The Forgotten Hunt E-Book

Jynx Rivera

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 400

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Himlous the young fox is finally ready to take his first hunting exam. But everything turns out differently than planned. When his older brother Hexnas wants to show him how to catch a pheasant, they are suddenly attacked by the dogs. But the wild beasts have been considered extinct for a long time. The hunting dogs get a hold of Hexnas and kill him, Himlous barely escapes with his life. Yet Hexnas, as the oldest of the royal sons, was supposed to succeed to the throne. Even worse, however, is the return of the dogs. What are they planning? As the youngest of the royal sons, Himlous is not believed by either his parents or his siblings. But he suspects that this time the dogs want to completely wipe out the fox kingdom. So he has to go out and stop them himself...

Leseprobe

The monsters from ancient legends

"Hexnas, go! Faster! They've almost caught up with us!" yowled the young, marbled fox to the rear, where his older brother with bright red fur could barely keep up. The two had a good reason for rushing through the undergrowth like that. Close behind Hexnas was a snarling, slavering pack of hounds that snapped at his tail, always missing him by a hair's breadth. "I... I can't go any faster! You keep running, Himlous! I -" Hexnas panted, slowing down a little as the talking only made him work harder. That was his death sentence. One of the dogs, a large black beast, caught hold of his tail and buried its yellowed teeth deep into it. The bright red fox howled pitifully, so loudly that it seemed to echo throughout the forest. Himlous, the younger brother, skidded to a halt and wheeled around, only to see his brother, shrieking in pain, being torn to shreds by the pack of hounds. Blood poured from the mouths of the beasts and pieces of fur hung between their teeth as they tore flesh from the still living body and crushed the bones. It was such a gruesome sight that Himlous thought the sight alone would kill him. It could have been such a peaceful, beautiful day. It should have been a holiday. Himlous was supposed to take his hunting test today, he was supposed to catch a pheasant and with that he would have earned the privilege of being an adult member of society. Hexnas had accompanied him, both as examiner and advisor. But before they had even smelled a pheasant, these hideous creatures had appeared, along with humans who had not been able to follow their four-legged companions so quickly. The young fox didn't really have time to digest his shock. As soon as their victim stopped twitching, the dogs lost interest and turned theirattention to their next chew. With a low growl, the creatures, which looked as big as trees to Himlous, turned to him.The young fox swallowed, tensed his thin muscles and then made a skillful leap to the side, just in time, because at the same second two of these monsters leapt towards him. The ponderous, large animals did not manage to slow down in time and immediately landed in the thorn bushes, where they became entangled, howling. Himlous, however, had no time to savor this small victory. The other hounds were already chasing him and the fox was fully occupied zigzagging between the trees. Himlous had always cursed the fact that he was smaller and thinner than all his siblings, but today he was glad for the first time. He nimbly managed to disappear into a rabbit hole dug between the roots of a large tree. He narrowly escaped the fangs of the dogs, who, despite their impressive speed, had come very close and snatched Himlous by a hair's breadth. Drooling and whimpering in frustration, they pawed at the entrance to the den with their large paws. None of them were small or even slim enough to squeeze through the tunnels. Himlous, who had squeezed himself into the far corner, was safe, at least for the moment. However, it was only a matter of time before the dogs had enlarged the entrance enough for them to crawl in too. Or at least until the den became so unstable that it collapsed over the fox's head, burying him alive. Gasping, Himlous pushed himself against the cold earth walls, not caring if his beautiful, shiny fur got dirty in the process, even though he usually detested it. His heart was beating up to his ears and he panted in a desperate attempt to get more oxygen into his lungs. He heard his pursuers pawing and digging outside.They're coming, it flashed through his mind.They'll come and tear me apart just like they did Hexnas. I have to get out of here without them noticing. But how?His bright eyes scurriedaround and Himlous noticed that there were several branches, as was usual for rabbit burrows. It had to go back to the surface somewhere. That way he could escape. Only these passages were even lower, even narrower. Himlous had to lie on his stomach to even fit into one of these trenches. Ears close to his head, he slowly crawled forward into the tunnel, which was as dark as the night. Again and again, earth trickled from the ceiling and each time Himlous felt his heart beat faster as he thought it was about to end and he would die down here. But at least he could soon stop hearing the dogs panting and whimpering. And after what felt like an eternity, during which he had dragged himself through the corridors, soft daylight shimmered at the end of the tunnel. The young fox couldn't get there fast enough and when he was finally back on the surface, he breathed in the spicy forest air with relish. For a fraction of a second, his shock at everything that had just happened disappeared. But really only for a second. Then the eerie howling of the dogs sounded again, far away but clearly audible. And it wasn't just the calls of the dogs that disturbed the silence of the forest, the sharp, unintelligible sounds of the humans also echoed between the trees. Apparently the masters had caught up with their beasts. Himlous hoped they would now leave with them, but he could not be sure. He took a few more moments to catch his breath, then made his way home in long strides before the hounds caught up with him again. Like pretty much every fox in the valley, Himlous lived in the Elesch forest, which lay right next to the wide river Ustrith. And in the middle of the Elesch lay the capital of the foxes. Of all the animal kingdoms in the valley, their kingdom was the most splendid and had been growing in prosperity for around a hundred years. Even at the beginning, when the kingdom was founded, their ancestors had had a good time. In the middle of the forest lay the long-abandoned ruins of a human city that must have been swimming in wealth in its heyday. Today, nothing was known about the history of this place or even about its inhabitants, but the ruins provided the foxes with a wonderful place to stay. The royal family, which included Himlous himself, even lived in a proper castle which, thanks to careful maintenance, looked very good again and made for the most pleasant of lives. All in all, the citizens of the fox kingdom had not let themselves get carried away. For someone who didn't know, the abandoned city could have still been inhabited by people, that's how much everything was cared for. So this was the place Himlous was now sprinting towards at tremendous speed, so fast that his paws barely seemed to touch the ground. The young fox wasn't really much of an adventurer, he rarely left the palace or even the city. Today was one of the few times he ventured out. So it was all the more surprising that Himlous knew exactly which way to go to find his way back. He had to cross the clearing, which was overgrown with colorful flowers at this time of year, then pass the large tree that had been split by lightning . A short time later he would come to a stream, which he had to follow upstream until three old weeping willows lined the bank. All he had to do then was turn left and keep running until he reached the road that led to the town. It sounded like a very short way, but although Himlous made every effort to keep up his pace, stopping only briefly by the stream to drink, the midday sun had already peaked when he finally caught sight of the first houses. Completely exhausted, Himlous made it to the first houses in the town. They were small, already somewhat crooked little houses made of white stone with front gardens full of herbs and low berry bushes. Himlous had barely crossed this invisible barrier when he collapsed on the street, powerless. He had overexerted himself and was now paying the price. His lungs burned as if they were filled with fire, his whole body was overheated and his sensitive paws, which were used to the soft lawn of the castle garden or the smooth marble tiles of the palace, were bleeding. His light-colored fur was also dirty and sticky, but that was the least of his worries. The young prince lay panting in the street and surrendered to the merciful darkness of unconsciousness, which slowly fell over him like a soft blanket.

Someone had probably found him there and even brought him home, at least Himlous woke up after a few hours in his room. It was a pretty room in the castle, although not quite as sumptuous as his parents'. Himlous lay on a four-poster bed covered in amber-colored fabric. The same color as his eyes shone in. This color ran through the entire room, everything shone in various shades of yellow and gold, mixed with a touch of white and black, like the color of his fur. Exhausted, Himlous lifted his head, let his gaze wander around the familiar room and then sank back into the velvet-covered cushion with a sigh. It would have been easy to believe that it had all been just a dream. But the aching paws and the far too vivid memory were enough to know that what had happened had unfortunately been all too real. Himlous knew he had to get up now. He had to get up, go down to the common room where his family was surely staying, and he had to tell them what had happened. But how? How was he supposed to explain to them that dogs had suddenly appeared? Of all things, the creatures that no one had seen for as long as Fox could remember and that were considered extinct, if not almost mythical? As creatures that only existed in stories to scare little puppies? And then, even more dramatically, that humans had also been among them? And that Hexnas had been torn to pieces by these dogs that supposedly no longer existed or had never existed? Himlous groaned softly and buried his face in the soft fabric. No fox wouldbelieve him! On the other hand, did they have a choice? He would only have to lead them to the place where Hexnas had been killed. Then they would see it for themselves. But they would probably claim it was another predator. A wolf, for example, even if they lived on the other side of the river and hadn't been seen here for decades. Or one from the kingdom of the lynx, which was right next to their realm. Even if the lynxes and the foxes had made peace with each other years ago, his family would believe anything more than that they had been dogs. Himlous couldn't believe it himself, even though he had been there. His head was still unable to realize that the chase had really happened. And, even worse, that his big brother Hexnas had been mauled by them. The dying man's howl still echoed in his ears and every time Himlous thought about it, a tremor ran through his body. Why had Hexnas, of all people, had to die? Of all his siblings, it was his eldest brother who had died. The only sibling that Himlous had truly loved from the bottom of his soul. And also the heir to the throne of the fox kingdom. Now Sialdin would inherit the kingdom. Himlous couldn't stand Sialdin. He was pompous, arrogant and had a sadistic tendency to torment anyone who was weaker than him. The kingdom would go to the dogs if this mob came back again, possibly literally. How could it be that now, after a hundred years and many generations, dogs were suddenly being spotted again? He simply couldn't get this discrepancy out of his head. But thinking about it didn't help. Here, in his soft bed, he would never find out. Groaning, Himlous got up and immediately licked his bruised paws, which still hurt with every little step he took. It would be days before his pads healed properly and he could walk again without any pain. Just as Himlous was ready to finally stand up and face the harsh reality, the door opened and a small figure scurried into the room. It was Margery, a fluffy vixen with auburn fur, the wet nurse of all the princes and princesses who had been born so far. She had also nursed and raised Himlous as if he had been her own puppy. "Him, my darling. What has happened? Some commoners brought you here, you were lying dead in the street, they said!" There was all the warmth and care in the world in her sweet voice. She jumped onto Himlous' bed and began to clean him thoroughly. Only now did the young prince realize that his fur was still full of dirt, pollen and burrs. So he calmly accepted his nurse's care and closed his eyes in relaxation. He knew he could confide in Margery without hesitation. So he told her everything, starting with the fact that Hexnas and he left the castle early in the morning to perform the hunting ritual. That they searched and searched, but the forest seemed deserted and just as they stopped to confer, the horrible thing suddenly happened. Dogs rushed out of the undergrowth and chased them both halfway through the forest until Hexnas finally ran out of breath and fell victim to the pack. Then Himlous told them about his escape through the rabbit hole and how he raced back to town. Margery listened patiently to everything and kept brushing his fur, which was soon clean and shiny again. "Dogs, then? Oh, poor Hexnas! Our darling really didn't deserve this. He was still so young and had so much ahead of him," she murmured at the end of his story, gazing wistfully out of the glazed windows and down into the castle garden. "Yes, I know it sounds unbelievable, but I swear it's true!" Himlous confirmed his statement grimly. But that wasn't necessary. The vixen believed her protégé either way. "Of course it's true. Just because no dogs have been sighted for a long time doesn't mean they don't exist. But, my sweet little darling, I'm afraid the others won't believe your report. They think the old stories are fairy tales. The gods were just made up, the heroic deeds exaggerated and the beasts in them mere spectres. They've all forgotten what the world used to be like before the great gods blessed us and cast the protective spell over our forest." The protection spell, right. Himlous only remembered it now. This story was also told from time to time, but it was not nearly as popular as others. It had been a long time since the young fox had last heard it, so he certainly hadn't thought about it again. His gaze followed Margery's out into the garden. "Do you think the wall has stopped working and that's why the hounds were able to come?" he wanted to know from the vixen, who only gave a short laugh in response. "Himlous, I really don't know. I'm just a simple vixen. If you want to know something like that, ask your teachers or the old priest Iamo. I'm sure they can help you better than I can." Himlous gratefully bowed his head to her and gave her a quick lick on the cheek before rising to his paws and hopping out of bed. "Thank you for your advice, I'll take it. But now I have to tell my family that my dear brother has died," he told her in a dry voice and hurried down the long corridor and down the stairs to the sitting room that his family liked to occupy at this time of day. He didn't feel like talking to them, but he couldn't avoid it anyway. So he might as well get it over with now. At least he would have some peace and quiet afterwards.

Himlous had judged his family correctly. His parents and siblings were all crowded into the cozy common room, lolling on the sofas and armchairs, drinking tea made from dried herbs and flower petals from dainty porcelain cups and discussing recent events animatedly. They were so engrossed in it that they didn't even notice that their youngest member had stepped a. "Do you think something bad has happened? Something bad must have happened, right? As messed up as Him was," his sister Onia, the eldest of the second litter, speculated to herself as she worriedly played with a gilded ball between her paws. "Nonsense. The dwarf must have heard a twig snap and fled back in fright!" This contemptuous comment came from none other than Sialdin himself. For a fox, he was a giant, and the night-black fur he had inherited from her father made him look even more frightening. The scars he had received from small fights with noble hotshots didn't help to make him look friendlier either. But his appearance also matched his character. Himlous couldn't remember ever hearing a kind word from his mouth. "Sial, don't talk about our little brother like that. It's not his fault that he got sick as a puppy and grew so badly as a result," Oktia, who came from the same litter as Sialdin and Hexnas, intervened. She was always arguing with Sialdin, Hexnas had always tried to mediate and the last of the litter, Erena, always kept quiet and hardly spoke a word. This was it, the first litter of the honorable royal family, the dream couple. The clever King Mohbris and the graceful Queen Etphine. It was a disastrous first litter, and the other two litters were no better. Sialdin was strong but quarrelsome, Oktia clever but arrogant, Erena down-to-earth but withdrawn. Only Hexnas had had the potential to lead the kingdom. And Himlous would soon have to announce to his family that his worthy heir was dead. "Oh, you're always defending him! Apart from surviving, he hasn't managed to get anything right so far, and even surviving was a close call!" the eldest brother continued with a new scolding attack when Himlous finally drew attention to himself by clearing his throat. All eyes were immediately on him and it became eerily quiet in the decorated room. Even Sialdin and the usually lively sisters Onia and Rara had lost their voices. Himlous immediately regretted having drawn attention to himself. All the stares seemed to stab him like knives. Embarrassed, he twitched his ear and then bowed his head in respect to his parents and older siblings. "Um, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I've just woken up and thought it would be appropriate to tell you about what happened," he explained haltingly, without lifting his eyes from the floor. "Himlous, my little one! Glad to see you're okay, we were worried." With a gallant leap, his mother landed on the dark wooden floor, her gold and crystal jewelry tinkling as she did so. She stepped up to him and briefly nuzzled her nose against his cheek. "And now tell me, where is your brother? You came back home without Hexnas. The peasants who found you said there was no sign of him for miles around."

"Yes, they can't have seen him at all," the young prince began slowly, taking a deep breath and preparing himself inwardly for the horrified outcry. "They couldn't have seen him, because Hexnas is dead. A pack mauled him, not far from the southern border." Silence. No one said anything, not even breathing could be heard. This was an even worse reaction than Himlous had imagined. He lifted his gaze and looked directly into his mother's bright eyes, wide with shock. She backed away from him as if she had been burned. "Dead? Hexnas?" Her usually melodic voice sounded a touch too shrill. "My son, what are you talking about?" his father's stern voice now rose. Himlous raised his eyes to King Mohbris, who was still enthroned in his armchair and looking down at him disdainfully. He had always been quite afraid of his father, who always sounded so grim and could look so intimidating. But today was the first time that this fear was justified. The youngest prince automatically cowered a little. "It's true, father! I'm certainly not lying, and I certainly wasn't imagining it! I saw Hexnas being torn apart by a pack of dogs!"

"Dogs? Dogs!" Mohbris let out a hoarse laugh "Dogs, of course! Very amusing, my son, a great joke. Now, tell me, where has Hexnas been hiding? You really pulled off the prank well, but now it's time to break it up. After all, it will soon be dark." The ageing king only smiled at Himlou's statement, as he was used to his eldest son being prone to all kinds of jokes. He did not notice that such things did not suit Himlous at all. He looked up at his father with wide, confused eyes, let his gaze wander and noticed that the rest of his family had also lost some of their tension. It was as if they were all hoping that the king's good-natured carelessness was true after all and that the worst had not come to pass. It hurt Himlous to have to disappoint them like this. The little fox hung his head so low that his snout almost touched the ground "I wasn't joking. I'm serious. Hexnas was killed by a pack of hounds that stormed through our forest accompanied by their humans and surprised us looking for a scent." This time there was no more silence after this statement. Rather, everything happened at the same time. "What?" his father thundered, his mother howled heartbreakingly, his sisters squealed, his brothers cursed or rushed to comfort his mother and sisters. Everything happened at the same time. Sialdin was the only one who handled the situation differently to everyone else. The black fox rushed forward, jumped straight onto Himlous and pinned the younger boy's head to the ground with his mighty front paws. Himlous squeaked and tried to free himself, but had no chance. He was forced to lie defenceless under Sialdin's paws. With bared teeth, his mouth approached Himlous' nose, then he seemed to change his mind. "And you dare to return to us after this?" The dark prince deliberately raised his voice so that everyone in the room could hear. "Not only are you lying and the dogs were wolves or even lynxes, worse! You ran away like a coward while Hexnas, my esteemed brother andheir to the throne, bravely faced the battle and fell with dignity! It would have been your job to protect him!" he growled in an unctuous voice that would surely have made Himlous sick if he hadn't been in such a tricky situation. "What? No! That's not what happened!" Himlous exclaimed, but no one was even listening to him. "You're a coward!" Sialdin droned on. "You deserve to be punished!" Sialdin looked at his father in challenge, but the time when the king handed out rash and harsh punishments had long since passed. Age had made him calmer and wiser. "Don't, Sialdin, get off your brother. He's only six months old, even if he wanted to, he couldn't fight, he hasn't had any lessons yet. Besides, the matter needs to be tested first. Even if it can't be true about the dogs and humans, something terrible must have happened to Hexnas. We need to sort this out, then we'll see what happens next." Sialdin reluctantly withdrew, jumped back onto his chair and licked his puffy flanks grumpily. Himlous, on the other hand, carefully picked himself up again, more than relieved to have come out of this unharmed. "We'll find out who murdered our son and heir to the throne. And whoever it was will pay for it." The voice of the father of the family and king sounded strong and determined through the room and provided some reassurance, even if he did not manage to weaken the mother's unhappy whimpering. "Until the matter is cleared up, however, each of you stay within the castle walls. We don't want anyone else to die."

As quickly as possible, Himlous left the room, which was now filled only with grief, dismay and anger. None of his family, except Sialdin, spoke up. But the young fox knew that they blamed him. Why is Hexnas dead? Why the heir to the throne? Why didn't they catch you? Your death would have been more bearable. They didn't say it, but Himlous knew for sure.With a sigh, he crept through the corridors, but unlike usual, he paid no attention to the splendor on display. All the collections from the human world that his ancestors and parents had gathered. All the treasures that he had always admired so much since he could see were of no interest to him today. The young prince trotted through the corridors with his head down. Only when he had stepped out through the large main portal into the garden and the last rays of the evening sun warmed his fur did he raise his eyes again. But even the sight of the beautiful garden hurt. No matter where he looked, everything brought back memories of Hexnas. How often they had played here in the garden! Hexnas had always let him win at tag, and he had also been gracious at hide-and-seek. And together they had chased balls across the lawn or even shredded a soft toy once or twice. The more time passed and the more Himlous realized that his brother would never be with him again, the more his heart ached. The grief came like pinpricks and with every heartbeat it felt as if the muscle that kept his blood moving was writhing in agony. Himlous could have screamed. But he didn't. Instead, with a sudden and mindless energy, he charged forward. If he didn't want to cry, he had to do something, anything. And he already knew what.

The forgotten legend

He would go to the temple and speak to the priest, even though his father had forbidden him to leave the castle walls. There had to be a reason why the dogs had appeared. There had to be a reason why Hexnas had had to die. And he would find no peace until that reason was revealed. And as soon as he knew, then there would be something! Himlous would find a way to get back at that pack of dogs! They would bleed for killing his brother! If only Himlous was a little stronger. Or at least a little braver. His paws ripped open and bled again, but Himlous barely noticed as he dashed through the streets. He had been lucky, his father's order that none of them were allowed out had apparently not yet reached the gate. At least the guards there had made no attempt to stop him. They had looked after him in confusion, but that was fine with him. Let them wonder. The main thing was that he got into the city. He had to get to the temple of the gods, and he knew the way there very well. In the past, when his grandmother had still been alive, she had gone there with a few of them from time to time. She herself had always talked to the priest and Himlou's siblings had played in the temple garden. And he himself? His favorite thing had always been to look around. He had explored every nook and cranny, observed everything very closely, studied every detail until they had gone home again. He had loved these excursions and had therefore memorized the way there. The townspeople, the foxes, who had all finished work in the meantime and were on their way home, looked after the young prince for a moment in amazement as he rushed past them. A few who were particularly brave,shouted after Himlous about how his hunting test had gone. But the young prince didn't have time to explain it to them. The whole city would know what had happened by tomorrow morning at the latest, so he didn't need to rub it in their faces now that the beloved heir to the throne Hexnas had fallen. So he turned a deaf ear and just kept running, past the jewelry store, past the old post office, past the coffee house and the barracks of the city guards. Finally, past the various residential buildings. Only then, at the very end of the small town, did the temple appear, surrounded by low walls. By now it was getting late, the sun had almost completely disappeared behind the horizon and the blue hour was setting in, when the sky still shimmered a deep blue, although there was no sign of the sun.

As soon as Himlous reached the gate, he slowed down and stepped through with almost deliberate steps. How often his grandmother had scolded them for having to respect this place! The temple, or "the garden of the gods" as it was popularly known, was also a beautiful place, which was often misused as a park for this very reason. The trees were old, tall and broad and provided pleasant shade even on hot days. The many small streams flowing through the deep green grass also kept the air cool. There was a lake in the western corner of the gardens, which froze over in winter and was great fun for all the puppies. The older ones, on the other hand, enjoyed the many colorful flowers. The rose hedges, the lilies under the cypresses, the orchids in the colorful glass vases near the temple, the chrysanthemums and hydrangeas in the pots, the meadow with hundreds of colorful gerberas and tulips. And so many more. There were so many flowers here that Himlous had never been able to keep track of them, even though as a puppy he had set himself the eager goal of making a list of all the flowers, trees and bushes that were here. He had walked around for hours accompanied by a servant and had everythingnoted down. But at lunchtime, they had had to return to the castle to have lunch, and Himlous had completely forgotten that they hadn't finished with all the plants yet. This story suddenly came back to Himlous as he wandered along the familiar paths that led to the temple, which lay silent and deserted in the twilight. The building had seen better days. Most of it had already fallen into ruin when the foxes had occupied the city. Only the building that the ravens and magpies called "church" had survived. But the foxes did not call the building a church, because church was a human word. They called it a temple. That also sounded much nicer than church. Himlous stopped for a moment in front of the large portal and bowed his head in awe, so low that his snout almost touched the ground. Only then did he enter. Iamo was safe in the temple, he hardly ever left it. And he never left the temple grounds anyway. Everything he and his apprentice needed to live was delivered by errand boys. Inside, there was a lazy darkness, the smell of flowers and incense mingling together. A row of candles lit the wide central corridor to the far end of the temple, where the sacred shrine stood. It was decorated with flowers from the gardens, candles and offerings of food. It was highly flammable, which is why Mohbris had often ordered people to refrain from this kind of worship. But the priest would not be dissuaded, despite the prohibition, he did it again every time. "Father?" Himlous called across the hall in a hushed voice. For some reason, Iamo insisted that all members of the congregation call him father. Himlous didn't know why, but there were many strange things, especially in religion, that he didn't understand. So he just accepted it. Himlous received no answer and the young fox stood lost among the benches where the good foxes gathered on holidays to pray to their gods. Now, so late in the evening, it was empty and looked almost ghostly. Himlous even imagined that a gust of wind was passing through the temple and tugging at his fur. Nervously, the prince began to consider whether he should perhaps leave. After all, he could come back tomorrow and Iamo would certainly be there. But as soon as he had turned away and was ready to hurry out with the same speed as he had come in, a deep, melodious voice rang out from behind. "How can I help you, my son? What brings you into the arms of this old house so late at night?" Himlous turned half a circle again and flinched involuntarily. Father Iamo, the old fox with a graying face, was suddenly standing right in front of him, as if he had appeared out of nowhere. The priest narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth in a narrow grin. "Well, well. Who's going to be frightened here, young prince? Come along to the back. Whatever's on your mind, it's better to talk there." The old man smiled gently, put his tail on his shoulder and led him through the hall and into the back room of the temple. Less than five minutes later, Himlous was sitting near a crackling fire stoked by Thasia, Iamo's student. In front of him was a cup of steaming tea, the priest sitting opposite him. It was only a small chamber that the priest and his student shared. The furnishings were simple, full of sacred images, symbols and books, but also very cozy. "It's more comfortable this way, isn't it? And now tell me, my son, what brought you here. I'm dying of curiosity." The older man's gaze, which flitted briefly to his pupil, revealed that it wasn't really him who was dying of curiosity. The young vixen, about Himlou's age, had pricked up her ears and was obviously listening very carefully, although she was still pretending to be preoccupied with the fire. Embarrassed by so much attention, the young prince cleared his throat and took a quick sip from his teacup. It burned his tongue and the roof of his mouth, but he didn't dare admit his mistake and simply swallowed it. "Well, Father, I hardly know where to begin." Himlous faltered, lowering his gaze to his cup, to the dark green liquid in which the herb leaves floated lazily. "While I was hunting with Hexnas, dogs suddenly appeared. I managed to escape, but Hexnas, he ... they bit him to death." Once again, the memories came flooding back to him. Himlous was sure he could hear Hexnas' screams. His screams, the snarling of the dogs, the tearing of flesh and the breaking of bones. Everything melted together lifelike, into a terrible symphony. It caught him and made his body tremble like a leaf in the wind. Himlous crouched down, made himself small and pressed his paws to his ears. He whimpered, "I... I can still hear him. I can still hear it." The priest and his pupil exchanged long glances. Neither of them had ever seen a dog, let alone an entire pack. Not even a mutilated corpse had they ever laid eyes on. The kingdom had been peaceful and safe for as long as anyone could remember. But they both knew that the time was near when the first disaster would strike their people again. That was the way it had been handed down. And the traditions never lied. Iamo had already summoned the king several times, had spoken to him and warned him. But Mohbris, who had now ruled the kingdom for five years, did not take the warning seriously. And now he was paying the price: his eldest son, the darling of the family, had been killed and the youngest was traumatized. "Don't grieve, your brother is now on the side of the gods," Thasia tried to comfort him gently. She felt deep sympathy for the young prince, who was always so polite and kind to everyone. She couldn't imagine what terrible things he had seen, or even how he must feel! She left her place by the fire and came to the table where her teacher and her visitor were sitting and drinking their tea. The young prince was slumped over and crouched down on the chair. She crept up from below, propped her front paws on the seat and pressed her muzzle comfortingly into his chest fur, which smelled of pine needles and cedar wood. As soon as Himlous felt the sudden touch, the miserable noises from his throat died away and a hot tingling sensation ran through him. Embarrassed, he flinched, immediately straightened up again and looked down for a moment, embarrassed, at the young cream-colored vixen who was looking up at him cheekily and who was so unusually close to him. The young prince felt the blood pounding in his ears and he quickly averted his eyes. Thasia giggled. "Little girl? What are you doing under the table?" the old priest wanted to know, there was a slight rebuke in his voice, as he was already familiar with his pupil's flippant behavior, which often did not suit a future priestess at all. But he loved the young vixen like his own daughter, so he let her get away with it every time. And she knew that. "Nothing at all, I'm just giving our prince some comfort," Thasia replied cheerfully, but took up a decent position next to the old priest again. Himlous was still deeply embarrassed, for it was the first time that a vixen who was not his sister or mother had come so close to him. To cover up his discomfort, he took another few sips of tea. This time they weren't too hot. "Anyway," he began again, "I was wondering how it could be that dogs were hunting through our forest. I mean, none of us have ever seen a dog! Not even our grandparents! And suddenly they appear again? Then my nurse said it might have something to do with the protection spell from the story and I wanted to ask if..." Himlou's voice broke off again. He felt silly asking if such an old story could possibly be true. After all, only puppies believed in such things. "You wonder if the story is true," Iamo finished his sentence and then grumbled, lost in thought. "Well, do YOU believe it's true?" the old priest wanted to know from the young prince, who twitched his ears slightly and lowered his eyes. "Of course the story is true! All stories from the lore are true!" Thasia intervened, but received a wipe across the muzzle with her tail in return. "Enough, you weren't asked. Himlous should answer the question."

"Me? I think it -" Himlous softened, his voice barely more than a whisper, "I don't know. I barely remember the tale, to be honest. Maybe it's true?" The old fox clicked his tongue, "So, you don't remember? Well, then it's time I jogged your memory, yes? And then you'll decide for yourself whether what I've told you is true or whether it's just puppy stories, agreed?" Himlous nodded devotedly, inwardly quite eager to hear the tale he was about to be told. The stories had always fascinated him. "Agreed."

"Well, as I'm sure you know, the kingdoms of the animals were founded about a hundred years ago. Before that time, humans ruled over this valley, hunting everything in sight. And of all the carnivores, the foxes were particularly threatened by them, as we weren't much of a threat to them like the lynx or even the wolves. Not only did people kill hares and mice, which are our food, en masse, but they also hunted foxes with a disgusting passion. They were only interested in the fun of killing, they didn't want to eat us. But they wanted the fine fur that we foxes have. The humans were crazy about it," Iamo began to say and Himlous automatically looked down at himself. He already had a very beautiful, shiny pelt, which the humans would certainly have loved to have back then. "Our ancestors were very close to extinction. Only a small group of 30 foxes remained. They hid here in the ruined city and back then it was really just rubble that offered little protection. They squeezed into the crevices, ducked into the shadows and hoped to escape the humans. But the hunters had accomplices: dogs. There was no hiding place in the world from these creatures. They always found their prey. Our ancestors were desperate, they didn't know how to help themselves. They wereabout to starve to death, but didn't dare leave their hiding places. Day and night they heard the barking of the dogs and the calls of the hunters, it never stopped. It was their firm goal to eradicate the foxes completely. Not only did they want the fur, they also thought that we foxes were evil. We would bring disease and steal their chickens." Iamo let out a hoarse laugh. "Although maybe the last one was true. What else could they eat?" The fire in the fireplace crackled, a log splintered into a mountain of embers. The old priest paused meaningfully and looked at the two younger ones, who were listening to his story with wide eyes and who didn't even know what true hunger felt like. He let them fidget for a moment before continuing. "In this general despair, the foxes made a decision. To save their species from extinction, to allow their children and grandchildren to live, they wanted to cast a spell, the most powerful spell the foxes knew. A protective spell that would extend over their entire forest. Nothing bad would happen to the foxes as long as they did not leave this circle. No humans, no dogs, no hunger, no disease. Only peace and happiness for all. But to make this magic possible, a high price had to be paid: The price was lives. Eight of them, to be precise. And although they all knew it had to be done, none of them wanted to die. Only Amene, a young mother, did not fear death. She and her partner Rimush went even further, making the biggest sacrifice of all, because they decided that their six puppies should die too." - "Exactly! That was Adonias, Philosir, Baldo, Jetzabel, Elissa and Vinera!" Thasia squeaked in between. Old Iamo nodded good-naturedly and continued with his story. "So while the young family spent their last day together, the other foxes piled up a huge pyre in the town square. And when darkness fell, the whole fox family was burned alive in the flames, while the kitsune, the magically gifted foxes, stood around and recited the magical formula. The ritual lasted a long three days. For three days, Amene and her family could not die in the flames and the kitsune had to speak their magic words continuously. And then, at the end of the third day, it was done. The victims were completely burnt to ashes, their screams died, and the kitsune collapsed, unconscious and half-dead. But the spell worked, albeit to a limited extent, for no magic lasts forever. Those who survived never left the forest and built the city as we know it today. And so it is to this day, 100 years later. All serve the kingdom, happy to be alive and safe, and so tell the story of Amene and her family from generation to generation to commemorate their heroic sacrifice that made them rise to godhood." The priest finished the story and a deep silence fell. Himlous stared at his now empty teacup and pondered. "I think the story is true," he then stated his opinion after much deliberation. Iamo had said that they had been burned to death in the town square. That could be true, because Himlous knew that the center of the square had been blackened since Fox's memory, the stones burnt and full of soot that could not be washed away by the rain. It was because of the sacrificial fire that the family had burned! The old priest smiled, revealing his yellow-stained teeth again "Well, then you have the answer to your question, my son, don't you?" he asked graciously, with deep satisfaction in his voice. Iamo liked to lead the younger ones on the right path and teach them the old values again. After all, the best way to learn was from the past. "Yes, father, thank you very much." Himlous bowed his head respectfully, then jumped from his chair and made to leave. "Wait, don't you want to stay with us for the night? It's already very dark outside!" Thasia called after him. She was still standing properly next to her teacher and looked at the young prince expectantly. It wasn't often that someone her age got lost here, someone you could have fun with and talk to normally. But Himlous had no desire to stay in the old, gloomy walls. Just as he had no desire to go home now. He needed fresh air, he needed to think. "No, but thank you! I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight anyway. Good night, you two," he declined the offer and then left the back room and the temple in general. Once outside, he stopped again and took a deep breath of the cool night air. It was a beautiful summer night. The air smelled sweet and was filled with the chirping of crickets, fireflies danced above the now closed flowers. He could think better out here, he was sure of it. And so Himlous kept putting one step in front of the other, always following one of the narrow and winding paths, while he lost himself in his own thoughts.

The hero and the goddess

Well, if the story was true, which it obviously was, then there had indeed been a protective spell. One that had now expired. That was why the dogs had come. So now Himlous knew why, but he wasn't really satisfied. If evil could befall their kingdom at any time now, then it was only a matter of time before the humans and dogs came after them again, wasn't it? And who knows, maybe the lynxes would no longer abide by the peace treaty? In the worst case scenario, the wolves would even come over to them from the other side of the river! If they did nothing, the foxes would soon be on the brink of extinction again and their kingdom would be in ruins! "No, that can't happen. It can't happen, someone has to stop it! If only Hexnas were here, he would know what to do. Do what? Father doesn't even believe the danger we're in." The young fox muttered excitedly to himself and quickened his leisurely steps to a brisk trot. He passed through an avenue and was now at the large lake, which shimmered like a disc of silver in the moonlight.