Naya perched high in the swaying limbs of the pine tree, observing the humans. Her tail adjusted behind her in tiny movements, balancing her perfectly on the thin treelimb. They moved with slow, plodding steps around their little wall, staring into the forest, ineffectually. Within their town they scurried back and forth, like insects in their hive. They rotated their guards on the wall regularly, though that would pose little problem for Naya, and even less for Bu’umo.

She’d been here for an hour already, watching. She could still feel the pull of the thread between them, always letting her know his direction. After they’d parted ways, she and Bu’umo had remained in the area, checking the boundary of their territory. The small wards she’d laid when she first arrived appeared undisturbed, though one had been nearly destroyed by some sort of burrowing creature as it made a new nest. They had been nearly finished, and about to head back to camp when a bolt of searing pain had lanced up her arm, directly into her mind. The bridge she’d formed with the human had burned, crystallizing the pathways in her palm as the mana pulsed into her.

The mana was his, no doubt even as weak as it was. She felt the pain and fear as freshly as if they were her own, though the method of sending was clumsy and imprecise. Even Bu’umo was on high alert after the sending, the pain echoing across her mind and into his. They had not immediately rushed to his aid, however. She considered her palm, seeing with her attuned senses the imperfect bridge that had formed. It had faded partially, before Aran’s mana pulse had solidified it, and would need to be remade or removed, lest it cause any mana feedback between them. But the brand wasn’t the only thing worrying her. The sheer agony that had washed across her in that brief instant was terrifying. She had seen what the human had gone through, felt the impossibly deep well of power within him. What could possibly cause him so much pain? Whatever had done this, could very well be a threat to her and Bu’umo as well. They couldn’t afford to sprint into the den of the humans, only to fall into a trap.

So she sat, and watched. She could feel the pull of Aran’s side of the bridge, pointing to a small building deeper in the town. Several humans stood at each exit to the structure, though very few of them entered or exited. Only one, in fact. He entered shortly after she had arrived. He appeared to be average sized for the species, though somewhat thin, like he had missed too many meals. The other humans at the entrances seemed to show him deference, so he had some level of authority in the city. That could make it more complicated. Getting in and out with Aran would be tricky, but if they encountered a leader, they could end up having to face the whole town in open battle, not Naya’s strong suit. Though she didn’t think the humans were particularly strong, there were enough of them to be a problem.

Bu’umo stalked the forest below, impatient. Naya’s anxiety was leeching over to him, making his skin shudder and shift restlessly. Naya forced herself to remain still and silent, though she wanted to join him. She trained her eyes on the building, waiting for the thin human to leave. She had only a few hours of true night left, and needed to make the most of it.

Her legs were cramping by the time he finally left. It was still dark, but the sun would be brightening the sky very soon. Her heart beat sped up, ready for action. She had to force herself to descend the tree slowly, to avoid shaking it and making noise. Several agonizing seconds later, she landed with a slight huff on the forest floor, tail twitching ever so slightly. Bu’umo appeared next to her without a sound, massive black teeth bared in a ferocious glare. She looked at him, nodding. There would be no words from now on between them, as their minds joined, moving closer to a single consciousness.

They sprinted for the wall.

Naya planted a single furred foot on the wall before pushing up, cresting the top of the wall while twisting in the air, pushing herself the rest of the way past with a single hand, landing on the other side. Bu’umo had no need, clearing the structure with a single bound of his powerful legs, landing no more than a soft breath of wind. They ran forward, sticking to the shadows of the buildings. Naya cocked her head as they moved. As they got closer to the structure housing Aran, her senses kept moving down. He’s underground, she realized with a grimace. A den indeed.

They came to a stop in a narrow alley across from the structure, taking cover in the shadows. She’d planned for this. There were only two guards on this side of the structure, which would pose no threat. She limbered up a moment, feeling mana coil within her. Legs tensing under her, she burst forth, moving with a speed nearly too fast to track. Raising her arms, she channeled mana into her fingertips, striking both guards beneath the chin, releasing the mana held there. Both humans’ eyes went blank as they collapsed, nervous systems short circuiting as their brains overloaded. She waited a moment, listening for any approaching footsteps. Hearing nothing even with her senses boosted, she went to work on the door. It was a simple thing, carved from trees with a crude iron lock above it. She inserted a single nail, focusing her mana into the point. With a slight jerking motion, she cut through the thin metal of the tumblers, and twisted her finger, popping the lock free as the door swung open on oiled hinges. She grinned, long canine teeth flashing in the dim light emanating from within. She entered silently, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

A single candle lit the room, which appeared to be a small kitchen. She sniffed, tasting the faint copper scent of blood in the air, mixing with other, much more putrid scents. She let the smells guide her, following the scent like some great white bloodhound, until she arrived at a door. It was somewhat incongruous, made of stone and appearing much newer than the rest of the house, unmarked by time. She ran a hand over the cool surface, and groaned inwardly. The door had been forged by magic, which meant whatever was behind it likely was too. Her brows furrowed. She had not thought the humans capable of such workings yet.

She sucked in a breath, as the dim light of the hallway wrapped around her, bending as it passed by her, rather than reflect. She moved quickly, she could only hold the mana in this pattern for a short time. Tensing her arm before the rounded knob, she jabbed forward sharply, magic infused fist crushing the knob and shattering the lock behind it. She pushed the door open, skirting around the edge into a dark stairwell. Keeping herself barely visible, she lightly moved down the stairs, testing each for traps, but moving quickly. Breaking the door lock hadn’t been quiet, and she knew there was little time before the absent guards were discovered. Bu’umo was still keeping watch above, and hadn’t reported movement yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she sent a tiny spark of mana into her eyes, bringing the stark walls into sharp relief in the near complete darkness. She stood at the end of a long hallway running perpendicular to the stairs, all of it made from the same smooth stone without a single tool mark. The hairs on her neck stood on end, poking up from her collar. She shook her head, tresses swishing on her shoulders. She focused her senses, ears twitching slightly as she took in a deep breath through her nose. She nearly wretched, but managed to contain the bile that rose in her throat. This place smelled of death and excrement, so strong she had to force herself to breath out of her mouth, eyes watering. She felt through the bridge, instantly feeling Aran’s presence straight ahead. She crept down the hall, sticking to the sides to avoid any traps in the floor. She reached the end, facing a large door, though this one looked to be made of metal, with a handle of the same metal, and some sort of pin through the top to prevent opening. Pulling the pin out slowly so as not to make any sound, she gently pulled the door open.

Her eyes dilated rapidly, elongated pupils narrowing to thin black lines at the sudden brightness. After a moment to adjust, the light of the torches lining the walls revealed two lines of cages running along both sides of the long room. Through the bars, she could make out several still forms, though each looked to be breathing shallowly. She inched forward into the room, leaving the door cracked. At the far end of the room was a long, strangely shaped stone table with a dark form upon it. She quickly crossed the room to stand next to it, before her eyes widened in horror. A gasp escaped her lips, echoing loudly off the stone walls.

“What… what have they done to you?” She asked aloud, voice barely a whisper, yet still loud in the stillness.

Aran groaned and shifted slightly, eyes closed. Naya jumped in spite of herself. The body in front of her had no business still being alive. He looked like he’d been the main dish at a feast for giants. Her hand trembled slightly as she laid it on his chest, on one of the few patches of unmarked skin. A thick tube of faintly glowing liquid was hooked up to a needle embedded in his neck, and looked to be slowly drip feeding into him. With a growl she ripped it out of him, a small dribble of the purple stuff falling onto the table as she did. There was an almost immediate effect. Aran’s body shuddered and she could feel power course through him, though weak. As she watched, the flesh around his wounds began to bubble and pulse, beginning the healing process. She looked over the menagerie of wounds and flayed open skin, unsure of how much would heal, if it ever did. But he was alive, and for the moment, that's what mattered.

He was in no shape for an escape, and Naya doubted she could wake him to try anyway. She’d have to carry him, and in the tight confines of the building that could be trouble. They’d just have to deal with that if it came to it. Looking at the stone restraints, she cursed. This was going to be loud, so it was going to have to be quick. She released the light she’d been holding around her, and gathered her mana into her arms, power rushing along her bones. With a sharp strike, she broke the stone collaring his remaining arm, the sound like an explosion in the small space. She quickly went about destroying the remaining collars, then looked around the small space. He’d come here with clothing, though it had been removed at some point. She wasn’t worried about his modesty, but they would need to cover those wounds at least a bit, lest any other denizens of the forest fancy an easy meal. She moved to the large desk and metal shelving unit on the wall, shuffling through everything, no longer worried about silence. She found a set of thin white clothing in a basket, dark stains across most of the front. She looked at Aran’s limp body, and thought better of trying to clothe him now. Tying the clothes into a sort of knot, she hooked them through a loop at her waist, and hefted the limp body over her shoulder, trying to ignore the feeling of his exposed flesh across her skin.

Bu’umo sent an urgent thought her way, the humans had discovered the guards were missing, and were searching around the building. Luckily they hadn’t tried to enter yet, but one had run off, presumably to fetch more humans. Naya abandoned all pretense of stealth, kicking the door to the cage room open, sprinting down the hallway before dashing up the stairs and barreling through the stone door, adrenaline softening the blow from slamming into the stone door. Dashing through the structure, she leapt into the outer door, wood exploding outward as she crested the threshold. The 3 humans spread around the door made strangled cries of surprise as she sprinted away, tail flashing in the rising sunlight. In a moment she had crossed the open space to the alley, leaping atop Bu’umo’s waiting form. Concrete exploded as his powerful legs pushed off, massive body rocketing away at breakneck speed.

Aran groaned over Naya’s shoulder. She gripped him more tightly, carefully adjusting her balance just behind Bu’umo’s shoulders. “Hold on, we’re getting out of here. Just hold on.” Bu’umo raced between the buildings, turning sharply as they sped out of the alley onto a large avenue. Claws scraping and scrabbling for grip, the Bu’umo got them back on course, heading for the distant wall to the east. There were more shouts as more humans rounded the corner behind them, accompanied by a shrill whistling. Naya risked a look back, several humans were sprinting behind them, obviously using mana to increase their speed, but still falling far short of them. She grinned, making sure to give the humans a look at her sharp teeth as they bounded away.

Bu’umo lurched to a halt, and Naya nearly fell off while catching Aran. A massive wall of stone had erupted in the ground before them, cutting off their escape. Naya and Bu’umo’s voices mingled in a low growl. The mage who’d done this was good, but not nearly creative enough. Bu’umo simply sprang up, claws catching on the lip, moving up and over in an instant. The shouting was getting closer as they landed, though muffled from the other side of the wall. On their side however, was a single human, panting. It was the same human that had been in the building with Aran.

He stood, somewhat shakily, from where he’d been kneeling. A smile played on his lips, but Naya recognized the hate behind his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, likely some grandiose spiel about how they had no escape, but Naya didn’t let him. In the instant it took him to open his mouth, Bu’umo had crossed the dividing distance. Naya swung low, using Aran’s weight as a counter balance as they passed, deadly nails extended. With a sharp tug as they swept by, she raked her nails through the human’s throat, tearing it out. A gurgled cry was all she heard as they spirited away. Looking back, she watched him collapse, clutching his neck as blood poured down his front. A few humans tried to block their path at the wall, but Bu’umo didn’t spare them a second glance, leaping over them and the wall in a single bound, long whip-like tail striking one across the face as they passed.

The sound of bells ringing furiously dimmed to the silence of the forest as they ran, snaking through the boughs of the trees. They ran for miles to the north east before slowing down and turning back towards their home. This time they kept a slower pace, moving carefully through the brush, leaving not a trace. The humans would later find the trail simply ended several miles from the town, like the massive creature and the estranged furred woman upon it had disappeared into thin air.