Tama

  After blinking around desperately, I found Saki and Tera sitting in a tent on opposite beds. Saki looked livid. I paled as I turned to leave. "Where do you think you're going, Tama?" Saki's voice was cold and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

  "Nya, Tama was just on her way to find Jiggle! He has to be somewhere around here!" I said, trying to feign enthusiasm. It fell on deaf ears and Saki turned to look at me. Rage was painted all over her face.

  I took a step back, like the goblins did. I was beginning to understand their fear. Tera snickered in the corner. Saki turned and glared at her, but Tera just smiled wider.

  "What's wrong, Saki? Didn't like your own medicine! You can hardly blame Empress Tama for your actions." Tera's words caused Saki and I both to flinch. Even if they were meant for Saki, her words had reminded me where I had failed... I was supposed to protect my best friend. Instead, I had gotten all heated up because of David and my mind stopped working.

  I had no excuse. I tried anyway. "You don't understand, Saki," I started, but she cut me off.

  "Oh, I completely understand, Tama. You grabbed me and forced me into a scary position, then when I passed out, instead of defending me, you left me with someone you know doesn't like me!" Her words stung and I took another step back.

  "But Saki wasn't in real danger!" I argued weakly, knowing it was futile. Saki looked more upset than I had ever seen her. I had messed up badly.

  Saki didn't respond. Instead, she looked at me for a long moment and tears filled her eyes. I fell to my knees. "Saki, Tama is sorry! She didn't mean it! Please forgive Tama!"

  "Empress Tama, you don't need the traitorous girl. Obviously she is just using us for her own gains!" Tera said confidently, looking directly at me. I didn't make eye contact. Instead, I ignored Tera entirely and continued talking to Saki.

  "Please, Saki, Tama really didn't mean it. She promises she will make it up to you! Tama knows. She will let you ride Jiggle!"

  Saki stood and slowly walked over to me. I braced myself to get smacked. Instead, Saki hugged me and began to cry harder. "Tama, please don't do that again. I need you so much and leaving me like that was horrible."

  I wrapped my arms around her and my tail before saying, "Nya, Tama will never let you go again, Saki. Tama promises!"

  "Are you serious right now! She literally just admitted it! She just needs you! She is just using you, Empress Tama!" Tera's words cut through the moment and I felt my rage bubble.

  This was her fault. All she had to do was hold Saki. Instead, she had gotten me in trouble with her. I wanted to reach for Serenity and teach Tera a lesson she would never forget, but Saki held me close and wouldn't let go.

  She whispered quietly in my ear, "Don't do it. Leaving me was wrong, but I did deserve what happened."

  "You're damn right you did, Saki! After everything we have been through, to make the goblins undress me like that!" Tera sounded pissed, and I paused. I took a step back and looked at Saki, who smiled coyly at me, a bit of red on her cheeks.

  "Nya! What did Saki do!" I said in feigned outrage as I looked over at Tera. Tera's eyes went wide and she smiled before nodding. "She made the goblins undress me and told them she kept my clothes! I had to run through the entire encampment naked, Tama!"

  A snort from Saki made it clear Tera was telling the truth. I held back laughter at my friends. My rage from a moment ago has simply gone. "Saki, you tell Tera you're sorry!" I said in a serious tone.

  Saki winked at me before sighing heavily and saying, "Yes, Empress Tama!" Turning to face Tera, Saki bowed dramatically and continued. "Dearest royal guard Tera, please forgive my crude and indecent behavior from earlier. Please take this punishment you have given and my sincerest apology. Allow us to move on?"

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Tera seemed to consider it for a moment before responding. "I mean, I'd rather a sneaky little fox like yourself not be the Empress's best friend and royal advisor... but I guess I will just have to live with that stupid apology." Despite her words, Tera was now smiling widely at us.

  Saki giggled and nodded. "I think that's as close as we can get. What do you think, Empress Tama?" The amusement on her face was plain as day and I realized fully that I had been played... hard. I fell to the floor laughing maniacally as the two girls giggled with me.

  "You really worried Tama, Saki. Tama was really scared she had upset you!" I said as I finally got up, still holding my sides from the whole thing.

  "Oh, don't get me wrong, I was livid at first," Saki said, shrugging. "But the more I thought about it, the more obvious it became that it wasn't really your fault. I literally passed out, and you are easily distracted. It was bound to happen. It was true. You shouldn't have left me there, but I can understand why. David explained what happened and it all made sense to me."

  "Yeah, David is a lot of things, but when he realized he had caused the misunderstanding, you should have seen his face!" Tera said with tears in her eyes from laughter.

  "He was all like 'You don't understand, Saki' and 'It was all my fault,' and I just couldn't help myself. I had to come clean as well. The whole thing was just perfect."

  I smiled, relieved and happy this wasn't as serious as I thought it was. I punched Saki's shoulder playfully, causing her to stumble a few steps back and grab her arm. This caused the three of us to burst into laughter again.

  Saki

  Getting Tama back for ditching me was gold tier! I admit, I deserved what happened with the goblins. Getting that crayon off was so unpleasant. But Tama needed to be taught a lesson about ditching people, a mistake I had made earlier and learned from.

  After talking it out and having a good laugh, we went and found David in the arena. He was fighting and losing to Jiggle. I winced as he once again left another small crater in the wall as he slammed into it. That man's resilience was something else.

  Tama had mentioned she enjoyed watching him fight, but she had not mentioned just how beastly he actually was. Watching him fight the goblins that night had not done him justice.

  I was sort of beginning to see what Tama saw in the guy... you know... other than the chubby belly that made me sick to my stomach imagining.

  Tera and I had a long talk and worked some things out while Tama was gone. In the end, we both decided this petty back and forth had to stop.

  So we both promised no more pranks until after the Lich was taken out. Except for that last one with Tama. After all, she deserved it for all the stuff she constantly does to us. Royally enslaving our guide, anyone?

  "Nya! Get 'em hard, David! You're the best!" Tama screamed, causing my ears to flatten and Tera to hold hers. Since Tama was sitting on Tera's lap when she screamed, and Tera let go to hold her ears, one might think Tama would fall over. Instead, she managed to balance herself with no effort as she continued cheering, arms in the air, waving back and forth as if to add to the perplexing scene.

  Tera made note of this, and instead of holding Tama, began petting her. Tama leaned into it and began to purr. I smiled at her antics as I turned back just in time to see David dodge Jiggle before ramming into Jiggle's side.

  Jiggle fell over on his side, but instantly used the fall as leverage to roll the rest of the way and land on his feet again. David, expecting this, moved forward to ram again, but Jiggle was faster and turned, putting his tusks up.

  David narrowly dodged the tusks, clearly remembering what happened the last time he had been gored by them. His chest still had the bruises and places where the holes had been.

  Jiggle charged, missing David and ramming into the wall, causing the arena to shake and dirt to go flying. At this point, Tama was now standing on Tera's lap and screaming, "Jiggle! David! WOOOOOOO!" Tera had given up trying to pet her and just looked at her with adoration while holding her ears.

  I shook my head before looking over to the hob running the arena. He shook his head, but I could see the amusement playing in his eyes.

  I heard a loud crash and turned back to the fight, only to see it was over. Somehow, the damn boar had actually once again gotten a direct hit on David, and David was now unconscious on the ground up against the far wall.

  Jiggle looked enraged and was stomping his hooves. He was a wild animal after all. I looked at the hobgoblin, but he made no move to stop the charging boar. Worry began to fill me as I watched him charge David.