Chapter 24: 24 – Taking Kawa on a Walk

"This is most certainly an advanced form of Change Shape— a spell only a master mage can perform. Other beings such as high deities like angels and demigods, powerful demons, and mythical dragons assume humanoid forms to live among us. I may be a dragon myself," Mildred smirks, flashing her pearly white teeth.

"Don't joke like that. It makes me want to fight you even more."

I invited Mildred over this morning to help me learn about Kawa. She seemed more than happy to, hoping to see Kain here, but her mood fell through when she found out he wasn't home. Fortunately, she shifted gears after seeing an elemental wolf in person.

Of everyone I showed Kawa to so far, Mildred is the only one who didn't piss her pants.

"You're a good girl, aren't you? Who's a good girl?" Mildred coos, rubbing Kawa's belly as she rolls around on the floor in wolf form. 

"But Kawa ain't any of those. I get that elemental wolves have magic, but they're able to transform into a human, too?" I ask.

"Something you or the other two did must have triggered it," Mildred suggests.

I try to think back on what we did. "All I did was play with her— well, Kawa thought we were playing."

Kawa transforms into her human form and rubs her head against my legs. "Everything else Kawa plays with breaks. Master doesn't break!"

Mildred bursts into laughter. "You hear that, brute? Your durability is good for something!" 

It isn't me I'm worried about, it's Sacchan. Though, after all the abuse I've put my bat through, there's probably no risk of it breaking. Fighting Yui and having her enchanted metal nunchuck whack at my bat didn't so much as scratch it.

And on top of that, when I was defending Loraine and Yui, Sacchan powered up. Not only can it burst in flames, but it can also freeze over.

Magic in this world is something else.

Kawa lays her chin on my knees and stares up at me with a goofy smile. I squeeze her chubby cheeks, causing her tail to wag so much it's sweeping the floor.

This would be cute if she wasn't naked…

"By the by—" Mildred takes a seat across from me and kicks her feet up on the coffee table. "I hear you shall be joining us in the Lannarkis Ring at Ash'tar next week. You're strong, that much I'll admit. But this is no game, and you should keep your hubris in check."

I lean back on the couch, recalling all the fights I've had up until now, and how only one of them really put me on edge. Frey did tell me Mildred is an SS-rank now, and for the enchanter mage herself to tell me to be careful has got to carry weight. "Heh. We'll see about that."

We chat for another hour until Mildred needs to return to her workshop. Before leaving, she suggests that if I'm so worried about Kawa's clothing, I should make a visit to Lars.

I throw my jacket around Kawa and button her up. "Come on, Kawa. We're going for a walk."

"Ooooh! I love walks!"

Taking Mildred's suggestion, we make way for Lars' shop.

"Yo, Pint-sized." I call out, kicking the door open.

Lars is in the middle of affixing a suit of armor onto a mannequin when he sees me and Kawa coming in. "Ya keep calling me pint-sized, but I'm at least a liter. What can I do ya fer?"

"This." I pat Kawa on the back.

She changes into a wolf in front of Lars, spooking him onto his ass. "By the flaming ass cheeks of Ifrit!"

"So you got anything for her that won't rip and tear when she transforms?" I ask.

"Do I— ya want me to dress a gargantuan wolf?" Lars tugs on his beard as he falls silent. "I actually may have something."

Lars walks over to one of the displays on the store floor and finds a collar. It's black, with blunt spikes all around it. He instinctively tries to hand it to Kawa in wolf form, decides against it and hands it to me instead.

"I'm not risking being a chew toy," he says, backing away after giving me the collar.

"How am I supposed to put this tiny collar around her?" When I bring it up to her snout, it expands in size like a rubber band, but without the tension of snapping. The collar that was about the size of my fist, has stretched into a medium-sized hula-hoop and snaps down snug around her neck. "Alright, so it fits. But I'm looking for armor so that when she transforms back, she ain't naked—"

Kawa mistakes conversation as an order and transforms into her human form. She should have been naked with only a collar around her neck, but she's wearing sparse black armor— a bikini armor set.

I feel a headache coming, and wonder if Lars did this on purpose.

"This gag is getting out of hand. Tell me this isn't the only thing you have?" I ask.

"It's the only thing I have. The collar's the only piece in the store enchanted to be form-fitting. Sorry lass. At least it's cheap, " he answers.

Kawa doesn't seem to mind, and it covers her important bits.

"Fine, whatever. We'll take it."

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Kawa's new armor is a lot cheaper than I expected. Two-hundred and fifty gold is nothing compared to commissioning Mildred's enchantment on the ring and Loraine's mage regalia.

The breastplate— if it can be called that, looks like two bowls pressed against her chest, connected to the collar by riveted chain links. Her legplates only cover the outer thighs, and what she wears to cover her crotch might as well be panties.

It actually compliments her bestial body pretty well, seeing that she has fur on her arms and legs. Any more armor would be chafing into her coat.

On our way home, we cut through the market to pick up some groceries. Loraine is still out completing a personal request, so I won't be seeing her until the evening. I'm starting to get hungry, but dinner isn't for another few hours.

Might as well pick up something ready to eat. Kawa is probably hungry too. But I take my eyes off for one second and she's gone.

"Lousy owner I am. Lost my pet already…" I don't have to look for long. She comes running back with the raw, skinned leg of an animal in her mouth.

Behind her, a chunky man struggles to catch up, waving a butcher's knife at her. "You damn, mutt! Come back here with that leg!"

Kawa spits the leg onto my hand, excited as can be. "Master looked hungry, so Kawa went hunting!"

The butcher finally catches up and has to catch his breath before speaking. "Don't… think you thieves can get away!"

"Calm the fuck down and just let me pay—" I try to tell him, but he grabs my jacket and yanks me towards him, waving the cleaver in my face.

Kawa's beastly hand clamps down on his arm faster than I can react. She wrenches him away and lifts him off the ground with ease, revealing a row of sharp incisors in her mouth.

"Kawa won't let you hurt Master," she snarls in his face.

Well would you look at that. I have a guard dog now.

"We'll be taking this." I slip a couple of silver coins into his pocket, a little more than what he deserves, and tell Kawa to let him go. Kawa growls until he disappears back into the butcher shop. "Kawa, open wide."

"Ah— ommph?"

I stuff the leg back into her mouth. "I appreciate it, but around here, you gotta pay for something you want."

"Munch… munch… if Kawa can't hunt, how will she feed Master's pack?" she asks, chewing on the leg she practically stole.

On one hand, she's a pet. On the other, she's like a little sister who's slightly dumber than Yui. "Look, kid. If you're ever hungry, just come to me and I'll get ya something."

The leg drops from her jaws. She throws her arms around me, rubbing her head against my chest. "Oooh! Master will hunt for Kawa? Hehe~ Kawa will be a good girl from now on!"

I let the hug happen and pet her head because I can't push her away. "Yeah, yeah— wait, you weren't behaving to begin with?"

***

When Kawa and I get home, Loraine is there waiting for us with a hot meal.

Kawa skips into the room to embrace her. "You're back! It feels like Kawa hasn't seen you in days."

"Awww, did you miss me, Kawa?" Loraine asks, stroking the wolf girl's head.

I take off my jacket and put Sacchan back on the mantle above the fireplace. After Kawa has her fill of affection, Loraine rushes to me next with open arms.

I give in, slightly jealous after seeing her and Kawa, and wrap my arms around her, too. "I thought you were going to be home late?"

"Thinking about you gave me the extra energy to finish faster! You're not happy to see me home early?" Her eyelids flutter after asking me a question that only has one right answer.

Wait, no.

This is my chance to turn this around on her. She's always putting me on the spot, embarrassing me just because I'm new to being in a relationship.

I reach out to brush the bangs from her eyes. "I'm just happy to see you're alwi— pht"

Utter silence.

The taste of iron on my mouth has never tasted stronger.

Loraine stares at me in disbelief, and then buries her head into my shoulder, laughing. Good thing, too. I can just die of embarrassment having lost my chance to tease her back. Instead, I'm left with a sharp pain having bitten my own tongue.

She finally looks up at me, red in the face from laughing so much. "As you can see, I'm alwight. But it looks like your tongue isn't."

I can't look her in the eyes anymore. "Stop it…"