Fuyuko was in awe as she watched the spectacle unfold via the giant illusion cast in the arena. She had realized that she was traveling with someone immensely powerful, and Mordecai's shape-shifting indicated a hint of his avatar's strength, but she hadn't grasped how far the gap was between her and Mordecai, and the idea that Gil might currently be as far above Mordecai as the avatar was above Fuyuko was overwhelming.

  The parison was; Fuyuko retty sure that aire army of street rats like her couldn't give Mordecai the challehat he and his dungeon had given Gil, but that was the best estimate she could make. Ahese were the people who'd chosen to help her out, Gil esc her here and Mordecai being one of the ones willing to take her in. “It's incredible,” she whispered as more magic fred around Mordecai. He was using another duplig image spell, but this time the images exploded when Gil's attacks destroyed them.

  “Isn't he though,” sighed a voiext to her. Fuyuko gnced over at the blue-haired womao her to find her leaning forward over the railing, her eyes locked onto Gil's form. Betty fused her. Okay, a lot of of eople did regarding 'romance' and stuff fused her, but Betty seemed even more extreme. She'd had her body radically ged for the ce at a passing dalliah a man who was not going to be around for long.

  Also, “Er, shouldn't ya be cheerin' fer Mordecai and yer friends here? Not the guy beatin' them up?”

  Betty shrugged slightly, “If it were a matter of an actual threat, I'd be doing my best to ehe dungeon won, and if it came down to it for some reason, well,” she paused, her gaze distant, “The decision wouldn't be hard, but the memory would be. I'll defend this home against anyone, for any reason, and in any way necessary.”

  In the arena below them, Gil shattered a pilr of ice that had tried to form around him.

  “But this is a friend, and I think it will do Master Mordecai good to push himself like this. The st time we had challengers who were to for the dungeon alo would not have been appropriate for him to joitle. And right now I do not care so much about who actually wins so much as enjoying the spectacle.”

  River drakes ahered serpents had joihe battle as well, darting in and out e every time there looked to be an opening, and throwing lightning or poison attacks when there wasn't one. Most of the openings were mere illusions, costing the attacker more scales and flesh. How did a man that rge move so fast?

  “I guess,” Fuyuko replied, though she wasirely certain she uood.

  “Hmm,” tawny eyes studied the luponi girl as Fuyuko shifted her weight, “I think I o work on how to uand people from the outside better. I do not remember my time as a true rabbit very well, but still, I was an adult before Mistress Kazue was born here and already had several litters, though I could not tell you how many or who here might have been them. But I am fairly certain I had my first by the time I was a year old. How your kind survives being children for so long fuses me. Though, I guess that is 'my kind' too now, I've been told that this form would have a life span much like a kitsune's if I wasn't dungeon-born.”

  She turned back to tig the battle. “A you are still a kit, ued in adult games. Well, perhaps it is for the best, a rabbit's life is much simpler, though I would not call it easy, and we do not have to worry about learning sutricacies. The blessings of our dungeon give us muowledge that would not e so quickly and easily to those born outside. But at least you are not forever caught at the cusp.”

  Fuyuko gnced over to where Li Zarb was sitting with Carmil and Udup. The faerie witch had shifted to a smaller form to enable her familiar to grow, making them both about the same size as Li, and she had ihe ratling to join them for some tea and snacks. Li had been too lured by the food to find an excuse to leave, but beihe pretty woman clearly made him nervous aaken a seat that put Udup between him and Carmil. The witch was amused by this and often teased Li, calling him cute and adorable.

  She wasn't sure how she felt about her god being teased like that. Part of her felt like it should be bsphemous, but everything she'd been taught also told her that he should be mostly treated 'normally', and what she'd seen so far bore that out.

  Bah, it was all so plicated. Fuyuko decided to ig and turned her attention back to the fight. Glimmering barriers of light and shadow had formed around Mordecai, w to intercept Gil's attacks. They couldn't stop every strike of the bdes, but every bit of help was useful.

  Gil was not ing out of this exge unscathed, his clothing and skin were scorched, seared, scoured, corroded, cut, ripped, battered, and more. But nothing seemed to pee deeply enough to be truly hazardous to the giant man, and there was a wild grin pstered on his face. It was clear to her that he was having the time of his life. It was no wohat he'd not used ons when sparring with her, Fuyuko's little bdes were no threat to him and it made it easier for him to not hurt her by act.

  A powerful stomp bsted a wave of mud ah outward, pushing away the test wave of attackers, only to have Mordecai's form flicker past the wave and unch twin nces of id fire at Gil. She shook her head at the exge, it was incredible to think that she was now living amongst such mighty people.

  It was enough to have her residering the idea of joining them, what use could she possibly be here? Mordecai had dragons w for him, however small some of them might be. Yet, those same doubts held a thread of hope, the idea that anything ossible and that maybe, just maybe, she might someday be able to stand on the same battlefield as people like Gil. It sent a faint thrill through her and made her palms itch. She'd not sidered before whether or not her training could be fun, it was just something that obviously o be done. Fighting was a matter of survival. Now there was a hint of eagerness i the idea of pushing herself harder and she wao find out what she could really do.

  “Oho, now there's a nice fire in your eyes.” Betty's ent broke into Fuyuko's thoughts, and she turned in surprise to find the woman watg her again, “Hold onto that heat when you spar with Mordecai, and he will be quite happy I think.”

  “Er, thank you,” Fuyuko murmured, not sure what else to say.

  “Oh great, another one,” said an amused voice. Kazue had created an illusion ptform hem, and her image flickered to life briefly. “Betty, that means you get to work with her too. Am I the only one around here who isn't ied with the o fight? Speaking of,” The image flickered out as the core's attention shifted back to the battle, and a new wall of earth rose to bloe of Gil's attacks against the archers.

  Fuyuko couldn't suppress a giggle, ay wi her. Kazue might not find quite the thrill others did in the fight, but it was clear that some part of her ehe challe least. But Fuyuko got the feeling that the kitsune would be just as happy with any other sort of challenge of equal difficulty, so it was admittedly not quite the same thing.

  Whetle was over, Fuyuko joihe others in heading to the main hall. She was really gd she'd asked for Kazue's help early, her normal clothes would have felt out of pot that everyone was dressed up, Li was simply himself, but there was a generally celebratory air that lent itself to dressing up. She hadn't had many opportuo do that for the past six years, but she did have faint memories of family holidays when she was younger.

  The initial spread was lightweight snacks to give people something to eat while waiting for the batants to up and joihere wasn't enough room for all the people who'd been involved itle of course, and room had to be made for the delvers who had cleared Kazue's path earlier, so the floor bosses were the only ones joining in the feast hall, and the long room had an area set aside to be fortable for those who couldn't sit at tables.

  Mordecai was one of the first to show up, his natural regeion speeding up his recovery, and he proceeded to introduce her to the others as they arrived. The st to get to the party was the mai, as Gil had to get ready without the aid of dungeon magic.

  His outfit was something out of an old storybook; he wore a one-shoulder, sleeveless blue tunic that fell almost to his knees and had a wide trim of red and gold embroidery, with a red sash for a belt, and he had what looked to her like a hybrid of boots and strapped sandals. Heavy gold bracers with a lion motif adorned his forearms, while a golden circlet inid with turquoise sat upon his head, and a cord of braided bd gold silk around his neck carried a der seal made of a bright greeohe der seal was the only thing that didn't look brand new.

  “Fuyuko!” he bellowed upon seeing her, “You've been ed up for their party too I see. It looks good on you kid,” he said with a grin. “So, have you been having fun? Did you see me this guy here?”

  Mordecai gave Gil a sardonic look, and Fuyuko chuckled, “Yeah, ya looked like ya were havin' fun. I only got through the third floor myself before I was too wiped, but I got these as a prize from the rabbit theater.”

  “Rabbit theater? I remember hearing someoalk about that ba Riverbridge, I am going to have to check that…” Gil's words trailed off as something behind Fuyuko caught his attention, and she turned in time to see Betty finish rising from her seat, a suspiciously well-pced shaft of light helping to show off the trast of her blue hair and bright gold dress against her dark skin. Mordecai tugged on Fuyuko's sleeve, and she let herself be guided a few steps away.

  “Hello again Gil,” the tall rabbit woman said softly, “I greatly enjoyed watg yht with Master Mordecai, I just wish I had been able to provide as great a challenge for you when you and Li visited Umbrowl and me.”

  “Ah, Betty? You look, um, different, but it's a good look!” This was the first time Fuyuko had seen Gil look so uain, and she had to admit it was eaining. “I didn't know you had shape-ging skills too.”

  “Mmm, I'm gd you like my outfit,” she replied as she slowly walked forward, a mischievous smile on her lips, “I like yours as well, it suits such a mighty warrior as yourself. And when you sparred with me, I did not yet have this ability. Master Mordecai helped me upon my request.” She said softly as she id a hand upon his bare arm, “I wao be able to greet you tonight in this form.”

  “I see,” Gil said, gng at Mordecai, who made a shooing motion before leading Fuyuko toward where Bellona and Xarlug were seated. The st she heard from behind her was Gil asking, “Well, would you be kind enough to join me for this feast? I would like to know you better.”

  Mordecai leaned over to whisper to her, “I made sure to ent the circlet to aid its wearer in reading social cues.”

  Well, that certainly seemed like the sort of thing Gil could use.

  Zagaroth