The Snake Warriors

Chapter Four

"So you're looking for a man by the name of Cace Bryson?" Lotus's Mallorian accent is really strong right now. She looks around at the mess of everyone gathering in the clearing by the cave. She sighs and grabs my hand to drag us away.

"Yes, I am."

"Well, the name doesn't sound familiar, but I'll check our records after I see to camp. We take the names of everyone we see in the woods who looks even remotely dangerous," her accent disappears as suddenly as it appeared. She doesn't sound native either. She certainly looks the part, aside from the Mallorian armor and the unorthodox weapon choice. I mean, a frying pan of all things. She says it's unbreakable, but I'm questioning the logistics of that.

"So, I didn't realize Mallorians were Werewolves," I attempt to start.

"What else would we be, kitsunes?" Lotus chuckles.

"What's a kitsune?" Never heard of them before. Lotus looks at me and brings her palm to her nose. She sighs.

"I swear, everyone who lives in and around this forest is as uncultured as a Lancean lion. Not that you'd get that reference, 'cause no one here is... nevermind, bad joke," Lotus smiles apologetically. "Anyways, a kitsune is a person who can appear as a human with fox ears and foxtails, or as a fox. However many tails they have in either form is a sign of how much power they have."

"Is Foxtail a kitsune?"

"Yeah, and I'm a temporal specter. He's naturally born a human, but things happened and he ended up the way he is now," Lotus stares across the camp-in-progress at something I can't see. Her face looks so guilty right now.

"What happened?" Maybe I can find out why he got so touchy when I asked him that personal question earlier.

"It's not my place to say. If he wants to tell you, then he will, but for now... that reminds me!" Lotus jerks her head my way. She smiles apologetically before continuing. "Foxtail and I need to talk. He has to give me his report for the day. I'm sure it will be interesting, what with the bandits and the meeting you and whatnot. Where the Christmas balls is he? I just saw him. Well, help me look for him and I'll give you a tour of the camp. C'mon," Lotus gestures for me to follow her. Well, I need to get her help, and complying with the requests will help with getting her... help. Plus I want to see the place. I follow her.

"Okay, these are the tents. They are tents. 'Nuff said," Lotus gestures to the tents. "The campfire is a campfire. It's hot, fiery, plus it's useful for cooking food and burning your enemies at the stake. Not that we do that!" Lotus talks with her hands a lot, and her voice goes up when she's joking. She also talks a lot. "Anyways, the cave has prisons, a medicinal room I can't remember the name for, and a magical storage thingy that I also can't remember the name of right now. Those are off-limits to outsiders, for hopefully obvious reasons. Our records are stored in there. We also have a garden where we grow vegetables and fruits year-round, that's over there, and there's the clearing on the cliff overlooking the cave. Me and my close friends usually eat up there at sunrise and sunset. It's my favorite place in camp," Lotus stops talking, but not to pause for breath. She's looking for Foxtail. How does a year-round garden work? We have rather nasty winters, so they must have some pretty hardy plants.

"Why is the clearing your favorite spot?" Maybe she'll answer, unlike Foxtail.

"I really love the sunrises and sunsets in fall and winter. They're so beautiful. I usually sit up there and watch them when I have nothing to do. Foxtail sometimes joins me. I think that's why he likes it up there so much," Lotus says that last part almost to herself. She has a crush on him. Or they have an ongoing relationship. I'll save that question for later if I don't see evidence for one way or the other.