As I passed the pillar with runes carved on it, which was built to protect the villa and obviously not working, I felt the fox land on my shoulder. ''Why did you let the man see you?'' I asked with anger.
''I had to complete the ritual, as you haven't yet added your memories to the core. I didn't have enough energy left to switch off my physical form and you were too far away. Now, I can,'' It said and disappeared from my shoulder.
Unfortunately, its voice still in my mind, ''You're lucky that Rosa's lover is a gentleman and asks permission before entering a woman's room. You are also lucky that he went to call a healer instead of chasing me.''
I raised my arms to get my balance when I stepped on a root, my ankle was hurting. Adrenaline has prevented me from feeling the pain until now, but thanks to my new and strengthened sense of touch, the pain was more intense than ever.
''How do you know who the man is?'' I asked as I tried to bounce forward on my uninjured foot.
''I don't know who the man is. But I know it when I see a nightgown worn while waiting for a lover. Who else would wear such a thin thing while it is snowing? I mean, there is no way those laceworks are comfortable,'' it said with its attitude of there is no one in the world who does not know this.
''Now, excuse me, I'm tired. Don't call me if you're not about to die, I'm serious this time,'' the fox said.
I didn't know if it was possible for consciousness without a body to be tired, but I wouldn't say no to a little peace and quiet in my own mind. Soon I found the exit to the backyard of the villa. ''I won't rely on magical guards if I had my own home some day,'' I made a note for myself.
I found Ender while studying the runes in front of another magical pillar where I left him. Somehow, I knew the next time that the same spell couldn't block him. ''Are you done?'' he asked.
Nodding, ''Yeah, we can go,'' I said.
He didn't ask any more questions, instead, he held out his hand to me. ''Do you want a long walk or a short walk?''
Raising my foot from the ground slightly, ''I'm hurt. I can't walk,'' I said in my most pathetic voice.
He laughed, ''Let me guess, there's no mana left to heal, is it?'' I nod in response. I don't know if he believed it or not, but it was true. As a result, he took a short walk. Me? Of course I didn't walk. Why would I do such a thing?
''You can wake up princess.''
''I wasn't sleeping,'' I said and got off his arms and looked at the hotel room. Frowning, ''Is the hotel not protected against magical passageways?'' I asked.
''It is. I changed the spell a little because of an incident that happened the day I got here. Nothing restricts my movement between these walls anymore,'' he said. ''Do you want me to look at your wound? I don't have fancy skills but I can bandage.''
Don't have fancy skills? ''Liar,'' I said. He grinned at me. ''I'm okay with the good old ways. Do you have any bandages?''
Instead of answering me, he pulled a bandage out of a bag that was probably enchanted to take more than its actual size. I sat on the bed and let him untie the laces of the boot.
He took no hurry to unfasten the laces that reached my thighs. He sat between my legs and slowly took off the boot, running his fingers and lips on the skin exposed through the laces. I had doubts that his purpose was to help me with the injury. Still, I liked looking at him from above.
Finally, after the boots were removed, he applied a cold ointment to my swollen ankle and began to gently wrap it in a bandage. I could see the grin he hid under his expressionless face. ''What are you thinking?'' I asked.
His grin was even clearer now, ''It's not something you would like,'' he said as he wrapped another piece of bandage around my ankle. He seemed to enjoy his job quite a lot.
''How do you know what I like and what not?''
''Trust me, you're not that type,'' he said and let out a sigh. ''You make me want to push my job into the background, which is not me at all. Although I don't want to, I have to go.''
Raising my eyebrows, ''Now? In the middle of the night?'' I asked. But there was no one to answer. ''Damn space element,'' I cursed, and deciding I have nothing to do but sleep, I lay down and closed my eyes.
The next morning I woke up with the sun and decided to meditate. A little meditating wouldn't hurt, especially when I would be part of a magic circle that was the key to the ancient lock on the door of a legendary dungeon thanks to my connection with light.
While I was in full focus, I felt Miran awakening, I felt her eyes open. ''So the bond came back, huh.'' I soon lost the bond one more time, however, it wasn't my fault. ''The temple,'' I murmured. ''It is preventing me from feeling her.''
It wasn't actually blocking me completely, it just made my job very difficult. The rumbling of my stomach reminded me that I didn't eat anything except the free sweets that were given at the wedding yesterday. ''Changing species affects eating habits badly,'' I said. ''...and because of the fox, I started talking to myself. Awesome.''
I went to the hotel's dining room in hopes of finding breakfast, and this time luck was on my side. The dining hall was empty, except for the kitchen maids who are busy preparing breakfast and a few other guests. ''Quiet and peace, oh how much I missed you,'' I sighed.
''Nana! Nana, you- ah sorry ma'am,'' A young girl holding a basket full of fresh bread almost hit me. She didn't even pause before she continued on her way, ''Nana, you won't believe what I heard. The baker's new wife told me, she heard it from Lina, the fiancee of the housekeeper of the Ross villa, and she...''
An older lady took the bread basket from the girl, ''Take a breath. You can gossip after you've heated the water for tea.''
''Nana! This is not gossip. A demon attacked the lady who bought the Ross villa!'' The young girl smiled as she could catch everyone's attention in the hall and continued, ''According to the housekeeper, someone saw a nine tailed female demon in nearby villages a few while ago. It could be the same demon. She raped the mistress of the villa and killed a knight in the room trying to protect her.''
When the girl stopped speaking, in the absence of her high pitched voice, an obvious silence fell into the dining room. An elderly gentleman in a suit coughed to clear his throat. At an hour that many people were still dreaming, he was sipping tea in his suit. ''Excuse me young lady, but how is this possible for a female demon to abuse another woman this way..?''
The child of another guest turned to the old man, he must have been around ten years old. ''Don't you know that, old man? Demons have both boobies and wienies!''