Ouira's Recruitment
Moonlight was filtered into shadows by the bamboo's wide leaves. The single shaft of light to reach into the dense forest rested in the middle of a clearing. Peeking out from two roots was the blackened tip of a nose. With several barely audible sniffs, a cromson fox then limped into the clearing. It's front right paw only touched the ground when it laid down.
“Come now, little one. You know very well that so long as it is night, you cannot escape me,” A voice echoed from no direction. From the shaft of light, a woman with pale skin dressed in gold and white appeared. Her delicate fingertips reached out to the small creature, who barked at her. The woman halted her hand saying, “That is quite rude. You are no mere animal. Speak, you are in the presence of a Goddess.”
“What would a Goddess want with a spirit like me?” The fox demanded tersely. His lips pulled back to reveal the sharp fangs that filled his mouth.
“You will serve me. I have many tasks for you to perform and little time to spend on your wasteful actions,” The Goddess said blandly, “So, resist me so I may induct you into your new life.”
With a snort the fox tilted his head to the side, “Resist you? In what way? It is obvious to all that I'm quite powerful yet you've shown me naught but haughty words. Surely the onus of proof rests on your shoulders.”
“If this is your desire. Behold!” Boomed the Goddess as she threw her arms wide. Light began to fill the clearing. With a zealot's fervor the Goddess proclaimed, “I am Lady Tsu! All that is touched by the light of my symbol is mine!”
As more rays of light soaked the night, the fox snickered, “Then, one merely needs to keep to the shadows.” Turning around, the fox leaped past a pair of bamboo branches. Casting a look over his shoulder, the fox saw the night being consumed by light behind him. Ducking under branches before leaping over a rock, the Fox then found another wall of light pursuing him from the front.
Everywhere he turned, more walls of light closed in. The Goddess stepped out from behind a dense stand of trees to announce, “You're captured. Make this simple.” As the light grew more brilliant, a leaf swelled in size to shield the fox.
“Is this your last bastion against me?” Mocked the Goddess with a high pitched laugh. Once the lights converged, the leaf began to quickly shrivel up. Once the decayed protection vanished, so did the fox in a puff of smoke. Where it sat was only a flickering blue flame.
The Fox's laugh echoed around the forest, “I don't know what you want with me, Lady Tsu. But, you've failed your onus. I will be taking my leave of your petty whims.”
“I suppose I did get caught up in your pace and made a fool of myself.” Lady Tsu sighed to herself as she stomped on the flame to smother it. Her painted lips stretched into a wide smile as she reached out before her before indicating skyward with her middle finger. Every piece of loose stone was tossed skyward before falling around her.
Amid the stones was the fox, it's seven tails curled around it protectively. The goddess stroked its side lightly, wordless murmurs flowing from her lips. Arcane phrases passed over her lips in an endless river, her words making every branch twist towards the moon. Pebble to boulder alike now began to levitate on her power. With a final, eldritch command an eruption of dust covered the area.
Laying before Lady Tsu was a man with a lean, muscular body. His red hair matched the robe the simple shirt he was dressed in. Fox tails stuck out from a hole in the back of his pants. With a haughty laugh Lady Tsu announced, “It is done! Wake and show me your loyalty!”
Rolling to his side, the man gave a loud snore. This earned him a kick from the Goddess that sent him sliding into the nearest stalk of bamboo. With a groan, bleary eyes opened as the man's vision slowly cleared. Knuckling his eyes open the fox demanded, “What did you do?”
“I merely demonstrated a fraction of my power and have made you mine.” Lady Tsu folded her arms before her, “And you will now tell me your name.”
“What? I am no one's...” The fox yelled but was frozen still. His entire form quaking as he resisted the change, the Fox announced, “I am Ouira, your faithful servant.”
“Good. Ouira, I order you to show me your loyalty. There are a group of fools hiding somewhere in this forest who have stolen from me. Kill them and retrieve the gems they've taken.” Lady Tsu turned away as her body evaporated into particles of white light. Each piece of her drifting up towards the moonlit sky.
With a sigh Ouira surmised rhetorically, “Must've been Kikka and her group. It'd be easy enough but let's see if I can't do something more fun.”
A small fire kept the shadows and night chill at the backs of those huddled around it. Coarse brown robes hung loosely on the emaciated thieves. A gasp rose as blue flames appeared behind each of them. A woman with a shaved head looked around and shouted out, “Is that you, Ouira?”
“Whose Ouira, Kikka?” A gruff man with a shaggy beard demanded.
“An old forest spirit. Been around longer than the forest, they say.” Kikka explained as the flames began to spin around the group.
Stepping out from behind a tree, Ouira said, “You all took something that didn't belong to you. Didn't you?”
The bandits all reached for their knives and hatchets but were stilled by Kikka's voice roaring, “Stop it! You all want to die? Yes, but what does that concern you?” Ouira let out a long sigh before leaning against the nearest trunk.
Ouira kept his eyes closed as he explained, “Simple, I just got slapped in chains cause of you idiots. Now, I was ordered to kill you all but I have another idea. Since it's your fault, you'll be in chains too. Sound good?”
“If they've got food, I don't care.” Kikka shrugged. Ouira hooked a finger and lead the group onto the nearest road.
Once on the moonlight drenched road Ouira shouted out, “I know you're watching. I brought you the thieves.”
“Yes,” Lady Tsu's voice arrived before she did. Her body manifested in a blinding flash of light as she continued, “And I specifically mentioned for you to kill them. Why am I looking at living corpses.”
“A good choice of words. They stole to survive. If you'll notice, not a one of them has the strength to tend to a farm. So, give them food and they'll serve...” Ouira explained.
Lady Tsu turned her head to the side, “What care do I have for the weak simpletons? I say again, kill them.” Ouira's legs buckled before he noticed an intense pain running through his brain. His attempt to remain even kneeling made him cough up blood and his flames sputtered out.
“You care, because these are the shadows who will be where your light can't be,” Ouira choked out. All at once, his pain subsided.
“Fine, they will be your problem. Now, my gem?” Demanded the Goddess. Kikka reached into her robe to reveal a blue stone that shimmered in the night. The item floated free of the woman's grasp and flew to it's owner. She turned away to become the glittering dust yet her words hung in the air, “You're all to reach my castle in two day's time. I will have more work for you then.”
“Y-yes, my lady.” Ouira groaned as he collapsed onto the ground.
Kikka knelt down by the fox asking, “What now?”
“Help me up and when we reach the nearest place to eat, we'll put it on her tab.” Ouira grinned. The scruffy man helped him limp along the road as the ragged group and a fox limped to their new home.
“Come now, little one. You know very well that so long as it is night, you cannot escape me,” A voice echoed from no direction. From the shaft of light, a woman with pale skin dressed in gold and white appeared. Her delicate fingertips reached out to the small creature, who barked at her. The woman halted her hand saying, “That is quite rude. You are no mere animal. Speak, you are in the presence of a Goddess.”
“What would a Goddess want with a spirit like me?” The fox demanded tersely. His lips pulled back to reveal the sharp fangs that filled his mouth.
“You will serve me. I have many tasks for you to perform and little time to spend on your wasteful actions,” The Goddess said blandly, “So, resist me so I may induct you into your new life.”
With a snort the fox tilted his head to the side, “Resist you? In what way? It is obvious to all that I'm quite powerful yet you've shown me naught but haughty words. Surely the onus of proof rests on your shoulders.”
“If this is your desire. Behold!” Boomed the Goddess as she threw her arms wide. Light began to fill the clearing. With a zealot's fervor the Goddess proclaimed, “I am Lady Tsu! All that is touched by the light of my symbol is mine!”
As more rays of light soaked the night, the fox snickered, “Then, one merely needs to keep to the shadows.” Turning around, the fox leaped past a pair of bamboo branches. Casting a look over his shoulder, the fox saw the night being consumed by light behind him. Ducking under branches before leaping over a rock, the Fox then found another wall of light pursuing him from the front.
Everywhere he turned, more walls of light closed in. The Goddess stepped out from behind a dense stand of trees to announce, “You're captured. Make this simple.” As the light grew more brilliant, a leaf swelled in size to shield the fox.
“Is this your last bastion against me?” Mocked the Goddess with a high pitched laugh. Once the lights converged, the leaf began to quickly shrivel up. Once the decayed protection vanished, so did the fox in a puff of smoke. Where it sat was only a flickering blue flame.
The Fox's laugh echoed around the forest, “I don't know what you want with me, Lady Tsu. But, you've failed your onus. I will be taking my leave of your petty whims.”
“I suppose I did get caught up in your pace and made a fool of myself.” Lady Tsu sighed to herself as she stomped on the flame to smother it. Her painted lips stretched into a wide smile as she reached out before her before indicating skyward with her middle finger. Every piece of loose stone was tossed skyward before falling around her.
Amid the stones was the fox, it's seven tails curled around it protectively. The goddess stroked its side lightly, wordless murmurs flowing from her lips. Arcane phrases passed over her lips in an endless river, her words making every branch twist towards the moon. Pebble to boulder alike now began to levitate on her power. With a final, eldritch command an eruption of dust covered the area.
Laying before Lady Tsu was a man with a lean, muscular body. His red hair matched the robe the simple shirt he was dressed in. Fox tails stuck out from a hole in the back of his pants. With a haughty laugh Lady Tsu announced, “It is done! Wake and show me your loyalty!”
Rolling to his side, the man gave a loud snore. This earned him a kick from the Goddess that sent him sliding into the nearest stalk of bamboo. With a groan, bleary eyes opened as the man's vision slowly cleared. Knuckling his eyes open the fox demanded, “What did you do?”
“I merely demonstrated a fraction of my power and have made you mine.” Lady Tsu folded her arms before her, “And you will now tell me your name.”
“What? I am no one's...” The fox yelled but was frozen still. His entire form quaking as he resisted the change, the Fox announced, “I am Ouira, your faithful servant.”
“Good. Ouira, I order you to show me your loyalty. There are a group of fools hiding somewhere in this forest who have stolen from me. Kill them and retrieve the gems they've taken.” Lady Tsu turned away as her body evaporated into particles of white light. Each piece of her drifting up towards the moonlit sky.
With a sigh Ouira surmised rhetorically, “Must've been Kikka and her group. It'd be easy enough but let's see if I can't do something more fun.”
A small fire kept the shadows and night chill at the backs of those huddled around it. Coarse brown robes hung loosely on the emaciated thieves. A gasp rose as blue flames appeared behind each of them. A woman with a shaved head looked around and shouted out, “Is that you, Ouira?”
“Whose Ouira, Kikka?” A gruff man with a shaggy beard demanded.
“An old forest spirit. Been around longer than the forest, they say.” Kikka explained as the flames began to spin around the group.
Stepping out from behind a tree, Ouira said, “You all took something that didn't belong to you. Didn't you?”
The bandits all reached for their knives and hatchets but were stilled by Kikka's voice roaring, “Stop it! You all want to die? Yes, but what does that concern you?” Ouira let out a long sigh before leaning against the nearest trunk.
Ouira kept his eyes closed as he explained, “Simple, I just got slapped in chains cause of you idiots. Now, I was ordered to kill you all but I have another idea. Since it's your fault, you'll be in chains too. Sound good?”
“If they've got food, I don't care.” Kikka shrugged. Ouira hooked a finger and lead the group onto the nearest road.
Once on the moonlight drenched road Ouira shouted out, “I know you're watching. I brought you the thieves.”
“Yes,” Lady Tsu's voice arrived before she did. Her body manifested in a blinding flash of light as she continued, “And I specifically mentioned for you to kill them. Why am I looking at living corpses.”
“A good choice of words. They stole to survive. If you'll notice, not a one of them has the strength to tend to a farm. So, give them food and they'll serve...” Ouira explained.
Lady Tsu turned her head to the side, “What care do I have for the weak simpletons? I say again, kill them.” Ouira's legs buckled before he noticed an intense pain running through his brain. His attempt to remain even kneeling made him cough up blood and his flames sputtered out.
“You care, because these are the shadows who will be where your light can't be,” Ouira choked out. All at once, his pain subsided.
“Fine, they will be your problem. Now, my gem?” Demanded the Goddess. Kikka reached into her robe to reveal a blue stone that shimmered in the night. The item floated free of the woman's grasp and flew to it's owner. She turned away to become the glittering dust yet her words hung in the air, “You're all to reach my castle in two day's time. I will have more work for you then.”
“Y-yes, my lady.” Ouira groaned as he collapsed onto the ground.
Kikka knelt down by the fox asking, “What now?”
“Help me up and when we reach the nearest place to eat, we'll put it on her tab.” Ouira grinned. The scruffy man helped him limp along the road as the ragged group and a fox limped to their new home.