The moonlight was dim, and the shadows of night grew heavier.
Deep within the Silent Forest, in some unknown corner.
Beside a small campfire.
A gray-furred Doggy lying before the fire, squinting as he dozed, suddenly pricked up his floppy ears. He then rose to his feet and glanced into the distance. Around him, several female Huodou who had also been dozing curled their tails curiously, thinking this newly joined companion had thought of some amusing new game.
But instead, the newcomer strutted off into the depths of the woods with an arrogant swagger. He turned past a clump of bushes, moonlight flashed, and the gray figure vanished without a trace.
Leaving the female Huodou staring at one another in bewilderment.
Elsewhere in the Silent Forest, beneath a small hill far from here.
During the day, the Huodou had dug a great heap of coal from within the hill. Despite the deep night and their exhausted bodies and minds, they gathered together to sing and dance, greedily devouring the freshly kindled coals.
The pale blue flames blistered the corners of many young Huodou's mouths, yet not a single one was willing to give up the delicacy at their lips. That included the gray-furred Doggy who had joined the pack very late.
He was demonstrating for everyone how to swallow a lump of coal larger than his own head in a single bite.
He stuffed the blazing-red coal into his mouth, raised his head, and swallowed hard. A huge bulge abruptly appeared along Doggy's slender neck, drawing amazed clicks of the tongue from the onlookers.
Just as the lump slowly sank toward his belly, the performer suddenly stopped swallowing, turned his head, and stared into the distance in surprise. A moment later, a commotion broke out beneath the hill.
Because