My Point of View

It was the next morning.

The kingdom celebrated our return as though we'd slain nothing more than another dangerous beast.

Only I knew the truth.

I hadn't told anyone about the darkness now resting within my soul. The black veins had disappeared beneath my skin, hidden from sight, but every now and then I could still feel it.

Like something sleeping.

Waiting.

That was a burden I intended to carry alone.

As for the battle...

I told everyone I had defeated Akiko.

That much was true.

What I didn't tell them was how.

Or what happened after my sword pierced her heart.

Some truths weren't ready to be shared.

Perhaps they never would be.

One promise, however...

I intended to keep.

With her dying breath, Akiko had entrusted her daughter to me.

I wasn't about to betray that trust.

The poor girl still couldn't remember her own name.

Whether the corruption had stolen it or the centuries had simply buried it, neither Aldric nor I knew.

I regretted not asking before Akiko passed.

It was a question I'd never get the chance to ask.

So...

I gave her a new one.

Zyra.

The first time I'd suggested it, she'd quietly whispered it to herself.

"...Zyra."

She'd repeated it again.

A little louder.

"...Zyra."

Then she'd looked up at me with those bright golden eyes and smiled.

"I... like it."

From that moment on, whenever someone asked her name, she'd answer with a timid,

"...Zyra."

It wasn't the name she was born with.

But it was hers.

She was painfully shy around everyone else.

Whenever a knight, servant, or villager approached, she'd instinctively slip behind me, clutching the back of my shirt as though it were a shield.

Usually only one fox ear, a tuft of white hair, and one curious golden eye peeked out from behind my shoulder.

The moment someone looked directly at her...

She'd disappear again.

It was... strangely adorable.

I wasn't exactly expecting to become someone's guardian.

Especially not a Kitsune.

Especially not at twenty years old.

Yet here I was.

The American Knight...

Keeping the final promise I'd made to a dying mother.

And somehow...

I had a feeling looking after Zyra was going to become the hardest promise I'd ever kept.

"What are you up to, Alex?"

I glanced up from my workbench to find Eleanor leaning against the doorway of the forge. Her arms were crossed, though the curious tilt of her head betrayed the calm expression she was trying to maintain.

The morning sun spilled through the open doors, illuminating the assortment of armor plates, leather straps, enchanted gemstones, and engraving tools spread across the wooden table before me.

"I'm re-enchanting my gear."

She stepped closer, her eyes wandering over the organized mess.

"Re-enchanting?"

I nodded.

"As you know, most of the enchantments protecting my armor were burned away keeping me alive during my fight with Akiko."

I picked up my chest plate.

The black dragon scales still gleamed beneath the light, but if you looked closely, dozens of faint scorch marks and hairline cracks marred the intricate runes I'd painstakingly carved into the metal.

"They did exactly what I designed them to do."

I ran a thumb over one of the faded inscriptions.

"They absorbed the damage instead of letting it reach me. But..."

I gave a small shrug.

"...that also means they're gone."

Eleanor traced one of the ruined runes with her finger.

"So every enchantment has to be replaced?"

"Pretty much."

"That sounds... expensive."

"It is."

I chuckled.

"Fortunately, mana is cheaper than dragon scales."

That earned a quiet laugh from her.

I set the chest plate flat on the table before reaching for a fine engraving chisel.

Rather than repairing the old rune...

I carved a new one.

Blue mana flowed from my fingertips into the groove as I worked.

The inscription slowly began glowing.

"You aren't copying the old enchantment." Eleanor observed.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because the old one failed."

She frowned.

"I thought you said it protected you."

"It did."

I looked up at her.

"But only once."

I returned my attention to the rune.

"I'm not interested in repeating yesterday."

The final line connected.

The entire enchantment flared brilliantly before settling into a soft sapphire glow.

"Gravity."

The word left my lips almost instinctively.

Mana rushed into the chest plate.

The rune answered.

A pulse of blue light swept across the armor before disappearing beneath the dragon scales.

"This version is stronger."

"How so?"

I leaned back in my chair.

"Yesterday, the gravity enchantment dispersed the force from physical impacts."

I tapped the center of the breastplate.

"It worked against swords. It worked against blunt force. But when Akiko's corruption hit me..."

My smile disappeared.

"It overloaded."

I could still remember the sound.

One enchantment after another...

Shattering.

Dying.

"So I changed the structure."

Eleanor looked intrigued.

"You can do that?"

"I can now."

I pointed toward the fresh rune.

"Instead of simply resisting force, this version redirects it."

"Redirects?"

I nodded.

"Imagine dropping a stone into a pond."

She nodded slowly.

"The water spreads the impact in every direction."

"Exactly. That's what this enchantment will do. If something hits the armor, instead of trying to stop the force outright, it'll spread it across the entire breastplate."

She blinked.

"So rather than one rune carrying the whole burden, all of them share it."

A grin spread across my face.

"Now you're thinking like an artificer."

She smiled.

"I've been paying attention."

I reached for another engraving tool.

"Every defeat teaches you something. The trick..."

I began carving the next rune.

"...is surviving long enough to learn the lesson."

The rhythmic scratching of steel against enchanted dragon scales filled the forge.

For several minutes, neither of us spoke.

Eleanor simply watched.

Watching the glowing lines slowly spread across the armor like rivers of blue fire.

Finally she broke the silence.

"You've changed."

I paused.

"...Have I?"

She nodded.

"Before yesterday, you enchanted things because they were useful."

She gestured toward the breastplate.

"Now, you're enchanting them because you're afraid."

My hand stopped moving.

The forge suddenly felt very quiet.

After a long moment, I gave a tired smile.

"...Yeah."

I looked down at my left arm.

The sleeve hid it from view.

But I knew what rested beneath.

Black veins.

Dormant.

Waiting.

"I think I am."

I picked the engraving tool back up.

The metal sang softly beneath the chisel.

"So..."

I forced a small smile.

"...I'm making sure I'm harder to kill next time."

Eleanor didn't answer immediately.

Instead, she gently rested a hand on my shoulder.

"You know..."

I looked over at her.

"...you don't have to carry every burden by yourself."

For just a fraction of a second...

I considered telling her.

About the corruption.

About Akiko's final gift.

About the darkness sleeping beneath my skin.

Then I looked back at the glowing runes.

"...Maybe."

I lied.

"Maybe someday."

Because until I understood what now lived inside me...

No one else was carrying this burden.

Not if I had anything to say about it.

I turned my attention back to the chest plate.

The gravity rune had settled nicely into the dragon scales, the blue glow fading until it became almost invisible. To anyone else it looked like nothing more than an intricate engraving.

Exactly how I liked it.

Magic worked best when your opponent didn't know it was there.

"What does that one do?" Eleanor asked, pointing toward another empty section of the breastplate.

I picked up the engraving chisel again.

"I'm thinking about reinforcing the barrier enchantment."

"I thought barriers belonged to mages."

"They do."

She looked confused.

"So how are you putting one into armor?"

I smiled.

"By cheating."

She laughed.

"I should've expected that answer."

I began carving another series of runes, each line precise and deliberate.

"I'm not casting a barrier. What I'm doing is storing the spell."

"So..."

She leaned over to watch.

"...like putting water into a bottle?"

"Exactly. The enchantment sits dormant until enough force is applied. Then it activates on its own."

Her eyes widened.

"So the armor casts the spell, instead of you."

"Now you're getting it."

The final rune connected.

Blue mana flowed through the inscription before branching into dozens of smaller lines hidden beneath the overlapping dragon scales.

The entire breastplate shimmered.

Then became still.

"Done."

Eleanor looked impressed.

"I don't think I've ever seen magic used like this."

"I doubt many people have."

I reached for my left bracer next.

The leather straps had survived surprisingly well.

The engraved steel plate...

Not so much.

Several runes had been completely erased.

"This one's going to take longer."

"What enchantments did it have?"

I held the bracer up.

"Inventory."

She blinked.

"...Inventory?"

"It's what I call Spatial Storage Magic."

"You named it?"

I shrugged.

"It made more sense than saying 'Spatial Storage Magic' every time."

She rolled her eyes.

"Fair."

"I can store equipment inside it. Weapons. Medical supplies. Ammunition. Food. Pretty much anything that'll fit through the opening."

"And it all fits inside... that?"

She pointed at the bracer.

I nodded.

"The space isn't inside the bracer. It's connected to it."

Her brow furrowed.

"I don't understand."

I thought for a moment.

"Imagine a doorway."

She nodded.

"The room isn't inside the door. The door simply leads to it."

Realization dawned on her face.

"Oh..."

"Exactly."

"That... sounds incredibly useful."

"It is."

"It's also incredibly complicated."

I began engraving fresh runes across the steel.

"This enchantment alone took me almost a month to figure out."

"And now you're improving it?"

"I have to."

"Why?"

I glanced at the BAR leaning against the wall.

"Yesterday I nearly lost access to everything because the enchantment collapsed. If that happens during another fight..."

I didn't finish the sentence.

I didn't need to.

Eleanor understood.

"So this one is stronger too."

"It'll have redundant anchor points."

She tilted her head.

"...What?"

I smiled.

"If one rune fails..."

I engraved another anchor into the steel.

"...another takes over. And if that one fails..."

Another rune.

"...another. And another."

I leaned back, inspecting my work.

"I'd rather lose half the storage than all of it."

She stared at the bracer.

"You really do plan for everything."

"I try."

Silence settled over the forge once again.

The crackling of the furnace filled the room.

Then Eleanor spoke quietly.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

She gave me a flat look.

"You know what I mean."

I chuckled.

"Go ahead."

She hesitated.

"Back in the forest..."

Her expression became serious.

"...when Akiko asked you to look after Zyra, you agreed almost immediately."

I nodded.

"I did."

"Why?"

I looked toward the open doorway.

Outside, I could see Zyra sitting beneath a nearby oak tree.

She'd gathered a small pile of wildflowers.

Completely absorbed in trying to weave them together into a crown.

Every few seconds she'd glance toward the forge to make sure I was still there.

Only then would she return to her flowers.

A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"Because..."

I watched the little Kitsune carefully place another flower into the wreath.

"...children shouldn't have to pay for the sins of their parents."

Eleanor followed my gaze.

"Even if their parent was a monster?"

I was quiet for a long moment.

Finally, I answered.

"Akiko wasn't born a monster."

I remembered her final smile.

Her final request.

Her final apology.

"No one is."

Eleanor didn't reply.

She simply watched Zyra.

The little Kitsune finished her flower crown.

She looked at it proudly.

Then, after making sure no one else was watching...

She quietly trotted into the forge.

Without saying a word, she stood beside me.

I looked down.

"What've you got there?"

Wordlessly, she held the flower crown up with both hands.

"For me?"

She gave a tiny nod.

"...Mm-hmm."

I carefully set the bracer down before kneeling in front of her.

She placed the slightly uneven crown on my head.

Then stepped back to admire her work.

"...Pretty."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Pretty, huh?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

Eleanor covered her mouth, trying, and failing, not to smile.

I sighed dramatically.

"Well..."

I reached up and adjusted the flower crown.

"...I suppose every American Knight needs a proper crown."

That earned the smallest giggle from Zyra.

The first genuine laugh I'd heard from her since Akiko's death.

For just a moment...

The weight in my chest felt a little lighter.

I reached up and carefully adjusted the flower crown sitting atop my head.

"You know..." I said, looking over at Eleanor. "...I think it suits me."

Eleanor finally gave up trying to hide her smile.

"Oh, absolutely."

"Really?"

"No."

I sighed dramatically.

"I was hoping you'd lie to me."

"I considered it."

"But?"

"I would've laughed."

"Fair enough."

Zyra looked between the two of us, tilting her head.

"...Funny?"

I looked down at her.

"Very."

She smiled.

Not a large smile.

Just enough to make the corners of her mouth lift.

For someone who'd barely spoken since yesterday...

It felt like a victory.

I stood, still wearing the flower crown.

Without warning, Zyra grabbed the edge of my cloak.

Instinctively.

Like she'd done several times already that morning.

She didn't even seem to realize she was doing it anymore.

Eleanor noticed.

"...She's attached herself to you."

I looked down.

Zyra immediately lowered her ears, as though she'd done something wrong.

"S-Sorry..."

I smiled.

"It's alright."

She hesitated.

"...Really?"

I reached down and gently ruffled her white hair.

"Really."

Her fluffy ears twitched beneath my hand.

For a second she looked surprised.

Then...

She leaned into it.

Like she'd been waiting for someone to do that.

Eleanor quietly watched the exchange.

There was something thoughtful in her expression.

"What?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing."

"That's usually followed by something."

She smiled.

"I've simply never seen this side of you."

"What side?"

She gestured toward Zyra.

"The gentle one."

I snorted.

"I've always had one."

"I know."

She folded her arms.

"You just don't let people see it very often."

I didn't have a response to that.

Because...

She wasn't wrong.

Zyra tugged gently on my cloak.

"...Alex?"

"Hmm?"

She looked up at me with wide golden eyes.

"...Hungry."

I blinked.

Then laughed.

"That's one problem I actually know how to solve."

I looked toward Eleanor.

"Think the kitchens are still serving breakfast?"

"They should be."

"Perfect."

I set my engraving tools aside and carefully gathered the armor pieces I'd finished enchanting.

The chest plate.

The bracer.

The helmet.

Each one shimmered faintly before the runes disappeared completely beneath the dragon scales.

Satisfied, I slipped them into my Inventory enchantment.

The blue runes on my bracer flared briefly before fading.

Eleanor watched in fascination.

"I still don't think I'll ever get used to seeing equipment disappear."

"Honestly..."

I flexed my hand.

"...I'm still getting used to it myself."

I turned toward Zyra.

"Ready?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

Then, before I could take a step...

She reached up.

Both arms raised toward me.

I stared at her.

"...You want me to carry you?"

She nodded again.

"...Please."

I looked over at Eleanor.

She was already smiling.

"Don't."

"Oh, I wasn't going to say anything."

"Liar."

"I am."

I sighed in mock defeat before bending down.

The moment I did, Zyra wrapped her little arms around my neck.

I lifted her onto my shoulders.

She let out a tiny, surprised squeak before instinctively grabbing onto my head.

"...Tall."

I chuckled.

"Little bit."

From her new perch, she looked around with obvious fascination.

Everything was suddenly much higher.

She giggled quietly.

A sound so innocent...

That for a moment it was hard to believe she'd spent centuries hidden away in a cursed forest.

As we stepped out of the forge, several knights stopped in their tracks.

One blinked.

Another rubbed his eyes.

Marcus, who had just rounded the corner carrying a loaf of bread, froze completely.

"...Alex."

"Morning."

Marcus looked at me.

Then at Zyra sitting happily on my shoulders.

Then at the flower crown still resting on my head.

He slowly looked toward Eleanor.

"...Is..."

He pointed at me.

"...this the same guy who fought a nine-tailed corrupted Kitsune yesterday?"

Eleanor nodded.

"The very same."

Marcus looked back at me.

"...You look significantly less intimidating."

I reached up and touched the flower crown.

"Oh. That."

Marcus nodded.

"Yeah."

I thought about it for a moment.

Then shrugged.

"I've accepted my fate."

That finally earned a genuine laugh from him.

Even several nearby knights couldn't help smiling.

For the first time since returning from the forest...

The castle didn't feel weighed down by tragedy.

It felt...

Normal.

And judging by the content little hum coming from Zyra as she sat atop my shoulders...

I had a feeling she needed that normalcy just as much as I did.

Marcus laughed, shaking his head.

"I leave you alone for one day."

He gestured toward me.

"And somehow you've adopted a fox."

"I didn't adopt her."

Marcus raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

I looked up at Zyra.

She was happily sitting on my shoulders, absentmindedly playing with one of my dirty-blond locks.

"...I was adopted."

Eleanor snorted.

Marcus pointed triumphantly.

"Exactly!"

"I don't think that's how it works."

"It absolutely is."

"I don't remember signing any paperwork."

Marcus looked at Zyra.

"What do you think?"

She tilted her head.

"...Paper?"

He crouched down so they were eye level.

"Did you decide Alex belongs to you?"

She looked at me.

Then back at Marcus.

After a moment's thought...

She nodded.

"...Mine."

Silence.

Marcus slowly looked up at me.

"...Congratulations."

"What?"

"You're property now."

I sighed.

"I walked right into that one."

Eleanor laughed outright.

"Without a doubt."

I pointed at both of them.

"I hope you know I'm remembering this."

Marcus grinned.

"Worth it."

The smell of fresh bread drifted through the courtyard.

Zyra's ears immediately perked straight up.

Her nose twitched.

She looked toward the kitchens.

"...Bread..."

I blinked.

"You've got good hearing."

She nodded.

"...And smell."

"Right."

Fox.

I really needed to stop forgetting that.

We continued toward the kitchens.

Servants moved aside with polite bows as Eleanor passed.

Most smiled warmly when they noticed Zyra.

A few looked confused.

None looked afraid.

Good.

That meant word of the battle hadn't spread in the wrong way.

As we entered the dining hall, conversations gradually died down.

Dozens of knights looked over.

Some stood.

Others simply stared.

Not at me.

At Zyra.

She immediately noticed.

Without saying a word, she ducked lower behind my head until only the tips of her white ears remained visible.

I felt her tiny hands tighten slightly on my shoulders.

"It's alright."

She whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear it.

"...Too many people."

I nodded.

"I know."

Looking around the room, I spotted an empty table tucked into the corner.

Perfect.

"Let's sit over there."

The farther away from everyone else, the more Zyra relaxed.

By the time breakfast arrived, a loaf of fresh bread, eggs, smoked bacon, cheese, and fruit, she had cautiously lowered herself back into her seat.

She stared at the food.

Then at me.

"...Mine?"

I smiled.

"All yours."

She hesitated.

"...Really?"

I tore a piece of bread in half and placed it on her plate.

"Really."

Only then did she begin eating.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Almost like she expected someone to take it away.

That bothered me.

A lot.

She wasn't eating because she was hungry.

She was eating like someone who had once wondered when her next meal would come.

Eleanor noticed too.

She quietly looked away.

Giving Zyra the dignity of pretending she hadn't seen.

After several minutes, Zyra looked up from her plate.

"...Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She smiled.

A little bigger this time.

Then continued eating.

Marcus wandered over carrying two more plates.

"You eat like a horse."

"I've been told."

He sat down across from me.

Then leaned closer.

"So..."

I knew that tone.

"What?"

"When are you going to tell us where the flower crown came from?"

I reached up.

"...Still wearing it?"

Marcus nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh, yeah."

I sighed.

"It was a gift."

"From?"

Before I could answer, Zyra proudly raised her hand.

"...Me."

Marcus looked at her.

Then at me.

Then back at the flower crown.

He smiled.

"...Don't take that off."

I blinked.

"What?"

"It's probably the first gift she's ever made for someone."

The words hit harder than I expected.

I slowly reached up, touching one of the woven flowers.

They weren't perfect.

Some stems stuck out at odd angles.

A few flowers were already beginning to wilt.

It wasn't beautiful because it was well made.

It was beautiful because she'd made it herself.

I lowered my hand.

"...Guess I'm wearing it today."

Zyra's tails swished happily behind her chair.

Eleanor smiled into her tea.

Marcus simply grinned.

Then, just as breakfast settled into a comfortable silence, a deep horn echoed through the castle.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Every knight in the hall froze.

Sir Roland stood immediately.

His expression had gone serious.

"That's the royal summons."

The room erupted into motion.

Benches scraped across the floor.

Knights grabbed helmets and weapons.

Servants hurried from the hall.

I frowned.

"...Didn't we just save the kingdom yesterday?"

Roland gave me a weary look.

"You've been here long enough to know trouble doesn't wait."

I sighed.

"...Fair point."

As I stood, I felt a tiny tug on my sleeve.

Zyra looked up at me, worry replacing the happiness she'd worn only moments before.

"...You're leaving?"

I knelt beside her chair.

"For a little while."

"...Promise?"

I smiled gently.

"I promise."

She held my gaze for another moment before giving a small nod.

"...Okay."

Then, almost shyly...

She reached up and straightened the slightly crooked flower crown still resting on my head.

"There."

I chuckled.

"Can't have the American Knight looking untidy."

For the first time since entering the dining hall...

Zyra giggled.

A real one.

Small.

Soft.

But real.

And somehow...

That made answering the king's summons feel just a little easier.

The walk to the throne room was noticeably different this time.

Last week, conversations had filled the castle halls.

Servants hurried about their duties.

Knights laughed with one another.

Life had gone on.

Now...

People stopped what they were doing as we passed.

Some bowed.

Others simply watched.

Whispers followed us through the corridors.

"...That's him..."

"...The American Knight..."

"...He's the one that slew the fox spirit..."

"...Who's the little girl?"

"...I heard she's the survivor..."

I ignored them.

Zyra stayed close behind me, her small hand wrapped around the back of my cloak.

Every time someone looked directly at her, she'd instinctively hide behind me.

Only her ears betrayed her presence.

Marcus glanced over his shoulder.

"I don't think she's left your side all morning."

"I noticed."

"Can't say I blame her."

Neither could I.

To her...

Everyone here was a stranger.

I was the only familiar face she had left.

Eventually we reached the massive oak doors leading into the throne room.

Two guards pushed them open.

The familiar hall came into view.

King Alaric sat upon his throne.

Queen Elara occupied the seat beside him.

Sir Roland, Aldric, Eleanor, Marcus, and several nobles had already gathered.

The king smiled as we approached.

"American Knight."

I inclined my head respectfully.

"Your Majesty."

His eyes drifted downward.

Toward the little white-haired Kitsune hiding behind my leg.

"So..."

His voice softened considerably.

"This must be the child."

I nodded.

"It is."

The king regarded her for several long moments.

There wasn't fear in his expression.

Only sadness.

"What is your name, little one?"

Zyra shrank farther behind me.

I felt her grip tighten around my cloak.

She peeked out just enough for one golden eye to become visible.

"...Zyra."

Her voice barely carried across the throne room.

The king smiled warmly.

"A beautiful name."

She disappeared behind me again.

Marcus leaned over toward Eleanor.

"...Progress."

She nodded almost imperceptibly.

"It is."

King Alaric rose from his throne.

To everyone's surprise...

He descended the steps himself.

Stopping several feet away from us.

Close enough to speak.

Far enough not to frighten her.

A thoughtful decision.

"I owe you an apology."

I blinked.

"...Your Majesty?"

He looked directly at Zyra.

"My kingdom hunted your mother."

The room fell silent.

"We believed we were protecting our people."

His shoulders lowered slightly.

"But that does not change the pain our actions caused."

He slowly knelt.

Bringing himself closer to her height.

"I cannot undo what has happened. I cannot bring your mother back."

His voice carried genuine regret.

"But I swear to you, as long as you call this kingdom home, no one shall harm you."

Silence.

Zyra peeked around my side.

Studying him carefully.

She looked at me.

Almost asking a question without words.

I smiled reassuringly.

"It's alright."

She hesitated.

Then...

Very slowly...

She stepped out from behind me.

Only one step.

Still close enough to grab my cloak if she wanted.

The king extended an open hand.

Not expecting her to take it.

Simply offering it.

After several seconds...

Zyra reached out.

Instead of shaking it...

She gently placed one tiny finger against his palm.

Then quickly pulled it back.

The king chuckled.

"I suppose that's progress."

"It is." Aldric agreed.

The old mage smiled kindly at the little Kitsune.

"I believe she'll come to trust us."

"...Eventually."

The king stood once more.

Then his expression grew more serious.

"There is another matter."

I had a feeling there usually was.

He looked toward me.

"Our scholars have spent the night searching every archive within the royal library."

I folded my arms.

"And?"

"They found references."

My eyebrows rose.

"To Kitsune's?"

He nodded.

"Very old references. So old that most believed them to be myths."

Aldric stepped forward carrying an ancient leather-bound tome.

Its pages were yellow with age.

The cover was cracked.

Several pages had clearly been repaired countless times.

"I found this just before dawn."

He carefully opened it.

"The language predates our kingdom. Fortunately..."

He smiled faintly.

"...I can still read enough of it."

He turned the book so everyone could see.

Upon the page was a faded illustration.

Nine foxes standing beneath an enormous tree whose branches seemed to touch the heavens.

At the center...

Stood a tenth figure.

Not a fox.

A man.

My stomach tightened.

"...Who's that?"

Aldric's expression became unreadable.

"We don't know."

He looked back down at the page.

"But according to the text..."

He slowly translated each line.

"'When darkness devours the Nine Tailed Guardians...'"

He paused.

"'...the foreign knight bearing the light of another world shall inherit their final oath.'"

Silence.

Every eye in the throne room turned toward me.

I stared at the page.

Then at Aldric.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

Marcus rubbed a hand down his face.

"Oh, for the love of..."

Eleanor pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I was wondering how long it would take before an ancient prophecy appeared."

"I don't like prophecies." I muttered. "They're vague. They're dramatic. And somehow they always involve the person who least wants anything to do with them."

The king couldn't suppress a smile.

"I suspected that might be your reaction."

I sighed.

"...Can I politely decline?"

Aldric chuckled.

"If only history worked that way."

I looked down at the ancient illustration one last time.

The man depicted wasn't detailed enough to identify.

Just a silhouette.

A foreign warrior.

Standing beside nine fox spirits.

For reasons I couldn't explain...

A faint warmth stirred deep within my chest.

Not the corruption.

Something gentler.

Almost...

As if Akiko recognized the story.

And somehow...

That worried me more than the prophecy itself.

I stared at the faded illustration for another moment before closing the book.

"...I've got one problem with this."

Aldric folded his hands inside his robes.

"Only one?"

"I can probably find more."

That earned a few chuckles around the room.

I continued.

"If this prophecy is talking about me..."

I tapped the cover of the ancient tome.

"...then why?"

The room fell quiet again.

"I'm not from this world. I've only been here a few months. So how does a book that's older than your kingdom know I'd even exist?"

Nobody answered immediately.

Because it was a good question.

Finally, Aldric spoke.

"We don't know."

"Convenient."

"It is."

He sighed.

"Prophecies rarely explain themselves."

"They simply..."

He searched for the word.

"...exist."

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"I hate prophecies."

Marcus snickered.

"We noticed."

"I prefer instructions."

The king smiled faintly.

"I'm afraid ancient seers weren't known for their clarity."

"I've gathered."

Aldric carefully turned another page.

Several more illustrations appeared.

This time, they depicted nine foxes surrounding what looked like an enormous tree whose roots disappeared beneath mountains.

Above it...

The stars.

Below it...

Darkness.

"What does this page say?"

The old mage narrowed his eyes, translating line by line.

"'The Nine guarded the Veil. The Veil separated the world of spirits from the world of man. So long as the Nine remained united...'"

He paused.

"'...the darkness beneath the roots would remain imprisoned.'"

My stomach tightened.

"...Darkness beneath the roots."

Aldric nodded grimly.

"The wording is... concerning."

"You think it's talking about the corruption."

"I do."

I crossed my arms.

"So Akiko wasn't the source."

"No."

He slowly shook his head.

"She was merely..."

He looked toward Zyra.

"...its latest victim."

Silence.

The little Kitsune looked down at the floor.

I could see her ears drooping.

The queen noticed too.

She quietly descended from her throne and approached.

Unlike everyone else...

She didn't speak immediately.

Instead, she knelt beside Zyra.

Without a word, she produced a small handkerchief embroidered with the royal crest.

"I imagine..."

The queen smiled kindly.

"...you've had a difficult few days."

Zyra looked at the cloth.

Then at me.

I gave a small nod.

"It's okay."

Slowly...

She accepted it.

"...Thank you."

The queen's smile widened.

"You're very welcome."

She stood once more before looking toward me.

"She's a sweet child."

"She is."

"I imagine raising her will be..."

She glanced at Zyra's five fluffy tails.

"...an adventure."

"That's one word for it."

Marcus grinned.

"I've got several others."

I ignored him.

The king returned to the matter at hand.

"If the corruption truly originated elsewhere..."

He looked toward Aldric.

"...then we still have a problem."

The old mage nodded.

"A significant one. The source still exists."

I felt something cold settle in my stomach.

"If it corrupted one Kitsune..."

I looked around the room.

"...what's stopping it from corrupting another?"

Nobody had an answer.

Because nobody knew.

Aldric slowly closed the tome.

"I fear, that defeating Akiko merely delayed something much larger."

The room fell silent.

Outside, thunder rolled in the distance.

Odd.

The morning had been perfectly clear.

A servant hurried into the throne room.

"Your Majesty!"

The young man dropped to one knee.

"The sky..."

The king frowned.

"What about it?"

"You should see."

Without another word, we followed him onto one of the castle balconies.

Every person there looked upward.

Dark clouds had gathered over the distant mountains.

Not ordinary storm clouds.

These were black.

Not gray.

Black.

Lightning arced silently within them.

Each flash carried a faint crimson hue.

The air itself felt...

Heavy.

Aldric's face paled.

"...Impossible."

"What?" I asked.

The old mage gripped the stone railing so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"Mana."

I frowned.

"What about it?"

"It's moving."

"What do you mean it's moving?"

He pointed toward the horizon.

I narrowed my eyes.

At first I didn't see it.

Then...

I noticed.

The clouds weren't drifting with the wind.

They were flowing.

All toward one location.

As though every current of magical energy in the kingdom was being drawn into a single point beyond the mountains.

Like water disappearing down a drain.

Marcus swallowed.

"...That doesn't look natural."

"No."

Aldric whispered.

"It isn't."

I felt an uncomfortable warmth in my chest.

The corruption.

It had been silent all morning.

Now...

It stirred.

Not violently.

Almost...

Expectantly.

A whisper brushed against the edge of my mind.

So faint I almost convinced myself I'd imagined it.

"Home..."

I froze.

"...Did anyone hear that?"

Everyone looked at me.

"Hear what?" Eleanor asked.

I slowly looked toward the mountains.

The warmth in my chest grew stronger.

Not painful.

Calling.

Like a compass pointing toward something buried beyond the horizon.

Somewhere...

Far beyond those mountains...

Something had awakened.

And somehow...

It already knew I was here.

I stared at the horizon.

The black clouds continued spiraling inward, converging over a single point hidden beyond the mountain range. Every crimson flash of lightning illuminated the sky for only an instant before darkness swallowed it once more.

The whisper faded.

But the feeling...

Remained.

"...Alex?"

Eleanor's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Hm?"

"You've gone pale."

Had I?

I reached up, rubbing the back of my neck.

"I'm fine."

She wasn't convinced.

Neither was Aldric.

The old mage stepped beside me, studying my face with narrowed eyes.

"What did you hear?"

I hesitated.

No.

I couldn't tell them.

Not yet.

"...Nothing important."

Aldric gave me a look that said he knew I was lying.

He chose not to press the issue.

For now.

King Alaric continued watching the unnatural storm.

"Can you determine what is causing this?"

Aldric slowly shook his head.

"Not from here."

"Can you estimate the distance?"

The old mage closed his eyes.

Mana gathered around his staff as he reached out with his senses.

Nearly a full minute passed before he opened them again.

"...Several hundred miles."

Marcus whistled.

"And we're seeing it from here?"

"Yes."

"That's... concerning."

"It is."

I folded my arms.

"So what exactly are we looking at?"

Aldric's expression remained grim.

"I don't know."

"I dislike hearing you say that."

"So do I."

The king turned toward us.

"I'll dispatch scouts immediately."

I shook my head.

"They won't make it."

Everyone looked at me.

"The corruption got to Akiko. It'll get to anyone who wanders in unprepared."

Roland nodded slowly.

"He has a point."

The king frowned.

"Then what do you suggest?"

I thought for a moment.

Then sighed.

"I don't know."

I hated saying those words.

Lately...

I'd been saying them far too often.

A soft tug interrupted my thoughts.

I looked down.

Zyra had quietly taken hold of my hand.

She wasn't looking at me.

She was staring toward the distant mountains.

Her ears had flattened against her head.

Her tails were wrapped tightly around herself.

"...Scared?"

I asked quietly.

She nodded.

"...Home."

The single word made everyone nearby fall silent.

I knelt beside her.

"That's where your home was?"

She shook her head.

"...No."

My brow furrowed.

"No?"

She slowly raised a trembling finger toward the distant storm.

"...It..."

Her voice barely carried.

"...Came..."

A long pause.

"...From there."

Every conversation on the balcony stopped.

I slowly stood.

"You've been there?"

She nodded.

"...Long..."

She placed a hand against her forehead.

"...Ago."

"Do you remember it?"

She squeezed her eyes shut.

For a few seconds, it looked as though she was trying to force the memories back.

Then she winced.

"...Dark."

"What else?"

"...Cold."

"What else?"

She pressed both hands against her temples.

"...Roots."

My heart skipped a beat.

"What?"

"...Big tree."

Another pause.

"...Roots."

She looked genuinely distressed now.

"...Black water."

Aldric's grip tightened around his staff.

"The Veil."

I looked over.

"You think that's where it is?"

"I think..."

The old mage swallowed.

"...the ancient text wasn't describing a legend. It was describing a place."

Silence.

The realization settled over every person standing on the balcony.

The illustrations.

The prophecy.

The corruption.

They all pointed to the same location.

Marcus rubbed his chin.

"So..."

He looked toward the mountains.

"...there's basically an ancient evil sitting under a giant tree?"

I shrugged.

"When you put it like that, it sounds significantly less appealing."

"That's because it is."

A faint giggle made everyone look down.

Zyra had covered her mouth with both hands.

Marcus blinked.

"Did...did she just laugh?"

She immediately hid behind me.

"...Sorry."

Marcus smiled warmly.

"Don't apologize. It was worth it."

She peeked around my side.

"...Funny."

"I try."

The moment was brief.

Just long enough for the tension to ease.

Then...

A strange warmth spread through my chest again.

Not the corruption.

Something gentler.

Almost familiar.

Akiko.

No words.

No voice.

Just...

A feeling.

Urgency.

My eyes drifted toward the storm.

Something about it...

Was wrong.

Not simply because it was unnatural.

Because it was growing.

I watched as another band of black clouds joined the swirling mass.

Then another.

Then another.

The storm wasn't stationary.

It was expanding.

Slowly.

Patiently.

Like ink spreading through water.

I took a slow breath.

Then looked toward the king.

"...Your Majesty."

"Yes?"

"I think our timetable just changed."

"How so?"

I never took my eyes off the distant storm.

"Yesterday, I thought we'd bought ourselves time."

Another crimson bolt of lightning split the heavens.

"...Now I think we just made ourselves known."

The balcony fell silent once more.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

The only sound was the distant rumble of crimson lightning echoing across the kingdom.

I folded my arms across my chest.

"...Well."

Marcus looked over.

"'Well'?"

I nodded toward the horizon.

"I don't know about the rest of you..."

"...but I don't like waiting for problems to come to me."

King Alaric turned.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I suggest we go to it."

The words hung in the air.

Several nobles immediately began whispering among themselves.

One elderly lord stepped forward.

"Absolutely not!"

Everyone looked toward him.

"Your Majesty, we cannot simply march an army into an unknown magical phenomenon!"

"I wasn't planning on marching an army."

The noble frowned.

"You weren't?"

"No."

I looked back toward the mountains.

"An army is loud. It needs supplies. It moves slowly. It announces exactly where it's going."

I shook my head.

"If whatever's over there is intelligent, it'll know we're coming days before we arrive."

Roland slowly nodded.

"That's true."

"So?"

The king asked.

"I go."

The balcony became deathly quiet.

Alaric's expression hardened.

"Alone?"

I thought for a moment.

"No. I'll take a small group. The fewer people, the harder we are to find."

Aldric rested both hands atop his staff.

"I assume you already have people in mind."

"I do."

He smiled knowingly.

"I suspected as much."

I began counting on my fingers.

"Roland."

The veteran knight nodded once.

"I'm in."

"Eleanor."

She rolled her shoulders.

"I was already expecting to go."

"Aldric."

The old mage chuckled.

"Someone needs to keep you from accidentally rewriting magical theory again."

"Marcus."

Marcus blinked.

"...Really?"

"You complain the whole time."

"I do."

"But you also never leave anyone behind."

He gave a crooked grin.

"...Fair point."

The king considered the list.

"Five people."

"Six."

Everyone looked at me.

I glanced down beside me.

Zyra had once again wrapped herself around my arm.

"I'm taking her."

The reaction was immediate.

"No."

King Alaric answered before anyone else could.

I looked at him.

"Why?"

"She's a child."

"So?"

"The journey will be dangerous."

"I know."

The king sighed.

"That is precisely my point."

I slowly knelt beside Zyra.

"Look at me."

She looked up.

Golden eyes met mine.

"Do you want to stay here?"

She didn't even hesitate.

She shook her head vigorously.

"No."

"Why?"

She tightened her grip on my sleeve.

"...You leave."

"I'll come back."

Another shake of her head.

"...No."

There was genuine fear in her voice.

"They..."

She looked toward the storm.

"...Take."

The single word silenced everyone.

I gently rested a hand on her head.

"They won't."

She looked directly into my eyes.

"...Promise?"

There it was again.

The same question she'd asked before I went into the forest.

I smiled.

"I promise."

She searched my face.

Looking for any hint of uncertainty.

Finding none.

She slowly nodded.

"...Okay."

I stood again.

"I'm not leaving her."

King Alaric watched the exchange quietly.

Finally...

He sighed.

"I suspected that would be your answer."

The queen stepped beside him.

"I believe..."

She looked at Zyra.

"...she'll be safer with him."

The king looked toward Aldric.

"What do you think?"

The old mage didn't answer immediately.

Instead...

He looked at Zyra.

Then at me.

Then toward the distant storm.

Finally...

"I believe the child remembers more than she realizes."

Everyone listened.

"If that place truly was her home, she may recognize things we cannot."

I slowly nodded.

"I was thinking the same thing."

Aldric continued.

"And..."

He smiled faintly.

"I've noticed something else."

"What?"

He gestured toward Zyra.

"She's beginning to smile again."

The little Kitsune immediately hid behind my cloak in embarrassment.

Aldric chuckled.

"I'd rather not undo that progress."

The king looked out across his kingdom.

The storm.

The villages.

The mountains.

Finally...

He made his decision.

"So be it."

He turned back toward us.

"By the authority vested in me as King of Asterra..."

His voice carried across the entire balcony.

"...I hereby commission the American Knight and his companions to undertake an official royal expedition. You are to investigate the source of the corruption. Determine its nature. And if possible, find a way to stop it."

A servant hurried forward carrying a beautifully carved wooden case.

The king opened it.

Inside rested an ornate silver medallion bearing the royal crest.

He handed it to me.

"This seal grants you the authority to speak in my name. You may request supplies. Horses. Food. Maps. Equipment. Any lord, knight, or village owing allegiance to this crown is to assist you."

I accepted the medallion.

"I'll do my best."

The king smiled.

"I know."

Then he looked directly into my eyes.

"But Alexander..."

His expression grew serious.

"If the corruption cannot be stopped..."

He paused.

"...I give you permission to retreat."

I couldn't help but smile.

"Your Majesty..."

I slipped the medallion into my belt pouch.

"I'll certainly consider that."

Marcus laughed.

"That's the closest you're getting to a promise."

"Pretty much."

The king rubbed his temples.

"I had a feeling."

I looked toward the horizon one last time.

The storm still churned.

Patient.

Waiting.

Somewhere beyond those mountains...

Answers awaited.

Questions, too.

And perhaps...

The truth behind why a man from another world had arrived precisely when the corruption began to stir.

I rested a hand on the hilt of my dragon-forged sword.

Then looked down at Zyra.

She had taken hold of my little finger with both of her hands.

A tiny gesture.

But one filled with trust.

I smiled.

"Looks like we're going on a trip."

Her ears perked up.

"...Adventure?"

I chuckled.

"Yeah."

I looked back toward the mountains.

"An adventure."

Though, judging by the black clouds gathering on the horizon...

It was one that would decide the fate of far more than just our little group.

The rest of the day was spent preparing.

Unlike the previous mission, this wasn't a simple march to a nearby village.

This was an expedition into completely unknown territory.

Which meant planning.

Lots of planning.

I spread a map of the kingdom across one of the tables in the war room.

Aldric stood opposite me while Roland, Eleanor, Marcus, and several royal scouts gathered around.

The old parchment was covered with faded ink depicting roads, rivers, forests, mountain ranges, and villages.

Unfortunately...

There wasn't much beyond the eastern mountains.

I frowned.

"...That's it?"

One of the scouts nodded apologetically.

"I'm afraid so. The eastern frontier has never been fully explored."

"Why not?"

He pointed toward the mountains.

"Those."

I raised an eyebrow.

"They're difficult, but not impossible."

"It isn't the mountains themselves."

He tapped the blank space beyond them.

"People never came back."

The room fell silent.

Marcus looked up.

"...Never?"

The scout shook his head.

"Hunters. Explorers. Entire expeditions. Some vanished. Others returned..."

He hesitated.

"...Changed."

I looked toward Aldric.

"Changed?"

The old mage's expression darkened.

"The oldest records mention madness. They spoke to people who weren't there. They forgot their own families. They wandered into the wilderness never to be seen again."

I folded my arms.

"...Corruption."

"I believe so."

Wonderful.

Another problem.

I grabbed a charcoal stick and began marking the map.

"If we're doing this..."

I drew a line toward the eastern mountains.

"...we avoid the main roads."

Roland nodded.

"They'll be watched. If something intelligent lives over there, I'd rather not announce ourselves."

Marcus pointed toward a river winding south.

"What about boats?"

I considered it.

"No."

"Why?"

"If we need to retreat quickly..."

I tapped the mountains.

"...I don't want to depend on the current."

"Fair."

Eleanor leaned over the map.

"Then what's the plan?"

I drew another line.

"We travel northeast."

"Use the forest for cover."

"Cross here."

I pointed toward a narrow mountain pass.

"It keeps us above the valleys."

"Less chance of ambush."

Roland nodded approvingly.

"Solid."

Aldric smiled.

"You've planned expeditions before."

"Hunting trips."

He looked surprised.

"You hunted with maps?"

"I hunted with whatever kept me from getting lost."

Marcus laughed.

"I somehow forget you're from another world."

"I try not to remind people too often."

Several hours later, I was in the armory.

I stood beside a wooden table covered in equipment.

One by one...

I checked everything.

Dragon-scale armor.

Secure.

Helmet.

Night vision goggles cleaned.

Flashlight tested.

Sword freshly sharpened.

The newly enchanted runes glowed faintly before disappearing beneath the scales.

My left bracer.

Inventory enchantment functioning normally.

I opened the storage.

A blue portal no larger than my hand appeared above the bracer.

Inside...

Everything remained exactly where I'd left it.

Medical supplies.

Extra clothing.

Food.

Ammunition.

Cleaning kit.

Bedroll.

Cooking equipment.

Spare enchanting tools.

Even several books I'd borrowed from Aldric.

I smiled.

"Perfect."

The portal closed.

Roland entered carrying his own equipment.

"You travel heavy."

"I travel prepared."

He looked over the pile.

"...How much fits inside that thing?"

I shrugged.

"I stopped measuring."

He stared.

"...I don't know if that answer comforts me."

"It shouldn't."

Outside, the castle courtyard buzzed with activity.

Stable hands saddled horses.

Blacksmiths hammered out last minute repairs.

Servants loaded food into saddlebags.

Nearby...

Marcus was unsuccessfully attempting to teach Zyra how to throw a knife.

"Like this."

He tossed it.

The blade spun once before embedding neatly into a wooden target.

"There. Easy."

Zyra nodded seriously.

"...Easy."

She threw hers.

The knife bounced off the target...

Hit a barrel...

Then landed harmlessly in a hay bale.

Marcus stared.

"...That..."

He rubbed his chin.

"...Actually could've gone worse."

Zyra looked disappointed.

"I missed."

"You definitely missed."

She lowered her ears.

Marcus quickly knelt beside her.

"But..."

He picked up another knife.

"...everyone misses at first."

He handed it back.

"Again."

This time...

The knife actually stuck.

Not in the center.

Not even particularly close.

But it stuck.

Zyra's golden eyes lit up.

"I did it!"

Marcus laughed.

"You did."

I smiled from across the courtyard.

For someone who claimed he disliked responsibility...

Marcus was surprisingly patient.

Eleanor walked up beside me.

"You've noticed."

"Hm?"

"She's smiling more."

I looked toward Zyra.

She was proudly showing Marcus the knife still sticking from the target.

"I have."

Eleanor folded her arms.

"She trusts you."

"I know."

"And..."

She glanced toward the little Kitsune.

"...I think she's beginning to trust us too."

"I hope so."

The castle bells rang overhead.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Roland immediately raised his voice.

"Tomorrow at sunrise! Everyone ready!"

The courtyard answered with a unified,

"Yes, Sir Roland!"

The preparations slowly came to an end.

The sun dipped toward the western horizon.

Tomorrow...

We would leave the safety of the kingdom.

Tomorrow...

We would step into lands no one had returned from in centuries.

Tomorrow...

The real journey would begin.

As I watched the sun disappear behind the castle walls...

A familiar warmth stirred deep within my chest.

Not the corruption.

Something gentler.

Almost comforting.

Akiko.

No words.

No visions.

Just a quiet feeling.

One I was beginning to understand.

She wasn't warning me.

She was worried.

And somehow...

That concerned me more than the storm waiting beyond the mountains.
--------------------
A/N: And done. kuwebby2, what do you think?