Bianca collapsed, she hardly noticed when Lyon had released her as she started crawling forward toward her brother, her brother, her brother's head. As if David had been also trying to reach her… the head bounced then rolled awkwardly just a few yards from where she'd been. Teers were already pouring down her face as she gently picked David up, then sobs racked her body violently. Bianca barely even noticed the blood drenching her dress as she rocked David's head back and forth.
"David! David! Sob sob, ugh, David, nngh, uuhn, baby brother, nnnooo…" She sobbed uncontrollably as she curled her body around his head.
Lyon was too horrified to stop his wife when the head was separated from its body… he hadn't even seen what happened. By the time he regained his wits… Bianca was covered in blood while rocking the head back and forth. He stared at the second head, Gaston's head… while they hadn't been close, he was Count Karbonovich's personal mage, and a fourth-tier mage who specialized in winned enchantments.
Caius rolled his eyes as he used the same tail that had cut off the heads to curl around both bodies. The chains fell away as he lifted them up and returned to his fox form. The bodies had soiled themselves upon death so a quick shower from a water spell left them clean and entirely bare, so he dropped them in his mouth.
The only sound was the crunching of bones as the giant fox chewed on the bodies… then a loud swallow. Even the prisoners were silent. Everyone staring in shocked horror, there had been no time to fight, offer a trade… it was over so… quickly.
Jaxon watched in paralyzed anguish as the giant fox swallowed both bodies after two crunches. Even the hysterical Bianca had gone silent watching the gruesome spectacle, all the while Ashton was clutched in another tail looking bored.
Caius licked his lips but decided to change back to his human form. He caught the youth in his outstretched arms from the height difference, "Aiya, what to do… my first offering you can't enjoy fully, and the second is little more than a show Little Snack. So hard to please."
Ashton glanced around, "I am pleased none the less." Ashton informed as his stomach growled, "But I would like to eat too."
"Aiya!!! Yes yes, food for the Little Snack," Caius agreed as he trotted over to the tiny nest… he circled it once, then twice, "Don't you have a bigger nest?" Caius complained glancing left and right.
Ashton rolled his eyes, still being princess carried, "I was planning to make a new one today."
Caius glanced around then changed back to his fox form wrapping the youth back up in his tails. "We'll have to make do, hmm," Caius murmured then glanced over the humans in chains, "I'll finish eating after you've been fed Little Snack."
The pure white fox gave a soft bark, then the humans were led out of the way. The three tailed fox slowly walked to Caius's side, tails swaying beautifully with each step. The white fox stopped just under the youth with a small bow of its head, then turned sitting with all three tails curled to the side.
Neolani eyed both foxes… but ordered the warriors to bring the tables and platters closer. Both foxes watched her, eyes narrowing as if she were acting strangely. Neolani paid them no mind as three tables were raised within arms reach of Ashton and several platters were lifted onto them. A warrior was still fetching a mug of milk from a warded barrel of milk when the larger fox spoke.
Caius glanced at the seven platters, five almost overflowing with meats, one with pastries, one with fruits. "What is this?"
Neolani wanted to retort… but the fox seemed genuinely confused. Before she could come up with a more polite response Ashton reached for the closest platter which was filled with freshly grilled boar steaks. To her shock one of the giant tails whipped the platter aside.
Caius had acted on instinct, "Little snack… what were you doing?" he asked bewildered as looked at the meat now scattered on the ground.
Ashton turned to Caius just as bewildered, "I… was going to eat?" They blinked at each other in mutual confusion.
"You're… a vegetarian… you can't eat meat…" Caius informed as if he was trying to explain how water was wet. Everyone of course knew it was wet, but explaining how to define wet. Phoenixes didn't hunt, didn't eat meat, heck he wasn't even sure if they ate fish… their diets consisted of fruit and nuts for the most part.
Everyone stilled, especially the Inago warriors as they shared uncertain glances. Jaxon had jolted at the revelation… if Ashton didn't eat meat… then eating Monroe…
Ashton tilted his head, "I can eat meat," he refuted glancing at the remaining platters.
Caius shook his head as if a bug had landed on his nose, "… okay, you can eat meat… the same way starving human children eat tree bark." Caius announced glancing over the humans as he started to bare his teeth… to have made the Little Snack eat meat… no wonder he his feathers were so sparce and dry looking.
Ashton shrugged, "Fox… I am starving." Ashton could not afford to be picky… especially when the second-best conduit of mana was flesh. He was sorely desperate for mana to grow and maintain his self-inflicted restrictions. He was also still human enough that eating meat only made him nauseated rather than sick.
Caius flattened his ears glaring at all the humans, "Go." He snarled, without hesitation all of his kin except Talvi took off into the forest. Of his chained human snacks, one attempted to get up but all twelve on the chain were electrocuted until they collapsed.
Talvi waved her tails opening a spacial bangle on her back left paw. She reached her mouth in dragging out a small chest. She bowed until Caius used a tail to lift the chest onto the table.
"It seems I must take over the weighty task of fattening you up Little Snack." Caius announced somberly as his tail flipped the chest open. Inside were half a dozen shimmering blue fruit, it was only the size of his human fist, but wars had been waged over even a single slice of such a treasure.
Ashton hesitated, then reached for the centermost fruit, the bumpy yet soft texture was as if thousands of tiny grapes had embedded themselves in a sphere. They were also much bigger than any he'd seen before… while this one was easily the size of his two fists most were only the size of a kiwi.
Caius watched the youth inspect the fruit, he settled his head down with a grin, "They sometimes call mana fruit, the fox grape. Tell me Little Snack, is it sweet? Or sour?"
Sebastian wasn't sure how many more surprises his heart could take today, a battle of legendary beasts, David being beheaded… and eaten, Ashton being a vegetarian, the missing 170 men, another beast of sin courting Ashton, Ashton being a baby chick, now not one but six fruits of legend the empire had been trying to find for decades. Sebastian looked to the sky… and they hadn't even eaten breakfast yet.
Ashton eyed the fox, "A fruit even more rare than a beast of sin…" There was no way the Fox didn't have some sort of plan for these fruit… and to have six just waiting around… not even he knew how to keep then fresh once picked. Ashton stared at the other five fruit… no matter how he looked… they were all real… looking as if they'd just been plucked from a tree.
"Aiya, I spent a hundred years to find a good tree, and it took another fifty years before it bore fruit. Now you won't even taste them to tell me if they're sweet or sour." Caius lamented throwing himself on his side.
Ashton sat stably in the nest of tails while the fox threw his tantrum, he carefully, almost reverently took his first bite. The juice gushed so quickly he couldn't even try to keep himself clean as he leaned forward. If the tea from the little flower had been enough to make a human explode from mana overload… this single bite was the equivalent of if he swallowed the sixth tier spell he'd used to kill the land dragon.
Caius pushed himself up to watch the youth savor each bite. Caius's ears twitched as drops of juice slid down the youth's arms, onto his chest, and even drip onto his legs. The process seemed like an eternity but also just a moment. All too soon the youth leaned back with a satisfied sigh.
Ashton pretended to not notice the fox's… attentive gaze as he ate the fruit. For the first time in this life he didn't feel hungry anymore, he couldn't be considered full but aching emptiness was gone. He leaned back into the warm tails… this was… nice.
Before the youth could sit up, Caius leaned in licking the youth from toe to cheek happily. "Aiya, so sweet." Caius teased looking at the now disheveled youth.
Ashton held his arms away from his body… "Thanks?" he asked uncertainly as the fox saliva quickly dried. The fox burst into laughter as he placed his head back in Ashton's lap.
"Hmm, what am I to do with you Little Snack? I can't abduct you away until you're old enough to mate… but these humans can't care for you…" Caius lamented as Talvi retuned the chest to her storage bangle.
Ashton eyed the fox, "Whatever will you do Fox?" his question caused him to be licked again…
"Sighs, I guess I must stay and ensure no other foxes try tempting you away. Now, what are our plans for today?" Caius asked glancing over the humans who had watched the youth eat. Some were now watching Talvi, some with avarice, some with maliciousness.
Ashton made a show of wiping his face, "Well, now that you've revealed yourself, I was planning to eat Monroe, then send the children out hunting, maybe go look around." Ashton informed counting on his fingers.
Caius raised his head glancing around, "Eh? I thought you meant to give him to me to eat… otherwise I wouldn't have bothered with him yesterday…"
Jaxon paled as he stepped in front of Monroe, but he was ignored as a giant fox tail extended to wrap around Monroe dragging him before the two beasts, "Please! Please Stop!" His heart lurched as he saw the blood stains from where Bianca had held David's head.
Lucian almost drew his sword seeing the tail hold Monroe by his ankle while dangling him in front of both beasts, "We still have the ballots!" Lucian reminded stepping forward.
Caius glanced at the dragonkin, "Aiya, that's true. Well then Little Snack, why don't we see how many pieces we get?"
Neolani straightened her shoulders as she gathered the guesses. The white fox stood up on its hind legs transforming into… a beautiful woman in her early twenties, white hair in a side braid, pale skin, but vibrant red lips stood out under her coal black eyes. Her voluptuous curves that would give any man ideas or make a woman envious.
Talvi wore a short wrap dress that had straps tied behind her neck to stay up, leaving her back and everything below midthigh exposed. On her left ankle was a silver nine ring bangle that had a silver bell that would tinkle with her every step. Her three snow white tails trailed behind her enchanting all who dared look.
Talvi placed her right hand over her left on her stomach with a solemn bow from her waist, then straightened with closed eyes as she held her hands out for the stack of papers. "May your sun rise, bright and warm." Talvi greeted in a composed stoic manner.
"May the spirits guide you safely." Neolani returned as she bowed from the waist, then handed over the papers, she didn't straighten up until the fox accepted the papers. If Caius was an enticing fire beckoning with promised warmth, this white fox was a frosty iceberg threatening misery.
Talvi glanced through the papers burning any that didn't have Caius's name. Only nine of the over forty pages remained. Talvi then removed the ones that didn't have at least three correct reasonings.
Caius turned human with the Little Snack back in his lap as he accepted the six pages. He red them over with a smirk. "Hmm, what say you little Snack, how many of these six are correct?"
Ashton had to lean forward as Caius pressed against his back while wrapping one arm around his waist. "Hmm, well these two are correct." Ashton stated glancing at the identical answers, rings for proposal, gold fire of influence, and the lust influence on himself.
Caius set the two pages aside, "Hmm, I guess this one is correct… though the reasons aren't." Caius placed a third page with the rings, illusions, and having met the human to pass on the curse.
"How did you do that by the way? The curse from a distance." Ashton asked picking out a fourth page that had the ruby ring with fire enhancement, illusions, and the red gold flames.
Caius rested his chin on the soft golden hair, "Hmm, my kin can act as… carriers to pass on my curses. So they each carry several curses to protect themselves and just unleash them on whatever wretch they decide. Then they can come back to me and get a new one."
Ashton looked at the last two pages pensively, "By kin… you mean offspring?" one of the pages had nine clues… but only one of the reasons were technically correct.
Caius grinned toothily as the first of his kin returned from the forest, "Yes, though any of my descendants can carry a curse. Are you jealous Little Snack?"
Ashton paused, really thinking about his answer, while he was celibate… he wasn't naïve enough to expect others to be… but if Fox intended to court… "I'm not sure… I don't believe so… but if you had sexual relations with another, I do not think I would consider you for a mate." Ashton decided to place the paper for burning. Ashton also noticed… not one of the papers had used Charmaine as a clue.
Caius chuckled, "Aiya, I would never be unfaithful. I know how loyal you birds are, and possessive." Caius gave a dramatic shudder as he pulled the youth closer.
Ashton had to tilt his head to the side as Fox arched to snuggle his neck, "Humm." Ashton was belatedly surprised… how easily he accepted all of the fox's affections… it wasn't just because the fox was warm… perhaps because they were both beasts? The touches were… different.
"Hmmm, five boons from the Little Snack, out of 45. So I get eight pieces…" Caius happily chattered glancing at the still dangling dragonkin.
Ashton glanced up, "I'm pretty sure the pieces are mine." Ashton stated glancing over the gathered crowd… perhaps he had been too nice… since the lordlings or imperials had never looked at him with such fear or awe.
Caius covered the little one's eyes, "Aiya, fine. I'll trade you for them, so hard to please."
Jaxon had pushed his way forward, but glanced down so the beast didn't see his glaring. "Five of the boons are to get the pieces back, we'd like to barter for the last three." Jaxon stated firmly.
Caius frowned at the man, then swatted him away with a tail. "For a moment… I thought a human was giving me orders. Am I hearing things Little Snack?"