In Loki's Honor

I cursed. I was missing my backpack, blanket, and belt. It was left behind as I appeared with only my fur to cover my modesty. I was beyond cranky and had no patience to spare with the elves.

"System, give me a bottomless, timeless, sorting, system-listing of inventory, instantaneous, soulbound across multiple lives, and targetable item box storage perk!" I said in English to the puzzled elven assembly.

You purchased the Infinite Item Box (unique) perk. You can instantaneously store any object. There is no limit to the number of objects stored. A window listing the inventory can be browsed at any time. The storage space is persistent between reincarnations and time does not pass for stored items. You can store any unattended objects and make them appear at a distance up to Willpower meters away from you. The MP cost varies depending on the mass and bulk of the object stored.

"OH, FUCK THAT! It costs MP? Seriously?" I raged at the world, fists balled pointing up.

I groaned and let my arms fall at my sides. I was still sitting on the floor. I touched something soft and I looked down. My blanket, backpack, and belt teleported with me.

Deep in my soul, I felt the fairy waiting to be summoned. I just needed to call her. I had other business before that.

"Lily, you're back," archmagister Sariandi grinned. "And the Khertharién pendant is intact. Excellent!" She gushed and turned to address the assembly. "She completed the rite of Caradhrim. Lily has slain a creature above level eighty."

I wondered if I should tell her that I didn't. Or maybe do an essay on how fucked up it was to send a girl eight Earth years old (six in this world) to hunt something almost triple her level? I instead stared at the void as the windows for shopping [Monster Hunter] perks and Skills for my Class and Professions opened up in front of me.

You gained the Improved Extract Materials (uncommon) perk. Monster parts you harvest from monsters you killed have better properties and potency.

You gained the Extract Materials (uncommon) Skill. Improve the accuracy of monster part harvest and reduce the chance of hazards or damaging materials extracted.

You gained the Lair Mapping (very rare) Skill. When you are inside or within Mind meters from a monster lair, you have a general sense of the lair's layout and occupants. The quality of the information gained increases with Rank.

You gained the Process Monster Part (uncommon) Skill. Increase the yield of alchemical materials from monster parts.

Maybe there's something to help with my item box.

You purchased the Lower Item Box Cost (unique) Skill. Lowers the cost of item box activations by Rank x Willpower x 0.09% (current 0.99%).

You purchased the Multi-Item Box (unique) Skill. You can store or retrieve up to Rank +1 items simultaneously.

That sucked. Am I a joke to you, System?

I noticed Sariandi was asking me something. And the elven elders were sneering at the cat-girl sitting on their meeting room floor.

"What is it, archmagister?"

"We want to know what kind of creature you killed?"

"Goblins, hobgoblins, goblin shaman, giant squid, and a whole plethora of aquatic life," I replied with the cleanest face a were-jaguar ever made. "I got a whole lot of levels."

One elf elder groaned.

"We mean, what creature triggered the Khertharién pendant we lent you," She said putting some emphasis on the fact I was supposed to return the amethyst pendant to her.

I looked at the jewel and it wasn't stuck to my flesh anymore. I removed it from my neck and handed it to her. "Thank you for the handiest return tool," I growled. It came out completely wrong. "And I mean it. I'm just bloody tired."

"Do you need a healer?" She asked with genuine concern.

"No. I'm not wounded. Just very, very tired," I corrected the linguistic faux pas. "Can I go?"

She puckered her lips. "We need to know what creature triggered the return spell."

I wanted to puff my cheeks. I settled for wiggling my whiskers. "Let's not create a misunderstanding, okay? I didn't kill it. The System awarded me a bonus for achieving a peaceful resolution, along with more than a level's worth of Exp."

"Yes, but what creature was that?" She asked with more emphasis, concern for me, and worry about the answer.

"I didn't even harm it," I added. "We settled with a deal and parted peacefully. I even included that she wouldn't be allowed to harm me."

"So it was sentient?"

"Yes."

"What creature was that? Is it a danger to us?"

"No. I don't think she's a danger to you, although I forgot to ask her name. I doubt she would give it to me."

"What did the System call her in the Exp message?" Sariandi pressed.

I could see I burned whatever patience these elves had for me. "An elder lake fairy. As I said, we ended our conflict peacefully."

The grumpy elder stood up from his seat, "She lies!" He pointed a finger at me. I bared my fangs and growled.

"Elder Adorellan!" Sariandi pleaded slash scolded.

The elders started a racket, debating among themselves. I made a point of not listening to what they were saying. I tucked the bedroll in my pack, took the belt, and wrapped around my waist. After slinging the pack across my back, I stood up.

"Archmagister, I completed that rite of Circumcision, and I am battered. I'm going to sleep for a week, you know where to find me."

The prudish elves looked at me appalled. Sariandi raised a finger.

"Did you mean Caradhrim?"

I grinned. "Yes. That guy. Can I go before I make another faux pas?" I begged with the cross-world famous cartoon Antonio Bandera's eyes.

"Yes. You must be tired. You are dismissed," Sariandi said. I could smell her fear.

I rolled my eyes in a way only she could see and executed another famous cat move, exit stage left.

I climbed down the tree without using the rope bridges or the stairs. I didn't mind keeping my hand close to chest anymore. At the foot of the tree, I found two people I knew approaching. Renyn the poet was talking to Velora the Ranger. They flagged me as soon as they put their eyes on my black fur.

"Lily! We got wind you'd returned and ran to see you!" Velora greeted me with a huge smile. She actually disengaged from Renyn and ran to hug me.

"How are you doing?" Renyn asked with some reticence. "I'm thankful you returned well. To think the council wanted to banish you."

I roared. "What!?!" With all the interrobangs I could.

"Renyn Northwind!" Velora hissed.

"She has the right to know. What they did to you, the rite of Caradhrim, is a test for elves they want to banish but know there are political implications to doing so. They send them on a ridiculous quest to slay a monster level eighty or more with the contingency amulet of Khertharién so they can get smug when the supplicant shows up with a destroyed magic item. It is a ridiculous custom but you pulled it out nonetheless."

I growled. "Say that again?"

"Lily, please," Velora hugged me tighter. "You achieved what they set you up to do. There won't be a single elf in this forest or anywhere else that won't consider you one of the people now."

I licked her cheek. "Thank you, Velora. But I need to be alone now. I'm tired, exhausted, and what happened down there Isn't a story I want to share. Let me go before I do something we'll all regret."

To my surprise, the ranger licked my nose back. "Then go. You know how to find us. I'll make sure you have food delivered to your room. Welcome back, sister."

That made me freeze. I let out a pained yowl. Then I was off and away.

I had to get back to my room to rest. I ran over the clearing on all fours and entered my room. The elves didn't believe in locks - or they weren't invented yet - so I pushed the table to rest against the door. I removed the belt and pack before I shifted into human form and flopped on the bed.

I was angry. The elves basically sent me to fail down there. To get a reasonable excuse to banish me.

I rolled on the bed and blew the hair off of my face. Hair. Falling down on my face. That was new. I opened the nightstand drawer and took my silver mirror. My hair grew a lot. For how long did the fairy torture me? I needed to get my hair cut. At least the bangs. Couldn't have them getting in the way.

I sighed. I looked at the girl in the mirror. Me. That was me. One of the many me. I felt the fairy in my soul-heart stir. A warmth came from her. She wanted to come out.

I whispered, "Nenandil. Come out, my dear."

She came out of my chest. A pale blue glow, at the same time more muted, childish, and calming than her mother's. Her wings were still wet like a newborn butterfly, sticking to her back. She came out entirely, with her knees and head pressed against my skin. It felt warm and comforting. She lifted her head and sat on her ankles, the back straight. Her tiny eyes looked at me lovingly. She didn't move. While we stayed there, looking at each other, her wings dried up and unfolded. They were made of a transparent gossamer and looked like they would crumple and break at the slightest touch.

Her shape was that of a child. The proportions were those of a small girl, about my own age. A prepubescent chest and a lean body, just like me. Her face was more angular than mine and that made her look a bit more mature.

"Nenandil?" I asked.

"Yes?" She answered with the faintest of voices.

"Are you okay?"

"You're hurt. It hurts."

Without thinking, I sat up and scooped her in my hands. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"We're one. Hurt you, hurt me."

I brought her level with my face. "Better now?"

"Better," she whispered. "Name?"

I felt no need to hide anything from her. "In this life, I'm Lily."

"Lily," she played with the word a few times. "Lily!"

"Should I call you Nenandil or any other name? Do true names have power?" She nodded to both questions.

"Nenandil is fine. True name, hidden," She pointed at herself. "Lily is fine. True name, hidden," She pointed at me.

How did she know my true name wasn't Lily? I replayed our conversation and only then noticed we were talking in English.

"Can you speak all the languages I do?"

Her hands went to her heart then to her head, back to the heart and ending on the head as she said, "Heart, share. Mind, share. Life, share. Knowledge, share."

"Magic... share?" I tried, unsure.

She returned the hand to her chest. "Magic, yes." Then the hand went to my nose. "Magic, can't."

Oh, well there went my plan to use the fairy as an MP battery. I quickly discarded the thought. I couldn't do that to a creature so sublime.

"Can you use water magic?" She nodded. "Could you please conjure a small floating ball of water?"

With a giggle, Nenandil did as I asked. The "small ball" was a drop of water. Perfectly spherical and transparent.

"Does it tire you to summon that ball of water? How much water can you summon?"

She looked around and grinned. "Room too small."

We laughed.