The Lost and Found

Chapter 2

"Does someone want to explain what's going on?" Hak demanded. He turned toward the shopkeeper who had to have some kind of idea why a fox had gone from creature to girl in front of his eyes.

The man pointed a shaking finger at the little girl. She flinched and pulled Yona's cloak tighter around her, hiding behind the thick material.

"It can't be around people," he snarled, "It's dangerous. It has to be locked up."

The girl shook her head rapidly and looked up at Yona, those big golden eyes pleading for help. Hak knew they were all in trouble when a small frown started to form on Yona's face. She wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"She's not an it," Yona told the shopkeeper.

"What do you know, girl?" the man snapped, "Give it back, it's not yours, and I won't let it curse anyone else." He glared down at the little one cowering close to Yona. "Get over here, trickster."

Hak and Shin-Ah both shifted so that they were in between Yona and the man just in case he decided to rush at her. There was a certain manic air about him, one that made Hak uneasy. Plus, there seemed to be yet another magical beast in their midst, one that had a rather unsettling ability. Sure, he was used to seeing super-strong claws and stupidly bouncy legs and whatnot, but none of the dragons actually turned into dragons. This girl apparently could shapeshift into a fox and back again rather easily.

"She's not going with you," Yona said.

"If you take her, that'll be stealing," the shopkeeper growled.

"She's person, not a thing, so it'd actually be kidnapping," Hak said, his tone dangerously amused, "Though in this case, I'm inclined to call it a rescue."

"You don't understand," the shopkeeper said. He pointed at the little girl, and she looked back at him with those terrified eyes. "It's cursed."

Shin-Ah looked from the shopkeeper to the girl, a cold stillness in his posture. Silently, he stepped in front of both Yona and the shopkeeper, his sword pointed at the shopkeeper. He glanced at Yona over his shoulder and nodded at her. "Go."

Yona scooped the child up into her arms and backed toward the door, holding the girl close. Or she did until the kid shimmered back into her fox form and curled up in the crook of her arm, trembling. Ao scurried after them, leaping up onto Yona's cloak to catch a ride.

"It's okay," Yona said, brushing a hand across the fox's head, "Don't worry."

The fox only buried her head deeper into the crook of Yona's arm, refusing to look up. Yona stepped out into the street and nearly ran into Zeno.

"Who's that, miss?" the yellow dragon asked. He was looking at the fox-girl in her arms, his head tilted to the side.

Somehow it didn't surprise her too much that Zeno and Shin-Ah could tell that the fox wasn't actually a fox. Maybe it was a magical beast thing? There was so much they didn't really know about the dragon blood powers, so perhaps detecting other mythic creatures was one of their skills.

"I don't know yet," Yona said. She looked back toward the shop, wondering when Shin-Ah and Hak would come out. "I think she's too scared to talk."

The sounds of crashing houseware and various goods suddenly poured out of the shop windows and doorway, and Zeno and Yona both took a step back. Ao climbed up onto Yona's shoulder and then toddled down to perch on top of the little fox's head.

A moment later, the shopkeeper rolled out of the shop and into the street, apparently tossed out of his own place by Hak, who appeared in the doorway with Shin-Ah right behind him. The Thunder Beast looked especially dangerous, cloaked half in shadow as he loomed over the man at his feet.

"Apparently that's a kumiho," Hak said, gesturing to the fox.

"Kumihos are myths." Yoon's voice cut in as he, Kija, and Jae-Ha came down the street.

"You're saying that with a straight face while standing in between two dragons," Jae-Ha said, raising an eyebrow at Yoon and grinning, "Might want to re-think that statement."

A kumiho? That was an old monster story told to scare children on long winter nights. Supposedly kumiho were shape-shifting foxes who would morph into pretty women or girls and then seduce men before attacking them. Yona could remember some of the maids telling tales about the fox monsters on late winter evenings in front of the fireplaces at Kouka Castle. Okay, so this little fox could shift into a little girl, but that didn't make her a kumiho, did it?

"You're making a scene," Yoon scolded, coming to stand beside Yona. He peered down at the fox in her arms, his expression showing just how displeased he was. "What's that?"

"It's hard to explain—" Yona started.

"You can't take it," the man interrupted, getting up onto his knees, "You don't get it, that thing's mother killed my son! I have to dispose of it."

"She's just a little girl," Yona snapped, holding onto the fox tight enough that she gave a yelp. Yona automatically loosened her grip.

"Yona, that's a fox," Yoon corrected.

"What exactly is going on?" Jae-Ha asked. He was standing behind Yona, his arms crossed over his chest, a smirk on his face. "What is he trying to dispose of?"

Before Yona or Hak could explain, the man scrambled to his feet and lunged at Yona, hands outstretched like talons as he reached for the fox. The little creature squeaked and leapt out of Yona's arms, but before the shopkeeper could reach the princess, Jae-Ha and Kija were in front of Yona.

"It's all right, you don't have to worry about any scary people anymore. Gosh, you're cute."

Yona turned to find Zeno kneeling down next to the little red-headed girl with Yoon staring open-mouthed at them. The ease with which the girl could shift from human to fox and back was incredible, so quick it was hard to follow. That blurring thing that happened when she switched probably helped too. Zeno had the little girl's hands in his, which kept her from running off or looking back at the shopkeeper that was currently being pressed into the street by Jae-Ha's foot.

"We should leave," Yoon said slowly, his eyes still on the girl, "Before anyone else notices us."

"Too late," Hak said.

Sure enough, a crowd was gathering around, attracted by the noise. An old woman who looked as if she had been crafted out of old rice paper stumbled to the front, pushing her way past the other townspeople.

"Sumi?" she croaked.

Immediately the little red-haired girl turned toward her, those golden eyes wide. She yanked her hands out of Zeno's light grasp and darted over to the old woman, shifting in mid leap before landing between her boots. Around them, townspeople gasped and made signs against evil, and a loud muttering began.

"Sumi, Sumi," the woman chanted, tears squeezing out of her eyes as she reached down and picked up the fox cub. After pressing her face into her bright fur, the woman glowered at the shopkeeper. "Chul, you told me she died!"

"Go away, mother," the man managed to growl, "You never understood."

"Can we stop making a scene?" Yoon said, looking around at the crowd before fixing his gaze on the old woman, "Can you take us somewhere and tell us what's going on?"

The woman looked at the odd group and finally nodded. "You can't stay long, but I will tell you our story on one condition."

"What is it?" Yona asked.

Tears flowed easier now as the woman ran gnarled, arthritic fingers over the fox's fur. "You'll take my great-granddaughter with you when you go."

"Great-granddaughter?!"