Chapter 1: A pink wolf?

Strangeness, or the unfamiliar, provides us with an opportunity to broaden our understanding of the world around us. It challenges our preconceived notions and encourages us to question our assumptions. By embracing the strange, we open ourselves up to new experiences and ways of thinking that can lead to personal growth and greater empathy towards others.

However, embracing the strange also requires a level of discomfort. It forces us to confront the unknown and can be a source of anxiety and fear. Yet, it is only through this discomfort that we can truly learn and grow.

In a world that often seeks comfort and familiarity, embracing the strange may seem counterintuitive. But by doing so, we can expand our horizons and become more open-minded individuals. The strange, after all, is simply another facet of human experience that deserves to be explored and understood.

But as of right now, the boy known as Mikoto Yukio did not quite feel like embracing the 'strange'.

Firstly, he wakes up in some barren wasteland filled with a putrid smell. Then he discovers that someone has been messing around with his body. Plastic surgery was the obvious answer, but he could not find any scars. Not to mention, it seems his height had also been reduced, so yes, Mikoto was quite annoyed.

"Damn, I hope Aunt Maya is smart enough not to tell mom about my disappearance." Mikoto muttered to himself as he walked along the dirt path, surrounded by grass and trees. He had been walking for a few hours now, and strangely enough, he did not feel the least bit fatigued or tired. While he was no slouch in exercising for as long as he was walking, he was sure he would be getting tired soon. But nothing.

Though there was still a toll on his mental fortitude, it felt like he was in skin that was not his own; it felt irksome and eerie. Just thinking about it made his stomach drop and his fingers numb. That is also not mentioning that he still had no clue as to where he was; for all he knew, he was not even in Japan anymore.

"I don't think mom's heart could handle me being missing now." She was always a worrywart.

"Damn it, you old fool! Just leave the cart and let's go!"

Mikoto's pace quickened as he picked up on a woman's voice. He did not know what someone was doing out in the boonies like this, but for now he did not care. Though something he noted was that language was strange, strange, and unfamiliar, yet he understood it perfectly. For now, he placed that at the back of his mind as he neared where he heard the person's voice.

There was a large wooden cart that seemed to be pulled by two brown horses. On the cart were a dozen or so crates that seemed to weigh down said cart, if the single wheel stuck in the dirt road was any indication. He also took note of the two people standing there; one was a bald old man. He had a full gray beard on his wrinkled face and was wearing quite old-fashioned attire. He wore a simple black tunic with dirty gray pants and brown boots.

Though Mikoto found himself more focused on the woman, not for the reasons you are thinking, well, true, even through her old-fashioned brown dress, her hourglass figure was visible along with her ample bosom. But Mikoto found himself more focused on her head of flowing, bright pink locks that extended to her back and almost touched the ground. But it was not that that garnered his attention. No, in Tokyo, it was pretty normal to see people with brightly dyed hair. So what caught Mikoto's attention?

That would be the pair of pink wolf ears perfectly blending with her hair atop her head.

("Cosplay?") That seemed to be the most likely answer, but for now he would not think much of it. Everyone had their own preferences, he supposed. His little sister used to like dressing like those Disney princesses.

"Oh, quiet, you brat! I ain't leaving this cart with all this cargo behind!" The old man barked back at the scowling girl, who just rolled her eyes. "Why don't you use that monster strength of yours to just lift the garsh darn cart then? Or better yet that magic. My horses are getting tired."

"You hired me to escort you, old man." The girl crudely shot back; she was quite rude for someone with such an overly cute face. And escort? That suggested she was some sort of bodyguard, but her attire did not attest to that fact. "I keep wild animals' and goblins of your ass, and that's it."

"Some help you are, bah!" The old man spat out as he tried to lift up the cart to loosen the wheel that was stuck in the road.

"Uhm....excuse me." Mikoto finally decided to make his presence known. The two turned to him with a sharp turn of their heads, only for absolute shock to grace their features. "Hi..." He said with an awkward wave, he did not think this new appearance of his would come to annoy him this soon. But what was the girl so surprised for? She had pink hair with what he had now identified as salmon-colored eyes.

"By the God's..." The pink-haired woman was the first to snap out of her shock as she stepped closer to him. Until she invaded his personal space, appraising him as if he were some high-quality item. "As I live and breathe, A real spawn of the goddess Octavia!"

Mikoto could just blink in confusion as he backed away slightly.

"Erm, sorry, but I'm kind of lost." It had occurred to him that he spoke this unfamiliar language with surprising ease and familiarity, but for the time being, he was just too glad to actually talk with real people. Though he had not a clue as to what all of that Goddess Octavia business was about.

"Lost ye say, lass?" The old man started. "I'm surprised you could get lost." The old man spoke as if such a thing would be an impossibility, but for the time being, Mikoto was focused on something else.

"Lass? I'm a guy, though." Now the two looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Impossible. The blessing of the Goddess Octavia is already rare enough. And in any records of said blessing it shows that the Goddess favors women above men," The pink-haired woman informed him, yet he only grew more confused with each and every word she uttered.

"I am a guy. I don't know why I would lie about that." The woman merely looked at him skeptically.

"Stop being such a harpy." The old man chastised her as he glanced at the woman before looking back at him. "Sorry about her, erm..."

"Mikoto, you can just call me Mikoto." In most other places, it was normal to call someone by their given name right away instead of their family name.

"Sounds like an Easterner's name." The old man murmured before shaking his head. "Well, the name's Emil, and this lady right here is Fiona-."

"I can introduce myself, old man." She cut him off as she cleared her throat. "My name is Fiona Von Achenbach, daughter of Duke Arthur Von Achenbach." She spoke while doing a small curtsy. "I'm sure we'll be good friends."

"Right....well it is a pleasure to meet you, Emil-san and Fiona-san." Mikoto greeted with a small bow, only for the two to raise an eyebrow.

"San? What's with putting that behind our names?" Fiona questioned.

"Well, it's a custom of my people? You know how we Japanese are with our honorifics." Mikoto informed with a sheepish chuckle.

"Japanese ey? So that's the official name for you Easterner's. 'Suppose even someone as old as me can learn something new every day." Emil spoke with a hearty laugh. "And you said you were lost? Well, as soon as I get my carriage loose, I'll take you to the village."

"That would be much appreciated, but do you need a hand?" Mikoto offered.

"Now *that* would be much appreciated. Me old bones ain't what they used to be, and this harpy ain't any help, as you might've guessed." Emil spoke while giving the aforementioned Harpy a side glance. Said Harpy just sighed and shook her head as Mikoto approached the back of the carriage.

With his body like this—way smaller and frailer—he did not expect to do much. He just offered his help to be polite, so gripping at the back of the cart, he easily lifted it up—a little too high, it seems—as the horses seemed to make a fuss as they wildly neighed away as Mikoto quickly sat the cart back down.

"Well, I be! Who would've thought that scrawny body of yours had that much strength?" The old man was the first to speak, followed by his hearty laugh.

"Uneducated, are we?" Fiona snarked to the old man as a haughty and know-it-all expression graced her while Mikoto was still in shock at his new-found strength. "This....boy is a spawn of the great Goddess Octavia. She is a Goddess of war, magic, and navigation. Spawns of the Gods and Goddesses inherit their qualities; it would be surprising if this boy was physically weak." She informed matter-of-factly.

Mikoto could only look at her, bemused.

("God's and Goddesses? What the hell is she talking about? Is this some kind of role-play? Hold on those ears on her head just twitched! Is that a feature?") She must have taken note of his staring as she opened her mouth to speak, only for Emil to interrupt her.

"Well, thanks, lad; the cart is unstuck, so we can be on our way. The village isn't far now."

"R-right thanks." Mikoto muttered out, and he did not miss the glances Fiona sent his way.

____________________

When the old man said village, he did not think he meant it literally.

The place was bustling with activity and energy, with small colorful buildings and market stalls lining the narrow cobblestone streets. The sound of horses and carts mixed with the chatter of villagers going about their daily business. The smell of freshly baked bread and roasting meat filled the air as vendors hawked their wares. In the central square, a fountain spouted water into a pool surrounded by benches where people sat to chat and watch the world go by. Children played games in the streets while dogs and chickens ran free. The sounds of music and laughter emanated from what looked like a local inn, where patrons enjoyed ale and lively entertainment.

The whole place screamed medieval, but he guessed some places in the world still build and model their towns after medieval times. Like Europe, was he in Europe? But this language he seemingly knew at the time Fiona and Emil spoke did not seem like anything European.

"Well, what do you think, lad? Quite the lively place, innit." Emil spoke from his side; he had long since parked his cart along with his horses elsewhere.

"For peasants, mayhap," Fiona chimed in.

"Oh, hush you!" Emil barked back as he turned back to him. "Ye see the inn over yonder? Just tell ol' Emilia I sent you. This freeloader stays there too, so at least you'll have a familiar face. But I'll be seeing you around, lad." The old man waved goodbye as Mikoto returned the gesture.

"Come now, Mikoto, was it? Let's not dilly-dally." Fiona spoke as she gestured for him to follow.

Of course, moving through the populated streets, he attracted no shortage of stares from men, women, and children alike.

"Look mommy! Look at the pretty girl!" A small girl exclaimed as she pointed at him.

"It's rude to point, dear."

("Yeah, I do not like this face one bit.") He thought with a sigh as he followed Fiona through the wooden doors of an inn.

The inn was also bustling with activity, much like outside, with bustling patrons and clashing goblets. The room was filled with the warm glow of flickering candles, casting shadows on the walls. There was a large fireplace in the center of the room, with a spit roasting a succulent pig. The walls were adorned with various medieval artifacts, such as shields, suits of armor, and swords.

And the tables were adorned with fresh linens and wooden goblets filled to the brim with what looked like frothy ale. On the ceiling hang chandeliers, casting a soft light over the room. The air was thick with the sound of bawdy laughter and lively conversations. From the kitchen, the scent of savory dishes tempted his senses, while musicians strummed their lutes, filling the air with lively tunes. The patrons were a mix of what looked like merchants, peasants, and travelers, all sharing in the warmth of the inn.

("They're really driving home that medieval feel, huh?") He mused as he looked around with wonder, only to find himself dragged off by a seemingly impatient Fiona.

"Mistress Emilia, I have a new guess." She spoke while coming to a stop in front of what looked like one of the waiters at the place. She wore a green dress like many others', and along with that, she had shoulder-length raven hair with emerald-colored eyes.

"A new one, eh?" Emilia spoke as her eyes latched onto him. "Well, aren't you quite the adorable little thing?" She spoke with a cheshire-like grin as she started patting his head. He suddenly felt much smaller than he already was.

"The old man bid us to come to you for refuge for Mikoto here." Fiona quickly informed me.

"Mikoto, huh? A cute name to boot too, eye?" Emilia murmured as Mikoto held back a sigh.

"Thanks..."

"But he shall stay within the confines of my room if that is all right. It does have two beds after all." Fiona announced it all too casually.

"Uuh, pardon?" Mikoto would voice his concerns about the matter, but Emilia cut him off.

"Ah, trying to keep him to yourself. Sneaky, sneaky." The woman said with a raised brow and grin, and all she received was a dry look from the wolf girl. "Well, it's all fine; just don't have too much-"

"Come." Fiona did not let her finish, as she promptly grabbed Mikoto by the wrist while dragging him to the upstairs section of the inn.

("That Emilia woman didn't seem to make that much of a fuss over my appearance like Emil-san and Fiona did. And good thing the other patriots are too drunk to notice. But damn, I hope mom, Hinata, and everyone else aren't too worried." )

If only this poor fool knew.