Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Cheater!”

“It’s Delve! I didn’t cheat, you just suck!”

Mud pressed against her face as she tried to force herself up off the ground despite the weight that was pressing down into her. She was going to need to find a place to wash off before Ori would even think about letting her back into the Three Moons Brothel again. With a growl, she pushed her fists down into the mud, her arms screaming as she began to fight against Golden-Sunrise-Over-Misty-Waves’ bulk.

“Just give up, No-Tail!” Gold growled, his hand snaking under her arm and pushing it out, causing a fresh splattering of mud to cake her eyes. “You’re not going to beat me ever again! Not since I got my third tail!”

That damn name again! That damn show off! Just because he was born with two whole tails compared to her zero, that didn’t give him the right to look down on her! “That’s not my name!”

And she just beat him at Delve!

“Yes it is, No-Tail-But-Fluffy-Ears is your name! So you’re No-Tail, you don’t even have one!” Gold pressed his elbow into her back; the other kids were egging him on to hurt her more. He pressed his cheek against hers. “You’ll never get to three and never be allowed to change your name.”

She could feel his smile on the back of her neck.

“You’ll always be No-Tail.”

Up until a week ago, she would have won these little wrestling matches. She had been taller, stronger, and smarter than him, but his third tail had come with a growth spurt that had made him the taller and stronger one. And the smug prick had made sure that she knew it.

She grabbed his hand, her leg hooked behind one of his, and rolled, slamming his back into the mud, while she sat on top of him. His bright green eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and rage. Before he could even try to get up, she punched him.

Hard.

“My!” Another blow. “Name.” Another. “Is.” Another. “Nota!”

Before she could strike him again, the others had grabbed her arms and ripped her from him. She was in the mud again as someone’s foot slammed into her side, earning a hiss of pain from her. The assailant was none other than Blazing-Phoenix-In-Midnight-Sky, one of Gold’s self-proclaimed girlfriends and the only one besides gold to have more than one tail. Blaze was best known for her bright red hair that was somewhere between strawberries and blood.

She was also known for being a huge bitch.

The other girl, Silver-Moonlight-Amongst-Tangled-Brambles, had rushed to Gold’s aid, already using her healing abilities on his face. Silver wasn’t technically a bad person; she was kind, smart, and fun to be around. She just had terrible taste in men. While she only had a single silver tail, it was nearly the size of Blaze’s twin tails.

The only thing Nota had going for her was being taller than both girls, her ears being noticeably bigger, and of course, her complete and utter lack of tail.

“Nota,” a kind voice shook her from her glaring as the lone human of their friend group—if it could even still be called that—tugged on her arm and helped her to her feet. Logan was a dirty-faced boy that, despite Gold’s recent growth spurt, was still the tallest and strongest among them. Mostly because that was just how humans and kitsune were. He had messy brown hair, and when his face wasn’t covered in some kind of dirt, he even had freckles. “Come on, we should get you washed up. I know how bad Ori can get when you show up dirty.”

Nota just groaned and let Logan guide her away from Gold and the others.

“No-tail!” Gold shouted from behind them, and she felt mud slam into the back of her head.

She spun, fists balled, tears ready to fall from her eyes; she would have charged him if Logan hadn’t held her in place.

“This isn’t over!” Gold continued. His glare was like his father’s: full of nothing but hate and disdain. “If I ever see you again, I’ll—”

“Gold!” Silver’s calm demeanor broke, the hair on her tail bristling, allowing the black hues beneath her silver coat to be seen. “That’s enough. You need to stop.” Silver shot Nota a furious look that was tempered by her calm expression. “You too, Nota.”

It was kind of scary how she was the youngest among them.

“Yeah,” Logan urged her back. “Come on Nota, let’s go, he’s not worth it.”

“Fine,” she mumbled. It wasn’t like she even started it.

“Her name is No-Tail!” Gold shouted at her back once more, and she could hear Silver chastise him, even as the girl began to cast healing magics on him.

What those two saw in him was beyond her. Maybe it was because he was born with two tails. According to Nia, tails were supposed to be attractive to other Kitsune, which was why she spent a lot of time fussing over her own three tails.

But where did that leave her with her complete and utter lack of tail? The only thing that separated her from humans were her two large, snow-white ears. Well, that and her weird name.

She nearly tripped as they walked through the streets. A few townsfolk gave them an odd look or two, but most weren’t too unsettled by a boy dragging a girl with a bloody nose through the street.

“Ya’know,” Nota spoke after a while, their destination in sight. “I don’t think we’re friends anymore.”

Logan gave a small snort. “One day you’ll say that and I’ll believe it.”

He guided her towards his home, a smithy run by a dwarf by the name of Opal. She was kind, as far as dwarves went, which meant instead of being judgemental and angry, she was just judgemental. The black-haired dwarf with arms as wide as Nota stood where she always stood, swinging away at the anvil. The look of concentration on her face was only broken by a single raised eyebrow as she spotted Nota and Logan.

The glance lasted less than a second before the ringing of metal was heard once more.

Logan led her to the side, where a workbench that was more often used as a bench sat against the wall. Various tools rested nearby, many rusted or broken, waiting for their time to be used once again, or to be discarded and forged anew.

With a hop, Nota bounced up onto the workbench, her lack of tail making it easy to sit there. She stared at Logan, who was staring right back at her, and his face kept changing emotions as he opened his closed mouth. He never liked it when they fought; at least, actually fought: he was always happy to play as the hero when they played games like that.

“Thanks for having my back, Logan.” She kicked her legs and let out a sigh. Her left eye was starting to swell shut, and she was pretty sure that her nose had started to bleed on the walk to Opal’s forge.

Logan leaned against the fence. “Why did you two even start today?”

“I don’t know.” She did know. It was the same as always: Gold had started to call her No-Tail and started to flaunt that he was so much better than her since he had three whole tails. Three golden blonde tails, just like the legends of the nine-tailed hero that saved the world centuries ago.

When they were younger, they had both wanted to be the nine-tailed hero when they played. She never got to be. Gold always did.

She had to be the monsters, since she didn’t have a single tail.

It wasn’t even like the story was based in fact; the most tails that any Kitsune had was six, and they were already famous and powerful. Even the strongest of the humans respected them. But most Kitsune only ever got to their third tail. Even in a city as big as Daklan Port, there were only four Kitsune that had gotten to six tails.

Which was why Gold’s father Dai was such a big deal. Not only did he have six tails, but he was also the de-facto leader of the Kitsune that called Daklan home.

Which, despite her lack of tail, included her.

Opal came stomping around the corner, a pail full of sloshing water clenched tightly in each of her massive hands that looked more like branches stripped of their bark than actual limbs. The water sloshed without a care onto the still-moist dirt that covered the streets. A rag sat dipped inside one of the buckets.

Without a word, the blacksmith sat the pails down and then turned to look towards Logan with her entire body, as though her neck was simply fused in place beneath her thick beard. She nodded slightly by dipping her shoulder and then turned towards Nota. Opal lifted up the thick black goggles she wore, revealing paler—or maybe just cleaner—skin around her eyes, and looked Nota over. As a dwarf, Opal’s eyes were different from those of a human, nearly entirely a burnt orange color that was so dark it might as well have been the black sky, with a ring of vibrant purple acting as the iris.

“Tough lass,” Opal gave her a pat on the knee and then glanced towards Logan. “Clean. Dinner soon.”

Nota frowned, and did her best to hide the disgust brought up from the memory of the last time she had eaten Opal’s cooking. She had no idea how Logan could stomach it; everything tasted burnt, and what didn’t tasted burnt, simply didn’t taste. “Sorry Opal, I have to go, Ori needs me home.”

Opal gave a surly frown and placed her goggles back on. “Next time?”

“Next time.”

A great smile filled with pearly white teeth flooded Opal’s face, and she patted Nota’s knee twice before stomping back to her forge. The sound of her hammer was more punctual than the clock tower.

“Here,” Logan offered her a soaking wet cloth. “Let’s find out where the dirt stops and the blood starts.”

The wet cloth felt good, especially around her eye that she had no doubt was going to end up being swollen by the time she got home. No doubt she was going to get an earful from her sister and Ori. Mostly Ori.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Logan asked as he began to scrub her mud-caked arm, slowly revealing the pale skin beneath it. Along with a bloody knuckle. “Well, not now now, I mean, like, with Gold and Blaze and stuff.”

“I…” She began, but stopped as she winced when the cold towel pressed against a fresh bruise. Her stomach twisted when she thought about it. She had no doubt that Gold would tell his father about what happened and that Dai might make things harder on her. “I don’t know.”

“We’re almost twelve.” Logan let his shoulders slump. “The exams are soon, and unless—”

“And unless I want to wind up like my sister, I’ll need to pass them.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Logan let his shoulders slump. “I meant that you won’t be able to go to the academy, right? You can’t afford it, and you don’t have a backer, so…”

“Logan, it’s fine.” She gave him a smile that made her eye hurt. “I’ll be fine; worst case, I just end up staying here with you.”

“So you’re fine with Gold beating you?”

No. No she wasn’t.

“I don’t need to get into the academy to become an adventurer.”

“No.” Silver’s calm voice made her jump, her leg kicking one of the buckets and spilling the soapy water onto the ground and onto Logan’s feet. Silver walked down the path with a scowl on her face. “But it does help, and last I checked, you still can’t use any magic or any aura.”

Nota huffed and looked away from little miss perfect. “What are you even doing here? Shouldn’t you be with your boyfriend?”

“Blaze is with him.” Silver held up a hand, her lips moving in silent prayer as a green glow began to appear on her palm. “Besides, you’re my friends too, and you’re hurt.”

“Isn’t using magic on someone against their will illegal?”

“Yes. Are you going to tell on me, or are you going to make it so Ori doesn’t ground you again?”

Nota accepted the healing without any further protest. A soothing feeling ran over her accompanied by a deep itching feeling as the wounds began to close, and even the dirt on her clothes began to fall off in chunks, where they landed onto the ground with a soft plop.

“Why don’t you come to the temple with me? I’m sure that Father Otis would be willing to test you.”

“Already tried that.” Nota gave a soft huff. She blinked her rapidly-unswelling eye several times as she adjusted to binocular vision once again. Were her eyes blinking at different times now? It felt like it. Dammit. “I have no aptitude for the divine, remember?”

Silver rolled her pale blue eyes. “I doubt that people with no aptitude are nearly as easy to heal as you are. Besides, you’re a hard worker, and smart; I bet if you put your mind into it, you can be a better healer than me.”

Even Logan had to scoff at that. “Silver, you’re going to the academy a year early. With a scholarship.”

Silver’s cheeks turned a soft pink. “So? That has nothing to do with how good Nota would be at it.” She narrowed her eyes at Logan, one hand going to her hip as the other pressed a finger into his chest. “Or are you saying that Nota can’t do it?”

The sensation of her wounds healing faded, leaving only a few bruises that might hurt later.

“No, that’s not it, it’s just that, well, you’re kind of amazing, ya’know?”

“So’s Nota! And you too, Logan! The only reason why you’re not going is because Opal can teach you everything the academy could and more!” Silver flailed her arms. “And I already feel guilty about leaving you here on your own.”

“Oh, uhh, well.” Logan held up his hands in defense. He might be tall and strong, but all it took was a little angry girl and he was defeated.

“Silver, it’s okay, Logan didn’t mean anything by that, you know how he is.” Nota waved her hand before stomping down on the muddy ground with a squelch. “But, you know that there’s no point right?”

She didn’t have a tail.

“You don’t know that, something could have changed from the last time you went, or maybe you’ll get a blessing if you pray to one of the new gods! There’s even a saint coming soon that might be able to help you and—”

“I don’t think that a saint would be willing to see the daughter of a brothel.”

Silver’s mouth opened and then promptly shut tight. Her shoulders and sense of purpose slumping in tandem. “But… I feel like you need to go to the academy. Like, it’s more important for you to go than me or even Gold.”

“Because I don’t have a tail?” Nota asked, hands on her hip eyebrow raised.

“Yes!” Okay, she wasn’t expecting that answer. “Wait. No!” Silver’s face twisted into a frown before she hung her head in defeat. “Kind of? I don’t know. It’s just that…you work so hard, and you’re… I just have a feeling that you’d be the best.”

“And I will be.” Nota placed her hands on her hips, head held high as she puffed her own chest out. “So don’t worry, I’ll pass the exams and get in, just you wait.”

“But… Gold.” Silver let out a long sigh and then leaned against the bench. “He kept talking about how he was going to make sure you didn’t.”

“What do you even see in that jerk anyways?” Nota asked, crossing her arms in place. “All he ever does is pick fights with me.”

“He’s fine,” Silver mumbled, glancing up at Nota while still facing downward. “At least when you’re not around.”

Logan also nodded in agreement.

So she was the problem?

Great.

“But, it’s mostly because he’s my betrothed.” Silver’s voice was low enough that the ringing of Opal’s hammer nearly threatened to drown it out.

“Wait, really?” Nota took a step forward, her eyes going wide, a pain of guilt washed over her as she started to feel just a bit sorry for Silver. She’d rather have no tail than be betrothed to that creep.

“Yeah, our parents had an agreement before we were born, and well.” Silver just shrugged. “It’s good for my family.”

“But, what about Blaze?” Nota asked.

Silver just shrugged. “It’s not unusual, especially if Gold gets more tails.”

Nota could only hum in understanding. “Still, it feels a bit weird, doesn’t it?”

“Don’t you live at a brothel?” Silver raised an eyebrow before she shook her head. “But yeah, a lot of things feel… wrong. Like you not going to the academy. You need to get in there. It just won’t feel right without you there.”

“Don’t worry.” Nota gave Silver a thumbs up and placed her hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be there.”

Only problem was that she had no idea how, short of growing a tail that would give her something to latch onto.

Chapter Text

The Three Moons Brothel was a palace of pleasure in its own right; two stories tall, it loomed over the other nearby buildings in both size and grandeur, with sights and sounds made to entice the coin out of all who gazed upon it. Painted onyx pillars marked the entrance of a polished stone path that led through a garden so vibrant that a phoenix might look upon its colors in envy. But no matter how opulent the establishment, it was all for naught if the service wasn’t up to quality.

And the Three Moons had that in spades. With clientele that ranged from merchants, to officials in the imperial army, to the greatest of heroes, the Three Moons Brothel had something for everyone, even things that they weren’t looking for.

Or at least, that’s what Nota had been told repeatedly.

Sure, the hilltop building was in a good spot, sure, it looked better than the other buildings around her, sure, it was on every map of Daklan she had seen, and sure, she had seen some important-looking people come in and out of it, but she had a hard time believing that everyone short of the emperor knew this place existed like Ori liked to claim.

Nota brushed her clothes one last time. What little mud had still clung to her legs had hardened and dried into brittle chunks, making cleaning up ever so slightly easier, but it really did nothing to make her look any less dirty.

And judging by how she kept finding dirt in her snow-white hair, it was probably far too dirty to actually enter the establishment.

“Still, I don’t want to bathe in the river again.”

Last time she did that, she was sick for days.

Maybe she could sneak around the side? The side doors were normally open until dusk, but she didn’t have a clear path, and there were a lot of eyes and ears in those halls…

Or she could climb the wall.

Or—

“Quit skulking around like a rat, Nota, and get out here.” A familiar raspy voice had her frozen in place like a kitten grabbed by the scruff of their neck.

Nota crept around the outer wall of the Three Moons and glanced up towards the second story balcony where Ori Adaka, Madam of the brothel, was leaning against the railing, a long slender pipe letting out a lonely wisp of smoke that seemed to have a mind of it’s own. Ori was also Nota’s boss, and her landlord, and her teacher, and a whole lot of other things.

As an Oni, she cut a tall, imposing figure that was nearly a head taller than most human men that Nota had seen, which meant that she was roughly twice Nota’s height if she counted the two eight-inch polished red horns that shot straight up from Ori’s brow. Ori’s black hair was pulled up into a fancy bun that ran twice between her horns. A large golden emblem sat precariously atop her bun, its colors matching the red, gold, and black of her robes. The fabric left her shoulders exposed, revealing that from her neck to her toes, Ori’s normally pale skin was completely covered in Oni Tattoos.

Ori only ever dressed up like that when an important guest was coming.

Her horns weren’t actually that red. She just painted them like that so people wouldn’t know how old she was.

Which was old.

“Uhh,” Nota stepped out and offered Ori a small, sheepish wave.

“Not as bad as I had been told.” Ori hummed, tapping her pipe against the railing before she let out a sigh. “Still far from good, though. Head inside and get your sister ready, and wash yourself up too while you’re at it; can’t risk our clients thinking we let street rats run amok in here.”

“Yes Ma’am!” Nota darted inside the compound, brushing past a few of the courtesans that giggled at her frantic running. Ori’s response had been far tamer than Nota had thought it would be, and she had no urge to test her luck with the woman lest she be put on cleaning duty for the next year.

Again.

She glanced down the ornate entrance hall where everyone was frantically getting ready for something, several of the girls already working hard to clean the interior, before she took a sharp turn along the outer hallway, her footfalls not even allowing the wood to groan. Another sharp turn and she slipped into the hidden side door just around the corner, her dirty shoes were placed with clean slippers within a single step.

Nota navigated the narrow servants’ halls that ran throughout the building like a maze; their wood was plain, and the halls were cluttered with supplies and storage and the bustling of other servants. Every single girl that ran through here did so with a trained step that didn’t so much as make a noise along the otherwise creaky wooden floor. Barely halfway into the hall, Nota already had to press herself against the wall to allow a girl carrying some heavy luggage to slip past with ease.

Curtains, plants, mirrors, and so many other mundane objects hid the entrances to the hallways wherever it intersected with the main halls where guests would be entertained and pleasured. The kitchen, though small, always smelled of tea, fruits, and various potions made to excite—or dull—the body and mind. The make-up room was next. Several of the girls were already preparing; a lot of attention was being given towards Alexandria, a human woman with dark brown skin and eyes that shined like emeralds. Nota hadn’t had the chance to really speak with her, but Alexandria was considered one of the Three Gems that gave the brothel its name and prestige.

Past the make-up and the baths that always seemed to be possessed by ghosts that giggled day and night, up a flight of stairs and around the corner was home.

The long hallway stretched nearly the length of the brothel; the wood was treated, but unpainted, with only a single window on either end to allow the daylight in. Most of the light was provided by Eternal torches that let out a soft magical hum. Nota strode to the end of the long hallway, where the biggest room awaited her. A heart-shaped bit of carved wood hung on the door with N + N written on it.

Home sweet home.

Nota pushed open the door and was completely unsurprised to see that her terminally sleepy sister was asleep, much to the surprise of absolutely no one. If sleeping was a skill, Nia would be a grandmaster. Hell, Nota was pretty sure that at least two of Nia’s tails were dedicated to the art of sleeping. Nota had no such luxury; sleep was a fickle thing to her.

An impossibly soft mewling noise escaped Nia as she snuggled deeper into the pillow. Her three pure-white tails had long since pushed the blanket to the side, presenting Nota with a view of her sister’s tush.

Her sister was naked.

Again.

“Sister,” Nota said softly. She was almost tempted to start stomping her feet, but that could only cause problems for those down below. Their room wasn’t as plain as the hallway just outside; the floor was covered in an expensive rug, the chest was made of an ornate wood that would sprout a delicious fruit once a year, and several mannequins held robes of black, white, and red, all tailored to show off all of Nia’s beauty. Most of these were gifts from customers seeking to win Nia’s favor. None succeeded, as by the time the gifts had arrived, Nia had already forgotten who sent them.

“Sister,” Nota said calmly as she got up to the bed, though it was currently less a bed and more a nest of blankets, pillows, and Nia. “It’s time to wake up.”

Nia gave a soft moan and opened her eyes, a dopey smile on her face. “Nota.”

The smile lasted for half a second before Nia’s eyes closed, and she was right back to sleep.

“Sister!” Nota grabbed the blanket and tried to pull it away from her sister, a task that felt more impossible than trying to force the sun to set. “Ori says you gotta get ready.”

Nota pulled her on sister’s shoulders and shook her slightly. At the age of 26, Nia was Nota’s older sister by 14 years, but most of the time it was Nota that felt like she was the big sister. She often wondered if Ori was pulling her leg about Nia being her sister, since neither of them spoke of her mother at all, but looking at Nia, there was little doubt that the two were related.

The same red eyes, the same snow-white hair, even their ears were nearly the same save for Nota’s being just that extra bit bigger.

Speaking of that extra bit bigger…

Nota let out a sigh. She was pretty sure that her sister had those even when she only had two tails and went by Snow. Especially since that third tail had apparently come with a blessing to Nia’s already alluring voice and enchanted singing.

Among the Three Gems of the Three Moons Brothel, Nia was perhaps the one that appealed to the widest audience. Her singing and tails had snagged many a Kitsune’s coin, while her figure and diminutive size did the same for men. Oni were another story, as they seemed to be afraid that they might break her if they so much as looked at her.

But those were handled by Ori.

“Huh?” Nia let out a soft moan and wiped the sleep from her eye and let out a long yawn. She blinked twice before her red eyes focused on Nota. “Oh, Nota, what’s up?”

“I don’t know, but Ori says you need to get ready, there’s an important guest.”

“Oh, okay.” Nia let out a yawn and slid from the bed, nearly falling on her face before catching herself when her foot caught on the blanket. “Uhh, why are you so dirty?”

“No reason. Now come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“But you have mud on your—”

“No buts.”

“Yes butts.”

Nia just rolled her eyes and tossed a simple garment over her sister, while the shirt would do nothing for her butt—Nia’s tails keeping the fabric up and away—it would feign some modesty on the short trip to the baths and then the make-up room.

“If you must know, I got in a fight with Gold again today.”

“Oh.” Nia’s ears twisted flat, and she looked at Nota with big teary eyes. “Was it because of your name again?”

“No.” Nota sighed. “Kind of. He’s just been a real jerk since he got his third tail.”

“Oh, don’t worry Nota!” Nia pulled her into a tight hug, “I’m sure you’ll grow your own tails soon! I didn’t get my second one until just after I met you!”

Nota was tempted to melt into that hug. Her sister was nothing if not comforting to any and everyone.

“Now then,” Nia gave her a great big smile. “Let’s go take that bath.”

“But we need to get you ready.”

“How can I be ready if you’re covered in dirt? What kind of big sister would I be?” Nia grabbed one of the robes she had on display, the black one with white clouds, and tugged on Nota’s arm. “Besides, we’ll get cleaner faster together.”

If Kitsune didn’t invent the bath, they had certainly refined it to perfection.

The baths of the Three Moons Brothel was the most luxurious place in the brothel that guests weren’t allowed into. The room was divided into two sections. The first was the washroom where the actual cleaning of the body would take place; there were towels, fresh water, soaps, and other cleaning supplies with only a few stools in order to clean. The large basin of water that could be heated with the slightest touch of mana and hold over a dozen girls with ease was the main attraction, though: it was here that the cleaning of the soul took place.

Nota had never understood why her sister, or any of the other women she had bathed with, seemed to enjoy the baths so much. Sure, it was nice for a soak, but her body was already clean after the washroom, and there were a lot of other things she could be doing.

Like the giant load of laundry that the brothel generated on any given day.

And yet, despite the urgency that Ori had spoken with, despite the hustling and bustling going on about them as other girls were in a frenzy to get ready. Nota found herself relaxing in the bath the very moment that she and Nia had gotten cleaned off. Her body eased into the warm waters, the crisp scent of the various beauty-enhancing herbs delivered to her by trails of steam.

“Ahh,” Nia reclined into the bath, her whole body submerged while her hair was pulled up into an expertly crafted bun and towel that left only a single strand of white to fall over her left eye. Nia took in a deep breath, her chest rising and falling just so that they floated there like a pair of oranges on full display. Large oranges.

“Ahhhh~” Nia sang, her voice rising and changing notes faster than she could change clothes. She placed a hand on her throat and rubbed it slowly. “Ahhhhhh….” Her face twisted. “Ahhh~” She let out a pleased noise that would likely kill a man and then smiled.

This was probably the only reason why they wouldn’t get in trouble for relaxing in the bath like this with a major party on the way; Nia always sang better after a bath. She could hit lower lows, hit higher highs.

Something about the steam.

“Don’t worry, Nota.” Nia shrugged, causing the water to splash. “You’ll start growing yours soon too!”

Her face felt like it had been placed into Opal’s forge.

“I’d rather grow my tails.”

“Hmm.” Nia moved through the water and wrapped both arms around Nota’s shoulders, pulling her into an awkward hug. “I’m sure it won’t be long now.”

“You’ve been saying that for years.”

“Years aren’t so long.”

Nota rolled her eyes and eased into the hug her sister provided.

“But I wish they were,” Nia hummed, pressing her nose against Nota’s cheek. “Soon, my little sister will leave this place, off to become a great hero from the imperial academy.”

“I still have to pass the exams.” Nota mumbled, sinking further into the waters. “Something that would be easier said than done if I had something to stand out.”

It always felt as though she was lacking something. She wasn’t like Silver who could already cast healing magic with ease, nor was she like Blaze who could already throw a fireball across the street, nor was she like Logan who could already call upon his aura, nor was she like Gold who was a dumb jerk face.

“Well, you are the cutest, bestest, smartest, most wonderful little sister in the whole world.” Nia’s flattery once again made Nota’s face burn. “And if your older sister is anything to go by, you’re going to grow into a grade A hottie, so when you go to the academy, don’t settle for any cute boys you meet; try to find someone rich, with a big brother that has a similar taste in women.”

“Nia!” Nota groaned, her flush traveling down to cover her whole body.

“I’m serious, Nota.” Nia stood from the waters and pulled Nia up as well; the air was cooler just above the waters. “You’ll get into the academy one way or another. You’re too smart to stay in a place like this. Besides, you hate it here, don’t you?”

“Not really,” she admitted softly. Part of her loved this place. It was home, after all. But at her core, she also wanted to leave this place. Not just the Three Moons Brothel, but Daklan itself. There was so much out there beyond the walls. So much on the maps that weren’t filled in. “This is my home, but I… I don’t know.”

Nia let out a soft giggle as she made her way towards the dressing room, the wetness on her body vanishing with the flick of a tail. As far as boons went from tails, becoming dry after a bath—and only after a bath—was at least something that could be used daily. Just went to show how much her sister loved bathing. She paused at the doorway and gave Nota a big smile. “Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon, Nota.”

Chapter Text

“You’re so late.” Roxy, a human girl that was halfway between Nota and Nia in age with messy brown hair and hazel eyes, was the make-up master of The Three Moons Brothel. Her skill with the brush was rivaled only by Ori herself, but Ori’s skillset was limited to the strange Oni tattoos—that, and facial paints, with just enough knowledge to look passable to the more common types of people that called Daklan home—so really, Roxy was the best they had.

At least when she wasn’t rushed and panicking.

“Uhh, Roxy?” Nota asked, pointing at the brush the girl was holding.

Roxy let out a yelp that sounded like someone had stepped on her tail, which she didn’t have, and turned to face Nota. “What? Don’t scare me like that, Nota!”

“Sorry, but uhh, I think that’s Alexandra’s foundation.” Nota pointed towards the dark chocolate colored container in Roxy’s hand the brush of which was painfully close to Nia’s face who had pushed so far back into her seat that she had nearly fallen over.

“Huh?” Roxy stopped and stared at the blush, her entire body frozen in time as the gears in her head began to work overtime.

The smoke coming out of Roxy’s ears was thanks to an incense that someone had set up a while ago.

“Oh! Oh my goodness! Nia, I’m so sorry, one second, I know where your colors are! Guh, everything is so last-minute, and Alexandra was being so demanding, claiming that this was her chance, and that soon she’d be out of here, and we wouldn’t be seeing her ever again.”

“Really?” Nia asked with a big goofy smile on her face. “That’s great, did she tell you why?”

Nota rolled her eyes. “She says that every time, sister.”

“So? It’ll happen one day.”

Which one of her sisters’ tails was optimism?

“Here we go!” Roxy spun around, holding up the much paler foundation that was designed to bring out all of Nia’s more prominent features. Bit by bit, Nota’s doting sister Nia was replaced by Nia, gem of the Three Moons Brothel, her skin made flawless by the make-up, with soft contours that made the bright reds of her eyeshadow stand out. Her lips looked soft and moist like a red berry having been bitten into.

“Oh-Gat” A thunk from the door made Roxy jump and made Nota spin on her feet to greet Ori, who had added yet another notch into the door frame of the make-up room, the top of her horn grazing it just hard enough to scrape some of her red paint off. Ori stopped and shook her head, glaring at the door frame with enough intent that, had the wood still lived and still felt fear, it would have gotten out of her way.

If it knew what was good for it.

Which it didn’t.

Because it was wood.

And nailed in place.

Ori coughed and then ducked through the door properly this time, her posture and elegance not even slightly affected by her most recent blunder, though she did tap on her horn briefly and frown. “Good, you’re ready. Nia, get out there and start singing; the generals came for a show, and you’re going to give it to them.”

“Oh, Military men? I know just the song.” Nia hopped onto her feet and scooped up the hem of her robes, a black garment highlighted by red and white trees that hung so loosely on Nia’s body that it looked ready to come off at a moment’s notice, and her chest looked ready to break free if she breathed too deeply. It was all part of the show. “Come on Nota, I need—”

“Not so fast; Nota is needed elsewhere tonight.” Ori pulled out a similar garment to what Nia was wearing, though this was pure black and looked like it would cover…well, everything.

“What? But she’s too young! She has at least two years! And you promised that you wouldn’t force her to do anything!” Nia stomped her foot and glared up at Ori. It would have normally have been funny seeing her sister glare up at someone that was several heads taller than her like that.

The cold sweat that Nota felt on her back killed any humor she felt.

Ori let out a sigh and shoved the garment into Nota’s arms, completely ignoring Nia’s defiance. “She will not be touched, she will not be put on show. She is doing something that only she can do.”

“But, you said that—”

“I know what I said.” Ori glared down at Nota. “But, I need her help now.”

“But!”

“Enough.” Ori silenced the room. “We have our agreement. I’m not breaking that. She is not going out there as a courtesan, she is not going out there to seduce men.”

“What am I going out there for then?” Nota asked, she unfolded the garment and stared at it. “This isn’t something the greeter would wear.” Greeting customers was about the only formal training she had received, but that was often coupled with wearing colorful garments, and she was pretty sure that Sera was already doing that today.

“Because that’s not your job.” Ori spoke softly. “There is a guest out there, a married man that only has eyes for his wife. He has asked that I provide him with a skilled opponent, and that’s you.”

Nia, Nota, and Roxy all raised an eyebrow, but it was Nia that said what they were all thinking. “Huh?”

“Delve. He wishes to spend the night playing Delve while his son and men celebrate.” Ori pressed the robe into Nota’s chest. “Normally, I would be his opponent, but he’s looking for someone that’s a challenge rather than someone that can drink and share war stories with.”

“But, I’m not that good at—”

“Oh come now, Nota, modesty doesn’t suit you.” Ori rolled her eyes and guided Nota into one of the chairs with a firm hand, the other had already undoing Nota’s hastily-made ponytail and grabbing the make-up with a single motion. “You’re the best Delve player I’ve ever had.”

Her cheeks felt warm. Nota hugged the robes she had been handed and stared at herself in the mirror for a moment. It was true that she could beat all of her friends at Delve, and she had even beaten Ori and a few of the grey beards that sat in the park a few times at some of the more advanced versions of the game, but that wasn’t anything special, was it? It was just Delve.

Her chest swelled with something that felt like pride.

“Am I gonna get in trouble if I beat him?”

Ori chuckled and began to apply Nia’s make-up onto Nota. “You can certainly try.”

By the time she was dressed and ready, the party was already in full swing. The main hall was a vast room complete with a stage where Nia stood, her soft vocals being joined by the strums of a guitar and the beat of a drum. Their guests—a group of imperial soldiers: mostly men, some women—were all enchanted by the atmosphere being provided for them, the courtesans doing their job of keeping their eyes locked on them while the servers darted around behind the scenes making sure that there was not a drop of alcohol missing from a single cup for more than a sip.

The group had the full range of imperial citizens; a large, blue-skinned Oni with a single horn and eye was laughing with had a girl on each arm, and two Kitsune sat near the stage, eyes so fixated upon Nia’s performance that they had yet to realize their jaws were hanging open.

“Oh my, a general, you say?” Alexandra’s voice was like a whisper the whole room could hear. She was sitting on the lap of a young-looking human, pouring him yet more alcohol. His arm was wrapped around Alexandra’s waist as though he had already staked a claim on her.

He looked strong, like he had worked hard daily with wide-set shoulders and muscles that shifted just under his clothes. His hair was black and pulled into a knot that stood straight up from the back of his head before cascading downwards, and there was a healthy shine to it. The young man’s hair was probably among the best in the entire brothel this night.

The look on his face was one that Nota had seen dozens of times. It was the look of a man that was convinced that he was completely and utterly in love with the woman he was looking at.

“Yep!” The man squeezed tighter and held up his drink as the rest of the guests did the same. “That’s what we’re here for tonight! A successful promotion!”

“Oh, well tell me all about it.” The look on Alexandra’s face was different from the one she normally wore in front of customers. It almost looked genuine. Like she was actually interested in the man.

Chances are Alexandra was not long for the Three Moons.

She could do a lot worse than a general, Nota supposed.

Nota brushed past the curtains, taking the long way around the main room where the clamor of the party could still be heard and felt, but it was muted by a steady silence that seemed to welcome all into its warm embrace. The adjacent room was a lavish one, well-lit to show off the gold and red colors of the room, and the large entrance could be closed with the tug of a curtain.

An older human man sat at a table, a cup of sake held in one hand as he looked out towards the party, his eyes locked onto the younger man that was holding onto Alexandra like she was coming home with him. Specks of grey could be seen in his short brown hair, but even more so in his reddish beard that looked like he had barely given it a thought since his last shave. It was a scraggly thing that Opal would scoff at.

Nota stopped a few steps away from the man and bowed. “I greet you, Marshal Nox.”

He turned to her slowly and smiled like a proud grandfather. “Ahh, my challenge has arrived.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Pfft.” Marshal Nox snorted and flipped his hand. “I’m as much a noble as you are girl; you may call me Albel tonight, or if such informalities are uncomfortable to you, Marshal.”

“Yes…” She fumbled with the words in her mouth. Albel felt wrong, she had only just met the man and he was above her. Calling him Marshal though? That almost felt right. Her mouth decided for her. “Albel.”

“Ha.” Albel raised a glass to her and nodded. “Now come; after I trounced Ori earlier, she praised your skills at Delve as though they were second to none, and I am to test her boasts.”

Oni loved to exaggerate everything in a constant attempt to one-up everyone around them and themselves. Ori was no exception to this; if anything, she was probably worse.

“I’ll do my best.” Nota bowed and took the seat across from Albel. A board was already set up between them. It was a more advanced version than she was used to playing, with more pieces on any one side than there were total in the smaller versions of the games. “This is…the Guild Variant?”

Albel nodded. “Indeed, I was most surprised when Ori brought it out for me. She hates playing anything beyond Hunt Variant.”

“I haven’t played the Guild Variant.” Nota stared at the board state. There were far more pieces than she was used to. Some were in the shapes that she had come to know, but others were foreign and completely different. She slowly grabbed one of the new pieces and ran her thumb over the polished wooden surface.

How long did someone spend making just this piece? There was a level of detail in it that was impressive; she could make out the Kitsune figure’s expression as one of contemplation, his brow furrowed, and the four individual tails all had a slightly more grainy feel than the rest of the piece.

If the person that made this was a Kitsune, did they earn a tail for it? Was this a result of their tail?

“Are you intimidated by it?” Albel asked, a single eyebrow raised while he smiled warmly at her.

“No, I don’t think so. The rules are still the same, right?”

“The basics, yes.” Albel gestured towards the three large pieces on the board that lay between her side and his. Each one was carved into a fearsome looking monster, a great lion wicked horns, a bird with its wings spread wide, and a great turtle whose shell looked like a mountain complete with a tree sprouting from the top. “However, rather than victory being achieved via conquering a single beast.”

He paused, waiting for her to answer.

“There are three.” This wasn’t just going to be like playing three games of Delve back to back, it was to play all three all at once. Nota bit her lip, her eyes falling towards the figures on her side opposite of the beasts, the units weren’t even either. The base game of Delve that she had played with her friends could be done with pebbles, Hunt required a proper board and was played with a total of 13 pieces, one monster and then 6 pieces for each player. On her side of the board there were a total of 25 pieces.

“Am I allowed to move the extra seven?”

“You may assign them to the groups as you see fit.”

Albel’s smile did not fade as he explained to her the various new rules in the Guild Variant, including what the new pieces could and could not do. The most important piece used to be the warrior, it was the only one that could survive more than a single hit from the monster, but now that was replaced by the piece she had examined earlier. The Commander allowed her an extra move for whatever squad it was assigned to or move a single unit from one squad to another regardless of position. This combined with the other new pieces such as the restorer completely changed how the game was played.

There were incentives to capture one of the beasts first as that allowed for units to transfer themselves quickly to adjacent conflicts, making the middle part perhaps the most important beast. Nota looked pass the bird that guarded the middle position and examined how Albel had his units arranged, 9-7-9.

Why did he have fewer units in the middle? Wasn’t that less efficient?

There had to be a reason for it right?

Albel let out a chuckle, his fingers drumming against the table. “Forgive me Nota, but I do believe that it is your job to play delve with me, not to stare at the board.”

“Oh!” Nota snapped out of her thoughts and began to quickly place her pieces in a 7-11-7 set up. She wanted to test the value of the middle. “Of course, I’m ready when you are.”

Her goal was simple, seize the middle and then capture whichever side the dice was friendly towards her.

“Excellent, now then let us begin.”

Her goal was shattered within the first two turns. The middle was turned into a meat grinder with both Albel’s and her Restorer effectively locking the board into a state where numbers didn’t matter. To make things worse Albel played conservatively, never making a mistake and forcing her to gamble just to make any headway.

The flanks were worse.

Much worse.

Albel pressed his numbers advantage hard, instead of a 9v7 it felt like he outnumbered her two to one.

He won the left flank first and that turned the tide of the center in his favor. By the time that the right flank had fallen so too had the center.

“And that is game.” Albel said calmly, his smile was nothing like the smug smirk Gold would wear the few times he managed to beat her. Instead Albel’s smile was one of content, as though he was simply enjoying the game for what it was and winning and losing didn’t matter.

“Sorry,” Her ears fell flat, “I uhh, thought I would be—”

“Don’t let a single loss dissuade you Nota.” Albel was already placing the pieces back on the board. “I’ve been a master of this game since before you were born. Despite this being your first experience with the Guild Variant you were able to come up with a solid strategy.”

Her ears perked up as her cheeks burned at the sudden praise. She wasn’t expecting that from losing. She shifted in her seat and began to grab her pieces once more. “Would you care for another game then?”

Albel scratched his beard for a moment and nodded. “Yes, I would appreciate that.”

He never used the same strategy twice in a row, part of her knew that he was being nice and going easy on her by allowing her to place her units after he had already placed his, but that was where his kindness in Delve began and ended. No matter what move she made, he always answered without a moment of thought, forcing her to act fast and think faster to keep up with him.

The second game was better than the first, but only just, her strategy to target his restorer had paid itself off at the cost of losing one of the flanks. The third game was even better, she elected to ignore his restorer and focus on the other areas instead. The fourth was bad, the fifth even worse. Every game felt different and unique, like an entirely different puzzle that had an answer.

They all had an answer. There was no undefeatable strategy in Delve.

But Albel was doing his best to prove that wrong.

Time turned into a swirl of pieces, turns, and defeat, her sister, Ori, and several of the other girls and even the guests had all stopped by at one point in time or another, their reactions were as varied as her defeats, with her sister cheering her on, Ori scolding Albel for not going easy on her, oddly, it was only Albel’s son, the newly appointed general whose comment stood out to her.

General Nox let out a low whistle, his posture slumped and his breath smelled like he had been living in alcohol for a century. Alexandra was attached to his side, her arm wrapped around him as she giggled. Nota had no idea of Alexandra was drunk or not.

Too busy trying to not lose.

“Wow old man, you’re still going at it?” General Nox laughed. “Give the poor girl a break at this rate she’s going to be more worn out than this one.”

Alexandra let out a squeal.

“Hardly, she’s been asking me for rematches.” Albel laughed.

“No shit?” General Nox patted Nota on the head rubbing between her ears. Why did human men always do that? “Well keep it up shorty, keep it up and you’ll start to see cracks in the wall.”

And that became her goal.

To see a crack.

To get a taste of victory.

Even just a single victory point would be enough.

The games that followed were a blur, her ears growing too heavy to stay up and her eyes followed suit.

The board was set up in her favor, it wasn’t quite an all in on a single point, but she was using the strategy that Albel had applied to her in their first game, locking him down by using her restorer, she sacrificed the right flank, and focused purely on the left flank, pressing forward relentlessly, making it so that Albel never got a chance to establish an effective line line and then.

She woke up.

Nia hugged her tightly in their shared bed, her soft snores were the only thing that stopped Nota from letting out a scream of frustration. Dammit! She had him this time! She knew she did! It was all there! How on earth could she fall asleep like that?

With a groan Nota eased into the bed, if Albel was there in the morning she would ask him for another game. But for now she needed to sleep to make sure she wouldn’t pass out right before she won again. Well, she wasn’t going to win the actual game. Just that single victory point.

Instead of sleep however, her mind was drawn towards the games she played, while time had blurred past them every single piece and every single movement was as clear as they had been in that moment.

A thousand and one ‘What-if’s’ took priority over sleep.

By the time she had awoken, Albel and his troops were long gone, taking Alexandra with them.

Chapter Text

Wood slammed against wood, the impact sending tremors up through her entire body and making her fingers numb. Were it not for her thick gloves the vibrations would have forced the sword to slip from her fingers. It felt like she was hitting a block of steel that was the size of a wagon.

If her opponent felt the tremors even slightly as much as she did, he didn’t show it.

Logan twisted his spear, forcing Nota’s sword down and away from him as he came at her with the blunt end of his weapon. He moved fast.

Way too fast.

Block.

Nota brought her sword to her side, her numb hands barely able to maneuver the sword into place to block the attack. The felt the impact in her whole body as it lifted her from her feet.

Dodge.

She didn’t fight the blow, instead using it to move even as she slammed into the ground, the hard packed mud of the training field made for a poor landing. With both feet and one hand on the ground she charged forwards once again.

She leapt upwards putting everything behind the next attack, her eyes were locked onto Logan through the few loose strands of her now dirty white hair.

Logan prepared a counter attack, the blunted tip of his spear flying towards her exposed side.

“Aight, that’s enough of that,” Coat appeared between them, his knife blocking Logan’s attack, while a single pinkie stopped Nota’s sword with such strength that all of her momentum seemed to die and she slipped to the ground the apple that Coat had been munching on

Coat was a tall human, nearly as tall as some Oni were, with a patchy orange beard, and bright green eyes. His face was scruffy, and he always looked like he had been dragged out of some shady gutter from somewhere. But despite his sloppy appearance, Coat was one of the strongest adventurers in Daklan, the insignia on the jacket he wore on his shoulder showing a golden star was proof of that.

Though Nota had never actually seen him fight seriously, his strength was obvious whenever she got to even test it slightly. If Logan with his aura was a wall, Coat was a damn mountain.

“Last time I let you get all beat up that darl’n sister of yours was awfully mad at me Nuhuh, so let’s call it here.” Coat took a loud crunchy bite of his apple and grinned down at Nota, his nickname for her sucked, but it was better than No-Tail. “Besides, until you figure out how to use Aura it won’t do you any good getting knocked around by Logan here.”

Coat gave Logan a sour look and sighed. “Boy’s not a dwarf but he’s got his mum’s aura that’s for damn sure. You sure you don’t want to be an adventurer?”

Logan shook his head, and was about to speak.

“Why can’t we keep going?” Nota asked glaring up at Coat. “I’m not hurt and I still—”

“Listen here Nuhuh, if wailing against a wall was enough to unlock your aura, then you’d already have broken that wall.” Coat’s apple was waved in her general direction as he sliced off another bite for himself. “But, I’m starting to think that you’re just not a late bloomer, but you just don’t have any Aura to begin with.”

A pit formed in Nota’s stomach. Another thing she didn’t have that everyone else did. Her ears burned and she wanted to scream. “It’s not like Aura is everything.”

“That’s just it though, it kind of is.” Coat twisted his knife around and finished off his apple with one last bite and tossed the core into a nearby patch of grass for some critter to snack on later. “Logan, what do dwarves say Aura is?”

“Huh?” Logan shifted awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. “Its uhh, Opal says that it’s our will, our blessing, and our greatest weapon, and that without it we can do nothing because we have nothing.”

“That’s about right,” Coat continued and met Nota’s eyes. “Without Aura we’d all be gone, monsters would swarm over this world and things would be even more fucked than they are now.”

“But what about Mana?” Nota asked, stomping her foot on the ground. “Silver doesn’t have aura she—”

“In what world does your saintess friend not have Aura? She’s got it alright, it might be buried deep under her mana so it’s hard for me to see, but she’s got plenty of Aura and uses it every time she’s healing your boo-boos.” Coat’s green eyes turned hard as he looked at her. “The thing that separates us from monsters is that we have Aura, and they only have Mana.”

Coat’s shoulders deflated and he scratched the back of his neck and muttered, “damn elves though.”

Nota felt her hands shake as she gripped onto her practice sword more. It was one thing for Gold to tell her these things. But for someone like Coat, someone that wasn’t just all talk, it hurt. It hurt a lot. She wanted to cry.

“Now look, I’m no expert on the ins and outs of this shit.” Coat sighed, scratching the back of his head. “I can only tell you what I know, I’m real perceptive, especially when it comes to sensing Aura and I keep looking at you, trying to see a light, a sparke, a sliver of aura in anything you do. But I see nothing. It’s like… well, it’s like I’m talking to a damn elf in the shape of a stubborn little fox ear.”

There was that word again. Elf. Apparently they had finally appeared on the island which was why Marshal Nox and his army had arrived, and while Marshal Nox had long since sailed back to the empire, a steady stream of imperial warriors were showing up to help deal with the elves.

Or at least that’s what Ori had said when more soldiers were showing up to the brothel.

Thankfully, none of them were too keen on challenging some little girl to a game of Delve.

“It’s only the young’ns that don’t have aura.” Coat continued. “Helps them hide from monsters, since they can’t sense them like they can adults.” A finger was pointed at Nota’s head. “But you, you’re one hell of a late bloomer especially for a Fox-Ear. Chances are you got aura, but it’s either buried so deep under your mana that I can’t see it, or there’s so little that even a bit of mana blocks it out.”

“You said that you’d train us for the exams.” Nota said her entire body was shaking at this point.

“Aye, and I have,” Coat nodded slowly. “Best I can anyrate, but I’m expected to be a judge and with the exam and apparently I ain’t allowed to watch ya’ll wail on each other until you’re black and blue or else that’s some kind of favoritism.”

“Isn’t Gold’s dad also a judge?” Logan asked.

“Yes, but he has money.”

That asshole.

“But…what am I supposed to do?” Nota could feel her eyes watering. “What am I supposed to do if I can’t use my aura?”

“Well, if you turn out like that sister of yours I reckon you’re already in a good place as is.” Coat smiled broadly. “Especially with the imps coming to town, apparently you fox ears are pretty popular up north, so someone with deep pockets might show up and—”

Nota threw her sword with all her might, it bounced across the field and she ran in the opposite direction, tears blinding her vision as she turned corner after corner, bumping into strangers and walls alike. She didn’t know why she was running. She didn’t know where she was running to. But she just needed to run.

The skies above her began to darken as a storm came in from the sea, bolts of thunder rained down upon the land, striking at the Storm Spire that rested in the center of Daklan’s bay, the lightning briefly making the barrier that kept the monsters away from the city visible to her eye.

Drops of water pelted her as she ran, they were thick, angry, and cold.

The people she passed were all running too now, most aiming to find some way out of the storm before they got too wet, though some simply continued about their day, hoping that the storm would pass as suddenly as it arrived.

By the time reached the end of her journey Nota was completely soaked, her clothes clung to her body and her legs felt like they were on fire. But none of that mattered compared to how she was feeling on the inside. A useless feeling of panic was surrounding her as Coat’s words had hurt far more than any of Logan’s hits.

She stared up at the large wall of Daklan that separated the city from the outside. She didn’t know why they had a wall like this, especially since they had the barrier to keep the monsters out. But there had to be a reason. Everything had a reason.

Just like her lack of tail had to have a reason.

Just like her lack of Aura had to have a reason.

If only she knew those reasons.

Nota found one of the towers that dotted along the wall, and squeezed in through the window at the bottom, a task that had been easier when she was smaller, but she wasn’t going to fuss about being tall for a girl of her age. It was about the only thing she had going for her at the moment.

Rather than stay inside the tower and wait out the storm, Nota instead climbed it following the spiral staircase and ladders until she arrived at the roof where the storm lashed at her with renewed fury as though it was mad she had fled from it for even a moment.

She stood in the storm, embracing its fury, feeling the harshness of the wind and the coolness of the rain while the thunder struck angrily at the Storm Spire.

Through the rain and darkness provided by the storm she looked out beyond Daklan and towards the rest of the Isle. She couldn’t see the forest like she could on clear days, instead she could only see the farms that surrounded the city and the houses that clung to the walls like they were trying to climb up it. She could see where the barrier stopped, it was where the houses stopped, with only crops and fields stretching beyond it.

But through the rain she could see glowing dots that neither waivered nor flickered in the storm. Her sister told her about them, about how long ago, before the Storm Spire was made a seven tailed Kitsune wandered through the land, leaving behind a trail of stars where he went, monsters could not tread upon these trails and so the Kitsune were protected and they could travel between the villages safely so long as they stayed on the path.

“Jericho Star Foot.” Nota repeated that legends name. “Must be nice, having seven tails.”

Most of the legends were like that, they all had seven or eight tails, and they were all great because of it. Even the child books about young Kitsune had them start with one tail and then earn their second tail.

There was nothing about a zero tail Kitsune.

Lightning struck near the city wall, the small fire it made in the field could be seen for a few moments before the rain quenched it.

With her ears pressed flat against her head Nota sat in that rain, hoping that it would somehow make her feel better.

“Maybe if I’m struck by lightning I’ll get a tail.”

Chapter Text

Nota glowered through the streets of Daklan the wind whipping her hair back and forth as the rain pelted her. She could feel a vague numb pain emphasizing just how cold she was, but it was nothing compared to how she was mentally feeling. She didn’t have Aura. She didn’t have a tail.

What did she have? A sister? A warm bed?

At least she could blame the tears on the rain.

The streets of Daklan were clear and warm lights came from most windows she passed. Most people had the common sense to actually seek shelter in such a storm. “Heh,” Nota smiled briefly as she laid her eyes upon the large structure that dominated the street she was on. “Apparently that’s another thing I don’t have.”

With lights that shined brighter than all but the most bustling of taverns the Church of Nine-Hundred-and-Ninety-Nine-Tails was older than the rest of the city around it and originally served as more than just a place of worship. Its tall painted walls were paramount to a fortress of art and life. The paintings were more than a decoration. They told a story, a written history of the divine beast, a massive fox that had one thousand tails.

It could grant wishes at the cost of its tails.

After granting 999 wishes the beast vanished but the tails it left behind grew into the Kitsune we had today.

“Maybe that’s why I don’t have a tail?” Nota wondered. “We ran out.”

It was complete bullshit either way, after all Gold had just got his second tail, and surely if the great fox was so great then she would have been next in line for a tail.

That and she was pretty sure there were more than a thousand Kitsune.

There were definitely more than a thousand people in Daklan.

Nota stared at the closed door to the church, it was a large wooden door that was surprisingly plain compared to the walls around it that showed each one of the foxes wishes. She’d only been to the church a few times, mostly whenever Silver had dragged her into the building for whatever reason. But she had never really been there for the services and other things. Mostly because life at the Three Moons Brothel just didn’t match up with waking up in the morning.

“Maybe.” Nota’s voice was drowned out by the thunder as the wind began to lash about her. She pressed forward towards the door, driven more by curiosity than a fear of the cold and rain. She was already way past Ori’s curfew, and she honestly just didn’t want to go home.

Her sister would just comfort her, tell her that she’s already amazing, that she’s going to be great, and all those other things. They were nice to hear.

But they weren’t answers.

The wind fought her as she pulled the door open just enough to slip inside before the wind attempted to end her by slamming the door behind her. A mixture of braziers, candles, and light stones bathed the area in a warm light that almost made the storm outside an afterthought.

The inside was just as painted as the outside, with carefully laid colored bricks leading towards a central podium where someone important would probably speak on occasion. Multiple rows of benches ran along each side of the long room split into two columns with a few being moved to make room for the blazers that were currently providing warmth and a place to dry off.

There were a lot more people here than she would have thought, most of them were older Kitsune that looked like they were having a rough time. Silver was there too, despite being shorter than many of the Kitsune here Silver was always always easy to find, not just because of how thick her tail was compared to others but also just because.

Well, they were friends, it was easy to point her out from a crowd.

She struggled with Logan though, there were times when he just blended in with other humans. Things might get harder if he ever decided to grow a beard.

Silver was smiling and laughing with the various Kitsune she talked to, she was dressed in what looked like her pajamas and was carrying around an entire stack of blankets that she handed out without concern or worry.

Ori would probably try to charge people.

“Ahh, another wayward soul.” A calming voice came from the side as a Kitsune man walked in from one of the side doors. He carried with him a large still steaming pot that smelled delicious. He looked at her with a smile on his face his eyes never fully opening. “A rare face at that, tell me Nota, what brings you here? The storm? Our lovely Saint in training, or perhaps something else, ya?”

Nota glanced towards Silver for a second, her friend had now noticed her but was still handing out the blankets to those that needed them.

“I don’t know,” She said softly, looking back at the man. His ears were capped with white and his hair a brown so dark that was nearly black. She knew who this man was but when she caught a glimpse of his six thin tails she knew exactly who he was.

“Well if it’s not the storm give me a hand, there’s plenty of hungry mouths that could use some warm soup ya?” Gin, the head priest of the whole church and the second most important Kitsune in Daklan nodded her towards a table that had been set up. “If ya give us a hand I’ll see about sorting you out and giving you and Silver some time.”

Before she could even protest, Nota found herself helping to serve the soup to whoever asked for a bowl. Though many were also confused why this soaking wet rat was serving food instead of standing next to the fire.

“Master Gin!” Silver half stomped up to them by the time she had finished tending to the guests. “Why are you putting Nota to work? Can’t you see she’s practically soaked to the bone?”

“Hmm? Of course, but she didn’t seem bothered by it.”

“She’s standing in a puddle!”

Nota moved her feet and heard the sound of her wet shoes slap against the puddle she had made simply by standing there.

Gin just offered a simple shrug. “So? We’ll mop it up in a bit ya?”

“That’s not the point.” Silver’s ear twitched and she sighed before looking at Nota. Her mouth opened for a second before she narrowed her eyes at her. She was doing that thing. That thing she did where it felt like all of Nota’s secrets were being dragged to the surface kicking and screaming.

“Are you okay?” Silver finally asked, her eyebrow raised.

The words died on Nota’s tongue, so she just shrugged.

“See?” Gin asked his back straight with pride as his six cat-like tails danced behind him. “She needs more than warm clothes and a belly full of food.” Gin blinked and looked her up and down for a moment, his eyes barely widening. “Though those won’t hurt either. Silver, find Nota some clothes, and Nota.” A bowl of soup was nearly pressed into her chest. There was still more. “Eat up.”

Somehow the calm nature of the church and the gratefulness of those that had come seeking shelter from the storm felt more chaotic and unwelcoming than the storm just outside.

Even distant thunder that seemed to shake the entire world seemed more peaceful than this.

The kindness was suffocating.

The soup was good though.

The clothes she was given was a set of Pajamas.

There was a hole for where her tail would be.

They were probably Silvers.

Her butt was cold.

“Now then,” Nota found herself sitting across from the smiling Gin, a candle between them as they sat next to a plain window in a room separated from the others. His tails flicked behind him in an almost hypnotic pattern. There was a glint to his eyes that caught the flame of the candle and made it feel cold. “I’ve been wondering when you’d come to find me Nota.”

“You have?” Nota asked, her mouth was oddly dry, like this was the first time she had opened it all day. She glanced towards the cup of water that Gin had provided. The room they were in was covered wall to wall in books, scrolls, tablets, nearly any form of writing and recording she could think up was present somewhere in here. A calming light stone sat in the center of the room, its light was just there enough to brush away the shadows.

“I know a lost soul when I see one.” Gin practically purred as he rested his hand on the table. “And you were by far the most lost.”

“I…” Nota’s nose crinkled and she glared at the man, a bit of anger warming her up. “I’m not lost just because I live in a brothel.”

“Never said you were, child,” Gin flipped his hand. “My goodness Silver was right, you can be defensive.”

Nota felt her cheeks burn hot. “Silver talked about me?”

Gin let out an exasperated sigh. “Does she ever.” Gin’s eyes focused back on her and that glint appeared again. “But, we’re not here to talk about Silver, ya?”

“Um. I don’t know why I’m here.”

“Yes you do.” Gin his smile turning smug as a few wrinkles began to appear at his eyes. “You want answers.”

Okay, maybe he wasn’t just a weird old man.

“About why you’re different from everyone else.”

A rush went through Nota’s body, and she slammed her hands on the table in excitement. “You know?”

“Well you don’t have a tail.”

Never mind, he was just a weird old man.

“But, you are different.” the glint in Gin’s eyes vanished as he opened his eyes slowly. “For reasons beyond your lack of tail.”

“I also don’t have Aura.”

Gin’s eyes went wide. “You don’t?”

“According to Coat. He says that I should just give up and work at the brothel since my aura hasn’t awoken yet.” Nota could feel her anger rising. She wanted to kick and scream and throw things. Mostly at Coat, but anyone would do really.

“Hmm,” Gin’s eyes returned to normal as he touched his chin, “I suppose that young master Coat would know a thing or two about Aura, but still that surprises me.” A scowl appeared on Gin’s face and his tails flicked around in annoyance. “And to tell a young girl to work at a brothel! The nerve of him. Were he a member of this church I’d scold him for even thinking such thoughts.”

Nota gave a slight smirk.”The only thing he worships are booze and my sister’s boobs.”

“No doubt money is on that list as well.” Gin drummed his fingers for a moment before he shook his head and calmed himself. “But enough about that lowlife. Bad mouthing him won’t help you get your answers will it?”

It’d make her feel better.

“But you will?”

“I can try.” Gin said with a small frown. “But at the end of the day the only one that can find those answers is you, ya?”

Nota nodded. It was better than nothing. “So, what even is Aura? And, why…”

“Why don’t you have it?” Gin leaned back so far that he nearly fell from the bench he was sitting on. “To be honest, I can’t tell you why, I can only tell you that you should. Not just because you are among the enlightened.”

“But, I don’t.”

“No you do not. And I can’t tell you why you don’t. Nor can I tell you why you should.”

“Why?”

“Because then you shouldn’t.” Gin offered a light smile and gestured towards his tails as they spread out behind him. “Just know that I know.”

Tails. One of his tails let him know? “Is it how you found Silver?”

“Perhaps.”

“Can I get a straight answer on this?”

Gin blinked and then stroked his chin for a moment. “Hmm, maybe, but onto your other question first. Why don’t you tell me what you think Aura is, ya?”

Nota shifted in her seat and stared at the un-eaten piece of bread that was sitting on her plate. “I’ve never felt it so I don’t really know, but Ori told me it’s the will to live and the opposite of Mana, Coat says it’s how we survive, and I’ve heard that it’s a blessing from the emperor or even the giants.”

“Ha,” Gin chuckled. “All good guesses, and there is a hint of truth in all of them. Lady Ori perhaps strikes the heart of the matter, but I feel she still misses the mark, especially when it comes to Mana but if I recall correctly she is an Oni is she not?”

Nota nodded.

“Oni tend to favor Aura far more than they do Mana, so that line of thought makes sense. As an adventurer Coat must feel strongly that he’s able to make such an impression against monsters because of his abundant Aura. Likewise, the giants being ancient beings that wield tremendous must inspire such awe. And the Emperor’s overwhelming aura has kept his domain safe for centuries, so it makes sense why his subjects would believe in his strength so much.”

“But…” Nota tilted her head to the side. “They’re all wrong?”

“Yes, but also no.”

Helpful.

“So what is Aura?”

“It is the manifestation of our will to change the world around us.” Gin said with absolute calmness. “It is drive, discipline, and hope given form. That is why for each person Aura is different. My aura is tied to my faith. Silver’s is tied to her blessings as a saint, though she may get angry if I say such things.” Gin reached across the table and grabbed her hands, his fingers tracing over the bruises around her fingers from holding the sword. “And I can say without a doubt that you do not lack these things Nota.”

“But, I don’t have Aura. Why?”

A strike of lightning illuminated the room before thunder shook the world.

Gin cast his eyes out of the window for a moment, he had a distant look on his face, before her turned and examined the candle before him. “For me, my Aura feels like a flame, one that I nurture to provide warmth to those around me, and ruin in those most dire of circumstances.” He grabbed a blank piece of parchment and dragged it towards the flame. It ignited in a moment. “And this paper is like my mana, simple, plain, and ready to be used as fuel when ignited by my Aura.”

“For other’s the Aura is the brush, and mana the ink.” Gin stood taking the candle with him and began to unlatch the window. “And yet, despite this, despite Aura, we are not the masters of the world, even the giants fear to tread too far from their isle, and the empire can only expand so much, this world is so vast, and yet the maps are so small. The mana of the world—”

The window slammed open and the storm raged inside, snuffing out the candle and even the light stone that floated above them flickered. The window was slammed shut, and Gin stood in the chaos he had just caused, the glint in his eye seeming brighter in the now dark room. “Is simply the stronger force, so it can snuff out aura less we build walls and barriers to protect us.”

“So… what, my aura got snuffed out?” Nota asked, her eyes locked onto the candle as Gin sat back down. With the wave of his hand the candle was lit once more and the light stone above them began to glow again. “Why?”

“Snuffed, consumed, stolen, dissipated, absorbed,” Gin flipped his hand back and forth as he sat down once more. “There are many words that describe what has happened to you, as there are possibilities for what has happened to you.”

“So my answer is that I should have it but don’t?” Nota felt her shoulders shrink. She felt like crying again. She probably was crying again. “But why?”

“Such answers you might never find.” Gin’s eyes opened slightly and remained open. It felt like he was seeing through her, as though he was searching deep inside of her and trying to find any sort of clue as to why she was the way she was. “As for your lack of tail.”

Gin stared up at the ceiling, his fingers tapping rapidly on the table as he search for the words. “Our tails follow neither the rules of Aura or Mana, they are more esoteric in nature, though far from the strength of the original wishes which helped to shape our world, they can still do things in amazing ways. How we earn a tail is always different, but there are a few common threads that most Kitsune have mentioned.”

Gin held up a single finger. “The first is desperation, this was more common before Daklan was founded and we were but scattered tribes and villages upon the isle and at the mercy of the monsters that would rise each night.”

Two fingers. “The second is satisfaction, this is how I earned my last tail, I remember just waking up one morning and feeling completely satisfied with my life, and then bam, I’m suddenly a six tail and I have a lot more responsibilities.”

Three fingers. “The third is loss, many a tail had been gained through the death of others, I owe two of my tails to departed friends.”

Four fingers. “The fourth is through accomplishments as though they are being given out as rewards for doing something great. This was how Brother Dai received most of his tails.”

Gin wiggled his thumb for a moment, “All I know is that it is nearly impossible to force a tail to grow, otherwise, Brother Dai would have gotten to seven and beyond, ya?”

“Okay,” Nota spoke slowly, she placed a hand on the tail hole of her pajamas. “But, why wasn’t I born with a tail like everyone else?”

Gin stroked his chin once more, his leg bouncing under the table as he twisted his head to the side, his face scrunched up just like Nia’s was whenever she was trying to figure out what to wear. “You are certainly a full blooded Kitsune, of that I have no doubt.” Gin spoke slowly. “And I doubt that it’s something as silly as running out of tails since If I’m not mistaken Young Master Gold is having his naming party soon, ya?”

Guh, Gold.

Prick.

“I believe that there may be a connection between your Aura and your Tail.” Gin nodded to himself. “Yes, that would perhaps make the most sense, but raises so many more questions doesn’t it.”

Nota’s head hit the table hard. She was a fool for getting her hopes up. If just going to the church was enough for her to get answers. She felt Gin place a hand on her shoulder as he walked around the table.

“I’ll read through the scrolls to find a similar case to yours, to see if they have the answers you crave.” There was laughter in his voice. “It is fortunate that we’ve recorded so much history ya? I hear the humans of the empire are still struggling to piece together their history.”

He helped her stand and guided her towards the door slowly. “For now, get some rest, no matter how resilient you may be, it’s important for the youth to get good quality sleep while you can.”

The door was open and Nota saw Silver standing there sweeping the cleanest looking spot on the floor, her back was turned to them, and her ear twitched slightly in the dim light.

“Ahh, good Saint Silver, if you’re done eavesdropping, would you mind sharing your bed with Young Miss Nota tonight?” Gin’s voice dripped with such mirth that Nota could practically feel it pouring down upon her like that rain had earlier. “And do try to keep the chatter to a minimum, it’s likely that we’ll have a long day tomorrow after the storm passes.”

“Yes!” Silver practically jumped towards them, her cheeks burning a bright red and the broom falling helplessly to the side. “I mean uhh, I was just sweeping Gin.”

“And we were just having tea.” Gin mocked, he patted Nota on the shoulder and then rubbed between her ears. “Now then, Nota, do have faith, after all, we Kitsune didn’t always have tails. Still not sure on the ears though.”

“I umm,” Nota let Silver take her hands, once again she couldn’t help but feel like Silver was the older and more mature one in their relationship. Even not accounting for her extra ear height, Nota was clearly taller than her friend by nearly half a head. “Sure, I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

All she had to do was just find one of the original 999 tails or something.

Or were the Kitsune born from those tails?

Things for tomorrow.

Gin closed the door behind her, she barely heard the sound of him picking up the mess he had made by opening the window before Silver pulled her into a tight hug.

“Nota,” Silver said softly, her face pressed into Nota’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry for what’s happening with you.”

“It’s fine.”

It wasn’t.

“No, it’s really not.” Silver said softly. “I always forget how much you must be hurting, because most of the time, you’re… well, someone I look up to a lot.”

Nota couldn’t help but laugh as she returned Silver’s hug. “You, a saintess looking up to me, the daughter of some brothel?”

“Shut up,” Silver chided as she hugged tighter. “You don’t see yourself. You’re amazing.”

The door creaked open, and Gin’s eye smiled through a crack. “Oh, and Nota, that straight answer you wanted, make sure that when Silver says you’re amazing, you believe it. Tail or no tail.”

Chapter Text

“So, uhh,” Silver muttered from behind her closet door, the sound of her own clothes being swapped about barely audible above the constant rain hitting the roof above them. Her head appeared from behind the door, her shoulder was bare. “Are you umm, okay?”

Nota blinked, and then smiled. “Yeah, you know me, I’ll be fine… eventually.”

“Why does that sound like a question?” Silver asked as she disappeared back behind her closet door.

“It’s not. I know that I’ll be fine, tail or no tail.” Nota smiled softly. She’d always been fine without a tail. And while she was still feeling, well, hopeless, the exams for the imperial academy were just around her corner, so that anxiety was not mixing well with the harsh truth that Coat had told her. “I’m just worried about the exams.”

Gin had helped her. Kind of. Maybe? It was hard to tell. At least she felt better after talking to him.

The storm let loose a barrage of thunder as though to remind her that it was still there.

Though maybe her sitting in the storm for several hours had actually done most of the calming she needed.

“I swear this storm came out of nowhere, I hear that they’re rarer on the mainland where the empire is, and that they have to use mages to bring storms to areas that don’t get rain.” Silver emerged from the closet with a smile on her face. “They call it a drought, can you imagine that? Going for so long without rain that you have a name for it?”

Nota laughed and shook her head. “Apparently there’s a desert on the other side of The Spine, at least that’s what Opal said, well, Logan said that opal said.”

“Oh, those are places where there’s almost no rain right?” Silver asked and sat down on her bed next to Nota. The bed was soft, far softer than the one that she shared with Nia most nights, but the sheets felt rougher than the recycled silks and cottons that she was used to sleeping with. “An endless beach with not a drop of water in sight. Sounds like a completely different world doesn’t it?”

Nota flopped onto her back sinking into Silver’s bed ever so slightly. “I wanna go there one day.”

“I’ll go with you.” Silver flopped down beside her landing slightly on Nota’s arm as Silver’s own hand touched against Nota’s chest. “Just to see if it’s really that hot.”

“And then we can travel north, just before we reach the land of ice and death and see snow.” Nota smiled up at the ceiling. “Real snow, not the stuff made by magic.”

“I think it is made by mana though.” Silver hummed, “And then where will we go? The Isle of Giants?”

“Yeah, I want to see if the mountain is really that tall. They say it touches the heavens.” Nota flopped her head to the side to look directly at Silver. “Maybe we can climb to the top and see if we can find where the goddess sleeps?”

“Ehh, let’s not, I’d rather not risk waking her up while I’m alive.” Silver gave a small laugh, turning to face Nota. “But don’t tell Gin that, he’ll get annoyed.”

“I mean if we find her we can just, not tell anyone.” Nota stuck her tongue out. “Besides, I’d kind of like to ask her where my tail is.”

“I don’t think that she’s in charge of tails, but she might know where the Divine Fox is.”

“Is he even still around?”

Silver just shrugged. “Ehh, maybe, some people think that he became a normal fox and got eaten by monsters, others think that he’s sleeping underground for a thousand years to regain his tails.”

Nota hummed and stared up at Silver’s ceiling for a few seconds, it was plain much like the rest of her room, but also didn’t leak despite the storm raging just outside that could only make itself known by raining down thunder. “Can the saintess even travel that much?”

“Ehh, if I get six tails they won’t be able to stop me, especially if I end up doing well at the academy.” Silver let out a long sigh. “I’ll probably end up having some bodyguards or something annoying like that.”

“What’s it like?” Nota asked.

“Being the saintess?” Silver asked back. “I don’t know, it’s… weird, everyone places all these expectations on me, and every time I meet them they ask for more. It’s honestly kind of exhausting.”

“I meant being important, but I guess that works too.”

Silver rolled over on top of Nota, her hands placed neatly on her own. She gave a tight squeeze. Nota found herself staring up at Silver, her pale blue eyes barely catching the light stone. They almost looked like the moons were turned into gems. “You are important Nota. More than you could ever know.”

She wanted to roll her eyes but found herself pinned beneath Silver’s gaze, unable to really look away. “It doesn’t feel like that, the only thing special about me is—”

“That you’re you,” Silver pushed her hands down further into the bed, her forehead nearly touching Nota’s. “Seriously, I’ve seen you in class, you’re smarter than me when it comes to studying, and you’ve beaten everyone at Delve.”

It was just a game.

“And you’re the best sword fighter I’ve ever seen, that includes adults, and I had to watch them fight each other a lot to practice my healing.” Silver collapsed on top of her, nearly knocking the air out of Nota’s lungs. She felt her friend’s hands dig through the blankets so that they were hugging. “And you’re my most important friend.”

Nota blinked for a second before she reached up and returned Silver’s hug. “I don’t know what I did.”

Silver’s large bushy tail began to sweep the ground between their feet.

“You don’t have to, just keep being you.” Silver said softly. “And I’ll keep supporting you however I can.”

“Heh, fine.” Nota hummed and felt the tension in her body begin to release. She could almost fall asleep like this. Maybe she was more tired than she thought. They laid there for a few more moments before she let out a sigh and stared up at the ceiling past Silver’s silver hair. “When we get into the academy, want to share a room?”

Silver finally let go of her and pushed up, giving a light stretch. “Sure! Saves me having to find an excuse to not stay with Gold.” She made a gross face and she stuck out her tongue. “Or blaze.”

Silver, held up her hand and twisted it slowly, the light crystal slowly fading until there wasn’t even a flicker of light left, bathing the room in a pleasant darkness that made Nota all the more aware how tired she was.

She clambered up onto the bed, making room for the vague shadow that as Silver to get on as well. The covers were coarse, but held a cool warmth that seemed to grab hold of her and pull her deeper into relaxation. Her muscles ached. Her head ached. Her heart ached. If she had a tail she was pretty sure that it would be aching too.

Silver grunted a few times climbing into the bed beside her, only to finally let out a small sigh as she laid down close enough to Nota that she could feel the warmth of her breath. “This is nice,” Silver said after a moment. “I haven’t shared a bed with someone in a long time.”

“Perks of being a saintess,” Nota smirked in the darkness, her voice barely audible over the pitter patter of rain. “There are nights when I’d love my own bed.”

“Oh, it’s great most of the time.” Silver scooted closer, her hand finding one of Nota’s own. “I get to spread out all I want, no one to hog the covers and I don’t have to worry if I snore.”

Nota rolled her eyes in the darkness. She could see a faint glimmer of Silver’s blue eyes in the darkness, reflecting what little light managed to enter the room. A spark of lightning saw her staring at Silver’s smiling face.

“But I kind of miss sharing a bed with someone, there’s something comforting about the weight of another person on the mattress.” Silver scooted closer again. “And their warmth.”

“I don’t think I can help with that.” Nota shrugged. “Nia complains that I sleep cold a lot.”

“That has its benefits too.” Silver laughed and then finally settled down.

“How are your parents by the way?” Nota sked despite the fact that her eyes were starting to become unopenable. She’d never met Silver’s parents, they lived in one of the smaller towns along the coast, but Silver being blessed had brought her to Daklan alone at an early age.

Silver just snorted. “They’re happy they have one less mouth to feed after the twins were born, and so long as I marry Gold, Vesport will continue to thrive as Daklan’s main trade partner in the area. But, enough about that stuff.”

Silver let out a sigh that could only be called cute and shifted her hips about. A foot touched Nota’s own.

“The exams are next week.” Silver said plainly. “I know you’re worried, I’m worried too, But I know we’ll ace the written exam.”

“What makes you so sure?” Nota asked, the written exam was one that she was actually feeling confident in. Ori said that she had a talent for numbers, and she could read better than most of the other girls at the Brothel.

Silver hummed, her voice was laced with sleep. “Because you’re smarter than me and I’ll ace the exam no problem.”

If her eyes were open Nota would have rolled them.

Actually she could do that while they were closed.

Too tired.

“It’s not the written exam I’m worried about.” Nota whispered softly.

“You’ll do great in the physical too.” Silver whispered back. “They don’t allow the use of Aura or Mana during it.”

“Really?” Nota opened her eyes as wide as she could, which was little more than a squint at this point. They were shut tight in less than a breath.

“Mmmhmm,” Silver nodded. “Apparently it’s always been like that after some deaths. Now the physical is just pure skill. Aura and Mana are still tested, but they’re separate.”

“How do they test them?”

Silver just shrugged.

Nota felt a surge of confidence well up inside of her ready to take over her entire being.

But sleep swept her away first.

She was going to kick Gold’s three tailed butt.

Chapter Text

The ground on the exam field was still slightly moist, in part due to the recent storm that had shut down Daklan for nearly a day, but also due to the random downpours that only lingered for a couple of minutes to an hour. Fortunately, Daklan was built with such storms in mind, and the fairgrounds were a prime example of that, nearly everything had some forum of shade to keep the rain and sun out while also allowing the cool sea air to mix with the isles warmth.

Nota leaned back on the bench she was sitting on, and tried to drown out the sounds of the other examinees that she shared the large tent with. Like Silver had said, the written exam had been easy, it was one part math, one part language, but most of it was just figuring out what to do and solving puzzles. Some of the scenario’s felt like they were straight out of Delve.

She glanced towards a group of examinees that looked to be completely lost to despair as they held their hands in their heads, she recognized a few of them from the classes she had been to, in that they had shown up and not done much else. The other’s she didn’t recognize, but a lot of them were older than her, which was probably because the exams only came to Daklan once every five years.

In the center of the large tent, flanked on both sides by the wooden bleachers that Nota sat on was a smooth circle of hard packed dirt that was only separated from the sparse grass by a circle of stone bricks. The few defiant weeds that had managed to sprout up in the harsh dirt had already been crushed flat by several others trying to get some practice in.

Most of them had longer weapons, spears, glaves, and other pole arms were the most common, it was easy to see why, they were simply the safest option when fighting against larger monsters, that wasn’t even considering how common it was to use a shield with them. Other common choices were large hammers and axes that could shatter and destroy any form of armor that the monster might have. There was only one other sword in the tent, and it looked more like a large slab of wood that had been sharpened on one edge.

Bows were still the best weapon in terms of safety, the ability to apply Aura, even at a slightly diminished rate from a significant range was the best way to take down monsters large enough to call in the imperial army, but bowmen were tested at the shooting range rather than physical combat.

Nota leaned forward in her seat and looked at her practice sword. It was smooth polished wood, and felt harder than the training swords that she had been using with Coat in the past. It followed the slimmer Kitsune design of a sword more so than the broader designs that the empire tended to use. In general swords were considered something of a side arm that weren’t meant for open field use against larger monsters, but rather something that could be used in the tight corridors of dungeons.

However, for whatever reason, be it natural affinity with Aura, or some other unseen force, swords had the highest potential, and those that mastered it were a step above the greatest fighters of other weapons.

“A sword master,” Nota mused as she spun the sword, its elongated tip spinning along a bald patch of dirt with only her hand keeping it from falling over. She’d be a liar if the idea of becoming a master of the sword wasn’t something she had toyed with in the past. And while such a level of mastery was something she could do. Probably. The level of aura that they apparently had was something that she wouldn’t be able to obtain.

Really the reason why she had chosen the sword was simple, it felt right.

And even Coat admitted that she was skilled for her age. “Just lacking in Aura.”

A man entered the tent dressed in the imperial uniform, he was well kept, with a beard that was neatly trimmed and a hat that looked like it had been freshly tailored two minutes ago. He looked at the notepad in his hand and then examined the examinees. He coughed into his hand and straightened his back. “Examinee number 58? No-Tail-But—these Kitsune names I swear—Fluffy-Ears?”

Nota stood, feeling a bit of dread washing over her as her full name was called out. If she got to the academy it was going to suck having the teachers there call her that until she earned her three tails.

“That’s me!” She raised her hand and walked towards the officer.

“Huh, at least they’re accurate.” The officer muttered to himself as he nodded towards her. “You’re up next, do you need anything for the fight or will that do?” He pointed at her sword with the tip of his pen.

“Nope, this is all I’ll need.”

“Hmm, alright,” He shrugged and walked around her, his pen poking a prodding the padded leather armor that she was allowed to wear for the exams. “Very well miss No-Tail-But-Fluffy-Ears, everything appears to be in order. Now then repeat the rules to me.”

Nota nodded. “The physical exam is going to be a one on one with another examinee, no Aura or Mana is allowed to be used, Kitsune tails are allowed provided they do not go against the spirit of the exam, if I had any questions I am to ask you. But I have no tail, so no question.”

The officer smiled and nodded for her to continue.

“Scores will be graded on ability,” Nota continued shifting slightly as she grabbed the hilt of her training sword. “Winning against my foe is no guarantee for a high score, additionally after the battle I may request a retrial if I believe that my foe did not allow me to show my strength to the fullest, but doing so is up to the judges, and I may also be requested to have a retrial.

While true, there was an unspoken that had been whispered about among the students, that requesting a retrial would do far more harm than good. Some of the imperial troops that had come to the Three Moons Brothel had told her as much when she managed to ask them a few times.

“Lastly, as this is a test of skill, I should not seek to kill, maim, or seriously injure my opponent, and that victory is achieved when my opponent is disarmed, knocked out of the arena, surrenders or is otherwise unable to fight.”

“Very good!” the Officer clapped on his notepad and smiled at her, she wasn’t sure if he was genuinely impressed by her or just being an ass.

She settled on the latter.

With that she followed him out of the tent.

She was greeted by the blinding sun hanging high in the sky, its warm ways instantly making her feel the early summer heat. The sports field seemed smaller than she imagined, she always pictured a vast open field where horses could run at their full speed and great monsters could be towed out from the depths for champions to fight.

At least that’s what the posters she had seen growing up advertised. But standing in it. It almost felt small. Like she could run to the other side and not even run out of breath. The arena was a trampled dirt square that was taller than it was wide, stretching from one tent to the other. Wooden bleachers that looked like they had been dragged into place recently sat on either side of the arena with one set pushed back to make way for the judges booth.

Nota’s eyes locked onto Silver’s instantly, she was sitting in the back of the Judges booth, a mug clenched tight in both her hands. Silver nodded slowly and smiled at her. Nota recognized a few of the Judges.

The First was Gin, whose constant smile didn’t so much as twitch at her, though he did see fit to bring his hand out of his white robe just long enough to give her the most pathetic of waves.

Next to him was General Nox, the one that had taken Alexandra away from the Three Moons Brothel Months ago. He was still here? Was his father Albel still here? She’d have to ask him. There was a twitch in her brain that craved another match of Delve with the Marshal. Sitting on either side of General Nox were two other Imperials that Nota didn’t recognize.

Coat was there as well, he was sitting almost directly in front of Silver and offered her little more than a smirk and a thumbs up.

And lastly, there was Dai.

The Twin Fanged Lion of Daklan was a legend, his exploits of fighting great monsters to save their city and all of the isle excited every single child. He had reached six tails at a young age, and there were rumors, prayers, and legends that he might one day be the first seven tailed Kitsune in over two hundred years.

And he did not live up to the expectations.

Not in the slightest.

His blond hair and beard that was famed for being like a mane of golden sunshine. Instead it was straight, pulled back into a ponytail, and his beard just looked wrong, like it was growing out from his neck more than his face. The heroic body that he was famed for was long gone, with a red velvet sash straining against his rotund waist. The only thing that didn’t disappoint were the six tails that Dai had, and the two ornate swords that he wore on his hips, his wrist casually resting on the hilt of one.

“Nota!” A shout came from the stands, and Nota turned to see her sister Nia running down the bleachers and stopping herself at the railing. As always her sister seemed to draw the gaze of others with incredible ease even dressed in plain clothes that covered everything. Nia’s hair was pulled into a loose ponytail that was held in place by an ornate pin that she wore at the Three Moons Brothel. Nia stopped when her waist hit the railing and leaned partially over it, waving both hands at Nia before shouting “Kick their butt Nota! Woo!”

A cough came from the officer standing in the middle of the field and Nia deflated slightly before backing away from the railing.

“Just do your best!” Nia cheered again.

Nota barely caught a glimpse of Silver laughing before the world fell away.

Her stomach churned as she saw Gold walk out from the tent. He had changed a bit since she last saw him, she was pretty sure that the growth spurt he got from his third tail was still on going and that he was now taller than her by an even greater margin. His blond hair was short and spiky, and his fore arms showed some form of muscle.

Much like his father he held two curved blades that were thicker near the tip. Scimitars. Last she checked Gold was more keen on using the bow rather than a sword.

And two swords?

Maybe he inherited his father’s tail for using two weapons at once?

Still none of that mattered.

This was Gold after all.

“Alright,” Dai clapped his hands and walked out in front of the judges table, his prideful smile that he cast towards Gold turned into a smarmy one when he looked at her. “Next up, Contest No-Tail-But-Fluffy-Ears, will be facing off against my son Radiant Daison!”

It took a considerable amount of willpower to not start laughing the moment she heard Gold’s new name. Radiant? Seriously? How big was his ego?

“Please, walk forward!” Dai clapped his hands, as the officer standing in the middle motioned for where they should stand.

She stood far enough away from Radiant that even if he had a polearm that he wouldn’t be able to reach her, but close enough that they could start clashing after a few steps. “Radiant?” She asked. “That’s what you called yourself?”

“I believe it describes me well.” Radiant shifted, holding both swords in his hands with relative ease. He flipped one casually around his wrist. “Shame you didn’t come to my naming ceremony, I guess my invitation got lost in that whore house you call home. Then again, I’m not sure if you’d even be allowed given how you’re not a real Kitsune.”

Nota gripped her sword tight.

Then stopped.

This wasn’t the time to be angry. If she was, she’d just be playing into Radiant’s hands. She needed to remain calm and focused. She gripped her sword, closed, her eyes and breathed.

This wasn’t going to be anything special.

She just needed to show what she could do.

“On go.” The officer said slowly.

Nota kept her eyes shut as she listened to the countdown.

“Three!”

The wind raced around her.

“Two!”

The sun felt warm.

“One”

Her sword felt steady.

“Go!”

She opened her eyes and rushed forward, the blade in her hands felt like it was made to be there as she brought it up. Her single blade blocked both of Radiant’s overhead slashes. The vibrations caused her limbs to tingle. But it didn’t feel like she was simply hitting a brick wall like she did while fighting Logan.

Without Aura, she could win.

She stepped to the side, her blade sliding against Radiant’s before she pulled away and delivered a powerful strike to his side, the leather padding absorbing some of the blow, but not all of it.

He grunted in pain and took a step to the side, his face wincing slightly, before an even more furious look overtook him.

He charged at her, and though his attacks were wild and ferocious, they were not uncoordinated as his twin blades continued to move in tandem.

Blocking one blade and dodging the other, Nota slipped her sword past Radiant’s lack of defense and slammed her sword into his forearm.

He reeled back.

And she advanced.

She charged forward and his two blades met her head to block both of her back to back to back strikes before he went on the offensive once more.

She didn’t have the chance as the moment he stopped focusing on defense, she was able to slip past him, the hilt of her sword slamming into his stomach with enough force that she heard the wind get knocked out from him.

Her assault continued, each blow focused on weakening where she had struck before, focusing on his left side.

She could already see the weaknesses in how he fought. He was aggressive, and if she gave him the chance he would probably overwhelm her with his two sword style. But whatever was letting him fight like that faltered whenever his tempo with both weapons was off, forcing him to reset.

Gold had never beaten her sword against sword. And Radiant would be no different.

“No-Tail!” Radiant roared at her swinging both blades down at her again, his face red with rage.

The tip of her sword slammed into his abdomen. She slammed onto his arm again, hitting the same spot for the third time in a row. He grabbed his sword with her bare hand and ripped it from his wrecked grip, and flung it as far away as she could.

“Bitch!” he roared.

She blocked a feeble attack against her. She was right. Without his second sword he was nothing.

There was a reason why they were taught to not rely on their tails. They could be rather finicky compared to skill, aura, and mana. Not that she had any experience with most of those things.

She pressed forward, attacking at him again and again, his blocks were weak, sending him off balance as his free hand just flailed about awkwardly, the hilt of his sword too short to be gripped properly with both hands.

He made a desperate attack, lunging at her with his whole body. His eyes were wide and filled with hatred.

She didn’t know why he hated her.

She didn’t know when it even started.

Maybe it’d always been that way?

Radiant’s blow glanced against her sword, slipping past her defenses and grazing her arm enough that she felt it through the padded leather she was wearing.

But he was completely exposed.

She slammed her sword into his stomach with full force, pushing him back and forcing the air out of him. Her follow up to his leg had him roaring in pain as he was brought to one knee.

Before he could even stand back up, she placed the tip of her wooden sword against his neck.

A bit of hair fell in front of her eyes as she stood, her breath was rough, but his was rougher, a bit of blood dripped from his left arm that had been the focus of most of her attacks.

“Alright!” A bell rang from the Judge’s tent and General Nox’s voice carried out over the field. “Thank you for the demonstrations, No-Tail-But-Fluffy-Ears is the winner of this duel if you have anything to say you may—”

Nota turned to face the judges, a smile on her face as she prepared to thank them for their time.

“No-Tail!” A shout of pure rage that had her frozen in place boomed from Radiant.

She didn’t even have enough time to turn to face him, she felt the impact of his sword as it slammed into her side with far more force than she could have mustered.

“Stop!” Silver shouted.

And the world listened.

Chapter Text

She couldn’t move. She was stuck eyes wide as she looked out towards the Judge’s tent where Silver stood, her eyes glowing brightly as a second tail manifested behind her. Was this stillness Silver’s doing?

Was this why she couldn’t move?

The pain on her arm intensified and she saw movement from the corner of her eye she could still see Radiant’s blade slowly creeping deeper into her arm, the pain of course was still there. And it was growing worse. She needed to scream, but her body simply couldn’t move.

With her vision locked onto a random spot in the middle of the tent, Nota could do nothing but watch as people moved into action.

Gin was there first, the table before him having been shunted to the side with such speed that she wondered if she had managed to blink just now. To say Gin moved was to say that lightning moved, he appeared before her a deep frown on his face as he paused before some invisible barrier, likely whatever was keeping her trapped as Radiant’s blade moved ever deeper into her arm.

She thought her bone just broke.

Carefully, he turned back and spoke, Silver running up to join him simply shook her head, as General Nox joined them. Even Dai joined them after a moment. Gin was not stationary for long, as he reached down to pick up some dirt and grass and tossed them into the air. They moved for a moment, and then stopped, forming a neat plane that likely marked the barrier of whatever Silver had done with her tail.

Gin took in a breath and placed his hand against the barrier.

His movements were slowed, and it looked as though he was wading through thick mud with how each step seemed to take a bit of effort. Still, slowed though he was, Gin was by far the fastest thing in the bubble, as he was able to move as fast as someone might actually be able to walk.

He vanished outside of her vision, but she could feel what he was doing, Radiant’s blade reversed its course and an intense relief filled the spot where his blade had once been pushing. Though the pain was still burning through her arm.

Silver pushed past General Nox who had been holding her back, before she dove into the barrier as well. Unlike Gin she didn’t even appear to be slowed, something that came as a shock to her if the look on her face was anything to go by. Their eyes met, well as close as they could with Silver’s looking on hers while she was forced to continue to stare at that one spot on the tent.

She was starting to think she could see the individual threads.

“Don’t worry.” Silver’s voice carried through the bubble though all other sound had long since stopped. She walked around to the side and Silver’s familiar healing energy coursed through her body. “Hold on, I think… I think It’s easier to heal in here. So just hold on.”

She wanted to nod so much that it hurt.

General Nox studied the barrier for a moment before he moved out of her vision, Dai had also left her vision, no doubt to deal with whatever Gin was doing to Radiant.

Before long the pain she felt in her arm vanished and Silver’s healing warmth pulsed through her whole body reducing any aching she might have felt from their fight.

Then she could breathe.

“Hey! Let go!” Nia’s voice shouted from behind them.

Nota turned to see General Nox put her sister back on the ground. She jumped into SIlver’s bubble thing didn’t she?

“Nota!” Nia ran over and hugged her tightly, before pushing away and looking over her body, her red eyes were wide with tears and her cheeks were flushed red. “Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Oh, I’m proud of you, that was amazing!, but what about your arm? Oh! It’s fine I thought I saw a lot of blood and stuff before I got stuck!”

For someone that could sleep and bathe all day Nia was sure full of energy.

“Oh Silver!” Nia let go of Nota and hugged Silver, pulling the shorter now two tailed girl into a hug that most men would kill for. Especially once Nia started to jump up and down. “Thank you thank you thank you! I always had a good feeling about you! If you ever want something just ask and I’ll give it to you!”

Silver stood in complete shock once the hug was over, her face a bright red, and her eyes were wide. “I umm, it’s nothing.”

“Nonsense!” Nia hugged her again before she adopted a furious look, and moved onto Dai. “And you!”

Nota glanced past Silver and examined the chaotic scene that had unfolded while she was forced to stare at the tent. Radiant’s face was plastered into the dirt, and he still glared at her, the hatred in his eyes was something that felt alien towards her, but at the same time, they felt similar to how Gold had always looked at her, just amplified. He was pin to the ground by Gin, who had one hand firmly placed on Radiant’s head, while another twisted Radiant’s arm around his back near Gin’s knee.

Gin looked beyond furious, his normal smile replaced with a frown that matched even the most furious of storms. His six tails lashing about behind him in annoyance.

Dai looked like he was furious.

Until Nia stomped up to him.

“And you!” Nia pointed a finger at Dai’s chest. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Did you just never talk to your kid or something? I get that you’re busy, but I’m single, and work at a brothel, and I raised that well adjusted young lady over there!”

Nota felt her cheeks burn.

“But you have three wives to help you raise him!” Nia pointed towards Radiant and stomped her foot. “There should be absolutely no reason for him to attack Nota like that!”

“The singer is right, Lord Dai.” General Nox crossed the field and stood beside Nia with an exasperated look on his face. For a moment, Nota thought that she saw a bit of Albel in the way he walked, but that could just be her wanting another game of Delve right about now. “From what I recall you’re the one that selected the two for this fight.”

Part of her figured that was the case, the odds of her just naturally matching up against Radiant were low.

“My son,” Dai began looking down towards Radiant before he tugged on his collar and righted himself. “Has an unhealthy obsession with No-Ta—” He paused closed his eyes and took a breath. “With Nota, It is something of an inferiority complex, and I had hoped that should he beat her in this, it would resolve him of that.”

Dai looked down towards his son and sighed, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly “It would appear as though that plan has backfired.”

“No shit,” Coat said helpfully as he walked up to the group. A slight frown on his face. “I honestly don’t think that could have gone any worse. So in the interest of moving things along.” Coat clapped his hands and smiled at Nia, before looking towards Nota. “Why don’t we give Nuhuh full marks, she’s pretty much earned them, and then we can discuss what to do about Sunshine in private?”

Dai glanced around and nodded. “General, is that fine with you?”

Rather than say anything, General Nox leaned down towards Radiant. The silence was uncomfortable for a moment, and Silver shifted over to place a hand on Nota’s shoulder.

“Well, I think that he should be punished.” Nia huffed a crossed her arms. “Since I won’t be invited to your private meeting about this.”

“The singer is right,” General Nox stood and turned towards Nota. “Contestant Nota?”

She nodded.

“You are the offended party here, so I shall ask you. What should I do with Radiant?”

Nota blinked back in surprise, normally the adults would just deal with the punishment themselves.

“I…” She started, she could take the high road. She could turn the other cheek. Maybe that would make Radiant not hate her for whatever reason. “I really don’t know why Radiant would hate me to the point that he would do something like that.”

Honestly, just her beating him was probably going to drive him crazy.

But that did not sound right. He tried to break her arm. He could have done so much more damage with that attack if Silver hadn’t grown a tail to save her.

“I think he should be disqualified, and not allowed to continue.” Nota said firmly.

Nia nodded in approval.

“Very well,” General Nox clapped his hands and looked towards Dai. “Radiant Daison has been disqualified, please escort him off the field, and we’ll resume in approximately thirty minutes.” He turned towards Nota once again and smiled. “Well fought contestant Nota.”

“Uhh, General Nox, if we might.”

“Later Lord Dai, we have an exam to judge and it has been derailed enough already.” General Nox barely even waved his hand at Dai before heading back to the tent, hands hidden in his sleeves and his brow furrowed. “Lady Silver, if you would be so kind as to see contestant Nota and Lady Singer their way out while you go obtain a new pair of clothes?”

“Huh?” Silver shook her head in surprise before glancing between Nota, Nia, and then General Nox once more. She then looked down and examined her robes. Her new tail was just as thick as her singular tail and had decided to burst its way out from her backside, ripping the cloth ever so slightly. It wasn’t exposing her but it was far from something that a saintess should be wearing at a casual event. “Oh, yes sir!”

“And send word to Captain Vance, tell him I’ll need a few guards.” General Nox called, still not looking their way. The man seemed to be brooding like a storm.

Silver guided both of them away from the field and towards one of the more permanent buildings that marked the entrance of the fields. A lot of soldiers were stationed there, having turned one of the buildings into a barracks of sorts. There were a lot of bitter whispers about the supposed occupation.

“Oh, uhh, sorry by the way, Nota.” Silver glanced back as soon as they were past the tents, her hand was clutching the tear at her hips as her two large bushy silver tails swayed from side to side.

“About what?” Nota laughed and scratched at her arm. The leather armor she had on was practically shredded where Radiant had hit her. “I’m pretty sure that you just saved my arm.”

“Yeah!” Nia chimed in hoping to stand beside Silver. “You have nothing to apologize for! You did amazing!”

“Oh, no, not that.” Silver chuckled slightly. “That was honestly really cool, I’ll have to figure out more about how I can stop time like that. It seems useful.”

“It was!” Nia flailed her arms. “When I jumped into it there was nothing I could do! It was like just being stuck in place. But that Gin guy could move through it pretty well, but you didn’t even seem to struggle.”

“Well, Gin is pretty strong,” Silver hummed and then rolled her eyes. “And Radiant won’t shut up about how much Aura he has. It’s apparently close to his father’s.”

Three tails. A rich Family. A cute fiance like Silver. And now he had a huge amount of Aura? She was getting pissed off just thinking about it. But he still couldn’t beat her fairly. Never could. Never will.

“So, then what are you sorry for?” Nota asked, moving forward to open the door for Silver as they entered the large square building that Silver had led them too. It was a simple rest area that was largely empty save for a few imperial soldiers that just looked annoyed.

That is until Nia entered and the two men perked right up.

“Oh, uhh, well,” Silver gestured towards her tail as they moved towards a closet, that had several sets of clothes in it. She barely even glanced at the soldiers before she removed her damaged clothes and began to put on what looked to be a simpler set of clothes that more or less fit. It was a fair cry from the ceremonial robe that Silver had been wearing.

“I was mostly referring to my tail.” Silver admitted as Nota took the robes from her.

“Your tail?” Nota asked. “Why would you apologize for that.”

“Well, I mean, I heard what Gin told you, and you achieved something but somehow I was the one that ended up getting the tail.”

“Achieved?” Nota snorted, positioning herself slightly to block Silver as she continued to change though with Nia around the only person looking at Silver was her. “Puh-lease, if beating Radiant.” She spoke his name with such vile sarcasm that she could feel the snot building up in her throat. “Was enough to earn a tail I would have like 40 by now.”

Silver let out a laugh, “More like a hundred.”

“Exactly.” Nota nodded, and glanced at Silver as she finished getting dressed. She always did look happier when she wasn’t wearing the expensive ceremonial clothes that she often had to wear in public. “Besides, you getting a second kick ass tail to save me from getting chopped by that asshole is pretty freaking awesome.”

“Yeah,” Silver sighed, a slight smile on her face as she looked back and examined her tails. They were nearly so long that they were just about to touch the floor, and so fluffy that they could now be seen on either side of her from the front. “Though, I’m starting to feel like I might be more tail than woman by the time I get my third.”

“Nah, maybe your fourth?” Nota smiled and leaned against the closet as Silver shut it. “Have you thought about what you’re going to call yourself?”

“I still have a whole other tail to get before that.” Silver hummed.

Nota just shrugged, “Maybe, but knowing you, you have a whole list of names in your journal, and there’s one sitting at the top.”

Silver sucked on her bottom lip and looked away, before heading towards the door. “Anyways, come on, I need to get going back to the fights in case anyone else needs to be healed.”

“Fine, fine.” Nota shrugged and then followed her friend out the door. “Sis, you coming?”

“Oh! Yes!” Nia jumped off of the table that she had been sitting on and practically pranced to the door. “See you boys later!”

There was a very good chance that those two were going to visit the brothel.

“I’m pretty sure that General Nox and Gin are going to give you good scores for the exam, they seemed to be impressed, I know I was, I didn’t know you could fight like that.” Silver pushed a bit of her hair behind her ears and huffed. “But anyways, you can show up tomorrow once they get the crystals set up. But I’ll try to see if I can get General Nox to let you in earlier.”

Nota just nodded and smiled at Silver. “Thanks again for healing my arm and stuff.”

“Yeah!” Nia hopped next to them, her arms flopping. “Thanks for being a good friend to Nota, Silver! If you ever need anything.” Nia opened her mouth and then closed it. “Are you even allowed at a brothel?”

Silver opened her mouth and then closed it before speaking it again. “I think?”

“Well anyways, You’re my favorite Saintess now so if you ever need anything from me, just let me know.” Nia’s smile was wide.

“Thanks, I will.” Silver nodded and then looked towards Nota again. They held each others gaze for a moment before Silver nodded again. “Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow, make sure to get some rest, I’m told that the stones can be pretty finicky when it comes to testing.”

Nota nodded and waved Silver goodbye. It wasn’t until her and Nia were on their way to their home that she allowed her shoulders to drop.

The stones, a pair of objects that could supposedly measure someone’s Aura and Mana. And a test that Nota couldn’t study for, couldn’t train for, couldn’t prepare for.

She only hoped that her physical and written exams would make up for what she lacked.

Chapter Text

True to Silver’s word, Nota had been allowed early, apparently both Dai and General Nox had seen fit to make an exception. But, she had a feeling that even if those two hadn't, Silver's word apparently carried a lot of weight as well, though more so with the Kitsune workers than the imperial guards.

“Why are they so nice to you anyways?” Nota asked, rubbing her bare arms ever so slightly as they made their way towards one of the large tents within the games field. Yesterday had been a nearly ideal summer day if perhaps a bit too hot, but this morning the fog and clouds had rolled in as a show of force to abolish any semblance of warmth and dryness within Daklan.

But it was only a matter of time before the sun would banish the wet and cold and it would be too hot for an extra layer.

Silver just glanced up at her, her hands clasped in front of her in a far more proper manner, her robes keeping her safe from the cold. Though, she felt sorry for her friend once the heat began to rose.

“I honestly don’t know.” Silver let out a sigh after a moment of thought. “I think it’s because the Empire doesn’t really have a single church like we do here on the Stormbreak. So, Gin might have overplayed how important I am as a Saintess.”

Silver scratched the side of her head, her face twisted in annoyance. “Yesterday really didn’t help things either.”

“Which part?”

“All of it.” Silver pinched her nose. “Apparently healers on my level are rare in the empire, which is why they’re relying on me so much for this whole thing. Then there’s the whole tail time thing I did, and apparently no one can do that, so a lot of the soldiers are talking about me.”

Silver’s shoulders dropped. “I don’t understand them most of the time but I managed to pick up that they called me a goddess at least once.”

“Huh,” Nota hummed and pulled open the flap of the tent for Silver. “Well, it can’t be all bad can it?”

“I have spoken to 53 people today. You’re the only one to call me by my name.”

Nota winced. “You’re counting how many people you talk to.”

Silver nodded. “Yep.”

“Well, if it helps, you’ll always be that little girl I had to carry home because you twisted your ankle.” Nota tapped on her chin, her eyes drawn to the upper echelons of the tent they were occupying, it wasn’t quite as tall as a circus tent, but it was still frighteningly tall, tall enough that the whole of the Three Moons Brothel could fit inside with room for more. Perhaps it wasn’t quite so tall as to fit the whole brothel with Ori standing on her tip toes at its highest point, but it would be close. Nota snapped her fingers. “Or that time I spent an hour plucking barbs out of your tail when we ran through that briar patch.”

“Or that time you helped me sneak away from the ritual.”

“Oh yeah! The priests were so mad at that, and Gin just waved it off, saying that the time must have been off.” Nota let out a small laugh as the two came to a stop.

Their conversation came to an abrupt end as Silver began to right herself, her normally perfect posture became even more perfect and her wide smile was replaced with a cool, calm, practiced smile that felt right at home for one of Silver’s position. Even Silver’s tails seemed to correct themselves, the fluffy brussels spreading out to look as though a halo of white followed behind Silver’s every movement.

Nota acted as well. She stood straight, making the height difference between her and Silver even more pronounced. With her simple tunic whose only decoration was a bit of orange trim that barely stood out from the brown rest of the shirt and an even simpler pair of pants, she felt out of place.

But when did she not?

The cause of this was because they had stepped into a room that demanded it simply by sliding past a half obtained curtain. Despite the limited space provided by the tent this room was simply grand, with an ornate red and gold rug that stretched from one end to the other. At the far end was the proper entrance to the room, the curtains drawn back to reveal a waiting area where many soldiers moved about in a hurry.

The other end was elevated upon a wooden dias, the tables erected upon it covered in the same red and gold colors as the rug so as to look like one massive singular unit. Standing behind the table was General Nox, a yawn caught on his lips as he went over some document with Lord Dia.

Lord Dia made note of their entrance instantly, offering them both a short nod, with General Nox soon offering a slight wave of his hand, so early in the morning he perhaps wasn’t yet the mildly proper general that he was yesterday. He looked more at ease and candid than before, similar to how he was at the Three Moon’s Brothel. Only less drunk on booze and women.

All of this combined would not have been enough for Silver and her to stop talking and start standing as proper young ladies. No, all of this was things that they had seen before and would see again. Silver had seen lords and ladies from all over the stormy isle and they had frequently bowed their heads to her, such was her position. Or at least that’s what Nota had assumed happened whenever Silver complained about nobles coming to the city. For Nota’s part she had seen many of these lords helplessly drunk under the influence of one of the girls or staring wistfully at her sister with nary a thought behind their eyes as she sang to them.

No, the only thing in this room that truely demanded their attention was the object placed on a table in the near center of the room. And placed on wasn’t even the right phrase. Floating above the table was a crystal that glowed a slight blue, it was larger than Nota’s head and emitted a soft blue light that due to the crystal's jagged exterior covered the room in uneven shades of blue. While the crystal was nearly clear, staring directly into its center mass seemed to make the whole thing darken as though a storm was approaching upon a clear day, only for it to vanish the moment Nota dared to blink or look away from the gem.

In contrast to the crystal was a hunk of rock that looked to be made out of blackness so pure that should it be held to the night sky it may very well attempt to swallow up the stars. It was only visible by the lack of color around it, and by the few stubborn impurities that allowed the light to dance along its surface.

Both of these objects demanded reverence.

“Quite something aren’t they?” General Nox said from right next to them, a hand on his chin. His eyes seemed to reflect the blue light two fold.

Nota nearly jumped out of her skin, she had been so entranced by the object that she hadn’t even noticed General Nox or Lord Dai approach. They were relaxed, at ease, as though she was simply walking behind the stage of a play and catching the actors mid costume change.

“I’m told that the Emperor himself slew the beast that birthed that stone,” General Nox continued a proud smile gracing his features. “This was of course well before my time when beasts of such size were common.”

Lord Dai grunted. “I would not be surprised if such beasts still lurked beneath the waves, but for one to tread on land.” Dai’s hand fell to his sword hilt and he gave a slight shiver. “I doubt that even the Storm Shield would hold.”

Nota glanced towards that glowing crystal once again, her eyes focusing on the center point where she could see clouds forming, darkening, and then lightning struck, causing her to look away. The others didn’t seem to have noticed, nor did they seem entranced by it.

“Are they the test?” Nota asked, her mouth felt dry and a knot formed in her stomach.

“Yes, the black stone you see is Auragris, a rare mineral that only the Emperor knows how to find, it is heavy in Aura and responds well to even the slightest touch.” General Nox moved towards the table where the two rocks sat, well one sat the other floated. He ran his hand over the stone without touching it, the stone changed color in his wake, changing from pinks to purples before he finally touched it and the stone changed from orange to a dark red so deep it nearly matched the stones natural emptiness. “Normally, there would be a few scholars here to tell you that this deep red color means that I’m something of an Aura monster, I’ve even condensed it into a first stage core.”

First Stage?

Core?

Nox stepped over to the floating stone and placed his hand directly upon it. It shifted slightly in color to a puff of orange and yellow, like the flame of a candle with no whick to carry it. “The Diod Crystal responds to Mana in a similar way, show casing not just the amount but also your strongest affinity. In my case, not a lot and enough fire to be a warm summer breeze.”

When the general removed his hand Nota saw the crystal flash dark, and crack with thunder before it returned to its natural state. No one else seemed to even pay it any mind and before she could speak on the matter General Nox clapped his hands

“Lord Dai, if you would be so kind as to demonstrate as well?” He stepped back from the table and gestured towards Dai, a soft smile on his face. “I believe that it would be a good example of how us Humans differ from you Kitsune.”

Dai shook his head in shock and then looked between Nox, the crystals, and Nota? Why was he looking at her? His six tails twitched with a sudden motion and he walked towards the stone, his back straight. “Are you certain General? Aren’t these sacred to the empire?”

Nox simply shrugged. “Ehh,if they were so sacred we feared their destruction they would not have crossed the sea. Besides, while I don’t doubt your strength, I’m curious to see how much Mana a Kitsune of your caliber has, since the Diode can sniff out even the most elusive of mana that’s been buried by a seasoned warrior's aura for decades.”

“Very well.” Dai stood before the table and placed his hand upon the Auragris, it’s color changed from black to purple, to yellow, with only the deepest parts of the touch revealing a soft orange hue. Dai frowned and glanced at the stone then his hand, his tails losing some of their firmness. With the shake of his head he stepped to the side and glanced at the crystal.

The room changed color, the soft blue hue that had filled it was replaced by a warm light, like a roaring fire on a cold night. Inside the crystal there wasn’t a single trace of blue, instead it was a rich orange with a crimson center that flickered softly.

“As you can see, while Lord Dai does not have as much Aura as I do, he makes up for it in Mana, enough that he could easily be enrolled into the Imperial Academy, save for his age that is.”

“And waistline,” Lord Dai, hero of Dakar slapped his round belly and gave a soft laugh.

“True enough, now then, on to the main attraction before the rest of the recruits start muddying the place up.” General Nox gestured towards Nota and Silver, mostly Silver. “I’m curious if the mana of a Saintess is any different from Lady Silver, would you be so kind as to touch the stones?”

“Me?” Silver’s tails stood on their ends, and her cheeks were the slightest bit pink. Was the relaxed attitude of this room getting to her as well?

“Most certainly, I admit, in the Empire we don’t have any saintesses to test on the Diode and I’m so curious what your mana color will be. I’m hoping for a nice soothing purple, though that field you performed the other day was a tinge green.” Nox stroked his chin. “Afterwards we’ll see about Miss Nota.”

“Oh, umm,” Silver flapped her arms helplessly at her sides, her cheeks showing the faintest bit of pink in the pale blue light. She glanced at Nota, then back towards Lord Dai and General Nox before looking at Nota once more.

Nota answered her with a shove—rougher than she would have liked—towards the stones. While her own curiosity likely played a part in the choice, it was her own hesitation that won over. “Go for it Silver.”

Silver stumbled slightly and shot Nota a short glare before she nodded, her perfect posture as the saintess quickly came back as she approached the two stones. Both stones seemed to right themselves as she approached, the floating Diode began to move with a purpose, it’s glow seemed brighter and more uniform. And while the chunk of Auragriss couldn’t move, it seemed to grow darker and more distinguished as Silver approached.

It was as though they wanted to impress her.

“I’ll start with Aura I guess?” Silver asked with a half shrug and reached out to touch the Auragriss. Where Lord Dai’s and General Nox’s touch had warmed the hunk of black stone, Silver’s seemed to cool it. The longer Silver pressed down upon the stone the more a dark deep blue began to swallow the stone.

General Nox hummed and stepped beside her to examine the stone. “Fairly typical for mages that have large amounts of mana. You don’t have much in terms of Aura, but it’s broader. Probably because it’s too busy holding back your mana.”

“It is?” Silver asked, looking at her own hand in confusion.

“Probably,” General Nox said with a shrug. “I’m not expert on the matter but I’m certain if you came to the capital that you’d be able to learn more about it.”

Silver just nodded and then moved to the Diode, that was floating patiently for her touch.

Silver reached out for it, and the Diode spun quickly before stopping, as though it was turning to face her and offer her a polite greeting. Then, just as Silver’s hand began to move closer, it leaned in as though to meet her halfway.

There was no fire this time burning from deep within the crystal. Instead the crystal went dark, and it took the light of the room with it, holding it tigh in its center as it spiraled and formed a sphere of perfect like in a darkened sky.

“The Moon,” Nota mumbled staring at the shape. Smaller motes of nights began to appear behind the moon, as a white milky cloud began to fill the base. And below it? A vast sea.

“Not just any moon,” Lord Dai mumbled as he bowed towards the light. “The Goddess Moon. Itself.”

“Huh?” Silver pulled her hand away from the Diode and took a step back, her cheeks were flushed. “Please don’t tell anyone that happened.”

Nota had no idea what was going on.

“Sure, I have no idea what that was but it sure was pretty. To think Mana could manifest in such away. The most complex I’ve seen has been with Ice affinity mana making snowflakes, but for a whole scene to be painted out? Marvelous! I wonder if we could figure out how to paint with Man.” General Nox stroked his chin in contemplation.

Lord Dai said nothing but simply nodded.

Nota would have to ask Silver about it later.

“Now then, Miss Nota,” General Nox gestured towards the two stones. “I’m sure you’re as eager as I am to see your results. I must admit your skill with the blade was everything Mr. Coat had told me it would be and then some.”

“Indeed,” Lord Dai nodded. “Not many your age could have bested someone with a tail-talent, like my son.”

Nota tried not to make a face. General Nox’s smile and Lord Dai’s frown told her that she was making a face.

Still she walked towards the table and stood before the two stones. The Auragriss sat motionless before her; the eagerness she had felt from it when Silver had approached was nothing but a distant memory as though it was simply just a rock.

The Diode however seemed to spin to face her just as it had Silver. It’s multifaceted faces staring at her with… not eagerness… Apprehension? Was it somehow nervous? She stared at it for a second. She saw a spark of lightning flicker from one side to the next, a dark patch growing within its very center as clouds began to rise. White snow flurried inside of it and the lightning cracked once more.

It was as though an entire storm was trapped within there, flurrying about with no way out.

“Nota,” Silver’s soft voice tore her from the Diode. “You can do it.”

Nota glanced at the others in the room who nodded at her.

Had they really not seen what she saw just by looking in the Diode? Was that normal, did they all see something different?

Nota nodded at them, and locked eyes with Silver for a moment before she took in a deep breath.

She touched the Auragriss first.

It was cold.

Was something supposed to happen?

Maybe she should focus on it or something?

She closed her eyes and pushed onto the stone with her… well with her nothing. Her will maybe? No that wasn’t right, it was more that she was just thinking about pushing into the stone with something but there wasn’t anything to push onto the stone wit.

Slowly she pulled back her hand and stared at the stone. It was completely unchanged. Completely and utterly. It would have been better if the stone had at least expressed some form of disappointment. Instead that rock that she had seen change color for everyone else just sat there as though she wasn’t even there.

“Well I’ll be.” General Nox hummed coming over to stare at the stone. “That’s somehow more impressive than Lady Silver’s light show.”

“It is?” Nota asked feeling a bit of hope rise in her chest.

General Nox nodded. “Certainly, I’ve never met a person that had so little Aura the stone didn’t even respond. Truly remarkable.” General Nox stroked his chin again, a motion he seemed to be fond of. “Too bad I don’t know enough to know if It means anything.”

Nota wished people would stop talking about her lack of Aura.

“Now, onto the Diode.”

“Right.”

Nota stepped to the side and stared at the blue stone again. She wondered if her Mana would even be enough to color the room like Lord Dai’s, let alone be enough to paint a picture like Silver’s had.

And yet as she stared at the Diode she could feel the strange blue crystal calling to her, begging her to touch it. Its warm blue light guided her hand towards it and she felt something pull. As to what that something is, she had no idea. But she could feel it. Something deep inside of her. Something vast. So vast she couldn’t even grasp its depths. It roiled within and without her completely uncontained and as untamable as the sea at storm.

She reached her finger out towards the Diode.

Its light no longer guided her.

Instead it appeared to dim and hide from her touch.

Where the crystal had moved towards Silver’s hand eagerly, now it shunned her.

Could a crystal feel fear?

With a single finger she touched the crystalized hunk of mana.

Lightning Struck.

Thunder Roared.

Wind Howled.

Ice Cracked.

And the Diode exploded.

And then stopped.

The Myriad pieces of what was once the Diode hung in the air like the softest of snow, each one shining as bright as lightning during the darkest of storms. Where the whole of the Diode once rested was instead a perfect sphere of a storm. Snow pooled beneath it, as the winds ravaged the inside of the tent, lightning struck, shattering the table.

Everything felt slow.

Slow like it had when Silver had used her 2nd tail ability for the first time. But, she could still move. They could all still move.

But none of them did, as though they were all taking in this extended moment in glory.

Then, just as abruptly as it began. The moment ended.

With a crack of thunder, the Diode exploded skyward, tearing a hole in the tent and making even the mighty stormspire quake in fright.

The grey clouds and fog that choked Daklan on all but the warmest of summer days vanished revealing a clear blue sky devoid of clouds.

Panic took hold immediately. Had she made the Diode do that? Was it just something that it did? Why weren’t the other’s saying anything? Was she going to be sent to prison? Did she have mana or not? Why was she still standing here? Why was she still standing here? She just made a sacred artifact of the heavenly empire explode into a thousand tiny little pieces because she had to see if she had any mana!

She looked towards the others, her eyes falling towards Lord Dai first, simply out of chance. He was still staring up at the sky, his mouth hanging open, one hand on his prized sword hilt. General Nox too looked skyward, though his shock was quickly being replaced by something more impressed. Lastly, Silver had her eyes locked onto Nota, a bewildered look on her face as her twin tail swished behind her.

General Nox broke the silent with a low whistle as he kept looking skyward. “Well now, I’m not sure what I was expecting.” He looked towards Nota as a wide grin spread across his face. “But that sure was exciting wasn’t it?”

“Forgive us!” Lord Dai bowed low towards General Nox, his face flushed. “I know that what we have destroyed cannot be replaced, not with a hundred years of-”

“Bwhahaha!” General Nox cut through Lord Dai’s apology with a hearty laugh. “You, and especially you, Miss Nota, the Diode is far from irreplaceable, there are better methods to test mana after all.”

“Ehh?” Lord Dai stuck his head up. “There are?”

General Nox flipped his hand about. “Oh certainly, they’re generally more involved and less flashy than simply touching the Diode, which was why I brought it.” He offered them a wink. “And with that show Miss Nota, I dare say it was worth it.”

“So do I pass?” Nota asked, eagerness in her voice.

“Hmm,” General Nox stroked his beard. “I’m not certain, I’ll certainly report this, because if we can use-” He gestured towards her and the hole in the ceiling with a sweeping motion with his finger. “Whatever that was, I don't see why we wouldn’t at least try.”

“Thank you General.” Nota bowed as deep as Lord Dai had. “Thank you so much.”

It felt like she might cry.

She felt a hope and pride mix within her as she felt tears begin to well in her eyes.

Finally, she wasn’t the girl with nothing.

“It may take some time though,” General Nox said as he approached like his father, he was tall, taller than most Kitsune she had ever seen. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder. “My father spoke highly of you, and he would hate to waste a talent such as yours.”

“Thank you.” She whispered.

The sweetness of the hope she experienced turned bitter in the following years.

Chapter Text

Dear Nota.

           Its only been about three years since we last saw each other, can you believe it? It feels like it's been so much longer since I saw you and your big fluffy ears? Have they gotten any bigger? I bet at this point you’re that tallest Kitsune in the world if we counted ear height! How are things with your sister by the way? Part of me wonders if Nia is truly as unchanging as she appears, I can still hear her singing if I close my eyes.
           I see Blaze often enough, she’s taking the mage classes her in the capital with me, she’s…. Well not quite as bad as she used to be, but still mildly obsessed with you-know-who, and constantly wants me to call her first wife. She can be the only wife as far as I’m concerned. Fortunately up here in the empire the deal our parents made with Lord Dai is so far away, and so unimportant that I don’t think I’ll ever be forced to go through with it.
           Logan passed through not too long ago, he looked good, like he was finally on his way to becoming a man. His arms were huge! No doubt from all the work that Opal has him doing. They were on their way to the Dwarven mountain, but you knew all that already huh. You should show me the sword he left you before he left, Opal said it was ‘Impressive’ which must mean something if it came from her! Oh and Logan blushed so much when I asked him if you got any prettier! So I guess it must be true!
           I see You-Know-Who, far more than I would like, which is to say I’ve seen him exactly once since our last letter. Joining the Imperial Military was supposed to mellow him out, but I don’t think that’s the case. A couple of the officers roll their eyes when I asked about him. In two more years he’ll be joining the academy with me and Blaze and just thinking about that has a pit forming in my stomach.
           As for me, things are going well, I’m still just Silver no third tail to change my name. But it feels like every day I get some new title. I’ve gotten better at using my second tails ability thanks to a couple of professors that were absolutely obsessed with it. I’ve also gotten better at healing, a lot better. They’ll be sending me to the northern wall for a while, I won’t see any active combat, rather they want me to get some real experience healing and that’s where the most injured people are.
I don’t want to go. It's cold up there and I don’t have my fluffy eared space heater to keep me warm. But there are people hurt, people that are fighting for my life even as I write this letter to you from the capital.

Your friend always, Silver.

The wooden sword turned into a wall of steel the moment Nota brought her own training blade down upon it. She could feel the impact traveling up her arms and nearly making her lose her grip. But this wasn’t the first time she had seen this. She gripped her sword tighter and glanced down at the young purple haired Kitsune that was staring up at her with wide eyes that were filled with amazement at what he had just done.

Part of her wanted to push past his defense, to put this young upstart on his ass and assert that even without aura she could still best anyone of them in a fight.

But that wasn’t what she was.

They weren’t competing.

They weren’t rivals.

He was her student, and she was his teacher.

“Very good Victory.” Nota stepped back and glanced at the wooden sword she had been wielding, there was a fracture that led from the hilt to the tip, the tempered wood still barely holding itself together. She shook it once and heard it click like a child’s toy. Replacing training swords was getting costly. “You expressed Aura.”

“Really?” Victory asked looking at his own sword in amazement, he bounce up and down in excitement, his small purple fluffy tail swaying happily behind him like a dogs. “Just like that? I just, went, blah! And then Woosh! And then Twang? And I used Aura?”

“That’s right.” Nota gave a small nod as she forced a smile. Victory was her tenth student, the tenth one tailed Kitsune that was several years her junior who she had helped unlock their Aura. Apparently she had a talent for it. Her pride was laced with the foul aftertaste of her own failure. “Now, remember that feeling.”

She moved behind Victory and placed her hands over his. They were so small. Victory was by far the youngest student that she had taken, and had been the quickest as well. Jealous ran through her as she directed him towards the large boulder that had many gashes from her previous graduates.

“Remember how it feels to have your aura run through your sword like it’s a part of you.” She whispered in his stubby little ears, and then nudged him forward.

Victory stumbled forward, his boots squelching on the slightly moist ground that made up her training ground, several buildings surrounded them with only a narrow alleyway leading out towards a street serving as the lone entrance to this forgotten patch of land that had once been a house, now turned to ash with its only notable feature being the large rock that dominated one side so completely that most people wouldn’t want to deal with it.

Victory approached the rock, the serious expression only looking cute on his youthful face. He raised his wooden blade up and let out a warcry. “Kya!”

Wood met stone. And the stone yielded. Victory added another mark to the graduation builder, his blow was deep, sending a crack along the weathered rock that stretched nearly to the center. Before long, her oh so useful rock would be nothing but a pile of useless rubble.

“Well, congratulations.” Nota patted him on the head, making certain to rub his ears slightly. “You’ve officially passed Nota-sensei’s class and now you can join Coat’s class.”

“Can’t I stay here with you Nota-sensei?” Victory spun and looked up at her with pleading eyes. “You’re a good teacher! And I heard that you’re the best swordsman on the island!”

Nota turned her wince into a laugh. “No, no, I’m good with the sword only because I can’t practice Aura.” She kneeled down and looked Victory in the eyes. “Listen to me Vic, you will go so much further if you start to learn Aura, in no time, people will be comparing you to Lord Dai.”

“But, Coat isn’t as pretty as you are.”

Nota let out a bark of laughter. “He’ll probably agree with you if you say that! But Coat’s a great teacher when it comes to Aura, and he taught me how to use a sword too, so its not like you won’t get better.”

“But you’re the best!”

“And he’s second best.” Nota ruffled Victory’s ears again and stood to her full height. “It’ll be better for you to learn how to control your Aura from Coat, so come on, let’s go tell him the good news.”

“Fine, but I still think you’re prettier.”

What did that even mean?

Nota grabbed her sword, the weight of it that had once felt like a foreign burden was now comfortable with her and navigated the small alleyway that was dominated by a long puddle, the sides covered with tall grass that seemed to be desperate to outgrow the buildings around them to get more than a few hours of sunlight. The right to carry a sword within Dakland was rare, rarer still since the Imperial army established a base just beyond the Storm shield.

Part of her wondered if it wasn’t just her skills that had granted her the privilege, but also Lord Dai perhaps still feeling guilty about how Radiant had treated her all those years ago.

Either way, there was no way she was going to let Logan’s gift out of her sight.

The Imperial soldiers would often smile and nod at her when she crossed their path. Most likely was because they recognized her from her sister, or perhaps they had seen her running about behind the scenes within the Three Moons Brothel. Or that was simply how humans aced in the empire.

The looks her fellow Kitsune had given her had changed, but only slightly, their eyes were still laced with pity especially when they looked at her backside and saw that she still hadn’t grown a single tail. But, now there was a sense of acceptance in their eyes, a willingness to treat her as an equal now that she was at the very least adult shaped.

They made their way towards the Adventurers Guild, despite Coat’s fears the place was busier than ever with even quite a few imperial soldiers joining up for when they were off duty as a way to earn extra coin. Many youths also saw the Adventurers Guild as a stepping stone to join the Imperial Army.

And from what Nota had heard there were talks about the guild joining with the army as a form of partnership.

And by heard, Nota meant listen to Coat complain endlessly about the topic while drunk at the brothel as he cried into his sister’s breasts.

With Victory at her heels she walked into the training ground as though she had belonged there. Coat had managed to turn that raised dirt patch into a proper training ground, complete with seats, benches, a weapon rack, and even a few battered dummies. A group of students was standing around a ring in the center, a pair was standing in the ring with their swords locked against each other.

One was a human girl that had greater reach and strength than her opponent. Her red hair was pulled into a ponytail that trailed after her like her own version of a Kitsune’s tail, her eyes were sharp and full of focus. Desna, the daughter of one of the high ranking imperial officers.

Her opponent was a Kitsune boy with two tails, his movements were unnaturally precise, as though weighed and measured before he ever committed to them. Such was the gift of his second tail. His eyes were bright, and there was a smile on his face as his pale blue tails bounced behind him. Seafoam was a talented boy and one that would likely be among the best users of Aura to live.

If only he wasn’t obsessed with fighting.

“Nota-sensei is here!” One of the students from the far end of the circle pointed at her, and just like that the usual chaos she caused whenever she arrived her began, nearly half of Coat’s students being her students they ran towards her, including the two that had been fighting.

“Sensei-sensei!” Seafoam shouted as he ran towards her. “Fight me!”

“No! Help me get my form right!” Desna pleaded, she was taller than the rest of the students by more than a few inches, and yet she still had to look up towards Nota. “Coat’s too sloppy!”

“No! Watch this sick move I learned!”

“Nota-sensei! Look I got my second tail! I don’t know what it does yet!”

“Nota-sensei!”

“Nota-sensei!”

Even if she was used to it, it was still overwhelming.

“Alright guys, that’s enough torturing your oh-so-beloved Nota-sensei.” Coat clapped his hands, his voice louder than it should be. “Get back to practice or I’ll make you run laps along the wall again!”

Every shoulder in the area slumped, with the exception of Seafoam who practically bounced back to the ring ready to fight again.

Coat walked towards her with that same slight smile on his face he always had. Over the years, Nota had realized something about Coat, he just simply had a punchable face. Like it was designed to be punched. And were it not for the fact that he was kind of the closest thing to a friend she had at this point—somehow more depressing than being friendless—and the fact that hitting him would likely only result in her hand getting broken, she would have done so already.

“Nota!” He spread his arms wide as though to bring her into a hug. When she didn’t move towards him he simply shrugged. “My goodness you may be on your way to being an exact copy of your sister but you’re far too cold to ever be mistaken for Nia. Though, perhaps you are a bit too tall.

When he spoke it was as though he was talking to her sister, in that he was speaking directly towards her chest.

“Coat,” she said coldly and motioned towards Victory. “This is Purple’s-Victory-Upon-Jade-Hills, or just Victory, he’s unlocked his Aura, and is ready to join your class.”

“Oh wow, what’s with that name?” Coat asked, turning his gaze towards Victory, a softer, kinder smile on his face. The kind of smile filled with genuine care that almost made her forget all the bad things he did with his eyes. Maybe being constantly rejected by her sister had broken the poor man.

She couldn’t wait for Desna to get strong enough to put him in his place and take over training, but to do that, Coat was still the best option.

“All my brothers and sisters have green hair! And my dad wasn’t happy about it!” Victory announced with a toothy grin. “Are you really stronger than Nota-sensei Mr.Coat?”

“Oh totally! Nota-sensei is better with the sword though, that’s why she teaches you guys until you’re ready for Aura!” Coat flashed a smile towards her. “So, why don’t you go join the others in the circle, we’re going to be sparing for quite a while but you should be able to learn something by just watching and feeling the Aura ya’hear?”

“Yes Mr.Coat.” Victory gave one last bow towards Nota. “Thank you for everything Nota-sensei.”

And just like that her most recent student scampered off to join the crowd, many of the other students welcoming him as they pointed towards her.

“Why do you think they refuse to call me Sensei?” Coat asked as he stood, his eyes narrowed like a foxes “Starting to think they don’t respect me.”

“Ehh, you’re hard to respect off the battlefield.” Nota offered with a shrug. “At least that’s what the customers have said about you.”

“Ooof, if you ever manage to grow a tail I wouldn’t be surprised if its ability was to wound me from across the world.” Coat gave a sharp laugh.

“I’d hate for one of my tails to be dedicated towards you.” Nota glared at him. “Even if you would deserve it.”

“Oh, I deserve far worse than that.” Coat grinned at her. “Are you going to stay? I know there’s a few students that would adore if their Nota-sensei stuck around for dueling practice.”

Nota flinched slightly as a few of her former students turned to look at her with pleading eyes as Coat had spoken just loud enough to be heard by them. Bastard just wanted and excuse to slack off while she did all the hard work.

“Maybe tomorrow.” She shook her head, her social battery was already drained and she just wanted to go home and sleep, and the idea of dealing with so many students at once had some part of her groaning from exhaustion. At most she could handle two or three of them at any given time.

“Ahh, well, I tried,” Coat offered with a shrug and started to walk back towards the circle. “Desna, you need to surprise him! Seafoam stop trying to make the fight last longer! I know what you two can do!”

Nota gave her students a polite wave before she headed off, her goal was simple.

The soft bed that she still shared with her big sister Nia. Though, perhaps after a nice long bath.

Actually that was a good plan, drag Nia out of bed, bath with her sister, dry off and then sleep until morning.

And hope that another day passing would mean another chance for another letter to arrive bearing her name.

Chapter Text

With the imperial base nearby, and hundreds of imperial soldiers—many of whom had barely even heard of Kitsune before—joining Daklan’s population, it came as no surprise to anyone that the Three Moons Brothel popularity had grown, and with that growth came the need to expand. Shrewd as ever Ori had already began the process to snag up the adjacent plots like she was hell bent to turn the Three Moon’s into its own red light district.

Nota glanced up at the walls that surrounded the main building—The roof of which was just barely visible—of Ori’s empire and felt her shoulders drop, it was her home, and it would be her home so long as Nia lived here, but now that she was of age there was an expectation that she would either join the girls on the show floor or leave.

“Woah,” Nota felt her ear twitch as she heard a soldier speak to his friend as they loitered just outside the brothel, either waiting for their friends or gathering the courage to actually enter. “Check out that one, no tail!”

And of course they were talking about her.

“Do you think she got them removed?” His friend asked.

What Kitsue would even think of doing that? Wouldn’t that kill them?

“Nah, they pride themselves on their tails too much, she’s tall though, a half breed? Either way-”

Nota took a few quicker steps into the tavern proper and vanished into the side passages before she heard more. The passageways, not only offered her shelter from the prying eyes of the soldiers but also it would help her avoid Ori, who was simply too tall to navigate the corridors with ease.

Her foot fell where they always did, the wood slightly warped from the steps of countless serving girls rushing about. The path was natural, she had run it a thousand and one times if not more. Her hip brushed against a stand holding a vase causing it to wobble. Her ears swatted a low hanging light causing it to flicker. Her foot fall caused the loose floorboards to grown in anguish. Her chest and stopped her from squeezing through a narrow gap without holding her breath. All the while, the younger and smaller serving girls were doing there best to not run into her.

Finally she stepped out into one of the larger hallways between two of the more opulent rooms and found herself staring up at Ori. The Madam of The Three Moon’s brothel’s was as effortlessly sexy as she had always been, with a generous amount of thigh and cleavage on full display, from the pose Ori took leaning against the wall with a pipe in her hands it looked as though she had spend hours standing there to get her robes into just the right places to show off as much as possible while keeping everything hidden.

As always, Ori’s horns were painted a deep red.

“You’re getting a bit too big for that path brat.” Ori said slowly as she stood to her full height. Being an Oni meant that she towered over everyone that wasn’t an Oni, and even though show towered over Nota slightly less, there was still quite a bit of difference between their heights, even if Nota counted her ears.

“Yeah,” Nota shrugged and glanced down the wider path just beyond Ori. “I’ll go get my sister ready for tonight. It sounds like we’re going to be uhhh-”

Ori stood between her and the entrance way, her superior size and lengthy legs completely blocking Nota from going pass while her grace allowed her to effortlessly move out of the way of the other workers. “If you’re going back there it would be to get yourself ready.”

“Huh?” Nota blinked in a mixture of shock and confusion. A bit of rage bubbled up from within her stomach as she watched Ori carefully. “But I’m.”

“A whole lot of trouble.” Ori reached into the red sash that made her waist look thinner than it actually was and pulled out a letter with a broken seal. She unfurled it slightly, just enough for her eyes to read the top couple of lines and then handed the letter to Nota. “I’ve been asked to set up a marriage contract for you.”

“Tell them no?”

“Read the letter first.”

“Why?” Nota asked as she took the letter. “I’m not one of the girls, and I don’t have a contract with you.

“Read the letter.” Ori rolled her eyes and then placed a hand on her back. “We’ll talk more in my office, but if I’m going to do this, and I am, then you need to look proper for the send off.”

Nota felt her heart drop. “I’ll run away! It doesn’t matter how much money they’re offering, there’s no way.”

Ori gave Nota a powerful shove and then grabbed her arm. “Read the damn letter first you headstrong brat.” Ori tugged Nota’s arm as they moved across the main hall, it felt like every eye in the brothel was on her as she felt her cheeks burn, her ears doing their best to go flat against her head. “Trust me when I say that this is for your own good, and its everything you wanted short of a tail.”

“Huh?’ Nota felt herself get tugged along, even wearing her pants she struggled to keep up with Ori’s lengthy gait that was restricted by her opulent robe. “But I don’t want to get married off!”

“There’s a price for everything.” Nota was half flung into Ori’s office and promptly found herself sitting on an incredibly comfortable couch with Ori’s larger than life face right in hers. “Though, I’d hardly consider this price to be much of a price, you’ll probably think differently, now stop complaining for half a second and read the damn letter so you can actually figure out what you’re bitching about.”

With a huff Ori spun with practiced grace and made her way to her desk that was chest height for Nota. It was covered in a fine cloth, with numerous ornate objects resting on top of it alongside a stack of papers, and a dozen writing implements that ranged from pens, graphite, to quills.

The rest of Ori’s office was just as decorated with there being fine silks, fine art, and various other things that could be considered fine or embroidered. Everything in the room felt like it was made for someone twice her size, much like the couch that Nota found herself sinking into as she glanced at the letter in her hand. Resting high on the wall behind Ori’s desk was an object that clashed with the pleasantly sweet opulence of the room, it was a massive spiked club, its metal plates scratched and dented from heavy use.

The only reminder of Ori’s old life, and a warning to anyone that got too rowdy.

With a sigh Nota glanced towards the letter, ready to crumple it up and throw it at Ori’s head hard enough to knock the paint off her horns.

To the proprietor of the Three Moons Brothel, the Courtesan Nia, and the delve prodigy Nota.

This letter was long overdue, but certain events within the capital have prevented me from taking proper action until now. But, now a great opportunity has arisen, one that I would like to capitalize on, and Nota is a key player for this. To that end, I would request of you Lady Ori to establish a marriage Contract between Nota and an individual whose name I cannot reveal over a simple letter.

In addition to the standard fees such a contract would entail, I would like to include some clauses for Nota as well that would remain in place even should the marriage be rejected by the other party. She shouldn’t need to worry about her duties as a wife, as many of those things will be handled by others. Truly I hope that it does go through as I believe her intellect would be better served as his wife.

The additional clauses are simple, first Nota shall accompany me as my aid and apprentice whenever she is fit to do so, and I have need of her. Second Nota may receive training in whatever field she desires And lastly, so long as she is within the capital she shall not want for food or shelter.

To Nota, My son informed me quite some time ago of the results of your test, and while I would have preferred to act upon your talents sooner, circumstances prevented me from doing so, and now I find myself with a rare opportunity, one that could shape the fate of our empire. I understand that what I may ask of you exceeds what are comfortable with, that is why I ask that you at least hear me out. What I ask of you I do not ask lightly and not without great consideration.

From, Grand Marshal of the Empire, Augustus Nox.

“That old man I played Delve with?” Nota asked, her heart thumping in her chest as she read over the letter again and again. Her brow furrowed, Grand Marshal? How much higher up was that from General? It felt like so long ago when she had been forced to entertain someone by playing Delve with them, and yet each and every move was still fresh in her mind as though she was making them in real time.

If she thought about it logically, the deal didn’t seem bad. She was effectively being asked to be the apprentice of someone with Grand in their title, and in addition to that training, she could get training in whatever she wanted. Wasn’t that better than just being accepted to the Imperial Academy?

The downside was that she was being asked to marry someone whose name she didn’t know. Someone that a Grand Marshal couldn’t name in a letter. A letter that was probably delivered as part of a military convoy not too long ago.

Nota felt her eye twitch and she looked slowly towards Ori who was sitting at her desk, quill flying across parchment as though it remembered the bird it came from. “Am I being sent to marry the Emperor?”

Ori clicked her tongue and looked up from her work. “I would not assume such. But I can’t think of anyone else.”

“Does the Emperor even have brides?” Nota felt her stomach twist in a knot. “And isn’t he like, ancient, like, ancient ancient?”

Ori nodded, “He’s as old as his empire, and has had many wives. His most recent marriage was with a pair of twins, before that a single Oni, and before that one wife from each of the five houses. So perhaps a marriage with a Kitsune would help to strengthen their ties with the Isle.”

Logically that made sense.

But why her?

“Wouldn’t Silver be the better choice?” the knot in her stomach tightened. She didn’t like the idea, but it was better than Silver being married off to Radiant. “And does he ever have kids?”

“I would think news of the emperor's children would have reached our ears.” Ori shook her head. “But no, I can’t think of a single name.”

“So, I go to the capital, become a Grand Marshal’s apprentice, get free training and all I have to do is be married to someone so old no one even knows their name?” Nota asked raising her eyebrows.

“Not quite so simple, the wives of the emperor have a lot of responsibility.” Ori began writing once more, “That being said, we have no real way of knowing until you go there in person.”

Nota stared at the letter and bit her thumb. If she separated her emotions from the whole thing it made sense, she was being offered a ludicrously high position being the aid of a Grand something or other while also getting training in whatever she wanted. She cold take classes at the Academy and be with Silver again!

Her brow furrowed, what could they even teach her? The Academy’s teachings were focused on learning to control Aura, a force that she simply didn’t have, just a stupid amount of useless mana. And the cost. Was it even a cost? How many people would jump at this chance to marry someone that a Grand something or other wouldn’t even name in a letter? Nearly every girl in this building would.

But not her.

So why her?

Was it because of her tail? She could already hear the voices, the Kitsune whispering that it was a shame that they sent a cripple, the humans and other races commenting about how her betrothed must not like tails, or perhaps talk about him being an ass man.

Blaze would probably be pissed when she found out.

Silver would probably congratulate her and mean it.

Nia would…Nia would cry.

Nota felt her shoulders drop as the letter in her fingers began to feel heavy.

“What should I do?” She asked the polished wooden coffee table that sat in front of her, clean cups sitting unused upon its center.

“You’re accepting it.” Ori said firmly. “You have no reason not to.”

“Except not wanting to?”

“If we wait to do what’s best for us until we want to then it would be too late.” Ori’s tone carried a different tone from the proprietor of the Three Moons Brothel. It was a tone that Nota had only heard a few times, the kind of tone that only came out when Ori wasn’t talking business. She placed her quill into the ink pot where it lulled to one side, and then folded her hands in front of her face, elbows on the table. She sighed, and for the first time in years Ori’s ageless Oni vitality melted revealing the wise woman she truly was. “There is nothing for you here save for your sister and the idea of home. But that will quickly wither away. Kitsune law and customs will hold you back just as my own people once held me back.”

Because she didn’t have a single tail. Nota’s frown deepened as rules she had been avoiding bubbled into her mind. As a Kitsune there was so much she couldn’t do without a tail. A second tail was needed to get a proper job, a third tail needed to own property. She technically couldn’t even travel without a fourth tail. These laws would apply to her no matter how big she grew. And while Lord Dai may take pity on her due to a blend of his own kindness and a guilt over Radiant’s behavior there was only so much he could do as many Kitsue were still upset with him simply accepting Imperial rule.

“I had planned to give this place to your sister in a few years and have you run it while she simply acted as the land holder.”

Nota’s eyes widened.

“But even that would have been a waste of your talents.” Ori poked her quill again and then let out a long sigh. “That’s why I think this gamble is going to be worth it. There’s every chance that you’ll fail in the empire, but better than that never giving you the chance to shine.”

Ori stood in a single fluid motion that made her kimono look like it was a living creature that was choosing to cover her. She walked with a slow purpose and stood before Nota. Her large hand felt rough against Nota’s cheek as she touched her gently. “And who knows, maybe the key to growing your tails lies elsewhere in the world and not within this city.”

“I…” Nota stammered, her cheeks heated as she stared up at Ori. “Thank you?”

“Thank me by listening to this old woman’s request.” Ori withdrew her hand and smiled softly at her. “Take some time to think, I’ll go fetch that sleep addicted creature you call a sister and some lunch, you take this chance to think.”

Ori walked with confidence towards the curtains that marked the entrance to her office and then paused at the threshold. “At some point, I started to call you daughter in my head.”

Considering she had never been anyone’s daughter, Nota had no idea what that meant.

Whatever thoughts and emotions that Nota had cultivated in the peace that followed Ori’s departure vanished like a candle in a typhoon the moment her sister came crashing in.

“You can’t!” Nia stumbled in still dressed in her sleepwear that while plane left less to the imagination than her work attire. Her sister’s eyes were already puffy as though on the verge of tears. Nia ran over and pulled Nota into a hug that had her face become the envy of nearly every male in Dakland. The soft almost lilac scent that reminded her of bed was almost enough to make her want to pass out. “Send me instead.”

“What’s the point of those being ole’ears of yours if you don’t listen?” Ori grumbled, the frustrated stomps she took back towards her desk shook the couch slightly as she passed. “At least read the letter before you start crying.”

“But you can’t take my Nota away from me.” Nia hugged her tighter than before. “How will I be able to sleep?”

“Knowing you? Just fine.” Ori said with a sharp laugh. “Hell, I imagine Nota might sleep better without the looming threat of your pillows suffocating her.”

“Huh?” Nia asked. “Oh!”

Freedom! And fresh air! Nota took in a breath and then smiled at her sister. “It’s actually not a bad deal, sister here, look.”

“I’ll pay double!” Nia grumbled as she took the letter from her hands. Her eyes raced across the top lines before her brow furrowed and she began to read much slower, her lips moving slightly as though to silently voice each word.

“You couldn’t afford half.” Ori grumbled. “Besides, what Grand Marshal Nox is far more than what anyone here can offer Nota.”

“Family,” Nia mumbled as she continued to read it. “I’m not smart enough for that… Oh, that’s fair, but, who?” She looked up from the letter with enough force that part of her ear flopped inside out. A slight twitch and it popped back into place. “Who is she marrying? This doesn’t say! I need to approve any future in-laws, and the only one that’s pre-approved is Logan… and Silver!”

Nota rolled her eyes as a smile appeared on her lips. “We think it’s the emperor, but aren’t sure.”

“It’s not this Marshal guy?”

“Marshal is a rank Nia. One that’s higher than general.” Ori corrected.

Nia’s ears flattened slightly. “Oh, but, general sounds more important, I guess that’s why he has Grand in front of it so it seems more important. So, what’s stopping Nota from accepting, seeing who she wants to marry and just saying no, would she still get the benefits?”

“That would be open to the Grand Marshal’s discretion, but it appears as though that he wants Nota for multiple reasons.” Ori tapped on her desk before reaching for her quill once more. “That Delve game she played with him no doubt left an impression on his mind.”

“When did that happen?”

“When I married off Alexandra to his son.”

“Oh! That old man?” Nia’s brow furrowed. “He’s important?”

Ori nodded, “Before I came down here, he was already known as the undefeatable general, and now that he’s the Grand Marshal He’s effectively in charge of the entire imperial army.”

“So being his apprentice would be a big gig then.” Nia mumbled just loud enough for Nota to hear. She then turned and looked Nota in the eyes Nia’s own ruby red eyes reflected so much love and conflict that Nota found herself leaning towards her sister once more. “What do you want Nota?”

“I’m not sure,” Nota admitted. “I understand why it’s a good deal, but.”

“You’re taking it.” Ori said firmly, not even looking up from whatever she was writing.

“It’s kind of sudden isn’t it?” Nota asked glancing towards Ori before looking back towards her sister. “I mean, I just found out about the letter today, and I don’t even have the time to think, when am I supposed to accept.”

Ori placed her quill back in the well and let out a sigh. “They want the convoy to start heading north in two days, officially we’ll be handing you over in two days.”

“Two days!?” Nota shot up from her seat, Nia following alongside her, and once again she was reminded that she was taller than her sister was now, even without counting for her ears. “I have two days to figure it out? It took them this long to reach out to me and then I only have two days?”

Nia nodded alongside her. “That’s way too soon.”

Ori just offered a simple shrug. “That’s how things are in the empire, things move slowly until they erupt. But I would like your answer now, Nota. And I would like that answer to be yes, this is by far the best deal you’ll get out of life.”

“But it’s way too soon.” Nia protested stomping her foot, the hairs on the ends of her three tails were already bristling. “And Nota is too young.”

“No younger than you were when you started working here.” Ori clicked her tongue. “Besides. Didn’t you say that you felt like this place was holding her back?”

“But-”

“But nothing!” Ori snapped her finger. “Nota is being offered positions that people would kill for. Her friends are in the capital now too, the only thing she has here is you, me, and this damn brothel of mine.” Ori narrowed her eyes at Nia, anger, annoyance, authority, all those things were present in Ori’s eyes, and tempered by what Nota could only assume was love. “Stop holding her back Nia. You know this is what she needs.”

“I…” Nia pawed at her eyes, her shoulders falling. “I know, but, I don’t want to let her go.”

Nota turned towards her older sister and pulled her into a tight hug. Her sister smelt of their bed. Her skin was smooth and warm, and her tails were exceptionally fluffy. “I know Nia, I don’t want to go either.”

“But you’re going to?” Nia sobbed.

Nota felt the tears swell in her eyes. She didn’t want to cry, she didn’t need to cry. But her sister needed her to cry.

“I think so,” She choked the words out as the world became a blurry mess of colors. “Yeah, I think so.”

“But, I’ll miss you.” Nia kissed her softly on her chin, her arms wrapping tighter and tighter around Nota.

Nota kissed her sisters forehead, laughing and sobbing as they collapsed onto the floor. “I’ll miss you too Nia.”

Their sobbing waned as Ori moved in, her large hands being placed upon both their shoulders. “You two are such ugly criers.”

She was crying too.

“There’s no way either of you knuckle heads can work tonight.” Ori let out a sob that turned into a laugh. “Damn Kitsune allergies.”

Chapter Text

Nota stared at herself in the mirror, her long pure white hair was pulled up and into a simple foxy tail that started at the base of her ears and flowed downwards where it would normally reach her tails, held in place by a mixture of flowers and pins that in of itself looked like art. A lone curl of hair fell to the side of her face, wrapped in a red cloth. Traditionally the cloth would be white, to symbolize purity, but with her hair color it was red to symbolize love and beauty. A rich blue eyeshadow formed sharp whisps on her eyes, making the red of her pupils stand out more.

The Kimono she wore was far more traditional than the loose robes that the courtesans wore to show off their curves and bodies. The fabric was a blue so dark it could only be called black when the light didn’t directly shine up on it. Large wispy flowers sprouted up from the blue, breaking up the monotonous blue color with a stunning vibrancy. Around her waist a simple white belt helped to make her silhouette known to the world. The only part of the kimono that revealed its heritage as a courtesans dress was how much of her shoulders and neck were exposed, the formerly daring cut that exposed all of the leg and thigh and some of the hip had been expertly stitched.

Nota touched her red stained lips, the paint still felt wet, but it didn’t stain her fingers. She twirled in the mirror one last time, noting the covered hole in her back side where her tail(s) would come out from.

“All this just to get handed over to some soldiers.” Nota mumbled to herself. It wasn’t like she was actually getting married right this moment. She let out a sigh and resisted the urge to run her fingers through her hair. Her sister and Ori had insisted upon doing things the proper way, even if that wasn’t exactly practical for the week-long journey it would take for her to reach their destination.

Still, she didn’t hate the look.

It was perhaps the first time she felt like a woman, a woman that was simply-

“Beautiful~” Nia let out a shocked gasp as she entered the dressing room, much like herself, Nia had gotten dressed up for the occasion with a simple and modest kimono that actually covered her chest for once, her own hair mirrored Nota’s with the exception of the ornaments, that helped Nota stand out.

Nota spread her arms and her now shorter big sister stumbled into a hug, it felt like since the choice was made they had hugged a thousand times, and that even if they hugged a million more it still wouldn’t be enough. “I’m going to-”

“Do just fine.” Nia pulled away from the hug, a smile on her face.

Miss you.

She turned and looked into the mirror, her tails swaying with the motion. “Just look at us, we really do look like sisters.”

“Because we are,” Nota rolled her eyes and smiled.

“Oh! Make sure you do that at least once, that’s when you’re just, a thousand percent genuine Nota! And you look so good doing it too!”

Nota rolled her eyes again.

“Yes! Just like that.”

A smile tugged at her lips and Nota hugged her sister once more, uncertain if it would be the last. “I’ll try to visit.”

“You better.” Nia laughed and ended the hug once more. After crying her eyes out for most of yesterday and last night, Nia had woken up and resolved to not shed a single tear. “It should be easier since they’re building a road.”

Nota just nodded, she wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet. But, the time was fast approaching, and the whole world wouldn’t simply wait for her to act.

“Before you go, here.” Nia pulled out a simple brown envelope tied with a simple string. “Don’t open it until you’re ready, okay.”

“I’m ready now though.” Nota smiled at her sister.

Panic raced across Nia’s face. “No! Don’t open it now! Open it, I don’t know, when you’re in the capital! No, when you’re a big shot! No! When you have at least twice as many tails as I do.”

“So never?” Nota laughed as she placed the letter into her own belt.

“Yes!” Nia nodded frantically. “That’s a great time! Never is good!”

Nota let out a soft chuckle and patted her sister on the head. “You’ll be fine without me right?”

“Hey, hey, I should be the one asking you that, all I gotta do is wake up, bathe, and sing every day, all of that stuff is easy and fun! You?” Nia gestured towards her. “You have to like, make it there, which I’m just trying not to think about the chance of you getting devoured by monsters away, then you have to put up with a punch of people that have a bunch of titles and stuff that could probably crush Lord Dai like he was an ant, and then! You also have to maybe marry someone that’s all super old and stuff! That’s not even mentioning the whole Grand General Marshal Lord Nox aid thing you’re going to do! And the training!”

Nia took in a breath and then steadied herself taking time to straighten her robes and hair. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” Nota repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. “I’m honestly starting to look forward to it.”

“Okay, well,” Nia took another breath and then glanced towards the door. “I was supposed to tell you that they’re here and you should go.”

Nota nodded, took two steps towards the door, and then spun on her heels pulling Nia into the tightest possible hug she could muster knowing that it would likely be the last hug she had with her sister for a long time.

They hugged twice more on the way out of the Three Moons Brothel.

A dozen or so imperial soldiers greeted her, all dressed in their usual blacks, with bits of armor decorating their shoulders as a sign of rank or status. They flanked a large black cart that looked far sturdier than the more ornate carriages that normally dropped notable guests off. Several red and gold trunks rested atop the carriage secured by thick ropes and chain, one soldier, a male with short brown hair, was among the luggage, finding a spot to secure her single burlap bag.

Her entire life, placed into a single sack that was no bigger than she was.

The carriage door was opened, revealing a plush purple interior of the inside that looked impossibly soft and comfortable. Standing to either side of the door was a pair of soldiers, both of them women, both of them had red hair, their uniforms a blue so bright they looked as though to have woven the fabric from the sky itself. The taller of the two had longer hair that was pulled into a ponytail, on her shoulder was a white cloth that held the insignia of her rank. The shorter of the two, looked nervous and had short hair that ended just above her shoulders which were covered by the same armor as the rest of the soldiers.

They each carried a sword.

In front of the carriage were two large beasts, each with six stumpy looking legs that were covered in a coarse brown hair that was braided and decorated with simple red ropes. Their shoulders were taller than Nota was and their heads were lowered slightly as a set of blinders forced the beast to only look straight while its large nostrils flared. The pair sniffed the air, nudging closer towards The Three Moons Brothel as though some scent had caught their attention.

If Ori wasn’t careful she may have to start serving beasts.

Nota took a breath, straightened her shoulders and nodded towards the most important looking soldier.

He nodded back.

Shen then turned towards her sister and smiled sweetly. “I’ll miss you.”

“No-” Nia squeaked, and sniffed. “You weren’t supposed to say that. I’ll start crying!”

Oddly enough, Nota didn’t feel like crying as she said goodbye. Ori was right. This was what she needed.

She had known that when she had first decided to try and enter the Imperial academy. She needed to get out of Dakland. It just took longer than she thought and on a different path, but she still needed to go.

“When you see me again, I’ll have more tails than you.” Nota said with a bright smile and felt the tension in her shoulders lessen.

“Brat,” Ori’s firm voice sounded strained as she approached Nota. Without warning the gigantic Oni woman kneeled down and pulled Nota into a soft hug that lasted for only a moment before Nota found something hard pressed into her hand. Her sword.

Ori rose to her full height and stepped back her eyes meeting Nota’s as she offered a small smile. “It’s part of their customs that the wife may travel armed, it’s a sign of strength.”

Logan’s blade felt heavy in her hand, the grip was washed and cleaned, but felt rougher in her hands than she remembered as though two days had washed away all the callouses she had built up. Nota gripped the sword tightly, running her hand along the polished scabbard that was new to her. It was polished black lacquer with clouds of gold and a single word carved into the hilt. “Ori?”

The tall woman shrugged. “Believe it or not my name was worth something before I moved down here, so it might help.”

“I’ll treasure it.”

“You better, now get going.” Ori gave a small bow. “May I hear your deeds before I see you.”

A true Oni goodbye.

“May our deeds meet at the campfire.” Nota replied with a bow of her own.

“Brat.” Ori smiled.

With her sword clutched in one hand Nota walked towards the carriage, every single step felt like it came faster than the last as though she was running towards the carriage as fast as she could. Before she knew it she was standing before the two redheads.

“Safe to say you’re No-Tail?” The shorter of the two asked, she was eye height with Nota, and carried herself as though she had held a sword her whole life.

The taller woman clicked her tongue and shot the shorter one a glare. “Risa, mind your mouth, we’re greeting the Marshal’s important guest.”

“What, it’s not my fault that Kitsune names are spot on.” Risa huffed and crossed her arms.

“So, address her by her full name and-” The taller one sighed and pinched her nose before turning towards Nota once more, “Sorry about that Lady, No-Tail-But-Fluffy-Ears. I am Captain Luciel Skyrend, and this is my apprentice and little sister Risa Skyrend, we’ll be yours and Lady Sapphire’s guards during the return to the capital.”

Lady Sapphire?

It wasn’t a name that Nota recognized, but Dakland was a big city with lots of Kitsune. But gem names are more common among the richer merchants.

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Nota replied in the Imperial language, her voice as firm as it was steady. Once again she thanked Ori for forcing everyone in the Three Moons Brothel to learn the language. “Please, call me Nota.”

Luciel nodded, and Risa let out a sigh before muttering gratitude that was swiftly shot down by a glare from Luciel.

“Your Sovereign is quite good.” Luciel extended a hand out towards her.

Accepting Luciel’s hand Nota was guided into the carriage with ease, and promptly took her seat upon the back most bench of the carriage, forcing her to lock eyes with a Kitsune that was breathtakingly beautiful.

She was dressed in a kimono that was nearly pure white with dashes of blue mimicking clouds being the only design present while her eyes were highlighted by red. Her hair was blue, true blue, the kind of blue that could only be described simply as blue, it was shorter than Nota’s own hair, and wonderfully curly. Her blue eyes that looked so much like the ocean on a clear summer day narrowed as she eyed Nota up and down.

To compliment her name and beauty Sapphire wore ornate gold and sapphire jewelry, the largest of which was a palm size jewel that rested in a necklace around her neck, even her ears were decorated with smaller studs of gold and gems.

“So, you’re my competition.” Sapphire half sneered as she gave a crooked smile, her eyes falling towards Nota’s waist and thus her lack of tail. “Oooh, the infamous No-tail, well that’s one less I have to worry about.”

Sapphire’s gaze then moved towards Nota’s chest, and waist, and then her chest again before her smug smile turned into a scowl.

Maybe she should be been called ‘No-Tail-But-Fluffy-Chest’

“Nice to meet you too.” Nota glanced back towards the door, half tempted to run out if only to avoid having to spend upwards of a week in a cramped room with someone that started a conversation like that. “Uhh, what competition?”

“You don’t know?” Sapphire huffed and bounced one of her blue curls, her shorter ears bouncing in amusement.

Before Nota could respond, Risa bounced into the cabin, taking a seat directly next to Nota and beaming at her. “So, what’s the sword for?”

“Huh?” Nota glanced between Risa and where the woman was pointing her finger. Somehow she had forgotten about her sword. “Am I not allowed to carry it?”

“No you are! Especially if you’re trained, I just meant, uhh, well, are you trained?” Risa asked, looking at the sword like she wanted to touch it.

Nota nodded and pulled her sword free from her belt, the black sheath so polished she could almost see her face in it. “Yes actually, I learned to use the sword from Coat, the captain of the adventures guild and I’ve been teaching others until they unlock their Aura.”

“Coat?” Luciel asked as she stepped into the carriage. She glanced back outside for a moment before she closed the door. “Was that Nia then?”

“Yes, that’d be my big sister.” Nota gave Luciel a questioning look even as she felt Risa’s eyes locked onto her sword like it was the only thing that mattered. Sapphire just turned to look out the window. “How do you know her?”

Luciel just laughed. “I’ve had the displeasure of talking to Coat a few times these last few months, rare that I meet someone with a mouth like his that can actually back it up, but he wouldn’t shut up about this girl Nia he was head over heels in love with, said she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Turns out he was only slightly exaggerating that.”

Ahh… what was she supposed to say to that?

“He also talked about you, but he always called you… nu-huh?” Luciel asked with a puzzled look on her face. “I think he was buttering up command to try and take you on as a trainer.”

“Probably so he can slack off and keep doing nothing.” Nota added, and both Skyrends nodded in agreement.

“So, that sword,” Risa’s hand made a grabby motion. “Can I see it?”

“Uhh,” Nota glanced around the cabin, while bigger than most other carriages she had seen, it was still small, small enough that everyone here had to crouch in order to move about the space. It also just felt expensive.

Luciel gave her a small nod.

Nota nodded back and handed the sword over to Risa. “It was made by a friend of mine, he’s the apprentice of Oppal.”

Risa took the sword as though it was the most precious thing in the world to her. “Oppal? That’s a gemstone right? So was he a dwarf? Though I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of a dwarf called Logan.”

Sapphire scoffed from across the cabin.

“Yes, Oppal is a dwarf and I think she decided that she’s a woman,” Nota gave a small laugh and then shrugged as Risa opened the sword like she was a scholar revealing some ancient and profound script. “And Logan is a human, Oppal adopted him and took him on as an apprentice.”

“Hmm, never heard of a dwarf taking an apprentice that wasn’t another dwarf. Let alone adopt anyone.” Luciel placed her hand on her chin and nodded. “But the name Oppal sounds familiar.”

“Woah, woah, woah.” Risa muttered as she looked ready to polish the sword with her tongue. “This thing is amazing! An apprentice made this? Oh man, now I want to see what a real dwarven blade is like! They’re so picky with who gets to use them, and I’m not high enough rank to even be put on the list! Man, I bet with something like this I could easily advance to the next step.”

“Step?” Nota asked. Though, she probably should have asked when they were going to start moving. She peered out the window for a moment, and felt her eyes widen as she was greeted by the sight of the bay, with the storm pillar looming in the center like a spear thrown by a god to slay a vast titan. How did they even get here that fast?

“Forgive my sister, even compared to others on our path, she is exceptionally sword crazy.” Luciel gave a slight chuckle, and then leaned forward, one elbow on her knee as she rested her head on the palm of her chin. “Our Skyrend family follows the Path of the Sword, with a specialization in the Skyrend technique for which our family is named.”

“For Aura?” Nota asked, though she already knew the answer. She hadn’t heard of paths before, but even Coat had mentioned techniques before.

Luciel nodded before realization spread across her face. “That’s right, I read in the report that you Kitsune don’t really call them paths, it's all just aura to you. Well you know how when you use Aura a lot for one purpose you get better at it?”

Nota just blinked. That was a thing?

Not that she could even test it.

“Well, paths are taking that to an extreme.” Luciel said with a smile on her face. “I’m sure if you kept practicing with that you would be able to step onto the path and-” Luciel stopped, blinked, then sat back in her seat with a heavy sigh. “Oh, right. You can’t.”

“Huh?” Risa glanced up from the sword, finally putting it back into its sheath and handing it to Nota with shaky hands. “Why can’t she?”

Nota tried to smile, she really did. But she failed. “I don’t have Aura.”

The silence was broken up by Sapphire. “What are you guys even talking about? Speak in a language I understand.”

Chapter Text

The cool sea breeze was something that Nota was familiar with, but even so it felt drastically different as she stood upon the deck of a ship, her eyes locked onto the fading image of Dakland, the buildings had long since blurred into a single blob with only the Storm Spire still visible. From this far away she could almost see the barrier that safe warded the town from monsters and kept the worst of the storms from ravaging the city.

This was the furthest she had ever been from home and each moment pushed her further and further away.

Everything seemed so small.

A bolt of blue hair and tails burst past her, followed by the sound of retching so strong it was almost enough to make Nota gag. Several of the nearby soldiers let out a laugh, and Luciel was already at Sapphire’s side running small circles along the girls back.

Sapphire lifted up her head, stared out at the ocean, and vomited once again.

“Have you been on a boat before?” Risa asked as she stood closer to Nota. Apparently the sisters had already decided who was whose duty, and judging by the lack of Taligon that Risa spoke it was probably for the best.

Nota glanced around the boat, the salt air was far stronger here than it was in Dakland, the boat they were on was unlike anything she had seen in Dakland in just about every way imaginable. The boat was wide, wider than a market street, with enough space for their carriage and work beasts to ride comfortably. The sail was a grand red thing that seemed to always be full no matter the wind. But the most striking thing was the two massive wheels that stuck out from the side of the vessel, each turning the water with the force of a thousand oars.

The entire thing looked new, as though the wood had been cut from the trees this very morning before being built and lacquered in the very dock they had departed from.

“I have.” Nota said with a slow nod. “But only a couple of times, and never outside of the Storm Shield.” She then gestured at the boat, and then the carriage. “And they were all smaller than that.”

Risa nodded, “Traveling by ship isn’t common outside of the Giant’s Isle’s and the North Channel, so my first boat trip was when I arrived down here doing that!” Risa pointed towards one of the large wheels with a scowl on her face, her light blue eyes narrowed with pure disgust.

“Huh? So those are like giant Oars?”

“Kind of! There’s smaller wheels in the hull, that they make trainees run in to increase their stamina and aura control. Also it makes the ship faster.” Risa placed her hands on her hips and beamed with pride. “But this time, I have a job so I don’t have to run.”

They make the soldiers run? Nota stared at the wheel and then narrowed her eyes at it as she followed one of the massive paddles along its rotation.

The Empire was frightening.

She now had a much better understanding of why Lord Dai had agreed to join so easily. If their trainees could power a wheel that large just by running, she’d hate to figure out what someone like Luciel could accomplish. And by hate, she meant would love. How would someone like Luciel fight, what exactly did an aura path look like?

“Do your ears twitch when you’re thinking about something?” Risa gave Nota a slight bump on the hip, and smiled up at her. “It’s pretty cute, especially with how big your ears are.”

Nota bit her lip and looked away, one hand going up to tug on her ear. “Do I?”

“Yeah!” Risa nodded happily beside her as she hopped to be in front of Nota. “I notice that a lot of Kitsune have expressive ears but yours are something else.”

Her cheeks felt warm, and she tried her best not to have her ears twitch. “So, what exactly is your Skyrend family? It sounded important.”

“Oh, not really.” Risa stretched out the last word like she was just getting up for the morning, her hands clasped behind her back as she gave a light stretch. “It’s just one of the five noble houses, and the overseers of the Valley of Blades.”

Risa paused looking at Nota expectedly.

“Forgive me, but none of that sounds familiar, outside of Stormbreak Isle I don’t know much about the world.” She had a general idea of somethings, like the Empire being to the north and being absolutely huge, there being a few smaller settlements in the calm sea, and there being some island to the north west where the giants came from, and some super cold places even more north where the Oni came from, but details like a noble house was just not on her radar.

Oh, and The Spine, where Opal and other Dwarves came from.

“Oh, I guess that makes sense given where Dakland is.” Risa gave a short nod to the quickly fading city. “You guys are pretty isolated from the rest of the world, but don’t worry! Now that you guys are a part of the empire we’ll be sure to bring you up to speed in no time! Oh, but I guess I can explain the basics.”

Nota nodded and watched the red haired girl flap her arms about as she struggled to find the right words. “Well, so, basically, uhh, blade Valley, its a valley somewhere.” Risa twisted around scanning the horizon before she seemed pick a random direction north. “That way, and its actually where the Ronsa Beasts are from.” She pointed towards the two beasts that were still strapped to the carriage while munching on some feed.

“But, that’s not all, The Valley is also where blade grass grows, and where we learned to make these.” Risa drew the sword from her hip, it was thin even by Kitsune standards and didn’t have any real shine to it, with its hue being a verdant green. “Well, not so much make, as Harvest, we have fields of the stuff, and if you try to run through it you’ll end up spliced to bits. Unless you’re a Ronsa that is.”

So they basically just grew swords there? “Do they work? Like a normal sword?”

“Depends on the person! With a bit of Aura, they’re as strong as more other swords, but without it, they’re worse than Iron. But we can grow a lot of them, so the empire likes us, now I think most soldiers have a Blade Grass sword.” Risa put her sword away and began to pace around Nota, her hands behind her back. “There’s also other stuff there too, like a spring that’s so cold it cuts, and trees that grow like the crescent moon, and of course, there’s the villages, but most importantly, is the Skyrend family.”

“Which you’re a part of?”

“Yeah! Not by blood though, My older brother married into the third branch family, and because me and my sister stepped onto the Path of the Sword, we were allowed to take the Skyrend name as well.” Risa waved her hand around like it didn’t really matter. “But, basically the Skyrend Family is a noble house of the Empire, because way back whenever, the Skyrends defended the valley, and when the Emperor showed up to get use to join the Empire the patriarch challenged him to a duel, and the Emperor was so impressed that he promoted the whole house to that of nobles.”

“There are four other houses, the Blackhands who are masters of construction, The Verdantroot who grow food and practice alchemy, the Wei and Flamewreathed are combat houses like us. Together we’re like uhh, the big names in the empire.”

“Not Nox?” Nota asked, making certain to remember their names carefully. And what was alchemy? How did the Verdant grow food? There was so much to think about.

“That’s a commoner’s name, but also, kind of becoming not, thanks to Grand Marshal Nox,” Risa tapped her finger on her chin. “I heard that he’s actually rejected invitations to most of the Noble Houses, which I guess when you already have a title like ‘The Unbeatable Iron Wall of the Empire.’ you really don’t need to join any of the noble houses.”

Nota nodded along, and spared one last glance towards her home, the tip of the Stormspire barely visible against the gathering clouds. “Say, does the emperor have any children?”

“Nope!” Risa said letting the p pop as she did. “They’d probably be super strong or important if he did though.”

“Then why does he get married.”

Her response was met with a shrug.

“Have you ever seen him?” Nota pressed. At the moment, the image she had of the Emperor was basically just a mixture of Lord Dai and Marshal Nox. But with no fox ears.

“Nope, this will actually be my first time going to the capital, so I do hope to see him.” Risa flapped her hands at her side and absolutely beamed at Nota. “But hey, is it true what they say about you Kitsune?”

“What do they say?”

“That you grow tails when you grant a wish!”

It was going to be a long trip.

After half a day at sea the shore began to rise from the horizon, at first it was little more than a blurry mess that blended in with the fog bank. But then the details began to emerge and Nota found herself feeling small.

At first she had thought that the world had shrunk and that the horizon had been dragged towards her far faster than it had left her, but then slowly the true scale of the structure began to take hold as it dominated the landscape.

Carved out from the seaward cliff, and then build up twice as tall with walls of carved stone was a fortress, with a massive harbor that opened up towards the sea as though the land itself was poised to lurch forward and swallow up Dakland in one massive gulp.

Positioned on the walls were weapons that Nota had only seen a handful of times at the guild; crossbows their mechanical nature made them an easy to use weapon compared to a bow, but the ones upon the walls were not on a human scale. Each one loomed higher than all but the tallest buildings in Dakland. Larger still if the army of ants that scurried around the walls weren’t ants but were in fact the black clad soldiers of the empire moving about. And there were three of them, all aimed out towards the ocean.

Once again, Lord Dai’s choice to join rather than fight made that much more sense.

The commotion on the ship changed, every armed soldier rushing to one side as Risa moved into a defensive position, one hand on her sword hilt as the other went across Nota’s chest.

Luciel dragged Sapphire back from the edge, the girl’s eyes were wide with terror as she looked around in confusion, her once pristine appearance having been left on Dakland’s dock. She looked towards Nota with pleading eyes. “What’s happening?”

“I-”

The giant crossbow let loose its bolt, the force strong enough to kill the waves for a moment as it flew towards some far off target.

Another, then another fired, the waves coming back with violent revenge as Nota struggled to stay on her feet. But she wasn’t going to look away. Her eyes followed the first bolt as it neared the horizon. Then it changed mid-flight, angling downwards as though some unseen hand had twisted its trajectory.

It impacted in the ocean with more than half of it sticking above its surface, the water began to stir like a thousand young children playing in the bath but on a much grander scale. The once grey blue water quickly turned red as the second and third bolts struck whatever it was that they were fighting against.

“Should be fine now,” Risa said, letting her guard drop slightly, the rest of the imperial soldiers were quick to return to their own duties.

“Sea Monster?” Nota asked, feeling her hand tremble slightly.

“Monster?” Risa asked, “Monsters don’t bleed.”

Nota opened her mouth, before closing it as she steadied herself against the unneven waves. “Okay, but how did those arrows curve like that?”

“Someone kicked them.” Risa’s answer came so nonchalant that it was impossible to take it seriously.

“Kicked?” Nota felt her twitch.

“Yeah, my guess is that it was Captain Huel and his two Lieutenants took care of it.” Risa pursed her lips and clicked her tongue before turning away from the fight sight.

Conceptually she could picture it, she could picture the men holding onto those massive arrows and then kicking them downward at the right time to strike at something. In much the same way that she could picture a piece of paper stopping one of those massive arrows without so much as a tear. But that was just her imagination. That wasn’t reality, at least not the reality that she lived in.

Only it was, it just wasn’t her reality.

With a shaky breath, Nota looked away from the sea ward battle and focused on what she could do. Which was apparently traveling to the imperial capital, get married to the emperor and hope that Albel Nox was genuine with his offer of providing her whatever teachings she wanted or needed. Though, she had a feeling he would try to influence her choice one way or the other.

She took a small steady breath and resolved herself.

Without Aura, she would just have to find another way.

Chapter Text

Nota found herself feeling increasingly small as the once vast ship she had been riding in was swallowed up by the fortress walls that surrounded a shallow bay of deep clear water. A city was built up along one side of the fortress hugging the wall as buildings were stacked up upon one another like a vast uneven staircase, filled with straight cracks that were filled with thousands upon thousands of ants all moving about with purpose. The City’s sprawl continued towards a large gate where it came to a dead stop making way for a wide road that looked large enough for two of the ships Nota was on to rest tip to tip. The city sprawl continued abruptly, as though it had never stopped. The city only began to taper off once it approached the shore, not because of any terrain challenges, but simply because it was still being built.

She could see them bring a wall up in real time, the stone being flattened by unseen forces and walls rising up from the stone before entire beams of lumber were pounded into place.

“Welcome to Foxtail Port.” Risa said with a great big smile. “Well technically it’s official name is ‘Third Port’ but that’s because we don’t really build ports too often.”

“Why’s that?” Nota asked, it really felt like the Empire could do anything.

“No idea really. But it might have something to do with the Emperor's Domain.” Risa tapped her chin. “It's too dangerous to build without some kind of a thingy like that big spear you got in Pakland, or those trails of lights elsewhere on that Island.”

Nota nodded but kept her eyes on the city growing right before her eyes. “But it's not here?”

Risa pointed towards the giant crossbows. “I’ve been to two other forts both inside the domain, and they don’t have those. I think it's more that the Emperor thinks your fluffy butts are worth it, your tails can like grant wishes and stuff right?”

“Not exactly,” Nota felt her shoulders drop. “Not that I’m much of an expert.”

“Neither am I.” Risa gave a toothy smile. “Except on swords, I know a thing or three about swords!”

Nota couldn’t help but smile.

Their ship moved towards the docks at a steady pace, the massive wheels on either side spinning opposite directions as it turned while still moving forward before backing right up into a lot that appeared to be a perfect fit for the vessel.

Sapphire was the first one off the ship, and tumbled onto the hard packed dirt road where she all but kissed the ground at finally being off the ship. Several of the soldiers also did the same, mostly those that came running out from below deck to find solid ground and a place to vomit in peace.

The docks here didn’t have the same salty scent of fish as the one back at Dakland, likely due to the lack of fishermen.

“We’ll be heading out in an hour.” Luciel commented as they unloaded the carriage, the two Ronsa beasts completely unbothered by long trip, their trainer easily guiding them towards a waiting troff of food.

“Isn’t the sun to set soon?” Nota asked, the sun was nearly below the fortress walls, but given how they were so tall as to be mountains to her that wasn’t a good measure of time. “Will we make it to the Capital so fast?”

Luceil shrugged, “No, we’re quite a ways away, but we should be able to make it to the domain by before the sun sets, and we’ll be much safer there.”

There was that word again, domain, wasn’t this the empire’s domain? Nota felt her ears twitch.

“Besides, it’s much safer to travel later in the day.” Risa continued bouncing up towards her sister. “Monsters can’t manifest in sunlight, at least that’s what my dad says.”

“He’s not wrong.” Luceil gave a brief nod.

“Hey!” Sapphire protested, her once perfectly manicured and pristine appearance was now ragged. Her jewelry was off kilter, her robe slightly twisted in place it shoulder been, and her face was ever so slightly pale. Though her hair was absolutely perfect and there wasn’t even a spec of dirt on her. “We are staying here tonight, and that’s final.”

“But, we can make it to the border with ease, and we’ll be much safer there.” Luciel tapped her foot in annoyance. “I understand that the journey at sea was rough Sapphire, but you’ll feel much better once we-”

“I said no.” Sapphire stomped her feet. “I’ve seen your maps! The next place to sleep is several days away, meaning that we’ll be camping in that abomination for the next two weeks!” She flicked her finger towards the carriage, and let out a huff. At least here I can sleep in a bed and get a bath before we start traveling again.”

A bath.

Nota bit her lip, the idea of going so far without taking a nice relaxing bath was one that just rubbed her the wrong way.

“See?” Sapphire pointed towards Nota, “She’s a Kitsune too, she knows just how important baths are to us.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Nota half mumbled to herself. She wouldn’t say no to a good bath. Or even a good bed.

It’ll be strange sleeping without her sister present, but there was sea between them now, narrow though it might be on a piece of parchment it was still grander than any distance she could cover on foot.

Maybe she should have begged Nia to come with her?

Maybe she should have stayed home.

Stayed where she couldn’t move forward.

“There will be plenty of places to rest where you can have a bath and even bath.” Luciel pointed out. “But not here, this isn’t a safe place.”

It wasn’t? Nota glanced up at the walls, and then towards the massive crossbows that looked like they could hit Dakland from here. Then again, this place didn’t have something like the Storm Tower that would prevent monsters from spawning, or the Trail of Stars that would disrupt their movements.

“I think we should trust Luciel on this,” Nota gave a small apologetic nod towards Sapphire. “As much as I would like to stay the night and take a bath, she knows more about this than we do.”

Sapphire gave a scoff, and crossed her arms. “What would you know? You’re at best half a Kitsune.”

Nota just glared at the girl. There would be no point in stomping her foot like a child and threatening to beat Sapphire silly with the blunt side of her fists. She could take a few insults on her way to a place that hopefully won’t find her lack of tails weird, humans didn’t have tails after all and they were fine.

Ears might stand out a bit though.

Or a lot.

“Do your ears always twitch like that when you’re annoyed?” Risa leaned in, a smirk entwined with her whisper like a young couple dashing between the buildings.

“Apparently.” Nota mumbled and willed her ears to remain straight and perky.

“Either way.” Luciel stepped in half way between Nota and Sapphire, erecting a barrier that neither could cross. “We’re going tonight, and that’s final. We’ll see too it that you both get a bath and a proper bed once we reach safety.”

“Ms. Luciel,” Sapphire’s tone took on an edge that sent a chill down Nota’s spine. It was like the first bite of frost slipping through a still open window cutting through the layers she wore like nothing. “I was trying to be subtle about this, but if you insist.” One of Sapphire’s tails moved to the side and she reached around to grab it. Much like Sapphire’s hair there was no fault present on the blue fur that made up Sapphire’s tail. It was dyed a myriad of blues that blended together into a dark pure blue that ended in a yellow tip, like a brush used to paint a blue sky only to add a bright sun.

“My third tail has some limited premonition that warns me of bad choices.” Sapphire’s face nor ears didn’t so much as flinch as she spoke in a leveled voice. “And right now it is telling me that should we leave now we will all be in danger.”

Luciel blinked, opened her mouth, blinked again, and then grabbed her chin as though her head had grown too heavy for her neck. She bit into her pointer finger and turned sharply. She took two steps before she turned again. After doing this several more times she let out a sigh. “Fine, we will heed your warnings tonight and stay the night. Risa, watch over them while I find a secure place to house them.”

“And a bath!” Sapphire said with a cheerful smile.

Luciel gave an annoyed twitch. “We’ll see.”

Risa hoped up towards Nota glancing towards Nota with a half smirk before asking in Soverign. “Can her tails really do that?”

“My friends can stop time so probably.” Nota offered with a shrug. “Not that I would know what a tail can and can’t do.”

“Oh, right, sorry.”

“Would you two top talking about me behind my back?” Sapphire stomped her foot. “Speak in a language I understand.”

Nota gave a weak laugh.

This was already going to be a long trip, and Sapphire was going to make it just that much longer.

The bath was a barrel filled with water that could only be called warm in the dead of winter, and only clean for the desperate.

Their room small and stuffy.
Their meal simple.

Their beds a pair of cots filled with basic bedding made of various fibers.

They fell asleep to the sound of a war being fought against the night.

The Night was long.

The Sun was Greeted with cheers.

Nota stood beside the large black wagon and gave a long stretch that had her more comfortable traveling clothes shift, pulling up just enough that she could feel the cool morning air on her stomach. She had missed the soft cushions within the wagon desperately last night, and she had been half tempted to sneak out and crawl into carriage and wait for morning there. But that wouldn’t have been smart.

There had been fighting in the streets, monsters that managed to spawn from the ambient mana that had seeped into the fortress. On the wide central street alone there were dozens of buildings that looked as though they had been attacked in the night, and even the once smooth road showed signs of battle with craters and small walls pulled up from the dirt.

But the soldiers were treating this as just another day, they simply stood up, rolled their shoulders and got back to work, building, moving, and training, just like any other day.

Where did they find the time to sleep?

There was even a large group playing some kind of a sport on a field down near the waters. It more or less looked like children playing catch and keep away. Only enhanced significantly by their liberal use of Aura.

“Seriously?” Nota glanced towards the large squarish building where they had stayed and watched as Luciel came stomping around the corner, all but dragging Sapphire alongside her. “We are not going to wait for you to have a good-tail day before we start heading out.”

Much like her Sapphire had gotten out of the ornate robes and jewelry that they had arrived in and was now wearing clothes more befitting that of a merchant’s daughter. In that there was quite a bit of skin showing.

“I’m telling you, if we leave now we’ll be in even more danger than last night.” Sapphire whined as Luciel’s finger prodded her along.

“And I’m telling you last night we sent out patrols and they made it to the outpost without issue, so no, I’m not taking tactical advice from your tail anymore.” Luciel half growled as she pushed Sapphire along. “Now you can even come willingly, or you can be luggage, I don’t particularly care which.”

“Should I get the rope?” Risa added with a wide toothy grin.

“Look, this time it’s really bad.” Sapphire turned as she stood in front of the carriage, and grabbed her tail. The hairs were bristled, practically standing straight up so that if Nota turned her head she could see the solid core of Sapphire’s core through the light. “We should not go out there. Just wait a couple of hours and-”

“We’ll be leaving with an actual convoy.” Luciel’s voice was soft, soft but more firm than the very ground that they stood on. “We’re not going to wait. We’re not going to be late.”

“I-”

“We’re not going to be late.” Luciel repeated, silencing Sapphire and opening the door.

Sapphire’s face was pale, and her hand was shaky as they entered the carriage. She looked ready to vomit at any moment.

Once again the carriage ride was smooth, eerily so, as though the whole carriage was simply floating off the ground. Inside the carriage was dead silent, with Luciel glaring out a window in annoyance, chin perched upon her hand while the other gripped the tip of her sword in annoyance.

Risa was sucking on her lip, her eyes flickering between Sapphire and Luciel as though she was a child watching their parents fight.

Sapphire was simply sitting, stroking her bristling tail with her hand and taking in slow and steady breaths.

Nota decided that staring out the window was the correct way to spend her time. She placed a hand over her breast, feeling the letter that Nia had given to her and let out a sigh. She hadn’t opened it, not yet. It felt too soon. Her sister had given her the letter, Nia who hated to read, Nia who spoke her mind.

Whatever Nia had written it was something that she couldn’t say.

Nota hummed as she watched a pair of soldiers ride past on a pair of birds that were all legs and beak.

The most obvious one was that it would be about her parents. She felt the ridge of the letter and sighed. She had a feeling about who exactly her mother was. But still, the truth of the matter, while it didn’t quite scare her, it also wasn’t an answer that she needed. Things as they were with her small family were fine.

Things didn’t need to change.

Part of her was hopeful that perhaps there would be some information on why she didn’t have tails, or Aura. Maybe someone had done something and now Nota was finally going to find out what.

The truth of that scared her, it scared her that there might not be a cause. It scared her that if there was a cause why had her sister kept it hidden for so long?

She would read it soon.

When she was alone.

Shouting came from beyond the window.

The carriage lurched, the Ronsa beasts heavy steps thundering inside the carriage as the driver pushed them to their limits. Outside, Nota could see soldiers springing into action against creatures that looked as though they were blurrs on a frustrated artists canvas. The soldiers were fast, moving faster than Nota could see. But the creatures were lightning, their movements as chaotic as they were quick and twice as deadly.

“Risa! Protect them!” Luciel’s voice had barely began before the woman exited the carriage, sword at the red, it’s edge so sharp it seemed to cut the light. She flew through the air, her red hair following her like a torch of war. Then she struck down like a flash of lightning slicing one of the tangled masses of violence in half before joining the soldiers a they made some sort of a frontline against a growing hoard of tangled violence.

There was a jostile.

The cieling became the floor.

And the world went black.

They should have listened to the whiney one.

Risa held up her sword as the Plains Runner struck at her with the tangled mass of mana that made up it’s limbs. She slashed at it, the aura along her blade allowing her to actually cut the thick physical mana she was fighting against, blocking would be pointless, the creature’s limbs were nothing but a mass of strands, and blocking it with her sword would only allow the creature to move past it like a river would a rock and strick her directly.

Dodging was worse. If she dodged then her charge that blue haired kitsune would be scewered, as it was the girl was barely able to breath.

She had no idea about Nota.

Her only option was to counter attack, to strike down each attack as it came.

Practice for when she advanced and had to strike down lightning before it reached the ground in three more steps. The tier that her sister was still struggling with.

A smile graced her lips as Risa stared at the quivering core of energy that made up the central mass of the Plains Runner. If she could just get to the core, she could kill it.

“Is that all you got!” She shouted with such force that her voice cracked.

As though to rise up to her challenge the monster hoisted itself up into the sky, it’s tangeld body being supported only by three quivering tendrils of legs that seemed to shift where exactly they were without moving, leaving six or more limbs made up of countless strands to rise up.

If lightning was faster, she could see how.

Her aura roared through her body, her sword an extension of herself, she held onto the same way her wrist held onto her hand, how her palm held onto her fingers. In such a way that dropping her sword would feel as though she had lost a leg.

This was the next step on the path of the sword.

And she would make it.

The strikes rained down upon her, the creature recognizing that it needed to best her to get at the girl behind her it seemed obsessed with.

She struck at the limbs. Her blade slicing the attacks before they could reach her or their true target. Yet, with each slice, two new tendrils appeared to take its place, each one barely slow enough for her to see.

A movement came from the rubble.

A distraction.

A tendril pierced her arm, and Risa winced, the pain making her slow fo half a second allowing the beast to get anothe hit in.

It stopped for a moment, its core quivering in delight that it had drawn blood.

Nota stood from the rubble, her brow covered in blood and that fine looking sword was drawn in her hand.

“Stay-” Her words may as well have been slashed from the air as the beast began its assault again. This was it, she had failed, there was no way someone that had so little Aura could have survived an assault against a Plains Strider, especially not one that was this powerful.

And yet, Nota was fine.

She simply walked forward.

The Plains Strider completely unaware of her.

She gripped the sword with both her hands, in a way that Risa had seen countless times, the grip of someone that understood the sword but would not step upon its path. The height of what a non-path walker could obtain.

Nota’s slash was slow, painfully slow. And painfully weak.

But against the bare core of the Plains Strider that relied on their speed above all else to fight and hunt on the vast southern plains.

It was enough.

The Plains Strider’s core quivered as though to scream its tendrils spasming as its core seemed to flicker.

It died not knowing what killed it.

Risa fell to her knees, the rythem that had been keeping her standing fading as the edges of her vision began to darken.

But she dared not keep her eyes off of the white haired Kitsune that had simply walked up and slayed one of the most fearsome monsters on the plains with such casual ease.

“Risa!” Nota limped over to her, a wince on her face. “Are you okay?”

“I took a step.” Risa said with a sloppy smile. “I’ll be drained for a while but I’ll live.”

Hopefully.

“Try not to die.”

Her sister could handle the rest.

Her world went black.

Nota stared at her sword for a moment, the battle happening nearby might as well have been a storm on the horizon for how fast she could move. Her right leg was twisted, and it hurt to stand let along walk, and she could feel a pounding headache building where she had struck her head in the crash.

The Monster—or whatever it was—had completely ignored her. No that wasn’t quite it it had seen her, she had felt its lightning fast limbs move past her like it was avoiding her for whatever reason to strike at Risa and Sapphire. And when she had stabbed its glowing yellow core it had almost looked confused.

Confused that she had done that.

Just as confused as she was that she could do that

She looked down towards the ground, watching as the creature’s form slowly began to vanish like a drop of water placed upon a heated pan, leaving only a single finger sized sliver of stone. With a wince she reached down and and though to pick it up before stopping. It was a mana stone, like the one she had exploded all those years ago.

She hesitated for a moment before she touched it.

It did not explode, instead it began to dissolve slowly like the rest of the creature.

No, not like the rest of the creature.

It was flowing towards her. Drawn to her hand like lightning to the Stomspire.

But why?

Why had the Plains Strider avoided her?

Why had it allowed her to stab it so easily?

Why was the mana crystal being absorbed into her body.

And why was she so calm?

The ground shook, and a pair of beings landed in the open field between her and the soldiers. One was a man, his body a mountain of muscle, with a head that was shaped like a bear, white fur dyed with blue runnic patterns covered it and the top of his shulders. Besides him was a woman, her face that of an owls with bright red feathers, tattoos ran up and down the exposed parts of her body.

And they both loomed over her. The man was at least twice as tall as the Three Moons Brothel, and even that felt like a gross understatement. The woman was shorter than the man, but that did not mean she was short.

The man rushed forward, his hands reshaping the earth like she might remove a cress from a blanket. The soldiers moved out the way, the Monsters turned to face their new foe.

The woman stood back, bringing her hands together as she rose up off the ground, her tattoos glowng brighter by the second as clouds began to form above.

With the clap of her had, lightning struck down ending many of the monsters in that instant.

“Huh,” Nota blinked as she looked at the two allies. “So that’s a giant.”

Chapter Text

“Wahooo!”

Nota tighted her grip around Risa’s sturdy waist as the girl raced their Baku-Bird—a bird that was 70% leg, 10% beak, 28% body, and 2% wings that the imperial troops used in the plains—along the dirt road that extended towards the horizon. Every single step from the Baku-Bird felt like she had jumped from the cliff into a summer watering hole, with the regret only triggering the moment her feet left the ground, and lasting until she took that first breath after entering the water.

Only she barely had time to breath.

After the Plains-Strider attack, the giant with the owl head had done her best to heal everyone. It felt different from how Silver healed. It was the difference between a gentle nudge, and a forceful shove. It left her feeling out of breath.

Then, just as quickly as the had arrived, the giants had run off.

She caught a glimpse of Luciel, a trail of dust chasing after her Baku-Bird like a fluffy brown tail. At least she was better off than Sapphire that had currently been reduced to baggage, and was tied tightly to the back of Luciel’s saddle. Nota wasn’t sure if it was practical because Sapphire had fallen off twice, or if it was Luciel taking out her frustrations on the whole Sapphire.

“Oh Look!” Risa’s voice carried over the wind as she brought her bird back in line with the rest of the column, there were only a handful of birds, and yet there were far more soliders that were simply keeping up with them under their own power, the injured among them being carried upon their backs.

Nota followed Risa’s finger towards the wooden tower that sat atop a hill, neither the tower nor the hill were impressive. The tower made of a dark wood, its rooft painted yellow, and a small bit of white smoke rose up from the ground beside it. It was certainly a far cry from the fortress port of Foxtail. The hill was just like any of the other rolling hills around the plains save for it being barren towards the top with a low fense surrounding it.

And yet everyone seemed to be rushing towards it faster than before, as though they were a fathr eager to get home, their wife at the entrance waiting patiently for them.

The first of the soldiers that arrived all stopped at the top of the hill their arms spread wide as though to welcome a sun that had long since risen.

“Hold on tight!” Risa shouted, “I can’t wait to see your face!”

Nota tried to open her mouth to speak but could barely hold on as Risa urged teir Baku-Bird faster. The beast let out a screech of delight before it darted towards that hill with enough speed she wondered if they had taken flight.

They arrived at the destination in a heart beat, Nota still felt her ears ringing from the wind whipping her face as she slid off the now stationary bird.

She half stumped to the ground, nearly kissing it in relief as the last leg of her journey had been one that she would rather not go on again. Her limbs shook slowly and it felt like it was impossible to stand straight.

“Huh, that’s a new one,” Risa laughed as she helped Nota to her feet, “Maybe you Kitsune just aren’t used to feeling it yet?”

“Feeling what?” Nota asked as she felt her knees tremble, her eyes locked onto the Baku-Bird for a mment. She never wanted to ride one of those things again. Especially as a passenger. Her ass hurt in ways it shouldn’t. She straightened her back and felt the warm sunlight on her. It was nice.

“The Emperors Domain?” Risa asked looking towards the horizon. “His Aura?”

Nota stretched and felt her back give a satisfying pop as she turned her attention towards the other soldiers, they were all staring towards the horizon towards something that she couldn’t see beyond the mountains.

“Yeah, huh, maybe Kitsune are just-”

“What the fuck is that?” Sapphire scrambled to her feet the moment Luciel arrived, her eyes wide, tails bristling. “Is that? Is that Aura?”

Nota blinked, and then looked at Risa. “Probably a me thing.”

Risa gave a small laugh and nodded. “I guess so.”

“It’s the Emperor’s Aura, we’re now within his domain. In here, monsters won’t naturally spawn outside of dungeons or forest gates.” Luciel took in a deep breath as she too looked towards the horizon. “We also know which way home is while in here. His aura is a guiding light to us all.”

“More like a blazing inferno.” Sapphire muttered as she fell to her knees, her body shaking a bit as her complextion paled. She looked ready to vomit.

Nota took a step past the soldiers and glanced down towards the rapidly changing valley just beyond the hill. A river with waters that seemed to capture the true color of blue makred as a divde between the wild southern plains she had been seeing for the past day and cultivated farm land.

Fields filled with livestock and produce spreard from the dull edge of the horizon all the way to he river, with housing, scattered little villages, and a few forests breaking up the farmland. A city formednear the river, a sprawling metropolis that made Dakland look like a small town in the country, rose up along the river’s banks, with people that looked like ants rushing about in a hurried fashion. The buildings looked different from the ones in Dakland, more ornate, with even the simpler ones looking like they could stand next to the Three Moons Brothel.

A single bridge spanned the river, the base was made of stone while the actual bridge was made of wood. The towers on either side of the birdge looked to be the talest buildings in the entire city, and the only semblance of defense in the city.

“Can monsters not enter the domain?” Nota asked aloud.

“They can,” a random soldier answered, he was tall with dark hair and darker eyes. “But Plains-Striders can’t swim or jump very far so the river stops them from crossing over, and they tend to out compete everything else.”

Another soldier tapped her on her shouler and pointed towards the tower, where a lone man was watching with intent. “Anything else we’re on the look out for.”

“Only real problem around here is the Forest Gate,” Another soldier pointed towards a patch of green on the hoirzon. “But aside from some elves, Terras Nil is the best place to live outside of the capital”

“Says the local!”

The soldiers let out a roar of laughter before they began to walk down the hill.

“We can walk from here,” Luciel stretched her own back as she looked at her own Baku-bird with a disguested look. It was taller than the one that her and Risa had ridden on with silver feathers and a black beak. “It’ll take time to prepare another carriage, unless of course your tail is telling you that would be a bad idea.”

Sapphire’s ears fell flat against her head, even as her eyes were locked onto that distant horizon. “I… no… its fine.”

“That’s what I thought.” Luciel rolled her eyes and glared at Sapphire for a second. Before she let out a sigh and her gaze softened for a moment. Without a word she guided Sapphire gently into the saddle of her Baku-bird and began to walk, the guiding the creature towards Terras Nil.

“You wanna?” Risa gestured towards the Baku-Bird that they had shared not too long ago.

“Let’s walk,” She gave Risa a quick tug on the arm. It felt like she was trying to pull a building down. “You still need to recover too right?”

“Huh?” Risa let out a small gasp. “Why would I need too-”

“The giant,” Nota mumbled as Risa moved in close. “It didn’t heal you as much as it could have did she?”

“Oh.” Risa let out a small laugh. “You’re almost scary with how perceptive you are.”

“So, why didn’t she?”

“I took the next step on the path.” Risa said with a wide smile, that turned into a slight twinge of pain. “It’s a good thing in the long run, but until my Aura stabalizes I’ll be a bit of a messy, and the giant probably knew that and only did the bare minimum. I’ll be fine in a bit though, I should heal faster once more core has calmed down.”

“Right then, you get on the bird, and I’ll escort you to town.”

“What?” Risa shrieked. “No! Think of my pride Nota!”

Unlike in Foxtail port they were put up in an actual Inn, one that looked like it was ready to serve travelers, traders, and everyone in between. The beds were large enough that Nota could stand on it and spin with her arms held out wide, and when she stopped to fall she wouldn’t have to worry about fall off the bed. The room itself was just as spacious, with a night stand, closet, trunk and even a bookshelf filled with scrolls and books.

Likewise the Lobby of the inn had tables that were specifically designed for Delve.

Which sounded like a great idea.

If only she could get up from the bed.

Nota let out a groan as she tried to make any sort of effort towards making an effort, only for her body to simply refuse as though she had been buried up to the neck in sand. The warm bath, warmer meal, and warm bed had sapped what little energy she had after riding a Baku-Bird all day and then walking Risa into the town.

Her feet hurt.

Her back also hurt.

If she had a tail she was sur it would also hurt.

But not the bed.

The bed felt good. She pressed her face into the softness of the bed and felt like sleep might take her any second.

“So, why do you think that Plains Strider just let you walk up slowly and then kill it?” Risa asked, her bare feet barely disturbing the soft mattress.

Nota opened her eye and turned her head just enough to watch as Risa sat. It was a smooth graceful motion with each pose in between looking impossible to hold for more than a breath. Risa was dressed in some lighter pajamas that combined with her short hair almost made her look like a boy.

A cute boy, but a boy none-the less.

Her blue eyes were fixed onto Nota’s with a hard expression that was different from her usual smiles.

She was being genuine.

Wth far more effort than she would have liked, Nota rolled onto her back with a loud grunt and met Risa’s curious look with one of utter exhaustion. If she didn’t have to share a bed with her sword obsessed red headed shadow she’d be naked right now… and probably missing her sister all the more.

Her mind went back to Nia’s letter, it was resetting on the night stand just waiting for her.

“They don’t have eyes right?” Nota frowned.

“Not from what I’ve seen.” Risa matched her frown, “But that doesn’t matter. They can see Aura.”

“And I don’t have Aura.” The more she said it the easier it was to say an accept. At times it felt like an excuse, at others it simply felt like a fact, like her ears were big, and that she had no tails. “But I don’t think that’s everything.”

Risa nodded. “I agree, it almost looked like it was avoiding you.”

“It was.” Nota said with a huff. “I think it might be because I have a lot of mana.”

“But why?”

Nota stared up at the ceiling her yes locked onto the high up wooden roof. She had replayed that fight at least a dozen times whenever she had the time to breathe. But she couldn’t trust her own memories at this point. “When you were fighting them, did you happen to see how they managed to avoid each other?”

“No, I was too busy just fighting the one.” Risa let her shoulder dip before she fell over to her side, her legs still locked in her sitting position.

“With how fast they move, how do you think they avoid running into each other then?” Nota asked moving her eyes to snap onto Risa. “Think about it, they’re like an angry ball of noodles someone spilled onto the ground.”

“No idea, by looking?”

“I think they sense mana.” Nota said with a light huff before she sat up bringing her hand up to her ears just before it twitched out of the way for a second. “A bit like when my ears move to avid things without out me having to think about it.”

“Hmm, there’s rumors of higher tier path striders being able to fight toegheter without words. I wonder if its something like that?”

Nota could only shrug. “No idea. Either way, I don’t think I’m going to risk it against any monster that actually has eyes.”

“Or a nose,” Risa, flopped out onto the bed alongside her, arms and legs spread out to take up the maximum amount of space. “Or ears.”

“Just need to find monsters that rely solely on mana to sense, and Aura to find their targets.” Nota let out a small chuckle before falling back down to the bed. “Then I’ll be unstoppable.”

“Nah, that’s not what unstoppable is.” Risa raised her hand and flipped it side to side.

“Then what is?”

“Unstoppable is like when you’re moving forward no matter what, and if something gets in your way.” Risa pulled her fist back and punched into the air. “Bam, you punch through it. The Emperor is unstoppable.”

“Have you met him?” Nota asked, eyebrow raised.

Ria gave a small nod. “Once, when I was little.”

“What was he like?”

“No idea, I passed out.” Risa brought her hands together and made a sword slash with them, their magelight gave a slight flicker as it rocked from side to side. She brought her hand back again, and instead of slicing, poked. The mage light wiggled slightly, and then flickered off.

Nota chose to trust that Risa hadn’t broken anything.

“Why’d you pass out?”

Risa shrugged and began to pull up the covers. “According to my dad, anyone under a certain level of Aura will pass out when they first meet him.” She let out a soft laugh. “I expect Sapphire to pass out.”

“And me?”

“You walked up to a Plains Strider and stabbed it.” Risa gave a snort. “All bets are off.”

There was silence for a moment.

“But probably.”

Nota stared across the Delve table and resisted the urge to smile. Her opponent was an old man with a body of iron, his beard a neatly trimmed dagger that presented him as someone of note. He wore a smile with ease, his eyes lighting up as though he was finally free from some form of boredom.

Nearly 20 young men crowded behind him, their hair the same neat style that Nota had seen on my of the younger soldiers. A good number of them her former adversaries.

The board had been set up evenly, with the old man being one of the most frustrating types of opponents. The Mirrror. Whenever she placed a unit during set up he would place the same one in the same slot, perhaps changing the location a bit to fit his side of the board, but ultimately it was the same composition on all sides.

He was probably just looking down on her.

At least at the start.

Slowly she grinded him down, reducing his forces and while minimizing her own loses, until it became apparent that she had all but dominated him in the game.

“Well played,” the old man stroked his beard, his smile genuine. “I haven’t been that soundly defeated in a while.”

“It could have gone either way,” Nota said with a small smile.

“Nonsense,” the old man waved his hand at her. “From the very beginning you had me in the palm of your hand, going so far as to use my mirror strategy to leave gaps in your own defenses so that you could capitalize them on my side.”

“With all due respect sir, why do you use that strategy?” Nota asked with a small nod as her eyes drifted over towards the entrance where Luciel and Sapphire were busy getting ready. Apparently their new carriage was here. “I know it’s common among inexperienced players but…”

She trailed off, letting him fill in the blanks.

“Even inside the Emperors Domain we have enemies.” The old man stroked his beard again and examined the board. “Enemies that cannot be defeated through sheer force, so I must move my men to match them as close to equally as I can. Less they move over to strike at where my forces are thin.”

He gave a sharp laugh and rose from his seat. “Still, to think I would be humbled so thoroughly by youngster such as you! I guess my dreams of matching Iron Wall Nox are still a long way off. If you’re ever in need of employment, I could certainly use a secretary and successor.”

Nota felt her cheeks burn at the praise, especially as the other soldiers nodded in agreement, most saying that they wouldn’t mind a bit of eye candy only to be silenced by the few women in the group. “I’ll consider your offer.”

She just wanted to play a few games of Delve before they started to travel again. She wasn’t expecting to fight another big shot in the empire on her first day! Let alone get offered what sounded like a decent position.

Once more they had a carriage, it was a far cry from the black box that they had initially traveled in, but still looked sturdy enough as to not move in a storm, and the inside was plush with cushioned seats and wide windows that offered ample time to stare out the window.

Both Luciel and Risa spent much of their time looking out the windows, Luciels hand never leaving the handle of her sword while Risa looked about nervously. The attack yesterday must have put them on edge, and even now within the safety of the Emperors domain they still seemed to be weary.

Luciel’s grip tightened as they passed by a forest that was covered by a wall of stone so that it looked like a massive bowl of vegetables had just been left out in the world as though tossed aside by some celestial child.

Buildings, similar to the ones that she had seen at Foxtail port rose up along the walls and a few towers stuck out from the wall that looked as though they were in a race with the trees to see who could reach the mountains first.

“Is that for the elves?” Nota asked, eyes locked onto the forest like it was a wild animal that had wandered into the city hungry for scraps.

“Mmhmm,” Luciel nodded not taking her gaze away from it for a second. “There’s a Forest Gate there, one that appeared some twenty years ago. It took years for us to contain them into their forest.”

Containment not elimination. Nota stared at the trees beyond the walls carefully, they were greener than most trees she had seen, when the wind blew it was almost as though the entire forest breathed. From here the forest looked like it was a normal sized forest, like the one she had seen outside Dakland. It was the wall and the size of the doors—a near impossible to make out speck—that put the forest to scale. Each of those trees could dwarf the Storm Spire.

She really grew up in the smallest part of their world.

“Is there a reason why you can’t move in?” Nota asked, now as locked onto the threat just as much as Luciel was.

It felt like something was staring back at her through that blanket of leaves.

“The forest is dark.” Luciel said with an edge to her voice. “Mage lights don’t work in there. Torches are too easy to snuff out. And the elves can’t be sensed. And even without such disadvantages, a single elf is strong. Its like walking into a den of monsters deaf and blinded.”

Nota nodded, elves were a mystery to her and honestly everyone she had ever talked to. They weren’t monsters, for they left no core behind when they died, just a corpse. And like her they had no Aura. But like monsters they seemed to want the death of all those that had Aura.

Too bad they were apparently blood thirsty abominations that made monsters look reasonable. They might otherwise be able to help her.

Chapter Text

A tree loomed over the horizon.

Its branches cast a shadow over the mountains that surrounded it.

At night its shadow changed the sky.

Nota knew what it was the moment she saw the tree. The road was leading straight towards it as though there was no other destination in the world worth traveling to. She had seen the empire defy the world with their buildings. Weapons that could challenge the sea. Walls that could contain a forest. So a tree that could dominate the mountains as their capital only seemed like the most justifiable thing in the world.

For three whole days she saw that tree on the horizon.

Each day it grew larger, and yet still felt like it was impossibly far, as though the moon goddess had plucked a tree from the world and plastered it into the sky to keep her company.

Each passing day the road grew busier and busier with people heading to and from the capital. Many were soldiers, heading out for assignments, but most were traders with wagons full of goods heading to the capital and larger smiles heading from the capital.

With the memories of her little village by the seas a world away, they arrived at the gate.

The rough and rugged sides of the mountains had been carved into soldiers of stone that looked like they stood vigil against the world, their stance proud, their weapons at their side looked like they could be readied at a moment’s notice.

They flanked a gate that looked as though it had been painted upon the world, its walls a pure red framed by gold and black. The symbol of the empire rested upon doors so large that even the heavens and the realms beyond would quiver in jealousy should they ever open.

Nota wondered what creature would need those gates to open.

Part of her hoped that she would never have to find out.

Positioned towards the base of the gates was a much smaller pair of gates, only looked small compared to the gates above them. Each gate was twice as wide as the market street back in Dakland and they needed the space as more roads began to join each other near the gates, filling with people and traders desperate to make their way to the capital.

The carriage slowed to a crawl the closer they advanced to the gate, with the foot traffic even out pacing them. Men and Women with packs on their shoulders headed inside with large bright eyes full of hope. Most were human, but Oni were mixed, a contingent of people Nota had never seen before—men and women with colorful wings on their heads—appeared as well, there was even a beautiful white haired woman with rabbit ears.

The roof shook every so often, as some impatient Aura user decided to use their carriage as a stepping stone, prompting Luciel to sit on top.

It wasn’t until they were nearly beneath the gates that Nota realized something.

Silver.

Siler was somewhere beyond those gtes.

Her heart raced.

She didn’t have a chance to send her a letter.

What would her reaction be?

How had she changed?

How-

They passed through the gates.

And it was as though they had stepped into another world.

A lake of the most pristine blue glowed from the center of the valley, its waters so pure that even from here Nota could make up the bottom of the lake where ruins lay. The lake was vest, and stretched well beyond where her eyes could see and leaded towards the trunk of the tree above that made mountains look like hills.

The city itself was a sprawling mass that rose and fell with the hills and climbed up along the roots of the tree and even hung below as though they were desperate to fill what available space they could. The buildings were all unique their own way, not like how they were unique in Dakland where they blended together into a mass of wood, tile, and thatch, but unique in an artistic way that filled Nota’s senses with colors. The larger the building the more ornate they got with a massive building next to the shore had a massive hole in center allowing for one of the trees roots to pass through undisturbed. Another looked to be made of flowers. Another rose to meet a root and then stopped, turning the roof into a massive garden roof that looked like all of Dakland could comfortable rest upon.

Nota felt her ears twitch as she was bombarded by new sounds Her nose picking up on new sounds.

People selling wares, talking about the state of the world, children laughing, bakers bringing out their goods to cool, a ramen stand. All while the people around her grew closer and closer as though they were falling like the rain in a basin filling to the point of overflowing.

There were so many people.

So so so many people.

How could they live like this?

How was this a place that was real?

Barely a minute had past since they had pass through the gate and already it felt like she would never see the outside world again as the walls, buildings, roots, mountains and the sky itself seemed to grow closer by the second, squeezing her very soul as though to say that she did not belong here.

How was she ever going to find Silver in a lace like this.

Risa’s hand fell on top of her own and the sword-path girl squeezed tight, her calluses were rough, but her hand was as warm as her smile. “Welcome to the capital.”

It sounded so sweet.

“You’re going to love it here.”

It felt like she was trapped here.

Night in the capital didn’t exist.

Not only were the stars and moon nearly impossible to see beyond the branches of the tree, but everything seemed to glow at night.

From the lake so vast that it could be called a sea, to the tree itself, everything here was lit in some way or another as though shadows couldn’t be permitted to exist here.

The closer they got to the base of the tree the more spread out the buildings got. And the larger they got as well. More nature apparead, farm land sprawled beside complex and ornate homes that hung from tree roots by massive knotted ropes. A mountain turned forge billowed smoke. An entire community floated on top of boats in the middle of the lake, their music carried on the winds.

Every time Nota had felt like she couldn’t be more amazed the valley offered her something new.

Such as the palace that climbed along the tree like a vast and complex mold that gave birth to gardens and homes and even had a cascading waterfall that seemed to simply appear somewhere up within the tree's branches. It looked as though the heavens were crying tears.

After what felt like a full days journey their carriage came to a stop, and the door was opened for her.

Nota stepped out of the carriage for the first time and felt her head spin the moment she looked up. She couldn’t see the top of the tree. No matter how high she looked she couldn’t see the top. She couldn’t even see where the palace ended. To her right a massive root, or maybe a branch, of the tree stretched over the lake forming a bridge so vast that entire communities were built upon it. Upon the far shore was a fortress that rose up along the mountain side, its exact form was obscured due to the distance but even from here she could see a massive symbol painted upon it that looked like the one she had seen on the imperial troops during the exams some years ago.

To her left was a sprawling complex of homes and residences. Compared to the rest of the city, the homes here almost looked bland, mundane even, as though they were simply a place people lived and nothing more.

The road here was busy, as people seemed to be moving further pass the massive tree to lands that Nota couldn’t see, crossing the massive bridge, or heading up he slope into the residences.

“This is where we part ways.” Luciel said with a smile as she placed a hand upon Risa’s shoulder and looked towards the carriage where Sapphire still waited inside. She was asleep. And drooling. Hair still absolutely flawless as ever. “Sapphire still has a bit of ways to go, but you’re due up here.”

“Uhh, where do I go?” Nota looked at the massive tree for a second before glancing towards the residences. “I will get so lost.”

For a moment Nota was genuinely afraid that she would be left in the middle of this vast valley surrounded by people that she didn’t know. Surrounded by more people than she ever could know. Surrounded by more people than she ever thought existed. Even with the sky so dark, this city simply didn’t sleep, people moved and milled about as though it was noon on market day, forming a vast river of souls that churned as though fighting against a tide.

“Uhhh,” Luciel glanced around, worry and confusion written on her face before her look softened. Her eyes fluttered for a moment in the way Nota had seen countless courteseans do when they were attempting to make a man fall for them. She raised a hand, the smile on her face so bright that it was as though she had never scowled before in her life. “Jinshi! Over here!”

Risa’s face also brightened.

Nota spun and saw why. A man with silver hair just like her own walked towards them. He was tall, broad shouldered, with a pure complexion that made him look like he was carved from stone and not some mortal man. He wore the same black robes many soldiers did, though his was accented with reds, and a familiar symbol rested upon his chest.

Nox

It was the symbol of Albel Nox. His son had worn something similar when he evaluated her all those years ago, and she had even seen that stamped onto the letter.

“Luciel,” Jinshi’s smile was like a bolt of lightning that pierced the heavens. “Risa, it’s been far too long. I was actually beginning to worry that you might be late.”

“Dakland is quite far away,” Luciel said with a chuckle as she glanced back at Sapphire. “And there were a few complications.”

“We got hit by Plain Striders!” Risa shouted and then pointed towards Nota. “And she killed one!”

“Oh-hoho?” Jinshi’s eyes fell upon Nota and his smile never faltered. His eyes were purple and sparked like distant lightning. “And this must be the emphasis Nota I get compared to constantly.”

“Huh?” Nota felt her ears fall down, as her cheeks flushed, how had she been compared to this man. She wasn’t aware there was a competition.

Jinshi let out a laugh, “Master Nox speaks highly of you. Apparently a single game of delve with you is worth a thousand with me.”

Did she get plunked from her home under the pretense of marrying the emperor just so that old man could play a few games of delve with her? She wouldn’t put it past him.

“We need to get going.” Luciel said half way into the cart, Risa was half out, squirming as though a feral child that was being put to bed for the first time. “But, catch up with drinks later.”

Jinshi nodded, “The usual place then?”

“Yeah!” luciel’s smile grew two sizes before the carriage vanished into the river of people that were moving about.

Leaving Nota with her things, and a tall man with silver hair.

Jinshi reached down and effortlessly gathered all her things with a single hand and nodded towards another waiting carriage. Unlike the massive Ronsa beasts that had carried her nearly all the way from Daklan this carriage was built upon a massive frog. “You don’t get motion sick do you?”

Nota gave a sheepish laugh. “Uhh, I’ve never had that much motion before.”

“It’s not as bad as it seems.” Jinshi gave a small laugh as they stepped closer towards the massive frog that looked like it could easily swallow Nota whole. Its skin was a dark blue, and there were symbols that ran along its body in intricate patterns. As she looked at the beast it became clear that she could see through it. There were no guts, no organs, nothing, just a pure mass of something.

Was it even alive?

“It’s much worse,” Jinshi secured her bags inside the carriage and offered her a hand. It was like grabbing a hand warmer in the middle of winter. “But it’s the fastest way for you to get up to the Nox residence.”

Nota nodded as though it made sense. It didn’t.

The inside of the carriage was smaller than the one she had been in before, and the seats were more complex, it was a bench, or perhaps a single seat for a very large person on each side, and then some straps and a bar that looked like it would fall down. She understood what everything was for when Jenshi began to strap her in.

The padded bars fell over her shoulders securing her in place, the straps kept her grounded to the seat in various places so she wouldn’t slip out, and another bar across her legs ensured that they wouldn’t be going anywhere without the rest of her.

Jinshi half outside of the carriage, his purple eyes sparking with what Nota hoped wasn’t mischief.

“Ready?”

Why did him saying that make her not ready?

“On a count of three.”

She nodded eagerly.

“Three…..TwoOneGo!”

The frog croaked.

And then lept.

For a moment Nota wondered if they might reach the branches of the tree as she saw the mountain zoom past her. She was forced into her seat, ears flat against the back as they all but flew into the air. And then, for a brief moment, she was weightless, floating there for a moment. Her stomach twisted at the sensation.

Then.

They went back down. She pressed against the bars as her body felt like it was going to go flying out the window.

They landed with a thud.

And Nota was glad it was over.

“Go!”

“Wait!”

They were up in the air again, and this time she heard Jinshi’s laughter. He could be laughing at the ride, at her misery, or at the look on her face. It didn’t matter which.

They landed again.

“Go!”

This time she laughed with him.

The third leap was the final leap and Nota found herself high up on the valley wall, the vegetation here was thick, and the ground felt flatter than she had thought possible, as though this was the ground level of the valley and everything else was just lower than them. A branch from the tree was so close she could touch it and there was even a bridge that swung in the wind connected the highest point of the residence with the branch.

She followed that branch for a moment her head and stomach still spinning, her hands and knees still shaking.

If she were to stand on the end of that branch how far would she be able to see into the world?

Though she knew it impossible, she hoped that she could see Dakland from up there.

The ground here was made of worked brick that rose up from the lush foliage that surrounded it on all sides. The trees, bushes, grasses, and flowers all rose up high enough that sh could only see the valley beyond through a few sparse gaps. A stone bridge with red wooden railing crossed a gap in the stone brick formation, where a river too large to be called a stream, but too small to be called a creek babbled happily, a few fat multicolored fish lazily swam in the shallows.

Across the bridge was a large path that seemed to wind down the mountain, rarely giving a direct line of sight to the valley below, but the tree was always visible.

On the otherside of the path was their destination. A large house that seemed to be seeped in shadows, its black walls, and red accents sticking out to her as though evil rested in this place. The symbol of Nox was present a gate so large that it dwarfed the Three Moons Brothel.

The scale of this place.

This was just a man's home

She understood why the soldiers had said Dakland felt small.

An elderly woman greeted them, her eyes all but closed shut as she moved about with a fragile speed and grace. She nodded once towards Nota, a light smile on her face, and she scowled twice at Jinshi.

Nota found herself led through the complex, the entire thing was surrounded by a garden that filled her with more sights and sounds that she could process at the moment. Before long they arrived at a large building, the thin wooden door sliding open to reveal a pile of food so fresh that Nota could still see the steam wafting from it.

Her stomach’s growl was met with laughter.

“My goodness, I thought they’d feed you Nota!” Albel Nox sat at one end of the table, his robe undone just enough that his left shoulder and arm was still out, purple marks littered his shoulder neck and face. He held a glass of some kind and had a wide smile on his face.

Beside him was a woman of his age, her dark hair lined with streaks of white, and wrinkles tugged at her eyes. Her lips were stained the same shade of purple as the marks upon Nox.

“Quick, come sit, sit, and eat! My wife is an amazing chef, and wanted to be sure that you had a great meal.” Albel gave a great laugh. His jovial expression changed as though he simply swallowed his drunkenness, and he tugged upon his sleeve. “I’m certain that you have many questions.”

Nota opened her mouth.

And began to stuff herself.

Chapter Text

“Oh, I suppose introductions are in order,” Albel Nox sat up right only to lean to the side once more, his cheeks a slightly rosey point. “Though, I suppose it’s your fault for showing up so late that we couldn’t greet you at the gate and guide you to our door step.”

Nota protested with a mouth full of the most delicious rice she had ever eaten. It was hearty, flavorful, and just had the most perfect texture that had her eyes rolling in her head. There were chunks of meat, and vegetables mixed in too, each one providing a burst of flavor that made heroes curl and she had to resist from kicking her legs in delight. Her ears however were no doubt flickering with happiness.

“I know I know, you encountered some Plains Striders on the way, and your company insisted on staying the night in Foxtail, but surely you can shoulder some of the burden.” Albel gave a wry grin from behind a cup filled with a dark purple drink. “Considering how easily you slew one of the beasts that even some of my soldiers struggled with.”

“That was…” Nota spoke around a mouthful of food before she swallowed. “Luck.”

“Luck is a skill like any other.” The woman to Albel’s side said with a light laugh. Like Albel, she was an older human. Unlike Ori who hid her age by staining her horns red, this woman wore her age with a graceful pride. “I am Cassandra Wei-Nox, and you must be that young Kitsune minx that’s trying to steal my husband.”

Nota’s eyes went wide.

“Cas!” Albel said with an offended gasp. “Don’t say such things, you’ll give the poor girl a heart attack.”

Cassandra gave a playful laugh, covering her hand with her mouth. “Well what else am I supposed to think when my oh so faithful husband leaves for years on end only to come back gushing about some girl he found in some back alley brothel?”

The Three Moons Brothel was not back alley!

“When you said you wanted to invite her into our home I had feared the worse.” Cassandra addressed Nota with a sly eye, mirth curling her lips upwards. “I am relieved to see you not holding a child.”

“Nota!” Albel pointed a finger at his wife, a bit of the purple liquid spilling from his cup. “Don’t listen to her! Bringing you hear was her idea to begin with.”

“I may be a vindictive woman, but even I’m not so heartless as to throw my husband's concubine out into the wilds.”

“Yes you would! You were going to poison nessy!”

“But I didn’t.”

“Only because you found out she was a Baku-bird.”

“A woman’s heart is a complicated thing.” Cassandra gave Nota a pleasant smile and raised a glance to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Nota, my husband talked about the tailless Kitsune that had nearly beaten him in Delve for months after he came back home. ‘Best game he’d ever played’ he said. Never mind the fact that he hadn’t seen his wife in all those years.”

“Uhh,” Nota paused as both Albel and Cassandra looked at her. “I’m sorry?”

“Only thing you have to apologize for is if your game has slipped.” Albel gave a dry chuckle. “But, I thank you for making the journey to see me. I suppose that you must have quite a few questions for m.”

“Us, questions for us,” Cassandra placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Half this whole idea was mine after all. The better half.”

Was this how couples acted?

“True enough, but let our guest speak.” Albel gave a light laugh, the rosey tint to his cheeks fading as though it had never been more than a trick of the night. He rolled his shoulders and once more Nota found herself setting across from the man that she had once played against in Delve.

Her fingers itched to grab a piece. Instead she grabbed more food.

“I guessed along the way, but I’m assuming that you requested me to be here to marry the Emperor.” Nota asked flatly.

Albel’s shoulders slumped and he nodded with a sigh. “That’s the pretense, yes.”

“The Emperor has demanded,” Cassandra began before she coughed and straightened in her seat. “Requested a rainbow harem, or more specifically a different wife for each color of the rainbow.”

Nota tugged at her ear to make certain that her hair was still the same pure white it had been the last time she had looked at it. It was. “White isn’t a part of the rainbow?”

That certainly explained Sapphire.

“Nope.” Albel said with a pop. “But, as my wife pointed out to me, the risk of you being rejected for something so simple is overshadowed by the potential benefit. And even if you do get rejected, I wouldn’t mind having a worthy Delve opponent.”

Albel’s laugh felt like it shook the world.

“Potential benefit?” Nota asked.

“You’re smart, clever really, so putting you in a position where you can easily guide or Emperor has its benefits.” Albel took a sip of his drink and looked to the ceiling.

“Surely, I couldn’t be better than the Emperor? Isn’t he ancient and wise?” Nota asked, her food forgotten.

Both Albel and Cassandra seemed to hum in their seats before Cassandra nodded and spoke. “You’ll find out tomorrow anyways, but the Emperor goes through… phases in his… wisdom. And right now he’s the easiest to influence.”

“There are already parties that are seeking to capitalize on this time.” Albel’s voice was low, “Vultures really trying to get him to see things their way.”

“But not you?”

“Ha! No, I’m the biggest of the bunch!” Albel let out a sharp laugh. “It’s why I’m able to gamble on your hair being ignored. No one else would bring a white haired woman so I won’t have to worry about getting dismissed due to you doubling up with someone.”

“Not that that’s likely,” Cassandra said with a sigh. “The Emperor has his preferences, and you certainly meet most of them, tall, a pretty face, prominent chest.” Cassandra examined her own drink for a moment as though contemplating, “Not too sure on the ears though, but I for one think those are cute.”

Nota felt her face redden. She had been vaguely aware that something like this would be discussed, but she had more or less pushed that into the back of her mind deliberately choosing not to think too much about it.

“So, what I marry the Emperor with like 6 other girls and whisper stuff in his ear during meetings?”

“Something like that,” Cassandra said before taking another sip of her drink. “In general, the Emperor's wives serve as his closest advisors in the realm and have more influence than any of the notable families or organizations.”

That was actually a lot of pressure.

Far more than she would have thought.

“And if I get rejected?” She asked. She recalled his letter mentioning training in whatever she wanted, but she wanted to hear it. Albel Nox, the Undefeated Iron Wall of the Empire must have plans for her.

The old man smiled at her. “The plan was that you become my official assistant and disciple, you’ll be trained to surpass me in every aspect, from strategy, to training, to political maneuvering. Of course you’ll also be able to refine your own talents as well.”

A tingle in Nota’s body rested at the base of her spine, and she felt her lips tug into a smile. She actually liked the sound of that a lot more than marrying the Emperor. “Is it bad if I prefer that option?”

Cassandra laughed with her whole body, falling to the side of Albel with a light thud. “Told you.”

“No,” Albel looked towards his wife. “I told you.”

He turned to address her. “It’s not bad, it’s expected to be honest, dragging you from your home all the way to this foreign place to be one of several wives for a man you’ve never met. Honestly the whole thing left a sour taste in my mouth. My son has been keeping tabs on you in Dakland, not directly, but he reported that you were struggling to find your way in life, and urged me to find some way to rescue you from a place he felt you couldn’t grow.”

Nota nodded. Not out of understanding, but just out of not being sure what else she could do in response. What had she done? What had she done to make these amazing people think so highly of her. She was just an orphan that grew up in a brothel.

She was Less. Tailless, auraless, parentless, futureless.

Lesser.

“But,” Nota opened her mouth. It felt dry and full of cotton. “Why?”

A wry smile grew upon Albel’s aged face. “Why not?”

That shouldn’t have put her at ease.

But it did.

The meal took over the conversation from there, with Cassandra’s small talk filling the spaces between bites. After the meal Nota was swiftly taken from Albel’s grasp as the man tried to drag her to his Delve room. From there she was pushed into a bath that reminded her of home. Afterwards she was greeted by her room, the bed itself was twice the size as the room she shared with her sister. The room was simple, lacking in decoration as though having a lack of personality was its goal.

Nota had expected to spend several hours wide awake as she fought desperately to sleep. Her head barely hit the pillow before sleep claimed her in a warm embrace.

No amount of rest could prepare Nota for the following day.

Her entire life had been turned into a dried up leaf and dumped into a raging river as she was pulled from building to building, from street to street, complex to complex. An army of men and women seemed to swarm around her, measuring here, cutting there, pulling there, tugging there. She had been dressed in a years worth of clothing within the first hour, all of it too loose in places and too tight in other places, only for the clothing to show back up a heartbeat later, and fit perfectly.

But perfect wasn’t enough.

The clothing was cut, snipped, and snapped again, fitting her as though the purpose of every single fiber was to be worn by her.

Her hair felt like it was growing and shrinking by the second just through the sheer variety of hair styles that she had been placed under. Some made her look just like her sister would have, a picturesque form of beauty that could melt the heart of any man in the world. Others had her look like Ori, serious, in charge, mature, and still more had her looking like Sapphire, the near perfect picture of a wealthy daughter born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

Every new hair style was accompanied by a new face, as make-up was applied, removed, reapplied, and redone as though she was the only canvas desired by a thousand artists seeking to create their Magnum Opus.

Jewels, gems, and accessories, flew onto and offer her body like carrier crows seeking to pick her dry. They all gleamed and shine, some under their own light, others existed to make her features stand out all the more.

As the options and choices were narrowed down color became the primary concern.

She was to represent the color white.

But white clothing was more than a simple color choice. It had meaning, meaning that no amount of styling could change. To make things worse her bright red eyes all but demanded that she have some red in her outfit. However, red and white carried just as much meaning as white on its own. It wouldn’t be a problem if the primary colors were reversed and she could wear a red outfit with white highlights, but she was not the red candidate.

Black became their primary color.

Black accented with red.

Though it wasn’t as simple as that. In the shadows, her robes were simply a deep dark true blackness that seemed to consume her body making it hard to see where her curves led. But in the light, a myriad of colors bloomed to life shifting depending on the angle and amount of light that was striking it. A simple breath could have blues turning to yellows all while she remained perfectly still.

A diamond in the shape of a star hung from a simple golden chain around her neck. The cool metal tickling her exposed neckline. It was the only true jewelry that she wore, but it was all she needed to wear. As though forged to contrast the robes she now wore, the diamond was at a glance clear with a light white hue to it. But it and the light played with each other like two young lovers practicing their first dance, where they tripped their laughter bore rainbows.

Her hair had been pulled back into a bun that was held in place by a single black stemmed rose with a red flower that matched her eyes perfectly. Strands of her hair fell on either side of her face, covering where her ears would have been had she been a human.

The make-up she wore was simple and attempted to accomplish two jobs, the first was to enhanced the contours of her face, making her look that much more real, and the second was to enhance her eyes. The eye shadow she wore was a deep red that made her eyes look sharper, larger, and more vibrant.

When all was said and done Nota found that she still looked like Nota. But just that extra bit more Nota. It was less a transformation into someone else, and simply an enhancement of who she was.

Before she could express her joy, Cassandra had nodded and then once more Nota had been placed into a cushioned box to be taken somewhere else like a merchant pedally some fancy jewelry.

Only this time she was sitting across from Cassandra who was smiling sweaty at her, or at the very least trying to as they moved smoothly along, wherever they were. Nota assumed that it was on the tree’s massive branches, but she also didn’t want to confirm by looking out the window and not seeing anything that looked like the ground within a couple of feet from her.

“Everything is going to be okay.” Cassandra said softly. Her robes were a deep purple color highlighted with red, with Nox’s symbol pressed against her breast. Cassandra’s lips were stained a bright red that matched with the purple eyeshadow she wore. They wore a similar black stemmed rose in their hair as well, though Cassandra’s was a violet purple. “We’ll get through this no problem.”

“Why do you look more nervous than me?” Nota asked with a slight smile. The truth was that she had woken up nervous, and then puked, and had currently been on auto-pilot since Cassandra has thrown her into the chaos of getting ready.

“Because I am,” Cassandra said with a light smile that was far from genuine. “Meeting the Emperor is, well, you’ll come to understand soon what it’s like.”

“Oh!” Cassandra said, reaching into her sleeve. “Nearly forgot, here take this.”

It was a small ball. Its texture was gritty and it felt as malleable enough that Nota could turn it into anything she wanted were it not so small. “What is it?”

“Something to help you when meeting the Emperor.” Cassandra said taking ball of her own. Her face twisted as she swallowed, one eyes closing as she stuck her tongue out. “Its best if you don’t chew it or else the taste will stick.”

Nota popped the ball into her mouth and resisted the innate urge to start chewing on the ball. Much like Casandra she found herself twisting her face, one eye closed one open, and ears twitching as she forced the ball to enter her throat. She swallowed and shuddered at the bizarre overly bitter taste. “Bleh, tastes like medicine.”

“Because it is.” Cassandra gave a small laugh. “Sadly, it doesn’t work if you drink anything right away so the taste sticks for a while.”

“Should have taken it earlier then.”

“It wears off quick.”

Nota glanced out the window and saw nothing by sky, sky and leaves that could be a house for an entire family that were all a vibrant healthy green.

“What happens when the leaves fall?” she couldn’t imagine them doing nothing.

“Then they fall.” Cassandra said oh so helpfully. “Just wait a couple of months, the flowers are going to start budding. I’m hoping they’re blue this year.”

“The flowers change?”

“No, but I can hope.” Cassandra waved her sleeve up to her mouth to hide her laughter. “What color would you like them to be?”

“Silver.” She spoke softly, a thought occurred to her. Silver was here, somewhere in this city, somewhere in the academy, training. Her excitement rushed to her ears, and she felt them brush against the rose that held her hair in place. Then it died down. What if Silver was here. Here here. High up in this tree on her way to represent some other family or group despite her silvery hair not being a part of the rainbow either.

Would that be a good thing?

She’d have a friend if they both got selected. A true friend.

But was that what Silver wanted? She had been pledged to Lord Dai’s son since before she was born, a fact that they both resented.

The carriage came to a stop, and Cassandra exited first, before extending her hand towards Nota.

Nota stepped out and felt like she was flying on a cloud. The world below her looked so small but so vast. She could see the gates to the city beneath them directly in front of her, beyond that she could see rolling hills of farmland that cut and sliced by roads that moved about. A few sparse forests could be seen hugging tight the banks of rivers. Further beyond those hills the Horizon shot up in the jagged peaks she could only assume was the Spine and Opals homeland. Logan was there.

If he was alive.

How far away was that? What was taller, this tree or those peaks?

She glanced towards the large beetle like creature that had carried her all the way up here, the box strapped to its back by several red ropes. She nodded at it, and as though waving one of the beasts atenee that were longer than Nota was tall twitched. It scurried along the tree as though it belonged.

“Nota, this way,” Cassandra spoke in a rushed voice pulling Nota away from the view and towards the tree itself. Or rather the massive balance that was built upon it. The palace looked to have been grown from the tree itself, with walls and barks merging with each other at places, and large spiralling doors made of solid wood, and yet in other places it looked as though the palace had been here first, and the tree had simply grown up from under it within a single night with clumps of soil still clinging onto some stoney faces.

There were more people now.

Not as many as on the streets below but enough to make even the busiest market day in dakland look like a slow day.

They all moved about with purpose, carrying documents from one building to the next and then back again. In an endless cycle of bureaucracy.

Albel Nox stood amongst a group of other decorated soldiers, their ranks Nota could only guess at. Among them was a tall Oni woman that looked nearly identical to Ori. Unlike the others she was armed, a massive spear rested on her back that looked like it could sunder mountains and cleave the ocean.

Albel spotted them and smiled. With a quick nod the soldiers left.

As they approached more and more eyes fell upon them.

Upon her.

“My goodness, you both look radiant.” Albel said with a soft smile as he reached for his wife’s hand. Though he spoke to both of them, his eyes were only upon his wife. Even so.

Her stomach roiled.

“Please don’t use that word.” Nota mumbled feeling her ears flatten backwards, she had almost messed up her hair before she corrected and forced her ears to stay put.

“Huh?” Albel blinked at her for a moment. “Oh, right, that boy. Well, don’t spare him too much of a thought, one way or another, you’re going to outshine him.”

Nota gave a small smile that quickly grew as she thought about what Radiant would do if he ever had to address her as Empress. Or whatever her actual title would be.

“Well, then, I believe there’s quite a few people waiting for us, so let’s head inside.” Albel extended an elbow for his wife.

Only for Cassandra to grab Nota by the elbow. “Sorry dear, I’ll look better as Nota’s arm candy today.”

“Hmmm, hard to disagree,” Albel chuckled clasping both hands behind his back in a manner that befit an old man. “Well then, lets get going.”

They passed through a courtyard, and then into a large gate built into the tree itself, mage-lights lighting the way as they ascended yet more stairs.The walls were made of wood, pure wood, as though the tree had simply grown the halls, stairs, and fixtures all naturally.

Slowly, color was added to the halls, it became to feel less like a natural cave and more like the home of someone. Overgrown window gardens clung to windows that allowed the light in, paintings hung on the walls next to swords, weapons, and other trophies.

One painting appeared frequently. It was of a tall man wearing golden robes standing alone as he over looked a wide valley as the sun set in the distance. But each time it was different, appearing as though painted by a different artists or the same artist at different times. The figure would change slightly, shifting his tance, the valley would grow bright and darker, buildings would appear and vanish. But there was always the man, always the valley, and always the setting sun.

They arrived at a small hall, one that was smaller than the main room in Three Moons Brothel but much longer. The floor of the room looked to be made of padds of dried grass. A large window looked out over the valley, flowers and other plants hung on its sides as it let in all the natural light one could ask for.

Nearly 20 people were placed in this hall, all sitting on their knees on small cushions. They were all sitting in a pattern, facing each other, or more specifically facing some invisible middle line that ran along the length of the room. The girls, twelve of them total of Nota countered herself sat forward, their patron behind them.

Nota took her place in the pattern, Albel sitting somewhere behind him, as Cassandra had gone off some where else.

Across from her sat a three eyed Oni with bright red hair dressed in a sleeveless black robe that left her massive arms exposed.

Three over towards her right, and away from the window sat Sapphire, her wavy blue hair absolutely perfect, and her robes appeared to have a living mural of the summer ocean where when the waters were a clear pristine blue.

The rest were all human, with another redhead eyeing the Oni girl nervously and trying to keep her chest thrust outward. A blonde and a girl with yellow hair shot each other glares. The Orange, Green, Violet, and Indigo colored haired girls all seemed to be rather happy that Nota hadn’t shown up with hair one of their colors.

There was a tension in the air, but oddly enough Nota felt like she was the only one that didn’t want to be here. The rest of the girls, and their patrons behind them all looked not quite proud, perhaps, excited, reverant? It was the look that she had seen Silver get after she stopped time.

A pair of birds that had been chirping in the large window flew off. The one that remained fell off its perch landing inside the room.

Nota felt her ear brush against the rose in her hair as it twitched.

She should have put the pieces together sooner.

The Emperor wasn’t just some dirty old man that had a dozen of wives.

He was someone that could stop monsters from manifesting for thousands of miles.

These people worshiped him the same way her people worshiped the moon.

Only he still walked among them.

All around her people began to tense. The girls on display tensed, beads of sweat building on their foreheads as though they were to be punished under a blazing summer sun. Even the patrons behind them tensed, eyes closing shut as they grabbed handfuls of cloth.

Even the guards shifted as though they had just had a familiar burden placed upon their shoulders.

Nota glanced back behind her to see Albel barely holding on as his brows furrowed. A tap from her right where Cassandra sat caused her to look that way. The woman looked fine, almost pleasant. Even if she was straining against something like she had gone out to have a picnic and simply refused leave even as the weather turned sour.

“Prepare yourselves.” A man standing near a pair of double doors said, his hand gripping one side as his twin grabbed the other.

“The Emperor will see you now.”

The door opened.

Sapphire slumped in her seat, eyes glazed over as the man behind her, pulled on her dress as though to prop her up like a puppet, only a moment later that man also slumped forward. The girl with blonde hair eye’s gave a twitch and she made a fist so hard that blood began to show. The yellow haired girl fell forward with a thud. The Green haired girl’s eyes rolled in the back of her head and her head lulled to the side though she remained sitting. One of the purple haired girls glared at the other as she bit her lip so hard Nota wondered how she wasn’t bleeding, her rival groaned and then slumped forward. With a smirk, the victorious girl slumped in her seat.

The only two that were unaffected were the Oni that sat across from Nota, and well Nota.

She was fine.

Better than fine.

Whatever had affected the others had simply passed over her.

But the Oni was struggling, they took in deep even breaths while their eyes were closed shut.

A brat walked in. That was the only word that Nota could think to describe the child that had walked into the room, a long golden robe dragged behind him. His skin was tan, the top of his head shaved as the rest of his hair was pulled into a long bun that rested ontop of the baldness as though he was wearing a helmet of hair.

The kid was at most five, with the same arrogant look that most highborn five year olds bore, and the same strange build, head too big, limbs too short, stomach a bit too big.

“I like that shade,” He said, gesturing towards Sapphire with a hand that gripped a too long sleeve. Then he turned towards the blonde. “Blonde isn’t really yellow, but you are still standing so you’re in.”

The blonde girl nodded before slumping forward.

“Pass on the green I like the one from the other group, it was just a greener green, we’ll take that purple one, its just that bit more purple you know, plus, I think she’s prettier.” The Emperor then paused, and looked between the two girls that could be called purple, he knelt down lifting the other girls—the one that had passed out first—head up and sighed. “Wait, no, I have a good feeling about her.”

“Sir, Indigo and Violet are…” one of the doormen spoke softly.

“Ehh, details, they’re both purple.” The Emperor continued his walk, he nodded towards the orange haired girl and then stopped as he saw the Oni. His smile widened like he was seeing an old friend.

“Sumira’s daughter right?” He asked with a bright smile. “Did I get that name right? Sumi’s sister?”

“Yes My lord.” The Oni nodded proudly. “I am-”

“It’s good to see you my girl.” The child stepped on air, placing a hand upon cheek. “I’m sure you’d do your people proud, but I can’t, not so soon.”

The Oni nodded tears welling in her eyes.

The Emperor continued on his walk as though the girls tears meant nothing, and he walked right past Nota.

He then stopped, spun on his heel and looked her up and down a single eyebrow raised.

“How are you awake?” The Emperor asked her. She had expected him to have some regal aura around him.

Instead he was just a child. A child that made Lord Dai look like a great leader.

Nota gave a small shrug. “I don’t have Aura.”

“Huh,” The Emperor blinked, as he frowned in thought nodding along. He then waved his hand at her dismissively. “Still, white isn’t a part of the rainbow so you’re out.”

Nota couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief as the Emperor continued past her.

Chapter Text

“So,” Nota asked through a handful of crispy fried things that she had shoved into her mouth. The flavor danced on her tongue and helped to further decompress her from the longest or perhaps second longest day of her life. “The Emperor’s a brat?”

After she had been firmly rejected due to her hair color both Albel and Cassandra had practically whisked her away, dragging her back through the palace and into another box on top of another beetle, and then before she could rightly ask them any questions, they had been dumped off once more in the Nox compound. She had thought that things would be more tense after a technical failure, but both of her patrons looked relieved just to be home.

Nota had practically flown out of the myriad of clothes that she had been wrapped in earlier in the day and has assumed a simple outfit of a loose pair of pants held up by a simple black belt and a lose white top that was nearly long enough to be used as a dress.

Before she could even debat drawing a bath, dinner had been prepared, and the Nox’s wished to speak to her.

Albel gave a choked laugh as he slurped up his noodles. He pounded his chest and took a sip before smiling at her. “He’s recently been reborn. He should be a full adult in a couple of years again.”

Nota hummed in acknowledgement. That made so much more sense than someone that looked like a spoiled brat being the super powered emperor. “So, was that why you wanted me to be one of his wives? Raising my own husband sounds kind of creepy.”

“When you put it like that…” Cassandra said staring into her own food for a moment. She blinked once, shrugged, and then began to eat with renewed vigor. Much like her, Cassandra has gotten out of her formal clothes in the blink of an eye and was wearing a simple gown.

“Less raising, more influencing.” Albel gave a light wince. “He still possess much of his mind in this stage, and he’s still very much the Emperor we’ve known before. But in his own words, this is the best time to influence him, I had thought that having a clever girl like you would be a benefit to him.”

“But wouldn’t he still be the same?” Nota asked as she swallowed another bite. It felt like she hadn’t eaten all day. “You said that he’s still the same.”

Albel simply shrugged. “I’m not so old that I’ve lived through his first reincarnation. I can only go off of what he has told me, and the notes that my predecessors have left. He’ll have the same memories, and power he did as an adult, but he is still a child for however brief and needs guidance.”

Nota gave a small grunt, and decided that it really didn’t matter anyways, she was no longer in that position.

“At least he noticed you.” Cassandra said with a bright smile. “Well, besides your hair color at any point.”

Fantastic, the emperor now knew that she didn’t have aura, she was certain this would open up so many doors for her in the imperial court.

“It’s not like I won’t be able to still influence him on my own,” Albel said with a slight shrug. “You would have just been a bit of a boon.”

She didn’t know if they were trying to placate her or just being honest. “Okay, so now what happens with me?”

Albel whipped his lips and sat up straight before he rolled his shoulders. In a flash he had gone from the goofy old man she had played delve with all those years ago and was now eating dinner with into someone that she could see holding the title of “The Empire’s Undefeated Iron Wall.”

“Officially, I will take you as my aide. However more directly I’ll be grooming you to be my succcessor once I’m gone from this world.” Albel spoke with his eyes closed, head tilted slightly up as though in thought. “Beyond that however I would like for you to enroll into the academy, even though the majority of classes there focus on Aura Mastery, there are still classes that will benefit from you and it would give you a good idea of your peers.”

“Will you teach me how to fight?” The question fled from her lips as though it was the truth of her soul speaking. Her eyes fell back to the sword still sitting in her room. Part of her had wished that she had taken it with her to see the Emperor. Even now it felt like part of her was missing.

Albel opened his eyes and looked at her. His eyes burned with something that resonated within her. “My pride tells me that I should tell you no, that I am offering you a way to fight. The way I myself found. I fight not with my own strength but by understanding the strength and weaknesses of my allies and enemies.” His smile warmed, and he smiled at her. “But, I am not the Emperor, to seek my own rebirth through you would be to assume I am irreplaceable. Perhaps the world would need another me, but there’s every chance the the world may need a Nota even more.”

Nota felt her ears shoot straight up her face burning. Did she really play Delve that well? What exactly was Albel’s impression of her? Did he see something she didn’t? A thousand questions raced through her heads as he continued to speak.

“So should you find a way to fight, I will do everything in my power to help you move forward on that path.” Albel’s words were not flattery, they were not spoke to butter her up. His voice sounded as though he was simply reading the law of the world.

He then shrugged happlessly and then resumed his meal. “So long as you want to walk it at any rate.”

“Ya see why I married him?” Cassandra asked with a mirthful smile of her own.

“Uhh, sure.” Nota muttered. She poked her meal before taking another bite.

Her own path huh?

She didn’t even know what that would look like.

“Now rest up, you’ll finally have time to breath tomorrow and I’d like to get you started as my aide.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “By that he means play Delve all day.”

“It’s good practice.”

By the time the meal was finished and she had taken a long bath in a warm tub, Nota found that the day had all but vanished. It both felt like she had just experienced a year in a single day, and that day only lasted at most an hour.

As she lay in a bed that was more than big enough for both her and her sister to share and never touch each other no matter how they lay, she stared up at the still unfamiliar ceiling. Despite the weariness in her limbs, and how heavy her eyes felt. Her mind would not let her rest.

There was too much to think about too much to hope for. And not enough hours in the day.

Her mind raced through every single path she could take going forward. She thought about going back home, to Dakland, hugging her sister and just resigning herself to be that no-tailed kitsune with a sword and a pretty sister. She thought about taking over the business for Ori, though at the rate things were progressing for her, the old Oni might actually out live her.

No one knew how long a no-tailed kitsune would live after all.

She thought about Albel, the spark in his eyes, his obsession with Delve, and just how far he had gone to bring her here. She couldn’t help but feel like a pawn on the delve board, to week to do anything but vitally important in a game she couldn’t grasp. Cassandra seemed nice, but it was hard to tell where duty ended and genuine charm began.

The thought of seeing her friends again crossed her mind. Logan was a world away, likely in the Spine learning proper dwarven techniques. He may be old and grey by the time he emerged, and she might be little more than dust in a moon lit breeze.

Blaze bubbled up into her mind, that fiery redhead that had followed Radiant around like a lost puppy when they were kissed and had all but leapt at the chance to marry him. Did she grow another tail yet? What would she call herself?

Her mind settled on Silver and Nota to flipped onto her stomach pulling her pillow in tight as she took in a deep breath. She had been excited to see Silver here, but hadn’t she mentioned going to the northern wall? What northern wall? This wasn’t Stormbreak. This wasn’t their little island where she could look out to the ocean and feel like everything was okay even if the next storm was just on the horizon.

“I wonder what she’ll do when I see her again.” Nota smiled as she rolled back onto her back. That smile vanished for a moment as a bitter thought rolled into her mind. “She better not grow another tail.”

Three hours into her first first day on the job as Albel’s aide she found out what the Northern Wall was.

A vast defensive structure to the north of the capital that was well the Emperor’s domain. It had once marked the boundary between the Empire and the land of the Oni to the north. For generations it was a symbol of distrust, hatred, and spite. Then a calamity had struck.

A monster had birthed itself from the ground dragging with it a never ending storm of ice and fury that forbade the sun from touching the land. A new breed of monsters spawns, children of the great behemoth that wielded the storm.

The wall that had once represented hatred and animosity turned into a beacon of hope as the Empire opened their doors.

“A new Elf Gate opened up near the valley of Blades.” A golden hair man with narrow eyes spoke as he gestured towards the map. “The Skyrend Family claims that they can handle it, but with much of their strength already in our armies it would be best if we could mobilize quickly to contain the threat before it spreads.”

The man that spoke was Gil Flamewreathed, he was the second youngest person in the room save for Nota herself. His fists were constantly clenching and unclenching as though he was holding himself back from lashing out against the others. He was not an exceptionally tall man, being just a few inches taller than Nota which put him in the realm of average for a human.

Gil leaned forward pointing towards two locations on the map. “Port Foxtail was constructed too early, another twenty years and the Emperor’s Domain would have reached that point naturally. It would be best withdraw for now and relocate that force into the Valley of Blades.”

“We cannot turn our back on our new vassals so readily.” Kiera Verdantroot spok in a soft voice that shook with age. She was perhaps the oldest human in the room by a magnitude of wrinkles. Unlike many elders Nota had seen her wrinkled hands did not shake nor sway as she tapped at the Island of Stormbreak. “The Foxes are a valuable ally, the esoteric nature of their tails has already proven valuable in the few recruits we’ve gained from there, not to mention how potent their goddesses healing magic is. To abandon them so early, I cannot abide.”

“We wouldn’t be abandoning them.” Gil spoke without looking at Kiera.

Nota made certain that their words, or at least an abbreviated version of it was neatly scribbled down in the notepad she had been given.

She was dressed in simple black robes, a single badge was tied to her arm via white clothe that signaled to others who she was here for. She sat just behind Grand Marshal Nox who in turn sat at the head of the long table that displayed the known map of the world. The edges marked by a mysterious clouds or ruthless oceans.

A variety of figures were placed upon the map, soldiers of wood, forts of stone, green gems, stars, giants of stone, and a variety of beasts were all scattered about.

Nota understood the map at a glance. The capital was not in the center but rested closer to to one end as there was simply more to show to one side of the capital to the other. The Spine marked one edge of the map, beyond the mountains was nothing but deserted and monsters and mystery. The other edge was dominated by the ocean. The map continued beyond Dakland and Stormbreak Island, revealing the other side of the twin channels that her home was sandwiched between, a humanoid beast covered in exposed muscles and flowers stood there.

Between Dakland and the Capital and towards the coast there were dozens of green gems, each one representing an Elf Gate.

One had been placed just as her and Albel had sat down.

“It would be temporary.” Gil insisted, “Just until we get the Elf Gate under control and prevent them from having access into the heart of one of our great houses.”

“My family can handle it.” An older man with a single eye spoke with certainty. He was Sylas Skyrend, and probably had no direct relation to Risa or Luciel. Given how his hair was a light blue in color that was streaked with grey like a sunny afternoon being threatened by storms. “We’ve defended-”

“We cannot afford another stalemate.” Gil tapped his knuckle against the the table. “If we let this problem fester like we have with all the others then it will only bleed us dry quicker. And we can’t gamble on a Fox growing a tail that lets them close Elf Gates.”

“If its temporary, we can withdraw troops from the Wall.” A large man spoke, Shi Wei could pass for a hornless Oni with his short black hair and bulwark of mussles. He had a face that just looked like he wanted to fight anyone that looked at him.

“That worked out so well last time.” The lone oni the room spoke up with an eye roll. Ila Nighthorn had a single horn that was mostly white and her red skin all but radiated heat. Unlike the rest of the leaders in the room she wasn’t wearing a military robe but rather a collection of hides and bones. Though she still wore a badge on her arm like the rest.

“This time we have a potent healer to maintain-”

“She is a young girl.” Albel interrupted Gil and rose his hand. “And though her healing is potent she cannot span the entire wall. Lady Silver is someone who we must protect not exploit.”

Nota felt her hands tighten on her Nota pad and Gil’s eyes flickered towards hers as her ears gave a violent twitch.

And yet she kept her mouth shut.

“I’m in agreement that we cannot remove tropes from the Northern Wall, the paint is still drying where we repaired it and we cannot rely upon the Emperor to protect us should it fall again.” Albel spoke softly, as though his words were meant to be a secret from everyone even those in this room. “As for the Kitsune.”

He turned to look at her.

Nota felt her body freeze.

Had he planned this? Of course he did, it was beginning to feel like he had planned everything.

“My Asistant Nota may have some insight into how well they can defend themselves.” Albel gave her a smile.

All eyes were fixed upon her, and Nota slowly rose from her cushion. She took in a deep breath and stepped forward eyes locked upon the figure that represented the Storm Tower that kept Dakland safe. “My people are not defenseless, the dungeons in the area are under surveillance from the guild.”

There was more than one grunt or tsk at that.

“But we also have the Path of Stars that prevents monsters from crossing over isolating them and making them difficult to move if not out right preventing them from spawning. And Dakland itself has the Storm Barrier that has kept Dakland safe for centuries. We have survived without the Empire for longer than we’ve even known you existed.”

She had faith in her home. “We can endure.”

“But the Moonsilver is too valuable to just let sit.” Sylas folded his arms. And the other grunted in agreement.

“And I doubt the Emperor would be too keen if we were to abandon the home of one of his brides to be.” Kiera spoke softly.

The conversation continued from there, before long it was decided that Foxtail fort would be abandoned for a few months while the troops there were directed to the new Elf Gate in the Valley of Blades. Other topics with just as many lives were brought up. Scout reports from the Free cities that called the Calm Sea their home, dwarven reports of dragons appearing beyond the spine, and debates about whether to plead with the giants for more aid.

And Nota jotted down as much she could.

“So, what do you think?” Albel asked as they exited the meeting room. The main military compound was built in and around the tree whose upper branches served as the Emperor’s home. Albel stuck to onside of the wide hallway as they descended a set of stars that were a range of brown the top and bottom steps looked newer, as though they had been built just the other day while the middle steps were old and looked ready to crumble to dust at a moments notice.

“A lot.” Nota answered honestly, her eye drifted towards some paintings that rested on the light blue walls that felt out of place in a building where countless lives were moved about like pieces on a delve board. Many of the paintings were different, portraits of people that may have once done what Albel was doing now. But every so often there was a that painting she had seen in the Emperor’s Palace.

They were different. But always the same man, always the mountains, always the setting sun.

“Is it okay?” She asked as the step gave a slight creak as a pair of men carrying scrolls passed by them, each gave Albel and then her a quick nod. “I mean, we’re-”

“We’re not playing Delve.” Albel said firmly as he glanced back at her his dark eyes dancing with mirth. Then they softened. “But, at the same time, we are, only the pieces are more than pieces, each one represents countless irreplaceable lives that move at our command. The more people we bring under our protection the bigger the strain. Between the Endless Storm to the north, the Drakes beyond the Spine, and the untold mysterious that lie beyond your home and the Calm Sea. Every edge we fill into the made brings a thousand and one problems.”

“It seems like the Elves are the biggest problem.” Nota said as she tapped on her notes again.

“And what makes you say that?” Albel asked as they headed up a new flight of stairs, this one leading to an open balcony, that gave her a vast view of the center valley, in the distant horizon she perhaps wondered if she could see the gate she had first entered the valley from.

“Their gates can appear in any forest, and require effort to be surpress them, and so far a method hasn’t been found to remove them.”

“Oh, and how did you reach that conclusion?” The turned down a hallway, brushing past a few more men hurrying around with more scrolls.

“Because if there was a method I don’t think there would be quite so many gates on the map.” Nota said softly.

They arrived at Albel’s office, a smaller room with a smaller map than the one in the meeting room. A long wall was made of smooth bare wood that curved upward like a wave frozen in time, save for a single door that led deeper into the tree. Albel’s desk sat at the far end where a window let in natural light. A stack of papers rested on the desk, half complete from this morning, and a box of miniature pieces rested on the other end.

“You’re correct on both accounts.” Albel walked across the room and pulled out a single green gem from the box and handed it to Nota. “Finding some way to close an Elf Gate or someway to prevent them has been our most pressing concern since the first one formed years ago.”

Nota placed the gem onto the table in about the same spot it had been in the larger meeting room, just below the Valley of Blades. “It’s a problem that can’t be solved by the Emperor either is it?”

“He has tried, but the elves and their gate would vanish before he arrived.” Albel sighed and slumped into his seat. “Other threats will be rendered lesser as his domain expands, even the storm to the north would be diminished in a thousand years when the Mother of Crystals can no longer spawn her children. But don’t follow the rules of monsters.”

“And so that’s why you’re focused on us?” Nota asked, and then frowned. “Well, Kitsune that can grow a tail.”

“It’s a long shot isn’t it.” Albel folded his hands in his lap as he leaned back into his seat. “To rely upon a power that even the people that wield it cannot control. But there are patterns aren’t there.” Albel smiled softly as he rolled his neck from side to side. “A girl grows a tail that can grant her the ability to stop time when she so desperately wants something to stop. An entertainer with a raspy voice grows a tail that lets her sing beautifully. A man who wants to protect his home grows a tail that lets him do so.”

Nota swallowed slightly, once again aware that Albel knew more about her life than that single night in the tavern.

“But that’s not the only reason. The Path of Stars one of your great heroes created is of great interest to us. With it we might be able to keep the Elves at bay without needing to keep constant vigil upon dark forests that grow like weeds. And the Moonsilver that is only found on your island, that you yourself carry with you as a blade, all of these are possible solutions for the Elf Gate problem and many more.”

Albel let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping and he leaned back into his seat. A frown gracing his lips. “I don’t like to gamble.”

“It’s better than doing nothing.” Nota replied as she stared at the map once more. “If you simply wait and hold what you have eventually it will slip through your fingers.”

Albel gave a soft grunt. “Hurry up and grow a tail that’ll remove Elf Gates for me.”

“I’ll get right on that.”

“Atta’girl.” Albel raised a fist up and then let it drop.

After a few silent moments he pulled himself forward. “Up for a game of Delve?”

Chapter Text

The Imperial Academy was made to make her feel small.

The walls were wide enough that twenty people could walk side by side without touching each other vast red pillars wider than she was tall shot up from the ground to support a ceiling so high that the false sky painted upon it felt real. And the size was needed as an entire cities worth of people seemed to move in and out of these halls in a constant ebb and flow an estuary as the tide changes.

Nota took in a breath and glanced at the variety of students that surrounded her. Their years and ranks were easy to identify once she knew what to look for. Students in the first year would wear white, second years would wear red, and only those in their third year or in active service would wear black.

And she was wearing black.

The badge of The Grand Marshel’s office was tied to her arm by a white cloth, earning her more than a few glances that ranged from intrigue, to nervousness, to disbelief.

Even all the way out here she was an outsider.

At the very least no one questioned her when she walked around with Albel’s badge on. Perks of being an aide to the guy apparently in charge of everything. She took in a breath and glanced about her, even thought she knew where she was going and the rooms and halls were all clearly labeled she still felt like she was lost.

“Maybe I should have accepted an escort.” She bit her thumb and glared forward. A students dressed in whites saw her glare and jumped.

But one didn’t.

And Nota wished they had.

“No-Tail?” A Kitsune with red hair that looked warm glow of the forge asked with a wide smile. It was Blaze.

Nota felt her body stiffen like a cold breeze had just traveled down her spine.

Blaze was dressed in black robes much like Nota, though unlike her she didn’t have a badge marking her office, leaving her a simple first year waiting assignment. Her hair was long and pulled into a tight ponytail and her short fox ears twitched in delight. Blaze’s personal relationship with Radiant was enough to make Nota’s stomach drop, but what really did it was her tails.

She could see the tip of Blaze’s first and second tails clearly, and she didn’t need to see the third tail to know it was there.

Blaze’s smile widened and she moved to the side to look behind Nota, “Yep, no tail, so it really is you Nota!”

She was pulled into an involuntary hug.

That almost felt nice.

“My goodness, I can’t believe that you’re still taller than me even after I got my third tail!” Blaze spoke softly into Nota’s shoulder before pulling back and beaming up at her. “You’re going to rival a giant when you get your third tail.”

“It’s uhh, nice to see you again, uhh.”

“Oh right,” Blaze waved her hand. “Yeah it was too much work to get everyone to change my name, so I just kind of stuck with Blaze.” She held out her hand and let a puff of fire appear in it. “Besides it suits me.”

“So you didn’t choose your own name?” Nota asked raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I did, but too much paper work and all my friends here call me Blaze, and I kind of like it. Though the name I did choose is beautiful.” Blaze’s smile didn’t even falter as her blue eyes sparkled up at Nota. She was being genuine. Blaze was genuinely happy to see her. Blaze bounced closer to her once more. “I’ll tell you but keep it a secret, okay?”

Nota nodded and lowered her head slightly. Blaze grabbed the tip of one of her ears and pulled it close to her mouth.

“Yui,” Yui’s whisper sounded like a bell in Nota’s ear and it was as though she had always had that name.

“That’s a good name.” Nota admitted and smiled back at Blaze as best she could. “I’m sure Radiant must like to say it.”

Blaze just rolled her eyes and waved the subject away. “But anyways, what’s up with you? Why are you here? And what’s with-” She tapped Nota’s badge, a plaque of dull grey metal with a raised symbol in the center that was somehow a different color from the rest without any paint. As though it was metal forged into that shape and color. “This?”

“It’s my position,” Nota answered with a shrug. “I’m the aide to Grand Marshal Nox.”

It had been her job for a week now. And she still wasn’t used to it.

“Wow how’d you land that gig?”

“He likes to play Delve against me.”

Blaze blinked her ears twitching. “Seriously?”

Nota just shrugged.

Blaze let out a breath and her shoulders slumped. “That makes way too much sense actually. I only beat you once and then after that it was like you could read my mind.”

“Yeah,” Nota mumbled, she probably shouldn’t include the whole almost being married to the currently child emperor. “He played me once in Dakland and then dragged me all the way up here, and now.”

“You know my orders before I do.” Blaze gave a cheerful smile and laughed. It sounded sweet and genuine. Then she stopped eyes wide as she looked at the ground. “Probably shouldn’t tell Radiant any of that he’ll flip.”

Nota just made a noise that sounded like her soul was leaving her body.

“But where are you going now? I know like every inch of this place.” Blaze pointed a finger to her chest. “Mostly because I’ve been lost in every inch of this place at least once, but yeah.”

“I’m heading for General Gung Wei’s class on tactics, and then after that I’ll be attending Aylssar Skyrend’s Swordsmanship pratice.” Nota receited off the top of her head and then winced as she realized how pacted her day was going to be. “After that it’s work, and then more work but I’m really playing Delve.”

“Not sure if I envy you or not.” Blaze gave a light shrug and pointed down the hallway. “Gung’s class is three doors down, you’ll know because there will be people crying as they leave or looking like they’d rather fight a Lrywn going in. Don’t know much about swordmanship classes but I think they’re down in the courts, easier access to the training fields.”

“Thanks” She technically knew that but she was already feeling less lost than before. “It was good seeing you again.”

And she meant it.

“Same! We should do lunch sometime, I found this fantastic grill down by the lake that serves amazing fish, and the floor is made of glass or something so you can see the fish down below and the dungeon even further down.” Blaze said with a genuine smile. “Oh! We have to do this once they let Silver come back.”

Nota nodded eagerly. “Yeah, I’ve been wanting to see her.”

“You have no idea how much she misses you.” Blaze placed a finger on Nota’s chest and then flipped a strand of her hair back. “Well, I’ll see you around Miss Aide to a Grand Marshal.”

And with that Blaze sauntered off, her hips moving with an exaggerated sway as though to show off that she truly had three tails now.

“Yui.” Nota muttered.

It was a good name.

Gung Wei was every bit as massive and scary looking as the few other Wei family members that Nota had run into. The sleeves of his uniform were ripped, revealing his two massive arms that were crossed over his chest like two coiling snakes trying to suffocate a tree. His neck was thick and pulsed every time he spoke. The emblem of his position as a general was died onto his bare arm.

The top of his head was bald but what black hair he did have rose up around it like a crown of flames. Nota was at least partially certain that his eyebrows were sentient.

“It would appear!” Gung Wei spoke loudly, almost like he was having a normal vonceration while shouting. “That a new student! Has joined us!”

Nota did her best to act like Gung Wei wasn’t all but glaring at her, and simply smiled at him. She gave a small nod.

“Well then Miss Aide!” Gung Wei turned to the board and gestured towards it. “This class is for those of you! Who have shown promise elsewhere! And I am here to expose that as a lie! And just because your benefactor is my boss! Does not entitle you to my kindness. Do I make myself clear?”

Was she supposed to speak?

He wasn’t looking at her.

She should probably answer, everyone else was looking at her.

“Yes General Gung Wei!” She shouted, feeling her cheeks burn slightly.

“Gooooood!” he began to write on the board. “Now then Miss Aide! Would you be able to tell me! What the purpose! Of a tactition is?”

This was not how she thought her first day of class would go.

“Effective use of forces?”

“Was that an answer or a question?”

“Answer!” She all but shouted back at him.

“And how exactly! Do we go about doing that?”

Nota took in a deep breathe through her nose and closed her eyes. She was so out of her depth here. Being good at Delve did not translate to her being good at tactics.

“An army without a commander is like a warrior without a weapon,” she paused, considering the feats she had seen people do by just punching with aura and continued forward. “On their own this warrior may be able to fight against his enemies, and they may even be able to win. But with tactics as their weapon and armor they can do so far more efficiently.”

“In order to do so, the commander turns knowledge into a weapon. Knowledge of their enemy, but also knowledge of their allies.” Nota tilted her head to the side as she spoke, her ear twitching slightly as she let her words gather. “Currently, our greatest threat is the Elves, who we know very little about. We know that they are not monsters, that they don’t vanish and leave behind gems when slain, and that they can communicate with each other. They can stand in the sun and not be diminished, their relationship with monsters varies from at best they will hunt them down and at worse they will some how coerce them.”

She took in a deep breath and continued. “Outside the forests they ferocious fighters. Inside they are in their element. To march against them without a plan is at best a quick and silent death.”

Gung Wei stared at her for a moment, one large and bushy eyebrow raised. When he spoke it was as though he had finally decided to stop shouting. “Your read the report then?”

“No,” Nota admitted. “I wrote it.”

“Ha!” Gung Wei let out a bark of laughter. “What did you say your name was?”

“Nota Sir.”

“I’ll remember that.” Gung Wei nodded before he turned back to the board. “Now then! Who can tell me! What the flaws are! Of Miss Aide’s analysis?”

For half a second Nota almost missed Coat’s way of teaching. That thought chilled her and she pushed it into the far corners of her mind.

Chapter Text

           Did I ever tell you how I got my third tail? You were just a baby, crying as a storm raged around us and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to do anything in my power to get you to stop. But I had such an ugly voice back then. But, I started to sing anyways. And you started to laugh. It was such a sweet bubbly sound as you started to reach up towards me with your chubby little fingers. Your ears have always been huge but as a baby they were even bigger than they were now. You were so cute back then. I laughed and cried holding you tight. I think that was the first time I told you I loved you.

           My third tail vanished and the damage to my throat was healed, my voice turned soft and I could sing. I could sing amazingly. And now I was finally a woman. A woman that could take care of you.
           I asked you what my name should be. You just made a sound like “Niiiiaaa”
           I think you had to burp looking back on it. But that’s what I called myself.

           It’s cute right? 

           I don’t know who your father is. Things were so messy back then. And I was so young. I wish I could tell you. I wish I could find them. I wish I could drag them to you and show off the wonderful young lady you’ve become and amazing woman I know you will be. 

           You’ve always been smart Nota. So I’m sure that you’ve already figured it out. Or perhaps you’ve always known. But we’re not sisters. You’re my daughter. 

           I always felt guilty about lying to you. But Ori was right, calling you my little sister made things easier on both of us. She was able to protect both of us, keep us off the streets, and give us both a safe place. Something I couldn’t do on my own. And I suppose, part of me was ashamed that I wasn’t a very good mother to you.

           I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for this letter to turn out this way.



           I want you to know I am and always will be proud of you.

           So don’t let anyone ever tell you what you can or can’t do.

           I love you now and forever. Nia.

The rock garden that made up much of the Nox compound and separated her residence from the main house began to darken as the once sunny day began to fill with clouds heavy with rain. It was most evident in the pond to her left where multi-colored fish large enough to make any fisherman in Dakland leap for joy swam peacefully about, the dark waters of the pond began to show ripple after ripple until before long it turned into a miniature ocean that was churning with chaos. 

The fish didn’t care. 

Nota took in a deep heavy breath as she looked at Nia’s letter again. “You big dummy.”

She sniffled and began to fold the letter back into its envelope. She didn’t want the rain, or her tears to ruin it. It was bad enough that it was already bent into the shape of her boob.“You big big big dummy.”

She wasn’t sure who she was talking about. 

She wasn’t surprised that Nia was her mother. It felt like she had figured it out a long time ago, but just decided that it didn’t matter. If Nia said she was her sister, then she was her sister. And if she said she was her mother? Then, well she had a mom. 

It really didn’t change anything.

It really shouldn’t have changed anything.

But it felt like it did.

Nota took in a deep breath and sighed. “I really should send her a letter.” She blinked and recalled the fact that she technically had a job now, which meant that she now had a reasonable amount of income that wasn’t going in one pocket and out the other. “And a gift.”

The heck did her sister…mom? Even like here?

“A brush.” Nota rose to her feet and stretched. “A very fancy brush. A very fancy brush set. And some hair supplies. Maybe a few sweets.” She placed her letter into her robes right in front of her heart. She needed to find a better place to keep it but the black robes of her job were sturdy and comfortable. 

She should probably shop for clothes.

“Would it be too much if I bought her a fancy robe?” Nota turned back into her residence as the pitter patter of rain began to lesson. “Maybe Cassandra would know a good spot.” 

And how to actually send stuff too Dakland. 

Nota froze and felt her ears flatten against the side of her head. “Oh yeah, they redeployed the garrison at Foxtail Port to deal with that new Elf Gate.” 

The Auxiliary forces left behind wouldn’t be able to handle packages or deliveries without the direct request from the Garrison at Dakland. 

In twenty years she could send stuff no problem. But she didn’t have twenty years. She didn’t even no how long she actually had. 

With a dejected breath Nota twisted her body and glared at the spot where her tail would be if she had one. “I become the Aide to one of the best generals in the history of the Empire and nothing? Not even a wiggling tailbone?” 

“Uhh, Miss Nota?” 

Nota looked up from her ass and felt her cheeks flush. Standing at the entrance of her residence was a young man standing in a light drizzle that seemed to fall around him. He was quite a few years younger than she was, wearing a brown hued set of robes. Stein Blackhand along with the rest of his direct family were tasked with maintaining the Nox compound from the gardening to the repairs and even the cooking. His hair was a dusty brown and true to his last name his right hand was dyed and inky black. 

“Stein,” Nota straightened herself out and brushed her robes off from the nothing that was all over it. She saw him look away to hide the blush on his own cheeks and she pretended that she hadn’t seen him staring at her as often as she did. “What can I do for you, are Albel and Cassandra back?”

He shook his head and pointed towards the gate. “There’s someone at the gate for you.”

“For me?” She asked walking towards him. She was a head and a half taller than the boy, as he was just about to start his growthspurt, and hers was hopefully coming to an end. 

Stein looked straight ahead his eyes widened for a moment as he stared at her chest then he looked at her face his own turning a bright pink. He then scuffed and looked away. “Some other-” 

He reached for the top of his head and made a gesture with his hands mimicking ears. “Kasunt?”

“Kitsune?” Nota offered with a wry smile on her face. 

Was it Blaze? Blaze probably could find out where she lived, it wasn’t like Marshel Nox’s home was a secret or anything. 

“Whatever, she was like you, guh, what did she say her name was?” Stein tapped the top of his head. “Her hair was grey like an old ladies but was really shiny and stuff so-”

“Silver!” Nota gasped a wide smile spreading on her face.

“Yeah you could say-”

Before Stein could finish his sentence Nota had already begun sprinting towards the main gate. She ran over the rock garden ignoring the large stones that were supposed to form the main path before jumping onto the raised wooden path that encircled most of the buildings here. 

Three months. She had been here for three months and only just now was she able to see Silver. Her heart was racing. Her smile so wide it hurt.

But all of that faded as soon as she saw  a silver-haired Kitsune standing just outside the gate. 

Two impossibly fluffy tails barely managed to avoid touching the ground, two cute silvery ears stuck out from attop a cute hair style that was pulled into a ponytail that nearly blended with the tails below. A pair of pale blue eyes shined with a light of her own. 

Those were the things that hadn’t changed. 

Much like Blaze’s transformation, Silver too had changed drastically. 

She was taller now, her face not as soft, her lips, stained a light purple. She was beautiful in every sense of the word. She wore teals that were blended with purples that high lighted all of her features. 

And then she smiled.

“Nota!” 

“Silver!” 

Nota grunted as Silver charged in at full speed, slamming her head into her chest before they wrapped each other in their arms. Their hug was awkward at first, as Silver adjusted her face out of Nota’s chest, and Nota figured out how to hug her shorter friend. Silver smelled like fresh fruit and flowers. 

“Why are you so big?” Silver muttered as she squeezed a tighter arm around Nota’s waist. They began to rock slightly from side to side. “You were already taller than me.”

“Because I cut my tails off and eat them.” Nota muttered into one of Silver’s ears. “They go straight to my ears and tits.” 

“And your tall.” Silver muttered. “Why didn’t you send a letter you were here? I could have requested time off.”

“Wanted to surprise you.” Nota laughed. “Did it work?”

“Nooo.” 

“My bad.” Nota muttered. “But I know that things are rough up along the wall, and they only have you guys stationed there for a few months at most.”

Silver just grunted into the hug. 

Probably shouldn’t mention work. 

“You wanna go get some food?”

Silver grunted and nodded yes.

“And then go shopping?”

A more enthusiastic nod followed.

“I want to get Nia a nice set of robes.” 

Silver’s ears perked up, whatever exhaustion she had been showing vanished in a flash as a brilliant sparkle appeared in her eyes. “Are you going to model them?”

“She’s shorter than me and actually has tails.” Nota rolled her eyes.

“Fine, I’ll model the bottom you model the top.”

“How is that going to work.”

“We’ll figure it out!” Silver laughed and began to tug on Nota’s hand. “Now come on! I know a great place by the lake! And there’s an amazing clothing store nearby too that I’ve been dying to look at!”

“Wait!” Nota exlaimed as she bounced on one foot. “My wallet!” 

Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. 

When silver had mentioned a place by the lake, she had meant directly on the lake. The building hung from one of the massive roots that danced their way across the valley. Ornate in design it looked to be like a massive wooden ring had been slipped onto the root and then left to dange supported only by massive ropes that looked slack. The very bottom of the building barely touched the lake bed making it look like it was just floating above it. 

The workers there were mostly those rabbit eared women whose legs were bent backwards. They were Vencri, a small tribe that had onced shared the northern planes with the Oni until the endless storm arrived and covered their land in darkness. Like the Oni they were tall, extremely so, but they were slight, barely any stockier than a normal human women. Roughly half of them had a pair of twisting spiral horns that rose up between their ears made out of some black material.

The horns were often decorated with jewlery and cloth. 

The eating area was sat upon a glass floor that 

Over looked one of the many large glowing portions of the lake, providing an ample view of the fish that swam peacefully by, entire schools of little shadows moved about without a care in the world while some much large fish ambled by. Medium fish darted around frantically looking for their next meal. 

Further below them was the massive dungeon that spanned the lake bed, filled with ruins that no one built, it was the only place in the capital where monsters could spawn, and it was a frequent training ground for students at the academy and more season soldiers looking for that spark to progress their path.

“So,” Silver asked as she placed a single elbow on the table, her smile was easy and warm. “How have you been enjoying The Capital?”

“I’m not sure,” Nota answered truthfully. “There’s so much to this place, and its so different from Dakland. I feel overwhelmed and all I do is move between the academy, work, and home.”

Silver nodded in agreement, her eyes going wide. “I know right? When I first got to Dakland I thought it was the biggest city in the world, and now that I’m here, I’m wondering how anything could be bigger.” 

“Right?” Silver pointed above them. “Just look at the tree! Hey, hey, do you know what they call it, whenever I asked they acted like it was some big secret.” 

“Emrasillis, I think it was originally the Emperor’s Tree but words changed and they just kind of kept changing until it was Emrasillis.” Nota gave a small laugh. “Though I think if you just call it the Emperor Tree or Emperor’s Tree no one will really care.”

“What but Emrasillis is such a pretty name.” 

“Thinking about that for when you grow a third tail?” Nota asked raising her eyebrow. 

“Nope.” Silver let the P pop, just as a waitress showed up. After a few moments of pointing at the menu to try and get their order right and the waitress left, only to return half a moment later with their drinks. “I don’t really think that would suit me.”

“And what would suit you?” Nota asked before taking a sip of her drink! There were little bubbles in it that tickled as she drank it! And it was sweet. Apparently it was called Soda! 

“Hmm, I have a few ideas.” Silver took a sip of her own drink and her ears shot up, her eyes going wide. “I might end up calling myself Soda.” 

Nota laughed. “That good?”

“Wait, let me check.” Silver took another sip her extra fluffy tail slapped against the chair as she wiggled about. “Yep. Soda might be in the top three.”

“And what are the others?”

“A surprise.” Silver leaned forward. “But what about you? Any ideas about what you want your three tailed name to be?”

Nota just shrugged. It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about it. “I don’t really want to think about it until I have ya’know, at least a tail.”

“Hmm, what about Kurama?” Silver asked popping the cherry in her drink into her mouth. 

Nota felt her jaw drop. “The first nine-tailed? The one who married the moon and lives there with her now watching her slumber?”

“Why not?” Silver’s smile turned into one that could only be described as self satisfied while the look in her eyes shifted into a hunger so deep that it sent a chill down Nota’s spine. She wasn’t sitting across from her friend Silver anymore. She was sitting across the saintess of the moon, the first to be chosen by the dreams of their goddess in over a century, someone whose words would have been treated as divine providence back in Dakland. “It’s not like you’ll stop even when you do hit six tails. I know I won’t.” 

Part of her wanted to laugh. Laugh at the absurd the sheer arrogance of calling herself Kurama. But she couldn’t. Silver was dead serious. This wasn’t a simple conversation topic. This wasn’t a joke. This wasn’t just genuine belief, or the kind words that a friend would tell another. 

It was a truth. A truth as simple as a child saying the sky was blue. 

“I don’t know.”

“Then how about this.” Silver leaned forward on the table, all but laying on it now. “When I get my third tail, you can name me, and I get to name you when you reach your third tail!”

Nota opened, and then closed her mouth. “Uhh. Is it that important to you?”

Silver just shrugged and sat back down, their food arriving via the graceful movements of their Vencri waitress. 

The topic of names was left behind as their food demanded to be consumed.

After the meal they shopped with the conversation being light and easy. With Silver’s help Nota managed to gather all the things she would need to one day send a package to Nia, and Ori as well.

For the next three weeks all of her spare time was taken up by just being near Silver, and in the months that followed these visits Nota found her life lacking.

Delve.

Delve was a game that she felt like she had played her whole live. 

The pieces were familiar in her hands. 

She knew how they would feel.

She knew their weight.

She knew their purpose. 

She tried to think of Albel’s obsession with the game as an oddity. Something that she didn’t share. She was just good at the game. It was just tactics, thinking, and problem solving. Just the things she was good at, all rolled up into a nice little package where her lack of aura simply didn’t matter.

But, as their games progressed, as her defeats against the Undefeatable Iron Wall of the Empire increased in number, her desire to win began to grow. And even during her down time she had began to dream up strategies to beat the man, her reports for her tactics classes were often just nothing more than confirmation bias that these would be good ideas to test against him.

She needed to beat him.

The desire to win, the desire to come out on top. Drove her ever forward.

No, she didn’t just want to win.

She didn’t just want to barely eek out a pyrhic victory. 

She needed to a decisive victory.

Their games had started out simple enough. 

A set of standard boards where every single move had been played out a hundred thousand times shifted into three, then five, then thirteen.

And now their game took up an entire room of Albel’s estate with countless board pieces in play all vying control for not just the monsters, but new objectives, towns that had to be held, important boards where new pieces would be created to feed an ever growing front line of conflict that threatened to spill out into the surrounding gardens.

To anyone else it was madness. 

To her it was madness. But it was a glorious madness. 

It took half a year for the game to reach this point, and it took another year for the end to be in sight.

She had moved efficiently. Striking at his lines before they could fortify, a constantly churning storm of pieces that swallowed up the board striking at random with devastating impact. Or so she had made it seem. The strikes were not random. The strikes were far from random.

They were targeted.

Forcing him to send his pieces out. For his line to be too thin.

She lost as many as she won.

Then after nearly two years since she had become his aid. 

Victory.

“The board is mine.” Nota said, feeling her hand shake as she looked at the corner stone defense of Albel’s formation. She had broken through. She had done it. She had surpassed the iron wall.

He still had pieces, and he could still fight, but his defeat was inevitable, as certain as the sun right. 

Albel stood across from her, hands behind his back as he inspected each board for a moment, eyes flickering from piece to piece. Before he nodded. “And so to the game, well done Nota.” 

She felt like crying. She felt like she was crying.

She felt.

She blinked, the world changing around her as she did.

Colors filled her vision. Colors she had never seen, colors that she knew what they were in a heart beat. In albel’s chest burned a small flame, larger than a torch but smaller than a cozy fireplace. It was close to purple, but so different that the similarities died there.

She glanced at herself. At her trembling hand and saw that she was cloaked in the color of a storm. A color that seemed to be between grey and purple and several others that she could only guess.

A rip tore through the room running her clothes as she felt a new weight settle around her hips. The new sensation was foreign, and it tingled as though she had been sleeping on this new limb her whole life.

“Huh, so it just grows like that?” She heard Albel mutter. “Thought it’d be a bit more magical given the reports. But congratulation Nota. I do believe you have a tail.” 

That was nice.

She had a tail.

She blinked tears flowing freely from her face as she continued to look with her new sight. She looked past the room they sat in, towards the valley floor that glowed with a myriad of colors deep beneath the surface it flowed like a river off into the distance. Emrasillis drunk greedily from that river, it’s leaves glowing with shades of life and vitality. 

Countless little flames stood out among the valley, only vanishing when they passed over the river. These were people. Countless people with their own flames. Some were larger, like raging infernos that were the color of concepts.

“What is it my girl? Did your tail give you something to look at?” Albel watched over to her and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. 

Her knees went weak at his touch and she fell into the man who caught her easily, his flame flickering as though a breeze had just past by it. It winced even more as her own flame began to consume her vision.

Nota swallowed, it was painful, her throat sore from whatever silent gasps she had been doing. 

She knew what the flames were.

And she knew how to use them. 

“I think” she said softly as she shifted to look Albel in the eyes again. “I think I can see Mana.”

He blinked. He blinked again. 

A smile pulled on his lips, tears welled in his eyes.

And then he laughed. 

He laughed until his voice grew hoarse.