The Cursed Fox (Part One)

Chapter One: The Forest of Silence

         The calm babbling of a nearby creek gave the small clearing a sense of peace. Everywhere, a silence descended in the early morning light. In the center of the clearing stood a fox, soundlessly watching the sky. He was dressed in a plain green tunic and loose pants of a similar color to the grass around him. Nearby lay a large sword embedded with a single, spherical ruby at the base of the blade.

         The fox took a step forward as he saw a dark, smoke-like figure approach in the blue skies. This was the being he was expecting for some time now. The shadow took the form of a dragon that stood about a head taller than the fox as it touched down on the grass.

         "Find anything?" the fox asked plainly. He'd grown tired of waiting in the clearing, but was able to disguise the impatience in his voice. The dragon looked him in the eye with what one could only assume was its own eyes and replied, "Yes. A troop of those wretched goblins has made camp only a day's journey from here to the south." The dragon eyed the fox with a piercing look that gave one the impression that his soul has just been thoroughly examined in a split second before it spoke again.

         "There's something on your mind," the shadow observed, "What is troubling you, Shade?"

         Shade looked into the distance for a few seconds before responding, "I've just been wondering if what we're doing is really going to matter. What if we can't get rid of the curse?" The question had begged at his mind for several months now. The thought of what might happen to him if the curse is not broken often drew an involuntary shudder from him.

         "Then we shall keep trying until we no longer draw breath," the dragon answered simply. Shade had expected this sort of answer. It was easy for the dragon to say. After all, he was little more than a soul devoid of a real body. A twinge of guilt surged through him as these words crossed his mind. Shade put a hand to his own chest. He could feel two distinct heartbeats. The dragon was bonded to him for life, sharing one body. Shade looked up and met the dragon's gaze. The dragon's eyes were fixed on the fox's two different colored eyes, waiting for a response.

         "Balasar," he said at last, "We should get going if we're going to make it to the camp by dusk." The shadow nodded and flew at Shade, the smoky substance that the dragon assumed for its temporary form dispersing on contact. Shade felt Balasar's presence within his mind, but he had grown used to it. The fox picked up the sword and his bag, then began walking to the south.

         Several hours passed in silence as the pair made their way toward the camp. Shade stopped only to take a drink from a stream, then quickly resumed the trek. As the day drew to a close, Shade's sharp nose caught the scent of smoke and the foul odor of goblins. His padded feet made almost no noise on the wild grass under his feet.

         They had stopped in a secluded patch of thick brush that could keep anyone on the outside of it from seeing anything on the inside. The sun had already sunk below the tree tops. Shade took the sack off his shoulder and rummaged through its contents until he found a pendant in the shape of an eye. He put it around his neck and could feel the magic in it take effect. He immediately felt a searing on his chest where the seal of the curse was etched into his flesh. Balasar spoke for the first time in several hours.

         "The charm still seems to be working," he pointed out. Shade merely nodded, as the pain hit him like a hammer to his chest and rendered him unable to speak. This was something he expected, since the trinket was not perfect. The enchanted pendant worked as a barrier, keeping the curse's magic from physically damaging Shade's body when it became active, but it also drained some of his energy, leaving him unable to do much at night.

         After the pain had dulled, Shade gazed idly at his reflection on the silver blade of his sword. He saw in his reflection not himself, but the former body of Balasar, his closest friend since the two were children. Balasar's face still had the scar on his snout from when they used to play fight. That was before that damned sorcerer had placed the deadliest known curse in the land of Alsmia on them. Balasar had jumped in the way of the spell, taking most of the force of it. The dragon's body broke like glass before Shade's very eyes. A single shard hit the young fox squarely in the chest, throwing him to the ground and causing him to faint from the pain. Shade was taken to a powerful healer by a deer who had witnessed the event from a distance. The healer gave Shade a silver pendant and told him that the only way to remove the curse from himself was to eliminate its source. Over the next twelve years, the pair had wandered from place to place, seeking information on the wicked man who had caused their misfortune.

         The reflection moved as if it were alive as Balasar spoke. "You need to rest. I'll keep watch tonight. Get some sleep." Shade nodded drearily in reply to the dragon's words. He rolled out his bedroll and passed out as soon as his head his the padded pillow. Balasar removed himself from Shade's body and into the smoky form he normally assumed. The night was filled with a heavy silence as the fox fell into an uneasy sleep.

         His dream was the same one he always had, the one that that had plagued him for twelve years. He was standing on the road in front of his childhood home on a warm, pleasant afternoon, playing a game with Balasar. As they played, the sky suddenly grew dark with black clouds. Shade stopped to look along the road as a dark figure approached. A man clad in a black robe approached the two and pointed a single finger at the young fox. A single blast of crackling purple energy flew from the man's outstretched hand. Shade was paralyzed with fear as the spell closed in on him. The spell suddenly changed direction and hit Balasar with its full force, shattering his body as if he were made of glass. Shade opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. His eyes grew wide in terror as the sorcerer's hand again began to glow with the dark spell. He wanted desperately to run, but his legs wouldn't budge from their spot. A bolt of dark magic flew again at him. It seemed to fly in slow motion, but Shade could only watch as the curse descended on him. When the spell finally hit him, the fox woke up, his fur matted slightly on his forehead with cold sweat. Balasar's shadowy visage turned to face him.

         "The dream again?" the dragon asked, concern in his voice. Shade nodded slowly, still reeling from the vividness of his nightmare. "Try to put it out of your mind for now. You need your strength for tomorrow."

         Shade, still tense from the horrible dream, laid his head back down on the bedroll and slowly fell asleep again...

Chapter Two: The Goblin Camp

         Shade woke the next morning as the sun rose over the forest. The spectral form of Balasar hovered nearby, aware of his friend's movements. The fox sat up and stretched out his back, shaking off the dew that had accumulated on his fur. Looking around, he saw little more than the dense trees that made up the larger part of the woods.

         "The goblins are preparing to move camp," Balasar noted. "We should take them now."

         "Yeah," Shade replied flatly. "Let's take them out now. Come on."

         The fox slowly rose to his feet and packed the bedroll back into his bag. He nodded to the shadow, who returned to the body of Shade. Calmly, Shade removed the pendant and dropped into the bag, then slung the pack over his shoulder. His keen senses told him that the camp was not far away. With silent steps, the fox dashed in the direction of the goblin encampment, not stopping for anything.

         The two arrived at the edge of the camp a short time later. A few of the wretched green creatures milled about, talking amongst themselves and keeping a loose watch over the area. Others sat huddled around crude tables playing cards or eating unidentifiable foods. They clearly weren't expecting somebody this far into the deep forest.

         Shade looked at the scene before him and almost laughed aloud. This was going to be the easiest fight they'd seen in a long time. The sword on his back shook a little as Balasar passed into it. The ruby changed to resemble a dragon's eye as the spirit possessed it. Shade crept closer to a goblin patrolling the outskirts of the clearing and with a single fluid movement, covered its mouth with his hand. The goblin, unable to do anything else, kicked furiously at nothing. Its movements ceased as a sickening crack rang out. The guard fell limply to the ground, its neck twisted at an impossible angle. The fox left it and moved farther into the compound, silently dispatching anything in the way.

         Shade crept about undetected, searching for the tent belonging to the troop's leader. He wheeled about as a screeching yell pierced the silence. A goblin passing by had spotted him hiding behind a crate of arrows. The creature's shout was cut short when the fox thrust the massive blade of his sword through its chest. A trickle of blood flowed down the side of its mouth as the life left it. Shade's actions didn't matter, as the alarm had been sounded and the goblins were on full alert. Shouts all around the camp soon built to a roar as the soldiers rushed frantically about, trying to find the source of the intrusion.

         "I knew we couldn't sneak around here for long," Shade muttered under his breath. He pulled a guard into an unoccupied and crushed its throat with one hand. Leaving it, the fox stepped out into the open and ran for the tent that stood apart from the others by the insignia on its side. A group of goblins gathered around him as soon as he left the shelter of the tent. The group contained of more than a dozen lightly armed green creatures, assembled in a loose formation. Shade stopped cold. A smile formed on his muzzle as the sword in his hand began to give off a black, fog-like aura. He threw the blade with the force of three men and it spun in the air, cleaving three of the little beasts cleanly in half. The fox swept the feet out from under a goblin that began to charge with a sweeping kick, then brought his heel down on the goblin's back, killing it instantly. The remaining goblins hesitated, but charged Shade all at once. Another fell as the fox let loose a windmill kick that caved the goblin's skull in. Shade picked up the body and hurled it at the crowd, knocking two more off their feet as their former comrade crashed into them. A goblin stopped suddenly and looked down at its chest where a large silver blade had run him through. Balasar had directed the sword's flight path so that it came back to where it had come from.

         A minotaur stepped out from his tent as the commotion reached levels that it considered impossible to peacefully sleep through. A rough ax hung from his belt. The brute reached for it, but stopped as the scene before him began to register in his brain. He vividly remembered the blade that was stuck through one of his subordinates as he touched the scar across his face. The minotaur let out a roar that made everyone stop. Shade slowly turned around, not expecting the minotaur to still be alive after their last encounter.

         "You're still alive, Mograth?" the fox said in disbelief. "I thought I left you behind in the Traum Mountains. How long has it been? Two months? Looks like--" He was cut off by the minotaur.

         "You got lucky," Mograth bellowed. "The rock slide only delayed your death. Nothing is going to stand in my way now. I will end you here and now!" He lifted the ax into the air and roared again. Shade simply removed his sword from the body of the goblin. The polished blade was stained red with blood that simply dripped off of it. The fox rested the sword on his shoulder and gestured toward the enraged minotaur, taunting it. Mograth charged at Shade, knocking over several goblins that had joined the group. Shade, with a bloodthirsty look in his eye, ran at the minotaur. The two met and, with a flash of steel, skidded to a halt ten feet from each other. For a few seconds, they stood perfectly still and an audible dripping could be heard echoing through the camp. Mograth looked at his belly where Shade's sword had sliced into him, drawing a fatal gash across his abdomen. He fell to the bare ground, blood pouring from his belly. Shade stood up and approached the minotaur. Kicking the dying creature onto his back, Shade asked, "Where did you come from?"

         Mograth's blurry gaze rested on the fox. Coughing up a small amount of blood, he spat, "It won't matter... His eyes are following you... Go to--" A violent cough silenced the minotaur's last words. Shade looked upon the body of his adversary with hatred burning like fire in his eyes. He picked up Mograth's ax and, with a powerful swing, buried the head of the weapon in the minotaur's skull. He let out a furious roar that scattered the remaining goblins. He sat on a stump and buried his face in his hands, cursing himself.

         A few minutes later, Balasar left the sword and assumed his shadowy form. The sword fell to the ground with a muffled thud. The dragon glanced at his friend and proceeded to search the camp. He came to Mograth's tent and let himself in...

Chapter Three: The Tormented Town

         "Shade!"

         Balasar's voice echoed around the abandoned camp. Shade's ears pricked up at the sound. He located the source of the voice inside the tent. Balasar was there, looking over various messages and a map of the area. Shade strode over to get a better look.

         The yellowed paper betrayed the map's age, but it still looked accurate. Shade scanned the map and found their location on it. A note was scrawled near what appeared to be a lake. It read:

"Find the silver gem in Ganlon and return to me. If you see that fox, bring him ALIVE."

         Shade pondered this for a minute. "Why could he need me alive?" he asked to nobody in particular. Balasar looked at him, then back to one of the messages. Still reading it, he answered, "Perhaps he wants to kill you himself. I can not imagine why."

         When the two could not find anything else of any use, Shade rolled up the map and stuffed it in his tunic. He nodded to Balasar, who returned the fox's body. Together, the two left the goblin encampment and proceeded to the southeast, where the ruins of the town of Ganlon stood defiantly against the forest.

         That evening, the pair arrived at Ganlon, or what was left of it. The town had been ravaged several years ago when a demonic cult had attempted to open a door to the Underworld. The day after, the townsfolk had vanished and the town fell into disrepair. Balasar could hear lost souls still crying out for salvation and his heart began to beat faster inside Shade's chest.

         "What is it, Balasar?" the fox asked to seemingly no one. Shade could hear Balasar's voice inside his head.

         "The souls of the damned are everywhere. I can hear them crying to be saved. Let's just get this 'silver gem' and get out of here." The dragon's voice quivered slightly as he spoke. Shade felt the same way about leaving, but he knew that it would not be nearly that easy. They had to rest for the night at the very least. A safe place to rest would be a necessity tonight.

         The inn had fallen to ruin years ago, but the building had stood up well against the forces of nature. A few windows were blown out from heavy storms and the front doors barely clung to their hinges. Shade cautiously approached the decrepit building's entrance. One of the doors fell off as he opened it further and stepped through the opening. The tavern that had once bustled with people drinking, fighting, and making shady deals now stood empty, a thin layer of dust coating the floor. The fox crept across the deserted room to the bar where he had hoped against hope that there would be something he could eat. He found nothing to satisfy his hunger, but going hungry would have been better than eating the goblins' food. His stomach growled, adding to the realization that he had not eaten in days. He had trained himself to go without food for a while, so he tried his best to ignore it.

         A sudden noise made Shade jump. It was a rotted out stair that collapsed under the weight of some unseen creature, possibly a large rat. Ignoring his better judgement, Shade investigated the staircase. It was missing every other step or so and looked like it could easily lose a few more if someone were to attempt to climb it, but the fox had a suspicion that something of use may be upstairs. With the grace of a cat, he jumped from step to step, knocking each one down when he kicked off of it. At the top, he found himself in a hallway, presumably the inn. The floor had collapsed in several spots, revealing bare rafters underneath. With amazingly sure footing, Shayde crept across each beam while peering into the rooms on either side of the hall. He felt an inhuman chill run down his spine as he progressed down the hallway. Each room along one side was burned out, the damage growing steadily more extensive as the pair progressed. Strangely, the air grew colder the farther Shade moved down the destroyed hallway.

         The room at the far end of the hall was perfectly intact, despite the door frame's extensive burn marks. Shade leaped a small gap to the polished hardwood floor of the room and peered around, his red and blue eyes glancing about at the pristine furniture inside. He took a step forward, unsure if what he was seeing existed at all. The scarlet curtains rustled as a small breeze blew in from an intact window.