Looking at the unusual smile of Uncle Black, I suddenly feel like something is wrong, could it be…?

Uncle Black looks at me before he then turns towards the crimson-wolf mother, asking her to talk. The wolf-mother just silently looks into my eyes before she releases a series of low growls, talking about her future plans. Regarding them, it seems she wants to leave the city and live in one of the greater forests to train her son and to have a life that suits her.

I first try to ask her if she doesn’t want to stay, living with us, but it seems she decided that it is better for her and her young to live in the forest, naturally. She then expressed her goodwill and thanks for everything we have done for her, before she then smiled and said that we can visit her whenever we want.

I am sad about this, but I know that I can go see her again, so I just smile lightly and wave goodbye. Before she can even leave the premise, her son suddenly jumps up from beneath her and runs in my direction. Suddenly being tackled by the golden-retriever sized pup, I fall on my butt. He then begins to lick my face and begs me with his eyes. It seems he is unwilling to just leave, but it is best if he stays with his mother, just like I stay with my family. He should treasure having one that loves him so much that she would even abandon herself.

Watching the pup sitting next to me, I just silently massage him behind the ears and per his fur. The pup closes his eyes in enjoyment before finally the mother made a small growl, calling him back to her.

Reluctantly he leaves my side and trots over to his mother, looking back to me in the process. Me, Cyan and Uncle Black just smile and wave while we see them leave. The wolf-mother even turned her head for a moment and gave a growl of goodbye. I hope she will do well.

After they left far enough, I suddenly feel Uncle Black holding onto my shoulders, praising me for my reaction. I don’t know what of my behavior deserves praise, but I just silently accept it and follow him back into the mansion.

Lunch was server shortly afterwards and the whole group, yes even the servants, are seated at the table, eating in relish. Actually, we required a bit of pressure to make two of the maids actually sit down with us, but once they sat down and ate, nothing could disturb them.

After a satisfying lunch, I, Cyan and Uncle Black first went to the balcony to rest before we then begin with our training. First I train archery together with Uncle Black as well as hidden weapons. The training contains pulling the bowstring a certain amount of times as well as target practice.

As hidden weapons we had both small daggers as well as blades. Throwing needles are also included, but that is advanced stuff I don’t train yet.

After a good hour of throwing and shooting, Uncle Black then picked up wooden swords and threw one to me. First we did the basic movements in routine before we then tested our footwork against each other. Cyan is in the background, training his shield and sword-technique together with Elrion, the butler. It seems he was previously a commander for the dragon-guards, so he has plenty of experience and knowledge to share with Cyan.

After testing our movements out, me and Uncle Black engaged each other with the wooden swords. Clashes of wood can be heard and our movements become faster and faster. I attack overhead before ducking down, pulling the sword with me, trying to hit his side. Uncle Black just easily counters and attacks me using a stab motion fluently from the block just before. Dodging the incoming strike, both me and Uncle Black keep continuing our back and forth in both offense and defense, our speed ever-increasing. After a while, Uncle Black suddenly hits my hand holding the sword, making me nearly let it go, sadly even if I haven’t let go, Uncle Black still used the opening to thrust his sword against my throat.

It is my defeat. Uncle Black retreats afterwards and we take a break. My maid, Saria, even brings me some tea and cookies. The cookies taste good, but I’m not much of a fan when it comes to tea.

We keep watching Cyan as he trains, before even he stops his training and joins us for a snack. After exchanging our opinion with each other, I lift my head and ask Uncle Black a question that was already long on my mind.

“Uncle Black, do you by now know what happened to my friends from my dimension?” (Arin)

Uncle Black just nods to my question and answers in a kind tone.

“Yes I do. All of them are fine, while some even have adventures or situations that aren't losing out to yours. If you want I can bring you a detailed report at a later time.” (Uncle Black)

Hearing Uncle Blacks words, I let out a sigh in relief. It has been quite a while since the last time I heard anything from my friends, so I want to meet them.

Just as we finish eating our snack, Uncle Black is called by Elrion because some officials showed up. After he left, Cyan and me start to train our magic. Cyan, as someone with dark-side elements, aids me in training my shadow, ice and earth magic.

We train by creating small amounts of our respective elements and then move and form them. Magic is manipulated by imagining what you want and then leading the mana inside the body to manipulate the magic-power, or MP, in the surroundings. Though at the moment we train so called pure internal magic, meaning we only use mana to create the phenomenon. Actually, to succeed we try to keep our mana consumption and thickness at a minimum, requiring a lot of concentration.

I, using my knowledge in sculpting, form the elements into different animals and forms, such as a phoenix of fire. Forming the higher elements is harder as their form isn't as consistent. So I form a human from earth, a fish from water and Luna from wind.

Actually, Luna herself is in her physical form right now, training her new-found magic as well. Her Wind and Lightning-element seem to have improved, but she has definite trouble with the earth element.

Passing our time with magic training, Cyan and me actually reach a point where we control a figure, in my case a fiery phoenix, and let them fight. Actually, he has the advantage with his turtle made from earth, but we have a lot of fun while letting our 'puppets' fight. We didn't know, but what we did was called personification, or puppeteering, one of the highest arts a Human wizard could achieve, but it was far in the future when I would learn that.

Time passes quickly while we concentrate and play, training ourselves in a fun way. Luna also managed to create a form of herself with wind, but it is still too fragile to fight, so she still trains this technique. So time passed and dinner is served. Actually, using mana over a long span of time causes hunger and tiredness on the body, weirdly enough I don't feel it. Maybe because my mana-pool is large or because of my MP-compatible constitution?

Anyway, after dinner me and Elrion, Uncle Black had things to do, play a round of chess. Elrion loves the game, but midway he starts to speak about practical uses such as strategy training for soldiers etc... I don't understand what chess has to do with strategy training, I only know that it trains the capability to make quick and logical decisions. Well, maybe his view is different because he lived much longer than me?

The sun sunk beyond the horizon, so I quickly make my way to my king sized bed. I am still not used to having such a large amount of space, but because my tails sometimes are too large to keep on a small bed I'm glad for it.

I roll for a while before using my own tails as a body pillow and slowly close my eyes. I first appear in my minds space and visit mama before, while she sings me a lullaby, I slowly drift into dream-world.

…

…

The next day begins right after breakfast where I go to school with Cyan. Cyan Is greeted by a few dragons as soon as he arrived while I just make my way to class. Rune seems to be absent today, so I'm glad. Actually, the class seems more lively than yesterday, probably because Rune is gone. The girl in black still sits in the back of the room looking down on her table while seemingly lost in thoughts.

Class was first about plants and their medical uses before break-time. I don't know how mixing two common herbs can cure fever, but it is still interesting. While most students here were talking about things such as the newest food available in town, I walk towards the girl with black hair and fur. I don't know why, but near her I feel an aura that's alike to the one of Lumi, but somehow opposite. Also, the aura intermingles with my elemental-aura, like playing. I don't know what her constitution is, but it doesn't seem to try and harm me, so I just ask her why she sits here alone.

Hearing my question, she just looks up into my eyes before she let's her head hang once again and looks down on her table. When I kneel down so that I'm on her heads height, I ask her once again why she sits here alone.

She then looks at my face and speaks in a rather silent and strained, yet also sad, voice.

“Why, why would someone like you care about me, you have silver fur, and I am a black furred fox with only one tail who brings disaster...” (Black haired girl.)

Disaster? Oh yea, some of the other kids told me that ones elements go berserk once one remains close to her for too long. Well, I don't know why, but I feel like my elements are reacting to her weird constitution and try to intermingle, but it doesn't seem to bring damage. Anyway, to her empty eyes I just say what I believe in my heart.

“I don't think that fur color is a purpose to look down on someone. I know a lightning-wyrm with a mark and she became a Golden Serpent-Dragon, something normal lightning-wyrms wouldn't be able to archive. So I think it's more like a hidden potential. Plus what reason do I have to look down on you just because I, or you, have a different fur color?” (Arin)

Saying those words, the color in the girl's eyes seem to return if even for just a bit. Her complexion is still bad, but a moment later she let's her head once again hanging and asks me a question in a nearly self-loathing voice.

“Then why, why am I harming those around me?! When I'm not a calamity, what am I!?!” (Black haired girl)

Her words are said with a tone of desperation mixed into them, making even me feel hurt. The pain she must have gone through due to her fur-color must have been awful. I already saw a couple of black haired foxes on the street, but all of them had different colored tails, so...

I try to encourage her, but before I could continue speaking, the teacher enters the classroom again and asks everyone to go to their seats. Turning around to leave for my own seat, I just suddenly turn my head and tell her in a light voice:

“I don't know your circumstance, but if you are not harming them purposely you are not a calamity. You just carry something no one understands, so you just have to try to understand it yourself, right?” (Arin)

I mean, no one knows you better than yourself, so why not try to find the cause yourself?

Class finished after another two lessons. Actually, during those two lessons, the black haired girl kept looking at her tail and sometimes even at me. I don't have to look to know, as my presence detection ability easily recognized the confused and wondering gaze that was focused on me from behind time and time again.

Time passed by quickly and noon arrived, ending school for today. After meeting up with Cyan we both move towards the mansion, our home.

Lunch was great and the training afterwards interesting. We trained using the staff as well as magic in the afternoon. When evening came, me and cyan walked through town, trying to get used to the streets and shops. Some elders even gave free food to me and readily gave us information about the surroundings. It seems that the city has four main sectors, being the shopping/trade-district with all the shops and craftsmen, the living-district with the most of the houses and mansions, the training-district who contains the school as well as military buildings and at last, the smallest district: the red-light district. Uncle Black says that I should stay far away from there as there are weirdos and lawless people there, luckily though, it seems that the district is the smallest because dragons and fox-kin are rather prideful beings that, once they have one, treasure their partner like nothing else.

Sadly though, there are still exceptions. So, let's listen to Uncle Black and stay away.

It didn't take long afterwards before the sun went down and the street-lamps lit up. Me and Cyan begin making our way home, evading small alleys. I don't know how safe it is here at night, but I don't really want to put it to the test.

At home I was greeted by Uncle Black and Elrion, the butler, who were playing a game of chess with each other while holding meaningless conversations. Please don't tell me that they became addicted... though I wonder, what would happen if I introduced chess to other people...?

Still,i have a bad premonition that something is going on behind my back, but what...?