"Sounds like a plan!"

And so she shall?

Back to the river-

(Brief pause for consideration of whether to try to hunt a partridge they pass by... Nah.)

-And back upriver and back to the village. When the field of drying reeds comes into sight, conversation audible on the wind, she goes for another nuzzle to change back again. If that's okay.

It is!  Honestly she is absolutely going to take every opportunity to be cuddly that she can get.

Human-shaped Megi will prepare her disguise again and then scoop Alicia up, petting her contentedly as she walks back to the village, then!

She pauses to make polite conversation with a group of women and teens doing basket-weaving with the bounty of reeds. Megi somehow is understandable to Alicia and the others both at the same time, like before at the shrine, which will surely speed up language progress.

It sure will!  She hopes.

It seems to be! Megi repeats words a lot, in a gossipy sort of tone. Wow, monsters? Scary! Good thing the kitsune warned them. Yes, she'd probably enjoy more meat treats and other goodies. Oh, no, this one is a really young kitsune, she can't play very many tricks yet, so no need to worry about that. Gently rubbing Alicia's ears all the while.

And then on to the village where they're invited to sleep in Broom Lady's house for the night. She has a guest room and seems excessively proud of it. Megi thanks her profusely!

"Thank you," she murmurs, when they have a moment, "for helping with the language."

...Also: She could be a horrible goose if she wanted to!

She just, you know, doesn't, because they have enough problems.  It's not right to prank people who don't actually deserve the inconvenience.

"I consider my fellow foxes sisters of sorts, of course I'll help!"

"...Still, thank you.  It's something you didn't and don't have to do, even if you never weren't going to do it.  If that makes sense."

Hug the smol kitsune!

"So... Plans. Tomorrow I'm going back and talking to one Shen Farok, the man in charge around here, and kind of an ass. He'll scare up a purge force, he'll have to, like, politically, and I'll escort it with blessings and do some more tidying up. Should be a few days, a week at most. Then... I think I want to go back to the Walled City of Silk. I get antsy being in one place for long. Too long in the wilds and I want the city, too long in the city and I want the wild."

She nods.  "Sounds like a plan, if you'll have me."

"...Do you think this Shen Farok guy is going to need to be motivated to act in his political interest?  I'm not usually one for mischief, but - well, if it's for a good cause, then I'm practically contractually obliged.  ...not literally, but - well, I'm a kitsune, I've gotta do pranks when they're for a good cause, that's just how being a kitsune works, isn't it?  ...At least, being simultaneously a kitsune and a good person.  Or at least as good a person as I can be.  I...  I don't think I was a bad person, in my past life, but - not being bad isn't the same thing as being affirmatively good, and..."

"I didn't get out much.  I was afraid."

"...Still am, really, but people have been...  A lot nicer to me, so far, than I would have expected of the average person from Earth.  I guess part of that is the cultural...

"...But it's also the -

"Oh, how do I say it.

"But yeah, uh, somehow I am more convinced that 90% of people do not want to eat my face when I am a literal trickster spirit than in the life where I was a rather ordinary human.

"...I guess it's the sex-positivity."

"The what now? At any rate... You could steal his hat. He doesn't deserve it. It denotes a wizard, and he can hardly even cast from scrolls."

"Y'all aren't twisting yourselves in knots to deny that people are going to love who they love and fuck who they fuck and be who they are.  That was...

"A major component of the social issues of Old Earth, in my day.  And rather terrifying to live under the spectre of, when you were one of the people that wasn't so-called normal."

"...As for pranks - well.  Can't have yourself a wizard hat if you're not a wizard, what is this world coming to, for shame.  But it's not going to - mess anything up, if I do that?  The people who could get hurt matter a lot more than this guy's ego."

"There is... Not none of that... Wizard Academies are kind of prudish here in the north which is pretty cheeky of them honestly... But maybe I'm not understanding right? And no. You're a kitsune! If anything it will reassure them that you're the mostly harmless silly goose kind of kitsune. It'd be, oh, kitsune playing games. He'll probably buy a new one."

"...Well, I guess I'll steal his hat!  Gotta play to expectations.  As for everything else...  Prudishness is different from people trying to tell people that the sex they have in the privacy of their own spaces is evil.  Versus just.  Not wanting to talk about it.  Is the thing.  Like, say, the Victorians sure didn't talk about sex.  Or at least that's the popular image.  But they generally didn't have problems with people having sex.  Anecdotally.  Except for the doctors who kept going off about nipple piercings.  Because they don't have health benefits and people kept getting them anyway.

"...I remember the strangest things.  ...Anyway!  Why's it cheeky of the wizard academies?  Like, that was a very specific word choice.  Or translation choice.  It seems to imply things."

"Ah, miscasts make you horny. Or if it's a big one, other temporary lewd-flavored things. Like changing physical sex or destroying clothes. By all accounts miscasts used to make you explode, or partially phase into walls, or do other random destructive things... But it changed at some point. There's a background effect called the Weave that does this. It's a very good thing for the world, saves lives. By 'miscast' I mean, any magic that gets twisted enough sort of... Collapses? Or ignites? Wizardry is most prone to it, and witches, failed attempts at new witch spells can do it, and sorcerers if they're doing something weird. Magic academies have this weird culture of not being horny or affectionate in the open, because it gives the appearance that you had a miscast, which costs you face."

"...Oh gods of course they would.  I can see exactly how that bullshit developed and if I had to marinate in that culture for long periods of time I would fucking lose it.  I am not wired right to handle face to begin with, though I probably couldn't explain any of that if I tried.  ...At least you can probably self-study, it's academia...  Unless this is a 'hoard knowledge away from everyone else so they can't upstage you' sort of academic culture.  I really hope it isn't.  That's just.  Not how academia is supposed to work.  Not how science is supposed to work.  To share knowledge, and to test knowledge through the scrutiny of others, is to multiply it.

"...That the miscasts were explosive and are now a...different form of explosive...  Is very interesting.  Gotta wonder how the fuck that happened.  Wonder if it's related to the curse fields.  Like, mysterious field of energy that Does Stuff, and, mysterious field of energy that Does Stuff, but, like, bigger.

"...What's the sorcerer/wizard distinction, anyway?"

"Not up here, they're pretty good about sharing knowledge up here. Now Noten, at least the wizard traditions there, they can get all 'trade secrets' and 'guild monopolies' if you let them... But it's also more, ehm, industrialized? Commercialized? You get more apprentice wizards making and selling things than in the Federation. It tends more academic, here. Doing petty magic for a little village like our friend who sent you to me is seen as a failure state instead of a valid calling. The one sentence version is wizards learn and study, sorcerers awaken and practice. Thought I explained this already, but it's kind of a lot, eh?"

Megi yawns.

"Might've done; I have a good memory but not a perfect one.  ...Yeah I think you did, there was something about elements...  Oh right I asked about the waterbender and forgot to refile him.  Insofar as that would have been a conscious process.  Which, out of curiosity, has anyone ever shown up with, like, mana, or whatever the stuff that makes magic work is, as their sorcerous element?  Because if you could somehow awaken that I bet it would be interesting."

"...But you seem tired and I don't want to keep you up."

"Never heard of that. Mm... I feel like sleeping in humanoid shape today, but you can still snuggle up if you want. And yes, let's bed down now and leave tomorrow for tomorrow."

She would indeed like to snuggle.

"Goodnight, then, Megi."

The next day passes quickly enough. Megi spends most of it arranging for a meeting with Shen Farok. His maid looks at the kitsune with trepidation, and makes them wait. Megi reacts with saccharine sweetness. And then it's a formal and slightly pompous meeting in an office. There's some bloviating. He is of course, very busy, and very important, but he thanks them for bringing word of this cursed ground, and requires her to accompany the force that will be assembled next week.

"...My lord, it is a matter of some small urgency. I fear the ward I laid to keep the beasts in slumber may not last. Can the assembly not be hastened?"

"I understand, but I will not risk those under my command unnecessarily. We must wait for the attendance of those of the Earthroot Sect to attack and clear such a place properly, particularly if there are underground areas. It will be a week, or perhaps two."

Magi makes a face. "They will scatter and be a problem for ages."

"That is the risk I must take."

"The risk the village of Kua must, apparently, take as well."

He frowns and glares. "They have a wall, they have spears. They knew the risk when they came here. All this shall be solved in time, and I don't appreciate those who don't understand military matters objecting quite so much."

"...As my lord says."

She loosens her hands, shrugging and letting go of Alicia for a moment.

...She really doesn't like this man.

"I didn't pick out more than half of that.  But what I heard is that he's trying to keep you here at everyone's detriment because the wards will collapse if unattended.  Is there no smaller standing force that can defend you in the field while he rallies the army proper?"

"Mm... Perhaps, little one. Though I am sympathetic to wanting earth-sorcerers to clear out basements and catacombs, I would ask for at least a force of containment. I have spoken to Captain Yhal when he came for Otena's blessing five days ago, his vigor and strength were impressive. I'm sure the soldiers of your fine town, who I know number some one hundred and twenty, will stand proud at the chance to contain a group of curses before they spread. To prevent the problem from arising in the first place, even if the assault proper and establishment of a shrine must wait. I would of course see it as my duty to bless and protect them from evil during their watch. It is everyone's interest for this to be resolved quickly and cleanly."

"...I will consider your words thoroughly," is the man's only response.