"As you wish," the first of the two men gave a shrug and a smile, "There is nothing you can do to stop us."
I looked around the area in the cave that I'd been brought to, noting everything that was there. I was presently chained to a wall in front of what looked like a cannon, but it was clear that it wasn't connected to typical ammunition for cannon. Several massive hoses that glowed with a sickly green glow were connected to a massive glass tank on the opposite end of the part of the cave that I'd been taken to and chained it. It spanned from the floor to the roof of the cave and was at least twenty feet tall, and within it, I could see a swirl of bluish light along with a few other colors as well. I figured that was the spirits of the Kitsune that had died and these wizards had stolen them from their respective shrines. I felt Keru's indignation and anger at the sight of it. That meant that our link was still there, but I was afraid to actually send a message to her.
The rest of the cave was dominated by several wooden doors, which I guessed lead to other rooms, and indicated that the cave wasn't a natural on. These two men had carved this cavern out, likely using magic. The two guards looked like normal humans in military fatigues, but I didn't recognize the uniform. More than likely it was an original design to suit the two wizards that had captured me. And they had to be wizards. They wore long robes that bore great similarity to many wizards had been drawn or imaged in in various cartoons, comics, and video games. The one who was presently talking was actually wearing a robe that looked like something I'd designed for a one on one combat game a few years ago. It was a long purple robe with golden shoulder guards and a golden helmet as well.
"This realm is just as old as Earth as it is part of Earth," the wizard spoke, "yet Earth's development in the mortal realm outpaced the magical realm in many respects. Countries and governments formed. There was organized leadership, and commonly among those early states, a wizard had been there to guide and protect them... a Merlin Ambrosius, if you wish..."
I blinked at the mention of Arthurian legend. The wizard continued.
"But the magical realm had no similar development," the wizard continued, "no government to organize it..."
"But the Council of Nine Tails..." you blurted.
"A gentleman's club for Kitsune," the other wizard said derisively, "Nothing more. No other being of the magical realm is bound to serve or support them."
The first nodded, "Yes. Kitsune did honor those among their kind that lived long enough to attain near god-like power, but their Council isn't a government... not an effective one anyway. They've made "rules" to control their kind... but they're more like guidelines than actual rules. Kitsune that don't follow them are rarely punished."
I watched as the man began to pace in front of me, as if he was gathering his thoughts. It was at that time when Keru realized that I was awake again and I heard her thoughts in my mind.
"Rick! Rick! You're awake!" her thoughts sounded desperate, "Don't say anything out loud, just think. I'll hear you."
"Okay," I sent to her.
"Where are you?" she asked.
"I don't know... I'm in some cave... That ghost must have hidden and got me by surprise," I told her, "Can you sense where I am?"
"No, not since you were unconscious," Keru answered, "The Council has agreed to help and three of its members are helping... but for the moment we're reliant on using our noses to track your scent... and your kidnapper has been very good at leading us on dead ends..."
That made me rather fearful.
"Please hurry," I sent to her, "they haven't brainwashed me yet and I've got them blabbing their plan and their reasoning... but I can see the tank where they have all the spirits of dead Kitsune that they'd stolen... and I don't think your family was the only one that they'd victimized."
"We are trying," Keru promised, "we're trying..."
By this time the wizard had finished collecting his thoughts and was ready to continue his explanation.
"But the lack of a government around Kitsune is unimportant, I suppose, in terms of why Saul and I are working to bring them down," the first wizard spoke again, "what is important is their habit of interfering in the development of mankind... their games... their pranks... their tricks."
"Kitsune are held as tricksters in mythology, did you expect them to be submissive little robots?" I challenged.
"No..., but the myth around them is the problem," the first wizard answered, "If they hadn't decided to mess with humanity they wouldn't be thought of as tricksters in myth... they could have become guides and protectors... a Japanese Merlin if you wish."
Again the man seemed to be playing to Arthurian legend.
"But they felt pranks and games suited them best and you wouldn't believe how many men have died as a result of their games," the second wizard, Saul, growled, "death and destruction among humanity! All for THEIR amusement."
That made me think back to something Keru had said, that World War II in the Pacific had essentially been started by a Kitsune's prank on humanity. But Keru had also said that the Council of Nine Tails had heavily restricted what sort of pranks Kitsune could play as a result of the consequences that prank left them with. That the atomic bomb's power could be felt not just in the mortal realm but in the magical realm as well. Keru had even said that two nine tails had been killed in one of the two atomic bombings that ended the Second World War.
"And if that weren't bad enough, they have decided to act like they were kings in the magical realm and human wizards in this realm are expected to follow their whims as to what magic can and cannot be used," Saul continued his own growl, "a group with no government thinking they have the right to tell us what magics to use and not use..."
"Maybe they've learned their lesson and have changed to realize that games aren't the only way to be..." I told him, "and Kitsune as a race are magical. Humans by contrast... not everyone can use magic. Maybe they know more and are trying to be helpful."
"Not likely," the first wizard answered, "Kitsune still engage in their games of going after us for their amusement. And so, Saul and I are moving to set proper order in the magical realm. Organized leadership that recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of the real and puts an end to Kitsune trickery and games."
"Through genocide?" I challenged.
"No, not genocide," the first wizard answered, "With as many Nine Tails out there... killing every single Kitsune would be impractical."
"And that is where you and your new wife come in," Saul gave a smile, "You a human and she a Kitsune largely raised by humans... together you will be the tools to control them. We will control you and change you and then with the power of a Nine-Tail in OUR service... there is nothing that they will be able to do to stop our inevitable victory. Kitsune with fewer tails will respect your raw power and tricks being pulled on the Nine Tails will break them."
"You can't get away with this," I told him, "What you're doing is wrong, regardless of what wrongs you feel Kitsune committed."
"We already have," the first wizard answered, "Your wife's attempt to help you understand Japanese isn't perfect... I'm actually surprised a two tail tried to cast a spell that would teach you Japanese... but once you serve us it won't matter..."
"They don't know about our link," I thought to myself.
"It's as I told you, Rick," Keru's thoughts came to me, sounding both nervous at what might happen to me and outraged that the whole thing was the result of human wizards on some sort of strange revenge campaign against Kitsune. It was likely that she felt upset over being targeted simply for the way she had been raised and lived, and that that was likely what got her parents killed. "They might sense that there is magic there, but they can't know for certain what the spell is... and linking minds isn't one that would be typical as it means the two would have no secrets from each other and people and Kitsune commonly prefer to have their privacy..."
"But it was all we could realistically do," I replied to her and then sighed heavily, "I'm sorry I got you into all this."
"It's not your fault," Keru answered, "You've done a lot to try and help... and if they're wizards... they might try to use magic to brainwash you..."
"Would our link protect me?" I asked nervously.
"It might as it would mean that they'd need to have me there at the same time for the brainwashing... and brainwashing a Kitsune with magic is tough," Keru commented, "it'd only work on newborns to those that haven't grown their first tail yet as they're still learning their magic... but even a one tail can resist such spells fairly well..."
I noticed that there was a tailing off in her thoughts, almost as if she was being hopeful. "But...?"
"But at the same time, there is the possibility that their brainwashing could work on you and then brainwash me because we're linked," Keru finished, "I simply do not know for sure what could happen. It could go either way."
I mentally nodded and focused back to the two wizards.
"If you're so set on this, why not turn yourselves into Nine Tails and leave Keru and I out of this?" I asked.
"I'm afraid that neither of us have a sort of bond with Kitsune for that to work... that and the fact that since we already have our own magic, our bodies wouldn't accept the Kitsune magic inherent in the spirits of Kitsune that have died," the first wizard sighed, "but you, Richard Williams... with your love for a Kitsune you barely know... and the fact that you hold no inherent magic of your own will accept the magic as our gun here pumps the spirits of nearly a thousand dead Kitsune, most of them nine tails into you and you will emerge from this as a nine tail... but first... you must serve Saul and I..."
I watched as both the first wizard's and Saul's eyes began to glow and swirl, as if to brainwash me. This was the start of it, and I knew that my only hope was in the link with Keru.