The layers of thick mist that clung around Garu shifted through the trees with his movements. He backtracked along the teenage humans’ trail, taking care with every leap he made; if these enemies were following the path they’d left, then it would be here he would find them.

Garu took his time, being cautious to remain hidden in the branches and foliage of the ancient trees that lead toward the valley. The fact these creatures could pick up their scent, even after he’d joined them and tried to mitigate their presence in the jungle, told him they were possibly trained hunters.

Hours passed in his meticulous search, knowing he hadn’t missed the hunters since there was only one path they could follow; the group was a decent distance behind, which was excellent. They had a good head start, and they could make a swift retreat if it came down to it.

The noises of the jungle filled his sharpened senses as he prowled through the undergrowth, light now brightening the heavens as the third day of his trip shone its warm rays. Still, he hadn’t found their pursuers, making him worry a tad; Nelika would likely be catching up to him soon.

As he expected, the more accomplished scout soon appeared out of a bush, almost giving him a heart attack with her big grin and flashing spots.

“Hello! Wow, still on the hunt, huh? Ya think ol’ Gumbi’s losing his touch?”

Garu tried to ignore her disrespectful tone and glowing patterns; then again, it could also just be a slight change in the dialect that made him perceive it as lacking respect for her grandfather. He had to remind himself that the Xaria Of Excellence had asked him to excuse her behavior and Ymanza had quite the opinion of her, so… maybe not so much of a dialect difference.

“I’m being cautious,” he messaged back, blue spots shimmering.

“Mmh…”

“What?”

She blushed and giggled, looking at his spots before looking away.

“Okay? We should…”

“Oh! This way!”

Garu wanted to curse as she jumped higher in the trees, increasing her speed to a rather alarming degree for trying to remain hidden. Following behind, he extended his mist to its maximum degree without added liquid; he had two bodies to hide in the fog now.

“What are you doing—you’ll give away our position!”

“I can just turn into wind, and you into fog; it’s fine! Besides, I can hear their voices in the wind!”

“Nelika!” Garu jumped forward to grab her arm, making her skin shade green.

She almost lost her balance as he dragged her into a nearby haze of thick leaves, allowing the fog to catch up and surround them. “W-What?”

Glaring at her hesitant flashing spots, Garu tried to temper his flaring emotions. “This isn’t the desert or your territory—I don’t want to see you die or get hurt.”

“Oh…” The sticky saliva in her throat moved to her stomach as her hyperactive cheer diminished a tad. “Okay… Pop said I should listen to you—heh, you know, even if you’re lower rank than me.”

Falling back on his training, Garu was at least happy she wasn’t putting up a fight. “It’s because you’re in unknown territory, and I have seniority in-field knowledge…”

He paused, having the idea of trying to distract her a bit while getting to know the slightly older girl. “I hear the desert is like the planes, and you can see great distances. Is that true?”

Nelika’s four left teeth pressed against her lip as she settled in next to him, glancing toward the south. “Umm… yeah, I suppose, but… no, the dunes—eh, sandhills,” she muttered at his blank look, “can hide way more enemies and threats… Or so I’m told.”

“Mhm, but you can see far better than in the jungle?”

“Oh, definitely! This place is insane,” she smiled, brushing her finger against a large leaf to Garu's inner groan. “It’s so crowded… filled with so many little creatures and colorful things. Hehe, you don’t get sand in your mouth or eyes, and you don’t need to clean your toes that much.”

“Interesting… and you need to clean your toes quite often if you go down by a river or step in the mud; leaving tracks will only get you killed… What?” he asked as she glared at him.

“Is all you think about scouting?”

“Eh… I hate to break it to you, Nelika… but I’m a scout… you’re a scout… Our clans rely on us to map out and deliver reliable information that can be used to protect their warriors. We have to remain vigilant, or it could spell the death of dozens, if not hundreds of valuable members of the Clan.”

“Mmgm… You’re cute but so uptight,” Nelika grumbled, crossing her arms and shifting her focus to the jungle floor below them. “I only became a scout because it gave me the most time away from the village.”

Garu wanted to hiss out a breath but refrained, keeping his attention in the direction Nelika was guiding them; he half wondered if she was playing a trick on him. “I can tell.”

“What does that mean?” she sniffed.

“Nothing… You have good ears; can you hear what they’re saying or tell what they are?”

“It’s not my ears that do the hearing,” she rolled her eyes, pointing at her white spots. “I expect you to do your fog stuff with yours, too.”

Feeling a tad silly for the comment he really should have known, Garu took a slow, quiet breath. “You’re right… What can you hear?”

“Hmm? Say that again,” she grinned, probably looking for validation.

“You’re right.”

“Thank you! Humph, most other Ri’bot won’t admit when I’m right… Umm,” her mood seemed to lighten as she rubbed the back of her neck and yawned. “I don’t know… they sound weird… hissing and like… low grunts in their throat? Mmh… I think they have tails; heh, they bat them against the trunks every once in a while.”

“How far away?”

“Hmm… four kilometers… give or take ten meters.”

Garu’s forehead creased in shock; she’d pinpointed them over a hundred meters back before this point. No one in the Ethereal could hear that far away; the Wind Clan’s trait was no joke, and she was only a Grade-2 scout.

“What? Is that, umm, low?” she self-consciously whispered. “I just barely reached Grade-2, so…”

“No,” he muttered, spots flashing as he gave her an impressed smile that seemed to catch her off-guard. “That’s amazing… I had no idea you could hear that far… in the jungle, no less. We have plenty of time to prepare.”

Nelika beamed at his praise. “Oh, well, heh, yeah! I’m super good like that—you know, I can hear even father in the desert… umm, you should come and look—well, see me some time so… you know, I can show you.”

Garu’s attention had moved to the southeast, where he sensed a body of water he could use, absently gesturing for her to follow. “Yeah, if the Empress allows, I’d like to see the desert… Over here, I’ll gather a thicker fog so we can remove our presence more and make it harder for them to spot us.”

A mixed expression crossed the girl’s features as she hopped after him. “If… your Empress allows it… Mmgh… How long could you stay?”

Jumping down from the branches to get as much time as he could to mitigate spending more energy in a rush job, Garu shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know; besides, you’ll probably be in Nethermore for a bit…”

Nelika slowed to a stop, making Garu look back at her to see a shocked look on her face. “Something wrong… did you hear something?”

“I’m… staying in Nethermore for a while… Woah, woah, woah, that’s… I didn’t think about that… I’m going to be away from the desert for a while…”

“Hold up… You seriously didn’t think about that?”

Is she stupid? I don’t know if she can think things through at all or if she’s just really good at playing dumb…

Complex expression taking her, Nelika tried to smile, but the hormones leaking out of her skin told Garu she felt a bit of fear. “No, it’s just… I’ve never been so far from the desert or… It’s just all kind of sinking in, hehe, umm… I’m going to be alone…”

“Uh… am I just wind in your ear?” Garu questioned.

Definitely stupid.

She still looked apprehensive, but a small smile lifted her lips. “Yeah… you’ll be with me… Thanks, Garu.”

“Sure…”

They continued to the stream, the older girl wearing a slightly green tint to her caramel skin. She only has a few modes… obstinate, reckless, dumb, and embarrassed. What’s her deal?

Figuring he could find out a bit of any confidential information she was undoubtedly holding that he could feed to the Royal Court, Garu stood in a small pond and went about feeding the fog.

“By the way, why did the Xaria of Excellence ask to have you meet with the Empress; to ask for an alliance?”

Nelika sat on a rock nearby, squinting to see his blurred outline as the mist thickened. “Right… Pop wanted me to tell you about that caravan thing, too. Umm… basically, I’m supposed to look at what your Empress has going on and see if I can trust her enough to help my Clan. Kind of a simple job, really.”

“Simple,” Garu repeated with a sigh. “Nelika… your great-grandfather, a Xaria of Excellence, is placing what he fears to be the potential destruction of your Clan on your shoulders; there’s nothing simple about that.”

“Heh, what are you talking about?” Nelika smirked, waving his statement off. “We’ll be fine. My Pop can be so melodramatic; there’s no way the Cartalian would pick a fight, and he’s still got another thirty years if we’re going by our average life span.”

Garu wanted to point out that her great-grandfather was not in the picture of health, considering the severe damage likely already done to his internal organs from whatever battle he’d engaged in—which he wanted to know in detail—yet that would have to wait.

“Right… the Cnaxar Federation?”

“Mmh, right,” Nelika mumbled, kicking her legs against the water in a bored way. “Not too impressed, personally. Pop met them early in the morning with the others and had me come. They’re looking to do trade and have some of the Ancient Gems they were trying to peddle.”

Garu’s muscles locked up. “Ancient Gems… How is that not important?”

“Meh, we have a good stock already, and they were unactivated ones, so… heh, not much use to Ri’bot that don’t know what they’re doing.”

“Like the Cartalian?” Garu hissed, making Nelika’s legs pause in the rippling water.

“Oh… right, the Cartalian… Uh, I guess they would know how to do it, but I’m pretty sure they have more than enough.”

Garu’s gut tightened at the pivotal information. If the Cartalian are low on stock, and that’s why they’ve branched out of the desert and haven’t attacked Nelika’s clan… No, if the Cartalian allied themselves to the Morseng and Polsan Clans, giving them ancient weapons… If the technology starts spreading, our enemies will be difficult to deal with.

Nelika may have been talented, Garu would say she was beyond the word since he could claim it for his age, yet she wasted it; the pride of a privileged clan that had grown up in a time of peace.

Sober at the thoughts mulling around his brain, he looked up at the fog swirling around him; something unexpected was heading his way. He’s returning? It’s been three days since he left to make his rounds… When will he reach me… Ten hours if he continues at the same speed.

“Garu?”

“Hmm… options are opening up, and a scout should avoid conflict when possible.”

“Uh-huh? I’ve heard the lessons; I am a grade above you,” she snickered.

In practical scout training only, Garu dully thought while looking at her shining grin through the fog. Is she trying to make a joke or get me to laugh? Whatever, I shouldn’t waste energy trying to decipher her strange behavior.

“We’re going to scout this group, Nelika, not engage.”

“Aww, but I’m bored,” she grumbled, kicking her feet in the water again. “I can’t see all the pretty and interesting jungle things with all this fog you’re throwing around… and if I get rid of these annoying trackers, I’ll get to see it all again! Hehe, so…”

“Nelika… do you trust the—mmgm… Do you trust your Pop at all?”

She sat a little straighter. “Of course I do! Eh-heh, when he’s not joking or kidding around… which he does way too much! I love him for it, though.”

Translation… Basically, whenever you disagree with, Garu wanted to reply but kept it to himself.

“Do you think he was joking when he said they were strong?”

Nelika’s brow furrowed, teeth pressing against her lower lips. “Mmh… no.”

“He knew you’d be here with me?”

She looked away, rubbing her elbow. “I… guess.”

“So… put those together,” Garu slowly prompted, trying not to sound condescending… not doing well to accomplish his goal by her green shade.

“I’m not stupid!”

He sighed. “Just humor me…”

“Mmgm… He was saying… they’re probably stronger than both of us working together, but he doesn’t know how strong you are! Humph. Pop, going ahead and doubting the Ethereal Clan. Am I right?!”

Garu wanted to chuckle at her hopeful grin. She really is something.

“Playing to my Clan’s pride isn’t going to change the circumstances, Nelika… I get that you’re struggling to entertain yourself, but getting yourself hurt isn’t… going to get me points with your Pop!” he redirected, about to bring up the elderly legend’s comments about her marital prospects and how scaring her body wasn’t going to help her.

Yeah, best to avoid that much of a bite… I do need her cooperation, but I’m not wrong. Ugh, maybe I’m just too picky…

Truly mystifying, his changed meaning had the girl’s bright eyes sparkling and a beaming smile on her lips, and if he was being honest, she was pretty eye-catching at the right angle—no Ethereal woman; that’s for sure—yet compared to every other Ri’bot he’d seen from multiple clans, she had a rather unique appeal to her caramel skin and white spotted patterns.

“You’re concerned about me… Okay, umm, I’ll follow your lead, but if they look weak enough, I’m gonna clobber them! Hehe, I can bring them back and give them as a present to your Empress lady!”

“Mmh-hmm-hmm…”

There it is… the stupidity again.

“Let’s play it by ear.”

“Hehe! My specialty!”

“I thought that was your spots.”

“Can’t I be good at both?! Aren’t I talented?! Hmm… hmm?!”

“The best ear-hearer this side of the Crowning Mountains,” Garu absently replied, preparing to go.

“Hoho! Give me a week, and your Empress lady will be so impressed, she’ll beg me to train her soldiers!”

Garu forced a laugh as an image of High Ladies Iris and Sari’aél firmly fixated in his mind. “Yeah… keep dreaming,”

“You’ll see!”

“I’m sure.”

“I’m the daughter of a legend!” she boasted, clearly more joking this time with her snickering and spot winks.

Mood lightening a tad, Garu exited the water and tried off on a nearby leaf to rub the smell of the jungle into his skin again. “Wasn’t it great-granddaughter?”

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“My dad’s pretty hot stuff, too! You’ll have to fight him when we get back.”

“Eh… why?”

“Reasons!”

“Reasons…”

“Reasons!”

“Okay.”

“Yes!”

“No, I wasn’t…”

“You said yes!”

“You’re impossible to talk to.”

“Hehe, I get that a lot!”

“That’s not… mmgm. Are you ready?”

“Yup! Let’s tie em up and show them how scary the Mist can be! I’m a ghhooost of your ancestors!”

“Is that really something you do in the desert?”

“What, you’ve never had ancestor ghost stories?”

“No?”

“Ohh, you’re missing out! Haha! I’ll have you so scared you’ll jump into my arms!”

“Doubtful.”

“Bet!”

Already wasting too much time, Garu just jumped into the nearby tree with Nelika snickering behind him about chickening out.

She really has no sense of danger whatsoever…

What did frighten him was how she’d react when she really was in trouble; she had training, but that wasn’t the real threat of death.

He’d seen his mortality when only two years old, in the towering giant of a Quen’Talrat he’d been forced to confront as a part of his coming of age ceremony; not an Elite Hunter, yet any type of Quen’Talrat was terrifying, especially after their White God returned from the north.

Garu crept through the jungle with Nelika bringing up the rearer, she was taking the task seriously, which he appreciated, and it didn’t take long for them to find their targets.

To Nelika, who didn’t have the gift of the Empress’ translation ability, the odd sounds they made were nothing but gibberish, yet as he neared, voices became clear; five were in the party.

“I ‘ate this jungle—agh, I step in goo and these thistles it rips ma fine silk—blah, and this agitatin’ scent that makes my nose…” he sneezed, making a female giggle.

“If ya had brought the right mask, ya would’ve been saved the itchin’, but ya stubborn thin tail be slappin’ every trunk!”

“‘An’t be bothered—not like we be lookin’ ta stay here long… Rogri’da, how close we gettin’?”

“Aye, ya been slowin’ down,” the woman hissed. “I be… Fog… denser than mi skin!”

A younger sounded girl hummed. “It’s odd… I think they took to the tree branches,” she mumbled, looking up as the mist drew around them. “Maluka’si…”

“Aye… it be unnatural, and ya smell that? Nothin’.”

Two of the party didn’t speak as the first’s snarled, and Garu’s vision narrowed; white-scaled Nalveans; he’d never seen the color in the war, and given the Ri’bot had different abilities based on lineage, he didn’t want to test them.

He motioned for Nelika that they would retreat, only for her to give him an incredulous look, spots flashing far too brightly given enemies were nearby.

“They look so strange and can’t see—”

She froze in place as one of the silent males held up some kind of long-barreled device in the fraction of a second, Garu gripping her shoulder to pull her to the side as a crack split the air; a projectile of some kind whizzing by Nelika’s eye, making the atmosphere still, and he placed a hand over her mouth, trying to tell her not to move.

The white-scaled Nalveans scanned the fog, Maluka’si speaking after several seconds in a low tone. “You see that light, too, Rogri’da?”

“I did, but I didn’t hear anything fall… silent as the stilled sea. I don’t like it.”

“Mmh… Ya hear those tales some of those split-tail land lovers speak of… The silent mist that kills the Flaming Apes?”

“Hmm… I have heard a tale or two,” the first responded to the man that shot at Nelika; the girl was still utterly still, and Garu could feel her pounding heart through his connected mist as he waited.

“Whatcha think?” Maluka’si laughed. “Our targets be out there?”

Barrel still raised in their direction, Garu’s eyes narrowed, manipulating the fog to swirl to the right, pulling his odd weapon. “Somethin’s out there…”

Rogri’da pulled out a hilt for a swirl of liquid to be pulled out of the scabbard to form into a thin, deadly sword, and a grin split her lips as she slashed the air to her right, sending a razor-thin arc that sliced through leaves, slender branches, and bit a decent distance into a tree; a small, harmless lizard half the size of Garu was split in half, falling to the ground.

Nelika’s left blade slipped from her arm; he managed to catch it before it struck the trunk.

Reading the mood, Garu started to release his grip on the fog nearest the lizard, making Maluka’si giggle as it came into view. “Ah… Nice one, Rogri’da… We got some supper for later!”

“Ugh… it’s ugly,” Rogri’da grumbled, moving forward to poke at it. “Seems to be makin’ this gravin’ mist, though. Probably some kinda defensive thing… Ah, caught the trail again.”

“Meh… Wastin’ our time,” the first grunted, kicking the creature as they continued through the brush.

Garu’s narrowed vision shifted to Nelika, chest still pumping and a few tears in her eyes. I knew she’d freeze… she’s never killed in her life… probably never even seen real death. Still, it’s my fault for not preparing her for how the Ethereal operates.

Gesturing for the internally panicking girl to follow him, he wondered if Gumbi wanted her to join him to gain that experience; it would undoubtedly be something his parents would have done.

He led her in a wide circle to reach the outskirts of the jungle before it rose up the dark green mountains, leading into the valley. “Nelika…”

“I-It almost—my eye… it…”

“It would have been your throat had I not… Nelika?”

He stumbled back as she threw her arms around him, trembling against his body. “I—I almost… it…”

“Breathe… You’re alive,” he soothed, awkwardly returning the embrace and rubbing her back. “Nelika, will you follow my lead now?”

“Mmh-hmm-hmm…” she whimpered, unable to keep her second blade from falling to the mud.

A long stream of air blew through his lips. “What… do you need?”

“Just—hold me… please…”

“Okay…”

Her chest fluttered against his, strong arms tightening around his body as she wept; he’d never seen any scout act so utterly helpless, even the one and two-year-olds would have leaped into action to escape, yet Nelika had been totally paralyzed.

Minutes passed, and eventually, she gently pulled away, shame in her eyes as she weakly bent down to retrieve her knife, yet paused an inch from the hilt; she spoke aloud for the first time, throat sticky and cheeks wet. “I’m… sorry, Garu… I…”

Garu cleared his throat, bending his legs to bring her hand to her weapon and giving the older girl a small smile; he didn’t understand it, but he could empathize with her shame. “All we can do is pick ourselves up and try again… You’ll follow my lead?”

Four teeth on either side drawing a little blood, her downcast eyes didn’t leave the weapon in her trembling fingers; she could only get one word out. “Yes…”

Handing her the other, Garu gently rubbed her shoulder, pulling her gaze. “We need to move… Currently, we can’t handle that group, and even if you were up to it, it’s too heavy of a risk after what we saw.”

“What about… those other creatures you’re trying to protect… don’t you need to kill or capture these things?”

“Heh, we need to avoid them… trust me.”

Stepping in, she hesitated and retreated, pulling herself together. “Right… I, umm, can you… forget that I…”

Garu chuckled. “If I did, it wouldn't be easier on you… What if I promise to help you overcome your fear?”

“You can do that?”

“Heh, we won’t know until we try, and the Ethereal have pretty good ways of countering fear!”

“Really?”

“Mhm!”

“I… I trust you, Garu!”

“Good! Alright, let’s go; we have a lot to prepare for.”

Waiting for a second to make sure she was okay to move out, he gave her a smile in hopes of helping her regain her confidence. Hmm… is Gumbi trying to break her out of the sheltered life she’s been in? Certainly, it isn’t he that has allowed her to be so carefree… Her father?

He put the thoughts in the back of his head and guided her to those he’d hidden in the cave; they were a little shocked to see him bring back a new Ri’bot and how melancholy she was. In truth, Garu wanted the peppy Nelika back, but her shame wouldn’t disappear for several hours, much less two, having picked up their pace to outpace the slow Nalvean group.

To his relief, the little Dryad girl was doing better after the group gathered around her to express that she was an essential part of their group; Garu suspected it wasn’t exactly what she was looking for, but the Empress could handle what he didn’t understand.

Informing them about their pursuers, he set their frantic leader’s mind at ease, saying they were moving the timeline up to rescue his girlfriend.

He left Nelika to guard them as he went to recover Valentina, hoping that by showing her he still had trust in her that it would lift her spirits, which did seem to help.

When he found the Tiger Beastkin, she was eating a raw meal of meat the girl had gathered, grinning as he dropped out of the trees. “Garu! Yes! I could hear you coming—heh, at least a little bit.”

“Heh, I wasn’t trying to hide from you.”

“Still an improvement!”

“Not wrong; you’ve made excellent progress.”

“So? Am I ready for the Ragnlar?”

Garu hummed. “You’re going to have to be. We need to get this human girl out as soon as possible.”

“Great!”

Garu looked to the southwest. Not quite as fast as I would have hoped… but just maybe…

Jumping into the trees, he followed Valentina as the girl went to a pond to wash herself off in preparation for the hunt, not wanting the scent of blood on her to draw the Ragnlar’s attention.

They needed to get back and change locations soon, yet he should have enough time to get this piece, and it was the most critical part of the plan.

He let Valentina make her own progress and set her own pace, gauging her aptitude as she tracked the fearsome jungle predator; her skills had sharpened considerably, impressing him with every action she took.

The Tiger Beastkin soon gave up the trail for sound as she discovered the beast’s loud movements and actions, warning other Ragnlar to keep clear of his territory before clawing at the trees and spreading his scent.

Garu took up an aerial view to see her slowly prowl in the branches above the black-furred fiend of the jungle; its four muscular front legs and two hind legs pawed the earth, nose rising to sniff the air.

Its green highlights flared, activating its sensory perception the stalking girl above was unaware of, and the spiny spikes on its back twitched with its furry, blade-like tail swaying left and right as the male Ragnlar scanned the branches above, a low snarl rumbling through the earth.

Time slowed before Valentina pounced, roaring her entrance for the Ragnlar to jump up to meet her, two clawed paws reaching to grab her into a hug for its second pair to gut her, yet the energy-like talons that formed around her arms met the beast’s scaled legs and bit into them.

Rolling in the air, she winced as it penetrated her coat to draw blood, yet after several grappling swipes from both, Valentina went for its jaw before it could use it, ripping it out to bathe in its blood.

Her tail managed to stop his, keeping it at bay, and eventually, her claws found their way past the beast’s mane to rip long gashes in its throat, leaving her panting and sweating above her prey, green and red liquid coating her fur.

Tears in her eyes as she cradled her chest and arm, she watched Garu jump down to examine her work, giving him a tired, weak laugh. “I… I did it! Oof… mmgh, it hurts… but, heh, it feels good, too!”

“How are your muscles?”

“Stressed… He was a strong thing… Way stronger than even the bigger things I killed.”

“That was actually a small one… young.”

“Hah, I guess I got some work to do!” she puffed out a long stream of stressed air. “I’ve been increasing my regeneration, so I should have most of these healed by tonight. Uh-heh, I suppose we’re moving up the timeline, though?”

“We are… How healed will you be?”

“Enough.”

Garu smirked; she really was a born hunter, despite what she claimed her past was like. “You know what to do?”

“Skin the prey, bathe in his insides, and wear him like a bloody coat!”

“You’ve got it. I’ll need you to move along the mountain range to the west and avoid the path we took; be careful, Ragnlar scent is potent, and we’re being hunted ourselves.”

“Mmgm…” Valentina glared at her flexing fingers. “I wish I could try hunting them.”

“You’d die.”

“Not even a chance, huh?”

“Zero.”

“Damn… Well, I’ll get stronger! So, time for Operation Rescue Weak Damsel?”

“Whatever that means, yes.”

“Great! I’ll get things ready and eat a bit more… That took a lot out of my stomach… fur included! Hehehe!”

Garu left her to work to collect Nelika; luckily, the Nalveans hadn’t reached the location, and he took them along the jungle. They needed all the time they could get because of the slow pace of the humans.

He was sure the Nalveans would pick up their pace once finding this trail since they weren’t trying to hide anymore; it wouldn’t do them any good, and time was of the essence. Plus, he expected they’d go a bit slower, being in unknown territory, a trap was likely in their sudden change in strategy, but it didn’t matter if they expected it or not.

Reaching the river point that would bring them to the Roxim’s camp, they crossed the path the Nalveans had taken two hours earlier; he wanted to give their pursuers plenty of time so they wouldn’t double back or cross paths in any way.

Naturally, Rafael was nervous, throwing up along the way, but his job was pretty simple, and Garu created the heavy mist they’d need in the dwindling light of the day; he wanted to do this in the dead of night, yet the Nalveans would catch them by that point, and Valentina was already waiting a reasonable distance away from the camp to not be noticed.

Collecting them, he prepared to put his plan into action, communicating to everyone involved as the last pieces fell into place; unfortunately, given the information that needed to be brought to the Empress’ attention, he couldn’t be sure if it would work, but he had hope.

Stealthily moving through the fog, Garu had an anxious Nelika protect Gorka, Cristian, and Nicole as he, Rafael, and Valentina snuck into the high-alert camp; the Roxim were warriors, not scouts by trade, which put them at a severe disadvantage against the stealth tactics.

Garu was the one to silently slit their throats for Valentina to ravage their corpses to the extent that they’d believe it was the beast that became a silent assassin when dealing with large groups and not a territorial fight.

He hadn’t been able to check patrols, so he relied on his senses through the fog to guide them, keeping the teens close, and after scanning the areas for the particular details Rafael mentioned to him, which wasn’t easy considering humans all looked pretty similar except a slight shade in skin and hair tone, he’d found her.

The Roxim had many adolescent, teenage, and a few adult women mainly kept in cages of three, which meant they had two more bodies since the warriors would have expected the other two to be taken by a Ragnlar, as well. Still, it was doable.

Shayla had blonde hair, unlike most of the humans he’d seen back at Nethermore, and her bright blue eyes and spotted cheeks made the girl fairly easy to identify; the modest bust didn’t help, though, when it seemed many young girls had a small chest size.

Tears leaked down her face as Rafael whispered her name, putting a finger to his lips as the other two struggled with their ropes to right themselves. All of their clothing had been stripped, and to Garu, they seemed to be of similar age; cuts, bruises, and mud-caked their skin; the smell of waste was also pungent.

The pieces of woven cloth seemed to be a big deal to the boyfriend, which Garu didn’t understand, but communicating to Nicole through her vines, she managed to craft them a possible outfit. It took a few minutes to get the women to the point that they understood they couldn’t rescue everyone, and Garu had to pick one up and force the whimpering girl back, but her mumbling about her sister was soft enough he wasn’t alarmed.

Once clear, Valentina smeared the blood she’d collected from her prey all across the cage and nearby guards, managing to silently kill a wandering warrior checking on supplies.

This wasn't the tricky part; his mist could temporarily block scent and keep the dozens of dead hidden from view; the Roxim were relatively helpless against any form of assassination when spread out and preparing for what seemed to be a patrol with the more prominent clans. Things had been fortuitous, to say the least.

On their swift escape, Garu hissed, stopping Valentina as she panted heavily; her energy was running severely low at this point, which meant Nelika may need to carry Cristian in her place.

The caramel-skinned Ri’bot had been the one to signal to him, a shiver running down her frame as she no doubt heard the hunting party; they were only thirty minutes out of the Roxim camp, and there would be a small party that would go after them, but nothing like what it would have been if they’d suspected a spy and not a jungle beast.

“How far away?”

“Same as before… four kilometers. Wait…” she shivered. “They’re heading right for us—they’ll reach us in five minutes at this pace! They can see through your fog? What if…”

A better question would be why she didn’t turn into wind, but he let that slide and smiled. “Let’s keep going… We’re safe.”

Confusion passed between the party, following his lead in the silent mist swirling around them. Nelika quaked, and as they continued, the humans focused on the flashing white spots on the caramel-skinned Ri’bot.

“Garu… t-they’re getting closer… laughing—I think they’re laughing… T-That sound?! It’s so fast!”

A harmonic, fierce song of chirps silenced everything in the jungle, filling Garu’s breast with relief as a wave of dread darkening heavens; a torrent of heavy winds swept through the canopy to the clarion call that vibrated through the air, ripping thick branches from their ancient trunks before loud bangs and panicked shouts came from the Nalveans, only a short distance ahead of them.

“W-What is that?” Shayla quivered, her boyfriend shaking his head.

“I don’t… know. Garu? It sounds like a bird… only massive…”

Hope filled Nelika’s eyes. “It… Who?”

Garu answered by pushing ahead into the clearing the Nalveans had been running through, and near its center stood a colossal aviary predator from the far north, dropping the head of a bloodied Maluka’si to the red-painted grass.

His beak or talons hadn’t torn the white-scaled Nalveans to pieces, but his rhythmic melody, cutting through the atmosphere to leave raking claw marks embedded deep inside the soil, now filling with their pursuers’ blood.

“Thank you for your assistance, Lord Voukey,” Garu bowed and placed his fist over his chest; Nelika hesitated before her wide eyes scanned the devastated ground and eviscerated corpses.

“How… So fast?”

“L-Lord?” Valentina gasped, seemingly putting two and two together before lowering herself further.

Voukey’s voice made Nelika and the humans straighten in shock, deep, smooth, and masculine. “You called out for aid… What information have you gathered for our glorious Empress; I will carry it to her now.”

Garu swiftly relayed what he’d found through the Nexus and that he was escorting the humans Tiffany had requested to the Empire; they should be back within two days at the soonest if weather and their path were clear.

All the humans and Nelika could do was gawk at the giant bird, swallowing as Garu concluded his report for Voukey’s monstrous talons to smash one of the Nalven’s skulls, his dark tone in Garu’s mind.

“What of these Judicus Pirates… This Xaria of Excellence hinted that Demon sent them, yet I am more concerned about how they managed to traverse all of the Nalvean-guarded land undetected. High Lady Iris has sent a rather… alarming report to give the Empress, involving their light-scaled kind. Why are they so far to the north?”

I cannot say, Lord.

Their attention was swiftly diverted to the Roxim hunting party that had caught up to them, jumping out of the trees to hang back upon seeing the carnage, yet their distance was of no concern.

Valentina, the humans, and Nelika lost their legs as Voukey muttered one word. “Rip.”

An invisible wave cut Ri’bot flesh and bone to ribbons, followed by the ground and two layers of trees behind the party; clearly, the most powerful Songweaver of the Empire had not been slacking since leaving for the south, and considering he was of the same Grade as Lady Violet, he instantly knew if the colossal bird made his appearance, they’d be safe.

“No way… Just… one syllable can…” Nelika whispered, hugging herself and looking to him for some form of comfort.

Garu responded as if the Roxim hadn’t existed, giving the Mythic Flock General his undivided attention. I am not informed on the state of the Nalvean Empire, Lord. All I can say is that they were strong enough to make me want to avoid them to prioritize the information I had gained and protect the ambassador.

Voukey’s intense green irises shifted to the trembling caramel-skinned girl beside him, unable to stand in his presence any longer. “Hmm… You suggest she remain with you instead of returning with me?”

Yes, Lord Voukey. She is in shock after seeing your great power and entrance; I suspect she will need time to come to terms with what has happened to her, and entering the great gates of Nethermore will undoubtedly instill a lasting image in her mind. I believe this is needed.

“Very well. I sense no more pursuers in this direction, and I must return to the Empress.”

Safe flight, My Lord.

Overwhelmed, the collapsed group shrank as Voukey unfurled his vast wings and shot into the sky as a shimmering green blur, accelerating once reaching higher altitudes.

Garu turned to Nelika with an innocent smile. “That was Lord Voukey, a high-ranking member of the Empress’ Communication, Songweaver, and Spy Core; he happened to be checking up on what I’d learned thus far before returning to Nethermore. We were lucky.”

“Hah-hahaha,” Nelika mumbled. “That’s like…”

“A high-ranking Xaira.”

“Uh-huh…”

Valentina wore a big grin as she followed his emerald-streaked flight over the mountains. “He’s… amazing.”

“You’ll meet more like Lord Voukey in Nethermore. Now, should we get going; heh, we shouldn’t keep the Empress waiting too long, right?”

They slowly nodded, struggling to their feet to begin their journey at a more leisurely pace now, passing the carnage of the white-scaled Nalveans and ruined field.