Other than the scales on my abdomen, there doesn’t seem to have been any major changes to me. Well, besides the level increases, the new title, and that ability that I had apparently gained—Draconic Regeneration, I think it was? I’m slightly hesitant to find out how that works, since it likely involves getting hurt in some form, given the name. Oh well, I suppose a simple little cut would suffice when testing it.

Though, I’ll have probably have to use my own blades to cut myself. After getting out of the little lake, I had picked up a sharp rock, and attempted to open a gash on my arm. Instead of the expected outcome, the rock shattered against my skin, not even marking me in the slightest. I wonder if it’s a side effect of the new ability? If it is, then am I now impervious to sharp objects or something?

That would be a cool thing to have, but I also assume that these sorts of things have limits. For instance, I’m absolutely certain that my wakizashi would be able to cut me. And, I would be hard pressed to find something that my nodachi isn’t capable of cutting—it has no problems with large chunks of steel, so my skin shouldn’t pose much of an issue.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t brought the blades along with me to the lake after waking up from that nightmare, and they were still inside the carriage. I really didn’t want to go back there, due to something that I had remembered right after checking my status.

I had been more concerned with the dream I had, and getting clean afterwards, rather than what else was in the carriage. Or, who else. Bea had started sleeping inside the carriage with me after I had assured her that I wasn’t angry with her, and I can recall a rather disturbing image from right after I had woken up.

I decided to not return to the carriage for the time being, not wanting to see that again.

Indeed, just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine, in a way that the normal strong opponents simply have no chance of doing.

So, discarding my previous intentions to return there, I decided to spend the time in the lake—which had turned nice and steamy after I used a little fire magic to warm it up. Floating in the center of the lake was nice, and extremely relaxing—especially after the stressful realization that I had somehow jumped through a ‘serious’ bottleneck and then the next thirty consecutive levels as well. Also, I could feel my blood pressure shooting up after seeing the new title I had been given. It gave me an innate sense that annoying things were going to start happening to me, especially when it’s paired with my astronomically low luck value. You know, the one that won’t even display a number anymore, instead just listing it as an ‘Error’.

On top of all that, I’m also incredibly suspicious about how well things have been going lastly. Sure, I’ve had my share of bad luck so far, but things have been relatively quiet after I nearly starved to death in that forest, due to my having been forcibly transported from the Summit to that place. Since then, it’s been…ordinary.

Sure, there were a few annoying parts in there, but those were things that could happen to anyone. The brand of bad luck that seems to follow me hasn’t shown up yet, and that concerns me. I was in Joan’s palace for a good amount of time, and there were no massive monster attack, no attempts on my life, and not even a single instance of someone trying to rob me. It’s all downright unnatural, and I know it won’t last. Bad luck is an incurable disease for me, and it’ll rear its ugly head sooner or later.

For now though, I’ll take this time to simply soak myself in this little moonlit lake, and enjoy the rest of the night. Let my tail down and all that.

----------------------------------------

(POV Gabriel)

“Shh—don’t wake the boys” Whispered Jasmine, as we gingerly stepped over their snoring bodies, and out of our carriage.

They had gone to sleep in front of the only door, claiming that the part of the carriage we had occupied and cordoned off needed more security. Honestly, I don’t know what to think about Joseph’s attitude after I had told him the truth about my gender, but he seems more protective somehow. He’s treating me more like a …lady, and not his close friend.

I mean, sure, I want to be more than friends with him, but it feels like he’s been distancing himself from me for the past few days. Not knowing how to feel about this new development, I’m almost regretting telling him the truth, even though it needed to be done.

I think Jasmine picked up on my mood, since she asked me if I wanted to talk about it earlier today. However, instead of simply talking it over away from the boys, she insisted that we make an adventure out of it.

So, here we are, climbing out of the carriage as silently as possible. Not that it was hard for me, since most of my training focuses around speed, stealth, and maneuverability over strength. Jasmine however, is a mage, and doesn’t have that sort of training. She nearly kicked her brother in the head while stepping around him.

We got out alright in the end, though—even with all the tense moments.

“So, what are we doing? I thought we were just going to talk?” I asked, still clueless as to what was happening.

“You’ll know when we get there. I just thought we would make an occasion of this.” She answered noncommittally.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

We continued walking, and eventually exited the camp. We were now inside the surrounding forest, where night truly ruled. There was a full moon overhead lighting the way, however, so I could see the ground very clearly. As a member of the panther clan, this sort of thing is second nature for me. Jasmine was clearly having a harder time of it. She took after her father, the King, and inherited his direwolf blood. She isn’t really suited to moving at night—there were a few times where I had to step in and prevent her from tripping over some of the tree roots growing out of the ground.

Eventually, I sighed.

“Do you even know where we’re going? Or are we already lost?”

“Nonsense—I know exactly where we are, and where we need to be. Besides, it’s not too far from here.”

“Right, sure.” I said, not really believing what she was saying. She can be as prideful as a…well, as a princess. Which I suppose makes a bit of sense.

So, I was a bit surprised when we exited the forest, and Jasmine turned to me with a smug look on her face.

“See? I told you that I knew where I was going.”

I stared at the scene in front of me, too occupied with the view, and nearly didn’t register Jasmine speaking.

She had brought me to a lake, shrouded in steam and glowing in the moonlight. It seemed like an image from the heavens, so celestial was the impression it gave off. There was something else here as well, giving off a regal and noble aura that was subtle and low-key, but more pervasive than anything I’ve ever felt before. I knew that Jasmine wouldn’t be able to sense it, since she wasn’t adept at that.

“I don’t think we should…” I started to say, about to tell Jasmine that we should leave, and not defile this sacred feeling place. However, it was at this moment I caught sight of a figure through the thin little clouds floating over the lake’s surface.

I could only see a small outline, like that of a child, and long white hair streaming down it. There were two little horns sticking out of the hair, and I could tell that they were pitch black.

I felt a gaze, and that aura strengthen around us to the point that even Jasmine could feel it.

“What the…?” She began, before halting. She had also noticed the figure now. Both of us were staring at it, when something interesting happened.

It vanished from where it was. The steam eddied violently, and I realized that the figure had simply moved faster than I could follow.

Then, it was in front of us, and I could tell exactly what, or rather who, it was.

The gold reptilian eyes of Katariah glared at us, as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest, completely naked. But, that didn’t dampen the intimidating aura flowing from her in the slightest. If anything, that enhanced it due to the beauty and charm she exuded in the moonlight, her pale skin still wet from the lake. I swallowed a sudden rush of saliva. Damn, I’m suddenly very grateful I’m not a guy, else I don’t know what would have happened.

Huh? Is that a tail I see waving behind her? It doesn’t look like any other beastkin tail I’ve seen. Normally, reptilian beastkin have thick and stumpy tails, covered in scales and little ridges at the top. Her tail is lean and leathery looking, and long like a whip. It moved around in the air behind her with extreme dexterity, displaying her displeasure in it’s agitated curling motions. The tail also had a curiously shaped tip, like an arrowhead. Then, I noticed that there was a light smattering of scales on her stomach, pale enough to seamlessly blend into the rest of her skin.

“What are you two doing out here? You should go back to the caravan—it’s safer.” She said, glaring at us.

Jasmine was seemingly unaffected, and answered Katariah calmly.

“We’re here to wash up in the lake, just as you are.” She said, before she began disrobing, and dropping her clothes in a neat pile by the lakeshore. “Don’t let us disturb you, continue as you we before we got here.” She added imperiously.

I heard a drawn out and seemingly long-suffering sigh from Katariah, who entered the lake again. Interestingly, the steam rising off the lake followed after her, billowing up in large clouds in her wake. The water around her seemed to be boiling lightly.

Soon, her figure was lost inside the steam, which began to gather on the far end of the lake. It was like all the steam had been captured by an invisible field, and forcibly brought over to where Katariah was bathing.

Meanwhile, Jasmine had removed all her clothing, and hopped into the lake without any reservations.

“Come on!” She said. “The water’s really nice and warm—probably by Katariah’s doing.”

I stripped off all of my own clothing, and entered the lake after Jasmine, who had moved out further from shore.

When I reached her, she was wetting her hair.

“So, I suppose we should talk about Joseph, right?” She said, hitting straight to the heart of the matter. “It’s quite obvious that you’re somewhat in love with him, and are conflicted as to how he’s been treating you in the past few days.”

“Yeah. I don’t know what he’s thinking, ignoring me like he has been.”

Jasmine smiled at me kindly.

“It’s fairly obvious why he hasn’t been paying attention to you—it’s because he doesn’t know how to. Before, he just treated you like one of his guy friends, right? How is he supposed to treat you now that he knows you’re a woman? I think you just need to give him time so that he can start regarding you as a woman.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want him to treat me like any other woman. I want…I want to be…more, I guess.”

Jasmine nodded seriously.

“Of course you do. Joseph’s a great guy, but you have to remember that he had his faults. I think that you just have to continue being yourself around him, the way you were when he still thought you were a guy. That way, you can show him that nothing’s really changed, and that he can continue being close with you.”

“But then, how do I get him to see me as a woman, if I continue acting as I had while he thought I was a man.”

Jasmine smiled enigmatically.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got that part covered, or rather, uncovered.”

I looked towards her in confusion, not understanding what she meant. Seeing the look, she only laughed lightly.

We stayed in the water for a while longer, simply talking about little things—like how uncomfortable the carriage was, the boring monotony of travel, and what we’re looking forward to.

At one point, Jasmine frowned a little to herself, and I could hear her muttering to herself. I just barely caught the end of it, and could only make out “If they got lost…”

Of course, I wondered what she was being so secretive about. Even more, I wondered why she felt the need to hide it from me.

I got my answer to those questions very quickly, went something seemed to explode in the distance.

There were two figures who ran for cover in the forest as trees around them shattered with no discernable reason. Then, I noticed that the steam on the other end of the lake was dissipating, and Katariah stood on the far shore of the lake, fully clothed. She was holding a hand-full rocks, and every now and then, her hand would blur, and there would be one less tree on the other side of the lake.

She was pulverizing trees….with pebbles.

And, to add to the sheer craziness of the situation, I also recognized the two figures dashing from tree to tree in an attempt to evade the pebbles.

Of course it would be Idarus and Joseph.