The Fox Who Dreams of Partnership?!

Marktavious Nicholson

"Finally, we found a spot to enter."

It had been a long three hours of travel, but seeing this large mouth in the side of the Hidden Grotto made me grin with excitement. Since my brief skirmish with Mikangleo, the man had followed in silence for our trip here. However, even he perked up in mood once he spotted the entrance I spoke of. I readjusted the unconscious Claire on my shoulder and placed her in a process carry rather than the fireman's carry I had her in for the journey. It was a blessing that he did, because during our journey, he was useful enough to carry Catalyst for me.

A thick, musty stench poured from the cave's mouth, but I had to overlook it. It was significantly more acceptable to wallow in that scent than the downpour we were experiencing. I disliked wetting my clothes intensely, and this downpour caught me at the wrong time. No instructions were needed as we bolted toward the cave's entrance and escaped the rain's embrace.

"Fuck the weather god for raining on my parade today," I remarked once I wasn't being assaulted by falling participation. 

The first thing I did was rest Claire in an open space near the cave's entrance. The rain made it chilly, and the musty scent of the cave battled the distinct smell of wet fox. I knew the latter came from me as my magnificent tail was slick with water, and it was as if I were giving my best impression of a bathing dog. Mikangleo didn't voice a complaint but collapsed from exhaustion near the cave's wall. He would prop Catalyst on the wall next to him.

His chest heaved with exertion, and I didn't blame him. I may have had my stamina increased since coming to this world, but after my intense battle with The Ravager, and Mikangleo right after, even I was reaching my limit. My breathing was heavy, but I didn't allow myself to collapse just yet. I shifted my focus to wringing out my wet tail and shaking it so it could dry.

"Is that essential to you? Why not rest and then dry your tail?" 

My eyes shifted to Mikangleo and processed his question. I raised my finger toward my glasses and pulled them off for a lens cleaning. I shook my head at the colorful blob, and he answered, "My tail needs to be dry and fluffy to serve as a pillow for our unconscious friend. Plus, I need to look my best."

The man scoffed before looking away. He shivered noticeably before steeling his concerned expression. 

"I'm going to die here..." he mumbled.

I was sure he didn't think I could hear him, but his lack of faith in the situation was to be expected. After having a near-death experience that we were sharing, it was no surprise that our adrenaline boost was now petering out. Satisfied with my handiwork, I slipped my cleaned glasses back on my face.

"Do you know how to make a fire, Mikangleo?" I asked, and the man tilted his head in confusion. 

"I can, but I do not have fuel for one. The sticks outside are damp and unusable. I doubt we'd have enough kindling to sustain one."

"And if you did? Think you have the skills to keep us warm?" I asked, glancing at the man.

He thought for a moment before nodding. Usually, this would not be easy to endure if this were on Earth. The chilling nip in the air matched the cold, hard rocks underneath our feet. It would be more beneficial if we had a fire to help keep us warm and speed up the drying of our clothes. The last thing I would want is for one of my new allies to die from the common cold or something. I am glad Mikangleo decided to stick around, because I don't know the first thing about making a fire in a survivalist setting. 

If there were no match or lighter, I'd have no chance to warm us up. If it were Claire and me, things would end up awkward. The only method I would know of is the old-fashioned skin-to-skin body heat sharing method. Considering she was a noblewoman, I doubted she'd be pleased to experience that. 

"We live in a world of magic, and I just happen to have the right tool for the job," I said before stepping toward the center of their resting section. 

I closed my eyes and dug around for any magic I could have left; surprisingly, it was easier to detect than I imagined. If I were to compare that process to anything, it would be akin to visualizing how much air is in your lungs. Difficult at first, but I really thought about it, and I could sense the mana within me swelling by the second.

From what I understood from Fawkes's earlier explanation, your average person possesses a mana core, which serves as a vessel to host their internal mana. That tracks with my understanding of the mechanics of Infinity Unleashed. If I recall, a body recovers mana over time by filtering external mana into its body and converting it into its reserves.

Focusing on Claire momentarily, I imagine she's regained some of the mana she's exhausted in our battle with The Ravager during our journey. 

'Alright...'

"Vine Bind," I muttered in between bated breaths. 

I don't know what I imagined would happen, but I'm glad the spell worked in some fashion. Considering we were in a cave, which I somehow forgot about, the solid stone underneath our feet had to give way for the sprawling tree roots. The roots were thankfully dry and curled into a twisted spiral. I managed to guide them two feet out of the ground. 

"Nothing to it," I said, reveling in my triumph.

"Are you serious?" Mikangleo asked dryly.

I shifted my attention to the exuberant man to witness him stare at the root spiral with a blank expression. Although I couldn't distinguish his expression, it was somewhere between impressed and disbelief. 

"Why wouldn't I be? There's a tree outside, so it's only natural that I could direct its roots for our benefit. Now, the question is...how long will you glare at it? Light it up for us."

Mikangleo glared at me before exhaling exaggeratedly. He moved closer to the root spiral and crouched next to it. He reached out and lightly tapped it with his knuckle. He analyzed it momentarily. While he focused on doing that, I moved to sit next to our resting companion. 

Claire was uncomfortably sprawled out on the floor, so I decided to be a gentleman and assist her into a more comfortable position. The soft patter of rain quickly mixed with the softer crackle of a fire.

"Look at you being useful. Good work, bud," I teased, pulling Claire closer to the fire. 

 Once we reached an appropriate distance away from it, I sat down next to it. It wasn't easy to position Claire properly, but I managed to do so. She would lie on her back with her head and neck cushioned by my majestic tail. 

"Don't patronize me," Mikangleo hissed once I got comfortable. 

His reaction stunned me, but in hindsight, it shouldn't have. Mikangleo was a broody guy, so for him to react like that from light teasing was to be expected. He was sitting across from us, with the light of the fire briefly illuminating his glowering face. We locked eyes for a moment before he glanced to his left.

"If you can't make something as simple as a fire, how did you plan to tackle a place as dangerous as the Hidden Grotto? Don't make me laugh."

I raised my eyebrow at his dismissive comment, but he refused to look me in the eye. It amused me how he thought that comment was a slap to my ego. 

"I guess it's a good thing that I'm not cracking jokes, huh?" I retorted while cracking a smirk.

Unamused by my wiseassery, Mikangleo let out a scoff fueled by exacerbation. His amber eyes narrowed as a frown etched itself into his features. He unbuckled the utility belt around his waist and placed it beside him. I was surprised that the man would remove his coat, but I didn't voice any opposition to his actions. He was on the right path, so I followed his lead. First, I undid the strap of the armor plating that resided over my shoulder and safeguarded my chest. My metal braces were the next to go, and then my green robes. To my relief, my light green undershirt was not as wet as the upper layer of clothing. 

"You're removing your armor? Are you insane?" Mikangleo questioned, and I could sense his skepticism in his tone. 

I ignored the question as my actions were enough of a response. Focusing on the mana within, I pulled on the nearby roots just as before and pulled one from the cave floor. The floor cracked and splintered like before, but the root that emerged rose five feet in the air before turning at a ninety-degree angle to form a clothing line next to the fire. 

"Some people may believe I am insane, but sometimes a madman and a genius reside on the same blurred line. Though I am more genius than madman," I answered him once I completed my spell. From my sitting position, I spread open my robe and then tossed it onto the pseudo-drying rack. 

I hummed with self-satisfaction at my work when my ears flickered at Mikangleo's next snide remark: "You are arrogant, and your arrogance nearly got us killed."

"Why don't you tell me how you really feel, Mikangleo?" I asked sarcastically. "You seem to mutter some slick shit under your breath a lot, but I am going to chalk up to your ignorance that you don't realize that I could hear a fly nibble on a horse's ass!"

He scoffed and side-eyed me, "What?"

"If you have something to say, open your mouth and say it. We're both men here. If you have a criticism of me, then lay it at my feet. Whispering under your breath like a scolded toddler isn't an action befitting a proper adventurer!" I scolded, and Mikangleo's head snapped in my direction.

The man rose to his feet and clenched his fists. He glowered at me with teeth clenched as tight as his fists. 

"I think your decision to come here has doomed us. I've only met you today, and I was nearly killed due to being mistaken for one of your friends. For being mistaken as a dog for a noble like you. I-"

"You're on about that again?" I said, interrupting him with a roll of my eyes. "It's nobles this and nobles that with you."

Before he could respond, I spoke again in a mocking tone, "Oh, look at me, I'm Mikangleo, and I was seen with a noblewoman, and therefore it is the fault of the foxkin that my face was nearly ripped off by a scarred sadist pig bastard that shares my world view! Pity me as I tightened my fist in a tantrum."

"I told you not to patronize me!" He hissed.

"I'm not patronizing you, but I am mocking you," I corrected, and his scowl deepened. I held my hand up to stop his next response, because I could guess what he was going to say next. "I'm not going to do this song and dance again. Instead, you and I are going to focus on what we have in common rather than our differing opinions of the nobility. I for one dislike the nobles too."

"I find that doubtful considering you're allowing one to use your tail as her pillow," Mikangleo spat. 

"That's because Claire saved our ass. Without her magic, that I may add, delibulated The Ravager, you would have been dead. So, if she's unconscious and needs a place to rest her head, then best believe that she can use my tail. Would you rather I lay our saviour's head on a rock?" I questioned.

Mikangleo contemplated my question for a moment, and he shook his head. He began pacing with his amber eyes taking in the sights around us. After coming to a conclusion, he turned his gaze in our direction and rooted in place. The slight sent of burning wood lingered in the air as the rain picked up on the outside of the cave. 

"Her appearance..." he said while tilting his head. 

I followed his glance before a realization hit me like a pile of bricks. Upon realizing many of Mikangleo's visible injuries were gone, I did a double-take. If I hadn't known that we were in a life and death encounter a few hours ago, then I wouldn't have guessed looking at him. I studied the man for a moment.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"I didn't want to mention it, but... did either of you use demonic magic?" Mikangleo asked with a hardened tone. 

I was stunned by his question. 

"Demonic Magic?" I repeated, which earned a curt stare from the man.

"Her appearance changed when we fought against that man, but you didn't flinch at it. She looks nothing like how she did when we first met. She's younger, much younger than before. Magic that disguises one's appearance is considered demonic, so you can imagine my surprise when I witness it from your companion," Mikangleo said.

"Are you insinuating that Claire is a demon?"

"Is she?"

I raised my eyebrow for a moment and considered his question. I didn't consider it long before shaking my head in disagreement. 

"I'm willing to bet you wouldn't be saying that if Claire were poor like you," I countered.

"You should watch yourself," Mikangleo growled.

"Should I?" I challenged.

Mikangleo stepped closer to the fire, and the illumination revealed his reddening face. His eyebrows were sharp as knives, and he glared at me as if I had insulted his family's honor. Despite his outward aggression, Mikangleo made no effort to appear intimidating. 

"Each time you open your mouth, you appear more elitist than a nobleman! I know that look in your eyes, foxel, and it disgusts me! You called yourself a God earlier, but ran with your tail between your legs just like we did! How can you sit there and look down your nose at me and call me poor when you're nothing more than a suicidal mutt with delusions of grandeur?!"

"Pardon? I'm a what?" I snapped with widened eyes.

His words stunned me for a moment, and when I came from my stupor, I was flushed with anger. My fingers interlocked with the hairs of my goatee as I released that anger in concentrated strokes. I instead focused on the content of his words rather than the insults he tossed my way. I did ask him to speak his mind, so I shouldn't be so quick to get angry, no matter how ridiculous his words are.

"You make a fair point, but don't call me a mutt ever again. You can have the suicidal and delusional part, but I'm no mutt. Claire's no demon either, so refrain from calling her that bullshit too," I said coldly.

Despite my attempts to remain collected, my glare slipped through the cracks. It bore into Mikangleo, and I watched the man flinch and step back. Whether it was a conscious act or just instinct, I didn't know, but genuine malice leaked through my expression. There are a few descriptors that I would overlook when it comes to insults from an ally, but every fiber of my new kitsune nature rejected the idea of being considered a mutt. 

 The insult cut deeper than I thought it should have, and I couldn't understand why at first. There was a tug in my chest, within my mana space, and then the face of Fawkes appeared in my mind. The smug and confident fox carried himself with a grandiose sense of importance that resembles my own in a way. It was as annoying as it was charming. To insult and label me as a mutt would be dooming Fawkes in the same breath. 

A peculiar feeling of protectiveness washed over, despite the young fox spirit beast only coming into existence today. I gestured for Mikangelo to have a seat, and surprisingly he complied.

"Tell me, who considers shapeshifting demonic? Is it not just another spell?" I asked the man calmly.

"Another spell, he says..." Mikangleo scoffed as he sat down against the wall. He leaned back while locking gazes with me. Upon realizing I was serious, Mikangleo shifted his eyes to the resting Claire. "Why are you bringing her here?"

His tone suggested suspicion, as if he had accused me of plotting something. I was plotting to gain strength, but his unsaid insinuation seemed more radical. Interlocking my fingers, I leaned closer to the fire and reveled in its glowing brilliance and warmth. As I opened my mouth to speak, Mikangleo cut me off, 

"Do not dodge the question either."

"Power, obviously," I answered truthfully. 

"Power? What kind of power do you seek here that you can't find anywhere else?" Mikangleo asked firmly.

"The type of power that would be used to keep me alive. To keep my allies alive, and naturally further my ambitions." 

Mikangleo rolled his eyes at my answer. It was obvious that he didn't believe my words. Frankly, it was your standard reply, so I thought more about it. Upon reconsideration, I decided to be transparent with him. Snapping my fingers to regain his attention, I locked gazes with the indifferent man.

"Hidden somewhere in his cave is a trove of crystals that I believe could be harnessed to increase my magical prowess."

That answer appeared to catch his interest. Mikangleo sat up straight and began scratching the back of his head. His eyes narrowed in thought.

"I have heard of rumors of such a thing, but they are just that. To think you would be crazy enough to take them at face value, and for your friend to condone it..."

"You keep working under the assumption that Claire is my master. I can sense it in your tone. Each time you look at me and remember that I have a tail and ears matching those of a fox, you associate me with others that look like me. I've been here for less than a week, and it is clear that people of my ilk are underestimated and looked down upon. The boots of this kingdom, and potentially the region, are used to bash them down for the sole reason their holy book says so." 

I narrowed my eyes and pushed my glasses back onto the bridge of my nose. The warmth of the fire flooded the area, causing the lens of my glasses to accumulate water droplets. My gaze hardened as I continued, 

"It may be an understood fact that foxkins or foxels or whatever the hell you want to call me are weaker than most and require permission from a supposed superior race, but don't delude yourself into thinking that I am the same. I have nothing in common with fools at the bottom, whether they be foxkin, human, beastman, beastkin, or elf. The fact remains that I am my own man at the end of the day. I do as I please, when I please, however I please. I have no master other than God Himself, and that's because I acknowledge him as such."

"God? Do you mean yourself?" Mikangleo inquired incredulously. 

I shook my head, and the man's expression tensed. To dispel his confusion, I smiled and pointed toward the sky with my right index finger.

"I may be something of a god myself, but the one I worship and praise is The All Mighty. He is one of the supreme deities in my homeland. The creator and the destroyer. The Beginning and the end. The Alpha and The Omega. Both benevolent and malicious, just as any mortal man."

Mikangleo blinked at my words before leaning his head back in thought. The man appeared to be considering my words and paired my description to one of the gods he may have known in this realm. Naturally, he would never pair them because I do not speak of any of them. We remained silent momentarily, but an unexpected voice arose from my side.

"You speak of Limmes?" Claire asked in a strained voice.

Spooked by her sudden inclusion, I turned to face the woman as she recovered from her rest. She slowly pushed herself to her knees and rubbed the back of her head. Her gaze moved around the cave as her fingers interlocked with my tail's hair. Confused by the sensation, she would look down, and I could sense the gears running through her hair. 

"I take it we made it to our destination, considering we aren't in Astana," Claire said as she made herself comfortable. 

"We have, and we did so in one piece, but that's to be expected," I replied, offering her a confident smile.

While she appeared sluggish, Claire returned the gesture and moved closer to the fire. Her hand gripped the cloak I had draped over it and analyzed it.

"Your kindness is noted, Mark, but I must admit that I didn't expect such a gentlemanly action from you. You are quite brutish at times."

I chuckled warmly at her comment before moving my tail behind me. 

"My behavior is situation-dependent. Kindness is earned, and for now, you have earned mine. You may have left Q behind a few days ago but stuck by my side today and got the job done. Replicate that with him, and he'll move past the incident and forgive you," I said.

Claire's eyes darkened momentarily as the woman began cradling her knees to her chest. My words appeared to have hit a sore spot for her, but I didn't apologize. It is important to remind someone of their failures in hopes that they improve. Claire struck me as the type of person who wants to improve. That despite her current rough situation and the trauma inflicted on her, she would press forward. I cannot dictate Q's emotions, nor would I want to do so. 

Just as I am my own man, he is his. What I offer them both is a firm rock to which they can link themselves and remain steadfast and resilient. Claire nodded her head briefly before I realized Mikangleo was looking between the two of us. I tilted my head with intrigue as the man spoke,

"Now that she's awake, you can explain our next course of action. Around now, your injuries should be restored due to the power of the healing potion. Before your mention of your... god, you briefly mentioned that we were here because of the rumored magical crystals. How do you plan on finding them?"

Claire perked up from his question, and her gaze also rested on me. With the assistance of the fire's light, I could detect that Claire was a bit paler than usual. While it was notable, I didn't think it was worth addressing right now. Instead, I focused on Mikangleo's question. Truth be told, I was relying on Fawkes, but I didn't want to let them know about him at the moment.

"You referred to them as rumors, but they aren't. I have seen them with my very own eyes. I have also touched them and spilled blood on them for what it's worth. That being said, I can track them down, but I don't know what we will encounter on the way there. For now, since Claire is still recovering, and I want to ensure my injuries as well as yours are figments of the past, our first course of action is to dry our clothes and rest. Rest because we will likely have a tricky trip ahead of us. Is that understood?" 

The two of them wore a tensed expression, but for now, they nodded in understanding. Claire's focus shifted to the ring I gave her as she focused on whatever task she had given herself. On the other hand, Mikangleo watched with passive interest as we followed my plan.