The healer arrived just after dawn. He was an older man, thin as a stick, with eyes heavy and dim. His hands trembled as he pressed the pale crystal against my side. Light spilled through my fur in soft ripples, warm and soothing, and the pain that had become part of my breathing finally began to fade.

  The crystal’s glow dimmed. The healer sagged back, sweat dampening his gray hair. “That’s all I can do without another charge,” he said. His voice was rough, like old parchment. “You’ll feel sore, but the bones should be mended.”

  Keagan handed him a small pouch of gold. “Thank you, sir.”

  The man nodded once, clutching the pouch, and shuffled out into the early light.

  I stood, experimentally rolled my shoulders, and stretched. The ribs no longer stabbed. The dull ache was tolerable. My fur prickled as I looked toward the door he’d left through. “So, what’s today’s plan?”

  Keagan shrugged. “It’s going to be some time before the next tournament. You took yesterday off… training?”

  I nodded. “Sounds like you have something in mind.”

  The boy laughed softly. “You would say that.”

  Before I could retort, the door creaked open again. Noma burst in first, her little webbed feet slapping against the floorboards, followed closely by Nana. Her expression was as placid as could be.

  “Good morning!” Noma bounced in place. “You’re all better now. I came to play!”

  “You heard fast,” I muttered. “Do you have some kind of gossip network or something?”

  “She’s been asking since sunrise. We followed after the healer.” Nana settled into the chair near the window. Her eyes tracked me slowly, measuring, unblinking. “It’s good to see you upright. I trust your partner’s been treating you better today?”

  Keagan flushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re fine. We talked.”

  “I see.” Nana’s smile was soft, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “That’s all I wanted to hear.”

  That’s it? I narrowed my eyes. “You went through the trouble of visiting again just to check if we made up?”

  “Of course not,” Nana said, too easily. “Noma wanted to see you.”

  “Uh-huh.” I flicked my tail. “And you just happened to tag along. Wherever she goes, you go.”

  Noma puffed up her cheeks. “Don’t be mean! Nana’s nice.”

  Nana smoothed the front of her coat, graceful even in small movements. “You’re both still new to the circuit. It’s good to have friends nearby.”

  Friends. The word sat wrong.

  I stared at her. “You keep showing up. You train a monster. You work with the Association. You talk like a politician. And you seem to have a lot of interest in us all of a sudden. Who are you really?”

  Noma stiffened beside her, eyes wide. “Don’t talk to Nana like that!”

  “I’m asking a question,” I said flatly. “You can’t expect me not to notice patterns.”

  Nana didn’t flinch. She rested her chin on her hand, utterly calm. “I’m exactly who I say I am. A trainer, a mentor, and a friend of the Association. Nothing more, nothing less. And as for our recent encounters, dear, those are simply chance. Noma’s an impressionable one. You have been making a lot of noise in the Association; you’ve brought this fame upon yourselves.”

  My fur rose, a low rumble building in my chest. “You’ve been watching us.”

  “I’ve been noticing you,” she corrected, eyes steady. “There’s a difference.”

  Keagan stepped between us, palms raised. “Lucia, please. She’s not doing anything wrong.”

  “She’s hiding something. There’s something she’s not telling us.”

  “That’s a given,” Nana said simply. “We all hide something, don’t we? But hiding isn’t lying. And you, of all creatures, know that’s a truth.”

  The air hung heavy after that. Even Noma quieted, glancing between us with confusion and a touch of fear.

  I exhaled slowly. “You talk like you’ve known me longer than you should.”

  Her lips curved in a knowing half-smile. “I’ve been doing this for a while.”

  “Or maybe you’re someone else’s eyes,” I snarled.

  Nana tilted her head, amused. “And if I were, what would you do?”

  “That depends. Are you Luther’s eyes?” A growl rumbled from me.

  She stood up and smoothed her coat again. “Not at all.” Her tone was still syrup-smooth. “I’ve never had any business with the man. I’ve never even met him in person. All I know about him is his accomplishments.”

  Noma tilted her head. “Are you scared of Luther?”

  I met the young monster’s earnest look and sighed. “Scared? No. But people who follow me rarely do it out of goodwill. They usually have—alternative motives.”

  Noma pouted. “I just wanted to play.”

  Nana opened the door a little, letting a streak of daylight spill in. Her voice was light, but her phrasing was too deliberate to be casual. “What if we trained at my place for today? If you see where we live, would that help you trust us?”

  Keagan perked up. “Where’s that?”

  “Just in town,” she replied, waving one delicate hand as if brushing the question away. “Not far.”

  The boy turned to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “What do you say? It’s not a bad idea, Lucia. You could use some fresh air. And you liked Nieve, remember? Eventually.” His grin was too big for me to ignore. “More friends would be good for you.”

  I eyed the woman carefully. Her timing is wrong. She’s too quick to offer and too quick to redirect. She sat down, then got back up again. Was she expecting to stay long? Or had she been about to leave before deciding to… probe? The moment I asked about Luther, she changed course. That wasn’t random.

  “Why your place?” I asked. “We’ve got plenty of space here.”

  Her eyes flicked toward the door and back to us, a small motion, but I caught it. “Because Noma can show you her favorite target-practice gadget,” she said smoothly.

  Keagan’s brow furrowed. Even he caught it. Finally.

  Noma clapped her hands. “Oh yes! You’ll like it. It’s got swinging targets and bells. It’s so much fun!”

  I flicked my tail. “And the reason you didn’t start with that?”

  Nana smiled, the faintest edge in it. “I thought a gesture of trust would be enough. Apparently not.”

  “If you want me to trust you,” I said, voice dropping lower, “start with being consistent.”

  Her smirk returned. “Sharp, and not easily goaded by the emotions of others.” She turned to Keagan. “You could learn from her.”

  I cut in, fast. “No. He’s his own person. Mimicking me is not who he is.”

  “Isn’t that what partnership is?” Nana asked mildly. “Learning from one another?”

  “Partnership,” I said, letting the word linger, “isn’t manipulation. And if you’re done testing us like you did yesterday, I’ll have to ask you to leave. You’re getting under my fur.”

  Noma deflated instantly. “What? Why? We haven’t done anything wrong!”

  “My problem isn’t with you,” I said, turning to her, softening my tone slightly. “It’s with her.”

  I met Nana’s gaze again. “The Association sent you. You work for them.”

  She didn’t deny it. Her eyes twinkled, amused. “And if I did?”

  “Then say it.”

  She folded her arms, the corners of her mouth curving upward. “Lucia, dear, everything I do is in service to the betterment of monsters and trainers alike. The Association’s goals simply align with mine.”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  She winked at me. “It’s the only one you’re getting.”

  I huffed, tail flicking hard enough to lift dust off the floor.

  “Lucia,” Keagan said quickly, stepping between us again. “She’s not hurting anyone. Let’s just go train for a little bit. If something feels off, we leave.”

  I shot him a glare, then sighed. “You’re lucky I like a challenge.”

  “Good,” the woman said. “Then it’s settled. Our place or yours?”

  “Ours.” I turned to Noma. “I’ll train with you. But let’s make something clear.”

  The little kappa straightened, her water bowl on her head gleaming in the light. “Yes?”

  “I’m not promising not to hurt you.”

  Keagan groaned. “Lucia…”

  I scowled at him. “I said ‘not promising,’ not that I would. It’s going to be practice sparring. From what I can tell, the little one needs combat experience. This will be a good chance for me to practice with my magic at the same time.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Nana’s lips quirked. She didn’t reply, just smiled—that same patient, infuriatingly calm smile. Then gestured to the open door. “Then let’s see how an extraordinary monster teaches another.”

  We moved outside to the open stretch of packed dirt behind the house. The sun was just climbing past noon, throwing bright, hot light that shimmered off my fur. The wind smelled heavily of pine.

  Noma bounded ahead, hopping from stone to stone with her stubby, webbed feet, her shell gleaming wet from the basin on her head. She was excited enough for both of us.

  “So, what are we playing?” she asked.

  “Tag.” I circled out to the other side of the area from her. “It's a simple game. All you have to do is touch me with your palm.”

  “Alright,” Keagan said, holding up a hand like a referee. “Simple rules: Lucia, you’re limited to your ice abilities. Noma, all you have to do is tag her.”

  “Sounds fair to me,” Nana said, standing with arms folded, her expression unreadable. “But remember: no venom, no claws, no broken bones, and no concussions.”

  “That depends entirely on her,” I muttered, rolling my shoulders.

  Noma dropped into what I assumed was her fighting stance, with her hands raised and legs bent like she was about to pounce, the water in her dish rippling.

  I breathed deep, centering my focus. “Then on your signal, kid.”

  Keagan stood on the edge. “Go.”

  With a flick of my paw, an ice block formed. One cube half my size. Let's start with taking it easy on her. The temperature dropped sharply, frosting the grass in a faint ring around me.

  Keagan whistled low. “That is… faster than I remember.”

  “I’ve been practicing,” I said flatly.

  Noma squeaked, “Whoa!” as I kicked the first block.

  It skidded across the dirt, slamming toward her like a battering ram. She threw her hands up, spraying a thin jet of water from her palms. Completely useless. The beam splashed across the front, steaming faintly as it barely slowed the cube before she dove sideways with a splash of mud.

  The block barreled past where she’d been standing.

  “Try harder,” I said, already crafting the next.

  “That wasn’t fair!” Noma called, clambering up and shaking dirt from her legs.

  “Life isn’t fair,” I replied. “Adapt.”

  She puffed out her cheeks. “You’re mean.”

  Keagan sighed. “Lucia, tone it down. She’s just trying to…”

  “Learn? Then she’s learning.” I kicked the next one.

  “Noma, sweety, water has no effect on ice.” Nana raised two fingers and bounced them up and down. “Hop around. Don't wait until they get close to you.”

  This time, I made it the same size as me and kicked harder. She jumped to the side immediately, giving her plenty of time to start bounding towards me.

  I created another and gave it a gentle push, already preparing the next block. As soon as the kappa turned to jump to the side, I created and kicked another ice block to intercept her. She barely saw it coming.

  The ice scooped her up and carried her all the way to the grass before coming to a stop. The whole way the little kappa screamed.

  She calmed down and stuck her head out. “You're going too fast.”

  “Be faster,” I replied.

  Nana pointed to her eyes. “Remember what I said about taking your eyes off your opponent?”

  Noma slouched a bit more. “Don't do it.”

  “That's right,” Nana sang. “Remember, push off to the side. Just like the drills we did with the poles.”

  Noma brightened up and nodded.

  Is this how monsters and trainers usually interact during training?

  I turned to Keagan. “Kid, I hope you're taking notes.”

  The boy blushed and looked around. “Ah, uh, on what?”

  I sighed. “Nana and Noma. You won't always have a monster like me. One day you'll have to teach them what comes naturally to me.”

  He looked to the older trainer. “Oh.”

  She gave him a smile and a wink.

  After another round of three ice blocks was created, I sent the first one towards Noma. She jumped to the side. This time she never took her eyes off me and saw the second one ready to catch her.

  A second jump to the side.

  Impressive movement control. For her species I didn't know what start she would excel at, but Agility is a good one.

  I sent another four blocks, one right after another, picking up the pace with each one. Noma bobbed and weaved through each one, slowly gaining ground towards me.

  Her Agility may be higher than average, but her Speed is lower. Makes sense; hopping like she does really isn't that fast.

  Two more ice blocks were created one after another. I didn't shove them right away. Instead, I built up the weakest ice shard I could. I fired it off, intentionally missing her left side, but getting close. At the same time I signed one ice block to her right.

  Predictably, the kappa panicked. With a shriek, she jumped away from the projectile. Just before she landed, the ice block plowed into her.

  When it came to a stop, Noma crawled from around it, panting, “Not fair.”

  I snorted. “It's one of my ice abilities. If you hadn't panicked, you would've seen that it was going to miss you. All it was was a diversion.”

  “You are making this hard.” The kappa crossed her arms and pouted.

  I sat down and flattened my ears. “If it was easy, it wouldn't be worth it. In life, the things that are worth it are never easy.”

  Nana eyed me. “That's an odd sentence. You sound like you are far older than you are.”

  I flicked my tail. “You're free to believe whatever you want.”

  Keagan chuckled nervously. “Um, uh…” He turned to Noma and cupped his hands over his mouth. “Hey Noma, you don't have to jump side to side. Vertical is also an option. And you can use your water on Lucia. It might not do much to her ice, but it will work on her.”

  I glared at the boy. “Whose side are you on?”

  He smiled. “This is too easy for you. Time to make things more difficult for you.”

  Bring it on, kid. Three against one. They are getting close to even.

  “Remember, no venom, sweety,” Nana chimed.

  Noma gave her cheeks a couple of little claps before steeling her determination.

  I stood up again. All the magic I was using was starting to take its toll on me. A weariness crept into my bones. My mana was getting close to being spent.

  Still, a smile crept on my face as I created an ice block. I kicked it. Noma jumped in it.

  It was a good leap, but her mistake was that she landed in it. She was carried even further back than where she started by the time she jumped off.

  She frowned and hopped off it. I waited until she got back to where she started before resuming.

  I sent an ice block off center of her to make her jump to her left. It was followed by a quick block to catch her there.

  “Jump to your right!” Keagan called.

  Noma did. And she cleared the block easily.

  I snapped my head to the kid. Is he really helping her like that? He just smiled at me. I chuckled. Things just got interesting.

  The kappa didn't stop and gained ground.

  “Water spray!” Nana shouted this time.

  Noma stopped and raised her hands up. A stream of water shot from them. I put up an ice block to intercept. I summoned another one to my side, then let the mana converge in my snout for an ice shard.

  I kicked the first block and moved to fire the ice shard next to her feet.

  “Jump up!”

  Noma followed Keagan's direction. This time she didn't jump on it but went over and back down to the ground.

  I was almost out of mana. Maybe enough for another two blocks. So, I reabsorbed the mana for the ice shard and just waited for the kappa to come.

  The kappa was panting, laughing between gasps, clearly enjoying herself even as she scrambled towards me. For the first time since we started, I moved to circle her.

  “Tag!” she shouted, hurling herself forward.

  Her palm almost brushed my tail before I twisted, dropping low.

  I glanced back. “Close. But not enough. You have to be quicker than that.”

  She growled. It wasn't an angry growl, but a determined one.

  “Water spray!” Nana commanded again.

  Without hesitating, Noma launched a water jet from her palm. I created an ice block between us. It stopped most of it, but some of it caught me in the face. It was cold, salty water.

  I blinked rapidly, snorted, and wiped my face with my foreleg.

  “Did I get you?” Noma asked hopefully.

  I glared through the dripping mess. “You splashed me.”

  “That counts!”

  “Not unless I say it does.”

  Nana laughed softly. “But remember, you need to touch her with your palm.”

  “Having fun yet, Lucia?” Keagan asked.

  I froze at that. The question shouldn’t have felt different, but something in his tone—it wasn’t taunting, just playful.

  Can I say no? I don't think I can. With all of them working together, they've come very close to tagging me. I might have to actually try against this little kappa. Victory isn't a guarantee.

  I turned my focus back to Noma before it could sink in. A wider smile spread on my face.

  “Since I have to practice not just running around and avoiding,” I added. “Let's add that if I pin you to the ground, I win.”

  “Alright,” Nana said.

  Noma pounced for me again. I stepped around her, ready to put a paw on her back as she landed.

  “Water spray!”

  The kappa followed her trainer’s command. Instead of hitting the ground, she stopped her momentum and pushed back into my face. I threw my head back, and she went up and over me.

  The impact stung but didn't faze me. “Not bad,” I admitted, swiping her slime from my fur.

  The kappa landed ungracefully, skidding on a patch of dirt but still upright. “Did I win yet?”

  I bared my teeth in a grin that wasn’t entirely unfriendly. “Not even close.”

  She laughed. “Then I’ll keep trying!”

  And she did. Again and again, diving and twisting, always keeping her eyes on me and her hands between us. Keagan and Nana directed her on which way to move and dodge to keep away from me. Nana also has the kappa use her water spray much more often. As her water spray attacks turned more of the dirt to mud, my mobility suffered, but hers didn't.

  It went on for longer than I expected, long enough for my breath to become labored, my ribs to ache again, and for the air between us to turn hazy with frost and water vapor.

  My foot got stuck in a puddle of mud that was deeper than I was anticipating. Her little hand brushed my side.

  I heard Keagan shout, “She got you!”

  I blinked, stunned. The kappa beamed, one hand pressed against my flank.

  “I tagged you!” Then she pulled her hand away even faster. “You are cold.”

  For a long moment, I just stared at her. Then something cracked—not in the ice, not in the air, but somewhere under my sternum. A short, dry laugh escaped me. Then another. “You… actually did.”

  Noma bounced in place, feet splashing in the mud but never sinking in. “I win!”

  Keagan clapped once, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re smiling, Lucia.”

  He was right. I was smiling. Just barely. A small, reluctant quirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. “Don’t get used to it.”

  Nana’s smirk softened into something faintly approving. “Progress.”

  I turned to her. “Don’t ruin it.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” she said lightly. “Though I think you may have just learned something far more valuable than any stat boost.”

  I exhaled slowly, chest still heaving. “That your kappa cheats?”

  “That play can be its own kind of training,” Nana said. “And that you can make friends.”

  Noma clapped her hands, still grinning. “You’re not as scary when you’re laughing.”

  I looked down at her. Against my better judgment, I laughed again. It was quieter this time, but genuine. Not bad. All I was holding back was offensive attacks. You earned it your victory. Who knows, I might make a respectable combatant out of you yet.

  “Fine,” I said. “Next time, I’ll not spend all my mana before taking it seriously.”

  “Promise?” Noma asked brightly.

  I hesitated, then smirked. “No promises.”

  “What do you two say to some food and water?” Keagan asked. “It's after lunch.”

  I nodded. “I could go for a bite.”

  “Can we stay and eat?” Noma bounced, somehow finding even more energy. She hugged Nana’s leg.

  Nana scratched the kappa’s chin with the tenderest care and smile. “That’s up to them, but I would say it should be fine.”

  Keagan held his hands up. “Of course. It's such wonderful weather; we can have a little picnic.”

  I nodded to a tree. “That's fine, but I want some shade.”

  “Yay!” the kappa cheered.

  Nana pointed to the tree. “Why didn't you two go sit down and rest? We'll take care of everything.”

  The two kalands headed inside the house while Noma and I headed for the dry ground and shade. When we got there, my friend collapsed in the shade while I lay down more dignifiedly.

  She really is more tired than she looks.

  While we waited, something in the air shifted. I could smell something. When I turned my head to follow the scent, I saw two creatures that looked like wolves bounding for the house.

  Don't you dare!

  My vision turned red as I took off after them.

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