Lyran
“What do you mean we already lost over sixty golems in less than an hour?!” Xanari said in disbelief. “Who could be that powerful to take down that many golems?!”
I bit my lower lip and said “That.. sounds like Tama.”
He turned to look at me. “Who is Tama? Wait, Tamaneko? Like, the Princess and soon to be future Queen? Why is she attacking my golems!?”
A single golem, half turned to mud and much shorter than when it had left, stumbled into the warehouse. “Master I..” Before she could finish, a blast of water hit her from behind and Tama appeared, the golems core already in hand.
“Nya! Running away is for cowards!” She said as she looked around. I winced as I saw her eyes widen and excitement dance in her eyes. Her eyes wandered until she saw me. I blinked and she was standing next to me. “Hi Lyran!” She said in a cheerful tone. “Did you make the golems?!”
I shook my head, but Xanari stepped around me. “That was very unnecessary! I am trying to contain the plague for your city!” He snapped at her. I winced.. This might not end well.
Tama tilted her head and asked “Tama does not like being told what to do.” Xanari sighed and shook his head.
“Either way, it’s not relevant. While your combat prowess is noted and impressive. I ask that you stop destroying my golems. If you wish for me to stop the counter measures. All you had to do was ask instead of killing my babies!”
I saw my opening and was about to take it when another voice cut in. “Stop the counter measures!” Saki called out from the warehouse ground as she began making her way up here. I sighed in relief, with Saki here things might be able to get back under control.
Xanari sighed and shook his head. “I suppose I should have seen that coming.”
“Told ya it would end badly!” Tina said as she came from the control room. “By the way, why is there a red button blinking in the back room?”
Xanari paused and frowned. “Which one?” He asked as he turned and walked into the control room. At that moment, Tama suddenly vanished and there was a loud crash.
“Ah, it seems we have an intruder!” Xanari said casually. “But do not worry! I have turned on the defensive measures!”
I barely heard him as Crivar, mid air, was suddenly standing there in a cage of.. Was that electricity?! He tried to attack it, only to be electrocuted.
Tama suddenly was on top of the cage and was swinging Serenity at him.. Serenity managed to pierce the cage, but it electrified her too and she was thrown back.
When she reappeared on top of it. She looked at it closely and threw a water dagger down at it. The dagger was zapped as it went through the electric bars and dissipated.
After a long moment, she looked around the room and her eyes landed on the control box. “NO TAMA!” I yelled right as she summoned a water dagger.
She paused and looked over at me. “Nya! Tama is breaking Crivar’s defense! Tama will win this time!” Her tail lashed angrily and I realized she genuinely thought the cage was something Crivar was doing?!
“Tama, please come here, we need to talk. That’s not Crivar’s doing. It’s like Jiggle’s nono cage.” Saki said calmly as she reached us on the metal walkway. She looked paler than usual and exhausted.
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“You okay?” I asked worriedly. She said nothing, rather she walked over and pulled me into her with her tail before hugging me.
Pulling me down to her, she gave me a kiss before whispering “I missed you.” I blushed and giggled before letting me go.
Saki
It was nice to see Lyran. The golems and Xanari.. Less so. I had seen the destruction all the way to the warehouse and came to a very simple conclusion. Tama had found the golems and one had probably attacked her.
Tama appeared next to me but she didn’t take her eyes off Crivar in the cage. Was.. was she checking for locks? I sighed as I remembered what she said about Jiggle picking locks. I idly wondered if my void could erase that?
It was definitely a high possibility. But not one I was willing to risk. Despite Crivar’s best efforts. He didn’t seem able to break the cage. Xanari came out of the back room looking irritable. “Today has been most unfortunate. First, I lost over sixty golems, half at least of which were destroyed by the Princess herself. Then somebody else breaks in and is causing trouble.”
As he spoke, he brought up a familiar tablet that Lyran had made. But this one looked slightly more advanced and even had some kind of screen that lit up. “Hmm.. it says his name is.. Crivar? Strange name..”
“We have been over this, you are the one with the strange name!” Tina snapped. Must have been a sore point for her. I mentally filed that away for later. Xanari ignored her and kept tapping on the tablet. “He is an enemy to the kingdom of Trissaile for…”
He trailed off for a long moment before nodding. “Ah, assaulting a princess and threatening a regent. He also apparently threatened an entire city..”
I coughed “Town…”
He paused and looked up at me “What?”
I held back a giggle. “Nothing.”
He considered for a moment before shrugging. “Either way, he has been apprehended. Perfect! The bounty on his head is wonderful! It might even help me replace the lost golems!”
He turned to Tama. “Princess.. Er.. Tamaneko was it? Where can I turn in this bounty?” I quickly cut in before Tama said something really stupid.
“Ah, you may turn him into the guards at the castle gates. Just be warned, Crivar is exceptionally dangerous.” He looked at me, then at Tama, who simply nodded her head happily and realization dawned in his eyes.
“Ah.. I see” He smiled and shook his head. “I should have expected as much. It seemed absurd that the regent could run a city, much less a kingdom. The Princess seems very similar. But if they aren't the ones actually running it..” He trailed off before nodding.
I held back a smile. For someone with only eight charisma, he certainly had a way with words. I normally didn’t care for the praise, but the way he said it made me happy. It was true after all, Tama and I were practically one.
Lyran coughed and I blushed. Turning to Lyran I asked. “How. um..” I saw him smirking at me. My face went redder. “It’s not like that!” I snapped. Lyran just winked and I giggled.
“Tama doesn’t get it! Tama wants to fight Crivar!”” Tama cried out.
“Unless you are willing to pay his bounty Princess, I will be turning him over to the authorities to pay back what you caused!” Xanari said calmly as he turned to me. “How do… “
Before he could finish, there was a loud crash as a large portion of the roof was destroyed and fell to the ground.
A large green dragon, green glittering scales, flew into the room head first, then pivoted and caught itself. “Is that Manna?!” I said in shock.
“Tama will kill you Corsis! Crivar is tama’s prey!” Tama suddenly screamed and launched herself at the large dragon.. Who was apparently named Corsis. Corsis flapped their wings and Tama was.. Not exactly thrown back, but she became visible mid blink and was slowed just enough that Corsis was able to narrowly dodge her.
I stared in open mouthed shock as despite that, a long line scratched along Corsis’s belly began to bleed. Tama had hit them anyway?! Corsis ignored the wound and instead attacked the cage. It clearly shocked the hell out of him? Her? But they broke through and grabbed Crivar before taking off out of the hole they came in.
Tama jumped up and I saw as a large portion of the Corsis’s tail just fell off. Tama screeched in rage. I felt the cold metal grating as I fell to my knees. It was painful, but I barely noticed it as I looked at the dragon sized hole in the now shattered roof.
“Well, that is extremely unfortunate. Tina, did you hit?” Xanari said curiously.
Tina, who was aiming with.. I looked closer. I had never seen that before. It was long and black. It had what I could only consider a magnifier on top and the long end had a hole at the very end. It looked almost like a super fancy crossbow. brought it down and smiled. “Direct hit” She said with a smirk.
She put the device away and turned to Xanari. “It should come up for ya.”
Xanari looked at his advanced tablet and smiled. “Excellent! Let’s get the golems ready. That slight will not be repeated.”
