Fox I [Planet Demonia Major] "It's almost time, General." "I see them Captain, I'm ready." Captain Reox fussed over the Generals environment suit. The Demonian tunnels were unforgiving if even the slightest mistake were made. Five-thousand years of war and a thousand years occupation by the Kitsune Over-Lords and never had a Kitsune made it more than a couple dozen feet inside the tunnels. "I don't like you going down there without an escort." "I'll be fine, and anyway, I'm likely to stand trial for war crimes and hung once my duties under the unconditional surrender are complete, perishing in those tunnels may be the better course." "You're a brave man, General," Captain Reox shook his head. "It was necessary to endure the ordeal for the sake of our world," the General grinned, "and it wasn't without some rewards." "I find that somewhat disturbing," said Captain Reox. The General laid his hand on Captain Reox's shoulder. "If I don't return, cousin, do whatever you can to ensure House Fox survives." General Fox stepped through the inner-airlock door, sealed the chamber, checked the suit environmental controls, and pressed the control panel to open the open the outer door. The door unsealed with a rush of air and swung up to let the Demonian atmosphere in. A platoon of Demonian infantry stood outside waiting, their weapons raised in a ready position. He stepped through the airlock into the harsh Demonian atmosphere, not expecting to ever return. The sun was setting and cast a purple glow through the cyanide clouds. The surface temperature was just dipping under five-hundred degrees; a brisk winter night for the Demonians. The squad of Demonian infantry soldiers followed him on his flanks as he walked toward the entrance to the Hatching Tunnels. The Demonians had sacrificed themselves by the millions during the final battle to protect these tunnels. The decision to attack the Demonians Hatching Chambers was the final poor decision of the Over-Lord Emperor and had given the General the leverage he needed to topple the Over-Lord Command; he was now a war criminal, and a traitor. The largest Demonian the General had ever seen stood, waiting, at the entrance of the tunnel, his tail was still and rested at the mid thigh point; the body language sign for a calm but alert Demonian. The large Demonian was a matured male, the pronounced and sharp curved horns of childhood replaced with the rolling bone protrusions of adulthood. "I'm General Fox,” he announced himself. "Yes General, I know who you are," the Demonian spoke fluent Kitsune. "I am Tarlock and will guide you to the Hatching Chambers." "You said you are Tarlock, I thought that word meant adopted father?" General Fox was perplexed by the subtleties of the Demonian language. "There are many Tarlocks, I am the Tarlock." The General assumed this was another of the Demonians societal hierarchies; perhaps the Demonian meant he was First Tarlock. "I think I understand," General Fox stated. The Demonian turned without further explanation and led the way into the tunnels, he followed and the soldiers fell into a single line behind him. The rock walls were scorched with laser burns from the battle that had taken place here and the floor was pitted with blast craters. Demonian workers had already repaired much of the damage over the last eight months since he had signed the unconditional surrender and knelt before Prince Vengeance, the Demonian Prince, and begged mercy for the Kitsune people that now found themselves under the rule of those they had never shown mercy towards. The General's faceplate fogged from heavy breathing and he was starting to feel the heat despite the efforts of his suit. The tunnel forked many times and the Tarlock navigated the maze without hesitation, leading deeper into the obsidian tunnel; naturally occurring crystal formations, and what the General was certain were diamonds the size of a man's fist, lined the walls of the tunnels and reflected the light from torches lining the walls. He struggled to keep pace with the Demonian Tarlock and checked his suits temperature gauge: it indicated they had already passed the 1,200 degree point. The Demonians had no need for an environment suit, this was the Demonians natural habitat and they weren't even close to breaking a sweat, though the General was unsure if Demonians sweated. Probably not, thought the General, they hardly ever drink water, what would they sweat? "How much further?" asked the General, pausing to catch his breath, the facemask lending an odd echo quality to his voice. The heat was taking its toll now and breathing was becoming difficult. "The first egg is being kept at 1,400 degrees and the second at 2,500 degrees." "Why the difference in temperatures?" "The first egg, the blue spotted one, was planned by the hatching mother to be dominantly Kitsune physiology; it was not doing well at the higher temperatures. The second egg, the one with the red stripes and destined to remain here has Demonian physiology and we have had to keep moving it to higher temperatures." "Then Prince Vengeance’s plan has worked, we will have twin princes, one for each world." "Perhaps, that is not for me to say, I am only the Tarlock." General Fox surveyed the Demonian's expressionless face, he doubted this Demonian was only a Tarlock. The fate of uniting two worlds that had been at war for nearly five-thousand years would not have been entrusted to just any Tarlock. The last one-thousand years of which had seen Demonia occupied by the Over-Lords and subjected to horrifying war crimes perpetrated by the Kitsune Masters. "I do not think this environment suit will be able to sustain any higher temperatures." "We are at the blue eggs chamber now General, the red egg will brought up to this chamber so you may see it." "Thank you, Tarlock." General Fox stepped into the large chamber the Tarlock indicated columns of stone rose into the air and disappeared into the darkness, and hundreds of stone cradles, each holding an egg, were lined in rows throughout the chamber. Hatching caretakers, Tarlocks, moved from cradle to cradle, stroking and turning the eggs in their cradles. "Where is my son?" asked the General. A female voice answered, "A Demonian father is never told which egg is his, if he does not know, he is not worthy to know the child." The General knew the voice and turned to face Lady Tempest, the Hatching Mother. “I am pleased to see you again, Lady Tempest." "I am not pleased to see you,” said Lady Tempest. "I do apologize that my presence upsets you, my Lady." “You may walk through the chamber and find your son.” The General did not bother to even glance around the Chamber, he already knew the answer to her simple riddle. Demonians were very predictable in this fashion. Though the Kitsune had not predicted they would throw their entire population as a sacrifice to destroy the General’s armies. “I did not ask which was my son, I asked where my son is, he is not in this chamber, my Lady.” Lady Tempest glared at her hated enemy. Though she may have been ordered by Prince Vengeance to bear this murderer two eggs, which she obeyed, she would have rather seen him hang from a rope. And perhaps that may still come to pass, it caused her to smile. “Though you may hate me, my Lady,” the General explained. “The Demonian love for a child of any species is well known. You would never transfer that hatred to innocent children, nor would you dishonor two princes by placing them with common children.” The General preferred to think of the eggs that occupied the chamber as children, though they were yet to be born, or hatched. He was unsure the correct terminology, understanding Demonian culture had never been a priority. Lady Tempest turned and walked away, the Tarlock motioned for him to follow and they led the way to a smaller chamber, two eggs rested in a single large cradle. General Fox knelt next to the cradle and laid his hand first on the red egg; even through his glove the egg was warm to the touch. “I wish to name them in the Demonian fashion,” said the General. “This one will be called Malice.” “And the other,” asked Lady Tempest. The General moved his hand to the other egg, the blue one. The egg had small white speckles on it that, to the General, resembled small little foxes dancing around. “I will name this one, Mischief,” declared the General. “They are eggs, filthy lizards as the Kitsune would say,” Lady Tempest moved closer to watch the General. “Your species gives live birth, how can you lay your hand on a Demonian egg and act as if you love it?” “Yes, they are a genetic achievement that you were able to do this, but it does not matter that they are eggs, they are my sons regardless.” “I was not as successful as you may think,” said Lady Tempest. “The one you named Malice will born without a tail, and the one you named Mischief will have Demonian eyes instead of Kitsune eyes, though in all other features he will resemble a Kitsune, but I was able to give them other gifts to make up for it.” “What gifts?” The General gently stroked the eggs and turned them as he had seen the Tarlock caretakers do for the eggs in the outer chamber. “I have given Malice a smaller body, light and nimble, with the grace and balance of our Daraian cousins, he will have no equal in flight, he will be the finest pilot Demonia has ever seen.” “And for Mischief?” asked General Fox. “I have given him a large powerful body, stronger than any other Demonian or Kitsune, and I have given him mind sight. His instincts and reflexes will be razor sharp and he will see danger before it arrives. He will need that living among the treacherous Kitsune. He will be able to survive the most dangerous environments, whether it is in the halls of court, or the deepest jungles.” “Worthy gifts, my Lady,” said the General. “I thank you for it.” “It is time to go, your trial will begin soon,” stated Lady Tempest. “No, I am staying here until they are hatched, I will see my sons come into this world, after that you may do with me as you like.” “We can force you, General.” “If you rip this suit as I struggle to stay at their side, I will burn to death in moments and you will not have the pleasure of executing me.” The Lady Tempest stepped back and motioned for Tarlock to leave the General be. “He may stay, Tarlock,” said Lady Tempest. “Let him hold his sons in his hands once they are hatched, and then bring him to the court.” General Fox knelt next to the cradle for two days, Tarlock brought fresh oxygen tanks and replaced his air. The eggs finally cracked and slowly the infants struggled to break free of their confinement. The General held each of his sons in his hands, though he could not kiss their foreheads, he murmured his love to them, and said good-bye, then gently placed them back in their cradles. “I am ready now,” said the General, and followed Tarlock to the Court where he would stand trial for his war crimes.