"Mia! Mia. Are you alright?" Lin asked, very concerned as he put on a pile of hay.
Mia opened her eyes. She stared blankly at him for a while and then began hitting him with both hands. He didn't move. He silently took all her blows. She went on hitting until she broke down in his arms and began crying, pathetically.
"Where were you, Lin? Where have you gone?" Then she suddenly shoved him aside and asked suspiciously, "Tell me honestly. Are you really from the Wolf Clan?"
"Mia. It shouldn't have mattered which Clan I was from. Neither you nor was aware that you weren't a human. We both thought you were a mortal, but it turns out you were from amongst the wolves after all," Lin tried to explain.
Mia stared at the tall, handsome figure in front of her. His hair flowed like flowers in the spring breeze, and his smile danced like the mountain river. He was perfection personified.
"But why? Why did you lie to me? You aren't from the wolves. You are not. The curse wouldn't have evoked otherwise. Why did you lie, Lin? Why? What are we going to do now? There is nowhere to run." Mia was beating her hands against his chest once more, then she went down in distress on her knee.
"I have my reasons, Mia. My missions. I had thought we would have a lifetime together where we could discuss all that. I thought it didn't matter whether I even was an immortal, for you." Lin looked at her with questioning eyes.
"It didn't. It still doesn't. But look at what it has gotten us into. Lin, you have no idea what happened to me these past few days. These eyes have seen horrors; I shake even to mention it to you." Mia was dead serious at this point.
"I know Mia. I am so sorry you had to go through all this alone because of me. Trust me, Mia, if I had even the slightest knowledge about your father, I would never have come near you, even though it would have tormented me for eternity. I am really sorry," He said as he looked down at Mia's baby bump. Mia instantly caressed it with both hands and replied.
"Never. I will never be sorry for my baby. Nor am I sorry for our love." She stood up, facing him. "What I am sorry about is the turmoil the baby will have to face because of us. The blood that rushes through our veins. Our forefathers. For no sin of ours, we have been cursed forever." She sighed heavily. "Whatever are we going to do now, Lin?""
"I wish I knew that answer," Lin replied helplessly, "but I promise Mia I won't give up that easily. I will fight fate if I have to, but I will fight till my last breath." Lin held both her hands in his and kissed her. "For now, I will take you to the sacred sea. There is a ridge between the living and the dead. You will be safe for the time being. I will seal your aura, too. Take this." He gave her a blue scarf. "Never take it off. You have your foxtail ring on, right?" He flipped her hands and checked, "Good. Good. Never take it off. This way, I will find you no matter where you are.
"But Lin, where will you be going?" Mia felt lonely once again.
"To find an antidote for this curse. I will visit the Ancient Tree of knowledge. We hardly know much about this curse. Everyone is too afraid to even talk about it. But we need to learn more about the enemy we are fighting. Only then can we have a fair chance."
"But Lin. We might not have much time left. Nobody ever heard about anything that could undo the curse. That is why it is so feared in all realms. I don't want you to waste our last few days wandering here and there for something that might not exist." Mia was disheartened. That was clear.
"Mia. There are many things that seem different, but as you dig deep, something else emerges altogether. Everybody remembers what the curse was centuries ago, but why, where, or even what it was all about, no one knows, and nobody cares. Even I was indifferent to it. But now it's personal. Mia, trust me, you too must not give up. Where there is a will, there will surely be a way. For our family and our baby, we must not give up. You understand?" Lin held up her chin as Mia nodded, agreeing eagerly. Tears of happiness were rolling down her cheeks. She had given up all hopes, but this slight flicker in the dark made her smile again.
******
At the foxes' headquarters
As Lin came out of the Hall after the meeting his father had held, he let out a deep sigh. He was the seventh Son of the Fox King. After sealing Mia on the ridge, he had come home to pack some essentials for his travel to the Tree of Knowledge, but his father had called him and his brothers for this urgent meeting.
"Where is brother Lin?" asked a sleek young fox as he rolled right at his feet.
Busho, where are you again? If you so badly want to be a stray fox, I can leave you in the human realm. There are plenty of them."Lin joked.
"No. No, no. I just like to mimic your elegance and grace. I am just a humble bird, you see; if you had not rescued me back then, those wolves would have torn me to pieces." The fox turned into a parrot and then into a handsome young man.
"Ah.don't mention" Lin tried to drive him away and go off to his destination, but he would not budge.
"Why can't I come along?" He asked.
"Because the road is too dangerous," Lin replied.
"If only I had been a fox, you would not have said that," Boshu blackmailed him. "Where is this dangerous place you are going to, anyway?"
"I will be going to the Tree of Knowledge to learn more about this curse that has everyone worrying," Lin half-lied. Then he halfheartedly agreed to take Boshu along, saying, "Ok. Come along. But I will not be responsible for you."
"I will. I will be responsible for myself." He clapped and chirped happily.
Before leaving, Lin went to meet a very old lady, almost on her deathbed.
"Lin. You have come. What news do you bring? Did you find the pendant? ," She asked as she stood up eagerly.
" Nana. Don't stress. I haven't found it yet. Something big came up. The curse has been evoked. Things have become very complicated. I will not be able to disguise myself among the wolves for the time being. But as I promised, I will bring back that pendant for you. I will." He patted the lady's head lovingly as he lowered her down to lie down.
"Ah.ok. Take your time. Be cautious."She patted his hand and said, "Ahh.Tell me about your beautiful wife, then. How is she? I haven't seen you much since you got married," she urged as she smiled.
"Ssshhhhh! Nana. Slower. You know you can't tell anyone about my marriage. You are the only one in this palace that even knows about it." He looked up to check if anyone was nearby. "She is fine now. These last few days have been rough. Pray for us, Nana, won't you?"
"Of course I will. Everything will be alright. Why has it been rough, Lin?" she asked.
"I can't tell you now. Even I need some answers. I will tell you the next time I come to visit. Alright? "He winked at her.
"Ok. If you say so," she replied, and then suddenly her eyes changed. She held Lin's hand in an iron-tight grip as she levitated. Nana's eyes are totally black, with just a red spot. Her hair had turned red, too. Her body changed into a canine-like silhouette, and then her head started twisting at an unusual angle, and she started talking in a completely distinct voice. It was more like a chorus. It said.
"The clenching of the chest doesn't stop. Neither does the coiling of the blood. The veins seem to be rupturing with force, with no ailment known. The sickness of the being is difficult to fathom; it has left behind its roots in another kingdom. How the song ends and how the story goes is anybody's guess because nobody knows. The howling might stop, the stars might shine once more, and the game of waiting will pass in labor. The question you ask and the truth you seek might leave you startled and unable to speak. Look carefully; look inside to cope when home seems like a distant hope."
Then suddenly the colors went away, and the lady's limp body fell right on the bed with a thump.
"Nana. Nana. Are you alright? Nana. What happened? Nana. Somebody help. Help!" Lin yelled, almost terrified by what he had witnessed.
The maids ran in, and somebody ran to fetch the doctor. The news spread, and other members of the family rushed in too. The doctors checked her up and said, "She seems to be ok. She is just sleeping. A very deep sleep indeed. What had exactly happened? Who was with her?"
"I was with her." Lin came forward and explained what had happened.
"It's the oracle. It hadn't happened to her in ages. What exactly did she say? " asked an elderly aunt, very concerned.
"I don't remember clearly, but something like" And Lin told them a portion of what he had heard. The moment he heard the oracle, he knew there were secrets hidden in the message. He cautiously chose to hide most of it, only revealing a portion to the audience.
People listened with great attention. Lin got assured by the doctor that his Nana would be alright, but she might sleep in for some days or maybe years. That would totally depend on her, and the doctor could do nothing about it. After this, he left immediately, without wasting any more time. Now he had some verses that might give a sneak peek into the future. And if you knew about the future, you might be able to change it. This increased his hope and courage. "Hold on, Mia. I will get us out of here," He murmured as he flew past over the ridge towards his destination, the tree of knowledge, with Busho in tow.