Fewer mongrels stayed behind to clean the tavern, while the others started the preparation for the funeral ceremony.

A ceremony that promised to be the most prestigious, since the head of a maidservant was going to give a hand in preparation.

Those promises made residents feel that their angry calls have been responded to. The head of the maidservant even promised them that the lord, the holy lord, will bless the ceremony with his presence and will lead the search for the predator in person. The holy lord had welcomed a special guest to help him accomplish this sacred mission.

Still, the death of loved ones and acquaintances is sorrowful.

Sometimes shouts and cries can be heard now and then under the gravest of the night. Tears never stopped flowing…

It was a long day for them.

Even a steel-hard heart will melt if he witnessed such a display of solidarity and cohesion. So what about the heart of a warrior…

Savannah was in a daze, somehow a little absorbed in this momentary spectacle.

She hated herself for this; she hated her fragile heart that always falls victim to the appreciation of heroism. However, she confirmed her understanding that life is the same for all living beings, no matter where they stand in the gigantic pyramid of existence.

" I don't think that I can digest any meat that will come from this farm anymore." She murmured to herself.

“I began to grasp the foundation of your philosophy” her last sentence was meant for the bulky man that was halted behind her. His unchanged breathing pace gave her the impression that he wasn't listening to her, but she discerned that he was faking it from her earlier observations. Thus, she didn't want to drag the subject more than it deserved, then she turned to talk about the most pressing matters: "Somebody must have seen us while we were cleaning?"

"Certainly not when you were with me," Isidore answered.

Savannah crossed her arms behind her back and felt that he was flattering her for an undefined reason, hence come her grasp about his good manners with women. He apprehended what could and couldn't please them, which implies his vast experience with the graceful gender. She confirmed yet again and from another angle that this Kerit isn't uncouth, as his external appearance shows.

A recent discovery was made by Savannah, and with each encounter, her mind formed a new theory about his identity and his reason for making a contract with her.

“I wish I can be as confident as you say, that day the tavern was filled with a combination of different scents, death, blood, alcohol, cooked food, workers, and the list goes on… it is very hard to be sure about whether someone has seen us or not.” Savannah clarified as she advanced. Her answer was a counterattack. Clear to him that any compliment won't get him anywhere.

While in her mind, she counted the number of unfamiliar scents she had memorized that day. It was more than twenty or so. She tried to remember any other specific one that she had found suspicious. And finally, she asked to clarify: "On that day I have smelled the scent of alcohol from above. Do they keep alcohol on the roof of the tavern? Don't tell me they store it there…"

And bump, the realization struck her in one go.

Who could it be, the drunk was on the roof that night, or was it a drunk person in the first place?

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Alcohol has one of the mustiest smells, it can blend with other odors or surpass them. Also, it is an excellent choice for camouflage against breath tracking.

Still waiting for a response, her sharp ears detected the steps behind and confirmed to her that the Kerit was following her. However, the sound of his steps was dim and slow, as if he was uncertain about something she couldn't fathom.

She stopped walking when she sensed the pace of his breath wavering. Her pale yellow eyes gleamed while she let her head turn to observe him. A face hidden in the shadows. She was unable to discern its expressions.

Her fist tensed as she became ready for any sudden movement. And before she jumped to any decision, she inquired: "What's wrong?" and it took her several seconds to get an answer.

"We have another problem you need to be aware of."

Savannah's tense muscles relaxed a bit. Her narrowed eyes loosened when she completely turned back to face him as she inquired about this additional problem.

****

In the forest that surrounded the village where the Kerit has chosen to live, away from the mongrel village but still inside the perimeter of the barrier. There were torn remains of woods scattered near what used to be a cottage. In the middle surfaced a huge black body with a black silky fur, rhythmically rising, then falling with each inspiration and expiration.

Savannah stood nearby looking at the gigantic framework of an Amarok in a complete display. Even the big Kerit in his two legs form of an eight cubit was a dwarf compared to him. Thankfully, the trees were taller than his curled-up body. However, the first thing that came to her mind was how she was going to hide this giant from her mother?

The Kerit cut her distrust and said: "He is sleeping. Probably the whole process of the reshaping took all his remaining energy, plus he didn't fully recover from his injuries."

" When did he enter the process of reshaping?"

" He didn't wake up after your attack, likely it was an unconscious reflex. We are in big trouble if he wakes up."

“I am doomed if he wakes up,” Savannah murmured, her fears were primarily generated from her mother finding out about the little secret that she shared with her sister. And she fully knew that she is going to get a severe punishment for it before her planning and hard work will give its fruits. She looked at the big man then asked:

"During his presence on this farm, did he transform before?"

The big man thought for a while before he answered: "No… but maybe because the doctor was giving him some kind of suppressor."

Savannah gave him the gaze of a person who needed more details hence he continued to explain: "It's a common practice in the art of medicine when dealing with a shape-shifter, exactly when the injuries are extremely severe or before a complex surgical act. It is advantageous to give a reshaping suppressor."

Isidoro glanced at Savannah's face to see her reaction and decided to continue: "It is known that it speeds up the regeneration capacity."

Savannah frowned at him. She was fully aware that he was provoking her and wondered about what he was getting at. Yet she praised him for the sake of returning his earlier compliment: "I am very lucky that you are knowledgeable about the art of medicine."

"That's because I have assisted a doctor before," Isidore said while he was glancing at her face with the corner of his eyes.

"Rokah?" Savannah blurted the name deliberately as she thought this must be his aim all along. So the doctor this Kerit assisted before must be Rokah. No wonder it explains why he seemed that he knows him. What kind of connection have these two had in the past? Surely not just a simple doctor assistant one.

“Well, this is not the name he used to call himself with at that time.” The Kerit dropped this comment in such a manner to seem just a superficial, innocent note. Nevertheless, the information he had gotten from her subtle reaction was more than enough to verify his doubts.

Savannah was itching to learn more about what this man knows about Rokah. Maybe that will help her in her search. However, she didn't want to appear eager, thus she changed the subject and stated: "does that mean he is going to return to his former shape if we give him a suppressor?"

"I don't know. The suppressor generally works before the shape-shifting, but maybe it will work."

Without a delay, Savannah jumped to the nearest tree branch and said instructing, "Stay here. I will come back after I get the suppressor."

Isidore observed her shadow as she jumped from tree to tree until she disappeared from his sight. He mumbled between his lips, blaming “what a moron, how he got himself mixed with the Crocotta clan in the first place. I warned him a million times to not get very close to them. I had warned him a million times that those gorgeous ladies are not what they seem and very dangerous...”

Savannah was running as fast as she could. She was racing the wind to get to Rokah's place. Her heart was furious. That Ketrit was shamelessly prying into her personal matter. She promised herself that she is going to make him pay for it sooner rather than later.