Chapter 8: Chapter 7 – Travel In Harmony

The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the tall evergreen trees. The droplets were reflecting the colors of the sky, and the smaller, intricate branches swayed lightly in the wind. The only sound was the rustling of leaves, until the distant sound of a carriage could be heard.

Aoh, a white fox girl, was sitting inside the carriage, quietly looking out the window. Her eyes were distant, and her thoughts elsewhere, but she still seemed to take in her surroundings. The driver, an older man with a kind face, glanced back at her occasionally. He could tell that she was an introvert, and he knew her circumstances from his granddaughter Amara regarding her relationship to a certain hostile wolf tribe, but he figured that she would open up to him in time.

As they drove through the forest, the trees grew thicker and thicker. Aoh would take moments to observe the beauty of the nature around them. Birds chirping, squirrels scampering around, and the occasional animals crossing their path. Though a normal person might find the journey tedious, Aoh was not.

"What was that flower? I had never seen those yellowish green flowers before, or those colorful tiny birds!"

Aoh was fascinated by the diverse flora and fauna that inhabited these forests, many of which were exclusive to the particular areas and some were unknown to her. She was particularly interested in the exotic flowers that bloomed only at peak noon and the small, vibrant birds of different colors and sizes that lived in the tree canopies.

As night fell, the driver and Aoh decided to make camp. The driver set up a fire, and Aoh ventured off to explore her surroundings and scavenge for her food. She wandered deeper into the forest, her white hair glimmering in the moonlight, she let her tail return to its original length.

As she walked, she came across a small river and, curious, stepped closer. The reflection of the moon rippled in the water. She crouched down, her hands in the water, feeling the coolness of the liquid. She watched as the reflection of the moon slowly moved across the surface. Eventually, her eyes grew tired, so she ate some fruits from her backpack and fell asleep under a tree.

Unbeknownst to Aoh, a fairy in a humanoid form with golden and colorful wings passed by. Despite its small size, the fairy's brightness was too much for the eyes to see. The fairy noticed Aoh and was attracted to the purity of her soul. Without hesitation, the fairy entered Aoh's chest without any resistance, and a golden hue enveloped her entire body.

Many were followed, but they soon noticed someone had inhabited the pure soul and they left simultaneously. Turning themselves like fireflies.

The next morning, the sun shone through the branches and leaves of the dense trees. A young girl with fox ears and a bushy tail was lying on the grass, her body undulating slightly as she breathed. Suddenly, a bright reddish fruit fell from a branch and hit her arm.

Aoh, with white hair and clothes of a typical commoner, slowly opened her eyes, as if she was still a little confused. She felt different, like when she snatched the fallen bag from the horses. Her senses were sharper than ever, and she was more aware of everything around her. She even caught a falling leaf above her head without looking.

"Strange... What happened to Aoh?," she said while examining the leaf.

She stood up and observed her surroundings. She saw the stream nearby and wanted to confirm her current appearance, as she felt her body was completely different than before. The water in the creek only showed her slim figure, and she noticed her eyes had become more golden in color, contradicting her shadow overall.

She let the leaf voyaged through the wide river like a boat and thought, "Aoh is still weaker... Aoh doesn't want to disappoint Amara. I want power!"

Aoh was a young fox girl, born in the heart of the ancient forest, an untamed world that was said to hold magic and secrets beyond the reach of most mortals. She had trained with Amara, a mentor and strong ex-adventurer, but Aoh’s body still felt rigid and limited, despite her efforts.

But as she gazed at the tall trees and lush foliage surrounding her, something shifted within her. With a slight leap, she jumped up to more than five meters high and picked a fruit from the top of the tree, a feat that would have been impossible for her before.

She tested her newfound agility by running through the tangled roots and sharp stones of the forest, a landscape that would have proven treacherous for any ordinary traveler. But to Aoh, everything was clear and easy, as if her body was light as cotton, and the world around her was an extension of herself.

She heard the wind whispers in her ear and felt the sun's warmth on her skin, sensing the rhythm of the forest, and it was like she was flying like a bird she envied. The colors, sounds, and scents of the forest came alive to her, a symphony of life that was both exhilarating and peaceful.

Aoh ran and jumped with a feeling of pure joy and freedom filling her heart. She leaped out of the green forest and let out a triumphant howl, "Aaaoooh!"

"Aoh wants to show this to Amara!" she thought, eager to share her experiences with the one who had guided her for this journey.

The world before her was an endless landscape of rolling green hills, dotted with vibrant forests, and sparkling streams. The wind carried the scent of pine and the rustling of leaves, as if inviting her to explore further, to discover all the secrets the unknown forests held. And even as she floated in mid-air, she felt a sense of safety, as if she was meant to soar and fly, a part of the magic that pervaded this wild and wondrous landscape.

Aoh then felt very hungry. Recalling the fruit that had fallen on her arm before and her backpack, Aoh went back to the fruit tree, picked a few more fruits, put some in her backpack, and came to the stream.

The water in the stream passed around her fingertips and sent a cool and comfortable feeling. After washing the fruits, Aoh picked one up and observed it carefully. The fruit she knew called Crimson apples was a pure reddish thin layer with a yellowish inside and was able to reflect the sunlight under the sun.

Gently breaking it apart, the inside was a light and delicious pulp that tasted sweet and slightly sour, similar to a citrus she had stolen from horses and ate.

Aoh had the intuition that the growth environment of this fruit tree was not perfect and there were many rooms for improvement. She bowed her head slightly and paid her respects to the tree, almost forgetting why she was there. Aoh stood up, picked up her backpack, and started to walk back, her mind now filled with thoughts of the nearest town she would soon be in.

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The driver was already awake and knowing the situation, he had cooked breakfast for himself only. Aoh sat down next to the fire and began to eat her fruits. The driver noticed the change in Aoh’s golden eyes and the air surrounding her and asked, "Is everything okay, miss? You seem different than before."

Aoh looked up at the driver and smiled. "She’s fine, thank you. Aoh just had an interesting dream she forgot last night. Aoh feels like her senses are sharper, and she can move more easily in the forest. It's like her body has become lighter."

The driver nodded with her strange way of talking and smiled. "That's great, miss. It seems like the forest fairies have blessed you. You'll be able to navigate it with ease now."

Aoh nodded and continued to eat her breakfast.

The driver and Aoh continued on for weeks, Aoh continuously scavenging for fruits and giving some to the old man which makes him feel guilty because she can’t eat anything aside from fruits. Not even vegetables which Aoh considered bland and bitter.

“What a shame…,” the driver sighed.

The sound of their horse's hooves echoed through the forest, the sun slowly rising and birds singing. Aoh looked out the window and noticed that the forest around them had become much more beautiful. They continued on for nearly one month and soon reached the edge of the forest.

Ahead of them was the walled town one kilometer away, gleaming in the morning light. Aoh could feel the excitement rising within her. Although she knew that it was the nearest town from the village Amara lived, the town of Honeywood, she felt nothing but happiness.

“Old man driver, see?! See?!,” Aoh joyfully pointed out the walled town in the distance.

Seeing her, the old man nodded and smiled. He remembered the time when he brought his granddaughter Amara here filled with enthusiasm.

"I'm glad we made it to town safely," said the driver as he dismounted the carriage and helped Aoh off. "Let's first get off the carriage."

Aoh took her backpack from the luggage compartment, still excited. The driver watched her with a warm smile.

"Miss, I have something that may help. Would you like to try it?" The driver offered Aoh a small bottle containing a red liquid. It smelled like fruit juice, and when she took a sip, it tasted sweet and slightly bitter. Aoh felt refreshed and her senses sharpened after drinking more.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It's a famous fruit juice drink among merchants," the driver explained. "It's an effective energy drink for body fatigue and laziness. If you want to move more freely and easily, drink some every day."

Aoh thanked the driver, who told her she was a good person and a friend of his granddaughter, Amara. He told her about his regret of not being able to watch over Amara as she grew up and how he wished he could still be by her side.

After a few hours of travel, the carriage arrived at the gate of Honeywood city. The driver opened the door for Aoh, who was overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells of the bustling city. The driver grabbed her shoulder to hold her back from getting too close to the busiest street.

“Thank you, old man driver. Uhh…?”

Aoh felt weird sensations behind her, she turned around and saw a large group of men standing in the middle of the street, blocking her path forward. She was confused and tried to figure out why they were there. The old man who was accompanying her quickly spoke up, "It's okay. These guys aren't bad. They just want to check your documents before letting you enter the city. Don't worry and go through with it. Although in this case, we will establish your identity and citizenship"

The driver then handed her a piece of paper and a pen and told her to write her name, location and address. Aoh was a little intimidated by the strange letters and symbols on the paper, but managed to write her information down nonetheless. The men who have swords hanging on their waist seemed satisfied with her writing and told her that she could continue, even though she was non-human.

The old man then took Aoh to a nearby office and introduced her as his granddaughter's undocumented companion. "I've known these guys for a while," he said. "They're open-minded and kind people."

While the old man went to complete the necessary paperwork for her, Aoh sat nervously on a bench near the building while covering herself with her hoodie jacket and flattened her ears so people would not despise her. Although many humans swarm around the street in the morning, all of them don’t care about her as they are too busy for their jobs and those who see her assume nothing.

When the driver returned, he had a stack of papers and a small box which he handed to the town’s registrar. "I had to register your citizenship on the town registry," he explained to Aoh. The process of registering her identity was a relief to Aoh, as it sounded simple enough for a non-human like her. Although their ultimate goal was to travel to the capital, Aoh still needed to establish her identity before venturing into larger settlements.

The clerk came out with a form for Aoh to sign, and a small wooden stamp. After filling out the form, she received an identity card, which she promptly placed in her backpack. With her identity established, Aoh and the old man went to the nearest inn.

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