Fox Of Greed (Greedy Fox Book 1)

~~ FORTY FIVE ~~

HAPPY EASTER!

I'm back ~ I don't have any more assignments until May so I can go ahead and work on completing Fox of Greed. I've got three chapter rough drafts at the moment that need some editing and they should be up before the end of today or tomorrow. 

This chapter was supposed to contain the fight in it as well but I realised that if I left it in there, you'd be looking at a 3000 word chapter - so I've had to split it up. 

Enjoy the tale and have a wonderful Easter :) 

~~~~

I gave Myra one last pat on the rump. With a pang in my chest, I turned away from the farmer and his family. The young boy's cheerful cries followed me back to the others. Diane was hiding just beneath the lip of the hill and some trees while King stood waiting at the top.

"I didn't realise how hard that would be," I said, blinking back tears. "She's not even really my horse." They were kind enough to ignore the fact that my eyes were red and cheeks blotched.

"Don't worry, you can always come back to visit her when this is all over," Diane said, patting my head with a finger.

I smiled through the tears, wrangling my emotions until I calmed down. "Thanks, Diane."

We trudged along in silence. Well, I trudged, Diane was walking slowly so we stayed together, and King floated.

"So what has happened while I've been... away?" I questioned, anxiety churning in my gut. Flashes of how things ended in Vaizel buzzed around, begging for attention. "Obviously you've collected a few more sins."

"We rescued Ban from Baste prison. It was around the same time we lost you," said a despondent Diane. "Then we moved on in search of King because of what Gilthunder told Meliodas back in the forest of white dreams. King was the enemy for a bit, has a bone to pick with Ban, but we brought him round."

"Diane!" King cried. Then suddenly he went poof! and transformed into a large man!

"What the hell?!" I jumped back, hand reaching for my sword instinctually. "How'd you do that? Why'd you do that?"

"Oops, sorry," he said in a deep voice, much older than his childlike self. He transformed back into the only version of him I knew. "When I get a bit stressed, I tend to change. But don't worry, this is my original form."

"May I ask, what exactly are you?" I fell back into line with them.

"I'm a fairy."

"Whoa, hold up!"

My mouth flopped open but before I could get more words out, Diane added, "He's the Fairy King."

I immediately squatted onto my haunches, rubbing my temples. "You're the king of fairies. And we have a Princess in our group, a giant, someone who doesn't die, and I don't know what Gowther is, maybe he's just unnerving to be around. This really is a motley crew of misfits."

"Don't forget yourself, a thousand-year-old fox," said King and I smiled, standing back up. "Anyways, after myself and Ban were recruited, we headed to Vaizel because we'd gotten word of the sacred treasure there. And that's when we ran into you."

I winced. "I really am sorry about all that. And I have to wonder why you decided to come to Vaizel even though it was clearly a trap.

Diane laughed. "Yeah, I don't know what everyone wanted Gideon for. Only a giant can wield it."

"Diane's the only one who can wield the sacred treasure and plus, she'll need it for the battle to come if we're to save the kingdom. I think that the trap was just a way to draw us out. Apparently that man stole Meliodas' sword."