(Friday, 23/10/1058, after Henryk passed out)
(Futura's PoV)
'I will leave them behind'
I shook my head as I left the weapons on the ground. Henryk could replace them at any time.
As I made my way out of the dungeon, I was sure to show the adventurers passing by that I was carrying an unconscious fellow human on my back and not only the monster in my mouth, who I carried by the head. If it caused any trouble, I would bite off its head immediately.
Thankfully, it was unconscious as well, making things easier for me.
Some people really wanted to attack me, maybe mistaking me for a monster myself. Such a lowly thought.
The guards reassured them that I was tamed, which made me irked. We aren't tamed; we are befriended. I growled at them while walking away. Getting to an empty space, I kept the kobold's head inside my mouth as I leaned to the side, letting Henryk's feet touch the ground first. Slowly but safely, Henryk's unconscious body was now leaning on my side while I sat on the kobold with all of my body's weight.
Now, all that remains is to wait for Fey. Knowing him, Henryk would have surely called her or had calculated that they would come to check up on us if word of mouth reached the manor.
(3rd person PoV)
Right after Futura settled on top of it, the kobold started stirring awake. It panicked and started thrashing around until Futura's growling reached its ears. Its struggle to escape death was met with the threat of it. The kobold was paralyzed with fear now, staying still as a stone.
It was a few minutes before Fey showed up, flapping her wings frantically trying to follow Shira, who by turn was running as if her life depended on it. Her legs transformed without her noticing.
"Henryk?!" Shira's voice was filled with worry, expectation and hope, and lots of panic.
"Papa?" Fey arrived at the same time as her, landing beside Henryk's unconscious body. In Fey's own panic, she started opting for an old habit and started repeatedly pecking his forehead with the blunt of her beak.
In her frantic state, Shira put her ear to Henryk's chest, to listen to his heart. It was still beating, a rhythmic, steady beat like it usually is. Shira broke down in tears. The relief of Henryk's return overwhelmed her. They later had to move Shira as well, since she cried herself to sleep.
The more experienced adventurers passing by did not ridicule her, having witnessed people going down and never coming back up to the surface or coming back in bags. The emotion they felt for her was pity. They pitied her for having an adventurer for who they assumed to be her lover.
(AN: If you would like, there is a side story chapter containing Freya's PoV at this specific point in the timeline. You can read it now or elect to read it after the chapter)
(Sunday, 25/10/1058, early morning)
(Henryk's PoV)
I was woken up by a soreness that had a hold of my entire body. I tried to sit up with difficulty. It wasn't painful. Rather, it felt more like I was a little weak.
'Just how long did I sleep for?'
I started searching for Shira. I easily found her asleep on the other side of the bed. She was using a different blanket than mine, maybe to leave my blanket on me if she started tossing and turning, like she is doing now. She was drenched in a cold sweat while whimpering with an expression twisted in fear.
"Shira" I called her name while shaking her shoulder. The moment I talked, her eyes snapped open as her entire body snapped in a sudden movement. She wrapped herself around me.
Shira started crying without restraint.
It took an hour or so of hugging and an uncountable number of kisses on the forehead and between the ears for her to calm down.
"Henry, you slept for over a day and a half. I was scared that I might have lost you. The new wound over the right side of your chest didn't help" Shira said with a husky, tired voice. Her tail was wrapped around my waist as her arms draped over my shoulders. Her face pressed to my chest, listening to my heartbeat for comfort, for confirmation that I am alive, that I am not an illusion of her emotional turmoil.
Well, I do believe that I'm real, to some extent.
"Let's say that I earned a new badge in that wound" Shira punched me with all her might, making my ribs scream dangerously. "Besides, I didn't pass out from the wound. The process of taming the kobold, which is incomplete yet, is what caused me to lose my consciousness"
A shaky breath came out of Shira's mouth.
'Let's change the mood a little. My muscles aren't as sore as they were a few minutes ago'
"That reminds me, how did you know which wound is new and which was old? The potion should have made them all look similar" Although I asked in an oblivious voice, I already had an idea. Shira saw me naked once since coming to the city. She would have had to commit all of me to memory to recognise which is which so readily.
"..." Her hair and fur stood on end. Just barely, I glimpsed her face reddening before she shoved it into my chest.
"Don't change the subject!" She screamed. Her voice had that cute, embarrassed tone to it.
"My cute wife," I could feel her becoming a vibration device of sorts. "did my body impress you so much you memorised everything about it?" I felt so victorious and gleeful. I didn't want to admit this, but the feeling of validation this is giving me is welcome.
"Are you that happy about it?" Shira's ears twitched as she said timidly.
'Success! She isn't thinking negatively for now!'
"Who wouldn't be in my situation? My wife loved me for who I am both inside and out. It makes me motivated knowing that" I hugged her, squishing her face. Just to tease her, consequences be damned, I got closer to one of her ears to whisper something. "Do you want to know if I committed everything about you to memory?"
Shira's entire being went rigid. Her neck moved mechanically as her eyes glinted at me. I... I may need to be more mindful of my words going forward.
(An untold amount of time later)
"Now you surely do!" Shira said with a float in her words. She was smug about it.
'Whatever makes you feel better'
Shira made sure I remembered all of her and how she looked. We were dipping in the tub for a different reason, however. I had to wash off two days' worth of skin waste.
"Right, is it a culturally acceptable act for married couples here to have baths and showers together like this?" I asked her while helping her apply some shampoo to her long, luscious hair.
"Yes, it is. At least in Preblica and some surrounding villages" Shira said, checking some shampoos and soaps to decide which she'd prefer smelling on me for the day.
We spent the rest of the bath in pleasant silence.
(Back in the bedroom)
(3rd person PoV)
Henryk was brushing Shira's hair. He was lost in thought when a stray thought was blurted out.
"Shira, would you like it if I had a tail like yours?" Henryk said absentmindedly.
He internally froze. 'I didn't think I'd blurt my thoughts around her this easily. Whatever. This was bound to be asked eventually'
"What do you mean?" Shira's eyes were showing her emotions. She was torn between disbelief and befuddlement. She didn't know why Henryk would want a tail or why he needed her permission to grow one.
"Well, it's to help make you feel less lonely. Being the only of a race can be very lonely, even if you're in a loving marriage with someone. Not to mention, I want to try it either way. It could prove fun" She gave the thought some time while Henryk braided the hair going down the sides of her face into two thin braids and gathered the rest of her hair into a bun with a braided rim that connected to the ends of the two thin braids. A silver ribbon tied it all together.
"It may be selfish of me," Shira bit her lips and closed her eyes. "but I want you to have one like mine" She turned her head to the side, feeling uneasy.
"Alright, keep your eyes closed" Henryk said as he abruptly lowered his trousers.
Hearing the rustling of clothes, Shira opened her eyes. She then hurriedly covered her face with her hands. Behind her hands, her face became very red.
"Naughty..." Shira murmured quietly.
'Seeing as her tail's as long as about 3 quarters of her height, let's set my own to be the same' Henryk decided.
{I ask thee, thou who oversees the fate of every living being, thee who directs the flow of things. Answer my prayer and grant my humble wish} {Alteration: Within 15 minutes, perfectly integrate the genes for a 153 cm long tail in the likeness of my wife's own and grow it out} Henryk felt it, the lack of consumed mind.
'Makes you wonder, is there someone or something actually listening in and deciding what works how and what the cost is?' He felt some discomfort and itchiness around the tailbone. Also, something started moving there. 'And this practically free process is starting. Is my intention behind it also a factor if someone is listening in to my words?' He was baffled. 'Is the price of each time I use my magic arbitrary?'
Henryk's chant grounded Shira's mind back into reality. She hoped that Henryk did not notice her embarrassing one-sided assumption.
She opened her eyes to observe Henryk's tail grow. The specification of 15 minutes made it very curious.
As she opened her eyes, she saw Henryk sitting down on a chair with his trousers down. He was sitting backwards so that the stub that was very much bubbling and moving was not to be obstructed by the chair's geometry.
Shira's eyes widened at the horrifying sight before her. She was witnessing a human body change before her eyes, and not at all in a subtle and slow manner.
"You can always close your eyes" Henryk said from his seated position.
'I thought the heat generated by this would be more intense. I guess I have my blood and sweat glands to thank for cooling down what little heat was generated' Henryk thought, feeling somewhat dizzy from the new nerve inputs from the growing stub. 'I need to get used to this tail now, and to its inputs. I will bash monsters on the first few floors with blunt weapons to train my DEX for now, maybe go all out and exert myself so that STR and END is also made to grow if marginally'
"I can't!" Shira protested. "It's too interesting to see something like this happen in such a short time!"
"You can come closer if you want, then. I wouldn't mind you observing my tail growing" Henryk said calmly. 'It feels as though I'm washing the tail base with warm water instead of being burnt. And to think I was ready to tank a burning sensation. How disappointingly fortunate' He internally sighed. His thoughts drifted in a certain direction after this experience. 'Loki, that bastard, she was trying to prevent me from becoming another Clewr, wasn't she? Oh, well. I'll do it anyway'
The longer she observed, the less her inhibitions got a hold of her actions. Shira got closer and looked as the tail slowly got longer. As it grew beyond a certain point, tiny hairs started growing from the base down. The hairs were the same shade of brown as the rest of Henryk's hair. Slowly, but surely, the tail reached an impressive length and stopped growing. Once that happened, the growth of hair was noticeably quicker. After the 15 minutes were up, Henryk's tail was entirely covered in dense hair... or was it fur?
"Now then, let's start working" He stood up and wore his trousers normally. Feeling where the bump of his tail was with his hands, he pinched that area and took off his trousers, still pinching that area. He then cut a somewhat circular hole there and wore his trousers again to get a feel.
Rinse and repeat until his tail was comfortable getting stuffed in and pulled out. He then added some small cut pieces of cloth around the edges to smoothen the look. For a final touch, he wore an improvised piece of clothing as a mini cape around his waist.
"How meticulous" Shira said, squinting a little too hard while looking between Henryk's tail and his face.
"It took me longer since I couldn't see my tail directly. Yours was easier as I could see it and adjust without wearing and taking off clothing repeatedly" Henryk said. He elaborated in an attempt to bore Shira out, which succeeded to some extent.
"Change of subject!" Shira said with her arms crossed in a big X. "Should we go to a specialized tailor or seamster?"
"I think we should, not before we deal with that kobold though" Henryk said. His features sharpened as he entertained the thought of opening the mental link between him and the kobold. 'No, I should gauge whether I should do that or not after seeing the kobold and getting a feel for its temperament for myself first' He stopped. He was satisfied with knowing that the mental link was still up, hinting that the kobold was alive. It was at least breathing, if nothing else.
"Or maybe after eating breakfast?" Shira said. Her suggestion stemmed from the fact that Henryk somehow did not realize how hungry he was. His stomach kept growling this entire time, and he failed to notice it.
"Oh" Henryk got his focus back onto his own body, finally noticing his gnawing hunger. It seems his stomach was now extremely agitated, evidenced by the loudest growl yet since waking up. "I suppose I shouldn't be so absorbed in thought so early in the morning anymore. Let's go" 'Was it because I collapsed and ate nothing for lunch, dinner and took my leisure to even remember breakfast?'
While he worked on his trousers, and while still inside the room in general, Henryk tried to familiarize himself with how to move his tail. He failed miserably to control it, with it seemingly having a mind of its own to move with. While his tail moved, it moved as it pleased, barely twitching or freezing in place when he tried controlling it. In one instance, it moved by snapping in the opposite direction from where he wanted it to move.
'The discomfort and nausea from the new overwhelming sensory input, I may need to put my pride aside and rewire my brain with magic instead if it proved a hindrance to my dungeon dives' Henryk thought. He prioritized his safety over the pride and rewarding feeling of controlling his new limb with sheer effort. He did not have the time for that.
Just as they got out of the door, they saw Fey nodding in her sleep outside of their room.
'She was waiting for me to wake up but still decided to let us have our privacy, huh? I mean, I appreciate it, but her actions give me mixed signals. She sometimes acts mature and others childish in spite of her more mature mindset. Is being cute her way of getting my attention and fondness?' Henryk was utterly perplexed by this. Through their link, he got to know that Fey was more of a teenager than a child when it came to her mental state, but she still chose to act like a child. 'Should I talk to her about it sometime later?' He filed that last thought for later and approached the sleeping fluff ball in front of him.
"Fey" He sat beside her and patted her head gently. The soft call of her name stirred her awake not for the name itself but because of the voice of the caller and his gentle pats.
"Papa~" Still groggy, she leaned in on him, rolling on top of him in her half-asleep state. "Papa woke up~"
"Yes, Papa woke up, dear" He surrendered to his squished fate. If Fey wanted to remain asleep, he would remain under her. Or so he thought until his stomach said otherwise. A loud growl from his stomach made Fey get up and shake herself awake. A few blinks later, Fey was now completely awake.
"Breakfast~?" Fey asked with her head tilted sideways.
'Cute' "Yeah, let's go, the three of us" He started walking with an arm over Shira's shoulder. He matched her pace as they walked, and Fey was hopping and dancing on her own a few steps ahead of them.
On their way to the mess hall, Shira was constantly stealing glances at Henryk's tail. Seeing it hanging freely and dragging on the ground, she got an idea. She coiled her own tail around it, starting tip to tip such that the tips of their tails approach each other's base.
Henryk's steps faltered at the new sensation. He stumbled and almost fell if not for Shira actively supporting him before it happened.
"Henry? Are you okay? Should I not have done it?" Shira was starting to become concerned. She was scared that her action was not received well by him.
"It's alright. It's simply making me dizzy, what with all the new sensory information my brain needs to process" Henryk said as he leaned on her support. "Although, I must say that it isn't at all unpleasant, this one" As if to prove it, his tail instinctively tightened the coil a little more.
"Okay" Shira said shyly. She felt butterflies in her stomach the rest of the way.
Absorbed in her little world, Shira failed to take note of the death glares and envious stares they were given by some singles. Henryk, on the other hand, simply raised an eyebrow.
'They're pretending to focus on their work while looking our way. How amusing' He thought.
A certain black-haired cat-person saw them walking like that and covered her mouth with a blush. The intimacy in their act was so much that even between some couples they shied away from it normally. She masked her giddy giggles at the sight of such an affectionate display and walked away.
(A few minutes late)
"What's the good news, Anakitty?" Someone asked her as soon as she stepped into Finn's office.
"I saw something pleasant, captain!" Anakitty said. "You remember Loki's new favorite? Shira. Her husband now has a tail, and they were walking side-by-side while coiling their tails together~"
'How?' Finn thought. The shock was masked well, but it still affected him internally. It was unheard of for a human to develop only one weird thing as a result of a skill. On the rare case a body-altering skill was manifested, it changed more than one part of the body. 'Unless... could he control what changes occur to his body? My thumb was once again proven right. We need to keep him in our familia'
"Now then, where are they right now? I thought you were supposed to check on them to call them if possible?" Finn said.
"I couldn't bring myself to break them out of that lovey-dovey moment. However, they headed to the mess hall. I will call them over once they are done eating to discuss what to do with that kobold" Anakitty said. "Anyhow, when are they gonna be included in the workforce for the daily chores?"
"Loki said that we should give them a month and a half from their joining the familia. Once that grace period is up, they are to participate in the chores and tasks around the manor" Finn said. He then resumed handling the paperwork to prepare for the coming expedition. It was in a few days.