ATHENA --

I stepped outside the gate with Wisham and sighed. "Are you ever going to tell him what it is you do?"

"Maybe later," Wisham said with a shrug. "He doesn't need to know yet, and I'd like to be able to teach him more when we next meet. You had better not say a word to Jak, Athena."

"But still, he is way more mature than any other human I know for his age. I'm sure he would be able to understand. He even empathizes with the Demi-Humans." It was frustrating. Jak was the first human that saw me as a person and not a Gods-damned slave or whore. I would tell him that Wisham was an assassin in a heartbeat if it wouldn't have a possibility of coming back to hurt Uncle Wisham.

"How are you even talking about THAT right now?" Wisham was trying to distract me, and it was painfully obvious even if you excluded the ever-present and equally annoying smirk. "You are going to be able to go adventuring finally. And you have the best option for a master you possibly could have. Not to mention the best looking."

I felt my face practically catch on fire, and I glared at Wisham. "I am glad for the opportunity you gave me, Uncle Wisham. But if you ever meddle in my love life again, I'll tell Grandma Jin." I watched gleefully as Uncle Wisham's steps faltered before picking back up.

"Fine, fine. I won't do it again." He sighed, "Is there anything you need before you move?"

I flushed an even deeper red than before. "I-I don't even know."

Wisham threw his head back in laughter. "You DO like him!" He kept up the laughter for too long, in my opinion. I stopped walking, and he turned to me as he suppressed his mirth. "They have a spare room, you know. You aren't going to be forced to sleep in the same room as Jak."

That was a relief. Jak IS cute, but... I can't think about that right now. I get to fight and level up like Wisham and Dad! If Jak is going to be the force that allows me to realize my dream, I'll deal with it.

We had walked half the way to the gate before Uncle Wisham spoke up again. "I left money with Martin to make sure you guys could get set up. You'll have to help Jak through making an adventuring team and everything. I really think he's going to be an excellent controller and strategist. It's unfortunate that he isn't able to work on his physique." Wisham looked up at the darkening sky. "He didn't pick up on the hints I was giving him about the Foci. You may have to just tell him."

I couldn't help it. My eyes rolled on their own. "YOU could have just told him, you idiot." Wisham turned towards me, looking sheepish.

"I just like seeing people succeed on their own. Give me a break." Wisham disappeared all of a sudden. "Seeing people get creative is what makes these awesome perks." Wisham was using his Slipstream perk again. He scared me the first few times when I was younger, but he uses it way too much.

I turned around and saw Uncle Wisham with an exaggerated pout on his face. "You're no fun. You got used to it way too fast."

I spun back around and kept walking. "Can you get Jak some more books? He's nearly finished what you've given him, and he's made good progress on his skills from them." I shook my head. How in the name of the 6 Gods he managed to do that I will never know. How can he increase his skill just from reading?

"It's amazing isn't it. His ability to increase his skills by reading books."

"I was just thinking about that. Not only that, but I gained the teaching skill and a perk for 1 on 1 training. He's a different kind of person." We let the conversation lapse until we got to the gate that sat next to the house where my parents lived.

"I'll get some more books. I'll see if I can get some more rare things too, but those will have to be deliveries I send to Martin. I'll drop some stuff off at The End before morning."

Uncle Wisham turned to me, and I tackled him in a hug. "Be careful. The nobles can be dangerous."

He patted me on the head as he hugged me. "Don't worry, I've lived this long because I'm good at what I do. You should be careful, though. The Goblins are amassing, making the plains between towns dangerous, and Jak could be trying to seduce you."

It took a bit before I realized what he said and got angry, but by then, I was stumbling to catch myself. "Uncle Wisham!" I yelled as my fur stood on end. He had slipped away, and I heard his laugh on the wind.

--

I woke up the next morning and stretched. Ugh.

"I have to train Esh, and figure out what I'm taking over to Jak's and start packing." I flushed at the thought but quickly shook it off before starting to get ready. I've never left Mother and Father's house on my own before. The longest I was away from home was while traveling with Mother and Father as we trained on the road. I stopped brushing my hair as it hit me. If Jak, Tesla, and I are traveling together, who is going to cook? Mother made all the food while we roamed between the cities.

"What are we going to do for food?" I mumbled. The last time I tried cooking, I managed to set fire to dinner by accident.

I got dressed and slipped into my shoes. I was about to head out the door when Mother and Father stopped me.

"Hold on, Athena," Mother called from the kitchen.

I trudged into the room to find Mother and Father sitting down with their breakfast. "There's plenty here if you want some."

"I'll grab something on the way to work," I said with a smile. "Did you need something?"

"We haven't really had a chance to talk about the transfer of your contract. Your uncle made it seem like you wanted it too. And this was a better option than the nobles that kept trying to get a hold of you."

Mother was shaking. I could see it in her hands and hear it in her voice as she made excuses. I walked around the table and put my arms around my mother's neck, giving her a hug. She put her hands on my head and brushed at my hair around my ears.

"Athena, I'm.."

"No, Mother. No need to be sorry." I looked at my father watching us and could see suppressed anger and sadness. I used my tail to flick at his hands. "Both of you stop!"

Their heads snapped up in confusion, and I heaved a sigh. "I AM glad this is happening. I get to become an adventurer! No stop it Mother." I put a hand up to stop her from butting in. "I am glad it is Jak that I'm going to be bound to. He is kind and doesn't treat me like I'm someone's property. Didn't you both hear me when I told you I was training him? He isn't stuck up, he isn't some monster, and he hasn't tried to put his hands on me once." I glared at my father as I said the last bit and watched him shut his mouth.

"We're just worried, Athena." Mother said.

I started again before she could say more. "You can be worried. But don't be afraid. Uncle Wisham helped train Jak, and he believes he is strong and will become stronger. And Father, you helped prepare me for this day." I turned back to Father. "Do you think I'm weak? Do you think you failed in my training?"

Father answered definitively, "No, you are a great warrior. Many times better than I was at your age."

"Could we have dinner and invite Jak over tonight so you can meet him? More than just advising him about his Companion?" I looked back and forth between the two of them.

I asked so that their nerves could be settled, but I saw a steely glint in Father's eyes. "That sounds like a marvelous idea."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't scare him, Father."

--

I spent the rest of the morning walking Esh through appraisals, inventory, and minimum pricing for the store's stock. It was just after midday bell, and I was about to take a break to get food while Martin covered the shop when Jak walked in with Arterian.

Jak looked at me, waved, and smiled before turning his attention back to Arterian and the list he was carrying. They grabbed a few things off the shelf and brought it to the counter: a rugged cast iron pan, some cooking utensils, and a fire starting kit.

"Hey Jak, Anything else you need?" I tried to keep myself from turning the color of a liferoot. All that talk from Uncle Wisham and my defense to my parents made me very aware of Jak's presence.

His snow colored hair was starting to sit lower on his forehead, and he reached up to brush it back. "We were hoping to get some long-lasting spices. I've been working on my cooking skill, and I'd like to work on making things using what we'll have on hand."

My jaw dropped. I knew I looked stupid, but I couldn't help it. "Y-You can cook?!"

Jak laughed his soft laugh. "I guess I can. Lena has been teaching me, and there is some crossover between Alchemy and cooking, so it's going pretty well." He smiled at me and turned to Esh. "You're Esh, right? I heard Athena use your name the other day, so I guessed." Jak continued on seeing Esh's surprise.

The surprise was mirrored when Esh spoke in his rich deep voice. "And you must be Jak. Martin has advised me that you will be taking Athena in a couple days." I gritted my teeth and tried to get mad to beat back the embarrassment, but Jak was slightly red in the face too.

"I wouldn't say I was going to whisk her away..." Jak hedged while running a hand through his hair. Yep, he's cute.

"Isn't she joining your household as a slave?" And Esh is as blunt as ever.

"She is going to be traveling with me as an adventurer." Jak looked at me, pleading.

"I'm going to be guarding Jak, Esh." I supplied.

"Ah, that makes sense." Esh said and then went quiet.

"Go grab the travel packs of spices, Esh." I prodded. "Anything else?"

"I think that's it for shopping. Would you and your parents want to come by for dinner? It'll probably be the practice foods I'm making. Tesla is trying to eat enough to make me run out of money." Jak had a scowl on his face that didn't match the laughter in his icy blue eyes.

I laughed lightly and spoke even softer, "I was going to ask if you, Lena and Arterian wanted to come over for dinner tonight. But why don't we go to your place for dinner tonight and tomorrow you can come to mine?"

I watched Jak turn slightly in Arterian's direction and give the barest of nods before Jak agreed to the plan. Esh came back with the spices, and Jak paid for the supplies. They were added to the basket on Arterian's back, which held lots of other things already.

I turned and saw the stack of books Wisham left under the table and almost yelled out to Jak before deciding to just bring them to him tonight.

--

Preparing for this was a nightmare. I didn't know what I should wear. I couldn't decide if it were something special or something casual. The first time I came down wearing a dress and I just about made Mother die laughing. She kept saying, "I see how it is." And was barely holding herself off the ground with the back of a chair.

I grumbled upstairs as I picked a loose pair of white shorts, a sleeveless black shirt that was long in the back and fringed in blue. I pulled on long black socks and laced up my boots. Finally, feeling ready and not overly dressed, I headed back down to clapping and laughter from Mother.

"That's much better. It's more... you." Mother said as she brushed my hair back. "I feel better knowing you actually like him," Mother said quietly.

I pushed at her, but she held tight. "I do mean it. It's not always so nice." She gave me another squeeze and let me go. "Your father is going to carry the books. And he's ready outside, let's go."

--

We were walking up to the gate, and something smelled terrific. We knocked at the gate and were quickly let inside by Arterian. "Jak decided to cook everything outside over a fire since he will be cooking that way while traveling."

As we stepped into the open, we saw the garden set with a table and chairs, and Jak was working over a flat piece of metal that was propped up over the fire. I could smell sizzling meat and vegetables.

"It smells good." Father supplied with an impressed look on his face.

As we got closer to the table, we saw it was laden with all kinds of grilled or roasted foods. Beast steaks cooked with hints of charred lines, vegetables steaming, and even pieces of flatbread. Jak walked over to greet everyone, "Hello Athena, Norrin, and I'm sorry, I don't know your name yet." Jak stuck out his hand towards Father.

Father grabbed his hand and shook it, "My name is Antragus."

"Thanks for coming. Food is ready on the table, I'll be there in a moment." Jak walked back to the fire and used a pair of metal tongs to flip whatever he was making before putting it on a plate and bringing it back to the table. He looked at me and tilted his head slightly. "You can sit down, Athena."

I shook my head. I had watched everything he was doing by accident. I felt the heat rising to my cheeks and quickly turned back to the table and sat down. I caught Mother's gaze, and she raised her eyebrows at me.

We quickly set to eating while it was still hot. Everyone started praising Jak, myself included. The food was delicious! He had Tesla come out and sit on the bench next to him. She was a little smaller than the last time I saw her. Jak set out a plate for her, and she started eating too.

It was a fantastic night as we all talked, laughed, and ate until late when we headed home. As soon as we were outside the gate, Father turned to me and grabbed my shoulders. "He really is a great person. I approve." Mother was nodding along.

I didn't speak to either of them for the rest of the walk home. I went straight to my room and flopped onto my bed.

Tomorrow would be almost the same thing, but this time it would be on Mother and Father's terms. I buried my head in my pillow and screamed.