Chapter 10: The Kitsune's Gambit
The Whispering Woods lived up to their name. It wasn't just the wind; it was the rustle of leaves that sounded like laughter, the gurgle of a stream that seemed to form words, the shadows that danced at the edge of vision, suggesting forms that were never there when you looked directly.
"Stay close," Lykos murmured, his senses on high alert, his ears swiveling constantly. "Do not trust anything you see or hear."
Astra nodded, her own [Beastworld Botany] skill going haywire. Every plant here had properties she couldn't quite decipher—hallucinogenic pollen, hypnotic scents, thorns that seemed to twitch. It was a forest designed to confuse and disorient.
They had been walking for what felt like an hour, though the light never changed, perpetually stuck in a twilight gloam. Suddenly, Lykos froze, growling low in his throat. Ahead, a massive, thorny thicket blocked their path, one that Astra was certain hadn't been there a moment before.
"An illusion," she whispered.
[Skill Check: [Illusion Resistance] not yet acquired. Rely on your bond.]
Her bond. She closed her eyes, shutting out the deceptive forest, and focused solely on the connection to Kaelen. It was a thin, silver thread in her mind, leading back the way they came. She followed that thread of pure, unwavering truth, ignoring the terrifying thorns, and took a step forward.
She walked straight through the thicket. It vanished like smoke.
Lykos stared, his jaw slack. "How...?"
"Don't look with your eyes," Astra advised, her confidence growing. "Look with your gut."
They pressed on, navigating through false cliffs and phantom chasms by following Astra's bond-guided intuition. Finally, they entered a small, perfectly circular clearing. In the center stood a single, ancient tree with bark the color of silver, and sitting on a low-hanging branch, swinging his legs casually, was a man.
He was breathtakingly beautiful in a way that was entirely different from Kaelen's rugged ferocity. He had sharp, clever features, slanted amber eyes that held a universe of mischief, and a cascade of fiery red hair. Nine luxurious, silken tails fanned out behind him, shifting and twitching with a life of their own. He was dressed in robes of dark silk that seemed to drink the light.
"Well, well," he said, his voice a smooth, melodic purr that sent a shiver down Astra's spine. "The Star-Fallen arrives. And she brought a puppy. How... predictable."
Lykos snarled, taking a defensive stance in front of Astra. "Where is Bor, fox?"
The Kitsune—Riven, as the system now supplied—waved a dismissive hand. "The loud one? He's fine. A bit tied up at the moment, but his vocal cords are unharmed, I assure you." His amber eyes locked onto Astra, gleaming with intense curiosity. "But you... you are the real prize. The human who tamed the untamable Kaelen Silvermane. Who makes water flow uphill and food grow from dirt. I simply had to see for myself."
"We are here to trade," Astra said, stepping out from behind Lykos, her voice steady despite her racing heart. "You have something we want. What do you want for him?"
Riven's smile was a sharp, dazzling thing. "Straight to the point. I like that." He hopped down from the branch, landing without a sound. He began to circle her, his gaze analytical. "I want many things. But for now, a simple demonstration."
He stopped in front of her. "Show me your magic."
"It's not magic," Astra said, meeting his gaze. "It's knowledge."
"Semantics," he purred, leaning in slightly. "The Wolf-Boy thinks with his muscles. I think with this." He tapped his temple. "Your... knowledge... intrigues me. So, demonstrate. Solve a problem for me."
He gestured to the edge of the clearing where a small, sickly-looking sapling grew, its leaves spotted and wilting. "This is a Soul-Spruce. They are rare. This one is dying. Our Heart-Mother cannot heal it. Your wolf-boy's shaman could not heal it. If your 'knowledge' is so powerful, save it."
Astra approached the sapling. Her [Beastworld Botany] skill instantly flooded her with information. Soul-Spruce. Suffering from 'Root-Blight,' a fungal infection exacerbated by nutrient-poor, compacted soil. Requires aeration, alkaline amendment, and introduction of a specific mycorrhizal fungus found in badger scat.
It was a test. A complex one.
She looked at Riven. "I need three things. A sharp stick, the droppings of a Honey-Paw Badger, and wood ash."
Riven's eyebrows rose. "An... unusual shopping list." He snapped his fingers, and two other fox-eared beastmen emerged from the shadows, delivering the items in moments.
Astra got to work. She carefully used the stick to aerate the compacted soil around the sapling's roots, then mixed the crushed badger droppings and wood ash into the earth. It was messy, unglamorous work.
The Kitsune watched, their expressions a mixture of disgust and fascination.
"You are putting dung on a Soul-Spruce?" one of them whispered, horrified.
"It's science," Astra said simply, patting the soil back into place.
For a long moment, nothing happened. Riven's smirk began to return. Then, a faint, silver glow emanated from the base of the sapling. The blighted spots on its leaves began to recede, the color returning to a healthy green. The tree seemed to sigh, its branches lifting slightly.
A collective, sharp intake of breath came from the Kitsune.
Riven was no longer smirking. He was staring at the tree, his amber eyes wide with genuine shock. He looked at Astra as if seeing her for the first time. "You didn't use magic," he breathed. "You... understood it."
He walked up to her, his previous playful demeanor gone, replaced by a sharp, calculating intensity. "The Wolf-Boy does not deserve you. He will never truly appreciate what you are. You are a key, Astra. A key to puzzles this world has forgotten."
He snapped his fingers again. Bor was shoved into the clearing, his hands bound, a gag in his mouth, but otherwise unharmed. Lykos rushed to his side, cutting his bonds.
"The trade is made," Riven said, his eyes still locked on Astra. "But this is not a farewell. Think on my words, Star-Fallen. Your destiny is larger than one pack of growling canines."
As Lykos and a chastened Bor hurried her out of the clearing, Astra glanced back. Riven was still watching her, a new, dangerous interest glowing in his fox-like eyes.
They had won. They had gotten Bor back without a fight. But as they emerged from the Whispering Woods, Astra knew with chilling certainty that she had just attracted the attention of something far more complicated and perilous than a simple enemy.
She had caught the eye of a fox. And a fox, once curious, never lets go.
[Quest "A Fox's Curiosity" Complete!]
[Rewards: [Illusion Resistance (Basic)] acquired. 300 System Points granted. New Character: Riven the Kitsune - Relationship Status: "Deeply Intrigued."]
[Warning: The dynamics of your harem are about to get significantly more complicated.]