Sinister: further fables of the fox kind

[julesmarkham]

hey sinister people. here's a little fable. It's an old one, before jubilee
showed up with her griffin and her funny way of saying things. enjoy.

The black fox had been walking through the woods a long time. She was hot
and tired and thirsty and the sun was giving her a headache. She started to
search for water, and eventually came upon a great river that wound through
the trees like a serpent. She dunked her head into the cold, clear water and
drank. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of gold.
This golden shimmer was not a hallucination, but the river god. The river
god had once been worshipped, but now the only offerings he received were
the stale breadcrumbs that the ducks left behind. he watched the black fox
as she drank, and thought how strange she was, and how much he wanted her.
He moved slowly closer to the fox.
The fox glanced up from her drinking and saw a fish moving amongst the
reeds. She admired its shining golden scales and the way it moved through
the water. It's dull black eyes watched her. It moved up to the waters edge
and put its nose to the surface. The fox stared in silence. The river god
willed her to come closer, as soon as she was within reach, he would pull
her down into the muddy depths and hold her until she stopped kicking. There
she would join all his other treasures. Patiently, he waited.
The fox touched her nose to the waters surface, and felt the golden fish
touch the tip of her snout.
There was a splash of water, a gasp and struggle. The fox pulled the fish
out onto the grassy bank. The river god gasped for breath and writhed
helplessly. the fox batted him gently with a paw.
-Don't kill me! The river god cried, -Please! I'll give you anything!
The fox loosened her grip on the small god.
~Anything?
-Yes, gold, jewels, anything!
~Where would a fish find gold, then?
-I am a god, they were my offerings.
The fox raised her eyebrows. She had never met a god before. To be honest,
she thought it would be more impressive.
~I let you go and you give me all your treasure?
-All I have and more. Please don't kill me.
The fox shook her head.
~What use is gold to a fox? It wont fill my belly or quench my thirst.
And with that, she swallowed the river god in two gulps.
The black fox lay down on the grass and closed her eyes, and in a few
moments was asleep.

jules x

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