Chapter 182 The Kitsunes Dilemma (1/2)

It was said the Fairy Forest was so large that one could not see the end of it in any direction even if they had climbed the tallest tree within. Not that anybody had ever traversed it but those who were born within. And of course, those who were born within never saw fit to share their treasured forest with outsiders.

It had been an age since Juline had last visited the Fair Forest. She'd been little more than a child when she had done so last time. As curious as her great nieces, Lua and Lia. The Fair Forest was not a domain of the merfolk, but Juline had decided that if such a place existed, a place said to be more wondrous than even the merfolk citadels of the Wide Ocean, then Juline needed to see it with her own two eyes.

Arrogant in her own abilities, she hadn't anticipated that the underground rivers and lakes were home to creatures that despised guests. She'd been injured, and in seeking shelter, had ended up in a lake near the home of a pair of two rather intelligent foxes. Foxes that, considering their four tails, were far more than they seemed.

She had talked with the curious foxes, surprised that they knew how. She had never heard of such creatures, and they had never heard of merfolk like her. They shared stories in the days that Juline healed, then, after many days had passed, the older of the fox sisters gifted her a small crystal.

”It will let you pass through back to the ocean,” the fox had said, her intelligent eyes warning of what would happen in Juline misused this gift. The stories the fox had spoken of were warning enough.

She had returned home safely, but had refused to lead anyone else back there.

That had been over a century ago.

Juline had heard enough stories from the sailors at various ports to know that it was very probably the sisters were still alive. However, the question lingered in her mind as she led her brethren through underground rivers to the lake she remember her crystal allowing them to pass through unharmed.

She'd questioned it for the two weeks journey here. Not just on her own account, but on account of the creature they brought with them. While it had not been obvious at first, in the last couple of days his body had started to carry with it a sort of decay. One which was consistent with that of a dead being. And yet, his heart still beat. One part of her told her to just leave the body somewhere it would never be found and leave. The other part, the curious part that had led her into these caves as a child, told her that the foxes were a good solution. A solution to a problem she and her people had not the knowledge nor the resources to solve.

But the Fairy Forest, the place that was reknowned worldwide to be impregnable to races not born inside it, surely they would know. It's history was longer and more profound than any other place. It was not her place to pry, she could only hope that when presented with this strange young man, they would know what to do.

Just below the lake, Juline paused, ”We're here”.

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The warriors that had accompanied her looked to one another, then back to her, waiting for her orders.

”I'll go on alone. No one in the Fairy Forest likes company, let alone the unexpected kind,” Juline sighed. She clung to the crystal, hoping that she would not be turned away. She then reached out with her abilities, the water swirling around the young man and dragging him behind Juline as she rose up and into the small lake. She surfaced at its centre, looking around. It was night, but in the Fairy forest, night was when life bloomed. Luminiscent flowers and tiny spokes of light that looked like stars filled the area around the lake. Even the water itself seemed to illuminate in the moonlight. Thriving in its natural state.

Juline cautiously moved forward, reaching up and placing the crystal on a stone on the shore. She waited about a metre back from the stone, her breath baited in suspense.

Would they come? Juline waited until the moon was about to set, then turned to dive back down, her visit failed.

”Leaving without even saying hello?”

Juline turned back quickly, there, on the stone playing the with crystal between her two paws, a fox with fur like a golden sunrise lay. She was more mature than Juline remembered, and more than that, the Fox had twice as many tails.

Rather than the four of last time, eight flitted and danced behind the fox. Juline looked on in wonder. She was just as beautiful though. Just as elegant. Juline bowed her head respectfully.

”Greetings, Surai”.

The older sister. Surai was far more gentle than her sister, and most believed her to be wiser as well. Juline could not help but think however that they always underestimated the younger sister, Kali.