As the group sat there, Anne explained what a shadowtail fox was. “It is like a normal fox in shape but it is almost completely balck furred normally with a few spots of silver. They tend to go after farm animals if they are hungry. Also they can hide in shadows really well and if they are in shadows they can pass through thin surfaces. Thin being a relative term of course. We have just got to keep watch throughout the night and then take it out when we see it. It has some decent strength but most of the time it won’t fight you if it can find a way out. We were only allowed to take this one on cause we had two bronze ranks.”

With this the group went quiet, watching the chicken coop which was a small building with a stone foundation. Occasionally they heard a quiet cluck coming from the coop. After about the expected hour Mason saw a dark shadow slinking towards the coop. He pointed it out to the others silently and Anne knocked her bow. She began drawing it back, silently drawing it back before loosing with a soft twang. The fox seemed to notice them right as the arrow began shooting at it and was able to dodge enough that the arrow only grazed it.

With this the fox began racing towards the woods again and the rest of the group got and began racing towards it. Dally called out ruby and began racing around the field so as not to trample the crops. The others raced straight through, simply treading carefully. Dally suddenly had a falcon on her shoulder and it took off with a cry. The fox reached the woods only seconds before the group and darted through the trees starting to fade into the shadows.

The group still continued in the same general direction but they could not truly see it anymore. Dally came thundering past them shouting “Follow me, Kann can still see it!” With this she turned a bit left and they raced after her. Soon she came to a halt next to a large rock.

“It went under this rock.” She pointed at an area where the rock seemed elevated from the earth, leaving a shallow cave like area. They grouped up around the area and mason crouched to peer into it, he saw a rapid dash of movement as the fox rushed at him. He instinctively wrenched his blade out of its sheath and swung at the fox as he realized his mistake. He had cornered it, leaving it no option but to fight. The Fox rushed at him, Mouth wide before in instinct he swung at it with his sword, Knocking it off balance and cutting it a bit. With the time he had given them dally was able to shoot a [Light Arrow] into its eye, killing it.

Mason breathed a sigh of relief. The time since they had rushed off the porch was less than a minute, but it felt far longer. Anne reiterated that you don’t want to back a monster into its den, While Rowan Picked up the fox. “Yeah we might be able to get a silver for this. Minimal damage to the coat.” He turned it over and exclaimed “Hey there's some mana scaling here. This alone could sell for 3 bronze!”

“What is mana scaling?”

“It’s a natural phenomenon in monsters when they are in mana rich areas. Some consider it a disease, because if it grows too much it can prevent them from moving. For us though it’s worth a fair bit. Alchemists and enchanters can crush it up and direct the mana rather than having to supply some from their own Flow. Makes it easier for them to produce en masse.” Rowan pointed it out to Mason and he saw it was a small section of blue purple crystals covering a small section the size of a quarter. “ Naturally the more mana rich the area the faster it will grow. When a monster is in one of those areas, it can either grow mana scales, or it can get stronger by assimilating it into itself.”

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Dally was looking around the forest before sticking her hand out where it suddenly burst aglow with a gaseous light. It seemed to be flowing towards the ground. “Hmm I wonder where it was. This area isn’t mana dense enough. Ah well we should get back to the farmhouse.”

Rowan began crawling under the rock. Mason questioned why he was doing this.

“Oh monsters sometimes gather treasure and stuff at their lairs ... . Hey guys come look at this. Especially you, dally.”

They crouched down and looked under the rock where he could see there was in fact no treasure, just what looked like chicken bones, as well as further back, cowering in the shadows, a tiny cub.

“Oh no, did we kill a mother? Aww it looks so scared. I don’t want to hurt you little buddy.” Dally whispered. She slowly reached in and was able to grab hold of the cub before pulling it out. It was biting at her, but it looked like its teeth weren’t sharp enough to even really scratch her, and it did not look like it was attempting to.

“Dally, are you planning on training it yourself or should we sell that too?” Anne inquired.

“We can’t just sell him. He’s just lost his mother because of us. No, I’m going to take care of him, ok?”

With that they set off back towards the farmhouse, Dally guiding them back. When asked how she was doing it she responded “Oh, I have the skill [Far Eyes]. As long as Kann is within two miles of me I can see out of his eyes. Quite useful for situations like this.”

“I’m Assuming Kann is your falcon?” At a nod from Dally he continued. “Cool, so do you plan on taming that fox?”

“I suppose so. I don’t really have a plan for this so I can’t know for sure.”

With this they walked the rest of the way back in silence. When they arrived at the farmhouse, The couple was standing on the back porch waiting for them. “Were you able to get the fox?” Rowan moved forward from the back of the group, Showing them the body in way of answer. “Oh fantastic. And it looks like you scared it away before it could get any more of our chickens. Come, Why don’t you children come inside, It’s too late to travel all the way back to the city.”

“Oh no we wouldn't wanto ...mpose” Rowan mumbled through.

“You’re slurring your words. Look you can stay here tonight then head back to the city okay?”

With this the group accepted and Anne and Dally were led off to what had apparently been the daughters rooms and Rowan and Mason Slept on the couch.

As they drifted off, rowan told mason that he should get some level ups, and to ignore and cancel any level ups other than mage or warrior.

As rowans eye began to flutter shut he heard a ding, Before a voice in his head said

[Class Requirements Met - Summon]

[Class Requirements Met - Warrior]

[Class Requirements Met - Mage]

He accepted the warrior and mage and then heard four more dings 

[Level Up - Level Up - Mage]

[Level Up - Level Up - Warrior]

[Skill Gained - Basic Knowledge - Blades]

[Spell Gained - Flaming Daggers]

With this Rowan drifted off to sleep.