My Pet Fox Is Actually A Demon Prince-Chapter 38: The Scale

The day was met with dusk, and the Sacred Order was bathed in a gentle amber glow.

Lanterns were lit one by one along the winding paths and bridges, their mellow light reflecting across streams and polished stones. From afar came the quiet murmur of distant voices, whilst the city itself seemed to breathe in a calmer, more reverent rhythm.

The attendant had earlier brought Kyva a simple meal, which she had received with sincere gratitude. Snowpuff, however, remained as obstinate as ever– turning his head sharply away from the offered bowl, his small muzzle set in unmistakable disdain.

Kyva had thought of it, assuming him merely fussy and dramatic, unaware that the fox had no true need of food and would sooner go without that than accept being fed from an animal bowl.

Kyva sighed softly at the memory, looking down at the furry little animal snuggled comfortably in her arms. His fur was warm and impossibly soft beneath her fingers. He lay curled against her, feigning indifference even in rest.

"You truly are a troublesome one," she murmured, though there was no real frustration in her voice.

She stood just beyond the sliding doors of her chamber, the cool evening air brushing lightly against her skin. Overhead, the great wisteria tree arched across the courtyard, its cascading blossoms swaying gently as petals drifted upon the breeze.

The sun had already set, and Kyva was starting to wonder if the convocation would truly be held today, as Selene had informed. She still wanted to know what became of the orb she had found, and the power it was said to bestow.

When she sensed someone approaching, Kyva turned, and her expression softened at once.

"Cassian."

She offered a polite bow as he neared, and he returned it with quiet grace, a faint smile touching his features.

"The evening finds you wakeful," he said, noticing a positive change in her countenance. "I had thought you might still be at rest."

Kyva inclined her head. "I have rested sufficiently. I remain in your debt for the kindness you have shown me."

"It is good to see you on your feet again," Cassian replied, his tone warm but composed. Then, after studying her more briefly, as if to assure himself that she had truly recovered, he continued, "I have come to escort you. The convocation will soon begin."

He adjusted the fall of his sleeve with absent precision before adding quietly, "Selene had intended to attend you herself, but Liora and Rowan required her aid. To spare time, the duty has fallen to me."

Kyva gave a small nod in understanding. "That is fine."

Cassian’s gaze shifted, almost unceremoniously, to the small furry creature in Kyva’s arms, and he paused.

The fox was staring at him.

Not idly or curiously, but with a sharp, unblinking intensity that sent shivers down his spine. The fox was glaring as though he had committed some grave and personal offense. Cassian’s smile remained intact... though it stiffened slightly.

"Your familiar does not seem particularly fond of me," he said carefully, shifting his attention back at Kyva, hence, he made no motion to step closer.

He had already heard whispers, half-dismissed as exaggeration, about what the fox did to the initiates who attempted to touch him, and Cassian had no desire to test the truth of such a tale himself.

For something so small and outwardly majestic...

The creature remained as deeply unsettling as the first time Kyva showed him off to them, maybe even more. As someone who always admired the strength of the fox clan, it sort of touched him a little when even a fox familiar was hostile towards him.

There was a presence to it. Not something he could easily name, but enough to stir a faint, instinctive wariness in him. It left him with the uncomfortable thought that if such awareness were to reside within the creature at this stage, then what manner of being would it become, given time?

And more curiously still...

If a pure non-shifting familiar could bear such a composed yet disquieting aura, what, then, of those who hailed from the fox clan themselves?

Kyva, catching the faint discord in Cassian’s expression, followed his gaze.

Snowpuff, however, had already turned away, his expression the picture of innocent indifference.

Kyva blinked.

"Hm?"

"H-huh? He was glaring at me but a moment ago," Cassian defended his judgment, almost as if to reassure himself he had not conjured it from imagination. It seemed, to his surprise, like the creature was trying to frame him.

Kyva hesitated.

Given all she had heard since waking, she found little reason to doubt him.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked down at the fox.

"Snowpuff..."

The fox merely blinked up at her, wide-eyed and placid, the very image of blameless docility. Not a trace remained of whatever Cassian had seen.

Suspicious...

Calhoun exhaled under his breath, choosing not to pursue it further.

"We need to start moving," he said, his tone returning to its usual calm. "The Convocation will soon begin. But I must inform you, familiars are not permitted within the hall. He may remain here under the attendants’ care. You have my word, he will be kept safe. You may retrieve him once the proceedings are over."

"...I see," Kyva replied slowly, glancing down at Snowpuff with a hint of reluctance.

She felt guilty about leaving him to himself again, but rules were rules. She had only just arrived, and drawing attention to herself by breaking the rules now would be unwise.

Carefully, she lowered Snowpuff to the ground, her movement gentle.

"I’ll be back soon, okay?" She said softly, crouching to meet his gaze. After she was done reassuring Snowpuff, she straightened and no sooner fell into the path beside Cassian, her figure receding in the lantern-lit paths beyond.

The moment she was gone, Calhoun couldn’t help but replay the interaction over and over in his head.

If foxes were capable of seething, then he was the very embodiment of it.

The audacity of that man, daring to interrupt their moment, to speak with her so familiarly, to escort her as though it were his rightful place.

Calhoun’s ears twitched at his inability to intervene, his narrowed gaze fixed upon the direction they had gone, as though he might burn a hole through the very wall that separated them.

Unfortunately, he did not, and could not follow her even if he wanted to, because he too, needed to get ready for the initiate’s convocation.

He lifted his chin, a quiet, imperious air settling over him once more.

*****

Kyva had thought she understood the scale of the Sacred Order.

But she had been wrong.

As they left the quiet courtyard behind, the path widened into a grand stone walkway, its edges lined with softly glowing lanterns that cast ribbons of gold across the ground. The deeper they went, the more the world seemed to unfold around her– vast, breathtaking and almost unreal.

Kyva’s steps slowed without her meaning to.

Beside them, the mountains fell away into a vast expanse of mist and light.

What lay beyond was not a single structure, nor even a city, but an entire realm carved into the bones of the cliff itself. Terraces stretched endlessly across the mountainside, layered one beneath the other in careful harmony. Each level bore halls, courtyard, and training ground, their forms blending seamlessly with the natural stone as though shaped by the mountain rather than built upon it.

Waterfalls spilled from impossible heights, their silver streams catching the last breath of dusk as they cascaded downward, threading through the Sacred Order like living veins of light. The distant roar was softened by the vastness, becoming almost... tranquil.

Bridges arched over deep ravines, some narrow and ancient, others wide and bustling with disciples moving in hushed urgency. Their robes fluttered as they passed, whispers of motion against the stillness.

Kyva stared in pure awe.

"... This is..."

She did not finish.

There were no words for it.

She had never seen anything like this.

Not even close.

Cassian’s soft chuckle sounded at her side.

He stepped forward to stand beside her, his hands loosely folded behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the expanse with quiet familiarity, though there was a trace of appreciation still lingering in his expression.

"It would seem the Order exceeds expectations," he said mildly. "Though, if we linger much longer, we may find ourselves admiring it from afar rather than within the convocation hall."

There was a subtle note of humor in his voice.

Kyva exhaled slowly, tearing her gaze away at last. "...Right."

Reluctantly, she nodded and moved to follow him onward.

The path curved along the cliffside, opening toward a structure that jutted out over the abyss.

There, suspended against the vast drop, a great wooden lift descended at an unhurried pace. Thick, reinforced cables held it aloft, each strand faintly aglow with coursing spiritual energy that hummed softly through the air. Lanterns hung at its corners, their gentle light swaying with the motion, shifting patterns against the sheer stone face.

Several half-beast figures stood upon it, their silhouettes lined in gold as they were carried between the different tiers of the Order, their presence both striking and strangely harmonious.

Humans stepped aboard as well, the platform receiving them without pause. To Kyva’s shock, she noticed a familiar pair lingering at the edge, preparing to board as well.

Their heads lifted, and the moment their eyes met hers, they froze. The eager anticipation that had lit their faces moments before drained away, replaced by disbelief.

"You..." Vera blinked rapidly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You’re still alive?"