Chapter VIII: Village of Forests and Rivers

As usual, life is fucked up! It was fucked up long before I moved to Beacon Hills. But What happened when I got to Alaska could have been predicted if I had been more diligent.

So, before I tell you how my life fucked me, allow me to reacquaint you with my back story. I am Tenko Nakashige. I move to Beacon Hills, California, with my mother and Stepdad Mark. I moved to Beacon Hills because I discovered a black market that supplied supernaturals with human meat to dine on.

A big fight happened, and I became the world's newest Alpha Kitsune after killing the Alpha in charge of the human meat trade.

But that's not really why we moved to Beacon Hills. We moved because the Yakuza are after my mother and me. It's the reason why we've been in hiding since I was a child.

While on the plane to Alaska, my mother told me why the Yakuza are after us. The Inari Scroll. They are all Kitsune and even killed my father to get their hands on the scroll. However, the last Yukimura protected us and the scroll. He even gave his life to do it.

Now for the fucked up part. Once my fourth tail is created and represents my Astral abilities, The scroll opens, and every Kitsune in the world will feel Inari's divinity. Thankfully, I can wield the scroll at will after my fourth tail, representing my 'Astral abilities' manifests.

However, my mother is a thunder Kitsune, and my father a celestial. I have my mother's ability for thunder, though it never manifested a tail. I am a rare Kitsune that stole an Alpha Spark from a werewolf. I can transform into a full-on fox and partially shift like werewolves. I should have seen this coming.

After landing in Alaska, I constructed my fourth tail from a chunk of obsidian rock, but it wasn't for my astral abilities. You see, when I became an Alpha, I gained the ability to shift. A partial and full shift. Apparently, my time with Malia not only exercised my astral power but my shift ability.

Now I find myself naked in a creek, washing clean my blood-stained skin. My fourth tail is transformation. I can now do a partial shift, full shit, and bestial shift. I turn into a bipedal fox beast with four tails that like to eat humans and animals.

Shocking, I know. But not only have I been running rampant in Alaska for a week, leaving a trail of bodies. Inari's Scroll opened for a split second and then closed again. Based on the arbitrary laws of Kitsune, I activated the shift before astral projection, making Transformation my fourth tail. Which also siked the scroll.

Once it had a whiff of my maturing power, it opened and spilled its divinity everywhere.

"Hey, Handsome!" Malia called out. "You want to hurry up. Nikita is losing her shit. She wants to leave now. "

Leaning my head back, I see Malia by a tree drying her hair. The woman had tracked me nonstop for a week. Cleanin up my messes. It's true love, really.

Walking out of the creek, I pick up a towel to dry off.

"She's just worried," I tell her.

"I'm worried, Tenko. We set off a beacon to all of our enemies. And you can't use the scroll at will. Nikita says the Alpha spark is fucking with you, and the Fox doesn't like it. That's why you went wild. It is changing the laws that control your body."

"I believe it. But if my Astral power is like the transformation, I probably need more practice before I could manifest a tail for it."

"Nikita also says you have thunder abilities. What if your Astral powers never manifest a tail like your thunder power? Nikita was telling everyone stories about Kitsune battles for that Scroll. None of them ended well. " Said, Malia.

I sigh as I dress. Together we head back to the rest of the pack. The moment we showed up. My mother put us in a car, and we drove to the airport. But we didn't make it. The only other Alpha Kitsune in North America stopped our path.

"Tenko..." my mother spoke. I could hear the fear in her voice.

"Stay here. I'll handle this." I tell her as I move to leave the car.

Malia tried to follow me, but I stopped her.

Standing in the bone-chilling cold, ankle-deep in snow as the northern lights dance in the sky above us. I face off against the Alpha Kitsune.

"What do you want?" I ask him.

The Alpha looked at the car behind me. Then he replied. "Coyote, two wolves, a kitsune, and human. Probably a druid," he said.

"What's it to you?"

"I'm assuming that woman is your mother. She is old. Has she told of the forest and river Kitsune?" he asked.

The forest and river Kitsune are always found together. You won't find one without the other. They feed off each other, augmenting each other's power. Both Kitsune became few and far between as the world modernized and woodlands were destroyed for the sake of progress. Rivers rerouted and capped off.

"She has," I reply.

"And my mother has told me about the white-haired celestial kitsune."

Forest Kitsune we extremely perspective. It was like the world was their playground, and they knew all of its secrets and hiding spots.

"What is your name?" the Alpha asked.

"Tenko Nakashige."

The alpha looked around and then asked, "Where is the Yukimura?"

I had to admit. I was confused. "The Yukimura are all dead."

The alpha frowned for a moment, then relaxed.

"Come. My mother will want to meet you, Nakashige ten'nō." The Alpha gestured, and his men moved towards the car.

Based on his use of honorifics, I didn't worry. When everyone was gathered. My mother and I were both shocked to be teleported to a village deep in the Canadian wood.

"He's....He's a space Kitsune." my mother stammered as she looked at the man who transported us.

"Your Huband's protector wasn't the last, Nakita Toyotomi. May I ask why you were banished from--"

"No, you may not!" I snapped.

The alpha nodded his head then led us into the village. I was flabbergasted by sight. I had never seen so many Kitsune in one place. They were free from human persecutions. Hidden away from the world.

"Welcome to the Village of Forests and Rivers." The Alpha spoke with a toothy grin.

The Alpha leads us to a great hall. There I was presented to two elders with long grey hair. They sat peacefully before a fire as a young woman played a 13-string Koto.

"Toyotomi of the thunder. I knew your grandfather. I had a drinking problem. You Mother was worse. She ran off and got pregnant. Your clan is now in disarray. We even have thunder children here because there is no clan to send them to. And you dare mate with Prince. You Toyotomi are as shameless as ever." the old woman spoke.

"Akira... it is not the time." The old man spoke. "Nakashige ten'nō, please have a seat."

Akira ground her teeth at the sight of Nikita. "Where is your mother, 'Lady' Toyotomi?"

"I haven't seen her since I reached maturity," Nikita answered as she worked to restrain herself from pummeling the elder.

"It matters not. The next emperor is an anomaly. The Forests can not feel it, but the Rivers can. Nakashige Ten'no has inherited his mother's thunder."

Elder Akira was shocked. Her eyes shined green like emeralds as she took a closer look at Tenko.

"It seems the seer of Paranor was telling the truth..."

"Child, leave us." Akira addresses the young woman playing the Koto.

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1st POV

In the beginning, I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. But it turned out the elders were just curious about how I became an Alpha and the few things that they couldn't learn by consulting a seer.

I also discovered that the other Alpha's name was Saito Iwai, Elder Akira's son and the Forest Kitsune Clan leader. He had killed an Alpha that encroached on their territory. But he was no more than the clan leader of the forest Kitsune. He had no pack and didn't plan on making one.

When the elders received the full story From the time we fled Japan up to the point that I became an Alpha. They advised that we stay away from the Music Kitsune and not just the Yakuza's Wind and Fire Kitsune. Music Kitsune was an easily corruptible Clan as they feed on the emotions that their Heart Song conjured in people who heard it. It also made them ostracised as their Heart Song could prove fatal for Humans and Supernaturals.

"Now, you went to Alaska to train away from prying eyes. Saito, take his pack to the training grounds. " Said Elder Akira.

When my pack was cleared out, Elders Akira and Mars of the River Clan saw fit to educate me.

They started with allegiances that formed after the Kitsune civil war. Forest, River, Space, thunder and mountain Kitsune remained traditional and loyally awaiting their call. The other clans took after the Void Kitsune and vyed to take control of Inari's Scroll.

After the short political lesson, I realized that Inar's scroll's brief opening brought more than just the dangers of battle. It brought political trouble and age-old blood feuds.

"Elders... I know my pack consists of..."

"Yes." Mars interrupted me.

"Yes?" I ask.

"Yes, you can stay here. And the wolves as well. But you come to us every day to learn your history. We aren't the only Kitsune that felt the scroll open. You must be ready for anything." Akira explained.

"My Granddaughter, Layla, is away at the moment. Until she returns, all River Clan affairs will be handle by my son, Crest." Mars explained as he rose to his feet.

"By no means, do you travel to town. Wendigo stay there. A horrid species if I ever saw one." Akira added as we three exited the hall.

"Take your weapons to Krotos. He will see that you are properly equipped. Then go to Atila. She will dress you properly." Said Mars.

"Oh, and your mate. The Coyote, I see the tether between you two. Do you plan to marry her, as you are both of the age of maturity?" asked Akira.

"I haven't thought of it."

"Hmm, take her to Atila's with you. As she is your only mate, she will be Kogo while you are here."

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3rd POV

And so it began. During Tenko's first week in the Village of Forests and Rivers, He took his weapons to Krotos. Krotos handled all of the repairs and improved Tenko's weapons. He and Malia were tailor-made clothing by Atila. Tenko and Malia were gifted the best fabric dyed in the Celestial Clan's colors -White, crimson, and gold.

Tenko kept his end of the deal and learned from the elders every day. When he wasn't with the elders, he experienced life in a Kitsune community.

The Kitsune community was different, playful. And with Tenko's new maturity, he too expressed a new level of playfulness.

But in the night, Tenko and his pack went through training to push their limits. Forest Kitsune's sensory abilities were top notch. Their training was designed to exploit this strength. By training in the night, they used every sensory ability except sight.

This training increased their combat prowess and pack coordination. Melissa struggled the most as she wasn't used to the strenuous activity. However, everyone struggled to keep up the Forest and River Kitsune during the mock battles.

Though everyone improved by leaps and bounds, one month just wasn't enough. However, it was all that Melissa had. She had to return to work and had a son to look after.

Tenko wished she could have stayed longer, but he let her go. A week later, Jack Arlo left when he had no more vacation days to use. With half of his pack divided, Tenko sent Mareth back to look after them.

Tenko was currently sitting with Saito, Malia, and his mother as they with the village. The group was drinking peach wine and feasting. Tenko loved the atmosphere and even contemplated making the place his new home at times. But he knew better.

"Tenko... It's probably time we start working on your transformation abilities." Saito commented.

Tenko pulled away from his thought, but Malia replied before he could give a response.

"The last time he turned into a beast, he left a trail of bodies in Alaska."

Saito smirked at the werecoyote. "My wife worried about me as well," he said. "Once Tenko learns to control the fox, he won't massacre anyone unless he wants to."

"Well, I have to do something. If I can't shift without control, then I can't take on the Alphas."

"Then we start tomorrow," Saito replied joyously. He then looked towards the entrance of the hall and said, "ahh, she's back."

"Who is she?" Tenko asked.

"Layla. Leader of the River Kitsune. She traveled to the Appalachian mountains a few months back. Their rumors of a Nogitsune running wild there." Saito explained and gestured for Tenko to follow him.

As the two Alphas approached, Layla. She smiled and greeted them. Then introduced herself to Tenko.

"So you are the one. Is the white hair natural?" she asked.

Tenko chuckled. " It is."

"It looks good on you. How long will you be staying with us?"

"Until I'm ready to take on a pack of alphas."

Layla tilted her head to the left. "Take on? You mean to kill?"

Tenko simply smiled. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Layla. Maybe have a spar sometime."

"That sounds fun. I'll have my advisor check my schedule."

Tenko gave a nod then took his leave.

"Saito, That boy craves power. Until I see a change in him, I will not pledge my clan to him."

"Craves power? Layla, he is the emperor. Power is already his."

"He does not want to kill the alpha pack. He wants to dominate them."

"You don't know that," Saito replied as he and Layla watched Tenko return to his seat and kiss his mate.

"The elders won't let you have children because of the alpha spark. It corrupts you. Wolves and foxes have never gotten along. How can we have an Emperor with the same corruption?"

"You'll see. He is exactly what we need to reign in the other clans."

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The next morning, Nikita, Tenko, and Malia were on a run when they stopped to take a breather at the edge of a small town.

"You fucking foxes are too fast." Malia panted.

"But you're getting better," Tenko replied.

"How much longer do we stay, Tenko. It's cold up here."

"She's right." Nikita seconded.

"Until I'm confident that I can turn Beacon Hills into a place like a village of Forests and Rivers, A safe place for the supernatural to live without worry. The Kitsune Village on a grand scale." Tenko explained. "I don't want my mother to move homes again. I don't want Mark to stop saving lives to follow us. I don't want to abandon any more friends. The only way to make sure that happens is by turning Beacon Hills into a supernatural hub that we control absolutely."

"Like a little kingdom," Malia added.

"Empire... I am an Emperor, after all."

"And Emperor after you unit the clans," Nikita said matter of factly.

"Anyway, I need the power to maintain something like that. And I need help."

"The Alpha pack," Nikita spoke blandly. " She just recently conquered the full moon. Do you really think turning her into an Alpha is a good idea?"

Malia's mouth hung open in confusion. "What is she talking about?"

"The Alpha Pack's greatest weakness is that they are Alphas. If we beat one, then we gain another Alpha and start to balance firepower. But if one dies, the pack is down a member. For a normal pack, it isn't much. But Alphas are few in numbers."

"And with enough betas, we can even the odds," said Malia.

"And still come out on top with at least one new alpha in our pack," Tenko spoke with a devious smile. "I want you to be that Alpha, Malia."

"Tenko..."

"Well, son, I guess we better train harder."

"What about Mark?"

"He'll understand. My son needs me." Nikita then took off to finish her run.

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Time continued to pass as Tenko battled the bestial fox transformation. Tenko, Malia, and His Mother trained harder in preparation for what was to come.

It was mid-summer when Mareth and Jack Arlo returned to the Village of Forests and Rivers. The pack sat around. The atmosphere was stiff.

"So, Jennifer is dead. Boyd and Erica Missing. The Kanima, Matt, is dead. Gerard is in the wind." Tenko recounted the news that Mareth brought with her. The village had the worst cellular service.

Mareth replied, "Allison's mother is gone too. Jennifer Killed her as she put a dagger through Jennifer's heart."

"Where are the Argents now?" he asked.

"Gone. But there's one more thing that you need to know."

"Speak."

"Lydia is expressing her power. A week after we left, she poisoned everyone with wolfsbane and resurrected Peter."

Tenko sighed. "He knew she was a banshee."

"I think so. He's still very week, but having him back can be a huge problem."

"So we kill him again." Malia sang as she poured cups of peach wine.

"I second that." Jack Alro chimed in.

" No. If he gets a second chance, then so should another. Mareth, I want you to acquire the body of Laura Hale and keep it safe." Tenko grinned as he played with scenarios in his mind.

"Okay." She replied with a dreadful feeling in her chest.

"Anyway, how's Derek?"

"He's managing. Distracting himself by searching for Erica and Boyd. So, How has the training been going?"

"Good. I have better control over the bestial shift. Being around my kind helps a lot. Even my astral abilities are sharper."

" So what's keeping you here?"

"Layla's wedding in August. We'll head back then. Speaking of Layla. I have to meet her and Saito in the groove. Some old school Kistune rite."

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During the months, I learned a lot from my time in the village. It was a nice break away from the outside and was the perfect catalyst to hone my abilities. But most importantly, for a kid that spent his life on the move, I gained two more friends. I value relationships.

Layla was to be married, and in the coming months, she had to prepare. It was customary for clan leaders to help her prepare. That meant Saito and me. Though Layla and I usually bumped heads, we grew to tolerate each other.

After the wedding, we were all having a good time that ended with me drunkenly stumbling into my room. The Forest and River Kitsune had a special ceremonial wine that was bottled straight from the womb of the earth.

Malia and my Mother were packing our bags. Just as I was about to fall to my bed, Malia caught me.

"We need to go home," she said.

I groggily asked why.

"Mareth did some magic thingy. The Alpha Pack is too much for them to handle. Some evil druid is sacrificing people. It's time to go home, and I'm ready. So get up." Malia looked like she was ready to fight me. I knew there was more to Mareth's message that Malia was holding back.

Only a few things got Malia to behave in such a way.

"How is Mareth doing?" I asked.

"She's scared, Tenko. She's scared and alone. We have to go back now."

It was a sobering moment.