'Yes! I can hear you!' she practically yelled back at me. Her emotions surged like a tidal wave, and I quickly used more mana to calm her down again. In the face of her pure happiness, I found myself smiling.

'Good. I was worried that these enchantments would also block telepathy, but thankfully, they don't. I'm going to ask you some questions. Is that alright?' I tentatively inquired. When she nodded, I continued, 'Very well. Let's start easy. What's your name?'

'Zanixa. It means my little flame.' The kit bared her fangs in an animalistic parody of a grin. It would've been terrifying had I been that easily scared, but a fox the size of a mouse didn't intimidate me much.

'It's nice to meet you, Zanixa. You know this already, but I am Thoysal, the vampire that lives with the Sharion pack,' I introduced myself. 'Are you aware that the people here are werewolves?'

She shook her head in utter confusion. 'No? Is that why all their eyes are amber, like a wolf's?'

'Yes. Only the Alpha, Oscen, has blue eyes in wolf form. His family is interesting that way. The Alpha and the Ira are the leaders of the pack,' I said. The basic werewolf information would have to do for now. First, I needed more information from her. 'Anyhow. Do you know what year it is?'

'I have no idea. When I was captured, it was mid-summer, 13.978 after the creation of the Second Generation,' she replied.

Now it was my turn to freeze in shock. I tried to keep the worst of my reaction from our link, but some still got through. That poor kit had no idea how much time had passed. It made me wonder just where they had kept her all this time. I would have to question Oscen soon.

Her confused and scared whine shook me out of my thoughts. How could I possibly bring this information to her? After taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I said, 'It's winter, 14.251 years after the Second Generation of gods was created. You have been in that bottle for over two and a half centuries.'

Pain exploded across the telepathic link the moment she understood what I'd said. I put up a block to protect myself from the brunt of it, casting my eye away from her to give her some privacy. Although I could see her body racking with pained whimpers, the bottled let no sound through.

"Is she alright?" Maflar asked softly, face set in a worried frown. His mate wore the same expression. The two Omegas must have sensed the sudden switch in Zanixa's emotions.

"She will be. She just needs time," I assured them. As I spoke, I watched blood dripping from her tail where she'd scratched herself. When it hit the bottom of the bottle, it sunk into it, dyeing the glass crimson before it returned to its crystal color.

After several minutes of trying to calm her down with my magic, I dared to reach out again. 'Zanixa?'

'Yes?' she said, voice still tinged with heartbreak.

Using the path of distraction, I asked, 'Do you know how to be released from the bottle?'

Just like expected, the kit perked up, her mind set on a different track. 'Yes! You have to pull to cork off. They made it very simple, but us inside the bottles couldn't reach the cork. There always was a barrier in front of it to keep us from pushing it open.'

'If we open the bottle, do you know what will happen?' It was best to be cautious, in case those mages had trapped it or dangerous magic came at play. You never knew with them.

She sat up straighter before reciting, 'Once the bottle is opened, the spell is broken and the creature inside of it released. The creature will then return to its true size and its magic is unlocked once more. Be careful about that last thing when it comes to certain species, as they will be more than ready to use it on you.

'On top of that, once released, they will come back to life. This means that from then on, they once more require food and drink, depending on the species. Be prepared and have cages, spells, and enchanted whips at hand.'

I looked at her curiously, wondering who had taught her those instructions. 'Those aren't your words, are they?'

'No, but we have all heard the Collector boast about the bottles before. It's a Tamer's secret of some sort.' She shrugged, wincing slightly at the action.

I gave her a nod to let her know I understood her. Tamers, one of the Vesmai mages' branches. Not very surprising, given the predicament the little fox was in. Focusing back on the present, I asked, 'What is your true size? We wouldn't want to release you down here, only to find out you're the size of a boulder.'

'I would reach about your hips. I could probably put my paws on your chest if I stood up,' she replied, raising her head a little and letting her tail rise in the air. Her size was something she was almost as proud of as her tail, it seemed.

Looking at the room and the flames that poured from her back, we better not to release her inside, lest she light the entire pack house on fire. 'Then it's most likely best if we do this outside.'

Turning to the two mates who were still 'silently' watching our interaction, I commented, "We can let her out, but she's larger than a normal fox. We'll have to do this outside, which means the pack will notice. You haven't told Oscen or Sila of your findings yet, correct?"

Maflar shook his head, shifting in place uneasily at the mention of the Alpha and Ira of the pack. "We haven't. We first wanted to make sure that we actually know what's going on."

Thinking out loud, I commented, "I know you Omegas aren't fond of dominance. I could tell the Alpha and Ira, if you wish."

I could see the relief on the two wolves' faces, although they tried to hide it. Maflar gave me a nervous smile. "That would be greatly appreciated, though we'd have to ask Esna first."

The two pushed their chairs back and moved closer to the hearth to inspect the little firefox. Askio tilted her head as she said, "She's quite something... Who will take care of her once she's out?"

A feeling of unease passed through me, but I kept it from my expression. Instead, I let my gaze rest on the kit as well. "You found her, so I would say you'd have to do it, but Oscen probably thinks otherwise. He will most likely still include you, as Zanixa knows you most."

I turned towards the door, hearing the quiet footsteps of an Omega approach. The two mates reflected the movement as Esna walked in. "You've managed to communicate?" Esna asked.

With a slow nod, I answered, "Yes, and my findings were quite interesting. I think we should take it to the Alpha and Ira – or rather, get them down here. There may be a way to get her out."

- - - = { + } = - - -

Hello from the future! We're now quite a bit further than 1,000 reads, but still, I feel like this message should be preserved, as I remain as thankful. Therefore, while the chapter has been changed to the newly written Thoysal POV, the paragraphs below remain as they were so long ago. Thank you for all the support still!

Thank you all so much for a whopping 1,000 reads! It's insane we managed that with only five chapters. Thank you endlessly for all the reads, all the votes, and especially all the heartwarming comments that make me want to continue writing <3 To show support back, I'm going to dedicate chapters to all who've come back each and every week to vote and leave a comment. You deserve the shout out.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter from Thoysal's POV. I'll have to be honest and say that I am several chapters ahead in writing, and I have grown to love this vampire. He is my favourite character - aside from Nix. And yes, she will get out! Eventually :P

Have an awesome day, and, once again, thank you for all the support!
~Jane