Dodge? Oh, okay so what will this new game be I wonder.

Alice wasn't dancing around anymore, wasn't slinking around in the shadows. She was coming at me in a flurry of blows. I was deflecting them as best as I could and dodging to the best of my abilities. My abilities were weak and untrained.

"Good!" She shouts. She then comes at me faster. I drop to the ground and try to get inside of her reach, behind her guard. It manages to startle her and this time I was able to strike her, causing her to drop one of her wooden daggers. Initially I wanted to celebrate the victory, but this only caused her to change tactics.

Alice began to swipe with the one remaining dagger, and slash out with her claws. Oh dear, those would not be fun to get hit by. It did cause me to dance around a lot more and do more crazy maneuvers to keep from being swiped by her claws.

From the way that she is smiling I do not know if Alice was upset that I got behind her guard, or that she was proud and was simply having fun. There was also a third possibility, she just liked to fight, and with the way her smile continued to rise I had hunch it was that one.

"Just because you said new game did not mean that you ended the first one." I tell her. Yes, I realize that I was being pedantic, but oh well.

"Fine, same game, just a twist."

As she chases me around somehow Alice manages to lose both of her shoes. She was using the claws on her feet to help her have stronger kicks off of the ground, so not an accident. After I saw her do that the first few times, I knew that our match would be ending soon. I know that it is over when she grabs her dropped dagger with her feet and flicks it up into the air, catching it deftly.

Deciding that I would go by the... Spirit of the exercise instead of continuing to dodge I run. I run as fast as I can and do my leaps up the running wall. She did say that it was always an advantage to get the higher ground.

Now that I have achieved the higher ground, I don't know what to do with it. Sure, it is great that I am able to survey her, but how does that help. And now she is coming up the walls. Once she is nearly up the wall, I run up onto one of the hanging platforms.

"I didn't say keep away, I said dodge."

"I firmly believe that what I am currently doing is simply an extended dodge."

At my comment I hear both Alice and Cat start to laugh. Oh, well that's good. It seems as though the both of them are having a good time. Am I? Actually, I am having a great time! Once she gets near the platform I leap off of it and directly onto her. I smack her arm with my wooden dagger on my way down. I pin her down and feel victorious until she rolls me over and plants her blade against my throat.

"And that is all for tonight! You're dead." she says to me. I wonder if she is angry until I see her smile much closer. She is beaming, yes definitely a love of fighting here. She isn't simply smiling, she is glowing. Is... Is this what people mean when they say glowing with pride?

"You are wonderful. I am truly lucky that I am your mentor. Also, I know something no one else does. Aside from Cat. Because he was here, watching you. Not just watching, he was listening to you."

"I don't follow."

"When you are fighting, or apparently right after, you don't speak prim and proper. No pray tell, no dear me. None of that. Just normal speech. Short, yes but that isn't odd. Also, you are clever. Not just in mind but you have a bit of a clever tongue don't you."

And there it is. One of my secrets. One that I have kept close to my chest. My speech and mannerisms? It began as an act, I practiced them over and over in the mirror when I was younger. How was I before doing that? I was rough and tumble, I liked playing at being an adventurer. I was the brave knight saving the damsels in destress. I did know someone who speaks as I do though. And it seems so very natural for her, and that is Nila.

However, just because it slips whist I am fighting, it is well and truly ingrained in me and was something I was hard pressed to stop doing on purpose.

"You are correct. Indeed, I suppose that I do change my manner of speech."

"Of speech? Ami, you are a predator. I had been beginning to wonder. You are so, meek. I didn't know how this was going to go. I didn't know if you would be able to adapt. But you have, and you do and you are. It seems that you use everything at your disposal as well. Did Cat put any of those ideas in your head."

"He didn't." I tell her, short and simple. Cat hadn't warned me. He just had me run here as a way to give my body time to warm up, most likely in preparation for this training. I am grateful for that much though. "He did have me run here though so I would not be starting off stiff."

"Good. Do the same thing tomorrow. I am going out early to see if someone can make a crude wooden fan. I want to see all of your raw talent. Now go home. You are barely not dead anymore."

"Thank you Alice. Are you not sleeping at the inn tonight" I had recently found out that Alice and Crestin have rooms at the Paws and Claws that are theirs. Rented indefinitely.

"Dunno. I'm not going to bed yet though. I'm going to do some solo practice."

"Alright. Thank you Alice. I shall see you tomorrow. Train and rest well." I tell her before leaning down so that Cat could jump up onto my shoulder.

"Well, that was fun to watch." Cat says

"It was fun to do" I tell him.

"You really are a natural aren't you, I sure have a good eye."

"I don't know Cat. Maybe I am. Or it could be Zayne changing my blood, it could be the mana crystals that I ate. With all of these factors I simply do not know if I am a natural or not."

“That is just dumb, your strength is yours no matter where it comes from. Whether you are born with it, earn it through training or luck into it, it is yours. Don’t undermine your own strength by second guessing yourself.”

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“I suppose you are correct” I hadn’t thought about it, but it did make a sense of sort.

"We can go back to my room and run your stat sheet. Since it will only be us I do not believe that Zayne will change it until after we really look it over. Well? Do you want to see what happened after ingesting so many crystals? I mean, you gobbled them up until your body stopped absorbing them and no more would fit in your mouth."

"My dear Cat, you are making me sound like a glutton. And do you mind if we stop by the bath house on the way back?" I ask him.

"That's fine." Cat replies.

We make our way over and I take a nice hot shower, rinsing all of the sweat and gunk off of me and my clothing. I dry both me and my clothes off, get dressed, and meet back up with Cat.

"You are getting faster at that." Cat tells me.

"I'm trying. There will not always be time to bathe or shower thoroughly. Although, I managed to this time anyways."

Cat chuckles. "What is it with you and your need to always be freshly bathed and have a clean appearance? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you will find nothing of the sort in the dungeon."

"If I wasn't clean, it spoke poorly about where I lived. Having a hot spring as part of my home made it so there was no reason for me not to be clean. After having been thoroughly scrubbed against my will on a few occasions, I learned that it is much better to maintain good grooming. I also began to enjoy it."

"I am really beginning to want to know what you were like as a child." Cat says.

"You can ask my Momma yourself during the few week break. That is if you and Kay would like to travel to my home and meet my family."

Cat leaps off of my shoulder and back into his beast-kin form. It showed that he was not opposed to having a long, slow walk home with me.

"Embarrassing stories and a hot spring? Family? Me and Kay are all over that." Cat responds.

"Do you want to tell me something about who you were as a kid, or what your family is like?"

"It is a pretty common story, full of woe and tragedy. My dad died when I was young and left my mom with me and my younger sisters to take care of. She did the best that she could, working whatever jobs she was able to. It became clear that she wasn’t able to keep it up so I left home in order to help make money to provide for them. I spent a few years as a cat, learning from observing everyone around me. I even lied about my age in order to take the adventurer's exam two years early."

I give him a look about him lying about his age, it was a good way die early, but I also understood the reason. "You tested when you were twelve?" I asked him.

"Yes. I was tall for my age."

I didn't know what to say. How young was Cat when he had left home. What a life he had lived.

"I made a lot of money as an adventurer and sent a good portion of it back home. The last time I tried it was returned to me. I don't know what happened to my family, I don't know where they are now or if they are safe. I figure when they want to contact me they know where I am, adventurers don’t really move around after all."

"Do you miss them?"

"No. I don't know them. It's hard to miss what you feel you never had."

I pause, turn and give Cat a hug. He didn't respond at first but then gave me a tight hug back.

"So… How old are you Cat?" I ask him.

"My real age is 16. So as far as the testers and the Owl guild are concerned I am 18. You too for that matter."

"That's only two years older than I am, less than a year older than Nila, and wait. Kay is older than you!" I exclaim. I am not sure why, but I thought that Cat may have really been 18 or 19.

"It's not so shocking. It's better I am closer in age. Makes it easier to be friends now doesn't it?"

"You are correct Cat, it does." I nod to him, and we went on our way.

"It helps, in a way, that cat-kin are one of the faster species to age. Now, I told you something personal about me, tell me something else about you."

"I suppose it is fair, though I feel you have learned a great many things about me recently." I tell him. "Nila used to tell me, rather often actually, that I was rather not feminine."

"You? Miss Prim and Proper, always neat and clean, never left home without styled hair and makeup?"

"That is correct."

He begins laughing and I consider elbowing him in the side and realize that it would only be proving Nila's point. And that shouldn't happen without her present. So, I settle on a good sulking pout, which yes was hard to see inside the cloak, but I knew and that is what mattered.

"You talk about this Nila an awful lot. Why didn't she come with you?"

"Because she feels as though she owes my family a debt. She stays out of obligation, and my mother does not feel that it is right to send her away, disrespecting her feelings. Thus, we have to kidnap her." I tell him, no joke in my voice. I may have just decided on this, but I am very serious about it.

"Okay? If you want help just ask. It seems that we have bonded enough that I'm willing to be your partner in crime in almost anything. I do want to know more about your family."

"Keep that as a surprise for the break. And you will know Nila. She is the most beautiful one there."

"Are you and Nila closer to sisters or closer to lovers because I can't tell."

"I don't feel quite old enough to take a lover." I say and let that hang in the air.

"You do know that is not an answer.”

“Yes, I am rather aware” I respond continuing to refuse to elaborate.

“A more generic question then, are you more interested in say Alices or Crestins?"

"Gender is simply a construct. When I take a lover, I could care less about their gender. But it won't be Nila. Nila is like a sister to me. Though I have a feeling..." I say and give Cat a side eye.

"Are you coming onto me?" Cat asks me.

"I do think you are rather attractive but no, I am not. I was thinking that honestly you would make an amazing partner to Nila. Oh my, I am excited to have the two of you meet in a few months."

"Now you have me even more curious about her, oh matchmaker make me a match. Have you been sending her letters?"

"Of course, I have been. I have talked a lot about all of you as well and she is rather interested in meeting everyone."

We walk in silence for a few minutes before I am struck with a thought that I was unable to dislodge from my mind. Oh dear me, I suppose I must ask it then.

"Cat, if I were to convince Nila to run away with me and join us would she have to wait until next year to join?"

"No. As long as she starts as soon as she gets here, she can be sponsored by a guild and journey into the dungeon after 6 months."

"So as soon as we are able to go into the dungeon she would be able to join us?" I ask him.

"Yes, though with conditions, provisions, supervision and so forth."

That gives me quite a bit to think about actually. Nila is rather stubborn so I shall have to be rather clever if I wish to convince her to join us. I know that it may be against her wishes but truth to tell she does not want to warm beds. I know this as we have talked with each other about everything under the sun. Crushes, favorite activities, dreams and wishes for the future, the voice in my head, warming beds. There was not a single topic that was off limits.

I want to be around her again, but more than that I wish to get her out of a situation that she does not wish to be in. Loving someone means wanting to best for them. But this should not be my focus at this current time, and I am indeed aware of this.

We walk in companionable silence until we get to the Paws and Claws.

"Well then, are you wanting to go see if any of your stats or proficiencies have gone up? You did seem interested in it." Cat asks me.

"That is indeed true, I am rather curious as to see what the mana crystals did."

"I watched your practice match with Vita and there has been a noticeable change. Every time that you fought and woke up from the poison should have strengthened your body. Also, I believe that you did have some training before you were struck with the poison. Oh, and Kay will get his print out tomorrow so..."

"You want to wait until tomorrow so that Kay and I can get excited together don't you?" I ask him.

"If you are comfortable with that. I can also make him wait to show you until after your next practice match with Alice. We can also recheck your weapon proficiencies through we will have to borrow a training hall for that one."

"I thought that it was difficult to raise those?"

"Not with how hard the two of you have been working, and with all of the mana crystals shards I fed to you. Speaking of which come with me, and you know those crystals weren’t free? Needless to say you are indebted to me and have no choice but to join my guild"

Trusting Cat I follow after him. “Wasn’t that always the plan?” I ask him, but he doesn’t respond.

"Open your mouth."

A bit of a strange request but again I trust Cat. I open my mouth and as soon as I do he throws a handful of something into it. When I feel it melt in my mouth I know that it was mana crystals.

"Are you sure you want to use these on me? Aren't these a main way of making money?" I ask him, grateful but also rather confused.

"I am investing in you. You are a fighter and a proud member of my guild. I don't plan to hold back. I will be investing in our future, the future of my, our, precious guild."