I made note the speed lizard did not enter the satchel and after a moment I heard David's explanation. "Living things can't enter the satchel, Tama, so you have to hold onto the little speedy guy yourself."

  I made another mental note of the fact that living things couldn't enter his crafting pouch, meaning it was most likely a blacksmith's and not a herbalist one. The mushroom was probably considered dead when Tama ripped it from the ground.

  "Oh, that's fine, Tama can fix that!" A moment later, the now dead lizard entered the satchel. A shiver went down my spine. The world was a cruel place, but the way Tama seemed to treat killing and death was so nonchalant. She had just killed the lizard with no mercy or remorse.

  "That's pretty dark, Tama. I mean, I like to kill things too, but the little guy couldn't even defend himself," David said, looking at Tama with sadness. "Just because we can kill things doesn't mean we should."

  Tama looked like she had just been slapped. Being chastised by your crush probably wasn't the most optimal outcome for her. I smirked, good. It was a lesson she would need to learn anyway. We didn't need her to kill a guard because they blocked her path one day.

  "But Tama was just putting it in the bag. You said living things couldn't go in, so Tama made it not alive!" Tama was wagging her tail with her ears perked up, looking meaningfully at David. A look of earnestness on her face. I held back a laugh, she was actually trying to reason her murder with a cute look.

  David frowned and opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. Now was not the time to explain to Tama why killing things weaker than her was bad. We might actually need her help with the goblins after all. "Tama, remember me? I still have that question!"

  Tama paused for a moment before disappearing and reappearing in front of me. "Nya! Sorry, Saki, Tama forgot!"

  I held back an amused smile. I swear, Tama by herself was the epitome of the unknowing savior. This girl saved me from myself more times than I can count, yet she doesn't seem to realize her own social faux pas.

  "I was asking about Tera. What do you think of her, Tama?" I leaned in curiously, but glanced over at Tera to see her reaction. Not shockingly, she had leaned in slightly and was listening closely to us. Based on the way she stiffened, she was expecting a negative answer.

  But luckily for her, if I knew anything about Tama, it was her never-ending cheer. She was like a rainstorm in a drought.

  "Tama thinks Tera is really nice. She is kind of strange and says weird things sometimes. But Tama thinks she means well!" Tama said as she seemed to be dancing to some kind of music in her head.

  I noticed Tera actually looked relieved and smiled at Tama. "So you don't think she has been acting a little... strange, you know, like, in a worshiping kind of way?" I probed.

  Tama frowned for a moment before she also glanced over at Tera and then back at me. She seemed to consider my words for a long moment. "Tama doesn't understand," she finally said.

  I nodded, expecting that answer before asking my next one. "You know, Tama, I was thinking, since you and Tera are now in a relationship, it only seems right she should tell you more about herself. Why don't you talk to her?"

  Tama looked uncomfortable but I pushed. "You did agree to date them, didn't you, Tama? It's only right."

  I noticed as Tera actually looked our way, she had a hopeful, almost longing look on her face. One she was clearly trying to hide and failing. Definitely more deific and less romantic.

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  I decided to go for a big push. It was risky, but it would remove a lot of doubt if it worked. "Tama, Tera was telling me she admired you and was hoping you would undress her so you could teach her more about how to fight naked. That means she's giving permission."

  Tama looked for a moment before asking, "But Saki, isn't that... wrong?" Her tail lowered and her ears flattened, but the look on her face showed less anger and more uncertainty as she glanced back at Tera.

  "You don't have to if you don't want to, Tama, but remember, she gave you permission," I said casually, checking to see if Tera would refute my claim. I noticed she didn't. It didn't seem like she was sexual about it though. She almost seemed to be acting like she wasn't worthy.

  I frowned at her actions but for now, I ignored them. Tama was extremely perceptive and probably noticed everything I did even if she didn't understand the nuances. Going any further risked making the matter worse.

  After that point, aside from Tama constantly wandering off and coming back with surprisingly rare items and asking about them, the journey until nightfall was almost entirely silent. David seemed intent on reaching the goblins as fast as possible, his eyes on a swivel as he searched for something.

  Tera, on the other hand, spent the entire time, and I do mean the entire time, staring at Tama with shifting looks between devotion and neutrality. Like she couldn't decide whether Tama was a normal girl or the most perfect thing imaginable. It really creeped me out, but she never said anything and Tama didn't comment on it either, so I pretended not to notice.

  When we set up camp for the night, I genuinely expected Tera to try... something? But she didn't. She simply asked Tama if she needed anything, and when she said she was fine, Tera just... Well, she just went to bed in her own sleeping bag.

  As did David, apparently they had separate sleeping bags even though they were a couple? That didn't sit right with me.

  "Hey guys, I'm gonna go sleep over there. I like the view better!" I said to everyone. Tera, who was staring at Tama, didn't even glance at me, simply waving me away before saying, "Just make sure if anything happens to scream for us and we will be there."

  David said nothing at all, not even responding to me with a nod or anything. It was rude, but as I watched him, I was beginning to understand him better.

  He was not submissive at all. He was extremely determined and focused. He also seemed to have little care for the people around him other than as things to protect.

  His interest in Tama was clearly only related to Serenity, her sword, and was the only reason he seemed willing to talk for more than thirty seconds with anyone.

  "Nya! Tama wants to go with you! She wants to see the pretty sky too!" Tama said, hopping up and down.

  I sighed, I should have known better. Still, I watched her for a moment before nodding. "Actually, Tama, this is perfect. I wanted to ask you about Tera!"

  Both girls froze and looked at each other before Tama stopped bouncing. "Tama suddenly wants to sleep here," she said quietly. Her tail wrapped around her leg and her ears twitched.

  I smiled at her. "I understand, Tama. Have a good night!" I turned and made my way over to a medium boulder, walking around it. I made an illusion so the rock seemed bigger and I hid inside the illusion. I felt my exhaustion setting in, but just in case, I waited a few minutes in case anyone came to check on me.

  After a long moment of no one showing up, I sighed in relief and shifted, my body shrinking, white fur coming out of me. Moments later I was in my mini nine-tailed fox form. I forced my nine tails into one as was my habit before dragging my clothes that had come off onto the floor around me when I shifted into a pile and lay on them.

  It was true I could sleep in my Foxkin form, but it was very uncomfortable to me. Also, I felt safer on the spot, under my illusion.

  I had barely closed my eyes when I felt a poke. Surprised, I opened my eyes and jumped to my four feet, my tail raising in alarm along with my ears flattening as I bared my teeth.

  However, instead of an attack, it was Tama. She was just sitting there next to me. I realized I wasn't even facing her. I turned and looked up at her, unable to speak in my fox form. I wondered if she knew about my... Before I could finish that thought, she spoke.

  "You know, Saki, Tama feels scared, but Tama shouldn't be scared. Tama is a ninja, she should be strong and fast and brave. But there are many things Tama does not understand and it causes Tama to worry. Tama knows you are here to protect her. She trusts you even if she doesn't understand why she does." Suddenly, I found myself on Tama's lap with Tama sitting in the grass under the illusion with me.