A Fox's Story (Sophophobia!)

[Anonymous]

Sora never thought her new appearance would give her this much trouble.

She was running through the forest, dodging trees, roots, and other vegetation in an attempt to escape from her pursuers. Fast as she was, though, the forest hindered her movement somewhat, and that caused her chasers to catch up to her. She couldn't fly out; the treetops prevented her from jetting out of the immediate area. The thought of what they might do to her drove her to try and move faster.

Only minutes earlier, two weeks after her startling transformation, she had come in sight of an unruly gang of humans who were the most racist bastards she had ever seen. This group saw humans as the only superior race of the world, and that all other races were inferior maggots that should be killed or enslaved. Even though Sora was originally human, that didn't deter them from wanting to do horrible things to her. She had tried to hold them off, but their numbers were fifty strong, and she had only taken out about thirteen or fourteen of them before taking off into the forest.

They were very persistent, coming after her tirelessly, armed with torches, chains, and other devices of torture and murder. She knew that she couldn't run from them forever. Her normally strong legs were starting to weaken, as was the rest of her body from the fight before. She was beginning to lose hope, that she would escape from them alive.

Then, a clearing appeared before her. Her hope was reignited. Oh, thank the gods! I can fly out of that space! A burst of energy surged through her body; her way out was within arm's reach! She pushed herself further. Almost there! She stepped out into the clearing and was about to fly out when...

"Agh!"

A pair of weighted bolas slammed into her, wrapping around her legs and arms, causing her to fall to the ground. No...

In no time, the humans were upon her. One of them brought a very hard fist into her face. The impact sounded, and everything around her went black...

////

The humans that surrounded her--all male and really angry--were rooting about ways of torturing her. Then the ringleader--a blonde-haired man with a very tall, muscular frame--said, "I know...let's play with her a little bit, then skin her alive, then bury her. Whad'dya say, boys?" All of the humans roared in approval, then slowly closed in on the unconscious nine-tailed fox-girl, knives and dirty hands ready.

((This group is a bunch of NPC's, except for the ringleader, so do as you feel to them.))

[Anonymous]

((Ah, do bad you didn't get Tove. Drea, unfortunately, is a pacifist, unless there is a threat to someone else's person that cannot be stopped in any other way. Tove would lay the smack down on them ;) Since Your character is out, why don't you play ))

This wasn't just any clearing!

In the shadows of the trees, on the far side of the clearing, lay the over-grown underused path that lead to the temple of She Who Came To The Stars. There had been two Acolytes off duty earlier, but on this earlier morning Anzdrea the First Acolyte was the only one there. Tove had been woken the night before and had gone into the forest, not yet returning. But Anzdrea was still there, and she was not now sleeping. She had been, quite peacefully, but a sudden spark had woken her up, and she had had that falling sensation, waking up when she hit the bottom.

The foolish humans had come to commit their act of hate on the door of a deity that commanded her Acolytes to from the earth smite suffering.

Rising from her position, Drea was too late to stop them from capturing the girl--the woman. But skin her? Never. Such an act on holy land would gain them nothing good. To commit such an act on this particular holy land? They would go not ten feet before death would consume them. not by Drea's hand. Never by Drea's hand, if she could help it. But the Goddess' eyes did not stray far from her temple. The Goddess' eyes would not miss these heathens. Drea would not miss these heathens.

"Skin her?" her calm voice asked, but her voice should not be mistaken for kind. No, her rage was just simply a more patient kind.not softer. Not gentler. There are two kinds of rage: One kind rips apart lives and families and dreams in an instant with no thought to who. The other wedges apart people. The first kind is short and effects everyone; the second is calculated and effects only thouse who it needs to affect. The second is much more dangerous. "You would dare to skin a creature on holy ground?"

Drea emerged from the path, black eyes fierce, short blue dress covered by a black robe appearing almost otherworldly. And indeed, it was. She was unarmed, and her tail was not visible, but her presence was such that you could not mistake her for human. her movements were fluid and measured and angry. She stopped in front of them, a few paces away, as they all turned.

The Acolyte's stance was firm and strong as she ordered them, "You will leave her. You will get out. You will not come back."

[Anonymous]

The group turned to see who had spoken to them. It was a woman. She seemed human enough...but then those black eyes of hers gave her away. She then was more than what she appeared to be. The tone in her voice was calm, yet showed a sign of hostility. Her mere presence frightened most of the men, seeing the danger she posed. It was clear to them that this was her territory.

The ringleader, being the atheist that he was, was unimpressed. "Oh, really? Or you'll do what? We're not leaving until we rid the world of this abomination. Only humans deserve to live in the world of man. This woman's fur will make a lovely rug. Don't worry, though; you're next. Right, boys?"

The other men said nothing, still standing in fear of this woman's presence. Her words, calm and deadly, were still ringing in their minds. Paranoia overtook them, for this was holy ground. And they were not welcome.

"You're on your own, boss!" one of them exclaimed. They then ran out of the clearing, leaving only the ringleader and two of his most trusted devotees behind.

"Get back here! What are you afraid of?!" The ringleader yelled. He sighed in annoyance. "I don't believe they're afraid of this woman. I gotta do everything by myself. You two! Start skinning her. I'll deal with this pious bitch myself." He then turned to face the woman. "Never thought I'd use my sound magic on an inhuman scum like you, but here goes!" He drew in a deep breath and let out a shrill, high-pitched shriek that made the ground vibrate and the trees lose some of their leaves. The other two had to cover their ears very hard so as not to be deafened by the noise.

////

Sora! Sora! Please wake up!

Tokala's mental efforts to rouse Sora from her unconscious state were futile. It looked like she would have to do so of her own accord. He sensed a presence like none that he had ever sensed before...one that was many ages older than he could ever hope to live. Hopefully, that presence would be able to save Sora.

He then heard something about sound magic, and fearing for Sora's well-being, he used whatever power he had to shut off Sora's ability to hear just as that horrible shriek sounded.

[Anonymous]

You know how when you're little and there's a high-pitched sound and you ask your parents what it is but they can't hear it because they're were old? This wasn't like that. This was like when you blow a dog whistle and all the dogs go insane and you can't hear it. It was kinda like that. The sound was so faint to her that it just made her wince and stumble a bit. But it didn't stop her from lunging at the nearest man, one of the remaining grunts, knocking him to the ground.

Drea didn't want to hurt him--well, didn't want to want to hurt him. But the victim took priority over the attackers. She slammed the man's head on the ground, with a slightly unhuman hiss, and leaped to grapple with the second man.

Fighting was not something that she did a lot, but that did not mean that she was particularly bad at it. Just out of practice. She would not kill these humans, except maybe the leader if he persisted and she had no other choice, but they made her angry. The fox-girl was unconscious, possibly had a concussion. The humans had talked about her as if she were an animal. less than an animal. But all life was important! She would not let them harm the fox-girl any more than she would allow them to harm herself.

Later, when Drea saw that the girl had nine tails, she would wonder how she had come about them, for she did not seem that old in fox-years. Drea had no talent for sensing spirits, and so to her Sora was just another kitsune. Not that it would have made Drea's need to save Sora any less. Perhaps, even, it would have made it more, for two lives were in danger.

[Anonymous]

The two men never saw it coming. The first man's head collided with the ground and knocked him out cold, while the woman leaped onto the second man, wrestling with him. He actually had the gall to spit in her face as he attempted to overpower her. He grabbed hold of his dagger and began slashing wildly at the woman.

Ringleader guy saw that his shriek attack had little effect on the inhuman woman. Perhaps a slight adjustment should bring her down. He drew in a deep breath and shrieked again, only this time as he did so, he kept changing frequencies, amplitudes, and pitches to find the right ones that made her cringe.

////

Meanwhile, inside Sora's unconscious mind, Tokala kept Sora's sense of hearing shut off as that ungodly shrieking continued. As he did, he tried to assess the mysterious aged aura flowing about one of the people. He couldn't see them since he was trapped within Sora's body, and since she was unconscious, he couldn't take temporary control over her body to look at what was going on. He only hoped that the mysterious force was a benefactor.

[Anonymous]

She made a disgusted sound, and her tail whipped out from beneath her robe, deflecting all but one of the knife blows, eventually disarming and knocking him out with a sound thwack of the tail. She was fine for a moment, until the ring leader hit a particularly low note, and she faltered in her stance, taking a sharp breath in.

Knowing that she had to get rid of him for the fox-girl to be safe, she lunged at him, bleeding lightly from the cut from the second man. It would heal soon, but getting the blood out would be a bitch. She kept her tail in front of her--if she was lucky it would either knock him out or kill him. Drea did not want to kill him, but she thought that that might be what was required, as much as she hated it.

The Goddess would forgive her, though. That was all that mattered.

[Anonymous]

When the ringleader hit a lower frequency, he saw the woman stagger a bit. He saw that as the note that would sing her death song. She lunged at him, which was exactly what he wanted. Setting his adjustments to his magic, he shrieked again, sustaining that same frequency with all his might, sending massive shock waves out towards the woman, hoping to tear her to pieces with this note.

[Anonymous]

Her clothing frayed, became tattered, but after billions of years Drea was stronger than this human and his magic. She continued forward, inches away from landing on him, hoping to knock the breath out of his lungs. She was in such a position that if she did make contact it would be to slit his throat, because one who would kill so easily on holy ground deserved no quarter. No mercy.

And hopefully, the fox-girl was alright. The man might have already killed her with his magic.

[Anonymous]

Damn that pious inhuman bitch! Even with his magic at full force, she was still coming at him, bent on destroying him. If there was one way he didn't want to die, it was by her hands. He kept shrieking, but as he did, he felt himself becoming weaker and weaker. The frequency shifted wildly as he tried to maintain control of his shriek. Then, his voice cracked. His shriek stopped. He saw the girl coming at him unrelentingly, her damned black eyes without mercy. No, it couldn't end this way!

Damn, he thought. I may not live to see it, but glory to the coming age of humans!

((At this point, you may do whatever you want to him))

////

Tokala heard the shrieking stop, and he thanked the spirits for the peace and quiet. He turned Sora's sense of hearing back on, and hoped that the mysterious aura would do whatever it could to rouse Sora from her unconscious state. He could sense that Sora was still alive.

[Anonymous]

If she could have stopped, Drea would like to have said that she would have. But Drea also believed in honesty, and although she did not like violence, hated it, even, she knew that this man would not be at rest until relieved of the ability to do much of anything. She severed his windpipe and grazed his jugular, knocking him over and finishing severing his artery with a twitch of the tail, now that she would not be covered in spray. She was not sad to see his eyes dim.

The Acolyte sighed, then and made her way to the fox-girl, mto make sure that she was still alive. Though she didn't know this, the closer to moved to Sora, the easier it would have been for Tokala to sense, growing more focused and condensed in his senses as she neared, because Drea's aura was such that it extended from her body, bright and radiant and ancient. She knelt by Sora, checking her vitals, and was relieved to find her alive and apparently only unconscious. perhaps exhausted.

Drea was very strong, as an Acolyte, but still didn't particularly want to carry Sora. Instead, she shook her, saying not unkindly, "Wake up, fox-girl. I desire to know you, such that you are. You are on holy land." This might have been construed as a threat, for often Drea's manner of speech and tone of voice gave one the impression that something grave is about to come upon them, but that Drea could harm Sora never came to her mind, though she had been to many holy places that looked upon demons as evil.

[Anonymous]

All this time, Sora was unconscious, unaware of what was happening in the world of the awake. Then, she felt someone shook her, releasing her of the bonds that held her. Stubbornly, she slowly returned to her awakened mind.

Her mind barely registered what whoever it was had said. She moaned as her golden eyes fluttered open and all nine of her tails twitched. Her vision was blurry for a second, so she blinked rapidly a few times to clear it...only to come face-to-face with a woman with black eyes, torn clothing, and a blue, spaded tail.

She gave a small yelp and cringed. "D-don't hurt me...please," she said, her features filled with terror. After all she'd been through, her fear could be understandable.

[Anonymous]

Nine tails; too many for one who did not seem as old creatures do. It made her curious; she would have to ask about it. But now was not the time. Now was the time to question why she had so many tails, now was the time to question what the poor thing was terrified of. Sora was safe, wasn't she? Drea wasn't going to hurt her.

Oh. Duh.

Drea sighed, carefully retracting her hands, keeping in her frog-squat, tail cleaning itself on the grass and returning to beneath her robe, which, yes, upon further inspection was a little... tattered. Drea knew that she could get a new one easily, though she couldn't say that she really cared that much about it. The Acolyte was lucky that it hadn't gotten in the way.

But that was not the issue. The issue was that the dear, sweet fox-girl was scared of her, and that would not do. Drea took a deep breath, letting the adrenaline that had been running through her leave, and she appeared to... deflate, somewhat. She had been hyped, before, from the fight, but now she needed to be as she usually was. So her fierce, black eyes became gentler.

"Do not be afraid," she told Sora, "You, here, have nothing to fear. What is your name, kitsune? Tell me, so that I might great you properly."

[Anonymous]

Sora was still unsure about this woman, whoever--or whatever--she was. She was a race that she had never encountered before...then again, Sora herself was a race no one has ever seen before.

It's alright, Sora, Tokala's voice rang in her mind. I can sense that this woman is of no threat to you. Yet her aura is extremely ancient, possibly many millenia older than I am. Her intentions are good, nonetheless. I assume that she was the one who saved you.

Sora gave a short nod. "Umm...Sora...my name is Sora," she said, sitting herself in a more upright position, each of her tails quivering. "Who...are you?"

[Anonymous]

"My formal name is Anzdrea," was the response, "But those who care to remember me by a name remember me as Drea."

Drea watched the tails, thinking that 'Sora' wasn't a very... kitsune-ish name. Looking at her in puzzlement, she figured that the best way to get answers would most likely be to ask. But that wasn't really that important. The important part was if she was hurt and if she had a safe place to go. If she didn't, Drea would have to find her one. That spark in her mind right before she woke up had meant that Sora was her next assignment.

So, first things first. Drea peered at the girl carefully, and didn't see anything bleeding. That didn't mean everything was alright; she was still scared and might be bruised. To be honest, her reaction to Drea hurt a little, but that didn't matter. What did matter, however, was this: "Are you injured?"

[Anonymous]

Sora cocked her head to one side in a cute, confused sort of way. Had she gotten hurt? She only remembered the fight before she took off running, in which she sustained no injuries. She then had a pair of bolas come at her. Then she didn't remember anything after that...

Sora, you were knocked unconscious with a fist to your forehead, Tokala mentally reminded.

Then her head started hurting. "I...I didn't...though my head hurts...was I unconscious?" she wondered, rubbing a black, fur-covered hand on her orange-furred forehead.

[Anonymous]

She was kind of cute, in a "dazed cat" way. But no matter. Drea smiled at her, reaching out to feel her forehead. "You were unconscious," she confirmed, "And you might have a concussion. Can you get a concussion? I don't know much about kitsune." She should work on that; kitsune weren't that uncommon.

The next step, Drea supposed, would be to move elsewhere. But first to make sure that the woman wasn't injured.

[Anonymous]

Sora paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond to such a question. Thus, she decided to ask Tokala. Tokala, do I have a concussion? she thought.

Hmm...no, you do not, he responded in her mind, but still, you shouldn't overexert yourself. A day's worth of rest and your head will feel better. Oh, and since you're wondering what to tell this Drea person, you should probably say that you are not a kitsune.

Okay.

"I...I don't think I have a concussion," Sora said. "Ah, and I think that you should know...I'm not really a kitsune. I'm a human in the form of a kitsune."

[Anonymous]

Oh, of course, a human in kitsune form. Why hadn't she seen that from the beginning, it was so obvious.

Wait what?

The acolyte raised an eyebrow at Sora, standing up and offering her a hand. Thin fingers, with oddly white nails. The hand extended, waitig for her to take it as she told Sora, "I am afraid that I do not understand. You... ascended?" It was not unheard of, mostly people humans who ascended had a habit of going on power trips and killing then eating anything that moves that it can see. This, you might imagine, gains one a lot of attention. Sora didn't seem the type.

[Anonymous]

Sora raised an eyebrow as she accepted Drea's thin white hand with her own black, fur-covered hand. "Ascended? You mean achieve a higher being. No, i-it's not like that at all. It's...rather hard to explain, actually...I'm not sure I'm the right person to tell you that."

She then thought about having Tokala possess her body and have him tell it. Hey, Tokala...do you think you can tell her so she can have a better understanding of what I am?

Certainly, anything to help you, child, Tokala responded.

"I-I'd like to introduce you to someone," Sora said, and soon, the possession started. Her body was outlined in a thin, light blue aura as her conscious mind reeled away from her physical manifestation. Tokala smiled and took over, feeling his mind manifest itself into Sora's body. As soon as he was in control of Sora's body, Sora's eyes glowed completely blue.

"Greetings, Drea," Sora said, but instead of it being Sora's lilting soprano voice, it was a pleasant, wise tenor voice. "I am the spirit that dwells within Sora's body. My name is Tokala. I might resolve your curiosities."

[Anonymous]

"A pleasure," Drea said, helping her--him--up. it made a little more sense now, even if seeing the change put her a little on edge. The possession seemed to be willing, but still... She'd never some across one that had altered the host's body. Not that she had saved a lot of possessed people.

Then, "Perhaps you could start at the beginning while we walk to the shrine? Normally, i do not allow people up there but..." Drea looked distastefully at the dirty men and the corpse, "Well, it would be best to leave this place, and I do not believe you are up to leaving the forest just yet."

Should he agree to this plan, they would move to the path that Drea had come from, and make their way up it, Drea leading. She was curious to learn about them; she loved learning now, interesting things. Especially about things like this, because not long ago saving a nonhuman was very, very rare. Now it was still a little surprising, but mostly because, as things go, humans were fairly weak.