Chapter 51

I hadn't kept track of time while I was 'hunting' for my lost tails. I'd left around nine in the morning, and the trip to the eighteenth, and the light from the giant crystal inside the cavern, told me it was around noon when Ryuu and I got started. As I ran the familiar paths towards the exit, I passed some groups of adventurers as they too were making their way back up.

For the most part, I completely ignored them. I had one more stop before I could go home, and hoped Eina would be there so I didn't have to find Royman. Aside from a very quick dip in a stream after I'd recovered and reattached my last tail, I was still covered in a lot of evidence that the monsters I hunted weren't from the dungeon. The less interaction I had with others, the better.

Luck was with me, and the sun was just setting as I dashed out of the tower. People were giving me strange looks, and more than one person said something that included 'Demon Fox' in the sentence. But again, I was hardly paying attention. Eina would either be just getting ready to leave, or maybe dealing with one last person.

And she was. She had just waved goodbye to that last person, giving him, a large Conan look alike, her best smile. I had to push past, and apologize to a couple of people as made my way to her.

"Sorry, pardon, emergency..." I said as I made my way through the lineup. "Eina." Even at level four, running twelve floors of dungeon after a high stress mission had left me out of breath. I couldn't keep talking for a moment as I stopped in front of her and simply panted.

"Kodori! What's wrong? Slow down, breathe." She noticed my clothes, her eyes widening, "Did something happen? And why are you out of bed?"

"No time. It's not mine." I said, my mask making the words sound just as sinister as it was. I took another moment to get my breath back, hearing people behind me start muttering, "Eina, talk to Royman." I whispered, "Tell him, they've been found. He'll know who, and hopefully pass it along quickly."

"I'll... Pass that along." She said, blinking at me, "You should really get home... You look terrible."

"I feel terrible too. Thank you, visit soon." I said, turning and excusing my way straight back the way I'd come.

I was nearly home when I got another surprise. "Hello there, Miss Demon Fox." I dimly remembered the voice, belonging to Finn, the Pallum captain for Loki Familia. "Have a moment to chat?"

"Not right this second, no." I answered as he fell into step easily beside me, having no trouble with what would have been considered record breaking back on Earth.

"I really must insist." He said, passing me and looking over his shoulder at me, his easy going expression clear in my gold coloured vision.

"So talk. I have to get home." I replied, making a turn, only to have him catch up a half second later, and resume his slightly ahead position.

"A bit earlier today, we got a request from someone, to track you down. Seems you were causing a bit of trouble just past the eighteenth. Something about a half dozen dead adventurers." It was hard to tell with my vision being mostly one colour, but it looked like his expression was hardening. "Could you please, stop? I mean, I could just stop you... Hello?"

I'd put on a burst of speed, and just scooped up the Pallum. He was unarmed, and not even armoured, but thankfully he didn't resist. I knew he was level six, and could probably have sent me right back to the infirmary with hardly any effort. "You're invited for tea after I get home. But seriously, I can not stop."

Even with me running so fast, he didn't upset my balance at all as he moved around and cling to my back, over the pile of my netted equipment. "Life or death then?"

"And more."

"You know, I've never actually been here." Finn commented as I got inside, hopping off my back as I kicked off my boots, "Loki always took Ais to those parties Apollo had."

"Hello the house!" I called out, "Anyone!" I walked forward two steps, stopped, turned, "Boots off please, guest slippers are there." I pointed to a shelf filled with slippers of various sizes, "Or borrow Lilly's. Seems they are still out." I said, continuing on.

"Kodori! You're... Covered in blood. What happened?" Hestia came in from the dining room side of the main hall, "And you're... Finn?"

"Yes, Lady Hestia." Finn said with perfect formality. "I'm here to ask Miss Kodori some questions on a certain matter. But she was insistent I wait."

"For good reason, Mr. Finn." Hestia replied, then to me, "Aisha is with her in your room."

I almost fell over at hearing those words. I'd made it, she was still alive, and Hestia wasn't giving me any bad news about it.

"Thank you. Could you be the best Goddess ever, and put on some tea? And my secret cookie box is behind the pots and pans we never use."

"You have secret cookies? How mean..." She pouted at me, making Finn laugh, "This way Mr. Finn, I'll tell you a little about what's been going on."

"Thank you. Don't leave without talking to me, Miss Kodori." He called after me as I took the stairs two at a time.

"Holy crap you look terrible." were Aisha's first words to me as I almost unhinged the door opening it. "And easy on the door... I'd say be quiet, but well..."

The larger woman was leaning against the low table, bed and blankets arranged under and around her. Haruhime was laying against her chest, her golden hair and ears covering most of the Amazon's upper body. "It's been a long day. Can you get her to the bath? It might be a little messy." I looked around the room, tossing my bundle of reclaimed equipment haphazardly by the coat rack it usually hung from. "Could she eat? Made any motions? Body temperature?"

"We got a little broth into her, and she kept it down, along with a couple of those pills. But she's been like this all day." She lifted Haruhime easily and made it to the door, "You think this will work?"

"If it doesn't I'll ask Mikoto to be my second." I told her, looking around the room for a moment, and finding the simple curved knife. "You'll have to do it." I said as I followed her.

"Oh right, you and the weapons... I've wondered about that. No weapons at all?"

"I only get away with wearing armour because it is protecting me from hurting myself, while I hit things." I replied, "That's my... idea? Idea about it?"

"Theory." Aisha said with a chuckle, "Okay... Put you here, gentle gentle..." Aisha put her down, leaning her carefully against one of the cleaning stalls, "Strip her down I guess?"

"And make sure the bath is warm." I said, stripping down as well, "I hope I can get the blood out of this. It was comfortable."

"Not a mark on you." Aisha commented as she carefully lowered Haruhime into the water. "I take it the job is done?"

"One survivor." I said, watching her reaction as I handed her the knife, "Animals don't surrender. But next time you go to the Hostess, be nice to her."

She frowned as she accepted the knife, but nodded. "Right. Turn around so I can get her whoa!"

My tails, more or less just shifting back and forth in that constant balancing act, went totally insane as Aisha reached for the out of place tail. They didn't attack her, but they flailed about and whipped themselves at her to keep her away. Haruhime's tail however, had ducked between my legs and wrapped itself as best it could around one of them.

"Okay..." I said, looking behind myself. "Hold on, I'll ask I suppose."

Aisha backed up a little, and my tails relaxed, though Haruhime's tail stayed where it was.

"Well, um..." I thought a moment, then said, "I need a volunteer."

Five black tails stuck straight out, like a group of kids wanting to answer a question for their favourite teacher. I could even imagine them saying 'mee mee!' as my balance was nearly lost with their sudden motion.

"Well if you ALL go, I'll be back to where I was this morning. And poor Haruhime wouldn't know what to do with you all."

Reluctantly, they lowered, until only one remained.

"Now, Aisha is going to use that sharp thing there, and move you over. The rest of you, be nice."

The reply from the 'committee' was the other four tails wrapping around my front, so I could hug them. Aisha was trying not to laugh, but failing.

"Right... As close to my skin as you can." I told her, "Then, place the end against the little lump at the base of her spine."

"He he... ha, yeah. Hold still..." Aisha replied, very carefully taking hold of the offered tail, giving it a pet as it wrapped around her arm, and with a very brief, and cold sensation, it was simply... Gone.

When the Amazons cut off my tails the first time, I was pretty much a person shaped bag of broken bones and missing bits. But, now that I was calm, and ready for it, the sensation was... like my internal temperature had just dropped, the 'capacity' for magic that the tail held simply vanishing from my body. I had to hug my remaining tails tightly just to stay standing, but after a moment of vertigo I regained my balance, and could let my tails go. I could feel a little trickle of blood make its way between my butt cheeks, but there was no actual pain.

Then Haruhime groaned.

The world kind of stopped mattering to me about then.

At some point, I felt the weight of the mask being lifted off my head, but I was too busy hugging Haruhime in the warmth of the bath. I think Aisha excused herself at some point, but it was only when I felt Haruhime's hands start to wander around my back did I really notice anything else. She was alive.

"Ko-san... Gently... feel so weak..." She mumbled to me, "what... when? How long?"

Easing up a little, I sat her sideways on my lap and supported her back and legs. I realized I couldn't see, but I was fine with that. "Sorry... It's been a... rough day. If I wasn't so happy, I'd give you to Hestia for punishment." Using my cheek to touch her face, I kissed her forehead, "It's early evening, around sun down. It took me a couple of hours to wake up after you gave me your tail. And with Ryuu's help, I got back my own tails."

"That's good." I could hear the smile in her voice, "I feel so tired... and... different..."

"Um... About that..." It was easier to control my tails when my eyes were closed, and being blind was about the same. "Your tail decided it wanted to stay. So you have one of mine."

There was a moment of silence, a quiet splash, a second one, then, "Oh... Hm... It... has a bite out of it?"

"It umm... Kind of got nibbled on by monsters." I replied.

"You kids okay in there?" Aisha called from the change room. "I brought some clothes, and that Finn guy from Loki Familia is still waiting downstairs."

"Yeah... Seems the leader decided to play the Demon Fox, while in my coat." I said to Haruhime, then "Sure! Just umm... I still can't see."

"Can't see? Then how?" Haruhime asked, her body moving slowly. I helped her stand, and held my hand out to support her as she got out of the bath.

"It was your tail. We'll both have to re-learn to use our magic. It's... added some colour to mine. And that's what made the eyes on the mask work." I explained, standing up.

"That's what I'm feeling... Oh hello, yes I'll dry you soon." She said, probably to her new tail, "Here, careful." She took my hand and guided me across the room.

"Towel for you, and you, and... oh hello to you too, thank you for that..." I heard Aisha say as she handed me a towel. Followed by a wet noise and the sound of dripping water, "And towel for me. This is going to take a little getting used to. Your tail is huge on her."

"Well, we'll always be together now." Haruhime said, her voice muffled by what was probably the towel going over her head.

"Unless Nazza has come back, I'm going to need that mask again..." I said, patting myself dry, "And a little help dressing. I've already had to get breezy on my adventure today."

"I'll drain the tub for you, then get my things together." Aisha said with a chuckle. "It's a loose knit Familia, but I do have to report in occasionally."

"You've been a big help." I said, Haruhime helping me put my shirt on the right way. "Visit any time."

"Yes!" Haruhime said, her voice smiling, "I know where Ko-san keeps all her secret cookie boxes."

"If I could see you, I'd poke your nose." I said.

"You look considerably better than an hour ago." Finn said as Haruhime and I entered the dining room. "Though, I'm curious why you're still wearing the mask."

"You've heard about what happened... three days ago? Two?" I asked. The gold and black vision only let me see 'most' of the details. It was kind of like a television with the sharpness turned way down.

"Lady Hestia did tell me. You were captured and injured quite badly. It's a shame you don't have a healer among your two Familia." Finn took a sip of tea as I sat down, Haruhime sitting next to me and filling teacups for us.

"It was worse than that." I said, removing the mask, my world going black. "I've been told it took five people more than a day and a half to undo the damage they did, and an Elixir to actually heal me. My eyes, as you can see, are whole, but..."

I heard him lean forward. "Yes... Well, I suppose that answers half of what I came to ask."

"I told you she didn't do it." Hestia said, "Hey no hugs you're still wet." I felt her swat at a couple of my tails as they tried to visit.

"You have a certain reputation, and the client was well, rather distressed." Finn said, the chair creaking slightly as he leaned back.

"The ones who did this to me... The leader was wearing my equipment, and had one of my tails tied to the rear." I answered. "Former Berbera, they had a grudge against myself, Bell, Haruhime and Aisha."

"Had?" Finn asked.

"Had." I answered.

"I see..." Then, "Well, nothing for it I suppose."

"Actually..." I held up a hand, almost knocking my teacup over, but Haruhime rescued it, "Thank you. Ahem, actually, so long as you respect Mama Mia's policy about her girls. I left one alive. Ask her about Ikelos. The black market. And unofficial dungeon entrances."

"Oh my." Finn said, "Sounds like a story... We've been looking into those topics for a little while now."

"So I've been told." I smiled, "There is more, but, we can't say." I motioned to either side of me to indicate my Goddess and Familia, "Come back later maybe, and ask the right questions though..."

He was silent, but I could easily imagine his childlike face looking thoughtful. I couldn't fully trust him, or Loki Familia. I knew they were 'the good guys', to a point. I didn't know how open minded they were, or how much they knew about the dungeon born. If he wanted to know more, he'd have to know the right questions to ask, before I told him more.

"I understand." He said finally, the sound of a stone teacup tapping the table. "Thank you, Lady Hestia, for the tea and cookies. I'll be sure to talk, politely, with the new girl at the Hostess of Fertility." His chair moved back, "Oh, almost stepped on you, little fellow. What an adorable critter you are."

I heard him put Chime down on the table, and felt the little rabbit hop over to me and headbutt the back of my hand as I held the teacup, "Yes Chime, I can't see you, but I'm happy you're here. Stay Safe, Finn." I said, "Oh, and let Miss Loki I might need to talk to her some time soon."

"I'll do that. Good day." I listened to his retreating footsteps and only relaxed when I heard the big double doors at the front of our home open, then close again.

"That went... well." I said with a sigh, "I'd really like to just..."

I heard the big doors open again, then close, Nazza's voice echoing through the halls, "Hello!"

"Well, seeing is nice too." I said with a sigh.

After exchanging some hellos and the like, Nazza had me sitting on a short backed chair and leaning my head way back. Ears flat against my head, Nazza was using her belly to keep me in place as she held open one eye.

"Now, this might sting." She said, "But, unless that Elixir was defective, this will clear your eyes up."

'Might' sting was an understatement. It felt like someone had poured salt into my eye, but as the granular feeling spread, light started to creep back into my vision. Hugging my tails, I endured as she added a second, then a third drop to that eye, each one adding a little more. First undefined light, then colour, then brightness, then with a fourth drop, it was like I'd never been hurt.

I mean, except for what felt like rock salt rolling around on my eyeball.

"Easy easy..." Nazza mumbled to me. "You're a new alchemist, so you haven't had this done yet. But if it's any comfort, it doesn't feel as bad the next time." My single eyed world dimmed a little as the laid back face of the Chienthrope leaned down to look into my eye, "Colour is back to what it was. Good good. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd miss that eye colour."

There was a giggle off to my left.

"I am so making goggles for everyone." I mumbled, hugging my tails a little tighter, "Can I wash this out yet?"

"I'll get that... Thank you." Nazza said as I saw her accept a clean cloth. "Can't actually wash it out, but I can draw the excess out like so..." She touched the cloth to the corner of my eye drawing away the liquid.

"Well, I can see." I said, my now good eye working naturally to clear itself again. "Tears are happening too."

"Good." Nazza replied, moving her head around a moment while gazing into my eye. "Right, now the next one."

It was much the same, enduring a second dose of rock salt eyewash. But after it was done, and Nazza gave me a last look, she moved back and I sat up properly again. "Now, no actual water in the eyes for a little while." She said, "If the itch lasts more than an hour, cut some onions or something to speed up your natural tear production." She explained.

"Yup, goggles. Or something to save the rest of my Familia from that kinda feeling. Bleh." I mumbled, blinking rapidly and looking about the room.

Haruhime was standing behind Hestia, who was holding Chime, the three of them looking at me hopefully. Haruhime's new tail was wagging happily behind her as I smiled at them. "Best alchemist." Haruhime said.

"Well... Not really." Nazza said, moving from behind me and standing so the four of us could see each other. "Because my Familia isn't big enough, and I don't adventurer anymore, I'll never be anything but a minor potion seller."

"You were there when it mattered." I said, "I heard you were able to keep me from bleeding out while the others fixed everything."

"Remember all those goblin teeth?" Nazza said, her tail swishing once, "It was really just a powder to slow bleeding, but it was all I could think of to help." She held the elbow of her silver arm, something I noticed she did a lot. "Those pills you made are really amazing though."

"You should learn to cook." I replied, "Ha-chan taught me how to make moon cakes. It's where I got the idea."

"Moon cakes?" Nazza asked.

"It's something from back home." Haruhime said, "It's like a cake you can see through. There's a simple powder you add to turn the liquid batter into a solid."

"And I just added a little of that, and let a potion drip through the... Retort? Alembic? I'm sure you'll figure it out, if Ha-chan wants to share her cooking secret with you." I said, watching Nazza's tail swish about again. I made eye contact with Haruhime, and she perked up.

"Yes, I'd be happy to." She replied, offering a hand to Nazza, her new black tail going to visit. "Hm, um, sorry."

"I'm used to it, lead the way." Nazza replied as the black tail perched on her arm for attention.

After they were gone, I looked at Hestia, "Lady Hestia, I am tired." I said quietly.

She stood up and put Chime down on the table, crossing the two steps to me and putting a hand on my head. "You've had a rough time." Her hand didn't pet, or play with my hair or ears. "You should sleep. Bell... I wonder when they will get back?"

Unable to help myself, I reached my arms around and hugged my Goddess, hiding my head under her divine bust. "I'd expect..." I sniffled, "After dark, around midnight." I couldn't help the tears now, but I tried to keep talking, "My coat is in my room, I could... Wiene is still a secret..."

"Shh... I'll check myself..." Now she was petting my head, her free arm around my shoulders.

I didn't know how long I cried, but after I started, I just couldn't keep it together. With the return of my sight, it felt like I'd finally become myself again. But now, instead of darkness, whenever I blinked, I saw little flashes of what had been done to me. I'd be able to hold it down later, but I was just so tired.

I dimly remembered the smell of cooking, Chime leaning her tiny weight against my forearm, and someone patting my back.

Then, "Oh... I think they are close?" It was Hestia.

Senses returning, I lifted my head off my arms. I'd probably passed out at the table. The blanket over my back added to my theory. My eyes didn't burn, but they felt dry. "mmyeh?" I tried to say.

"Oh, Ko-san..." Haruhime was by my side in a moment, her tail visiting while mine did the same. "Oh that's going to take getting used to..." She said, hugging my arm and shoulder as I sat up and blinked at the world. "You're better at this... Are they close?" She put both tracking stones into my hand and closed my fingers around them.

Mind still foggy, I leaned into her and 'felt' what the paired Yin and Yang tokens were telling me. "Still... In the dungeon. Maybe... Level two? Three?" I mumbled, "Feels about right..." I put the tokens down on the table, "What... Did you cook pasta?" I sniffed the air, "But that's on my night to cook."

"Well..." Hestia started, standing and gathering us both up in a hug, "Since you missed your night, and everyone's been out for a day, you can cook it this time next week." She gave us both ear pats too, "So if they are that close, help me set the table."

"Yes, Lady Hestia." We both said together.

When they returned, it was like they were holding in all the noise they wanted to make. It reminded me of when we brought Wiene home. We'd done well, but couldn't actually be happy about it until we were safe.

When I greeted them at the door, it was a bit overwhelming. Seeing me, the dragon girl broke her 'ask for hug' routine and jumped into my arms. The liquid black robe she was wearing keeping her scales from poking me as I hugged her back. Everyone else had to wait until she'd let me go, before also giving me a hug. Or a pat on the back. Or a fist bump.

"So how did it go?" I managed to ask as they finally got their collective boots off and out of the front hall.

"It was amazing!" Wiene started, "So many of them, and different too!"

"We met the harpy again, and a siren, a really big hell hound, a spider lady, and..."

"They have lots of space down there too! And..."

I must have looked like I was herding a bunch of school kids, as I stood in the middle of the procession. Only Marius was taller than me, but he was at the back of the line, keeping silent and dutifully putting his 'carry' equipment away, along with straightening out everyone else's as they jammed it more or less where it was supposed to go. Packs, potions, odds and ends, anything not armour or weapon was put in the 'carry' equipment storage, but with all the excitement, the big soldier was the only one actually doing it properly.

As they talked through dinner, the pasta not really touching the hunger I felt, I sorted out the random seeming sentences and mentally put together 'the picture'.

They had been there a while. The lizard man, Lido, wasn't the strongest, but he was the 'oldest' of them. And from what I gathered, not the most 'intelligent' but had the farthest reaching mind. Good at planning, remembering, making sure things got done in the right order. A leader.

Just over half of them could actually speak. Like Chime, who was smart, and able to think like any of us, their mouth and voice box just didn't do 'human'. They were perfectly capable of making themselves understood, even if all they could do was grunt, or bark, or squeak.

They had a dragon. I hope it didn't mind I wore one of its cousin's skin as armour.

Ever since being 'discovered' by Fels and Ouranos, they had been getting little bits of surface equipment to improve 'quality of life'. Simple tools, lamps, etc etc. Their equipment however was salvaged or stolen. One of them, a goblin wearing a red cap, had actually found Marius's old armour and done something with it.

They do their best to scare off adventurers, and not kill them. But they also don't introduce themselves to just anyone.

The last one was the most interesting. They didn't level up like adventurers, but could eat magic stones to get stronger.

"Well." I said between mouthfuls, "I'll admit to being wrong about a few things then."

"Oh? So the fox is only wise sometimes?" Welf quipped.

"I thought they would be more feudal. Might makes right. But they seem to have their act together." I ate a bit more, "I hope Eina was able to deliver my message."

"Message?" Bell asked, nudging the basket of dinner rolls my way.

"The leader of the Former Berbera, was wearing my coat and trying to make me look bad." I held up a hand to stall comments, "That's been mostly dealt with." my tails temporarily abandoned Haruhime, and waved behind me for emphasis, "But, they found the tracking stone. I'm almost sure the entrance you used has been found."

I was pleased to hear everyone sound unhappy about this. The situation itself was bad, but each and every one of the two Familia was concerned for the Xenos.

"So Miss Kodori told Miss Eina, who told Mr. Royman?" Lilly asked. "I wonder if I'll ever meet Fels? He sounds mysterious."

I spotted Hestia shiver a little at the name.

"We can hope." I said, finally feeling the edge of my hunger smooth out a little.

Dinner was mostly quiet from that point on, until, "So umm..." Bell started, "Why does Miss Haruhime have your tail?"

So I told them about my day. Leaving out what I hoped was the obvious parts of the 'over my dead body' situation of how I got them back. "That reminds me." I said, looking to Hestia, "Ha-chan did something very silly."

Ceremoniously, Hestia got out of her chair, and gave Haruhime a Karate Chop of Justice. Then gave me one too.

The pair of us rubbed our foreheads, for show really, and did our best to look repentant.

"This also reminds me." I started, finally pushing my plate away, "Next time anyone goes to the Hostess, try and be polite to the new girl. I'm sure that under Mia's care, she will no longer do anything like this again."

That one got a mixed reaction, but thankfully no one did more than grumble a little.

"And..." Bell looked hesitant again, "How are you feeling?"

I didn't want to lie, so I dodged that question, "Well, I'm not hungry anymore." I probably ate about twice what anyone else did. "And hoping we can get the pool done before any more stu*swat*... emergencies happen." I looked over my shoulder at the golden tail, sticking straight up threateningly, daring me to swear.

Haruhime giggled at my sigh, and stood, starting to clear plates.

I should have been exhausted. Long surgery, a few hours of actual sleep to recover from mind down, a long day of what amounted to bloody revenge, and an epic meal. But, even with Haruhime's soft body curled into mine, I just couldn't shut my eyes long enough to actually sleep. I'd considered sneaking out of bed to find Welf's hidden bottle of... what ever it was he drank. But I knew that would be the start of a long and terrible downward spiral. So I endured.

I did however, between what felt like really long and horror filled eye blinks, see something amazing. It started with a little twitch of Haruhime's tail. Extra long, black, with little bits of fur missing from its mishandling, it looked sort of out of place on her. But, with a second twitch, I noticed that one of the missing bits of fur wasn't actually missing, it was splitting.

Slowly, like watching a snake shed its skin, the single tail twitched and swayed, each time the gap between the two ends managing to widen slightly. Curious, I moved my hand closer to the end, and had one of the two halves latch on to my wrist, while the other tried to sway in the other direction. Not wanting to wake her, I didn't do more than that, but after what felt like an hour, the single tail had become two.

"Congratulations." I whispered into her ear. Her only response was to curl up a little more.

She was both alarmed and pleased at what she woke up to the next morning. Not only did she have two tails, which if legend was true, signified she now held much more magical power than before, they were still exactly the same length.

"Well, now I get to brush your tails longer?" I tried to cheer her up as she fumbled with her workout clothes. "Oh, let me help with that..." I said, getting a little pair of scissors, "I think we should skip normal practise today."

She watched as I carefully widened the little hole for her tails to fit through, "I agree... I feel..." She held one of her tails, then the other when it acted left out, "Like my magic is the wrong shape."

"And a lifetime of getting your tail to listen to you is gone?"

"That too."

We continued getting dressed until she took hold of one of my tails, "Oh... It got longer. Yes I'm happy you're happy where you are." She pet her old tail, "It's not quite at long as the others..."

"It will help me balance." I said, looking behind me, "It was so weird with only one tail again."

"I'm happy I could help." She said, looking up at me, "Fels... He visited after you'd been healed." I nodded, remembering the bit of paper in the mask, "He told me I knew how to fix you, but I'd have to trust you."

"I'm... Not sure how to feel about that." I admitted, "I mean... I know what prolonged mind down will do to a person. But if I failed..." I gave myself a last look over, to make sure I had all my arms and legs in the proper holes in my clothes, then did the same for her. "But I'm... Really happy you trusted me."

She gave me a hug then, and for that instant, I wasn't afraid to close my eyes.

"Let's get to the field." I said, wiping away a tear, first from my eye, then hers.

We sat side by side, with Takemikazuchi standing beside us, holding a bamboo sword. The two of us were trying to meditate, and get a feel for our magic again. Back in the dungeon, while I was collecting my tails, I'd felt like I'd eaten too much, or drank too much and was trying to hold it in. All that magic, with no where to go. But, when I tried to use it for my usual self boost, it started to feel like that time Haruhime used her spell on me.

Not wanting to explode in the middle of my adventure, I simply held it back. My body adjusted to the increased capacity for magic, but it was really uncomfortable.

I suspected, Haruhime was going through something similar now. Just as her tail added a little 'colour' to the glowing ember inside me, I was sure my tail, or tails? Were doing the same.

"This is not really my area of study, so to speak." The War God said behind us, "But, you." He thumped the leather wrapped point of the sword near my hip, "Say your magic has a new colour." I nodded, and he thumped the floor next to Haruhime, "And you say it is now a different shape." She nodded as well, "So, I would like you to close your eyes, and imagine a room. The walls, grey as a stormy sky. Dark, yet lit from behind by the sun."

He waited a moment, "Now. Picture how you imagine your magic to be. And simply observe it. Do not fight it, do not try and make it how it was. Simply look."

The smoky beast, inside the cage I'd built, appeared, back lit by the stormy sky. I'd always pictured it in a dark room. Lit only by the light it shed. But now, the vaguely fox like shape inside that cage was traced with gold. Instead of a dim purple flame with blue tips, the edges had a very distinct gold outline.

It felt no less powerful. If anything, if felt like I had a little more power than when this mess started. But it felt... It looked... sharper. Clearer. Less chaotic.

Takemikazuchi tapped the end of the sword against the floor again. "Do you have it? The image you seek?"

We both said yes, quietly, sounding puzzled, but also curious.

"Here is where my experience ends." Takemikazuchi admitted, "So, try your most basic exercise. The simplest thing you know how to do."

Taking a slow deep breath, I imagined, as I always had, that extra air fanning the flame. Feeding the ember of my magic what it needed to burn brighter. The gold outline faded slightly, and I could feel my body fill with the usual feeling of power. So I did it again, pulling in more air, pushing my magic closer to the underside of my skin. First, strength, then endurance.

Then a third breath.

The feeling of my magic pushing past my skin caught me off guard. With my eyes closed, I could only feel a 'different' resistance as my clothes and fur ruffled.

"Ko-chan..." Haruhime said next to me, breaking my concentration, the feeling vanishing. Shaking my head and opening my eyes, I looked over to her. "What's..."

And she was glowing. Not in the usual way, when she gifted her spell to people and grew those ethereal tails. But in the 'Kodori is angry' way. The dripping/boiling acidic purple way. "Calm down." I said, starting to reach out for her. "Lord Takemikazuchi?"

Takemikazuchi took one step, and reached down, putting his hand on Haruhime's shoulder lightly. As He'd done with me, the touch seemed to gift Haruhime with a sort of instant calm, and the aura winked out.

"That was... surprising." He said, kneeling down across from us formally, putting his practice sword next to him.

"It was... sharp, and changing shapes." Haruhime said, "But, part of it was always smooth, like glass."

"This is going to take a little time, I think." I said with a sigh, "But, I think I know what to do... Maybe..."

"Oh?" Takemikazuchi asked, that tiny smile on his face.

"We both use our magic for the same thing, except she gives it away, and I keep it for myself. But, now we share each others gifts. I could never get my magic past my skin. With the exception of making foxes appear from my tails." I explained, "Except, I just did."

Haruhime perked up, catching on, "And instead of giving my magic away, it was... gathering inside me. It felt... Trapped. Restless."

"It sounds like I could leave you in each others care then." The War God said with a slightly bigger smile.

"For this? Yes. But." I bowed to him formally, kneeling and touching my forehead to the floor, "If this small fox could ask for a lesson."

"We would be honoured to receive your instruction." Haruhime copied me, glancing sideways at me with a pure green eye.

"It would be a pleasure." He replied, taking up his sword and standing. "Let's start with some stretching."

Notes.

On the road to recovery I suppose? I am so excited for the next book. I think I know how to proceed from here, but with a little more to read, I'll know for sure. I hope you keep reading, and enjoy.

Until next time. In five days. :)