One cave to another

With her head still in his hand, Lucian looked deep into the burning eyes of the leader bat and projected his intent to her.

 "Surender."

 After the fight with the kongs, he had realized that he would have to find allies. 

 With how they already had a party structure with one clearly leading the others. He knew for a 100 percent that the Kongs of this time were going to be a big problem for him to fight off alone. 

 Because he knew that a fight was unavoidable. He didn't know about the Kongs but he would never compromise with anyone. A retreat for a day is okay, but the fire of revenge should only be doused by the opponent's surrender or… death.

 The bat that was till now looking at him with a dignified look even after accepting her end, had a visibly confused expression.

 Being a leader of her tribe she knew what it meant to surrender to someone. She was just confused as nobody of a different race would ask someone of the other to surrender to them. 

 It was death that followed each time someone was capable of killing someone. And Lucian literally had her life in his hand.

 She knew this as even before Lucian had come, there was the other beast that had them running out of their own caves. 

 Prior to its arrival, the mountain had multiple colonies of bats living in different caves spread all around the mountain. 

 There were usual fights among them while hunting, but a fight with another colony to the end was rare.

 Then came the beast who had slaughtered most of the bats and would have exterminated every other bat if not for the leaders of each colony to hold it down with their life. 

 It was because of that sacrifice the bats were able to escape the massacre that day. 

 Her father was also a colony leader, and after his sacrifice, she was like the rest of her fellow bats, all scared and with no one to lead.

 It was not like nobody tried to lead. Each of the bats that thought of themselves as strong started making groups. 

 But in their panic and wanting to be the colony leader, she saw they were fighting each other. 

 Even her brother was part of the elder's group that had been bullying weaker bats into their fold.

 She knew that she had to do something. So, she took it upon herself to defeat all the elder bats and bring all of the bats under one colony.

 When she had done just that, she took all the bats to hide in the secluded cave at the far back of the mountain.

 She did not want to move away from the mountain. She was waiting. She still had to take her revenge even with the other elders reluctant, she was waiting to get stronger to face the beast.

 But then Lucian entered their hideout. Fearing that he was also like the other beast and would start slaughtering them all. 

 She commanded the bats to push him down the fall. Know that she had never seen any beast come back from the fall ever.

 Now the same beast was asking to submit to him.

 It could not get any more confusing to her.

'He also bat?'

 Lucian couldn't understand what the bat was thinking but he suddenly felt it was very insulting.

 "Surrender or die." He had enough of it so he gave her an ultimatum.

 The leader bat pondered on what he was saying.

 She looked at her colony of bats that she had taken charge of just like her father had and also how he had given his life for it.

 It was not easy for a female bat to be the leader of the colony. But she had proved her standing by defeating everyone, even her brother. Though she had an advantage the others didn't know about, it was not any easier.

 Yet now when she was still fighting fang and claw. The same colony had given up on her just like that.

 She thought about it and then looked at her brother who was the leading one among the elders.

 looking at the panic in his eyes. She knew her answer.

 The leader bat looked at Lucian and stated her wish.

 Lucian probed to feel what she was conveying to him.

 "Hmm, so you will but after a challenge… no a condition."

 A smile split Lucian's face looking at the fat still looking him dead in the eye even though knowing he could end her with a crunch.

 "Okay."

-

 Lucian agreed to it.

 After he had felt and used his lightning powers, he couldn't believe there was any beast that could take him one v one.

 And that is why now he is standing at the entrance of a different cave. It took them some time to come here as this cave was practically to the other side of the mountain.

 "So, he is in there," Lucian asked while pointing to the cave.

 After getting an affirmation through the probe. Lucian walked in fearless yet with soft swift steps.

 He was confident, not dumb to announce his entrance before a fight.

 As he was walking in the cave with the bat right next to him. and as they reached deeper he started feeling immense rage bubbling in the leader bat.

 "You have a solid grudge against this guy huh."

 The bat did not understand what Lucian said. And neither was he expecting a reply, he just shrugged knowing that the bat would not be able to understand him at least for the while.

 Taking in steps with full caution knowing the danger of an ambush. After all, ambushing had become a staple of his.

 When reaching a turn he carefully looked beyond it and spotted the monster facing its back towards them with its head down; most probably eating its hunt.

 See it was best to sneak closer to attach the beast unprepared. Lucian t̶o̶o̶k̶ p̶i̶n̶k̶ p̶a̶n̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ s̶t̶e̶p̶s̶ t̶o̶w̶a̶r̶d̶ i̶t̶  walked up to it like a crouching beast to pounce on the prey unnoticed.

 But when he had just stepped into the side entrance, the beast had turned to him 

 "Raarr."

 With it, the beast had lunged at him.

 "Well if you want the hard fight, then I will give you one."

 Lucian raised his hands and shot lightning from his hands.

 "Take that sucker."

 From the close impact of the lightning, the beast was thrown to a distance.

 Lucian quickly followed knowing that a strong beast will not be stunned for long. So he had to end or at least injure it severely during this time.

 *bam*

 But when he got close he saw the beast now identifying it to be a tiger, jumped back up instantly and pushed him away. 

 The tiger had managed to make distance between them. Lucian looked at the beast now with greater caution.

 The tiger was strong, like really strong. As it was able to push him away with little effort.

 But what had him perplexed was how it was able to shrug away his lightning attack.

 When he looked closely at the tiger's skin, he got his answer. 

 The tiger was covered in stone. 

 'Is this a stone or mountain tiger.'

 He didn't know if it was all made up of stone or if it was just the outer layer. 

 He hoped that it was the latter.

 While he was thinking about how to battle with the mountain tiger, the connection with the bat leader was still there.  So he was easily able to pick up when he heard the bats' thoughts.

 "weak"

 "Don't make me regret giving you a chance." Lucian stares at her dead in the eye and sends his thoughts filled with a threat.

 Feeling insulted when Lucian turned away from him. The tiger roared.

"Raarrr," roared the tiger and launched at Lucian, taking him down to the ground.

 On the ground, Lucian and the tiger fought for dominance, for being the top. 

 Lucian had started gaining injuries, while the tiger had only taken some from Lucian's claws. But the tiger didn't bleed a drop.

 He realizes that there are going to be a lot more disadvantages to fighting the beast in close combat.

 So Lucian just shot a high blast under the belly of the tiger blasting it to a distance away in exchange though he had to take a deep gash to his shoulder.

  Then Lucian got up to his feet promptly and fell into his combat stance.

***

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