by Hana Steven
A flick of her tail disperses the Fireball as she turns to glare at the man. She calls another Wind Blast to hand just as another voice calls out.
“That’s enough!”
Gale and I turn toward the voice and see a man with a shaved head stepping into the open part of the street. He is wearing cargo shorts and a button up shirt.
“I’m officer Braedy,” he announces, holding up a badge. “I would have stopped you earlier, but I had a feeling you might actually beat him.”
Another enforcer, in uniform this time, steps out from the crowd behind the man Gale had been dueling and cuffs him.
“I’ll let you off the hook this time,” Officer Braedy says. “But you folks should know dueling inside the city is strictly forbidden.”
“I’m sorry,” Gale apologizes. “We didn’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Braedy consoles. “I was in the restaurant when he started antagonizing you. Besides, that man is a nuisance; we’ve just never gotten anything on him. I was going to intervene, but I had a feeling you could take him. So just promise not to duel in town anymore, and I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”
“I promise,” Gale says with a grin.
“Thank you,” Dad says, ushering Gale and I back into the restaurant.
As we enter, everyone inside starts cheering. Several people come up and congratulate Gale, saying they had all been hoping someone would put that man in his place. It seems he is, or was, an important person in town and liked to use his authority to get his way.
Soon our waiter arrives with our pizzas. “I think you’ve all made yourselves known,” he says. “Now, why don’t you let these folks eat in peace.”
Chapter 8
Not Alone
I think I ate too much, I moan in my head.
Yeah, but it tasted great, Gale replies, rubbing her tummy.
I can’t help but giggle as we continue along the road. I glance around at the various shops and stalls as we walk, until Poseidon suddenly rushes ahead of us a bit.
Turning back to us, she points to a store ahead and asks, “Can we please stop here?”
I look up at the sign over the store. It reads “Wilson’s Pets” in big cartoon letters and the “S” in pets is a cartoon cat’s tail.
“Should have known it was a pet shop,” Erik moans. “Sis has a huge weak spot for puppies.”
“We don’t have anywhere to be,” Dad says. “So, why not?”
With a very childlike cheer, Poseidon hurries into the shop.
Chuckling, Dad ushers the three of us in after her.
Inside we find Poseidon crouched down inside a small walled off area, half a dozen puppies pawing at her legs while she tries to pet and play with them.
“Why don’t you kids go look around,” Dad tells us. “Just don’t cause any trouble.”
“‘Kay,” Gale and I answer before scurrying off.
We make our way through the shop, looking at all the little critters as we go. In addition to the puppies keeping Poseidon busy, there are kittens, rabbits, hamsters, a few different lizards, and even a couple of birds.
As we reach the back of the store, Gale starts acting odd; she seems to be listening intently for something.
“What’s the matter?” I ask her.
She simply holds a finger to her lips and starts heading further into the store. Soon we reach a doorway covered with a curtain. Without hesitating, Gale pushes through the curtain.
Following after her I say, “I don’t think we’re supposed to be back here.”
Gale ignores me and continues back several feet to a fairly large cage. Looking inside I don’t see anything, but there is clearly a bowl of water and food set out for something. At the back of the cage is a plastic tree stump that serves as a hiding spot for something. I am so focused on trying to see what has her attention that I don’t notice Gale sneaking into the cage.
Crouching down near the stump, she holds her hand near the entrance and says softly, “its okay. I won’t hurt you.”
“What are you doing?” I hiss. “Dad said not to cause any trouble, and you getting in a cage is definitely trouble.”
“Shhh,” she replies. “You’ll scare him.”
A moment later I spot a dark form creeping forward in the shadows of the stump. Soon after, a little black nose pokes out into the light, followed by a light blue furred snout and then the rest of the little fox’s head, including little silver tufts at the end of each of its slightly too big ears.
The little fox, or rather Kitsune, sniffs at the air before slowly moving further into the light, revealing a sleek blue body and bushy tail tipped in the same silver that gloves its paws. It sniffs at Gale’s hand then nuzzles into it. Gale picks the little one up and cradles it in her arms; it seems to fall asleep almost immediately.
“Who’s back there?” a woman’s voice calls out from behind me. “This area is off limi—”
The voice falters as I turn to look at its source—a tall thin woman with red hair pulled back into a ponytail. She is wearing blue jeans and a simple cream colored shirt hidden behind a plain brown apron covered in stains.
“How…How did you get him to come out?” she asks, pointing to the little Kitsune. “The little fellow has been so scared; he hasn’t slept or eaten since I found him a few days ago.”
“It’s probably because I smell familiar,” Gale says, stepping out of the cage with the sleeping Kitsune.
“Wait,” the woman says. “If you take him out of the cage he might run off and get hurt.”
“He’s asleep,” Gale responds. “And from what you just said, he will probably sleep for quite a while.”
The woman steps closer and observes the sleeping form. “It would seem so. But I still don’t get what you mean about ‘smelling familiar.’”
“He’s a Kitsune,” I say. “So is Gale.”
The woman stands straight again and looks Gale over closer. Pointing first to Gale’s ears and then her tail, she asks, “Those are real?”
“Yep,” Gale says, swishing her tail around.
“Huh,” the woman says. “So you’re really a Kitsune. That’s…unexpected. Though that would explain why this little guy is blue; I thought some kids dyed him or something.”
“No,” Gale replies. “I’m pretty sure this is his normal color.”
The woman tries to pet the little Kitsune’s head, but he squirms uncomfortably when her hand comes close. With a sigh the woman straightens up and says, “I suppose I should introduce myself; my name is Jenifer, but you can call me Jenna. I own this store.”
“Hello,” I reply. “I’m Sylphy and this is my sister Gale.”
Jenna looks to me and asks, “Does that mean you’re a Kitsune, too?”
“Sort of,” I tell her. “I’m human but I can use magic to turn into one.”
“She and Papa found me and took me in,” Gale explains.
“Well,” Jenna begins. “If you two aren’t busy, would you mind keeping an eye on this fellow? Like I said, he hasn’t eaten or slept in days, but he seems to feel safe with you.”
“We have to ask Papa,” Gale says. “But we’re just exploring the city, so I wouldn’t mind.”
Jenna waves us through the curtained doorway back into the main store. I lead the two of them back toward the front of the store, but run into Erik in the section with the reptiles.
“There you are,” he says when he spots us. “Your dad is looking for you. Who is that? And what is the blue thing in your arms,” he adds, noticing Jenna and Gale’s little cousin.
“This is Jenna,” I answer.
“And this is a baby Kitsune,” Gale says nodding to the blue ball of fur.
“Okay,” Erik says, turning to Jenna. “Well, I’m Erik. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Jenna replies with a smile.
“Come on,” Erik says, waving us after him. “Your dad’s up front.”
The three of us follow Erik the rest of the way to the front where we
find Dad and Poseidon still playing with the puppies.
Dad turns to us as we approach. “There you are. I thought I asked you not to cause trouble.” Turning to Jenna he continues, “I apologize for any trouble my girls may have caused.”
“While I admit I was about to go at them,” Jenna says, “They have actually helped me out quite a bit. They managed to get this little guy to feel safe enough to sleep,” she adds, pointing to the little Kitsune.
Dad glances down at Gale’s bundle then says, “As long as they didn’t cause any trouble. Sylphy is rather incorrigible and Gale enjoys causing mischief.”
“I was actually hoping you would let them take care of him for a while,” Jenna says. “He’s been too scared to eat or sleep, but seems to be okay with Gale. It would do him a lot of good to get some food in him and sleep as much as he can. Unless, of course,” she proposes. “You wouldn’t mind adopting him? No charge, I just want him to be somewhere he feels safe.”
“I have no problem with them watching him for the afternoon,” Dad agrees. “But we’re traveling and it would be rough on us, and this little fellow, if we were to take him with us.”
Jenna sighs, “I understand, but I had to ask.”
“Maybe we can get him accustomed to people,” I suggest.
“You kind of smell like a fox when you transform,” Gale says. “It’s more human, but maybe if you held him he would get used to the human smell and let Jenna help him when we leave.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Jenna says, “but if you think it will help, then have at it.” Reaching behind the front counter, she pulls out a baby bottle full of milk. “Here, give him this if he wakes up. You don’t need to stay here. Take him with you.”
“Really?” Gale asks, excited. “We can take him shopping with us?”
“You probably shouldn’t take him into most of the stores,” Jenna replies with a chuckle. “But yes, you can take him with you. I live nearby so I’ll stay here until you return. I’ll even pay you girls for helping me out.”
“Cool,” Gale replies. Turning to me she says, “Why don’t you transform and we’ll see if he’ll let you hold him.”
I nod, then ask Jenna, “Is there a bathroom in here?”
“A bathroom,” she repeats, confused. “There’s one over there,” she says, pointing to a door to the left of the counter.
I hurry over to the bathroom to transform so I don’t disturb the animals. Once I have cast my spell, I return to where the others are waiting.
“You, too?” Jenna asks when she sees me.
“I’m not a real Kitsune,” I tell her. “I use a spell to get my tails and ears.”
“But you still smell more like a fox,” Gale says, holding the small Kitsune out to me.
I hold my hand out to the little guy and he starts to squirm. After a moment he stops and starts to sniff at my hand. I let him smell me for a bit before taking him from Gale. He squirms a bit in my arms but settles down after a moment. He is still looking around warily rather than lying down like with Gale.
“It’s okay,” Gale says, petting his head. “She won’t let you get hurt and neither will I”
As if understanding what she said, he nuzzles Gale’s hand, then lays his head down in the crook of my arm. After a moment his breathing becomes more regular and I can tell he’s asleep again.
“Well,” Dad says, “that worked.”
“What are all of you so fascinated by when there are puppies here,” Poseidon asks.
Turning in her direction, I see her walking toward us tickling a puppy in her arms. Despite my bundle being clearly visible to her, it takes several moments for her to notice.
“Why is that puppy blue?” she asks when she finally notices.
“He’s not a puppy,” Jenna says. “He’s a fox.”
“No,” Gale corrects. “He’s a Kitsune.”
“A Kitsune,” Poseidon repeats. “Like you?”
“Yeah,” Gale says.
“As much fun as repeating this conversation is,” Erik says flatly, “Why don’t we head out while sis gets caught up with the rest of us.”
“Are you adopting him?” Poseidon asks, still playing with the pup in her arms.
“No,” I reply. “We’re just watching him for the afternoon.”
“Huh?” she says confused.
“Come on, sis,” Erik says, taking her arm. “Put the puppy back with its friends and I’ll explain things while we walk.”
With a chuckle Dad says, “I’ll make sure they bring him back this afternoon.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Jenna replies. “If you change your mind about taking him with you, just let me know.”
“Bye!” Gale says with a wave as we follow Dad out into the street.
We continue down the street a ways before coming to a book store. Excited, Gale grabs my arm, almost making me drop our sleeping charge, and pulls me into the store. Tail swishing excitedly, she looks around at all the books before the rest of our group catches up with us.
“Calm down, Gale,” Dad says. “The books aren’t going anywhere.”
“But it’s so exciting!” Gale squeals. “I’m finally going to learn to read.”
“You’re already learning,” Erik tells her. “You just don’t have anything to read that is at your level.”
“You know what I meant,” Gale snaps.
“Yes, we do,” Poseidon agrees. “Why don’t you and Sylphy take a look around and see if you find anything that catches your eye? Your dad and I can get some beginner books for you.”
“Okay!” Gale cheers, pulling me further into the store.
“You can stop pulling me,” I laugh. “I want to look, too.”
“Sorry,” she says, letting go of my arm. “Do you have any recommendations?”
“Beth kept talking about some series called Space Fights,” I answer. “It was some really popular series back before magic. The main parts were movies—moving pictures—but she said there were a bunch of books, too.”
“Think we can find any?” she asks.
“We can try,” I respond, looking around for a “Science Fiction” sign. “There,” I say, pointing with my free hand as I notice the sign.
“Come on, then,” Gale begs.
I chuckle and follow her to the spot beneath the sign. Once we arrive we start looking through the books. I find the next volume of Drake Tamers and further down the shelf is a fairly large section with numerous Space Fights books. There are books of various sizes, but my attention is drawn by a row of books that have similar designs on their spines. Pulling one from the shelf I read, “Space Fights: Star Monk’s Disciple.”
“You found one?” Gale asks, moving over to me.
“Yeah,” I respond. “It looks like this is a series inside the Space Fights series.”
“Like those Drake Tamer books?”
“Yeah. Do you want to get the first couple?” I ask, looking through a few pages. “These don’t look too hard.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Gale says, hopping up and down.
Replacing the book I was looking at, I pick up the first three volumes and hand them to Gale. Then I look through some of the other books, picking one up that reads “Young Monks: Inheritors of Power.”
Adding the book to the stack that Gale is holding, I say, “Let’s go find Dad. Then we can pay for our books.”
Gale and I wander through the store, looking at a book every so often. After browsing for several minutes, we come across the others in the children’s section.
Looking up as we approach, Dad asks, “Found some books that caught your eye, huh?”
“Yep,” Gale replies. “We found some books from Space Fights.”
“Space Fights?” Poseidon repeats. “How do you two even know about Space Fights?”
“My big sister told me about it,” I reply.
“How many kids do you have now?” Poseidon asks, turning to Dad.
“Just these two,” he replies.
“The ‘big sister’ Sylphy mentioned is my niece who decided to adopt her as a little sister.”
“You certainly have a strange family,” Erik says.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Your ‘big sister’ is your cousin,” he replies. “Your little sister is a fox, and not in the looks hot way, and neither of you are related to your sole parent figure.”
“I have parents,” Gale says. “They just kicked me out with my siblings.”
“What?” he asks.
“My real parents,” Gale explains. “Foxes reach maturity within a year. So when my siblings all started going off on their own, my parents just sent me off. I don’t really blame them. If I was a regular fox like my brothers and sisters then I would have been grown up.”
“That’s kind of sad,” Poseidon says. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes,” Gale answers. “Like I said, I don’t really blame them. I was rather upset for a while, but now I have a new papa and the best sister I could ask for.”
“I feel like you’re setting me up to fail,” Dad says.
“Just don’t leave me behind,” Gale says. “And keep being you and you’ll be fine.”
Dad chuckles before replying, “That’s good to know.”
“Maybe we should go and pay before you lot start crying,” Erik suggests with a groan.
“Okay,” Dad says. “I get the point. We have a few books for Gale, so if you girls are ready we can head out.”
I nod and we make our way to the front of the store.
Chapter 9
Reactions
At the register, Gale and I wait until Dad has purchased his books, then we step up to pay for our finds. Gale sets the small stack of books up on the counter and the red haired woman manning the counter totals our purchase.
“These come to eighteen Klen,” she says. Looking down to us she asks, “Are you girls paying for these yourselves?”
“Uh-huh,” I respond then turn to Gale. “My wallet’s in my right pocket.”
“Got it,” she replies, reaching into the mentioned pocket and pulling out my wallet. Looking in it she pulls out a twenty Klen note and hands it to the woman.
