I stared at Kat’s awestruck and panicked face. She stood completely still, staring out the window.

“We are too late.” She muttered, fidgeting with the ring on her left middle finger as she usually did when she was nervous. I let my hand fall from the doorknob as I took a step back from the door. My head snapped to the King’s aiteho which still lay in the bag that was crumpled on the floor.

I reached out to grab the satchel. I frowned as the orb’s warmth radiated through the small leather bag, increasing in intensity the longer I held it. I stared at it for a long second before quickly moving back to Kat’s side. She was still frozen in place with her eyes moving in a searching pattern. She was thinking, as usual.

I tapped her on the top of her head. I took a step back as she jumped, her head turned to me in a startled manner. I held out the satchel.

“Take it and tie it to your sash.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Just do it. We don’t have time for me to explain. I have a plan.”

“That’s different.”

“Shut up.”

“I hope this plan of yours doesn’t include bowling over those soldiers out there.” Katsai crossed her arms as she looked at me. Her ice blue eyes gazed at mine for a solid second before I looked away. “Because if it does, which I am assuming was the actual plan because you just looked away guiltily, then it won’t work.”

I furrowed my brow, watching as she returned to staring out the window. She quickly went into her state of thinking again.

“Neither will staring out the window. Those guards are not going to wait too much longer before barging through that door. And with your very time-consuming thought process, we aren’t going to get anywhere.” Kat whirled around with a hand over her heart in a mocking manner.

“Does making a plan really disturb you that much?” She muttered in a singing voice.

“Kat, enough. We’ve got to go, and if you have a better idea than running for our lives, I would very much like to hear it.” I leaned back, slowly sliding my hands into my pockets as I waited for her response. She sighed, running a hand through her bangs before looking back at me.

“Fine. But I would like to change one thing.” I arched my brow as she paused, looking up at me as if asking to continue.

“And?”

“We don’t charge straight at them.” She looked towards the window before slowly inching away towards the opposite wall so as not to be seen. She pulled her hands inside her cloak in a quick motion.

“There are too many. Although we both can use magic, my shadows can’t create a strong enough weapon or defense in broad daylight.”

“But won’t all those men create enough shadows?”

“Possibly, but figuring that they know who I am and what I look like, they probably took interest into my magical abilities. Galterius probably informed them about all of my capabilities and weaknesses.” She was staring at the opposite wall now with a blank gaze. She held no emotion, no facial feature that gave away what she was thinking.

Katsai confuses me. Even after five years, I still barely know anything about her. It’s obvious that Galterius took a lot from her, but yet she never speaks about it. She always gets a far-off look when his name pops up in conversation. If the conversation deepens, she slowly gets more agitated and will storm off at a simple fact. At the moment, Kat is a mystery. Always has been, and probably always will be.

I snapped my fingers, gaining her blank gaze once more.

“And? I could easily outrun them in my lion form. Very easily, in fact.”

“Speed and strength is not a factor here.” She mumbled.

I blinked.

“Then what is?” That question seemed to peak her interest. She shrugged with some enthusiasm. Hint, some.

“Not too sure, Kagin. All I know is that if we run straight at them, we will be shot down on the spot by either their bows or ripped apart by the eagles that are inevitably circling above.” She began to pace.

“Ok. So running straight at them is a no-go, but I don’t think we are going to escape the eyes of those eagles.” I pointed towards the roof to make a statement. “Ahem, they are in the sky.”

Kat seemed to stall at those words before shaking her head. She continued to pace as she spoke.

“Yeah. We can outrun the eagles if we get to areas that are completely hidden from aerial view. Canopied forests, caves, underground systems, etceteria.” She stopped to place her right hand over her mouth as she continued to voice her thoughts. “Last time I had a chance to look at a map, there was a forest not too far from here. That forest has quite a few conspiracies with it, however. Many of the locals here claim that the trees in that forest make it incredibly difficult to see and can reach heights of up to a hundred and fifty feet in the air. Many of the myths and conspiracies speak of monsters and shit living in that forest. But, I don’t think that any of i-”

I wrapped my hand over her mouth, having zoned out after hearing the first ‘conspiracies’.

“Hush. I think I get it. Just tell me which direction it is in.” Without taking my hand off her mouth, Kat pointed to the northeast.

“Good, dwarf. Now, no more rant- Did you just lick me?!” I pulled my hand away from her mouth swiftly. I looked at her with a disgusted gaze. Kat only snickered, sticking her tongue out.

“You taste absolutely disgusting.” She wiped at her mouth before gazing at me with amusement. I only shook my head, gathering both bags into my hands.

“I would hope so. Wouldn’t want you eating my hand.” I hummed with a small smirk. She only rolled her eyes.

“We found our location to head, but how are we going to get there?” My smirk grew at her question. I swung my thumb to the opposite side of the room where a window facing the back of the cottage stood. A wall stood on the other side of the window that led to another cottage. In between the window and the wall stood an alleyway that was cleverly concealed with bushes and fences on either end.

“The guards made one mistake, Kat. They thought this little cottage had one exit.” Kat’s head swung in the direction of the window. Her eyes narrowed in thought and confusion.

“They could just be waiting at the ends of the alleyway, you know.” I let out a small growl in frustration.

“Look, would you rather face the hoard that waits behind that door or do you want to take the small risk of running into little groups in that alley?”

Kat sighed before rubbing her forearm in indecisiveness.

“Fine. Just...don’t go on the roofs.” Now it was my turn to be confused.

“And why not? Don’t tell me-”

“I’m not, just...it’ll make us easy targets for the eagles. Now let’s go.” She pushed past me with clear apprehensiveness radiating off of her. I sighed, following after her.

Katsai stalled at the window. She was staring at the window seal with a finger placed on her chin. I threw my head back and let out an exasperated groan.

“Now what?”

“We are gonna have to break it. That’ll make too much noise.” I stared at her for a long second before poking her on the shoulder.

“Quit being so worried. Here, just let me handle this, ok? We can’t have you being worried every five seconds because of the tiniest chance of failure. If we don’t leave now, there is a definite chance of being caught, but if we break this window, we have a chance of escaping, even if it is a small chance. I know you would rather have a one percent chance over a zero percent chance.” She looked at me in slight shock before her face faded into mild determination. She nodded at me as she took a step back. I smiled softly before it turned into a broad grin.

“Should I go the dramatic way or the boring way?” I tilted my head slightly as I felt warmth slowly spread through my body. Katsai gave me a confused look before shrugging. I felt my canines grow larger as I laughed.

“Dramatic it is.” The warmth slowly transitioned to a burning fire that raced through my veins, muscles, and bones. My stature shifted quickly while my hair grew longer. Within seconds, my appearance had completely changed. Raven black fur covered my feline form. A long tail swung back and forth behind me as I shook my head. A deep throated growl erupted from my jaw as I turned to Kat with great effort in the small room. She stood about five inches below my now-broad shoulders and was staring up at me with an unamused expression.

“How do you expect to fit through that window?” She questioned.

I looked to the window before slowly padding to the glass. I examined it for a moment before turning back to her.

“I’m a cat, am I not?” My voice had grown significantly deeper with a rougher edge that seemed to shake the small room. I blinked with amusement as she stared at me with a perplexed gaze. I turned back to the window, and with a sharp claw, I quickly shattered the glass.

“Once I’m through this window, follow behind me quickly.” I heard her shuffle behind me as I stuck my head through the window. With one fluid motion, I pulled myself through the small opening with my forelimbs. I rotated swiftly as the ground swept up from below, landing on all fours. My left ear flicked as a small curse resonated from the window above me. A small head poked through the window as Kat stared at the ground below.

She seemed to bite her lower lip before staring at the sharp pieces of glass that remained on the windowsill. Her cold eyes turned back to me in astonishment.

“I don’t have fur to protect me from this glass, you know! I’m going to be ripped to shreds trying to get through here!” She whispered harshly, gesturing to the glass with both of her palms up. A rumble of amusement vibrated in my throat as I stared up at her. I lowered my body to the ground with my head lying between my front paws.

“Figure it out. You always seem to.” A human-like smirk spread across my muzzle while my tail-tip flicked in a playful manner.

“Kagin, come on! I can hear them moving towards the door.” She turned to look over her shoulder as if something were moving behind her. My ears perked up as they swiveled to the front of the house. Shouts and voices could be heard.

“You! Stand near this door and don’t break it down till we give the order. The rest of you! Prepare your weapons in case our target is hostile! Shadow manipulation is not a magic to be dealt with lightly! Shadows happen to be everywhere and can be used against you in a heartbeat! Keep those sunglobes on you at all times!” The man kept giving orders to his lackeys, but I had already zoned out. I lifted my head before pulling the rest of my body off the ground. I slowly stalked closer to the window, looking up at Kat as her head swiveled back to face me.

“Take those curtains and drape them over the glass, then jump out.” She stilled at the word ‘jump’. I narrowed my eyes before letting my voice drop to a low purr. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch you.”

“You don’t have hands.”

“You know what I mean.” She quickly nodded before doing as I instructed. With the curtain now covering the shattered glass, Kat slowly climbed out of the window. Her body was half-way out when the door was kicked in.

“Sir, the target is escaping through the window!”

“Catch her, you imbecile!”

With a startled yelp, Kat let go off the windowsill. She landed squarely on my back, breathing heavily.

“Told you I would catch you.”

“Just run, dammit!” I nodded before leaping forward. Walls flashed by me on either side as the alleyway narrowed, pinching off towards a shrub that blocked the view to the street on the other side. A small fence lay just in front of the shrub, a memory of a front lawn of years past. Shouts of fury and determination echoed from behind me as guards flooded into the alleyway.

I willed my legs to push me farther as the shrub drew closer. I lowered my head.

“Hold on!” I growled as Kat lowered her head as well.

I hurtled through the leaves, letting my large form and momentum carry me onto the street ahead. Cobbled concrete met my paw pads as I skidded to a halt with Kat cursing on my back. I swung my maned-head towards the opening where soldiers were slowly trickling through the hole I had created.

“Kagin,” Kat whispered from above me. “We are out in the open. Those eagles will see us any second now.” She seemed to shudder as she spoke about the eagles. With frequent glances to the sky, her face contorted to one of fear and anxiety.

With a nod, I gave a look to the sky before turning to my right. A street crowded with overturned carts and fear-induced people stood before me. Fires flickered to life among the jostling feet as embers glided from the sky above. The fires burned with fierce veracity and seemed to nip at the heels of innocent bystanders. A small voice spoke up over the screams of terror and cries of grief.

“It’s my fault, isn’t it?” Kat murmured from above me as people spotted our forms. They looked on in fear as I took off. The crowds parted like fish to a shark to let me through.

“They shouldn’t be paying for my crime.” Kat’s voice seemed to die off as she spotted a child crying. I skidded to a stop, nearly launching her off of my back.

“Quit it,” I growled. “We are not going to get anywhere if you keep saying crazy-ass shit like that. Galterius is not a fool, he won’t let all of these people die. And if they do, the blood will be on his hands and not yours. The best thing for us to do for these people is to leave. Now, are you going to help me?” Kat stared at me for a long second before nodding. “Good, because we are surrounded.”

“What?!”

Guards flooded the street behind me with spears and swords, that seemed to glow, pointed directly at us.

“You would think they would learn to quit using those worthless weapons.” Kat crossed her arms in slight boredom as the ring grew tighter around us.

“Your mood did a full one-eighty.” I pointed out with a monotone huff.

“Gotta look less panicked when faced with your enemies, right?”

“If you say so. Hey, do you think those flames cast enough shadows for you?”

Kat stalled her eyes on the light that radiated off of the swords and spears.

“My shadows won’t be able to work. They infused those weapons with sunglobe essence. Sunglobes and shadows do not mix. I won’t be able to do crap during the day while they hold those weapons. The only way I would stand a chance is if it were night.”

“So it’s up to me, huh?”

“I would suggest not running straight at them. I am on your back, remember?”

“So I can’t eat their hands?”

“No.”

“Well, damn.” I turned in a tight circle to survey my surroundings. To my right stood a wall laced with floral patterns that shone brightly with blues and violets against the gray background. To my left, the guards were closing in with increasing confidence. Behind me, more guards formed a ring to encase us in what seemed to be a make-shift arena.

“They seem to want a fight.” Kat hissed from above me, her eyes darting between the guards. “We might have to give them what they want.”

“Kat, to my right, there is a wall. I could easily carry us to the other side.” Kat froze as her head slowly turned to look at the wall.

“No. There’s got to be another way.” Her voice was small, barely audible over the loud cries of the soldiers that surrounded us. I swiveled to the right, preparing to leap.

“Kagin, I said no!” Her cry stopped me in my tracks as I looked over my shoulder at her. Katsai was shaking uncontrollably with her fists clenched by her side. She held her eyes shut as if preparing to take a blow straight to the temple. Her bottom lip seemed to quiver as her voice spoke up again.

“W-we can’t go that w-way. That’s a fifteen-foot wall with a-a thirty-foot d-drop on the other side..” Her voice died off as she unclenched her fists and brought her hands up to hug her sides. Her shaking had gotten worse like hypothermia was slowly taking over her system. I narrowed my eyes as realization dawned on me.

“Katsai, it is the only way. Those guards in front of me are getting closer and their confidence is not slowing them down. We need to jump this wall.” I purred, trying to console her but it was no use. She was shaking her head back and forth, muttering ‘no’ under her breath repeatedly like a little kid would in the dark. Her curled bangs fell over her face as she ducked her head, face paler than her already very-pale complexion. She was almost completely white and she was unresponsive.

I looked to the guards that were now meters away, ready to charge, before looking to the wall. I stared at the cobbled-edge for a long-second before glancing at Kat one more time. It seemed as if she knew what I was about to do and was pleading to me that I shouldn’t. Her breaths were shallow and quick as I felt her hands bury themselves into my mane. With a low huff, my eyes darted back to the wall. Unless you want to become pin cushions, we’ve got to jump this wall, Kat. With a powerful push of my back legs, I leaped to the edge of the wall with my forelimbs pulling me the rest of the way. With a swing of my tail, I turned to the guards who were looking up at me with frustration.

“Sorry, the thief here says I can’t eat your hands. Maybe later.” I turned away from the crowd as furious cries boomed through the streets. I quickly descended to the ground below where grass replaced the cold, cobbled streets from before. The green bristles swayed lightly as I looked back at Kat. She was still frozen, holding her breath as if letting it go meant certain death. I shook my head, opening my mouth to call to her when a shrill cry echoed from the clouds above.

“Right. Eagles.” I grumbled, taking off across the small meadow where dandelions stood in white contrast to the vibrant greens. It would’ve been peaceful if it weren’t for a golden bird of death falling talon first towards the girl on my back. I quickly dug my claws into the ground, coming to a complete halt as the bird streaked past my head. I thrust my front paw forward and up, hooking the bird by the wing. The raptor let out a shriek of pain as it crashed into the grass beak-first. I quickly bent my head, biting into the eagle’s neck before pushing my body away as the life drained away from its feathered body, leaving behind a dark warning to troops who dared to follow us.

The treeline grew closer as another eagle flew into view. These birds are starting to get really fucking annoying. I growled, the ground becoming a green blur beneath my paws. Vines and tree trunks were now meters away as the loud wingbeats of the eagle neared my back. Katsai was still unresponsive as my paws crashed through thickening undergrowth.

The eagle behind me let out an undignified cry as its wings brought it to a halt. The large wings were too large to fit in between the tree’s wide trunks, making it virtually impossible to fly through the thick canopies.

With a triumphant smirk, I turned my back to the bird as I padded deeper into the forest. The dark foliage created deep shadows that hid my raven fur from view. After a while of trudging through the thick bushes, a dark clearing revealed itself. The clearing was encircled by a ring of brambles, the thorns of the plants facing upward and towards the sun. The bright-star peeked through the canopy, drenching the forest floor with dancing rays of light. Night verbena grew underneath the rays, their black pedals glittering as they collected the sun’s warmth.

I glanced around the clearing as my ears flicked to catch any sound of pursuers. With the coast being clear, I padded into the center of the clearing. I looked back at Kat.

“Kat, breathe,” I muttered, noticing her rapid and raspy breaths. “It’s safe.”

Katsai slowly slid off of my back, landing on her feet before slowly sinking to the ground. She brought her knees to her chest and lowered her forehead to rest on her crossed arms. I stared at her for a long moment before slowly shifting back to my human form. Fur morphed into clothing, and my mane shrunk to reveal my messy and spiked hair.

I walked slowly in front of Kat, lowering myself onto the lush grass below. I leaned back on my hands and tilted my head. Katsai shifted uncomfortably and wrapped her cloak tighter around her body. With a slow-motion, she pulled the hood over her head in an attempt to hide her face.

“Why didn’t you tell me you are afraid of heights?” I questioned. Katsai flinched slightly but remained silent, twisting her ring around her finger. I pursed my lips as I furrowed my brow. I reached over, pushing down her hood.

“Well? Are you going to stay mute?” Kat’s usually bright eyes were now glazed and emotionless. She stared at me with a frown before rotating to face the treeline behind her.

“Don’t wanna talk about it.” I heard her mumble through a faint breath. She exhaled softly, the vapor of her breath fanning out in front of her in the cooling night air.

“You never want to talk about anything, especially things to do with Galterius. Why is that, hm? I remember you mentioning he ruined your past, but why have you never mentioned anything about that? Not once have I heard you say anything about your childhood.” I grumbled, bringing up the subject from before.

“Like I said, I don’t want to talk about it. Maybe I just have a fear of heights. It has nothing to do with my past whatsoever.” Her left hand moved to her side as she continued to stare into the forest. Her ring glowed a soft gray as she began to make odd shapes out of small shadows. Circles, squares, stars, and a constellation or two swirled within the shadow, the tips of the shapes feathering into the air.

“I don’t believe that and you know it.” I turned my head to stare at the night verbena that stood to my right. Its long stem contrasting to the short grass that littered below it.

“I don’t really care if you believe it or not. Just...no more heights.” The shadows dispersed quickly as she clenched her hand softly. With a slow-motion, she unfurled her fingers and placed her palm on the ground below. The soft cry of a mockingbird shot through the forest, causing Kat to jump.

“Birds too?” I gazed at her as she slowly looked at me. Her stare seemed to grow colder.

“No. That just happened to startle me.” She whipped her hood back over her head as she returned to staring at the treeline. I shook my head, confusion and anger taking over now.

“Why are you being so god-damn secretive?!” I cursed, standing up. “In case you haven’t noticed, we just happened to run from an attack that you brought onto us. You would think that I deserve at least some answers!”

“It’s not my fault that Galterius seems to have an unhealthy obsession with me.” She shrugged.

“Kat, you stole his aiteho, of course he will be after you.” I pointed to the satchel wrapped around her torso. She tossed her head back, looking at me.

“I know the obvious. You know what I mean.”

“Oh? The fact that he has been after you since you were a child? Oh yeah, but you never want to speak about it. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.”

“Look, Kagin. When I say something is personal, it’s personal. Quit questioning things. Some things need to stay buried.” She pulled her face into a blank expression, trying to hide the emotions that flickered for a second in her eyes. “Right now, the past does not matter. We are in the middle of the woods with no way of navigation. I know I didn’t pack a compass.”

I looked down at her, knowing well enough that she was changing the subject. I shook my head and turned around in a tight circle, surveying the tiny clearing.

“Fine, but don’t think I won’t ask you again. You’ll have to tell me one day because I have a feeling that your past can help us.” My eyes scanned the thick brambles as creatures rustled between their branches. Kat shifted behind me, finally standing up on her two feet. She glanced towards the brambles in a slight hesitation.

“You know, maybe those conspiracies hold some truth.” She stood beside me as I tilted my head.

“It’s just a squirrel, Kat.”

“Yeah, and how do you know? You can’t see it, now can you?” She crossed her arms. I tapped the tip of my nose with the end of my index finger as I stared down at her.

“Don’t need to. And when did you start believing in conspiracies? As far as I know, dragons, demons, angels, and elves are extinct.” I added a hint of salt to the word ‘elves’. Elven folk have been extinct for the last sixty years or so, according to the assholes of kings who live upon their molten thrones. The only trace of them live in people like me: Half-elves. Seen as nothing but beasts of a disgraceful race. Pretty much a race of low-lives that are hunted for our abilities.

“I don’t believe in conspiracies, I just know these woods aren’t explored. Who knows what’s out there. And night verbena are growing in colonies here, aren’t they supposed to be rare?”

“That’s what that flower is.” I gazed at the black flower with little interest.

“Not the point. Seriously, I know this was our escape route, but how are we gonna find our way out? In case you haven’t noticed, you brought us three-hours-deep into a forest.” Kat walked to the edge of the clearing, bending down to inspect the brambles. Her eyes narrowed as she reached out to touch a thorn.

“These types of brambles aren’t in the books..” Her voice trailed off as she hissed, the thorn sticking her index finger. She brought her finger to her mouth, sucking on the wound. “Ow. By the constellation Orion, these thorns are sharper than the ones at Maelstrom.”

“Stop poking the bush. It could be poisonous.” Katsai moved her hand away from her mouth, backing away from the brambles. She turned back to face me.

“Happen to know what time it is?”

“Close to dusk, why?” Katsai sighed, plopping herself back onto the ground.

“There’s no use in going farther tonight. Once night falls, it’ll be virtually impossible to navigate seeing as we can’t really see the stars with these trees blocking the view.”

“Wait, you know how to navigate by the stars?”

“Not exactly. Read up on it in a library a while back, never actually tried it.” She rubbed the back of her neck, chuckling lightly. I only shook my head, sitting down as well.

“So we make camp here?”

“Yeah, till morning. Once daylight breaks through those leaves, we need to leave as quickly as possible. Galterius and his army aren’t gonna wait before searching the forest.”

“Right. Now is a good time to ask, I guess. Why did you steal it in the first place?” I slowly laid down on my back with my arms crossed behind my head. I stared up at the leaves above where their dark exterior swayed ominously in the light breeze. The soft chatter of crickets and frogs filled the night air, pushing the eerie silence away.

“You and your questions.” Kat sighed, poking at a snail that happened to be moving towards a blade of grass. She held a tiny stick in her hand, observing the snail with mild curiosity. “I have a feeling you already know the answer to your question.”

“Yeah, but I want to hear it from you.”

“Well, there is only really one word to describe why: revenge.” She shrugged her shoulders. “That and to see if I could actually steal from a king.” A mischievous glitter flashed into her eyes as she picked up the snail with the stick. She brought the small creature close to her face, staring at its shell. “Odd.”

“Focus on the question, Kat.”

“Right.” She placed down the stick, letting the snail carry on with its slow, daily routine. She turned her eyes onto me. “I figured out I could. Now I am on the run for it.” She chuckled as if finding the idea to be amusing.

“Yeah, go figure. I get the revenge part, but why not just kill the asshole? Why toy with him?” I plucked a grass blade from the ground, twisting it between my fingers as I waited for her reply.

“There is a difference between a murderer and a thief. I’m the latter. I don’t kill.” She shrugged.

“Latter?”

“Oh for the gods’ sakes, I am a thief, not a murderer.” She lowered herself onto her back as well, staring at the leaves that blocked the night sky.

“If it weren’t for the circumstances, those leaves would be shredded by now.” I heard her grumble. “And, let’s get away from the questions. We need a plan.”

“For what, I thought we were just gonna wing it.” I tossed the blade that I held in my hand to the side, plucking another.

“We wing it if we wanna die.” She sighed, rolling on her side to face the treeline. She pulled her cloak over her body as she continued. “We can’t go in blind. Look where it got me.” She chuckled with little amusement.

“Hm. We’ll think of one in the morning. You need sleep.” A small laugh answered me as I turned to look at her form.

“You know I don’t sleep well. And seeing as we are in new territory, there’s no sleep for me.”

“At least fake it, I’ll take the first watch.” I heard a low sigh come from her end before she went silent, having given up on arguing. I smirked lightly as my eyes turned to scan the clearing once more. The night was cool with a small breeze whistling between the branches and leaves. Night creatures pushed through the undergrowth as earthly scents filled the air. In the distance, the sound of falling water echoed through the trees. The pounding of the small waterfall almost deafening in the silence.

I ran my hand through my spiked hair as I stood, trying to keep myself alert as night threw the forest into complete darkness. The trees became the darkest of blacks while shadows danced along their roots. It was impossible to see through the pitch black. Even the creatures of the night grew weary of the evil that seemed to cover the forest. Kat, what did you get us into exactly?

I stepped forward as a rustle caught my attention. My eyes searched the underbrush for any sign of what could have made the rustle, but everything went silent. I looked back over my shoulder to the cloaked figure that laid motionless on the ground behind me. The slow rise and fall of her shape barely noticeable in the dark.

“‘You know I don’t sleep well,’” I mocked in slight amusement, slowly walking over and sitting down behind her back. “So much for that, Kat. You fell asleep.” I chuckled, running my hand along the grass to my right. The blades pressed against my palm as my thoughts overtook the silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours passed as the night continued to move in its slow pace, stars stretching out to the universe above them. The calls of distant pine owls reverberated through the dark silence; their shrieks like a forewarning of terrible deaths.

I continued to stare at a far off tree, listening to the soft breathing of Kat as she slept beside me. Words from earlier days flashed through my mind.

“If we are ever in a situation where we need to take watches, rotate positions.”

“Why?”

“Think of it logically, Kagin. A single person can’t stay up all night and then be expected to make a sprint for it if the time comes. Rotating the hours is a simple solution for both parties to get some rest as well as look out for danger. As easy as that. So, knowing you, wake me up after five hours for each watch if it comes to it, got it?”

I shook my head slowly as the memory disappeared from my mind.

“Sorry, Kat. But you need sleep.” I looked towards her form again before something else caught my attention. A green glow illuminated under her cloak. That damned aiteho. I hovered my hand over the pulsing light, feeling the warmth of both the orb and Kat’s body heat. I instantly snapped my hand back and looked to the side.

I stared at the bushes that stood to my right which were lightly illuminated by the ever-brightening sky. The leaves danced as a new breeze stirred their peaceful sleep. I yawned, stretching my hands up to the canopied sky before lowering them back down to shake out my shoulders. I lifted my head to the breeze; new scents filling the air. The faint smell of soon-to-come rain wafted through my nose as well as something tinted with iron.

My eyes widened as I shot to my feet, the scent stronger now that my head was immersed in the breeze. I turned my head to follow the scent to its source. It was coming from the east of us where the distant crash of a waterfall echoed through the forest. I looked towards Kat once more, and after seeing her still asleep, I turned towards the thick bushes that surrounded the small clearing.

I stepped forward as the foliage engulfed me. Large shadows covered me as the leaves of the unnaturally-tall trees blocked the now-rising sun from view. Vines and moss clung to their roots and trunks, begging to deplete the trees of their nutrients for their own survival. Fungi littered dead logs as they grew in colonies. A few provided bright shades of light as their fluorescent glow stood in contrast to the darkness that crowded from all sides.

Kat would be poking at those all day. I thought with mild amusement, moving a large vine to the side as I picked my way through the forest floor. The scent of iron was stronger now. The familiar sweet taste of metal rolling over the tongue becoming a part of the smell. A strange feeling accompanied the scent as I quickly shifted to my lion form. The black fur blended in with the shadows as large paws made indentions in the soft soil.

The smell of blood was almost intoxicating now. Meaning that whatever was killed is nearby. Let’s just hope it’s a wild animal kill. For some reason, however, that didn’t seem enough of an explanation. The amount of blood needed to make this scent would mean it would have to be a large animal to be killed. As far as I am concerned, I would rather not get into a fight with whatever creature was able to kill an animal that could leak that much blood.

I peered through a bush as the carcass came into view. I was right. A few meters away stood a large carcass. It was easily my size. Well, my lion-form size, at least. The creature had canines that protruded from it’s jaw and reached what seemed to be at least a foot in length. The creature looked to be fifteen feet long which included the tail that extended two feet behind it. Russet fur lined the body which spiked out in what looked like little needles. The smell of blood was so strong that it concealed the creature’s original scent. It was still there; however, it was faint. The lingering smell of fire, ash, and decay lingered on the creature’s coat where the hide seemed to have singe marks along the spine. Black, skeletal spikes protruded from the creature’s back before flowing to the tail tip where a whip-like end curled. The head of the creature was short and broad, like that of a bear. Pointed ears lay against its skull.

This wasn’t a creature I’ve seen before. Maybe Katsai will know, but for now, what could’ve mutilated this monster? A deep gash lined the creature’s stomach, reaching from the bottom of its throat down to its stomach. Black blood had pooled around the large gash, revealing the creature’s insides to the world. Organs and muscles had spilled onto the now-tainted grass. Three claw marks had lodged themselves into the creature’s torso, large enough to rival those of Galterius’s eagles.

“Whatever killed this thing wasn’t looking for a meal. This was a full-blown battle.” I mumbled to myself, turning on my heel. I plunged back through the forest, retracing my steps back to the clearing. I huffed as I broke through the bushes, my paws bringing my body to a staggering halt as my form shifted.

Kat was sitting up now, blinking as if she had just woken up. She turned her head towards me where her hair stuck up in all directions. I brought my hand up to my mouth, stifling a laugh.

“Don’t you dare say a thing about my bedhead or one of my daggers is going through your shin.” She grumbled, quickly moving her hands to brush down the rouge strands. “Also, why does it look like you just went on a wild goose chase through the jungle?”

“Because I did.”

“After what?” Kat yawned, stretching her hands up and back before looking back up at me. “I’m telling you, whatever a squirrel does to you, don’t go after it. Those are mean fuckers.”

“That was one time. We don’t talk about that.”

“Yeah, because you lost to the squirrel.”

“Shush!”

“Fine fine. What were you after then? Scouting?”

“No. Damn, if only you could smell it.”

“Smell what?” Katsai tilted her head, confusion darting across her features.

“The blood. Kat, I think you need to follow me.”

I heard Kat groan before falling back onto her back.

“I don’t wanna. Five more minutes.”

“Weren’t you the one who said we should leave at sunrise?”

“Don’t listen to the past me. I was stupid.”

“Kat, get your ass up. This is serious. There’s a carcass lying in the woods and I am wondering if you know what it is.” Kat seemed to perk up at the word ‘carcass’. She slowly rose to her feet before leaning back to pop her spine. She quickly glanced over herself to make sure everything was in place before she looked back at me.

“You said carcass. I am now interested. Show me the beast.” I looked at her with a blank expression.

“Why’d you get suddenly excited over a carcass?”

“You never know what you can find amongst a body, Kagin.” She chuckled with mild glee before heading in the opposite direction of the corpse. I sighed as I lightly grabbed her shoulder to turn her around.

“Wrong way.”

Kat didn’t respond but instead, continued on the path to the carcass without missing a step. I shook my head slowly as I watched her push through the brambles.

“If it were anyone but me, you would scare them off!” I called after her.

“All a part of the fun! Scare your enemies into submission!” I heard her laugh as she disappeared into the trees. I quickly caught up to find her struggling through the foliage that stood up to her knees. I arched my brow, looking down at her.

“Need help there, dwarf?”

“Nope. Fuck off.” I heard her growl lightly as she managed to get one foot unstuck only to have the other get itself wrapped in dense vines. The vines wound up her leg and over her torso. She looked at them as if they were ants biting at her shoes.

“Need help now?”

The vines were now crawling up her body as she wriggled against their grasp.

“Why are they alive?! Well, they have always been alive, but not ‘moving’ alive!” She yelled in a rushed manner through the vines, cutting at them with the dagger she always stores in her boot. I shook my head, quickly morphing to bite through the vines. After the vines fell to the floor, I threw my head under Kat’s body and tossed her onto my back.

“I didn’t need help.”

“Tell that to the vines, dwarf.”

I started on a quick route back to the corpse. Already trampled leaves and bushes made an easy trail back to the dismantled corpse that lay decomposing in the middle of a jungle.

My ears swiveled as a small gasp erupted from Kat as the creature came into view. It was still in the same position but it seemed to hold a darker tone. It’s fur has grown darker within the span of twenty minutes; as if it were withering to ash.

Kat quickly slid from my back as her hand flew up to cover her mouth. The smell of decay and death was overwhelming as we continued to stare at the body. I looked at Kat as her pale eyes studied the body, squinting against the sunlight. Her eyes widened as she seemed to realize what it was.

“Any idea on what it is?” I stared at her as she removed her hand from her mouth. She opened her mouth once, then twice, before closing it again. After what felt like minutes of pure silence, her voice stirred.

“Yeah, I know what that monster is. But I’d rather not believe it is there. This is unbelievable.” She took a hesitant step back.

“It’s dead. I don’t believe it can harm us.” Kat shook her head as my body shifted once more. I laid my hand on her shoulder as she continued to stare at the corpse in disbelief. “So, what is it?”

“Canis daemonus,” She murmured, barely audible. “The Hellhound.”

I turned my head back to the carcass, reevaluating the carcass. I narrowed my eyes, the claw marks and gash standing out even more now.

“Was another Hellhound responsible for those marks?” I pointed towards the wounds that were responsible for the canine’s death.

“No.” Kat’s answer was firm as she quickly grabbed my arm and started pulling me back the way we came. “Something much bigger did and it’s still here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Whatever killed this-this monster wasn’t looking for a meal. It was protecting itself and its territory. Which means we are trespassing and we need to leave or we are next. And if that thing can kill a fucking Hellhound and walk away, than we don’t stand a chance. We need to go.” Kat continued to pull at my sleeve but without much progress.

The forest fell oddly silent as a new feeling settled over the forest. A new scent filled the air, something much older than the forest itself. Something much more primal still roamed this forest. The legends were true.

A hot breath washed over the back of my neck as Kat let out a startled yelp. I slowly turned my head to look over my shoulder as I quickly pushed Kat in front of me.

Deep blue eyes met my dark one’s as black scales rippled in the now-risen sun.

“A dragon.”