Chapter 3: Red Fox, White Rose

Cyras stood still as the bigger hyena leaned her nose forward and sniffed her breath and muzzle.

"Lilu's not allowed to bring visitors," the pink hyena said after examining her. "State your name."

"Cyras. Cyras Sumhyr."

"Cure Us, Summer?"

"Yes," Cyras said, staring up.

"Well Cure Us," she said, "you should know who I am."

"You must be Lilu's mom, right?" Cyras asked.

The hyena's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly . "My name is Jazmyn."

Cyras tilted her head, and Jazmyn said, "As in the Queen of Sandrun? Am I ringing any bells for you, or are you lost somewhere?" The queen grinned, however this was no inviting grin, just an excuse to bare a scythe of fangs.

Cyras pursed her lips, not knowing what to say.

Jazmyn snorted. "Where are you from exactly?"

Cyras pawed the ground. "Erm... A different place."

"I said exactly."

"Just north of here, I guess. A few territories over."

"Show me your feet."

Cyras raised a front paw.

Jazmyn sniffed at them. "Wild grass and worms. Just what I suspected. You're a Wilder."

Considering how Lilu and Ahmond tried to conceal that information, she understood already she was in trouble.

The showering room opened, as Lilu lurched out, only to encounter the two. Her eyes popped open, while Jazmyn stared at her. All parties froze.

Jazmyn said, "You dragged a Wilder into the palace."

Cyras' ears flattened to her skull. They made her feel like she was some type of outcast, when she wasn't doing anything wrong.

Instead of jumping to Cyras' rescue, Lilu said, "She knows nothing of our world! She needs somebody who's going to care for her, and all of that. I like her, and showing her new foods, and showing her new sights. She's actually really cute. She spent the night here."

Jazmyn glared and Cyras joined her. The fox said, "Excuse me, I'm not a pet."

"Just because she's cute, you can't keep her!" Jazmyn said, "otherwise I'd keep Ahmond and replace you."

Cyras flinched at that response despite Lilu seeming unfazed, since that was the harshest insult she ever heard, a mother not wanting their own young. Taking a few steps back, she tucked her tail.

Lilu said, "Mom, you're scaring her."

"She's going to kick you out," Cyras said as she went down the hallway. Shooting a glance over, she said, "You should leave me. Family is forever."

Lilu walked past her mother. "I'm going to the mall, come on."

Jazmyn shook her head, as Lilu told her, "I won't be home for dinner tonight. Or maybe tomorrow."

"You'll grow up one day, Lilu," the older hyena shouted as Lilu dragged Cyras away. "And when you do, you'll realize how silly this all sounds later, and your daughter will do the same thing. And the next one after that."

Her voice melted to the background as Lilu headed for the door, and Cyras mimicked Lilu's stony silence.

***

Along the way, they picked Ahmond from the Ice Cream Shop (after several promises she would actually come home) and came into a big center of stores. Lilu explained the idea to Cyras as best she could, but failed to prepare Cyras for the spectacle.

Shops within shops, with individuals walking with various foods, or gear, or gadgets. Cyras' nose went haywire as she tried to pick up all the scents within the place, while drool dribbled from her maw. Her nose sniffed the air, absorbing the smell of cheesy foods, and salt, and sugary beverages.

"Maybe we should feed her," Ahmond told Lilu.

However, Cyras ran off towards a fountain full of water.

"Cyras!" Lilu shouted, "no, no."

Cyras took a few drinks. Some rocks were in the fountain, and she dove for them, before popping up with shiny metals. Grinning at her treasures, she showed off some of these coppery pieces, and told them, "Let's get food. I want food now."

Ahmond stuck her tongue out. "Fountain water. No one should drink that stuff."

Lilu rolled her eyes. "How about we see what you like from the food court?"

"Food court?" Cyras' pupils dilated as she heard those words. That's when she saw how some would give small metals like she collected, and they would get to walk away with foods. "You can obtain food just like that?"

"You have to pay," Lilu said. "We'll get you a sample of everything. I'll foot the bill."

Cyras stared blankly.

"I'll pay for everything."

Cyras stared blankly.

"Just eat what I bring you."

Cyras nodded hard enough to almost break her neck, as Lilu went over to the food presenters. Ahmond sat at a stool, and Cyras jumped up beside her.

"You know, there's another stool," Ahmond said as Cyras settled, and pointed to one next to her. "Like, a little space please?"

"Okay." Cyras jumped onto the top of the table, with some giving her odd looks.

"Cyras, off the table."

Cyras got back on the floor.

The coywolf crossed her arms. "Sit in the stool next to me."

"You told me to give you space when I sat there."

"No, not next to me on the same stool, sit on the stool that is next to my stool."

Cyras raised an eyebrow as Ahmond had some weird fascination with where she sat. "You're more concerned with where my butt is than I am. Like, did you lose yours in a tragic accident?"

"Almost. I angered Mosor when I ran away."

"Stop the bum talk, and eat the celery stalks," Lilu said as she walked in with a bag of food in her mouth. She placed the bag before locking eyes with Cyras who was still on the floor. The hyena pointed her head to one seat, and she followed the order.

Ahmond puffed her cheeks.

Cyras wagged her tail, as Lilu revealed the contents of the bag. After an explanation about plastic and not to eat the actual containers, she ate pretzels with cheese, nachos with jalapenos, chicken strips, and fries.

"How much space does she have in her?" Ahmond muttered to Lilu. "She's eaten everything we've given to her."

Lilu shrugged.

Cyras kept eating, regardless. These jalapeno peppers gave a spiciness to the cheese which didn't go unnoticed, mixing in for a fiery, good taste with these corn like chips. Or the chicken strips, whose juices went well with something sweet like the small soda she had to drink.

"Is this how the world ends?" Ahmond asked, "completely consumed by a singular fox?"

As Cyras lapped her drink, Ahmond said, "Be politer. You should drink through the straw." Meanwhile, Lilu giggled.

Cyras stared at Lilu, and felt mildly embarrassed. She must be doing something wrong, she must have been making a spectacle of herself, with this weird, inane rule. Still, she used this plastic tube known as a straw - which didn't resemble dried grass that much - and drank through this instrument.

Ahmond stared at her like a savage beast, and Lilu brought over a cup of brown liquid, so Ahmond stared at Lilu like a savage beast.

The coywolf seemed to have some protest, but Cyras figured she was just acting like herself - a wimp, and she drank.

As Lilu's eyes glazed over, Cyras said through a mouthful of chips, "Lilu, are you thinking about what your mom said to you?"

Lilu exhaled, and shook her head, before saying, "You're as subtle as a brick. Yeah, this stuff blows over."

"That was really mean of her to say those things," Cyras told her. "If Ryvoh told me that, I would have felt horrible, and I understand if you do too."

"She says that stuff all the time. That, that was just nothing."

Ahmond reclined back, staring away from their talk.

Cyras narrowed her eyes. "I may not know much about your rules and customs, but I know wrong. That was wrong. No one should ever say they don't want you as a child, at all."

Lilu snapped, "You really don't get this do you?"

Cyras reeled back, and hissed at her.

"No, don't give me that attitude, missy," Lilu said, "you don't get anything. We say some stuff, and sometimes there's a warped meaning, and you wouldn't understand this at all."

Cyras snorted and asked, "If this is nothing, you would not be this hurt."

Lilu said, "Just, both of you, come with me. We're going to Card Capers." She hopped off the chair, and left for another shop.

***

Apparently Lilu wasn't going to talk about her issues, and was going to act like Cyras was a complete idiot.

Lilu broke an awkward void in conversation by saying, "These malls have everything," as they arrived at a building.

Card Capers - For All Your Card Game Needs...

Cyras saw some flowers outside the store. A white rose bloomed from a planter, and she was delicate to pick the stem.

"Cyras!" Ahmond said, "you're not supposed to steal those."

"They're flowers." Cyras rolled her eyes. "No one owns flowers."

"Got us there," Lilu told her.

Hosting the annual Wysdom National Tournament.

Lilu sneered at the sign, until her eyes wandered on one part, which read about how there were more openings. Lilu gestured the two into the room.

Navy blue walls and carpet gave a calming, club-like feel to the shop. Several tables had people playing cards, while a glass shelf went from corner to corner, various Tower Cards within the containers.

"I'm going to the tournament in a week," Lilu said. "Regardless of how my mom feels. I'm not even going to return home to talk to her."

Cyras agreed with Lilu's decision internally. "She's a witch. And I'm not sure if I meant that kind of itch either."

"She's an itch on the butt," Lilu said.

Cyras said, "Or on that spot on your back you can't reach."

Ahmond said, "Or-"

"We get the idea," Lilu said, shutting Ahmond down. The coywolf pouted.

As Lilu deciphered the wicked enigmas of joining the tournament, Ahmond and Cyras stared at painted cardboard sheets. Cyras found herself more attracted to the Fire based cards, if only because she picked that element once, and stuck to the choice.

"Alright," Lilu said as she came back, brows furrowed, eyes averting the table. "Apparently we have to pass some kind of test."

"I hope not math, I hate math." Ahmond shrunk away from Lilu's eyes which were now slivers.

A jackal came to the table. "Are all three of you participating?"

"Yes," Lilu said, though Cyras wasn't sure.

"Here's how this works. I'm putting these cards down," and she dealt the cards, "and you have to win to beat the puzzle. You get one turn and three tries. Only one at a time."

Cyras saw Lilu struggle, but figure the puzzle with one try left. When Ahmond's turn came, she had no tries left.

Cyras stared at the playing zone.

She had a face down in the instant zone known as Disabler which would disable any card her opponent played next. Lava Wyvern, which could send 2 cards, 1 per player, to the discard pile. 1 Lava Caterpillar, which inflicted 3000 Soul Points of damage if that card went to the discard pile.

Her opponent had 10,000 Soul Points, one face down, and Icy Fish, which had only 2000 shield to beat.

Something was off.

So obviously, Cyras was supposed to activate Wyvern, put Caterpillar to discard along with Icy Fish, inflict 3000, then attack for game. If the opponent's instant was activated, that meant activate Disabler and win.

But if Cyras was correct, a puzzle was meant to be more... harder than that.

"Wait, can I see your discard pile?"

The jackal nodded as Cyras rummaged through, and read seven different abilities until she found the catch. One card in discard was known Barrier Ant, and the ability of Barrier Ant was that if an instant was played, she could play the Ant, thus meaning Cyras would lose.

"Okay, I play Lava Wyvern's ability twice. One on either instant, and one on either of our fighters, so both our Instants go to discard along with our fighters."

A regular Barrier, not the ant variety, was put to the discard pile, along with Icy Fish.

"And attack," Cyras said to her.

"Congratulations," the wild dog announced, "you've won the game. Feel free to join the tournament. However, since you entered this way, as a reserve, you'll start with less points."

Cyras looked to Lilu for translating.

"Basically, in a tournament like this one, you play rounds of Swiss, where you face others for a few games. You get more points by winning and who you beat, and if you get enough points, you're part of the top eight, who will face one another in one versus ones."

The jackal said, "And you become our next national Junior Champion of Towers. And you get tea with Owlis."

"Owlis?"

The jackal nodded, and said, "Yes, I would have figured you'd have read about the prizes. Surprising you'd miss having tea with the empress."

As Cyras was about to ask more inappropriate questions, Ahmond laughed and said, "She's new, from another country, she's my... She's my cousin...'s aunt's daughter visiting."

"Wouldn't your cousin's aunt's daughter be your-"

Lilu shoved a paw in Ahmond's mouth, and said, "Okay, moving to new adventures!"

As the hyena dragged them away, Cyras asked Lilu, "But really, who's Owlis?"

"Owlis is our leader," Ahmond said, "anyway, I'm going back to my house."

Cyras thought, before saying, "Can I stay with you tonight?"

"I really think you oughta go home," Ahmond said, "'cause, your family is going to start missing you."

"Actually, we should have a sleepover," Lilu said, "and besides..." She whispered to Ahmond, "Maybe we'll see the effects of the coffee."

Cyras shrugged, wondering what coffee was.