"This is Niz-cha?" Felix asked in shock, staring at the small dwarf in bewilderment. "Wait a minute, you're friends with a dwarf or a half-ling?"
"I ain't no half-pint, I'm ol' 'nuff t' ride yer dad 'n' 'ave ye call me mummy!" She snarled, placing the tray of empty mugs aside and planting her hands on her waist. "Name 's' Nyitzcha, ye say it like Nay-yeez-sha! Goddat?"
Felix recoiled, hands raised to his chest as he nodded slowly. "M-My mistake, miss? Ma'am?"
"Jus' Nyitzcha s'fine." She huffed, turning to her right and ambushing Janette with a hard slap on her back. "Eyyyy! How's my favorite saleswoman! Ye been gun fer too long lass, nay longer an' I be owin' Yoku sum loot!"
"What!" Janette spun around, glaring daggers at Yoku as he chuckled and waved his hands defensively in front of him. "You would think... how much was the bet?"
"Fifty coin."
"Gold?"
Nyitzcha snorted, wiping her nose. "Wah kinda bets ye think we makin' 'ere? He ain't got dat level o' bawbee. White money o'course."
"Silver." She grumbled, rolling her eyes with a defeated sigh. "I should be upset but you can't afford betting on my actual level so I'll take that as a win."
"Are d'ese lot wit you? Ahhh ay see yer de laddie she blether 'bout 'fore!" Her eyes lit with recognition, dropping her hostile face as she approached a nervous Felix and circled around him, scanning him up and down. "Mmm, yer gonnae grow intae a muckle war-fightin' laddie, aren't ya?"
"I-what?" He recoiled back a step when she jabbed a finger to his gut. "Hey!"
She smirked. "Jis' feelin' ah body made fer 'ard labor, is all. Got ye a job 'ere if ye ever take a break frim pig stye. Ay take it deez are dae wee brittle kitty litter ye make mention of, de monster cat girls ay? Ah dun 'member ye mention more den one."
"Would you please!?" Felix shriveled down and stepped in close, waving away with a terrified expression as he looked around. "The last thing we need is for people to listen in!"
Nyitzcha cackled loudly, her orange pig tails bouncing slightly as she bobbed her head back and forth. She spread her arms wide while stepping back. "Look around ye, kid. Dis 'ere tavern is where the lot o'folk come to settle down. Forget yer worries, share yer sad tales 'n' down yer night wit a pint o' heavy. Dis where ye lass Janette come whenever she blether on a' on about "ooooh ah gonnae be so lonely, ooooh de shop havin' nae much luck 'n' sales, oooooh fetch me anuther bottle fer dae road, ay be passin' by dae green shop an' grab sum o'dem coo-cumbers t'have something to keep ma happy 'n' bed~"
"Okay I did not do that! Ignore her!" Janette fumed, her face turning a deep shade of red as she feverishly pushed her friend from behind, scooting her to the opposite end of the tavern. "We need a place to stay miss, now off we go!"
Felix turned back to look at Reta for any remarks, only for her to blink and return a look of disbelief. KuliKuli kept hidden behind her, peaking over her shoulder with a shy grin.
"She looks nice."
WOOOOSH!
In a bright spiral of white light, the cats all transformed into their natural Nekomata forms as they stood up and stretched their limbs and tails one by one. Janette leaned against the front door to assure that the place remained private from any wandering eye, while Felix and KuliKuli sat comfortably on one of the nearby pair of beds. Nyitzcha stood by and watched in awe as each Nekomata adjusted to their surroundings, only for Janette's eyes to grow wide before covering her eyes.
"Agh! I forgot the um, clothing... thing." She mumbled, shyly lowering her head in shame.
Emyri raised her arms above her head, pulling on her nerves to help loosen up. She didn't seem to mind that she and her daughters presented themselves completely naked in front of their new friend, it didn't upset her as she leaned back into her stretch and proudly displayed her busty chest for the others to see. Felix had to look away, feeling guilty about his reaction to her breasts as they jiggled lightly.
"It's no concern to us. Our bodies are nothing to be ashamed of, we don't have a reason to wear clothes or leaves to hide what we are." Emyri smiled, stepping aside and dropping on all fours before pressing her hips until her lower body hovered just an inch above the wooden floor. She kept her upper body up with her arms extended, shifting in her pose as she leaned back and raised her curvaceous ass up near Felix. He regretted peaking at the display, pressing his legs together and biting his tongue in hopes that the pain would lessen the growing erection throbbing under his breeches. She looked under her form, noticing his legs squeeze together and giggling while swaying her hips slightly from left to right. Even her daughter KuliKuli couldn't help but to stare in awe, marveling at her mother's sexual form and groaning under a hint of jealousy as she began to pout.
Satisfied, Emyri stood back up and sat next to Felix, swinging one leg over the other and leaning back with no attempt to hide the view of her bosom as she offered a smile to the dwarf. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Nyitzcha. Please don't take offense but what are you again?"
"Wah?" Nyitzcha jumped with a startled look. "Ay be a dwarf, no doubt!"
"Interesting, I've only come to know elves and humans." She responded with a look of intrigue, her tail quietly brushing against Felix's back before rubbing against his butt. "I'm Emyri and these are my daughters, Syri, Dimyri, Na'Vi and Nityri."
"KuliKuli." She corrected her.
Emyri chuckled lightly. "Sorry love, KuliKuli. Not Nityri. And you've met her handsome mate Felix."
Felix waved back at Nyitzcha when Janette clapped her hands.
"Wonderful, so you have my immeasurable gratitude for giving us a spare room at such a short notice."
"Ye git a discount but ma kinship ain't no charity." The dwarf pointed out, rubbing her two fingers and thumb in a gesture for currency. "Ye made nae mention o' de kitty havin' nae family now, why drop in fer a visit now when me pub be hoachin' t'night! Sumtin' git yer lookin' a bit peely wally, so was de big deal?"
Along came a brief summary of the events that unfolded from the very start, with Felix explaining how he met KuliKuli, then Janette explaining their night at the circus, Reta adding the details of her curse, and KuliKuli concluding it with the conundrum they were in today.
Nyitzcha leaned back and rubbed her chin. "So yae gut dis Hunter comin' after ye wit nae reasons for how t'deal wit him?"
She looked around as the others remained quiet before turning to look at Janette. "If ye came 'ere t'ask fer me service, ah gunnae 'ave tae stop ya there."
"Oh no, I wouldn't-"
"Been a long time since I find myself back in season fer a fight."
"That's okay, I-"
"Course, it been a fortnight since I find me'self thinking back 'bout dem days. Swinging and friskin about, watchin' dem pointy ears bases go boom in da night from Nyitzcha's wee presents." She grinned, thinking fondly of a memory from may years ago.
Reta looked interested. "You fought before as a warrior?"
"Ey? Nut as no fancy warrior, they send me in as explosive extraordinaire!" She beamed, hoping up on the bed with a fierce pose. "I was de lass wit a knack for bombs and powdae! Served me time ten years 'go during de Greenhorn invasion up north! Once the fightin' was done, grabbed me expense an' settled down 'ere lookin' fer sumtin cold to drink. Couldn't find no shop that made any good ale like back home, so I brought home wit' me 'stead!"
"Look, I didn't come here to ask for that!" Janette cried out, irritated and panting before rubbing her face and sinking back against the door. "Sorry, it's just... we came here to get food and supplies, that's all. I just needed, well we needed a place to stay."
"Nay bother." The dwarf waved her away with a smug look. "An' here I be thinkin' ye came fer a grand favor or just t'see a friend. Stay 'ere fer the night, fer two nights if ye like."
Reta shot up with an irritated glare. "That's not happening, unless you want an even bigger problem in your hands."
Felix snapped his fingers and pressed his lips together. "Damn, that's right."
"I take it you forgot about my situation?" Reta asked before turning on Janette. "You brought your magic book, yes? Why not ask it about how we can manage that?"
Janette scooted her feet in and curled up in a protective posture. "Ah, my book. I don't think it works that way-"
Reta glared. "You're telling me that this book of yours is of no help, yet we risked our lives to get it? Why?"
"It's not like that, it-it's just, call it a work in progress!" She stammered, clutching her satchel between her hands. "Look I'm trying to figure out how this works still, it's not so easy otherwise I would be using it daily!"
"So then how does it work?" She hissed back.
"I just told you I don't know!"
KuliKuli hopped out of bed, stepping between them. "No arguments, indoor voices only! We're all friends here, no reason to be upset right?"
"Oh, forgive me for giving the benefit of the doubt and believing your friend had a course of action when she risked our necks for that piece of empty literature." Reta muttered as she stepped back.
Janette fumed and jumped to her feet. "I'm working on it, this book didn't come with directions on how to use it!"
"What's so relevant about a silly book anyways?" Emyri asked with a dismissive wave of her paw. "We've bigger concerns to focus on, do we not?"
"Of course!" Reta growled while throwing her arms up in frustration. "Of course we do! Bakayarō! How foolish of me to ask."
Nyitzcha stared awkwardly in silence as the woman paced around back and forth.
"Okay, that's enough." Felix said. "Arguing isn't going to help-"
"Let's just all try to behave like mature adults here, we're a bit old for silly temper tantrums really." Emyri stated with a side eye pointed toward Reta.
"Urusai!" She screamed out, eyes flaring up and her voice booming loudly.
KuliKuli gasped and recoiled, with Na'Vi jumping next to Emyri with her claws extended and ready. Reta looked around, scanning their worried faces as some of the girls looked to her in fear while others scowled and held their ground. Felix sighed and dropped his head into his arms in dismay, an action that left Reta feeling familiar. In her eyes, he reminded her of her father when he too shook his head in disappointment before walking away in silence. It left her in a state of shock then and there, quietly feeling the tension grow around her as she felt unwelcome.
"Maybe we just... need to all calm down." KuliKuli spoke as she tried to reach out to her friend, only for her to pull her hand away. She hung her head in shame before quickly hurrying out towards the door.
"Reta?" Felix called out, watching her pull the door open and push through Yoku as he stumbled back in surprise, losing his balance and falling against the wall.
"My word!" He exclaimed, adjusting himself and fixing his suit before turning to greet them with a wave. "Erm, is Nyitzcha here?"
He looked around as Felix and Janette sat opposite of Nyitzcha on the beds, surrounded by four random cats awkwardly staring back at their visitor. Leaning into the doorframe, he cleared his throat. "Ahem! Nyitzcha, we just got a fleet of new folly down below and could use a skilled hand behind the counter. Terribly sorry to disturb you-"
"Nay bother, was jist catchin' up wit de youn' lass!" She cheerfully explained, waving him away. He nodded and closed the door, leaving them in private as the cat girls returned to their Nekomata forms. "That was close. Ye seem like yer gottae lot happenin' 'ere, I be down at dae pub! Haste ye back!"
She hopped out of bed and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Felix breathed in and sighed loudly, with KuliKuli looking out the bedroom round window.
"She's tired, we all are." He began to explain.
"No, it's more than that. Jay, you brought the other cloaks right?" KuliKuli noticed her friend nod by her reflection on the glass window. "Good, we need to hurry up and grab what we need. It's already night out, let's make the most of it. And Mom, you need to be nicer to her. She's my friend and I won't be having you say things to upset her like that."
"Oh hun, I was just reminding your friend abou-"
"I get that, but do it in a nicer way or don't do it at all." She cut her short, giving her mother a stern look.
Emyri was startled and caught by surprise before nodding. "O-of course dear. I'm sorry."
"Good, but save that for her. Felix, I think we should go after her. Jay, can you-"
"Handle the rations? I got it." Janette nodded while getting to her feet.
KuliKuli pressed her forehead against the glass, feeling its cool surface contrast against the heat of growing concerns flaring up in her. With a deep sigh, she pulled away and quickly dressed up with her cloak to hide her animal features. "Okay, let's go!"
"This is Niz-cha?" Felix asked in shock, staring at the small dwarf in bewilderment. "Wait a minute, you're friends with a dwarf or a half-ling?"
"I ain't no half-pint, I'm ol' 'nuff t' ride yer dad 'n' 'ave ye call me mummy!" She snarled, placing the tray of empty mugs aside and planting her hands on her waist. "Name 's' Nyitzcha, ye say it like Nay-yeez-sha! Goddat?"
Felix recoiled, hands raised to his chest as he nodded slowly. "M-My mistake, miss? Ma'am?"
"Jus' Nyitzcha s'fine." She huffed, turning to her right and ambushing Janette with a hard slap on her back. "Eyyyy! How's my favorite saleswoman! Ye been gun fer too long lass, nay longer an' I be owin' Yoku sum loot!"
"What!" Janette spun around, glaring daggers at Yoku as he chuckled and waved his hands defensively in front of him. "You would think... how much was the bet?"
"Fifty coin."
"Gold?"
Nyitzcha snorted, wiping her nose. "Wah kinda bets ye think we makin' 'ere? He ain't got dat level o' bawbee. White money o'course."
"Silver." She grumbled, rolling her eyes with a defeated sigh. "I should be upset but you can't afford betting on my actual level so I'll take that as a win."
"Are d'ese lot wit you? Ahhh ay see yer de laddie she blether 'bout 'fore!" Her eyes lit with recognition, dropping her hostile face as she approached a nervous Felix and circled around him, scanning him up and down. "Mmm, yer gonnae grow intae a muckle war-fightin' laddie, aren't ya?"
"I-what?" He recoiled back a step when she jabbed a finger to his gut. "Hey!"
She smirked. "Jis' feelin' ah body made fer 'ard labor, is all. Got ye a job 'ere if ye ever take a break frim pig stye. Ay take it deez are dae wee brittle kitty litter ye make mention of, de monster cat girls ay? Ah dun 'member ye mention more den one."
"Would you please!?" Felix shriveled down and stepped in close, waving away with a terrified expression as he looked around. "The last thing we need is for people to listen in!"
Nyitzcha cackled loudly, her orange pig tails bouncing slightly as she bobbed her head back and forth. She spread her arms wide while stepping back. "Look around ye, kid. Dis 'ere tavern is where the lot o'folk come to settle down. Forget yer worries, share yer sad tales 'n' down yer night wit a pint o' heavy. Dis where ye lass Janette come whenever she blether on a' on about "ooooh ah gonnae be so lonely, ooooh de shop havin' nae much luck 'n' sales, oooooh fetch me anuther bottle fer dae road, ay be passin' by dae green shop an' grab sum o'dem coo-cumbers t'have something to keep ma happy 'n' bed~"
"Okay I did not do that! Ignore her!" Janette fumed, her face turning a deep shade of red as she feverishly pushed her friend from behind, scooting her to the opposite end of the tavern. "We need a place to stay miss, now off we go!"
Felix turned back to look at Reta for any remarks, only for her to blink and return a look of disbelief. KuliKuli kept hidden behind her, peaking over her shoulder with a shy grin.
"She looks nice."
WOOOOSH!
In a bright spiral of white light, the cats all transformed into their natural Nekomata forms as they stood up and stretched their limbs and tails one by one. Janette leaned against the front door to assure that the place remained private from any wandering eye, while Felix and KuliKuli sat comfortably on one of the nearby pair of beds. Nyitzcha stood by and watched in awe as each Nekomata adjusted to their surroundings, only for Janette's eyes to grow wide before covering her eyes.
"Agh! I forgot the um, clothing... thing." She mumbled, shyly lowering her head in shame.
Emyri raised her arms above her head, pulling on her nerves to help loosen up. She didn't seem to mind that she and her daughters presented themselves completely naked in front of their new friend, it didn't upset her as she leaned back into her stretch and proudly displayed her busty chest for the others to see. Felix had to look away, feeling guilty about his reaction to her breasts as they jiggled lightly.
"It's no concern to us. Our bodies are nothing to be ashamed of, we don't have a reason to wear clothes or leaves to hide what we are." Emyri smiled, stepping aside and dropping on all fours before pressing her hips until her lower body hovered just an inch above the wooden floor. She kept her upper body up with her arms extended, shifting in her pose as she leaned back and raised her curvaceous ass up near Felix. He regretted peaking at the display, pressing his legs together and biting his tongue in hopes that the pain would lessen the growing erection throbbing under his breeches. She looked under her form, noticing his legs squeeze together and giggling while swaying her hips slightly from left to right. Even her daughter KuliKuli couldn't help but to stare in awe, marveling at her mother's sexual form and groaning under a hint of jealousy as she began to pout.
Satisfied, Emyri stood back up and sat next to Felix, swinging one leg over the other and leaning back with no attempt to hide the view of her bosom as she offered a smile to the dwarf. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Nyitzcha. Please don't take offense but what are you again?"
"Wah?" Nyitzcha jumped with a startled look. "Ay be a dwarf, no doubt!"
"Interesting, I've only come to know elves and humans." She responded with a look of intrigue, her tail quietly brushing against Felix's back before rubbing against his butt. "I'm Emyri and these are my daughters, Syri, Dimyri, Na'Vi and Nityri."
"KuliKuli." She corrected her.
Emyri chuckled lightly. "Sorry love, KuliKuli. Not Nityri. And you've met her handsome mate Felix."
Felix waved back at Nyitzcha when Janette clapped her hands.
"Wonderful, so you have my immeasurable gratitude for giving us a spare room at such a short notice."
"Ye git a discount but ma kinship ain't no charity." The dwarf pointed out, rubbing her two fingers and thumb in a gesture for currency. "Ye made nae mention o' de kitty havin' nae family now, why drop in fer a visit now when me pub be hoachin' t'night! Sumtin' git yer lookin' a bit peely wally, so was de big deal?"
Along came a brief summary of the events that unfolded from the very start, with Felix explaining how he met KuliKuli, then Janette explaining their night at the circus, Reta adding the details of her curse, and KuliKuli concluding it with the conundrum they were in today.
Nyitzcha leaned back and rubbed her chin. "So yae gut dis Hunter comin' after ye wit nae reasons for how t'deal wit him?"
She looked around as the others remained quiet before turning to look at Janette. "If ye came 'ere t'ask fer me service, ah gunnae 'ave tae stop ya there."
"Oh no, I wouldn't-"
"Been a long time since I find myself back in season fer a fight."
"That's okay, I-"
"Course, it been a fortnight since I find me'self thinking back 'bout dem days. Swinging and friskin about, watchin' dem pointy ears bases go boom in da night from Nyitzcha's wee presents." She grinned, thinking fondly of a memory from may years ago.
Reta looked interested. "You fought before as a warrior?"
"Ey? Nut as no fancy warrior, they send me in as explosive extraordinaire!" She beamed, hoping up on the bed with a fierce pose. "I was de lass wit a knack for bombs and powdae! Served me time ten years 'go during de Greenhorn invasion up north! Once the fightin' was done, grabbed me expense an' settled down 'ere lookin' fer sumtin cold to drink. Couldn't find no shop that made any good ale like back home, so I brought home wit' me 'stead!"
"Look, I didn't come here to ask for that!" Janette cried out, irritated and panting before rubbing her face and sinking back against the door. "Sorry, it's just... we came here to get food and supplies, that's all. I just needed, well we needed a place to stay."
"Nay bother." The dwarf waved her away with a smug look. "An' here I be thinkin' ye came fer a grand favor or just t'see a friend. Stay 'ere fer the night, fer two nights if ye like."
Reta shot up with an irritated glare. "That's not happening, unless you want an even bigger problem in your hands."
Felix snapped his fingers and pressed his lips together. "Damn, that's right."
"I take it you forgot about my situation?" Reta asked before turning on Janette. "You brought your magic book, yes? Why not ask it about how we can manage that?"
Janette scooted her feet in and curled up in a protective posture. "Ah, my book. I don't think it works that way-"
Reta glared. "You're telling me that this book of yours is of no help, yet we risked our lives to get it? Why?"
"It's not like that, it-it's just, call it a work in progress!" She stammered, clutching her satchel between her hands. "Look I'm trying to figure out how this works still, it's not so easy otherwise I would be using it daily!"
"So then how does it work?" She hissed back.
"I just told you I don't know!"
KuliKuli hopped out of bed, stepping between them. "No arguments, indoor voices only! We're all friends here, no reason to be upset right?"
"Oh, forgive me for giving the benefit of the doubt and believing your friend had a course of action when she risked our necks for that piece of empty literature." Reta muttered as she stepped back.
Janette fumed and jumped to her feet. "I'm working on it, this book didn't come with directions on how to use it!"
"What's so relevant about a silly book anyways?" Emyri asked with a dismissive wave of her paw. "We've bigger concerns to focus on, do we not?"
"Of course!" Reta growled while throwing her arms up in frustration. "Of course we do! Bakayarō! How foolish of me to ask."
Nyitzcha stared awkwardly in silence as the woman paced around back and forth.
"Okay, that's enough." Felix said. "Arguing isn't going to help-"
"Let's just all try to behave like mature adults here, we're a bit old for silly temper tantrums really." Emyri stated with a side eye pointed toward Reta.
"Urusai!" She screamed out, eyes flaring up and her voice booming loudly.
KuliKuli gasped and recoiled, with Na'Vi jumping next to Emyri with her claws extended and ready. Reta looked around, scanning their worried faces as some of the girls looked to her in fear while others scowled and held their ground. Felix sighed and dropped his head into his arms in dismay, an action that left Reta feeling familiar. In her eyes, he reminded her of her father when he too shook his head in disappointment before walking away in silence. It left her in a state of shock then and there, quietly feeling the tension grow around her as she felt unwelcome.
"Maybe we just... need to all calm down." KuliKuli spoke as she tried to reach out to her friend, only for her to pull her hand away. She hung her head in shame before quickly hurrying out towards the door.
"Reta?" Felix called out, watching her pull the door open and push through Yoku as he stumbled back in surprise, losing his balance and falling against the wall.
"My word!" He exclaimed, adjusting himself and fixing his suit before turning to greet them with a wave. "Erm, is Nyitzcha here?"
He looked around as Felix and Janette sat opposite of Nyitzcha on the beds, surrounded by four random cats awkwardly staring back at their visitor. Leaning into the doorframe, he cleared his throat. "Ahem! Nyitzcha, we just got a fleet of new folly down below and could use a skilled hand behind the counter. Terribly sorry to disturb you-"
"Nay bother, was jist catchin' up wit de youn' lass!" She cheerfully explained, waving him away. He nodded and closed the door, leaving them in private as the cat girls returned to their Nekomata forms. "That was close. Ye seem like yer gottae lot happenin' 'ere, I be down at dae pub! Haste ye back!"
She hopped out of bed and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Felix breathed in and sighed loudly, with KuliKuli looking out the bedroom round window.
"She's tired, we all are." He began to explain.
"No, it's more than that. Jay, you brought the other cloaks right?" KuliKuli noticed her friend nod by her reflection on the glass window. "Good, we need to hurry up and grab what we need. It's already night out, let's make the most of it. And Mom, you need to be nicer to her. She's my friend and I won't be having you say things to upset her like that."
"Oh hun, I was just reminding your friend abou-"
"I get that, but do it in a nicer way or don't do it at all." She cut her short, giving her mother a stern look.
Emyri was startled and caught by surprise before nodding. "O-of course dear. I'm sorry."
"Good, but save that for her. Felix, I think we should go after her. Jay, can you-"
"Handle the rations? I got it." Janette nodded while getting to her feet.
KuliKuli pressed her forehead against the glass, feeling its cool surface contrast against the heat of growing concerns flaring up in her. With a deep sigh, she pulled away and quickly dressed up with her cloak to hide her animal features. "Okay, let's go!"
