The more the creature shook off its sleepiness, the brighter its trio of tails glowed, until the deep red embers began to flicker more brightly. Orange flames licked along the tails, crackling softly. As it approached, its glowing aura illuminated the sign attached to the front of the cage.
Emberfox
Endangered and dangerous.
NOT FOR REASSIGNMENT.
(Element: fire)
Benin didn’t need the sign, or Arcane Sight, or even regular sight, to see that last part. Even if he’d been as blind as an elderly blesmol, the heat radiating from the emberfox was akin to that of a clay oven, and it smelled like… well, he couldn’t quite put it into words other than it smelled like warmth. He reached a hand toward it.
“Ben?” Coll stomped closer. “I think I just heard—”
“This is the one,” Benin whispered, his gaze locked on the emberfox’s. The creature was sitting down again, barely three feet away, tails curling neatly around its feet. It tipped its head to one side, as if it were waiting.
Waiting for him.
His fingertips were just inches from its coal-smudge nose. It sniffed the air, tensing, and Benin froze too, not wanting to alarm it. Not wanting to be any further away from it than he already was. Ever again.
“Ben—”
“Shhh!”
But it was too late. Perhaps responding to the note of urgency in Coll’s voice, the emberfox flinched and started to back away, flaming hackles now burning a dangerous yellow-orange.
“Inside voices, Coll!”
“Sorry!” he shouted, hands raised. “But I definitely heard something from outside. We should go. Now.”
To the right, a massive enclosure rattled as something huge moved within. In the rising light from the emberfox’s fur, Benin saw a hulking shape throw itself against the bars again.
More noise was beginning to come from other directions. Disgruntled growls, rattling cages, angry yowls—all around were the rising sounds of discontent and fury. The Menagerie was waking up.
And now there were voices coming from outside, accompanied by the light of alchemical globes.
Guards. Shit.
Five
Thank You, Electric Mouse
Benin
Benin fumbled with the lock on the emberfox’s cage. It was seemingly just a regular old-fashioned padlock, so he clutched it in one fist and activated Molten Palm.
Nothing happened.
He did it again. The heat emanating from his hand was such that the metal should have glowed red and then white before melting away entirely with a molten sizzle.
The padlock didn't even glow.
Benin cursed. Of course a cage containing a fire elemental would be constructed from heat-proof metal.
He cut off the flow of mana to his hand, ending the ability, and began to look around instead for something with which to pick the lock. Where's Tiri when you need her? That woman was uncannily adept with a hairpin. Probably from a lifetime of breaking into libraries after hours.
Behind him, Coll was hopping from foot to foot like a cat on a barbecue, both hands gripping the haft of his hammer. Benin had forbidden him from bringing his shield for fear it would impede the man's already abysmal stealth, but the warrior had refused point-blank to part with his hammer. "Hurry, Ben! Hurry!"
Benin stood straight and rounded on him. "Never, in the entire history of tense situations, has saying 'Hurry!' ever helped the person trying to hurry to actually hurry. Do something useful for a change!"
Coll glanced between the lock and Benin. "Stand aside."
He did, but not without rolling his eyes. "Not every problem is a nail, Coll. A hammer can't solve everything. The lock is heat-proof; it's probably barbarian-proof as well—"
The head of the hammer smashed into the padlock, breaking it into pieces which fell to the floor with a satisfying clatter. The emberfox whined, cringing away from the noise.
Outside in the hallway, the approaching voices rose in confusion and annoyance. Benin heard running footsteps, then a shout as one of the guards caught sight of the open door.
The emberfox had heard the shout too. It had stopped whimpering and was now glaring towards the door, teeth bared, a growl rising deep in its throat. Benin glanced in that direction too. He instantly regretted doing so. He had to squeeze his eyes shut against the near-blinding auras of all the creatures he'd examined with Arcane Sight.
What had before been relatively faint colored auras were now a blazing rainbow that shone with the strength of the creatures' emotions and the flaring of their abilities. Benin was forced to half-close his inner eye so as to still be able to see anything else.
When he looked again, two armored figures had appeared in the doorway. One carried a short sword held out in front of them. The other held an alchemical globe, its eerie white light an unnatural contrast to the vibrant auras of the caged creatures.
The figures immediately split up and began to prowl the aisles in search of intruders.
Benin swung the cage door open. He crouched once more, reaching out a hand toward the emberfox. "Come on, beautiful," he whispered. "We have to leave. Now."
He almost pulled his hand away when the creature turned its attention back to him. Its teeth—small and sharp like little pearl triangles—were still bared, and it was still growling softly. The waves of warning heat emanating from its fur would have been unbearable for Benin to tolerate, were he not a pyromancer.
Fire is in my blood, as it is yours, little one. We're meant to be together, you and I. Come.
He willed it to come closer. Looking past its snarling heat, he saw its pupils were wide with fear, and it broke his heart a little to see it in such an animal.
"Whatever they've done to you, it will never happen again," he swore. "I'll protect you with my life." He felt a little embarrassed saying it out loud, but as he spoke the words, he knew them to be true. He would do anything for this creature.
The emberfox did not retreat from the passion in his voice. Its eyes met his, and for a moment he could see nothing but those burning coals. His eyes
