She looks at it, then up at him. "Your hand? Did you want to show me your hand?"

"Yeah. Can you show me yours?"

He's weird, but fine, she extends her hand out...

...her paw out...

......she stares at it.

"I think you became a princess already."

Actually he's pretty sure her mother the priestess was cursed by the foxes but, you know.

She pulls the stick with the bell closer to her body so she can hold it between her leg and her shoulder and looks at her other hand. Then she looks down at her feet, and notices the various patches of golden fur.

She notices a tail, awkwardly flapping next to her.

She reaches up and finds her fox ears.

"...how... did this happen?"

The spiritual pressure starts to rise again, immediately around her, as a golden-blue aura slowly begins to swirl.

Okay this seems like the spot where they can't be just sitting down anymore.

"I'm not sure." But yeah, he's kind of in agreement here, because this is... maybe going very wrong actually. But still... he has to try. "But maybe you could ask the foxes? Do you think you could find them, now that you know you're their princess?"

"Find them? But... I don't want to find them," she says, lowering her arms to hug herself.

Another wave of pressure harder than anything they've experienced so far hits him all at once hard enough to make him stagger, and he turns around and empties the contents of his stomach on the floor. The psychological pillars he built for himself are shattered just like that and he loses all ability to hold together, zero to a hundred all at once.

"They're... bad... they attacked. Mum never came back. They..."

His head feels like it's stuffed with cotton, like he can't hear anything. Like he's in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

He's not meant to be here, now. He's not meant to be here, and he's not meant to be now. He's not meant to be.

"Taharqi, we have to go."

He isn't real. He doesn't exist. He doesn't remember what he was just doing, except it was probably nothing, because there's nothing he could be doing, because to do things he has to be, and he isn't.

"Taharqi!"

"Bad... it was bad. It was really bad!" She looks around, and horongs start to spontaneously appear, one by one, everywhere.

His vision is going dark, but seeing isn't really a thing he does. Other people see. Not him.

Other people? He isn't people. He isn't here.

And if he were here, he shouldn't be. He should be somewhere else. If he were. Which he isn't.

He throws up again, but this time it's just bile. If he existed, he would know that he's on his hands and knees, but he doesn't.

"We're going, right now," she says, but she's having to fight past the horongs to get to him so they can get out.

"So I... stopped them. No, that happened later. I was a Princess, but they called me a demon. That happened first. And Mum was gone, so she couldn't tell them to go away, and so I had to. I stopped them."

The monk fights, and pushes against the pressure, and tries to walk towards ṱ̸͔͒h̶̳̾̔͜e̷̲̾ ̸̣̩̏m̷̨͕̓ȃ̷͇n̴̡̮̐ ̵̠̖̒t̷̟̔h̸͉̊a̷̞͌̂t̸̏̾ͅ ̷̨̛̎ḏ̷̱͑͘o̷͍̮̎e̵̩̼͋ṣ̸͂n̷̡͍͊͆'̵̭̱͆t̶̲̮̚͠ ̵̱̅͊e̵̡̛̦x̴͎̉i̷͙̳̋͑s̸̢͎̽̈́ẗ̵̰͎́̿,̸̧̞̊ ̸͍͗a̸̧̳̋̿ń̷͓̭d̸͇͉́—̶̦͆

T̸̨̟̃ȟ̴̲͇e̷̺̅̕ ̷̘̜̊͂f̶̨̰̊̾o̵̙̒͘x̶̥̃̊ ̵̢͓̄̀s̵̻͗p̴͙͂͑ī̴͇r̷͈͋ͅĩ̷̳̋t̶͍̝̆ ̸̲͆͗i̸̳̖̽̌s̷̢̥̈̈ṋ̴̈́'̸̟̱̊̏t̵̫͒͝ ̵̡̂d̴̗̊õ̴͔i̷̗̇ṉ̸̑̄g̴̛̼̣̽ ̸̻͚̈́á̶̟̹͐n̸̘͂͊y̷̡̥̐̕t̸͙̐͜h̸̨́ḭ̷́͌ń̵̮g̵̑͌͜,̶̭̘͒ ̵̺̈́̉h̵̬̀̎é̴̟̗r̵͔͖̕s̵̼̻̊e̸̗͝l̵̗͑͗f̵̛̳̲͆,̵̪͉̈́ ̶͎͈͑ê̵̩x̶̙͝c̴͈̃e̸̪̅p̶̘̮͑̇ț̶̩͛ ̶̫͂ṯ̴̗́͝ȁ̶̙̘͗l̵͈̋͝k̶̺̟̈́́i̸̪͔̓͑n̷̉̍͜g̶̯̻͒̋ ̵̼̓͆t̶͈̊̏o̸͚̭͑̓ ̵͎̙̈h̴̜̟̆e̵̻̩͘r̶̩̤͊s̷̘̈́ę̷́l̶̩̕f̴̱͓̏,̶̞̟̑ ̴̧̍b̴̦̼̐̃u̷̱͋͌t̵̖̰̓ ̸̝̜̔̌t̷̡͂h̷͚̿͊ǎ̴͚͍̂t̴̥̃ ̴͎̀̎s̵̙̬̓ẽ̵̩̯̕ȅ̷̝̚m̷̭̪̎̉s̵͕̍ ̶͍͒ẗ̵͇́̃ơ̸̥̩̊ ̸̮̞̓b̶͇̃e̴̖͗̏ ̶̟̪̋̊e̷͔̎n̶͓͆ő̷̢̑ǘ̵͖͕͘g̷̮͊̕h̷̺̄̎.̶̤̙͗̐ ̵̩͇͋M̵͉̟͆̓ḙ̵͑͂m̶̭̺͒ô̷͍̳̐ř̷̼̮i̶͎͖̍e̸̛̺̟͠ś̴̜̮ ̸̯͛̎f̷͕̻̀ḭ̶̰̓g̷͙͍͊̈́h̶͔̳̀ṱ̵͕̈ ̸̗̄t̶̙͍̓̇h̵̹̺̓ȅ̵̝ï̵̬̥̕r̴̲̀ ̴̡͆͠ẅ̴͉̤́ą̶̧̒̿y̵̯͔͊̌ ̷̩̄t̷̥͔͌ỏ̶̳ ̸͎̦̃t̵̻̟̾͋ḫ̴̇e̶͙͝ ̸̞̦̈ś̶̗͊u̸̟̇͠r̴̛͍̬̅f̷͕̂ả̸̲̞̚c̷͚͕͊͝e̴̫̹͛͛,̶̟́͘ ̶̠̤̚o̵̭͒̚f̷̟̰͆͑ ̴̖̙͆t̶̝̺̐̓h̶͔͇̐e̷͉͓̎̒ ̶͎̯̏̍p̵̛̣̰̽ę̴̉o̴̝̳̚̕p̴͉͓̀̿l̶͕̥̍͘ḛ̵̆̈́ ̵̧͕̍̓w̶̜̣̉͘h̷͖̒͜ō̶͚̋ ̷̜̤̑̚n̴̛̠̬̐o̷̡͋ ̵̛̼̼l̴͕̈́ȯ̶̠ň̵̦͓g̴̙͠e̶̼͋ṛ̷̚ ̴̛̼̮̉ẹ̵͍͐͛x̵͙̂͛ỉ̶̲s̷̓̕ͅt̸͕͚̿,̷͍͍̋͘ ̵̛͍̲͗b̷̬̭̒̉ë̷̼́ͅc̶̐͛ͅa̶͖̮͗̉ǔ̵̦͍̈s̸͇͗é̴̬̥ ̵̧̅̂ṱ̷̐̽h̴̺̿é̷̥͚ ̴̤́f̶̣͙̽́ȍ̸̞̈x̶͉̘͛ ̷̬̟̔ṡ̵̼͖p̴̠̈́̏i̶̡͗r̸̺̽ì̷̤ͅt̴͇̃͘ ̴͇̂m̵̮̃ͅa̴͇̓ḍ̴͙̓̐ę̸̈́͝ ̶̰͉̄t̶̠̫͝h̷͓̄̈́e̴͓̓m̷̻̽͘ ̶͚̝̊͂ṋ̶̜̈́õ̶͓̒t̴̢͕̓̈́ ̸̺͉̋̀é̸̘̔x̸̭̬͗ĭ̸̙̤͛s̶̟͚̎t̵̼̚.̷̠͐̍ ̵͓̠͗̊Ļ̴̎e̴͕̍̉͜ś̸̭́ș̴̫͋͐ ̴̩͉́̎ť̸̯̪̍h̶͙̲͗̍a̷͈̾͝n̶̤̿ ̵̮̓g̶̢̙̚h̴͎̻̽͘ò̸̬̍s̸̫̾̂t̷̥̐s̵̞͘̕ͅ,̸̪͖̾͋ ̷͇͙͌̅b̷̰͂̂ę̸͠c̷̢̥̐a̴̝̗̍̊ũ̷̻s̴̮̉͠ȩ̵̓͜ ̴̜͆g̵̠͛͋h̸̲̄̂o̷̢̹͛̾s̸̤̗͂t̶̬̦̋ṡ̶̛̰͇ ̷̫͊š̸̫̕t̷͚͉̏̀i̸̮̔l̷̦̦̓̔l̷͇̀̀ ̸̭̺̌͘ā̶͚̥r̸̖̳̋̏ë̶̢́ͅ,̶͙͔̈́ ̶̡̄ȃ̸̩̮͝n̶͉̊̃d̶̩̞̆́ ̸̛͚͊ṫ̵̟̝ḥ̸̌é̴̳̐y̵͚̫̏ ̶̳̕w̵̻͖̾̓e̶̖͔͋̆r̶͖̍e̸͎̍̓n̷̦̈́̕'̷̱̃͝t̵̥̎.̶̼̉̋ͅ ̷̳̒̄ͅN̵͉̈́͋o̸̦͆͜ ̵̘̇ǫ̸̜̎ṉ̶͐ẽ̸̤̞ ̶͈̋s̴̻͝h̴̠̥͘o̴̙̐̊ū̵̘̗ḷ̸̑d̶͕̓͗ ̴̬̼͌͂b̴̝̀͂e̸̖̤̍̔.̸̺̭̂̒ ̵̳̑̚N̴͖̤̍̃o̵̠̓t̵͎͝h̴͎͠͝ị̴̇n̶͖̊͝g̴͍̪̑̿ ̵͚̃̍ͅs̴͍͐̕h̶̢̾̔ͅo̶̪̿̕ù̸̞̻l̶̘̈́̑d̷̻̽̈ ̸̲̎b̶̫̋͌e̷̞̩̍̌.̵̢̓

That's right. He isn't. No one should be. Least of all him.

Ş̴͕̪̜̂̓h̷̟̅̄̓́̏e̴͈̮̣̭͒̈̎͜͝ ̸̫͔͐r̴̤̒͌̓̽͠ȅ̷̫̙͂̎à̶̡̢̰͔͍̏̎̚c̸̡̯͔̀h̶͍͓͛̋̾̋͒ë̷͔͔́̈́̄̆̈́s̸̗͊̆͂̾ ̴̧̰͔̌̔̀̂h̷̛̭̜̯̞͑͗͛̇i̸̯̥̋͂m̸͈̩̬͚̋,̸̠̈́̀̓͗̀ ̷̬̃͋̾f̸̘̩͙̒͗͒̚i̴̘̝̝̐̒ṉ̶̳̹̿̚͝a̷̡̖͕̩͓̔l̷̹̪̲̍l̸̢̳̇̅̎̓̋y̵̡̱̲̙͕̋̄͛̕,̸̢̣̙̱͓́ ̶̨̠̲̤̫̇̎͝à̸͈͙̱̅͂̇n̵̙̜͓̈́̏̕͘͜d̴͕̩̈́͐̂ ̴̖̦͙͙͐̓͗̎a̴͓̞̅ṡ̸͖͗̋͆́ ̷̯̽̆̓s̶̡͉̝̒̕̚ö̵̖́ȯ̶̹ͅn̴̘̊̈́̀̅͠ ̸͕̽̓͠a̷̤̝͇͛̇͊ͅs̷͎̉̄̚ ̸͉̯̻̿̓̅̉̕s̴̬͛h̵̯̭̙͔͑̉̊͜e̷̼̅̈́̅ ̵͙̖͆̓̈́ḥ̷̞̅a̷̛͓͔̘͎͋̽͠s̸̛̼͓̫̋ ̶̗̤̋͂̈́h̵̢̠͆̊̌͝͠ḛ̸́̐̐ṙ̷̨̯̳͚͚́̇̐ ̷̩̮̲̤̆h̷̛̳̼͚͍͕͆̇a̸̢̤̣̫͍͒̑̌ṉ̶̡͛̑̎̉̌d̴̨̥̈́̎̎̌š̷̡̥̻̗̌̈̾̔ ̶̬̱͛̏ô̶̭̲͚n̶̳̥̟̰͈̈́ ̴̱͓͕̮̓h̵̜̪̳̔̓̀͑͠i̷̧͕͊͐͆m̷̡̭̙͎̽̀͆͐͝ ̷̧̠̠͈̱̓͗̀t̶͖̟͑̆h̶̛̬͕͓̥͚̀͂͝ē̴̠̺̣̘̔͂r̶͙͖͚̎̀̍̂̚͜e̷̥̺̣̹̍̃ͅ'̷̟͊̾s̷̱̦͉̓̀́̍̕ ̶͍̝̦̪͎́͒̐̑a̷̰͔͌̈́̅͋ ̷̫̄̃f̵̢̂ī̴̪͚̘̫̻g̴̯͍̻̲̩̉͋̈́͝͝ȟ̸̪̞͠t̴̨̮̠̫͉̅ ̶̼͝ͅo̶̻̝̒̉f̴̭̈̊͋́ͅ ̷̺̲́̐̕b̵̢̧̡̺̥͂̂̓̌l̶̪͎͚̀͌̎ű̴̡̜͇̲̠͘e̶͚͊͊̉͘͜͝ ̶̧͔̤͕̒̚͝ĺ̶̬̟̥̩̺̓̊̎í̵̟͕̠̐̚g̶̖͗̄͜͝ḧ̷̭͙́̔̅ť̷̻ ̷̟̽a̸̩̳̐̈́̀n̶̨̢̙̫̽̔̾d̵̙̺̜̦̓ ̷̨͓̣̔̿͂̽t̸͓͋͊̽̕͠h̷̭̫̃́e̷̜͈̺̜̾͛͊̓̊y̶̬͓̎̐͒̉'̵͎͇͉̈́̾̽͝r̷̛̞̹͓̪̓e̸̞̮͒͌ ̸̡̙̳̝̏̓́̇e̸̖͚̰͖͠l̴̞̳̼̎̌͒̀̏š̷̨̼̙͓̰e̶̬̻͍̹̾w̵̢̢̯̭͛̉͝h̵̺̓̕e̸̤̥̦͖̅͌̊r̷̖̹̬̟̬̆̌̽ẻ̷͕̤̎̕.̵̱̝̪̋͝

There's a flash of blue light and he collapses onto Annika, breathing in a sudden gulp of fresh air that makes rainbow pinpricks appear in his vision. But it's also bright, the sun is out, even though it's setting it's out and it's so much brighter than anything was just now, and his clothes are soaked through with sweat and his eyes are bloodshot but that all means he exists, he's alive—

Annika was a lot less affected than him, but still not no affected, so she, too, needs a moment to recover.

"—Taharqi? Annika?" says the priestess, walking out of one of the temple buildings after being informed by someone else that the two adventurers teleported outside the cave. "What ha—"