"Well, you just gave yourself away, fox. You were the one setting those silly little traps. Thought that'd put some distance between us?" Piam readjusted her grip upon her bow, pulling the knocked arrow back a little further. It was all too obvious that the bow made the foxgirl nervous, those intense, ruby-red eyes continually glancing in her direction. Or, more appropriately, at the tip of the arrow, as if waiting for the second it would be loosed.

Again, Malura took over the conversation, though she very much expected she already knew the answer. This fox was not just some dumb animal that had happened into their city. No, she was smart, could speak, could set traps...

If she was the one, they'd have to put her down...and it was quite obvious she was "It's simple, fox. You were the one who...ate..." It took near-herculean effort to fight down the shudder that threatened to course it's way up her spine. The thought...was a terrible one. In her mind's eye, Malura could just see the terrified look on one of her elvish cousin's faces when the foxgirl opened her mouth, started to fit her between her lips, past those sharp, pointed teeth...

Ugh - now was not the time for such thoughts. She had to focus "...Ylvonda, hrm? Our sentry. No less than three others went missing, and time and again it was said that a silver-colored tail was seen disappearing into the forest. Not exactly every day you see a white-haired fox out and about. Makes you stand out a bit." The fox's smug little expression never changed, never altered. Admittedly, she was a little intimidating - she stood well above the normal height of a full-grown human, and though she didn't look especially strong, most of the beast-people tended to have alot more physical strength and dexterity than their physiques immediately showed.

Malura was quite glad she'd brought backup.

"You have two options." Malura continued, leveling her sword at the foxgirl. Not that it would be needed - Paim was a rather amazing shot. The second she had to loose that arrow, the odds of it sinking into the fox's heart or somewhere else equally as vital was high. Whatever happened, the kitsune was likely dead...it was just a matter of if it would be here, or back in the city "Option one. We kill you right here. Option two, we take you back and perform a full investigation. We have ways of finding out if you're guilty or not. If you're not, you walk free. If you are, you'll be painlessly put down within the city walls. That is as good an offer as you're going to get."

I did make Malura a little sad - the foxgirl was an exquisite specimen, so pretty and well-formed and exotic looking, with hair and fur that shone like liquid platnium. Maybe she'd get lucky and it wasn't this fox. Classic case of wrong place, wrong time.

Whatever minor hope she'd held on to faded when the fox opened her mouth.

************************************************************

Good. The elves thought that had her - exactly what she needed. The bow-user was tense and at the ready, but the somewhat more relaxed positioning of the other two elves was nothing short of delightful. It meant they expected the bow-elf to kill her in a single shot, or at least put her down. It meant they didn't think their weapons would be needed. It was exactly what she needed.

Swiveling her ears forwards, Ryla curiously listened to the ultimatum "Two options? That's no fun. Uuuuum, Ylvonda...name doesn't ring a bell. " Really, it didn't. She didn't exactly ask most of her food it's name before she ate it, and trying to converse with one of the elves when just about ALL of them had bows was...well, not too terribly smart. "Let's see...was that elf in Demavond I ate...No, she wasn't named Ylvonda." Hand uplifted, Ryla casually counted off the elf on one of her fingers "...Was that one in Two Rivers...Pretty sure SHE wasn't named Ylvonda..." Another finger curled "Mm, and there were a few I snagged out of your little town. Delicious...so soft and just the right size for a good snack. Course, takes more for a good meal."

Eyes once more alighting upon the elves, Ryla took in their expressions once more. Determined. Sour. Dedicated to their path. Yeah, as much fun as it was to tease them, this was going to get REALLY violent, REALLY quickly. That bow was the real problem. As fast as she was, and as good as her reflexes were, trying to dodge that at such a close range was going to be an excercise in disaster. Even if she DID manage to jerk her body out of the way of the majority of the arrow, there's no way she could have avoided it entirely. At least...normally...

"I'd say three is about the perfect size." She finished, her lips curving into a coy little smirk. Oh, how their expressions had changed! So serious, then suddenly...surprise! It offered no end of amusement.

"Feh. Pity, fox. You had your chance. Put her down, Piam." With a wave of her hand, the sword-wielding elf gave her partner the 'go ahead' to shoot.

It seemed to delight her to no end "Heh...well, I did say I was gonna be wearing fox-skin by the end of the day. Didn't expect it to be so soon, though."

TWANG

The arrow loosed.

***********************************************************************

It was a rarity for Ryla to use up her precious reserves of magic for anything, but this was a special occasion. There was no particular desire to be a pincushion, and at such close range, relying upon her own physical abilties, however consdierable they were, was simply not an option. At least, unaugmented.

It started as a little tingle somewhere in the middle of her chest, rapidly spreading to the tips of her fingers and toes and tail. It always felt odd to call upon her innate magical energies, but Mmmm....that tingle, the way it made her body feel so hot and eager, was always so very welcome.

All at once, the arrow - only just loosed from the elf's bow - seemed to slow, the high-pitched 'twang' of the string hangining in the air as if to punctuate what should have spelled her doom. The arrow was coming...

Closer...slowly...

Too slowly.

With an almost casual duck to the side, Ryla felt the arrow whistle past her ear, thudding harmlessly into one of the many trees behind her.

The look on the elf's face was priceless "Foxskin? Mm, yes...you'll be wearing it sooner than you think..."






Part two of the comic! I...just drank my first monster energy drink, and typed this up in a flash. Honestly, I think that'll be my LAST energy drink. x3 I felt like my heart was gonna pop, and I could not concentrate on writing for ANYTHING.

So, this particular section of the writing is likely not gonna be all that good...something I promise will change when we get to the good stuff! >:3

Phew, I need a break! x3


Ryla belongs to me!


Art by Snifer!

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