Red Oak looke around at the strange gathering of....people. Two humans
by appearence (though not by smell), dressed in a strange outfit that seemed
to be a patchwork of greens, browns and tans (and did a remarkable job
at blending into the forest background....the little fox admits). Then
there was the large group of.....humanoid animals. Two in particular looked
to be a normal man sized version of his intermediate form (though the vixen
hardly looked like Red Oak). There were differences besides size with these
foxes. First, their hands and feet had five fingers and toes (resectively)
in this form.....he only had four in his intermediate form. Yet another
was.....a lack of the smell of lycanthropy. Oak had readily answered any
questions the lovely (but tall) vixen asked, but finally came to his senses
when they asked if he had any questions for them.
Considering the strangeness of the last few months....and of his group
......the less he knew was the less he could get in trouble for in any
future times.
Finally, there was the husband and wife (the HUMAN husband and wife).
A flame haired and fiery woman just asked the vixen again.....
"That's ALL it took?!" Astra nearly shouted. "No mazes to plumb. No
monsters to kill. No feats to preform? Just ask a favor after a act of
kindness and BOOM...instant miracle?"
"What are you complaining about, hon?" the husband laughed weakly. "Can't
we have some good luck this week?"
The woman mutters something that even the demi-fox can't hear clearly,
and then held out her arm to the demi-fox. After a few seconds the woman
growls when Oak just stare at here like she's lost her mind (for who in
their right mind courts lycanthropy)?
"Little one," she hiss in anger. "I'm going to follow my husband onto
the new path he'll walk....because through you he WILL walk. But you WILL
bite me and him.....else......"
The look on the woman's face convinces the demi-fox that 'else' would
be a bad thing. Shifting to intermediate form, he nips her and him. The
woman stops him before he shifts back, and he dazed fox finds himself covering
the couple in bites!
Back in (near) human form, the demi-fox shakes his head.
"Well," he sighs. "Now it's a sure thing that you'll be joining the
race of the demi-fox within a month or less."
"A Month?!" sputters the male fox (who is for some reason....like the
rest of the beast men and....vixen.....dressed up as some type fabled getup
that made him look.....primal). "He can't live that long....even with that
life support stuff!"
"Well," sputters Red Oak. "Then have them drink a mug of wolfbane distilate!
That's the ONE thing that you don't want to drink straight without the
other ingrediants."
"Ingrediants for what?" the green clothed man asks suddenly.
"It's a stupid recipe that never works," mutters the demi-fox. "It's
supposed to prevent the onset of lycanthropy if a person's been bitten
by a werewolf......but drinking the distilate of the main ingrediant straight
brings on the curse right away!"
Probe nods as he finishes scanning the little fox for falsehoods. The
runt passed with flying colors. At least the Oak thinks it is true! A shuffling
and a skid announces that the female has returned (funny how she had left
and gotten back before Red Oak had noticed her leaving).
"Got some!" she shouts....holding up a large sample. Oak whimpers as
the repugnant stench drives him screaming for the hills.
Inquirere and Probe look at each other in confusion. They hadn't meant
to do THAT to their guest!
"Must be stronger than legends back home credit it?" Probe asks.
"VERY strong....at least for were-folk." murmurs Synizn as he places
the sample in a stone mortar....and waves his hairy hand over the contents.
The plant seems to melt and then......pouring it into two glasses (Where
had they come from? Inquirer asks herself.)
-
 The two drink from the
cups(Astra pours Willian's down his open mouth) and then seem to implode!
Two humanoid figures with redish skin, forearms and legs seemed gloved
in black fur (but not) and fox tailed and eared, wiggle out of the pile
of cloth.
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