Bleeding Lotus

Chapter 3

Padding toward the cave entrance, I move in complete silence, making sure not to disturb the sleeping pack curled together deeper within the den. Their soft breathing echoes faintly behind me while I pause near the exit and strain my ears, using my enhanced hearing to listen for any movement beyond the cave. Every rustle of leaves, snapping twig, and distant birdcall reaches me clearly. After several moments pass without detecting the scent or sound of predators, I cautiously crawl through the narrow opening until only my head emerges into the crisp morning air.

The forest outside glows beneath the golden light of dawn. Mist drifts lazily between the trees while dew sparkles atop blades of grass like scattered crystals. My pink eyes carefully scan the surrounding area for any danger that could threaten my pack. Once satisfied that the forest is safe, I fully climb out of the cave and begin my usual morning patrol.

I spend hours as I wander through the sprawling forest, silently traveling across hills thick with wildflowers, narrow cliffs overlooking rushing rivers, and hidden streams with water clear enough to reflect the sky perfectly. Every useful location I encounter is carefully committed to memory-possible hiding places, escape routes, and advantageous hunting grounds should danger ever find us. Survival depends on preparation, and I refuse to allow harm to come to my pack.

Eventually, I come across an enormous berry bush overflowing with ripe dark berries, their sweet scent heavy in the air. Transforming back into my human-like form, I crouch beside the bush and effortlessly rip the entire thing from the ground with one hand, roots and all. Loose dirt crumbles from the tangled roots as I lift it over my shoulder. The pack will be hungry when they awaken, and this will make a good breakfast for them.

Using my supernatural speed, I arrive in front of the cave entrance in a matter of minutes, the forest around me becoming nothing more than a green and brown blur as the cold wind whips through my straight hair. Having such speed is incredibly helpful in many situations, especially when traveling across the endless wilderness in search of food, shelter, or lost foxes. Moving closer to the dark opening in the hillside, I cautiously stick head inside. The cave is still cloaked in shadows, the only light coming from the cave entrance and a few cracked places overhead, aside from one small kit whose ears twitch in my direction, none of the others are awake yet. Letting out a low, echoing howl, I gently call for them to rise. One by one, the group lazily lifts their heads, blinking away sleep as many sets of golden eyes settles on me. Realizing it is just me returning, they slowly push themselves to their feet and begin making their way toward the entrance with relaxed tails swaying behind them.

As they begin emerging from the cave one at a time, their soft paws crunching against the dirt and scattered leaves, I proudly hold up the berry bush in my hand, silently letting them know they will not need to forage for breakfast today. The sweet scent of ripe berries instantly catches their attention, ears perked high with excitement. When the last fox finally exits the cave, stretching sleepily under the morning sunlight, I drop the bush to the ground. The dark red berries spill across the forest floor, and we all begin eating together. With normal pack animals the leader eats first, asserting dominance over the others, but foxes aren't true pack animals, and I am not their leader-I am their guardian. Therefore, we always share our meals together peacefully.

When the bush is finally picked clean, not a single berry reaming on the stripped branches, my tails flick behind me as I begin slowly trotting in my fox form in the direction of the stream I spotted nearby in a beautiful clearing so we can all quench our thirst. Sunlight filters through dense branches overhead in shimmering golden beams while birds sing softly from somewhere high in the trees, making the peaceful forest feel almost dreamlike.

Reaching the clearing, the foxes waste no time surrounding the crystal-clear stream, greedily drinking as much cool water as their small bellies will hold. The sky reflects off the flowing surface like scattered diamonds while the gentle sound of rushing water fills the open space. Some of the younger kits step directly into the shallow stream, splashing carelessly as they drink, uncaring about the water soaking into their fur.

After drinking my fill, my eyes slowly roam across the clearing until they land on a large moss-covered rock resting near the tree line. Knowing it provides the perfect vantage point to watch over the pack, I leap gracefully onto its surface before laying down. The stone is pleasantly warm beneath my body from the sunlight pouring down on it, and from here I can oversee the entire clearing while keeping my ears alert for any danger hidden within the forest.

My kind tends to spend most of our lives wandering from place to place in hopes of finding more foxes willing to join our ever-growing family. The pack of twenty-six red-orange furry animals all started with one tiny, abandoned kit I found trembling alone under a storm-damaged tree centuries ago. Since then, the group has slowly grown larger with every lone fox we encounter, of course over time many foxes left or died of old age.

The moment the pack notices me settling comfortably atop the rock, they understand this means we will remain here for most, if not all, of the day. Such clearing are treasures for travelers like us. Open spaces untouched by humans or larger predators are difficult to find, so whenever we stumble across one, we always make the most of it.

The kits happily begin playing in the shallow water, splashing each other with the cool water while chasing their own reflections across the surface. Their playful yips and excited chirps echo throughout the clearing, causing me to let out a soft chuckling noise at how adorable they are. They always try to make the most of every peaceful moment because they understand that it could be weeks before we discover another clearing as safe and beautiful as this one.

The adults are either sprawled lazily across sunny patches of grass or desperately attempting to keep their kits from getting into trouble, which is practically a full-time job. The young ones are endlessly energetic creatures, constantly trying to wander off into the forest on their own or annoy the adults by biting and tugging on their tails before darting away playfully.

Thankfully, my life is filled with many peaceful days such as this one. Humans and even most supernaturals would likely find this kind of life unbearably boring, but for me it has been nothing short of bliss for the past thousand years. Once a month, I usually spend a single night in a human town, and every time, I leave feeling exhausted by their chaotic way of life. The fragile beings have created endless responsibilities for themselves, forcing their short lives to revolve around errands work, and meaningless obligations. Meanwhile, here in the quiet forest, I have all the time in the world to simply exist beneath the sky and do whatever I desire. Just like Elder told me, I have more freedom than humans could imagine.

After several hours of watching over my pack, the fox who is both the strongest and wisest among the adults quietly approaches and settles beside me on the rock. Her fur brushes against mine as she sits, golden eyes calm and knowing. This is her silent way of telling me to rest and allow someone else to keep watch for a while.

Giving her a small nod of appreciation, I leap gracefully from the rock, landing with a completely soundless thud in the center of the clearing where warm sunlight shines directly overhead. Letting out a long yawn, I lower myself onto the thick grass, which feels far softer and more comfortable than my usual makeshift beds of leaves. Slowly curling my body into a ball, I wrap my nine tails around myself like a blanket, soaking in the comforting warmth of the afternoon sun. Surrounded by the sounds of flowing water, rustling leave, and playful yips, I unexpectedly find myself being lulled to sleep.