As Lin came out of the Hall after the meeting his father had held, he let out a deep sigh. He was the seventh Son of the Fox king. After sealing Mia in the ridge, he had come home to pack some essentials for his travel to the Tree of knowledge, but his father had called him and his brothers for this urgent meeting.
"Where to brother Lin? " asked a sleek young fox as he rolled right at his feet.
"Busho what are you at again. If you so badly want to be a stray fox I can leave you in the human realm. There are plenty of them" Lin joked.
"No.No no. I just like to mimic yoru elegance your grace. I am just a humble bird you see, if you had not rescued me back then, those wolves would have torn me to pieces" The fox turned to a parrot and then into a handsome young man.
"Ah.dont mention" Lin tried to drive him away and go off to his destination, but he would not budge.
"Why can't I come along? " He asked
"Because the road is too dangerous" Lin replied.
"If only I had been a fox, you would not have said that" Boshu blackmailed him "where is this dangerous place you are going to anyway? "
"I will be going to the Tree of knowledge to learn more about this curse that has got everyone worrying" Lin half lied. Then he half heartedly agreed to take Boshu along "ok.come along. But i will not be responsible for you"
"I will. I will be responsible for myself" He clapped and chirped happily.
Before leaving Lin went to meet a very old lady in her death bed.
"Lin.you have come. What news do you bring? Did you find the pendant? "She asked as she stood up eagerly.
" Nana. Don't stress. I haven't found it yet. Something big came up. The curse has been evoked. Things have become very complicated. I will not be able to disguise amongst the wolves for the time being. But as I promised, I will bring back that pendant for you. I will" He patted the lady's head lovingly as he lowered her down to lie down.
"Ah.ok ok. Take your time. Be cautious" She patted his hand "ahh.tell me about your beautiful wife then. How is she. I haven't seen you much since you got married" She urged as she smiled.
"Ssshhhhh! Nana. Slower. You know you can't tell anybody about my marriage. You are the only one in this palace that even knows about it" He looked up to check if anybody was nearby. " She is fine now. These last few days have been rough. Pray for us Nana, won't you"
"Of course I will. Everything will be alright. Why has it been rough Lin? " She asked.
"Can't tell you now. Even I need some answers. I will tell you the next time I come visit. Alright? " He winked at her.
"Ok.if you say so" She replied and then suddenly her eyes changed. She held Lin's hand in iron tight grip as she levitated. Her eyes we're totally black with just a red spot. Her hair had turned red too. Her body changed into a canine like shape in silhouette and then her head started twisting at an unusual angle and she started talking in a completely different voice. It was more like a chorus. It said

"The clenching of the chest doesn't stop. Neither does the coiling of the blood. The veins seem to be rupturing with force, with no ailment known. The sickness of the being is difficult to fathom, that has left behind it's roots in another kingdom. How the song ends, how the story goes, is anybody's guess because nobody knows. The howling might stop, the stars might shine once more, the game of waiting will pass in labour. The question you ask, the truth you seek, might leave you startled, unable to speak. Look carefully, look inside to cope, when home seems like a distant hope. "

Then suddenly the colours went away and the lady's limp body fell right on the bed with a thump.
"Nana.Nana.are you alright. Nana. What happened? Nana. Somebody help. Help" Lin yelled almost terrified to from what he witnessed.
The maids ran in and somebody ran to fetch the doctor. The news spread and other members of the family rushed in too. The doctors checked her up and said "she seems to be ok. She is just sleeping. A very deep sleep indeed. What had exactly happened? Who was with her? "
"I was with her" Lin came forward and explained what had happened.
"It's the oracle. It hadn't happened to her for ages. What exactly did she say? " asked an elderly aunt, very concerned.
"I don't remember clearly, but something like" And Lin told them a portion of what he had heard. The moment he heard oracle, he knew there were secrets hidden in the message. He cautiously choose to hide the majority of it, only revelling a portion to the audience.
People heard with great attention. Lin got assured by the doctor that his Nana would be alright, but she might sleep in for some days or may be years. That would totally depend on her and that the doctor could do nothing about it. After this he left immediately without wasting anymore time. Now he had some verses that might be a sneak peek into the future. And if you knew about the future, you might be able to change it. This gave increased his hope and courage "Hold on Mia. I will get us out of here" He murmured as he flew past over the ridge towards his destination, The tree of knowledge, with Busho in tow.