Legend had it that the more tails a kitsune has the longer it has lived. Like most legends, however, this was slightly misleading. There are many ways to "kill" a spirit. Perhaps more, even, than a human. But there are only a rare few ways to actually destroy it. Thus it is with the little fox demons, that every time they 'die' they grow a tail to mark a new life. It is therefore easy to correlate the number of tails with the power of a fox... until you meet a truly powerful kitsune.<br/><br/>Sotanozenko, born to Inari Goddess herself (one of the rare few kitsune actually created and not simply elevated from a particularly long-lived fox), was one of the first kitsune in the history of the world. Perhaps he wasn't the very best of servants, but the tale of how he drove the multifaceted kami to try eating him was long lost to the ages. What obscure history does know is how the nogitsune came to be, the day Sota rejected his god and shifted his coat from a glorious white to an impossible black. Countless thousands of years passed, and the little spirit never died. Not once. To say that these two had bested him so easily was no small measure. No one could see through his illusions, spirit and mortal alike. Even the Dragon King himself had fallen victim to the ancient fox's power. Sota's will<i>was</i>the truth... until it came to this pair.<br/><br/>Legend also has it that the more ancient of kitsune, those who had lived harsh enough lives to have earned their ninth and final tail and taken the title Kyuubi, were capable of immense feats of perception. Said to know all things at all times. Perhaps a bit over-exaggerated, but there was enough truth in it that the little nogitsune was very much aware of the power threatening to invade his territory. The scented lifeblood of a very old, very familiar acquaintance. Snakes were of even more sour repute than foxes or cats, and rarely had good relations with<i>anyone</i>, so it was with this in mind that the little Prince of Foxes left his signature at the edge of the forest; three darkened lanterns of foxfire, perfectly arranged, and seeming to steal light instead of emanate it. An extremely rare, but very distinct warning to any trespassers.<br/><br/>He had little doubt the warning would go unheeded. This pair was simply too perfect to pass up. So for now he would simply watch and wait. With luck, they would kill the snake as they had almost done to him and move on. With less luck? Well, the cute little fox wasn't nearly as helpless as he seemed.