Chapter 315: The Fox & The Mystery

 

  As the cold morning breeze blew through the grassy hills, the sun bathed Dusk Valley in a warm glow. The scent of sizzling root-bison meat cooking over the campfire wafted through the air and tickled the fox’s black button nose. Lin Lu shook her head to dispel the enticing flavors and walked past the fire.

  The vampiress Nokti looked up from her cooking and humbly bowed to the tiny snow-white fox, “The food will be ready soon, my goddess.”

  Lin Lu squeaked in approval and ran up the small silver hill that lay a few dozen paces from their camp. The hill was bare, there was no grass and it was cold to the touch. Lin Lu twisted around the silver bumps and sharp edges with supernatural ease until she reached the very top of the hill where a young man, almost a boy, sat cross-legged with closed eyes.

  The fox stopped a meter from the man and sat down on her haunches, waiting. She looked the man over with her amber eyes and studied the traits he had grown accustomed to being in. He had warm brown skin and stark white hair that loosely fell over his shoulders. His face had soft features, no harsh lines of age nor a strong jaw. To all others he seemed to be a handsome 15 or 16-year-old boy, meditating on a beautiful morning. Only the fox truly knew of the being that lay underneath the facade of youth.

  The boy’s white lashes slowly opened and revealed his ever-changing eyes. “Good morning, Lin Lu,” he whispered serenely.

  Even now, after 8 centuries, Lin Lu couldn’t help but stare into his eyes. One iris was a sky blue, the other a burgundy, and suddenly they were a swirl of emerald and golden-yellow, then they were silver and violet, and the colors just kept shifting in a never-ending mesmerizing mystery.

  “...You really shouldn’t delve so deep and far into the Dreamscape,” Lin Lu said worriedly. “You risk the Dark Fringe corroding your soul.”

  “I am not afraid of the Dark Fringe,” he yawned.

  “Even still, you were gone for several hours this time. You need rest.”

  “Are you underestimating me?” Caligo smiled playfully.

  “You may be a god but even you are not all-powerful, especially in your current form.”

  Caligo sighed half-heartedly, “We’ve already discussed this. I’m perfectly fine with this body.”

  She frowned, “Why do you insist on limiting yourself? Why shapeshift into all these forms but the one that matters most?”

  “I have my reasons and my current body serves me just fine.”

  “...Why aren’t you talking to me?”

  “We’re talking now, aren’t we?”

  “You know what I mean,” she growled.

  He shrugged, “If you’re bored you can always teach Nokti your language. She’s a quick enough learner.”

  Lin Lu’s eight tails drooped behind her and she hung her head low, “...We used to tell each other everything. Why are you shutting me out?”

  Caligo smiled sympathetically and stretched out his arm. Lin Lu hopped up onto his hand, scampered up his arm, and nestled herself in the crook of his shoulder, below his jaw.

  Caligo petted her tails softly. She purred in contentment.

  “No matter what happens, no matter what I do, never doubt what you mean to me,” Caligo whispered.

  “This doesn’t make up for the lies and secrets,” she muttered with a miffed tone.

  “I’d never lie, not to you,” he said easily.

  “And the secrets?”

  He grinned, “I am the god of the deep earth, the Mystery and Caretaker of Secrets. I think I am allowed a few secrets, hm?”

  “A few?” she barked sarcastically. “You’ve always had a hundred secrets hiding behind those bewitching eyes. Fortunately for both of us, I am only interested in a few.”

  He smirked, “Very well, what would you like to know?”

  “...Why did you separate the twins? You know they hate being away from each other. Nothing good ever comes of it.”

  “You always had a soft spot for those two hybrids,” he mused. “I separated them because currently, they serve me better apart than together. And I rather Dawn not drag her brother into her little rebellious phase.”

  “Rebellious? What do you mean by that?”

  “We’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Hm… Why did you order Vaughn to attack Undergrowth?”

  “You disagree with my decision?”

  “It was a reckless attack. Undergrowth’s armies are far more vast and powerful than the thousand soldiers you gave Vaughn. There’s no way he would have won. You placed him in unnecessary danger.”

  “Vaughn is fine. He escaped the city without a problem, as I expected.”

  “But the rest did not, did they?”

  “Also as I expected,” he shrugged.

  “We’ve lost a quarter of our army,” she sighed impatiently. “And what do we have to show for it? Did they even manage to capture the True Red?”

  “Capturing Maeve was never the objective of last night’s mission. It was simply a bonus, but no matter, things have changed. Maeve will come to us of her own volition. It is only a matter of time.”

  “If that’s the case, then why the attack on Undergrowth?”

  Caligo smiled, “Tell me, what do you think Ophelia Thorn will do now that her precious city has been attacked?”

  “She’ll no doubt be outraged. She’ll probably rally all her armies and declare war against the Cairn Tribe this very morning.”

  “Ophelia will not be the only one who will declare war. The Great Cities Tournament is still being held in Undergrowth. Diplomats, lords and ladies, and the children of Great Houses from all four Great Cities were residing in Undergrowth. They will all be outraged and consider the attack a personal assault on their city and people.”

  Lin Lu’s amber eyes widened, “The Great Cities will declare war on the Valley.”

  Caligo laughed, “Hollow Shade, Undergrowth, Frost Rim, and Murkton, every single one of them will declare war. There’s nothing better than a common enemy, hm?”

  “What have you done? The Cairn Tribe is doomed.”

  “The Cairn? No. Vaughn’s army flew no flags last night. There isn’t enough evidence to prove that it was the Cairn who attacked the city. No, the Great Cities won’t declare war against just the Cairn. They will declare war against all the Keepers of the Dawn, every single last tribe in Dusk Valley.”

  “The Great Cities will wipe out the tribes!” she said panickedly.

  “They would if the tribes stay as they are. But I suspect the chieftains will fear for their lives and end up being forced to do the only thing they can do, something drastic.”

  “Such as?”

  “Call for a grand meeting, one where all the tribes’ chieftains will attend. Even the renowned Adder Tribe, who have refused to meet with Marek, will be forced to attend for fear of extinction.”

  “...Because the only way the valley tribes will be able to survive is together,” Lin Lu muttered with realization.

  “As I said, there’s nothing better than a common enemy.”

  “That still doesn’t mean the Adder chieftain or any of the other chieftains will follow Marek. After last night’s attack, they’re more likely to seize the Cairn’s armies for themselves.”

  “Oh I’m quite certain they won’t,” he said knowingly.

  Lin Lu shook her furry head, “Even if you do have a plan–”

  “–Several, actually.”

  “Even if the chieftains choose to follow Marek, we will still be at war with not just Hollow Shade but all four Great Cities.”

  “No, we won’t. Frost Rim’s armies are stuck in the northern frigid region of the Rupture Mountains. They would have to wait until the end of summer before the mountains’ ice thaws. As for Murkton, their armies are currently scattered across the Silent Marshes. It’ll be several weeks before their armies are ready for battle, not to mention how long it would take for them to march all across the realm, and by then it won’t matter.”

  “That still leaves Undergrowth,” Lin Lu said. “Ophelia Thorn has been gathering her armies for the past year.”

  “Because she’s been eyeing Hollow Shade for herself. House Thorn has always wanted vengeance against the city that exiled them. Now they’ll have their chance.”

  “You think Ophelia Thorn would rather wage war against Hollow Shade than the valley tribes that just attacked her city?”

  “Never underestimate the greed of mortals.”

  “...What aren’t you telling me?” she asked suspiciously.

  “What indeed?” he smiled.

  “...Fine, have it your way,” she huffed. “What about Lunae and the child?”

  “What about them?”

  “You promised Lunae you wouldn’t have the Cairn anywhere near that child. And now we’ve attacked the home where the child was residing.”

  “Stryg is a bit scraped up, but he is fine. Lunae is currently too preoccupied with the dragons flying near Vulture Woods’ border. She will not interfere.”

  “For now. But she is still a threat to our plans.”

  “We’ve talked about this.”

  Lin Lu growled, “Have you forgotten what she–!”

  “–I have not forgotten,” he said coldly. “Have you forgotten that Lunae is one of the last of her kind? I will not endeavor to end her life.”

  “She is still a threat…”

  “Lunae is unaware of the Dragonbane, she underestimates me, and she is currently too preoccupied to even think about interfering with our plans. I see no threat.”

  “You see no threat because you also underestimate her. Only a fool would ever underestimate the goddess of the moon,” she said solemnly.

  “Are you calling me a fool?”

  “Are you?”

  Caligo grinned half-heartedly, “...So long as Lunae doesn’t know, she really has no reason to interfere.”

  “So long as she doesn’t know what exactly?”

  Caligo leaned forward eerily, “That I know her secret.”

  Lin Lu sighed, “...Maybe you’re right. But I know one thing for certain, Lunae is no fool.”

  “Enough about her,” Caligo shrugged and patted the silver ground beneath him. “I’m more interested in how Kaleidrog’s brood will react.”

  Lin Lu glanced down at the giant dragon corpse underneath them, its silver scales glistening in the morning sunlight. There were no visible wounds on the corpse, save for a meter-wide hole at the base of the dragon’s neck. No blood oozed from the wound, the flesh had been cauterized on impact.

  “This is the fourth dragon you’ve killed in the last few weeks,” Lin Lu noted. “At this rate, one of the brood’s dragon gods will come find us, or maybe all three will.”

  “That’s what I’m counting on. Ideally, it’s Kaleidrog himself, but I wouldn’t mind if Zavinti or Reldros come instead. It’s about time I met Kaleidrog’s children.”

  “...Is Kaleidrog truly as powerful as they say?” Lin Lu asked quietly.

  “He is and he has only grown more powerful throughout the past millennia.”

  “Then he is a true threat to you, especially in your current form,” she said anxiously. “Why would you risk fighting him now when we’re so close to achieving our goal?”

  “The way I see it, Kaleidrog is a threat that must be faced sooner or later, and believe me,” Caligo’s voice grew harsh and the hills around them began to shake, “this particular meeting is millennia overdue.”

  “Y-your divine eminence?” Nokti called out fearfully from below.

  Caligo’s face relaxed and he smiled easily, “Ah, Nokti, what is it?”

  Nokti glanced at the shaking hills around her, “T-The food is ready.”

  The earth abruptly stopped trembling beneath her feet.

  Caligo’s smile widened, “Wonderful, I’m famished.”