A Tail’s Misfortune

Sora looked up at the vents as a strong breeze kept the space filled with clean air. The weird vibe from the moon crawled up her tail again, the stress of everything that had happened pressing in on her.

Calm down. Everyone is okay… Mom said it would be hectic after I woke up, but things would settle down. Breathe…

Closing her eyes and letting her ears fold a little, she tried to filter out the noisy buzz of the magical and scientific artifacts around her. It was hard to concentrate, which could be Diane trying to mess with her; she wouldn’t put it past the witch.

Standing outside the room, hand on the golden handle of the ornate wooden door, Sora eased her heart rate. Wendy’s aura spiked with emotion, and she added an amendment to her soundproof spell to block that sense, giving her best friend her privacy.

Mary has it… Trust the process.

In the ensuing silence, she listened to Aiden as he continued to grill the two SCC members—whatever that acronym stood for—on their part in world affairs. Fen and Jian awkwardly listened, trying not to draw attention to themselves by the scent the fox women released; it sparked her interest a little, unable to remember exactly when her senses had become keen enough to smell discomfort.

She could hear the Huli Jing shift uncomfortably at times. The conversation between the blond and doctors had taken quite a few turns that she’d only partially followed at times; a lot of it sounded a little random to her, but she hadn’t heard the whole thing. The firebird said he’d get all the details for her, and she trusted him. It was time to see what Diane and Ferdinand were all about.

Lime-green eyes opening, she pressed the lever down, yet didn’t open the door. Something bizarre met her clearing vision, making the entire world come to a freezing halt; not a sound could be heard, from the vents to the discussion that had been so vivid a moment before.

Black thorns?

Her saliva thickened while staring at the handle, where pure black vines twisted out of her hands to wrap around the door and sink through the polished wood. It was so out of left field that all she could do was watch it for a second. She blinked, and it was gone, the world coming back into focus.

Slow brain catching up to the event, she carefully lifted her hand to stare at it, blinking a few more times. It didn’t return.

Did I imagine that? Stress? Ugh. Yeah… probably stress. It looked just like those vines and thorns in that nightmare I had just before I woke up? Weird. Yeah, let’s just get back on topic. Mary’s right: I shouldn’t distract myself from what I need to do right now.

Setting her resolve, she walked inside, interrupting the topic of black budgets and the USA’s top-secret monster department; apparently, they wouldn’t be going through that program since they were too classified.

“Okay, where are we, Aiden?” she mumbled, making her agitation known while moving to sit across from the witch again. “I heard that King Oberon and Queen Titania have arrived and are securing Sela. They’re here to talk to me about this Avalon Academy?”

Fen’s fingers tightened in her lap as she sat next to the vulpes at the mention of a prisoner transfer, yet Jian was stoic and passive. On the complete opposite spectrum, Diane leaned against her hand, elbow resting on the table while dully swiping through hologram displays. She seemed to be letting Ferdinand handle most of Aiden’s questions.

The firebird sat back and crossed his arms, adding a smile as she swept into the space. “Can I first ask how your friend is doing? She feels stable now from her spiritual waves, but—well, there she goes with another emotional spike. Hmm. I guess therapy can do that to you.”

Sora’s lips pushed to the side; she hadn’t considered including a spiritual cloaking affix in her silence zone since she thought auras were the same thing, which, apparently, they were not. Maybe she really did need to go to school for magic because there were so many things she didn’t know about.

“I’m sure Mary will get things under control. Wendy’s just… going through a rough time. So, what’s up, Rainbow Wings?”

Aiden’s smile lifted at the nickname, but it soon fell. “I’m glad you’re feeling better… That being said, I think you are going to hate me for what I’m about to suggest.”

Diane’s mouth twitched, her bored expression fading as she swiped away the displays, leaning back and crossing her legs. “Finally, we are getting to the crux of this conflict raging in the background. Your questions certainly have posed a fascinating hidden message that the Ethics Bureau will be against.”

“Excuse me… What are we suggesting here?” Ferdinand asked, adjusting his suit front while glancing between the smirking witch and the blond boy. “What have we been discussing that I will have an issue with?”

Diane opened a bottle of wine and directed it at Aiden, now shifting in his chair and rubbing the back of his neck with a deep frown. “By all means, tell the audience what you’ve concluded. The Ethics Bureau severely overestimates Sora.”

Sora’s nose crinkled at the accusation. “Uh… What is she talking about, Aiden? Are you saying my magic isn’t strong enough or something? It sounds like she’s trying to pick a fight.”

Aiden sighed and slid his finger across the runic lining at the edge of the marble table, creating a display before mirroring it and pushing the hologram to the middle of them to all see. He seemed to have grown shockingly accustomed to this weird technology in the time Sora had been away.

“Sora, please, don’t take this the wrong way, but I want to make it clear what the SCC Foundation is asking us to do.”

“Yeah, I know,” Sora grumbled as the boy began writing on his display, which was transferred to the center panel. “They want us to bring stability to Miami. If I can handle Yez’ela, then I think I’m strong enough. Plus, I’m fully transformed now. I’m at least twice as strong as I was.”

Aiden lifted his eyebrows, fingers still in motion. “I’m not saying you don’t have power, Sora… but are you remembering what happened after you fought Yez’ela? Let me explain my perspective real fast before you jump to conclusions.”

“Okay…”

Sora sat back, hands tucked under her armpits as she stared at the list Aiden was making. The more he put on, the tighter her gut became, and a shiver ran down her spine to her tail with every new line that sparked memories and emotions.

Friends

Kind Heart

Ruthless, Ignorant Monsters

Increased Authority

Priorities

Mother’s Expectations

School

Limited Availability

“First, Sora, you have friends and family to worry about. What happened to Wendy, Howie, and Daisy? You’re vulnerable, and yes, you did show that you can bring the fire when pressed, but that was only when put into a corner. I can almost guarantee that you could not have done what you did without internalizing Hell Force.”

Her bottom lip tucked under, goosebumps prickling her arms. He wasn’t wrong. Causing waves had put a target on her friends. Plus, now her mom was going to be entering her life, and without her powers. Surely, no one would dare poke her mom, though; she had to have countermeasures in case that happened.

Her conversation with her mom during her transformation made a lump form in her throat. She told me to work this out with Aiden… So, does that mean this discussion is actually extremely important? No, of course, it is. I really haven’t thought any of this through, and Aiden has personal experience running Eric’s empire.

“Which brings me to my next point, and please, don’t misunderstand me, Sora,” he urged with a smile. He underlined ‘Kind Heart,’ making her arms tighten against her chest. “I’m not saying you’re soft or weak. You’ve met some of the creatures in Miami, but only a very small number of them. Yes, you could most likely dominate much of the fodder, but some bigger players were kept in strict order by the council Eric formed.”

He paused to bridge his fingers and lean forward to look at her, giving her his attention as his blue eyes softened. “The Trolls and Ogres, among many other factions that are arguably even stronger. Eric had a presence so great that no one dared to challenge them after meeting him once. For three years, he spread terror throughout the monster world, which was largely guided by the SCC Foundation.”

Aiden pressed his forehead against his linked fingers, releasing a long puff of air. “I understand how you might feel… but I believe you must release Eric from your mother’s spell.”

Fur bristling, her thighs pressed against each other upon seeing a giant, shirtless wolf, tattoos gleaming against his tanned skin in the Hellish stadium’s light. The memory of Kari’s hopeless emotions swelled up within her, and it felt like Aiden had punched her in the gut.

“What? No way!” she flatly refused, vision hardening. “There is zero chance that Kari will ever overcome her trauma or trust me if I do that. It’s like… the one thing I can do to make her feel like she can actually live! Do you have any idea what I had to go through to even say these things about Kari?!” she asked, arms unlinking to slam her fist on the table, making it shake. “Kari deserves a chance to show me that she isn’t a total bitch! And that’s me saying that!”

Diane snickered, pulling up a video that showed Eric getting pummeled by Jin as Aiden rubbed his forehead with a groan. “By all means, you could get your Korean friend to take his place, Sora. Aiden’s plan would work wonders with her at the helm. I’m still astonished such weak attacks had such an impact on the Fenris Wolf. What is she?”

Scratching her left ear as it itched, Sora snorted. “Yeah, good luck getting Jin to do anything she doesn’t want to do, and that sounds like too much work for her personality. Wait, what do you mean ‘weak?’ Jin was slaying!”

Aiden puffed out a breath. “Those kinds of blows would do almost nothing to Eric if it hadn’t been for Jin’s unusual energy that utterly shut down Eric’s natural defenses. As Diane said, he’s bathed in volcanos and fought far stronger creatures than what Jin showed, but her battle intelligence and innate powers were on a whole different level than what Eric had dealt with since fighting his mother.”

Diane hummed, watching the wolf and dragon fight with a curious flame in her twinkling eyes. “A shame you’re being so mysterious about her because she is the one I am most interested in.”

Sora nibbled at the inside of her lip, appreciating the fact he hadn’t mentioned to Diane that she was a Dragon Founder. Aiden wasn’t wrong, though, and Aiden had only gone over two of the several points he’d written down. “I just… can’t do that to Kari. What do you mean by ‘Increased Authority?’ Are you saying I can get these guys to keep him in line?”

Ferdinand had been silent while studying the words Aiden had written, his voice becoming somewhat of a whisper. “…That… would be very troublesome, Lady Sora, which is why the EC Council approved the Site Directors to use him as a club.”

His face twisted with distaste. “It brought us back to the more savage era of the SCC, moving us backward. We’ve been trying to devise a means to contain him, yet all attempts have failed. Eric is… a very ruthless creature, and is practically immune to any of our capture methods. Am I to assume you have a method of putting a leash on him, Aiden?”

The bird chuckled, his mood brightening as he rested his folded hands under his chin and directed everyone’s eyes to her. “There’s no need for a leash… because Sora is the new Alpha. Sora, Eric is at your beck and call. You can change everything, and that is what I was trying to say.”

“Ylva,” Sora whispered. The bone-shivering vision of the gray-furred, scarred wolf’s sapphire irises shimmering with the intensity of a supernova exploded in her mind, the galaxy-ender holding the man by the throat. “She told Eric to get in line because she was only a few skips away; this is my family territory.”

“Oh?” Diane’s interest spiked, fingers folding together as she slid her chair forward. “Ylva is a new name I haven’t heard. Who is this creature?”

Aiden waved his hand dismissively. “Someone you wouldn’t want to bother, and, more importantly, someone Eric respects like his mother. Sora, I am interested in this school they’ve mentioned, too. Heh, I must admit, I’ve always wanted to try out the school environment since Kari went,” he said, flashing his teeth and taking on a more positive vibe. “If you tell Eric to give Kari space and to work with the SCC Foundation, he’ll do it! Say what you want about Eric, but he brings order.”

Sora had the gut-churning daydream of the dominating man beside her, taking whatever order she gave, darkness swirling around her. A quiver ran through her frame in terror, thinking about the power she’d give the Foundation by giving them Eric’s leash. The wolf would do anything and had no limits or sympathy for humanity; in the wrong hands, he’d burn the world, all while laughing at how pathetic humanity was.

“I… will think about it,” she mumbled, trying not to let the pressure get to her at what evil the Attack Wolf could do. “I’m not sure. I’ll need to talk to Kari about it and get her permission since it really affects her… Wait.”

She saw Aiden and Ferdinand’s accepting nod, but it suddenly hit her that there was a question no one had answered yet. “Why… can’t the SCC handle it without Eric or us if I tell him to back down? Weren’t you guys doing great before Eric showed up?”

Aiden’s hazel eyes drew inward. “I… didn’t think about that, to be honest. I was just concerned about the pressure on you, Eric’s freedom, and maybe a way for Kari and him to reconcile now that you’re in the picture. We aren’t worried about their uncles now, after all. Kari can take her time to grow.”

He shifted his gaze to the well-dressed man as Ferdinand’s hands tightened in his lap. “I am inclined to agree with you… but the Ethics Bureau does not direct the vision of the Foundation; that task is delegated to the EC Council…”

“Which,” Diane mused, keeping smug eye contact with Sora, “has heard the demands of your mother and made a bold decision.”

“Keep being mysterious and hyping up the tension to waste my time,” she grumbled, fiddling with her fingers in her lap and playing the uno reverse card. “I understand Aiden’s other points:

“My priority is not playing sheriff or running around the world to fight random monsters. I want to hang out with my friends and figure out my life.

“My mom wants me in school and to spend time as a family.

“School is going to take up a lot of time, I bet, with everything else in my life.”

Regaining her composure, she brushed out her hair with a huff. Fen and Jian seemed to be getting more comfortable, as well, as the fox followed the giant, white-haired man’s lead in indulging themselves in their provided meal.

“Essentially, I’m going to be very busy. I hear you, Aiden, and I’ll talk to Kari about it before I make any decision. So, just tell me what plots your leaders are cooking, Diane?”

Diane licked her lips and sat back, crossing her legs and adding a sly smirk. “There are multiple realms that have been long sealed shut due to my master’s actions, which is why you hardly see any monsters or creatures popping out of nowhere these days, with the exception of the realm she created… Avalon.”

Tapping a few icons on her screen, she replaced Aiden’s list with a stunning and vast video of a colossal plain of misty seas, fog obscuring much of the background. Lush islands of rock lifted out of the mysterious depths, waterfalls flowing down their stony sides as the heavens opened up to a cosmic marvel of planets and wondrous fields of nebula-like clouds floating across a pristine tapestry of space.

Lips parting in disbelief, she watched a giant stone city rise out of the mist, where creatures of all types walked. Flying boats sailed through the twinkling haze, elves manning the sails through the skies to transport passengers to other islands.

“It’s like… a castle built into a city. It all looks so… magical.”

Diane snickered and swiped to another video of a cracking gate of a similar design to the city, only it was inside a hellscape of fire and magma.

“This is one of many sealed realms that are beginning to break free, opening humanity up to threats that we will need to address. One such gate already broke open, providing passage to a pocket dimension located on Saturn’s rings, which brought a terrifying stag to our world that is practically a god… She demands blood sacrifice and cannot be contained. We call her A-2845.”

Aiden stood up to look closer at the colorful deer, shimmering with colors of purple, turquoise, pink, and light-greens. Her horns were massive, and the creature stood nearly eight meters tall. Crystals circled her antlers with a halo-like ring, radiating light.

From her muscular legs that ended in delicate hooves, twinkling fur, and fox-like tail, it showed an elegance that Sora couldn’t deny, radiating with power. Her eyelids were closed, and an almond pearl gem was attached to her forehead. However, perhaps the most disturbing part was her feminine head, which resembled a green-haired, elf-like woman.

“I never saw anything like that when Eric was expanding his territory.”

“You wouldn’t,” Ferdinand growled, rubbing between his eyes. “She was the one who put us on Eric’s trail, when she demanded we get rid of him, and A-2845 vanished nine days before Sora’s birthday.”

Diane’s eyes narrowed, her gleeful voice brimming with excitement. “We managed to satiate her gluttony for souls by feeding her criminals on death row; like Eric, she defied all restraining attempts we made. We believe she has returned to her Saturn realm to build up her strength for a confrontation with him… or you.”

Sora gulped while watching the stag turn a giant laser and the large spaceship that fired it into flowers as the beam reached fifty meters from her, blanketing the area in bloody petals. “I… don’t think I could do that.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Diane laughed, “that was one of our earlier… more tempered attempts to neutralize her. She isn’t all-knowing, so we can pin the blame on other… less favorable factions. Hehe. Eric was the first creature she refused to attack.”

“Because she couldn’t affect him with her magic, or whatever she uses, I bet,” Sora whispered, now wondering if she really did need to put Eric on the hunt for the stag. He was a wolf, after all; it was his thing. “You want me to lend you Eric to… handle these breaking seals? How does Fen fit into that?”

The black-furred vulpes choked on her sushi. “Ack—me? Why would I have anything to do with that?! I am the victim of… whatever weird attraction this world has. How else could I have been transported halfway across your territory—omniverses without number—due to anything else than some elaborate plot!?”

“I agree!” Diane chimed, snatching all of their eyes as the French woman removed the videos to take a sip of her wine. “…It is more than obvious that other forces are at work behind the scenes that perhaps not even your mother has a full grasp of, Sora. Is it possible that is one of many reasons why she is taking action to be in your life now?”

She directed them to the uncomfortable Huli Jing. “Why would so many Founders, and, of all chances, a vulpes that has met your aunt, Sora, be brought into your life other than foul play? How could a Wolfwere and Succubus construct such a unique summoning Hell Circle? Why did the Fenrir family come into this tiny universe? I believe we need as much help as we can get, no?”

Aiden rubbed his elbow, catching her gaze. Sora knew very well why so many random encounters had happened to her and this planet; Aiden’s causality played a massive part in bringing all of this together to save his adopted family.

She couldn’t help putting Wendy in Aiden’s shoes. How would it be for her best friend if she’d been adopted into her family, and she was trying to—no, maybe that wasn’t the best parallel. Still, Sora could put herself in his shoes; he wanted to save his family and regain the peace they’d lost. There was no way she could fault him for that.

Sitting straighter, Sora felt darkness festering in her chest. She was the one in control, and she had to make the final decisions. Yet, she didn’t feel right doing this without Kari; it was too important to the wolf to leave her out of it, but the threats were real.

Silence took them as Diane began to eat, and Ferdinand pondered Diane’s concerns about a conspiracy. Stephanie’s warning about forces pulling the strings in the background came back to her mind. The fenris brothers had plotted a method to burrow into vulpes territory; even Ylva seemed surprised at the boldness and craftiness of her grandfather, but what if it wasn’t him?

She’d insinuated it, yet burrowing into their territory, which was protected by her grandmother’s magic, didn’t seem right. Her mother would probably know. This was too much, though! If all this speculation wasn’t enough, she had so much more to deal with from the fallout at the Hell Stadium.

Eyia had lost trust in Jin and was trying to make friends, which meant Sora had to help her through this challenging time. It was pretty complicated, though. Jin was only hanging around the Primordial Asgardian to piss off her mother, chilling in vulpes territory to boot, when the Dragon Mother hated her Aunt Inari for killing her first-born son. There was a lot to unpack there.

Her mother was coming home. Her dad was unconscious and healing. Wendy had a world-shattering moment that needed to be addressed. Nilly, the freaking First Cat Mother, was back and nuzzling her best friend! The mess with Kari was a bombshell waiting to go off, and now she had to deal with this stupid SCC drama.

“Yup!” she blurted out, giving Aiden and Diane a pointed stare. “I’m leaving Eric in the hands of his little sister. You guys can do your job and keep the world safe. I’m sixteen! I’m going to school and hanging with friends. So, as Kari likes to say, bite me!”

Aiden chuckled, looking far more positive than she thought he would be. “Thank you, Sora. I’m with you. So, let’s talk about this school business.”

“That shouldn’t be too difficult,” Diane said, seemingly unbothered by her declaration, unlike Ferdinand, who was deep in thought about how things were progressing. “The King and Queen are nearly here, so let us get the small details out of the way.”

Tapping a few things on her digital display, Diane brought up pictures of each subject she rapidly shotgunned out.

“We acquired your hotel and are in the process of relocating all the residents, excluding those who are close to you or who believe they are close to you. Renovations are being made to expand your suite. Personnel have been brought into the knowledge of the SCC Foundation with appropriate pay raises for such an important job.

“Security is being established around your buildings with a gateway that will bring you to Avalon; the school will be in charge of linking it, which they have already agreed to. It will be linked to the floor directly below yours. It is quite a risk to Avalon, which is why they will have their own guards overseeing its passage.”

“H-Huh?!” Sora’s mind spun as she plowed on.

“I will act as the SCC representative that will be allowed access into Avalon Territory in order to oversee that you are receiving the appropriate needs. I am quite thrilled to have a pass to enter the realm again after such a long time! A personal assistant will be assigned to your mother to provide you with anything you desire, although I suppose she would be able to create whatever she desires with a thought,” she mused.

“The EC Council wishes to be entirely accommodating to your every whim.” The French woman leaned forward, resting her arms on the table to give her a thoughtful smile. “I suggest you ask for Fen and Jian to be given a staff position within Avalon Academy; from rumors I’ve heard, one of the vulpes instructors is in need of an aide, and the combat instructor mysteriously died last semester.”

Sora’s hands went to her squirming belly as Ferdinand gave the witch a pointed stare that said she did something she shouldn’t. “Stop! Stop!”

“Yes, please, clarify that, Doctor Diane,” Fen asked after forcing down her fish, face turning ashen. “You wish for me to take on a… teacher’s assistant role in this academy where staff have been killed? It seems like a—”

The woman’s spine arched, three tails bristling and ears pulling back as the door in the hallway opened, and a small feminine voice hummed with interest. Sora’s own heart rate picked up at the womanly tone the queen of Avalon spoke with.

“How interesting. It seems the Supernatural Containment and Conservation Foundation has spies inside our realm, despite our precautions, and now they seek to add more listening ears. How sneaky of them.”

A deep voice followed as the guide opened the door to allow the tall, beautiful elf to enter, his black hair curled as if in braids, only without bindings. “Will you punish Trish? Her Maple Syrup addiction does seem to be causing a conflict of interests.”

His golden, pupilless eyes swept through the entire room, radiating a controlled, dominating presence that snatched all attention. His aurelian crown was highlighted by his black horns and fancy obsidian apparel, lined with glistening gold.

Hovering beside him was a glowing fairy, no more than 10 centimeters tall, and her tiered, butterfly-like wings shimmered with colors and mesmerized Sora with the elegant and perfect picture the woman radiated. Her azure top was a flaring flower, and a silken gown framed her shapely figure and long legs from her ample bust down.

“Trish sells harmless information; someone else is passing along hushed details in the school. I’ll have to light a fire under Magsatra’s wings to investigate the source amongst her staff. Well, aren’t you a picture of fluffy snuggles!” she playfully chimed, speeding up in a dazzle of sparkles to spin around her. “Lady Sora, I believe!”

Diane chuckled, popping up a personnel file and tossing it toward the dark-haired elf king as he flicked his wrist, using magic Sora couldn’t even sense or maybe telekinesis to pull out a seat beside Aiden before the man guiding them could act.

“Welcome, High King Oberon, High Queen Titania. You needn’t go on a fairy hunt since I am positive she was also one of your missing instructors… I have lost contact with her, which means she is likely dead. What is happening in your realm’s illustrious school? I am so intrigued!”

What does she mean the instructor is probably dead?! How many dead instructors are there at this school?! Mom, what the crap?!

Titania touched her glossy pink lips, smiling neon-blue eyes illuminating as she started to glow; her long, absurdly thick, spiraling gray hair floated back, the flowers adorning it and unique jewelry blazing with light. “When The Darkness comes, Unseelie move through the shadows. Even we can have trouble pinning them down when they are so deeply rooted in their obscure and toxic tunnels.”

Sora watched in awe as the tiny woman grew to match her size, Titania’s giant wings folding down to drape around her figure like a fancy cloak and melding into her silky dress to add intricate texture to it. Smoothly taking the chair that her husband scooted out for her, she allowed herself to be pushed in before he gracefully teleported into his own beside her.

“Speaking of,” Titania mischievously cooed, lifting her hand to materialize a tiny cage that matched her previous size, “Your ever-so-radiant mother tells me that you are acquainted with this little troublemaker?”

Sela appeared within the iron cage, shrunk down and unconscious in the prison.

“I… am,” Sora uncomfortably mumbled, causing the fairy queen’s lips to lift thoughtfully.

“You have developed an attachment to this corrupted queen? Interesting…”

Oberon’s strong voice followed, his illuminated eyes on her. “She will be put on trial; there is nothing else to be said about the subject.”

“Oh, I disagree, Husband,” Titania softly returned, twinkling eyes narrowing while appraising her. “Perhaps this Unseelie will be of more help than we initially believed. Won’t you come to the trial, My Lady?”

Sora’s fingernails pressed against the back of her hand. “I… actually wanted to ask you that.”

“Wonderful! We need your assistance in breaking her spell, in any case,” she said, radiating charming energy. “Why don’t we let her rest? Hmm. I would so hate to harm her when we attended her coronation within her little kingdom; a shame it fell to The Darkness, but hope is never lost. Oh, what of the hiring of this lovely fox?”

Oberon released a sigh at her batting eyes that told of millennia of dealing with a mercurial wife. “That is a subject to be taken up with Queen Magsatra. We do not interfere in her school.”

“Speak for yourself,” the fairy slyly chortled, winking at Fen, who shrank into her chair. “I would love to speak on your behalf, Initiate of Lady Inari. I am positive Professor Himi Giichi would adore you as an aide; he is rather fond of the Huli Jing, hmm-hmm, personality,” she said in a way that made the three-tailed vulpes gulp. “I believe you are near your fourth tail, as well. How exciting!”

“Tia,” Oberon tiredly prompted, rubbing his temple and making the woman laugh.

“Yes! Yes!” she sang, slipping Sela into some sort of pocket world, from what Sora could tell, and turning her dazzling face to her. “Lady Sora, it is our pleasure to welcome you to our realm personally. I am High Queen Titania, and this is my husband, High King Oberon. Your mother came to us and began the enrollment process, which includes any friends you might wish to bring. Any questions?”

She giggled as Sora hesitated, definitely wanting more info on the professors dropping like flies; the woman shifted her weight in the chair and folded her arm under her bust while giving her an impish smile, plowing right through without giving her a chance to answer.

“What am I saying? Of course, you have questions! Where would you like to begin?”