New start

Looking behind me, I spotted those three. The three most important people in my life now. The pain of physically losing someone dear... I do not want to go through it again. It simply was too suffocating. Tears slowly ran down my eyes pearling over my cheeks, looking at Sparrow I gently spoke.

"Sparrow you are my brother now, since I now live within Dove's body we now have blood ties." I gave him a small shy smile, a bit afraid that he would refuse since afterall, I was not really his sister but a tiger beast that had a human soul for all he knew. I was also the guilty one for failing to save her.

To my astonishment he did not outright refuse me, speaking in that grief-filled tone of a young boy that has yet to go through puberty.

"I am still just a servant how can I dare become your brother?" The boy clearly felt unworthy of such status and honour, after all, he was now a slave, he could not lift his head too high or convert to higher skies even if his master Katsy was kind, the world won't let him!!

Realizing the main issues, Katsy's eyes travelled toward Kenshin and she spoke with resolution to him, her tone indicates that she would not take no for an answer.

"Kenshin, how about you give me back their contracts now, while Sparrow's contract will be destroyed since he is my little brother now. He is no longer a servant, but my sole blood family, as I am no longer the same when the ritual concluded that my body is now neither beast nor human— being both yet neither."

I stared at Kenshin, seeing his lost gaze and lack of reaction, I could not help but raise a brow and walk forward passing my hand in front of his eyes until he snapped out of his daze.

"Well?" I stated, not giving him more time to think.

He then seemed to ponder something as his gaze became very complicated.

"Well that can be done. However, I do not think that a family composed of only two underaged kids will be well-received. Orphans normally are slaves. If you wish to go down this line, I suggest you cover up as an adult or at least as a young adult.

After all, a nine-year-old can't just appear in an already known family. Though we can use an insignificant noble's house from the outside. This would run the risk of them using the both of you for benefits. While it would be hard for them to abuse you, they might bully others in your name which would give us heaps of a headache."

He walked into the room and went toward a corner tea table to sit down as we talked.

"Come sit with me." He said with a smile as he gestured to the chair in front.

"We can now have our first real talk." Speaking with a slight emotion of excitement, his eyes gave away that he was genuinely happy on my behalf.

"Fine, but we will stick to the issues at hand and only once this is resolved can we talk about other concerning stuff."

"Very well then, first things first. If you wish for a family registry, it can be easily done, after all you are the first true divine beast that joined the human society. Some do it at the lower key end and avoid most humans, becoming hermits from beast and humans. But some would also decide to enter the human realm and revolve around royalty and nobility; Being nobles themselves. Normally, their status is the same as the royals if they become the guardian of the royal dynasty and "their words call the wind and summons the rain that even the emperor would have to listen to them especially if the beast have stayed for a few generations."

Their human descendants also have statuses equaling those of a prince or a princess.." Leaning back in his chair, he continued to narrate to me the pros of being allied with the palace.

"This is how much influence a true divine beast status would have as a guardian of a dynasty. As for its duty, it is to protect the imperial bloodline so it does not die. They fight to keep the main castle and the emperor's palace standing in wartime. Basically, the divine beast is the last line of defence, and also once matured— the most powerful line of defence of the emperor. " His eyes deeply stared into mine as I assimilated the information.

Replying to him with neither warm nor cold feelings.

"Basically, if I choose this avenue I would have to shoulder the responsibility of keeping the imperial bloodline from harm and hold invaders at bay. In turn, my status in the human society would be second only to the emperor. And if I would have children then they would gain the status of princes and princesses; Thus they do not have to directly contribute to anything as long as I am alive defending the dynasty." I resumed what I understood and seemed to be pretty spot on.

"And once you are gone from the world, your descendants would still be revered as a holy family, keeping their status as nobles even if they do not lift a finger. But it could be higher if they continue to wear the mantle and resume the ancestral duty, thus keeping the guardian status. Normally since divine beasts rarely turn into true ones, only the three kingdoms have such beasts in their family.

One has a thousand-year-old serpent beast active, the other has a firebird resembling a phoenix but it is not. It's the thirty-year-old grandson of the true blooded phoenix that is rather powerful though not fully matured.

The other kingdom has a true dragon blood and it married an imperial princess giving his bloodline to the Imperials. The emperor gave the throne to him and when he passed, he retired at the age of seventy giving his great-grandson the reins. This one is likely the most prosperous country around." Lazily leaning his chin on his palm as he spoke in a casual tone as if we talked of weather everyday, only the slight glimmer in his eyes betrayed him, as he likely could not contain his own excitement.

"I see, I guess I could consider this, but I would need to dwell on it before making my decision. Also I would need to meet the emperor, since it would have a great impact on whether or not I accept this right?" Thinking like this, I would need to see if he's worth me pledging my life to their house.

"Anyhow I want Fire Drake and Sparrow's deed of ownership. Also, I will need new attendants since I'm 'human' now. We should also discuss if I should move out of the forest since it would be odd if a human girl lived in your backyard while being unrelated."

When I spoke of this, his face had a strange expression…