Kitsune : A Tail of Two Bloods

Kurou woke up as he always did. In his room, in his warm wooden home. Heated by the coals of the past night's cooking fire.

The burning sensation from where Kurou's mother made her mark was gone and was replaced with a cold, chilling sensation. This feeling rattled Kurou to the bone and it wouldn't go away. Kurou tried sticking his head in hot water but the mark and the feeling wouldn't go away.

"What did you mark me with? I get that its a charm or something but what Is the mark made out of?" Kurou had confronted his mother in the same back room, now with no pools of red liquid everywhere. It was as if they were never there.

"The mark i bore on your head is of you father's blood Kurou, i saved his blood right before he passed on." In any other circumstance, Kurou would have found this very strange and disgusting but usually, when one of the two married Kitsune dies, the other saves a vial of their blood so they and their children could always remember them.

"But, uh, isn't his blood supposed to be, uh, sacred and never to be used for anything?"

"Normally, yes. But dark clouds are forming around our forest Kurou, and i believe you will be the answer." Kurou felt that what she said was alot of weight to put on a twelve winter old kit, but he felt prideful that his mother had so much faith in him. Although he couldn't stop himself from thinking of literal dark clouds surrounding the large forest as if attempting to invade.

Before Kurou's mother returned to her Leader duties, she sent him to go to the Blade Smith to attend his class on swordsfoxship. It didn't take Kurou long to make it to the old blade smith's hut. While he was approaching the door, Kurou could hear the clashing of steel from the area behind the hut. Instead of knocking on the door, he went around the hut into the back area.

"Ah! Kurou! Nice timing, we just started!" Said the golden furred Blade Smith. Kurou hasn't liked the old blade smith very much, he looked so similar to the golden fox in his nightmares. Kurou has always wondered why the blade smith wasn't the leader of his tribe, being the sword master of all things... But Kurou was happy how things were.

"Now." The blade smith started. "Remember to always clean your blade and sharpen them! Blood can rust and cause your blade's iron harm and a dull blade is like using a stick to slice through a tree!" Kurou felt very bored, but he usually never was... He felt as if heKnew all this material and that he's heard this so many times.

"Everyone choose a sparing partner!" The blade smith said without quite noticing there were only three kits in front of him. "Err.. um... OK! we'll do a a Truel! Every Kitsune for them self!

The three kits took their position in the wide open area. Each looking at each other like they wanted to rid their heart out. Staring each other down for minutes, waiting for the truel to start.

"Go!" Kurou watched as one of the other kit's leg mussels extended and then contracted as they entered a full two legged sprint towards him. Kurou couldn't believe how he felt, he felt calm as if he was Counting on this curtain kit to make their first move on him. He watched the kit get closer and closer until it was less then five meters away.

When the kit was less then a meter away, it leaped at Kurou. Kurou saw the world almost in slow motion, as if his Kitsune instincts were kicking in, overriding his will. He ducked to dodge the aerial attack and made a long cut on the length of the attacking kit's leg. One down, One to go! Kurou thought, celebrating his victory over the kit.

The other kit looked at Kurou with fear in its eyes as it had watched Kurou defeat the other kit with ease. The kit had no choice but to wait for Kurou to attack them first. Realizing this, Kurou did just that, he attack straight on.

Running at the other Kit was the best feeling. He felt as if he were running in a open field with flowers all around him. But he had blood to draw.

When he finally got to the other kit, it was ready for him. Both their blades met in a very loud Clashing noise. Both kits kept making small cuts on each other but Kurou was able to trip the other kit, thus assuring his victory.

"Well done Kurou! You really are your mother's son." The blade smith said, congratulating Kurou.

Kurou left the class to return home. He had new found abilities he'd never had before, he felt as if the mark had something to do with it...