Vulguine

Tokala stalked through the forest, hopping from branch to branch. She paused for a moment on a thick trunk, her dirt-covered claws digging into the gnarled wood of the great oak. She glanced at the crossbow bolt stuck in her thigh. With a quick swipe of her paw, she pulled it free. Fresh blood oozed from the wound, but it closed within seconds. She craned her snout up and down, searching for the familiar scent of blood. The blood of the one who hunted in her domain.

Catching the smell, she leapt from the tree and landed on the ground without a sound. She darted ahead. The vibrant greens and browns of the forest blurred past her. Her white tail danced behind her, flaring red like that of a heated forge as her pace increased. Smoke trailed behind her, obscuring her path. She was close to her target.

Her eyes caught movement ahead. An older man crouched behind a bush, crossbow in hand. Tokala let out a piercing howl. The man turned to see Tokala's fangs wrap around his throat. Vulguine are foxes cursed with vampirism. Vampires who denied to feast on humanoid flesh stalked the forests to find fresh meals. They hunted foxes in the wilds to satiate their need to drink blood. Having drained the blood from the fox, vampires would give thanks to the forest spirits and leave the body behind. The spirits were said to have created the Vulguine, raising them again as vampiric foxes.