"Ah, Emsaf! Still as punctual as ever," exclaimed the bandit in a falsely friendly tone. "I must admit, I’m a bit surprised that you brought along members of your family this time. That’s not like you."

Anaïs discreetly glanced at Anubis. His face remained impassive, but his posture reflected his heightened alertness. She wasn’t the only one who sensed that something was off. The bandit was far too wary as if he were suspicious of their group. A change in routine was never a good sign, and the man before them knew it. He had to suspect they had an ulterior motive.

"This is an important exchange, and the artifacts are valuable," the collector objected, radiating the confidence of his many years of experience as a merchant. "My son-in-law is well-versed in such treasures; it seemed fitting to bring him along to verify the authenticity of the merchandise."

"Then this charming young lady must be your daughter," he murmured with a sly smile.

His unsettling expression and overly insistent gaze sent a shiver of disgust down Anaïs’ spine. The situation was already making her uneasy, but this was far worse—nothing compared to a man who took the liberty of undressing a woman with his eyes and making it blatantly obvious. The kind of man one would never want to be alone with. Even Anubis did not remain indifferent to his stare, stepping forward to place himself between Anaïs and the bandit, as if shielding her.

"First, show me the gold," the bandit continued, standing up and taking a few steps toward them.

Anubis hesitated for a moment but eventually reached into his satchel, pulling out three pouches overflowing with coins. He had spared no expense to ensure the exchange would be tempting enough for the bandits not to cause trouble. Their interlocutor nodded, that wicked smile still plastered on his lips, visibly pleased with their offer.

"Where are the artifacts?" Anubis asked nervously.

"Emsaf is right; these are very precious items," the bandit explained condescendingly. "I took the liberty of keeping them safe at our camp to ensure you wouldn’t try to steal them before completing the exchange. After all, it’s unusual for you to bring company, Emsaf."

"Very wise of you," the collector praised, attempting to defuse the increasingly tense situation as the dialogue dragged on. "We simply want the transaction to go smoothly—we won’t try anything, don’t worry. You can go retrieve the artifacts, and then we’ll proceed with the exchange right here."

The bandit’s smile widened at the collector’s proposal. A menacing gleam shone in his eyes—the kind that belonged to someone who had planned everything and was delighted that events were unfolding exactly as expected.

"Then allow me to take your daughter with me, just to ensure that you won’t try to follow me and steal from us," he suggested, though it sounded more like a command.

"Oh, perhaps my son-in-law’s presence would be more appropriate than my daughter’s," the collector attempted to negotiate, growing increasingly uneasy. "That way, he can immediately verify the condition of the artifacts."

"I don’t trust your son-in-law," the bandit cut in instantly. "Your daughter seems perfectly suited for the task."

Emsaf scrutinized the fake couple, silently asking them what to do. It was obvious—the bandit intended to take her hostage. Anaïs stepped forward, placing a hand on Anubis' forearm to stop him from protesting if he felt the urge. She locked eyes with him, hoping he would understand that she felt capable of handling this unexpected turn of events. She was no longer just a simple human.

"It's fine, let's go," Anaïs declared, moving to join the bandit.

The moment she stood beside the man, he raised a hand toward the sky. The torchlight reflected off the cliff walls, but it wasn't enough to see what was happening at the top. However, Anaïs didn’t need light to know he had just signaled his comrades—confirming her suspicion that this was indeed an ambush. The bandits hidden along the cliff had moved closer to the edge, and she could now vaguely make out their silhouettes, bows drawn, ready to fire upon Anubis and Emsaf at any moment. Her instincts had been right.

Their leader immediately shifted behind her, pressing a sharp dagger to her throat. She grimaced as the blade bit slightly into her skin, a single drop of blood rolling down to her décolletage before staining the fabric of her dress.

Anubis’ reaction was immediate. He didn’t move, but the silent fury coursing through him was unmistakable. She had never seen such hatred and aggression contort his features. There was something animalistic in his gaze—a raw, predatory energy that urged him to lunge forward and rip Anaïs from the bandit's grasp.

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"Sorry, Emsaf," the bandit sneered, tightening his grip on the dagger. "An eager buyer got to me first—one I couldn’t refuse without endangering my men. But I couldn’t turn down your offer either, knowing how much you were willing to pay. Give me the gold, and you’ll get your daughter back unharmed."

"But… who?" the collector stammered, stunned by the turn of events.

"Someone far more important than you," he mocked, his tone suddenly serious. "Did you really think I’d tell you?"

It’s not Seth, is it? We have to interrogate him! Anaïs immediately reasoned, hoping Anubis had reached the same conclusion. But he seemed focused on sending her a message instead.

When her eyes finally settled on his lips, she deciphered his silent words: Run. Now.

A second later, Anubis used his magic to extinguish the torches, plunging the area into darkness and cutting off the bandits' sight. A wave of panic churned Anaïs' stomach—what if she failed to transform? She had a second, maybe two, to take advantage of the bandit leader’s shock before he slit her throat.

No time to think—just do it! She commanded herself, summoning her magic and spreading it through her entire body, visualizing her jackal form.

Now that she knew what she looked like once transformed, the shift was far easier than the first time. In an instant, her symbolic animal replaced her human body, allowing her to slip free of the criminal’s grasp. He stumbled back, startled by the young woman’s sudden disappearance.

"Shoot!" he ordered his men.

"We can’t see anything! We might hit you!" one of the bandits atop the cliff shouted.

"I don’t care! Kill them, or we’re all dead!" he screamed in desperation before turning on his heel to flee.

The scene unfolded so quickly that Anaïs’ mind struggled to process all the information. After escaping the grip of the bandit leader, she leaped in her jackal form toward Emsaf, urging him to retreat and guiding him to safety a few meters away, thanks to her night vision. Anubis had taken advantage of the chaos to transform as well, scaling the cliffside with effortless agility. She caught sight of him reaching the top before pouncing on one of the archers.

Moments later, the air was filled with the agonized screams of the man under attack, though she couldn't see Anubis' precise movements due to the height. She could only imagine the horrors he was inflicting on them, judging by the bloodcurdling cries escaping their lips.

And truthfully, it was a relief. Anaïs was not naïve enough to believe that, at this stage, sparing their attackers was a priority. She didn't need to witness the carnage to know that Anubis was tearing their limbs apart and crushing their necks with his powerful animal jaws. With her heightened hearing, she could perfectly track the source of the screams, following Anubis' lethal path as he dispatched their enemies one by one.

When she turned toward the leader, she saw him stumbling away, hands pressed against the rock wall to guide himself in the darkness. His face was twisted in pure terror, sweat dripping from his forehead and neck. He seemed to have realized exactly who he was dealing with and had abandoned his comrades entirely in a desperate bid to save his own life.

Not a chance—you’re not escaping us, Anaïs thought, sprinting soundlessly toward the fleeing man. He might not be able to see her, but he certainly couldn’t evade her when her jackal fangs clamped down forcefully around his ankle.

He let out a piercing scream, thrashing his leg in a futile attempt to shake her off, but his blind kicks were easy to dodge. Disgusted by the taste of his blood yet unwavering in her resolve, she tightened her grip, refusing to let go until, at last, he collapsed with a heavy thud.

"Don’t move if you want to live," she warned, pressing a paw against his chest and growling to make it clear she was ready to rip out his throat.

"Please," he whimpered, his voice shaking with fear. "Spare me, and I’ll take you to the artifacts! You can have them!"

Anubis descended the cliff in a few effortless bounds, joining Anaïs at her side to take over watching the man. Drops of blood dripped from his muzzle, and his black fur was slick in places with a viscous liquid—undoubtedly the archers’ blood. His fearsome appearance would have terrified anyone, yet Anaïs trusted him completely. He looked like a bloodthirsty beast, but she knew the truth: he was just and kind beneath it all.

"Take his torch back to Emsaf. He should wait for us at the carriage," Anubis instructed, nodding toward the fallen torch that had been dropped when he extinguished the flames.

Anaïs nodded, darting away in her animal form. She trotted to the wooden torch, picked it up, and placed it at Emsaf’s feet so he could retrieve it despite the darkness. Once it was securely in his hands, Anubis returned to his human form, snapping his fingers to create a spark that reignited the torch. As the flames bathed the cliffs in the light once more, Anaïs followed his lead, shifting back into her human shape.

"Are you sure you want to go alone? We don’t know how many are waiting at their camp," Emsaf cautioned.

"I think he understands that challenging a god isn’t in his best interest, isn’t that right?" Anubis sneered, his voice dripping with venom as he glared at the bandit leader.

"I’ll leave it to you, then," Emsaf said, barely hiding his relief.

The collector turned and left, his path illuminated by the torch. Anaïs, now without her night vision, watched as Anubis—seemingly unbothered by the darkness—walked a few meters ahead, retrieving the torch the leader had abandoned. He lit it the same way he had before.

Speaking of gods…

"Who is the other buyer?" Anaïs asked, crouching beside the man still sprawled on the ground.

"If… if he finds out I told you… he’ll kill me," the bandit stammered, inching away from her intense gaze.

"If you don’t talk, we’ll kill you too," Anubis snapped, his patience wearing thin.

The man swallowed hard, trembling.

"He’s a god… like you…"