Chapter 407 Two Bodies, One Soul

The sound of pounding woke up Keng. He groaned as the water rune continued to rain down water on him.

? Pound, pound, pound, pound!

"Keng! Keng!" Gorrum shouted. "Are you okay?" Keng groaned as he pushed himself up. His fingers were wrinkly.

'How long was I out for?' Keng thought. He struggled to stand. The strength in his body was gone as Gorrum continued to pound the door.

"Keng! Keng! Answer me!" Gorrum shouted. Keng scooted out of the ring and slowly made his way over to the door. The water shut off and the pounding continued. Keng managed to grab the door handle but the lock above was too far for him. He groaned as he lifted his tail and extended it. His white tail flicked it and Gorrum busted through the door. The naked and body soaked Keng laid sprawled across the floor. He looked deathly pale and Gorrum could feel the energy was different from Keng. It was weak. Really weak.

"Keng, are you okay?!?" Gorrum's voice fluttered. The sounds were starting to grow quiet as Keng's eyes closed. "Keng? Keng!"

Four Days Later

The breeze of the forest found its way into Keng's room as the silver fox slept. His chest rose up and down as he was neatly tucked. Two chairs were pointed at him, one near his head and one near his feet. They were empty as the sounds of music quietly played through the open door.

"Lily, I'm back." Gorrum announced. He popped into the large area that was furnished with furniture. Lily was sitting in one of the single chair seats and strumming her ukulele. She stopped humming as Gorrum entered her view. "Everything fine?"

"Yeah. He's still asleep." Lily answered. She looked over at the open room. There was some sunlight seeping through from the window in Keng's room.

"Did anything happen while I was away?" Gorrum asked taking a seat across from Lily.

"No. He just slept. Stirred a couple of times and that scared me, but I think he's fine." Lily replied.

"Are you still scared of him? Y'know he didn't mean it, right?"

"I know… It's just… What if he did it on purpose? You and Elder Jyu'so both said he intentionally went into Feral Madness. I just… Don't want to risk it." Lily stopped playing her ukulele and looked at it. She couldn't lie that she wasn't scared. She was. She was really scared. When she found out Keng went into Feral Madness on purpose, her mind wandered and paranoia played its creepy piece.

"He had no choice but to go into Feral Madness, Lily. He had to fight those hobgoblins and best that Shadow hobgoblin before they got him and created a Fox Spirit-hobgoblin hybrid. That would strengthen their numbers and powers by many times."

"I know… I just…" Lily bit her lip. She stood up. "I'm going to start dinner." Gorrum watched her walk past her and exit the Tomb. He let out a sigh and stood up. It had been four days since he wondered why Keng was taking so long. He pounded on the bathroom door for, what seemed like, an eternity. Thankfully, Keng had opened the door.

He entered the room and listened to the quiet breaths of Lee Seng. He sat at the foot of the bed and looked at Keng. It was a miracle they could even feed him while he was in a coma. Elder Jyu'so had left to retrieve a shaman and was soon to return.

'Wake up soon, Keng. You don't have much time to sleep around.' Gorrum sighed.

"Please, come in." Jyu'so's voice spoke. Gorrum looked up and noticed a tall slender Fox Spirit walked in. She wore a straw hat with jingling beads attached to it. She was in a traditional garb and wore a leafy cloak.

"Shaman. Elder." Gorrum stood up and bowed.

"Is this the boy you've told me about, Elder Jyu'so?" The shaman asked.

"Yes, Shaman. He's been in a coma for several days. His energy has depleted and hasn't really returned. His body seems to be taking a toll as well, physically. Sir Gorrum and I are wondering if you can figure out his condition."

"Yes, Elder. I would be glad to help. I've heard so much from the city about this boy. The Spirit and Vessel who share one soul and have two bodies." Shaman moved the chair near Keng's head and sat close to him. "Goddess of the Earth, hear my plea, give me the strength to see through a child of the Golden Sun. Reveal unto me what plague holds him tight."

Green energy radiated off of her. The jingling beads started to jingle as she rested a hand on Keng's hand. Her eyes glowed a bright green and a vision came to her.

"Two bodies. One Soul. Split across the planes. Cultivation available for both. One plagued by darkness. Both plagued by nightmares. Nightmares of the demon. Two demons. Two Bodies. Which will be set free?" The Shaman spoke. She closed her eyes and became quiet. Her green energy pulsing in her hands as she held onto Keng. Her eyes moved, Gorrum seeing slight movements as they waited. The green energy eventually faded and the Shaman opened her eyes.

"It seems like their evolution path has definitely split, benefiting both in different Realms. Keng has their Soul orb and witnessed something happen to it. I think it split and the other one returned to the Vessel. They're both unconscious, swimming in nightmares of the Demon." The Shaman explained.

"Nightmares of the Demon? What do you mean by that, Shaman?" Elder Jyu'so asked.

"I'm afraid these two don't have quite enough time. Within the next two years, this one will need to travel back to his Vessel and reunite with him and become one or else the Demon Foxes will be born."

"So Destiny was right…" Jyu'so mumbled.

"Yes, Destiny is right." The Shaman nodded. "This boy will need a special concoction. I will need help gathering it as there's a special ingredient I need from the desert, mountain and sea. If you can give me those items, I can sustain the boy, but I'm not sure about the Vessel."

"What do you need, Shaman?" Gorrum asked.

"Jurdi Plums from the desert. Three horns of the crystal goat from the mountain and the song of the sea."

"The song of the sea will be hard to acquire… I will have to ask the Merfolk for that." Jyu'so informed.

"As for the others, I have two horns of crystal goat. I can procure a couple more horns and find my way to the Jurya desert for the Jurdi Plums." Gorrum informed them.

"Good. I will have to watch the boy in the mean time. Will that be fine with you two?"

"The Saviors have another member you should know about. She might be a bit jumpy right now, but she's outside cooking dinner." Jyu'so told the Shaman. "I'll let her know you're here while we step out for a moment, Shaman."

"Alright, Elder. I will continue to monitor him. I'll let you know through telepathy if there's any changes to him." Shaman replied.

"Let's go, Gorrum." Jyu'so motioned. Gorrum and Jyu'so gave a nod to the Shaman before disappearing.

'Now, child, let's deal with this darkness.' The Shaman lifted her hands over his chest.

"Your journey has already begun, child. It seems it started the moment you were forcefully ejected from your Vessel. I shall do what I can to get you out, but it's up to you." The Shaman started to chant in a tongue that wasn't Fox tongue. It sounded older, closer to the gods tongue. Her eyes glowed bright green as her form began to dissolve into the boy.

The sounds of water lap across the sands. Bare feet move across the sand, slowly.

Step. Step. Step. Step.

The waves crash. The silhouette continues to move across the beach as a fog rolls in. Three tails split from behind the silhouette's eyes begin to glow a blue and red color. They scan the beach and notice something… odd.

'What's that?' A silhouette of a tall slender humanoid slowly moves through the fog. They grow closer through the ominous fog yet no fear comes to Keng. He only feels reassured the beach and waters won't swallow him. This humanoid won't do harm to him.

"H-hello?" Keng called out. The figure stopped. A soft light glows around the humanoid figure. The figure steps closer and Keng realizes its a woman. She's wearing a straw hat with hanging beads. They make no noise as the traditional garbed woman with a leafy cloak steps up to Keng.

"It seems you've been stuck to wander this place." The Shaman looks towards the waters. "How long have you wandered here, child? Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks?" Her green eyes look at the boy as he tries to get a read on her.

'Who is this woman?' That was the only question on his mind.

"I cannot disclose who I am and why I am here. My purpose must stay a secret but I will walk with you. What say you, child? Will you let a Fox join you on your walk?"