Rest and Recovery

Amber tends to Vila while you sterilize the trolls lair, any bit of gore could potentially allow it to regenerate. You'd heard stories about treasure hunters cracking open ancient chests to reveal desiccated limbs which regenerated when their back was turned and unleashed a starving troll on the area. You shudder, pouring the last of your fire-starting oil on the pile of gore you'd assembled and lighting it with your torch. The miscellaneous body parts take like dry kindling and you idly wonder just how strong that orcish beer must be. Satisfied with the cleansing, you hike back through the ruins to the camp. About halfway there Amber's charm wears off and all the sound you'd made the entire night explodes outwards like a bomb, shaking dust from the decrepit stone. Fortunately it seemed to mostly be directed outwards and once your ears stop ringing you're no worse for ware.

When you return, Vila is sleeping fitfully on your bedroll while Amber nibbles on what looked like a rabbit, "Hey! Cook that first, that's nasty!" Your scolding gets you a dirty look but her ears droop in embarassment. She spat out a bit of fur and looked away, "I thought you'd be longer..."

{if Pervert > 20}That's what she said you think to yourself but remain outwardly stern, {else}Did she not hear the charm wearing off? You weren't exactly subtle. {endif}"That's your excuse for not preparing a meal properly?" She whined, giving up the rabbit without a fight, "I didn't... I wasn't..." She looks down shamefully, face blushing fiercely, "I don't know how to cook." You'd already figured that from what little you knew about her upbringing but you look shocked for her benefit, "Really? A woman who doesn't know how to cook? What is the world coming to?" She fidgeted, still not looking at you, "It's not that weird! In fox skulks the men usually handle the domestic chores-" She finally looks up and sees your face-splitting grin, "-aaaand you're playing with me. Great." She looks annoyed but you think you impressed her a little, you almost never came out on top when it came to verbal sparring.

You laugh heartily and haul her to her feet despite her protests, "C'mon, I'll show you some basics."

You spend a day searching the ruins for anything noteworthy at the behest of Amber but aside from some amazing stonework and worn murals telling of a different age they've been picked clean. Your exploration gives your guest time to recuperate physically, though you doubted she'd ever be 'fully' recovered from an ordeal like that. Therefore, it is much to your surprise to find the woman in question busy at work making dinner when you return in the evening. Maybe kitsune recover quickly from debilitating mental trauma or maybe it was because of her age, but Vila seemed none the worse for wear. If you didn't know better you'd swear nothing had happened to cause her distress, though she does jump when she turns to find you returning to camp."Goodness! You scared me!" Her grey tails fan out behind her in a swirl, the sight both distracting and impressive. {If Pervert > 22}Almost as impressive as her huge breasts pushed up by the tightness of her red kimono.{if Slut >10} Even Amber seemed to appreciate the view, gaze a bit too far down to be looking Vila in the eyes.{endif} {else}Her red kimono seemed rather... short. And tight. {if Slut >10}Even Amber seemed to find it distracting.{endif} You wonder why she didn't just alter its fit, kitsune had amazing abilities of transfiguration when it came to both their bodies and clothes.{endif} You bow, formally introducing yourself, "I am Jay, a knight in training of The Order of the Iron Shield. A pleasure to make your acquaintance my lady." She looks surprised but curtsies properly{if Pervert >20}, flashing a bit of leg through her robes and making your pants shift.{else}, gracing you with a smile.{endif} Amber rolls her eyes{if Relationship > Slut}, looking a bit put out by your display though you can't imagine why.{else}, stepping past you.{endif} "Amber, pleased to meet you." She nods, eyes lingering slightly on Amber's{if Pervert >20} body{else} singular tail{endif}, "you're young. What brings the two of you together in a place like this?"

Her tone and attention is clearly shifted towards Amber so you let her answer{if Pervert >20} while you continue to assess the assets before you{endif}, "We met a while back, I saved him from a trap and he's been following me ever since." You give her a flat look but she pays you no mind, "We thought there might be something worth smiting around here and that's how we ran into you." You don't bother correcting her story, it wasn't worth confusing the undoubtedly fragile kitsune. She seemed intrigued by Amber, her tails swishing back and forth in a mesmerizing pattern.

"What about you? How did you... end up in these parts?" You realize halfway through the question that it might be a bad idea to go probing the memory of a troll **** victim so soon after the fact and Amber shoots you a dirty look. Vila seems perfectly at ease though, almost dismissive of your question, "Oh I was passing through and well..." Her voice falters for the first time and she pauses to clear it, "anyway. I'm on a journey to a special place. A... pilgrimage, if you will." You inwardly sigh. You'd really hoped she was going to say quest.

"You might have noticed how completely useless I was back there, completely overwhelmed when even a child and a trainee made short work of my captors." You take some offense but let her continue, vaguely surprised Amber didn't argue with being called a child. She seemed totally unfazed and you supposed kitsune culture put a lot of stock in experience, this fox was many times her elder. "I... lost my foxfire and any other magics endemic to my kind in a... dispute, with an elven witch."

Amber gasps, hand over mouth. You suppose a fox without magic was quite ****, as evidenced earlier, you just never thought about how central to their existence it was. Amber was still mastering the art of transfiguration but she was more than capable of hiding her ears and shifting her clothes into any shape she so desired. Come to think of it, you'd never seen her knife outside of combat either. If Vila couldn't use any magic at all then- "So your kimono is...?"

Vila smirks, looking down at the vibrant red fabric, "My childhood clothes, yes. This is what they actually look like. It's a rather embarrassing garment for a grown woman to wear-" She lifts the edge slightly, feeling it between her fingers and revealing even more thigh. You swallow hard. "-but I had to make do."

Amber is glaring at you and you try to think holy thoughts about clashing steel and boring lectures. Thank goodness you had your blanket on hand to hide your lap, that's all you can say, "Ahem, well we would be honored to escort you to your destination madam. If you'll have us." Amber kicks your shin and gives you an 'are you kidding' look. Vila laughs lightly at your confused expression, "In kitsune culture it would be improper to offer help to someone who had been tricked into losing their powers, it implies weakness in both parties. However, you are not kitsune." She bends low to move the boiling pot from the fire, allowing you full view down her shirt, "And I would gladly accept any manpower you could offer me."{if Pervert > 20} You swear she winks at you but, being as hard as you are, you can't tell if its just your arousal making things up. God this woman was hot. {if Relationship >20} You vaguely notice that Amber glances sullenly between you and the exposed woman.{endif}{else} You cough and avert your gaze, shifting your legs to ease the uncomfortable pressure inside your armor. Amber looks uncertain but doesn't say anything else on the matter as you continue.{endif}

"Where are you headed? Do you know?" Amber rolls her eyes, "Of course she knows Jay, she's halfway to being nine-tailed." Vila smiled bashfully, "Please, Amber, you embarrass me. Just because I'm old doesn't mean I know everything. Yet." Amber looked surprised, "So you don't know where you're going?" Vila scoffs, "Oh no, of course I know where I'm going, I'm halfway to being nine-tailed." Amber grins while you shake your head. Foxes.

"My binding is magical in nature and I know of a place where all magic is barred entry, roughly a weeks travel from here to the north. Walking through it should clear my curse." Amber nodded, fascinated, and you can't help but be impressed yourself.

"A place where magic is destroyed? Is it divinely empowered? The Cult of the One perhaps?" Vila shook her head, expression darkening, "Unfortunately no. It is a dark place. Nothing living remains there by choice for long." She sighed, pulling her skirt-like kimono down over her legs (and consequently almost freeing her breasts), "To fully remove my enchantment I fear I will not just have to enter the area but rather pass completely through it. I would ask only that you deliver me there and I will see to the rest myself." She notices your gaze upon her chest and looks down, "Oh dear. Amber, would you mind helping me with this?"

Amber is only too happy to oblige and soon the red kimono is a much more manageable size, covering her legs to the ankle and her torso to the neck.{if Pervert > 20} You feel slightly cheated out of your fun{if Relationship > 25}, Amber looks at your sullen look angrily but refuses to meet your eye. What was that about?{else} and Amber sticks her tongue out at you as she helps Vila straighten her clothes. Cheeky...{endif}{else} You cough, uncomfortable with how much attention you had inadvertently been paying to the woman's exposed legs.{if Relationship > 25} Amber tightens Vila's belt firmly, glaring at you but not meeting your eye. She seemed a little... odd.{endif}{endif}

"Right... so we'll set off first thing in the morning then?" Vila curtsied graciously once more, this time much less revealingly, and you return the bow. Amber rolls her eyes at both of you and flops down next to the fire.