Tama

  Talia appeared behind me and I turned to see her. Making sure to cover Saki as I did so. I didn’t want her trying to take Saki again.

  Aunt Talia ignored me however and after a moment she asked “What happened here?”

  Saki tried to sit up and speak, but her words came out weird and Talia held up a finger telling her to heal. I agreed and told Aunt Talia what happened myself “Manna visited me, she and Saki talked and Saki used her purple stuff.

  Then Manna did her poke and Tama had to catch Saki. She.. She almost didn’t make it.” My voice felt weak and I couldn’t look up. I could feel Talia’s disapproval.

  Sensei would have been ashamed of me. I almost failed to protect my best friend. I heard a loud crashing sound. But I didn’t look up. I could see Saki from the corner of my eye and she was still safe.

  “And, by Manna, do you mean Mantheria, the legendary ancient dragon that lives north of the Trelloark? The one who guards the ancient shrine?” Aunt Talia asked me. “Nya” I agreed.

  I saw aunt Talia enter my view and I tensed, but she pulled out a red thingy and made Saki drink it. I watched as it made Saki better a lot faster then my healing could have. I felt regret that my healing wasn’t that strong. I should have trained more.

  I pulled Serenity from the ground and felt her calm wash over me before putting her back in her sheathe. Her waves emanated over me and I felt at peace again. I was having anxiety and she was comforting me.

  “Tama, I have been meaning to ask you something.” Saki said, her voice shaky.

  I opened my eyes and looked over at her. I had closed them to bask in Serenity’s aura. “Nya?” I asked curiously. I felt much better now. Saki was alive, Manna was gone for now. My gi was torn, but I knew Saki could probably fix it.

  “Your sword, its enchanted right? I remember you telling me it was a gift from your Sensei. I also remember David not being able to lift it. I was wondering why you don’t always use it? Like, you do use her, but you stick mostly to your actual dagger and water daggers.”

  As she spoke, she wiped dirt off of her dress and looked around. She seemed to be thinking as she spoke, but I had a feeling it wasn’t actually about Serenity.

  She was trying to calm down by changing the subject. I knew this because I used to do it a lot.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Aunt Talia cut me off before I could get a word out. “That ‘sword’ as you call it Saki is known as a Wakizashi.

  I created it for Reggie as a graduation present for Tama. If you want to know more about it, you can ask me. But not right now. We need to get back to Drestor and start packing.”

  I looked over at Aunt Talia confused. “Why are we packing?” Even as I spoke, I had a feeling I knew the answer.

  Aunt Talia turned to me and with a bitter smile said “We need to make you Queen officially.” I tried to blink away, but she managed to grab my arm before I could. “Tama, don’t run away. If you truly want to protect the people of this kingdom and Saki, you need to do this.” She said seriously to me.

  “I will be fine! Don’t you dare use me as leverage!” Saki started angrily. She was glaring at Talia. After a moment however, she sighed and looked at me. “But she is right Tama, you need to accept the role officially.

  Was all that show yesterday for nothing?” She stepped up to me and took my other hand gently in hers as she looked me in the eyes. “You can do this, and I will be right beside you.”

  Slowly, I relaxed myself and let Serenity wash over me again. I looked between Aunt Talia’s serious face and Saki’s pleading one. After a moment I nodded and said “Nya, Tama will take Saki back with her and we will start packing.”

  I looked at Saki and she smiled, which made me feel a little better. I felt Talia’s hand loosen and then let go. For only a moment, I thought of blinking away. But I felt Saki’s hand in mind and realized I would never do that.

  I turned and pulled Saki into a hug. “Now wait a second, Tama I’m not ready!” Saki cried out as she tried to pull away.

  I giggled and squeezed tighter before saying “Tama isn’t ready too!” and I blinked us into the air before looking over at Dresty in the distance. I gauged the number of blinks needed even as we began to drop. Saki grabbed onto me tightly as we vanished towards the city town thing.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Right as we landed in front of the gate, I felt Saki let go and stumble back a few steps before throwing up. Normally she wasn’t this bad, Manna must have really scared her. Usaki in her cute little fox form ran up and jumped into my arms. I gently petted her as she grew out two more tails and used them to wrap me in a hug.

  A young girl rushed out of the gate and rushed up to me smiling and giggling. I reached down the little girl's throat before she could react and pulled Anna out of her body. “Bad Anna! No possessing strangers!” I snapped at her.

  She whimpered in my hand before forming herself into my gi. The little girl fell to her feet, grabbed herself in a hug and began to cry.

  An older woman rushed out, but when she saw us she paled and looked uncertain. After a moment, she slowly approached us. She bowed as she asked “Queen Tamaneko, please free my daughter from a cursed spirit! It entered her body and made her do horrible things!”

  Anna as my gi, giggled. I looked down at her. “You be quiet, you are in trouble!” I said angrily at Anna.

  The woman gasped and quickly fell to her knees. “Please have mercy my Queen!” She pleaded and began to cry. I looked at her puzzled before turning to Saki.

  Saki wiped her mouth and shakily turned before she put up one of those illusion things she always used. It showed her standing up and not shaking, completely separate from the real her, who was holding onto her knees and looking at the ground wide eyed.

  After another moment, she seemed to gather herself and waved her finger. The image of her spoke “Citizen, I am deeply apologetic for the misunderstanding. I can assure you that the problem has been dealt with. No one will be punished and your child is free of the spirit that inhabited her. Please, return to town and know she is safe.”

  as the illusion finished talking the woman looked uncertainly back at me. “Nya, what royal advisor Saki’s illusion said!” I said seriously, trying to sound queenly.

  The woman looked relieved, she bowed to me, which made me feel uncomfortable. Then she, while crying still for some reason, picked up her daughter and the two of them went back into town.

  Saki had fully recovered finally and was glaring at me. No wait, she was glaring at Anna. She stormed over to us and said “What on all of Xanrea were you thinking Anna! I know you're insane, but even you should have known better!”

  Saki’s tail was lashing and her ears were flattened. She seemed very upset at what happened. Which didn’t make sense to me. “Why does it matter if she possessed the little girl? As long as she asked permission first.” I asked.

  Saki shook her head and replied “Tama, most people would not happily accept having their body taken over and controlled by another being!” Her words were clearly upset and she looked like she was close to snapping again. So I went quiet and let her fight Anna instead of me.

  Anna giggled and my gi shimmered before she removed herself from me and turned into her little girl form. “I don’t see what the big deal was! I was just playing a little. She is perfectly fine. I didn’t even do anything bad! Her mother is a liar!” She said indignantly.

  Saki was quiet for a long moment before she spoke, her voice was quiet. For some reason, Anna took multiple steps back. “Anna, what did you do that wasn’t bad.” It was a question, but she said it like it was a sentence?

  “Well… you see.. I.. It was only a little bit.” Anna stuttered out, her little girl from turning to see through the water.

  Saki took a single step forward, the look on her face completely calm as she spoke “Anna, what. Did. You. do.” Each word Saki used was like it was her last word in a sentence and I began to feel uncomfortable.

  There was a long moment of silence and then Anna spoke, she was super quiet but I heard her clearly. “I might have used her to steal some ice cream and eat it.. Then I may have had her undress and run around yelling that I was a pretty princess in the town square…”

  Three things happened at once. Saki summoned a purple ball as her eyes shifted purple. I grabbed Anna’s core and threw her towards the goblin camp hard, and Usaki shifted back to her Foxkin form and used herself as a shield in case Saki was going to hit me.

  Instead, I stepped around Usaki and grabbed Saki in a hug. I felt her, she was super cold. But as I held her, she began to warm up again and after a moment, she hugged me back and I felt her shaking as she held me.

  She was crying. I wrapped my tail around her and gently rubbed her ears as I whispered “It’s okay Saki, it's going to be okay.”

  She sobbed harder and hugged me back. “We can’t beat her Tama, she is too strong. I.. I have nothing. She was so fast, I couldn’t fight her!”” Saki sobbed as she wrapped her tail around me. “I am so sorry Tama, I don’t know what to do.”

  “Then listen closely, because I do know what to do. If you want to beat Mantheria. You need to go to her, but first… You need to become Queen Tama.” Aunt Talia’s voice was sudden and I hadn’t even realized she had arrived. I ignored her and continued comforting Saki.

  After a moment, Saki let go and wiped her eyes as she stepped to the side and looked up at Aunt Talia. I did the same and she looked down at us.

  Saki stared directly at her and said a single word. “How?”

  Aunt Talia nodded and said come with me. She turned and entered Dresty. Saki followed behind and I followed Saki. Today, we would learn how to kill a Dragon.

  Chapter 110: Distractions and Fries