A Love Beyond Time

Chapter 4-The Foxes' Tales

Dinner was a homely and sumptuous affair held at the clearing next to the waterfalls Sagiri had chanced upon earlier. A large pot of stew, filled with vegetables and herbs, simmered over a steady flame. Another slightly smaller pot held fragrant rice with adzuki beans, and a platter piled with ripened peaches and pears completed the menu. The crisp evening air, initially cool due to the setting sun, was now warm and spiced with the rich scents of a freshly cooked meal.

The large group of allies, existing and new, humans and foxes, gathered around the fire. No words were exchanged as they focused on filling their empty stomachs. Only when the sharp edges of hunger were soothed did Nurugai break the silence with a satisfied belch.

"That was a really delicious meal! I haven't eaten so well for a very long time. Since...." The young Sankar girl trailed off, remembering her slain tribespeople and her beloved grandfather. How they had their evening meals around fires like this, eating and drinking and chatting. How those happy moments were instantly and cruelly wiped out forever by a group of devious samurais. By her own naivety.

A warm, slightly callous hand closed over hers and squeezed lightly. Nurugai looked up to see Shion's soft smile of comfort and empathy. Of course, her new Sensei would understand because he, too, was nursing a heart shattered by loss and tragedy. Nurugai leaned into the older man, whispering her thanks for his thoughtful gesture.

Right opposite Shion, Seimei studied their exchange with an inscrutable expression. He raised his cup to his lips and drank absent-mindedly, seeming lost in thoughts.

"So, now that we have sated our tummies, can we sate our curiosities now? Who are you? Where are we? Why do you help us? Do you know anything about the Tensens and the Elixir?" Gabimaru, in his usual blunt and single-minded manner, fired off a quick succession of questions like arrows from a tightly drawn bow.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves. We are foxes, and we came to Nihon from the Middle Kingdom 500 years ago. Some people call us fox spirits, fox fairies, or fox demons. We can gain 1 tail after every century of cultivating our life forces. Each tail contains different powers and denotes our age. The ultimate number of tails is 9-hence, the nine-tail fox is extremely powerful," Harumi paused and glanced lovingly at Asahi. "My mate here, Asahi, is a nine-tail fox. He got his last tail about half a century ago. My twin sister, Keiko, and I have eight tails each."

"Fox Spirits? So are you now completely human or half of each?" Fuchi queried, his round eyes gleaming with inquisitiveness and something else, which Sagiri dreaded thinking about. She knew her comrade's obsession with medicine and science. And dissection.

"We are born as foxes. Sometimes, perhaps due to affinity with religious philosophies and teachings, we gain the ability to practice them. We can obtain a human form after 50 years of practice. However, our true form is still the fox, so if we lose our powers, we revert to our original state. Not all foxes have this special religious affinity, though. And every century, a calamity will befall us just when we are about to gain our new tail. It's like a test from the Celestial Kingdom, albeit perilous. Once we pull through it, we get a tail and increased powers."

"Are there many nine-tail foxes around?" Nurugai wondered. Asahi shook his head.

"No. Sadly, many foxes fail to withstand the tests and lose all their powers, even their lives, when they are only 300 years old or so."

"Your explanation only covers the three of you, right?" Gabimaru drew a circle around Asahi and the twins with a pointing finger. "What about him?" The shinobi jutted his chin in Seimei's direction.

Eleven pairs of eyes swiveled to the silent figure in white. Seimei cocked a dark brow and sighed slightly.

"I, too, have nine-tails. But I am different from Asahi. I am a Celestial Fox and am much older than him."