Chapter 9

I look at the fox dumbfounded and not knowing what to say… Why did she call me a “stray child”?

She continues to speak before i can muster up any words: <Dont worry child, I know of your predicament, your memories are like an open book to me. Now if I were to let things be the way they are now you’d die, a human soul is not made to withstand all the body of one of my children can achieve. And since it is the fault of one of my children that you are here in the first place I can't help but help you, plus I don't take kindly when one of my children leaves permanently. I will leave my ulterior motives for another time, or I will bore you to tears. But know that if you were to get even one more tail your soul would disintegrate under the amount of energy your body can store but your soul can't manage, and because of that you can't be a child of mine, but I am willing to change you, make you into a full-fledged Magical fox, if not out of the goodness of my heart to make sure I don't lose a child forever, as the owner of the body you are using is not within my reach anymore and I would fade out of existence if I’d let all of my children die out. Now I understand you might not trust me, humans tend to be that way, but these things are needed for your survival. I’ll put a seal on you, to prevent your body from gathering more energy than your soul can manage, that energy will not be wasted, don't worry, and I will also require you to do jobs for me, to show me that you are worthy of becoming a child of mine. You can see it as an evaluation to earn yourself the next power jump> She proceeds to extend a hand towards me, a necklace made of 10 transparent beads forming into her hand.

I take it and wear it, as she expects me to, and well, I don't feel any different, the beads necklace are a little too big for me, but it's not uncomfortable, and well it will fit perfectly if I ever become an adult again and then I ask: <What do you want me to do? since I don't think i have a choice in the matter. Also, do you have a name I can call you by? as you for sure know mine but I don't know yours.>

The fox chuckles and says a bit flustered: <Oh! right, sorry child, knowledge on you and yet I forgot to do something as basic as telling you my name, I am not used to someone not knowing it, I mostly interact only with my children, and their offspring, my name is Ira, but you can refer to me as Mom or Mother if you wish so, though I suppose, you won't see me as your mother for now.> 

Then resumed her gentle serious tone <For the job I expect you to do is something quite simple, something that I expect all my children to be able to do, and that is to kill another magical beast, preferably not a magical fox, as I really don't like my children hurting each other. And you need to be the one doing most of the work, the humans you have chosen to bring with you might aid, but you need the one to do most of the work, a magical fox is a solitary creature. while you are free to act against that nature, I want you to be able to survive the inevitability of remaining alone for extended amounts of time… well maybe not that inevitable, but still if you like humans you're gonna outlive those around you several times.>

Understandable, I thought, a mother would try to help her children, though I don't doubt there is more going on. 

<What is the fancy necklace for? like is it the seal? what happens if I take it off?> I ask genuinely interested, as I didn't want to accidentally annihilate myself.

She looks at me with kind eyes and says: <it is a powerful magical item, it will stop your body from achieving enough power to evolve, while storing said excess power, and said stored power is gonna be given back to you in case you were to need it>

I nod, helpful, it will avoid accidental suicide and keep a reserve of energy in case I get killed… maybe.

<What happens if I die or take it off?> I ask to make sure.

<Well, taking it off wouldn't do much, this item is bound to you, even if you throw it away is gonna re-appear around your neck, and I made it so it won’t choke you to death if someone feels so inclined or you get it snagged on something. if you die though there is a problem, while normally there is no problem for a fully-fledged magical fox to recreate a new body if it had enough energy saved or come back here with me in case it doesn't, you lack the soul of a fox, so if your body were to be killed your soul will scatter. While demi-humans and magical beasts have patrons to aid them, humans just have their tenacity and ingenuity, and whatever help they can get from the other patrons, so when a human dies, its soul scatters becoming magic in the aether. But I can teach you a few things those humans can't, namely how to change from your 2 legged form to the 4 legged one and back, good for a hasty retreat, or to not be noticed, then if you learn quick enough I can teach you the basics of using magic>

Well, I was thankful to not have tried my luck fighting the adventurers, I would have probably ended my time in this world forever.

But that aside, I look at Ira and say: <I’m ready to learn then.> There is no point in refusing help right now, I’m absolutely sure she isn’t telling all the truth, but her manners are more decent than most of the people I worked for, so for now the nice, giant, fox lady gets the benefit of the doubt; plus… I really only have to gain if she is being truthful about my soul disintegrating, and I have no reference to catch on eventual lies.

She motions for me to get close and I oblige, once I’m right in front of the cushion she is sitting on she picks me up like a small cat, cradles me like a child, and says: <well little one the theory is simple, you need to relax and calm down, focus your mind on the form you want to take, and let the magic within you flow in place. Magic and most of the things connected to it relies on sheer willpower, and a bit of imagination, so, just practice from within my arms as I will make it easier for you to be calm.>

I close my eyes trying to do what she explained and she starts to rock me side by side like a baby, while also humming a calming tune. 

I do have to admit being in her embrace does feel good, it’s like laying on a firm, fluffy, warm couch, if I was tired I'd probably fall asleep instantly; That aside… I resume my attempt to change form, I do as I was told, and only when I managed to completely empty my head did I feel a flow of energy pushing outwards in my body, shaping it to what it is, like a balloon. After feeling the energy I start focusing on the form of the 4 legged fox. Nothing happens for what seems like forever but I don't give up and focus harder then I start to feel the flow changing, slowly but steadily I’m starting to feel my body change.

When I open my eyes I can see that I’ve become a feral fox again, and Ira looks even bigger, now I fit almost in one of her hands.

<Good job child, now you just have to change back, though I doubt we are gonna be able to do any other training after that.>

I nod and go through the same process taking only slightly less… I really need to practice swapping forms. She puts me back down once I am back to my humanoid form and says: <It pains me to have to let you go like this, but I know humans are resourceful if they put their mind to it, they wouldn't be causing so much problem as godless kin if they didn’t, so good luck, I’ll summon you back once you are done with your task>, she gives me a gentle caress with one of her fingers and then everything goes black.