<Shaman POV>


    "Where do you think you girls are going without a tank and healer?"


    "HISSSS!!! LET ME GO!!!"


    "What the hell, Mum?!" ra was the first to turn and she instantly face palmed.


    "Himeko? Luna?" As we were about to jump off the side of the castle, Himeko and Luna came flying in. Well, Himeko flying in on her greatsword while carrying a cat, frantically trying to get away. Himeko was in her usual Qipao and Luna was in the same blue dress from when we met her.


    "Yep, did you think I wouldn''te with you now that I and Jane are together?" Landing right next to me, Himeko dropped Luna to the ground, who surprisinglynded on all fours somehow.


    "HISSSS!! How dare you handle me, a noble demon cat like that." Luna red at Himeko while on all fours, as if she were about to pounce.


    "It was faster my way, plus I''m sure ina enjoyed watching you being handled by me." Himeko winked, which only added fuel to the fire, making it very hard not tough at the scene.


    "T-t-thats not the point! How am I meant to face ina now?" Luna''s face turned slightly red as she surprisingly let out her hidden feelings.


    "You know you have to show that side of you eventually, right? ina seems more yful than you think." Himeko smirked and started giving her advice, which quickly subdued Luna''s anger.


    "Really?"


    "Yes, but we should get moving, please." As much as I wanted to help Luna in whatever endeavours she had in mind, we needed to get going. Chatting could happen along the way.


    "Oh sorry, are we just running there? Surely not." Himeko looked at me as if I were crazy… Not that she was wrong, this was what I kind of nned to do.


    "No way in hell am I running that much, I''m just a healer, you know!" Luna quickly buried any embarrassment she had, switching back to her feisty, noble attitude.


    "Perhaps." I didn''t want to tantly admit it, but I really didn''t see the problem.


    *Sigh* "No good, it will take forever to get there on foot. Do you really want to fight all the monsters that dwell in the Demon Lands?" Himeko wasn''t wrong and honestly, I kind of forgot about the whole monster part.


    "Warm-up? Surely they wouldn''t be hard to kill."


    *SMACK* "Did all that training make you a meathead?" Himeko pped the back of my head, eliciting a couple of snickers from Silver and ra.


    "You guys are not off the hook either, you were about to go along with her n." Himeko was fully back in mother mode, lecturing us about what we should be doing.


    "I swear, I don''t know how you managed thesest 8 months without an adult." Himeko shook her head, but she smiled, seemingly d to takemand.


    "So how are we going to travel across the Demon Lands? I better not be handled like an animal this time!" Luna was right, we didn''t really have any other way of transport as ina didn''t provide any animals to ride.


    "We will fly on my back."


    "Huh?"


    "Wait what?"


    "Uhhh how?"


    Silver, ra and I all looked at Himeko, very confused as to how we were all meant to fit in such a small space.


    "Not in this form you idiots, in my phoenix form." Himeko then jumped off the wall without hesitation, which was followed by a massive updraft. The wind itself almost sent us flying, barely managing to keep ourselves grounded.


    Emerging from below the wall, a bright, ming phoenix flew into the sky above us.


    "Since when could she do that?!?!" ra, Silver and I all spoke in sync, shocked that Himeko suddenly had the ability to turn into a massive bird. I mean, she did transform into a tiny one before, but I never thought she could change into a fully grown one.


    "KYAHAHAHA! It''s thanks to my rebirth that I am no longer just a human and have be partially a phoenix." Himeko slowly descended down until she was in line with the top of the wall.


    "Now get on." As she faced away from us, I contemted the prospect of getting on a phoenix''s back with its raging mes. However, Luna didn''t hesitate to get on and, to our surprise, the mes did not burn her at all. It was as if a tiny forcefield was pushing the me around her, preventing any of them from making contact.


    "Whats the hold up? Did you really think Himeko would let you get burned?" Luna looked back at us all nkly, as if it should have all been obvious.


    "Let me get my bearings, at least." I was still processing that Himeko had turned into a bird and we were all about to ride her.


    "Let''s just go." ra suddenly grabbed my wrist and jumped off the wall while dragging me along.


    "WAHH!" I was not expecting to be pulled through the air, but before I knew it, I had alreadynded on the Himeko-phoenix, face first into ra''s chest. As for Silver and nor, they followed right after us, visibly worried about the mes only to quickly realise that there was nothing to worry about.


    "Luna wasn''t lying." I was still resting my head on ra''s chest as I turned to Luna, who turned away in disgust, clearly not a fan of the PDA.


    "Why would I?!" It''s safe to say she did not take too kindly to thatment as well.


    "No Elysia?" Himeko asked about Elysia, which reminded me we left her out of the loop ever since Elysia initially left.


    "She isn''t back yet, so you can take off." It made me a little depressed to think about it, as I was really beginning to miss her. Although I had ra, I still haven''t felt whole for the entire 8 months that we have been apart.


    Even ra felt a bit weird having me all to herself considering so far we have only done things together with Elysia.


    ''Definitely going to have a couple long nights once she returns.'' If time allowed it, I could see Elysia going absolutely feral once we got in bed, and it wouldst a long time.


    "I see, I hope she is okay then. Hold on tight!" Without much else to say, Himeko pped her wings and began our journey towards the fox realm. Due to the sudden change in direction, me and ra copsed onto Himeko''s back while everyone else fell to their knees, holding on for dear life.


    Once Himeko stabilised herself, we were able to sit up once more. As for me though, I just stayedying on top of ra, as it was quitefortable.


    "Mum, do you have to be snuggling with ra while on her mother''s back?" However, Silver had to quickly ruin it by pointing out the absurdity of the situation.


    "D-damn it Silver!" I sat up and got off of ra, who was trying to hide her disappointment, although I''m sure even she must be weirded out once reminded that we''re on her mother''s back.


    "Silver?" Luna tilted her head in confusion, looking at Silver.


    "That''s me, the same person you harassed when we met in the dungeon." I could hear the passive aggressiveness in Silver''s voice and wondered if we were about to have a cat and dog fight.


    "No fucking way, you are the cutie wolf that I saw? W-what the hell happened in thest 8 months? Weren''t you like 15?" Luna was in denial and tried to crawl closer, but nor sent her a warning re.


    "Wait, you two are a thing?" The next revtion wasing Luna''s way and it finally dawned upon her that she was the only single person here.


    "Yes we are, now keep your hands away from him." nor spoke up, being surprisingly defensive, which was a first.


    "This can''t be happening… There is no way this is real." Luna blinked and rubbed her eyes, trying desperately to process everything.


    "News sh, he grew up because he is a strange kid." Silver shot me a re at thement, but I averted my gaze as if I said nothing wrong.


    "No, stop. I don''t need to hear anymore." Luna rubbed her forehead,pletely at a loss for what to say.


    "Why were you so obsessed with him being so small?" ra jumped in, asking the real questions. Thinking back, it was kind of weird that Luna was really fond of Silver when he was younger.


    "I''d like to invoke my right to remain silent on this matter." Luna looked a bit worried about divulging her reasons, which only elevated my suspicions.


    "Oh Luna,e on, there is no reason to hide it. You saying that is going to give them the wrong impression." Himeko quickly spoke, knowing exactly where everyone''s thoughts were going.


    "F-fine, I run the orphanage in the city so I''m just fond of little ones." Luna''s exnation justified some of her behaviour to a degree, but Silver was a teenager, not a child.


    "A-and I like cute things… s-so when I saw him, I couldn''t help myself. I swear I had no ill intentions." Luna shrunk into herself, feeling ashamed, but we were satisfied enough with that answer.


    ''This girl is a strange one.'' I was d it wasn''t anything more, but damn, I was close to kicking her off Himeko.