Chapter Text
A cavernous, serrated growl vibrated through the forest floor, rattling the leaves overhead. The lead beast peeled its jaws back over its big fangs as it advanced, its throat churning out a continuous threat. Beside it, the second beast stalked with unnerving calm. Its amber eyes stayed fixed on the group, tracking them with the focus of a predator deciding which target to swallow whole.
"Hold the line!" Darian ordered, fixating on the creatures as they slunk from the brush into the dying light. "Nobody moves until I call the shot. Stand your ground!"
"Aight... brilliant timin'," Rowan muttered, his fox-like smirk twitching with nervous energy. "Ships turnin' to ash down in the harbor, an entire fleet loiterin' outside our walls, and here we are gettin' front-row seats to a tiger hunt! Anyone else think we oughta pick a different hill?"
"They aren't tigers," Lily corrected while trapped on the ground with her wrists cuffed behind her back and her ankles crossed in the dirt. "They're called Tigrans. A rare, sentient species."
Darian lowered his gaze just enough to catch the dark cloaks billowing off their shoulders and the red tunics cinched around their waists. They were undeniably dressed like civilized folk, even if their growls said otherwise.
The squad exchanged baffled glances before looking back at her. Her calm declaration landed like a madman's riddle in the middle of a raid.
"Don't shoot them!" she added quickly. "The royal charters protect them under realm law. Killing an endangered species carries a death sentence!"
Kellen unhooked the spiked whipchain from his side. "What in the bloody hell are Tigrans? Tiger or Tigran, if we just stay here discussing animal preservation laws, we'll be extinct before they are!"
The leading feline leapt across the clearing. It landed on Darian's chest before he could draw, driving him down. Acting on pure combat instinct, he wedged the wooden stave of his bow horizontally into the Tigran's jaw. Veins bulged along his arms under the crushing force as the beast roared to his face.
Rowan and Garric pivoted to aid their captain, but the second Tigran cut them off, sinking low into a stalking crouch. Haunches raised, it mirrored their movement, ready to pounce if anyone dared to approach.
Darian twisted his chin away, catching sight of the only open angle left. "Finn, take the shot!" he strained out, fighting to keep the fangs off him.
"Finn, don't!" Lily warned, giving him a look that demanded absolute obedience.
Sweat ran down the marksman's temple, torn between his captain's command and Lily's threatening glare.
Spotting his squadmate's hesitation, Garric bellowed from the line, "What are you waiting for? Loose the bolt, Finn!"
"No!" Lily countered, rising onto her knees. "You'll hit both of them!"
"Finn, I gave you an order! Shoot—" Darian's words were smothered as the beast licked a rough path on his jawline and cheek. It felt like a wire brush scraping over bare flesh, leaving him stunned and disoriented in a haze of heat and pain.
"The bloody thing's skinning him alive!" Kellen barked at the bizarre sight. "Shoot the damn thing, Finnor!"
"Stop screaming at me, I'm an artist!" Finn wailed in total panic.
Caught in the crossfire of conflicting orders, he lost his focus. His hands shook against the stock, and when his finger jerked the trigger, the bolt whizzed uselessly through the high branches, missing the mark by several feet.
Tigran's muzzle pulled back, startled at the metallic clack of the trigger mechanism. Its head swiveled toward him with a low snarl.
Finn fumbled to reload, trying to seat a fresh bolt and crank the string. "Easy now... nice kitty—"
Before he could latch it, the creature struck. It sprang and bit into the thick fabric of his tunic hood.
"No! Not the face! My handsome face!" Finn shrieked in a horrified, high-pitched yelp, shielding his face with both hands as the beast dragged him backward into the brush like a scruffy cub.
"Get off him!" Darian pushed himself up, gesturing to the nearby patrolmen. "Into the thicket! Go! Save him!"
Rowan vaulted into motion, snatching up Finn's fallen bolt case as he passed the spot, palming two spare bolts into his sleeve just out of habit.
"Hold on, pretty boy! Don't let it swallow ya whole just yet!" Rowan hollered, bursting into the dark brush right behind the three patrolmen.
As the remaining Tigran veered toward Lily, Darian hoisted his bow back into position.
"It's eyeing on Holloway! You two, fall back with her! Garric, on me!"
Brennar scooped Lily up and hauled her over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
"Put me down!" Lily protested, thrashing against his spine. "I told you, they aren't going to hurt us!"
"Save the complaints for later, princess!" Brennar grunted, tossing his head back to flick his scarf clear of the branches. "Honestly, sissy, your lack of appreciation for quality royal transport is downright offensive! I'm ruining my finest leather boots in this wretched mud to save you from a mane-eating nightmare, ugh? Simply ungrateful!" His indignation faded into the distance as they passed through the trees.
Garric swept the spearhead in broad arcs, trying to force the beast back over the ridge, but the monster held its ground. Rising on its hind legs like a man, it caught the shaft in its paws and flung the weapon into the brush. Empty-handed, he took the full force of the Tigran's shoulder to his ribs, crashing into the fern bed as the beast sprinted past.
Darian gave chase through the dense foliage. Drawing an arrow, he pulled to his jawline and released, aiming low to disable the beast's legs. The Tigran ducked beneath the flight path. Before Darian could nock a second shaft, the beast clawed a heavy stone from the earth and whipped it back over its shoulder. The rock struck Darian's forehead, dropping him to his knees as blood streamed down his brow into the gloom.
The beast closed in on the retreating group, weaving over fallen logs. Hearing the rustle of leaves, Kellen turned to protect their rear. He uncoiled his whipchain, lashing the iron links outward, but the Tigran dipped beneath the swinging metal.
It skittered through the dried leaves and clamped its teeth around Kellen's wooden leg. With a jerk of its neck, it sheared through the leather straps in a single bite and threw the carved limb far over the cliff. Kellen swore loudly as his balance failed, pitching sideways into the leaf litter.
"My leg! You hairy bastard! That was solid oak!" He thrashed, reaching uselessly toward the drop. "I only have one spare of that!"
Now completely unhindered, the Tigran finally cornered them.
Feeling the creature's hot breath closing in, Brennar realized he couldn't outrun it while carrying Lily.
"Forgive the unceremonious drop, Lily!" Brennar cooed hastily, setting her down onto the moss before whirling around.
Planting his feet, Brennar stopped the diving predator head-on, absorbing the crashing impact as he locked his arms around its broad torso.
"Oh no you don't, you oversized fur-ball!" Torquing his whole body, he catapulted the beast straight into an adjacent boulder.
Before Brennar could lecture his beaten opponent, the first beast that had dragged Finn off barreled out from behind him.
Its forepaws slammed against his chest, but Brennar seized the beast's limbs mid-impact. Their bodies bent low, boots tearing up the forest floor as they shoved in a raw contest back and forth like grappling-pit fighters. The beast managed to drive Brennar back two steps, its claws digging deep into his leather spaulders.
"Well, aren't you a delight?" Brennar tittered through gritted teeth. "Why don't you drink more milk and grow a few more years before you dream of beating me!"
Brennar crushed one of the monster's forepaws, splintering the joints beneath his fingers. The moment the creature flinched, he wrapped his free arm around its thick neck, and shut it under his armpit. He yoked the beast off its feet, strangling it as it dangled in his hold.
"Okay! Okay! You win... I surrender!" The Tigran gagged out the words, tapping its paw rapidly against Brennar's bicep in defeat.
Brennar recoiled, his eyebrows rising to his hairline. "What in the merciful stars...?" He murmured, his usually harmonious voice reduced to a confused whisper as it spilled out.
The orange and black stripes melted into simple freckles, its bulk shrinking until Brennar was left gripping a slender form barely half the creature's size.
Jaro slipped free from the chokehold and dropped to the ground. Brennar reeled back three paces.
"What in the madness is this?!" Brennar gasped, gaping down at his empty hands. "Lily, don't tell me you knew about thi—"
He whipped his head around toward the mossy patch where he left her, only to find that she was no longer there.
"Jaro! Are you alright?!"
Further down the trail, the second Tigran cried out in panic. Beside it stood Lily, her hands and feet already unchained. Earlier, Jaro had swiped the key from Darian during the tackle, using it to unlock her manacles while Brennar and Teren were busy in combat.
"I'm fine! Go and get out of here!" Jaro strained, his human speech dissolving into a raspy hiss as his body morphed back into its Tigran form.
Brennar looked down, blowing a stray curly strand of hair out of his face with a long puff of exasperation as Jaro latched onto his calves.
"Ugh... seriously? You boys have a world of explaining to do later! But first, release my ankle this instant! Do you have any idea how long it takes to buff beast-slobber out of fine leather?! Let go, or I'll drag you along with me!"
Jaro ignored the demand, clinging to the boot with every ounce of strength. "Run, T! I'll hold him off as long as I can!"
"No! Jaro, I'm not leaving without you!" Teren cried, tears welling in his eyes as he stared back at his brother. "We promised to save Serin together!"
"Go!" Jaro pushed, his voice cracking as Brennar dragged him another two feet. "Neither of us escapes if I don't stop him! Save our sister for me, T! I'm trusting you two!"
Brennar sighed and reached down to scruff Jaro by the neck like a mischievous kitten.
Teren couldn't move a muscle. They had never been separated since birth, leaving another sibling behind ripped straight through him.
Brennar pulled Jaro upward expecting him to let go, but he hooked his claws straight into his trousers. The sharp points snagged deep into the weave, locking the beast in place. Every lift became a brutal tug-of-war. Fabric strained until it ripped down the seam.
"Oh, marvelous!" Brennar huffed, giving the beast's big head a light bonk. "Bad kitty!"
Jaro didn't loosen his grip by a millimeter; he just let out a stubborn, chest-rattling growl, clinging on for dear life.
"Teren, we have to go," Lily urged, reaching his arm. "Don't let his sacrifice be for nothing."
He wiped his face with the back of his sleeve, took her hand, and together they bolted into the dark expanse of the forest. They ran until their lungs burned and their legs grew heavy, pushing deep through the trees for what felt like an eternity before the canopy finally thinned, surfacing at the very edge of a towering limestone cliff that plunged straight into the churning sea far below.
There, a thick hemp rope was tied securely around the base of gnarled oak, dangling meters down just as the boys had secured it during their initial getaway. At the bottom, their hidden rowboat tossed gently against the rocky harbor wall, waiting right where they had left it.
Teren reached for the rope, his hands trembling. "Here, I-I'll go down first to stabilize the boat, then you—"
"No, Teren," Lily interrupted, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Plan's changed. You aren't going."
Teren whipped his head around, eyes wide. "What? No! The plan was to go to Thessarion together!"
"If you come with me, they'll hunt us both down," Lily said, despite the rapid beat of her heart. "You're still young and weak. You need to stay, you're much safer here. The guild will not hurt you. They will accept your secret and keep it with them. Trust me, and I promise you... I will find Serin. I will bring her back to both of you."
"B-But—"
Lily didn't let him spiral. She clamped his muzzle shut with both hands, her fingers resting over the whisker-pads on his upper lip while her thumbs braced under his chin. He tried to force the words out anyway, but managed only a suppressed, throat-bound whine that died out the moment she met his eyes.
"No buts," she coaxed gently. "If you come with me, who's going to cut the rope if they catch us again, huh?"
Teren thought for an answer but he finally gave up. He hugged her tight before she goes. "Thank you, Lily. Take care and don't die. We will wait for you here no matter what or else we will come to rescue you too."
Lily didn't answer because she herself can't guarantee for her own safety but still determined to fulfill her promise. "I have to go now."
"Wait." He reached into his tunic and pulled out a twist of sea-glass and bone strung on braided thread, pressing the pendant into her palm. "Give this to Serin. The moment she sees it, she'll know it is from us."
Lily gripped it tightly, nodding. Grasping the rope, the length made by knotting together every bit of rope the boys could secretly scavenge, and for good reason the drop was staggering. She swung herself over the precipice. The cliff was a vertical wall of pale, craggy limestone dropping a hundred of feet into the ocean, a natural fortress jagged that no invading soldier could ever hope to scale it from below. She rappelled down the punishing rock face.
Halfway down the cliff face, Lily kicked off the stone, but a strong gust of wind caught her satchel, flapping wildly on her side into open air.
"Lily, faster!" Teren's frantic warning dropped from above. "I can hear them coming!"
She forced her hands to work the line, descending as the gale fought to peel her off the rock.
"Lilyyy!"
The terror in his shout said everything. The squad had reached the ridge.
"Cut the rope! Cut it now!" Lily screamed up into the wind.
"No! You're still too high!"
"Just cut it!"
Teren drew his blade and sawed frantically at the taut fibers anchored to the oak. Strand by strand, the hemp gave way with a loud crack. Lily reached the bottom stretch, her boots hitting the rowboat floorboards before the severed line collapsed into the waves.
She grabbed the oars, pushing off from the jagged rocks and rowing fast against the swell. The dark waters carried her away as the burning harbor of Heliosa cast a dull orange glow on the horizon.
THUNK!
An arrow slammed into the gunwale, an inch from her left forearm.
Lily gasped, freezing mid-stroke as her head flew back.
Standing at the cliff edge was Darian, his bow lowered, the string still humming despite the blood-stained bandage bound across his brow. Beside him, Kellen had Teren pinned face-down, forcing the young man's arms into his back.
Lily and Darian held each other's gaze through the wide chasm of cliff and sea.
His face was hard. He wasn't letting her go; he was marking her. As the waves dragged her rowboat out to sea, his glare promised one thing: no matter how far she rowed, he would come after her.