The Quantum Wanderer

I pick Rajesh’s Comm Gem, and it gets alive under my touch. I didn’t even will mana into it.

“Good afternoon, friend! How are you? We have been worried sick about you!”

“Hi Rajesh. We are well, very well. I didn’t know that I hadn’t told you about our trip.”

“Friend, where did you manage to go? I have never seen a Comm Gem without feedback before. Are you sure you’re alright? Is there anything we can help with?”

“Don’t worry, everything is alright. Yes, we have been… out of reach for some days. So, I am planning another barbecue, this time somewhere else. Probably next week, I am still going to check the details. What days are you free?”

“For you, friend, any day! Can I let pope Sidhu know about this? Are you going to invite him as well?”

“Yes, of course. And the families as well.”

“Thank you, my friend. By the way… You do know about the recent events, right? Statues shining… Earth tremors… Stuff like that.”

I laugh.

“Yes, I am aware. It is going to be easier to explain it to you guys at the same time. I am going to get things organized, and then I will call you back with the time. We are going to do the same as previously, I am going to open a portal for you.”

“Thank you, friend.”

I finish the call, I put the Comm Gem in the bag of holding. I am thinking about the new barbecue, it should be fun. I enjoy those. And with Tammy and the kitsunes helping, it is going to be even easier to set up. Specially in a place where a desired structure can just come to life.

Then I remember that Tammy hasn’t been introduced properly to the household. I ring a bell, and Rudolph promptly appears.

“Lord called?”

“Hi Rudolph. I haven’t introduced Tammy to the everyone yet. Could call everyone, so that we can introduce her?”

“Of course, my lord. Families as well? Or just the house workers?”

“Just the house workers will do.”

“Of course, my lord.”

Tammy has her hands behind her back, leaning forward, looking at Rudolph while he goes to the kitchen. She turns to me and covers her mouth with her hand. She lets out a small fox laugh.

“That is just so inefficient, master! Why not use us?”

“Efficiency is not everything, Tammy. Sometimes we have to take the longer road so that we can admire the sight. As of right now, they are my people here. They are going to help you in any way they can. But I don’t need to tell you that they are precious to me, right?”

“No, master. I understand.”

Again I stand on the second step of the stairs. This time, with Tammy to my right. The girls stand behind me. The group is gathering in front of us. It is not fast, but it doesn’t take that long either.

The last couple of people finally arrive, the two guards that keep the front gates. I clear my throat.

“Good afternoon, everyone, this is going to be quick. We have a new person in the house, I want to introduce her to you. It’s no big deal.” I look to my right. “Tammy…?”

Her demeanor, all of a sudden, changes. Her posture, somehow, assumes a more of a regal air than Opal’s. She talks softly, but there is a frequency, underneath it, the denotes authority, that comes from a hidden throne.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am Tamamo no Mae, queen of my race. As you are well aware by now, this is the house that kings and queens visit to kneel.” She kneels quickly, towards me and the girls.

Then she turns back to the workers. She relaxes her posture, getting back in the playful Tammy from before.

“So we are, in a way, equals here. I hope I can count on your help to make my master’s life as good as possible!” She says, with a finger against her cheek. That provokes some laughter, and makes the workers relax.

“Now, I understand that I am unusual in these lands, so I will be answering questions.”

Her tails wag a couple of times, and that relax the workers even more. But even though people are a lot more relaxed, they still don’t make questions. I clear my throat.

“Alright, guys, thank you. This is all. No big announcement, just one more person living with us.”

The group dissolves. The guards use the opportunity to try to get something from the kitchen before returning to their posts.

I turn to the girls.

“Girls, can we go into the living room a bit?”

They all nod, we get there. Once we sit, I ask them.

“So, when do you want to do the barbecue?”

“Are we not going to go back to school?” Cecilia asks.

I nod at the idea.

“Yes. I will have to talk to Edward about how to accommodate Tammy.”

“She could go to Magic School with me.” Cecilia says.

“What school does master go to?” Tammy asks.

“He also goes to Magic School, but he decided to enter one year later than I did. He is my junior.” Cecilia says, with a smile.

“What about you?” Tammy asks the dragonesses.

“We go to the knight school.”

A couple of breaths go by, when Tammy asks us, shaking her hands vigorously.

“I don’t understand. Why?”

“There are kinds of knowledges that I learned there that I didn’t know before. The same goes with the girls. They learned fighting techniques, fighting strategies that they didn’t use before. Cecilia learned magic. We all learned.”

“Besides, it is fun!” Ruby answers.

Opal rolls her eyes at the statement. I giggle.

“Having nothing to do gets boring very fast. We are always having new things happening to us there. It is fun.”

“Ok. Sold.” Tammy answers.

“Alright. So, what day for the week should we do the barbecue?”

“The obvious choice is Saturday morning.”

“And today is…”

“Today is Monday. We should have gone to school already.”

“Since everyone knows that we were missing, and really missing, because not even the Comm Gems worked, we should probably do it earlier than later. How about this Saturday?”

The girls nod.

I look outside the window. It is already getting close to sunset.

“I think we have to clean up already. Dinner at Edward’s is going to be soon.” I mention.

We go upstairs, and proceed to my room. We start stripping, when Tammy tilts her head.

“Do you guys clean up every day?”

“Pretty much.” Cecilia answers.

“Our lord enjoys it, for some reason.” Shandon says.

“I like to smell good.” I say. “And I never forced you girls to do anything. Of course, if only one of you wants to bathe with me, I would give her undivided attention…” I answer, smiling.

“Is he always that unfair?” Tammy whispers to Cecilia.

“Yes…” Ruby answers, taking her panties off, while I am already under the showers.

The shower is a normal one, we don’t get to play too much. We dress some casual street clothes and walk out the manor, through the front door.

Tammy looks at the tree, loaded with crows, and tilts her head. She shrugs and keep following us. We cross the street. The guards in Edward’s gate have already been told about us. We are led through the gardens.

At the door of the manor, a butler receives us and takes us to a living room. Edward and his family are already there.

“Good evening, friend.”

We shake hands, while Addrianna goes straight to talk to the girls. Muninn and Huginn leave my shoulders, and go to the top of the bookcase. Sophia approaches them. She does a courtesy. Rebirth is on her shoulder.

“Good evening, your majesties.”

Caius stays with me and Edward. I extend my hand to him. He shakes.

“Good evening, sir.”

“Good evening.”

Edward seems to be in a good mood.

“So, tell me, friend, what happened? This is the first time ever I hear of Comm Gems not working. And I have seen them crossing minds, mountains, distances… Where were you? If you can tell, that is.”

“FLUFFY!” I hear a child’s voice from behind me. Sofia is half hidden inside the ball of tails from Tammy, grabbing at some of them.

Tammy turns around, holding her own tails, trying to escape.

“Wow!”

“SOPHIA!” Addrianna shouts. She then grabs Tammy’s arm and looks at her. “I am sorry. You know how kids are.”

The very next instant, Opal had Tammy’s tails in her arms, offering them to Sophia. Muninn and Huginn landed on each of her shoulders.

“No, it’s ok, hatchling. Go ahead.” Opal offers the tails to Sophia.

“Right, lady Tammy?” Huginn asks, her four eyes shining gold. Muninn had his four eyes as well.

Tammy swallows hard while staring at Huginn. She turns her head, and looks at Muninn, and then lowers her head, in defeat.

“Of course… Have fun!”

“YEY!”

Sophia keeps playing with the tails. She takes her hair ribbon and places it in one of them, very carefully.

Tammy throws me a look, asking for help. Well, not against them. I smile at her, and move my lips with the words “thank you” in the souths language. That apparently lifts up her spirit just a bit.

Addrianna holds the bridge of her nose.

“You guys are spoiling her rotten. She became the center of attention in her last ball.”

“What happened?” Cecilia asks.

“Marquise De Santis asked her who she was going to marry. Her answer was, and I quote, ‘Marry? I am going to accompany Wrax. I am going to mate with mister Piotr Dragon, and become the dragon knight! Then we will distribute justice in the country!’”

Edward starts laughing. Addrianna clears her throad.

“And this is what he has been doing about it since then. Do you have any idea on how big a scandal this was?”

Muninn, still on Tammy’s shoulder looks at Sophia.

“Well done, kiddo!” And then bursts out laughing, while he goes back to the top of the bookcase, with Huginn.

Addrianna clears her throat.

“Then I brought her to a corner, and asked her if she knew what mating was. She said it’s what I and her father have, but with dragon.”

The dragonesses fail to understand what is wrong. Muninn, Cecilia, Edward and I are busting our butts off. Tammy looks at the kid playing with her tails with the side of her eyes, and smiles. Addrianna continues.

“I swear to you, this kid is going to give me a heart attack.”

Everyone is still recovering when the butler appears by the door. He bows down to Edward and Addrianna.

“My lords, dinner is served!”

Addrianna turns to us.

“Shall we go, then?”

We move to the table. The dinner is a very elaborate Fenrir steak. It is good. Not as good as kraken, but still good.

Ruby sighs when she swallows the first bite. I don’t know if it was by coincidence or not, but Tammy starts speaking with Addrianna at the same time.

“Pray tell, do you know master for a long time?”

She laughs, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Not really. But we ended up a very close group. Ladies Lucille, Cecilia, Opal, Shandon, Aquamarine, Ruby, Huginn… There are also lady Aisha and Lady Dalvina… I feel like I am in a sorority when I am with them. Like I don’t have to pretend something that I am not.”

Tammy is nodding. Addrianna continues.

“By the way, we have all been worried about you.” She says, towards the girls in general, but focusing a lot on Cecilia. “Your mother told me that you were on trip to rescue lady Hikari and her son… How did it go?”

“Lady Hikari and my grandnephew are safe and sound, thank you!”

Addrianna looks at Tammy’s face. Then at her tails, one of them with a blue pony tail’s lace on it. Back at her face. Then her eyes bulge.

“Really? Really really?”

“Yes.” She lets out her typical fox laughter. “I heard she mentioned my brother to you. I am Kage’s sister.”

Addrianna stops eating, and tilts her head. I smile and pick the conversation up.

“The story is a little bit long, so I am setting up a barbecue and inviting the whole group again. It is easier to tell the whole thing just once…” I extend a smile.

“Did you hear that, Caius? Another barbecue. Beach. Manly steaks.”

“Yes, father.” Caius sighs, a little bit embarrassed by his father. Edward ignores it.

“May I invite Anthon as well?”

“Of course. I really meant the whole group. His family is invited as well.”

“I will, I will! When is it going to take place?”

“Today is Monday night already, I was thinking of doing it on Saturday. A day off in the schools… Oh, talking about schools… Let me know if this is not troublesome, but I was wondering if we could enroll Tammy as well.”

Somehow Edward’s answer is a laughter, not a yes or no. He turns to her.

“So, Lady Tammy, what school are you going to attend?”

She holds her hand, touching her lips with her index finger.

“I don’t know… What are the options?”

“Well, we have the Knight School, the Magic School and the Command School.”

“Humm… What is taught in each of them?”

“The name is a very strong starting point.

“In the Knight School, we teach individual fighting, including aura, and small groups strategies.

“In the Magic School, we teach magic and alchemy. Both theory and practice.

“In the Command School we teach large groups strategies, and additional supporting skills, such as providing lines, army transportation and the sort.”

“The last seems fun! Can I enroll on that one?”

A sudden heavy silence falls on the table. I can almost be cut with a knife. Tammy is looking at everyone, frantic. She looks like a kid that committed a very serious crime and is trying to understand it.

I smile at her. The whole thing happened some time ago. So much happened since… I think it just wasn’t mean to be.

Tammy looks at me with almost despair. I smile at her. And Tammy is not her.

“It’s ok. If you think that that one is going to be the best one, you can enroll there. At least as far as I am concerned.” I turn to Edward. “Edward, can she go there?”

Edward keeps staring at my face instead of answering. I nod slightly to reinforce my point. He turns to her.

“Absolutely! Specially with an indication from ‘professor’ Marcelo!” And laughed.

Cecilia, Muninn, Huginn laughed as well. Addrianna hid her mouth, and laughed behind her hand. Tammy looks around. Her tails start wagging. Sophia is hypnotized by them, while chewing very slowly.

“Wait! Now you have to tell me!” Tammy says, to everyone.

Edward clears his throat after having laughed enough.

“So, here is the thing… Our friend Marcelo here, besides being strong, has some deep number philosophy knowledge. In the Command School, before he was attending Magic School, during a visit, I was showing him the school.

“Professor Ambrose was teaching his number philosophy class. We interrupted it for a little bit. You have no idea how this pisses professor Ambrose off.

“Anyway, he answered one of the ancients, or something. I do know some math, but not to that level. He says that they are ancient math problems. Wait, I think he calls them unsolvable. I don’t really remember this detail.

“So our friend Marcelo here took the coal to the pumice board, and showed the solution. Just. Like. That.

“I heard that there was a lot of shouting around. Professor Ambrose left the classroom, looking to show that to other professors.

“Some of our professors don’t have earth magic to clean the pumice boards after the classes. So we have some earth mages, nothing too extravagant, that go from class to class to clear out the board. Some of the scholarship Magic School students do that for an additional coin to take a lady for a meal.”

Tammy starts laughing.

“Oh, no!” She says.

“Oh yes! The young mage cleared up the board, so when Ambrose arrived with other professors and their assistants to both copy and analyze the math, board was clear. Completely white. Everything gone.”

Edward gets back to laughing for a little bit. Tammy, with her tails wagging, lean a little bit forward.

“Wasn’t this professor angry?”

“Angry? He tried to kill the earth mage. They apparently needed 2 professors and 3 assistants to hold him. He wanted blood…”

I remember that story. It was funny. Edward continues.

“To this day professor Ambrose asks me now and again when I am going to hire professor Marcelo.”

We all laugh at the story. Edward is slapping the table. That reminds me of my bachelor party.

Tammy turns and stares at me, tilting her head. I can almost see the engines in her head turning. I just smile back and blink my right eye. She makes a fake frustrated face.

Once we finish laughing, Addrianna takes a sip of her wine. She looks at Cecilia.

“Lady Cecilia, can I ask a stray question? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. Of course, that applies to all questions, but…”

“Go ahead.”

“Didn’t lady Lucille and lord Charles want to come?”

“Oh!” Cecilia says.

I laugh. Tammy is the one that answers.

“I think that we were all so caught up with the end of the journey… I think we all just didn’t realize. But they are definitely going to be in the barbecue!”

We give a little interval in the conversation, to eat a little bit. Edward looks at the wine, making a sad face.

“You spoiled me, lord Marcelo. Now my wine doesn’t taste the same.” And he giggles.

Tammy again is curious.

“How so?”

Edward looks at Tammy, tilting his head.

“Haven’t you heard the stories around lord Marcelo yet?”

“Just a little.” She answers, her tails wagging.

“Oh, you are in for days of fun with Sidhu.”

“Who is Sidhu?”

“Sidhu is your… Wait. What are you to lord Marcelo exactly?”

Tammy smiles. Cecilia is the one to answer.

“She is currently a fiancée.”

“Oh! Really? A fiancée?”

Tammy’s tails are creating a wind in the room. She nods happily. Edward clears his throat.

“Well, Sidhu is your fiancée’s pope. Your fiancée’s church pope, to be very precise.”

“He is going to come with Rajesh.” I complement.

Edward starts laughing.

“Didn’t she read the Gospel of the Great Adventurer yet?”

Muninn is laughing his but off. I sigh.

“Please, that thing is embarrassing.”

“Why, master?”

I sigh again.

“It is supposed to have some of my stories in there. But they are told by Sidhu, and he tends to exaggerate on them. By a lot. How would you feel if someone did that with your life?”

Tammy looks up.

“I don’t know. I mean, they did. You should see some paintings of mine that the little temple in the mountain used to hold! Good thing they are gone…”

“No, they are not.” Cecilia answers.

Tammy looks at Cecilia, tilting her head. Aquamarine is the one that answers.

“We got everything from the temple. Texts, paintings. I mean, we didn’t get from the temple itself, but yes.”

 “Is there any emotional value in it for you?” I ask. “You can probably have them.”

She tilts her head and thinks. Then she straights up before answering.

“No, master. I am more focused on the future right now.”

“As you wish.”

We eat and drink some more, when Edward clears his throat.

“Can I ask you something, that I am really curious about?”

“Sure.”

“What was that made your statue shine? I mean, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want, but I heard that statues of yours all over the continent shone gold. People are even saying that the earth tremor that happened around two hours later was you too.”

I stare back at Edward with a blank face for some moments. His expression changed from ‘I am waiting for a reply’ to a ‘oh shit’, but he didn’t press it. I just smiled.

“Let’s talk about that in the barbecue. We are going to have more time.”

“Of course, of course. Did you already invite everyone?”

“Not yet.” I answer.

“Is mister Piotr dragon coming, uncle?”

I laugh.

“Yes. I mean, I am going to invite him.” I answer.

“He will be there.” Opal says, matter of fact. I now pity Piotr a little bit.