by Chen Jiatong
“But does the spring of reincarnation really exist?” Dilah asked, trying not to show his excitement.
“The giant rabbit clan searched for it for many years, but by the time they left, they still hadn’t found it,” Lund said. “Personally, I think it’s a legend and nothing more.”
“Why did the giant rabbit clan end up leaving the enchanted forest?” Ankel asked.
Lund’s expression grew suddenly grave.
“We used to be the most prosperous species there, but we were swept up in the holy war that took place a thousand years ago. My ancestors left the enchanted forest for generations to go fight in the Arctic. Most of the giant rabbits died there, leaving behind only a small fraction. Our numbers have never recovered, and now we’re almost extinct …” Lund let out a long sigh.
“A holy war in the Arctic a thousand years ago …” Ankel mumbled to himself. “So Grandpa was right!”
“What’re you talking about?” Dilah asked.
“When Grandpa was studying ancient animal civilizations, he said a war was the only theory that could explain the sudden decline of animal civilizations in the north,” Ankel said. He turned to the giant rabbit. “Lord Lund, why didn’t the giant rabbits return to their homeland after the war?”
“Unfortunately, its location is so hidden that they weren’t able to find their way home.” Lund sniffed.
“I’m so sorry about what happened to your species, Lord Lund,” Dilah said gently.
“You’re very kind, fox.” Lund wiped away his tears, twitched his nose, and smiled broadly. “It’s getting late. Time for you adventurers to hit the road!”
Little Bean and Albert had finished saying their goodbyes, as had the other rabbits gathered on the clan boundary. Now the old gray rabbit turned to Dilah. “Fox, regardless of where you go, Little Bean is a good child—please take care of him.”
“Of course,” Dilah said gravely. “I’ll do my very best.”
“Take care!” all the rabbits called, bidding them farewell.
Dilah, Ankel, and Little Bean started on their journey. The group of well-wishers watched their figures grow smaller and smaller, until they disappeared between two glossy green hills.
The three friends trotted along the golden path, still leading south from the rabbit clan’s territory.
“So, it’s probably about time I asked,” Little Bean piped up, “where are we actually going?”
“We’re on a quest!” Dilah said enthusiastically, remembering they hadn’t yet explained the purpose of their adventure to their new friend. “See this package around my neck?”
“Yeah … ?”
Between them, Ankel and Dilah filled Little Bean in on the details of the moonstone and Ulla’s secret treasure, and brought him up to date on everything that had happened. By the time they’d finished their epic story, the rolling hills were fading into the distance behind them. A damp open plain lay ahead.
“Wow!” Little Bean exclaimed after the pair had finished. “So that’s what this is all about—becoming human.”
Dilah and Ankel exchanged a glance. “So, Little Bean … do you want to become human?” Dilah asked.
Little Bean thought for a moment, then he nodded. “I’ve heard that human medical expertise is extensive and profound. If I were really to become human, think of everyone I’d be able to cure …” He smiled happily at the thought. “If I had that kind of power, I feel I could do a lot of good!”
They’d been traveling for many days, and now the summer breeze accompanied Dilah, Ankel, and Little Bean on their journey. The weather was scorching hot—the air moist and heavy. Up ahead, a vast field stretched on and on, lined with crops of varying heights. A cluster of small earthen houses lay nearby. The sound of dogs barking drifted over the fields. Dilah hesitated, remembering the terrible time when Ankel had led him to the hunter’s house to steal food, and the ferocious hound named Toby. The three friends decided to cut through a huge rapeseed field. They swam through the sea of golden flowers. Ankel sneezed, shooing away the buzzing bees.
Close by, a man had dozed off inside a tractor, his chair tipped back and feet resting on the steering wheel. When he heard the sneeze, he jerked awake and poked his head out, blinking in surprise. Dilah suppressed a nervous laugh as they hurried past, the farmer gaping. An Arctic fox, weasel, and rabbit—he’d probably never seen such an unexpected group of friends!
The sun blazed high in the sky and gradually they left the small village behind. Dilah relaxed slightly, glad to be out of sight of humans again. Winged insects flitted and hopped over the dry grass at their feet.
“Wait.” Dilah stopped, catching a familiar scent.
“What is it?” Ankel asked.
Dilah didn’t answer. Instead, he walked over to some tall clumps of grass and sniffed carefully. Two pieces of dung lay in the undergrowth. Dilah felt his heart start to pound with fear.
“We need to get out of here immediately,” Dilah said, scanning their surroundings.
“Why?” Little Bean asked, puzzled.
“There are foxes around here, and more than one,” Dilah said grimly. “It could be Carl’s pack. Let’s go!”
They veered off course, but every time Dilah stopped and sniffed the air, the unfamiliar fox scent lingered close, like a shadow. In fact, it grew stronger. Dilah’s uneasiness grew too. He suspected there weren’t only a few foxes around, but dozens, maybe more …
Dilah sped up, Ankel and Little Bean close at his heels. A suffocating tension fell over the group. Dilah stopped suddenly, his ears twitching—had he heard someone following, or was it simply Ankel and Little Bean? He glanced back.
His throat clenched—several large foxes were trailing close, a murderous glint in their eyes.
“D-D-Dilah!” Ankel stuttered as he spotted the foxes too.
Carl stepped out from the tall grass, followed by a number of blue Arctic foxes—and two fierce and powerful hyenas.
This time, Carl had brought extra muscle, and without Kassel, what chance did they have of slipping from his claws?
“Run!” Dilah screamed at the top of his lungs.
Dilah, Little Bean, and Ankel took off as fast as their legs could carry them. Carl and his party immediately bolted after the three friends, chasing them through the rustling grass. After a while, Little Bean slowed down, panting, and the two hyenas pounced, wild with joy, ready to enjoy a long-awaited feast. Dilah came to an abrupt stop and spun around to protect the rabbit, and Ankel tripped and tumbled over as he did the same.
The two hyenas stopped in front of Dilah, taking the measure of him. Moments later, all the foxes drew to a halt. Carl limped toward Dilah.
“Dilah, you’re looking more and more like your father every day,” the white fox snarled.
“I’m having a hard time getting rid of you,” Dilah snapped back.
“You almost succeeded,” Carl growled. “Heavy rain covered up your scent and tracks. If we hadn’t caught a rabbit and questioned him, you might’ve gotten rid of us.”
Little Bean shivered at Dilah’s side. “What … ?” His voice trailed off.
“What did you do to the rabbit?” Dilah demanded, guessing Little Bean’s question. “Oh, he’s right here, in a manner of speaking …” Carl remarked. The hyenas sniggered quietly.
Dilah frowned. “Where?”
“Foolish cub. He’s lining the bellies of my two hyenas.” Carl smirked. Without warning, Little Bean flung himself at Carl, but the fox patriarch easily dodged out of the way. Little Bean fell on the grass with a thud.
“Trying to avenge your compatriot?” Carl growled. “Very well—we’ll reunite you at once!”
One of the hyenas strutted over to Little Bean, licking his lips.
“Don’t you dare touch him!” Dilah charged at the hyena.
Carl blocked Dilah’s way, his piercing yellow eyes narrowed.
“You’re supposed to be the patriarch, you’re supposed to lead and protect us—but instead you’
ve employed a couple of hyena thugs to do your dirty work!”
“Employed us?” The hyena turned around, a murderous tone in his low, calm voice. “We’d never stoop so low as to work for a fox. We’d just escaped from a zoo when we met your patriarch. He promised to give Ulla’s secret treasure to us so that we could become the kings of beasts!”
“You’re peddling off our patron saint’s treasure to some hyenas?” Dilah asked Carl, unable to hide the anger in his voice.
“That’s irrelevant,” Carl snapped, his eyes flicking momentarily to the blue foxes beside him. “Explain the secret of the moonstone to me—now! How did you get it to work? How does it guide you?”
“I’d rather die than tell you!” Dilah said, gritting his teeth.
Carl smiled darkly. “As expected—you’re determined to be heroic. But the fates of your two companions are in my hands too. If you tell me, I might spare your friends from my hyenas. If you don’t …” He flicked his tail. “So, what’s it to be, little hero? Cooperation or death?”
“Dilah, even if you tell him, he still won’t let us go,” Ankel said, clearly fighting back his fear. “Don’t worry about us. Run!”
“I’ll never leave you guys. As long as I have one breath left, I’ll fight to protect you!” Dilah said.
“Have you quite finished?” Carl sneered. “Dilah, for the final time—”
“Don’t waste your breath,” Dilah hissed with curt finality. “You already know the answer!”
Carl’s eyes flashed. “It’s your choice. The rest of you stay out of this—I’ll handle him myself!” Carl stared hard at Dilah and started circling around him slowly as the hyenas and blue foxes cleared the space around the pair. Dilah crouched, his pulse racing. He stepped carefully in his own broad circle, ensuring Carl was always facing him head-on. When Carl’s back was to the sun, the light shining directly into Dilah’s eyes, the patriarch lunged. His twisted leg didn’t slow him down, but Dilah deftly jumped back, avoiding the snap of Carl’s jaws by a whisker. As soon as he landed, Dilah launched a counterattack, but Carl was quick enough to lurch out of the way before he’d even regained his balance. Dilah heard a faint whimper of pain as the older fox landed on his bad leg.
Dilah and Carl faced off once more. Carl heavily favored one side, his hind leg clearly causing him pain. Dilah could see the tightness around his eyes, his clenched jaw. But the patriarch was heavily muscled and his teeth were sharp as he bared them in a growl. Dilah couldn’t help but admire Carl’s determination, fighting experience, and quicker reflexes … but his leg was a great weakness and Dilah knew he had to exploit it.
This time, Dilah attacked first, lunging sideways at Carl’s weak leg. Carl dodged out of the way with obvious effort. Dilah spun around, his tail flicking the dry grass, and rushed at the patriarch—all in one breath. Carl stumbled but didn’t fall. He snapped out wildly but missed. Dilah slunk behind him and closed his jaws on Carl’s weak leg. The instant Dilah’s fangs touched his leg bone, Carl howled in pain and he snapped at Dilah’s back, his teeth nipping a scruff of fur before Dilah jumped backward, out of reach. At once, Dilah charged again. Unable to stand on his injured leg, Carl lost his balance and fell. Before he could get back up, Dilah had him pinned to the ground.
“Wonderful!” Carl said, gasping as he lay pressed to the ground. Dilah’s mind was buzzing—he hadn’t realized how strong and fast he’d grown over the months of travel. He pressed Carl in place against the dry earth. “You’re now as strong as your father,” Carl continued, “and I hate you just as much as I hated him. You’ll end up just like him too—dead at my bidding!”
Dilah frowned. “A hunter killed my father. What’s that got to do with you?”
Carl laughed softly. “Ignorant cub! It was my doing! I led the hunter to your parents—and I led your parents to the hunter’s gun. I had my vengeance for the leg your father stole from me,” the patriarch snarled.
Carl’s words lit a fire in Dilah’s heart, and blood rushed to his head. He felt dizzy and his whole body trembled with shock. The dark grief of his parents’ death rushed over him, the memory of his mother’s cold body, the frozen earth in which he’d buried her. And here, beneath his paws, was the one responsible.
The world shrank. Dilah felt as if he and Carl were the only beings alive. He imagined himself biting down on Carl’s throat, the flesh tearing open, the blood gushing out, hot and fast. He bared his teeth in anticipation. Soon he’d avenge his father’s murder, and repay the torture that his mother had suffered before her own death.
“What’re you waiting for?” Carl snarled. “Don’t you want to kill me, Dilah?”
“Watch out!” Ankel’s voice pierced the stillness.
But the warning was too late. Dilah was tackled to the ground so hard that he felt suffocated, the wind knocked from his lungs. He tried to stand but the two hyenas had pinned him to the ground. He felt the moonstone lying heavy against his chest.
Carl stumbled to his feet, careful to keep his twisted leg from touching the ground.
He turned to inspect the limb, then glowered at Dilah. “Do you know how much humiliation this leg has brought me? What I’ve lost because of it? Do you know how painful it was for me to follow you all the way here? And it’s all your father’s fault! The least you can do, before you die, is to tell me the secret of the moonstone.”
Dilah slowly opened his eyes. He felt dazed. The glare of the sun was extremely bright and the air was sticky. The ground … it was shaking. He frowned. A series of odd sounds reached his ears—footsteps? Breathing? He felt the pressure on his neck lessen. The two hyenas had heard it too.
The noise grew louder, and suddenly fox after fox emerged from the grass in all directions—but they weren’t white or blue like the Arctic foxes; they were gray or red. Some were all gray, others had red backs and white bellies, others even had tails ringed with beautiful markings. Carl spun around, his body tense, clearly taken by surprise. The Arctic foxes shrank inward, surrounding their leader. Ankel and Little Bean were released, and hurried to Dilah’s side.
There must’ve been a hundred foxes surrounding the group.
“You are trespassing on our land,” an icy voice called out from above. Another fox stepped into view and Dilah was surprised to see that he was as white as snow. He was perched on top of a nearby hillock, his eyes blazing with anger as he peered down on the gathered foxes like a hawk. He had an authoritative air. As he caught sight of Carl, his eyes widened.
“Carl? What a pleasant surprise …” The white fox ran down the hill, the others shifting from his path.
“Alsace? You’re—you’re still alive?” Carl blinked.
Dilah looked back and forth between the two foxes, confused. Alsace—that was his older brother’s name, the brother who’d left home before Dilah was born. It couldn’t be him … could it? And if it was, how did he know Carl?
He tried to call out, but the hyenas’ claws pinched his body as they pressed him into the ground. He couldn’t breathe deep enough to speak.
“Yes, I am alive. I gather you’re disappointed? As you can see, not only did I not die, but I’m doing just fine,” Alsace said coldly, standing face-to-face with Carl. His gaze flicked over the Arctic foxes and Dilah thought he glimpsed pain flashing in his bright blue eyes, the exact shade of Dilah’s. “Arctic foxes … you remind me of home.”
Alsace paused for a moment, shut his eyes, appeared to gather his thoughts. When he opened them, he addressed all the assembled foxes—red, blue, gray, and white.
“Years ago, the Arctic foxes’ legendary treasure—the moonstone—suddenly disappeared, along with the great hero Blizzard. Another great hero, Gale, was seriously injured, leaving him permanently damaged, and strangely enough, it happened the very day that Blizzard went missing.”
Dilah’s heart was pounding. He remembered the last story his mother had told him as she died, her words drifting back through his memory … Mama will tell you another story, one I know you�
�ve never heard. This one’s about two great heroes among us Arctic foxes: the story of Gale and Blizzard. Why had she told him that story, and why was Alsace continuing it now?
“Everyone suspected that Gale had killed Blizzard and stolen the moonstone for himself. So Gale’s followers turned against him. The disgraced fox disappeared into thin air. No one knew where he was hiding. He secretly built up his strength. Soon, he returned, more powerful than ever.”
Alsace fixed his eyes on Carl.
“He was determined to find the moonstone, and he knew exactly who had it: Blizzard. He had never been killed in the first place. He had fled into hiding with the moonstone after besting Gale in the fight that had injured him.” He paused for effect. “Blizzard was my father and Gale … Gale is Carl.”
Dilah blinked, surprised to find tears in his eyes, his heart aching. He remembered what his mother had said of Blizzard: He was strong, brave, calm … Mama will always remember his charming smile … Blizzard had been his father.
“Gale—or Carl—tried to force me to reveal where my father was hiding,” Alsace continued. “When I wouldn’t tell him, he expelled me from the Arctic fox clan and told me I could never return to the north. I was forced to leave my home, to endure hunger, cold, and loneliness. At several points during my long journey, I almost died. And you, Carl, will pay for your crimes with your life.”
“I didn’t come here today to reminisce about the old days,” Carl growled.
“Shouldn’t you be begging me for your life?” Alsace said, his voice low and calm. “Can’t you see you’re overpowered?”
Carl was silent.
“Who would’ve thought that the legendary hero Gale, who once ruled the Arctic and made his enemies tremble with fear, would become this useless old waste,” Alsace said, his voice as cold as frost. “And yet you’ve found the moonstone, haven’t you? Now you’re searching for the legendary treasure.”
Carl simply narrowed his eyes at Alsace.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Give me the moonstone,” the younger fox commanded.