Fox in The Court

Prologue

Long ago, humans and other creatures had lived in harmony. Until one day, the arrogance and lust for dominance of mankind had led them to end that peace. They chased and hunted spirits, yokai, and all alike. Even their closest of kin and close allies, the kitsune. None were safe from mankind. They destroyed every settlement, and every outpost, enslaved the residents for their benefit, or ended them. With their cruelty on full display, humans committed their terrible acts gleefully, believing it was for ‘nature's benefit’ and ‘the greater good’.
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The terrible smell of smoke filled the air, and it restricted vision. The sounds of fire crackling and people screaming echoed throughout the, by then leveled, kitsune village. “Cut them all down!” yelled a samurai commander to his troops, who overran the village. The residents ran like headless chickens, screaming. “Run! Run!” The village’s defenders struggled bitterly. “Die you filthy monsters!” A samurai said while executing a defender, they cut down all that they came across mercilessly. Some civilians attempted to help their warriors, but it was in vain. Humans vastly outnumbered the kitsune, and the outcome was clear and unchangeable.
Those who couldn’t fight ran, all like ants from their burning formicary. To the forest, they ran pushing past one another. “They are fleeing! Don’t let them get away!” Samurai chased the fugitives, raining arrows into the woods. Most only hit the trees or the ground, however, some managed to find their target. Leaves and branches crunched under the feet of the escapees. Only a lucky few managed to find safety.
“I got away.” A young kitsune said after collapsing in a cave, that he ran into. Waking up the following day, he went outside, sneaking back to the remnants of his village. His eyes fell upon the horrid outcome of the attack. The buildings were reduced to nothing, mere scorched rubles. The air was full of many disgusting smells, that of burnt wood, clothes, bodies, and blood. What had not burnt to black or gray, was tainted red.
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Those creatures who could shapeshift were more ‘lucky’, being able to hide among the humans. While those could not, remain to be chased and hunted. Mankind now dominated the realm, and now had only themselves to compete with. While exploiting and oppressing all other creatures, using them as they saw fit.