The Stone

The White Fox Illusion

The chasm was dark in places, even though the sun was high in the sky. They had all decided to ride close together until they reached the rebel camp to make sure a safe passage through.

They were more than half way into it when GoGo hears a sound coming from behind them.

"Click, click, snap!" It went.

"Did you hear that?" She asks everyone.

"I didn't hear anything." Kit says, and everyone else shrugs or shakes their head.

They carry on and Gogo brushes it off, maybe she was just tired from the heat, she takes a long sip of water from her canteen and swallows.

"Click, click, SNAP!" It sounds again but this time much closer.

Startled by the sound she jerks on her horse and scans the chasm once more. Something was out there, she knew it, she could feel it lurking in the shadows. Gogo always had heightened senses, a knack for hunting. She was trained by her Master to utilize her skills in every way she could.

She was raised in the clans of Penumbra, a large settlement of peaceful and kind people. They lived simple lives without magic and war. Without kings and queens. Their only leader was the master and founder of Penumbra, Master Kai. He taught them everything, how to hunt more efficiently, how to fight and defend themselves. He taught them discipline and focus, how to be peaceful and kind. Gogo had grown up in a world that only existed to them and never knew of the outside world until her own was taken from her.

At the age of ten, Gogo awoke one morning to the sound of crackling fire and the smell of burning flesh. She rushed out of her hut to find her jungle set aflame and her clan defending themselves against foreigners in shining armor escorting wizards and mages. War had spilled into Penumbra and her clan, knowing nothing of magic and battle, they didn't stand a chance. She lost everything that day, swearing she would seek revenge for what those people had done to her clan.

Five years later she was found wandering the countryside of Ashura, by Kit himself. He took her in, cleaned her up, and trained her the best he could. She was like a sister to him, and he was her brother, the only family she had in this world. She would go everywhere with him and vice versa.

Now at age twenty two she is one of Ashura's greatest warriors and hunters. She stands proudly behind that.

"Click, click, click, snap!" It sounds but this time coming from her right.

"Did you hear it now?!" Gogo shouts.

Kit nods.
"Yeah I heard it that time. What the hell is it?"

Gogo looks to her right scanning the ground for movement. Then something white catches her eye above them on a ledge halfway up the chasm wall. She stares at the figure trying to focus on what it is. White tufts of soft hair, pointy ears, a pointy snout, and red eyes.....

"DON'T LOOK AT IT GOGO!" Jed shouts.

Gogo shields her eyes with her hands, but it was too late she had already peered into the white fox's illusion and try as she might, she could not tear her eyes from it and the world around her begins to swirl upon itself.

Twisting and turning, she feels dizzy and disoriented, not knowing which way to look. But as her vision settles she finds herself alone in the chasm with no horse. Ahead of her is a beautiful creature a flocculent snow colored fox. It yips at her tilting its head in curiosity. It looked so soft she couldn't resist the urge to touch it.

"Come here." She calls reaching a hand out.

But the fox only yips and bounds playfully.

Gogo takes a few steps towards the fox, but it disappears only to reappear a further distance ahead. She could not reach the fox no matter how hard she tried. It was strange, yet she kept trying, but something in the back of her mind was telling her to stop, pleading for her to come back.