In a warm area occupied by few rested a red-orange chrysalis resembling a smooth clinohumite. But it was not solid clinohumite; instead, replacing the inside was a small red fox, at last reaching his first cycle. He had been outgrowing his shiny shell, and it was time for him to finally break loose. The fox swiped one black paw against the encasement, causing a small crack to form. Excited, he smacked it again. The crack grew larger, and more repeats of the cycle resulted in the chrysalis splitting just enough for him to escape.

A tentative paw stepped out of the shell that he had grown so accustomed to, followed by another paw, and eventually the rest of his body. The fox looked around the room he was now in, his sharp orange eyes glittering with amazement, for it was much larger than what he had previously been in. The cave was all but algid; hot breezes resided in the air around him. Although the warmth was uncomfortable, the young fox sat and curled his puffy tail around himself, unsure of what else to do.

Nassir had walked away from Polaris, and the two creatures he had seen fighting. With a sigh, he wished others would just not fight at all. His job was getting tiring. First, telling that hybrid cat to leave her parent, and then splitting up a fight. It was all tough work, and he felt as though he needed a break. But he could never take one! There was always something that needed to be done.

He continued to walk until he heard the unmistakable sound of a chrysalis breaking. Someone he could talk to, to help make sure they don't get into trouble! Ears pricked, he turned in the direction the sound was coming from. After a few pawsteps, he found the one who had just hatched. A little fox, scarlet red, with black and white. He watched them for a moment before sitting down, facing them.

"Hello, little one. I am Nassir, here to formally greet you to this world. And who might you be?" He'd wait before going full out lecturing on him, instead seeing how he acted. He may not even need to say much. Some were born angry, and always wanted to attack, while others were born without wanting to cause harm. He hoped this fox was the latter.

He acts. | "He speaks." | He thinks. | @Samuel

An unfamiliar scent followed by a view of a creature much larger than him caught the kit's attention. In front of him, a black panther approached, with notable white crystals jutting out from their tail. The fox's first instinct was fear, his fur bristling with angst. This animal could be dangerous, after all, with sharp crystals and an advantage in size. But the way they spoke...there was no hostility to be found within their voice. The kit allowed himself to relax, although he remained vigilant.

Nassir, the panther had said his name was in a soothing voice as he sat down. The question remained - "Who might you be?" The little red fox hadn't considered that in all his excitement over the cave, and now that the question had been presented it was difficult to answer. He thought for a moment, struggling slightly to concentrate on the problem at hand.

Samuel.

The name popped into his head suddenly, and something about it sounded so right that he knew it was his. "Samuel!" he yipped proudly, half to himself. That's my name! he thought with elation.

Nassir could sense the young fox's fear, seeing his fur bristling. He suppressed the urge to say something - it was totally normal for someone who was young to bristle their fur upon seeing someone much bigger than them. Nothing to...lecture them about. Perfectly normal...

He watched as the fox relaxed, and then seemed to think. He waited patiently for a few moments until a word slipped out of the fox. Samuel. He chuckled. "Samuel. A nice name. Welcome to the caves, Samuel. There are quite a few, however all can contain potentially dangerous things. Whether it be different areas or others, such as you and me. There will be those who wish to hurt you." His head tended to move as he spoke, and he now looked back at Samuel.

"However, do not fear. There are also plenty who do not wish to cause harm. I am one of those. I am also an advocate against violence. I have put it upon myself to tell anyone I come across about the dangers of this world, and to help them be kind to all. It is a tough job, however I manage. I do not like to see violence, and I hope you are the same." He'd stop there for now, see how Samuel took the words. This could be risky - he didn't know how the fox was, or how he felt about all this. He hoped seeing them soon, being the first they saw, would help.

He acts. | "He speaks." | He thinks. | @Samuel

Samuel's heart thumped like a drum as excitement bounced through his veins for a short while; a few deep breaths later he had calmed himself down to listen to Nassir's words. The word "dangerous" urged him to shuffle his paws slightly, but he tried to maintain his brave stance. He looked into the panther's eyes as they returned to face him, fascinated by the way his head turned with every few words.

The lecture proceeded. Samuel tried to contain every word, every phrase, every sentence in his mind. It wasn't difficult to understand the theme of the lesson - "Violence is shameful." The fox kit nodded along to show he was still listening. He waited for Nassir to finish, then stood with as much confidence as he could muster with a creature much larger than him standing right in front of him. Perhaps it was the influence the panther had on him with his speech, or his own fear of getting hurt, but either way he barked, "I am the same!"

Nassir watched Samuel with careful eyes, judging how he reacted. He seemed to grow nervous at the word dangerous, but still he managed to look brave. He smiled slightly. Upon hearing his words, the smile grew. "Good, good. That concludes the first part of this. If you wish, I can help teach you ways to avoid violence. I can also teach you a few tips in case you find yourself in a fight. If I ever need to fight, I will, however I do not like it. I do not fight to injure my opponents, I fight to cause them to stop fighting. It may seem odd, but I assure you it works." He hadn't really ever been in a fight, although he had stopped a couple of fights before.

"I have always been this way for as long as I can remember. When I was young, just hatched like you, I met someone who was rude and mean. They didn't care for me. Didn't care what I did or said. It felt terrible, like I was nothing. Since then, I have made it my duty to make sure no one feels that way. I tell others not to fight, to not be rude, and show that even if no one else does, I care. I go against violence, against hatred, and do whatever I can to stop it. Those are the ways in which I live, rules I go by. And I hope you will too."

He acts. | "He speaks." | He thinks. | @Samuel

Samuel's ears flicked and pride flooded through him when a grin became visible upon the panther's muzzle. Not long after Nassir had offered to teach the fox his ways, the kit had already made a decision. A life of violence was not suitable for him, as the large feline had shown him. No, pacifism sounded much more appealing to him.

He waited for Nassir to finish his second speech to him. His heart was thumping hard - he wanted to tell him already! But he knew it would be rude to interrupt, so he kept his muzzle closed and listened, although his paws shuffled with anticipation. As the panther's words drew to a close, he bounced up. "Will you please teach me how to avoid fighting?" he yipped questioningly.

As Nassir talked, he noticed the little fox seeming to grow impatient. As his speech drew to a close, he watched as Samuel bounced up and spoke. He chuckled. "Certainly." He nodded. "Avoiding fights focuses a lot on your personality and how you view things. Someone who has a tough personality will have a much harder time avoiding fights, and may even seek out fights." He thought of the caracal he had once seen in a fight.

"If someone is gentle and calm, they can easily avoid fights, and may even break them up. I make sure I have a calm and soothing posture and voice at all times, so as to make sure no one is afraid and to not cause reason for a fight. You can try and talk your way out of a fight, and with a calming voice, it will be much easier.

"How one views things also plays a part. If you view this place as one with many evils, it can be harder. If you view others as kind, like yourself, it will be easy. However, if you view someone as kind when they are not in fact kind, they may get offended. So be cautious when talking to someone until you are certain how they feel," he finished his speech, an ear flicking as he smiled down at the fox.

He acts. | "He speaks." | He thinks. | @Samuel