It was rather astonishing that Freya took the offer from Amaril to work at the Hapless Fox. We had come to learn that this Tavern was for more— unusual visitors to the village that might upset regular folks.

As if I knew what regular was nowadays.

We received word from Leo that Fija was ecstatic about the invitation and would be at the Hapless Fox in a fortnight.

Freya was offered a position to help brew mead and other drinks and medicinal items for adventuring parties and travelers. We had been unaware— correction, I had been unaware that the Valley of Foxes— or known to the villagers as The Valley of Inari, was a hub of sorts to enter into the dense mountains towered behind the Shrine. It was also common for people to offer prayers to Inari for safe travel and other things since she resided within these lands— or so went the legend.

"Does Inari reside here, Moto?" I asked, lying on the futon and staring up at the ceiling of his room.

Moto was lying on the porch enjoying the sunshine after taking care of the Sookie's and cleaning the catch Gaelan had brought home. I was beginning to get better at butchering, although I was still a bit queasy. "Yes, and no."

"What an explanation!" I cried and nudged his calf with my foot. "Come now, what does that even mean?"

"It means little vixen, that Inari is aware of what goes on with her Shrines. She is the Goddess presiding over it, of course," he paused, attempting to explain it further. "Inari grants prayers, but so do you in your way. It is why you can listen to prayers should you choose."

A few of the villagers come, and their prayers were very simple, healthy living and a good harvest; I was happy to grant such requests.

One idiot adventuring traveler had requested riches and a harem of women; the guy gave off incredibly creepy vibes. So I had scared the pants off of him by growling low and having fox fire burst from the Shrine.

Moto had found this gleeful and howled with delight alongside Gaelan as they drank sake watching from the residence.

Fauna and Gaelan began working on magic together, she had an innate talent for earth magic, and Gaelan was happy to teach her how to defend herself. Our little shy Nisse became formidable in shoving rocky terrain at a giant deer to stop its retreat from Gaelan's spear.

The summer heat was stifling, and we made frequent trips to the river to cool down in the deeper parts. The men usually went first and then kept watch for us as we lounged and sunbathed on rocks.

I had decided to find someone with specific skills, and the sake maker was by far the most significant find. She was an adorable girl named Yui; her family had been brewing sake in this village since it's founding. However, having someone else brew for the village meant we could sell our sake in other lands; the taxing for the brewing of sake helped increase the village's growth and prepared it for winter and taking care of the elderly and sick.

While there were quite a few people in the village, the Kitsune descendants roughly came to a hundred people. These individuals could track themselves back to the four founding Kitsune born. Half Kitsune, half-human. These individuals supposedly went to the Heavenly Realm after their human parent died, joining their kitsune parent or going off to enjoy the world, but not before siring children of their own. The lineage, though weak, was unmistakable.

I enjoyed the village. Despite only being here for a short amount of time, they accepted me as a family within moments. The village as a whole was designed with two sections, an inner family of the Inari Valley, and then the rest of the village; these homes were closer together and had a large courtyard shared with multiple families.

Each home opened its doors when we were there, calling welcome and offerings for supper or to come to the Shrine to assist with something. I found that offering help to the village earned me a more reliable place amongst them. In reality, I felt spoiled.

Moto would watch fondly from a perch or low wall as I played with children, helped women with their chores, and wandered about the villagers mulling and hearing the latest goings-on.

But spending my time with Yui was the most satisfactory. To make sake, there was a three-step process; this was called sandan shikom. We needed to steam the rice, water, and wild yeast. However— we would be using koji yeast; this was made on steaming rice. It made the starches into sugar. I knew this would then turn things into alcohol with fermentation.

And with the second and third process, you got Moromi, which is the fermented mash. Several other steps were pressing the rice and fermentation with a traditional press and then using a sakabune to filter the sake.

We had created a smaller shed nearer to the river, a small distillery area with a press, and different fermentation containers. Moto had decided to take the barrels to the Heavenly Realm. Much to his bemusement, even his dislike of the Realm was put off for sake. However, a few foxes had claimed a few bottles, Seichii being one of them.

The Heavenly Realm's time was faster than the Realm of Ileria. So rather than 3-4 weeks for fermentation, it was one week. I was thrilled with the progress. And Yui visited to help us with The sake brewed wasn't just for sake itself, but instead, I had determined that with the summer peaches scattering the mountainside would be used to make a peach wine.

Fauna and I would gather as many ripe peaches as we could, cleaning them by the river while Moto got large glass brewing bottles together with wide lids. Once peeled and a large amount put into the jars, we filled them to the brim with sake and kept them in the cellar.

During this time, I had decided to create yeast for baking. This involved using flour and water and leaving it in the open, which was called a sponge.

At this point, we had enough of these bottles to sell some when the merchants came through, a beautiful peach rice wine that would keep rather well.

I was excited to do plum wine next, and I quickly thought of what fall goodies would come when the leaves changed.

In the fields outback, I had gotten help from manipulation to create an excellent area for sweet mana grass and other forms of underbrush that the Op'Puka would eat in the mountainous region. It became a little resting area for critters of all kinds in this area. I could sit for hours and watch the wild deer, sheep, and smaller woodland critters clamor and make nests and homes in the surrounding trees and hollows. Rabbits with long dragging ears and wiggling noses and small tails make warm nests deep within the earth. Ermine-like creatures were also a sight doing little war-stomps together in excitement. They would shed their brown coats to white in winter. These were larger than the earth's counterparts. I suspected it was from the Mana residing within the ground in the area. Moto had given me a lesson on such things.

"Alright, Taka come, come," he waved me over. I sat down at the hearth, and he had placed small trinkets like stones, mana stones from what I could tell. They were all different colors and shapes. "Today, you shall learn about how things work in Ileria."

He was taking my education quite seriously. "There are several Realms, the Other Realm, the Heavenly Realm, The Realm of Ileria, and even some we do not know."

I felt my brow furrow; how did we not know, were they not explored yet?

"Don't worry so much about those," he noted with a wry smile. His fur was fluffed and fanning as his tails swished behind him excited, the tall fox ears flickering back and forth atop his head as he watched me poke the stones. "These are all responsive to different types of magic, either elemental, personally created spells which take far grander amounts of mana control and constructed magic."

"W-wait…constructed and personal… isn't that the same?"

"Not entirely," he took his hands and held one palm out. "This hand," he said, opening his left and wiggling his tapered fingers for me to press my palm to it. "Is constructed," linking fingers with mine, "so long as you are given instruction in how to utilize it, and given the proper structure of the spell, you can use it. The better the bond with the creator, it is rumored, the better the magic, but I have not seen proof of such things." Showing his right hand, it was closed off with a stone in his hand. "Take the stone."

I tried, but his grip wouldn't budge. "Moto!" I cried exasperated when he chuckled at me, "come on!"

"You wouldn't be able to use the spell even if you knew how to. It is etched with soul magic. A deeper form of Ileria's Power source, something every creature in this Realm carries inside them."

"Like…a name tag?" I queried.

It was his turn to tilt his head in confusion.

"A label."

"Yes! That is exactly it." I had realized that he had yet to release my hand, and I squirmed a bit. Noting this, he grinned and tugged me forward to press a warm nuzzle on my forehead. "Adorable."

"Moto!"

"I know, focus." He clapped and made us sit cross-legged where our legs touched and hands could rest on our knees where the fingertips were in contact. "Remember, you need to understand your nature."

"I think we got a bit more of my nature than we bargained for last time, Moto."

"Just trust me."

I rolled my eyes but shrugged. "Okay."

"Close your eyes. I want you to focus on your fox. Focus on how she feels. What she thinks…are you in tune with her? What is not in tune? What benefits can you have in having her help you."

I frowned as he spoke and guided me through this place. He was asking me to picture a wonderful place. Any place I wanted so long as it was something that made me comfortable.

In my mind's eyes, there was a garden with a beautiful stone bench. An archway leading to a floral garden, and within the midsts of flowers sat a mahogany-colored fox. In her human form, she was predatory. Within my face were sharp eyes and slender grace weaving amongst the stems and blossoms.

She frightened me.

Noting my fear, the fox looked disappointed. But, understanding swept over the golden gaze.

"Taka, you are afraid?" Moto asked quietly. I could feel his hands cup my face. I nodded. "She is merely yourself. There is no need to fear yourself. Why are you afraid?"

"B-because…" I inhaled. I couldn't express that behind her lay a vast rage of injustice and pain—a monster with a gaping maw of red and fangs. The fox was unperplexed, glancing at it; she was comfortable, this creature that was and was not a fox. Long legs, longer than needed, a shadow creature with large ears and long muzzle riddled with sharpness. Stardust in her tail that swept the color from the world around it. Within its open concave chest showing a black and star dusted beating heart lay a white trumpet-shaped flower with smaller red petals on the outside like drops of blood. The fox cast a glance over her shoulder at me, a wide toothy fanged smile creeping across her face. "Say the word, little one. And you shall fear no more."

Monster.

"Takara!" I was ripped from my meditation with a jolt to find my face buried into Moto's robe; a strong arm gripped along my back. "Shh, it's alright now." His ears flattened against his skull as his tails whipped agitated; I could feel the fur across my ears and tail bristled to a hard needlepoint—fangs biting into my bottom lip to prevent what I could sense as a wail of rage.

A soft gasp as he breathed out, "it's going to be alright."

"What was that?"

"Rage." He said quietly. "It was your rage."

"B-but I don't feel angry…" I whispered. "I feel frightened."

A furrowed brow and his lips pulled though in an attempted smile, but worry won over. "No one does. But whatever happened to you, it shaped your soul here. Remember…you are capable of the magic of Life. It is safe to say that you are capable of handling Death as well. To you, it may appear as though it is a monster unfathomable. But it is merely yourself. In time you shall come to accept all of yourself."

I grimaced and shook my head. "No…"

"Taka," he reached for me again, but I shoved his hands away, curling myself inward to clutch my knees to my chest. "Come here."

"What?"

"You know of my old name."

"Yes…The Wind of Death," I mumbled.

"Why would you think I could fear you?" He asked, leaning forward to brush my nose with his in a gesture of question. "I have faced true creatures of destruction, Takara…there is nothing you could do that would make me fear you. For you, yes. But never of you."

Was that my issue? I blinked. Was it not really that I feared myself, but that I didn't want anyone else to fear me?

Did I not want to be a monster to those I loved…

I pondered what he said in silence as he crooned to me in purring notes. The sounds like springtime and river melody to my frazzled nerves. "You need not face it till you are ready." He said.

"Now, remember." He continued the lesson. "When you meditate, be sure to avoid that part of your little inner world that you've created. You can keep the door closed for as long as you need to."

"How did you get so good at this?" I asked him, fiddling with the edge of my robe.

A soft but sad smile flickered across his face, "I had a lot of time to do so."

"The mountain?"

Grimacing, he nodded. "Yes, one day, I shall tell you, but that is for another day."

Agreeing, we continued our lesson on the different levels of Power and how to enable our bodies to enhance movement without causing damage.

After the lesson was complete, we sat and spoke for a long while in the early afternoon silence.

"I suppose." I began, "that i can give her a chance."

"And that Takara is how it works."

"How what works?" I blinked, sipping tea, not quite understanding as Moto leaned on me in companionship, a hand trailing through my hair.

"Begining to heal little vixen."