"You are the cause of the problem we're ensnared in, so you have no right to complain!" The same voice from earlier emanated from behind a large, concealed boulder. All attention was fixed on that direction, and silent messages were exchanged among the Ashubanies. In response to the voice, belonging to a man, an eerie "grrrr!" emanated from the other side of the boulder, momentarily halting the Ashubanies in their cautious advance.
Suzanne glanced at her companions. In the dim atmosphere, no fear was shown on their faces, yet the alertness was evident in their eyes and clenched fists. She silenced the protests from the responsible part of herself and instructed Arjang, Shahab, and Dianush to climb atop the rock and await her signal. Tufan and Rubina were directed to encircle the boulder from the opposite side and await the right moment. Thankfully, no one objected. Suzanne approached the rock with Parisa, taking deliberate steps to avoid rustling dry grass or leaves. As she pressed her body against the cold, slightly damp rock face, she inhaled deeply and cautiously peered around the corner in the direction of the voice.
What she saw was as astonishing as encountering a div in Abandar. This side of the boulder, like the other, had a natural depression, and within that rocky niche, a young man sat, gently stroking what initially appeared to be an oversized cat. However, on closer examination, it became apparent that the creature's blue irises against yellow pupils bore no resemblance to an ordinary feline. Moreover, its body was at least as large as a wolf, complete with pointed ears and a very dark red coat. Suzanne, bewildered by the scene before her, shifted her gaze from the creature's tightly bound paws to its face and realized that they were now making eye contact.
She felt no sense of warmth or kindness in that enigmatic blue or that skeptical yellow. The cat-wolf snarled and bared its silver fangs, unleashing a roar more subtle and piercing than a lion's.
The man stopped stroking the beast's head, and after a brief pause, he spoke, "You didn't need to tell me, Ozhen, I sensed their movement an hour ago."
Suzanne, still uncertain why she hadn't withdrawn her head, now realized she hadn't yet seen the man's face as he turned his attention to the wolf-cat. The man and the creature both shifted to face her, and the imposing presence of the man dispelled any notion of jest. It dawned on Suzanne that she and her companions were like fish captured right before a whale - ordinarily, a whale may have no interest in fish, but if it does, a single gulp is enough to consume hundreds of them. Who truly understands the intentions of a whale?
The man reassured them, saying, "Don’t be alarmed. If I intend to take action, I will inform you in advance, and once I've made my intentions known, there will be no time for apprehension."
Suzanne, keeping her right hand concealed from the man's view on Parisa's chest to signal her not to advance, summoned all the strength she could muster and positioned herself squarely in front of the man. This angle provided a clearer view of his face. He appeared to be in his mid to late twenties, with long silver hair cascading from a center parting down to the sides of his face. The tips of each small cluster of hair, both those draping over his shoulders and those adorning the back of his body, were secured with slender, shining silver rods that glistened beneath the starlight, their intricate patterns difficult to discern in the dim illumination.
His green-blue eyes conveyed a resolute will, while his slightly arched and upward-tilted eyebrows hinted at considerable self-assuredness. Bony features marked his nose and cheeks, his lips bore a pale hue, and his sleeveless shirt, revealing not overly thick but muscular arms, contrasted with the chilly weather. His clothes bore numerous rips and claw marks, and a fresh blow had left a swollen bruise on the top of his right arm, its unsightly scab forming an oblique cut.
The man's question, "Don't tell me all seven of you are shy?" hung in the air, but Suzanne refrained from answering. His velvety voice and composed tone did not dispel the disquieting atmosphere, and the vigilant members of her group remained concealed in the shadows.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
While seated, the man nonchalantly resumed stroking the wolf-cat's head and suggested, "How about we exchange our reasons for being here? It might serve as a nice icebreaker. I'm generally patient, but I've been sitting here with no progress for quite some time, and Ozhen here has been my sole companion. As you can see, I'm not too pleased with Ozhen at the moment, so your arrival is a welcome change."
He then turned his attention back to Suzanne and revealed, "I'm waiting for my brother to emerge from this hole beside me, which is much deeper and longer than it appears. We intend to journey back home together. Our residence is close to Jangar, so I've covered quite a distance and have a long way back. I'm a bit anxious because, upon his arrival, I might have to confront him again."
The man touched the bruise on his arm and continued, as if speaking to himself, "If it comes to that, I might not have the restraint I displayed last time. I could actually harm him. He's been the source of countless issues for me. The problem is, my father instructed me to bring him back unharmed, as though a rebellious teenager could be tamed with gentleness and politeness."
He sighed and then turned his menacing gaze back to Suzanne. "Your turn."
From "journey back home" to "your turn," Suzanne had only one opportunity to glance at the hole on the other side of the man, beneath the small circular stone on the ground near the base of the rock.
“We...”
"Please, just be truthful. Ozhen might prefer Latuza, my brother, over me at the moment, but his loyalty to my family when facing strangers prevents him from staying silent if he detects any deception," the man urged.
Suzanne, who felt disconnected from her other faculties and it seemed like she was nothing more than a floating head at that moment, met the cunning gaze of the wolf-cat. Realizing the man was speaking the truth, she heard her own voice reply, "We've come here from Ashuban on a mission."
The butterflies in her stomach, seemingly dancing of their own accord, gradually intensified their fluttering, and she regained her bodily sensations – even if it weren’t a pleasant sensation.
"That was a given. Tell me something I couldn't have deduced on my own," the man pressed.
Suzanne gritted her teeth, her Azarpeik blood surging with a spark of determination, and declared, "I've given an answer. If you desire further information, you'll need to respond to one of my inquiries." Her pride wouldn't allow her to continue the conversation in a submissive manner.
"Very well. Although we never made such an arrangement, it does seem equitable. Especially since I am confident that the information I provide won't escape this place. Go ahead."
In a moment that stretched into an eternity in her inner world, Suzanne contemplated and then said, "You are no ordinary human. If you were, we would have felt your presence."
The man smiled and said:
“Oh, that's a good question! If I give you an honest answer, maybe you or one of your friends have stored information in your memory and then based on my own words, you’ll find a way to fight and even defeat me. But what if I lie? You realize Ozhen is not going to roar against my lies?”
Suzanne kept her gaze locked on the man's eyes until his brief, quiet chuckle subsided. "But no, if you wish for honesty, I'll oblige."
He paused, appearing deep in thought as he contemplated how to offer a complete and truthful response. Finally, he said, "I am a Doshnas. That means my ancestors were human, much like you. My father doesn't prefer me to describe myself this way, but I consider myself a Jangari and spent my childhood there. And this is Ozhen. He's a Verkanae from the Verkana groves. Now it's my turn!"
Suzanne hoped her appearance did not betray the inner turmoil she was experiencing. Doshnases... What did she know about them? One of the three main groups of humans during the Red Fall, who derived their power from forming bonds with divs instead of capturing them. Although many perished, some managed to cross the Zarnegar Mountains and had lived there for centuries. It was rumored that numerous Doshnases had lost their lives while attempting to befriend the divs on their own, but those who succeeded could individually contend with a hundred ordinary humans or ten div-capturers. While Suzanne revisited this unpleasant information, the man scrutinized her with a curious expression, from head to toe.
"Hmm... you're no ordinary Ashubani. You belong to one of their prominent Families. Aha! I recognize the symbol on your chest. You must be an Azarpeik!" he exclaimed.