing what I could only call a desire that I had never seen from her before. Was I right? ... Is this what she wants?! Without wasting any more time thinking, I hurriedly pushed my dress onto the floor before making my way over to the edge of the couch and lying down. ¡°W-what?¡± Ovia asked, ¡°D-do you w-want something?¡± I responded simply by pointing at my body with my tail, assuming she would understand what I wanted her to do. Before saying anything, she reached her hands out towards me before abruptly stopping herself. ¡°C-can I?¡± She asked while holding her hands out in front of her. Yes! Of course! I need to show you what I can do for you. I nodded. ¡°R-really?¡± She held her pose although her hands started trembling. I nodded again, pointing at my body with my tail again in case she had misunderstood me. ¡°O-Okay.¡± She started moving again, but instead of lying down like I expected her to, she picked me up and held me in her arms. Huh? What? This isn¡¯t right. I wriggled my way out of her arms, making sure not to scratch her with my claws, and lay back down on the couch in the same spot. ¡°...O-oh... D-did I do something w-wrong?¡± She moved away, putting her hands behind her back, ¡°I-I knew I shouldn¡¯t have d-done that. W-what was I thinking?¡± No! You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I didn¡¯t explain well enough. ... That¡¯s what happened. ... It¡¯s not your fault. ¡°*Yip*!¡± I made a noise so Ovia would look back at me. ¡°Y-yes, w-what¡¯s wrong?¡± She brought her hands out in front of her again. ... If I just do it enough, I¡¯ll get stronger. I-I have to... After a few more seconds of gritting my teeth, the weight abruptly disappeared. Huh? No! I looked up at Ovia, who had propped herself up over the top of me. ¡°I-I... can¡¯t...¡± What?! Why?! W-what did I do wrong?! I-It¡¯s not supposed to go like this. I pointed back at my body, hoping she would give me another chance. Please, I don¡¯t have anything else... ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to h-hurt you...¡± Ovia was clearly panicking. ¡°*Yip!*¡± It didn¡¯t hurt. I¡¯m fine. ¡°B-but... y-you started crying.¡± Ovia wiped away the tears from under my eyes, proving that she was telling the truth. So... That doesn¡¯t matter... I... cry all the time. ... I... I... had to do this... ... Ovia stopped lying down and instead sat up next to me. What can I do now?... ... I-I have to prove my worth... I need her to let me stay with her... ¡°W-what about this?¡± Yes! Anything! Just... I need to do something... for you... I don¡¯t care what it is. She picked me up off of the couch and carefully placed me in her lap. ¡°*Yip*?¡± I looked directly at her, waiting for her to tell me what she wanted. What now? What do I need to do? ¡°U-um... n-now you can go to s-sleep,¡± Ovia looked down at me, with her hands hovering just above my body. What? That¡¯s something for me... I need to be the one doing something for you. ¡°B-but... C-can I?...¡± Her hands started trembling again. My ears perked up. Can you what?! ¡°C-can I... s-stroke your... t-tail... w-while you sleep?¡± ... Is that it? Why wouldn¡¯t you be able to? Despite my confusion at her request, I nodded my head, causing Ovia¡¯s eyes to immediately light up. ¡°T-then... Go on...¡± She waved her hands at me, ¡°M-make yourself comfortable.¡± Is this really enough? I curled up in her lap, just like I had done with Ava the night before. As soon as I settled down, I felt Ovia run her fingers through my fur. Her lap felt surprisingly different from Ava¡¯s; instead of having a slight warmth, hers was cool, which didn¡¯t make it any less comfortable. If anything, it was more comfortable as I was already kept warm by all the fur covering my body. ¡°T-thank you,¡± Ovia muttered under her breath. I wanted to respond to her but wasn¡¯t able to as my eyes started to close by themselves. ... Just... stay here... Don¡¯t leave me... ... Not again... Chapter 30 – It’s Time For You to Wake Up Chapter 30 ¨C It¡¯s Time For You to Wake Up ¡°Hello there. I¡¯m sorry that I need to do this, but it¡¯s time for you to wake up.¡± Huh? Who? What¡¯s going on? I forced my eyes open slowly, only to be greeted by Aria¡¯s face, which was only a few centimetres in front of mine. Wait! Where is Ovia?! At that moment, I felt a hand run through my fur, so I spun around to see who it was. ¡°Oh... S-sorry... d-did I startle you?¡± Ovia pulled her hand back. I responded to her by quickly shaking my head before trying to curl back up. But before I could, someone picked me up. ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that right now. I already told you that you need to wake up,¡± Aria said as she put me down on the floor, ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of time left, so I¡¯m going to help you turn back. Ovia, can you help with the clothes?¡± ¡°Y-yes... I can d-do that.¡± Ovia looked over at me before flicking one of her tails, engulfing both me and my dress in darkness. It was a strange feeling, similar to when I wrapped my own shadow around my body, but something about it felt distant; it was almost like I was being cut off from the rest of the world around me. Before I was able to do anything else, a familiar warm energy started to enter my body. Is this? ¡°There we go,¡± Aria clapped her hands together, ¡°Our little kitsune is all back to normal.¡± A moment later, the darkness around me disappeared, revealing that I had been changed back. While it was surprising that Aria was able to change me back, what was much more surprising to me was that I was already fully clothed. It¡¯s possible to get dressed like this? ... Can I learn to do that? I looked at Ovia, which caused her to shuffle to the far side of the couch. Then she looked back at me without saying anything, just looking into my eyes. Do you want me to?... ¡°...¡± I opened my mouth to say something, but before any words even came out, Ovia nodded. Without hesitating any further, I walked over and sat down next to her, making sure not to accidentally sit on any of her tails. If it¡¯s what you want... I can do it. ¡°It¡¯s nice that you two have made some progress,¡± Aria sat down on the couch just opposite us, ¡°However, we really should be sending the little kitsune back soon.¡± But... I looked over at Ovia, but she avoided eye contact. What?! Why?! Did I not do enough? ... ¡°Sister, didn¡¯t you want to-¡± ¡°W-what...¡± I blurted out, interrupting Aria.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m Both Goddesses turned to face me, remaining silent. ¡°W-what... else... do I have to do?¡± I managed to force the words out. Neither Goddess said anything in response and just kept staring. What¡¯s the problem?! Am I that useless? ... Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?! ... ¡°P-please... just... give me something... anything...¡± All of a sudden, the words just seemed to come out by themselves, ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to leave... I-I don¡¯t want you to leave me... What do I have to do?... What¡¯s wrong with me?... I-I¡¯ll do anything, just... let me stay here... just don¡¯t leave me... not again...¡± Ovia reached out towards me, but I pulled away without thinking. Wait! No! Why did you do that?! You need her to like you. What are you going to do now? Tears started rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably, quickly soaking my dress. It¡¯s all my fault. I-I keep making mistakes. Before I could ask what was going on, she had already made her way into a side room, leaving just Aria and me. ¡°...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry so much,¡± Aria started talking to me, ¡°I¡¯ve known my sister for a long time, and I can tell you that she isn¡¯t going to be leaving you alone any time soon, alright?¡± You can¡¯t know that. But... ... I... hope you¡¯re right. ... Just then, there was a large crash, followed by the sound of a door flying open. ¡°I-I have a gift!¡± Ovia shouted as she ran back into the room, cradling something in her arms. Aria quickly got up and took a step back before Ovia took her place, kneeling in front of me. ¡°I-if you feel l-lonely,¡± She extended her arms towards me, ¡°T-this c-can help.¡± In her hands was what looked like a baby fox with dark grey fur, although it sat in her hands, completely motionless. What is this? A plushie? I reached out to pick it up, but before I could grab it, it got up and jumped into my lap by itself. A live fox?! Ovia looked at me with expectant eyes, but I wasn¡¯t sure what she was expecting me to say. ¡°I should probably help explain this as well,¡± Aria knelt down next to Ovia, ¡°This little fox is a newly born Divine Beast.¡± Divine Beast? Is that something I¡¯m supposed to get as a gift? ¡°However, this little one is a bit unusual, as it was born from your mana.¡± She reached out to pat the fox, but it pulled away from her, ¡°To be more precise, it came about as the combination of your mana and some of my sister¡¯s divinity.¡± I don¡¯t understand. Mana? Divinity? Ovia then reached out to pat the fox, which it happily accepted, ¡°I-if you¡¯re l-lonely... M-maybe they c-can remind you of m-me.¡± ... I looked over the fox again, running my fingers through their fur. It wasn¡¯t the same as Ovia¡¯s, but it was still a little cool to the touch. ... ¡°...Okay...¡± I muttered while avoiding eye contact with either of the Goddesses. ... It¡¯s not her... But it¡¯s a gift from her... ... It¡¯s her third gift to me... ... ¡°D-do they have a name?...¡± I asked. ¡°All divine beasts are given a name at birth by the Spirits,¡± Aria answered, ¡°This little fox is called Umbra.¡± ¡°Umbra...¡± As soon as I said their name, the little fox turned around and looked directly into my eyes. Their eyes were a pale grey, just like my own, although unlike mine, they were glowing softly. Then without warning they jumped off of my lap and disappeared into my shadow. ¡°D-did it run away?!¡± Ovia started panicking. ¡°No,¡± I responded, reaching out towards Ovia but stopping myself before actually grabbing her. Somehow, I just knew that Umbra was still there. As soon as they had dived into my shadow, it felt like it had gotten just a little heavier. ¡°That¡¯s all well and good,¡± Aria said, lifting Ovia off the ground, ¡°But we really need to send you on your way. We¡¯re already cutting it a little close.¡± ... I reluctantly slid myself off of the couch. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re the one who has to send her back.¡± Ovia was about to flick her tail, but I interrupted her, ¡°I-I¡¯ll be back...¡± ¡°Y-yes...¡± Ovia said as she nodded before finally finishing her tail flick. As soon as she did, I was once again surrounded by darkness, and I slowly felt the presence of the two Goddesses fade away. It¡¯s only a week. You can wait that long. Chapter 31 – Is That Really It? Chapter 31 ¨C Is That Really It? [Raynelle POV] ¡°Come on, Ava, did you really have to do that?¡± Ava had just elbowed me in the stomach when I tried to stop Kit from going back into that temple that hurt her. ¡°I know you¡¯re alright,¡± Ava retorted with a smirk spread across her face, ¡°You¡¯re plenty strong after all.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve underestimated just how strong you¡¯ve gotten.¡± Ava responded with a chuckle, but it was only brief as her smirk faded, leaving an uncharacteristically serious expression. ¡°Mom... I think we need to talk about how you¡¯ve been acting lately,¡± She looked me directly in the eye. ¡°What do you mean how I¡¯ve been acting? I¡¯ve... just been myself.¡± ¡°...¡± Ava didn¡¯t say anything and just continued to stare back at me. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not letting her go in there alone,¡± I broke eye contact and decided to just walk towards the temple, ¡°I... can¡¯t do that to her.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do what to her?¡± For some reason, just hearing those words frustrated me to no end, causing me to immediately stop and turn around to face her again. ¡°You should have seen her the last time she came out of there! The poor thing was non-responsive, with all those tears streaming down her face,¡± I took a step towards Ava, ¡°She didn¡¯t even push me away like normal... I-I... don¡¯t want that to happen again.¡± ... What am I doing? I shouldn¡¯t be complaining about this to a child. While I was busy regretting my outburst, Ava silently came up and hugged me, catching me off guard. ¡°Mom, I know you mean well, but you need to try and think about it from Kit¡¯s perspective.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing... isn¡¯t it?¡± I gently pushed Ava away, ¡°She... She¡¯s been hurt by too many people and... I need to stop that from happening again... I... I can do that.¡± ¡°No, not like that-¡± ¡°Then, like what?!¡± I shouted, cutting her off, ¡°What do you want me to do?! Just let her get hurt again?!¡± ¡°Of course not. I know you just want to help her, just like you did when you first found me,¡± She came a little closer, ¡°But do you think she knows that?¡± ¡°I... That little girl...¡± While I didn¡¯t like it, there wasn¡¯t much I could say in response, as I already understood what she was talking about. I know how scared she is of me... How couldn¡¯t I know?... ... But even then... ¡°I... still can¡¯t let her go in there,¡± I turned away from Ava and began walking to the temple again, ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t like it... I¡¯m not letting that kid hurt herself.¡± I can deal with this later. For now... I just need to keep her safe. ¡°Why do you think she¡¯s going to hurt herself?¡± Ava was followed close behind me. ¡°I already told you-¡± ¡°Do you really think she would intentionally let herself get hurt?¡± She interrupted me, ¡°You know she wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ... I... ... ¡°What makes you so confident?¡± My legs stopped moving, ¡°How do you know so much about her when she won¡¯t tell me anything?¡± ¡°I think she tells us plenty,¡± Ava walked in front of me. ¡°Mom, why are you acting like this?¡± Ava squirmed out from my grip and made her way over to the pew, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem that bad.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°I understand... It¡¯s nothing new around here...¡± He interrupted me, ¡°I¡¯m used to people avoiding me... and this temple... for no real reason...¡± ¡°No reason?!¡± My anger was building, ¡°You wrapped me in those chains. You stopped me from helping that little girl when she had collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming down her face!¡± The room fell silent for a few short moments. ¡°I... sorry about that... but it wasn¡¯t to stop you from helping her... you wouldn¡¯t have found her there anyway...¡± He looked up at me, ¡°I just... didn¡¯t want you to damage the place... I-... No... I could... probably have just... explained myself better.¡± ¡°Why are you being so hard on him?¡± Ava piped up, ¡°If anything, you should be sitting over her with me.¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± She threw her hands into the air, ¡°Maybe because he seems to know why Kit wanted to come here?¡± ... That¡¯s... Without saying anything more, I reluctantly went and sat down next to Ava and Benvolio. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked, ¡°Why does that little girl want to come here after what happened last time?¡± ¡°I... don¡¯t think I should tell you... you should probably hear it from her...¡± He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, ¡°She¡¯s safe though... the person she¡¯s talking to is very nice...¡± ¡°Then... at least tell me who she is talking to.¡± ¡°Hmm... You probably already have an idea... though...¡± He started to sit up again, but before he straightened his back, he leaned forward again, ¡°No... never mind...¡± Just like that, we had a back-and-forth for a few hours, with me asking questions and only getting vague reassurances from Benvolio. At least until I heard footsteps coming from the far side of the temple. Instinctively, I knew exactly who it was and jumped out of my seat, ready to comfort a crying Kit, but to my surprise, that¡¯s not what came out of the darkness. It was the little girl I was expecting, but there were no tears, although her tail was hanging a little low. ¡°Kit! Are you alright?¡± I ran up to her, kneeling down when I got close, ¡°Did anything happen to you?¡± ¡°...¡± Ava then came up behind me, poking her head out just over my shoulder, ¡°So, did it go well?¡± ¡°...¡± Kit nodded. ¡°I guess that means all your effort was worth it then.¡± Benvolio then came over himself, although he made sure to keep some distance from us. ¡°I hope you had a good time with her...¡± Once again, Kit nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting for your next visit... Although you should probably leave the temple soon... The sun has already started to set.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something we can agree on,¡± I said, turning back towards Kit, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the inn. I¡¯m sure Ava can quickly put something tasty together for dinner.¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t respond at all, so I just picked her up and made my way to the exit. ¡°Come on Ava, let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Ava came up next to me as I stepped out of the temple. I¡¯ll need to talk to Ava some more when we get back. I... need to learn how to help Kit... properly this time. ... I found myself unintentionally looking over at Ava. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting advice from you now. Just... when did you grow up so much? Chapter 32 – It’s Been A Long Day Chapter 32 ¨C It¡¯s Been A Long Day Ava placed a plate piled high with meat in front of me. ¡°It was a big day for you,¡± She said as she sat down just across the table from me, ¡°So I thought we could celebrate a little bit.¡± ... Thank you... For helping me... I quickly nodded before stuffing my face. How is it always this good? ... Ovia would probably like this too... Maybe I should ask Ava to teach me... I stopped eating for a second and looked up at Ava but almost immediately went back to eating. No, I can¡¯t do that. ... Not yet, anyway... I kept my head down for the rest of the meal, enjoying every bite of the succulent meat that I was given. It was only after I had finished eating that I noticed something was a bit different to usual. Raynelle wasn¡¯t sitting at the table eating with us. I looked around a bit, just in case she had sat somewhere else, but she didn¡¯t seem to even be in the room. ¡°Are you looking for Mom?¡± Ava asked as she finished eating her meal.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m ¡°...¡± ¡°You probably won¡¯t see her tonight,¡± Ava stood up, ¡°She has some... homework to do.¡± That¡¯s... a problem for me... I still need to do what Ovia wanted me to do... I wanted to tell them my name as soon as I saw them back in the temple, but the words just wouldn¡¯t come out of my mouth for some reason. ... Why am I so useless?... Both my ears and my tail drooped down. ... All I had to do was tell them my name... I... couldn¡¯t even do that... ¡°I don¡¯t know what Mom was worried about,¡± Ava let out a chuckle as she picked up my empty plate. Should I just tell Ava now? She... She would be the easiest person to tell... ... No. Not yet... I... I need to prepare more. ... I should wait for the two of them to be together. That way... I¡¯ll only have to tell them once. ... ¡°It¡¯s gotten pretty late, so I should probably leave you to get some sleep,¡± She opened the door but turned back to tell me something before leaving, ¡°If you need anything, I¡¯ll probably be kept awake for a while. You just need to come and knock on our door, alright?¡± I grabbed the notebook which Raynelle had given me out from under my pillow, along with a few of the pencils. ¡°Now... how would I start,¡± I looked over at Umbra, almost hoping they would answer me. But they didn¡¯t. I lifted one of the pencils up into the air and dropped it onto my shadow, but as expected, it just landed on the bed with almost no sound. Is there some kind of trick to it? Thinking back to when Umbra first jumped into my shadow, I could remember this strange feeling that spread across my shadow the moment that they disappeared. Is that the trick that I¡¯m missing? I tried to replicate that feeling, which caused the shadow to start rippling slightly. Without wasting a moment, I lifted another pencil up into the air and dropped it onto the rippling shadow and... It fell onto the bed, with my shadow just dancing around on top of it. ... ¡°Why did I even try?...¡± I reached out to pick the pencil back up, but Umbra ran over and grabbed it before I could. ¡°Wait, give that back!¡± I shouted as I reached out to try and take the pencil from Umbra¡¯s mouth. Umbra didn¡¯t listen to me and instead dived into my shadow with the pencil still in their mouth before coming back out almost immediately only with the pencil now missing. ... ¡°So... you can do it... but I can¡¯t...¡± ... It¡¯s better than nothing, at least... ... I looked over the notebook that was lying on the bed just next to me. ¡°Can you put this in there too?¡± I carefully pushed the notebook across the bed until it was in front of Umbra. This should keep it safe. Umbra looked over the notebook for a few seconds before grabbing it and dropping it into my shadow. ... ¡°I guess... I should probably get some sleep...¡± Maybe... she¡¯ll show up in my dreams this time... As soon as Umbra heard me, they immediately went and curled up on top of my pillow as if they were expecting me to lay my head on top of them. ¡°No... I can¡¯t do that,¡± I lifted them off of the pillow, ¡°I know how hard it is to be a pillow.¡± However, as soon as I put Umbra down, they ran straight back onto the pillow, curling up just as they did before. What am I supposed to do in this situation? ... How about... Just by thinking about what I wanted to do, I quickly changed into my fox form, which was surprisingly pretty much the same size as Umbra, only with myself having a much larger tail. This should work better. I clambered up onto the pillow and curled up next to Umbra, which prompted them to readjust so that we both fit comfortably on the pillow. Tomorrow... I¡¯ll... do what she asked me to. I have to. ... It¡¯s... the task Ovia gave to me. Chapter 33 – A Crow’s Restless Morning Chapter 33 ¨C A Crow¡¯s Restless Morning [Ava POV] Last night was a little bit rough, to say the least. I spent most of it with Mom continuously pestering me for answers I didn¡¯t even know. Like, come on, it¡¯s not like I know everything about Kit. I¡¯ve just been guessing, and it¡¯s been working out most of the time; that doesn¡¯t make me some kind of Kit connoisseur. But that wasn¡¯t even the worst part. When I was taking our plates to the kitchen last night, I realised I had forgotten a knife in Kit¡¯s room, so I turned back to quickly go get it and... Why did I have to hear that?... ... Just those few words she said kept me up all night as they spiralled around in my mind, constantly gnawing at me. I didn¡¯t even do anything to comfort her... I just... ran... or rather, flew away. ... ¡°I want to say it will just work itself out eventually, and I don¡¯t need to worry so much, but look at me... I¡¯m already losing sleep over it.¡± I cracked an egg into the pan in front of me, and then I just stood there, watching it cook slowly. ... ¡°Just... focus on breakfast for now,¡± I said to myself, sliding the egg out of the pan and onto one of the plates, ¡°It¡¯s hard to do anything on an empty stomach after all.¡± After carefully picking up two of the plates while balancing the third on my forearm, I made my way over to Kit¡¯s room, gently knocking my foot against the door to see if she was awake. No response. Guess yesterday tired her out more than I thought. I awkwardly opened the door, using my free elbow to push the door handle down while doing my best to keep the plates balanced. Fortunately, I managed it without dropping anything. ¡°Hey, good morning, breakfast¡¯s he-¡± The words got caught in my throat as I laid eyes on the bed. ... That¡¯s... adorable! After quickly placing the plates down on the table, I went and crouched down next to the bed to get a better view of the spectacle in front of me. On top of the pillow were two baby foxes, one pure white and the other a dark grey, curled up together, sleeping peacefully. My hand instinctively reached out towards the bundle of fluff, but I quickly pulled it back. She probably wouldn¡¯t like me touching her in her sleep like this. ... If I can¡¯t pet her. I reached my hand out towards the grey fox. What about?... But that¡¯s when a realisation hit me, causing my arm to lock up. ¡°Wait... where did the other fox come from?¡± I couldn¡¯t remember her picking up a fox at all. You don¡¯t really see wild foxes in human territories. Saying that they might not even be a wild fox; they could be another kitsune. ... Then again, you don¡¯t normally see kitsune around here either. Kit didn¡¯t do anything; she just turned and stared at the grey fox. ... Y¡¯know what... I think we¡¯re fine. She seems to know who that grey fox is. ... I mean if something were going to happen, it would have already happened. ... Kit didn¡¯t seem to be calming down at all, and seeing that just caused me to recall what I heard last night. Now that I know how hard you¡¯re trying... I... I¡¯ll do something... ... ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I forgot,¡± I clapped my hands together to get everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°Mom, we should probably step out for a moment so she can get changed, right?¡± This should help give her some space to sort her thoughts out. ¡°What? But-¡± ¡°We should give her some privacy,¡± I said, placing my hand on Mom¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We¡¯ll just be waiting outside the door, so knock when you¡¯re ready for us to come back in.¡± This time, Mom didn¡¯t argue with me and just followed me outside, but once we got out of the room, she stopped being so quiet. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked, ¡°We still don¡¯t know if leaving her with that fox is safe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Come on, you saw how she looked at that fox. There¡¯s no way she doesn¡¯t know them.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®how she looked at that fox¡¯?¡± She rested her head against her knuckles, ¡°Just give me straight answers.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t straight answers for this kind of thing,¡± I pulled her hand down, ¡°You just... get a feeling for it.¡± ¡°...¡± She glared at me. ¡°You¡¯ll get there eventually,¡± I said, patting her on the back. ¡°Should you really be saying that kind of thing to your mother? I mean... It¡¯s not like I know nothing about this stuff. I think you forget what you were like just two years ago, and I was able to help you... Wasn¡¯t I?¡± Come on, Mom, where exactly do you think I learned all of this from? It didn¡¯t come from nowhere. She brought her fist up to her forehead again. ¡°I told you yesterday; just calm down, and you¡¯ll get it,¡± I pulled her hand down once again. ¡°... Y¡¯know... Sometimes... I wish you would stop growing so fast,¡± She turned to face me, ¡°It¡¯s only been two years, and I already feel like I¡¯m losing my cute little daughter.¡± ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± I said, unable to keep a smug grin from spreading across my face, ¡°No matter how big I get, I¡¯ll still be your cute daughter.¡± Mom responded simply by letting out a small chuckle. Now that¡¯s more like the Mom I know. I continued talking to Mom for a while, hoping to distract her from Kit, even if just for a little bit. Kit, I know you¡¯re trying your best in there. I just hope I¡¯ve given you enough time to psych yourself up... Cause I think Mom might end up being a bit of a handful today. Chapter 34 – My Name Chapter 34 ¨C My Name What do I do?! T-They saw Umbra! I quickly jumped off the bed and returned to my humanoid form, then turned around and picked up Umbra. What if they try to get rid of you? ... I-I can¡¯t let that happen. ¡°G-go hide,¡± I whispered while keeping an eye on the door just in case they suddenly barged back in. Umbra stared at me for a second before wriggling their way out of my arms and diving head-first into my shadow. I-it will be fine. Umbra was a g-gift from Ovia... They can¡¯t do anything... It was a gift from a Goddess. O-only Ovia can take Umbra away. ... Trying to calm myself down, I threw my dress over my head, but it didn¡¯t help very much as my mind almost immediately moved on to the next issue. Ovia... I... I still need to tell them my name... ... ... ¡°...K-Kierra...¡± I mumbled to myself. That¡¯s all I need to say... ... They weren¡¯t even in the room, but just knowing that they were standing behind the door was enough to make me feel uneasy when I spoke. Is there something... wrong with me? Out of habit, I reached for my tail, but unfortunately, it was still covered by my dress, as I hadn¡¯t pulled it through the flap yet. ... I can¡¯t even get dressed properly. ... Why is everything already going wrong? Tears were starting to form in my eyes, but I took a deep breath and managed to hold them back. Y-you can¡¯t cry again. All you do is cry. My hands started shaking as I struggled to thread my tail through the flap in my dress. Come on... Please... Why are you doing this to me? Eventually, I managed to pull my tail through. ... ¡°Why am I like this?...¡± I sat down on the edge of my bed with my face buried deep in my hands. ... I just sat there for a while, doing nothing. There wasn¡¯t even a single coherent thought that crossed my mind for at least a few minutes. ... I... I can¡¯t just sit here forever... I... I need to do what I said I would do... ... I-I can¡¯t lie to Ovia... ... Gathering up the little courage I could muster, I got up off the bed and knocked on the door. At first, nothing happened, but after a few seconds, the door slowly opened with a distinct high-pitched squeal coming from the hinges. ¡°Are you all ready now?¡± Ava called into the room while staying just out of sight. I moved around the door so that she could see me and nodded. ¡°Great! Well, as I¡¯m sure you already noticed, breakfast is already all set up and ready for you to dig in,¡± She said as she came into the room and sat in front of a plate of food that looked to already be half finished.Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com I... I shouldn¡¯t have done that. B-but what do I do now? I can¡¯t go back. I can¡¯t undo this. The things in front of me started to blur together as my heart continued beating faster and faster. ¡°I...¡± I tried to say something, anything to fix the situation, but I couldn¡¯t put the words together. Almost immediately after, there was a loud crash followed by incoherent yelling as Raynelle and Ava both leapt out of their seats. I-I knew it was wrong. I-I shouldn¡¯t have spoken. W-why did I do that?! I saw their mouths moving but just couldn¡¯t make out what they were trying to say. In a panic, I tried to jump out of my chair so I could run away, but my body wouldn¡¯t move the way I wanted it to. ¡°P...¡± I tried again to say something, but the same thing happened. Please! After trying to get out of my seat again, I just started to fall to the side, watching as the blurry world spun around me. Instinctively, I reached my arm out to try to catch myself on the table, but even though my arm managed to hit it, I was unable to muster any strength in it and continued to fall. Help me! Please! I closed my eyes, preparing myself to hit the floor at any moment. ... *Thud* ... It... didn¡¯t hurt? I definitely fell onto something solid, but for some reason, it didn¡¯t hurt at all. Slowly, I forced my eyes open to see a purple smear above me, along with a pale light pulsating just in front of me. My body was shaking uncontrollably, and my heart continued to pound in my chest, but still, I started struggling in an attempt to get up. However, whenever I managed to move my body at all, something pulled me back, forcefully holding me in place. What went wrong?! What¡¯s happening?! Let me go! I continued to struggle, flailing my limbs all over the place in an attempt to escape from whatever was trying to restrain me. I need to leave! I made a mistake! All of a sudden, amongst the chaos of everything happening, there was something familiar. A sensation. A sensation that I was very familiar with. It was a slight chill that slowly spread across my forearm as something soft brushed against it. Instinctively, I grabbed at whatever was there and brought it into my chest, hugging it tightly. The slight coolness helped to ease the pain in my chest. Gradually, my heart also started to relax, and after that, my vision started to clear up, revealing what I had grabbed onto. ¡°Umbra...¡± I wanted to say thank you but couldn¡¯t muster much more than just their name, but that seemed to be enough as they forced their way out of my grasp and licked my cheek. Someone¡¯s hand then brushed against my other cheek, wiping off tears that I didn¡¯t even know about. ¡°Are you doing better now?¡± I looked up to see Raynelle sitting on the floor with me in her lap, ¡°Just... stay still for a bit longer, alright? I¡¯ve got you. You can relax now.¡± Looking in front of me, I could see Ava kneeling, completely drenched in sweat yet putting on a smile. ¡°H-hey... y-you messed up... your hair... w-we should... probably... sort that out...¡± She said, panting between every few words, ¡°Though... maybe... give me... a few minutes...¡± I reached towards Ava, but Raynelle gently pulled me back. ¡°Just relax for now, calm down some more,¡± Raynelle said, ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be okay now.¡± She had her arm wrapped around me, but looking across it, I could see many fresh scratches and scrapes, some of which were still bleeding. ... Why does she always do this? ... It... doesn¡¯t make sense... But... ... ¡°... M-my... name...¡± With what little strength I had left, I forced the words out, ¡°... Kierra...¡± But before either of them could respond, my vision went dark. Ovia... ... I... did it... Chapter 35 – Don’t Force Yourself Chapter 35 ¨C Don¡¯t Force Yourself It¡¯s too... bright. ... Keeping my eyes closed, I reached for my tail to cover my eyes but couldn¡¯t find it anywhere. I could still feel it attached to me, so it definitely hadn¡¯t disappeared, though I couldn¡¯t move it around very much. ... Reluctantly, I forced my eyelids open to figure out what was going on. Where... is it?... ... I tried to turn around, but something was stopping me, holding me in place. Looking down, there were two muscular arms coated in many small scratches along with streaks of dried blood that were gently wrapped around my waist. Tight enough to hold me upright but not so much that it was uncomfortable. Immediately, the memory of what had just happened flooded my mind, waking me up fully. ... I... I did it... I really did it. ... Right? Following the arms up, I saw Raynelle¡¯s head softly bobbing up and down just above me. She was fast asleep, yet somehow still holding me in her lap. Ava was also asleep, although she was leaning up against Raynelle¡¯s shoulder with her wings twitching every so often. I squeezed my way out of her arms by slowly sliding my body upward, being very careful not to wake either of them up. Unfortunately, as soon as I freed my waist, I lost my balance and rolled forward onto the floor, inevitably brushing my tail up against Raynelle¡¯s face. While still sprawled out across the floor, I looked up at her to check if I had disturbed her at all. ... Still asleep. Right as I let out a sigh of relief, Umbra crawled out of my shadow before walking up and licking my cheek. ...CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m ¡°Okay, I understand,¡± I scooped Umbra up before lifting my body off the floor, ¡°And... thank you.¡± ¡°*Yip*¡± They responded sharply before nuzzling into my elbow, sending a small chill straight through my arm. ... It¡¯s... just not the same... ... It hadn¡¯t even been a day since I had last seen Ovia, but I already wanted to go back and tell her all about what happened. All about how I figured out Umbra could store things in my shadows, all about the food Ava cooked and most importantly, all about how I managed to tell both Raynelle and Ava my name. But... I can¡¯t... There are still six nights in the way... ... I... I can¡¯t afford to forget this. ¡°Umbra, can you give me my notebook?¡± I asked as I scratched the back of their head. The little grey fox looked up at me before gracefully jumping out of my arms and into my shadow. They quickly returned with the notebook as well as a few pencils, even though I hadn¡¯t asked for them yet. ¡°Thank you... again,¡± I crossed my legs to give Umbra a place to sit. Seeing this, Umbra happily climbed up into my lap before curling back up. ... Looking down at my wrist, it was perfectly fine; there was no swelling or bruising or any other mark left behind. ¡°That aside, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve slept on the floor like this. Though I really can¡¯t say that I miss it at all,¡± She let out a chuckle, ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t too uncomfortable for you. I was going to take you to your bed, but the two of us were up a little late last night, and... well, I guess you can see what happened.¡± Before waiting for my response, she tried to get herself up off of the floor but was abruptly stopped by Ava wrapping her arms loosely around her neck while still asleep. ¡°Not yet...¡± Ava wrapped her wings around Raynelle, ¡°My pillow... can¡¯t run away like that...¡± Both Raynelle and I just stared at her for a moment as she settled back down. I... kind of... want to try that... I wonder if Ovia... ... No, you already thought about this. It¡¯s not possible. ¡°Guess I¡¯m not allowed to get up yet,¡± Raynelle said as she settled back down onto the floor, ¡°By the way, I must say you¡¯re surprisingly feisty when you want to be. I never thought it would be so hard to hold you still.¡± She laughed a little, but I couldn¡¯t help but look down at her arms as she said that, still covered in the proof of what she was saying. ¡°Oh, this,¡± She slightly lifted one of her arms, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; I¡¯ve been through much worse. And even then, once Ava wakes up they¡¯ll be good as gone.¡± But... It still hurts... I know it does... There¡¯s no way it doesn¡¯t. ¡°But onto more important things,¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°I might have misheard you, but... you said your name was... Kierra?¡± That... That¡¯s right! That means... I really did it! And nobody can say otherwise! There¡¯s proof! ¡°Are you... okay with us calling you that now?¡± She asked a little hesitantly, ¡°I just want to be a little careful, as well y¡¯know...¡± ... I... I want to try again... I can do it... I did it once before... I can do it again. ¡°... Y... Ye...¡± I tried to force the word out, just one word, that was all I needed to say. However, before I could actually get that one word out, Raynelle interrupted me. ¡°Hey, look, it¡¯s okay, don¡¯t force yourself,¡± She stuck her hand out in front of her, ¡°You can take your time.¡± ... ¡°...Y-Yes!...¡± I forced it out and felt my heart rate increase ever so slightly, but thankfully it calmed down quickly. Raynelle stared at me in silence for a few seconds, looking ready to jump up whether Ava was holding on or not. Thankfully, she ended up pulling back a bit. ¡°Alright...¡± She let out an exaggerated sigh, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s do this properly. Hello there, Kierra. I¡¯m Raynelle, but you can just call me Nellie. Though please don¡¯t force yourself.¡± Chapter 36 – How Is She Going To Open The Door? Chapter 36 ¨C How Is She Going To Open The Door? Raynelle and I sat there in silence, with the only occasional movement coming from Raynelle having to brush Ava¡¯s hair out of her face to stop her from chewing on it while she slept. I was tempted to continue drawing but just couldn¡¯t get myself to with Raynelle¡¯s eyes watching me. I just couldn¡¯t get into the right mindset to pick up where I left off. ... Am I supposed to... leave them alone? ... Where would I even go? ... Should I go sit in their room until Ava wakes up?... Am I even allowed in there?... They¡¯ve never let me in... ... ¡°Um...¡± Raynelle started to speak, quickly bringing me out of my thoughts, ¡°I see you¡¯ve held on to that notebook I gave you...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The drawing you showed me before was quite good...¡± She paused, ¡°Have you drawn anything else?¡± I looked down at my drawing of Raynelle and Ava sleeping. Slowly moving from detail to detail, almost tracing the process of drawing it in my mind, until I eventually got to a broken line. It¡¯s not finished yet... ... Should I show it to her anyway?Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com It is a drawing of her... ... She is also the person who gave me the notebook in the first place... ... Maybe... ¡°...Mhm,¡± I responded while avoiding eye contact. ¡°Can you show me one then?¡± She asked immediately. ... But what if she doesn¡¯t like it?... What if she¡¯s insulted?... ... M-maybe this can be... a test! ... If... if it¡¯s really that bad I... I... I shouldn¡¯t show it to Ovia... Slowly, I turned the notebook around, gradually moving my gaze up to Raynelle''s face as I did, bracing myself for her reaction. But she didn¡¯t say anything. Her face didn¡¯t change. She just silently stared at the drawing. What does that mean? Did I get ahead of myself? Why did I think this would be okay? I quickly shut the notebook with a loud slap and brought it in close to my chest. As soon as I did, Raynelle¡¯s eyes immediately shifted back to me. ¡°I... was just a little surprised,¡± She said, ¡°... For some reason, I really didn¡¯t expect to see a drawing of myself in that notebook of yours... Especially one that good... The last time I had a portrait done was probably...¡± Her expression darkened for just a moment, but she was quickly back to smiling as if nothing had happened. Did I do something wrong? Just... Can someone just tell me what I¡¯m supposed to do? ... I don¡¯t want to be in this situation. ¡°Well, we got a little bit off track there, didn¡¯t we?¡± Raynelle asked, ¡°But back to what we were talking about. Does your little friend here have a name?¡± Umbra¡¯s tail started to sway back and forth when she said that. ... ¡°...U-Umbra!¡± I blurted out before quickly turning around. Is that what you wanted?! ... ¡°So, it¡¯s Umbra then... Well, Umbra, thank you for helping Kierra out,¡± She chuckled a little, ¡°And I guess I also thank you for helping us out as well, even if you didn¡¯t mean to, don¡¯t know how long I would¡¯ve been able to hold her if you didn¡¯t help her calm down.¡± If it was that bad, why did you do it then? It doesn¡¯t make sense... ... There was no reason for you to get hurt like that... Tears had started to form in my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t understand why. I wasn¡¯t sad, or in pain, or sick, at least that¡¯s what I thought, but the tears still wanted to come out. What¡¯s wrong with me? ... At that moment, I felt Umbra jump into my shadow behind me before immediately jumping back out of it in my lap and trying to lick the tears from my face. ... You really just do whatever you want... don¡¯t you... Despite what I was saying in my head, I lifted Umbra up and hugged them tightly as I waited for the tears to stop. ... I had expected Raynelle to say something to me, but she remained silent right until I turned back around to face her. ¡°Hey, look... I think I¡¯m going to take Ava back to our room so she can get some proper sleep,¡± Raynelle lifted Ava up, gently cradling her in her arms, ¡°If you want, we can continue talking afterwards. Or maybe we can make some other plans for the day? Whatever you feel like.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t be like that. There¡¯s got to be something you want to do, even if you don¡¯t quite know what it is yet.¡± ... I know what I want to do... I just... can¡¯t do it yet... ¡°Hmm... Actually, before that, there¡¯s something I was supposed to give you. I¡¯ll bring it all here in a bit... But maybe I should wait for Ava to wake up first... Nah, it¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯ll understand.¡± What do you mean something to give me? You¡¯ve already given me enough. You gave me a dress and a scarf already... ... That¡¯s already going to be hard to pay back... So if you give me more... ... ¡°Come back here!¡± Ava suddenly shouted, somehow still fast asleep. ¡°Guess that¡¯s her way of complaining that I¡¯m taking too long,¡± Raynelle walked over to the door but abruptly stopped, ¡°Um... can I get a hand with this?¡± I didn¡¯t say anything and carefully set Umbra down on the floor before getting up and opening the door for Raynelle. ¡°Thanks, just give me a minute, and I¡¯ll be back,¡± She called back as she walked through the hallway. ... How is she going to open her own door? Chapter 37 – Back To The Market Chapter 37 ¨C Back To The Market It didn¡¯t take long for Raynelle to come back into the room. I hardly had enough time to persuade Umbra to go back into my shadow before the door flew open. ¡°I was going to bring everything here, but it was a bit much for one trip,¡± Raynelle said, holding up some clothes, ¡°This might be a bit easier for you to put on than having to struggle with your dress every morning.¡± She had brought a beige T-shirt that looked very similar to her own shirt and what looked like a pair of shorts that had been flipped back to front. But, just the dress is enough for me... Anymore and... What am I going to do? I instinctively clutched at the hem of my dress as she laid the clothes down on my bed. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like anyone being in the room while you¡¯re changing, so I¡¯ll just-¡± She abruptly stopped talking as soon as she turned around and saw me, ¡°...Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She crouched down in front of me so her head was at the same height as mine. ¡°...¡± I... I can¡¯t accept any more... ¡°Am I going to have to guess? You should know by now that I¡¯m not very good at that,¡± She laughed a little as she carefully opened up my hands, ¡°It would help me help you if you could tell me.¡± Will that make you stop? ... ¡°...T-t-too...¡± ¡°Too?¡± ¡°...M-much!¡± I accidentally shouted. ¡°Too much?¡± Raynelle leaned back a little, now holding my little hands in hers, ¡°So you think that I¡¯m giving you too much...¡± She spent a little while staring at the ceiling. When I looked up to try and find what she was looking at, she immediately started talking again. ¡°What if I said it wasn¡¯t too much for me?¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t know what she expected me to say. ¡°Not good enough then... then how about...¡± She paused for a few seconds, ¡°It makes me happy to give you things, okay?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯ve never had so much trouble trying to give someone a gift...¡± She continued to hold onto my hands as she was lost in thought, only occasionally sighing to herself. It had already gotten to the point where I was starting to feel very uncomfortable. Why is she so... desperate to give me things? What does she get out of it? ... She said it makes her happy, but why? Why would giving something away make you happy? ... I do want to give a gift to Ovia... But that¡¯s different! She helped me first... S-so I¡¯m just showing my gratitude. ... I¡¯ve done nothing for Raynelle... ... No matter how much I thought about it, it didn¡¯t make any sense to me. There just wasn¡¯t any reason why she should be happy to give me something unless she wanted me to pay her back later. ¡°Can¡¯t you just-¡± She suddenly started to speak, startling me out of my thoughts. At that moment, I wasn¡¯t sure what came over me, but before she could say anything else, I pulled away from her and picked up the clothes she had laid out. Every time she tried to persuade me, this sinking feeling was building up in my stomach, and I just wanted it to go away. ¡°...Great, that works for me,¡± Raynelle stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll step out of the room for you then... how did Ava do it?... Ah, that¡¯s right, just knock on the door when you¡¯re all good to go.¡± She quickly left the room, not giving me a chance to respond. ... I looked over the clothes in my hands again, paying much more attention to the pair of shorts she gave me. They almost looked normal, but instead of fastening at the front, they fastened at the back, with a notable gap cut into them, which was clearly meant for my tail. I did exactly as she asked and handed my cloak off to Raynelle before turning around and lifting my shirt just enough so the fastening at the back could be seen. ¡°Hmm, it looks good to me... But the more important question is... Do you like it? Did you find them easier to put on than the dress?¡± She put her hands on my shoulders and turned me back around. I nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep that in mind for the future,¡± She started to stand back up. Wait, not yet! I still need to thank you. At least for the dress... It helped me a lot... ¡°...Th...Tha...¡± In a panic, I tried to force the words out. However, before I could, Anna quickly crouched back down and lightly cupped her hand over my mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t have to push yourself if you¡¯re not ready,¡± She took her hand away, ¡°I already know what you¡¯re trying to say and already appreciate it a lot, okay?¡± ... But... ¡°... Th-Thank you!¡± I blurted out, only panicking a little this time. She didn¡¯t say anything and just smiled warmly at me before turning her attention to Raynelle, ¡°She¡¯s doing much better than before, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small step, but it¡¯s a step in the right direction at least,¡± Raynelle responded. Anna let out a chuckle before going back over to the counter and picking up the dresses she had brought out, ¡°If you want to talk some more, you¡¯ll have to wait a while; I need to try and sort these dresses out quickly. The client in question isn¡¯t known for being generous.¡± ¡°Do you need some help?¡± ¡°No, no, go spend some time with the little one. I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t the place she wants to spend the day.¡± ¡°Ahhh... I... I guess you¡¯re right...¡± Raynelle scratched the back of her head, ¡°Well then, before we leave, do you know any places around here that sell art supplies?¡± ¡°Oh, does she have an interest in art?¡± She looked at me, but I quickly turned away, leading to another chuckle, ¡°Well, if you just keep walking down the street, there¡¯s a place without a sign that sells what you¡¯re looking for and many other little trinkets. It¡¯s run by this nice old man, though if I¡¯m being honest with you, I don¡¯t know much about him, but he occasionally comes over here to hand out cookies, so if you¡¯re lucky...¡± ¡°That sounds nice,¡± Raynelle lifted me up, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right Kierra?¡± She looked into my eyes, clearly expecting an answer from me, but I just looked away, unsure of what to say. ¡°I guess that means we¡¯ll be heading out now then,¡± She made her way over to the door before shouting back, ¡°Thanks again!¡± ¡°Anytime!¡± Anna shouted back in response, ¡°But next time you better tell me the full story!¡± Raynelle just laughed as she left the store with me still in her arms, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s find this store then.¡± We made our way down the street, with Raynelle checking each of the doors as we walked past them. Eventually, we stopped in front of a store that had a deep purple awning above the entrance. Or at least I thought it was a store; aside from the awning, it just seemed like a regular house. Raynelle set me down on the ground before walking up to the door, ¡°I think this is the right place.¡± As she pushed the door open, I was suddenly assaulted by the sharp smell of wet paint. ¡°Well, am I going to need to help you go in again?¡± Raynelle smiled at me while holding the door open. No... I can... do it myself... I sheepishly walked past her into the store and was immediately left in awe of what I saw. The store was filled with a seemingly endless number of shelves stacked with art supplies and other small things, from hair clips to intricate glass sculptures. But by far, what drew my attention the most were the many easels lined up along the back of the store, which had what could only be called masterpieces left on them. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± An unfamiliar voice startled me, causing me to jump back, ¡°Whoa there! Sorry for surprising you. I didn¡¯t expect you to jump quite that much.¡± I immediately turned to face whoever was talking. They were a man with short grey hair and a well-trimmed beard, clearly showing his age, but despite that, his body betrayed that image with how well-built he was. He was wearing an apron over his clothes that had clearly been splattered with paint over many years. ¡°Hello there,¡± Raynelle spoke up, taking his attention from me. ¡°Hello to you too,¡± he said, reaching out his hand towards Raynelle, which she promptly shook, ¡°So, what exactly are you two looking for?¡± ¡°Um.... Let¡¯s say... we¡¯re just here to look around a bit,¡± Raynelle said, putting one hand on my shoulder, ¡°This little one, while a bit shy, has quite the knack for drawing, so I wanted to see if she¡¯d be interested in looking around a place like this.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He turned his attention back to me, ¡°Well, then. How about this?... go have a look through this place and bring me whatever it is that¡¯s your favourite. It can be absolutely anything, even if it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s for sale. In the meantime, I¡¯ll talk to your Mom here. Does that sound good to you?¡± Mom?! She... isn¡¯t my mom!... I... don¡¯t... I pushed the thoughts out of my mind before they could get out of control and just ran off into the store, hoping to distract myself. ¡°Well doesn¡¯t she seem eager?¡± The old man laughed to himself. Chapter 38 – It’s not a Gift, It’s A Bribe Chapter 38 ¨C It¡¯s not a Gift, It¡¯s A Bribe When I finally managed to calm down a little, I found myself standing just in front of one of the easels. On it, there was a painting of a street I didn¡¯t recognise at night, with all of the houses and other buildings having light spewing out of their windows. But, at the centre of it all, there was the silhouette of a single person. Just a single person painted in all-black right in the middle of what would otherwise be a fairly typical painting. That person being there made the whole thing a little bit eerie, but at the same time, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like if I was that person. Nobody would chase me anymore... I wouldn¡¯t have to hide... ... But... No, what are you doing? I turned away from the painting and looked back to see what Raynelle was doing, but she was simply talking with the old man. But then, in the middle of their conversation, the old man abruptly looked over at me, causing me to run behind one of the shelves to hide. On the shelf I hid behind, there were little wooden sculptures. Surprisingly there were no two that were exactly alike; some were of birds, others were of squirrels and other small animals, but right at the end of the shelf, there was something that caught my attention. It was a whole castle that had somehow been carved out of a single log. But the castle looked to be falling apart, with holes covering the walls and entire roofs missing from some of the towers, and one of the towers was completely missing. It was clearly an intentional design with how much attention was put into each little detail, which was especially evident when looking at the broken bricks and how each individual crack had been carved into them. Standing just in front of the castle walls was a single man, with long flowing hair and his sword raised up to the sky. Who is that? ... I turned to face the shelf just behind me and saw a glass sculpture of the same man, though it was much bigger. However, what drew my attention this time was the man¡¯s coat. It was simple, probably made from leather, with the sleeves rolled up to just above the elbows and the hem ending just above the hips. ... What would Ovia look like in that? ... For some reason, it was the only thought on my mind as I looked at the sculpture. The imaginary images just continued to flood my mind. So again, I had to pull myself away from it and move on to the next shelf. This one was instead covered in small accessories, from embroidered handkerchiefs to surprisingly elaborate earrings. ... I do want to get a gift for her... She¡¯s already given me so much... ... But... I don¡¯t have any money... ... I decided to continue walking through the store until I ended up at some more easels, just like the first; each had an incredible painting displayed on it, except for the last one. Instead, all it had was a faint sketch on an otherwise blank canvas. As I got closer to the sketch and started to make out the details, my heart immediately sank. It would have been impossible for me not to recognise that view. ... There was an extravagant boutique, a small bakery, a jeweller, a tailor and many other storefronts that had already been burned into my mind. ... No! I-I... ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to go back...¡± The words just slipped out of my mouth. For some reason that I couldn¡¯t understand, I instinctively looked over at Raynelle. As soon as I did, her eyes met mine, and she immediately came over. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± She asked, crouching down in front of me before looking up at the sketch I had just seen. She paused for a short moment before clicking her tongue, ¡°If you want to leave, we can, okay?¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± The old man walked up behind Raynelle. I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s good. You gave me a little scare. I don¡¯t want to be known as a mean old man after all,¡± He looked up at the sketch I was standing in front of, ¡°Oh, you ended up here. This is what I was working on just before you came in, so it wasn¡¯t quite ready for you to look at. I¡¯m sorry if you¡¯re disappointed... Although it probably isn¡¯t the sort of thing a child like you should be interested in anyway.¡± My eyes were immediately drawn to the section filled with jewellery, but I quickly moved on from that as I knew it would be too expensive for the man to just give away. The next section had the embroidered handkerchiefs I had noticed before, as well as a few different ascots, but nothing jumped out to me. Apart from the few with animals or plants on them, the rest of them just had various crests and symbols on them that I didn¡¯t recognise. It needs to be something that would make her think of me. Just like Umbra makes me think of her... The last section of the shelf was filled with what could only be called odds and ends. Nothing special; there were a few simple bracelets, a wooden paperweight shaped like a boat, and a few quills dyed in various colours, but nothing was quite right. At least, that¡¯s what I thought until I looked right at the back of the shelf, hidden behind all the other things on display. There was a simple hair clip; the only thing that was even a little special about it was its colour; it was pure white, just like my hair and tail. I didn¡¯t even have to think about it. I picked up the hair clip and headed back to the old man. ¡°Have you decided already?¡± He asked me, ¡°You can take some more time if you need it.¡± I responded by simply holding out the hair clip. ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve found,¡± He picked up the hair clip and looked it over, ¡°Hmm... I didn¡¯t realise I had left one of these out.¡± What is that supposed to mean? Did I choose the wrong thing? Did I make a mistake? ¡°You see, this hair clip hasn¡¯t been finished, or really even started, yet. It¡¯s just a blank hair clip I must have forgotten about at some point.¡± But... It¡¯s what I want to give her... I... ¡°But who am I to question you? I said you could pick anything, and that¡¯s exactly what you did,¡± He walked over to one of the shelves with art supplies on it, ¡°But even then, this is supposed to be a bribe, so I really should try and put my best foot forward.¡± He grabbed a set of coloured pencils, a few paints and some other things I didn¡¯t recognise before wrapping them up in some paper and bringing them over to me. ¡°Since I¡¯ve been told you¡¯re pretty good at drawing, this might actually be more fun for you to do yourself,¡± He said, handing me the package he had put together, ¡°And I think it makes for a good bribe, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°...¡± I looked down at the package for a while, trying to decide if accepting it was really the correct choice. He¡¯s giving me a lot... But it¡¯s a bribe... It¡¯s supposed to be a lot. ... He is the one who added the extra things... not me... So... it¡¯s fine... right? ... I tucked the package under my cloak, where Umbra could just slightly poke their head out and take the package into my shadow without being seen. ¡°Thanks for all this,¡± Raynelle lifted me up, ¡°Though I must admit, I don¡¯t really understand what you did. Even just this morning she was humming and hawing about accepting a gift from me.¡± ¡°Well, when you run a shop for long enough, you get better at this sort of thing,¡± He laughed to himself. ¡°Well, then I might have to come back and get some advice.¡± ¡°Ahh.... It¡¯ll cost you.¡± This time, Raynelle was the one who was laughing, ¡°I guess you really do know what you¡¯re doing.¡± The two of them continued talking for a while after that, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention. Instead, I was busy thinking about all the different things I could put on that hair clip, although I ultimately wasn¡¯t able to decide on anything. ¡°Again, Thank you for doing this,¡± Raynelle said. ¡°The pleasure¡¯s all mine,¡± The old man turned to me, ¡°If anything, I think I¡¯ve got a good idea for my next painting.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll leave you to it, right Kierra?¡± I buried my head in her shoulder so I didn¡¯t have to say anything. ¡°I¡¯ll just take that as a yes. I don¡¯t want to leave Ava alone for too long after all,¡± She looked back up at the old man, ¡°Bye for now, though I¡¯ll definitely be back soon.¡± As we made our way out of the store, all that could be heard was a hearty chuckle from the old man. Chapter 39 – You’ve Rubbed Off On Me Chapter 39 ¨C You¡¯ve Rubbed Off On Me [Ava POV] I¡¯m tired... But... It took a lot of effort, but eventually, I managed to get myself out of bed by sliding my whole body onto the cold wooden floor below. That feels... nice... ... It took a few more minutes for me to actually sit myself up and open my eyes. ¡°... What... time is it?...¡± It took a while after that, but I managed to get up on my own two feet and make my way over to the window. Pulling the curtains back, I saw that it was still dark outside, though I could see the sun was just starting to poke out on the horizon. ¡°... I feel... awful...¡± Before checking on anything else, I made my way down to the kitchen, hoping to find something to drink. Luckily, it seemed like someone had planned for my little trip here in advance, as there was already a jug full of water set out, which I happily drank in its entirety, choosing to ignore the cup that had been placed next to it. ... ¡°What even happened yesterday?¡± I muttered to myself. ... I think Kit... said... something... But... Why can¡¯t I remember what it was? ... She panicked... then... she fell... Then I healed her. But... what happened after that? I sat there in silence for a while, just trying to remember whatever I could about the day before, but for some reason, I just couldn¡¯t. It was all just a blur left in my mind. ... ¡°Was I really that tired yesterday?... Maybe I just used my magic a bit too much...¡± ... No matter how much I sat and thought about it, there was only so much I could do just sat there, so I just got up and decided to head over to Kit¡¯s room to check on her. I carefully opened the door, being careful not to make any noise so that she didn¡¯t wake up. She was once again fast asleep while in her fox form, curled up with the same grey fox from yesterday. I wonder if they¡¯d let me join them one night? ... That¡¯s probably asking them for too much. ... Although... maybe in a week or two... I made my way into the room, sitting myself down on her bed, just next to the pillow the two foxes were sleeping on, or at least where I thought the two foxes were sleeping. As as soon as I sat down, the grey fox looked up at me. ¡°So...¡± I reached my hand out towards them, ¡°Are you protecting her now?¡± ¡°*Yip*¡± They responded, nuzzling up to my hand. ¡°Ha ha, good.¡± Having placated the guardian, I decided to try to move my hand down towards the white fluff it had been so diligently protecting. I know she is a little bit wary when people try to touch her, but... Surely, it would be fine to pet her a little... We¡¯re close enough for that, right? ... I looked at the grey fox again just to check that it wasn¡¯t going to stop me. They looked at my hand for a moment before they just laid their head back down and closed their eyes. I¡¯ll take that as a go-ahead. Slowly, I started to run my fingers through the fur, a little anxious that she was going to wake up at any moment. Yet, for some reason, that anxiety made it even more exciting. As time went on, my motions started to get a little bigger and a little more forceful as I indulged more and more in the sensation running through my hand. ¡°... My n-n-name...¡± She squeaked out, ¡°...K-Kierra.¡± Her name? Kierra? ... Oh no, please no. Is that what she told us yesterday?! No, no, no, no, no. How could I forget something as big as that? ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, Kierra, I-I didn¡¯t forget,¡± I tried hard not to fumble my words, ¡°It¡¯s just that... old habits die hard, right?¡± She nodded and seemed to perk up a little as well. Better not ever forget that again... It would be too much for my heart. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s dig in. The food¡¯ll taste better when it¡¯s warm after all.¡± As if on cue, Mom came into the room and sat at the table. ¡°Good morning girls,¡± Was all she said before she started eating. That¡¯s as good an invitation as any... I guess. I joined in, trying my best to fit the sandwich into my mouth... Which I didn¡¯t manage... Instead, I ended up taking my masterpiece apart before digging in. What happened after that... was admittedly a bit of a blur... I just remember shovelling as much as I could, as fast as I could, into my mouth. And it seemed that I wasn¡¯t the only one who did, as for the first time, the three of us finished eating at the same time. Seeing the two of them satisfied, I collected up the plates and made my way back into the kitchen, although I wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Mom? What are you doing here?¡± I asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you normally stay with Kit... no, wait, I mean Kierra?¡± ¡°I just... need to talk to you about something...¡± She replied, ¡°It¡¯s about... what we¡¯re going to do going forward.¡± I let out a sigh before setting the dirty plates down, ¡°Alright, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You remember I said that we weren¡¯t going to stay here that long?¡± ¡°Yeah? What about it?¡± ¡°Well, I think... No...¡± She looked unsure of herself, ¡°I... want... to stay here a bit longer.¡± Is this really what she wanted to talk about? ¡°Okay... and?¡± She just stared at me after I said that, clearly a little confused. ¡°What? You¡¯re okay with it?¡± She somehow seemed to be getting even more surprised as she spoke, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like this place? If you really wanted to leave, I could-¡± ¡°Oh, come on,¡± I cut her off, ¡°As soon as we took that little fox in, I knew we weren¡¯t going to be leaving any time soon. I know what you¡¯re like.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t like this place... at all, to be honest... but I do want to keep helping Kierra out just as much as you do.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°What can I say?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but shrug my shoulders and smirk at her, ¡°You¡¯ve rubbed off on me.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± A smile spread across her face, ¡°So, on that note, what I really wanted to talk about was... This inn is a bit... expensive... It¡¯s not a problem at the moment. I mean, I could probably keep us in here for a few months, though after that, I would need to start taking on work in earnest again.¡± ¡°So, what are you wanting to do about it? If needed, I could probably take on an odd job or two myself.¡± I suggested. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I was just thinking about renting out a place, preferably as far from the main street as possible,¡± She looked down at the floor as she spoke. ¡°Any reason for the preference? Not that I mind.¡± ¡°... She saw a picture of that street...¡± She struggled to get the words out, ¡°Her eyes... She didn¡¯t say anything and tried not to show it... but that raw fear I saw in her eyes... I just... I can¡¯t...¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that,¡± I came up next to her and hugged her with my dishevelled wings, ¡°Treat it as a good thing.¡± ¡°How can that be a good thing?!¡± She put her hands on my shoulders, pushing me away. ¡°Think of it like this, she¡¯s getting used to living with us. Before, she would¡¯ve just thought of that street and what happened there as part of her daily life. But now, she¡¯s learned that it¡¯s not right! That she doesn¡¯t have to live like that!¡± I took a moment to calm down a bit, ¡°She¡¯s scared of going back... Even if she doesn¡¯t really show it... She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s going to run away the moment someone so much as talks to her anymore.¡± Mom didn¡¯t respond and just continued to stand there as I got to work cleaning the dishes. It was only when I was finished that she spoke again. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try looking for a place. Just... don¡¯t say anything to Kierra... not until I¡¯ve sorted it all out.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. You have fun with that,¡± I walked past her, ¡°For me though, I¡¯m first going to get myself in a bath, then I¡¯m going to sort these feathers out.¡± Chapter 40 – I Shouldn’t Be Watching This Chapter 40 ¨C I Shouldn¡¯t Be Watching This [Ovia POV] ¡°I-I s-shouldn¡¯t be watching this!¡± ... But... I want- ¡°No!¡± I shouted at myself. On the panel floating just in front of me was Kierra, sitting on the floor, hunched over a hair clip, surrounded by various pencils and paints. She even spoke about the gift in her sleep... ¡°S-she¡¯s working so hard... I-I shouldn¡¯t ruin the surprise.¡± I waved my hand to get rid of the screen in an attempt to get rid of any temptation, but it didn¡¯t do much. Almost all I had done for the last few years was watch Kierra, so it was hard to tear myself away without a good reason. ¡°M-maybe I can distract myself... I-I could...¡± ... What can I do? ... Is there even anything to do? ... I made my way out of the side room and into the throne room, hoping that an idea would just come to me. Or maybe a Spirit would finally have an issue for me to solve. That¡¯s what most Gods do... I think. But I¡¯ve never had to do that. Nobody really uses Dark Magic even if they can because they¡¯re all scared of it, so the Spirits can just take care of it all themselves. Dreams just work by themselves, which I assume is also thanks to the Spirits. Why am I even a Goddess?... The spirits just do everything by themselves... Even my other... I froze up. I didn¡¯t want to think about that, it was too embarrassing. ... What else can I do? ... I guess I could go to Ellaria... I do need some help planning... something... But... I can¡¯t keep bothering her like that... ¡°I-I¡¯ll just... visit... s-someone else...¡± ... ... ... ¡°I... don¡¯t... know anyone else...¡± ... ...CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m ... Maybe I should just go back to watching Kierra... I can just... pretend I didn¡¯t see it when she gives it to me... ... Probably... I turned around and started walking back to the side room, thinking about different ways to censor the panel so I wouldn¡¯t ruin the surprise. But just before I could open the door, someone came into my domain. ¡°Sister!¡± All of a sudden, Ellaria came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my neck, ¡°Wait, why are you out here and not in the side room like usual?¡± ¡°Ell-¡± ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining,¡± Ellaria cut me off, ¡°Now, before anything else, look at this!¡± She held up a vial containing grey mana in front of my face. Or at least, it looked to just be grey at a glance. But after looking at it a bit closer, rather than just being grey, it was closer to a swirling mess made from strings of both black and white mana. ¡°Is that?-¡± ¡°It¡¯s somehow holding itself together even though it isn¡¯t stable!¡± She interrupted me again, ¡°It¡¯s almost like this is not the perfected version, like this is only the first step to something much greater.¡± ¡°Um-¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± I responded reflexively. ¡°Come on now, don¡¯t be sorry for something like that,¡± She started laughing, ¡°It¡¯s not like it was your fault.¡± That¡¯s... not why I said sorry... ... ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this more often?¡± Ellaria asked, ¡°We used to do it all the time back in the village.¡± I was suddenly hit by a wave of memories. I hadn¡¯t thought about the village in many years yet, I could still recall everything like it was only a week ago. ¡°... I-I don¡¯t know,¡± I mumbled under my breath, ¡°Y-you always c-came to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. I know you enjoyed my company,¡± She chuckled. ¡°...¡± I couldn¡¯t come up with anything to say in response. ¡°It might be a good idea to send the little kitsune to that village eventually. It would be nice for her to meet some other kitsune after all... it might even be a little easier for her to talk to them... She spoke to us pretty quickly after all,¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°By the way, how is she doing? I haven¡¯t had the chance to check on her since she left.¡± ¡°S-she told them her n-name.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± She sounded genuinely surprised, ¡°I thought it would at least take her a month to work up enough courage.¡± Even though I didn¡¯t really do anything to help Kierra, I still felt proud that she was able to do it. ¡°So, does that mean she¡¯s talking now?¡± ¡°A-a little,¡± I responded. ¡°That¡¯s great. But you need to make sure you congratulate her properly when she comes back, we don¡¯t want her to go back to being silent now.¡± ... That¡¯s what I want to do... But... ¡°I-I need help,¡± I blurted out. She came over and sat down next to me, ¡°I already told you that you can always ask me for help. You don¡¯t need to be so nervous,¡± She pulled me into a hug, ¡°Now tell me, what have you decided on so far?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Um... sister?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Nothing yet?¡± ¡°Mmm...¡± ¡°...¡± Is it really that bad? I¡¯ve never done this before. How am I supposed to know what to do? ¡°Well... What do you want to do for her?¡± She brushed my hair out of my face, ¡°She liked the gift you gave her last time, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯d like anything that you come up with.¡± ¡°B-But... I want to do it... p-properly¡± ¡°And what does properly mean?¡± ¡°... Doing it r-right?¡± I answered. What else could it mean? ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°T-then what?¡± ¡°I think doing it properly just means that you¡¯re doing the best you can.¡± ¡°B-but-¡± ¡°No buts,¡± Ellaria interrupted, ¡°You asked me for help, so now you are going to let me help you. That¡¯s how this works. ¡± ... How does she do it? Where does all her confidence come from? ... ¡°O-okay,¡± I responded. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s get to work, we¡¯ve got a celebration to plan out.¡± Chapter 41 – That’s What I Can Help You With Chapter 41 ¨C That¡¯s What I Can Help You With It¡¯s almost perfect... But... ... I just... can¡¯t figure it out! The hair clip just didn¡¯t look right. There was nothing wrong with it, just... it felt like something was missing. The problem was that no matter how long I stared at the hair clip, I just couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. It needs to be perfect. Nothing less. I picked up a paintbrush, just hoping that as soon as I started painting again, the answer would just come to me. But before I had the chance to actually dip the brush into any paint, Ava came into the room. ¡°Oh, have you moved on to painting now?¡± She asked, quickly making her way behind me. Instinctively, I hid the hair clip with my hands, being careful not to smudge any of the wet paint. Unfortunately for me, all that seemed to do was make Ava even more curious about it. ¡°Hmm, is it something special?¡± She put her hands on my shoulders, lightly jostling me as she looked around at everything else on the floor, ¡°Ahh, I see... is that what you¡¯re busy painting?¡± She reached for the notebook with all my practice drawings completely exposed. Not wanting to take my hands away from the hair clip, I used my tail to cover it, hoping it would stop her from trying to pick it up. Thankfully, she stopped almost immediately. ¡°Y¡¯know, you¡¯re just making me more curious now,¡± She let go of my shoulders, ¡°Hmm... I wonder what it could be... What would little Kierra want to hide from me?...¡± Nothing you need to worry about. ... It¡¯s... ¡°...N-n-nothing,¡± I squeaked out. She didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. Instead, she got up before sitting down with her legs crossed in front of me. ¡°Well, I already know it¡¯s not nothing...¡± She said, pointing at my tail, ¡°... Now, when was the last time you acted like this?...¡± What do you mean ¡®acted like this¡¯? ... I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Oh, I know,¡± She abruptly leaned forward and made eye contact with me, ¡°Is this something to do with your friend at the temple?¡± ... How did she know? Did she see the notebook? But I thought I was fast enough. I nodded. ¡°Hmm... then... Is it another drawing of her? Wait, no, is it a painting of her this time?¡± I was about to shake my head, but Ava responded to herself before I could. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be it. You were more than happy to show me your last drawing of her... Then... maybe it¡¯s... a gift... Is it a gift for your friend?!¡± ... She must be able to read my mind. There is no other explanation. ... She wasn¡¯t even with me yesterday... No, it can¡¯t be... ¡°Now, now, just relax. I¡¯ll be finished soon,¡± She ran the brush through my tail, ¡°It¡¯s so much easier to just do this regularly than just waiting for it to become a problem, don¡¯t you think?¡± I immediately thought back to the pain I felt the first time I tried brushing my tail... ¡°... mhm...¡± ¡°Then... does that mean I get to do this again tomorrow?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± Even though I wasn¡¯t facing her, I could almost hear her smiling. As Ava said, she finished brushing my tail pretty quickly before getting up and pulling out two cloaks, one for her and one for me. ¡°We should probably ask Mom before we go out... but I¡¯m sure it will be fine... she has things she needs to do,¡± Ava said as she fastened one of the cloaks around my neck, ¡°She¡¯ll probably appreciate having some time to herself.¡± However, as if on cue, Raynelle came into the room, ¡°What¡¯s this about you two girls trying to sneak out?!¡± She scared me just a little. ¡°I¡¯m just wanting to take her shopping with me. It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ava responded, completely unfazed. ¡°No... No, sending you shopping is one thing, but with Kierra... What if something happens?¡± ¡°Nothing is going to happen... even if something does, I can take care of it. You even told me yourself that you think I underestimate my own strength,¡± Ava punched the air a few times, trying to prove her point. ¡°I still... can¡¯t... I trust you, but... I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t just let you go by yourselves.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ve already thought things through,¡± Ava put her hands behind her head, mimicking my ears, ¡°Everyone is looking for a kitsune with black or white hair right... well, our little Kierra isn¡¯t a kitsune, she¡¯s a... a wolf! Since you don¡¯t normally see beastkin around here, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t know the difference.¡± ¡°Do you really think they will believe you?! As soon as they see those fluffy ears, it doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s a kitsune, wolf beastkin, cat beastkin, or anything else. They¡¯ll take her anyway. Come on, you already know this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a few days now, but,¡± She turned to me, ¡°You can make your hair black, with... whatever you use... but what if you made it.... um... less dark. Kinda like the other little fox, the grey one.¡± Less dark? I let my shadow cover my hair, and just like every other time before, it became a deep, pitch-black. How do I make it... less? ... Then, seemingly as a response to me simply thinking about it, my hair very slowly started to brighten until it was a similar colour to Umbra, though a little darker. ¡°See!¡± Ava shouted while pointing at me, ¡°Now she¡¯s a grey wolf! The people here have probably heard about the grey wolves out in the forests. Which means it¡¯s a perfect disguise, they¡¯d never suspect a thing.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°And you have something that you wanted to do...¡± Ava interrupted, ¡°Y¡¯know, there was something you were wanting to take a look at...¡± ¡°I-I can just do that myself... while you two wait here, safe-¡± ¡°It will be fine!¡± Ava shouted, interrupting Raynelle again, ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? Nothing will happen. I¡¯m just taking her with me to buy some food cause we¡¯ve run out, it¡¯ll just be a quick trip, there and back.¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°Come on. I understand you¡¯re worried, but at this point you¡¯re just being overprotective. I¡¯ve been making this trip since we got here, and as for Kierra, I mean, she managed to take care of herself even without us being there. With me there, it would be impossible for what you¡¯re imagining to happen.¡± The room fell silent after that. It wasn¡¯t the first time that Ava and Raynelle had argued, but it was the first time that I had felt that level of pressure in the room. It had gotten to the point where I was contemplating climbing out the window just to escape. However, before I did, Raynelle spoke up. ¡°Fine... but just buy food, then come back. If anything happens... anything... please... run back here... don¡¯t worry about anything else, just run,¡± Raynelle pleaded. ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± A smile spread across Ava¡¯s face as she turned to me, ¡°Alright, pull your hood up, and we¡¯ll head out straight away.¡± I immediately did as she said, pulling the hood over my ears and following her out of the inn, afraid that if I didn¡¯t, the two of them would just start arguing again. ¡°So, what do you want to do first?¡± She asked, putting her arm around me before pulling me close, ¡°I¡¯ll have to get the food last, but otherwise what we do today is entirely up to you.¡± ¡°... Mhm...¡± I responded. ¡°Good, then let¡¯s get moving,¡± she said, starting to walk, still holding onto me, ¡°It¡¯s my turn to have fun with you, and I don¡¯t want to waste any of it just standing around doing nothing.¡± Chapter 42 – An Onion Seller and Misfit Hats Chapter 42 ¨C An Onion Seller and Misfit Hats It didn¡¯t take long before the familiar market decorated with colourful awnings came into view. Ava held me close the entire way there, and even though we had arrived, it didn¡¯t seem like she was going to let go any time soon. ¡°Okay, before we get to the fun stuff I just need to stop off... Here!¡± She pulled me along as she made her way over to a stall at the entrance to the market. ¡°Oh, hello again!¡± The woman running the stall called over to us as she put down the crate she was carrying and came over to us, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re already back, it hasn¡¯t even been a week yet, and you even brought a friend along this time, or maybe this is...¡± My immediate instinct was to take a step back, but unfortunately for me, Ava seemed to have a different idea as she pushed me in front of her. ¡°This here is the little bundle of fluff who really knows how to put a meal away... or three...¡± Ava said, firmly planting her hands on my shoulders so I couldn¡¯t escape, ¡°And we¡¯re here to have some fun today.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d be more than happy to help you out,¡± She started laughing, ¡°But I don¡¯t think your idea of fun is sitting around with this old lady at her stall.¡± Old lady? The woman looked to be in her early thirties, and even ignoring that fact, just a few moments ago, she was carrying a large crate filled with vegetables as if it were nothing. Is she older than she looks? Or... do people just think thirty is old here? Maybe it¡¯s just a saying... ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but today is just for the two of us, but maybe some other time¡± Ava said, reciprocating the woman¡¯s laughter, ¡°I just came here to ask if you could prepare my order in advance. I¡¯m planning on picking it up on our way back if that¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± The woman went back behind the stall. ¡°So, just the usual then?¡± ¡°Yep, but if you have anything interesting today, can you throw that in as well?... Oh, and can you go ask everyone else for me,¡± Ava clapped her hands together, ¡°I don¡¯t want to tire her out before we get to the fun stuff.¡± ¡°Sure thing, I can send someone to pick up the rest for you, but only because I¡¯d feel sorry for that little one¡¯s legs with all the walking you¡¯d have to do,¡± The woman wrote some things down on a notepad before looking back up at Ava, ¡°Well... What are you doing just standing there? Get out of here already! Go have fun with your sister!¡± Sister?! What sister?! Does she think that?- I tried to look up at Ava in an attempt to have her explain that the woman was wrong, but before I could, I was abruptly yanked backwards. ¡°Sure thing!¡± Ava shouted back to the woman as she started running into the market, dragging me along by the arm. It was only when the stall was no longer in sight that she finally decided to slow back down. ¡°Now that the boring stuff is taken care of,¡± She crouched down so that she was at eye level with me, ¡°Have you decided on what you want to do first?¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say to her; there were just too many different things going through my mind, along with needing to try and calm myself down after suddenly having to sprint through the market. ¡°No? Well, I already expected as much,¡± She sighed, ¡°How could you know what you want to do when you¡¯re just sitting inside that inn all day? The first time you went out just for the sake of it was yesterday. And I didn¡¯t even get to go with you!¡± ¡°... b-but-¡± I tried to interrupt her, but she didn¡¯t seem to hear me over the hustle and bustle of the market.UppTodated from ¡°So, what we can do instead is just walk from here, and if you see something that catches your eye, absolutely anything, we can go there. Sound good? Great!¡± She didn¡¯t even let me try and respond to her. But I thought you were going to help me with the gift... Isn¡¯t that why we came here? Why aren¡¯t- Before I could continue that line of thought, I was once again pulled through the market as Ava started walking me through the market, pointing out every stall we walked past, no matter how small it was. There were many fruit and vegetable stalls that were much smaller than the first one we visited. However, unlike that one, they almost all chose to specialise in one thing each, like one stall that only sold different varieties of onions, although the man running that store didn¡¯t seem very happy when Ava pointed that out. Ava even pointed out the small stands set up in dark alleyways where people were paying money to play something called the shell game. In the game, a pea was hidden under one of three shells. All the person playing had to do was follow the shell with the pea under it. But when watching one of the games, I saw the person running the stand slide the shell to the edge of the table so that the pea would fall into their lap. ... ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t mean to laugh at you,¡± Ava said, trying and failing to hold back her laugh, ¡°I just didn¡¯t even think that would be an issue for you.¡± I just stood there in silence as a single tear started to form in my eyes. ¡°No no no,¡± She immediately stopped laughing, ¡°D-don¡¯t cry, I-I... wait! I¡¯ve seen... special hats for beastkin with different ears before. They had all these different kinds! Some were like small hats that would fit between your ears, while others had holes cut into them, or even special designs that would hold the ears in place... but... I saw that... in a... different... town...¡± Another town... ... The idea of there actually being somewhere other than here seemed strange for some reason, even though it was obviously true, this couldn¡¯t be the only place in this world. I had tried to run away before, but all I saw on the other side of the gate was an open field with a row of trees in the distance. ¡°M-maybe we can go back there someday, and at the same time, we can go and see the rest of the world as well... something like that, y¡¯know?¡± Go and see the world... ... If this was a few weeks ago... ¡°What do you say to that?¡± Ava asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be fun? We could all go on a proper journey with-¡± ¡°No,¡± I interrupted. I... don¡¯t want to leave. Not when Ovia is right here. ... I can¡¯t leave. Not anymore. ¡°No?... Well... I... I... can¡¯t force you...¡± She crouched down and took the tricorne from me before placing it back on the shelf, ¡°But... just think about it, okay? There¡¯s a whole world out there, and that includes a lot of places that are much better than here.¡± It doesn¡¯t matter. I have what I need here. I... I can put up with anything. I need to stay here... No matter what. I pulled my hood up and immediately made my way to the door, not wanting to think about that any further. As I did, the storekeeper lowered his newspaper again, ¡°Kids,¡± He grumbled before lifting it back up. With Ava following close behind I quickly left the store and started to walk down through the market again in an attempt to clear my mind. ¡°Sorry for all that,¡± Ava said, sounding a little disheartened, ¡°But did that at least give you some ideas for what you do want to do?¡± ... There is only one reason why I¡¯m here. ¡°... y-you... h-help me...¡± I mumbled while tugging on her cloak. ¡°With the gift?¡± Ava finished my sentence for me. I nodded. ¡°Okay, if that¡¯s what you want to do first,¡± Ava looked around a bit before suddenly changing the direction she was walking in, ¡°I know just the place, it¡¯s just down here.¡± Looking at where she was heading, there was a store with a familiar purple awning above the entrance. Chapter 43 – Something You Like Chapter 43 ¨C Something You Like Ava didn¡¯t even wait for me to catch up and immediately made her way into the store. ¡°Hello!¡± She shouted. I quickly followed her in, where the old man from yesterday was sitting behind an easel, calmly painting despite the noise. ¡°Well, hello to you too. Were the books I lent-¡± He peeked out from behind the easel and immediately turned his attention to me, making him pause for a moment, ¡°Now, I didn¡¯t expect you to be back so soon. Was the bribe I gave you that effective? Maybe I should start doing it more often.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Ava immediately turned around and looked at me as if she wanted an explanation. Fortunately for me, the old man continued talking, taking Ava¡¯s attention away. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise the two of you knew each other,¡± he said, setting down his paintbrush and coming over to us, ¡°Now, I might be mistaken, but I don¡¯t think you two came here just to talk to an old man. So, what do you need?¡± The old man looked at me, but I wasn¡¯t able to say anything. Thankfully, Ava spoke up for me, ¡°My... friend has put together a gift for someone but didn¡¯t think about how she was going to actually present it... So we¡¯re looking for a small box? Maybe just something to wrap it in? I don¡¯t actually know what the gift is, but it needs to look good. I¡¯m sure you understand what I mean.¡± The old man looked at me and smiled, ¡°Lucky for you, I already have an idea of what that gift might be, so I think a nice small box would be the best. But what do you think?¡± I immediately nodded in response. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go pick some options out for you. Feel free to have a look around the store while you wait,¡± He promptly got up and headed towards the back of the store, where he disappeared behind a curtain. As soon as the old man was out of sight, Ava turned towards me, ¡°You should¡¯ve told me you already knew about this place,¡± She said, crouching down to match my height. When was I supposed to tell you?! You never even asked! ¡°I really thought I had something special with this place.¡± It was hard to put the expression on her face into words; at least, I couldn¡¯t. She was still smiling like usual, but something about it felt different. She didn¡¯t seem sad, but rather something in between? Disappointment maybe? It was like the wind had been taken out of her sails, but she just kept on smiling anyway. ... I don¡¯t like this. But... what am I supposed to do? ... What makes her happy? ... My eyes drifted down towards the wooden floorboards as I stood there racking my brain, trying to come up with an idea, any idea... but it was harder than I expected. ... I... don¡¯t know... much about her... The realisation came as a bit of a surprise to me; even though I had spent the last few weeks living with her, I didn¡¯t really know who she was. What she liked, what she disliked, even just what she usually did during the day. I knew almost nothing. The only thing I knew was that she wanted to brush my tail... ... But I¡¯m not supposed to take my tail out of my cloak... ... ... Desperately trying to think of something, I looked up at Ava, and almost immediately, an idea came to mind, though I was a little hesitant to put it into practice. ... ... I... don¡¯t want her to stay like that... ... ¡°... A-Ava... g-good...¡± I got onto my tiptoes and, with my arm, reached up towards the top of her head. However, as soon as my hand made contact, she jumped back, her face turning a little red. Was that wrong?! I-I shouldn¡¯t have done that! I instinctively took a step back while pulling down on the hood of my cloak so that I couldn¡¯t see Ava anymore. ... It was seemingly a simple question, but there just wasn¡¯t a simple answer to match it. I like... Ovia... she¡¯s nice... ... But I can¡¯t paint her, not to give away. It... wouldn¡¯t be good enough for a Goddess... I can¡¯t do anything to hurt her reputation. ... But... is there anything else? ... I like... ... The name she gave me... but I can¡¯t paint that... ... Then what else... ... I like... Umbra? She also gave me Umbra... and I could paint Umbra... ... I knew that I wasn¡¯t going to come up with a better idea, so I put the pencil against the canvas and started to sketch. It was a simple sketch of Umbra sleeping peacefully on top of the pillow I had been sharing with them. It didn¡¯t take long for me to finish the sketch and switch to using paint. While I had already tried painting a little bit when decorating the hair clip, I found that it didn¡¯t feel as natural as when I was simply drawing, and unfortunately, this time was no different. My painting definitely didn¡¯t look bad, but no matter how much I tried, I just couldn¡¯t make it look exactly how I wanted, whether that be from struggling to mix the paints to make the right colour or just accidentally smudging the painting with my wrist. Looking to my side, Ava seemed to be struggling a lot more than I was, as her usual smile was nowhere to be seen and had instead been replaced with an intense focus. We both continued working on our paintings for a while, and in the end, I had something that didn¡¯t look bad but was still far from perfect. At least you can¡¯t see any of the smudged parts... I looked over to see what Ava had painted. On her canvas was a simple forest with a few colourful blobs haphazardly scattered through it, which I could only assume were supposed to be various animals, though I couldn¡¯t tell what any of them were supposed to be. ¡°Are the two of you already finished?¡± The old man called out from behind his own easel, having gone back to continue the painting he was working on when we first entered the store, ¡°Let¡¯s see what you two have come up with.¡± He got up and walked around so that he could stand behind us. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a little unusual,¡± He said, leaning in a little closer towards my painting, ¡°It¡¯s not every day you see a fox, even if it¡¯s just a painting.¡± Huh? I was slightly tempted to ask the man to explain what he meant, but he quickly turned his head and had a look at Ava¡¯s painting. ¡°Oh my, and over here, we have a lively forest. Just looking at it quickly, I can see a squirrel, a bear and many more,¡± He said, picking up the two canvases, ¡°I think you two have done a very good job, now then.¡± He took both paintings behind the main desk and came back out with the box and something wrapped in paper. What? I thought he needed to sell the paintings first? ¡°You seem a little confused,¡± He said as if reading my mind, ¡°Well, I just put your two paintings into my store, and they sold immediately. This might surprise you, but even my own work struggles to sell so quickly. I guess you two might have a special talent.¡± Does he mean?... Did he?... Ava suddenly burst out laughing, ¡°Can you thank the person who bought them for us?¡± ¡°Your thanks have been well received,¡± The old man joined in her laughter while handing the box to me and the other package to Ava, ¡°Now, get on your way you two. I think you¡¯ve spent enough time here.¡± I quickly tucked the box under my arm so Umbra could store it in my shadow. Ava eventually stopped laughing and made her way out of the store, with me close behind. ¡°Thank you again!¡± She shouted back. ¡°.... T-thanks...¡± I mumbled, even though I knew the man wouldn¡¯t be able to hear me. Chapter 44 – Watch Where You’re Walking Chapter 44 ¨C Watch Where You¡¯re Walking Ava and I continued walking down the street, although unlike before, she had stopped pointing at each of the stores we walked past as she was too busy struggling with the package she had gotten from the art store. ¡°Why did he make this so- Ah, got it!¡± Ava exclaimed as she managed to untie the string holding the package closed. She quickly sorted through whatever was in the package before pulling out a long black ribbon that shimmered just slightly as it caught the sunlight. My eyes were drawn to it as it gently swayed in the wind, almost as if it had hypnotised me. ¡°Do you like it?¡± She asked, waving it back and forth in front of me. Why would you ask me that? ¡°Hmm... I just noticed you liked things that were black. You have your black scarf and your black dress, and just now, you chose a black box for the gift you¡¯re putting together. So I thought you¡¯d also like this.¡± I do... But why does that matter? I nodded. ¡°Great! I wanted to have you try some different hairstyles later... but why should we wait? We can just-¡± She stopped herself just as she reached toward my hood, ¡°Oh... that¡¯s right... we can only do it after we get back...¡± I didn¡¯t even agree to it yet! We stood there, staring at each other in silence for a moment, with Ava still holding the ribbon out even though she knew I couldn¡¯t remove my hood while we were outside. ¡°Oh, I have an idea!¡± She suddenly lit up again, ¡°Give me your wrist.¡± What? Why? ... Even though I didn¡¯t know what she wanted, I still held my hand out towards her anyway. Seeing this, Ava immediately grabbed my outstretched wrist before wrapping it with the ribbon and tying it into a large bow. ¡°There you go,¡± She handed the package over to me, ¡°Now do mine!¡± The package just contained a large number of ribbons. There were plenty of different colours to pick from, and some of them even had elaborate patterns spanning their entire length. In fact, there were so many different ribbons in there that it seemed strange that they could even fit into the small package in my hands. ... I sifted through the ribbons until I found one that was a bright purple with some faint floral patterns running through it. The colour jumped out at me because it somehow matched Ava¡¯s eyes almost exactly.UppTodated from As soon as I pulled the ribbon out, Ava¡¯s arm abruptly shot in front of me. It startled me for a second, but I quickly calmed back down. I carefully wrapped it around her wrist and tried to tie it into a bow just like she had done for me, but I just couldn¡¯t keep the two sides of the bow even, and it ended up looking a bit strange. I reached out to untie it and try again, but before I could, she pulled her wrist back. ¡°Looks great,¡± She said, holding her hand up in front of her and inspecting my handiwork, ¡°I bet Mom would be jealous if she saw this.¡± Why? ... ¡°... mhm...¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what she wanted me to say, so I just hummed and hoped she would decide what it meant herself. ¡°Oh, come on, you can give a bit more of a reaction than that; what happened to the girl who was bold enough to suddenly try to pat my head in the middle of a store?¡± My face almost immediately started to heat up. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± She smiled while dancing around a little, letting the ribbon tied around her wrist flutter about, ¡°By the way, there was something else I was really wanting to get while we were out, maybe we can just quickly-¡± *Thud* Ava fell to the floor. ¡°Come on, you need to look where you¡¯re going; you just walked into some kid.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t walk into anyone! She just jumped into me out of nowhere!¡± ¡°Hello there, and sorry about that. This guy over here is awful when it comes to paying attention to what''s going on around him. Honestly, I don¡¯t know how he managed to get this job.¡± ... No... No... No... My heart started beating quickly and quicker as I stood there, frozen in place, just watching the scene playing out in front of me. Ava was lying on the ground, with two knights standing just over her. While she was dancing about, she accidentally bumped into one of them. The one who spoke last, the smaller of the two knights, held his hand out towards her. No... please... ... Run. You need to run. ¡°First, we¡¯re called out here ¡®cause some conman got what was coming to him, and now you¡¯ve gone and done this,¡± The smaller knight, while still holding his hand out, had turned his head and started complaining. ¡°But-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just check if they match the description. We don¡¯t need to worry about that if it¡¯s the wrong kid anyway.¡± The larger knight did as he was asked and pulled out a notebook before staring directly at me, causing my heart to stop for just a second. ¡°Uh...¡± ¡°Come on, what¡¯s it now?!¡± ¡°Well, I think... she might match it?¡± I tried to slip under Ava¡¯s arms, but she changed her grip so that I couldn¡¯t. ¡°What do you mean she might match it? Either she does or she doesn¡¯t.¡± The smaller knight was clearly annoyed. ¡°Um... well, the only description we have is a small kid wearing dirty rags with fox ears and either black or white hair... Her hair is somewhere between black and white... maybe... as for the ears... um...¡± ¡°T-they¡¯re wolf ears,¡± Ava spoke up, ¡°S-she¡¯s a wolf beastkin.¡± The knights turned to face each other. ¡°Do you even want to risk it?¡± The larger knight asked. ¡°No... not really. The last guy who got it wrong just disappeared one night. I might hate the job, but I¡¯d rather keep my head on my shoulders.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s just move on. If we¡¯re quick, we can probably get a few drinks without the other guys getting suspicious.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± The smaller knight turned towards us, ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll be on our way then. Sorry for all this.¡± They didn¡¯t even wait for us to respond before they left. Ava kept holding onto me tightly while mumbling something to herself that I wasn¡¯t able to make out. As soon as the knights couldn¡¯t be seen anymore, she let go of me, and I immediately fell to the floor. At some point, my legs must have given out as I couldn¡¯t move them at all. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Ava picked me back up, her hands now glowing ever so slightly, ¡°I-I... this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.¡± ¡°...¡± Why couldn¡¯t I run away? What if this happens again? ... I... I can¡¯t... ¡°Look, let¡¯s just... go back to the inn, would that be okay?¡± She hugged me even tighter, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything... I-I¡¯ll carry you back, alright?¡± She let go of me so she could awkwardly try to lift me up onto her back. It was a little uncomfortable feeling her wings twitch underneath her cloak as they tried to find a comfortable position. I didn¡¯t resist at all and just let her do what she wanted. I don¡¯t know... ... I just... don¡¯t know... ... I wasn¡¯t sure how long it took, but by the time we got back to the inn, the sun had already started to set. Ava stopped in front of the door, ¡°This is a bit awkward, I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯m supposed to-¡± The door suddenly flew open, with Raynelle standing there while clearly in a panic. As soon as her eyes locked on to me, tears started streaming down her face, ¡°What happ-¡± ¡°Just...¡± Ava cut her off, ¡°I forgot to bring back the food we bought, the shopkeeper should have it all ready... can you go get it quickly?¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Please,¡± Ava interrupted again, ¡°I... She... probably needs some time...¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± ¡°Thanks... Guess that means I can make dinner tonight, hey?¡± She bounced me slightly. I didn¡¯t respond. I couldn¡¯t respond. I just didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I¡¯ll go put her in her room... it... was a long day.¡± Ava walked into the inn with me still clinging to her back. ... I made a mistake... again... Chapter 45 – I Don’t Know Chapter 45 ¨C I Don¡¯t Know I don¡¯t know... ... It had probably been a few days since visiting the market, but I couldn¡¯t say exactly how many days had passed. Since then, I just stayed in my room with the curtains drawn to block out the light. I don¡¯t know what to do... ... Both Ava and Raynelle had visited me a few times, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to face them. After a while, they stopped coming into the room entirely and would just leave things at the entrance for me, though that didn¡¯t stop them from trying to talk to me every time they did. I don¡¯t want to... ... As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, followed by the sound of the hinges squeaking. I just lifted the covers over my head so whoever it was couldn¡¯t see me. Please stop... ... ¡°Kierra?¡± It was Ava¡¯s voice, ¡°How are you doing today?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± She said, for what had to be the tenth time since she brought me here. It wasn¡¯t your fault... ... It¡¯s mine... ... I¡¯m the one who couldn¡¯t run... I¡¯m the one who froze up... I¡¯m the one they wanted... ... I¡¯m the one who¡¯s hiding... ... ¡°Um... I had gotten this for you a little bit ago now... the day after-¡± She stopped herself from speaking, ¡°I¡¯ll just leave it here, alright?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I know you want to be left alone...¡± She said, followed by the sound of the door closing. ... I don¡¯t know... ... I... just... don¡¯t know anymore... ... I don¡¯t know why my legs wouldn¡¯t move... ... All that¡¯s changed is... ...UppTodated from But I... I don¡¯t want to go back... not anymore... ... I brought the covers down just enough so that I could check if the door had actually been closed fully. Even though there was almost no light in the room, I was somehow still able to see perfectly clearly. The door was closed, and in front of it lay a single pillow. It was quite a bit bigger than the pillow I had been using. Umbra jumped out of the shadows right next to the pillow and brought it over to me. ... Thanks... ... Ever since I closed out the light, it was almost like the whole room had become an extension of my shadow. Umbra had been able to pop out from anywhere they wanted in the room, and on top of that, the room had cooled down quite a lot... it was almost like... ... Not now... Please... Not now... ... I don¡¯t want her to see me... ... Not like this... ... What happened to me?... I found myself instinctively glancing over at the side table where I had left the hair clip I had finished off for Ovia. It was the only thing I could bring myself to do since... ... What am I supposed to do?... ... I... don¡¯t know... ... That phrase had looped over and over in my head for the past few days. I don¡¯t know... I just... don¡¯t know... ... I reached out to close the box where the hair clip had been placed, but as I did, something pulled my hand back. The ribbon tied around my wrist had gotten caught on the corner of the table. ... ... I don¡¯t know... ... I pulled my hand back to free the ribbon before closing the box. ... What am I doing?... ... Tears started falling from my eyes, but I didn¡¯t feel any different. ... I just closed my eyes, hoping that by going to sleep, I would be able to forget about everything, even if just for a short while. ... It didn¡¯t take long for the room temperature to drop even further than it already had. Because of that, I didn¡¯t even need to open my eyes to know what kind of dream I was having. ... I don¡¯t want this... Not now... ... I lay there, holding my eyes shut. I didn¡¯t want to see the fake fox from my dreams, not when I was like this. It will just remind me of... ... I don¡¯t deserve... ... ... ¡°I-I think you know exactly what y-you want to do,¡± She eventually spoke up. ... ¡°... What?...¡± I asked, ¡°... What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Y-you keep saying that y-you don¡¯t want to go b-back.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°I-if you don¡¯t want to go back,¡± She cut me off, ¡°T-then the only way you can go is f-forward.¡± ... ... I... don¡¯t know... ... It makes sense, but... I just don¡¯t know... ... ¡°U-um... W-what about this? W-what do you want to d-do right n-now?¡± She asked. ¡°... Just... can we stay like this... I like this... This is what I want right now...¡± ¡°O-okay then,¡± She hugged me even tighter than before, this time wrapping her tails around me as well. ... ¡°... Thank you...¡± I mumbled We sat like that for what felt like an eternity, but I didn¡¯t mind. For the first time in a while, my mind fell silent, and I was able to just focus on what was happening around me. I was able to just focus on the slight chill coming from Ovia¡¯s body. I was able to just focus on the endless darkness that surrounded us. I was able to just focus on... me... what I wanted... ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not that g-good at this... E-Ellaria is better at things like this...¡± She suddenly broke the silence, ¡°S-she¡¯s helped me before... more t-than once... I t-tried to copy her, but I k-know I¡¯m not that good.¡± That¡¯s not true... ... If that were true... I wouldn¡¯t feel like this... I think... ... I reached out and hugged one of Ovia¡¯s tails that was waving about just in front of me, hoping that it would make her feel a little better, ¡°... Thank you...¡± I buried my face in the tail to hide my embarrassment. She didn¡¯t respond for a while, so I just continued to hold onto her tail, at least until the darkness around us started to lighten up a little. ¡°Oh no!¡± Ovia suddenly shouted, ¡°I-I spent t-too long here.¡± ¡°What?-¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± She freed me from her tails and stood up, ¡°I-I was supposed to p-prepare.¡± ¡°No!¡± I instinctually reached up and grabbed her arm, ¡°Not yet... Please... I¡¯m not ready...¡± ¡°B-But I need to prepare for t-today.¡± ¡°Today?¡± ¡°I-I thought you were v-visiting today...¡± There was a slight tremble in her voice, ¡°A-are you not?-¡± ¡°No!¡± I interrupted her, ¡°I just... I¡¯m not ready... just a bit longer... please.¡± ¡°U-um... I c-can¡¯t...¡± Oh... I pushed it too far... ¡°B-because y-you are about to w-wake up,¡± She added in a panic. ... I... can¡¯t do anything about that... ... ¡°... Okay...¡± I let go of her arm and fell to my knees. ¡°S-see you s-soon then,¡± She waved at me before disappearing from view, leaving just me and the endless black expanse behind. I knelt there, motionless, as the chill that once filled the space gradually vanished, telling me that this dream was truly coming to an end. ... My eyelids slowly opened, revealing the familiar wooden ceiling of the inn. I... don¡¯t know... ... I silently cursed at myself after that thought went through my mind. Even after Ovia visited me in my dreams, I still didn¡¯t know what to do. ... What do you want to do right now? I thought back to Ovia¡¯s question. ... I... want to see you again... ... She said I could visit today... I slid myself out of bed and pulled the curtains back for the first time in days. I expected sunlight to flood the room immediately, but instead, what greeted me was the moon hanging high in the sky. It doesn¡¯t matter what time it is... It¡¯s still today... She said today. ¡°Umbra?¡± I called out. ¡°*Yip*¡± They responded as they climbed out of my shadow. ¡°Can I have my dress?¡± Without making any noise, Umbra brought the dress out and placed it down on the bed. ¡°Thank you.¡± I got changed as quickly as I could, just taking some extra time at the end to pat down my tail to make sure there wasn¡¯t any fur poking out haphazardly. ¡°Alright,¡± I said, turning towards Umbra once again, ¡°Take... everything... I... don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be back...¡± ¡°*Yip?*¡± Umbra responded. It was strange for Umbra to talk back to me like that, but... ¡°... Yes... just... please...¡± Umbra didn¡¯t respond after that and just took everything from the room into my shadow immediately, leaving it looking just as it had the first time I was brought here. ... I sat on the windowsill in silence for a minute, just contemplating what I was about to do. I... No... not again... ... ¡°Thank you... for everything... I... I...¡± Tears started forming in my eyes once again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I need some time... I... I just need some time...¡± I made my way out of the inn through the window because I didn¡¯t want to risk running into Ava or Raynelle, not when I was like that. ... I don¡¯t know... ... I don¡¯t know why... why I¡¯m like this... I just... ... I¡¯m sorry... Chapter 46 – Come In Chapter 46 ¨C Come In Please... That word repeated over and over in my mind as I tried my hardest to block out any other thought. Please... I quickly made my way through the familiar streets, deciding to slip through the more dangerous back alleys to get there just a little faster. Please... It wasn¡¯t long before I stood in front of the large black stone door of Ovia¡¯s temple. Please... I pushed against the door with all the strength I could possibly muster, but it didn¡¯t budge. It might as well have just been a wall. Please... *Thud* My foot slipped from under me, and I fell onto the cold, hard stone below. ¡°Please... just... let me in...¡± ... Nothing. Not even a sound, neither from inside nor outside. ¡°Please...¡± ... I picked myself off of the ground using the door as a support. Looking down, there was now a gash stretching from my knee down my shin. I tried to push myself off of the door, but my leg just couldn¡¯t take the weight, forcing me to lean back against the door. ¡°Please... just... please... I... I don¡¯t know...¡± The all too common feeling of tears falling down my cheeks came back, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m... supposed to do...¡± ... Still nothing. ...Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com For the first time in a long time... I felt... alone... ... ... ¡°I... thought I was used to this...¡± The tears only got worse, showing no signs of letting up. A small pool of blood started to form beneath my foot as the pain in my shin started to flare up. Strangely, the pain drew my eyes to be drawn towards the black ribbon still tied around my wrist. ¡°... She¡¯s not...¡± The realisation of what I had just done continued to sink in. There was no Ava to heal my leg, no Raynelle to help me open the door... It was just... me... just like it used to be. ... ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me...¡± my tears started mixing with the still-fresh blood as they continued to cascade off my face and onto the stone below, ¡°What am I supposed to do?...¡± ... Then, without warning, the door pulled away, almost causing me to fall again. ¡°Oh, come on! Who is it-¡± Beni poked his head out from behind the door, immediately cutting himself off as his eyes fell on me, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you... What are you doing here?... I guess your visit was supposed to be today... but is it not a bit early?¡± ¡°...¡± I just looked up at him, unable to say anything. ¡°Wait! Why are you out here alone?! Have you been crying? What happened to-¡± He stopped himself again as his eyes slowly moved downwards, ¡°Just... come in... Luckily, I¡¯m not alone right now...¡± He gestured for me to go in, but my leg still wasn¡¯t able to take my weight. Please... Using the door as a support, I took a single step, being careful not to slip on the pool of blood beneath me. However, as soon as I took that step, I was lifted up into the air by a chain that was coiled up beneath me. ¡°If it hurts, just say so, alright?... don¡¯t try to do everything yourself...¡± Beni said as the chains beneath me carried me into the temple. ... I... I didn¡¯t even know what to think after hearing him say that... ... The temple seemed a little different from the last time I had been there; it was just a little brighter than before. In addition, some of the pews had been removed, and in their place was a single round table surrounded by a few chairs and topped with a bottle of a dark red liquid that was probably wine. Sitting in one of the seats was a woman with brown hair tied into a ponytail, though that was far from what stood out about her. In the darkness, her golden eyes made her resemble a lighthouse, lighting up whatever she was looking at. It was almost funny to look at, so much so that it almost made me forget why I was there in the first place. ¡°Celica... We¡¯ve got a guest who could use some help...¡± Beni called out. I was immediately cast in the spotlight as Celica turned her attention towards me. ¡°Oh my! Is that the little kitsune? Are you doing okay? Have your growing pains come back? Oh no, what happened to your leg?¡± She tried to get out of her seat, but Beni gestured for her to sit back down as he brought me closer. He gently placed me down on Celica¡¯s lap as he sat just opposite the two of us. ¡°Have you been crying?¡± Celica ran her finger across my cheek, ¡°Your eyes are a little red.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Still not talking? Wait! That doesn¡¯t matter right now. Let¡¯s fix that leg of yours first,¡± She didn¡¯t even hesitate before placing her hand on my bloody shin. The whole room was lit up as she used her magic, though, for some reason, it just... didn¡¯t feel right to me. It¡¯s... wrong... It¡¯s... too clean... ... It¡¯s not... ... Ava... No! Stop! Stop doing this to yourself! It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, my mind was determined to remind me of just what situation I was now in at every possible opportunity. ¡°Is that better?¡± Celica asked as she lifted her hand. ... My leg... doesn¡¯t hurt anymore... What am I... supposed to do? ... I... I want- ¡°Ooh! I like that!¡± Celica shouted, interrupting my train of thought, ¡°Can I use that one for myself?¡± ¡°Have I ever said no?...¡± Beni responded. ¡°No?¡± ¡°So... what do you think my answer is?¡± ¡°... Yes?¡± ¡°Yes, Celica... you can use it...¡± ¡°Great!¡± Celica shouted straight into my ear, almost making me scream out from just how loud it was. ... Am I even supposed to be here? ¡°Now, now, Celica... can you let go of the little fox?... I think she is getting a little uncomfortable...¡± Beni said as he gestured towards me. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Instead of letting me go, she squeezed me tighter before using her magic on me again, immediately making the pain in my ear disappear. ¡°Celica?...¡± Beni¡¯s voice was unusually stern. ¡°Awww... fine...¡± She pouted as she finally released me from her hug. ¡°Is that better?¡± Beni asked. I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know which of you two is more of a handful... but... back to what I was saying... If there is something you don¡¯t know... you just need to ask... If we¡¯re too scary... I¡¯m sure you could ask one of your friends... or even one of the Goddesses... I know at least one of them would drop everything if you asked for help...¡± What? ... What does that mean? I don¡¯t... understand... Why would the Goddesses-?... ¡°So... is there anything you want to ask?... is there anything either of us can help with?...¡± ... Is there anything I want to ask?... ... I... ... What even... is the problem I¡¯m having?... Why am I-?... ... I... I... ¡°... I... don¡¯t know... anymore...¡± The words slipped out in between my sobs, ¡°I... I... What is... wrong with me?...¡± Beni knocked his chair over as he got up and knelt down in front of me, grabbing both my hands, ¡°Whoa there!... There¡¯s nothing wrong with you... Okay?¡± ¡°I... I...¡± He squeezed my hands just slightly, ¡°Just calm down... you¡¯re not alone...¡± ¡°But...¡± ... I am... and... It... It¡¯s my fault... I ran away... I left them... ... I... I ruined it... I... I... Please... ¡°No buts... you have the two of us here right now... right?¡± He glanced just over the top of my head as he spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Celica placed her hands on my shoulders from behind. ¡°Look... if there¡¯s something going on... you can always come here... or you could go to the other temple if you¡¯re hurt... though that might be a little harder... with how busy it is...¡± ¡°Yes! You should visit more often, even if nothing is wrong.¡± ... ¡°But... I think the best people for you to talk to... would be your two friends...¡± He squeezed my hands again, almost like he was worried I was about to pull them away, ¡°Those two care an awful lot about you... maybe even a little too much... I still remember how our first encounter went...¡± But... I... ... Can¡¯t... ... I ruined it... I ran away... I can¡¯t... ... It¡¯s my fault... ¡°Oh, come on... don¡¯t start crying again... you-¡± He was interrupted by the appearance of a small dark orb just next to his ear, ¡°... Alright, she¡¯s already here... I¡¯ll send her on her way soon...¡± The orb vanished just as quickly as it appeared, ¡°Well... I¡¯m sure you can guess... but the Goddess is ready for you now... and I don¡¯t think you want to show her you crying...¡± ... ¡°... N-no...¡± I responded. ¡°Alright...¡± He wiped my tears away as I tried my best to stop them from flowing, ¡°Now... go forget about whatever is bothering you for a bit... just relax a little... do you promise?¡± ... I nodded. ¡°Good... I¡¯ll still be here after you come back... so if you feel like you want to talk afterwards... I will be ready and waiting...¡± Both Beni and Celica then released me from their grasp so I could make my way further into the temple, into the darkness and... towards Ovia once again. Chapter 47 – I’m Fine Chapter 47 ¨C I¡¯m Fine Just... Just follow the plan... ... That¡¯s... That¡¯s all you need to do... I continued walking into the darkness, feeling the temperature around me fall with each step. But unlike the last time I walked this path, all it did was make me start to tense up. Don¡¯t ruin this... Please... Just follow the plan... ... Give the gift... Tell her... I did what she asked me to... Show her the... drawing... ... No! Don¡¯t hesitate now... ... Just... follow the plan... It will work itself out... I just kept on walking, at least until I walked into something that was unexpectedly soft. Before I could even register what I had just walked into, my instinct was to take a step back, but as I did, I was immediately pulled back into it. ¡°H-hello... K-Kierra,¡± I had accidentally walked into Ovia while I wasn¡¯t paying attention, ¡°W-welcome back.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t want to say anything, just in case the wrong words came out of my mouth. I just hugged her back instead. I know I shouldn¡¯t... But... I want to stay like this... ... After a little while, Ovia gently pushed me away, forcing me to remove my arms from around her waist. ¡°K-Kierra-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I interrupted Ovia. No... I... I need to follow the plan... I just need to follow the plan... ¡°I... I...¡± Come on Kierra... just... give her the hair clip... Just follow the plan... ¡°I... I have...¡± Even though I knew what I wanted to say, I was still a little hesitant to actually say anything, just in case. I¡¯m fine... I have to be fine... I can¡¯t worry her again... While I was struggling to speak, Umbra must have poked their head out as the small black box with the hair clip in it was quietly placed into my hand. ¡°I...¡± Just do it... Giving up on trying to say anything, I just held the box out in front of me, hoping that Ovia would understand without me having to say anything. ¡°I-Is that f-f-for me?¡± She asked, holding her hands out in front of her. I nodded, prompting her to take the box from me, cupping it with both of her hands. ¡°T-thank you...¡± Her voice got quieter as she spoke, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what to s-say...¡± She opened the box, her hands noticeably trembling as she did, revealing the hair clip inside. It was a fairly simple, narrow white barrette, but on one side, there was a large black nine-tailed fox curled up and sleeping peacefully, with a much smaller white fox, with only a single tail, sleeping on top of them. The design was small enough that even from a small distance, it would be a little difficult to make out what it was. I made the design both small and simple intentionally so that Ovia could wear it without being embarrassed... and then... just maybe... she could wear it a little more often because of that... Ovia didn¡¯t say anything as she looked at the hair clip. Was that... not good enough?... ... What was I thinking?! Giving a hair clip to a Goddess. Of course that¡¯s not good enough. I... Why did I?... ¡°U-um... C-c-can y-you...¡± She held the open box back out toward me, ¡°p-p-put it on for me?¡± she said the last few words so quickly that I almost didn¡¯t understand what she was asking me. ... I nodded, taking the hair clip from her as she leaned forward so that I could reach her head. I carefully put the clip on for her, using it to pull some of her hair away from her eyes. ¡°... I¡¯m done...¡± My voice was so quiet that it would have been hard to even call it a whisper, but that didn¡¯t matter. Ovia clearly heard me as she immediately lifted her head back up. ¡°W-what does it look like?¡± She asked. Before I could even try to answer her, she flicked one of her tails, and a mirror emerged out of the darkness. ¡°... I... like it...¡± She ran her fingers over the hair clip as she spoke. I stood and watched as Ovia looked at herself in the mirror. After a while, there was a slight flash of light next to her ear, which made her stop. ¡°O-oh... Y-yes!¡± Her eyes snapped to me, ¡°K-Kierra-¡± ¡°N-not yet!¡± I interrupted her again. I knew that I shouldn¡¯t interrupt a Goddess like that, but I needed to follow the plan. I just... couldn¡¯t allow myself to make a mistake; I couldn¡¯t allow myself to make her worry again. What was next?... ... Name... I did what she asked... I told someone my name... I need to tell her... ¡°I... I...¡± I tried to tell her all about how I had managed to do what she asked me to, but every time I opened my mouth, I could feel tears starting to well up. Don¡¯t cry! I¡¯m fine... ... I¡¯m fine... Maybe I can... I can... show the drawing instead! ... Then I don¡¯t need to talk! I reached behind me once again, and thankfully, Umbra understood what I wanted and promptly placed the notebook in my hand. I quickly flipped through the pages until I landed on the page with the drawing of Ava and Raynelle sleeping together. ... ... ¡°A-are you-?¡± Ovia started to ask. I¡¯m fine! I nodded, wiping my face just in case some tears had fallen without me knowing. I¡¯m fine. ¡°Name...¡± I turned the notebook around and pointed at the drawing, ¡°I... told them... my n-name.¡± Each word was a struggle, and I could feel the pressure behind my tears building with each word. It had already gotten to the point where it was painful to hold them back, making it even harder to keep myself in check. I¡¯m fine. I... can hold it in... I can¡¯t... ruin this. Ovia turned her attention to the drawing, leaning in a bit closer. At least, that¡¯s what I thought she was doing. ¡°Y-you did it!¡± She suddenly fell to her knees and embraced me, ¡°C-congratulations!¡± ¡°...¡± I wanted to say something to her, but I knew the moment I opened my mouth, I would just end up wetting her shoulder instead. I¡¯m fine... I have to be. Don¡¯t say anything... You can¡¯t make them worry... You can¡¯t... Don¡¯t do this... Please... ... ¡°I... I... ran away...¡± No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn¡¯t keep it in anymore. It hurt too much. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start there then,¡± Aria sat down on the ground, ¡°Why did you run away?¡± ¡°I... I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t know anymore... I was scared... I... I... help... please... help me....¡± ¡°What do you need help with? If you tell us, I can assure you that we¡¯ll both do everything we can to help... and coming from a Goddess that means quite a lot.¡± ... What... do I need help with? What... do I even want? ... I... I don¡¯t know... ... Why don¡¯t I know? Why? Please... I... I... I want... ¡°... to go back... I want to go back...¡± I didn¡¯t think it was possible, but my crying only got worse as I continued to speak, ¡°I made a mistake...¡± Neither of the Goddesses said anything in response, they just let me cry and cry and cry, until the tears eventually stopped flowing, even if it was only because I had no more tears left to cry. ¡°Sister, let me take over for a bit,¡± Aria put her hand on Ovia¡¯s shoulder and pulled her back, ¡°You can go and get changed into something else, okay?¡± Ovia didn¡¯t say anything in response and just slowly let me go. As she stood up I saw that it wasn¡¯t just the back of her dress that had been soaked through with tears. I looked up at her face but she immediately covered her eyes before walking into a side room. Was she?... ¡°Now that you¡¯ve managed to calm down a little,¡± Aria took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°You ran away, but now you want to go back?¡± ... I nodded. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go back? I¡¯m sure-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± I interrupted her. ¡°And why do you think you can¡¯t?¡± She responded almost immediately. In that short moment something started building up in my chest... and I just didn¡¯t have the strength left to hold it back. ¡°Because it¡¯s my fault! I did it! I got scared! I locked myself away! I ran away!... I ruined it! It is all my fault!... it was just... me... I¡¯m the one who ruined it! It¡¯s all my fault!... and now I want to go back... I... I can¡¯t... It¡¯s my fault...¡± Even with my throat burning the words just kept on flowing. Aria reached her hand out towards me, but I immediately pulled away. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?! They... They didn¡¯t do anything!... They... I don¡¯t know why... but they... never did anything!... I¡¯m the one who did it! It¡¯s my fault!... I ruined it... I... I can¡¯t go back!¡± I had to pause and take deep breath to stop myself from passing out, but still, I couldn¡¯t stop the words from spilling out, ¡°Not... after I ruined it... They... wouldn¡¯t want me back... It¡¯s... all my fault...¡± Right as I paused to breathe again, Ovia came back out from the darkness, now wearing a new dress. ¡°I... what am I doing?...¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look Ovia in the eye after that. Even after everything she has given me, all the help she offered, I still ruined it, I wasted it, ¡°I¡¯m sorry... It¡¯s my fault...¡± Ovia immediately ran up to me as soon as I stopped talking. In that moment I knew I should move away. I knew I didn¡¯t deserve what was coming. But despite that, I just stood still as she fell to her knees and embraced me once again. What¡¯s wrong with me? ... ¡°If you could go back, would you?¡± Aria came a little closer now that I was being held in place by Ovia. ¡°But they-¡± ¡°If they allowed you to come back, would you go back?¡± She almost immediately interrupted me. I... Am I allowed to?... ... I... I want... ... I nodded. But... ¡°... they wouldn¡¯t... I... I chose to run away... why would they want me back?...¡± I asked. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t force you to go back... But, I don¡¯t want to see you left out on the streets again.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°No buts, I still feel at least partially responsible for what happened to you in the first place.¡± ¡°...¡± There was nothing I could say in response to her. ¡°So... I want to propose a deal, just between me and you, does that sound good to you?¡± ... I nodded. She smiled in response, ¡°What I want to propose to you is a bet,¡± She pulled up a panel, although I wasn¡¯t able to see what was on it, ¡°If those two are willing to take you back, you will go back to them.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°But...¡± She interrupted me again, ¡°If they don¡¯t... which I don¡¯t think will happen... I will let you have a room at my temple. If you want I can even ask Celica to start preparing the room right now, does-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Ovia suddenly interrupted, ¡°S-she can have a room... at my t-temple... I-I have more rooms t-to spare.¡± ¡°Alright then, if they don¡¯t let you back you can have a room in one of our temples, you can even choose which you would prefer... At the end of the day, I just don¡¯t want you back on those streets.¡± ... I... I can¡¯t say no... I don¡¯t... want to go back to the streets... not again... ... I nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± She waved her hand and the panel that was in front of her glided through the air until it was floating just in front of Ovia, ¡°Now, I know it¡¯s a little early but I think it¡¯s time for you to go back... I¡¯m sure you have a lot to think about right now.¡± But... I don¡¯t... No... ... I don¡¯t want... to leave... But... I don¡¯t want them to see me like this anymore... I¡¯ve already done enough... ... ¡°O-okay... I... I¡¯ll go back...¡± ¡°T-then I-I¡¯ll send you back,¡± Ovia loosened her hug just enough so that she could move her face in front of mine, ¡°B-but... I-I want to do it like t-this...¡± She tightened her hug again, but this time I could feel the darkness slowly climbing up my leg, telling me that it wasn¡¯t long before I was sent back. Just before I felt myself slip from Ovia¡¯s grasp I quickly wrapped my arms around her neck. Just... Let me be a little selfish... ... I need it... With that last thought, I felt Ovia¡¯s presence disappear. Chapter 48 – I Don’t Understand Chapter 48 ¨C I Don¡¯t Understand The air around me quickly warmed back up, but still, I held my eyes closed. Even if I couldn¡¯t feel Ovia between my arms anymore, I just wanted a little longer before I had to go back. Please... I... ... I... Just... ¡°-just stay there!¡± It was Beni¡¯s voice, followed by the sound of a door slamming shut. ... It was impossible for me to deny that I was back in the temple any longer. I opened my eyes to find myself in a small room that I didn¡¯t recognise. The walls were made from the same black stone as the rest of the temple, although, unlike the main room, there were no candles, leaving the room in complete darkness. ¡°You came back sooner than I expected...¡± My head instantly spun around to face Beni. Due to the lack of light in the room, it was easy to make out a slight red glow coming from his eyes that I hadn¡¯t noticed before. Once my eyes met him, he froze for a moment. ¡°Your eyes... Can you-?...¡± He shook his head before continuing, ¡°Are you feeling a little better now?...¡± Am I... feeling better?... ... I... I guess... I don¡¯t... have to go back to the streets... ... I... I can just stay here!Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com But... is that... ... ¡°I... think so...¡± I muttered. ¡°You think so... I guess that¡¯s a little better than when you arrived here this morning...¡± He crouched down so his eyes were at the same level as mine, ¡°Now... is there anything you want to talk about now?... I did say I would be ready and waiting for when you came back...¡± ... ¡°I... don¡¯t know...¡± ¡°Hmm... Well... now that you¡¯ve had some time to think since the last time I asked... what don¡¯t you know?... Maybe if you tell me... I can help this time?¡± There was something about Beni, the way Beni spoke, that just made me want to respond, but I still wasn¡¯t sure what exactly to say. Even though I could feel that I had calmed down a bit, there was still too much going through my head. ... I... I can stay here now... ... I... I can talk to Beni about Ovia... I can ask as many questions as I want... I¡¯m safe... I still have a roof over my head... I can still eat real food... I... I... ... But... ¡°I want... to go back...¡± ¡°And where do you want to go back to?¡± Beni immediately responded with another question, not giving me the time to recompose myself. ¡°To Ava. To Raynelle,¡± I didn¡¯t have to think about it, the words just came out, ¡°Back to that inn... back... back before I ran away... before I ruined it...¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t cry... instead... why don¡¯t you tell me why you want to go back?...¡± Cry? But I¡¯m- ¡°... not crying...¡± I knew I wasn¡¯t crying. I couldn¡¯t be crying. My cheeks were still dry. ¡°There might not be any tears running down your face... But the look in your eyes... your limp tail... and folded ears... all those little signs tell me that you are crying... at least on the inside... I have some experience with kitsune after all...¡± He chuckled to himself, ¡°You distracted me a little there... Now... can you tell me why you want to go back?¡± Why... I want to go back?... ... ¡°I... just do...¡± Beni didn¡¯t respond and just kept looking at me as if he was telling me that it was still my turn to speak. So I just kept talking, saying whatever came to mind. ¡°I... I miss my bed... I miss Ava¡¯s cooking... I miss... I miss Raynelle... I miss when she would give me her food even if she went hungry afterwards... when she would sleep on the floor next to me so I wasn¡¯t alone... I miss Ava always trying to brush my tail... always talking to me, even if I didn¡¯t respond...¡± There was a tightness in my chest as I struggled to get out the last few words, ¡°I... I just... I don¡¯t want to be left alone any more...¡± Again, Beni didn¡¯t say anything, but unlike last time, he reached out to put a hand on my shoulder, letting the chain from the shackle on his wrist drape down my arm. To my surprise, the chain wasn¡¯t heavy at all. If it weren¡¯t for the familiar chill coming from it, I probably wouldn¡¯t have even noticed it was there. ¡°It sounds like... you¡¯ve figured it all out yourself... It just took a little push...¡± He got up off the floor and headed for the door, ¡°Well, guess that means I should-¡± ¡°But...¡± I interrupted him, ¡°I can¡¯t go back...¡± She injured her wing! How?! What happened?! I instinctively reached out towards her wing, but Ava stopped me. ¡°It¡¯s fine... I just knocked it against the door frame when I left the inn... you... you don¡¯t need to worry about it,¡± Ava was unable to hold back her tears as she spoke, ¡°Just... I¡¯m sorry... please... please don¡¯t leave... because of what I did... I can¡¯t... I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m so sorry... If you have to blame someone-¡± I tightened my hug on her to stop her from finishing what she was saying. Don¡¯t say that... It¡¯s my fault... I know it was my fault... ... Don¡¯t blame yourself... You didn¡¯t do anything. Ava immediately stopped talking and instead brought me in closer to her chest. ... Eventually, Beni had to separate the two of us so that it was easier for Celica to check Ava¡¯s wings and ensure they were all right. Beni lifted me up before setting me back down on my feet; however, as soon as he did, I started to fall, completely unable to put any strength into my legs. Thankfully, he noticed quickly and caught me. ¡°You with the purple hair... isn¡¯t this your job?¡± Beni called out while still holding me up. Raynelle came over and picked me up, yet she didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t even look me in the eye. ¡°Do I have to guide you every step of the way?...¡± Beni sounded more and more annoyed as he spoke, although none of it was directed towards me, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there... talk to the poor girl... How else are you expecting anything to happen?¡± Raynelle looked down at me, letting me see just how desperately she was holding back her tears. ¡°... What... did I do wrong?...¡± Her voice was so quiet that I was probably the only one who could hear her. ... ... ¡°... Nothing...¡± I responded just as quietly. She didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°... I... I want... Can I-?...¡± I tried to speak, but the words were getting caught in my throat. ¡°Can you what?¡± She asked, her voice slowly getting both louder and more desperate, ¡°I... I¡¯ll do what can... just...¡± Am I even allowed to ask? ... But... I... I want to... ¡°... Can I... come back?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The tears that Raynelle had so desperately been trying to hold back finally started to flow, ¡°Yes!... Of course you can... You can always come back. I-I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll never turn you away... not today, not tomorrow, not ever... You couldn¡¯t know how scared I was when I saw your room empty... I just-¡± Why do you care so much?... Why... Why do you always care so much?... I don¡¯t understand... ... But... I... ¡°Thank you... Thank you so much... I... I want to go back...¡± I don¡¯t know where they came from, but I somehow managed to cry a few tears of my own in that moment, ¡°I just want to go back...¡± ¡°Yes... Yes... As soon as Ava¡¯s wing is healed up... let¡¯s... go back...¡± Just like with Ava before, she was sobbing as she talked, ¡°... let¡¯s go... let¡¯s go home... to our new home... I... I saw you already packed... isn¡¯t that... It¡¯s funny how these things work out sometimes,¡± She tried to put on a smile as she finished talking, but it was clear that she was just trying to stop herself from crying any more than she already had. I nodded. I didn¡¯t care about a new home. I just didn¡¯t want to throw this away. I didn¡¯t want to make this mistake again. It didn¡¯t take much longer until Celica declared that Ava¡¯s wing was perfectly fine. ¡°I guess... it¡¯s time for us to go home...¡± Raynelle took Ava under her free arm. ¡°Just wait a second...¡± Beni came over to us, holding out two cloaks, one for me and one for Ava, ¡°I think you¡¯re forgetting something...¡± ¡°Thank you... for this... and everything else...¡± Raynelle responded as she took the cloaks from Beni before putting them on us, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for before...¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sorry... you can make up for it by taking care of your little ones...¡± ¡°I will... Of course I will...¡± With that last comment, Raynelle carried me out of the temple with Ava still held close at her side. ... I don¡¯t understand it... and... I know I don¡¯t deserve it... But... thank you... thank you for this... for everything... ... ¡°Thank you... for taking me back...¡± I mumbled as I nuzzled in towards Raynelle¡¯s chest. Chapter 49 – Another Chance Chapter 49 ¨C Another Chance It¡¯s... Soft... ... It¡¯s... ... *Thud* My eyes immediately shot open. I was lying on the floor, cocooned inside a blanket that I hadn¡¯t seen before. Looking around, I didn¡¯t recognise the room at all. It was much smaller than the one at the inn. There was a bed, a side table, and a wardrobe, all of which looked brand new. Where am I?! Where¡¯s... ¡°Ava... Raynelle...¡± Their names weakly escaped my dry mouth. Seemingly in response to my faint cries, there was a loud thud, followed by loud stomping, getting louder and louder with each stomp until the door in front of me flew open. ¡°Kierra!¡± Raynelle burst into the room, and immediately, her eyes locked onto me, ¡°What happened?! Ava! Drop whatever you¡¯re doing and come here! Quickly!¡± She leaned down and lifted me into her arms, keeping me wrapped tightly in the blanket. ¡°Where?...¡± I tried to ask, but my voice was still faint. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t push yourself,¡± Raynelle put her finger to my lips, ¡°I¡¯ve got you now.¡± Ava came into the room soon after, looking a little ragged with large dark circles painted around her purple eyes. ¡°What happened?!¡± She shouted, stumbling a little as she came up to Raynelle and me. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think she rolled off her bed. I found her on the floor when I came in.¡± Raynelle said as she knelt down so it was easier for Ava to reach me, ¡°Just do what you can.¡± My bed? But... I don¡¯t know this place?... ... Ava¡¯s hands glowed with the familiar soft light of her healing magic, her usual smile contorting slightly as she placed her hand on my forehead. Ava... you... I wanted to reach my arm out towards her. To tell her that I was fine, that she didn¡¯t need to push herself, but the blanket wrapped around me held my arms firmly in place. ¡°Ava...¡± As the word left my mouth, I saw a little panic on Raynelle¡¯s face, but I kept trying to speak anyway, ¡°I¡¯m... okay now... It... doesn¡¯t... hurt...¡± Ava paused for a second, though she didn¡¯t stop using her magic, ¡°I... need to make sure... I... Just... please let me do this...¡± her voice dropped to little more than a whisper, ¡°I still need to make up for what I did...¡± ... My heart tightened hearing her say that. I knew that it was something that I wasn¡¯t meant to hear, but still... I just couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Yet despite that, I couldn¡¯t find any words to say to her... so instead, I stayed silent, letting Ava continue to try to heal me if that would make her feel a little better. I¡¯m sorry... Raynelle ultimately stepped in to stop Ava when her hands started shaking, ¡°Ava, why don¡¯t you go lie down for a bit? You could really use the rest. You haven¡¯t slept properly since-¡± ¡°No!... I¡¯m fine... I... I still need to finish cooking dinner, and it¡¯s getting late... the last time Kierra ate... I don¡¯t know, but she must be hungry...¡± Ava shuffled out of the room, her wing colliding with the door frame as she did. ¡°Ava...¡± Raynelle turned away from the door, instead walking over to the bed and laying me down, ¡°Well, I guess you can look forward to dinner in a bit. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± What¡¯s going on? This... This isn¡¯t what I remember... What about Ava? Shouldn¡¯t you stop her? ... ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much; you¡¯ll start getting wrinkles around your eyes like me,¡± Raynelle chuckled slightly, though even I could tell that it was far from sincere. Are you... ¡°...Okay?¡± I asked. ¡°Hmm... Oh. Yes. I¡¯m okay, just... a little tired... Ava too, as you could probably see... poor girl,¡± Her eyes seemed to glaze over for just a second before she suddenly came back to life, ¡°B-but don¡¯t think it¡¯s your fault! It¡¯s... um... ah! We spent the last few days moving our stuff over here from the inn, buying all the new stuff we needed, and cleaning. A lot of cleaning. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much cleaning the two of us have done the last few days.¡± Her sudden outburst made me jump a little. The movement made the blanket around me loosen just enough that it slid off of me, sending a slight chill through my body as the air surrounded my skin. Raynelle¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Is it cold? Do you need me to wrap you up again?¡± She grabbed the blanket, her hands trembling just slightly. I slowly lifted my hand to meet hers, ¡°I¡¯m... fine...¡± ¡°Are you sure? You need to tell me, alright? I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t want you to...¡± The pang in my heart came back in full force as Raynelle spoke. It¡¯s... I¡¯m sorry... Ava lifted her head from the table and looked around before picking up the fork next to her plate, ¡°I¡¯ll eat...¡± She stabbed her fork into the steak in front of her, bringing the entire piece of meat to her mouth. ¡°Ava, come on. Just give that to me. I¡¯ll help you out,¡± Raynelle took the fork from Ava before cutting her steak into smaller pieces, ¡°Kierra, do you want me to do the same for you?¡± I shook my head as I picked up my own knife and fork and started eating. The food was just as good as it always was, seemingly disappearing as soon as I took my first bite. ¡°Just leave your plate on the table, I¡¯ll... sort it out in the morning. I think all of us could use a good night¡¯s sleep right now, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Raynelle said as she jostled Ava again, ¡°You can head to your room by yourself, or you can wait for me to get Ava in bed, and I¡¯ll carry you there. I¡¯m just a bit worried about leaving her like this right now-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine...¡± Ava stood up before awkwardly shuffling down the hallway while mumbling under her breath, ¡°Just... worry about... her for now... I¡¯m fine...¡± The speed at which she disappeared into the bedroom next to mine was surprising considering her state. ¡°Well... let¡¯s get you in bed as well then,¡± Raynelle picked me up, wiping away some stray crumbs from around my mouth. She took me back into my room, laying me down on the bed and tucking me in while making sure I was comfortable in the new bed. ¡°Just focus on getting some sleep for now,¡± She brushed some hair out of my face, ¡°If you need anything, I¡¯ll be sleeping next door, okay? Don¡¯t be afraid of waking me up.¡± I nodded, and Raynelle left the room soon after. Once she was gone, Umbra came out of my shadow and snuggled under the covers with me, gently purring as they did. I wrapped my arms around Umbra before closing my eyes and trying to sleep. ... ... But I just couldn¡¯t. Whenever I closed my eyes, a looming feeling of dread washed over me, a fear that as soon as I opened my eyes again, everything would be gone. I¡¯d be back on the streets, alone, after throwing everything away. Having Umbra in my arms helped a little, but no matter what, that feeling just wouldn¡¯t go away. ... I... need to make sure. I got out of my bed and made my way down the short hallway, with Umbra following close behind me, until I stood in front of the door to their room. They... should be there... Behind this door... ... I brought my hand up to knock but couldn¡¯t actually bring myself to. What if... ¡°... they¡¯re not... here...¡± ... My body stiffened at the idea. What if this was just a dream? What if I really did ruin everything? What if-? I was abruptly taken out of my thoughts by the sound of some light scratching. My heart sank as I saw Umbra clawing at the door. Before I could do anything about it, the door opened. ¡°What happened Kierra?¡± Raynelle poked her head out, keeping her voice down, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± The panic in her voice was subtle but unmissable. ... I don¡¯t know what came over me at that moment. It was as if my mouth started moving on its own. ¡°Can I... sleep... with you...¡± Raynelle didn¡¯t even wait a second before responding, ¡°Yes, of course you can. Kierra, if that¡¯s what you want, you can come to sleep with me whenever you want.¡± Even in the dark, I could see the relief spread across her face as she spoke to me. ¡°Is your little friend also going to join us?¡± She pointed at Umbra. I didn¡¯t respond. I wanted Umbra to sleep with me as well, but I didn¡¯t know if that would be okay. ¡°I thought I told you to stop worrying so much, hey?¡± she crouched down, patting Umbra on their head, ¡°It¡¯s fine if they want to sleep on the pillows just above us.¡± I nodded, and she immediately picked me up, carrying me into the room before laying down in her bed with me still in her arms. Umbra curled up just above my head as Raynelle tucked me in. ¡°Are you comfortable? Just-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave me out...¡± Ava slowly clambered out of her own bed, making her way across the room, ¡°It¡¯s not fair if you keep the fluff to yourself Mom...¡± She fell right next to me on the bed, instantly falling asleep as her head hit the pillow. ¡°I guess we¡¯ve got some extra company tonight,¡± Raynelle chuckled a little, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I... don¡¯t mind...¡± I said as I brought my tail around in front of me and hugged it. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll see you in the morning Kierra. Sweet Dreams.¡± I closed my eyes, and unlike before, I didn¡¯t feel the fear that this would all disappear. I could hear their breathing. I could feel their heat on either side of me. I knew they were right there with me, that I wasn¡¯t imagining it. ¡°Thank You...¡± I whispered into my tail as I drifted off to sleep. Chapter 50 – A Worried Goddess Chapter 50 ¨C A Worried Goddess [Ovia POV] Did I do the right thing? ... What if-? No... I can¡¯t think like that. I need to... ... What exactly do I need to do?! My hand reached up to my hair clip by itself, my fingers gliding across the smooth surface as my mind raced, considering everything that I could have done differently. ¡°I quite like what the little kitsune did with your hair,¡± Ellaria said as she came up behind me, ¡°She might have a hidden talent that she doesn¡¯t even know about.¡± ¡°... H-how are you n-not worried?¡± I asked, my hands starting to shake. ¡°Hmm... What do you mean?¡± She sat down next to me, placing one of her tails in my lap. ¡°D-did I do the... r-right thing? What if s-she gets hurt again?...¡± I instinctually ran my fingers through Ellaria¡¯s tail, ¡°M-maybe I should have kept her h-here? W-what if it goes wrong again?¡± Ellaria pulled me into a hug before she responded, ¡°You sound more and more like that little kitsune every time she visits,¡± She chuckled slightly, ¡°I know you were watching when they took her back-¡± ¡°But...¡± I interrupted, ¡°W-what if?...¡± ¡°Oh, sister, what are you so worried about? You know she¡¯s a smart girl. Even if the worst were to happen, she would be able to take care of herself.¡± ¡°... W-what about the other t-two? What if they c-change?¡± ¡°And why do you think they would change?¡± She asked, a confused expression spread across her face. ¡°B-because K-Kierra ran away,¡± I buried my face in Ellaria¡¯s tail, ¡°W-what if they feel... b-betrayed?¡± ¡°Sister... the little kitsune was only away from them for a few hours,¡± She gently lifted my face out of her tails, ¡°They¡¯re not going to suddenly hate her or anything because of that. You¡¯ve seen how they have treated her. You know that they are good people.¡± ¡°I just... don¡¯t want h-her to get h-hurt... n-not again,¡± tears started welling up in my eyes, ¡°I-I already did that t-to her before! I c-can¡¯t let it happen again!¡± Ellaria didn¡¯t respond and just let me cry into her shoulder until I eventually tired myself out. ¡°Sometimes I think you care about that little kitsune a little too much,¡± She said, lifting me off her shoulder, ¡°Why don¡¯t you start worrying about yourself just as much?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You know... it¡¯s hard for me to help you if you suddenly choose to be silent?¡± ¡°...¡± But I don¡¯t know what to say. I just... can¡¯t help but worry about her. Ellaria¡¯s expression softened, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try talking about something else then... How about... What do you want to do the next time the little kitsune comes to visit?¡± ¡°...¡± What do I want to do?... I... I want to make her happy, not like this time. I don¡¯t want to watch her cry like that again.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com ... ¡°I-I want to m-make her smile!¡± I blurted out. ¡°There you are,¡± Ellaria once again pulled me into a hug, ¡°That¡¯s more like the little sister I remember.¡± ¡°B-but we¡¯re twins!¡± She just laughed in response, jostling me around a bit as she did, ¡°You should show this cute side of yours to the little kitsune. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love it just as much as I do.¡± But I¡¯m a Goddess... I can¡¯t show her that. ¡°Sister, I can almost hear your thoughts,¡± She said, ¡°I really can¡¯t wait until you finally break out of your shell so everyone else can see just how adorable you are.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but blush at her words, ¡°B-but I¡¯m not...¡± ¡°But you are,¡± She ran her fingers through my tail, making me flinch, ¡°I¡¯m sure if that little kitsune called you adorable, you wouldn¡¯t argue back like this.¡± If Kierra... What if she did? ¡°B-but you t-told me not to visit her t-too often?¡± I gave her a puzzled look, ¡°S-so she didn¡¯t d-depend on me t-too much. I-I remember.¡± ¡°Sister... That doesn¡¯t mean you can never see her. I was just telling you not to visit her every night, or every other night for that matter,¡± She cupped her hand against my cheek, ¡°You can still go check up on her every so often, just like what you did for her last night. You didn¡¯t need my permission then, so why do you need it now?¡± ... Why? ... ¡°I-I just... don¡¯t want to m-make a mistake again...¡± There was a brief pause before Ellaria spoke again, ¡°You two are more similar than I thought.¡± ¡°What do you-?¡± ¡°Now, hurry up. She¡¯s already fallen asleep,¡± Ellaria interrupted me by pushing me into the side room, ¡°And before I forget about it, I thought I told you to call me either Aria or big sis?¡± Before I could respond to her teasing, she closed the door behind me. ... ... I should get ready quickly. I quickly washed my face and changed into a new dress, making sure there weren¡¯t any visible creases. ¡°A-alright, let¡¯s do this,¡± I said to myself before flicking one of my tails. Soon, a spirit appeared in front of me, taking on the form of a small fox. They had deep black fur similar to my own, but unlike mine, their fur had this slight blue sheen to it. ¡°Ovia? Why did you call me? I was just about to-¡± The little fox paused as they looked me up and down, ¡°Oh, come on! I thought I was going to check on her tonight! You got to go last night!¡± The spirit¡¯s outburst surprised me. I had asked them to check on Kierra in her dreams every so often just to make sure she was okay. Back when I did, she had a similar outburst, although she complained about me suddenly calling her and giving her work to do instead. ¡°R-Rya I-¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine. I can already guess why you want to see her yourself.¡± She interrupted, ¡°But I get tomorrow night! And that¡¯s non-negotiable!¡± Before I could even respond, she had already disappeared. I just wanted to tell her she could take a break today... I tried to call her again, but she didn¡¯t respond. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know how to t-talk to her...¡± If she refused to answer my call, there wasn¡¯t much I could do, so I decided it would be better to shift my focus to Kierra instead. I took a second just to check that she had actually fallen asleep before flicking my tail once again. It wasn¡¯t long before I found myself in the familiar black void of Kierra¡¯s dream. Maybe one day... there will be something else here... I couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Ever since I first entered her dreams, there had never been more than this large empty void reminiscent of my own domain. ¡°Is there really nothing you dream about?...¡± I carelessly let my inner thoughts escape from my lips. Almost immediately, I heard a shuffle in the distance, followed by hurried footsteps quickly approaching me. ¡°Ovia?¡± I heard Kierra call out to me just before she slammed into me, wrapping her arms around my waist. ¡°K-Kierra!¡± I reached down to pat her head, but before I could, she looked up at me. ¡°Thank you... Thank you so much...¡± I just stood there, unsure of how I was supposed to respond. ¡°They... They took me back... They-¡± As she stopped herself I heard a hint of reluctance in her voice, ¡°They really took me back... right?... It wasn¡¯t a dream?... Did it really happen?¡± You poor girl... I... Seeing Kierra doubting what had happened tore at my heart, yet I couldn¡¯t chastise her for it. Not after having seen everything she had been through. ¡°Y-yes!¡± I placed my hands on her shoulders and pulled her in closer, ¡°Yes it d-did. Y-you are sleeping with t-them right now.¡± I choked back my own tears as I tried to reassure her. ¡°I-I can assure you, as the G-Goddess of D-Dreams, i-it really happened, i-it wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± Kierra suddenly squeezed me a little tighter, ¡°Thank you...¡± After a brief pause, I knelt down so that I could hug her back properly, ¡°A-are you happy now?¡± ¡°I... think so,¡± I could hear that she was holding back tears as she responded. The fact that she couldn¡¯t say yes hurt a little, but it was much better than hearing her say no. I wrapped my tails around the two of us, hoping to make up for whatever was stopping her from being sure of her own happiness. The two of us stayed like that until Kierra eventually woke up. Leaving me back in the side room by myself, still able to feel the warmth that came from her lingering in my arms. I picked up my Kierra plushie before deciding to make a promise to myself, ¡°O-one day... you will say y-yes...¡± I ran my fingers through the plushie¡¯s soft fur, ¡°I-I¡¯ll make sure of it!¡± Chapter 51 – A Peaceful Day Chapter 51 ¨C A Peaceful Day After that night, time seemed to pass by quickly. Raynelle was back to her usual self in only a few days. Ava was the same; after a few days, she seemed to come back to life, although she felt just a little more distant than I remembered. That isn¡¯t to say everything else was exactly the same as before. The biggest thing that changed was that the two of them stopped pushing me to speak like they used to. However, I still tried my best to talk to them in spite of that, even if it was hard, just because whenever I did, their eyes seemed to light up. The other thing that started soon after I arrived at the house was Raynelle and Ava heading out somewhere every few days without me. Ava always came back panting while drenched in sweat. I tried asking them what they were doing a few times, but each time, Raynelle would try to change the topic while Ava would go silent. The only time that I left the house was to go visit Ovia at the temple. When I did neither Raynelle nor Ava would let me go by myself, so they would follow me there in the morning before collecting me in the evening. They started using the time while I was with Ovia to go shopping for the week, so they didn¡¯t mind taking me every week. Well, I say they, but Raynelle was always the one who went with me. The peaceful days continued, and before I knew it, a month had already passed. ¡°Kierra? Are you sure you got enough sleep last night?¡± Raynelle asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. I sat at the table, breakfast already laid out in front of me. A plate piled high with pancakes. Or, more accurately, Ava¡¯s first attempt at pancakes. Their thickness was a little uneven and some parts were cooked slightly more than others, but I couldn¡¯t say that they looked bad.Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.com... just... tired...¡± I took a bite of one of the pancakes. Even if they didn¡¯t look perfect, they definitely tasted as if they were. ¡°So... you¡¯re telling me that you did get enough sleep, but somehow you¡¯re still tired?¡± Raynelle pointed her fork towards me as she spoke, ¡°I know you¡¯re excited for today, but you really need to stop staying up so late every time.¡± Her comment made me blush a bit out of embarrassment. I decided not to say anything and just continued eating breakfast. I can¡¯t help it! I only get to see her once a week... Of course I¡¯m excited! Breakfast quickly disappeared as the sun finally started to peek out from below the horizon. After finishing my last bite, I turned towards Ava. ¡°T-thank you, Ava,¡± I put my knife and fork down on the plate, ¡°... It was good...¡± I still need to practise talking more... Ava chuckled in response as she got up and collected our plates, ¡°I know it was good. I wouldn¡¯t give you something that I thought wasn¡¯t. But next time, I¡¯ll try for ¡®perfect¡¯ instead of just ¡®good¡¯, alright?¡± ¡°Those weren¡¯t perfect?!¡± Raynelle blurted out, ¡°How could they be any better? Just what kind of recipe did Ana give you? How long has she been hiding this from the world?¡± ¡°Come on Mom,¡± Ava said with a smirk as she took the dishes into the kitchen, ¡°There¡¯s no need to overreact like that.¡± I left the table almost immediately after that, heading into my room and digging through my wardrobe, looking for the dress I always wore when visiting the temple. Every time the wardrobe was opened, I was surprised at just how many clothes were inside. Raynelle and Ava had bought extra clothes for me as a gift, though they never told me exactly what the gift was for. As soon as I found the black dress, I changed into it as quickly as I could before quickly brushing my tail down to make sure there weren¡¯t any stray hairs sticking out from pulling it through the flap. ¡°Kierra?¡± Raynelle knocked on my door, ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± I opened the door and stepped out, showing her that I had finished getting dressed. ¡°The same dress again?¡± She knelt down and adjusted the bow around the collar of the dress, ¡°Is there a reason why you always wear this dress when you go to visit? Is it the colour? The style? Something else?¡± ... ¡°I just... like it,¡± I responded, not wanting to admit the true reason: that every time I wore the dress, I was reminded of when Ovia wore a matching dress. Right at that moment, Ava stepped out of the kitchen, ¡°If she likes that dress, why not just get more of them?¡± ¡°But I just know she would look great in so many other clothes as well,¡± Raynelle stood up, ¡°I just want to see her dressed up in all sorts of outfits. Is that so wrong?¡± You don¡¯t need to lie like that. I know... that isn¡¯t true. Despite what was going through my mind, my face still went a little red from her words. ¡°Go on then,¡± Raynelle nudged me into the temple, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in the evening, so remember to be good.¡± ¡°I will...¡± Raynelle waved back before walking away. I followed Beni into the temple as the door closed behind us. As soon as we were in the main room, the two of us sat on the pew right at the front of the temple as if it were routine. ¡°Now... What story should I tell you today?... Any preference?¡± He asked. Beni started telling me his stories while I waited for Ovia to be ready every week, and sometimes, he would even tell an extra story when I came back in the evening if Raynelle was running a little late. ¡°F-from when you were an adventurer...¡± I said meekly. ¡°Hmm... Just like the Goddess...¡± He chuckled, ¡°Maybe I need to see about becoming an adventurer again... it¡¯s all the two of you want to hear about...¡± That is why I want to hear about those stories. It¡¯s what Ovia enjoys. Maybe... one day... I could... ... ¡°Well... what should I tell you about this time... Hmm... I¡¯ve told you a few tales about my solo adventures... so how about something from a bit later on...¡± He smiled a little ¡°Something from my... very brief... time as an ¡®instructor¡¯ for the greenhorns...¡± I nodded immediately. ¡°Ha ha... alright then... This tale took place back when I was ¡®asked¡¯ to take on a new party... I was supposed to supervise them on their first hunt... Thinking back, I don¡¯t know how I got that position... hunts weren¡¯t really my speciality... with my Dark magic... I was much better suited for as-... No... No, you don¡¯t need to know about that part... not yet at least...¡± It was strange for Beni to stop himself like that in the middle of his story, but I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Anyway... This party wasn¡¯t the worst I had seen... they had a big guy with a shield up front... someone who at least knew which side of the sword you¡¯re supposed to hold... They even had both a mage and a healer somehow... though that mage wasn¡¯t the greatest, as you¡¯ll come to realise... They lugged around this large mace that was clearly much too heavy for them... but it wasn¡¯t my job to do anything about that... I just needed to make sure they would make it back alive...¡± Didn¡¯t you say you were an instructor? ¡°It was a simple enough hunt... nothing too dangerous... just two of these large wolves that had been causing problems near the town... The request didn¡¯t even include anything about butchering them... no pelt, no bones, no teeth... just proof of the kill... so perfect for a new party... well, those higher up didn¡¯t think so, and they sent me with them as some kind of insurance... Now, to make a long story short, I¡¯ll just jump ahead to the interesting part... We¡¯re out in the forest facing down the two wolves... the two of them were scared out of their minds, but well... so were these greenhorns...¡± Beni chuckled a little. ¡°The big guy said something like ¡®I¡¯ll protect all of you!¡¯ before tripping and falling face first into the ground... Honestly... even those wolves seemed to be embarrassed... they didn¡¯t pay him any mind at all and went straight for those at the back... the lad with a sword stepped in and took the attention of one of them... can¡¯t say he did much more than that though... but at least he was better than the big guy...¡± He chuckled again, ¡°Ah, that guy... this whole time he was just stuck there... the armour he was so proud of was a bit too heavy for him... he couldn¡¯t seem to get himself back up...¡± ¡°*pfft*¡± Even I couldn¡¯t hold back my laughter after hearing that. ¡°Now... the second wolf took the opportunity and jumped right at the healer... luckily they swung their staff on instinct and knocked it clean out of the air... was a very good hit too... though it unfortunately wasn¡¯t enough to stop it completely... it quickly got back up and started snarling at her... it was almost as if it was now acknowledging her as a noteworthy enemy... but that¡¯s not what caught my attention... standing far behind the rest was the mage... scared beyond belief... doing absolutely nothing...¡± Beni¡¯s face contorted as he spoke, ¡°This... annoyed me to no end, to put it lightly... I knew I didn¡¯t have to do anything but... In the heat of the moment shouted at that mage to cast a spell or something... You know what they did after that?¡± I shook my head. ¡°They slowly stumbled forwards... dragging that damn mace of theirs along the ground with them... tearing up the grass as they went... Even thinking back on it now, I¡¯m getting ticked off... What¡¯s the point of being a mage if you don¡¯t use any spells...¡± Beni paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Anyway... the healer dropped their staff in a panic and started running in circles with the wolf chasing her... I didn¡¯t exactly want to lose a healer like that... they were a rarity out in that town after all... so I ran over to the mage... took their mace... and swung it down on the wolf¡¯s head...¡± Beni jumped out of his seat, swinging his arms as he acted out the scenario. ¡°It was a... very heavy mace to say the least... everyone in that party was scared out of their minds afterwards... while also being painted with-... a little redder than before...¡± Redder? Was that-? Do you mean-? I shuddered as Beni pretended to swing the mace once again. ¡°While they were all paralysed with fear, I quickly... ¡®dealt¡¯... with the other wolf in much the same way...... Needless to say, the party failed their hunt as I was forced to step in... though the higher-ups didn¡¯t care that much... their problem was solved either way... I do remember hearing that the mage and big guy tried to get out of being an adventurer after that... Unfortunately, that there is where this story ends... I got transferred to the town over for some... more appropriate work... I do sometimes wonder what happened to them... mainly that healer... with a swing like that, she could¡¯ve done some real damage if she was given something better than her staff...¡± Right as he let out one final chuckle, a now familiar dark orb appeared next to his ear before promptly disappearing. ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough from me...¡± While he had stopped laughing, he still had a smile on his face, ¡°The Goddess is waiting for you...¡± I quickly turned away from him and headed deeper into the temple, hoping that by the time I came back, he would have calmed down a little. Chapter 52 – The First Emmisary of Light Chapter 52 ¨C The First Emmisary of Light As soon as I stepped into the darkness, I was taken into Ovia¡¯s domain. The room slowly came into view as I was embraced by the familiar coolness. My immediate instinct was to look for Ovia. Looking around the room, I saw that it had been rearranged slightly, with three seats set out instead of the usual two that were meant for Ovia and me. ¡°Ovia?¡± I called out. ... No response. ¡°Where are you?¡± I called out again, taking a few steps forward. ... Again, no response. Did Beni send me here too early? But I saw that black orb... Isn¡¯t that the cue for me to come here? ... Then, without warning, as I was lost in thought, two arms shot out from behind me and wrapped themselves tightly around my body. ¡°W-welcome back Kierra!¡± Ovia had sneaked up behind me. ¡°Mhm,¡± I responded, awkwardly twisting myself around in her arms to face her. There was a brief silence as I looked into Ovia¡¯s abyss-like eyes, letting myself get lost in the seemingly endless space inside of them. ¡°D-did you not like my surprise?¡± She let go of me, her hands shaking a little. No! I came in close and hugged her, not letting her get away, ¡°I was just... a little worried...¡± I wanted to tell her that it was fine, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to lie to her, even if it was something as small as that. ¡°Should I leave you two alone then? I can just come back later if you want.¡± I immediately whipped my head back, searching for where the voice came from, although it didn¡¯t take long to see who was there. It was Aria. She was sitting on one of the three seats that had been set out, playing with the panel floating in front of her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to interrupt anything after all,¡± She teased. ¡°No! Just... W-wait a second,¡± Ovia stuttered as she scooped me up in her arms, ¡°U-um, I... I saw that you liked Beni¡¯s stories. I w-wanted to tell you one too, but... I couldn¡¯t think of a story you w-would enjoy...¡± A story from Ovia? Why wouldn¡¯t I enjoy it? ¡°But I-¡± ¡°But! E-Ellaria knows a lot of stories,¡± Ovia interrupted me, ¡°I asked her t-to come here so you could listen to one.¡± I would enjoy any of your stories... I know it... I just... want to know more about you.... ¡°Sister?¡± Aria called out, ¡°I thought I told you not to call me that?¡± ¡°A-Aria...¡± Ovia sheepishly muttered after a few seconds. ¡°That¡¯s better. Now, come and sit down. The story I¡¯ve picked out for you two is a little long.¡± Ovia quickly carried me over, setting me down on my stomach on top of one of the cushion-like seats. As soon as she was done checking that I was comfortable, she dragged the other free seat right next to mine and laid down on top of it in the same way. ¡°Comfortable?¡± Ellaria asked. ¡°Mhm,¡± Both Ovia and I replied in unison. Ellaria chuckled a bit before continuing, ¡°Now, the story I have picked out for you two is one of my oldest. It involves a lot of my firsts, my first Emissary, the first time I gave someone a title and even the moment I became the Goddess of Titles-¡± ¡°I love this one!¡± Ovia suddenly shouted, interrupting Aria before covering her mouth and blushing slightly. Her tails were waving all over the place, occasionally rubbing against my own. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she looked up at Aria. Have I... ever made you that happy? ... That can¡¯t be it... ¡°Well, that small fortress slowly grew into a village, then a town, as more new people continued moving in. That town was eventually named Casgolau, ¡®Castle of Light¡¯. The castle that once stood in that fortress had already been torn down, but that didn¡¯t matter to the residents. That wasn¡¯t why they gave the town that name.¡± The panel quickly changed to showing Aria¡¯s temple, or what probably became Aria¡¯s temple. ¡°They built a temple for me, which I decided to give my blessing on the condition that they built one for my sister as well. They happily did as I asked, so both my sister and I gave the two temples our blessing on the same day.¡± Aria¡¯s eyes moved down to Ovia, ¡°Now that I think about it... Was that the last time you left the Divine Realm?¡± Left the divine realm?... It¡¯s possible for them to leave? ¡°U-um...¡± Panic spread across Ovia¡¯s face, ¡°N-no!¡± ¡°Really? I can¡¯t see you getting permission for that,¡± Aria sat and thought for a moment, ¡°Then did you just sneak out? I¡¯m surprised no one noticed... Not even me...¡± Ovia just blushed in response. ¡°Well, anyway, that¡¯s enough about that. Let¡¯s get back to the story.¡± The panel shifted again, this time showing Eirian kneeling down in front of Aria inside her domain. The Aria in the panel placed her hand on top of Eirian¡¯s forehead, and when he opened his eyes, his once green eyes had turned gold with a distinctive white inner ring inside, just like both Celica¡¯s and Aria¡¯s. ¡°I decided to make him my first Emissary of Light and gave him my token, a copy of my own golden eyes, so that everyone knew that he had been chosen. I still don¡¯t think I could have made a better choice. Even though he was my Emissary, he didn¡¯t change at all; he would still go to the fields just to give the farmers a break, and he would still go and give the soldiers some personal training every so often. However-¡± Aria stopped talking as if the words had gotten stuck in her throat. Ovia was extremely excited as her tails started swaying back and forth again. ¡°Well... One of the effects of becoming an Emissary is living longer... a lot longer... It¡¯s not quite immortality, but for anyone close to them, it might as well be.¡± Aria once again paused for a moment, ¡°Because of that... Eirian ultimately decided to pass down his position as my Emissary to one of his pupils.¡± What? Why? Isn¡¯t being an Emissary a good thing? Wouldn¡¯t you want to live for a long time? ¡°Eirian served as my Emissary for many years, but one day, he met someone he just couldn¡¯t forget. The woman who would one day become his wife.¡± Ovia suddenly wrapped her tails around me and brought me in close, hugging me against her side. ¡°He truly was a simple man at heart. He just wanted to live out the rest of his life with his wife. If he remained my Emissary, he would easily outlive her... He wasn¡¯t just worried about missing her, but also about eventually... forgetting her... How could I say no to him? I knew it would be hard to find another person like him... but maybe that was why... I didn¡¯t put up any resistance. I took my token from him and gave it to the pupil he had chosen as my way of respecting everything he had done... And that¡¯s... the end of this story, my version at least.¡± ... Forgetting... I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything after hearing the end of the story. However, I didn¡¯t need to, as Ovia abruptly jumped to her feet and took me with her. Aria chuckled, ¡°Sister, you seem to have abducted a little fox at some point during the story.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ovia immediately set me down, blushing furiously, ¡°You were just so c-close and... fluffy...¡± But I¡¯m not as fluffy as you... As soon as my feet touched the ground, I hugged her back, trying to reassure her, ¡°I didn¡¯t mind... I liked it.¡± ¡°Now, I would like to tell you that it¡¯s time for me to leave you two alone, but unfortunately, it seems that my story dragged on a little longer than expected,¡± Aria got out of her seat. Oh... I knew what she was trying to tell me. It was already time for me to go back. I had gotten so absorbed in the story that I had completely forgotten that this was the one day this week I was allowed to see Ovia. Ovia knelt down and hugged me tightly as if reading my mind, ¡°It¡¯s okay, t-there¡¯s always next time!¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± I buried my face in her shoulder, the tip of my ear brushing against her cheek, ¡°But... I want to go back like this.¡± ¡°Yes! O-of course!¡± She responded, the surrounding darkness immediately closing in around me as Ovia squeezed one more time. ¡°I¡¯ll be back next time,¡± I said just as I felt Ovia¡¯s presence disappear. ... As I felt the air around me warm up, the expressions I saw when Ovia was listening to Aria¡¯s story remained stuck in my mind, playing back on a loop. I... want to tell her stories like that... ... I just... want to see her smile like that again... ... ¡°Did you have fun Kierra?¡± Raynelle called out, pulling me out of my thoughts. ¡°Mhm...¡± I walked over to her, where she quickly wrapped a cloak around me, ¡°I did.¡± Chapter 53 – Something I Think You’ll Enjoy Chapter 53 ¨C Something I Think You¡¯ll Enjoy Days quickly turned into weeks, which themselves turned into months. Everything just seemed to fit together. Nothing was out of place. It was... nice. Every week, I would go through the same motions, spending my time with Raynelle and Ava until the one day I could visit Ovia. But that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. It meant that when I woke up, I knew Ava and Raynelle would still be there. I knew that I would still be able to go see Ovia. I knew that I would be safe. The only things that changed were relatively minor. For example, Raynelle stopped leaving me by myself in the house when she took Ava out. Instead, she would leave me with Beni, and I would get to listen to more of his stories. I enjoyed those days quite a lot, as Beni was able to get messages from Ovia as he was telling his stories. It was nice being able to talk to her even when it wasn¡¯t the day I was allowed to visit, even if it was a little cumbersome trying to talk with Beni as the intermediary. My growing pains also started coming back every so often, although, after the first few times, I almost started looking forward to them, even if I changed my mind once they actually arrived. Each time they came and passed, I grew quite a bit taller, though I still wasn¡¯t even as tall as Ava. I started talking even more as well, though it wasn¡¯t still easy for me. It was almost impossible to get any words out when it came to anyone I didn¡¯t already know. But with Raynelle and Ava, I was at least able to say a sentence or two. Ovia helped quite a lot, even if she didn¡¯t know it. Each time I visited her, she would stutter less and less. Seeing her improve like that made me want to put extra effort into talking, no matter how difficult I found it. Just like that, a whole year passed by me. ... ¡°... Kierra?¡± Someone poked my cheek. ... ¡°Kierra?¡± The voice repeated. This time, I was shaken a little. ... It¡¯s too early... ¡°Come on now, the sun is already up.¡± I was lifted from my cosy pillow before feeling someone cradle me in their arms. ... Just a little longer... ¡°*Yip*¡± I tried to complain but had forgotten that I was still in my fox form. ¡°Kierra... No matter how long we spend together, I¡¯m not going to suddenly understand Fox... At least I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible...¡± I reluctantly opened my eyes, unable to see much more than a purple blur hovering above me. ¡°Good morning sleepy head,¡± Raynelle scratched under my chin, making my tail sway back and forth involuntarily, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve got you awake, you need to get ready. I¡¯ve finally gotten permission for something that I think you¡¯ll enjoy.¡±Fi?ndd new updates at novelhall.comething I¡¯ll enjoy? I let out a quiet whine as I tried to ask what she meant. ¡°Great,¡± She set me down on my bed, clearly misunderstanding what I was trying to say, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten breakfast ready for the two of us, so as soon as you¡¯re dressed, just head to the table and dig in. The quicker, the better.¡± Raynelle made her way over to the door, but just before she left the room, she turned back towards me. ¡°Actually, before I forget, make sure to wear something comfortable. Something you can really move around in, y¡¯know?¡± She opened the door, ¡°... I¡¯m sure you understand what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± With that last comment, she left the room, being careful so that the door didn¡¯t slam behind her. I quickly turned back into my humanoid form, gently wiping my eyes until I could see clearly. ¡°What was that?¡± I mumbled to myself, the whole event playing over in my mind as I tried to recall everything she had told me. As I was thinking, Umbra brushed up against my leg. I responded in kind by giving them the pats I knew they were after. ¡°Morning, Umbra.¡± While my fox form had mirrored my own growth, Umbra hadn¡¯t seemed to have grown at all. They were still a cute little baby fox, just like when I had first met them. After Umbra was satisfied, they settled down in my shadow. Now that I was freed from patting duty, I quickly got dressed in a simple T-shirt and shorts before leaving my room and seeing Raynelle waiting at the table. ¡°What are you waiting for? Eat up,¡± She called out as soon as she saw me. I joined her at the table, where two omelettes had been set out. Raynelle didn¡¯t say anything, instead just staring at me expectantly as I took the first bite. ... ¡°Hmm... I thought you would have figured it out by now. You¡¯re the one who has been asking me about becoming an adventurer after all.¡± Adventurer? Building? Then is this?! ¡°Is this a guild?!¡± I couldn¡¯t hide the excitement in my voice. ¡°I knew you¡¯d get there eventually. Specifically, this is one of their training rooms. While doing some work for them, the guild ended up owing me a favour. So I used it to get this place to ourselves.¡± A grin spread across her face as she spoke. A guild... just like in Beni¡¯s stories. Maybe one day... I could... But... ¡°I thought you said I couldn¡¯t be an adventurer?¡± I had asked Raynelle about it a few times before, but each time, she said it was a bad idea without giving me a reason. ¡°I said being an ¡®adventurer¡¯ was a bad idea. I didn¡¯t say it was a bad idea for you to want to go out and see the world.¡± What does that mean? ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the specifics right now,¡± Raynelle helped to unbutton my cloak, ¡°You¡¯re still a way off from being ready to make a decision like that... However, that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯ve brought you here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t... understand,¡± I responded, still trying to make sense of Raynelle¡¯s words. ¡°Well, no matter what you decide to do in the end, it¡¯s probably going to be a good idea to do some kind of physical training. Even if it¡¯s just to do nothing more than get a little muscle on your body, cause as you are, I¡¯d be worried just giving you a bag to carry your things with you.¡± That¡¯s not my fault. It¡¯s just because I¡¯ve been growing so quickly... ¡°Oh, come on Kierra, don¡¯t look so down about it. We¡¯re here to start doing something about it, right? And trust me, if anyone can help you with this, it¡¯s me,¡± Raynelle flexed her arm as if proving her point. ... I looked over her arm, but instead of making me feel any more confident, it just made me worry about what she had in mind. What sort of training do you even have to go through to get muscles like that? ... ... Yet, despite my reservations, I couldn¡¯t deny that she made a good point. ¡°Okay... I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°I knew you would,¡± She ruffled my hair, ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to start off very simple. All I want you to do is run laps around this place. Just do as many as you can without passing out. Today isn¡¯t about pushing you after all... at least... not too much.¡± ... ¡°Why?¡± I immediately cupped my hands over my mouth as I had accidentally asked the question I was planning on keeping to myself. ¡°Well, Kierra, as I¡¯m sure you know, you¡¯ve been doing an awful lot of growing lately... and while me and Ava haven¡¯t really said anything about it... you have gotten... a ¡®little¡¯ clumsier...¡± My face immediately flushed red. It was true that I had tripped over a little more often... and maybe also walked into things I thought I would fit under... but... Was it really that bad? ... ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so embarrassed about it,¡± Raynelle smiled, ¡°Of course, you¡¯d need some time to get used to your body as it grows; you just haven¡¯t had as much time as everyone else.¡± ... That¡¯s true... ¡°Mhm,¡± I responded. ¡°There you go. Now, get running,¡± Raynelle walked behind me before giving me a light shove forward, ¡°The best way to get used to your body is to use it after all.¡± Chapter 54 – What’s Behind Us Chapter 54 ¨C What¡¯s Behind Us I started with a light jog, gradually making my way around the room. After only a single lap, Raynelle stopped me just to check on how I was doing. She gave me some water before telling me to go again, but a bit faster than before. She made me repeat this over and over again. It got to a point where I couldn¡¯t remember how many laps I had done. Sometimes, Raynelle would run alongside me to set the pace, though no matter how many times she did, she didn¡¯t seem to be even slightly tired. Meanwhile, as soon as I tried sprinting a lap, I collapsed, though fortunately, Raynelle caught me before I hit the ground. ¡°Guess that¡¯s as far as you go today,¡± Raynelle chuckled before handing me some more water, ¡°I will say, you went on for quite a bit longer than I thought you¡¯d manage.¡± I took the water, immediately drinking it as quickly as I could manage. ¡°Whoa there, slow down a bit. You¡¯ll make yourself sick,¡± She said, placing her hand on my wrist to try to slow me down. But it didn¡¯t matter; the feeling of the cool liquid travelling down my throat was just so relieving that I didn¡¯t care if I might feel sick afterwards. I only let go once there was no more water left. ¡°Better,¡± I muttered to myself between heavy breaths. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better now,¡± Raynelle laughed a bit as she stood up, ¡°Can you stand? Or am I going to have to carry you back home?¡± ¡°I-I can stand...¡± I responded. At least... I think I can... I used my hands to push off the ground, trying to balance myself on my feet as I did. It wasn¡¯t easy, but I eventually managed to stand myself up, even if my legs were a little wobbly. ¡°That¡¯s good. Going for a short walk should help you wind down a bit easier. But if at any point you feel you might fall over, just tell me, okay?¡± She said as she wrapped my cloak around my shoulders. ¡°I will,¡± I shakily took a step forward. Raynelle slowly led me out of the training room, always staying right next to me just in case I needed to lean on something for support. The guild had gotten a lot busier during the time we spent here. There were crowds of people all through the building carrying all sorts of weapons, from swords to spears and even a few people with bows. Yet, strangely, I didn¡¯t see anyone who looked like a mage or even a healer. Beni told me they were a little rare... But I didn¡¯t think there wouldn¡¯t be any. Raynelle gave the key back to the man at the counter before guiding me out of the guild. Her size helped us to move through the crowd, as whenever people laid eyes on her, they would move over to the side. The walk back itself wasn¡¯t very eventful, though I did come close to falling on my face a few times, but thankfully, I always managed to catch myself. Once we arrived at the house, I immediately made my way over to a chair and sat down, my legs immediately thanking me. Raynelle came in just behind me. ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡± Ava poked her head out from the kitchen right as Raynelle closed the door behind her. ¡°What do you mean already? We¡¯re back just in time for lunch,¡± Raynelle turned to face me, ¡°Although, before we do any eating, I think it would be good for us to wash up first, don¡¯t you think Kierra?¡± Wash up? I quietly looked over myself, noticing just how sweaty I had gotten. ... ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave the two of you to it,¡± Ava headed into the kitchen before calling back out, ¡°It¡¯ll be ready by the time you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Well, you heard her. The sooner we finish washing up, the sooner we can eat,¡± Raynelle pointed towards the bathroom. ¡°Okay,¡± I stood myself back up before making my way into the bathroom. As soon as I heard the door close behind me, I started taking off my shirt, struggling just a little as it stuck to my skin. However, just before I got it off, I heard a single footstep behind me and immediately pulled it back down. I wasn¡¯t alone! What if-? I spun around to see who it was. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect you to jump so much,¡± Raynelle had come in with me, ¡°You were a bit shaky on the walk back, so I was just going to help you clean yourself off. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± That... It... would help, but... That scar... I... Even after all the time that had passed, that scar still reminded me of that day. While it was a bad memory for me, I also knew that Ovia couldn¡¯t help but blame herself for what happened that day. Someone else seeing that... I knew she would blame herself. I just... I took a step back from Raynelle, still unsure as to whether she had seen the scar in that brief moment. Raynelle¡¯s smile almost immediately faded, ¡°Kierra? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I-I...¡± I frantically tried to figure out what the right thing to say was. ¡°Something tells me this is about more than just being a little surprised,¡± She pulled out two stools and gestured for me to sit on one while she sat on the other, ¡°Do you want to tell me about it? I¡¯m more than ready to listen, no matter what¡¯s going on.¡± But I... I... I sat on the stool across from Raynelle but stayed silent. ... I didn¡¯t know quite what to think. When Raynelle was hesitant to tell me the story, I didn¡¯t expect this. Then... where-?... A smile crept across Raynelle¡¯s face, but it wasn¡¯t a smile that she had ever shown me before. There was something deeper behind her eyes, something I just couldn¡¯t grasp. ¡°It was a little embarrassing at the time,¡± Raynelle chuckled, ¡°He had apparently been planning on proposing to me for a while but just couldn¡¯t find the confidence to take the leap. So, I ended up taking him completely by surprise... We had our wedding pretty soon after that and decided to settle down in a village in the middle of nowhere so he could continue his research into spirits without being bothered... It was good... very good... we were even discussing having a child at the time...¡± Raynelle¡¯s expression started to darken, ¡°One issue with living in such a secluded area is... a lack of support if anything goes wrong... all you¡¯ve got is yourself and maybe a few neighbours... And we... we were just... unlucky... there really isn¡¯t another word for it... a group of bandits decided to raid the village... we were caught completely off guard, but my husband and I were all that village had to fend them off...¡± A tear ran down Raynelle¡¯s cheek, but she quickly wiped it away, ¡°We immediately split up. I went around, getting everyone I could inside a small warehouse before barricading the door while my husband did what he could to hold the bandits back... He used whatever flashy spells he could just to make them hesitate for a bit longer... As soon as I was sure I had secured everyone... I went to join him... as soon as he saw me, his face brightened up, but... in that brief moment...¡± No... I didn¡¯t even need to hear what happened to put the pieces together. And it seemed that Raynelle wasn¡¯t exactly keen on explaining it either. ¡°In that moment... I just did what I could...¡± Raynelle turned around and lifted her shirt in one motion, showing me her back. While she had said that she had a scar in the same place, that was the only thing that was the same. Rather than the single scar I had, her back was covered in a seemingly endless number of gashes, both large and small, many shallow but some much deeper. Doesn¡¯t that hurt? ... I... She pulled her shirt back down before turning to face me again, ¡°I didn¡¯t think... in that moment... my body just acted... I crouched over him... his faint breaths the only thing giving me the strength to go on...¡± More tears ran down Raynelle¡¯s face, but again, she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. Raynelle... ¡°There¡¯s more to the story... but... I don¡¯t think that you need to hear about those parts... not yet...¡± While she said that she was stopping for my sake, I knew deep down that it would be difficult for her to continue even if she wanted to. We both sat there in silence for a few minutes. ¡°It¡¯s... hard to look back on moments like that...¡± Raynelle spoke up, ¡°And with a scar permanently engraved on your body... it¡¯s hard to forget... but.;.. that¡¯s not always a bad thing... not completely anyway... It¡¯s all about what you do with that memory.¡± What you do with it... ... ¡°It took me a long time to figure out what to do with myself after that day... and that¡¯s a story I will probably tell you someday... It involves when I first met Ava, so I¡¯m sure that even if I don¡¯t tell you about it, she will eventually,¡± Raynelle paused and took a deep breath, ¡°Anyway... after many years and some unexpected assistance... I changed... I found something to do... a new duty... my daughter... Now that scar, while it still reminds me of that day... it... helps me to move forward in a way... to make sure that nobody else has to go through the same thing... Well, I¡¯m making it sound grand... but really... it makes me care an awful lot more about those close to me... including yourself.¡± To move forward... Is that why-?... ... I... ... How are you that strong?... ... I didn¡¯t know what to say, but I couldn¡¯t bear just sitting still any longer. I got up and hugged Raynelle, trying to mimic what she had always done for me. ¡°Look at you,¡± Raynelle hugged me back, ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think you were the adult and I was the child.¡± ... ¡°Thank you...¡± I mumbled, ¡°... for this... and everything else...¡± She finally let go of me, ¡°Hey, that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for, alright?¡± Raynelle¡¯s smile was back, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t see me as your mother, I¡¯m still going to put my all into mothering you, even if you end up getting sick of it. Though I would rather you didn¡¯t.¡± My mother... Do I even-?... ... No, not now. ¡°Mhm,¡± I just hummed in response, hoping that would be enough for her. ¡°Good... now I¡¯ll step out so you can get yourself cleaned up,¡± Raynelle said, standing up and heading over to the door, ¡°But if you need help, just shout. I¡¯ll be right outside as I¡¯m still a bit worried.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I responded, getting up off the stool. Raynelle once again smiled at me before leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind her. As soon as she left, I took my shirt off and reached over my shoulder, running my fingers over my scar. ¡°It¡¯s about what you do with the memory...¡± Chapter 55 – Something that was Missing Chapter 55 ¨C Something that was Missing [Raynelle POV] It was a cold, crisp morning. The last week had been nothing but rain, but it seemed that the sun had finally decided to show itself. Ava and I had both been woken up at the crack of dawn because we¡¯d forgotten to close the curtains the night before. ¡°It¡¯s coming up on two years soon...¡± I spoke to myself while gently rocking back on my chair, ¡°Almost hard to believe...¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Ava stepped out of the kitchen carrying two plates piled high with breakfast. ¡°I was just thinking about the past,¡± I quickly got up from my seat and took one of the plates from her, ¡°Lately, I¡¯ve just been getting that feeling, y¡¯know? Wanting to just... look back on things again.¡± Looking at the plates, it seemed that Ava had once again managed to get her hands on a new recipe from Ana. She had prepared some kind of dish made from diced potato and meat with a poached egg in the centre. I couldn¡¯t wait to dig in and started making my way back to the table. ¡°Should I go wake our little fox up now?¡± Ava called out with her hand already on the door to Kierra¡¯s room. ¡°No... just let her sleep in today,¡± I said, pulling out the chair next to me and gesturing for Ava to come and sit down, ¡°She¡¯s really been pushing herself with her training the last few months. She could do with a good rest.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± She took her hand from the door before making her way over and sitting down next to me. As soon as she was seated, she started digging in. Naturally, I followed her lead, shoving a forkful into my mouth. The flavour was strong and incredibly savoury, making my mouth continuously water involuntarily. ¡°Ava, what did you put in this?¡± I asked after swallowing that first mouthful, ¡°I think I¡¯m about to start drooling all over the table whether I want to or not.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to exaggerate so much. The only new thing I used was a sauce made from mushrooms, and to be honest with you,¡± She quickly ate another bite, ¡°I think I need to try using this in other dishes.¡± A sauce made from mushrooms? You can make mushrooms taste like this? I thought they were just watery and bland... ... We both wolfed down the rest of the food. However, right as I took the last bite, a thought crossed my mind. ¡°Um Ava... You did set some aside for Kierra, right?¡± I really don¡¯t want to be blamed for making Kierra miss out on breakfast. ¡°Of course I left some for her. It¡¯s sitting in the kitchen. I can just warm it up whenever she wakes up,¡± Ava said with a smirk, ¡°I¡¯m not exactly going to let her go hungry now am I?¡± Thank goodness... I really don¡¯t want to make that mistake. ... ... Maybe I should still check... just in case... ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll clear up¡± I got up and picked up both mine and Ava¡¯s plates before walking towards the kitchen, ¡°But don¡¯t go anywhere; I have something I want to talk with you about,¡± As soon as I had set the plates down in the kitchen I went looking for the food Ava had set aside. Thankfully, there was still some more food left in the pan. As soon as I was happy that Kierra wasn¡¯t going to miss out on breakfast, my eyes found themselves wandering over to the pot sitting next to the pan. Inside was a very dark sauce, which was probably the mushroom sauce Ava had mentioned. ¡°Hmmm?...¡± Surely, I can have a taste. I grabbed a spoon and took a small spoonful of the thick sauce. Ava really has grown up so fast... she¡¯s even comforting her mother now... ... What am I even thinking about? I shook my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts. ¡°Well, in four days, it¡¯ll have been exactly two years since we took her in...¡± I said, ¡°We could just put something together for that, then... after asking her about it... maybe we could make that day her birthday? If she says no, then that¡¯s fine; it¡¯s still a day worth celebrating after all.¡± Once again, silence fell over the room. However, this time, Ava was the first to break it. ¡°That sounds like a good idea to me,¡± She leaned back in her chair, ¡°Although... there is a ¡®slight¡¯ problem with that plan.¡± ¡°A problem?¡± ¡°Well... isn¡¯t that also the day she¡¯s going to the temple this week?¡± Wait... How didn¡¯t I realise that? ... It¡¯s... ... ¡°It¡¯ll be alright... probably... We can just... do something in the morning and the evening... It just wouldn¡¯t mean as much if we moved the day around, y¡¯know? And I¡¯m sure we can make it work, even if there¡¯s a slight hiccup along the way.¡± ¡°Well... if you say so Mom,¡± Ava got up from the table, ¡°So, now that that¡¯s been decided on... anything else you wanted to mention?¡± ¡°Well... I wanted to bring it up a few days in advance so you¡¯d have some time to put together a gift for her... if you wanted to.¡± I replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already put in an order for something a while ago, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯d rather get her something yourself.¡± ¡°I was already planning to do that as soon as you mentioned we¡¯d be celebrating,¡± Ava laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll go and visit Ana later today. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve wanted to try putting together for a while now, and this is as good an excuse as any to give it a go.¡± She already had something in mind? I guess I wasn¡¯t the only one wanting to do something like this. ¡°That¡¯s good...¡± I spoke as I got up from the table myself, ¡°Actually, on that note, while you¡¯re out, can you go and pick up what I ordered for her? I¡¯ll probably be doing some more weapon training with her today, so it¡¯d be best for you to sneak it back home while we¡¯re out.¡± ¡°Sure thing, just tell me where to go this time,¡± A smirk once again crept over Ava¡¯s face, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be forced to check every store down the street again.¡± ¡°Oh come on, that was only one time,¡± I dug through my bag until I found a small slip of paper with the details for the order, ¡°Take this to the smithy, the one right at the end of the street run by that tall lad with red hair.¡± I handed the note to Ava, who immediately folded it and put it in her pocket. ¡°Not your usual place?¡± Ava asked. ¡°No, I needed something a bit different to the usual gear. That kid just happened to be able to do what I wanted. Should¡¯ve seen his face light up when I mentioned my idea to him. It was as if he had been waiting for a request like this.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll go to Ana first, then on my way back, I need to pick up your order from this smithy and bring it back before you¡¯re done with Kierra,¡± Ava spoke as she walked to the kitchen, ¡°Sounds good. Now, go wake up our little fox, I¡¯ll warm her breakfast through for her.¡± With that, Ava disappeared into the kitchen, and the smell of breakfast once again wafted through the house. Without saying another word, I turned and opened the door to Kierra¡¯s room; inside were two foxes still sleeping peacefully on the bed. ¡°Good morning you two!¡± I shouted as I sat down on the bed, jostling the two of them slightly, ¡°You¡¯ve slept in quite a while today.¡± Now, I just need to make sure to act the same as usual to keep it a surprise for her. Chapter 56 – Why am I Hesitating? Chapter 56 ¨C Why am I Hesitating? It¡¯s cold... ... My arms started searching around me, instinctually looking for a source of warmth. Where?... After a while of not finding anything, I reluctantly opened my eyes. The sun was just peeking up over the horizon as I lay there in bed, just like any other morning. But this time, there was something missing. ¡°Umbra?...¡± I called out, my voice a little hoarse. No response. Where did you go? The last few days had felt a little different. Well, it was mainly Raynelle who had been acting a little differently. She¡¯d been strangely eager to take me to train, but as soon we would arrive at the guild, it seemed like her mind was elsewhere. And now, Umbra was nowhere to be found even though I know I went to sleep with them yesterday. Not knowing what to do, I just got myself dressed. I picked out a nice dress, similar to the first one I had received from Raynelle and Ava, though bigger and with fewer frills. At some point, I just felt that they didn¡¯t really suit me very much. Right as I finished fastening the dress and pulled my tail through the flap, Umbra crawled out from my shadow. Almost immediately, I leaned down and lifted them up, assuming they had decided to show themselves just to get their usual pats. ¡°What were you doing in there? It isn¡¯t like you to hide away like that.¡± As I brought them closer, I noticed that there was something in their mouth. A small folded piece of paper being held carefully between their teeth, almost as if making sure not to damage it in anyway. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± To my surprise, as soon as I brought my hand closer to try and take the paper out of Umbra¡¯s mouth they just dropped it into my palm. ¡°*Yip*¡± ¡°... Is this... for me?¡± I asked, a bit confused by the gesture. ¡°*Yip*¡± ... I don¡¯t know what else I expected you to say. ... I just unfolded the note, hoping to get some answers. ¡®Hello there! I¡¯ve been wanting to talk for a while now. Been a few years I think, hard to remember with everything else going on. Unfortunately, that isn¡¯t possible right now, but this is a good first step if I¡¯ve ever seen one. Now, to make things nice and simple, can you please hand this note to one of the twin Goddesses? They¡¯ll understand, alright? Great talking to you and all that. -JD¡¯ What? JD? Who is JD? They know about the Goddesses? They know that I know them? ... But... I haven¡¯t told anyone. Somehow, the message wasn¡¯t even the strangest part of the note. The letters themselves seemed to wobble slightly as if they were struggling to stay in place. There were even what looked to be the faint outlines of extra words just behind the legible ones. ¡°Umbra, where did you-?¡± I stopped myself, realising that I wouldn¡¯t get an answer from them. What do I-? Right at that moment, I heard the faint sound of footsteps coming from behind my door. Before I could think things through, I handed the note to Umbra so that they could hide it in my shadow, which they gladly did. Are they already awake? But they¡¯re never awake this early... Did something happen?! Not wanting to jump to any conclusions, I put my ear up to the door and listened. ¡°Is she awake?¡± It was faint, but I could tell it was Raynelle¡¯s voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Ava responded, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she have come out of her room if she was?¡± ¡°But she¡¯s always awake early when she¡¯s going to the temple. She normally wakes us up.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve been pushing her at training lately, right? Maybe she¡¯s just exhausted from it?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s never stopped her before. I don¡¯t see why it would today of all days.¡± They did all this... for me? They didn¡¯t have to... really... but... ¡°Thank you...¡± ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t say thank you yet!¡± Raynelle called out, reaching for the boxes on the table, ¡°Say thank you after you¡¯ve got your presents, that¡¯s the right order to do this in.¡± Raynelle took the smaller box and handed the other, larger box, to Ava. ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Raynelle said, handing me her box, ¡°Go on, open it!¡± Seeing the look on her face, I just couldn¡¯t turn her down. I slid the top off the box. Inside was a knife nestled on some sort of plush lining, almost being presented like jewellery. Both the blade and handle were a deep black. Even when tilting the box slightly, the blade didn¡¯t catch the light. Carefully lifting it up, I could feel something on the other side. Turning it over, I saw the name ¡®Kierra¡¯ engraved into the handle, surrounded by intricate motifs. Before I could even say anything, Raynelle started speaking. ¡°It¡¯s never a bad idea to have a good knife on you. It could save your life, or it might just live on your belt and be used to peel fruit... but for this... I wanted it to mean a little more...¡± She paused for a bit, ¡°I still remember that day you gave us a heart attack... when you somehow worked up the courage to finally tell us your name... I hope that by having your name engraved on this knife that you carry with you... it will help remind you of your courage that day... To give you that little push if ever you need it.¡± ... I didn¡¯t know how to respond. Even when I saw the knife, I had just thought Raynelle had gotten it for me because she noticed that I preferred using knives for our training. I didn¡¯t expect it to come with such a heartfelt message attached. But that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. ¡°I... thank you...¡± I carefully placed the knife back into its box to keep it safe, ¡°It¡¯s... almost a shame I¡¯m not wearing a belt to put it on right now...¡± ¡°Oh come on now, you don¡¯t have to worry about something like that. If you want to keep your knife on you in a dress, we can go have a thigh sheath made for you at some point. Just knowing you want to keep it is more than enough for me right now, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I responded, feeling a little better thanks to her words. ¡°Then is it my turn now?¡± Ava got up from the table with her box in hand, ¡°What are you doing? Come stand in front of me.¡± Now that I was getting a little swept up in the energy, I immediately did as I was told. ¡°Now, close your eyes for me.¡± As soon as I closed my eyes, I heard the sound of a box being opened, followed by a slight weight being placed on my shoulders. ¡°Now I just need to...¡± I heard Ava move around to the front of me before fiddling with something, ¡°And we¡¯re done! You can open your eyes now.¡± Opening my eyes, I saw the cloak that had been draped over my shoulders. Just like the knife, it was a deep black. The material itself felt very high quality, but by far, the most interesting part was the mass of feathers decorating the collar. ¡°Unfortunately, unlike Mom, I don¡¯t have any deep reasoning as to why I got you this. Just thought you could do with a new cloak instead of using whatever we had lying around. For the feathers... I just noticed that even after all this time, you still like to stare at my wings... So I made sure to keep any of the softer ones when moulting season came around and worked with Ana to get this done in time,¡± She said with a smirk, ¡°Ah, and there is a hood. I just tucked it under the feathers so it didn¡¯t get in the way.¡± ... ¡°Thank you... It¡¯s... pretty...¡± I said, running my hand through the feathers. ¡°Now that¡¯s much better,¡± Raynelle patted my head as she stood up, ¡°That¡¯s when you¡¯re supposed to say thank you.¡± All three of us burst out laughing at her comment and it took a surprising amount of time for us to eventually calm down. ¡°Anyway... now that we¡¯ve done all this... there¡¯s something I wanted to ask you, Kierra,¡± Raynelle knelt down. Is there more? Isn¡¯t this already enough? Maybe even too much? ¡°Both I and Ava spoke about it a bit... but... how would you feel about making today your... birthday?¡± Before I even had a chance to respond, she put her hands up, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want to force you or anything. We were just thinking about how you didn¡¯t have one last year... and thought that maybe you weren¡¯t sure when it was, or maybe you just didn¡¯t want to tell us. It¡¯s just... if you want it to be your birthday... it seemed like a good option... Again, I don¡¯t want to force you into this or anything, y¡¯know?¡± My... Birthday... ... I hadn¡¯t really thought about it before; there were just always other things that were more important, and by the time I was taken in by Raynelle and Ava, it had already completely slipped my mind. ... It would be the same day as the day they found me... I... ... Why am I even hesitating? ¡°Yes...¡± I said, holding back my tears so as not to ruin the moment, ¡°I would like... today to be my birthday.¡± Right as the words had left my mouth, the two of them shared a glance before shouting in unison, ¡°Happy sixteenth birthday, Kierra!¡± Before I could say anything else to them, Raynelle pulled the cake towards us. ¡°Now, let¡¯s quickly get some food in you and head out,¡± She said, ¡°Don¡¯t want to keep you from the temple too long.¡± Chapter 57 – Another Divine Gift Chapter 57 ¨C Another Divine Gift The next few minutes went by in a flash. I quickly forced down a slice of cake, barely having a chance to even taste it, before having the hood of my new cloak pulled over my ears and heading outside. The three of us ran to the temple, hoping to get there before the town square got too busy. Even using the back entrance, there was a chance we would be seen and start another rumour if it was busy enough. Strangely, while I was able to keep up with Raynelle just fine, Ava seemed to struggle a little, though not enough to fall behind. When we arrived at the hidden rear entrance to the temple, the door was already open, with Beni poking his head out, looking around frantically, at least until he locked eyes with me. ¡°Kierra!¡± He called out, ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°I-¡± I tried to explain what had happened that morning as soon as I was stood in front of him. ¡°Ah, you just can tell me after,¡± He interrupted, firmly placing his hand on my shoulder and pulling me in, ¡°The Goddess has been waiting for you...¡± She¡¯s been waiting? I¡¯m not that late, shouldn¡¯t she still be preparing? ¡°Just go in,¡± Beni told me, giving me a light shove forward, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the other two... The Goddess has been going at me all morning.¡± All morning? With how quickly everything was happening around me, I just did as I was told. I made my way into the main room of the temple before walking directly into the darkness, letting it envelop me completely with its familiar chill. Even the process of arriving in Ovia¡¯s domain felt a little rushed. I barely had enough time to get my bearings before I was pulled into a hug from behind. ¡°Happy Birthday, K-Kierra,¡± Ovia spoke directly into my ear, her voice sending a slight shiver down my spine. ¡°Mm,¡± I wasn¡¯t able to put any words together in response, so I just hummed in acknowledgement. Wait! Happy Birthday? Was she watching me all morning? ... I wasn¡¯t quite sure how I felt about that. On one hand, I was happy that she was also there with me in spirit, but on the other... I do wish she could have actually been there with me. Especially with everything she had done for me. ... ¡°How did you know?¡± I asked even though I already had a good idea of what her answer would be. ¡°W-Well I- No... We saw your two friends talking about it a few days ago,¡± Ovia started to explain, ¡°But I didn¡¯t know if you would say yes to their plan... so I was w-watching you... just to see what your answer was... I wanted to surprise you...¡± As she spoke, I leaned further back into her embrace, ¡°Thank you...¡± Neither of us said anything; we just enjoyed each other¡¯s company for a bit, at least until someone else spoke up. ¡°It seems you two are having fun. It really feels like I¡¯m interrupting just by being here,¡± The voice came from Aria, sitting in her usual seat, ¡°Sister, should I just leave our gift here and go back to my domain?¡± ¡°No!¡± Ovia stood up, lifting me off the ground as she did, ¡°It was just a g-greeting.¡± Aria let out a little chuckle, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll choose to believe you. Now, why don¡¯t you bring our guest over here so we can give her our present? Then maybe I can give you two some alone time afterwards, alright?¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Ovia carried me over before gently placing me down on one of the seats, making sure I was comfortable before taking her own. I immediately fastened the clasp before quickly bringing my hands back into my lap. ¡°W-what do you think?¡± She asked as she turned back to face me, her face still a little pink. ¡°...¡± I was left speechless. There were just no words that I could think of to describe what was in front of me. I need to say something... But I don¡¯t think I can do her justice... ... ¡°Stunning...¡± I accidentally whispered under my breath. ¡°I would have to agree,¡± Aria came up behind me, ¡°Both of you look stunning.¡± ¡°Thank you...¡± Both Ovia and I replied in unison, which only served to make me blush even more than before. ¡°Well, you two are quite welcome,¡± Aria smiled, ¡°Now, Sister, let¡¯s get back to our seats, and maybe we can explain a little bit about what we got for our guest. We wouldn¡¯t want all that effort you put into picking it out to be forgotten.¡± ¡°Oh y-yes,¡± Ovia practically leapt up from the ground, immediately making her way back to her seat. Aria, on the other hand, gracefully walked back to her seat, where she sat down, being careful not to crease her robes, ¡°Now, what should we start with? I think it would do well to start with how you ended up with those necklaces.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Ovia hummed in response. ¡°Do you want me to tell her? Or would you rather tell the story?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to take your silence to mean that you want me to tell the story,¡± Aria giggled, ¡°I guess you want to be the one to tell her about the ¡®special feature¡¯.¡± Special feature? I glanced over at Ovia, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Well, to keep a very long story short, Sister asked another Goddess for help,¡± Aria clapped her hands, ¡°In her own way at least.¡± In her own way? Wait! Another Goddess? I found myself looking down at the pendant again, realising that even more deities were involved in the gift than I had initially thought. ¡°She needed some help when it came to the ¡®special feature¡¯ she wanted to add to the pendant. It just so happened I knew someone who could help out, the Goddess of the Moon,¡± Aria explained as she pointed at the gemstone on my pendant, ¡°I also thought it would be easy for Sister to get along with her because she¡¯s just an adorable little thing with these large rabbit ears. She¡¯s normally friendly as can be... Unfortunately, this time, the little bunny was a bit scared, so I had to act as the intermediary... But it all worked out in the end, and she offered some assistance with making the necklaces.¡± Another Goddess was scared of Ovia? I had never put much thought into how other Gods and Goddesses might see Ovia. The only other Goddess I had ever spoken to was Aria, and she clearly wasn¡¯t scared... Thinking back, I was a little scared when I first met her... but she¡¯s only been nice to me... too nice to me... I don¡¯t think I could ever be scared of her now... ¡°With the story out of the way...¡± Aria turned to face Ovia, ¡°Would you like to show our little guest what the gift you put all that effort into getting for her can do?¡± Ovia slowly turned to face me again, taking a deep breath before locking her eyes with mine. ¡®H-Hello Kierra... Is this working?¡¯ Her voice rang inside my head, yet... her lips didn¡¯t move. Chapter 58 – Unspoken Messages Chapter 58 ¨C Unspoken Messages ¡°I- What?! I-¡± I immediately tried to cover my ears. ¡®Ah! U-um... c-calm down... please...¡¯ Even with my hands over my ears, I could still hear her voice as if she was sitting right next to me. Aria quickly got out of her seat, crouching down in front of me and gently pulling my arms down, ¡°I guess that means it¡¯s working.¡± ¡°I... I...¡± I was so shocked that I couldn¡¯t put any words together. She¡¯s talking... but it¡¯s inside my head... Does it work if I leave her domain? Can I talk to her too? Wait... If she¡¯s in my head, can she hear my thoughts? Can she hear me now?! What else could she have heard?! My eyes locked onto Ovia, but she didn¡¯t seem to be reacting to any of my thoughts, not that it proved anything. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re excited or scared at the moment,¡± Aria put a hand firmly on my shoulder, ¡°The necklaces are linked. As long as the two of you have them on, you¡¯ll be able to talk to each other whenever you want, wherever you are, okay?¡± Talk? So, it does go the other way. But... ¡°How?¡± I asked. ¡°Ah... mmm... It¡¯s a little difficult to explain... It works when you want it to... if that makes sense,¡± Aria replied. That¡¯s it? I decided to try it as soon as possible. If it worked... If I could talk to her through it... That would mean the world to me... Hello? No response. Was that not right? Hello... Again, no response. I don¡¯t get it... What do you mean it works when you want it to? Once again, I looked up at Ovia. She was looking back at me expectantly, leaning forward just slightly with her eyes wide. My gaze slowly moved up, looking at her hair clip... the same hair clip I gave her almost two years ago now... After taking it all in, I could only come up with one word to describe her... ¡®... Pretty...¡¯ Right at that moment, Ovia flinched, her ears suddenly twitching. Wait, did that? Did I?! As my face started to heat up, I saw a similar blush creep over Ovia¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I must admit, I¡¯m already a little sad that I can no longer listen in on your conversations,¡± Aria¡¯s voice immediately made me snap back to reality, ¡°Now... Sister, didn¡¯t you have another gift you wanted to give her?¡± ¡°Y-Yes,¡± Ovia immediately stood up and headed over to the side room, her blush not fading for even a moment. She slammed the door behind her, and right after, I heard her voice in my head again. ¡®Thank you...¡¯ ... Am I ever going to get used to this?... ¡°Shall I let you in on a little secret?¡± Aria moved back to her seat. I nodded, a little confused. It seems ordinary? But- ¡°Next, who it¡¯s from... Unfortunately, the note did ask that I hide their name from you, even if it¡¯s for a ridiculous reason. What I can tell you is that they are a very old, very important God... so important so that the two of us really can¡¯t afford to get on their bad side... and... they can be a little... petty? That¡¯s probably the right word for it.¡± It¡¯s someone even a Goddess has to be wary of? W-why would they send me a note? Is it something I did? Could it-? At that moment, it felt like I was close to a realisation, but lost it just before I could put it into words, just being left with a slight pain in my head. ¡°The message itself doesn¡¯t seem bad... and, in my experience, they don¡¯t go out of their way to antagonise people or anything like that, so it¡¯s... probably a good idea to listen to their advice... although they already know if you¡¯re going to listen and will have accounted for it.¡± They already know? What do you mean they already know? ¡°All the note says is that it would be a good idea for you to head towards Haelmor. It¡¯s a small port town right on the edge of human territory. They do add that it would be better to go there sooner rather than later,¡± Aria folded up the note and handed it back to me, ¡°He didn¡¯t write it in the message you could read because he thought you would be more likely to listen if one of us told you.¡± Haelmor? Wait, does that mean-? I would have to leave the city! ¡°I... I...¡± I knew I had to say something but didn¡¯t know what. I had thought about leaving the city to go on an adventure and get more stories to tell Ovia. But I wasn¡¯t ready yet. I was nowhere near ready. Isn¡¯t it too soon? I... I... But it¡¯s advice from a God... An important one... What would they do if I didn¡¯t listen? Ovia suddenly wrapped her arms around me, bringing me back to reality, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I... We¡¯re here.¡± I immediately hugged her back, pulling her in even closer. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t need to decide on anything right now, alright?¡± Aria joined the hug, ¡°The note was just some advice, not a command.¡± For a while, none of us said anything, just staying huddled together until I could finally calm down completely. ... ¡°What... would happen if I did what the note asked?¡± I eventually managed to squeeze out a question. ¡°Well, while I don¡¯t know the reason you¡¯re being advised to go there, you would definitely get to see more of the world at least,¡± Aria replied, ¡°For as long as I¡¯ve known you, you¡¯ve been holed up in this, quite honestly, horrible place. It would be good for you to go and see that not everywhere in the world is like this.¡± But I don¡¯t need anywhere else... This is where Ovia is... Where Raynelle and Ava are... Where my... ¡°A-And after today, no matter where you go, we can still t-talk through the necklaces!¡± Ovia added, ¡°W-we can even talk more often than we used to.¡± ... Do you... also want me to leave this place?... ... If even Ovia thinks I should... ... I¡¯ll... have to think about it... Even with Ovia suggesting that I should follow the advice I was given, I just couldn¡¯t make that decision. Not at that moment anyway. ¡°How about this? You go back to your friends for the rest of your birthday, just spend some time relaxing. Then you can think about it later,¡± Aria suggested as she stood back up, ¡°Does that sound like a good idea to you?¡± ¡°Mhm...¡± ¡°Good. Then, Sister, it¡¯s time for you to say your goodbyes,¡± She smiled, ¡°Even if it will only be for a moment.¡± Ovia suddenly hugged me tighter, ¡°Again... Happy birthday Kierra.¡± With that comment I felt the chill of Ovia¡¯s domain start to gradually recede. Just before I felt Ovia¡¯s presence disappear, I managed to say one last thing, ¡°Thank you... again.¡± Chapter 59 – What’s the Plan Now? Chapter 59 ¨C What¡¯s the Plan Now? [Ava POV] ¡°So... What¡¯s the plan for when she comes back out?¡± ¡°...¡± Mom didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You said we were going to do something in the morning and the evening. Didn¡¯t you plan anything?¡± I asked, a little surprised. ¡°Look, I... don¡¯t... really know what you¡¯re supposed to do on someone¡¯s birthday,¡± She leaned back in her seat, ¡°I had thought about bringing the cake out in the evening, but we already did that, even if it was a bit rushed... It wouldn¡¯t feel as good if we just did that again, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°What about-?...¡± I was unable to say anything else; the words just wouldn¡¯t come to me. I... don¡¯t know what you¡¯d normally do either... We gave her the gifts... We had the cake... ... Is there anything else? There must be... As we were lost in thought, Beni came and sat down next to Raynelle, immediately leaning backwards, letting his ears drape over the back of the pew. ¡°So... you finally decided on Kierra¡¯s birthday...¡± He spoke, taking exaggerated pauses between every few words, ¡°That helps to explain the rush this morning... Although... I wish I knew in advance so I could congratulate her... I do wonder if I scared her a little... but that¡¯s neither here nor there... For now... it sounds like you have a problem?¡± No matter how many times I¡¯d come here, I¡¯d always just found Beni to be... hard to talk to? Something about him was just a little off-putting. Maybe it was his bright red eyes that seemed to pierce the darkness of the temple, or maybe it was the chains that clinked every time he moved. Yet despite all that, he could be someone you would happily sit down in front of just to hear his stories and lessons. That combination was just... a bit too much? ¡°I don¡¯t know how much help you¡¯d be I¡¯m afraid,¡± Mom spoke up first, taking a small jab at him. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out...¡± Beni responded immediately, turning his head to look at us. ¡°Well... It¡¯s Kierra¡¯s birthday, as you now know, and we wanted to go and do something to celebrate when she comes back from talking to... whoever she¡¯s with. We just don¡¯t know what you¡¯re supposed to do... y¡¯know? Just something to cap the day off in a way.¡± ¡°Hmm... That is a problem...¡± Beni sat up straight, ¡°Lucky for you... Though it¡¯s... admittedly been a while since I¡¯ve seen them... I do have a... number... of siblings... So I can probably come up with some ideas...¡± Siblings? Wait. A number of siblings? ... It... does make sense... He is a rabbit beastkin... But... It¡¯s still strange to think that there are multiple Benis out there in the world... ¡°So-?¡± Mom pressed him for an actual answer. ¡°Normally... we¡¯d invite friends round... Which might be a little hard for Kierra...¡± He closed his eyes, ¡°Maybe you could go eat out somewhere?... Just something you don¡¯t do often?... So it¡¯s special...¡± Go out to eat somewhere? That¡¯s... actually not a bad idea... Though... I don¡¯t know if Kierra would be happy with all the people around... Kierra had gotten much better when it came to being around people, even if she still wouldn¡¯t talk to anyone she didn¡¯t already know. However, I didn¡¯t really know if she would be able to cope with the atmosphere. ¡°Ooh, I like that idea. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever taken Kierra to eat out before; it would be a nice change of pace and,¡± Mom turned and smiled at me, ¡°and would give our chef a little break. Though, I must admit I don¡¯t know anywhere in this city we could go.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that I get out much myself... I attract a few too many eyes... as you might expect...¡± He lifted one of his arms, letting the chain clatter against the pew. ¡°Then we need to go and-¡± I tried to speak up. ¡°But...¡± Beni interrupted me, ¡°Celica did recommend a place the other day... It¡¯s a small pub... somewhat near the outskirts of the city... I think it was called... The Hearth & Harvest... or something along those lines...¡± ¡°A pub?¡± Mom sounded a little surprised, ¡°Is that a good idea? I mean... I don¡¯t know if I want either of them drinking...¡± Huh? Wait. Why can¡¯t I drink? ¡°That¡¯s... a very... very... wise decision...¡± Beni sighed, ¡°In my experience... it¡¯s a good idea to keep alcohol and kitsune separate... It... exaggerates some of their natural instincts... Granted, every kitsune I¡¯ve met has reacted a bit differently... but they¡¯ve all been... more than a handful if you understand what I mean...¡± Natural instincts? I never noticed anything like that with Kierra... Could she really be that different if she just drinks a little? ¡°Well... Great!¡± Mom responded, sounding a little surprised herself, ¡°I guess we can head out right away. I just got the directions from Beni, and since it isn¡¯t too far from home, we can probably take as long as we want once we¡¯re there.¡± ¡°Ah... Before you go...¡± Beni walked over to Kierra before crouching down to meet her height, ¡°Happy birthday... and sorry that I don¡¯t have a gift... I found out about all this a little too late... I hope you can consider the place recommendation as a gift from both me and Celica... as I¡¯m sure... even though she isn¡¯t here... she would have liked to prepare something as well...¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Again, Kierra just hummed in response. Once Beni had stood back up, I quickly turned Kierra around so she could face me. ¡°Hey, are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes,¡± She responded immediately, ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± I... can¡¯t do anything if she doesn¡¯t tell me. I¡¯ll just... have to keep an eye on her then. ... ¡°Okay... but, please tell me if anything is going on. Can you promise me that little fox?¡± ¡°... I¡¯m not little...¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like the little fox I know,¡± I ruffled her hair a little, ¡°Now, let¡¯s get going. And make sure don¡¯t forget your promise.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± I chuckled a little as I stood back up, hoping that maybe I was just imagining things before. ¡°What¡¯s with the hold-up?!¡± Mom called out, already waiting by the rear exit. ¡°You¡¯re just impatient!¡± I yelled back, pulling up the hood of Kierra¡¯s cloak before gently pushing her forward until she started to walk herself. Beni quickly saw us out before we set out on our way to the pub. The trip there wasn¡¯t too bad, although there were a few times when I had to pull Kierra out of the way so she didn¡¯t accidentally walk into people. The pub itself was hard to miss, mainly due to both the large sign hanging above the door and the two large chimneys on the roof. On the sign it read, ¡®The Hearth & Harvest¡¯ in large letters over what looked to be a burning field of barley. ¡°This seems to be the right place,¡± Mom said as she confidently pushed the door open, ¡°Let¡¯s hope it isn¡¯t too busy.¡± Both Kierra and I followed her in. As soon as we were inside, I was a little overwhelmed by the atmosphere after having not gone out anywhere for the last two years. The place was very warm, yet it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable. It was also a little loud, but compared to most pubs, at least the few I¡¯d been in, it wasn¡¯t too bad. Mom quickly made her way over to a table where we all sat down before she raised her hand to call someone over. Almost immediately, a waitress who was leaning on the bar noticed and came to our table. ¡°These are a couple new faces,¡± She said with a smile on her face. ¡°That does seem to be the case,¡± Mom responded. ¡°Indeed it does,¡± She chuckled, ¡°Now, what can I get for you?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re actually here to celebrate a birthday,¡± Mom made a show of whispering to the waitress, though she had to speak quite loudly to be heard over all the background noise. ¡°Is that so? Tell me, who¡¯s the special one here today?¡± ¡°That would be our shy one. I wonder if you could pick them out?¡± Mom teased. ¡°Hmm,¡± The waitress turned to face me, making a show of looking me up and down before doing the same to Kierra, ¡°I wonder... Might it be the girl with her hood still up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°Well, I wish you a very happy birthday. I guess I¡¯ll have to ask the chef to make things extra special for you.¡± Kierra didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Actually, on that note, we¡¯ll just take whatever you recommend,¡± Mom spoke up, redirecting the waitress¡¯s attention away from Kierra, ¡°I was told the food here was quite good, so I trust in your choice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s definitely a big ask... but I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± She smiled again, ¡°Any drinks?¡± ¡°Whatever fruit juices you have would probably be best,¡± Mom quickly responded, not allowing the waitress to look at anyone else, ¡°For the three of us.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get that all ready for you then. Should only be a few minutes.¡± She quickly made her way back over to the bar, calling over one of the chefs in the back. This place doesn¡¯t seem too bad. Then again... can¡¯t really say that before we try the food. I looked over at Kierra to see how she was holding up, however, wasn¡¯t able to see her face as her hood was in the way. I started reaching a hand out to try get her attention but stopped myself just before I tugged on her cloak. Don¡¯t worry so much Ava... She said she was okay... If she wasn¡¯t, she would tell you... She promised. Chapter 60 – The Next Morning Chapter 60 ¨C The Next Morning Good... night... Ovia... ... ... *Thud* ... What... just-?... My eyelids slowly forced themselves open, only to be greeted with an up-close view of the floorboards. ... ¡°Mmnn,¡± I groaned as I struggled to lift myself up off the floor, ultimately only managing to barely sit myself up with the help of the bed behind me. What... happened last night?... Looking myself over, I saw that I was still wearing my dress, albeit a lot more creased than how I last remembered it. ... I... went to the temple... then... ... No matter how much effort I put into trying to remember, I just couldn¡¯t figure it out. I felt that the memories were definitely there, just... foggy. We... ate food... somewhere... I know that... Ovia asked me about the food... But... What... happened after that?... ... I got home... somehow... ... As I was lost in thought, I felt myself start falling forward, but thankfully, I managed to catch myself just before hitting the floor again. ¡°Little fox?! Are you okay?!¡± As if on cue, I heard Ava shouting from behind the door. The panic in her voice was clear. ¡°Mmm,¡± I tried to respond to her but couldn¡¯t manage anything more than a weak groan. ¡°Since I didn¡¯t hear anything I¡¯m coming in, alright?!¡± Without missing a beat, the door swung open, revealing Ava standing there in her apron, her wings spread open behind her as if she were ready to take flight at any moment. ¡°What happened?!¡± She shouted as she rushed towards me, placing a hand on the side of my head as soon as she was close enough. As she caressed my head with her cool hand, I felt a wave of discomfort I hadn¡¯t even noticed leave my body, and my mind gradually started to clear, even if only slightly. ¡°Did you fall off the bed?¡± She asked as she quickly examined me, carefully checking each limb one by one, ¡°Do you feel okay now? Does anything else hurt? That was quite a large bump on your head... Do I need to take you to Celica? Did you injure something on the inside that I can¡¯t see?¡± I could barely process the words she was saying as they flew out of her mouth seemingly all at once. My mind was not helped by the way she was jostling me around as she tried to inspect my back. ¡°I... I¡¯m... fine...¡± I managed to squeeze out a few words despite the dryness in my throat. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ava asked immediately, ¡°Wait, do you need water? I¡¯ll go get you water. Just... stay still. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve hurt anything else.¡± She rushed out the door before even giving me the chance to answer, though that didn¡¯t end up mattering all that much. It seemed that in the time it took for me to blink, she was already back, holding a cup of water up to my mouth. ¡°Drink slowly, alright? I don¡¯t want you to choke on the water.¡± I did exactly as she asked... for just a moment. As soon as I felt the refreshing liquid touch my tongue, I instinctively started gulping down the water as fast as I could, desperate for the relief it brought. I need... more... Please... ¡°Hold on, I said slowly!¡± She pulled the glass away a little too late as I had already finished drinking all the water she had brought, ¡°Alright.... Do you feel sick at all? Maybe I should try heal you anyway, just to be safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± I said, stopping her hand before it reached me, ¡°I¡¯m fine... just... feeling a little...slow...¡± Ava let out a sigh of relief as she sat down next to me, ¡°Good... That¡¯s good... I just heard this loud thud out of nowhere... then I saw that bump on your head and...¡± She abruptly put her arm over my shoulder and pulled me close. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve calmed down a little and have gotten a better look at you... What were you doing last night? You didn¡¯t get changed out of your dress, and you have dark rings under your eyes... Just how long did you stay up?¡± Dark rings? I gently ran my fingers under my eyes, though I couldn¡¯t actually feel anything different. ¡°I... can¡¯t remember...¡± I responded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably because you didn¡¯t get enough sleep. In fact, if I had to guess what happened, you fell off your bed because you ended up collapsing in a weird position when your mind and body finally gave up and forced you to sleep,¡± She unexpectedly let out a slight chuckle, ¡°You do know that you¡¯re not going to grow very much if you don¡¯t get enough sleep? Not that I¡¯m complaining. I¡¯m quite fond of my little fox.¡± ... Aria told me to be careful! ¡®Ovia I-¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry!¡¯ In an instant, Ovia¡¯s voice overwhelmed everything else in my head, ¡®I s-should have looked before trying to t-talk to you... Ellaria already said she might t-take the necklace away from me!¡¯ ¡®What?!¡¯ Those few words sent my mind into even more of a panic than before. ¡®Why?! What happened?!¡¯ ¡®She... said that I was taking up too much of your attention... and that I shouldn¡¯t have kept you up all night...¡¯ ... So that¡¯s what happened last night... ¡®B-but I¡¯ll try do better! S-so it won¡¯t happen!¡¯ ¡®No... it¡¯s not all your fault... I probably should have said something... I was the one who was tired...¡¯ ¡®Ah... um... Ellaria t-told me to expect you to say that... um... I-I... forgot what she t-told me to say back... Why d-didn¡¯t I write it down?...¡¯ I pulled the necklace out from under my dress to stroke the fox on the pendant, hoping that maybe Ovia would be able to feel it. ¡®But! She did tell me to remind you about the n-note... though she said t-to do it after you slept... Wait! I¡¯m doing it again! Ah, um-¡¯ It sounded like her voice was forcefully cut off. ¡®Ovia...¡¯ No response. ¡®Ovia!¡¯ What happened to her?! ¡®Hello? Little kitsune?¡¯ This time, a different voice rang inside my head. ¡®Aria?¡¯ ¡®Yes, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m just telling you that there¡¯s no need to panic. I just took the necklace away from Sister for a bit. Now, go and get some sleep. I¡¯ll give it back to her by the time you wake up again, alright?¡¯ ¡®... Alright,¡¯ I responded, knowing that if I didn¡¯t agree, Ovia probably wouldn¡¯t be given the necklace back for a while. ¡®Good. We¡¯ll give you some peace and quiet.¡¯ With those last few words, the voices inside my head fell completely silent, leaving me with only my own thoughts. ... The note... Leaving here... JD... ... As I continued to think about the note, my eyes finally started to focus on my surroundings again. ¡°Are you done now?¡± Ava asked, making me jump a little, ¡°You really do zone out completely, hey?¡± Looking at her again, sitting next to me with a bright smile on her face, I couldn¡¯t help but start to think about how she might react if I decided to follow the advice in the note. Ava... If I left... I... You... ... At that moment, while my mind was still a little fuzzy from my lack of sleep, I decided to ask something... Something which I didn¡¯t know if I really wanted to know the answer to. ¡°Ava... What if... I wanted to... leave someday?...¡± Silence filled the room for what felt like a small eternity. I couldn¡¯t even hear my own heartbeat as my mind started racing. I shouldn¡¯t have asked that... I... What if she-? ¡°Well... that depends,¡± Ava spoke slowly, ¡°What do you mean by leave?¡± ¡°If I... wanted to leave this city... to go somewhere far away...¡± I responded immediately despite my reservations. ¡°Hmm... I can¡¯t speak for Mom, but I know what I would do,¡± She stood up, stretching her legs and wings, ¡°As your big sister, I would have to follow you. How else am I supposed to help you tie ribbons in your hair? or help brush your tail? Even without talking about any of that, I¡¯m sure you would have a very hard time getting by without my cooking.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I responded with a quiet hum, not being able to fully process what she had said at that moment. ¡°On that note, you should go and change out of that dress and get back into bed for a bit,¡± She lifted my off the floor and set me down on the bed, ¡°By the time you wake up, I¡¯ll have breakfast ready. Does that sound nice to you?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± I tried to nod but almost fell off the bed again. ¡°Alright,¡± Ava caught me before tucking me securely into bed, ¡°Maybe you can skip changing out of your dress for now. Just make sure you have a good nap... my little sister.¡± ¡°Sister...¡± I mumbled as sleep finally overtook me. Chapter 63 – Setting Out Chapter 63 ¨C Setting Out ¡®A-are you feeling alright Kierra?¡¯ ¡®Mm¡¯ Hearing Ovia¡¯s voice was comforting after what had just happened, but I wasn¡¯t able to give her a definite answer. I had said goodbye, I had left Mom at the house... but it just hadn¡¯t sunk in yet. The only thing I was sure of at that moment was the butterflies in my stomach as I slowly made my way to the gate with Ava. ¡®You¡¯ve made a big step already. It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re feeling a little unsure about things right now because you¡¯ll slowly start to figure things out as you continue to move forward.¡¯ This time, it was Aria¡¯s voice. I don¡¯t know... Am I really doing the right thing? ... ¡®Mm¡¯ My ambiguous hums probably weren¡¯t what they wanted to hear, but no matter what they said to me, I just couldn¡¯t get my feelings in order. I can still turn back... can¡¯t I? ... ¡®If you¡¯re really that worried about what happened today, how about we make you a promise?¡¯ Aria asked. I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡®The two of us will make sure to keep an eye on your friend for you. Then, if you¡¯re ever worried if she¡¯s alright, or even if you just miss her and want to hear about what she¡¯s gotten up to, you can ask us about her. Would you like that?¡¯ ... I would... But... you made a mistake... ... ¡®... She¡¯s my mom...¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll take that as a yes then,¡¯ Aria chuckled slightly, ¡®We¡¯ll make sure to keep an eye on your mom for you then. All you have to do is ask.¡¯ ... ¡®Thank you...¡¯ ¡®You should be thanking Sister more than me. She came up with the idea while she was busy thinking of ways to help you on your journey as you slept.¡¯ ¡®Shhh!¡¯ Ovia¡¯s voice easily overtook Aria¡¯s, ¡®I thought we agreed to keep that part a s-secret.¡¯ The feeling in my stomach started to settle just slightly. Knowing that Ovia and Aria were both looking out for me made me feel a little better about leaving... though it really was only a little better... ¡®Thank you... Ovia...¡¯ ¡°Kierra?¡± Ava¡¯s voice immediately took me out of my thoughts, ¡°I need your attention for a moment; we¡¯re getting close to the gate now.¡± In front of us lay the gate, wide open with a row of wagons going through. From where we stood, I could make out seven wagons in total. Most were waiting outside the gate; however, the last two were still inside. Each of the wagons had a canvas roof and its own pair of horses to pull it. However, I couldn¡¯t help but also notice the ominous dark clouds that were gradually rolling in overhead. I glanced up at Ava. ¡°Alright,¡± She said as she crouched down and locked eyes with me, ¡°I¡¯ll do all the talking once we get there. The only thing you¡¯ll need to worry about is that they might ask you to remove your hood... and no matter how you feel, you will have to do as they ask. It really isn¡¯t a good look if you refuse.¡± Those few words made my heart sink. ¡°So, we¡¯ll put together our plan for what to do if... well, more than likely, when that happens. What I¡¯ll do is when you lift your hood up, I¡¯ll step in and explain that you¡¯re a wolf beastkin. It¡¯s worked before, so it will probably be fine. What you need to do is take your hood off as soon as you¡¯re asked. Okay?¡± ... ¡°Look, Kierra,¡± Ava placed her hands on my shoulders and squeezed firmly, ¡°Think of this as the last time that you ever need to do this. Once we¡¯re outside of that gate, you¡¯ll have escaped from this place. You¡¯ll be free from all this.¡± ... Just... one more time... ... I... ... I can¡¯t turn back now... ¡°Okay,¡± I said as my shadow quickly came up and coated my hair, dying it a now familiar dark grey. I was left stunned, so much so that Ava had to pull my hood back up over my ears before I came back to reality. ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll go get ourselves settled down then,¡± She said as she pushed me towards the wagons. Why didn¡¯t he say anything? I know he knew. I saw it in his eyes. I... ¡°See? I told you it would be okay. We got through the check without any issues,¡± Ava climbed up into the wagon first before reaching her arm out. I grabbed onto her arm, and she immediately pulled me up. There wasn¡¯t much room inside the wagon as most of it was taken up by various crates and boxes. On each side of the wagon was a bench we could sit on. Both Ava and I sat down next to each other on the right side of the wagon. ¡®Are you excited?¡¯ Ovia suddenly asked. ... ¡®I don¡¯t know...¡¯ ¡®Oh u-um... W-well, the hard part is over now. All you have to do is sit and wait, and y-you¡¯ll be outside the city. I-It¡¯s that easy.¡¯ ... Is that a good thing?... ... No matter how much I think about it... I just don¡¯t know... I¡¯ve said I wanted to go... I¡¯ve got all the way here... But... ¡°Sorry to intrude,¡± An unfamiliar voice interrupted by thoughts, ¡°It seems that we¡¯re going to be wagon buddies for this trip.¡± There were two people standing outside the wagon. Both of them were wearing cloaks and had their hoods up. The one who was speaking to us was the taller of the two. Even with the cloak in the way, I could make out that they were fairly thin. The other person was a little shorter but much more muscular, going so far as to remind me a little of Raynelle. ¡°No worries,¡± Ava called out to them. ¡°Then we¡¯ll let ourselves in,¡± The taller person said as they climbed into the wagon, closely followed by their companion. The person¡¯s voice was a little strange to me. Even after hearing it, I couldn¡¯t put together a face that would match it. It was unnaturally smooth, but apart from that, there weren¡¯t any other notable characteristics. ¡°Don¡¯t mind the big guy,¡± They said as they sat down opposite us, ¡°He looks intimidating, but he¡¯s sweet as can be.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell them that,¡± The other person¡¯s voice was unexpectedly gravelly, catching me off guard. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± The taller person slapped their companion on the back, ¡°I know you¡¯re just worked up because we had to stay the night in this city, but that isn¡¯t any reason to take it out on these nice people. We¡¯ve got about two weeks where we¡¯ll be riding together with them, hmm? I don¡¯t want them to get the wrong impression of you right away.¡± I decided that it would be better not to try and interact with them, so I just pulled my hood down so that it covered my eyes. It probably wasn¡¯t much longer before I heard a knock on the back of the wagon, followed by a hushed whisper. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± What? I lifted my hood just enough to peek out the back of the wagon and saw the younger guard waving his arms in the air. ¡°Everyone¡¯s on board!¡± He shouted. ¡°Then we¡¯re setting off!¡± Someone else shouted back. As soon as those words were spoken, things suddenly got much louder. I could hear the clopping of hooves in front of us, followed by the groaning of wood as the wagons started to move one by one. The sounds got closer and closer until our wagon abruptly jolted forward, throwing me up against Ava¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Was that a bit of a surprise?¡± Ava took the opportunity to hug me close, ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it soon enough.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± I wanted to correct her, to tell her that it was an accident, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything more with the other people in the wagon watching us. ... So, there I sat in Ava¡¯s embrace as I watched the gate that once stood in my way simply pass overhead. ... What I felt at that moment was impossible to describe. Everything happening around me was real. I knew it. I just knew it couldn¡¯t be my imagination, or a dream, or anything else. The reason for that was simple. As the first raindrops hit the canvas roof with dull thuds, I was there, staring at something I had never seen before... It was the outside of the very wall that contained my whole life up to that point. Chapter 64 – Wagon Buddies Chapter 64 ¨C Wagon Buddies It just keeps going... The rain was loud against the canvas roof of the wagon. Looking out the back, all I could see were endless fields of grass stretching as far as I could see, with only the occasional line of trees to break it up. The whole time, I had my eyes fixed on the walls of Casgolau, watching as they began to shrink. The only place I had known gradually got smaller and smaller before eventually disappearing completely under the horizon. All that was left in its place was the path we had travelled on and the mud that was starting to form on top of it. Somehow, nothing about it made sense to me... Even though I knew that there was a world out there, actually seeing just how far I could go really put into perspective just how small my own world was up to that point... Yet, something about it felt a little hollow... like something was missing... ... This... is really it... ... *Thud* All of a sudden, the wagon bounced, throwing me up off the bench before quickly slamming back down. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t land on my tail, but that didn¡¯t stop me from feeling the after-effects pulsing through my back. Owwwww I leaned back slightly in an attempt to readjust myself to maybe relieve some of the pain in my back, but just as I did- *Thud* The wagon bounced again. The bare wooden bench did not help the situation in any way. No one else is flying into the air... Am I doing something wrong? ¡°You seem to be having a rough time there,¡± The taller person opposite me suddenly spoke up. Why are you talking to me? ... Do you want something from me? Did I bother you in some way? Despite all the questions that raced through my mind, I didn¡¯t dare say a single word to them. ¡°Did I say something that offended you? I¡¯m sorry if I did. It truly wasn¡¯t my intention,¡± They said. ¡°She¡¯s just a little shy,¡± Ava said as she lifted me up and placed me in her lap. She wrapped one arm around my waist while putting the other up against my back. As soon as her hand met my back, the lingering pain instantly washed away. Healing magic is convenient... ... What would I do without Ava? ¡°Oh, of course. I¡¯m terribly sorry for spooking you then. I was just a little worried after seeing your reaction to those last two bumps. You were looking a little worse for wear, for lack of a better expression.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll say thank you for your concern in her stead,¡± Ava took her hand off my back before wrapping it around the other side of me, ¡°I care quite a lot for her, you see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad we could clear up that little misunderstanding. I¡¯ll do my best to be considerate in the future, and so will the big fella next to me. Though, I imagine he would only talk to you if you spoke to him first, being a man of few words and all that,¡± The taller man gave his companion a playful jab. ¡°Man of few words,¡± The larger man said mockingly, ¡°You just talk too much. Don¡¯t hold me to that standard.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that; it wouldn¡¯t be all that fun to spend the next two weeks riding this wagon in silence. Especially on this route, you know there¡¯s almost nothing to see until the last few days.¡± The taller person then turned to face me, ¡°Plus, after seeing these two going through the inspection, I became very curious about this ¡®wolf¡¯ we have here. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Why did they say it like that?! Does he know something?! I felt my hair start to stand on end as I thought through all the possible scenarios that might play out. The wagon ran over another bump, forcefully pulling me away from my thoughts. Thankfully, Ava¡¯s lap did a lot to soften the blow this time. ¡°Anyway, what I¡¯m trying to say is that the two of you don¡¯t need to worry about us saying anything about whether you¡¯re a wolf or not. We all have our own secrets after all,¡± Even though his hood was still up, I could tell that the taller person was now staring directly at me, ¡°If it helps make you feel any better, I can share a secret of my own with you.¡± Without waiting for a response, they slowly lifted their hood, revealing these long chestnut locks and brilliant blue eyes. However, it seemed they weren¡¯t quite done yet. They carefully pulled their hair back to reveal their ears. They¡¯re... pointy? ¡°I know that you¡¯re not a wolf, and you two now know that I¡¯m a half-elf. I hope that makes us even Ms...¡± They froze up for a moment but quickly recomposed themselves, ¡°Oh, silly me. I never asked for your names... and at the same time, I never gave you ours. I¡¯ve been awfully rude this whole time. My name is Elwyn, and the big guy¡¯s is Joran. May I now belatedly ask for yours?¡± ¡°You can just call me Ava, and this here is-¡± I squeezed her arm to stop her from saying anything more. I don¡¯t know if I want to tell them. ¡°Well then, Ms Ava, Ms... Wolf, It¡¯s a pleasure to meet the two of you, and I hope we¡¯ll be able to get along for the next two weeks. I imagine it will be a little hard not to run into each other being in the same wagon and all,¡± Elwyn said with a slight chuckle. ¡°Likewise,¡± Ava responded, although a little more guarded than before. ¡°Now that our introductions are out of the way, it would probably be a good idea for the four of us to get some shut-eye,¡± They clapped their hands. Sleep? Now? I couldn¡¯t figure out why we would ever want to sleep now. We had only left a little while ago, and while it was admittedly a little dark, it was because of the rain clouds overhead rather than it being late. ¡°Are you two new to this?¡± This time, it was Joran who spoke up, ¡°I guess that would make sense. ¡®Ms. Wolf¡¯ at least seemed a little green from the get-go with the way she was watching the road behind us.¡± ... It was that obvious? ¡°Well, I guess I should give you some pointers then,¡± He leaned forward so that his eyes were level with mine, ¡°Whenever either you or I take on an escort like this, we¡¯ll be stuck on night duty. It¡¯s pretty much a universal rule that beastkin like us end up with it due to our better senses. So it¡¯s a good idea to get some sleep while we¡¯re on the move like this.¡± ¡°Night duty? But I¡¯m... a little... not helpful in the dark...¡± Ava added sheepishly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter; your companion gets put on night duty, so you¡¯re stuck with it too,¡± His expression suddenly soured, ¡°To be honest with you though, when it comes to doing this in human territory, it¡¯s more of a boon than anything... at least from my experience... Means we don¡¯t really have to interact with ¡®em all that much. Cause, as I¡¯m sure you know, even when they don¡¯t say anything to you, you sometimes get those looks. Better to just avoid ¡®em entirely.¡± Mm... Even if I didn¡¯t say anything at that moment, there was no way I couldn¡¯t understand what he was talking about. ¡°But don¡¯t worry about it too much,¡± He lightened up again, ¡°Nothing ever happens around here. The most you¡¯ll get is a wild animal, and they¡¯ll normally back off when they see a group of this size. Well... I guess you might get some bandits if you¡¯re unlucky, but they¡¯re easy enough to deal with. Doesn¡¯t really happen as this route¡¯s pretty well maintained with how often it¡¯s travelled and the kind of cargo going back and forth.¡± ¡°I told you he was the sweetest thing,¡± Elwyn decided to chime in again, ¡°He might be a little rough around the edges, but that¡¯s just on the outside.¡± There was a brief moment of silence. ¡°You¡¯re the one who suggested we get some sleep, so why don¡¯t you set an example for these two,¡± Joran was clearly a bit annoyed at this point. ¡°Oh, gladly!¡± They shouted as they closed their eyes and leaned up against Joran¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You two should probably do the same now that we¡¯ve got some peace and quiet,¡± Joran then closed his own eyes, seemingly falling asleep instantly. Is that something he¡¯s learnt to do? ... It... seems like a useful skill... ¡°Kierra,¡± Ava whispered directly into my ear, ¡°You can get some sleep. I¡¯ll stay awake to make sure nothing happens, alright?¡± ... ¡°Mm,¡± I responded with a short hum. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll wake you if anything happens,¡± She ran her fingers through my hair while pulling me back into her chest with her free arm, ¡°Sleep well.¡± Her words were almost like magic to me. Well, it was either that or I was just very tired from everything that already happened that day, as I drifted off to sleep almost immediately. ¡°Good night... Ava...¡± Chapter 65 – A Coat of Many Colours Chapter 65 ¨C A Coat of Many Colours ¡°It¡¯s time to get up, sleepy head,¡± Ava¡¯s voice was soft and gentle, but it was enough to stir me from my sleep, ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going to be stopping soon.¡± I opened my eyes to the dark interior of the wagon. The air was damp, but the rain from earlier had thankfully stopped. ¡°Was that a good nap?¡± Elwyn asked. Looking over, I could see that both Joran and Elwyn had put their hoods back on. Wait! What if-?! I checked my own hood, but thankfully, it was still pulled over my ears. ¡°I¡¯ll have to assume that means yes,¡± Elwyn chuckled, ¡°The guys up front are just looking for a good place to set up camp, so it¡¯s only a short while left now.¡± As if on cue, the wagon started to slow before eventually coming to a stop, the axles screeching loudly as it did. It felt like the sound passed through my entire body, starting from the sharp pain in my ears all the way to a tingling in my toes. ¡°Ah!¡± Joran covered his ears as I did the same, ¡°Did no one remember to oil this wagon before we left?!¡± ... We shared a brief look of understanding before removing our hands as soon as we were certain the wagon had come to a complete stop. ¡°Guess that¡¯s the first thing I¡¯m doing when we get off this thing,¡± He said with a defeated voice as he slumped back down on the bench. ¡°So... what are we doing now?¡± Ava asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be getting off? Cause I can hear everyone else moving around out there.¡± ¡°No,¡± Joran answered, ¡°Just wait here, let them all set up their tents and the like. They¡¯ll send someone to call us out when they start going to sleep.¡± Really? ... This... isn¡¯t like the stories at all... We just... sit in the wagon... ... The wagon fell into silence for the next while, although I wasn¡¯t quite sure exactly how long it was without the sun in view. I spent the time listening to the noises just outside the wagon. People shuffling about, many of them complaining about sore joints from the ride. The rustling of fabric as the tents were being set up. Even the light crackle of a flame as it casts large shadows across the inside of our wagon. ¡°H-Hello, u-um...¡± While I was distracted, someone had approached the back of the wagon. He was a fairly short, stout man clutching what looked to be a beret against his chest. ¡°A-are you o-o-okay with t-the n-night-¡± Joran exhaled loudly, spooking the man a little. ¡°We¡¯re okay with that,¡± Elwyn stepped in almost immediately, ¡°We¡¯ll be out in a few minutes then.¡± ¡°T-thank you,¡± The man squeaked before immediately scurrying away. ... ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Elwyn jabbed Joran in the side, ¡°That¡¯s the merchant we¡¯re escorting, not some random adventurer we¡¯re never going to see again. The poor man was absolutely terrified just from seeing the size of you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything.¡± ¡°Joran I-¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just get out,¡± Joran interrupted as he started to climb over Elwyn. ¡°But I just-¡± ¡°You know they ain¡¯t gonna move till they see us,¡± He finally managed to get out of the wagon, landing with a wet splash, ¡°Now come on out, I need to find whatever oil they have on hand.¡± ¡°Then something happened. Something I didn¡¯t expect. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! Something I didn¡¯t know was going to happen just happened. Out there, just beyond my reach, there was a soul. Not a soul like I¡¯d ever seen; the shape was strange, the colour was wrong, but that didn¡¯t matter. Luck just happened to be on my side as it drifted just close enough for me to latch onto, and when I touched it... NOTHING! I saw nothing! It was everything I ever wanted in one oddly shaped package. So I got to work. I wanted to give the soul a body, to let it start doing something, anything. But the soul just didn¡¯t fit! I slowly worked on it; I added parts here and there to make it more similar to what I¡¯m used to and got the perfect kitsune body prepared... well, a mostly kitsune body... it needed a little extra oomph to really make it work. Their resilience to this kind of thing was perfect. It¡¯s hard to put a soul into a body like that, but as soon as the soul is put in, it should be held down tightly. I just knew it was so. And I was right! The soul settled in with all the extra bits I added, and then the body started to grow. Four years to mould the soul, seven whole years of growth and then...¡± He paused, ¡°I was caught. Got in a bit of trouble with the one I shouldn¡¯t have. In an emergency, I just sent them out into the world while I waited to be sealed. Thankfully, wasn¡¯t sealed for too long; God of Fate is pretty in demand, if you know what I mean, so I got out early. Put together a note, got it to my very precious, unpredictable soul, and now here we are. Interestingly, it seems that the soul has settled even more than before... It¡¯s incredible!¡± ... I just couldn¡¯t process everything that had just been said. He¡¯s a God?... But he¡¯s here... The note... Souls?... Twenty years... how?... What is-? ¡°This is so exciting! I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re going to say next! I don¡¯t know how you are going to react!¡± Can no one else hear him? Can no one else see him? I glanced around the campsite and saw Joran leaning up against one of the wagons, but he didn¡¯t seem to react at all. ¡°Hmm...¡± John turned to see what I was looking at, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. They¡¯ll only notice me if they¡¯re supposed to notice me. Same with anything you say to me. Now, tell me, who are you? What are you? What do you know? What are you going to do? Not whatever you¡¯ve learned since you opened your eyes here, I already know all of that. What I want to know is where your soul came from,¡± He pointed at me, ¡°Did you know that one day, the fate of lots of people in Haelmor got fuzzy? I decided to leave you a note just as a test, and as soon as I did, I was completely cut off from Haelmor. I just don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen there anymore. Can you believe it! It¡¯s great! And you¡¯ve already done so much! There was a Baron who was set to start a gambling racket before using the money to climb his status all the way to becoming a Count, but then it just didn¡¯t happen! Everything I knew changed just because you existed.¡± ... Who... am I?... What do I... remember?... Even just trying to think about it gave me a piercing headache. ... I... ¡°... don¡¯t remember...¡± I muttered. I didn¡¯t really want to say anything... but with everything this man had just told me... ¡°You don¡¯t know! I didn¡¯t know that! I didn¡¯t know that you didn¡¯t know! I just know that you¡¯re something special because I don¡¯t know if you are,¡± He threw his body back before snapping back to how he was, ¡°Although... I am a little disappointed... There should still be something in that head of yours, though; maybe I could get the God of Memories to do me a favour... The promise of your memories is such a good bargaining chip too; it would finally let him win that argument with the God of Knowledge as to who knows more... But no! There¡¯s no fun in me doing that! I want to see what you¡¯re going to do all by yourself from now on. I can¡¯t even guess what you¡¯re going to do. I mean, who knew you would be taken in by those twin Goddesses ¡®cause I definitely didn¡¯t!¡± He then suddenly stood up, his coat blinding a little me as it caught the light from the fire and dyed the surroundings in all manner of colours. ¡°I just can¡¯t wait to see what you¡¯re going to do. Honestly speaking, if you just led an ordinary life, maybe started a family, grew old, then... died...¡± He locked up for a moment as he said that, ¡°Actually, please don¡¯t die. I don¡¯t know what would happen to your soul if you did. Also, I really wouldn¡¯t like the God of Death to find you... but you can¡¯t really control that... How about this? When you¡¯re about to die, slip me a note. I¡¯ll come pick your soul up. Good? Good. I¡¯ll hold you to that then, but for now, I¡¯m going to leave you be. The council up there really doesn¡¯t like it when I walk around down here. They can¡¯t do anything to stop me, but they get a little difficult to deal with when I ask for favours later on.¡± Before waiting for my response, he stepped over the log I was sitting on, but as I turned to look for him, he was already gone. Not even just physically, as when I thought back to what he had said, all I could remember were the words themselves, no voice, no face. The only other thing I could remember about him was his coat. What... was that?... It was like he held a conversation entirely by himself. I barely managed to get two words in. He just showed up, said what he wanted to say and left... yet... ... Where... did I come from? Who... was I? ... What did he mean? He just... found my soul? ... That night, I was just left with too many questions that buzzed around inside my head, all seemingly with no way of being answered. Chapter 66 – A Story Around the Fire Chapter 66 ¨C A Story Around the Fire [Ava POV] Where has this pillow been all my life? As I hugged it tighter, it felt like I was melting, becoming one with the comfy... yet it was also just a little cool, never heating up, no matter how long I held onto it. It¡¯s almost like... ... My eyes shot open only to be met with a field of never-ending grey. ¡°MM!¡± I tried to speak but just ended up with a mouth full of fluff. In a bit of a panic, I let go of whatever was in my arms, finally letting myself see what was going on. ... ¡°Sorry,¡± I said awkwardly as I saw Kierra looking down at me, ¡°Your lap was surprisingly comfortable... and your tail was very much appreciated...¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t say anything, but I was able to just make out her ears twitching beneath her hood. It was then that I heard a slight rumbling coming from just next to me. ¡°Hungry?¡± I asked as I sat myself up, ¡°Just give me a few minutes. I¡¯ll throw something together for us.¡± Kierra just looked over towards the fire. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Ms Ava. It seems I might have mistakenly stolen your thunder,¡± Elwyn suddenly spoke, forcing me to wake up a little quicker than I had planned. They were sitting on the other side of the fire, tending to something that was already well on its way, bubbling away in a large pot. ¡°And now I¡¯m sorry for making you jump,¡± They let out a slight chuckle, ¡°I¡¯ve been saying sorry quite often this trip... yet all I can think to do is apologise for it. How about you take this stew as my apology this time so I don¡¯t end up saying it again.¡± Looking into the pot, it seemed to be a fairly simple stew: a few large chunks of meat, a couple of vegetables here and there, all cooking away in a dark gravy. If I had to say anything about it, it would be that it was more meat-forward than how I would usually cook stew myself, although I could guess why, considering our company. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not one to waste food,¡± I got up and grabbed two empty bowls, ¡°However, I¡¯ll be the one cooking tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to brag... too much at least... but I¡¯m quite confident in my skills.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be looking forward to it,¡± Elwyn smiled as they ladled the stew into the bowls I was holding, ¡°Now eat up you two. The next hot meal will be at our next stop.¡± ¡°Gladly,¡± I walked back over to the log where Kierra was sitting, moving a little slowly so as not to accidentally trip on something in the dark. Even with the fire burning brightly, there were quite a few spots the light didn¡¯t quite reach, particularly on the ground where the rocks surrounding the fire blocked it out. Can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been put on night duty... I can barely see anything... even with the fire right here... I handed one of the bowls over to Kierra as I sat back down, deciding to just focus on eating instead of wasting time thinking about what¡¯s already happened. After all, it had been quite a while since we had lunch back in the city, and I could swear my stomach was contemplating eating itself if it wasn¡¯t given a better option. As I took the first bite... It¡¯s... okay! It might have been a little mean of me to think, but could anyone blame me? If anything, it was a compliment. It looked eerily similar to the stews Mom would make while we were out and about... and those were... very hit or miss... with a heavy leaning towards miss. It wasn¡¯t long before I had cleaned the bowl completely, which ended up making me a little worried about Kierra. If I managed to wolf the stew down this quickly, she must¡¯ve finished eating as soon as I placed it in her hands. It¡¯s honestly a mystery where it all goes. I turned to Kierra, thinking of how I could tease her about it to make her loosen up a bit, but when I did, I saw that her bowl was still pretty much full. ... Was I the only one who was hungry? No, that can¡¯t be right. ¡°Two coppers?!¡± I accidentally shouted as I heard the amount. That¡¯s almost nothing! Almost no one would work for those rates. Even if you¡¯re struggling... to put your life on the line... That is just... ¡°Hmm? Are you a little surprised?¡± ¡°Just so you know, I told him to stop doing this years ago now... but he insists...¡± Joran said while sounding a little defeated. ¡°We signed a contract. Of course I¡¯m going to keep to it,¡± Elwyn giggled, ¡°You fought hard for those rates, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me...¡± Fought? ... I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Joran, you don¡¯t mind if I tell Ms Ava and Ms Wolf the story, do you?¡± Joran once again let out a long, drawn-out sigh, ¡°Even if I say no, you¡¯ll do it anyway.¡± ¡°You know me so well,¡± Elwyn set down their bowl on the log next to them, ¡°This all happened about twenty-five years ago now. I had already been on the road for a good many years, and admittedly, it really wasn¡¯t the best experience. Mainly because, as I¡¯m sure you can tell, I¡¯m not much of a fighter.¡± He jokingly pulled his sleeves up and flexed his arms even though they were easily dwarfed by Joran sitting next to him. ¡°Funny enough, this actually took place in human territory, though much further inland than where we are now. I was a little hard on my luck at the time, so I was going around asking every person I ran unto about where they were going and if I could join-¡± ¡°They were known as a massive nuisance,¡± Joran interrupted, ¡°Everyone knew about them. Wouldn¡¯t stop talking about how frustrating it got when it was their third or fourth time being asked... that day.¡± ¡°And wasn¡¯t that such a good thing? That¡¯s how you found out about me, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Joran just exhaled sharply instead of saying anything further. ¡°Well, to get back on track... One day, this little pup jumped out at me. They were very bold, standing in my way with their arms outstretched as they loudly claimed that they would be my escort to wherever I wanted to go. They told me all about how strong they were, about how their better sense of smell and hearing could be helpful on a journey. It was almost like watching a theatre performance. It was just so endearing,¡± Elwyn seemed to struggle to hold their laughter back as they continued to speak, ¡°At the end, they fearlessly told me that they would be my bodyguard for no less than one copper a week.¡± In the spur of the moment, I found myself asking, ¡°Just one?¡± ¡°I said the exact same thing!¡± Elwyn shouted as he let his laughter start to slip, ¡°You should have seen the pup¡¯s face. They looked completely dumbfounded by my question. You can probably guess what happened after that. He brazenly put up two fingers and instead asked for two whole coppers as if he had never given the first offer.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if it was just from the fire, but Joran¡¯s face looked ever so slightly pink, ¡°You don¡¯t need to give that much detail.¡± ¡°I just couldn¡¯t say no to that, and decided to have Joran become my bodyguard ever since,¡± Elwyn¡¯s expression softened, ¡°Though I think he¡¯s long graduated from bodyguard to family... I just can¡¯t help myself and still make sure to give him his two coppers each week. I know he doesn¡¯t even spend them... he really is still just that little pup... even if he¡¯s quite a bit bigger than back then.¡± ¡°And yet, somehow, you haven¡¯t changed in the slightest,¡± Joran retorted. ¡°Really? I thought I aged into my eighties quite well,¡± Elwyn¡¯s comment brought the mood right back up to where it was when he started telling his story as the two of them started laughing. I found myself looking over at Kierra, who had finished her food and was now just staring blankly into space. I wonder if we¡¯ll ever end up like that... ... We¡¯ll get there one day. She¡¯s already come this far after all. ... I wrapped my arm around her and brought her close. We¡¯re already sisters, and that¡¯s good enough for now. Chapter 67 – Stop Talking Over M- Chapter 67 ¨C Stop Talking Over M- [Ellaria POV] ¡°How did Celica get herself drunk?!¡± The little light spirit that had just conveyed the news to me just continued to bob up and down slowly. Just how much did she drink? ... Was nobody watching her? ... I let out a deep sigh. I can¡¯t blame anyone for that. I didn¡¯t even notice what she was busy doing myself. ¡°Can you ask one of Sister¡¯s spirits to tell her Emissary about this? Celica really needs to be kept inside one of the temples until she sobers up.¡± The spirit promptly vanished to hopefully do what I had asked before things got out of hand down in the mortal realm. The last time this happened... I shivered slightly as I recalled the memory. ... Maybe I should ask Sister to tell her Emissary directly... Right at that moment, I felt someone enter my domain, but just before I was able to see who it was... ¡°Ellaria! Help! It stopped working! But now it is working! But she isn¡¯t talking! Help! I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± Sister shouted as she ran towards me. It doesn¡¯t seem like this is the right time to ask her. ¡°Alright, just calm down a little,¡± I shifted over in my seat to make space for her, ¡°Come sit, and then we can go through whatever has happened one step at a time.¡± Sister hurriedly came and nuzzled in next to me, where I wrapped my tails around her. She immediately latched on to them, hugging them tightly. ¡°Now, what¡¯s happened to get you all worked up like this?¡± There was a brief moment of silence as I assumed Sister was busy trying to slowly put together the right words. ¡°T-The necklace... it just... s-stopped working,¡± She spoke slowly, squeezing my tail ever so slightly whenever she paused, ¡°I was watching K-Kierra... then a man sat next to her, and the necklace just d-didn¡¯t work anymore... I-I couldn¡¯t even hear what was being said by the man... e-even just trying to watch her... I d-don¡¯t know what happened.¡± It stopped working? That doesn¡¯t sound right... ¡°Do I need to ask the Goddess of the Moon for help? If there¡¯s an issue with the necklace-¡± ¡°No!¡± Sister shouted before quickly quieting back down, ¡°I-It started working again... but... now s-she won¡¯t respond...¡± ... Did it really? Just like that? If it stopped working like that, we should probably make sure it won¡¯t happen again. Do you just not want the cute little bunny to come over again? ... Maybe I should test it myself. ¡°Do you want me to try talking to her?¡± I asked as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder to touch the necklace. Before she responded, I brought up a panel showing what the little kitsune was up to at that moment. From what I could see, the sun was just beginning to poke over the horizon while the little kitsune was climbing back into the wagon. It doesn¡¯t look like anything bad has happened to her at least. ¡°... P-please do...¡± Sister looked towards the panel as she spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do...¡± I pulled her in a little closer, even though it wasn¡¯t really needed. ¡®Little kitsu-¡¯ ¡°Could you-?¡± I tried to speak up. ¡°No!¡± He interrupted me again, ¡°I chose this jacket specifically because I was going to visit the two of you. You two just wouldn¡¯t understand it. There are so many different fun-looking Deities up here. Some have funky hairstyles, some have markings all over their bodies, there are even a few skeletons up here, and even ignoring all of them just look at the two of you! You have those fluffy ears and oh so so so so so so so so so many tails. If you ask someone what features I have all they¡¯ll tell you is that I¡¯m called John. If they¡¯re really dedicated, they¡¯ll specify the importance of the ¡®h¡¯. Granted, that is still an incredible compliment, but is that really it? You know, it¡¯s not my fault I don¡¯t have ears or a tail. But then, at some point, I realised. Some people up here wear fun clothes; even one of you two did. Those gloves with the claws, BRILLIANT! Though you stopped wearing them a little bit ago. Truly a shame... But this jacket! When I wear this jacket, everyone notices. Yes, that there is John. John is the one with the fantastic coat. Makes me fit in perfectly with the crowd up here.¡± ¡°John, please s-¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry,¡± He stopped everything he was doing and bowed deeply, ¡°It¡¯s a hard habit to break. When you know what¡¯s going to be said, you can¡¯t help but just want to reply. You already know what you¡¯re going to say. I already know what you¡¯re going to say. I already know what I¡¯m going to say. So I might as well say it and save us the time. But as you were going to ask oh so nicely, I will do my best to stop talking over you.¡± ... ¡°Can I-¡± I stopped myself, completely expecting John to interrupt again, but thankfully this time he didn¡¯t, ¡°-talk now?¡± ¡°Go ahead. I expected you might have some questions,¡± He put on this exaggerated grin that made even me feel a bit uncomfortable. ¡°What were you doing down in the Mortal Realm?¡± I asked, ¡°I¡¯m particularly interested in why you decided to talk to a certain kitsune. I¡¯m sure you know who I¡¯m talking about.¡± He waited for an excessive amount of time before speaking. ¡°I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit after being sealed. Even if I wasn¡¯t sealed wasn¡¯t for very long, it just does something to the joints, you know? And you just want to get out there and move, not that either of you have experienced that of course. And you already know that little council that stops us can¡¯t do anything to stop me. Just think about it, they use me to find out if anyone else is planning on making a trip down there. Without me to tell them, they¡¯re none the wiser to my little excursion... Actually, you know what? I just remembered! I¡¯m actually the head of that council! Of course they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me from going on a nice little stroll. I am them!¡± At this point, Sister was completely frozen except for her heart, which I could faintly feel as it was pounding away against me. I could only imagine what was going through her head right now. She came in here panicking, and right as I got her to calm down... John just had to show up... ... ¡°John, you know that wasn¡¯t what I was asking you about. Why did you talk to the little kitsune? What did you say to her?¡± I asked, making it clear that I was expecting an actual answer this time, ¡°This isn¡¯t like you. You don¡¯t normally interfere with the Mortal Realm like this. Not in person.¡± Once again, John waited an excessive amount of time before responding. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to know,¡± John¡¯s response caught me off guard; he¡¯s not exactly someone known for being very direct, ¡°What you can know is that I¡¯m very grateful that you decided to take that one in. She¡¯s a very special person. More than you could even know. I just wanted to give her my regards. It was due course with everything that¡¯s happened. You two just wouldn¡¯t understand it. Everything is just how I wanted it to be.¡± What has that little kitsune gotten herself involved in? ... What have we gotten ourselves involved in? I ran my fingers through Sister¡¯s hair, both to comfort her and to try to calm myself down. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry about this happening again... all too often,¡± John added as he came closer, ¡°As of this current moment, at the very least, I don¡¯t plan on repeating this stunt in particular. Oh, on that note, I actually had a request for the two of you. I need the two of you to keep doing what you¡¯re doing. I thought it would be better for me to tell you in person to avoid a certain meltdown that might have happened in the future. With that, I think I¡¯ve finished everything I had planned to do here. Next time we meet, I really want to go to the other domain instead, the dark one. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve mentioned it before, but I really want to get that glow-in-the-dark jacket out, and there simply isn¡¯t a better place for it, not here or in the Mortal Realm.¡± With that, John spun around, letting his jacket drag in the air before slowly back fluttering down. He really just does whatever he wants... ... And almost no one can stop him... I let out a sigh as I started to prepare myself for Sister¡¯s inevitable outburst, although it turned out that I was just a little too slow. Sister suddenly shot up out of her seat and ran over to John, tripping just before reaching him. ¡°Wait!¡± She shouted as she latched onto his arm and pulled back herself up, ¡°I-I have a question...¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± John said as he turned back around, immediately locking eyes with Sister. ¡°Is... is Kierra going... t-to be okay?¡± John once again paused; however, this time, he felt just a little different as a smile slowly crept its way across his face. ¡°I have no idea.¡± What? Isn¡¯t it your job to know? With that last comment, John managed to free his arm from Sister¡¯s grasp before promptly disappearing. It only took a moment for it to be as if he was never here in the first place. Sister crumpled back down onto the floor, completely speechless. I quickly got down next to her and pulled her into my embrace, holding her tightly. That kind of question can wait until later. I¡¯ve got an adorable Sister who is in desperate need of being doted on. Chapter 68 – Questions Without Answers Chapter 68 ¨C Questions Without Answers ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± We¡¯ve now been travelling for a week, although nothing notable has happened, just like Joran told us. Every day just seemed to be exactly the same, the only difference being where we decided to set up camp for the night. However, in spite of that, it really was only now that things had really started to sink in... many different things. I had really started to miss Mom; now that it was just Ava and me, it was starting to feel a little lonely. Not that I didn¡¯t like Ava¡¯s company; it was just... different. This was also the first week in the last two years that I hadn¡¯t gone to visit the temple... Hadn¡¯t gone to visit Ovia... I thought I would be fine... but it was already starting to grate on me. I knew I could always talk to Ovia with the necklace... but... I¡¯m scared... ... I pulled my hood down to give my ears a break from being held flat against my head. Night had fallen, but I¡¯d decided to just stay in the wagon by myself. I didn¡¯t like showing my ears off... even to the two who already knew... but that was probably just an excuse... I... just need some time... alone... ... ... What am I even doing? Ever since John showed up... Ever since he said those things... I just couldn¡¯t stop thinking about them. I couldn¡¯t stop playing his words over and over again in my head. ... I thought it just... didn¡¯t matter anymore... I thought I¡¯d already given up on it... ... I thought I was... happy... with where I am now... ... My past... It¡¯s all I¡¯ve been able to think about since meeting John. His words had firmly engraved themselves into my mind. That conversation was the closest I had ever been to finding out more about myself... yet... I still didn¡¯t know if I liked what I was told. Unfortunately, those words were all I had... Ever since he brought it up, I had constantly been trying to think back, trying to remember something, anything, from before when I woke up in that alleyway, but all it resulted in were many piercing headaches that refused to go away for hours. Why do I care so much? I didn¡¯t before... I¡¯m... I¡¯m happy now... Aren¡¯t I?... ... I have Ava... Mom... said she would come find me again... I... I know she will... Can¡¯t I just... be happy with that? ... I pulled my pendant out from under my shirt and just stared at it... since the day we had set out, the gemstone in the middle had gotten much darker; in a little over a week, there would probably be no light left in it. I have Ovia... and Aria too... I have so much now... I don¡¯t need anything else... ... I don¡¯t... Looking down at the pendant, I could only feel guilty. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything to Ovia... to respond to her... but I also couldn¡¯t bring myself to take it off. Just hearing Ovia¡¯s voice whenever she greeted me as I woke up or whenever she just checked up on me, even just her talking about whatever she had done that day, helped to calm me down, even if just for a moment. What would she think?... ... I tucked the pendant back into my shirt just as I felt myself starting to tear up. What¡¯s wrong with me? As I tried to distract myself, John¡¯s words once again started playing over and over again in my head. ... There was one thing he said that I just couldn¡¯t get over; it wasn¡¯t the fact that he had apparently grown my body himself or that he had to change my soul to make it fit in the body he had prepared... it was... just... where did my soul come from? He said it was just out of reach... ... Just.... where is out of reach for a God?... Where did I come from?... What... was I? What even am I?! ... I just... ... Why can¡¯t I just be happy with what I have now? ... I¡¯m Kierra... isn¡¯t that all that matters? That train of thought had been playing over and over again just as often as John¡¯s words had, yet it didn¡¯t seem to matter. I could never find an answer to any of my questions. ... Do I... even belong here? John said he got in trouble when someone found out... doesn¡¯t that mean... I¡¯m a problem? ... At that moment, Umbra jumped out of my shadow, carrying my Ovia plushie in their mouth. They quickly sat down on the bench opposite me and set the plushie before staring into my eyes. Why¡¯d you bring that out?... ... I started reaching for the plushie but promptly stopped myself. I don¡¯t... I just... I just... ¡°I don¡¯t know... I really just... don¡¯t know...¡± I instinctually squeezed the plushie that was next to me as I fought to hold back my tears. ¡°Just give it a go,¡± Ava ruffled my hair, ¡°Come back to it when you¡¯re ready, ¡®cause you clearly aren¡¯t at the moment.¡± ¡°...¡± It¡¯s not that easy... ... ¡°Let¡¯s try doing something else then; maybe that will help clear your mind,¡± Ava started to take off her cloak, ¡°Just like you and your adorable ears, I really need to stretch my wings a bit. As I¡¯m sure you can imagine, it doesn¡¯t feel great to have them folded against my back like this.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Even before she finished taking her cloak off, I could guess what was about to happen. Unfortunately, I was a bit too late. As soon as Ava¡¯s wings were free of her cloak, they exploded outwards, filling the entirety of the wagon in little more than a single moment. The sudden movement made Umbra leap all the way from the other bench into my lap just before they were engulfed. ... ¡°Whoops, I... probably should have expected that to happen,¡± She chuckled. Her laugh was strangely infectious and soon enough, I found myself laughing along with her. ¡°Now that¡¯s a much better look for you,¡± Ava said as she slowly brought her wings back in. Wait... Was that... intentional? ... ... ¡°Thank you...¡± I muttered. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡± ... I wish... it was really that simple... ... Despite what I had just said, I knew deep down that it wouldn¡¯t last. These weren¡¯t the kind of questions I could forget about just because I laughed a little. ... I quickly finished off the rest of the stew, this time being able to taste it ever so slightly. Though... I do feel a little better... ... Just a little... ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know if this news will help you, but as of today, we¡¯ve officially passed the halfway point of this trail. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll start feeling better once we can get out and about. I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t have enough time to get lost in your thoughts like this,¡± She wrapped one of her wings around me, ¡°I can promise you that much.¡± ... Would you say the same if... you knew who I was? No, Kierra... Don¡¯t... Please... I... ... Why am I like this? Why can¡¯t I just be... ... Once again, I found myself squeezing my Ovia plushie. The slight chill from its fur helped to calm me back down. ... I... I can... ... I can at least... put on a face... right? I stopped trying to hide the Ovia plushie and just brought it onto my lap right next to Umbra. I know I¡¯m just worrying everyone by being like this... ... ¡°Ooh, looks like you picked up something new,¡± Ava said as she peered down at my lap, ¡°You know what? I bet it would feel great to fall asleep while hugging that nice and tight. Don¡¯t you think? Why don¡¯t you give it a go? Might also help to get rid of those dark circles under your eyes.¡± ... As if agreeing with Ava, Umbra dived back into my shadow, leaving me with the plushie and no way of putting it back. ... Is this supposed to be... Ovia helping me again?... Ovia... Ava... Umbra... ... I can¡¯t keep worrying everyone... I¡¯ll just... ... Later... I¡¯ll think about it later... ¡°Alright...¡± I said, already feeling rather tired due to how little sleep I had gotten recently, ¡°I¡¯ll try... but... can you stay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one to turn down a request like that from my little sister,¡± Ava wrapped her other wing around me, completely engulfing me in her feathers, ¡°Now, get some sleep. I¡¯ll keep watch for you, okay?¡± It didn¡¯t take long until my eyelids were too heavy for me to keep open. Despite that, there was still someone else I needed to speak to, just... to stop them from worrying. ... ¡®Good night, Ovia.¡¯ Before I got a response, I felt myself drift off to sleep. Chapter 69 – A Fox’s Nightmare Chapter 69 ¨C A Fox¡¯s Nightmare My eyes suddenly shot open, although through no will of my own. Somehow, I was already standing. I wasn¡¯t in the wagon like I had expected, yet this place wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to me. It was actually somewhere I knew very well. ... It was my room. The one from back in Casgolau. There was my bed, my wardrobe, and even the scratch marks on the floor from when Umbra would run around. There was nothing else it could be but my room. How did I-?... My first instinct was to try to call for Mom or Ava, but no matter how much I tried, my mouth refused to budge. I brought my hand up to try to force my mouth open, and surprisingly, there was no resistance; although, even as I held my mouth open, I still couldn¡¯t make a sound. If I can¡¯t call for them... I made my way to the door, opening it slowly. ... I don¡¯t know what I expected, but it just was the rest of the house, exactly as I remembered it... almost... While there was nothing strange at a glance, there was an unsettling feeling in the air that seemed to be dangling over me. I walked into the main room, where we would eat every day, but as I did, I noticed something a little unusual out of the corner of my eye. It was the window; there was something about it that just wasn¡¯t quite right. The outside world... it... wasn¡¯t really there. I could see it outside of the window, but it was like the scene had just been painted onto the glass itself. With each step I took, it became more and more obvious. Something wrong... Very wrong... I spun around, looking back down the short hallway I had just walked down. It almost looked like I remembered. All four rooms were there, just like in the house, but at the end of it was an extra door that wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. ... ... As soon as I noticed that it was there, I couldn¡¯t pull my eyes away. My feet started moving by themselves, carrying me closer, yet I didn¡¯t resist. As I stood in front of the door, I placed my hand against it, only taking a few seconds to steal myself before pushing it open. ... That¡¯s not... It can¡¯t be... How?... On the other side of the door was another place I recognised, but it wasn¡¯t supposed to be there. It couldn¡¯t have been there. It was an alleyway... The alleyway... The very one I woke up in nine years ago... with the same muddied cobblestones lining the floor, the same buildings from the shopping street on both sides... everything was perfect... except for the fact that it was here. My mind screamed at me to close the door, to turn around, but my body didn¡¯t listen. As soon as I stepped out into the alley, the door slammed behind me. The sound shocked me out of whatever trance I had been in and I immediately turned around in an attempt to go back, but the door was gone, replaced with the rest of the alleyway. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t given much time to think about what I should do as the once silent alleyway was suddenly filled with the clattering of armour and unintelligible yelling. My heart dropped. What?! What¡¯s happening?! Was it all-? That thought was cut short as I started sprinting. The alleys were a maze, but that didn¡¯t matter; I knew this place like the back of my hand... I had to... I didn¡¯t have a choice... My legs are longer now. I-I can get away! I have to! I ran and ran, yet no matter how much I pushed myself, the sounds continued to draw closer. The scar across my back was growing hot as if telling me what was going to happen... What had to happen. No! Not again! My legs were already burning, but it was nothing compared to the searing heat across my back. Please! Right as that thought crossed my mind, I felt the worst happen. My foot got caught on one of the cobblestones, and I was thrown forward. The world around me slowed, and the scar on my back somehow grew even hotter. I wanted to scream, but my mouth still refused to open. Why?! Why again?! I braced myself for the fall as I was left listening to the clattering of armour, the yelling... it was right behind me. It was about to happen. *Thud* I hit the ground. However, it wasn¡¯t the cold, hard cobblestone floor I was expecting. Instead, I had fallen onto a carpet that wasn¡¯t there just moments before. ... Anything but that. Then, as if sensing my fear, something came up from out of the nothingness. An ear-piercing scream that froze me in place. What was... I... This isn¡¯t right. The scream was familiar... eerily familiar... yet I didn¡¯t recognise it. But that didn¡¯t matter as, once again, the same scream came up from the staircase, only much louder. No. No. No. I tried to take a step back but just ended up falling to the floor instead. The scream came again, and again, and again. It was echoing up the staircase, echoing through the hallway behind me. I tried to cover my ears, but it did nothing. The scream echoed inside my head. I couldn¡¯t get away from it. I wasn¡¯t allowed to get away from it. Please stop. I don¡¯t... I can¡¯t... I could feel it... the fear... this... terror that was in the scream. My heart kept beating faster and faster, each breath becoming shorter and shorter. At some point, my very thoughts were drowned out by the incessant screaming. ¡°Found her!¡± A voice! That voice somehow cut through all the wailing and gave me something to hold on to, something to distract me. I propped myself up and immediately looked around for where the voice came from. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take long, as behind me, just a few steps away, stood a nine-tailed fox, their eyes seemingly an endless abyss. Is that-? No... it can¡¯t be... it wasn¡¯t her voice... The fox slowly approached me before settling in close, wrapping its tails around me. As it did, the screaming finally stopped, the walls fell away, and the staircase vanished, leaving nothing but a familiar dark void. ¡°Kierra!¡± A different voice called out. Ovia?! My ears immediately perked up, but before I even had a chance to turn around and look, I felt her arms tightly embrace me as that familiar chill wrapped around me, helping me to quickly calm down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I-It was a maze in here. I couldn¡¯t f-find you,¡± She spoke quickly, ¡°It¡¯s just a n-nightmare. I-It¡¯s okay now, It¡¯s over. I-I¡¯m here now.¡± Instead of saying anything, I just buried my face in her arms as I felt tears start to well up in my eyes. Just a nightmare?... ... But... it felt... too real... ¡°I guess I should leave you two to it,¡± The fox got up, leaving me leaning up against Ovia, ¡°I will be expecting a reward when you get back though.¡± ¡°T-thank you, Rya,¡± Ovia said as she squeezed me a little tighter. ¡°You can take your time. I¡¯m not rushing you or anything,¡± With that last comment, the fox disappeared completely. Who was that?... ... Shouldn¡¯t I also thank them?... ... ¡°I-I was surprised when you suddenly said g-good night to me,¡± Ovia started talking to me almost immediately, ¡°I wanted to s-say something back, but you had already fallen asleep. S-so I entered your dream but couldn¡¯t find you... so I asked for some help...¡± ¡°...¡± I tried to say something, but my mouth still wouldn¡¯t open. ¡°A-ah um... you don¡¯t need to say anything,¡± She carefully lay me down so that my head was resting in her lap, ¡°Just r-relax... we can t-talk when you wake up!... But only if you w-want to...¡± Ovia then wrapped her tails around me, just as the other fox had done moments before. I quickly grabbed onto one of them and held it close, hoping that Ovia would be able to understand me even if I couldn¡¯t speak. Thank you... Again... ... And... sorry... For not saying anything... ... Even if... I still can¡¯t bring myself to tell you everything... ... Thankfully, nothing else happened after that in my dream. It was simply a peaceful time spent with Ovia until I eventually had to wake up and leave her once again. Chapter 70 – What Have I Gotten Myself Into? Chapter 70 ¨C What Have I Gotten Myself Into? After I woke from that dream, I immediately apologised to Ovia for not speaking to her... although I wasn¡¯t able to tell her why. Admittedly, even after that, things were still a little awkward for a day or two, but I thought it got better after that... Around the same time as that, we stopped travelling through the open fields and entered a large forest. Elwyn had told us that as soon as we got out on the other side of the forest, we would finally be able to see both Haelmor and the sea it borders. Travelling through the forest was a little different, although it didn¡¯t really change what we did each day. The biggest change was probably that the wagons had to move a little slower due to both the condition of the trail and the lowered visibility from all the trees. Just like the first half of the journey, the view didn¡¯t change much from day to day; the only difference was that instead of watching large open fields go by, we were watching the trees as they did the same. That wasn¡¯t to say that the forest wasn¡¯t interesting; quite the opposite. While it might not have done much for my eyes, the sounds and smells were completely different from anything I had experienced before. No matter where we were, I would constantly hear the scurrying of small animals or the sound of birds breaking through the canopy. At one point, I even heard a low growl from what I could only assume was a bear far off in the distance. Thankfully, the bear didn¡¯t seem to have anywhere near as much interest in us as I did in it. And just like that, as quickly as this trip started, it was already coming to an end. The four of us were sat around the fire, watching on as Ava was busy putting together dinner. ¡°Not much longer now,¡± Elwyn spoke up first, ¡°I¡¯d say we¡¯ve got about a day and a half left if we keep going at this pace. It¡¯s funny how time just slips past you like that, don¡¯t you think?¡± ... We¡¯re almost there... ... What does that really mean? I... Why am I even going there? ... ¡°The sooner, the better,¡± Joran huffed. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that,¡± Elwyn poked Joran in the side, ¡°I know you enjoyed your time more than usual. We got quite lucky with our wagon buddies, don¡¯t you think?¡± Joran just sighed in response. ¡°You weren¡¯t the only ones who were lucky,¡± Ava started to ladle her soup into bowls, ¡°This little trip of ours could have been very different with the wrong kind of people.¡± She started to hand the soup out to everyone; however, just as she was about to hand one of the bowls to me, I heard a rustle followed by a low growl off in the bushes. Evidently, I wasn¡¯t the only one who heard this as Joran¡¯s ears twitched in sync with my own. ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to hold off on dinner for a bit,¡± Joran stood up and drew his sword, ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing serious... But better safe than sorry when it comes to something like this.¡± ¡°Do we have ourselves a visitor?¡± Elwyn asked. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably just a wolf, albeit only one, which is a little unusual.¡± ¡°Ah, then we have nothing to worry about. Just go and work your magic over there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not- Ah, whatever, you wouldn¡¯t understand... You three just stay by the fire. Ms Wolf, if anything happens, you¡¯ll be the first to notice, so just... be ready.¡± I nodded before pulling out one of my knives and gripping it tightly. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll be back as soon as I sort this out,¡± He started walking directly over to where I heard the growling. Is he going to be okay? ... ¡°Hey, you really don¡¯t need to be so tense,¡± Elwyn let out a slight giggle, ¡°He¡¯s a wolf beastkin; if we really have been visited by a wolf, we¡¯ll have no issues at all. He can do this interesting thing where he can both understand and be understood by wolves, but it apparently isn¡¯t the same as talking... although I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m telling this to other beastkin... force of habit maybe?¡± He can do what? Wait... can Ava do that? Can I do that? ... But... is it even useful?... I¡¯ve never seen a wild fox... ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that wild animals would usually avoid the wagons?¡± Ava asked as she started eating, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be a bit more worried that one got so close?¡± ¡°Hmm? No, not really,¡± They joined Ava in eating, ¡°He said it was only one wolf. They might have been injured or got separated from their pack for whatever reason. If they¡¯re desperate, they¡¯ll do whatever they think they need to in order to survive. But don¡¯t worry about it, Joran will take care of it. If they¡¯re just hungry, he¡¯ll probably throw them some meat, and they¡¯ll leave.¡± I heard their paws slam into the ground with a single heavy thud. No! I immediately tried to turn my head back, to bring my arms up. I was yelling at my legs to move. To get out of the way. To do anything! But it was just too slow. I could see it coming out of the corner of my eye. The wolf¡¯s teeth glistened in the warm light from the fire. ¡°Kierra!¡± Ava screamed. I heard her take a single step. She was too slow. It would be too late. ... I did what I could to brace for the incoming bite. All I could do was hope that the wolf wouldn¡¯t have the strength to bite all the way through the leather that was protecting my shoulder. ... Ava could just heal me... Right? Please... I started to close my eyes in preparation for what was coming. However, right before I closed my eyes completely, something unexpected happened. *Thud* The wolf was knocked out of the air by what seemed to be a tree branch that came flying out of nowhere. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Joran called out as he came out of the bushes. As I watched him step into the light, I immediately noticed that something was very wrong. Wait... The branch didn¡¯t come from there. I looked off to where I guessed the branch must have come from, only to see vines creeping along the ground towards me. ¡°What¡¯s-!¡± I jumped back to avoid getting tangled up in them. As soon as I had gotten out of the way, the vines shot forward, entangling the wolf before rapidly dragging it back into the bushes. ¡°Get back!¡± Joran called out, ¡°I don¡¯t know what those are, but I¡¯d rather not be the one to find out!¡± Despite the warning, I just stood in place; I had traced the vines back into the forest and saw something... or someone standing there. Even though I could see in the dark, it was hard to make out what exactly I was looking at behind all the cover provided by all the trees and bushes. All I was really able to take note of were their bright blue eyes as they were looking directly at us. They must have noticed me staring pretty soon after that as they started running... or at least I guessed that they started running, but based on what I could hear, they were moving much quicker than I would be able to. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we got lucky because whatever that was decided to run away or unlucky because we ran into it in the first place,¡± Joran placed a hand on my shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard it too. It seems like it¡¯s decided to leave us alone... for now at least... but... it¡¯s going to be a long night.¡± What was- Ava came up from behind and hugged me, ¡°Are you okay? Didn¡¯t you hear me shouting?¡± Her hands started glowing as she started using her magic on me. ¡°She¡¯s alright; nothing touched her... although she could probably use some calming down... She still hasn¡¯t let go of her knives...¡± Joran then looked over at Elwyn, ¡°Go wake up the guy in charge. Tell him we¡¯ll need to pick up the pace tomorrow. We¡¯ll aim to get into town just after nightfall; it¡¯ll be better than risking another night out here.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, I¡¯ll do that,¡± Elwyn scrambled to his feet before heading over towards the tents. ¡°As for you two...¡± He paused for a moment, ¡°Just go sit by the fire... Try to eat something if you can. I think whatever that was was only after the wolf... If I had to guess, it was just cleaning up a straggler that had gotten away. So we¡¯re probably fine... for tonight at least... But stay alert just in case.¡± You said it was fine last time! But the wolf came right for us! And then... ¡°I imagine we won¡¯t get a chance to sleep until we get to town. We¡¯ll have to listen out for it throughout the day as well, so conserve your strength,¡± He let out a sigh before guiding us back towards the fire, ¡°I wish we could just get going now, but it¡¯d be even worse to try to move in the dark...¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be heading out as soon as the sun starts to rise,¡± Elwyn called out from over by the tents. ¡°Good!¡± Joran called back before sighing once more, ¡°You know?... at least we haven¡¯t seen any remnants from that group that was ahead of us... I can only hope that¡¯s a good sign...¡± Ava handed me a bowl of soup, but I just found myself staring into it, not really having much of an appetite after what had just happened. ... What have I gotten myself into? Chapter 71 – Racing Through The Forest Chapter 71 ¨C Racing Through The Forest As soon as the sun broke past the horizon, the four of us made our way into our wagon. At the same time, the man in charge started going to each tent and waking everyone up so they could pack up and get ready to set out as soon as possible. Even though I was only able to hear what was going on outside, I could feel the unease that had spread throughout everyone as they were told what was going on. It felt like only a few minutes had passed before everyone else started making their way into the wagons. Yet, even as the last person got on, we didn¡¯t start moving. What¡¯s going on? I thought we needed to move quickly? As if in response to my question, the man in charge appeared at the back of our wagon, his beret being crumpled up in his hands and two men standing behind him. ¡°U-um... e-excuse me...¡± He mumbled, keeping his eyes towards the ground. ¡°What do you want?¡± Joran huffed, ¡°We could¡¯ve been on our way by now if you lot had gotten up earlier.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for that... I-I¡¯m v-very sorry for that...¡± He took a deep breath, ¡°B-but could I a-ask t-two of you to join the f-front... I-It¡¯s still a little dark... a-and it¡¯s hard to see with all the t-trees... w-we need someone w-who can k-keep watch...¡± Joran let out a sigh that had become all too familiar over these last two weeks, ¡°Fine... I¡¯ll take the front. But I¡¯m warning you now, don¡¯t try anything with those two. I¡¯ll be checking on ¡®em after we stop, and if I hear anything...¡± Joran didn¡¯t finish his sentence, although it was clear he didn¡¯t need to from the faces of the three people standing outside our wagon. Wait what?! New people are joining us?! I... Both Joran and Elwyn then stood up as they made their way out of the wagon. However, just before Joran jumped off, he leaned in close to me and whispered, ¡°If they try to start anything, just let out your best growl; it¡¯ll give them a good spook, and they¡¯ll back off. Trust me.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I responded, more so because it was expected rather than because I agreed with what he said. I could have sworn that he giggled a little after that, but it might have just been my imagination. He just jumped off the wagon before following the man in charge with Elwyn in tow close behind. Do we really have to do this... ... Strangely, the two men who had been left behind didn¡¯t climb into the wagon; instead, they just stood there staring at each other. ¡°Do we really have to get in there?¡± The first man whispered. ¡°What else are we going to do?¡± The other responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know... maybe there¡¯s some room in a different wagon?¡± ¡°Do we really have the time to go check each one?¡± They both fell silent for a brief moment. ¡°Are you going to get in first?¡± ¡°What?!¡± He accidentally stopped whispering but quickly quieted back down, ¡°Why do I have to get in first? It wasn¡¯t my idea to move to the back.¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to get in first, obviously,¡± The man pushed the other forward, ¡°Now hurry up. I don¡¯t want to be left behind with whatever we¡¯re supposed to be running from.¡± The man who had been pushed just clicked his tongue before climbing into the wagon, followed quickly by the other. Once they had both sat on the bench opposite me and Ava, they just pulled the hoods of their cloaks down over their faces. Am I really that scary?... Or is it Ava they¡¯re scared of? I turned to look at her as the thought crossed my mind. She did look a little on edge, but that wasn¡¯t surprising with what took place in the night. No, that can¡¯t be right... ... Before I had the chance to think any further, the wagon lurched forward, followed by a lot of yelling from somewhere ahead of us. We immediately started to pick up speed, moving much faster than we had the previous few days, maybe even moving a bit faster than we had been before entering the forest. The trail itself clearly wasn¡¯t designed to be travelled at speed like that as we were thrown from side to side in the wagon. Ava wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got you,¡± As she spoke she didn¡¯t look at me, instead she looked out the back of the wagon. ... I did the same, looking at the tracks being left behind our wagon. I was hoping to see some tracks from the group that was supposed to be ahead of us, but it was impossible to tell if there were any there amongst all the freshly laid tracks from the wagons up front. By the time the sun had fully come over the horizon, we had started to slow down a little, probably because the horses were already getting tired from how hard they were pushed in the morning. ... Thankfully, not much happened as we continued to move through the forest. The two men who had joined us in the wagon had kept entirely to themselves. Ava kept her arm wrapped around me... And I stayed focused on the forest as it passed us by. Unlike the previous few days, I could hear very little noise coming from the forest. There were no more small animals scurrying about, no more birds flying through the canopies, and no more wind whistling through the trees. The only sound seemed to come from the wagons and the people in them. As their conversation came to an end, we started moving again, albeit much slower than we had been travelling throughout the day. As we did, these tall wooden buildings gradually came into view, signalling that we had finally made it into the town itself. Is it... over now? Are we really done? As soon as the wagon came to its final stop, the two men scrambled out, almost knocking each other down into the mud below in the process. They were followed promptly by what sounded like everyone else having the exact same idea. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait here a bit,¡± Ava squeezed my arm as she spoke, ¡°It¡¯ll be easier than trying to push our way through the crowd.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I did as Ava suggested and just sat and waited as the crowd slowly dispersed. I took the opportunity to take out my pendant and look it over. The gem in the middle had now gone completely dark, just like the sky outside. Is that why she hasn¡¯t said anything? ... ... ¡°Ms Ava, Ms Wolf, are the two of you doing alright?¡± I jumped in my seat a little, but as I turned and looked out of the wagon, I saw that it was just Elwyn poking his head in. ¡°I had hoped I wouldn¡¯t make a habit of scaring you like that,¡± They scratched their chin, ¡°Am I just that scary?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself,¡± Joran came up behind Elwyn, ¡°Do you two have a place to stay tonight?¡± ¡°No, not yet,¡± Ava answered. ¡°Then take this with you,¡± He handed Ava a folded piece of paper, ¡°There¡¯s a map on the back. If you give it to the lady at the front desk, she¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re taken care of... at least for a while.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you be a little more honest with yourself?¡± Elwyn wrapped his arm over Joran¡¯s shoulders, ¡°That place is great. It¡¯s nice and quiet and the old lady who works the front is just the best. It¡¯s much better than trying your luck around town at this time of night. You can take both of our words for that.¡± ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Ava said, ¡°You¡¯ve been a big help the whole time we were on the road.¡± ¡°Oh no, please, the pleasure was all ours,¡± Elwyn immediately started waving his hands around, ¡°If we ignore last night, this was probably one of the most enjoyable escort missions we¡¯ve been on in human territory. It¡¯s honestly almost a shame that we¡¯re having to part ways so soon.¡± ¡°Part ways?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to go around and see about getting a ship off this island first thing in the morning, maybe even later tonight if at all possible.¡± Joran said, ¡°This was only a brief stop on our way up north.¡± Up north? ¡°Even now? Come on, Joran, you need to let your guard down sometimes. You¡¯re going to wear yourself out one of these days,¡± Elwyn giggled. ¡°Whatever,¡± He huffed as he turned around and started walking, ¡°I¡¯ll head down to the pier and see who¡¯s around... It was.... an alright time travelling with the two of you.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind him. You know how he can be,¡± Elwyn sighed, ¡°Hopefully, we will get the chance to meet again one of these days. Who knows, maybe then I¡¯ll be able to hear your name from your own mouth, ¡®Ms Wolf¡¯.¡± With that last comment, he quickly ran after Joran as he waved back at us. ¡°Well... no sense in sitting here any longer,¡± Ava climbed out of the wagon and extended a hand out towards me, ¡°Let¡¯s go find this place... I can¡¯t wait to get in a bed... and I doubt you¡¯re feeling any different.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I grabbed her hand, and she helped me down. The map that Joran had given us was surprisingly easy to follow, although that might just have been because Ava had spent some time in this town before. Not that I was going to complain, as before I knew it, we were standing in front of the inn. What happened next was honestly a bit of a blur as I struggled to keep my eyes open. The little I remember was the old lady sounding very surprised when Ava gave her the note before telling us something as she led us up to a room. There were two beds in the room, but both of us just fell onto the one that was closest to the door. ... ¡°Ahhhh... I don¡¯t think I can get back up...¡± Ava mumbled. ¡°Mm...¡± I responded. ¡°We could just... both sleep right here... can¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Mm...¡± Ava wrapped one arm around me and helped me to get onto the bed properly before laying down next to me. ¡°Good night, Kierra... tomorrow... we¡¯ll...¡± Ava didn¡¯t get to finish her sentence as she fell asleep as soon as she had me in her embrace. ... Admittedly, I wasn¡¯t in much better shape, as my eyelids had already started to give in. Good night, Ava... ... With that last thought, I finally let my eyes close as they had been so desperate to do. Chapter 72 – A Bundle of Feathers and Fluff Chapter 72 ¨C A Bundle of Feathers and Fluff [Ovia POV] What am I supposed to do?! I-I had a plan. We were just going to sit down together. I-I would have Kierra in my lap for the whole day! But... I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away from the bundle of feathers and fluff laid in front of me. T-This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen! Is this e-even allowed?! Thankfully, they were asleep at the moment... I had even picked them up off the floor and put them onto a bed, but... ¡°W-What are we supposed to d-do?¡± I asked, ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t expecting another...¡± ¡°Calm down Sister. If you¡¯re too loud, you¡¯ll wake them up,¡± Ellaria responded as she moved a strand of hair out of the girls¡¯ faces, ¡°Nothing has happened yet, so you don¡¯t have to worry so much.¡± ¡°B-But-¡± Y-You did tell me yesterday that K-Kierra would be here today. B-But not about anyone else coming with her! ¡°The timing was really unfortunate,¡± She said, ¡°I just wanted to surprise her by bringing her here with the necklace, but I didn¡¯t realise that she would be asleep once midnight came along. At this rate, she might be sent back before she wakes up.¡± That¡¯s the biggest problem?! W-What about-? ¡°Maybe I should talk to the Goddess of the Moon about this... I¡¯m sure she could allow the little kitsune a bit of leeway when coming over, at least on the day...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the p-problem!¡± I blurted out. ¡°Shh,¡± Ellaria brought her finger to her lips, ¡°I just told you that we need to be quiet, or we¡¯ll wake them up.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Now, Sister, I know what you¡¯re worried about, but we¡¯re here now, and it¡¯s already happened. No one has come to intervene, so it¡¯s... probably fine.¡± Probably?! W-What if they just haven¡¯t noticed yet?! ¡°If you¡¯re really that scared, do you want me to ask John about it later?...¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°Even if he probably already expects me to...¡± ... I-Is that a good idea? What if he r-really doesn¡¯t know? W-What would he do when he f-finds out? B-but then wouldn¡¯t it be better t-to tell him? I-If he finds out by himself later... W-What¡¯s the right answer? I-Is there a right answer? ¡°P-Please,¡± I eventually responded. ¡°Then, once these two leave, I¡¯ll go and ask him for you,¡± She then started walking away from the bed, ¡°But for now, you should continue preparing to greet your guests... You can think of it this way; since they¡¯re sleeping, you have been given some extra time to make up for the added surprise.¡± ¡°B-But how?¡± ¡°Just be yourself. That little crow has already heard your voice before; all you¡¯re doing is giving her a face to match it to. So how bad can it really go?¡± Ellaria smiled, ¡°And remember, I¡¯m still going to be here, as is the little kitsune; there is only one person you have to introduce yourself to.¡± Ellaria¡¯s words brought a single memory to the surface. The moment Kierra was first brought into my domain... When I tried to speak to her... When the first thing she did was to try and run away from me... ... W-What am I supposed to do? I¡¯m the Goddess of Darkness I-I need to act l-like it... B-But what if I scare Kierra¡¯s sister? What if I scare Kierra again?! ... What¡¯s the correct answer? The thoughts raced through my head, going around and around, never stopping for even a moment. W-What if I just dress the part? S-Should I get my claws out? But then what do I say? H-How do I introduce myself to her?! Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t given enough time to finish thinking everything through as one of the two people on the bed began to stir. D-Did I do it wrong again?! ¡°So that¡¯s who...¡± She muttered under her breath before looking into my eyes, making me flinch a little, ¡°Hello, my name is Ava, Kierra¡¯s one and only sister, but you probably already knew that... I think.¡± ... S-She isn¡¯t scared? What do I say now?! I-I wasn¡¯t expecting to get this far! ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to step in and help out a little,¡± Ellaria came up next to me, ¡°I¡¯m Ellaria, Ovia¡¯s sister, also known as the Goddess of Light, Transformation and Titles, but I would really like it if you would just call me Aria.¡± ¡°Another one?!¡± Ava blurted out, ¡°If I turn away, is a third kitsune Goddess going to appear in front of me? I had guessed that Kierra was talking to someone important at that temple... but this... this is just...¡± The tension in the room was broken by Ava¡¯s stomach rumbling once again. ¡°... I¡¯m so sorry,¡± She said as her face turned just a little pink, ¡°But... do you have a kitchen around here that I could use? Or maybe just something to eat?¡± A Kitchen?! Um... I... I don¡¯t think I do... b-but maybe I could ask Um- ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t,¡± Ellaria answered for me, ¡°The two of us admittedly don¡¯t eat very much, so we have no need for either a kitchen or food.¡± ¡°Is that right?...¡± Ava said as she seemed to get lost in her own thoughts. ¡°Wait!¡± I blurted out as I got a little closer to the bed, ¡°U-Umbra, c-can you bring out something for A-Ava to eat?¡± It was an impulsive decision, but as soon as I came up with the idea, I just couldn¡¯t stop myself. I knew that Ava was important to Kierra, so if Ava was unhappy, it might make Kierra unhappy as well... and I didn¡¯t want to do that to her. ... It took a little over a minute, but eventually, Umbra showed themselves with some jerky in their mouth, which they quickly handed to me. Wait! W-Why are you giving this to me?! S-She needs it! Not me! Umbra disappeared before I could actually bring myself to say anything to them... leaving me standing there with a few strips of jerky in my hand. ¡°You c-can eat this!¡± I said as I immediately swivelled my body around to face Ava. She took the jerky out of my hand with a slight giggle, ¡°Thank you very much, Ovia.¡± My ears twitched as she said my name. It just felt strange to hear it from someone who wasn¡¯t Ellaria or Kierra. She quickly got to work, eating through the jerky at a surprising speed. ¡°So,¡± She started to speak as she finished off the last bite, ¡°I just want to make sure I¡¯m not misunderstanding this, but... has my sister been speaking to two Goddesses?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ellaria responded, ¡°We¡¯ve been looking out for the little kitsune for some time now, although we were planning on keeping it a secret.¡± ¡°That... I just don¡¯t know...¡± Ava leaned back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, ¡°In all honesty... it¡¯s hard to say if that explains a lot or a little... I guess I can at least put a face to the voice I heard... and a name to the sketch I saw all that time ago now... But if that¡¯s really the case... what am I doing here?¡± ¡°W-Well... um...¡± I tried to answer her but just couldn¡¯t figure out how to put the words in the right order. ¡°That was an accident on our part,¡± Ellaria took over, ¡°When the pendant on her necklace was made, I had asked for it to allow the little kitsune to come to visit on the day of a new moon... and you just happened to be touching it when it happened.¡± There was a brief pause as Ava seemed to sort through everything in her head. ¡°So... I guess I¡¯m supposed to keep this secret now...¡± She turned to look at Kierra. ¡°We would much prefer it if you did,¡± Ellaria got a little closer to me, ¡°But then again, I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯ve been overstepping our bounds for a long time now.¡± Ava let out a short laugh, ¡°Then I have just one more question for the two of you... I know that you said that you don¡¯t normally eat, but could you eat if you wanted to?¡± ¡°Yes, that isn¡¯t a-¡± ¡°Great!¡± Ava cut Ellaria off, ¡°Then next time I¡¯m up here... if there is a next time anyway... I need to cook a meal for the two of you. As my way of saying thank you for whatever you¡¯ve been doing for my sister.¡± ... What?! Is that it? T-That¡¯s all your questions? N-Not about what we did? Not about the... m-mistakes I¡¯ve made... ... ¡°I-Is that really e-everything?¡± I asked, ¡°Y-You really don¡¯t have any other questions.¡± ¡°Oh no, I have lots of questions. I mean, who wouldn¡¯t in this situation?¡± She ran her hand through Kierra¡¯s hair, ¡°But it already feels like I¡¯m going behind someone¡¯s back just being here right now... and anyway... whatever you¡¯ve done for her seems to make her happy... and that¡¯s all I need to know... at least until she wants to tell me more, then I¡¯ll ask all the questions in the world until I¡¯m satisfied.¡± Before I even had the chance to say anything else, Kierra started to stir in the bed, and the room fell silent once again. Her hands seemed to wake up first as they started searching around the bed. After a short while, they happened upon her tail, immediately grabbing onto it and bringing it around in front of her, where she gracefully buried her face inside. She¡¯s just too cute sometimes. I started to reach out to run my fingers through her fluffy tail but quickly stopped once I remembered that there were other people in the room. It took a few more minutes after that, but eventually, she opened her eyes and looked directly into my own. Chapter 73 – A Promise for Next Time Chapter 73 ¨C A Promise for Next Time What¡¯s happening?! I had just woken up... at least, I thought I had woken up. Ovia and... Ava?! My eyes quickly darted from one to the other, trying to figure out which one I was imagining. How has-...? This isn¡¯t... Is it-? Before I was even able to finish that thought, I was hugged from both sides, with Ovia on my left and Ava on my right. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay,¡± Ava whispered into my ear, ¡°No need to panic.¡± I instinctively grabbed onto both of their arms to see if they were really there. ¡°... Is this... a dream?¡± I asked hesitantly. ¡°No, this is very much not a dream,¡± Aria suddenly walked into view from behind me. If I hadn¡¯t been held so tightly, I probably would have jumped out of bed from the surprise. It seemed like everyone I knew was showing up in this one room. ... Does that mean-? I looked off to the other side, hoping that maybe Mom would appear just like everyone else had... But, unfortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. ... ¡°Morning, Kierra,¡± Ovia said as she hugged me a little tighter. ¡°... Morning,¡± I replied reflexively. I don¡¯t understand... All of this... it¡¯s... ... ¡°... Are you sure it¡¯s not a dream?¡± Even though Aria had already told me that it wasn¡¯t, it was just too hard to believe. The temple is all the way back in Casgolau... How could I get here? ... How did Ava get here? Wait! Ava is here?! She found out about Ovia?! My breathing gradually quickened as I slowly started putting everything together piece by piece in my head. So many things that I hadn¡¯t even imagined happening were playing out in front of me. ¡°I-It isn¡¯t a dream,¡± Ovia said, ¡°I can guarantee it.¡± ¡°I think it would be difficult for you to disagree with the Goddess of Dreams about this,¡± Aria came a little closer, ¡°But unfortunately, you don¡¯t have too much time left with her. You spent most of your time sleeping peacefully right here.¡± Sleeping? ¡°Now, the two of you probably want to make the most of the time you have left, so,¡± Aria extended a hand out towards Ava, ¡°I¡¯ll take the little crow with me so you can have some time alone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in any position to argue,¡± Ava said as she released me and grabbed Aria¡¯s hand. The two of them then quickly left the main room with the lights that were hanging in the air following close behind them, leaving me and Ovia sitting on the bed... alone... in the dark... ¡°Ah!¡± Ovia released me, ¡°You¡¯re probably still tired! Why don¡¯t you lie down?! It will be easier than sitting up like this!¡± I wasn¡¯t given the chance to answer as Ovia carefully made me lay down before pulling the covers up over me. ¡°Is that better?¡± She asked, ¡°If you¡¯re uncomfortable, just tell me. I¡¯ll do whatever I can.¡± ¡°Mhm... but...¡± I strained my neck to look up at Ovia as I spoke, ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to talk to you like this...¡± ¡°Oh, um... I know!¡± To my surprise, she lifted up the covers again before laying down opposite me on the bed, ¡°Is this any easier?¡± ... I... I thought she was just going to walk around to the other side... ... But... I don¡¯t dislike this... ¡°Mhm,¡± I responded. ¡°Good! Um... I had some things planned for today... but we... don¡¯t have enough time left to do them...¡± I admittedly didn¡¯t pay much attention to what she was saying, as even though I had heard her voice many times before, there was something about it that felt different at that moment. Maybe it was just because of how close she was to me; maybe it was just because I was still feeling a little tired... maybe it was because of something else entirely... ... Did you always sound like this? I¡¯ve never really thought about it... It¡¯s just something I realised I could do well... ... ¡°Do we... need to do anything?¡± I eventually asked after not being able to come up with an answer, ¡°I just... I just want to spend time here... with you...¡± ¡°No. No, we don¡¯t have to do anything. It¡¯s just...¡± She paused for a while before continuing, ¡°We always sit together and talk... but now that we can talk whenever we want... and I can¡¯t see you as often... I thought it would be a good idea to do... more... but if you don¡¯t want to...¡± I saw the smile on her face fade ever so slightly, and my heart sank. No, that¡¯s not what I meant! I just... I can¡¯t come up with anything... Seeing you is enough for me... even if that doesn¡¯t make any sense... I don¡¯t want to ask for any more than that... ... But... I don¡¯t want to see you like this... ... ¡°... What do you want to do?...¡± For some reason, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look her in the eye as I asked her, ¡°Maybe it could give me some ideas...¡± Her face immediately lit up, and she started flicking through the notebook. ¡°I have lots of things I want to do with you!¡± She said excitedly, ¡°But there is one thing in particular I really wanted to try doing... although Ellaria said I should ask you first, so I couldn¡¯t do it today... but now maybe we can!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Well... I noticed that you always wore the same thing when you came to visit me... and...¡± She brought a hand up to her hair clip, ¡°I remember when you put this on for me... So I wanted to... give you some clothes to try on... Once I started thinking about it, I just really wanted to see you in all sorts of things...¡± ... I... don¡¯t mind... ... But... I don¡¯t want you to be disappointed... What if I don¡¯t look as good as you wanted? ... I¡¯m... I¡¯m not like you... you would look good in anything... I know it... Anyone who sees you would know it... ... If you dressed up instead... At that moment, an idea came into my head. ¡°... If you are going to give me some clothes to wear... can I give you some clothes too?¡± I asked while avoiding eye contact. This way, even if I don¡¯t look that good, at least she¡¯ll have some new outfits to keep... ... I do want to see Ovia wear some different colours... ¡°That...¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°... is a great idea!¡± She started frantically writing things down in her notebook. ¡°We can bring clothes for each other and then show them off! I love it! I get to see you in new outfits...¡± She suddenly went quiet, ¡°And I also get to see what kind of clothes you like.¡± Hearing Ovia¡¯s comments, I suddenly felt very self-conscious. ... ¡°B-But... when I¡¯m picking out clothes... can you look away?...¡± I asked while feeling my face start to heat up, ¡°S-So it¡¯s a surprise!¡± I didn¡¯t want to admit that it was actually because I would be embarrassed knowing that Ovia was watching me pick out the clothes that I wanted to see her wear. ¡°But what if-¡± She stopped herself, ¡°... Can I ask Ellaria to watch you instead?... Just to make sure nothing happens... after your story, I¡¯m just a little worried...¡± ... But that¡¯s- No... I can¡¯t argue with that... ¡°That¡¯s okay...¡± I said, ¡°But she can¡¯t tell you what I pick out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell her that... I promise.¡± As she smiled, I felt an all too familiar feeling come over me. Already? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s... already time...¡± She awkwardly shuffled across the bed before wrapping me in a hug, ¡°Goodbye, Kierra... for now... I¡¯ll make sure we can do what we planned next time, definitely.¡± ¡°Mm...¡± I wrapped my own arms around Ovia¡¯s body, ¡°Until next time.¡± As those last few words left my mouth, I felt her presence gradually slip away. Chapter 74 – Breakfast At The Inn Chapter 74 ¨C Breakfast At The Inn As soon as I could no longer feel Ovia¡¯s presence, I opened my eyes to find Ava sitting on the side of the bed. ¡°They seemed nice,¡± She said as she reached out and patted my head. ¡°Mm...¡± I struggled a bit to get myself out of bed, realising quite quickly that my body was still feeling a little weak from our last day on the road. ¡°Hey now, you don¡¯t need to push yourself,¡± Ava got off of the bed and helped me onto my feet, ¡°We¡¯re here now. We can take things a little easier for a bit... and to be completely honest with you, I¡¯m not in the best shape myself.¡± ¡°... That... sounds good...¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you think so,¡± She laughed a little as she spoke, ¡°But for right now, how about we get out of these clothes and put on something a bit more comfortable? I, for one, could go for a big breakfast right about now.¡± Without me saying anything, Umbra came out of my shadow, already carrying two fresh sets of clothes for the two of us. Were you... waiting for us? ¡°Well done Umbra,¡± Ava gave Umbra a scratch under their chin as she took the clothes and divided them up, ¡°Kierra, I¡¯ll face away while you get changed first.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said as I took my clothes from Ava. The outfit was nothing fancy, just a pair of shorts and a reasonably comfortable shirt. Not that it really mattered all that much what I wore, as I wasn¡¯t planning on taking my cloak off while we were out. As I took off my shirt, I took a moment to hold my pendant in my hand. The gem had the slightest sliver of light on it once again... I ran my finger over the stone, hoping that just maybe I could rub it off and go see Ovia again... But nothing happened. ... Umbra hopped back into my shadow as I quickly got changed, watching Ava¡¯s back the whole time to make sure she didn¡¯t go against her word... even though I already knew she wouldn¡¯t. When I finished, I went up and lightly tapped Ava on the shoulder. ¡°All done?¡± She asked as she turned around, ¡°Guess that means it¡¯s my turn now.¡± Without even waiting for me to look away, she immediately started undressing. I immediately spun around, feeling a little embarrassed. All I heard from that point on was a faint giggle, the ruffle of feathers, and the quiet sound of clothing falling to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m all dressed now.¡± Looking back, the clothes she had put on weren¡¯t all too different to mine, although, unlike me, she had already put on her cloak. ¡°So, should we go see what we can do about breakfast?¡± She asked. ¡°Alright,¡± I reached for my cloak before quickly throwing it on and pulling the hood up over my ears. ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep the hood up anymore if it isn¡¯t comfortable. This place is a little bit more relaxed than Casgolau.¡± Relaxed? ... But you¡¯re still hiding your wings under your cloak. How relaxed could it really be? ... I just kept my hood up as I made my way to the door, although Ava quickly ran in front of me and opened it before I could even put a hand on it. ¡°After you,¡± She said as she gestured into the hallway. ¡°Mm...¡± The two of us made our way down the stairs to find the old lady from before sitting behind the front desk. As soon as she saw us she smiled and waved for us to come closer. However, as I looked at her, I noticed something obvious that I had somehow completely missed the first time we saw her. On the top of her head were two wolf ears. ¡°You two must have had quite the journey to get here,¡± She said as she started rummaging behind the desk, ¡°You slept for a whole day... Oh! But don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t go into your room. Those two boys came and told me that you¡¯d need some space.¡± Boys? ¡°Ooh, that sounds great.¡± ¡°Oh, it is. Especially when you¡¯ve just come off a long journey like you have,¡± She smiled as she spoke, ¡°You just don¡¯t get the chance to experience good slow-cooked food when you¡¯re always on the move. It makes it that much better when you finally get to settle down for a bit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to see about that.¡± ¡°I hope you do.¡± The two of them just started laughing together before eventually calming back down once footsteps could be heard at the top of the stairs. ¡°It looks like I¡¯m going to have to leave you two now,¡± She stood up and dusted off her dress, ¡°But I hope you have a lovely stay while you¡¯re here.¡± Daleia then made her way back behind the bar as people started asking for breakfast. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan for today?¡± Ava immediately turned towards me, ¡°You can whisper if you want to, but I¡¯m sure no one is paying attention to us.¡± What¡¯s the plan for today?... ... ... I... don¡¯t know... ... I just came here because of the note... ... ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± She asked. I promptly nodded but still couldn¡¯t come up with an answer to her first question. ¡°I¡¯m... not sure... I don¡¯t know what to do now...¡± I whispered into Ava¡¯s ear just to be sure no one could hear me. ¡°Hmm... that makes things a little difficult... I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to just sit in the inn though. I did promise that I¡¯d make sure you wouldn¡¯t have the time to be lost in your thoughts,¡± She smirked, ¡°I know that I might not be the best guide in the world, but I¡¯ve at least come through here before so it¡¯ll be better than nothing.¡± ... I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to her. I knew she meant well, but all she did was bring up the memories of when she made me that promise. ... ¡°Hey, you probably just don¡¯t know what to do because you don¡¯t know what you can do out here,¡± She wrapped her arm over my shoulder, ¡°We can just take a day or two to walk around the place. I¡¯m sure something will catch your eye eventually. There¡¯s so much here that you probably couldn¡¯t even imagine after being stuck in Casgolau for so long.¡± ¡°Mm...¡± ¡°Look, how about this? We go see what this place is known for! The port! You¡¯ll get to see the port itself, the people that live here, the boats as they come and dock,¡± Her face suddenly lit up, ¡°Oh! And the sea! I still remember the first time I saw it. I almost didn¡¯t believe it was real. It just kept going and going and going, as far as the eye can see, many times over at that.¡± But... I know what the sea is... ... Is it really that impressive? ... ... But what else am I going to do? I do want to find clothes for Ovia... but I have a whole month... I can¡¯t spend a whole month doing just that... ... ¡°Okay,¡± I eventually gave in. ¡°Then let¡¯s head out right away,¡± She got up from the table before stretching, ¡°I¡¯m sure you want to get out of here before this place gets too crowded for breakfast after all.¡± Chapter 75 – The Port of Haelmor Chapter 75 ¨C The Port of Haelmor Ava and I quickly made our way out of the inn, and I was immediately overwhelmed by what I saw. Unlike inside the inn, where people were only just coming down the stairs looking for breakfast, everyone outside seemed to have a place to be. People were practically racing up and down the street, but somehow, no one bumped into each other. In many ways, what I was watching was almost like a carefully choreographed dance... and unlike everyone else taking part, I didn¡¯t know the moves. How are we supposed to go anywhere? ... ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Ava grabbed me by the hand, ¡°If we¡¯re going to see anything, we need to get moving !¡± Before I could even try to respond, Ava started pulling me through the crowd. I braced myself for the oncoming wave of people, yet... nothing happened. Ava and I were almost running down the street, but somehow, we didn¡¯t bump into a single person. Every time I thought I was about to, they just effortlessly stepped to the side as if it was nothing other than an everyday occurrence. However, that in itself wasn¡¯t the most surprising thing; instead, what overtook my mind was this strange sense of de?ja? vu. Everything about this felt familiar to me, to the point that I soon found myself stepping out of the way of people without even having to think about it. It didn¡¯t take long before the two of us arrived at the dock, although the first thing we did was spend a little bit of time walking along the dock to find somewhere a little quieter. We ended up finding a place right at the end of the dock where there weren¡¯t as many people. ¡°So... what do you think?¡± Ava asked as she gestured out to the sea, ¡°It¡¯s a little different from what you¡¯re used to, isn¡¯t it?¡± If I were to describe the town in one word, it would have to be ¡®breathtaking¡¯. No matter where you looked, the town just felt alive, there were so many people walking about, working or even just socialising with each other. Most of the buildings were made entirely from wood, with only a few other materials used for decoration, sitting in stark contrast to Casgolau¡¯s stonework. Running along one side of the harbour was a row of stalls, each selling something completely different to the one next to it, many selling things I couldn¡¯t have even imagined even if they were described to me. The people themselves were much like that as well; while most were human, it was clear that quite a few were not, even if I didn¡¯t know what exactly they were. Strangely, however, there was a surprising amount of rabbit beastkin, probably second only to the number of humans that were wandering about the place. Even looking out at the sea, while it itself wasn¡¯t much to look at, the ships that filled it more than made up for it. Each was covered in different emblems and decorations that were clearly from lands far away from here. One in particular that caught my attention had the emblem of a bright red fox emblazoned on the main sail, although from what I could see, all the crew were rabbit beastkin. While everything that immediately caught my attention was incredible, the waterfront itself definitely was as well... but not in the same way. To me, at least, it seemed like a miracle that the harbour was still standing. There were many holes running along it, even some places where it seemed entire piers were just missing, leaving nothing but lone stumps in the sea. My thoughts were all but confirmed by all the debris that was just left floating in the water. ¡°It¡¯s... a lot...¡± I responded, unsure of how exactly to put it all into words. ¡°And that¡¯s what¡¯s great about this place. So much comes through here, from things to people and even cultures. It¡¯s this little amalgamation of so many different places that just makes it feel unique... especially compared to most places in human territory.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably the most open place you¡¯ll find on this island...¡± As she spoke, she looked out towards the sea. I did the same and just spent some time peacefully watching... it was almost hypnotising in a way. As I watched the ships as they bobbed around the in water, the seagulls as they flew through the sky and even the people running up and down the dock carrying large crates and other items, everything else seemed to just stop for a moment... Which left me with time to think. ... What am I doing here? ... I made my way all the way here... but why? What do I do now? ... What did I even do before? ... I just... lived with Ava and Mom... waiting to go to the temple to see Ovia each week... Do I just... keep doing that? But how can I?... Mom isn¡¯t here... The house isn¡¯t here... The temple isn¡¯t here... ... I said I wanted this.... I said I wanted to become an adventurer... just so I could tell Ovia all my stories... My own stories... ¡°Good, and just in time too. It looks like one of the ships is coming into dock.¡± I looked out towards the sea and saw that it was the ship with the fox emblem heading towards the waterfront. As it got closer, I could see more rabbit beastkin coming out onto the deck, while at the same time, a crowd of people started to form just in front of the pier it was heading towards. What was a little strange, however, was that the crowd wasn¡¯t just workers preparing to help the ship dock, but many of the people that were previously just standing around the harbour socialising had also gathered, although they were standing quite a bit further back than the workers. As the ship got closer, they started closing the sails and slowing down just before a number of people carrying ropes began to line the side closest to the pier. However, something strange happened the moment they tried to throw the rope down to those waiting on the pier. For a very brief moment, it looked like everything was fine. The people below hadn¡¯t caught the rope, but it had still landed on the dock. At least, that¡¯s what I thought I saw, yet as soon as I blinked my eyes, I saw that the same rope had actually just been thrown into the water. What? That... That doesn¡¯t make sense. I rubbed my eyes, wondering if maybe I hadn¡¯t gotten as much sleep as I thought I had. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Ava said as she stood up. It seemed that we weren¡¯t the only ones who had noticed that something wasn¡¯t right, as the crowd of people were already running away. The ship itself, while it had slowed down a little, clearly hadn¡¯t slowed down as much as it should have. *Crash* The ship rammed into the port, stopping only once it had run through the entirety of the pier, opening a fairly large hole in its side. Fortunately for them, the hole was above water, so the ship didn¡¯t seem like it was going to sink, but it was still a considerable amount of damage just by itself. ¡°Have they never done this before?¡± Ava asked, ¡°I¡¯m surprised they even managed to set sail if that¡¯s the skill of the crew they¡¯re working with.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± While I didn¡¯t know much about sailing, I knew that something had to have gone very wrong for something like that to happen. The people in the crowd immediately started shouting loudly about what had happened, and my ears instinctively started to focus, trying to make out what exactly they were saying. ¡°Again?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the fifth one this week!¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with the piers? They¡¯ve worked fine as long as I¡¯ve been here, but with this happening so often...¡± ¡°We already had to stop people trying to dock at night because of this, we can¡¯t stop them during the day as well!¡± ¡°How many piers do we even have left?¡± ¡°Is this going to be fixed by next week? We have a large shipment coming in.¡± From their comments, along with the state of the port on the whole, it was clear that this wasn¡¯t an uncommon incident. Looking back at the ship, I noticed that a small rowing boat was being set down into the water; on it were four rabbit beastkin and one hooded figure. Were they just carrying people? But why would they only transport five of them off? I¡¯m sure they could fit more in there. ... ¡°Wow... I...¡± Ava stumbled over her words, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what to do... I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t what you were hoping to see today... and it¡¯s far from what I was planning on showing you...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I reached out and grabbed onto Ava¡¯s sleeve in an attempt to stop her from worrying. You didn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Hmm... maybe we should go look at something else... since there isn¡¯t much we can do about what happened down there... but we can definitely do something about our mood!¡± She suddenly sprung back to life, ¡°How about we go through some of the streets instead? Maybe you could end up finding something that catches your interest! I just really don¡¯t want your first impression of this place to be where ships ram into the waterfront... especially because this was the first place you ever wanted to go to... You wanted to come here, so I need to make sure you have fun!¡± ¡°... Okay.¡± As soon as I answered Ava pulled me up onto my feet before shouting out, ¡°Then off we go again!¡± Right after her triumphant cry, I heard her stomach start to rumble loudly and ended up having to stifle a giggle. ¡°And maybe we¡¯ll go get some lunch at the same time...¡± She said awkwardly as she led the way forward. Chapter 76 – A Hint of Spice Chapter 76 ¨C A Hint of Spice As soon as we had arrived at what looked to be one of the main streets, Ava dragged me over to a small stand that was selling a variety of skewers. She quickly grabbed a few of them before paying with the money Daleia had given us back at the inn. ¡°You can take whichever you want to try,¡± She tilted the bag of skewers towards me, ¡°I just grabbed whatever looked interesting.¡± Ava¡¯s selection of skewers was certainly interesting, with each having a different combination of meats and colourful vegetables. I just grabbed one of them at random after deciding that, ultimately, no matter which one I picked, it would probably taste good if it caught Ava¡¯s eye. ¡°Thank you.¡± The skewer that I ended up with looked fairly simple, just some cubes of meat broken up by different coloured peppers. Biting into one of the cubes of meat, I was a little taken aback by the taste. I was expecting it to be beef, but the flavour was very different; it was a little milder, slightly early, and maybe even a little sweeter, but it was definitely very tender. That wasn¡¯t to say that the peppers were any less incredible with just how smokey and tangy they were, being a perfect compliment to whatever meat was used. Ava bit off a cube from her skewer before she said, ¡°You¡¯re really enjoying that, aren¡¯t ya? Maybe I need to go pick some stuff up so we can try making our own later.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Without even thinking about it, I hummed in agreement, with my mouth still very full. ¡°Alright, I hear you loud and clear,¡± She chuckled a little as she spoke, ¡°As soon as we¡¯re done eating, we can go and see if we can find what we need. Although, if I¡¯m being honest, this is probably the wrong place to go looking for meat... so I¡¯ll have to hold off on finding you some lamb.¡± Lamb? Is that what this is? I only paused for a moment to make sure I took a mental note of what I was eating, but not any longer than that, as I immediately finished off my skewer before being offered another by Ava. ¡°You don¡¯t need to rush. We have a lot to get through after all.¡± Ava wasn¡¯t lying when she said we had a lot to get through, as by the time we finished off all of what she had bought, I was feeling a little too full. We just sat down for a short while in an attempt to let all the food we had just eaten settle, but at some point, I started to get a strange feeling again. It was very similar to when my hood was blown off, that feeling of being watched, yet somehow also a little different. That initial feeling hadn¡¯t even gone away; this was just something else I was feeling on top of it. Almost like a different set of eyes had found me, but unlike before, there was this uncomfortable familiarity there at the same time. I looked around, trying to see if I could find who it was, but just like before, there wasn¡¯t anyone I could see looking back at me. ... My first instinct was to ask Ovia about it... but I didn¡¯t want to bother her just because I thought I could feel someone looking at me... not again anyway. She was already checking because of the first time I brought it up after all... ... My thoughts were interrupted by Ava standing up before she said, ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve really waited long enough for everything to settle, but we really should get moving if we¡¯re going to get through this street today.¡± She extended her hand out towards me, and I happily grabbed onto it as she lifted me to my feet. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, this place gets a little busy, so try to stick close to me, okay?¡± Rather than saying anything, I just squeezed her hand. She responded simply by smiling before guiding me down the street while still hand in hand. The feeling of being watched wouldn¡¯t go away, so I tried to distract myself by taking note of the stores we were walking past just in case I saw something that interested me. As I started paying more attention to the buildings around us, I was almost immediately hit with just how different this place was from the big shopping street back in Casgolau. In Casgolau, each store had intricately constructed displays and large painted signs, all wrapped up in a building that would be breathtaking even if the store wasn¡¯t there. Here, the buildings were much simpler, signs were nothing more than the name of the store written on a board and the displays, if there even were any, seemed to be little more than an afterthought. Yet despite all that, these stores were incredibly busy, with people going in and out like clockwork, yet never actually taking anything out of the store with them. As we continued to walk, I did take note of a few stores that caught my attention for later; in particular, there was a store with rolls of fabrics out on display, along with a few items of clothing that might have been a good place to put together an outfit for Ovia. There was also a store selling various items of jewellery right next to it, which would be convenient if I ever went there in the future. Among all the stores we went past, there was even one that caught my attention for the wrong reasons. They mainly had paints and dyes out on display, but the reason I even looked over at them in the first place was actually because of the smell. Even though we were just walking past the store, I started to feel a little light-headed from the scent alone, along with a minor headache that only got worse the longer we lingered around. Sure of what?! Do you know me?! No, you couldn¡¯t. You¡¯re not talking to me. I¡¯m... I¡¯m just imagining it. ¡°Hello... anyone home?¡± A hand started waving in front of me, breaking my line of sight to Ava. The hand had delicate fingers adorned with sharp red nails and many rings. My eyes started following the arm back by themselves, quickly arriving at a cloak that somehow seemed a little familiar to me. No, don¡¯t look. If you look- Please. Despite my silent pleas, I just couldn¡¯t fight against my curiosity and slowly started to look up... only to be met with a hooded figure. Wait- I- As soon as I saw the hood, I realised why the cloak seemed familiar. I had seen them before; they were the person who I saw get off the boat after it crashed into the pier. ¡°There you are.¡± As soon as she said those words, my body screamed at me to run, but all I could manage was to bring my hands up. No... No... I... No... They started to extend a hand towards my hood, and I immediately pulled back, accidentally bumping into the wall behind me. No, not again! I knew it would happen again! ... ¡°Oh, um, I-¡± Suddenly, a hand appeared on the hooded person¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I think you¡¯re scaring them,¡± The person behind them said. ¡°I can see that,¡± The hooded person immediately retorted, ¡°I¡¯m trying not to do that right now.¡± As I looked up again, I saw that the person who had just stopped the hooded person was actually one of the rabbit beastkin who was also on the small row boat after the ship crashed. ¡°Hmm... Oh, what am I doing?¡± The person turned towards me once again, however, this time, they lifted their hood such that I was the only person who could see what was under it, ¡°Maybe this will make you more comfortable.¡± ... I couldn¡¯t help myself and ended up taking a look at their face. They were a woman with piercing golden eyes and red hair... a lot of red hair... styled into intricately crafted curls that made it look fluffy. But by far, the biggest surprise was what was sitting on top of her head. Two ears. She was clearly a beastkin, but not a rabbit-like those around her. They were a set of ears that I was all too familiar with. She undoubtedly had the ears of a fox. ¡°You¡¯re finally looking at me,¡± She said as a grin slowly spread across her lips. Chapter 77 – Two Kitsune Walk Into a Store… Chapter 77 ¨C Two Kitsune Walk Into a Store... Why is this happening? I... I don¡¯t know what to do?! My eyes darted back over to where Ava was just a moment ago, but she wasn¡¯t there. Where-?! Thankfully, it only took a second of frantically looking around for me to find her again. She had moved over to what looked to be a stack of crates containing peppers while still talking to the same employee. ¡°Hmm?... Even though I¡¯m right in front of you, you really don¡¯t give off much of a presence, do you?¡± The red-haired kitsune continued talking to me, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised I even noticed that there was another kitsune around at all... maybe I¡¯ve just gotten sharper over the years.¡± What?! ¡®How does she know?!¡¯ ¡®When did she see?! Was it my ears?! Or maybe it was my tail?!¡¯ While panicking a little, I both clutched onto my hood to make sure that it was still in place while also tucking my tail between my legs to make sure it wasn¡¯t poking out. ¡®Kierra, calm down,¡¯ Ovia¡¯s voice took me by surprise, ¡®S-She... um... I don¡¯t know how to explain it...¡¯ ¡®Explain? Explain what?¡¯ I accidentally asked before even giving her a chance to explain. ¡®Um... She didn¡¯t see under your hood...¡¯ ¡®How do you know?¡¯ I asked immediately, my panic still not subsiding. ¡®I was watching because you were worried before... What she did was different; it¡¯s just... i-it¡¯s like an instinct! Y-you¡¯ve probably felt it before as well, but just not noticed...¡¯ Her voice suddenly got a lot quieter as she continued, ¡®Because... the only other kitsune you¡¯ve met are Ellaria and me... so, of course, you wouldn¡¯t know...¡¯ ... Ovia¡¯s vague explanation actually made a strange amount of sense... or at least based on what was in front of me; I couldn¡¯t deny it at the very least. I looked back over at the red-haired kitsune. It was true that I could feel... something... It was the same feeling I had when I first started walking down the street. That feeling of being watched, or maybe being noticed would be a better description. Wait... if I really did feel her watching me... ... Where is this other feeling coming from? That feeling that came over me when my hood blew off still hadn¡¯t disappeared; if anything, it was even stronger now that I knew it might be more than just me imagining things. What made things worse was the fact that now I knew where that sense of familiarity came from; I knew that whatever else had noticed me was someone, or maybe even something, that I didn¡¯t know anything about. ¡°Not one for talking?¡± The red-haired kitsune looked around the room for a moment before focusing back in on me, ¡°Hmm... wait... can you talk? I really hope I¡¯m not being rude to someone I just met.¡± Why are you still talking to me? Once again, I looked towards Ava, hoping that somehow she would feel my eyes on her back and would turn to see what was happening. Yet, no such thing happened. ¡°I think you¡¯re just being a little too forward to someone you¡¯re meeting for the first time,¡± The rabbit beastkin from before pulled the red-haired kitsune back a little. ¡°I am?¡± She asked, sounding genuinely confused, ¡°Then what do you think I should do? I can¡¯t think of any other ways to go about this.¡± The rabbit beastkin let out a sigh, ¡°Why don¡¯t you start by giving them your name?¡± ¡°What? But I haven¡¯t had to tell anyone my name in years.¡± The rabbit beastkin didn¡¯t say anything in response. ¡°Well... nothing to lose I guess,¡± She turned back towards me, ¡°I¡¯m Elenia. What¡¯s your name?¡± Why won¡¯t you just leave me alone? ... ¡°Still not good enough?¡± She asked as she brought a hand up to her chin, ¡°And I was so happy to see someone else from the village... although... now that I¡¯m looking at you, I¡¯m surprised you were allowed out of the village... have they become more relaxed since I last visited? I thought you had to be quite a bit older before being allowed out into the wider world.¡± Village? ¡®What village?¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ I tried to ask Ovia, but strangely, she didn¡¯t respond. ¡®Ovia?¡¯ ¡°But I really don¡¯t want to end this conversation here. I wonder if you could- No, wait, I have just the thing for this.¡± She carefully removed one of the rings from her little finger. It was a gold ring, but it bore the same red fox emblem that I had seen on the sail of the ship from earlier. She closed the ring in her hand before a faint orange glow encompassed it. ¡°Just keep this on you,¡± She said, holding her hand out towards me, ¡°If you show this to the people at the front door, they¡¯ll take you straight to me. Oh, and if you show it to any of the merchants around here, it should make things a lot easier.¡± I looked at the ring, almost mesmerised by the soft orange glow stuff surrounding it. Is it a good idea to accept it? ... I cautiously looked up at her face, and she immediately looked me right back in the eyes. She¡¯s... not going to leave until I take it... is she? ... ... Reluctantly, I reached out to take the ring, but just before I could grab it, Elenia slipped it onto my index finger with surprising precision. As soon as it made contact with my skin, a heat started to spread through me, although it was only brief, and as it subsided, so too did the glow that came from it. ¡°Now that¡¯s yours and only yours. I don¡¯t want to be seeing it on the market somewhere,¡± She said, ¡°And trust me, if it¡¯s on the market, I¡¯ll be able to find it.¡± ¡°Guild master, it¡¯s starting to get dark,¡± The rabbit beastkin interjected. Wait, a guild master? Elenia? She¡¯s a-? ¡°You know we¡¯ll end up working through the night anyway,¡± She patted the rabbit beastkin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°But I guess you¡¯re right. Might be able to squeeze in an hour-long nap if we¡¯re quick.¡± ¡°I would very much appreciate it,¡± He responded. ¡°Well, you heard him. I have to go for now, but you know where to find me,¡± She said as she quickly started to leave the store, ¡°Oh, and please do make sure to visit; I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have the time to come find you like this again.¡± What do you mean I know where to find you? You didn¡¯t tell me that... As I looked back up, she, along with the rabbit beastkin, was already gone. ¡°They seemed... nice?¡± Ava said. Did they? ... ¡°Hey, I thought you¡¯d be more excited to see another kitsune. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve met one that wasn¡¯t you... well, wasn¡¯t you or your friends. And she was even nice enough to pay for our order.¡± What?! She paid for us? What if she wants that money back? She wouldn¡¯t do that for no reason... ... ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much,¡± Ava wrapped an arm around my shoulder, ¡°She might have invited you to talk to her again, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to go. But if they try force you, well... let¡¯s just say they¡¯ll find out exactly what this crow is capable of.¡± I wasn¡¯t able to hold back a chuckle after hearing Ava¡¯s bold declaration, but at the same time, I couldn¡¯t deny that it did make me feel a bit better. ¡°That¡¯s a better look for you, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Ava chuckled a little herself before continuing, ¡°Alright, now, they¡¯ll take a while to put our order together, so we¡¯ll have to come back to pick everything up. So, for now, I think we should head back to the inn and get some sleep; quite a lot happened today after all.¡± How much did you buy that it¡¯ll take that long to put it all together? ... ¡°Okay,¡± I decided not to ask the question that was on my mind so as not to ruin the moment. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± She started to push me out of the store, ¡°The sooner we get there, the sooner we¡¯ll be able to dig into that braised lamb shoulder Daleia was bragging about... even if we¡¯re still a bit full from lunch.¡± Chapter 78 – Finding The Right Words Chapter 78 ¨C Finding The Right Words [Ellaria POV] ¡°Ell- ... No. Aria... I need some help,¡± Sister said as she sheepishly stepped into my domain. I did nothing but stare back at her in disbelief for a moment. Sister had actually called me Aria without me having to say anything. Something big must have happened. But I was watching the little kitsune the whole time... Is this something else? ... It took a few more seconds before I was able to break away from my thoughts and respond to her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come sit next to me and tell me what exactly is going on?¡± I moved over to one side of the bench as I spoke before patting the now available space. Without saying anything, Sister quickly came up next to me and sat down before immediately proceeding to rest her head on my shoulder. Do you try to be this adorable? I carefully ran my fingers through her hair, almost immediately noticing that it was a little more ragged compared to when I had seen her in the morning. ¡°So, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± I asked. ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Look, you came to me for help. How am I going to help you if you don¡¯t tell me anything?¡± ¡°... It¡¯s about Kierra,¡± She eventually admitted with a sigh. ... So this is about the little kitsune. ¡°Why don¡¯t you start from the beginning? Because I didn¡¯t notice anything unusual myself,¡± As I spoke, I brought out the panel showing what the little kitsune was currently doing. Looking at it, I could see that the little kitsune had gotten back to the inn safely and was in the middle of eating her dinner. ¡°You were watching?¡± Sister asked as she saw what I was doing. ¡°Of course I was watching. You¡¯re not the only one who wants to keep an eye on her... especially now that John has taken an interest in her.¡± The silence that followed my comment went on for an uncomfortable amount of time before I said anything else. ¡°Sister? You still need to tell me what you need help with,¡± I said as I moved her bangs out of her face, ¡°All you¡¯ve told me so far is that this problem of yours has something to do with the little kitsune.¡± ¡°I... I don¡¯t know how to say it...¡± ... When was the last time I saw you acting like this? ¡°Then how about you just tell me what happened? One step at a time? Then we can sit here and try to figure this out together.¡± ¡°...¡± It took a while still before Sister started speaking again. ¡°I... I was talking to her... She met another kitsune and started panicking... s-so I tried to calm her down, to explain what was happening...¡± ¡°Does that mean this problem has something to do with the kitsune she met?¡± I asked. ¡°No?... Yes?... I...¡± She swallowed loudly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything special... I just tried to explain that feeling you get when meeting another kitsune... but...¡± ¡°Sister,¡± I interrupted her before she got too far along, ¡°I remember a time, about two years ago now, when you asked the little kitsune to share her name with someone.¡± ¡°But that was your idea...¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I spoke quickly so as to not give her the time to argue, ¡°You were the one who asked her, telling her all about how she should show off her name because you gave it to her.¡± Sister¡¯s face went bright red after that comment. ¡°And do you remember what happened? The little kitsune went and pushed herself to do it, even passing out in the process. But, what came out of it, in the end, was her relationship with the two she now considers her family,¡± I grabbed onto Sister¡¯s arm and pulled her out of my fluff, ¡°So I just think she doesn¡¯t know how to make that first step, or maybe she just doesn¡¯t know if she can make that first step. I¡¯m sure once she starts talking, the rest will come naturally... as long as it¡¯s what she wants of course.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°No buts,¡± I interrupted again, ¡°You said that you wanted my help, so I¡¯m going to give it to you. What we¡¯re going to do is give Kierra a simple task with a reward at the end. Something that would encourage her to step outside of her comfort zone a little.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I even already have an idea of what task we can give her.¡± ¡°What is it?...¡± She asked quietly. ¡°Well, she ran into that red-haired kitsune today, didn¡¯t she? She would be a good person to talk to even if just because she¡¯s also a kitsune,¡± I said, ¡°The little kitsune was also interested in the village, and who better to tell her about it? If anything, it all seems a little too obvious.¡± ¡°... But... I could also tell her about the village...¡± ¡°Yes, you could... and so could I... but that isn¡¯t all this is about. You want her to try to talk to more people. If you just give her all the answers, then she won¡¯t need to, not now or in the future.¡± Sister thought about it for a while before finally giving her answer to my suggestion. ¡°... Okay... But what about the reward?¡± She adjusted the way she was sitting in my tails so she was upright, ¡°You said we needed one...¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the easy part,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smirk, ¡°All you need to give her is a single wish.¡± ¡°A wish?!¡± Sister blurted out, ¡°B-but... that¡¯s... not enough... I know it isn¡¯t... A wish from me...¡± As she spoke, her face once again started to look a little red. ¡°I think it will be more than enough,¡± I giggled slightly, ¡°If you¡¯re okay with it that is.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s all it takes... I can do that...¡± She looked off into the distance, ¡°What would she wish for?...¡± ¡°Then it sounds like we¡¯ve got a plan,¡± I clapped my hands together, startling sister a little, ¡°All we need to do now is put it into practice.¡± I pulled the panel back in front of us to check on the little kitsune and saw that she was just going up to her room in the inn. ¡°And it looks like the perfect opportunity is already presenting itself in front of us.¡± Sister¡¯s eyes were immediately glued to the panel, watching the little kitsune¡¯s every move. ¡°Sister?¡± I shook her a little to get her attention. ¡°Yes... I will. I¡¯ll do it... as long as it helps...¡± She wrapped her hand around her pendant as I watched her prepare herself. ... I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how you should be getting ready... You need to relax a little more. ¡°Oh, and by the way,¡± I leaned in close to her ears and whispered, ¡°Congratulations on getting over your stutter.¡± Her blush only grew, yet she didn¡¯t say anything back, just continuing to focus on the panel in front of her. ¡°Remember, I¡¯ll be right here if you need any help,¡± I wrapped an arm around Sister¡¯s shoulders in preparation so that I would be able to hear what was going on, ¡°But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do just fine.¡± Chapter 79 – Do I Tell Them? Chapter 79 ¨C Do I Tell Them? It had been a long day. First, there was the surprise meeting with Ovia, which was only made more surprising when I noticed that Ava was also there. Then we got to go out and see the city, even if we just ended up seeing a ship run into the pier instead. We did manage to go shopping in the end... but all I had to show for it was the ring I had been given by Elenia. It was still on my finger, forcing me to remember that it was there through the ever-so-slight warmth it constantly gave off. Despite that, there was another feeling looming over me. That feeling of being watched had hung over me the whole day, not letting up for a moment, even after I had entered the inn. ... I quickly finished off my plate, barely taking enough time to process the flavour. It was definitely good; I could see why Daleia was so confident in her cooking. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t want to spend any more time in that crowded place than I needed to. ¡°You¡¯re already done?¡± Ava said after she swallowed a mouthful of her own food, ¡°I¡¯m struggling to get even this much down after how big our lunch was, yet here you are with a clean plate.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t say anything in response, just keeping my head down. ¡°Hey, you can head up first if you want to,¡± She said as she brought out a key and placed it on the table in front of me, ¡°Just... try not to fall asleep too quickly. I¡¯ll need you to let me in once I¡¯m done down here.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered as I took the key. Ava just went back to eating as I left the table and made my way towards the stairs. After that, it wasn¡¯t long before I was stood in front of the door to our room. As I pushed the key into the keyhole, I immediately felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as if something had just been lifted off of my shoulders. What was-? My thoughts were stopped in their tracks as I almost immediately realised what had changed. That feeling of being watched had just disappeared all of a sudden. It didn¡¯t make any sense. Maybe it would have if it had disappeared once I was inside the room, but it disappearing like that was just... strange. I decided that thinking about it probably wouldn¡¯t change anything, so instead, I just made my way into the room, making sure to lock the door behind me before falling onto the bed closest to the door. As soon as my head hit the pillow, it was like all the events of the day hit me at once, holding me in place. It was like I traded that heavy feeling hanging over me for a heavy body as fatigue started to set in. My eyelids were already struggling to stay open, but I knew I had to stay awake for when Ava tried to get in the room. Hopefully, she doesn¡¯t take too long... I don¡¯t know how long I can hold on for... ... ¡®K-Kierra!¡¯ Ovia¡¯s hurried voice shouted in my mind, helping to wake me up again. ¡®Ovia?¡¯ Even if it was unlikely, I had to make sure that it was really her and not me just imagining things. ¡®Yes, it¡¯s me. Can we... talk?¡¯ ... ¡®Where did you go earlier?¡¯ I asked, a little worried about how she had abruptly stopped responding to me earlier. ¡®I went to talk with Ellar-¡¯ Her voice cut off momentarily before quickly resuming, ¡®Aria about something... T-That¡¯s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.¡¯ Is Aria there as well? I couldn¡¯t come up with any other reason as to why Ovia would abruptly correct herself like that. ¡®I- um... We have a task for you... something we want to ask you to do while you¡¯re in Haelmor.¡¯ It was rare for Ovia to directly ask me to do something for her, which only made me want to listen to her requests more, even if it was just a way for me to repay her for everything she had done for me. ¡®What do you want me to do?¡¯ ¡®Today you met another kitsune... Elenia... I... I don¡¯t know how to say this.¡¯ Ovia¡¯s hesitation was making me a little more anxious, but I also knew that she wouldn¡¯t ask me to do anything dangerous. However, despite that, I couldn¡¯t deny that the longer the pause was, the worse I started to feel. ¡®Ah, alright. I would like you to take her up on her offer to continue your conversation from today.¡¯ I could feel my heart stop for a moment as her request sank in. I didn¡¯t know what to do, what to say. I was willing to do anything she asked, but this... was difficult... I really didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone I didn¡¯t need to; I didn¡¯t want to take any risks. Despite that, I knew that I couldn¡¯t turn her down with that as my only reason. However, before I was able to say anything to her, Ovia spoke up again. ¡®There¡¯s something specific for you to ask about... so it should be a little easier... Earlier, you seemed interested in the village that Elenia mentioned... I was hoping you could ask her about it.¡¯ ... ¡®Why?¡¯ I accidentally said to her, confused as to why she would ever need me to ask someone about a village when she could probably just see it for herself at a moment¡¯s notice as a Goddess. There was another awkward pause before Ovia replied. ¡®So... Um... Both Aria and I know about the village... b-but we know about a very different version of that village because... it¡¯s where we grew up. It¡¯s where all kitsune grow up, even now...¡¯ Her voice got a little softer, ¡®We... We thought that talking to someone about it might help you to remember something... about... before...¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ My blood ran cold as her words played over in my mind. She wasn¡¯t doing this because she needed something for me; she was doing this because she wanted to help me... but... I... What do I do? I can¡¯t- I-I don¡¯t know. Ava didn¡¯t say anything in response, yet I could see from her expression that she was thinking about it. ¡®Specifically, what I would like to ask is if you could go with her just in case anything happens, even though you probably already would. I had just hoped that you would be able to help her with what she¡¯s been tasked to do, maybe even help encourage her if you think that it¡¯s appropriate.¡¯ ¡°I mean, of course I¡¯d go with her,¡± Ava said as a matter of fact, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t just let her wander around this place. She¡¯s only been here a day. If I lost her, I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯d do with myself.¡± Wait... I... I don¡¯t know if I can do it... I haven¡¯t said yes... I haven¡¯t said that I¡¯m going to do it... I... I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to say. ¡®Oh, and for the little kitsune. Sister left out an important detail of her request,¡¯ Aria giggled slightly, ¡®Once you¡¯ve completed this little task, you¡¯ll receive one wish from Sister. What that wish ends up being? Well, that is entirely up to you.¡¯ ... I didn¡¯t know how to respond. It was all too clear that Ovia and Aria were trying to help me... even I could see that much... and now Ava was also getting involved. This wasn¡¯t something they needed me to do for them; it was something meant entirely for me... but I knew something they didn¡¯t. Something I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell them out of fear for what might follow. A wish from Ovia... How much must she trust me... I could ask her for anything... ... They... just want to help... ... I... I can¡¯t... ... I... I know that the answers I want aren¡¯t there. I know I won¡¯t find what they want me to. I don¡¯t... want to disappoint them. ... I... Maybe I can just ask... if I ask and just say that it didn¡¯t help me remember... ... But should I lie to them?... Could I even lie to them?... ... Aren¡¯t I already lying to them by not telling them what I know? ... I... I just need to ask a question... I ask one question, and everyone is happy... ... Everyone that needs to be at least... ¡®... I¡¯ll try.¡¯ I eventually responded. In that moment, I was glad that I had spoken through the pendant; if I hadn¡¯t, I knew that the words would have gotten stuck in my throat before they even got close to coming out. ¡®That¡¯s great!¡¯ Ovia suddenly shouted, ¡®And remember, I¡¯ll be watching as well!¡¯ ¡®Alright now, let¡¯s let the two of them get some sleep,¡¯ Aria said, ¡®It would do no good for them to be left wandering around town while half-asleep tomorrow.¡¯ At that moment, Ava took her hand off the pendant and jumped back onto her bed. ¡°Well, you heard them,¡± Ava said as she picked up the pillow she had knocked onto the ground, ¡°And I very much agree. Sleep is great... and I, for one, could really use some.¡± She brought the covers over herself before continuing. ¡°I¡¯ll just get changed in the morning. I don¡¯t think I have it in me right now to figure out how a shirt works.¡± With that comment, Ava quickly fell asleep. I honestly wasn¡¯t in a much better state myself and lay down on the bed, once again feeling the day¡¯s fatigue take hold. Sleep was so enticing that even the thoughts racing through my mind weren¡¯t enough to keep my eyelids open. ¡®Goodnight Kierra.¡¯ ¡®Goodnight Ovia...¡¯ With those last words, sleep finally took hold of me. Chapter 80 – The Best Way To Tackle a Difficult Task Chapter 80 ¨C The Best Way To Tackle a Difficult Task The next morning, Ava and I both ended up sleeping in until noon. Ava was the one who woke up first, and she clearly didn¡¯t waste any time at all before she made her way over to my bed and woke me up; at least, that¡¯s what I thought with the way her eyes were straining themselves just to keep themselves open. The two of us washed up and got changed surprisingly quickly, mainly spurred on by Ava¡¯s worry that the streets outside would be too crowded if we didn¡¯t hurry. She said that it was almost time for lunch, and if we got out even a little too late, we¡¯d be swept away in a wave of hungry workers. Because of that, we ended up skipping breakfast and just made our way outside. It was only when we were standing in front of the inn that I finally felt like I had woken up fully. ¡°Alright, I say that our first course of action for today is to get you sat down in front of Elenia,¡± Ava said. ¡°What?¡± I responded immediately. Already? I-I just got up... I haven¡¯t had time to plan! I-I need time! I don¡¯t know what to say! ¡°What do you mean ¡®what¡¯? You were given a task to go and talk to her, and I was asked to help you with it. I saw how you were getting cold feet about all this yesterday, and the best way to deal with that is just to go and get it over with as quickly as possible,¡± Ava explained as she grabbed my hand, ¡°Now... where exactly are we supposed to find her?¡± ... I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to win an argument against Ava, so I decided to just tell her what she told me the day before. ¡°... She just said that we¡¯d know where to find her,¡± I whispered under my breath, still not feeling ready to go see her yet. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right...¡± Ava thought for a moment before continuing, ¡°If she was that confident that we¡¯d be able to find the place, it¡¯s gotta be pretty obvious, right?... I remember that they called her guild master... I guess the first place we should look is where most of the guilds are based, and lucky for us, I already have a good idea of where that is.¡± Before I had the chance to respond to her, Ava immediately started walking, dragging me through the streets while constantly looking back to check up on me. Thankfully, this didn¡¯t last too long, as we arrived at the place Ava had mentioned after only a few minutes of walking. The street itself didn¡¯t look all too different to the shopping street we went through yesterday. By and large, it was just more of the same wooden buildings; there was still a seemingly impossible number of people walking up and down the street, and there was still a lack of signage; the only real difference would be that there were even fewer displays. ¡°I guess we just need to start looking then,¡± Ava said as she glanced up and down the street, ¡°I¡¯m hoping that the place really just jumps out at us... otherwise, we might be here a while... checking each building one by one.¡± ... I don¡¯t know what the better option is... ... I wouldn¡¯t mind the extra time. ... Despite my thoughts, I did help to look around. Unfortunately, in doing so, my eyes were immediately drawn over to one building in particular. Out of all the wooden buildings along the street, this one was an outlier; not only was it much larger than those around it, but the building itself was mostly made from brick and decorated with intricately crafted white accents. It just seemed so out of place in this town, as if someone had taken a building from somewhere else entirely and transported it to that spot. From what I could see, there were four floors, as well as a semi-exposed spiral staircase going up one corner of the building. On that staircase, I could see people racing up and down with stacks of paper in their hands, somehow managing not to bump into anyone else while also not missing any steps. However, even amongst all that, there was one thing in particular that stood out like a sore thumb. A large emblem hung over the front door, a red fox, not unlike the one adorning the ring Elenia gave me. ¡°Hmm? Did you find-?¡± Ava stopped herself as she looked over at where I was facing, ¡°Ah... I... can see why she was so confident that we¡¯d be able to find her...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Now wait a minute,¡± Ava placed her hand firmly on my shoulder, squeezing it just a bit, ¡°You can¡¯t just throw us out for no reason like that. Elenia told us to come and meet her here.¡± ¡°Oh, I very much can, and I very much will.¡± If Ava hadn¡¯t held me in place, I would have already run out the door. Even though the man wasn¡¯t shouting at us, there was something about his tone of voice that made me feel even smaller than I already was. Why are we doing this? She clearly doesn¡¯t want to meet us if this is the person she left to greet us. M-Maybe she was just being polite when she said she wanted to continue our conversation. Maybe she didn¡¯t mean it. Ava then nudged me before whispering, ¡°You have the ring she gave you, right?¡± Ah... ... While still panicking, I reluctantly held my hand up and showed off the ring that Elenia had given me. The man leaned in closer to have a look at it but only took a second before standing up straight and scoffing. ¡°Well, I must admit, that¡¯s a pretty well-made fake... Unfortunately, you clearly didn¡¯t do enough research on us,¡± He said, ¡°Only the Guild Master wears a golden ring, and I¡¯m afraid neither of you looks like her.¡± He held up his own hand, showing off an almost identical ring to the one I was given, but instead of gold, it was silver. ¡°It¡¯s not our fault that this is the ring she gave to us,¡± Ava retorted, ¡°You can go and ask her yourself.¡± ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m not going to waste the Guild Master¡¯s time over the two of you,¡± He then lifted up a blank piece of paper from behind the desk, ¡°If you really want to waste someone¡¯s time, I can test if that ring is real right now in front of you. Hold your hand out; it¡¯ll only take a second.¡± I did as he told me to, not wanting him to get any more annoyed with us than he already was. However, as soon as I did, Ava clicked her tongue, showing just how annoyed she herself was getting. If he sends us away... then i-it isn¡¯t my fault I couldn¡¯t meet Elenia... ... The man then laid the piece of paper on top of the fox emblem on the ring before saying, ¡°If this is real, which we all know it isn¡¯t, we¡¯ll see-¡± The man froze up as he watched the piece of paper. Where it had made contact with the ring, there was a scorched imprint of the same fox emblem. After a moment of silence, the man quickly scrunched up the piece of paper and dropped it to the floor behind the desk in a single motion. Then, without missing a beat, he came out from behind the desk with his hands folded neatly in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry about all that. Right this way,¡± He gestured towards a set of large double doors, ¡°I hope you will let me guide you to the best of my ability, however unsatisfactory that may be.¡± The abrupt change in his demeanour caught me completely off guard. If anything, it made me want to leave this place more than when he was annoyed with us. ¡°There we go, that¡¯s a much better look for you,¡± Ava teased. ¡°Yes, I very much agree,¡± The man immediately responded. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go then,¡± Ava extended her hand out towards me with a smile on her face, ¡°It finally looks like we¡¯re getting the treatment we deserve.¡± I instinctually grabbed onto her hand, but in doing so, I realised just how sweaty my palms had gotten from that short exchange. Not that I had long to linger on that thought as we were quickly led further into the building. Chapter 81 – Just One Word Chapter 81 ¨C Just One Word Even the hallways of the building were highly decorated. However, I wasn¡¯t able to spend any time appreciating any of it as we were rushed forward by the rabbit beastkin. ¡°The Guild Master has been very busy since she came into Haelmor yesterday,¡± He said as we climbed the stairs, ¡°I hope that you can give her the benefit of the doubt if she is a little... occupied at the moment. If that does happen, I¡¯ll make sure to remember your faces the next time you visit us here so that this doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± Once we were at the top of the staircase, the number of people moving about the hallway greatly decreased, with only a few important-looking people moving between rooms. ¡°Where exactly are we going?¡± Ava asked. ¡°I am taking you to m-... the Guild Master¡¯s office,¡± He awkwardly fumbled over his words, ¡°It¡¯s the room at the end of this hallway. I don¡¯t think you would miss it, but it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. If you got lost in this place, I would be beside myself.¡± True to his word, it would have been incredibly difficult not to notice the office at the end of the hallway, with its large double wooden doors standing out even amongst all the other extravagant embellishments throughout the building. As we got closer to the door, it became easier to identify the intricate carvings decorating it. From what I could tell, it was a mural of the sea, dotted with ships of many sizes, yet all of them had the same fox emblem decorating them. Yet, most interestingly, each of them also had what looked like a large fire burning from their masts. ¡°I won¡¯t interrupt your conversation, but if you ever need anything while you¡¯re here today or at any time in the future, please come find me,¡± As he spoke, he slowly pushed the door open before gesturing inside, ¡°I hope you have a most pleasant time.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Ava said as she strutted into the room. The man didn¡¯t say anything, instead just holding the door open until I followed behind Ava and entered the office. Inside was Elenia, although this time she didn¡¯t have her cloak on. Letting her red curls cascade down her back as if they were a stream of flame. She had two fox ears atop her head as well as a single fluffy tail, both dyed the same bright red as her hair, albeit growing a little darker towards the tips. She was pacing back and forth, talking to herself while pulling out folders and flicking through them before either putting them back or placing them on a desk. ¡°What do they mean there¡¯s nothing on the market?¡± She mumbled, ¡°These things don¡¯t just vanish into thin air like this... Where else would they even have ended up?¡± ¡°Ahem, you have some guests,¡± The man announced. ¡°Guests? I don¡¯t rememb-¡± She stopped speaking as soon as she looked over at us, ¡°Oh, those two! I didn¡¯t expect them to come by so soon. Thank you for showing them here, Tybalt.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± He said as he closed the door. ¡°Go on now, take a seat. I¡¯ll be with you in a moment,¡± She said as she picked up a few of the loose documents scattered about on the desk and placed them into an empty folder, ¡°You can even take the big seat if you¡¯re brave enough.¡± My eyes were immediately drawn to the overly embellished throne sitting behind the desk. What do you mean if we¡¯re brave enough? What would happen? ... Instead of thinking about it anymore, I just sat on one of the two couches in the room instead. Thankfully, Ava did the same, settling in right next to me before bringing one of my hands into her lap and squeezing it gently. It wasn¡¯t any more than a minute before Elenia sat on the sofa opposite us, placing the folder she had just put together down on the coffee table that sat in the middle of us. ¡°So, I see that you¡¯ve met Tybalt,¡± Elenia spoke first, ¡°I hope he didn¡¯t treat you too poorly. I hadn¡¯t told him that I was expecting some visitors because, well... I didn¡¯t expect the two of you to come find me so soon. In truth, I expected to wait for a week or two before trying to find you out on the streets again.¡± She chuckled to herself for a second. ¡°However, I must ask, even if he gave you a rough time today, I hope you can forgive him. He¡¯s actually the branch manager here, if you can believe it. If you sit him down in front of a stack of papers or send him into a negotiation, he¡¯ll do the best work you¡¯ve ever seen. But outside of all that, he¡¯s a bit... Well, I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to explain,¡± She leaned back on the couch, ¡°We¡¯re currently in the middle of setting up an extra office for him since I¡¯ve taken this one from him while I¡¯m here, but it¡¯s not ready yet. So he¡¯s been let loose, so to speak.¡± ¡°He¡¯s that important?¡± Ava asked, ¡°I just can¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°Like I said, he really does do some of the best work; it only makes sense for him to be in charge of this place. Usually, he¡¯s kept in check by a constant stream of work coming his way, but since I¡¯m here to sort out one of the larger issues that have been plaguing him, he¡¯s managed to squeeze in some free time,¡± Elenia said, ¡°He originally started by hauling cargo for us, but his coworkers just couldn¡¯t stand him and locked him in an office back in his hometown. He was let out a few hours later, but all the paperwork left in the room had miraculously been sorted, and some of the calculations on them were even corrected. I decided to make use of him as soon as I heard about him. But anyway, these stories probably aren¡¯t what you¡¯re here for. Since you came to me so quickly, I imagine there¡¯s something on your mind, and you think I¡¯ll be able to help with it.¡± An awkward silence filled the room as neither Ava nor I replied to her. Ava? Are you not going to say anything? ... I looked towards Ava but just saw her staring right back, clearly waiting for me to speak up first. The silence was briefly broken by the sound of Elenia crossing her legs and leaning forward. But all that did was make me feel even more anxious about what was about to happen. What am I supposed to ask her? I... I know that Ovia told me to ask about the village... But... how do I do that? ... Elenia¡¯s jewellery clattered as she brought her hands into her lap. ¡°Now, for my second question... although maybe this would be more of a request.¡± Wait, that wasn¡¯t what we agreed on! ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult to talk to someone who is hiding their face. So my second question to you is... Can you please take your hood off? Even if just for a moment so I can put a face to your name.¡± What! But that¡¯s-! I-I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen! What if she sees my hair?! Do I need to hide it?! My hand reached for my hood, but instead of removing it as she asked, I just pulled it down further. I can¡¯t do this. Not this. I felt Ava¡¯s other arm wrap around my shoulder and pull me close, but it didn¡¯t matter. What Elenia was asking was just too much... There was no way I could know what would happen... What she might do if she saw... me... ... ¡®You will be okay, I promise.¡¯ This time, Aria spoke to me, ¡®Nothing bad is going to happen to you if you remove your hood, I promise.¡¯ ¡®How can you promise that?!¡¯ I snapped back, ¡®How can you know?¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t need to worry about that, you just need to trust my words,¡¯ She immediately responded, ¡®You don¡¯t need to worry about your hair, you¡¯re not in Casgolau anymore... If my words aren¡¯t enough, I can also promise you this, if anything happens to you because of this, both Sister and I will personally do something about it. Does that make you feel any better? You¡¯ve got two Goddesses and your sister by your side. You aren¡¯t alone.¡¯ I¡¯m not... I know that... Of course I know that... ... But... But... I couldn¡¯t come up with a rebuttal to what she said. I just didn¡¯t want to do it; I didn¡¯t want to take that risk. ... But I knew... I knew that they wanted me to... how could I not with what they were saying to me? With how they¡¯re pushing me... ... ... Is there another way? ... I... I don¡¯t know... Ever so slowly, the hand holding onto my hood began to rise. Yet, even then, I still hesitated. Is this really the right thing to do? ... ¡®Kierra, just listen to me,¡¯ Ovia¡¯s voice pushed all the other thoughts out of my head, ¡®I know you¡¯re scared. This... This is a lot... But I know you can do it. I know you¡¯ll be safe. I... I just want you to see that for yourself...¡¯ ¡®Ovia I...¡¯ I couldn¡¯t put any words together to reply to her. Instead, I just played the few words that she said over in my head once again. ... Okay. ... For you. With that brief confidence, I finally lifted my hood off. Chapter 82 – The Roots of The Kitsune Chapter 82 ¨C The Roots of The Kitsune I couldn¡¯t look her in the eye. All I could bring myself to do was hold my breath and brace for what was coming. What were you thinking?! ¡°Oh my...¡± Elenia muttered. I immediately flinched, my body already trying to jump out of the chair and get to the door or maybe even the window if it was closer. It didn¡¯t matter what it was; I just needed to get away from here! But I couldn¡¯t. Ava had her arm wrapped around me, and she wasn¡¯t letting me move even an inch from where I sat. I shouldn¡¯t have done this! ¡°That¡¯s quite a rare combination of traits you have.¡± ... What? ¡°Your hair is such a pure shade of white that it almost seems like an illusion, but that might as well be trivial compared to your eyes...¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t think I have ever seen someone with clear grey eyes like yours.¡± My eyes? Not my hair, but my eyes? I slowly looked up at Elenia¡¯s face, only to see her golden eyes looking back at me. She didn¡¯t get up; she didn¡¯t lunge at me, she didn¡¯t try to grab me. She just... looked at me. ¡°The more I look at them, the more I think that you¡¯re someone very special, even if I don¡¯t really know what exactly that means,¡± She leaned back on the sofa again, ¡°Anyway, you answered my two questions; so it¡¯s only fair that I now answer yours.¡± Is that it? Is she really not going to do anything else? I... ... I was left speechless. I just couldn¡¯t figure out what Elenia¡¯s intentions were. Even as I looked into her eyes, I didn¡¯t see any animosity, any anger, if anything, her gaze reminded me of- ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. You can ask your question now,¡± Ava nudged me a little, ¡°You¡¯ve seen that nothing is going to happen to you.¡± Is that really true? ... I wasn¡¯t sure if anyone could see them, but I could feel tears welling up in my eyes for some reason. But before they even had a chance to fall, I wiped them away with my sleeve and tried to just think about the task I had been given by Ovia. ... ¡°The village... c-...¡± The words got stuck in my throat as I tried to ask my question, ¡°Can you... tell me about it?...¡± ¡°You want me to tell you about the village?¡± Just from her voice, I could tell she was very confused. Nobody said anything after that, leaving the room in complete silence aside from the quiet ticking of a clock. Of course, she¡¯s confused! What did I expect?! Ovia told me all Kitsune grow up there! I didn¡¯t think this through enough! How do I fix this?! ¡°Were you-¡± Elenia finally started speaking again after what felt like a small eternity, but with each word, my heart beat faster and faster, ¡°-born outside of the village?¡± ... Everything stopped for a moment. As those thoughts crossed my mind, my mood took a downward turn. Something started to weigh down my stomach, but I knew exactly what it was. It was the guilt from hiding what I knew... from lying to everyone. ¡°Unfortunately, aside from the founding myth, the village isn¡¯t all that different to any other village. It¡¯s just a little out of the way,¡± Elenia said as she sat back down on the sofa opposite us, ¡°What is special about it is the people there... and there¡¯s someone in particular I think you would like to meet.¡± ¡°Who?¡± I found myself asking the question without thinking. ¡°The village elder,¡± She replied, ¡°They have eyes that can see into the soul, or at least that¡¯s how they explain it. If they look into your eyes, they can tell you many things, but what you might be interested in is the past. Even if you yourself can¡¯t remember, apparently, your soul never forgets.¡± The soul... What would they see if they looked at me? ... Would they see where I came from? ... Would that even be a good thing? What would they say to me? They would know that I... I didn¡¯t let myself finish that thought. ¡°Now, I might be overstepping, but... I want to take you to the village,¡± Elenia said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to you, and I won¡¯t try to get you to tell me about it either.¡± What? ¡°You don¡¯t need to look so surprised. I know when it¡¯s not appropriate to pry. Just... I want you to know what I¡¯m thinking.¡± ¡°What do you mean you want to take her to the village?¡± Ava asked, pulling me close. ¡°It¡¯s only an offer. I won¡¯t force her to,¡± Elenia picked up one of the papers she had set on the desk, ¡°I would only be able to do so once I¡¯ve finished business here anyway, so it will take a while. Oh, and of course, you could come as well. I¡¯m not in the business of splitting up families.¡± ... To go to the village... I... ¡°I¡¯ll... think about it,¡± I eventually said. I didn¡¯t know what might happen to me if I went there... but... there might be answers there... No matter how I felt, I couldn¡¯t just turn the offer down. Elenia took a moment to respond, ¡°I guess that¡¯s as much as I can ask for at the moment,¡± She stood up again, this time walking over to the door, ¡°No matter what your answer is, you¡¯re free to come and go from the Volpe Rossa merchant guild, just remember to bring the ring with you.¡± Both Ava and I stood up before I quickly pulled my hood back over my head. However, as soon as I did, Elenia¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Now look, I understand that you don¡¯t want to attract too much attention; trust me, I know the feeling all too well, but at least in this building, you can keep your hood off. No one will do anything to you here, especially when their boss is a kitsune herself,¡± She then smiled again, ¡°And I know how stuffy it can get wearing the hood everywhere you go. Especially with how humid it gets in this town.¡± I didn¡¯t do anything and just kept my hood up. ¡°Then next time,¡± Elenia once again placed her hand on my head, ¡°I want you to walk in here with that hood off, alright?¡± ¡°Next time?...¡± I asked. ¡°Of course! Throughout this conversation of ours, at least if I have been keeping track properly, I seem to have asked one more question than I should have, which means I¡¯m now in debt to you,¡± She chuckled a little, ¡°You¡¯ll need to come back here in order to collect it from me after all.¡± ¡°Thank you for having us,¡± Ava said as she stepped between Elenia and me. ¡°The pleasure was mine,¡± Elenia bowed slightly, ¡°Oh, and just as a little parting gift. If you talk to Tybalt on your way out, he will be able to give you some excellent recommendations for lunch nearby.¡± Ava¡¯s face went bright red. ¡°A merchant has to know how to pick up on these things,¡± She said as she opened the door, ¡°Just head back down the way you came. It will be a bit quieter at this hour.¡± With those last words, Ava and I left the office. But just before the door closed, I managed to whisper a few words, ¡°Thank you.¡± Chapter 83 – Unexpected Company Chapter 83 ¨C Unexpected Company Thankfully, as Elenia had told us, it was much easier to leave the building than it was to enter it. We didn¡¯t even need to go and look for Tybalt when we got back to the lobby, as he was already standing at the bottom of the staircase as if he was waiting. As soon as he noticed us, he gave Ava a small map, explaining that he had sent someone ahead of us to a restaurant and that he could guarantee the quality of the food from his own personal experience. Ava didn¡¯t waste any time before thanking him and following the map to the restaurant. It wasn¡¯t very far from the Volpe Rossa branch, being only two streets over from where we were. Once we got there, there was already a worker waiting at the door. They seemed to recognise us immediately, guiding us straight into the restaurant without saying anything. They took us right to the back of the building, where there were a few booths with high walls in a row. Each booth had a curtain hanging over the entrance; however, from what I could see, none of the booths had anyone in them. ¡°Please take a seat,¡± The worker said as they gestured towards one of the booths, ¡°We don¡¯t have any other reservations for our executive booths for the next few hours, so please take your time.¡± ¡°Well, come on then,¡± Ava quickly sat on one of the benches and beckoned me over, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get some food in me.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I followed close behind her, sitting on the same bench instead of the one on the opposite side of the table. ¡°I hope the two of you will enjoy your time here,¡± The person who guided us then set down two menus in front of us, ¡°I will be back soon to take your order. If you decide before then, please don¡¯t hesitate to call for me.¡± They then closed the curtain at the front of the booth before leaving. ¡°This is a fancier place than I was expecting,¡± Ava said as she picked up one of the menus, ¡°I¡¯ve never even been to a place like this... It¡¯s very different to the taverns and pubs Mom and I used to frequent.¡± It is... But the booth is nice. I glanced over at the other menu that was left on the table but was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of items it listed. I could tell that they had been carefully organised and designed, but all the effort that must have been put into designing the menu had been lost on me. ... ¡°Well done, Kierra,¡± Ava suddenly said, pulling me away from the menu. ¡°What I-¡± ¡°Was I the first one?¡± She interrupted me with a smirk showing proudly on her face, ¡°I really wanted to be the first one to congratulate you for today. I know it wasn¡¯t the easiest thing in the world for you, but you did well.¡± ¡°... Thank you... and...,¡± I felt myself blush just slightly, but it probably wasn¡¯t enough for Ava to notice, ¡°... you were the first.¡± Right after I said that, I could have sworn I heard a quiet whine in my head, but by the time I noticed it, it was already gone. ¡®I guess that¡¯s my cue to step in,¡¯ Aria spoke through the pendant, ¡®You did well, little kitsune. But I¡¯m probably not the person you wanted to hear this from. Fortunately, we¡¯ve saved the best for last.¡¯ ¡®Yes!¡¯ Ovia shouted, ¡®Kierra! Congratulations! I... I knew you could do it. I just wish I could hold you in a tight hug right now.¡¯ ¡®Thank you... both of you,¡¯ I replied. ¡®But now there is something else you need to do,¡¯ Ovia immediately continued, the excitement clear in her voice, ¡®Since you finished the task I gave you... you get a reward... your wish!¡¯ Throughout everything that had happened, I had completely forgotten about the reward that Ovia had promised me. The opportunity to ask for one wish from her... To ask for anything I wanted... Something... I didn¡¯t deserve. ¡®S-So... is there anything you want to ask for?¡¯ She asked, ¡®It can be anything. I-I¡¯ll try my best to make it happen.¡¯ ... ... What am I supposed to say? I... I did what she asked me to... but... ... There¡¯s still that lie... ... ... I... do need to buy outfits for Ovia... at some point... ... ¡°... I¡¯ll try,¡± I eventually gave in. ¡°And that¡¯s enough for right now. You already did a lot today, so it¡¯s okay to take a break,¡± She then picked her menu back up, ¡°Now for the arguably more important question... What do you want to order? I¡¯m actually having a hard time deciding.¡± ... I picked my menu back up and started reading through it again, but before I was able to come to any sort of a decision, the curtain to the booth opened. I expected it to just be the worker who had shown us in, but instead, it was a cloaked figure about the same height as Ava. They sat down on the bench opposite us before closing the curtain. ¡°Hey!¡± Ava shouted immediately as she put her arm out in front of me, ¡°Who are-¡± ¡°I know who you are,¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. What do you mean?! The thumping in my chest quickly grew louder as my breathing got shallower. This wasn¡¯t helped as I quickly realised that I recognised this person¡¯s presence. It was the same feeling of being watched that had followed me through Haelmor, but now it was all that much more intense. Suddenly, the person sitting in front of us threw her hood off. She looked over at me and then at Ava before freezing. She had blonde hair neatly styled into a bob that went ever so slightly green near the tips. While it was unusual, it wasn¡¯t what my eyes were drawn to. It was her bright blue eyes. I couldn¡¯t forget them, not after seeing them peering back at me from deep in the forest that unfortunate night. ¡°You...¡± I accidentally said, unable to contain my surprise. The woman then coughed awkwardly, ¡°S-So you already know about me.... Of course you do! It¡¯s only natural that someone like you would have heard about someone like me. If you didn¡¯t, I would be worried for my own sake.¡± What? I don¡¯t know who you are! ¡°That makes things much easier,¡± She quickly recomposed herself, ¡°I need to ask you about the... ¡®work¡¯ you are currently doing. It is of great interest to me. More than you could ever imagine.¡± What work?! Who do you think I am?! ¡°We don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Ava said with a serious expression that I¡¯d rarely seen from her. The woman just stared at Ava for a moment before awkwardly coughing again and stuttering out a few words, ¡°I-I k-know you need to be covert... B-but I¡¯m sincerely interested in your success... I-I just-¡± ¡°Just slow down,¡± Ava rubbed her forehead, ¡°Who are we talking to? Can you at least give us a name?¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you-¡± The woman then stared at me as if expecting something. I just stayed quiet, trying not to move an inch so she would move on. ¡°Oh, I understand! I know what this is!¡± She suddenly shouted, ¡°Yes, of course! You¡¯re just verifying that I¡¯m the right person. You would have to do that for someone like me after all. You never know when you might be talking to an impersonator.¡± She fumbled under her cloak before slamming a brooch down on the table in front of us. In the centre was a large silver gemstone surrounded by many intricately crafted crimson petals resembling a flower, although not a flower that I had ever seen. ¡°I am Cattleya Astrantia, daughter of Amaryllis Astrantia,¡± She proclaimed, ¡°And I need to talk to you.¡± Chapter 84 – A Misguided Offer chapter 84 ¨C a misguided offer we sat there in silence, just staring at each other until cattleya eventually slid the brooch back towards her and slipped it into her cloak. ¡°look, catt... can i call you catt?¡± ava asked. ¡°cattleya,¡± she responded immediately, completely straight-faced. ¡°then, cattleya, i¡¯m sorry, but i haven¡¯t heard of either of those names before, and neither do i know who you think we are. but what i do know for certain is that at this moment, my sister and i are in the middle of a meal, and you just barged in here uninvited.¡± ¡°and i keep telling you. you don¡¯t need to hide it,¡± cattleya just kept repeating herself, ¡°i already know. i¡¯m on your side.¡± however, as cattleya spoke this time, i noticed something a little strange. each time she opened her mouth, two of her teeth seemed to get ever so slightly longer, almost like fangs. ¡°who do you even think we are?¡± if the table wasn¡¯t in front of her, i was sure ava would have jumped at cattleya. cattleya responded a little awkwardly by leaning over the table and loudly whispering, ¡°... is it okay to say?¡± ¡°yes... it¡¯s okay to say...¡± ava sighed, ¡°i really want to clear whatever this is up...¡± ¡°then...¡± she continued to whisper, even if her voice was only slightly quieter than when she was talking normally, ¡°i know volpe rossa has hired you to look into the ships that have been crashing at this port as well as all the missing cargo.¡± ¡°what?¡± i was so surprised by what she said that i couldn¡¯t help myself. ¡°are you impressed at my detective skills?¡± she pulled back and puffed out her chest, ¡°naturally. this much is to be expected from me. no one else would have noticed all the little clues you had left behind, but you were dealing with me.¡± ¡°how did you even come up with that idea?¡± from the sound of her voice, ava was just as surprised as i was, ¡°it¡¯s just...¡± ¡°because i¡¯ve been watching you both very closely,¡± she unashamedly admitted, ¡°you came into town while escorting an unassuming merchant, someone neither too wealthy nor too poor, the kind of person no one would look into. i did lose you once you got into town for some reason, but after a day or so, i managed to find you again, watching the ship elenia, the guild master, was coming in on no less. at that time, i also saw that you were a kitsune when your hood blew off. it¡¯s rare to see a kitsune, so i knew there must be a greater reason as to why you were here at this specific time.¡± both ava and i sat in silence as cattleya exploded into her explanation. ¡°but that¡¯s not all! you¡¯re not just any kitsune. wherever you go, there is a noticeable deficit of mana in the air, which i was able to use to track you all around the city. and that¡¯s when i saw it! you just happened to run into the ever-elusive elenia inside a random, no-name food store. i wasn¡¯t able to hear your conversation from where i was hiding, but i didn¡¯t need to. i saw that you were given a gold ring, something almost no one else in volpe rossa is given. after that, it was almost too obvious, yet i managed to find even more evidence as i continued to look. i was able to follow you to your inn, a small place very out of the way. the perfect place to stay without drawing too much attention to yourself. of course, i left once you got into your room. i can respect a person¡¯s privacy. but the very next day, you go to the volpe rossa branch here and get brought up to the top floor! i just know that you were being given the information that had been collected at the branch, and now you¡¯re sitting here in a private booth in order to put together a plan of attack.¡± mana deficit? what does that mean? i don¡¯t understand. ava tried to say something, ¡°cattleya, i-¡± ¡°i want you to figure this out as soon as possible,¡± cattleya immediately interrupted, ¡°there is something coming in on a ship a few weeks from now, and i won¡¯t stand for it disappearing again! i¡¯m tired of this happen-¡± ¡°you have the wrong people!¡± ava shouted, interrupting cattleya just as cattleya had done to her moments before. it was painfully quiet for just a few moments after that. i couldn¡¯t even hear any noise coming from the rest of the restaurant. ... cattleya slowly slunk back into her seat just as the curtain to the booth was opened. ¡°is anything the matter?¡± the waiter asked. the bag tipped just enough to show what was inside. it was filled to the brim with gold coins. ¡°...¡± ¡°is it not enough?¡± cattleya asked sheepishly. ¡°if you have this much money, why not just go and talk to someone at volpe rossa yourself?¡± ava asked, ¡°surely they would be better suited to this than two people you are trying to hire off the street.¡± ¡°i... tried... they just told me that they were looking into it and sent me away.¡± ... she probably spoke to tybalt. ¡°b-but now i can just hire you!¡± ¡°... why does it have to be us? if you just need to hire someone, surely there¡¯s a guild you can go talk to. with that kind of money, i¡¯m sure you¡¯d have people practically begging you to hire them,¡± ava said. ¡°because i think this case has something to do with magic!¡± she quickly retorted, ¡°the guilds here have plenty of sword fighters, archers and scouts, but they¡¯re all completely useless when it comes to this.¡± ¡°and you think we would be any better?¡± ¡°well, not both of you, but definitely her,¡± cattleya pointed at me, ¡°even if you¡¯re not hired by volpe rossa, you can¡¯t deny the atmospheric mana deficit that follows you around.¡± ¡°m-me?¡± i stuttered in disbelief. ¡°yes, you! i just have a feeling that you¡¯re the right person for this. you should be honoured!¡± honoured? but i don¡¯t know anything about magic. i don¡¯t even understand what¡¯s going on right now! ¡°look, cattleya,¡± ava put her arm out in front of me again, ¡°we appreciate the offer, but we¡¯ll have to turn you down. like i said, we are just here to visit haelmor, not get involved in whatever you have going on.¡± ¡°but why?¡± cattleya didn¡¯t waste any time before responding, ¡°i have offered you money. why won¡¯t you work for me? is money alone not enough? do you want something else? i can talk to people; i can get you whatever you need. i really want you to help me figure this out, no matter who you are.¡± at that point, her desperation was starting to scare me. it just didn¡¯t make any sense to me that she would be so adamant about asking ava and me to help her. we didn¡¯t even know anything about her; all we had was a name and that brief encounter in the forest a few nights ago. ¡°we said no,¡± this time ava nudged me slightly before pointing at the curtain, ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter what you say to us right now. we aren¡¯t going to change our minds.¡± ¡°but...¡± as cattleya tried to come up with something to say in response, ava nudged me once again. this time i opened the curtain, and almost immediately, ava pushed me to the end of the bench and onto my feet. ¡°we¡¯ll be going then,¡± ava said as she guided me towards the door. ¡°...¡± cattleya just remained on the bench, motionless. Chapter 85 – When the Silence Breaks Chapter 85 ¨C When the Silence Breaks Before leaving the restaurant, Ava asked if we owed them anything, but the waiter said that it had already been covered. With that confirmation, we left the restaurant and just started aimlessly walking down the street. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that happened,¡± Ava said as she took my hand, ¡°And right after you did so well with Elenia... I just...¡± It wasn¡¯t your fault. I squeezed her hand in an attempt to tell her that I was fine. ¡°I still don¡¯t even really know what happened in there,¡± She just continued speaking as if she didn¡¯t notice what I did, ¡°She just barged in on our lunch, told us every single thing we¡¯ve done since we arrived, then offered us an obscene amount of money to work for her? None of it made any sense... The only good thing about it was the food.¡± She continued to walk, practically dragging me along with her as she narrowly avoided the oncoming people. She didn¡¯t seem to have a destination in mind; she just kept moving. ¡°They said that the seafood they used was caught locally, didn¡¯t they?¡± She asked, ¡°We could go have a look at some local fishmongers. Maybe I¡¯ll be able to recreate the dish! I don¡¯t have the recipe, but I¡¯m sure I can at least figure out something close. I should at least be able to do that much. It can help take our minds off of what just happened with Cattleya, and then we can-¡± She stopped herself, ¡°What am I doing? That¡¯s just what I want to do; we already did that yesterday. Today should be about you. A-A reward. Not me dragging you around like this.¡± ¡°Ava, it¡¯s okay,¡± I whispered in an attempt to calm her down. This wasn¡¯t like Ava. She always had a smile on her face, no matter what was happening. The only other time I could remember her acting like that was now two years behind us, back when we accidentally ran into that knight and I... But this was nothing like that, at least not for me. ¡°No, it¡¯s not okay,¡± She stopped walking and turned towards me, ¡°Tell me. What do you want to do? It can be anything, even something small.¡± ¡°But you wanted to-¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I wanted to do, alright? The fishmonger will still be there tomorrow and the day after that. Right now, I want you to decide what we¡¯re going to do.¡± As she spoke, I could see that she was now forcing herself to smile. ... She isn¡¯t going to let this go... But I don¡¯t know what to say... I just... don¡¯t know... ... What do I want to do? ... I need to buy the clothes for Ovia... but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the answer she wants... ... No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t come up with something that I really wanted to do at that moment. ... I... I want to... know more... But what does that even mean? ... ... I want to know more about the village... I want to know more about Cattleya and those fangs... I want to know more about the mana deficit she mentioned... ... But how am I supposed to say that? ¡°It can be absolutely anything, okay?¡± She said, ¡°Just something that you really want to do, even if it¡¯s difficult... because, right now, that¡¯s what I want to do too. I simply want to do whatever you want to do.¡± Right at that moment, a familiar feeling suddenly came over me. The feeling of being watched was back. I knew it was Cattleya, but that didn¡¯t change anything. I looked around, trying to find her but couldn¡¯t. No... No, that¡¯s- Why am I even here? ¡°Is that not what you¡¯re after? If you¡¯d prefer an early dinner or maybe even a very late breakfast, I don¡¯t mind,¡± She came out from behind the desk and stood in front of me, ¡°After all, I only follow the rules when they¡¯re good to me. Who¡¯s to say you can¡¯t eat what you want when you want.¡± ... I shook my head. I didn¡¯t want to be there. I didn¡¯t want to be anywhere. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked, ¡°Did something happen? I know you¡¯re a little shy and don¡¯t talk a whole lot, but I don¡¯t see your friend with you.¡± Did something happen? I just... I don¡¯t even know what I did... I just... it came out all at once... I didn¡¯t want to... ... ¡°Y-... Y-¡± I tried to say something but quickly gave up and just nodded instead. There was only a brief moment of silence, but it felt like an eternity to me. You¡¯re doing it again. Just... stop... What are you even trying to do? ¡°Well, unfortunately, I can¡¯t guess at what happened. But even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t. That just isn¡¯t my place to be,¡± She went back behind the desk but didn¡¯t sit down. ... Of course... What was I expecting? ... Was I expecting something?... ¡°And I don¡¯t have any magic words that¡¯ll make everything better. I¡¯m just an old innkeeper at the end of the day,¡± She then pulled out a key ring with an absurd number of keys on it, ¡°But as an innkeeper, there is at least something I can do. I imagine you wouldn¡¯t be standing there like a lost child if you were the one with the key.¡± ... ¡°Come on up,¡± Daleia started walking up the stairs, ¡°I¡¯ll open the door for you. Then you won¡¯t have to deal with an old lady¡¯s prying any longer.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything and just followed behind her. She returned the favour, staying completely silent as we made our way to the room. Once we were standing in front of the door, she quickly sorted through the keys, finding the right one almost immediately. ¡°Well, here you go,¡± She said as she opened the door, ¡°Do you want me to lock the door behind you? Just know that if I do, you won¡¯t be able to get back out until your friend comes around. I won¡¯t be able to hear you in here from the front desk.¡± I... I don¡¯t want anyone coming in... ... I started to respond to her question, ¡°I-¡± ¡°Ah, what am I doing?¡± She interrupted as she fumbled with the key ring once again. This time, she took one of the keys off of it and put it in the door, ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to give the spare away, but it doesn¡¯t really matter. That rule ain¡¯t doing you any good, and at the end of the day, it¡¯s not like I only have the one spare.¡± Not questioning her, I stepped into the room. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave you alone now,¡± She said as she walked away, ¡°Just drop that key off at the front desk when you don¡¯t need it anymore. I can wait as long as you need... Oh, and if you want someone to listen to your ramblings or maybe even want someone to ramble at you, I¡¯m almost always available.¡± With that, she went back down the stairs, and I closed the door behind me. Chapter 86 – A Crow’s Hesitation Chapter 86 ¨C A Crow¡¯s Hesitation [Ava POV]No?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°What am I doing?¡± I mumbled to myself as I sank down onto a bench, ¡°I was just trying to...¡± ... What was I trying to do? Help her? Distract her? ... Was it just too much? My mind was brought back to all the times I had complained at Mom for being too overprotective or worrying about all the little things too much. But that was only for a brief moment; I didn¡¯t have the luxury to sit and reminisce. I knew that I needed to do something, but I didn¡¯t know what that something was. When I saw her running away, I wanted to chase her, but my legs simply refused to move. I didn¡¯t know what I was going to do when I caught up to her... so I didn¡¯t... ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be helping her, keeping her safe... Isn¡¯t that what I was doing?¡± I know that she doesn¡¯t like to talk to people. I¡¯ve seen what happens when she pushes herself too far, and she had already done so much just to ask Elenia a question... I knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep herself together once Cattleya came into the picture. So I needed to distract her, to make her forget all about it. So what did I do wrong? Did I do something wrong? I just wanted to do something she wanted. Since we got here, all I¡¯ve done is drag her around. I know I wouldn¡¯t like that, so all I did was try to fix that. To give her the choice. More and more people were starting to stare at me as I tried desperately to sort through my thoughts. It was quickly getting to a point where I was uncomfortable, so I just got up and started walking again, going in the same direction I saw Kierra going, almost hoping to see her waiting for me the moment I turned a corner. What do I do now? Should I go after her? Should I just give her some time alone? But she¡¯s not really alone. She has that necklace. ... What would I even do once I got to her? Ask her about what she said? All she said was that she doesn¡¯t know... but do I even know the answer? Do I really know her? I thought we had gotten closer; I mean, we¡¯re sisters, for Gods¡¯ sake. I must know her. Who else would if not me? As I was walking, I noticed a dark alley and decided to turn into it in an attempt to avoid anyone else¡¯s gaze. It was hard enough trying to figure this all out as it was; I didn¡¯t need the added pressure of all these random people openly judging me as I did it. They¡¯re the ones who don¡¯t know anything. They don¡¯t know what she¡¯s like. They don¡¯t know what she¡¯s been through. But I do. ... Don¡¯t I? Right at that moment, someone else stepped into the alley. A hooded person, the same height as me. I knew who it was right away, and I wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with them. ¡°But I told you to tell me?¡± She tilted her head a little before bringing out her pouch of coins again, ¡°Do I need to pay you to tell me? How much do you want?¡± ... I actually chuckled a little at that remark of hers. She comes off as so incredibly confident yet also seems strangely unaware at times. Unlike Kierra, she¡¯s a hard person to read. If this was in any other circumstance, I might have found talking to her quite entertaining. ¡°Y¡¯know what?¡± I knew that what I was about to do probably wasn¡¯t a good idea, but it was better than continuing to do nothing, if only barely, ¡°If you really want to get involved in all this, you can stay here and listen to me thinking out loud, but if you get nothing out of it please just leave us alone.¡± ¡°So how much?¡± She asked, shaking the pouch so that the coins clattered together. ¡°Nothing,¡± I slumped down against the wall, ¡°Just sit and listen if you really want to. You¡¯ve already made it more than clear that I can¡¯t force you to leave.¡± She paused for a moment as if she needed some time to understand what I had said. However, as soon as she finally seemed to register that I didn¡¯t want any money, she put the pouch of coins away and joined me in sitting against the wall. ¡°My sister, she¡¯s... shy,¡± I started to speak, ¡°She doesn¡¯t really like talking to people, especially those she doesn¡¯t know. But that isn¡¯t a new thing; she¡¯s been that way for as long as I¡¯ve known her.¡± But she has gotten much better. ¡°Something kinda similar actually happened about two years ago. The two of us were out shopping on something of a sister date. At least... that¡¯s how I remember it, but that¡¯s a little secret,¡± I let out a faint laugh as I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to do so again as I continued with the story, ¡°We got a little unlucky that day, and I ended up bumping into a knight on the street. He wasn¡¯t particularly upset by it, or if he was, I don¡¯t really remember, but what I do remember is that he was big... My sister was... a little shocked by the whole ordeal.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Cattleya asked. ¡°No questions. You¡¯re just listening to me think out loud. It¡¯s not a conversation, just me trying to organise my thoughts,¡± I watched her slink back a bit before continuing to speak, ¡°She didn¡¯t take it too well and started to panic. I took her right home after that, but she... wanted some time to herself. I was just worried about that sort of thing happening again after you suddenly showed up in the middle of our lunch and started proclaiming that you knew all these things about us.¡± She didn¡¯t respond this time. ¡°I just wanted to help her perk up afterwards so she didn¡¯t think about it too much. She tends to overthink these kinds of things, after all. But, well, you saw how that went,¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give her her space when she needs it... It¡¯s just that the last time this happened... after she spent that time alone, she suddenly tried to-¡± The words got stuck in my throat as I realised what I was saying. She tried to run away. Wait! Is that what¡¯s happening now?! But where would she even go?! She doesn¡¯t know this place?! What if she gets herself into trouble?! I jumped up in a hurry, ¡°I-I...¡± What am I supposed to do?! I know she roughly went this way, but that¡¯s it! I don¡¯t know where she is! I can¡¯t let it happen again! ¡°You!¡± I looked down at Cattleya, ¡°You said you were following us due to that... that... mana something...¡± ¡°Mana deficit?¡± ¡°Yes, that!¡± I was already shouting at her, ¡°You said that it was something to do with my sister, not me?¡± ¡°The kitsune? Yes, it-,¡± she replied as she stood up. ¡°Can you find her?!¡± I interrupted, not needing to hear anything more. ¡°Maybe, but-¡± ¡°No buts,¡± I grabbed her shoulders, ¡°Just yes or no. Can you find my sister?!¡± She seemed completely taken aback by what I was doing, but it didn¡¯t matter; this was far more important than anything that could be going through her mind. ¡°Y-Yes,¡± She eventually replied. ¡°Okay, then go,¡± I spun her around and started to walk her forwards, ¡°Lead the way. I need to find her!¡± ¡°A-Alright!¡± She shouted back. Chapter 87 – What Changed? Chapter 87 ¨C What Changed? I just lay there on the bed, staring at the key I had left on the side table. ... Nothing happened. ... I didn¡¯t think about it in the moment, but when I came into the inn and Daleia saw me, nothing happened to me. She just... spoke for a bit and then gave me the key to the room. I didn¡¯t even tell her that I wasn¡¯t able to get into the room; she just did it for me. ... The more I thought about it, the more I started to realise that ever since leaving Casgolau, nobody had really done anything to me. I met Joran, Elwyn, Daleia, and Elenia, and none of them did anything more than try to talk. I even showed Elenia my hair, and all she did was compliment me... Even Cattleya, who showed up out of nowhere, did nothing more than talk. ... I don¡¯t understand... These were all things that had already happened. There weren¡¯t any questions left to ask, yet I still just couldn¡¯t understand what made them different. But there must have been something that had changed. It didn¡¯t make sense otherwise. ... ¡°I... really don¡¯t know anything,¡± I muttered to myself as I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. I immediately thought back to two years ago when I first saw a wooden ceiling above my head. The sheer panic that overwhelmed me, the fear that I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. Yet now, even though I was looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling, I didn¡¯t feel anything at all. No panic, no fear, no sadness... no happiness... no relief... just... nothing. ¡®Kierra?¡¯ Ovia¡¯s voice peeled me away from my thoughts as it echoed inside my mind. ¡®Ovia?¡¯ I replied. ¡®You know... If you don¡¯t know something... you can always ask me. I might not know the answer to everything, but I¡¯ll definitely try! I¡¯m sure it would be easier if you had more than one person thinking about it.¡¯ ... I know you would. But I also know you can¡¯t answer all of my questions... ... ¡®Kierra?¡¯ Her voice once again pulled me out of my own thoughts. ¡®Mm.¡¯@@@@ ¡®So... um... if there is something you want to know about right now... maybe I can help? It doesn¡¯t even need to be your wish.¡¯ All my questions from before rushed through my mind, but I knew that no matter what, I couldn¡¯t ask her most of them. Even ignoring the question of my past, she wouldn¡¯t be able to tell me what I like or who I am. But I really didn¡¯t want to turn her down, not when she was reaching out to me like that. There was just something about her voice that made me want to give in, even if I couldn¡¯t say exactly what that thing was. ... ¡®Then... what happened with Cattleya¡¯s teeth?¡¯ I eventually asked after trying to come up with a question for far too long. ¡®Cattleya?¡¯ She repeated, ¡®Oh, I remember her... I think she¡¯s a... um... vampire? At least, I think that¡¯s what they were called...¡¯ ¡®You think?¡¯ ¡®I... don¡¯t know much about them. I know they have fangs and need to drink blood, but that¡¯s all... They only appeared recently. I think Ellaria might know more about them!... But she left already...¡¯ Something a Goddess doesn¡¯t know about? But... vampire... Why do I know that word? It was a strange feeling. I just knew that I had heard the word before, but not where. It didn¡¯t make any sense; how could I know about something that even a Goddess doesn¡¯t know much about? ¡®Can you send her a message?¡¯ I already knew that it probably wasn¡¯t possible, but if there was even a chance. ¡®No... I can¡¯t...¡¯ Ovia admitted. ¡®That¡¯s... alright... At least I know she¡¯s safe... that she¡¯s still out there... somewhere.¡¯ Umbra cuddled up under my arm as I looked over the picture once again, this time focusing on the other two people. Ava and... myself. ¡°What changed?¡± It was the only question that left my lips. I knew that things were different now, that the way I was acting was different, that the things I was thinking about were different, that my surroundings were different, that the people were different, but I couldn¡¯t point to what caused it. Right at that moment, I heard the lock on the door click open and shot up onto my feet. I barely had the time to slip the painting into my cloak before the door flew open, quickly followed by a bundle of black feathers hurtling my way. ¡°Kierra!¡± Ava shouted as she lifted me up in a clumsy hug, ¡°You- You¡¯re still- No. No, that¡¯s not what I want to say. Are you okay? I know what you said, but I still just-¡± ¡°Ava,¡± I struggled to speak with how tightly she was holding me, ¡°I¡¯m fine... I think.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just not good enough. I need to know that you¡¯re okay, not that you just think you¡¯re okay. The last time you... I just want to make sure,¡± She said, taking a deep breath every few words, ¡°When you ran away like that, my body just didn¡¯t know what to do. But now that I¡¯m here, I can say something. It doesn¡¯t matter what you don¡¯t know; it just means you have something to learn, alright? Just, please don¡¯t run away like that. I know you have that pendant on you, but I just... I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m trying to say anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I somehow managed to free myself from her grip and landed back down on the floor, ¡°And... I¡¯m sorry... I don¡¯t know why I did that...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to say sorry for something like that. I know I was the one who pushed you too hard. I just got a little worked up and ended up taking it out on you. If anything, I should be the one apologising. If not for that, then for letting you run through the streets by yourself like that... The only reason I was even able to find you was because of- Ahh! I¡¯m doing it again! Kierra, please stop me if I start being too much. Be that now or anytime in the future, you need to tell me so that I know when to stop.¡± But that isn¡¯t what it was. I just... I had too much on my mind. It¡¯s my fault. It can only be my fault. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help right at this moment?¡± She asked, ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t answer any of your questions. For example, I could help you sort out your tail. I haven¡¯t done that for a long time now.¡± ... It was true that Ava hadn¡¯t brushed my tail for a long time now. At some point, I had just started taking care of it by myself and never really gave it any more thought than that. ¡°I... wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± I said as I climbed back onto my bed. ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± She looked over at Umbra, ¡°Umbra, for now, I¡¯ll just need a brush, but keep everything else on hand... or... paw?¡± ¡°*Yip!*¡± With that, Umbra dived into my shadow and brought out a brush as Ava quickly made herself comfortable on my bed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you remember how this works. Just lay your tail out in my lap, and I¡¯ll work my magic,¡± She said. I didn¡¯t say anything and just did as I was told. Almost immediately, I felt Ava drag the brush through my tail, pulling at the hairs just a little more than was comfortable. ¡°Ow,¡± I let out a small yelp as I felt the brush catch on a small knot. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you sat down and really took care of yourself,¡± She said as she brought the brush through again, ¡°It really has been quite hectic since we got here, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can neglect the small things like this.¡± ¡°Mm... it has,¡± I replied. Ava simply continued to brush my tail, slowly bringing it back to its former glory. As she did, I couldn¡¯t help but think back to when she first brushed my tail and then bragged to Mom all about it. Without thinking, I brought the picture out from my cloak and finally found myself able to put some of my thoughts into words. ¡°I miss Mom...¡± I muttered. ¡°And you aren¡¯t the only one,¡± Ava replied. She didn¡¯t say anything else, but she didn¡¯t need to. Just being able to say that and then knowing that I wasn¡¯t alone in that feeling... that was more than enough for me. We didn¡¯t do much else the rest of the day; instead, we decided just to have a lazy day and relax. And I must say, we really needed it after everything that had happened since setting out for Haelmor. Chapter 88 – A Familiar Stranger Chapter 88 ¨C A Familiar Stranger There it was again. Those same few steps leading down into a seemingly never-ending abyss that haunted me only a few nights before. Beneath me was the same wet floor that squeaked with even the smallest movement of my feet. However, unlike back then, there was no screaming, just an unnatural silence. I must¡¯ve fallen asleep after dinner. ... I don¡¯t remember if I made it back to my bed... Not wanting to repeat the last nightmare, I took a step back, and the door in front of me immediately slammed shut with so much force that it knocked me to the ground, sending me rapidly sliding away through corridor after corridor. I watched as all the hallways and doors I had walked through before were flying past me in reverse. Somehow, I seemed to be gaining speed with each door that I passed. I desperately clawed at the floor, trying to stop myself, but it did nothing as my fingers just helplessly slipped against the wet floor. What¡¯s going on?! Stop! Please stop! After a few more seconds of futile struggling, the floor itself started to change. It was no longer the slick, smooth surface from before, but instead, it became a coarse grey carpet. At the speed I was moving, it was no different to sandpaper against my skin. It did nothing but burn as it dug into my body, but at least it finally started to slow me down. If I could¡¯ve screamed, I would¡¯ve, but my mouth remained sealed just as it was the last time I found myself in this place. I eventually came to a stop in the carpeted corridor, surrounded, unsurprisingly, by an endless number of doors and mannequins. However, it was hard to say whether I was thankful or not. The first thing I did was look myself over, yet strangely, there were no visible burns on my body, not even any damage to my clothes. That¡¯s when I noticed that I couldn¡¯t feel any of the pain I was experiencing just moments before. Stranger still, I struggled to even remember what the pain felt like. ¡°What was-¡± I stopped myself as soon as I realised that the words were coming from my own lips, afraid that something would try to prevent me from speaking again if it noticed. Why is this happening now? I-I thought I was okay before I fell asleep. This shouldn¡¯t be happening. I shouldn¡¯t be here! I shuffled back on the carpet until my back met a wall. I¡¯ll just stay here until it¡¯s over. I can¡¯t just sleep forever. I must wake up eventually. ... Maybe Ovia will come find me like before. ... I¡¯m sure it will be over soon. It¡¯s just a nightmare. I know that. I couldn¡¯t remember if I had seen this specific corridor the last time I was here with its dark grey carpets and equally dismal white walls. In the ceiling, there were lights scattered about seemingly randomly, but even glancing up at them was enough to make my head start to throb. The mannequins standing by the doors all wore very similar outfits, clothing that felt familiar to me, yet I couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing someone wearing. Heavy black jackets, black skirts, black trousers, black hats; it was nothing but black clothing with only the occasional grey item of clothing to break it up. That on its own would have been enough to make me feel uneasy, but there was something else, something deep inside me that felt like it was screaming. I was afraid of what it was trying to tell me, that I knew where this was, that this wasn¡¯t just a random nightmare, that I belonged there. No. No. No. No. No! No! There was a dull hum that pulled at my mind from the inside out. It was beckoning me to go somewhere, to do something, but I didn¡¯t want to listen. I just wanted to leave, to go back to the inn where I knew Ava would be waiting for me. I closed my eyes and tried to cover my ears, but it did nothing; the sound continued to echo inside my skull. ¡°No!¡± I shouted in a desperate attempt to drown it out, ¡°I want it to stop!¡± *Thud!* ... *Slam!* The door slammed shut behind me, quickly followed by my vision going white. ... ... It felt like both an eternity and a brief moment before my vision eventually came back, but when it did, I was left speechless. The endless corridor had disappeared, replaced by a single small room with only a few things in it. A single desk with a chair to match, along with a basin and a mirror just off to the side. To my left was a bed that was barely large enough to hold a single person without their limbs dangling off the side, while to my right was a large wardrobe in a similar style. There was also a single small window, but all I could see out of it was an endless grey sky. I immediately tried to look for an exit, but my body still wouldn¡¯t listen. At least, I thought it was my body, but something was a little off. I could definitely feel everything, from the clothes against my skin to the uncomfortable chair that was digging into my thighs. It was a miracle that I couldn¡¯t feel it in my- As that thought washed over me, I came to a realisation. ... I can¡¯t feel my tail! That panic was short-lived, however, as something started to vibrate loudly on the desk in front of me. ¡°Is it Thursday already?¡± The words left my lips, but they weren¡¯t mine. It wasn¡¯t even my voice. My arm reached out and brought whatever was vibrating in front of me, giving me a better look at it. It was a sleek black device, not too dissimilar to the panels that I¡¯ve seen Ovia and Aria use. At the top, it simply said ¡®Mom¡¯, while at the bottom was what I could only assume to be a message, ¡®How are you doing?¡¯ Mom? Raynelle? No, that doesn¡¯t make any sense... I think... I don¡¯t remember this happening... But then... Who is it? I was only given a brief glimpse at the screen before it was placed back down on the table. ¡°What am I doing? It¡¯s just the same thing over and over again... Is it even worth it anymore?¡± What am I talking about? Who am I? My arm brought the screen in front of me once again before hastily typing a message back, ¡®I¡¯m fine.¡¯ There was a small hesitation before my thumb came down to send it, but as soon as I did, a wave of guilt washed over me, yet it clearly wasn¡¯t my own. ¡°It¡¯s just one more year... Just one more...¡± My head rolled to the side, just enough to get a peek in the mirror, but what I saw filled me with an overwhelming sense of dread. Gone was my white hair, replaced with long chestnut brown locks, but by far, the strangest thing to see was the complete lack of ears at the top of my head. Then there were the eyes; the eyes that stared back at me were a dull green with noticeable dark rings hanging beneath them. ¡°I look worse than I thought... I really thought I could handle another all-nighter... God knows I¡¯ve got more of them ahead of me...¡± My gaze slowly moved up to a schedule on the wall. I couldn¡¯t read any of it, but I could make out the sea of red notes plastered on each and every day, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll quickly get some sleep... I¡¯m pretty sure I don¡¯t need to be in today... If I do... I¡¯ll figure it out later, I guess... I always do...¡± My body rocked back on the chair, looking up directly into the light lazily hanging up above. I could feel it stinging my eyeballs, yet my eyelids wouldn¡¯t close. ¡°I¡¯ll fix everything else once it¡¯s all over... It¡¯s just one more year... Almost done, just a little more... Isn¡¯t that right?... Just a little more...¡± Right at that moment, a sinking feeling entered my stomach. However, it wasn¡¯t like before; this specific sensation was all too familiar to me. I had rocked too far back on the chair and was now set on a collision course with the ground. My instincts screamed at me to brace myself, yet my body continued to not do anything as if just accepting what was happening around it unconditionally. Please stop! *Thud* Chapter 89 – More Questions Than Answers Chapter 89 ¨C More Questions Than Answers I woke up with a jolt, my heart racing and my breathing shallow. Immediately, I reached for my ears and tail to check if they were there.@@@@ They¡¯re there... ... As I took a moment to calm down, I quickly glanced around the room to make sure that I was really back at the inn and not just in another area of that dream. Thankfully, there was no maze of doors, only the one at the entrance to the room. What was that?! It all felt so... real. Too real to be a dream... It was more like a- My heart skipped a beat as I almost instantly realised what I had just experienced. It wasn¡¯t just a dream or a nightmare, but a memory. My memory. It had to be; it was the only thing it could be. But it wasn¡¯t a memory from the me now; it was from... before.... ¡°I really did come from somewhere else...¡± In my surprise, I accidentally spoke my thoughts out loud. I immediately covered my mouth and looked over at Ava¡¯s bed. Thankfully, she was still lying face down on her pillow, fast asleep with her wings held up in the air. ... I know John already told me... but this... ... I used to be someone else... I really used to be someone else... I saw it. It was strange. I had finally gotten the answers to some of my questions, yet... it didn¡¯t feel as satisfying as I expected. Even if it was nothing more than a glimpse, I was finally able to remember something! I finally had at least the faintest idea of where I came from! But why did I even remember? It was a question that gradually dawned on me as I kept playing through the events in my head. It had been around nine years since I could first remember opening my eyes, yet only now was I able to remember something? It wasn¡¯t even a particularly important memory... at least, I didn¡¯t think it was... The last time I had that dream, I didn¡¯t remember seeing anything like this; all I saw was that staircase right at the end of the corridor. So what was different this time? Why did one of the doors open? Was it something that happened during the day? Or was it something I did in the dream? ... Was it because of the mannequin? Can I open other doors now? Will I even have that dream again? The questions just kept on coming, but I knew I had to stop myself before it got out of control. There was something important that I needed to do as quickly as possible. I know Ava took it out yesterday... ¡°Yeah,¡± I admitted after a brief moment of thought. Despite all the new questions I had and all the realisations that had dawned on me, overall, I was feeling good, maybe even a little excited. Just the fact that I had gotten even the slightest of answers to some of the questions I thought would never be answered was enough to drown out everything else, at least for a little bit. ¡°That¡¯s good...¡± Ava yawned as she stretched, ¡°Well... we don¡¯t have any plans for today... Do you want to just have another lazy day? I¡¯m sure I could get Daleia to let me in the kitchen, and I¡¯d be able to throw together... something... I haven¡¯t really had the time to think this through.¡± ¡°... No... I... I want to do something,¡± I replied without thinking. ¡°Oh? And what might you want to do?¡± She asked as she got to her feet. I hadn¡¯t really thought that far; my response was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. For some reason, I didn¡¯t want to just sit around in the inn today. I just had a feeling that I wanted to go outside and do something, anything. ... ¡°I want to... sketch something,¡± I said as my eyes glanced down at my notebook. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°... Maybe...¡± I didn¡¯t have anything else in mind, but I didn¡¯t know what might happen during the day. ¡°Alright then... we can head out as soon as we¡¯ve gotten ourselves some breakfast. Does that sound good?¡± Ava asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± The two of us quickly got ready for the day, washing up and getting dressed before hurriedly heading down to the kitchen. I decided to keep my notebook in my cloak instead of giving it to Umbra, just in case I remembered something else during the day and wanted to note it down quickly. I also made sure to bring the spare key down with me to return to Daleia. Just like the day before, she didn¡¯t ask me any questions about what had happened and just took the key back with a smile on her face. Breakfast was just as good as the last time we had it, although I didn¡¯t think I had appreciated it as quite much then as I did in that moment, even if it somehow vanished from my plate before I knew it. It wasn¡¯t much longer after that until Ava and I stepped out the door and onto the busy street outside. However, after taking my first step out, I noticed that there was something, or someone, who seemed a little out of place. ¡°Oh, good morning to the two of you,¡± It was Cattleya, who was standing just to the side of the door, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that we would meet again so soon.¡± Just seeing her standing there would have been enough of a surprise, but her choice of outfit was more than a little... flashy? She had abandoned the cloak she had worn before in favour of a slightly oversized black jacket. It was not too dissimilar to what I would expect a pirate to wear, although... I don¡¯t think I pirate would be walking around with gold epaulettes and matching buttons that glinted in sunlight. Under the jacket, however, was an excessively extravagant emerald dress complete with a litany of vines and flowers embroidered from top to bottom. I looked up at Ava, expecting her to say something, but instead, she let out a heavy sigh. ¡°It¡¯s fine... I... Let¡¯s just say that I owe her,¡± As Ava spoke, she turned on her heel and headed back into the inn, ¡°Just stay there... I¡¯ll get a cloak for you.¡± ¡°Oh no, there¡¯s no-¡± Before Cattleya could finish what she was saying, Ava slammed the door behind her. ... ... There was more than a brief moment of silence as Cattleya just stared at the door, her mouth left agape. What happened between those two? As the question entered my mind, Cattleya coughed awkwardly before readjusting her jacket and turning her attention to me. ¡°Well, I spoke to Ava quite a lot yesterday, but I never got to hear from yourself. As you already know, I am Cattleya Astrantia. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?¡± ... ¡°... Kierra,¡± I eventually responded. Chapter 90 – Up The Lighthouse Chapter 90 ¨C Up The Lighthouse ¡°Kierra!¡± Cattleya repeated, ¡°It is a pleasure to finally have a proper introduction. There is much that I have been wanting to ask you.¡± I didn¡¯t know what I was supposed to say in response, and it only got more overwhelming as she started to reach her hand out towards me. Fortunately, before anything actually happened, the door opened again, revealing Ava standing there holding an extra cloak in her arms. ¡°Take it and put it on,¡± Ava said as she haphazardly threw the cloak over Cattleya. ¡°Ah, I was trying to explain before you left, but I don¡¯t need-¡± ¡°No,¡± Ava interrupted without batting an eye, ¡°Put the cloak on. I would prefer to not be drawing everyone¡¯s attention as we go through town today.¡± ¡°...¡± Cattleya didn¡¯t respond, instead just looking down at the cloak in her hands. ¡°Well, hurry up if you¡¯re coming,¡± Ava just walked out onto the street, ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted to join. I don¡¯t mind leaving you behind if wearing a cloak is suddenly too much for you.¡± I quickly followed behind Ava before almost immediately being joined by Cattleya, who was now wearing a cloak over the top of her extravagant jacket. ¡°So where are we going?¡± Cattleya asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ava responded without missing a beat. ¡°Then what are we doing?¡± Ava didn¡¯t respond that time, instead just continuing to walk down the street. However, I admittedly was also a little confused as to where we were supposed to be going. All I said was that I wanted to sketch something, but I never said what or where. ... ¡°Where are we going?¡± I eventually asked, making sure to keep my voice down. ¡°Well, that depends on where you want to go,¡± Ava said, ¡°I was just walking in case you got lucky and saw something that caught your attention and... well... I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve realised that standing still in the middle of these streets isn¡¯t really the best idea. I¡¯d rather not end up trampled, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°Oh! So that¡¯s what¡¯s going on here,¡± Cattleya spoke up, immediately locking eyes on me, ¡°Do you have something in mind Kierra? You might not be aware, but I happen to know this town very well. If you just tell me what you¡¯re looking for, I will be able to help. In fact, it would be hard to find someone else who could help you like I can.¡± ¡°Did you just say-¡± Ava stopped walking for a moment, looking between the two of us before quickly moving again, ¡°Cattleya, I know what you¡¯re trying to do. I thought I already went through this with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m just offering my assistance to her as I did to you.¡± ¡°...¡± Ava once again didn¡¯t respond. Didn¡¯t you only meet each other yesterday? What happened? ¡°So... tell me what is on your mind,¡± Cattleya focused on me again, ¡°I decided to help you. So that is exactly what I am going to do.¡± I took a step closer to Ava, feeling a little uncomfortable at just how forward Cattleya was. It was strange listening to her. In some ways, it seemed like she was being friendly, but at the same time, she always gave off the air of being above everyone else. Something about it just made me feel a little uneasy, unsure of how exactly I was supposed to treat her. Yet, at the same time, that¡¯s all it was; my mind wasn¡¯t screaming at me to run or even to hide; it was just a little uncomfortable. ¡°I... wanted to draw something...¡± I said quietly despite my initial reluctance. ¡°Hmm...¡± Cattleya suddenly stepped out in front of Ava and me, ¡°I have the perfect place in mind.¡± ¡°... And where might that be?¡± Ava asked as she wrapped her arm around mine. ¡°So what do you think? I told you I knew this place well,¡± Cattleya boasted, ¡°You could not find a better spot.¡± Glancing over at her, however, something felt off. It wasn¡¯t something about her; at least I didn¡¯t think that was the case, but for some reason, the image of Cattleya standing out in the sun just didn¡¯t seem right to me. ¡°I guess...¡± Ava said as she looked out over the horizon. Cattleya didn¡¯t say anything, instead choosing to just respond with a smug grin as she moved closer to the railing. I moved my attention to the large contraption at the centre of the lighthouse. It didn¡¯t seem too complicated... even if I wouldn¡¯t be able to actually explain what was happening... mainly just being some combination of mirrors and lenses set up to direct light in one direction. However, there was one thing that I wasn¡¯t able to figure out; the one thing that should have been the most obvious. There was all this equipment to redirect light, yet there didn¡¯t seem to be any source of it. Where I would have expected a fire instead, there was something that looked similar to a gemstone, at least in the way it was cut, but the material itself looked no different to the glass around it. ¡°I see you also noticed what makes this lighthouse so special. I would not expect any less from you,¡± Cattleya came up behind me, ¡°Naturally, I also noticed. So I asked the old man downstairs about it, and he told me quite the story.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I just quietly hummed in response, not sure of what exactly to say. ¡°Well, it¡¯s only right you would be interested... I have decided that I will be gracious and will pass this story forward as was done to me.¡± But I didn¡¯t- ¡°Now, unlike most lighthouses, this one uses an artefact for its light,¡± Cattleya just did as she said she would without any delay whatsoever, ¡°It was first discovered buried underneath a collapsed rotting cabin deep in the forest nearby. It works by taking in the light from the sun during the day and then expelling it at night. At least, that was how the old man explained it, but I am not going to blame him for his ignorance. Apparently he used to be a famous mercenary. He was hired to protect this artefact from those who wanted to take it. But you would never guess who it was he had to protect it from.¡± An artefact? I haven¡¯t seen one before.... It looks so... plain? ¡°I-¡± ¡°It was from a human duke,¡± Cattleya interrupted, ¡°He apparently owned the territory a few weeks ride away from here where they are strangely attached to the Goddess of Light.¡± Oh... I think I know... ¡°This duke decided that he had ownership of this Light artefact solely due to his dedication to the Temple of Light; however, by the time he had decided that the artefact had already been installed in this very lighthouse and was being used to guide ships in through both darkness and fog. It was much better than the brazier they were using before, so as one would expect, they were hesitant to hand it over. This little conflict went on for a number of years, but as soon as the big merchant guilds in the town found out about what was happening, they stepped in. They declared that they would refuse business with the entire island if the artefact was removed. Now, despite being a duke, he could not make that decision without losing his head, be that through formal execution or something more... quaint.¡± Despite the tone of the story, Cattleya¡¯s expression never changed, maintaining a smile the whole time. ... ¡°Then how does it work?¡± I asked, unable to hold back my curiosity, ¡°The artefact... If it doesn¡¯t absorb sunlight, what does it do?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± She gave me a strange look, ¡°Can you not feel it?¡± Feel it? I turned to look at the artefact in the centre of the lighthouse again, in hopes that I might miraculously ¡®feel¡¯ what was going on... Whatever that meant. What do you- *Crash!* Chapter 91 – What Did You See? Chapter 91 ¨C What Did You See? *Crash!* My attention was immediately torn away from the artefact as the noise echoed up from down beneath us. But it didn¡¯t stop at just that loud crash; it was immediately followed by the wailing of wooden beams, the shouts of people and the unrelenting splash of the waves. ¡°Is that another one?!¡± Cattleya immediately shouted as she sprinted over to the railing. ¡°Another what?¡± Ava asked as she walked up beside Cattleya to get a look down at wherever the noise was coming from. I did the same, carefully looking over the railing at the scene that was unfolding down at the bottom of the sheer cliff on the other side of the lighthouse. It was a massive ship bearing the red fox emblem proudly on its main sail. It was much larger than the one I had seen before, maybe even double the size. Somehow, it had found its way onto the rocks only a little more than a stone¡¯s throw away from shore and was in the process of having its hull viciously torn apart. ¡°How did they end up all the way out here?¡± Cattleya asked out loud, ¡°This is not anywhere close to the dock.¡± Fortunately, the ship wasn¡¯t in any danger of sinking, even with the large gashes throughout, as the water simply wasn¡¯t deep enough. But that didn¡¯t mean that they were in the clear, as even the calm waves were enough to force the ship even further onto the rocks, threatening to topple it and the crew onboard into the waiting bed of spears. ¡°Should we-¡± Ava spoke up. ¡°Shh!¡± Cattleya put a hand over Ava¡¯s mouth, ¡°Just watch. This is perfect. I need to hear your opinions on this, so watch closely.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Shh!¡± ... What do you want me to look at? It already hit the rocks. What could I even do? Despite my thoughts, I continued to look down at the ship as it rocked back and forth. It was definitely a much worse crash than what we had seen only a few days before, to the point where I wasn¡¯t sure if it would even be possible to repair it. Most of the hull, or what used to be the hull, was strewn out across the sea, stray boards bobbing up and down along with the tide, yet somehow, there wasn¡¯t a single crate in the water with them. As soon as I noticed that, I looked back at the ship to see how that was possible; with the amount of damage that had been done, it just didn¡¯t make sense for everything to still be onboard. But as my eyes tried to focus on the breaches in the hull, something strange happened. I couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint where any of the holes were or even how many there were. Every time I focused on one specifically, it almost seemed to move around as if it were alive, the broken edges changing shape at will, sometimes even appearing to close completely. I gradually moved my attention up to the crew on the main deck, but the same thing seemed to happen. The crew would fly up and down the ship in unusual patterns and loose ropes were waving around in the air as if it were a desperate cry for help. It was quickly getting to a point where it hurt my eyes to continue looking at whatever was unfolding before me. What is- I looked over at Ava and Cattleya, yet neither of them reacted in the slightest. Cattleya was still staring intently down at the ship, whereas Ava was just looking a little frustrated as she rested her head on her hand. ¡°Do-¡± I was going to ask them if they were seeing the same thing; however, that was short-lived. ¡°Shh. Not yet,¡± Cattleya immediately interrupted, ¡°You just need to keep watching. You need to understand.¡± There simply wasn¡¯t any room to argue with her... So I continued to watch the ship, but nothing changed; it was still the same blurry mess that I had seen before. But that¡¯s when it happened. There was something that caught my eye darting away from the ship, but as my eyes tried to follow it, there was nothing. I wasn¡¯t even sure if I had actually seen anything. Maybe it was just a feeling instead? But whatever it was, it somehow caught my attention, even if only for an immeasurably brief moment. ¡°If you say so,¡± Ava said as she walked with me towards the staircase, ¡°Just... tell me if it gets to be too much. I promise I¡¯ll do something about it.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The two of us made our way down the lighthouse in no rush. Once we arrived at the bottom, the old man waved over to us from a stool in the corner of the room, but before either of us could say anything back, he quietly pointed to the door where Cattleya was already standing. ¡°You¡¯re just in time,¡± Cattleya said, ¡°He¡¯s almost here.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s almost here?¡± Ava asked. We had to wait no more than a few seconds to see who it was as Tybalt gradually came into view as he was walking up the hill, his ears swinging back and forth under his chin. ¡°Of course... it just had to be you again... Why is it always you?¡± He grumbled as he looked up at Cattleya. However, as soon as his eyes fell on me, his demeanour completely changed, and he picked up the pace a little. We just waited inside the doorway until Tybalt came up in front of us with a clipboard in hand. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you again so soon. If only it were under more... fortuitous circumstances.¡± ¡°Hello Branch Manager,¡± Cattleya responded. ¡°Hello... again... Miss Cattleya...¡± Tybalt reluctantly replied. ¡°Should I-¡± ¡°No. No, you shouldn¡¯t...¡± He said as he jotted down something on his clipboard, ¡°I¡¯ve already written down your account of the events today. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotten better at this,¡± Cattleya puffed her chest out as if she had just done something impressive. ... ¡°Now... I hate to have to ask the two of you this,¡± He turned to Ava and me without saying anything more to Cattleya, ¡°But I happened to notice that you were on top of the lighthouse just now. Did you see anything related to the recent crash while you were up there? If not, then you can get on with your day, but it would help both me and the Guild Master more than you know.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Ava sighed. She recounted the events both quickly and plainly, although, on more than one occasion, Cattleya tried to interject with her theories about what was ¡®really¡¯ happening, but neither Ava nor Tybalt paid her much attention. Before I knew it, Tybalt had turned his focus to me, ¡°I assume your story is much the same?¡± ... ¡°No...¡± I admitted quietly, ¡°It looked... strange.¡± As soon as the words left my lips, everyone¡¯s expressions changed; Tybalt looked confused, Ava was shocked and Cattleya... It might have been the first time I had seen a genuine smile on her face. ¡°It was hard to focus on...¡± I tried to ignore everyone else and get what few words I could out, ¡°Everything kept moving around... but then it just stopped...¡± My response was definitely less elegant than Ava¡¯s, but Tybalt noted it down on his clipboard all the same. ¡°... I¡¯ll pass that on to the Guild Master,¡± He said, the gears clearly already turning in his head, ¡°... Now, I don¡¯t want to hold you any longer than I have to. So, thank you greatly for answering my question. I¡¯ll just ask the lighthouse keeper here if he saw anything, and then I¡¯ll be on my way again. Please do enjoy the rest of your day.¡± Chapter 92 – I Need To Know Chapter 92 ¨C I Need To Know Tybalt walked past us into the lighthouse while the three of us waited outside, hoping that once he left, we would be able to go back up. Ava and I both decided to sit down on the grass, looking out over the town while Cattleya was busy behind us, pacing back and forth frantically. Going by the expression I had just seen on her face when I answered Tybalt¡¯s question, I had expected her to immediately bombard me with questions like before, but evidently, that wasn¡¯t what was happening. ... ¡®Morning Kierra,¡¯ Ovia¡¯s voice suddenly emerged inside my head, sounding just a little bit more exhausted than usual. ¡®Good morning,¡¯ I replied as I lay back on the grass and looked towards the sky. ¡®Sorry I wasn¡¯t around earlier... A small group of common dream spirits have been acting a little strange... they¡¯re normally very quiet, so I had to check on them.¡¯ As I registered her words in my mind, I was gradually hit with a pang of guilt somewhere deep in my stomach. Is that... my fault? My dream... Was it because of the memory I saw? Was it a bad thing that I remembered? ... I eventually gave in to my curiosity and asked, ¡®... What happened?¡¯ ¡®They wouldn¡¯t tell me... I just watched and waited for them to calm down... But Rya is now in charge of them instead.¡¯ ... I couldn¡¯t tell if the spirit¡¯s silence was better or worse. If it was my fault... and now the spirits weren¡¯t saying anything about it... not even to their Goddess... ... ... As I lay there and thought about it a bit more, another question came to mind. Is it even my fault? Me remembering such a short memory might not have been what caused it. The last time I had a dream in that place, nothing bad happened; it was just a nightmare. So it might have been the same this time, nothing more than a strange dream. This all might have just been a coincidence... but at the same time... it also might not have been. ... I kept quiet for a bit, not sure of what exactly to say or do. With everything that had already happened earlier that day, there wasn¡¯t enough room for me to also think about this, and for some reason, I just didn¡¯t even really feel like thinking about it. That feeling that came over me in the morning when I just wanted to go and do something still hadn¡¯t gone away. ... ¡°What did you do?!¡± Cattleya suddenly shouted from behind, abruptly tearing me away from my thoughts, ¡°I have thought about it, but I cannot figure it out.¡± As I sat up and looked over my shoulder she looked like she was about to lunge at me, but thankfully, she just knelt down on the grass next to the two of us instead. ¡°There must be an explanation, a missing piece to the puzzle,¡± She said as she reached for my hand, ¡°You said that you were seeing something I could not, but that very assumption might be wrong!¡± I quickly moved my hand into my lap on reflex, and fortunately, Cattleya didn¡¯t try to reach out again and just left her hand on the grass where it fell. ¡°Maybe I am the one seeing something that you cannot! That would also make sense... But I do not know why that would be the case...¡± ¡°Look, she doesn¡¯t know,¡± Ava skilfully swapped places with me so that she was now between the two of us, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many questions you ask, you aren¡¯t going to get any of the answers you want.¡± ¡°I do not need the answer itself. I need information. I will figure it out myself... At least tell me what magic you can use.¡± ¡°Cattleya-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered, cutting Ava off. ¡°You... don¡¯t know?¡± Cattleya tilted her head slightly as if she was struggling to understand what I was saying, ¡°How can you not know? All the mana around you just disappears. You have to be using it for something.¡± I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. ¡®Ovia?¡¯ I asked out of habit. ¡®Ah... um... I don¡¯t know how to explain,¡¯ She responded almost immediately, ¡®Ellaria is better at this than me; maybe I can ask her for you.¡¯ ¡°Hmm?¡± Cattleya tried to slow down in order to slip behind Ava, but Ava immediately noticed and matched her pace, ¡°Do you really know nothing? I thought that was just an excuse.¡± ¡°I...¡± Ava simply stared at her as she struggled to find her words, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with you...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do about this either,¡± Cattleya said, more than likely having misheard Ava... or maybe after having chosen to mishear her, ¡°But I still need to know the answer... It is very important...¡± I... don¡¯t know what to do. ... The rest of the walk was done in silence, aside from Ava asking me a few minor questions as she noticed the buildings and stores around us, things like if I was interested in what they were selling or if I wanted to go visit the place when the weather cleared up. Once we were finally in front of the inn, Ava opened the door and stepped forward with me. However, this time, Cattleya didn¡¯t follow, instead just standing out on the street. ¡°Are you just going to stand out there until you get wet?¡± Ava asked. ¡°Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking about how to solve this problem...¡± Cattleya responded, ¡°But what if I don¡¯t have to?! Even if I do not know why you can see something different, it does not matter! I just need you to watch the ships for me!¡± ¡°I thought we already-¡± Ava tried to speak up. ¡°Wait,¡± She interrupted, ¡°I know you will not accept money, but I have a different offer. You do not know about magic, but I do know about magic, and I know that you will be more than capable of using it, so what if... I will teach you what I know, and in exchange, you can just watch the ships with me. That is all. No money involved.¡± ¡°Look-¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I spoke up over Ava. Cattleya¡¯s face once again lit up, ¡°Then we start tomorrow! I will be waiting for you out here.¡± Ava looked back at me in shock, but it only lasted a moment before her expression softened again, ¡°Alright... If that¡¯s what you want to do... I... can¡¯t really stop you... But I¡¯m definitely coming along then to make sure that nothing happens.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Cattleya shouted, ¡°That is more than fine!¡± ¡°Now, are you going to come in? It¡¯s about time for lunch, after all.¡± ¡°No. I... I have other things to do!¡± Cattleya awkwardly turned around, ¡°Just don¡¯t forget about tomorrow!¡± With those last few words, Cattleya ran off into the distance just as the rain started to come down. ¡°She ran off with the cloak I gave her...¡± Ava muttered under her breath as the two of us made our way over to one of the tables in preparation for lunch. Chapter 93 – The Vampire and The Cloak Chapter 93 ¨C The Vampire and The Cloak [Cattleya POV] ¡°I knew I could do it,¡± I just could not stop myself from talking under my breath, even as the rain started to come down on top of me. Mother thought that I could not manage, but she could not have been more wrong. ... Even if I failed the first time... This time, I have a secret weapon. A new set of eyes. It did not take long for me to arrive at the wall surrounding the town... well, calling it a wall was certainly generous; in reality, it was much closer to a humble fence. More just to give the idea of safety without providing any tangible defence, if anything. In no more than a single leap, I jumped up onto the wall before hopping off on the other side and immediately making my way into the forest. In the back of my mind, I was hoping to take the chance to grab a quick drink, but as I made my way through, there simply were not any animals around. It was a shame, to be sure, but thankfully, I had a stockpile that would last me more than a few days after those wolves provided me with a generous donation, even if it was not of the highest quality. I do not have the chance to be picky; as for human territory, what they provided me with may as well have been a gourmet meal with just how little mana everything has. That being said... I would have preferred an animal with some more... palatable meat, even if not as dense in mana. No matter how desperate I was, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to eat that; a lady has to have standards. In my disappointment, I decided that it would be better to hurry towards my hideout in order to get out of the rain. There was not any issue with being out in the rain per se, but it certainly was not the most pleasant way to spend the day if I had any choice in the matter. So, if I did not have to, then I would not subject myself to it. My hideout quickly came into view, hidden in amongst the trees; on the outside, it looked to be nothing more than an old, dilapidated shack that had long been left to the land, but little would people know that on the inside, it was... ... ... I just picked up the pace and got inside without wasting any more time. Thankfully, the roof was more than capable of keeping the inside dry. As soon as I was comfortably inside, I reached to remove my coat; however, my hand ended up gasping onto something I was not expecting. ¡°What?¡± As I looked down, I saw an unfamiliar cloak that was draped over my shoulders. ... ... ¡°Of course!¡± I shouted as I eventually recalled where the cloak had come from, ¡°It is only proper manners for me to wash this before I return it. It must have just slipped my mind.¡± I do not know why I spoke out loud at that moment, but it seemed to quell whatever I was feeling inside my chest, so the was no need for me to concern myself with it any longer than that. But still, before doing anything else, I made sure to hang the cloak up somewhere to give it a chance to dry. I need to remember to get this cleaned before meeting the two of them. I stacked up all the notes I had previously laid out on the table and set them aside before pulling out a new blank sheet in order to try to put together a lesson plan. ¡°I need to make a good impression after all.¡± However, writing a lesson plan turned out to be a little more difficult than I had expected. I had been taught before, yet I never had to teach anyone. All the information I needed was inside my head, but putting it to paper was an entirely different story. After only a brief moment of hesitation, I decided that the best thing to do would be to just start writing whatever came to mind when it came to the basics of magic. The actual content of the lesson likely did not matter, as I suspected that Kierra already had a basis in magic and was just entertaining my offer of a lesson because... ... ¡°Why... did she accept?¡± My pencil fell to the table as the question came over me. If she was lying about not knowing what magic she could use... why would she agree to a lesson where I could easily find out? If she really did not want anyone to know, then this does not make any sense. ... ... Maybe not everything is a lie... Or maybe she already knows exactly what I am looking for! What if her magic has nothing to do with what she can see? She could be intentionally leading me towards a dead end... but why? ... She even agreed to watch the ships with me in return... ... Something here must be wrong. ... I once again picked up the pencil but decided to pull out a new piece of paper and start the lesson plan from the beginning. This time, specifically trying to recall when I was first introduced to magic many years ago and put that experience into writing... with more than a few improvements included. Maybe she is testing me. That would make sense. She wants to see what I know and will use that to decide how she should continue. ... Well, little does she know, her adorable test is nothing compared to what I have been put through. Chapter 94 – A World of Mana Chapter 94 ¨C A World of Mana The rain didn¡¯t let up until morning, but once it finally did, a fresh smell began to drift in through our window. I didn¡¯t dream that last night, but that might have been for the better, especially if my dream really was what disturbed the dream spirits. ... I was already starting to regret my decision to agree to Cattleya¡¯s magic lesson, yet at the same time, there was an unfamiliar excitement sitting right alongside it. Ava had helped me with her healing magic many times... and I didn¡¯t know what I would have done if I had never received my shadow from Ovia. Magic was something that had always been around me, yet I never really understood it in any way; it was just something that I accepted. Ava seemed to have woken up before me, as by the time I had gotten myself dressed and ready for the day, she already had a basket ready which she handed off to Umbra. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab a quick bite for breakfast, and then we¡¯ll be on our way, alright?¡± Ava said as she threw her cloak on. ¡°Mhm,¡± I replied, doing the same with my own cloak before heading down the stairs. Breakfast was just as good as before, vanishing in no more than a few moments, although I did have to admit that I was starting to miss Ava¡¯s cooking. Even though it was still very good, there was just something different when she did it. Once the two of us were satisfied, we made our way to the door, opening it only to be hit with an even stronger smell, one with much more nuance and a slight saltiness to it. After the rain, the town itself looked surprisingly different; everything had a slight shine to it, making everything feel just a little brighter. Not that it changed anything about the crowds going by. With the wet cobblestones, I would have expected them to slow down a little, but it seemed that I was mistaken. ¡°Good Morning Ava, Kierra,¡± Cattleya said, standing just to the side of the door, once again wearing her coat, complete with all its gold trimmings. ¡°Hello Cattleya,¡± Ava responded, ¡°Yester-¡± ¡°Here,¡± Before Ava could finish what she was saying, Cattleya pulled out a neatly folded cloak from behind her, ¡°I made sure to have it washed before returning it... I am sorry for any inconvenience...¡± Ava just stood there speechless as if she had been completely caught off guard, yet, despite that, she still took the cloak. ¡°Now, the two of you will be surprised at what I have prepared for today,¡± She said as she spun around on her heel, ¡°But this is no place to get started. I already have the perfect place in mind, so if you would just follow me now.¡± ¡°Wait just a moment,¡± Ava held the cloak out in front of her, ¡°Can you put this on again? I¡¯d still rather not be attracting attention wherever we go.¡± ¡°Hmm? Not today.¡± ¡°Wh-¡± ¡°I am the one in charge today,¡± Cattleya interrupted, ¡°And anyway, I will not need it where we are going, so it would be better to keep it clean rather than dirtying it for no good reason.¡± With that line, Cattleya simply marched forward, followed shortly by Ava, letting out a sigh. She then just handed the cloak over to me, and I quickly slipped it inside my own cloak for Umbra to take before both of us followed behind Cattleya. By that point, I was already sitting on the blanket with Ava, listening intently to every word that left Cattleya¡¯s mouth. It was certainly a lot, but I couldn¡¯t deny just how interesting it was to finally be learning something like this. ¡°Sometimes, an object will absorb more of a certain type of mana than it normally would. When considering something simple such as a stone, an example would be a stone that had been formed at the base of a volcano. The air would be rich in fire mana, and over time, the stone would gradually absorb more and more of it. This stone would grow warm to the touch because of this, but what is of note is that even if this stone is moved from the volcano, it will stay warm for many months,¡± She then placed the rock she was holding back down, ¡°The idea of a living being using magic is not too dissimilar to this concept. In a perfect world, each and every living being would house many different types of mana within them, but they would be in complete balance with each other, rendering their respective properties inert. The art of magic is born from the imbalance of mana inside a living being, much like the example of a stone having too much fire mana within. Where the imbalance comes from is complicated; it could come from a species living in an extreme environment for many generations, it could just be luck to be born a little different, or it could be inherited from parents, even if it rarely happens under normal circumstances. Or it could be something inherent to a species; a good example of this are species that are related to spirits in some way, such as me or you, which naturally have a great imbalance due to their origins,¡± She pointed directly at me. I already knew that kitsune were related to spirits from the story Elenia told me, but apparently vampires are too? I was almost tempted to ask her about it but held myself back. ¡°In living beings, this imbalance means that they may absorb more of a certain type of mana than others, but in exchange, they naturally absorb less of another, be that one in perfect contradiction or many types of mana in a lesser contradictory relationship. These imbalances can affect more than just magic when they are particularly great. For example, it can be something very obvious, changing hair or eye colour into something unnatural, or sometimes it¡¯s more subtle, like a shift in personality. In a similar way, someone using too much mana in a short time may experience a side effect. For me personally, I lose control of my hunger, but in most cases, it is not possible to reach that stage as the body will naturally try and prevent itself from going too far,¡± She then took off her jacket and threw it over onto an empty spot on top of the blanket, ¡°That covers the basics when it comes to the theory, but, just as mana exists in a balancing act you also need to balance your knowledge and your instinct. So, right now, I need you to remove your cloak and come sit in front of me.¡± Wait. My cloak? ¡°... Why?¡± I asked. ¡°Because it will make this next part much easier.¡± But I... I grabbed onto my hood out of instinct. What if she sees, what would she- I shook my head in an attempt to stop my thoughts for a moment. Kierra, you agreed to do this. You are the one who said yes. ... Just... make sure your shadow covers your hair. She saw you before, at the docks. She already knows you¡¯re a kitsune, so this much should be fine... Right? ... Despite my reluctance, I slowly unfastened my cloak and handed it to Ava. Chapter 95 – Putting it into Practice Chapter 95 ¨C Putting it into Practice ¡°Good. Now come over here,¡± Cattleya said without any hesitation whatsoever. ... Is that it? She didn¡¯t react? I know she has seen me before, but... nothing? ... I guess she didn¡¯t say anything when she saw Ava¡¯s wings either... ... In an attempt to distract myself from my own thoughts, I just did as Cattleya asked, sitting down in front of her on the grass while waiting for whatever she was going to do next. ¡°Alright, what we are going to do right now is something that I have not done before... But, if I am going to teach you any further, then I need to identify exactly what type of mana imbalance you have,¡± She said, ¡°Based on the colour of your hair and your general demeanour, I already have an idea of what to expect, but I still need to confirm it, many different types of mana can lead to similar traits after all.¡± ¡°... You haven¡¯t done this before?¡± I asked cautiously. ¡°No? Why would I?¡± She responded immediately, ¡°My mana imbalance was already known long before I was born. It was passed down through the Astrantia bloodline, so there was no need to test it.¡± I thought she said that it was only rarely inherited from your parents. Is it different for vampires? Or is her bloodline just special? ... Do I ask her? ¡°Now, as I said before, each type of mana can behave drastically differently, so when it comes to applied mana, otherwise known as magic, it is largely down to a combination of personal experience and intuition. However, when considering magic in its most primitive form, most are fairly similar,¡± She then stuck her hand out towards me with her palm facing upwards, ¡°Inside of you is all this excess mana; all you need to do is let it out. In doing so, if, for example, you had fire mana, as you let it out, it would become a flame. But in my case...¡± Soft green wisps seemed to come out of her fingers for a brief moment before a flower began to sprout from the ground beneath it. It was fairly small, but that didn¡¯t take away from just how incredible it was to see. I had seen magic being used a few times before, mainly from Ovia and Ava... but this was different. Whenever Ovia used magic, I didn¡¯t question it; she¡¯s a Goddess, so it only made sense for her to be able to do things like that. When Ava used her healing magic, it always made me feel better, but I never really saw it working. I only felt it... It was just... seeing something physical like that, despite how small it was, was eye-opening in an entirely different way. ¡°As you can see, I can use the plant magic that has been passed down to me. In this case, just releasing a little of my mana into the air encourages nearby plants to grow. However, in reality, it is not a very practical usage of magic, as while it can encourage plants to grow, that is all it does. It does not only make a particular plant grow, or even decide how it should grow, but that is where a person¡¯s imagination and understanding of their own mana imbalance will become important,¡± She said as she moved her hand closer to the flower that had just sprouted, ¡°As an example, if instead of just haphazardly releasing my mana I controlled it, used it to draw a path, perhaps something simple like a circle-¡± As she said that, I once again saw the pale green wisps come from her fingers, but this time, they looked just a little different, more defined, although that might have been nothing more than my imagination. After only a short moment, the flower started to grow once again. However, instead of simply growing upwards like before, it began to curve, gently wrapping around Cattleya¡¯s wrist before abruptly detaching itself from the ground. ¡°-It is possible to achieve something like this instead,¡± She said, holding up the flower, now turned bracelet, with a smug look on her face. ¡°Now, what I need you to do right now is what I first showed you. Just let out a small amount of your mana so I can identify it. It should be easy enough for you, considering-¡± She abruptly stopped herself before continuing, ¡°Mana reacts strongly to your thoughts and feelings, so if you just will it to happen, it will happen... but please make sure it is small. I do not want to be surprised with a bolt of lightning or a flame that sets this forest ablaze, not that it is what I am expecting to happen.¡± I held my own hand out much like Cattleya did and looked down at my palm. She made it all sound so easy; all I needed to do was think about it, and it would happen. It was an absurd idea... but so was the idea of using magic itself. And it wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t have an idea of what she meant; I was already able to move my shadow with my thoughts, could turn into a fox and back on a whim... if anything, I was probably better versed with magic than I had originally thought when I agreed to this lesson. Just think about it... That¡¯s it. ... I tried to do as she said, imagining this nebulous mana that was supposed to be inside of me travelling down to my hand and somehow seeping out... yet nothing happened. I couldn¡¯t even feel anything different. All the while, Cattleya was sitting there, staring intently at my hand as I continued to try over and over again for what felt like a small eternity. Why doesn¡¯t it work? ... When Ava uses her magic, her hands glow a little... and Cattleya has those wisps coming from her fingers... Is that what I¡¯m missing? Do I need to think about what it¡¯s supposed to look like? She did mention using imagination... I tried again, thinking about the mana coalescing in my hand, making it glow softly as it slowly seeped out from my fingertips just as I had seen before and... there was still nothing happening. Why is it so difficult? Cattleya made it sound so easy... ... Why am I able to move my shadow around as I please, but I can¡¯t do this? Is my shadow not magic? But Aria once told me that my white hair was from my affinity for light magic. So I must at least have that... If I don¡¯t... ... I closed my eyes as my thoughts kept lingering on my shadow, in particular, the first day I discovered it. The way it seemed to have a mind of its own as it writhed around, the way it somehow started to listen to my thoughts, the way it helped me to hide what I didn¡¯t want to be seen. As those thoughts circled around in my mind, I felt something slowly start to change. The sensation I recalled why my shadow first crawled across my body came back to me, the chill that crept along my arm, reaching out desperately for my palm. The image in my mind started to change; as my shadow kept struggling, it was somehow able to break free from my hand and crawl up into the air. It was strange and unnatural, but it just seemed right to me. It even reminded me of those tendrils that I had seen Ovia make use of before. ¡°Oh my...¡± Those two words from Cattleya immediately pulled me out of my trance, and my eyelids shot open. As my eyes quickly refocused, I noticed that there was a small dark grey blob floating just above my palm, almost exactly as it had appeared in my mind. Yet, after looking up just a bit, I could see that that wasn¡¯t where Cattleya¡¯s eyes were looking. Instead, they were firmly affixed on my face. ¡°What-¡± I jerked back a little as I spoke, and that¡¯s when I saw it. A strand of pure white hair that passed in front of my eyes. Immediately, I realised what had happened. Somehow, in trying to concentrate my mana on my hand, I accidentally let my shadow fall from my hair, exposing it right in front of her. ¡°I-!¡± I immediately tried to speak up. ¡°That¡¯s... an interesting combination...¡± She said as she inched closer, ¡°You were hiding your hair colour with your magic... but why?¡± ¡°What?¡± I said as my mind was scrambling for some kind of explanation I could give her. ¡°White hair... that makes me think of ice mana... although that¡¯s not normally this pure of colour, more blue or grey... I think those who dabble in the realm of death magic often have white hair, but that might just be because all of the ones I have found out about in records were elderly... There is also light mana, which would explain the colour... but that couldn¡¯t be it... If you had light mana, how were you able to dye your hair like that?¡± Is that... it? My shoulders gradually started to relax despite what Cattleya was saying. I had expected much more of a reaction, just like before... but she was just... curious? That was it. It was like when I showed my hair to Elenia all over again. Nothing bad happened. ¡°What am I even saying?¡± Cattleya said as her focus moved down to my hand instead, ¡°Looking at this, you must have... um... dark? No, it is not quite dark enough... It is also holding itself together far too well... Almost like water mana, but that cannot be right either... maybe something to do with metal? No, it is too dark for that...¡± She picked up a stick and tried to poke at the blob, yet it just passed through as if it wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°I... I do not know what this is...¡± She said, as she set the stick down beside her, ¡°It does not match anything I can think of... that just... does not make any sense... Who are you? And I mean... Who are you really?¡± What does she mean she doesn¡¯t know? I thought she knew about magic, that¡¯s why she offered the lesson. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m supposed to say to her now. I don¡¯t know what answer she wants. ¡°... Kierra,¡± I struggled to speak, but I knew that I had to say something even if I knew it wasn¡¯t what she wanted to hear, ¡°I¡¯m just... Kierra.¡± She just stared intently at my face, then back down to the mana in my hands. It was clear that the gears inside her mind were turning, trying to assess what was going on. ¡°You... really don¡¯t know...¡± She muttered under her breath before suddenly exploding back to life, ¡°Then this must be something entirely new! Something that even I have never heard of, something that no one has ever heard of... But what can it do? If this really is the reason you can-¡± She abruptly stopped herself, but I couldn¡¯t figure out why, at least until Ava called out from behind me. ¡°Hey, you two, it¡¯s time for lunch!¡± She shouted, ¡°I¡¯m sure you can continue your lesson after a short break.¡± ¡°But-¡± Cattleya tried to speak up but didn¡¯t get very far. ¡°Lunch.¡± Ava interrupted with a sternness in her voice that made Cattleya flinch a little. ... ¡°Okay...¡± She said as she eventually gave in. Chapter 96 – Time for Lunch Chapter 96 ¨C Time for Lunch [Cattleya POV] Why did she have to interrupt me? I was on the verge of potentially discovering something incredible! I know it! ... ... After some careful consideration, I graciously decided to accept Ava¡¯s offer of lunch, if only so that she would not have an excuse to interrupt me later on. ¡°Okay...¡± I said as I lowered my arms, watching as the sphere of mana in front of me quickly dissipated. Almost as soon as I did, Kierra got up and made her way over to join Ava on the blanket that had been set out earlier. All in all, it was a quaint little affair, no more than a plain blanket and a matching basket set out on the grass, yet for some reason... it felt like there was something more to it, though I could not say what exactly that was that caught my attention. After a brief moment of hesitation in order to be polite, I made my way over to join the two of them. However, there was not much space left on the blanket aside from an open space next to Ava. As I was contemplating my options, Ava even gestured to the space in question. ¡°Are you going to sit?¡± She asked plainly. ... ¡°Of course I am.¡± I just need something more... appropriate for my stature... ... Maybe this is a good opportunity... I made a show of waving my hand over the ground just beside the blanket, and in mere moments, a stool made from the underlying tree roots emerged. I had wanted to make something much more extravagant, a real showpiece, but unfortunately, I already knew that I had to conserve my mana lest I show a more than embarrassing side of myself. The two on the blanket looked up at me in awe as I sat myself down, making sure to cross my legs gracefully, exactly as I had been taught time and time again. This was not the time to be making any mistakes in my presentation. ¡°Now-¡± I tried to speak up, but before I was able to get more than a single word out, something yanked on my arm and pulled me down to the floor. In the process, my head abruptly collided with something firm, not hard; there was just enough give to it for it not to hurt in any way, but whatever it was, it was certainly solid. ¡°You were just sitting on the grass over there with no issues just now. You¡¯ll survive sitting on a blanket for a few minutes while you eat.¡± My eyelids tentatively fluttered open to assess the situation. ¡°...¡± What greeted me first was Ava¡¯s face with those bright purple eyes staring down at me, hardly a breath away. My instincts immediately took over, and I pushed away, revealing that what I had fallen onto was none other than Ava¡¯s shoulder. An unfamiliar feeling slowly began to come over me, my face somehow heating up outside of my control. It was a remarkably uncomfortable sensation. I simply could not feel anything other than overwhelming embarrassment at the situation as it had unfolded. It was most unbecoming of one such as myself. I knew that I was supposed to carry myself better than that. I need to save face. I cannot fail this test. I need Kierra to help me with this. I do not have another option. I repeated those words over in my head until I calmed back down. My first instinct was to immediately get up and re-approach the two of them from the beginning, to wipe the slate clean, but that would not have been the appropriate thing to do at this point. Unfortunately, the best thing that I could do was simply accept the hospitality I was being offered as it was being offered. In an instant, I recomposed myself, checking both my hair and dress to ensure they were not in any sort of disarray to remain presentable. ¡°Alright. Might I ask what has been prepared for this lunch?¡± I asked. ¡°There you go, that¡¯s much better... I think...¡± Ava said as she started looking through the basket beside her, ¡°I just put together a few sandwiches this morning, nothing too heavy. I was originally planning on doing something else as it has been a few days since I have really gotten to have some fun cooking, but I thought these would be better for today.¡± As she brought the sandwiches out, they appeared quite simple, nothing more than plain white bread with some fillings, although there was certainly a variety to choose from. ¡°Kierra, are you alright helping yourself?¡± She asked, her wings fluttering ever so slightly as she turned, ¡°There¡¯s more than enough in there, so don¡¯t hesitate to just take as much as you want. I know you were always hungry as could be after training with Mom, so I prepared a bit extra just in case you needed it.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Kierra responded simply before inching closer, looking through the basket herself and pulling out what appeared to be a sandwich filled with nothing but various different cuts of meat. Ava then quickly turned her attention back to me, ¡°So... any preferences? I¡¯ve got quite the selection hidden under here. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have something you can stomach.¡± ... What am I supposed to say? What¡¯s the right answer here? ... ¡°What do you recommend?¡± I eventually asked, deciding that it would be better than risking asking for something that she would not be able to offer. ¡°Well, I recommend anything I¡¯ve put together,¡± She said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be offering it to you, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But if I absolutely had to pick something for you...¡± She pulled a sandwich out of the basket and held it out towards me, ¡°Then this would be a good place to start, something simple.¡± I took the sandwich from her with both of my hands in order to ensure that I would not accidentally drop anything in the process. As expected, the sandwich was not anything particularly special, a few thin slices of meat accompanied by a few vegetables and some kind of sauce that I was not able to identify from looks alone. I was going to ask what exactly was inside the sandwich, but as I looked back up to do so, Ava was already taking a bite of her own. Well... I would not want to be rude. After steeling myself for a brief moment, I brought the sandwich up to my mouth and took a small bite to test it. It was good; at least, it was better than I was initially expecting from its appearance. It was hard to tell what exactly it was, but there was a particularly addicting taste coming from either the sauce or the meat. ¡°It is passable,¡± I said out of my own surprise and enjoyment, ¡°At least for a simple sandwich.¡± ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s not good enough for your... refined tastes then,¡± Ava retorted, ¡°I guess that means there¡¯s more for the two of us.¡± Wait, that is not what I meant! I was complimenting the sandwich. ... I don¡¯t understand. ¡°I did not say that...¡± I was unsure of what else I could say in response, but no matter what, I had to correct the misunderstanding. ¡°Sure,¡± She casually replied, ¡°Well... If you somehow find yourself wanting any more... I guess you¡¯d be welcome to take another.¡± ¡°I... will keep that in mind,¡± I said as I took another bite of the sandwich I had been given. Unfortunately, that bite was not quite like the last one. It was a subtle change, but I knew all too well what it meant; my fangs were coming out again. But it was not supposed to happen again so soon! It has only been two days! I know I used magic, but I did not use that much. I barely did any more than a few party tricks. Despite what went through my mind, I could not deny the proof that was inside my mouth. Instinctively, I reached down for my pocket, only to find that it was not there. I had somehow completely forgotten that I had taken my coat off just before my demonstration. ¡°C-Can you please pass me my coat?¡± I asked while covering my mouth with my free hand, being sure not to accidentally prick myself on the growing sickles behind my lips. My coat was sitting just to the side of Kierra. I was hoping that she would be the one to pick it up, but... that was not how it turned out. ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s no problem,¡± Ava said as she picked the coat up, ¡°Are you feeling cold all of a sudden? I thought the weather was actually quite nice today.¡± ¡°N-No,¡± I said as I set the half-eaten sandwich down so that I could take my coat from her while keeping my other hand over my mouth, ¡°I-I just need to-¡± Before finishing my sentence, I set the coat down on my lap so that I could search through the pockets. I hope I filled it up this morning. Thankfully, my fingers swiftly found my vial. I immediately pulled it out and removed the lid, only to find that there was hardly any wolf blood left inside. In my rush to get the cloak cleaned for this morning, I must have forgotten to fill it back up. ... There was not anything else I could do, so I just drank what was left in the vial, hoping that it would be enough to at least make it through the rest of this lesson. As the crimson liquid slid down my throat, I could feel my fangs retracting and a weight being lifted from my shoulders. I took a moment just to let the wave of relief pass over me before quickly recomposing myself once again and quietly going back to eating my sandwich. I briefly looked up to make sure I did not accidentally offend anyone with my unbecoming display, and thankfully, aside from some glances coming from Ava and Kierra, it seemed that everything had gone over well. I just need to be careful to keep my magic in check for the next little while. With that sole thought in mind, I quickly finished off the sandwich I had been given... as well as a second one that Ava was gracious enough to provide me with. ¡°Now, it is time to go back to the lesson,¡± I said as I stood up and dusted myself off, ¡°I did not get very far before. But now that you have managed to concentrate your mana like that once, it should be easy for you to do so again. Then, Kierra, we can continue from where we left off. Chapter 97 – Where Does It All Go? Chapter 97 ¨C Where Does It All Go? I don¡¯t understand Cattleya... Does she need both food and blood? Is there a difference? ... The questions circled around inside my mind as I tried to figure out why exactly Cattleya seemed so desperate to get to the vial that was inside her coat pocket. I knew that when she drank from it, her fangs went away, but that was all. However, all of that was fairly short-lived, as while I was distracted, Cattleya sprung up and immediately declared that she was returning to our lesson. As soon as I realised what was happening, I got up and followed behind her, sitting back down on the grass where we had been only a few minutes earlier. Cattleya took a deep breath before speaking. ¡°Alright, the first thing you need to do for me is exactly what you did before,¡± She said with expectant eyes, ¡°You simply need to concentrate your mana for me to finish examining. Since you have managed to do so before, doing so again should be no issue for you.¡± Is it really that easy? It took me so long the last time... I looked down at my palm as those thoughts passed through my mind, trying to recall exactly what it felt like the last time I had done it. However, it was difficult for me; it was pretty much an accident that I was able to do it before. All I did was think back to when I first moved my shadow and the faint memory I had of those sensations; at some point, they just combined with my memories of Ovia¡¯s tendrils, the way I saw them move around her domain, bringing things to her... I wasn¡¯t even thinking about doing it myself... It just happened for some reason. ... A part of me had honestly hoped that by just recalling those things again, my mana would begin to move as it had before, yet I had no such luck, instead being left pointlessly staring down at my open palm. ... Both Ava and Cattleya are able to use magic without having to go through any of this... am I just different? I did it with my eyes closed last time... Is that the difference? It all feels so... random? ... Why is there not an easy answer? Somehow, I ¡¯m able to move my shadow however I want, yet doing something that''s supposed to be simple seems so difficult. In an attempt to prove the words swirling around my head right, I let my shadow crawl up my arm and into my hand as I had done many times before. It was effortless, leaving me just to watch as it squirmed and writhed, almost as if it had a mind of its own, desperately clawing its way up my arm against all odds. It got to the point where it wasn¡¯t much of a stretch for me to expect it to simply lift off my arm and keep climbing, and once it got up to my wrist, somehow, that¡¯s exactly what happened. Instead of the shadow coating my palm as it should¡¯ve, it simply continued up into the air, coalescing into the orb that I had seen before. ... My mind was a little lost as I was left mesmerised by what I had just seen. It didn¡¯t seem to matter how many times I saw magic; there was just an underlying element of wonder to it that made it difficult to think of anything else. And this time, in particular... watching the impossible happen with my own hands took my breath away. ¡°Hmm...¡± Cattleya¡¯s voice was what finally pulled me out of my own head and back down to reality, ¡°It really is quite strange. It looks nothing like anything I have seen or read about before, yet... at the same time, it does not seem to do much.¡± This time, she picked up a leaf and held it out towards the dark grey mass in front of me. As the leaf collided with it, just as she said, nothing seemed to happen, well, aside from making the leaf look a little darker as a shadow was cast over it. It was as if the mana wasn¡¯t even there in the first place, nothing more than a joint figment of our imagination. ¡°There must be something to it. Mana simply does not exist without a purpose...¡± Cattleya said as she pulled the leaf back towards her and examined it, ¡°... If it does not interact with anything physical, then perhaps...¡± As she spoke, I saw green wisps come from her fingers again, although they were much fainter and a little smaller than before. She then held the leaf close just before a new stem sprouted from it, slowly growing up into the dark orb above it. Once it touched the edge of the mana, it seemed to stop for a brief moment before continuing as it did before, although it might have been nothing more than a trick of the light on my part... or the lack of it. Cattleya, however, seemed to have a much greater reaction, immediately pulling the plant back with wide eyes locked on the orb in front of me. ¡°That could not...¡± Before saying another word, she shoved her free hand directly into the orb. Immediately, I felt something come over me... at least, that was the only way I could explain it. It wasn¡¯t something I could feel inside my body; rather, it was like I could feel... something happening within the ball of mana as Cattleya held her hand inside. It didn¡¯t take long before I realised that whatever I thought I was feeling was, in fact, very real, as the orb of mana bloated slightly. It didn¡¯t look quite like it did before; it was as if it was being stretched taut from the inside. A moment later, Cattleya removed her hand, looking it over just as she had done with the leaf moments before. ¡°It is just... unusual? Hungry?¡± She said, ¡°I do not know how I would explain it... It is such an odd sensation.¡± ¡°... What?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my confusion at her comment. ¡°It is a very subtle effect, so much so that I had doubted whether my assumption was even correct in the first place,¡± She kept looking over her arm as she spoke, even though nothing appeared to have changed, ¡°It... drained my mana somehow, that is probably the right way to put it. Not much, might I add, but I could definitely feel it wanting to leave my body as my hand was immersed.¡± What does that mean? I don¡¯t really understand all of this. ¡°This might help me to explain what was happening with the ship!¡± She shouted, ¡°If your mana inherently wants to take in other mana, then if some kind of magic were being used to distort your perception, it would be able to disrupt it!... maybe... I am not sure how that would work in practice...¡± She was starting to inch closer as she continued talking about what she was hypothesising. ¡°The biggest problem with this idea is that even when your mana is concentrated like that, the effect was so minor that I doubt it would have any significant impact on any competently constructed magic... I was still able to grow a plant despite its effects, after all... But at least it is a start!¡± At that point, she was hardly any more than a hand¡¯s width away from me. The look in her eyes was one of both amazement and a hint of desperation. I was instinctually tempted to try and push her away, but thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to. ¡°Come on now,¡± Ava said as she walked over to us before firmly placing a hand on Cattleya¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Why don¡¯t you back up a little? I¡¯m sure both of you¡¯d appreciate a little more space.¡± ¡°O-oh my,¡± Cattleya stammered as she suddenly pulled away, ¡°I must apologise. It was just such an intriguing idea, and I got a little ahead of myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s much better. Let¡¯s just stay at least this far back from now on, alright?¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Cattleya quietly responded before immediately refocusing on me, ¡°B-But now I want you to do something else! Can you try taking your mana back into yourself? I want to know what happens. If you are able to take in other types of mana like that...¡± Her words trailed off as she seemed to become absorbed in her own thoughts, but I must admit that I was also a little curious as to what would happen. When we were interrupted last time, I just let my mana dissipate into the air... but if I was able to make it do this... surely I could do it the other way around as well. So that¡¯s what I thought about: the way the orb would slowly descend until it met my arm, cooling down the skin it collided with before slowly sinking back down into my shadow. Then, without any extra effort on my part, that is exactly what started to happen: the orb slowly descending until it met with my palm. Once it did, it felt a little unusual; I could feel it collide with my skin as if it were a physical ball, although that sensation was only temporary, as it quickly began to melt. However, it seemed that not all of the mana wanted to go quite so willingly. There was this small amount that just didn¡¯t want to move like the rest, and I could feel it resisting as it was being forcefully driven into my palm with no success. It didn¡¯t take long before the pressure got to be too much, and whatever was being held down burst out. It released what looked to be a fine mist from my hand directly into my face. ¡°What was-?¡± I tried to question what had happened, but my unspoken question was answered almost immediately as I felt something prick at my nose uncomfortably. It was nothing other than a small cloud of pollen, and it didn¡¯t take long before I sneezed, blowing some of the pollen over to Cattleya and Ava, neither of whom seemed particularly bothered by it. ¡°So... I assume that means your body did not accept my mana,¡± Cattleya said, clearly trying to move closer again, even if Ava was now holding onto her, ¡°But... if you cannot do that... what about that mana deficit that follows you... It all has to be going somewhere... All this did was give me more questions. I just-¡± Those last two words were interrupted by Cattleya¡¯s fangs once again growing, although this time, she didn¡¯t accidentally bite her lip as she had back at the restaurant; instead, she fortunately stopped herself. ¡°Why now? I just-¡± It seemed like a realisation dawned on her as she abruptly stopped mid-sentence, ¡°Of course, I did not think about how the drain would- Oh, never mind, I... I need to go. Our next lesson will be... It doesn¡¯t matter right now. When I am ready, I¡¯ll come find you again.¡± She then easily shook herself out of Ava¡¯s grip, as if her being held back was nothing more than an act, before quickly darting deeper into the forest, leaving me and Ava sitting there, stunned at... whatever had just taken place. Chapter 98 – Why Didn’t You Call For Me? Chapter 98 ¨C Why Didn¡¯t You Call For Me? [Ovia POV] Should I help her? I don¡¯t know if I can... but I could try... ... I watched Kierra on the panel floating just in front of me as she played around with her magic. However, what garnered most of my attention wasn¡¯t her magic, but rather her expression as she used it... It wasn¡¯t a bright smile, or anything of the sort, but it also wasn¡¯t what it used to be. She was curious, having fun just... enjoying herself a little even if she didn¡¯t show it, even if she didn¡¯t know it herself, but I could tell. After how much time, I had watched her and how many times I had held her in my arms... I just... knew. If she wanted my help, she would ask. I don¡¯t want to interrupt her when she¡¯s doing so well. ... Despite the words in my head, there was still a part of me that really wanted to step in, to say something, even if it was just to congratulate her in the moment, but I was able to hold myself back. Instead, I just made sure to enjoy the moment quietly beside her, in spirit at least. ... ¡°Sister!¡± I didn¡¯t even have to look to know who had just entered my domain, ¡°I¡¯m finally free!¡± I immediately turned to face her, but before I could actually lay my eyes on her, something fell onto my lap with a thud. ¡°I could really use some Sister time right now,¡± Ellaria said as she looked up at me, ¡°And I¡¯m sure you could use some too.¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, what¡¯s the little kitsune up to at the moment?¡± Ellaria asked before I could properly respond to her. She rolled around lazily on my lap until she was able to see what was happening on the panel. Right as she did, Kierra tried to pull her mana back into herself, before accidentally spreading pollen all over herself and sneezing. ¡°What?! The little fox is trying magic?!¡± She shouted, jostling around in my lap a little too much, ¡°But I¡¯ve been waiting for her to ask me... I really wanted to be the first person to see exactly what she was capable of... With how long I¡¯ve been teased with her abilities, it¡¯s the least I deserve.¡± I shifted in my seat in an attempt to get comfortable. Thankfully, Aria noticed and moved along with me, quickly settling into a much better position. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what to say...¡± I replied. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call for me?¡± She asked, ¡°Even if she didn¡¯t ask me first, I¡¯d still be able to give her some advice. Much better advice than she would find from anyone down there with her at that.¡± ¡°But... you were busy.¡± ¡°That was that and this is this,¡± She said as she moved off my lap, sitting next to me instead, ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone wouldn¡¯t mind waiting on me for a little bit, it¡¯s not like the spirits won¡¯t do their work if I¡¯m not supervising. And if they saw what I did in her mana, I have no doubt that they would agree with my decision to delay their title for an hour or two.¡± ... There really wasn¡¯t anything I could say in response... although, even if there was, I already knew it wouldn¡¯t stop her. When she got like that, there was very little that could calm her down. ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t the first person she asked... but it¡¯s better late than never,¡± She said as she reached towards my neck, ¡°I¡¯m sure she has at least some questions that only I could answer for her.¡± As soon as I noticed what she was doing, I instantly pulled away, standing up to make sure that the pendant hanging around my neck was out of her reach. The whole thing happened so quickly that I wasn¡¯t sure which one of us was more surprised in the end. M-My body, it just... moved by itself. I-I... ¡°Sister?¡± ¡°N-No!¡± I accidentally shouted before quickly adjusting my volume back down to a more reasonable level, ¡°Not now... Maybe later, but not now.¡± Silence took over the room for a brief moment, which only led me to doubt what exactly I was doing. ¡°But why?¡± Ellaria asked, the look in her eyes only making me more nervous, ¡°All I want to do is give her a little assistance? Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re always doing for her? Why shouldn¡¯t I be able to step in every now and then?¡± ¡°B-Because... Ellaria, I...¡± My brain rushed, trying to put things into words, to try and explain why I was doing what I was doing, even if I didn¡¯t really fully understand it, ¡°Just look at her. She¡¯s talking to someone new, someone she doesn¡¯t really know that well... But she chose to do it by herself.¡± Ellaria seemed to soften up as I spoke, yet my words didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s noticed what she¡¯s doing... So I don¡¯t want to interrupt her, not now,¡± I said while clutching at the pendant, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is... I-I don¡¯t want you to interrupt her either.¡± ¡°... Alright then,¡± Ellaria said as she let out a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing just slightly, ¡°Then... can you tell me who she managed to find to teach her magic? There aren¡¯t many options where she is, so I should at least ensure that she chose a good teacher. I¡¯m sure you can let me do that much.¡± ¡°Oh, um...¡± Fortunately, I didn¡¯t need to answer as she looked over at the panel, just in time to see the teacher in question begin to grow a small pair of fangs before running away. ¡°Wait, is that... a vampire?¡± She asked, the excitement from before quickly resurfacing, ¡°Of all the people the little kitsune could run into, she was lucky enough to find a vampire? I¡¯ve always wanted to have a proper conversation with one, but unfortunately, not one of them has ascended up here yet.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Even I was a little surprised at what she had said. In the grand scheme of the world, vampires were fairly new, but it wasn¡¯t as if they had only just appeared. I was sure there would have been at least a few who had ascended. ¡°There was one who was more than qualified... I even descended to grant him the title in person, just as an excuse to try to get to know him early. But as soon as I brought up the title, he turned away, simply saying that he was too busy at the moment to take on the responsibility...¡± Once again, the room was filled with silence. In truth, I had never heard of someone deciding not to become a Deity before... but at the same time, I didn¡¯t remember being given a choice in the matter myself, so the idea of someone turning it down had never even occurred to me. What¡¯s so special about vampires? Is this something I¡¯m supposed to know? ¡°They¡¯re just such an interesting anomaly when it comes to a living species, although in truth it isn¡¯t entirely correct to refer to them as a species in the typical sense... more a set of people who share the same unique abnormality,¡± She answered as if she heard the question inside my mind, ¡°It¡¯s a miracle they are even able to survive, let alone live as long as they do... Yet I¡¯ve never been able to get any straight answers as to how any of it works.¡± I didn¡¯t have anything to say in response. Admittedly, it was a little hard to get a word in when she became like this, but at the same time, it was nice to see her so excited. ¡°Oh, I know what we can do,¡± She said as she stood up and walked over to me, ¡°You said that the little fox was okay with talking to that vampire. When you next talk to her, can you ask her to bring the vampire up with her the next time she¡¯s set to visit? It won¡¯t interrupt whatever the two of you have planned, don¡¯t worry. I just want to pull them aside to ask a few questions.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that!¡± I replied immediately. ¡°Why not?¡± She asked just as quickly. ¡°B-Because we¡¯re not supposed to. We already brought someone here accidentally.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°... How do you know?¡± ¡°Because John didn¡¯t show up to tell us not to,¡± She said confidently, ¡°If it was really a big problem, he would step in to stop it before it happened. So it must be fine, at least this one time.¡± ... But... ... ¡°Maybe...¡± I reluctantly said, not wanting to stop Ellaria again. ¡°Thank you, that¡¯s more than enough for now,¡± She said as she took a step back, ¡°Oh, and I¡¯m sorry, but sister time will unfortunately have to wait a little. I need to go and watch exactly what that little kitsune got up to today so I can add it to my notes... It might even be worth my putting together a short list of my findings that I can give to the little kitsune... and probably a few requests as well.¡± Before I had the chance to say anything, she left my domain just as quickly as when she had entered it. ... ¡°Did... I say the right thing?¡± Chapter 99 – A Simple Shopping Trip Chapter 99 ¨C A Simple Shopping Trip It had been more than a week since either Ava or I had last seen Cattleya. She did say that she would come to us when she was ready, but I was expecting her to appear the next day at the latest. She hadn¡¯t even come to ask me to watch the ships with her like we had agreed, but at the same time, there hadn¡¯t been any ships crashing since that day, at least none I had noticed. There was a small part of me that was a little worried about what might have happened to her, but I had no way of knowing. In that time, however, the days had been surprisingly normal, especially compared to our first few days in Haelmor. Very little happened aside from the occasional heavy rain, which kept us indoors from time to time, although it normally cleared up quite quickly after. I mainly used the time to continue trying to get used to my magic. It quickly got to a point where I could concentrate my mana just like I did before, without too much effort, but that was about all I achieved... I did try making a few different shapes using my mana while thinking about the flower bracelet Cattleya made, but all it did was change the shape of the blob as it floated in front of me, nothing as impressive as what I saw from her. There was even one point where I asked for Ava¡¯s help trying some things out, but the end result wasn¡¯t too different to when Cattleya had stuck her hand inside the ball of mana. I still wasn¡¯t able to draw anything back into myself that wasn¡¯t the shadow, although at least that time it didn¡¯t lead to me sneezing, just a nice calming feeling. Today, however, there was something else I wanted to do. The last time I visited Ovia¡¯s domain, we had agreed on picking out some outfits for each other to wear. Yet, beyond seeing a few stores in passing, I had yet to actually go pick out anything for her. The pendant around my neck was already showing a full moon, so half my time was already up. The one thing on my side was that I already had a specific store in mind for where to start looking. Ava and I had come across it by accident while trying to avoid the rain. What interested me about it was that instead of having a regular set of items to sell in bulk like most of the other places in town, they would go and buy up the last few items that others couldn¡¯t sell at a discount, then they¡¯d sell them forward in smaller quantities. Which would make it perfect to find what I was looking for. I even already had an idea of what might be good to buy from the brief glimpse I got of what they had at the time. It was like the outfits were already swirling around in my mind, and all I had to do was put them together. Fortunately, when I asked Ava if we could go, she said it was a good idea without much hesitation, and we set out almost immediately after eating breakfast. It was all going so well that there was even a moment where I contemplated leaving my hood down, but I quickly decided against it. Surprisingly, the hardest part of wanting to go and do this was actually telling Ovia... I had asked before that she not watch as I picked out clothes for her, but when I brought it up this morning, she seemed a little hesitant to go ahead with the idea, even debating out loud about whether she should give her pendant to Aria or not, although in the end she did ultimately give in. However, she said it was only for a few hours; after that, she¡¯d come back no matter what. ¡°This is the right place, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ava asked me, pulling me out of my thoughts and back into reality. ¡°Mhm,¡± I responded, looking up to see the building in front of me. The shop was in a fairly quiet area, closer to the outskirts of town. The building itself was much like those around it, hardly standing out aside from the large glass windows at the front displaying a myriad of things they currently had on sale, from books to watches and, what I was interested in, clothing. ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± She asked as she led the way into the store, holding the door open for me. As I walked inside, the place looked a little cluttered, but that was bound to happen with how many different things were being sold. The first thing I decided to do was look for the small jewellery section I had noticed the first time we found this place. ¡°Will you be okay looking around on your own?¡± Ava asked, ¡°There are some things that I¡¯m also wanting to look for while we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I responded halfheartedly, not really thinking about the question. It was at that moment that I saw exactly what had caught my eye before, and I immediately set off to get a closer look. Ava didn¡¯t follow me, instead making her way over to the larger clothing section. What I had found was a thin silver chain necklace. The reason why it had first caught my attention was just because of how it reminded me of when I had first gone to Ovia¡¯s domain, only to see the place decorated with chains hanging from the ceiling, much like the ones at Beni¡¯s wrists. However, they were certainly not as delicate as this one was. I instantly knew that it was something I wanted to buy, although not for Ovia to use as a necklace, as she already had the pendant. Instead, it would rather be used to accent the rest of the outfit I had in mind for her in some way. ¡®Little kitsune?¡¯ Right as I was about to go looking for the rest of the outfit, Aria¡¯s voice entered my mind, ¡®Since we now have some time alone, I was hoping to take the opportunity to ask you some questions. Would that be alright?¡¯ But- ... ¡®Okay,¡¯ I quickly gave in. ¡®Well, I noticed that you started taking a bit of an interest in magic lately...¡¯ She said, her voice sounding a little unfamiliar to me, ¡®I was just thinking that you perhaps might need some... assistance? I don¡¯t know if you remember, as it has been a few years since I showed it off for you, but I¡¯m quite familiar with the topic myself...¡¯ ¡®I-¡¯ ¡®However, I should preface by saying that I did have to promise Sister that I wouldn¡¯t bother you for the whole time today, and I do very much intend to keep that promise,¡¯ She quickly interrupted me before even hearing my answer, ¡®So, there was one question in particular I had... something that seemed somewhat unusual about your magic and the way you use it... Whenever you moved your mana, your shadow moved along with it, which in and of itself might just be a unique quirk of yours, but at the same time, it was your shadow that ultimately coalesced into that orb. So, I guess what I¡¯m wanting to ask is if you know where exactly your mana is stored? As it normally would be within the body, however, in your case, I almost wonder if that isn¡¯t true simply as you always seem to be in control of your shadow, although, if that was the case, then I¡¯m not sure how I would explain it... Storing mana in something that is essentially intangible is somewhat unfamiliar as a concept.¡¯ ¡®I... I...¡¯ I wasn¡¯t expecting such an in-depth question from Aria all of a sudden. It had been a little while since I had heard from her, so I was expecting a few questions about Ovia like she would normally ask, not... whatever that was. It wasn¡¯t even like I could give her an answer with how little I understood. ... ¡®I... don¡¯t know?¡¯ I responded hesitantly, unsure of what she was even expecting me to say. ¡®Hmm... I really wish I could go down there right now and test it...¡¯ She paused for a moment before suddenly coming back to life, ¡®Oh, and did Sister talk to you about that vampire you met?¡¯ ¡®... About what?¡¯ ¡®I see... I¡¯ll have to remind her again in that case... You can go back to what you were doing for now... Oh, and I¡¯m looking forward to getting a sneak peek at what you¡¯re going to pick out for Sister.¡¯ With that last comment, she left me alone... and feeling a little embarrassed. I took a moment to clear my head before focusing back on what I was planning to do. For the first outfit, I knew that I was going to incorporate the chain I had picked out in some way, just not around the neck, so I started looking through what they had on display. Most of their items were wholly unique one off pieces; what was out on the shelves was more than likely all that they had just due to how the store operated, which meant that there were somehow both too many options, and not enough. Looking along just one of the shelves, I saw a litany of trousers, skirts, shorts and a whole host of other clothes just for the lower body, yet none of them really jumped out at me in any way. I already knew that I was probably wanting to find a pair of trousers more than anything. I had pretty much only seen Ovia in dresses before, so something a little different would be nice. OIn the shelves there were many options in bright colours, which seemed strange considering I had never seen anyone wearing anything of the sort, but that wasn¡¯t my biggest problem. Almost all the clothes were designed with humans in mind, which meant that they were almost all lacking any accommodations for a tail. With how much trouble clothing and tails have given me, I could only guess at how much more inconvenient it must be for Ovia, who has nine of them at her back. There has to be something here... I kept looking over the shelves over until finally, there was something that caught my attention. A pair of pure black trousers right at the end. I pulled them out to get a better look, and immediately, I liked what I saw. They were a fairly plain set of trousers that reached high up the waist, and had two sets of loops for two parallel belts running along the top, which in turn would provide the perfect place to drape the chain I had picked out to provide an additional point of interest. However, as I turned them around to inspect the back my heart sank a little. ¡°No room for a tail...¡± I muttered to myself. ... ... I do have that sewing kit from Ana... I wonder... ... As soon as the idea had entered my mind, I just couldn¡¯t get rid of it. I knew that these trousers were a perfect place to start... and well, even if I did find something with room for a tail, I doubt there would be enough room for nine. So, no matter what, some modifications would have been needed. With the trousers now firmly decided on and in my arms, it was time to find what would be good to compliment them with to have a complete outfit. This is more fun than I expected. Chapter 100 – Finishing the Outfit Chapter 100 ¨C Finishing the Outfit I wasted no time, continuing to move from shelf to shelf, rack to rack, waiting for something to catch my eye once again. Going from swathes of watches to stationery to these excessively flashy dresses, everything seemed to simply glide past my eyes as I walked, yet not one thing stood out to me as a good match with what I had already decided on. At least, that was the case until I finally stumbled upon their collection of various boots and shoes, conveniently lined up in order of their height. In terms of available colours on show... There really wasn¡¯t much to choose from, most options only coming in varying shades of brown or the occasional black. The only exception was some of the more dainty shoes right at the end, where colour seemed to finally come back into the picture. In truth, however, the lack of colour options didn¡¯t bother me that much. I already knew that I was looking for something in a darker shade, although preferably not black, so as to provide a greater distinction between where trousers end and the shoe begins. ... I think that makes sense. It was a feeling that was both familiar yet not at all at the same time; all these thoughts were going through my head as if they had always been there. When it came to my own clothes, I had never been that picky, but now that I was putting together an outfit for someone else, it was as if I had been taken over. Carefully looking down at the trousers in my hands, then at a pair of boots that I initially thought might work together, before I immediately decided that they weren¡¯t actually a good fit based on some intuition I had never known about. Once I got to the end of the available selection, I came across a beautiful pair of dark brown leather thigh-high boots. They had their laces down the back, unlike most of the others on display, which seemed to align quite well with the vision I had in my mind. However, as soon as my hand brushed against them, a different thought crossed my mind. These are nice, but... ... Ovia has very long legs... I don¡¯t think these would fit very well... There isn¡¯t really an easy way to make them any longer either... ... Even if I could... would they even look that good? With just how long her legs are, I think they would just look a little strange and unbalanced. ... But... what should I do instead? This really seemed like the right answer. I looked back over at the selection; however, instead of looking at any more of the longer boots, I moved down to those more in the ankle height range. Almost immediately, I was drawn to this black pair with a well-crafted stacked heel. Something about them was just calling out to me, yet my instincts were pushing back. It just wasn¡¯t what I originally had in mind... yet... there was something about them that I couldn¡¯t push out of my thoughts. ... ... Maybe... I unfolded the trousers in order to help me put together a better image in my head. With her legs... these probably won¡¯t reach all the way down... and with those boots... ... I think just a little skin would show above the ankle, which... I don¡¯t dislike. The reasoning was already putting itself together inside my head. Instead of relying on a different colour to provide the break I was looking for, showing a little skin would be able to achieve a very similar result. In the end, I liked the idea enough that I decided to go with the ankle boots instead of my original vision with the thigh-high boots and started moving through the store again in order to pick out the top half of the outfit. As I did, however, I coincidentally came across Ava going through some of the clothing on display, pulling out more than a few things that I thought wouldn¡¯t suit her very well; more than that, they seemed quite far from her usual preferred style, at least in my mind. Most of what she had in her arms was fairly plain, and that just... didn¡¯t seem like Ava to me. Although thinking back on it, a lot of what she has worn lately has been that way. It¡¯s just that back when we first met, she lent me one of her old dresses made entirely of feathers, and that seemed much more her style. Even if it wasn¡¯t very comfortable to actually wear... Now that I was thinking about it... I would probably still expect her to wear a dress, probably in black to help her bright purple eyes stand out a little more than they already, maybe with a silver trim and matching jewellery... and then some feathers around the hem of the skirt to match her wings. Kierra, what are you doing right now? You¡¯re supposed to be looking for Ovia¡¯s outfit. ¡®Little kitsune? Would it be possible for me to quickly get a new sample of your mana the next time you visit?¡¯ As I turned to face the shelves again, Aria suddenly spoke up, ¡®From what little I have been able to see from your more recent displays, there seem to be some discrepancies in its properties compared to my initial recordings, and I¡¯m quite interested in seeing what exactly might have caused that.¡¯ It took a moment before I could even think about answering her. ¡®I... okay?¡¯ I eventually answered, still somewhat confused. ¡®Thank you for indulging my curiosity,¡¯ She responded, ¡®As a small token of my gratitude... If you look at the coat rack on your left, I think you¡¯ll find something Sister will be rather fond of.¡¯ What? I immediately looked over in the direction Aria mentioned, but what was hanging there was a little... ... There was only a single coat hanging on the rack, and... it must have been by some miracle that I hadn¡¯t noticed it before it was pointed out to me. It was an incredibly bulky, fluffy coat, but somehow it was a bright, almost glowing, neon pink. What animal even has fur like that? The only redeeming factor it had was that it would definitely be warm, but in terms of appearance... it left a lot to be desired... to say the least. ¡®... I... I don¡¯t think it¡¯s what I¡¯m looking for.¡¯ ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Aria responded immediately, ¡®I just thought it suited her. I could really see her wearing that around her domain.¡¯ Really? Is there a different Ovia somewhere? I¡¯ve only seen her wear black. ... The only thing I could really do in that situation was to try and refocus back on my original goal, no matter what Aria was telling me. I already had an idea of what I wanted, and I was going to try my best to stick to it. There were many more options when it came to shirts than anything else I had looked at previously. Luckily, it was also where I was most confident in my vision. I wanted something light instead of black like the rest. With the black trousers and boots, along with Ovia¡¯s tails, her lower body would already be very dark, then when moving up, she also has black hair and eyes, so there really needed to be another colour to help break everything up. But not pure white, that I had already decided on, although it did still need to be a relatively neutral colour, nothing too bold. Fortunately for me, all of their shirts were organised by colour rather than style, probably more for the overall aesthetics of the store than any sort of functionality, but it worked well for what I needed. The shelves moved from darker tones to lighter tones, so naturally I started at the whites, before moving just a little down the selection until there was the slightest amount of colour. And, to my own surprise, I found something that perfectly fit the vision I had in my mind. It was this elegant cream-coloured frilled shirt. What really caught my interest were the frills running along both the neckline and the cuffs. The only slight issue there might have been was how far down the neckline went... but that was a minor issue in the grand scheme of things. To be honest, the biggest issue I had with the neckline was how it made my thoughts move towards Ovia¡¯s hair. It wasn¡¯t something I could do anything with now, but when I eventually gave her the outfit, it would be something that needed consideration... She normally has it down, but... With a neckline like this, it would be a shame to cover everything up like that... but it should still be simple; maybe a ponytail? I shook my head to refocus myself again. I now had a full outfit for Ovia all picked out, and yet all I could find myself thinking about was the next one. Would it be something similar to this? Something completely different? A new take on her usual outfit? Or something more... selfish on my part? Unfortunately for me, all of that was overshadowed by a simple fact; the day was only so long, which was only made worse by the time limit Ovia put in place. So, I decided to do the only thing I could, and take what I had already picked up to the front of the store, waiting for Ava to join me and pay. I could probably ask Ovia if I can do this again another day... and the store might even have some new items in stock then too... maybe in a week. I really want to do this again. It was fun. Much more fun than picking out my own clothes. There was just something... exciting about it. As I walked over towards the front desk, I passed a few of the other sections they had. Mainly just collections of small trinkets and some preserved food products. However, something that made me stop for a moment was simply a small section of the side wall where they had different rolls of fabric on display. There was one roll in particular that I felt drawn towards; it was a very dark blue, almost black, but there were these little silver flecks running through it, mirroring the night sky. Against my better judgement, I decided to take a quick detour and get a better look at it, quickly noticing that it was actually somewhat translucent... I really liked it. But there wasn¡¯t much that I could do with a roll of fabric like that... Or was there? ... ... It was certainly an impulsive decision, but I decided to just take one of the rolls... and a couple of others that were nearby... just in case I found a use for them... eventually. If I didn¡¯t do that, there was a chance they could have been sold by the time I came back to this store after all. I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t too much... ... Probably. Chapter 101 – A Taste of Nectar Chapter 101 ¨C A Taste of Nectar [Cattleya POV] ¡°N-no,¡± I muttered under my breath as I forced myself to take another step forward, ¡°I¡¯m... fine... I¡¯m fine... I know I¡¯m fine...¡± The whole time, I had been trying my best to keep my fangs hidden inside my mouth, no matter how much it hurt when they occasionally pricked the inside of my lip. It just did not matter compared to what was going on; it had been a while since I had gotten word of a ship of interest arriving, but there was supposed to be a large grain delivery coming in this evening, a perfect target for whoever had been doing all of this. I was lucky enough to find Kierra and her eyes, yet I had no chance to make use of her abilities. Now that something had finally presented itself, I simply couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity, even if my body was fighting against me. It is not that bad. This is more important. ... This is much more important. ... It had been a very long morning of trying to find the kitsune, wandering back and forth through the streets I knew she had been through before, in the diminishing hope of noticing the telltale mana deficit that followed her. It should not have been that difficult for me, but in that moment, it was almost impossible for me to remain focused for any more than a few seconds with this dull pain constantly ebbing through me. My store of wolf blood was... not as effective as I had expected. There was still a substantial amount left, but because I had underestimated how much it would degrade without the usual bottles, it seemed that what I had left was no longer enough. Even drinking multiple bottles did little more than make me crave more. But it did not matter, I only had to hold out for two more weeks, and everything would be over. ¡°I c-can do that... I can...¡± It did not matter that it wasn¡¯t something I had done before; I knew it was possible from all the stories I had been told growing up. ... It has to be possible. ... I had already tried looking for some other animals, but even after a whole week doing so, I could find nothing good enough to... quench my thirst. There were a few small animals scurrying around on occasion, but they were not dense enough in mana to be worth the effort. I could not have scared the wolves that badly... I know I left a few roaming around... ... It was as that thought crossed my mind that I heard a familiar voice echoing from around the corner from me. ¡°We really should go thank Elenia for that ring again. I didn¡¯t expect the price to drop so far just by showing it off... And who knows, maybe she¡¯ll even give me one of my own if I ask nicely enough, y¡¯know?¡± It was Ava¡¯s voice. I would know it from a mile away... On any other day, at least, for now, hearing her from around the corner might have been my limit. Immediately, I looked myself over, smoothing down my dress and making sure my jacket was properly up on my shoulders instead of having it lazily sag down my back. As soon as I was sure that I looked presentable, I turned the corner, instantly locking my eyes onto the pair. ¡°M-Morning,¡± I said, accidentally stuttering against my better intentions. You can not be doing that right now. ... Maybe they did not hear you. ... ¡°Good morning,¡± I repeated, making sure not to make the same mistake a second time. ¡°Cattleya?¡± Ava spoke first, ¡°It¡¯s the afternoon... Wait, what¡¯s going on with-¡± ¡°I have come to...¡± I paused for a moment as I felt a wave of relentless hunger wash over me, ¡°... make good on our deal. There is a s-ship coming in this evening that is of potential interest, and I need my set of eyes should s-something happen to it.¡± I looked up to gauge their reactions, but it was little more than a fruitless effort on my part. My eyes were just not focusing like they used to, making their faces almost impossible to make out. It is fine. I do not need my eyes. Kierra is the one who needs to watch the ship, not me. It¡¯s fine. ¡°Based on my information, we should be able to get a good view f-from the... lighthouse, but there is also a pier that is much closer, a-although it will be difficult to see the crew from down below.¡± The two of them came closer as I continued to speak, which I could only take as their acknowledgement of what I was saying. ¡°I think t-the lighthouse would be best...¡± It was difficult to keep my breathing in check, ¡°If we go now, w-we should make it in good time.¡± I turned around to lead the way, but before I could take even a single step, something latched onto my arm, holding me firmly in place. Followed shortly by a hand and a warm feeling spreading across my back. ¡°Look, you¡¯re not going anywhere Cattleya,¡± It was Ava¡¯s voice again, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into you, but you¡¯re hardly standing up straight. I mean, I doubt you could get up a single stair, let alone that whole lighthouse.¡± What is she talking about? ¡°No, I need to go,¡± I replied, trying hopelessly to pull away from her grip, ¡°I can¡¯t m-miss it...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you have much of a choice in the matter,¡± As Ava spoke, she wrapped my arm around her shoulders, before somehow taking a surprising amount of weight off of me, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen you for a week, and now all of a sudden you¡¯re in this sort of state. Just what have you been getting up to in that time?¡± ¡°N-no...¡± Despite my best efforts, my voice was getting weaker with every word. This is not how it is supposed to go. ¡°No?¡± Her voice was firmer than usual, making me tense up slightly as it entered my ears, ¡°Right now, I am the one who is in control, and I¡¯m getting you somewhere to rest, cause you look like you could really use it.¡± ... ... There were words I wanted to say, but they just would not come out as anything other than incoherent mumbles. ¡°I can... at lighthouse,¡± I managed to say after much effort. I can rest there instead. I need to go there. ¡°You said this ship business is happening in the evening, you have the time to take care of yourself before then, at least,¡± She said as she started walking, taking me along whether I wanted to go or not, ¡°Kierra, I think I¡¯ll take her to Elenia¡¯s guild. It shouldn¡¯t be too far from here.¡± ¡°... Okay,¡± Kierra replied. Why are you asking her? Should you not ask me? Evidently, it did not matter what was going through my mind. Ava was clearly determined to see this through, as it wasn¡¯t long before she started walking me forward. However, as she did, it quickly became too difficult for me to follow her words. All I could make out were occasional comments like, ¡®You¡¯re much lighter than I expected,¡¯ and ¡®Why don¡¯t you take better care of yourself?¡¯ Admittedly, even remembering just that much was difficult. What happened after that was little more than a blur to me; we were outside, then at some point we had gone inside somewhere. I¡¯m pretty sure I saw that black haired rabbit beastkin too, but not for long, as I was dragged around the place until eventually being set down. ¡°You¡¯re somehow doing even worse than when you found us,¡± Ava said as I tried to sit up, ¡°I¡¯ve even been using my magic this whole time, but it¡¯s like I¡¯ve done nothing at all.¡± Magic? Ava... has magic too? How didn¡¯t I notice? ... ¡°... Hungry...¡± At that point, I was sure that I had completely lost control of my mouth with the way it just said whatever it wanted. ¡°You¡¯re hungry?¡± She sounded surprised, ¡°Have you not eaten this whole week or something? I know I fed you when we last met... You really need to take better care of yourself. What if it wasn¡¯t us you ran into? Do you even know what could have happened?¡± ¡°I...¡± ¡°Just stay here,¡± She gently pushed me back down onto my back, ¡°Kierra, please watch over her. I¡¯ll go see if they have anything for her to eat.¡± ¡°N-no,¡± I managed to say. ¡°No?! Are you really in any position to be saying no to me right now?! I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve managed to last this long acting like-!¡± ¡°Blood...¡± I interrupted, feeling a little panicked. I do not know why I said what I did then. I could just hear the anger quickly rising in her voice... and I wanted it to stop, even if it meant going against what I had been taught. ¡°Blood?¡± She asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± There was some kind of scramble that happened after that, with what I could only assume was Kierra coming over to Ava, though I couldn¡¯t be certain. Does she not know? I thought she knew? ... But why would she lie about that now? I don¡¯t... ¡°I still don¡¯t understand, but... Whatever. If that¡¯s what she needs...¡± Even though I couldn¡¯t quite make out what was going on, I could hear Ava pacing back and forth, ¡°Kierra, can you give me one of your knives?¡± There was some mumbling, which I once again assumed was Kierra, but it was too quiet for me to make out any actual words. ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Ava said in response, ¡°It might be more difficult to heal myself, but I can patch up a little nick on my finger without any issue.¡± There seemed to be some more words shared between the two of them, but they just slowly devolved into even more of a blur than before. It got to a point where I couldn¡¯t even make out Ava¡¯s voice despite how loud she was. At least that was until, all of a sudden, I felt something drip into my mouth, nothing more than a small trickle of what I could only describe as nectar. It was incredibly sweet, more so than anything I had consumed before, to the point that it was almost addictive. I wanted more. A lot more. I found myself reaching out to try to find what it was almost immediately, yet as soon as I did, whatever had bestowed it upon me had disappeared. ¡°What was that?!¡± I jumped up, feeling surprisingly reinvigorated. My eyes searched the room in a futile attempt to find what it was, only to see Ava with a slight glow around her finger. Even in my slightly disoriented state, I could put together what had happened. My face quickly heated up as the pieces quickly fell into place. ¡°Oh, that... that does not matter right now. We need to get to the lighthouse! I cannot be late to this!¡± Immediately, I stood up in an attempt to hide whatever was coming over me, ¡°There are only a few more chances before-¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Ava said as she put her hands on my shoulders and forced me back down onto the seat, ¡°At least not until you tell me what¡¯s going on with you. I mean, just how silly can you be? If things were that bad, you should¡¯ve found me sooner. I just- I don¡¯t understand it!¡± ... Chapter 102 – Time to Explain Chapter 102 ¨C Time to Explain ¡®Thank you, Aria,¡¯ I said as I watched Ava bring the knife up to her finger, drawing forth a few drops of her blood. ¡®You don¡¯t need to thank me for something like this,¡¯ She replied, ¡®After all, we already have an agreement between us.¡¯ While Ava was trying to figure out how to help Cattleya, Aria suddenly told me to let her speak to her. All she did was explain that what Cattleya needed was more than likely fresh blood, although she didn¡¯t explain why. But still, that seemed to be enough for Ava to take action... even if I was going to do it myself so she didn¡¯t have to hurt herself. After a deep breath, Ava brought her bleeding finger up to Cattleya¡¯s lips, letting what few drops of blood there were slowly drip down into her mouth. Cattleya reacted immediately, her arms jerking forward while her eyes were still closed, only for Ava to pull away just as quickly so as not to be grabbed. ¡°What was that?!¡± She shouted as her eyes shot open. She already looked much better than when we had first found her, although clearly not quite back to how she used to be. Her skin was still fairly pale, and her legs were twitching ever so slightly as if not quite working as they were supposed to... not that she seemed to notice. Ava took the opportunity to heal her finger, the small wound closing as soon as the glow of her magic engulfed it, before breathing a brief sigh of relief. However, she might have done so a bit too soon. Cattleya¡¯s face suddenly went a bright red, her eyes clearly still struggling to focus on what was around. It was so bad that I found myself reaching out towards her in an attempt to calm her down... although I wasn¡¯t able to reach her in time. ¡°Oh, that... that does not matter right now. We need to get to the lighthouse! I cannot be late to this!¡± Immediately, she practically flew up off the chair, her legs shaking as they suddenly had to support her weight, ¡°There are only a few more chances before-¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Ava said as she put her hands firmly on Cattleya¡¯s shoulders before gently guiding her back down onto the seat, ¡°At least not until you tell me what¡¯s going on with you. I mean, just how silly can you be? If things were that bad, you should¡¯ve found me sooner. I just- I don¡¯t understand it!¡± The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence after how loud and frantic everything had just been. The only noise coming from Ava¡¯s heavy breaths while Cattleya just stared back up at her in what I could only assume was confusion. ¡°I-I... um... I...¡± Cattleya stuttered. ¡°Blood,¡± Ava said, ¡°Let¡¯s just start there. Why did you need blood? Why are you in this... state right now? Tell me what¡¯s gone on with you.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to hesitate over this. I just want to know what¡¯s going on so I can help you. It¡¯s really not that complicated.¡± Cattleya awkwardly looked around the room instead of replying instantly like she normally would. More than anything, Cattleya clearly needed some more time to recover, even in my eyes. ¡°Well, I¡¯m... I¡¯m... a vampire...¡± She eventually said, sounding much more deflated than before. Ava¡¯s face immediately changed to one of surprise, followed quickly by confusion as she glanced over at me, who didn¡¯t react at all. I already knew... ... That didn¡¯t last for very long though, as she almost immediately turned back to face Cattleya. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re a vampire? I didn¡¯t even think they were real, let alone...¡± She stopped herself to compose herself a little before continuing, ¡°Look, I¡¯ve only heard about vampires from a story Mom told me about an old guild she stayed at for a few days. They apparently had some strange records from many hundreds of years ago that mentioned something they called vampires ravaging the continent before just suddenly disappearing one day... but they were described as monsters, large and horribly deformed, not-¡± ¡°That was just the first batch, not-!¡± What Ava said clearly struck a chord in Cattleya, who interrupted her before cupping her hand over her own mouth as if she had said something she wasn¡¯t supposed to. Silence once again filled the room as Ava and I simply looked at her, as she tried her best to look anywhere else. ¡°... I-If you remember, I explained in our magic lesson how all living creatures contain mana,¡± Cattleya spoke up, clearly trying to move away from the previous topic, ¡°Well, there is a little more nuance to it than that. Mana does not just stay inside the body indefinitely. Instead, there is a constant, subtle flow of new mana coming in and old mana flowing out as it is used to sustain life, much like breathing. All living creatures rely on this flow, and we... vampires... are particularly reliant on it... but... um... Unlike most creatures... our mana only ever flows out of our bodies, be that passively or from using magic... So we have to absorb mana another way... blood just works the best... for... reasons.¡± ... Does it have to be blood? Is there another option that isn¡¯t as good? Strangely, after hearing Cattleya¡¯s rushed explanation, all that came over me were more questions about the specifics of how it all worked, although I made sure to keep them to myself as it really wasn¡¯t the right situation to be asking them. ¡°So... in short, you need to drink blood to survive, alright?¡± Ava asked, although she clearly didn¡¯t actually need an answer, ¡°I don¡¯t really understand it, but... if that¡¯s what you need, then, why didn¡¯t you? Why did you show up today, barely able to hold yourself up? I¡¯m sure you could find something, and even if you really couldn¡¯t, you could have just come to me and explained. I would have helped you just like I¡¯m trying to do now. I don¡¯t know what idea you have of me in your mind, but I wouldn¡¯t just leave you there on the street starving!¡± I reached out for Ava and pulled her back a little. I knew that she was just trying to take care of Cattleya; I had been on the receiving end myself before, but she was probably going a little too far. It actually reminded me a little of Mom. ¡°It¡¯s... complicated...¡± Cattleya eventually replied. ¡°Haa... fine...¡± Ava said as she slowly started to calm down, and I released my grip on her, ¡°But, from now on, you don¡¯t have any excuses. If it ever gets this bad again, or even anywhere remotely close to this bad, I want you to come straight to me so I can sort it out.¡± ... ... ¡°But... I couldn¡¯t... It¡¯s different when it¡¯s a person like...¡± Cattleya muttered under her breath, probably too quiet for Ava to hear, before simply nodding. ¡°Alright... then that¡¯s the first question answered,¡± This time, Ava sat down next to Cattleya before continuing, ¡°Now, can you explain your obsession with these ships? I didn¡¯t want to get involved but... with how far you¡¯re pushing yourself, you had better have a good reason for it, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°... I already told you. There is something I need, and it is coming in on a ship in a few weeks.¡± ¡°Why are you so sure that this ship in particular is going to be targeted? What exactly are you waiting for that is worth putting yourself through all of this?¡± Ava¡¯s questions were unrelenting, but at least she wasn¡¯t shouting like before. ¡°It is... because it has already happened before,¡± She admitted, ¡°This is the second time... and I was very lucky to find it. I cannot make the same mistake and let it get stolen again. I do not know if there will be another chance anytime soon.¡± ¡°Cattleya, that¡¯s all well and good, but you haven¡¯t told me what exactly it is that you¡¯re so desperate for? You wave around all this money you have, yet you are obsessing over this one thing so much that you¡¯d sacrifice your own health? If it¡¯s really that important, you or your family could go over to get it yourselves, or you could probably even rent out a private boat to send it over somewhere other than this port. I just don¡¯t understand why you are doing things like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I ran away! Okay?¡± Cattleya suddenly exploded, her chest heaving despite her state, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t let me, so I ran away and did it myself! Is that what you wanted me to say?! I just-¡± ... Her outburst filled me with a deep sense of guilt, as it reminded me of the moment when I decided to do the same thing. Everything I had felt when leaving, and how much I regretted it once I was finally found again after only a few hours had passed. And it seemed I wasn¡¯t alone in that feeling as Ava chose to stay quiet instead of pushing Cattleya any further. ... ... ¡°I just don¡¯t understand it,¡± Ava said, breaking the silence, ¡°What could be so important to you that you just-... All of this...¡± ¡°... You don¡¯t need to understand it,¡± Cattleya replied as she stood up before wobbling a little. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, I don¡¯t ¡®need¡¯ to understand what¡¯s going on,¡± Ava got up, wrapping one of Cattleya¡¯s arms around her shoulder, ¡°But I want to understand. I don¡¯t want you to go walking around town while barely able to hold yourself together, for any reason. Is that not a normal thing?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Look, I don¡¯t really want to be doing this, but... this is probably the best thing for me to do if you¡¯re really going to be this stubborn about it. We¡¯ll go up that lighthouse, just as you wanted, but you aren¡¯t going to leave my side for even a second. And, if I decide that it¡¯s too much for you, then I¡¯m taking you right back here to lie down, no questions asked.¡± ¡°... Really?¡± Cattleya asked in disbelief. ¡°Hey, have I ever lied to you?¡± ¡°... Okay... but... I think... I will need some help getting there...¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing now?¡± Ava replied, her usual smile now back on her face. Chapter 103 – What’s Lurking Below? Chapter 103 ¨C What¡¯s Lurking Below? It took us a little while to get to the lighthouse as Ava did her best to support Cattleya. The stark contrast from how she was before when leading us there to now, where she was now limping along, doing her best just to take another step, was not lost on me, yet at the same time, it didn¡¯t feel entirely out of place. Once we had finally arrived, the sun had almost made it all the way across the sky, not quite a sunset, but not far from it either, as the sun grazed the horizon. The old man came out to greet us with a smile as we approached, although he did become quite worried after seeing the state Cattleya was in. But once she assured him that she was fine, all he did was offer her some water... which Ava made sure she drank before helping her go any further. Once Ava was satisfied, we made our way inside, heading straight for the staircase. Climbing the stairs seemed to have its own new set of challenges for Cattleya, as Ava struggled to support her as she had been doing so far, so instead, after trying to guide Cattleya up the first few steps, she confidently lifted her into a princess carry and continued walking. At first, I would have assumed that a piggyback would have been a much more convenient option, but after thinking about it for a little bit as we walked up, I realised that it probably wouldn¡¯t be very comfortable to have someone on your back when you already have wings there. When we were about halfway up, however, a voice came through my pendant, immediately pulling me away from those thoughts. ¡®Kierra!¡¯ Ovia shouted, ¡®Your time is up! It was actually up a while ago, but I lost track of time while I was-... Are you okay? Did Ellaria ask you too many questions? I did ask her to let you do what you were wanting to today, but I know that she can get a little out of hand when it comes to certain things.¡¯ I actually had to pause for a moment to process everything she had just said, or asked me. It wasn¡¯t like her to just blurt out so much all at once like this. ¡®Y-yes, I¡¯m okay.¡¯ I replied, trying to address the most important question first. As I continued to walk up the stairs, I took the opportunity to explain everything that had happened while Ovia wasn¡¯t watching, only making sure to exclude any details about the outfit I had picked out for her so it would stay a surprise. Our conversation continued until we finally reached the top of the lighthouse. I opened the door to the outside and was immediately hit by the same salty wind as the last time I was up here. However, unlike the last time, there was something unusual that stuck out to me as I stepped through the doorway. It was a feeling that wasn¡¯t entirely unfamiliar to me. I could feel someone¡¯s eyes on me again, although this time I knew for sure that it wasn¡¯t Cattleya, and it likely wasn¡¯t Ellaria, as it wasn¡¯t accompanied by any kind of warmth like when she had first noticed me. This was something different... but only subtly; to the extent that it was quite likely that I might have just been imagining it, as Ava carried Cattleya past me without reacting at all. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get you set down so you can actually get the rest you need,¡± Ava said as she carefully knelt down and propped Cattleya up against a wall. ¡°But I need to-¡± Cattleya tried to speak up. ¡°But nothing. The ship isn¡¯t even here yet, there¡¯s no need for you to be up and running around, hanging over the railing just waiting for it to show up,¡± Ava interrupted, ¡°Kierra is who you want watching the ship anyway, so you can just sit back and leave it to her for now.¡± As the two of them had their back and forth, I just made my way over to the railing and looked out at the sea... But, even as I did, I just couldn¡¯t shake that feeling; in fact, it only got worse the more I tried to ignore it. The sensation was more than just being looked at; it was more like a presence. Someone or something that was nearby, but couldn¡¯t be seen. One moment it felt like it was behind me, yet the next it was in front of me, fading in and out of wherever I thought it was. For some reason, I instinctively clutched at the pendant hanging around my neck. After a short while of the incessant teasing, I gave in and turned around to check if there really was something there, yet, as I did, my eyes saw nothing, even though something deep inside of me was telling me that there was something. This time, though, I clearly wasn¡¯t the only one to notice what was going on, as beneath my cloak, there was a slight shuffling. Looking inside, I could see Umbra¡¯s head poking out of the darkness, looking around the place just like I was. Although this didn¡¯t last for too long, as after a few minutes they dived back into the shadow inside my cloak. What they had done didn¡¯t answer any of my questions, but at least it told me that I wasn¡¯t just imagining things... not entirely, anyway. But then, all of a sudden, that feeling just completely disappeared, and then, by what could only be a coincidence, the ship we had come here to watch finally came into view over the horizon. ... I decided not to say anything about it as it was still off in the distance. Given the situation, I was sure that¡¯s what Ava would have preferred me to do, especially with how much effort she has put into making sure Cattleya got some rest. It was only once the ship was close enough that I could just about make out the people running back and forth on the deck that I turned around. ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± I said quietly, pointing out towards the ship. Cattleya reacted immediately, trying to jump to her feet and stumbling in the process, almost landing on her face, but thankfully, instead, she managed to fall back against the wall through a stroke of luck. ¡°You just had to wait a second for me to get up,¡± Ava said as she dusted herself off and extended her hand. ¡°But this is important.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it seems that way to you, but I can assure you that no matter what it is, it¡¯s not more important than you are.¡± Cattleya didn¡¯t have a retort for that, instead hesitating for a second before taking Ava¡¯s hand and being guided over to the railing. However, once they were there, Ava didn¡¯t let go, making sure that Cattleya was supported whether she wanted to be or not. ¡°Oh wait! There is something I was wanting to try!¡± Cattleya said as she suddenly jerked towards me, ¡°Can you put some of your mana in front of my eyes? I want to know if looking through it will let me see the same things you do.¡± ... ¡°... I¡¯ll try.¡± There wasn¡¯t any good reason for me to refuse, and I was a little curious myself, so I decided to give it a go, quickly condensing my mana and shaping it into a small panel much like those Ovia and Aria use, only this was nothing more than a dark grey sheet lazily floating in the air. ¡°Hmm... this...¡± She muttered to herself as she looked at the panel. Ava did the same... and I just couldn¡¯t resist the temptation to join in, looking through the panel at the approaching ship. ... ... ¡°I cannot see anything through this...¡± Cattleya eventually admitted, ¡°It is much too dark.¡± It is? It does make things look a little darker, but I can see through it just fine. I looked over at Ava, but she simply shook her head. ¡°That... is a shame,¡± Cattleya said, although she quickly perked back up... well as much as she could given her situation, ¡°But it does not matter. The original plan was for Kierra to watch the ships in the first place; this was just to... satisfy my own curiosity.¡± From that point on, our collective focus shifted entirely to the ship, well, mine and Cattleya¡¯s at the least. We watched on as it inched closer and closer to the rocks that claimed the prior vessel. This ship was moving noticeably slower than the last few that came in, probably having been informed of what had been going on in one way or another. However, that didn¡¯t seem to matter much, as it wasn¡¯t long before everything started dancing around like before; with people on the deck appearing, then disappearing, rocks dancing through the water as if they were alive, threatening to sink them at the slightest bad decision. Despite all of that, the ship didn¡¯t change its course, moving ahead ever so carefully and ultimately avoiding the rocks down below. As they did, however, whatever I was seeing seemed to change, almost as if it was getting more desperate. The crew on deck grew erratic, the ship itself appearing to teleport at times, waves appearing from still water. But it didn¡¯t matter as the ship continued to approach the pier. But then, out of nowhere, it just stopped, as if whatever was trying to interfere had finally given up. Almost immediately, I turned my head in order to explain what I had seen to Cattleya, but as soon as I did, I quickly realised that there was something else that had changed from the last time. When things stopped last time, I thought I noticed something leaving, but this time... ... Hesitantly, I turned back to check, and that¡¯s when I saw it. A large, dark shadow in the water below rapidly approached the ship, a single dorsal fin breaching the surface of the water. I clearly wasn¡¯t the only person to notice this as the ship began to turn, the crew clearly in a panic, as their screaming was loud enough to reach my ears. But even with this sudden manoeuvre, they just weren¡¯t moving fast enough to get out of the way; the shadow was going to catch up to them long before they could do anything. The shadow itself quickly climbed up out of the water as it got closer, its colossal body coming into view. It must have been no less than the size of a whale, but that wasn¡¯t all, as it seemed to only grow larger as more of its body emerged. Then, with only a few fleeting moments left before impact, its head lifted up, and its jaw opened, revealing row upon row of teeth. Then right as it was about to bite down- *Crash* The side of the ship had been impaled by the pier they were originally trying to dock at, and the large ¡®shark¡¯ or whatever it was, was nowhere to be seen. ... ... I was honestly left speechless by the whole thing; it had all happened over the course of only a few seconds. This giant creature just appeared out of nowhere and then disappeared as if it was never there in the first place... and that¡¯s all, ignoring the fact that I didn¡¯t even notice how close to the pier they were the whole time. Trying to piece it all together was surprisingly disorienting. It was as if I had been sucked into a lie, my mind believing it wholeheartedly... even though I had already seen the truth of what happened. But even then, after everything that had already happened, I wasn¡¯t given any time to process it before something else happened. From the breach in the hull, I saw a number of crates fall down into the water, splashing down before simply vanishing. ... ... How do I... even try to explain this?... I turned my head slowly this time, just in case something else even more unexpected happened, but thankfully, that seemed to be the end of it. Chapter 104 – What Are You Doing Tonight? Chapter 104 ¨C What Are You Doing Tonight? [Ava POV] Today really didn¡¯t go the way I¡¯d expected. When Kierra first suggested going on a shopping trip this morning, I thought it was just going to be a fun sister date, but instead, I¡¯m left here watching as Kierra sprints her way through explaining whatever she just saw while Cattleya constantly interrupts with her own supposed explanations for it all. At one point, Kierra said something about a giant shark creature, and immediately Cattleya lit up, declaring that whatever was doing all of this was clearly getting more desperate as people were finally catching on. This was quickly followed by her declaring that whatever or whoever was casting these illusions must now be aware of Kierra in some capacity, as she wasn¡¯t able to see through all of the illusions this time. It was all a little too much too quickly for me, my only real interest in playing along with all of this was making sure everyone was safe... not that Cattleya seemed to have too much of an interest in that with the way she chose to starve herself instead of reaching out to someone for even the smallest amount of help. Though even through all of that, I couldn¡¯t exactly say that it was a bad day. Despite what I would have expected, Kierra and Cattleya were getting along surprisingly well. It wasn¡¯t even a planned meeting between the two of them. Of course, Kierra was still somewhat hesitant to speak up, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as before, where she would often just refuse to say anything... and I also couldn¡¯t deny that Cattleya was quite cute when she wasn¡¯t trying to show off all the time. Through all of these thoughts, I accidentally lost track of time and was only reminded once the warm oranges in the sky gradually disappeared and the lighthouse began to glow above us. ¡°Alright, you two,¡± I said as I stood up and stretched a little, ¡°We should probably head home before it gets too late.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Kierra hummed as she got up. Cattleya, however, simply extended her arm out towards me, clearly still expecting some help getting up, even though she was now looking much better than before. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I was going to refuse her, although, as I extended my hand out towards her, a concerning thought crossed my mind. ¡°Cattleya, where are you staying at the moment?¡± I asked as I helped her up, ¡°Considering, well... y¡¯know.¡± I didn¡¯t want to say it out loud, but now that I knew she had run away, I needed an answer to put my mind at ease. ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t respond, instead doing her best to avoid eye contact with me. Come on now. What do you think is going to happen if you tell me the truth? ... ¡°I guess that means you¡¯re coming with us then,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°What?! But-¡± ¡°No buts,¡± I put a finger up to her lips to stop her from fighting back, ¡°You need to eat, don¡¯t you?... Wait, you do need to eat food, right? Not just blood? I do remember you quite enjoying the sandwiches I put together before.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Cattleya hummed, not even trying to move my finger away. ¡°Good. Then that means you¡¯re coming with us for dinner at the very least. And you¡¯re in for a treat. I¡¯ve already spoken to Daleia and gotten permission to use the kitchen tonight... well, on the condition that she gets a sample.¡± She didn¡¯t push back that time, finally giving in and deciding to follow us to the inn. The short trip itself wasn¡¯t very eventful, aside from waving goodbye to the lighthouse keeper and his offering us a lantern. We ended up turning him down, but after walking for a bit, I ended up regretting that decision... being forced to keep my hands on both Kierra¡¯s and Cattleya¡¯s shoulders to have them guide me through the darkness until we got into the town proper, and there was a bit more ambient light around. Once we finally got into the inn, it was fairly quiet, most people clearly already having eaten, going by the dirty bowls and plates scattered over the tables. ¡°Right, you two go find a clear table,¡± I said as I walked towards the kitchen, ¡°I¡¯ll get started right away... Any preferences for tonight?¡± Kierra shook her head, while Cattleya just didn¡¯t respond, which was a bit of a problem, as the question was mainly for her. ¡°Would it work for you if I add some of my blood to your portion?¡± I asked, trying to get some kind of response from her, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you still need more, but if you do-¡± ¡°N-no!¡± She interrupted me, ¡°I-It does not work like that... It needs to be fresh blood, not-... but that does not matter right now. I do not need any more anyway.¡± ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll take that to mean that there aren¡¯t any preferences between the two of you,¡± I opened the door to the kitchen, ¡°I won¡¯t be too long, so don¡¯t go missing me.¡± True to my word, I got started right away, only pausing for a moment to greet Daleia on the way in. I did make sure to mention that I had brought someone extra with us, but she responded simply by saying that she¡¯d decide how to react based on how satisfied she was with my offering to her. As for what I decided to cook, it was admittedly nothing too special. The main thing I wanted to do was play around with some of the spices we bought on one of our first days here, and probably the best way to do that is to make something familiar, but with a slight twist... at least that was the thought I had in mind as I approached the stove... but upon seeing what I had available to me I was tempted to try something a little different. ... Ultimately, what I decided to do was put together a dish with grilled fish, seasoned fairly liberally with some of the spices that I quickly toasted off. It really did just turn into a chance for me to play around with all the new things I had acquired over our short time in Haelmor. The few accompanying sides were just made from the vegetables that Daleia had left over from earlier in the night, some potatoes, some edible greens, nothing too fancy, so as not to take away from the main attraction. As I was plating up, Daleia came and took her sample, giving it her approval after some consideration, before helping me carry the plates out to the other two. Outside the kitchen, Kierra and Cattleya were sitting at the furthest possible table in the corner of the room, waiting in complete silence. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready, you two,¡± I called out as I approached the table, ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t going to take too long.¡± As soon as I had set the two plates down in front of them, they started digging in, or I should say, Kierra started digging in, and Cattleya followed. It shouldn¡¯t have been as much of a surprise to me as it was, considering we accidentally skipped lunch with everything that had happened. Daleia set my plate down for me before heading off to the other tables and collecting all the dirty dishes. As I took my first bite, I was a little... underwhelmed? The dish was definitely a little imbalanced, which was to be expected considering I was both experimenting and rushing a bit. Choosing fish as the main protein was also probably a misstep on my part. With how subtle the flavour is, all the spices I added just overwhelm it. Not that anyone seemed to mind at all, as it was finished in a record time, leaving the three of us staring down at clean plates. ... Unfortunately, that gave some time for my mind to wander... mainly with regards to Cattleya and what was going to happen from now on. It was good that I was able to make sure she took care of herself through the day, and even managed to get two ¡®meals¡¯ into her. But now that that¡¯s all done, what¡¯s going to happen with her? To be blunt, I just didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to let her go back to wherever she was staying, as she clearly didn¡¯t have her priorities straight. For all I knew, the moment I let her go, it would be another week before seeing her again, maybe even in a worse state. ... ¡°Cattleya, what do you think of staying the night here?¡± I asked absentmindedly. ¡°What? N-no, I could not,¡± she responded almost immediately, stuttering over her words, ¡°... It is not right... I do not have a room. I could not impose like that.¡± ... At that moment, I just couldn¡¯t help myself, and I had to tease her a little. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s no problem at all. You can just share my bed with me, y¡¯know?¡± I did my best to hide my expression, ¡°It might get a little warm, but that¡¯s much better than the alternative.¡± ¡°...¡± She completely froze up for a moment, ¡°I... I-I...¡± ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t need to worry so much about it,¡± I eventually said, not wanting to push my luck too far, ¡°I¡¯m sure my bed wouldn¡¯t be up to your standards anyway. I¡¯ll talk to Daleia about getting you a room for the night. It might stretch our coin a little thin, but that¡¯s an issue for another day.¡± ¡°No, you do not need to do that!¡± For some reason, my comment quickly brought Cattleya out of her brief stupor, ¡°I have a place already. There is no need for you to-¡± I didn¡¯t even wait for her to finish before just getting up and heading towards the front desk where Daleia was waiting, ¡°But, I think there is very much a need for me to do this.¡± Once I reached the desk, I didn¡¯t even have to say anything as Daleia had clearly overheard our conversation with how loud it had been. ¡°I have an empty room across the hallway from yours, a single bed, but fairly spacious. I¡¯ll even throw in a discount for you as my way of showing some appreciation for your cooking tonight,¡± She then smirked, ¡°Though it is contingent on a few more samples in the future.¡± ¡°That sounds like it works out perfectly,¡± I replied, reaching out to take the key from her. However, just before I could, Cattleya swooped in, taking the key for herself before slamming a single gold coin on the counter. ¡°It is to be my room, s-so I will be the one paying,¡± She said confidently despite her stutter. The whole situation was too much for me, and I just couldn¡¯t hold back my giggles any longer. Chapter 105 – Plans Over Breakfast Chapter 105 ¨C Plans Over Breakfast It was a bit of a slow morning once the sun finally came up again, with both Ava and I sleeping in a little longer than usual. It wasn¡¯t by much, all things considered, but it was enough to make everything feel just a little out of place. Ava was the first to actually get up out of bed and was already dressed before I had finished my morning greetings with Ovia, while still being wrapped up tightly in the covers. Despite that, she waited patiently for me to finish up before throwing some clothes my way. I got changed quickly after that... well, saying it was quick might not have been entirely accurate, but it definitely felt quick in the moment. Once I was both fully dressed and fully awake, Ava plopped herself down on her bed opposite me. ¡°So, what are the plans for today?¡± She asked casually as she stretched her wings as much as she could inside our room. ¡°I... don¡¯t know...¡± I admitted, stretching my tail slightly in response to watching Ava. It just felt like I had already done the one thing I was really wanting to do by buying that outfit for Ovia. Even though I really wanted to go again, it was too soon to just go the very next day. The store probably wouldn¡¯t have even cycled its inventory yet, so all I¡¯d see would be the same things as yesterday that didn¡¯t grab my eye. ¡°Hmm...¡± She looked up at the ceiling for a moment before slowly lowering her head again, ¡°I did joke a little about our coin being stretched a little thin yesterday... but it¡¯s true that even with Cattleya paying for her own room, we will eventually need to do something about it. Mom gave us quite a bit to start off with, and that escort did have reasonable pay, but if all we ever do is spend, it¡¯ll run out eventually.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I hummed in response, not really sure what would be the right thing to say in the moment. ¡°It might be an idea to take some time to look around for something today, even if it¡¯s small. It¡¯d be good to get even a little coin in before we¡¯ve completely run dry, y¡¯know? It wouldn¡¯t do us any good to only start looking once we¡¯ve been kicked out of the inn.¡± ¡°... Okay,¡± I eventually replied, not able to rebut anything she said. Honestly, money had hardly crossed my mind during our time here. I knew that Umbra had some hidden in my shadow, just in case it was needed, and Ava also carried around a pouch for our general use. But I never actually had any on me at any time, so it must have just escaped me. ¡°Off the top of my head... We could try to get some work at one of the stores around here... though that might be an issue for you. I doubt they¡¯d be happy having someone working with customers while hiding their face. Doesn¡¯t look the best,¡± She said as she stood up and dusted herself off, ¡°We could try the adventurers guild like Mom always did, though since we don¡¯t really have a name and aren¡¯t registered as adventurers, we¡¯d probably either get next to no pay, or be left with whatever dangerous work no one has taken up... Neither really sounds ideal, right?¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°Oh, we could also go to Elenia,¡± Ava interrupted me before I could say anything, ¡°Since she owns such a large merchant guild, there must be some menial work she has around that we could with. And, to be a little blunt, of anyone here, she¡¯d understand your situation the best... It would also do good for us to thank her for yester-¡± At that moment, Ava stopped, as if her own words had just reminded her of something. ¡°We... should probably check on Cattleya, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± She asked, ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine and all, but well... I want to make sure...¡± ¡°... That¡¯s probably a good idea,¡± I admitted as I thought back to what Cattleya looked like when we ran into her yesterday. ¡°Yeah... I also think it¡¯s probably for the best. We can just go knock on her door before we head down, and if she doesn¡¯t answer, then I¡¯ll just go down and ask for a spare key.¡± We didn¡¯t waste any more time after that, putting on our cloaks and heading out into the hallway before promptly giving a firm knock on the door opposite our own and... there was no response at all, not even a barely audible murmur. Immediately, Ava told me to stand and wait in front of the door just in case she opened it while Ava went down to ask Daleia for a spare key. However, she came back up surprisingly quickly, especially considering what she went to ask for... but knowing a little about Daleia, it made some sense. Ava pushed the key into the lock and turned it, opening the door slowly. In doing so, she was standing in front of me, almost completely blocking my view, but once I did have a clear line of sight, what I saw was... Cattleya passed out, face-first on the bed. ¡°...¡± Both Ava and I just looked on in silence. There was virtually no noise aside from Cattleya¡¯s breathing, and even that was muffled by her pillow. ¡°I guess she really was sleeping rough before today,¡± Ava whispered to me, ¡°Can you ask Umbra to bring out what I bought yesterday for me? I¡¯ll go... try to wake her up.¡± I didn¡¯t really need to do anything, however, as Umbra immediately poked their head out with a large bag already in their jaws. It was actually a bit of a surprising sight to behold. Umbra still looked to be the size of a baby, yet they were effortlessly carrying this large bag out of my shadow as if it were the most normal thing in the world to do. I took the bag from Umbra and gave them the cursory chin scratches they deserved as Ava cautiously approached the sleeping Cattleya, sitting down on the side of her bed. She started off by gently shaking Cattleya¡¯s shoulder, but there was no reaction from her. She then moved up a level and lifted the covers off of her, but again, there was no reaction. She must have been more tired than I expected. Though... I guess it makes sense. Ava even tried blowing into Cattleya¡¯s ear, which, speaking from my own experience, is normally quite the surefire option, but all it did was get Cattleya to wriggle away slightly. It quickly got to a point where I had to hold in my laughter... though even if I let it out, I doubt it would have woken her up. ¡°Kierra... why don¡¯t you head downstairs and get us a table for breakfast?¡± Ava asked, speaking unusually slowly, ¡°I¡¯m sure the two of us will be down very shortly.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± I said while still stifling a laugh before pushing the bag Ava had asked for further into the room and slipping away to head downstairs. Fortunately, as we had slept in a little, almost every table downstairs was available, with only a few occupied by at most two people. There was some conversation going on, but it was nothing more than small talk, though I must admit, it got on my nerves just how well I could hear them as I sat down at a free table in silence. As soon as Daleia noticed me, she came over to greet me, asking about Ava and Cattleya briefly before asking if she should put together breakfast for three or just for one. Assuming that Ava would be able to wake Cattleya up soon, I asked her to put together all three plates. Yet after that, I waited, and waited. The food came out and was set down on the table, yet still I waited for them to come down, left staring at the food laid in front of me. ... ... The food was going to get cold if I left it much longer... so I decided to just eat by myself, if only so that Daleia¡¯s cooking didn¡¯t go to waste. But right as my fork touched one of the sausages on my plate, Ava and a very dishevelled Cattleya stumbled their way down the stairs. Ava looked just like she did when I last saw her, but Cattleya looked very different. She came down wearing a horribly oversized shirt, which was clumsily tucked into this equally large baggy brown skirt, the only saving grace being that it wasn¡¯t long enough to get under her feet and trip her up. Ava guided Cattleya over to the table, sitting her down in front of one of the plates before taking a seat herself. Both of them looked exhausted, even though the day had barely started. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s not the best fit,¡± Ava said, clearly continuing a conversation from before they came down, ¡°I just went out of my way and grabbed something for you to wear so you didn¡¯t stand out so much when you¡¯re with us.¡± Oh, so she was buying clothes for Cattleya yesterday? Not herself? ¡°... But this is not even close to my size,¡± Cattleya responded, though her eyes were transfixed on the food in front of her. ¡°Look, I just had to guess. And it¡¯s much better that it¡¯s too big rather than too small,¡± With that, Ava took her first bite of the food. ¡°I... guess that is true,¡± Cattleya said, spearing a sausage on her fork before bringing it up to her mouth. I did the same, silently eating through my breakfast while being left to wonder just what Ava had to do to finally get Cattleya to wake up. From then on, breakfast was actually rather uneventful; all those who were eating when I first came down each took their turn to leave, and along with them, whatever little noise there was also disappeared. In other words, it didn¡¯t take long before we had all eaten our fill. ¡°Kierra, I think I¡¯m going to take Cattleya with us today,¡± Ava said as she set her plate down. ¡°Why?¡± Both Cattleya and I asked in unison. ¡°Just take one look at her. I really don¡¯t want to leave her roaming around the place, so it¡¯d be easier just to take her with us.¡± ¡°... Mhm,¡± Once again, I couldn¡¯t come up with a good argument against what Ava was saying. Cattleya tried to speak up, ¡°But what about-?¡± ¡°Good. Now that that¡¯s been decided on,¡± Ava stood up, giving a cloak to Cattleya, ¡°Let¡¯s get going. Who knows how busy Elenia will be once we eventually get there.¡± ¡°Elenia?...¡± Despite Cattleya¡¯s earlier brief protest, she quickly put on the cloak and followed behind Ava before I had even gotten up myself. ... Just what did Ava do? Chapter 106 – No Appointment Necessary Chapter 106 ¨C No Appointment Necessary Thankfully, the crowds outside were more sparse than usual, and we arrived at Volpe Rossa without anything getting in the way... at least when it came to the short trip itself. That wasn¡¯t to say that nothing happened at all; there was some back and forth between Cattleya and Ava, mainly over Ava¡¯s choice of clothing... again... but that was really it. I didn¡¯t even pay them that much attention, instead taking the time to speak with Ovia while making sure not to walk into anyone accidentally. Once we got into the merchant guild, however, things were a little different. Well, not the building, but rather the people, or lack thereof. When we came in yesterday, Tybalt was thankfully the first person to greet us, so we had no issues, but today he was nowhere to be seen. There wasn¡¯t even the nice receptionist that we saw when we first came here, instead being a different lady I didn¡¯t recognise. My immediate reaction was to just leave and maybe come back later, hoping that there was someone I had already spoken to before around, although it didn¡¯t take long for that option to be ruled out as Ava simply walked past me towards the front desk. ¡°Hi, is Elenia available at the moment?¡± Ava asked, ¡°We were hoping to meet up with her today to talk about a couple of things.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The lady hummed as she pulled out a large notebook and placed it on the desk, ¡°Do you have an appointment scheduled for today?¡± ¡°No... I don¡¯t believe we do,¡± Ava replied, seeming a little dejected, though, knowing her that might have just been a bit of an act. There was a small moment of silence as the lady behind the desk flipped through the pages of the notebook, quickly running her index finger down the pages to keep track of where she was. ¡°Hmm, it seems that there aren¡¯t any slots available today as she is currently out to inspect the cargo that recently came in personally...¡± She then pulled out a blank sheet of paper as well as a pen, ¡°If you give me your names, I can pass them forward for you and see what we can do about organising an appointment in the future.¡± ¡°Oh, if she¡¯s busy then... I really don¡¯t see another option,¡± Ava said as she took the paper and pen, writing down her name quickly before holding both out towards me. But, just as I reached my hand out to take it from her, the receptionist suddenly reacted, standing up from her seat. ¡°Wait, are you the ones that-?¡± She asked as she leaned forward a little, ¡°Can you show me your ring? I need to make sure my eyes aren¡¯t playing tricks on me; it¡¯s been quite the long night for me.¡± I just did as she asked, showing her the golden ring on my finger while also giving back the paper and pen she had given to us. ¡°I really might need to have a word with her after this. The Guild Master just said to look out for a ¡®cute little kitsune¡¯ wearing her ring... but she forgot to mention that the person in question might be wearing a hood, so we couldn¡¯t see any ears or tail...¡± She then just sighed before stepping out from behind the desk and ringing the bell on top of it, ¡°Like I said, she isn¡¯t in at the moment, but you can wait in her office while we send someone off to inform her. Does that work for the three of you? If so, you can just follow me and I¡¯ll take you through.¡± The three of us did as we were asked and followed the lady through the building. Looking back at the other two, Ava seemed happy as usual, but on the other side, Cattleya seemed incredibly confused, looking back and forth between me, Ava, and the lady guiding us as if there was something that she just couldn¡¯t wrap her head around. The expression didn¡¯t even go away once we had actually arrived at the office; in fact, it might have even gotten more pronounced, I honestly couldn¡¯t tell. The lady left us as soon as we had stepped through the doorway, telling us that we could take a seat wherever we liked before quietly closing the door behind us. Immediately, the three of us squeezed onto one of the sofas facing the sole coffee table in the room, leaving the other open for Elenia when she arrived. From there, not much happened for a while, the only thing of note being Ava commenting on Cattleya¡¯s bed hair and offering to comb it down for her. Which Cattleya reluctantly accepted after some pestering, prompting Ava to ask me to get a comb from Umbra. They did this for what I thought was about half an hour before the doors to the office swung open again, accompanied by the tell-tale clatter of jewellery. ¡°It seems you all made yourselves comfortable while I was on my way here,¡± Elenia said as she looked over at us, ¡°... If that¡¯s even comfortable? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, but that seat isn¡¯t really made to fit three people.¡± Despite what she said, she didn¡¯t wait for a response before sitting down opposite us, not that she needed to wait for one; we were guests in her office, even if we had arrived first. ¡°As soon as I heard that the two of you had miraculously shown up out of nowhere this morning, I just had to drop everything and run over,¡± She explained, ¡°I heard that you had also visited yesterday, but by the time I had come back, you had already left. So I made sure that I would definitely know when you next visited, but it¡¯s like you only come here when you need something from me.¡± ¡°I-¡± I was the first one to try to speak up, although I didn¡¯t get very far. ¡°I¡¯m just playing with you a little, you don¡¯t need to get worked up over it, I expect you to come here when you need something,¡± She interrupted me, ¡°Now, let¡¯s get started properly. Kierra, there¡¯s really no need for you to wear that hood anywhere in this building. They¡¯ve seen me walk through these halls more than a few times; they won¡¯t say anything if another kitsune shows up, at least if they know what¡¯s good for them. I told you that before, and nothing has changed since. Then, second to that, the last time you were here, there were only two, but now I see a third has joined in this little entourage, mind introducing me?¡± ¡°I-I am Cattleya Astrantia, daughter of Amaryllis Astrantia,¡± As she spoke, she started to rise from her seat, but was promptly pulled back down by Ava. ¡°Oh, so this is Cattleya?¡± Elenia asked, ¡°You seem... different to what Tybalt has told me. He has gone on and on about this young lady that he constantly runs into while working. He talks all about her flashy clothes and higher-than-thou attitude. It¡¯s even crept its way into his reports, although at this point he has just started writing something along the lines of, ¡®She was there again, please refer to previous¡¯ because he was getting fed up with it. Yet all I see in front of me is a timid lady putting on a bit of an act.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I replied as I hesitantly took off my hood as she had originally asked. Cattleya didn¡¯t respond, at least not that I saw or heard... although that in and of itself may have been a response from her. ¡°Now, Kierra, that¡¯s a good start, but...¡± Elenia moved over to the side of the chair, ¡°It really does look quite cramped over there. Why not come sit next to me instead? I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be more comfortable to have some more space for that tail of yours.¡± ... ... ¡°I would rather not...¡± I eventually said after a surprising amount of silent deliberation. ¡°Was that me pushing too far?¡± She asked, ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shame... Anyway, what can I do for you today? I know you must be wanting to cash in that favour I owe you if you asked to meet me personally.¡± ¡°Actually, we came here to thank you,¡± Ava said, ¡°Both for letting us in yesterday on such short notice and for the ring. It¡¯s helped out more than I expected when you first passed it on.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re thanking me for letting you in, I wasn¡¯t even there, but I¡¯ll gladly accept on behalf of those here who were. As for the ring, I really don¡¯t need any thanks; I gave it to Kierra for my own selfish reasons anyway. I don¡¯t mind you borrowing the name of the guild with it just to buy some odds and ends.¡± ¡°Well, funny as it may be, that¡¯s actually part of what we were wanting to talk about.¡± ¡°Oh, so this wasn¡¯t just a jovial conversation after all,¡± Elenia chuckled slightly, ¡°Well, come on now, let¡¯s hear what you¡¯re after, no more games.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. It¡¯s true that your ring has saved us quite a bit, but at the end of the day, we¡¯re only spending. We were hoping that you might have some work to help us recoup some of our expenses,¡± Ava explained, ¡°Particularly hoping for anything that would accommodate some quirks if you understand what I mean.¡± Elenia didn¡¯t respond immediately that time, instead taking the opportunity to think a little. ¡°That... is a surprisingly difficult request. It would have been easier if you just came out and asked me for the money itself,¡± She eventually said, ¡°As I¡¯m sure you were hoping I do have a lot of work around the place, but at the same time, I also have a lot of workers to do that work. It¡¯s not like we¡¯d make it very far by having a mountain of outstanding work lying around, just hoping for someone to take it up eventually.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± I sighed. ¡°Now, that isn¡¯t to say I can¡¯t put you on something that¡¯s already in progress... It¡¯s more a question of what exactly that would be. The main job around here that we might use hired hands for would be loading and unloading cargo, but... I feel that at least one of you doesn¡¯t quite have the right build for it.¡± She didn¡¯t even have to say it, I knew she was talking about me. ¡°I guess it would also be possible for me to put at least one of you three behind the desk, or maybe even send you out on some kind of market research... though I feel like that might be just a tad bit too... interactive.¡± All these problems seem to come back to me... ... ¡°You know what? Here¡¯s what I can do for you,¡± She sifted through some documents that were on the coffee table before pulling out a blank sheet of paper, ¡°Rather than a typical job, so to speak, I¡¯ll write up an agreement to buy a few specific things off of you at a set price.¡± She started noting things down on the page. ¡°Specific things?¡± Ava asked. ¡°Mhm. Mainly plants and other such things that could be found in the forest around the town. It¡¯s fairly simple gathering work, but it¡¯ll give you some coin if nothing else... Or actually, I¡¯ll make this a formal request instead and have it done through the adventurer¡¯s guild. It won¡¯t make any difference to what you¡¯d be doing, but it¡¯ll at least get your names down in some records. And as I¡¯m sure my ring has taught you by now, a name can carry an awful lot of weight if you build it up. So, what do you say to picking a few things up for me?¡± Chapter 107 – Not Quite Honest Chapter 107 ¨C Not Quite Honest [Cattleya POV] The only way I could possibly describe this morning was absurd. Even just the way such an unassuming bed was able to claim my consciousness in its entirety was enough for me to feel a little off my rhythm, yet somehow that was only the start of it all. First thing in the morning, both Ava and Kierra decided to simply walk into Volpe Rossa and ask to meet with Elenia as if it were no more than a casual outing. When I did the same, I was simply told to leave the building at the front desk. But for them, it worked out perfectly, with the receptionist at the front even leaving her position just to guide us through the building. We were even allowed to sit in the guild master¡¯s office without having a guild member present. Who knew just how many secrets were hidden in that small room with enough importance to bankrupt even a large town in no more than a matter of weeks? Kierra and Ava just had to be very special people to be treated like this... they were even able to bring me along without anyone batting an eye or asking me for a name; well, at least until Elenia came in and greeted us. ... Who are they really? ... For some reason, of all things that my mind could have looked back on in that moment, it just had to recall the events that took place that morning in that small room. Almost immediately, a shiver ran up my spine... though one that was not... wholly uncomfortable. ... I do not know. ... I really do not know. I blinked a few times to refocus my mind on the conversation at hand, just in time to hear Elenia put forward her offer, and it was to... go gather herbs in the forest just beyond the walls... That is... it? All that special treatment just to be told to go outside and pick a few plants? ... Is it some kind of coded message? Maybe the plants are something rare and unusual? Something you would need a very specific set of skills to find? ... But what skills do they have that would even help them find a plant? Are they not really plants? ... The questions just floated around my mind until I was pulled away by Kierra agreeing to the job with a hint of eagerness in her voice. ... ¡°... Can I see the list?¡± I eventually asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. Then, to my utter surprise, Elenia simply shared a quick look with Ava before handing the list over to me without any resistance at all. Is it really a code? I just could not see why else she would have so few reservations when it came to the sharing of this request, needing nothing more than a wayward glance of affirmation to hand it over. Someone with a family name carrying as much weight as my own was turned away at the door, so I could only imagine the importance of something like this. Yet, as I read through the list... it just... seemed like a list of random herbs and plants that could be found nearby... Dandelion, sea pea, ramson, burdock, alisander... nothing that jumped out at me. None of them were even particularly rare in the area. Some were even considered weeds by most people in the town, given how abundant they were at certain times of the year. It did not make sense to go out of the way and hire external hands to harvest plants like this, especially given the manpower that Volpe Rossa has... and that was all without considering the inflated prices that were listed alongside them. It just did not make any sense, no matter how I tried to look at it. ¡°Are you sure that this is what you are looking for?¡± I asked in my moment of confusion. ¡°Hmm? Show it to me again,¡± Elenia asked as she extended her hand out towards me. Rather than taking the page from me, she just tilted it to face her and read through it quickly. ¡°No, that¡¯s all correct. That is what I am willing to buy from the three of you,¡± She said as she let go, ¡°It¡¯s nothing too important or anything, just... let¡¯s say it¡¯s a whim of mine if that makes you feel any better.¡± A whim? ¡°I think we¡¯ll be able to pull something together,¡± Ava said as she stood up and stretched her arms, ¡°When do you want us to come back?¡± ¡°Oh dear, I¡¯d be happy for you to come back all the time,¡± Elenia playfully responded, ¡°But for now let¡¯s have the earliest as tomorrow. I¡¯ll need the paperwork to go through the adventurer¡¯s guild to make it all official... and I really should be running off again soon.¡± It did not take long before Kierra followed Ava¡¯s lead, leaving me lagging behind as I quickly jumped to my feet and followed the two of them out of the building. ... Go gather plants? Is there something I am missing here? ... ... Maybe it was something she said while my mind was... distracted... Something cleverly hidden through her choice of words, or maybe even how she spoke... ... ¡°I have decided that I will go with you on this request,¡± I declared as we took our first few steps into the streets. ¡°You already were,¡± Ava replied without even looking back at me, ¡°There¡¯s no way I was just going to let you wander the streets again after what you pulled yesterday.¡± ¡°...¡± The rest of the walk was done in silence as I struggled to come up with anything else to say. Of course, I could probably have said something on the topic of the plants that were listed by Elenia, but if it was some kind of code, doing so would have no purpose at all other than to show that I was clueless as to the true meaning of the exchange we had. It... left me in a rather uncomfortable position, all things considered. Once we had arrived at the outer wall, Ava shed her cloak, letting her dark wings that almost seemed to shimmer in the sunlight stretch out, consuming the entirety of my vision for only a moment before lifting both herself and Kierra over the wall. It took a second before I had registered what was happening and jumped over the wall behind them. I... should probably try to conserve my mana... ... I could practically taste the sweet crimson liquid on my tongue as the thought crossed my mind. ... ... ¡°Cattleya?!¡± Ava called out, having already walked some distance into the forest. What is wrong with me? For some reason, there was something about hearing my name that sent another shiver down my spine. It is all because of this morning. I need to find a way to wake up earlier. Wait! When did I decide I was staying at that inn? ... ¡°O-oh, yes,¡± I eventually said as I picked up my own pace to join back up with them. You cannot be doing this right now. ¡°Y¡¯know, there was a thought that crossed my mind as we were walking over here. I was wondering if you¡¯d be interested in hearing me out? ¡°... Tell me, and I will see.¡± ¡°Well, you have that Plant Magic,¡± Ava turned around to face me, continuing to walk backwards to keep up with Kierra, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be able to just grow the plants that Elenia asked us for? I know what most of them are already, though not all of them. So I just thought it¡¯d be easier if you could wave your hand and it¡¯d all show up, right?¡± ... ¡°I... I cannot. At least not how you described,¡± I did not want to, but I had to admit to my limits, ¡°If we found some, I could easily grow more. But trying to grow a specific plant without anything to start with requires extensive study of the respective plant and an intuitive understanding of its underlying mana composition to even consider attempting.¡± ¡°And that means?¡± Ava asked, confused. ¡°... I do not know how... Although my mother probably could...¡± ... Once again, an awkward moment of silence fell over us. ¡°You haven¡¯t said much about your mom before,¡± Ava eventually said, catching me off guard, ¡°All I know about her is her name that you seem all too eager to give out, yet nothing else.¡± My mother... ¡°...¡± I could not bring myself to say anything, just being forced to leave Ava¡¯s comment hanging over us as we continued to walk deeper into the forest. ... What am I even supposed to say? ... ... We continued to trek on, with Ava eventually turning back around to face the way she was walking instead of me, which took a weight off my shoulders that I had not even noticed. ¡°Keep your secrets then,¡± Ava said, ¡°But know you can always talk to me if you ever feel like it.¡± ¡°... I will remember that,¡± I replied after some thought, just wanting to make sure that she knew I had heard her... nothing else. Ava and Kierra started talking to each other after that, leaving me to my thoughts. They were simply talking about mundane things, like what would be for lunch and dinner or pointing out flowers that caught their attention, even if they were not what we were looking for. It was... peaceful... at least that was the only word I could use to describe it; like there was nothing looming over us... It was a foreign sensation. The poor fitting clothes, the sloppy unplanned nature of the day, talking without a care in the world... I... did not dislike it... I think... All my worries and concerns certainly had not magically gone away, even in that moment, I knew that I still had not secured that item yet, that I still had more to do... but it was more like a moment of realisation came over me, that no matter what I did right then, nothing important would change. ¡°Is it because of those two?¡± I accidentally whispered under my breath. In a slight panic, I looked up at the two of them, doing my best not to make it obvious. Fortunately, neither of them looked back. Leaving only me to know of such an embarrassing slip-up on my part. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a dandelion?¡± Ava asked, pulling me out of my thoughts, ¡°It took longer to find than I thought. I swear they¡¯re normally everywhere.¡± She had knelt down in front of a few dandelions that already had their white seed heads on display, looking like little balls of fluff. ¡°It is but...¡± I replied, hesitating to finish my sentence. ¡°But?¡± ¡°You do not normally harvest a dandelion once it is showing its seed head; they are best picked young, after only just having flowered,¡± For some reason, I felt rather embarrassed as I knelt down next to Ava, explaining this. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know that...¡± Ava said, looking down at the puffball, ¡°I guess that means we need to keep looking then.¡± ¡°N-no,¡± As I spoke, for some reason, my hand reached out and grabbed onto Ava¡¯s wrist as she tried to stand up. As soon as I realised my mistake, I quickly let go and instead tried to guide her focus back to the dandelion in front of us. ¡°I-I can just do this instead of having to look for more,¡± I plucked the dandelion from the ground, taking a brief moment to scatter the seeds by blowing on it, ¡°Now, from the old roots more can grow.¡± I waved my hand, letting a small amount of my mana seep into the roots, making a few new stems grow, stopping just as their little yellow petals came into view. ¡°And now we have dandelions ready for harvest.¡± Ava did not waste a moment before gently plucking them and handing them over to Kierra. ¡°Can you just do this as much as you want?¡± She asked. ¡°Ye-¡± I stopped myself and thought for a moment, ¡°No... If I force the plant to grow, it may strain the roots, or it may affect the quality and taste of the dandelions. I am sure Elenia would notice the difference.¡± It was a lie, my magic could easily make the roots sprout as many times as I needed, but I needed to conserve my mana... or at least find a way to hide my resulting thirst from Ava. Chapter 108 – Close, Yet So Far Chapter 108 ¨C Close, Yet So Far ¡®Kierra?¡¯ Ovia asked, ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ ¡®It just... I feel like something is following us,¡¯ I replied after a moment of thought. It was that same kind of feeling I had been feeling over and over again, and I hated it. Ever since we left Casgolau, I have always seemed to have this sinking feeling in my stomach that I was being watched. That would have been bad enough by itself, but by far the worst part of it was that each time it happened, I could point to exactly where it had come from, whether that was Cattleya or Elenia... which meant that my unease wasn¡¯t necessarily unfounded... if anything it suggested that there really was something there. It was only made worse when neither Ava nor Cattleya reacted to it at all; in fact, they seemed to be getting along better than ever as we slowly made our way through the forest. As we walked, Cattleya would point out if she saw something that was on Elenia¡¯s list before diving into an explanation of what exactly we were looking for in each plant. ... I could understand Ava not reacting, as she had never done so before, but with the way Cattleya seemed to be so sensitive to things like this. These things I didn¡¯t even understand, like the mana deficit she mentioned following me before. It just didn¡¯t make sense that I was the only one who was feeling uneasy. ¡®But I thought you found out who was watching you?¡¯ Ovia said, pulling me back out of my thoughts, ¡®W-wasn¡¯t it the vampire you¡¯re with at the moment?¡¯ ¡®No... Yes?¡¯ It took a moment for me to figure out how to answer, ¡®It was Cattleya watching before, but this... it feels different... almost like whatever I noticed at the top of the lighthouse yesterday, but not quite the same?¡¯ ¡®Y-you noticed something at the top of the lighthouse too?...¡¯ After that, Ovia didn¡¯t respond for a while, leaving me just to continue following Cattleya and Ava as they seemingly went off on their own little adventure, hardly even noticing me looking around the place in a futile effort to see whatever was getting on my nerves. At least, I hoped it was only one thing that was hiding... It may have just been my imagination, but as we went deeper into the forest, the sensation would sometimes shift, feeling like an entirely different presence, yet there was never more than one at a time. This constant changing and shifting only served to confuse me more, forcing me to constantly be aware of whatever it was, as the moment my mind was finally able to push the sensation down, something would change, forcing me to stay alert. It was this incessant gnawing in the back of my mind at all times... yet no one else even noticed. It was just me. ¡®I tried looking around you a little bit, but there is nothing else there,¡¯ Ovia eventually spoke up again, ¡®There are hardly any animals either, so I don¡¯t know what you might be reacting to...¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ ¡®But you said that before when Cattleya was watching me.¡¯ As I said the words in my head, I immediately regretted it. I knew Ovia was just trying to help me however she could, but with how on edge I was, it was difficult to hold all my concerns in. ¡®T-That was because I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be watching you without having to look at you...¡¯ She admitted, ¡®B-but this time I made sure to check!¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ I just continued to walk, not sure of what to say after that. I wanted to say thank you to her after she put in that extra effort... but I felt it could only come off as disingenuous. Why are you acting like this? Nothing is happening. It¡¯s... It¡¯s all just in your head. As Ava and Cattleya knelt down in front of another herb they noticed, I took the opportunity to sit down and cool off. Just to let whatever was going through my mind run its course... if that was even possible. ... ¡®I-I...¡¯ Ovia stuttered, ¡®If I think about it, there are some things I might have missed...¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ I didn¡¯t respond. ¡®It¡¯s possible that someone is watching you, like your vampire friend did... just from a lot further away, so it¡¯s hard to notice,¡¯ She theorised, ¡®B-but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone like that who would be looking for you...¡¯ ¡®... I hope so.¡¯ I really hope so... ¡®It could also be a natural phenomenon! Maybe there¡¯s just a lot of a certain kind of mana in the area and it¡¯s confusing your senses... even if I haven¡¯t noticed anything like that myself... But I could ask Ellaria, she¡¯s better at this kind of thing.¡¯ A natural phenomenon? What kind of natural phenomenon would make just me feel like I was being followed, that just didn¡¯t make any sense to me? The situation with the ships could maybe have been some kind of natural phenomenon... even if highly unlikely at this point... but this was something very different. ... ¡®Or is it?¡¯ It was true that the last time we were at the top of the lighthouse, I felt something similar just before I started seeing things... but that couldn¡¯t be a natural phenomenon. It just... It felt too... alive. ¡®The only other thing it might be...¡¯ She paused for an uncomfortable amount of time, as if having to come to terms with what she was about to say, ¡®A d-dragon- No. It can¡¯t be that. Definitely not that.¡¯ ¡®A dragon?¡¯ I asked almost immediately, the word pricking at my ears. ¡®It can¡¯t be a d-dragon,¡¯ She quickly said, ¡®T-They might be able to hide their presence from me if they¡¯re proficient with illusion magic, but that¡¯s all. If a d-d-... If they decided to nest somewhere, it wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed. They seem to change the land around them simply by being in the area... A-at least that¡¯s what E-Ellaria has told me...¡¯ What? Something like that exists in the mortal realm? ... ¡®F-forget I said anything. That isn¡¯t what¡¯s happening. It can¡¯t be.¡¯ ... Is Ovia... scared? It was just such a strange reaction, seemingly just from saying the word, that I couldn¡¯t help but take note. She was so adamant about it not being the case after she brought it up herself... Was there something I was missing? What is she not telling me? ... Why is she not telling me? Those questions quickly took over my thoughts. On one hand, they were helping me to ignore that uncomfortable feeling in my stomach, but on the other, it was just giving me something else to worry about in its place. And for whatever reason, at least to me in that moment, that kind of lingering doubt was much worse than whatever unease I was feeling before. ¡°Kierra?!¡± Ava suddenly called out, ¡°Don¡¯t fall too far behind, we¡¯ve still got more to look for.¡± ... ¡°Okay,¡± I said quietly as I stood back up, dusting off the back of my cloak. Why can¡¯t you just be like those two? They aren¡¯t worrying about any of this. ... They... ... As I caught up to them, all I could see were their backs lined up next to each other, the two of them matching each other¡¯s stride... probably without even meaning to. Then, a few steps back, there was me, sometimes having to break into a light jog just to keep up. ... What happened? I felt okay when I woke up. ... ¡®Kierra!¡¯ Ovia shouted through the pendant. She was so loud that I stopped walking for just a moment as my ears fruitlessly searched around for where the sound could have come from, as if it wasn¡¯t just in my head. ¡®You don¡¯t need to get so... so worked up about this!¡¯ She said, ¡®If something really bad was going to happen, I would do everything possible to help.¡¯ It¡¯s not because of- ... ¡®... Okay...¡¯ I replied, not wanting to correct her misunderstanding and embarrass her, ¡®And... thank you.¡¯ It was only a small thing, but it did help cheer me up a little. Ovia always seemed to have the kind of effect though. Even if she didn¡¯t know exactly what I was thinking of, she¡¯d always be there to at least try and say something, and it almost always did something to help me. In fact, looking back on everything, it was almost funny how scared I was of her when we first met. The person whom I thought I saw glaring down at me from that throne was nothing more than my imagination. I hadn¡¯t seen even a hint of that person since she grabbed onto me that day. ... We aren¡¯t even able to see each other when we-... when I want. Even if we can talk from anywhere in the world, there is always just something missing. ... I pulled out the pendant from under my cloak to see how dark the gem had gotten... which unfortunately wasn¡¯t very much. But it was at least on its way. ¡®How long do we have until we can meet again?¡¯ I asked while still looking at my necklace. ¡®Ah, um, I know it¡¯s less than two weeks now! So only a few days!¡¯ ¡®Mm.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve already put together a number of outfits for you to try on too! And I can¡¯t wait to see what you have prepared for me!¡¯ Was this Ovia¡¯s way of trying to calm me down? Maybe it was... or maybe it was just her being herself, nothing more. ¡®I can¡¯t wait either,¡¯ I said, my eyes instinctively drawn back up to the backs of the two people in front of me. As soon as I did, however, Ava turned back to face me, and a giant smile spread across her face. ¡°Come on now!¡± She called out as she slowed her pace, ¡°This job was for all three of us, not just me and Cattleya.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± I called back as I jogged up to them. ¡°We¡¯ll just keep at this for an hour or so more, okay? We won¡¯t be able to find everything on the list today, but that¡¯s fine. Apparently, a good few of the plants only grow right on the coast, so we¡¯ll head down there tomorrow instead... Well, as long as the weather is good.¡± Cattleya tried to speak up, ¡°Who said I was coming tomo-¡± ¡°Come on now, do you really think I¡¯d believe that now?¡± Ava interrupted. ¡°... I... will join you again...¡± Cattleya relented immediately. It was a small exchange, but it did make me giggle a little... even if most of what was on my mind hadn¡¯t really been resolved in any meaningful way. ... ¡®You know?... Ovia...¡¯ I honestly don¡¯t know what came over me in that moment, but I just had to say something, to get it off my chest, ¡®Sometimes I really wish you were down here beside me.¡¯ Chapter 109 – What If She Finds Out? Chapter 109 ¨C What If She Finds Out? [Ovia POV] ¡°...¡± I was left entirely speechless just from hearing those few words. ... If I could be down there with her... What am I supposed to say back now? Do I say I want to do that too? I do want it, but... I can¡¯t... I don¡¯t want to promise something impossible. But I can¡¯t just say nothing to her. What would that make her think? She¡¯s been doing so much better with everything lately, what if I ruin it now?! There has to be a correct answer here. ¡°Sister?¡± Ellaria suddenly called out to me from the other side of the room. I immediately snapped around looking for her. Somehow, I hadn¡¯t even noticed her enter my domain; it could have happened just now or... maybe she was... ¡°You seemed to be having quite the interesting conversation,¡± She said as my eyes finally found her resting up against the door frame. ¡°What?!¡± I blurted out. Conversation? What did she hear? Wait! How could she hear? Isn¡¯t it all inside my head? Instead of answering, however, she just made her way over and sat down just across from me, a slight smirk teasing at the edge of her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I really want to tell you, but... my sister may have picked up the habit of saying the messages meant for her friend out loud instead of just in her mind.¡± ... ... I didn¡¯t know how I was supposed to respond to that. Even Kierra didn¡¯t have trouble with that anymore. If she saw me making an embarrassing mistake like that, what would she think of me? My hand frantically searched for something to cover my face with, but to my dismay, there simply wasn¡¯t anything nearby to grab onto aside from my own dress. ... ¡°... H-how much did you hear?¡± I eventually managed to ask. Maybe it wasn¡¯t that bad. ¡°Oh, now what exactly did I hear... hmm...¡± She hummed, ¡°Well, I first came in on quite the interesting little topic. Something about a dra-¡± ¡°No!¡± As soon as I had realised what Ellaria was about to say, I jumped out of my seat and covered her mouth. But immediately after, a realisation swept over me that if she had heard what I was talking about... then I must have accidentally said the word out loud at some point too. Ellaria then slowly pushed my hand away, ¡°Why is this getting you so worked up? Have you even met a dra-¡± She stopped herself for a moment before continuing, ¡°Have you even met one of them before? I can¡¯t quite recall.¡± ¡°...¡± I remained silent. ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been from when we were in the village... so it must have been after you ascended...¡± Why are you doing this?! Despite my internal protests, my words ironically just wouldn¡¯t come out. ¡°So, a deity who approached my sister...¡± She continued to think out loud, much to my dismay, ¡°It¡¯s hard to remember with just how long ago that was now... but I do vaguely remember someone from before you closed your domain... Oh!¡± No. Please. ¡°Was there not the Goddess of S-?¡± Once again, I covered Ellaria¡¯s mouth, although this time, maybe being a little too forceful as I almost tripped over in doing so... But... if those words ever left this domain, I wouldn¡¯t even be able to guess what would happen. ¡°Shhhh!¡± I said in a panic, ¡°What if s-she finds out?¡± ¡°Finds out about what?¡± Ellaria asked back immediately, ¡°I seem to vaguely remember the two of you getting along fairly well before you decided to shut everyone out. You even adopted much of her style, and it doesn¡¯t look like that stopped.¡± She glanced over at one of the chains hanging from the ceiling. ¡°That¡¯s... That¡¯s different.¡± ¡°Why are you now so scared of her?¡± Ellaria asked as she spun me around and sat me down next to her, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything significant happening between the two of you? She just visited you quite regularly, did she not, more so than she visited any of the other deities up here.¡± ¡°T-that...¡± I was stumbling over my words again as the memories of when I first ascended started flashing through my mind, ¡°T-that¡¯s not...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what?¡± I tried to stand up and move away from Ellaria, but she held onto my wrist tightly to stop me. ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± I blurted out in hopes that it would be enough for Ellaria to move on. ¡°That¡¯s the problem? That she visited you often?¡± Why won¡¯t you just forget about this? The more we talk about it, the more likely she or someone she knows might notice. If you managed to enter my domain without me noticing, what if someone else did?! ¡°I-I actually had a question!¡± I shouted as I finally managed to free my wrist from Ellaria¡¯s grip, ¡°I-I was wondering if there was any way at all for me to descend? E-even just for a little while...¡± Silence fell over the room as Ellaria looked over my face from top to bottom, not once but twice. ¡°Sister...¡± She muttered in clear disbelief, ¡°If you really didn¡¯t want to talk about her, you should have just told me. All I wanted to know is if something had happened between the two of you, but if you really don¡¯t want to tell me, that¡¯s alright.¡± ... ... ¡°But I-¡± I frantically tried to explain myself. ¡°I will play along for now and answer your question, but I do hope you eventually tell me what happened back then. Okay, I know you already know the rules when it comes to descending into the mortal realm. You are not allowed to-¡± She stopped for a brief moment before continuing, ¡°Hmm, I was really expecting John to show up now that we¡¯re talking about this. He¡¯s normally all too eager to stop us descending long before we actually try... Maybe he¡¯s busy with something more important at the moment.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything about it, but in truth, I was glad that John didn¡¯t show up then... it would have only led to one more person who might overhear something that shouldn¡¯t leave my domain. ¡°... B-But I know there are some deities who descend, even you do it sometimes,¡± I eventually said, ¡°There must be some way to get permission...¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s up for me to decide. So I¡¯m not really sure why you would be asking your sister about it,¡± Without warning, a man stepped out from behind me, his painfully flashy coat glowing brightly despite the surrounding darkness. ¡°Joh-¡± Ellaria tried to address him. ¡°It¡¯s all a matter of appropriate timing,¡± John interrupted without a second thought, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll come to understand in time. It wouldn¡¯t do to simply show up when expected; it would take away too much from my image. Oh, and I must say, this domain really does make this coat shine. I knew I had the right idea the last time I was here.¡± My lips were firmly sealed, unsure of what I was supposed to do or say... at least that was how I justified it. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t seem to do much as John turned to face me. ¡°And to answer both your previous and future questions. I¡¯m not going to stop you from descending if that is truly what you want. I don¡¯t have the power to do so anyway. Although that isn¡¯t to say I won¡¯t step in after the fact, I just don¡¯t like to punish someone before they¡¯ve actually done anything, even if I know it¡¯s going to happen. Let¡¯s call it a refined sense of morals on my part,¡± John¡¯s words came out relentlessly, ¡°Now, if you found a way to walk around down in the mortal realm without getting involved in anything significant, and without being recognised, there wouldn¡¯t be any reason for me to do anything at all. My only real concern is making sure everything works as it is supposed to. Oh, though in saying that, there is another oh so minor caveat. It wouldn¡¯t do if you were noticed by any other deities. I would rather not see a litany of other gods and goddesses trying to descend all at once. Well, in saying that, I could bend the rules if you have a good reason to descend, at least in my eyes. In the last few centuries, I have taken to allowing deities to descend when passing authority to their emissaries instead of having them come here. It just has a bit of extra flair for everyone involved.¡± ... So, it¡¯s not impossible? I just have to not be noticed... ¡°I see you¡¯re already racking your brain over this,¡± John said as he took a step closer, ¡°I¡¯m quite excited to see what you come up with in the end. I only hope that it doesn¡¯t take too long for that plan of yours to come to pass.¡± ¡°What does-¡± Ellaria once again tried to speak up, but it didn¡¯t end any differently. ¡°Oh, and before I forget, this is more of a personal request than any kind of advice. You mentioned Esyllt just now, did you not?¡± My blood ran cold as that name reached my ears. Why did you say her name?! ¡°I do hope you choose to at least send some words to her,¡± John simply continued to talk as if nothing had happened, ¡°Aside from a small incident where she had to come find me around nine years ago she has done nothing but stand still in her domain for many many many many years. Coming from me, that might sound like an exaggeration, but it¡¯s really quite disconcerting if I must be honest. I can only imagine the sheer overwhelming pressure of boredom to do absolutely anything else. She is someone I will never come to truly understand.¡± There was another awkward moment as John simply looked back and forth between me and Ellaria as if expecting us to say something. Which, of course, we didn¡¯t, assuming that he would just continue to say whatever it was he wanted to the moment either of our mouths opened. ¡°This was a great conversation, I must say. However, I¡¯m running on quite the tight schedule today as I¡¯m sure you can understand,¡± He spoke as he checked his wrist despite nothing being there, ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be meeting with my own sister in approximately twelve seconds and I¡¯ve yet to decide what would be the best outfit to wear. If it were up to me, I¡¯d bring her here to show off this magnificent piece I¡¯m wearing at the moment, but if I did... well, you probably don¡¯t need to know as it won¡¯t be happening today. Which means the only thing left for me to do is say goodbye.¡± With an extravagant twirl of his coat, he simply vanished in front of my eyes... which also led to my domain suddenly getting noticeably darker. It was astonishing how much more light a simple coat brought into my domain, especially considering Ellaria, the Goddess of Light, was already there. ¡°Um... I guess that answers your question, Sister... I think anyway,¡± Ellaria said, as she got up and walked over to me, ¡°At least to me it didn¡¯t sound a no, just a ¡®not yet¡¯, which means a lot coming from the God of Fate.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I hummed, unable to hide my disappointment... at least that¡¯s what I thought I was feeling. So much happened in such a short time that I wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was I was even supposed to be feeling. ... Not yet... Chapter 110 – Saltwater and Sewing Chapter 110 ¨C Saltwater and Sewing The next day went mostly to plan, with us heading down to the coast in order to collect the last few things from Elenia¡¯s list... Well, right up until the last moment anyway. It was much like the day before, with Cattleya being the primary authority when it came to any of the herbs, while Ava went around pointing out whatever caught her attention, just in case it was one of the things we were looking for. That feeling that I had felt following us the day before was also nowhere near as pronounced as it was when we went through the forest. Instead of it being a constant, unyielding gaze, it was closer to being checked in on every few minutes. To be honest, the only real thing I had figured out since then was that whatever it was didn¡¯t follow me back into the town. Ovia had also asked if Aria could check for anything that could have been causing the feeling, but she also agreed that there was nothing out of the ordinary around... while also ensuring to both Ovia and me that there certainly weren¡¯t any dragons around, though it was a little obvious that she made an effort not to use the words itself. Once we were sure that we had gotten everything from the list, we had originally hoped to go visit Elenia straight away... although with a small detour before that to dip our feet into the sea at Ava¡¯s request. Of course, no one disagreed, but as we were making our way down to the pebble beach, Cattleya¡¯s skirt caught on a stray rock and she went tumbling down into the water. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t hurt in any way... even if the same couldn¡¯t be said for her clothing. She even jumped out of the water herself, looking more like a startled cat than anything else. This did, however, force us to change plans, instead deciding that it would be better to head straight back to the inn and have everyone get cleaned up... particularly Cattleya, who quickly started complaining that she needed to get all the salt out of her hair. When we actually arrived at the inn, Ava immediately asked Daleia for the key to the baths, to which there were no protests. But, at least for me, that was where things got a little uncomfortable... Ava asked me to pull out clean clothes for the three of us as we stood in front of the door to the baths, and I immediately realised that she was intending for the three of us to all go in together. Which I wasn¡¯t very keen on on account of the scar embedded across my back. Thankfully, Ava realised what she was asking almost as soon as I did and suggested that I instead go wait in our room and she¡¯d give me the key once the two of them were done. I immediately agreed to this arrangement, giving Ava two sets of clean clothes. She did, however, make me wait at the door for her to hand off the old clothes to me... including Cattleya¡¯s ripped skirt. And that¡¯s what led me to my current situation, sitting on the floor in our room, staring down at the torn skirt lying on the floor. With how long it took us to get back to the inn, it had already dried off completely, but that didn¡¯t undo any of the damage... and for some reason, that frustrated me in a way I couldn¡¯t quite explain. It was obvious what had happened, considering just how large the garment was on Cattleya. It was a problem that couldn¡¯t even easily be solved by wearing something else, as the selection Ava had pulled together... really showcased that her eye for sizing was just a little off. ... ... Ana did give me the sewing kit... ... It was an inexplicable thought, but now that it was on my mind... ¡°Umbra,¡± I called out quietly, ¡°Can you bring out the sewing kit... and maybe a pair of shears?¡± Umbra quickly obliged poking their head out from inside my cloak with the items I had asked for already in their mouth. They then set them down on the floor, quickly jumping back into my shadow before I even had the chance to give them their usual scratches. ¡°Umbra?¡± I called out. They didn¡¯t respond. Maybe I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s been feeling a little unnerved lately. ... There wasn¡¯t anything I could do if Umbra chose to remain hidden in my shadow... so I didn¡¯t have much of a choice aside from continuing with what I was initially planning on doing. I moved the sewing kit into a more easily accessible position at my side before pulling the torn skirt into my lap to get a better look at the damage in question. The immediately apparent thing was that it wasn¡¯t a clean tear, with ragged edges and loose threads hanging all over the place, clearly worsened over the walk back. No matter how I went about fixing it, some material would inevitably need to be removed... although that would probably be a good thing. Of course, that was all assuming I could actually do anything to fix the tear in the first place. Back when Ana had given me the supplies, she gave me a quick explanation of what to do, but not much of a practical demonstration. To be honest, the one good thing about the situation was that even if I made a mistake and ruined the skirt, it wasn¡¯t like we¡¯d be in a worse situation. The skirt was already unusable in its current state, with a slit up the side revealing more than just too much. It was a miracle that it was still in one piece. ... ... ¡°The only thing I can do is start...¡± I mumbled to myself as I took up the shears and prepared to start cutting away at the material. ... ... I held the shears in place, lined up and ready to make the first cut in an attempt to clean up the torn edge, but I hesitated a little. Not out of worry or fear or anything like that; it was more like... excitement bubbling up from inside of me. As the feeling reached its peak, I finally made the first cut, running the shears all the way from the hem up through the waistband before immediately doing the same along the other side. ... I... should take some more off... The thoughts easily came to me as I worked, quickly taking a bit more material away in order to tighten up the skirt around the waist when I eventually brought it back together. It should end up being much more comfortable than whatever complicated folds and ties Cattleya had to use before to stop it from falling down. But why stop there? The problem was that the hem of the skirt got caught... so why not bring that up a little?... or maybe a lot? Before the thought had even finished crossing my mind, I had already started making the cut. Yet that wasn¡¯t all, more ideas came to my mind of what I could do, but I had to stop myself. All I had done so far was cut the poor thing up. For all I knew, I might have just ruined everything while getting ahead of myself. So I set the shears down, instead picking up a needle and thread, prepared to bring the image in my head to life. I threaded the needle with surprising ease before bringing the two edges of the skirt together, folding the seam inwards so it wouldn¡¯t be seen and pinning it in place in preparation for my attempt at sewing. At that point, there wasn¡¯t anything else I could really do, so I pushed the needle through the fabric and... instantly pricked my finger, drawing only a single drop of blood, which I quickly licked off as not to stain my work before even really starting. With that one small mishap aside... and maybe a second prick to my finger not long after... I finally started to get into a rhythm, the needle gliding effortlessly through the material, gracefully diving up and down through the sea of fabric waves. My hands just moved by themselves. Sure, they were a little clumsy, but it didn¡¯t take long for that to melt away. Not to say that the process was in any way quick, but that didn¡¯t matter to me. What was far more important was the excitement that followed each small stitch. A feeling that I had certainly felt before. Back when Mom first gave me my notebook, I had that feeling of picking up the pencil and somehow instinctively knowing what to do. This was the same, maybe even better than that. My mind knew what it needed to do even though my body wasn¡¯t quite capable; the needed dexterity just wasn¡¯t quite there. While lost in my trance, the main seam was secured, but that wasn¡¯t any reason to rest. I needed to go back over the waistband and hem of the skirt now. There was no sense in taking half measures at this point. I¡¯d already dived into the deep end and was loving it. Once the final stitch was completed and secured, I lifted the skirt into the air and examined my work. It turned out pretty much exactly how I had imagined it... at least looking at it like I was. I knew that it wasn¡¯t exactly perfect when it came to my stitch work, but it was far more than what I was expecting when I first thought about picking up the needle. If I can do this, then... What about all that fabric I bought? Could it really be possible? ¡°Umbra?¡± I called out, ¡°Can you bring out some of the plain fabric for me?¡± It had to be something plain, not that special fabric I had gotten in hopes of putting something together for Ovia, not when she might be watching over me. Umbra promptly brought out a roll of dark blue fabric. This time, I was fast enough to catch them before they retreated... not that they reacted in any way. Alright. Let¡¯s do this. I took the shears up into my hand once again, looking over the fabric in front of me and... Nothing. ... The spark from before just wasn¡¯t there for some reason, or maybe it was, but different. I was looking at all these possibilities laid out in front of me, yet I couldn¡¯t even figure out where to start. A dress? A skirt? Oh! What about a blouse? I haven¡¯t seen any in dark colours around here. The idea¡¯s kept on flowing, yet my hands refused to move. However, that might have been for the better, as it wasn¡¯t much longer after that that there was a knock at the door, followed by Ava, as well as a slightly red Cattleya. As quickly as I could, I rolled the blue fabric under my bed before showing my newly adapted skirt off to Cattleya. But, I didn¡¯t wait long enough to actually hear what she thought... For some reason, despite how I felt about my work, showing it off to someone else like that was just embarrassing... especially with how little I hesitated before lifting it into the air. So, in order to save myself, I took the key for the washroom from Ava and left the room, hoping that the warm water would help me relax a little. I enjoyed that... a lot. ... That evening, even as I submerged myself in the water and let my body relax, I just couldn¡¯t get all those ideas for what to do with the fabric out of my mind completely. I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if it were what my dreams were filled with that night. Chapter 111 – Collected and Counted Chapter 111 ¨C Collected and Counted I did not sleep well that night, maybe not even at all; it was hard to remember. Rather than my dreams being filled with all the ideas I had during the day, like I had expected, those ideas instead just continued swirling around my mind, keeping me awake long into the night despite my internal protest. Due to that, the whole morning was just consumed with this heavy feeling of tiredness that I just couldn¡¯t quite shake off. Somehow, it was all only made worse as I saw Cattleya walk down the stairs to join us for breakfast, wearing the skirt I had adjusted yesterday. For some reason, it had never occurred to me that she¡¯d actually wear it. Though there wasn¡¯t much time to be embarrassed about it, as my eyes gradually drifted upward and I was forced to confront the blouse she was wearing, it wasn¡¯t that there was anything wrong with it in terms of the overall appearance of the outfit; it was just the sizing... again. With a skirt that now actually fit her, the oversized nature of the rest of her clothing was only made more apparent. The puffy look it gave might have worked, but with the way it was, it could only be called excessive. There were some words exchanged over breakfast, but in all honesty, I wasn¡¯t quite aware enough to take any of it in as I mindlessly guided food to my mouth and swallowed. It was only once we had made our way to Volpe Rossa that I finally felt myself wake up properly. We had already been taken into Elena¡¯s office and were waiting for her to return from... whatever she was doing; I missed that part. ¡°Kierra,¡± Cattleya suddenly said, startling me a little, ¡°I-... You...¡± Before she could stumble over any more of her words, Ava moved closer and whispered something into her ear. ¡°I know that!¡± Cattleya shouted as she hastily covered her ear. Ava chuckled in response, ¡°Well, go on then.¡± ¡°...¡± Cattleya turned to face me again, ¡°I just wanted to say thank you... I... liked what you did with this skirt. It has made my experience a little more bearable.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I hummed back, unsure of how exactly I was expected to respond to her comment. ¡°And?¡± Ava playfully poked at Cattleya¡¯s cheek. ¡°And I was wanting to ask you about perhaps...¡± She seemed to struggle to get more words out, ¡°I was wondering if it would be possible for you to adjust the rest of the clothes Ava has provided for me.... If I must wear this attire, then I would rather it fit properly... Of course, I am not asking for this to be done without compensation.¡± ¡°...¡± Cattleya¡¯s request confused me, to put it lightly. First of all, if all she wanted to do was get some clothes adjusted, there wasn¡¯t really any reason for her to have to ask me. Just walking up and down the streets, I¡¯ve seen more than a handful of places that could do it for her. It wasn¡¯t even that she was asking me to do it for free, so that couldn¡¯t have been the reason. Then past that, if she really didn¡¯t want to wear those clothes because they didn¡¯t fit, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be able to just go out and buy some that do with all the money she carried around. All in all, it just didn¡¯t make sense... but... ... ¡°I can try,¡± I still decided to agree in the end. Maybe if I just resize the rest of her clothes, my mind will finally calm down. Then there wouldn¡¯t be anything to bother me... That has to be it. At that moment, the heavy doors to the office swung open and Elenia waltzed in, the clattering of her jewellery echoing in my mind. ¡°I was really hoping the three of you would have come to visit me yesterday after our little exchange,¡± She said as she sat gracefully down opposite us. ¡°We-¡± Ava tried to speak up first. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry,¡± Elenia interrupted, ¡°I said you could have come as soon as yesterday, I never said that¡¯s when you had to be here.... Though I would have appreciated the distraction,¡± She folded one leg over the other as she leaned forward ever so slightly with a glint in her eye, ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what you managed to pull together for me.¡± Ava promptly reached down and pulled out a basket filled with all the various plants that we had collected over the last two days. Wait? Weren¡¯t those all with Umbra? The only possible explanation was that Umbra had pulled them all out at Ava¡¯s request while I was still half asleep. But considering Umbra¡¯s behaviour yesterday, that felt a little unexpected. While I was still lost in thought, Ava started taking the plants out of the basket, ¡°We thankfully managed to find everything on the list.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for you to decide, is it?¡± Elenia said as she started picking up the plants one by one, looking them over carefully, ¡°Hmm? It seems there¡¯s been some magic at play here?¡± ¡°You can tell?¡± Cattleya blurted out immediately, a hint of shock in her voice, ¡°That easily?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to be at least that competent if I were going to run a guild of this size,¡± She responded without missing a beat, ¡°I just noticed that a few of these were virtually identical and took a guess. It just seems that I was right this time.¡± ¡°...¡± Cattleya didn¡¯t respond after that, instead sinking into the chair a little. ¡°It¡¯s no issue for me, so there is no need to be concerned at all; although... I must admit it does tempt me a little to draft up a contract right this minute. Though I¡¯ll hold myself back for the time being out of courtesy.¡± Elenia went through each of the plants in the same way, dividing them up into those that she would accept and those that she wouldn¡¯t, each time giving a detailed reason... even if it was a little disheartening to hear. However, her reasons were rather interesting to listen to, especially when comparing them to the explanations Cattleya was giving before. A lot of the time, instead of there being issues to do with the health of the plant, or it¡¯s potential efficacy, a lot of her concerns were instead to do with appearance or smell, explaining that it would be more difficult to sell if a customer¡¯s initial reaction is to find it in any way unappealing. Something about being unable to shake a customer¡¯s first impression without a lot of additional effort. ¡°On the whole, I¡¯d say you did a very good job,¡± She said as she sorted the last of the herbs. ¡°It¡¯s hard to agree with how many you put aside...¡± Ava said, sounding a little disheartened. A slight smirk then crept across Elenia¡¯s face, ¡°You three really are fun to tease. You need to come here more often,¡± As she spoke, she put all the plants from both piles together, ¡°I¡¯ll be buying them all from you.¡± ¡°What?¡± I immediately questioned. ¡°You can think of it as a learning experience. If you take on any more requests like this in the future, you¡¯ll have a better idea of what to look for. But all of these were just for me personally, and I don¡¯t really mind if they look a little unusual; it¡¯s just a little extra character at the end of the day. It¡¯s not like you brought me a poisonous plant that looks like one of the herbs I asked for. It¡¯s all usable.¡± She then started setting out coins on the table, a few coppers and many more silver. Ava took the liberty of counting them up and comparing them to the list we were given before placing them into the pouch at her hip. ¡°Do you really need to be so careful with me?¡± Elenia asked as she watched on. ¡°Who knows?¡± Ava replied in kind, getting another chuckle out of Elenia. ¡°That¡¯s the right attitude to have. You might not have a client quite as forthcoming as I am.¡± Elenia finally leaned back against the chair, immediately dissipating some of the pressure that had been building in the room. She then pulled out a single sheet of paper and checked something off before focusing back on us. ¡°Now, this is just a small thing, but it was brought to my attention a few moments before you came in,¡± She said, ¡°We¡¯ve had one or two travelling merchants come into town recently who told us that the forest was making them feel uneasy. They couldn¡¯t give a reason why, so I was just wondering if you ran into anything out there?¡± I did feel something ... but it wasn¡¯t just unease. ¡°I-¡± I tried to speak. ¡°No, nothing at all,¡± Ava spoke over me, ¡°It was quite the enjoyable outing if anything. Even the weather held up well.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t try to repeat myself. Maybe it really was just my imagination. Ovia and Aria didn¡¯t notice anything either. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought... I just need to follow these things up in case it¡¯s related to our bigger issue at the moment,¡± Elenia then sighed, ¡°First there was a sea monster and now this... But I really have to say this: a sea monster in the port? The water isn¡¯t even deep enough to fit anything close to that size without anyone noticing. It¡¯s like none of this makes sense to me any more.¡± ... ¡°... I saw it too...¡± I eventually managed to say, ¡°From the lighthouse.¡± ... Elenia just let out another, much longer sigh, ¡°What am I supposed to do about all this? Clearly, something was seen, even if it doesn¡¯t make any sense whatsoever... and that¡¯s not even getting onto the question that actually matters with all this. Who or what is even doing this? We¡¯ve looked into patterns and scoured black markets around this island, yet we just can¡¯t put together a motive, I-... I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t be saying any of this to you three. It¡¯s just... been the only thing on my mind these days.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ava said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have an awful lot on your shoulders.¡± ¡°If only you knew the half of it!¡± For some reason, Elenia continued to speak despite what she said moments before, ¡°In truth, it would hardly hurt us to just stop exporting here, it¡¯s only one island in the grand scheme of things. The only special thing is that it¡¯s a little bigger than the rest. But that¡¯s from the perspective of the guild, if we left, there¡¯d be plenty here out of a job, let alone the potential strain put on the local farmers to provide in the absence of imported food... Sometimes I wonder why I decided to start this thing.¡± ¡°...¡± None of us dared to respond. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s nothing for you to worry your little heads about. If you need some extra pocket change, I don¡¯t mind giving you more requests. It gives me something to look forward to in this mess of a situation.¡± ... I... feel like I¡¯m supposed to do something here... but what? Chapter 112 – What Does a Shadow Feel Like? Chapter 112 ¨C What Does a Shadow Feel Like? Days just continued like that for a while, with us getting a request from Elenia to go find something, then us taking a day or two after that to do so. One time, she asked us to find a few unique rocks, and even an even more specific seashell... though we were much worse at finding those, ultimately missing most of them. However, I did think that the seashell might have been impossible to find, given how granular she was with the description... There wasn¡¯t even much of a beach to look for them on, well, not a sandy beach anyway, just lots of gravel. There was a point during that trip where Ava suggested going for a swim, but Cattleya adamantly refused... and I wasn¡¯t all too keen to get into the water with what I had seen in the water before. I also took the chance to adjust more of Cattleya¡¯s clothing, although I didn¡¯t take the same liberties as I did the first time with the skirt, instead focusing purely on resizing. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t manage to get through everything, but after a week, Cattleya at least had a few different outfits to choose from. On one day in particular, Cattleya dragged us out to go watch another ship, but it didn¡¯t actually arrive. We asked Elenia about what had happened the day after, but all she said was that the shipment was deemed non-essential and was delayed. This did put Cattleya on edge, as it meant that the next ship coming in would be the one carrying whatever it was she was waiting for. Not that it changed too much. There wasn¡¯t really much we could do if there weren¡¯t going to be any more ships of interest coming in. By the next morning, Cattleya was back to her normal self, saying that she¡¯d just have to watch the new ship as it came in and take action before something happened... whatever that meant. In other news, Cattleya started teaching me more about magic again, although the lessons were a little different. Instead of Cattleya demonstrating for me, she would ask Ava to do so instead, for some reason. There were occasions when she did a little magic herself, but they were few and far between. In those lessons, I had gotten much better at manipulating my mana, being able to release it at will, and even being able to make it hold its shape. It felt like a big accomplishment, but only for a moment. It didn¡¯t seem to matter what shape I made my mana; it never seemed to do much of anything, only siphoning a slight amount of mana from those who moved through it. Today was another one of those lessons, with the three of us sitting in a small clearing within the forest, accompanied only by the sound of a slight breeze as it fluttered through the leaves up above. Although the instructions I was given for this lesson were a bit... unusual... to say the least. The only instruction I was given was to just try whatever came to mind. Cattleya explained that magic was heavily reliant on your imagination and intuition, so somewhere inside of me should already have a base level understanding of how my magic works instinctively... though I had more than just a few doubts about that. If what she said was true, all it did was make it seem all the more likely that the extent of my magic was just to make shadows move around a little and nothing more. It wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t tried to do some other things with it before, at one point I had tried to copy the tendrils that I had seen Ovia use in her domain, but the one I managed to form was tiny, and I struggled to keep its form together the whole time; not that it mattered, as when I tried to move something with it it just passed through... which I probably should have expected. There was even a point where I asked Ava if she could give me some advice, but she actually just told me to follow Cattleya¡¯s instructions. Apparently, one day, Ava just realised she could use magic, so she agreed with what was being said... though she strangely avoided going into any more detail about what had actually happened in the past. ... That all led to my current situation, with both Ava and Cattleya off having their own conversation while I was left to myself, lazily passing my hand through a sphere of my mana, hoping that something might just happen... not that it did. Why are there no instructions for this? Even Aria hasn¡¯t been able to tell me what I¡¯m supposed to do with my mana... ... Ovia ¡¯s magic doesn¡¯t look that different to mine, but I can¡¯t do anything she can... I can¡¯t even copy what Umbra does with the way they¡¯re able to hide things inside my shadow... ... I just don¡¯t understand it. What are they doing that¡¯s different to me? I passed my hand through the sphere of mana again, watching closely as my hand passed through it without disturbing it in the slightest, not even a faint ripple across the surface. ... I wonder what a shadow is supposed to feel like? It was a bit of a silly question, all things considered, but that didn¡¯t stop it from crossing my mind. Ovia used Dark magic, which also wouldn¡¯t normally be able to be physically toughed, yet I¡¯d seen it happen, so... why shouldn¡¯t it be possible for me to do the same? ... My mind was gradually cast back to the past, trying to piece together what a shadow felt like, but the only sensation that came to mind was a slight chill, not something that was necessarily cold itself, but something that just helped cool you down a little... but that wasn¡¯t something physical that you could grab onto. As if hoping for a miracle to happen, I clutched at my mana, hoping for even the slightest movement, yet once again, nothing happened. Would it be soft? Whenever I had moved my shadow before, it almost looked alive with the way it would crawl along the ground, sometimes even seeming like it was pulsing with its own heartbeat. Yet at the same time, when Umbra dived into my shadows, it didn¡¯t seem quite so viscous; it was more like a liquid instead, just a large puddle. ... But all of that was when magic was involved, when something else was giving it a purpose. Without any other influences, the shadow of a building would look just as sturdy as the building casting it. I found it hard to imagine that shadow feeling like anything other than stone. Yet at the same time, the shadow cast by a bird in the sky would be full of life and movement, just as the bird itself. No matter how I tried to reason it, there wasn¡¯t one single thing I could imagine a shadow feeling like. Not that it seemed to matter. The best I could do was pretend to hold the dark orb of mana, instead just making it float close to my hand through sheer concentration alone. My magic has to do something, doesn¡¯t it? All the other magic I¡¯ve seen has been able to do much more than this. In that moment, a realisation came over me. There was actually a point in time before where I had felt bare mana make contact with my skin. During the first lesson with Cattleya, when she had asked me to absorb my mana back into myself, there was this resistance. There was something inside my mana that pressed against my hand. ¡°Cattleya?¡± I called out quietly, not wanting to be too disruptive. ¡°Yes?¡± She called back. ¡°Can you help me with something?¡± I asked, feeling a strange sense of embarrassment come over me as I did, ¡°I-I think I have an idea.¡± Instead of saying anything else, Cattleya came and sat down in front of me, with Ava standing close behind her, watching on. ¡°Can you put your hand inside?¡± I gestured towards the small ball of mana. ¡°I-¡± She hesitated, though not for long, ¡°Okay, I will oblige this time. But only because I am curious as to what you have come up with.¡± As she did, I saw the faint green wisps of her mana leave her hands inside the dark grey orb, quickly dispersing to the point that they could no longer be seen. Cattleya then quickly pulled her hand out after no more than three seconds. ¡°I hope that is enough for you.¡± I didn¡¯t reply, instead slowly reaching my own hand out towards my mana, feeling a little nervous about whether what I had in mind even had a chance of working. Soon, my palm made contact with the edge of the ball. I could actually feel something, even if it was hard to describe. It definitely felt like a physical object, and a solid one at that, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t quite right, almost like an imitation of a physical ball rather than an actual ball... which I guess made some kind of sense. I slowly curled my fingers around it, latching on to make sure that I wasn¡¯t just imagining it. ... ¡°I-...¡± I was left speechless as I secured my grip on the orb, pulling it towards myself. It felt even stranger than just making contact. It had no give whatsoever, the complete opposite of when my hand was able to pass through it just moments before. It was undeniable that there was something there; the sensations on my hand were telling me that, yet it was entirely weightless, just floating in place as I loosened my grip. ¡°What did you just-?¡± Cattleya reached out for the orb as it hovered in front of me. I instinctively pulled back a little, though the orb stayed in place. But as Cattleya¡¯s had reached the surface, instead of making contact like I had, it just went through as it did before. Before even having the chance to say anything, I grabbed the orb again to make sure that moving away hadn¡¯t unintentionally done something to it. Which it clearly hadn¡¯t, as I easily secured my grip on it. ¡°What? Are you just playing some kind of trick on me?¡± Cattleya asked as she reached out again, her hand once again passing through despite the fact that I was still holding onto it. ¡°Do you mind if I also give it a try?¡± Ava crouched down, holding her hand out. ¡°O-okay,¡± My nerves were getting the better of me, even though there wasn¡¯t any real reason for it. I placed the ball of mana on Ava¡¯s palm, letting go as Ava closed her fingers around it. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s surprisingly soft,¡± She said. ¡°Soft?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± As if trying to prove her point, she squeezed the ball, effortlessly changing its shape. What? I don¡¯t understand. I once again reached for the ball, but before I could grab onto it, Umbra jumped out from my shadow. ¡°*Yip!*¡± They cried out as they looked off into the forest. ¡°Umbr-¡± I immediately tried to call them back. ¡®Kierra!¡¯ This time it was Ovia, ¡®There¡¯s something going on near you. I don¡¯t know what it is, but-¡¯ ¡°Get out of here!¡± Someone shouted from deeper inside the forest, forcibly tearing my attention away from Ovia as my ears swivelled around, ¡°Anyone who is still out here, make your way to the gates immediately!¡± Without saying anything else, Ava grabbed onto my shoulder and pulled me to my feet while scanning the surrounding bushes. ¡°Run!¡± Someone else yelled from a different direction, ¡°Leave everything if you have to!¡± ¡°Wh-¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re leaving early today,¡± Ava said as she threw her cloak on over her shoulders, ¡°Get your cloaks on right now, I think we¡¯ll be running into some people real soon, whether we want to or not.¡±