Huntar rolled to the side before Rani's blades reached him. Back on his feet, he groaned as his back stung.

He dropped his sword and faced his opponent with his arms out. “I’m unarmed! Take me if you can!” He chuckled quietly under his breath.

Rani studied him with her lips pursed. When her eyes turned narrow, she lunged with a scream.

With a grin, Huntar spun around Rani, dodging her blades as he slid toward her back. Before she turned, Hunter threw a chop into her neck which struck her down to the ground. She fainted before she landed face first near Huntar.

The crowd cheered for his victory. At least most of them.

The hyena growled while shaking his fists. “You cheated! My Rani wouldn’t lose that easily!”

Huntar laughed. “Maybe you trained her to be reckless, fiend.”

The hyena’s face turned red, and he pulled out a dagger. “I’ll show you who is reckless!”

The slave master slid down into the pit and charged the lion.

“Look out!” Jenny cried.

With one foot, Huntar kicked one of Rani’s blades into the air. He caught her sword with one hand and threw it toward the hyena.

The sword struck the hyena’s chest. He vomited blood as his body collapsed to the ground. His last breath escaped from his bloody open mouth.

Everyone dropped their mouths in silence. Even Jenny, Zena, Torag, and Basju’s faces turned speechless.

After Huntar pulled the sword out from the hyena’s corpse, he raised the blood-coated blade over his head. His eyes glared at the crowd. “Your losses are yours now! Take whatever this fiend has, but the slave is mine! Do as you wish!”

The villagers shouted with joy and lunged into the pit like a stampede. They grabbed the hyena’s body and grabbed whatever he carried inside his porches and pockets.

Huntar sheathed his broadsword and carried the panther woman out of the pit. The tribe had already grabbed her swords, but sparing her life was Huntar’s only concern.

Back on the upper ground, his companions raced toward him with joy.

“Outstanding, my friend!” Basju cheered. “You showed that panther who is the true alpha.”

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Huntar chuckled. “I only wished to spare this poor female from a life of servitude. She doesn’t deserve to make wealth for that fiend.”

“But what are you going to do with her now?” Zena asked with frustration in her voice. “We never planned to have another member in our group!”

Huntar shrugged to keep Rani’s body across his right shoulder. “We’ll let her decide after she wakes up.” He grimaced. “First, I need to heal my wounds. She moved like a speeding blade.”

Jenny giggled. “You are a typical hero, Huntar.”

The lion smiled at her.

*****

Jenny sat on her knees, watching the panther woman under a palm tree. After Huntar rubbed some remedy on his wounds, the group immediately left to avoid the crowd. A clear path led them into the dune plains, where they found a small oasis near the palm tree. It was a good spot for them to rest and wait to see the panther woman recover.

Rani opened her eyes and widened them when she noticed Jenny. She jumped onto all fours and hissed with her fangs out.

Jenny shook her hands up. "It’s okay! You are safe with us!"

Rani's back hunched up while her eyes traced the ground.

"If you are looking for your swords, they are gone." Huntar dropped two daggers near Rani. "You can have those."

Rani glanced at the daggers and glared at Huntar. "Where is my master?"

"Your master is no longer your concern," said Zena. "He tried to kill my friend, but he met a fatal end."

Rani growled at the ground. "He is a fool…"

"Please do not hold a grudge against him," said Jenny. "He only wanted your freedom."

Rani glanced at the lion. "Why?"

Huntar scratched behind his head. "Well… You reminded us when we were slaves for a tyrant's entertainment."

"I thought you were in love with her!" Basju laughed while sitting on a York. He popped open a wine bottle and poured it down his throat.

Jenny and the others glared at the monkey.

Huntar cleared his throat. "As I said, my friends and I were slave warriors for a ruthless chief. We fought to the death to keep his greedy tribe entertained."

"Until a brave human helped us escape," Zena added.

Rani sat on her knees and pointed her claw at Jenny. "You mean her?"

Jenny giggled. "Not me. My father is the one who set them free." She grimaced. "That was a long time ago…"

“I see.” Rani turned toward Huntar. “Thank you, but I have nowhere to go. Not even these little blades can protect me.”

“You can come with us if you like,” Huntar suggested.

Zena glared at him.

Rani’s ears twitched. "Where are you going?"

"We are on a long and dangerous quest," Jenny explained. "A chief hired us to slay two sorcerers and take their magical stones back to her tribe. The reward is whatever we want."

Rani narrowed her eyes. "I hate sorcerers." She gazed at the ground. "One destroyed my village when I was a cub. His magic is true terror."

"Sorry about that," said Zena.

Jenny frowned. "If you don't wish to come with us, we will-"

"I will come." Rani grinned and stood up. "If I can slay a sorcerer, it will make me feel better And the reward too."

Huntar smiled. “Welcome to the pack.”

Zena rolled her eyes and whispered, "Great….. Another companion we have to share the reward with."