Chapter 194: The Foxfolks Secret

The Foxfolk quarter was quieter. While there was no shouting warriors or roaring flames, the Foxfolk were certainly not relaxed. Almost every window had a spirit lamp glowing and guards stood at the entrance of the temporary homes. Illusion charms were also up along the narrow streets that had been open to everyone just two nights ago. All Foxfolk in Varghelm had heard of Veyra Vossari’s death and were quickly turning from sadness.

In the largest of the homes, Elder Caelis Vossari stood with the reports spread out across a table. With Veyra dead and several senior council members already in detainment due to the previous assassination attempt, Caelis was now the highest ranking free Foxfolk in Varghelm. He had never thought he would be in this position, having to deal with all of these reports. Each report gave him more arguments to deal with, more injured Foxfolk and more demands for answers to why their magic keeps appearing at the crime scenes. Caelis rubbed his forehead.

"The Tigers are blaming us, some of the Lions are and half of the smaller clans won’t let our merchants in their quarters. And to top it all off our Matriarch is dead in a prison run by the Wolf Crown." One of the elders tails flicked in annoyance. "They should have been protecting her." "She was in detainment." "But they should have been protecting her." They started arguing. Three of the elders were very quiet. They didn’t need to be. Everything was going exactly as planned.

Elder Serelle Vaun quickly looked down. She had been on small committees for the merchants for years and never really got recognised. Her family ran several profitable enchantment workshops but the larger Fox families always had more say in council positions, trading and deals with the Wolf Crown. When Maelor Sableclaw approached her two years ago, he didn’t need to threaten her. He offered her an opportunity.

If the Wolf Crown were to weaken the balance of power between the Beastfolk would change. If Veyra’s side fell then her family would have more room to move up. Maelor promised that by working with the Fox houses they would have increased trading opportunities through the Catfolk, shares in routes currently held by the Wolves and roles in the new order he would create once Bravelm no longer revolved around the Wolf Crown.

She agreed. As did Elder Thessin Marr and merchant Lord Varro Kelis. They started off simple. Gathering information. Changing guard shifts. Copying spirit magic. Notes on how their hiding magic left a mana imprint. The assassin from the Catfolk quickly learnt. While precision magic was natural to his people, the Fox illusion and spirit magic required a different understanding. Serelle and her allies gave him notes on the structure of the spells, practice crystals and recordings of Fox mana. While he couldn’t truly cast like a Fox, he could copy enough to trick anyone looking at the crime scene quickly. The initial investigation did exactly that. However, it wasn’t until experienced mages had looked at it that they realised it was too clean. By then most of the fear had done its job.

Serelle looked at Caelis and forced some sadness onto her face. "We keep saying we’re investigating." The room slowly fell silent. Caelis looked at her. "What do you suggest?" She stood. "Our Matriarch is dead." No one replied. She let the words hang in the air. "Veyra made mistakes. We all know that. She authorised the attack on Tanaka Eldoris and two of our own council helped her. We agreed to the investigation. We gave up our authority. We let our Matriarch be imprisoned by the Wolf Crown because we were told we would let the law decide."

Several of the elders nodded. "And what did the law do?" Caelis frowned. "We don’t know who killed her." "Exactly." She moved away from the table. "We don’t know because our people keep waiting. Everyone is deciding what our lives are worth. Someone got into a Crown prison, broke through the wards and killed Veyra. The Tigers attack, the Lions sharpen their weapons and the Wolves tell us to stay calm." Thessin joined in. "How long?" Caelis looked at him. Thessin spread his arms. "How long are we meant to stay calm? Until another Fox is killed? Until the Tigers decide we had something to do with it?" Murmurs started to spread around the table. Varro waited until they were louder.

"And the Lions are preparing for war." A few of the elders tensed. Caelis looked at him sharply. "Confirmed?" "We saw them practising. Weapons practise, strengthening magic and combat spells. While Garrath may be wanting to stay calm his warriors are preparing." This was true. The best lies are usually surrounded by truth. "What about the Tigers?" They had already delivered their ultimatum. The room exploded. Caelis put his hands up.

"Enough!" The voices slowly died down. He looked intently at the table. "We are not going to war because of other people’s fear." Serelle stepped forward. "Yes we are. Our Matriarch was murdered." Caelis’ eyes widened. "Who?" This made Serelle pause. The Fox had no proof that the Wolves had killed Veyra. No proof that the Tigers had ordered her death and couldn’t claim the Lions were to blame. Going to war with no enemy would be madness. But Serelle had planned for this. "Not with one people."

Caelis frowned. "Anyone who tries to use this chaos to destroy us." She looked around the chamber. "We are pulling back from passive alliance until we find who killed Veyra. We are mobilising our warriors, putting guards on our merchant routes, recalling our spirit mages and preparing to defend every Fox district in Varghelm. If the Tigers attack us we will retaliate. If the Lions attack us we will retaliate. And if the Wolf Crown try to disarm us while everyone else is preparing for war we will decline." Her tails moved behind her. "This is a war in all but name." Caelis looked at her in shock. "Maybe they should have considered that before our Matriarch died in a Crown cell." The room exploded with agreement.

However, not everyone agreed with Serelle. Some of the elders argued that Veyra had contributed to the problem and making it worse would only benefit whoever was framing them. Others argued that the copied magic showed someone wanted them angry. One old spirit mage even warned that by acting how the killer expected they could be walking into a trap. But sadness and embarrassment won. The Fox had already seen their authority crumble after the failed assassination attempt on Veyra. Now they were being framed for more murders with their magic, their merchants were being suspicious and their former leader had died in a prison run by the government claiming to keep the peace. Caelis listened as the voices merged together. He stood. "Enough." The room fell silent. He looked older. "I served Veyra for eighteen years." Serelle lowered her head.

"I didn’t agree with what she did to Tanaka Eldoris. I told her that I didn’t think another nations growth was reason enough to order an assassination. But I can’t deny that she was our Matriarch." His jaw tightened. "And she was killed while defenceless in a cell." Several Fox lowered their heads. "Someone has killed her. Someone has murdered Beastfolk across Varghelm and dressed up their deaths with copies of our magic. Someone thinks we can be used as a cover for them." Mana flared in the room. His tails lifted. "They are wrong." The spirits responded. Tiny flames flared above the lamps, shadows danced across the walls and the air seemed to bend. "We will not start a blind war." Some faces dropped. "But we will prepare." The room changed. "All combat spirit mages are to report to your house commander before sunrise.

Enchanters will prepare protective charms, healers will set up safe spots and our merchants will shut down any routes we can’t guard. No Fox will attack first without my order. However if another clan raises their weapons against us we will retaliate." Agreement filled the room. "We are not weak because we like to talk over claws!" The Fox listened. "We are not cowards because our power lies in illusions, spirits and knowledge!" The mana flared brighter.

"They have mistaken our patience for weakness." His tails fanned out. "Let them." The room exploded. Small flames of spirit magic flared upwards. The Fox responded to their temporary leader. Warriors rushed out to gather their people and messengers delivered the orders to every Fox home in Varghelm. They hadn’t officially declared war on another nation. But they were prepared. And in a city teetering on the edge of war, it was becoming irrelevant.

________

Serelle waited until the meeting was over. She walked out with Thessin and Varro. They travelled through two illusion wards and entered a small room underneath one of the merchant homes. Thessin locked the door and Varro pulled out a communication crystal. No records of this crystal existed in any Fox council. The other crystal was somewhere else in Varghelm. Serelle pressed two fingers to the crystal. Mana flowed into it. A thin line of light appeared.

"The Fox are mobilised. Caelis has fallen for the trap. He won’t attack first but he won’t be able to hold them back after the next provocation." A voice came through. Maelor. "And the others?" "The Tigers are ready for war. The Lions are arming themselves. The Wolves are trying to keep everything together." A smile appeared on Serelle’s face. "We managed to get you your war."

A pause. A soft chuckle. "Good." The crystal dimmed. She looked at the others. Above them the Fox spirit mages were preparing. The Tigers were sharpening their weapons across Varghelm. The Lions were practising. And the Wolves were caught in the middle, still trying to keep the peace alive.