Chapter 5

Chapter 5 focuses on Keidran physiology and explaining more of Keith's past and his attitude towards Keidran. The plausibility of Trace's relationship with Flora is called into question.

Summary
Flora goes for a bath on Euchre's suggestion, although Flora is uncomfortable in the cold river. She wishes she has help, and Trace appears right after she thinks of him. When Trace reaches out to Flora, she retracts out of fear of what Trace did to her earlier. Trace, feeling depressed and rejected, says goodbye and makes to leave. Flora changes her mind and pounces on Trace, stopping him from leaving.

Out of context, Tom Fischbach reads some fanmail: "'Hey Tom! Your comic is awesome and Flora's teh [sic] cutest thing ever. One question, though. You say you're a guy but your comic's really sappy. Are you a girl in RL? And if not, why don't you make Flora.. have...' (The entirety of the message is unread, although the uncensored meaning can be inferred from Tom's reaction.)" Back at the river, Trace brushes Flora's fur. Keith catches a glimpse and, due to the sexually repressed nature of the Basitin, overreacts to what he sees Trace doing with Flora.

The reader is shown a memory flashback 4 years prior. Flora is playing with Kei and Kei's sister. Flora asks "Bu, why kin't I be 'he mommy?" and Kei's sister responds "Duh! You're a Keidran! Keidran can't marry humans!" (Kei is the "daddy").

Flora pushes Trace away as the reader is shown another memory flashback to 1 year prior, where Kei dumps Flora as a friend. Ignoring her previous experiences with Humans, Flora decides to kiss Trace anyway.

Keith sees Trace and Flora kissing and tries to get over to the river to stop them, although Euchre stops Keith. Trace carries Flora out of the river and their relationship becomes official.

The next day, Euchre speaks to Trace in a mildly threatening way, warning him not to hurt Flora. After Flora wakes up, Euchre also has a word with her, congratulating her on her first kiss.

Keith pulls Trace aside to go over the map and the travel plans. However, Keith brings up Trace's relationship with Flora and warns Trace that the relationship is impossible.

"'I think it's important I tell you something about Keidran. They aren't like human females. They run on instinct, and one of these makes it impossible to commit in [sic] someone. Her instincts will eventually force her to find some other male. Flora may not even realize she has this instinct, but it doesn't matter. I've never heard of a Keidran staying with the same person for more than a few weeks. At least, not at her age.'" Euchre leaves as Trace, Flora, and Keith go off into the woods. Two weeks later, the group is lost in the woods. Thirty minutes after they realize they are lost, Trace asks for the map, only to realize that he is alone in the woods. Flora and Keith, meanwhile, are looking for Trace. Keith recommends tracking his scent and the pair go off into the woods again. Flora smells a Feral Keidran and they continue searching for Trace.

Trace comes across a Feral Keidran tiger in the woods, mistaking it for Flora, but is attacked, pinned to a tree, and humped by the Keidran until Flora punches it off of Trace. The Keidran tiger runs off, against Flora's best efforts to communicate with it in the Keidran tongue. Later at night, around the campfire, Flora explains what a Feral Keidran is, relating it as one of her own greatest fears.

The scene shifts to Euchre meeting the disguised Master Spy in the forest. Euchre takes off his green robe, revealing the Templar robe underneath.

Back at the camp, Flora goes to bed, putting off answering Trace's questions about Keidran physiology. Trace raises his questions to Keith, instead, who also leaves to go to bed to avoid having to answer him. The next morning, Keith pulls Trace aside to tell him how the Keidran "heat" works. Trace asks Keith is Basitin undergo the same problems, making Trace curious as to how Keith knows so much about female Keidran.

While Trace talks to Flora, Keith takes out a letter that brings him anguish. He tears the letter in half, throwing the parts away, determined to "complete [his] mission and fulfill the contract."

After her conversation with Trace, Flora walks back to her tent to take a nap, but notices a piece of paper on a tree branch. The letter is revealed to be a letter to Keith from his wife,Laura. One of the Masks is watching Flora in the background. Flora settles in her tent for a nap. Keith tells Trace that they need to begin traveling again and asks Trace to wake Flora. Trace, assured by Flora that she is not in heat yet, tells Keith to go ahead and get her. Keith gets grabbed by Flora, still sleeping, once he enters the tent. He overreacts and elbows her in the nose to get her off, quickly apologizing and getting some water to help clean her up. Flora asks Keith where the letter came from, prompting Keith to inflame. Trace enters the tent to see Keith shouting at Flora, who is covered in blood from her broken nose, and proceeds to threaten him. Keith runs off, scared, as Trace heals Flora's nose and Flora explains what happened to Trace. With some Mana flowing through him from healing Flora, Trace teleports himself and Flora to Keith, who was returning to explain what happened. Keith tells his story. "Laura_Agreeing_to_Marriage.jpg 'After arriving on mainland [sic] nearly starving to death, a group of fox Keidran happened to find me. They helped me, for some reason. Gave me clothes, and let me live with them as if I were their son. I was young and took all the help I could get. After a few months with them, I fell in love with their daughter. I asked the parents if I could court her, and they agreed. It wasn't all that unusual. They had warned me about the ways of Keidran females. But I ignored them, and 3 months later asked her to marry me. She agreed whole-heartedly. Then... two days before the wedding, she went out and never came back. I left immidiately [sic] after hearing that she was sleeping with another Keidran. And that was that. Happy now?'"

Transcript
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