Training her ears, she listened in on conversations down at the grass, her eyes darting to those who spoke. Fortunately, they wouldn't see her as her tail gently swayed behind her.
The conversations were mainly about training and fucking, two things all the guards seemed to have in common. Her nose wrinkled at the topic.
Two guards sat near the edge of the sparring circle, catching their breath.
"You think the Captain's gonna add more drills this week?"
"If that beastwoman keeps outperforming the men, he might. You see how she floored Rael yesterday?"
"He's still walking funny. Took it hard in the pride."
"I'd take something hard too, but not like that," the second one laughed, earning a jab in the ribs from his friend.
Laverna rolled her eyes at the crude banter. Typical.
"Men..." she thought.
Shin gave himself a small, tired smile and slapped his cheeks twice. Composed again, he stepped out and approached Laverna.
"Good morning."
She smiled at him, then took a piece of bacon and put it in her mouth. After swallowing, she spoke, "Good morning to you as well."
He saw that Laverna had placed the cart on the outside table. He took a plateful of food and sat on the railings, beginning his breakfast.
He looked at the scene below. Soldiers trained, marched, ran, sparred, handled weapons, and engaged in arcane combat.
He listened to their chants as they fired off bursts of magic. "Seems I slept for longer than normal. Sorry about that. We drank a lot last night."
He chuckled, pointing to the empty bottles off to the side. She shook her head, shifting slightly as she looked at him.
"It's okay. I appreciate you letting me drink last night. Maybe one day, you too can get drunk and crazy and not worry about someone coming for your body parts."
She remembered bits and pieces from the night before. Her people had been captured and dismembered for the black market.
Why the fuckheads hadn't done the same to her was still a mystery. Instead, they treated her terribly and forced her to endure their torture.
"From what I know of you, you don't sleep often or nearly enough, so it was fine." She leaned back slightly. "Thankfully, the only person to bother us was the kind woman who brought us the food."
"Yeah... I guess you're right," Shin replied, taking another bite. "Last night, for once, I didn't dream of blood or battles. Just... peace."
Laverna glanced at him. "That sounds... nice. Peace is rare."
"It is," Shin agreed softly, looking out toward the horizon. "And maybe... it's because of you."
She paused mid-bite, lowering her eyes. "Don't say things like that. You'll make me think you're catching feelings."
He gave a sly smirk. "And if I were?"
She coughed lightly, cheeks warming. "Then I'd say you're crazy. You barely know me."
"Doesn't take long to recognize something you want to protect," he murmured.
The words sat between them, unspoken but heavy. She swallowed and turned her gaze away, fidgeting slightly with her fork.
"...But," she added quietly, "I'm relieved nothing happened last night. I was drunk. And vulnerable."
"I know," Shin said with a small smile. "That's why I made sure nothing did. I... didn't want to take advantage of a moment like that."
"Thank you," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "Even though I—" She cut herself off, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You what?" he asked, arching a brow.
She shook her head. "Nothing. Just... thank you."
He nodded. "Always."
Her attention snapped back as her ears picked up a strange phrase drifting from the training grounds. "Do I even want to know what an angry dragon is?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Because in the way he's speaking, it's definitely not a flying angry beast."
Shin choked on his bite of egg, coughing slightly as he covered his mouth. "Yeah... no, it's not. It's, uh... let's just say it's not something you need to know."
She blinked at him, clearly amused by his reaction. "Why not?"
"Because you're too pure for that word," he said quickly, his cheeks tinged red. "Some things are better left unknown."
Laverna tilted her head. "You say that like I haven't heard far worse in my time."
But as she said it, her face suddenly warmed as a memory resurfaced. I wanted you to take me... like a maiden would be taken...
Color bloomed on her cheeks, and she quickly averted her gaze, trying to focus on anything else. Shin noticed the sudden shift in her expression but chose to say nothing.
"Right," he said, clearing his throat. "Anyway, after breakfast, I'll tell you more about our kind's history. Sound good?"
She nodded, regaining her composure. "Sounds good. I'd like that."
As soon as Laverna agreed, after breakfast, he took a pen and paper from the room and began his lesson.
As Shin explained, he drew what looked like a diagram for the Physical and the Spiritual realm, explaining that the Physical can't touch the Spiritual and vice versa. Foxes like him and Laverna had an aptitude for the arcane and martial arts in both realms.
Laverna leaned in, listening intently. She had never known much about herself or her kind, so every word was precious.
"As Kitsune," Shin said gently, "we're more than just beings with animal traits like night vision and enhanced senses. We're mediums—the bridge between the Physical and the Spiritual."
Her eyes widened slightly, the weight of the truth settling in. Shin continued.
"In the past, Kitsune were messengers from the gods above to the mortals below. We danced between the heavenly and the earthly realms."
He looked over to her, gauging her reaction, but she stayed silent, absorbing everything.
"In legend, the blessings of a Kitsune could grant people god-like powers or enhance one's natural gifts. These blessings were said to be granted by the gods, each one unique."
Laverna's brows furrowed in thought. Shin kept speaking.
"There are different kinds of Kitsune, each tied to a living god. Those who married a Kitsune were believed to become loyal spouses, their households blessed with many children and generations."
She looked down at her hands for a moment. Something about that struck a chord in her heart.
"Because of what happened recently and the rumors spreading, many will think you're the last of your kind. But that's not true," he said with a soft smile. "I'm one too."
Laverna met his eyes then, her own shining with a mix of wonder and disbelief. For the first time, she didn't feel entirely alone.
Laverna placed a few pieces of meat into her mouth before glancing back at the warriors training on the grass. "Blessed by the gods? Who are you blessed by then? And if that's the case, I'm curious who I'm blessed by—maybe I'll get a cool gift."
She snorted softly, placing her plate on the banister and stretching her neck and shoulders. She wasn't naive; from what she'd gathered, she was the last female of their species—and he, the last male.
In most situations, she understood what that could mean. Naturally, she would gravitate toward him, but that very notion made her despise fate.
It was as if the world had conspired to pair them up. Just when she had tasted freedom, now she felt bound once more—this time not by chains, but by destiny and a slave crest that marked her as property.
The idea alone made her eyes redden, nails twitching as they threatened to shift. It felt as though fate had toyed with her once again, binding her to someone she was beginning to desire.
Instead, she exhaled and turned her attention back to the training ground, just in time to watch a smaller fighter get absolutely wrecked by a larger male.