I tried to muster up fear, or even indignation, but as Tama began to pet my white fur, I felt more relaxed than I ever had in my entire life. I found myself melting into her lap completely as the Nekojin casually petted me and looked through the illusion at the sky.

  In the end, I passed out on Tama's lap curled into a small ball. A sense of comfort and ease had flooded me and my exhaustion claimed me.

  Tama had not spoken again after that point, but her words resounded in my head, and into my dreams. "I know you're here to protect me. I trust you."

  It was true I had shifted the words mentally to first person, something I did subconsciously. But the message was clear. She felt it too, that strong sensation of trust, a bond between us that just felt... right.

  The next morning, I woke up. For a moment I was groggy as I stood. I suddenly felt the ground under me move up and down. I was about to jump when the events from last night came back and I looked more carefully at my "ground."

  It was Tama. I was on her belly. She had passed out and was laying on her back. She was topless and the bottom half of her gi was around her knees, but not entirely removed.

  She was half naked, her bra and panties on the ground next to us, and the ninja garb only half removed. But the worst part? She was snoring! And she was loud!

  Frustrated, I looked around to see if anyone else was around. After making sure it was just the two of us, I smirked. Well, the fox equivalent of a smirk. Time to teach Tama a lesson about not wearing her clothes.

  I got up on my back paws and extended my claws from my front ones. Moving swiftly, I fell forward intending to pierce Tama with my claws. Instead, the moment my claws came into contact with her bare skin, they slipped, my paws flew out from under me, and I hit my head on her skin. To make matters worse, I began to skid on her skin like she was a body of water and was thrown off of her.

  Even as I hit the ground, I heard another loud snore and my ears flattened to the side of my head in irritation. I wasn't going to give in that easily.

  I got up and this time, I reasoned I would do it from her side. It was just as bare as her front. She had removed the entire top half of her gi after all, meaning her bare chest and sides were nice and raw to be skewered.

  I cackled mischievously as I raised my paws again and extended my claws. This time, they struck, and actually cut into her.

  Only for the wound to instantly vanish! Even as she somehow healed herself instantly for some Earth-forsaken reason, she still kept snoring! My cut into her side had done nothing and she was still asleep!

  Was I ashamed to admit that Tama, literally asleep, had bested me? Yes, I was! I decided to go for one last push. This would work. I was certain of it... probably.

  What I had tried so far would have literally worked on anyone else, but this was Tama, and I had been going about this all wrong. So instead, I took a few steps back and I began shifting, my form grew larger, hair receded, and after a moment I stood, naked under the illusion. I walked over quietly, ignoring the snoring Tama as I put my clothes on. Once dressed, I quietly walked over to her again, making sure I was right next to her as I took a knee and whispered, "Oh hey, Tera, what are you doing here?"

  The response was beyond instant. Tama was suddenly standing, fully dressed as her eyes darted around like she had just entered combat. "Nya! Where is Tera? Tama is dressed!"

  I couldn't help myself. I fell over laughing uncontrollably. Tama's look of confusion only caused me to laugh harder until I was panting and red-faced.

  "Tama doesn't understand. What is so funny, Saki?" she asked me with genuine confusion. This time, I fell on my back and held my stomach due to the pain in my sides from laughing so hard.

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  After I recovered, Tama surprisingly stood there the entire time waiting for me to finish. She didn't seem upset, just confused. "Is Saki okay?" she asked me. I actually started to feel kind of bad, so I explained what I did.

  "Tama, you aren't supposed to just sleep naked out in the open like that," I stated simply. "I scared you like that to teach a lesson. What if Tera had been here and seen you like that? She would have definitely done something to you."

  I honestly wasn't sure if that was the case anymore, but Tera was the least of my worries. Imagine if she did this in a town like Drestor? Her chastity would be gone as well as the man who did it before the night was over.

  Tama frowned at me before responding, "But Saki slept naked!" As she said this, she pointed an accusing finger at me and I blanched.

  "Well, that's different, Tama!" I said defensively, but she wasn't having it.

  "Nya! Tama can't sleep naked but Saki can! That is not right and unfair!" Her tail was pointed down, and so were her ears. She looked irritated.

  I sighed and tried to explain. "Tama, I am a fox, a literal animal. I can't keep my clothes on when I shift." I tried to explain this calmly so that she would not get angrier at me. It failed.

  "But Saki has the rock thingy up to block us from view, right! Tama can see the rock thingy blocking view clearly! So why can't Tama sleep naked in her private spot with Saki!"

  In the end, Tama won that argument. It was, in my opinion, the most ridiculous fight I had ever had with someone and I had still lost. I glared over at the Nekojin, irritation clear on my face.

  Tama ignored me and continued trying to impress David by bringing him random items she found. I knew she saw me. She probably had some kind of magic vision with the insanity that she had shown so far.

  In the end, Tama finally gave up trying to impress David, who had just started grunting at her whenever she came back with something. Although, a living mimic was impressive, especially since it hadn't even realized it had been taken until Tama appeared in front of David, causing it and everyone else in the party to panic.

  Tama watched in puzzlement as, from her perspective, we attacked a wooden chest while it opened and closed itself repeatedly. In the end, David made a fist of metal with fire veins around his whole arm and smashed the mimic into pieces.

  After that, Tama was no longer allowed to bring stuff back to the party without permission. She whined nonstop about how boring travel with us was until Tera picked her up and started rubbing her head and playing with her ears.

  She went silent and stayed silent at that point. And for the remainder of the day, it was oddly peaceful. True, we were attacked a few times by different lesser monsters. A large slug thing tried to eat me, only to spit me out a moment later as it disintegrated.

  Tera and David looked uneasy at me after that, but Tama didn't seem to mind and just stayed attached to Tera. I was actually grateful, I couldn't imagine a full trip of her antics.

  There were also a few wolves. Tama actually looked at them and went to climb down, but Tera held her and said, "Let Saki and David handle this. They need practice, my emp..." She cut herself off at the last part, but I knew what she was about to say. Empress. She didn't seem to be saying it willingly, it was almost like she was being forced to do it. Like it was a compulsion...

  I froze as horror crossed my features. The memory from the guild played again, but this time, a very specific part rose above the others.

  My eyes widened even further as the memory replayed. I stopped walking and a sense of dread filled me. Praying to Earth that I was wrong, I turned to Tama. "Hey, Tama, do you remember the whole thing in the guild, the one where we played royalty?"