CHAPTER 378: UNITED IN CELEBRATION, PART SIX

The kitsune warrior circled Sirah, her wooden sword held low.

"Ready?"

"Always."

The kitsune lunged forward with a thrust aimed at Sirah’s chest. Sirah sidestepped and brought her sword down hard on the warrior’s wrist. The kitsune yelped and dropped her weapon.

"Too slow," Sirah said.

Another warrior jumped in immediately, this one trying to sweep Sirah’s legs. Sirah hopped over the attack and slammed her knee into the woman’s stomach. The kitsune doubled over, gasping.

"Too predictable."

A third warrior came at her from behind. Sirah heard the footsteps, spun, and caught the practice sword with her bare hand. The stump of her left arm twitched as muscle memory tried to grab with fingers that weren’t there.

"Too loud."

She yanked the sword away and tossed it aside.

The courtyard had gone silent. The three kitsune warriors picked themselves up, rubbing their bruises.

"Holy shit," Isabella said. "You demolished them."

"They weren’t trying to kill me. Makes it easier."

Isabella’s eyes lit up with that special brand of chaos she got when she had a terrible idea.

"Hey Armia! You should fight Sirah!"

Armia didn’t even look up from where she was stretching.

"No."

"Come on! It’d be hot!"

"Still no."

Sirah walked over to the white-haired darian, who was bent forward touching her toes. Her ass looked incredible in those tight training pants.

"Scared?"

Armia straightened up and turned around. She was only a few inches shorter than Sirah, which was rare for anyone who wasn’t darian.

"Of you? Please."

"Then prove it."

"I don’t need to prove anything to you."

"Right. Because you know I’d win."

Armia’s yellow eyes narrowed.

"You’re down a hand."

"And you’re soft from living with humans." Sirah grinned. "All that etiquette training and fancy swordplay. When’s the last time you fought dirty?"

"I don’t fight dirty."

"Exactly my point."

Armia’s jaw clenched. Sirah could see the exact moment her pride won over her common sense.

"Fine. One round."

Isabella squealed.

"Yes! Raven, you watching this?"

"Obviously," Raven said from her bench.

They squared off in the center of the courtyard. Armia had grabbed a wooden sword while Sirah stuck with her fists.

"No weapons?" Armia asked.

"Don’t need them."

Armia attacked first, a textbook thrust that would have scored perfect marks at any academy. Sirah slapped the blade aside with her palm and drove her shoulder into Armia’s chest. The darian stumbled back but kept her footing.

"That all you got, princess?"

Armia’s next strike came faster and lower, aimed at Sirah’s ribs. Sirah twisted, letting the wood scrape across her abs, and grabbed Armia’s wrist. She tried to throw the smaller darian, but Armia planted her feet and refused to budge.

They struggled for a moment, muscles straining against each other.

"You smell like you want to fuck me," Sirah whispered.

Armia’s concentration broke for just a second. Sirah swept her leg and sent her tumbling to the ground. The wooden sword went flying.

But Armia rolled with the fall and came up swinging. Her fist caught Sirah in the stomach, driving the air from her lungs. While Sirah gasped, Armia tackled her around the waist.

They hit the ground hard, Armia on top. She tried to pin Sirah’s arm, but Sirah bucked her hips and threw her off. They rolled across the courtyard, each trying to gain the upper position.

Finally, Sirah managed to get Armia in a headlock with her one good arm.

"Yield?"

"Fuck you."

"Maybe later."

Armia drove her elbow back into Sirah’s ribs. Sirah grunted but didn’t let go. After a few more seconds of struggling, Armia tapped out.

They separated, both breathing hard. Armia’s white hair was a mess and there was dirt on her cheek. Sirah’s shirt had torn at some point, showing off her abs.

"Not bad," Sirah said.

"You either."

They stared at each other for a moment longer before Armia turned and walked away.

Sirah sat back down next to Kimiko, who was fanning herself dramatically.

"The sexual tension! I could cut it with a knife!"

"Back in my tribe, I’d already be carrying her off to fuck."

"So why don’t you?"

Sirah watched Armia’s ass as she walked back to her stretching spot.

"Because I’m not in my tribe anymore."

"Exactly." Kimiko nudged her with her tail. "Maybe it’s time to try something new."

[Maybe she’s right. Melisa wouldn’t mind. Hell, she’d probably encourage it.]

The thought sat strange in Sirah’s mind, but not entirely unpleasant.

---

{Melisa}

Melisa’s head felt delightfully fuzzy.

The drinks Silviana kept pouring were stronger than anything she’d had back in Syux. Some kind of kitsune wine that tasted like honey and kicked like a mule. She was on her fourth cup, and the world had taken on a pleasant blur around the edges.

"You know what I’ve been wondering?" Silviana said, lounging back against the pool’s edge.

"What?" Aria asked. Her words came out slightly slurred. The queen had matched them drink for drink, and her small body clearly couldn’t handle alcohol as well as she thought.

"Have you two fucked yet?"

Melisa choked on her wine. Aria went completely still.

"W-What?" Melisa sputtered.

"Simple question! Have you two had sex?" Silviana grinned.

"We have not!" Aria said, her face going red.

Melisa’s face turned bright purple, which was apparently what happened when nim blushed hard enough.

"That’s absurd! She’s the queen! I’m just... me!"

"Oh please." Silviana rolled her eyes. "I can smell the desire from here. You," she pointed at Aria, "keep stealing glances at her tits when you think nobody’s looking."

Aria’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"And YOU," Silviana pointed at Melisa, "have been staring at her neck for the past hour like you want to bite it."

"I have not!"

"Have too."

"Have not!"

"Ladies, ladies." Silviana held up her hands. "There’s no shame in wanting to fuck each other. Life’s too short not to act on attraction."

"It would be inappropriate," Aria said stiffly.

"Why? You’re both adults. You’re both interested. What’s the problem?"

"She’s my subject."

"So? I’ve fucked half my court." Silviana shrugged, which did interesting things to her chest. "The other half are working up the courage to ask."

Melisa took another drink, hoping the alcohol would make this conversation less mortifying.

"Can we talk about literally anything else?"

"Fine, fine." Silviana leaned forward. "How about we discuss the festival? Rakia tells me she’s got you performing."

"Unfortunately."

"It’ll be good for nim-kitsune relations. Show everyone that we can work together."

"By having me dance around half-naked?"

"Exactly! Nothing brings people together like horniness."

Aria snorted, then looked surprised that she’d made the sound.

"That’s your solution to everything, isn’t it?"

"It’s worked so far." Silviana stretched. "You’d be amazed how many conflicts can be resolved with a good orgy."

Melisa was about to respond when something caught her eye.

[What the...?]

A shadow moved on the wall behind Silviana.

Her body moved before her brain caught up.

"GET DOWN!"

She lunged forward, tackling Silviana sideways just as a blade sliced through the air where the Matriarch’s head had been. The assassin, a nim woman in dark clothes, cursed and pulled back for another strike.

Melisa’s hand was already moving, drawing a spellsign in the air.

"Ignis, core, protev mein!"

A shield of blue flame erupted between them and the assassin. The woman’s blade bounced off it with a hiss.

"GUARDS!" Silviana roared, her playful demeanor vanishing. "SEAL THE PALACE! NO ONE LEAVES!"

Kitsune warriors poured into the chamber, weapons drawn. The assassin tried to run, but Aria was already moving. Despite being naked and drunk, the queen’s spellsign was perfect.

"Glacies, sub pedibus!"

Ice spread across the floor. The assassin slipped, crashed into a wall, and got tackled by three guards.

Melisa stood up, her heart pounding. The alcohol buzz was completely gone, replaced by adrenaline.

"Everyone okay?"

"Fine." Silviana stood, water dripping from her body. "Though I’m disappointed. Usually assassins wait until after I’ve had sex to try killing me."

"This isn’t a joke!" Aria snapped.

"I know." Silviana’s eyes were hard now. "Someone just tried to kill me in my own palace. Someone who got past all my guards."

She looked at the struggling assassin.

"Take her to the cells. I want to know everything. Who sent her, who helped her, who so much as looked at her funny today."

The guards dragged the woman away.

[Shit just got serious.]