W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

cleverness, the foxes were a self-centered people and caredlittle for the burdens of any other than themselves.Then one night, everything changed. The first Kitsune,Bai Mianxi, the White-Faced One, was led awayfrom her consort, Prince Inari. Luna, the Silver Lady, tookher to the court of The First Goddess, Gaia. There, BaiMianxi was told of her people’s true destiny: to grow upand serve Gaia and the sacred Laws of Heaven, ratherthan playing their way through existence and makinghumans miserable with their tricks.THE LAWS OF HEAVENI command you to destroy that which harms Gaia.I command you to aid your brothers, your sisters,and that which serves Gaia.I command you to revere Your Mother, Myself, yourAunts, your Uncles, and Our Favored Servants.I command you to keep your duty first in yourheart, and to listen for my teachingsI forbid you to exterminate the humans.I forbid you to make war on your brothers and sistersI forbid you to break your word.I forbid you to commit suicide for reasons of honor.I free you to do anything else necessary toachieve our goals.In Gaia’s court, The Silver Lady told Bai Mianxinot to raise her eyes to Gaia and to kowtow before Her.But even knowing she was meeting a great personage,the little fox could not resist attempting trickery. Withbowed head and averted eyes, Bai Mianxi wheedled andargued, attempting to bargain with The First Goddessfor her people’s freedom from the duties asked of them.Using every ounce of her cleverness, the fox-woman triedto barter with Gaia, offering to give Her informationthe Mother had never heard. The First Goddess refused,saying the raven-shifters and cat-people already told Herany news the Kitsune could offer.Head lowered respectfully, Bai Mianxi then attemptedto arrange a bet (at which she intended to cheat),but Gaia just shook Her head and smiled. The tricksterswere Her children too, She explained, and between theCoyotes and the Ravens, there was no cheat that hadnot already been tried upon Her and failed.With polite words and greatest supplications, theKitsune desperately offered to fight a champion in orderto avoid servitude. But The First Goddess motioned toHer children born of Wolf and Bear and all the othergreat predators, and refused. Bai Mianxi was of no useto Her rent into pieces, Gaia explained.Knowing that all her best tricks had failed, the WhiteFaced One raised her head and looked Gaia straight in theeyes. If The Mother’s other children were already betterthan the Foxes at everything, the insolent fox exclaimed,then Gaia did not need them and they should be free togo about their business as they pleased.Gaia’s anger at the Kitsune’s impudence shook thegreat hall wherein they had gathered, threatening tocollapse the ceiling in on the entire assembly. Quickly,before disaster could strike, the Silver Lady intercededon the Kitsune’s behalf. She persuaded The First Goddessto look into Bai Mianxi’s heart and see her true worth,and to know that these qualities which infuriated Hernow were the self same ones that would serve Her bestwhen the Kitsune were won to Her service.Gaia’s eyes fell upon Bai Mianxi and looked deepinto her heart, and the White Faced One fainted fromthe intensity of Her gaze. When Bai Mianxi recoveredfrom her swoon, The Mother promised her three things.First, that in return for obedience, service, and their besteffort to fight for The First Goddess’ cause, the fox-peoplewould be best at something some day. Second, that Shewould help the Kitsune to survive — even through theSixth Age. And finally, that in the last Ages of the world,She would give the Kitsune back their freedom.Bai Mianxi, knowing that she had garnered a betterbargain for her people than any of the rest of Gaia’schildren had struck, reluctantly agreed.As often happens in the Spirit World, time moveddifferently for Bai Mianxi while she had audience withthe Great Ladies. Although it seemed but minutes, shehad unknowingly spent a year in The First Goddess’ court.When she returned to the mortal realm, she found herown court scattered and Prince Inari gone.Heartbroken, she went in search of her love, crisscrossingAsia in her attempts to find her missing consort.But it was not to be. After searching fruitlessly for manyyears through lands torn apart by the selfishness and furyof the shen, she finally stopped and looked around her.Although her pain at the loss of her consort was great, sherecognized now that the agony and devastation dealt by theother supernaturals she saw around her was far, far worse.Changing children were maimed, separated, preventedfrom performing their duties — and some hadeven been slaughtered to extinction — all while sheselfishly searched for her love. Even self-centered Bai123