Once Alice and the boys departed, we wrapped up our breakfast and headed back to our rooms to pack. Since the boys had dashed off so quickly, I decided to gather everything I could find in their room and stash it in my inventory. I wasn't certain if they intended to take all the items left behind, such as the rocks near Tom's bed, but I collected them anyway.

“So, what do we do now? Do we wait for the next couch that should come later in the day?” Tina asked.

I shook my head.

“No, I hate waiting, we should start going towards Guaranga”

Tina looked at me skeptically. "I guess Lynx might be unhappy to carry all of us," she quipped.

Ju jumped in, "I think he wouldn't mind, but first, I can teleport. I could almost keep up with a coach for a while. And secondly, maybe our Lores would like to try her transformation again?"

"You're right!" I agreed, nodding. "Even if I am a little reluctant, I would like to see the transformation again. So, did you check us out?" I asked Ju.

Tina looked perplexed. "What do you mean by check-out?" she wondered.

"Leaving the inn," Ju explained. Then, turning to me, she added, "There is no formal check-out here, but I already informed the innkeeper that we're leaving. I wonder where Lynx is?"

We were already in the inn's courtyard and Lynx materialized near me, startling me.

"Here!" he answered.

I snorted. "I wish you would give a warning before doing that."

He grinned in response. "You're onto something. Next time, I might give a loud warning growl. What do you say?"

I shook my head in despair.

After Ju helped Tina climb onto his back, we set off down the country road, leaving the way station behind us. The road ahead was deserted, but we could see a caravan getting ready to depart from the way station behind us.

"So, when are you going to try your transformation? I want to see your lynx!" Tina impatiently asked.

"I want to get further away from the way station first, so I can undress," I explained.

Glancing back, I saw that we were now far enough away, and the caravan hadn't started moving yet. I veered off the road towards some nearby bushes, removed my clothes, stashing them in my inventory, and then focused on casting the transformation spell.

It took some time for the spell to take effect, and when I finally opened my eyes, I was met with confusion. I didn't feel any different; everything seemed normal, as it always did. But as I glanced around, I noticed an overwhelming amount of detail that my brain struggled to process.

Taking a deep breath, I was greeted by a myriad of interesting scents.

My ears twitched, trying to localize the source of so many sounds: the air was filled with the buzzing of bees, the chirping of birds, and the rustling of footsteps in the bushes. Intrigued, I followed the sounds to investigate, startling a mouse in the process. It froze in place at the sight of my looming figure above it. I chuckled, watching it scurry in a frenzy towards its borough.

My ears caught wind of an intriguing birdsong nearby, prompting me to leap forward in curiosity. Amidst the cacophony of sounds, colors, and smells, I felt a sense of intoxicating exhilaration as I bounded from one discovery to the next, encountering a variety of new and unfamiliar creatures along the way.

The swift movements elevated my woolgathering and pursuit of rainbows to a new level. It was incredible! I began to sprint and the sensation of the wind brushing against my sides, the speed at which I could maneuver around obstacles and leap from tree to tree was absolutely exhilarating. I picked up even more speed, racing faster and faster until I became nothing more than a blur, a fleeting gust of wind streaking through the jungle.

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During a particularly audacious leap, the tree I intended to use as a trampoline gave way, exploding into thousands of splinters. I tumbled through the air, crashing through several other trees and bushes before landing back on my feet, my claws leaving long gashes in the ground as I regained my balance.

Despite acquiring a few insignificant bruises, I remained undeterred, finding joy in the unexpected and uncontrolled flight through the woodland. It was quite amusing!

However, my attention was soon drawn to a lone, startled giant buffalo, its head raised in alarm at my antics. I chuckled with delight – all these emotions had stirred up my appetite, and here was my future lunch presenting itself before me! Well, not quite on a platter, but rather on a glade.

I toyed with it for quite some time, prolonging its hope, letting it see openings that I closed only in the last moment, but eventually, I grew tired of the game. Its desperation had become evident, almost begging me to end its torment.

When it made one final attempt to gore me with its horns, I sidestepped the attack and then swiftly tripped it. With a leap, I seized its neck in my jaws, feeling the warm blood bubbling between my fangs as the beast struggled in its final moments.

"Always late for lunch, aren't you?" I chided Lynx half an hour later, as I lay on my belly, working to digest the half-eaten bull.

Lynx stopped at a safe distance, setting Tina and Ju down. I assured him that I was fully in control and wouldn't harm them.

"You can bring them closer," I added, gesturing towards Tina and Ju. "The little one could use some of this nourishing food. She looks so skinny and weak."

"Wasn't our destination the city?" he asked in English as he approached me, then glanced back at the two. "Come on, girls, she says it's safe to come closer!"

"Really? Is that what she said? I thought she said, 'Bring that dessert closer!'" Ju exclaimed.

I snorted at her doubt, casting a sidelong glance at her. That was all it took for Tina to rush to me in an unexpected burst.

"You're so beautiful!" she exclaimed, embracing me.

I sighed at her spontaneous outburst. Children were so trusting and unpredictable! It was a good thing my instincts were in check. I rolled my eyes.

She didn't need to say that I was beautiful; anyone with eyes could see that!

I tried to respond in English, but all that came out were funny noises, which prompted Tina to hug me even tighter. Oh, well.

Once Lynx had finished his portion, acknowledging my hunting prowess, we prepared to depart.

"I'll take the kid, and you take the elf," I suggested.

Lynx nodded in agreement, so I picked up Tina, and we set off toward the town.

"Are you sure you're doing it the right way?" Lynx asked with an amused tone.

I snorted. What did he mean? How else should I carry a cub?

Tina protested. "Come on, Lores, this isn't funny anymore!"

I glanced at Lynx and felt a twinge of nausea: the elf was riding on his back! I tried to calm myself. Well, that wasn't so bad; it was like a cub playing on his back.

Strangely, that reminded me of something: horseback riding! Oh, drats, maybe I shouldn't carry Tina in my mouth. I gently set her down.

She exhaled, shook herself off, and burst into laughter.

"Well, I was wondering what the guards would say when you entered the town carrying her like this," Ju commented from Lynx's back.

Tina responded by sticking her tongue out at Ju. I simply shrugged, trying to ignore the commotion I had unintentionally caused.

Ju chuckled and shook her head.

"Instead of Lores picking up some manners from you, you start behaving like Lores!"

I sighed and ignored the friendly jab.

It took me some time to adjust to having Tina on my back. Initially, I feared I might lose her with every step, but as I grew more confident, we picked up speed. However, it took us quite a while to reach the road and start our run toward the town.

Trotting lightly, I had time to reflect on what had happened. My lynx instincts had been so overpowering that they had overridden my rational mind. Despite feeling perfectly fine after the transformation, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had been acting solely on instinct. I needed to find a way to regain control.