Definition - Phantom Fox - A frost-grey fox that has a silver patch around its throat and a long furry tail with a white tip. During October, it seeks out one Erudian, carrying a message from someone who has died. She speaks in the spirits voice, gives the individual his message, but does not know what the message is about, or where it came from.
Jynx and I were walking through the Spin Hearth towards the echo chambers, hopefully to crash our heads down to our beds to sleep. It was already moon wake and I had been up for several brights. My back ached, and my eyes scratched and drooped, as I tripped my way up the uneven path.
The lantern-lighting ceremony at the Quarry Hearth had gone later than I had expected. The music had not begun until late, and the glowy tube pies were especially crumbly today. I ate seven pies, and after I drank a mugful of the local rock sweet and spicy smelling rock cider, my stomach felt like meady bugs were dancing in my gut.
I heard in my head, Own fault! Jynx glared at me for several moments and then raised his nose and sniffed the air. His head swiveled towards some of the silver veined boulders at the edge of our trail. Through the gleam of the minerals, I could not see anything.
I groaned and pressed my hand against my stomach. Jynx was right, I had enough food on Erudus, I needed to learn to eat less treats. The locals were always there to feed me.
I quickened my pace to catch up with Jynx, as I saw him dart off the mountain path and stop at a small cliff wall. His glowing blue eyes gazed up towards a small waterfall that dripped downwards to us. Jynx’s tail quickly twitched as the hair on his head rose.
Sitting near the water was a phantom fox. It’s silver throat and misty eyes glowed pale blue In the darkness. When it saw us approaching, it did not flee, instead its tiny feet splashed in the water as it came towards us.
The tips of my mouth moved upwards even though I tried to hide my smile from Jynx. At the sight of the animal his eyes had narrowed and he had begun to pace.
From nowhere I heard, in a familiar, husky voice that was as strong as the mountain itself say, “you are not responsible, my dragonling.”
I looked around for the speaker even though my powers told me that the Phantom fox was speaking. But deep down, I knew it was someone else.
The fox came closer and then opened her mouth again. “You are not responsible, my dragonling.”
The phantom chirped in its normal voice and then slunk away around the rocks and disappeared into a small fissure in the wall.
Later, I tried not to think about the encounter that night. After all, the Celebration of Spirits had begun, and ever since I had come to Erudus, I had realized very quickly that anything could happen when the veil thinned. But, the fox’s voice creeped into my mind all evening.
The next morning, I wandered down to Serai and Keefee’s hearth for morning glub and a chat. Keefee was busy repairing his flask with chalk ground from the rock of the bindei rock. When he saw me his face softened.
“Good day, Lika. May the mountain bless you with strength. Sit, have some glub.” Keefee tried to pour a mug of the glub, but chalk was stuck to his flask, and when he raised his hand, the flask came with it.
Serai laughed. “Hello, little Star. Keefee insists on trying to fix that old flask. He needs a new one.” She patted Keefee on his shoulder and then poured me a mug of the tangy floral scented liquid.
I drank my glub and listened to the pair discuss the gossip from last evening. When they were done, I told them about the phantom fox. They looked at each other, resting their eyes together for a moment and in unison sat back in their chairs.
“It sounds like Silverthroat found you.” Keefee picked up a towel and pulled the flask away from his hand. He dropped it onto the cloth on the table without removing his eyes from me.
“Angelika… Silverthroat wanders the mountains at this time of the sol to help the living and the dead. She… she brings messages from beloved family members. But…” Keefee shared another glance with Serai. “ we’ve never heard you talk about your family.”
My heart skipped. My fingers fumbled around the lip of my mug. There was an empty chair beside me. For a moment I saw little Toby there, dipping crumbly cookies into his mug, laughing when the tip dropped inside with a plop.
From the couch, where Jynx had jumped up before Serai could shoo him off, I felt a slip of power traveling towards me. Then I felt him in my head. “Fox give no name. Look good. Good for Jynx’s lunch.” Drool began to drip down his fangs.
I sighed and silently answered him. Absolutely not!
Jynx need eat. Hungry! Jynx narrowed his eyes as he looked at me.
If you eat much more I’ll have to get a dragon to get you down the mountain. “Serai, do you have any more glub.” I held out my cup and waited.
“Lyka, look at me.” Keefee became incredibly quiet. “Silverthroat never lies. Sometimes, the messages she gives are hurtful, but usually they are helpful. Ginba, from the Runner Hearth, was worried her daughter suffered in the avalanche that killed her. Silverthroat’s message helped her get peace.” Keefee reached out for one of Serai’s pastries.
Serai looked deep into my eyes. “Maybe, you should listen to Silverthroat.”
I lowered my eyes. We sat in silence for a long time until I cleared my throat. “I don’t think I can do that right now. Serai, could I please have more glub.” I head out my mug, with my head lowered, forcing the power of tears away from me.
Serai picked up the pitcher. “Of course, little star. Keefee and I will always try to give you anything you need.”
I managed to leave Keefee and Serai’s hearth soon after that,and they did not question me further. Instead, memories and faces flashed through my head. Fragments of conversations, snippets of stories, and notes of music were all jumbled into one.
By the time I reached my next stop, my back ached, and my head ached. But, when I saw Lurni, I forced myself to stand high, and plastered a smile on my face.
I walked up to Lurni who was standing in her dim and densely packed workshop. Lurni was a small woman who, even though she was missing her right thumb, built the most extraordinary lanterns. I had commissioned her that year to build my very own lantern.
“Hello, Angelika! I’ve finished you’re lantern. It’ll be a wonderful addition to the final lighting ceremony,” Lurni reached out and pulled a soft hair cloth off a wooden box. Gleaming underneath was a silver and cobalt lantern with touches of amethyst.
I smiled. Adorning the nearest side was an image of Jynx. Lurni had captured Jynx’s smug look perfectly.
At the sight of the lantern Jynx’s ears perked up. He came forward to inspect. Acceptable image. Not perfect. Jynx, perfect! Jynx raised his paw up to Lurni to indicate he accepted her work.
Lurni’s cheeks turned pink as she giggled. “He’s so cute.” She looked into my face. Her bright smiled dropped and her head tilted. “What’s wrong, Angelika?”
“Nothing, Lurni. I’m just thinking of the past, that’s all… and sometimes it’s painful.” I fumbled with my mother’s old bracelet, fingering the facets of one of the stones.
Lurni studied my face and then shrugged. “You’re right, Angelika, remembering sometimes hurts. When I remember my gram, I regret that we argued just before she died, but I can’t apologize… or bring her back. I wish I could.”
Lurni reached over and began polishing some nearby steel. “I would love to hear something, anything from her. I’m afraid she hates me... but even if she does, I would now know, and then my thoughts would stop torturing me”
I looked at Lorni. She was young, uneducated, and alone. Lorni had no reason to be as talented and as wise as she was. Yet, my power told me she was right. If Silverthroat had something to say to me, than I needed to listen.
I stayed for awhile, trying to help Lorni with her regrets. As I moved to leave, Silverthroat came inside Lorni’s workshop. “You are not responsible, my dragonling.”
Lorni gasped. “It’s Silverthroat. She’s talking to you. You have to listen, Angelika!” Lorni leaned forward, her hand moved as if to stroke the animal’s thick fur. She seemed to change her mind, and slowly pulled her hand backwards.
I closed my eyes for a few moments. I felt the electric power in the earth below me, and attempted to ground myself. I felt Jynx’s strong muscles as he leaned his body against my legs.
Lykie must hear. Lykie need message. Jynx’s thoughts were warm and comforting, unlike his usual direct words.
I opened my eyes. “Hi dad. I miss you!”
Silverthroat’s eyes flashed as a musty smelling mist rose around us. Lurni disappeared from my vision, and then Jynx faded away.
Lykie, where go? Lykie, stop! Silverthroat, me get you!
I focused my power and tried to make my way out of the mist, but I could not. Still, even though my heart thumped harder than a dilly bird pounding its weak beak against a Quilleaf tree, I felt a benign presence in the mist. As the mist became denser, flashes started to dash ahead of me. They were slow and evenly spaced out at first. Then, within glimmers, the flashes circled and became solid. Looking at me with his curly blonde hair blowing in an undetected wind, was my father. My father who had been killed by my grandfather so that he could gain control of me. All because I had magic in me.
I sank to my knees as tears fell uncontrollably from my eyes. My heart ached, yet it danced at the same time.
“Do not cry my small one. I don’t have much time. You need to know that you are not responsible, my dragonling. You are not responsible for the past, you are not responsible for your grandfather’s actions, and you are not responsible for our deaths. You are responsible… only for what you do. And, we are very proud of who you are, and what you have chosen to do.” Dad’s crooked smile lit up his face. He raised one of his rough hands, still cracked and rough from working in the ruins, and ruffled his hair like I remembered him always doing.
“Mom, Toby…”
“In time, my dragonling.” He paused for a few moments. When he began to speak again his voice cracked. “I must go. Remember, sometimes there’s adventure in not knowing the answer.”
He weakly smiled and winked. “Oh… and Angelika, the white one, he’s not as unfeeling as he seems. You may need to remember that.”
The mist swirled even more thickly around it separating my father from me. “Dad, please!” I scrambled forward and tried to grab his vest. I missed, and my hands slid off, but not before a small tattered piece of parch fell to the ground.
I sat on the ground with my hands circling my body, rocking back and forward. The mist swirled and churned, moving from gray to stale green, and finally disappearing, leaving the purply black night sky surrounding me. Jynx leapt towards me. He dropped at nt feet.
Lykie return. Jynx get mist if come again. Lykie good? Jynx’s eyes, which were always hard like metal, had a soft look on them. His strong paw rested on my lap as he nuzzled against me.
“Universal weaver! Angelika, we thought we lost you! I have to get Keefee!” Lorni scrambled towards the mountain before I could speak.
I called back to her. “Lorni… I’m fine. Stop. you don’t need to bother Keefee and Serai.” But Lorni didn’t listen. Either that or she ignored me. At that time I had not yet learned how to read people as I can now, so I didn’t know. I sat there, feeling incredibly alone, tired of all the changes and hardship in my life. At that moment, I wanted to go back to the Echo Chambers and stay there, forever.
Then, Jynx lowered his huge head and gently picked up the package that had fell from my father’s pocket. For you, Lykie?
I reached my trembling hands out and quietly opened the package. In my father’s unorganized, barely legible scrawl was written, “Remember, my dragonling, you’re never alone and lost, you’re just experiencing something new.”
Jynx looked at me just as Silverthroat appeared. As I studied them, for the first time in months, I couldn’t feel the part of me that always felt alone. I’m not saying it was gone. After all, my life up until then had been… well .. challenging, but I had Jynx. And I could hear Keefee, Serai and Lorni yelling to me in loud, fast voices.
“Lyka! We’re coming!” Keefee’s strong baritone was unusually high.
I sighed as I watched Keefee, Serai and Lorni running towards us. Maybe, I thought, maybe Erudus could actually become more than a place to live, maybe it could be come home.
Silverthroat chirped at us, as she scampered through the scree and disappeared behind the tufts of a Zazzymane bush. My father’s presence and voice gone from her.
I felt the familiar pressure of Jynx in my head. “Message done. Lykie must stop following fox now.” He looked towards the bushes. "Silverthroat purpose gone. Jynx eat?
I chuckled. No, Jynx. You must never eat Silverthroat. But, I suspect that once Serai gets here, we’ll be expected back for a star turn snack. She’ll want to watch us, so tomorrow we’ll get a breakrise meal, and long lite snack. We’ll be there all day. Come on! Let’s go meet them.
Although still exhausted, a heaviness was gone from my being, as Jynx and I began following the path.
As Serai came running towards us, I remember Jynx asking, Lykie, are you sure Silverthroat not snack?
