"To Steal a Fox" by Virmir http://virmir.com 8-1-2010
 December 707CR
"Vale! Yaaaaaay!"
 Vale nearly tripped in surprise when she felt something attach to her leg. She looked down and gently patted the child's head, careful not to scratch her with her claws. "Hello, Emile. Do you know where Vir-- where Kendo is?"
 Emile's eyes shot up, winter wisps clouding around her mouth. She seemed well cared for here at the orphanage, bundled up tightly in her coat, cheeks flecked with snow. "Kendo? You... you didn't bring him with?" The young girl's eyes saddened and she seemed at a loss for words.
 "I'm afraid I didn't... I was looking for him and was wondering if he stopped by to see you."
 Emile tore away and stomped off in the snow. "I didn't see Kendo inna long time. A long, long time... Uncle Kyle says he can't come back 'till the snow melts..." She kicked through the white powder, sending a spray through the air.
 Vale's canine ears perked. "Oh?"
 "Hello, there," a grandfatherly voice sounded from behind. Vale turned to see the elderly orphanage caretaker, Kyle Recos, carefully approaching via the snow-laden path. The human leaned heavily on a cane, black coat draped tightly around his frail frame with a peppered beard poking out under his tall hat.
 "Hello. I was wondering if Virmir, the... short gray fox stopped by recently?" She held out a hand just under chest-level to indicate his height.
 Kyle stopped before her and tapped his cane into the snow once, his expression turning dour. His eyes drifted off to the group of children playing in the snow. "Well... I'm afraid I haven't seen him for a few weeks, actually... We got in a bit of a scuffle last time he was here, him and I, you see..."
 Vale gritted her teeth, hand reflexively reaching under her muzzle. "Oh... what happened?"
 "Well... a group of children saw him coming down the path and took to their minds to throw a snowball..."
 "Ohhh..." Vale tensed at what was possibly the worst idea in the world. "He... didn't...?"
 Kyle nodded glumly, mouth set in a firm frown. 
"Oh, my..." She bit the ends of her clawtips. "Did he... hit anyone...?"
 He shook his head quickly. "Thankfully, no. I doubt he was trying to hit them. Just scare them. Either that, or he was too angry to aim... Regardless, the one child is now deathly afraid of fire and attends therapy thrice a week..."
 "Oh dear... I'm terribly sorry..."
 Kyle held up a hand. "Think nothing more of it. But by the gods... I've seen mages throw fire at the Three Gates. Even had a spell tossed in my direction. But I've never seen a ball of flame pulled from thin air that quickly..."
 Vale gritted her teeth and forced a smile, rubbing the back of her head. "Ha ha... well, thanks anyway..."
 ----
She didn't know what she was doing... Well... yes, she did. She was just bored, that was all. Bored with nothing to do on her day off. So why not ask him if he wanted to go to lunch? There was nothing strange about that. Though, maybe it was a little odd she spent a good part of morning marching from the Keep, through Metamor Town, then back. But she was used to walking anyway. Nothing strange about that either.
 She found herself in Virmir's hallway again, the suit of armor decorating the end unmistakable. The keep had a way of doing that-- probably mistook her thoughts of the fox as a desire to visit his room. She knew he wasn't home, but some time had passed and she was here now, so she might as well check one more time. She shook her head as she approached the door, knowing full well that even if he were home, he'd say 'no' anyway.
 Before she could knock, Vale noticed something different. A pale blue luminescence radiated from the crack under the doorway, dancing upon the white fur of her footpaws. A deep humming tickled her canine ears. This was different, indeed... Hesitant to disturb the fox-mage during one of his spells, she gave a light tap at the heavy door and waited. Last time she had barged in upon him and he seemed rather upset. Then again, that time she was the squad leader and he the subordinate. Now of course it was the other way around...
 She forced her tail from between her legs and stood straighter. She had to stop doing that... She knocked again, this time a bit more confidently. But still, her heart fluttered with nervousness... Argh... what was she doing? This was so silly...
 Silence again, apart form the rhythmic hum from within. Of course he wouldn't answer the door. He was a wizard. He had more important things to do. With folded ears, she turned away from the door, the lonely click of claw-nails upon stone echoing down the hall.
 She walked for a long while, her father's-- no-- her sword a burden that slapped at her side. Perhaps she should just leave it on her days off. But no, it just wouldn't feel right.
She sighed as she passed a window, a chill wind creeping through the frosted panes. It was too late to go back out to town by now. She'd just grab something to eat in the commons.
 "Oh! Pardon me, madam."
 She ran into a thick mahogany cloth and stumbled backwards, nearly falling over. Something caught her hand and she regained her balance.
 "I'm terribly sorry. I'm in a rush, you see..." The robed figure spoke, white mustache visible pointing from under the cowl. He waved one arm. "Conjunction of the planets, and all."
 Vale gasped sharply when she realized that the cloaked figure's hand wasn't really a hand, and a pale green tentacle wrapped around her arm. But she regained her composure when she realized that this was the wizard Virmir studied under... an octopus or a squid or something... she'd never met him face-to-face, but she knew Virmir wasn't very fond of him.
 "It's no problem, really," she said, wringing her wrist reflexively. "Are you going to visit Virmir?"
 His head snapped up, and she could see hints of black, bulbous eyes under the cowl's shadow. "Why yes I-- oh, you are a member of his squad, aren't you? Archmage Morlak, my dear." He bowed in a curling way that suggested he didn't have a spine, but he was polite enough.
 "Vale Restault," she replied, trying to return a smile.
 "I apologize my dear," his head turned down the corridor from which she came, "but I must take my leave. Something... isn't quite right." He looked as if he were going to say something else, but his mouth opened and he froze mid-word.
 Vale turned around and gasped--
----
I suddenly became aware that I was standing in an unfamiliar room.
 I blinked a few times, rubbing sleep from my eyes. I held a piece of chalk in my hand, rolling it in my claws a few times. Was I just working on a spell? My mind was a haze... Why couldn't I remember?
 Blue ambience surrounded me. The very tone of it sent a chill down my spine as I remembered the ordeal with the plant-things months ago. Something glowed behind me, some swirling mass with resonating runes sprawling about the floor.
 "You've made it!" A shrill voice grinded from my right. My ears turned to catch the sound. Before a doorway stood two figures. The first was a tall lanky gray fox dressed in dull robes with a face that looked almost exactly like my own, except his headfur was haggard. But it was the second that made my jaw drop. It was my mother. My human mother. And she wore the white, flame-lined robes of my grandfather. The same type I had brought back with me...
 "Hello... Kendo..." She looked at the ground nervously as soon as our eyes met. I sputtered a few times. This was certainly unexpected...
 "And it's about time..." The other figure stepped in front of her and rushed towards me, causing me to take a step back. "Careful now! Don't fall back in." I turned to eye the swirling mass of light just inches away from my tail. Some sort of portal? "We've been waiting a long time for you to finish that blasted thing..." He plucked the chalk from my clawtip.
 My hackles raised. "Who are you?" I growled, sidestepping away from the mass of light as well as the tall grinning fox. He tried to catch me, but as soon as I pulled out a ball of fire and pointed it at his face his eyes widened and he stopped dead in his tracks. Blast, he was like twice my size...
 "Kendo, don't you recognize me? Of course... you aren't used to your nose..." His muzzle melted into his face and his fur receded into fleshy skin. A grinning human bore down upon me, messy hair covering his eyes. "I'm your uncle Melface!" He held out his arms, as if expecting a hug.
 I raised a brow, keeping the fireball firmly aimed at his head and pursing my lips. His smile strained and a bead of sweat dropped down his face. My eyes shifted to my mother on the side, then back at him. If even she really was my mother... 
I was fed-up to my eartips with all the crap that kept happening to me as soon as I got stuck in this gods-forsaken castle and the freak-show Meta-morons. And now I somehow sleepwalked a portal spell and wound up in some room painted the colors of my nightmares along with my mother who I kissed good-bye on the other side of the blasted world years back and some goofball with a crooked smile who could shapeshift. You bet I was cranky...
 "Kendo, put the spell away... Melface, he was too young to remember..." my mother pleaded.
 "But I gave him a piggyback ride!" Somehow, during my brief eye-shift he had managed to maneuver himself around my side, and threw his arms up in disgust. "A piggyback ride!"
 I loosened my arm and raised it so my palm opened skyward, the swelling orb of light hovering above my head. My eyes followed him as he completed a circuit around me. If he tried anything I'd just throw it at my feet and blow the entire blasted room up. "Why am I here?"
 "You're here because you wanted to come. You want to get away from that castle, do you not?" I blinked a few times, unable to counter that... Blast it. He folded his arms behind his back and continued circling. He moved around to my rear again, as I eyed him warily. I didn't like him.... I could smell it.
 "Where is he?"
 "Your grandfather? Would you like to see him?" He grinned as he walked past and began his third circling. He was stalling... I didn't like that. My mother was nervous, standing on the other side of the room. But I caught her scent and somehow I knew it was her despite never smelling her as a fox. It was oddly comforting, and it distracted me as the tall man rounded around my other side. 
"We can take you to him, if you like." His voice snapped my attention back to him as he completed his third circle. A wave of dizziness overcame me and he suddenly became 10 times taller, fox's grin replacing his human guise. Then everything went dark.
 ----
"What did you do?! Don't touch him!" Lucile shrieked.
 "Whaaaat? I didn't do anything!" Melface took a half leap backwards to get out of Lucile's way as she ran over to the collapsed little fox. "I just put him to sleep. GEEZ!" He looked down and saw that Kendo was shrinking, his body becoming tangled in his clothing. "Huh..."
 Lucile scooped up the little body and wrapped him in his cloak. "He's become... feral."
 "Didn't do it!" Melface threw up his arms.
 Lucile shot him a glare, then stroked the sleeping fox's head. "Father will know... I'm so sorry, Kendo..." Pausing to pick up the rest of her son's clothing, she turned to walk down the corridor, but stopped short when she realized Melface wasn't following. "Hurry and seal the portal. We wouldn't want-- Melface! What are you doing?"
 Melface stopped with one foot in the glowy mass. "Oh, go on. I just need to retrieve my cloak."
 "Melface, father said--"
"Relax! I'll catch up. Go on, go on!" He waved her on.
 Lucile sighed, looked at her fox-son once more, then hurried down the blue corridor.
 Melface grinned, then stepped into the light.
 ----
He stepped out into Kendo's room. It was exactly how it was before, except the bed was turned on it's side to make more room for the chalk lines on the floor. He drew in a deep breath. "Ahhhh, Metamor!" Then proceeded to cough at the chalk dust in the air and sniffle. Blast, it was even colder now that he was here for real!
 Holding his arms about his chest, Melface tiptoed over the glowing lines as he regrew his fur. He paused at the table, grinning a wide vulpine grin as he found his spell instructions Kendo had so diligently followed. He took the paper and rolled it up, then padded to the chest on the other side of the room where he found the chest as it always was. Wiggling his fingers, he traced a few lines on the lock and snapped it off, then reclaimed his cloak Kendo had taken months back.
 "Lovely!" he giggled, slipping the familiar fabric back on. He posed a moment, then stepped towards the glowing portal. But his eyes drew to the closed doorway leading outside the room and he stopped with a raised footpaw. "Hmmm... well surely a peek at the great Metamor won't hurt!"
 He spun and tiptoed towards the doorway (as a natural digitigrade, it came very easily), and unfastened the heavy latch, nearly giggling. "After all, I may not get another chance!" Struggling with it a bit, he realized there was a second and a third bolt, and after much jarring, the door finally creaked open and the blue ambience spilled into the ill-lit hallway beyond.
 "He he he... oh my!" He poked his head out the doorway. The air was even cooler out here, and it made him shiver under his fur. But still! This was too good an opportunity to pass up! He snuck out into the hall and looked around, rubbing his paws together. "I'm in your keeeeep~!" he spoke softly in a sing-song voice. "And I'm gonna do something naughty~!"
 He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do yet. Perhaps he could find a tapestry or something and claw it up. Just to say he did it. Yes, that would do nicely...
 He made his way to the end of the hallway, turned down the next and--
----
Vale gasped. It was... Virmir? No. It looked like him, but he was way too tall, his hair different, and... those eyes... Those eyes were so wrong...
 "Oh!" The tall gray fox pursed his lips around the vowel and blinked a few times. He then slowly raised his right hand, wiggling clawed fingers in a child-like wave and offered a toothy grin. "Uh, hello!" His eyes shifted from the wizard to Vale a few times as all three stood in silence, and the smile slowly faded. "You're... you're going to try and kill me aren't you?" 
More silence. 
"Blast."
 Then like an avalanche, Vale fell to the floor as the wizard and the fox exploded in a flurry of movement. "Get down!!" Morlak screamed, the words hitting her only after her tail sandwiched between her rear and the floor. The fox was in mid air by now, and kicked off the nearest wall. She covered her head as he flew overhead, twin balls of crackling energy radiating from his hands. A gouge in the bricks ripped through by a blast of lightning shook her very core. The wizard had whipped out a staff from his robes and sprayed the entire room with dancing electricity as the fox zipped about.
 "Be gone, underworldling, be gone!!" Bolts and rubble flew about and the wizard screamed. Vale rolled out of the way as an armor ornament gave way and collapsed.
 "Owwww!!!" The fox screamed as a bolt electrified him, knocking him out of his trajectory and causing him to bounce off the other wall. Crumbling bricks and block followed in his wake, and he rolled out of the way of a tumbling statue. "Ow ow OWWW~!" A red flash caused her to shield her eyes and suddenly the fox was much smaller, on four paws, and racing down the hallway from whence he came.
 "After him!" Morlak screamed. "After~!" The octopus mage held his crackling staff high and charged, moving much slower but still at a considerable pace as he sidestepped the fallen statue and leapt through a plume of smoke.
 Vale gritted her teeth. Were they headed toward Virmir's hallway? With the keep, one would never know, but she forced herself to stand and drew her shining blade, lithely charging after the wizard.
 ----
"Interesting."
 Lucile shivered in anticipation as Father looked over Kendo's tiny fox-kit body. He ran his bony hands above the little fox a few times, curled up upon the table, asleep.
 "He's merely a few odd weavings around him, and his body reverts to his true form whenever he stops concentrating. Easily removed." He waved his hands a few more times, then Kendo began to grow, taking back the form of a two legged fox child with workable hands. "It is better if he's larger for the procedure, as well."
 Lucile breathed a sigh of relief. And then shivered. The procedure.
 Father wrapped Kendo in the little fox's cloak, then fixed him to a board wedged perpendicular to the ground. Lucile turned away, remembering her time on that board. At least Kendo was asleep...
 "Father..." She tried gently, surprised that she had the courage to speak at all. She watched him deftly draw the runes around the base of the board, circling it upon the floor, the blue ambience of the cave painting the white lines in a mystical glow. Seeing her son suspended there, sleeping peacefully, unaware... it filled her with dread. "Father, Kendo... he's..."
 "He is three-quarters human. Yes." Father turned towards her and flipped his robe with elegance. "When I converted you and Melface, Lucile, you were half human. As such, I only needed to drain one half of your blood..." He turned. Lucile quickly looked away, not wanting to see the things Father attached to Kendo's arms. Oh gods, her baby... Father continued speaking as he worked. "Kendo however, I must drain three-quarters from. There's a fair chance he won't make it, even with the life support spells."
 Tears formed in her eyes and she fell to her knees. "But... but..."
 "I was right in leading him to Metamor. The ambience brought out enough of his true self to suggest he has enough of us in him to be converted fully and perhaps even ease the process. However, with this child-like curse forced upon him, his body is even frailer than yours. It is a shame. I'm unsure if he will return to normal even if he ceases being human."
 He turned back to Lucile and stepped towards her, stroking his beard contemplatively. "But it is worth the risks, my dear. I see myself in him, Lucile. Should he become pure blooded, his power would be fantastic."
 He gently stroked her chin with a nearly-clawed hand. "Our family grows, Lucile. Our family grows... He shall be the fourth. And tonight, our fifth shall join us. Does this not make you happy?"
 Lucile could not fight back her tears. "But... what if he dies?"
 Father stopped and looked into her eyes, long and hard. "Then nothing is lost. He is useless to us otherwise."
 Lucile stood and shouted, louder then she intended to. "No! He's not!"
 Father glared. Lucile's gut wrenched.
 "That is enough!" He placed his hand atop her head. "You still cling to these... human emotions... There is something wrong with you..." 
Lucile felt her body lift from the ground and she felt very queasy. "Ah... ah...!" Her body shrunk and shuddered, and fur burst from her skin.
 "You spend all your time under that... guise. From now on, you will look as you are meant to. Lucile squirmed and yelped as her hands melted away and father grew much taller, hanging suspended from his hand. "And I shall take your voice until I decide you will no longer talk back to me." 
He opened his palm, and the gray vixen fell and crumpled to the ground. She sputtered and whimpered, shakily trying to stand on four paws.
 Father turned to and loomed over Kendo. He twisted knobs on the devices on the fox-child's wrists as the runes glowed, and crimson blood began flowing down the tubes, slowly leaking into the drain bucket. Drip. Drip. Drip.
 Lucile shuddered.
 "Guard your son, Lucile. If the process is interrupted at any time, know that he will die." He walked towards the door, but then paused and looked back. "Your power is stronger like that, Lucile. When you are in your true form. Know this. You are better now." With a flip of his white, crimson-edged robe, he was gone.
 Lucile curled up into a ball and watched her son. She wanted to cry, but her body wouldn't let her.
 ----
The two stopped in front of an open door. This was Virmir's room. But that light... that light....
 "I've seen this before." Vale whispered. "Well, it was different, in the cave... but the light.. it's the same color..."
 The octopus wizard to her left stroked the mustache poking from his cowl. "I see... Virmir told me about this. Well your adventure... certainly not this."
 "Virmir's in there... they got him... they went in and got him..."
 "And that fox too... or at least, I assume. The question of course is, do we follow?"
 The two looked at each other and nodded. Vale gripped her sword and stepped into the light.
 ----
Vale gasped at what she saw on the other side. It was a room full of... Keepers?
 "Huh? Vale? You too?" Vincent said, looking up.
 "Vincent?" Vale scratched her headfur.
 The striped hyena punched his fist in irritation. "We were just minding our own business, walking down the hall, when-- BAM! Giant portal out of nowhere!"
 "Yeah... kinda... annoying. At least it's not as cold in here." Kayser, the hornet morph clicked his mandibles a few times.
 "Hi, Lady Vale!" Rufus the boar poked his head from behind the bug-man. "It's a good thing we were 'eaded down for a sparing match so we're all 'eavily armed, eh? Eh heh!"
 Vale pinched the bridge of her nose while the cloaked wizard Morlak inspected the still glowing blue mass that was the portal. "Hmmm... it seems this portal is unstable, and is picking up random people from the keep..." He reached a tentacle-arm out to touch it, presumably feeling the underling tendrils of magic, but it suddenly flashed then disappeared.
 "Whoa, hey!" A younger voice shot out. Vale blinked as what looked like a young fox much like Virmir rushed up to the wizard, waving his arms about. But his fur pattern was random splotches of brown, tan, and gray. "You didn't just walk into a random portal and then CLOSE it behind you, did you?"
 "Well, no..."
 "Ah, good. "
"It just sort of... closed on its own." The wizard stroked his mustache.
 "Oh..."
 "But no matter. I'm sure I can reopen it. But first, let's see if we can find Virmir."
 "Virmir? Short, gray, and angry right?" the fox inquired, digging out a pendant from his cloak. "I was on my way to drop this off for him, actually..."
 "That's him," Vincent replied with a snicker.
 Vale shot the two a sideways glance before speaking. "This portal opened in his room and we think an evil gray fox that sort of looks like him, but also might be a deadra abducted him and brought him back here to this glowing blue cave (where we escaped from a few months back), which is inhabited by violent little clay-and-plant creatures."
 "I see..."
 "Ma'am, if you may." The largest occupant in the room stood and approached the dole. He was a cougar morph, tawny-furred, sporting leather armor and a long pole-arm with a curved blade. "I would be honored to help you in your search for your friend." 
He bowed with feline grace, and Vale could not help but blush under her fur at the gentlemanly gesture and his smooth foreign accent. "Why thank you..."
 "Ethaniel Dilandau."
 "Thank you, Ethan. May I call you that?"
 "Of course," He grinned with the awkwardness of the recently-cursed.
 "Vale Restault," Vale bowed back. And this is Vincent, Kayser, Rufus, and...."
 "Archmage Morlak, at your service," the wizard said as he did the creepy spineless bow again.
 "Kit." The young fox waved.
 "Uhm..." All eyes turned to an orange-furred feline, pressed against the wall, looking rather sheepish. "Kai Adin Cooper. Hi..." He scratched the back of his head and fussed with his robes a bit. He seemed some diplomat or scribe or something with his fancy tunic and the fur at the top of his head dyed a bright blue. "I'm.... uh. I'm not really from Metamor. I'm just an envoy from Baron Adler in the south. I was on my way to meet with the prime minster when, well..." He waved his paws around. "Does this sort of thing happen... often?"
 Everyone in the room shrugged and mumbled. "Uh... kinda." Vincent offered. Some mumbles of agreement followed.
 "I see..."
 ----
"And where have you been?"
 Melface froze mid-step and his tail-frazzled. "Me? Oh! ... I ... just forgot where I put the spellstone that severs the portal from Metamor, that's all... Oh look! Here it is!" He picked up a shiny stone and held it up in the air. "Found it!"
 Father did not turn from his crystals. Arranging them around the box. "Because the transfer was one-way, and only once, it should not leave that large a footprint that a stone is required to close it." He remained fixated on the crystals, arranging them intricately before beginning his lines of chalk.
 "Right!" Melface pointed, pushing his hand out and then dropping it. "Right you are!" He clenched his teeth, eyes wide, then slowly took a step in reverse. He paused, watching Father and his fixation on the chalk lines, then turned and ran.
 ----
"Wait, this too? This also happens often?!"
 "He he he he!"
 Kai splayed his ears and ducked, the curved blade that looked like it was formed from rock just whooshing over his head. Suddenly a gust of wind blasted the creature off its feet and pinned it to the cavern-tunnel wall.
 "Hey, don't look at me!" Kit yelled over the howling winds. He held his paws forward to conduct the spell. "I'm new too!"
 "Same," Ethan muttered under his breath as his pole-arm cleaved three of the plant-and-earth creatures at once. The little imps could get nowhere near the cougar. But then again, he couldn't seem to hurt them either. Even those split in half got back up and crawled over to their body parts, giggling.
 "Their heads!" Vale yelled as she parried a mace made of rock. Sparks flew from her sword's impact. "Split the seed inside of their heads!"
 "Easier said than done!" Kayser, yelled, wings fluttering as he hovered. His normal tactic, jumping high into the air and then spearing his enemy from above just wasn't cutting it here. Though that did not stop him from trying it again on a group rapidly cornering Vincent and Rufus, whose tactics seemed to be confined to slashing madly with wide fearful eyes.
 "And they hate fire and cold!" Vale finished the thought that had been earlier interrupted by an impaling attempt. She deftly brought her blade down to split the offender's head in two, and the thing crumbled to dust and dried vine.
 "Cold? Can do!" Kit waved his hands triumphantly and his cloak bellowed. A cool breeze wafted through the rock corridor where the battle took place, quickly building in intensity to a cold gale. All the plant-and-earth creatures seemed disturbed by this, their blows sloppying and their movement slowed. "Ha ha!" the fox kit yelled.
 Morlak seemed content at blasting the little things with lightning bolts that danced from his staff, each creature making a loud sizzling crack-POP as it flew apart. "Forward!" he bellowed, "they are guarding whatever lies at the end of this tunnel!"
 The keepers actually made good time through the swarm of rabid creatures, and after a moment their numbers thinned enough for the group to make a break for it. Rushing water soon met their ears, and they came to a bridge across a small chasm, palely illuminated by the phosphorescent blue cracks in the walls. More of the plant-and-earth creatures stood at the far end of the bridge. Standing guard in front of a wide set of doors inlaid into the rock, the final group rushed to the center of the bridge, baring their weapons at the intruders. But all stopped as the doors behind slowly opened.
 Morlak nudged Vale and whispered into her ear. "There he is... the fox we chased. Be on guard." All the warriors fanned out, weapons splayed and ready on their side of the bridge. (Kai chose Ethan to stand behind, since he seemed the safest bet.) All eyes watched the small four legged creature step onto the bridge.
 ----
"That's.... not the same one, is it?" Vale asked, unease in her whisper. This one had worry and fear in its eyes. Then suddenly it was gone, and a firm resolve built up in its face like a wall of ice.
 "I'm... I'm not sure," the wizard responded. Vale's fur stood on end at the proximity to his staff, and she knew it was charged with some arcane energy, ready to strike.
 "T-this is-is it..." Vincent leveled his humongous broadsword. Vale could hear his knees shaking.
 "Pah! He's mine!" Rufus kicked dust with his hoof a few times as he readied to charge, hoisting his battle axe.
 The small gray fox on the bridge advanced slowly on four paws with dainty grace, the plant-and-earth creatures stepping out of its way. All the while, the rumbling under the bridge increased. The animal stopped at the edge of the bridge, glowering at the keepers as the roaring reached a climax. A gargantuan wave of water splashed upward at either of its sides and thundered down the tunnel with the rage of a tsunami...
 "Grab hold of something!" Kit screamed as he splayed his hands forward. A tremendous gust of wind bellowed from the opposite end of the tunnel, slamming into and slowing the monstrous wave just long enough for the Keepers to grasp the jagged cavern walls. Unfortunately Kit remained firm in the center of the path, and he opened his eyes just long enough to mutter an "Oh, crap!" before the wave engulfed him, banishing him down the far end of the tunnel.
 "Kiiiit~!" Vale screamed, though it was useless amongst the roaring water. She nearly lost her grip on the slippery stone, but after a few moments of hanging on for dear life, the wave subsided to a trickle and she gasped for air. She had little time to catch her breath as the quadruped fox neared, eyes ice-cold.
 Globules of water rose from the dying stream that was the tunnel floor and rotated around the animal, melding together and freezing. A sparkling blade of ice floated above the creature's head, followed shortly by a frozen mirror-shield. She just barely had the time to parry a slash at her head.
 "Hragh!" Morlak's staff intercepted the second blow, but Vale yelped as a sudden jolt knocked her off her feet. The wizard staggered backwards as well, a loud popping sound echoing through the carvern as he propped himself up against the wall, water dripping from his mustache. "I cannot throw lightning if we are all wet-- OOF!!"
 He was cut off as the floating shield thrust into his chest and pushed him against the wall. The blade spun for his head, but a loud CHING forced Vale to splay her ears and look away. Ethan had rushed the blade with his own halberd, slicing it cleanly in two.
 "Kill it!!" Vincent screamed, snarling as he hefted his massive sword skyward. With a cleave, he parted the puddle in the floor and gouged solid rock, but the fox nimbly leapt in reverse. Two more ice blades rose from the diminishing water, which Rufus and Kayser engaged in heated battle, swinging their weapons around wildly as if they fought invisible foes. Vincent tried another blow, but was cut off as even more ice weapons formed in front of him.
 Vale tried to join the fray, but stumbled and fell as the tingling in her legs from the shock was just too much. With a sudden blue flash, all three of her squad mates were thrown backwards, landing in crumpled heaps in shallow pools.
 Ethan leapt from the shadows, crushing an ice weapon with his halberd and then executing a skilled slash at the fox in one smooth motion. The fox back-flipped and the cat spun around madly, deflecting the ice blades that tried to cut his hide from all directions. An opening presented itself, and the cougar brought his blade down hard on the fox's floating shield. But with a graceful twist, the animal grazed the water with its tail, converting the resulting spray to a flurry of icicles which tore at the cat's exposed arm-fur. "Ahhh!" He screamed, shielding his face. He then promptly fell with a flash of blue steel and a spray of crimson...
 The fox paused, positioning the razor-edged icicle above his neck. But it yelped in surprise, lifted off its feet as it was speared in the side by Morlak's staff. The wizard continued running, screaming as lightning danced around him and the animal. "Back to whence you caaaaame~!" he bellowed as he spearheaded the creature right off the edge of the chasm next to the bridge, following and disappearing into the deep blackness. A bright flash and a thunderous BOOM echoed down the corridor a dozen times, then all was silent...
 Vale watched, mouth gaping.
 Kai, who had been pinned behind a stalagmite the whole time, emerged and began dressing Ethan's wounds. "My mother was a part-time healer. I picked up a few things..." The cougar protested at first, but eventually edged his back to the wall and allowed his arm to be tightly wrapped in the smaller cat's torn robe.
 "Hate... Mondays..." Kit's croaking voice echoed from beyond the tunnel, and he emerged, leaning heavily on the wall. With a few coughs he spat up more water, then patted his chest. "Argh... my pendent is gone too.." He limped closer to the group, wringing water out of his robe. "Really hate-- wait, where did the giant octopus go?" A few solemn stares, and Vale's troubled glanced caused his ears to droop. "Oh..." He stood in silence for a moment.
 "Your ears..." Vincent said, sitting on a rock. "Were they always, so... big?"
 Kit blinked and reached up to touch them. "Oh, blast. Fennec again." He looked at his paws. "Yeah, I... kinda have this weird thing where I shift though fox species... long story."
 "I see..." Vincent stroked his chin, as if evaluating him.
 "We should go." Vale said, after taking long look into the darkness under the bridge. Nothing stirred or made any noise. "We just need to find Virmir and get out of here..."
 "I'm not sure he should be moving around..." Kai said, tightening Ethan's bandage. The cougar tried to swat him away, but he insisted. 
"I'll stay behind with these two," Kayser saluted Vale. "We'll catch up or meet up with you on your way back."
 ----
Phew!
 It was silly of Melface to get all worked up. The portal closed on its own anyway! He breathed a sigh of relief, chucking to himself as he made his way back. That blasted wizard and his dog friend probably didn't have time to slip through. And even if they did, they were trapped now and he had nothing to worry about. Still, probably best to make sure none of the imps saw anything. Funny, there should had been more stationed around here...
 His ears perked when he heard what sounded like the creatures squabbling. He turned the corner to find three of them poking each other with rock spear tips and giggling. "Hey you!" he screamed with authority. "Knock that off!"
 The one nearest to him picked up a stone and threw it, which he dodged, while another took off running down the hallway, laughing madly. "Hey!" The third one actually charged him, brandishing its spear. Melface clenched his teeth in a frustrated snarl and delivered a swift kick to the thing's chest, sending it flying into the wall where it promptly crumpled to dust. "What is wrong with you guys?!"
 By now the remaining one had run away as well, and Melface clenched his fists in irritation. Just what the heck was wrong with Lucile anyway? She's always kept these things under fine control, even if they were stupid mindless morons that could only follow simple orders. Off in the distance he heard some noises that sounded like thunder. Splaying his ears, he tried to guess which tunnel mouth would take him closer...
 ----
"Virmir?"
 Vale stepped closer to the slab of wood with the gray form strapped to it, wrapped in black. "Oh, gods... it is you!"
 He stood in the center of the room, propped up, asleep, tubes running from his arms, dripping blood... "Oh my..." Vale covered her mouth. Glowing runes circled the vertical table he was affixed to.
 "Yikes." Vincent was the first to catch up to Vale, and his reaction was much the same. "Geez... what are they doing to him?"
 Vale couldn’t help it. She dove right into the magic circle--
----
It was very warm, and dizzy... Swirly shapes all around. And then suddenly it was hard to breathe. Light finally reached my eyes, and I choked, gasping for breath with my nose buried in Vale's neck.
 "Get off me!!"
 I pushed her away and fell onto the floor, tangled in my cloak. The world swam around, and the first object I was able to focus on was the blasted warthog Rufus, his stench falling upon me like a shadow. He held his arms out wide.
 "Virmir!"
 "Don't you even think about it!!" I hissed, and he jumped back. I was surrounded by a multitude of figures, and they promptly gave me space as soon as I stood, keeping my cloak wrapped tightly around my middle. "And why am I not wearing any pants?!"
 "Uh..." Vale stood speechless, eyes wet as if she had been crying. But her ears blushed and she grinned, relief evident in her face.
 Vincent popped up behind her, clothing bunched in one hand. "Here, sir! R-right away s-sir!"
 I snatched it from him, then turned to slip my pants back on. "What in blazes is going on, anyway?" I was woozy and felt as if I'd tip over at any moment. Yet on the other hand, I was oddly full of energy. When I turned again, the faces were clearer. Vale, Rufus, Vincent, and a big-eared fox I did not recognize.
 Vale explained a plot of portals and trapped keepers, and a fox that looked just like me... my blood began to boil, and I cut her off. "That's enough." I flipped my cape and headed for the door. "I thank you all, but there's someone I need to talk to..."
 "I'm coming with you," Vincent said, stepping in front of the others, looking much more focused than usual, which surprised me. "This guy... whoever's in charge, screwed us over last time, and screwed you over today." He punched his fists together. "Also..." voice lowered to a whisper, "uh, well I kinda thought that you were one of them... some demon spawn from the netherworld... up until I saw you hanging there a bit ago... sorry."
 I rolled my eyes, but the others seemed eager to join, so did not complain when I turned heel and made way for the far door. The mage who I later learned was Kit was the only one to speak up, "Uh... I'm not sure if this is such--"
----
The crystals were perfect. The chalk was perfect. The alignment was perfect. He rose, stretching his creaking bones. All that was left was to wait. And waiting was one of the things he did best. He smiled at the box in the center of the symphony. She would come back. Far better than before. Far more perfect than even him... He owed her this much. Finally he would show her the way. Make her understand what she did not have the capacity to understand before.
 The ground trembled and flame burst from his left. He scowled and covered his face in the sleeve of his robe. Smoke billowed into the room and dust rained upon his perfect spell. He frowned and peered into the blackness... his anger, his hatred kindled anew. Who dared disturb him?
 A burning orange orb lit within the cloud and a small figure made itself clear, the tap-tap of its toe-claws rasping on stone as the booming echo from the explosion faded within the cavern. Its black cloak waved gently and its eyes were filled with rage. More figures stepped from the smoke, weapons unsurely held within their paws. But they were insignificant to the first one.
 "Kendo."
 ----
"Grandfather," I said dryly, pouring more energy into the fireball. It was bigger than my head by now-- a bright sun aimed squarely at his chest. "It has... been a while."
 "You have... awoken too early." He looked down upon me with a frown, arms slipping behind his back into his robe. "The procedure is not complete." He looked exactly as I remembered him. Human, white hair, beard and robe. The flaming trim upon his garments...
 "What 'procedure'?" I stepped forward, teeth bared, eyebrow twitching. "What in blazes did you try to do to me? And for that matter, what is all of this? What is going on here?!"
 "Kendo, my child. I'm afraid none of this will make sense until after your change is complete. Once humanity is removed from you, I will kindly explain your role. I must ask you to return to your room. As for your friends..." He raised a spindly hand, and tendrils of blackness formed in the air...
 ----
Vale stood firm, sword at the ready. But her mouth dropped in terror when Virmir's grandfather pointed his hand at her and overwhelming blackness formed around it. She nearly blinked and missed what happened next. Virmir caught fire and flew though the air, his much shorter body flying eye-level with his grandfather, and with a burning fiery punch to the jaw, he sent the old man spiraling backwards. The white-robed man tumbled through the air at least 20 feet before slamming into the cavern wall, crumpling onto a table of spell regents, all four legs shattering.
 Virmir landed in a crouch, and with one smooth motion thrust his left hand forward and braced his arm with the right. The orb of flame he charged earlier quivered a moment, before surging though the air and slamming into the crumpled mess.
 Vale and the others shielded their faces as a wave of heat washed over them, fire-red painting the walls. Virmir walked towards the dying inferno, splaying his hands to the sides as crimson formed around them. "I was never fond of talk."
 The old man's shadow appeared in the flame, sitting up, fire avoiding it as if it were afraid. "Kendo, my child, I have trouble... hating you..."
 With a red flash, Virmir charged again. This time his grandfather sidestepped, ever so slightly, and with a jerk, raised his knee into Virmir's chest, stopping him cold. The fire went out as the old man grabbed his cloak and with a mighty spin, flung the little fox into the wall.
 "Now!" Vale screamed, her silver blade flashing orange. She charged the man's back, but promptly tripped and fell face-first. Something caught her ponytail and with a painful jar, she was lifted back up.
 "You miserable cur." Her heart stopped at the words whispered into her ear. "This is all your fault!" A clawed hand grabbed her neck and lifted her off the ground. She gagged and struggled to hold her blade. It was the other fox... the tall one, with the horrible eyes... "If... if you hadn't followed me!"
 "Put her down!" Vincent slashed his side, but it did little good.
 "Hrmph!" A punch with his free hand sent Vincent flying into the others. He turned and looked into her eyes, and she went numb with fear. 
----
Melface tossed the wretch on top of the one who attacked him. He felt another explosion at his back. There were only four of them... if he killed them quickly while father was fighting Kendo, maybe... just maybe he'd be spared his wrath... 
He snarled, his mouth elongating, teeth sharpening unnaturally... it didn't matter either way. He wanted them to die right now, and he would eat their souls. There was a hyena, a boar, a big-eared fox... and he'd save the red dog for last. She would suffer most. They were his. 
They stood there like good victims, wide-eyed, petrified in fear. It was easy to amplify their emotions, with the explosions and fire all around. He circled once before they tried to stand, but that ended with a backhand to the hyena's face. They huddled together, like a litter of frightened kits, afraid, confused. No one understood what the circling meant. That was why it was effective. The big-eared fox began to gather wind energy. But it was too little, too late.
 After the second circle, enough of their shell was peeled away that he could see the creamy juicy souls underneath. His mouth watered and he grinned. And that held them fast. The mage gathered more wind. But it was still too little, too late.
 As soon as he completed the third circle, time froze. He had them! His beautiful, succulent prey laid all their deepest fears out for him to amplify. At this point it was a simple matter of making their hearts fail from sheer panic. 
Melface looked at the heyena first. He was deathly afraid of the supernatural, and deeply paranoid of hierarchy. He was terrified of Melface already, so he was a simple matter. Melface chained the heyena to a table, and gave the Duke of Metamor and the Patrol Master his own face, along with wicked scalpels and an army of plant imps to crack him. He'd only take thirty seconds or so.
 The boar was a hearty, friendly type, always in a good mood. Those types took a bit longer, but were none-the-less more succulent. He changed him into a feral animal and put him on a spicket to slow-roast.
 The female dog was a typical one. Afraid of failure and rejection. Afraid of being anonymous, worthless. She had already lived through a nightmare, and he took great delight in sending her back to her worst moment of failure. (There were many!) He gave her the same men she lost during the winter assault on the keep, but this time made her position more important, her decisions more devastating. He grinned in triumph as he watched the lutins kill her men one by one. He would drag this one out the longest...
 He pulled out of her head to get the big-eared fox mage, but blinked when he was not there...
 "Ha HA!" A voice shouted from above. He staggered as a blast of wind knocked him off blance. The little mage floated just above his circle's area of effect. "So that's what they meant!"
 "What?!" Melface bellowed, regaining his footing as he leaned against the wall. 
The mage sprayed him with pointy icicles as he fluttered down. "Take that!"
 Melface batted them away, then dove for the pest, grabbing his neck, turning, and pinning him against the wall. The stone cracked, and the smaller fox made a satisfying gurgle as his eyes bulged. "Very well... I'll just kill you naturally..."
 A monsoon formed around him, and blades of wind tore at his cloak, all the while the little fox dug his claws into his arms. Pain laced his body, but he sneered at the inferior magic and simply smashed the little mage into the wall a second time, then a third. Deep cracks splintered around his victim's body as his eyes began to glaze over, and the storm died.
 But then his prey began to change. His ears shrunk in size, and his muzzle widened. Gray fur covered his body, his ears blackening, and a gray, black-tipped tail poked from under his robes.
 Melface stared into his nearly completely glazed-over eyes and dropped him. "No..." He stepped in reverse. "You... you can't be..."
 Suddenly, pain engulfed his footpaws. "Owww!!" Melface raised a hand to hit the little mage again, but the spell-caster was too busy cradling the back of his head and groaning. If it wasn't him, then... Melface tried to move his feet, but they were frozen in ice. He turned. "Who?!" 
An orange cat with an absurdly blue tuft of fur atop his head was crouched to his side, paws splayed upon the ground with a stream of ice leading from them to Melface's trapped feet. "Ethan, NOW!" the cat screamed.
 Eyes-wide, Melface turned just as the tremendous halberd impaled him though the middle. Ethan did not stop. The raging cougar continued his war-charge, pushing Melface all the way across the room and embedding him into the far wall, at which point he twisted the blade through his body into the cracking stone.
 Melface gagged, coughing blood at the cat. Then he grinned at him. "Heh... not bad." With a jerk, he slapped away the cougar's hands, grabbed the pole, then snapped it off at the blade. "Might have even hurt if it weren't a mundy weapon..." Tossing the pole to the ground, blade embedded in his belly, he launched from the wall and snatched the stunned cougar's neck in his right hand, lifting him from the ground. "So how about you, kitty? What do you fear?"
 "Aaaaahhh~!" A scream, this one from above.
 "What the--?!"
 ----
Vale only had a few seconds after the horrible illusion broke to gain her bearings. She did not hesitate. Raising her sword above her head, she leapt with all her might. The sword felt warm as she flew though the air, much like when Virmir had enchanted it months ago, but she did not realize it was actually on fire until it made contact with the evil fox's arm. 
It cut like butter and Ethan fell to the ground. The demon fox yowled in pain, flailing as the fire engulfed his robes, cursing incomprehensible obscenities. She kicked the severed arm to the other side of the room and helped Ethan up.
 Kayser rushed to Kit's aid, helping him stumble to his feet. She noticed the fox's fur patterns had changed to something resembling Virmir's. But as he stood and limped, it changed again, becoming more reddish in nature.
 At this point she realized the sounds of battle and fire spells across the room had ceased, and gaped in horror at what she saw next to the chalk lines and crystals in the center of the room. Virmir lay face down, a tattered, smoking mess. A small, quadruped gray fox stood over him, two paws on his back, glaring at them with the most hateful, spiteful gaze she had ever seen in her life.
 "You have nearly ruined my night," it said, deep resonating voice dripping acid. "You will interfere no more." Vale dropped her sword as a tightness clutched her chest, and she found herself thrown through the air, forced against the far cavern wall. Tendrils of blackness filled the room, and all the others suffered the same fate, thrown like rag dolls against the hard stone. "You miserable wretches shall cease to exist..." It said, walking off of Virmir and towards them...
 ----
I heard them scream, but when I tried to look, I couldn't move a muscle. My body was utterly broken. I was numb and cold. And the screams were getting harder to hear.
 I was dying.
 That gods-forsaken book... It was all because of that gods-forsaken book. What a moron I was...
 "Kendo..."
 Just go away. Let me die.
 "Kendo... I'm so sorry..." My mother, a small quadruped fox, stooped over my head and licked my muzzle. I still couldn't move. But somehow I could "see" her. She was translucent, and she shed tears that became droplets of ice and shattered upon the floor. "This is... my fault."
 "No it's not..." I somehow replied, though I barely could twitch my mouth.
 "Yes it is... I could have stopped all this... but father... your grandfather did some awful things... and will do more. You need to get up."
 "It.... hurts..."
 "I'm... going to try something, Kendo. But after I do this, we may never be able to speak again..."
 "... Mother?"
 "I love you."
 "I... love you too."
 She took a step back, then leapt inside my body. And the raw surge of energy I felt was amazing. I shrunk, my hands melting into paws as my fur caught flame, and I stood, ready to pounce. Grandfather had his tail to me, also a feral fox, horrible tendrils of blackness swirling around his body. Everyone was pinned against the wall, screaming. The blue luminescence in the cavern walls throbbed as the ground shook, great chunks of rock tumbling from above.
 I went for his neck.
 ----
"He's waking up."
 I heard voices, dimly. With great difficulty, I opened my eyes and tried to focus on the blurry faces. I was lying on my back quite comfortably, covered in a sheet, head resting on a fluffy pillow. "Wha..." I managed, "Where is... he?"
 "It's over," Vale whispered into my hear. "You beat him. We're safe now."
 "Huh? How?" I sat up, fighting back the overwhelming tiredness. Blast... my tail was numb as blazes from lying that way.
 "I think you snapped his neck." Vincent folded his hands and leaned over the bed with the biggest, brightest puppy eyes imaginable. "It was... so awesome~!"
 "Yeah!" Rufus agreed, followed by a nod from Kayser. I shrunk back, trying to remember which way was up and what in blazes I was doing there.
 At that moment the group around my bed parted and Morlak, the mustached squid-mage (or whatever) pushed his way through. "Ah! I knew you'd make it out all right!"
 Vale and the others seemed startled by his sudden appearance. "Wait... how did you--?" she stammered.
 "Oh, the hole?" He waved a tentacle-arm. "That was nothing. We fight terrifying creatures while falling down bottomless pits all the time. It's a wizard thing."
 "I... see..."
 He turned to me. "Virmir, I just wanted to check up on you. I've... a lot of questions about what just happened. But later, after you rest. I'm very relieved to see you and your friends are okay!"
 I simply nodded, rolling my eyes.
 He paused before he left and turned his head back over. "Oh, and the... fox creature you brought back has been contained in the deepest reaches of the dungeons, under a gaggle of runes. There's no way it's going anywhere."
 "Fox... creature...?" My ears perked. "You mean, he's still alive? And he's here?"
 Vale rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Well, Virmir... you locked your jaw around his neck... After you passed out, there was no way we could separate you. So we just carried you both."
 "I thought he was dead, actually." Vincent added.
 I leaned back on the pillow. "I see..."
 ----
Silence greeted my ears, except for the crackling of distant torches. I leaned back, starting at the blackness above. White wisps fluttered about. It might have been beautiful...
 If it weren't snow.
 Crunching footsteps approached from behind. I pretended not to notice until they drew near. 
"Virmir?" My right ear swiveled to catch Vale's voice, then I looked over my shoulder. "I wasn't expecting to see you-- wow!" Her eyes widened as soon as she crossed the boundary of my heat shield and stepped inside my bubble. "It... it's so warm!"
 I couldn't help but crack a slight grin. "It's a new trick..." I motioned to the gentle snowflakes that fluttered above. Then melted and died well before coming near me. It was the first time I had anchored a spell to a power source other than my own, fixing it to the steady flow of magic oozing about the keep. I imagined my little resting spot atop the curtain wall would become quite intolerable during warmer months.
 "Do you mind if I...?" She motioned to the other half of the stone bench I sat on, removing her scarf and unfastening her woolen coat. Normally I would be annoyed by company, but I was in a particularly good mood that night, so I merely shrugged.
 "So, I heard you... erm... quit."
 I looked away from her to the dim outlines of rooftops barely visible beyond the wall, before folding my arms under my cloak. "Yes... I'm no scout."
 "Did you really tell George to...?"
 I grinned again, just slightly. "Shove it? In a matter of words..."
 She put her hand to her muzzle, giggling. "Oh dear... do you have any idea how many people have wanted to tell that to him? You're quite the celebrity."
 "I can imagine," I said, dryly.
 "So if you're through with scouting, what are you doing here?"
 "I'm a mage-on-call for the entire night. Something about some nobleman's party or something. The security is over-the-top, and the pay was too good to pass up. Plus being in-between jobs and all, I figured one more night outside wouldn't hurt."
 "Virmir... the Duke himself is getting married."
 I scratched my head-fur and shrugged. "I never pay attention to such things."
 She let out a chuckle, and a long, awkward period of silence followed before she spoke up again. "We got assigned a new squad leader. He seems okay... but... I think we're all going to miss you."
 "Ah..." I left it at that, not really sure how I could possibly say anything else without lying or being brutally impolite.
 There was another period of silence, and I glanced over to see her hesitating with something, all the while avoiding my gaze. Oh great. I began to curse the smallness of the bench we were sitting on.
 "Um... maybe... do you think after we're done here, we could... you know, maybe get a drink, together? I mean, I-I'll pay, of course."
 I took a deep sigh. "Vale... I'm not attracted to you." Then I immediately slapped my face. "I mean--ah--!"
 "Oh, um, uh..."
 "What I meant to say was..." I cleared my throat. Blast it... "I've never been very keen on the whole... " I waved my hands around a bit, "relationship thing. And now I've been transformed to a 10-year-old, so the thought has been pushed even further from my mind."
 "Oh... I'm sorry... I--"
"Don't be. I'm flattered, really. I picked up on... your interest... a few weeks ago, and didn't want to lead you on, giving you the wrong idea."
 She sighed. "I guess it's better to get this out in the open, heh..." I looked at her eyes, and noticed tears welling up. Blast it! I went and made her cry! ARGH!! 
I looked at the ground and flexed my toes, trying to think of a subject change. "Vale..." I finally mustered, "what happened back there? When I attacked... my grandfather." I was hesitant using the word, but I knew she knew because she was right behind me when I first addressed him.
 "Oh, well," she wiped her eyes and perked up, "I was pinned to the wall, and you were down. And the fox... your grandfather had his back to you and was walking towards us... Then, well, your body caught on fire."
 I nodded, remembering that much well enough.
 "And you shifted to a little four legged fox kit, and stood up. You were, well, really beautiful."
 I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. "You didn't notice... another fox by me before that?"
 "Huh? No, you just got up on your own."
 "I see..."
 "Then you leapt through the air and bit the bigger fox in the side of the neck, pinning him down. He thrashed around, and the black tendrils around him lashed and destroyed everything in the room. We were freed, but didn't dare run to the doorway due to the chaos. After a moment though, the fox, er, your grandfather stopped moving. We thought you killed him."
 I nodded glumly.
 "The cavern seemed really unstable after that, so we tried to pick you up and escape before everything collapsed. You had your jaw locked around him though, so we just grabbed the two of you and ran." I noticed her eyes trailing behind me and looking at the tip of my tail, which peeked out from underneath my cloak, as she spoke. "Kit was able to figure out how to reopen the portal out of there just in time."
 She rubbed the back of her head again as she motioned to my backside. "And, well... you had two tails."
 "Two tails?"
 "Yeah... I thought I saw two tails when you were on fire, but shook it off since you were moving so fast. But when I picked you up, you definitely had two of them."
 "Heh..." I grinned. "So I'm not going crazy..." I let my second tail slip out of my cloak and rest atop the bench seat next to me. 
Vale's eyes widened. "Oh! So I wasn't going crazy either!"
 We both shared a chuckle. "Yeah, two tails.... I had no idea, until I had to use the chamber pot at the healer's. It was, well... an awkward moment..."
 She snickered as I brought the new tail in my lap and stroked it. I had a pretty good idea of whose tail it was, and why it was a part of me now. And despite the grin that crept across my face, I choked back a sob.
 ---
The dungeon was as dank and dismal as I remembered. And the utter wretchedness of the dark prison only grew worse as I descended lower and lower. At the very bottom of the affair, far below hustle of the keep, below the worst convicts and the worst stuff of nightmares, lay a hole bored deep into solid rock. A blinding gaggle of runes circled the edges, the walls, and the metal lid with its lonely ventilation slits. And somewhere deep down inside the blackness, a monster laid in wait.
 "Hello, Grandfather." I let my voice carry through the stale air, having stopped a good distance before the edge of the runes.
 "Kendo..." he replied, and an echo followed. "How... thoughtful of you to visit." Though I could not see him, I could just imagine the acid dripping from his muzzle.
 Blast... why was I even there? "I just... wanted to say goodbye."
 "Hmmm... sentimental. Just like your mother." He clicked his teeth in disgust. He was probably in his fox form, no doubt shackled to death. "These... human emotions are unfitting for our kind, Kendo. If you wish to truly release your potential, you must rid yourself of such weaknesses."
 I let silence hang in the air a good while as I chose my words. "Grandfather, hatred is a human emotion as well." 
He did not respond.
 I flipped my cape as I turned. "Goodbye."
 ----
"Ah, Virmir! Glad you could make it." 
I rolled my eyes as the squid-mage stepped up from behind me and fell in stride by my side as we made our way down the halls of Metamor. I suspected he knew about my second tail as well, but I kept it hidden in public anyway. (I had no desire to draw any additional attention to myself in any way, shape, or form.) With my long cloak it was not difficult to hide. I just curled it above my other tail, letting that one peek out in its stead. And when it got cramped, I would just switch the two, letting the new one stretch out. It wasn't very difficult to master after a few weeks.
 "Likewise..." I replied, letting boredom seep into my voice.
 "I'm sure you're quite sick of filing reports and answering questions by now. Don't worry. We are quite done with that."
 "That's good."
 "Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I will be returning to Lake Barnhardt soon, and would like you to come with me so we can officially begin your apprenticeship. It's a lovely place, really. And it has more... aquatic facilities for my kind. " He motioned to the amulet around his neck that kept his skin moist. "You may like it though. We could find good work for a fire mage, actually."
 "About that..."
 "And I hope you don't mind, but the mage's guild I told you about... that didn't really work out."
 "Wait, what?" I shot him a sideways glance.
 "Ah, well..." he rubbed the back of his cowl with a tentacle, his mustache swaying in uncertainty. "I made a bit of a fib when I spoke with your patrol master. The papers weren't all sorted out yet... I was sure my new guild would be established, but things got delayed. And now, it seems they were never meant to be. So I'm headed back home. Shame, really, this place could use a real guild..."
 "Wait... you mean to tell me there is no guild?"
 "Yes."
 "So that whole 'archmage' thing..." I waved my hand around.
 "Well... that was going to be my title..."
 "You mean, you made up."
 "I did not!" he sputtered.
 I stopped and looked up at him. "Listen... I don't care about a 'guild' either way. But to be perfectly honest, I only agreed to the whole master/apprentice thing to get a day off from patrol work once per week. Now that I paid my debt, I don't need you any more."
 I turned my back to him, giving a casual wave behind. "See ya."
 I could hear his mouth drop. "But-but, Virmir! How can you pass up an opportunity like this? Just exactly what do you plan on doing with your life?"
 I didn't answer. I heard him curse a few times as he faded down the hallway.
 ----
Vale fixed her blouse and tidied her headfur, unsure who could be knocking at her door. It was rare she got visitors, and when she did, it was usually someone from higher command to give her a new assignment, or reprimand her for failing...
 When she did open the door, she was surprised to see the heyna Vincent standing there, ears folded with a sheepish grin. "Uh... hi L-Lady Vale."
 "Oh... hello, Vincent."
 He cleared his throat. "I was... well since we both have the day off and all..." He shifted on his feet nervously. "Kinda wondering if... er... maybe you'd like to run down to the Deaf Mule and, uh, get a drink?"
 Vale's ears perked.
 "I'll, uh... pay of course." He looked at the ground.
 Vale blinked a few times, confused. Then a grin slowly crossed her muzzle. "I'd love to."
 ----
"Wow," Edward the age-regressed scholar sat down, mouth agape as he looked back towards the door. "He nearly bowled me right over! What was that all about?"
 Sara the librarian's assistant, and quite new at the job, sat next to him, shuffling her books, hands still shaking from the scare. "I-uh... he... uh..."
 He put his hands around hers. "It's okay, dear. Start from the beginning."
 "Well..." she took a deep breath. "He came in, looking all wide-eyed, like he'd never been here before... nay, like he'd never seen a library in his entire life..."
 "Go on."
 "He wondered around a bit, and finally I asked him if I could help him. I mean, he looked so lost and all..."
 "Of course. That's what you do, darling."
 "Y-yeah... So, he asked for a book. He was very specific about it. And I was excited because I actually knew where to find it." She sighed again. "And I didn't think it was strange at all that he asked for a children's book, because he was a child and all. And he was so adorable and fuzzy and harmless looking. Well, except for his cold, hard stare..."
 Edward nodded, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze as she started to choke up again.
 She continued after regaining her composure. "Well, he took the book and then sat down, looking as if he were going to do some serious research. And I thought it was so cute, since he's a kid and all, with a children's book. And very few kids can actually read. But then, but then..." She closed her eyes and gulped.
 "But then he started flipping through the pages madly, becoming more and more upset. And then he started cursing and tearing out the pages, and I approached him and told him to stop... but he wouldn't listen! " Tears streaked down her eyes. "Then the book caught on fire! It caught on fire, Edward! And then the table caught on fire! And the parchment on the table, and I ran around, screaming for help, trying to bat the flames out with more parchment. But that caught on fire too, and the fox kid stood there with murder in his eyes, looking like he was going to torch the whole place! Then more assistants came, and everyone started yelling! And-- and--" She collapsed into his arms, weeping uncontrollably.
 "Shhhhh..." He rocked her back and forth. "It's okay, it's okay..."
 She wiped her tears on her sleeve. "Y-yeah. Sorry. I'm fine..."
 "Though, maybe you should look into a less dangerous field of work..."
 ----
Somewhere upon the outskirts of the Barrier Range, an animal looked upon the great spires of Metamor Keep with disdain. He frowned and scuffed, turning his tail on the distant walls and limping away. He took great effort keeping his head above the snow with only three legs, glowering as he shivered.
 ----
Epilogue
Spring is finally here.
 A soft breeze blows though the open window, and bird-song fills my ears. I can actually smell the garden roses from my perch up above. It is such a contrast to the myriad horrors of winter. Especially back at that blasted keep.
 Melbron is a tiny hamlet compared to Metamor. I had heard of this place from the emissary who I fought alongside with in the blue cavern months ago (an orange housecat with an absurdly blue tuft of dyed headfur by the name of Kai Adin). He had mentioned that his master would kill to hire a mage, and after hearing his fond recounts of the place, I figured the trek down here was worth a shot.
 The barony consists of a manor (fondly called "the keep" by the citizens, and indeed it does look like a tiny castle) surrounded by a walled village and then a bit of farmland beyond. Baron Adler, my employer, is a corsac fox with a regal gaze, always draped in some cape or robe. He's a decent fellow who stays out of my way when I'm working, listens to my opinions, and treats me with respect. When I bow to him, he bows back.
 I have been hired to ward the town (and eventually the farmland beyond) from dangers. I knew little about warding when I started, but after some trips to Metamor's library (after I repaid them for that... erm... incident), I was able to acquire a number of volumes on the subject and learn a great deal. The Baron understood that I needed time for research (I was likely the only mage he'd ever find, granted) and I am making progress.
 Lutins are not much trouble this far south of the keep, especially after the attack from last winter. The main threat to Melbron are thieves and raiders from the uncursed lands to the south. Such vagabonds can easily ride in, hustle a few livestock or break into a farmstead, then ride out completely under the cover of darkness. The Baron's assets wore thin as he hired numerous soldiers to protect his vassals. The patrols from Metamor can only help so much this far south.
 I've been working on a ward to sound whenever an uncursed human approaches it, among a number of other tricks and traps. Obviously the town receives a number of uncursed visitors from the southern lands weekly, but such a ward signaling at midnight over the town wall (as opposed to the gates), or in a farmer's field is a certain red flag.
 The citizens are uneasy of me. I can hear them whisper behind my back as I work. And they always stare, but try not to get caught doing so. They call me "sir" when I address them, and never try to strike up more than a few syllables of conversation. Then quickly get out of my way when finished.
 I love it.
 Recently the Baron has been employing me as a bodyguard when he entertains guests from out of town. I remain hidden in the background-- he has burly men to stand on either side of him and look impressive. But it brings me secret delight to be the true force of protection in the room. 
I'm certain I'm not getting paid nearly as well as if I worked at Metamor. But to live in a much smaller community, away from the hustle and bustle (and the gods forsaken smells...) of the Keep, it is worth it. I've a little tower at one corner of the manor, second in height only to the Baron's. It's a two room affair, the upper portion an airy bedroom with steepled windows, a writing desk, and shelves for my growing collection of books and scrolls. The lower level is more a sitting room which I don't use all that much except in colder months due to the hearth. I am not bothered often except for the chambermaid, who I finally had to give in and allow her to clean my room regularly because, blast it, I am shedding winter fur all over the place and there is no way I can handle it all myself...
 I save most of my money. For what, I do not know. But I do not have many expenses. Sometimes I allow myself little luxuries-- a good set of grooming brushes, for one. (I've begun taking delight in locking the doors, latching the windows, then stripping down and brushing every inch of my body... Blast, the amount of fur I produce boggles the mind.) I have three sets of identical black cloaks, and will probably get a fourth soon. I suppose I will have to let the tailor in on my two-tailed secret, because I should get some nice breeches custom made to my body as well.
 It's a slow, tedious life, filled with quiet routine. Some would call it lonely. I call it paradise. I think I'll stay here a while.