Chapter Four Hundred and Fifty-Seven — Two for the Price of One
Chapter Four Hundred and Fifty-Seven — Two for the Price of One The moment I called out Booksie's name, her head popped up, and her ears started wiggling under the cloth bag over her head.I knelt down next to her, aware of the other tied-up person to her right, but for the moment more preoccupied with Booksie herself. "One sec, don't move. I'm gonna take the bag off," I said, voice low and calm so that I wouldn't scare her.I reached over, then untied the bottom of the bag before tugging it off of her head. Her ears flopped as the bag finally came off, and it looked like Booksie had a pretty bad hair-day under there."Bhoholi!" Booksie said through the gag in her mouth. She was blinking blearily, trying to take me in despite the poor lighting of the cave.Someone came up behind me with a magic light, and I was able to make out her features a little better. Booksie looked like she had a big bruise around one eye, and some pretty bad scrapes across her face. Was that from the rough material of the sack rubbing against her?I hugged her, arms wrapping around her shoulders and her head pressed against my neck. "Booksie!" I said. It came out as a bit of a sob. But it wasn't time for crying just yet. I pulled back, aware that she couldn't return the hug with her arms tied. "Gimme another sec," I said as I turned.The person behind me was Awen, and she looked as concerned as I felt. "Here," she said as she pulled out a small knife from under her coat.I accepted it, then carefully sliced off the rope serving as a gag from Bookie's mouth. "Broccoli!" Booksie said. "You came!""Yeah! The moment I saw you weren't at home and that someone had taken you, we started to search. I think half the city's in a tizzy looking for you," I said with a watery grin. "Come on, lean to the side a little, I'll cut you loose."Booksie did as I asked, and the moment she was free her arms were around me and she was holding me very close. "Thank you," she said with a little sniffle."Anytime," I replied as I returned the hug.Booksie was not one for crying, not when there was something she could do. She started to stand, wobbled a bit, then asked for the knife I had and used it to cut the bindings around her ankles free. "If I catch the jerks that caught me, I'll beat them to a pulp," she said."Uh. They're mostly tied up outside, I think," I said."Oh, good, they won't be able to fight back."I was pretty sure that beating up prisoners was an actual crime. "Maybe let us question them first?" I asked. "We'll want to know why they captured you and everything, right?""Hmph," Booksie said. She looked a bit upset, so I carefully took the knife back and gave her another hug."Want to give me a moment? I think we should free, uh, her too?" I gestured to the other prisoner still sitting on the ground. They shook their head and made some muffled noise too. "Sorry," I said. "Here, hold still."I carefully removed the sack from their head, then smiled as their face came into view.She was a young-ish woman, maybe a year or two older than me, with reddish hair and two big, triangular ears on her head. Not cat ears, or dog ears but something similar. I didn't know exactly what she was, other than very angry."Okay, one sec," I said as I tugged on the gag they were wearing. It was on much tighter than Booksies, and she had clearly been trying to gnaw her way through the rope, long fangs working away at the rope.I took the knife and very carefully cut the rope free."Pwah!" she said, tongue sticking out as she worked her jaw. "Verily, I say to thee, that was most intolerable!""Oh, I'm glad you're free," I said. "Can you lean forwards? I need to cut the ropes around your arms."The girl narrowed her eyes. "I shall permit you to touch my person, small long-eared person."Small? I thought I was at least her size. Out loud, I tried "Okay?" I touched her shoulder and helped her sit up so that I could undo the ropes holding her hands together at the small of her back.Her hands, and a very long, very fluffy tail which immediately whipped out once free and started to rub itself across my face.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon."Foolish tail! Return to me at once. Your disobedience will be noted when it comes time to brush your luxurious length!" She grabbed her tail and forced it close to her chest where she hugged it. "Forgive me, small long-eared one, my tails are most disobedient! These ruffians who captured my person dared to suggest that my tails ought to be removed! The fiends!""Oh. that's awful! No one should threaten someone with something like that," I said."Indeed!" She nodded her head very hard, ears bouncing back and forth with the motion. "Perhaps I ought to chop off their own tails in retaliation!"I helped her out of the ropes holding her legs together, then returned the knife to Awen and helped the girl up. "My name's Broccoli," I said. "Broccoli Bunch. I'm glad we were able to save you too!""I shall grace you with my name. Broccoli Broccoli Bunch! I am Desiree Chartreuse the All-Powerful!" She stood taller and straighter, which made it very obvious that she only reached up to my chin."Uh, it's nice to meet you," I said before glancing to Booksie. The bun was still rubbing at her wrists where the rope had dug into her skin a little. "We should go outside. Get both of you some fresh air."Awen tugged a canteen free from her belt and handed it to Booksie, who gratefully gulped down water before giving it to Desiree.Desiree blinked, then shrugged. "I shall partake of this," she declared before unscrewing the cap and taking a sip, then another, then tossing the can back and swallowing. "The ruffians didn't feed me," she said as she lowered the canteen."They didn't?" I asked."The fools! When they attempted to feed me, I partook of their fingers! No one will feed me table scraps and expect no retribution!""I'll admit, I'm a little hungry too," Booksie said. "Weird, how can I be hungry after... everything.""I think it's kinda normal," I said. "Come on, there's a team from the Exploration Guild above. I'm sure someone brought some field rations. Uh, I'm sorry, Miss Chartreuse. I don't think they'll be very tasty.""Hmph, better than the vile gruel these scoundrels tried to feed me," she muttered.I nodded, then shared a quick look with Awen. She seemed to be on the same page as me about Miss Chartreuse. This girl was weird.It wasn't far to the entrance of the cave. Booksie shielded her eyes with her ears and I found myself squinting a bit against the sunlight as well. The Exploration Guild recruits had captured the last couple of bandits and they were all lined up nice and neat in the middle of the camp, a good amount of space between all of them so that they wouldn't try anything, and their hands tied behind their backs."Muahahaha!" Miss Charterous cackled. "Look at how lowly you've become! Grovel before my unshackled might, you foolish hooligans!"The Exploration guild team looked at her, then back to me, and I shrugged. "She was a prisoner as well," I said. "Let her, uh, do her thing, I guess. Miss Chartreuse, please don't hurt the... hooligans. I think they're technically our prisoners now, and it's probably illegal to harm them.""Hmph! I shall stay my hand for now, Broccoli Broccoli Bunch."Jean-Pierre came over and nodded politely to Booksie. "Glad to see you well," he said. "Zis will... need reporting, I zink.""We should send someone ahead. Let the guild know to call off the search. And Amaryllis should know too. And Cholondee... and Caprica. Oh boy, it's going to be a lot of work to call everyone off.""I'm sorry," Booksie said in a small voice."Oh no!" I replied before engulfing her in a hug. "You're not allowed to apologise. It's not your fault. It's these meanies' fault for kidnapping you in the first place.""That's right," Miss Chartreuse said. "Don't allow the idiocy of others to stain your own good behaviour."That wasn't quite what I meant, but it was close enough."I think I can run ahead," Calamity said. "If'n you're all done needing me for the moment. I can run on over to the Guild, let the old lady there know, then check in on Caprica if she's still at the embassy. Then Amaryllis, if I can find her.""That's a fantastic idea," I said. "And in the meantime, we can herd this bunch over to the outpost and start asking some questions."
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Chapter Four Hundred and Fifty-Eight — Tails from a Faraway Land
Chapter Four Hundred and Fifty-Eight — Tails from a Faraway Land With Calamity running ahead to warn everyone in Port Royal, that left the rest of us to escort our prisoners.Jean-Pierre took charge of that. He had those of us with ranged weapons at the back, then spread the rest out around the line of prisoners. The threat was implicit. If one of them tried to run, then Awen or Gus might let loose with bolt or shot. The rest were mostly there to keep the formation movingOur pace was slow, so, it would take a while before we reached Rockstack, which was where we were heading. Port Royal might have been better suited to taking care of prisoners, but the city was a long walk away at such a slow pace. So we'd go to Rockstack, then teleport back up to the city.We'd have to hope that the outpost could handle a dozen very naughty people in their cells.In the meantime, I had a friend and a... maybe new friend, to comfort."I'm sorry about what happened," I said as I kept an arm wrapped around Booksie's back. She didn't seem to mind, and was walking while leaning into me. It wasn't the ideal hug, but it was the best we could manage while walking."It's hardly your fault," Booksie said."Indeed!" Desiree said. "It's undoubtedly the fault of these brainless scoundrelous fools that you've come to suffer!" She gestured grandly to the prisoners. "Are you certain that I cannot inflict some pain unto them? I will leave them alive to suffer the legal consequences of their vile actions!""I'm sure," I said, trying to be simultaneously firm and understanding.I wasn't sure if Desiree was acting this way because she was trying to help distract Booksie, but if she was, she was doing a pretty good job of it."Were you, ah, there when Booksie arrived?" I asked.Desiree sniffed. "I have been their captive for long eons! Time immemorial!"One of the guys we'd captured near the back of the formation twisted his head around. "Three days," he corrected with a dull voice."Long days and longer nights! Left without food or drink!" she continued."We fed her. At least until she bit some guy's finger clean off. We had to use potions to reattach it," he corrected again."My treatment was most horrendous! The very material of nightmares! I suspect they wished to experiment upon my person, perhaps cut off my luxurious tails and use them as fanciful scarves!""I legitimately don't know what she's on about," the guy said."Tails?" I asked.Desiree blinked, then looked at me. "Ah, yes, you're one of those pitiful tail-less beings. Observe the fluffiness of my tails! The lustre of my fur, even abused and untended for days, it is magnificent!" She swished her tail at me, then her tail suddenly split."Whoa!" I said as I was smothered in fluff. "You do have two tails!"Desiree pulled her tails back, then they started wagging in counterpoint to each other. "Of course. I'm not some young one-tailed kit.""Is two tails... normal for your, uh, species?" I asked."As long as one is powerful enough, yes," she said. "My grandfather had three tails on reaching his third class, and I have an ancestor that is rumoured to have had five spectacular tails!"Oh, so she grew a new tail with every new class? That would mean that she had two classes, just like my friends and I! That must have been an interesting culture to be part of, where one's strength was measured in tails."We have tails too, you know," Booksie said."You... do?" Desiree asked. She squinted at us, slowing her walk down so that she fell back a little and twisting her head to the side as she observed our behinds. I almost felt like covering myself with my hands. "Oh! That pitiful nub! Did some foul monster chop your tail off?""No, buns just have small tails," I said with a wiggle of mine. I was still not used to it, even less than the ears. My tail was more of an afterthought, really. I kept it clean, of course, but it was just a small bundle of fluff at the base of my spine. "I don't think we get extra tails as we level up.""Not that I'm aware," Booksie agreed. "I think some buns grow bigger and longer ears, but that's very class-dependent.""Ears?" Desiree said. She squinted up at the tops of our heads, then reached up and tugged on one of her own triangular ears. They were kinda big, but not nearly as big as bun ears could be. "I suppose that's an acceptable replacement, if somewhat inferior to a good tail."Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit."So, are you like a nine-tailed kitsune, then?" I asked. "I vaguely remember stories about nine-tailed foxes.""N-nine tails?" Desiree repeated. "Do not exaggerate so much, long-eared bun! Nine is far too many. Observe my well-earned pride over two graceful tails. Nine is a far greater number and would only be acceptable for the most powerful of beings!""Oh, sorry," I said.Desiree dismissed my apology with a wave of her hand. "Nonsense. You're merely speaking from ignorance. We are not kitsune, we are kitsu. A simple mistake to make.""Where are you from?" Booksie asked. "I don't recall hearing much about fox-people... you are fox-people?""I am!" Desiree said with obvious pride. "I am from the south.""We are... about as far south on the continent as you can be," Booksie said. "There's Fort Tempete on the southern coast, I guess. If you travel all the way down along the Darkwoods.""No no, I came across the ocean," Desiree said. "It was a harrowing journey, with many risks and great dangers!""Oh! Are you an explorer then?""Hmph! As if one needs such a title to wish to see the wider world! I am a proud wanderer. My home is the world itself. I will grow powerful, defeat many monsters, explore and plunder many dungeons, and return to my home with many tails and tales of my great exploits!"That did sound like a lot of fun, actually. I could hardly wait. "How did you end up captured?""Duplicity and vile trickery!" Desiree seethed."The boss heard about her," the guy at the back of the line of prisoners said. "Then all we had to do was offer her some food... in our hidden cave, away from the city.""As I said, vile trickery and deceitful double-dealing!" Desiree said. Her tails swished angrily behind her. She flipped one of them around and hugged it close, the way someone might hug a pillow, or a soft teddy bear. "How cruel the people of this continent are, to trick innocent, beautiful, intelligent, majestic foxgirls just minding their own business.""Uh, that does sound awful," I said. "But you're free now. I'm sure we can bring you to Port Royal, at the very least. Have you been there before?""I have not," she said primly. "I like the name. Are there many ships there?""Yup! Mostly... all airships""Ah, those massive flying contraptions! There are no such things in my home. No one there is fool enough to surrender the safety of their solid footing upon the earth. What sort of incompetent would try to make a ship fly in the skies rather than flow through the waters as it ought?""I'm an airship captain," I said.Desiree blinked, and one of her tails moved over and patted me on the shoulder. "And a very brave and glorious captain you are. Though I wonder, do buns fly?""I can fall very well," I said.Booksie giggled, and I grinned. She'd laughed! That was a fantastic first step towards restoring her good mood, plus it was just a nice sound to hear."Ah, sorry," Booksie said as she placed a hand over her mouth. "That caught me off guard.""Don't apologise," I said. "It's okay. Are you feeling any better?"She nodded."Do you want to talk about it?"Booksie shrugged. "There's not too much to talk about. I was woken up by the door splintering open. I was barely awake when someone shoved a sack over my head, then I was tied up. I kicked over a few things, and I think I sent someone crashing into some stuff... oh, my house will be a mess... anyway, the next thing I knew I was outside and tossed into a cart and my hands were tied. Then we were moving out of the city. The only change was when I left the lower gates. I was picked up and carried on someone's shoulders then.""Oh no," I said as she touched her tummy."It's fine. Bruises will fade. But...""But?" I asked leadingly."But I think I'll be taking Rhawr up on his offer to become stronger. He mentioned me joining him on a few hunts. The sort of thing that would give me enough experience, even shared, to catapult myself up a few levels. I think being stronger might not hurt."
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