Chapter 355: The Starry Vixens.
A wise man knew not to go home after telling his children to lie to their mother about their daughter getting into a fight with a grown beast woman. And that is why Elias had joined his brothers on a drive to a sky-fetch game at the largest stadium in the city. Miro was at the wheel, humming as the sleek hover-car glided through the bright lit roads towards the stadium. Gael lounged in the passenger seat, one leg crossed, eyes half-asleep.
"You shouldn’t have told your daughter to lie to your wife," Gael said, voice steady and calm. "Ali fought a grown up. It was a dangerous situation. She could have been hurt. Sienna deserves to know."
"Yeah, bro." Miro pitched in.
Elias exhaled, gaze fixed on the skyline. "You two will not understand until you are married and have cubs of your own. Sometimes, keeping a secret means keeping the peace at home. Sienna will be out for blood."
Gael snorted. "Ali already drew the blood, I believe."
Miro laughed loudly. "My niece is too fierce. My sister-in-law is raising a future special forces soldier. That girl has a fierce temper."
"Like her mother." Gael added to Miro’s words, shaking his head. "Sienna’s fierceness is why you have gone from the almighty frightening fox lord to a hen picked husband."
"I am not hen pecked." Elias denied strongly.
His brothers laughed. While Miro made the chicken sound of "caw-caw" on repeat, Gael said something much more sensible. "Bro, Sienna’s fierce but fair."
The hover-car descended into the stadium’s private parking bay. The roar of the crowd was already vibrating through the walls. It was the finale of the Sky-Fetch competition, easily the most popular sport in the empire. Strategy, mental strength and physical strength all woven into spectacle.
The brothers strode through the VIP entrance, greeted by attendants who bowed deeply. Elias’s status as the fox lord guaranteed them a reserved box, high above the field, with crystal clear holo-screens and endless trays of delicacies. Such boxes were reserved by the nobles, wealthy and families of team players.
The stadium was packed--tens of thousand of beast men and women from different clans cheering, banners waving, drums pounding.
The fox clan was one of the most enthusiastic. Their team: The Forever Foxes had made it to the finals for the first time in three years. It was a team with a long legacy, known for their cunning plays and brutal maneuvers. Tonight, all eyes were on their star player: Kamden Swift, the eighteen year old who was famous for his SS mental strength tricks. He could bend the flying disc mid-flight and confuse opponents with phantom doubles. His physical strength was also impressive, as he could leap as high as any other hawk beast man. And it just so happened that they were playing against hawk beast men.
"That’s him...that’s Kamden." Miro bellowed excitedly as the players entered the field. He nearly tripped over his own feet before finding his seat.
As the brothers settled in, the game began. A disc whirled through the air, glowing trail marking its path. Kamden darted across the field and leaped, his mental strength bursting like an explosion of fire. He leaped, and twisted mid-air, caught the disc, then hurled it with a flick that sent it curving around defenders. He scored the first goal of the match.
The crowd erupted. The Veythar brothers shouted, pumped fists, tails flicking wildly. The furthest thing on Elias’s mind was his wife and children.
At halftime, the cheerleaders stormed the field. They were called the Starry Vixens--the most famous cheerleaders fox beast women. They were in dazzling blue and yellow uniforms that made them stand out. Their dance moves were synchronized and their voices were so angelic that they could shake the stadium. They launched into one of their most famous songs and routines, a pulsing chant that had the crowd singing along.
Drone and holo cameras swept across the stadium, catching fans in their frenzy. The footage was displayed on the screens and fans who were excited to see their faces up waved, kissed or made different gestures. It so happened that the Veythar brothers were captured by a camera and exposed mid-song, belting out the cheer with unrestrained joy. Miro was drumming on the railing, Gael was swaying to the routine, and the fox lord himself--usually dignified--was waving a fan sign with a picture of the Starry Vixens, eyes gleaming.
The stadium roared louder, delighted at seeing the lord of their city so animated. By the time the brothers looked up, their faces had been replaced with another. Everyone was oblivious to the ripple effect their moment was about to cause.
Over by the seaside, Sienna’s house was crowded. Soren, her younger cousins, uncles and grandparents had gathered to watch the game. Plates of food were scattered, voices overlapping, the atmosphere buzzing. Sienna herself sat curled on the couch, with Ali between her legs, watching her Mochi Paws cartoon. She had headphones on, to isolate the cartoon sound from the sound of the game.
Sienna was not paying attention to the game either, she was distracted by the paper work from work which Mija had insisted she look over to reduce the work burden for tomorrow.
Soren nudged Sienna’s foot. "Sister, you are missing the game. It used to be your dream to join the Starry Vixens. You auditioned three times for them."
"Really?" Lina asked, loudly. "I saw her dance videos, she was good. Before she got fat. Why didn’t they let her into the group."
"Because she is human." Mrs. Miller grumbled. She sounded very sour about this fact, and it was proven with her next words. "As if you need claws and a tail to dance!"
Suddenly someone gasped.
"Is that Elias?" Numia shrieked.
Sienna looked up, and there he was was. Her husband. The fox lord. Waving a fan sign for the group which rejected her. Singing along to their song, eyes locked on the vixens with an enthusiasm she rarely saw.