I was close enough to the tree hiding the fox den to strike as the fox cubs continued their assault. Their magical projectiles were little more than a light show no matter how hard they tried, but it would have to do.

  Ignoring the throbbing pain across my body, I propelled forward and hurled my aegis. The edge plunged into the side of the beast’s skull with a wet snap. The hyena yelped, dropping the cub just as black ether gathered in its maw.

  My danger sense tingled, hair standing on end, but momentum carried me onward. Nullblade and Predator were unusable right now, yet I’d learned enough from the latter to pinpoint threats and vital points at a glance. I twisted aside, dodging a murky mass that sprang from the hyena’s mouth, and swung the enchanted sword in my right hand. The blade carved deep into the beast’s neck.

  The head thudded to the ground, the body collapsing soon after. My muscles protested as I spun around, assessing the field. Although wounded, the fox mother had gained the upper hand; several ice spikes jutted upward, impaling the husk of another hyena.

  Satisfied, I turned back to the cubs, a lesser healing serum materializing in my hands. With the big hyena dead, the fox cubs finally stopped their light show. They regarded me cautiously, but lacked the bloodlust of mature beasts. Their curiosity outweighed fear by a large margin.

  Thanks to that, I managed to crouch beside the cub the hyena had snatched. Blood marred its fur, and a quick search revealed several puncture wounds where fangs had pierced its skin. Unsure how deep the injury ran–or whether the hyena’s traits might infect it–I uncapped the serum and dripped several droplets onto the wounds.

  The fox yelped at the sting, going still only when I touched it. Ignoring how my inner World responded, I fed the cub a few more droplets. That proved harder than expected as more fox cubs latched onto me. Some clawed me when their sibling cried out, and others tried tearing into me with their teeth.

  They couldn’t even pierce my skin, but my World reacted to their presence, humming vigorously–ready to bind every single one. Worse, the cubs’ impression of me shifted swiftly, and they seemed to take a liking to me. The abduction attempt and the hyena threat already forgotten, they leaped at me and each other, energized by the World’s resonance.

  My danger sense tingled again as I watched them play, and the worst-case scenario flashed through my mind. I spun around with blade and aegis ready–but it wasn’t a revived hyena lunging at me.

  It was the fox mother.

  Deep growls rumbled through the air, flames encased in ice spiraling around her bloody form.

  “I… I just tried to help,” I said, letting the sword vanish into the onyx ring.

  As far as I knew, the elemental foxes weren’t interested in eating me. The mother was simply protecting her children, unsure if I was a threat. If I showed my best side, maybe she’d accept that I meant no harm and we’d go our separate ways. At least, that’s what I told myself.

  Depriving the cubs of their last parent after losing their father was the last thing I wanted–though I’d defend myself if forced. Whether I could escape without killing the glacial-furred fox in my state, however, was… doubtful.

  The furballs squealed and bundled around us as the tension grew. It took them nearly a minute to recognize their mother. When they did, they rushed toward her, whining. From what I could tell, the little ones were telling her everything. There was a glint in their eyes suggesting enough intelligence to communicate. Speech would’ve been easier, but the whining worked well enough.

  The tension eased, though not fully–not until she located her wounded cub. Something shifted in her eyes when she saw the glass vial in my hand and the cub licking my fingers.

  “Go back to your mother,” I snickered, gesturing at her. The cub noticed but still hopped on two legs, front paws reaching toward me.

  Once things calmed further, I took out a few slabs of meat from the onyx ring–leftovers set aside for Nox and Aureus. My initial suspicion was confirmed: the mother fox was hungry. The cubs rushed the meat, and I figured it wouldn’t take long to convince her of my good intentions.

  That was, until the flames encased in ice shot toward me.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  No warning. No killing intent.

  Too sudden to block.

  I tried to raise the aegis, cursing as I reached into the ring for my weapon–but the icy flames blazed past and struck something behind me. They exploded, waves of heat and frost hammering my back, yet… I felt no pain.

  I was unscathed.

  The smell of burned flesh hit me a heartbeat later.

  The third hyena had returned, and I hadn’t even noticed it.

  Staring at the beast–its maw and chest torn open–I shuddered and looked back at the fox mother. She stared at me for another moment before releasing a high-pitched rumble. The cubs jerked up and rushed into the den, tails tucked tight.

  Mother fox glanced at the meat and rushed forward, dragging the largest piece into the den. Moments later, she vanished with both the meat and her cubs, barely acknowledging me.

  Half a dozen hyena corpses and the remnants of the ice wave scarred the clearing, though the ice was already melting. It was only a matter of time before nature reclaimed the battlefield, corpses included. My ears perked as distant noises reached me–noises I didn’t want to face. Not now, preferably never.

  Taking stock of my condition, I was ready to leave when my left leg seized the moment I stepped. It caved beneath me, cramping as the distant noises grew nearer. A curse escaped my lips as I limped in the opposite direction–only for the cubs to rush back out into the open.

  “Go away!” I hissed, but they ran toward me. The injured cub was among them and even climbed my cramping leg.

  “There’s no time to play around! Something is coming!” Swallowing curses, I set them down and shooed them off.

  But when I looked toward the den, the mother fox’s head emerged. She stared past me and gave a soft huff before retreating–only exciting the cubs further. Their tiny maws clamped onto my pants as they strutted toward the den, chests puffed with visible excitement.

  “You want me to join you?” I asked, brows furrowed.

  No answer. With the night settling and the approaching noises speeding up, sheltering with elemental foxes sounded like a blessing. I approached the small hole in the tree.

  The entrance hid within a deep gash in the massive trunk, narrow enough that I barely fit after removing my armor. Everything went into the onyx ring, which helped a little as I spent minutes squeezing through. With the Earthen Aspect, this would’ve been easier. Fortunately, the cubs tried to pull me inside, though their bites and tugs only tickled.

  Their intentions were all that mattered.

  Once through the entrance, I stumbled down a wider tunnel. A brown-furred cub and the mother sealed the opening with multiple elements until only a thin gap remained for oxygen to pass through.

  I tried to stand or turn to look around the den, but my body refused. Several furballs leaped onto my chest and nuzzled me. One climbed onto my Adam’s apple and settled down, legs dangling to either side. Soon, my limbs were occupied as well–making me wonder how many elemental foxes lived here.

  Not that it bothered me. Their fur was heavenly. Exhaustion resurfaced, and I didn’t fight it.

  The last thing I remembered was retrieving another lesser healing serum for the mother and a large piece of meat. My stomach grumbled, but exhaustion won the silent battle. Unable to resist body or mind, darkness seeped into my consciousness.

  I survived, I thought, smiling as the cubs pressed close, their souls resonating with my inner World.

  As long as those little buggers won’t eat me alive, I added with a chuckle as sleep swallowed me.

  ***

  Faint prickles on my skin, chewing noises, and the potent smell of dozens of foxes stirred me awake.

  My eyes fluttered open to a dark cave no larger than a box room. In the dim light radiating from the creatures, I saw a dozen narrow tunnels–barely wide enough for the elementals. Only the surface tunnel was larger, which… might have been my fault.

  Looking down, I was covered in fox cubs, dirt, and piss. A lot of piss. The cubs hadn’t bothered leaving my side before relieving themselves.

  A disgusted grunt escaped me, though I was grateful they hadn’t finished their number two on me. The feces of dozens of cubs might have killed me–or at least ruined my will to live. I shuddered at the thought, stirring several of them awake.

  Sitting upright, I nearly smacked my head against the ceiling.

  “Is someone hungry?” I asked, pulling out some meat and Aureus’s leftover kibble. The remaining cubs awoke instantly. They scrambled to their paws and rushed the food. A few larger foxes snapped at their siblings to get first bites, prompting me to pull out more, smaller pieces.

  Once I was no longer pinned down, I changed clothes. It was a struggle, but the stench of dozens of pee stains was unbearable.

  After several minutes of twisting around in the cramped space, trying not to squash the cubs, I managed to get clean clothes on–but the odor lingered.

  A small flame gathered in my palm and burst into phoenix fire, burning away the scent. The foxes yelped in surprise but resumed play-fighting once they realized the flames caused no harm.

  Only the mother fox reacted strongly, emerging from a small tunnel with ocean-blue eyes glaring daggers at me.

  “S-sorry? I just wanted to test if I could use my traits.”