A Fox's Love - 8. Kriasnel

It took almost five centuries before Daniel could bring himself to travel again. This was his doom, to see those he loved perish. Maybe it wasn’t worth searching for Ryan. The fox would waste away before his very eyes.

Daniel turned his mind to a different matter. David Enterai. Maybe he was Daniel’s great grandfather. Maybe not. But Daniel could find out, though it wouldn’t be easy. There were options open to him now. He had already tracked down his ancestry to a Welsh dragon who fought in WW1, but the trail seemed to end there.

The dragon returned to his own time and space, arriving near Furville in America. David would be no help; even now he was still mourning his tiger. But he had a brother, and Daniel set his mind to tracking down this Zenoan Enterai.

He walked toward Ryan’s old apartment, still unfamiliar with the town. He found the building torn down and sighed. There were no answers here.

As the dragon walked through town, trying to remember where the nightclub had been, he felt a presence he hadn’t felt in millennia.

“Moon….”

The black dragon’s feet pointed toward the kitsune’s energy, and he took a few steps forward.

“No, I can’t,” he muttered.

He would talk to Acheron while he was here, but that was the closest he could permit himself to get to his daughter.

Turning around, Daniel walked toward a hill, climbing until he reached his target, a small mansion. Closing his eyes, Daniel took a breath, before approaching the building.

The dragon rang the doorbell and waited for a minute. The entrance was opened by a brown wolf, who stared at him blankly.

“Can I help you?” the wolf asked.

“Do the Rabbits still live here?”

“Yes. Who’s asking?”

“Daniel… Thethar.”

Yeah, that was it. That was his old name…

“Jake? Who is it- oh, hey Daniel.”

A hyena appeared beside the wolf, smiling at the dragon.

“Hey Aedan, is Cog or Boom home?” Daniel asked.

“Yeah. Cog’s not feeling too well today, but I can get Boom for you.”

“Thank you,” Daniel smiled at the hyena.

“Come on in. Don’t mind the mess, we’re in the middle of spring cleaning. You know how Cog gets when his books aren’t dusted properly,” Aedan chuckled.

Daniel walked behind the two as Aedan led him through the entrance hall.

“I don’t know if you heard, but Jake and I got married last year.”

“No, I hadn’t. Congratulations you two,” Daniel smiled. “Young love is always nice to see.”

“Are you seeing anyone lately?” Aedan asked.

Daniel looked down at his feet.

“I was, but… it didn’t end well.”

“I’m sorry.”

Aedan and Daniel sat on a couch in the parlour as Jake went to find Boom.

“So, what brings you across the Atlantic?”

“Family,” Daniel shrugged.

“It’s a family visit this time?” Boom asked, walking into the room.

Daniel stood up again and crossed the room, embracing the dog.

“Long time no see,” Boom smiled.

“Yeah, I’m sorry I’m not here more,” Daniel apologised.

“We all have our lives to live. And I don’t doubt this town holds some uncomfortable memories for you.”

“How’s Cog? Aedan said he wasn’t feeling well.”

“It’s just a cold. He’ll be better by tomorrow. Can I get you anything?”

“No, I don’t plan on staying very long. Is Acheron still in town?”

“Always,” Boom replied. “He follows Moon like a shadow.”

“I’m sure he does,” Daniel smiled. “I’m looking for David’s brother.”

“Zenoan? The last time I saw him was at our wedding,” Boom said.

“Abbie says he lives in a cave outside of town,” Aedan added. “I thought dragons could sense each other.”

“Yeah, but Moon and Hikaru are blocking me. Not intentionally I’m sure. Besides, there are ways to hide if you want to. Thanks you two.”

Daniel turned to leave.

“You know you’re welcome here whenever right?” Boom said.”

“Yeah. Give Cog my best,” Daniel replied.

He hugged Boom again, and bumped Aedan’s fist, before leaving the house. Daniel needed to track down a fox.

“So you two actually own this place now?”

“Yeah. Pip bought it from the previous owners in 2019. If you would actually move here, instead of hiding on the other side of an ocean, you’d know that,” Faelan prodded.

The winged fox stood up as a deer entered the restaurant. She seated the buck and returned to Daniel.

“So, what do you want? You never make the trip without a reason. The last time we saw you, you were stalking Ryan’s place. We haven’t heard anything about him, so why return now?”

“I’m doing some research into my genealogy.”

“David already told you you’re not related to him. Do you think he time travelled and got laid or something?” Faelan smirked.

“No, but I do think he lied. Or maybe he didn’t know. Mothers have hidden children before,” Daniel shrugged.

A bell chimed in the kitchen, and Faelan stood up again.

“Take my advice,” she said. “Leave David alone. He’s in a fragile spot right now.”

“It’s not David I’m looking to talk to. It’s Zenoan.”

Faelan shrugged.

“Good luck,” she said, walking to the kitchen.

Daniel paid for his meal, and walked to the door, holding it open for a rabbit. His hunger sated, the dragon continued his search.

“Daniel?”

The dragon turned, spotting Acheron approaching from around a corner.

“Hey, Acheron. Long time no see,” Daniel smiled as the black cat drew near.

“Yeah. I thought I felt you nearby. I… um, I have a problem I need your help with.”

The cat’s tone unsettled Daniel. He had never known Acheron to really need his help.

“Are you okay? Is Moon okay?” he demanded.

“She’s fine,” Acheron smiled slightly. “You can put away your papa dragon. She isn’t involved in this. Can you meet me outside the club tonight?”

“I will. By any chance, do you know Zenoan Enterai?”

“Only by reputation. Are you looking for him?”

“Yeah.”

“Try the forest outside town. I’ve heard he lives in a cave near there.”

“Thanks,” Daniel smiled. “Moon’s grown in power, and her energy…”

“Yeah, she’s a remarkable woman,” Acheron agreed. “I’ll see you at seven?”

“I’ll be there. Thanks for the tip.”

Daniel flew low over the trees, getting a clearing picture of the area now that he was out of town. He could actually sense Zenoan now, like a nagging tickle in his head, and he knew the dragon could feel him too.

Landing in a clearing, the black dragon searched for the entrance of the cave, digging through the brush at the edge of the clearing. He heard someone approach, and turned, right before a purple and black blur knocked him to the ground.

“Who are you?” the creature snarled, teeth inches from the dragon’s throat.

“No one to be scared of,” Daniel replied evenly. “I’m looking for Zenoan Enterai. I need to talk to him.”

“He doesn’t want to talk to you.”

“I beg to differ. Clarisse, get off him please,” a man’s voice called.

Clarisse spat on the ground right next to Daniel and stood up.

Rolling to his feet, Daniel saw a red dragon standing in the brush he had just been searching.

“Hello Daniel,” the dragon said, looking him over.

“You know me?”

“I know a lot about you, Mystara. I am no threat, though I can’t say if I can help you at all. There are things I know that you cannot know until a later date, a later you. Nonetheless, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

Daniel’s head spun. This was so weird, speaking to someone who seemed to know more about himself than he did.

“Why don’t you come inside? I’ll try to find something Clarisse hasn’t poisoned.”

Nodding, Daniel cautiously followed Zenoan through the brush, vanishing into the mouth of a cave.

Zenoan handed Daniel a cup of tea, sitting in a circular room.

“So,” he said, sipping at his own cup, “what brings you here?”

“I think David might be my great grandfather,” Daniel started. “I talked to him about it some time ago and he denied it flat out, but I think there might be more to the story.”

“Mm, there is,” Zenoan said. “A lot of which you need to learn on your own, however I can tell you that David did have a son, a blue dragon with a black scale on his lower back. I took him to England at the request of David’s wife. She feared having a child would drive him into a depression because he wasn’t certain how long he would live for. I’m sure you have realized dragons have long lives?”

“Yes, I have experienced that myself,” Daniel smiled ruefully.

“I don’t know if he was related to you, but I know how you can find out if you really want to know. I was born in 1831, and David was born a year later. You could follow our early days until David gets with Claire. I can’t say whether or not it will help, but it’s worth a try.”

“Okay,” Daniel set his tea down. “You know way too much about me. How?”

“If I told you how, you would know the future. I’m pretty sure you don’t want that to happen because it will make things very messy.”

Daniel sighed.

“Fine.”

“Look, I want to help you Daniel. And I’m trying to, as best as I can. I’m in a tough spot here. I’ve done my own research, and I know that you can travel through space and time. I’ve learned blood magic while learning about you. You have helped me through much of my life, and you don’t even realize it. I want to pay that back, but I don’t want to ruin everything by saying too much.”

“I get it Zenoan. Don’t worry about it,” Daniel said. “Thank you for what you could tell me.”

They stood up and Zenoan led the black dragon out of his home.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help more,” Zenoan apologized.

“You helped a lot actually. I just need to figure out how.”

Daniel studied the red dragon.

“Everyone has told me you’re hard to talk to, but you seem very friendly.”

Zenoan shrugged.

“Maybe you’re just a special case,” he said.

Zenoan returned to his cave, leaving Daniel alone. With a sigh, the dragon began the flight back to town.

He waited for a few hours at the library, researching German culture in the 1800s until the building closed for the night. From there, Daniel made his way to the club, quickly finding Acheron standing beside a honey furred bear.

“This is Attie,” Acheron introduced him. “Attie, this is my friend Daniel.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you sir,” the bear said quietly.

“And you as well. What can I help you with Acheron?” Daniel asked.

“I want to take Attie to the other realm.”

“No.”

“Please Daniel. Zi avor kriasnel.”

“And taking him to the other dimension wouldn’t change that. He’d be stuck there.”

“We weren’t stuck there.”

The cat grabbed Daniel’s arm.

“Daniel, look into my eyes and tell me that if you found Ryan today you wouldn’t take him to the other world with you. Home with you.”

“And you would leave my daughter, just like that?”

“No. We would come back together, both knowing we have eternity to spend with each other.”

“You want me to make him immortal…”

Daniel sighed.

“Acheron, neither of us know how we became immortal. What if what we try kills him?”

“Sir, I’m willing to take that risk. Ash bringing me here was the best thing to ever happen to me, and I don’t want to see him hurt. If I die trying to become immortal, we will know we weren’t meant to be together,” Attie spoke up.

“I don’t like this,” Daniel growled.

“Please Daniel. As a favour to the one who was with you for all those years.”

Acheron’s eyes soften as he took on a pouty face.

“Fine,” Daniel grumbled. “Just stop looking at me like that.”

They stood together on a hill outside of town, Daniel studying the bear.

“We were there before time. That’s the only thing we share,” Acheron said quietly. “You said Ryan was there too, and I swear I could feel someone else. Maybe it was Attie.”

“Acheron, if you’re wrong about this… The exposure alone could drive him insane. Are you sure about this?”

“I am sure Daniel. I will take full responsibility for what happens here tonight.”

Taking a deep breath, Daniel closed his eyes, thinking. If he was going to do this, he wanted it to be in a spot out of the way. The plains near Argoth would work.

“Oenel,” he breathed, pouring energy into his thought.

A bright blue light swirled in front of him, and he heard the bear gasp. Opening his eyes, Daniel frowned. It was wrong. Why was it blue?

“It’s the current time…” Acheron said, looking at the portal.

Sighing, Daniel ended the spell.

“I was hoping to send him to the Plains of Argoth. It’s quiet there-”

“But they didn’t exist until you planted the tree,” the cat added.

“Oh.”

Daniel focused again, this time just thinking of the other realm, the other dimension.

“Oenel delan tieln.”

The portal that appeared now was dark, draining the meagre light around them. Daniel smiled with satisfaction, He had done it.

“Ash, I don’t know about this…” Attie said.

“It’s okay. I’ll be right here, holding your hand.”

“Make it fast you two,” Daniel said, feeling his energy wane.

Attie stepped up to the portal, and stared into the black depths.

“”Take the step,” Acheron whispered, taking the bear’s hand.

Closing his eyes, Attie took a deep breath and walked forward. He vanished into the shadow, and Acheron looked at Daniel.

“How long will it take?”

“I have no idea,” Daniel shrugged. “Who can say how long we were there, how long I chased Ryan?”

Acheron counted under his breath. When he reached ten, he tugged on Attie’s arm, and the bear tumbled back through the portal.

“Deculo,” Daniel said, sealing the rift.

Acheron knelt beside the bear, who curled up in the fetal position, tears streaming down his face.

“You’re ok,” the cat whispered. “You’re okay Attie.”

Daniel watched the two, seeing how the cat cradled the bear in his arms. Attie seemed a bear out of time, but it was easy to see how much he cared for Acheron.

“I’m leaving Acheron,” Daniel spoke finally. “Take care of your friend and my daughter.”

“Don’t I always? Thanks for your help.”

The dragon nodded and created another portal, one that would carry him to Germany. He had questions he needed answered.