Fox Of Greed (Greedy Fox Book 1)

~~SIXTEEN~~

A/N: WHOA! It's been such a long time since I updated this book. Apologies. I haven't forgotten about the story, it's just that I've been busy and my creativity for writing has 'flown the coop' so to speak. This chapter is I don't know, it sounds too boring. COMMENT your opinions at the bottom to help me out here. 

I was completely and utterly lost.

And I didn't think any amount of enhanced smell was going to help me.

I wandered around and around or wandered in a whole bunch of straight lines – I couldn't tell the difference – for a long time. My nose to the air, I inhaled deeply several times, trying to pick up something in the air. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

There wasn't even one scent!

Was there anything living in this forest?

A eerie whine filled the air and a tremor shook my body. Actually, I could believe nothing was in here; what type of creature would want to live in such a desolate forest, with no greenery and not even a breath of wind to ruffle your fur?

I kicked a dead branch on the ground and it rolled, the sound of wood bouncing against stone echoing in the white mist. The handle of the dagger was slick with sweat and I switched hands, wiping my shaking palm on my pants.

Cursing, I berated myself. I'm the Fox of Greed, one of the seven deadly sins. I should not be afraid of anything. I am a predator that sits on one of the highest rungs of the food chain.

I shouldn't be afraid!

A flurry of feathers, a set of claws and a piercing screech came barrelling out at me. Shrieking, I slashed out with my dagger furiously. A shrill cry and whatever it was that attacked me flew off, leaving behind a splatter of purple blood at my feet.

Deep, ragged breaths left my mouth, my throat felt raw from shrieking and I felt on the verge of tears. With my back against a black tree, I sank to the ground, my knees unable to support my weight anymore.

My head throbbed intensely with pain at each heartbeat and I rubbed the bruised bump on my temple softly to relieve the pain.

How was I going to find my blasted way out of this forest? I had already tried scent and before that, retracing my footprints. But something had messed them up so much so that I just knew I was going around in circles.

Drawing my knees to my chest, I buried my face in bent arms, trying to think. How else can I find Meliodas, Elizabeth and Hawk?

Something wet and warm dropped onto the back of my neck and for a few heartbeats, I didn't move. Another few fell on my arms and I raised my eyes to look at them.

Blood.

Dark purple blood.

Holding a breath, I craned my neck up to look at the bare tree tops and the creature I had slashed vehemently ruffled a croup of purple feathers. Then it regarded me with a shiny red orb and fluttered to the ground, favouring it's left leg as it landed.

It screeched at me and I whipped my dagger up at it, tip levelled with it's eye. It tilted it's head and pecked the shiny metal. Clucking, it hopped around , scratching at the earth.

Oh my god. It's some sort of chicken hybrid?!

Now, the longer I looked at, I could see the resemblance. It had a huge plume of tail feathers and a small crest on it's head. But that's where the similarities between poultry stopped. It's beck was curved and sharp, more akin to a hawk, while it's talons looked more at home curled around a branch than on the earth. When it flapped it's wings, I saw that the underside was scaly.