	Lilyara drifted along the windless currents of the spirit plane, her form half-curled in a lazy coil comprised of her three ebon hued tassels, tail tips flickering behind her like ribbons stirred by dreams. Above her, the darkened sky shimmered with no stars--just soft pulses of memory and light, like a heartbeat long forgotten. Around her, the quiet stretched vast and endless, beautiful in its way though equal parts haunting. She'd memorized every curve of this nothing. Her ears twitched at sounds that weren’t there--no birdsong, no rustle of underbrush, no breath of damp earth after a gentle rain. She sighed, tracing idle loops in the air with a paw that couldn't touch anything real. It had been--how long now? Since she'd tasted berries warmed by the sun's rays, since the scent of lilacs clung to her fur and tantalized her olfactories? Long enough that even those simple memories were starting to feel borrowed.

	She clenched her teeth, a low growl rumbling from her throat--yet even that small defiance sounded hollow, counterfeit, like a memory trying too hard to remember itself. The sound reached her ears with the weight of an echo faked by thought alone, and she cursed beneath her breath. It struck her then, sharply and without grace: even the memories of how those sounds once felt to her mortal ears were beginning to rot, becoming as artificial as the realm around her. This place--this colorless expanse suspended between space and time--wasn’t peace, wasn’t paradise. It was a sunless void for the dead, a cavity of silence where souls unraveled by degrees. What even was she now? Her emerald eyes drifted down the lines of her form--flickering, insubstantial, tinged in the ghost-glow of spirit light. Disgust pinched at her features. She was no longer a fox. No longer a vixen. There was nothing sacred or seductive about death. No, life--with its teeth and sweetness, its hunger and warmth--that was the world worth belonging to. She would die a thousand deaths before she ever felt herself becoming settled in here, trapped and faded like a moth on the edge of oblivion.

	Lilyara uncurled from her coil, the effort of straightening her spine making her ache with the phantom twinges of muscles unused. She took a moment to stretch, her ears swiveling toward the sound of footsteps on the ground--if there was a ground. The sound came and went, and Lilyara felt a flicker of frustration. How long would she be here, forced to listen to the sounds that never were, the things her senses wanted but couldn't grasp? She could feel herself unraveling, could feel the edges of her mind fraying beneath the constant pressure of silence. Another sigh and her black-tipped ears both twitched one after the other. She closed her eyes as she continued to float above what made up the ground in this strange place. For the moment, she lost herself in thought--the thought of anything, anything but the desire to feel whole again, or the fact that she was stuck in this place that was likely to be her prison for eternity.

	"Are you just going to let life float on by for all eternity, Lilyara?" a familiar voice suddenly entered her ears from a location down below. The way it travelled to her auds momentarily caused her to question whether or not the voice was something real or something fabricated within the recesses of her own mind. The gentle, masculine voice was familiar to her, and though simply hearing the familiar sound brought a subtle smile to her maw, a part of her had wished he had not chosen now to interrupt her simple drifting of both mind and soul.

	One of her emerald eyes shot open and she glanced down at the familiar blueish-silver of a male she had come to know well after winding up in this place. His one orange and one green eye both looking up at her, expectantly but with a quirked brow hung over his right eye, the green one. His head was canted cutely to the right as well as he cast his half-judging gaze up at her. He was a handsome creature, and many times she had thought that if the two of them had somehow met while they were both mortals, she would have done everything within her power to make him her mate. After a moment of drifting over the male, giving him a one-eyed stare, she eventually relented and let the tension out of her shoulders before allowing her to slowly descend down near to his level, using her cloud of tails to guide her downward movement with a graceful velocity. For good measure, she rolled during her decline so that she was now inverted and looking at an upside-down version of the attractive Kitsune.

	"I wouldn't exactly call existing in this place life," she told the male with a bored yawn, ending her momentum only just before their noses would have otherwise touched. "Besides, it's not like there is much else to do in this place," she added with a huff, though the moment those words left her lips, she could almost predict his exact response.

	The male gave her a sideways glance before shaking his head slightly when he heard her response, his three tails swishing and swaying hypnotically behind him as he addressed the floating vixen before him. He didn't even stop as she mouthed his words along with him.

	"Lilly, I know how you feel about this place, but you could do a lot of good here for all of vulpine kind and you could find a good deal of pride and purpose, if you would just officially join the Argent Accord and work by my side. Together, we could help Amaithera achieve her goals--and all mortal foxes would benefit from our efforts here," he started, pausing for a moment upon witnessing the silver and black furred vixen's immature antics. He puffed up his chest and reached up, clenching his teeth around one end of the light purple scarf that she wore around her neck. He gave it a gentle tug, attempting to spin her around so that she was looking back at him at eye level and from the same orientation as he was. "Surely," he started again when she finished moving in place, though her gaze had now drifted off to his side, "you can see that there is real purpose in something greater than yourself--I know deep in your heart, you are not a callous creature, and you care deeply about mortals--perhaps even as much as you miss walking among them."

	Lilyara sighed softly, opting now to let her spiritual energy surge from her tails, allowing her to come to a landing just in front of the male. Even though they were both three-tailed Kitsune, even standing at full height, she only came to about three-quarters his stature. She flinched when she felt the blades of spirit-grass caress and nestle between her digits and the pads on her paws. Her three tails flicked uncomfortably behind her as she returned her gaze back to the orange and green eyed Kitsune before her.

	"Thalorhiro, you are incredibly lucky that you are as fetching to my eyes as you are, otherwise I'd have a very difficult time subjecting myself to your sermons on a regular basis," the vixen grumbled slightly, but her frown turned into a weak smile as she leaned forward and gently nudged her shoulder into his own. "Besides--you know as well as I do that Ammy would barely tolerate my company. She doesn't exactly show a lot of patience toward those who miss their mortal bodies--and all of the pleasures that came with it," she told him before offering him the slightest of sly smirks.

	Thalorhiro sighed softly, his posture slouching a little. "Amaithera is her name," he corrected her, gazing down at the playful vixen before him, "and I know you are something of a free spirit, Lilyara, and--no one can fault you for being yourself, but--I am sure if you just applied yourself to the cause, you might find that having that extra meaning in your--life--would bring you more happiness and a sense of purpose than you may have thought possible, otherwise," he told her, offering up a tender smile as he leaned in to gently brush his nose against the black fur on the top of her head. "You do mean a lot to me, Lilly, and I really just want to see you happy. I'd never guide you down a path I didn't think was right for you."

	The silver and black vixen couldn't help but blush as the tall and handsome male nuzzled her affectionately. "If you wanted to see me happy," she started, a sly and devilish grin stretching across her muzzle, "there are other ways you could do it. You don't need to try and drag me off to a life of servitude with a bunch of stuffy old spirits."

	The taller male clenched his teeth and momentarily closed his eyes, taken aback a little by her comment, though he was clearly not surprised in the slightest. He cleared his throat and took a step back, his expression returning to a more serious one. "If I didn't know better, Lilly, I'd say you are just trying to distract me. You don't want to end up like Rharzes, now, do you?" he asked her with a concerned quality to his voice.

	Lilyara quirked a brow directly at Thalorhiro, as though she were thinking deeply about something he had just said. Rharzes. She hadn't thought much about that old Kitsune before for some time and she had only heard stories about what had become of him when he had annoyed Amaithera one too many times. He was probably the wisest and oldest Kitsune she knew of, apart from Amaithera. Maybe he knew a few pieces of forbidden Kitsune magic or rituals that could help her with her problem? At the very least, it would be nice to talk to someone new for a change--someone with more wisdom and experience to share than she had.

	"Lilly, I don't like that look on your face..." Thalorhiro responded nervously. "You know if you ever decided to join the Accord, you wouldn't have to sneak around and lie so much. You could just tell me what is going through that head of yours and we could work through it together. I'm sure Amaithera would have a better solution, too."

	Lilyara scoffed at him. "Ammy isn't exactly known for her leniency. Besides, I haven't had to lie about anything to anyone for quite some time, I'll have you know," she replied, giving him another quick nudge with her shoulder.

	Thalorhiro shook his head, and his three long tails swished and swayed behind him. "So you aren't going to tell me, are you?" he asked her.

	"Tell you what?" the silver and black-furred Kitsune asked him, feigning innocence.

	"Lilly," he started, his voice softening, but still remaining firm. "You're--like a sister to me, or--a very close friend," he started with a sigh, "I am just worried about you is all, and I just want to help. Are you sure you cannot trust me with these secrets that are rattling around in your head? You know I would never tell Amaithera anything if it might jeopardize your freedom..."

	"Thalorhiro," the petite silver and black Kitsune replied, "it isn't that I don't trust you, it is just that I feel like this is something that I must do on my own. There are no Kitsune who are closer to me than you are, and no one else that I trust more," she said, offering him a genuine smile. "Besides, it might be rather awkward for you if your 'sister' suddenly started making moves on you, wouldn't it?" she asked him, her muzzle twisting into a sly grin as she leaned forward, lifting her right paw and gently scritching him beneath the chin with a single claw on a solitary digit.

	The taller male flinched at her sudden gesture and his cheeks turned a faint shade of red, causing him to turn his head away a little, but his gaze was still set on her. "Lilyara, please, you are always joking," he said, though there was a clear hint of playfulness in his voice. "I really do care for you a lot, and I want to see you happy, but--if this is something that you feel that you must do, then, I will support you. Just--be careful," he said, finally reaching up and grasping the paw that was rubbing beneath his chin, wrapping the underside of his right paw around the topside of hers. "Please," he insisted, leaning forward and pressing his muzzle against her own. "Just try and be safe. Who knows, maybe once you have done what you need to, you will see how much more fulfilling it is to be part of a cause larger than yourself."

	"Who knows, Thalor," Lilyara cooed, brushing her nose against his own. She pulled her paw away from his grip and wrapped both of her paws around his shoulders now, causing her to have to stand up on the tips of her hind paws. "You could even end up joining me and my 'little escapade'," she teased.

	"I don't think Amaithera would--"

	"Shhhh," the petite female interjected, pressing whiskers so near to his lips that it caused him to pause, "not everything needs to be about Ammy, you know. She isn't the leader of all fox-kind, heck, I doubt there is a mortal fox alive who even knows her name. We can make our own decisions, can't we?"

	The blue-silver male blinked a few times. He was clearly conflicted and Lilyara could sense that. "That is the point, actually, Lilyara," he told her with a sigh, "she does not want fame and glory and worship like some Kitsune might, her goal is to merely keep things as they are--until the true deities of fox kind return and take up the mantle again..."

	"Thalor," Lilyara started again, this time pressing her nose to his own, her lips practically brushing against his, "I've had--quite enough lecturing about Amaithera and the Argent Accord," she whispered to him, her breath washing over the end of his snout and his whiskers as she addressed him so closely. "I know she means a lot to you--and so does her cause, but please--could you spare me for just a moment? Allow us both a moment to enjoy each others company--just for the sake of it?" she asked, her tone turning to one more gentle and tender, the playful vixen now taking on something of a more loving and romantic demeanor.

	Thalorhiro, for a moment, seemed to lose himself in the allure of her words. He could feel what passed for warmth as her tender breaths fell upon his whiskers. He was very taken aback and his own three tails swished and swayed behind him as he contemplated what she had just told him. "Lilly, I--of course," he relented, closing his eyes and leaning in toward her, gently touching his muzzle to hers, causing their lips to touch for the first time, and the first time for a long while.

	Lilyara had always known that there was a certain attraction and chemistry between the two of them, and she was certain that Thalorhiro felt the same, even if he dared to liken her to a sister. It had been a long while since he had taken a moment for himself, always the busybody, eager to please his dear Amaithera. Perhaps, Lilyara had thought, that was part of the reason why Thalor was so obsessed with the Argent Accord. A small part of her wondered if maybe Thalorhiro had forgotten entirely what life was like as a mortal fox, or perhaps, joining the Accord was his way of fast tracking the loss of those memories? Maybe he never had the chance to experience the joys of mating and feeling loved by another while he was a living, breathing fox, and perhaps that is why he seemed unwilling to allow himself to be swayed by temptation even in the afterlife? Though it was unlikely in her mind, maybe, just maybe, he like her, felt that the sensation of making love in the spirit realm was just far too stale and artificial to be all that satisfying and so, he felt there was no point in exploring it further? Maybe it was just easier to be a good little soldier and courier rather than to think about things he could no longer enjoy? She looked deeply at him as they embraced in their own way, and soon, those heterochromatic eyes of his would open back up to look back at her, causing her to smile.

	"Are you on a mission right now...?" Lilyara asked him, her voice was constrained by the sensation of her heart throbbing within her chest, which she knew was only an artificial sensation. Still, it felt nice to be this close to enjoying the passion of a handsome male once again, especially one who she's had centuries of time to get to know by now.

	"Well, I..." Thalorhiro would reply, his voice a bit distant and absent minded as his thoughts seemed to be a little foggy. "Not really. I was just passing through and I had heard a rumor that you were somewhere around here. I wanted to make sure you were okay," he answered, a smile spreading across his muzzle, and his whiskers perking upward, signaling his happiness at being so close to her. "It's been some time since we've both had a moment to just stop and talk, you know?"

	Lilyara nodded her head slowly, as she gently dismounted his shoulders and gradually lowered herself onto her back, locking her eyes with his as she did so. Her front paws tucked to her chest as she gazed up at him expectantly.

	"Well, you found me," she told him with a mischievous smile. "What is next, then?"

	Thalorhiro blinked a few times. The tall, blue-silver hued Kitsune looked a bit dumbfounded by her question. "Well, I--don't know. What do you want to do, Lilly?" he asked, a somewhat perplexed tone to his voice.

	"Hmmm," Lilyara replied, as though she were in deep thought, or perhaps, she was playing with him. Either way, she closed her eyes, tilted her head back and raised her chin upward, opening her mouth and revealing a pink, moist tongue. Her front paws reached outward now, toward him, her digits dancing at the end of her paws while her paws made subtle grabbing motions.

	It did not take him long to catch on, as he stepped toward her and lowered his head and shoulders, his paws sliding underneath the base of her neck and the crook of her front legs. He lowered his muzzle into her chest at first, running his nose through her fur and along toward her neck. He would instinctively inhale her scent as he did this, though as expected, he would smell of nothing real. Even as his nose touched along her neck and he gently trailed his snout through her fur, even the warmth of her felt very tepid at best. Still, it was impossible to make the claim that there was nothing enjoyable about the intimacy of their closeness. He pressed his nose and the side of his face against her neck, and as he did, she wrapped her front paws around the back of his head and shoulders, causing her to nuzzle his own snout and face against her body. She was smiling broadly, and he was not far behind her.

	He had to admit, being this close to her did make him happy, and the way that her front paws would occasionally tug or scratch at his head and ears, made him feel comforted and loved. There was nothing wrong with simply enjoying a moment of peace, was there? He had been a busy Kitsune for eons by this point, and his service to Amaithera had been quite rewarding, but the thought of spending some more intimate moments with Lilyara did seem very appealing too.

	"I don't think I ever asked you this, Thalor," Lilyara started, her tongue running over her lips for a moment as she lay beneath him, enjoying the comfort of their togetherness, "but--did you have a mate? When you were a mortal fox?" she asked him, her tone sounding curious more than anything, though in truth, his answer might simplify things just as easily as they could complicate them.

	The blue-silver Kitsune lifted his head up slightly to look her in the eyes. "Mmm, no, not really," he answered. "I did have a friend that I was fond of, but I never had the courage to confess my feelings for her. We were very close, though," he said with a small smile.

	"Hmmm," was her reply, and the sound she made as she thought about his response. "How close were you, Thalor?" she asked him. "What was her name, if you don't mind my asking?"

	Thalorhiro's smile faded slightly and he closed his eyes. "No, no, I don't mind, Lilly. Her name was Veliriel, and we were very close. I cared for her a lot. I just wasn't sure how she would respond if I told her my true feelings," he told her, a somewhat sad smile crossing his muzzle.

	"A shy guy," Lilyara smiled knowingly as she gave him a somewhat sideways glance that still somehow appeared like a mischievous smirk. "I could have guessed that," she added with a very soft and brief chuckle. "What happened to her? Or do you know?"

	The blue-silver hued male shrugged his shoulders a little, his ears drooping some. "She was a friend, but she disappeared a few months before I died. No one knew what had become of her, or where she had gone," he replied, sighing a little.

	"So," Lilyara started, lifting her front paws from around his shoulders, now placing her pads on his chest as she kept her eyes on his. "If she were to turn up in the spirit plane one day, would you want to make her your mate?" she asked him, quirking a brow at him curiously.

	Thalorhiro blinked a few times. That question caught him a little off guard. "Uh, well, I suppose if she did turn up here someday and--if she even remembered me and wanted me as a mate, then, yes, I would have no reason to deny her. But what are the odds of that?" he asked. "She probably found a new home after my passing, found a wonderful mate and had many litters of kits with him," he responded in a tone that didn't sound defensive, but it was still vaguely firm just the same. "Why? Why are you so curious about her?" Thalorhiro asked softly, glancing back down at her as she lay beneath him still. "Did you have a mate when you were a mortal?"

	Lilyara's cheeks turned a little red beneath her silver fur, and her green eyes drifted off to the side slightly before she gently bit her lower lip. "Well, I was just curious is all--as for me, I didn't really have a mate either. Um--not exactly, at least..."

	Thalorhiro cocked his head at her, clearly puzzled by her response. "What do you mean, not exactly, Lilly?"

	"Well, heh--let's just say that when I was approaching adulthood, there were three handsome tods who had taken an interest in me," she started, her gaze only half on Thalorhiro at this point. "I had a hard time choosing which one I would have liked to be my mate as each of them had wonderful qualities to them," she added, sighing softly as she attempted to remember their faces. Kaelreth was the first one to make his feelings for me clear and I still remember his amber eyes and his striking red-gold coat well," she added, sighing softly. "Before we were officially courting, though, another tod named Thavenar had approached me as well. He was darker in coat--rich umber and shadow-black, and he had a broad build and handsome forest-green eyes," Lilyara added, exhaling as she found herself being brought back to that time and place so many centuries ago. "And lastly--there was Solenar. Oh, Solenar. He was the leanest of the three of them, but his coat was a mesmerizing autumn dusk, like a burnished copper. You should have seen his fur glistening in the sun," she added with a warm, dreamy smile. "His eyes remind me a little of yours, one was gold while the other was deep brown. If there was ever a fox meant to be a bard, he was it," she stated with a smile.

	Thalorhiro blinked down at her as she described these three males from her past to him. The way she described each of them, he could see that she was melting right beneath and in front of him as she spoke. He was quite surprised in fact that she did not turn into liquid as he allowed her to recant and relive these memories to him, right before his very eyes. Clearly, these three tods were something to behold and though he felt sympathy for her in a way, a small part of him still had to question her tale just a little. Three males? Was it really that hard to chose a mate? He could only guess, really.

	"Three of them...?" Thalorhiro asked her, his voice almost a whisper, as though he was trying to process this information. "You were having a hard time deciding between three males?" he added again, as though repeating the question aloud might somehow help it make more sense to him in the meantime.

	Lilyara's dreamy demeanor had shifted slightly as she turned her muzzle back toward his, a light smirk on donning her features before she lifted a paw and gently pushed it into his cheek, teasing him a little. "Heh, don't be like that, Thalor," she smiled, her three black tails shifting in the grass beneath them both. "I am sure you could have had your pick of the vixens in your time too, if you had wanted. It sounds like Veliriel really captured your heart and there was no need for others. I think it's sweet," the smaller Kitsune told him with a cutesy smile.

	Thalorhiro had managed to crack the slightest of smiles in return, though he still felt like he was missing a very key piece of information with Lilyara's story. He gently nosed her cheek before starting again.

	"Yeah, but--how long were you courting the three of them? Don't you think it's a little--unfair to string three tods around like that? Surely, they must have been worried about what they would do with their lives if you came to reject them--and it couldn't have been easy for you either by the sound of it? I saw the way you described them, you were--you were over the moon in love with each of them, weren't you?" he asked her, still staring into her eyes as he tried to understand--wishing he could fully comprehend what it must have been like for her when she was a creature of flesh, sinew and bone.

	Lilyara's cheeks turned even brighter red and she nodded her head almost timidly. "Kaelreth and Thavenar were courting me for about a month before I..." she trailed off, clearing her throat. "Solenar came into the picture between one and two moon phases after the fact. It was--very difficult to choose because each one of them seemed like the perfect mate, just in--different ways," she told him, sighing softly. "I did feel guilty making each of them wait, and so I thought that--maybe it would be easier to decide, if I knew what it was like to mate with each of them..." she trailed off slightly, biting her lower lip again as she struggled to maintain eye contact with Thalorhiro at this point. "That--however, only made deciding even more difficult, even though Solenar and I only managed to copulate on one occasion..."

	Thalorhiro was speechless, and he blinked at Lilyara as she gave him these additional and somewhat unprompted details rather shamelessly. He hadn't noticed, but he had even started to blush as she finished filling him in on these additional tidbits. "I uh..." he cleared his throat, shifting a little while he lay on top of her. "I--don't know what to say, Lilly, I just--I uh--well..."

	Lilyara had turned to face him again, her emerald eyes focused intently on his own. She cracked a vague smile, her tails gently coiling around one of his own, while one wormed its way around one of his hind legs. "Aww, don't feel bad or anything, Thalor. If I had known you at the time, and Veliriel hadn't captured your heart by that point--my decision would have been even more challenging..." she told him, booping her nose cutely against his own.

	Thalorhiro swallowed hard, his three tails fidgeting with a flurry of emotions at this point. He swallowed again before attempting to speak. Clearly, he was becoming flustered by this new information, and the fact that she seemed to consider him an equal to these three perfect foxes from her past.

	Lilyara giggled softly, finding his inability to process his thoughts to be kind of adorable. She lifted her left forepaw to his cheek and gently brought the side of his muzzle to her own, so that she could give him a sweet little kiss. "What's wrong, Thalor? Embarrassed to hear that your 'sister' finds you attractive? I don't mean to--embarrass you, but--you've always been sweet to me, even when I am undeserving of your kindness. I can be kind of a brat at times, can't I?" the vixen asked him with a playful sneer.

	Thankfully, Lilyara's playfulness had caused Thalorhiro's mind to return to a more focused state, causing him to chuckle and to nod his head slowly. He glanced down at her, shaking his head slightly before stretching his forelimbs out in front of him and gradually raising his body off of hers once again. "Maybe--a little bratty," he told her with a brotherly smile, his three tails unwrapping from hers. "But--I wouldn't have you any other way, Lilyara," he told her tenderly. "I uh--I probably should get back to the Accord, though..." he added, taking one step off of her and away from her, though it was clear there was some hesitation in his muscles and the movement of his body. "I--might be needed for a task--and I wouldn't want to be unavailable if Amaithera had need of me."

	Lilyara nodded her head understandingly and stretched out as he rose from his spot over her. She rolled onto her side and stood up, before giving her body a shake. She glanced over her shoulder at him, offering him a somewhat apologetic smile.

	"Hey, um--sorry, if I made you uncomfortable at all," she told him with a soft sigh. "It wasn't my intention to upset you or anything, but--I am glad you told me about Veliriel. I hope--we can talk more in the near future, and that--you will cross paths with her again someday," she told Thalorhiro, offering up a sincere, if not somewhat sheepish smile.

	The blue-silver hued male's expression was a bit of a mixed bag. He appeared to be happy, though also somewhat sad at the same time. He was still smiling, so clearly, his happiness was winning out, but there was definitely a hint of longing and sorrow in his gaze too. "Thank you, Lilyara. That means a lot to me. And--should you reconsider coming with me to the Argent Accord, I--I am sure I could put in a good word for you, if you would like. I don't know how much it would help, but--"

	"But we would get to see each other more often," Lilyara finished his sentence for him. "I get it," she smiled, stepping toward him and even bringing her shoulder to rest just against his flank. Her playful side winning out again as she emitted an over exaggerated yawn and placed her chin down against his lower back, as though she could easily rest in a standing position with him as her pillow.

	Thalorhiro could not help but to smile at this display, though he did lift the tip of his center tail and gently brush her nose with it so as to rouse her from her artificial slumber. "Hey, hey, sleepy head," he said in a playful tone, "I have to get get going," he insisted.

	Lilyara shook her head, and her black tipped ears were swishing back and forth slightly, indicating her mild annoyance at his rejection of her playful advances. She raised her head from his lower back, only to press her chin on his shoulder and her cheek to his.

	"You're no fun," she whispered teasingly in his ear, and as she pulled away, her paws were now resting on his shoulders, while the tips of her two outer tails gently tickled his chest and neck. "But--what if I--came with you?" she suddenly offered, seemingly out of nowhere. "I mean, it's very likely I'll end up as part of the Argent Accord at some point anyway. Maybe it would make sense if I got to know some of the other movers and shakers over there--you know, as preparation for that time's eventual arrival?" she asked him, tilting her head cutely and batting her eyelashes at him a couple of times.

	As though he were immune to her antics in that moment, Thalorhiro quirked a brow and tilted his head right back at her, casting a questioning and suspicious gaze in her direction. "Just like that?" he asked, his tone doing little to mask his uncertainty. "Lilyara, you and I both know that your heart is not with the Accord, though I do greatly enjoy the idea of being both your friend and your comrade. What are you planning?"

	Lilyara looked somewhat shocked at his accusation. Her ears perked up and her tails ceased their movements as she stared back at him, wide eyed. "W--what do you mean, Thalor? You just--seemed so intent on recruiting me, again and again, that I thought--well, maybe there is little point in resisting? I'm sure it'd be worth checking out. I trust you, is all," she told him, her posture assuming a sheepishly slouched shape as she smiled at him through clenched teeth. "You trust me too--right?"

	Thalorhiro was having none of it. "I'm not stupid, Lilly. You're hiding something. Why would you suddenly change your tune so abruptly and easily? Just because I want to bring you into the fold, doesn't mean that I won't accept that you may have your own reasons for declining and deflecting my offers," he stated firmly, his tail tips swishing behind him, though not nearly as much as Lilyara's had been.

	The silver vixen sighed, her posture slouching a little more as her ears drooped. "Alright, alright," she admitted, turning her gaze off to the side for a moment, trying to formulate the best possible explanation for her sudden interest in the idea of joining the Argent Accord.

	"Well," Lilyara started again, her eyes turning back to his, "it's true, I'm not--totally convinced about your group's mission, or Amaithera's motivations. I want to be, because I trust you--and enjoy your company, Thalor, but--the main reason I'd like to get close to the Argent Accord is so that I could--potentially learn a thing or two," the smaller Kitsune admitted, her eyes now taking on a similar look and feel as a small puppy who knows he or she may be in trouble.

	"A thing or two, huh?" Thalorhiro replied, his posture straightening slightly as his gaze grew more intense, almost as though he was staring straight through her and into her soul. "Such as?"

	"Well, we were talking about lost loves just a moment ago. I sort of thought that, maybe..." she trailed off, her gaze drifting down to the ghostly purple grass as she gently angled her forepaws, rubbing them together. "Maybe one of Amaithera's other agents might know something about Dreamwalking--and I could learn how to do it on my own. Maybe--just maybe--I could find Kaelreth, or Thavenar, or Solenar through it?" she ventured, her gaze only lifting to meet his when she added, almost a whisper: "Or--perhaps even Veliriel, if I were so lucky."

	Thalorhiro felt his chest tighten the instant she mentioned Veliriel's name and almost in a moment, his defensive posture had transitioned to a one that was vaguely more relaxed. For a moment even, his gaze drifted off of and away from Lilyara, off to the side for a moment as he cleared his throat and gathered his thoughts.

	"I was--under the impression that you wanted to join entirely for selfish reasons, Lilly," he admitted with a sigh. "I'm sorry about that, but--I still am not sure it's such a great idea. Amaithera will still be skeptical of your intentions, and like I said before when I spoke of Veliriel, it's--quite possible she already has a mate and had many offspring with him. Perhaps, the reason I've not found her here is because she and her family are enjoying the afterlife together, and just do not wish to be bothered," he spoke to her in a tone that suggested he wasn't entirely sure of himself.

	Lilyara flicked her three tails as she stood up, approaching Thalorhiro and gently nosing the bridge of her muzzle under his chin, her emerald eyes locked on his orange and green orbs. "It hurts you though, not knowing. Wouldn't it do your soul some good just to have some answers? I know--for me at least, it really hurts not knowing how their lives turned out, or how they may have grieved when I--passed away," she added, grinding her teeth a little at that thought. "If I could help to ease their suffering, to show them that I am okay and--just to meet with them again, I just feel it would be--well, it would help me rest more easily, I guess you could say," she said with a soft sigh as she nestled herself beneath his chin some more. "Maybe--maybe it'd allow me to focus on something larger than myself..."

	Thalorhiro flinched when he heard her last few words. If she was trying to manipulate him, she was doing a very good job of it, using his words against him like that. With a soft and heavy sigh, he finally relented, nodding his head slowly and gently brushing his nose through her ears.

	"Alright then," he told her as he slowly withdrew from her, turning as though to return back to his intended destination. "You may as well come along then, though--I cannot promise the warmest of receptions. I will vouch for you though, of course..." he told her, glancing back over his shoulder, and offering a weak, but sincere smile.

	Lilyara nodded, smiling as she fell into step beside him. She was walking alongside him, though she had to take almost two steps per one of his to match his stride. Her three black tassels danced behind her as she turned toward him upon joining his side. She could not help but to lean in and gently press the side of her face against his shoulder. She closed her eyes, sighing softly.

	"Thank you, Thalor--for trusting me--and being the best friend a girl could ever ask for," she whispered, her eyes still closed as they continued to walk.

	The blue-silver hued male was quiet, though his cheeks had begun to turn a light shade of pink, while a small smile spread across his muzzle. His long tails were swishing behind him, their tips gently caressing Lilyara's back, her underside and her legs as they walked. He could not help but to feel close to her and to want to protect and comfort her. After all, she was almost like family to him. He would do anything for her.

	Lilyara was still walking next to Thalorhiro as he guided her down a pathway that eventually opened up into a beautiful garden, though with a ghostly taint to it all. A massive tree was growing in the center of the garden and a number of different and beautiful flowers were in bloom around the entire area. Lilyara blinked as she followed him, and soon enough, they had reached the base of the giant tree.

	Thalorhiro was standing a bit closer to the base of the tree than Lilyara was, but as he had stopped, she stopped as well, tilting her head slightly as she glanced from him and up toward the tree.

	"Um--is this the place?" Lilyara asked him, her three tails swishing behind her as she looked around a little, a small frown creasing her features.

	"Yes," the blue-silver Kitsune replied, a gentle sigh escaping his nostrils. "Or rather, it's the door to Amaithera's domain," he stated, lifting his paw and placing it flat against the trunk of the tree.

	In the center of the tree, where Thalorhiro's paw had touched it, a glowing, white and circular marking began to appear on the surface. The mark began to pulse with a bright light and the sound of a lock clicking could be heard. As the light dimmed, the bark seemed to shift and the tree seemed to grow a doorway of sorts, though it looked very much like a warped mirror, the reflection of which was ever changing and appearing as though it was partially concealed by a foggy mist.

	"This is the door?" Lilyara asked, sounding more curious than surprised. "Do I have to touch the tree too, or is it just you?"

	Thalorhiro was stepping through the opening in the tree before she could finish her question, his long tails disappearing into the opening last. He was gone, but the door remained.

	"Oh," was her soft response as she took a hesitant step forward. Though she had been subjected to a number of strange things during her time in the spirit plane, her vulpine instincts still implored her not to trust this strange visual. She leaned forward, her nose almost touching the entity that hummed softly, though it's surface looked like twisted glass. It was hard to see through the strange, translucent opening, and the longer she stared into it, the more difficult it became.

	"Are you coming or not, Lilly?" came Thalorhiro's voice from the other side.

	The female Kitsune sighed and her body began to tingle as she closed her eyes and pushed her way through. She did not need to breathe, but it seemed instinctive to hold her breath anyway. The strange passage felt cold and wet, like a damp cave, and though she had only been inside for a few moments, she could swear she was being pressed against from all sides. It was almost claustrophobic, the sensation made worse by the fact that it seemed as though she was moving backwards, or even upside down. There was a dizzying sensation of motion, and she could swear she was moving both downward and upward simultaneously.

	After a moment, she found herself emerging out the other side. She blinked, shaking her head slightly as she looked around. She was in a cave of sorts, with a few flickering ghostly torches hanging on the walls. There was a faint, but distinct, aroma of incense permeating the air, which was a foreign sensation to Lilyara at least. The scent reminded her a little of lilacs.

	She stepped further out into the chamber, her eyes now falling upon Thalorhiro. He was standing near the center, his expression somewhat neutral. She stepped over to him, her three tails swishing behind her curiously.

	"Is this Amaithera's domain?" she asked him, tilting her head slightly.

	Thalorhiro did not say anything right away, but he nodded his head once before gesturing with his right paw toward the rear of the chamber. It looked like the place was honeycombed with all manner of different tunnels and passages. "Amaithera should be in the chamber ahead. Let's not keep her waiting," the blue-silver male stated simply as he started making his way toward the other side of the cave.

	Lilyara tilted her head, but did not say anything else as she fell into step behind Thalorhiro. When he came to a stop, however, her head was nearly pressed up against his backside. She peered around him, and she was greeted with a substantial, open space and a large, ghostly looking, female Kitsune hovering just in front of Thalorhiro. She was larger than the male and her fur was almost entirely a dullish blue-gray color. She had six tails behind her, floating in the air just as her entire form was. She also had two long strands of fur, one on each side of her face, extending off her cheek fur like little ribbons dancing in the wind. Her eyes were a medium gray. Even as she opened her mouth to speak, Lilyara could see that the interior of her maw was also gray, tongue and all.

	"What's this, Thalorhiro?" the female Kitsune asked, her voice carrying with it an resonance that sounded like a ghostly echo. Lilyara could tell immediately that this Kitsune must have impressive power, though, she thought Amaithera was said to have seven tails, not six. "Hmm?" she added, her ghostly eyes with their gray sclera now working their way toward Lilyara's face, a twisted grin forming at the end of her long muzzle. "Brought in a new recruit for you mistress, have you?"

	Thalorhiro's tails flagged behind him, mostly at the tips of his tails as he lifted his eyes to meet those of the large Kitsune hovering before him. "Yamakaresu," he started, dipping his muzzle as he addressed her, "my friend Lilyara has expressed interest in joining the Accord. I was hoping I could introduce her to Amaithera so that she might be granted temporary approval as a probationary member."

	Lilyara frowned a little, feeling a bit annoyed that Thalorhiro did not bother to introduce her personally. Somehow, being referred to as his 'friend' didn't feel accurate either, though it was perhaps better than being his 'sister'. She stared up at Yamakaresu with a somewhat unreadable expression, her tails flicking behind her.

	"Ahh, yes," the big, gray female spoke again, her eyes turning to Lilyara, and her gaze felt more like a physical weight that was pressing down on her. "This is the one, is it? Lilyara, yes?"

	"Indeed," Thalorhiro interjected, before the smaller female could even have the chance to respond.

	"My name is Lilyara, yes," the smaller Kitsune agreed, her tone polite, though it carried with it a hint of uncertainty.

	"And--I see that you have only three tails, yes? Not five?" Yamakaresu asked, her voice a low hum, as she drifted closer to Lilyara, her gray orbs now examining her from a distance, though that distance was gradually decreasing. She seemed to be drinking in Lilyara's appearance, as though analyzing and reading her like she were a book. The floating Kitsune's grin almost appeared maniacal rather than sinister or mischievous, though it was difficult to tell for certain. After Yamakaresu completed a full circle and was now once again hovering just before Thalorhiro again, she simply snickered down at the two triple-tailed Kitsune.

	"Seems I will now need to settle a debt with another," the mysterious Kitsune stated with a grimace. "Your name is not unfamiliar to the Accord, though some of us assumed you might have at least five tails, considering your status as a rogue. Most interesting," Yamakaresu added, her voice carrying with it a hint of suspicion.

	"I am not sure I understand," Lilyara told her, her expression still mostly neutral, though her eyes narrowed slightly. "My 'status' as a rogue?" she repeated. "What does that have to do with the quantity of my tails, exactly?"

	Yamakaresu cackled at this, shaking her head as she turned, facing Thalorhiro and ignoring the smaller, younger, Kitsune female.

	"You brought her here to join us, Thalorhiro?" she asked him, her voice taking on a tone that almost sounded incredulous. "I was under the impression you were a scouting agent for the Accord, not a jester."

	Thalorhiro stood his ground and did not appear all that dismayed by Yamakaresu's tone or her words, though he did cast a sideways glance over his shoulder to see how Lilyara was fairing. He could tell she was insulted, and he wanted to warn her to cool her jets a bit. Still, he turned his full attention back to Yamakaresu, sighing softly.

	"She's been a friend of mine for longer than I can remember, Yamakaresu," he said firmly. "I'd trust her with my life, were we mere mortals. I believe her intentions are good, and over time she could come to be a valued asset to the Accord."

	Yamakaresu snickered some, and her gray tongue slipped free from her maw to rake itself over her whiskers and lips for a moment, as her eyes shifted from Thalorhiro to Lilyara again. "Well. Perhaps you should let the little dear speak for herself, Thally," she stated, not giving Lilyara her full attention. "Tell me, young Kitsune. What do you hope to achieve with the Argent Accord?" she asked, her tone sounding vaguely bored, and as though her mind was already made up.

	Lilyara was trying to be patient. She was trying very hard to keep her composure, and she did not want to lash out at this mysterious and powerful Kitsune spirit. That said, she felt somewhat offended by Yamakaresu's condescending tone. She was certain that she appeared as though she was about to burst and lash out at the uppity Kitsune in front of her, but she knew better than to let a little thing like her pride get in the way of calm and collected thinking.

	"Honestly, Lady Yamakaresu?" Lilyara started, taking on a formal tone as she slowly stepped out from behind Thalorhiro, now joining his side. She stood on all fours, gazing up at the larger Kitsune. "My interest in the Argent Accord at this moment are purely self-serving."

	Thalorhiro arched a brow, his expression shifting with slow intrigue as he turned his head toward Lilyara. His heterochromatic eyes softened with concern, yet a flicker of surprise danced within them. A subtle furrow formed between them as a complex mixture of empathy and uncertainty played across his muzzle, as if her words had tugged at something long dormant beneath his composed exterior.

	Yamakaresu also quirked a brow, though her expression danced with intrigue rather than concern. "Go on," she said plainly as her gray eyes burrowed deep into Lilyara's orbs.

	"That being said," Lilyara started again, "Thalorhiro has spoken very positively of the Accord since I've known him. I know he would not steer me wrong, and I know him to be of a sound mind and a great judge of character. It was my hope that I could learn some small piece of Kitsune knowledge from the Accord, and in turn--offer up the chance to prove myself, should such an opportunity arise. If the Accord found need of me, well, then I suppose I would accept any offer of joining that would come with such a request."

	Yamakaresu did not blink as she listened to Lilyara speak. She stared at her, almost as though she were waiting for her to continue speaking, but after a moment or two, the large, gray Kitsune broke eye contact and turned her attention toward Thalorhiro.

	"It would appear, Thally, that you have brought us a rogue who is quite the skilled manipulator. She speaks her own language, that is for certain. What's more, she does not seem to understand what it is that the Accord is all about, nor does she appear to grasp the magnitude of what the Argent Accord is truly capable of," Yamakaresu told him, her eyes narrowing as she gazed down at him. "And yet, she has somehow convinced you to vouch for her. Curious, is it not? Do not think me so gullible, young-soul," the large Kitsune added, turning her head back to face Lilyara once again.

	"What exactly do you mean?" Lilyara asked, her tone growing less formal, though still respectful, and her expression now carrying a slight, but noticeable, tint of confusion. "I know that the Accord and Amaithera's ultimate objective is to keep any other powerful Kitsune from ascending to Godhood, though I do not entirely understand how one could achieve such things," Lilyara stated matter-of-factually. "I know that the reason for that is so that the Accord can act as a guardian of the throne, so to speak, for when Avilsokeir and his daughter Orariasita return from wherever they have gone to. I guess Amaithera feels the need to protect the status quo? Which, admittedly, is admirable, but I am sure her stance has also earned her the unwanted attention of others," Lilyara continued, "probably those who would hope to one day become Gods themselves, and would seek the demise or perhaps control over all the spirits who have achieved a semblance of power."

	"You know more than the average spirit does," Yamakaresu stated flatly. "But your knowledge is lacking in one regard," she added, her voice once again a soft hum, which caused the tassels dangling from her cheek fur to flicker and dance. "Amaithera does not wish to prevent all Kitsune from reaching their potential, merely those who would attempt to steal the power that belongs to another, or who would seek to abuse the gift of Godhood and use it for their own gain, rather than the benefit of all foxes."

	"Which is why the Argent Accord stands ready and willing to defend the spirit plane and the mortal realm from any threat, foreign or otherwise," Thalorhiro cut in. He was standing with his chest puffed out now, his long tails swishing behind him, the tips almost dancing with each sway.

	Yamakaresu scoffed slightly and rolled her eyes, her gaze landing on the male Kitsune. "The Accord is a formidable force, that is true, and yet, it still stands as one among many. The Twilight Choir are not the only ones who would stand against the Argent Accord, should the Accord remain a throne in their side."

	"So the rumors are true," Lilyara mused aloud, her green eyes widening as she realized what this meant. "There are factions vying for godhood?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

	"Oh yes," Yamakaresu told her, nodding her head once. "It seems there are always those who desire the power and influence that comes with being a God, or Goddess. Amaithera does her best to prevent these factions from rising to power, but they are like a weed, sprouting up from the fertile soil and pushing their way toward the sun. The Argent Accord is strong, but its numbers are few, as there are few spirits who seem willing or able to stand against the many in defense of the mortal realm."

	Lilyara nodded politely, her emerald eyes firmly locked in on Yamakaresu's. "I thank you for sharing that additional information, Lady Yamakaresu. Though, I have to admit, you labeled me as a skilled manipulator and suggested that, Thalorhiro, someone quite dear to me, was gullible for believing that I would serve the Argent Accord. Do you care to explain your thought process there? Or is the Argent Accord just going to turn away another potential ally for fear that she might be a spy or an agent of one of the Accord's enemies?" she asked, her tone was firm and vaguely snippy, without coming off as overly rude or annoyed.

	"Your words are clever and they are well-practiced, Lilyara," Yamakaresu replied, not at all affected by Lilyara's tone. "You are indeed a skilled manipulator, though not skilled enough, I fear," the large Kitsune stated simply. "Perhaps you will be of use to the Accord, but you are not ready yet. You are a novice, an amateur. You have not learned what it means to give yourself over to another's cause and you are not prepared to serve the greater good."

	"That is why I am here, is it not?" Lilyara replied. "I could not possibly be any more prepared, unless the Accord would like me to go on a mission or two first? Like I told you, I came here hoping to obtain some knowledge, and if joining and aiding the Accord is what I have to do to obtain it, then I am willing to go through with it. I'm being upfront and honest with you," Lilyara added, her tail flicking idly behind her, "I would hope to receive at the very least, the same in return."

	Yamakaresu sighed, a long and drawn-out exhalation of air that seemed to carry with it a hint of irritation and annoyance. "The Argent Accord has many tasks which are yet undone," the gray Kitsune told her. "With Amaithera preoccupied at the moment, I suppose it would fall on me to find a task to bestow upon you, little Kitsune."

	Lilyara tilted her head a little, arching a brow as she watched the large Kitsune. "Is there any chance that you might allow me to perform a task while within Thalorhiro's company? I would like to see the Accord's operation first-hand," she suggested, though it was apparent she was not really suggesting, but rather, insisting.

	"Thalorhiro has other duties to worry about for the time being, I'm afraid," Yamakaresu said, shaking her head. "But," she added, "perhaps I have a simple enough task for you to handle on your own, if you are serious about all of this. Are you certain that you are up for this?" the big Kitsune asked her, leaning in closer.

	Lilyara did not lean away or cower, but she did lower her eyes as her ears drooped slightly. "Yes. I am very serious," she replied softly. "I will do whatever the Accord asks of me," she added, her tone growing somewhat quiet, almost somber.

	"Very well then," the gray Kitsune said as she pulled herself upright once again. "Thally, I suggest you double your efforts and get back on task. This little detour of yours has surely delayed you on your missions, and I would hate for Lilyara's performance to be graded on how her presence here has affected your work. You have an important task to complete, Thally," she said sternly.

	"As you wish, Yamakaresu," Thalorhiro said, lowering his eyes and dipping his muzzle to his superior. He turned to give Lilyara a hopeful glance before turning to walk away, leaving her and Yamakaresu alone for now.

	"Now then, Lilyara, please follow me. We will take this conversation elsewhere, and I will show you what needs doing. It's a simple task, one which most would consider beneath them, but it is a necessary task, nonetheless."

	"So--you suddenly trust me now?" Lilyara asked, quirking a brow. "All of those accusations about me being manipulative and all that? That just doesn't matter now?" she asked, already turning to follow Yamakaresu, despite her questioning tone.

	The floating Kitsune suddenly descended to the ground in front of Lilyara, her limbs were quite impressive in length and very slim, giving her the appearance almost of that of a Maned Wolf, though this was perhaps exaggerated in the mind of the shorter and more diminutive Lilyara. The smaller Kitsune stopped as Yamakaresu's paws touched the ground and she craned her head and her long muzzle around to address her, a twisted smirk forming on the features of the larger female.

	"Most of what I said was just to gauge your reaction, young-soul," Yamakaresu stated, two of her tails now working their way around her, to gently caress and massage Lilyara's cheeks. The smaller Kitsune froze, her eyes glancing toward the tips of these tassels with an uncomfortable aura to them. She even stretched her neck instinctively and lifted her chin, as if to avoid the physical contact. Yamakaresu continued: "I'd say you did well enough, though it was still quite easy to detect the frustration in your eyes, as well as your posture. The jury is still out on whether or not you'll be a useful member to the Accord, or if your heart is entirely in the right place. Still, I have significant doubt that you're here to cause trouble for the Accord. Not intentionally, at least--so there is that."

	Lilyara's gaze shifted upward, from Yamakaresu's tails, to the Kitsune's own gray orbs. Her expression softened and she blinked a couple of times, her body now relaxing and allowing the two tails to touch and caress her, her muzzle still extended outward, however.

	"You think I'm not sincere about wanting to help the Accord?" she asked, tilting her head a little.

	"I have my doubts, yes," Yamakaresu stated, the gray ribbons of her facial fur now stroking along Lilyara's cheeks as well. "But it is not for me to say what your intentions are. Only time will tell," she added, her gaze growing intense. "Ultimately, the final decision will fall upon Amaithera, not me."

	"Fine," Lilyara replied with a sigh, though she did not recoil away from Yamakaresu's tail tips or the cheek tassels that seemed quite interested in her face now. "Lead me away to wherever you intend to so that I can hear about this mission of yours. I'm eager to quell all doubt you have about me as soon as possible," she stated, though deep down, she wasn't entirely sure of that last part.

	Yamakaresu snickered, a light, soft and ghostly laugh, before pulling her tails back. "Come, little one," she stated, her form rising upward, as though a breeze had carried her off. "Follow me. I will not keep you long. Just enough time for you to understand and accept the task I have for you."

	Lilyara did not hesitate, and simply started walking, keeping pace with Yamakaresu, though her eyes were now on the other Kitsune's backside, taking note of her six, swishing, ghostly looking tails.

	Yamakaresu would lead Lilyara toward a secluded chamber, big enough for maybe a half a dozen Kitsune at most. Perhaps, this area was used as something of a conference room. Once both Kitsune were inside, Yamakaresu would turn to face Lilyara directly now, her expression more stern and serious.

	"What I am about to share with you, you cannot share with anyone else. This is the task I have for you and you alone. Whether you are successful or not, the information I will reveal to you now will never leave this chamber. Understood?" the larger Kitsune spoke, her voice carrying an air of authority to it, despite being fairly soft and calm.

	Lilyara tilted her head a little and stared up at Yamakaresu, blinking once. "Alright. Understood," she agreed, not seeming all that bothered by the demand.

	"That means Thalorhiro," the larger Kitsune added, quirking a brow as she stated this fact.

	"I get it," Lilyara replied promptly.

	"Very good. The Accord has need of a certain item," Yamakaresu began, "and I believe you may have an advantage when it comes to finding and retrieving this item, due to the fact that you are not yet a high ranking member of the Accord. In fact, no other spirit apart from myself and Thalorhiro would even know that you are an applicant."

	"So--what is the item, and why would someone high-ranking need to get it?" Lilyara inquired.

	Yamakaresu smirked but maintained her posture. "Do you know what a Yenharu is, Lilyara?" she asked, not answering the smaller Kitsune's questions.

	Lilyara blinked, tilting her head slightly. "I--believe they are the spirit form of a hyena's soul? Just like a fox becomes a Kitsune when they reach the spirit plane?" she replied, her response coming off as somewhat unsure of herself. "I've--never met one before, so I cannot say for sure."

	"You are correct," the gray Kitsune stated, her gaze softening slightly. "But the Accord does count a Yenharu among our list of allies. He is an incredibly gifted spirit, a great asset to the Accord. He goes by the name Myrhazen," Yamakaresu stated. "He is quite powerful and a valuable ally to the Accord when we have need of him. He is your target, or rather, the object in his possession is," Yamakarasu continued. "He claims to have discovered a Veilspine Shard."

	"A what?" Lilyara asked, blinking.

	"A shard of a fabled spirit veil, it allows the bearer to 'see past the seams of the world' and beyond the In-Between," Yamakaresu replied. "We believe he might have acquired this shard by chance, and he knows that Amaithera would like to have the artifact for safe keeping, so as to prevent any power hungry spirits from meddling with the lives of mortals. We are not certain that he possesses a genuine relic, but it is likely. I need you to go and retrieve this item for the Argent Accord. You must get the item and bring it back here, no matter what the cost."

	Lilyara blinked and tilted her head. "That sounds simple enough," she mused. "Just a quick mission. In and out. So--where might I find this Myrhazen then?" she asked, her tone now more inquisitive.

	"Ah. That is the problem, young-soul," the gray Kitsune mused. "He is a very difficult spirit to find. He can appear and disappear without a trace, and no one, not even our scouts or spies have been able to pinpoint where he resides. But," she said, her tone becoming less ominous, "we have reason to believe that he is now far. In fact, I can teleport your soul to the last place we know for certain he was located."

	"You can?" Lilyara asked, arching a brow.

	"Of course," Yamakaresu replied with a suggestive smile, her six tails swaying gently behind her like blades of grass on the wind. "There are perks with having six tails, and being a member of the Argent Accord, for that matter."

	Lilyara nodded. "Well then. If you would, please do so," she replied, a bit of excitement in her voice now.

	"You have accepted the task, then?" Yamakaresu asked.

	"Of course," Lilyara replied, smiling a bit. "I've waited long enough. I'm ready to prove myself."

	"Very well," the gray Kitsune said, nodding. "Be warned, the place I will send you is not a pleasant one, and you may encounter some hostile or tricksy spirits there. You'd best be on your guard."

	"It can't be any worse than the In-Between, can it?" Lilyara retorted.

	Yamakaresu chuckled a little, but said nothing in reply, merely lowering her eyes and focusing for a moment.

	Lilyara was suddenly enveloped in a soft, warm glow, and before she could say anything, she felt as though she were drifting, and the next thing she knew, she was standing on soft ground. Her feet, legs, belly and chest were pressed firmly against a rough, dusty, reddish-brown surface. She pulled her eyes open and her ears twitched slightly. There was a scent in the air that smelled vaguely like decay, and the air was hot and dry. The ground beneath her paws was soft and sandy and it was almost a challenge to bring herself to stand again on all four paws. The landscape seemed barren, though she could not see too far into the distance due to a thick, yellowish-brown fog, which was hovering over the ground and giving the landscape a hazy, almost dream-like feel. The sky was an odd shade of violet, and what passed for a moon in the spirit plane looked larger than it should, almost as if it were much closer to this place than it was in the place she had just come from. 

	After regaining obtaining her purchase with the ground and retaining some semblance of balance after the dizzying sensation of having one's spirit and soul transported magically over some distance, the vixen soon put her emerald eyes, her ears and her nose to work in an effort to better understand her new environment. The land was barren and the fog was dense, obscuring most everything further away than perhaps ten meters or so. This did not mean that there was nothing to be found here, however. Ahead of her, she could make out some sort of structure, and not far from her location, there was another shape in the ground. She was not sure if it was a small hill or a large rock, but something about the way the air moved around it, like waves across water, told her that she would not want to venture too close to the oddly shaped formation.

	She did, however, want to investigate the structure ahead of her. It was not very tall and was constructed from large pieces of a strange, purplish-red material. It was smooth and reflective, but not like glass. It was more organic in nature. She took a deep breath and decided to slowly approach the entity, keeping her ears erect and alert, her senses keen, and her gaze sweeping back and forth across the landscape as she walked. She kept in mind what Yamakaresu had mentioned about this place potentially being littered with hostile or aggressive spirits and the last thing she wanted to do was to get herself into a prolonged confrontation.

	There was no visible sign of a threat, or anyone or anything else, for that matter. No scents in the air, save for the smell of decay, which seemed to come from all directions. The constant barrage of this sickly scent, even if it was artificial in nature, caused her to gag, and for a moment she lowered her snout toward the ground as she coughed. She was forced to slow down, as the scent was not going away, but she did not stop. Eventually, she lifted her snout again and took a deep breath, letting the fake, clean air fill what comprised of her lungs and hopefully drive the stench from her nose.

	Her gagging was not entirely unnoticed, however. As she approached the structure, the reflection of the light of the "moon" in the reflective, purplish-red structure gave off a strange hue, and for a brief moment, the shape and coloration of the light shifted, almost as if something were passing in front of the light, though there was no sound accompanying the movement, nor was the source of the shadow apparent. Still, Lilyara's sharp gaze was not fooled and she immediately froze, her outer tails curling around her hind legs while the center one tucked between them as she stared at the structure. The movement did not repeat itself, and though she did not sense any real danger, Lilyara felt that perhaps she was not alone here.

	"Who is there?" she asked, her ears twitching, her green orbs searching the gloom ahead.

	No answer.

	The vixen's hackles rose and she turned her head, casting her gaze over her shoulder to the left, then the right, then back to the left once more, then she looked forward again. She still could not see any signs of life or even unlife at that, but she felt certain that someone was there, and watching her.

	"Come out," she commanded.

	Nothing.

	The vixen growled low in her throat, but she did not give up. Instead, she decided to try something different. She turned her head, looking back at the structure, her eyes searching the shadows.

	"I am looking for a Yenharu named Myrhazen," she spoke, her tone confident and strong. "He has something that I am in need of," she added while maintaining that self-assured timbre in her voice.

	There was no sound at first, and she almost turned away from the structure, her tails flicking behind her.

	"And who are you, little Kitsune?" a voice suddenly asked. It was a soft, male-sounding voice and it sounded like it was coming from behind her. She turned quickly, her tails whipping around her.

	There was no one there.

	Lilyara blinked and her ears twitched.

	"My name is Lilyara," the vixen said. "And I have been tasked with retrieving an artifact from the Yenharu, Myrhazen," she replied, turning her head to look back at the structure.

	"Is that so? What might such a pretty little thing like you be wanting with Myrhazen and his treasure, hm?" the voice asked.

	"That is a private matter, I'm afraid," the Kitsune stated. She knew well enough to know better than to reveal who she was working for, especially if there were meant to be aggressive spirits in this place.

	"Well, then, it would appear we are at an impasse," the voice replied. "If I cannot have what I want, why should I let you have what you want?"

	Lilyara's eyes widened. The voice was suddenly coming from somewhere behind her.

	She turned, her tails whipping around her again as she faced the structure.

	"Who are you?" she asked, her brow furrowing, her voice sounding somewhat more anxious than she would have liked.

	"Someone who has lived here for a very long time, and has not had company in a very long time. Someone who has had their home and their privacy invaded, and is not too happy about it," the voice replied.

	"I did not come here to invade your privacy. I'm simply here for a basic, harmless task. If you could just point me in the direction of this Myrhazen, I would be out of your way, and you would have your home back," the vixen suggested, hoping that her plea would be convincing enough.

	"I am afraid that I cannot do that," the voice said, his tone shifting, almost like he was smiling. "If I were to tell you where Myrhazen was, I would lose a valuable bargaining chip," he added. "I am sorry, but I'm afraid we're at an impasse. Perhaps you should go now, before I get angry and decide to have myself a little Kitsune for lunch."

	Lilyara quirked a brow. She found that last statement to be perplexing. Spirits had no need for nourishment, so was this creature somehow a living, breathing entity trapped in the spirit plane? Unlikely, she would suspect. So it seemed infinitely more likely to her that he was not as imposing as he wanted to sound like he was, and was just hoping to scare her--or perhaps, this was the Yenharu she sought after and he was just toying with her?

	The Kitsune smirked faintly into the amethyst haze that curled and drifted around her like a living veil. She couldn’t quite place the origin of the voice that had spoken, so she simply addressed the mist itself.

	“Leave?” she echoed, lacing the word with a note of feigned surprise. “Why would I leave, when I’ve already found the one I’m looking for? Or,” her voice dipped into a sly purr, “are you not the Yenharu they call Myrhazen?”

	At first, nothing. No answer. She stood motionless, staring at the misty wall before her, waiting. And then, slowly, something began to materialize out of the darkness. A shadow, at first, a silhouette of a figure. And then, details started to form, a mane, the curve of an ear. Her ears folded back as the Yenharu manifested fully and his size became apparent.

	Yamakaresu was larger than Lilyara by at least a factor of two, but the Yenharu was even taller, a giant towering over the petite vixen. His fur was a ghostly purple-brown, his eyes glowing the color of ice, and his fangs and claws looked to be the color of the steel, even reflecting some of the limited surrounding light around it.

	He smiled, and it was a slow smile, as if he were amused, and her skin prickled, the fur on the back of her neck rising up straight.

	"So. You've found me, have you? Well, I suppose there's no reason for you not to know my name," the spirit mused, his voice was deep and powerful, and his tone was one of a cunning, manipulative trickster.

	"I know who you are, but not what you are, Yenharu," the vixen replied, her expression softening and her posture becoming less defensive. "But, that doesn't matter. You're not the reason I am here," she told him, puffing out her chest a little even as he loomed over her like a massive, unmoving oak tree. "I've been sent to fetch an artifact that you have in your possession," she declared, her voice was unmoving and she did not falter even when speaking to the much larger spirit.

	The Yenharu grinned a little wider, and his expression changed, though he did not move or alter his form in any way. Lilyara tilted her head a little and quirked a brow.

	"You must have the wrong Yenharu, my dear," he mused. "I have no artifacts."

	"You lie," Lilyara retorted, her voice firm and unwavering. "I know what you possess, Myrhazen. Now, are you going to give me what I'm looking for? Or do I have to play some mind games with you first?" she asked him, her tone sounding defensive if not a little bit agitated.

	The Yenharu's grin twisted into something more of an almost maniacal smile. "What you're looking for? That is an interesting way of putting it, isn't it?" he mused, his voice was playful and teasing.

	"Well, yes, actually," the Kitsune stated, a hint of irritation now making its way into her words. "I'm not here for me. I'm here to do a job and I'm not leaving until I get what I came here for. I was told that you have a Veilspine Shard. Where is it?" she asked, her tone growing more impatient.

	The Yenharu chuckled a little, but said nothing. Instead, he merely looked down at her. He had not moved or even budged a single inch. He remained perfectly motionless and continued to stare down at her.

	"You're going to make me work for it, aren't you?" Lilyara sighed.

	The Yenharu chuckled softly, but slowly shook his head. "Such an impatient little thing you are. It's unbefitting of one as adorable as yourself. Why don't you come a little closer and plop down on your haunches before me? We can have a nice little chat and maybe get to the bottom of this whole--Veilspine Shard business that seems to be so important to you," he suggested, though his tongue had slipped free from his maw at this point and he had run it over the end of his lips and his whiskers while gazing down at her with those glowing ice blue oculars of his.

	"Fine," the Kitsune grumbled, and without further delay, she slowly walked toward the Yenharu and sat down, plopping down onto her haunches just a few meters before him. "There," she said, lifting her chin slightly. "Are you satisfied? Now, are you going to give me what I'm looking for?"

	The Yenharu lowered his gaze and tilted his head slightly. He stared at her for a moment and his nostrils flared, taking in her scent, which caused him to smirk.

	"Perhaps, yes," he finally said. "Tell me, what exactly is so special about this Veilspine Shard and why are you searching for it? What does this little trinket look like and why is it important to you?" he asked her.

	"Well, I don't know exactly what the shard looks like. But, apparently, it's a very valuable and rare artifact, and it's been said to hold powers that extend beyond the In-Between," the Kitsune explained. "It allows one to see through the seams of the world."

	The Yenharu blinked slowly.

	"You are correct, but you are only half right," he mused. "I have seen it before, and indeed, it does have some rather--interesting properties. You would think that a shard of something like a veil, especially a veil that supposedly stretches across the cosmos, would be larger and more grand than this simple trinket that you are referring to, but it isn't. In fact, it is rather small. Small enough to fit on your paw," he mused, his smile never fading.

	"So, you admit that you have it?" the vixen asked.

	"Patience, little vixen. Patience," he told her while chuckling softly. "First, tell me why you desire this rare object. Surely, there are other ways that you can see the world, no?" he asked.

	Lilyara huffed a little. "Yes, well, it's not the same. You know, being dead and all," she mumbled, lowering her eyes for a moment.

	The Yenharu arched a brow.

	"You have no need for food or water, but you miss them all the same, yes?" she asked him, arching her own brow back at him.

	The Yenharu blinked. It appeared as though her question had caught him off guard, for he was silent for a moment, as if he were mulling her words over.

	"I see," he mused. "Perhaps, then, I can be of some assistance to you," he suggested, tilting his head slightly. "First, tell me--what is it that you miss most about being made of flesh? Being alive, and having a body?" he asked her.

	Lilyara's ears flicked back and her nose crinkled slightly. "That's none of your business," she snapped.

	"Oh, but it is. It is because you want something from me. That makes it very much my business, in fact," he said, smiling at her. "And, if you don't tell me, I will not help you."

	The vixen grumbled softly under her breath and narrowed her eyes at the Yenharu. She did not speak for a long time. She did not trust this being. She did not know what his motives were or if he would really give her what she wanted. For all she knew, this could all be an elaborate ruse and she could not risk letting her guard down.

	"Fine," she finally said, her tone sounding annoyed and a bit frustrated. "I miss the taste of berries, the smell of the forest, and--the way that the grass smelled after a fresh batch of rain rolled through the woods. Is that good enough for you?"

	"It is a start," the Yenharu mused.

	"Only a start?" she asked, staring up at him, a look of disbelief evident on her muzzle.

	The Yenharu maintained his smile as he leered down at her. "Perhaps I could use something a little more personal?"

	"Personal--like how?" Lilyara asked, glaring right back at him, a look of bewilderment and mild disgust gripping her features.

	"Oh, I don't know," the Yenharu grinned slightly, "it just seems hard to believe that one would give up immortality just to taste berries and to smell wet grass again. Why not simply conjure up a small domain here in the spirit plane for you to enjoy? You could fill that world with all of the berries and wet grass your little heart could desire," he told her, snickering softly.

	Lilyara narrowed her eyes at him, deciding that he was intentionally mocking her at this point. Still maintaining that glare, she cleared her throat and decided then to play his little game.

	"You know what I want most, Yenharu?" she asked him, still staring at him with her unblinking emerald eyes.

	"Go on," he replied simply.

	"I want to return to my past life--because I was being courted be three of the most interesting and handsome tods that existed back in my time. I want to roll around in the grass with each of them again--feel their hot breath on the back of my neck, to wrestle, tumble and make love with them again--because that was the time in my life that I was the happiest and most fulfilled. They each made me feel like a queen in their own way, and nothing in this lifeless existence has ever come close to offering me an experience that could even come close to comparing to those days..."

	The Yenharu was silent for a moment, though his expression did alter slightly, suggesting he was somewhat intrigued by her honest outburst. The tendrils of his glimmering mane began to dance and float around him somewhat, like the tails of a Kitsune often did when sitting in idle thought. He seemed to be processing the information she had just thrust upon him for a moment.

	"Mmm, well, I appreciate your honesty, little vixen," he told her softly.

	"Good," the vixen said, her eyes closing for a moment as she exhaled a bit through her nose. "Now, will you give me what I want?"

	"Of course," the large, purple-gray hyena spirit replied.

	"Excellent," the Kitsune said, sighing with relief, her emerald orbs opening again. "So, where is the shard? And, how do I get it?"

	Without saying another word, the Yenharu took a step toward her, one of his large paws plopping down in the sandy turf just in front of her. He loomed over her, his eyes boring into her own, though she did not move. His eyes flickered with a strange sort of light as he spoke, his voice low and soft, like the distant sound of a thunderclap.

	"I don't believe the shard is what you're truly after," he purred, lifting his paw and slowly raising it above her head, as though he planned to place it pad-side down against the top of her skull. "Not according to your testimony, at least."

	Lilyara froze, her hackles rising as she felt the Yenharu's substantial presence above her. Her instincts told her to flee, and yet, in that very moment, her paws refused to move.

	"What are you talking about?" the vixen asked, her eyes shifting from side to side, trying to keep her cool and not to display any sign of weakness in front of him. "Just--give me the shard. If you do, I will be on my way and you will have your privacy again."

	"Mmm," the Yenharu chuckled. "As you said, you long to experience something as good as, or better than, your first sexual experiences with your first three male-friends," he told her, his smile shifting into an even more substantial grin. "I just want to confirm your stories, is all. It'll only take a moment," he told her as he now closed the gap between the top of her head and the bottom of his left paw, pressing his coarse pads against the silken fur on her skull.

	Lilyara's ears twitched and her eyes widened. She did not know what was happening, nor did she particularly like the feeling of his significant pads against her fur. Before she could react or pull away, the Yenharu spoke, his deep, commanding voice suddenly filling her mind.

	"Now, let us begin."

	The vixen shuddered and tried to pull away, but she was no match for the massive being's strength. Even if she was, something inside of her seemed to be locking her limbs in place, submitting herself willingly to whatever it was he had in store for her.

	She gasped softly, her eyes going wide and her pupils dilating as she felt the Yenharu's massive paw press against her skull and then--something else, something new, something that did not belong. She shuddered, her fur standing up straight as the presence of the Yenharu invaded her mind. It was not a painful invasion, and yet, it was invasive, and it was uncomfortable, though the vixen could not deny the subtle warmth that began to trickle down from the top of her skull and flow slowly into her body, pooling in her chest.

	"Now," the Yenharu's voice echoed inside of her mind, his voice was low and powerful, and yet, he did not raise his voice or sound angry or agitated. "You will relax, little one, and allow me to explore," he purred.

	Lilyara trembled a little, but she nodded. It wasn't like she had much choice.

	"Good girl," the Yenharu crooned, his deep voice soothing the vixen's frayed nerves. "You will find this pleasant, I assure you. Now, allow me."

	Lilyara closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and relaxing her muscles as best as she could. She she wasn't entirely sure what he had in store for her, but her curiosity got the better of her and she wanted to see where this would go.

	"Mmm," the Yenharu hummed quietly, his tone appreciative. "You've done well, little one. Very well, indeed. Now, let us take a walk together," he said, his voice echoing in her mind as well as around her immaterial self. Her mind soon filled with images of her mortal body, quite literally, walking down a beautiful path with what she assumed would have been this Yenharu's mortal form walking beside her. While she was let to process these details, Myrhazen began to probe her mind, burrowing into the deepest recesses of her memories. He not only wanted to confirm if her stories were true, he wanted to live and experience them for himself so as to get an even greater understanding of this little Kitsune and what made her tick.

	"I can sense that you're a very--experienced female," he purred, the images in her mind now shifting from a simple path to a more--interesting place. A clearing, surrounded by trees and flowers, ripe berries, the grass glistening with the sheen of a fresh squall and a nice, soft patch of grass at the center. There, her old self lay, on her back, her hind legs sprawled to side, the essence of her lover clinging to her wet mound and trickling down her thighs as she lay next to a handsome male fox with a red-gold coat and pale underbelly, all four of his paws donning a blackish brown color up a quarter of the length of his legs. The vixen's belly and chest were heaving, and the tod lay, panting next to her, a look of sheer pleasure on his muzzle.

	"Kae--Kaelreth..." Lilyara whispered, her eyes still closed and the Yenharu's paw still on the top of her head as he allowed her to experience this nearly forgotten memory again.

	"My, my," the Yenharu mused, "you two do look very happy together, I will admit," he continued, the images in her mind changing to another location and time. This time, a handsome young tod with a rich umber coat and silver-white underside with streaks of silver threading through his tail as well as his ears. Lilyara was beneath him in this setting, being mounted in the traditional manner associated with vulpine mating.

	"Tha--Thavenar!" Lilyara exclaimed both in the memory as well as before the Yenharu, causing him to jolt slightly, but to grin soon after.

	"Ah, yes, Thavenar," he purred, chuckling softly. "Quite a specimen, wouldn't you say? You even seem to be struggling a little to keep up with him," then Yenharu teased softly.

	Indeed, Thavenar was not only a handsome and well built fox, he was an exemplar example of his species, just as Kaelreth was before him. As he was mounting the vixen in this particular memory, it seemed as though she was trying her best to keep pace with him, but it appeared as though Thavenar had more stamina than she did.

	Lilyara flinched slightly, biting her lower lip as she writhed in the memory just as she did beneath the Yenharu's paw.

	"Mmm, yes, I'm glad you're enjoying the show," the Yenharu said. "And, who is this handsome fellow here?" he asked, his voice taking on a softer tone as the image in her mind shifted again. This time, it was Lilyara positioned on her back, a handsome, though slimmer male when compared to the previous two was thrusting his hips against her own, his forepaws curled around behind her back, holding her close. His autumn dusk and burnished copper fur appeared windswept as he gave his all to the vixen beneath him, his soft gray muzzle slung open as he panted intensely, his gray tail-tip twitching behind him.

	"Solenar..." Lilyara whispered, still biting her lip as she was subjected to yet another memory of a lost love.

	"Well, he seems to have lasted longer than Thavenar could, but he's not quite as strong as Kaelreth or Thavenar, is he? He was the more philosophical and romantic of the three, wasn't he not?" the Yenharu asked, chuckling softly.

	"He was..." the vixen muttered, nodding in her dreamlike state.

	"You had a special bond with all three, didn't you?" the Yenharu pressed, grinning broadly as he delved deeper, distracting her mind with more images of her former self being mated and loved on by her three past lovers.

	"I did..." the vixen sighed, a dreamy smile spreading across her muzzle.

	"And you miss that connection, that bond, don't you?" he continued, his smile never wavering.

	"I do..." she replied, her tone sounding somewhat wistful and perhaps a bit forlorn.

	"It is almost a shame, really, that you've not come into contact with either of their souls by now," the Yenharu added, nodding thoughtfully. "Though perhaps I speak from a place of disadvantage, for we male spotted hyenas rarely had the chance to feel loved by our females. Mating was more of a mechanical thing in our clans, and only a few of us ever were selected to mate with the matriarch," he commented, mostly to himself but still certainly audible enough for her to hear, if she weren't distracted by her relieved memories.

	A soft moan slipped free from Lilyara's lips, causing the Yenharu to snap free from his own inner thoughts for a moment.

	"Hmm, then, perhaps there's a way we can help each other," the Yenharu said, his deep voice rumbling with interest and intrigue.

	"How's that?" Lilyara asked, her eyes only half opened at that point. She almost felt as though she was coming out of a trance, though her mind still felt clouded and she was a bit dizzy.

	Then Yenharu half-smiled down at the little dazed Kitsune, a flurry of thoughts coming to his mind. He lowered his neck and pressed his nose to Lilyara's, scenting her briefly before gently running the tip of his tongue under her chin. He still held his paw over her head and continued to subject her to these treasured memories of her past while he did so. Tepidly, he glided his tongue over her lips, catching a little drop of saliva on his tongue as he witnessed her drooling a little at this point.

	Lilyara elicited a very soft moan and he slowly retracted his tongue.

	"Mmm, the fact that you're not resisting my advances, tells me a lot about you, even in your current state" the Yenharu told her, lifting his paw from her skull. "I have a proposition for you."

	"A proposition?" Lilyara asked, her eyes closing once more and her head tilting slightly to the right.

	"Yes," the Yenharu told her. "If you answer a few more questions for me, and allow me to--conduct a little experiment, I will give you the Veilspine Shard and allow you to go back to whoever it was who sent you to me in order to retrieve it. Deal?" he asked.

	"I--I suppose," Lilyara said, opening her eyes and looking up at him.

	"Excellent," the Yenharu grinned.

	"What do you need to know and what is this experiment?" the vixen asked him, tilting her head and arching a brow. She still displayed obvious signs of not only being groggy, but also, some sadness about being plucked away from her very vivid memories.

	"Firstly, the questions," Myrhazen started, glancing down at the little Kitsune, his mane tendrils dancing with interest. "Who sent you to me to retrieve the Veilspine Shard?"

	"A member of The Argent Accord named Yamakaresu," Lilyara replied with a soft sigh, shrugging a little.

	"Ah," the Yenharu nodded. "What does The Argent Accord intend to do with this shard?"

	"I have no idea," the vixen shrugged.

	"I see," the Yenharu mused, nodding thoughtfully. He lifted his left paw again as he glanced down at her. He noticed this time, instead of flinching at the sight, she almost seemed to perk up a little, displaying a hopeful expression.

	"This last question requires me to be inside your mind again, Lilyara. Will you permit me to enter again?" he asked her.

	Lilyara nodded without hesitation.

	The Yenharu grinned, placing his paw pad back down on the top of her head and sinking his thoughts into her own once again. "What is the Twilight Choir and who is their leader?" he asked.

	Lilyara's expression twisted and contorted slightly, as though she was attempting to delve deep into her own mind to find the answers to his question. Eventually, she shrugged her shoulders and she sighed softly, shaking her head a little.

	"I--I don't know what the Twilight Choir is..." she admitted. "I have heard of them, but I know little about them," she admitted with a frown. "I assume--they're one of the other Kitsune groups that are--at odds with the Argent Accord."

	"Very well," the Yenharu said, though he had stated it was his last question, his paw remained on her skull for a moment, a slight smirk forming on his muzzle as his curiosity got the better of him.

	"You had stated that nothing in the spirit realm can compare to what you shared with Kaelreth, Thavenar and Solenar. That implies that you've at least attempted to replicate those experiences in this place, yes? What spirits have you attempted intimacy with in this plane? Only Kitsune? And--do you have your eyes on anyone in particular at this time?" he asked her, his tone was soft, serious, and cool.

	Lilyara blinked slowly up at the Yenharu when he asked his questions. One point in particular had confused her. Why had he asked her if her only experiences had been with other Kitsune? Surely, all spirits stuck with their own kind, just as they had done when they were mortals?

	"Yes?" she replied, somewhat sheepishly, though she felt a little strange answering the question in that way with his paw still on her head. "Um--only Kitsune, I mean. After awhile though, it became--boring. Mating and intimacy in this place is just--so stale compared to the real thing," she admitted with a soft sigh, "and no, no one has compared to Kaelreth, Thavenar or Solenar," she admitted softly. 

	"And you have no eyes on anyone in particular at this time?" Myrhazen asked her firmly, reminding her that she had missed one of his questions.

	"Oh--um, well--no, not really--I guess," she replied timidly.

	"Not even Thalorhiro?" Myrhazen asked, quirking a brow, while also extending a slight, knowing smirk down to her.

	Lilyara's eyes went wide and she looked up at the Yenharu, a look of disbelief as well as guilt washed over her features. She was fairly confident he had been reading her memories up to this point, but she wasn't sure that his abilities could also extend to current thought either. Her cheeks turned slightly red, and she tore her gaze from the Yenharu's.

	"He's handsome, but--I don't think there is terribly much of a spark there," she admitted. "If--we were mortals, however..."

	"Mmm, yes," Myrhazen responded with a slow nod, satisfied with reading her memory from her earlier conversation with Thalorhiro. He retracted her paw and the tendrils in his mane swished and floated in place beside him as he stared down at the little vulpine.

	"You did well, Lilyara," he said, sounding satisfied. "As for the experiment--I would like you to offer me one chance to try to match the sensations and feelings that you had with your past loves. Grant me this opportunity, and I will send you back to Yamakaresu with the shard. Your quest will be complete," he insisted, smiling thoughtfully down at her as he awaited her answer.

	"O--one chance?" she asked, her voice faltering.

	"Yes, just one," the Yenharu replied, his tone relaxed and silky, as though he was not nervous or anxious at all.

	"What if you don't?" she asked, her eyes narrowing a little.

	"I will still send you back to Yamakaresu with the shard. You have been a good sport so far, answered all of my questions and have only been caught in a few little lies. I cannot fault you for any of that," he told her calmly.

	Lilyara bit her lip again, thinking over the proposition that the Yenharu had just proposed to her. The fact that he would send her back with the shard whether he succeeded or failed was a bonus for her. She had to admit, her curiosity was piqued by what he was suggesting.

	"Well, you've already been inside my mind on a few occasions today," she said, lifting her head and perking her ears forward a bit, "and you did allow me to relive some--very pleasant memories. I came here for the shard and I intend to leave her with it, so--I permit you to conduct this so called experiment of yours."

	"Good girl," Myrhazen purred, his smile broadening. "You're curious, and that is good. It is a sign of intelligence and open-mindedness. I know some spirits, especially ancient ones, can have trouble with keeping an open mind."

	Lilyara stretched her neck up and out toward the Yenharu again, as if expecting him to place his paw back on her head for his experiment.

	Myrhazen chuckled softly. "Oh, no, my eager little Kitsune. That won't be necessary. Instead, I'd like you to follow me," he implored her, already turning his tall and large body back toward the strange structure from earlier, expecting her to follow him inside, it would seem.

	Lilyara glanced over her shoulder, her tails swishing behind her as she followed the larger, ghostly being. Her mind was swimming with thoughts about what he had in store for her, and while she was admittedly intrigued, she was also nervous. She was not quite sure what he intended to do or how he would do it, but she had a feeling that things would change between them, and she wasn't certain if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

	She stepped into the large structure with him, her eyes taking in the sights around her. Everything was black, or appeared to be black, though there was a strange, metallic red sheen to the walls of this strange construct. The floor beneath her paws felt solid, like it was a floor of polished black stone.

	"Welcome to my humble abode," the Yenharu commented, turning his head to glance back at her briefly before he continued his way through the darkness.

	"What is this place?" Lilyara asked him, her eyes following him, trying to take in the details, but there were very few. One she did pick up on was that the foul scent of decay that had lingered outside was not heavy in this place.

	"It's a special place," the Yenharu said cryptically. "Like you, there are things from my past life that I do miss and long to return to," he started, "however, I have also come to appreciate the powers that come with being a spirit--that come with being a Yenharu."

	"What do you mean by that?" Lilyara asked, arching a brow.

	"This," the Yenharu purred, stepping onto a dark, seemingly empty room to this strange construct, "all of this, everything you see around you. All of this is a product of my own imagination--something I've been able to conjure into existence within this domain. My own, personal little haven," he spoke, somewhat proudly, his voice taking on a pitch and tone Lilyara had not been subjected to so far with him. "As a flesh and blood spotted hyena, I was a servant to my matriarch and nothing more. But here? I am more or less a god in my own, little corner of the spirit plane."

	"A--god?" the Kitsune asked, arching a brow. "Don't you think that's being a little self-aggrandizing?"

	Myrhazen chuckled softly before turning to glance down at her from over his shoulder. "You'd think so, wouldn't you?" he asked, before suddenly, the pitch blackness of the room changed, his eyes returning to that icy blue glow. The room was now a dark, gloomy forest and everything about it at least in part, felt real.

	The sound of wildlife filled the room, reaching Lilyara's ears and sending a chill down her spine. She took a breath and thought for a moment that she might even had smelled the sweet scent of a cool, autumn breeze on the wind. Her head was on a swivel as she looked this way and that. She had been subjected to many strange things in the spirit realm since her arrival, but this was definitely in the top three when it came to unexplainable.

	"How--how did you...?" she trailed off, clearing her throat. "Is this--something all Yenharu can do?" she asked, turning her attention back toward the large ghostly purple-brown entity.

	"No," Myrhazen grinned, his tail lazily swaying from side to side behind him. "This is no more special than something your Amaithera could do. Even Yamakaresu would likely be capable of something like this, if she put her mind to it," he added as he slowly approached Lilyara again. "All spirits are capable of great things, with enough time, patience and study put to the craft."

	"So--you're saying that I could eventually be able to do something like this too?" Lilyara asked him, her tone was somewhat skeptical and yet, hopeful.

	"Perhaps, in time," the Yenharu replied with a slight shrug. "I was a lowly spotted hyena when I was alive, so, my own ability to imagine things and then make them a reality was not terribly great," he continued, glancing down at her, his icy blue eyes studying her.

	"Lowly, spotted hyena or not, this is still pretty impressive," Lilyara complimented, looking around and taking in the sights.

	"Thank you," Myrhazen smiled warmly. "This is only a small sampling of what I've been able to create," he told her. "If you would follow me toward the large tree in the center, we can proceed with the experiment."

	Lilyara's brow twitched a little and she turned to look toward where the Yenharu was motioning. In the distance, there was a large, sprawling, thick, dark-green oak tree with an almost sickly color to much of the bark. Lilyara could not help but feel as though there was a certain air of foreboding surrounding the tree, almost like it was a warning to stay away.

	"Um, okay, I guess," she said, following after him. She kept her gaze on the tree, noticing how much it seemed to stand out from the rest of the dark forest around her. "Why are we going there, specifically?"

	"The tree is the centerpiece of this experiment. You'll see, soon enough," he told her, his voice calm as the two of them neared the sinister looking tree.

	Lilyara glanced around at the dark forest around her, the sounds of nature, insects, birds, and even the soft wind in the trees, it all seemed so--genuine. She could not help but marvel at the amount of detail that the Yenharu had gone into with this particular part of his dreamscape.

	"You've put a lot of work into this," she said, her voice soft and awestruck.

	"Ah, yes. Thank you. I hope you'll appreciate what is to come next," the Yenharu suggested. "In fact, you'll be the first to get to experience it, so your feedback would be appreciated when we've finished."

	"I will give you as much feedback as I can," Lilyara told him, though she was a little confused as to why he wanted feedback. "Are you--creating a new part of your dreamscape or something?"

	"Or something," the Yenharu replied, a small, knowing grin curling across his muzzle. He turned back to face her once they reached the base of the tree and the ghostly tendrils in his mane seemed to almost reach out toward her, as if curious to touch and inspect her.

	Lilyara watched as the tendrils of the Yenharu's began to circle her, almost forming a circle around her head. She could not help but feel a little intimidated by the gesture, but at the same time, there was a sense of calmness about it. The ghostly tendrils then began to emit or create a small smoky hazy cloud around her.

	"Breathe in slowly, Lilyara," Myrhazen warned her softly, "this is going to feel strange, but try not to resist."

	Lilyara tilted her head slightly, looking up at the Yenharu before she glanced toward the tendrils and the cloud that was forming. She took a slow, deep breath, allowing her chest to expand, before she slowly exhaled. As soon as she took in a significant whiff of the cloudy vapor surrounding her, she began to cough and choke. The Kitsune's hind legs began to buckle, her head beginning to spin and her vision becoming blurry. She could feel tears forming in her eyes as the smell of the smoke was positively acrid. 

	"Easy, now," Myrhazen purred. His deep and calm voice somehow penetrated her mind and she found herself feeling soothed, though her body was still shaking and struggling to adapt. She could not help but feel confused. A part of her wondered if this was supposed to be happening, while another part of her mind wondered if the Yenharu was playing some kind of trick on her.

	She began to feel dizzy, and then she felt nauseous, her stomach feeling like it was tied up in knots. She dropped to her belly, panting, her tails twitching erratically behind her as the tendrils from the Yenharu's mane retreated back to his form, their tips dancing and waving at her almost tantalizingly so as they returned to their normal place at Myrhazen's side.

	"How do you feel?" the Yenharu asked, already knowing the answer he was about to receive.

	"Dizzy--and nauseous," the little vixen whimpered. She could barely see, her vision blurry, and her stomach continued to twist and churn.

	"Precisely," the Yenharu told her with a growing smile. "When was the last time you truly felt dizzy and nauseous? When was the last time you inhaled the smell of something that made you think you were going to retch?" he asked her, his tail swishing behind him slowly now, like a pendulum. 

	Lilyara had paused for a moment at that thought. When she had first entered this strange place, the lingering rot smell had caused her discomfort, but she had gotten over it quickly. It had a very artificial feel to it, something that told her it was not real, not really at least. However, the burning sensation in her lungs, the twisted knot that her stomach now felt like it was in--these feelings actually had a realness to them, almost like she was no longer a Kitsune, but had returned to her mortal coil once again. She looked up at him in disbelief, her jaw dropping and giving him all of the feedback he needed.

	"I'm glad you understand now," Myrhazen told her with a warm smile. He had slowly moved away from the tree now at this point, and Lilyara would notice that the tree itself was moving, almost like it too had become alive. Its branches were reaching and clawing now, as through trying to reach her, and strange, green vines were coiling down its branches like serpents, extending its reach and dangling from its branches as though they were slimy little fingers.

	Lilyara felt herself becoming light headed, but a part of her did not care. A part of her had actually missed the sensations of nausea, dizziness and sickness, because that meant that she was still alive, even if this was only going to be a temporary sensation

	"Now--as for our agreement," the Yenharu started again as some of the vines and branches on the tree had now extended close enough to nearly be touching Lilyara's body. "I had told you that I wanted the chance to give you an experience as powerful as the ones you enjoyed when you were a young fox. With this tree, within this place and with my steady paw, I believe I can grant you that wish. Are you ready to try it, Lilyara?" he asked, a knowing grin forming on his muzzle.

	"Y--yes," the Kitsune managed to whimper. "I'm ready," she declared, already desperate to see what more he could do.

	"Good girl," Myrhazen told her with an approving tone. He could sense her apprehension, but also her curiosity. He would not deny that the situation was somewhat bizarre and he knew that a normal Kitsune probably would have refused him and attempted to leave, but not Lilyara. This little vixen wanted answers and was determined to obtain them no matter the cost, it would seem.

	Slowly, the strange tree's vines began to lasso their way around Lilyara's limbs and she could actually feel the coolness of their plant flesh, the tightness in which they coiled around her limbs and the way her fur parted as their mass began to occupy this space. She had almost gasped even as the vines began to lift her off of the ground, giving her the sensation of flying, while also feeling the weight of gravity itself. It was nothing like the floating around she could do as a Kitsune, as there was a weightlessness to her form that was no longer being felt here.

	Myrhazen watched the display as the little vixen was pulled toward the branches of the tree and lifted into the air, where several of the large, thick and gnarled branches were waiting for her. They wrapped themselves around her fore and hind paws and she could feel the rough texture and the dampness of the wood. They pulled her forelimbs and hindlegs out, spreading her like a star and causing her to moan as her tails splayed out behind her, revealing the features of her vulpine sex to the Yenharu.

	"How does it feel, Lilyara?" Myrhazen asked her, taking slow steps closer toward the tree and the helpless fox spirit, his tail tip slowly swishing behind him as his icy-blue eyes remained fixed upon her.

	"I--I can feel things," the vixen whimpered softly, her tails still splayed and her hindlegs spread apart as the tree held her in place. Her body shivered and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She could feel the rough texture and the dampness of the wood, but there was more than just physical sensation. There was a strange, ethereal, almost ghostly, aura about the tree that was enveloping her body and caressing her form like a cool wind, a sensation not unlike that of the ghostly tendrils of Myrhazen's mane.

	"Yes, I know you can," the Yenharu spoke to her, his voice sounding somewhat distant and yet, closer than ever before. He had closed the gap between the two of them and he was standing beside her, his body towering over her helpless and bound one. He slowly reached up and ran the tip of his claw along the underside of her jawline and then up her cheek. "This is only the beginning. Are you ready for more, Lilyara?"

	The Kitsune looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. She could not help but find his gaze a little intimidating and yet, oddly calming at the same time. His cold blue eyes reminded her of ice and the way it could cling to your fur during winter, and she had always found herself fascinated by snowflakes during the first snow of the season, as they were something she could not see or experience when she was in the spirit realm.

	"Yes," Lilyara said, her voice trembling a little. "I'm ready."

	"Very good," Myrhazen purred. "You're a very brave and curious Kitsune, you know that, right?"

	"Y--yeah," the vixen replied, a nervous laugh escaping her. "That's why I'm here, after all," she reminded him, though she knew he likely did not need reminding.

	"Indeed," he responded, a warm smile enveloping his face as his eyes closed only for a moment. In his mind's eye, he could feel various ends of the tree's branches being altered, shaped--changing in texture to become more fleshy, more malleable and responsive to touch. Three in total, one for each of her past lovers.

	"Focus now on your Kaelreth, your Thavenar and Solenar. You can even focus on Thalorhiro if it pleases you," the Yenharu told her, his tone calm and his eyes slowly opening to reveal the icy-blue orbs.

	Lilyara did as instructed, closing her eyes now and trying to picture the faces of the males that had courted her. She could remember their names, their scents, the way their voices sounded, the way they moved. She remembered the way their paws felt, the warmth of their breath on her fur, the softness of their tongues against her ears and her cheeks.

	She could hear their voices echoing in her mind. She could feel their bodies and their warmth pressed against her own. The memories were vivid and so realistic. The three males that had courted her were not her mates, but they had been close, and each of them had touched her body in a special and unique way. She would have had any of them for a mate, and she would have been happy. As her mind revisited these memories, the branches, leaves and the vines of the tree had begun to alter and take shape around her, mimicking the very sensations she was reflecting on the most and perfectly subjecting her form to them in the present, just as her mind and soul felt them in the past.

	The Kitsune wouldn't realize it, but the branches, leaves and vines had transformed into the members and to some extent, the bodies of the three males that had once courted her. There was no accurate color to them, but the details were all there. The texture, the shape, the feel of their fur, the musculature, and even the veins along the phallic appendages. She was now feeling what she had felt all those years ago, except now she was being subjected to all three of them simultaneously, as though she had somehow been fortunate enough to claim all three of them as her mate at the same time.

	She could feel a warm and firm member sliding inside of her, filling her, the tip pressing firmly against the deepest part of her vulpine sex and the shaft twitching and pulsating with each slow, methodical thrust. She could feel her walls expanding and contracting, squeezing the member firmly, the feeling of a second member pressed firmly against her anus, the tip sliding in and then slowly filling her, inch by inch. It was not until the third member, a phallus of the same material as the other two, slid between her lips and slipped into her mouth, however, that she realized what was happening and her eyes snapped open, her emerald orbs widening in shock.

	Myrhazen was not standing near her, but was rather sitting a few feet away from her, his icy-blue eyes studying her, watching her and observing the display, and yet, his presence did not feel diminished. Rather, his presence was amplified.

	"What--what are you doing to me?" the Kitsune whimpered, her words muffled slightly by the member that was in her mouth. Her hips bucked, her eyes rolling back into her head as the pleasure from her vulpine sex began to intensify. Her walls squeezed the phallus buried deep within her and the feeling of the second phallus inside her anus sent a shiver down her spine.

	"I'm giving you the best experience I can, with what memories and information I've been able to glean from your mind, dear Lilyara. You should really just sit back and enjoy yourself, for there is plenty more to come," Myrhazen grinned a toothy, almost malicious grin, his eyes glowing an icy-blue.

	"I--I want more," the little Kitsune whimpered, her words still muffled, her eyes now rolling back into her head as she felt her body shudder and convulse, her muscles contracted against the invasion, the member inside her vulpine sex continued to twitch and throb, filling her with what she could only imagine was an endless amount of warm and sticky seed, and the phallus within her anus had continued to fill her as well, with what she assumed to be the base of a half-inflated knot rubbing aggressively against the ring of her tailhole with each thrust. The Kitsune moaned loudly, her muffled sounds growing more audible, the sensation was almost overwhelming, the pleasure so great that her entire form shuddered and convulsed.

	She had been a Kitsune for many years, but the experience of climaxing with a body of flesh and bone had been lost to her and she had almost forgotten the true ecstasy and the sheer force of the orgasmic experience that her mortal body was capable of, and now she was getting to relive that memory, if only through a proxy in the form of a weird, enchanted tree and its Yenharu master.

	It wasn't just the sex, but she could also feel the warmth and closeness of her lovers' tails, their cheek fur, their ears and their chests, as well as the dampness of their noses prodding her and rummaging through her fur. For all intents and purposes, she was being bred by her three lost loves and she did not want the sensation to end. She responded by eagerly sucking on the member passing into her maw, coiling her tongue around it and giving it her all, as if it were Solenar's own phallus.

	As she felt her form being rocked and jolted by a fast approaching climax, the members continued to pump and throb inside her, their thrusts never ceasing, their movement becoming more rapid and their size seeming to expand a little with each passing second. Her tails splayed out behind her as they too felt the pleasure, the tip of each tail wrapping tightly around the shafts of the phalluses that were penetrating her anus and vulpine pussy.

	A low, guttural growl escaped her throat and her entire form shivered as her body tensed up, her muscles tightening as a wave of euphoria and bliss washed over her, her mind blank and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

	Lilyara's orgasm had lasted only a few minutes, though it felt like hours. She had nearly passed out from the intensity and the pleasure, a feeling she hadn't felt in eons, but as soon as she was done and she had managed to regain some semblance of her composure, her eyes slowly opened and she began to glance around. The branches were still holding her in place and the members had withdrawn, leaving her dangling in midair, her fuzzy mound and her crotch coated in a nice sheen of vixen ejaculate. Her form slung limply in the air, suspended by these branches still, her breathing was shallow, her chest heaving.

	"How was it, my little vixen? Did you enjoy the experience?" the Yenharu asked her, his voice soft and welcoming, his icy-blue eyes fixed on her.

	"It was--wonderful," she replied, her voice still trembling a little. "But now I am wondering, what else is this tree capable of?" she asked, her curiosity now piqued despite her continued panting.

	"Oh, I can show you," the Yenharu assured her, slowly getting back onto his paws and rising to his full height. "Though, we might have to get a little creative, considering the current--setup."

	Lilyara watched the Yenharu with great interest, her eyes following his every movement as the Yenharu circled the tree, inspecting her bound form, and the many branches that still held her tightly in their clutches. He paused and seemed to be thinking about the situation, and then he slowly turned his head, looking at the vixen's body from an angle. A small, curious smile formed across his muzzle, which did not go unnoticed by the Kitsune.

	"What?" she asked him, tilting her head a little.

	"Well," the Yenharu spoke up, his voice thoughtful, "with a little adjustment, you'd be at the perfect height to be--mounted by a Yenharu, if you wanted to feel what that might be like," he told her, his tongue emerging from his maw again to trail a thin coat of saliva over his whiskers. His cold blue eyes were staring intently on that damp little sex of hers, the first time his eyes weren't directly focused on her own.

	"R--really?" she asked, her voice shaking a little and her breath hitching in her throat. She hadn't ever thought about it, but now that he had mentioned it, the idea of being mated to a Yenharu seemed--enticingly different.

	"Yes, really," Myrhazen laughed, his tail flicking behind him as the tendrils of his mane danced excitedly at his sides. "Like I had said before, I never really got the chance to experience romance in the way you did, when I was a mortal hyena," he told her, licking his lips again. "Seeing you like this now, exploring your mind earlier--it told me that maybe, I have been missing out on something truly spectacular. That perhaps, my own kind was not open to appreciating the wonders and pleasures of life, in the way that a little horny vixen could," he told her, a now mischievous grin present on his muzzle.

	"I--I've never thought about it," Lilyara admitted, her head lowering slightly as she glanced toward his nethers, her eyes studying the area. "You're a lot bigger than a fox--would you even be able to make it all fit...?" she wondered, her curiosity clearly evident, but there was also a touch of apprehension in her tone, the little vixen having been a virgin until she died.

	"The beautiful thing about being spirits, my dear, is that we are not restrained by the same physical restrictions as a moral would be," Myrhazen informed her, the Yenharu's smile remaining present, his eyes still fixated on the little vulpine's exposed sex. "Even with your senses mostly restored by my miasmatic musk, what you're experiencing is all still just a--feeling, nothing more and nothing less. You might feel the tip of my member ripping passed your cervix and filling your womb, or the walls of your little vixen cunny stretching near to the point of splitting you right down the middle, but the most extreme pain associated with that will be nullified entirely. Think of it as--experiencing all of the pros without any of the cons, so to speak," he chuckled.

	"That's--good," the vixen admitted. She did not want to seem too eager, but the thought of a Yenharu mounting her did entice her, and not just because it would be an experience unlike anything else she could think of. "I mean--yeah, that would be pretty cool. I'm not gonna lie," she chuckled softly, trying to hide her interest, even though her little vulpine sex was already twitching with excitement.

	"Very good," Myrhazen purred, his gaze slowly turning to look upon her face. "Then, shall we get started, my little vixen? Just relax and enjoy the experience, and please, let me know if you'd like to stop at any time, or if you'd like you lovers to join in the fun," the Yenharu instructed, giving her a playful smile.

	Lilyara nodded her head and relaxed her body, closing her eyes and trying to clear her mind. As she did so, the branches shifted, hoisting her up about a foot or two in height, and rolling her over so that her belly was now facing the ground. Three small vines even lassoed around her tails and lifted them up, presenting her backside entirely to Myrhazen now with her body at a height that he could easily mount her as though she were just another Yenharu.

	Slowly, the Yenharu approached the helpless little vixen, his paws taking measured and careful steps, his icy-blue eyes staring intensely on the vulpine's exposed and presented rump. She was at the perfect height now, and even his sheath had begun to stir, the head of his tapered phallus now pushing its way out. He had made sure to subject himself to some of his own miasmatic musk, so that he could feel it all just as she did.

	"This--feels so strange," Lilyara whispered nervously, though her tummy was all aflutter with butterflies now. "I--I am kind of helpless here, all bound up and--unable to resist..." she added that last part mostly under her breath.

	"That's what makes it all the more enticing," Myrhazen responded, his tone deep and warm. "But I will not hurt you, and I will stop whenever you want me to," he reassured her.

	"No, it's fine," Lilyara blurted out. She bit her lip and swallowed nervously, her heart racing a mile a minute. "T--to think I came here--for that silly shard--and now--now we're..." she couldn't find the words. She didn't know how to describe what they were doing, but it didn't matter. She wanted it, and she was going to have it.

	"You're adorable," the Yenharu spoke softly, his words gentle.

	"W--what?" she squeaked, her ears flattening against the back of her head. "What did you say?" she asked, not entirely sure she had heard him correctly.

	"I said, 'You're adorable,'" the Yenharu repeated. He had moved closer to her now, his broad nose now brushing against her wet sex, easily nosing her furs to the side so that he could get a good solid whiff of her aroma. His tongue darted out of his maw and dragged slowly along the outer folds, the sensation causing the vixen to moan and writhe in her bonds, her eyes closing and her hips bucking.

	"Oh--oh my," Lilyara breathed out, her cheeks now a bright red. She could feel the Yenharu's tongue probing her sex, lapping against her wet little slit and the folds of her vulpine pussy, and occasionally dipping in and tasting the warm juices of her arousal. It was all too much, but at the same time, she wanted more. She wanted to feel more.

	She could hear the Yenharu chuckle a little, his voice a deep and rich bassy baritone. "I know what you're thinking, little vixen," he whispered softly, the tip of his nose still pressing firmly against her damp little sex, his tongue continuing its assault and dragging slowly along her moistened folds. "And don't worry, I'm just getting started," the Yenharu promised, his words punctuated with a deep growl.

	"F--fuck," the vixen swore under her breath, her body shuddering and her tails curling inward, the tips wrapping tightly around one of the branches that held her suspended.

	"Such a filthy little mouth," Myrhazen teased, his tongue dragging a nice, slow circle around the edge of her vulpine sex before running down her inner thighs, one after the other. His hot breath assaulted her crotch and the heat of it even caused her tailhole to clench slightly.

	"Sh--shut up," Lilyara giggled, her eyes closed and her muzzle scrunching a little.

	"If you say so," Myrhazen chuckled. His broad muzzle nosed her furry rump to the side and he began to lap at her tight, pink little tailhole, his tongue pressing firmly against the ring of her anus and wiggling back and forth. The Yenharu was now standing behind her, his paws on the ground and his haunches raised. His own phallus had grown fully erect now and was hanging between his rear legs, his tip pressed firmly against her moist little sex.

	"O--oh my," the Kitsune squeaked as she felt that broad, tapered head smack against her backside, perfectly centered on her moist slit, but still pressing against her inner thighs and even almost to the base of her tails as well. She hated to admit it, but she was already enjoying this more than she thought she would, and the thought of her quest for Yamakaresu now was firmly at the back of her mind.

	The Yenharu paused for a moment as he was now standing entirely over her, her little body suspended in place somewhere beneath him and behind his chest. He could feel her little ears tickling his chest fur and he could smell her scent all over him, the vixen's arousal was heavy and thick, and he could tell that she was ready for him. Slowly, he eased his weight onto his hind legs and lowered his haunches, the tip of his phallus firmly kneading into her vixen cunny, slowly parting her fleshy petals. 	The tip pressing firmly against her moistened flesh and gradually starting to open her body up to him, stretching her walls open and spreading her wide enough to accept the tapered head of his member, which easily filled up and occupied every square inch of her little vestibule, giving her the sensation of being knotted without receiving any additional length yet down her tight little passage.

	"A--aaahhh," Lilyara moaned loudly, her ears folding backward and her tails convulsing against the branch above them. Her eyes had already begun to recede into the back of her head, and she bit her lower lip as she emitted muffled whimpers and additional moans.

	Myrhazen gave the little vixen a few minutes to adjust to the feeling, watching the way her form writhed and convulsed in her bonds. The branches held her firmly in place, allowing him the ability to take his time and not have to worry about her moving and sliding away from him, and yet, his eyes watched the way her body reacted. He could see the muscles in her abdomen tighten and clench, her little vulpine cunny squeezing the invading phallus. Her ears and tails curled inward and he could hear her whimpering, which sounded almost like a kitten. He could feel her little body trembling, her hips rocking back and forth, instinctively trying to work the member in and out of her, and yet, her tight little passage was so snug and constricted, and so full, that the phallus did not budge very much.

	"It's--so big," the Kitsune whimpered, her eyes half-open, but unfocused. "I--I've never felt this full before," she whispered.

	"Well, just you wait," the Yenharu laughed, his tone warm and soothing, despite his words.

	Lilyara opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted when she felt the phallus buried inside her slowly start to move, the tapered head and the girth of it causing the little Kitsune's vulpine pussy to stretch out around it, the feeling of her inner walls being pulled and spread open by the intruding member caused the little vixen to yelp in surprise, and a sharp gasp of pleasure quickly followed. She was already feeling lightheaded and a little dizzy, the feeling of the Yenharu's massive phallus spreading her open and stretching her out causing her to shiver and twitch, her pawtoes curling and her eyes closing as she attempted to steady herself. The member had not even begun to truly move, and yet, her entire form was already quaking, her mind growing hazy and her breath ragged.

	Myrhazen gave the little vixen another moment or two to adjust to the sensation, the Yenharu watching her carefully, his eyes fixated on her and observing her movements as best he could while looming entirely over her, the way her ears twitched and folded backwards, the way her tails curled and coiled around the branch and each other. He could see her most of her form convulsing and quivering, the Kitsune's eyes were barely open, her breathing had become labored, and her little vulpine sex was already sopping and dripping juices that trickled down her inner thighs and left a small pool on the floor beneath her. Surely, she was wet enough now that he could start to breed her properly?

	Without saying anything, Myrhazen slowly started to pull his phallus back out, the little vixen's inner walls clenching and squeezing around the invading member. A long, deep moan escaped the vixen's throat and she arched her back, her tails curling inward and her hind legs kicking out and then bending back toward her, her paws hooking inward and her claws digging into the air, as though she were trying to grasp something that wasn't there. The vixen's mouth opened and her tongue lolled out, her eyes had rolled into the back of her head and her breaths had become sharp and heavy, a combination of soft gasps and low moans. The Yenharu slowly pushed his length back inside her, the sensation causing the little Kitsune to let out another loud moan.

	"F--fuck," the Kitsune swore again, her eyes remaining half-open, but still not focused, her mind clearly swimming and her thoughts cloudy and muddled. She was enjoying this, more than she cared to admit, and yet, her pride would not let her give in and openly admit that she was loving the sensations and the feelings of being fucked by the Yenharu.

	"My, my, such a dirty little mouth," the Yenharu cooed softly, his tongue flicking and licking the air. He slowly withdrew his phallus once again, his movement careful and deliberate, not wanting to go too fast and hurt the little vixen. The last thing he wanted was for her to become overwhelmed and for her to have a negative experience, especially considering how far she had allowed him to go already.

	"Shut--up," Lilyara moaned, her hips slowly bucking backward and trying to push the massive member deeper inside her. Her little paws were still curled inward, her claws digging into nothing but air.

	"Such a cute little, horny vixen," the Yenharu chuckled, his tone low and deep. He continued to pump and thrust into the little Kitsune, the tip of his phallus eventually pushing passed her cervix and filling up her womb, causing the little vixen to whine and moan, her form quaking and her eyes rolling into the back of her head as her hind legs flailed and spasmed behind her, sending her rump and her tail bouncing behind her.

	Lilyara's breath had become ragged and heavy, her paws kicking outward, her claws scraping the air as her pawtoes curled in and out, her paws attempting to find something to hold onto. Her tails were tightly wrapped around the branch above her, the tips of them curled inward and almost completely encasing the branch. Her little vulpine cunny had grown sopping wet, juices now freely flowing and making a mess of her fur and the floor beneath her, the liquid coating the Yenharu's phallus as well, the excess fluid splashing and dripping down her hind legs and leaving a puddle on the floor. The vixen's eyes had remained glazed over, her tongue now lolling from her open maw, a thin coat of saliva now coating her cheek and chin. Her ears had folded back, the tips of them nearly brushing her shoulder blades. She could not focus, could not think. All she knew was that she wanted this. She wanted to be filled and stretched, her form to be completely claimed by this Yenharu and made into his toy.

	Myrhazen's thrusts had picked up speed and power, the Yenharu's large and intimidating form looming over the helpless little vixen's body, the large hyena spirit's paws planted firmly on the ground and his hips raised high in the air, his hind legs helping him to support himself while his paws gripped the stone floor below, creating the sound of claws raking over a stony, flat surface. His phallus plunged deeper and deeper inside the Kitsune's little form, her tight vulpine sex squeezing and clenching around the invading member. Her insides felt warm and soft, the Kitsune's passage growing slick and wet from the excess fluids being produced and secreted, the lubrication causing the Yenharu's phallus to slide in and out a little easier, with the large Yenharu's girth and tapered shape allowing the hyena to fill her completely and stretch her out.

	"Mmmm--mmmm!" Lilyara tried to speak, but the words did not come, only a series of moans and whimpers, the sounds of which were almost akin to a kitten's mewling. her voice was lost to her and she could not think. She could barely breathe. The feeling of being mounted by the large Yenharu spirit was more intense than anything she had ever experienced before, and it was taking her breath away.

	The Yenharu did not say anything, nor did he pause in his thrusting, the hyena's tongue now hanging from his mouth and his hind legs beginning to tremble and quiver. He was close now, his release approaching, and judging from the vixen's reaction, she was near her limit as well. He knew that before either of them had their finish, he had to do something exotic--something to really leave her remembering, and craving for him again, similarly to how she craved to be with her three lost loves once again.

	Lilyara could feel the Yenharu's hips starting to slow, but the phallus remained inside her. It was hard, and painfully so, and she was stretched so far, that she could not imagine it would ever leave her body. Slowly, the Kitsune felt herself being lowered to the ground, as the Yenharu's posture returned to his haunches. The branches became slack, and the vines holding her allowed her to descend, ass first. When it was all said and done, she was now seated on his cock, with him in a partially sitting position. She could feel his paws now on her sides, holding her in place and two of his claws gently kneading her chest and belly, his coarse pads gently rubbing over her nipples as he kept a firm grip on her.

	"O--oh gods," the Kitsune moaned loudly, her body convulsing and shaking, her paws reaching up and grabbing her own tails, tugging at them gently.

	The Yenharu could feel the vixen's body starting to spasm and quiver, and the Yenharu decided to help her along. He reared back and with the use of his front paws, he pulled her down, spearing her sopping body onto his cock with all he had to give, while thrusting forward and upward at the same time. He could feel his cockhead pressing into her abdomen, piercing her center and shoving her non-existent lungs to the side, making way for his entire length. His thrusts were short, but deep, and his cockhead was firmly pressed into her womb, her little pussy stretching and accommodating the entire length and girth of his phallus near the base, stretching her out and filling her with every single inch of his cock. He actually could feel the bones in her body, and her ribs, adjusting to make way for such an expansive insertion, and yet, she would experience none of the fatal ramifications of their unusual union.

	"Oh--oh fuuu--" Lilyara's words were cut off as she felt a flood of warmth suddenly erupt inside her. It felt hot, burning almost, and yet, it was comforting and soothing. She could feel her tummy swelling, growing larger and expanding, and yet, the pain of her womb and her cervix stretching to accommodate the Yenharu's load, was nothing more than a dull ache. The sensation of her womb and her sex being flooded with hot cum was a feeling that the Kitsune could never have imagined, and nothing either of her mortal boyfriends could have offered her.

	Lilyara's entire form was trembling, her eyes rolling back and her tongue lolling from her mouth, as her little forepaws reached forward and clutched her tails. She felt the hot cum spurting and spewing deep inside her, the feeling causing her to let out a long, low moan. Her ears were pinned backward, her tails quivering. The Kitsune could feel her belly swelling and distending, the heat of the Yenharu's seed spreading throughout her body as gobs of his seed spilled from her stretched sex. With her eyes still rolled into the back of her head, her body quaked and her hind legs kicked while the digits on her hind paws played out and writhed due to the intense pleasure.

	Lilyara's form was wracked with uncontrollable orgasmic tremors, her body trembling and quivering. Her vision had become a blur, her thoughts jumbled and mixed, and her mind swam, unable to focus or to think. Her breathing had become shallow and rapid, her heart pounding inside her chest. The Kitsune's body was completely overloaded with a tsunami of overwhelming pleasure, the feeling was almost too much to handle. The little vixen's muzzle had fallen open, her tongue still lolling out as drool began running down her chin. Her ears were flattened against her skull and her tails had wrapped around each other and coiled around the Yenharu's phallus as well, as though the little vixen's instincts had caused her to wrap and curl herself around everything around her in a vain attempt to steady herself and hold onto something.

	"Mmm--mmm," the vixen mewled, her paws reaching forward and her claws scraping the air.

	The Yenharu let out a low chuckle as he watched the vixen's form convulsing and shaking. He deigned to keep himself lodged inside of her for as long as he deemed necessary, wanting her to savor every last drop of cum he had to offer her. His phallus was firmly buried inside the Kitsune's tight, wet, sopping little vixen cunny, and the hyena's hind paws were planted on the ground, supporting his weight. Meanwhile, his forepaws were still clutched to Lilyara's hips, holding her in place and keeping her body planted on his member, even though the springy vines of the tree's branches seemed taut and determined to pull her back up and away from him. The Yenharu leaned back slightly, his phallus remaining embedded deep inside her, and his hips shifting and moving slightly, grinding and rolling, but not thrusting. The Yenharu was content to keep the vixen plugged full, not allowing a single drop of his seed to spill from her.

	Lilyara's little forepaws continued to play out and writhe in front of her, her pawtoes curling and her digits clawing the air. Her world had been thoroughly rocked by this strange reclusive creature and he had shown her that sex in the spirit realm could be just as enjoyable as the real thing.

	The Yenharu waited a few moments for the vixen to settle down, before he finally spoke, his tone gentle and soft. "I trust you--enjoyed yourself, then?"

	"I--I did," the vixen responded, her eyes unfocused, her mind still swimming, and her tongue dancing from her open mouth as she panted, a thin coat of saliva now running down her cheek and chin.

	"I'm glad," Myrhazen replied, a smile on his face. He then leaned forward and began to lap at her cheek, the vixen's head turning toward him and his large, broad, flat tongue licking up the saliva from her fur, before he gently nuzzled her nose and licked at her lips, the hyena's tongue parting the vixen's teeth and sliding inside her mouth, his rough tongue dragging and scraping over her smooth and silky tongue.

	Lilyara let out a soft whimper and her pawtoes curled inward, her digits splaying outward once again. Her body trembled and shivered, the sensation of his tongue sliding along hers causing her to whine. Though her mortal boyfriends were not shy about using their tongues, there was something almost unnatural and exotic about such a large tongue being crammed down her own throat that she found tantalizing.

	Slowly, the Yenharu's tongue withdrew from her little muzzle. It was a struggle to manage any kind of eye contact while positioning himself behind and over her like this, but he still spoke to her as though he could look her in the eye while doing so. "I've got one more little thing in mind, if you wanted to indulge me, my little vixen..."

	"S--sure," the Kitsune whispered, her voice soft and shaky as she continued her panting, her chest still heaving in and out rapidly.

	Slowly but surely, the Yenharu loosened his grip on her waist, allowing the taut vines of the tree's branches to guide her up and off of his deeply entrenched member. Lilyara clenched her teeth, even nipping her tongue a bit as her body writhed at the sensation of the massive organ slipping free from her body. Her belly began to return to its normal lithe shape as the pressure inside of her began to subside. She could feel the walls of her vagina loosening its grasp, relaxing slightly and allowing some of the copious amounts of Yenharu seed to dribble free from her womb, trickling down his member as she rose up and off of him. A small trail of the thick, viscous liquid now leaked from her vulpine sex, her insides slowly contracting, causing more and more to flow freely from her and drip down her inner thighs and onto the floor beneath her.

	Before Lilyara could get adjusted to the new feeling, the Yenharu had taken a step back, allowing the flared tip of his member to pop free from her once and for all. With him now standing on all fours, he took a moment to admire his handiwork, as the vixen dangled there, his cum running down her inner thighs and all the way down to her little pawtoes before dripping onto the ground beneath her. Her vulpine sex was puffy and swollen, her lips parted. She looked absolutely stunning to him in that moment.

	Myrhazen watched as the tree once again bent to his will, slowly raising her hind quarters to the same height as her forequarters and eventually she was rotated so that her back was facing the ground again, her hind legs parted and spread apart, so that her gushing little mound was once again on full display for him.

	Lilyara's little vulpine cunny was still slick and glistening, her lips parted, her nether folds puffy and swollen, and her belly had only just returned to its original shape and size, though her insides still felt tender and raw from the Yenharu's intrusion. It was not painful, or unpleasant, but it was a sensation that the vixen could not quite describe. Her tired eyes looked at him desperately, as if silently asking him what he had planned for her now.

	The Yenharu stepped toward her, pressing his nose into her little wet mound. He inhaled her scent--his scent--registering the aroma of their combined selves to memory, before he slowly ran his broad tongue over her vulva, opting to groom and to clean her after the mess he had made.

	"You know," he spoke softly between gentle laps of her vulva, "in hyena society, the female in charge is the one who controls all sexual acts in the clan--she's the one who decides who is allowed to breed her when she is ready to mate." He took a moment to lick up and down her fuzzy mound, the little Kitsune letting out a soft moan. "We call her the matriarch," the Yenharu continued, his tongue now swirling and encircling the vixen's orifice. "And you--you offered me your body in a similar way," the Yenharu cooed, before flicking the tip of his tongue at her slit, causing her body to tremble. "I am honored and humbled by your offer, Lilyara. I didn't think much about the joys of mating until you gave me the idea--I've not had the moment to probe into the mind of one so--desperate and perverse as yourself before," he said with an endearing chuckle, clearly not meaning those words as an insult. "But I want to thank you. You've helped me realize a new joy in this world--and I feel it would be fitting if I addressed you going forward as my matriarch," he told her with a soft cooing sound as his tongue scraped over the fur that comprised the area surrounding her pussy. "Mmm, yes. I like the sound of that. Matriarch Lilyara, hmm?" he mused, a hint of amusement in his voice.

	Lilyara's form had already begun to shiver and shake, her ears pinned back, her teeth clenched. She was unable to respond to his question or his statement, her form trembling and her little vulpine cunny leaking and dripping juices onto his tongue.

	"Hmm, you're quite the mess, aren't you, Matriarch Lilyara? It seems my tongue will be needed for quite some time," the Yenharu purred, a soft chuckle escaping his throat.

	Lilyara was still unable to speak, her mind lost in a fog of pleasure. All she could do was pant and let out low moans, her hind legs trembling and her pawtoes curling in and out, the Kitsune's eyes closing and her muzzle hanging open.

	"Well, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't keep my matriarch nice and well groomed," he added with a chuckle, his tongue now working his way down her hind legs and over her splayed little pawtoes. He lapped at her little paws and each digit on each of her paws, causing the vixen to writhe and whimper.

	"You really are something, my matriarch," he smiled, his tail swishing behind him as his tongue transitioned to her inner thighs and began to work its way up her belly. "Such a cute little thing--and yet--led by such an indomitable spirit," he whispered, his tongue now scraping over her chest fur as he worked his way up to her face and a low moan escaping her muzzle.

	"I--I appreciate your um--appreciation," Lilyara started, whimpering softly as she squirmed beneath the tongue, "but--matriarch? It--seems to be a little much..." she added, her voice still struggling to compose itself after all she'd just been through, and was currently going through.

	"Nonsense," Myrhazen whispered as his tongue ran over her face, causing her eyes to close. As he did so, he swiftly lifted a forepaw and gently pressed one of his own pawtoes into her forehead, leaving a mark that Lilyara would not be able to see. "You've given me a new lease on life--or rather, unlife. For that, I owe you," he smiled as he slowly withdrew his tongue and he took up a position in front of her, sitting upon his haunches. "There we are. All done," he cooed, his tail swishing behind him.

	Lilyara opened her eyes and she found herself glancing at the Yenharu, who looked right back at her with that same conniving grin on his muzzle that she had become quite used to with her time alone with him thus far. A slight, sly smirk of her own formed on her maw as she giggled a little. "You know, it might be easier for me to admire your handiwork if I was back on the ground on my four paws as well," she suggested.

	"Of course, of course. How rude of me," the Yenharu responded with a low chuckle, a hint of playfulness in his tone. "Can't blame a guy for wanting to admire his matriarch's form in such a manner, however, can we?" he asked her with a cheeky smirk. His paws were then raised upward, his claws poised even higher, and the vines around her began to slacken. Slowly, the little Kitsune was lowered and lowered, until she was back upon solid ground, standing on her paws once again. She could still feel traces of his warm essence running down her inner thighs, and the sensation was a little distracting.

	"So wait--you insist on calling me matriarch," Lilyara started as she had taken a cursory glance of herself, finding herself to be in a presentable enough state despite the sensation between her hind legs. "But," she started again, her muzzle twisting into a cheeky grin, "you introduced me to the joys of sex within the spirit realm as well. Perhaps it is I who should be addressing you as my matriarch?" the Kitsune grinned.

	"I suppose you have a point there, little matriarch," Myrhazen replied with a low chuckle. "It seems I have quite the eager learner on my paws, then. And here I thought you would be the teacher."

	"Well, I am sure we'll have time to learn together in the future, will we not?" Lilyara responded, taking a few tentative steps toward the Yenharu. "Though, I don't know that I'll be able to return to this place all that easily without asking Yamakaresu to transport me here, and that would likely cause her to grow incredibly suspicious," the vixen explained, her gaze now falling upon the tree itself, a somewhat forlorn expression on her face.

	The Yenharu flashed a knowing smirk as she briefly looked away from him. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about Yamakerasu," he insisted. "That being said, I know of a blind Kitsune among the ranks of the Argent Accord. Cirdalize is her name. She might be able to help you with something of that nature, for she is something of a knowledge keeper for the Accord. Don't let her lack of tails shock you," he added with a smile as Lilyara finally turned back to face him. "It is said she traded her vision for the ability to see more than she ever could before."

	"A--are you certain she'll help me?" the little Kitsune asked, sounding almost hopeful, though she was trying to hide it.

	"Well, I can't say for certain, of course," the Yenharu responded, a somewhat coy smile on his face. "However, I do have a knack for being able to read others, and I suspect that this is a task that will be well suited for her."

	"W--what do you mean?" Lilyara asked, tilting her head and her ears perking.

	"Well, it's simple, really," the Yenharu responded. "But perhaps I will explain myself some other time. You probably should return to Yamakaresu now, your task being completed."

	Lilyara blinked for a moment. She had almost forgotten her reason for coming here, easily being distracted by the best sex of her unlife in the spirit realm. As she blinked, a strange, pink fragment materialized in front of her nose, hovering and glowing in the air just in front of her.

"The Veilspine Shard," they both said in unison, though Lilyara's tone suggested some surprise or even shock in her voice.

	"You know--it almost feels wrong, making you give this to me after the fun we've had..." Lilyara added with an almost flirtatious smile. "Who knew that having my organs rearranged by such a savage beast would be such a good time..." she teased.

	"Oh, I've got no qualms about handing this off to you, Matriarch," the Yenharu chuckled. "We had a deal, and you carried out your end of the arrangement in spades," he suggested with an almost sinister grin. "And don't be shy about coming back for more of my services," he told her, flashing a toothy grin. "If you'd like to learn a few tricks, I've got plenty up my sleeve that might be of interest to a little vixen like you."

	Lilyara reached out to touch the shard with her nose, as though trying to figure out how she should carry it back with her. She opened her mouth and tentatively touched it between her teeth. "A few tricks, huh?" she replied, her tails swishing behind her. "You have my interest, Myrhazen. Um--thank you, thanks again," she murmured, her gaze now turning left and right of their current position as she wondered how she would get back to Yamakaresu now.

	"Uh--I don't suppose you know the way back, do you?" she asked him tentatively.

	The Yenharu smiled down upon her before giving a slow nod. "Until we meet again, my little Matriarch." As he said these words, Lilyara cocked her head to the side and quirked a brow before being enveloped in a bright yellow light. Before she knew it, she was standing back in Amaithera's domain with Yamakaresu staring down at her, a brow of her own quirked curiously as she gazed questioningly down at the smaller vixen.

	"Hmm. I see you've obtained the shard after all," Yamakaresu spoke immediately, a hint of disappointment in her voice. Her eyes seemed keenly focused on Lilyara's forehead, however, rather than the shard hovering just in front of her nose. She counted a single mark on her forehead and gave a nod of approval.

	Lilyara's emerald eyes were wide at this point and she looked around desperately and in confusion, having not expected the Yenharu to be able to send her back so easily and without warning, no less. When she heard Yamakaresu's voice and had become a little settled by what had just happened, she gazed up at the larger gray Kitsune, clearing her throat before she did so.

	"Y--yeah," Lilyara responded with a nod. "I--I'm sorry, I really wasn't expecting him to suddenly send me back like that," she apologized to the larger Kitsune as she attempted to regain her composure. "Um--speaking of which, how come when you transported me to his domain it left me feeling almost sick to my stomach--and yet, when he transported me here, I felt none of that nausea?"

	Yamakarasu flashed a slight smirk before she leaned down and gently nosed at Lilyara's forehead, as if confirming the number of marks that Myrhazen had left there. She conveniently ignored the smaller vixen's question as she took a sniff of Lilyara before rearing back, her teeth flashing in a look of mild disgust.

	"Well, that confirms it. Not only did you return the shard like I had asked you to, but Myrhazen claims you are not an agent of the Twilight Choir either, nor do you have any independent desires to obstruct the Argent Accord or its mission," Yamakaresu suggested, nodding again.

	"Huh?" Lilyara replied, squinting up at Yamakaresu in a confused manner. "What are you talking about?"

	Yamakarasu flashed a conceded smile down at the smaller vulpine. "My dear, you wouldn't think that I would trust you with an actually important mission as some sort of test, would you?" she asked, before lifting a forepaw just in front of Lilyara's nose. Suddenly, the Veilspine Shard shattered into dust before her eyes, causing Lilyara to jump slightly.

	"T'was all but a ruse, my dear," the larger vixen stated, now standing on all fours, her six tails swaying behind her like blades of grass on the wind. "I wanted to make sure you could be trusted before allowing you into the ranks of the Argent Accord. What better way to do that than to let a trusted Yenharu sniff out the truth and tell me his findings, hmm? Seems you enjoyed his company quite a bit too, you reek of his scent," she muttered in an accusatory tone.

	Lilyara was dumbfounded, her jaw even being rendered slack for a moment. Had Myrhazen used her entirely? Was the whole experience with the Yenharu nothing more than a lie? Her nose wrinkled slightly as she imagined him calling every female that travelled through his lands his 'Matriarch' at some point.

	"It seems I may have misjudged Thalorhiro's ability to read the intentions of others, though, I will warn you, Amaithera has little patience for those who would put pleasure ahead of business. You would not want to end up like Rharzes, now would you?" Yamakaresu asked, now staring down at Lilyara again, as if waiting for her response so that she might judge it further.

	Lilyara stared right back at Yamakaresu, doing her best to hide her dissatisfaction with the way she had been used and played by not only this Kitsune, but the Argent Accord and perhaps most insultingly, by Myrhazen as well. She nodded her head firmly, her three tails flciking behind her idly.

	"I know all about Rharzes' tale..."

	"Good," Yamakarezu added with a graceful nod. "And don't forget it. My fear at this point is that anyone desperate enough to allow themselves to be charmed by a Yenharu of all creatures must be a weak willed individual indeed, but--in time, we will get to the bottom of just how useful you will be for the Accord and how strong your resolve really is," she mused idly before emitting a yawn. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters and other agents to attend to. You're permitted to walk the grounds as much as you please, but do not bother anyone who is currently on a mission--including, Thalorhiro."

	Lilyara was silent for a moment, still quietly simmering about what had all just transpired, and also, learning that she was being judged harshly by Yamakaresu because of her choice in partners did little to settle the tension residing within her.

	"There is a Kitsune here named Cirdalize, yes?" Lilyara asked, which immediately caught Yamakaresu's attention. "Myrhazen mentioned her by name and said she was a keeper of knowledge--or something like that. If she's not busy, I'd like to meet with her and maybe learn some skills that might make me more useful to the Accord..."

	Yamakaresu quirked a brow, but ultimately, nodded her head. "Cirdalize is not difficult to find," she mused softly. "There is a large structure at the end of the courtyard--many scrolls and the like reside within. There, you will find Cirdalize and if she is not already preoccupied, I'm certain she'd be happy to help a new recruit, such as yourself."

	Lilyara smiled softly and nodded. "Thank you," she said in a slightly distant voice. Her mind was elsewhere, still trying to process and deal with her feelings about her experience with Myrhazen. She turned around and began to walk in the direction that Yamakaresu had described, though the large, imposing Kitsune could not help but notice the way Lilyara's tails drooped slightly behind her, not that she cared entirely. In an instant, Yamakaresu was gone, having transported herself to wherever else she was needed at that moment in time.

	Lilyara soon approached a large, ornate structure that was clearly meant to be some sort of library. Its architecture was of a design that was foreign to the Kitsune, like a den that grew up and out of the ground rather than burrowing into it. It appeared to be made of crumbling stone rather than dirt, and there were columns of this fragile stone that made up a decorative design around the base of it. The Argent Accord certainly had its share of Kitsune with a vivid imagination, as this was surely a construct of one's mind and not something that formed her naturally. Lilyara cleared her throat as she approached what seemed to be the entrance, which was not a hole in the ground like one might expect--but rather, a tall, rectangular opening that led into its interior.

	She would transit through this strange opening, lifting her head and looking above her as she travelled through. She even turned around half way through and found herself glancing back out the way she came, her hindquarters and tails now beating the rest of her form inside of the structure. Confused yet satisfied, she turned again and entered the structure properly. She stepped in softly, paws silent on the cold, flat stone. The walls soared up and up, higher than the tallest tree she'd ever seen or dreamed of climbing, lined with rows--no, ridges--of strange bark slabs, tight-packed and silent, like bones stacked in sleeping order. They lined every wall, towered like deadwood forests without leaves. She sniffed at one. It smelled of dried skin and brittle thought. 

	She was standing in a place of memory.

	Lilyara wandered around the large structure for a few minutes, taking in the sights and scents that were present, but it was not long before her ears picked up on the sound of pawsteps coming toward her. Her emerald eyes scanned the room and found that they belonged to a medium-sized Kitsune, with a chocolate brown and her muzzle and face was a lighter shade of brown. She had three tails and her eyes were a pale blue, though her center tail was lifted over her back, like a scorpion's tail, with the tip of it dangling just before her pale blue eyes. It glowed like a lantern and it illuminated her face well. Seeing this, Lilyara could tell the vixen must be blind, for her pale eyes did not move freely on their own, instead, sticking forward, aiming always in the same direction her snout did. She walked calmly and confidently as a small, friendly enough smile on her maw.

	"Oh, hello there," the Kitsune greeted her warmly. "I heard you come in, but--I do not recognize your face, dear. Are you perhaps a new recruit for the Accord?" she asked, tilting her head ever so slightly.

	"Yes, that I am," Lilyara replied, giving a quick bow of respect, though this caused her tails to briefly flit in front of her face, causing her to stumble slightly. The blind Kitsune couldn't help crack a wider smile at this sight. Lilyara found it interesting that for a blind creature, or at least one that appeared blind, she seemed to still have a way of seeing what was going on around her.

	"My name is Cirdalize," she spoke, her ears swiveling and her face turning a bit toward the right. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"

	"Uh, Myrhazen the Yenharu suggested I look for you, actually," Lilyara explained, taking a few tentative steps toward the other Kitsune. "He said you were a keeper of knowledge, and that you might be able to teach me a few tricks."

	"Oh, is that so?" Cirdalize asked, a curious smile forming on her muzzle. "Well, I would be glad to help any agent of the Accord. Is there any particular tricks you were hoping to learn, perhaps?" she asked, her voice was as soft and gentle as that of a caretaker. Lilyara noted that she fit the description of a motherly sort very well.

	Lilyara nodded her head, managing to hold a vaguely nervous smile. She knew what she wanted most--and though Myrhazen had briefly distracted her from her goal and had even momentarily convinced her that maybe pursuit of such a goal was no longer a necessity, learning that he had been working with Yamakaresu the whole time and that he had tricked her in the way that he did only further cemented in her mind what she wanted most of all. While maintaining an innocent smile, she approached Cirdalize even closer.

	"Well, I have heard that it was possible for a Kitsune to--enter the dreams of another? In order to communicate with them over great distances?" she suggested, clearing her throat. "Is such a thing even possible? I feel like--that could be a valuable ability to have, as an agent of the Accord," Lilyara started, her tails swishing behind her in a thoughtful manner. "If one was a traitor, and if you could enter their dreams--perhaps even spy on them and learn things that they otherwise wouldn't want to share, it would make the task of bringing them to justice much easier, would it not?"

	Cirdalize gave a slow nod. "That is true, and indeed, Dreamwalking is a tool that has proven very useful to many members of the Argent Accord in the distant past," she explained. "However, it's not all that useful in the manner that you described. Not--entirely, at least, for spirits rarely have the need to sleep," she told her.

	Lilyara's ears drooped a little at hearing this, but she maintained her composure. "Well, I feel like I should start somewhere--and if it's an ability that is not used all that much, it might mean that I could have a moment to shine as a valuable member of the Accord if the need for a Kitsune with this capability were to arise. Do you think you could still teach me how it all works?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. "I would be very appreciative if you could..."

	"Well," Cirdalize started, seemingly giving Lilyara's explanation some though, "if you a disturb a Velithra Bloom flower and inhale the spores that break free from its petals, your mind will be opened up to Dreamwalking and as you fall asleep you should begin to dream quite vividly. Your mind will enter a form of a trance state and you should then be able to travel to the dreams of others, if you focus intensely on an individual in particular, this will allow you to communicate with the entity on the other end of the dream," she added. "Some Kitsune who get very good at Dreamwalking can even implant suggestions and ideas into the other's mind, or even read their thoughts or memories, depending on how strong-willed the recipient is, or how powerful the Kitsune performing the act is."

	"But, in the case of the spirits in the spirit realm," Cirdalize continued, "many spirits don't sleep the same way mortals do, and so, when a Kitsune tries to Dreamwalk to another spirit, they could simply fail entirely, or in some very dire cases, become trapped in the mind of the entity they attempted to Dreamwalk into. This is especially a concern if the one performing the Dreamwalk attempts to do so on a far more powerful spirit, you see..."

	Lilyara nodded, though she appeared unperturbed by the warnings that Cirdalize was giving her. "It still seems extremely useful to me, despite those drawbacks," she added, offering Cirdalize another innocent smile. "Where does one find a Velithra Bloom flower, and how exactly does the ritual work?"

	Cirdalize sighed softly, but nodded her head at witnessing Lilyara's determination. "Well, the Velithra Bloom can be found all over the spirit realm, to be honest--and we even grow some in the garden here in front of the library. But, they only bloom during Veil Dusk, which is said to be the moment between spirit twilight and mortal midnight," Cirdalize started, her tone suggesting that she didn't even know how true that really was. "In any case, there is only a few moments of time per day cycle that they can be used, and certain steps have to be followed before consuming the spores of the flower. Failure to follow these steps or consuming too many of the spores can cause a spirit to become lost in their own memories, which may sound nice--but--well..."

	Lilyara tilted her head slightly, listening to Cirdalize as she spoke. She nodded her head as if beckoning for the other Kitsune to continue.

	"Go on."

	"In any case," Cirdalize started again, clearing her throat, "you must carefully pick the flowers, being careful not to disturb the petals. Once you've done that, drying the petals in the moon's rays will cause them to stiffen and give you enough time to then steep the flowers into a pool of spring dew from here in the spirit realm. Once that is completed, you can then break the petals apart, and the spores will enter the air, filling your lungs."

	"That sounds like--a lot of effort," Lilyara admitted.

	"Yes, and a great deal of the process can go wrong if you're not careful," Cirdalize added. "It is probably best to practice the ritual yourself in a safe space before attempting to do so for a mission. It's a lot of work and it takes a lot of practice to get right, which is why not many Kitsune rarely explore its usage all that much..."

	"I'm determined to try," Lilyara said confidently, even puffing out her chest a little. "Is there perhaps a safe space here in the Accord's Domain that I could practice?"

	Cirdalize hesitated for a moment, but with a soft sigh she nodded her heard. "There is a space beneath the library here--plenty of Kitsune go there to practice their spells and cantrips. You'd be welcome to do so down there too, but--do take some precautions to make sure that the Velithra Bloom spores do not spread outside of your designated space..."

	"Excellent!" Lilyara exclaimed, perhaps more loudly than she had intended. She managed to blush a little, her tails twitching behind her with embarrassment. "I appreciate it, Cirdalize. I'll get to practicing right away. You've been great!" she beamed, immediately bolting toward the library's exit before she found herself stopping dead in her tracks, a nervous smile forming on her muzzle as she turned to face Cirdalize again.

	"Oh--um--where do I find that spring dew stuff exactly?" she asked, sheepishly glancing in Cidralize's direction.

	"Well," Cirdalize started, perhaps a little surprised by Lilyara's enthusiasm, "we carry some in the library's store room--since it is a component used in several rituals..."

	"Got it! Thanks again, Ciry!" Lilyara once again exclaimed before this time successfully bolting out of the library and into the courtyard in front of the strange structure. Cirdalize had mentioned a garden, and Lilyara figured it would be in the courtyard somewhere. Her emerald eyes scanned the grounds until she noticed the presence of some flowers that had ghostly pale, ethereal appearance to them. She trotted over and was lowered her nose to scent the yet-to-bloom flower, detecting a faint scent of lilac and mint. The vixen was confident she had found what she was looking for, even though she had only received a vague description of the flowers. She sighed softly, disappointed to see that they weren't yet in bloom. Suspecting she would be waiting for awhile--and not wanting to miss the opportunity when it came, she plopped down and waited patiently, her chin on her forepaws as she kept her emerald eyes focused right on the ghostly looking flowers.

	Though it would feel like an eternity for the impatient vixen, as she found herself idly tapping her claws against the ground in front of her, it was not very long before she could see their petals beginning to unfurl and spread open, revealing its translucent white petals with what looked like faint veins that shimmer in iridescent blues and purples, like oil on water. Lilyara wasted no time, hopping up to her paws and taking a few cautious steps toward the flowers. She sniffed at the center of the blooms, noticing that the scent of mint was far more potent. That minty, lilac scent had reached her nose in a more powerful dose than before, though it still smelled very muted to her compared to how she suspected they might smell in the mortal world.

	"Careful, now..." she whispered to herself, gently lowering her muzzle to the base of the stem of a small pile of the flowers. She began to pinch the stems with her teeth, hoping to break them free without greatly disturbing the petals. She knew time was of the essence, but she also knew that if she worked too fast, she might damage the flowers' petals and ruin the whole experiment before it even began. After collecting a mouthful of the stems, she looked up and found herself squinting. Despite being in what appeared to be a cave, deep underground, there was a crack in the ceiling that allowed the rays of the spirit realm's moon to shine down upon a spot only a few steps away from her current position. The Kitsune wasted no time and gently set the flowers down into these rays, hoping that it would be enough light to harden the petals for what was to come next.

	She waited for a moment, watching as the petals appeared brown and from what she could tell, stiffen up, like a thin protective barrier had formed around them. With a little squeak, she scooped up the flower stems and raced back into the library behind her. After a brief search, she located a series of steps that seemed to lead beneath the library proper, and she skittered on down these stone stairs until she reached the bottom. She sniffed the air, her ears listening as well as she tried to find the quietest, most unused portion of the cellar area to perform her first ritual in. She could hear the soft sounds of some incantations and the like coming from her north, her west and her south, so she turned and went east, locating a small chamber before entering it quickly. Once inside, she lay down the half-dozen or so flowers, her chest was thumping as excitement began to swell within her.

	"Only one more thing..." she muttered to herself before leaving the room, stepping back out into the main chamber and looking around. Her head was on a swivel and her sniffer was working overtime trying to locate anything that might look or smell like a source of spring dew. Before she could make a quick decision and wander into a direction of her choice, a familiar brown-furred Kitsune began to approach her position, the light from her tail tip lantern illuminating the walls around her.

	"Oh, there you are, Lilyara," Cirdalize said as she drew closer. "You had run off before I had a chance to say it, but--I wanted to collect some of the spring dew for you, so you would be ready to practice your ritual. I hope you don't mind."

	Lilyara's eyes went wide and she smiled brightly at the chocolate-furred vixen, before rushing up to her, her three tails wagging.

	"Ciry! You're a lifesaver, thank you!" she declared, as the other Kitsune hesitantly reached forward with her mouth, handing a ghostly vial over to Lilyara in the process.

	"Just do be careful--and do take your time," Cirdalize said with a smile. "You want to harness the knowledge and experience you're learning her today, not rush through it," she insisted.

	Lilyara bumped noses against Cirdalize's nose and cheek, holding the vial in her maw now. Just as quickly as she did, she turned around and bounded forward into her little private chamber once again. Cirdalize only smiled and shook her head slightly.

	"Well, she'll learn in time..." the Kitsune said to herself before turning to head back up to the library itself, leaving Lilyara to her ritual in peace now.

	Now that Lilyara was alone, she wasted little time before holding the vial over her arrangement of moon-dried flowers, allowing drips of the ghostly white-blue fluid to drip out and onto the petals of each of the flowers. Once the deed was done, she set the vial down and took a moment to take one last look at them before proceeding with the ritual.

	Lilyara took several deep breaths, her eyes even closing for a moment as she realized how close she was to getting the answers she needed, or so she hoped. Only moments from now she might have the knowledge she would need to return to her mortal coil, to experience life once again. With a heavy sigh, she opened her eyes and lowered herself onto her belly, bringing her forepaws out to form a circle around the flowers as she slowly scooped them toward herself.

	"Alright, little flowers--do your thing..." she whispered beneath her breath, as she lowered her muzzle and tore into the flowers, breaking the petals open and giving them a little shake. The first thing she'd notice was a silver hued cloud of spores forming around her, and then a much stronger taste of that lilac-mint scent from before. Her stomach was full of butterflies fluttering and dancing around the place as she took her first deep breath, filling her spirit-lungs with the thick vapor of the Velithra Bloom's spores.

	She closed her eyes, exhaled--and took another deep breathe. Her mind was focused on a single entity, a creature she had never seen before with her own eyes--but who she had heard described to her a number of times at least while residing in the spirit domain.

	"Rharzes..." she whispered beneath her breath. She could see his seven majestic tails swirling and dancing hypnotically behind him. She could see his charming, handsome, foxy smile, his long muzzle, his slender yet also muscular frame. It is said many Kitsune vixens had fallen for him when he was not Amaithera's prisoner, so she envisioned an enchanting specimen of a male as she said his name once more, this time with more conviction.

	"Rharzes--allow me to enter your dreams--for I wish to speak with you..."

	For awhile, Lilyara remained there on her belly, enshrouded in a cloud of the silvery vapor. Silence had filled the room entirely, and apart from feeling a little dizzy--nothing seemed to be happening. She lay there motionless, her head lifted, her eyes closed, her thoughts and her attention entirely on this male she had never seen before. She imagined his scent, his touch, his voice, his laughter. She imagined his strong tails wrapping around her, holding her close and caressing her fur as he whispered sweet, endearing things into her ear.

	After a moment or two of silence, she sighed softly--suspecting she had done something wrong. But before she could even open her eyes and begin to question what the problem was, she suddenly felt incredibly faint. The dizzying sensation that had clouded her mind had suddenly hit with the force of a tsunami, and her face collapsed into the pile of crushed up flower petals before her. Lilyara was out cold.

	There was nothing but blackness, though accompanying this endless void was a sound of a dull, electrical hum. Her vision was hazy, her sense of hearing was muffled and her sense of smell was entirely non-existent. The vixen blinked her eyes, her ears swiveling every which way. She attempted to take a few steps forward, but was suddenly hit with a feeling like vertigo. She yelped and collapsed, but she felt no sensation of hitting the ground--rather, it felt like she was floating on a cloud of something soft and almost silky.

	She looked around again, trying to get a feel for her surroundings. There was no color anywhere, just endless shades of black and gray. There were no discernable objects in her view, no structures, no plants, no animals, no people.

	"Where am I?" she called out. "Is anyone there?"

	“Curious,” echoed a deep, resonant voice--booming not just around her, but within her, as if summoned from the shadowed halls of her own forgotten memories. It wasn’t merely sound; it was presence, reverberating through bone and thought alike.

	The voice spoke again, smoother now, yet no less commanding:

	“It is a rare thing to be visited in my dream by another--especially a Kitsune with such a tentative grasp on rituals and magic--as yourself.”

	Lilyara was overwhelmed by a feeling of dread, and yet, she also felt confident that she had successfully made her way to the creature she was seeking out. She tried to stand up on the soft ground beneath her paws, struggling somewhat to maintain her balance. She lifted her head, gazing up into the darkness above her, as what felt like a gust of wind had begun to pick up around her, weaving through her fur and her tails like a miniature tornado.

	"Are you--Rharzes?" she called into the darkness. "The seven-tailed Kitsune who--angered Amaithera, and was forced to live out the rest of his days in a pocket dimension of her own design?"

	There was a deep, resonant laugh, echoing and rolling out across the dark emptiness that surrounded her.

	"That would be me, yes," said the voice, seeming almost amused.

	Lilyara's heart began to race as the voice of Rharzes finally confirmed that this was, indeed, the very same Kitsune she had heard tales of. His voice resonated through her like the seismic force of an earthquake ripping through surrounding bedrock. Even if she could not see him, she could feel him--and he felt quite powerful indeed.

	"Rharzes," Lilyara started again, her voice being partly drowned out by the torrent of wind energy swirling around her. "My name is Lilyara--I'm a fresh recruit of the Argent Accord. I have--used the Dreamwalking ritual to speak to you today--because I am confident you can help me with something that is of great importance to me."

	Another peal of laughter, this time deeper and longer.

	"The Argent Accord--I assume this wasn't Amaithera's idea then, was it? You're according of your own--accord--you could say..."

	Lilyara frowned a little.

	"Yes, Rharzes--Amaithera does not know I am here--and she would likely be very cross with me if she did know..."

	"What is it you want from me?" asked Rharzes, his tone sounding somewhat intrigued by her admission.

	"I want your knowledge, Rharzes," Lilyara stated boldly, her heart racing even faster now. "I have been told that you are a master of magic and have a vast array of knowledge that could assist me in accomplishing a task that will likely be difficult to accomplish on my own..."

	"Go on," the booming voice of Rharzes commanded.

	"I--you are the only Kitsune I know of who is nearly as powerful as Amaithera, and I..."

	"Then you do not know many Kitsune, young-soul," Rharzes interrupted with a chuckle.

	"Well," Lilyara started, a little sheepish now, "I am still a young spirit myself. I died only a few centuries ago, but I have been working with the Argent Accord. I have the ability to Dreamwalk now, and--"

	"And why exactly are you wasting my time?" Rharzes interrupted her again, this time the amusement in his voice replaced by impatience.

	"Because," Lilyara started again, taking a deep breath, "Amaithera would not help me if I asked her to, but--I wish to return to my mortal coil. I long to experience things again as they were when I was alive--the smell of wet grass after a recent squall, the taste of moist berries on my tongue--and--the feeling of love and companionship that only--a mate could bring..."

	"A soul-mate?" Rharzes asked, clearly finding some amusement in toying with her, though he did pause and give some consideration to what she was saying. His chuckle shifted, taking on a more thoughtful tone now.

	"I must admit, little Lilyara, you are quite impressive to have brought yourself here, all while under the nose of the mighty Lady Amaithera," he started, pausing again for a moment of effect, "but--what makes you think I could help you out exactly? Or that I would, even if it were in my power to do so?"

	"Well, because, you are the only other Kitsune that I know of who would have the power and knowledge to assist me," Lilyara responded, perhaps a little too quickly, before clearing her throat and starting again. "But--if you did, then, I would do whatever was in my power to assist you in return."

	"Whatever is in your power?" Rharzes asked, his voice piercing her like that of a finely crafted needle. "I suspect your power is far less than you even think it is, but--allies are fairly scarce in my little 'closet' here," he murmured, chuckling softly. "Still. You have my interest..." he added, and almost as suddenly as the wind had picked up around Lilyara's form, it had suddenly ended. The gusts twisted and twirled together, forming a shape that eventually took on the shape of a large vulpine with seven-tails. This shape descended, coming to rest just in front of Lilyara, though it towered over her. The shape slowly developed in detail, the seven tails taking on a gray-blue color with white tips, while the majority of the rest of the body shifted into a lighter silver-blue color, with the chest, face and underside appearing as white as the tail tips. A pair of ice blue eyes found themselves gazing down at Lilyara, a mischievous grin on the muzzle of the creature now standing before her.

	Lilyara found her jaw slacking slightly as she gazed up at this impressive entity before her. He was easily as awesome in his appearance as Myrhazen was when she first met him, though the vulpine charisma and majesty of his form set him apart from the Yenharu in several ways as well. She was left awe-struck, feeling now quite insignificant in his presence.

	"Well, little Lilyara," he started again, still smiling down at her. "You have found me. The object of your desires..."

	Still, Lilyara was unable to speak, she had cleared her throat, but before any words could escape her throat, he spoke again, his muzzle twisting into a dazzling grin.

	"What do you think?"


