Go out into the forest
You are taken far from the house, to a tiny little clearing formed by the fall of a vast, ancient tree. The anthro-foxes sit on the rotting log and invite you to do the same. They tell you to try and relax, to clear your mind of all thoughts, questions and concerns. It is a long and difficult process, but as the day draws on you feel something change within you. For a brief moment you imagine that you are looking through the eyes of a fox, stalking birds through the bushes nearby. There is a lurch of movement; your fingers tingle at the touch of ghostly leaves and dirt; your mouth is filled with a fleeting texture of feathers, and the sharp tang of blood.
A late lunch gives you some time to relax and get to know your hosts. They call themselves John and Jane, but there is a stiff and unfamiliar tone to how they use the names. According to Jane they have lived in the forest for years, living off the land when they can and trading with Humans when they cannot. They insist on being vague as to what they trade.
"Humans don't see us for what we really are," John informs you. "It is a gift from the Goddess. Only our own kind, or other people touched by the Gods can see our true forms. You have the same gift; Humans will see a Human woman, but will not recall any specifics about you afterwards. This glamour will help keep you safe from harm."
"We did not always live here alone," Jane adds, but refuses to expand upon her statement. John scowls at her silently for some time before declaring it is time to move on.
As you walk through the forest you feel living creatures around you. Their lives flash across your mind, appearing as little sparks of energy that fades whenever you try to catch them. Sometimes you manage to catch one and experience the joy of a bird flying, or the sensation of burrowing into the dirt. Your journey's into the minds of other animals causes you to trip and stumble, shattering the link you've made. Your companions find your clumsiness amusing, but try their best not to show it.
The path leads up into the hills, and the higher you climb the fewer animals you sense. Before long you are utterly alone. Your paths leads you up to a cave. There are signs of life here; paw prints, hoof prints and shoe marks in the mud suggest that people and animals, some of them likely anthropomorphic animals, have entered this cave recently. None of the tracks come out again. The silence is overwhelming here, and even the wind seems afraid to blow around this cave.
"What is this place?" you ask your guides.
They shift uncomfortably, giving each other nervous glances before the female answers, "The Goddess came to us in our dreams. She told us to bring you here."
Written by Jasan Quinn on 12 February 2015