The obnoxious song of a thousand cicadas looking for love filtered through Sulika’s open window. With bleary eyes, a messy head of hair, and a line of dried drool on her face, Sulika came out of her alcohol induced sleep with a yawn. Oddly enough, despite drinking well into the night, Sulika didn’t feel hungover… In fact, she couldn’t remember when she’d last felt this good in the morning.

She twisted at the waist, rotated her shoulders, and turned her head from side to side as a test- her body moved just fine. Which was extremely suspicious. Sulika fought for a living; there wasn’t a day that went by without something aching.

She shucked her blanket off her legs and climbed out of bed- a flash of creamy flesh froze her in her tracks. She slowly looked down, hoping she was wrong and the breeze she was feeling was because the room was just drafty… But no, she wasn’t so lucky. Sulika stood beside her bed in a t-shirt and nothing else.

She cast an apprehensive glance back at her bed and found it empty. A wave of relief swept through her so quickly, she couldn’t help but sigh out loud. Finding herself half-naked was one thing, but if she’d accidentally slept with someone after passing out last night- well, she didn’t know what she’d do- “Oh, you’re awake. Good. Breakfast is ready.” Aldritch said from outside her room.

Her door wasn’t open, and hadn’t been so much as cracked since she woke up, so how did he know she was awake? Suddenly realizing her priorities were slightly askew, Sulika’s entire body flushed at the sound of his voice. She yanked her blanket off the bed and hurriedly wrapped it around her body to save whatever modesty she had left. “Aldritch?” Sulika called. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but- uh- what are you doing in my house?”

“No offense taken.” He called back through the door. “Are you modest?”

Sulika looked down at her blanket covered form, shrugged, then said, “Good enough.” In as confident a voice as she could manage. The blanket was dark gray, and about as far from transparent as you could get. So, it would do for the moment. She needed answers… And if they had done what she feared, then he’d already seen everything, anyway.

“Mind if I open the door?” He asked. She noted she couldn’t discern anything from his voice. He was speaking calmly, and his words flowed as they always did. If he felt anything at this moment, she couldn’t tell. Which actually went a long way to soothing her worries, since if they had done anything, he damn well would’ve felt something over it.

“Sure, why not.” Sulika replied and sat back down on her bed. She folded one leg over the other and sat as comfortably as she could, given the circumstances.

Aldritch opened the door and stepped aside to let Snowball fly through the door at mach munchkin. He laughed at the bird’s exuberance and stepped into the room while Snowball perched on the foot of the bed and angrily squawked at Sulika.

“Hey, buddy.” Sulika laughed. She reached out and lightly ran her fingers down his back. Snowball leaned into her touch but continued to yell at her for a few more seconds. “What’s up with him?” She asked Aldritch.

“You threw up on him.” Aldritch replied. He leaned against the doorframe and smiled at the horrified expression on Sulika’s face.

“Oh, my poor baby!” Sulika shouted. She held out her arm to Snowball, who hopped onto her forearm without hesitation and eagerly received the love and affection she began showering upon him. “He doesn’t smell like vomit.” Sulika said after calming Snowball down.

“You’re welcome.” Aldritch replied. He was still leaning against her wall; his arms were folded across his massive chest, and he seemed to be watching Sulika with an intensity she wasn’t used to.

“Maybe we did sleep together…”

“Whatever you’re thinking we did- we didn’t.” Aldritch said, taking a guess at her thoughts based on the concerned expression on her face.

“Ah… That- That’s good.” Sulika replied and cleared her throat. “Then, if we didn’t do that. Why am I not wearing pants?”

Aldritch deliberately glanced down at the blanket covering her legs. A sly grin spread across his face before he backed out of the room. He returned a few moments later with her pants and underwear, both of which had been neatly folded, and sat them on the bed next to her. Aldritch watched Sulika’s face pale before he replied, “You were pretty sick last night. Well, you and Faeyra. I got Faeyra to tell me where your bedroom was before she fell asleep, and I carried you both up here. I used ‘Purify’ on your clothes, and ‘Lesser Regeneration’ on your bodies to prevent a hangover and went back downstairs. Faeyra stumbled downstairs about an hour ago, naked as the day she was born with your clothes in hand and demanded to know what I did to the two of you. It was... Certainly, an experience.” Aldritch explained with an amused grin on his face.

Sulika looked completely mortified at the end of his explanation. The nonchalant way he explained it all made it even worse. He was technically a stranger to them. Yet, not only had he seen them both at their most vulnerable. They had even forced him to take care of them! “I am so-so sorry.” Sulika said, dropping her head and bowing to Aldritch. “I don’t know how, but I promise I’ll-”

“Stop.” Aldritch said and interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. Promises were a big deal to dwarves. Your life was only as good as your word in a dwarf clan, and promises weren’t to be taken lightly. “I’m a cleric, remember?” He explained. “Taking care of the sick and injured is part of the job. No need to pay me back- Unless you plan to give me some more chocolate milk, in which case, I’ll absolutely accept.” He said and smiled. He hoped he hadn’t gone too far again. He still wasn’t used to speaking with people… Well, living people, anyway.

Sulika stared at him for a long moment before her body relaxed, and she smiled. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Aldritch replied. “Now, get dressed and come downstairs for breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us, and you’re going to need the energy.” He said before ducking out of the room and disappearing around the corner.

Sulika couldn’t suppress a yawn and sighed as she fell backwards. She pulled the blanket around her body to save warmth and closed her eyes- Aldritch’s departing words finally sunk in and the events of last night came flooding back; Meeting a god, agreeing to found a guild, the decision to contact her team and the Guild Master. “Fuck.” She sighed and rolled out of bed.

A few minutes later, Sulika entered the dining room while pulling her hair into a low ponytail. She found Faeyra sitting in her usual spot with half a mountain of food on the table in front of her, while she explained the finer details of bottle management to Aldritch.

Aldritch was once again standing off to the side because of his weight. He glanced at Sulika to show he knew she was there, but most of his attention remained fixed on whatever Faeyra was saying. Sulika was amused to see him holding one of their plates in his mammoth-sized hands. It looked like he was holding something out of a child’s play set, especially the fork. She could barely see it between his fingers.

“Morning.” Sulika said to Faeyra after sitting in the chair next to her. Her greeting pulled Faeyra’s attention away from her discussion with Aldritch long enough to get a “Hey, Fox girl.” in return- Sulika’s eyes widened at the nickname, but Faeyra just went back to talking like she hadn’t just blurted out Sulika’s most well-kept secret… The strange thing was, Aldritch didn’t react to the nickname in the slightest. He didn’t even look confused; he just accepted the nickname as a matter of course and moved on with the conversation.

“Okay,” Sulika said, getting their attention. “I feel like I keep asking for explanations today, but I just can’t help this one. Faeyra, what the hell, man?” Sulika shouted.

“What?” Faeyra asked, confused by Sulika’s response to what Faeyra considered her standard ‘good morning’ greeting- That did it. The realization of what she’d said finally sunk in and her face went white as a sheet. She’d called Sulika ‘Fox Girl’- though it’d been her nickname since Faeyra learned her secret years ago, she’d never made the mistake of calling Sulika that way in front of someone else.

Sulika and Faeyra slowly turned their heads to check Aldritch’s reaction… He was more interested in the chocolate chip sweetbread Faeyra made especially for him. Now that Faeyra had ‘finished’ speaking, Aldritch didn’t think it would be rude to focus on his meal. The sweetbread was light, fluffy, and springy to the touch. Aldritch could see the melted ambrosia awaiting him beneath a thin layer of dough and a dusting of brown sugar.

Sulika and Faeyra felt a wave of relief wash over them. He hadn’t noticed the slip-up… Or, if he had, he didn’t think much of it.

“You called her fox girl because she’s a Kitsune, right?” Aldritch asked after Sulika and Faeyra’s shocked silence turned awkward. “I’ve been meaning to ask about that since I first saw you, but since you maintained your transformation even while unconscious, I assumed you must really not want anyone to find out?” He asked while tearing off a corner piece of the sweetbread and bringing it to his mouth. The flavor exploded on his tongue with enough intensity to make his eyes flutter closed.

“Wait- You knew?” Sulika exclaimed. Her heart pounded in her chest so loud she worried they could hear it. She felt like someone was sitting on her chest, keeping her lungs from fully expanding… Or maybe from contracting? Either way, she was surprised about how difficult something as simple as breathing could be when your entire life was crumbling around you.

“Calm Mind.” Aldritch muttered before reaching over and placing the palm of his hand on Sulika’s scalp. The effect was immediate; the instant Aldritch’s magic penetrated Sulika’s body, she felt an ice-covered hand take hold of her fear and smother it. Sulika found it easier, and for a moment, she actually forgot what she was so afraid of. And with her fear gone, her mind was totally clear. She used this moment of clarity to think it over and came to a conclusion; It didn’t matter if Aldritch found out she was a Kitsune. She knew now that he was the closest thing to a stuffed bear as one could get. Sure, he was big, scary, and stronger than anyone she knew. But he was basically harmless once you got to know him.

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“What’d you do to her?” Faeyra asked, her words drew Sulika out of her internal reflection and back to the topic at hand. Namely, how the hell did Aldritch know she was a Kitsune from the first time they met?

“Calm Mind is just a little trick I learned a long time ago. Though it's technically an Enchantment spell designed to make concentration easier, it can also function as a sedative if your magic is potent enough.” Aldritch explained. He used Wisdom of the Great Sage to scan her body for any further issues. He didn’t need it to recognize a panic attack, he had enough firsthand experience with those to recognize the signs in his sleep. But he wanted to be sure there wasn’t anything else going on.

Diagnostic Screening

Age 27 Race Yako Kitsune

Vitals

Optimal for Race B.P 136/86 124/76 Pulse 127 106 Temp 102.1 102.6 O.S 99% 100% Abnormalities affecting the Body:

None Detected

Abnormalities affecting the Immune System:

Immune System working at 75% efficiency | Recovery complete in [ 7 ] Hours.

Wisdom of the Great Sage activated like it always did, and the information displayed was perfect as usual. Aldritch was slightly concerned about her elevated blood pressure and Pulse levels, but considering the panic attack she'd just experienced, he adopted a 'wait and see' approach. If it was still elevated later today, they might have a problem. But there was something alongside the usual display, something Aldritch had never seen before; A semi-transparent window appeared to the left of the usual diagnostic screen.

Status

Class

Nine-Tail's Heir

Level

31

Ability Scores

Strength

10

Dexterity

20

Constitution

10

Wisdom

14

Intelligence

16

Charisma

20

Aldritch ended Wisdom of the Great Sage with a thought and placed a hand on Sulika’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” He asked. He was in full medic mode, so his voice was calm, quiet, and designed to make the patient relax… Or at the very least, not experience another panic attack.

“Yeah-” Sulika sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m good. Head hurts though. Is that normal?”

“Perfectly normal. Calm Mind works wonders, but it’s not without its drawbacks. Headaches would be one of them.” Aldritch explained.

“What’re the other side-effects?” Sulika asked before she could stop herself.

“Seizures, blindness, increased likelihood of addiction, brain death. But those are all exceedingly rare, one in a billion odds. Most people just get headaches.”

“I’m sorry I asked.” Sulika groaned. “By the way; Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you said. How’d you know I was a Kitsune?” Sulika asked, and her question was quickly echoed by Faeyra.

“If it’s something simple, we might have to pack up and move again.” Faeyra added. Aldritch could tell from the expression on her face that she was serious.

“I doubt you’d find someone else with the ability to see through you the way I did. Not that there aren’t other ways, it’s just that mine is a bit… Unconventional.” Aldritch said and looked between them. When it didn’t look as if his answer was good enough, he continued- “Have either of you ever heard of True Sight?” Sulika and Faeyra both shook their heads in answer. “Well, it’s a passive ability I possess. It allows me to see the truth of all things, be they magical, mundane, or otherwise.”

“So… You can see through my transformation?” Sulika asked, and wondered how similar his ability was to her own ability to see through lies. The ability was, as far as Sulika knew, exclusive to Kitsunes. Whenever someone told a lie in front of her, the sentence containing the lie would appear in the air above the liar’s head in a sickly yellow color. Sulika’s mother once explained the phenomenon as a relic from their divine ancestor who was a god of lies, tricks, and dreams. Sulika didn’t know how true that was, but it made just as much sense as anything else she knew about Kitsune legends.

“Well, yes and no.” Aldritch replied. He frowned as he considered the best way to explain. “When I look at you, I see both sides; Your elf side and your Kitsune side just overlap. Right now, your elf side is dominant, and the Kitsune side appears as an outline around your body. I imagine if you ever returned to your Kitsune form, the reverse would happen. But that’s really just a guess, since you’re the first Kitsune I’ve met since I learned the ability.” He explained.

"That's not surprising." Sulika muttered sourly. "The Kitsune all know exposure means death, or worse. So, they disappeared from the public eye when I was about five. Haven't seen a Kitsune since." She explained. As she spoke, her voice grew deeper and more somber as she tried-and failed- to remember what her parents were like. But the only ones to come to mind, were the Silverowls; Faeyra and Faeyra's Grandmother.

"I see..." Aldritch replied before bowing his head. "It's never easy." He muttered, "And despite what some priests would tell you, it doesn't really get easier with time. Like a deep cut that scabs over, our hearts will bleed for a while after we lose someone. Eventually it'll grow a thick layer of protection and do its best to numb the pain long enough to close the wound. But no matter what method you use to cover the wound, a scar usually remains to remind you of what you've lost. And like a scar is wont to do; it'll ache when it rains, sometimes it'll burn if prodded. And no matter how used to it you think you are, the most innocuous of things will remind you it's there and cause it to ache once more." Aldritch finished in a low voice... After a few seconds of silence, Aldritch picked up his sweet bread and stuffed the entire thing in his mouth. Once he was done with his plate, he picked up Faeyra's abandoned plate and placed it atop his own. "I apologize if I overstepped. Oakairo knows I'm no good with sympathy, it's why I prefer to treat my patients while they're unconscious." He laughed and walked into the kitchen. He planned to clean the plates, since Faeyra was kind enough to cook him breakfast, then he'd head outside and wait for the women to join him.

While Aldritch was cleaning, Faeyra profusely apologized to Sulika for her slip-up. Even if it didn't matter, since Aldritch already knew, Faeyra had still screwed up. Had that been anyone else, Faeyra could've just condemned her best friend to a life in hiding... Or a very short life on the run.

Faeyra met Sulika when she was five years old. Though, back then she wasn't aware of Sulika's other-half and only saw her as the foster kid her grandmother brought home. She instantly recognized Sulika as a kindred spirit- as someone who'd watched their parents die in front of them. She hadn't pushed Sulika to tell her what happened, since she didn't want to bring back any memories Sulika would rather forget. She just naturally learned the truth after she accidentally walked in on Sulika while she was transformed. From there, it didn't take long for Faeyra to learn the truth.

Before Sulika came to live with her and her grandmother, there were rumors of Kitsune hunters; Madmen who believed in the old tales of a Kitsune's immortality. Specifically, the idea that if you cut off a Kitsune's tail and eat it, the magic of their divine ancestor would grant you immortality. It was hogwash, of course. Kitsune had no more divine blood flowing through their veins than Aldritch did, but that didn't dissuade the believers. Neither did the laws put in place to protect Kitsune- anyone caught with a Kitsune tail in their possession was stripped of their freedom, their titles, and sometimes, even their lives. But did that stop them? No, it just made them all the more rabid and crueler. Hard to convict someone if there were no survivors left to I.D them.

Sulika lived through such an attack. She saw her parents, siblings, grandparents- the whole family wiped out in a single night. Sulika doesn't remember how, or why she survived. All she knows is that she was found wandering the elven city of Zephybell in the early hours of the morning. A passing hunter thought she was just a lost child and took her to the chieftain's house- Otherwise known as Gran's place. And the rest was... Well, history.

"Hey, you okay?" Sulika asked Faeyra. She noticed the sick look on her friend's face and wondered if she should call Aldritch back in here to check on her.

"I'm so sorry, Sulika. I don't know what happened, I- I fucked up." Faeyra replied. Her head was down as she couldn't bring herself to look Sulika in the eyes- "Ow!" Faeyra shouted and leaned back to avoid the second hit.

Sulika stared at Faeyra through narrowed eyes for a few more seconds before placing the wooden spoon back on the table. "Since I know you aren't going to listen to me, I figured I'd just skip the part where I tell you not to worry about it and jump to the part where I smack you, you get angry, I call you a snarky bitch, and we move on with our day. Sound like a plan?"

Despite herself, Faeyra smiled at that. "You know, usually it's my ass that gets smacked as foreplay, not my forehead... But I guess this is fine sometimes too." She replied while grinning flirtatiously at Sulika. She tried to say it like she usually would, but her heart wasn't really into it at the moment. Sulika still gave her a thumbs-up for the effort, finished her breakfast, and headed off to the kitchen.

Faeyra watched her go with a somber smile on her face. She still felt bad for what she'd done, but she wouldn't let Sulika see her upset again... At least, not while there were any spoons within arm's reach.