Blaze in the Darkness | ✔

Six

I picked up Zanixa's bottle, the fox inside brimming with excitement. Her ears were perked up to their full length, her tail madly dashing from side to side.

'Are you ready?' I asked the kit, but she didn't need to reply for me to see what the answer was. Still, she did, exactly how I imagined she would.

'Yes!' she yelled as loudly as she could, wiggling her behind in anticipation.

I turned towards the fire. 'Alright. Here goes.' With a pop, I uncorked the bottle. Magic sizzled in the air as Zanixa was pulled out of the bottle and onto the floor, growing in size by the second. She looked around anxiously as she grew, ears pinned back and tail low to the ground.

When she stopped growing, I called, "Zanixa?"

She seemed to shrink at the sound of my voice, whining before abruptly falling silent. Her eyes settled on me, and I could see the pain and overwhelm-ment in them. The not-so-little-anymore fox darted to the fire I made, hiding in its center.

Between the flames, I could see her close her eyes, body tensed up completely. She stayed motionless for so long that even Sila looked at me in silent question. I replied with a shrug. It looked like she wasn't leaving anytime soon.

"I feel terrible about leaving her like this, but I need to head back. Will you take care of her?" she softly murmured, walking over to me. I nodded, gaze returning to the fox in the heart of the fire. Sila muttered a quiet "Goddess be with you" before leaving, footsteps fading into the distance.

With a sigh, I resigned myself to sitting against the wall, watching the kit. If this was going to be how I was spending my days from now on, I'd need to haul a comfy chair and a few good furs over here. Boredom wouldn't be an issue. I had plenty of magic on my side to entertain me, be it through watching the borders or the pack or trying out new spells.

Shifting in place to get more comfortable, I closed my eyes, interlocking my cold fingers in my lap. This could take a while.

Only when the fire had died out and the coals started losing their heat did the fox open her eyes to look at me. I looked back, not saying a word. She seemed intrigued by me somehow, looking me up and down.

'Are you alright?' I asked after she had gotten a good look.

'It's getting cold.' Zanixa worked her way up, coals cascading off her fur. A shudder passed through her body. I eyed her up in confusion, wondering what she was up to. She stood there for a moment before swishing her tail with a huff.

Her bright fur receded as her tail of flames disappeared. Her body changed as bone and muscle rearranged themselves fluidly, aided by magic. Within moments, the fox had turned into a little human girl, shivering in the cold.

I looked at her body in surprise, blinking to ensure what I saw was correct. When I saw it was, I cleared my throat to get the girl's attention. "You are aware you aren't wearing any clothing?"

"Yes? My momma didn't either." She moved her jaws around, flexing her fingers, as if testing if everything still worked.

Inwardly, I sighed. This would most likely be difficult. I could only hope that one of the werewolves wouldn't walk in and see us like this. "Don't you need some? You are cold and will get sick."

She walked over to the pile of wood and piled some into her arms. The faint chattering of her teeth wasn't quiet enough for my ears to miss. Her waist-long red hair was the only thing somewhat covering her and keeping her warm. "It's-s only f-for a moment-t-t."

The young girl moved back to the remains of the fire and started rebuilding it. While the coals would have burnt me, she seemed completely unbothered by them, smiling as the flames started licking at the wood.

Her body shifted once again, turning the girl into a fox. She crawled into the fire she made, purring faintly as the flames surrounded her. I watched her silently for a few moments, licking my lips as my ears focused on the sound of her strong and steady heartbeat.

I shook my head to clear it before saying, "Zanixa, I'm going hunting. I'll be back in a while."

When she yipped in reply, I walked out, pushing some stray hairs behind my ear. My eyesight and hearing had already started sharpening with the bloodthirst. It'd only been a few days since I last hunted. If I wanted to keep her safe, I'd have to drink more regularly than I was used to.

I breathed in the crisp winter air and headed towards the northern border, to the no man's land between pack territories. The darkness of Todas forest engulfed me. The local animals called out in alarm, sensing the dangerous predator nearby. I simply shook my head and dropped into a crouch, following the scent trail of an animal that passed by here recently.

Within a few minutes, I could hear it, and my vision tinged red as I imagined its warm blood running down my throat, chasing away the freezing cold of the evening. Swallowing thickly, I settled down and waited.

The snow-covered bush in front of me rustled as the creature munched on its leaves. My fangs extended in anticipation. I quietly moved to the side, making not a single sound as I approached. The wind was in my favor; the deer wouldn't hear me.

With a hiss, I pounced at the animal, landing on its back. It bucked, trying to throw me off. My claws dug into its fur to keep my grip. I plunged my fangs deeply into the deer's neck, relishing the hot, heavy blood streaming into my mouth.

The creature still tried to buck me off a few times, but it grew weaker with every step as I drained it. It wasn't long before it fell over, allowing me to kneel next to it as I drank my fill.

A minute later, I retracted my fangs, leaning back. I wiped the blood away from my mouth with the back of my hand and patted the snow off my pants. This would keep the hungry beast inside of me sated for at least a handful of days, and the deer would feed the pack.

I picked the carcass up and started hauling it back to Sharion territory.

Although this original Thoysal scene only was only a third a chapter, more are coming that are longer. What are you guys' thoughts on these new Thoysal-only scenes? Do you like them, or not so much?