A Fox's Mate

by Brandon Varnell

  The loud explosion of his door shattering caused Chris to shout in terror. Wood chips flew everywhere, hitting the floors and walls in addition to striking his body. Chris covered his arms with his face to keep from getting anything in his eyes. When the remnants of his door stopped bouncing off his skin, he looked at the person who stood in the doorway and snarled.

  “What the fuck, Kiara?! Who the hell breaks down a man’s fucking door?!”

  His older sister walked into the room with a look on her face that Chris had never seen before. It wasn’t the angry look she’d often give him when he refused to listen to her, or even the mask of hatred she had whenever he brought up their father. Those looks made him quake, but they did not instill the sense of absolute terror that the expression she wore right now inspired.

  “K-Kiara… what are you doing?”

  Chris backed away from the woman as she stalked forward, her youki flaring wildly. The air became stifled, choking, like someone had dunked his head under water and then heated it until the liquid became boiling hot. His face—his entire body even, broke out into a sweat. His breathing became ragged gasps. There was an indescribable sensation pushing down on him, forcing him to his knees. If Chris knew his physics, he would have described it as a several hundredfold increase in the Earth’s gravitational pull.

  “I hear you hired some thugs to beat up Kevin and his mate.” Kiara’s tone sounded oddly conversational, as if she hadn’t noticed the feeling of DOOM emanating from her body. “You know, Chris, you are my brother, and as my brother, I love you very much. I support you and help you because you are my brother. That said, I despise you as a person and, if given the choice between my brother and my current pupil, you should know that I will choose my pupil.”

  Chris wanted to say something. He wanted to shout “So what?!” or “Do you think I give a fuck?!” but he couldn’t. The overwhelmingly murderous feeling radiating from Kiara had him biting his tongue. All he could do was stare at the floor, unable to even lift his head.

  “Back in the old days, long before you were even born, inu who disobeyed their parents were sent to the pits. You probably don’t know what that is, so let me explain it for you. The pits are the place where disobedient dogs are forced to fight each other until they’ve been thoroughly torn apart, barely alive and scarred beyond recognition. It was a very harsh method of punishment, one that I don’t agree with doing.”

  Loud cracking echoed around the room as Kiara used her thumb to crack her knuckles. One. By. One.

  “However, you have crossed a line today. While I’m not so cruel as to find a pit and throw you into it, I do think some punishment is required as recompense for what you’ve done. Your revenge against Lilian and Kevin should have ended after I thoroughly defeated her. That you continue attempting to inflict harm is a sign that I have been too soft on you. So, I’m going to punish you. For the next two hours you are going to do squats underneath a fire while holding onto forty pound lead weights. If your arms sag, the countdown will start over again. If your legs sag, the countdown will start over again. If you speak out of turn, the countdown will start over again.”

  Kiara’s eyes held no pity as she stared down at her brother.

  “You brought this on yourself, Chris.”

  For the next six hours, until night had fallen, the complex would play host to the howls and whimpers of one Chris Fleischer. A rumor would eventually spread that the complex was haunted, causing over seventy-five percent of the residents to move out.

  It was a bad day to be Chris Fleischer.

  Chapter 9

  Guns, Guts, and Genjutsu

  Cassy took a deep breath as she waited at a park.

  It was early morning, and she was dressed in a brand new outfit: Black spandex jogging shorts, a black sports bra, and white sneakers. They’d cost her all of the money that she currently had, but she felt it was money well spent.

  The morning air was mild. Summer was coming. It wouldn’t be long before the days became hot again, even at this early hour.

  As she watched the trees blowing in the wind, a person riding a bike entered her view. It was Kevin, out for his Sunday morning newspaper run.

  Okay, Cassy. It’s time to do this.

  Before Kevin could spot her, she began jogging in the same general direction but ahead of him. She didn’t look back. She kept staring straight ahead, even as she strained her ears to listen.

  “Cassy?”

  This is it.

  “Ma—Kevin,” Cassy quickly corrected. “What are you doing out so early in the morning?”

  Kevin slowed his pedaling and pulled his bike alongside her. “I’m just delivering the morning newspaper. Are you going for a jog?”

  “Oh, um, yes.” Cassy nodded quickly, then winced. Was she being too enthusiastic? “I like jogging… you know, because it keeps me in shape.”

  It was almost amazing, the way Kevin’s eyes lit up like fog lights at midnight. “Jogging is truly a really great way to keep in shape. Actually, I’m on the track and field team with my friends, so I do a lot of running too. I’ve been training a lot. I’ve even gotten so fast that I finally beat my rival at the 100-meter dash and…”

  Conversation flowed easily once Kevin started talking. Cassy was grateful. She’d been worried that he would be suspicious of her, but it seemed like paranoia wasn’t in his vocabulary. He spoke with her as if they were old friends.

  Cassy had rarely been happier.

  ***

  The air was crisp and refreshing, as Kevin had expected. It was still spring, even though March was coming to a close. He imagined it would be getting hot soon.

  Kevin stared at the building that Kiara had driven him to. C2 Tactical looked as imposing as ever, with its impressive height, gleaming windows, and monolithic columns. Standing in front of the building that he had run away from, Kevin couldn’t help but remember the overwhelming feeling of vertigo that holding a gun had given him.

  It was the weekend after his battle with the gorilla yōkai. Iris had overcome her void poisoning and was back in full form. She and Lilian were out doing something together. He didn’t know what, but he hoped they were having fun.

  Just as Kiara had asked, he’d met her at Mad Dawg Fitness after his newspaper run, and then she’d driven him back to this place. Kiara wanted him to learn about guns. She said that, for a human to match a yōkai, he needed to use weapons that could harm a yōkai. He agreed with her, even if he didn’t like it.

  “Are you ready for this, boya?” Kiara asked, standing next to him, her single arm on her hip as she gazed at him out of the corner of her eye.

  Kevin took a deep breath, then nodded. “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  They entered the gun store/tactical shooting range. Jeffrey was waiting for them behind the counter.

  “Well, if it ain’t Kiara and her disciple!” he crowed joyfully. Kevin clicked his tongue, annoyed by how excited this man sounded. “So, are ya finally ready to learn how to wield a gun, boyo? Not gonna run out on me this time, are ye?”

  “Of course not, and I have a name, you know,” Kevin muttered, trying to shake off his unease. Being around all these guns made him jittery.

  Kiara chuckled and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. The kid’s ready to learn this time. He was just dealing with some… personal issues the last time we came in.”

  “Alrighty. Well, if yer ready, then why don’t we head on into the tactical range and get started?”

  The shooting range looked the same as last time, a large open room shaped like a rectangle. A wall blocked off one side while the other was sectioned off by stations, and beyond that was the range itself, where the targets were set.

  A target had already been set up, a very human-looking target. It stood on two legs, had the shape of a man, and centered around certain areas of its body—namely the joints—were a number of bullseyes. Kiara had clearly informed Jeffrey of his desire to learn how to fight using nonlethal
means.

  “Now I don’t know how much ye remember about shooting a gun, but I’ll give ye a basic review on the one ye’ll be learning to use today.” He held up a black 9mm handgun. “This here is a Beretta 92A1, a reliable and easy-to-use tactical handgun. It’s accurate, safe, dependable, and it has some added features that make it one of the best home defense or personal protection weapons on the market today. One of the key features that makes this gun so great is that it’s got a Picatinny rail situated in the front of the trigger guard, right here, see? This allows ye to add a wide variety of tactical accessories…”

  Kevin listened intently as the man continued giving him a rundown of the weapon he’d be using. It was different from the last one that Jeffrey had tried to show him. Was there a reason for that?

  When the man finished speaking, he lowered the weapon and said, “Now then, let’s head on over to the tactical range and I’ll show ye how to shoot this sucker.”

  There were apparently two ways to fire a handgun, according to Jeffrey. The first stance that Kevin was shown had a person standing with their legs shoulder-width apart, and the leg of their dominant hand acting as a brace behind them. The dominant hand was then fully extended while the weak arm was bent slightly and used to keep the shooting hand steady. The second stance was known as the isosceles stance due to how the feet, knees, hips, and shoulders were fully squared to the target and both arms were fully extended.

  Kevin was then told to try holding the gun using both stances. If he was honest, he didn’t like either stance as they limited his mobility, and if he was going to fight yōkai, he couldn’t afford to stand in one place. He didn’t say this, though, as he doubted the other man realized why he was learning to shoot a gun.

  “I’m pretty comfortable with both stances,” Kevin said. “Though I think I’ll stick with the first stance you showed me.”

  “If that’s how ye want it,” Jeffrey said with a shrug. “I personally prefer the isosceles stance meself, but everyone is different. Now then, let’s see how much ye remember. Load the gun, take aim, and try to shoot the target.”

  Kevin stared at the gun in his hand. His breathing tried to pick up, but he forced it to remain steady. Acting with slow, meticulous care, he did as instructed, loading the ammo clip into the empty slot, taking up his stance, and aiming at the target.

  He aimed for the left kneecap, figuring that the best way to take out a yōkai would be to inhibit their ability to move. Unfortunately, he wasn’t prepared for the amount of kick the gun had, and his hand was jerked way off course. The bullet didn’t even come close to grazing his target.

  “Gya-hahaha!” Jeffrey slapped his hand against his knee, ignoring the glare that Kevin sent his way. Even Kiara was snickering at him! “Be careful of the recoil, brat! It might have little kick, but it’s still enough to knock off the aim of a newbie like you!”

  “Whatever,” Kevin grumbled, looking over at Kiara. “How long are we staying here?”

  “At least another hour,” Kiara answered. “After that, we’ll head back to my gym to do some exercises and light sparring.”

  “Good.”

  That would give him plenty of time to get better at shooting this stupid thing. By the time he was finished here, Jeffrey would be stunned speechless!

  Stupid old man. Kevin scowled as he lined up his next shot. I’ll show him.

  His next shot missed.

  “Gya-hahahahaha!”

  “Stop laughing!”

  ***

  Kotohime rushed at Lilian with speeds that the young redhead could scarcely keep up with. The katana-wielding femme appeared in front of Lilian before she could prepare a defense, her still-sheathed blade already lashing out to strike her in the head.

  It didn’t. Like a ghost, Lilian’s body vanished, dispersing into particles of light, and the real Lilian appeared right next to her illusory copy. Her fists were tucked into her torso, but only for a moment. Then they lashed out with youki-fueled strength.

  Kotohime remained calm as she twirled about, allowing the double thrust to miss her by a wide margin. Some ridiculously fancy footwork brought her into Lilian’s guard, where she struck at the girl with her katana again, this time thrusting the sheathed weapon into Lilian’s throat.

  This Lilian did not disappear. She gagged as the attack hit her, hands rising to her throat as she stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. Kotohime’s eyes narrowed. Though the girl before her acted like she’d been hit, the swordswoman had not felt any resistance to her attack, which meant…

  She sped away from the spot that she was standing on just in time to avoid getting blasted in the back by a sphere of light. The tiny golden orb struck the ground instead, creating a perfect circle of burnt grass.

  “That was impressive use of a double-layered illusion,” Kotohime complimented. “The first illusion that I dispelled hid the second illusion, which was the one that fooled my senses into thinking you were standing right in front of me. An excellent job, Lilian-sama.”

  Several feet away, Lilian shimmered into existence. She was sweating a lot, and her breathing was heavy. That was the price one paid for using so much youki. Lilian might have had a stronger affinity for her celestial element than most, but she was still just a two-tails.

  “It still wasn’t enough to fool you,” Lilian rasped.

  “True enough. However, I have more experience than you do, and as a kitsune, I am well-versed in illusions, even I if prefer not to use them. Now then.” Kotohime set herself in a wide stance, feet spread, knees bent, and her katana raised near her head with the tip of her sheathed blade pointing at Lilian. “Shall we continue?”

  Lilian nodded and the battle started anew.

  Over on the sidelines, Iris sat with Christine and Lindsay, a blanket laid out underneath them. The trio watched the sparring match being undertaken by Lilian and Kotohime, though it may have been more accurate to say they were watching Kotohime toy with Lilian like a cat played with a mouse before swallowing it whole—only less violent and not nearly as savage.

  “I’m not really into the whole yōkai battle thing like the guys are,” Lindsay started as she followed the battle, her eyes wide, “but I’ve gotta admit, it looks pretty cool.”

  “Speaking of guys, where’s Kevin?” Christine asked. “Shouldn’t he be here? I figured he’d want to watch his girlfriend sparring and stuff.”

  “The stud is hanging out with the dog today,” Iris muttered, enunciating the word dog as one would a curse. “I think he mentioned something about finding a way to match the power of yōkai somehow, but I have no clue what he meant by that.”

  “He’s training pretty hard, too, isn’t he?” said Lindsay, biting her thumb. “From what I understand, he’s been training with Kiara ever since he and Lilian became a couple… I think. I’m not really privy to everything that goes on in Kevin’s life these days, though, so I could be wrong.”

  Lindsay’s eyes dimmed as she thought about how far apart she and Kevin had drifted. Before he met Lilian, they’d moved apart because of his strange inability to speak with women. After Lilian had arrived, that distance remained because he had begun falling for the redhead. When he and Lilian finally started dating, he only seemed to move farther and farther away, as he began getting more involved in the world that his mate was a part of.

  She knew it was wrong to blame Lilian for this—it was her fault for not accepting his half-hearted confession—but part of her wondered what would have happened if Lilian hadn’t come into the picture. Would she and Kevin be dating now? What about if she had accepted his confession back then? Would they have been happy? She didn’t know, and that depressed her.

  Christine took one look at Lindsay… and then cuffed her on the back of the head.

  “Owch!” Holding her head where she’d been smacked, Lindsay sent Christine a tear-filled look. “What was that for?”

  “For being an idiot,” Christine answered. “You were thinking that you and Kevin aren�
�t as good of friends as you used to be, right? That he stopped being your friend because he’s entered a different world? Newsflash Lindsay, you’re a part of that world, too. Did you forget about the fact that you also know about yōkai? Just the act of knowing means you’ve already become a part of our world, which means you’re a part of Kevin’s world. He’s trusting you with this knowledge. That more than anything shows how important you are to him.”

  Lindsay looked hopeful. “You think so?”

  Christine rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Lindsay sniffed a bit before smiling at Christine. “Thanks, Christy.”

  “Whatever.”

  Iris looked back and forth between the two, her dark eyes gleaming with amusement. “Ah, young love is such a beautiful thing.”

  While Lindsay’s face became a mild shade of red, Christine gave the more amusing reaction.

  “Y-y-y-y-young—WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?!”

  “Oh? Do you deny being in love with Lindsay? I thought that was the whole reason you spend so much time cheering her up.”

  After mastering her humiliated blush, Christine scowled at Iris. “That’s not the reason why I was trying to cheer her up, you wench! I’m just trying to be nice to a friend! In case you haven’t noticed, Lindsay is a girl, and I’m not into girls! The only person I like is—”

  “Kevin?” Iris supplied helpfully.

  “Right. Kevin—wait! No, I mean I don’t like anyone!”

  “Really? I could have sworn you just said—”

  “Shut up! I didn’t say anything! Idiot! Fox-wench!”

  “Huhuhu…” Iris chuckled. “If you say so. Well, whether you decide to follow your lesbian instincts or keep chasing after the stud is up to you. I don’t care what you do.”