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

[Wind Rider]

"We're traveling of course. We're on a grand top secret quest!" A top secret quest? Sienna tilted her head curiously from the new girl's explanation on why they're traveling.

"We're heading for Sector One is all. But you seem to be in a much more interesting situation. How did that man vanish like that? I see none of the usual trappings of street magicians, nor sign of warp magic, quite odd wouldn't you say?" Sieena nodded her head at the girl's question, she had studied books on said warping magic, but it was a mystery as to how the old man had vanished.

 

The heavily armored man beside the girl introduced himself as Gunther, Sienna smiled at all the introductions, might as well get them out of the way seeing as how she was to be traveling with these humans.

"Yeah, it's pretty odd for him to disappear like that. Unless someone's using the goddess' magic here on him or something. That aside, you're joining us?" Sienna nodded her head at the blue-haired girl's question. "I guess I'm as out of place on this group as you, but y'know, we're probably not just traveling in a happy fun journey across the continent. So hey, if that's something you're into, then great! Just don't be a drag." Sienna had a confused look on her face. A drag? Were they expecting her to slow them down?

 

"Well the fact is, what we're doing is a great secret. And what kind of secret quest would be fun if the secret was just spoiled to you right from the get go?" She couldn't help but be curious, but Sienna had to agree with this new human's statement.

"so, Sienna was it? Alois," the man said gesturing to himself. "I'm just gonna go for the obvious here and ask what is a cloaked figure like yourself doing on a road like this?" Sienna took a second to think before she answered Alois's question.

 

"Well... Much like all of you I'm a traveler... But I'm more on a... Sight seeing journey. Life back at my village was dull at best and I always yearned for the chance to see the outside world... So, here I am... Though I didn't expect to be traveling with a group... But such is fate... Its a pleasure to have this journey with all of you." Sienna said with a smile.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

 

"Well the fact is, what we're doing is a great secret. And what kind of secret quest would be fun if the secret was just spoiled to you right from the get go?"

 

"Sheesh, you're such a tease. Come ooooon, I'm traveling with you guys now, you know?"

 

Ciela sounded like she was nagging as she responded to Alois' reply. What kind of secret did the group have that made it acceptable to keep her on the dark? Were they just teasing her? Whatever it is, she would need to figure out a way to force out the truth sooner or later, mainly just so she could feel content about what kind of thing fate would have in store for her in the future. Perhaps alcohol could work...? Penelope didn't answer the question yet, so there might be hope. For now, Ciela decided to pay her attention to the new girl instead.

"Well... Much like all of you I'm a traveler... But I'm more on a... Sight seeing journey. Life back at my village was dull at best and I always yearned for the chance to see the outside world... So, here I am... Though I didn't expect to be traveling with a group... But such is fate... Its a pleasure to have this journey with all of you."

 

"Ah..." Ciela, who was in the middle of thinking of ways to address the cloaked girl, paused as she heard what the girl said. That was a relatable reasoning. "Yea, it's best if you're here with us then. Might be a lil' bit of a rough trip, but hey, traveling alone would make you feel lonely, won't it?"

 

Something still bugged her though.

 

"Say, can you put down your hood? I don't think you're a criminal, but I don't feel comfortable being in a place with someone with a secretive air like you now. You're not really hiding something, aren't you?

 

And say, where do you come from anyway?"

 

Being left in the dark wasn't fun at all. If she could push to know something about others, then Ciela would push that chance as much as she could. She was tempted to shed the hood herself by coming forward and pushing it down with her staff, but as much as she wanted to do it, she ended up retaining enough decency to realize that it would be a bad idea.

 

---

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

   

 

"Hey Pen, can you tell me more about this supposed grand top secret quest? I kinda just realized that I tagged in without knowing where we're going,

Don't think I'd leave you guys with whatever you might say, so just tell me the truth, will you?"

 

Penelope smiled sweetly at Ciela. She wasn't sure how she felt about this girl at first but with all the questions she was starting to grow on her. She looked around and leaned closer to the girl to whisper in her ear. "We're searching for a person. We can't say who though, not so openly, but you'll know them when you see them I'm sure."

 

Gunther watched with wariness as Penelope spoke. Was she really going to tell her what they were doing? He wasn't even sure Link knew, now that he thought about it. The knight glanced over at Link. He hadn't said much, as usual, but Gunther felt he should have some sort of say. Especially as he is one of the few that knew the Princesses that joined recently. "What do you think?" He asked him. "We seem to be getting a lot of strangers lately."

 

"Well... Much like all of you I'm a traveler... But I'm more on a... Sight seeing journey. Life back at my village was dull at best and I always yearned for the chance to see the outside world... So, here I am... Though I didn't expect to be traveling with a group... But such is fate... Its a pleasure to have this journey with all of you."

 

Gunther took note of her words, but wanted to know Link's thoughts before making any judgement. The older man was much more experienced than he after all.

 

Penelope, on the other hand, seemed more than willing to judge. "Sounds like your reasons are even more vague than ours, you must know how very...curious this all is right? I wonder, there are many reasons for a mysterious traveler to hide behind a hood. Disfigurement, perhaps a tattoo? Did you know that many Pontic extremists get their faces branded with symbols of the Goddess? I wonder what could be hiding under there."

 

Gunther spoke up then, nervously. "I'm sure it's nothing, maybe we shouldn't pressure her so much..." his voice trailed off as Penelope gave him a look of "You're a spoilsport"

He did find it odd the girl seemed to think she was automatically going to travel with them. A sentiment that Penelope shared.

 

"I'm sure it would be fun to journey together but what can you add to the group?" She asked then, suddenly all business. "It's gotta be something good if we're gonna risk adding another stranger just like that. Right, Catriona?" She stared at her sister, hoping that she didn't plan on taking yet another risk.

[Wind Rider]

"Yea, it's best if you're here with us then. Might be a lil' bit of a rough trip, but hey, traveling alone would make you feel lonely, won't it?" Sienna agreed with the blue-haired girl's statement, traveling with a group would be less of a trouble than traveling alone. "Say, can you put down your hood? I don't think you're a criminal, but I don't feel comfortable being in a place with someone with a secretive air like you now. You're not really hiding something, aren't you? And say, where do you come from anyway?"

 

"U-uhhh... Well..." Sienna was trying to think of what to say, before Penelope started talking again.

 

"Sounds like your reasons are even more vague than ours, you must know how very...curious this all is right? I wonder, there are many reasons for a mysterious traveler to hide behind a hood. Disfigurement, perhaps a tattoo? Did you know that many Pontic extremists get their faces branded with symbols of the Goddess? I wonder what could be hiding under there." Disfigurement? A brand?

 

"I-i... Assure you I'm not hiding anything gruesome under my cloak... I'm not a criminal either..." sienna was starting to get nervous from these questions. From what she was told back at her village, humans were known to hunt and even skin her kind for their fur.

 

"I'm sure it would be fun to journey together but what can you add to the group? It's gotta be something good if we're gonna risk adding another stranger just like that. Right, Catriona?" What she can add to the group?

 

"W-well... I dabble in a bit of magic, study it and the like... But I'm not entirely comfortable showing my... Other skill..." did she say too much? She didn't have a clue, these humans had her in a corner with all these questions.

[Sethera]

 

"It’s… It’s not that kind of warm, at least. Erhm… It’s for… It’s for married couples. We have blankets to stay warm, so we don’t need it." Link expanded on the lord's point. Catriona gave him a strange look. Was it really meant for married couples? She hadn't heard of such requirements back on the borders.

 

She could hear Gunther mumble something, but it was too faint to make out from her location. Penelope, however, had no such troubles. "That's silly talk Link! Don't listen to them Ciela, it's certainly not something just for married couples. There is a rich history of people using it for recreation between unmarried lovers, and even friends!"

 

Oh, so it isn't meant for married couples only, she thought. That was good, because then those soldiers could've gotten in trouble--wait a minute, that wasn't the point! The point was that Ciela still didn't understand the meaning of aphrodisiacs, and Penelope wasn't helping their case.

 

Catriona could only watch helplessly as a big grin formed on the girl's face. Now that she had thoroughly misunderstood, how could she explain it in terms she might understand? She had already attempted, but it hadn't worked at all. Looks like she would have to watch what she ate or drank from now on, especially in the evenings, or an...accident might occur.

 

"Man, maybe she really did need to heal her head after all," Alois muttered.

 

She couldn't help but agree.

 

--

 

Catriona felt relieved when the strange woman accepted her cabbage, as it would've been awkward to just stand there holding it out for an extended period. As she did so, she introduced herself. "Umm... Sienna, and uh... thanks... Uh... so... you don't look like ordinary travelers, what are you uh... doing?"

 

And then Penelope slipped between herself and the strange woman. Catriona's brow furrowed. She had already seen Penelope cause one misunderstanding today. She wasn't sure just how she would mess things up this time.

 

"We're traveling of course. We're on a grand top secret quest!" the younger girl winked and laughed. Meanwhile, her sister resisted the urge to facepalm in the background. It was true that they were on a quest, it was grand in scale, and it was also secret, so she supposed that could work. But put that way, it sounded rather...childish. And then she seemed to recover her seriousness. "We're heading for Sector One is all. But you seem to be in a much more interesting situation. How did that man vanish like that? I see none of the usual trappings of street magicians, nor sign of warp magic, quite odd wouldn't you say?"

 

"Yeah, it's pretty odd for him to disappear like that. Unless someone's using the goddess' magic here on him or something. That aside, you're joining us?" Ciela's words caused Catriona to tip her head in thought. She had seen warp staves in use, and what that old man didn't seem at all like that. Perhaps it was a variation? If that were the case, then it would not be wise to put so much stock in his words. Her expression cooled.

 

"I guess I'm as out of place on this group as you, but y'know, we're probably not just traveling in a happy fun journey across the continent. So hey, if that's something you're into, then great! Just don't be a drag." Ciela then turned to Penelope. "Hey Pen, can you tell me more about this supposed grand top secret quest? I kinda just realized that I tagged in without knowing where we're going. Don't think I'd leave you guys with whatever you might say, so just tell me the truth, will you?"

 

Alois opened his mouth and Catriona knew even before he said anything that it wasn't going to be a serious answer. Because that was Alois. "Well the fact is, what we're doing is a great secret. And what kind of secret quest would be fun if the secret was just spoiled to you right from the get go?"

 

"Sheesh, you're such a tease. Come ooooon, I'm traveling with you guys now, you know?"

 

Penelope whispered in her ear soon afterward, which caused her sister to worry for a bit, before calming down when she caught some of the words. So she hadn't given away anything important then. It would be a disaster to let a Pontic know just who they were looking for and why. Which, she would have to reveal that eventually. So far, only herself, Penelope, Gunther, Alois, and Asura knew why they were traveling, but it would only be fair to tell the rest of the group that. But she would rather wait till they had proved themselves trustworthy first. Link was fine, but Edrick was Pontic and so was Ciela. And then this Sienna...well, they had just met her, after all.

 

Alois turned to the new person, "so, Sienna was it? Alois," he gestured to himself as a way of introducing himself. "I'm just gonna go for the obvious here and ask what is a cloaked figure like yourself doing on a road like this?"

 

Nearby, Gunther turned to Link. "What do you think?" He asked him. "We seem to be getting a lot of strangers lately."

 

"Well... Much like all of you I'm a traveler... But I'm more on a... Sight seeing journey. Life back at my village was dull at best and I always yearned for the chance to see the outside world... So, here I am... Though I didn't expect to be traveling with a group... But such is fate... Its a pleasure to have this journey with all of you." Sienna said with a smile.

 

Catriona nodded, suspicion starting to ebb. After all, that was a common enough reason. Even she had never been outside Galtea except for her time on Pontus' border. Though it was a shame her first actual city outside Galtea hated her guts.

 

"Ah... Yea, it's best if you're here with us then. Might be a lil' bit of a rough trip, but hey, traveling alone would make you feel lonely, won't it? Say, can you put down your hood? I don't think you're a criminal, but I don't feel comfortable being in a place with someone with a secretive air like you now. You're not really hiding something, aren't you? And say, where do you come from anyway?"

 

Catriona couldn't help but agree with her reasoning. But it wasn't as if a hood could really hide all that much. After all, they could still see her face, even if it was shadowed.

 

"I'm sure it's nothing, maybe we shouldn't pressure her so much..." Gunther reassured, before clamming up when Penelope sent him a look.

 

"I-I... Assure you I'm not hiding anything gruesome under my cloak... I'm not a criminal either..."

 

"I'm sure it would be fun to journey together but what can you add to the group?" the tactician asked then, suddenly all business. "It's gotta be something good if we're gonna risk adding another stranger just like that. Right, Catriona?"

 

The white-haired girl couldn't help but feel a bit put on the spot. "Well, true," she mused. "I would prefer it if you pull your weight."

 

Not that she had much to worry about, judging from the woman's next words. "W-well... I dabble in a bit of magic, study it and the like... But I'm not entirely comfortable showing my... Other skill..."

 

Magic was something they sorely lacked, ever since Feray and Meifing left the group. It was only with Ciela's inclusion that they actually had access to healing magic again, and, depending on how her studies went, she might eventually gain anima magic as well. However, that would be far off in the distant future, and having more magical clout behind them than just Penelope would be optimal, seeing as Penelope was having...troubles. But this other skill she talked about. It made her curious.

 

"Other skill?" was she perhaps knowledgeable in the use of a weapon? Or tactics like Penelope?

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Well, at least the people along this road were more friendly than those back in the first sector they had visited. Admittedly that wasn't a very high standard to hold them to, but Edrick was happy to not be looked at with hatred and suspicion at every turn. Of course, he was left focusing on two things as they made their way along the road. The first was the headache that he had not been entirely successful in dispelling, and which he was treating by making sure to drink quite a bit from his waterskin. He would have to see about their campsite for the night being near a stream which they could fill such things from. Perhaps he could even catch something for them to eat aside from what they were carrying.
 
The second, and somewhat more pressing, issue was what to do when they reached the sector to which they were hoping to go. Sure he did not look so much like his father as to be easily recognized as his son if one did not have them side by side to compare, but it was possible that a place which was welcoming of Galteans could be home to veterans from the war. They could, of course, know what his father, and uncle for that matter, looked like and in turn could peg him as being who he was. That would make things very dangerous for the party he was with, especially if they were not aware of it ahead of time. He could possibly pass for Galtean, but the idea of actively trying to hide himself was distasteful. It wasn't very far from lying, and he certainly did not like lying. Though, he did already have an excuse to avoid speaking Pontic. There were not many people in this part of the world that could understand the language, whereas there were many who understood Galtean as the princesses and the rest of the group were used to speaking it. Though this did also bring up the issue of their not knowing. It would be fair for them to know, given that he knew their heritage, but at the same time he was hesitant to reveal it because he knew their heritage. If he told them, it could make a group that was already suspicious of him outright hostile. On the other hand, if it was revealed outside of his control it could have much the same effect because they would assume he had been hiding it from them. So it was that Edrick had barely even noticed that they'd stopped until well into the exchange with the prospective new member of the party. He hadn't even noticed the old man.
 
"...I see none of the usual trappings of street magicians, nor a sign of warp magic, quite odd wouldn't you say?" Those were the first words of the conversation he actually caught, and they brought his attention down squarely on the woman they were addressed to. Immediately she seemed off to him, though maybe that was just because of her strange dress and the fact that she was hiding her face beneath her hood. Fairly suspicious, all things considered.
 
"Yeah, it's pretty odd for someone to disappear like that. Unless someone's using the goddess' magic on him or something. That aside, you're joining us? I guess I'm as out of place here as you, but y'know, we're probably not just traveling in a happy fun journey across the continent. So hey, if that's something you're into, then great! Just don't be a drag." He did not share Ciela's enthusiasm for their new prospective member, and it showed on his face. He looked at this new girl with open suspicion, and perhaps a little bit of disgust. Something just felt off about her to him, and he was not sure if he wanted to be in the same group as her. "Hey Pen, can you tell me about this supposed grand top secret quest? I kinda just realized I tagged along without knowing where we're going. Don't think I'd leave you guys with whatever you might say, so just tell me the truth, would you?"
 

"Well the fact is, what we're doing is a great secret. And what kind of secret quest would be fun if the secret was just spoiled to you right from the get go?" Well, he'd have to get an answer out of somebody as to what the group was doing eventually. Probably when they stopped to camp that night. In any case, what Alois said next did relieve him a bit. "So, Sienna, was it? I'm just gonna go for the obvious here and ask what is a cloaked figure like yourself doing on a road like this." He certainly hoped she would give an answer that could allay his suspicions about her.
 
"Well...much like all of you I'm a traveler...but I'm more on a...sight seeing journey. Life back at my village was dull at best and I always yearned for the chance to see the outside world...so, here I am... Though I didn't expect to be traveling with a group...but such is fate...It's a pleasure to have this journey with all of you." Well, that smelled as fishy as last week's catch to the young farmer. He was not buying for a minute that this woman was out here just seeing the sights. Why would anyone leave their home for such an inane reason? It was just absurd. She had to be hiding something, and he wanted to know what. Ciela was still being uncomfortably welcoming to this woman, but she did ask something he agreed with.
 
"Say, can you put down your hood? I don't think you're a criminal, but I don't feel comfortable being in a place with someone with a secretive air like you now. You're not really hiding something, aren't you? And say, where do you come from anyway?" While Ciela asked this Sienna person to pull down her hood, Gunther asked Link his thoughts on the matter. All Edrick cared about was learning just what this stranger was hiding. Penelope suggested something about her possibly having a brand or mark on her face relating to faith in the Goddess, which Edrick knew could not be the case as such a person would not hide such a mark...nor were they likely to be outside of Pontus either, and was answered with a negative anyways. However, what really threw up red flags for him was her answer to what she could bring to the group.
 
"W-well...I dabble in a bit of magic, study it and the like... But I'm not entirely comfortable showing my... other skill..." Alarms were going off as loudly as they possibly could in Edrick's head now. Magic was its own beast, and he was only barely willing to accept what Penelope used as is. If this woman were practiced in Dark Magic, he was far from okay with being around her. Much less being anywhere near her if they found themselves wrapped up in a fight.
 
"Other skill?" It seemed to him that Catriona was similarly concerned as he was, but she was not willing to speak up and be forceful in this situation. To that end, it seemed it fell to Edrick to save them all from potential damnation at the hands of a witch. So he made his way forward, slipping through to the front of the group and tightening his grip on his spear while leaving it resting against his shoulder. He hoped that he looked imposing, though maybe he just looked silly in that armor of his.

 

"Lemme make this as simple as I can," he said, a bit of his accent slipping out as he affixed his suspicious gaze on the woman before them, "I need you to prove to us that you aren't some demon pretending to be human, or I can't agree to traveling with you. So, take off the hood before I make you take it off." 

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"We're searching for a person. We can't say who though, not so openly, but you'll know them when you see them I'm sure."

 

"Come oon, tell me...you're really having fun teasing me, aren't you?"

 

Penelope whispering things to her was at first quite welcome, but having it turn into yet another tease was something Ciela didn't look forward to. However, the group's focus immediately went back to Sienna as she attempted to answer the barrage of questions from them.

 

"Sounds like your reasons are even more vague than ours, you must know how very...curious this all is right? I wonder, there are many reasons for a mysterious traveler to hide behind a hood. Disfigurement, perhaps a tattoo? Did you know that many Pontic extremists get their faces branded with symbols of the Goddess? I wonder what could be hiding under there."

"I-i... Assure you I'm not hiding anything gruesome under my cloak... I'm not a criminal either..."

 

"Then, can't you just-"

 

"I'm sure it would be fun to journey together but what can you add to the group?" Penelope cut Ciela off before she could complain about Sienna's lacking response. Normally she would've feel quite annoyed by it, although what Pen said was something she had also been wanting to say for a while. Perhaps they really was thinking alike after all. "It's gotta be something good if we're gonna risk adding another stranger just like that. Right, Catriona?"

"W-well... I dabble in a bit of magic, study it and the like... But I'm not entirely comfortable showing my... Other skill..."

 

"Magic, huh?" Ciela missed the other skill part at first, and at first she wondered what kind of magic the girl could use. It took her a bit to realize that Sienna was also saying she's skilled in something else entirely too.

 

"Other skill?"

 

"Hey, maybe you're good with massaging or something? Gee, my back hurts after traveling for a while and I haven't been able to find a good masseur so far. It'd be nice for you to show us some of your skills once we hit the town."

 

Ciela didn't really feel like she was aware why her mind jumped to that. Perhaps it was because her back really was hurting somewhat now. She cursed her lack of physical exercises, but it's not like her body was built for that anyway. On second thought, Sienna didn't look like a masseur, and she was still as suspicious as ever, even with all her awkwardness. Ciela then thought that perhaps the fact she was awkward around the group was actually making her even more suspicious.

 

"Lemme make this as simple as I can," 

 

Strong Pontic accent, it seemed Edrick finally spoke. He perhaps was a bit disgruntled about something. Perhaps Penelope's words earlier? It was a bit worrying, but if he was thinking what she was thinking, then Ciela-

 

"I need you to prove to us that you aren't some demon pretending to be human, or I can't agree to traveling with you. So, take off the hood before I make you take it off."

 

Yeah, that was it.

 

It seemed that everyone so far agreed that the hood need to go. Ciela looked around from atop of her horse. Alois probably wouldn't care. Threat or not, Edrick would be on board of what she had in mind. Pen and Cat would probably not stop her, and she couldn't really figure out Asura to assume things for him. Link and Gunther looked like someone that'd try stopping the attempt, but they're a bit further from her at least. So, after weighing in about that, Ciela directed Remy to move forward towards Sienna, and made a movement to pull her sheath-shaped staff from her waistband and used its tip in an attempt to drop her hood so at least her face could be seen. It was hard to see whether she was successful or not, but...

 

"Here, I'll help you a bit. Maybe if the hood's down, you can talk more openly with us.

 

You know, if we're traveling together, we should try trusting each other. Isn't that right, guys?"

 

It's a mystery as to whether she realized how unfit she was to say that line.

 

---

[Hakima]

---

---

Link silently observed the conversation with Sienna, finding no reason to interfere. They were pressuring her too much in his opinion, but he understood the Princesses’ need to exercise caution. "What do you think?" Gunther asked him. "We seem to be getting a lot of strangers lately."

 

“....” The Galtean soldier struggled for an answer, his tongue feeling like lead inside his mouth. The Knight seemed to notice his trouble, because he mercifully turned his attention to Sienna, who was explaining herself.

 

"Well... Much like all of you I'm a traveler... But I'm more on a... Sightseeing journey. Life back at my village was dull at best and I always yearned for the chance to see the outside world... So, here I am... Though I didn't expect to be traveling with a group... But such is fate... It's a pleasure to have this journey with all of you."

 

Link thought the reason was sound—how else was she going to see the world?—but Princess Penelope apparently did not. "Sounds like your reasons are even more vague than ours, you must know how very...curious this all is right? I wonder, there are many reasons for a mysterious traveler to hide behind a hood. Disfigurement, perhaps a tattoo? Did you know that many Pontic extremists get their faces branded with symbols of the Goddess? I wonder what could be hiding under there." He shifted uncomfortably, not liking the implications of the younger princess. His thoughts went to possible dangers she could be hiding under her cloak, and Link held onto the hem of his tunic in a white-knuckled grip.

 

"I-i... Assure you I'm not hiding anything gruesome under my cloak... I'm not a criminal either..." Sienna mumbled in response. She didn’t sound confident, she hesitated, she was lying. Danger danger danger DANGER, something inside of him screamed. He dug his nails into the palm of his hand, hoping the pain would help ground him in reality, but it did nothing thanks to his gloves.

 

"I'm sure it's nothing, maybe we shouldn't pressure her so much..." Gunther interjected nervously, speaking mostly to Princess Penelope. His voice jolted Link out of his own head before he could delve too far into that train of thought.

 

"I'm sure it would be fun to journey together but what can you add to the group? It's gotta be something good if we're gonna risk adding another stranger just like that. Right, Catriona?" Princess Penelope sounded more composed and official now. Link exhaled softly, shakily, and released the stranglehold he had on his tunic. His hand ached from clenching so tightly, and he flexed it a few times to try and get the blood flowing, hoping no one noticed him wince.

 

"Well, true," Princess Catriona agreed. "I would prefer it if you pull your weight."

 

"W-well... I dabble in a bit of magic, study it and the like... But I'm not entirely comfortable showing my... Other skill..." Sienna stumbled over her words, but they were enough to catch Link’s attention again. She was a mage? He hadn’t seen much magic, but he knew as well as any other how dangerous it could be, and she had mentioned that it wasn’t her only skill.

 

"Hey, maybe you're good with massaging or something? Gee, my back hurts after traveling for a while and I haven't been able to find a good masseur so far. It'd be nice for you to show us some of your skills once we hit the town." Link wasn’t really sure how her back hurt when she hadn’t walked at all, or what a “masseur” even was, but he didn’t think it was going to help them in the long run.

 

Edrick interrupted his musings, pushing forward to the front of the group and confronting Sienna. ""Lemme make this as simple as I can. I need you to prove to us that you aren't some demon pretending to be human, or I can't agree to traveling with you. So, take off the hood before I make you take it off."

 

Link tensed up, looking towards Catriona. Surely she wasn’t going to let him attack a stranger…? He glanced back to Edrick again, and noticed Ciela was spurring her horse forward toward the girl, reaching for a sword---

 

“Stop!” Link threw himself forward, in front of Sienna, ripping his shield off his back and raising it to parry Ciela’s sword. He braced for impact, eyes narrowed at the horse-mounted warrior, readying his freehand to pull his own weapon---

 

And Ciela’s staff hit the front of his shield with a ‘tink’ harmlessly. Link blinked once, twice; where… where had Ciela’s sword gone? Wha… A staff? No, no, damn it! He had messed everything up! He wanted to run into the thicket of trees behind them and disappear, to cease existing, but he couldn’t get his legs to work. His mouth moved, but there weren’t any words coming out.

 

He could do nothing but stare at the group with wild eyes, his normally stoic demeanor replaced by one of vulnerability and confusion.

[Wind Rider]

Sienna was starting to think that traveling with these humans may have been an unwise decision. One of the humans, a man with a spear, furthered this thought.

 

"Lemme make this as simple as I can. I need you to prove to us that you aren't some demon pretending to be human, or I can't agree to traveling with you. So, take off the hood before I make you take it off." She started to think that maybe the rumors of humans skinning kitsune wasn't too far off.

 

"Here, I'll help you a bit. Maybe if the hood's down, you can talk more openly with us. You know, if we're traveling together, we should try trusting each other. Isn't that right, guys?" the blue-haired girl said as she reached for Sienna's hood with her staff.

 

"No please... Really I'm not hiding anything bad... I'm just..." before she could finish her sentence, one of the group members, a young man in a green tunic, got in between Sienna and the girl. This surprised Sienna and caused her to fall backwards on her rear.

 

"Ow... That was a surprise... Huh?" it took her a second to realize that falling over had made her hood fly off her head, revealing her fox ears that were hidden underneath. Her face turned red and she immediately took a begging position. "Oh please I can explain, please don't skin me for my fur, please!" she didn't know what these humans would do now that she was found out.

[Alaina]

After having heard Alois's question, the girl seemed to say something that took Alois a bit by surprise. What she said sounded very familiar to the young fighter and something that he could very well understand. The entirety of what she had answered him with was something that Alois himself had basically stated to the party when he first joined. "I see, I see," he said, nodding to her as he thought of her as some kind of kindred spirit to himself. Though, in spite of that, he was still curious as to why she was just so readily accepting of having to travel with what looked like a mixed bag of people. 

 

Then there was the other, more pressing, issue about the girl. He could accept that she would want to travel with them, but wanting to do so without showing her face would be a bit of an issue. While it was pretty normal for someone to just have their hood up while traveling, they still needed a face to go off for her. And it was definitely just a simple matter of letting it down. But she didn't. That was definitely suspicious. Of course, like pretty much everyone else at this point, Alois had been put on edge by her adamant refusal of letting down her hood, and complete denial of hiding anything underneath it. And while she seemed to be open about being able to use magic of some kind, her tip toeing around apparently having some other kind of ability made her seem only that much more suspicious. In short, she was about as shady a person as one could be at the moment. 

 

While the obvious solution here would be to just deny her entry into their group and cast her off on her own merry way, others seemed to have a different idea on the matter. Eddy the farm wonder had decided that the proper way to get what he wanted out of her was to threaten her, and Ciela, the girl with the permanently damaged head had insisted on trying to use her swor- no, staff to do just push it off in what appeared to be the most unsubtle thing he had seen in awhile. As Link jumped in the way of her, using his shield to masterfully deflect a harmless piece of wood, the girl stumbled back anyway and probably ended up more hurt then she would have otherwise. 

 

Letting out a sigh, the boy said, "man, and I wonder why we can't talk our way out of more situations with diplomats like you guys around." Walking closer to the trio, he looked at Link and saw that instead of being just a mildly confused at the situation he had put himself in, it was more of panic causing Alois to take a slight pause in his steps before continuing, with a confused look on his face saying, "man, it was just wood not some kind of ghost." As he put a hand on the man's shoulder and said, "you don't need to look so wor-" he then looked past the man and saw the cloaked figure on the ground. It took a second for him to clearly process what it was he was looking at. Seeing the fox like ears and furry tail moving about, he didn't first realize that they were both attached to the girl, but as the realization dawned on him, his eyes widened. "Whoahoahoahoa," he recoiled back from the green clad man in complete surprise at what he was looking at. 

 

With a curious look on his face, like was dealing with some kind of alien that just appeared before him, the boy slowly walked towards the animal person on the ground. Pointing at her, though a voice that was filled more with wonder than accusation, he said, "are those real? Those look real.  I can't - " he let out a breath to calm himself before looking at the fox girl. He had heard tales of people with beast like features before, but tales was all they had ever been. So seeing something that had only ever been a legend was somewhat shocking to the boy. Nevertheless, he seemed far less surprised then he was just moment ago, yet still curious and in slight disbelief as he questioned the girl. "So, those are like...attached right? And I mean like, the same way this is to me," he pulled on his own ear to indicate his meaning, "and not in some kind of freaky sewing animal parts on your body way, right?" 

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

 

"...Link, what the hell?"

 

Ciela was weirded out with how Link rapidly dashed in front of Sienna, and blocked her staff with his shield as she attempted to dehood the newcomer. To be fair her staff did look like a sword sheath, but more importantly she wasn't even doing motions in any similar way to someone that drew a sword, especially with the lack of speed in her pull. Nevertheless, it was a bizarre moment, and it looked like Link soon realized the awkward nature of the situation while Ciela chewed him out. However, soon she realized something more important was happening. Sienna was knocked back for some reasons, probably with surprise, and that uncovered what was under her hood.

 

"...Fox...ears?"

 

That was cute, but strange. Ciela looked at her again more closely, and noticed Sienna's fluffy tail moving. That was weird. She was definitely not a normal human. Ciela felt like she heard about myths about these people, but since myths don't really interest her outside of some travel journals where people claimed to meet beast-people like this, Ciela never paid them much attention. Still, of course this was weird. Her hiding her nature was weird enough. Ciela wasn't really sure on how to react though. All things considered, as odd as she was, she could be pretty useful.

 

"Oh please I can explain, please don't skin me for my fur, please!"

 

"Hey hey, calm down. Why would I skin you? My skin is far smoother than yours already, I don't think I need to use a downgrade for anything."

 

Oh, she probably was just afraid since she's recently came outside of her secluded village. Makes sense. That was what Ciela felt when she ran away back then. But more importantly, she still knew nothing about her and her people, what their worth was, and yeah. There was a lot of things to ask still.

 

"So, those are like...attached right? And I mean like, the same way this is to me,"

 

Real great Alois, asking the most important question first.

 

"and not in some kind of freaky sewing animal parts on your body way, right?"

 

"Say, even now I still have to ask.

 

What is your other specialty? Unless it really is just to look cute with animal ears."

 

---

[Sethera]

 

"Hey, maybe you're good with massaging or something? Gee, my back hurts after traveling for a while and I haven't been able to find a good masseur so far. It'd be nice for you to show us some of your skills once we hit the town."

 

Catriona glanced sideways at the healer. You haven't walked at all this entire trip, she thought.

 

Things escalated quickly from there. Edrick slipped his way to the front of the group, standing tall and glaring. "Lemme make this as simple as I can," she started at the re-emergence of his accent. "I need you to prove to us that you aren't some demon pretending to be human, or I can't agree to traveling with you. So, take off the hood before I make you take it off."

 

"Here, I'll help you a bit. Maybe if the hood's down, you can talk more openly with us. You know, if we're traveling together, we should try trusting each other. Isn't that right, guys?" Ciela made to pull her staff from its scabbard, which, again, the princess couldn't see the reason for. After all, the girl had two perfectly good hands she could use instead, unless she was afraid of bacteria or something, but the hood looked fairly clean.

 

"No please... Really I'm not hiding anything bad... I'm just..." Sienna pleaded.

 

Link, however, didn't seem at all inclined to think over the reasons for such an action. Instead, he reacted. "Stop!" Throwing himself forward, he blocked the staff with his shield, causing a small tink. Catriona tilted her head. Why the overreaction? Sometimes, Link worried her. This was one of those times, especially with the look he gave everybody, as if he were a wild animal.

 

"Man, and I wonder why we can't talk our way out of more situations with diplomats like you guys around," Alois walked forward, "man, it was just wood not some kind of ghost."

 

Ciela, however, reacted much less charitably. "...Link, what the hell?" She then proceeded to chew him out, something that the lord tuned out. She reminded her far too much of Penelope at the moment. It didn't help their voices were almost the exact same in pitch and quality.

 

The fighter, almost as if in reaction to Ciela's harsh words, put a comforting hand on the green-garbed man's shoulder, "you don't need to look so wor-" He stopped speaking, likely for the very same reason that Catriona's heart had stopped. Sienna had fallen backward onto her rear, her hood flying off to reveal...cat ears? Or were they fox ears? Either way, they weren't something any of them had been expecting, that was for sure. "Whoahoahoahoa."

 

"Ow... That was a surprise... Huh?" the woman seemed to realize her lack of headgear, face turning red, and adopting a pose akin to a person begging for alms. "Oh please I can explain, please don't skin me for my fur, please!"

 

"Are those real? Those look real.  I can't - So, those are like...attached right? And I mean like, the same way this is to me, and not in some kind of freaky sewing animal parts on your body way, right?" Catriona was wondering the exact same thing.

 

"Say, even now I still have to ask. What is your other specialty? Unless it really is just to look cute with animal ears." Meanwhile, Ciela was like a dog with a bone on the prior subject.

 

It took a while for Catriona to recover from her shock. She had only heard of beastpeople in legends, though apparently they had a proper name they used to call themselves. She had hardly paid attention, not having been big on studying subjects that weren't absolutely necessary for her to learn. Instead, in her free time, she would practice swordplay. Now, she was kicking herself internally, wishing she could recall exactly what they were called and what the tales said about them.

 

Still, she had to say something. Breathe, and cover the bases. "I see no reason to skin you for your fur, though aside from your ears and tail," which, being rather bushy, probably made her a fox or a long-haired cat, "you don't look like you have fur anyway. And," she glanced at Ciela, who had reminded her of the topic, "would your specialty have anything to do with your bestial traits?" Unless she really was a masseur, which, in that case, the princess wouldn't be at all averse to her joining the group, despite her animalistic features. Aches and pains were very common issues on the road.

[King K. Azo]

 
Asura groaned as he rubbed his head. The pain was starting to subside some, which was a bloody miracle with how loudly this group of idiots were talking. Something about aphrodisiac and Pegasuses and gods know what else. It was starting to anger him. Still, after last night, he figured he should simmer down. They were his employers! and princesses on top of it. He didn't want to upset them or their servants. He wanted the pay and his head on his shoulders, after all.
 
Eventually, they ran into a strange old man that presented them with a hooded woman. She was joining their group? Well, they were just picking up every stray puppy they found, weren't they? ... Actually, a puppy seemed like a good idea right now. The team began to cause an uproar though... Something about her hood. Apparently, it was horrible thing to wear a hood.
 
Farm Boy then slipped his way to the front of the group, looking like he was trying to imitate the bandanna mercanry. "Lemme make this as simple as I can. I need you to prove to us that you aren't some demon pretending to be human, or I can't agree to traveling with you. So, take off the hood before I make you take it off."
 
s***, the group infected Farm Boy with his stupid to. Greeeeeeeeaaaaat.
 
"Here, I'll help you a bit. Maybe if the hood's down, you can talk more openly with us. You know, if we're traveling together, we should try trusting each other. Isn't that right, guys?" Nurse added. He supposed this made sense. Something just... Didn't feel right.
 
"No please... Really I'm not hiding anything bad... I'm just..." Sienna, he believed her name was, pleaded.
 
Link then suddenly leapt in front of a staff, blocking it with his shield. "Stop!" He yelled as he did so. See? SEE?! He wasn't the only one that did that!!!
 
"Man, and I wonder why we can't talk our way out of more situations with diplomats like you guys around," Alois walked forward, snarking as usual. "Man, it was just wood not some kind of ghost."
 
Nurse wasn't so snarky.. "...Link, what the hell?" She then proceeded to chew him out, to which Asura promptly ignored. She was cute and all, but... eh, things like this would get annoying.
 
Alois put a hand on the green-garbed man's shoulder, which Asura wasn't sure was a good idea. "You don't need to look so wor-" He stopped speaking, and Asura looked up. Huh, she had animal ears.
 
Neat.
 
"Ow... That was a surprise... Huh?" the woman seemed to realize her lack of headgear, face turning red, and adopting a pose akin to a person begging for alms. "Oh please I can explain, please don't skin me for my fur, please!"
 
"Are those real? Those look real.  I can't - So, those are like...attached right? And I mean like, the same way this is to me, and not in some kind of freaky sewing animal parts on your body way, right?" Asura shook his head, but chuckled a bit. It was funny to hear the normally cool Alois become a stammering wreck.
 
"Say, even now I still have to ask. What is your other specialty? Unless it really is just to look cute with animal ears." Meanwhile, Ciela was like a dog with a bone on the prior subject.
 
Asura looked over at the girl. He supposed he would have to speak up. "You're... you're a Protein... no... wait... Protean! You're a Protean, aren't you?" He chuckled a bit. "Well, I'll be damned... you do exist. Now I owe my father and Gregor an apology...," He muttered as he dusted off some imaginary dirt off his pants. He hated that he was proven wrong... but hey, it was cool. "Is it true you can turn into an animal? A guy I worked with once claimed his wife was a Protean that could turn into a bear," 

You hear weird stories when you travel around as a mercenary.

[Wind Rider]

"So, those are like...attached right? And I mean like, the same way this is to me, and not in some kind of freaky sewing animal parts on your body way, right?" What? Was this human being serious right now.

 

"Hey hey, calm down. Why would I skin you? My skin is far smoother than yours already, I don't think I need to use a downgrade for anything." Well that was a relief, but still.

 

"W-wait... Don't humans skin foxes for their fur, because its... Really soft?" Sienna asked nervously.

 

"Say, even now I still have to ask. What is your other specialty? Unless it really is just to look cute with animal ears." Cute? That kinda made Sienna blush a bit. Catriona asked a similar question. Sienna tried to think of a response before another human spoke up, but this time with a more knowledgeable statement.

 

"You're... you're a Protein... no... wait... Protean! You're a Protean, aren't you? Well, I'll be damned... you do exist. Now I owe my father and Gregor an apology..., Is it true you can turn into an animal? A guy I worked with once claimed his wife was a Protean that could turn into a bear," this human actually knew what Sienna was, this kinda calmed her down a bit.

 

"Y-yeah... I am a Protean... A fox one, if that wasn't obvious..." she said as she wagged her tail a bit. "My other skill... I'm able to transform... With this..." she said as she pulled out a gem, it was about as big as her palm and had a scarlet hue to it. "Y-you... Wanna see?" she asked nervously.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

                                                                       

 

Well this was a mess. After her initial interest Gunther noticed Penelope withdraw somewhat. All these people were pressing closer and it seemed that some sort of conflict was unavoidable. And so Gunther moved himself as discreetly as he could to get closer to Penelope, given Link was avoiding answering him, likely he had some plan he didn't want Gunther to mess up, and allow her to move behind him if needed.

She glanced up at him and smiled slightly, seemingly appreciative of the gesture.

Gunther smiled back but looked towards the stranger once more right after. Ciela especially was getting quite adamant, and Link's intervention, while extreme, likely stopped what could have been a disaster. Gunther was impressed at the way Link managed to steer the conflict away.

Ciela seemed angry at him, though, and Gunther knew he should intervene.

 

But then everything shifted.

 

"Oh please I can explain, please don't skin me for my fur, please!"

 

Penelope moved away from Gunther, not even thinking about it, as the group started peppering the girl with their questions.

Gunther meanwhile was simply staring. However...it was strange. He was surprised, certainly, but not as surprised as he thought he should be. It was almost as if part of him had expected this. Despite that the girl standing before her seemed to be a creature straight out of a fairy tale. In fact, thinking on it, hadn't he read a story as a kid about a knight and a tricky animal person?

 

Penelope's head tilted to the side as she looked upon the girl, moving closer bit by bit. She perked up as Asura spoke up. "I'm surprised you knew that word, I didn't know it was that commonly known. You must tell me what your people say about them, sometime."

 

"Y-yeah... I am a Protean... A fox one, if that wasn't obvious...My other skill... I'm able to transform... With this...Y-you... Wanna see?"

The girl looked unusual but the tail seemed fluffy. Penelope kind of wanted to touch it as her eyes watched it flick back and forth. Suddenly she piped up. "I believe that would be...appreciated." She said, struggling to keep the excitement out of her voice.

 

By this point she was quite close to the girl and she was staring unabashedly at the fox girl, eyes sparkling with excitement at the prospect of seeing something new. "There's so many stories about you, well, your people. Apparently some people believe you grant wishes, isn't that fascinating? But they all disagree, it's rather frustrating, with your help I'd love to correct the records."

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"W-wait... Don't humans skin foxes for their fur, because its... Really soft?"

 

"Well yes, of course. Though you're barely a fox now and skinning you is pretty gross."

 

So, was she supposed to be a beast or closer to human? That felt like the mystery of the ages. Jumping to that conclusion implied that Sienna was more in tune with her beastly side, but she still had human-like concerns like wearing clothing and talking in an actually understandable language too. Whatever she would be, it's going to be interesting having her around. Of course, Ciela wasn't willing to admit that no matter how strange and uneasy she was with her right now, Ciela found the cat ears and tails to be quite fluffy. That's one thing added to the list of things that she needed to play around with when she could manage to do it.

"You're... you're a Protein... no... wait... Protean! You're a Protean, aren't you? Well, I'll be damned... you do exist. Now I owe my father and Gregor an apology..., Is it true you can turn into an animal? A guy I worked with once claimed his wife was a Protean that could turn into a bear,"

 

Protean? The hell was that? Ciela was at first bewildered by what Asura said, but thinking about it more after the initial confusion wore off, she remembered reading parts of it from the general mythology of Galtea she read on her spare time. Wasn't much, it's more like small pieces of folklore that she honestly weren't that big of a fan of, but if Sienna was really one of the creatures that used to be treated as nothing more than bedtime stories' fair folk, then this could be pretty interesting, if not making things more complicated.

 

"My other skill... I'm able to transform... With this...Y-you... Wanna see?"

 

With how reluctant and awkward she was when she offered to show the group her transformation, Ciela felt that out of context it could've been pretty similar to if she offered to just strip in front of everyone. Wait, that's actually pretty similar. She's showing her true identity without her human cover, just like how someone showing their true selves without the binding of their clothing. Of course she would be shy about it. That's pretty deep. Ciela Celestinia, Young Philosopher of Galtea. All she needed now was an applause to confirm her genius.

 

Though, wouldn't that mean that Sienna's transformation be something pretty improper?

 

In a way, that made Ciela somewhat curious. What kind of thing happen in this transformation to make someone be as reluctant about it as someone that's forced to strip? But of course, before she could talk, Penelope once again spoke what she had in mind. Sooner or later Ciela felt that she needed to talk about this to her. As much as they share the same train of thought, Ciela felt that Pen should let her take some initiative at the very least.

 

"I believe that would be...appreciated. There's so many stories about you, well, your people. Apparently some people believe you grant wishes, isn't that fascinating? But they all disagree, it's rather frustrating, with your help I'd love to correct the records."

 

Oh, there's that difference. Granting wishes? That's just hogwash! Even as a part of a myth, something like that's pretty hard to believe.

 

"Yeah, go there and start putting a show to us. Might be awkward to show all of yourself to us, we're strangers after all, I don't think you need to worry.

 

No one else's going to look here, so come on, don't be shy. It's not like we'll laugh if we see anything funny on your body."

 

---

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Edrick was somewhat surprised to have Link suddenly jumping between him and the strange woman. He knew things were different in Galtea, but was it really that strange to be worried about a woman in a hood who refused to show her face? So far as any of them knew she was a demon, and he'd even had Ciela backing him up...and the rest of the group still thought she was Pontic. He would have to talk to her about coming clean to them when they stopped to set up camp. However, Link's action had proved to accomplish exactly what the young farmer and the noble had been trying to.
 
"Oh please I can explain, please don't skin me for my fur, please!" Well...Edrick was reasonably certain she was not, in fact, a demon after that. Though now he was left wondering what exactly she was. He'd never heard of a woman with fox ears before, so...maybe she was a witch? He couldn't remember if any stories he'd heard told about witches growing animal parts on them, though he suspected that they didn't. 
 
"Woahoahaoaho!" Alois exclaimed, letting the rest of the group know that he had seen it too. Edrick just blinked a few times, trying to figure out what he was even looking at. He didn't know if she was a witch, but he didn't think she was, and she didn't look anything like any demon he had ever heard of. While Alois and Ciela were busy trying to get answers about the girl, he was still wracking his brain for anything he might have heard of over the years that could explain this. Now that he thought of it, he had heard a few stories about people that could turn into animals. Though he couldn't remember if those stories said anything about whether they were malignant or not. 
 
"I see no reason to skin you for your fur, though aside from your ears and tail you don't look like you have fur anyways." Catriona was making a fair amount of sense right now, probably more than the rest of them now that Edrick thought about it. Furthermore, she seemed to be working with the same train of thought as he was. "And would your specialty have anything to do with your bestial traits?" It seemed the princess had heard a similar story or two to what the farmer had. Not that he'd ever paid them much mind. They weren't his favorite stories.

 

"You're... you're a Protein... no... wait... Protean! You're a Protean aren't you?" That was the name! Though Edrick was surprised to hear it from Asura instead of Penelope. He supposed there was something to traveling the world after all. "Well I'll be damned... you do exist. Now I owe my father and Gregor and apology... Is it true you can turn into an animal? A guy I once worked with claimed his wife was a protean that could turn into a bear." That caused Edrick to give the swordsman a strange, confused look before he immediately tried to get his mind off the subject before the mental image of a man married to a bear made itself too at home in his mind.

 

"Y-yeah...I am a Protean...A fox one, if that wasn't obvious..." well, at least now he knew what she was and she was being open with them. That gave her a better stance in his eyes. "My other skill...I'm able to transform...with this." Sienna then proceeded to pull out a gem larger than just about any Edrick had ever seen. Larger than most people in Pontus had ever seen! He could only wonder at how much something like that was worth... "Y-you...Wanna see?" Right, back to the matter at hand. The magic fox woman.

 

"I believe that would be...appreciated." Edrick was happy to see Penelope getting in on this. She could probably give him the answers he needed about the girl who was liable to be their newest addition to the party. "There's so many stories about you, well, your people. Apparently some believe you grant wishes, isn't that fascinating? But they all disagree, it's rather frustrating, with your help I'd love to correct the records." And there went any chance he had of actually knowing. Well, at least she could probably answer one question for him.

 

"Yeah, go there and start putting a show to us. Might be awkward to show yourself to us all, we're strangers after all, I don't think you need to worry. No one else's going to look here, so come on, don't be shy. It's not like we'll laugh if we see anything funny on your body." Okay, Ciela was sounding exactly like she had last night when she'd tried to get Gunther to strip for her. That...was something he wasn't sure he wanted to know anything more about. In fact, the look he ended up giving her was not especially dissimilar to a few he'd gotten from the party when questions about Pontus came up.

 

"So..." he began, getting his mind back on track about the question he'd intended to ask. "Penelope...she's not going to steal our souls and give them to the Great Dragon for one of its scales, right? I don't need to get with the stabbing?"

[Wind Rider]

"I believe that would be...appreciated. There's so many stories about you, well, your people. Apparently some believe you grant wishes, isn't that fascinating? But they all disagree, it's rather frustrating, with your help I'd love to correct the records." Grant wishes, well that definitely was a myth, but Sienna felt better knowing that she may be able to help clear up any misconceptions of her species.

 

"Yeah, go there and start putting a show to us. Might be awkward to show yourself to us all, we're strangers after all, I don't think you need to worry. No one else's going to look here, so come on, don't be shy. It's not like we'll laugh if we see anything funny on your body." What, was the blue-haired girl expecting her to strip or something?

 

"So... Penelope...she's not going to steal our souls and give them to the Great Dragon for one of its scales, right? I don't need to get with the stabbing?" Sienna felt uneasy around this spearman, but she would just have to get used to him.

 

"P-please... I would prefer if you don't talk about something like that... Especially right in front of me..." Sienna said nervously. "Well... If your all curious... Then I guess I'll show you... You may want to stand back a bit though..." Sienna took out her beaststone and it began to glow, she then jumped onto all-fours and a torrent of fire engulfed her form. Seconds later the flames dispersed in a flurry of embers revealing a great white fox where Sienna once stood.

 

Embers spiraled around the great beast as it approached the group. "So... Heh heh... What do you think?" Sienna's distorted voice came from the great fox as if sent out through her mind.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"Well... If your all curious... Then I guess I'll show you... You may want to stand back a bit though..."

 

"It wouldn't be that bad...right?"

 

Hearing the words "stand back" made Ciela worry, but she decided to stand on her ground. If Sienna worried about being a cute foxgirl were hidden with the same zeal of a murderer trying to hide their evidence, then Ciela believed that this one wouldn't be much different. Perhaps she would end up being a cute fox she could pet and snuggle with? Ah, how she missed the rabbit farm back home. So fluffy and cute and...no, that would be for later. And so, Ciela watched closely as the girl took a stone which then glowed while she jumped into all fours. A torrent of flames engulfed her though, and what was left not long after was-

 

"W-WHOA!"

 

Standing the closest to Sienna now, Ciela and her horse shared the same expression of surprise as she saw the beast that formed before them. It startled them so much that her horse lifted its front legs high, and Ciela, sitting on an unsteady position on the saddle, fell on the ground with a thud. She groaned in pain when that happened, but thankfully no more accident happened as Remy calmed down somewhat, although clearly still wary of the white beast before them. Ciela, on the other hand..."

 

"Wait wait wait...what the hell are you!?!?"

 

"So... Heh heh... What do you think?"

 

"What do I think? You're giving me a heart attack! W-what's with your voice now, anyway?

 

D-don't come any closer!"

 

Well, that explained Sienna's attitude from earlier, although right now, Ciela couldn't be bothered to think about that as she was still staring at the fox beast before her while crawling towards her horse. Her back hurt even more now, and she's still shocked by what happened. She's also terrified to some degrees about her, but it's not something she's willing to admit in any way now.

 

---

[Sethera]

 

Today was full of surprises. First, finding a potential new member of the team so quickly after they lost Tarizo. Not only that, but the circumstances of the meeting were very mysterious, and then it turned out the new person was very mysterious themselves. A skinchanger, whose proper name was apparently known by their resident myrmidon. Which made the lord wonder about him as well. He seemed pretty well-traveled compared to most of the party.

 

Also, the...Protean, seemed worried that they would skin her for her fur. She also indirectly confirmed her species, referring to foxes instead of cats. So, a fox. Interesting.

 

Catriona couldn't remember much about the stories, but she did remember that the tales seemed to change depending on species. Though that didn't help her much since she didn't actually remember the specifics. Letting out a sigh, she noticed that Penelope seemed absolutely taken with this new discovery. Of course. Not to say she wasn't interested herself, since she was, but her interest was like a candle compared to Penelope's bonfire. Between her and Ciela, the two encouraged the girl to show off her other skill.

 

Meanwhile, Edrick seemed to hold this ridiculous notion about soul stealing and scales and why would the Great Dragon accept souls anyway? Unless... She glanced at the boy. Unless this was something that Pontics believed. Which made it a bit strange that Ciela didn't seem to have the same reservations, but perhaps they were from different areas? Or maybe it had more to do with Edrick's obvious rural origins.

 

And then Sienna revealed her other skill.

 

Which involved turning into a giant fox. As in, giant. Had the stories mentioned anything like this? Catriona couldn't remember. While on the outside, she was cool, calm, and collected, on the inside, part of her was leaping for joy while the other part was quaking in her boots. This kind of power could not be underestimated. It was unsettling, almost unnatural, but beautiful at the same time. And this kind of skill could be essential in the fight against the goddess. Human beings had their own skills, but power like this was...unbelievable.

 

They needed this woman on their side. Even if that power was unsettling and had startled Ciela off her horse and caused her to shout in fear.

 

"That's...impressive," the princess said. Never let it be said she didn't make use of understatements. "With an ability like that, you should have no problem pulling your weight, though it does pose the problem of undue attention." At that size, there was no way they could just pass her off as a pet fox. Not only that, but she could understand now why Sienna had chosen to wear a cowl and wrap her tail around her like a scarf. Because, uncovered, they were a dead giveaway as to what kind of creature she was. A non-human.

 

Not that she had too much of a problem with that. They were looking for the Great Dragon to help them, and from what stories said, that being was no human either.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

By the Great Dragon she's a giant fox! Gunther stared as the girl transformed. She was...a giant fox. That's all there was to it. Though, oddly, Gunther felt even more comfortable now. He was always better with animals than people, after all. And, while she did seem somewhat dangerous, and Cat's concerns were very legitimate, Gunther knew well about undue attention, he felt himself relax a little bit as she talked to them.

"D-don't come any closer!"

And then there's Ciela. Gunther frowned, surprised that he was more worried that the girl would hurt the fox's feelings. But, she did seem actually afraid, and he could understand that, so...

Gunther approached Ciela, and offered a hand to her. "Ciela it's alright, nothing's going to happen." He glanced at the fox. "Right? You don't mean any harm?" He moved his body in front of Ciela , more to give her peace of mind than out of concern that Sienna would attack. Though that might not be apparent to the other's watching.

 

Penelope, meanwhile, was bouncing in place. "Wow! That's quite something. Transformation, total transformation, is something that no human has ever been able to accomplish and yet your people do it naturally. Though, there's the issue with the stone. Why do you need that? Is it a magic device, could anyone use it? Where does it come from? I wonder, perhaps they are made from the Great Dragon themselves? It was thought Proteans were related to the Great Dragon, perhaps they only have their abilities because of something they did? This is facinating. Hey, Sienna, could I...pet you? Are you soft? Oh! There's so many tactics this could open up!"

Penelope took a deep breath after her long stream of consciousness and realized that Catriona actually had a concern that was logical. "True, we...don't exactly want to be noticed by the wrong people, however..." She looked at Asura and Edrick, and sighed. "It seems even without being a giant fox some of us wind up putting themselves in a bad spot anyway...Well, whatever the case, if you're willing to come alongside us, and fight for us, then I would be willing to allow you to join. You'd have to follow commands, though, when given."

[King K. Azo]

 

Asura wasn't drunk. He knew his much, because even though he was a lightweight, it would not last this long. Being asleep couldn't be right either, because the pounding pain he had all morning was definitely real. However... a girl just turned into a large white fox in front of him. Was this real life, or was this fantasy...? The fox girl's voice was all echo-y to, and that was just messing with him.

The group had... mixed reactions, to say the least. Nurse just flipped out and was acting like she saw a ghost, or a demon, or something of the like. The two princesses took it pretty well, actually, although it seemed like the Bookworm Princess took a jab at him. He wasn't sure, but it felt like she did. Gunther was trying to stay calm... he supposed the guard wasn't doing too bad of a job, considering...

Asura? He had to make sure this was real. He stepped forwards and walked around her. After some careful thinking, he reached out and grabbed her tail. It was an actual thing... he could feel it...

"Huh, so I'm not crazy," He mumbled as he looked at her. This group just got even weirder.

[Wind Rider]

"What do I think? You're giving me a heart attack! W-what's with your voice now, anyway? D-don't come any closer!" Sienna gave a bit of a whimper as Ciela crawled back onto her horse.

 

"I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... Terrify you..." Some first impression that she was making so far.

 

"That's...impressive, With an ability like that, you should have no problem pulling your weight, though it does pose the problem of undue attention." Catriona had a point, she would be a little out in the open with her unique traits.

 

"D-don't worry... I know how to hide myself... Besides my transformation is a quick process into and out of it..." Sienna was getting a bit more hopeful, maybe these humans will accept. Gunther seemed to be moving in a position to protect Ciela though. "I... I'm not going to hurt anyone... I promise..." she tried to explain.

 

"Wow! That's quite something. Transformation, total transformation, is something that no human has ever been able to accomplish and yet your people do it naturally. Though, there's the issue with the stone. Why do you need that? Is it a magic device, could anyone use it? Where does it come from? I wonder, perhaps they are made from the Great Dragon themselves? It was thought Proteans were related to the Great Dragon, perhaps they only have their abilities because of something they did? This is facinating. Hey, Sienna, could I...pet you? Are you soft? Oh! There's so many tactics this could open up!" Penelope just seemed to want to hit Sienna with a wave of questions.

 

"Hang on... Let me see if I got all that... I use my beaststone's power to channel my beastform and release it... Only Proteans can use these, but mine is... Special... I got it from my father when he recieved it from a mysterious merchant, Anni? Ann? Not sure what they were named... Don't know who this Great Dragon is unfortunately... And I am soft, I don't mind being petted..." Hopefully she answered all that.

 

Another man from the group seemed to eye Sienna down like he was confused by her, before grabbing her tail suddenly. "H-hey... Watch the tail!"

 

"Huh, so I'm not crazy," Crazy? Did he think she was an illusion or something? Kinda rude seeing as how he just up and grabbed her tail.

 

Most of the group seemed to be accepting her. Sienna was thrilled about this and proceeded to transform back. After the fire was gone she put her beaststone away and approached Ciela. "A-are... You ok? I'm sorry if I... Hurt you in anyway..."

[King K. Azo]

 

"A-are... You ok? I'm sorry if I... Hurt you in anyway..." Asura shook his head as he heard the fox girl apologize. It wasn't her fault per say... well, it kind of was, but it wasn't. The others did agree to see her transform, but... well, they obviously weren't prepared for it. Heck, he had to admit, it did put him on edge. He just learned after the incident with Link that this group, and society at large, wouldn't accept 'They're dangerous' as an excuse to draw his blade. 

And really, Fox Girl seemed like she wouldn't harm a fly. He walked up to her, rubbing her head between her ears. Foxes liked that, right?

"Don't worry, you only startled her. I'm sure she'll be fine after she had some time to recuperate," He chuckled and then folded his arms. "After all, if she can't get over the shock of a transforming girl, a real battle is going to hit her like a runaway cart," He headed back to his spot in the back of the group. "I'll say ahead of time, welcome to the group," He put his hands behind his head as he got into a comfortable standing position. "And good luck. We're all going to need it,"

[Alaina]

After having recovered from the initial shock of finding out the girl was indeed an animal person, Alois had managed to calm himself down a bit. There was still a clear expression of surprise across it, though it was far more subdued then it had been when he had let loose his outburst on initial discovery. Meanwhile the rest of the group, being pretty accepting of what just was revealed, seemed to be further curious as to what it was the part animal girl was able to do. While Alois too was curious about what this girl's special skills were, he was a bit off put by Edrick's comment about her devouring their souls or something, not really sure what to make of it at all. Nevertheless, waiting with bated breath, he braced himself for whatever it was that the girl was going to do. Of course, he was not expecting what had actually happened. 

 

In a large burst of flame, the girl was completely swallowed by it, and when the flames had cleared there was no girl to be seen. Instead, all that had remained in her place was a monstrous looking fox standing on all fours. Alois exclaimed "holy sheet!", jumping back in even more surprise than he had had before. What the hell was that? Did this fox thing just come out of nowhere at the most convenient timing possible? It seemed pretty unlikely, yet the alternative also seemed equally unlikely. While he was getting ready to put his hand towards his weapon while the fox creature walked towards them, it spoke to them in a rather distorted sounding voice that didn't really seem human at all. As she asked them what they thought of her, Alois was still a bit on edge towards her, wondering just what it was the beast was going to do, but as the littler princess practically bounded at the creature and bombarded her with questions, Alois eased up, now only left with some kind of feeling of confusion. 

 

No matter how he looked at it, this was not something you saw in every day life. It was like something straight out of a children's story or something, and so he still had a hard time processing that what was in front of him was actually real. However, as Asura walked up and confirmed that he was indeed not crazy (in regards to seeing a fox monster at least,) Alois simply stopped trying to reason it in his head and just completely accepted the situation before them. And so, just scratching his head at everything Alois just said, "yeah, welcome to the group an all. Just uh, watch what you eat I guess." This was already an odd day.