Chapter 3 One Bowl of Porridge and a Hungry Fox

"A raccoon that talks?" I shouted toward the cave barricade, holding my wooden spoon like a dagger. "Listen here, furry black-mailer! This porridge is mine! I fought a biological hazard wolf for this salt!"   "I'm not a raccoon, you idiot!" the raspy voice squeaked back. "I'm a moon fox beastman! And I have a sharp stick!"   A tiny, mud-covered hand shoved through the gap between two barricade rocks, waving a twig that was maybe six inches long. The stick poked harmlessly at the air before slipping out of the kid's slick fingers and clattering to the cave floor.   I stared at the twig, then at the rocks. "That was your grand threat? A twig? Did you expect me to drop my breakfast out of sheer terror?"   "It's a very pointy twig!" the voice insisted, sounding suspiciously close to tears. A small silver-furred ear pushed through the gap, followed by a wide, dirt-smudged eye. "Just throw out a spoonful! I haven't eaten in three days! My tummy is making noises like a trapped badger!"   I sighed, shaking my head. "If I pull down these rocks to let you in, are you going to try and bite me?"   "No! Maybe! Only if you try to eat me first!"   "Deal. Stand back, kid."   I shoved the heaviest rock aside, creating an opening just large enough for a tiny body to squeeze through. A small silver-furred fox child tumbled through the gap, rolling across the cave floor in a messy heap of tangled fur, oversized rags, and bare knees. He looked to be about seven years old, with huge, silver-tipped ears that twitched nervously and a thin tail tucked tightly between his legs.   He scrambled upright instantly, dropping into a crooked fighting stance. "Stay back! I know karate! And fox-fu!"   "Fox-fu?" I raised an eyebrow, holding up my hot bowl of rice porridge. The steam wafted directly toward him.   The kid froze mid-stance. His nose twitched violently. His big purple eyes widened until they looked like saucer plates, locked in a trance on the bubbling white rice. His stomach let out a roar so loud it echoed off the cavern walls.   "Sit down before you pass out, Fox-Fu Master," I said, setting the bowl down on a flat stone between us. I scooped a big wooden spoonful of porridge, blew on it to cool it down, and held it out to him. "Here. Eat."   The child snapped back to reality and glared at me with deep suspicion. He crossed his arms, leaning as far back as his tiny frame would allow. "I'm not stupid! It's poisoned!"   "Poisoned?" I scoffed. "Kid, I literally just made this in an iron pot behind a rock. What would I poison you with? Cave dust?"   "You put sleepy powder in it!" he accused, pointing a dirt-caked finger at me. "Then you're going to pack me in salt and sell me to the raiders for three copper coins! That's what the big kids at the village said happens to useless foxes who can't transform properly!"   I stared at him, my smile fading into a look of absolute disbelief. "Three copper coins? Excuse me! If I were going to sell a kid-which I'm not, because that's super illegal and horrifying-I'd ask for at least twenty! Three copper coins is insulting to both of us!"   "See! You have thought about selling me!" he yelled.   "I'm arguing about your market value, not your sale!" I groaned, shoving the wooden spoon directly into my own mouth to demonstrate. I chewed loudly, making dramatic satisfied noises. "Mmm! Delicious non-poisoned carbs! Pure energy! Zero sleepy powder!"   I scooped up another big bite and pointed the spoon at his face. "Last chance, kid. Eat the porridge or I'm eating the whole pot and doing a little happy dance while you watch."   The kid looked at the spoon, swallowed hard, and snatched it out of my hand before I could blink. He stuffed the entire wooden spoon into his mouth, his eyes bulging as the hot, salty rice hit his tongue.   "Ow! Hot! Hot! Good! So good!" he gasped, swallowing instantly without chewing. He dived toward the stone bowl, grabbing it with both hands and burying his face right into the rice like a starving puppy.   "Whoa, slow down! You're going to give yourself a stomach cramp!" I reached out and gently yanked the bowl back an inch. "Breathe! Chewing is part of the process!"   "More!" he demanded, wiping a thick smear of rice porridge off his nose with the back of his sleeve. "Give it back! I'm still starving!"   "You get more when you tell me your name," I said, holding the bowl just out of his reach. "I don't feed nameless feral children who assault my barricade with twigs."   He puffed out his mud-splattered cheeks, pouting hard. "Milo. My name is Milo. Now give!"   "Nice to meet you, Milo. I'm Kaia." I handed the bowl back to him.   Milo grabbed it greedily, taking smaller, more manageable bites this time. As he ate, I noticed the thin, bony outline of his ribs under his ragged tunic, and the faded bruises along his arms.   "Where are your parents, Milo?" I asked softly, sitting back on my heels. "Or your tribe? It's getting pretty nasty outside with the whole red moon doom-storm."   Milo's ears drooped flat against his silver hair. He stared down at the remaining rice in the bowl, scraping the bottom with his spoon. "Don't have parents. The caretakers in the Silver-Claw Tribe tossed me into the supply wagon last week because my beast shift didn't kick in. When the red sky started glowing, they said useless mouths don't get rations. So they dumped me by the creek and drove away."   My jaw tightened. "The Silver-Claw Tribe again, huh? Ronan and Vera's lovely home sweet home."   "You know Ronan?" Milo asked, looking up with wide, cautious eyes. "He's the big scary guard commander with the giant axe. He hit me once because I tripped over his boots."   "Oh, I know Ronan," I said, a bitter grin curling my lips. "He was my mate until yesterday morning. Then he stole my winter food, took my coat, and threw me out here to freeze."   Milo blinked, staring at me in total shock. "Wait... you were thrown out too? But you have hot food! And a cave! And you beat up that giant wolf outside! I saw its ashes!"   "I am a woman of many talents, Milo," I boasted, thumping my chest proudly. "I convert disaster into culinary success!"   [System Notice: Newbie Quest Progressing.] [Host has successfully established contact with a vulnerable native inhabitant.] [Companion bond option available: Milo Thorn (Moon Fox / Unawakened).]   "Ignore the floating invisible text," I muttered, waving my hand in the air to dismiss the screen before Milo noticed me swatting at nothing.   Milo licked the bowl clean, setting it down on the stone with a loud clack. He looked at me, then at the crack in the cave barricade where the red light was pulsing ominously, and then at the warm fire crackling behind us.   "So..." Milo mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of his oversized shirt. "Are you gonna make me leave now? The sky is making that terrible screaming noise again."   Outside, a violent gust of wind slammed against the mountain, bringing a wave of wet, metallic-smelling rain crashing against our rock wall.   "Leave?" I laughed, leaning back against the cool cave wall. "Out there? You'd get eaten by a mutated snapdragon in five minutes, and then my porridge would be totally wasted."   Milo's ears perked up slightly. "Really? I can stay?"   "Under three conditions," I said, holding up three fingers. "One: you help me gather dry wood whenever it's safe. Two: you don't touch my salt jar without permission. And three: if anyone tries to sell you for three copper coins, you hold out for at least fifty."   Milo let out a small, breathless giggle, his tail finally creeping out from between his legs and giving a timid, single wag. "Fifty coppers? Nobody would pay fifty coppers for me."   "Then we'll charge them a hundred," I said with a wink. "Nobody disrespects my household budget."   CRASH!   A loud, metallic thunderclap exploded right above the mountain peak, shaking the entire cave floor so hard that my iron pot rattled on its stone platform. The rock barricade groan-drifted forward an inch, showering us with loose dirt.   "Eek!" Milo squeaked, diving straight under my arm and burying his head against my side, shivering like a leaf in a hurricane.   "Whoa! Mind the ribs, kid!" I wheezed, but I wrapped my arm around his small shoulders anyway, pulling him closer to the warmth of the fire.   Suddenly, a massive, heavy thud echoed from the rocky slope just fifty feet outside our cave entrance-followed by the screech of twisting metal and a deep, low groan that sounded undeniably human. Or dragon-like.   I froze, listening intently. "Did... did a spaceship just crash into my front yard?"   Milo peeked out from under my arm, his silver ears twitching wildly. "It sounded like a giant lizard falling off a cliff."   "Only one way to find out," I said, grabbing my trusty wooden spike from the floor and pushing myself up. "Stay behind me, fox-boy. Let's go see what the red sky dropped on our doorstep."