~ 1x1 with HoleyPaladin [M]

[Owl0430]

Their enemies didn't bear the emblem of the king- nor did they have the normal attire of the kings soldiers. So...they had to be poachers of sorts. After the reward, not caring what they have to do to acquire it. A few even had fox tails. Turning her fox head to look at heinrich, a new scent caught her attention- the scent of a kitsune in it's warbeast form.. maybe an unknown ally? no...that was foolish. Looking around for the scent, what she found horrified her. One of the poachers, accompanied by a hound of sorts, was wearing a cape of sorts.... a cape made from part of the hide of a kitsune's warbeast form- part of the cape showcasing the eight tails that kitsune had. The question was- how? How did they take down such a kitsune? Until they are on the verge of death, they retain their youth and skill. Even on the verge of death, they can still put up a good fight. Especially in warbeast form, even a young kitsune like herself can be a formidible oppenent. Flattening her ears she began shaking.

Though she wasn't really one for being picked up and carried like a pet, she wasn't really up to arguing.
Seeing the upcoming poacher, she noticed the cloth cloak they had on. As they were, ah, eliminated by Heinrich, she reached out and grabbed the cloak in her jaws. Afterwards she turn her back to heinrich, returning to her humanoid form beneath the cloak with her back to him, wrapping the cloak around herself. It managed to cover everything, but it was as short as....well, she knew it was as short as something she had worn before, but what, and where? and while to her it was a rather uncomfortable situation, she needed to be able to communicate properly to heinrich besides just yips and barks and growls.

It was at that moment she forgot to care that she was merely dressed in a bloody cloak, as well as made her forget about the poacher with the partial pelt of a warbeast kitsune. a very small portion of the pelt.because something from earlier caught her attention. '' Heinrich....did that arrow touch your skin at all? I'm sure you realized they were coated in some sort of poison....''' aftewards she considered how she could be of benefit to their escape, looking around at the condition of the plantlife.
Everything was dry enough.... '' The resulting ashes from an exploding mountain result in new, better regrowth... may this have he same results...'' closing her eyes, she sent a few small fireballs to nearby trees, causing a fire that quickly spread. She could protect herself and heinrich from the blaze, but for all the others, it was every person for themselves.

[Holeypaladin]

As the fox shifted back into her human form on top of a rapidly moving horse, Heinrich had to wrap an arm around her naked waist in order to prevent her from falling off. "Careful," he urged her, managing to avoid dropping her long enough for her to grab a fox pelt cape off of one of the poachers and wrap it around her shoulders, still worried about covering herself in such a dangerous situation. Though Heinrich got a look at her immediately after she shifted, he helped to wrap the cape around her once she finally had it on, still holding on to her so that she wouldn't fall off the horse.

As she spoke up and mentioned the arrow, Heinrich shrugged at her question. "Just a scratch, really. I didn't get the full dose, so I should be fine." Though it was a particularly potent sort of poison meant for taking down warbeast kitsunes, Heinrich's own body was quite resilient to toxins, and he really only had only received a small portion of the poison prior to removing the arrow from his shoulder.

Noting how the kitsune used fire to ignite the woods, he remarked, "That'll definitely slow them down... though I normally try to avoid reckless arson as there's no saying how far it'll spread and how much of the trees and wildlife it'll affect." He rode on past for awhile, the burning sensation in his scratch growing a bit more, holding the kitsune tighter around the waist as he began to outdistance the hunters.

After it seemed they had lost them for the time being, he slowed down before eventually bringing the horse to a stop. "They'll keep chasing us..." he said. "These are skilled trackers, so our options are to either cover our tracks... or kill them all. I tend to prefer fighting them on our terms rather than on theirs, so if we can find some of that fox flower stuff and set up an ambush.." He winced as his arm reached for his shoulder. "I'll be alright..." he remarked, "I probably should have focused more on my Restoration circuit, though... I can only slow the effects of the poison, rather than purifying it completely." He had no idea what kind of poison the poachers had used, but perhaps in her search for foxglove, the kitsune might be able to find something to use to treat the poison than his own magic. "Birk weyog," he incanted a simple restoration spell to delay the effects of the poison so that his own natural resilience could fight it off in time.

[Owl0430]

'' Relax, i did take that into consideration when i lit the woods. I just hoped that even more plantlife growth comes from the ashes. To the southwest is the waterfall and river, so it'll stop there in that direction. Then, if you haven't noticed, the sky is going to rain within the next few minutes. Honestly, for being such a skilled night you should at least know some basic but accurate weather predicting.'' she stated, turning back around and wrapping her arms around him now that she was covered.

''I...I am glad it's only a scratch... i did vow to protect you. However....'' she frowned, resting her head on his shoulder nervously. '' But...did you see one of the trackers? You didn't take him down but....he was wearing a portion of a warbeast kitsune's pelt..... eight tailed. Just how....how could they take down one of the elders.... even for a strong poison maker, the poison would take a lot of time to take them down, and depending on how close they were to a ninth tail, they could've potentially fought it off with enough remedies.....''


''' Hm....yes, fighting on our own terms is preffered to the difficulty of covering our tracks... but....must we kill them? is there not a way to fight them and stop them without killing them? Self defense violence is one thing, but....I refuse to....take the life of another. even if they should be after my own.'' with a sigh as he stopped the horse.
'' I'm sorry... If I knew what was in the poison, I could probably make an antidote...but I'm afraid there is not enough time for either of us for me to guess and speculate. The best bet is to find one of the trackers and get the antidote from them. They are all bound to carry a small vile of it in case they should accidently cut themselves, even if the chance of that happening is highly unlikely.'' she hoped she would be up to fighting though. In the small form of the fox, while her agility and reflexes were increased, her defenses decreased. So the poison from her small cut had been able to work slightly quicker. In this form she was able to hold if off better, but it wasn't anywhere close to being cured.

'' So um...after this whole ordeal with the um....trackers, is over,um.....is there any possibility of me getting some proper clothing? I know it isn't really the time for this, but....um...still. Especially sense the the blood staining this cloak is bound to start smelling foul sooner or later.'' she also hoped Heinrich hadn't seen anything.

[Holeypaladin]

Nodding as the fox mentioned how she took into consideration the collateral damage caused by lighting the trees on fire, the knight held her a bit closer in his arms as the horse sped away from the ambush. He allowed her to turn around and hold him as well, enjoying the sensation as he pulled her a bit closer into his lap, feeling her warmth under the short cloak, though unable to see much as he placed his chin on her shoulder. "Hard to smell the air while wearing a helmet and lacking a fox nose," he pointed out, figuring half of her ability to predict the coming rain was in the scent of the air around them.

"I might be able to handle one, but it would be extremely difficult," he said with a frown in regards to the eight-tailed fox. "The fact that they were successful only means they're an even greater threat to those of your kind that remain in this kingdom..." The fact that they used poison meant that they likely had other dirty tricks at their disposal, and to let these poachers get the upper hand again would be a terrible idea.

Frowning at the girl's words as he brought the horse to a halt, he reached out to stroke her soft fox ears, caressing them a bit as relaxed his grip around her waist. "It's not just self defense at this point..." he pointed out. "They'll continue to hunt down and exterminate your kind if we don't deal with them swiftly and efficiently. I could outrun them... there's no mortal horse that can keep up with a phantasmal steed... but I'd prefer to save as many of your kind as possible, rather than being responsible for every kitsune they'll kill from now on."

He nodded at the mention of an antidote. "We'll do that then," he remarked, helping her down from the horse and catching a glimpse under the short cloak in the process, pretending not to notice anything. He chuckled at the mention of clothing, smirking at the girl's modesty before saying, "I don't keep any womens' clothing on me, and we can't risk stopping by any human settlements along the way. My Foundry circuit should be able to summon some armor to cover you and provide protection... but it might be a bit small on you, since it's the armor used by the Emperor's personal guard where I come from. Plus it'd dissolve if you wandered too far away from me."

[Owl0430]

" There is more to predicting the weather then the smell of the air, Heinrich. The clouds and the wind, as well as the behaviors of animals are also important factors. " she spoke, closing her eyes afterwards and just focusing on the warmth of Heinrich and the sound of the wind. Believe me though, I also wish to save as many of my kind as possible, but none the less I won't kill. I will immobilize them, leave them unable to hunt and poach. However, should they be unable to survive the wilderness, that will be their own fault, therefore, in a sense, their demise would be their own. It'd be their fault for hunting kitsune and foxes, and therefore their fault we acted in defense of kitsune kind. Hence it'd be their demise caused by their hand. "


The kitsune did, however, enjoy the sensation of Heinrich caressing her ears, leaning slightly into his touch, frowning when he stopped because he had to get off the steed. "Well, if you don't have women's clothing, do you at least have men's clothing? I can find a way to alter them to suit me. I won't wear armor. Light clothing is necessary. It has to be easy to move in and light enough for a swift retreat or dodging, and flowy enough to eat get out of as a fox or to shift info the warbeast form.

Instead of backing away from him though, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her head into his shoulder. She hated this- constant running, persecution, tragedy, fear, worry. It was terrifying and tiring, and at the moment she just needed to feel safe. Therefore she . Wanted to still stand in his arms.

[Holeypaladin]

"There are divination spells that can predict the weather as well," the knight said, holding her close and enjoying the sensation of the fox girl in his arms as he continued to stroke her ears softly, "But I've been more worried about how to survive and get us away from the ambush to think to use it. Good that you figured a way to use the weather to our advantage, though." He stroked her soft, fluffy tails a bit, appreciating the fact that she no longer shied away from his touch as she had at first.

He thought about what she said. It was far more difficult to wound an opponent while avoiding and fatal injuries than it was to just kill them, in a lot of cases, but... "You may have a point in one area," he remarked as he thought over their battle plan. "For a kitsune to kill these men might only fan the flames of their hatred towards your kind even further. For a knight to kill them, however, is likely to cause controversy among their ranks. So you can leave the killing to me, while you focus on less lethal means of supporting me. I have no qualms killing people who deserve to die, though I refuse to hurt an innocent or let an innocent get hurt when it is within my power to protect them."

He squeezed her closer, stroking her ears more as he held her in his arms, noting the way her usually stubborn attitude had faded for the time being and she seemed to wish for nothing more than sanctuary in his arms. He chuckled as she spoke of his clothing. "My clothes won't fit you, silly," he said. "However..." Glancing over the cloak she wore, he was reminded of the warbeast hide worn by the leader of the poachers. Eight tails. "I believe I can negotiate something for you with the Foundry. You're a sorceress, so I understand your inability to use magic while wearing armor since you lack the required training... but we can probably trade that cloak for some sorceress attire which will assist you in combat, and adapt to your shapeshifting nature. Sound good?"

[Owl0430]

"Mm... i'm glad you found my use of the weather as a good idea..." she stated, closing her eyes as she stayed pressed against him, finding the stroking of her ears relaxing to an extent.

" that is agreed though. If a kitsune was to end one of their lives, the fire would only be fanned. The people's uncertainty would grow closer to pure distrust and hatred of us. Rumors could spread, and potentially lead to our persecution in other areas..." she sighed unhappily. " however, I'm not fond of your view on taking a life. It is understandable, but if you kill them they still win; they don't have to pay for their crimes. Letting them lead a tortured, imprisoned, miserable life is much more of a punishment. Ending their life is the easy way out: why else would some criminals take their own life if they're about to be caught?"

Listening to what he said, she considered his offer. " as in it would disappear if I shift, and reappear when I return to this form? That... would be useful. As long as it won't disappear on me if I stay too far away." After a short pause she spoke again. " and I know you're clothing wouldn't fit, but I could somewhat alter them if needed. " after she finished, a few pitter patters could be heard, and soon rain was upon them. Mild at the moment, but growing darker as the cloud moved ever closer.

[Holeypaladin]

"You have many good ideas..." the knight agreed, holding the fox close and stroking her ears, enjoying the sensation of her warmth in his arms as he felt her relaxing against him. He might have held her there for longer, except there were things to do and take care of, and their safety was only momentary.

"You misunderstand..." he remarked as he squeezed her in his arms, "It's not my intention to cause suffering and pain.... only to end it. There's no better way of ensuring that they commit no further crimes than to put a permanent ending to their existence." He sought justice, but not without some degree of mercy as well. "I'm better than them.... I don't cause any more pain and suffering than are absolutely necessary in order to accomplish my objective in the most effective manner."

Feeling the rain falling down on his armor, he gave the girl a nod. "It'll only disappear if we fail to deliver the hide of the eight-tailed kitsune worn by the leader of the poachers... they'll want it for study, though I'm sure they'll also pay the necessary honor and respect to the creature that once wore it. Hold still... try not to move, even if this gets a little embarassing..."

With that, he took her shoulders and gently pushed her a bit away from him, focusing on the Foundry circuit, concentrating as he communicated long distance in order to negotiate some clothing for the girl. Eventually, her fox cloak began to vanish from around her shoulders, leaving her bare for a few seconds before a soft cloth began to form around her, coalescing into the form of a form-fitting dress complete with gloves that extended up past her elbow and long socks that came up past her thigh. It ended up covering most of her skin, leaving her shoulders bare along with about two inches of exposed thigh between the top of the socks and the hem of the admittedly short skirt of the dress, covering most of her breasts as well but leaving her neck exposed. The exotic fabric was soft and smooth, and even had a gap for her tails in the back.

"I tried to negotiate something modest to suit your preference," he remarked as he gazed over the girl's new clothing, "But University sorceresses are notorious for flaunting their bodies, and that's about as modest as they come. It has magical properties that should be quite useful in combat, though." If nothing else, the outfit at least covered most of her arms, legs, and torso.

[Owl0430]

" thank you heinrich. " she stated gently before listening to him. " I see... that makes sense now. I understand why you do what you do, and like you I don't wish to see more people suffer... but you need to please just understand I just don't like violence and killing period. As long as we both have a mutual respect for each others morals we should fare well."


" alright.. I can agree to that as long as they pay respect to the hide of one of our elders. To forget to do so would be an insult to our kind. " she paused. " wait a moment, heinrich. What exactly do you mean by embarrassing?" She growled, covering her chest with her arms and other areas with her tails as best as she could, just in case. Turns out it had been a wise move. Once the clothing was formed, she glared at Heinrich. " I swear on my pelt if you seen anything I will personally invade your dreams and tear the image from your memory with my claws, and I promise It will not be pleasant. " her guard and stubbornness had gone up again. While she didn't want to be so guarded, she refused to let one of the opposite gender to see her bare, believing the sight to only be for her eyes and the eyes of whomever she ends up wed to.

Trying to avoid the awkwardness and embarrassment she now felt, she turned her back to him to avoid eye contact. " .... thank you, though, for the clothing, as well as considering my preference in style.... it covers most skin. The color ( which was a light lillac) is also rather pleasant. My only question now is will it shift with me?"

[Holeypaladin]

Heinrich attempted not to stare too much at the beautiful fox girl as the magic from the Foundry circuit transformed her clothing into the new outfit entirely, yet the more he tried not to, the stronger the temptation, as there was plenty to be admired in the girl's physical appearance, after all. Still, he felt it best to act like he hadn't seen anything, giving a simple shrug. "Isn't there another alternative if I accidentally do see you?" he asked her.

He was somewhat surprised that the girl appreciated the clothing and went so far as to thank him. He had honestly expected her to complain about the skirt length being too short or the top being too low cut, despite the fact that most of her legs and torso were covered. "You're welcome..." he said. Chuckling at her question, he nodded. "It was designed specifically to be worn by a shapeshifting sorceress, after all. It has magical qualities which will only apply when worn in your humanoid form though... such as your gloves amplifying your cryomancy to bring it up closer in strength to your natural pyromancy, along with some elemental frost resistance since your kind is typically weak to this element. Oh, and it should resist physical damage too... probably about on par with non-magical chainmail in its armor strength, while being light as silk. That Mageweave cloth is pretty amazing, isn't it?"

He hadn't seen enough to realize that the outfit didn't come with any undergarments, though the idea of mages creating magical undergarments for women was a somewhat amusing concept and seemed like a waste of magical resources, anyway.