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"submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "Inspired by [url=https://inkbunny.net/s/2766539]The Amulet[/url] from @BetaCanumVenaticorum\nIf you haven't yet, go read [url=https://inkbunny.net/s/3151125]Part II[/url]\n\nTranslated, Edited, and Proofread by @GrimmHund with Permission from Viridian's Author.\n", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Inspired by The Amulet from \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBetaCanumVenaticorum\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBetaCanumVenaticorum\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

If you haven't yet, go read Part II

Translated, Edited, and Proofread by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGrimmHund\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGrimmHund\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
with Permission from Viridian's Author.
", "writing": "[center]The Mark: Part I[/center]\n\nIt was clear that the other boys had already given up. Aside from the occasional sniffle, they silently endured the cart-ride out of the prison with gloomy faces and tearful eyes. The city guards had stormed their hideout a week ago and arrested most of the gang’s members in one fell swoop.\n\nOur young fox saw only despair and fear in the eyes of his older peers. Despite bearing similar bruises from beatings and lashes prior, he still had an ace up his sleeve while the other boys had already played their hands. The shackles around his ankles and wrists were both several sizes too big, an oversight that he managed to keep hidden from the guards. Being the youngest in their group had finally become an advantage. All he needed to do was wait for an opening.\n\nThe cart slowed to a stop on the hillside road that overlooked the marketplace; the dreary silence broken abruptly by the guards’ furious shouting.\n\n\"Get your crap cart out of the way before we throw you on ours!” Most of the guards broke from their formation and promptly surrounded the unfortunate citizen, leaving only one to keep watch over the prisoners.\n\nThe fox perked his head up and took in his surroundings, the wagon of manure proven useful by blocking the road and buying him some time. Climbing the hill was an option, but they’d catch him almost immediately. Escape might be possible if he jumped down into the market square instead. The remaining guard swatted the young fox with his staff upon the head, hissing angrily:\n\n\"There's nothing here for you to gawk at!\" \n\nOur little prisoner took a deep breath, realizing [i]this[/i] was the opportunity he was looking for:\n\n“Yes there is! It’s your stupid, ugly, shit-stain of a face!” He snarled at his tormentor.\n\nJust as our clever little fox had predicted, the black half-dragon responded to the cocky insult with another swing of his weapon. The guard’s blind rage was easily exploited as the fox nimbly slid his ankles out of the shackles, dodging the attack entirely. He then reached for the weapon and retaliated by jabbing the other end towards the guard’s face.\n\nInsulted, bewildered, and left with a bloody nose, the guard was momentarily grounded as he landed arse-first upon the hard, cobblestone road. The fox leapt out of the cart and scrambled towards the small retaining wall nearby. \n\nOur little escapist hesitated, momentarily overcome with fear, as soon as he realized how dangerous the drop actually was. He’d definitely hurt himself, perhaps even break a few bones on the way down. However, the little fox could hear the stomping boots of the remaining guards as they rushed to aid their fallen comrade. With eyes clenched shut, the fleeing fox clutched the edge of the wall and swung himself over it. Tumbling down the almost-vertical slope, he barrelled over several times with the shackles cutting into his wrists on every impact. The only reason he managed to slow down was because some loitering window-shoppers broke his fall at the end. The runaway let out a pained whimper and struggled to stand, but the shouting guards and a now-blaring alarm horn quickly urged him onto his feet. He wiped the tears from under his eyes with his arm and took off into a sprint. \n\nNone of the guards dared to follow his lead, which gave our little fugitive a small head-start. The alleys and streets leading out of the marketplace were quickly barricaded by the guards and most bystanders were now acutely aware that something was awry. He couldn’t remain unnoticed forever, but where could he go? Our clever little fox decided to push towards the middle of the market and hopefully blend in with the crowd, but that plan didn’t work out too well. \n\nSomeone managed to grab him as soon as he ran past the first market stall. They immediately recognized each other. The hard-working farmer, a bull appearing far older than their actual age, glared with nothing but discontent towards the little scamp who, along with his friends, stole a whole cartload of food last year. That single raid had managed to sustain their little gang throughout most of last winter. With a firm hand on the scruff of his neck, the little fox looked around for possible escapes, deciding to kick wildly at the farmer’s potato stand and knock the crate of tubers to the ground. The farmer had to choose between saving his wares and catching the despised thief, loosening his grip just enough for the fox to wriggle free.\n\nNext, he dashed past a butcher’s stall; the specific butcher whom his gang had always avoided at all cost. The brawny boar, brandishing a blood-stained cleaver, called out towards the sprinting thief, but the fox was far too terrified to even consider stopping now. \n\nRunning through the middle of the market was getting him nowhere in a hurry, so it was time to deviate from the original plan. He scurried over to the coppersmith where he used a stack of large cauldrons to clamber onto the wooden stall. Without a crowd of bystanders in his way, the little fox hastily leapt across the roofs of several market stands until he reached the tangled rows of weavers. In doing so, the clever thief managed to slip behind the stalls unseen, temporarily shaking off his pursuers until he found somewhere proper to hide.\n\nThe smell of freshly-cut wood and expensive oils permeated the air around the Toymaker; an old and gentle snow leopard with a stern look on his face. The escaped thief decided to take refuge under a large table where several beautiful hand-carved figurines were out on display. He hoped to linger here until the guards gave up on the search, betting on their preference to avoid the owner whenever possible. In immense pain from the fall and beatings, the fox slumped down. His escape hurt him more than he wanted to admit.\n\nGritting his teeth to swallow the hurt, the young thief prepared himself to lay low for the time being before he heard the sound of someone else’s sobbing. A small lion was also hiding under the table, but this one wasn’t a street cub. His clothes were akin to a uniform, decked out in fine, brightly-colored wool. Clinging tightly to a small wooden figure, the small lion sobbed, unable to stifle his own sniffling. Our fox began to carefully squeeze himself out of the handcuffs. They might’ve been a size too wide, but wriggling those sore joints still hurt nonetheless. A few pained whimpers finally got the lion cub’s attention.\n\n“Please don’t tell my Papa that I cried.” \n\nOur fox swallowed hard as the lion turned to face him. Sat across from him wasn’t just any little lion, this was the Guard-Captain’s son! The fox had taken note of him several times before, always accompanying the City Watch. The tiny lion-guard always imitated the adults and proudly showed off his pristine uniform. Once or twice in the past, a few of the boys in the gang had played nasty pranks to get back at the lion’s father. Our fox even tattled on those boys to the leader. Taking revenge was justified, but involving a cub way younger than even himself into their mess wasn’t. Right now, our fox’s stomach was tying itself in knots as the lion continued to speak.\n\n“I’m begging you… Dad said I mustn’t cry when I’m in uniform or other people might see. He’d surely take away my toy again should he find out.” The lion revealed a carved horse to the fox, this time getting a proper look at his one-sided conversation partner.\n\n“I’m Leu.” He stated before adding to it a heavy sigh. “Dad said that we’d have the whole day together. He even promised with both of his pinkies! But, NO! Some super stupid guy had to cause a big alarm so now Papa’s out looking for them!\"\n\nMeanwhile, the ‘super stupid guy’ had successfully wriggled out of the handcuffs, but neglected to catch them afterwards. Interrupted by the abrupt sound of clattering metal, the two of them stared in unnerving silence as visible anger began to brew within the tiny lion. Our fox cautiously backed away as the miniature guard puffed up his non-existent mane and pointed to the fallen shackles with a hiss.\n\n“YOU…! You ruined my Dad-Day, didn’t you?!”\n\nIf the situation wasn’t so dangerous, our thieving fox might’ve taken pity on the little angry lion. He admittedly found Leu even somewhat adorable with watery-red eyes and little balled-up paws. Those thoughts were immediately pushed aside when Leu inhaled deeply.\n\n“HE’S HERE! DAD! I FOUND HIM!”, roared the little lion. Tears started to well up within the fox’s eyes.\n\n“Your father’s going to have me hanged…”\n\n“And I’ll kick the stool out from under you.”\n\nWith claws extended and ready, Leu crouched low and attempted to pounce his prey. With several years of experience in dirty street brawls, our little thief won the bout via a single kick to his opponent’s face before turning tail and sprinting out from under the table. Leu was left behind, bawling loudly for his father. \n\nThe little fox was spotted almost immediately by some nearby guards, taking off after him with the chase beginning anew. A crowd of young, well-off cubs had gathered in front of the toymaker’s stall, watching in awe as the snow leopard managed to transform a block of wood into an effigy of a majestic dragon. Weaving through the tightly-packed crowd, the fox struggled to gain some distance from his pursuers. In their determination, they simply brute-forced their way through and roughly shoved children aside to catch up. Just as one of the guards reached out to seize the fox, that extended arm was instead seized by a rather furious mother. Our escaping thief glanced over his shoulder in time to see the guards being berated by angry parents and even the toymaker, before breaking out into a full sprint. He needed to cover a lot of ground as fast as possible, so there was little time to second-guess his sense of direction. Only did he realize after taking a wrong turn how bad of an idea it was. He found himself surrounded by the brick walls of the Great Market Hall with a second squad of guards on his heels to box him in. With spears raised and pointed at the fox, it’d be a fool’s errand to charge them head-on. Our fox backed up until he felt the crooked bricks of the wall through his thin tunic. His overworked heart pounded loudly in his chest, his breathing heavy and fast. His eyes darted from side to side, frantically taking in his surroundings while he struggled to catch his breath.\n\nHe needed an option, fast!\n\nThe walls to his left and right were too steep and too tall. The guards packed shoulder-to-shoulder and marched slowly towards him, the wall of spears steadily closing in. The fox had clenched his paws into fists and was bracing himself for what was to come when a ear-piercing shrill of a howl broke the silence followed by a soft, pained whimper. The guards froze in shock, some even holding a hand in front of their mouths. The fox followed their gaze upwards to a small window just above his head, both parties having identified the source of the sound. The realization as to where they were sent a chill down the spines of all involved. The fox’s gang always knew to avoid the Hall, but given the choice between this place and the drawn weapons, it was an easy decision to make. He used their stunned silence to his advantage and scrambled up towards the window before the guards could catch him. It was a tight squeeze, but not an impossible task for one so crafty. With the last of his strength, our little fox hoisted himself up into the window and locked it shut for good measure.\n\nSquinting his eyes, the room was much darker now that he’d drawn the shudders closed. The room would’ve been pitch black had it not been for the glowing forge in the center. Despite the still-burning coals, everything surrounding the fireplace was soot-free and incredibly clean.\n\n[i]“Oh shit… Oh shit!”[/i]\n\nWhoever owned this place must’ve spent a lot of money to keep it so immaculate. The experienced thief carefully slid along the brick wall, noting the heavy leather curtain that separated this room from the adjacent one. He silently slithered his way to the bottom seam to peek underneath. The first thing he could make out was a wooden staircase, but he couldn’t tell where exactly it would lead. To the right of the staircase was a large door, presumably leading back into the Market Hall. And finally, he saw them.\n\nClutching tightly at their own palms with tear-streaked faces, they huddled together in the right-most corner of the room while they all stared suspiciously at a table laden with fresh food. What was most concerning was that all four of them were young foxes! Four very naked and frightened fox cubs, all of them significantly younger than himself. He scrambled back, his breathing ragged as panic overwhelmed him as fast as the urge to heave. Our little thief whimpered bitterly as he saw his kind treated like this. He feared for his own life as soon as he heard familiar footsteps marching down the Market Hall.\n\nHe was trapped!\n\nWiping tears from his eyes, the warmth of the fire drew his gaze. Resting in the forge, a red-hot branding iron loomed menacingly from its perch within the coals. His thoughts raced on how different his life would become, living more like an animal than a person. The idea disgusted him, but even that would be better than swinging from the gallows. The Captain had been tracking their urchin troop for a long time. They’ve been too successful and escaped too many times…\n\n[i]“... But he’s never seen me himself!” [/i]\n\nNo one besides Leu’s Father would dare to enter such a noble establishment and he didn’t know what our thieving fox looked like. With the purchased merchandise on the other side of the curtain, all he had to do was buy himself enough time to escape. The thief gathered his strength and approached the forge, picking up the gnawed strip of leather and placing it in his own maw. He slowly raised the red-hot and glowing iron from the coals and carefully rested his paw on the nearby anvil, willingly presenting his open palm. His breathing erratic and his heart pounding in his chest, the little fox squeezed his eyes shut before bringing the iron down firmly onto his exposed hand.\n\nDigging his teeth into the leather strip, he clenched his jaw shut and allowed himself to scream from the searing pain. Consciousness left him, albeit for a short moment, before the stench of his own burning flesh pulled him back. He hastily dipped his hand into the nearby connected reservoir of oil. His nostrils were bombarded by the potent scent of lavender, but it did little to dull the stinging pain. Just as the branding iron was returned to its home within the coals, the guards started banging on the front door. The little fox stared at his paw and wiped the tears from his eyes once more before shedding the ragged prisoner’s garb. Stumbling into the next room, he gave his best pained smile to the other boys while trying to cover his nakedness with his tail. \n\nHe stood next to the others and was just about to introduce himself when the door flew open.\n\n“But… Captain Shishi, this place… you know who-,” stammered the Black Half-Dragon, whom our thief had recently gifted a bloody nose to. The Captain responded by slamming the door shut behind him and snorted.\n\n“Incompetent Idiot…” He then directed his ire to the, now five, cowering boys, snapping coldly at them. \n\n“Line up, Now!”\n\nThey promptly did so: standing shoulder to shoulder, hiding their own shame with their paws and tails.\n\n[i]“At least they’re scared of him too… That should help,”[/i] our thief thought to himself while Shishi marched up and down in front of them.\n\nHis immaculate uniform, his brisk steps, his huge mane, and his bared teeth… With but a single low growl, the whole room flinched, fearful of the ferocious lion’s wrath. \n\n“So… which one of you is my little piece of shit?” He strode down the line, raising his index finger with extended claw under each of their chins. “Assaults one of my men, makes a fool out of me in front of the whole city… and worst of all… kicks my boy in the face…” Shishi visibly struggled to restrain himself, yet a vicious grin still managed to escape. “First… I’ll whip you until there’s no fur left on your back… Then… I’ll drag you by your ankles through the dirty street… And finally… you’ll dangle limp in the market square for all to see.”\n\nOur thief gulped, but Shishi was currently glaring daggers at one of the other boys that had broken down crying. The fugitive remained safe, or so he thought. The Captain just couldn’t possibly know it was him… until he went back to the door and quietly ushered someone inside.\n\nWith a swollen black eye, little Leu shuffled in before the door closed behind him. Using his remaining good eye, the little lion carefully investigated each of the foxes before his gaze lingered upon the escaped thief. Shishi stood behind his son, gently ruffling his little mane.\n\n“Tell me, my Leu… What was it that gave our gallowsbird away?”\n\nLeu turned to face his father, crossing his hands behind his back and clicking his heels together. “The suspect has the mark on the wrong hand, Sir!”\n\nOur little thief briefly glanced towards the others to see that their brands, unlike his own, were on their right paws. Just as he came to that conclusion, the mighty lion wrapped his claws around the fox’s throat, slowly raising him off the ground.\n\n“You really thought this plan would work, didn’t you? Thought you could out-fox me? You’re more of a scrawny street rat, really.”\n\nThe grip around the fox’s neck tightened, only just allowing him to breathe.\n\n“H-He… lp…” He whimpered, barely audible.\n\n\"How many times do I have to tell you to keep your claws off those bearing my Mark, Shishi?\"\n\nFrom the upper lounge, a mysterious figure slowly descended down the steps with a hastily-fastened silk kimono around his waist. Twin horns flaunted themselves along with the emerald-colored hair upon his scalp, while scales of the same hue protruded in various places across his alabaster skin. What definitively gave away his true nature was the trailing green-scaled tail and narrowed, reptilian eyes to match. A dragon, albeit one in a human-like form, stared at the Guard Captain. \n\n\"Your Highness, Prince Viridian...\" the Captain stammered, maintaining his grip on the thief.\n\n\"Let him go.\" The dragon’s voice was cold but clear. His gaze remained fixated on Shishi until the lion started to back down, taking a step away from the dragon as the color slowly faded from his visage.\n\nLeu, on the other hand, only grew visibly angrier with each passing moment. Seeing the Dragon stare down the Father he so much idolized was more than enough to send the little lion cub into a crimson-faced rage of his own:\n\n“But [i]THAT[/i] one is a mean, stupid, smelly thief!” He roared, throwing a feisty tantrum complete with tears and the defiant stomping of his feet.\n\nThe Prince’s form shifted, more and more scales sprouting from his flawless skin until it became more of a rough plate. Green smoke slowly bellowed from the nostrils of his now-elongated draconic snout, his pupils dilating into narrow slits.\n\n“LET… MY… FOX… GO!...”\n\nThe entire hall shook with the boom of his voice. Glass shattered and anything not bolted to the floor was sent across the room. The other foxes hastily sought out shelter, now cowering together under the table. Shishi stumbled backwards, ungently dropping our little thief. The Dragon strode up to the two lions before turning his ire towards the smaller one.\n\n“One more word from you, or your father, and you’ll join me and my new fox at my personal keep.”\n\nShishi turned to Leu and gave him a firm slap across the face - a feeble attempt to placate the Dragon’s wrath.\n\n“Quiet.” He hissed, seizing his confused, whimpering son by the wrist before hastily dragging Leu outside and away from the Prince. \n\nViridian took a deep, slow breath. The scales receded, leaving his transformed figure seemingly flawless. Only his smoke-filled nostrils hinted at a foul mood. He carefully knelt in front of the table, whispering some soft words to those cowering beneath. The former thief gasped for air and scrambled to his feet, rushing back towards the first room. He could barely manage a few steps before tripping over his own feet and tumbling forward, now crawling the rest of the way to the window through which he initially entered. He rattled desperately on the now-cracked glass, tugging it open to finally feel cool air rushing inside to greet his stinging palm.\n\n“You should leave that be, if you value your life.” The prince had slowly followed him, the two of them finally alone together. “With that Mark you bear, you are now my property.”\n\nThe fox couldn’t meet his gaze, glancing off to the side instead.\n\n“Stay still… Don’t be afraid.” Viridian spoke in a warm, assertive tone before slowly kneeling in front of the fox and offering his hand. “Let’s start from the beginning. I am Prince Viridian, the Eighth Son of King Obsidian. By which name are you known, Child?”\n\nThe young fox backed away, refusing the Dragon’s hand as he tried to cover his shame. Embarrassed and entirely vulnerable, he eventually surrendered an answer:\n\n“Kubbi. My friends call me Kubbi.”", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
The Mark: Part I


It was clear that the other boys had already given up. Aside from the occasional sniffle, they silently endured the cart-ride out of the prison with gloomy faces and tearful eyes. The city guards had stormed their hideout a week ago and arrested most of the gang’s members in one fell swoop.

Our young fox saw only despair and fear in the eyes of his older peers. Despite bearing similar bruises from beatings and lashes prior, he still had an ace up his sleeve while the other boys had already played their hands. The shackles around his ankles and wrists were both several sizes too big, an oversight that he managed to keep hidden from the guards.  Being the youngest in their group had finally become an advantage. All he needed to do was wait for an opening.

The cart slowed to a stop on the hillside road that overlooked the marketplace; the dreary silence broken abruptly by the guards’ furious shouting.

"Get your crap cart out of the way before we throw you on ours!” Most of the guards broke from their formation and promptly surrounded the unfortunate citizen, leaving only one to keep watch over the prisoners.

The fox perked his head up and took in his surroundings, the wagon of manure proven useful by blocking the road and buying him some time. Climbing the hill was an option, but they’d catch him almost immediately. Escape might be possible if he jumped down into the market square instead. The remaining guard swatted the young fox with his staff upon the head, hissing angrily:

"There's nothing here for you to gawk at!"

Our little prisoner took a deep breath, realizing this was the opportunity he was looking for:

“Yes there is! It’s your stupid, ugly, shit-stain of a face!” He snarled at his tormentor.

Just as our clever little fox had predicted, the black half-dragon responded to the cocky insult with another swing of his weapon. The guard’s blind rage was easily exploited as the fox nimbly slid his ankles out of the shackles, dodging the attack entirely. He then reached for the weapon and retaliated by jabbing the other end towards the guard’s face.

Insulted, bewildered, and left with a bloody nose, the guard was momentarily grounded as he landed arse-first upon the hard, cobblestone road. The fox leapt out of the cart and scrambled towards the small retaining wall nearby.

Our little escapist hesitated, momentarily overcome with fear, as soon as he realized how dangerous the drop actually was. He’d definitely hurt himself, perhaps even break a few bones on the way down. However, the little fox could hear the stomping boots of the remaining guards as they rushed to aid their fallen comrade. With eyes clenched shut, the fleeing fox clutched the edge of the wall and swung himself over it. Tumbling down the almost-vertical slope, he barrelled over several times with the shackles cutting into his wrists on every impact. The only reason he managed to slow down was because some loitering window-shoppers broke his fall at the end. The runaway let out a pained whimper and struggled to stand, but the shouting guards and a now-blaring alarm horn quickly urged him onto his feet. He wiped the tears from under his eyes with his arm and took off into a sprint.

None of the guards dared to follow his lead, which gave our little fugitive a small head-start. The alleys and streets leading out of the marketplace were quickly barricaded by the guards and most bystanders were now acutely aware that something was awry. He couldn’t remain unnoticed forever, but where could he go? Our clever little fox decided to push towards the middle of the market and hopefully blend in with the crowd, but that plan didn’t work out too well.

Someone managed to grab him as soon as he ran past the first market stall. They immediately recognized each other. The hard-working farmer, a bull appearing far older than their actual age, glared with nothing but discontent towards the little scamp who, along with his friends, stole a whole cartload of food last year. That single raid had managed to sustain their little gang throughout most of last winter. With a firm hand on the scruff of his neck, the little fox looked around for possible escapes, deciding to kick wildly at the farmer’s potato stand and knock the crate of tubers to the ground. The farmer had to choose between saving his wares and catching the despised thief, loosening his grip just enough for the fox to wriggle free.

Next, he dashed past a butcher’s stall; the specific butcher whom his gang had always avoided at all cost. The brawny boar, brandishing a blood-stained cleaver, called out towards the sprinting thief, but the fox was far too terrified to even consider stopping now.  

Running through the middle of the market was getting him nowhere in a hurry, so it was time to deviate from the original plan. He scurried over to the coppersmith where he used a stack of large cauldrons to clamber onto the wooden stall. Without a crowd of bystanders in his way, the little fox hastily leapt across the roofs of several market stands until he reached the tangled rows of weavers. In doing so, the clever thief managed to slip behind the stalls unseen, temporarily shaking off his pursuers until he found somewhere proper to hide.

The smell of freshly-cut wood and expensive oils permeated the air around the Toymaker; an old and gentle snow leopard with a stern look on his face. The escaped thief decided to take refuge under a large table where several beautiful hand-carved figurines were out on display. He hoped to linger here until the guards gave up on the search, betting on their preference to avoid the owner whenever possible. In immense pain from the fall and beatings, the fox slumped down. His escape hurt him more than he wanted to admit.

Gritting his teeth to swallow the hurt, the young thief prepared himself to lay low for the time being before he heard the sound of someone else’s sobbing. A small lion was also hiding under the table, but this one wasn’t a street cub. His clothes were akin to a uniform, decked out in fine, brightly-colored wool. Clinging tightly to a small wooden figure, the small lion sobbed, unable to stifle his own sniffling. Our fox began to carefully squeeze himself out of the handcuffs. They might’ve been a size too wide, but wriggling those sore joints still hurt nonetheless. A few pained whimpers finally got the lion cub’s attention.

“Please don’t tell my Papa that I cried.”

Our fox swallowed hard as the lion turned to face him. Sat across from him wasn’t just any little lion, this was the Guard-Captain’s son! The fox had taken note of him several times before, always accompanying the City Watch. The tiny lion-guard always imitated the adults and proudly showed off his pristine uniform. Once or twice in the past, a few of the boys in the gang had played nasty pranks to get back at the lion’s father. Our fox even tattled on those boys to the leader. Taking revenge was justified, but involving a cub way younger than even himself into their mess wasn’t. Right now, our fox’s stomach was tying itself in knots as the lion continued to speak.

“I’m begging you… Dad said I mustn’t cry when I’m in uniform or other people might see. He’d surely take away my toy again should he find out.” The lion revealed a carved horse to the fox, this time getting a proper look at his one-sided conversation partner.

“I’m Leu.” He stated before adding to it a heavy sigh. “Dad said that we’d have the whole day together. He even promised with both of his pinkies! But, NO! Some super stupid guy had to cause a big alarm so now Papa’s out looking for them!"

Meanwhile, the ‘super stupid guy’ had successfully wriggled out of the handcuffs, but neglected to catch them afterwards. Interrupted by the abrupt sound of clattering metal, the two of them stared in unnerving silence as visible anger began to brew within the tiny lion. Our fox cautiously backed away as the miniature guard puffed up his non-existent mane and pointed to the fallen shackles with a hiss.

“YOU…! You ruined my Dad-Day, didn’t you?!”

If the situation wasn’t so dangerous, our thieving fox might’ve taken pity on the little angry lion. He admittedly found Leu even somewhat adorable with watery-red eyes and little balled-up paws. Those thoughts were immediately pushed aside when Leu inhaled deeply.

“HE’S HERE! DAD! I FOUND HIM!”, roared the little lion. Tears started to well up within the fox’s eyes.

“Your father’s going to have me hanged…”

“And I’ll kick the stool out from under you.”

With claws extended and ready, Leu crouched low and attempted to pounce his prey. With several years of experience in dirty street brawls, our little thief won the bout via a single kick to his opponent’s face before turning tail and sprinting out from under the table. Leu was left behind, bawling loudly for his father.

The little fox was spotted almost immediately by some nearby guards, taking off after him with the chase beginning anew. A crowd of young, well-off cubs had gathered in front of the toymaker’s stall, watching in awe as the snow leopard managed to transform a block of wood into an effigy of a majestic dragon. Weaving through the tightly-packed crowd, the fox struggled to gain some distance from his pursuers. In their determination, they simply brute-forced their way through and roughly shoved children aside to catch up. Just as one of the guards reached out to seize the fox, that extended arm was instead seized by a rather furious mother. Our escaping thief glanced over his shoulder in time to see the guards being berated by angry parents and even the toymaker, before breaking out into a full sprint. He needed to cover a lot of ground as fast as possible, so there was little time to second-guess his sense of direction. Only did he realize after taking a wrong turn how bad of an idea it was. He found himself surrounded by the brick walls of the Great Market Hall with a second squad of guards on his heels to box him in. With spears raised and pointed at the fox, it’d be a fool’s errand to charge them head-on. Our fox backed up until he felt the crooked bricks of the wall through his thin tunic. His overworked heart pounded loudly in his chest, his breathing heavy and fast. His eyes darted from side to side, frantically taking in his surroundings while he struggled to catch his breath.

He needed an option, fast!

The walls to his left and right were too steep and too tall. The guards packed shoulder-to-shoulder and marched slowly towards him, the wall of spears steadily closing in. The fox had clenched his paws into fists and was bracing himself for what was to come when a ear-piercing shrill of a howl broke the silence followed by a soft, pained whimper. The guards froze in shock, some even holding a hand in front of their mouths. The fox followed their gaze upwards to a small window just above his head, both parties having identified the source of the sound. The realization as to where they were sent a chill down the spines of all involved. The fox’s gang always knew to avoid the Hall, but given the choice between this place and the drawn weapons, it was an easy decision to make. He used their stunned silence to his advantage and scrambled up towards the window before the guards could catch him. It was a tight squeeze, but not an impossible task for one so crafty. With the last of his strength, our little fox hoisted himself up into the window and locked it shut for good measure.

Squinting his eyes, the room was much darker now that he’d drawn the shudders closed. The room would’ve been pitch black had it not been for the glowing forge in the center. Despite the still-burning coals, everything surrounding the fireplace was soot-free and incredibly clean.

“Oh shit… Oh shit!”

Whoever owned this place must’ve spent a lot of money to keep it so immaculate. The experienced thief carefully slid along the brick wall, noting the heavy leather curtain that separated this room from the adjacent one. He silently slithered his way to the bottom seam to peek underneath. The first thing he could make out was a wooden staircase, but he couldn’t tell where exactly it would lead. To the right of the staircase was a large door, presumably leading back into the Market Hall. And finally, he saw them.

Clutching tightly at their own palms with tear-streaked faces, they huddled together in the right-most corner of the room while they all stared suspiciously at a table laden with fresh food. What was most concerning was that all four of them were young foxes! Four very naked and frightened fox cubs, all of them significantly younger than himself. He scrambled back, his breathing ragged as panic overwhelmed him as fast as the urge to heave. Our little thief whimpered bitterly as he saw his kind treated like this. He feared for his own life as soon as he heard familiar footsteps marching down the Market Hall.

He was trapped!

Wiping tears from his eyes, the warmth of the fire drew his gaze. Resting in the forge, a red-hot branding iron loomed menacingly from its perch within the coals. His thoughts raced on how different his life would become, living more like an animal than a person. The idea disgusted him, but even that would be better than swinging from the gallows. The Captain had been tracking their urchin troop for a long time. They’ve been too successful and escaped too many times…

“... But he’s never seen me himself!”

No one besides Leu’s Father would dare to enter such a noble establishment and he didn’t know what our thieving fox looked like. With the purchased merchandise on the other side of the curtain, all he had to do was buy himself enough time to escape. The thief gathered his strength and approached the forge, picking up the gnawed strip of leather and placing it in his own maw. He slowly raised the red-hot and glowing iron from the coals and carefully rested his paw on the nearby anvil, willingly presenting his open palm. His breathing erratic and his heart pounding in his chest, the little fox squeezed his eyes shut before bringing the iron down firmly onto his exposed hand.

Digging his teeth into the leather strip, he clenched his jaw shut and allowed himself to scream from the searing pain. Consciousness left him, albeit for a short moment, before the stench of his own burning flesh pulled him back. He hastily dipped his hand into the nearby connected reservoir of oil. His nostrils were bombarded by the potent scent of lavender, but it did little to dull the stinging pain. Just as the branding iron was returned to its home within the coals, the guards started banging on the front door. The little fox stared at his paw and wiped the tears from his eyes once more before shedding the ragged prisoner’s garb. Stumbling into the next room, he gave his best pained smile to the other boys while trying to cover his nakedness with his tail.

He stood next to the others and was just about to introduce himself when the door flew open.

“But… Captain Shishi, this place… you know who-,” stammered the Black Half-Dragon, whom our thief had recently gifted a bloody nose to. The Captain responded by slamming the door shut behind him and snorted.

“Incompetent Idiot…” He then directed his ire to the, now five, cowering boys, snapping coldly at them.

“Line up, Now!”

They promptly did so: standing shoulder to shoulder, hiding their own shame with their paws and tails.

“At least they’re scared of him too… That should help,” our thief thought to himself while Shishi marched up and down in front of them.

His immaculate uniform, his brisk steps, his huge mane, and his bared teeth… With but a single low growl, the whole room flinched, fearful of the ferocious lion’s wrath.

“So… which one of you is my little piece of shit?” He strode down the line, raising his index finger with extended claw under each of their chins. “Assaults one of my men, makes a fool out of me in front of the whole city… and worst of all…   kicks my boy in the face…” Shishi visibly struggled to restrain himself, yet a vicious grin still managed to escape. “First… I’ll whip you until there’s no fur left on your back… Then… I’ll drag you by your ankles through the dirty street… And finally… you’ll dangle limp in the market square for all to see.”

Our thief gulped, but Shishi was currently glaring daggers at one of the other boys that had broken down crying. The fugitive remained safe, or so he thought. The Captain just couldn’t possibly know it was him… until he went back to the door and quietly ushered someone inside.

With a swollen black eye, little Leu shuffled in before the door closed behind him. Using his remaining good eye, the little lion carefully investigated each of the foxes before his gaze lingered upon the escaped thief. Shishi stood behind his son, gently ruffling his little mane.

“Tell me, my Leu… What was it that gave our gallowsbird away?”

Leu turned to face his father, crossing his hands behind his back and clicking his heels together. “The suspect has the mark on the wrong hand, Sir!”

Our little thief briefly glanced towards the others to see that their brands, unlike his own, were on their right paws. Just as he came to that conclusion, the mighty lion wrapped his claws around the fox’s throat, slowly raising him off the ground.

“You really thought this plan would work, didn’t you? Thought you could out-fox me? You’re more of a scrawny street rat, really.”

The grip around the fox’s neck tightened, only just allowing him to breathe.

“H-He… lp…” He whimpered, barely audible.

"How many times do I have to tell you to keep your claws off those bearing my Mark, Shishi?"

From the upper lounge, a mysterious figure slowly descended down the steps with a hastily-fastened silk kimono around his waist. Twin horns flaunted themselves along with the emerald-colored hair upon his scalp, while scales of the same hue protruded in various places across his alabaster skin. What definitively gave away his true nature was the trailing green-scaled tail and narrowed, reptilian eyes to match. A dragon, albeit one in a human-like form, stared at the Guard Captain.

"Your Highness, Prince Viridian..." the Captain stammered, maintaining his grip on the thief.

"Let him go." The dragon’s voice was cold but clear. His gaze remained fixated on Shishi until the lion started to back down, taking a step away from the dragon as the color slowly faded from his visage.

Leu, on the other hand, only grew visibly angrier with each passing moment. Seeing the Dragon stare down the Father he so much idolized was more than enough to send the little lion cub into a crimson-faced rage of his own:

“But THAT one is a mean, stupid, smelly thief!” He roared, throwing a feisty tantrum complete with tears and the defiant stomping of his feet.

The Prince’s form shifted, more and more scales sprouting from his flawless skin until it became more of a rough plate. Green smoke slowly bellowed from the nostrils of his now-elongated draconic snout, his pupils dilating into narrow slits.

“LET… MY… FOX… GO!...”

The entire hall shook with the boom of his voice. Glass shattered and anything not bolted to the floor was sent across the room. The other foxes hastily sought out shelter, now cowering together under the table. Shishi stumbled backwards,  ungently dropping our little thief. The Dragon strode up to the two lions before turning his ire towards the smaller one.

“One more word from you, or your father, and you’ll join me and my new fox at my personal keep.”

Shishi turned to Leu and gave him a firm slap across the face - a feeble attempt to placate the Dragon’s wrath.

“Quiet.” He hissed, seizing his confused, whimpering son by the wrist before hastily dragging Leu outside and away from the Prince.

Viridian took a deep, slow breath. The scales receded, leaving his transformed figure seemingly flawless. Only his smoke-filled nostrils hinted at a foul mood. He carefully knelt in front of the table, whispering some soft words to those cowering beneath. The former thief gasped for air and scrambled to his feet, rushing back towards the first room. He could barely manage a few steps before tripping over his own feet and tumbling forward, now crawling the rest of the way to the window through which he initially entered. He rattled desperately on the now-cracked glass, tugging it open to finally feel cool air rushing inside to greet his stinging palm.

“You should leave that be, if you value your life.” The prince had slowly followed him, the two of them finally alone together. “With that Mark you bear, you are now my property.”

The fox couldn’t meet his gaze, glancing off to the side instead.

“Stay still… Don’t be afraid.” Viridian spoke in a warm, assertive tone before slowly kneeling in front of the fox and offering his hand. “Let’s start from the beginning. I am Prince Viridian, the Eighth Son of King Obsidian. By which name are you known, Child?”

The young fox backed away, refusing the Dragon’s hand as he tried to cover his shame. Embarrassed and entirely vulnerable, he eventually surrendered an answer:

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