Enna Is a Land God- Book:2

A Friend... Maybe?

The fox sighed, getting to her feet. Stumbled back a couple steps but made sure not to raise my dagger. The fox had been pretty calm and non-violent (towards me at least.) so far and I really did not want to antagonize her. "Very well, I believe you. So, why are you here in the Dark then? Land god or not, you do not seem... hardy enough, to last long in such an unforgiving place."

Nice... even the random monsters I encountered could tell I was a weakling, unable to protect myself from a stiff wind. How encouraging.

"I am not in here on purpose!" I said, annoyed. "those tree monster dragged me here. I was evacuating the kobold village just outside the Dark and passed over the border before leaving to get a better reading on the place. It figures I'd get kidnapped after being in here for thirty seconds..."

"Hmm." She said. "Well, they were not monsters, just minions. Magical constructs used by a master to do its bidding. A power has been rising, here in the Dark, for quite some time now. But it has been very active as of recently."

"And you are mad about that...?"I asked, eyeing the remnants of the 'minions' left at the foxes rather adorable but deadly feet.

The fox followed my gaze before looking back at me. "No, I did not care what another creature was doing. Not for the longest time, at least. But this being went and did something I can not forgive, and has made an enemy of me. Now it will pay."

Her voice was rather dangerous, and I did not want to aggravate her, but my curiosity won over the fear. "What happened? Is there a way I can help?" I added, after all- intentional or not- she had saved me, so it was only right that I help her out as well. Especially since I suspected that the being she was referring to was likely the Specter as it was the only thing that had stood out when I was doing my little scan earlier. There were other powers- no doubt this fox included among them- but the Specter was the only one openly aggressive. Or even active for that matter. It was hard to explain how I knew, but I could tell that most of the truly powerful beings located in the Dark were more or less at rest. Too ancient and tired to bother with mundane things.

"Help?" She asked, eyeing skeptically once again. I tried not to be too offended. I knew I looked weak, and I was compared to other gods, no doubt. But I had learned that, if I needed the power, I could pull on if from my people and the land. I liked to think that the energies I had were invested in other things, and that i could call in those investments when necessary. I felt they were good investments.

"I think it is you who may need my help... but I do not mind telling you the reason for my ire. It is good, talking to people. When you go long stretches with out it you realize the true value of other, intelligent, interactions..." She sighed once again, seemingly arranging her thoughts. "About two months ago, I was out hunting. Not unusual, but I had not been safe as I should have been... I had left others back at my den. Young ones that I had been minding for but a few weeks... The being sent out its minions and they found the little ones while I was out. They were but small half-lings and unable to protect themselves. When I returned they were nothing but dried out corpses. No one takes what is mine to protect and think they can just get away with it." The last sentence was a savage growl that had the hairs on my arms stand on end. But I could hear the grief below the anger and felt bad for the fox.

"I'm sorry... I am afraid that I don't know what a halfling is, but I know of the being you speak of, and have seen what it does myself, back at the kobold village. Its why I was evacuating them. They call the creature the Specter, and it has been stealing people in the night. Actually taking them away or just draining them as you described."

"Halflings are people who are part human and part demi-human or have a mixed demi-human lineage." She said, offhandedly, still a little lost in thought. She shook her head, ears flopping. "This Specter does sound like the enemy I seek. Are you hunting it as well?"

"No." I said. "At least that had not been my intention right away. When I got home I had planed to assemble a goodly number of hobgoblins and goblane, and probably a few foxie and foxmen added to the mix, then return here to see what could be done about the Specter. I do not want it anywhere in my lands, attacking my people."

At that the fox looked at me strangely. "You seem to care more about the lives of monsters than most would. Even other monsters."

I blinked in surprise. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I just want them to feel safe in their own homes. Aeros may have dropped the ball on being a good land god, but I want to do the best I can with the job I was given here!" I huffed. It may be a hopeless and fanciful wish, but it was the one I had all the same.

"Aeros was an arrogant and self involved beast, but he was not a bad land god, over all. Save the last couple centuries that is. Most land gods are arrogant and self involved, directing nothing but the bare minimum of power back into the lands that they govern, and almost none into the people who live on it- save a few favored beings that is. And dragon's have double those traits, which is why they often become land gods in this world. So long as your lands live and thrive, you are considered a good land god."

Now I was the one to look at the fox strangely. "I don't understand."

"I am saying that it is you who is the strange one, human land god. But, I am a guardian, and there for can understand your sentiment. Even if it is a strange point of view for a land god, or even a human for that matter."

Well, I could safely say that I had never thought of it that way. It explained the raised eyebrows I got often enough when I first got here I guess. And still got from time to time for that matter. Still, I had no plans on changing my point of view, and it had been working for me so far. And it made me happy to see the monsters happy damn it!

But instead of saying all that I said "I'm Enna, what's your name? Also, is Guardian your race?"

The fox actually chuckled at that, getting to her feet and shaking out her fur, dislodging a few leaves that had drifted down during out strange little talk. "Kishi is my name. And yes, I am a guardian, a rare evolutionary form from the fennik line." She looked over her shoulder, looking at what I do not know, but when she turned back my way she looked determined. "I an very determined to take my revenge, but can put it on hold long enough to try and see you safely back to your friends. I rather doubt you will find your way back on your own given the nature of the Dark, and the fact that this 'Specter' can manipulate a fog that confuses the senses."

"Really?" I asked, shocked. I had not expected any help. In fact I had been the one offering aid in the first place. But I was all for getting back to Lagdon and the others and calling in reinforcements first. The more I heard about this Specter the more I felt that he was more of a problem than i could have thought.

"Yes, really. I am interested to see the world it is you wish to create here. and that would be pretty hard to do if the Specter kills you and steals your status as land god before you could even make any real head way on it after all."

Well, that was a morbid and utterly terrifying thought. Was that the plan of this monster? To kill me and become the land god himself? I suppose it was possible, but I was under the impression that killing me- no doubt easier than with most gods- was a pretty difficult thing to accomplish for just any old being. How strong was the Specter, exactly?