Masa’s fall ended as abruptly as it started. One moment, she was asleep, with the winds as her lullaby. The next, bumped into something and soon found herself tumbling in the air. Her back hit gravel and her eyes popped open, her heartbeat pounding up a storm.

“Where…?” she muttered as she rolled to her feet, a rather undignified position for a Kutin.

The ceiling was higher than she expected and the passage was wider, too. The tunnels near the surface were mostly narrow save for a couple of larger ones where the Beast Tide often came from.

As for herself, Masa patted her body, sighing in relief when nothing hurt. But then, a shiver of fear, no terror, ran up her spine. The sound of a breath came from behind her, and she slowly turned her head to look.

“Reviled!” she gasped.

It was a human staring at her with wide eyes from a dozen paces away. But it was dressed strangely. Oh, it was definitely a she; she could tell from the way the woman was dressed. It was obvious.

Creamy white skin, long golden hair, and penetrating blue eyes. Why was she half-naked? The woman’s apparel covered only her bosom, showing off a finely muscled front.

The woman spoke but Masa didn’t understand the language. The woman’s eyes were slightly glazed, her gaze alternating between Masa’s tail and somewhere above her. Her ears?

The woman took a step, a single step, forward but it felt as if something danced on Masa’s grave. A strange golden glow came from the other’s skin and the sight of it drove a spike of fear in her head. Masa reflexively took a step back.

A frown crossed the woman’s face. A face that was too smooth.

“Beautiful,” Masa whispered. Too beautiful.

The woman had features that were exceedingly pleasing to the eyes, even though she was completely human. She didn’t have ears, a tail, or a snout. But Masa still couldn’t wrench her eyes away from that face.

She took another step forward and Masa bolted. She sprung backwards in a somersault, twisting her body so that she landed facing away from the frightening Reviled. Masa’s feet were more human-like than Kutin, which meant they didn’t have the claws that made Kutin excel in running. Her boots were an adequate enough replacement, though. Within a couple of strides, she had achieved her full speed.

“Wait!” the woman shouted, speaking in the trade tongue this time.

Masa ignored her, of course. why would she listen to someone bent on capturing or killing her?

But by her third stride, she heard the woman call for her to stop but the voice was distressingly close! Masa risked a backwards glance and nearly stumbled when she saw the other was merely a couple of paces away--two paces!

“No!” she yelped as she drew on her Geist to empower her speed. The little snow-white kitten in her Animus core glowed. Strands of white spiralled out of the cat and infused into Masa’s limbs. She took off at twice her initial speed.

“Don’t run!”

How? The voice was even closer!

“Hey, wait!”

It was no use! The Reviled was faster than she was.

Masa spun and leapt trying to create more distance. She drew her longsword from her hip and brandished it at the woman. The other didn’t seem to have anything other than a knife. There was another handle on her belt but she wasn’t sure what it was.

The woman skidded to a halt.

Why was she barefoot? Masa thought.

“Stay away!” she growled in Wojan.

“But…”

“No, stay away or I attack!”

“Really?” The woman’s face lit up strangely. “Alright.” She took a step closer.

“Hyaaa!” Masa slashed with the blade, an underhand from left to right. She twisted her waist to drive power into her limbs. The woman simply leaned away from the tip as it passed and darted towards her as soon as she was off position.

Masa twirled the blade over her head and struck again, even as she danced back to keep the other at the optimal distance. The woman ducked under Masa’s blow. But this time, she forced the blade to a stop and reversed the strike.

The woman’s hand slapped the flat of the blade up with enough force that Masa lost hold of it. The blade spun in the air and fell with a loud clang behind her.

“That was bad move,” the woman said. Her Wojan was a bit broken.

“Hisss!”

Masa jumped back, eyes trained at the woman, but the other didn’t move and watched expectantly. She scooped the fallen weapon up and fell back into a ready stance.

The woman raised a finger and grinned. Masa lunged into a thrusting attack, blade aimed at the woman’s eyes. But that was a feint, as soon as the hand moved up, Masa altered the target to the smooth skin just above the breast band.

The woman’s other hand darted up and caught the steel blade between her index finger and her thumb. She waggled the raised finger at Masa and clicked her tongue.

Masa hissed and kicked, aiming at the woman’s knee. The boots she had on were capped with steel. The woman shuffled back, avoiding the blow, but Masa wasn’t done. She extruded her claws out of her fingertips and slashed at the woman’s face even as she tugged the blade back. Instinct would have the other protect her eyes and let go of the blade before it hurt the fingers.

Instead, the woman twisted her wrist, spinning the blade in her grasp and neatly prying it off Masa’s hand. Her other hand deflected the claw strike and caught Masa’s wrist. With her now empty hand, Masa stabbed at the woman’s side with her claws.

Ptang!

With a flick of her fingers, the sword flew behind Masa, and with another lightning-fast move, Masa’s left hand was caught just as easily as her right. Masa looked up at the woman, who was a few inches taller. The golden hair fluttered with their movements and was now slowly settling down. With both her hands caught, the woman must have thought Masa had been completely immobilized. But she was wrong.

Masa brought herself closer and struck at the woman’s midriff with her knee, using the arms as leverage.

Bam!

For the first time, Masa managed a hit. But it was as if she had hit the bark of one of Vizugmon’s great trees for all the reaction she got from it. The woman just blinked at her in wonder, those long lashes fluttered enticingly.

Oh, great lords!

She spun and twisted, attempting to force the woman to let go. Those hands were like a vise, and the arms were like the branches of the great trees, unmoving even under the winds of a storm. Desperate, Masa did the only thing left to do. She opened her mouth wide and lunged at the woman’s neck, managing to sink her fangs into the woman’s trapezius muscles when the other moved her head out of the way.

But something was wrong. Masa couldn’t quite bite into the skin. The golden light covering the other had somehow exerted enough force on Masa’s teeth that she couldn’t complete the motion. The woman’s hands loosened though and Masa managed to wrench her right fist out. She clung to the woman’s neck, still trying to bite.

“Ahn!”

She gasped when those lightning-quick fingers grabbed her ear. The woman rubbed the inner part of her ear flap, sending shockwaves of something down into Masa’s head. Her ears were sensitive--all of the members of the related People’s were--and the act of touching there was as rude as someone touching another woman’s breast!

“No!”

She gasped as the fingers exerted more pressure, sending even more tingles of…something into her heart.

“That’s not fair!” she wailed around the woman’s skin.

“Let go and I’ll release you.” The woman’s amused voice tickled her senses.

Masa’s other hand had fallen limp but completely free. She tried to form a spear hand, but the pressure on her ear suddenly increased, and after a furious rubbing, Masa’s knees trembled.

Up close, the woman’s scent was just as intoxicating. Her sensitive nose caught hints of lavender, honest sweat, and a strange something that made her shiver.

“Alright, I’ll let go!” Masa yelped as she pulled her head back. A bit of her drool remained on the woman’s shoulder.

The other simply released her ear and hand. Her face had a sly smirk though and with trembling eyes, Masa collapsed on her knees.

“Will you kill me now, Reviled One?” she murmured.

“Huh, no, why would I? And what do you mean ‘Reviled’?”

Masa’s tail twitched and she saw the other’s eyes follow its movement.

“You don’t have to lie. The only humans on Bella are from Tiath City or Grieford,” Masa said dully.

The slender hand rose up and Masa couldn’t help but flinch. Seated on her heels, Masa couldn’t do anything. She was hopelessly outmatched, even when the other was unarmed.

“I’m not from either,” the woman replied. “And I haven’t seen anyone with cat ears and tails…”

Masa blinked in surprise. The other was standing quite close, and Masa was eye level to the woman’s bare midriff. That skin looked so silky smooth.

“What do you mean? You’ve never left Tiath City’s territory? What are you doing in the Labyrinth?”

“Labyrinth? Hmmm.”

Masa couldn’t see the woman’s eyes or face. She couldn’t tell what the other was thinking. Then the other squatted down so they were roughly eye level with each other.

“I’m not from here.”

“Obviously,” Masa scoffed. “No one lives in the Labyrinth!”

“No, no. I’m not from Tiath or er, Grieford, was it?”

“You mean you didn’t come down here to poach?” Masa squeaked.

If she wasn’t, then the other wasn’t an enemy. No wait, she was still trespassing in the Labyrinth! There was no delver’s badge on the woman’s chest. Well, she was barely wearing anything other than the band and pants. Oh, and of course the backpack. Why did she have dozens of bamboo canisters strung up on rope?

“No, I’m not here to poach. I just want to get home.” The woman sighed. “Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot.”

The woman’s Wojan had improved in response to Masa’s.

“Why did you chase after me?”

“Why did you run?” The woman scoffed. “Besides, I haven’t seen anyone else for Seasons,” she added.

“You’ve been in the Labyrinth for Seasons?” Masa asked incredulously.

“What, no. no. Not here. I’ve been climbing for weeks though. Anyway, I’m Yuriko.”

“Oh, um. Masa.”

“Nice to meet you,” Yuriko said with a smile.

“Un,” Masa grunted.

Her heart had started to calm, though she still forced herself to remain wary. Wait! Climb?

“Oh, it’s so nice to see another human face,” Yuriko muttered.

“I’m not human!” Masa protested. “I’m of the Kutin clan.”

“Kutin?” She frowned. “Hmmm, you say the plane above is called Bella? Have you ever heard of Rumiga?”

“A new city?”

“No.” Yuriko sighed. “Well, I’m from Rumiga plane and I washed up in the plane below, Kogasi.”

“You’ve been through the Labyrinth?” Masa’s tail fur poofed in surprise.

Yuriko made an odd squeaking noise though her face was calm.

“No, I haven’t. I’m climbing up the spire in hopes of finding a way back to Rumiga.”

“You’ll have to enter Tiath, then. They’re the only ones with contact beyond Bella. Oh, and the Oska clan too, but good luck getting into their lands.” Masa said absently while her mind raced. “You’ve been to the bottom of the Labyrinth! What’s it like?” she asked excitedly.

“Whoa, I don’t mind answering that,” Yuriko smiled, “but I’d like to get out of here first.”

“Oh, uh. Sure.” Masa nodded. She got back on her feet unsteadily. “Truth be told, I’m trying to get back to the surface too.”

“Uh-huh, and these Reviled are after you?”

“Yes.” Masa gulped, “They’re poachers and trespassers. My delver’s team was attacked and we separated as we escaped.” Masa said slowly, not quite sure why she was willing to talk. Then again, if Yuriko wanted to kill or capture her, there was nothing she could do about it right now. She had been handily overpowered. Masa pointed at her longsword, “May I retrieve my weapon?”

“Oh, sure.”

Masa spun on her heels and walked a few paces to the sword, bending over to pick it up. When she turned back to Yuriko, she noticed the other woman’s eyes had been glued to her tail.

Uh oh…

The other woman gestured at Masa’s grey and white-furred tail.

“May I?’

Why would she? Masa thought furiously. Just like Kutin ears, their tails were quite sensitive. Only close friends or lovers would allow each other to groom tails and ears. Defeated she may be, but there were some lines that shouldn’t be crossed! She opened her mouth to say her denial.

“Sure.” Huh?

Before she could blink, Yuriko was right up to her tail. Those slender and dreadfully strong hands took the fuzzy tail in a gentle but firm grip. A shiver ran up Masa’s spine.

Oh no…

“So fluffy!” Yuriko squeaked under her breath. Then she started to stroke Masa’s tail from base to tip, sending jolts of pleasure across her skin.

“Ahn!” Masa moaned as her knees folded on her and she plopped down on the ground. Yuriko sat on her heels beside Masa and continued to lovingly stroke, while the remains of Masa’s dignity were betrayed by the deep-throated moans she couldn’t help but release.