Koyuki, the Necromancing Foxkin

CHAPTER 318: Lady Nanami

Life continued normally for a while. I experimented with the two goblin corpses but failed to create anything special. Classes were interesting and I spent some time working on better shields and infusing my water magic with death mana. A few weeks had passed when I got called to the headmaster's office once more. As I knocked I wondered what awaited me this time. Only Nyx and Garm were with me right now, since my other undead were busy.

"Come in."

I entered and tried to salute but froze. The headmaster was behind his desk, as expected. But on the couch sat two people: Irene, whose presence was not too surprising, and… a dark foxkin. She was not the same woman I had met inside the capital.

The foxkin had long dark hair and piercing blue eyes. I could not help but feel judged by her gaze.

"Ssssir!" I stammered and managed my salute, while staring at the guest.

"Ah, Koyuki, let me introduce you to our guest: Lady Nanami. She is part of a delegation from Kitara. With our newest generation of ships we have increased our trade enough that we are now seeking closer ties with their nation." Erik explained. "Lady Nanami is a strong necromancer and was interested in visiting our academy. Princess Olivia has granted her the right to visit, despite being a foreign national."

Nanami stood up and walked closer, while studying me, then she looked at Garm and Nyx, who was on Garm's head.

"A bowtie? Do you treat your guardian as a doll?" She asked in a stern voice.

"Excuse me! These magnificent bowties are a sign of culture!" The left head complained. "And style." The right head added.

"Meow!" Nyx agreed.

Nanami's eyes widened, as she stared at Nyx. "Neko… The cat! Your guardian is a small cat!"

"She can grow." I pointed out, defensively.

"You have wasted your bond!" Nanami complained.

"What bond?" I asked.

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"What do they teach you around here?" She questioned.

"Now, now. Don't forget that you are a guest." Irene said.

Nanami stopped complaining and gave a small bow. "Apologies. Guardians are a sacred bond to our people. It takes a lot of talent, and power, to achieve the bond in the first place. Only some undead are deemed worthy of becoming guardians."

"Nyx is worthy!" I objected.

"Really?" The woman asked. "The small skeletal cat is worthy, not the two-headed beast?"

"Beast? How rude." Garm complained.

I had been looking forward to meeting another dark foxkin but right now I felt annoyed. Who was this woman to judge me? To judge Nyx?

"Nyx has done a damn good job of guarding me! Don't you dare judge her!" I replied.

Nanami studied me. "Some spine, good, but so much ignorance."

"You were not invited here to insult our students, you are here as a courtesy and because Koyuki has expressed interest in meeting more dark foxkin since she is an orphan." Erik said.

"Apologies, again." Nanami said, then she took some time to contemplate before she continued: "Kitara is ruled by our Emperor, Takeshi Gotou, a white foxkin."

"A white foxkin? Aren't those from Ilestria?" I blurted out.

Her gaze darkened. "Do not sully the Emperor with the name of those traitors! Those who have abandoned our people for their false crusade!"

"Sorry…" I mumbled.

She sighed. "Your ignorance is not your fault. The imperial line has always been a white foxkin, but our strongest defenders are the dark foxkin, especially the Himura clan. We have always lived with a balance between light and dark, until the Samitsu clan betrayed us. Their rebellion was crushed and they fled beyond the sea, to Ilestria. But enough about them and back to the dark foxkin. The strongest of them become Necatari, named after the goddess of death, Necari. They form a sacred bond with a guardian beast and are our strongest defenders. It is a position of great honour, a position of great responsibility. How you ended up in Nethena is a mystery but being able to form a guardian bond makes you nobility, in theory. There has never been one outside of Kitara, to my knowledge."

"Are you staking a claim on my student?" Erik asked.

She shook her head. "No, I have no such authority. This situation is unheard of and will likely spark some discussion, but having a guardian beast will be her best protection. It would be socially unacceptable to abduct a Necatari, or try to force them to join a clan."

"You are not showing Koyuki a lot of respect though." Irene pointed out.

"You are correct, my manners are lacking." Nanami agreed. "The situation is… perplexing. My mind is still coming to terms with finding a Necatari in these lands. One of Lady Yuka's aides visited a necromancy conference. We thought it silly, since we have mastered the art millennia ago. Yet she returned with the tale of a dark foxkin, a dark foxkin with a small guardian beast. I was dispatched to verify the rumour but I expected it to be false."

"Are you a Necatari?" I asked.

She smiled. "Of course, who else could verify such claims?"

"Where is your guardian beast?" I asked.

"Outside, I can summon him, if it is permissible?" She asked.

Erik nodded.

She cast a spell I could not identify and a small dark cloud appeared. It expanded into a large ball and two glowing yellow eyes peered through them. A head slowly moved out of the shadow, a very fluffy head with dark grey fur, a mighty mane and two black horns in its head. Then a paw followed. While the beast's head looked feline, the body itself resembled a large wolf, except for the tails. It had three cat-like tails. The creature was slightly smaller than Garm, but not by much.

"Meet, Kotara, my guardian."

"Meow." Nyx greeted him.

"Meow." He replied.