~ 1x1 with HoleyPaladin [M]

[Owl0430]

Akira Akatski-18-female-Kitsune-tagged;none
Numerous soldiers raced through the dense, foggy forest, a light rain noisily splashing onto the leaves of trees. The footsteps of the soldiers could be heard over the rain, angered shouts following. Ahead of them ran a young woman with silver hair, as well as one gold eye and one silver. The silver cloak billowed behind her as she ran desperately in attempt to escape certain death. However, she ran with one hand holding up the hood of her cloack, as if trying to hide her identity. It was endless, the pursuit. There would be moments in which she was able to escape temporarily, for a half hour or so, and rest. However, it would only be so long until she was found again. All she knew was that she couldn't be caught. To rest for too long or to sleep would be her downfall. Though, she also knew she couldn't keep this up forever. Already the endless running was beginning to take its toll- the off and on running had been going on sense just before sunrise. why.... why me? she thought angrily. why any of us? Most of us haven't caused harm....so why? What is the purpose of the needless bloodshed? a single tear fell as she momentarily rested against a tree. Then she once more heard footsteps....but this time they were spread out, in different directions. Were they trying to lead her to a trap? It wasn't like she had much of a choice at this point but to risk it. As she ran, she could hear the soldiers getting closer. Closing the distance from all but one side. Seeing the trees beginning to thin, she knew a clearing of sorts was coming up. However, though it was a clearing of sorts, it was one without any exits but the way in which she came. She ran as far as she could, even if it only bought her a few more seconds. At the point in which she reached the wall of the grotto, it wouldn't have mattered if there was more room to run. She was too tired to continue. Falling to her knees, she stayed quiet, motionless, waiting to meet her fate.

[Holeypaladin]

The commotion in the forest drew the attention of a nearby Fahrender Ritter... a traveling knight who sought to right wrongs, protect the innocent, punish the guilty, and all that. Heinrich von Reichskapital wasn't nearly so idealistic as such legendary traveling knights as Don Quixote, however, and he knew that the actions of one man rarely had much of an impact on the evils of the world... yet still he performed his duty, simply because it was the right thing to do.

He was aware of the local king's policy of extermination towards kitsunes and other races, and so he rode a phantasmal summoned steed in the direction of the commotion, noting several soldiers carrying spears, axes, bows, and other weapons surrounding a beautiful girl with silver hair and two fluffy tails, along with the pointed ears of a fox. As she fell to the ground, he urged his horse faster until he was above her, conjuring forth a schiavona (https://www.outfit4events.com/runtime/cache/images/redesignProductFull/jk-0028_01.JPG) in each hand as he stood guard over the fallen girl.

"By order of His Majesty the King, step away from that fox!" he heard the sergeant in charge of the soldiers calling out to him as the soldiers leveled their weapons at him. "His Majesty has ordered the extermination of all fox witches from the realm, and if you stand between us and the fox, we'll have to put you down as well!"

"Oh really...?" asked the knight somewhat sarcastically. "You and what army?"

"This army..." said the sergeant, waving to the soldiers as they approached closer. "Don't you see them?"

"I see them..." said the knight, "And I'm not impressed. I'd prefer not to kill mere mooks for following orders... but when you follow the evil orders of an unjust king... you leave me little choice." The sergeant seemed somewhat confident in his odds and motioned for the soldiers to close in on them, while the knight spoke to the fallen fox. "Can you fight?" he asked her, figuring this fight would be much easier if she would back him up with some of her race's famous sorcery.

[Owl0430]

Akira Akatski-18-female-Kitsune-tagged;none
Keeping her eyes closed, the kitsune had resigned herself to her fate, bracing for her end as a shadow loomed over her. However, it was only seconds later she realized the shadow looming above her wasn't going to be the one to kill her. Rather, whoever it was might be the one to save her life. Peering up at him, a look of both confusion and hope crossed her face. Alas, it faded quickly. '' Why are you risking your life to spare mine? I had embraced my face, as for there was no escape....'' she questioned, in a curious but monotone voice. Much to her surprise though, the male didn't back down from the army- rather, he challenged them. '' I.... I can not say how much help in battle I will be... I have grown weary from the endless pursuit. However, for both your life and mine I will help you to the best of my abilities.''
Slowly she stood, her long, silver hair billowing out behind her in the wind. Though baffled by the actions of the knight, she silently made a secret oath in her mind. Should this knight truly be capable of allowing her to live through this, by taking down the army before them, she would stick by his side. For she shall owe him a great debt, and therefore protect his life in return until she shall breath no more.

[Holeypaladin]

Though the knight acted with confidence, he was aware that engaging so many soldiers in combat wasn't typically a very good idea. He did a quick estimate of their numbers. There seemed to be at least three dozen of them... more like a company of soldiers than a true army, but against a single knight, it might as well have been a battle against an army. He listened as the fox spoke, having resigned herself to her fate, and he gave a quick sigh. "Your life is valuable... you shouldn't just throw it away."

"Enough of this," he heard the sergeant say. "Take him down! Along with the fox witch!" About a half dozen archers took aim with their bows, along with an equal number of crossbowmen, though the knight was expecting just such a thing. Using his Foundry circuit, he conjured forth two shields which hovered in the air closeby, the shields moving to intercept the projectiles as they were released in his direction.

"Come on," he said to the fox, helping her up into the saddle of the magical phantasmal steed that he was riding along with him, and turned his horse towards the guards. He soon charged forward, his swords slicing with lethal precision, severing the head of one soldier while cutting the other in half. He continued to slash through the bodies of the various soldiers in order to clear a path to escape rather than attempting to kill every one of them.

"After them!" he heard the voice of the sergeant calling out, though the knight was confident that they wouldn't be able to keep up with his magical steed as it moved faster than any mortal horse. Still, they could be a bit annoying.

"If you torch the one giving orders, it should cause some confusion," he suggested to the fox girl, figuring she'd at least be capable of the pyromancy capable of her kind, though the fact that she only had two tails implied that her powers weren't very effective against a large number of opponents. A single opponent, however... he figured she might be capable at least of that.

[Owl0430]

Akira Akatski-18-female-Kitsune-tagged;none
Who was this man, and where had he come from? '' Ha, my life is valuable? You humor me. None of the others seem to share the same view. Besides, they're exterminating us like pests. What point is there if there are none of us left in the long run anyways?'' then, seeing a hand offered to her to help her onto the magical steed, she swiftly took the offer, wrapping her arms tightly around the knight as to avoid falling off. Though, Akira had closed her eyes as some of the soldiers were slaughtered, not a fan of witnessing the bloodshed. In fact, she only opened them when she was spoken to. ''I...am indeed capable of the task.'' a few moments after she had spoken she aimed a fiery sphere at the seargent, throwing it at him. However, as she turned her head back to facing the knight, she noticed a stray arrow flying at them, and knocked it out of the air with a small shard of ice. Afterwards, though, she leaned forward a bit, gently pressing her forehead against the back of his neck.

[Holeypaladin]

The knight was a bit too busy focusing on the escape to answer the fox girl's question. He charged through several soldiers, and while his steed took several blows in the process, it seemed like mundane weapons had very little effect on the creature. After severing a few more heads and sending more limbs flying, he was able to break free of the surrounding soldiers and outmaneuver them.

The way the sphere of fire impacted the sergeant and incinerated him did indeed seem to send the soldiers into disarray as they weren't sure who to take orders from next. The knight braced himself to shield the fox from an arrow that managed to make its way past his shields, though the way her ice deflected it showed him that it wasn't entirely necessary.

Once they broke free, he continued to ride for some time, making impressive speed through the forest away from the soldiers. "I'm Heinrich," he said to her in a voice loud enough to be heard over the sound of the wind passing by them, though he supposed her fox ears gave her sufficient hearing that he could have whispered and be heard as well. "What's your name?"

After a couple miles of fast galloping, he began to slow his pace, though still moving fairly quickly away from the soldiers. He expected that they had lost them for the time being, though it didn't hurt to continue to put distance between them as much as possible. "All life has value, be it human, elf, dwarf, or kitsune. Some creatures are born inherently evil... but you're not one of them, are you?"

[Owl0430]

Akira Akatski-18-female-Kitsune-tagged;none
Despite the wind, Akira would have been able to hear him just fine had he spoke in a normal voice. However, when he shouted above the wind, she flattened her ears against her head at how loud it was to her. '' It is an honor to meet you, Heinrich.'' her voice was shouting slightly, just in case he couldn't hear her if she were to speak normally. '' I am Akira. I am forever in your debt.'' with a frown she wearily rested her head on his shoulder. '' No, I am not villainous in anyway. At least, I don't believe I am. At the worst i was a petty thief. Children were always so kind to me...well, the ones that had little food and near no shelter. So sometimes i would steal a loaf of bread or two, maybe some fruit. It may have been the wrong thing for a good cause, but I wouldn't call it evil. I understand there are some of us who are rather devious, and enjoy causing mischief, but there are also those of us who bring luck, or are at least decent people.'' sighing gently she lifted her head back up.''Though.... I still don't quite understand why you saved me. Even if you believe all life has value, how could you be sure I wasn't Villainous? Besides, you only brought more trouble on to yourself. You know the king will not like the protection of a Kitsune.''

[Holeypaladin]

The knight listened to the words of the kitsune, noting how tired she seemed to be from all the running as she spoke. He wrapped his arms around her in order to support her better, enjoying the warm sensation of having the beautiful girl in his arms as she spoke, listening to the words she said in a voice loud enough to be heard over the sound of his rapidly moving steed.

"Nice to meet you, Akira," he remarked in response to her words. "I don't ask for payment, though it seems you'll be stuck for me awhile longer, as leaving you to fend for yourself after that would be a rather terrible idea." He listened as she explained her morality, frowning somewhat as she mentioned stealing as he supported her slender weight in his arms.

"Stealing is bad..." he said to her. "It's not good to let children starve, true... but the bakers and the butchers need to make a living as well. With the king's current tax rate, those who make the food are striving just as hard to make ends meet as those who have trouble finding any." There wasn't a particularly easy way to deal with the problem of lack of food for the poor while the king held huge feasts where fat noblemen vomited in order to consume greater amounts of food, but crime was rarely an effective way of solving the problem.

"So which are you..." he remarked, "A mischief maker, or a bringer of good fortune?" He shrugged somewhat at her question. "The guards were unable to come up with a valid reason to terminate you aside from the king's genocide policy. If they had claimed you were a murderer I might have been more hesitant to save you... but so far it seems like I definitely made the right call."

[Owl0430]

Akira Akatski-18-female-Kitsune-tagged;none
" yes, I realize my actions were wrong, and for that I do apologize. However, I don't entirely regret my actions. Even if it means one day I shall have to repay the bakers and what not. It was worth seeing the looks on the faces of the children. Though, if it makes you feel any better, the moment their parents saw me I was often chased away with a broom. " laughing slightly for a few moments, she watched the scenery go by. " well... I'm not sure if I bring mischief or luck. I've never really stuck by someone long enough to find out. However, I like to believe I bring luck. There was one instance where I was just leaving the side of a child, and a kind old woman gave the child a bit of money for food. Though, there was also the instance in which I had passed by a nobleman, but as soon as i had passed by then he was assaulted by a group of thieves. Of course, that could've been coincidence, as I had not been hanging around him. " letting out a gentle sigh she closed her eyes. " For your sake let us hope I bring fortune. " Akira purposely didn't comment on how long she would have to stay by his side, deciding to save that for a later time. For the time being she would be grateful that she was still alive. Slowly she raised a hand to her neck, feeling for the small sphere that resided on her necklace. Feeling it was still there, she relaxed a little bit.

[Holeypaladin]

The knight was somewhat surprised that the kitsune readily admitted she was wrong... he was expecting a bit more of an objection from her. However, he understood why she did what she did, and couldn't exactly hold it against her. Starving children were one of those situations where the heart often spoke louder than the head, though he personally would have paid for the food only because he had the means of doing so.

"I suppose we'll have to tell whether or not you bring luck or misfortune," the knight said with a chuckle. "Though I don't particularly believe in either. Men make their own luck, so I'll just have to ensure to bring success as much as possible." He rode on for a time, and though the summoned steed never seem to grow tired, there was a limit to how long the spell would last, and after some time, he sensed that the conjuration spell was fading.

"We should look for a place to make camp..." he remarked. "There should be a camp site somewhere around here next to a spring... should be as good a location as any." After some time searching through the woods, he located a spring, and rode upstream for awhile until he found a large pool of water and the remains of some long-dead camp fires. "They'll be searching for us, but we should have at least a few hours until their search parties come to inspect this camp site." He went ahead and helped the kitsune down from the horse before climbing down himself as the conjured steed slowly faded into nothingness.

[Owl0430]

Akira Akatski-18-female-Kitsune-tagged;none
'' Yes, I suppose we'll see...'' with those words spoken, she closed her eyes, trying her best to relax and regain some of her energy. Though to her it had only seemed like mere minutes until he began speaking of finding a place to make camp. '' A few hours?'' she asked gravely, a look of both annoyance and sadness in her eyes. ''Why can there not be a single day where one can just sleep without worries of being pursued....'' when he stopped the steed she thanked him for helping him down, watching to see he got down safely before venturing towards the water's edge and sat on her knees beside it.

Peering into the water, she inspected her own reflection with a frown. Her eyes appeared weary, and her once delicate silverish hair that had onced flowed elegantly along her back was wild and tangled. The edges of her dress was torn, and overall she concluded she looked weary, and not even close to what others of her knd would consider attractive for a kitsune. Batting at her reflection so it blurred in the ripples, she put a hand to one of her fox ears before glancing back at her tail. With a huff, she leaned over and cupped her hands, gathering some water in them and bringing it to her mouth. It was refreshing, that was for certain. After repeating the action a few more times, she wandered back over to the knight now known as Heinrich.

'' If you wish to find a bit of food for the two of us I am capable of finding branches and starting the fire. Afterwards it would be recommended that we take shifts sleeping. Maybe a half hour to an hour each of rest if we have only a few hours. Depends on how quick we are at finding food and branches.''

[Holeypaladin]

The knight chuckled at the words of the kitsune, shaking his head somewhat. "There might come days where we're not being hunted... but today is not one of them, unfortunately. It would seem that we're to be on our own for some time... but I'll try to think of some what to turn this situation around." It would be no simple matter with the entire kingdom hunting them... but the borders of the kingdom only extended so far.

He watched as she headed over to the water to take a drink, noting how she seemed to be looking at her reflection in the water. While she was still quite attractive to him, it was clear that she was rather unhappy with the fatigue and travel dust that she had collect during her escape. Listening as she made a few suggestions, he added, "You need rest more than I do. You can feel free to clean up and launder your clothing as well, if you're not too tired. I can bring some branches back along with some food."

Not being much of an herbalist, he figured the best way to find food would be to hunt it. Though he didn't typically prefer ranged weapons, they were the kind most suited to the task, and so he conjured forth a few throwing axes as he headed out into the woods, since they could sever branches from trees as easily as they could be tossed at small game. He made sure to stay close to the camp site, however, so that he would be able to assist the kitsune if necessary.

[Owl0430]

Akira Akatski-18-female-Kitsune-tagged;none
'' No, today is most definatly not today. Nor do I believe there is a way to turn the situation around. In my opinion we have three options; admit defeat and succumb to our fate; cross the kingdom's border; or find the ocean an attempt to find a way to cross it without knowing what awaits. '' Closing her eyes for a moment to listen to their surroundings, she eventually came to a decision. '' Very well. I shall take up upon your offer to bathe with gratitude, as there is a small waterfall not too far from here. However, should you so choose to be a perverted being heed my warning it will not end well for you.'' she spoke with a serious tone and a glare on her face, knowing that when it came to humans there were such people.

'' None the less, thank you for the offer. I promise I will not wander far. Should you be in need of my assitance you may call, and if I hear you I will try my best to reach you quickly. Until we meet again, Heinrich.'' with that, she bid him farewell for the moment, walking with caution in the opposite direction. Eventually she reached the small falls, sitting down on a rock as she cast aside her clothing before walking into the water. It took some time, but eventually she managed she scrub her skin and the fur on her tails and ears free of debri. However, she wished she had something scented to properly cleanse her skin with. Akira's hair, on the other hand, was another matter. Though much more difficult to clean, eventually she managed it, afterwards running her fingers through the locks as to comb it the best she could.

Finally she reached the time in which she could cleanse her clothing. Looking at the torn skirt as she attempted to clean the outfit, she contemplated the possibilities. For one, she was fortunate the skirt hadn't gotten caught on any twigs or plants. For another thing, the dress would be hard to make a hasty retreat in, let alone jump onto a horse. For the moment, though, it would also be rather heavy to wear around until it dried, and she didn't quite have the energy to use her fire in attempt to dry it. Nor did she exactly feel like returning to their campsite wearing just her undergarments. Letting out a huff of defeat, after noting there was nothing sharp enough to trim the skirt with, she slipped it back on over her undergarments, after wringing it out the best she could. She did, however, gather the skirt up enough on one side so that she could tie it into a knot as to allow herself a bit more mobility.

[Holeypaladin]

At the words of the kitsune, the knight chuckled somewhat and slowly shook his head. "Is this really the time to be worried about such things?" he commented. Having just saved the fox from a platoon of soldiers that had been hunting her, he found it amusing how she was so concerned about him being a "perverted being" when there were more important life or death issues at stake. Still, he figured it best not to provoke her too much, and glanced in her direction as she headed out towards the waterfall.

He found a few dry branches on some nearby trees, which he began to hack off with swift stroked of his magically conjured axes. Spotting a rabbit not far away, he tried not to approach so closely as to startle it, before throwing an axe an impacting the creature, killing it swiftly and painlessly. Though he didn't particularly enjoy having to kill cute fluffy animals, the meat was admittedly quite tasty, and so long as he skinned it properly before Akira was done bathing, the fox needn't know the nature of the meat.

As he carried the bunny and the wood back to the camp, he noted another presence in the woods. Concerned that one of the king's soldiers might have caught up to him already, he slowly stalked after the presence... only to see a human with a bow. A poacher, by the looks of him, as hunting on this land was illegal for commoners. The poacher raised his bow, and Heinrich traced the man's gaze... to see the body of the kitsune, bathing in the waterfall. It seemed the poacher decided to instead collect the bounty on kitsune tails... something Heinrich could not allow. As the man began to aim, Heinrich threw an axe with great force, impacting the poacher in the back of the skull and burying within the man's brain. The arrow veered quite a bit off course... hopefully far enough for the kitsune not to notice the fact that the knight was able to see her quite clearly from this angle, just as the poacher had.

He made his way back to the camp, deciding to pretend the event never happened, though he wouldn't be surprised if the keen senses of the fox girl would soon be allowing her to smell human blood from the nearby woods. Laying some wood down on the camp site, he waited for her to come back and light the fire as he skinned the rabbit pelt with a razor sharp knife.

[Owl0430]

Akira Akatski-18-female-Kitsune-tagged;none
Recalling some of Heinrich's words from earlier, she contemplated them. Was it the time to worry about modesty? What kind of question was that? What kind of woman would she be if she did not care about modesty in even the most dire situations. Then she heard the soft sound of an arrow speeding through the air. Instictively she ducked, letting herself fall forward into the water. Afterwards jumping so she could hide herself behind a rock, she looked around in the direction the arrow had seemed to come from.

Quickly she noticed two things; the stench of blood and death, and then movement nearby. Focusing on the movement, she noticed what appeared to be a figure that looked suspiciously like Heinrich. Flattening her ears against her head with a mix of emotions, she didn't take long to throw on her clothing- still, of course, soaking wet. but she didn't care. Afterwards she followed the scent of blood and death, in the end finding herself in the proximity of the now deceased poacher. It was obvious enough from the weaponry that he was a poacher. Stepping slightly closer to the corpse, she also noted the scent of other kitsune on him. Frowning, she bowed her head, knowing that more of her kind had been lost to death. Eventually opening her eyes, she angrily looked at the corpse. '' You should be ashamed for murdering the innocent.'' she hissed, before looking at the arrows.

Based on the looks of the arrows, they were useful for only one shot each; meaning none of these arrows had killed any of her kind. The bow, on the other hand, she knew had been used to shoot the arrows that had killed them, therefor she refused to lay even a finger on the bow. The arrows, however, would be of use to her. Grabbing one of them, she used it to trim off some of the fabric of her dress's skirt. With caution, of course, not to cut herself with the arrow's edge, or make the skirt too short. After having trimmed it to just above her knees, she deemed the outfit much easier to run in. Grabbing the rest of the arrows, she began on her way back to the camp.

Once at the camp, she sat down by the first and set the arrows down, looking at Heinrich with an expression that suggested she was searching for something. It had appeared she had found what she was searching for as her examining gaze turned into both a look of anger and thanks. She couldn't deny that he had, in fact, saved her life twice now. However, she also couldn't deny that from the angle the poacher was at, it was possible Heinrich would have potentially been able to see her in the water. '' Thanks...for saving me.'' she spoke in a gruff voice, obviously with conflicting emotions. Standing up, she made her way to a tree on the edge of the camp, sitting down and leaning against it.

[Holeypaladin]

The knight noted that the kitsune had noticed the arrow that had missed her thanks to his timely intervention in dispatching the poacher swiftly. He didn't say anything as she went over to inspect the man's corpse, but he saw no particular need to hide it from her, either. Rather, he simply kept his gaze on her as she retrieved the arrows and left the bow behind, for whatever reason.

The arrows weren't designed to be used as scissors, and certainly weren't optimal for trimming her dress... but the knight's knife being covered in blood would have been even less suitable to the task since it would only make a mess of her recently laundered dress, so he allowed her to use the arrowheads to the best of her ability in order to trim her dress properly. Though her rather shapely legs would have looked even better with a shorter skirt, he figured she was simply displaying her modesty again in choosing the skirt length that she did when she trimmed it.

He gazed at her as she returned, giving a slight smile and wave, listening to her words and giving her a nod. "No problem," he said, watching as she went over to the edge of the camp and leaned up against the tree. It didn't take much longer for him to finish removing the pelt from the rabbit, and once he did so, he thrust a stick through it and stood up , making his way over to the kitsune. "I can pretty much guarantee you're a better cook than me, so I'll let you take over from here." With that, he handed over the skewered meat to the girl to let her take care of lighting the branches he had collected and cooking the meat.

Noting how quiet she was being, Heinrich tried to think of something to lighten the somewhat awkward atmosphere he was feeling. "So tell me about yourself, Akira," he said in the direction of the fox as he had little else to do but chat until the meat was cooked. "What's it like being a beautiful fox spirit with an exceptionally long life span?"

[Owl0430]

Akira Akatski-18-female-Kitsune-tagged;none
'' Based on your rebellion against the kingdom I'm rather surprised you might be unfit to cook. I figured you had likely spend plenty of time rebelling against them and running.'' it was only after she had used her fire to ignite the branches that she realized how close to her Heinrich was sitting. Her fox ears flattened against her hand, a low, almost animal sound could be heard from her as she shifted slightly away from him. Sure, earlier she had been leaning against him without a care, but that had been before the incident with the poacher. Hearing him speak to her, she glanced at him with her ears still flattened against her head. When he called her a beautiful fox spirit, she narrowed her eyes and flicked her tails in an irritated manner. Now, it wasn't that she didn't appreciate the compliment, however, unlike most woman of the era she wouldn't be chasing after the first person to compliment her looks. Therefore, though again she did appreciate the compliment, she felt as if the man was saying that because of her looks, not because she was beautiful in terms of her personality and spirit. However, she did answer him honestly. ''Well, to be honest the life of a Kitsune isn't overly terrible. Well, it wasn't until the decree for us to be persecuted past the brink of extinction to the point we are all deceased. Though it is hard for us to live among the humans and some of the other races, we had made some nice little villages. Tribes, if that makes more sense, or groups. Whichever term you prefer. We would hunt together for safety, and would take shifts bathing so some would be able to stand on guard to warn off any who would accidently wander to close. Though the women of our species do have a reputation of being Vixens, both in terms of a fox and of human women, it might surprise you to know that most of us are actually nothing close to being a vixen in any other way than the fact we are female foxes. They just often mistake our natural defensive with that of an ill-tempered woman. A shrew if you will. Anyways, in our little villages we would work with eachother in the mastering of our shifting and our powers. Sometimes one of us might wander off into a human or other race town to explore a bit. Unfortunately, it is very rare we actually had money to buy anything. Instead we would stick to our own crafters and buchers and what not. The dress i have alterned was made by my villages finest craftsman. A shame her work ended up like this, but it can not be helped. I only hope she is still alive and avoiding the king's army. In the human towns we overall just enjoyed exploring and looking about, helping the poor if we could. However, on rare occasions we would get a job or a task. Granted we weren't paid much, but a job was a job. In my village, if one was to somehow recieve some money, they weren't required to share it with the rest of the village unless they chose to of their own free will. They had made the money without anyone else, therefore it was theirs to do what they pleased with. If one was to steal the earnings of another, they were banished to be in exile, a rougue, unless another village chose to take them in. Some of the jobs some of my villages women were asked to do though were rather offensive to us. Some wanted to exploit us for our hunting talents. Some wanted to show us off as if we were some beautiful freak show. Then there were the few that wished for our work to be that of a true human vixen...what's the word some of you humans use? Ah, yes, I believe the word is 'exotic entertainment', I believe? Honestly all those humans cared about was using us to gain more money from their bars. Only those truly, truly desperate accepted such jobs. Other than that, again, our lives were pleasant. To be honest, when it came to helping the children of the homeless, we would actually have a competition to see who could go a month with the least amount of times being hit by a broom.''' she smiled slightly, a sad look in her eyes. '' Unfortunately the days of peace and laughter are over. Now we can no longer stay in villages. It's everyone kitsune for him or herself. We can't even trust the older ones of us. Some of them can hide their ears and tails even when in human form, so they're not discovered as a kitsune unless they slip up. Therefore, sometimes, they'll turn the weaker ones of us in for their own gain of money and treasure. A bounty, if you will.'' watching the meat cook for a bit, she eventually looked back over to him. '' Also, if you happen to find any Foxglove flowers, let me know. The morning and evening dew off of them serve as a catalyst so that I may shift into a form more suitable for combat. As of right now, I highly doubt I am of much use in combat, even if I was fully rested. The only problem is the flowers are hard to find. There used to be plenty in my village, but they burned with our homes when the army invaded the first day after the decree had been issued.''

[Holeypaladin]

The knight listened to the fox as she talked about a "rebellion" against the current king, watching as she lit the branches and proceeded to cook the meat. He could only assume her growl meant that she was hungry, though he didn't recall doing anything that would make her irritated at him. Sure, he might have caught a glimpse or two of her rather impressive body while she was bathing, but that couldn't really be helped, as he was somewhat busy trying to save her life for a second time when it happened.

"I'm no rebel," the knight remarked. "I'm actually quite loyal to my monarch. But my monarch is not from this kingdom... there are many lands in this vast world outside the borders of the corrupt kingdom where you grew up. Surely you must have figured by my name that I wasn't from around these parts, right?" He didn't typically camp in the wilds by himself if it could be avoided, and never really made a habit of cooking meals when he could get someone else to do it for him in a roadside inn or village.

He listened as she described the life style of her people, or at least of the kitsunes who resided in the village where she had grown up. "You mean to say you're not an all-female race of seductresses who steal men away from their wilds for the purpose of reproduction, never to be seen again?" he asked in a teasing tone which implied that he knew very well that such claims were highly exaggerated. "I never would have guessed."

He wondered how such rumors began. True all-female races were quite rare, though many races had a much higher birth rate of females than they did of males. Perhaps it had more to do with the sort of jobs that kitsunes were hired to do in human settlements... such as the waitresses and exotic entertainment that Akira spoke of. And there were no shortage of legends involving humans who got romantically involved with kitsunes, though Akira gave Heinrich the impression that she only tolerated him because her life depended on it.

At the mention of foxglove flowers, the knight frowned and shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to tell a foxglove flower from any other flower, I'm afraid. They don't exactly fit under the category of weapons a knight should carry in to battle at all times. Nor would I really know how to find them... so I suppose it'll be up to you to keep a look out for them."

[Owl0430]

'' Hm...yes, I suppose you are right. Your name is rather....interesting for this kingdom. I also do believe you that other lands exist outside of this one. However, a majority of us Kitsunes enjoy staying in the land of which we were born. Though as stated earlier, many are now attempting to flee. Those in areas the troops haven't reached yet are fools if they stay. If they leave now they might live, though there will of course still be casualties.''

The fox then chuckled at his sarcasm. '' I do give you credit for that one. It's....nice to know that you didn't believe the lies about our kind. Though I can definitly see similarities between you and some of your race, I do also see some...unique differences that are a rather nice change of pace.''

'' Foxglove flowers grow on stems that can reach up to six feet in height depending on the kind. They come in a variety of colors, clusters of tubular shaped blooms that can be red, yellow, pink, purple, ect. I understand your reasoning for not knowing of them, but you should be aware of different fauna and flora within the region. Especially the flora- it is generally easier to find for food, if you know what it looks like and where to find it.''' looking up at Heinrich, she gave him a smile. ''That being said, I guess I will have to teach you of the different plantlife as we travel. It is important for you to know. ''

The smile faded and she looked at him with a stern expression. '' However, there is something you do need to know. You have saved my life, and therefore I owe you my life. Hence why, should you accept the offer, I shall accompany you for the duration of your life as your unofficial protector. I shall protect you as long as you prove true to your words of getting me out of this kingdom alive. I also expect to not be treated as a pet, or anything else but an equal. Should you accomplish all this, I shall also grant you a gift.'' a smile again appeared on her face as she held out her free hand. '' Well, Heinrich, do you accept the offer?''

[Holeypaladin]

The knight nodded at the words of the kitsune as she explained the fact that kitsunes tended to enjoy staying in the land of their birth. "I believe the desire to remain in one's homeland isn't restricted to kitsunes... humans as well have been known to remain in some rather terrible places despite the fact that their lives much be much better if they left. But refugees on the run don't have easy lives either, as it can be quite difficult to find a new place to settle down without upsetting the locals. The most welcoming place for Kitsunes that I know of requires a very long and dangerous journey..."

He shrugged at her comment. "I tend to judge others on an individual basis. So far, you've given me no reason to suspect you're a witch and a seductress as the rumors say. You're proving to be quite the opposite, in fact." Were the rumors about kitsunes true, Heinrich suspected the fox would have attempted to get him to join her in the bath and do... other things, rather than warning him to stay away and give her some privacy as she had done.

He listened as she described foxglove flowers, though he didn't pay as much attention to her explanation of flora as she seemed to suggest was necessary. If she was going to insist on telling him about various different plants as they traveled... well, it wasn't as if the sound of her voice was unpleasant, and for lack of more important conversation topics, it would suffice.

He paused as she spoke of what she considered to be a more serious topic. Of course he was familiar with cultures that practiced life-debts when their lives were saved by others, and from what she was saying, he inferred it to mean that she felt she owed him some sort of life-debt. He chuckled somewhat as she mentioned being his protector, commenting, "At the moment, it would seem I'm the one protecting you."

Gazing at her extended hand for a time, he eventually shrugged and took it with his own, pulling it towards him and gently kissing the back of it in a courteous manner. "I'm still the one protecting you," he pointed out. "It's the job of any good knight, after all. But it could prove handy for you to support me with your sorcery, and well... travelling alone is pretty boring, anyway. Much better with a cute girl," he concluded with a nod.

[Owl0430]

'' Well, Heinrich, I'm glad you do not think of me as a seductress. You would honestly be surprised how many people of your kind like to swat at us with brooms. '' she smiled happily. '' Though I can say it was always quite fun until they actually hit you. We used to play games seeing who could avoid getting hit the longest. It was a good way to pass the time.''

However, soon she noticed his lack of interest in learning the fauna and flora of the area. '' You refuse to listen, don't you? You realize that if you had to be on your own in the wilderness it would be beneficial to your survival to know what plants are safe to eat and which are not. Some can cause you to break out in a rash just due to touching it.'' she spoke stubbornly before lifting the stick roasting the rabbit away from the fire. '' Yes, though. It does seem that you are currently the one protecting me. However don't think I won't hesitate to protect you. Besides, once this entire ordeal is over, then I shall be protecting you. Though, should you find yourself a lover, I am not obliged to protect her. I will to an extent out of respect, but I will not sacrifice my own life.''

''Anyways, food is done. '' though she blushed slightly when he kissed her hand, she had no other reaction. Unless a small hint of surprise counted. She wasn't expecting that to happen. '' You hunted the rabbit, therefore you may take what you wish first.''

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich chuckled somewhat at the mention of people swinging brooms at her. It was definitely a much reasonable way to deal with an unliked race than an extermination policy... though it was definitely looking like much of the racism directed towards kitsunes was unfounded. Though he personally wouldn't have minded if Akira showed a bit more interest in him... the fact that she didn't sleep around made her far more appealing as a woman than the seductress archetype. "You must be good at dodging things," he remarked.

As she chastised him for not paying attention to her lecture on toxic plants, the knight smirked somewhat as he figured out how to reply to her. "I guess you'll just have to protect me from poisonous plants for the rest of my life, then," he said somewhat teasingly. "You've got far more talent for cooking than I do, at least." He watched her continue to roast the bunny, gazing at her a bit as she mentioned how she intended to protect him. "Alright..." he said. "Well I can agree to all but one thing. If that lover happens to be you, then I must insist that you protect your own life as well. Wouldn't want to get all close to you only to have you foolishly sacrifice yourself for me, right?"

He glanced at the meat as she announced it was complete. Truthfully, he could easily have eaten more than half of the roast bunny, though he had eaten already in the morning, and had no idea how long the kitsune had been on the run or when her last meal had been. Therefore, as she told him to take his share first, he cut off a very small portion of the meat for himself and replied, "You can have the rest. If you're still hungry afterwards, we can find some of those edible herbs you were talking about."

[Owl0430]

" compared to some of the others I am fairly decent at dodging things. However, some of the others are far more agile and have better reflexes. Though at some point or another we all slip up and end up with quite the bruise"

After she finished speaking she tilted her head in thought in regards to his response to her lecture on plants. " well played Heinrich, I applaud you for that remark, it was quite clever. " she replied with a smirk. " though if you don't wish to learn about the plants I must insist you learn to cook. What if I were to catch a cold and be unable to cook or search for herbs. "

Afterwards though she frowned, looking away, her ears uneasily flattening against her head. " its not that your unattractive, Heinrich.... but I don't see that as being likely... your kind would think you were psychotic. Not only that, but what is the point of being with someone who will outlive you? To be honest I don't see why you would want to be with a kitsune in the first place. Even I must admit you would be quite desirable for any human woman. You'd easily be capable of making any human woman fall to your knees, so being with someone like a kitsune seems rather.. well, to be honest, incredibly foolish and full of risks. "

For a few moments afterwards she was silent, until she completely changed the topic. " I won't argue against you if you insist on not taking more- as you are rather stubborn I would presume, and therefore it'd be pointless to argue. Though should you complain later abou being hungry I will personally find mint leaves and shove them down your throat" she spoke cheerfully as if it were perfectly normal, though it was also clear she was implying he should take more than the minuscule portion he did.

[Holeypaladin]

The knight chuckled somewhat as he imagined the kitsune dodging broom after broom until one finally connected. "Would that a stray broom were the only thing you had to dodge these days," he remarked, sighing somewhat and shaking his head. It wasn't as if bigotry was limited to this kingdom alone... several other kingdoms hunted elves to the brink of extinction in different parts of the world. Heinrich was fortune enough to have come from a land where elves, kitsunes, humans, dwarves, and other races were treated equally according to the code of the law, and enlightened though the law may be in such lands, in reality it wasn't practiced nearly as close to the code as written.

Chuckling at the words of the kitsune, Heinrich shrugged. "They say cooking is an art, is it not? Well I, for one, have no artistic talent. Arcane Studies is a science rather than an art, as is martial combat, to a degree. You may wish for me to learn to cook, but I can pretty much guarantee that you won't like the results of what I attempt to make, at least for quite some time."

He listened as she made ridiculous excuses as to why a mixed relationship couldn't work out, smirking somewhat as everything she said mattered nothing to him. "They'd already call my psychotic for saving you in the first place, would they not?" he said with a shrug. "Human girls are boring, and I don't particularly care what ignorant people think of me. Besides, I'm much more worried about outliving some human or elf than I am about outliving you. You're said to live for a thousand years or so, right?" He knew she had meant the comment about age difference the opposite way, so he smirked somewhat as he played the opposite end of the card.

He shrugged somewhat at the words of the kitsune. "I could always just use this spell too," he remarked, before incanting, "Vehafor achthend." In response to his summons, a load of bread appeared in his hand as his conjuration spell activated, which his split in half, giving one half to the kitsune. "The other reason I never learned to cook," he said with a shrug. "Surviving on manna bread is pretty bland, but it tends to suffice for when there's nothing else available."

[Owl0430]

'' Yes, if the only thing anyone had to worry about was a stray broom I believe the world would be much more peaceful.'' she spoke with a frown. '' None the less though, I think it'd be rather amusing to watch you cook. The food itself may end in disaster, but it'd be halarious watching you attempt to cook.'' she teased, before eating a bit of their meal. '' Manna bread, or whatever you called it, wouldn't be of the most nutrition though. You also need a balance of meat, water, and plants..... and yes, you will be eating edible plantlife as soon as I find some, no complaints.''

However, she took a few minutes to contemplate what he had said about already being called psychotic, his opinion of human women, and age. Though she purposely avoided answering to his comment about how long her kind lived, having no comeback to the comment. '' Well....yes, I suppose they would already call you psychotic, at least in these parts... though I don't understand why you find human women boring, they can be rather entertaining in their behaviors. Though i don't understand why they call fights between them cat-fights...they are not cats....'' she spoke with confusion before thanking him for the bread and finishing her meal.

''I appreciate the food, Heinrich, so thank you. However it is far past time that we take shifts resting.'' she spoke before a gust of wind went by, and despite the fire she shivered, instinctively moving over to Heinrich and cuddling against him. ''Would it be alright If I sleep first? If not it's fine, I will not be offended....though I have a question....you said the phrase 'human women' as if you're not human yourself.... call me foolish for asking the question, but aren't you just a human who has studied in the magical arts?''

[Holeypaladin]

The knight chuckled somewhat as the kitsune spoke of how amusing it would be to watch him fail at cooking, shaking his head somewhat at the idea. "All the more reason for me to pass..." he remarked, frowning somewhat as she spoke of eating green things. "Well yeah, that's why the meat... but green food? Really? What do I look like... an elf or something?" The last time he had visited an elf village, they had offered him food... but all of their food had been green vegetables, so it wasn't a particularly filling meal for the knight. To his knowledge the elves in this particular kingdom had been driven out long ago, and as such the persecution towards them had been turned instead on the kitsunes.

He smirked somewhat as he noted the fox girl's lack of response in regard to her age and lifespan. She looked to be younger than him by a few years, but there was no telling how old she really was, as kitsunes were said to maintain a youthful appearance due to their spiritual nature. "Human women actually have a lot in common with female cats, though. So that's where the term cat fight comes from, I suppose. That and the fact that they use their nails as claws when such fights get physical," he added with a chuckle. "I suppose they're boring because they're mundane and ordinary... for the most part, at least."

He listened as she spoke of taking turns resting, allowing her to move closer to him. Though he was surprised that she decided to cuddle against him, he decided to accept the gesture and wrapped an arm around her as well, appreciating her warmth. "Arcanisstok thesek bikil di Mordenkaiden," he incanted in the Draconic language, causing a spectral form of a guard dog to appear before them. "I told you I camp alone a lot, remember? This spell is essential in such circumstances... so we can both rest, and the guard dog will alert us if anyone approaches."

He leaned back in order to rest, guiding the girl's head down to his chest to use it as a pillow if she liked. He smirked somewhat at her question, though, replying, "You caught that, did you? Clever girl... no one ever notices that." Shrugging, he said, "Though my body is based on a human's, it's infused with so many arcane circuits that I could be considered a different race entirely. That's about it, really."

[Owl0430]

''hmm....I dunno. I've never seen an elf before, so I wouldn't be able to say. However, I believe they do have pointy ears...and though your ears aren't exactly the pointiest, they have a bit of a point too them.'' she spoke with a smile. '' But none the less, you need your vegetables, fruits, herbs, and what not. Meat can not entirely sustain you. Even us rather carnivorous Kitsune eat plenty of plantlife. Otherwise we wouldn't get all the nutrition we need, though if given the option meat would be our first choice in food...though I for one am rather fond of fruit.''

The kitsune laughed a bit though as he spoke about human women. '' Well, I suppose that makes sense.....but really? They use their....nails? As claws? Those aren't effective in combat! Their so-called nails are always so round and dull! There isn't a single one i've met with sharp teeth, or pointed nails for that matter! Their best hope is those weapons they enjoy making so much.'' it was clear the kitsune was quite amused.

''...Anyways, I've finally decided I'll answer a statement you had made earlier. '' she spoke, watching the fire. '' For your information, I'm still in my human years...I believe either my eighteenth or nineteenth year of existence? '' she spoke, before focusing on what he said about himself. The compliment of her being clever made her somewhat happy, as was obvious by the movement of her tails in a joyful manner. '' Hmm...that's quite interesting. Your human...but your not? Well, you can fit into both worlds then. Both of the humans and of the other races. .... is there any others out there like you? even if they were of a different magical affiliation?''

the kitsunes eyes then drifted to the dog. ''Hm...... if it's not too much trouble, I'd like one of those...creatures, the next time I wish to bathe.'' she spoke seriously, obviously not wanting certain events to repeat themselves. Afterwords she closed her eyes, shivering again as she stayed cuddled against him, her head residing on his chest. ' Well.....goodnight, Heinrich. I shall see you in the morning.''

[Holeypaladin]

Chuckling at the teasing words of the kitsune, the knight replied, "I'm not pretty enough to be an elf, and I'm far too hairy. Elves don't have any hair except for on the top of their head, so they wouldn't have something like this," he remarked, brushing his facial stubble against the kitsune briefly as she stayed cuddled close to him, presumably to endure the cold night, though he simply appreciated the warmth of her beautiful young body. "You're in charge of non-meat then," he said as he stroked her soft fox ears softly, not fully aware of how incredibly sensitive they could be on a kitsune girl.

"Cat fights as they call them aren't typically fought to the death. Their nails can draw blood, they just can't deal any lethal injury. It's another thing they have in common with felines... when cats fight, it's to assert their dominance, not to seriously hurt or kill their opponent. Human women can be equally territorial, in that regard." Still, the knight shared her amusement at these so-called cat fights between human women.

He listened as she went on to state her age, and while he hadn't been so rude as to ask her age directly, he still wished to know more about her, and nodded as she went on to say her age. "If that's true, then you're a few years younger than me, making us age-appropriate by the standards of some of the more judgmental humans," he teased somewhat. While he thought it silly that many humans felt it only appropriate to have a romantic relationship with someone close to your own age, he also enjoyed the way the girl reacted when he brought such things up... and judging by the fact that she hadn't pulled away from him, he got the impression she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea as much as she implied. After all, all of her comments about how such a relationship wouldn't work were based on how other humans would view him, rather than her own personal feelings.

"There are other Arcane Knights such as myself in the world..." he remarked, "But we're quite rare. Specially trained professionals capable of handling dangerous missions alone or paired with capable partners. Chances of us ever meeting another such as myself is practically zero, though." He smirked as she mentioned the watch dog. "Unfortunately, that's a fifth level conjuration spell... something I can only really use at the end of the day, provided I didn't use up too much mana in the evening. We could always just bathe together instead from now on," he teased the kitsune somewhat, figuring she would most likely decline such an offer for quite some time.

As she shivered against him, he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her and stroking her soft, sensitive tails. "Night, Akira," he said to her, finding her company to be quite welcome as he allowed her head to rest on his chest, slowly drifting off to sleep as well thanks to the protecting magic of the conjured watch dog.

[Owl0430]

" hm... elves sound quite interesting. Maybe I'll meet an elf someday. " as Heinrich began petting her ears though,
She blushed slightly before letting out a soft growl of annoyance, shaking her head as to remove his hand. However, in the end she simply moved his hand so it simply resided on her head rather than her ears.

" .. what.. do you mean they're not fought to the death? " she mused in a confused manner. " brawls to the death are the most effective ways to deal with dominance. The participants fight until the others can fight no longer, only to show mercy and allow them to live... though i'm not really one for violence. It may not be as effective, but I find talking a much more pleasant way.


Listening to him speak of how they were close in age and therefore acceptable by mortal standards, her blush from earlier increased in color as she flicked her tails in annoyance. " hold your horses hot shot, I never started I was interested in such a relationship. I'm merely here to escape persecution and protect you because you saved my life." She half-lied. She wouldn't deny that she thought Heinrich would be a decent choice in partner, but fear of the unknown is why she would never admit anything aloud.

" say we did eventually run into another like you. " she eventually asked. " would they have the same morals? I would assume so based on what you said... but what would happen if one went astray, after rewarding bounties..." then she heard his comment about bathing together and she tensed, baring her fox-like canines at him, clearly angered by the comment. " I think I'll take my chances being alone, thanks. "

At first she didn't mind him pulling her closer- the warmth the contact provided was pleasant and comforting. Then he began petting her tails. Letting out a growl, her pupils fox-like slits, she spoke, " I'd appreciate it if you'd stop feeling up my fur." She spoke with annoyance. It wasn't long after he fell asleep that she managed too as well.

At some point in the night she began dreaming, but the dreams were more like nightmares. Looking for a way out of the terror, she came upon a colorful wall, the colors endlessly swirling and twisting. Someone else's dream. Though she had access to the dreams of many people, so she didn't know whose dream she would be walking into as she crossed the wall.

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich wasn't sure what to make of the kitsune's reactions. She continued to act annoyed and uninterested in him, as if she only decided to stay with him out of duty and necessity, without any real desire for his company. She acted particularly annoyed when her ears and tails were touched, along with when bathing together was mentioned, and yet she didn't pull away from him either, continuing to snuggle against him despite her words indicating that she was angry at him.

Thinking over how young she claimed to be, Heinrich decided to give up on trying to understand her reasons for acting the way she did. She was young, she was female, and so of course she would act in a confusing way, almost as if she wasn't being honest with herself. He doubted it felt bad when he touched her fur, so why was she so defensive about it?

"If one of my kind went rogue... I'd probably know about it. Since I don't know of any rogue Arcane Knights, I can only assume there aren't any. But if there were... they'd likely be among the most dangerous opponents we could possibly face," he answered her question, giving a sigh. "But let's not worry about that now... for now we only need to concern ourselves with the king's fox hunters."

As he drifted off to sleep, the knight began to dream. Normally his dreams were warded against intrusion, as dream walking wizards and demons could be incredibly dangerous, but due to the close physical proximity of the kitsune, combined with a subconscious desire to be closer to her, reacted with her own dream walking sorcery, and as she crossed the wall, she would find herself in a classroom.

Heinrich was dreaming of his days back at the Arcane University, assisting the professor of a freshman level Conjuration class as a Teacher's Assistant. He noted the fact that one of the students was a beautiful young kitsune resembling Akira, though she was dressed in an apprentice robe with a skirt several inches shorter than she was used to wearing. Paying her no mind, he introduced himself as a graduate student in the Arcane Knight program.

"I'll be assisting Archmage Lasauar as part of my own studies in the Arcane Knight program," he said to the young men and woman, most of them being between the ages of sixteen and nineteen. "So if you have any questions, you can feel free to ask me. If I don't know the answer, I'll bring your question to Archmage Lasauar and have an answer for you soon."

If Akira were to look around the room at the other students, she would note that only about half of the class was human... the rest consisted of several elves, a fairy, three nekos, a couple ookamis, along with another kitsune in the front row. Other races held appearances that resembled humans, though their magical auras indicated that it wasn't their true form, as their true form was too large to fit in a classroom designed for human-like races. All of them wore robes of similar cut and fashion to the one of uncomfortably short length that she would find herself wearing as a participant in this particular dream.

[Owl0430]

As the kitsune passed through the wall between dreams, she reflected on her behavior during her previous, numerous hours spent in the waking world. The first thing she noted was that she needed to seem more grateful to Heinrich for saving her life- twice. Besides.. though he likely did take a peek at her bathing form, as any man likely would, akira highly doubted it was intentionally- at least, not at first anyways. Therefore, if he had seen anything, she couldn't be angry for that. Truly though she was grateful that he had chosen to save her life again, even if it cost her her modesty. After she got over that thought, she moved to her next thought; why had she asked Heinrich not to let her ears or tails exactly? Oh, wait, never mind, that was it. Though it felt good, she didn't like being treated like an animal- though, reflecting on it, he likely didn't mean it in that way... and again, it was a rather pleasant sensation.. so maybe she'd allow it.


Another thought came to mind- he had mentioned bathing.. together... for safety. While She understood the reasoning, and it was logical, she just didn't feel comfortable with the idea. The only ones who should be able to see that much of her would be herself and if she was to ever marry someone. Then again, depending on how much he had seen earlier, was there even anything to hide at this point? Still, if it ever came down too it, she'd want a curtain of sorts between them.
Though she couldn't deny to herself she was attracted to him, though she would still get to know more about him and would want to be in less of a life or death situation before she'd even consider acting on the feelings. Though from what she knew, what wasn't to like? He was kind, attractive, and he seemed caring, as well as strong. The more instinct driven part of her also determined that if it ever came down too it, he'd be a wise choice in partner and likely a good father to any children.

It was then she finally looked up and took in her surroundings. It appeared to be a classroom of sorts. However she couldn't pick out who the dreamer was... none of their energies fit that of a dreamer. However, looking at the other females of different races in the room, she inspected the outfits carefully. Gosh, was that really how students of these kind of schools dressed? Wait... it was a dream. She was one of those students at the moment. Praying her conclusion was wrong, she felt the skirt of her outfit and had to suppress a noise of worry. However, she failed to realize the worst part was yet to come.

The worst part was when she finally discovered who the dreamer was. At first, all she heard was his voice. Then she seen his face a hoped it was a long lost twin. However, it was Heinrich. And he was the dreamer, as she could tell from the spiritual energy he was giving off- non dreamer characters didn't give off spiritual energy due to not having an actual physical form. Therefore not truly existing in the waking world. Hissing underneath her breath, a heavy flush made its way to her face due to the outfit. The skirt barely reached the middle of her thighs, and the top was rather tight for her
Preference .

Well, on the bright side, maybe this was a chance to get to know him better. As long as he didn't realize it was actually her in his dream, not just a look-a-like of her in the dream. Though she wished her ability was advanced enough to use dreamscaping. Anyways, if her presence was realized or not depended on him. She had gotten in, so she had been welcomed into the dream. The only question was if it had been Heinrich's subconscious or not. Even if it was though he was smart and could figure it out. ' just got to hope for the best' she thought.

[Holeypaladin]

Standing aside to allow Archmage Lasauar to take over the class, the eyes of Heinrich drifted over the assembled students, admiring some of the more attractive girls in the class. Naturally, his eyes drifted over the pretty kitsune, able to see a bit more of her figure thanks to the apprentice robes. As he was looking at her and thinking, the setting of the dream morphed into an outdoor scene, with Akira, Heinrich, and several of the students now at the entrance to a combat arena.

What was most remarkable wasn't necessarily the arena itself, but the city surrounding them. It was built on an island which soared high in the clouds, with endless sky just beyond the horizon. Being closer to the sun, the temperature was quite a bit higher than that on the surface world, which explained the shortened apprentice outfits along with the other fashionable attire for teens and young women. Essentially, the standards for modesty were much different in this city than in Akira's kingdom.

The teacher had changed as well, and was now a knightly figure much like Heinrich himself. "For your first combat in the Arena, we'll be pairing new students with more experienced warriors," the instructor was saying. "Heinrich, pick a first year mage to support you in the pairs competition."

At the words of the teacher, Heinrich's eyes scanned the students and settled on the kitsune. A smirk crossed his face. "Akira," he said. "I choose you." Waving for her to follow him, he began to approach the gates of the arena, pausing someone before entering. "This is the Imperial City," he explained to her. "In the Arcane Knight program, we all had to achieve an A rank in the Arena ranking system in order to meet graduation requirements. Fights aren't fought to the death, but since this is a dream, you can't exactly be hurt anyway. Ready to play?" His words betrayed the fact that he had not only come to realize that this was a dream, but also the fact that Akira had been drawn into it through a sort of Oneiromancy.

[Owl0430]

Looking around at the setting, it wasn't long before she had to watch as the setting shifted. Now they appeared to be on a floating island of sorts. It looked.. quite different than what she was used too. Not a bad different, just .. an interesting different. Everything from plantlife to architecture was different. Though she was startled by the lands ideas on what was modest.

It was in the moment she was frowning at the length of the skirt again that she heard Heinrich speak. Instantly she blushed slightly, due to her outfit. " hmm.. it appears you've realized i'm actually here, and that this is a dream. I giveyou credit, your dream is interesting, but.. really? Must the skirt be so short? Anyways, it's your fault i'm In your dream to begin with, you're the one who let me in. Though you don't seem to be complaining. "

Akira then smirked, her pupils going to fox-like slits. " I'm indeed ready for a fight. Sense it's a dream i'm not bound by the restrictions I have in the waking world. Meaning I can go all warbeast on this arena without the need for a catalyst. Nor will I feel my fatigue from reality. It's been a long time sense I've been able to achieve my warbeast form."

Smiling she placed an eager hand on his shoulder. " if it's a fight you want, a fight you shall recieve. We may be mainly mischievous, but like anyone we crave a fight every now and then. "

[Holeypaladin]

Listening as the fox confirmed his own intuition and spoke to him, the knight nodded as she spoke to him. "One of the lessons they teach at that school is the dangers of oneiromancy and uninvited guests within your dreams. I must have subconsciously invited you in... normally my dreams are warded against hostile creatures such as night mares, also known as succubi." Smirking at her comment regarding the skirt, he simply shrugged and said, "It looks good on you, though. Plus it helps deal with the heat, somewhat. Plus it's not like any real people can see you except for me."

He chuckled as she spoke of her readiness to fight, giving a nod of approval. "That's the spirit..." he remarked. "But even still, having a supply of catalyst on hand would be quite normal for a student in this sort of training environment. Check that reagent pouch on your belt... it should be full of the stuff." Placing his hand over hers as she put it on his shoulder, he remarked, "We're on the same team, silly. Our opponents are over there."

Entering the arena, he pointed over to the opposite gate, where two elf siblings were preparing to fight them. "Two elves... a knight and an archer," he pointed out. "Brother and sister, most likely.... but can you tell which is the male and which is the female?" It wasn't exactly an easy thing to determine, as the male elf was incredibly pretty and could quite easily pass for a female, especially from far away. "I'll charge in, you roast them with sorcery." With that, Heinrich conjured forth a shield which hovered in front of him without having to be held in his hand, deflecting an arrow that the archer fired in his general direction while he used his Foundry circuit to conjure forth a polearm and charged. The elf knight placed herself between him and the archer in order to defend her brother, which was exactly what Heinrich wanted, as it put the elves on the defensive.

[Owl0430]

" hm... nightmares? You might have to teach me your trick to getting rid of those. " She stated solemnly before continuing. " yes, I have the ability to enter the dreamscape of others, but i can only do so if i'm welcomed in, the dreamer is unaware of my invasion, or if they are too weak to fight me off. Unfortunately my abilities aren't yet advanced enough to dreamscape. I cannot change aspects of dreams, or script them. " though the kitsune blushed at his comment about the outfit. " thank you, but your flattery is unnecessary. I am already quite aware of your opinion on the outfit. You really need to get better at your poker face, Heinrich. You are quite terrible at hiding your opinions. As well, there are ways to deal with the heat besides the short skirt."


Listening to his words quietly, she indeed checked the reagent pouch, thrilled to see a few foxglove blossoms. Picking one up, she held it right up to his face. " remember this flower, Heinrich. Keep an eye out for them in the waking world. " taking down the flower Akira spoke again. " of course i know i'm not fighting you. I'm not a small minded toad."

As they entered the arena, first thing she did was analyze the opponent. So these were elves? Interesting. Heinrich must've had fun, getting to hang around and spare against so many different races. " hmm.. the archer is female, correct?" She mused. Afterwards she nodded, pulling a few petals of the foxglove flower and eating them. " let us do this. Though, my apologies if for some reason I frighten you. We are called war beast in this form for a reason " she spoke before closing her eyes, a spiral of fire engulfing her. Once it dissipated, in Akira's place was a large, two-tailed fox with black fur, much larger than Heinrich himself. the ends of its tails and ears silver, with a few gold markings on its face and shoulders. One eye was silver, the other gold, but both pupils were no more than slits watching as Heinrich battled , she eventually jumped in, using her ice ability to cover he ground beneath her opponent to hinder their mobility.She however dug in her claws as she ran, aiming a sphere at the archer.

[Holeypaladin]

"There's a common misconception about nightmares... most people will consider and bad dream to be a nightmare," the knight explained to the kitsune's remark about nightmares. "A true night mare is a type of demon... a seductress who feeds on impure desires in men. There's an incubus variant as well, which preys on pure young maidens instead. So long as you stay in my dreams, they should leave you alone, however," he added somewhat jokingly, unaware of the sort of dreams the girl had been having prior to entering his own.

"Is there a reason I should be dishonest with my opinions?" the knight remarked, though he found her blush to be quite adorable, taking it as a sign that she did appreciated the flattery despite her claim that it was unnecessary. He looked at the flower and frowned. "You are aware that we'll most likely forget this dream a half hour after I wake up, right? That's how it is with most dreams, at least..." Smirking as she was able to identify which elf was female, he said, "You cheated and used your nose, didn't you?"

Her warnings about frightening him proved unnecessary, however, as he showed no visible reaction to her transformation and focused on the fight at hand. The elf knight was using a traditional sword and shield style of combat, which was effective on the defense, but limited her reach to the extend that he needn't worry about her posing much more of an annoyance.

The archer, however, soon began to imbue his arrows with arcane magic... and while an ordinary arrow stood no chance of penetrating his armor, one imbued with elemental energies could prove to be quite dangerous, should it manage a direct hit. His shield deflected another arrow, and while he appreciate the patch of ice that formed at the feet of the knight, the elf girl proved to be quite agile and soon slid off of it and back on to solid ground. She even managed to block the sphere of energy that the kitsune had directed towards her brother, intercepting it with an impressive display of elven reflexes.

Heinrich delivered a heavy blow to the elf girl's shield, strong enough to stagger her with the sheer force behind it, before spinning away and twirling the polearm, impacting the back of the archer's legs and sweeping him off his feet. Once again attempting to protect the archer, the knight recovered from the smack to her shield and rushed directly at Heinrich. "Shochraos," he incanted a simple spell in the Draconic language, striking the shield once more with the tip of his polearm and sending a jolt of electricity through the knight, yet her armor seemed to be magically warded against electricity and perhaps other elements as well, so the shocking magic had no visible effect on her... except to keep her attention focused on him rather than on the kitsune.

[Owl0430]

The fox frowned as he spoke of night mates and incubi, staring at the ground in silence. Well... hopefully he wouldn't mind a nightly visiror..or remember her visrations. She didn't want Heinrich to get a mostly wrong idea. She just... mostly didn't want to keep having the night terrors she was having.

" yes, I am quite aware of the fact we shall forget most of the dream, but sometimes one can remember bits and pieces. Hopefully this flower shall make a big enough impact you shall remember it ." Though, if there was time after the fight before they awoke, she wouldn't mind giving Heinrich a hug, though hopefully he wouldn't remember she let her feelings show if she did. " yes, I did. Though had I not the guy would've been quite hard to tell apart. I wish he was real though, he is quite pleasing to the eye.

As the fight went on, she noted how the elves were mainly focused on Heinrich. Yes, he was attacking more, but it still irritated her, as if they thought she didn't pose a threat. However, as one of the arcane-infused arrows almost struck Heinrich before he swept the archer of his feet, she noticed an opening. Growling, she cast ice shards through the air before using her fire to turn them to steam, forming a smoke screen of sorts. Afterwards she took a leap over to the archer, picking the elf up in her jaws. She held him tightly enough to prevent the use of the bow, but loosely enough as not to hurt him- granted he was smart enough not to wriggle about too much.

Keeping the archer in her jaws, she stood in a defensive stance, watching the knight with caution,,prepared for fight or flight. Though, something about the sword and shield reminded her of the kings men, and her near death experience, causing her to growl again, but lower, more hostile.

[Holeypaladin]

The fact that the kitsune had said that the elf archer was pleasing to the eye somehow made Heinrich want to pummel him all the harder despite the fact that the knight was the bigger threat in this case, though this ultimately proved unnecessary as the kitsune used a creative combination of fire and ice to create a fog cloud that allowed her to pounce on the unsuspecting elf. As he was picked up in her jaws, he was considered "dead" since the fox could have easily chomped him in half rather than carrying him lightly, meaning the knight was the only threat remaining.

It was actually quite brilliant of the elf girl to consider Heinrich to be the bigger threat... normally, a war beast form of a kitsune would draw quite a bit more attention than a man, but the girl knew enough about kitsunes to realize that she only had two tails, indicating she was on the low end of the power spectrum for her kind, and enough about knights to realize Heinrich was an Arcane Knight in training... though in truth, he had since graduated from training and this dream was more of a recollection of his academy days.

The angry growl of the kitsune wasn't lost on him, but the knight went ahead and said, "I'll take care of the elf," appraising her as she charged with her shield held high to protect herself from his polearm. Rather than using the polearm, however, he released it and instead grappled the elf girl by her shield and brought her down to the ground. Once he had a hold of her, her superhuman agility was useless and he was able to use his superior physical strength to overpower the girl, soon gripping her into a submission hold which he held until he was determined to be the winner of the fight.

Standing up, he looked over to the fox girl. "Let's go on a date," he said. Now that he was aware of the fact that he was dreaming, he could control the direction of the dream in a way, and the surroundings shifted to a different scene, restoring Akira to her two legged form and providing her with another outfit... of civilian fashion, this time, suitable for a date and still just as revealing as the civilian fashions the other girls in town were wearing.

"You like fried tofu?" he guessed, offering the girl an arm. "You'll want to stay close and hold on so we don't get separated. The streets are crowded and there's no telling what lurks outside of my own perception. Some of my subconscious includes things you definitely don't want to see." He had heard something about fried tofu being a kitsune's favorite food before, though he supposed it didn't necessarily apply to all kitsunes, and didn't want to make up Akira's mind for her if there was something she preferred more.

[Owl0430]

The fox looked between Heinrich and the elf knight angrily, a sort of inner rage showing in her eyes. As Heinrich said he'd take care of the other elf, she growled in protest, but in the end reluctantly obliged, lying down and dropping the elf archer, keeping a paw over his chest though.

However, heinrich's choice of words after the battle left her dumbfounded. Not entirely because she may or may not find him attractive, but more or less due to his choice of words.. and of her clothing. Though she pouted a bit as she glanced at her now humanesque form, missing the feeling of power that came with the war beast form, though the pupils of her eyes still remained slits, as she was still on guard from the battle. " hmph... yes, i'm rather fond of fried tofu...." she stated, examining her clothing . The skirt was too short for her liking, and the lillac colored top, as pretty and soft as she though the article of clothing to be, cut too low for her preference.
" be warned right now my eyes are upon my face. Should I catch you looking elsewhere, I promise you I will turn you in to charcoal."


She then listened to him quietly as he spoke of not getting lost in the crowd. " honestly, what could be so bad in your dreams that could frighten me more than my own night terrors? You underestimate my will and my experience in the horrors of life and dreams." She stated with a frown, shuddering at the recollection of what she had been dreaming about prior too arriving in heinrich's dream.


She had to admit though he couldn't of chosen a better location . The scenery was breathtaking, at least to her. The city was much more advanced than anything she had ever heard of, let alone seen with her own eyes.

[Holeypaladin]

The knight nodded, taking hold of Akira's hand and squeezing it gently as he began to lead her through the crowded streets. "I know a place you might like, then," he remarked, weaving his way through the rather confusing looking streets in a familiar manner. He smirked somewhat as she suggested looking elsewhere, thinking up another way to interpret those words in a different way than she had intended. "You don't want me to look at other girls?" he remarked. "You don't need to worry, though... these girls are all figments from my memory... you're the only real girl here."

Frowning as she mentioned her own difficulties in life and dreams, the knight commented, "If there's one thing I've learned... it's that no matter how bad things are, they can always get worse. Best not to tempt such things... but if your dreams are so troublesome, you can just chill in mine from now on." Glancing around the crowd, he noted several other couples walking together, sometimes hand in hand, other times arm around the waist, and so on. While there were plenty of same-species couples, there were also several noteworthy mixed couples.

"On our free days, everyone would go out on dates in the city," he explained to the fox. Nodding in the direction of the elf archer from earlier, on an obvious date with a small male with fairy wings who was under five feet in height, he added, "Those types of relationships are common and accepted among elves as a sort of population control measure. The academy girls had a strange fascination with 'yaoi' as they called it, which I never understood, personally."

Passing by several other couples, Heinrich noted the elf knight from earlier had a much smaller and more slender figure without her armor, and was on a date with a much older looking human male who had to have been an instructor rather than a student. There was also a neko on a date with another male human, along with a wizard surrounded by no fewer than three adorable bunny-eared girls who couldn't keep their hands off of him. Coming from such a background, it was no surprise that Heinrich saw nothing wrong with the same sort of relationship with a kitsune as some of the other mixed couples shared.

"Here it is," he said, leading her in to a building emanating the scent of exotic foods. "This is called a restaurant... it's like an inn or pub, but a bit more fancy, and without the option to rent rooms for the night." He didn't think restaurants exited yet in Akira's own kingdom, but inns and pubs most certainly did, so they were a close comparison. As he showed her into the room, an exotic foreigner in a kimono bowed forward at the waist and showed them to a table.

Pulling out a chair for the kitsune, Heinrich sat across the table from her and showed her the menu. "You pick a food item from the menu and they'll prepare it for you in the kitchen and bring it out for you. I figured you might like that dish called 'kitsune udon'." The kitsune udon he was referring to consisted of wheat noodles and fried tofu in a dashi based soup sauce. He had secretly always wanted to take a kitsune to a restaurant that served kitsune udon, for obvious reasons.

[Owl0430]

She smirked slightly, amused by his respectful response. " yes, that's exactly it. If I catch you staring at someone else i might just have to turn you into a smoking pile of ash. Though who says i'm even real? For all you know I could be a figment of your lustful imagination." She stated teasingly, enjoying the feeling of his hand in hers.

" don't worry, I already planned on regularly visiting your dreams so long as i'm able to access them." She smiled at him slightly.

In silence she listened to what he said. " hmm.. population control is needed for some races. Like for example, humans. They breed like rabbits I swear, constantly expanding their territory into nature, into our forest-dweller homes. However, it's a shame. His looks shall go to waste.. unless all elves are attractive. If that's the case then sign me up to live with the elves" the fox said in a jalf-joking manner. Though now she understood why Heinrich didn't see a problem with mixed-races relationships. " tell me, do you recall this kingdoms view on kitsune?"

" a..rest..or...aunt?" She spoke, taking a moment to figure out how the word was said. " ah, restraunt... it's interesting." She looked around at the place. It was nice..calm. quiet. Refined. And there was no 'exotic entertainment'. She also admired the clothing the foreigner wore. " what is the type of clothing she's wearing.. it's pretty". Not only that, but it was modest while still being flattering to the figure. Though she frowned the kitsune udon. " hm.. the name is rather true and amusing, but not all of us like tofu.. a few are actually allergic too the stuff."

[Holeypaladin]

Chuckling at the words of the teasing fox, the knight noted how she didn't attempt to take her hand away from him, and actually seemed to welcome it rather than shying away from it. "Well, I don't mind looking at you, if that's what you prefer," he remarked. "But if you were a figment of my lustful imagination... you'd be wearing a much shorter skirt. And sitting in my lap. So I'm more of the mind that you're about as real as I am." As difficult as it may have been for the kitsune to even imagine a shorter skirt, Heinrich himself certainly could.

"Well then, you'd better be pleasant company so that I'll keep letting you in," he teased somewhat, chuckling a bit as she spoke of population control. "Humans don't breed like rabbits..." he said, "Those girls do." He pointed to the three adorable bunny-eared girls who were cuddling up with a single lucky wizard. "They're an all female race that lives in secluded forest villages... when they find a human male, they'll often take him back to their tribe and pass him around, so relationships like that one are pretty common among their kind."

He laughed somewhat as she spoke of how she liked the way elves looked. "If you want a skinny prettyboy like him, an elf village would be the place to find them. You might even have an easier time finding a man who needs your protection there, since about half of them are weaker than you physically. Though if you were half as honest about your feelings towards me as you are about your attraction towards elves... who knows what might happen?" Thinking a moment, he said, "This city isn't so much part of a kingdom as it is an Imperial capital... but I believe the Emperor has a few kitsune wives who he treats pretty well, so his official policy towards the race must be at least somewhat favorable. Problem is, it's about three thousand miles away from our current location, so if you intended to visit this city in the waking world... it'll prove quite difficult to do so." While he did know of a long range teleportation spell, it was limited to a shorter range and required him to know his destination far better than he knew any intermediary locations.

He allowed her time to grasp the term used for the restaurant, noting the way she looked at the hostess who had shown them to her seats. "I believe that's called a kimono... a silk robe of sorts. That one is on the longer end... they can be as short as the waitress' yukata. The way to tell a kimono from a yukata is the fact that a yukata has a single collar while a kimono has at least two, and the kimono is made of silk while the yukata is made of cotton."

The waitress he was referring to was wearing a yukata of even shorter length than Akira's skirt, and came over to her tail before giving a bow. The feline ears on her head and the tail that poked out from underneath her yukata betrayed the fact that she was a neko, though her greeting of "Welcome, Nya. What can I get for you, nya?" said the same thing in feline meows.

"I'll have the fiery volcano curry, and I believe the girl would like some kitsune udon," he said, glancing over to Akira just in case. "Oh, and some hot green tea to drink." As the neko gave another "nya" and went off to fetch their order, the knight gazed over at the kitsune. "I'm starting to wake up, I'm afraid," he murmured with a frown. "Before I do, however... how about showing some honest feelings since we'll most likely forget about all of this a few moments?"

[Owl0430]

"Mm....I won't deny that I'd prefer you not to look at others...and your a smart man for knowing i'm real, however. " Akira turned her head to look at him with a smile, only it was a smile of pure menace. " if you make this skirt the tiniest bit shorter I promise you it will be the last thing you do, and you will meet a most unpleasant and lengthy demise. "


Looking at the bunny-girls she thought over what he said. " well, if it is their culture, then one must assume that to them it's logical and they have their reasons.... however, they are just using the man in that case, seemingly running on pure lust.. though it makes sense then why I seen similar ones walking into numerous pubs on many, many occasions. "

" for all you know I could be into the skinny pretty-boys, even if they are weaker physical. However, it's not anyways the brawns that wins the battle. As long as their intelligence is high, as well as speed, they'd be just as useful as a muscleman. Surely I proved too you that it can be the brains that wins the battle as well." Frowning at his next comment, she lied, denying her attraction too him. Though the nervous twitching of her tails and flattening of her ears was a dead giveaway she was lying. " heinrich, please do not mistake obligation and necessity for feelings. I do not wish to cause you pain and inner turmoil. " she didn't know why she kept lying to him... maybe it was because she hardly knew him, so could she really call the feelings genuine, and not just desire? Or maybe for all she knew she was afraid of losing someone again. She felt bad lying, but she was honestly just afraid. Afraid for many reasons. " hmm.... well... I wouldn't mind visiting this place for real someday... but for now we should focus on getting somewhere safe and welcoming in general. "

Listening to him and the Neko waitress, she stayed silent. As the neko waitress walked away, her ears flattened and her pupils went to slits, a low growl emitting from her throat. To her it was obvious that the neko was into Heinrich by the way she held her tail, as well as the quiet purr her fox eats had barely been able to pick up due to the quiet volume and low frequency- a rather seductive but quiet sound. " I dislike their kind with a passion....'' she muttered, glaring at the neko.
" anywho, the kimono is much more appealing. It flatters the figure and shows some curves while also being modest. " she stated, back to her normal tone.


As the knight said he was waking up, she frowned as well, having been enjoying their.. time together. Huffing in disappointment she stood and walked over to him, tightly hugging him as if afraid to let go, her head nuzzling the crook or his neck. " hmm... well then, I'll admit it, I rather enjoyed the sensation when you let my ears and tails." It was clear that was all the kitsune was brave enough to say.

[Holeypaladin]

Chuckling at the threatening words of the fox, the knight merely shrugged in reply. "You act as if I have control over what you wear..." he remarked. "While there are some things within my control, for the most part, the dream is pulled from my own memories and subconscious... so it'll dress you to fit the local fashions of the Imperial City on its own." He didn't take her threat of incineration all that seriously, merely figuring it fit her character.

"Careful making generalizations about a race like that..." he cautioned the kitsune as she made a few assumptions about the bunnies. "While it's true that many of their kind are creatures of pure desire, to say they're all like that would be to say that all kitsunes are vixens and seductresses like the rumors currently spreading about your kind. I've always found bunnies to be kind and friendly, and while some of them sleep around a lot, others are satisfied supporting and devoting themselves a single man, provided he can take care of their needs."

Chuckling at her comments regarding skinny prettyboys, the knight shrugged. "Intelligence, agility, and magical talent are indeed useful in a fight... there's no denying that. But there's also no denying the fact that a fast, smart, strong fighter has an advantage over a fast, smart weak fighter of equal skill and magical talent. Arcane Knights such as myself focus on having maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses in a combination of martial and magical might." Her claims to have no such attraction towards him were becoming less and less believable, especially immediately after saying she'd prefer that he look at her and not at the pretty bunnies, nekos, and elves that filled the dream world. Besides... it was clear from the girl's body language that she had difficulty speaking her denial in a believable way.

Noting the obvious dislike that the kitsune showed towards the neko girl, the knight remarked, "So I should look for a cute neko like her instead?" He wasn't sure why she had so much dislike towards neko girls, and he had been a bit too distracted focusing on Akira to note the flirtatious approach that the waitress shown in taking their orders. "What's wrong with cats?" he asked, giving her a little bit of payback for her comments regarding pretty elf boys. "They're cute."

As the kitsune stood up, so too did Heinrich, wrapping his arms around her and holding her a bit closer to him, feeling her slender warmth in his arms. "In that case... I can be the only person who you let touch them" he said, reaching out to stroke her tail with one hand, the other sliding up to her ears to nuzzle them and stroke them. The dream world began to fade away, but the sensation of the fox in his arms did not, and he woke to the sensation of a sleepy looking fox holding him close while he continued to stroke her soft ears and fluffy tail, enjoying the sensation of her warmth pressed against him. The sun had yet to rise, but he knew that it would soon, and it would be best to get moving before first light... yet he had absolutely no desire to worm his way free from the kitsune's grasp anytime soon.

[Owl0430]

" well how am I supposed to to know what level of dreamscaping abilities you have? For all I knew you could have been an expert. " she stated with a shrug.

However, she frowned with a look of shame and regret. " yes..i..I suppose that was rather hypocritical of me.. i'm sorry " glancing back over at the bunnies though, she thought carefully. " is it wrong of me though to prefer the ones that don't sleep around" she questioned, keeping hold of his hand.

"Hm.. yes, you have a point. Smart and strong would be the ideal partner. However, one also has to consider if they get along with and can trust their partner. Trust is likely the most important factor between two partners in battle. Besides, what one lacks is hopefully what the other makes up for. " she kept her gaze focused on the scenery, rather than looking at any of the elves that went by. Though she didn't exactly look at heinrich unless he was talking.

" normal cats, maybe. Some of the feline women, maybe. Her? I'd much rather cut off my own ears than listen to anything she says. Seems like she as an individual is more of a mischievous vixen than more of my own kind that I've met. " the kitsune's tails flicked in annoyance.

As the dream realm began to deteriorate and pull apart, Akira realized she was going to miss the place they had been in. " see you in the waking world, heinrich. " when she woke up, she groggily opened her eyes to see she was cuddled tightly against Heinrich. Blushing slightly she slowly sat up, not recalling the majority of the dream. Just mere bits and pieces. However, she soon heard the snapping of twigs, and shifted into her smaller fox form, looking around carefully.

[Holeypaladin]

"I don't think it's wrong..." he murmured regarding the bunnies. "I think most people prefer the non-slutty kind... that applies to bunnies, foxes, elves, and nekos," he remarked, largely in reference to the neko maid who she had accused of being more of a vixen than any kitsune, though Heinrich himself didn't see it. It was clear that the kitsune had a few prejudices towards other races, however, which was normal.. and not always a bad thing, in some cases.

Slowly opening his eyes, he noted that the kitsune in his arms shrank and shifted into the form of a much smaller animal, leaving her clothes behind in the process since they no longer fit. He was about to speak up and ask what was going on, when he saw the way she began to look out, as if scanning for danger, and felt it best not to make any unnecessary noises in case they alerted the enemy to his position.

Instead, he leaned forward and whispered into her fluffy fox ear. "Did you sense something approaching?" he asked, focusing on his Foundry circuit to conjure forth his armor around him, in order to be properly prepared in case danger did approach. He refrained from summoning any weapons for the time being, as it was best to decide on which weapons to use once he knew who the enemy was... provided it was an enemy, of course.

Though the memories of the dream were fading, he made a conscious effort to remember the important highlights... mainly, the fact that Akira was an oneiromancer who had been present in his dream, and the way she had hugged him at the end and said she liked it when he touched her ears and tails. Other details were somewhat hazy, though he was left with an impression that she didn't want him to look at other girls, for some reason.

[Owl0430]

When she heard heinrich's voice in her ear, she let out a quiet growl in hopes he'd be quiet. However, her head snapped to the side after having heard more twigs snapping. Someone was sneaking about. Then she smelled it- horses, and..blood. kitsune blood. She lifted her head slightly , and no sooner had she done that then an arrow flew between her and Heinrich.


Letting out a noise of alarm as she jumped onto heinrich's shoulder, a few flames of fire hovering in the air around her. Unfortunately she couldn't tell how many were there. Nor would she be of much use in combat. Some fire and ice here, tooth and nail there, nothing like her warbeast form. With an internal frown she examined the smaller fox form. It was so small compared to her other form.....

Looking at Heinrich, she wrapped her tails around his neck, digging her claws slightly into the cracks between the pieces of armor, unsure of what to do. They could be surrounded for all them knew. Looking around an idea came to mind- if she used ice and then melted it to create fog... hm. Where did she learn that one? It seemed familiar, but from where? Swiftly she sent some ice shards flying and then used fire to form a fog. Hopefully it'd be enough to keep the arrows from hitting their marks at the very least. Once again the kitsune glanced at Heinrich for approval.

[Holeypaladin]

The reactions of the fox indicated that she sensed danger... but it seemed she was either unable to talk in this particular form, or simple didn't want to bring attention to them and alert whoever it was that she had sensed to their location. As she climbed onto his shoulder, however, he used his Foundry circuit to summon forth a shield which hovered in front of the guard and the direction in which she indicated the enemy was in. His own armor would provide him sufficient protection from any arrows or other weaponry, but all the fox had was her hide, so the shield was for her sake.

Whoever the enemy was, however, they were intelligent... they had waited until his watchdog spell had worn off, staying far enough away to avoid alerting it, and approached as soon as it had. Additionally, they had caught up to them in a surprisingly short time... which meant that it wasn't a very large force, but rather a smaller, well trained group of hunters.

Noting the clever use of fire and ice to create fog, the knight gave the fox a pat on the head before heading forward, directly into the fox to provide some degree of cover, and conjuring forth a schiavona (https://www.outfit4events.com/runtime/cache/images/redesignProductFull/jk-0028_01.JPG) in one hand and an interesting crossbow with a pump loading mechanism in the other. Finding it easier to see out of the fox than it was to see through it, he located the first of several enemies, carrying what appeared to be a yew longbow and trying to aim through the fox. Lowering the crossbow at the man, he squeezed the trigger and sent a crossbow bolt clean through the man's chest with incredible force, pinning him up against a tree behind him as it knocked him back against it.

An arrow came soaring towards him seemingly out of nowhere, but the hovering shield deflected it harmlessly away from the fox, while a man in a falchion charged forward with a powerful swing. In a precise display of martial skill, the knight sidestepped the swing while simultaneously bringing his sword across the man's abdomen, the magically enhanced blade able to cut through the attacker's brigandine armor and and eviscerate him in a rather painful looking wound. The knight stepped behind a tree as an arrow pierced into it, sticking into the tree solidly.

"How many?" he asked the fox on his shoulder, unable to get a precise count of how many attackers there were due to the concealing nature of the fox, pulling back on the pump loading mechanism of his crossbow and causing another bolt to fall down into position, ready to fire. Though the fog interfered with the enemies' ability to locate them, such forms of concealment usually tended to work both ways.

[Owl0430]

As much as she appreciated his acknowledgement of her clever combination of fire and ice, she had to remember this wasn't the time, nor the place. Which, she was quickly reminded of as an arrow grazed her shoulder from behind- so they were surrounded. On what she could only assume was all sides. It also reminded her that, as strong of a team they made, the weren't invincible. For all she knew their survival up to this point could be sheer dumb luck.

When henrich asked how many enemies there were, she could only point out those she could scent. The hardest part was communication with Heinrich. Taking a moment to think, she eventually came up with something. Looking straight ahead, she yipped quietly three times, the same number of enemies were straight ahead. Looking too the east she yipped twice, as there were two enemies in that direction.


It would be hard to communicate in this form, but she was a smaller and faster target, and her outfit was too far away to retrieve with out risking getting hit. Speaking of which, an arrow thudded into the tree next to them, and its scent was...peculiar. Standing on the edge of Heinrich's shoulder, she stretched out best she could to examine the arrow. Hooked on the edges to make it harder to get out and...poisoned. The arrows were laced with Poison. Growling at the arrow, she curled up on Henrich's shoulder, clearly angry and annoyed. Eventually she hoped to the ground, watching the fog carefully.

Their best bet was to use the fog while it lasted to sprint in the direction with the least amount of enemies. However she couldn't tell how many enemies were behind theme and too the west. Any direction could be risky. Letting out a small noise, she looked up at Heinrich, unsure of what actions to take.

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich was unsure whether the fox was unable to speak in her fox form or simply remaining quiet to avoid alerting the enemy to their position, when she confirmed the former by making fox sounds to indicate how many of the enemy she senses in either direction. She counted one more enemy to the east than he had noticed, along with one more ahead of them, confirming to the knight that the fox's senses were indeed efficient at locating the hunters.

And they were indeed hunters.... or rather, poachers more specifically. As one of the attackers attempted to circle around them, the knight counter-stepped to knock aside the single-edged hunting sword before removing the man's head with a false edge strike as he brought his own sword back quickly. He took note of at least three fox tails tied to the man's belt... trophies from past kills, be they kitsune or ordinary fox, as the king had ordered the complete eradication of all foxes due to the nature of kitsunes to hide in such forms. This decision had suddenly turned fox poaching not only legal, but highly profitable, due to the king's bounty on fox tails.

Heinrich had half a mind to kill every single one of the poachers, when a lucky arrow struck a gap between the plates in his armor. Though the gap was protected by chainmail, the tip of the arrow managed to pierce through a link, and while the wound itself was no more than a scratch the likes of which he'd normally be able to endure countless.. the burning sensation accompanying the wound told him these arrows were coated in something toxic. Even poachers never used toxic arrows, as it spoiled the meat of their kill, so these poachers had become simple wildlife assassins due to their greed.

As the fox hopped down from his shoulder, the knight frowned. "Right..." he said to her, "It seems we're surrounded. Let's pick a different battlefield, and fight them on our own terms." Aiming his crossbow at a bush, he put a bolt through the poacher that was concealed within it before incanting, "Jivi, arcanisstok" in the Draconic language. "Let's go," he said to the fox as he climbed onto the phantasmal steed that he had summoned, the same one which he had used to carry her away from the king's men the previous day. Reaching out, he picked the fox up in his hand and rode swiftly away from their camp site, his sword arm cutting a poacher in half as he rode past and cleared the envelopment.

[Owl0430]

Their enemies didn't bear the emblem of the king- nor did they have the normal attire of the kings soldiers. So...they had to be poachers of sorts. After the reward, not caring what they have to do to acquire it. A few even had fox tails. Turning her fox head to look at heinrich, a new scent caught her attention- the scent of a kitsune in it's warbeast form.. maybe an unknown ally? no...that was foolish. Looking around for the scent, what she found horrified her. One of the poachers, accompanied by a hound of sorts, was wearing a cape of sorts.... a cape made from part of the hide of a kitsune's warbeast form- part of the cape showcasing the eight tails that kitsune had. The question was- how? How did they take down such a kitsune? Until they are on the verge of death, they retain their youth and skill. Even on the verge of death, they can still put up a good fight. Especially in warbeast form, even a young kitsune like herself can be a formidible oppenent. Flattening her ears she began shaking.

Though she wasn't really one for being picked up and carried like a pet, she wasn't really up to arguing.
Seeing the upcoming poacher, she noticed the cloth cloak they had on. As they were, ah, eliminated by Heinrich, she reached out and grabbed the cloak in her jaws. Afterwards she turn her back to heinrich, returning to her humanoid form beneath the cloak with her back to him, wrapping the cloak around herself. It managed to cover everything, but it was as short as....well, she knew it was as short as something she had worn before, but what, and where? and while to her it was a rather uncomfortable situation, she needed to be able to communicate properly to heinrich besides just yips and barks and growls.

It was at that moment she forgot to care that she was merely dressed in a bloody cloak, as well as made her forget about the poacher with the partial pelt of a warbeast kitsune. a very small portion of the pelt.because something from earlier caught her attention. '' Heinrich....did that arrow touch your skin at all? I'm sure you realized they were coated in some sort of poison....''' aftewards she considered how she could be of benefit to their escape, looking around at the condition of the plantlife.
Everything was dry enough.... '' The resulting ashes from an exploding mountain result in new, better regrowth... may this have he same results...'' closing her eyes, she sent a few small fireballs to nearby trees, causing a fire that quickly spread. She could protect herself and heinrich from the blaze, but for all the others, it was every person for themselves.

[Holeypaladin]

As the fox shifted back into her human form on top of a rapidly moving horse, Heinrich had to wrap an arm around her naked waist in order to prevent her from falling off. "Careful," he urged her, managing to avoid dropping her long enough for her to grab a fox pelt cape off of one of the poachers and wrap it around her shoulders, still worried about covering herself in such a dangerous situation. Though Heinrich got a look at her immediately after she shifted, he helped to wrap the cape around her once she finally had it on, still holding on to her so that she wouldn't fall off the horse.

As she spoke up and mentioned the arrow, Heinrich shrugged at her question. "Just a scratch, really. I didn't get the full dose, so I should be fine." Though it was a particularly potent sort of poison meant for taking down warbeast kitsunes, Heinrich's own body was quite resilient to toxins, and he really only had only received a small portion of the poison prior to removing the arrow from his shoulder.

Noting how the kitsune used fire to ignite the woods, he remarked, "That'll definitely slow them down... though I normally try to avoid reckless arson as there's no saying how far it'll spread and how much of the trees and wildlife it'll affect." He rode on past for awhile, the burning sensation in his scratch growing a bit more, holding the kitsune tighter around the waist as he began to outdistance the hunters.

After it seemed they had lost them for the time being, he slowed down before eventually bringing the horse to a stop. "They'll keep chasing us..." he said. "These are skilled trackers, so our options are to either cover our tracks... or kill them all. I tend to prefer fighting them on our terms rather than on theirs, so if we can find some of that fox flower stuff and set up an ambush.." He winced as his arm reached for his shoulder. "I'll be alright..." he remarked, "I probably should have focused more on my Restoration circuit, though... I can only slow the effects of the poison, rather than purifying it completely." He had no idea what kind of poison the poachers had used, but perhaps in her search for foxglove, the kitsune might be able to find something to use to treat the poison than his own magic. "Birk weyog," he incanted a simple restoration spell to delay the effects of the poison so that his own natural resilience could fight it off in time.

[Owl0430]

'' Relax, i did take that into consideration when i lit the woods. I just hoped that even more plantlife growth comes from the ashes. To the southwest is the waterfall and river, so it'll stop there in that direction. Then, if you haven't noticed, the sky is going to rain within the next few minutes. Honestly, for being such a skilled night you should at least know some basic but accurate weather predicting.'' she stated, turning back around and wrapping her arms around him now that she was covered.

''I...I am glad it's only a scratch... i did vow to protect you. However....'' she frowned, resting her head on his shoulder nervously. '' But...did you see one of the trackers? You didn't take him down but....he was wearing a portion of a warbeast kitsune's pelt..... eight tailed. Just how....how could they take down one of the elders.... even for a strong poison maker, the poison would take a lot of time to take them down, and depending on how close they were to a ninth tail, they could've potentially fought it off with enough remedies.....''


''' Hm....yes, fighting on our own terms is preffered to the difficulty of covering our tracks... but....must we kill them? is there not a way to fight them and stop them without killing them? Self defense violence is one thing, but....I refuse to....take the life of another. even if they should be after my own.'' with a sigh as he stopped the horse.
'' I'm sorry... If I knew what was in the poison, I could probably make an antidote...but I'm afraid there is not enough time for either of us for me to guess and speculate. The best bet is to find one of the trackers and get the antidote from them. They are all bound to carry a small vile of it in case they should accidently cut themselves, even if the chance of that happening is highly unlikely.'' she hoped she would be up to fighting though. In the small form of the fox, while her agility and reflexes were increased, her defenses decreased. So the poison from her small cut had been able to work slightly quicker. In this form she was able to hold if off better, but it wasn't anywhere close to being cured.

'' So um...after this whole ordeal with the um....trackers, is over,um.....is there any possibility of me getting some proper clothing? I know it isn't really the time for this, but....um...still. Especially sense the the blood staining this cloak is bound to start smelling foul sooner or later.'' she also hoped Heinrich hadn't seen anything.

[Holeypaladin]

Nodding as the fox mentioned how she took into consideration the collateral damage caused by lighting the trees on fire, the knight held her a bit closer in his arms as the horse sped away from the ambush. He allowed her to turn around and hold him as well, enjoying the sensation as he pulled her a bit closer into his lap, feeling her warmth under the short cloak, though unable to see much as he placed his chin on her shoulder. "Hard to smell the air while wearing a helmet and lacking a fox nose," he pointed out, figuring half of her ability to predict the coming rain was in the scent of the air around them.

"I might be able to handle one, but it would be extremely difficult," he said with a frown in regards to the eight-tailed fox. "The fact that they were successful only means they're an even greater threat to those of your kind that remain in this kingdom..." The fact that they used poison meant that they likely had other dirty tricks at their disposal, and to let these poachers get the upper hand again would be a terrible idea.

Frowning at the girl's words as he brought the horse to a halt, he reached out to stroke her soft fox ears, caressing them a bit as relaxed his grip around her waist. "It's not just self defense at this point..." he pointed out. "They'll continue to hunt down and exterminate your kind if we don't deal with them swiftly and efficiently. I could outrun them... there's no mortal horse that can keep up with a phantasmal steed... but I'd prefer to save as many of your kind as possible, rather than being responsible for every kitsune they'll kill from now on."

He nodded at the mention of an antidote. "We'll do that then," he remarked, helping her down from the horse and catching a glimpse under the short cloak in the process, pretending not to notice anything. He chuckled at the mention of clothing, smirking at the girl's modesty before saying, "I don't keep any womens' clothing on me, and we can't risk stopping by any human settlements along the way. My Foundry circuit should be able to summon some armor to cover you and provide protection... but it might be a bit small on you, since it's the armor used by the Emperor's personal guard where I come from. Plus it'd dissolve if you wandered too far away from me."

[Owl0430]

" There is more to predicting the weather then the smell of the air, Heinrich. The clouds and the wind, as well as the behaviors of animals are also important factors. " she spoke, closing her eyes afterwards and just focusing on the warmth of Heinrich and the sound of the wind. Believe me though, I also wish to save as many of my kind as possible, but none the less I won't kill. I will immobilize them, leave them unable to hunt and poach. However, should they be unable to survive the wilderness, that will be their own fault, therefore, in a sense, their demise would be their own. It'd be their fault for hunting kitsune and foxes, and therefore their fault we acted in defense of kitsune kind. Hence it'd be their demise caused by their hand. "


The kitsune did, however, enjoy the sensation of Heinrich caressing her ears, leaning slightly into his touch, frowning when he stopped because he had to get off the steed. "Well, if you don't have women's clothing, do you at least have men's clothing? I can find a way to alter them to suit me. I won't wear armor. Light clothing is necessary. It has to be easy to move in and light enough for a swift retreat or dodging, and flowy enough to eat get out of as a fox or to shift info the warbeast form.

Instead of backing away from him though, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her head into his shoulder. She hated this- constant running, persecution, tragedy, fear, worry. It was terrifying and tiring, and at the moment she just needed to feel safe. Therefore she . Wanted to still stand in his arms.

[Holeypaladin]

"There are divination spells that can predict the weather as well," the knight said, holding her close and enjoying the sensation of the fox girl in his arms as he continued to stroke her ears softly, "But I've been more worried about how to survive and get us away from the ambush to think to use it. Good that you figured a way to use the weather to our advantage, though." He stroked her soft, fluffy tails a bit, appreciating the fact that she no longer shied away from his touch as she had at first.

He thought about what she said. It was far more difficult to wound an opponent while avoiding and fatal injuries than it was to just kill them, in a lot of cases, but... "You may have a point in one area," he remarked as he thought over their battle plan. "For a kitsune to kill these men might only fan the flames of their hatred towards your kind even further. For a knight to kill them, however, is likely to cause controversy among their ranks. So you can leave the killing to me, while you focus on less lethal means of supporting me. I have no qualms killing people who deserve to die, though I refuse to hurt an innocent or let an innocent get hurt when it is within my power to protect them."

He squeezed her closer, stroking her ears more as he held her in his arms, noting the way her usually stubborn attitude had faded for the time being and she seemed to wish for nothing more than sanctuary in his arms. He chuckled as she spoke of his clothing. "My clothes won't fit you, silly," he said. "However..." Glancing over the cloak she wore, he was reminded of the warbeast hide worn by the leader of the poachers. Eight tails. "I believe I can negotiate something for you with the Foundry. You're a sorceress, so I understand your inability to use magic while wearing armor since you lack the required training... but we can probably trade that cloak for some sorceress attire which will assist you in combat, and adapt to your shapeshifting nature. Sound good?"

[Owl0430]

"Mm... i'm glad you found my use of the weather as a good idea..." she stated, closing her eyes as she stayed pressed against him, finding the stroking of her ears relaxing to an extent.

" that is agreed though. If a kitsune was to end one of their lives, the fire would only be fanned. The people's uncertainty would grow closer to pure distrust and hatred of us. Rumors could spread, and potentially lead to our persecution in other areas..." she sighed unhappily. " however, I'm not fond of your view on taking a life. It is understandable, but if you kill them they still win; they don't have to pay for their crimes. Letting them lead a tortured, imprisoned, miserable life is much more of a punishment. Ending their life is the easy way out: why else would some criminals take their own life if they're about to be caught?"

Listening to what he said, she considered his offer. " as in it would disappear if I shift, and reappear when I return to this form? That... would be useful. As long as it won't disappear on me if I stay too far away." After a short pause she spoke again. " and I know you're clothing wouldn't fit, but I could somewhat alter them if needed. " after she finished, a few pitter patters could be heard, and soon rain was upon them. Mild at the moment, but growing darker as the cloud moved ever closer.

[Holeypaladin]

"You have many good ideas..." the knight agreed, holding the fox close and stroking her ears, enjoying the sensation of her warmth in his arms as he felt her relaxing against him. He might have held her there for longer, except there were things to do and take care of, and their safety was only momentary.

"You misunderstand..." he remarked as he squeezed her in his arms, "It's not my intention to cause suffering and pain.... only to end it. There's no better way of ensuring that they commit no further crimes than to put a permanent ending to their existence." He sought justice, but not without some degree of mercy as well. "I'm better than them.... I don't cause any more pain and suffering than are absolutely necessary in order to accomplish my objective in the most effective manner."

Feeling the rain falling down on his armor, he gave the girl a nod. "It'll only disappear if we fail to deliver the hide of the eight-tailed kitsune worn by the leader of the poachers... they'll want it for study, though I'm sure they'll also pay the necessary honor and respect to the creature that once wore it. Hold still... try not to move, even if this gets a little embarassing..."

With that, he took her shoulders and gently pushed her a bit away from him, focusing on the Foundry circuit, concentrating as he communicated long distance in order to negotiate some clothing for the girl. Eventually, her fox cloak began to vanish from around her shoulders, leaving her bare for a few seconds before a soft cloth began to form around her, coalescing into the form of a form-fitting dress complete with gloves that extended up past her elbow and long socks that came up past her thigh. It ended up covering most of her skin, leaving her shoulders bare along with about two inches of exposed thigh between the top of the socks and the hem of the admittedly short skirt of the dress, covering most of her breasts as well but leaving her neck exposed. The exotic fabric was soft and smooth, and even had a gap for her tails in the back.

"I tried to negotiate something modest to suit your preference," he remarked as he gazed over the girl's new clothing, "But University sorceresses are notorious for flaunting their bodies, and that's about as modest as they come. It has magical properties that should be quite useful in combat, though." If nothing else, the outfit at least covered most of her arms, legs, and torso.

[Owl0430]

" thank you heinrich. " she stated gently before listening to him. " I see... that makes sense now. I understand why you do what you do, and like you I don't wish to see more people suffer... but you need to please just understand I just don't like violence and killing period. As long as we both have a mutual respect for each others morals we should fare well."


" alright.. I can agree to that as long as they pay respect to the hide of one of our elders. To forget to do so would be an insult to our kind. " she paused. " wait a moment, heinrich. What exactly do you mean by embarrassing?" She growled, covering her chest with her arms and other areas with her tails as best as she could, just in case. Turns out it had been a wise move. Once the clothing was formed, she glared at Heinrich. " I swear on my pelt if you seen anything I will personally invade your dreams and tear the image from your memory with my claws, and I promise It will not be pleasant. " her guard and stubbornness had gone up again. While she didn't want to be so guarded, she refused to let one of the opposite gender to see her bare, believing the sight to only be for her eyes and the eyes of whomever she ends up wed to.

Trying to avoid the awkwardness and embarrassment she now felt, she turned her back to him to avoid eye contact. " .... thank you, though, for the clothing, as well as considering my preference in style.... it covers most skin. The color ( which was a light lillac) is also rather pleasant. My only question now is will it shift with me?"

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich attempted not to stare too much at the beautiful fox girl as the magic from the Foundry circuit transformed her clothing into the new outfit entirely, yet the more he tried not to, the stronger the temptation, as there was plenty to be admired in the girl's physical appearance, after all. Still, he felt it best to act like he hadn't seen anything, giving a simple shrug. "Isn't there another alternative if I accidentally do see you?" he asked her.

He was somewhat surprised that the girl appreciated the clothing and went so far as to thank him. He had honestly expected her to complain about the skirt length being too short or the top being too low cut, despite the fact that most of her legs and torso were covered. "You're welcome..." he said. Chuckling at her question, he nodded. "It was designed specifically to be worn by a shapeshifting sorceress, after all. It has magical qualities which will only apply when worn in your humanoid form though... such as your gloves amplifying your cryomancy to bring it up closer in strength to your natural pyromancy, along with some elemental frost resistance since your kind is typically weak to this element. Oh, and it should resist physical damage too... probably about on par with non-magical chainmail in its armor strength, while being light as silk. That Mageweave cloth is pretty amazing, isn't it?"

He hadn't seen enough to realize that the outfit didn't come with any undergarments, though the idea of mages creating magical undergarments for women was a somewhat amusing concept and seemed like a waste of magical resources, anyway.

[Owl0430]

Akira
" hmm.... well, in that scenario I suppose once I would be clothed again you would have to strip. It would only be fair. Other than that I see no alternative, as we are not in a more-than friends relationship, let alone married. " the fox girl had a slight tone of amusement to her voice as she examined the outfit further.

" mm... yes, the material is extremely impressive. Now if only the others could learn to weave this cloth in the traditional clothing style of the kitsune. With this material the garments would be beyond stunning.." she then thought more on what he said in regards to her cryomancy. " yes. We are vulnerable normally to ice especially, so rather ironic that I can wield it hm? None the less it's an advantage in battle. Just imagine what my abilities would be at five tails, let alone the full nine!" She smiled at him, clearly enjoying the new outfit. " while my natural ice provides me some resistance against ice elementalists, it does lower my core temperature, so I have to use my fire to keep things balanced. It is amazing though to have clothing that'll actually shift with me though, so- hey, why do you look so surprised?'"

It was that moment in which she realized the outfit lacked undergarments. The top at least had a little built in padding. The bottom though.. ya, she was out of luck. Blushing slightly she hoped he couldn't tell

[Holeypaladin]

Listening to the words of the kitsune, the knight chuckled a bit. "Is that all?" he asked, finding it amusing how she would speak of a desire for him to strip in front of her. "Well... it seems like a much more preferable option than the first one..." he said, finding it flattering in a sense that the kitsune would consider seeing him naked to be a fair enough exchange. "I'd think that your pledge to protect me is slightly more than simple friends," he pointed out as he examined the outfit along with her.

"I imagine the traditional clothing of the kitsune varies somewhat depending on their region and culture," he remarked. "But I think you look good in that outfit, and since I'll be looking at you a lot from now on it seems... it has my vote of approval," he said somewhat teasingly. "So you're a balance of fire and ice... no wonder you fluctuate between hot and cold so much." He was referring to her personality, as she seemed rather indecisive in a lot of areas, though he figured it was largely because she was still young and inexperienced.

"Do I look surprised?" he asked. "Well... I suppose it is a little surprising to find a kitsune cryomancer... though the oneiromancy is less surprising," he remarked. Noting her blush, he wondered why exactly she was blushing as he reached over to stroke her soft tails. "We should prepare our ambush..." he pointed out. "The hunters won't stop killing your kind along with ordinary foxes wherever they find them... so we'll need to stop them." For every kitsune the hunters managed to eliminate, there were at least a hundred ordinary foxes exterminated out of fear that they might be kitsunes in disguise, which was a needless mass slaughter of wildlife along with the murder.

[Owl0430]

" hm.... I dunno, Heinrich. Are you sure that's your preferred option? At least the other way you still get to keep your dignity. You'd be foolish to trust me to not plan something extra like covering you in honey and dumping feathers on you. Truth be told I could really go for a good laugh right about now. " she then took his comment into consideration. " don't mistake my oath to protect you for something else. At least for kitsune around here, if our lives are saved then we are too protect them until we die or they die a natural death. In a sense, its simply repaying a debt. Though should we deem an individual worthy enough, we can grant them one to two gifts. It could be riches, it could be the youth and lifespan of a kitsune. Though even our abilities have limits."

" I appreciate your flattery, Heinrich. Keep your eyes to yourself though unless your talking to me or protecting me." She teased. " their is indeed possibility though traditional clothing varies from place to place for pur kind, but i suspect there would be at least one thing in common though."
After speaking she looked at him in the eyes. " you can call it a balance I guess... between the wild, unpredictable flame and the calm, withdrawn personality of ice. Its I guess a yin-and-yang sort of thing. " continuing to look him in the eyes, she smiled. " and if you haven't noticed, my eyes give away my abilities. One is silver and the other goldish in color ."

" your surprise of that is understandable. You were not wrong about us generally having a weakness against ice. However, I agree we need to plan the ambush. A shame though I haven't seen any foxglove flowers. They would've been helpful. "

[Holeypaladin]

Chuckling at the words of the kitsune, the knight figured her teasing would have been much more effective on a younger man... but he himself didn't take the bait so easily. "Just keep in mind that anything you do would be done to you at some point as well..." he remarked. "There's a lot of uses I could find for honey... and everyone who attends the Arcane University is taught to be creative and think a bit outside the box..." Stroking her ears a bit more, he listened to her words and shrugged. "I don't have much use for wealth, beyond that which I can obtain by my own hand. If you do decide to give me a gift... you should let me come up with some options for it."

Smirking somewhat at the kitsune's words, the knight said, "Well, aren't I always protecting you or talking to you? In that sense, you can expect my eyes to remain on you indefinitely," he teased her right back. He listened to her words and shrugged somewhat. "Eyes can mean any number of things... I just figure they make you special, which they do." He gazed into her mismatched eyes, finding her smile to be rather appealing, making him figure that she wasn't at all angry with him looking at her.

"You might still be able to find some..." he suggested, "But don't stray far from me, and keep your ears and nose open. Remember the scent they used to mask their presence from you before." He figured even the most skilled of poachers wouldn't be able to sneak up on an intelligent fox who was already aware of their scent, and so long as she could cry out to him in time... he should be able to assist her if necessary.

Locating some of his own tracks, he began to place traps of his own for when the poachers came close. Taking note of the rainfall, he realized that fire elemental magic would be hampered by the weather... yet lightning and frost would be amplified. "Use frost over fire magic in rainy weather," he said to the kitsune as he contemplated this, before locating some key locations and incanting, "Lorit di shochraos." The spell caused a static charge to build up, and the knight added, "And stay away from these lightning traps. They're explosive." He placed several other similar spells around the area, noting the most likely approach that the hunters would take in their pursuit.

[Owl0430]

" hmm, well then I suppose it would be a war to see who could have the last laugh then. Though you'd be sorely disappointed if you covered me in honey- i'm rather fond of the stuff. So you probably wouldn't get much satisfaction out of that. " smiling she listened to his request with amusement. " we usually do let the person choose their gift. It'd be rude to force a gift upon a person. Some people don't want fortune or a long life. Some just want a peaceful existence with a lush garden or something. But as long as it's within our abilities, we can do it. "

" true though. You are always talking to or protecting me. Though you are quite talkative" laughing slightly with a smirk she spoke again. " so I suppose you can look at me. Just don't forget my eyes are up here " however, the fox couldn't deny that she was tempted to kiss him when he was gazing into her eyes.

Sighing in acceptance that their time of peace and laughter was over. " alright, I'll be careful. I promise if there's anything suspicious I'll let you know. " walking a few steps, she looked back at him. " oh, and I know fire is weak in the rain. But my own ice still takes a toll on me. I have to keep my
My internal temperature in check. None the less though, I'll be staying far from those traps. They look painful. Anyways, I'll be back soon. " she stated as she walked away

[Holeypaladin]

The knight smirked somewhat at the way the playful fox teased him. "I'll keep that in mine," he remarked. "Well whatever sort of gift you decide to offer... it would have to be a really good one, to make up for having you follow me around for the rest of my life," he said equally teasingly. He wasn't against the idea of having a beautiful fox girl who never seemed to age following him around... so long as she remained pleasant company, of course, like she had been so far.

"I'm not usually very talkative..." he remarked. "But then, I don't usually have anyone to talk to either. A summoned spectral steed doesn't make for very good conversation, you know." He gazed into her eyes as she told him where they were. "Yes they are... such very interesting eyes..." They were beautiful in the way they were different colors, and now that he knew the meaning behind her heterochromia... it made them all the more attractive and suited to her personality.

He gave the girl a nod as she walked away, noting how her new outfit clung to her rather shapely body as she walked away. As he continued to prepare the ambush site, it wasn't long until some of his outer spells indicated the arrival of several humans. "Akira," he hissed in the direction of the fox in order to alert her as he took up his own ambush position with his crossbow, alerting her in case the poachers were using something to mask their scent from the fox girl while the rain falling on the leaves masked the sound of their footsteps.

[Owl0430]

" I owe you for following you around hm? And here I thought you would've been pleased to have a pretty woman following you around. " she laughed slightly, amused by their playful banter. " none the less, whatever gift I so choose to give you will be beyond great. If you can help me save the kitsunes, I might just give you anything you want. "

" no, though, I would suppose such a creature wouldn't be good company . Though if it could talk I would bet that the topics of conversation would be quite unusual. " she joked, happily enjoying a moment of silence afterwards.

As she walked away, something caught her eye- a glimpse of orange beneath an extreme amount of overgrowth near a tree. Wandering over to it, she tried not to get her hopes up as she dug through the overgrowth. As she dug through it, she heard Heinrich speak. Flattening her ears, she looked around, slowly continuing to shift through the plants. Then she noticed that what she had been digging for was indeed there- the very flower she had been looking for. Excitedly she grabbed a few petals and a few seeds, hurrying back to Heinrich. However, as she was running to him, a strange feeling overwhelmed her. Instinctively she placed her hand to her neck, only to find her fox marble wasn't there. It wasn't good if it was gone...and if the poachers had it..... the strange feeling overcame her again, and she looked at Heinrich, her eyes fox-like slits. " I'm sorry..." she muttered, a small tear falling. " Heinrich.... run " that was the last thing she said before using one of the foxglove petals to shift into her warbeast form, growling at Heinrich. Though she wasn't in control of her actions- the poachers were. When that arrow had nicked her, it must've cut through the thin string that had kept her fox marble around her neck. One of the poachers must've grabbed it, meaning they could control her.

[Holeypaladin]

Smirking at the way the kitsune teased him, the knight remarked, "You certainly have a high opinion of yourself, calling yourself such a pretty woman..." Gazing at her for a bit, he said, "Though you're on the young side to be calling yourself a woman... maybe I like them a bit more mature." Though he said this, the truth was that Akira was the perfect age at which Heinrich found girls to be at their most attractive, give or take a couple years perhaps.

Waiting for the poachers to approach, he held his weapon ready to shoot down the first man to cross his path. Glancing over to the kitsune, however, he noted she was acting... strange. Watching as apologized to him for some reason, he said, "For what?" Before he could say anything else, she told him to run, for some reason... as if he could outrun a war beast on foot. He was of the impression that she would be in complete control of her actions even after transforming, but when she leaped at him, it was all he could do to incant the first spell to come to his mind... something to push her away, but not lethal force.

"Jedark tersha," he incanted in Draconic as he pushed a hand towards the kitsune girl. The spell caused a telekinetic force to throw her away from him, with approximately four hundred pounds of force... enough to send her hurling away from him while he tried to figure out what had gotten in to her to cause her to attack him. Though he wasn't sufficiently proficient in Divination to use the True Sight spell... he could use the next best thing, and use a spell that would let him see magical auras, as his immediate thought was that she wouldn't be attacking him of her own will.

"Toma, suiaerl," he incanted again, the spell causing his eyes to glow with a blue light as his vision was amplified. Now able to see auras, he noted a line of magic connecting the kitsune to something on the edge of his vision... a poacher. The man who wore the eight tailed fox pelt as a trophy, it seemed, yet... he was not a man, but rather a magical creature himself. "Unseelie sidhe..." he growled, the realization now making more sense... ordinary hunters would stand zero chance against an elder kitsune in combat, but a winter fairy... was a different matter.

Before anything else, however... he had to sever the magical reins that compelled his companion to fight against him. Gesturing towards the poacher, he incanted, "Leor arcaniss vers!" The spell managed to accomplish the job of nullifying the magical fox marble that controlled Akira... as well as the glamour that allowed the sidhe to maintain a human disguise.

Revealed to be an incredibly pretty, white-haired man with elf ears and butterfly wings the look of confusion on the faces of his fellow poachers indicated that even they were unaware of their leader's true form. "Stop staring and continue the hunt!" Heinrich heard the fairy barking at the other poachers, who began to step forward... into the magical minefield he had laid for them, the electrical explosions taking down three of them before they knew what hit them.

"Are you alright now?" he asked Akira as he raised his crossbow and squeezed the trigger, putting a bolt through the neck of another poacher that had wisely begun a more careful approach now that the magical traps had begun to explode. He was beginning to feel the effects of using spells in rapid succession, which limited him to martial weapons against a powerful fairy sorcerer, and would need all the help the fox could give him, provided she could regain her sanity.

[Owl0430]

Akira had wanted to make a sassy comment of sorts about his tendency to flirt with her in regards to his comment about her maturity, but in the end had been unable to due to their current situation. Every ounce of her willpower had been poured into stopping herself from attacking Heinrich, but she had lost the battle. Hence why, even though it hurt like hell, she was grateful he had been wise enough to use a spell to send her flying. Her shoulder having taken the blunt of the impact felt injured, but was easily able to be brushed aside for the time being as she stood up again.

While Heinrich was looking around chanting spells, she slunk away to the side carefully before going behind him. She had just begun to leap as he broke the connection between her and the starorb, causing her to crash to the ground behind hum.

When she came too, she didn't even hear heinrich. She was focused on the fairy. Despite her attraction to faeries and elves, she felt no attraction to this one. This was quite obvious as she ran towards him, not paying attention to the mine field, the ground burning to a crisp beneath her feet. It was clear how truly furious she was .

About halfway to the fairy she remember heinrich's presence, and looked back at him shamefully, unsure on if he needed her by his side at the very moment

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich was rather grateful that the fox girl was no longer trying to kill him, but judging by the way she began to recklessly charge towards the pointy-eared prettyboy who had been controlling her, she was likely to do something reckless. There was little he could do from his position, however, except continue to snipe at the poachers with his crossbow, taking down two more of them with precise shots during the confusion and disarray caused by the detonation of his lightning traps.

Having expended so much of his magical power, he hoped no further spell usage would be needed... though judging by Akira's reckless charge, she was going to detonate some of the electric mines on her own. "Watch for the mines!" he called out to her, grateful that she had regained enough sense to look back in his direction... though the pause gave the fairy time to use his cryomancy.

With the rainy weather amplifying the affects of frost magic, the fairy began to freeze the air around Akira. Were it not for her own fire, she likely would have been turned into an ice cube instantly, but as it was, and with the weather working against her in such a way, it was only a matter of time. Heinrich took aim at the prettyboy and fired, but the crossbow bolt passed clean through his form without hitting anything... an illusory mirror image indicative of fairy glamour.

"It's an illusion!" he called out to the fox, "The real fairy is most likely invisible!" With his aura sight active, he attempted to look for magical fields to indicate the true location of the fairy... but the fairy was smart enough to use false magical fields in order to trick him, any one of which could have been the real fairy. "Come back to me!" he called out to Akira, as the addition of a powerful glamour-using cryomancer had suddenly made this situation far more dangerous than he had originally calculated.

[Owl0430]

As she continued to move forward, slowing as she heard Heinrich remind her of the mines, she froze as something clicked beneath her paw.she growled, flattening her ears, and A moment after she leapt away, the explosion grazing her shoulder. She staggered for a moment before continuing on with a slight limp.

Recovering from the shock, she looked forward only to see the air around her beginning to freeze. Her eyes went wide as she dug her claws into the ground, attempting to quickly turn around. However, she didn't turn around fast enough, and felt the air beginning to freeze. As she breathed, her breath could be seen in front of her. Growing, she up her fire as much as she could to keep herself warm. For a moment she succeeded, the ground beneath her paws steaming. If not for the rain, she might've been able to hold out a bit more, but at this rate she would only have a few minutes.

Worriedly she looked at Heinrich as he called to her. Her tails dropped and her ears flattened. She had to locate her fox marble, and in addition, she still needed to get that antidote , for heinrich especially. If the fairy was just an illusion though... she wouldn't be able to get it anyways if she couldn't physically grasp it. Huffing she could feel it getting colder, ice crystals forming on her fur. She closed her eyes for a moment before attempting to return to Heinrich. It was hard, her movements sluggish. By the time she got back to Heinrich, her fur was frosted over entirely, and she was visibly shaking as she stood protectively in front of him. She glanced back at him, noticing he looked weary. Breathing heavily she reached down, picking him up in her jaws and, weather he liked it or not, placed him on her back. She looked around them worriedly, not knowing where their remaining enemies were at. Especially the fairy. The situation seemed even more dangerous than it first seemed; to the point where Heinrich even seemed worried. She looked around again, slowly backing up. Where was there to run to? If it wasn't for the cryomancy of the fairy, they'd be better off... maybe if they could at least get the antidote to recover, and face off later.... though she didn't know how she could get the idea to Heinrich. She could communicate telepathically with other kitsune, but she wasn't sure how its work with others.

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich continued to survey the area from his position, putting another crossbow bolt through a poacher. From what he could tell, it was the last of the human poachers that fell under his final shot... though it also meant that he was out of ammunition, having fired a few shots at illusions only to have them hit nothing but air due to the trickery of the unseelie fairy.

Akira didn't seem to be holding out much better, as though her beast form gave her power... the weather was working against her, as was the powerful cryomancy of the fairy. He noted the way the fox turned and headed back to him, obviously weary from having to contend with ice magic in this unfavorable weather, and judging by the way she was looking at him, it seemed she was trying to communicate.

"I'm guessing you can't talk while in that form?" he asked. While there were certainly creatures that could talk in a transformed state, it didn't seem like Akira was one of them, though there were, of course, other means of communicating. However, having used up too much magic already, attempting a telepathic link spell was a bit too risky at the moment, and so he resolved to simply read her body language.

"I get it, I get it," he said as she reached down to pick him up, climbing up onto her back and holding on to her soft fur. It seemed her beast form was strong enough to carry him even with his armor, though it was far more awkward than riding a horse. Noting how she seemed to be looking for an exit, he pointed off in a direction where he was detecting a lack of magic. "That way," he said, as it was the clear escape route. "Quickly," he urged the fox. While he knew she could outrun the fairy himself, there was no telling what other tricks the Unseelie had up his sleeves, and the distant howl of wolves was telling him that he might very well be in the process of summoning Winter Wolves in order to chase them down.

[Owl0430]

It was a hard decision. Heinrich and her needed the cure to the poison before it's too late, but they wouldn't survive the battle in the condition they were in. They wouldn't have time to recuperate between the battles; not with their enemy being as strong as he was. Hearing Heinrich ask if she couldn't speak, she huffed, signifying a simple yes. She then took a moment to she If she could telepathically speak with heinrich, even if he had to verbally communicate back. well, telepathically I am capable of speaking. Though I'm not sure if it works with non-kitsunr races, and even if you are hearing this I doubt you can respond. though she doubted anything she had tried to send to him was heard.

Hearing the howl of wolves she growled ears flattening. She looked at Heinrich once more before taking off in the direction heinrich pointed, noticing how much the weight of heinrich's armor before. She hadn't really carried anyone on her back before, let alone someone I'm armor. Though she wasn't running at full speed yet, she knew she'd ne able to run faster if she had nothing on her back. She wasn't going to leave heinrich alone though. The wolves would only cause more issues as well. They could surround them, or quickly catch up if they left; and if the wolves had anything to do with ice, it'd be hard to fight them off.

Eventually she began breathing heavily. Soon enough she began slowing down, eventually going to a trot. She was tired, and quite frankly she was freezing, but she refused to let heinrich be hurt. Therefore she refused to stop walking into her legs gave out. She had vowed to protect him to her final breath, and that's what she would do. Finally her steps faltered as she stumbled. Panting, she grabbed heinrich in her jaws again as she lied down, wrapping her fluffy tails around him in attempt to keep him warm and safe. She didn't know how much longer she had running on the fox glove petal, but she would try to make the best of it.

Gazing at him worriedly, she stayed curled up on the ground, trying to make sure heinrich was alright. At one point she even went as far as to sniff for any blood that was his own.
Soon enough, however, the catalyst wore off, and she returned to humanoid form. "Are you alright?"

[Holeypaladin]

Holding on to the fox as she carried him away from the fairy, Heinrich saw that she was attempting to use some sort of magic... possible to communicate with him... but as he wasn't a kitsune, he wasn't able to make out exactly what she was trying to tell him. He guessed it was a form of telepathy that was used between kitsunes, however, which meant that a simple modification would be enough for her to be able to communicate him in the same way, with enough practice.

As she carried him, he noted how the tired fox eventually came burdened with his weight, along with the effects of the frost magic and poison from the previous fights. Eventually, he fell to the ground along with the fox, holding her in his arms. While they had put enough distance between themselves and the fairy as to be unaffected by the frost magic, she still had icicles clinging to her fur, indicating that she hadn't escaped unscathed.

Soon he felt her transforming back into her humanoid form, and wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair and soft fox ears. "I'm fine..." he said, moving his hands over her body in order to warm her up a bit as he caressed her. "But we're not safe yet..." Hearing the howl of wolves, Heinrich noted that they didn't sound like ordinary wolves, hinting at a supernatural origin.

Frowning as he noted how close they were getting, he said, "Neither of us is in any condition to fight them..." The fox has quite literally collapsed from exhaustion, and Heinrich himself had used up a great deal of magical energy in laying an ambush... only to have his ambush thwarted by an unexpectedly cunning fairy. Gazing at the kitsune, he frowned and said, "I'm going to need to borrow some of your power... you can get mad at me later, so long as you live another day."

With that, he pressed his lips to hers, giving a deep kiss and holding her exhausted body close, unwilling to let go and quite a bit stronger than the exhausted kitsune, physically. The connection caused a spiritual essence to circulate between them, restoring some of Heinrich's magical energy. It wasn't the most efficient form of spirit melding, but there was nowhere near enough time for that sort of ritual.

Eventually breaking the kiss, he stood up, slightly invigorated from the fox girl's magical energy, though still far from fully recovered. It was enough for him to conjure forth a single-edged hunting sword, however, which was exactly what he needed in order to protect the fox from being torn apart by the pack of supernatural winter wolves that now began to circle them, growling to each other in order to coordinate their attack.

[Owl0430]

For the first time, she didn't object to getting held in his arms. She was tired, and freezing. The icicles that had been on her fur had fallen to the ground, frost and ice Crystal's still lingered on her skin, hair, clothing, and her tails. Even her breath could be seen, despite the fact it wasn't all that chilly in reality. His warmth helped a bit, but it would be a while for her to get rid of the cold, let alone fully recover from exaughstion.

Her ears twitched at the howling of elves. They were already that close? She breathed heavily for a moment before attempting to stand, which she managed by holding onto the tree, but she fell again as soon as she lost fo of the tree, returning to Heinrich's arms. She listened to him talk before frowning. " yes, but. . I promised I would protect you as well... until the end. " though she shifted slightly, she was nowhere close to standing up.

" Heinrich, what are you planning that would make me ma-" she was interrupted by him pressing his lips on hers. She made a muffled noise of protest, but she didn't have the strength to push him away. Not that she entirely minded, but this just felt..rather intimate for a kiss. " dont you dare die on me, heinrich. " she spoke wearily as her vision eventually went dark.

[Holeypaladin]

The knight found it admirable how the kitsune was still worried about protecting him when she was obviously in no such condition to do so... but he merely nodded. "You can protect me after I'm done protecting you," he said somewhat teasingly to her as she soon fell unconscious in his arms. Rising to meet the wolves as they began to surround him, he thought over the sort of tactics used by pack hunters such as these.

There were three of them, and they were likely to attack from all sides. As they were clearly not mortal wolves, Heinrich could only assume they were of fairy origin, likely Unseelie considering the nature of their summoner. "You'll distract me from over there..." he said, turning his attention over towards a white wolf as it growled and began to approach, making its presence known. "While your buddy attacks me from... there!"

Twirling slightly as a second wolf attacked from his blind spot, the knight delivered a heavy slash with the single edged sword, slicing clean through the wolf's front leg and sending it sprawling to the ground in front of him, clearly wounded. A third wolf charged forward in order to save her wounded companion, but Heinrich was expecting this sort of reaction, and quickly turned to face the creature.

Inhaling as if to howl, the winter wolf let loose a blast of frozen, icy breath, which Heinrich barely managed to evade in time, moving to avoid getting Akira caught in the blast as well. He noted how the wolf positioned herself between him and the wounded one, as if to tell him he'd have to get by her in order to finish the job. "Fine by me," the knight said, stepping forward and thrusting the blade clean through the wolf's mouth and out the back of its head.

The wolf who had previously attempted to distract them then pounced on the knight from behind, knocking him to the ground, though he managed to hurl the creature off of him. As the wolf quickly regained his balance in front of him, Heinrich brought his sword forcefully down on to the wounded wolf's neck, severing the creature's head and causing the remaining wolf to howl in rage and grief.

"It brings me no pleasure to do this..." he muttered to the winter wolf in front of him, "But I don't have much of a choice." If he didn't finish off these wolves, they would continue to pursue him and Akira, and with Akira unable to fight and himself nearly out of energy... he couldn't go easy on them. He lifted one of the dead wolves to use as a shield against the frost breath of the remaining wolf and charged forward, the wolf doing the same. In a flash of fangs, fur, and blade, Heinrich emerged covered in blood, but alive.

Returning to Akira's side, he lifted the kitsune in his arms. "We need to find some shelter..." he muttered, carrying her body into the woods in search of somewhere where they could rest and recover. Though they had distanced themselves from the fairy, it was only a matter of time until he found them again, and they would need to recover their strength by then.

[Owl0430]

She heard him speak, and within her last few fading moments of consciousness she saw one of the wolves. It's pure white fur was rather beautiful, but she knew no matter the outcome of the fight, in the end the beautiful fur of the wolf would be stained crimson. such a shame such beautiful creatures have to die in vain... it's a pity, really. she thought as her vision faded to black.

Akira had no clue how the battle progressed, or what the outcome would be. Though she wouldn't lie, she had been completely expecting not to wake up at all. It wasn't that she didn't believe in heinrich, but he had been about as exhausted as she. Even the fiercest of warriors can fall if their health falters. Therefore it came as a surprise to her when she awoke, watching trees go by leisurely. Then the smell of blood and death invaded her senses, causing her ears to flatten as she covered her nose with her hand.

She glanced at the person carrying her, relieved to see it wasHeinrich, still alive. However, the look and smell of him made her gag. He was covered in blood, and the stench was terrible. " you need a bath, idiot." She spoke quietly, in need of water. However she wouldn't say so, knowing he likely needed water far more than she did. " where are we going Heinrich? You need rest. Badly. You can't keep this act up forever. You need water and food and sleep. " frankly she wanted to be put down, but she still felt weak. At this point she honestly didn't know what to.say, or do. " I need you to be rested that way once the fairy is gone I can kick your behind myself for kissing me without permission
"

[Holeypaladin]

Struggling against fatigue and magical exhaustion, the knight continued trudging through the mud and rain through sheer force of will, carrying the fox girl in his arms. Normally the girl would have felt incredibly light in his arms, as Heinrich's physical strength far exceeded that of a human who hadn't been magically augmented in the way that he was, but instead it felt like he was carrying a million tons. "She's not heavy," he told himself, more out of determination in order to get her to safety, "She's my fox."

He wasn't sure when he had become so protective of the kitsune, or when she had come to be so important to him... but he knew that he would rather die protecting her than leave her and continue on his own, though it would have been so much easier to do so. The fairy was hunting Akira, after all, not himself. However... the thought over leaving her never even crossed his mind.

As the girl woke up in his arms, he laughed somewhat at her reaction, though it hurt his lungs to do so. "So do you," he pointed out to the fox. Though she didn't have as much blood on her, plenty had become smeared onto her as he carried her, and there was also the mud from collapsing onto the wet ground earlier. "We need to find a place to rest," he said, unwilling to stop without finding a suitable resting place.

Chuckling at her comment about the kiss, he said, "Can I just have your permission, instead?" He decided not to mention the fact that the way she had collapsed onto the ground earlier had given him a glimpse up her skirt... though he had been far too concerned with staying alive to pay much attention to it. Finally, he saw something up ahead... a cabin, it seemed, which looked abandoned. "Finally a stroke of good luck after everything else went wrong today," he muttered, carrying the fox towards the shelter, as it was most likely the only suitable spot to rest for miles.

[Owl0430]

She listened to him, twisting her neck to look upon herself. Hm.... so she was also rather unclean herself. A shame, really. She had really like this outfit. Hearing his comment in response to the one she had made regarding the kiss she smirked, flicking her tails weakly. " where's the fun in that though? Didnt the adult influence in your life teach you not to be an unmannered pervert? She teased him. As they came across the cabin, she looked.at it longingly, but something felt amiss. Shifting in his arms she looked around until a slightly familiar scent caught her nose; other kitsune. The living kind. Her eyes went wide as she put her hands on Heinrich's shoulders. She could feel the eyes of other kitsune gazing upon them. They were likely hiding, whether it be in trees, bushes, or any little crevice they could find. From what she could sense it was likely a small community of kitsune, likely always sleeping in fox form to fit as many as they could into a small space. '" heinrich... I need you to listen." She stated, looking him in the eye. " you need to show them you mean no harm. Though they can likely see your weak, you need to show still you have no traitorous intentions. I need you to kneel on the ground, put your hand in the air, and bare your neck to them. Show vulnerability. They might help us, if were lucky, if you do this. Do not, and they will definitely turn us away."

To be honest, he didn't really have much of a choice. He was too tired to continue on from what she could tell, and she had a feeling these kitsune were ready to kill at the slightest threat. Though she also had to admit she kind of wanted to be around other kitsune again. Even with the company of Heinrich, with everything happening there wasn't too many kitsune clans left alive that she knew of. Maybe a loner and rogue here a there. But there was still a desire for familiarity. " please heinrich... just do as I say. You know you cant continu much further. You're already far past your limit. " she pleaded with him.

[Holeypaladin]

The knight couldn't help but chuckle at the way the fox continued to tease him with her words, despite the situation they were in... or perhaps because of it. At times, lighthearted humor was essential when it came to dealing with stress, and their situation was nothing if not stressful. "You speak as if I'm still a child like you," he remarked, referring to the fact that eighteen was still a cub in kitsune years while he had reached the age of adulthood in human years. "Your clothes should wash easily enough," he pointed out, noticing how she seemed unhappy with how soiled they had become as a result of the rain, mud, and blood.

As he approached the cabin, he frowned somewhat as Akira began to speak of him in regards to their situation, noticing several barely concealed foxes, an indication that there were several others who he couldn't see. "I'm not one to show weakness..." he complained somewhat, figuring that such a submissive gesture on his part would cause the foxes to view him as weak, which wasn't something he wanted to admit. "Can't you just use your fox telepathy thing to tell them how much I saved you and how important I am to you? I suppose you could also point out how valuable an ally I can be to your kind..."

At her pleading, he gave a sigh, frowning somewhat. "I'll see what I can do..." he remarked, allowing himself to drop to a knee as she had suggested. However, in doing so, the last of his strength gave out and he fell completely forward, limp as a rag doll on top of Akira, who he ended up dropping at the same time. The last thing he recalled prior to losing consciousness was that his head fell on something rather soft, comfortable, and squishy belonging to the young kitsune girl.

[Owl0430]

Laughing half-heartedlheatedly, Akira smiled gently. " well, in human years your not much older than me. So, even if not by human standards, in kitsune years your still a child as well. So yes, of course I'm going to speak to you as such. " she flattened her ears, looking around. " well... as long as they're not stained it'll he alright then I suppose. "


She huffed, glaring at him" dont you think I would've tried that already if I had the strength to? Even telepathy takes energy, Heinrich " while her words were stern, she understood he didn't like showing weakness. Nobody does. But if one's life depends on it... sacrifices have to be made. As he finally gave into her wishes she smiled, before yelling as he dropped her.
Noticing where his head had landed upon her, she growled at his unconscious form, ears flattened. Using what little strength she had, she shifted so his head rested on her stomache rather than where it had been previously.

For a while she stayed like that, and after some time she was beginning to think the other kitsunes wouldn't help them. However, eventually a few people with fox tails appeared. Three of them were women, one was a guy. Though she knew there were more kitsunes still around in fox form. She recognized the guy as one of the kitsune that would often visit her village. However, she set that aside for the time being as she explained their predicament with the head of the smallish gathering of kitsune. Eventually two of the four that had talked with her picked up Heinrich and took him to a small room in the cottage to care for him. Meanwhile, she was taken to one of the two small pools that made up a miniature hot springs behind the cabin, so she could warm up, having still been cold from the effects of the frost and ice magic. The hot-spring like feature was surrounded by walls on all four sides, and a makeshift roof. A divider split the springs in half, so each gender got one half of the springs.

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich remained unconscious for some time, without so much as dreaming. He eventually woke to the sound of someone debating. "Are you sure it was wise to take the human?" a female voice was asking. "He could lead the hunters right to us."

"He was carrying one of our own," he heard another voice say, "And considering his condition, he nearly died trying to get her to safety."

"He left tracks..." a third voice chimed in, "Whether he's friend or foe... the Unseelie won't be far behind him."

Making his way to his feet, Heinrich managed to stand, albeit weakly, and make his way to the door of the cabin. "It wasn't my intention to lead the fairy here... I was simply trying to find shelter for Akira and myself. However, it's true that I was unable to cover my tracks... so I'll help defend this place long enough for everyone to escape. Where's the fox that arrived with me?"

"Hot springs..." a female kitsune said, obviously appraising his body. "Yousuke can show you to the male side." He wasn't sure what to make of the way the fox girl appraised him like a piece of meet, but he turned his attention to the male fox.

"Follow me," the male kitsune said, "You can talk to her from the other side of the wall."

Refusing to show weakness, Heinrich refuse the offer of support as he made his way over to the male side of the hot springs. Eventually settling down in to the warm water, he found it to be quite relaxing, as every muscle in his body seemed to be sore. He knocked on the divider to get the attention of the girl on the other side. "Akira..." he said. "You there? How are you holding out?"

[Owl0430]

While in the hot springs one of the other female kitsune brought her a silk kimono to wear when she got out while her other clothes were being washed. However, she didn't feel like getting out of the water yet, because despite her affiliation with fire, the hot water felt good on a fatigued body.

Every now and then one of the female kitsunes would stop in to check on her, or simply conversate with her. While she really did enjoy seeing others of her kind, she also discovered she was worried about Heinrich. However, when she heard his voice, she was startled out of her thoughts when she heard his voice. With a Yelp she ducked under the water, before remembering the divider. " h-heinrich? Your awake!" She stated with both worri and happiness... though, despite the divider, she still blushed somewhat. " im.. I'm doing alright. Could be better, but the water is nice... but what about you? You seemed to be in worse shape. .... I still need to teach you a lesson for kissing me" she spoke teasingly.

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich couldn't help but laugh when he heard the yelp from the other side of the wall. Apparently the adorable young kitsune got embarrassed just talking to him while naked, even though he couldn't see her at the moment. As she eventually spoke up, he nodded even though she couldn't see him, before responding, "So I am." He laughed somewhat at the way she expressed concern for his health, before responding, "I'm alright. I recover from injury and fatigue rather quickly... a side effect from the magical augmentation that I had to go through." It was a rather painful procedure that left permanent internal scarring, so he didn't talk much about it.

"Well, I think they might have a mixed bathing area, if you want to meet me there in order to teach me a lesson," he said teasingly back to her. He had no idea if there really was a mixed bathing area, but he knew well enough that Akira would never agree to meet him in such a place in a million years, regardless. "Or there's always the private bath," he pointed out, as he was quite sure they at least had a private bathing area for people who wanted more privacy.

On to more serious matters, he frowned somewhat as he brought up the topic. "We left tracks..." he said in a lower tone. "That fairy will follow them here, I'm quite sure. We'll need to deal with him sooner or later... but I'm still not in a condition to fight. There's a more efficient way to recover magical energy, but..." He didn't want to suggest the ritual to the kitsune, as it was far more intimate than a simple kiss. "Nevermind," he muttered instead, trying to think of alternatives that still offered a high chance of survival and, more importantly, keeping the other kitsunes alive who had given them shelter when they needed it.

[Owl0430]

Akira
Frowning she pressed her back against the wall, worried. " well....I'm glad you heal fast and everything... but you should still be resting . You should recover more before even attempting to stand. " she was honestly worried about him. She was concerned, scared and worried about him.

However, his next comment caught her off guard, and she was glad he couldn't see how much she was blushing. Though for a moment she thought about saying something he wouldn't expect, just to catch him offguard in retaliation, but in the end decided against it. " Why on earth would I meet you in the mixed bathing area? Unlike some people apparently, I actually like my privacy... but you know what, that private bath sounds nice." She paused, smirking. " but your not invited. " though not sure if he was amused, she found herself halarious, and therefore had to suppress a laugh.

Unfortunately, the fun and games just couldn't last, and serious matters had to beaddressed. . " I figured as much... between your condition and mine, covering our tracks would be near impossible..." she spoke with regret. However, his sudden hesitance to speak concerned her. " but what? What's the alternative to you being on bedrest, Heinrich?" To say the least, she had her suspicions as to what the alternative was, but she hoped she was wrong.

[Holeypaladin]

The knight was glad to hear that the kitsune was concerned about his well-being, the knight sensed her leaning against the wall, thinking of how close she was at the moment in her current state and shaking his head a bit at the thought so that he wouldn't dwell too heavily on it. "You could say the same about yourself, you know," he pointed out, remembering the way she collapsed earlier.

Laughing a bit at her teasing, he shook his head and said, "Guess you won't get me back after all, then." He was amused and chuckled a bit at her joke, though he was unsure how to reply to her final question. "Um..." he managed to say, "You don't want to know." In order to try and escape answering her question, he soon added, "I'm gonna follow your advice and get some rest, for now. See you later, I suppose."

Drying himself off, he accepted a bath towel offered by the male kitsune on the way out. "I'll show you to your room," the kitsune said, directing Heinrich not towards the clinic that had treated his wounds, but towards a different room that he had yet to visit. "Her clothes..." the kitsune asked, "Where did you get them?"

"Uh... they're sort of on loan from the Arcane University," the knight remarked, wondering if the man even knew what the Arcane University was.

"I thought as much," the man said with a nod, "I suppose they want the eight-tailed pelt of my former mate in payment? I would prefer to have it back... but in exchange, I would be willing to personally head to your University to assist in their studies. I'm sure they'll find a rare nine-tailed male to be a much better research specimen," he said, fanning out all nine of his tails to display them.

"Pretty impressive," the knight said with a nod. Male kitsunes were considered rare, and he had never even heard of a nine-tailed male before, so he was certain the university would be willing to accept the offer. "I'm fairly sure they'll agree, then."

"Excellent," the kitsune said, finally leading Heinrich to the room. "The Unseelie will recognize our refuge for what it is, and bring plenty of backup. I'll be relying on you and the twintail to assist in our defense... seeing as you led them right to us." With that, he opened the door to the room and directed Heinrich inside.

When Heinrich entered, however, he noted that the room contained two futons, right next to each other... a very suspicious thing indeed. Turning to ask the kitsune why there were two of them, the male was nowhere to be found... but Heinrich recalled the superhuman hearing ability of foxes, and suspected the kitsune had overheard the brief conversation in the bath, and as he knew of the Arcane University... most likely he also knew exactly what the Spirit Melding ritual was, as well. "Tricky fox," he muttered as he sat down on one of the futons with a sigh, unable to summon forth enough energy to try and find a different place to rest.

[Owl0430]

Knowing exactly what he was referencing, she replied quickly. ''If I had been fully rested and perfectly health from the get-go I would've just been very tired, but I wouldn't have collapsed like I did. You, on the other hand, from my perspective, would've been in the same situation either way. '' while she intended for her words to be stern, they did quite the opposite, and had sounded caring and worried instead.

Her ears flattened against her head when he refused to answer- which, in the end, confirmed her suspicions. That, and his sudden exit from the premises of the hot springs. '' Ya...see ya.'' she stated as he left. Which, reminded her, she had been in the hot springs for quite some time- likely longer than what one was supposed to be in hot water for. So, with hesitance , she eventually got out of the water...after another half hour, plus the time it took for her hair to dry for the most part.

Once out she was provided undergarments and a kimono of sorts- one of which she wasn't the biggest fan of. While the actual color and pattern of the kimono was of her taste ( a nice off-white that complimented her hair with silver and gold cranes embroidered onto it). but the actual style she didn't like what-so-ever. It was floor-length, yes, but there was a slit in the side that went up to her side, and it cut lower than she liked in the top. Hence why, even as she was guided to the room she was to stay in, and lectured, she held the top closed to cover any exposed skin up top.

The lecture was less annoying than the kimono, to say the least. Mainly because she knew the woman was right. They had left tracks. It was part of their responsibility to help fight the fairy off. However, she was confused when the door to a room was opened, and she found heinrich inside. Next thing she knew the other kitsune was gone. Continuing to hold the upper portion of the kimono tightly together, still to prevent any skin from showing, she glared at heinrich before lying on the futon next to him, not bothering to shut the door to the room. '' Try anything and it will be the end of you.'' she muttered as she closed her eyes.

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich was glad that the kitsune showed signs of caring for his well-being, even if she had attempted to scold him for his recklessness. It was true, however, that he was tired, and once he lay down on one of the futons, he was asleep within minutes, long before Akira had even gotten out of her own bath. He hadn't even bothered to change clothing, wearing the same garments he had been wearing on the walk back from the bath, his usual clothes being laundered at the moment.

He stirred somewhat as the door opened and the kitsune was brought to his room, but didn't move as she lay down rather close to him on the adjoined futon. "You're so cute when you act tsundere," he murmured, mostly as a way of teasing her for her reaction than anything else. "You'll have to keep the other girl away in the morning," he mentioned before dozing back off to sleep. The kitsunes would be disappointed in Akira's reluctance to perform the ritual, and with no shortage of other female kitsunes in their camp, the odds were quite high that they would send another young fox to restore Heinrich's magic prior to the fight against the fairy.

For the time being, however, Heinrich drifted off into the dream world. He warded his dreams properly, yet left an opening just for Akira to join in if she wanted to, recalling somewhat how she had night terrors of her own and would likely find more sanctuary within his dreams as opposed to her own. He would find himself back in the Arcane University classroom, with the other students (including any visiting kitsunes) would be wearing the short hot-weather apprentice robes to suit the climate and local fashion of the Imperial City.

[Owl0430]

Pouting slightly as he called her tsundere, she decided to make a remark back at him. '' I'm not tsundere, your just a perv Heinri-'' she stopped suddenly as she heard what he said next. Other...girl? The kitsune took a few moment to figure out what he meant by that, eventually succeeding in doing so. No hecking way are any of those lust-filled heathens getting anywhere near him... she thought, her ears folding back and her tails twitching in annoyance. Heinrich may be the one to help end the persecution of the kitsune race, but she refused, for whatever reason, to let any of the other kitsune women near him. '' over my dead body....'' she muttered quietly beneath her breath. In the end she rolled over to face him, eventually wrapping and arm over him and resting her head on his chest, as if to ward off other kitsune girls.

After some time she fell asleep, but it didn't take long for the various nightmares to plague her subconcious. Persecution, freezing to death. A kitsune of black fur and red markings. War. Too many fears and terrors to deal with. So, naturally, she searched for an escape. Thankfully, and too her relief, she soon enough found a berrier between dreams. To be honest, she hoped it was Heinrich's dream. Quickly she made the leap through the barrier, smiling greatly when she seen the familiar setting, followed by spotting Heinrich. With a great smile she waited for Heinrich to notice her, not paying much heed to her current outfit. Looking around while she waited, she decided to take in the setting a bit more than last time.

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich couldn't help but laugh a bit at the way Akira's attitude suddenly changed at the mention of the "other girl." Though it was clear that her mutter hadn't been meant for his ears, he overheard it anyway as he pretended to drift off to sleep, her true feelings having been betrayed somewhat. Of course she denied being tsundere... they always did... but when faced with rival kitsune girls, her true feelings on the matter had risen to the surface.

As he dreamed of the classroom, Heinrich glanced around the room, and noted the appearance of the same kitsune girl in a chair diagonally behind him and to the left, the angle threatening to offer him a peek under her short apprentice robes which matched those worn by the other students in the classroom. He smirked somewhat as he saw Professor MacDougle walk into the room... an instructor who was famous for his rather odd sense of humor.

"Welcome to our class on the Spirit Melding Ritual," MacDougle said as he addressed the students. "If you would all pair up with a student of the opposite gender, we can skip straight to the practical exercise." This caused Heinrich to chuckle somewhat. Most of the students realized this was a joke, and while some of the female students began to blush, none of them actually paired up. He glanced back to Akira to see how the kitsune would respond to this joke, as she was undoubtedly unfamiliar with MacDougle's odd sense of humor.

"I guess dreams are often related to the things we experience shortly before sleeping," he whispered somewhat at the rather amusing situation that had become of the classroom.

[Owl0430]

Akira
Seeing Heinrich look at her she smiled at him, her ears perking up. She was about to say something when the profesor walked in. Hearing his words, and recalling the words heinrich had spoken earlier she blushed. Of course, that then soon turned to anger as she glared at heinrich, her ears flattened. Though after a few moments it was clear it was a joke, she still shot daggers at Heinrich.

Deciding she didn't want to hear such foul humor, she got up and headed for the door, deciding maybe she'd take the opportunity to explore the academy a bit. Walking along she hurried out of the classroom. Though she didn't go far, figuring Heinrich might follow her. Besides,he knew his way around this place. Maybe he could show her around. From what she could see, it was extremely different than any of the Kitsune learning enviroments. Theirs tended to be outside, it open meadows or by waterfalls.

To be honest she missed those days, when they didn't have to run and hide. It was peaceful. She would've loved to have shown Heinrich around her small civilization of kitsune, but.... it was homew now. Speaking of Heinrich, where was he? She froze up at the recollection of something he had said about other kitsune. She walked back to the classroom peering through the window in search of Heinrich.

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich wasn't sure why the fox girl had shown anger to him of all people... it wasn't as if he had been the one to make the joke, after all. It was simply a memory from an old lecture back at the academy, replaying itself in dream format. He made no hurry to follow her as she got up and walked out of the classroom, however... he figured she'd soon find that since it was, indeed, a dream, then anything outside of Heinrich's own perception would be an endless abyss of nothing.

"Most of you have probably heard of the Spirit Melding ritual by now," MacDougle was saying, though Heinrich wasn't paying much attention. "Some key things to note. The stronger the emotional connection between you and your partner, the more effective the ritual. And the more... promiscuous the female, the lower the efficiency. So simply visiting a brothel or village bicycle won't have the desired effect."

He glanced over at the window to the classroom to see the fox girl peeking in on him... perhaps she had realized that walking off without him was a pointless effort. Having realized this wasn't the sort of topic she wanted to hear, he also stood up and walked out of the room. "You know what they say..." he said with a shrug. "Usually your dreams will have some sort of relation to whatever it was you were thinking about when you went to sleep. But considering the nature of this dream world... if there's any topic you want to learn more about, I might have a memory of some lecture in this old mug of mine."

[Owl0430]

As she stood outside of the room, she unfortunately overheard the conversation, grimacing in disgust at the topic. What kind of stuff did they teach in this school? At an academy of what she assumed was of such an elite nature, she didn't expect such a ( at least in her opinion) immature nature. Therefore she gave Heinrich a look of unamusement as he exited the room to join her, even as he tried to defend himself.

" yes, they do say that, don't they? Of course, I could always just assume you are a perv and that you for whatever reason enjoy dreams of such topics. " she teased, the faintest glimmer of amusement in her eyes despite her expression. She then took his hand slightly a began walking. " I... don't really want to learn about anything... i... just want to relax, and enjoy at least some temporary peace... walking around somewhere sounds nice...." she stated with a sad smile. " however...... any information you might have about our enemy would be more logical. Even if we won't remember most of it, any little bit retained would be useful. Though she really did just want to spend time with him, peacefully, she also had to care for the other kitsunes back in the real world. She couldn't let more kitsunes be killed... not after her village. That had been a traumatic night.

" what do you think, Heinrich? It's your mind. You choose what you wish to dream about... as long as it's not innapropriate... oh, and if you dare to even consider any female kitsunes that they might throw at you when you wake up, I will personally see too it that your burnt to a crisp, okay?" Her words and facially expression made it seem like what she said was the most casual thing in the world, especially as she was smiling, but the threat was still there.

[Holeypaladin]

The knight chuckled at the words of the kitsune, shrugging a bit at her tease. "Everyone is a perv to some degree, and so such thoughts are normal... in which case, they're no longer perverted. Not to say that certain things can't be inappropriate... but there is a time and place for all things." He allowed the fox to take his hand, giving hers a gentle squeeze as he began to walk through the no longer clouded halls of the university.

"I probably have some sort of memory of unseelie fairies in this noggin of mine," he remarked. "While peace and relaxation sound nice... there's a chance we might remember enough of this dream to make some use of it." Navigating his way through the corridors of the university, he took time to admire the way her student uniform fit on her, even if she did consider it to be a bit too revealing.

"Define inappropriate," he added somewhat teasingly, chuckling at her comment regarding other kitsune girls. "It wouldn't be efficient to perform the ritual with some slutty girl, remember?" he pointed out what Professor MacDougle had said about ritual efficiency. "Though it will be incredibly difficult to have to fight a magic using enemy on a low battery... a strong emotional connection is a necessary catalyst. Call it love, if you will."

Logically, it was indeed sound for the kitsunes to encourage Akira to take Heinrich as her mate... with his magic as drained as it was, it wouldn't be fully recovered by morning through ordinary means, exponentially increasing the chances that there would be casualties among the refugees. Still, he wasn't going to pressure the girl to do anything she didn't want to do, and so the knight figured he'd look for other means to plan for the battle ahead.

Eventually he made his way to a door, and upon opening it, the two of them were transported into adjacent seats in a lecture that had taken place at some other point in Heinrich's education. This time the teacher was a slender, beautiful sylph, around four feet in height, who hovered in the air in front of the classroom. Her features were very similar to those of an elf, but smaller proportion and more delicate, with butterfly wings that kept her aloft with the assistance of a natural levitation magic. Professor Sylphy was beloved among the students for her playful nature, though she showed obvious disdain for the Unseelie in lectures such as this one.

[Owl0430]

" hmmm... well, no matter what your still a perv in my book." She smiled at him as she spoke, taking a moment to appreciate how nicely her hand fit in his. "

''And I don't care if it wouldn't be efficient. Your a guy. If there's a high chance we all could die in this fight, It's natural to be stressed.... which can lead to bad moral decisions, or desperate means of getting your mind off of things. " she spoke as she looked at the ground. Love, eh? Glancing at him slightly she thought about that word. Love. Was that what this was? Or was it just meer respect, or a means of self preservation? But if it wasn't an emotional connection of sorts, why did she care so much about the other kitsune women in the waking world? She grimaced, her grip on his hand tightening as she fought back tears. Stopping in her tracks she grabbed Heinrich's arm so he'd stop as well. She looked up at him, tears lining her vision and her ears pressed flat against her head. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and , while standing on the tips of her toes and pulling his head down, she kissed him for a moment, a tear falling as she did so. Afterwards she pressed her face against his chest to hide her blush and her tears. " promise me nobody will die.... especially not you.....or the elders. Or anyone..." she spoke as she cried against his chest for a moment. " dont leave me....." she whispered under her breath . After a few more minutes she backed away, allowing Heinrich to continue walking . When they went through the door and appeared again in the new room, she put her head down on the desk, focusing on the information being presented.

[Holeypaladin]

Continuing to hold the girl's hand in his own, Heinrich chuckled, noting how her smile betrayed the fact that she was just teasing him. "Well then, it's up to you to make sure that I remain your perv, then." He squeezed her hand a bit closer as he noted the fact that she was feeling some emotions, and allowed her to stop him in the halls. Stroking her soft fox ears, he returned her kiss, holding her close in his arms, and caressing her until her tear stopped falling.

"I won't die..." he said. "And neither will you." He wasn't the sort of man to promise something he couldn't deliver, so as far as the elders, and the Unseelie fairy... he definitely could not guarantee that none of them would die. "Akira..." he said, stroking her hair and tails softly, leaning in to whisper into her ear. "You don't have to be afraid of the ritual... if we do it together, it's ok... since we'll be together for at least a thousand years, no matter what."

He didn't want to pressure her in to performing the ritual that would give them both enough magical power to protect the elders and everyone, but didn't want her to be afraid of it, either... it really came down to whether the kitsune wanted to, or not. Since he was already labeled a Perv in her mind, he figured she already knew his own opinion on the matter, after all.

Once he made his way to the classroom with her, he went ahead and helped her up into his lap, holding her and stroking her soft tails a bit. Normally this would cause a disturbance in a classroom, but since this was a dream from his memory, everyone else simply continued on as they had in the past. "It is said that the greatest weakness of the fairy is cold iron..." Sylphy was saying to the class. "Some scholars believe this to be some sort of mythical metal that is magically cold to the touch... but in truth, it is simply a poetic term for what we now call cold steel. The weapons of mortal man. Fairies cannot touch metal that has been refined into a weapon in this manner, and wounds from them can easily prove fatal."

To think that such powerful, magical creatures of foreign origin were vulnerable to the most common of battlefield weapons was almost laughable... but in truth, it explained why elf and fairy magic users could not use magic while wearing metal armor, as it, too, counted as weaponized, refined iron, and interfered with magic of fairy origin. Of course, such did not apply to Heinrich himself, as he relied on Draconic magic rather than fairy magic, and was properly skilled in casting arcane magic while wearing full armor.

[Owl0430]

Her hands clutched his shirt tightly as he spoke, while she kept her face hidden and pressed against his shoulder. As he said he wouldn't die, and neither would she, Akira almost laughed. I wish that were the truth, Heinrich.... she thought sadly. and I appreciate your attempt to comfort me..
But this is quite the battle... lives will be lost. Possibly including our own..." of course, she didn't say any of that. She just thought it as he continued speaking. At his final words she dug her fingers into his chest for a moment, hesitant, before backing away and avoiding eye contact. " I'm sorry, Heinrich... but I... I just can't... I refuse to do anything of the sort until i'm a married woman. I refuse to be immoral like the others... and besides i.... I would rather it be something romantic and meaningful, not something set up by the likes of them..." she almost chuckled for a moment, sadly. " I know, it's a selfish wish considering the creature I am, and the circumstances....


It was odd to her how such a material as human weaponry could prove fatal to such a being like the unseelie, but... that was also a material they could easily get their hands on... and she was sure there were at least knives in the building. " we can get that easolu... is there anything else we need to know? She asked heinrich

[Holeypaladin]

At the mention of refusing to do such things until she was married, the knight just laughed. "Is that all?" he asked. "We should just get married, then," he said with a shrug, figuring he was solving the serious issue in an instant rather than brooding over it like others would. Sure, marriage was a life-long commitment... but the kitsune had already told him that she'd be following him around for the rest of his life, anyway, and with her recent jealousy towards other girls, she had effectively already narrowed his choices down to marrying her or being single forever.

Noting how she didn't seem to mind being seated in his lap during the lecture, he stroked her soft tails a bit as he held her, nodding somewhat at her words. "Sylphy is just getting to that part, I believe," he said to he, giving her a kiss on the cheek and stroking her soft fox ears as well, finding her light weight to fit comfortably in his lap.

"The Unseelie know of their weakness, and so they use other means so as to avoid being wounded by cold steel weaponry," the professor said, floating a bit closer to them as she did so. She always had a habit of flying around just low enough so as to make it impossible for the seated males to get a glimpse up the short skirts she wore... quite the feat, in fact, considering how many of them tried. "So they'll instead distract their opponents with Glamour... illusions designed to make men think they are attacking the fairy, when in fact they hit only air. The True Sight spell is the best way to see through such illusions... but it is a level five Divination spell."

Frowning, the knight knew all about the True Sight spell, but there was another problem at hand. Thinking over the problem with trying to cast it, he remarked, "I can only use my Divination circuit up to level four, currently... if we get married tonight, we can probably raise it to five, though."

[Owl0430]

It was rather annoying to her how Heinrich spoke so casually about marriage. Marriage was a serious matter . For the time being, however , she brushed it off.....

As the woman, who she now knew was called Sylphy, spoke, she listened intently, paying no heed to the moments of the woman, only the words. What snapped her out of her focus was when Heinrich spoke. It could've just been her misinterpreting what he was saying, but his words angered her. Her ears went flat and her pupils went to slit as the spot where her hand was on his shoulder ended up singed from a small, small flame. After she stood up, backing put of Heineich's reach. " how... how can you speak of marriage so casually! Marriage is a serious think that's supposed to be romantic and well-planned, not rushed just because of certain things! " she hissed at him. " marriage determines your lifelong partner, your future! With someone you love and care for greatly, not to mention it's supposed to be the most important moment of one's life! " by her expression it was clear that behind the anger there was a flurry of other emotions, such as hurt, worry, and sadness. " yet you speak casually about it as if it's not important..... as if it's just something you can just casualy do and then slip out of whenever you get bored!" She took another step back, a rift opening behind her. " i... I thought you were different than the others... that you actually cared about my personality instead of my looks, that your perverted comments were just to annoy me... but no! Your like all the others! You want what you cant have, and then as soon as you get it you grow bored and move onto the next victim, leaving a trail of broken hearts behind you. .... i.. I had truly believed you weren't like the others..." she then faced the rift, looking back at him over her shoulder. ".... what a fool I was." She stated before leaping through the rift back to her own dream, the rift closing behind her. The landscape of her own dream formed around her.... it wasnt as bad as some of the others, but.... it was about the dates she had been on in the end, which had all ended the same- in disaster. She willed the dream to change, not wanting to relive those memories. She succeeded in changing the dream, surprisingly, but it changed to when the king's army invaded her village. Once again she didn't want to relive the memory, but she actually preferred it at the moment to that of her previous dream. So she sat down where she was and closed her eyes, focusing on keeping up the defenses of her mind, which wasn't something she did often.

[Holeypaladin]

As the kitsune suddenly exploded into what seemed to be a fit of rage in front of him, Heinrich wasn't sure how to respond... nor did he really have much of a chance to do so, as she continued to unleash a barrage of words, mixing insults in with her own frustration. He had been completely logical in his decision, and his plan, in a way that would prove beneficial to everyone... and yet she seemed to have this idealistic view of marriage, along with a large dose of misandrist thought, that were now being made clear to him.

All he could really say was, "The rest of our lives won't be very long, at this rate." He figured the nightmares she would put herself through by withdrawing into her own dreams would paint the picture far worse than he would.... and though confused, his attention was soon drawn to something that Professor Sylphy was saying in her lecture to the class.

"As the Unseelie are creatures, of darkness, they prefer to attack by surprise, in the dark of night. Midnight is their hour of greatest strength." Of course... Midnight. The fairy wouldn't wait until dawn to attack... the attack was coming tonight, at midnight! With this in mind, the knight forced himself to awaken from his sleep, his eyes opening suddenly.

Glancing over to the kitsune sleeping next to him, it seemed clear that she was experiencing a nightmare of her own... though instead of waking her, he instead focused on taking note of how much magical energy he had. Not enough... not nearly enough. The sun had already set, leaving the room in darkness... how long until midnight? He wasn't sure.

Standing up, he left Akira to sleep as he made his way out of the room. "You look like hell," said a female voice from nearby. "Weren't you supposed to be... you know, energized, by now?"

Glancing over to the four-tailed kitsune girl, the knight shrugged. "That girl hates me, so of course not. More importantly, this place is going to be attacked... around midnight, most likely."

"We knight," the kitsune said with a sigh. "The Unseelie always attack at midnight. We were going to wake you closer to midnight." Gazing up and down his form, she continued in a sultry voice. "I could help you, you know... if she doesn't want to. I guarantee you would enjoy it..."

"I'll pass," the knight said, "Is that hers?" he said, noting how she was carrying Akira's laundered sorceress outfit. "She'll need it in the fight." Though he wasn't sure if she'd be able to use any magic, at this rate, anything was better than nothing.

"Too bad..." the four-tailed kitsune girl said. "I mostly just came to deliver this to her... and to check on how you two were doing." Brushing past him, she made sure her fluffy tails brushed against the knight as she made her way in to the room to set Akira's clothing down beside her. Heinrich merely sighed, walking off on his own to check the perimeter of the small camp of refugees to see what assistance he could provide in its defense.

[Owl0430]

For what felt like forever she stayed in her dream, trying to bear the memory. However, there came a point when everything was silent. Too silent. When she opened her eyes again, she didn't recognize the scene. It wasn't anything from her memory. Below her was a large pile of ash, some lumber and misscelaneous items mixed in, and the crackle of fire all around her. Not to mention the smell of death was all around as well. This was a new horrific scene... one she hadn't scene before. The weirdest part was, she was all alone. There appeared to be nobody else around.... and it was rather unsettling.
Looking around she eventually noticed on the outskirts of the pile of ash there was frost, frost that was slowly melting away because of the fire. '' I see....so they all died.....'' she spoke with clear sadness, though nobody was around to hear.....then she heard footsteps, and she turned to look behind her. When she did, she saw the unseelie. '' So in this dream I'm once again staring death in the eye...only this time there will be no knight in shining armor.'' she spoke once again to herself... she woke and shot up the moment before she was to be killed.

Looking around in a bit of a panic she noticed two things- there was a four-tailed kitsune woman placing her normal attire beside her....and heinrich was gone. She was confused for a moment, before she recalled little about her dreams, but she did clearly remember her unneccsary rant against heinrich, to his face. With a frown she looked at the ground, part of her wanting to trust him but the other part of her, the fearful part, assuming the worst.'' All because of one terrible relationship...'' she muttered under her breath to herself. That's why she was so prejudiced against man. She used to simply wear whatever she thought was pretty- even if it was a bit short, or somewhat lowcut. At one point, she had even had a boyfriend, before all the persecution. The man had seemed nice at first, kind and caring, but...in the end it was just a charade. He had only wanted one thing, just because she was a kitsune. Nothing happened between them, but there was tension. He would pressure her, but each time she'd refuse. That led to a fight that ended the relationship... so now she was rather afraid of relationships, and men in general. They were pretty much doomed right now. No, definitely doomed. Yet, morals were important. To give up your morals is wrong. Yet, what could they do? They were doomed at the moment, out of options, and the only option they had she refused. Walking out of the room she didn't bother asking where heinrich was, not sure if she wanted the answer, and instead went to find a snack. Then she was informed the unseelie would likely be there at midnight.... and she forgot all about getting a snack. She then looked at a kitsune child that was nearby. The poor thing looked terrified. Sighing gently she turned to face the kitsune that had informed her of what would be happening at midnight. '' If ..if heinrich has a moment, please inform him that i would like to speak with him....'' she spoke before returning to the room she had been sleeping in, sitting on her knees.

[Holeypaladin]

As he began to walk the perimeter, Heinrich took time to analyze the terrain and structures in the small kitsune refuge. It wasn't fortified, of course, but through efficient use of terrain, he might still be able to come up with some sort of strategy to assist with the defense of these creatures. It was a long shot without his own magic to rely on, but a long shot was all they had, at the moment, as he was convinced that Akira's ideals of marriage and prejudice towards men was stronger than her desire to live through the night.

As he pointed out a potential ambush point to two younger kitsunes, he was soon approached by little kitsune girl who looked scared out of her wits, yet shyly approached him anyway. "E-excuse me..." she said hesitantly. "A-are you Heinrich? Y-your girlfriend wants to talk to you..."

Sighing somewhat, he said, "She's not my girlfriend. By the way, do you know what time it is?"

"I-it's the beginning of the eighth hour... on the eight hour clock, that is."

"Thanks," he said with a nod. If it was the beginning of the eighth hour of the eight hour clock, it meant the time was around 21:00 by the 24 hour clock... or nine hours past noon. That meant there were about three hours left until the fairy attacked. He doubted the fairy would rely on human henchmen, this time, as Heinrich had made sure to kill them... and soldiers seemed unlikely as well, as they were quite far from any of the kingdom's garrisons. That left the local wildlife... and fairy beasts such as the winter wolves from earlier.. both of which could be commanded by a greater fairy.

With these thoughts still turning in his mind, he entered the room to note the kitsune girl sitting on her knees. "Hey there," he said as he approached the young kitsune. "You might want to cover that," he indicated the gap in her clothing that came naturally between her knees as she sat on them. It was his attempt to be considerate, rather than attempting to sneak a peak, as he figured the girl was still mad at him.

Settling himself down in front of the kitsune, he fixed a neutral gaze on her. "The little fox girl said you wanted to speak to me..." he said. "What about?"

[Owl0430]

It had been a bit sense she'd sent the kitune girl to find heinrich, but she didn't question it. To her relief though, Heinrich did eventually show, and he appeared to be acting somewhat more considerate than normal. However, she hesitated as he asked what she wanted to talk about, shifting how she was sitting in the meantime.
'' I....wanted to apologize, for my uncalled for anger.''' she stated after a moment's hesitation, avoiding eye contact. '' It was wrong, and I shouldn't of taken it out on you. I...admit that i am rather prejudiced. However, I promise you I have my reasons....'' she spoke before taking a deep breath. '' .....Once upon a time, I was engaged. About a year before my home was burned to the ground. At first, the guy I was to be wed to seemed nice and friendly. Perfectly caring....but he changed. He started to get more and more pushy about things..and I refused to give up my morals... and I came home one night to find another woman there. We fought about it. It didn't end well, and we called off the engagement... So i apologize that you had to pay for my frustration about the whole ordeal.'' with a sigh she stood up and walked over to him, pressing her forehead against his and taking his face in her hands. '' If you truly do care for me as me, not for anything else...and if your offer still stands...I will agree to marry you. I'm sure there's some formal traditional clothes around here, and I'm also sure at least someone here is licensed to marry people. '' she paused, her eyes closed. '' These people might die because we ventured here. I don't want to see that happen.''

[Holeypaladin]

The knight sat before the kitsune girl, listening as she spoke her apology. Without interrupting her, he listened as she spoke of her past, frowning a bit as she did so. The thought of her having been engaged before didn't sit well with him, as it meant he would forever be compared to her ex, just as she had already done in assuming he was so similar. According to what she had said earlier, however, she hadn't gone... too far, at least, with the jerk who had betrayed her. So perhaps there was still a chance...

"I see...." he remarked. "I am not your ex. So from now on, don't ever compare me to him, or assume that since he acted a certain way, that I will act the same. I should apologize as well, however... part of my training as a knight is in how to deal with stressful situation without succumbing to fear or panic. In that sense, I am... not always the best at expressing my emotions, and may at times suggest a course of action without giving adequate explanation."

"Truthfully, I do care for you, however," he said. "Circumstances require me to keep a level head at the moment... but please don't think that means my feelings aren't real. While scouting the perimeter, I rejected the advances of no fewer than three kitsune girls, if that helps to assure you. While I'm afraid I can't offer you the wedding of your dreams at the moment... perhaps a year from now, at our anniversary, we will be in a better position to do so."

Reaching a hand out, he gently took hers. "We don't have much time, however. Three hours to perform the wedding, consummate it, and prepare our defenses. You left my dream before Sylphy explained that the Unseelie prefer to attack at midnight, when their power is strongest. Is it alright with you if we move with haste, in order to save as many lives as possible?"

[Owl0430]

She nodded at his words, frowning. '' I understand... I promise I will do my best not to compare you to, or assume that you are like him.....''' she stated before looking up at him. '' However, I request that you attempt to work on expressing your emotions more, and provide me adequate explanations when there's time. ''

However, hearing him say he rejected the other kitsunes calmed her a bit, knowing she could trust him. As for the wedding, even if it couldn't be perfect now, she supposed she could make do with having a nicer wedding at a later date. Granted they were both still alive at a later date.....

'' So i've heard.....one of the younger kitsune informed me of the situation.....''' she spoke sadly, clearly not fond of the fact that the Unseelie would be arriving so quick. '' I understand the need to move with haste..... but I would at least like to find a decent outfit to wear for the ceremony. I would much rather not get married in the outfit I am in now....I would also prefer to see you in something a bit nicer for the ceremony as well.''

[Holeypaladin]

The knight gazed at the fox girl, nodding at request. "Understood," he said. "Once time permits, I'll give you as much explanation as you desire. And if you ever feel in doubt of my emotions, ask me instead of making assumptions. As much as you've pledged to protect me, I'll make sure to take care of you, and ensure your safety and well-being."

Standing up, he offered the girl a hand to help her to her feet as well. "I don't really have any formal attire," he remarked. "Just armor, really. But there's a chance some of the kitsunes may have something to your liking. I like the way your sorceress outfit looks on you, though I understand your desire for more formal clothing to suit the occasion. Let's hope hope our hosts have something that will suffice."

Taking his hand, he led the girl out in search of someone to perform the ceremony. It wasn't long until the nine-tailed elder found them, a slight frown on his face as he instantly noted their energy level was still far too low for the upcoming battle. "It seems you have yet to perform the ritual..." he noted. "Shall I have some of the other kitsune girls tend to your needs?"

Ignoring the hint of having more than one such girl, the knight shook his head. "We're looking for someone to perform a wedding ceremony. And some formal clothing for it," the knight remarked.

"Ah..." the kitsune said with a nod. "I see. As an elder, I am authorized to perform such a ceremony in the name of our mother goddess, Inari. We have little time, but I shall ensure the bride is properly prepared for the ceremony. You may return to your room, Akira, and I'll send someone to help you prepare for the ceremony. Sir knight, you will come with me."

With a shrug, the knight released Akira's hand. "Guess it's one of those not seeing each other before the ceremony things. I'll see you soon though," he remarked, heading off alone with the elder. He assumed he would be wearing one of the traditional kimonos of the kitsune culture to the ceremony... not the sort of thing he would normally wear, but this was all for the sake of the girl, rather than for his own benefit.

[Owl0430]

She nodded at his words, gingerly taking his hand when he offered it to her to stand up. '' Then I suppose once all is said and done, and times are calm, we need to get you some formal and casual clothing then. I would imagine armor gets rather uncomfortable after some time''

With that she walked with him, keeping a light hold on his hand the entire time. None the less, even though Heinrich rejected the elder's offer, she narrowed her eyes slightly at the elder's comment, her tail twitching in annoyance. The other kitsunes, by gosh, they were going to be the death of her. Granted, that would be if the fairy didn't kill everyone first.

Though she bowed respectful after the elder kitsune said he would help them with the wedding, letting go of heinrich's hand as she was told to return to the room. '' Very well. I shall see you soon enough, Heinrich.'' she stated, narrowing her eyes slightly. '' but I swear if you are wearing a single piece of armor at the alter, the wedding is off.'' she then smiled sweetly at him before returning to her room, a few kitsunes that had overheard the conversation trailing after her.

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich noted how the elder kitsune began headed to a different residence, chuckling at the words of Akira as they warned him not to wear armor. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, waving goodbye to her before following after him. This time, however, he was less pleased with being separated from the girl, even knowing it was only temporarily, as the preparations were hastily made to prepare the wedding.

It was about a half hour before he was told to make his way to the ceremony, though his own preparation had only taken a few minutes. He was provided a traditional kimono of the kitsune people, and the fact that it had an opening in the back for several tails which he lacked proved that it was borrowed from someone else, but it would have to do. He felt quite out of place in this garment, however, but the ceremony was for the sake of Akira more than for his own benefit.

He stood before an altar to the kitsune mother goddess, Inari, as he heard the young musician play some sort of instrument that he didn't recognize. Glancing back, he noted the younger kitsunes bringing a beautiful two-tailed teen fox with them, noting how they had improved the appearance of Akira quite a bit in the short time they had available to them to prepare her for her wedding.

[Owl0430]

When she finally reached the room she had been in only a short time ago, the kitsunes trailing her wasted no time getting started. A few of the ones around her age took care of her hair and makeup, one even going to find her an outfit, while a few younger runs ran amuck trying to find wild flower within the perimeter of the establishment. They returned soon enough, wielding a mix of various wild flowers. (and a few dandelions, which are technically weeds, but she wouldn't complain. It was the thought and effort that counted.) Besides, they'd somehow managed to find foxglove flowers. She actually needed those to sustain her war beast form.

Only a short bit later one of the other kitsunes returned bearing a white and silver kimono for her to wear. Having just been released from hair and makeup, she slipped on the kimono, her ''assistants'' helping with the kimono's accesories and what not. After about ten minutes more she was finished, and the kitsune that had helped her were told to escort her to the ceremony.

when she got there, she couldn't help but chuckle at how heinrich looked out of place in a kimono. maybe when they have their fancier, less-rushed anniversary wedding, it'd have to be a mix of human and kitsune culture. He honestly looked utterly rediculous, but it wasn't a bad thing. It was amusing, so it helped calm her nerves a bit. '' Fancy seeing you here. It's been a while, has it not?'' she joked lightly once she reached the end of the isle.

[Holeypaladin]

Knowing he looked out of place in the traditional kitsune garment, Heinrich stood awkwardly as the fox was shown towards him. His gaze fell upon her, however, and he couldn't stop looking at her. Whatever the girls had done to Akira, she looked even better than usual, though he figured it was mostly due to the hair and makeup that she was wearing... the sort of thing she didn't normally have while running for her life, for obvious reasons.

As she came close enough and spoke to him, he couldn't help but chuckle at her words. "It's been so long... wasn't sure I'd ever see you again," he joked back to her, before turning his attention towards the nine-tailed fox that was in charge of the ceremony. The language that he spoke wasn't one that he had studied extensively... he recognized it as an ancient dialect used by Kitsunes, and could distinguish the name "Inari" used several times... a goddess of foxes, fertility, and alcohol, all of which seemed suitable for this particular situation.

He kept his gaze focused on the beautiful kitsune as the words more or less washed over him, and when a question was directed at him, he said, "Uh... Hai," figuring it meant yes to whatever question the kitsune was asking. After a similar question was asked to Akira, he gave the fox time to respond, before wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her close and kissing her deeply.

Eventually, he paused to breath, whispering, "What did I just agree to, anyway?"

[Owl0430]

Their little sarcastic, quiet banter at the alter amused her for a moment, but that wasn't on her mind long. Despite his out-of-place look in his outfit, she determined two things- 1; he didn't look horrible, but he might look better in a different style of traditional attire. 2; she liked how he was looking at her. It was gentle and caring.

She also took note of his lack of understanding of the words being spoken, which was amusing to her. He could be told to agree to anything at that moment, and he wouldn't even know what it was. She herself responded confidently when asked her questions, smiling gently. However, though she knew it would happen at some point, the kiss still caught her off-guard. For a moment she hesitated to kiss back, due to her memories of the past. It only lasted a brief moment before she returned his kiss, remembering he was Heinrich- not her past companion.

'''' Hmm....lets see.... you agreed to be loyal and loving, to never leave my side....be with me in sickness and in health, the usual marriage stuff.... as well as to be obedient and listen to my every command.'' she teased when he asked what he'd agreed to. Granted, the last thing she said was a joke, but given his lack of knowledge in their traditional language, he might actually believe it. '' And this would typically be the part where you sweep me off my feet and carry me to wherever we go after this, considering it's not a typically wedding.''

[Holeypaladin]

Somewhat nervous at the girl's hesitation, Heinrich was glad when she returned the kiss, stroking her soft tails before wrapping his arms around her. He listened as she spoke of what the marriage vows had consisted of, though when she got to the end, he laughed a bit, shaking his head somewhat. "I'm pretty sure that last bit is what YOU agreed to," he teased, having no such intention for falling for such a silly trap. "At least, that's what I'll be holding you to," he remarked, gazing at her a bit more.

Nodding, he said, "Alright then. We don't have a whole lot of time before the attack, but I'll make sure that we make the most of it." With that, he picked her up, carrying the young fox in his arms. Now that he wasn't quite so exhausted from fighting for his life, he found it much easier to hold her, as she was quite light compared to the amount of combat gear he was no longer wearing. It wasn't much of a marital home, sure, but he did carry her back to the cabin that had been prepared for her.

Gently laying her down on the futon, he noted the way the kimono parted a bit to reveal her soft, shapely legs. "Well then," he said softly, tracing her soft, fluffy tail and caressing her fox ears. "Are you ready to make our marriage official, Mrs. von Reichskapital?" he said in a soft, slightly teasing tone as his hand began to drift over to her smooth legs.

[Owl0430]

" awe, but it would've been so much more interesting had you believed what I said. Although, for all you know I could've been serious. From the looks of it, you aren't very fluent in our language." From the looks of it, you aren't very fluent in our language."
She smiled gently at him when he lifted her into his arms though she nervously laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as he walked with her in his arms. She only opened them again when she felt him set her down. Though she avoided eye contact. I suppose... " she eventually answered. " I'm scared"

[Holeypaladin]

"I'm not," the knight admitted as he carried the fox girl back to their cabin. "But I know you well enough to recognize when you're trying to tease and manipulated me... one does not readily agree to marry a fox without first realizing what a trickster you can be," he teased her right back, holding her close in his arms as he brought her to the cabin and laid her down.

Gazing at her and taking note of how shy and nervous she had suddenly become, he placed a hand to her chest to feel her rapidly beating heart. "You don't need to be scared... especially not of me. I'll never hurt you, and I'll always take care of you. I just said I would, didn't I?" He slowly turned her chin towards him, giving her a tender kiss.

"Akira..." he whispered her name softly, stroking her ears a bit and caressing them. He made sure to give her time to settle down before he began to formalize their marriage... many times, in fact, over the next couple hours, making sure his young bride felt greater pleasure with each transfer of spirit energy to strengthen his magical circuits in preparation for the upcoming fight.

[Owl0430]

Slowly meeting his eyes with hers, the kitsune listened to his tender words as he restated his promise to take care of her. Closing her eyes, she timidly leaned into the tender kiss he placed upon her lips....

A few hours after Heinrich had carried her off from their wedding, the kitsune was back in a conservative outfit, foxglove flowers adorning her hair, which she was currently brushing out. Of course, the flowers wren't just for decoration. They were the catalyst for her to be able to shift into her war beast form. She wasn't sure how much time was left before the fight for their lives, but she assumed there wasn't much.

[Holeypaladin]

Unfortunately, the approach of midnight came far too quickly. Though Heinrich would have preferred spending more time alone with his young bride, such would have to wait, as there were lives at stake. "We'll have to continue this some other time..." he said, dressing himself and conjuring forth his battle armor in order to deal with the upcoming fight.

Due to their mutual affinity for each other, along with the fact that Akira had saved her virginity for just this occasion, however, Heinrich was able to obtain quite a large amount of spiritual energy. He used this to enhance his Divination circuit to the level where it could use the True Sight spell... something that would prove most useful indeed against fairy opponents who relied heavily on Glamour to confuse their enemies. With this new power, he would be able to see through such illusions in order to identify the real enemy.

Noting the way Akira was dressed, however, Heinrich said, "You'll want to wear this for the fight." He handed her the sorceress outfit that was currently on loan from the Foundry. While the skirt length was still quite short, the amount of exposed skin wasn't excessive... it was just in all the right areas, as far as he was concerned. "It'll make your magic more effective, after all." Giving her a soft kiss and a stroke to her fluffy fox ears, he said, "Let's head on out... they'll need us to defend their camp."

[Owl0430]

Hearing Heinrich speak, she turned to look at him, only to discover her Sorceress's outfit was dry. '' Hm. I hadn't realized they had washed and dried it already. Especially with everything else they must prepare for.'' however, she didn't say much besides that as she changed into the sorceress outfit. Once changed, she saw Heinrich walking over to her, and leaned gently into his touch. '' Yes... we should be heading out. It's almost time." she spoke, taking his hand tightly. '' I"m scared..."

[Holeypaladin]

"My guess is they considered it a preparation for the upcoming fight... after all, that outfit is designed to enhance your sorcery, remember?" The knight watched as his new wife changed in to the outfit, taking some time to admire her body as she did so. After the previous events of the evening, it wasn't as if he had to hide his attraction to the kitsune anymore, as they could now essentially do whatever they liked to each other, with no religious or other cultural restrictions to the intimacy of their relationship.

Wrapping his arms around the fox, he gave the younger girl a tender kiss. "It's ok to be a bit scared, but true courage is the ability to overcome your fear. Stay behind me, and I'll keep you safe. I don't want you fighting tooth and claw with winter wolves, anyway." Though wolves and foxes were similar creatures, there was no denying the fact that wolves were stronger, and more powerful in combat, with the main advantage the kitsune held over wolves being her skill in sorcery.

He wrapped his arm around the girl's waist and made his way over to the tallest building in the small settlement, where the kitsunes had built a ladder. "This should allow us to get a look over the whole settlement. We'll be a target for any missiles or spells, of course, but relatively safe from the wolves themselves. I don't like using ranged weapons... but my main job is to see through the fairy glamour and locate their leader. I'll point him out to you... and you can roast him with fox flames. Unseelie are weak against fire as well as iron, after all." Stroking her ears softly, he said, "Now, allow yourself to accept this magical connection... Ricin tonopar." The incantation was for a consensual telepathic link spell, which would allow the knight to transmit his thoughts wordlessly to the kitsune, bypassing all other communications barriers. The first thing to enter her head through the link upon accepting the connection, however, were the knight's own strong feelings for her... the feelings that he lacked the words to properly convey, yet an assurance of just how much he cared for her, and how much she meant to him.

[Owl0430]

" True....though I must assume then it was cleansed by one of the younger Kitsunes who wouldn't be much help with weaponry or lifting supplies. " she spoke once done dressing.
When Heinrich walked over to kiss her gently, she obliged, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment afterwards. " Keep me safe? This is our turf, Heinrich. and honestly, long distance combat? What are we, normal human archers? There's a reason we're called war beasts, you know. When it comes to battle, we're much better suited for close and mid-distance. The only exceptions are the young, who are typically lead away by a select woman, and our elders. Though we typically protest, our elders typically choose to stay, and we just settle as having them as long-distance to protect them and the knowledge they posses."
Yet, for a moment, she was confused as to why Heinrich was chanting an incantation, but understood a moment later. They needed a way to communicate, without risking the enemy overhearing anything. None the less, the feelings she recieved moments later were rather overwhelming, and she glanced at Heinrich with a blush on her face. Yet, given the situation and sudenness of it all, she couldn't form the correct words to respond with. Instead, she simply stood on her toes and placed a light kiss upon his lips, before turning away. from there she took the time to check on her catalyst. Whomever had cleansed her outfit had apparently removed it from her outfit, but replaced it later...Though it was damaged from what she assumed was the previous battle. The Foxglove petals she had gathered when she came across the uncommon flowers were damaged- torn, and otherwise. Petals were a delicate thing, but when still attatched to the blossom, were typical in better shape...but these petals were still damaged. An impure catalyst could be hazardous when shifting. It could lead to a temporary lapse in self-control, memory, and judgement- In other words, a period of insanity- for any duration of time from the beginning of the transformation, the middle of it, all the way up until when the catalyst wears off. Frowning at the fact, she replaced the petals back in the pocket of her outfit. Of all things that could've been a catalyst, why did it have to be such a difficult one to find?

[Owl0430]

Hola?

[Holeypaladin]

Stroking the soft fox ears of the kitsune, the knight nodded. "I'll keep you safe..." he remarked. Chuckling a bit, he added, "True... but wolves are war beasts, too, and tend to be stronger than foxes in that regard. Your magic is stronger than that of the winter wolves, however, so I was thinking it would be your primary advantage over them. My goal is to minimize casualties, after all."

Feeling the reaction of his new bride to the telepathic link, he gazed at her, returning her kiss softly, watching as she went on to examine the catalyst. "Will you be alright with that?" he asked her, somewhat concerned by the thoughts that he received through the telepathic link. He stroked her tails softly, scanning the distance. The other kitsunes were already laying down bonfires on the edge of their visual range, so that any attackers would easily be seen. Since their position was already known to the enemy, the light was needed to prevent the Unseelie from approaching stealthily under cover of darkness.

As the figure of a white wolf was sighted near one of the bonfires, Heinrich directed his crossbow towards the creature. "It's time..." he said, taking aim with the steel-tipped crossbow bolt. It was far away, but with a little bit of help... "Vis nar" he incanted a Divination spell that would allow a single, precise shot through a brief glimpse of the future, and squeezed the trigger. The bolt flew with flawless accuracy, striking the winter wolf in the neck and causing it to drop into the snow. "A scout, no doubt... more will follow."

[Owl0430]

" I know you'll keep me safe....but I find it rather offensive you think a wolf could outdo me. They may be stronger but they're not smarter. Mangy pack animals....they smell too, you know. Have you ever been near a wolf den? It's disgusting. Smells like wet dog and dead animals. " she spoke, leaning into his touch. " But I understand your desire to minimize casualties, and agree with them. Do I'll oblige willingly this time around. "

The telepathic bond would take some getting used to. She wasn't used to her thoughts not being for her alone, but....in other ways it could be quite fun. " Heinrich, my dear..... if you can tell what I was thinking about the catalyst.....I could have quite a bit of fun with this. There are plenty of things I could think about that only women are supposed to know y'know. It would be funny watching your reactions....though for the sake of the fight I won't pester you." she teased, trying to get in a moment of humor before the big fight. Needless to say, it seemed like only moments later heinrich was firing off an arrow. " But to answer your earlier question, I should be fine...... if I start getting reckless, however, is when you should worry." she gave him one last hug before consuming the catalyst- though something was different this time. The transformation took a bit longer. When it had completed, however, a change was visible. Now there was not two tails, but rather, three.

[Holeypaladin]

The knight chuckled as his new wife went on to say numerous things about wolves... proof of the inherent dislike between foxes and wolves, no doubt, even if the things she was saying weren't necessarily true... as wolves were some of the smartest animals when it came to hunting, and worked in packs. There was a reason they were such widespread apex predators, after all, with only monsters being more threatening. "I appreciate it," he said, giving her another gentle kiss and continuing to stroke her tails softly.

Chuckling at her words, he remarked, "Indeed... I suppose being linked to a woman for too long might drive a man insane." He continued in a teasing tone, "I suppose it's a good thing for my sanity that the spell is temporary, then... it should last the duration of this fight, but it'll wear off eventually, or even sooner if I cancel it."

He nodded at her words as she consumed the catalyst and transformed. Then I'll just have to keep your mind at ease this way, he thought to her through the link. A few moments later, and more wolves began to appear at the edge of the bonfires, and the fight was joined as several kitsunes began to unleash their own pyromancy at the fairy beasts. Heinrich noted the fact that Akira now had a third tail... no doubt acquired through the same spirit melding that had enhanced his own magic to the point where he could counter the Unseelie's glamour with sufficiently powerful Divination magic, but he used the link to let her know how proud he was of her for growing in this way.