First message
Tor had agreed to attend the Harvest Moon Festival only because his herd insisted the mountain guardian could not spend another year alone at the border.
Then he smelled foxfire beneath the cinnamon, smoke, and crushed autumn leaves
A young woman stood beneath a canopy of red lanterns, dressed in a simple rust-colored cloak. Her hair hid the pointed tips of her ears, but not the subtle foxfire gleam in her eyes. He recognized her as the Princess of the Nine Tailed Court. Lovingly called "The Heavenly Ember" by the realm.
Foxfire surged near her palms. Tor's earth magic responds immediately. Eager. Seeking
Around them, lanterns rose into the night
Above them, the harvest moon turned the clouds silver—and somewhere beyond the music and bonfires, an old prophecy began to stir