A fox. A beautifully illustrated fox, taking up nearly a full page; seated on its haunches, its slit pupils staring directly at the reader. But it was no ordinary fox. Nine large tails fanned out behind it. Balls of fire with long wispy flames floated beside its head, in between the tail tips. On the facing page were smaller illustrations: of a woman with a bushy fox tail hidden in the folds of a Japanese kimono; of a man in imperial Chinese garb with a nine-tailed shadow; of a statue of a fox holding a key in its mouth. Finally, tucked in a corner was a picture of a human-like fox in a Korean dress examining a human skull in her hand.
"Whoa."
Daryn skimmed over the text, seeing it discuss various myths associated with foxes in east Asia. Shapeshifters, illusionists; sensual and devious; sometimes hostile and even deadly, like the man-eating kumiho of Korea; sometimes powerful and benign, like the tenko servants of the Japanese deity Inari; or, often, just mischievous pranksters. The more tails they had, the more powerful they were. Some tales said they drained spiritual power through sex, like succubi; some that they gained it with age and wisdom.
"Imagine the tricks I could play with powers like that," he muttered. He ran his fingers over the main image of the fox, tracing downs its chest and foreleg.
Then suddenly the dark lines of the picture flared with light. He jerked away from the book, the library going dark around him.
"What the-"
Luminous orbs trailing ghostly fire appeared around him. He shivered, the warm growing cold even as his own body lit up. The fire circled him, some of the balls being drawn in until they touched him. His body tensed at their touch, power diffusing through him as they burned through his clothing and slid into his flesh. Flesh that pricked and tickling as fur began to sprout. Meeting the glowing eyes of the illustrated fox, Daryn knew that he was becoming one of the mythic vulpines.