Strena Animéga Part Five

 Mischief Of The Kitsuné 

They all had traveled for a day and, after a good week, they had left the mountain behind. Strena could feel her feet were starting to hurt. Yet she did all that she could to stop herself from complaining or falling behind. She knew that she needed a break, but they had lost far too much time and she did not want to hold them all back. Yet, she had noticed that she was able to last longer and had started to wear an undergarment over her bust as it had started to develop. However she could tell that she could still feel the last remnants from the cold from her battle. Yet as she hugged herself she could tell that both helped ease her cold as much as she could in the late winter weather.

Soon night came and they all needed to sleep. They all looked around and spotted that all their food was gone! They all looked again and again and again for their meal bags and found nothing.

“Alright! Who ate all the food?” Chashathrophogh asked as he took a glance at Cerpheres.

“Not me!”

“I prefer to catch my own prey!”

“I am not that foolish.”

“Not me!”

“Or me.”

“Well, someone must have!”

“See! I knew we needed horses!”

“No! We already have too many mouths to feed!”

“Well we still have someone who has been eating more than their fair share!”

“Not necessarily! It could have been something here!”

“Or simply someone put a hole in the food bag?”

They looked at the bag to see a large hole in the bag.

“What made that!”

“I don’t know!”

Zaryb’s cruel face returned.

“I know!”

“Then what is it? And no riddles.”

“A kitsuné. A very young one if that, judging by this hole.”

“A kitsuné, like Kitsuné Ryu?”

He shook his head.

“Not the same. A kitsuné is a nine tailed fox yokai. Which means something strange, most usually translated to demon. Even though the oni are more like demons if you ask me.”

Strena nodded as she logged it down.

“You need a place to put those books of yours.” Chashathrophogh commented as he looked at her filled to the brim journals.

“No. She doesn’t.”

“Yes, she does Wolfox!”

“She could burn them.”

“No! These books are the only place I can be honest! I am not getting rid of them. Also didn’t I get a place that you burned down?”

He let out a huff.

“Fine! We will get a trolley for you. But you’re pulling it!”

That was when the whole group felt something fall on them. It smelt like a fowl mixture of rotten meat, puke, dung and urine. They all looked down all around then to see that it was dung, puke and faeces!

They all looked up to see on a branch, looking down at them and giggled. It dived down and looked at them dead in the eyes as all of the tails wagging as he gave them a challenging look in his eyes. He turned around and let wind break as his behind was exposed to them, giving then all a good sniff of the smell.

That was when Bash fired an arrow at him as he ran off.

Soon Strena, Cerpheres and Chashathrophogh and Leonardo ran after him. Yet as Chashathrophogh looked back to the rest to see that they were asleep! They groaned in her sleep, meanwhile Yukino looked up at him.

“You go. I will guard them. Too old to go after him. Just enjoy your time.”

He nodded as he ran down after the rest. Only to run and mark a tree with an X. He then ran on and on as he kept his eyes on the other three, as he marked the trees that they ran by. Yet as they continued to run and run, suddenly the other three had gone! He ran on and on as he looked down at their footprints to see that he was getting any closer. Then he looked to the right to see that there was an X on the tree! He frowned as he ran on and on and on to see another tree with another X. He stopped and looked at the X and recognized that it was his X! He frowned as he ran on and on. He looked at each X that he came across to see that the trees were the same too! He ran on and on and on to see that there were more and more trees that were the same ones that he both worked and passed.

How? How is this even possible?

Nevermind, I need to find a way out of this loop.

So he ran in between the trees, yet as he ran he soon found himself back in the path he had just left behind. Now he was getting annoyed. So he ran on to the end of the loop and ran off the path to find that he was exactly where he left. He ran back to see that he was where he was at the top of the loop. He ran at the bottom of the loop and ran off the path. Only to arrive at the beginning again. Now he was getting more and more annoyed. Yet he forced himself to calm down. He ran to the next section and off the path. He did this again and again and again until he completed the loop. Only to find that it was all useless. Now he was getting angry.

He climbed the nearest tree and looked down at the path and jumped from tree to tree only to find himself back at the path. Now he was getting angry so he punched the nearest bark. He lost balance and fell onto the path. He hit the ground hard and looked up to see where he fell.

That was when he saw the little kitsuné walk onto it, seemingly out of nowhere. It looked down at him and let out a chuckle and he looked on only to see he was now past the loop.

Was that it? Was annoying me really the point of all of this?

⭐

Strena found herself in front of a temple. She saw the kitsuné run into the temple that she followed. Yet when she opened the door she saw the rest were no longer there! She knew that she did not have time to focus upon that. She had to get the kitsuné. If she was to be the first then she would have to fight him. So she walked in only to find something fall on her. She looked down to see that it was ash. Yet she sniffed and realized that this was human ash!

She was about to let out a scream but she stopped herself. She did not wait to give away her position. She looked around to see that he was nowhere to be found.

So she dived to the stairs. She ran up the stairs. Yet she ran up and up and up and up and up, she seemed to run and run and run on and on and on and on. Soon she noticed that she was not getting anywhere close to the next level. So she still ran on and on and on until she realized that the height that she was at did not match the exterior of the temple! So she looked around to see that she should have reached the next level now. She looked down to see that there was nothing but darkness behind her! She then looked on to see nothing but darkness too. Yet she ran on and on.

“We are in a loop!”

What?

“We are in a loop!”

How?

Then it occurred to her.

A young kitsuné can do this?

“Yes.”

“Finally!”

How do we get out of here?

“I do not know! Get angry, I guess!”

Right. Like that is useful!

“Well, I am so very sorry, it is not like I know everything, girl!”

She let out a huff, knowing that they were getting nowhere with him.

Orion, do you have any advice?

“No. I am afraid that you are going to have to figure this one out on your own. Sorry.”

She let out a groan as she ran back down. She ran and ran and ran and, after a while, she was running far too low. She not only should have passed the ground floor but reached the end of the staircase. 

She then turned back to see blood flowing down the stairs. She then was soon knocked over and she only just curious ed her head as it hit the flat of the step. She let out a cry as she pulled herself up. Then the stairs spun beneath her and soon she was sliding down along with the blood. She felt fear rise as she saw a pool of blood beneath her! 

She fell into it. She trod the water as she looked around for the end of the walls. Only to see nothing but darkness. She swam and swam and swam around and around and around to see nothing but darkness. She started to feel tears and she kept it up only to find that regardless of how long or far she swam she could not see the end of the blood pool.

Then she felt something grab her ankle. She looked down to see her father. He had yellow skin covered in sores and yellow scabs. He had swollen glazed open eyes that were yellow and blood shot. Next to him was her mother in the exact same condition! 

At this she let out a scream and she closed her eyes.

The next moment she felt the ground beneath her. She noticed that she was completely dry and opened her eyes as she wept. She looked in front of her to see none other than the Kitsuné and he giggled.

Hold on, was all of that a prank? She thought as she started to laugh. Yet as she did she felt tears stream down her face. She fell to her knees. The moment she saw Chashathrophogh, she ran at him and just wept.

⭐

Leonardo was running and running until he tripped. He hit the ground to pull up to see that there was a red lake in front of him. Yet, as he looked closer he realized that it was red paint! He looked at the end and saw the Kitsuné. So he ran in through it. He grimaced at the thought of what this was doing to his paint and brush collection. Yet he pushed in and on and on. Then he reached the other end, the kitsuné was gone!

The next moment he felt a yank to his left and he looked to see the kitsuné had bitten a hole in his art bag! Soon his art tools flowed out of his bag like a blast of water through a dam.

He felt rage fill him and he went to punch him, only to find himself where he was. He looked down to see that his bag was intact. Then he looked up to see Chashathrophogh and a red eyed Strena.

What happened?

He then ran to him 

You know this would make for a good painting. He thought as he placed a hand on her back.

⭐

Cerpheres found himself in a lower part of the forest. He came to a red door. Suddenly he felt giddy.

Wonder what’s on the other side of this.. Hmmmm…

He opened it only to be greeted by Captain Gerald. He looked up at him.. he smiled a smile that he had when he was at the peak of his greatness. Back when he heard of him and he felt tingly hearing all about his escapades. He felt his blood rush with thrill.

He hit him in his chest. This caused him to be dragged back. Then he looked up as he pulled out two rapiers and dived at him. He flung down to the left, he dodged, right, dodged. He felt a smile play os he dodged each and every swing. Then Captain Gerald dug his foot in his stomach. He flew back. He smiled wickedly as he was about to land. He felt a slice on his back. He rolled over as he looked up to see the wrinkles. He flung his palm into his shin and he collided onto the ground. He dived on top of the man and was about to hit him until he found that he was already dead.

He let out a mildly annoyed and disappointed sigh.

I should’ve killed you at your peak. I should’ve never let you get dull. He thought as he climbed up and onto the next door. He opened it to see another that he too had taken out.

Let you get dull too…He thought remorsefully.

Soon he dived at him. He threw out a punch to the throat as he nicked his blade and slit his throat. Yet before he could do so the man turned to dust.

Ghhh!

He ran into the next one to see that to his left was a picture of the kitsuné. He drove his magic to the painting and soon his surroundings seemed to evaporate as the little kitsuné whined on the floor. He struggled on the floor. His paws kicked as he walked to it. He started to stroke his back.

“No, no, no, stay still. It’ll hurt less.”

He looked at the man.

“Don’t look at me like that! You asked for this.” He sang.

Yet he shook his head as he started to move slowly as he stroked him.

“I have to say, thank you. You taught me something very important. After all, if I let them live past their greatness, they’ll just rust. So thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. So I will let you live with this little snippet!”

He whispered something in the little kitsuné’s ear. He looked at him with shock and squealed in horror. He struggled to his paws as he tried to get away from the man. Yet Cerpheres grabbed him by the back of the neck. He turned him to force the creature to look at him dead in his eyes as he winked.

“You won’t tell, will you?”

He shook his head.

“I will find my books and you will be nice will you?”

He nodded. 

“And if you do have to cause a bit of mischief, don’t go too far and be careful!”

He smiled as he ran away.

Soon he found the rest and a wicked grin spread across his face.