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Fire Emblem: Curse of the Goddess [IC/PG-16/Not Accepting]


Sethera

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As the princess asked if he wanted to hear something interesting, Alois couldn't help but raise a curious eyebrow, intrigued by what she was about to say next. This, of course, all fell in an instant, with the only thing his confused self being able to utter out was a, "...huh?" 

 

Alois stood stiff, frozen as Penelope leaned closer and started speaking more about their current situation, and how things likely would've been were they back at her home. As she moved closer he himself felt an instinctive need to move backwards, sweat starting to form across his brow and palms. As she mentioned what her father would do his cracked as he said, "th-that so? Lucky me." None of the usual sarcastic edge was behind the boy's voice as it seemed to be far more blunt yet awkward. Looking straight into her red eyes, the boy could tell there was her classic sense of mischievousness in them, if only barely, but that did little to calm his very apparent nerves. Only breaking contact with her eyes as she herself went to look out the window, the boy in response let out a deep sigh and began to take deeper breaths. 

 

Wait...had he not been breathing that whole time? Furthermore, as he began to breathe more heavily he became far more aware of his insides and more specifically how much his chest had felt like there was something pumping fast there. As he was trying to sort out his own reactions, Penelope looked back to him, causing him to snap back to attention only to say, "oh, flowers huh...makes...sense?" He still wasn't quite sure what he was saying, but made a mental note to learn what an Iris was. All the same, as he spoke about them he suddenly felt far more guarded then before, cautiously asking, "what other things?" 

 

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As the two began to make their way outside, getting their hunt ready, she heard a call out from the top of a tower. Seeing her white haired friend up there, she gave a smile and wave back, only to look towards her big friend who had had a bit of a bird problem. While she felt sorry for his predicament she instantly seemed far more assured in her look as he made his comment saying, "don't worry, crow's are nasty anyway. So any I hunt we won't eat!" Giving him a thumbs up, the girl then went back to her usual smile saying, "well, have fun you two! We'll be back with lots of stuff! C'mon Licorice!" 

 

With that, the two began their journey away from the old building, beginning their expedition into the wilderness. Tsetseg had begun walking but after a bit had stuck lower to the ground, examining around to figure out what was actually around here. After taking a few moments the girl nodded to herself and began to move lower and slower as she started to prowl around. After a bit of time, the girls had stumbled across a lone rabbit that seemed to be scrounging for something. Stopping where she was, the girl slowly drew her bow out as she remained laser focused on the rabbit. The rabbit hopped a bit forward as she began to pull an arrow back, surveying the area some more. As she continued to gaze at it from afar, the rabbit took yet another hop forward, trying to find whatever it was scrounging for. As it took one last hop forward, the girl fired her arrow at it, striking the rabbit in the side as it landed back on the ground. Seeing her mark was no longer moving, the girl took in a deep breath, looking to Licorice with a proud smile on her face and giving a thumbs up. "Alright, now it's your turn!" 

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The faint breeze blowing through the Shrine and the floral scent it carried was all the answer that Edrick felt like he needed. The tension in his muscles relaxed, and he released a breath he did not remember holding as it washed over him. He thought he could hear a familiar voice somewhere in it, but he shook himself to clear his head. That much was probably his imagination running wild, and his hopes getting the better of him. Even so, he felt that at least someone approved of what he had done. That was enough, even if it was not-
 
"Do you think they are appeased?" Catriona's voice shook him out of his moment, and he opened his eyes to look at her. He felt what he could best describe as a fluttering in his stomach, and for a moment felt that he should look away from her for reasons he could not place. Though that was quickly overridden by the realization that she was asking him about the rite. She actually wanted to learn something about the faith! It was impossible for him to hide the excitement on his face.

 

"Of course!" He almost shouted, startling himself as he broke the quiet, and then continued in a more even tone of voice. "Well, I can't really think of anything else that breeze would mean. I mean, I feel more calm right now and I'm stood here in a crumbling church surrounded by people with every reason to hate it, the faith it housed, and...well, me too I guess." He was remarkably casual about just how hostile the situation he was in should have been. "By all rights I should be afraid for my life right now, but-" and that was when he finally noticed the wolf growling at him. The cub that had been following Link around, the same one that had led them to the fox village. By itself it was not anything to really concern himself with, but what was decidedly worth worrying about was the bone laying next to it. That looked worryingly like a human femur.

 

"Bad!" He exclaimed, stepping out from behind the altar and marching his way right on up to the wolf. "Link, could you please control him? We don't need one of the revered Ancestors rising up looking for part of their leg." As he said that he reached out to grab hold of the bone with the intention of returning it to wherever it had been retrieved from. As much as he had just implied he was afraid of the people he was traveling with, he was essentially just daring a wolf to bite him on the hand.

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Sienna couldn't understand it, but she felt a certain feeling of ease and relaxation after Edrick had finished his prayer at the shrine. The whole place seemed... At peace, compared to how it was when the group had first arrived. When Catriona had asked for whether or not the spirits of this shrine were appeased, Sienna listened in as well to Edrick's explanation. Of course, he didn't get to finish, as his attention was taken by something else. The wolf cub from earlier had a bone in it's mouth, possibly from one of the graves in the shrine.

 

Sienna tilted her head, this little wolf cub was a curious thing. First it tried and succeeded in nipping her tail, and now it was tearing up and taking bones from the shrine. Out of curiousity, she got up and walked over to the cub, kneeling down just close enough to where she wouldn't bother it. She wanted to pet it, but she was unsure of whether or not it would bite her hand if she tried, especially with Edrick playing tug-of-war with it over a bone. So she just decided to examine the little cub, keeping the thought of petting it in the back of her mind.

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Catriona blinked. "That is true. It is...something I seem to forget often. We are not soldiers. Or at least, not all of us." Her eyes lingered on Adelaide before turning back to Link. "So yes, that would be helpful. You have my gratitude for your assistance in this matter." She dipped her head formally.

 

Link was relieved by the response. He had half-expected an indignant reaction, but this was Catriona he was talking about. “It will be done. Thank you, Your Majesty.” He saluted smartly, gathering that all that needed said had been.

 

He waited a moment for a dismissal that never came. Catriona was no longer focused on their exchange; she was glaring daggers at Edrick behind her. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but her body language screamed that something had spooked her. Her back was ramrod straight, shoulder blades pushed back, and her legs tensed as she prepared to move. All Edrick was doing was… praying.

 

The realization of what was going on hit Link like a punch in the guy. Link started to step forward to lay a hand on her shoulder, but Catriona suddenly snapped out of it.

 

Link looked down to see that Rohns had dropped a bone on her foot. A high-pitched growl bubbled out of the cub’s throat, and he flattened his ears and snarled at Edrick.

 

"Bad!" Edrick exclaimed, stepping out from behind the altar and marching his way right on up to the wolf. "Link, could you please control him? We don't need one of the revered Ancestors rising up looking for part of their leg." As he said that he reached out to grab hold of the bone.

 

Link and Rohns moved at the same time. Rohns lunged forward to bite Edrick’s hand, and he would have gotten the boy if Link hadn’t grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and hauled him away. Rohns yelped and scooped up the bone, trying to dart away, but Link grabbed him again.

 

Rohns snarled, dropping the bone and wriggling around to sink his teeth into Link’s hand. His glove took the brunt of it, but the pup’s teeth managed to get through and draw blood. Link hissed and pulled back his hand, shaking it, and Rohns ducked between Sienna’s legs and bolted out of the cathedral.

 

The bone was left on the floor. Clumps of dirt still clung to it, mixed in with some drool from the wolf pup. Link picked it up with his good hand and wiped it off on his leggings, then extended it towards Edrick. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, looking embarrassed.

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"Of course!" Edrick almost shouted his answer to Catriona's question, continuing in a more even tone of voice. "Well, I can't really think of anything else that breeze would mean. I mean, I feel more calm right now and I'm stood here in a crumbling church surrounded by people with every reason to hate it, the faith it housed, and...well, me too I guess. By all rights I should be afraid for my life right now, but-" it looked then like he noticed the wolf cub growling at him. and that was when he finally noticed the wolf growling at him, and the bone next to it.

 

Afterward began an...interesting interlude where the Pontic began to scold the puppy for taking a bone. Catriona watched, amusement turning into concern, as Edrick tried to grab the bone back, but Rohns lunged forward, aiming to bite, only stopped by Link grabbing hold of him. The cub then whipped around and bit Link, who dropped him, and then ran out of the site, leaving the bone behind.

 

Link picked it up with his good hand and wiped the dirt and drool off on his leggings before extending it towards Edrick. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, looking embarrassed.

 

"He's a fighter," Catriona commented. "You should get your hand looked at," she glanced at Ciela before turning back to the lancer. "You are right. The air...has changed." She shook her head, confused. "Strange..." she glanced at the sky for a brief second. "We are enemies of the goddess, and yet she listened to you, who travel with us. Or perhaps it is the spirits themselves who have heard you. Whatever the case, we shall see what comes of it." It was odd. She didn't usually dwell on such matters, but her perspective seemed to have changed knowing she was going to die that much sooner.

 

"It is growing dark," she said. "We shall have to hope that the hunters will return soon."

 

The princess looked at Sienna then, remembering that the fox was still new to their group. She should probably make sure that the Protean was acclimating well. In fact, she would have to do the same for Shiro, Tsetseg, and Adelaide. "Are you...well?" she asked, and then shook her head. "You are not unwell, correct?" Ugh, this is more trouble than it's worth. She had never excelled at these types of social interactions, had never been trained for them. Even in the Garou, she was often the last soldier that newcomers felt comfortable with, let alone the one picked to "show them the ropes," as it were.

 

--

 

Licorice's ears perked up at hearing the familiar voice of the second princess. Looking up, she spied the younger girl's form waving at them. "Good luck! And remember we still need to start your lessons, Tsetseg!"

 

"Lessons?" the fox Protean asked, not sure if the bow thief had heard the other girl. "What lessons does she mean?"

 

But Tsetseg was busy replying to Gunther's dry comment of avoiding birds. Licorice snorted. "There's hardly enough meat on their bones to make it worth it," she replied. "Give me a good fat hen any day."

 

With that, the two began their journey away from the old building, beginning their expedition into the wilderness. Tsetseg had begun walking but after a bit had stuck lower to the ground, moving with the ease of a practiced hunter. Licorice watched her move in interest, taking in the way the girl made soft, light footsteps, almost gliding. After a bit of time, they eventually stumbled upon a lone rabbit, which Tsetseg quickly dispatched of, turning to Licorice with a proud smile on her face and giving a thumbs up. "Alright, now it's your turn!"

 

The Protean nodded, and in a flash of light, changed into her beast form. Her transformation was faster than even Gamboge and Persimmon's had been, and those two were the chieftain's personal guards. Flicking her tail idly as she scanned the landscape, she raised her nose to the sky and sniffed, before bounding off in a random direction, though slow enough still that Tsetseg would be able to easily keep up.

 

After a bit of time had passed, Licorice slowed to a slink, nose lowering to the ground as her ears swiveled to catch any nearby sound. The fox then froze as a nearby grouse poked its head up above the tall grass of the moor. She watched as the bird clucked nervously, eyes locking in on its position, and then leapt.

 

When the fox lifted her head, she had the grouse hanging loosely from her mouth. Flicking her tail back toward the direction they came from, she tilted her head questioningly, unable to speak with her mouth full of bird.

 

OOC: Not much going on, just interaction and stuff. Let me know if you guys want to move on to dinner or do more interaction/hunting.

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"It must be difficult. At least for me I have companions." Shiro nodded as he kept wiping. Gunther had hit the nail on the head. "Shiro...if you ever feel the need to talk about anything I can..." Before he could finish however, it seemed the fox and some other humans approached. 
 
"Are those avian feces?" Licorice asked. "You are quite unlucky."
 
"Ah." Gunther said, embarrassed. "Yes...er, I suppose this is a bad day for our group where birds are concerned. Are you heading out on a hunt? Perhaps you should avoid hunting any birds." He suggested dryly. 

"I think you're the only one in any danger from birds," Shiro commented as he finished up. "There you go, poop free," 

 

"don't worry, crow's are nasty anyway. So any I hunt we won't eat!" The girl from those humans in the woods was accompanying the fox. As much as he hated it, it made the most sense, seeing as she was the one around them the most of the group. "well, have fun you two! We'll be back with lots of stuff! C'mon Licorice!" 

 

"There's hardly enough meat on their bones to make it worth it," she replied. "Give me a good fat hen any day." 

"Goose is good to," Shiro commented as he looked at the handkerchief. "Do you... want this back or something?" He asked Gunther before looking back at the cloth. "Probably needs a good washing after this though,"

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Penelope was quite happy with the reaction Alois gave. She knew that it wasn't the right term for it but she felt like she won this exchange. It wasn't much different than a tactic drill when it came down to it. And she was satisfied with her strategy thus far.

"what other things?"

Penelope gave a gasp of mock surprise. "Why, Alois, I can't just tell you that can I? You'll have to find out on your own." She moved a bit closer. "Maybe eventually I'll let you know. But for now." A bit closer still. "I think." Even closer. "...We should go back down and check up on everyone. I'm sure once the others return they'll be making food and I am getting quite hungry you know." She then proceeded to start down the tower once more. "Next time you can tell me all about your village, okay?" She called over her shoulder.


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Gunther was relieved to hear about the lack of bird in their coming meal. Call him paranoid but it just didn't feel like a bird-friendly day. They already were pressing their luck by staying in this accursed place so adding to it felt rather dense.

 

"Do you... want this back or something? Probably needs a good washing after this though,"

 

"Ah, yes, I can wash it later. That's what it's for after all." Gunther responded. Odd, perhaps the Proteans did not use them? They got dirty fairly often and would need to be washed regularly as it was. This just sped up how quickly he'd need to do so. Now alone with Shiro again Gunther found himself at a loss as to what to say. He didn't usually begin conversations with the other soldiers and guards and here was the cultural gap. There was a few awkward moments where Gunther seemed about to say something before stopping himself, deciding that what he was about to say was silly or pointless, and the cycle was only broken when he saw the wolf pup running outside.

 

"Isn't that...it was with Link wasn't it?" Gunther said. He tried to approach the pup, calling out to it in a soothing voice, hoping to keep it from getting too far. He didn't know what the wolf and Link's relationship was but perhaps Link would be upset if the pup ran off too far.

 

[spoiler=OOC]For the record I'm find for continuing to mealtime and such unless the others want to keep interaction things going.

 

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Alois raised an eyebrow, his expression saying that he hardly could believe her surprise but this didn't last very long. His body and posture getting stiffer as the girl moved towards him, the boy couldn't help but look nervously at her once more, only tensing more the closer she got. As she finally finished, and went downstairs Alois let out yet another deep sigh. Looking towards the girl as she made her way downstairs, he seemed far more befuddled then anything else, only to then look at his now sweaty hand. Looking out the window, the boy merely said, "what the funk just happened?" Putting his hands back in his pockets, the boy started to make his way back downstairs. As the girl said she would ask about his home, he unenthusiastically responded, "and I'm sure you'll love every detail." 

 

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Tsetseg watched silently but intently as the fox went to work. Once the job was done, with Licorice looking to the girl, she simply had a bright smile on her face, clapping her hands together. "Man, you fluffy tailed proteans really do hunt just like foxes," she stated plainly. "But great job! Now, let's keep hunting!" After exclaiming this aloud, the girl began to continue her hunting exploits alongside her black-furred fox compatriot, getting a few more hares before finally deciding that she was good to go back. Once that was over, she would go back to present her spoils to the group. 

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"You should get your hand looked at," Catriona said, glancing at Ciela.

 

Link wanted to vanish. He had made a fool out of himself.  “. . . .” He dusted himself off and straightened his belt. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he grunted. The pain from the bite was nothing when compared to the blow to his pride, but Ciela and her magic were a welcomed alternative to more awkward conversation. He had talked himself out for the day.

 

It actually took him a minute to find her. She had claimed a corner for herself and Remy out of the way of the main area, and hadn’t spoken up much at all since arriving at the cathedral. Link was hesitant to put an end to such a rare moment of silence from the priestess. Still, he needed his hand seen to, and the faster it was done, the faster he could hunt down Rohns.

 

He cleared his throat to alert her to his presence, breaking the spell.

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Edrick would almost certainly have smacked the little wolf if it had managed to bite him, but with this almost comedic showing of Rohns lunging for his hand, link snatching him up, and the bone eventually being handed to him he was mostly left standing there watching this unfold. Though once the bone was handed back to him, he reached out to take it from the soldier.

 

"Apology accepted." He said, deciding not to say anything else given Link's embarrassed state. So his attention returned to Catriona, who was musing on whether it was the Goddess or the spirits of the dead buried here who had answered. A smile came to his face. "For my part, I'm going to take this as Inera's approval of the task I've set myself to." He had made it quite clear to Catriona at least that his intention was to convert the lot of them to Inera's worship. "Or maybe she's just happy that someone finally used this church again. I get the feeling we'll know in the morning."

 

And with that he made his way back out of the chapel and into the graveyard. With night beginning to fall, as clear a sign as any that the season was changing and Winter was on their heels, it took him a fair while to find the hole that the wolf had dug into one of the graves. It was not as deep as he expected it to be, he barely had to reach down to return it to its rightful place once he had knelt by the grave, so it took him only minutes to rebury the ancestor whose rest had been disturbed. Curious, he looked to the headstone, but between the darkness and the moss that had grown on it he could barely read any of it. If he needed any further source of resolve to properly get this place cleaned, that was it. And if he needed any further resolve to get a fire going and at least have something started for their dinner before their hunting party returned, the grumbling of his stomach was it. So it was that he spent some time gathering stones, which he made certain were not fragments of grave markers, that he eventually carried back inside of the shrine.

"Stones for a fire ring." He said as he entered, anticipating a question. They needed a fire to cook after all. So he put the ring together in among where the congregation would once have gathered for mass. Not the most respectful thing in the world, but he was fairly certain the ancestors would be understanding at this point. Now it was just a matter of getting the fire going...

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Sienna was surprised suddenly by the wolf cub's speed as it quickly darted between her legs, after it had just bitten Link's hand. She looked behind her just in time to catch a tail heading out of the shrine, this little wolf was starting to become a problem. But it couldn't be helped, for now it was as much as a member of the group as everyone else. Looking back at the others, it seemed like Link was heading out to look for Ciela, possibly to get his hand healed.

 

She sighed quietly to herself and sat down, pulling a brush from her pack so that she could groom her tail a bit.

 

"Are you...well?"

 

She turned her head, Catriona was trying to strike a conversation it seemed.

 

"You are not unwell, correct?"

 

Sienna thought for a brief moment before answering her. "The past few days have been... Difficult to say the least... I just feel as if I'm holding your group back..." she said as she continued to brush her tail.

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"For my part, I'm going to take this as Inera's approval of the task I've set myself to. Or maybe she's just happy that someone finally used this church again. I get the feeling we'll know in the morning."

 

"Hmm, perhaps." Were she to be honest, Catriona wasn't sure she wanted the goddess's eyes on her, but she found it difficult to put that thought into words. It was the same as admitting she was afraid, and by the dragon, she was, but knowing it and letting others know were two different cases entirely. Soon afterward Edrick left the shrine.

 

"The past few days have been... Difficult to say the least... I just feel as if I'm holding your group back..." Sienna replied to the princess's earlier question as she brushed her tail.

 

"I would not feel that way," the white-haired woman replied honestly. "Against the goddess, every sword arm is needed. Whether you wield a lance or an orb, that does not change the matter." She glanced upward in thought. "Lest you mean that as a person you feel you are an encumbrance, in which case I am not the one to ask," she admitted. "That is an analysis best left to my sister." She wasn't sure if she was saying this right, or how to comfort the other girl at all, if she even needed comforting. Perhaps she was reading the situation wrong. 

 

It was not long after that Edrick returned carrying stones which he explained were for a fire ring, Penelope and Alois from their tower jaunt, and soon after Tsetseg and Licorice from hunting. The two had seemed to enjoy themselves, showing off an array of hares and a couple ptarmigans.

 

"Good job," Catriona gave a couple words of praise before deciding to leave the vicinity for some privacy to her own thoughts, almost bumping into Gunther and Shiro on the way. Yet, oddly enough, it seemed as soon as she left the area around the shrine itself, walked past the graves and stone fence, the air grew colder and more forbidding, prompting her to return soon after.

 

Licorice gave a nod in return, but kept sneaking glances at Penelope, as if curious to see what the girl would have to say. Her expression was passive, but her quivering tail gave her away.

 

If Link did not get manage to get his hand healed by Ciela, he would find himself reminded of it by Catriona, who had no compunctions against bandaging the wound herself, as she had indeed done before for her fellow soldiers on and off the battlefield.

 

Dinner was more cheerful than the princess had been expecting, though the scent of cooked meat wafting throughout the area probably helped in that regard. It was while around the fire that the members of the group would feel as if they were being watched, though if they looked, they would see nobody. It does not feel...hostile, Catriona thought in puzzlement. Rather, it felt sad, slightly wistful, if being watched had a feeling. Shivering slightly, the woman glanced at the others, curious to see if they had felt the same.

 

Licorice looked up at the other princess's gaze, ears flicking backward before straightening. She said nothing, but she sat up straighter, tail twitching every so often.

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"Ah, yes, I can wash it later. That's what it's for after all." Gunther responded. Huh, so humans carried things like this? How odd. Still, he supposed they had to clean themselves somehow, and that was the way they did it. Weird. It then fell into a silence, one that was comfortable to Shiro, but one that Gunther seemed to want to break. Why was that? Why did humans insist on filling every second with noise? Even frogs would take a moment to stop croaking and just enjoy the silence.
 
"Isn't that...it was with Link wasn't it?" Gunther said, pointing to a puppy, the same puppy actually. Shiro looked over, smiling a little before commenting.

"Hard to believe something so pure and innocent would stick with that brute of a man," Truly, the world didn't deserve dogs.

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Penelope hummed happily to herself as she heard Alois following her back down the stairs. That had gone rather well, she thought, and she was looking forward to the next time they could talk. She had learned much about small towns from her books so she was looking forward to being able to put that lesser-used knowledge to use.

 

She kept up the humming even as she began thinking of other things. Gunther things. She wasn't sure if leaving him to his own devices had been the correct choice. After all she was the one who understood his situation best out of them all so she should have been the one to help. Then again she knew pushing the issue could be...problematic. She never argued with him before, really, and she didn't want to start now.

 

In a sudden flash of uncertainty she called to Alois, before they reached ground level. "Do you think Gunther will be fine?" Though he likely wouldn't have much in the way of insight on the matter.

---

"Hard to believe something so pure and innocent would stick with that brute of a man,"

 

Gunther bristled slightly at the remark. "Brute? Link isn't...never mind, pardon me." He shouldn't get too upset. He could only imagine what a human soldier would look like to the Proteans. Perhaps he should keep out of it. He had a wolf pup to pacify after all.

---

Penelope and Gunther had rather different reactions to the returning hunters. While Gunther did thank them for their hard work he was also staring down the dead birds they had brought back as though they were about to leap up and attack at any moment. Nonetheless he did offer to cook it anyway, once the fire was started, though he was purposefully keeping his eyes from Edrick.

 

Penelope on the other hand began rattling facts about the animals to both Tsetseg and Licorice. After a couple minutes of this she paused and examined the two. Particularly Licorice. She seemed to be waiting for something almost. The Tactician wondered if perhaps she wanted to be praised. Which would be a rather charming trait from the stoic warrior woman. "I'm rather impressed at the amount you brought back, I must say. You did well, I appreciate it."

 

In the background Gunther couldn't help a grumbling addition of "Could have done without the birds."

 

The young man seemed more tense than usual and intently focused on the food. It was clear that he didn't need to be watching it as much as he was but instead he was using watching the food cook as a way to ignore the situation around him.

---

Gunther's mood didn't lift much when dinner started, and it was up to Penelope to keep the positive mood going. And she did so by telling them various ancient tales. Such as Rain Blue and the Seven Fighters. Part way she paused and glanced around. She had thought someone was watching her...more than usual. Which is odd as she had felt decidedly less watched the farther she got from home, and her father's overprotective nature. She decided to just continue on like nothing had happened, though, not wanting to make anyone nervous.

 

Gunther, seated near Catriona, was trying his best not to bother anyone with his attitude. He was self-aware enough to know he was being rather taciturn. Though when he realized they were being watched, though he couldn't for the life of him tell why, he felt the need to bring it to the older Princess's attention if she hadn't noticed already. "Catriona...something is amiss...I know, I know, I've not been the happiest to be here. But...perhaps I'm being paranoid. Truly I still don't think we should be here at all."

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While the two had began walking down the stairs, the young boy kept a small amount of distance between the two of them, though as she spoke up he immediately tensed up and paused where he was standing. While at first on guard, seeing if she was going to play any more tricks on him, though soon relaxed as she finished what she was saying. Raising an eyebrow at the girl, he simply said, "did you two get into a fight or something?" 

 

"No, not a fight. He's just...you didn't notice? How he...was?"
 
"Yeah...he did seem a bit mopier then usual. But well, I dunno. I figured if anyone would know it'd be you."
 
"Yeah, that's true, it would be me, wouldn't it?" The girl's tone became more dismissive and it seemed like the conversation had come to an end. 
 
As the girl continued to move forward, Alois couldn't help but be more confused at the situation, mumbling to himself, "I feel like I did something wrong...What is up with today?" All the same, he eventually made his way down the stairs and joined the rest of the group. It wasn't long after they came back downstairs that the others returned and dinner was beginning to be started. 
 
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As the older white haired princess had congratulated them on their hunt, Tsetseg smiled proudly, saying, "thanks! It was no problem at all!" It was then that her white haired friend approached them, and  began to rattle off about things that the girl had no idea about, but tried to take as many mental notes as she could on all the things about the animals, wondering if it would be useful for future hunting. As she congratulated her hunting companion as well, and Tsetseg nodded saying, "yeah, she was a great hunting buddy to have around, and it was awesome hunting with a fox!"
 
Soon, the group had gathered around and started eating their dinner. Tsetseg seemed incredibly thrilled to be eating what she had caught herself, though, soon stopped. As she felt as though she were being watched, the girl couldn't help but suddenly feel on edge. Looking around, she couldn't seem to find anything that would cause this sensation, and so she began to walk around, as if searching for something. Though, when this didn't yield results, she then looked to the food in her hand, seeming to examine it as if it were the culprit and from there was hesitant to continue eating. 
 
Meanwhile, Alois didn't understand the sudden feeling either, however he seemed much less bothered by it then others might have. It was again, a creepy old abandoned building and he would've almost been disappointed if something off didn't happen during their stay. In the midst of his eating, he merely said to himself, "maybe we'll end up in the future this time." 
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Ciela was evidently busy.

 

Link wasn’t particularly bothered by that. She was an ally of the princesses, but he still wasn’t comfortable with the idea of healing magicks being used on him. The night Ciela healed his eye he had dreamt that the Goddess had taken root and could see everything he saw through it, which she used to outmaneuver them and eventually kill or capture everyone. Even now, days later, the memory caused him to break out in a cold sweat.

 

He found a pillar a few dozen yards away from the main group to lean against and watch the group. Edrick was gathering stones to make a fire circle, Princess Penelope and Alois were climbing down from the tower, and he could faintly hear something large approaching that he assumed to be Licorice and Tsetseg. Princess Catriona and Sienna were exchanging pleasantries about something, but he couldn’t hear them from where he was.

 

He sighed, releasing the tension from his shoulders, and sunk to the ground. Rohns was still missing, but the wolf cub would come back when he was hungry. All he needed to do now was bandage his hand and try and figure out the schedule, now that Catriona had approved it.

 

First thing was first. Link peeled off his glove to inspect the wound. It was nothing to be worried about, two small puncture wounds and a little bit of dried blood, but he was immediately reminded why kept his gloves on constantly. His hands were mangled. His fingers were deathly thin, skeletal, while his knuckles were huge and most of them were disjointed from being dislocated too often. He took a small bit of vulnerary off of his belt and chewed it up, wincing at the bitter taste, then plastered the salve onto the wound and bandaged it with a strip of cloth he tore off his tunic. It wasn’t amazing, but it would keep the dirt out of it until the bites scabbed over.

 

---

 

Dinner was… good. Princess Penelope regaled them all with stories, and the roasted meat went down easily. Link just couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. He brushed it off for the first few minutes as paranoia, but the rest of the group had noticed it too. Tsetseg got up to search for the culprit, Alois smarted off something about the future, and Gunther confronted Catriona about his unease.

 

Link stood up and dusted off his leggings. He joined Tsetseg in patrolling the area, going to the very edge of the cathedral, but the feeling of being watched never went away. It was… uncomfortable, but not unnerving.

 

He threw in the towel and returned to the fire, where the rest of the group was waiting. He couldn’t explain what was going on, so he planned to try the next best thing. Link rummaged in his bag for a second before producing his ocarina, along with the sheet music Mirana had given him.

 

Ciela had shown him the basics of the musical notes, and he had been practicing on his own. Maybe a tune dedicated to the Great Dragon would be enough to lift the spirits.

 

Without any introduction, Link leaned back and began to play.

 

BGM

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The hunters' triumphant return from their trek saw the group in possession of a fresh harvest of Grouse and Rabbits, which once the fire was going Edrick set to work cleaning out. Organs were removed, the birds plucked, the rabbits skinned, and everything neatly handed off to Gunther who had offered to cook. That is, with the exception of the organs themselves. Edrick kept those, which he put into one of the pots he had been lugging along since before he met the others. Except for the intestines of course, which he took no small amount of care in ensuring were properly cleaned out before being added to the pot as well. A pot to which he added a few small chunks of rendered fat, which he had seen fit to acquire from the patrol when they were all resupplying, and set over a low spot on the fire to fry up.

 

"Travel Cakes." He would say to anyone who happened to ask what exactly he was making. "We oughtta try and stretch this out as far as we can, since we don't really know when we're gonna get the chance to buy more supplies." That was just about as much explanation as anyone was going to get out of him at the moment, as he was focusing on the task at hand. Once the organs were sufficiently fried, he took a well-worn knife, another thing he had carried since the start of his travels, and set about cutting them into pieces inside of the pot. It was a task that occupied much of his attention, as was the rest of the process of adding some of the odd grain the foxes had given them to the pot, and thereafter a sparing amount of salt and plenty of water to have the whole thing going.

 

By the time dinner had properly started and they were all eating the fruits of the hunt, himself included, Edrick had well and truly reduced the mix of organs and grain into a thick, sticky mush that was slowly drying out in the pot. He had also retrieved a shallow iron pan from his kit and melted still more of that rendered fat onto it, in preparation of frying the "travel cakes."

 

"You know," he said between bites of meat and stirring his mix, "I've been a pretty bad teacher so far. How's about I tell you all about how the world was created?" Intentionally or otherwise, the song Link had begun to play made a fair backdrop for the story.

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"I would not feel that way," the white-haired woman replied honestly. "Against the goddess, every sword arm is needed. Whether you wield a lance or an orb, that does not change the matter." She glanced upward in thought. "Lest you mean that as a person you feel you are an encumbrance, in which case I am not the one to ask," she admitted. "That is an analysis best left to my sister."

 

Sienna sighed quietly as Catriona's attention was taken elsewhere, she'd have to take her issue to Penelope then... By the time she finished grooming her tail, it was time to eat dinner. It was rather quiet and with the addition of music provided by Link, the night was very peaceful. Taking her fill of tonight's cooking, Sienna sat beside Licorice. It had been a while since she had another fox to talk to since she started traveling, plus Licorice always had a curious aura to her.

 

"So uh... Licorice... How were things in the village before... Well... All the fighting with the frogs?" she asked with a nervous tone. "I-I mean... Did anything interesting happen or... *sigh*... Was everything ok without me back home?" she clarified before looking down out of embarrassment from her stuttering.

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Licorice listened with her head cocked to the side as Penelope rattled off various animal facts. Nodding along in agreement, she pointed out additional trivia that the girl missed or hadn't gotten to, such as "Yes, I have counted and rabbits do indeed have twenty-eight teeth," or "I have heard that the willow ptarmigan is the only member of the grouse family that is not polygamous." When the princess finished, she gazed at her seriously. "You are well-learned. It is...impressive."

 

When Penelope praised her hunting skills, the black fox's tail wagged from side to side, before stilling suddenly, as if she just then realized what she was doing. "Hunting is natural for a Protean," she demurred. "And Tsetseg here proved to be far more adept than anticipated," she shot the bow thief a warm smile, her smile turning warmer yet as she registered the girl's words. Her ears flicked back slightly at Gunther's mutterings, but she said nothing, content to let him grumble.

 

Later, at the campfire, Licorice ate the meat with obvious enjoyment. "This bird meat is good," she said, expression slightly sly as she looked at the knight, managing to momentarily forget her current circumstances. However, the fox's ears pricked straight up at Alois's muttered comment, and she stared at him for a long while, until she was distracted by Sienna's question.

 

"Before?" the darker-furred fox paused. "Well, it was...embarrassing to be around your parents for a while. Let's just say that neither of them were shy about letting their feelings be known," her tone turned wry as she remembered the two of them wailing in public about their poor daughter being gone, and how they missed her so much. Or the chieftain turning misty-eyed whenever he passed by Sienna's room. As the second-in-command, Licorice had borne witness to many of his impassioned pleas at the shrine to watch over his fragile, innocent daughter. Sienna probably has an idea of what I'm talking about, she thought. It was an open secret in the village that the two doted on their daughter. With the way they act, I'm not surprised she left. Honestly, I'm more surprised that they let her go a second time.

 

"They eventually settled down...mostly. However, that was when the attacks started to come, Inari's Beads were stolen, and the frogs accused us of murdering one of their number," Licorice's expression turned serious. "It shook up the village. A place that had been safe for so long, with nothing more dangerous than bandits reaching our borders, yet suddenly, somehow, our sanctuary was breached." She shook her head. "This world is growing darker and darker by the day, mark my words. Is it any surprise that we changed? A few were already aware of the outside world's movement, but for most of us, like the twins, it was a wake-up call." The Protean sighed. "Even the bandits, whom we had been previously content to leave alone, managed to harm us. Gamboge was injured during a hunting trip, and Persimmon...well, he wasn't happy, suffice to say." She glanced at Tsetseg. "I was quite surprised to see this one convince him not to fight. Even his brother had a hard time stopping him from attacking the first human being he saw."

 

"Rufus, on the other hand, was convinced that the frogs had something to do with it. He changed then. I cannot say if the stress of the attacks is what got to him, or he found himself influenced by another party, but he turned into the person that you saw just yesterday. Still, while his actions were intolerable, I believe there is some truth to his thoughts. We must take care. The world is not standing still, and dark times lie ahead of us." Licorice coughed, realizing that she had said far more than she usually cared to, and had gotten dangerously close to honesty in doing so. Perhaps it was unwise to join this group, as it seems they have a knack for loosening my tongue.

 

--

 

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At the campfire, Catriona was content to do little more than eat, keep watch, and observe Edrick making his "Travel Cakes," but Gunther chose that moment to address her. "Catriona...something is amiss...I know, I know, I've not been the happiest to be here. But...perhaps I'm being paranoid. Truly I still don't think we should be here at all."

 

"Perhaps," she agreed. "But there is little we can do about it at the moment. It is far too late in the day to move camp." Indeed, the last light of the setting sun had finally faded from the sky, a pale sliver of the waning moon shining in its place, though it was still too early to see the stars yet. She stared into the fire, and in her distraction, barely took in Licorice's words. She did listen to Link's song, finding comfort in the notes that seemed to carry her away to a distant land.

 

"You know," Edrick, one of the few people who seemed to not notice the feeling of being watched, or just didn't care, said between bites of meat and stirring his mix, "I've been a pretty bad teacher so far. How's about I tell you all about how the world was created?"

 

"The world?" Catriona looked up then, before her brow creased slightly. Does he mean what the Pontics teach their citizens? "The world is what it is." Still, she remembered well enough what she had been taught growing up. That the goddess created Mysia, turned evil, and was defeated and sealed away by a group of brave heroes. What more did they need to know?

 

The air grew still then, as if she weren't the only one curious to hear what the Pontic had to say. The princess shook her head vigorously at the thought. I am letting this place get to me. But if that is the case, then... Then, in all honesty, she wasn't quite sure what she would do, were she able to do anything about it in the first place.

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"You are well-learned. It is...impressive."

 

"I know." Penelope replied simply, with a smile. She noticed that the fox seemed to be pleased by this exchange which made the princess quite happy. It showed that her knowledge of social cues did not fail her, after all.

 

Licorice then went on to talk to the other fox of the group for a while. Though her words at first were meant for Sienna it seemed near the end she was talking to them all. Granted in such a small area it was hard for the words to carry, especially with the amount of words said. It all boiled down to the fact that something bad was approaching. Which was the whole point for this mission. "Whatever comes...I know I can stop it." Penelope said in a much more serious tone than usual.

 

"I've been a pretty bad teacher so far. How's about I tell you all about how the world was created?"

 

"Oh, I've read all sorts of theories on that. I'm sure I know which one you're talking about. Personally I prefer the theory that the world always existed and that, over time, people sprouted out of it just like a plant. It's rather fun to imagine us all being related to trees somehow isn't it?"


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"But there is little we can do about it at the moment. It is far too late in the day to move camp."

 

"Unfortunately...but, either way, I hope you don't mind if we double up on night watch duty for tonight. Just in case." Gunther really, really, did not like this place.

 

And Edrick was making it worse and worse by the moment. First with the appalling organ gathering and second with announcing an intention to "teach" them something. With more bitterness than he intended Gunther responded. "I don't really think I want to hear about it, actually."

 

He shook his head. "But do as you will." He then muttered in a low voice, one only those nearest would catch, after, "You always do."

 

With a groan Gunther stood up. "I think I'll keep an eye on things...over there." He gestured towards the opening to the graveyard they had come in through. While moving in that direction he glanced Link's way. "It's a good song." he said, almost apologetically.

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While Tsetseg's prowling had revealed that their food was indeed not what was watching them, or at least not to the best of what she could tell, her attention was soon turned to Licorice who had begun talking about all that had happened in the forest recently. The girl frowned a bit, remembering both what they had to do and go through in just a day prior, and also on her failings as a member of the patrol. All the same, once she had finished her speech and her white haired friend had made her statement, Tsetseg nodded saying, "yeah, yeah. As a member of the patrol, I'll be sure to stop all the dark things from happening." Nodding again, the girl seemed fine with this resolution of hers. 

 

It was then that the Pontic boy talked about sharing the story of how the world was created. Tsetseg seemed very curious of this, as she was very aware of how Locris was created but not the world at large. As her white haired friend mentioned trees, she went wide eyed and said, "whoa? So we're like all plants then?" Very surprised and awed by this, the girl  mumbled, "I wonder if I can grow up to be a mighty oak." 

 

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Alois hadn't paid much mind to what it was that Licorice said, as it wasn't as if it had changed anything from what they already knew. All the same, he raised an eyebrow as Eddy mentioned a creation story, almost certain that it was going to have something to do with how great Inera was an all that. Before he could say anything, though, he noticed the flower knight leaving and electing to go watch outside, gesturing to the graveyard of all things, away from everyone else. As he watched him move out, the boy then looked over to Penelope, who seemed to be having a fine time herself. Looking between the two, he then sighed to himself and said, "you know, I could use some fresh air too." Standing up, the boy walked over to the larger man and said, "so how's about I join you?"

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"Brute? Link isn't...never mind, pardon me." Shiro had forgotten for a second how much of a pedestal the humans placed their soldiers. He had seen the parades some would get, heard the legends of other. It always came back to soldiers and war.  Well, he'd back off for now. It was far too early to anger the people around him. 

 


 

The foxes and human had brought back a decent amount of food for dinner, which was good. The group had gathered around and ate food, but Shiro simply grabbed some portions and headed to the entrance, sitting down and chewing on his food as he kept watch. They should never be caught with their guard down, after all. He heard snippets of the conversations, but the most important thing he gathered was that Edrick wanted to tell them a creation myth. That could be interesting.

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"The world is what it is." If there was a more Catriona answer to that question, Edrick was not sure what it would be. Out of all of them, to his eyes at least, she seemed the most content with her place in the world. Or perhaps simply the most accepting of it.
 
"Oh, I've read all sorts of theories on that. I'm sure I know which one you're talking about. Personally I prefer the theory that the world always existed and that, over time, people sprouted out of it just like a plant. It's rather fun to imagine us all being related to trees somehow isn't it?" By contrast it seemed to him that Penelope was less accepting of it. At least that was what he saw in her with every little moment she took to analyze something or other.
 
"Woah we're all like plants then?" Tsegtseg on the other hand took so much of the world at face-value. His sister would call her naive, but for his part he appreciated the simplicity of her perspective. It was grounding, especially in the face of the purpose with which it seemed Inera had charged him.

 

"There's some truth to what all of you've said." He began shifting his position to keep an eye on the travel cake mix while still being able to look over his audience. Most importantly he noted the three stood in the doorway. Gunther and Shiro did not surprise him, but he had expected Alois, who he thought had a similar love of information as Penelope, to stay for the tale. Well, there would be time later to teach them as well. "But it isn't the whole truth. So listen closely, and I'll tell you as my mother and father told me:"

 

The world is a lot like it has always been. It "is what it is" in a way, but at the same time it isn't. What I mean to say is that this is not the first world. There was one before it, and maybe more than that. What's important, though, is that in order for our world to exist the way it is the one before it had to end. And it did. How it ended specifically I can't say, I don't know if anyone can say, but what I do know, and what every priest in Pontus has known all the way back to Ignatius himself, is that when the old world was destroyed two beings were left behind. In the boiling chaos left behind by the death of the old world, they changed themselves. The first took on a form both the same and different to what she had been before, and she became The Goddess Inera. The second, however, imagined a new form and grew to become The Great Dragon. Old and New together, they took to building the world from the chaos left behind.

 

Inera made things like those that had been in the old world, using the power she had to turn death backwards and raise creatures from the old world again. Foremost among these were Humans and Animals, who grew strong and spread to cover the face of the world. The Great Dragon, however, imagined and brought forth all sorts of new creatures. The other True Dragons were the first, and after them came the Wyverns and all the other magical creatures that now inhabit the world. In places the two joined together to create things that were a mix of new and old, the Proteans are said to be the first thing that they made together. And for a while, this new world was good.

 

And then came the first sin. If you ask seven priests what it was you'll get twenty-one answers, but my father suggested that it was a murder. However it happened, there was the first sin and not long after it came the first death. This so shook, so moved Inera that she obsessed over it. She gave the first gift of magic to Humans in the form of the Healing Arts, so that future deaths might be avoided. When even that failed, she came up with her plan to once again turn death backwards on itself. The Great Dragon disagreed with her and tried to stop her, but where it had put so much of its own power into its creations Inera had kept much of hers and so it could not win alone.

 

Edrick let out a sigh as he reached the end of the story, having since begun to fry up the first of the travel cakes to get them ready for the coming days. He went quiet for several moments, thinking if he should say anything else.

 

"You already know what happened next," he finally said, looking up from his task. "And how it set the stage for the wars between the Faithful and the Faithless for so long after." His attention turned squarely to Catriona now. "I hope that...explains why I feel the way I feel."

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Link could feel the weight of the world lifting off his shoulders as he played. The chatter of the forest faded away, and when he closed his eyes, he could pretend that he was back on the ranch again. It would still be the warm season at home. Bo would be getting ready to make his final trip to the city until after Winter had passed, hoping to trade his wares for the supplies they were going to need in the coming months, while Ilia was probably out with her Momma stockpiling any herbs they could find.

 

He was smiling as his first song came to an end. His smile wilted when he heard the sound of heavy armor rattling nearby. "It's a good song," Gunther said, his head down as he passed by to go stand near the front of the cathedral. Link bowed his head, feeling pleased with the compliment in spite of himself. It had taken hours of hard practice to figure out the sheet music, memorize the melody, and he still wasn’t happy with it.

 

He lowered his ocarina to his side and looked back toward the campfire. Several people had departed, but it seemed that Edrick was telling the Pontic version of the world began. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t the least bit interested.

 

The story went that there had been multiple worlds. The Great Dragon and the Goddess were both from the previous world, and had worked together to create Mysia as they knew it. The idea was… foreign. The Great Dragon working with the Goddess? That was about as likely as the regimental army and the Galtean Knights getting along, spoiled nobles that most of them were. The story did eventually come back into some familiar territory, with the Great Dragon and the Goddess clashing, and the Great Dragon being outmatched.

 

Edrick sighed as he reached the end of the story. "You already know what happened next," he finally said, looking up from his task. "And how it set the stage for the wars between the Faithful and the Faithless for so long after." His attention turned squarely to Catriona now. "I hope that...explains why I feel the way I feel."

 

Link watched Catriona’s reaction closely. He was starting to worry about her. She had been through ordeals the likes of which he couldn’t imagine thanks to Inera’s devout, and she hadn’t taken the time to slow down and cope with it.

 

Princess Catriona was tough, but how did Catriona feel?

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"Before?" the darker-furred fox paused. "Well, it was...embarrassing to be around your parents for a while. Let's just say that neither of them were shy about letting their feelings be known,"

 

Sienna nodded silently along as Licorice spoke, she understood what Licorice meant by that and couldn't help but giggle a bit.

 

"They eventually settled down...mostly. However, that was when the attacks started to come, Inari's Beads were stolen, and the frogs accused us of murdering one of their number," Licorice's expression turned serious. "It shook up the village. A place that had been safe for so long, with nothing more dangerous than bandits reaching our borders, yet suddenly, somehow, our sanctuary was breached." She shook her head. "This world is growing darker and darker by the day, mark my words. Is it any surprise that we changed? A few were already aware of the outside world's movement, but for most of us, like the twins, it was a wake-up call." The Protean sighed. "Even the bandits, whom we had been previously content to leave alone, managed to harm us. Gamboge was injured during a hunting trip, and Persimmon...well, he wasn't happy, suffice to say."

 

The world seemed to be turning upside down, Sienna noticed this awhile back before but just as Licorice stated, what happened at the village was a major call-up call.

 

"Rufus, on the other hand, was convinced that the frogs had something to do with it. He changed then. I cannot say if the stress of the attacks is what got to him, or he found himself influenced by another party, but he turned into the person that you saw just yesterday. Still, while his actions were intolerable, I believe there is some truth to his thoughts. We must take care. The world is not standing still, and dark times lie ahead of us."

 

Sienna didn't quite agree with that one. "Taking care doesn't mean we should lose ourselves entirely... We shouldn't show the world that we're savage beasts that fight amongst ourselves..." she took a deep breath. "Whoever stole the beads... I will find them and bring them back for judgement, that I promise... But until then, I'll have to show the world that Proteans should not be feared... And, Licorice..." she looked at the black furred fox and hugged her. "For what it's worth... I'm happy you're with us... It feels nice to have another fox to talk to after having been gone from the village for so long..." she said before sitting back down quietly.

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