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Chapter 3

Kit was shouting at her viewing mirror. “No! No! No! You conservative bastards!” She always gets angry when she sees the Citadel, a disease from times long past. The girl, a true Foxian scholar, was always expanding her knowledge of history and fighting for equal rights and fellowship amongst the tribes. She worked as a librarian in the Laurel Library, a humongous tree house spun over hundreds of huge laurel trees. It’s the biggest library in VFoxia. They have been gathering books and scrolls for centuries, to make sure no tree was cut in vain. Her preference for a united nation comes from her time when she was the assistant to the Head Librarian. He also introduced her to the SAF, which she recently passed the admission tests for.

She was watching a live mirroring of the ceremony. It had not started yet, but she saw the foxes gathering in the citadel, each walking towards their own compartment. She hated the division between the tribes. We are all foxes. She always thought. That is the most important thing. Unity. Meanwhile, she was texting her friend from a village close by, near the eastern shore. He was her best friend. They agreed to meet up after the ceremony. She had decided to tell him about the SAF. Now that she is officially part of their ranks, she is allowed to introduce new members.

Shall I bring something to eat? After she hit the send button, Kit noticed the clan leaders were walking toward the center of the Citadel. They all laid down their weapons and geckos and took a seat in what Kit thought to look like very comfortable chairs. It took a few more minutes before the main characters of the ceremony showed up. She knew exactly who they were. Except for the new boy. A young fox, recently appointed as the squire of Alphice and his … Look at those gorgeous dark eyes! The Old Fox led his two followers around the table before they faced towards the entrance again, waiting for the prince to make his appearance. She looked back at her pocket mirror - 0 new messages - it said.

“WWWOOOAAHHH, what the hell!” An incredible green light suddenly flashed on the screen. She moved closer to the mirrorr. Was it coming from the sword? She could see the foxes in the Citadel were all shocked, seeking the origin of the green flash. What’s that at the table? Kit was seeing a familiar silhouette on the dark marble table, but the recording mirror was still focusing on the entrance. “Are you blind?! Move the mirror!” She shouted at her VM. That was fast! Zooming onto the table, the prince of VFoxia was revealed, wielding the Jade Sword. What an entrance. She thought while turning up the volume. The prince began his speech.

“My beloved Foxians! Welcome to this historical event. Better times are upon us. But before we move forward, we need to look behind us.” Wait… is that Darkeyes behind him? “After my father’s sacrifice, which ended the tyranny of the Vulpidei and the Civil War they brought upon us, we struggled for many years.” His eyes … they are … “We kept fighting each other, until …” Tears were dripping down the prince’s cheeks. “… Until my sister died.” He paused for a moment, looking at foxes around him who were all showing their respect for the princess, kneeling on their left knee and holding up their right paw. It gave him the strength to continue his speech. “I know we have pretended to live in peace since then. But today gives hope. With Jade back on our side and Lord Alphice wielding the Sword, we can finally close a chapter. Let us turn the page! Move forward!” They are … the brightest white I have ever seen. “Today will be the start of a new era!” The foxes in the Citadel burst out in applause and cheers. While smiling and wiping off his tears, the prince tried to calm down the crowd. “Let’s start the ceremony!”

Kit has seen enough. 0 messages. Strange… he normally replies before I even send my message. She smirked, turned off her VM, and grabbed her brand-new hat. It was a hat all members of the SAF were gifted on passing the tests. The hat was strangely formed, green, and with a brown feather. Then she looked upon her halberd, her second gift. Ever since the war, it’s normal for foxes to carry weapons whenever they go outside. A custom she was always against. All right then. Kit convinced herself to take it with her. She felt the warmth of the halberd against her fur. She doesn’t know why SAF members are required to carry the Lava Halberd at all times. But since her request for exemption got denied by the Leader, she must take it with her. Even to visit a friend. Ohh fuck! The food! She went back inside to grab some tasty snacks. I’m coming Matt!