Why am I being hugged from behind?!

It is warm… just… a bit… longer…

I don`t want to be here… but for now…

…

[What am I doing? Where am I?]

I jumped up. And almost immediately fell down. The world is spinning around me. I can`t stand up?

“Are you alright?!” A loud female voice?

I looked in a direction of that voice. My sight is blurred, so I can`t see anything. Fight or flight?

“Hshhh!” I hissed at her. I flattened my ears and showed my canines.

“C-calm down!”

I was still hissing at her but decided not to be too aggressive. I am in no shape to fight, especially now.

“Everything is alright, little fox.” She tries to approach me. What should I do?

[Strike I shall!]

I leaped and tried to hit her with my ‘claws’, I wasn`t even close… Do all my melee skills follow the same ‘Level 0’ line?

“Don`t worry, little fox. I won`t hurt you.” She was saying that with a tender, angelic voice.

She is not scared of me. And I am scared of her. It is either I deter her, or something bad might happen to me.

“Wow! Hey, c-calm down!” Now she is scared. My foxfires managed to scare her.

I started to crawl backwards but soon hit a wall. It is now or never!

I rushed towards her.

“Sorry!” She shouted and then… I lost consciousness.

“*&!@@*!& ?”

“^#@*&^ !”

I heard unknown voices. I am scared. I started to cry.

I have no more strength to fight, all that I can do is wait and hope.

I feel something warm… a hand? Why is it patting my head?

It is soothing…

But I can`t sleep. I don`t know what will happen to me.

I stood up. I cannot see anything. I am tottering. I try to do something. With all my remaining strength I try to leap at them but only managed to fall in their general direction…

[Why did they catch me? Why not let me fall? I am their enemy? I am their catch? Are they not hostile?]

I have no way to do anything. I will have to surrender…

…

I found myself lying on a bed. I still have no strength to do anything. I wonder, what will happen when those two people come?

[Why can`t I do anything? I should be in a normal shape by now?]

[Why was I bitten back then? When I was fighting the goblins, their attacks did absolutely nothing, as if I was made of metal. Then why was I hurt?]

I have only one explanation. Perhaps I was ‘out of the character’? When I was fighting the goblins I was really trying to find every bit of detail about them and their fighting style. My ship gear was actually working before I fought the weird beast. And after that… I didn`t try to use it. Perhaps it really happened because I fought it head on, without research, without trying to figure out its weakness. I was not observing its movements. I was just fighting.

If I return to acting, might I actually recover?

My thoughts were interrupted by a creaking sound.

I managed to see who entered. It was a young woman.

“You finally woke up.” She was relieved.

I was tense but decided not to show hostility this time. I was just being silent.

“How are you feeling?”

“Who are you?” I don`t want her to approach. Especially when I can`t do anything.

“I am Elina. We picked you up near a campsite. You were in a fever.” What happened?

“Why am I here?” I started another round of interrogation.

"Because we took you with us."

"Why not just abandon me?"

“Why would we abandon a dying person?! We already lost our friends, how could we let more people die?!”

[That campsite must`ve been their planned meeting spot.]

“Understood. Where are we?”

“In Crystal Town, near the main road. … Two days of traveling from the campsite.”

Finally some answers.

“Well, I answered your questions. How about answering mine?” She continued talking.

“Not interested.” Barked I, and tried to stand up from the bed.

I immediately started falling but Elina catched me.

“Why are you so stubborn?!” She is displeased.

“You either fight, or die.” I must rely on my own powers. Especially when dealing with a stranger.

All of my attempts to stand up were in vain. The best I could manage was to sit on the floor without falling to the side.

“You are something…” She abstained from trying to stop me.

How I managed to properly sit in seiza is a mystery. I am happy with the result.

“Did she wake up?” A cheerful male voice rang from the doorstep. Immediately I fell again.

“Hsssshh.” I glared at him and started to hiss.

“Sorry?” He was embarrassed. But that doesn`t change that all my struggle was for nothing. Thank you.

“Why don`t you just rest? Sitting on the floor won`t help you stand.”

“And lying would?” My sarcastic remark surely was out of place. The tension was rising.

“Come on, Elina. Have you heard that children always want their efforts to be recognized?”

I lit up the foxfires.

“Why don`t we skip this part… and talk about… flowers? Little fox, what flowers do you like?” That guy started to defuse the situation. I decided to make him understand that I am not a child.

“Please, don`t be mad at him. He is just an idiot.”

I dissolved the foxfires. At least for now.

AFP_Writer

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New chapters will be released when possible. But at least every 3 days.