We finished our fries, Tama offered Lyran some and we all sat in silence eating fries. Sabi was actually the first to break the silence.“Tama.. if you know the whole time, why did you play along?”

  Tama looked at Sabi for a long moment. “Because Tama thought Sabi wanted to try a new role. Also, Tama didn’t know the whole time! Tama found out when we hugged and Sabi’s core pulsed in happiness.”

  “My core.. What?!” Sabi sounded utterly confused. I gently wrapped my tail around Tama, then grew another tail and wrapped it around Lyran. Tama looked at me for a moment and I sighed.

  A third tail reached out and pulled Sabi in with us, “I am only doing this because Tama.” I said clearly. Sabi just nodded, but she looked.. Happy. Not the crazy happy she normally was, but satisfied.

  She also looked troubled. “You know, that actually aligns perfectly with what I have read about elementals. They have a base personality that is heavily shaped by their summoner. Based on the way Sabi seems to act, I believe she might consider Tama more her owner than a friend.” Lyran finished before he put another fry in his mouth.

  My eyes went wide as I remembered where I had met Anna.. er… Sabi… It was the same place Tama had done a dungeon. I shivered at the thought that Sabi was born by something so evil that their death had formed a dungeon.

  “Sabi.. I.. never did ask. What was your original summoner like?” My words seemed to anger Sabi and she pushed my tail away.

  “She is dead now.. Forever.” Was all she said before melting through the railing under us and landing on the ground. After a moment she paused and looked up. “Do.. you want more fries Tama?”

  Tama nodded and Sabi smiled before turning into a ball of water surrounding her core, and just took off at an insane speed. I turned to Lyran. “Can you get me that book?

  I would like to look more into this.” Lyran nodded excitedly before pausing. “It.. is more than one book, there is an entire anthology on elemental spirits, mastery of golemancy, and a lovers guide to golem parenting.”

  As Lyran named each one I nodded until he reached the last one and froze. “A

  Lyran scratched his cheek sheepishly. “Yea.. they were actually all written by Xan. He apparently got really upset at people not recognizing his golems so he wrote an in depth guide to rune crafting, golemancy, and.. Parental affection for summoned and created creatures. Despite the name, it's purely academic research on the emotional state and functioning of the creatures themselves.”

  “I.. I mean I guess, but the name?!” I said in disbelief. Lyran just nodded and sighed. Honestly, that was all that needed to be said. I had seen his 8 charisma. The man was a genius, a playboy, and a demigod. But he was also so very human in the strangest ways.

  I stood, and my tails pulled Tama and Lyran up. Tama grabbed my tail and began rubbing her face on it. I let her and looked to Lyran as I brought my other tails back. “We need to head to the Castle to officially get ready for King Rodrick, that man we met at the inn?”

  Lyran paled. “He.. he was a King?!” He looked like I had just told him that a girl had been watching him shower. Mostly because it was the exact look he gave me when I told him that at the inn. It took almost five minutes for him to calm down. Jeez, can’t a girl watch?

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  I realized the more time I spent around Tama, the more and more like the species I was pretending to be, I acted like. I suppose Kitsune were a relative to Foxkin and foxes overall. But still, I didn’t think I would slide into the role so.. Easily.

  I of course was nowhere near as bad as many of my kind. Emberly was a prime example of this. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind if Lyran had ever tried, Emberly would have put out. That wasn’t me shaming her, Foxkin were very… loose with their bodies. Since we were an almost entirely female species… it made sense.

  Honestly, the fact that Lyran hadn’t tried anything with me despite us dating for almost a month was already a sign he didn’t understand Foxkin nature. It was kind of upsetting that I had to make the first move, but it wasn’t really a big loss. Lyran was by far worth it. His knowledge alone made him a desirable mate.

  I shook my head as I realized I had gotten lost in thought. At the end of the day, I knew he found Tama attractive.

  The real issue was clearly that he found her too immature. That was the problem I needed to fix. I just needed to show him how pretty Tama was in a more revealing outfit… Maybe have her not talk for a few minutes or until after the deed was done.

  I loved Tama dearly, but she really sounded childish with the way she spoke.

  We made our way back to the castle without incident. Sabi met us halfway and gave Tama more fries. Instead of shifting back into underwear, she walked next to us quietly. “Nya! Why didn’t Lyran come with?!” Tama asked suddenly.

  I didn’t skip a beat, I had been expecting this question. “Because Tama, he has to watch over the golems. He promised Xan he would protect his.. Er.. babies.”

  Tama seemed satisfied with that answer and suddenly grabbed Sabi before blinking away. The fact Sabi hugged her back and looked like she was in heaven made me idly wonder if being Sabi would make Anna more.. Understandable.

  I walked back to the castle by myself as I considered how best to handle the plague. As I reached the gates, I found Persip angrily talking to General Tuliss.

  As I got closer, their words became clear. “That Foxkin is a disaster! She has been here less then a week and people are already asking questions! That Xan guy just up and vanished leaving the entire golem army with her boyfriend. She is clearly up to something and has the Princesse's ear!”

  I winced at that. It really did look back from that perspective.. Wait, how did he know about what happened at the warehouse.. It had been less than an hour… Suddenly, I had an idea.

  Smiling, I pulled one of the four vials I was carrying with the cure and walked directly up to them. General Tuliss noticed me first and bowed, causing Persip to turn, sniffle, and storm off.

  I ignored him and held out the vial to the General. “With the help of my boyfriend and my friends as well as Princess Tamaneko, we have concocted a cure for the plague, please have this reproduced and injected into all affiliated.”

  General Tuliss bowed again. “As you wish, Royal Advisor, it shall be done. Princess Tamaneko is in the main hall meeting her his majesty King Rodrick. Not to tell you what to do but might I suggest you meet the King and check on her highness for me?”

  I nodded. “Yes, Thank you General.” and with that, I turned and walked into the castle. I entered the foyer and walked to the second set of double doors. Pausing, I took a long, deep calming breath.. And pushed the doors open.

  I almost fainted right then and there. Tama was on the ground bleeding and unconscious, Rodrick was laughing loudly, Kita was holding her hammer up and it had blood on it. And the royal guards had surrounded Kita and had their spears pointed at her. Mixie, the older Nekojin from the inn, was nowhere to be seen.

  My vision shifted purple and I launched a void ball at Kita. She tried to hit it with her hammer but my void erased her hammer mid swing, knocking her off balance and sending her spinning.

  I summoned all nine of my tails and coated them with earth tipped with void. Rodrick noticed me, and began to laugh even harder! I fired a void ball at him, and he simply vanished and reappeared next to me.

  He held his chest heaving for a moment before patting me on the head gently. “Now now, she is fine. She wanted to train with Kita and Kita got er good. Your water spirit friend will be back in a moment to heal her.”

  I blanked.. That.. did sound like Tama.. not the losing part, but the training part. I hesitated. After a moment, Sabi rushed from behind me and over to Tama. “This is why I can’t leave you alone!” Sabi cried as water poured from her hands onto Tama. Her wounds closed and the blood was cleaned away.