Chapter 4: Before the woods.

Act 1: Tubers. Pov: Ash.

It took us another week before we were prepared. I thought as I felt the weight of the grass-rope net bag Tinder was able to make after Lazir spoke about the concept of a basket you sling on your shoulder. It had a bit of meat rations, some flint working tools, grass-rope and extra flint tips for my spear.

The grass-cloak I wore lightly scraped at my fur, as I walked and I think the others were the same, it was much like the 'cloak' Lazir wore, made out of the boar I helped him slay. Atleast it kept me shaded and cool from the now Hot sun, especially after we wet it on the river every so often.

"Crunch, crunch." The sound was made as we walked, a small sound but easily heard, by predators that hunt for meat. "Wait, I see something." Lazir spoke and he started leading us towards water plants I recognize. "Water-potatoes." Amber said as Lazir stopped once we were close enough to the single large leafed, thick green stemmed plants growing at the bank and shallows of the river.

"Water-potatoes?" Lazir asked as he looked around the leaf and touched it speaking in that language of the Earth-spirit, but the Water-potatoes did not answer. "It was one of our herd's main food staples, the clovers, berries and fruits of the outskirts of the forest, and this water-potato was what we ate before leaving." I said to Lazir as I took out a flint ax, and started digging around the plant.

And then with a pull the plant was harvested, it was a single leafed plant with a tuberred root that was edible and can fill a warrior with only one plant. "Oh it's a Taro, or maybe Yam?" Lazir said as I showed him and Spark the food. "Well the plants spirit is too small for me to talk too, so let's harvest some when we come back."

And with that we continued forward. "We're close, I think I remember coming here when I was a child harvesting the Water-potatoes." Tinder said as I cut the plant in two keeping its tuberous root. "Are you girls sure? Going to your herd's old home might become painful for you girls, and we might find the predators there." 

I looked at my sisters. I saw the same determination and furry in their eyes, much like what I seem to be showing Lazir, as he looked shocked, but smiled with eyes softer than usual as he nodded. "Alright I'll but remember don't be too brave or I'll do something even more brave." I nodded, understanding what Lazir would do if we lost it.

Act 2: Old home.

The girls' old home was different than I expected. I imagined Den on dirt or rocky hills, but it was different. What I saw was what used to be leveled earth, of rocks and dirt, but now it was a rocky hill courtesy of the rain and snow making the land soft, but you can still see the shaping they've done. 

Large ruined wooden teepee like structures, with stone and wood jewelry buried in the ground with clay toys and dolls made of grass turned into mold. I was more surprised there were so many things that survived during the years this place was abandoned. "Nothing but us." Spark said as she focused on listening to our surroundings all the girl's did but she has the best hearing in the group.

The other girls agreed and we relaxed a bit. "You girls think there will be something useful here, even after all this time?" I asked them and felt their hesitation and thoughts through the essence of their souls. "No, I don't think there's anything here." Ash said after breathing out. "Yeah my den's just. . .gone." Amber said more furry in her voice than sadness.

"Maybe we could find something." I saw how sad Tinder was as she spoke and looked around the ruins, Spark's soul was just a blur, her thoughts unsure, she didn't have an answer. I gave Tinder a hug as the other girls followed suit, I felt tears land on my skin turning into steam. "Let's go." I said simply and she nodded as we walked away from the ruins.

Act 3: Ambush.

"Lazir?" I heard the voice of Grass, she seemed happy? That's not good. "Yes, what is it Grass?" I asked, having a bad feeling. "There's a meat eater following your tracks." Well that's not good. "How many? And can you describe them?" I asked and she answered easily, still remembering the favors we exchanged, she told me it was only one and from her description it was kind of like a fox. . . very, big one though.

"Girls, don't stop walking." I told them my voice low. "Something's hunting us. Do what I do." I stopped walking as we reached a hill, rather than climbing it I went around, and then stopped retraced my steps and went the other way and then retracted back to the start and climbed towards the top of the hill, the girls followed my example.

We hid at the top of the hill, our belly on the ground looking down from the hill. Hopefully, that thing I learned from Sim-games can be used here. It took half an hour before what grass told me came, and I was right she was describing a fox, it had two tails, a slim body walking in all fours, it's dark brown slitted hunter eyes, scanning the area, as it's pointed whiskered snout, smelled the air.

I saw its red tongue licking its fangs salivating on the hunt. I wondered if the magic of Alyssia had already faded, but that can't be. I still smell like flowers. It was smelling the ground. I felt it's confusion, as it looked around at the different trails, I looked at the girls and they already shed their travel packs only holding their spears and shields. 

I nodded and then with my fine bow, helped created by the kind Fruit-tree-spirit, the bow's main body made from one of her larger branches. and rough arrows with grass fletching and flint points. I fired at the beast aiming for its legs. It seemed to have noticed me, as it dodged as I was the only one standing on the hill as the girls already went around to flank the beast.

"Weren't you looking for ME!" I roared at the beast. I felt my courage spike, my adrenaline making my hearts pump blood faster. It didn't roar back, only observing me and her surroundings. Crap this one's smart. I thought as I fired another arrow, while advancing slowly.

It made its mind up as it charged at me, easily sidestepping my second arrow. "She's smart!" I yelled at the beast, I felt pride in her, I wasn't able to think about it as I fired my last arrow before she reached me and sling my bow, picking up my flint spear and wicker shield. It was a critical! Striking her leg, making her tumble forward, as I charged with a sprinting speed.

With a large leap I braced my spear as I prepared to spear the beast down, as it stood back up it saw my strike coming, she swiped me out of the air with her furred clawed limb, striking my shield sending me to the ground. "Crkkk!" Hard, I heard both my shield and spine cracked. "I would enjoy, eating you fierce one." The fox spoke to me with her voice seductive and her breath smelling of blood.

But then I saw her nose twitch and she jumped. It wasn't as powerful as it should be as it supported her injured leg. "Damn!" Amber and Ash missed their sneak attack trusting their spears on nothing but air. as they faced the beast shielding me, while Spark and Tinder helped me up, my wounds were already healing as flames burned on my back singing the cloak that softened my hard landing.

"That was stupid, did an attack like that ever work?" Tinder admonished me, as Spark laughed "Yeah really stupid! Ha ha ha!" I was healed and was about to join the battle as I caught Amber as she was pushed back. I saw Ash struggling to fight off the beast. "Take her!" I told Tinder as I charged in, Spark followed me.

I attacked the fox at her side, Bull Rushing with my shield. My strength seemed to have surprised the fox, as I was able to send her tumbling back downing her to the ground. Ash collapsed on the ground, her broken shield in her arm. "Spark, take care of Ash!" I ordered Spark, as I rushed toward the fox with my spear, piercing it a little in her neck.

Before she could struggle making me kill her, I yelled. "Stop!" her bloodlust still there looking me in the eyes, stopping her struggle as she realized my claw was in her neck. "Surrounder, and I would not kill you." She smiled and then laughed as she coughed blood, I might have fractured a rib. "Ha ha ha! A plant eater talking to me!"

She seemed delirious, I felt her blood thirst, I felt her want to rip into me feasting on my raw meat and wet blood. And I saw that madness. . . I need to help her. With that though I released her from my spear point she immediately tried to bite my head off, but she was too close, and my training kicked in as I hugged her neck putting her in a headlock.

She struggled. "Let go of ME!" She screamed and trashed but she was getting weaker per second, in the chaos I saw Spark coming back planning to spear the fox as I held her. "No! Spark go back I got this!" She hesitated at my words but continued, but before she could stab forward the fox swiped at her hitting her back, her shield cracked.

Tinder was there taking her away. After a few more seconds almost a minute it was over, the fox unconscious, layed on the grass, bleeding. The girls had recovered somewhat as they walked towards me. "I heard you speak to the predator. . .it talks?" I nodded to Tinder as I healed the three who's barely standing.

"That's too brave." said Ash, smiling. "Yeah, not as brave as fighting it head on." I answered back but the girls laughed as Amber countered. "And who jumped towards it like a brave dumbass?" I smiled as my flames burned away their bruises and cuts, but it made them tired as a price for my magic. 

I looked towards the beast. . . no sentient fox, I kneel down to it. "I'll try something, try not to kill it if it wakes up first. Do what you did to me Amber." I said as I hugged the fur of the fox, that smelled of the forest, dried blood, and dirt. My head on it's slowly beating heart, listening to it. And then I felt her spirit, it was a scared, maddened, and savage thing, and touched it, changing it and in turn her.

Softening her, but not entirely changing her I made her echoes much like those of the rabbit girls, as I have had many chances to listen to the echoes of their souls, and with that my eyes open, in my hands was a very slim fox-girl, with two tails, and clothed by her fur, with human like hands, feet and furry eared head. I smiled at my accomplishment as the girls gawked. 

"Ha ha ah!" I'm happy, as my goal was achievable, I can really change this world. And make it into something better.

Act 4: Change. Pov Fox

Who am I? My memories fuzzed as I remembered my time with my family, the first moments of drinking the milk of my vixen, of a mother. of the times I played with my loving sisters, we lived in the forest, ate the fruits of the trees, and ate the large jumping insects.

But it changed one day, we were attacked, my mother killed by a flying beast, she wounded it and my sisters and I killed it with our fangs and claws, the blood that drip into our throat, the flesh with had eaten as we teared into the feral beast, changed us. . . we did not know at the time but it did.

Years went on my sisters and I hunted, eating the flesh of the plant eaters, not just the flying beasts, and with each successful hunt we became more powerful until one day our oldest sister felt a call, and she left us. . .my other sisters died during hunts or got the same call disappearing within the forest or in the grass.

Then one day alone, getting my own call, I found tracks while wandering the grassy hills, they were two legs, the shapeshifting plant eaters, powerful in number, but weak alone or this small a group. The fight was confusing, a hunter like myself roared challenging me, but it smelled of flowers rather than blood.

I thought it was weak kill, but it's ferocity was admirable, wounding me and forcing me to battle it seriously, I was about to claim my hunt, but plant eaters interrupted my kill. . . after that my bloodlust took over and now I feel different I don't feel the need to kill those I can eat.

I opened my eyes, and what met me was a terrifying thing. "No!!" I screamed as the sun was close to me. I felt its heat, its scorching power. I struggled to move but nothing, I couldn't move my limbs, I was confused as I felt a soft pressure on my head, scratching my ears. . . I stiffen.

"Good, you've calmed down." I looked up towards the voice and saw it was the two legged hunter that challenged me and. . .bested me. I looked down, and saw myself changed like the plant eaters, turned into a weaker form. I understood what this meant. "I'm Lazir, do you have a name?"

The stronger hunter asked. . .Is Lazir what he wanted me to call him? "I do not." I remembered the words of my mother, when fighting other hunters two things would happen when one lost, be killed and eaten, or be claimed as their mate. . . I have been claimed. "Do you want one?" 

I asked, he was gentle with me, as he held me, my head on his thighs, his hand's playing with my ears and tail, he had full power over me. . . I was his. "I. . .I accept, name me, as I am yours." he looked confused as he did something, removing the things holding my arms and legs.

And then made me sit on his lap, he was much larger than I remembered. "You have bested me, making yourself the greater hunter. . .you have not feasted upon me, but kept me alive. . .I am willing to be your prize." Lazir placed his ear upon my chest as he kept me close, I felt the pumping of his blood. . . he wanted me.

"Oh! You mean the thing your mother told you?" Lazir said cheerfully as he placed a kiss on my forehead. "I'll name you Vivi, and for now I want you to fight for me." he said smiling as I felt a connection with him, much like the one I had with my mother and sisters. . .it made me happy as water streaked my eyes.

I fell deeper into his embrace, his warmth taking away pains greater than the ones he had inflicted in our battle, as my memories cleared, and new ones were added, not my own but of the man I embraced, of his gentle world, of why he was holding me so.

I lost myself there as I pushed away from him kneeling placing my neck on his lap, as I spoke. "I am a but a lowly hunter of the forest, let my claws and fangs help you in your hunt. As you have cleared me of my curse." I felt his warm hand on my head and then on my cheek as he raised my head.

"Thank you Vivi, I would do my best to protect you as you do the same to me." he started laughing with utter joy in his once serious face, as he picked me up with his strong hands and lifted me hugging. "Girls! You have a new sister!" I felt it, the presence of others.

The plant eaters, they sat among themselves around a different campfire. They were smiling as they watched the happy Lazir, but looked cautious and maybe even fearful of me. I don't what my mate was thinking but if he wants me to have these others as sisters then I would do so.

My new memories made it clear that I must be the one to give myself, for I know my mate would not force himself on me, unlike what my mother had told me. "Difficult." That was the last thing I could say as I was dragged by my blue eyed sun colored haired mate, towards my new sisters.