Vulcania and Glacia woke up before dawn and started their morning ritual of brushing all their tails. They had finished Vulcania’s tails when Leona, who slept in the same room, woke up and said sleepily, “Mornin’, slept well on your first night in an inn?”

“Mornin’ we slept great, thanks for asking.” Said Vulcania while she was busy brushing Glacia’s left tail.

After Leona got dressed and fully awake she noticed the tail brushing and could not help but wonder. “Did you not yesterday said petting your tails got you in a sexual mood?”

Glacia let out a giggle, “that was mostly a joke, it is about equal to being petted on the head, depending on the intention it can be arousing but more often than not it just feels relaxing.”

Glacia looked at Leona who in turn looked at Vulcania with a bit of jealousy. Glacia let out another giggle, “here take my brush and brush my other tail. I can see that you want it. If you wake up a bit earlier you can also help me brush Vulcania’s tails.”

Vulcania said, “Hey, don’t sell your sister to spend time bonding with Leona, that is just not fair when you have already given yourself away.”

Leona took the brush from Glacia and sat down next to Vulcania and started brushing Glacia’s tail. She got advice during the brushing on how to do it better. “So your tails are this soft.” She added jokingly, “Can I sleep with a tail?”

Vulcania got a sadistic grin and whispered seductively into Leona’s ear. “If you want I will bind you to one for a night.” Leona blushed hard and barely nodded, something that was unfortunately not seen by the twins.

After doing all the cleaning, brushing and braiding of the long head hair with a few spells they were ready for their first quest and headed to the dining room. They saw the boys just starting on their breakfast so they were not waiting for long.

Kiyoshi had yet to learn some tact, “We both lost the bet, the girls took less time instead of more.”

Leona felt attacked, “Hey, I don't take that much time to get ready in the morning.”

Rickerd broke up the beginnings of a fight, “just come and order breakfast, we already ordered five lunch packs.”

Half an hour later they were on the way to the old barn. When they arrived there they saw predictably an old barn that looked ready to fall apart.

Glacia said, “I can detect the mana of about 70 rats, about five seemed to have evolved themselves. Two of those seem to have gone with some earth type strengthening. The next two have some stealth mana and presumably skills, and the last one leans to speed mana.”

Vulcania came up with an idea, “Well since we have so many targets, why not practice with them? Making a fighting pit outside and only fighting a few at the time? We would probably take the entire day but we would get something from it.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Said Leona not realizing what she called upon herself.

“WHY AM I ALONE IN HERE WITH THIS UGLY THING?!?!” Leona screamed. She and a single rat were both shivering in opposite corners of their ice prison. both not willing to make the first attack.

Glacia sat on a wall three meters above the ground. “You agreed to training like this. You need to be able to at least kill a single rat alone.”

“How? How would I do that? Would the rat not run away from me?”

“You know the mana inside of yourself. Use it by circulating it throughout your body. Guide it to strengthen your muscles.”

“I can’t. I just fail it. Can you not help me with that?”

“If I do, I might kill you. It is like blood, you need to have a certain amount to keep on living and if you reduce or change it too much you will pass out or maybe die. If I manipulate it might take on my properties instead of keeping yours.”

“That is no good. Any other tips for killing this rat?”

“Step one, stop shivering in that corner. It is not cold, you are scared. Work over your fear. You can not support us if you are suddenly unable to battle when we need you.”

The two boys were in an arena with six rats. Vulcania sat on an ice wall three meters above the ground.

“Keep your balance, As you see they dodge your attacks and if you stumble it will make you an easier target.”

Vulcania threw all the advice she knew at them. Given it was not a lot as she was more of a ranged mage than a melee fighter. She had asked for some melee training from various kitsunes over the years but not a lot had stuck.

The boys slowly got better at not over extending their swings.

When they finally got their six kills. Did Vulcania and Glacia use some illusions to not show them swapping places and made it look like Vulcania let in eight more rats while in reality Glacia did that.

Glacia and Vulcania swapped back and Vulcania said, “Now I will give you some strengthening. Your job is to still not over extend yourselves even though your strength is completely off."

Slowly the day continued. The boys continued their training with constantly different strengthening levels, slowly getting a bit more used to ever changing strength and balance. Leona slowly got used to her dagger and made some progress in getting in control of her own fear and her own mana. Even if she could not sense it.

After having killed 67 rats in total did Glacia bring the ice arena’s down. She said, “Alright, now only the five evolved rats are left, two have become close with earth mana, two with stealth and one with speed. Now a hunt in the barn, all five rats against the 3 of you. Just your normal party composition. Good luck.”

Vulcania added cheerfully, “we will be next to you if you need it.”

Kiyoshi asked, “Are the two of you sadists or so? This qualified as torture.”

Leona blushed hard remembering what Vulcania teased her with this morning.

CosmicDragon

It is happening, the first quest. I hope all enjoy it.