Chapter 384 – Meeting the Goddess of the Kitsunes

*** Fluvis ***

I hate fighting on the ground. And it's even worse now that I have kids back home that I'm missing.

"Fluvis."

"I know. I've been running around," I say. "We're doing well on keeping the forest quiet. Not having Alzi to heal will hurt us, but the front lines are closing in on us, so we'll gain a healer that way soon, Estrella."

"Yes, but it's our kids and husband behind us. We haven't had that before, and we don't normally have this large an army facing us. I know I shouldn't say this..."

"Then don't."

"The absent Goddess is the one we're counting on for making it through this."

"The Goddess of the Sea is promising that it will work out. We can trust her. We'll get a break soon and go around them, the idiots, with Countess Esmeralda."

"I'm sorry. We've failed Alzi before, and I'm getting freaked out that we're going to do it again."

"The stress is getting to us all, dear. Just one day at a time," I say. I hate how little I get to see of my kids. The only thing keeping me together is that Alzi is with them. Her having two bodies has saved us both. This mess is hurting her; you could see her lose focus when she's getting ready for bed. But the kids are keeping her together. "Come on, we have reports of movement to the east. Time to earn us another day."

*** Alzi ***

Yuki leads us down a path from the temple. Strangely, nobody is around on the path. Just our group moving along a paved path, with just the flowers and trees to keep us company.

The bath isn't far, like the High Priestess said. It takes just a few minutes to reach the plain stone building. An empty building.

Is Everyone off at war? Are they hiding from me?

"Where is everyone?" I ask.

"War, or home," Yuki says. "Or farming. The Queen probably doesn't want them to swarm you. Not until after the war, at least."

"Nice of her," I say.

"I suppose."

Just inside the bathhouse is a small changing area, but I just pull the robe and shoes into my tattoo and walk into the bath portion. It's a normal, large bath; the back wall has a small waterfall for background noise and to move the water. Simplistic, like it was at the brothel.

"Princess Alzi, would you like me to wash you?" Stacy asks. She was the only maid to come along with us. I thought of bringing Calli, but I didn't bring Shyla for her pregnancy, so I couldn't bring Calli along either. Stacy's just a pregnant spy who got turned into a slave.

"That would be nice," I say. The water is cool. Not as nice as hot water. Shimmer does have that hot spring over Yuki right now.

"Leaving your fucking Lady behind so fast," Victoria says. "Alzi, you'll have to fucking deal with me helping. I'm not waiting that fucking long to get my bath. I like my damn slave cleaning me too much these days."

"You'll have to deal with me helping you," I say. Walking into my hands... Silly girl.

"Think I fucking care if your hands are on me? Just no fucking."

"There's no one around. Now would be a good time," I tease. "But fine. No bending you over. Today."

"Damn, you make intimacy dangerous for one who just wants to rest."

It isn't the same as Mai or Shyla bathing me, but it cleans me of the blood and sweat. And it isn't uncomfortable. Stacy is a bit scared of me, but Victoria doesn't care about anything and works quickly and efficiently to clean me off."My Lady," Stacy whispers. "You need to be kinder to pregnant women. She isn't made for the field like you're used to."

"Shit, she's taking it fine. She's fucking pressing into my abs."

"She just likes muscles, my Lady."

"My slave is fucking talking back! Alzi, why did you give me this bitch? I'm doing fucking fine at cleaning Alzi. I'm not hurting the damn kids."

"You could be gentler," I say. "And I do love your body. Your tongue is a bit foul, but the rest of you is really nice."

"Glad you have good fucking eyes," Victoria says. "But your ears seem to be fucking struggling. My mouth isn't fucking foul."

"My Lady..."

"I don't fucking need to hear a damn thing about it, Stacy."

"Yes, my Lady."

"Maybe I should bend you over," I say. "You'll have to fix your tongue, then. Mommy will kill you if the kids start cursing."

"Then I'll hide under your fucking skirt."

"You'll get pregnant again."

"More kids will be fucking cursing, then."

"You see the problem, right?"

"Goddess damn it all. I don't even fucking think about it. Half the damn curses don't even fucking fit. I just fucking put them in there."

"Aurora could help you. But I think you're underestimating your ability to put the curse words in the right place."

"Shit, Stacy, you're going to fucking figure it out. I'm not going near that damn woman for a fucking lesson."

"You don't listen to me, my Lady."

"I can fucking learn."

"Good luck. Now, my wings are clean enough for magic to do the rest. I need to meet a Goddess tonight. I've been told too many times to check with her first, after all. So, time to see if I can stay my hands. We both have nasty habits to break."

"Yes, we fucking do."

...

Well, Victoria makes it another day of kind of being my wife and not getting pregnant. So far, the day isn't done yet. But it should last, and I doubt I'll be jumping into anyone's bed after meeting a Goddess. Maybe the Goddess's bed. It could be nice, I'm sure her tails are really pretty. Why would she let Nanoka have better tails than her? I have to be careful not to get lost in fluffing them. I don't need to look like Nakuma in front of a Goddess. Yes, that's a low bar, but it's one that must not be crossed.

The Kitsune Temple is near the royal palace, so it's easy to visit it before heading to our rooms. Perfect for looking respectful. Coming here, cleaning up, and then going directly to meet the Goddess of the realm before seeing the Queen or even going to sleep. Something I didn't really do with the Phoenixes.

I really do need this maid, as I'm sure she would've thought of that. It could've earned me a better deal with them if their Goddess liked me. Or she could have been like War and forced me into a worse deal.

Please don't be mean to me, Goddess of the Kitsunes. I don't want to be mean, I'm just tired of giving random women kids.

"You'll be fucking fine," Victoria says. "Worst case, I pick up your pregnant ass and head back to the Temple of Space. They'll figure some shit out."

"Thanks," I say. I push the door in, a normal-sized door, even, and see a simple room. It lacks the normal pews of all the other Goddesses, but it isn't just a living room like Hearth. On the ground are some mats, and a Priestess is even praying on one. Off to the side are some chairs that I'm hoping are for the pregnant. "Do I have to use a mat?"

"You can use a chair," the Priestess says. "We don't make the pregnant or elderly kneel."

"Thank you," I say.

"Thank you for gracing this temple with a visit. Yuki, come here. You should have a meeting as well. And it wouldn't hurt for Nakuma to join you in prayer."

"Yes, High Priestess," Yuki says, even bowing a bit before walking to join the Priestess.

Is someone in trouble?

Hopefully, Yuki doesn't piss off the Goddess for my meeting. I plop into a chair, do the usual thing, and wind up on a red bench couch thing. Quite fancy. I wonder if the Queen has one of these.

"That she does," the Kitsune Goddess says. "Copied from me, obviously. If you want a good example to copy, ask a Priestess. They'll be happy to give you some drawings. And then find someone who follows the Goddess of Woodworking. You have good relations with her, though you don't know it. Not that they are terribly difficult to create, but you should get a good one. Normal couches are boring."

"Oh, they work, but thank you. These could be turned into something that would work well for massages."

"That is a good idea. The marble tables never made sense to me, but they are what everyone uses. I look forward to someone finally thinking that silly problem through. Tradition is a bit too persistent down there."

Holy tails. Her tails have tails! Not really, but it feels like they do. Nanoka has an uncountable number, but this... Just a mass of beautiful fur. Each white tail has a painting scrawled into the fur. The only issue is that you can't see the full picture before the tail gets lost in the mass, and you have to pick a new one to watch.

"Yes, it is a problem for the women. They love to try to paint me, but they can never get the story my tail says right. I actually have two stories on my tails. One is a bit serious, but the one they always seem to paint is a bit smutty. It's funny watching them pray so seriously to a story about their Goddess having some fun. But please don't tell them. It would be sad if they didn't take their prayers so seriously."

"Don't they know?"

"A few have figured it out, and after a few meetings, we came to an agreement that they shouldn't share the meaning behind the stories. Do we need to come to an agreement?"

"Could I touch a tail?"

"You can touch as many as you wish if you won't say anything."

"That works."

"I knew I could trust you," Kitsune says. She stands up, and finally, I look over the rest of the Goddess. She has pointed furry ears, a standard perfect face, and a see-through robe as she walks over. Her tits bounce before she sits on the side of the bench and covers me in her mass of tails. "Power is the ruler of this realm. Yuki lacks it. Nakuma is just short. Geta has it, but can't use it. Victoria is the same as Nakuma. But you, you have power. Maybe enough to hold your own against the Queen, if you don't make it a true fight. You wouldn't lose that fight, but you wouldn't win it, either. The Goddesses back you. Only two truly fight you. They used to have many backing them. Mostly Justice, but they now see a path to follow their Mother and her Champion. They felt betrayed that Fertility didn't come to find them once she was free. That she wouldn't interact with the world. Justice lied to them. Nature felt like the only parent figure they would get. You've proven that to be false. You just wish for a maid during this visit. You have three options that the Queen will present to you. Getting me pregnant. Getting her or the next Queen pregnant, or her children pregnant. All for a silly maid. Throw that out and deal with the entire package, instead. Fighting against the stupid Goddesses and giving you the maid. She'll fold. No need to ask why. Power was the cause of this failure. Yuki lacked the power to fulfill her duty and protect her love. Don't let the Queen make you pay for that."

"Love?" I say in my little cloud.

"Yes. Yuki will explain it all. I promise. Tie her to the bed and get the full answer from her. She means it when she says love, but as you are familiar with, the royals can't express it correctly. It's a sad excuse, and you won't forgive her after she explains herself, but you'll have your full reason now. Not just the small truths she's given so far."

"Ok. Do you want a kid?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Talking about smut, you might as well not be wearing clothing, and then you've got me fluffing your tails."

"Hmm, never thought of that," Kitsune says, her tails tightening around my body. "But that does send a strange message."