If there was a scale for pain that ranged from one to ten, I thought I would have felt ten many times in my life. Whatever that bolt of portal did to me while teleporting me made ten feel like one. I could not even scream. I could not cry. I could do nothing except experience agony. Then it was over, and I was lying on cold, hard ground, most likely rock based on the texture and sturdiness. Damp rock, based on how it felt on my back, which also made note of something else. I was naked.

  I sighed and tried to sit up, only for the pain to return. I lay back down and waited for a moment until the pain decreased enough for me to move. Very slowly, I managed to sit up. I looked around a brightly lit temple of some kind. It looked ancient, and it was falling apart, but it was definitely a temple to a goddess of some sort, definitely not an element.

  After looking around for a bit, I found my clothes. To be precise, I saw them about fifty feet above me, half merged into the wall. The mere fact I was not one with the scenery made me feel much better about being naked now. Also, there was a small wardrobe up against a wall nearby that had surprisingly intact and usable priestess robes; at least, I assumed they were priestess robes based on their design.

  Putting one on, I noticed it felt soft to the touch, and it felt wet, even though it was not. I looked around the decrepit temple for anything. There was a small fountain that seemed to be coming from the wall. I walked over to it. Well, limped, then looked into the pristine waters. It was crystal clear, despite the destruction around the area.

  As I looked into it, the water suddenly shimmered, and I was looking at myself. I was so startled, my tail stood straight up along with my ears, and I almost took a step back. After a moment, the reflection Saki smiled at me. It was at that point I tried to step back, but now it was too late. The reflection came out of the water and grabbed me. It seemed to be made of water, and I could not grab it or stop it.

  Then it did something very strange. It absorbed into me. I panicked, wondering if I was going to be possessed by another horrible entity. However, after a moment, nothing happened. I felt my body begin to heal quickly, my pain melting away. I relaxed slightly; it must have been some kind of healing skill enchanted into the water or something. Then a voice in my head spoke, and it was not the void.

  “Hello, Saki,” it said in a feminine, bubbly voice. I instantly began trying to force her out, only to realize I had no idea how to. She started to giggle in my head and said, “Oh, Saki, do not be like that. I have been lonely for so long. I just want a friend!”

  “The last ‘friend’ I made possessed me and made me kill innocent people!” I snapped. “Get out of me now!” I grabbed at the robe, pulled it off, and started trying to dry myself, thinking maybe it would get rid of this thing. But it was no use. It was like my skin now shimmered like glowing water, my pale skin now almost translucent.

  “What is it with these damn divine entities possessing me!” I said, with tears entering my eyes. I took a step toward the fountain and tried to find an inscription or something on it. As I did, however, I tripped and slammed my head hard on the marble floor. Everything went dark for a moment, and I blacked out.

  I came back after only a few moments. I was still on the floor. I climbed to my knees, and as I did, I noticed my hands were translucent. In fact, my whole body was. It was like I was shimmering, clear water.

  “Oh, thank the stars you are awake! I was worried my healing would not be enough!” I froze as the happy voice spoke to me. It sounded relieved, like it genuinely cared. I did not trust it an inch.

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  “Why, so you have a working body? Or do you just enjoy manipulating us lesser mortals like that monster!” I said out loud, angrily, my tail snapping back and forth while trying to think of a way to make her leave.

  “No, I just wanted to make sure my new friend is okay! Also, those ideas will not work, and you will just hurt yourself,” her bubbly voice stated as she made a giggling sound.

  “What did you do to me?” I asked as I tried to figure out if she was able to read all thoughts or just my surface thoughts.

  “Only the surface ones, and you are so adorable. Who is this Tama girl?” the voice said. I gritted my teeth and went to respond when voices came from the doorway into the temple.

  “I told you, I heard something this way!” a nasally voice said, most likely a goblin, though I could not be certain. I quickly rushed over to the door, moving to the side so when they opened it, I would be behind them. I noticed as I moved, I felt soft and ethereal; my movements were smooth and slick. I also moved a lot quicker, almost gliding over the floor.

  Making a point to look into that after whatever was happening was important. “Look, I do not agree with you being in my body, but if you are going to be in here anyway, you better at least help me fight,” I said quietly, behind gritted teeth.

  “Of course!” the voice happily said. “I know we will make the best of friends!” For the briefest of moments, I contemplated ending it all right here and now. Then the memory of Tama being zapped Earth knows where steeled me.

  The doors opened, and sure enough, a single goblin entered the room, followed by another one. These goblins looked much more put together than Grok’s tribe, though. They actually wore clothes! Technically, Grok’s tribe wore clothes as well, if you counted ragged clothes and armor as clothes. But these goblins were wearing clothes like a civilized society would. Both had simple weapons attached to their hips. This was interesting and something I did not need to deal with. Still, goblins were sentient, kind of. I should be able to reason with them.

  I stepped out from behind the door and walked closer to them. I was literally just over five feet away when I stopped. They did not notice me. I coughed into my hand, and they swerved around, grabbing their weapons in shock. Not very bright, it seemed, or not very perceptivemost likely both.

  “Oi, who are you!” the goblin who came in first said. He pointed his rusty dagger at me, and I internally scoffed.

  In the sweetest voice I could muster, no charm needed yet, I spoke, “Ah, me? I am Saki, a friendly…” As I said “friendly,” I batted my eyelashes and gently stepped closer to them. “Little Foxkin.”

  The first goblin looked unimpressed, but the second one was drooling. Classic male, thinking with his downstairs brain. He puffed out his chest to look more manly and said, “My name is Pip! I am the best scout in the Dredge Tribe!” He looked smug as he said it.

  This was going to be too easy. “Oh? The Dredge Tribe? I heard you are all very strong goblins!” My voice was sickeningly sweet as I spoke, taking another step forward, my tail slowly beginning to wrap around Pip.

  Pip was oblivious to my actions. The first goblin, however, raised his dagger to strike me and opened his mouth to call out. I was about to turn my charm to slow him when, to my shock, I felt the water thing inside of me leave me! It flowed around behind the first goblin and forced itself inside him. The first goblin then stabbed himself in the throat and fell over quietly to the ground!

  I watched, horrified, as the water creature left the goblin’s body, swam in the air around Pip, and entered me again. “I helped!” it said happily. I tried not to scream out loud. Instead, I internally screamed as I amped up my desirous look and began pulling Pip closer to me.

  “So, Pip, was it?” I said, trying not to sound strained as I gently caressed his ugly head. “Why do not you tell me a bit about your tribe, and maybe after, we can have some…” I brought my hand to his waist, making a point to squeeze his thigh. “Fun.”

  Pip, at this point, was drooling and started trying to get his pants off. I stopped him and giggled. “Silly Pip, not yet. Tell me some stuff first. I get excited with stories.”

  Pip nodded excitedly and spilled everything, including his guts, when a Foxkin tail shaped like a spear went through his heart. I watched the blood simply slosh off of me and wondered if keeping this thing around as a cleaning service would not be out of the question.

  “My name is Anna, by the way!” she said, giggling as she did. “I just want to make sure you are nice and clean for when we meet up with Tama. We can all be the best of friends!”