Azusa sat down in silence with Sibyl in the cave. The snow leopard was equally silent, and both of them were seemingly lost in thought. Azusa looked at her bare arm as well, envisioning the bracelet that once belonged to her mother.
The awkward silence was finally broken by Sibyl. The snow leopard faced Azusa, her blue eyes facing the violet and green eyes of her human roommate.
“What is the significance of the bracelet might I ask?” Sibyl asked softly.
Azusa sighed. “Well, that bracelet originally belonged to my mother for a start, and I kept it with me ever since she gave it to me when I was younger,” she replied.
Sibyl nodded. “What exactly was she like?” The snow leopard asked.
Azusa smiled. “Well, my mother was brave, kind, had a strong sense of duty too, same as my dad. Could be scary at times but meant well too. She was also a firefighter back at my home town, which is pretty cool,” she replied, stroking one of her twin tails.
Sibyl nodded. But then, her eyes widened too. Something seemed to strike her as well.
“What exactly happened to her?” The snow leopard asked.
Azusa’s eyes also widened the minute Sibyl asked that question. That horrible day when things changed for the worse.
She saw the massive five alarm fire engulfing the building that her mother was in! Flames lit the sky and black smoke filled the surrounding air. It hurt to breathe it in. Then, the building exploded and the flames burst out the windows in the exploding inferno!
Azusa wiped her eyes as she snapped back to the present. “There was a massive five alarm fire at the science museum and she went in to help deal with it and save the curator. She and two other firefighters died saving him,” she replied sadly.
Sibyl put a paw on her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Azusa looked on as Sibyl rubbed her cheek on her arm. Sibyl chuffed as well as purred.
Snow leopards release a chuffing noise as a means of showing friendship or affection. Cat purrs can also provide a comforting feeling to humans that are with them at the time too.
Azusa smiled. “Thanks. That feels better,” she said calmly, stroking Sibyl’s head in a friendly manner. Sibyl gave the feline equivalent of a smile too as she shut her eyes.
“Don’t worry Azusa. We’re gonna find that bracelet of yours,” the snow leopard said to herself silently.
The Siberian tiger looked at the bracelet with one of her claws. It was a purple bracelet with some beads on it. The tigress examined the bracelet with her golden eyes as she sat in a den by herself in the Boreal Forest sector. However, footprints were heard moving through the grass. She went deeper inside the den as she listened for what was moving outside.
A brown bear ambled around outside the den. The bruin sniffed and snuffled the ground nearby. The tigress looked on from the den, unsheathing her claws and her lips were curled up in a growling grimace, muscles tensing up as she prepares to leap out.
Siberian tigers and brown bears are major competitors and even enemies of each other. The two species will try to either follow each other or even scare each other off of kills. In a study that recorded 44 fights, bears lost 22 of them, while the tigers lost 12, and the final 10 had no violent outcome. In all cases with a clear cut victor, the loser was then consumed. Males of both are dominant over the females of the other, while female tigers tend to be somewhat dominant over the female bears, but are evenly matched otherwise as the males of both species have not been recorded fighting each other, suggesting active mutual avoidance by each other or even tigers being somewhat dominant over bears based on these previous recorded fights. Because of the risks involved, both will feed predominantly on hoofed mammals if given half a chance and most tiger attacks on bears are on young bears or on adult females as well as those coming out of hibernation, with fully grown male bears being far too formidable for any tiger in a head to head fight.
But then, the bear moved off away from the den. The tigress looked on, watching the bear amble away from the area. At least a potentially dangerous fight was averted.
“That was too close,” the tigress said to herself.
“Super close,” another voice said.
The tigress turned and spotted a much smaller cat looking at her with amber eyes. He was still fairly large but had a spotted coat that was silvery brown in color with a short bobbed tail tipped in black and tufted ears.
“Felix?” The tigress asked.
The lynx nodded. “Fancy seeing you here Tatsuki,” he replied.
Tatsuki nodded in response. “How are you faring so far?” She asked him.
“Doing fine, but I noticed you have a little trinket on you,” Felix purred. “I thought you weren’t into collecting.”
Tatsuki’s ears flattened. “I’m not. I’m just trying to find the owner of this thing so they can be reunited with it, and I think I know where to go too,” she replied in a low growl.
While small cats like the lynx are capable of purring when they exhale and inhale, most big cats cannot purr on the exhale due to modifications in the hyoid bone and the larynx. However, these same modifications allow all the big cats save for the snow leopard and clouded leopards to roar. However, clouded leopards are also unable to purr like small cats can due to having the same modifications in the hyoid bone and larynx like big cats, and they cannot roar due to a different bone structure in the neck.
“Where might that be?” Felix asked.
“The high school. We’re also gonna be going on a school trip in about a week or two from now.”
“Where to?”
“The teachers Ms. Bataar and Mr. Atokiensis haven’t decided yet, but it is said to have a lot of water too, so maybe a beach or a wetland.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Felix nodded in acknowledgment. “That certainly would be interesting. Tell me about it when it happens.”
Tatsuki nodded before she yawned. “Got to find the owner of that bracelet tomorrow,” she said as she laid down before finally dozing off to sleep. Felix looked on and he too went to sleep.
Azusa sat in her bed, her eyes looking out of a window installed in an opening on the cave wall. The young girl’s green and violet eyes rolled around as she looked outside, watching the nighttime sky before they fluttered shut for the night.
Several hours later…..
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Sibyl and Azusa got up from their sleep, both of them groggy from hearing the loud alarm.
“That’s new,” Azusa said.
Sibyl’s blue eyes looked around, trying to make sense of what was going on. The snow leopard looked outside the cave. But it seemed to still be somewhat dark, with just the faintest hint of sunlight in the horizon.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!”
A bird with iridescent black green, rufous, and blue and purple feathers and a crest of black feathers leapt up into the air squawking. A Himalayan monal.
Himalayan morals are fairly large pheasants which are renowned for the males having beautiful rainbow feathers. Found from Afghanistan and Pakistan and throughout the Himalayas in India, Nepal, southern Tibet and Bhutan. Found from 2000 to 4500 meters above sea level, it easily tolerates snow and digs through it for plant roots and invertebrates.
“We’re gonna be late! We’re gonna be late! We’re gonna be late! Hurry up and get up Sibyl!” The monal cried out, flapping his wings hysterically before running off into the mountain forest.
Azusa looked on. “Sheesh, what is going on with that guy?” She asked.
Sibyl turned. “Somebody activated the school bell! That hasn’t been used in well over a decade from what I heard!” She cried out. “Animals would often enter a panic because of that!”
Azusa covered her ears in pain from the sound of the noise blaring! It practically rattled her head.
“Yeah, I can see why they stopped doing it! Whoever invented this can pay for somebody’s medical bills, because I’m gonna need a pair of earplugs!” Azusa said. She then found a pair of puffballs on a dresser and as quick as a flash, stuffed them into her ears!
“That’s better,” she said to herself.
Sibyl then pushed Azusa into the room. “Get dressed, because school is gonna start soon!”
Azusa quickly grabbed her clothes and threw them on before grabbing her bag and slinging it over her back and rushing out with Sibyl. As she did, she also noticed something else.
“How come you’re not affected by this? That was going at frequencies only dogs should be hearing!”
Sibyl turned to her as the human said that. She too had a pair of earplugs stuffed in her ears.
“Sorry what was that?” Sibyl asked.
Azusa looked in confusion. “I’m sorry, what?”
“What did you say?”
Azusa couldn’t believe it. Sibyl couldn’t hear her. “Can’t you hear me?”
Sibyl said nothing.
Azusa facepalmed herself.
Sibyl smiled. “I heard you already actually,” she said slyly.
Azusa’s jaw dropped, utterly dumbfounded by what she had just witnessed. She couldn’t believe she had fell for that. But then, Sibyl took out the puffballs.
“It’s over now,” Sibyl said.
Azusa smiled as she did, sighing a breath of relief. “Thank goodness that’s over,” she said as the two of them left the cave.
Sibyl and Azusa continued down towards the train, watching the sky’s shades of blue, pink, and purple as the sun began to rise up. Azusa was now able to take on the sights much more easily too, and it seems that a city with a heavy nature theme would allow for this to occur.
“So regarding the school trip Sibyl, where exactly do you think we’re going to go?” Azusa asked, boarding onto the train.
Sibyl leapt on. “I’m thinking it might be some kind of wetland, but I’m not 100% sure. Mr. Atokiensis will likely explain what’s going on later on today,” she replied.
However, the train suddenly stopped at a large forest station. Massive conifer trees lined the station and there was also relatively little snow on the ground. Rocks could be seen on the ground as well as grass in some areas. Sibyl and Azusa looked around in confusion.
“The Ice Forest sector. We must’ve taken a local today,” Sibyl said.
Azusa nodded. However, as she sat down on the train seat, her eyes then made their way to Sibyl looking at something else approaching.
A much larger cat, possibly the biggest Azusa had seen. An Amur tigress, with a dark red-violet slingbag on her back too.
Sibyl seemed to smile almost as she looked on as the tigress leapt onto the train almost effortlessly.
Like the snow leopard and virtually all cats, tigers are excellent jumpers and can clear up to 33 feet (10 meters) in a single bound from a running start thanks to powerful hind legs. The long tail provides exceptional balance and forward facing eyes help to gauge distance.
Sibyl looked on. “Tatsuki, nice to see you again,” she said.
Tatsuki looked on. “How’s everything Sibyl?” She asked in a nonchalant yet polite manner.
“Going fine. Thought I’d introduce you to a new friend of mine.”
“Oh? Who’s that?”
Azusa waved somewhat nervously, smiling shyly as she did. However, a sudden jerk occurred and the train pulled out of the station.
“Think we’re gonna be late?” Tatsuki asked.
Sibyl shook her head. “Doubtful. School doesn’t start until another two hours, and we were able to get a lot of sleep before that bell rang!” Sibyl said.
Azusa was digging in her ear slightly. “They’re still ringing a bit,” she whined.
Tatsuki rolled her eyes. “Whoever decided that was a good idea needs to be strangled with a cactus tree branch!” She growled in annoyance.
Azusa gulped. This tiger certainly was not one to be trifled with. Just like Virgil. However, Tatsuki certainly seemed to be genuinely kinder than Virgil as it turned out.
Then, Azusa also remembered about her bracelet too. Maybe Tatsuki saw it. Would it hurt to ask though?
“Hey, uh Tatsuki?” Azusa asked.
Tatsuki turned to her. “Yes Azusa?” She chuffed.
Azusa gulped. Already this tiger’s aura was intense.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m listening,” Tatsuki said.
Azusa nodded. “I was wondering if you had a bracelet of mine. It was violet purple in color and kinda small in size,” she explained.
Tatsuki’s eyes seemed to widen. “Did you say a purple bracelet?” She asked.
Azusa nodded. “Yes, I did,” she replied.
Tatsuki then rolled onto her side before getting the bag on her back off. Azusa was surprised. What exactly was this tigress doing right now?
“Hang on a moment, because while I was at school yesterday, there was this strange trinket I found on the ground close to the library,” Tatsuki explained.
The tigress then dug into the school bag too, various miscellaneous items jingling around as the Tiger’s massive paw dug into the bag. Azusa looked on with some anticipation.
Could it really be her bracelet?
Tatsuki then pulled it out. Azusa’s eyes widened up.
That was it.
“That’s the bracelet I had!” Azusa said, her voice ecstatic.
Tatsuki tossed it to her and Azusa caught it in her hand.
“I actually found that on the ground yesterday. How exactly did you lose something like that?” The tigress growled calmly.
Azusa laughed somewhat sheepishly when she heard that question. How exactly was she supposed to answer that little question. Would Tatsuki laugh at her?
“We lost it due to a fight with Virgil. Ms. Bataar managed to stop him though before any of us got hurt though. Tobias is still somewhat miffed at the hippo, and he rarely gets angry,” Sibyl said.
Azusa’s jaw dropped.
“Sibyl! You can’t just say something like that!” She said, grabbing the snow leopard and shaking her slightly in a panic.
“So you guys got on Virgil’s bad side?” Tatsuki laughed.
Azusa nodded sheepishly. “Uh huh.”
Tatsuki nodded. “Well, You’re not the first one. Was a little water chevrotain working with him?” She then responded.
Sibyl nodded. “Almost got me beaten up by some chimpanzees. Fortunately, a black leopard was able to help me out in the fight. Bunch of darn dirty apes!”
Tatsuki chuckled. “Yeah, I once battled that hippo as well. Had to beat a hasty retreat too,” she replied. “Even a group of lions weren’t able to land a hit on him. Heck, I don’t think any big cat can really touch that guy. Even the Nile crocodiles fear him. Though Torchwick will stand his ground with him.”
Azusa shook her head. “Wait a minute. Who’s Torchwick?!”
Tatsuki padded to Azusa. “He’s a Saltwater crocodile, and the school swim team champion. Almost nobody really messes with him,” she replied.
The saltwater crocodile is the world’s largest living reptile and the most aggressive of all crocodilians. They can reach lengths of up to 23 feet long and weigh over 2200 lbs, but larger individuals have been reported. It is a ferocious hypercarnivore that can buffalo, boar, and even other predators such as dingoes and even large predator fish up to the size of a bull shark. They can even kill a tiger in the water.
“Thanks for the heads up on that,” Azusa said.
“Always a pleasure,” Tatsuki said in a calm tone. “Sounds like you would need somebody to assist in protection too.”
“That would be very nice too. Plus, thanks again for helping me find my bracelet,” Azusa said.
Tatsuki nodded. “I’ll also join you on this little club you’re making,” she said. “It’ll be nice to hang out with cousin Sibyl too.”
Azusa turned. “Cousin?” She asked.
Sibyl nodded. “Oh yeah. That’s because we snow leopards are actually related to tigers.”
Despite their name, snow leopards are actually not closely related to actual leopards. For the longest time, they were placed in the Uncia genus, which consisted only of them. But in recent years, genetic analysis found that they were closest to tigers, so much so that they can be considered sister species on the family tree. As a result, snow leopards are now considered a member of the Panthera genus and are now considered the closest living relative of the tiger.
Azusa looked around as well. “What’s the next fact that the author is going to give out might I ask?” She asked Sibyl.
Sibyl turned. “The one that’s most relevant to the topic at hand,” she chuckled to herself.
The train then began to pull into the station, and right in front of everyone was the school building. Azusa looked up at a massive clock tower on the top of the main building. The minute and hour hands were pointing to a 6 and a 7 respectively.
7:30 AM.
Sibyl nodded. “Well, we’re here, and apparently early too,” she said.
“Indeed,” a voice said.
Right beside the three students was a large dark brown Acrocanthosaurus with black spots on the flanks as well as light salmon pink stripes on the back and tail and white stripes on the arms and legs. A short sail or hump of some kind was on his back.
“Hello Mr. Atokiensis. How’s everything going?” Sibyl said in a friendly manner.
The Acrocanthosaurus nodded. “I’m doing fine Sibyl,” he replied before he went into the school. “Fortunately they won’t be doing that bell ringing anymore.”