Hiita felt the wind caressing her face as she ran through the forest. Her steps were light, as always — years of experience meant she could slither through the thick vegetation just as swiftly as if there was none at all — yet today she was taking special precautions to make as little noise as possible.

I'll catch you red-handed this time!

She slowed down as she approached her goal, one of the many small game traps they had set through the forest. Thanks to the gluttonous appetite of Eria's new friend, they were completely out of meat, but that was the least of Hiita's worries at the moment.

Hiding her scarlet hair below her brown hoodie, she put her back to a tree and waited. Taking a quick glance, she spotted her well-hidden snare trap, green cords camouflaged against the vegetation. A rabbit was caught in it, and Hiita sighed in relief. For a while now, the traps placed around this area had been triggering, but whenever she went to check them, both bait and catch were gone. She'd checked the ropes and knots several times, but everything was in working order.

Which means someone has been stealing them.

It had happened before, of course. Bears, foxes, and other carnivorous animals often took the opportunity for an easy meal. The solution was simple; don't set the trap for a few days, and the animal wouldn't come back. Doriado had taught them where most predators lived and they'd placed the baits accordingly, which meant a stolen kill was most likely a stray wolf or a bear that had wandered too far from its dwelling. In either case, avoiding the place for a while did the trick.

Except, this time, it hadn't. Hiita had waited three days, then a week, but whenever she went to check there had been nothing but dry blood left. Whatever animal it was that was taking advantage of them, it had made its home close by.

All four of them took turns hunting, and the others knew about this, but no one had managed to figure out the truth so far. That was why she had left home earlier than usual, with the sun having barely come out from its resting place below the horizon, to find who or what was behind these disappearances. Aussa, always the lazybones, as Hiita liked to say, had suggested they ask Doriado. They'd all agreed their teacher knew the answer — she knew everything, after all — but Hiita had insisted that they should figure it out by themselves.

Lost as she was in thoughts of Doriado praising her, it took her a while to notice the orange shape in front of the dead rabbit. She blinked.

So it's a fox…?

While there was no doubt that the creature in front of her could be nothing but a fox, there were several odd things about it. First of all, it was small, not much bigger than a cub, and yet she didn't see any vixens around. Secondly, it was standing on two legs, quite an unusual posture for an animal of its kind. Thirdly, and strangest of all, its tail was on fire. A small flame burned brightly at the pointed end of the fox's appendage, though it didn't seem to be bothered by it in the slightest.

Hiita observed with curious eyes as the strange flaming fox scanned its surroundings. When it was content with the unmoving scenery, it sniffed the rabbit before picking it up in its mouth. As soon as it did, Hiita jumped, her arms open.

"I got you now, you thief!"

Despite catching her by surprise, the fox dodged with what seemed like impossible speed and dashed in the opposite direction, stolen prey still in its mouth.

Hiita rolled in the grass with momentum and was up on her feet in a snap.

"Come back here!" She yelled, sprinting after the fox. Though Wynn could beat her if she used her magic, Hiita was the fastest and most agile in their group, and it wasn't close. Still, no matter how proud one is of their athletic prowess, there's no competing with a wild animal. Despite her efforts, the fox slowly pulled ahead. She silently cursed her burning calves as she felt herself slow down.

The fox, now a good twenty steps away, turned her head, perhaps to check if its pursuer was close by, perhaps simply to mock her. Whatever it was, that quick head turn made her blind to a tree root jutting just slightly off the ground, hidden by the tall grass.

"Ah." let out Hiita.

The fox tripped and was sent flying, stolen prey dropping to the ground. Her body hit a tree and fell, unmoving.

"That's what you get for not looking where you're going." Hiita admonished as she picked up the rabbit. The fox had bit quite deep into it, which meant it wasn't a good idea to take it back to eat.

"I guess you win this time!"

She took a quick look at the unconscious fox. It wasn't bleeding, so it'd probably be fine, she judged. They were sturdy animals.

Anyway, this can't keep happening. What should I do… Hiita took a pensive hand to her chin.

Doriado had taught them to respect themselves first and nature second. According to her, killing an animal should only be done for sustenance or in self-defense. Foxes were inedible, and flaming tail or not, it certainly wasn't a threat to them, so her only choice was to let it go.

Hiita stretched her aching legs.

Maybe I'll just have to move the traps somewhere else… It's a shame though. This place had so many wild rabbits… Then again, if foxes have moved here, then I suppose that won't be true for long. I'll have to ask Doriado about this…

She'd walked a good distance away when an odd smell reached her nose.

"Is there something burning?" She mumbled to herself, turning back.

A scream escaped Hiita's lips. Next to where she had left the fox, a large tree had been completely engulfed in flames, its form barely visible behind the blazing orange curtain.

"What… when…"

Hiita's eyes settled on the downed fox. Its tail was still burning brightly, and the flame had spread to the vegetation surrounding it. In less than ten heartbeats, she ran back, grabbed the fox in her arms, and stepped away once more, the intense heat only a few palms away heating up her face.

"What do I do, what do I do…" She walked backward, looking for something to stop the fire with. Smothering it with her clothes had stopped being an option before she'd even noticed it.

Of course, this happens when the others aren't here…

A cold sweat ran through her back. Needless to say, fire magic was the opposite of what she needed right now. Eria's water and Aussa's earth powers would certainly extinguish it, and even Wynn could at least stop it from spreading further.

"Think, think…" What had Doriado taught them to do in the case of a fire? Find the closest source of water…

"The river!"

She placed the unconscious fox on the ground once more. The flame on her tail had almost gone out now, so it shouldn't be causing any more natural disasters.

"How did she not burn the forest down before this?" She murmured as she glanced at the tree again. It hadn't stopped blazing, a blindingly red spot in the otherwise deep green forest. It wouldn't be long until it spread to its neighbors.

Hiita thought of the forest reduced to ash and ran as if her life depended on it, this time without a care for the noise she made as she crushed the leaves and branches beneath her feet.

There should be a stream around here!

The scenery whizzed by her. All she could think about was their forest, their home, reduced to a gray wasteland, and the faces of her friends and Doriado when they found out she'd been the perpetrator. She sped up even more, boots barely touching the ground now.

"There it is!" Hiita announced to no one as she spotted the burbling inlet. She stopped right in front of it.

How do I take the water there?!

In her panic, the thought hadn't even occurred to her. She spun around looking for something, anything, that could serve as a bucket or a bowl. There was a near-infinite source of water in front of her but no way to transport it to where it needed to be.

She bit her lip. She mocked Aussa all the time for her odd behavior, but she was sure the four-eyes wouldn't have made this ridiculous mistake. If she were here, she'd be rolling on the floor laughing. Or worse, sighing and reproaching her for such a dumb blunder.

A gust of wind brought with it the smell of burning wood, and she shivered.

Hiita had once fallen into a lake many years ago when she was only a small child. She vividly remembered the sudden cold that had enveloped her, and how she had laid on the ground after Doriado saved her, unable to stop shaking. It wasn't an experience she liked to recall, but the shiver had brought it back to her mind, along with an idea.

She took off her coat and dunked it into the rapids. It needed to be cleaned anyway, she thought to herself. The dripping garment was more than double its original weight when she took it out.

This won't be nearly enough, will it?

Her cheeks reddened, but she shook the embarrassment off. If she had time to be self-conscious, she had time to start putting out the fire. She sprang back the way she came, soaked coat on her naked arms, droplets flying away as she ran. Sure, she might not be able to wring out enough water to stop the disaster the fox had caused, but perhaps, with a few more trips to the river, she could halt its progress long enough for someone to come help her.

She halted suddenly, doing her best to ignore the pain in her legs that refused to stop.

It was here, right? Where's the fire? Did I run past it?

She looked back, but the scenery hadn't changed. The forest's trees looked as healthy and green as ever. Then, she spotted an orange form, partially hidden behind a trunk.

There!

Indeed, the fiery fox was close to where she'd left it. It wasn't alone, though. Sitting at the base of a nearly leafless tree, a strange sight in Spring, was a woman with fair hair and blue, impeccably clean robes.

"M-miss Doriado?!" Hiita stuttered, nearly tripping over herself.

"You really are a troublemaker, aren't you?" Her teacher teased, though her smile was as kind as ever.

"There…" The girl stopped, panting.

"Breathe, Hiita."

"There's… a fire…" She held out the wet coat.

"It's fine. I put it out."

"Wha — " Hiita looked up. She saw it now. The tree under which their teacher was sitting was not only without leaves, it was charred, branches barren and blackened. Its surroundings had suffered the same fate; the foliage and the long grass had withered and turned dark.

"Oh…"

Hiita let herself fall to her knees, wet hood dropping to the ground. She sighed, and in that sigh, there was both relief in finding out things had turned out fine and frustration at the fact she hadn't been able to do anything. If it wasn't for Doriado, a good portion of the forest may well have burned in front of her. Tears welled up in Hiita's eyes, and she brought her knees to her chest, hugging them. Not long after, a calming hand settled on her head.

"Do not worry, child. Incidents like this are why I'm here."

She said nothing. If any of her other companions were there, they'd find the sight of the usual head-strong and reckless Hiita weeping a strange one. It wasn't unusual for her to laugh through bruises, and she'd even managed to keep her face dry when she fell off that tree and broke her leg. It would be many years until she'd mature enough to admit it, but Hiita was far too proud to let herself cry in front of people her age. Around Doriado though, it was a different story. It wasn't as if she liked doing it, but her love and trust for her teacher were far stronger than the walls she put up around her emotions.

Doriado carefully scooted over, holding the fox in her arms. For a minute or so, there was silence, only interrupted by Hiita's sniffing. Then, she spoke.

"This fox is special."

"Special?" Hiita inquired. The sudden burst of adrenaline and emotions had made her almost forget the cause of the fire. The flame on the fox's tail had certainly diminished in her sleep, but it hadn't stopped flickering defiantly, and Hiita got the impression it wouldn't go out any time soon.

Doriado closed her eyes and recited, voice as calm as a lake and as clear as the moon's reflection on its surface.

"Many ages ago, a deity that took the form of a fox sent several of its followers down to Earth as punishment for misdeeds they had committed. The followers, used to their cushy life, despised this mortal realm, and as such, once their sentence was up, returned to the heavens at once. All, but one. A certain fox had fallen in love with the world, not despite but because of its flaws and transient beauty. He paid no heed to his brother's pleas to come home, and, after much wandering, ended up in this very forest, where he'd fall in love and mate. This cub is his daughter. Half-spirit, half-animal, she is still clumsy and unaware of her powers. Take her tail, for example; It's part illusion, it shouldn't burn anything she doesn't want it to, and yet you saw what happened." Doriado sighed. "I've been keeping an eye on her to make sure she doesn't do anything dangerous, but I let myself be distracted today. I apologize for that."

"No, teacher, you didn't do anything…" Hiita wiped her face with a naked arm. "What happened to her parents?"

"Her mother passed away during childbirth. The father…" Doriado looked up at the blue firmament, and Hiita detected a trace of melancholy in her usual tranquil face. "Powerful as he was, he was still a servant, with all the duties that one in that position is bound by. His master allowed him to see his cub's birth, but no more. He was forced to return to the skies."

"So this fox has no one to take care of her?"

"You could say so, yes. That is why she has been roaming these parts, which her kind doesn't usually approach."

Hiita stared at the animal and felt sadness well up in her chest. She might have no memories of her mom or dad, but at least her teacher and the others had always been with her and treated her like family. This fox, however, was truly alone. It was no wonder she had wandered so far. She'd never had anyone to guide her, to show her how to hunt, where best to live, what regions of the forest to avoid. In some ways, it was a small miracle she'd stayed alive.

Hiita reached to pet the fox. It trembled under her touch, and a smidge of an eye became visible under her orange fur.

"Oh? It seems she's woken up," commented Doriado.

The fox gaped her mouth in a long yawn. Hiita expected her to jump away at the sight of a human, but she simply rolled around in Doriado's arms. Her burning tail brushed against her teacher's hand, but she appeared not to notice.

"...I wonder if she's hungry." No sooner had Hiita mumbled those words than she was up, scouring the ground. She spotted the dead rabbit not too far away and presented it in front of the fox.

"Are you sure? That was your kill, after all."

"Yeah. She's already bitten it, anyway." shrugged Hiita.

The teacher and the student watched the fox take small bites out of the carcass. Hiita gasped in amazement as the flame on its tail grew brighter as she ate. Despite what Doriado said about illusions, it seemed quite real to her.

"Miss Doriado… I think I want her to be my familiar. Can I take her home?"

She surprised herself with those words. Just the day before, she had chastised Eria for bringing home a weak familiar, and yet this fox wasn't exactly the paradigm of strength. Regardless, there was something Hiita admired, perhaps even unconsciously, about the animal's tenacity and will to live. She'd survived alone in the forest for a long time with no one to rely on, and Hiita knew enough about this place to know that was no small feat. Strength was important, sure, but you didn't need to butt heads with a bear if you were smart enough not to approach one. Plus, it would be nice to have someone that could actually keep up with her running.

Doriado clasped her hands and smiled.

"That depends on her, child."

Hiita reached to pet her again, and the fox looked back with an inquisitive look.

"Would you like to come with me? We can train together and become stronger." She reflected for a moment. "I have fire magic, too! Look!"

Hiita performed a short incantation, and a tiny flame sprouted from her index finger, not too dissimilar from the one on the fox's tail. The fox stared at it with gleaming eyes until Hiita made it disappear.

Once it did, the animal jumped on Hiita's arm and climbed onto her head, only to immediately descend using her other arm, paws brushing against her naked skin.

"H-hey! That tickles!" Hiita giggled as she tried to catch the fox with her hands, only for her to dodge and leap to the top of her head once more.

"Well, I don't think you'll have a problem there," was what Doriado said, though her student barely heard it over her own laughs.