The Kindreds, Volume 1

The Tenth, Pt. 2

"Hello, pup," it growled.

Sada froze, and all her fear collected into a hard blockage in her throat that made it impossible to breathe. Her lungs froze along with her feet.

(1, 2—)

Oh those horrible eyes—

(1, 2—)

I shall die here before I can say farewell to my family!

(1, 2 ,3—)

Her chest surged with breath.

The black fox lunged.

Its claws reaching toward her, Sada had no choice but to flee, fight it, or faint.

She very nearly succumbed to the latter. Then the fox leapt for her, baby winged/horned horse forgotten, and Sada cried out and scampered ungracefully to the side. She felt a rush of air and the prickle of her instincts as the fox sailed through the air beside her. As it landed it spun and immediately lunged for her again. Her knees buckled, she cowered down, and she lifted her staff up to shield herself, squealing like a mouse caught in a trap. Eyes squeezed shut, she felt a jarring impact as the fox's teeth found the stick instead of her face and dug into the thick wood. Sada wrestled with the Beast for a few seconds, feeling as though there was no strength in her arms, that this was a dream, and that the branch would snap and it would take her throat in its jaws and it would all be over.

Then fox let go and she whimpered. Just let it be done with, she thought hopelessly.

It lunged again.

Sada barely had enough time to swing her staff out. The attack surprised both she and the fox. It connected with the huge fox's chest, and it let out a squeal similar to her own and crouched to the ground when it fell. Sada backed away panting. The fox barely paused to breathe before it was running toward her again, its nine huge tails bristling behind it. As it bounded toward her, Sada swung her staff. She missed and the Beast leapt, paws outstretched. She barely had time to register how massive its claws were before it was raking them down her exposed side. She felt flesh tear away and she grabbed at her ribs, barely remembering to hang onto her staff. The gasp she let out was more from surprise than pain. Shock had numbed the wound. Shock that she had actually gotten hurt. Wasn't that just for fairytales?

Her attacker was crouched low to the ground licking its claws. The ones it had used to scratch her. When it lifted its muzzle again it was russet with blood.

"Red blood. Delicious," it said in a feminine voice that sounded far too human.

"Hey, that's mine!" Sada said. Then the fox flared its tails out and growled a warning. "God watch over me," she whispered.

Its eyes gleamed with satisfaction. The Beast was enjoying this. Yet it didn't make her as terrified as it ought to have. Now that she had been wounded, the whole interaction became incredibly easier to accept. It was as though the fear of getting hurt had weakened her, but now that she knew what the pain was like, that it wasn't fatal....

It leapt again and she shoved her staff out to meet it, baring her teeth at the fiery flare of pain it gave life to in her side. The fox whined as it was hit, but didn't pause for long before leaping again. This time she was ready, almost eager. Sada shoved her staff out again. When she used the blunt end of it to meet the fox midair (the end chewed by Mr. Squirrel), she was able to keep the Beast away.

It leapt again and she countered.

Leap. Jab. Whine.

Leap. Jab. Whine.