Chapter 90 Challenge Ignored
Canyon threw himself over the edge of the bluff face, following his mate, yelling for his brother in ruhi. Bring my truck! I’m not sure where we’re going!
Sage’s amplified ruhi broke in, sounding like a megaphone over the riverbed. BABY KILLER! GROSS DEMON! EVERYONE HATES YOU!
What's going on? Timber asked.
Canyon slid paws first down the bluff face, saying, She's challenging Khain.
Fucking finally, someone's got some balls in this outfit. Timber said, his voice hard. I am fucking IN.
Canyon slid and ran and tumbled and slid until he reached the bottom, and then he turned on the speed. He met up with Sage a mile down the river, falling easily into step beside her.
He looked at her and she looked back at him, just a red fox and black wolf taking an early morning stroll. He stared at her renqua, white fur in red fur, and wondered if she knew what it was. Their lives were about to change a lot, and he was cool with that.
Across the river, a fisherman saw them. He backed away, then tripped and fell back on his butt in the river. He scrambled to his feet and ran to shore, pointing and yelling.
Where’re we going? Canyon asked, ignoring the guy.
Up Morning Bluff.
Cool. What’re we doing when we get there? Killing a demon?
Yep.
Cool.
They reached a covered bridge and took the pedestrian crossing. Halfway across, Canyon’s truck pulled up beside them, Timber driving, Wulf’s screen pointed at them out the passenger window, showing wolf eyes silhouetted in silver.
“Need a ride?” Timber hollered, stopping the vehicle. The back window rolled down.
Canyon jumped through it into the back seat and stalked to the far door. Sage followed, clearing the window easily, landing on the middle seat and cramming right up next to Canyon. She curled her tail around her paws and panted, pressed into his side.
Timber looked back at them with a grin. “Well, don’t you two look adorable? The fox and the hound.”
Canyon looked down at his mate, and yeah, she looked cute as hell. He nipped lightly on her muzzle making soft growl sounds in the back of his throat. She whined and yipped and chittered, her ears moving constantly.
“Where to?” Timber asked.
Top of Morning Bluff, Sage said. I’ll direct you.
Timber drove across the bridge and picked up speed. “Jaggar called,” he said. “They heard you at VF, and at the station, too. Everyone who can break away is driving up to fight Khain… and Graeme’s coming in wild.”
Canyon chuffed in acknowledgement. Sage pushed in against his flank, staring out the front window, her ears and nose twitching, her body alive and ready to fight.
Timber turned onto the main road that wound all the way to the top of the bluff.
Sage pressed her paw to the window and rolled it down.
They stuck their heads out together, a big black wolf and a small red fox, both with only one thing on their minds.
Kill the demon.
***
Sage pressed against her mate in the back seat of his truck, scenting the air, listening for her fox to tell her where to go, the calling to kill the demon pulsing inside her.
She’d always been scared of Khain, except when she’d had her fox with her, then she’d been angry.
Now that she had her fox and her mate, she was incensed.
“This already looks different,” Timber said, indicating the road ahead, which wound up the bluff, with pull-offs and side roads every few hundred feet.
Sage leaned far out the window, her nose twitching, smelling vod, and not the two in the truck with her. The road widened and a metal sign appeared on their right:
THE MORNING WOOD INN
HOME OF THE STATE’S BEST SUNRISE
Est. 1944
WOLVES SHOT ON SIGHT
“Wolves shot on sight?” Timber said, looking back at Sage, a what-the-fuck look on his face.
Sage looked down, her ears drooping. Abigail does not like the vod. She put up the sign. The rest of my family are scared of you.
Canyon growled, his eyes on the sign. They passed a flagpole, and behind it, rows and rows of cabins.
Timber craned his neck to see. “This place is huge. How could she hide this?”
Sage shook her head, then sneezed, her ears flying. The scent of the vod was stronger here. I smell vod. Other than you two.
It's Mac and Rogue... Wade, maybe, Canyon said, his muzzle stuck out the window. A whole ton of wolven passed through here recently but left already.
The road curved to the left, around the hole, and the scents of vod faded. Sage’s fox sat up and indicated interest in a road to their right.
Turn here, Sage said.
Timber turned, heading deeper into thick forest. After a mile, the road ended. Timber slowed but kept going over rocks and grass.
Here, Sage said. Right here. The lair of the demon lay directly below them, emanating evil.
Timber parked near the lining of a glade between several trees.
He got out and helped Wulf out, while Sage and Canyon jumped out a back window.
Wulf wheeled slowly away, seeming to wander over the rocks, while Timber crossed his arms and looked out across the glade silently, inspecting this area where twisted trees struggled to grow, choked by piles of boulders and rocks.
Sage paced around the area in the early morning light, feeling Khain out. He’s close, she said. He's listening.
Demon! she shouted in ruhi, her voice amplified somehow. Show yourself!
Canyon paced around Sage in a circle, while Timber stood near.
FUCK OFF Demon, you’re nothing but a Coward! she shouted.
Movement inside the far tree line caught her eye—a red fox. Dex? She couldn’t be sure from so far away. The fox paced quietly through the forest, disappearing and reappearing.
Dex? Sage said, projecting her ruhi to all foxen close enough to hear, and to Canyon, Timber, and Wulf.
We’re here, vixie. We heard you. We’re ready to fight on your side if the demon comes.
I brought the vod with me.
Because you’re the vixie of sign 742, Dex said, his mental voice full of awe. I’m ready. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it. We all will.
Sage looked closer, seeing several more foxes in the trees. Thank you, voxen, she said, her heart racing, the heavy weight of duty settling on her shoulders.
Sage turned again, then ran around a boulder. Her mate followed, falling into step with her, protecting her open side. Demon, come and face me! Come and face us!
She stilled and listened. Canyon stood next to her, dwarfing her, looking in all directions, appearing ready for anything.
No response from Khain. It was maddening, until she saw more foxes in the tree line, including several Van Crimsons.
Was this moment not about Khain at all, but instead, about the vod uniting with the foxen?
Her blood stirred. They would unite in victory!
I’M WAITING! PATHETIC DEMON!
Try weakling, Canyon suggested.
WEAKLING, KHAIN, JUST A LITTLE SCAREDY-CAT WEAKLING, SCARED OF A TINY LITTLE FOXEN.
A shadow crossed the ground nearby. They looked up.
A red and yellow dragon the size of a Clydesdale flew overhead, his leathery wings beating the air with an audible ‘fwoomp-fwoomp’ sound.
His mate was on his back, blonde hair streaming in the wind.
Slung to her chest with a wide strip of fabric was the spicy fire baby, who watched the ground alertly, her candle-flame hair wisping this way and that.
“Graeme!” Timber shouted, waving.
Foxes gekkered from the trees, watching the sky, some turning over on their bellies, some tumbling over others.
It’s okay, Sage projected to them in ruhi. He’s on our side.
The side of the vod, someone said, not our side. Sage didn’t recognize the voice because it was so faint but thought maybe it was her Uncle Ellis.
Our side is against the demon, Sage shouted. And that is the side of the vod!
She paced just outside the tree line, hoping to draw at least one or two foxes out. They darted from bush to bush and did not come near. Sage saw a few non-shifting relatives, most dressed in the foxen tactical uniform, farther back in the trees, watching.
The dragon landed in the grass, his thick feet thudding.
Heather threw her leg over and slid to the ground expertly.
The dragon craned his neck to make sure she made it safely, then nudged her.
She patted him and kissed him on the side of the head, smiling ear to ear.
Fire shot from the dragon’s nostrils, drenching mother and baby, searing the air with heat.
Sage backed away. She’d heard of Graeme but never met him before.
Awe filled her, both at the dragon, and his fireproof family…
and their fireproof clothing. The dragon furled his wings in, then turned to face her.
Canyon pressed next to her, lending her strength.
“Hi!” Heather said, waving.
Hi, Sage said.
Heather grinned, switching to ruhi. Oh, you speak ruhi, I thought you didn’t.
I couldn’t before. I can now.
Aye, yer beast was reft by the augur, the dragon said in ruhi, his brogue hard to understand at first, and it took her a moment to realize who he meant by augur.
Abigail White, Sage said, sitting and curling her tail around her feet, well aware of the many foxes behind her listening to this open ruhi conversation. I’m related to her.
Aye. Ye stole yer beast back?
Canyon claimed me, and it… it came to me.
The dragon nodded. We saw the blessing—a braw beacon.
Sage grinned at Canyon and he grinned back, then nipped at her ear. She yipped.
Are you able to open a portal to the Pravus? she asked the dragon.
He paced, his footfalls heavy in the grass. Heather moved with him. The fire baby sat in her arms quietly, her gaze far too knowing for a baby.
To what end?
To attack, she said. To assault.
A black and white SPD truck pulled up and parked near Canyon’s truck. Rogue got out of the passenger side dressed all in black, and a big guy got out of the driver's seat, wearing a uniform. The spicy fire baby waved her arms frantically until the male waved back.
Macalister Niles, Sergeant of the KSRT Canyon told her. And Rogue.
The pair stood watching near the vehicles, not coming any closer. Sage turned back to the dragon.
Yer power, he said. Will it wound the demon?
That made Sage balk. She didn’t even know what her power was… just that she had… foxen magic, and she could… control power. But was that a power in itself?
Yer unsure.
Sage flipped her head, yipping her nervousness away. Canyon pressed into her side and nuzzled her neck with his snout.
Yer pendant?
Sage realized she wasn’t prepared to attack the demon at all, and her anger and awe melted into shame mixed with disappointment, because she didn’t know what to do—until she heard a voice.
Sage, I am here. I'm safe. I am waiting. I'll be here when you come.
Sage’s ears twisted and she pointed her muzzle this way and that, knowing she was hearing her pendant, and it seemed like no one else could.
Sage, you are not wrong, you are not unprepared, you are worthy and right where you belong. I am safe and waiting.
Sage stood and shook her back, making her fur fly. Confidence flooded her.
My pendant is close; she told the dragon. But you’ve made me realize I’m not ready to fight the demon.
The dragon snorted fire. Mayhap if Khain shows his face ye’ll find power ye dinnae ken ye carry yet.
Sage flushed, liking the sound of that. Past the tree line, clustered in the forest, foxes darted here and there, chittering and yipping excitedly.
The dragon stomped, turning round, surveying the glade, drawing all eyes to him.
He knelt and dipped a wing, helping Heather climb on his back, then the dragon stood and stomped through the glade, sending rocks flying.
He unfurled leathery red wings, then leapt into the sky and beat the air to rise smoothly.
He flew lazy circles over the glade, surveying everyone on the ground, as they watched him.
Canyon stood and sneezed, chuffing proudly. Khain didn’t show because he’s scared.
Sage’s confidence bolstered. This was going to work. Foxen and vod really were going to unite against the demon.