Part Three - Guide
"I see... I'm sorry, Angrei, I never meant to hand you such a burden..."
"Do not apologize, Bronislav... Despite all I've left behind, even dear Mareike... Let alone my children... I don't think I'd have deserved any of it if I couldn't do this... They need to see that someone must always stand to protect the weak..."
"..."
"... I know, old friend, that's not what I was implying."
A chuckle passed between them. Having left the Desert behind for a different kind of ruin, the two now stood in the midst of an ancient temple of some sort.
Between them, gathered on the stone floor, a pile of wood was burning strongly.
"I'm going to go gather some food. Maybe there's a river nearby I can fish from." Disappearing from the decayed blockwork of stone and earth, Angreifer, in only a pair of white pants, headed into the surrounding forest, which was slowly growing colder as winter began to approach.
The very instant he arrived at the river, though, he heard a strange, fairly lilting, high-pitched voice behind himself.
"White... The color of death... You not only wear it, but it permeates your very fur, and even your eyes... Expecting something, child...?"
He stayed still throughout the speech, but when it was done he turned his gaze back. It was a fox. Strange creatures, they were, and commonly either untrustworthy or just plain unpredictable.
It was a female... Standing there, completely in the nude. Her fur was the color of fire, marred only by the white of her belly and the black the covered the majority of her extremities, tail excluded. She was a lovely one, too... Not that he had time to go spending his time fantasizing.
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"Oh. Not one for pleasantries, I see. The elder was right about you... So I'll get right to the point... My name... Is Yumi... And I am simply here to tell you what you need to hear so that you can give balance back to this land... But one thing I have learned throughout the centuries is that often, it takes far more than simple words to pass along a message... So off you go!"
With that, before Angreifer was able to get back on his guard, the vulpine simply swept below and knocked him off his feet with her own, and then, with a powerful blow to the chest, while he was still falling, she sent him careening into the river.
The river had a stronger current than it had first appeared to! It carried Angrei away as simply as if he had been the petal of a flower.
- End Part Three.
As I've stated before, feedback is always welcome!
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