And finally, the endless trees receded and a village appeared on the horizon. Or rather, simple houses. Even from where Martiza was looking, they seemed old and dilapidated.
-Oh, a village? In such a place... Interesting! Apparently there wasn't a forest here before.
She squinted and could see the movement of black silhouettes. They were probably the ones who lit the fire in the house.
-...According to my calculations, we should still be in the forest. But then, where did these people come from? And so deep? They must be quite strong. What if they're as strong as that crazy woman?... We need to get around them.
As she slowly walked through the woods, she kept glancing at the village. She watched all the activity there. The darker it got, the more smoke rose from the chimneys.
As the fox walked, she didn't notice how she'd wandered into the dense forest. Old oaks and birches intermingled, creating the illusion of infinity.
When it became completely dark, she saw small outlines in the distance. A square body and a large triangular head. The fox approached this monster very cautiously. Her blades were ready to strike at the first thought, and her many abilities were about to be used.
As she got closer, she saw its square eyes, divided into four sections, staring at her. And from its head, a large circle stared back at her.
The wind blew angrily, the starry sky, which was invisible, gave no light, and the numerous trees around Martiza created the feeling that she was not alone.
Even such a powerful creature as the silver fox was frightened. Without showing any sign, she continued on her way, and now she was only a few meters away from this monster.
The fox took a couple more steps and saw...
The house...
The daggers turned their blades on the fox and began jabbing her.
-Ouch! So what! Well, it happens... I was a little confused, why get angry right away. In any case, anyone could be there, so my warnings were not unfounded. Now, when we go in there! How am I supposed to guess! You'll pay me for it the rest of your life.
Martiza pushed the door into the house with her head... Oh gods... I literally saw nothing. It was very dark in the house. Her daggers flew around her, ready for battle, but her magic again wanted to scold the fox for his senseless actions. But so be it, they would play this game with her.
The fox entered the house. Looking around in the darkness, she saw nothing.
Her daggers began to form symbols. The fox could only read "Stupid." The fox cast a disapproving glance at the daggers.
Now, convinced that it was quite safe here, she dragged in all her savings. More specifically, the demon, the fire milk, and the sword. After standing for a moment, she looked at the demon lying on his punctured blanket.
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-I feel sorry for you, demon. But everything will be fine soon... When I return you to the Empire, they'll welcome you as one of their own... And by the way, I think you've grown up?
The fox lay down on the floor and began to fall asleep, thinking about what to do the next day. Unable to think of anything better than "survival," she fell asleep.
The fox woke up to the morning sun shining through the window. Lazily raising her head, Martisa looked around.
She was in a house. It consisted of one room. Next to the front door were a couple of benches and a rusty axe under the right.
To the left of the door was what looked like a kitchen. A small table with a faded tablecloth, numerous old wooden shelves and cabinets, a sink, and a small stove. The stove was shaped like a boot. Smoke exited through a chimney, and in front of the chimney was a cooking space. Below the stove was a small door made of burnt iron, intended for storing wood or coal for kindling.
Slightly to the right of the kitchen was a small bed with a warm winter blanket, an old pillow, and a plaid shirt lying on it. Also lying on the bed were large black pants, some kind of animal fur visible inside. Under the bed lay numerous open chests. Some were ordinary, others looked more prestigious, and at first glance, they contained nothing valuable because they were simply empty.
Above the bed was an old wooden shelf. Looking at it, it seemed as if it could fall over at any moment. And on this shelf were numerous large, varied squares. They were leather-trimmed, and their interiors were yellowed, indicating their age. The books themselves were covered in a thick layer of dust. As if they had been placed there at the beginning of the last century and completely forgotten.
The previous owner of the house clearly didn't value books, or he simply didn't want to take them when he had to leave urgently. Or perhaps the owner was killed, and all the most valuable items from the chests were taken, ignoring the books. Although they were useless to the fox, perhaps they would serve Kali's education in the future.
The fox looked at the peacefully sleeping demon and went out into the yard. It was already late autumn outside. Frost covered the grass, and the trees were bare. To the fox's surprise, she seemed oblivious to all this. She was so preoccupied with keeping the demon and herself safe.
A cool breeze blew outside. Perhaps it would have been cold for others, but the fox felt simply wonderful in it. For her, it was simply the most beautiful morning weather.
-I wish it were winter soon...
The fox began to walk around the house. Seeing a shed filled with a huge amount of firewood adjacent to the right wall of the entrance, Fox nodded approvingly, realizing that she most likely wouldn't have to worry about keeping her little demon warm this winter. Also, a little further from this shed was a small stump with numerous cuts, and next to it lay another axe, but this one was in much worse condition.
Behind the house was a small fenced-in plot of land. It was covered in thick, frost-covered grass, but paths were visible among all this grass, and even a container with a huge spout. Fox didn't quite understand the purpose of this device, but she left it where it was.
At the end of her tour, she saw a small cart on wheels, well... It clearly needed repairs, as it wasn't even missing its right wheel, and there was a huge hole inside.
Returning to the entrance, she saw her little demon stand up and casually begin drinking the fiery milk. The fox really liked the sight of the little child standing there, trying to sip a few more drops of the mixture with her tiny mouth.
Either this mixture possessed incredible properties, or the demon itself had been blessed with rapid growth.
The fox had never once thought about it or paid any attention, but now she was absolutely certain that this was not a male, but a female.
After watching the demon finish drinking and quickly go back to sleep, the fox went to explore the area for food for breakfast.
Kali POV
When I woke up, I again felt intense pain throughout my body and an immense hunger. Although hunger, as I understood, was inherent in every animal. I didn't understand the intense pain that was radiating throughout my body. Even standing was incredibly difficult, let alone drinking the very hot milk. My limbs, head, and body ached, and not only externally but also internally. My chest ached the most, to the point that sometimes it became difficult to breathe. I endured it every day, hoping that the pain would soon end. As I thought about it, I realized that throughout my entire life, I felt like I had never eaten anything normal except this milk... I saw this big fox eating other animals along the way, and I wanted to try it too, but she wouldn't let me. But in any case, I wasn't against drinking this milk... It was incredibly delicious. Each time, the flavor grew stronger, and the desire for another sip grew stronger.
After drinking this wondrous substance, I lay down on my punctured blanket in great pain. And only now did I realize...
-WHERE AM I?