The story begin in late summer, third year of the Dragon Emperor Suk Lam reign.

In the northwest region of Varlann empire lied a small beautiful town called Bai Ni. Small town Bai Ni is but the town had been blessed by the gods with a rich soil and a very suitable climate for growing many types of tea including Green Jade tea, one of the ten most famous types of tea, and with a breathtaking surrounding scenery, especially a vast lush green bamboo forest north of the town. Making Bai Ni is a very attracting vocation destination for the aristocrats and the scholars. Not only that Bai Ni also is home of a very prestige White Cloud academy, an institute build for teaching young mage and a place where the magical scholars and mages from all over Varlann came to discuss, train and research about magic and the arcane matters. Which turn the small town into a very vibrant and busy place with tea traders, mages, researchers and tourists come and go every day.

It happen in a fateful day, a tailor had gone missing when he on a fishing trip. The town folks had searched for him but without any success, and of course his family are heartbroken. Normally this kind of incident will be considering just an unfortunate event if not for 3 days late another incident happened. A group of teenage girls went to the bamboo forest to digging for bamboo shoots. Their trip have nothing out of the ordinary until when the girls prepare to get home at midday, a dense veil of mist came out of nowhere in midday of a summer day and set upon the girls for a few minutes. After the mist dispersed, the teenage girls realized one of them is missing. The teenage girls quickly return to town and inform the town folks of what happen. According to them, when the strange mist befell them, they suddenly felt a rush of fear and saw strange figure moving and animal growling noise echoing in the thick mist. The town folks think the missing girl might be attacked by wolf, so the town guards organized a search party with some local hunters throughout the night. They start at the girl's last known location, and found 2 set of footprints going deep into the bamboo forest, one set belong to the missing girl, the other set are fox footprints not wolf. They follow the girl's footprints to a small stream inside the forest then the trails end, the hunters spread out to look for more trace in the surrounding area, and to their horror a corpse had found. A dry out mummified corpse lied under a layer of bamboo leafs, but from the clothing on the corpse this is not the missing girl but the body of an adult man. The corpse was recovered and brought back to Bai Ni. After being examined, the town's physician concluded the cause of death is unknown as he cannot find any signs of trauma or puncture wound on the corpse, and judging from the corpse clothes and some belongings, they identify this corpse is the previous missing tailor. But one thing the physician cannot explain is the corpse's condition. The tailor only went missing for 3 days, what cause the mummified condition of the corpse? Why is the corpse's face cover in dry blood? And how does his body end up deep in the bamboo forest? The town folks continue the search for the missing girls in the following week but to no avail. Then early of the next week, another missing case happened. A wealthy tea merchant on a business trip in Bai Ni and 2 of his servants has disappeared. According to the merchant's other servants, on the day of the merchant' disappeared, they were accompanying their master to visit the tea fields and the tea processing workshop at the outskirt of the town for business purpose. After the trip, at late noon they go sightseeing near the bamboo forest. Then a strange vail of mist suddenly befell them, when that happened the servants said some of them felt anxious and unease almost fear like emotion, but some felt an rush of euphoric, and saw something moving in the mist, and their master and 2 other servants just walk into the mist and never come back.

Then a week later, another incident happened. A teenage girl and her brother were on their way back to their home after they brought lunch for her farther at the rice field not far from the bamboo forest. The girl said a strange veil of mist rolling from the north toward them, and when the mist complete enveloped her and her brother, she felt a strange euphoric feeling and saw a figure in the mist calling her toward it that she cannot resist, while her brother screaming in fear calling for their father. The father saw the strange mist and felt unease, when the boy start screaming he quickly rush to his children aid. Luckily he found his children in the thick of the mist but he cannot stop his daughter from walking toward whatever is in the mist. Hopeless, he have no choice but knocked his daughter down. But unfortunately, after knocked his daughter down, he starting to be effected by the mist just like his daughter and abandoned his panicking son to follow the call from the thing in the mist and disappear. The kids were found by other farmers, and been brought back home. A few days late, they were brought to Lord Lin office, the town mayor, for testimony about what had happened while the guards search for their father. The 2 kids have completely opposite testimony, the girl said "I suddenly feel euphoric and then a figure of a young handsome man dress in white calling for me, saying he will shower me with love and affection. His voice a so alluring I cannot thing straight anymore and feel the compelling to follow him". On the other hand the little boy said he saw a wolf or dog like monster big as a full grow Velelis, with long ear and big long fuzzy tails in the mist. Confused by the kids testimony, Lord Lin, mayor of the town worry that these missing case may involve magic or the occult, so he ask for the assistance of White Cloud academy. Grand Taosih Wu Lee, Headmaster of the academy agreed and send Taosih Yung and Taosih Hai to provide assistance. After read the witness's testimonies and the autopsy report of the tailor body, Taosih Yung concluded the reason the body is in such state and the cause of death maybe because of magic, more likely is blood magic. This mean a mage had use blood magic to drain all the life energy or "qigun" from the tailor body, causing hemorrhage from the eyes, mouth, nose, ears and the body to dry out into a mummified like state. With this finding it is mean a mage from White Cloud academy or a visitor mage is the perpetrator and if this finding go public, it will cause tension between the mage community and the normal folks in Bai Ni. Because the mages in this world are not like those mages you can find in fairy tales. Not all mage use their power for benevolent purpose, some has use their birth gift for malevolent and selfish deeds. And many incidents had occurred throughout history of Varlaurea continent with woeful consequences. After being informed, Grand Taosih Wu Lee urged Lord Lin to keep the investigation as low profile as possible and keep the tailor's cause of death from the public, to prevent any unnecessity public unrest. Lord Lin reluctantly agreed, meanwhile Grand Taosih Wu Lee will organize an internal investigation while Taosih Yung and Taosih Hai keep provide assistant to the town guards in the investigation and the missing victims search effort. Sadly the investigation in White Cloud academy wen into a dead end, the faculty, researchers and students are all have solid alibi in the time frame of those missing cases. Then Taosih Hai had realized something, although all the victims do not have anything in common or connection but all of these missing all related with the bamboo forest. In the tailor case, his favour fishing spot does located near the bamboo forest, the teenage girl, the tea merchant and his servants case is obvious, and in the nearest case, the farmer's daughter said the mist come from the north where the forest are. Thus Taosih Hai and Taosih Yung asked Lord Lin for some men to investigate the bamboo forest. Lord Lin agreed and sent the town guard captain with 5 of his men and 2 hunters to accompany the taosihs.

The investigate team heading to the scene of the latest case ere break of day, after several hours of searching for clue the 2 taosihs cannot find anything significant. But when they search the surrounding area, Hunter Tao, the older of the 2 hunters spot some fox footprints come from the north. He said there are something strange about these footprints, these fox footprints may seem normal to the untrained eyes but to his eyes, they are a little big for a fox. The old hunter also said, he was one of the hunter who found the tailor's body, he does noticed some fain fox's tracks around the body. And in the case of the teen girl, he had seen a lot of fox footprints among the teen girl footprints all heading to a same direction. At that time he did not find is strange because there are a lot of fox in the bamboo forest. Taosih Yung think this may have connection, so the team heading to the spot where the tailor's body been found. When they arrived at the place the 2 taosihs can sense a faint lingering trace of magic in the area and the bamboo tree, they keep searching the surround area in hope of finding more clue. Then suddenly mist came out of nowhere engulfed the area, the mist is so thick they barely see anything beyond one's arm length. A guard starting to feel anxious, and calling for everyone. Hearing that, Captain Vu, the Town Guard Captain try to calm him down and tell everybody follow his voice to regroup. And that is when Taosih Hai sense something moving in the mist toward them, thought Taosih Hai see what exactly it is but he can sense that something's qigun aura and a strong one.

"Captain Vu, I can sense something, do you sense it Yung?" Taosih Hai said

"yes, is come from the north" taosih Yung answered as he sense that strong aura of qigun moving toward them then stop and stand still at about 10 lias from them.

"what is it, can anyone see it?" Pu An the younger hunter asked.

"come out, identified yourself." Taosih Yung said to the entity in the mist who the qigun aura belong to, but only silent answered him. Then the aura starting to move around the team, and kept circling them, as if it observing them, studying them. And out of sudden, a scream broke the veil of silence, the anxious guard started screaming in panic, saying there are spiders, giant spiders coming out of the mist trying to attack him. Everyone rush to the direction of the screaming, Taosih Yung is the first to saw the panicking guard, but he dare not approach him as the guard was flailing his sword maniacally at the air around him. Captain Vu arrived a second late and try to calm the guard down, but the panicking guard shrieking in fear as he saw Captain Vu came close to him, he thrush his sword in the captain chest and run into the mist. Taosih Yung rush to the captain side as he collapse on the ground, try to help Captain Vu but it was too late, the captain had die, the blade had pierced through his heart. A minute late, hunter Tao and hunter Pu An and the other 4 guards came, Taosih Yung explain what happened to Captain Vu to them as the mist starting to disperse, and that is when they realized Taosih Hai is nowhere to be found.

Six missing in 3 weeks, one body found in a horrific state, no answered not even a suspect and a disastrous investigate trip in the forest resulted as the death of the town guard captain and the missing of a town guard. The town folks are frightening, and rumors starting to circulate that these missing and the strange mist may have something to do with White Cloud academy. Some said maybe it is some magic experiment had gone wrong, while some said maybe it is a rouge mage. Maybe the recently missing Taosih Hai is the perpetrator? and his missing is actually a cover up of White Cloud academy. "maybe Captain Vu had found out something and die because of it", "maybe the mages trying to protect each other?" Some conspiracy rumors said, because what else could explain all of this but magic and a person who could use magic that just happened to disappeared. Whether the rumors are truth or not, the town folks starting to look at the mages with suspicious eyes, tension between them and the mage community starting to build even without the tailor's cause of death reveal. Some of the victim's relatives openly accused White Cloud academy for the loss of their love one. On one day 2 apprentice mage go to the town tavern for a drink then the father of the missing teenage girl who was drowning his sorrows in the tavern come up to them, demanded some answered for his daughter's fate. The 2 mages try to ignore him at first until the man starting to insult White Cloud academy and punched one of them, the mage fought back and a brawl broke out. After the commotion, although Lord Lin had gave a fair judgment, he let the mages go free of charge and only give the teenage girl's father a slap on the wrist, the tension still persist. If things keep going on like this, pitchforks and angry mobs are inevitable even with Lord Lin effort to maintain public order, thus Lord Lin have to request the help of the imperial court. When the situation came to Emperor Lam's ears, he take interesting in this mysterious case and decided to investigate this himself. On the early morning of the next week, Emperor Lam arrived at Bai Ni, accompanied him aside of some court officials and servants are 200 Brocade Cloak Guard and 300 Lizardmen infantry.

What a strange creature these lizardmens are, they look humanoid except for their high, a short tail and a long snake like neck which contributed to their high to approximate 2 lias. Yellowish skin like of a Downer. Their arms are long especially the forearms and only have 4 fingers, forearms and hands covered in thick scale able to withstand light sword blows. They walk on their toes with a scaly, thick, bird like legs, long feet with 4 toes, each ended with a claw. Their face are extremely flat with scale around the eyes and the cheek bones area, no eyebrows and no visible nose, only 2 angular narrow slits fluttering every time they breath, located at the place where the nostrils supposed to be and a big row of scales run from above those slits to their forehead and end at the hairline. They have big and slanted eyes, with various shade of yellow and vertical pupils. Each of lizardmens also wearer a bronze choker around their neck, carved with ancient language characters with blue Quasium stone imbedded in every characters and a small diamond at the front of the choker. These choker are not some kind of accessory, and neither these lizardmens wearing them as such. These choker are a magical device and use as a control method, for these lizardmens are slave soldiers. If any lizardmens step out of line the choker will heat up and burn their skin cause extreme pain, and the choker even can bust into an intensive flame with just a simple spell and burn off the lizardmen's head if an oversee mage wish so.

Seeing Emperor Lam approaching the town gate, a middle age man wearing a blue and white cross collard robe and a couple of town guard came forth to greet His Majesty arrival.

"I, Pu Chin, secretary of Lord Lin, welcome Your Imperial Majesty to this humble town. Long live the emperor." Secretary Pu kneel down interlocked his fingers.

"what is the meaning of this? Where are Mayor Lin? Why he not personally greet His Marjesty arrival? Such insolent, is he have a death wish?" an official said.

"Your Grace, Lord Lin dare not such act. It's just... there are an angry mob right now at Bai Ni academy, he is with the town guards at the academy to prevent any regrettable incident happen." Secretary Pu said.

"what? Show me the way to the academy, quick!" Emperor Lam said

"Your Grace, just follow the main road and head to the north you will see the academy on a hill top." Secretary Pu say.

Leaved his escort behind Emperor Lam quickly rush through the town's main street to White Cloud academy, following him closely is a bald lizardmen name "Seven Fingers" captain of the lizardmens infantry company, he is quite big compare to his kin likely over 2 lias tall, muscular with a long scar from his left eye to his cheek, and missing a middle finger on the right hand. Although on foots Seven Finger still can keep up with Emperor Lam's velelis without falling behind too far. As Emperor Lam riding down the main street, he can clearly see the streets litter with debris, some of the house along the street have broken windows, the whole street look like a scene of a riot aftermath. After 10 minute, Emperor Lam can see the academy on the hill top north of the town, and he also can saw a crowd of peoples gathered at the academy gate. When he came close, the crowd were yelling at Lord Lin and the town guards and an old taosih at the gate, demanding an answer for what happened last night and all the victims. They seem very angry some even trying to barge through the guards, violent can broke out at any second.

"HOLD! HOLD! ALL OF YOU STOP THIS COMOTION THIS INSTANT!" Emperor Lam shouted at the crowd.

"who the heck are you!" a voice come from the crowd.

"INSOLENT!!! Who just said that? You dare talk like that to the emperor! I'll have your head feed to the dogs." Seven Finger shouted, walk toward the crowd with his saber drawn. The crowd cringing when they saw a glance of him.

Lord Lin and the old taosih, quickly come before Emperor Lam and kneel down, interlocked their fingers.

"I, Lin Ling, welcome Your Imperial Majesty arrival, long live the emperor, may your reign last for ten thousand years." Lord Lin said. Seeing that the crowd quickly on their knee.

"at ease, Lord Lin. Tell me what happened? Why these people gathered here?" Emperor Lam said.

An old man from the crowd crawl forth, his face soaked with tear, said "Your Majesty, about pass midnight. That strange mist engulfed the entire town, it make people hallucinating causing panic and mass hysteria, some people howling in fear like their nightmare has come to life and haunt them, some people had been charmed by the mist, abandoned their home and family and disappeared in the night, and some people turn violent due to the hallucination. Attacking anyone they see even their own family, thinking they are monster. It is like the apocalypse."

"Even my own son trying to kill me last night, thinking I am some kind of shadow monster attacking his mother." A man from the crowd said.

"the town guards suffered the same fate. Some men either charmed by the mist and disappeared or crippled by fear. Even worst one of them turn on his comrades thinking they are wolf." Lord Lin said.

"Your Majesty, my wife had gone missing in the mist last night. How can a veil of mist can enchanted people or turn them insane?" a young man from the crowd said "this is clearly magic, and they are the only one can use magic" the man point at the old taosih knelling next to Lord Lin.

"Your Majesty, I am Wu Lee head master of the academy. This have nothing to do with us, we are innocent. One of my faculty also went missing because of this mist." Grand Taosih Wu Lee said.

"this is obviously yours magic spell or some kind of magic experiment gone wrong! Now it's wreak havoc on us normal folks. Yet, you still claimed it have nothing to do with yours, who would believe that?" a voice come from the crowd.

"not only that, what happened to the guard captain? I bet he found out somethings and get kill for it. You clearly hiding something, your murderer." Another voice said. Then the crowd stating to fire up again.

"everyone! Everyone! Calm down. I understand yours anger, I understand your pain of losing a love one, I understand you want to know your love one's fate and yours have every rights to. But in time like this anger and violent will lead to nothing but woe and regret, not answer and closure. Do not let your anger cloud your judgment, do not let it make you cause any foolish and regrettable act." Emperor Lam said "for the time being please return to your home. I am here now, as your emperor, I swear to yours all, answer shall be found, justice shall be done." Emperor Lam said.

After reassured the crowd and persuaded them to return home, Emperor Lam took no rest and run through all the evident, reports, witness testimonies and held a meeting discussing the cases with his advisors, the town officials, and those who had took part in the previous investigation. Taosih Yung quickly briefing Emperor Lam what he had known so far, and his theory.

"so what you suggesting is... this mist somehow relate with a never seen... fox?" A bearded official said. "I don't know much about magic, but... what? Are you implying that, this never seen fox created that hallucination causing mist?"

"the evident we have so far indicated that, beside in every case we found no trace indicating human mage is the perpetrator. And remember, Lord Hua." Taosih Yung turn to the bearded official "Our ancestor only migrated to Varlaurea over 400 years ago, there a many things in Varlaurea we still do not understand." Taosih Yung said

"animal using magic??? That is absurd. I think the missing Taosih Hai is our prime suspects. We should find out where he hiding and see if we can get any answer from him." Lord Hua said

"my colleague is a victim and innocent." Taosih Yung raise his voice.

"REPORT!!!" a voice come from the hallway, a Brocade Cloak Guards rush into the room and kneel down. "Your Majesty, we have found some strange tracks at the northeast outskirt area of the town." The guard said. Everyone then follow the guard to where they found the strange track, when they arrived laying in front of them, on the soft ground outskirt of the town are footprints of a large animal come from the north, after examine those footprint Hunter Tao said "Your Majesty, from the shape of the paw, I'm certain they are fox footprint. But... the size are... quadruple of a normal fox."

"fox? What kind of fox have footprint that big?" lord Hua said.

"Taosih Yung, you said the tracks found at other missing cases, all have abnormal size. Is this what you mean?" Emperor Lam asked.

"Your Grace, all the fox footprints we had found in previous cases only slightly larger than normal fox footprint, but quadruple the size of a normal fox like this, it's the first time I have seen." Taosih Yung replied. "maybe this is a difference one? Or maybe is the same animal? and by somehow it had grew larger?"

"hum... either way, we should pay the bamboo forest a visit." Emperor Lam said, his eyes staring at the bamboo tree line at the north.

The next morning, Emperor Lam head to the bamboo forest. Accompany him are: Taosih Yung, Hunter Tao, Seven Finger and several Brocade Cloak Guards and Lizardmen Infantries. They surveyed all the missing cases scene in the forest, including the place where Captain Vu died but find nothing. At near midday they follow hunter Tao deep into the bamboo forest, to the area of the forest where fox had been frequently spotted. After an hours of searching, they finally found some fresh tracks, fox footprint quadruple the size of normal fox and surrounded with many set of normal fox footprints, and according to Hunter Tao these tracks was here approximately only a few hours ago. The tracks lead deep into the denser part of the forest, they follow the track for an hour, to a small hill with many dense bamboo bushes, and from a distain they can see a very large hole, the size of a Velelis on middle of the hill. When they came near the hole, Emperor Lam and Taosih Yung immediately felt a strong qigun aura emitting from the hole. This mean, whatever the entity in the hole is, it have magic. When the group came closer to the hole, a stream of mist suddenly bust out of the hole, engulf the entire area. The mist are so thick they barely can see anything, but Emperor Lam still can feel the qigun aura inside the hole had leave it hiding place and running away from them. Emperor Lam rush after the qigun aura despite the poor visibility, after 15 minutes of chasing the entity in this thick mist Emperor starting to feel strange, his mind is fuzzy and his heart slightly racing, and he felt a slight tingling on his skin, like a person who had consumed a stimulant substance. The qigun aura suddenly stop and stand still in front of him. Emperor Lam approaching cautiously, his right hand firmly grasping his sword hander, ready to draw the blade. But then when he come closer to the qigun aura and to his surprise, he can see a humanoid shadow standing in the mist.

"who's there? Name yourself." Emperor Lam said.

"my... my... Lam, don't you recognize me?" a woman voice answered him. Then that shadow walk out of the mist, revealing a beautiful, blonde hair woman, she gracefully walking toward him. The young woman wearing a thin, tight and slightly see through long white dress, revealing her slender body and her white smooth skin, her long and pointed ears half hidden in her knee length, thick and bouncy blonde hair, it look like a stream made of liquid gold. She stand in front Emperor Lam staring at him with her icy blue eyes, and a seductive smile on her red juicy, glossy lips. The women look just like Emperor Lam's wife, Empress Aucelen.

"Au...Aucelen? H...how... what are you doing here?" Emperor Lam asked his wife.

"do you remember Lam?" Empress Aucelen asked.

"remember? Remember what? Why are you here?" Emperor Lam said

"YOU PROMISED TO STOP THEM!!!!!!" Empress Aucelen yelled and let out a shill scream, then vanished into the mist.

"what!!?!!!" Emperor Lam staggered, but before he can make sense of what happening, a soft voice come from behind him "why don't you stop them Lam? You had promised." Emperor Lam turn back and see his wife sitting on the forest floor, her arms holding a charred corpse "my people, my friends, most of them I know from birth." she said, stroking the charred corpse face lovingly, her face fill with pain. "they are all death, Lam, all death, you had promised me. Now their blood are on you hand." Empress Aucelen said and starting to cry, her tears are blood red, streaming down her elegance face. And then Emperor Lam realize his hands are now soaked in blood and he himself no longer standing in the bamboo forest anymore, beneath his feet now is a pile of charred corpses, surround him are trees, mighty and old trees with extremely deep root. But they all laying on top of each other, some charred. All were uprooted and flatted by some incredible invisible force, the devastated scene stretching many kelias away, their roots all pointed to one direction. And at that direction, a city is burning, above that city is a smoke cloud raise high, shape like a mushroom. Tears pouring out of Emperor Lam eyes "I'm so sorry my love. So, so sorry. I was too late." He murmur "I was too late." Emperor Lam then kneel down, his hand holding his head and cry, keep saying sorry to his wife.

"WAKE UP!" A voice echoing from a distain, Emperor lam raise his face and saw a tall shadow approaching him, then a pair of scaly hands from that shadow grasp Emperor Lam's robe collard pulling him up, and a flat face with a big slanted amber eyes rush close to his face.

"WAKE UP YOUR MAJESTY!!! IT'S NOT REAL." Seven Finger scream at Emperor Lam face.

"S...Seven Finger?" Emperor Lam murmur

"wake up! It not real, it just a hallucination, you had been effected by the mist." Seven Finger said shaking him intensively.

A few seconds late, Emperor Lam finally come back to his sense, drawn his sword, he stand back to back with Seven Finger. That entity is still near, but the mist surround them is still too thick to see anything clearly. "can you see it, Your Grace? I can smell its scent nearby." Seven Finger asked. "No, the mist is too thick, but I can still feel it qigun nearby." Emperor Lam said. "FIGHT ME! FIGHT ME!! COME OUT AND FIGHT ME!!" Seven Finger yell out challenging. The qigun aura of the entity starting to move again and kept circling 2 of them. Emperor Lam then chant a spell and created a gush of wind, blow away the surrounding mist, give them a brief look on the entity. Taosih Yung theory was right, it is a fox. Stand behind that mist veil is a fox with white fur and quadruple the size of a normal fox, its eyes are blood red, its mouth full of shape teeth with 2 long canines protrude out from the upper jaw, and another pair from the lower jaw. The giant fox immediately turn around and run into where the mist still thick after being seen. Emperor Lam quickly chasing after it, Seven Finger closely behind, they chasing the white fox through the thick mist by follow it qigun aura for a few minutes. Then out of nowhere, a red fox jump on Seven Finger, another one charging at Emperor Lam, then another and another. Soon dozens and dozens of red fox came out of the mist surrounding and suicidally charging at 2 of them. After Emperor Lam and Seven Finger truck down ten or twenty of them, the mist dispersing and the qigun aura of the white fox had disappeared, then the red foxes retreat to the thick of the bamboo forest.

Seven Finger and Emperor Lam still stand back to back, eyes and ears open wide for a few minutes to make sure they are all gone, then sheathed their blade. "how can a fox turn into that size?" Emperor Lam wonder out loud while staring at the footprint the white fox left behind on the ground.

"we should find the other, Your Grace." Seven Finger said

"you right, let go." Emperor Lam said "oh, Seven Finger, thank you for snapped me out of my hallucination but if you dare tell anyone what you saw..." Emperor Lam stare at the bald lizardmen.

"I saw nothing, Your Majesty." Seven Finger said.

"good." Emperor said and keep walking for a few step then he turn back again and ask "by the way, does the mist have any effect on you?"

"none, Sire. None." Seven Finger answered.

"is that so. Huh, your lizardmens are resilient, what a fine product." Emperor Lam smile and keep walking.

15 minute late, they found the rest of the group and Emperor Lam confirm Taosih Yung of his theory. Then while there still sunlight left, Emperor Lam examine the fox den. The den tunneling deep to the foot of the hill, its high enough for a person walk upright. After a few minutes exploring the tunnel they found the main chamber, the main chamber is quite big, likely 10 lias in diameter, under the touch light they can saw 2 other tunnels and corpses scattered on the chamber floor, dry out mummified human corpses.

"by the gods, what on earth is that?" a Brocade Cloak Guard said, he pointing his finger at the center of the chamber. Lying on the ground is a strange pinkish object look like a pod, leathery texture, as big as a pot-bellied pig, the pod surface look like it covered with vents.

"Taosih Yung, have you see anything like this before?" Emperor Lam asked

"no, Your Highness, I never see anything like this before." Taosih Yung replied and walk closer to examine the strange pod

But before the taosih can examine the pod, they hear the lizardmens infantry sound the alarm outside of the tunnel, Emperor Lam rush back out of the tunnel and find the area engulfed in mist again. The white fox had return to defend its lair. The Lizardmens and the Brocade Cloak Guards quickly formed a circle around Emperor Lam. "steady everyone, whatever you saw in the mist. It's not real." Emperor Lam said, but suddenly countless red foxes appear from the mist charging at them, but this time they do not attack instead they run through the group like a stream of red fur. Is this an illusion? A mind trick of the mist? Of the white fox? But Emperor Lam can feel those red foxes fur rubbing against his leg as they run through, so these foxes are real. As everyone still confuse by the stream of foxes, a giant pawn appeared from the mist swiped a lizardmen fly several lias into the mist, Emperor Lam chant a spell to create an strong wind like before and blow the mist surrounding them away, but with little effect, his spell only can expose the beast temporary, and the fox only need to retreat back to where the mist is still thick. After a few second the mist replenish again and clouded their vision. The beast charge in again, its lightning fast jaw come through the thick mist and snatch a lizardmen's neck and flailing the poor sod around like a ragdoll. Seven Finger rush in with his saber but the white fox throw the lizardmen infantry's body at him knock him off his feet. Emperor Lam leap toward the white fox, seeing that the white fox swipe its left paw at Emperor Lam but he quickly rolling on the ground, evaded the strike and sunk his sword into the fox front right leg. The fox roaring in pain, its gigantic jaw trying to snatch him but Emperor Lam already leaped out of its range. The fox then quickly retreat back to the thick mist as it saw Seven Finger and the rest of the Lizardmens and Brocade Cloak Guards charging at it. The beast is smart, it lurking in the mist veil waiting to strike, wait for the opportunity to pick them off one by one. This time Emperor Lam chant a wind spell again but increased the spell power and keep it going, this way the wind from his spell will blowing continuously preventing the mist to replenish again. The fox quickly counter this by creating more mist, but only for a minute before Emperor Lam overpower it. Lost it cover, the white fox charging at them at full speed, despite the injurer on its leg it speed charging with an amazing speed. With a beast this size running at full speed no one can stop it nor dare stand in its way, some unlucky souls cannot react in time get trample under its paws. Seeing Emperor Lam who have to remain stand still for his spell to continue to take effect, the white fox aiming toward him, its jaw wide open ready to bite Emperor Lam in half. But Taosih Yung who stand near Emperor Lam at that moment, quickly threw himself at Emperor Lam pushed him aside and suffered the worst fate. And with the poor taosih still in its mouth the white fox run into the deep of the forest, disappeared amid the mist.

After the white fox is gone and the mist completely dispersed, they tending for the injurers. Emperor Lam then realized the red foxes footprint were all headed to the white fox den, he return to the main chamber of the den and found that strange pod had disappeared and drag mark on the ground lead to another tunnel. Emperor Lam intend to follow the tunnel but Hunter Tao advice they should return for the sun will set soon. So they retrieved the corpses and brought them back to Bai Ni. After a quick examine, those corpses had been identified as the previous missing victims and base on the clothes and belongings found on them, including the missing Taosih Hai. But there are no sign of the latest victims. The merchant and his servants has been given their last rite and transfer them back to their home town for burial, the rest were given a proper funeral and burial, Emperor Lam even attended their funeral himself. The victim's family are extremely honoured by his present at their love one funeral.

After the funeral, thinking only magic can explain the existence of the white fox and its ability, Emperor Lam came to White Cloud academy and re-interrogate all the faculty, apprentices, researchers and scholars present at the academy at that time, but still came up empty hand, all of them still have solid alibi and the testimonies they just gave Emperor Lam are still consistence with what they have given from the previous internal investigation. The academy is truly innocent, and Grand Taosih Wu Lee was not hiding anything to protect his academy. As the night is late, Emperor Lam prepare to return to Lord Lin mansion and get prepare for the hunt to slay the white fox. Grand Taosih Wu Lee came up to him said he may have found some clue. The mage present before Emperor Lam a big dusty book, it was the journal of a late Taosih name Yen who just pass away several months ago due to natural cause. The late Taosih Yen was the librarian of the academy, and she have a hobby of write down everything she heard or saw in the academy and Bai Ni town like a diary of the town and the academy. The journal Grand Taosih Wu Lee is presenting to Emperor Lam was written 2 and a haft year ago before the first missing of the tailor, in the November section Taosih Yen mentioned about the arrival and staying of a scholar name Huan Yu from Chihan. According to late Taosih Yen, the scholar came to the academy and made a hefty donation, then stay at the academy for research purpose. The scholar mostly kept things to himself and not socialize much, so no one pay much attention to him. He stay at the most remote and private northern wing of the academy doing research by himself, though he did not any cause trouble while staying in the academy, his manner made others find him creepy, especially some apprentices said they often heard him talking to himself in his quarter and while walking on the hallways. The scholar also frequently go to the bamboo forest, he said he was going for a troll and taking a break from work, but he always gone very long, sometimes gone for a whole day, and sometimes return with a big leather bag. The journal also noted, he often borrow book in the library about: religion, folklore, ancient tales, and myths, especially myths and tales from and pre Age of Wandering. Apart from that he also frequently request for alchemist equipment and supply, and surgery equipment for his experiment and theory testing. Then on one stormy night, some apprentices said they heard strange voice like animal growling, broken glass, come from his room, and the next day the scholar appear with an injured on his hand. He said the injured cause by accident while doing experiment and he will pay for all the damage, several days later he just pack up his luggage and leave. After his leave, some apprentices on cleaning duty come to the room and while cleaning they found trace of blood, animal furs scattered around the room. Emperor Lam keep reading the journal in hope of finding more information, but that was all the journal recorded that have some relation to current situation. Sit back in his chair Emperor Lam scratching his horn, thinking about what he had learned. Then an apprenticed came into the room and said Bai Ni is being attack, heard the news Emperor Lam rush to the nearest window and before his eyes, the mist veil is slowly swallowing Bai Ni from the west side of the town.

When he arrived at the town, the streets were already drowning in thick mist and the town folk's terrified scream echoing through the streets. Although with poor visibility Emperor Lam still can sense the white fox's qigun present at the west side of the town, and quickly make his way toward it with Grand Taosih Wu Lee closely behind. They flumping through the thick mist on the street among the town folk's scream of horror. The mist get thicker and thicker as they get near to the west side of the town. As the mist get thicker, the harder for them to keep sign of each other, and also the more potent of the mist psychedelic effect. A few minutes late, Emperor Lam had lost sign of the grand taosih and found himself all along. He call out for the old taosih but only silent answered him. Then suddenly he can hear the old taosih scream echo from a distain. But press on he still because he just sense the white fox's qigun is moving toward him. When he came to a main street lead to the west side of the town, he try to concentrate on the white fox qigun aura to keep his mind keen, and wondering does the fox notice his present? If so, how? Is it have the ability to sense qigun aura like every mage do to? Neither way, Emperor Lam drawn his sword and when he about to chant a wind spell to clear the mist, he felt a shadow behind him. With a swift fluently spin, he strike his sword at the shadow behind him, but stop his when his blade still liamis from his target neck. Because he realized that shadow is just a teenage boy. The teenage boy's face is emotionless, and his gaze is blank like he is in some kind of trance. The boy walk slowly pass Emperor Lam toward the outskirt of the town, following the boy are a few other town folks, they also have a blank gaze like the teenage boy. Emperor Lam try to wake them up but no use, then among the charmed town folks there a women with long blonde hair. The woman raise her face stare at Emperor Lam, her face was badly beaten, her right eye swollen, and purple like an over ripe plum. Her left cheek also swollen and bruised, and her noses are bleeding badly.

"Aucelen? Wh...what happened to you?" Emperor Lam recognized the woman. "w...wait...wait... you're... you are not real." Emperor Lam said, take several step back, shaking his head trying to snap himself out of the hallucination.

"Am I?" Empress Aucelen replied with a despite filled eyes "so this is what you said to yourself, after you did this to me, your filthy mutt!"

"I... I was... no... I'm... I'm sorry, I did not mean to... it... it's because of the war, we were....." Emperor Lam stuttered, staring at his wife battered face, his eyes started to glister, emotion swelling up inside him. Guilt?

"No.... no...." Emperor Lam shake his head intensively "no... you're not real... you... you are not real!" he yelled and strike at Empress Aucelen, his blade cut through her like cutting air.

"yes... trike me down, beat me up, like you had done before, embrace your barbarous nature, filthy mutt" Empress Aucelen voice echoing in Emperor Lam head.

"shut up, beast!" Emperor Lam grind his teeth, then he chant a wind spell so strong it blow away the thick mist from the entire town block, and knocked all the charmed town folk on the ground, the mist dispersed revealing the white fox, it standing 100 lias away from him down the street.

"FILTHY BEAST!" cried the emperor, he leap forward and from his mouth a giant stream of fire racing toward the white fox. A monster the fox is but in its core it is still an animal, and all animal afraid of fire. Seeing Emperor Lam's fire breather rushing toward it, the white fox retreat and turn tail back to the forest. After the fox is gone the charmed town folk came back to their sense, Emperor Lam return them to their house with the help of the town guard. This time, Bai Ni only suffered some minor property damage due to the frightening folks, none had been took away by the fox, except for Grant Taosih Wu Lee who have been severely wounded by a frightful rampaging town folk after he got separated from Emperor Lam.

Dawn come at the next day, Emperor Lam set out to the bamboo forest again, and this time he going with full force of 300 Lizardmens and 200 Brocade Cloak Guards, Hunter Tao accompany them like before. They started at the white fox den, but after 2 or 3 hours of stakeout with no sign or any activity of the beast. They concluded that the white fox had abandoned this den, then they venture forth through 2 other tunnel way. One tunnel lead into a stream in the forest, after an hour surveying the surrounding area without finding anything, they return and exploring the second tunnel. The second tunnel burrow deeper in the forest and resurface near rocky mountain. When they emerged from the tunnel, Hunter Tao found trace of fox activity in the surrounding area. They follow those traces for over an hour, the hunt team came up to the base of a rocky mountain. The mountain sprung above from the tree line like a gigantic termite hill on a vast grassland made of bamboo trees. After a round of survey the base of the mountain and they found giant footprints near a limestone cave entrance where the water stream came from. So while there are still plenty of daylight Emperor Lam decided to explore the cave while the rest of his force set up a base camp. Follow Emperor Lam is Seven Finger, Hunter Tao, and 2 other Brocade Cloak Guard. Inside the cave is very large and tall enough for Seven Finger be able to stand upright. The cave ceiling is hung full of stalactites with various sizes and peculiar shapes, some are very large and reached to its stalagmite bellow and formed a stone columns, while some are small, still forming, still dripping water, they are look so thin and so fragile making an impression that they may break off if you just breathe on them. They keep venture forth into the cave, while crawling through a narrow section, Emperor Lam signal the rest to stop and listen. After a minute of silent, they can hear fain sounds echo from deep within the cave, the sounds of claw scratching on stone like when a dog running on stone tiles floor. As they go deeper, the cave wider again and lead to a large chamber, they estimate it was 40 to 50 lias in diameter. There is no sign of the white fox in the chamber, at the middle of the chamber lied a large stone mount with a flat top cover in thick layer of green moss, daylight reached inside the cave chamber through an open round hole about 2 or 3 lias in diameter on the ceiling, enough for them to see around without need of touch, at the end of the chamber is another cave tunnel.

On a large, flat top boulder, left of the center mount, something caught Emperor Lam eyes, a red fox standing there staring at them for several minutes then run off. Emperor Lam curiously head toward where the fox were, as they climbing through the slippery mossy boulders, they saw 4 mummified corpse lie on the moss, one of the 4 corpses Emperor Lam can recognized base on the clothes the corpse is wearing, that corpse is the ill-fated Taosih Yung. When Emperor Lam reached the flat top boulder, before his eyes lie the leathery pod they had found previously in the white fox den, but the pod is significantly bigger than the last time he saw it, not only that he can feel a fain qigun aura radiating from the pod. "it have magic?" "what on earth is it?" " is it have anything to do with the beast?" Emperor Lam wondering and step closer to the pod with sword in one hand and the other hand reach out to the pod. But before he can touch it, Emperor Lam felt another qigun aura rushing toward them from the end of the chamber. And not for long, the white fox is standing at the cave tunnel at the end of the chamber, baring its fangs threateningly, staring at them.

This time the white fox not even bother to create the mist veil to conceal itself, the beast charging through the slippery boulders toward Emperor Lam ferociously. Emperor Lam swiftly leap to center mount, moment before the white fox gigantic paws crushing down on the spot where he was. The beast standing between them and the leathery pod, staring them with a piecing gaze, those eyes seemingly glowing red and fill with fury, its head lowered, fur puffed up, baring fangs growling. Hunter Tao unleased his arrow, though the arrow hit but it only piss the fox off. The beast turn its gaze toward Hunter Tao, its eyes turn white and seconds late the hunter screaming in fear, like there some invisible horror in front of him. With a strange roar echoing the cave chamber, Seven Finger lunge forth, saber in hand and aiming at the fox neck. The fox turn around swiping is paws at the bald lizardmen, force Seven Finger to recede to avoid those giant paws. The 2 Brocade Cloak Guards quickly closed distain, and swing behind the beast, make it have to turn it head to watch out for them. Snatch the moment the fox distracted, Emperor Lam sunk his blade deep in the fox's shoulder then leap out of its attack ranger. Red blood pouring out from the wounds soaked the white fur on its leg, outnumber and surrounded, yet the fox still stand where it are, it is seem the beast is defending that leathery pod. "Why?" Emperor Lam wonder, then a small bulge swell up on the pod surface, and move slightly before disappeared, there are something inside the pod, "Is it the fox's offspring? If so it must not be born." Emperor Lam think. When he saw the fox was distracted by the 2 Brocade Cloak Guard again, Emperor Lam leap forward, his sword's tip aim at the pod, when his sword only liamis (1 liami = 1 milimeter) from the leather pod, the fox charge at him and ram its head at Emperor Lam knocked him aside, then it pounce at him, as it about to bite Emperor Lam head off, Seven Finger jump on its back swinging his saber on its flesh. Pianfully, the beast shaking it body violently and shook Seven Finger down. It turn to the bald lizardmen ready to pay back for the stab wound on it back, at that moment Emperor Lam got back on his feet and breathe fire at the beast's face. Badly burned, excruciating pain and with its fur on fire the fox trying to escape through the cave tunnel it came from. But before it could reach the tunnel, a giant boulder flung at the fox by Emperor Lam telekinesis and crush it rear leg and pinned it on the ground, Emperor Lam quickly came near and keep breathe fire at it, the white fox let out gruesome howls of pain, echoing the cave as the fire swallowing its body and searing its flesh, after a few minute the beast are nothing but a smoking charred corpse, reek with awful burned flesh smell.

"Your Majesty, you need to see this." Seven Finger called

Emperor Lam climb his way back to the flat top boulder where everybody are gathering around that strange pod. Before his eyes, there is a small tear on the pod and a transparent liquid is leaking out of the pod, then the thing inside the pod move violently again making the small tear become wider. The transparent liquid inside the pod oozing out with a fishy smell, and the pod partially deflated and a minute later a creature emerge from it. The creature cover in fluid, fumble it way out of the pod, it look like a fully formed kit with a size of a small dog, white fur, its eye have not open yet and it have what seem to be a tail branched into three separated tails. After few second out of the pod, the kit let out a soft moan, calling for its mother. Hunter Tao curiously touch the creature, and right and the moment his finger touch the kit's noses, the hunter convulsing continuously, and unable to retract his hand, his eyes roll up and mouth foaming. A Brocade Cloak Guard trying to help the hunter but suffered the same fate when he touch Hunter Tao. With his magic ability Emperor Lam can sense qigun are being drain from the 2 men to the kit, and in a few minutes they will die. With a quick stab Emperor Lam's blade pieced through the kit chest, kill it instantly and free the men. After that they gather bamboo and burn all the remains of the kit, the leathery pod and the white fox to ashes in the cave and return to Bai Ni.

----------the end-----------

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