Monsters and Maidens (197 to 201)

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[197] [Alice]

The day was sunny, the road was dry, not a cloud in sight and the wind was fresh. Under normal circumstances, it would have been perfect to go out on a walk or for a lengthy stroll. Maybe even a hike up a mountain or through a forest. Spring was in full swing, and it almost felt like things were as idyllic as they could be.

If not for the shrieks, howls, and moans that sometimes came out of the woods, Alice would have agreed with that impression. That, and the platoon of knights that were escorting them down the road, felt like they were in some sort of military parade.

The clanks of armor were not exactly reassuring. It was a marching rhythm that had not relented. Every knight marched perfectly in step with one another, reducing the days into a clank-clank of boots that clearly served to scare off potential ferals that might feel curious about the several dozen bodies moving down the road.

The human women were being kept in either carriages or wagons, saving them from the hardship of the march. And yet, Alice could only watch in awe at the knights, the maidens keeping up with their transports as if it were not much of an effort. From one of the two carriages, she’d only been able to look out the open window at the passing scenery while they rolled their way down the road.

The group of women had been split into two groups. The ‘elder’ women occupied one of the carriages, Ms. Dodson being the unofficial ‘head’ of the group. Alice was in the second carriage, with May, Natalie, and a few other former students. They were the ones that had been considering the options for not joining the academy, to pay off the tariff to remove their ‘mandatory service’ as a part of the Kingdom’s feral-fighting force.

To avoid participating in the slavery that was owning and selling maidens.

And that had made the Baroness furious, of course. Alice had half-expected the noble to lash out, but she’d been firm in that regard. She could try becoming the unofficial leader of all the women who’d come from Earth, but that would involve playing political games she was not going to be prepared to handle. So why not establish their own presence in their own way? Make themselves separate from the machinations of the nobles and put themselves as their own power?

The people that were on the wagons were the rest of the women and the few men that had come. Those that were looking forward to potentially joining the kingdom’s military academy in Balet, and had remained unconvinced of Alice’s plan. But that had, fortunately, also seen Ms. Dodson as the hateful shrew that she was and didn’t want anything to do with her. Alice was still unsure what the old lady was potentially looking to pull off, but at the same time, she expected the old lady would seek to carve out some small corner to terrorize and make herself eventually irrelevant once she kicked the bucket.

If Alice never saw the old crone again, it would still be too soon.

The woman could only sigh.

“The trip won’t be much longer.” Helga’s voice drifted from outside of the carriage. She was right next to the door closest to Alice.

The Valkyrie had spent hours flying above, and was ‘resting’ by walking.

“We will be reaching Seledo soon. The Lord there has had more than enough time to prepare for our arrival.”

“It feels like it will be one of those situations that the Baroness warned about.” Next to Alice, Natalie let out a long, tired sigh. “Think he’d try something shady?”

“The Earl’s knights are with us.” Alice shook her head. “If anything happens, it would have to be with the Earl’s approval. My bets are on trying to tempt someone to stay, but that’s about it.”

Unless the Earl had plans for them he’d not shared. Alice didn’t want to think about that too deeply. Last she’d heard, Rick was currently over with him in Balet. And the Baroness had pointed out that not getting any news at all was a good sign of things going smoothly.

“There will be a feast for sure.” Helga hummed from outside. She was clearly in very high spirits. Someone coughed, and the Valkyrie perked up at the sound. “Oh, I have to return to my watch.”

“Don’t overexert yourself.” Alice called out, only catching a glimpse of the maiden’s white wings as she leapt up into the air. “And… she’s going to work herself to the bone again.”

“Does she have any other settings?” May giggled.

“She does not.” With a slight groan, Alice leaned into the cushions that served as her seat. The carriage was moving through bumpy roads, though she doubted there would ever be such a thing as smooth ones. “What are you reading?”

“Oh, it’s a story about the fall of the chevaliers.” May lifted the book to show its cover, of a woman with dark skin and white hair holding a glowing staff in one hand and a sword in the other.

“Anything interesting?”

“They were a knight order from before the rebellion, so… about a hundred something years ago.” May muttered. “They were a part of one of the major religions in the kingdom at the time.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“It is!” The younger woman gushed. “Their order consisted of maidens from the genus of Dark Elves exclusively. Apparently, Dark Elves are a species of maiden that was brought to the kingdom hundreds of years ago by a traveling merchant, and they were bought and raised by the church of the thousand armed God. Their powers in disrupting elemental energies allowed them to work as peacekeepers amongst maidens.”

“And how did they fall?”

“I haven’t reached that part yet.” She giggled. “The book starts with their rise as peacekeepers, and I’m at the part about how the chevaliers had become corrupt, attempting to impose their law over that of the nobles and knights.”

“Sounds like politics.” Alice shook her head. “The book wouldn’t happen to have any details over how to earn money, right?”

“It does say that the chevaliers and the church of the thousand armed God earned money through their services in helping maidens form bonds.” May declared, then shrugged. “But that’s about it.”

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to monetize that.” Natalie sighed, shoulders slumping.

“Bonds do weaken if the maiden and human feel distant enough from their partner.” Alice pointed out. “Maybe we could start a consulting office to help them work through grievances?”

“A marriage counseling office doesn’t seem like the sort of thing that would gather much attention when a worn out bond can be just reapplied like a coat of paint. But why not? Add it to the list.”

“It’s a very short list.”

“We don’t exactly have a broad repertoire of applicable skills.”

“Not ones that aren’t outmatched by super powered women.”

Groans all around from those that weren’t, somehow, napping. They slumped further into their seats, wandering gazes, focusing on the world outside and the problem within. Humans weren’t competitive in most markets when compared to maidens. Just what sort of work could they do to earn money?

[198] [Rick]

Unlike every other meeting Rick had with the Earl, this time there were other humans present. Rick and the Earl both stood within a simple small room if, perhaps, lavishly decorated. The others inside this room were well within earshot, but had the decency to pretend they weren’t listening in on the conversation. None of the faces had a name. As far as Rick was concerned, he’d barely seen a handful of them in passing.

If these people were of importance, he’d not known why.

Rick needed to only take one look to make all the others stiffen and look away, but he knew it would be fruitless to ask for privacy. This meeting was clearly intended to be a public display of sorts. And the objective of it was obvious. Dia had already warned him that hospitality was a big thing. Throwing someone out of one’s home was generally frowned upon, even in the harsher contexts.

Which meant Rick’s role in this whole spectacle was clear. He’d been studying up on what to say and how all night. Now was the time to rip off the band-aid.

“I’m ashamed my maiden had such an outburst.” Rick reached out to shake the Earl’s hand. “Thank you, again, for allowing me to properly handle her.”

His words were met by scoffing sounds around him, but not the Earl. The man nodded placidly. “Your way of doing things is… atypical, but the results you’ve shown have been nothing short of extraordinary. None here would have been able to stop a rampaging feralborn maiden the way you had. My hope is that you perfect your methods so that one day you may teach them.”

Rick’s lips thinned in a courteous smile, ignoring the gasps going around, instead nodding along. “If there is any need for reparations.”

“Please, don’t concern yourself. The only damage was to some of the structures. No one was seriously hurt either. Except perhaps Captain Deneva’s pride at not having been able to properly measure your maiden.” The Earl’s gaze twinkled as he smiled. “She nearly asked for a spar.”

“I would be humbled to allow such a thing, butafter Monica has learnt proper self-restraint.” Rick bowed his head. “Though I believe that, even without proper harm to any, my maiden’s actions were a severe breach of etiquette. One I cannot forgive myself for.”

“No need for you to bow.”

“No, there is a need.” He countered. “You invited me to your home, shared bread, and were nothing but an excellent host. I, however, have been a very poor guest.” A slight strain to his shoulders as he bowed lower. “I have procured arrangements in the city.”

There was a slow silence that fell on the room. The Earl spoke. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Rick raised his head, nodding. “And, due to my maiden’s poor behavior, I’ve chosen to move to the restricted district. To ensure your citizens are not put needlessly in harm’s way.”

It was also because the area was the ones with the cheapest rent and Rick had no stable source of income right now.

The silence turned into a series of surprised gasps. Even the Earl’s eyes widened ever so slightly, but only nodded. “It is an honorable thing to think of others. Allow me to gift you with a proper farewell. When will you depart?”

“My intent was to move before night fell.”

This time, he visibly blanched. “Everyone, leave.”

It was Rick’s turn to hesitate as the others in the room had begun moving towards the doors, murmuring and whispers abound. “Should I…?”

“No.” The Earl waited, staring at the former teacher with a frown. It wasn’t until they were the only two people in the room that he let out a sigh. “Is there something pertaining to your circumstances that requires such an abrupt departure?”

Rick was slightly surprised. He grimaced. “Yes and no. It’s become clear that Monica doesn’t handle well sharing… territory with others. To her, this is Deneva’s territory. She feels trapped, and it has been pushing her in strange ways. Moving to the edge of the city would give us a chance to take her outside where she can properly move freely and release some of that stress.”

“And is it normal for… your world to leave so quickly?”

“Yes.” A quick nod. “When we say we’re leaving, we just take whichever date is soonest and most convenient. Short of having complications with our possessions, there’s not much that would normally delay such a thing.”

“I see.” The Earl nodded, appearing relieved as he rubbed his chin. “Here it is usually at least two weeks, unless the guest feels their lives are at risk.”

“Oh.” Rick’s smile was tight. He did feel uncomfortable when surrounded 24/7 by what was effectively a small army, but he wasn’t about to tell that to the Earl. “If such were my situation, I think Monica would’ve just kidnapped me in the middle of the night.”

“A very odd statement.”

“No less true.”

The Earl looked at Rick from head to toe. “I was serious when I said that you should perfect your technique and teach it to others.”

“I don’t have a technique.” Rick laughed. “I just grasp at straws and try to keep everyone happy and not killing anyone else.”

“Have you ever witnessed the methods used to bond a powerful maiden?”

Rick’s face stilled. “I heard of what the Baron attempted to do.”

“It is a needlessly brutal technique that has gained root since the rebellion.” The Earl scowled. “Ferals of great strength, once captured, need to be made to feel helpless and thus submit. But you… did not do that. White Claw, Monica, trusts you, even though she is not obedient.” He quickly raised a hand. “And I do not mean this as an insult.”

“It’s…” Rick’s shoulders tensed. “I just don’t tell her to do what I know she wouldn’t be willing to do. I treat her like an equal, it’s…”

“It is something not many can afford to do.” The Earl stated with a sharp nod, the fat in his neck wobbling along the gesture. “And fewer consider it, as they see it as a stain to their honor and the kingdom’s history. Needless to say, your… actions so far have drawn attention from exactly those people.”

“And I’ll happily step away from politics.”

“Power is politics, and you have power, one wrapped in unfortunate… symbolism.”

Rick grimaced. “Monica has something to do with that, right? It’s not just because she’s strong.”

“You must understand that, in one way or the other, the people tend to gravitate towards things. And maidens are no exception. Particularly maidens of a similar genus will often find themselves shoulder to shoulder with one another… or butting heads.” The Earl stated. “Something the history books won’t mention is that Tigresses and those of their ilk have not always been at odds with the kingdom. Their abilities made them powerful when it came to dealing with strong ferals, and their love for a challenge had placed them as a core to the Hunters. Well before the rebellion, that is.”

“The rebellion changed things?”

“No, Tigresses, amongst several others, had become detached from the kingdom over the centuries. Personally, I believe it was tied to a lack of recognition for their help. Whether it was the case or not, only the elves of the first maidens might be able to answer that.” He shook his head. “Either way, the symbolism is due to the rebellion itself. The Tigress tribes had openly opposed the kingdom and aided the cause. We defeated them, drove them into the wilds, and for the most part, they have become forgotten relics of the defiance they once posed.”

“And now I show up at your castle while a Sabertooth Tigress follows me.” Rick frowned. “People wonder whether it’s a sign that I’m in favor… or against the kingdom.”

“Precisely. Regardless of happenstance, there are those that would see the partner that walks next to you as a representative of the enemies that we fought against.” The Earl nodded. “And you not imposing your will upon her in the manner many are used to is… seen as a potential sign that you are no conqueror of our foes.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Do that. Those who’ve inquired about your esteem and character are people even I hesitate to engage with.”

Rick could only nod a bit more grimly this time.

[199] [Rick]

Moving out of the palace had felt like a military operation.

Rick had prepared for it with Dia and had also requested some assistance from the Earl. The plan was a simple three-step plan. Part one was getting Monica to gorge herself on so much food she’d be halfway into a coma. Part two was to march straight out of the castle with a grumpy and sleepy Monica in tow. Part three was to go all the way through the city and to the restricted area, where their rented house would be waiting for them, and where Monica would go straight to sleep.

Of course, the plan did not survive contact with the enemy.

Monica had eaten her fill and then some, all the tasty meats she could’ve ever dreamed of, and she’d particularly enjoyed the potatoes and breads. Unfortunately, she also caught a whiff of something else.

“Chocolate?”

Her ears had perked up, pupils dilated, tail stilled.

Rick knew right away they were in trouble.

It hadn’t been the Earl’s intention, of course. Their host had wanted to give them one good meal before sending them off. The man had explained something or another about how the cocoa seeds could only be grown by specially trained maidens. But it was mostly lost to the sound of Monica effectively becoming a living shredder.

No pastry survived the encounter.

Rick suspected the cat had eaten half her weight in meat and thrice that in sugar.

By the time the meal had been done, Monica was on the verge of puking. Not wanting to make things worse for himself in the Earl’s house, Rick rushed the goodbyes. Next to him, Monica grumbled her way out, being dragged around and very unhappy about it. She’d insisted on wanting to return to the room to go lay down, holding her tummy with the paw that Rick wasn’t pulling.

The knights had done a salute and some pretty marching to, basically, close the door behind them as they left. But Rick knew they were on a countdown now and had started to march straight through the city. He’d started seeing the signs of trouble quite soon, Monica’s complaints of a rumbling stomach had vanished within the minute, her hand leaving her gut and soon she was walking right next to him rather than lagging behind.

When the feline had started to audibly sniff at the air, they had, thankfully, reached the restricted area. But the troubles were not over.

The change in scenery had been drastic. The previously generously spaced houses were more compact, with very few streets and most of the apparent population following three main streets parallel to one another. The buildings weren’t made of stone but wood, and looking at the dirt road and the roots that dug from the house structures into the ground, Rick had to guess these had been made with plant manipulation. There was no metal or stone or glass to be found. The windows had large planks to block them when closed. The doors were flimsy thin planks of wood.

The whole place was walled off from the rest of the city, contained much how the Earl’s palace was separate from the rest of the population. In this place, though, coming in and out was far less tightly controlled.

Either that or the guards had gone to hide the moment they’d spotted Monica.

Actually, that appeared to be the case for just about everyone.

The silence had been deafening.

Doors were shut, windows blocked by curtains, and Monica was vibrating next to Rick. The smile on her face was manic, ears twitching this way and that, her body straightening and her shoulders squaring off in what was clearly a swagger. Her tail lashed back and forth with every step, licking her lips as she looked this way and that. The feline was bouncing on the balls of her feet, claws scratching at the dirt.

“Food?”

“No. No food.” Rick glared. He gave Dia a hopeful glance as she discreetly pointed at one house in particular. “Home, sleep.”

Monica looked at the three story high building with a ‘2-25’ on the front and her nose wrinkled at it. “No.”

“This is what happens when you do something bad, Monica.” Dia muttered under her breath, not being discreet of the glare as she shot the feline.

The glare was returned, but Monica would not be persuaded to remove the look of skeptic disgust from her face as they approached. Dia pulled out the set of keys she’d gotten from the house’s owner that morning. The inside was… sparse, which was a nice way of saying ‘empty’.

“Is… it meant to be like this?” Rick muttered, closing the door behind him.

There was no glass, stone, or metals, the house was entirely made out of wood,

“This… is what it means to live in the restricted area.” She declared. “The bedroom is in the basement. It’s where the humans are meant to sleep since it’s the safest place.”

As she spoke, she summoned an orb of glowing light and moved where?

“…” Rick rubbed at his temples, marching further in and muttering under his breath. “It’s cheap, at least.”

“For us.” Dia replied. “These buildings are made to have a dozen or so maidens sharing accommodations.”

He blanched. “Have you lived in a place like this?”

“No. But healers get a chance to practice with those who live in the restricted zones since there’s always an injury to be patched up.” Her mood increased a little at that proclamation. “I think I should be able to help trade some healing with a plant-type to get some proper furniture… here we are.”

There were some stairs leading down. “So why in the basement?”

“Safety.” Dia commented, both ignoring the disgusted sounds Monica was making behind them. “Feralborn girls can sometimes get out of hand, and if they happen to knock something down in the middle of the night, being underground is safest.”

It was a room, with a simple bed-frame with no cushions. The walls were made of solid stone, and there were wooden columns and beams reinforcing the structure. Shelves littered every wall other than the one with the door.

Dia dropped the two large backpacks she’d been carrying, proceeding to unpack the cloths that were to be their bedding. “This will have to be our bed tonight, but we can purchase something better tomorrow.”

“This makes me think of my days as a student.” Rick muttered with a deep groan. “Do you think I fucked up by renting this place out?”

“I think you did well in considering your financial circumstances and not wanting to depend on others.” She replied. “With what we have, we could hold out for months. A wise move when the objective is to seek stable income.”

“So long as Monica doesn’t do anything to punch holes in that.”

Said feline woman was currently poking the ceiling of the room with her claw and sniffing her claw right after. Something about the smell didn’t seem to mesh well with her, frowning and glaring at the stone that surrounded the room in every direction.

“Indeed.” Dia replied. “Though she is likely to be, ironically, the greatest asset.”

“I’ll have to think about that.” Rick grumbled, shoulders slumped. “I’m not even sure I’d want to stay in this city. But that’s a concern for later. I think I’ll talk with Tomas and the others once we’ve settled down. He sent me a letter about wanting to meet and help someone.”

“Rick.” They turned to Monica as she poked the door. “Go back to sleep, good sleep. Bad sleep here.”

“This is where we sleep now, Monica.” He replied, pointing at the mantle Dia had laid on the ground. “You fought, you caused a problem, so here we are.”

She frowned. “Monica sorry?”

“And being sorry isn’t enough.”

“New words.”

“Monica bad.” Dia stated. “Monica fight, no ask. Earl angry. No good sleep. No good food.”

The feline’s ears canted sideways. She glanced from Dia to Rick as he nodded in turn. Her lips pursed slightly as she glanced at the door. “Monica… sorry? Monica no hurt shiny bad lady!”

“We’ll talk tomorrow.” Rick began helping Dia in setting up the cloth on the large bed-frame as they unpacked and prepared to sleep for the night.

[200] [Lala]

Lala’s chest stung. It had been stinging for a while now. The pain was familiar but strange at the same time. She knew what this sensation was, and for anyone who knew what to look for, it was also the easiest way to spot those who were bonded to Him. Even the Lady had the curl of her lips falter whenever their human was near. It was akin to witnessing an eclipse, the very light dimming until Barry moved elsewhere.

“Do something.”

The Lady spoke with iron in her voice, and Lala bowed.

“I am not sure how I can be of help.” The tinkerer responded, shivering.

“You are the second closest to him. Be honest, and hopefully that will be enough.” The Lady’s temper faltered as they both could feel the man with flaming red hair approaching.

“And if…” Lala hesitated, lowering his voice. “… it’s not?”

“Then remind him of the mission. He is our best hope to obtain the aid we need to heal the great Lady through non-violent means.”

Lala grimaced, but nodded, sauntering off while the Lady left to avoid meeting with Barry. The relationship between their leader and her bond-partner was one many would speculate upon, but Lala knew none would really understand until they were bonded to him.

She knew it had come as a surprise when she had first noticed it.

A slow, almost hesitant touch of emotions. A sensation not unlike warmth. It had only been fleeting the first time she’d felt it, a day or so after the bond had formed. Back then, Lala had merely dismissed it as nothing more than her imagination, but it had returned, slowly but surely. The more time she spent with Barry, the greater the warmth, the more frequent the sensation that spurred her into action. It, somehow, made training less taxing, and her focus sharper.

The boost in… everything had not been the only effect. She’d felt closer to the others, even to the Lady herself. It was an unspoken thing, a look in the eye, a little secret. Some removed their collars as a way to openly boast to the rest of the Court. A few kept their old useless things for propriety, or perhaps to keep the truth hidden. Lala herself hadn’t much cared, and often would put it on out of habit, but many days she’d forget.

But they realized this gift came with a risk the day the Valkyrie had been killed.

At the time, the Lady had roused every guard and soldier with her commands, but a third of them had spurred into action before she’d even spoken the words. They had felt it in their bones, the danger to Barry. And the blow that came after, of his sadness, of his pain.

Lala knew, deep inside of her, that this was something that went past what the Lady herself appeared to realize. A third, a third of the court’s fighting force, was bonded to Barry, and they had been unflinching in coming to his aid like the clap of thunder. What would the great Lady say when she woke and realized so much of her Court was in such a state?

It was a consideration Lala suspected not even the Lady herself had given much thought. The great Lady was many things, but kind to humans was not amongst them.

“Barry.”

The young human with flaming hair had been wandering off towards the edges of the Court. Again. Lala had stopped him this time, rather than just watching him leave again.

“Do you need anything?”

His smile was a struggle, his gaze distant. If the bond hadn’t been there to remind her of the sting inside her chest, she would have still felt it. “Yes. You.”

“… why?”

“Because you’re like a Doggirl that was left out in the rain.” She pulled at his hand.

“I was going to talk with Kajou…”

The girl from the Coven, who’d locked herself away from the rest. Lala found no pity for the Amazoness, nor empathy. Not when she and the Valkyrie were the cause of this whole mess to begin with.

“Then I stand corrected. You’re a Doggirl that’s intentionally going to meet the rain and then locking herself out.”

He put some resistance in his steps, but she didn’t slow any. “Lala, I appreciate the gesture, but-.”

“She’s grieving her sister’s stupidity, and you’re just sucking up the sad because you feel guilty.”

“Lala, I-.”

“Did I ever tell you about my family?” She ignored his attempt to talk. He was too kind in that regard, but she would use it. “My mother was born back when the Court was still being chased, when they were nothing more than scattered refugees. Do you know how maidens avoid being captured or going feral when we only have submission collars?”

Barry shook his head.

“Humans can’t form many bonds, not unless they happen to be nobility. So when maidens are on the run, they usually have to share a single human amongst all of them.” Her fingers touched her throat, raising her chin to show him the lack of a collar. “They kneel, they grovel, they kiss the human’s feet and pretend to beg, enough to feel a twinge of defeat, and then, minutes after the bond forms, they remove the collar and pass it to the next maiden.”

“But wouldn’t the bond…?”

“It would break instantly, yes.” Lala nodded, holding back the sigh of relief as she realized Barry was relaxing and paying attention. “But it would buy time. A week or so before they went feral. That’s how my mother lived. One week after the next, the curse pushing her to insanity before she’d have to grovel to whatever human they’d managed to kidnap. Beg for another week of sanity.”

“That’s…”

“She was pregnant with me at the time.” Lala continued, eyes roaming around. “She told me that I was the only reason she found the strength to keep going.”

“What… happened?”

There it was, that kindness, that concern for others.

“The shakes took her.” Lala shook her head, dismissing the emotions stirring within her chest. “She didn’t manage to recover and eventually she… withered.”

“I’m so-.”

“My point-” She interrupted, breath fiery as she turned to face him, pulling his hand closer to herself. “-is that my mother was perfectly aware of what she was doing. She was nearly feral half the time, and she fought on because it was her conviction.”

His eyes widened. “If-.”

“No.” she declared. “Barry, the Valkyrie hated humans, all of them, yourself included. She had her chance to live, and she threw it away over stupid blindness.”

“And my actions put her in that position.”

“And will you back off if doing the right thing means someone will get hurt?” Lala responded in turn. “If I were enslaved and freeing me meant someone lost their livelihood? Because that’s what you’re fighting for.”

Barry blinked.

“There are thousands upon thousands of humans out there whose life depends exclusively on maidens being crushed under them. Will you stop trying to free those maidens because those people will starve when the girl uses her freedom and leaves?”

He became quiet, but Lala knew she didn’t need to say anything else. The heavy darkness in his heart that had stung in her chest was dissipating as his emotions stirred in a different direction.

“The Court needs you.” She spoke. “We must find a healer for the great Lady, and the alternatives are dangerous. I don’t like having to tell you this, but the Lady asked me to remind you.”

“When?”

“We leave for Seledo as soon as you’re ready.”

[201] [Mark]

The strange tension in the house had grown. Brye and Shery had been keeping their distance, but Noah had not. The mouse visited Mark’s room once a day, usually when she thought they weren’t being watched too closely, and always for an hour or so before she’d leave. The mouse might have attempted to avoid attention, but the others had caught on pretty quickly.

Mark was sure the fox would make a move soon, but in what form he wasn’t sure. He could feel her gaze on him whenever Noah was around. Was she reading his thoughts or keeping her distance? It felt ironic that there would be distance when all three of them were practically locked inside the house. The militia no longer actively patrolled every street in the city, but the psychic that had spread their face across the minds of everyone in the city had kept at it. For the time being, it seemed the heat was still on them, and would take a while longer before they shifted their focus to other things.

And as far as Mark knew, that just meant being in a home with Brye, Noah, and Shery and only so much he could do to spend the time. Reading had quickly become boring, and Noah’s presence in his bedroom was becoming somewhat of a highlight of his day. At first the mice just wanted physical contact, and sometimes it devolved into more. But within a couple of weeks it had turned into nothing else.

No feelings, no affection, just raw tension finding a release valve. Mark’s doubts whether Noah was looking forward to it had mostly vanished when she’d begun entering the bedroom naked. And soon after, she’d stopped holding back the squeaks and moans. Something had still felt slightly out of place, however.

the situation with Noah hadn’t fully clicked for him until the day she’d walked out naked of the washroom and sat at his feet while Brye and Shery had been eating at the opposite side of the room. The mouse hadn’t done anything, even as he shooed her off. But he’d seen it, in Brye’s eyes, and Shery’s. The two maidens had stared fire onto the mouse that did not recoil.

Mark’s eyes widened slightly at that.

And the moment the epiphany ran through his head, Noah winced.

His brows now climbed all the way into his hairline. “You…!”

“Now now.” Brye spoke with a mock chiding tone. “Psychics do love to swim in their owner’s heads when they start getting a feel for their powers.”

Noah didn’t so much wince but glower. Which was something that felt entirely nonthreatening considering she was a pipsqueak of a woman and naked. Thought it was clear now the only reason she was in the position and location, was to use Mark to shield her from the other two.

“Don’t be too angry at her.” Shery calmed down visibly once she noticed the poison in Noah’s eyes. “Or do get angry, guess it depends on how good a cocksucker Noah is.”

“To be fair, she got us good, didn’t she?” Brye exaggeratedly turned to glance at the gray maiden. “Here we are, playing patient and nice, and Noah just pulls the rug.”

“Noah did love getting us to kneel. Maybe he was compensating for something?”

Purple light began to glow around Noah’s body. Mark reacted, reaching out for her ear and squeezing. “No.”

She froze, lowering her gaze.

“Girl gotta learn her manners.” Shery laughed.

“Do you plan to start her training soon?” Brye asked, twirling a piece of bread between her fingers as she looked the mouse over with amusement. “Psychics, particularly those who like being in the heads of their owners too much, can do quite a bit of harm unintentionally if not properly educated.”

“You’d know, as a threshold, right?”

Noah’s words came with all the amusement in Brye’s gaze to vanish. The piece of bread in her hands exploded like a miniature grenade had gone off. A snarl began to peek onto her lips, the energies that pooled around her were not the light purple of Noah’s, but darker and more sinister.

Noah had frozen solid.

There was a knocking at the door.

All heads snapped in focus, and the air had abruptly shifted every ounce of danger in its direction. Mark was almost transfixed as he realized both Noah and Brye had shifted to point their focus and aggression at the door. Neither had reacted to the potential visitor before the knock, and that meant they’d managed to avoid both maiden’s very sharp senses.

Another knock.

“The Boss sent me.” A woman’s voice spoke. “Brye, Shery, Noah, I am to see to our guest.”

Hesitation, Brye was the one to move. She appeared in front of the door, pulling it open. Her eyes widened, tails falling like someone had tied weights on them, ears flattening. “Joyce.” Noah paled at the name, Shery looked grayer.

Brye was moved aside as a blond woman… no, maiden, stepped inside. She had a canine tail as blond as her hair, her skin was pale like chalk, and her eyes a deep amber. She wore a cloak with a hood she pulled off, tossing the brown thing at Brye without even looking in the Nogitsune’s way.

Cold hard eyes fell on Mark and he shot to his feet on reflex, hand reaching for the knife at his hip. If Noah was visible to her, she didn’t seem to take notice. “Catch.” She tossed something from within her robes.

The word was followed by three shrieks.

Mark’s brain reacted a moment later, when he saw the glass black sphere fall to the ground, inert. Everyone in the room held their breath as nothing happened, Mark instantly recognized the device as what had turned Noah into her current form.

“Good.”

Joyce was right in front of him, not having even broken her stride. Her hand reached out for his head and plucked a hair, her movements faster than he could react to let alone avoid. Mark’s gaze moved to the others. All three maidens were staring at the floor, fists clenched, gazes hard, pale as if they’d seen death and not daring to turn in Joyce’s direction for more than a flicker of their eyes.

“What are you-?”

“Wait a moment.” She cut him off, staring at the hair before pulling a tiny metal box and dropping it inside.

Mark could have heard a pin drop from the other side of the house while Joyce’s focus was on the box. Then, the metal turned a deep verdant green and the first emotion appeared on her face.

A smile.

A simple smile.

She raised her gaze from the metal to him. Only then did he realize she had canine ears much like Brye’s, they stood, pointed at him, her smile growing and a chill running down his spine.

“You are pure.”

It was a breathless whisper, the woman reached out and he stepped back, now knife in hand. Joyce’s hand froze mid-way to his chest. The smile vanished, the impassivity of her features returning in a snap.

“Young Master.” She bowed, lowering her head deeply. “I will be coming back in a week’s time. With some equipment.”

At that, the others flinched.

“What do you want?”

“Me?” The woman laughed, a chirping sound not much unlike nails running on chalk. “Why, to save humanity, of course.”

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