Zorlo ran past about an hour ago. I found a small nook at the top of a tall tree. I know I'm safe here not just from the monsters of the forest but from the beast Jules too. Maybe tomorrow she'll be gone.

I am never going back to the town again. Never ever.

...

Another hour and it is starting to get dark. I think I will just fall asleep here.

My ear catches a sound.

I peek out of my hidey-hole and see the beast. She's even followed me into the forest!

"Oh nyo, Hilda! Zorlo! Scardy baby! Is anyone there! NYAAAH!" Jules cries out.

Did she come into the forest alone? That's not good, lots of monsters come out here in the night.

Snf snf.

Blood? Oh no her face is scratched up. They are going to come straight after her.

Zorlo, hurry and come pick her up, she's in danger!

Snf snf.

Oh no, it's too late.

Putrid green humanoid forms that looked like deformed men wearing scraps of leather and carrying clubs and knives begin to surround her. Goblins. Nasty little creatures they aren't very strong on their own, which is why they hunt in groups.

"Eek NYO! Please. Nyo. Somebody, anybody save me. Nyah." The beast cowers.

No, the girl is cornered.

The sounds of her crying woke me from my trauma filled selfish haze.

Her name is Jules, and she is a girl that is only three years old... and she's about to be killed!

A fire burns within me. I am stronger than her, and I'm stronger then them. I am the only one who can save her.

The next thing I know is that I am in Olympic runner position in front of her, between her and the surrounding Goblins. instinctively, raising my tails in the air and baring my teeth, I give the goblins pause.

"I won't let you hurt her!" I snarl my fiercest at the goblins.

This is the same feeling I had when I defended mama. I am not helpless anymore. I will use all my power to protect her.

"You're in our way, fox boy. That female is ours now." The ugliest goblin growls.

"Take her from me if you dare." A beastial growl is coming from deep in my throat. This part animal thing is really getting into my head.... I think I might have just claimed Jules as my mate.

That doesn't matter, right now it's me versus them. 

Instinct is taking over my senses.

There are seven goblins. I've never fought an enemy before, but I feel like I can win. No, I will win. I have no more doubts. Taking in my surrounding I plot my course of action. 

I hiss and then launch myself at the goblin leader. He isn't expecting me to be that fast. I grab him by the throat and embed him in the tree behind him. Leaping in the air I spin my entire body I create a whirl-ring with all four of my limbs and send them flying at the goblins, three were instant kills and blood sprays everywhere as those three are cut clean through.

I use the acrobatics I've been practicing, to charge one that dodged the whirl-ring. I narrowly avoid his club and spin to kick him in the neck. Just before it strikes I used a burst to give my foot more momentum.

I send him flying, but not before I felt the bones in his neck break.

I've never kicked anyone like that. but the adrenaline is keeping me from processing it. It was instinct that drove me forward, I spun while in the air and almost crash landed on the ground as i reoriented my body.

Catching myself, I was on all fours and faced the remaining two. I hissed and bounced through the air at them. I used more acrobatics and landed with a crouch in front of one of them. With an upper cut I knew I broke some teeth as he lifted a few inches off the ground. Before he landed I used a burst powered kick to his solar plexus and sent him flying into the other.

They crashed into a tree and two whirl-rings flung at them chopped them both in three pieces.

Blood, there was blood everywhere.

But this wasn't like the mall. It wasn't a slaughter of the innocents. They were the aggressors and they met their fate.

Blood. The smell was too strong.

I turned to Jules who had was staring at me with wide eyes.

We have to get out of here. I run to her and grab her hand.

"We have to go!" I could still see the scratches on her face. When a faint green light shined from my hand the scratches on her face disappeared as if they were never there.

She smelled different. Instinct told me it was the smell of vulnerable fear.

Can't blame her she is just a little kid after all.

I drag her to her feet and then sense something in the air... it's the same as that day with the snow wolves.

Bloodlust.

With every sense I have, I search for its source.

...I stood protectively over her but couldn't trace the source of the bloodlust yet.

...

There! To the right.

Place my hands together and fire an air bullet with both hand a powerful attack I called...

"Air Cannon!"

A black shape that was pouncing at us was sent flying backwards only a few meters. But it landed on his feet, unfazed.

A giant black cat the size of a semi-truck with two whipping black tails.

"Is nyat...?" Jules hid behind me. The smell of urine also came from the same direction.

"The dire Panther, Rollo. King of the forest." I calmly said.

... wait why am I so calm?! Goblins are one thing, but even Papa wouldn't be able to take on Rollo alone. And it's night, Rollo has an overwhelming advantage. But I'm not afraid. I also wasn't afraid of the shooters at the massacre. Maybe it's because I'm scared of people not monsters.

People are scarier than monsters? I guess I really am broken. But now I know what I have to train next. If I make it out of this alive. Shit. Think fast Me, you are not the only one in danger here.

"Jules, that big tree behind us. Hide in the large hole near the third branch, I'm going to draw his attention." I say.

"NY-you can't..." Jules stutters

"I'm going to protect you Jules, no matter what." I declare.

I bent down on all fours with my tails in the air.

Hissing, I let Rollo know that I'm not going to run away. He returns a bestial growl at me that vibrates through the air and ground.

Rollo flinches as his muscles tense and he bursts into action.

Protect.

Leaping through the air I manage a burst kick on the side of his head.

I will protect.

I don't see the claw when it tore through my side, and sent me flying.

I am not weak anymore!

Healing, healing. I must heal myself and keep moving. As I regain my senses and bounce around it hurts, it really hurts. The pain is almost unbearable, but my adrenaline is spiking. I don't know if I'm actually healing it or if I just can't feel it anymore.

I fling whirl-rings at him, but they only manage to scratch him. I can cut through a tree and I split those goblins easily, just what is this guy made out of?

SWACK! His tails swat me I am knocked to the ground. He lands with his pawn on top of me. His eyes are glowing as they stare down at me. The air is knocked out of me, but that only means I don't have to smell his breath. I want to scream as his claws dig into me.

I lift my legs up and summon my magic in my feet.

AIR CANNON! I kick him off of me and cough.

Faster! I need to be faster!

I summon Tiny Tornadoes to surround him. They should kick up enough debris to inhibit his sight.

Healing. Breathe. Tornado. Whirl-rings. My thoughts are oriented on the battle I can't afford to take my eyes off of him. If I do I will lose sight of him.

He slashed at me and got me again. But it's lighter. It doesn't take as long to heal.

Faster! I need to be Faster!

I pour more magic into my Wind Walking as I encircle him, weaving in the air and around trees.

I bounce till I'm above him. Time slows for a second. The tornadoes surrounding him are enough to impair him, but I need to do more. I reach a height above the trees and take careful aim. Getting to close to him is deadly, but if I want to stand a chance at winning I have to do something big. I use all my limps and summon as much magic as I can.

Steady... steady....

NOW!

I fire my entire body down at him. I have just enough time to cover my ears.

With magic in both of my feet I fly at him from about like a meteor.

"SONIC BOOM!"

I aim for his ear.

!!!!

Even though I cover my ears, my entire world begins ringing.

The impact is enough to disperse the tornadoes.

My aim is to completely rupture his ear drums. If I do that I can throw his equilibrium off.

His reflexive strike sends me flying away.

My entire body is screaming, but I scream right back at it.

HEALING!!!

I need to get to my feet.

I don't have much magic left, I've thrown everything I can at him.

Pushing against the ground my body argues with me but complies. I see Rollo swaying while shaking his head.

I can hear him growling just a little bit. At least I still have my hearing, I think.

Before I can get to my feet my body crumbles. I look up to see Rollo glaring at me. He tries to take a step and stumbles. He leaps and crashes into a tree knocking it down. He is so heavy I makes the earth shake.

Jules screams. My ears twitch and angle to locate her.

Good, she made it into the tree.

Healing. Healing. Healing. I pour everything I can into being able to move.

Rollo is struggling, but he is making his way over to me. My vision is getting blurry. It might be due to blood loss. One more hit and I'm done.

Finally, my legs respond. I must have broken them when I slammed into Rollo.

That's right. I don't need to stand. I rise my body to stand on four legs.

I let out what I can only assume is a battle cry as I charge. I bounce around him. I begin an erratic orbit around him. I don't have enough magic to form and maintain anymore tornadoes, but I have plenty left for whirl-rings.

Now that I have him cornered I maintain my distance and fling rings at him from every possible angle.

I know that a single swing of an ax doesn't make a tree fall, so I act on the premise that if I aim for the same place I'll be able to make a fatal wound.

Every ring I fling at him is aimed at his neck. I don't care what you are made out of, Rollo, but I know even you can't live without a head.

Faster. Faster. Faster! FASTER!

I don't stop. The force of my being is creating shock-waves as I orbit Rollo.

I don't know when he uttered his final death throes. I just know I didn't stop my barrage until I had completely separated his head from his shoulders.

When I throw my last ring, I return to the tree where Jules is hiding. I am still in battle mode as I watch Rollo's decapitated corpse waiting for him to move. But that doesn't stop me from shielding Jules with my body.

I try to catch my breath and wait for the next enemy...

Slowly my hearing finally returns to me, and I hear Jules sobs behind me in the nook.

When my vision clears, and my breathing slows down I'm finally able to use the human part of my brain and I turn to Jules.

She's in no state to do anything but cry.

I do an inventory on myself.

Two arms. Two legs. Ten fingers. One head. One body. One manhood. My shirt is in shreds, but my modesty is left intact by what's left of my pants. My shoes are still on my feet by some miracle.

Thank God, I breath a sigh of relief. 

"Jules, are you okay?" I squeak hoarsely.

She's in no state for that. She keeps crying for her mommy, daddy, and Hilda.

She doesn't even have the strength left to fight me when I scoop her into my arms in a princess carry.

I leap to the ground and land with the little magic I have left. If I have to, I have maybe one Whirl-ring left. But I have to get Jules home, if I hurry I can make it before the blood draws anymore monsters.

"Sebas!"

"Young master!"

To my left is my father in his gear ready for battle followed by four of the townspeople that regularly help him patrol the forest.

To my right is Zorlo. He has his sword in his hand and it's coated with blood. I wonder just how far into the forest he went looking for me.

Both arrive at about the same time, but I am relieved. Taking Jules home will be much easier now. 

** ** **

A/N

Ahoy Crew,

And a holy Crap to you! Wow guys, thanks so much for the support. I wrote this story alongside the Tales of the Pearly City and debated for a long time if it was even good enough to post. But you lot sure put me in my place. We ranked #211 in fantasy(of all things since everyone and their seadogs are competing in fantasy) on our first week and now we are at #189, and we only just finished the first arc! Not only that, but at the moment, both books in the Pearly Tales series are also ranked in Adventure!

I love reading your feedback, and I know some read offline and you're an ace too. But again, thanks for the follow, the add to your reading list of some kind, the vote, leaving me a message, and even you aspiring authors who have reached out and said "hey can I get the Captain's thoughts on something." You are all welcome aboard my vessel any day as we chase adventure. 

Drinks all around!

Now for some News on updates: As many of you already know I am working on this, and Tales of the Pearly Kingdom at the same time. This means that I have been putting out chapters every day for two different books. At first I meant to wait until the end of the first Arc of Foxtales to start alternating between the two and only putting out one chapter a day. But for now let's keep going how we have been until the end of the Second Arc of Foxtales and see how it goes. 

For those of you wondering what an arc in Foxtales is, it is really simple. It's ten chapters. That's it. In every arc something important will happen to the story, but not every one is going to end with a Climactic battle scene against a king of sorts. This is about the life and adventures of Sebas. 

As for the future, get prepared to be around for a while, this is an adventure story and it is not for the faint of heart, lily livered, weak stomached, or soft headed. Many things happen to Sebas before he becomes an adult, and many things also happen before he becomes a teenager. So suit up, strap in, and chase that horizon with me. 

We have our heading. 

And may the the winds of fortune ever fill your sails, 

-Captain Nathaniel Wilhelm. 

** ** **

Optional Survey. Answer [here]

1. What lead you to this story? What drew your attention?

2. What are you most looking forward to seeing in the story? 

3. Favorite character, or event, and why?

4. Lastly, any parting thoughts for the Captain?