After leaving the Creator in the pit Grend and Frend had decided to destroy the tower. Not before releasing the rest of their cousins, however.
There had been a huge uproar when they’d first came down. Evidently, the Beastlings sensed that Grend was not the true owner of the keys anymore.
When Grend had nervously proclaimed that he was going to set them all free it was also quite clear that as soon as any pens were opened there would be bloodshed. Frend and Grend being the two most likely to be torn apart first.
As Frend hesitated with the keys to the pen in hand, and as Grend contemplated that perhaps it would be better to let the Beastlings fall after all the Tigerling had spoken up.
“The Hippolings go free.” The tigerling had barely spoken above a whisper, yet his words broke through the howls of the room.
“Says who?” One particularly large Bulling looked like he was almost ready to pull open the bars of the pen himself.
“Me.” The tigerling came forward towards the Bars. In the darkness, only two yellow eyes could be seen. It was enough.
“Open his cage first,” Grend whispered out of the side of his mouth.
“What?” Frend whispered back. “The Tigerling’s?”
“Yes the Tigerling's.”
Frend gulped, “Do you not want to do it?”
“You’ve the keys.”
“It wouldn’t take much for me to hand them to you. Here look.”
Frend offered up the keys, pressing them against Grend’s chest.
Grend didn’t look down only keeping his eyes straight ahead.
“You always talked about having the keys so-”
“Not these ones I never wanted these-”
“Just do it Frend.”
Frend sighed and shook himself down.
“Hurry Hippoling.”
Frend seemed to forget his fear at the Tigerling’s beckoning. He rushed over to the last cage where the tigerling was kept. Shakily he drew out the keys and placed them into the lock. The moment he placed the key in the lock Frend fell backwards as if struck down though the Tigerling made no move.
Slowly, awkwardly Frend got back to his feet.
“You fell?” The tigerling asked.
“Ah, yeah sorry about that. I thought, well I thought that maybe-”
“Maybe I would rush out and kill you?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” Frend laughed hesitantly as he finished unlocking the door.
“I considered it.” The tigerling gently pushed open the door.
Frend stopped laughing.
The Tigerling stepped outside of his pen and took a deep breath.
“Now the others. Quickly.”
The tigerling didn’t look but immediately Frend made his way one by one unlocking and opening each pen. There were 21 pens altogether. The tigerling was the only one who had a pen to himself. All of the others were shared.
Every time Frend opened a cage the Beastlings quickly streamed out. None took their eyes from the Tigerling though he made no move to look at them. Some of the Beastlings nodded at Frend and Grend before they headed up the stairs but most just fled without sparing a look back.
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Soon they were alone again, just the three of them.
“Thanks for that,” Grend finally said. “Would of been a bit tricky otherwise, what with some of them wanting to kill us and all.”
“Many.”
“Sorry what was that?” Grend asked.
“Many wanted to kill you.” The tigerling said, “You were cruel to many of them. In the beginning. But you grew tired quick. I saw that, it was not in you, not truly. Though what is any of our cruelty paired with our Creator, we cannot be blamed for what he brought about, you cannot be blamed. So I do not blame you.”
“Right yeah,” Grend scratched at the back of his head, “Well thanks again.”
“You will destroy it?”
“The tower? Oh we will yeah, we’ve everything set up to go there now too.”
“Good. It is time. And the Creator?”
“In the pit,” Frend intervened.
“In the pit, Grend repeated, casting Frend a dirty look.
“Then I bid you farewell Hippoling Twins. Perhaps our paths shall cross again once more.”
The tigerling began to make his way towards the stairs.
“Can we count on your aid? Will you answer our call should it be asked of you.”
“What?” The tigerling turned back confused with a frown on his face.
Frend had been expecting a different answer, he opened his mouth but said nothing. He looked to Grend but he was only staring wide-eyed ahead.
“What was that about calling? Aid?” The tigerling asked still frowning.
“Oh I ahm…” Frend stuttered, “I don’t know actually. Something I read in a book, nevermind.”
“You read it in a book? That doesn’t explain why you would say it now though. Why would you say it now?”
Frend shrugged but said nothing, “I….I really don’t know. I think I just got a bit caught up in the moment there.”
“What moment?”
“The moment. Back there a minute ago, there was a moment where it felt right.”
“I did not sense it.”
“Either did I Tigerling,” Grend chimed in.
“Okay then. Well I will go. Now.”
With that the tigerling departed. Neither Frend of Grend spoke for some minutes. They just stood there.
Grend finally broke the silence, turning to Frend with a confused look etched on his face.
“What the hell was that about calling on him for aid about Brother? That was weird.”
“I thought it would be cool.”
“It wasn’t.”
“YEAH I know it wasn’t alright. Let’s just forget it now.”
“Can we call on your aid? At time of trouble.” Grend sniggered. “That’s not how the Tigerling works.”
“Oh and how would you know how he works?”
Grend scoffed, “Ah maybe because we are quite similar in a lot of ways. You didn’t see the mutual respect between us? Seriously?”
“The what?” Respect?” Now it was Frend’s turn to snigger. “Mr. ‘Either did I Tigerling,’ bend over a little more why don’t ya.”
“There was respect you fool. You wouldn’t understand, it’s a lone ranger type thing. Not everyone has it.”
“What? Shur you aren’t a Lone Ranger, you are always with me. Always. Last time you weren’t you were almost killed off by the Foxling.”
“Almost, almost killed off. I wasn’t though. Therefore, lone ranger.”
“Doesn’t make any sense,” Frend waved a hand dismissively.
“Doesn’t make any sense? Oh sorry Mr. ‘Can we count on your aid’? Now that didn’t make any sense.”
Frend scowled but said nothing.