Chapter 96: Fake It Till They Worship You
"Furless, everyone is completely calm," Selka whispered into her ear, her tone deep and full of reverence. "And don’t worry... those two mighty giants are the ones who traveled all the way from the plains to save your life, Good Witch Aestra."
Oh... right. Help. Witch Aestra. Uhm, got it, Nuan thought, her chaotic brain quickly shifting gears into full actress mode.
She threw her shoulders back, standing as tall as her human frame allowed, and looked up into the amber eyes of the giants. "Your help... I will never forget what you did for me," she declared, her voice carrying a smooth, theatrical weight.
Amara and Zuri leaned their massive upper torsos forward, their sharp eyes intensely observing every micro-expression on the furless creature’s face to read her soul.
Nuan knew she needed to lock down her status as a powerful deity before they had a chance to ask any difficult questions.
She didn’t waste a single second. Looking around the grass, the first thing she spotted was her wooden bowl resting against a rock.
She reached out, her fingers gently brushing the polished wood—and with a sudden zap, the weapon completely vanished into thin air, sucked straight into her system inventory.
"Where is the rest of my stuff? Bring it back to me," Nuan commanded aloud, keeping her face perfectly neutral.
Koda’s ears pricked up, and he nodded frantically. The loyal wolf sprinted into his storage den and came back with his arms completely full, carefully setting Nuan’s clay pottery, her forged knife, the wooden tongs, her arrows, and her spare wooden bowl onto the leaves before her.
Nuan looked down at the panting wolf and reached out, affectionately ruffling his thick hair. "Good boy, Koda. You kept all of my things perfectly safe."
Breaking away from Selka’s support, Nuan carefully kneeled down on the dirt, giving the happy wolf a quick, tight hug.
As she pulled away, her hands gracefully swept across the pile of items, touching them one by one.
With a continuous ripple of blue pixels, the pottery, the knife, and the arrows vanished into the void, one after another.
She was intentionally putting on a flawless magic show, knowing damn well that the big, judging eyes of the two elephants were burning holes into her back.
Beside her, Kael watched Koda get a hug and a hair ruffle, and his lips instantly curled back, letting out a sharp, jealous growl at the younger wolf.
Nuan swiftly whipped her head around, giving her needy Alpha a firm, disciplinary glare that screamed, Behave.
Turning back to the crowd with a benevolent smile, she thoroughly embraced her role as the kind, all-powerful Good Witch, ready to see what these giants actually wanted from her.
While Nuan was busy putting on her high-grade witchcraft show for the crowd, she was screaming at the top of her lungs inside her own head.
Selka! Miss Selka! Can you hear me in this weird wolf radio channel?!
Yes, Furless! What is it? Selka’s voice popped into her brain instantly.
Give me a quick cheat sheet right now! What exactly did these elephants help with, and how as Aestra am I supposed to be related to these elephants?! Hurry! Nuan demanded mentally, her face remaining completely stoic as she vanished another clay bowl into her inventory.
Right! Listen carefully, Selka replied through the link, laying down a rapid-fire history lesson. Many generations ago, the Grand Witch Aestra saved the Elephant Clan during a catastrophic drought. They were starving and had lost a great deal of blood, so she blessed them with the sacred Red Root to instantly regenerate their lifeforce. They just used that exact same root syrup to save your life.
I see... Nuan murmured internally. Thanks, Miss Selka. You’re a lifesaver.
With the backstory officially locked into her database, Nuan stood up straight, brushing the dirt off her knees as the last arrow vanished into her digital void.
She turned her body fully toward the two eight-foot titans, crossing her arms with a serene, otherworldly expression.
Amara narrowed her large, amber eyes, her massive trunk swaying slowly as she looked down at the tiny, furless creature. "Can you tell me... who exactly are you?"
Nuan let out a soft, melodic hum, tilting her head with an air of ancient wisdom.
"Names change with time. Long ago, I was called Bai Nuan. In this world... the name that remained was Aestra. I hope that satisfies you, mighty rulers of the plains."
She paused, letting a benevolent, slightly patronizing smile grace her lips. "It pleases me to see your bloodline still stands strong after so many generations. And seeing the Red Root passed faithfully from mother to daughter... tells me you honored my gift."
A collective gasp rippled through the wolves standing in the clearing. Even Zuri and Amara visibly gulped, their massive frames shifting slightly at the sheer, casual confidence dripping from her tone.
Amara cleared her throat, her voice dropping into a tense rumble. "Then... Witch Aestra, can you truly prove your identity to us beyond a shadow of a doubt?"
"Hmm? My identity?" Nuan murmured, letting out a soft, theatrical chuckle that made her sound like an immortal being who found mortal doubts absolutely adorable. "Well, tell me, what exactly would satisfy your curiosity? Though I am by no means obligated to perform tricks to make everyone believe in my existence... I can certainly accommodate you two, since your timely help has earned you that privilege."
Externally, she looked every bit the ancient deity.
Internally, she was sweating bullets. Oh God, please let them ask for something simple. Let’s hope they don’t ask me to start flying or shoot lightning bolts out of my eyes, because my system inventory is literally just full of mud pottery and arrows right now!
The entire pack stood in absolute, breathless silence. Even with the miracle of their witch waking up, no one dared to celebrate just yet. The air in the clearing was thick, suffocating, and tense.
Kael’s massive chest rumbled with an aggressive, protective vibration as he glared at the giants, his golden eyes flashing, while Selka took a slow, deep breath beside him.
Up above, Amara and Zuri shared a long, heavy glance.
Their large ears twitched in unison as they quietly communed through their secret telepathic link, carefully weighing the weight of the prophecy against the furless creature standing before them, deciding exactly what impossible question to ask next.