The Fox and Her Rock

Of the many wonderous environments that can exist, I find there are few that hold such delightful mysteries as a forest. Tall and ancient trees that stretch into the skies above the heads of all other living beings. Lush green plants and fungi that coat the very ground as though they were a blanket. A variety of creatures, small and large, that call the serene and safe thicket a home of their own. Truly, there are few places so full of wonder as the forests of the world.

            Of the many worlds and their many woods, there is perhaps no more a mysterious forest than the Great Maple Forest of Mareiolda. The Great Maple Forest, which covers the near entirety of the landmass of Mareiolda, has never been fully explored. It should come as no surprise then, that it still holds a number of secrets. If you would like, I can share with you one of those secrets. Of course, were I to do so, then it would no longer be a secret, now would it? Perhaps, I can share this one with you if you then promise to keep it as a secret all your own. If you feel like you are a trustworthy person, then read on and I shall share with you a secret tale of the Great Maple Forest.

            I see you have decided that you are a trustworthy person. In that case, allow me to tell you a story.

Chapter 1: The Glade of Fire

            Deep in the overgrown and dense forest, there lives a whole host of creatures. Some are calm and friendly but others are wild and unruly. Our story finds itself focused upon one such friendly creature and the strange and wonderful rock she discovered. It remains a mystery as to how and why the rock had reached the forest or where it had come from. Nonetheless, deep in the forest sat a lone and oddly placed rock that was large, rough, and sturdy. It looked almost as though it was made of molten lava and it surely felt as such. The grass around the rock had wilted, dried, and burned from simply being within a few feet of it. Many of the forests creatures had seen this strange rock but they all stayed at a distance; except for one.

            A young and curious fox had noticed the rock as she ventured out to look for food. She had little clue as to what exactly she was looking at but that did not stop her from approaching it. Her head tucked in as low to the ground as she could get it and shuffled forward slowly. As she approached, she began to sniff about as the rock let off a curious scent. Closer and closer she shuffled until she reached the grass that had begun to crisp and her delicate fur began to do the same. In a panic, she scurried away and ran to a nearby pond. Without hesitation, she leaped into the air and splashed into the pond. Her fur had been saved.

            The young fox swam back to shore and had a curious thought of how to approach the strange rock. When she rose from the pond, she did not shake her fur dry as she had been taught to do by her parents. Instead, she remained soaked and even carried a mouthful of water with her back to the rock. She approached without concern the second time and was now only a few paw lengths from the rock. Steam began rising off of her before she spit her mouthful of water at the rock. The water boiled in an instant and a loud hissing sound rang out in the quiet forest. The young fox remained calm and dashed back to the pond and repeated her process.

            After five repeated trips to the pond and back to the rock, it had cooled enough that the fox could now stand in front of the rock at paw’s length. She patted at the rock with her tiny paw but it was still very warm. She stared intently at the odd heat source for several minutes. Once she felt that the rock no longer meant her harm, she stuck her nose out and sniffed the rock. The curious scent was quite foul at such a short distance. Her interest in the rock was not lost but she needed to return to her burrow before the star fell too low in the sky. She gently patted the rock once more and scurried off into the forest. The young fox arrived at her burrow and dove down into the ground before nestling herself in her favorite corner. She drifted off to sleep a moment later but was very anxious to return to her new item the next morning.

            No sooner had the star lifted over the horizon, than the young fox climbed from her burrow and bounced across the forest with haste. She arrived at the open glade that the rock sat in but something was wrong. The heat that the rock gave off had risen in intensity and a larger circle of grass had been burned. She rushed back to the pond and repeated her watering of the rock until it was safe again. Ten trips to the pond and back later, she sat in front of her strange heat source and sniffed about. The scent it gave off was much milder the second day. She began walking laps around the rock and viewing every inch of its surface until she was certain there was nothing more to see.

            She patted the rock with her paw to ensure that it was safe to touch. She was happy with the gentle warmth it gave off and leapt upon the rock and nestled about the rounded tip. She remained on the rock well into the afternoon before she decided to look for food. She bounded off the rock and over the brush into the woods. A short hour of searching in the woods later, she climbed high into a tree and snatched a pear from its branch. It was not her favorite food but she enjoyed it all the same. Once finished, she raced back through the woods to her rock.

            When she arrived at the glade, a sadness overtook her. A large serpent had wraped around the rock and claimed it for themselves. The young fox knew that she could not fight the serpent and ducked back into the brush and walked home with her head hanging low. Her new favorite thing had been taken from her. She crawled down into her burrow and curled into a ball for the rest of the day.

            The star rose the next morning and the fox rose with it. She dashed through the woods in the hopes of beating the serpent to her rock. The rock was unclaimed that morning but that was likely because it had reignited and was once again burning the grass around it. The young fox dashed to the pond and watered her rock thirteen times before it was cool enough to settle upon. Only a few minutes after she had laid upon the rock, the thief returned to take it from her. She rose to her feet upon the rock as the serpent approached and hissed at her. She was afraid but she did not back down. She growled and barked at the approaching serpent but it was not deterred.

            The serpent coiled up near the rock before lashing out at the young fox. She was swift and leaped away from the attack. The fox dashed about the grove as the serpent continued to lunge and hiss. Although she was much nimbler, the serpent was larger and more powerful. Its anger filled lunges were getting closer and closer to the small fox. The battle was lost and she could not save her rock. She scurried into the brush with the hope that the serpent would leave her alone. Her hopes were dashed as the serpent chased behind her and followed her every move.

            The frantic chase continued as the young fox leapt through the woods as swiftly as the wind but the serpent did not yield. The fox was soon cornered at the base of a crumbling and rocky hill. She tried to climb but every rock she tried to stand on shifted and rolled down. The serpent moved in with a frightening hiss. She was afraid but she had plan. The serpent lunged out and she scrambled up the fragile rock wall and sent as many large rocks tumbling down at the slithering foe as she could. The rocks landed and pinned the serpent down as the young fox tumbled down with them. Her paw was hurt as she crashed to the ground but she had bested her foe. She began limping away when the serpent coiled around the rocks and shifted them off its body. The chase was on again.

            The fox fled into the woods and took every chance she could to elude the pursuing foe. They were in vain as the serpent continued to chase. Her paw was swelling in pain but she did not stop. She leapt from the brush and back to the glade that her rock rested in. The serpent was close behind but she once again had an idea. She backed up to the rock and faced her enemy as the hissing grew louder. She planted her feet and growled at the serpent who began coiling up for an attack. It lunged forward with all its force and the fox leapt to the side at the last possible second. The serpents head smacked into the rock with full force. The fox tumbled as she landed; her paw was injured badly. The serpent, who collided with enough force to crack the rock, coiled back and shook its head in pain.

            The rock, freshly cracked, began to let off a blistering heat that burned the serpent. It hissed in rage and slithered into the forest and away from the fox. She collapsed as her energy had been drained by the restless pursuit. The rocks heat began to lower and was now part of a warm breeze that blew through the glade. The young fox laid in the grass as she panted and huffed in exhaustion. She laid upon her paw and looked at the rock as her eyes became heavy and she fell asleep.