I watched Tama vanish and reappear, then vanish again. I wondered where she went when she vanished. How slow was the world to her that she could just vanish from our sights for short bursts and travel such great distances?

  The thought of living in a world that was so much slower then me would drive me mad. Then again, With Tama that would explain so much.

  We ended up walking around to the other side of Drestor. I thought goblins would be in the forest, but the map clearly showed they were in an open plains around two days travel from the town. A bit odd, but not really surprising.

  When Tama learned we weren’t going in the forest, she seemed genuinely relieved. It made me slightly worried what she saw in there, the place she had called her home, that would make her so nervous about going back in.

  Still, we would have to return, I needed to find her Sensei, it was extremely important. Only he would be able to help me with my quest for vengeance.

  I looked over to Tera, She stared at Tama with reverence. At first I had thought Tera had only been interested sexually in Tama, but over time I had begun to suspect something else. The event’s at the guild hall kept playing through my head, I felt I was missing something.

  There was a single point somewhere in there that everything shifted. For the life of me I couldn’t place it. The whole thing had been very chaotic, a very Tama thing I had realized.

  Regardless of what had happened, the evidence was clear, Tera no longer saw Tama sexually, in fact, I would go so far as to say she saw her almost like a deity. It was disconcerting to watch, especially because of how perceptive Tama was, I knew she noticed it, even if she said nothing.

  Though, knowing Tama, it was entirely possible she is misreading the whole situation. “Say Tama, can I ask you a question?” I asked calmly.

  Tama, who was over fifty feet in front of us, randomly appearing next to things and looking at them before changing focus and suddenly vanishing again and appearing next to me. I made the mental note she heard me talking quietly from over fifty feet away and filed that away for later.

  “Tama loves all these neat things she found!” She said enthusiastically, she held up a few colorful rocks and a mushroom, as well as a literal speed lizard. I wasn’t even going to question how she caught a speed lizard, it was Tama, I would be more impressed if she hadn’t been able to catch it.

  “They are all very interesting Tama, But I wanted to ask you about Tera.” I asked, making sure to keep my tone neutral but not unkind.

  Tama looked at me for a second before appearing in front of Rylan “Can you hold my stuff Rylan?” She asked pleadingly. Rylan simply smiled down at her and nodded, he held open a pouch at his waist, and the items seemed to flow into it automatically. Rylan had a holders bag, those are usually only for crafters.

  The way he has talked about Tama’s sword earlier, Serenity, had been that of an artisan. He seems interested in combat and crafting, a rather fascinating individual I had taken as weak willed. He was far more then he seemed. I needed to keep a closer eye on him.

  I made note the speed lizard did not enter the satchel and after a moment I heard Rylan’s explanation “Living things can’t enter the satchel Tama, So you have to hold onto the little speedy guy yourself”

  I made another mental note of the fact living things couldn’t enter his crafting pouch, meaning it was most likely a blacksmiths and not a herbalist one, the mushroom was probably considered dead when Tama ripped it from the ground.

  “Oh That’s fine, Tama can fix that!” A moment later, the now dead lizard entered the satchel. A shiver went down my spine. The world was a cruel place, but the way Tama seemed to treat killing and death was so nonchalant. She had just killed the lizard with no mercy or remorse.

  “That’s pretty dark Tama, I mean I like to kill things too, but the little guy couldn’t even defend himself.” Rylan said looking at Tama with sadness. “Just because we can kill things, doesn’t mean we should”

  Tama looked like she had just been slapped. Being chastised by your crush probably wasn’t the most optimal outcome for her. I smirked, good. It was a lesson she would need to learn anyways. We didn’t need her killing a guard because they blocked her path one day.

  “But Tama was just putting it in the bag, you said living things couldn’t go in, so Tama made it not alive!” Tama was wagging her tail with her ears perked up, looking meaningfully at Rylan. A look of earnestness on her face. I held back a laugh, she was actually trying to reason her murder with a cute look.

  Rylan frowned and opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. Now was not the time to explain to Tama why killing things weaker then her was bad. We might actually need her help with the goblins after all. “Tama, remember me? I still have that question!”

  Tama paused for a moment before disappearing and reappearing in front of me. “Nya! Sorry Saki, Tama forgot!”

  I held back an amused smile. I swear, Tama by herself was the epitome of the unknowing savior. This girl saved me from myself more times then I can count, yet she doesn’t see to realize her own social faux paws.

  “I was asking about Tera, What do you think of her Tama?” I leaned in curiously, but glanced over at Tera to see her reaction. Not shockingly she had leaned in slightly and was listening closely to us. Based on the way she stiffened, she was expecting a negative answer.

  But luckily for her, if I knew anything about Tama, it was her never ending cheer. Like she was a rainstorm in a drought.

  “Tama thinks Tera is really nice, She is kind of strange and says weird things sometimes. But Tama thinks she means well!” Tama said as she seemed to be dancing to some kind of music in her head.

  I noticed Tera actually look relieved and smile at Tama. “So you don’t think she has been acting a little… strange, you know, like, in a worshiping kind of way?” I probed.

  Tama frowned for a moment before she also glanced over at Tera and then back at me. She seemed to consider my words for a long moment. “Tama doesn’t understand” She finally said.

  I nodded expecting that answer before asking my next one “You know Tama, I was thinking, since you and Tera are now in a relationship, it only seems right she should tell you more about herself. Why don’t you talk to her?”

  Tama looked uncomfortable but I pushed “You did agree to date them didn’t you Tama? It’s only right.”

  I noticed as Tera actually looked our way, she had a hopeful, almost longing look on her face. One she was clearly trying to hide and failing. Definitely more deific and less romantic.

  I decided to go for a big push, It was risky, but it would remove a lot of doubt if it worked. “Tama, Tera was telling me she admired you and was hoping you would undress her so you could teach her more about how to fight naked. That mean’s she is giving permission.”

  Tama looked for a moment before asking “But Saki, isn’t that… wrong?” Her tail lowered and her ears flattened, but the look on her face showed less anger and more uncertainty as she glanced back at Tera.

  “You don’t have to if you don’t want to Tama, but remember, she gave you permission.” I said casually, checking to see if Tera would refute my claim, I noticed she didn’t. It didn’t seem like she was horny though, she almost seemed to be acting like she wasn’t worthy.

  I frowned at her actions but for now, I ignored them. Tama was extremely perceptive and probably noticed everything I did even if she didn’t understand the nuances. Going any further risked making the matter worse.

  After that point, aside from Tama constantly wandering off and coming back with surprisingly rare items and asking about them, the journey until nightfall was almost entirely silent. Rylan seemed intent on reaching the goblins as fast as possible, his eyes on swivel as he searched for something.

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  Tera on the other hand, spent the entire time, and I do mean the entire time, staring at Tama with shifting looks between devotion and neutrality. Like she couldn’t decide whether Tama was a normal girl or the most perfect thing imaginable. It really creeped me out, but she never said anything and Tama didn’t comment on it either, so I pretended not to notice.

  When we setup camp for the night, I genuinely expected Tera to try.. something? But she didn’t, she simply asked Tama if she needed anything, and when she said she was fine, Tera just.. well she just went to bed in her own sleeping bag.

  As did Rylan, apparently they had separate sleeping bags even though they were a couple? That didn’t sit right with me.

  “Hey guys, I’m gonna go sleep over there, I like the view better!” I said to everyone. Tera, who was staring at Tama, didn’t even glance at me, simply waving me away before saying “Just make sure if anything happens to scream for us and we will be there.”

  Rylan said nothing at all, not even responding to me with a nod or anything. It was rude, but as I have watched him, I was beginning to understand him better.

  He was not submissive at all, he was extremely determined and focused. He also seemed to have little care for the people around him other then as things to protect.

  His interest in Tama was clearly only related to Serenity, her sword, and was the only reason he seemed willing to talk for more then thirty seconds with anyone.

  “Nya! Tama want’s to go with you! She wants to see pretty sky too!” Tama said hopping up and down.

  I sighed, I should have known better. Still, I watched her for a moment before nodding. “Actually Tama, this is perfect, I wanted to ask you about Tera!”

  Both girls froze and looked at each other before Tama stopped bouncing. “Tama suddenly want to sleep here” She said quietly. Her tail wrapped around her leg and her ears twitched.

  I smiled at her “I understand Tama, Have a good night!” I turned and made my way over to a medium boulder, walking around it, I made an illusion so the rock seemed bigger and I hid inside the illusion. I felt my exhaustion setting in, but just in case I waited a few minutes in case anyone came to check on me.

  After a long moment of no one showing up I said in relief and shifted, my body shrinking white fur coming out of me. Moments later I was my mini nine tailed fox form. I forced my nine tails into one as was habit before dragging my clothes that had come off on the floor around me when I shifted, into a pile and laid on them.

  It was true I could sleep in my foxkin form, but it was very uncomfortable to me. Also, I felt safer in the spot, under my illusion.

  I had barely closed my eyes when I felt a poke. Surprised, I opened my eyes and jumped to my four feet, my tail raising in alarm along with my ears flattening as I bared my teeth.

  However, instead of an attack, it was Tama. She was just sitting there next to me, I realized I wasn’t even facing her. I turned and looked up at her, unable to speak in my fox form. I wondered if she knew about my… Before I could finish that though, she spoke.

  “You know Saki, Tama feels scared, but Tama shouldn’t be scared. Tama is a ninja, she should be strong and fast and brave. But there are many things Tama does not understand and it causes Tama to worry. Tama knows you are here to protect her, She trusts you even if she doesn’t understand why she does.” Suddenly, I found myself on Tama’s lap with Tama sitting in the grass under the illusion with me.

  I tried to muster up fear, or even indignation, but as Tama began to pet my white fur, I felt more relaxed then I ever had in my entire life. I found myself melting into her lap completely as the nekojin casually petted me and looked through the illusion at the sky.

  In the end, I passed out on Tama’s lap curled into a small ball, A sense of comfort and ease had flooded me and my exhaustion claimed me.

  Tama had not spoken again after that point, But her words resounded in my head, and into my dreams. I know your here to protect me. I trust you.

  It was true I had shifted the words mentally to first person, something I did subconsciously. But the message was clear. She felt it too, That strong sensation of trust, a bond between us that just felt… right.

  The next morning, I woke up, for a moment I was groggy as I stood. I suddenly felt the ground under me move up and down. I was about to jump when the events from last night came back and I looked more carefully at my ‘ground’.

  It was Tama, I was on her belly, She had passed out and was laying on her back, She was topless and the bottom half of her gi was around her knees, but not entirely removed.

  She was half naked, her bra and panties on the ground next to us, and the ninja garb only half removed. But the worst part? She was snoring! And she was loud!

  Frustrated, I looked around to see if anyone else was around. After making sure it was just the two of us I smirked, well, the fox equivalent of a smirk. Time to teach Tama a lesson about not wearing her clothes.

  I got up on my back paws and extended my claws from my front ones. Moving swiftly, I fell forward intending to pierce Tama with my claws. Instead, the moment my claws came into contact with her bare skin, they slipped, my paws flew out from under me and I hit my head on her skin. To make matters worse, I began to skid on her skin like she was a body of water and a was thrown off of her.

  Even as I hit the ground, I heard another loud snore and my ears flattened to the side of my head in irritation. I wasn’t going to give in that easy.

  I got up and this time, I reasoned I would do it from her side, it was just as bare as her front. She had removed the entire top half of her gi after all, meaning her bare chest and sides were nice and raw to be skewered.

  I cackled mischievously as I raised my paws again and extended my claws. This time, They struck, and actually cut into her.

  Only for the wound to instantly vanish! Even as she somehow healed herself instantly for some Earth forsaken reason, She still kept snoring! My cut into her side had done nothing and she was still asleep!

  Was I ashamed to admit that Tama, literally asleep, had bested me? Yes, I was! I decided to go for one last push. This would work, I was certain of it… probably.

  What I had tried so far would have literally worked on anyone else, but this was Tama, and I had been going about this all wrong. So instead, I took a few steps back and I began shifting, my form grew larger, hair receded and after a moment I stood, naked under the illusion. I walked over quietly, ignoring the snoring Tama as I put my clothes on. Once dressed I quietly walked over to her again, making sure I was right next to her as I took a knee and whispered “Oh hey Tera, what are you doing here?”

  The response was beyond instant, Tama was suddenly standing, fully dressed as her eyes darted around like she had just entered combat. “Nya! Where is Tera, Tama is dressed!”

  I couldn’t help myself, I fell over laughing uncontrollably. Tama’s look of confusion only caused me to laugh harder until I was panting and red faced.

  “Tama doesn’t understand, What is so funny Saki?” She asked me with genuine confusion. This time, I fell on my back and held my stomach due to the pain in my sides from laughing so hard.

  After I recovered, Tama surprisingly stood there the entire time waiting for me to finish. She didn’t seem upset, just confused. “Is Saki okay?” She asked me. I actually started to feel kind of bad, so I explained what I did.

  “Tama, you aren’t supposed to just sleep naked out in the open like that.” I stated simply. I scare you like that to teach a lesson, what if Tera had been here and seen you like that? She would have definitely done something to you.”

  I honestly wasn’t sure if that was the case anymore, but Tera was the least of my worries, imagine if she did this in a town like Drestor? Her chastity would be gone as well as the man who did it before the night was over.

  Tama frowned at that before responding “But Saki slept naked!” As she said this, she pointed an accusing finger at me and I blanched.

  “Well, that’s different Tama!” I said defensively but she wasn’t having it

  “Nya! Tama can’t sleep naked but Saki can! That is not right and unfair!” Her tail was pointed down, and so were her ears, she looked irritated.

  I sighed and tried to explain “Tama, I am a fox, a literal animal, I can’t keep my clothes on when I shift.” I tried to explain this calmly so that she would get angrier at me, it failed.

  “But Saki has the rock thingy up to block us from view right! Tama can see the rock thingy blocking view clearly! So why can’t Tama sleep naked in her private spot with Saki!”