A Foxes Determination

Two days before the meeting. A skulk of Fire Foxes are hurriedly making their way through the forest.

POV Fire Fox Chiefs Daughter, Ignis:

"Damn it! How could this happen!" I shout as I lead my family and the remainders of our skulk, through the seemingly never-ending forest.

"Why did those brutes just attack us for no reason!" I furiously say as I remember what happened the previous day.

---

One day before.

We lived peacefully in a territory that had been ours for generations of our family. My Father was the Chief of our skulk and had been for long time. He was strong and kind, I was very proud of my Father and my Mother is also pregnant with my new sibling.

"It shouldn't be too long until I meet you little one." I say to the bump on Mothers belly.

"Hehe indeed, not long until our family gets a little bigger." My mother giggles at my actions.

"Haha I don't know how I will cope if she ends up like you Ignis!" Father laughs haughtily and says.

"Haah? What a horrible thing to say!" I shouted back at him and pout.

They just laughed at my reaction, and deep down I was not truly angry.

At that time, I was very happy indeed.

One day however, something brazenly intruded into our territory. They started by killing our hunters who went out to get food for our pack.

Soon after we decided it was too dangerous to leave the pack, so Father told us to stick to a very small area and made sure no one gets to far away from the rest of the pack.

Soon after we found the cause, when it confronted us. Cursed Wolves. A species of Wolf monsters that are known for their rather aggressive and energetic nature.

"Father what are they doing here? Are they the ones responsible for the missing pack members?" I ask in a unbelieving tone.

This territory should be known to be ours. All the surrounding intelligent monsters knew that and stuck to there own territory.

What is also strange is that I have not heard of a Wolf pack being the ruler of any of the surrounding territories. I looked at Father for an answer to these questions.

However, my Fathers face seemed just as confused as I was.

"I do not know Ignis, but it does seem very suspicious." Father said as he moved to the front of our group to speak with the Wolves.

"Greetings Wolves. I am Tago, leader of this group of Fire Foxes. Why have yo…"

"Be quiet inferior being! We are the Kage clan! We shall now be taking this territory for ourselves whether you like it or not! None of you shall be leaving this place alive! Now my brethren, ATTACK!" Shouted one that seemed to be the leader of the Pack. He looked incredibly intimidating with his countless scars that left patches of fur missing and his very big body.

They began to advance towards us with blistering pace. I ran next to my Father ready to face them, but my Father swung his four long tails in front of me.

"Grrrr [Fire Wall]!" My Father, looking extremely irritated throwed up a large flame wall between our group and the Wolves.

I hear some wolves trying to jump through the wall of flames, then being burnt alive for their efforts. Father was by far the strongest in our skulk, but it looked like they were beginning to use their own magic against the wall which was weakening it.

Father turned to me with determined look in his eyes.

"Ignis, you need to leave with all the members of the skulk that cannot fight or are injured! I do not know our chances of winning this fight, but that chance will only get smaller if we have to protect everyone who cannot fight as well."

"..."

I understood why my Father was doing this, I was the Daughter of the Chief, he has been prepping me since I was old enough to understand, to take over as leader one day. Therefore, I am a person he can trust to get everyone, including my pregnant Mother, away from here.

I wanted to be here and fight with him, but I had to believe in Father at that moment. I had never seen him lose to anything, so I could not picture him losing here.

"Okay Father, but be careful! Once you defeat them, where shall we meet up?!" I asked him, completely disregarding what he said about their chances of victory. I had complete confidence in him, even if he didn't.

He just looked at me and gave me a big smile like always.

"Haha very well, we shall meet that the old abandoned village that is on the outskirts of the mountain range. It should be a zone no one else controls so we can make a new home there. We shall meet you there." Father said while rubbing my head with his paw.

"Hehe right! We will see you there Father! Mother and all other non-combatants, with me! We are leaving this battle to Father and the hunters! Once they are finished here, they will meet back up with us at another location!" I shout getting the attention of the scared Foxes.

They comply and we quickly begin to exit the area. The Wolves begin to get through the wall and start engaging the hunters. As I saw this, I quickly shouted good luck to Father and left as to not distract him.

---

1 Day Later.

"Damn it! How could this happen! Why did those brutes just attack us for no reason!"

I grow increasingly frustrated and worried at the fact that I have heard from Father yet. Although he said that he would meet us at the agreed destination, I had believed he would catch us up before long and travel to the destination with us.

I mean there is no way he had died right? He would escape and catch up with us if it got to dangerous, RIGHT?

These thoughts were flying round in my head until…

"Ignis, you need to calm down. The panic and unease you are feeling is starting to show in your expressions and body movement. It may alarm the others." My Mother says in soothing voice to try and calm me down.

I looked towards her and know she is right. I cannot show myself to be anything but strong in these circumstances.

"You're right Mother, I am sorry." I correct the way I carry myself and keep walking forwards.

We carried on walking for a few more hours and had come to a small clearing. As we walked through I noted how deceptively peaceful this area was, with a quiet breeze and little stream that runs nearby. Like the chaos of yesterday was just a bad dream.

Within the serene beauty of this place though, I could see signs of a battle. There were scorch marks in places and the earth looked like it had been moved and shifted.

How very strange, I thought.

My thoughts were suddenly brought back however, when I begin to hear something behind us.

It sounds like the panting of a mad beast and it was rapidly getting closer.

"Everyone behind me NOW!" I shout urgently.

It could be one of the hunters that was part of Fathers group, but we cannot take the chance of letting them get the jump on us if it is not.

The panting behind us becomes louder and swift heavy footsteps could now be heard as well until it came leaping out of the bushes and lands roughly a little bit away from us, at the opposite end of the clearing.

"I haVe fiNAlly FouNd yOu! AHAHAHA!" A large, crazed, Cursed Wolf was what appeared. It looked a lot like the leader that we saw, with multiple scars covering its body, some of them looked fresh and rather serious. This ones eyes seemed even more crazy then that leaders though.

Thankfully we were prepared for something hostile to come out and I should be proud that I noticed the danger... but part of me inside sinks.

How has he found us before Father has? It cannot be they… They couldn't have…

Something inside of me snaps.

"Where is my Father?! He was holding you off! So how did you reach us so quickly." I shout anxiously.

"HAAAH HiMM? He'S deAD Of CourSE! HE PuT up A bit Of A FiGhTT, BuTTT wAS EvenTUALly PuT DoWN By Our LEADERR! HAHAHH" The mad wolf screamed out.

"No way. You're lying!" I shouted back in disbelief.

The rest of the Skulk became very anxious after hearing what the wolf said. Whispers of despair, saying things like "What are we going to do now?" and "Are we going to be killed?" seemed to spread.

Honestly, I am also thinking that. I mean Father was the strongest among us. How could I possibly fare any better. Are we really done for?

I get lost in my dark thoughts…

"SILENCE! It is not over yet my brothers and sisters. Yes my mate may be dead. But he bought us some valuable time. Look at what we face. Instead of a whole pack of wolves, we just have one measly wolf who looks like they can barely carry themselves." Mother says glaring at the wolf in front of us.

"Urghh…" The wolf let out a pathetic whimper.

He seemed intimidated by my Mothers gaze, but soon recomposed itself and began to rage.

"YoU BitCH!! I'LL KiLL YOU FIRST!" He began to charge at Mother as he shouted profanity at her.

"NOT A CHANCE!"

I regain my senses thanks to Mother yet again. I slam my two tails into its leaping body and send it crashing against a nearby tree, which makes a cracking noise as it almost goes straight through it.

"URGHHHH!" That cry from the wolf is let out once more.

Barely recovered, the wolf tries to get away from here in a hurry. It had realised its mistake in coming to confront us alone.

"You're not getting away!" I shout as it tries to flee.

I point my tail upwards and begin to manifest a fireball at the end of it. I put as much mana as I possibly could into it, grip it with one of my tails and fling it straight at the severely injured wolf.

"AHHHHHHH!"

It makes a direct hit.

"AHHHHH AHHH HOT! IT BURNS! NOOOO AHHH…"

The wolf screams and writhes trying to put out the fire, but to no avail. It eventually drops dead.

"Hehe got it… urgh" my legs give way and I drop briefly to the floor.

I cannot believe I got through that, I thought as I look at the well cooked wolf, that was moments ago mocking us and celebrating that it had found us.

"S-she did it!"

"Yay! Well done Ignis!"

The skulk begins to celebrate my victory and their safety behind me, while mother slowly approaches me.

"Well done Ignis, your Father would be proud." She says proudly but with a bit of sadness.

"Hehe thanks Mother… I think I am going to rest a little while."

I then sleep due to the physical and mental fatigue I had gone through in a short period of time.

---

When I awake it is already the next day. A couple of the stronger remaining members of the skulk had taken turns in carrying me.

I thank them and begin walking on my own again as to not burden them any longer. My legs feel a bit unsteady, but I will get used to it.

"Oh looks like I evolved?" I noticed that I now had three tails, as opposed to the two I had before when I looked back at myself to clean. I was now a Three Tailed Fire Fox.

A lot of the Three Tailed Foxes stayed back with Father to buy us time. So it is good I have got a bit stronger to make up for that loss of strength in a tiny way.

I make my way through the skulk, checking that everyone was doing okay.

I then see Mother at the front with two other Fire Foxes who were pregnant. I asked if anything had happened while I was resting, but she said nothing had which made me relieved.

We were now very close to the village, we could finally settle down for a little bit once we got there.

"Hopefully some of Fathers group survived and can make it here." I say optimistically.

Mother nodded in agreement and we crossed through the last bushes to get to the village.

"Okay everyone we are her… Huh?"

"Hah?..."

A red-haired human child?

She stood before us near the entrance to the village. She didn't look that strong, but I sensed that I should not try to start a fight with this kid.

Who is she? What on earth is she doing here?

We both just stared at each other as still as stone.

Is she friendly or an enemy?