Book 1
There once was a mysterious and cunning creature, that could change itself into anything it desired. All it would need to morph itself into another creature, was to have seen the creature before with it’s own eyes.
Rumours of this legendary creature, tell tales of a powerful animal of uncertain origin.
The true form of these creatures is not known to many, and they are rarely seen in their true shape.
The legend say that these creatures start out with one tail, and can end up with as many as 9.
They grow more tails, as they grow in knowledge, cunning and wisdom.
They are very wise creatures, and can lead you astray if you are not careful.
The story of Kitsu, is a peculiar one, yet it’s a story worth telling.
Kitsu was once a small and impatient adolescent. Always exploring the world, he was so curious about everything it had to offer.
He learned very young, how to change his form into some of the most powerful beings.
His curiosity always pushed him onwards, leading him to explore some of the strangest and darkest places in the world.
There was not alot that was challenging to Kitsu, as he always seemed to figure out the right approach to difficult situations.
His level of cunning and intelligence was something that really helped him make the right desicions instinctively.
He had heard rumours of a brute of a beast — a mixture of a bull and a bear.
This beast is not something you’d want to face on your own, and they are especially dangerous during a red moon.
Legend says that under a red moon, the mysterious bearbull can’t control itself very well.
It’s blood is boiling, it’s thirst can never be quelmed, and the hunger it feels, is always present and never quelmed.
These beasts have a huge desire for Kami-crystals.
It empowers them, and they can sense it’s presence.
Nothing satisfies their hunger more then devouring a ninetails and it’s Kami-energy.
Kitsu ventured into the local inn one night - during a red moon - to have a rest, and refill his Kami-energy after one of his numerous adventures.
If it wasn’t bad enough that he was weary from his adventure, he came upon a gathering of bearbulls in the local inn.
Kitsu walked in, and immediatly realized he was not supposed to be there.
The atmosphere in the room shifed the moment he walked in, everyone stopped talking and had their gaze upon him, piercing him with their eyes - it almost felt as they could see through him and into his soul.
Yet, he walked up to the bar, and ordered himself a morphs-potion, cool as can be.
The good thing for Kitsu, is that when a bearbull is intoxicated, it’s senses are weakened, and their ego is enchanced beyond what you could imagine.
Thus, the pack of bearbulls could not sense the Kami-crystal immediately when Kitsu walked in.
Yet they felt something, just not quite sure what, they must have all been calmed abit once he walked - in his own nonchalant way - over to the bar, apparently not bothered by their presence.
The ninetails, Kitsu’s species, would normally turn on their heels, and run away if they encountered this lot.
No amount of common sense would tell you to stay in such a place, where almost every single being in there was very dangerous, and also could sense your energy.
And if they did sense it, they are so strong and powerful, that Kitsu would not have stood a chance, even against 1 of them alone.
As you can imagine, a full establishment of bearbulls is a very dangerous place for Kitsu to be under a red moon.
So what lead Kitsu to ignore his natural born instincts to run?
You see, a ninetail needs to refill it’s Kami-energy with potions to be able to morph itself.
If it spends all of it’s Kami-energy to morph, and dont refill, it could risk never morphing back into it’s true form.
So you see, Kitsu had no choice, as he had already morphed alot that same night on his adventure.
He simply had to get himself a potion, and was really not very keen on waiting out the red moon.
As soon as he ordered a potion, the innkeeper gave him a questioning look.
A look that said, are you sure about that order?
The local innkeeper entertains these gatherings during every red moon, and on normal days, the bar is not ocupied by a single bearbull.
So he was truly surpriced to see Kitsu in there, as usually the ninetails stay hidden during a red moon.
But not Kitsu..
Kitsu had been out on adventure during the red moon several times already. His urge for adventure and learning was always drawing him out in the world. While his kin was hiding during the red moon, couped up in their underground dens, Kitsu had from early age snuck out.
He made it a habit to sneak outside during red moons, and this made him very strong and skillfull for his age.
At the time of this red moon, when Kitsu walked into the bar, he had that same night encountered a very powerful beast.
This legendary and mischevious beast, was something that most experienced ninetails would usually approach in groups, if at all.
So the fact that he had encountered this beast alone, and bested him, had drained his Kami energy so much, that he couldn’t morph again without a potion to refill his Kami-energy.
You see, for Kitsu to be able to enter his underground den, he would need to morph a few times.
For the entrance is hidden, and you can only enter through a very narrow passage - then fly over a ravine - and then swim through an underground pool - after wich he could morph back to his true form.
So the trip home would require enough Kami energy to morph many times, as he was now in the form of a relatively big body, he’d not even get through the first narrow passage.
The longer Kitsu stay in a form not his own, the more Kami-energy he spends to morph back into his own shape.
Kitsu and his kind must spend alot more Kami-energy to morph, as opposed to stay in a form not their own, but they can not safely hide in the wild in their true form.
So Kitsu stayed in the same form when he entered the inn, as when he encountered the mysterious beast.
Even thou this would drain his Kami-energy slowly, and if not refilled, he might not be able to morph to his true form.
If the Kami-energy reaches 0, it can not be refilled with potions, only by sacred rituals that very few know how to perform.
The mysterious beast had also drained alot of his Kami energy, so that he was truly weary from battle you might say.
So he chose to stay in his mysterious form, and walk into the bar during the red moon, even thou it was very very dangerous for Kitsu to be there.
To risk everything like this, is something Kitsu was always viewed as a bit reckless for doing. It was not the first time he had risked to much, at least this was the opinions of the more experienced elders amongst the ninetails.
But he was also regarded as a brave and strong morpher, able to trick and persuade almost any creature. He had not yet been faced with an enemy he could not best, so needless to say, he was a very brave ninetail, with high beliefs in his own abilities.
And as you might realize, it is unheard of for a ninetail to even be near a bearbull, as they feed of their Kami-crystals, and can sense their Kami-energy.
It could be that his low Kami-energy level did him a favour that night when he walked into the local inn full of bearbulls.
All the bearbulls had his gaze upon him as he entered the room, yet they was both intoxicated and probably not expecting a ninetail to enter the local inn.
So he managed to walk up to the innkeeper, surpricing him with his potion order.
You see, the potions are not something Kitsu can carry with him, as the special brew goes stale fast.
So it’s under a constant boil to supply the ninetails when they are out and about, and they must be prepared in special conditions, very hard to replicate in the wild.
To make things even harder, the potions are only available at the local inn, and in the ninetails den.
So Kitsu was very bold as he walked up, yet also very clever.
He told the innkeeper to serve everyone a round of brew, and to announce that the one bearbull that could drink his brew the fastest — would drink free for the rest of the night.
So while the bearbulls was busy with their drinking contest, the barkeep managed to serve Kitsu a potion without the bearbulls noticing. He chugged his potion, while the bearbulls was trying to be the first to chug their brew, and then stood there with half a glass of brew that the innkeep also gave him - to disguise his potion a bit.
This should have been the end of Kitsu’s adventures that night, as the Kami crystal was now slowly recharging - the only logical thing would be to leave before any of the bearbulls could sense its energy.
Yet Kitsu was not known for being sensable. Intelligent, yes. But also very reckless.
The turn of events that took place that night, would be enough to give even the strongest man, chills to the bone.
