The Fox Who Loved A Child

The Fox

          Deep within the underworld of Aerok, there was a group of bounty hunters. Hated by nearly all, they had no ethics, leaving trails of carnage behind them every day. Rumors about them would spread, telling of their heinous actions, and how they burned an entire village to the ground just to lure a bounty out of hiding. Within that group, there was the Fox. The Fox was a sly and dangerous man, tall and slim with a shock of orange-red hair. He wore a long orange and white cloak, dark brown pants, and a pair of black gloves. No one knew his name or his identity because of the black and red fox mask he would always wear, thus earning him the moniker: the Fox. That orange, white, and black outfit became a symbol of darkness within the underworld. He was the fox who worked for no one but himself. 

          He was nothing but a ruthless predator. The moment his shock of orange-red hair was visible, mothers would hurry their children inside, saying, 

"Run and stay silent, or the Fox will get you!"

          And as he passed through, people would stare, and some would curse him, blaming him for all the darkness in their world. He didn't care. He was the Fox; he needed and worked for no one. Each day, he would bring in bounties without a single scratch on his target. This was impossible, for the people he would bring in were dangerous criminals or powerful leaders, all of whom had access to the best and most dangerous weapons and supplies. Many would say, 

"He is a legend, a man straight out of myths and lore!",

 or 

"A vengeful spirit! Here to claim the life of the ones who have wronged him!"

 Many others would cry, "A devil among humans!"

 " A terrible beast wearing the skin of our kind! Here to inflict pain and sow seeds of malevolence!" His enemies would claim. 

          So many titles were bestowed upon a solitary man, yet only one referred to him as "Friend". For he was the Fox, he needed no one and worked for none. Or so he would say to himself. This is the tale of the Fox who loved a child (reluctantly).

          Every morning for Fox was the same: Wake up, shower, brush teeth, dress, eat, train, clean his mask, and then go to the underground to kill. From the fateful day eleven years ago, he embraced the life of a bounty hunter until the present moment, his existence had been consumed by a monotonous routine, where each action was empty of life, carried out as an almost mechanical kind of habit. But every once in a while, he would look around and feel strangely empty. As he would look all around the same market he passed through every day, he would see the way it was full of life and joy. Families and lovers, laughing, playing, talking, they were living. And he, Fox, feared and hated by all, was not. He did not really care, or so he told himself. 

"I am Fox! I need no one!" he'd mutter to himself as he looked upon the life around him. And so this went on, until the day he met Ku.

          On a day shrouded in shadows and laden with a weariness that seemed to permeate every inch of the city, Fox was returning home from a long tiring mission. It was nighttime when he first saw her, a crying child in a dark alleyway. He had not intended to stop, but found himself doing so anyway. As he looked into the alley, he hesitated to approach, but before he could stop himself he called out: 

" Hullo there. What is your name?" The child looked up, tiny, bedraggled, hungry, yet her large brown eyes were filled with life. 

" Ku." she said, her voice small and trembling from the cold. 

" Ku? That's a nice name." He replied, unsure of what to do. He was Fox, a cold-blooded predator, but in this moment he felt vulnerable, the child was so small and fragile, delicate, something you would have to be gentle with. And Fox did not know how to be gentle, he never had to be gentle. But then again, he had never anticipated himself to be in such a situation, extending kindness to another, but an inexplicable force propelled him forward. Ku shivered from the cold, something that did not escape Fox's notice. Slowly, hesitantly, Fox removed his white and orange cloak, his fingers trembling ever so slightly. He extended it towards Ku, a silent offering of warmth and protection. Questions swirled in his mind, doubts and insecurities echoing through his thoughts. Why was he doing this? Why did he feel compelled to provide solace to a stranger? Yet, at that moment, the words escaped his lips before he could fully comprehend their meaning. 

"This should keep you warm, just like it keeps me warm during the winter." 

          Ku's small hands reached out, clinging onto the coat as if it were a lifeline. Her eyes were wide as she rubbed her face against the fabric, bringing a slight smile to Fox's hidden face. A few hours passed, the two sitting together in an amiable silence. The stars were shining above and oddly enough the Fox felt at peace. Finally, as the moon reached its peak, Fox realized that he should go. 

" Well, I suppose I must be on my way. It was a pleasure to meet you, Ku."

          He said dipping his head in a nod. Ku stared with big eyes watching him leave. The Fox walked home in silence, his thoughts loud enough to drown out even the brawling neighbors he had. The night air was crisp, and the distant echoes of urban chaos provided a stark contrast to the tranquility of his own mind. As he stood in the hallway of his home, he found himself irritated by the silence. It had always been quiet, but he had never realized how quiet it was. It was almost lifeless. The stillness in the air hung thick, enveloping the space in an eerie calm that shone a light onto the hollowness of his surroundings. 

" That's enough of it, you are Fox, you need no one and you work for none." He muttered to himself as he got ready to sleep. 

" Besides, I like the silence... It means safety and no annoying children are around." Or so he would try to convince himself.