Information


Foxkeh has a minion!

Persian the Firefox




Foxkeh
Legacy Name: Foxkeh


The Chibi Kumos
Owner: Ziva

Age: 8 years, 8 months, 5 days

Born: July 23rd, 2015

Adopted: 8 years, 8 months, 5 days ago

Adopted: July 23rd, 2015


Pet Spotlight Winner
February 24th, 2017

Statistics


  • Level: 1
     
  • Strength: 10
     
  • Defense: 10
     
  • Speed: 10
     
  • Health: 10
     
  • HP: 10/10
     
  • Intelligence: 0
     
  • Books Read: 0
  • Food Eaten: 0
  • Job: Unemployed


The Boat Adventure

Hi there!
I'm Foxkeh!
I live in Foxmania, the country of the foxes.I adore to live here!I've got a friend, she's called Racha, we've got a lot of fun together!Her and my minion Persian, who's a firefox.My favorite colours are orange, yellow and red, that's because it looks so nice together!The thing I love to do is playing with my parachute, it's so cool!Because you're so high in the air and then you jump out of the plane and it gives a kick!I also love to dive, ski, and make a trip with the boat, usually I'm doing these things with Racha.She's not a coward at all, and I like the way we've got fun together.

One day we were making a trip with the boat, first the sun was shining, and it was fall.But then the weather changed,...From sunny to cloudy, from cloudy to extremely dark,...And then, it started raining, and there was a lot of wind too!Racha wasn't scared, she looked at me, knew that we had to do something, we were at the middle of the lake,and we had to go back, because there were waves, and it began to thunder.It rained extremely hard and little by little there was water in our boat.'Foxkeh, we've got to go back, NOW!''I know Mono, I'm doing my best, but there are a lot of waves and I'm not that good in paddling!'She grabbed my paddle and she was doing extremely her best, but because of the waves it didn't work that well.I helped her, I used my paws, of course that didn't work so well,...We almost gave it up, until we noticed that it rained less, the thunder moved away and the sun was shining again.Because it was clearing up, we saw something, it was a shadow though and we were still in the middle of the lake.It was small, but it had that tail, it lighted up, and it was going back, to the woods...I wasn't sure if I saw it well, so I asked Racha.'Yes Foxkeh, I saw it too... Did that thing let the clouds go away?''I don't know, I don't know...' I was so stunned! A thing let the clouds dissapear?IMPOSSIBLE!I thought...

We were paddling back, pretty fast, we wanted to know what that thing was, and we arrived.We ran into the forest, we saw a small thing lighting up, it was going pretty slow, it was just walking.We ran to it, curious, but also kind of scared, not knowing what it was.

Credits
Story by Ziva
Profile by Assiejj_x
Foxkeh art by Mozilla Japan staff
Wallpaper from Shutterstock

The Hike

Greetings! It's always a pleasure to welcome a fellow adventurer to my humble cave. You have no doubt been led here by one of the fox sages. They know there is no fox better than Foxkeh to lead fellow explorers down the path of excitement and danger.

*Ahem* Not that I mean to brag, of course. I'm merely an adventurous inventor, not a legend like Foximos...what do you mean you've never heard of Foximos? New to Foxmania, are you? The first thing you'll need to know before we even start out is that Foximos is the bravest, most cunning, and most well-loved fox of all time. (My girlfriend Racha will try to convince you that his wife Foxetta did all the real work but pay her no mind.

Foxkeh, if you're going to tell stories, tell them right. Foximos would have been dead in the Swamp of Snakeskin if it wasn't for the cleverness of Foxetta.

Oh very well, they were both great explorers. It was Foximos...

And Foxetta!

*sigh* And Foxetta that fought off the dreaded Pumadrax when that mountain lion the size of a real mountain came to demand all foxes give up their kills. They were also the ones to recover the Fox Eye Ruby from the Coyote Bandits, Musky and Sneek. I'll bet you'd like that story. It's always been one of my favorites.

We should walk and talk, Foxkeh. I'm sure our new friend would like to see at least some of the sights of Foxmania before the sun sets. They have traveled all this way, after all.

Right. Well why don't we start on one of the easy trails? Come on, I'll take you to Prancing Fox Rock.

You soon find yourself panting. Keeping up with these two agile adventurers in not easy even for other foxes.

So this is how it happened. Foximos had just made it home after a long journey to find the Pelt of the StarFox. He was very tired, otherwise the shadow of the Coyote Bandits would have woken him in an instant.

Foxetta was also tired. She had the care of the three young cubs. They had been crying for three days and three nights without stopping because they were afraid of the dark. The pelt of StarFox is the hope of all cubs when the night grows long in winter.

I was just getting to that part. Anyways, it was Sneek that snuck the gem out of its golden bed. Every fox knows that the Fox Eye Ruby is one of the ancient artifacts that was granted by Moonclaw when she formed Foxmania from her thoughts. It protects us, keeping prey bountiful and warning the bigger predators away from our haven. Though it now sits on a shelf in the Fantastic Fox Museum, it was then left in the open for every fox to see and touch as they wished.

Every fox knew the moment the gem was taken into the paws of a non-fox. Sneek was very stealthy but his brother Musky was both swift and clever. He laid down a scent so awful and powerful that no fox could bear to follow that trail for long. The Coyote Bandits ran for many days and many nights until they crossed beyond the border of Foxmania...

Hold on, Foxkeh. Let's not forget about today's adventure. Do you see this rock formation here, friend?"

You nod your head, admiring the stone statue that looks much like a fox standing on its hind legs with its paws raching for the sky.

This is Prancing Fox Rock. Nobody knows who shaped the stone, but legend tells us that this delicate statue will stand until the last star falls from the heavens.

It's a nice piece, but Foxmania has better sights. Just wait until you see the waterfall! Foximos swam it once he woke and found the ruby gone. He was the first fox ever to swim from one side of the river to another without any kind of boat or even a simple reed raft. The Bandits were clever, but not as clever as Foximos. He followed their stinky trail by staying at the edge where the smell couldn't overpower him.

When Foximos caught up to the Bandits, there was a great fight and the ruby was very nearly lost in Thorn Tangle Valley. Most of the thorn bushes are gone now, thanks to the efforts of FoxCorp, but back then they stretched for miles and miles. It was Musky and Sneek that lost their balance and got a coat full of thorns but they weren't killed. In time they would return to Foxmania to cause plenty of mischief for Foximos and his family.

Slow down, Foxkeh. I think our new friend is afraid of the water.

Pfft...there's nothing to it, friend. You just leap like this...and this...and this.

Easy for him to say. You're looking at a massive, pounding waterfall that has to be at least twenty stories high with seven or eight tiny stepping-stones that just seem large enough to take the slender paws of a leaping fox. You won't have it said that you're a coward though. By the time you reach the far shore, all you want to do is flop down and lie in the sun for about the next five years. Foxkeh is on the move, beckoning with an upraised paw.

Come on, lazy bones! We'll never make it to Fox Central at this rate!"

When you do reach Fox Central, you almost wish you had a few extra pairs of eyes. There's so much to see! There are the fox shops that offer all sorts of interesting wares and the fox warehouses that store products for FoxCorp and Fire Fur Industries. There are houses shaped like caves, cottages, trees, and even one bizarre mansion that looks vaguely like a giant chunk of cheese. Foxes of all ages are toting their shopping bags, calling the trades of the day, and laughing at the antics of a trio of street performers putting on quite the comedy show. You've seen many cities in your life, but never one quite like Foxmania.

Foxkeh jabs a paw in the direction of a building shaped like an acorn. "Here it is! Fantastic Fox Museum. There's a whole wing dedicated to the life of Foximos...and Foxetta as well. See, Racha? I wasn't going to leave your hero out.

You are taken on a tour that reveals foxes in their prehistoric caves, medieval foxes battling great wolverine armies from behind the walls of tall castles, and foxes settling the forests of the Wild Western Woodlands. Foxkeh dwells on the Hall of Foximos. As the evening hours lengthen, he all but drags you into the gift shop, purchasing a thick volume of the Tales of Foximos. He insists on paying for the gift.

The next time you come for a visit, we can spend the whole walk talking over the deeds of Foximos!

And Foxetta!

*sigh* And Foxetta.

The delightful couple leads you back to their home over a massive log bridge that creaks with every step. You are rather glad that it is impossible to see what's below in the dark. You can't quite make out any of the shapes of the forest either but you feel safe between the two confident foxes that never twitch so much as an ear-tip at the familiar night sounds that are all around.

They insist that you spend the night, putting a spread of such delightful morsels before you that you cannot imagine eating another bite...until Racha presents one of her wild berry pies for your consideration. Foxkeh has the last word as you are drifting off to sleep.

Tomorrow we'll take you to Yelping Canyon and the Melody Trees and Glittering Grotto. There are so many sights I want to show you, new friend! Didn't I tell you there was no one better for a little adventure?

Story by Pureflower

A Parachute Adventure

The thrill of the wind whipping my fur is what gets my heart pumping when I board the plane. My parachute is my own design, made from a very special type of tube plant that lessens wind resistance and allows for greater control on landing. The leaf-straps under my arms are for comfort. (Plus the dark green of the leaves looks fantastic against my handsome russet fur!)

The tube plant is a very fascinating native of Foxmania. It will keep growing forever right up to the sun if you don't cut it down. Most tube plants aren't allowed to get much higher than six feet, though. The higher they grow, the louder they whistle, until you can't hear yourself think. They also change colors as they grow. I like to pair the little pink ones with the large blues. Racha only wants the tallest, thickest, reddest stalks for her parachute. She likes to wait until the very last moment to pull the cord. For this, she needs the best control the tube plants can offer.

It's waiting for the plane to reach altitude that can get your ears twitching with impatience. I can see my eagerness mirrored on Racha's face as the plan slo-o-owly makes its way up through the clouds. While we wait, let me tell you about my very first jump with the Tube Chute.

*****

I remembered to calculate for altitude, wind speed, and even the terrain differences that can affect air current. What I didn't consider so well was the time of year. I was just getting a good rush of air when I saw the goose flock far below me. They scattered with honks of annoyance, confusing me with their dizzying patterns and flashing wings. I managed to get clear of the flock but one of the young geese flew so close that her foot pulled my cord too soon!

So high above the forest, I had very little say in where the wind took me. I floated and bobbed, yipping my dismay as the familiar forest of home became a speck in the distance. The forest I was approaching was like nothing I'd ever seen in all my adventures. The trees were all too dark a green and they had these nasty-looking spines instead of leaves. Part of me was afraid that my parachute would be ripped to shreds. Tube plants are tough, but they won't stand up against a rose bush, to say nothing of trees that look like they have teeth.

I was very lucky to land in a small clearing, skimming my paws over the surface of the lake until the tug of the wind landed me safely on shore.

Everything about that forest was wrong. There wasn't nearly enough light in the sky for midday and there was this heavy smell in the air, like the way your cave gets when you've been cooped up inside it all winter because of the snow. All my fur stood on end when a huge shape rose out of the shadows of those spooky trees and started lumbering toward me.

I'd heard stories of badgers but I'd never seen one. This was an especially magnificent badger. She was twice my size, with a coat that would keep out the heaviest rain and a smell that nearly made me faint. Her beady eyes were narrowed as her snout waved from side to side. She wouldn't speak until she'd finished looking me over.

"What are you doing in our part of the woods, little red wolf-thing?"

My fur bristled at that. Imagine mistaking a fox for a wolf!

"I'm not a wolf and I didn't mean to come here. I'm Foxkeh of Foxmania."

She wrinkled her snout. I guess that's a badger's face for thinking. "Not a wolf? A small blessing. You are close to home sett. Come, you will share meal with us. It is badger law. All visitors must eat our food and sleep on the mossy ground if they will be friends and not cousins of wolf."

You should've seen the look on my face when Mrs. Badger set that plate of wriggling grubs in front of me! The little yellow ones weren't bad and the fat black ones were rather savory but nothing could convince me to try those red ones again! My mouth was on fire the rest of the night.

The little badgers gathered around and wanted to hear all about Foxmania. I told them about the haunted depths of Yelping Canyon, the majestic Foxish Falls, and even a few legends of Foximos, the greatest fox that ever lived. Two of the boys got to fighting over a spotted beetle they'd saved for a snack. Mr. Badger roared at them to be quiet or he'd send them to bed early. I was about ready for bed myself at that point but I would hardly deny Mr. Badger his request for a story about Foxtown, the greatest industrial site of Foxmania. At that point, I would have given Mr. Badger all the leaves in my pocket if he'd asked.

The mossy bed they offered really was quite comfortable. I could have laid there well into the morning hours...but I found out the hard way that badgers are early risers.

Mr. Badger prodded me with a paw. My achy eyes and groggy brain told me it was at least two hours before the sun comes up. "See here now, young fellow. This here map will take you right over the border of Badgeria. Where you go from there is up to you. Not all badgers are so welcoming as the wife and I, see? Get going now. Most of my kind are at the best point of the hunt. They wouldn't notice if you snuck up and smacked them on the rumps...though I wouldn't recommend it."

I thought he was having some kind of coughing fit but it turns out that wheezy grunt was a laugh. Mrs. Badger offered me a little basket of grubs to go but I told her I wouldn't dream of taking any more of their food with so many mouths to feed.

I knew the moment I crossed out of Badgeria by the sudden clearing of the air. I settled for a breakfast of blackberries and a few tube roots that tasted something like the tubers grown on Foxington Farm. It wasn't the most exciting breakfast but it filled me and allowed me to keep going.

Clouds rolled in to cover the sun as the day wore on. I am a good navigator even without the sun's aid but this was a land I'd never visited and one cluster of stones looked much like another. I decided it was time to ask for diretions.

You have to be careful in approaching the little animals. They get so nervous, always thinking you want to eat them...even when food is the lat thing on your mind. The red squirrel was so busy gathering walnuts for her winter store that I was nearly close enough to tap her on the shoulder when she noticed me. She scooted up the nearest tree, scolding me with all kinds of nasty words. I gave her a moment to calm down.

"I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I was just hoping you could tell me if I'm going in the right direction for Foxmania."

She flicked her tail and glared at me for long moments. "Ooh, you meat eaters get worse all the time! Try to sweet-talk the squirrel who's only trying to keep her little ones fed through the winter. Squirrels are curious, so she must be dumb enough to let one of those sly foxes talk her into coming down. Not this tree dweller, buster! You go find some other creature to chew on! Go on! Get out of here!"

There was no convincing her I was anything but a savage brute so I left her to her scurrying, hoping my next encounter would prove more helpful.

The red deer drinking from a small pond would surely prove better to talk to. After all, a majestic creature of his size had little to fear from one fox.

Just as I was aout to call his attention, a robin came zooming through the trees to land on his antlers. "Quick, Sunhoof! Get us out of here! Those gophers are going to be ready to gnaw through solid oak when they figure out I've gone and stolen theire shiny."

Three irate gophers popped out of the ground just seconds later. The leader didn't even seem to realize what I was. He looked me in the eye and addressed me with much whisker twitching and teeth chomping.

"Which way did they go? I'll have that bird stuffed this time, see if I don't Which way did they go?"

I pointed a paw in the right direction. The gophers didn't even take the time to thank me as they disappeared under the dirt.

It seemed that not one creature in that whole section of forest could take the time to give me simple directions. Two paths opened before me. One led down into a little valley that was hard to see in the fading light of day. The other led up to a rock formation with some spooky-looking caves that could hold anything.

The crackle of a large paw on leaf litter made me wheel around. The wolf was huge. He had silver fur matted from many days of wandering and you could count his ribs, even from a distance. He looked on me the way I'd often looked on birds foolish enough to make their nests on the side of Foxish Lake.

"You're a long way from the safety of Foxmania, my friend."

"An explorer dares to go where others have not trod, dear cousin. I can honestly say I'm the first fox to set paw on this land."

A wolf's laugh is a terrible thing. There is something of the howl and the growl in those choked barks. "You can say you're the first fox to die in this land as well. A double distinction. The poets of the Foxemy Art Academy will be singing your praises."

"Ah, but I have no intention of dying. You see, an adventurer comes prepared for everything, including the unfortunate hunger of our distant cousins. I pity the plight of the wolf. Yours is a thankless life of too few kills and too many harsh words."

"Don't mock me, fox. I know well the ways of your kind."

"You do me an injustice, sir. Let me prove what I'm saying to you. In the bag I carry is a pheasant I managed to take by surprise just this morning. She is a fat and juicy bird with tender flesh and bones that will almost melt in your mouth. A stout fellow like me can afford to give up a meal. I want you to have her. After all, you can always eat me second if she does not prove just as filling as I say."

His ears twitch to and fro and I know I've got him confused. "Let's see this bird, then. If you're lying to me..."

"I wouldn't dare lie to such a magnificent creature. I've never seen claws or fangs as sharp as yours. You must have some special stone you use to keep them in such fine condition."

The fur of his ruff puffed out a bit at that. "Not at all. They're quite natural, I assure you. Now let's have that bird."

I was sorry to sacrifice the parachute that had led me on such a fantastic adventure but the designs were all safely stored in my head. I backed away slowly as the wolf took his time picking the bundle apart. The only food to be had were a few extra blackberries I'd saved for a snack. He wolfed these down and looked for me. His growl turned into a laugh when he saw me standing at the mouth of the small cave above his head.

"Death by my teeth will be far less painless than what awaits you in there, cousin."

"An explorer never fears to take his chances. Good day, Wolf."

The tunnel into the cave narrowed and led down. I could hear my much larger cousin straining and snapping his jaws behind me. That huge body would never be able to follow me into the depths.

I was just starting to think that wolf was a liar when the underground thunder started. It was a sound rising in strength until the whole cave vibrated. I could feel my paws leaving the ground!

I wanted to turn and run but all that waited for me above was another kind of horror. An adventurer must be brave no matter what. It's what I told myself to keep moving closer to that awful sound.

The cavern at the end of the tunnel was huge, nearly half its floor taken up by a lake. At the very center was an odd stone formation shaped something like the bill of a goose. I'd never seen anything like it and I had to get a closer look.

I stuck my head in that funnel and very nearly went deaf when a giant blast of air sent me flying head over tail, only I ran the wrong way. I very nearly panicked when I realized there was nothing in front of me but solid rock. Then I spotted the rabbit.

His heavy foot thumped the stone, making a gentle pounding rhythm that was made large and terrible by that odd rock. He ceased to thump when he realized I had figured out his game.

"Oh, sir. Please don't eat me. This is the only place I've ever felt safe, and if the other animals knew it was here..."

I put on my best stern look. "This is quite a trick, for such a little creature. Lucky for you, I'm in the middle of a very important expedition. There's a certain rare artifact in my pocket that is needed to save the lives of a number of fox cubs. Unfortunately, I have run into a most inconvenient problem in the form of a wolf. This impertinent fellow wouldn't listen to my pleading and now he has me trapped in this cave. If you show me the way out and point me toward the fastest road to Foxmania, I may just forget that I ever saw you or that contraption."

Not only did he show me a second door, he even gave me tips on all the best berry patches for miles around. I ate like Baron Foxtail all the way home!

*****

"Ready, Foxkeh?"

"Ready, Racha!"

"Okay...one, two, three...jump!"

We are flying, free-falling, floating on the air. We are shooting back to earth and eager to see where our next adventure will take us.

Story by Pureflower

Snorkling

If you go south from Foxish Falls about half a mile, you will find yourself on the border of Luna Lake, the most beautiful lake in all Foxmania. Not even the top fox scientists have determined just how deep one must swim to enter the Maze of Caves.

I can't tell you the answer to that mystery, but I can tell you there is no place in the world as wondrous as Luna Lake.

It took me quite a while to perfect the Foxkeh Super-Dive Snorkeling Bubble. It is a combintaion diving helmet and snorkel that allows even the most water-wary fox to get their paws wet with no fear of drowning. Racha helped me test and correct design flaws. She can hold her breath under the water much longer than I can and she's such a strong swimmer. I love having an adventuring partner who's good at so many things.

Today, Racha and I are both in the mood for a deep-water dive. We sort of take it slow at first, enjoying the gossip of our fish friends floating all around us. They tell us about the swim classes of their children and where to find the really shiny bits of coral that will sell for many leaves back home. In return, we give them a treat of crumbly bread. Fish love bread crumbs even more than birds but they rarely get such a treat from the land. Sometimes they will even invite us into their homes to see their latest coral chairs and pearl-dotted mirrors. Fish are quite the interior decorators!

The seaweed tickles our flanks as we continue our dive. We take the time to swim over the clam beds, though none of the clams have pearls they're willing to trade today. We give the crevasse with the thick strands of seaweed a wide berth. This is the home of Jawbone the snapper. Some days she's content to bask in the sun and gossip about the seasons but there are those days when she gets in a wicked mood. You haven't known pain until you've had a snapper latch onto your tail.

Racha winks at me, her sign that she wants to race. She beats me to the entrance of the Maze of Caves by the tip of her snout. Next time I'll have her!

Nobody has ever discovered the secret of the Maze of Caves. No matter how many times you enter, the tide will always wash up in a new cave. Finding your way out again is no challenge. Every cave has an exit hole, though some are so high that you have to wait for the water to rise so you can leave. No two caves connect except by water. No two caves are identical. It is a place you could spend your whole life exploring and still wish for more.

Racha and I have had so many fantastic adventures in the Maze that it would take me weeks to tell everyone. We've discovered forgotten pirate treasures guarded by the skeletons of parrots and fox-pirates brandishing rusty swords. We've found a funny light that could change the color of one's fur for a few hours simply by leaping through it.

One time we came across a truly baffling creature. He kept ranting about something called a "Bermuda Triangle", waving his furless paws in the air and running them through the patch of dark fur on his head. Racha is convinced the creature was from another world but I still think he was a bear that had lost all his hair. After all, the only creature we know that ever stands on its hind legs like that is a bear. We didn't have time to bet on the matter. Before we could ask the creature what he was, he vanished.

Today's cave is as big as two of the buildings in Fox Central stacked one on top of the other. The whole floor from one end to the other is covered in jars. Some are fat with ornate gold lattice and some are very skinny and blown from colored glass. Some are so old that the seals on the lids have turned black and washed away and some look like they were shaped only yesterday. In the Maze of Caves, one can never be satisfied to leave a cave without doing some serious exploring. It may be a day or a hundred years before another explorer finds that cave again.

We are curious but not foolish. I take great care in pulling the first lid free, in case a monster or a very bad smell is trapped inside. At the bottom of the purple jar is a tiny scene that looks to be made of glass figures. I reach a paw in to touch the gold-tipped dome...

...and find myself flying through the air with a mighty whoosh! I am inside the jar, looking at a moon of light the same color as the cave wall. That miniature world is all around me, made life-size, though none of the glass figures so much as twitch.

A voice on the wind tickles my ear. "Welcome to the world of the Wandering Wizard. Every vase in this place will allow you a glimpse at worlds far from your own. Touch the miniature marvels and you will learn the names of creatures and things that were, that are, or that will be."

Excited, I lay a paw on something that looks a little like a deer with lumps on its back and learn that it is called a "camel". It lives in a place of sand and no water called a "desert" and can survive much longer than a "horse".

I go through ever one of those stunning figures until there is nothing left to wonder but how I will find my way out. If the lid of the vase let me in, perhaps...

...I'm flying again! The rush of escaping the vase leaves me laughing in a breathless way. Racha is looking at me with wide eyes.

How did you do that, Foxkeh? You were there and then you were gone and then you were there again!"

I tell her all about the Wandering Wizard and his wondrous vases. We quickly discover that only one of us can enter a vase but that when one leaves, the other is free to enter.

We learn about worlds that have creatures much like us and creatures so different they make our fur stand on end. We discover the bite of an arctic wind, the soothing breeze playing through cherry blossoms, and the heavy wet of a swamp that has only two inhabitants: a giant crocodile and the pesky silver bird that plagues her. We make it a point to enter jars of many shapes and sizes. We discover that the ones with colors we have no names for are some of the most fascinating jars of all.

We must get through a hundred vases between the two of us. If we weren't both so hungry, I swear we could spend a whole year jumping in and out of these tiny worlds. Unfortunately, the Foxkeh Super-Dive Snorkeling Bubble does not have room for a supply carrier. We must go home to eat.

Racha lays a paw on my shoulder. "It's alright, Foxkeh. Even if we can't find the vase cave again, we're sure to find something even better tomorrow."

Racha is right, of course. She usually is.

Story by Pureflower

Fishing

Racha loves to join me in the little red boat. It's a boat I bought with the leaves from the sale of my first invention. It only fits two comfortably but it is a very good boat that never springs a leak or tries to flip you just when the sun is making you feel lazy.

Almost every fox in Foxmania loves the taste of fish but most are too impatient to wait for their catches to come to the bait. There are those few foxes that succeed in grabbing fish from the water, but not many. I never could get the hang of it. I just get wet paws. That's why I learned to dig for glow-worms, just like Dad taught me. The really big, really tasty fish always come to your boat for glow-worms. Racha knows this too. Sometimes when she's feeling silly, she likes to tie a glow-worm on the fur of her tail and use it instead of a fishing pole. One time she brought in a fish nearly as big as she was! We could just barely fit it in the boat and the fox at the fish stall paid her a handsome sum of leaves for the best parts of the fish. We ate fish steaks for a whole week!

There was this one time when Racha suggested we go out in the boat, not just to fish, but to enjoy the way the leaves were changing colors on shore. Autumn is my favorite time of year because all of nature turns brown and orange and yellow...all the best colors!

We admired the way the leaves landed on the surface of the water, making ripples and floating like a thousand tiny little boats steered by the wind. We didn't even mind when one big yellow leaf scared away the fish that was inching closer to my pole. It was such a nice day that nothing could make us feel sad or angry.

The clouds rolled in suddenly, turning the pretty blue sky a frightful gray. I looked at Racha and she looked at me. She took up the paddles, pushing one into my paws. "We need to get to shore! NOW!"

Even though the boat is mine, Racha knows much more about being at sea. She told me once how she worked as a cabin girl for a whole season of foxfish hunting, out on the open ocean. I just like to float. She's the one that can name any part of a ship and tell you the strength of the tide by tasting a drop of water.

I tried to keep up with her powerful strokes but I'm just not as strong a rower as Racha. I was determined to help, though. I bent over as far as I could until the tips of my paws were nearly touching the surface of the lake. I sloshed at the water frantically. Somehow Racha was there when I lost my balance. My head got a good soaking but her strong paw kept me from going all the way in.

"Stay where you are, Foxkeh. I'll get us to shore."

She had to shout to be heard over the wind. I just nodded. Racha is usually right about these things.

You could see how hard she was working to steer but even Racha's power wasn't having much affect against that wind. It seemed like the shore never got any closer. It seemed like we'd been at the center of that lake for hours. Suddenly, the winds died away and the sun broke through the clouds. Racha threw herself down, panting for breath. I held out a water bottle and she drank it dry.

"Thanks, Foxkeh."

"Did you see it, Racha?"

"On the shore? Yes, I saw the lightning hit the ground."

"I saw it too, only it wasn't lightning. I mean it was, but it was standing there on the beach. It's like the lightning went into this thing!"

Racha's eyes widened. "Really? We have to check this out."

The journey that seemed to take hours when we were fighting the winds now takes us only five minutes. I let Racha tie the boat while I sniff up and down the shore. There are no tracks to be seen and all I can smell is the sweet scent of a recent rain. Racha has no better luck. We have to take a guess on which way the strange creature went.

We enter the forest, going deeper and deeper under the cover of the trees, but neither of us is afraid. This is our native forest and we have walked it a hundred...no, more like a thousand times. We know the trees and stones and even the butterflies flitting from one branch to the other, looking for a safe place to spend the winter. Whatever this strange creature is, it is on our territory and it had better watch out!

Just when we're starting to think maybe the light was playing tricks, a sudden flash sets us both to running.

"There! To the right! Did you see it?"

I saw it! It's bigger than I expected. Don't let it get away!"

Uh...Racha?"

"Yes?"

"I think it got away."

Racha sighed. "Oh Foxkeh, maybe this creature doesn't want to be found."

"Why would it attack us on the water like that if it wanted to be left alone? Besides, there's no way I'm going to miss the chance to name a new creature."

Racha can never resist a competition, no matter the prize. "Not if I name it first!"

The chase began anew. Racha pointed a paw at one of the branches over our heads.

"Look at this, Foxkeh. Whatever this thing is, it's trailing rain! See how where it passes, all the leaves and blades of grass are wet, even though the rest of the ground is dry."

"Hey, Racha. I think I figured something out. I think this thing can control the weather!"

"That's crazy. Nobody can control the weather."

"Just think about it. This thing leaves a water trail and we both saw lightning. It also moves as fast as the wind. It seems like every time we get close; this thing just breezes away from us."

"Well...maybe it feeds off the weather or something, but I doubt it can control the weather."

"Five leaves says you're wrong."

"Don't you ever get tired of losing, Foxkeh?"

When we do catch the creature, neither one of us is expecting it. It is before us, neither animal nor plant, staring at us with these cold white eyes that are like the blinding light in the center of a lightning bolt. A sound like a thunderclap comes from between crystal lips. The whole clearing around us is suddenly filled with lightning and for a moment both of us are blind.

When our vision clears, Racha points at a place on the ground where the lightning has turned the sandy soil to glass. "See? That strike came from the clouds. That was clearly an act of nature."

"More like the Foxkel called the lightning to that precise spot."

Racha snorted. "You mean the Cryscha. It was merely a conductor. That odd crystal body probably attracted the lightning but it certainly didn't call it as you might call a cub to your side."

"Whatever, Racha. You know the truth, even if you won't admit it."

To this day, Racha refuses to pay me those five leaves.

Story by Pureflower

A Love Story

I noticed Racha right away. She wasn't the only fox spending a rainy afternoon shopping in Fox Central, but she was certainly the most beautiful! Imagine my surprise when she turned into Fox Mountain Outdoor Supplies.

I folded up my leaf umbrella as soon as I got in the door. It's my own custom design. The leaf veins connect to a string that forces the flaps shut so the umbrella is easy to store when not in use. I wandered closer to the counter where she was chatting with the clerk. She had three pairs of boots sitting in a line.

"You're not sure which of these has the highest water-seal rating, then? My last pair that I bought from FoxFur were pretty to look at but one good soaking left them ruined. I'm really looking for something with a seven or higher and if you have a ten, I wouldn't say no. You see, I'm an explorer. I chart the forests of Foxmania for a living. Over in Furming Village, they always print the rating on a little tag inside the boot but I'm not seeing that on any of these."

I had to say something then. I couldn't let her walk out of that shop with inferior quality boots. "Excuse me, Miss? You'll find the ratings are printed just above the heel on the rubbers here. It's very small and easy to miss." I trace a number 6 with a paw-finger to demonstrate. "Out of these three, I would definitely recommend the Rugged Vulpines. I've worn them myself and I've never so much as gotten my fur wet."

She smiled and thanked me. I hastily paid for my own energy bars and flashlight so I could walk her to the door. Her ears flattened when she saw how badly the rain had increased.

I opened my leaf umbrella, holding it over both of us as I opened the door for her. Her paw traced one of the string lines.

"Did you make this yourself? It's far superior to those cheap leaf umbrellas they have over at Foxie Accessories."

The fur on my tail may have puffed up a bit at her praise. "Yes, it is my design. You see, I'm an adventuring inventor."

Her eyes lit up at that. "Handsome, clever, and adventurous? This must be my lucky day." She rummages in her backpack, coming up with a map of eastern Foxmania. "I'd hoped to do some charting of the mushroom fields but one can hardly get a good view of fungi when it's pouring rain. I wonder if you'd like to join me on a little adventure in Yelping Canyon? I've heard tales about it all my life but never been there."

Did I ever! Yelping Canyon is one of those places every explorer dreams about but only the very brave...or the very foolish...go there without someone to watch their back. The place is haunted, after all.

Racha spent the whole walk through Shady Forest telling me about growing up in southern Foxmania in the village of Furming. The foxes there have smaller bodies and they are all very polite. They like to drink mint tea and watch the flow of the Clear River from the balconies of their riverside homes. Racha never really felt like she fit in there. She was the one always getting in trouble for having mud and stickers all tangled up in her fur. She got her friends in trouble too, until their parents stopped letting them go to Racha's house to play.

She left home a few years ago to join a traveling map-maker and assist him in his plotting of the widely unexplored Brush Rushes, a swampy area that is inhabited only by frogs and bugs. They didn't make any great discoveries after spending a year in the area, but neither did her teacher complain when she came in all muddy after a day in the field. She had a lot of fun but wouldn't return to the Rushes in any hurry.

We both chuckled as we trotted past the danger signs posted at the canyon's lip. The trails down to the bottom were narrow and we had to duck our heads a few times to avoid falling rocks.

Racha found the entrance to the mine first. It was very dark, just a lack square that let down into a tunnel of impossible depths. All we could see in the fading evening light was part of a railroad track.

Even with high-powered flashlights, we couldn't get very far in those inky black tunnels. There was no telling how many branches were dug in search of the gold that had long since dried up in that part of Foxmania. The drip of water somewhere far below and the creak of timbers settling played on our nerves as the darkness grew. I was the one to suggest we seek the old mining town and come back to the mine in the light of day. I wasn't afraid, of course. A wise explorer always puts safety first.

The rain had settled into a light drizzle by the time we made it out of the tunnel. We stood in the middle of a road not walked since our ancestors first came to these hills to seek the shiny gems that all foxes love.

The town was full of rotting wooden shacks and intriguing piles of gravel that led up to caves half-concealed by hanging sage brush. I pointed a paw at the first one in the row. "Ten leaves says one of these houses has a hidden map that leads us to a gem hoard."

"You are on. It won't be in a house, though. It'll be in one of those caves. They're so scary-looking that no fox in their right mind would mess with them. Anybody with a treasure to hide would know that."

We started with the caves though we were only able to peer into a few since the sun was almost totally gone. Racha insisted I could not collect on the bet until we'd explored the whole area. I nodded my acceptance of her terms. They wouldn't do her any good if I proved the victor in the first house we came to. By its size and fancy ornaments carved into the stairwell posts, I was sure this had to be the optimal place to search.

A few rusty tools and dried herbs were scattered on the shelves. A shattered clay bowl littered the floor, forcing us to take great care in placing our paws. Rach narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth, letting her voice go up to a high-pitched squeak.

"Yes, come forward my little morsel. Abandon all hope, for ye have come to the house of the Wailing Witch!"

A sudden gust of wind caused me to shudder violently. Every fox cub knows the story of the evil black-furred fox with red eyes that takes naughty cubs in the night and puts them to work making fog in the center of the earth. I wouldn't fear a story told to cubs, though. I made it a point to explore every inch of that two-room house until my prodding paw knocked a paper loose.

The paper rolled open without any help from me. It was not a treasure map or a love note scribbled by some miner missing his sweetheart. I didn't know what it was, to be honest. The symbols were very old, written in some dead language neither Racha nor I could understand. We did our best to sound out those symbols that looked something like letters we knew.

The sun disappeared past the horizon at last. Our flashlight beams were suddenly snuffed, as if they were candles surrendering to a breeze. A high-pitched wail rose all around us, forcing us to leap for the door. We didn't stop running until we were halfway back to Fox Central. We fell to the grass until we caught our breath. The looks on our faces were enough to make us both laugh until we were shaking.

We returned to Yelping Canyon the next day, touring as many mine tunnels as we could find, using a glowing rope to find our way back when the tunnels became confusing. We found nothing more exciting than a few rusted mine carts and one smashed oil lantern. As for the caves and houses, try as we might to figure out what had made that terrible noise, we came up with nothing better than half-believed guesses about gusts of wind.

To this day, we have not worked up the courage to return to Yelping Canyon at night.

Story by Pureflower

Pet Treasure


Small Stage Row Boat

Heart-Shaped Leaf

Forest Hiking Backpack

Snorkel

Expensive Fishing Pole

Fiery Shrub

Sea Charts

Bonfire

Pet Friends