Degrees of Nakedness....

"You presume wrongly," Andrea says.

I at least have the satisfaction of seeing that our captors are now as surprised at the turn of events as we had been!

Fair dues, I would rather I and Andrea had not had this encounter. That our ambushers are now as out of sorts as at least I feel right now at the turn of events is a poor second. But no, we are now naked and surrounded by those who may still try to do us harm.

I almost sigh. There was a time long ago, definitely back before the time I had become a demifox, where being naked meant nothing to me. Naturally, of course, that was back during the time I was a dragon (odd how...gross and ungainly that form seems to me now....all to do with the alteration to my Matrix).

Degrees and types of nakedness, that is a strange issue, even now. Back then, even unclothed, I had fiery breath, claws, and scaly hide. In other words, though naked in one sense I was hardly helpless, even before I gained the power of weaving magic upon gaining the grand status of Wyrm. When that day came I guess you could say I even became less naked. Then, when I was able to craft a human form, I found it rather convenient on adopting clothing to hide my nakedness (thus bringing less attention to myself for nakedness amongst human society in public is not acceptable). Having spent much time with those I now love (for they gave me back my life when they freed me from the chains of were-bear lycanthropy) I have become rather.....used to the idea of wearing clothing. Meaning I'm rather....embarrassed by being bare right now!

.....

Tiamat, just had a vision of what Fred the Manfox would say to that! The former were-bear doesn't dare to go bare!

Urgh. Good head on that manfox's shoulder Fred has, but sometimes I do wish that his inner nature didn't get out of hand like that....

Well, that said (or unsaid), my only consolation I have here is that while I am physically naked, I am not naked in the sense of being totally helpless!

.....

Heh. Actually, odd natures and humors sometimes creep up on my own self as well. The thing here is sometimes the ticklish nature I now have in my breast due to me being a demifox means right now I am having a hard time fighting the urge to say a quick cantrip that will make the demifox leader of this ambush also appear naked!

Good for a laugh, I know, but hardly a good idea if I wish to get safely away from them with Andrea! Do not doubt for a second that the little fellow's hunting companions would try swarming over us. That may or may not work and would be a move of utter desperation on their part, but then again from what I remember Demifox Fred and Demifox Astra telling of the local demifoxes they are probably very desperate right now. Desperate to recapture their "guests" for safety reasons because they fear how human beings may react to the new strain of lycanthropy they were carrying. Might the humans think, now, that all demifoxes are lycanthropes? Oh, I know it's no longer the case, but I fear that I cannot realistically expect them to accept the truth! Not all of it, they can't. It's too fantastic sounding!

"So," I say slowly, "Should we expect to be slain where we stand? Executed for the crimes committed by others, those silvery eyed creatures who look like men? Executed for what they did to Wallants and the residents and visitors?"

Andrea, always quick on the uptake, catches my lead.

Tiamat, love her for that....

The other demifoxes, meanwhile, are taken aback by the vehemence in my voice.

"By now the BMC probably is very interested in live samples of those people who survived and forms were twisted into something else!" she says bitterly, glaring at the would-be-ambushers.

Yes, she did catch on. This is a play, you see. A play where we actors are victims of the mysterious Silver-eyes. No, we actually don't commit the sin of lying and every word we say is true (thus defeating any magical detections for falsehood if our furry cousins happen to have them). But not wholly the whole truth....

Some seem to flinch at that it seems to me at first. However, as I see the others seem to squirm as if they have invisible flees or such....I have the distinct impression it's more than just either surprised emotions (or pests) causing that.

Interesting!

Andrea did mention something about wondering what meeting between a Terra Prime demifox and a mundane demifox of this world would do. See, back so long ago I and my brothers (who'd had long discussion of "if only" tales with our fellow Terra Prime demifoxes) had made a request that in addition that the demifox neo-lycanthropy be quenched within us (leaving us actual demifoxes and not accursed human beings), that we demifoxes of Terra Prime would exude a quality that would cure all other demifox neolycanthropes of their curse as well.

What will that quality do to these fellows? Will it give them....?

No. Now is not the time to be curious on such things. Now is the time to concentrate on the task at hand, alas. Maybe 'tis nothing.....

Would so very much, however, to be able to actually study that as well as the demifox society here. Get an idea on what they were like on Terra Prime, perhaps, before being subsumed....

Now, alas, is the time for stern measures!

Do wish I had been able to re-master, enough, the art of being able to "morph" my clothing between forms. Was nothing at all to do that when I was a dragon, but while I can manage it as a demifox....it is just too draining to bother! Fear it shall always be thus. Oh, the manimals were able to master it after we dragons taught it to them..... But I am demifox now and not those others, alas.

Casting without spell components or mage staff is a bit more demanding than with, you see.

Still, manage with an arcane word and gesture sends a blast of lighting at, and then past, the still staring leader of the demifoxes. The crack of thunder should be heard for miles!

Good, considering that I am hoping that my friends hear that noise!

Rather wish, however, that I could learn that one teleportation spell that my analog brother of this world knows of! At the time he'd told me of it, though, he'd told me of some of the spell ingredients..... Alas, after learning that they were of plants that do not even grow on Terra Prime I had sighed and put that project off to later....

Such as life, alas!

"Know this," I say in a low, menacing growl, "I do not know what business you have with this Fred or Astra. Do not care! But as for us, though may no longer be human, we still have the gift of magic within our veins and will sell our lives dearly before you bastards can take us to be studied like some....."

The leader, shaken, holds up his hands to try to calm us.

"Peace!" he shouts, frightened, "No bloodshed need be done!"

Hear some of his party cursing their human mage friend who's faint scryings had brought them here.

Indeed, what kind of nail, hair clippings, and such did these demifoxes take from Demifox Astra and Demifox Fred whilst they had been out unconscious? Items that mage "homing in" on the query so much easier? Mayhap those samples, while not perfect, had somehow misled the mage in perhaps thinking Joan (who is an analog of Demifox Fred) led them this way, into this general vicinity. Then, perhaps, the hunters spread out and detected (with some arcane detection device provided by that same human mage) a pair of likely foxes running about? Aye, can see how this mess could have occurred. Probably is about what happened. I, however, do not have enough patience right now to try to find out for sure without raising more questions than I'd like to handle right now!!

Bloody.....

Well, I and Andrea can tell he and the others are frightened. Their fox tails are raised up so much that they look like bristle brushes or such....

Pausing for a second, still back to back with Andrea, I lower glowing hands slightly.

"Fine," I snap, hackles still raised (almost literally, even in this form), "Then what in Gods name are you doing here? Why are you harassing innocents like us, who never did you harm? Pray, could we at least get a name of our harriers?!"

Looking ready to answer, the leader pauses in consternation as a pouch he has hidden underneath his shirt begins to....buzz loudly.

Shit.

Bet it has something to do with Joan and Astra. Despite the now excellent disguise, the things doing that when they rush in to aid us.....

1. What will come of that?

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