Kitsunny side up
As you stand there wagging your new tails you fell a strange power welling up inside you. You look at your hands and feel them shivering with energy. On a sudden impulse you raise an arm and point your finger at a big candle standing nearby. It promptly bursts into flame.
A moment later the shopkeeper raises his hand in a pinching motion, and the candle is snuffed out.
"That is a magic candle," he explains patiently, as if talking to a child. "You don't know what it does. Besides it's not on the sample table, so you would have to pay for it."
"Sorry." You want to sit on your hands to be sure you don't do anything more stupid, but there isn't a chair nearby. Besides, when you think about it, there is no telling what your magic hands would do to you butt. "What was that about anyway?"
"As I suppose you know, foxes have one tail. Unlucky ones have none at all. Adding tails makes you a kitsune, which gives you access to personal magic."
"Cool."
"And expensive. You will notice that the tail did not come from the sample table either. You would have to buy it. And you can't do that without a license."
"How do I get one?"
"By studying, and taking a test. Both of which are also expensive and take time. I just let you try the tail to see if that was what you wanted. Now you've got a plan I have to take it back so you can earn it."
"Really?" You raise your shivering hands in what you hope looks like a menacing gesture.
The shopkeeper just smiles. "You threaten me? I am a high level wizard. You might as well threaten a mountain."
Now he doesn't really look like a mountain, though he may quite possibly be as old as one. You decide not to push the issue but stand quietly as he moves a hand behind your back and the feeling of incompleteness returns.
"It's not fair!" you whimper. Unfortunately he seems to be immune to big doleful eyes and female charms too.
"Fair? Now look here Miss..."
"-ter!"
"Not for the duration. As I was going to say, I run a business here. Transformation magic is about the most expensive personal magic there is. Giving it away as free samples is sheer madness, but I have to do as the authors say."
"The what now?"
"Oops, never mind. Put that down as Things Man Was Not Meant To Know."
"I am a woman."
"Well, make up your mind. And when I say I meant that as Human, don't say you're a fox."
Feeling beat, you hang your head, ears and remaining tail. "Okay, Mister Wizard."
"That's better. I meant Human."
"What?"
"I told you I was going to say it. I didn't actually say it."
"Whatever. Can I go now?"
"Whenever you want. Just one more thing for you to ponder. The current transformation can be undone when you get tired of being a vixen. Becoming a kitsune is permanent."
"Can't kitsunes shapechange?"
"Sure, but your true form remains kitsune. Besides that's not until you advance to three or four tails."
"Which takes more courses and tests?"
"Exactly."
Well that's that. You start turning to leave when a thought strikes you. "Any chance of another free sample? Or is it just one per customer?"
"Well, usually you just get one. And getting more than one full transformation in a day could hurt you. But I feel generous today, so I'll give you a chance. Call it!"
Suddenly he has a coin in his hand, at least for a moment before he flips it into the air.
"Tails!!" you giggle.
The coin spins...
Author's note: I see I used the expression "personal magic" twice in different senses. At the moment I can't think of a better expression for either. What the wizard meant was -
- When you become a kitsune you can work magic on your own rather than rely on magic items to do it for you.
- Transformation is a form of magic directed towards a single person.
So I guess you can say that once you learn to cast transformation spells on your own (not necessarily on yourself), that's personal personal magic. ;-)
Written by Won-Tolla on 08 November 2007
The end (for now)