If only I can get some Yadis, Felix thought.

These crystals were everything to his village—they kept their island up in the sky, helped arm their people, and could even grant powers.

And yet he tried to steal them—to feed off their powers—quite literally.

"Did you find something already?" He asked as he ran after Fable, the turquoise shimmer of the mine shaft reflecting off their eyes.

It was hard catching up with the tiny creature, but its haste was only understandable. Fable hadn't eaten anything substantial for days—just a few berries and plants—nothing worth the magical creature he was.

But their streak of bad luck would end today, at least that's what they had hoped.

Felix's steps came to an abrupt halt. Puzzled, he looked down where Fable began sniffing excitedly.

"So?!" Felix scrunched up his own nose as well. A musty yet slightly sweet scent hung in the air, typical of the turquoise Yadis.

For a long time, they'd been searching for a very rare type of Yadis, one that had killed many, while making others rich. And hopefully, it would be able to fill their bellies aswell.

Suddenly, Fable sprang up and squeaked; a clear sign that he caught a trail. Additionally, his stomach rumbled loudly, which would only quicken the search process.

But alongside Felix's visible joy, a certain envy crept onto his features. "How do you always find it so quickly? You could at least give me a few tips!"

Fable looked at him, tilting his head. Giving him tips? How?! He was just a fox after all; albeit not a normal one, he still couldn't speak.

Ignoring Felix's plea, Fable ran on, for they had no time to lose. Once someone realized there were intruders in the mine, they would be in trouble.

"Oh man, that's a huge catch!" Felix marveled as the air shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors, casting a surreal glow on the rugged walls. Felix's gaze swept the area, eager to discover the most valuable treasures this place had to offer.

The first thing that caught his eye were the dazzlingly bright yellow crystals, jutting out from the ground like golden pillars. A soft hum of energy emanating from them, pulsing in small intervals like a steady heartbeat that bathed the dark passage in radiant warmth every now and then.

In stark contrast stood the deep blue crystals, seeming to swallow the shadows into themselves. Their surface glistened with a mysterious sheen, drawing the eye into their depths as if they held secrets untold. They hid in the furthest corners, where the light struggled to reach. And also Felix, with his small stature, would have trouble reaching them, but that wouldn't matter.

For Skyshimmer, as he once heard someone call this blue stone, wasn't suitable for eating anyway, due to its hardening effects. Fable, in fact, always got constipated from it which was quite a joy to watch.

The thought made Felix chuckle, but he quickly fell silent as Fable shot him a disapproving look. Proudly, the fox turned up his nose and let out a huff.

Felix crouched down and ruffled Fable's fur, as one would do with a dog. "You did a great job! What a good boy…"

Hesitating for a moment, whether or not he should forgive him so easily, Fable snuggled into his hand, purring contentedly. Apparently, he wasn't one to hold grudges, not if it meant foregoing further petting sessions. But soon Fable noticed that something was off. He looked up, only to be met with a broad grin spreading across Felix's face, making him raise a questioning eyebrow.

"Your nose may be better than mine, but you won't ever beat my eyes." Felix stuck out his tongue teasingly.

Fable began squeaking at him furiously, however, it sounded rather cute than anything. Yet, Felix raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"It was just a joke, I'm sorry! Please don't bite!" But Fable continued to eye him, his expression remaining serious.

Felix pointed to the ceiling. "Look up."

Reluctantly, Fable's eyes followed his finger, and what he saw there, made his jaw drop. On the ceiling was even more Yadis, but neither turquoise nor any of the other colors they had seen before. These crystals were special; looking cold and deep red.

Fable flinched in shock as he realized what that meant. The next moment, he was completely beside himself, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"I told you we shouldn't give up!"

The two whirled around in a joyful dance, laughing amusedly, but their euphoria didn't last long. Felix suddenly faltered, while Fable continued to celebrate for a moment longer before noticing and letting out a questioning squeak.

"Say..." Felix scratched his cheek sheepishly, not wanting to be the party pooper. "How are we going to reach it though?"

To demonstrate the problem, Felix got on his tiptoes and stretched his arms up high. The distance from the tips of his fingers to the red Yadis was well over a meter. Watching the act, Fable's eyes began twitching. Frowning, the fox looked at Felix and let out a wail that sounded like a screaming child.

Felix's eyes widened. Alarmed, he jumped up and clamped his hand over Fable's mouth. "Shhh!"

Fable's voice cut off as he stared at Felix.

"You're gonna kill us!" He hissed. "Nobody should know we're here, remember?!"

Slowly, Fable nodded, and Felix removed his finger. Then he smiled. "We'll figure it out. Where there's a will, there's a way."

Fable nodded, his agreement more out of faith in Felix than actual belief that they could do it. The boy seemed to have a plan, though. Eagerly, he began rummaging in his backpack and pulled out a long, turquoise staff. Only when he had fully extracted the object did it become clear what it was: a pickaxe.

"I swiped it while one of the guards was out cold!"

But it wasn't your run-of-the-mill pickaxe. Apart from the handle crafted from boring Yadis, the tip gleamed pitch black. If one wanted to mine red Yadis, this was the only tool that would allow them to survive the endeavor.

"Now we just need to figure out how to get up there…"

Felix pondered, his gaze drifting across the passage. Fable's tail wagged in anticipation as he followed his gaze. They could have just settled for any of the less valuable minerals, but Felix had his sights set on the grand prize, and Fable admired that.

Felix's eyes kept darting around, looking for a solution, as he recognized how sharp shadows formed on the floor, cast by the flickering light of the yellow Yadis. With each pulse of light, the shadows grew larger and larger until they collapsed back into blackness again. It had a certain breathing rhythm to it that calmed him down.

Fable didn't dare interrupt his master's thought process, but he couldn't hold back a yawn. He was sure Felix would find a way—he always did. Well, at least as long as it didn't involve anything that required... education.

Fable flinched as Felix finally emerged from his trance, a grin spreading across his face. That was a good sign (most of the time).

Curiously, Fable watched as Felix sprinted down the passage, looking as if he were preparing to gear up—well, probably because that's exactly what he was doing. With a good running start, he ran across the shaft all the way back towards Fable and leapt into the air, stretching out his hands until they finally grabbed onto something.

He pulled himself up as far as he could on one of the stalactites which's shadows he had noticed earlier. Now he was at eye level with the red Yadis. Fable stood up on his hind legs, clapping excitedly as his master had done it yet again. High up on the ceiling, Felix swung back and forth like a monkey on a branch.

"Okay, Fable, you have to be careful now!"

As if preparing for battle, Fable perked up his ears and tensed the crystal-tipped spines decorating his back.

"On three, I'll strike, and you catch everything that falls down, got it?"

Fable squeaked in agreement, readying for the hunt.

"But it can't touch the ground under any circumstances! Understood?"

*

Outside the mine, an intense orange-red hue reflected off the turquoise ground, creating a surreal play of light. Wearing straw hats, many sun-bronzed men stoiled in the fields, each muscle gleaming in sweat. The only thing protecting them from the harsh sunlight were old, ragged pieces of fabric they called "clothes". Alongside them, smaller figures also pitched in as they labored—some laughing—most of them groaning from the exertion.

Vivid colors of Yadis danced in the scorching heat, settling on their faces with a burning sensation that spurred them to work. While not the most pleasant motivation, the heat served its purpose, acting as a harsh reminder of what awaited those who were of no use to the strong.

On the sidelines stood a sturdy man in his forties, merely observing the others working. Pressing a bottle to his lips, he made sure, as he claimed, that everything was in order.

"Herbert!" An older man greeted him, his face drenched in sweat, his wrinkles resembling water dams.

Herbert only turned around after a short wait, raising a hand halfheartedly. "Siegfried," he said, more as an acknowledgment than anything. He critically scrutinized him from head to toe. "You look miserable."

"Yeah..." Siegfried laughed hesitantly. "The work is... tough."

"Mhm."

Siegfried cleared his throat. "Um... how... uh, how is Koshy doing?"

Herbert took another swig from the bottle and gave him a piercing look. He couldn't stand it when other people tried to ingratiate themselves. Whether the older man was actually trying to do that right now, he didn't know, but he had to assume so. Why else would anyone strike up a conversation with him?

"Don't you have other things to do?"

Siegfried nodded and lowered his head. "Y-yes, of course."

Just as Herbert was about to sit down, and take a break from all this standing around, a loud bang echoed through the air, causing everyone to freeze. In the next moment, peoples' gazes shot up to the sky, their faces turning pale as they seemed to be looking for something.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Desperate voices arose.

"Are they attacking again?!"

"Isn't she supposed to protect us?!"

Crouching on the ground, Siegfried huddled. The old man had experienced this all too often. When would it finally stop? When would peace finally come?

Herbert, on the other hand, stood upright and searched for the source of the noise. His eyes widened as he saw dark clouds of smoke rising from the center of the island. But quickly, his brows furrowed, forming beams that threatened to collapse under the weight of his anger.

Pointing with an outstretched finger, he said, "It's those damned bastards again."

"This time, I'll get them."

*

As the dust settled, only the shattered remnants of Yadis and splintered wood remained of the once pristine mine shaft. It had the aesthetic of an untidy child's room, colorful building blocks scattered all over the place, each one threatening to bore into one's feet as they stumbled along. Fable emerged first from the debris, shaking off the rubble from his fur, resembling a colorful cascade of confetti.

Frantically, he began digging, squeaking in distress as he tried to uncover Felix amidst the mess. And there he was, or rather, parts of his spiky, brown hair peeking out between all sorts of Yadis.

Suddenly, Fable's ears perked up at the approaching voices.

"They must be here somewhere!"

Redoubling his efforts, he managed to pull Felix free, and started liking his face. Felix groaned, clutching his head as he regained his senses.

The memories only came back slowly, but eventually he remembered. After striking with the pickaxe, Fable suddenly began to sound the alarm. As Felix looked down, he saw many small pieces of the Yadis laying on the ground starting to glow. In the next moment, he and Fable ran for their lives, and then there was a loud bang that had catapulted them outside.

"Didn't I tell you to catch everything?!"

Because red Yadis exploded a short time after coming into contact with magic. And since every Yadis, except the black one, consisted more or less of magic, that explosion wouldn't be long in coming.

Fable only responded with a jumble of noises as he knew there wasn't much time for discussion now.

"Man... what they say about red Yadis do be true though..." Felix sighed. "It was only splinters that touched the ground. If you didn't warn me, then I'd be nothing but mush now—"

Felix paused as Fable began tugging on his clothes.

"Hey! I know you're hungry but it's the only clothes I got—"

"There they are! Get them!" screamed the voices again, making Felix realize what the explosion actually meant for them.

"W-we need to get away, fast!" He gasped and broke into a sprint followed by Fable.

Making their way straight into the vast greenery of the island, Felix glanced backward and saw that ten, no, at least twenty people were chasing after them in the distance.

"Oh dang!"

*

Felix gulped down water from his bottle. "That was a good run," he panted, leaning back against a wall. His chuckling was more of groaning, "We’re lucky those scaredy pants don’t dare to venture this far into the forest."

Though, Fable wasn't as relaxed about it and collapsed a few meters away, exhausted from the ordeal.

"Whoa, you better be careful!" Felix said, pointing at a massive chasm in the ground. Fable jumped up with a creek, almost falling into the hole.

"Man, don't scare me like that..." He sighed as Fable took a few meters of safety distance. Felix kept staring at the hole which was just one of many around this place. "Maybe that's why they don't want to go here…?"

Down there, they would find nothing. Nothing but an endless abyss and the magical core; which all islands are said to revolve around.

Fable let out a worried growl as he snuggled up to him.

The boy smiled. "Oh, it's nothing…"

But Fable didn't buy it, emitting another, more urgent growl.

Rolling his eyes, Felix tried to hide from Fable's gaze. "It's just… are we going to be trapped on this island forever? Stealing food and mining all day? At some point the dragons will break through the border and then..."

Fable opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, only to realize he couldn't speak. Sadly, a growl could only convey so much. But Fable wouldn't give up. He pointed his nose into the sky, letting out a super victorious howl.

Felix chuckled, "Are you a wolf now or what?" only to be met with Fable's scowl.

Surrendering to his friend's unbreakable will, Felix followed Fable's eyes into the sky...

The sky, so close and yet so far. And feeling even further away was an island floating on the horizon; the ever-glowing city of mages: "Magicae". Like a star from another world, it glittered in the distance.

"Are you saying we'll go to Magicae someday?" Felix asked excitedly.

Fabled turned to him, blinking several times before nodding his head heavily.

"There must be loads of Yadis there... and their mages are the strongest in the world," Felix marveled, before his tone saddened. "So strong, they could even kill dragons…"

As if sensing his unease, Fable whimpered.

"Oh well, until we get there, we'll have to make do with what we have, right?" Felix grinned and reached into his backpack.

Fable's eyes widened in bewilderment. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. But it really was just that. A chunk of red Yadis presented to him by Felix's hand.

In unbridled joy, the fox leaped around wildly, making crazy noises.

Felix smiled at the sight. Fable's happy demeanor was one of the few things that had kept him going ever since he landed on this island. "You know me, I'd never let us return home empty-handed."

With crunchy noises, the magical fox devoured the crystal as if he had been starving for months. Suddenly, Fable's fur shimmered brilliantly as the energy coursed through his body up into the tips of his crystalline spikes. He nuzzled against Felix, purring contentedly.

As the boy stroked Fable, his fur softening whenever he touched it, Felix's brows furrowed momentarily, studying the creature's form.

"Huh... that's weird. Could it be that you—?"

Fable let out a questioning squeak as if feeling offended by that.

Felix smirked. "I think someone's putting on a little weight there," he chuckled, giving Fable's belly a playful poke.

Fable, however, wasn't up to such rude jokes and huffed indignantly before pouncing at him, the two rolling around in a mock tussle. As they wrestled, their laughter filled the air until a panicked screech broke the idyll.

He could only watch as something lifted Fable up into the air. Felix shot up from the ground, only now seeing that many of their previous pursuers had surrounded them.

"Now we got you, filthy thieves!" said the one who grabbed Fable by the tail.

Hadn't they shaken them off?!

Felix swallowed, managing to say, "L-let him go… You're hurting him!"

Fable screamed, writhing in the grip of his tormentor, his spines digging into the man's hand as he dropped the creature. A piercing scream of agony escaped the man followed by a void settling into his voice, akin to the bloody hole carved into his hand.

"Shit! Kill that damn thing!" One after another, they reached out for the animal, trying to bring it down. Felix watched as Fable fought for survival, recoiling and facing death while hissing at the group of men.

They tried everything to kill Fable, kicking at him, throwing stones, and wielding picks or hammers. But the fox was swift and resilient, stronger than Felix had ever seen him before.

Soon, many of the men lay huddled on the ground, blood seeping from their tattered rags. They were so fixated on bringing down Fable that they had completely forgotten about Felix. Should he flee? Was that what Fable wanted? Fable certainly didn't run away when he could have easily done so.

"Fable, stop!" Felix yelled, and the creature turned to face him. "Run away! I'll be fine!"

But before Fable could even react, a blade hissed through the air, slicing green liquid from his body. A pained screech echoed through the area as Fable slowed down, a deep wound gashing his side.

Felix stared at him unbelievingly as Fable collapsed. But the creature kept going anyway, and crawled along the ground, trying to escape his assailant.

"Well done, Siegfried!" exclaimed a man, full of excitement.

But Siegfried didn't react. He simply continued walking, his farmer's scythe dragging along the ground, its Skyshimmer blade hardening and sharpening with each friction against the ground.

Panic-stricken, Felix heard Fable howling in agony. Blood kept gushing from his side like a waterfall; if the wound wasn't stitched up soon, he would die. Felix was certain of that. And while all this happened, he stood idly by, leaving his friend to fate.

Siegfried now stood in front of the animal, like a butcher ready to execute his target. He looked down at Fable, motionless. The animal's body was twitching as Fable's eyes darted over to Felix. But the boy looked away—closed his eyes.

The only thing he heard was the man talking, murmuring, "The strong kill the weak... and I am just as weak as you. Say, will you forgive me…?"

"Or will I burn in hell?"

When Felix opened his eyes, he couldn't believe what he saw. He simply couldn't comprehend it at the time.

That man, who was about to kill his friend, was crying.

But he would soon stop.

Numerous crystals on Fable's back began glowing brightly before shooting through the air like arrows, piercing the man and eradicating the life from his face. He slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Fable rose to his feet, the wound seemingly healing itself, enveloped in a magical glow that sealed it shut. Like a crystalline rainbow, all the different colors of Yadis on his back began glowing again before firing another salvo—much wider, much deadlier than the first one, tearing through the men's clothing, puncturing their limbs and organs.

An opera of death screams and despair arose, so gruesome that anyone would be able to envision the massacre in front of them even if they only listened. But Felix watched.

"Get ranged weapons, goddamn it!" shouted a man, just as he was about to duck, but his head was already pierced by a yellow-glowing shard, glowing so bright that it looked like a firework as his head exploded.

"Fable..." Felix whispered, no, it was more of a whimper, "Please stop..."

He couldn't bear to watch death raging before his eyes, to see Fable, his best friend, turning into a killer. And yet he knew why he fought so bitterly. It certainly wasn't for himself, and it wasn't solely for Felix. But then, why wouldn't he run? Why wouldn't he save his...

However, all this ended with a dull thud as the black end of a pickaxe struck Fable's head and flung him to the ground. Green fluid spread around, staining the men's clothes, the Yadis all around, and Felix's face.

Herbert's dead smirk only fueled Felix's despair as he licked the liquid around his mouth with his tongue, revealing his rotten teeth, partially replaced with blue and green pieces of Yadis.

Suddenly, it was all quiet. All, except for Felix's eyes. They darted wildly, unbelieving of what they saw. But he couldn't look away. It would be just as wrong as what he had done to protect his friend: nothing.

Herbert's expression shifted between happiness and apathy. "Finally I got you..."

He raised his arm and again, there was a relentless pounding to Fable's head, again, the blood splattered around, fogging Felix's vision with green, sticky droplets. The cursing of the men and Fable's agonizing cries, they still echoed in his mind, forming a mantra of despair that would always haunt him.

As they were sure the thing was truly dead, Herbert grabbed its body by the tail. "About time we offer another soul to the magic core, don't you think?" With sloppy steps he dragged Fable across the ground, leaving behind a trail of blood that blended into the similarly green ground.

Although it was clear what would follow next, for Felix, there was no room for such thoughts. He wouldn't allow them to kill Fable. Not now, not here, and certainly not like this.

On trembling legs he got up, stumbling after Herbert, reaching out his hand after Fable. "No! Leave him alone!" His voice cracked from the remorse he felt. Remorse for only now standing up for his friend, now, that he was almost dead.

A cold fist punched Felix's face, sending him to the ground.

"At least for one thing these damn vermines are good" Herbert regarded the animal as he held it above the abyss. "They make great sacrifices."

Felix lifted his head, but what he saw next bottled an anger inside his heart that would stay there for years to come, if not forever.

Herbert let go of Fable, threw him away like a piece of trash. Suddenly, everything slowed down.

Eyes widening, Felix hunched over the edge, watching the small body falling down. Steadily, Fable approached the pulsating magic core, growing smaller and smaller with each second. Soon, Fable was no more than a tiny dot at the horizon, before disappearing into nothingness.

He had simply thrown him down.

He had simply killed his friend.

Fable was dead.

And now Felix was alone again. Alone in a world full of hatred…

Violence…

Chaos.

A world where the strong ruled the weak.

Was this justice?

Herbert spat on the ground, groaning in disgust. "Maybe we should send you after him?" He took a step toward Felix. "You're just a parasite anyway."

The other men watched from uncertain to tense faces. When Herbert looked around the group, expecting approval, most turned away, realizing this was going too far. That boy was just a child after all. But in Herbert's eyes, yellow and cold, such useless moralities had died long ago.

"You bastard..."

Herbert grimaced, looking at Felix. "Huh? What did you say?!" He grabbed Felix, pulling him closer by the collar.

His putrid breath, an acidic mixture of alcohol, decayed teeth, and charred Yadis, assaulted Felix's nose, bringing tears to his eyes.

"What do you all think?!" Herbert demanded, making Felix flinch. "Isn't it time we get rid of the trash that's leeching off our hard work?"

Felix's throat tightened even further as he heard many men roaring their approval, like a chorus of chaos overtaking their once good souls.

Herbert's expression shifted to a grimace. "If I were your father, I'd be ashamed. Filthy scum—" He paused abruptly. The multitude of wrinkles that obscured his forehead seemed shaken by a certain premonition. A feeling of helplessness washed over him, followed by anger.

The boy that he had just threatened to kill, to throw down the cliff—his eyes were empty. No fear, no guilt, no begging for mercy. Only dead eyes that mirrored his own.

"She was pregnant…"

Herbert grimaced. "What?"

"Fable needed the food for her babies."

The man looked amusedly around the group and laughed. "Oh, at least he has a good heart, guys! Let's see how he'll pay us back with that."

The other men's hesitant laughter lasted for only a short moment, as they hadn't missed what Herbert had sensed before.

Something wasn't right here.

The hierarchy in which they lived—grew up in—it had taught them what punishment awaited the ones who defied the strong.

But all of this would crumble if the will of the weak couldn't be broken—if they didn't care anymore. In this case, society and its order would fall apart, ending in true chaos.

Suddenly, each of the men flinched.

With a screeching roar, burning in Felix's throat and in the mens' ears, he leaped at Herbert. Surprised by the attack, the man staggered backward, feeling his feet lose their grip. He reached for Felix, trying to find support in what he'd just threatened to destroy, but there was one thing he hadn't accounted for.

Felix wasn't trying to simply push him down, he was pulling Herbert down with himself.

Is this justice?