Mordecai had a moment of bemusement as his attention lit between their entrand a very excited Kazue. Up at the entrao their dungeon, three people had entered. One was a 6-tailed kitsune woman with dark hair and almond-shaped eyes like Moriko's, though her skin was a bit paler, wearing flowing robes that did not quite hide the presence of leather armor from Mordecai's senses. In front of her as a vanguard were two men: one a celestial-touched human monk wearing the holy symbol of the Twins and wielding a Bo Staff, with a Temple Sword at his side; the other a fiend-touched orc with a red hue to his skin, wielding a naginata and wearing a breastpte as well as having a heavy-duty longbow currently strapped to his back. It was iing to see nephilim of both celestial and fiendish heritage w together like that. The woman turo call out from the entrance, “It looks clear, but give us a moment more.”

  Down in their private chambers, Mordecai and Moriko were looking at Kazue, who had jumped off her stool. “It’s Princess Orchid! And Paltira! Um, I don’t know who the uy is, but I guess he’s a friend? Oh, Mom must have gotten my letter! Is she here too?” And the excited kitsune discorporated her avatar, which sent Mordecai’s mind rag as he swiftly followed her.

  “Moriko, meet us up top!”

  Kazue appeared almost directly in front of the other kitsune, and the bundle of eic red hair and tails unched herself into the princess’s arms. The two of them were nearly the same height, the princess st ialler than Kazue. This set off a series of events, as the orc turowards the potential threat, bringing the sword-spear to bear. Paltira had evidently reized the fuzzy red blur and was stepping in to intercept his orpanion, which left him in a perfect position to see Mordecai materialize.

  Mordecai had appeared te away with his nine-ring bde in hand, but his body and core were in perfect coordination and he'd appeared with enough momentum to almost instantly nd him behind his target, sword poised threateningly a short distance from the orephilim's neck. The man had started to turn in respoo the shift in Paltira's focus, but it had taken him too long to pull his attention away from the pair of kitsune and he found himself dangerously out of position to a any manner while that sword hovered so near.

  There was a heated glow ing from Mordecai's golden eyes as he growled, “First of all, I reend you don’t turn your on against my wife, especially in our home. Sed of all, I think you need some training on how to actually protect a target. We talk about that ter though, if you’ll just rex yrip and take a step away from the women, yes?” He did h approval that Paltira had stayed near Orchid and with his back turo her, keeping himself fag possible threats and not letting even the da move him away from the target of his prote. The monk's as also denoted a certain fiden Orchid's ability to handle a sihreat if his evaluation of Kazue turned out to be wrong.

  Kazue and Orchid had interrupted their excited greetings and turowards the frontation. Kazue’s eyes widened briefly at Mordecai’s expression, but recovered quickly, while Orchid’s attention focused oiefling panion. “Xarlug, I told you I was io hopefully meet a friend. It’s okay, this is who I am here to meet.”

  That was odd, her tone was almost that of gently chiding a younger person who was still learning, but Mordecai’s feeling was that this orc was a fully trained and experienced warrior. And his dungeon senses were saying something else entirely about their auras. It only took a brief sideration to decide that he should just not ask, it wasn’t something he o know. “Very well,” Mordecai began as he dispersed the bde and stepped back. “Perhaps we start over with some introduc-”

  He was cut off as another, female, voice called from outside the entrance. “What happened? Did I just hear Kazue?!” A kitsune rushed in wearing a green tunid browher pants, weighed down by a heavy backpack. Though she was in the more fox-like form on to most kitsuhe reddish color of her fur and her ret wave a hint as to who she might be, shortly firmed by “Kazue! Oh thank the goddess, it’s true!” the woman ractically sobbing as she opened her arms.

  “Mother!” Kazue called, and the crimson projectile threw herself at the visitor in a solid collision, and the joyful tears of reunion mihe outflow of parental grief and words of reassurahe rest of them just g each other, not really willing to interrupt this moment, and he wasn’t certain how long it would have sted if someone else wasn’t more willing to do so.

  “This is a toug reunion child, but perhaps you could move further in so that everyone else enter?” Another voice from outside the dungeon. His senses were weaker and of limited raside the entrance, but he could see that there were three more kitsune visitors. It was going to be quite a busy day.

  Both of the weeping kitsuarted, with Kazue letting out a distinct “Eeep!” as her mrabbed her arm and practically sprio clear the path, calling out, “I’m sorry Matriarch!” as she went. Ah. Also, he had a feeling he now knew where Kazue got some of her personality from. Hmm, and he had an idea how she was going to rea a moment more.

  Moriko finally arrived through the shortcut, immediately pausing to take iableau and then moving to match Mordecai as he strode towards Kazue. This gave them just enough time to be near her and to get a suspicious look from her mother before their final set of guests walked in. The brief pause made Mordecai suspect a bit of diplomacy y to give them the time to settle into pce.

  A tall kitsune woma in wearing vivid blue robes trimmed in gold, the bright colors trasting against the flow of her dark hair and a full set of ails. The matriarch was trailed by a young man and a girl who looked barely to be ieens. The young man had purple hair and tails, five of them, which was a rather unusual color for most races let alone a kitsune, and the girl was only slightly less unusual, her hair and tails being a dazzling ptinum blonde, but with dark tips on her ears and at the end of her three tails. Which was a rather impressive number for someone her age.

  Each of these younger folk also had a panion. Upon the girl’s shoulder rested a shimmering little green slime that seemed quite tent to g there, while some sort of pixie-like fey creature fluttered a little behind the young man, peeking around his head shyly.

  “M-Matriarch!” Kazue greeted nervously, and just as she was about to bow deeply, Mordecai sent a gathered burst of thought at her.

  “Calm. This is our domain. Here we meet her as equals.”

  Even at full strength and i, the burst couldn’t do more than make her hesitate slightly, but that was enough for her to gather her thoughts and correct her bow to that of an equal greeting another, which Mordecai also matched. Moriko took only a brief moment to decide and bowed slightly lower.

  “Greetings Matriarch of the Azeria ,” Mordecai said as the womaurheir bows, a slightly amused expression on her face. “It is a pleasure to meet you and yours, though I would ask that you not call my wife ‘child’. I am Mordecai, half of the dungeon you have entered, along with my wife, Kazue. And this is our wife and traoriko.” Kazue’s mother was now definitely giving him a gimlet eye.

  “I apologize if any habits of mine caused offehe matriarch replied smoothly. “I greet you Mordecai,” honored aor, “Kazue, Moriko.” Mordecai mao not react to the smoothly woven telepathic message, and took a moment to wonder if Traxalim had taken the initiative in tag her ahead of time. “Kazue, you will forever be a wele and huest of the , but I suppose it would be appropriate that you are officially no longer a full member, though I extend the title of honorary member to you and yours.”

  “Wait! Matriarch, how-” Kazue’s man, but was cut off by the slight raising of an eyebrow, and she subsided for the moment.

  “Now, let me make my introdus. I am Aia, Matriarch of Azeria. o you is Akahana, the mother of Kazue. This is Princess Orchid Apifera, the you daughter of the current king of Kuic. With her is her sort Lord Paltira Tenohira, a young noble of the same kingdom, and her panion Xarlug.” She turo the young people who had followed her in. “The young man who is too pretty for his own good is my grandson Takehiko, by my sed you daughter. The little protege here is my granddaughter Shizoku, the you of my grandchildren and by my you daughter. Assuming I don’t strangle her before she turns one hundred, she will probably bey heir.”

  While Shizoku frowned slightly at her description, Takehiko ighe bypy and glided forward to bow in front of them, giving Kazue his best winsome smile. “I was saddened by your death my little fme, but the news of your resurre was gd tidings indeed. As, it seems I am too te to have a ce to finally win your heart.”

  Kazue rolled her eyes, then shifted into giving him a viciously sweet smile. “Takehiko, while I admit your flirtations did fluster me, I was well aware of your hoongue. I wanted a ce at romand love, not a fling. And I am also well aware that the princess has turned you dowedly.”

  Takehiko was taken aback at Kazue’s rea as she so ly told him off, and while Orchid mao only briefly let her lips twitch, Shizoku’s mood turned cheerful as she ughed. “Oh, she had your number all along cousin!” The girl was grinning at Kazue. “I don’t know if it was being a dungeon spirit etting married, but you’ve grown some spine. I like it. And here I had been assuming you were just going to forever be a little oail at the shrine and grow old before you even hit a hundred. Now you have more tails than I do!”

  That response caused Kazue to blink, then sweep her tails around in front of her. Yep, four. “I have four tails! Yes!” and she spun around to show them off to her mother, who was looking bemused but happy for her daughter.

  Takehiko had mao annoy Mordecai with his approach towards Kazue, and that part of his mood had not been helped by feeling a flicker of wandering attention from Moriko before she guiltily suppressed old habits. “Ah, if we’re ting tails, I do believe our ret growth helped me as well.” A brief aside to his wives: “Remember, I told you I had bined all my other avatars into this one.” He had been practig his own shape-ging, which had been what had caused him to suggest Kazue practice her own, and now he selected just part of the features avaible to him. 7 tails bloomed behind him as he used dungeon magic to adjust his clothing.

  One appeared to be made of shadows, and the others were gold, silver, dark blue, red, purple, and a more normal bck. Along the tips danced four balls of foxfire, sisting of fme, cold, lighting, and a dark ball of shadow. He was showing off, it was about as subtle as flexing his muscles, and he didn’t care at the moment.

  Takehiko looked irritated as he was alternatively dismissed and overshadowed, then pstered a smile on his face as he stepped back from Kazue. Kazue oher hand was gaping at him. “No fair! Our cores are the same strength, how do you have more tails and multiple fox fires?”

  Mordecai had maed ears when he’d brought out kitsuails, awitched one in amusement at her. “I told you I bined my previous avatars. While I am now using a human base, I have been various sorts of elves, dwarves, gnomes, kitsuengu, orcs, and a whole lot more, some of which didn’t even have an anic body. Just, well, I needed practid our cores to improve before I was willing to ge shape. My glomerate form was hastily put together for its features, they don’t all go together well.”

  The more detailed expnation was for everyone present to a certaient. It also suggested more power thaually held in some ways. Yes, he could do more diverse things than a real kitsune should be able to do, having access to more than one form of foxfire amongst them, but a true seven-tail kitsune, or even a five-tail, would beat him out in raw power. But it robably best to not push his luck, aransformed back to his normal form.

  As he did, Akahana overcame her shod stepped closer to him with a frown. “Alright mister fancy-pants dungeon, that’s a nice show and all, but what is this about marrying my little girl?” Her narrowed eyes shifted to Moriko as well. “And don’t think you get out of this either young dy. Her letter called you wife. My sweet Kazue hadn’t even been on a proper date yet, and now the two of you are g to have married her? By what authority do you think you get away with that?”

  Mordecai cleared his throat slightly as he reached into his shirt to pull out his neckce bearing Ozuran’s holy symbol. “I am a priest of Ozuran, and bound us by ritual, and not just words, though I admit that circumstances dictated it not be a normal ritual. That ritual has been aowledged to the extent that ave his blessings to eay wives, and hem wedding presents.”

  Well, that certainly brought a moment of stunned silence, which was broken by the matriarch. “I also spent some time uning at the temple, while The Twins were not quite so explicit they did aowledge the circumstahis art of my verifying that the letter was indeed from Kazue’s reination.” Mordecai gave his desdant a little bit of side-eye there, he retty certain she’d heard from Traxalim before the letter arrived, but knowing kitsune she robably teically telling the truth.

  Akahana looked between them, clearly frustrated but finding herself g arguments against them. Kazue stepped up beside her, resting a hand on her mother’s arm. “Mom, it’s OK. We, well, as I said iter, it started as something for everyone’s be. But it’s grown so much beyond that. I love them both.”

  Mordecai took this ge of pace to bow to Akahana, just slightly lower than he’d bowed to Aia. “Mother-in-w,” he ighe slight eep from the kitsune, “As your daughter said, she and Moriko were both kind enough to bind themselves to me in my time of need, with Moriko providihe opportunity to live, and Kazue the opportunity to exist as more than a creature of spirit. We have grown beyond that, however, and I love both of them dearly. And I am happy to meet the mother of my wife, just as I have already met Moriko’s parents. But please, this meeting has beeic for everyone, and I think it might be best if we all retired somepce more fortable.”

  He turo face everyone, projeg his voice to cut through the other versations. “I would like to wele everyone as uests. Normally I would also invite people to take part iher of our avaible challenges, but given the circumstances, I believe it best if we escort you to our hall where rovide you with refreshments.”

  Matriarch Aia spoke up before anyone else could reply. “I accept on everyone’s behalf,” Mordecai retty certain that was an order to everyone else, “However, first we have gifts, both to wele a new dungeon and as wedding gifts. Akahana, perhaps you should begin?”

  The woman looked abashed as she turo her daughter and carefully took off her heavy backpack. “Here, be careful with these, I brought you seeds, saplings, and cuttings from my garden. I don’t know if you grow them here, but I wa you something to make it more like home.”

  “Oh, mother, thank you so much.” Kazue accepted the backpack gently and gave her mother a smile before the pack suddenly disappeared. “And there, I’ve put everything somewhere safe – oh! You shouldn’t have! I know how hard it was for you to get those to bloom! Please don’t tell me yht all your seeds for those!”

  “I,” Akahana blihen sniffed as she held back tears. “Oh, Kazue, you really are a dungeon core now. I mean, I knew, but I was still hoping there was a way t you bae.” She shook her head, then cleared her throat. “But to answer your question, no dear. I love you to death, but I know better than to risk my entire seed stock. Um, you do have somepce to grow them?”

  “Yes mother, we create sunshine and have a bunch of ways frowing different pnts. Oh! Some of these will go great with the library!” Kazue was very excited, and Mordecai spent a bit of time getting familiar with the new iory. Their options frowing food had gone up, which would certainly make it easier to supply food that o leave the dungeon, and there were a lot of flowers and herbs, and some of the trees he’d been hoping for. He wasn’t certain whies were difficult to grow, but he was going to make sure they had a true line of everything before there were any experiments, and maybe they could help Akahana out ter.

  While that was going on, the others had reacted to the matriarch’s promptings and began pg various tainers oables, which was especially nice as some of them had spacial entments. Their tents for the library had essentially just doubled, if a bit heavy on the religious texts, and there were several dozen small gems and crystals of various types and their first sample of mithral. There were some entment runes along with a of single-use minic items too, copying those would e in handy for both equipping their inhabitants and for creating rewards.

  “Oh, thank you Matriarch!” Kazue excimed while Mordecai was still s everything in his head. “Everyone, really, thank you, we love them all. Oh! Are those runes for Moriko?”

  “We were less thaain about what exactly would be useful for whom, so we brought what we could, so that you all decide o distribution.” replied Aia.

  Moriko had perked up at the mention of runes, and Mordeoted to set aside some time to go over the options with her ter. But first, “Thank you again. Now, please, let us escort you all downstairs. Moriko, if you could open the shortcut, we guide them through.” Letting designated guests use the shortcuts took a bit more attention but wasn’t difficult.

  Zagaroth