Everyone's gaze suddenly turned to the figure who entered the room, fear apparent in their looks. She then spoke removing the face covering, her eyes sparkling.
"Mother! I have returned." Said Zaya walking out of the place nonchalantly.
On reaching outside of the building, Naya caught up with her daughter, grabbing her hand from behind and giving her a warm hug.
"Where have you been Zaya, we thought you were dead," asked Dan as he joined in the reunion.
"I'm fine," replied Zaya, "but it won't last long. I'll be poisoned if I keep channeling the energy of the staff to myself. I must see real doctors," she clarified.
Revealing this, Zaya was taken away by Dan immediately, heading for the nearest hospital they could find.
Oxygen masks were strapped on her face, muscle relaxants kept all around her body, gastrointestinal medications to protect her from falling apart.
The nurse walked in. "Some people would like to see you now," she said. Zaya nodded, signifying to let them in. The nurse left the room, Zaya could hear her giving instructions to the visitors outside. _What took them so long_ she thought.
The five of them walked in staring at the bedridden Zaya, whose eyes were also foxes on them. The moment was awkward but was suddenly broken by a sudden outburst of laughter from each and everyone of them, Zaya coughing afterwards, they went towards her position.
"I'm not going to die," she said as she raised her hands focusing it towards the staff that was placed on the wall. The staff slowly levitated and shot towards Zaya's hand like it had a mind of its own, glowing as she held it tighter, her eyes closing as the golden staff spoke to her.
"Did you find what we were looking for?" Ashara asked.
"Well I did meet two foxes in the mountain cave. But they sacrificed themselves for some mission which has been delegated to Zaya,"
"What cause?" Ashara asked.
"Well now," Zaya said weakly, "I am the last fox but I don't think that would last for long. It's complicated but I'm sure it's something about reincarnation and I'm to find the reincarnation of a great half‑breed warrior."
"So Zaya, what should we do now?" Pauline asked.
Zaya then faced towards Pauline and said. Zaya then responded to Pauline that the staff had told her to train, build an empire of warriors while she had the time and take back all that was hers.
Zaya took a deep breath as she spoke, "You do know part of this might involve stealing right, we are going to be stealing right," Zaya said avoiding their gaze, which made them absolutely lost.
"-_-"
After the quarrel that occurred amongst all of their parents the group could barely see each other again.
But surprisingly, Zoey's mum was kind enough to let them in only after school hours. They all gathered in a room the staff held in Zaya's hand.
It's been three days since she's been discharged from the hospital. Zaya sat in a lotus position, in a corner of the room raising the staff's sceptre top up and waiting for its instructions.
There was nothing at first except for the calmness in her mind, she waited patiently as an images structured in her mind.
She saw a fox and a lion which represented her and Pauline, the golden staff then told her the only way for these two to get to their peak form was to go and heists.
It showed her a couple of images how the foxes use the staff to predict the future.
She then stood.
"Come everyone gather around," Zaya said, she then twisted her hands forward rhythmically, like they were a bunch of noodles saying the staff as spoken to me. The others laughed at ridiculous movements wiping tears of their cheeks.
Zaya then began explaining that the staff had told her that they were not yet prepared for the mission physically because of what happened at the mountain. So might not go on any magical trip for a short while.
"Why does the world have to be so cruel. Why? How am I gonna find the mirror of infinite beauty now." Bawled Zoey.
"No worries Zoey," said Zaya consoling her, "the staff had promised to quicken your innate abilities since the emerald had chosen each of you.
That's what the ancient staff here said we should do, but first we make it sort of legal."
"Wait," Ashara interrupted, "why do we have to fight for the fox clan? Am I not a cat?"
Zaya had been anticipating this question for a while now.
Zaya answered saying you are right, Ashara, but for centuries the other clans fought the dragon clan single handedly, and they've all failed continuously even till the extent of the mighty fox clan falling.
They all had one common enemy, the dragon clan, yet they never worked together, and I'm sure you all know how powerful dragons are. Their aim is to turn every clan to their cause converting them to slaves and to also mutate them into fire creatures.
The warriors of the past fought but surely they lost. After this, one sole survivor named Arax from the toad clan, sought a grave thing, using the tiki power from his clan he banished magic from our realm sealing it in the nether realms.
Not so long ago it was unleashed.
"Wow Zaya," said Ashara her eyes squinted, "how do you know all of this?"
"The staff knows a lot," spoke Zaya caressing it. The staff shimmered as Zaya touched it, gems with different colours like Zaya's appearing at different parts of it.
Zaya held the staff raising it up, with the Horus eye she stared at each of the gems that were embroidered to it.
"What's going on June asked,"
Zaya then smiled and said the staff has granted you your innate abilities again.
"Yes!" screamed Ashara as she'd missed her cat form.
"The eye of Horus had showed me your affinities in a vision."
"I get the purple gem I am the fox," arising from the fox clan, said Zaya touching the purple gem with her finger as it began glowing.
Zaya activated her Horus eye checking for their half‑breed affinities.
"Ashara gets the white she is a cat," Ashara placed her hands on the white gem and it shimmered.
"Natasha gets the pink, she is a bird," Natasha repeated the same action resting her finger on the pink jewel, it shined.
"June gets the yellow, she is a jaguar," June smiled her hands finding its way to the yellow stone, it glistened.
"Pauline gets the gold she is a lion," Pauline touched the yellow it glittered she smiled excited.
Zaya's face went pale as she stared at Zoey who possessed the last gem which was red, she then spoke Zoey gets the red, she is a dragon.