"What is Istar?" I questioned.

"The holy lands of the druids," he replied.

"And how the hell did walking through that stone arch send us here?" Howzer exclaimed, his head whipping back and forth as he took everything in. The others were equally awed by our surroundings.

I was more intrigued by the mana that tickled my tongue. It tasted sweet, and reminded me of King's Chastiefol healing barrier. It tasted powerful and my insides clenched with a hunger that had nothing to do with needing actual food.

"We just walked through a special gate that protects this place."

"Wouldn't it usually be closed in that case?" Gilthunder questioned.

"Yes but they were expecting us," Hendrickson answered, nodding in front of us.

"Long time no see, Hendy!" called a female voice.

Standing at the centre of the wonky bridge were three people - two petite females and one towering hulk of a man. Hendrickson, with his cheeks a shade of red, dismounted his horse and headed towards them. I shared a look with the others. They all shrugged their shoulders and followed suit.

"My oh my, you've brought some interesting friends!" the golden-haired one in a red dress with yellow flowers said. She placed her hands on her hips, staff in hand. "Welcome everyone. We are the druid chiefs. I'm Lady Jenna, and this," she pointed her staff at the other female, brown haired, in a white dress with pink flowers, "is Lady Zenari."

Lady Zenari bobbed her head but her stony face was unreadable.

"And I am Theo, the priest in charge of protecting the chiefs. It's nice to meet you all," Theo said, in the squeakiest voice that could ever come out of the muscled up man - the voice of a child basically.

"How old is he?" Griamore muttered to Howzer.

"Aw, Hendy, you're all grown up!" Jenna pinched him on the cheek.

"Stop calling me that," he muttered, turning redder still and swatted her hand away.

"But it's so fun!" she giggled and danced around him.

"We've come for your help," he said.

"You've always been so serious since growing up and straight to the point. We know why you're here," she said, patting him fondly on the head. Then she turned her bright, turquoise eyes on me. "And you as well, Fox of Greed."

I cocked my head. She knows of me?

"Then do you know if you can turn Estra back into a human?" Howzer asked.

"I freaking hope so," I muttered.

"Most definitely. Don't worry, Estra. You may be under a complicated spell but I've lived a long time. I've seen and reverted this before."

"You can understand me?" I asked.

"What do you take us for?" Lazy Zenari said. My ears flattened on my head as I glared at her from the side of my eye.

Jenna clapped her hands. "Ready to turn human again?"

"Most definitely!" I said, stamping my feet.

"Right then! Brace yourself!" Jenna said, twirling her staff before tapping my forehead with it. The clear peal of a bell rang out and my body, from the paws up, began to infuse with a white glow until I saw nothing but brightness as it traveled up my body.

My fur stood on end, the skin beneath itching and everything the glow touched turned warm like I'd settled myself in front of a roaring fire. Once it reached my face, my vision succumbed to the brightness but it did not burn my eyes like I expected. I felt like I was floating. Ever so slowly, the glow faded.

I blinked down at the grass. It was so much further away now. I wriggled my fingers and toes in my vision, my mouth forming an 'O'. Reverently, I touched my skin. Human skin. I was butt naked but that mattered not right now. No tail, no ears. Flowing hair and dull teeth.

Slowly, I stood. I was worried I might be ungainly but the movements flowed easily as I waved my arms in the air and shook my legs. I laughed, the sound rough and grating, and wiped tears from the corner of my eyes.

"I'm human again," I croaked out then looked up into the smiling faces of the druids. "Thank you," I said, my voice becoming stronger.

I clenched my fists. In the beginning, I'd wanted nothing more than to be a fox again. But then I met the others. Becoming a fox again was suddenly not my goal anymore. Protecting them was.

Now I was human again. And that meant only one thing.

I pivoted on my foot, my smile dropping into a murderous snarl.

The others had their faces adverted, red on their cheeks, but I only had eyes for one.

I lunged towards Hendrickson, flaming claws at the ends of my hands. His eyes widened and he jumped back.

"Estra?!" Arms wrapped around my waist and a gloved hand clamped down on my wrist. My claws were inches from Hendrickson's startled face.

"Let me go!" I screeched, wrenching my hand free and taking a swipe at a retreating Hendrickson. Howzer threw me backwards and I skidded to a halt with a snarl. "I died because of him!" I pointed an accusatory finger at him. " Do not expect me to stand here calmly."

"Estra, you're butt naked. You can pick a fight when you're dressed," Howzer said, looking anywhere but directly at me.

I bristled and the air sparked with static. Griamore and Gilthunder stiffened, hands dropping to their swords. "I fucking died, Howzer. I don't give a fuck about being naked right now. You try having your life torn from you and waking up in a different body in an unfamiliar place wondering if you ended up in some twisted purgatory!" The static became tangible, visible streaks of lightning burst in the sky around us. "I want my revenge."

"You need to calm down, Fox of Greed," Jenna said, her mouth a thin line.

"Back the fuck off," I snapped, levelling them with a side long glare.

"We turned you human, we can turn you back," Zaneri threatened.

Her words tempered my thirst for revenge into something vicious and I wanted nothing more in this world than to see her silenced. I spun to face them –

"You can have it, Estra."

My head snapped round to Hendrickson.

"You can have it as soon as we save Liones. But for the sake of the others right now, don some clothes."

I growled at him before turning to the druids. I didn't say anything and Jenna merely claps her hands and a pile of clothes flumps! to the ground at my feet.

"If you're expecting an apology, you won't get it," I said as I dressed. The tunic and trousers were a perfect fit.

"I cannot imagine what you went through but temper that rage of yours or it'll be the death of you," Jenna said.

"You're right, you cannot imagine. And I will temper none of my rage to please others."

"You have quite a lot of fight in you, child," Jenna said before she sighed and turned to the others. "Let us put this behind us for now and move on to the main reason you lot are here."

"The Cave of Trials," Hendrickson said.

"That's correct! If you want to get stronger and to defeat the Ten Commandments, then you're going to need to train. You boys head on up with Zaneri and Theo. Estra, I'm going to need you to come with me."

The men shared an uneasy look and then followed Zaneri, attempting to pester her and Theo with questions about the Cave of Trials that don't get many succinct answers. Hendrickson was the last to follow, my glare on his back the entire way.

"You cannot hold blame on him this entire time."

My glare turned on Jenna. "Your soft spot for him doesn't change what he did."

"And what would you have done in that situation, hmm?"

Her question silenced my spitting remark and I stewed quietly as she gestured for me to follow her to the spire.

I decided to change the topic. "How do you guys know about the demons? We never mentioned them."

"We see and hear a lot more than you think, little fox," she said.

I bristled. "I'm not little."

"You are to us, child."

"Just how old are the druid chiefs?"

"A lot older than you expect."

"Try me. I'm over a thousand years old and I don't remember hearing about druid chiefs."

"That's because you weren't human back then. Why would a fox concern herself with human affairs?"

"...You make a compelling point."

We paused at the opening of the spire, the space before us inky black. I wanted to question her on why, if they knew of the demons, they decided to stay hidden, but the words were lost as I stared into the darkness. Something in there made the hair on my neck stand on end, my heart picking up speed with excitement. Power radiated towards me.

"There's someone in there who wants to meet you. Someone with all the answers to your questions," Jenna explained. She stood behind me and guided me into the darkness with a hand on my back. "She's been waiting for a long time."

"Then best not to keep her waiting any longer," I replied, my voice high, adrenaline in my veins. The power grew stronger the further we walked into the blackness. I couldn't see Jenna when she stepped in front of me and placed her hands on my shoulder.

"Good luck, Fox of Greed," she said before giving me a rough shove which sent me spinning. Before me opened a cavernous space, high ceilings with stalagmites dripping and a rough patch of crushed seashells and stone winding away from me.

An ocean roared impossibly at my back, the spritz chilly against my skin, the harsh sun warming my skin. Gulls cried and waves crashed against rocks.

"Where am I?" I asked in wonder but when I looked back, Jenna had disappeared.

Come.

My ears perked and the powers inside me stirred as that delicious power I'd sensed in the darkness reached out to me. Before I knew it, my feet began to carry me forward.

Come.

The voice came from the end of the path that took a sharp right turn into an alcove. A soft blue glowed from it. Jenna said I'd find answers here. I planned to find power.