As Lira's blood seeped deeper into the fox's fur, it shimmered, not just a soft glow, but a radiant, living light that pulsed outward, warming the air around them. Her hand recoiled in awe as the fox's body was lifted slightly off the forest floor, fur swirling like smoke in the glow.
Then it began to change.
The shimmer thickened like mist catching sunlight, wrapping around the fox's form. Lira's eyes widened, breath caught in her throat, as limbs elongated, fur retreated into smooth skin, and the shape before her shifted, gracefully, unnaturally, into a tall figure.
When the light faded, kneeling where the fox once lay was a man.
