Prologue

The woods were silent. It was a brisk, warm morning, and the trees were in full growth. And yet a chilling silence filled the air, as if it was almost otherworldly. Nature had never felt more pure.

But then a clitter-clatter was heard, and suddenly a small cart came out onto the dirt path that ran alongside the forested trail. It was drawn by a sturdy little donkey, obediently trekking on, and set upon the cart itself was a hamster of short stature. He wore a straw hat and was of a quiet composure, not having a care in the world.

“Well, it’s a rather nice day today,” The hamster said to himself after a time. “I didn’t expect such an easy trip back to the village.” He was heading to a small village by the name of Jamizaki, that of which lay at the foot of the hill pass, but there were still a few twists and turns on the path left.

All of a sudden, his peaceful solitude was interrupted, for another merchant came up in his direction, carrying his own share of goods. It was clear that he was going off to another settlement beyond the mountain.

The opposing merchant was a stout jackal, but relatively unassuming. He exchanged a short awkward glance with the hamster for a brief moment before recognizing him.

“G’day, Mori!” The jackal hailed him happily. “Where are ya off to?”

“Just heading into town to sell my goods.” Mori stopped his cart to speak with his friend, dipping his head.

The jackal cocked his head. “Oh?”

Mori shrugged. “It’s a good day for it.”

The jackal eyed him closely, his expression now a tad more serious. “Well, keep an eye out. I’ve heard there’s been thieves here since you came last, and I wouldn’t like for ya to lose all yer stuff, now.”

The hamster laughed at this. “I’ll be fine! I’ve traveled this path many, many times before and never once have I had trouble with thieves.” Then his expression softened when the jackal looked hurt. “I do appreciate your concern, though.” He added gently.

His friend stared at him for a moment longer before nodding briskly. “Right. Just keep an eye out, like I said.” He picked up his wheelbarrow and once again headed off on the trail, passing Mori.

“May good tidings be with you!” Mori called hopefully.

“You, too,” His friend responded in the distance.

Mori continued on, humming to himself thoughtfully. But then he noticed that his donkey was beginning to tire out, and he stopped once again, pulling aside on the trail.

“Oh, Yukki, you must be thirsty!” Mori exclaimed after a glance at his pitiful donkey. He turned to quickly grab a bucket from his cart, then filled it with water from a wineskin before coming back over to Yukki.

“Drink up, there’s a fine fellow,” He murmured gently. The donkey looked at him gratefully before shoving its face into the pail of water, slurping generously. “My goodness, you must be exhausted! Drink, drink.”

But what Mori didn’t know was that he and Yukki weren’t alone on the path, for a malicious gang of three were hiding in the bushes this entire time, watching closely, and their luck had apparently come to pass. With nobody nearby, this little lonely merchant was easy pickings.

Their leader, a strong and tall badger named Noriuji, slid slowly from his hiding place, but his lack of stealth only alerted his victim too late. When Mori turned at the sound of a rustle, he found himself face-to-face with a surprising individual, one who stunk of ill intentions.

But yet the hamster tried to stay cordial as he asked politely, “...Well, hello, my good sir. What would you like?”

“Shut up, rodent. You know exactly what we want.” Noriuji growled, standing over Mori menacingly. His comrades slunk out of the bushes from behind, and they encircled their target while the hamster let out a gulp.

Mori shrunk away from him, but still managed to maintain eye contact with the fiend. “Which is…?”

“EVERYTHING YOU HAVE, IDIOT!” Noriuji snarled.

Mori realized with a jolt that there was no doubt now that these vagabonds intended to rob him. But he decided to at least give one final statement about his terms.

“Well, that’s fine, but you have to pay for your wares. It’s the law.” The merchant replied defiantly, before promptly being struck in the face.

He fell to the ground, wincing and writhing in pain, for he was a simple little fellow, and had never really faced a violent person prior. As he lay there, the trio of vagabonds gloated over their seemingly easy victory, wallowing in their plunder.

“Wait! Stop!” Mori pleaded, lifting his head. “That’s my money- my goods!”

“Not anymore, scum,” One of the other badgers jeered, taking a bag of the merchant’s previous profits.

But while the thieves were relishing their ill-gotten gains, a dark figure slunk in the bushes. He was not one of the fiends, oh no- he was a far nobler soul than they.

He was a black fox, with violet-tipped fur and blazing green eyes the hue of precious emeralds. He wore a dark blue cloak, marked with an ornamental pattern of billowing clouds, and around his neck was a scarf that jutted into two. And on his head he wore a simple straw hat, which darkened his face so that only his snout was visible. Over his right eye was draped a long strand of his midnight fur, sleek and shiny.

His eyes glittered as he patiently watched the badgers harassing the poor merchant, saying nothing, only waiting for his perfect moment. Nobody knew he was there, even though he had been present when the thieves appeared.

Noriuji laughed mockingly, golden coins pouring from his grimy claws. “Ha! Who would’ve known that the rat would have so much sweet money?”

And that was when the Black Fox struck.

Before Mori realized what was happening, a dark blur flew from the bushes and a half second later the leader of the thieves was down for the count.

The dust cleared to reveal a seemingly legendary figure standing before him, staring silently at the foe at his feet. The merchant caught his breath; awe surrounded the newcomer like steam surrounds the drenching of fiery coals.

“You’re the rat.” The black fox spoke in a low voice. In his tone he held no gloating; only righteous indignation.

But as he stood, one of the thieves finally seemed to notice what had happened, and he raced toward the mysterious warrior with a rush of vengeance. Mori sat up quickly. “Sir!” He called. “WATCH OUT!”
But there was no need for the warning, for as the badger threw a punch, the fox ducked, slid on the ground and delivered a kick to his opponent’s leg, bringing him down with him. It happened so fast that if Mori had blinked he would’ve missed it.

The third badger looked distraught, but eager to avenge his comrades. “You had some nerve to pick a fight with us, punk!” He spat, racing towards the fox.

The fox looked unconcerned, even showing a glimpse of a smug smile as he elegantly drove his flat hand into the badger’s neck. “And you had the nerve to join in, huh?” The warrior smirked.

After a battle that lasted the span of thirty seconds, all three of the thieves were laying on the ground, accumulated in an unconscious heap.

Mori turned to the warrior, his eyes tearing up with gratitude and amazement. “Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!” He squealed, bowing to his knees. “You- you saved my goods- my money- maybe even my life! How can I ever repay you?”

Most warriors would’ve been happy to accept a form of payment, but the dark fox only stood there in disbelief. “...Erm…” He replied uneasily, “...There’s no need to repay me. I saw that you were in trouble, so I helped you out.” He shrugged. “It’s what anyone would’ve done.”

“Oh, but you’re not just anyone, though,” Mori laughed, scratching under his hat with a sudden conviction. “You’re the Black Warrior! The Hero of Travelers, Protector of Merchants and Bane of Thieves? That’s you, right?”

The fox stiffened, and suddenly he adopted a cold, bitter tone. “...No. I’m nobody, as far as I’m concerned.”

He turned, leaving Mori at his cart with his thankfully unharmed donkey. “Don’t tell anyone you saw me,” He called over his shoulder. “Got that?”

Before the stunned merchant could answer, or even ask him his name, the warrior gave an agile leap, racing up the steep hill that lined the left side of the path, and in the blink of an eye he was gone, leaving behind more questions than answers.