Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 1] Ch.2 Boots Nyah

Jules

Sebas the runaway prince, he just walked out of the human kingdom of Sudaven with his slave/sexy 'personal' assistant, and some mysterious pale red-eyed girl. Vincent, the king of Sudaven, dispatched people to find him. Nerinin's father, Banks, the king of Grandine, did the same to help them reconnect. And the Queen of Teagon, Sebas's mother the infamous Dark Lady Calypso, sent out all her agents to find him and bring him home.

He once threatened King Bastion of Teagon and King Vincent of Sudaven, that he'd be the Phantom they'd never find. For three kingdoms to look for him and not find him after all these years, he'd earned the title the Phantom Prince. Princess Minerva of Sudaven, his ex-fiance, and his personal guard Cedric were the last people who ever saw him.

Flint, Nerinin, and I came to school three years ago to met up with him. We were about to graduate from the remedial courses and we still hadn't seen him. Sebas promised to stop by, if even if it was just to visit. I lucked out and got a scholarship for three years of the Advanced courses. If I graduated from them without seeing him, then I am going to hunt him down and punch him in the balls so hard his eyes will pop.

After everything I did to get this far, if he breaks his promise...

I want to be angry, but I think I'll just be too sad.

"Hey Jules, are you okay?" Nerinin asks me.

"Yes... I... was just hoping this isn't a waste of our time. Nya." I hug my shoulders.

"I feel the same. Shit, those guys were so lame." Flint returns looking agitated. He didn't even break a sweat. The only person who may be able to hold his own against Flint was the rank 3 of our year, Vilfanr Alz'Dranu, the sword prodigy. They've never fought since Vilfanr has more of a spiritual honorable personality, and since Flint has never joined a tournament they've never crosses swords.

Flint clicked his tongue when he realized I wasn't talking about this mating season thing, "we already talked about this. Based off the remedial course material and the restrictions on the students, Sebas would never waste his time reviewing this shit. He'll ace the entry exam for the advanced course and probably live in the library."

Nerinin placed her hand my shoulder. "Sebas, isn't the kind of person to casually break a promise."

"I'm also a trouble magnet, and there isn't anyone more troublesome than Sebas." Flint declared proudly.

"What are you going to do about this mess you've made, Flint?" Tiera Asmos Ti'en said as she walked over with paper sack full of candied fruit. Tiera was a blonde fox girl with four tails, and ranked 11 in our grade, but she was unofficially ranked one. She chose to be rank 11 because it didn't come with the responsibilities and headaches of being in the top ten like me and Nerinin. She lost specific matches on purpose but was never beaten when she tried. Or so she claims.

Formally, I'm ranked at Number 2 and Nerinin at 1 but that was because of the entry tournament at the beginning of our first year. Since we beat out everyone worth fighting in our year, we have only done token matches with winners of other tournaments to maintain our spots.

This school's secondary function is to train Magic Knights for the Galavan army and navy. So they support a ranking system for those who wished to be scouted for better pay as magic Knights. I did it for the scholarship, and Nerinin... well she likes fighting, but she was disappointed with the first tournament and told everyone to get stronger and challenge her when they were, so she hasn't entered another to 'let them gain some confidence'. Nerinin is an anti-mage specialist, so anyone who uses magic is at a disadvantage. Throw on top that she's mastered three different weapon styles, and she is on par with someone like Vilfanr. Mix in an array of strengthening techniques and combos she's developed for fighting Sebas and she's easily the top dog.

That easily coined her the name the Big bad wolf. The insurmountable Felhound warrior at the top of the food chain.

I had a different Nickname... but I blame Nelfa. She made a great point after Sebas was declared the Phantom Prince. While traveling around the world chasing her own man, she learned one desperately valuable lesson. Nothing was quite as valuable as a quality pair of traveling boots. Between the tundra's, swamps, forests, deserts, and cities she'd been through, nothing was worse than going it barefoot after having your shoes give out on you.

Personally, I always introduce myself as the summoner of the White Kitsune. But It's been shortened to White Summoner since I am also proficient in white magic. I don't hate that since it's better then what everyone tried to call me for a while.

"What do you mean, what am I going to do about it? It's their bodies ruining the view." Flint sneered at the dolts who got more than they bargained for.

"I heard you two were accepting challengers. I was going to give it a shot." Tiera said. She had a way of always maintaining the same bored expression 90% of the time. That and she was always eating, despite that, she was pretty short and almost as flat as a board. She was some kind of insanely awesome genius, but for whatever reason Sebas turned her onto the fashion business and she became wildly successful as a designer rather than a warrior. Half the school wore scarves she designed after Sebas's or the knockoffs, and Adventurers swore by her premium armors. Then she became an even bigger overnight success when she received a letter from Sebas before he disappeared, and she became the official inventor of the "bathing suit". A set of recreational garments especially made for swimming and retaining an obscure since of modesty... but they were just so cute! Nyah.

"Were nyou really?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"I was but it looks like you got things sorted out." Tiera reached into her back, "good boy, say ahh." She talked to Flint.

He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth. Tiera tossed a piece of dried fruit into his mouth and he chewed it without a second thought.

"Naturally," he answered. "As their new boyfriend, I have to stand up for my women- ahhhh!"

Tiera hooked her finger in his mouth and looked as menacing as she ever had. "What are you doing to my brother's wives? Have you soiled my precious friends with your filthy saltwater, seadog!"

Flint was pulled half down and couldn't speak well as he tried to explain himself.

Nerinin and I jumped. I tried to fish her finger out of his mouth while Nerinin tried to pull her away.

"Nyobody has soiled anyone Tiera, let him go!" I shouted. "We still nyeed him!"

"Let him, go we can explain." Nerinin picked her up and pulled.

*

"Oh... that makes sense. You're a good boy again." Tiera said after we pulled her away from Flint and quietly explained that we were just using him to beat off our class.

"Say what you will, you are just lucky you're Sebas's sister," Flint growled as he held the paper bag of fruit and munched on them.

"Wait, those are mine..." Tiera tried to grab the bag, but Flint held it out of her reach. She hopped cutely a few times as Flint teased her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Flint. Remember what happened last time." Nerinin tried to warn him.

Tiera cocked her arm and punched him right between the legs.

Flint buckled over, dropping the bag to cradle himself.

"Not cool..." Flint said as he tipped over.

Tiera caught the bag and resumed eating as if nothing had changed.

"Nyand this time she went for the family jewels... Nyaaaa..." I sighed.

"He really should have seen that coming." Nerinin agreed.