Bevel was conflicted as they flew into the heart of the clans where her Papa was going to try to not get killed by their leaders now so that they didn't try to kill him later.

It seemed over-complicated to Bevel. Just thump them and leave.

She knew her Papa had been holding back against the bear-mountain-man. Even she could tell that a single one of Papa's Earth Stars would've left the man laying there, wheezing, if Papa had shot it at him instead of the ground.

Instead, her Papa had gone easy on him, letting him look good while dancing around him like he was a kid who'd never swung a stick before.

Though she guessed him giving up his stick and board meant he was probably better with a stick than his fist. A hammer was basically a stick with a rock on the end, wasn't it? Just like a sword was a fancy club?

"So, does it count as defeating his attempt to poison me if I just heal through it? Seems like less work," her Papa said in response to a comment about the serpent lord.

Bevel thought that was a weird animal to bond. She knew that it was probably a big version of the snakes she found in the canyons occasionally, but she couldn't imagine why someone would want to bond with one. Maybe they ran out of better choices?

The bear man laughed again, shaking his head as he said something she ignored. He liked to do that, Bevel had realized. The laughing, not the head shaking.

He also liked to lie. A lot. Pretended he was brave when he could barely hide his nervous sweat after his fight with Papa.

Another small snake whipped through the air, riding the currents. Bevel absentmindedly snatched it from the air, squishing it. Those ones could get real annoying if you let them bite you. She'd gotten a rash for three whole hours after one had bitten her, constantly getting blacker as it went.

Luckily, she'd gone to her wishing rock and it had made the rash get better. It was really good at little wishes like that.

She still felt bad about her wish to have Tamrie go away. She'd just thought that Papa and Ari were obviously a better match, and surely Papa would see that if only Tamrie wasn't there.

Except it had hurt Papa.

Bevel bobbed upward, dodging around a group of unruly men standing around with goats. She'd seen those ones around before. They'd been fighting Vaserra's pack, attempting to take her sheep. Not these people, obviously, since they were still alive.

But some men like them.

Bevel didn't know how to fix her wish with Tamrie. Which is why she made another wish. One for her Papa. And for Mama Ari. She was glad Papa hadn't caught her little slip of the tongue.

Even Tamrie could see they should be together!

But Papa had been upset by the idea.

Bevel really didn't get adults, even as she got closer to being one herself. They made things over-complicated.

Nodding to herself, she decided she wouldn't become one. She'd just keep being her.

Three snakes flew through the air, all of them flying towards Papa. She knew he could've dealt with them himself, but he'd been upset since he and Tamrie stopped being 'more than friends' as Mama Ari had put it, so Bevel dealt with them herself.

That talk had been as confusing as it had been helpful. Mama Ari had reassured her that after she'd had a couple days to think, she'd answer Bevel's questions. And unlike Tamrie, she knew Mama Ari wouldn't make her feel bad about trying to ask simple questions.

How was making a list even supposed to help? That was for enchanting and magic, not talking to boys.

When they encountered the fancy man with slicked back hair and a cat head tattooed on his arm, Bevel thought she might get to see her Papa toss him around.

After all, he introduced himself as a cat lord. And when Papa had met the bear lord, Papa had tossed him around.

The man even stood up tall, pointing at Papa, mouth-half open.

Before a single word leaked out, auntie Nexxa stepped forward, cracking her knuckles. "In accordance to the inter-clan laws, I challenge you to a 'Claws Out' duel."

This seemed to amuse the cat-tattooed man. "You think a child such as you has a chance against the Panther Lord of clan Razorclaw?"

His amusement faded when auntie Nexxa repeated her challenge, "You heard me, cat boy. You're not good enough to take my brother on. You'll have to settle for me."

"You really think you can stand up against a beast lord? You're barely a child," cat boy said, shaking his head, glare fixed on Papa.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I'm hydra-souled. Just 'cause I got there early doesn't mean I can't shove your leg so far up your backside you'll be tasting toes," auntie Nexxa said, sparks filling the air around her, bouncing harmlessly off Bevel's and Papa's shields.

"Hydra, you? You wouldn't be talking to us. You'd just…" he made a waving motion with his hand as if to encompass the camp.

Bevel turned her head to the side, trying to figure out what it was supposed to mean. While she did, she squashed another dozen of the flying snakes.

They were really thick today. Someone was gonna get super sick!

Bevel wasn't sure who she should talk to about that, since both Papa and auntie Nexxa were busy talking to the silly cat boy. Reminding herself she was trying to be more independent, she decided she should be a bit more proactive.

Tapping into the Wind Within, her awareness of the camp blossomed, slowly spreading out across the gathered clans.

There were a lot of people there. Even more than she'd thought!

There were people with deer, and also some who were playing with cute cats with a short tail, and… right, the flying snakes. They actually seemed to have invaded one of the camps. The same one with the big serpents. No wonder they had an infestation. Snakes didn't like to eat snakes.

Bevel shook her head. They really should take better care of their supplies.

While auntie Nexxa and the cat boy led the group over to a field of brightly colored flowers, Bevel smothered all the pesky snakes, robbing the nest of air. Uncle Calbern had told her she shouldn't kill all the animals in an area, so she made sure to keep a few of the babies alive. She tossed those into a bowl and put a plate on top of it, then floated the combination over to what looked like the head cook's tent.

The head cook always had the fanciest bowls and spoons, so Bevel was certain she'd chosen the right one. They were also the ones responsible for keeping their kitchen clean.

Hopefully they'd recognize how much trouble Bevel had saved everyone! So much negligence.

Papa never would've allowed it.

With the snakes tidied up, Bevel's attention turned to the duel just in time.

Auntie Nexxa was just starting her dance. Papa said he'd learned it from auntie, but they were as different as the north and west winds. Auntie was brutal and sudden, with harsh gusts that stopped as quick as they arose.

Papa wasn't like that at all. He was more like uncle Calbern, his movement constant and always moving from one to the next like a constant breeze.

The fight that followed was just as fun as watching Papa had been.

Auntie Nexxa opened with a spell that covered the whole field in little dancing sparks, all of which moved back towards her, charging her back up. It looked like a modified version of Mana Draw that locked into the land itself, converting the mana even before it reached her auntie.

It was a new spell! Auntie wasn't just showing off her combat skills, she was showing them her spell crafting… uh… what was the word Mama Ari had used?

Acumen?

Yep. Acumen. Auntie Nexxa was showing off her spell crafting acumen.

Not that anyone other than Papa seemed to notice, everyone cheering for cat boy like the little hop he'd made to avoid auntie's Lightning Bolt had been impressive. Auntie hadn't even used a tracer on him to make sure it hit, she'd just been getting him to dance.

After another half dozen spells where her auntie continued to lay out lines in a simple cage like pattern, the crowd cheered again when the cat boy sent a wave of thin air at her auntie.

He'd made it visible for some reason, glowing with green waste mana.

Maybe it was so the crowd could see it? They seemed to like the fancy effects, no matter who was casting. She thought the eagle lady might see some of the less glaring things her auntie was doing, but Bevel wasn't sure.

The cat boy did seem to realize how outclassed he was, though he did a pretty good job hiding it. But after a minute of dancing with auntie Nexxa he hadn't landed a single hit and there was sweat coming down his back.

Bevel suspected that if he realized just how poor of a dance partner he'd been, he'd feel even worse.

That was when auntie Nexxa triggered her preparations. Where before it had been like she'd been gently instructing him on the steps, each blast informing him where he should be standing, now the blasts of lightning pushed him to wherever auntie Nexxa wanted him.

Auntie Nexxa was clearly playing with the cat boy, knocking him into the air with one hit before blasting him down the next.

There'd been a lot of cheering from the crowd at the start of the fight, but after a minute the only people cheering were her, Papa and the big bear-mountain-man's clan.

The eagle-people seemed amused but they weren't cheering.

It seemed the cat boy was getting angry, though his words weren't very legible, even to Bevel who could catch them and deliver them as if he'd whispered them in her ear.

Probably cause of the way his jaw hung loose, barely attached. It wasn't very pretty, but Bevel'd seen lots and lots of folks that'd been hurt even worse. Usually they died, but he was supposed to be tough, so maybe he wouldn't?

She wasn't sure if they wanted him to or not. It was pretty clear auntie Nexxa could've finished him off in a few seconds, so she guessed they wanted him alive for some reason?

The head cook stepped up nearby, and Bevel couldn't help but spare an ear out of curiosity when he addressed her Papa. Would he thank Papa for dealing with their snake problem?

Bevel didn't mind if Papa got credit. After all, he'd know it was her, and he'd tell her she did a good job later.

"You know, I must admit, no one has ever had the brazenness to drop a bowl full of snakes before on my desk with my own best dinnerware before," the head cook said, his hand stroking a neatly coiled goatee. "And after purging the rest in a single subtle spell, slipping right past the protection wards without stepping within a hundred feet. I'll have you know, those were very expensive."

"Clearly you overpaid," Papa said, and Bevel nodded along. Must've been horrible wards. They hadn't even kept the snakes out.

Papa noticed the motion, raising an eyebrow at her, giving her a small smile before schooling his face.

Yes! She knew she'd done good.

It wouldn't make up for wishing Tamrie away but it was a good start. And like Papa had said, one step at a time. Least, she thought it had been Papa who said that. It might've been uncle Calbern or Esbee. That did sound more like an uncle Calbern thing.

Her attention was drawn back to the beating her auntie was giving the cat boy when a thunderous crack overwhelmed the air barrier Bevel'd been keeping up to protect everyone's ears.

Most of the crowd seemed shocked at the sudden escalation in the noise. Or maybe it was the cat boy slumping to the ground then failing to get back up that surprised them.

Bevel didn't know why. It was obvious auntie Nexxa was going to win from the second they started talking. Compared to the monsters auntie Nexxa fought, he was like the child he'd accused her of being.

Auntie Nexxa wasn't even breathing hard.

Bevel really did have the most fraying awesome family. She grabbed her Papa's hand, then started cheering loudly for her auntie.

Papa had been right. The visit had been simple.

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