It was the next day. The morning sun brought no relief to either tribe, and the ominous clouds gathering in the distance only served to heighten the tension for both sides. Reisi sat in his study still at a loss for what to do, what to think. He knew Mikoto wasn't going to back down any time soon, not until he personally made Totsuka's killer pay. And Reisi didn't know if that would make things better or worse in the long run. The blue fox still firmly believed in the innocence of his tribe in the killing of the red tribe's healer, but he couldn't convince Mikoto of that, not without solid proof. As he thought about what to do next, he idly twirled the small snowdrop, which he had picked the night before, in his fingers. He knew he had to press the flower soon, before it was too dry to be properly preserved in the pages of one of his favorite books, but having it in his hands made him feel calmer. And calm was something he definitely needed if he ever hoped to find a solution to this utter mess.
He looked down at the red bracelet still tied around his wrist, the one he was so happy to have received from Mikoto all those years ago. When he looked at the intricate red threads winding around his wrist, he usually felt warm and light because it reminded him of Mikoto. But now…now it had the complete opposite effect. His wrist felt heavy and cold where the bracelet laid, much like his heart whenever he thought of his lover, well, ex-lover now he supposed. He clenched the snowdrop a little too tightly in his hand for a moment as he tried to ignore the heavy feeling in his chest. He took a deep breath and forcefully tore his gaze from his wrist. This was no time to feel sad and defeated. Heartbroken or not he still had a job to do and a tribe to protect. Regardless of his personal feelings, he had a duty and he knew that in his head, but his heart was different. His heart was aching.
Reisi's free hand clenched the fabric of his robe, right over his chest. He was still in his sleeping robes and he wasn't sure he would change out of them for the rest of the day. He had told Awashima to leave him alone unless it was an emergency or if her investigation into Totsuka's murder had turned up any useful information. So far he had been left in peace, which was just as good as it was bad. No interruptions also meant no leads, which meant he still had no idea what his next move would be.
After a few more moments of quiet contemplation, the Blue Fox King finally rose from the chair he had been sitting in for hours and stretched his tense limbs. He knew he couldn't sit around and mope forever, but he was still far too emotional to make any well thought out decisions and he knew it. He decided to take a warm bath in hopes that it would clear his head and offer his chilled body some warmth. It had snowed all through the night and didn't stop until late morning. Reisi was colder than he usually was even on a snowy day like this. If he let his mind wander to Mikoto again, he'd think about how much he missed the other foxes' warmth already, especially now that his frigid body desperately craved some sort of heat. He closed his eyes and shook his head in a futile attempt to get rid of his thoughts of Mikoto.
He sighed deeply and looked back at the flower still clutched in his pale hand. Reisi then turned and grabbed a thick book from one of his many bookshelves, opening it to a random page around the middle of the book. He placed the delicate white flower on the open page and then slowly, but firmly, closed the large book shut. The blue fox stared at the binding of the book for far longer than he probably should have but he couldn't help but stop and think about the meadow, if just for a moment more. He took another deep breath, which only marginally helped with the ache in his chest. After a quick soak to warm himself up, he would return to work. He had sulked long enough and wasted enough precious time. The killer was still out there and he needed to find them before a war broke out. Too many people were counting on him. He couldn't afford to waver, especially not now. But, as he rounded the corner at the end of the hall, he couldn't fully ignore the weight on his wrist.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Mikoto was still seething. He hadn't slept all night. He couldn't. Every time he closed his eyes he would see Totsuka's dead body or Reisi's hurt expression. At this point, he didn't know which was worse. Izumo had tried to talk to him, but he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. He just wanted to rest and not think about anything. That's why he was here. Isolated from the rest of his tribe in the thick forest that surrounded the Red fox village. He had grown so accustomed to the constant sizzling sound around him that he hadn't even noticed when it finally stopped snowing. He wasn't looking at anything in particular either, simply gazing at the scorched ground beneath him with unfocused and half-lidded eyes. His mind was blank, too tired to really think of anything other than his anger and how drained he was. It was just as well. If he had actually been thinking of something, he would have just forced himself to stop before his thoughts threatened to make his flames even more volatile.
Mikoto was pretty sure that at the rate his flames were basically burning through everything in his general vicinity, he had to tire soon. And whether he actually fell asleep or simply slipped into unconsciousness from sheer exhaustion was of no concern to him. Either way, he'd be knocked out and hopefully he would feel a little more under control when he woke up. Maybe he'd even be a little less bloodthirsty, and a little more open to talking. Maybe.
Almost on cue, he felt his flames fluctuate against the rock he was leaning on. They were finally waning and he could feel the fatigue spread through his entire body. He wasn't thinking of much as he finally closed his eyes and surrendered his consciousness to sleep. However, the last thing he does remember flashing through the exhausted haze of his mind is sad violet eyes.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
After Reisi finished his bath, he felt slightly better, but only just. The heat that the warm water provided was only temporary relief for the frigidity inside him that he knew would be there to stay, at least for a while. No amount of warm water could replace the comforting heat of another person, but it was refreshing nonetheless. Reisi dressed himself in his casual robes, leaving his sleeping clothes behind but not intending to attend to any official business for the rest of the day unless it was an emergency. As he walked down the hall back to his study he noticed Seiri waiting for him right outside the large wooden doors. Assuming it was urgent news, he picked up the pace of his steps to reach her sooner.
When she noticed him approaching she stood at attention. "Your highness," she said giving a slight bow.
"What is it Captain? Have you found anything?" He asked using his usual formal tone. He still wasn't quite happy with his Captain but he wasn't petty enough to be cold with her, just neutral.
She stood up straight before answering him, "No, not yet, but we are sure to find something soon."
Reisi looked at her, a little bemused, "Then why the visit Captain? Has something else happened?" He had specifically instructed her to not disturb him, so for Seiri to be standing before him something had to be amiss.
Seiri spoke firmly but respectfully, "I'm sorry to disturb you as you rest Your Highness, but it seems that the council is taking advantage of your impromptu absence to have a meeting without you present. They claim it is only routine but they are more than likely discussing the possibility of war. I thought it imperative that you know that they may be trying to make a move without your knowledge."
Reisi was only mildly surprised. The council would take any opportunity they could to plot behind his back. He knew they hated that he was the heir to the Blue fox thrown and they always would.
"Thank you for informing me, Captain. I'll have to look into it once I've finished resting for the day," Reisi replied.
"Oh course, your highness. I will always be here to support you," she said with a conviction Reisi knew was true.
He offered her a small smile, "I have no doubts about that, Captain. Now, please return to your investigation. I want information on the Totsuka incident as soon as I wake tomorrow morning."
Her ears perked a fraction as he smiled at her, but she quickly bowed her head in reply. "Yes, your highness," she said, meeting his eyes for only a moment before turning around and heading back up the hall and towards the barracks.
As soon as she was out of sight, Reisi sighed quietly to himself. He knew that she was using the opportunity to inform him about the council to check up on him. Her concerned gaze was barely hidden behind her aloof presence and platinum bangs.
Reisi looked down at the red band on his wrist and nearly sighed again. He had to separate himself from his inner turmoil sooner rather than later if the council was already planning something in his brief absence. Reisi tore his gaze from his wrist and continued into his chambers. He would settle in for the afternoon with his favorite book and the best tea they had available to help calm his mind. Tomorrow would hopefully be a better day.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"We can't let the Red foxes do as they please any longer," A male fox with a long white beard and a lavish robe raved as he smashed a fist into the large mahogany table.
"He's right," agreed another graying fox, "We have to take action before they do."
"We can't simply neutralize a threat that doesn't exist yet," interjected another fox at the opposite end of the table.
"Why not? The very existence of the Red fox tribe is a threat to us, it always has been," the angry old fox threw back.
"I agree. History always tends to repeat itself and there's more than enough proof of our tumultuous history with the Red foxes," came another voice from the beside of the angry elderly fox.
"Regardless of the past, we can't simply start a war without reason. I'm not keen on shaking hands and making peace with the lot of them, but I also do not think war is necessary. It would devastate our tribe as much as theirs, even if we were victorious," an older female fox voiced, her gleaming silver hair and wise face barely betraying her years.
"Hmm. She does have a point. We don't have to be comrades, but a war does seem excessive. They haven't done anything grave enough to warrant a declaration of warm," another fox spoke as he stroked his short white beard and agreed.
The heated fox with the long beard banged his hand against the table once more, "Have none of you seen the instability of the Red tribe's newest King? He's bound to set fire to our town at any moment."
The wise fox woman shook her head in disapproval, "We're not blind, we've all seen what Mikoto can do, but he's also never done anything of dire consequence. The most he and his tribe have done is cause mischief, not death."
"And wasn't it to my understanding that Reisi has been keeping a watchful eye over him? With how dedicated our King is, I doubt he would let any of the Red foxes' plans go unnoticed," the fox with the short beard added.
The angry old fox scoffed and crossed his arms at the two, "You give that half-breed too much credit, he's lucky that the Red King is more aloof than violent, if he weren't we'd all be dead by now because of Reisi's weak blood."
"I still honestly do not know what King Jin was thinking, marrying a White fox woman. He went against our advice and forever tainted the line. The least he could have done was give us a pure-blood heir as well," the fox beside him added.
"Enough. I think it unfair of you to judge the King on shortcomings that have never negatively affected this tribe or this council. You cannot assume he would fail just because he's a half. He has never shown any significant signs of weakness and he has certainly been more than adequate in his duty of keeping this town safe," the fox woman interjected again, this time slightly more forceful than the last.
"Yuko is right. Whether you feel as if King Reisi is fit or not is of no concern to this discussion. There have been no signs of serious aggression from the Red foxes and our King has done more than enough to protect us and uphold his noble Blue fox lineage," another added.
"Honestly, it's as if you want to put our entire tribe in danger for a century's old grudge that has no basis in the present. You really are as old as you look," the wise fox stated as she threw the angry old man a light glare.
Irritated by the jab, the elderly fox rose from his seat and slammed both palms on the table, "I don't want to hear that coming from you, old bat. Your way of thinking is so naïve because you didn't have to go on the battlefield the last time we fought those Red fox scum."
Thoroughly Irritated now, the female fox raised her voice and sent him a venomous look, "I did plenty to protect this town during that war and you know it. Not all of us had to wave around our swords and pretend we were big and strong in order to help our tribe."
"Silence!"
The entire room falls silent at the sudden words filled with authority. The tall, distinguished fox at the head of the table wearing robes more lavish than anyone else with no beard and hair as white as snow, spoke for the first time since the meeting had begun. Zenjou, the leader of the Blue Fox Council, was a fox of few words but demanded more respect and exuded more authority than Reisi himself at times.
"It is clear that we cannot come to a unanimous decision, even with the recent trouble the Red Fox King seems to have given us, I do not feel it is enough for an executive decision on the matter."
"So we leave it at a deadlock?"
Zenjou nodded. "Correct. Unless you all want to continue to argue over the matter for a few more hours and waste even more time."
The room fills with silence once more. There are a few foxes who look as if they are about to speak, but none have the confidence to contradict the head of the council.
After a short pause, the room comes to a consensus that the argument for war is to be put to rest for the time being.
The bitter old man with the long beard, Shisou, finally settles down, "Fine. For now, we'll hold off on our decision for war, but the second those Red foxes do something outlandish we'll put this decision to a final vote and I'm sure I'll get a favorable answer from you all then."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"If our king doesn't have the guts to avenge Totsuka, we have to!" shouted Shun as he began to rally a small group of red foxes in the village.
"We can't just go after them without a plan, Shun! That's suicide!" yelled another fox from nearby.
"That is exactly why we must rally together to fight the Blue foxes before they spill any more innocent Red fox blood," Shun tried to reason as he gesticulated fiercely, "just as we did in the past!" he added.
The crowd grew silent as they talked amongst themselves and considered Shun's words. He was a war hero after all, and although he was often unapproachable, he was still well-respected throughout the village. Then, before Shun could continue to rouse the crowd, a sharp voice cut through the silence.
"If Mikoto wants us to fight then we will fight, but it's his decision to make as King not ours," Misaki spoke up from the back of the small crowd.
Shun scowled, "Well, if it isn't the self-proclaimed vanguard of the Red fox tribe."
Misaki's ears fell flat on his rusty red hair as he growled at the older fox. "I don't see you doing anything for this clan other than sitting around and complaining all the time old man," he snarled.
"Watch your mouth brat. I didn't risk my life in the great war for a disrespectful pup to talk down to me!" Shun growled back.
"You are you calling a pup, old man? I've fought plenty of battles myself while you sit here and gripe about how Mikoto runs things," Misaki threw back, hastily making his way to where Shun stood.
"That good for nothing King doesn't run anything as far as I'm concerned. He can't even keep the Blues from killing our kind!" Shun countered.
Rikuo put a hand on Misaki's shoulder to stop his advances, "Yata, I don't think this is a good idea..." he said nervously.
Misaki turned around angrily, "Don't try and stop me! This guy is trying to start an uproar behind
Mikoto's back and it's my job to put him in his place!"
"Don't you think Izumo should handle this? You're just making Shun angrier," Rikuo tried to reason."
Misaki faltered for a moment. He looked at the seething older fox and then back to his anxious friend. With an annoyed huff, Misaki straightened out of his aggressive stance and focused his full attention back on Shun.
"You can sit here and talk shit all day if you want, but if you ever do anything to betray King Mikoto, I won't back down next time," Misaki threatened, bearing his teeth and pulling his ears back once more. "That goes for all of you!" He added as he turned his sharp golden eyes on the rest of the crowd.
Some of the onlookers flinched at the intense glare from the Red fox vanguard and most flinched away as the angry redhead made his way out of the crowd with Rikuo following close behind.
Shun kept a fierce expression on his face, not letting any of the younger foxe's words affect him. He glared after Misaki until he and Rikuo were completely out of sight, and then turned back to the crowd. Most of the onlookers had started to trickle away after Misaki's threats, but some Red foxes remained.
Shun looked over at the remaining dozen or so foxes, "Whoever is still interested in discussing how we should really be dealing with this tragedy can follow me to my quarters. I have much more to say."
The remaining foxes looked to one another. Some pensive, some distraught and others held looks of anger and loathing. Shun started to make his way back to his home without looking back at the crowd. He knew those with real conviction would follow him, and follow him the did.
A few hours later, Shun had convinced ten of his Red fox tribe members that they had to take matters into their own hands if Mikoto was not willing to avenge their beloved healer. As the night dragged on, a plan was set in motion. A plan that Shun had been putting together for years now. He was waiting for the right moment to set things in motion. To create enough strife within the tribe that some would be willing to go against the rule of their precious King Mikoto. As soon as he heard the rumor that
Mikoto and the Blue Fox King were involved, he knew it was the right time. After all, how could any Red fox truly trust their King if he was in a relationship with one of their sworn enemies? Shun could not have asked for a better opportunity to strike. Shun had wanted at least 20 tribesmen to participate in his plan but a little over a dozen would do.
Unbeknown to Shun and his fellow traitors, Eric had stopped by his father's residence. When the young healer was about to knock on his father's door he heard voices and angry murmurs from the other side. Curiously, his blond ears perked up and strained to hear what was being said inside the cabin.
"We strike at daybreak, when the guards on the night shift swap with the morning guards. We'll take advantage of the switch and take the place of the morning guards after incapacitating them," Shun explained.
"What do you mean by incapacitate?" One of the other foxes asked.
Shun smiled wickedly, "Make sure they don't squeal on us by any means necessary."
"What comes after?" another, older fox asked.
"The Blue King is always present for the first patrol of the day. He'll have four guards with him according to my data, so we should be able to ambush him as soon as he exits the mansion. He may be a King but with a dozen trained fighters against five measly Blue foxes we should have the upper hand," Shun explained confidently.
Eric stopped listening after that. He couldn't believe it. After his father had killed Totsuka, he was still after more bloodshed. More people were going to die, Blue and Red fox alike. Knowing what he knew, Eric didn't think he could stand having any more blood on his hands. The young fox turned away from the cabin and ran as fast as he could across the village. He was done with covering up for his father. He had to do something. Anything. He couldn't let the peace that Totsuka helped build just crumble. Eric may not have been able to save his mentor, but he was going to do everything in his power to save the rest of his tribe from tragedy.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Mikoto woke up in bed a few hours later. His mind was hazy from the excessive use of his powers and he could still feel his fire magic faintly burning beneath his skin. He didn't know how he had gotten from the forest to his home, but he was happy to be lying on his bed instead of the hard forest floor.
"You awake, King?" Mikoto heard a familiar voice ask. He was still groggy so the voice sounded muffled, distant.
Mikoto groaned and rolled over, attempting to open his eyes and focus on one of the chairs in his room.
Izumo gave a dry chuckle, "I suppose that's a good enough response. We need to talk, Mikoto."
Mikoto did not like the serious tone in his second in commands voice. He wondered, briefly, what had upset the other fox so, but he didn't have to wonder for long. Totsuka was dead, a Blue fox probably killed him and he had declared war on Reisi last night. The fire under his skin began to grow at the mere recollection. No wonder Izumo was in no mood for small talk.
Mikoto blinked away his tired haze as best he could as he looked at Izumo. The other fox did not look like he had slept last night either. His hair was slightly tousled, there were deep circles under his eyes and his entire expression looked strained. His friend had definitely seen better days.
"What is it Izumo?" Mikoto drawled.
Izumo's frown deepened, "Word is, you declared war on the Blue's last night all on your own. Very diplomatic I might add."
Mikoto didn't reply.
Izumo sighed. "Is that what you really want Mikoto? A war? That's not what this tribe needs right now."
Mikoto sat up in his bed and stared down his close friend, "And what do they need Izumo?"
"They need closure and time to heal. Totsuka meant a lot to all of us, not just you Mikoto. He was the heart of this place and I don't know if we'll ever be able to fully recover from losing him, but starting a war won't make things any better," Izumo said firmly.
Mikoto scowled at him, "You know what'll help everyone heal? Making whoever did this suffer as much as we have."
Izumo returned the scowl with one of his own, "I agree that finding the murderer will help bring closure, but we can work with the Blues to find them. You know better than anyone that whoever did this does not share the ideals of the current Blue King. Reisi-"
Before Izumo could continue, Mikoto slammed his fist down on his bedside table. "Don't say his name!" He growled out.
Izumo immediately closed his mouth and took a step back, startled by the sudden outburst. His ears lay flat on his head in surprise as he stared a little wide-eyed at Mikoto. After the initial shock, the blond fox marginally eased his posture and make eye-contact with the Red fox King.
Not one to back down from a fight, Mikoto held Izumo's game and didn't let up.
They stared at one another for a solid minute before Izumo started to speak again.
"You know the Blue King wouldn't encourage something like this. I'm sure he and Seiri are tracking down the murderer as we speak because they always strive for justice. Sure our tribes don't see eye to eye, but picking petty fights doesn't lead to murder Mikoto. Something else is going on here and you can't see clearly through your anger and personal feelings. You can't let hatred cloud your judgement when the decision you make affects an entire village not just yourself. I know you've never wanted the title of King, but it's time to suck it up and be the King this tribe needs. We don't need a war, we need hope!" As he spoke, Izumo's voice continued to rise until he was almost shouting. He was angry, Mikoto realized, angrier than he had ever seen him and he understood why. Izumo wanted the same things he did. He wanted the bastard who did this to Totsuke to burn, but Izumo also realized that that wasn't the best thing for the tribe. The blond was frustrated, but he was not blinded by his rage like Mikoto was. Izumo could always see the big picture when all Mikoto could do was hyperfocus on the little details and that was exactly why he was the bright mind of the Red fox tribe.
Mikoto felt foolish as he tore his gaze away from Izumo. He tried to muster up all the anger and righteousness he had felt before, but in the face of his friend the fire burning in his skin started to fizzle. He felt the gravity of what he had done sink in, and then came the regret and the memory of stricken lilac eyes. Mikoto hunched over and refused to look up.
Izumo sighed, anger deflating as he saw Mikoto close in on himself, "I can't say I'm not angry at you for what you've done Mikoto, but I understand. We're all upset. You just have too much responsibility to be throwing around threats of war. What if the Blue's took it seriously, especially now that you've calmed down and regret it?"
"Reisi wouldn't let that happen," Mikoto mumbled softly, and Izumo knew he was right.
The second in command gave another heavy sigh as he combed his fingers over his ears and through his messy hair, "I know he wouldn't, and Seiri wouldn't either but that doesn't mean you can be reckless with things like this. We can't afford a war, especially not now."
Mikoto nodded his head, "Yeah, I know. My bad," he apologized quickly. He never was good at it.
Izumo's lip quirked up in an almost smile at the weak apology, "It's fine. What's done is done, but now we have to focus on unifying the tribe and moving past this. You should also talk to the Blue King to clear the atmosphere. We don't want anyone thinking your declaration of war was serious."
Mikoto groaned, this time annoyed, "Talking solved nothing," he commented.
"Well it can solve a lot more than you think. I can send a message to Seiri though, if you don't want to face your other half again so soon," Izumo suggested as he lightly teased at his friend to lighten the mood.
Mikoto scoffed humorously at the comment, "Well I'm sure after last night he doesn't want to see me either…" he trailed off with a frown.
Izumo stopped his attempts at levity and finally approached Mikoto's bedside, "He there King, I'm sure you two will work it out. For now, you have to focus on the tribe first though."
Mikoto nodded again, albeit sullenly. He knew he had hurt Reisi, he just wasn't sure how deep his words had cut and how long it would take for the wounds they made to heal. He'd rather not think about how long they would have to stay apart after this fight.
Just then, there was bangging on the door to the cabin. Both of their heads turned towards the noise and their ears stood at alert.
"Who is it?" Izumo called out.
"It's Eric. I really need to speak with you and Mikoto." The young fox replied from the other side.
Izumo turned to Mikoto for approval and the King gave a small nod.
Izumo turned back towards this door so his voice would be heard better through the door as he said, "Come in."
Eric burst through the door, still a little frantic as his eyes darted back and forth between Mikoto and Izumo.
"Eric, what is it?" Izumo asked, concern evident in his soft tone.
Eric hesitated for only a moment before blurting out, "My father is planning an attack on the Blue Foxes."
Izumo's eyes widened a fraction and Mikoto's features tenses.
"What? That's impossible," Izumo replied, obviously shocked by the accusation.
"It's true!" Eric insisted, clenching his fists at his side. "He's gathered about a dozen Red foxes to help him and they plan to strike at day break!"
Izumo shook his head, disbelieving, "Why would he do such a thing? Your father may not agree with how Mikoto rules the tribe but he's a war hero. Why would he plan an attack without Mikoto's consent?"
Eric took more time to answer this time, opening and closing his mouth as he fumbled for an explanation. The young fox looked down after a moment, shamed at himself for his cowardice flimsy conviction. If he was going to tell them the truth about his father, he was also going to have to incriminate himself. He thought of Totsuka, of how he was so gentle and kind, even in his final moments. Tears stung his eyes, threatening to spill forth as he finally raised his head to meet Izumo's gaze again.
Izumo waited patiently for a response, eyeing Eric's body language curiously.
Eric took one more deep, steadying breath before speaking again, "My father has been planning a coup against Mikoto for a long time. He knew that most Red foxes were undoubtedly loyal to the King, so he had to cause enough chaos to make others doubt their devotion to King Mikoto. In order to do that he-," here Eric's voice broke as the tears in his eyes began to spill over. After a shaky intake of air, he continued, "he killed what was most precious to the peace of our tribe."
Izumo and Mikoto had gone completely silent. They couldn't believe it. Izumo was horrified at the prospect of a fellow Red fox being the culprit and Mikoto...Mikoto felt the familiar anger boiling in his blood.
"He killed Totsuka because he knew it would disrupt the balance of the tribe and he made it look like a blue did it to gain favor in his vendetta and raise doubts about the King's loyalty to us," Eric continued as he wiped the tears from his eyes, frantically trying to stop them from flowing. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I didn't say anything," he added, putting both hands over his face now and collapsing to the ground. "This is all my fault.." he continued in a voice too small and too muffled to be heard.
While Izumo stood there, too surprised to do more than stare at the young Red fox before him, Mikoto stood and marched over to Eric's crouched figure.
"Stand up." Mikoto demanded, voice as icy as the blade that killed his best friend and eyes as ferocious as a beasts.
Eric, still trembling from his sobbing, stumbles a bit as he tries to stand.
Mikoto grabs a hold of his collar, similarly to how he'd grabbed him the night of Totsuka's murder. "Why should I believe a liar like you? If what you say is true, you've been deceiving all of us until now," Mikoto snarled in his face.
Eric's trembling only worsened and he couldn't keep eye contact with his furious King.
"I-I'm sor-"
"Sorry isn't good enough!" Mikoto yelled, shaking Eric in his firm hold on the collar of his robes.
Eric took a few sobbing breaths and tried again, "I was scared of my father. I was a coward and I let someone we all cherished die because I wasn't strong enough. I don't want that to happen again," new tears spilled from his bloodshot eyes as he continued, "I don't want my friends to keep dying because of my father's schemes or because of my inability to do anything about it. I want, for once, to protect what is precious to me and what is precious to those I care about." Eric finally looked Mikoto in eyes. His sad brown eyes held a mix of sorrow and desperation as he looked at his King. Mikoto didn't loosen his grip on Eric, but he held his gaze unflinching as the young, blond fox continued to cry and stare him down.
Eric took that as a sign to continue, "I know that Totsuka would never have wanted a war with the Blue foxes because he knew how much that would hurt both sides." He looked down after that, voice small and trembling as he spoke the next few words, "I couldn't protect him, but I can at least try and protect what was important to him."
Mikoto looked at the crying boy in his grip for a long while, for once deciding to think before acting on his anger. He was tired, and he recognized Eric's sadness within himself. After a while, he finally put Eric down and the young fox collapsed to the cold floor once again.
Izumo took the opportunity to move closer to Eric, finally breaking himself out of his shell shock. He was still filtering through all the information Eric had divulged, but he was grateful that Mikoto hadn't done anything he would later regret while Izumo was too stunned to do anything about it.
He gently put a hand on Eric's shoulder, "You said they were planning to strike at daybreak?" Izumo asked, choosing not to dwell on the fact that Eric was an accomplice in the plot that kill his best friend. The threat of war was far too prevalent to focus on anything else at the moment.
Eric nodded his head meekly, apparently using up all the conviction and courage he had in speaking with Mikoto.
Izumo gave the boy's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "Don't worry Eric. You did well in telling us. We'll stop your father from shedding any more innocent blood," he promised. The older, blond fox then turned and tilted his head up to face Mikoto.
"Day break is in under an hour Mikoto, how do you want to handle this?" Izumo inquired.
Mikoto clenched his fists and set his jaw in a tense line as he thought about Eric's father. The bastard was going to pay. "Gather Misaki and the rest of the vanguard," he ordered, voice laced with venom, "We're going to burn those traitors."