The Lunefang village, Roijacht, was quite quiet for a time. Well - quieter than the party filled norms the humans were able to witness since arriving in this land. Construction was started on repairing the destroyed huts while those injured could rest.

Sora, lost during the chaos, was found with a nasty bump of his head but lucked out as far as serious injuries. Same with Trey and Lilian - though Lilian was severely exhausted on top of her light bruises. Gwen was mentally spent and slept for most of the time.

With present circumstances, they were fine waiting for Junior's adulthood ceremony to complete. Besides, something else was hanging on the minds of Gwen, Rio, Sora and Junior.

"Something is wrong with Lilian and Trecanyx," said Rio. "They are acting oddly - the latter especially."

"They could just be traumatized," suggested Sora.

"I still feel like something happened," grumbled Gwen. "Lily is never quiet with me. Snappy, sure - not this. And Trey is acting sketchy."

"So why aren't we just asking one of them if you're so concerned?" Junior scratched his ear while watching the others.

"Even under normal circumstances, she's hard to get close to," said Gwen.

"She seemed pleasant to me," said Junior. "I'll ask her then."

The others left Great Storm Fang to it while they moved towards tracking down Trey. Lilian was still in her room wearing a makeshift hospital gown - the Lunefang didn't usually have such a thing - when she heard the knock.

"Can I speak to you, Miss Lilian?" Junior asked from behind the door.

"...sure," was the unsure reply.

Junior gently pushed the door open. “How is your recovery?”

“I’m fine!” Lilian insisted. “Just...between this and a fight in Rio’s village, I’m a bit...shaken up.”

“There was a previous fight?” asked Junior, sitting next to her bed.

“Yeah...that one was more terrifying than this one if I’m honest,” sighed Lilian.

She went into the horrific time she had in Rio’s village with the Viremesite. Junior nodded politely while asking a couple of questions about a creature he had never seen in person before.

“And you got through all of that unscathed?” asked Junior after the tale was done.

“Somehow,” said Lilian.

“I really think there’s something special about you,” said Junior, scratching his ear. “I suppose the same applies to your acquaintances, but you especially.”

A light flush appeared on Lilian’s face. “I’m not sure what you mean. Where I come from, I-I’m just a normal girl!”

“...from an unfamiliar land or not, you are no regular human,” said Junior. “I am certain you have some kind of special trait - a gift.”

“I really feel you are mistaken,” insisted Lilian.

“I can tell by your scent,” insisted Junior.

Lilian had no way of knowing this was a bluff on Junior’s part. Sure, he did smell the fact she was not of this world, but that was all. But Lilian - once again - didn’t know, so she started to sweat.

“You don’t have to be scared,” Junior said with the same faux confidence.

“Yes, I do!” said Lilian. “I always do!”

"Why?"

"Because this isn't some gift!" Lilian screamed before she calmed down and could no longer meet Junior's gaze. "...it's a curse. It only brings unhappiness."

"A Curse?" Junior looked over Lilian. "You don't appear to be--"

"It may not seem so to you in a magic sense...but it is," said Lilian, still looking away. "Trust me."

A long awkward silence fell over the room before Junior spoke again. “You say to trust you...but don’t trust me enough to tell me what this power is. Is it uncontrollable?”

“...not exactly…”

"So you know how to use it?"

"It isn't something that should be used!" snapped Lilian. "Hell, it's something no one should even have!"

"...so that's a yes?"

Lilian was quickly finding cuteness had its limits, especially with certain topics.

"I know enough to not lose control," muttered Lilian. "And don't you dare ask me for a demonstration."

"Why not?" asked Junior, only half hiding the impression that she correctly predicted his next question.

"Because I don't enjoy giving anyone nightmares."

Before Junior could question just how she was so sure, he stood up as he sensed something.

“What’s going on?” asked Lilian with a bit of relief the line of questioning was seemingly done with.

“Just feeling like I’m being wat--”

Suddenly Junior was pounced upon by someone Lilian’s eyes were too slow to spot. As she started to lean over the edge of the bed, a growl made her freeze.

“Another...another so close to him…”

Junior, briefly knocked to the ground, couldn’t see what happened next. But he certainly heard it. Someone was flung over his head and hit the wall behind him.

“Who the hell is she and why did she just attack me!?”

A manic-looking female Lunefang about Junior’s age was just thrown into the wall and was only just falling out of the imprint made. Junior was suffering through multiple levels of confusion he had to attempt to clear up.

“N-night Blade, what are you...!? Lilian, what did you do!?”

“You know that nut!?” Lilian replied.

“W-what in the Realms was that!?” Night Blade was shivering. “What was that thing that hurt Night Blade!?”

“First question is what are you doing here?” asked Junior.

“Night Blade heard you were becoming an Adult. Night Blade wanted to see it!” Night Blade shook her head, knocking loose some dust from the wall as well as the cobwebs. “But not important! What did she do to Night Blade!? Something weird threw Night Blade!”

Lilian was too furious to acknowledge the question, but it was Junior focusing on Lilian for the time being. That kind of power wasn’t evident before and Lilian wasn’t making eye contact as further proof something was amiss. But one issue at a time.

“I’ll take care of this,” said Junior, escorting Night Blade out of the room. “You rest, Miss Lilian.”

Lilian didn’t reply as Junior pulled a stunned Night Blade out of the room. Junior had more questions to ask of Lilian, but now Night Blade being around was more pressing to him personally.

“I’m tossing you out of the village before the High Pack comes to deal with you,” Junior snarled.

“But Night Blade is allowed to be here!” Night Blade pleaded. “Father isn’t, but Night Blade is!”

“That...doesn’t make any sense,” said Junior. “Your clan--”

“Mother is from another clan, so Night Blade is from both! She was never brought into the clan officially so neither was Night Blade!” Night Blade was oddly grinning and holding onto Junior’s wrist.

“Um...ugh.” This lapse in logic bothered the logic-minded Lunefang.

“Please let Night Blade stay!” she pleaded.

“...we’re going to the High Pack right now,” said Junior. “And if you attack anyone, there will be a problem.”

==============

“Where are you, you corrupting menace!? I know you’re up to something!”

Oh my, this world’s Goddess of Order. In her usual scandalous attire. To what do we owe the p--

“Stop meddling in that world!”

Or what? You know you can do nothing against us...or interfere without consequence. ...consequences. Such a funny thing.

“What makes you so sure!?”

Without Chaos, there is no Order. You would not be divine without my very existence and you’d ruin every world we are responsible for. But by all means, we are curious how much...wrath you would bring against us, Talyawa. We may even enjoy it.

“...you know what we agreed upon. What are you even trying to do?”

Teaching mortals a lesson...what you claim all in our position should do.

“What have my people--”

It’s this world, the world the Players are from and quite a few others. It could have been any world within our domain but this one was chosen.

“And your interference? Multiple times in the same area? Are you trying to unsettle this world!?”

We acted when those who were supposed to assist these beings didn’t. Perhaps they forgot, perhaps apathy took hold. In any case, it was necessary.

“Necessary!?”

You have too many questions. We are amused but we suspect it won’t last. Just watch and you’ll hopefully understand.

===========================================

“You’ve got to be joking, right!? What is she doing here!?”

A couple of days later, the party was healed - at least physically - and they were all going to be in attendance for Junior’s Adulthood ceremony. They would decide which way they would head only after it was said and done - they wanted to let Junior be part of the decision and Lilian was still proving quiet and moody beyond looking forward to this. They were back in their usual clothes with Sora wondering if they were dressed properly for such a big event.

Speaking of attire, Junior wasn’t dressed in his usual things for this occasion and he was equal parts proud and uncomfortable. Gone was his usual gadgets and vest - instead he was shirtless like most Lunefang and wearing a modified loincloth. His hands and feet were wrapped with some type of bandage and he had a belt, necklace and tail accessory all made of bones. Under his eyes were red markings that could have been mistaken for blood, but smelled of berries when one was close.

Everyone thought he looked amazed - “great” was used without much hyperbole. But as they met him before the ceremony, there was someone else with him who they didn’t immediately recognize. Dressed in a light dress, long black hair in a ponytail and a bracelet on her right hand, they thought it was simply a female friend of Junior but Rio recognized her eyes as their former opponent - Night Blade.

Trey and Sora were the only ones not either tense or irate with this discovery - and Night Blade herself was ready to fight before a look from Junior stopped her.

“Look, it’s a long story,” said Junior. “She’s...without a clan at the moment and she’s promised to not cause any trouble.”

“She seemed to attempt to kill me during the trial,” said Rio flatly.

“And attacked me a couple of days ago,” growled Lilian.

“Night Blade has reasons for that,” Night Blade grumbled with her ears twitching. She seemed ready to leave it at that before Junior gave her a look. “Something in Night Blade’s head...makes Night Blade have issues with other females. Night Blade must know who is stronger. And sometimes...sometimes Night Blade takes it too far because Night Blade enjoys fighting.”

“What - like a curse? Or you just have screws loose?” shot Gwen.

“What are screws and why do you think they are in Night Blade’s head!?” Night Blade suddenly shouted.

“We’re not sure,” said Junior. “The fact she can hold herself back now makes me less sure of it being an actual curse - at least not a strong one. Hopefully, we’ll have time to figure it out.”

“...I really don’t like how you said we just now,” grumbled Lilian with her hands on her hips.

Junior looked at Lilian with a smile of someone who tried to get cookies out of a jar on a top shelf. Slowly the others started to have a feeling what Lilian was getting at with her attitude.

“Yeah...after our fight, Night Blade has become...devoted to helping me out,” said Junior. “But given what I promised, such a thing is no longer in my control--”

“Let Night Blade go on this key hunt!” Night Blade cut in. “Night Blade wants to learn from Great Storm Fang and be near him!”

“I am concerned for more sneak attacks,” said Rio.

“Night Blade will be good and not attack any of you without reason,” pleaded Night Blade, “...except her! Night Blade needs to know what she is hiding!”

Lilian, the one she was pointing at, drew her arms into an X in front of her. “Nuh uh. Not happening.”

“So you are hiding something?” asked Gwen curiously.

“I’m hiding nothing and I’m not bringing this psycho with us!” shouted Lilian.

“Lucky this is a team vote,” shot Gwen. “If she can keep control over herself, she can be a help. More firepower can help us if we run into any serious problems.”

“You’re just trying to piss me off again with this, I swear to--” Lilian was seriously against this and was growing more and more agitated.

“Let’s discuss this seriously,” said Sora, interrupting Lilian with a worried tone to his voice. “And just vote after the Ceremony while we have had time to think?”

“Fine - whatever. Go discuss what you want,” Lilian grumbled as she stormed out of the room, “but consider my vote a big NO!”

Rio, concerned, followed Lilian out while everyone else went quiet with their decision to make.