A moment later—
He lifted into the air with a faint flutter of wind.
Then landed gently.
Right between the fox's ears.
The fox froze mid-step.
Her ears twitched slightly under the sudden weight.
The small lizard curled comfortably against the warm fur atop her head.
After a moment, his voice rumbled quietly.
"For my body to recover quickly…"
His golden eyes half closed.
"…I need to eat."
The fox blinked.
Then slowly tilted one eye upward, trying to see him.
The tiny white dragon rested there calmly.
Then he added in a flat tone:
"And right now…"
"…there is only one demonic beast nearby."
A small pause followed.
"…so I'm still thinking about whether I should just eat it."
The fox stopped walking instantly.
A cold chill ran straight down her spine.
Her turquoise eyes widened.
"…Excuse me?"
Her ears flattened instinctively.
The fox slowly turned her head slightly, trying to look at him without actually dislodging him.
"You shouldn't make jokes like that."
Her voice carried a thin edge of nervousness now.
"Right?"
Her tail stiffened behind her.
"You just fought a Golden Core cultivator."
She forced a small laugh.
"You're clearly too tired to hunt anything right now."
Her ears twitched again.
"…Right?"
The small lizard said nothing.
He simply rested there.
Quiet.
Warm.
Completely still.
The fox swallowed.
Then muttered under her breath:
"…This is why letting strange beasts ride on your head is a bad idea."
The fox continued walking through the forest, though her steps had become noticeably more careful now.
Her ears twitched constantly.
Mostly because there was currently a **small dragon** resting right between them.
And that dragon had just calmly mentioned the possibility of eating her.
Her turquoise eyes narrowed slightly.
Then she muttered under her breath.
"…You're still thinking about eating me."
The small white lizard resting in her fur didn't immediately respond.
That only made her more suspicious.
Her tail flicked irritably behind her.
"You know…"
She continued, her voice carrying a faint complaint now.
"I thought we had already moved past that stage a long time ago."
She stepped over a fallen branch.
Her ears tilted slightly backward toward him.
"I mean, we've traveled together… fought together… nearly died together."
Her tone turned increasingly incredulous.
"At this point we're basically family."
She huffed softly.
"And as your family, I don't think you sitting on my head and thinking about eating me is very healthy for our relationship."
Her turquoise eyes shifted upward again, as if trying to glare at him.
"Family shouldn't do that."
Her tail swayed once more as she added firmly:
"That's just rude."
For a moment, only the sound of leaves rustling beneath her paws filled the forest.
Then the tiny lizard's voice came again, calm as ever.
"I tried to eat you the first time we met."
The fox choked.
"That was completely different!"
She snapped instantly.
Her ears flattened.
"That was before we became companions!"
She cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure.
"…Besides."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"You didn't actually eat me."
A brief pause.
Then she added defensively:
"…You were only considering it."
Her tail flicked again.
Then she muttered quietly:
"…Which is very different."
The forest grew quieter the deeper they went.
Tall ancient trees blocked most of the sunlight, and the air carried a steady flow of spiritual energy that brushed softly against fur and scale alike.
The fox walked with steady steps, though her ears still twitched occasionally.
Mostly because the **tiny dragon** resting between them had gone quiet again.
That silence made her more uneasy than if he had continued teasing her.
After a while she huffed.
"You know…"
Her turquoise eyes shifted upward again, trying to look at him.
"You're not denying it."
The small white lizard lay curled comfortably in her fur, his eyes half closed.
"I didn't say I would."
His voice was calm.
Flat.
The fox immediately stopped walking.
Her ears flattened again.
"You didn't say you *wouldn't* either!"
Her tail puffed slightly before she forced it to settle again.
"That is not reassuring!"
The lizard slowly opened one eye.
"You said family shouldn't eat each other."
The fox nodded quickly.
"Yes!"
"That is correct!"
The lizard closed his eye again.
"Then it is fine."
The fox blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then her head tilted slightly.
"…Wait."
Her ears twitched.
"What do you mean 'it is fine'?"
The lizard's voice remained completely calm.
"I am not hungry enough to eat family."
The fox froze.
Her brain clearly stalled for a moment.
Then she sputtered.
"Not— hungry— enough?!"
Her paws stopped again.
"That's not how that sentence should end!"
Her turquoise eyes narrowed into an accusatory glare directed upward.
"You're supposed to say you **would never** eat family!"
The lizard shifted slightly where he rested between her ears.
"…That would be dishonest."
The fox's jaw dropped.
For several seconds she just stared ahead in stunned silence.
Then she groaned loudly.
"…Why did I pick up such a terrifying companion?"
But despite her complaints—
She didn't slow down.
Her paws continued carrying them deeper into the valley where the spiritual energy was thickest.
After a moment she muttered quietly to herself:
"…Next time I find an unusual spirit beast, I'm leaving it where it is."