“I need the blood of the Green squirrel to continue research on a new secret. Slay the Green squirrel and return. Say ‘complete’ to me when you’re done.”
I cursed Serendipity, my clan’s quest giver, for tasking me with something so mundane and boring, but I obediently headed for Nagnang, intent on getting it over with as soon as possible. It wasn’t a long ride, and it certainly wasn’t very eventful. By the time I reached the Southern Path, my mount hadn’t even gotten started. I patted her neck as I hopped off her back, a silent promise that we would find some real adventures later.
Sadly, the squirrels hadn’t even bothered to hide themselves, or even go quiet – they were chittering up a storm! This wouldn’t be a challenge to the youngest Tangun resident! But as I listened to the chittering, I began to hear words in their babble. I paused just short of collecting a very large blood sample for Serendipity. I couldn’t quite tell which squirrel spoke what, but I could make out the general idea.
“Them foxes are offerin us a mighty good deal, you know.”
“But the gold acorns are all we got!”
“An what can we do with them, shine them?”
“Our ancestors dug them up, just like we do! We can’t forsake tradition. We can’t.”
“E says he will give us a safer place to live, with all the blue trees we need but without the humans tramping through here!”
“An what’s he going to do with them once he gets them?”
“Some kind of pendant, he said. He wouldn’t talk about it. But how can it hurt us?”
I snuck out after those words, suddenly disinterested in Serendipity’s quest. I did pause to pick up a squirrel pelt, discarded by some other traveler, on my way out, knowing that I would need it.
At the east gate, I slipped the pelt to the guard with a wink, and he turned the other way as I slipped by him. It was then that I drew my dagger and ducked into the shadows, looking for the tiniest hint of movement- there! Beneath another of the blue trees was my prey, one of the clever, riddling foxes that the squirrels must have been talking about, distracted by what must have been a horrible itch. I crept silently up to it, careful to avoid even the faintest ruffle of grass, even though with all his scratching he couldn’t have heard me. When I was within reach, I quickly grasped his muzzle to keep him from calling help, then pulled my dagger snugly to his throat.
“Pendants, yes?” I whispered in his ear.
I felt him straining to shake his head no, so I pressed the dagger into his neck, just enough to put some more fear into him.
“Yes?” I repeated.
He blinked, then I felt him trying to nod his head.
“How. Tell me now.” I eased up my grip on his muzzle, enough for him to mumble, but I kept the dagger just as close as it had been.
“Chul! Chul does it.” The fox was a bit too loud, so I squeezed his muzzle a bit tighter.
“And why should I believe you?”
“Chain. Neck.” He barked.
Instinctively, I let go of his muzzle to snatch at his neck, but he had well and truly fooled me. I did manage to touch the chain, and I saw the little pendant dangling from it, but he whisked himself sideways, away from my dagger and out of sight before I could react. Cursing myself and my own stupidity, I fled the area before he could alert his friends. I headed straight for the inn, where I had a few golden acorns saved up, then to Chul.
“Weren’t you here yesterday, with all them people?” He greeted me rather gruffly.
“I was, but new business today.” I nodded, then held out my gold acorns. “I’m told you can turn these into a pendant?”
“Oh yes… who told you? I was hoping to keep that quiet. I’m much more fond of iron than gold. I’m a simple man…”
I shook my head, unwilling to give up my sources.
“Well then. Yes, I will, but it takes more than those acorns. It also takes a fair amount of charm.”
I stared at him, confused.
“Fox. Charm.”
“Oh.”
I whisked out, then back to the southern path for another pelt to bribe the guard, then to the east gate. Once past the guard, I quickly changed clothes and tucked my long hair underneath a boyish cap. I began to wander aimlessly, like I had never been there that day. Soon enough, a fox snuck up behind me, whispering a riddle. “I have fingers but no bones, a palm but no blood. What am I?”
“A glove!” I answered immediately, and the fox dropped its charm and disappeared as quickly as the one that had tricked me. I snatched the charm and ran for Chul’s, trying my best to imitate the fox’s speed.
I turned up at Chul’s out of breath, but otherwise alright. I handed him the charm, and he set to work, sighing. “You won’t tell your friends about this, will you?”
I shook my head. “Safe with me.”
Soon enough (very soon, I thought) he presented me with something that looked like a gilded fox charm. I narrowed my eyes to inspect it. “Doesn’t look like much.”
“Then try it.”
I took him at his word, and as I left his shop, I called my dragon dog to whisk me away to some greater adventure. “To test,” I told myself, but I knew that I was just restless.
From my “testing,” I can say that the ogres I accosted were rather richer than usual, and I found myself a high quality outfit for a low quality price. Perhaps this golden fox charm will bring you as much luck as it has brought me… or perhaps it will bring you more?