Chapter 29 Aura.

Chapter 29: 29 Aura.

The tear expanded rapidly, forming an oval big enough for a person.

Purple energy crackled and surged around its edges, sure enough, identical in shape and size to the one that had delivered Elsa.

A figure emerged—definitely female, definitely not human.

She had golden-brown dog ears perched on her head and a matching tail that immediately started wagging.

The hair on her head was golden brown in the same way as her ears and tail, fashioned into a bob, and with a big crimson bow sitting atop her head.

Her outfit was something else: a white shawl with red trim over a black midriff-baring top and a high-slit skirt, which was also white and red. A black leather collar with a golden tag completed the look.

Her tan skin and amber eyes fixated on me, and she cocked her head in confusion. The second she spotted Elsa, however, her tail went into overdrive.

"Princess Elsa!" she cried, launching herself forward. "Your Highness!"

Before I could react, she’d tackled Elsa to the ground and was licking her face a bit too enthusiastically for it to be some sexy lesbian porn shit.

"Thank the Moon Mother you’re safe!" she exclaimed between licks. "One minute you were there, then POOF, just as planned, I couldn’t believe how smoothly it went! But my chrono crystal couldn’t find you, so I thought something went wrong, so I decided to search for you myself and—"

"Ayra!" Elsa laughed, half-heartedly pushing at the dog-girl. "Unhand me at once, you fretful thing! I’m quite fine, I assure you!"

The dog-girl—Ayra—finally relented, helping Elsa up before turning to examine me. Her nose twitched as she literally sniffed the air.

"Grey," Elsa said, brushing grass off her clothes, "I am honored to introduce Ayra, our party healer and apparently our newest housemate. Ayra, this strapping man is Grey Coleman, our new party member."

I smiled and extended my hand. "Nice to meet you, Ayra."

Her eyes bulged in shock, and she recoiled like I’d pulled a gun, leaping backward with her ears flat and tail tucked. "Elsa!"

She gasped with theatrical terror. "Is he... you mean... he’s the one?" For some reason, though, her tail started wagging before she even heard the answer.

Elsa sighed. "Yes, Ayra. He’s the man of Earthrealm foretold by Juniper and the Seer."

Ayra’s gaze darted to me, eyes wide with exaggerated awe. "So this brutal, merciless gigolo of a man is to be my cruel and unforgiving master?"

Elsa blinked. So did I. The princess let out a sigh. "Sure," she said flatly. "If it makes you happy, I suppose."

"Wait, what?" I started. "I’m not—"

"I can feel his lecherous gaze undressing me!" Ayra declared, though her tail had started wagging again. "Very well, Master! Pah-tooey!" She spit on the ground.

"Since I have no choice, I shall submit to your cruel discipline and let you attempt to mold me into the bitch you wish for me to be." She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead like she was in distress.

"Oh woe is me!" She winked at me when she saw the look on my face.

"What is actually happening right now?" I muttered out of the side of my mouth in a near-monotone, unable to look away.

Her voice dropped to a stage whisper. "Oh, I do not look forward to the spankings, the collar-pulling, especially when he forces me to—"

"Ayra!" Elsa snapped. "Can you contain your fantasies for literally thirty seconds, you lewd hound? We haven’t even finalized our introductions!"

Ayra’s whole demeanor flipped like a lever had been pulled. With ears perked and tail wagging, she bowed deeply with a blush. "Forgive me, Princess! I was overcome by my joy."

She straightened, addressing me directly. "Sorry, Master. I am Ayra Moonfang, Royal Healer of the Hero’s Party and First Cleric of the Moon Mother. I’m honored to serve!" Another wink.

I glanced at Elsa, who was looking exasperated. "Maybe we should take this inside?"

Ten minutes later, we were at my kitchen table.

Ayra was demolishing leftover bacon and eggs while Elsa and I nursed her coffee-adjacent abomination. I just did my best to catch up with the sudden influx of crazy bullshit.

"So you’re a healer?" I asked, trying to process this new development.

Ayra nodded enthusiastically. "The finest in all of the Canid Kingdom! I can mend bones, cure poisons, even revive the recently dead!" She flexed her arm. "Plus I’m amazing with a war hammer."

"War hammer?" I eyed her small frame skeptically.

She was a few inches taller than Elsa, and a bit less petite, but she was no muscle mommy nor chungus by a long shot.

Still she was a cutie nonetheless, if only she didn’t have the mannerisms of an actual dog.

What? No!

I shook off the thought immediately, if Elsa knew I was thinking about any other woman— not to mention her ’friend’— she’d kill... well, she’d kill the woman but Elsa was exactly normal either.

My eyes drifted to the discarded cartoonishly large war hammer by the side, it looked like something Tom used to chase Jerry.

Imagining her wielding a war hammer strained at my suspension of disbelief.

She grinned at me, showing pointed canines. "Don’t let the diminutive package fool you, Master. Though I’m sure you’ll be much stronger than me when our levels even out." That look in her eyes was fucking trouble.

I wanted very badly to ask about the weird outburst she had and why she was calling me Master all of a sudden, but I didn’t know quite how to broach it.

Suddenly she gasped, apparently determined to revisit the topic on her own. "Oh, curses! I took the last strip of bacon without permission!"

She jumped up, bending over the table. "I suppose you’ll want to punish me for my greed, Master. How cruel of you! I spit in defiance! Pah-tooey!"

"Please don’t spit on my floor," I said.