Blaze in the Darkness | ✔

Eight

Shadows danced on the wall as Zanixa paced back and forth in front of the fire. When she cast her eyes to me, I knew she was going to ask me the same thing she had asked a dozen times today already.

'Do I really have to do this?'

I listed all the gods in my head, from the two Primal Goddesses to the Third Generation. At the fifteenth god, Oblistan, I managed to calm myself enough to answer her. "Yes, you do. The pack has been waiting for days and is quite interested in the creature that their leader bought."

'But I'm a fox!' she whined. 'I'm not a werewolf like them.'

Oblistan. Saolia. Moskad. Aprad. I am calm. Crossing my arms, I said, "I'm not exactly a werewolf either, and I'm still part of the pack."

She huffed and stopped pacing, admitting defeat at last. 'Alright then... Lead the way.'

I turned and walked out of the mineshaft that had become my home, out into the snow-covered landscape. A path had been cleared from the mine's entrance to the gathering field, allowing Zanixa to walk safely.

A hiss sounded behind me. I turned around, ready to attack, only to see the little fox kit glaring at the snowbank to her side. "Was that your tail?" I asked.

'Yes.' She cast the snow another disgusted look. 'Just how much did it snow the past few days?'

"You really have a thing against snow, don't you?" I chuckled faintly at her hatred for the frozen water. "It's the first clear morning in a while. That speaks for itself."

She growled and grumbled as we continued our trek to the field. Every now and then, she caused another one of those hissing sounds. Ahead, I already heard the talking of several hundred people. It wasn't long before the fox's ears twitched as well.

Her footsteps slowed before coming to a stop as she looked back. The frost beneath her paws melted slowly. I turned towards her and said, 'Nix, it's alright. You will be fine. You can stay right next to me.'

'There's so many of them...' she said, not making any indication she was about to move. It reminded me of when I'd been introduced to the pack. At least I had been old enough to realize I needed to make a strong face for them to take me seriously, although her youth may work in her favor.

'You'll be fine. I promise.' Kneeling next to her, I softly pet her back, hoping contact would calm her. Normally, I wasn't one for touch, but I was willing to make an exception for Zanixa.

She relaxed slightly, whining softly. 'I've never seen so many people. What if one of them captures me again? I-I don't want to be stuffed into a bottle again.' By the time she finished, her body was trembling.

I gently shushed her, hoping my rhythmic petting would calm her down. 'No one will do that. And even if they do, I will stop them. No one will put you in a bottle again. You'll be free.'

'It's happened before, when I was away from my momma. I'm away from her now, too.' She moved her head, her stare at the way back to the mine intensifying.

'It will only be a few minutes, alright? Then I will teleport us back to the fire. That'll save you the walk back through the snow.'

Eventually, she shifted her gaze to me and said, 'Only a few minutes. Then I'm running away. And if anyone attempts to catch me, I will burn them with all my might.'

I continued petting her for another few seconds before I rose to my feet. 'Are you ready?'

Although she only replied with an unhappy huff, I walked on, knowing she would follow. I watched her emotions closely as we approached. Sensing she was about to turn again, I softly muttered assurances to her. 'You can do it. It's this one time. Then they're satisfied.'

She was still uneasy, but at least she continued on. It wasn't long before we reached the crowd that had gathered in front of the Rock of the Rainbow. Zanixa whined and hid behind my legs. 'T-that's more people than I've ever seen in my entire life.'

'Almost the entire pack came out to meet you. They will not hurt you unless Oscen and Sila allow them, and they like you,' I said. The two leaders in question already stood atop the Rock. Although it wasn't actually rainbow-colored, it was said that Esnain had stood there one time. Giving Zanixa a calming stroke, I walked towards it, listening to her uneasy footfalls behind me.

The Ira gave Nix a comforting smile, one she'd given pups a thousand times. "Good to see you could make it. It's going to be alright."

Zanixa gave a scared whine in return, still partially hiding behind me. Sila kept up her gentle, soft tone as she spoke to the young fox. "It won't take long, I promise. You may find that it's not so bad after all."

The woman climbed further up the Rock, taking her place next to Oscen. Together, they faced the crowd, heads held high with confidence. Zanixa still hid behind me, not coming any closer to the gathered werewolves below.

"Members of Sharion, thank you all for coming," Oscen said. His pack fell silent at once, their gaze turning to the leading pair. "Especially the Omegas, as I know you do not like large groups, and you were the first to discover this rather interesting and important issue."

The Omegas gathered near the edge of the crowd shifted in place with unease at being called out. They were most likely cursing Oscen out in their head, although they'd never admit to doing so.

The Alpha cleared his throat to regain the pack's attention. "It's an honor to stand with you all here, werewolf and vampire alike. I am proud to say that I am your leader.

"As you all know, just over a week ago, the Vesmai invited me to take a look at one of their members' collection. Once there, I took interest in one item and brought it home as a novelty from their world. However, the item was not what I thought it was. It was a she - a living being trapped in a bottle."

At Sila's cue, I softly nudged Zanixa forward.