Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Kitsune's Game ❯ Prolougue - Part one: The Chase ( Chapter 1 )

Kitsune's Game</ p>

**********

A streak of white blurred through the trees. An arrow cast in poison and spirit energies barely missed the silver streak. It dodges the trees and shrubs, frustrating the archer as his arrows landed mere seconds later. Over hills and through trees it travels, its figure only seen by the illumination from the moon. Its grace unmatched as it leaped over fallen trees, never once giving way to clumsiness. Silent did it run, with few occasions did the leaves rustle and twigs broke.

It was the dance of a creature whose speed kept it unseen. A game of cat and mouse; where the mouse would always evade the cat. The cat would not be able to catch the clever mouse, which plans five steps ahead while the cat does two. But as persistent as a cat after its prey, the archer chases after the blur. The white blur, whose beauty remains yet unseen; gains in its alacrity, reaching a river ahead in its path.

For a moment, it became airborne as it leaped over the wide river. The streak is really a fox, but no ordinary fox. Its fur, a mixture of white, silver, and platinum, made it seem as though it was born from the pure radiance of a full moon. Its eyes a mix of violet, ebony, and Mahoney, twinkling with mischief and delight with the chase. Confidence and arrogance shone. Its form was of beauty and majesty, its multiple tails streaming behind. No, this creature was no simple fox… half-human, half-fox… a kitsune…a fox demon.

The small moment that the fox took to the air was a drastic mistake, for its speed had decreased only a very small fraction, but it was enough for the hunter. Just like a cat can win against the mouse, the archer got his prey. An arrow struck the demon's left hind leg. Its eyes widened at the sudden pain. The creature fell from its majestic flight and tumbled into the river, like a bird, shot out of the endless sky. Trying to claw itself onto the bank, it failed as the current was too strong and it swiftly went down the river.

As soon as it disappeared around the bend, another creature emerged from the forest's depth. It scanned the bed for its target, but finding no sign of the elusive fox. This was no ordinary hunter, a figure that looked relatively close to a human, but with abilities transcending far from the boundaries of mortals.

Superior in largely every manner, with enhanced speed, and stealth; where else the lacking human was slow and clumsy. Its ears were larger and pointed for advanced hearing, the tips in a delicate curl for the rough creature. Its eyes, narrowed and with slit for pupils, looking rather like a cross between the eyes of a snake and the eyes of a cat. These eyes shifting, pinpointing every detail, taking in every pebble, every grain of sand, never missing a single feature and taking notice of the claw marks. An elongated nose was used to sniff out the scents of his prey but it was gone and hidden by the smell of river water, fish and nearby wildflowers. His skills were no match in hunting and killing.

This was a demon hunter. And this particular demon hunter specialized in kitsunes. His goal was to hunt all of the powerful kitsunes and be known as the best. He wanted to be the best. The foxes were the best in their astuteness and intelligence; he would be the best in hunting them.

The fox might have escaped, but it was wounded. It would only be a matter of time before it too would die at the hunter's hand. But in the meantime there are other ways of causing pain. This game of cat and mouse would be legendary. A game experienced by many, but unknown to everyone. The huntsman smirked and walked back into the forest's shadows.

Down the river, the fox had managed to pull itself up onto the bank when the river had slowed down. It collapsed and lay there for a few minutes before rising up again. It could not spend too much time there. Licking its wound clean, the fox limped off to find shelter, allowing the shadows of the cluttered, forest trees to devour its pale form.

A crippled mouse, with a game it understands is coming to an end, persevered…

*********************

Spur of the moment kind of idea… I don't know if I should continue with another chapter or two to end it or just leave it at a one shot. It'll depend on my mood and any other idea that I'll have when I try to continue it.