Akara Mae has a minion!

Byrn the Fiah

A'kara M'ae
The Legend of the Spirit Fox

Part One - Shil-Loh-Ma'e & A-Tkel-El-Ini

Huc-Quo, Come and here the tale... The tale of Diné A'kara-M'ae, the Navajo Spirit Fox.

Snez-Be-La-Sana, Long ago when the Diné lived scattered across our lands, we had an agreement with the animals. We lived together with them, side by side, in peace. We hunted them only to satisfy our hunger, and made certain no part of them went to waste, and in turn, they did not seek us out to kill us. Their herds grazed in the fields beside our horses and the wolves sometimes passed by our fires, looking for scraps, like tame wild-dogs. It was good times, safe times.

During this time, there was a family of foxes that lived close to a Tribe of Diné. We called them M'ae-As-Zloli, fox light for their good nature and kind hearts. Twice, the M'ae had saved members of our Tribe from certain death. Shil-Loh-Ma'e, Quick Fox, the Shima-Ma'e, mother fox, saw one of our children leaning in too close to a fire circle. She dashed forward and dragged him away from the burning wood, saving him. The Elder who saw left a basket of fish near her den in gratitude. Shil-Loh-Ma'e kept good watch over our children, and we were all very sad when she died. Shil-Loh-Ma'e left behind four healthy young kits, which the Elders watched after fondly, in her memory.

The youngest of her children was nothing but A-Tkel-El-Ini, a trouble maker. Once, he wandered into the Tribe area and knocked over a pot of soup sitting on the fire. Another time, he saw clothes hanging in the sun to dry and dragged them all across the ground. Yet another time, we caught him stealing dried fish from one of our tents. Each time, we would chase after him and yell, and it looked like he was smiling. Still, we respected the memory of Shil-Loh-Ma'e, and he was never harmed.

One especially warm day in Be-Ne-Eh-Eh-Jah-Tso, Big Planting (June), the entire Tribe was busy. Some of the Elders had taken the young boys out to hunt, while the women had taken the young girls and children down to Toh-Ni-Lih, the Running Water, to wash clothes, catch fish and cool off. A-Tkel-El-Ini followed from a safe distance. While everyone was busy, one of our youngest fell into the water. The river was so strong, it began to carry him away. A-Tkel-El-Ini saw him fall and jumped in after him, swimming with the current. When the women saw him jump in, they rushed along the bank after their child. A-Tkel-El-Ini reached the boy and took hold of his clothes in his mouth. The small Ma'e than battled the current, managing to place the child on a rock. To everyone's horror, as soon as the child was safe, the river washed A-Tkel-El-Ini further and further down. The women gathered into the water to pull their child out, while the younger girls chased the brave Ma'e down the river.

The water moved faster and faster and the young girls were not able to catch up to A-Tkle-El-Ini. The young girls returned to the women, crying. When asked what was wrong, Amarya said, "A-Tkel-El-Ini fell over Tabaha! The Edge Water!" The brave Ma'e had gone over a waterfall. The women gathered their things and followed Toh-Ni-Lih until it reached Tabaha. Together, they found a way safely down the side of the great waterfall and went to collect the body of A-Tkel-El-ini, Shil-Loh-Ma'e's youngest son. They brought him back to the village with heavy hearts.

Part Two - A-Tkel-El-Ini's Transformation

When the men returned from their hunt to find all their women crying, they rushed forward. With them came Dineh-A-Zay, their Medicine Man, who recognized the sounds for mourning. "Who is hurt?" he asked. "Bring them forward so that I may help." The women ceased long enough to bring forth the broken body of Shil-Loh-Mae's youngest son. "I see," said Dineh-A-Zay. "Someone come forth and tell me what has happened on this sad day." Young Amarya stepped forward and told of A-Tkel-El-Ini's bravery before he was swept down Toh-Ni-Lih and over Tabaha. Dineh-A-Zay listened and nodded. When she was finished, he thanked her and took A-Tkel-El-Ini into his tent.

All through the night, the Diné chanted and prayed for Shil-Loh-Ma'e's youngest son. In the tent, Dineh-A-Zay had a plan of his own. He spoke to A-Tkel-El-Ini as he worked, assuring him that he meant him no harm. As morning broke over the horizon, Dineh-A-Zay had coaxed the soul of A-Tkel-El-Ini out of his broken body, and had moved his spirit into a large, red egg. He left the tent, carrying this strange, oversized egg, and placed it directly into the morning fire. Everyone was too busy with their morning work to watch Dineh-A-Zay. "A-Tkel-El-Ini," he spoke to the fire, building it stronger around the red egg. "You have been a God-Sent to us, as was your Shima. I am sorry that I could not fix your body. Instead, I offer you this new life, and with it - a new name. I will call you A'kara Ma'e - Spirit Fox. You will be the Dragon with the Soul-of-a-Fox. We will tell your story, and so, you will never die."

As he finished speaking, the flames shot upward, toward the sky. In the center of the fire, the egg shook and cracked down the middle, and there sat A'kara Ma'e, once known as A-Tkel-El-Ini. He looked up at Dineh-A-Zay and it was said he smiled. When the fire died down, the egg and A'kara Ma'e were both gone.

To this day, we believe A'kara Ma'e visits the Diné Tribes. Every so often, a young Diné playing too close to Toh-Ni-Lih will see a young fox seeming to beckon them back toward home. Also, like the true son of Shil-Loh-Ma'e, no children have fallen into the fire. So if you leave your clothes out in the sun, and return to find them dragged across the ground, or find the soup knocked over - do not be alarmed. It is none other than Shil-Loh-Ma'e's youngest son, A'kara Ma'e. The Diné's very own Spirit Fox Protector.

_{((This story is a fictional tale written by myself. I hope you enjoyed it! ^^))}

The Diné
More Information About The Navajo
Basic Information:
- Navajo History
- Navajo Nation on Wikipedia
- Navajo Code Talkers

Navajo Legends:
- Navajo Creation Story
- At Rainbows End - First Woman and Her Two Sons
- Changing Woman - Navajo Goddess
- The Legend of Spider Rock - Origin Legend
- More Legends...

Red Fox - Vulpes Vulpes
More Information About Tobi's Birth Form
Basic Information:
- Red Fox by National Geographic
- Red Fox by Wikipedia

Did You Know...
- Foxes stalk their prey just like cats. Also like cats, they often play with their catch before they kill it. If they aren’t hungry, they may even catch mice just to play with, then let them go when they are done.
- A fox’s hearing is so sharp they can hear a watch ticking 40 yards away. (Source)
- The Red Fox can hear the underground digging, gnawing and rustling of its prey.
- Red Fox kits start hunting with their parents when they’re 3 months old, and are ready to strike out on their own after only 7-8 months. (Source.)
- The red fox has been a symbol of European literature for centuries. He has appeared in countless Aesop's Fables as the crafty and sly fox who always outwits everyone.

Name: A-Tkel-El-Ini
Name Meaning: Trouble Maker
Taken Name: Tobias
Alias: Tobi
Gender: Male
Age: Juvenile (15)
Species: A'kara M'ae (Spirit Fox)
Height: 3' (Hybrid form)
o 1'6" (Fox form)
Weight: 40 lbs. (Hybrid form)
o 20 lbs. (Fox form)
Build: Lean, muscular and furry

Family:
Parents: Deceased
Human "Father": Deceased
Crush: Meh. *shrugs*
Status: Single

Appearance
Tobias has two forms: a red fox form and a fox-Dragon form. About the only thing that changes between the two is the presence (or absence) of scales and wings. As a fox, he has an orange-red base color with a white underbelly leading up to his face. He also has white-tipped ears and tail. His front feet are dark brown and his back feet are brown up to the ankles. As a fox-Dragon his front legs are Dragon-scaled while his back legs have a frontal scale plating. His underbelly turns into belly scales and his tail is serpentine until the tip, which is fox fluff. His wings are also scaled and the same red as his leg scales and tail.

Personality
Tobias is very easy-going, but likes to play the trickster. He loves nothing more than setting random things (and sometimes Dragons - like Phi) on fire. It isn't easy for him to make friends, as he acts young. Putting it bluntly, Tobi is a typical rebellious 15-year-old boy: annoying, unpredictable and easily bored. He's noticed girls, though he really doesn't care much about them, and spends the majority of his time plotting. He likes to listen as much as talk, if you can get him to sit still long enough. If he's not creating mischief or havoc, he's probably asleep somewhere.

Art of Tobias
Newest to Oldest Art
- Tobi Overlay by Renathory
- Are You Gonna Be My Girl by PookaWitch
- Fire Fox at Sunset by FireofAnubis.deviantart.com
- Tobi Lerves Eggz by Panda
- The Fire Fox by yuumei.deviantart.com
- Tobi Sketch by RoseSagae.deviantart.com
- Sittin' Tobi by Xenafox
- Tobi's Forest by linn3h.deviantart.com
- Running Tobi Sketch by User not found: xulael