The Goddess' Champion

The planning and shattering didn't last long it was decided that their first step would be to use Nia's help to take a branch from the tree they needed before heading back to the Town of Loup where she would settle with them for the next few months.

The three lay down as if considering their own agendas but something troubling was moving back and forth in Zamira's mind, something that she didn't know if she should say or not.

"I believe that's a good plan, master... could I be completely honest with you?"

"Go on." He uttered with lifted eyebrows.

"I have been feeling... weird recently." She began, making some emphasis on her abdomen or stomach.

"What do you mean?" He asked while Nia's long ear shook a little, clearly eavesdropping.

"It's like I want to puke sometimes, could I be pregnant?" Zamira's voice sounded aggrieved when she said that, even if her eyes were shining slightly as well in... interest.

!!!

He felt an urge to spit blood when she said those words, "How will you be pregnant?! don't talk nonsense." they had been close several times but never went all the way, how will she be pregnant?

"But master, we have slept together several times now... isn't that enough to get pregnant?"

"..."

It wasn't only Constantine even Nia -the young lady, threw Zamira a look that said it all without words 'are you stupid?'.

She felt the urge to impart Zamira with her wisdom.

"Tch! You know nothing... it is only when you grab a male's hand for a long time that you get bred, that's common sense."

"..." A drop of blood was rolling down his lips.

[... is that how it is now?]

'YOU TOO!?'

[Uh? what? of course I know how to make little foals... I'm just joking.] Zebellia said with utter confidence at the beginning, but those last words were said with a stutter.

'...' For some reason; maybe the lack of confidence or EVERYTHING about her inner self and behaviour... he didn't believe her.

Constantine didn't know what to think, he rubbed his forehead in exasperation... if this is not putting a wolf in the middle of sheep, then he doesn't know what it is.

'Is this a part of the trial? am I supposed to stay loyal even when placed with all these clearly ignorant gullible girls? are my wives spying on me from somewhere? Is Aurelianne a spy? Will I wake up one day and find my prick missing? I don't get it! I'm supposed to have bad luck, how does this translate to bad luck?!'

"Who taught you- ugh forget it... no Zamira you're not pregnant... It doesn't work like that." Explaining these two how anatomy works, was not worth it.

"See? as long as you don't hold his hand for too long, there is no problem." Nia puffed out her chest as if she was some sort of smartass.

'Please don't say any more...'

"Is that everything you wanted to say?" He repressed his sigh but still conveniently avoided explaining to Nia how babies are made, truly a shrewd bastard.

"No, if I'm not pregnant then... I don't know what it is, but something odd is happening with my body, my abdomen, my muscles even my eyes." Zamira continued, a little dejected for some reason.

"Since when?"

"Since I met you."

"Aren't you just enamoured?" The fox girl deadpanned.

"Y-Yes but it is not that... I just feel my senses are a little too sharp, it is uncomfortable sometimes. As if I can see things that are farther away than they look and the darkness is no longer as... dark."

"You're an odd one... but those are the symptoms of a werebeast that's awakening past the humanoid phase... if you're really a weretiger I should be able to tell, don't worry, count with me, Zamira." Nia reassured the purple-haired girl. If there was such a thing as her transforming into something she didn't know, at least there would be someone to support as Constantine didn't know anything about werebeasts.

"I'll be in your care, Nia."

"We can't move from this place yet, one day from the last sight of a hunting group, hopefully, they didn't go Andre's way, even if they did they won't stop to get some humans if they're hunting for someone."

**

**

Half an hour later the group continued onwards, needless to say, the first thing that Nia sought was a lake to clean herself from the disgusting stench of the flower, the forest was peaceful and the teams hunting her seemed to have dispersed already.

"That particular tree that you're lucking for, it is called Tree of Certainty, an odd mutation of trees that is usually in the middle of a lake and we take its branches for medication... it can be found in the north beneath some particular caves, there are stronger creatures in that area, are you sure you want to go?" Nia warned them.

"Don't underestimate me." That's all he said while Zamira too nodded while holding the handle of her big sword.

"Well, you're a hybrid elf after all..." Her gaze roamed him up and down.

"You got a problem with that?" He didn't like her analytical gaze.

"No... but I have been wanting to ask, which goddess do you worship?" Nia placed her finger on her lips and asked in wonder, coming to an abrupt stop and encircling him.

"Why does that matter to you?" He grits his teeth, 'this woman...', even if the fur is covering her important parts, she is still pretty much naked, and those curves are noteworthy.

"I told you I can see the spirits, elves usually worship either the Fallen God Lucius or the Fallen Goddess of Elves, Purina... in your case, it is none of them, I can see an aura of life in you that I can't recognise."

"You know that the God Lucius is dead..."

"My mother told me~ it is common knowledge in the Wolf Empire and the Elf Kingdom. Only humans would have enough Despair as to worship a dead god, but with the curse of Rotborn wrecking them apart, they can't be blamed..." She shrugged her shoulders with not a single wisp of mercy to the humans.

"Listen well, my Goddess is the one and only Goddess of Life, Aurelianne!" Constantine yelled with a lot of momentum and even raised his arm in a victory pose.

...

"Sorry, I can't recognise that name." Nia deadpanned.

"Then let me ask you this, this supposed goddess of the beasts that you say, have you actually seen her?!" It was time to challenge someone's faith!

"I have~" Nia smiled cutely.

"Eh...?"

"Our Goddess, Lady Samya is a beloved individual that represents the full moon and fertility amongst the beasts. As I told you, only me and my mother can contact her, she more than me... whenever she's sleeps my mother is serving Lady Samya." Nia summarized.

'Aurelianne told me there were no living gods...' He frowned, willing to talk this with her later, if she hadn't said this, why would he brazenly challenge everyone's faith left and right with the reputations that gods have in this place?!

[She probably meant that there are no ruling gods... as in a place like Sandoria it is impossible that there are no gods at all, this Samya might not necesarily rule this Empire with Iron Hand, she's just there and has worshippers. Ruling gods serve as Emperors to Realms while using their avatars, quite the laughable joke for us higher beings, it is like playing with ants.] Zebellia scoffed, one of the reasons she didn't respect this God Lucius at all.

"Now I ask you, this goddess Aurelianne, have you seen her?~" It was then Nia's time to answer back with a blow of her own, alas... Constantine was prepared.

"Of course!" It wasn't only him, even Zamira served as a witness.

!!!

"R-Really?! T-There shouldn't be any gods willing to descend to the Earth to prove themselves... who are you exactly?" Nia thought for the goddess to show herself, they couldn't be nobodies.

"I'm no one, in particular, she just happens to like the way I 'worship' her~" Now that he thought about it, it was about time for him to worship Aurelianne's brea-*cough* holy self.

"How do you do it? aren't you just lying to me?" Nia asked suspiciously.

"That's a secret, if you behave I might teach you and we can worship that Goddess of yours together." There was so much evil beneath that smirk.

"Really?~" Nia smiled innocently, unaware of what kind of bear trap she got herself in.

[You're the worst fiend around...]

Constantine ignored the horse that was spitting truths and instead coughed before asking something he considered important before all of this 'worshipping' even took place.

"Bye the way, how old are you, Nia?" Her appearance was already a barrier, he didn't know if he was going to do it with a sexy beauty, or an animal... if aside from that she happened to be a child, he wouldn't be able to move forward, let alone her comment about the lewd hand-holding let him know that she was maybe not that old either.

...

"I'm fifty-two this year~" Nia giggled.

"..." (Constantine)

"..." (Zamira)

'T-That's impossible...'