I’m not usually one to go the way of the scholar’s but, in this particular case I suppose it is necessary. I’m watching my wife play with our second born son, he reminds me so much of myself at that age. Thankfully, I know what I was like at that age. I am an immortal, but until a few weeks ago, I had only shattered visions of my past. Odd, this life usually seems that way till viewed from a far.
My name is Mathis Zackery Craven. My mother, Aurora, gave me that name because, to her, I was a gift from God. I am also known as a Foxen. You may be laughing currently saying “What’s a Foxen?” Well, let me enlighten you. Foxen are what you, humans, consider to be a standing, talking, human fox. We’ve been called many things by you in the past. Werefox, Kitsune, Anthro, yet we are what we are. No matter how many times you may have called us freaks or monsters, we have not changed.
Now, although similar to your werewolves and vampires (which I would originally have you believe that vampires are the delusions of a deranged Irish man, but I’m deciding to be level with you), we are not the monsters you perceive us to be. We, actually, prefer to live a quiet life rather then one lived in fear of slaughter.. Which is why we have started to take your form in our own protection.
I’m beginning to ramble, excuse me. My past..... ah yes. My mother is an angelic Foxen. Aurora Craven is a Foxen angel, if you wish to phrase it like that. In her life, she was a kind and compassionate person. She always seemed full of life and proud of what she was. Some said she was an angel in spirit to begin with. She lived in a small village outside of what is now called Kyoto, Japan. She lived a mild life until the age of fourteen, on that day, she would meet the man should would bare a child with and her Maker, in the same afternoon.
My father, Damien Craven was always looked upon like the devil himself. He would raid and pillage anything that he thought would be useful in the quest for power. Yet, he had a soul, dark as it was, it was there and present. He never robbed anyone who was poor, just the filthy rich fell prey to him. He also never shed a drop of blood during any of his raids. He was known as the “Black Knight of Compassion”. He was a man of honor, destined to walk the wrong path. I still think about him as my alternate persona, Kuro. Some say the side of me that is my father shows most when he is unleashed. He’s not evil, just a bit temperamental and can be known to jump to conclusions.
Aurora was shopping that day when Damien came to her town to supply his band. They took nothing, but purchased the items necessary for their next hit. Aurora was singing a song at the well in the middle of town, she enjoyed doing it for the children that would gather. Damien was strolling through waiting for his men to re-supply when he saw her for the first time. It was love at first sight. He sat down behind the children that had come to hear her sing that day, his eyes never left hers. Her fur had an essence about it that almost glowed with a holy light. Damien’s soul was hers from that moment on.
When she had finished, he was surprised to find that she accepted his invitation to walk her to her home. The two talked a lot along the way, and he was surprised by the fact that, even though she knew of him and his reputation, she was not frightened at all. She offered him a shelter and food for the night. Before long they had talked to day away and night had begun to settle. She laid her head in his lap staring up into his green eyes. He had been stroking his paw through her hair, when he leaned forward just enough for their muzzles to touch, only a moment. He didn’t realize it then, but his heart had been changed forever.
The door to her place opened and the two were taken completely by surprise as Damien’s band turned on him and barraged the entrance with arrows of fire. They died there in each other’s embrace, and let Death take them both.
The end? Not quite. Damien’s deeds earned him a place in the Underworld while Aurora’s sent her straight to God’s home. They never truly forgot each other. Time passed ages, then they were both sent on a mission. One was to destroy and bring more souls with him to the darkness, the other was to help those in need, and guide down the correct path.
Damien retook the earth in a wave of terror, yet he still did not kill. He told his superior, I’ll let you guess that one, till later, that if people hated him, they would travel any lengths to see him destroyed. This was enough for a time. Then, they both returned to the their final resting place and it was like they fell all over again. Damien sheaved Ragnarok, for a fair time, unless he needed to defend his beloved. They lived a peaceful existence for a few months. Then Alpha Raye found them.
Now, I know exactly what your saying to yourself. “Wait a minute, isn’t Alpha Raye the one that now holds your last name?” Indeed, this is quite true. As I said before, odd.... isn’t it?
Alpha Raye, as she is now, is a member of the blue line of women from Japan, sent by God to keep the Foxen in line. Their fire can easily destroy us. Alpha stepped into the home of the Cravens, hearing the tell-tale signs of a child being born. Damien had stepped out from behind the curtain to see her standing there.
“For what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, milady?” Alpha’s blue eyes glistened in the low light of the hovel they were using as a home.
“You realize your time here was up years ago. I’ve watched you and her for those years, and now I can no longer guarantee either’s protection..” Much to Alpha’s confusion, Damien smiled.
“Thank you for all you have done, Milady Alpha Raye.” He stepped into the room that was holding Aurora and their newborn kit, Mathis, me. Alpha felt the hair on the back of her neck raise and both of the Foxen let off low growls towards the door.
When Alpha returned to the entrance, a man in black armor, similar to Damien’s stood at a door of black flame. He had a silver mane, a demonic smile, and burning emerald eyes that were again like Damien’s only they lacked compassion or a soul for that matter. Alpha knew the Dark one the moment she saw him. “What have you come here for, Morning Star?”
The man smiled as he took a few more steps into the home. “Ah, is that anyway to speak to someone who’s turned his back while you weren’t doing your job?” He laughed a demonic chuckle. “I’ve come for the child.” As he took a step towards the door, Alpha drew her rapier. “Don’t tempt me to flick you away, like the flea you are, fire angel.”
“Don’t tempt me to start a fight you can’t finish, Morning Star.” Damien stepped from into the room, in full armor.
“You may not have my child, but you can have me. The child has not yet had the chance to make the decisions that already lay behind me.” The Morning Star was not pleased, but shrugged.
“That’s fine, I’ll have him eventually anyway, if he’s anything like his father.” He grinned as Damien stepped into the portal, and just as he was about to step into it himself, he turned back to Alpha. “You’ll regret the decision you have made this night, mark my word’s, fire angel.”
Alpha sheathed her rapier as the portal closed and the night sky returned to the earth.. She stepped into the room to see Aurora silently weeping over her newborn son. Alpha held her arms out, and Aurora released the kit so she could mourn the loss of her mate. Alpha looked down at the young one and smiled, he had awakened but he was not crying and looked to her with sweet brown eyes. “Well now, aren’t you the brave one.” She rocked him gently as she held him close to her and he fell asleep once more. From that moment on, Alpha was sort of Aurora’s mid-wife. She watched the child grow and get older, stronger and wiser. Not to mention a whole lot better looking.
Then they came for his mother. Gabriel and Michael along with Alpha came on the night of the tod’s twenty first year. She returned with them as his father had, but he still had no idea why she had to leave. A searing burn was left in his heart, but Alpha did what she could to ease the pain.
I had no intention of letting the woman who had taken my family from me, try to console me. I was stubborn and all of her attempts to make amends I threw back in her face to the point she started to hate me, with tears in her eyes. I never understood that till the day I lost her.
“I’m leaving and I won’t be coming back.” I was young and crude then but I did have a heart.
“Why?”
“I’m going to join your mother.”
“No! I won’t let you. I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever cared about so far, I won’t lose you too.” The words were out of my muzzle before I had a chance to retract them. I had never felt this way about anyone like I had her. I would not let her go without a fight. I reached around for my blade, but her hand touched my paw.
“You can not aid me, you will only be destroyed as well.”
“You’ve taken everything from me, and yet in the same motion, you’ve managed to become everything as well. I will not let you go. Not without a fight.” She was awestruck. No one had shown her this kind of compassion before. She had especially not seen it coming from one of the Foxen that had the most reason to hate her. She kissed me deeply, lovingly. We made love that whole day, but when we had finished, the last thing she said to me was.......
“I love you, I’m sorry.” Then she slammed the hilt of her rapier into my skull rendering me unconscious. The final battle against Hell’s personal lighting throwing devil was long and drawn out, but I awoke to the sound of the final blow being dealt to Alpha. I raced to her taking every shortcut I knew to get to her. Her flames encircled the battle field but through them, I could see Azrael lift his blade for the finish. I screamed in rage, as my spirit flew from my paw, pounding straight through his breast plate and through his soft chest.. He crawled away vowing vengeance on me, one day, but I could not hear him. I stepped through the flames and felt my back muscles pop and give, my legs got weak at moments as I thought I would die, merely walking through the flames. I took the final step towards her and kneeled. The wound was mortal. There she confessed her love again.. “I will always love you.” Her blue eyes closed for the last time. As they did, the weather seemingly feeling my lose, started to weep as well..
I howled into the rain, ignorant as to what I should do next, then I heard a few people talking about Alpha having a child. At her grave, I placed a white rose, her favorite..
“I will protect them from the fate you were dealt this day.” My eyes glowed red with fury and pain. “I swear it.”