Saki

  I smiled and felt the heat creeping higher as I spoke. “Tama, I really like him, and I don’t know how to tell him. I am not as infallible as you believe me to be. Lyran actually is very smart and knows a lot of things I don’t. Being smart isn’t only me.

  I will always be here for you, but you have to know I don’t always know everything.”

  Tama looked troubled. Like, genuinely troubled. It not only didn’t leave her face, it seemed to darken and she seemed to start shaking. Then, she vanished. I sighed at that and shook my head. It seems she couldn’t handle it.

  I hoped she wouldn’t go and do something rash with what I told her. But knowing Tama, this might come back to bite me. I slowly stood up and turned to leave the alleyway. Once again, while unintentional.

  Tama had once again helped me as well. I actually admitted it. I liked him, and the more I tried to hide it and change the topic. The worse these feelings would get. I needed to go and tell him… After I go get something to eat. Fries sounded really good.

  I made my way out of the alleyway and started back to the guild hall right as a body flew past me. At first I thought it was Tama, but noticed Tama standing by the guild hall looking enraged and I had a feeling she had just done something rash.

  I turned just as the figure in question hit the wall.. all the way down the road, through the water fountain, and dragging multiple people into it as they were hit by the flying body.

  I turned to Tama with disbelief. Tama’s normal response was violence, but she was normally not this bad in cities. Was it truly so bad I didn’t know everything that she would snap?!

  “Thank you Tama, Those hoodlums shouldn’t bother us again for a while. But next time, try not to wreck the town and the people while cleaning them up.” Matriarch Talia spoke as she stepped out of the guild hall holding two more in one hand casually.

  “Tama is very upset! Tama said in frustration as she turned to Matriarch Talia. She then did something unexpected even to me. She hugged the Matriarch and began to sob.

  The Matriarch was clearly taken aback by the sudden showing of affection from Tama, but gently patted her on the back.

  “Nya! Tama said indignantly. “Saki said she doesn’t know everything! She has to be lying!” She cried loudly at Matriarch Talia. I stared in disbelief. She was.. telling on me to the Matriarch?!

  Based on the look on Matriarch Talia’s face, she was having a hard time understanding what Tama was saying. I sighed heavily and walked up to them.

  What else was I going to do? This had to be solved and there was only one way. I did my best to calm down, it was clear Tama couldn’t take this right now.

  I forced a smile and as I approached, Tama instantly turned to look at me angrily. “Tell Tama the truth! You are lying and you know everything!”

  I wasn’t even going to try and explain that by the very nature of this whole incident, I was proving my point very clearly. Instead, I nodded and lied to Tama. “That’s right, you caught me Tama. I know everything and I was just testing you.”

  Sometimes, a dirty lie is better than the honest truth. Something I had learned growing up. But I had hoped to never need it for Tama.

  Instead of feeling better, Tama became more upset. “Saki is still lying!” She turned and blinked away before I could say anything. I didn’t know what to say. Matriarch Talia looked at me and shook her head before walking back inside the guild hall.

  It was then that something struck me. Was I lying? I certainly didn’t know everything. But maybe there was truth in Tama’s words. I had to remember that Tama didn’t consider all knowledge equal.

  Which would mean, when she considered me the smartest and knows everything. She may not have been talking about absolutely everything. But everything that was needed.

  Everything.. she needed it. But that in and of itself was problematic. Tama could not go through life expecting me to solve all her problems.

  She needed to learn and grow as a person. As her best friend, as I had done in Muosil. I would once again have to actually break through to my friend.

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  But to do that, we needed to be far away from civilization before she snapped and did something she would regret. To that end, I went to find Lyran again. It seems he had his first couple of test dummies. And the truth? We were very much dummies.

  Tama

  Saki was lying to me. I didn’t know why though. She must have a reason, but I didn’t understand. She definitely knew everything. She had too… I sighed as I looked down from the really big tower with magic stuff swirling around it. Saki had called it a Wizards Tower. Saki was always right. Right?

  But if she was always right, then why was she lying? Maybe she was lying because it was the right thing to do?

  I shook my head hard and dodged another silver bolt as the cranky man at the window below yelled at me for being on ‘his super advanced’ tower.

  I ignored him as I deflected another ball of fire. I considered Saki’s words. The truth was, Saki had not been lying the first time. But.. but that couldn’t be true. Saki knew everything. Saki was always right. Because if she wasn’t then…

  I jumped off the big tower and blinked a dozen times to the edge of the city and landed gently on the ground below me. Looking around at all the people as they stared and pointed at me. I overhead them speaking about me. “That’s our future Queen!” “oh my it's Princess Tamaneko!” “Mommy I wanna meet the Princess!”

  I winced involuntarily at that last one and looked around at all the people. They all looked at me like I looked at Saki. But I didn’t know anything. Anna’s voice permeated my mind, her words calm, serene. Yet she lied to. “Saki is right Tama, not everyone knows everything. We all need to learn and grow.” I was tempted to grab her and throw her off.

  But Saki made it clear I wasn’t supposed to be naked in public. It was bad, and as a Princess it was even worse she had said.

  Instead I ignored Anna as one of the children rushed up to me and held out his hand. I smiled and bent down to shake his hand. He jumped into my arms and I almost blinked away. Instead I caught him and held him. It felt so.. natural.

  “You are amazing Princess Tama! I wanna grow up to be as strong as you one day!” The little boy said as I put him down.

  Memories of Tristy falling from the tall building.. again and again and again. I forced a smile as I nodded and said quietly “Train hard and one day you will be super strong and fast like Tama’s Sensei!”

  The little boy looked at me confused. I just patted him on the head super carefully and blinked away. Thinking of Tristy had given me an idea!

  I blinked over to the training field and sidestepped a flying body. In the middle of the field, looking annoyed. Was a young Elven girl with platinum blonde hair.

  Her eyes were narrowed as she looked around at the grown men and women around her, too scared to get close.

  “Tristy!” I called out and blinked over to her. She reacted by punching in my direction. I deflected the attack and kneed her in the stomach hard. Hard enough that she grabbed her stomach and fell to the ground. She tried to get up, but I had aimed for her weak spot. I didn’t want to fight right now.

  “Tama want’s to talk to you about something important!” I said as she tried to get up. I let her and she, still wincing from the blow nodded.

  “Of course mistress Tama, I live to serve!” She said animatedly, despite the clear pain in her voice from the knee.

  I looked at her at the image of the little boy playing over her. I winced and looked away. “Tama wants to know if you think Tama did a good job training you?” My tail flattened along with my ears as I just asked it.

  “Of course Mistress Tama! I am so much stronger now! I can protect my mistress from anything! I only beg you to teach me more so I could be of more use!” She said excitedly.

  Somehow, her words did not make me feel better, if anything. They made me feel much worse. I looked back at her and asked “Saki is the smartest person ever.. right?”

  Tristy looked uncertain for a moment before responding. “If Mistress Tama believes Saki is the smartest, then she is!”

  That settled it, Tristy didn’t believe her own words. I could see it in the way she acted. Tristy did not actually believe Saki was the smartest. But..

  I turned and blinked away, going towards Grok’s camp. He would know!

  I made my way to the camp on the hill, ever since the trade deal Aunt Talia had made with Grok. The goblin tribe had setup camp here permanently.

  They had helped clean up the aftermath of the goblin bodies. That’s what Saki told me. It made sense. Saki also said the goblins had super advanced runes.

  But they were pretty simple from what I knew. But, Saki knew best. I appeared in front of Grok’s tent and entered. Grok was standing over a group of a dozen smaller goblins and flexing his muscles. I smirked at him. Grok saw me and instantly looked chagrined. He spoke up “Alright, iz timez to git back to workz!”

  Chapter 120: What She Needs