The harsh tundra winds whipped and tore at Mijime’s clothing as he continued towards his destination with determination. He was one of the most skilled hunters among the Silver Snow southern water sub-tribe, yet the one prey he sought above all others was purpose. His feeling that he was destined for something greater could not be shaken by providing food and fresh furs for the tribe. There had to be more to life than this. He knew it right down to the very core of his being.
Unfortunately, the rest of the Silver Snow sub-tribe did not entertain Mijime’s desires for greater meaning. Most thought he should focus on the hunt - What greater purpose was there than keeping the tribe alive? And while he had regular suitors, Mijime never felt compelled to pursue any of them. He felt more compassion for the animals he hunted. After all, no woman had ever gotten Mijime’s blood pumping as hard as when he was staring down a feral, ravenous snow leopard caribou.
This left Mijime with little in the way of options. After a heated discussion with the sub-tribe’s chieftain, Naku, in which several tables were almost flipped over, Mijime grabbed his pack from his tent and walked out of Bleakshield Bay towards the heart of the South Pole. His aim was the Southern Spirit Portal, more specifically the surrounding forest. The ancient trees were sustained thanks to the overflow of spiritual energy that came from the portal. It was said that several powerful spirits called the woodland home. If Mijime could find one, perhaps they would have the answers and meanings that he sought.
The problem was getting to the spirit portal in the first place. Even during the best conditions the trek overland was treacherous. The blustering winds forced Mijime to squint while walking at a tilt. Were it not for the fact he came from the South Pole, he might have been bothered by the insidious talons of frost that ignored the many layers of furs he had on. There was little in the way of landmarks to guide himself and distinguish one plane of ice and snow from another. He could walk in circles for hours and not know it. Only by relying on his keen instincts and fortitude would he be able to reach his goal.
Mijime was forced to make camp once the sun began to set. If he had been able to maintain a straight course then he figured he was a day and a half’s trek away from the spirit portal. If not… Well, at least he’d find greater purpose in survival and finding his way home.
For the time being he set up his tent by driving the poles into the ice with a little waterbending. Then he swept his arms up and around to coax the surrounding snow to form a barrier between the treated fur walls and the fierce winds. The resulting insulation would also prevent him from freezing during the night in his sleeping bag.
Mijime had spent many a night in conditions like this while pursuing packs of polar leopards. And like in all of those instances, his only meal for the evening and the next day’s trek were jerky strips of arctic hen with the bone still in. There were certainly worse meals to be had out on the ice. Better to be eating something rather than being eaten yourself.
Sleep took Mijime faster than it usually did. His dreams were as turbulent as a fierce blizzard. They started with him chasing prey, only for the prey to grow in size and loom over him before chasing after him instead. Sometimes the ice would shatter beneath his feet in the dreamscape, sending him hurtling down into a dark, endless abyss until he jolted awake. Over and over he tried to rest until the first sign of light began to appear through the tent flap.
After a quick bite of jerky, Mijime broke down his tent and made sure to leave no indication behind that he’d been here by bending the snow back and forth. It was a habit born of necessity. Many hunters had fallen due to their hubris of thinking no animal could track and ambush them. He wasn’t sure how well the tactic would hold up near the spirit portal, but he figured he’d deal with that problem when he got there.
Mijime resumed walking. The wind was less severe than the previous day, allowing him to make good progress. Unfortunately, the lax weather meant predators were also out on the prowl. More than once Mijime caught sight of a polar bear dog hunting in the distance. He never understood how such vicious, bloodthirsty animals could become docile and outright servile with the proper training. They were one of the apex hunters in this environment for a reason. Mijime would have to continually keep tabs on the polar bear dog to make sure he didn’t end up in their sights.
A welcome sight greeted Mijime’s eyes as the sun neared the horizon. In the dimming, colorful light he could make out the twisted, gnarled forms of the forest around the spirit portal in the distance. He was a good hustle away but it would be utterly foolish to push through the night. Any number of creatures could pounce on him from the darkness without any warning. Even making camp after seeing a polar bear dog was risky. Predators always fell into one of two categories when they were in eyesight: either they ignored you or they waited for you to stop before trying to take you down. Mijime could only pray it would be the former as he set up camp once again.
Sleep eluded Mijime. He’d get right to the edge of restful slumber only to twitch alert at the crunch of snow outside his tent. Whether the sounds were real or imaginary he couldn’t say. Any animal trying to kill and eat him wouldn’t make noise before pouncing. And there were certainly no other humans this far south that he knew of. Yet Mijime’s gut told him that something was nearby and watching his tent.
By the time the morning arrived, Mijime had barely slept an hour. He pushed past the weariness in his muscles and the fog in his mind to get everything packed up before the sun had risen too far in the sky. As he worked his gut continued to nag at him that something was wrong. It wasn’t until Mijime rubbed his eyes and looked towards the spirit portal that he realized what was wrong.
Great oval-shaped tracks each the size of Mijime’s head surrounded his campsite. The four toes were triangular in shape, with a claw mark directly in front of each. Mijime instantly recognized them as belonging to a wild canine or fox, but he knew no such beast that left behind footprints that large.
“Whatever you were, thank you for not eating me,” Mijime said to the wind as he resumed getting ready to walk again. What he didn’t expect was for the wind to answer.
“You’re welcome.”
Mijime whirled on the spot, instinctively bending the elements around him into a myriad of ice spikes that he could use as projectile weapons. Yet when he saw what was behind him he let the ice fall towards the ground along with his arms.
A great fox twice the size of an air bison sat majestically upon the flat plane of snow. Nine lush, fluffy tails fanned out behind the being while the edges of its immaculate white fur blended effortlessly into the surrounding environment. Had the creature not spoken or been staring at him with intelligent, red eyes, Mijime might have missed it entirely.
“I wasn’t expecting to run into a spirit so soon,” Mijime said as he remembered his manners and the few stories about jiuweihu he’d heard. “I thought I’d have to get all the way to the spirit portal forest for that. Nor was I expecting one as grand as you.”
The spirit tilted its head slightly to the side and flicked its ears as it replied, “My hunting territory has no limits. I could roam all the way to the heart of the Earth Nation if I so desired.”
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Something about their voice made Mijime think the spirit was female. It lacked the harshness and bombastic quality normally attributed to male-presenting spirits. “I see. What made you decide not to eat me?”
The fox’s eyes narrowed as she let out a snort, “Not all spirits eat people. Besides, if I didn’t stay nearby then the polar bear dogs would have eaten you.”
She gestured with its nose towards the east. Sure enough, Mijime could pick out that several of the predators had gotten dangerously close to his campsite. He ran a gloved hand through his long, black hair at the sight. “Then I guess I owe you double. Though I’ll be the first to tell you I don’t have much in the way of paying back the debt I’ve incurred. You are a far better hunter than I, and that is my one good skill set.”
As the corners of the fox’s mouth twitched, Mijime swore she was smiling back at him. “That’s going to be difficult for you then, especially once you tell me why you’ve come this far alone. You’re likely to owe me such a debt that I’ll have no choice but to enslave your entire family line until it’s been paid off.”
“I would have to have a family to begin with for that to work,” replied Mijime somberly. “Believe it or not, I came here seeking a purpose, some reason to exist other than to hunt or expand my tribe. My fellow tribe members have been unable to give me such meaning. In fact I believed that no mortal could. So I thought…”
“You thought to seek the assistance of the spirits,” finished the fox for him. “Even though you’re incapable of traversing into the spirit world or even defending yourself from one. Either you’re very brave or very foolish. Or perhaps you are simply lucky you ran into me instead of the less civil spirits that roam these parts.”
“Why not all three?” Mijime joked. “I may not be that spiritual of a person, but I do remember the stories of the Avatar and how they were supposed to be the bridge between man and spirit. I figured if I approached a spirit with the same accepting, benevolent attitude as an Avatar would then I might be able to acquire the answer I’m seeking.”
“You’re certainly more civil than most humans are,” said the fox. “I was one of the few spirits to remain behind when Avatar Wan sealed the portals many, many years ago. In that time I’ve witnessed you mortals bicker, argue, and war against one another over some of the most trivial matters.”
Mijime didn’t have a good retort for that. He said as much, adding, “Even in the Silver Snow tribe there’s needless conflict. Perhaps it is simply how we mortals are. Or maybe we just need time and proper teachers to show us how to be better.”
The fox chuckled back, “You are rather wise for someone who claims to be a mere hunter.”
“Eh, maybe I just spend too much time drinking with Zerno,” offered Mijime. “Like any elder he’s full of stories and rants about the world and how to fix it.”
“Perhaps. You’ve definitely turned out to be more amusing than I was hoping,” admitted the fox. “So then, an exchange of names before we go further. I am Zuo Meng, She Who Dreams.”
“Mijime. Just uh… Mijime.”
“Well then, Mijime, I believe I can grant you what you desire. But there would be a catch.”
“Nothing’s for free, as Zerno likes to complain about his liquor tab,” said Mijime. “By my count I’m up to three favors I owe you already.”
Zuo Meng’s tails floofed wider as she motioned with a paw towards the spirit portal. “I have no desire to return to the spirit world. I chose to remain behind in order to learn from and observe you mortals. However, I will admit that aside from this conversation I have not had much direct experience. My interactions with humans have largely taken place within dreamscapes that I wander into. That is what I would like to change.”
“How so?” Mijime questioned, crossing his arms. “Are you wanting me to lead you back to my tribe or somewhere else? Because if so I’m not opposed to the idea, just wary that not everyone’s going to react well to a nine-tailed fox of your stature wandering down the roads.”
“Not in the way you are thinking. Part of the power I retain allows me to siphon off portions of myself,” Zuo Meng began to explain. “Nine tails means nine forms. I would grant one to you in exchange for you raising the child like any other and permitting her to experience a full, mortal life.”
“Woah. Uh, that’s a lot to unpack,” admitted Mijime in wonder. “Lemme see if I’ve got this right. You want to turn one of your tails into a kid, which I’ll then bring up as if she were mine and set her up to have a nice, long life. Then when she dies she’ll return to you and you’ll have what you seek?”
“The child would be yours by blood,” clarified Zuo Meng. “Though no salacious acts will be required. I merely require a sample of your blood to impart part of myself into a mortal form. She will retain certain… features that will forever mark her as being part-Spirit. But otherwise you would return your tribe with a kit in hand. She would experience childhood, the transition to adulthood, loss, love, and all that you mortals espouse as being a part of ‘living’. And in turn you would be given the purpose you came here to find in providing her a family.”
Mijime paced back and forth while considering her offer. “I suppose Chieftain Naku has been trying to get me to settle down with someone for a while. Raising such a child would be a tremendous responsibility capable of balancing out the uneven scales, but…”
As he trailed off, Zuo Meng narrowed her eyes and observed, “Do you doubt yourself capable of this task?”
“Not at all. I just didn’t expect to return home with a literal baby under my arm. That comes with a whole slew of duties that I didn’t think I was ready for. I still don’t.”
“That’s what makes it exciting,” Zuo Meng replied. “Neither of us is ready for what would result from this. But unless we throw caution to the wind and take that first step, neither of our dreams will become reality. It is ultimately your choice, Mijime. I can think of other ways you can repay me if you so wish. For example, my fur has gone without proper brushing for over a millenia.”
Mijime critically eyed her fur before cracking a smile. “No offense, but brushing you would be more work than raising a kid. I’m mostly on board with the idea. I just have a few questions. How much would she know about our deal? Would she be a bender? Will she be her own person or merely an extension of you?”
“Aside from innate knowledge of waterbending, she would have a clean slate. She would possess free will as well, meaning how you raise her is crucial. Though the thought of a delinquent, vagabond daughter terrorizing villages is highly amusing, I would prefer she lead a more ‘normal life’. What she knows of me depends on what you tell her.”
Mijime stopped pacing directly in front of Zuo Meng. His mind was made up. He removed the sealskin glove from his right hand, offered it out, and said, “Then we have ourselves a deal, great spirit.”
Zuo Meng’s right paw lifted to make contact with his hand. She could have easily squashed him beneath her might yet her touch was lighter than a cool sea breeze. Mijime felt no pain as her spectral claws drew a thin line across his palm.
Blood welled from the wound, floating in the space between his hand and Zuo Meng’s paw. The crimson liquid began to glow like a miniature sun at the same time as one of Zuo Meng’s tails. As the tail dissolved away into nothingness the floating mass began to grow and expand into the shape of a baby. Once she was fully formed she drifted down into Mijime’s embrace.
The baby had dark skin like Mijime, along with unmistakable snow-white, vulpine ears and a tail that mirrored Zuo Meng. Mijime was expecting the child to let out a wail as she opened her eyes but none came. Instead, the infant stared up at him with wonder and reached out towards his face.
Everything clicked for Mijime in that instant. An overwhelming, instinctual desire to keep the child safe welled up within him. He would do nearly anything for her. Part of him wondered if Zuo Meng had manipulated his emotions to be so powerful but he dismissed that notion for the time being. He finally had the greater purpose he was seeking.
“Thank you. I–” Mijime said while forcing himself to look away from the baby for a moment. Zuo Meng was gone. Even her tracks had disappeared. Had there not been a living, breathing entity clutched tightly to his chest Mijime might have thought he imagined the entire experience.
The baby didn’t seem to mind the cold, though Mijime still undid the fasteners on his outermost layer to wrap her into a papoose slung across his front. Then he finished packing and started heading back to Bleakshield Bay. “Guess you’ll need a name. How about…”