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2005-04-17 13:13:42

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The History of Inari

The Legeands of Inari

Collection One: Inari's Legacy
Act I ~ Lost Origins

When all have lost hope
When the darkest hour nears
When the darkness looms over us
When we face our darkest fears
A hero will be forged
A legacy shall unfold
The light cuts through the darkness
A kitsune tale is told...

He's a strange one that Joseph is. He's always daydreaming. I wonder what he thinks about.
Oh, I know him. He's usually thinking in his own little world. I've seen his drawings. He's been complaining recently though. He seems to have lost them. I wonder why this is such a big deal for him. It's not like it's real. The way he acted you'd haveve thought those things he drew were his closest friends. He’s just busy living in his own little world.
Maybe I should join him there sometime. He seems to enjoy it. Wait, where did he go? What the...

Oh sh...

Chapter One

Blackness everywhere was all that he could see for a moment. Slowly, light began to pervade the fuzzy disorganization of unconsciousness, the figure slowly coming to. He kept his eyes closed tight as his head reeled with pain, broken images and memories rushing through his mind, but slipping away the moment he tried to make sense of it. He was panting heavily as his eyes snapped open, icy cold sweat covering his face. He tried to focus his thoughts but he couldn't remember much anymore now. A flash of light, a dazzling jumble of colors, then nothingness. The man took his hand away from his face slowly, deciding it would do him no good to try to force the memory back. He gazed at it for a moment, puzzled.
Though he had no memory, he still had some knowledge of his own body. The hand he saw now was covered in short black fur, blending and changing to a brilliant flame red just a few inches below the wrists. He ran his other hand over it, ruffling the soft fur on his arm bemusedly. He glanced down after a few additional moments of examining his arm, noting a similar pattern over the rest of his body, but glancing at his chest, another feature drew his attention as his eyes focused in. His face seemed to extend several inches outwards. He ran a hand over his muzzle, a stripe of the same inky black fur running across the top. His crossed eyes quickly tired of trying to look at his new nose, so, rubbing them gently, he noted the long, creamy white fur on his chest, running down the muscles of his chest and waistline. (Several other things were naturally seen in this area, yes, but I don't feel like going into detail. Pervert =P)
The red once again faded into black at his ankles, where the most notable change had occurred. His feet were definitely different. They weren't flat and cumbersome as a normal foot. Rather, they were shaped more like an animals paw. Three digits on each footpaw led to an angle at the top of which was the heel, much like wearing heels without needing a shoe. He noticed they seemed to contain an extra joint, and as he focused on stretching them, six razor-sharp claws extended and seemed to lock into place. With a little concentration he found the muscles to retract them.
As he tried to stand on his new feet, he noticed another force that drew his attention. Though standing on his unaccustomed toes made it hard for him to maintain balance, He felt a weight behind him trying to balance him out. He craned his neck around, bumping his muzzle against his shoulder as he turned, and saw he now sported three large tails. Widening quickly and coming to fine points, he found that he could feel them with his mind and after a few seconds of trying to move them, he found he could manipulate them a bit clumsily.
He began to stretch and test his new body, for about ten minutes he began re-developing his hand-eye coordination until he was satisfied. Looking around, he noticed three items next to the tree where he had been laying as he awoke but hadn't seen, being preoccupied: A green tunic, some faded blue jeans, and a sword in its case. Picking them up, he dressed himself (The pants providing a bit of a challenge for his new tails) and buckled the sword case across his shoulders, taking a few moments to move his tails out of the way.
He drew the sword out of the case, examining it, and gasped. The blade was breathtaking in its perfection. Aside from a few runes carved into the hilt, not a single scratch or mark was visible anywhere. Indeed, the blade was so polished; it seemed more like a mirror. It was light enough that he could use it with either hand, taking a few experimental swings at the tree trunk, which was about three feet in diameter. The blade sunk halfway in with a hard one-handed slice. He swung it with all his strength with both hands, loosing his balance due to his digitrade stance (for those who don't know, digitrade is the way you walk with just your toes, such as cats, dogs, and our hero here do). He rolled to the side quickly as the tree toppled down with a resounding crash, branches flying as the falling tree snapped them off of its neighbors.
He got up shakily, leaning on the tree that almost squashed him, looking at the sword. Just as before, without a scratch. He marveled at it, then put it reverently back into its case. He set out towards where he figured the forest ended, but was stopped short by a tugging near his backside. He took his sword up again and cut a wedge out of the tree which had trapped two of the tails by their tips, then padded off once again into this strange new world.

(Rather short and slow, but damnit, this story demands some description and I'm too forgetful to put it anywhere else Xx)

Chapter Two

He awoke groggily the next morning. Rubbing his eyes with his furred palm, he yawned lazily, tongue lolling in true vulpine fashion. He seemed to have regained a few fragments of his memory since last night, such as the species he seemed to be. Concentrating on the clearest piece, he seemed to remember a name. Inari! Recalling the name, he recognized it to be his. Something seemed a little off about it, but he shrugged it off.
After testing his new body, he had wandered in the direction he was facing, finding himself walking in circles once or twice. The forest was surprisingly hilly, and after marking a tree with the sword, he realized after reaching it again that he was going around the same hill. Turning to his left, he sighed heavily and began to trudge up the hill, deciding he could at least get a better vantage point.
However, when he reached the top, he realized he was hardly tired from the climb at all, despite the fact that the hill was extremely steep. Without the aid of a few flat pieces of shale jutting from the hillside, he could barely have managed it.
Similarly he scaled the tallest tree he could find with ease, gazing outwards from the branches in search of some sign of habitation. He smiled and raced down the tree, spying a small town just half a mile to the east. Lining up with the still rising sun, he set out at a brisk pace. He hummed to himself as he went. Suddenly, as he was humming a chant like strain of music that popped into his head, bright light flashed all around him. He barely managed to catch himself as he fell, his eyes stinging with the brilliance. He was panting all of a sudden. He couldn't explain it as he looked blearily around, his eyes dazzled by the flares of light. There was nothing there to make the light appear, and nothing to explain his sudden fatigue. After about a minute the exhaustion and the starbursts left in his vision from the flash faded, and he continued towards the town a bit unnerved, constantly glancing over his shoulder.

~~~<~<@ @>~>~~~

Inari sighed as he reached the city's outskirts. Finally he thought to himself. The words carved into the gateway stated that the city was called Alador. He didn't hang around to let the name ring any bells. His stomach was making rather loud demands for something other than the occasional apple or other fruit he'd seen growing along his way. His mind and body both craved meat, but he had no intentions of starting out this new life by stealing food or money to buy it with.
On his way to what looked like it was the town hall, he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, many of the citizens. Mostly wolves and felines, but with a varied number of others such as raccoons, squirrels, skunks, equines, and even a small band of cheery looking foxes such as himself who were making their way to the pavilion that ran parallel to the street he was on, several feet to the side. He smiled to himself. This place seems so wonderful. Everyone is so happy looking.
He made his way eagerly to the Town Hall and began searching for any job-wanted information. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned, looking over his shoulder at a friendly looking mousette.
"Are you looking for something, sir?"
"Oh, hello. Yes I am. I seem to have lost my memory. I need to find a job to pay for food and a place to stay until I can straighten my mind out again."
Her ears drooped almost comically at his sad story. "Oh, that’s terrible! Here, follow me; I'll take you to the Silverpaw. You can rent a place to stay there for as long as you want, and I'm sure Taro will swing by the place soon enough, looking for workers. He'll get you the perfect job" She smiled widely, grabbing his hand and setting out at such a pace he had to jog to keep her from pulling his fingers off.
After a few minutes of the young mouse's breakneck travel, she stood in front of the Silverpaw Inn with Inari, who was leaning against the doorframe trying to regain his breath from the sprint walk.
"Head right on in there, mister...?" She smiled over at him.
"Inari." he replied after a moment. "Any way I can get some food until I get a job here?"
She directed him with a flick of her tail, gesturing to the bartender. "Right in there, mister Inari. Bruce will provide you food free until you get a job, and rent for the rooms can be delayed with a small charge for anyone who is actively trying to get a job. Good luck! I hope you enjoy it here in Alador!" She dashed off, weaving in between slower pedestrians with ease, and was out of sight in a matter of seconds.
Several patrons glanced over to the newcomer as Inari signaled the bartender for assistance. The Black Panther, wearing a light brown shirt with a darker brown vest, leaned against the bar and spoke in a slightly rough voice. "Yessir, what'd you like?"
He told her of the city worker who had guided him there. Bruce chuckled. "That Fiona, she’s one of my best friends at the ol' city hall. Very friendly, maybe a little too much so, but she means well. I'll just be a moment gettin a room set up for you."
The panther walked over to a cabinet and unlocked it, pulling out a room key, tossing it to Inari. "Room 9, the second last one on your right, bottom floor." He gestured a thumb to the two side by side staircases on the left wall. "Anything else you need doing right now 'till Taro shows?"
Inari's stomach gurgled loudly. "Yeah, what do you have for eats around here? All I've had since I came to is about a dozen varied kinds of fruit."
He knocked on the window frame to what was apparently the kitchen. "Altada! Slap together a meal for a half-starved fox, would ya? He sounds hungrier than a hare."
An avian poked her head out of the opening and grinned. "I could hear his stomach growling from clear in here. Just give me a sec, would ya?" She handed Bruce a plate of what Inari's vulpine nose identified as a ground steak, He went at it with a will, munching away at the juicy meat, occasionally taking a gulp from a tankard served his way by the bartender. Stretching once he had finished, he licked the last traces from his muzzle and glanced up as Bruce hailed him. The panther pointed to the entrance where a group of 3 had just entered. He got the message and headed for them as a few other young furs likewise headed to them.
He judged the center figure to be Taro. The hare had chestnut brown fur with two lines of white running like scars down his neck and shoulder blades. He was dressed impeccably in a navy blue uniform, a badge in the shape of a half-circle reading "Alador City Valorian" in clear view. The other two figures, an aged squirrel whose fur was mostly gray, but with an undertone of red, faded by age, whose shockingly white hair, sticking up in every direction, drew his attention right away. The other, an executive looking mouse, much older than young Fiona the Town Hall worker had been, was carrying a small packet of papers and wearing a dress that reminded him of a business suit.
"Well, are you lot all that we have to work with today, wot? Speak up now." the hare boomed in an officious tone. "Don't stand there gawking, back straight, paws firm, tails up and lined up with your shoulder blades." They all followed the hare's officious orders, standing firm as he inspected them. "Well, you lot look decent enough. Would have liked to see a new horse on the job, natural bred workers, but you have to deal with what you got, wot. Follow me."
He led them all in a military march to a side door and into a conference room. Directing them to gather around the table, he stood back to let the squirrel and mouse do their job. The aged squirrel gave them a quick verbal quiz, which Inari utterly failed due to his loss of memory. He gave him a mysterious look as he explained his situation, merely nodding and letting his counterpart explain to them what jobs were available as she pulled each description from the stack she was carrying. Each one took the job they thought best suited them, the squirrel either acknowledging the choice or denying it based on their results.
Inari found the best job for him was, for the moment, city labor. The city of Alador was growing quickly. It was relatively a small town, and would triple in size by the time the construction project was complete. The only other interest he took was an application to work as a part-time city guardian. Crime had been on the rise in the city for the past two years, when two of the city guards retired from duty. He folded the second application up and stuck it in the pocket of his jeans, filled out the first form, and was now officially a city worker. His new life was about to begin.

(Quite a bit longer than the first. Expect most of these chapters to be at LEAST this long on average.)

Chapter Three

A harsh knocking came at the door, causing Inari to sit up groggily. It took him a moment to remember where he was. I’m getting way too used to that he thought to himself as he tugged the green tunic back on. He hopped on one paw over to the trunk at the footboard of his bed, trying to get dressed, still not used to having to cope with his tails yet. He rubbed them ruefully thinking about yesterday. They were still rather sore from the two times he had shut the door on them. He wasn't used to them when he was sitting against something or laying on his back either. Buckling the sword case back across his shoulder, he opened the door.
"Ah finally up, Inari? Your about 15 minutes behind the others. If you want breakfast you'll hafta eat quickly, unless your gonna be late."
"Thanks Bruce. Sorry, after sleeping on the ground for two nights a nice soft bed is heavenly." He followed the innkeeper downstairs at a jog, grabbing a travel bag of specially arranged food to keep his energy up. It was going to be a hard day of work, but he had no idea how hard it would be.

"Come on, you pack of insects, heave!" Taro was in fine form, bellowing out orders in his sonorous voice to the squad of workers before him. Gritting his teeth, Inari hauled with his full strength, his claws automatically extending to help him lock his feet in place, the rope cutting into his shoulder as he leaned against it. With a long, loud groan, the thirty foot tall section of wall rose like a titan from the ground to wobble next to the adjoining wall for a moment, where several squirrels nimbly hung by one hand or even just their tails as they lashed holding ropes to the corner to prevent it from falling over, bolting it down with strong but slender metal rods with amazing accuracy and speed considering they were using a hammer to do the job.
Inari wiped a paw across his face, sitting down with the pair of wolves that had been helping him lift. He was amazed at how the three of them alone could have already hauled up thirty of the 60 foot long sections of wall that would provide the beginning framework for the city's protective outer walls. They weighed at least near a full ton each. Popping the last piece of his sandwich into his maw, he followed the other two under the authoritative directions of the foreman and Taro.
"Ah, the last section for the day at last, praise the spirits." the wolf to his right said wearily.
"You seem awfully tired there, Baron, you sure your up for it? Need to catch your breath?"
Baron cast a sardonic glance at the other wolf that had made the snide comment, retorting grumpily. "Hah, you don't look any better yourself, but Inari here's barely broken a sweat. He’s a machine, I'm telling you. Wish I had that kind of endurance" he added, casting an envious sideways glance at the fox.
Inwardly smiling to himself with pride at the comment, he seized the center rope and braced himself for the strain. True, it wasn't easy for him to do, but it didn't seem to be wearing him down. It seemed this new body had more endurance than the others.
Taro snapped him out of his revere by hitting him upside the head with a set of blueprints he was carrying. "Come on lad, eyes front wot. Together now! Heave!"
The final slab rose shakily as Baron's strength started to wane. Inari's instincts kicked in and he shifted his weight sharply to the left, taking twice the strain. The pull rope began to fray quickly, bands of it snapping viciously. The tie ropes fastened it solid a split second before the last line split, whipping back at Inari who fell face first, the heavy rope nearly smashing on the back of his head as it landed writhing like a huge snake in its death throws as the frayed length untwisted itself.
Uttering a loud vehement oath, Taro helped Inari to his feet, reprimanding Baron. "By the left, that was bloody amazing, lad! Where in the world did you learn to move like that? Baron, this bloke just saved your hide, mate. If you can't do it, next time, don't do something as daft as trying to brave your way like that again. Consider yourself warned, sah!"
Inari's heart was beating so fast he thought it would seize up. He was panting heavily from shock, and for the first time really felt tired. Twelve hundred pounds of weight had taken a toll on the fox for the moment, who gladly accepted the pats on the back, and even more gladly accepted the glass of gin the foreman gave the shaken fur. Taking a hard swing, he sighed heavily, smiling widely.
"Go easy on Baron there, he probably just slipped on a loose stone or something."
Taro merely shrugged. "If that’s what you want to believe." He drew from his jacket a flat case, approximately the same size and shape as a cigar box. Pressing the catch, he took out a pawful of silver coins and gave several to all the workers, then tossing Inari an extra three. "You more than earned your rations today, lad. That should tide you over until the next day we need your help."
"What?" Inari looked nonplussed at the long-eared civil worker. "Isn't there more to do tomorrow?"
He chuckled. "No, lad, today was the last of it. The next job won't be for almost a fortnight. That eager to work, wot? Good show, we need more people like you in this line of work." Taro gave him a hard pat on the back which nearly made Inari choke on a second swig of gin. "Ah, sorry 'bout that."

~~~<~<@ @>~>~~~

Twilight had begun to set over the city as Inari and the other workers began going their separate ways from work. Inari, Baron, and two other new recruits, made their way directly to the Silverpaw as the others sought a night on the town with their earnings. They chatted animatedly as they turned the corner where the main road branched off onto the road the inn sat alongside.
"Where in the hell did you ever learn to work like that? I never knew foxes were ones for strength like that!"
Inari's face hurt from grinning. "I keep telling you, I dunno what happened. My body just sorta took control on its own. And it wasn't that easy for me, my shoulder still aches where the rope cut into it." He lifted the sleeve to reveal a bruise line where he had been hauling.
"How'd you get away with a minor hit like that? On my first day of lifting the wall, I had a giant bruise running all over both shoulders from hauling. Come on, tell us, what’s your secret?"
Inari lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Okay," he said in a very grave and serious tone. "My secret is..." The others were listening to him intently now. "...waking up like this. I don't remember anything from more than 3 days ago remember?" He said, trying not to laugh at the exasperated looks they all gave him.
After a second, they all burst out laughing, unable to keep a straight face at Inari's still serious expression. Soon he joined in laughing along with them, and they parted ways with the other two who headed off to grab a bite of food next door. Inari turned back to head inside, but a noise from behind him, shortly followed by the feeling of a knife at his throat, made him freeze in his tracks.
"Don't even think about calling for help, fox. Give me all the money you got, now!"

(And that’s where I stop for the moment. Next chapter coming soon =P)

Chapter Four

"Didn't you hear me, fox? This knife isn't made out of wood. Now hand your valuable stuff over to me!" The one with the knife at Inari's throat moved to take his sword.
"This will do for starters. AAH! SON OF A..." the mugger released him suddenly, and as he turned around, Inari saw his attacker, a shifty looking tomcat, clenching his badly shaking hand in pain as though he had been hit by a tazer. Inari didn't have time to think; He drew his sword quickly and knocked the dagger from the cat's paw, his frame shaking horribly. He had never been so terrified; he was standing against an experienced criminal, and judging by Baron's unconscious form bleeding against the curb nearby, very skilled. This guy can take down a full grown wolf with just one hit, what chance do I have?
"You furry *******, you'll pay for that!" The tomcat whipped out a long switchblade knife, and by his stance he could tell the cat was about to throw it. In a flash it was over; the knife lay quivering point down in the space between paving stones. Inari felt a searing pain across the side of his leg. The tomcat gasped and coughed loudly, spitting up a large quantity of blood. A crowd rushed out of the inn to see where the shout came from.
The cat pressed a trembling hand to his chest and drew it back, fur stained with blood. He stumbled for a moment or two and fell flat on his face, his tail spasming twice before he lay still, breathing shallowly. Inari dropped down on his injured leg, the sword falling from his limp grip as he huddled over, his body shaking horribly, teeth clattering loudly. The shock of his nearly escaping death flooded his brain, until it was driven out by the clamor around him and the pain throbbing in his thigh.
A half inch deep gash five inches long was bleeding steadily, soaking his jeans. The cat hadn't fared as well; A much deeper cut ran diagonally from his right shoulder, where Inari had tried to knock the knife out of his hand, down to his left side, barely missing organs and actually shearing four ribs in half.
Inari stared in horror at the fur before him as several mice wearing long green robes began to feverishly bandage the dreadful wound. Another mouse was trying to talk to him, pressing a cold blue compound that felt like ice made into paste into the cut. It burned with an icy cold, then burned like fire, and then all the physical pain left him as the cut healed over.
Taro pounded onto the scene shortly afterwards, followed by several other militaristic looking hares, all of them wearing Valorian city worker badges like the half-circle on Taro's jacket. "What’s happened here? Inari! Are you alright lad? What the blazes happened?"
"He was just attacked by this felinae over here, apparently an experienced criminal judging by the damage he did to this one here. Please sir, sit down, the medicine hasn't finished doing its job!" The green robe who was treating Inari tried to restrain him as he fought to get to Baron. He cursed himself inwardly for having forgotten his friend in all the panic.
"Tell me, is he going to be okay? The thief, he hit him with a knife, he was bleeding really badly, I have to see him!" but he was restrained by the healer along with Taro.
"Be sensible lad," Taro said irritably. "It won't do him any good if you do a number on your wounded leg, wot. He'll be fine, laddie, he’s got one of our best medic sages patching him up right now, he'll be fit as a fiddle come dawn, isn't that right?" he gave the mouse a faint nudge in the ribs.
"Of course, he’s fine. He's unconscious right now, but he'll pull through. He's just knocked out. He took a hard knock to the back of the head with a sword hilt, but we've treated worse with no problem."
Taro patted him on the shoulder reassuringly as Inari sat back down, still looking a bit shaky. "Come on, smile before you bring on the rain. Your fine, Baron's fine, and that scum what attacked you both will pull through, mores the pity."
Inari looked up through wide eyes to the hare. "But that’s just it... I almost killed him, nearly took his life away, almost died..."
Taro looked down at the terrified fox sadly. "Listen lad, you did what you had to do. I've fought to protect this city for seven years, and I've had to kill more than once. You can't blame yourself for what happened; if you hadn't fought back like that, he would have killed you. He almost killed Baron and he has killed several others. He's on our records, but he's eluded us for three weeks. He’s got a bounty too, by the way." He gave Inari a handful of gold coins. "Quite a big one too, as do many of the criminals just like him around here. Interested?"
Inari thought for a long while, glancing from his injured side to the coins in his hand, to where the tomcat and Baron lay for treatment, the knife still stuck in the ground to the sword where it rested nearby, the blood staining the mirror like surface.
"Very well, at least part-time. But only if I can get a weapon that won't hurt them like that." He shuddered.
"We'll see what we can do." Taro said, beaming as he handed him one of the silver badges. "Welcome to the town guard, Inari."

(AAAAH! MORAL VALUES! FLEE! =P)

Chapter Five

CRASH!
Inari's sleep shattered like the glass in the room below. People were shouting, someone was barking out orders, and several furs were screaming. He fumbled about, trying to extricate himself from the mess of blankets and covers, pulling on his jeans once he managed to free himself from the fabric prison.
"WHERES THE FOX?" a voice from below bellowed so loudly that he could clearly hear it. He burst through his door, sword in hand, only half-dressed. He skidded to a halt, his claws digging in at the last second to stop him from skidding by on the tiled floors. He stared in shock at what he saw.
The Silverpaw patrons were huddled under their seats in fear, two of them bleeding heavily from cut wounds. Another lay dead at the feet of the very same tomcat that Inari had almost killed the day before.
The cat had a manic look about his features, his eyes darting about wildly. When they locked into Inari's something seemed to snap in his mind. He was holding Bruce by the neck in a headlock, a grim looking hook pressed dangerously against his neck. A small trickle of blood was running down the innkeeper's neck from where the hook was stabbing him, but his eyes were bold and dark as always. He inhaled trying to move his throat back from the point as it began to dig in deeper.
"There you are, fox! You’re going to pay. You will all pay, pay me, I will be payed back. My vengeance must be taken, pay, you will..." He grinned insanely, his eyes unable to focus, shaking slightly as he gazed wide-eyed into Inari's face.
Inari's mind was racing furiously, trying to comprehend the scene. What the hell am I supposed to do? He thought agitatedly, a bead of sweat running down his face. If I don't do anything he might kill him. If I do anything, he's gonna kill him. Damnit, if only I could sneak up on him...
He thought this last thought angrily, thinking fervently how much he wished someone would just distract him, just for a second. He could see himself tapping him on his shoulder from behind...
But so could the tomcat. He turned bemusedly to the Inari behind him, confused, then stunned. He fell to the floor, falling right through the second Inari, which faded completely away moments later. His hands were numb from the recoil of belting him over the head so hard with the handle of his sword.
"Damnit!" He shouted, nearly dropping the sword. "Well, it did the job at least. Are you alright?" He helped Bruce up, glancing at the place where his neck was punctured by the hook.
"Nothing I can't survive, must be gettin careless if I'ma lettin scum like this'n do stuff like that'n just did. Snuck up on me and held that damned hook to my neck. It’s just a scratch." He said, running a digit over the spot, wiping the blood on his tunic. "Quite the first day for your new job, eh?"
"I suppose so" Inari said absentmindedly, trying to heave the unconscious feline off the floor. "Don't suppose there’s any way to carry him to the jail, or whatever it is you have for these idiots." He gave the cat a dig in the ribs with his fist.
"Sorry, no, all the carts have been loaned out to workers around the town. Don't worry though, the station isn't very far." Baron flipped open a small notebook and glanced through it. "Hmmm, he should be hanging around there today, he’s not on duty for anything else. It’s at the corner just down the street, that way" He saw Inari off with a wave as a small crown filed to the doorway along with him, thanking him for saving their lives, causing him to blush. He was glad the red of his fur concealed most of it. He had found himself the hero suddenly once again, he thought to himself as he dragged the cat down the block. What were the odds? 3 heroic acts in 2 days.
Taro hailed him from the station. "There you are Inari! I see you had to take him down again. Not hurt this time are you? Good, good, sorry about that. While we were taking him back here last night, he slipped past us and hid."
"Well, he’s here now, and still out cold, so hopefully he won't get out again anytime soon." Inari said, stretching. Despite his new form, dead-weight dragging the 6' tall feline was tiring work. "I’ll be seeing you around."
"Good luck, lad!" He called after him, locking the deadbolt to the cell after heaving the cat back in.
Inari wandered back towards the Silverpaw in a daze, thinking to himself. He kept noticing out of the corner of his eye people talking in small groups after he passed, casting covert glances at him. He was certainly making a name for himself he thought. Then he realized he was still only half dressed, having forgotten about his tunic back in his room. A group of teenage-looking female furs giggled riotously as he started running home, his ears and face glowing with embarrassment.

(Had to ad that last bit for some closure =P)

Chapter Six

Inari had a wash once he got back, scrubbing away at his fur as if to scrub away the scattered laughter and comments he had gotten on returning back still half-dressed. It took him nearly an hour to dry off and smooth out his fur. He yelped loudly whenever the brush snagged a particularly tangled patch. However, he decided the soft, shiny fur that was the end result was worth it. He got dressed, taking extra pains to make sure his clothes were on neatly.
He dropped down and instinctively curled up on his bed, planning what he wanted to do for the day. His tails twitched along to the music someone was playing next door (by hand naturally; this world lacked electronic marvels such as CD players) as one idea chased the next around in his head until he decided to see what the town had for entertainment.
He stopped by the bar, tossing Altada a silver coin for the daily special, an enormous platter of fried fish pieces and fries, along with a salad .He had been eating a lot of meat recently, and though mainly carnivorous, his body was demanding something that hadn't once walked on four legs. He tossed the avian the change for his tip and left to wander the town.
The streets were as busy and bustling as the day he had arrived. Looking up the street, shops and businesses loomed large. He turned to look down the other way, but something straight ahead of him made him do a double take. He crossed the street quickly, causing one or two people to glare at him as he cut across, to stare open mouthed at the display in the shop's front window. A sign above the door read "Alador Metal crafters, est. 21". A thin column of white smoke funneled out the roof as the faint whoosh of the bellows and crackle of flames added to the sounds of city life.
The display contained four spectacularly crafted weapons; A long, curved scimitar with a giant opal set into its pommel stone, a gleaming double headed axe, a gigantic xanbatou that was larger than he was, and what drew his attention the most, a long staff made out of a highly polished, bluish metal, just the non-lethal weapon he wanted for his new job.
He took it reverently in his hands, feeling the fur on the back of his neck stand up slightly. It was perfectly balanced for him, heavy enough to swing with force, but light enough to respond quickly. He tapped it next to his ear, hearing little echo, meaning the entire one and a half inch diameter was solid metal. He bent it experimentally in his hands. It sprung back to its original shape perfectly. He bent further, with the same result. The third time, he bent it so far that when it sprang back to shape, he narrowly avoided the staff, which would otherwise have collided with his jaw.
A tap on his back and a grizzled but amused voice turned his attention. "Found something you like, young kitsune?" He turned to face the speaker, recognizing him.
"Hey I know you, you’re the one from the job interview, with Taro!"
The squirrel chuckled to himself. "Yes, I thought you had potential, and now you've found yourself another fine weapon. Once you’re done here, I'd like it if you would stop by at the Academy sometime, I'm in a bit of a rush. Good afternoon, Inari." The door jingled merrily shut after him, leaving Inari stunned in his wake.
Well, he thought to himself. At least I have somewhere to go today. He twirled the new staff, feeling a faint sense of familiarity with the weapon. The shop owner said the staff had been made out of an unknown metal ore found a few years back. It had cost him a good chunk of his financial supply, but he didn't mind the cost. The boe staff would pay for itself after a bounty or two.

(I'm making these irritatingly short now, aren't I? =P)

Chapter Seven

Inari craned his neck backwards, staring upwards. Well, this is the place, I think...
The Alador Mystic Library, also known as the Academy, loomed high above him, many towers and spires, surrounded by distinct auras that seemed to twist and flow eerily like a pulse. The masonry was unique; the structure was a rainbow of what seemed to be random varieties of stone; white, red, brown, gray, even sparkling jet black composed the entire structure. There were even a few clear crystalline slabs set into the towers like windows. The whole thing seemed to glitter as the sun slowly moved across the sky, dazzling his eyes. Two titanic doors loomed before him, the oaken surface carved with thousands of mysterious runes, none of which he could decipher. They were so intricate they seemed to be constantly in motion (which he reminded himself they probably were).
He put his shoulder to the heavy structure and heaved, surprised at how easily it opened and the warmth that seemed to spread into him as he touched it. He blinked several times. The dark interior slowly came into focus as his eyes adjusted from the blinding light outside. He looked around, open mouthed.
Several hallways as large as entire buildings and several times longer stretched away from the huge atrium-like main building. The floor was circular and divided into tiers. On the highest level, small tables were scattered about, their polished surfaces reflecting the iridescent glow of the ceiling, from which millions of tiny bluish and greenish orbs glowed like insects. The second level looked something like a bar or counter. Many blue-robed furs were conversing with others, exchanging various items, many of them seeming to be enchanted or outright magical. Two at the end of the nearest desk were sipping drinks and laughing along with a third's story.
The third and lowest level was taken up by four bubble-like domes. Strange rune circles above them seemed to project over the conference tables enclosed within, and judging by the way those inside were talking unheard, these created some sort of sound barrier.
As he watched, the squirrel who had told him to come stepped out of one of these, followed by a wolf who seemed to be in a towering rage. As he stepped out afterwards, his words erupted as if someone had turned the volume back on at full blast. Everyone turned to stare at the wolf as he ranted furiously away to his elder.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T? WE HAVE JUST AS MUCH RIGHT AS ANY OTHER GROUP TO-"
"Your actions pose a serious risk, lieutenant. I cannot support what you are trying to do so long as he is in charge. His motives are clearly dangerous; I will not give you permission and that is final." The squirrel turned on his heel, clearly not willing to continue the debate any further.
"Don't make us do this, Arcatius," the wolf said in a deadly cold voice. "You know what will happen if you don't. It’s not much different than what will happen if you do. You might as well cooperate." He straightened the officious looking black suit he was wearing and turned in the opposite direction to leave. "Think about it, old man."
Inari quickly moved to the side, not fond of the idea of getting in the way of an already irritated wolf. He knocked the door wide and disappeared into the crowd. Inari watched him leave for a few seconds before he remembered why he was there. He looked around to see where the squirrel went, then padded off in the direction he thought he went.
Nearly falling flat on his back as he tried to make the turn around the circular tiers due to the slippery, purplish marble floors, he skidded down the long hallway and found himself in another towering room. The light was dimmer than sunlight, but a more natural color. The walls had an off-white color like you see in private museums, gas lamps hanging from chandeliers on the ceiling and from the end of every row of books. Niches were cut into the walls, where clusters of soft, comfortable looking armchairs were scattered haphazardly where the occupants had pulled them into groups of 2 or 3.
The shelves themselves were lined with books, scrolls, slabs of parchment, several strange notepad-sized pieces of strange blue glass, and down one row, a cascade of every colored gemstone, each filled with a strange glittering light that gave them all the appearance of being hollow.
He pulled down a book from the nearest shelf and glanced over it, subconsciously reading out loud. The words were strange to him, yet had a detached sense of familiarity. He put it back after a while and moved to the next, but after a few seconds of reading, several of the books flew off the shelves as his fur stood on end. He felt that same warmth as the doors filling him again, then as the books had flown off the shelf, leaving him in a rush.
He quickly fumbled to pick them up, feeling his face grow red underneath his fur. A quiet voice spoke and the books gently floated up and arranged themselves as if they had never moved. Turning to the speaker, he saw the aged squirrel walking over to him and pick up the leather-bound volume he had been reading.
"Ahhh, I was hoping you'd come, master Inari. Come come, there is much to be done." He placed the book under his arm and wandered off towards the atrium room, gesturing with his tail for him to follow. Inari felt he had to justify himself for whatever it was he had done.
"Oh don't worry about that, come on now." Inari shut his mouth, startled, as the squirrel smiled back. "Everything will be explained in time."
He wondered vaguely who this was who could read his mind, his paws slipping slightly on the dark tiled floors after the squirrel. Whatever or whoever he is, he's got the answers.

(Suspense! ~dramatic music plays~ Sorry that chapter took so long, I haven't been able to focus recently ><)

Chapter Eight

"Well, let me see... Where to begin" Arcatius mused aloud. Inari and the mysterious squirrel had moved into one of the silenced barrier chambers. The book which Inari had accidentally cast the spell from, as well as two others that Arcatius had already been carrying lay open on the table.
"Well, what I've been wondering the most recently is who exactly are you, and how you know all of this stuff. You can even seem to read my mind." Inari added, his attention fixed firmly on the aged fur sitting across from him. He found it very unnerving that someone could read his mind.
Arcatius chuckled. "I can't read minds, young Inari, no one in this world can. Nor can people in the world you came from." Inari stared into the squirrels strong, piercing green eyes. What does he mean? My world?
"You don't remember your old world do you?" Inari shook his head, hanging on to every word. "We, as of yet, know little about it. Many do not even believe it truly exists. It is the stuff of fantasy and legend. But I know it is real; you are living proof of that. Over the centuries, on rare occasions, an item will be found that is totally unlike anything we have ever made. Strange kinds of fabric, soft as fur, pieces of paper with languages totally unlike ours, tools made of metals that move on their own, glowing strange colors without magic. Never, however, anything as large as an entire person. That is why no one else would believe me, why no one finds your appearing without a memory too surprising."
"That doesn't explain why I can do magic without even trying though," Inari said, slowly, trying to take in everything. "and how I knew what to do. It’s too outstanding to just be instinct."
"That I don't know. Something fantastic as an entire person coming to this world, looking and speaking just like any of us, is amazing: Who knows what you may be capable of just because you exist in this world now? But I can explain why you’re adept at magic.
"You aren't an ordinary fox. Yes I know I just said that you were unique, but your species is also rather rare. Your tails show that you are a kitsune. Kitsune possess innate magic skill from the moment they are born. Magic is second-nature to them. Many of them possess it in a form of kinesis, or mental energy. I can teach you how to harness this power better.
"But first, you have to learn control. Wearing this will help. This crystal was formed to store and focus the mind, body, and spirit." With that, he placed a pendant of silver and gold links around Inari's neck. At the end of the pendant, where the chain ran through it, was a glittering sapphire blue crystal. The instant the amulet was around his neck, he felt the warmth from the books and the doors leaving his body and filling the crystal. He placed his hand to it, feeling it slowly pulse with energy, which flowed through the crystal like a glowing wind, swirling like smoke, almost liquid in appearance.
"Now," Arcatius's words snapped Inari's attention back from the crystal. "You must feel the energy with your mind. Let your thoughts do the work. Guide it as if it was a physical part of you, and concentrate it in either hand."
Inari closed his eyes, trying to shut out all of his thoughts and let his mind go blank. His only thoughts rested on the crystal and the energy within. The cobalt blue energy seemed to flow into his chest and down his arm in a mist-like aura, leaving his hand tingling with warmth and a feeling like static electricity buildup. He opened one eye and looked at his hand, now glowing a bright sky blue.
"Excellent, excellent!" Arcatius's face broke into a kindly smile. "See if you can direct it further, without using your body to channel it."
He did as he was told, mentally picturing and willing the energy to drift off of his palm, hovering several inches over his hand. It flickered and wavered as he tried to keep his mind blank. After a few seconds of this, Arcatius bade him return it to the amulet, which he did with a moments thought, leaving himself panting as though he had just sprinted a 50 yard dash.
"Wonderful job! I think that’s enough for today." Arcatius said, beaming as he gave Inari a hearty pat on the back. "I'll be waiting in the Training Ground corridor for you, second hall on your right when you enter from the doors. Don't practice too much now, you don't want to call undue attention to yourself."
Inari drifted to sleep quickly that night, after a large supper and several minutes practicing his control. He wrapped the amulet around his wrist for safekeeping, its slow rhythmic glow lulling him into a dreamless sleep as he thought about what he had learned, and what was yet to come.

(If only our modern Order members were so quick to catch on. OW! I was just kidding you guys! OW! OW!)

Chapter Nine

Tiles cracked as a tremendous burst of sound and light erupted around Inari. He fell into a sort of half-crouch, holding his arms out defensively. Another blast of fire knocked him back several feet, but he managed to keep his stance as the shield he had thrown up protected him from damage and most of the heat. I don’t know how much longer I'm going to last at this rate...
He felt is energy draining as he kept feeding it into the shield, spells thudding heavily against it. He felt it straining, could feel a hole developing on the far side of it, could almost see the fabric of energy that composed it beginning to fray and tear...
Another spell scroll emitted its fiery blast, and the shield broke like shards of glass, knocking Inari hard to the floor. The figure raised a scroll above him, ready to cast it. The parchment glowed as the incantation upon it was read, manna rising along the arm and causing the rune upon it to glow a fierce white. With a single commanding spell word, the spell erupted upon the prone kitsune.

~~~<~<@ @>~>~~~

Arcatius helped Inari to his feet, the healing spell reviving and curing the kitsune in an instant.
"Very good as usual, young Inari. Your shield lasted twice as long this time. I don't think my involvement will show any further progress that you can't do on your own, so let us move on to the next level, casting custom-shape shields." Arcatius led him over to the edge of the arena-like platform inside the Academy on which they had been training all day.
The sun was falling from its peak on the crystal dome covering this section of the building, which was shaped like a football stadium, but was much, much larger. Teachers (known as either High Sages or High Mages), their apprentices (Tyrouges) and students (Neophytes) trained together, sometimes pairing up with other groups. Large explosions, blinding flashes of light, and stray spells weren't uncommon, and patches of melted ceiling crystal glittered on the grass below where they had cooled, the ceiling repairing itself seconds later (magically, of course).
"Now, casting customized shields uses the same runes and energy pattern, but while casting, you must focus your mind on weaving the energy matrix around the object, instead of letting it form into a natural spheroid shape. The more complex the shape, the harder it is to form, but the closer you can form it to the object, the less energy it takes to keep up. If you need a shield for just a second or two, definitely opt for the general shield rune. If you have to keep it active for a long period of time, shape it as close as you are able. You can reform a general shield into a defined shield for about half the energy a general shield takes, minus however much you shave off of it when reshaping. This is best used if you have to throw up a shield quickly, but keep it up for a long time."
"I think I understand. Short-term or fast-acting shields should be sphere, long lasting and low maintenance shields should be shaped or reshaped from sphere shields." Inari said, focusing energy. With one hand he began tracing the rune over his other, sending the energy into the rune with is mind. As the shield began to take effect, strands of energy weaving outwards from the rune, he concentrated on the shape of his arms. The threadlike energy wrapped itself around them, leaving half an inch or so of space, glove like. He tried to move his hands but found he couldn't.
"Wait, what did I do wrong? Can't this spell move with whatever it’s shielding?" Inari asked, cutting off the flow of his energy, the threads unraveling and the shields fading away. "Or did I do something wrong?"
"No, no, you did it right. You have to either consciously move the shields as you move whatever is being shielded, or change your rune to this." Arcatius traced his walking stick, forming the same circular pattern, but with half of the lines running through it removed. "This forms a shield that will bend freely from the inside but not the outside. Using only the other set of rune lines will have the opposite effect. These take less energy to form and maintain, but you cannot form one into the other after they have been cast." Arcatius directed the runes he had just cast behind them, pieces of tile shards spilling around them as one of the larger groups lost control of a fire comet they had formed and were playing a tennis-like game with.
"Well, I don't think I'm quite ready for another round of those spells, so I think I'll call it a day. Besides, I need to get something to eat. Maybe tomorrow you can teach me some of those spell scroll things?" Inari stepped gingerly past the still-smoking shards of tile from the last explosion, heading for one of the many tall arched hallways that led from the Atrium.
Arcatius smiled at his prodigy. "Maybe, Inari, but I agree. We've been training all day, I can't say I'm not hungry myself. Just be careful; I've heard rumors that something big is going to happen soon, and as your one of the town Valorians of defense, you should be on the alert."

(Waaaaaay too much talking, sorry Xx Some cool action stuff again soon, promise!)

Chapter Ten

"Get the hell out of my way!" Inari fell hard to the pavement as the wolf wearing an executive looking black suit knocked him back off his feet. What the hell is he in that much of a hurry for? he thought angrily. Then as several other similarly dressed furs passed after the first, he remembered Arcatius's warning about a plan to cause trouble.
He turned to stand up, then noticed something. A black plastic card had fallen out of the wolf's pocket when they had collided. He examined it, turning it over. One side was pure black except for the magnetic strip at the bottom. The other side had a small logo across the top right corner.
"AVATAR INC."
~~~<~<@ @>~>~~~
They had taken a very roundabout route through the city when the black suited furs, Inari secretly following them, turned down into a side-alley. finally, we're there. He dashed into the alley after them, only to find himself staring down the barrel of a spell gun.
"Alright, Fox, why are you following us? I thought I told you to get out of my way. That means," The wolf swung the gun, smashing the barrel on the side of Inari's head before he could react. "You STAY out of my way. Hey!" He took the card out of Inari's pocket as he struggled to stand, blood dripping from a crescent shaped gash in his left temple. One of the other black suits pinned him hard against the wall while the other inspected it and stashed it back in his pocket. He turned to Inari as a second black suit pinned his other arm, holding him in place.
"Well, thank you for bringing this to me." He raised the spell gun, energy channeling into the chamber as it charged, glowing a fierce, dark red. He squeezed the trigger slowly. "Time to thank you properly." With a roar of light and sound, a blast of energy ripped out from the gun, knocking the wolf back a pace from the recoil.
As the dust settled and the dust cleared, the black suits stared open mouthed. The section of brick wall around Inari was demolished, while Inari and a half-circle of wall behind him were unscathed. His body was glowing slightly as the shield spell formed itself into an aura around him. One hand rested on the hilt of his sword and faster than sight he drew it, slicing down through the gun easily, and re-sheathed it in one fluid movement.
The wolf stared down at his weapon as it split in half. "How the... DONT STAND THERE, GET HIM!" he shouted to the others as they all drew knives from their jackets, the blades glowing brightly.
The two that had been holding him went down quickly. They hadn't even drawn their knives when Inari's new staff knocked them senseless. They crumpled to the ground, their knife blades sinking deep into the stones, up to the hilt as they fell from their hands.
The next had his knife ready before Inari could react. The blade hit the shield and slowly sank through, grazing deed across his shoulder. Wincing, Inari sent his attacker reeling with the back end of his staff. He cast an imprisoning rune around the three others as their leader, the wolf with the spell gun, pinned Inari to the wall with his knife, the blade sinking through the shield and his shoulder.
Pain shot through his arm, causing Inari to drop his staff. Though the burning sensation spreading up his arm, he summoned up enough strength to bring his knee crashing into the wolf's groin. The shield charm still in effect, the wolf went down, eyes streaming. He ripped the knife from his shoulder, applying a tiny shield charm to the cut to keep it closed. He examined the blade and saw the glow was similar to a shield charm itself. He threw it over the destroyed wall, lifting his staff to properly knockout the wolf, when he saw the shield charm fall, a huge piece cut out of it by the other three. He blocked their swipes with his staff, the knives sinking through the shield but not able to cut the staff, downing the next one with a heavy elbow smash to the face. The last two went down as he spun about, his foot claws extended, knocking them across the side of their heads.
He felt the shield at his throat beginning to part as the wolf cut at it from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. He closed his eyes, focusing on his shield, re-expanding it and knocking the wolf back against the piece of wall, casting a new imprisonment rune around him, pinning him immobile to the wall as he tightened the focus on his knife hand. He swung the staff overhand as hard as he could, cracking the wolf's muzzle, leaving him suspended by the shield, unconscious.
Inari slumped down on the opposite side of the wall, letting all the shields drop, panting heavily from the exertions of keeping them all active. He felt drained and his head was aching as if someone had been beating his brain with a stick. The glow of his pendant had faded considerably; he could tell he was almost out of energy. He made the most detailed field he could around them after he tossed the seven of the black suited furs together, dragging it along with his mind along the street, back to where he had taken his last attacker.
"Inari, what the blazes did you do to yourself? Who are these? Dear god! Your shoulder, we need to get you to a healer before you pass out!" Taro tossed the unconscious furs into individual cells as another station worker bound a tourniquet to Inari's heavily bleeding shoulder, then rushed him to the Academy. Arcatius met them at the door.
"What is this, Taro? What has happened?" He withdrew a healing scroll from his sleeve, casting it on Inari, who had fallen into a state of semi-unconsciousness. As the spell revived him, Inari's pendant began to glow again, recovering its energy as he stat up with a start.
"What happened?" Arcatius repeated, helping him up.
"It was the wolf from before, the one who you were arguing with when I showed up. Him and six others, they were using these." He handed him the knife he had taken from his shoulder. "Their leader, the wolf, bumped into me as they were heading down the street, and one of them dropped this." He handed Taro the black card he had taken back off of him once he had let his spells drop.
Arcatius examined the knife, looking at it and the card, examining the logo on it.
"Follow me," He turned and headed for one of the silencing rune domes. "I have much to tell you."

(As promised, much more action, but as always, tons of suspence =P)

Chapter Eleven

Taro, Inari, and Arcatius were sitting around the polished oak of the tables, reflecting the soft bluish glow of the silencing dome above them, shortly afterwards. Taro looked anxious, his military moustache twitching impatiently. Arcatius was much more alert and awake than Inari was used to seeing the calm old squirrel. Inari himself was rubbing his head, which was throbbing lightly as if something small had crawled inside his head and was using his brain for its punching bag. A blue-robed feline fur walked in and deposited a half-dozen books upon the table, bowed politely, and left them as Arcatius dug though the pile for the book he needed. His fingers leafed furiously through page after page, Taro poised on the edge of his seat, Inari laid back with his hands over his eyes.
"Here it is, Alador city records, from 3 years ago. 'Larune Orimone, ferret, age 31. He was charged of political undermining when he tried to withdraw funds through a series of false identities to fund a private organization. The main piece of evidence was a small business card of credit bearing the title "Avatar Inc.".' He was charged for the supposed sum of the embezzlement, 2100 gold coins, and afterwards disappeared from publicity.
"When you met me here, Inari, I was talking to that businessman you fought earlier. He was urging me to support his request for funds, saying he needed them to legalize an experimental project. When I asked for details he gave me a very sketchy plan for some sort of biological enhancement process. However, I could see that the process was very risky. Most would become mentally unstable as the process to increase their synaptic levels would interfere with the logic center of the brain. In other words, they would become so powerful their bodies would act on their own until their thinking process atrophied.
"These so called 'Avatars' would be nothing more than furs reduced into living weapons. He wouldn't listen and insisted that the process wouldn't be able to override the minds of the soldiers, and when I refused he stormed out, as you saw." Arcatius finished sadly, closing the book. "The technology they possess is apparently greater than I had estimated. If they can create mechanical spells like these knives and that spell gun, they could create the system illegally if they wanted to. If there was any chance the process would work as they claimed, a contraband method like they may have already developed would almost surely cause the mental collapse."
Taro growled angrily, slamming his fist on the table. "What should we do, damnit, we need to know where they're operating from, their leader has vanished, and Avatars could be ripping through town any day now. What do you think, Inari, you usually have a good sense of intuition. Inari?"
Inari was pressing his palm against his forehead as if he was trying to force an idea back inside after it had fallen out. "Orimone, Larune's last name almost sounds familiar, but I can't place it. I can't tell what kind of memory is trying to re-surface. Its like someone’s been beating inside my head with a hammer."
Arcatius walked over to the edge of the rune dome, placing a hand on it. "I can partially help you on that, Inari." The rune began to darken and became more opaque until they seemed to be floating on a small circular island in the middle of nothing. Arc's eyes were glowing with a white light, which seemed to spread like a canvas on the black wall of the dome. Colors began to filter from the blackness, formless and muddled. "There is a legend that not many furs know of." He picked up one of the books which began to glow as well, the colors on the 'wall' forming almost instantly into defined shapes. "Long ago, years before this city was even more than an outpost for travelers, it was foretold that one day the city there would play host to a conflict of legendary scale."
The scene of colors seemed to grow until they were standing on the place where the prophecy had been made. A dragon stood on a stone pediment, his eyes glowing with many colors as he spoke in a strange echoing voice. "In this place, in a time long to come, one will be found in this city, coming from the farthest of places. He will bring truth!" A glowing red kanji appeared to their left "Justice!" An emerald green kanji appeared behind them "Honor!" a shining silver kanji appeared opposite the red "Order!" A shimmering rune of bright blue formed ahead of them. The four grew brighter and larger as the dragon spoke on in his sonorous, ethereal voice. "Eight forces will be joined, the darkness driven back, three times the legend will rise, and he will be known as...
"Inari."

(There are a mighty number of clues hidden in there if you look close enough)

Chapter Twelve

The colors faded away as the light faded from Arc's eyes. They sat in stunned silence for a moment before Inari tried to speak. His throat was dry and choked up, and he only managed a small "whoa" before his voice cut off.
"Whoa indeed" Taro said, staring at the kitsune sitting next to him. "This dragon chap knew about you centuries ago. He said you’re going to stop some pretty foul goings-on in the future too. Three times! It’s staggering..." He trailed off slowly at the look Inari gave him. "But you'll do just fine of course. Bring order and such, you know."
"Don't worry about it Inari" Arc said, patting him on the shoulder. "Like Taro said, you will do fine. The legend tells that you will have help, the eight forces joined."
Inari sighed. "I suppose your right." His head was now throbbing more painfully than ever. "I'll sleep on it I guess. Not much else to do is there?"
Arcatius looked about to speak, then changed his mind. "Yes, I suppose that would be best." He placed his hand to the wall of the spell dome again, restoring its clear blue state. They walked with Inari all the way to the Silverpaw, where he climbed wearily up the stairs and collapsed face first onto the bed, falling into a fitful sleep, too tired and troubled to notice as a shadowy figure slipped into the room...

~~~<~<@ @>~>~~~

When Inari awoke, his head was still hurting, but now from a feeling of physical pain more than mental stress. He slowly and painfully raised his head, dully aware that he was slumped in a standing position against the wall. His limbs felt heavy and as he blinked through the semi-darkness, he saw heavy chains running from his wrist ankles and waist through brass loops in the stonework of the wall behind him. His shirt was stained with dried blood from his head where a rather nasty looking bruise throbbed painfully. He struggled to stand, more blood dripping from his wrists where the chains had cut into them from bearing his weight.
"Ah, so he’s awake finally. Out for three hours with one knock to the head. Seven of our top security agents taken down by this?" Inari felt his own staff prod him hard in the ribs. "Pathetic. Truly pathetic, and with our new shield blades. It must have just been dumb luck."
Inari looked up at his tormenter, a tall ferret-like anthro with brown and black fur, with a hint of some other sort of weasel-like species in him. He was dressed impeccably in a black uniform, an embellished red A across the badge on his pocket. At his side he carried two swords. One of them was his own mirror-blade sword, and the other was a magnificent basket-hilted rapier. In his hand was his staff, with which he was again prodding him.
"And they made you a valorian? Tch! Pathetic. And they say your the Inari of legend." He turned on his heel and marched off, tossing the staff to the only other person in the room, a fox with midnight-black fur. He carried a hammer, the metal fire blackened until it would give no reflection, wearing a long black cloak made of fine velvet that would make no noise and drift like a shadow as he moved. He was an assassin and a thief by trade, Inari had seen his profile just two days ago, so this was supposed to be his new assignment.
Minutes passed, and Inari finally finished the final touches to his plan. Feigning sleep, he began to charge energy as slowly as he could, forming the finest shield he could under the restraints on his ankles and one of his wrists. This fox wouldn't look away for a moment. He had to be careful. Ever so slowly, he widened the shields, this silent mental effort draining him of as much energy as a large shield would. He could feel them strain, just another millimeter and they would snap off.
He focused for a few seconds and took a shuddering breath. The assassin looked up just in time to be hit with a loud sneeze. He spluttered, pawing the spit off of his face. It was over quickly; as he sneezed, Inari forced his bonds open, all but the one on one hand. He whipped it at the fox, the heavy metal chain wrapping around his neck, shutting off his air quickly. Inari pulled grimly until the black fox dropped his staff, fallen unconscious. He seized his staff and charged the shields around himself as high as he could. Springing towards the door he rammed through it like a tank, emerging into a white tiled hallway. He sprinted down the length of it knocking black suited furs left and right as he sprinted for the exit, feeling a shield blade impact on his back but unable to penetrate it. He burst into sunlight, using an imprisoning charm like a bulldozer on the guards who stood just outside, blocking the door of the perimeter wall. He never slowed down as he sprinted all the way back to the Academy, where he fell, completely exhausted, at the doors.

(I know, I lost a lot of detail towards the end >< I may redo this part later if I think it’s that bad.)

Chapter Thirteen

"Inari... Wake up Inari... Inari, you must awaken..."
Inari slowly opened his eyes. All was light and shadow, coming from nowhere but all around him. He seemed to be standing on thin air. A figure appeared before him; He looked much like him, slightly older and taller, with broader shoulders. The black mark was missing from the muzzle and appeared instead as a diamond-shaped mark over his left eye, and his clothes looked different, like something from the middle-ages.
"Who are you?" Inari said, his voice echoing oddly around him.
"I am you, or at least, I was you. I am the original Inari, though you might as well call me Callan, which was my name before I, like you, came to this world from your world."
"What? You came from the same world as I did?" He tried to run over to this ancient figure, but found he couldn't move closer. He was suspended in place.
"Yes, but that doesn't matter, you will understand all in time. Inari, you must fight."
"What? Fight? Fight who?" Inari said, still trying to reach his predicessor.
"Calm yourself, young hero, acting without thought will only cause you problems. You have already fought this new enemy. They are the Avatars. As of yet, they have not managed to become avatars, but their forces are still formidable. I will open your mind as much as I can; this journey to the world you are in now has almost completely shut your mind to your power."
Inari began to feel a presence within his own mind. As the figure before him slowly faded, he felt memories flooding back into his mind, not of his past, but knowledge of who he was. Suddenly it stopped. He opened his eyes to see the world of light and shadows as well as Callan, his ancient counterpart, had gone.
Inari turned his gaze upwards, staring into the star-studded sky, placing a hand on the doors. He felt the warmth of energy flowing through them fill him greater than ever before. A blue-white aura began to surround him, flowing through him and around him, causing his fur to wave as if in a strong wind. He turned around and raced off faster than he had ever moved before, everything around him a blur of colors as he dashed back the path he had come, back to Avatar Inc.

~~~<~<@ @>~>~~~

The guards atop of the great black stone structure saw him first. A metalic voice rang through the compound.

ALEART!
PRIMARY AVATAR DEFENDERS TO THE MAIN GATE!
REPORT TO COMBAT STATIONS!
THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
ALL PRIMARY DEFENDERS REPORT IMMEDIATELY TO COMBAT POSITIONS!
TARGET IS ON ROUTE TO MAIN GATE!

Half a hundred furs armed heavily dashed to the front gate in time to see the blue streak crash into the reinforced steel, causing it to shudder and collapse inwards with the sharp grating sound of metal on concrete.

GATE BREACHED!
NEUTRALIZE THE INTRUDER AT ALL COSTS!

Inari's eyes were blazing with a white intensity, but his face was calm. Shieldblades snapped at the hilt as the heavy meteoric staff lashed out in a whirlwind of crushing blows. Those in front were knocked into those behind, sometimes falling upon their own weapons or those of their allies. A shieldblade spun past Inari's face, grazing his jaw and shoulder. Without pausing he almost naturally created tiny energy nets to keep the cuts closed. The thrower of the knife felt the staff bury itself in his stomach, knocking all the air out of him before he was tossed like a pancake high into the air, landing with a loud cracking sound on the fallen metal door.

75% OF FIRST SQUAD HAS BEEN NEUTRALIZED!
SECOND SQUAD REPORT TO COMBAT STATIONS!
ALL CHAINERS TO THE FRONT GATE IMMEDIATELY!

As the last of the first squad fell senseless to the ground from a quick succession of blows to the forehead, shoulderblades and ribs, the doors of the facility once again burst open. Six avatar defenders carrying lethal looking metalic whips of chainlike design dashed forwards, blocking Inari's path. He smiled cooly and shifted his grip to the back end of he staff, chanting a spell as he channeled energy into the staff. As the first Chainer advanced, he lashed out with the staff, which moved itself like a whip to strike him square between the eyes, knocking him backwards off his feet, his chainblade spiraling out of his grip and slicing deeply into one of the barrier polls of the gatehouse.
Throwing a strong shielding spell over his limbs he charged forwards with the same blinding speed as before, laying the next two chainers down low before they could strike, X shaped bruise marks across their chests, the staff/whip whirling around Inari like a glittering bluish cage of silver light. He felt a chainblade dig into the shields around his legs, using one of his arms to steady himself as the Chainer attempted to pull him over. Another Chainer charged towards him, chainblade pulled tightly into a sword. Throwing all the force he could behind a shield, he felt the chainblade graze through his hair as it was deflected over him, impaling the Chainer who had trapped Inari's legs through the chest. Inari seized the chainblade and jerked it, sending a loop of the weapon back up the handle and slicing into the Chainers hand, causing him to drop it, cursing loudly in between gasps of pain. The final armed chainer had retrieved the chainblade from the safety poll and was now dashing back to where the melee was taking place.

ALEART!
75% OF SECOND SQUAD NEUTRALIZED!
THIRD SQUAD STANDBY!
SQUAD MEMBERS TO YOUR A.P.U.s!

Inari managed to free his footpaws from the entangling weapon fast enough to deal a hard blow to the temple of the wounded and disarmed Chainer, who fell over stiff as a board from the paralyzing blow, restoring his staff to normal. The final Chainer struck out with both diagonally, wraping together around the center of the staff. Jerking it forwards, Inari was dragged forwards. Letting go of one end he slid it free with a smirk. the shocked Chainer looking down at the tangled ball of metal the weapons had become before the staff sent him crashing to the concrete unconscious.
A grinding, grating noise came from behind Inari as he once again attempted to enter the Avatar headquarters, accompanied by the metalic voice.

TARGET IS A SPELLCASTER!
PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
TARGET MUST BE ELIMINATED AT ALL COSTS!

The APUs were two towering robotic full-body armors that were being worn by a dangerous looking pair of white tiger anthros. While not the gun-covered things most are used to thinking of when they imagine a robotic fighting suit, each carried a heavy cannon like device on their backs, immediately drawing them as they surfaced from the ground. The grating noise of the concrete and gears ended with a heavy thud as their platforms locked into place. Inari darted past the cumbersome mech-fighters but found them blocking his path.
"Hah, the little fox thinks he can run away. These aren't bulky tank-like APU's, pup, these are Avatar APUs. Were faster, stronger and better than you. Now be a good kitsune and surrender before we reduce you to a heap of energy-charred fur."
Inari reached out with an energy matrix, picking up the chainblades, which were beyond the APUs, slowly tightening his grip on them and steadying his nerves. He couldn't do it, he swore not to kill...
"I said stand down, little foxy. I'll give you to the count of three to drop your little piece of pipe."
I have no choice damnit
"Three!"
They'll kill me If I dont...
"Two"
But... I can't kill them, I just can't...
"ONE!"
Im so screwed.
The barrels of the cannons were glowing brightly, he couldn't bring himself to attack the suits with the blades for fear of killing those inside. He was going to die for his principles. He was going to let the city, the world even, let them all down.

But the finishing blasts did not come. A flash of light erupted from parchment, a hiss of burning metal, an explosion as energy fed back into the APU's systems, overloading them both and paralyzing the occupants within the immobile metal frames of their armor. Inari looked up but couldn't see anyone. Then in the back of his mind, he heard Callan speeking to him.
"Inari, you cannot let your principles stop you from doing whats right. Sometimes, we must kill or be killed, destroy to save others from being destroyed. This is the way with war..." and he realized, with a start, where the mysterious scroll had come from. "Now go. You must face Larune. Remember, don't hold back. The fate of the world is resting on your shoulders."

(Well? Can I get a hand? No? Anyhow, only one chapter remains!)

Chapter Fourteen

Inari crashed through the doors, emerging into the long hallways with the blaring lights. He charged through the doors, disabling the machinery in each room as he went. Levers were reset, lines were cut, chords crossed, panels destroyed and left smoking ominously. What remained of the guard fell under the heavy blows of his staff. He was beginning to wonder when he was going to meet this Larune.
Hes supposed to be a master of fighting, and judging by that rapier of his hes still in the practice. So why isn't he stopping me? There were only two rooms left. The last side door resisted his attempts to get through better than the rest had, but eventually the bolt gave away with a crunch as he drove his staff through the bottom and used it like a lever, snapping the lock in half. It fell to the floor with a clatter of metal on stone. He was suprised; it was some sort of indoor garden of sorts, a huge, perfectly round pool in the center. It glowed mystically, and he could feel a warm enery flowing out of it from where he was standing. He forced himself to look away from the sparkling waters and return to his task.
The final door loomed in front of Inari. There was no turning back. It was open a small way, a flickering light eminating from the crack. He tightened his grip on his staff and slowly pushed the door wide with his tails, ready to strike...
But he didnt strike. The scene before him was odd; A room lined with bookshelves flickered with the light of the candle chandelier and the roaring fire in the fireplace. Larune was standing, perfectly immobile, with one hand resting on the mantle.
"Welcome. I've been waiting for you..." He said, turning slowly. "Joseph."
"What? Jos-" Inari felt something fighting to get out of his mind. His vision became blurry as his head started to ache worse. "Who are you talking about? Im Inari..."
Larune merely smiled. "You dont remember your old rival John?" His hand strayed to the hilt of his rapier. "You'd always be shoving me around, no matter how many people told you not to. You always had to be the big man on campus."
Inari's head was pounding. Memories were flooding back in, his head feeling like it was being split into pieces trying vainly to take it in fast enough. He remembered his name, who he was, where he lived, the human world was coming back to him. He fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face, locking his jaw in an effort not to scream out loud as 20 years tried to flow into his head at once. Larune was walking over to him, rapier in hand.
"You don't remember yet? Too bad. There won't be any time for you to recall. This is payback for all the pain and punishment." Inari was now only propped up on one arm, his head pounding horribly. The wounds on his shoulder face and ankles were bleeding heavily again now. "All those years you stole my dignity and happiness. Now its time I took your life." He struck out with his full strength at the prone figure, a look of sick triumph on the ferret's sly face, the kitsune at his foot unmoving.
Clang!
The rapier tore through the vest and bounced off as if it had struck metal, sending a shockwave through the weapon into Larune's hand. "What the..." He struck out again, this time aiming for Inari's head. Inaris hand caught the weapon milimeters before it impacted. He raised his eyes from behind the veil of hair, his eyes glowing with a white flame. His stare was blank as his hand bled from holding the razor edge, but he didn't flinch. With his other hand he drew the sword, the eyes reflected in the blade clear and human even as the white light continued to shine from the eyes of the warrior before Larune.
"Look, John, I'm not the same person you knew. I've changed for the better. You however are sick. Your trying to take my life to exact your childhood grudge?"
Larune tore the weapon free from the kitsune's deathgrip, taking an en` garde stance. "I'm strong now, Joseph, and I'm going to keep getting stronger. I'm merely helping others to do the same. Whats so wrong about that?"
Inari took the same stance, his voice shaking slightly with anger. "Whats wrong about it? Your going to drive people insane and turn them into mindless weapons, and hurt thousands of people who didn't do anything to you. I thought you hated me for being a bully?"
"Nonesense! Its not madness, its power, something you should understand. The thrill that strength gives you, the ability to do great things. I will change this world. There are too many weak people and idiots in the world. They need to be destroyed so that we, the strong, can run things as they are meant to be!" He lashed out at his face, Inari barely able to counter it in time. It sliced across his muzzle, blood running freely down Inari's face. He lashed out with his footpaw, knocking him hard in the knee causing Larune to limp back several paces.
Inari struck hard, the rapier blade bending dangerously under the heavy blade, but Larune was swift. Bringing his fist into play, the ferret tried to punch him in the stomach, but Inari's free hand caught it. Larune twisted his arm, bringing his elbow slamming hard against Inari's jaw. The kitsune reeled, but recovered, twisting around with a kick aimed for the ferrets face. This time Larune caught the kick, but gasped as Inari spun, breaking free as his other foot swung round into Larune's shoulder.
Lashing deep cuts across Inari's exposed back, the ferret drew back for a thrust. Again the sword swung round to parry the blow, the miraculus mirrored blade shearing the point off as the kitsune's sword tried to pin it against the floor. Inari tugged at it, taking the brunt of another hard slash with an energy shield. Pulling it free, he cast the strongest cage rune around Larune as he could manage. He drew back his sword, shutting his eyes and forcing himself to finish it. He threw the blade full force at Larune, the nature of the shield preventing anything from getting out, but not in.
The ferrets eyes widened, the sword impaling him through the stomach. "Im...possible... I... Can't... be de...feated... I'm the str...ongest..." His eyes glazed over, his body falling motionless in the prism of energy.
Inari's energy tanked out and the shields died. Feeling as though his body had been beaten head to toe, he wearily padded over to his rival. Tugging the sword free, he wiped it clean on one of the chairs, sheithing it wearily. He stumbled out of the building not looking back, his vision clouding over as his mind slowly returned to normal, the new shards of memory still painful and jumbled. He failed to notice the glow of the sword now resting on his back as he faded in and out of consciousness, heading back to the Acadamy.
His mind was conflicted as he lay at the buildings steps, unable to move once more. He had just saved the world from Larune's mad plans, but he had taken a life. He still couldn't believe he had done the right thing. And the memorys that Larune had restored were not at all pleasent. He sighed as his eyes slowly closed. This is only the beginning...

End Act I: Lost Origins.
The Legeands of Inari: Act II: Sword of Memories

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The Legeands of Inari

When all have lost hope When the darkest hour nears When the darkness looms over us When we face our darkest fears A hero will be forged A legacy shall unfold The light cuts through the darkness A kitsune tale is told...

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When all have lost hope
When the darkest hour nears
When the darkness looms over us
When we face our darkest fears
A hero will be forged
A legacy shall unfold
The light cuts through the darkness
A kitsune tale is told...